[00:00:06]
[PRESENTATIONS]
RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE INCOMPARABLE BETH WHITE TO HONOR BETH'S LIFE AND WORK FOR THE CITY LIKE YOU.I KNOW EVERYBODY'S EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROCLAMATION BECAUSE, UM, WE'VE ALL JUST GROWN TO LOVE BETH WHITE AND THE WORK THAT SHE DOES FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND OUR, JUST OUR GREEN RENAISSANCE THAT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE SHE'S BEEN HERE.
SO, I'LL GET STARTED WITH THE P PROC.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON JOINS THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD IN CELEBRATING BETH WHITE AS SHE APPROACHES RETIREMENT AT THE END OF 2025.
AND CONCLUDES HER TENURE AS THE ORGANIZATION'S PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, A RENOWNED PARKS AND GREEN SPACE LEADER, BETH WHITE BROUGHT VAST EXPERIENCE AND A DISTINGUISHED CAREER TO HOUSTON, HAVING OVERSEEN CHICAGO'S TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND AND LEADING MAJOR INITIATIVES AND TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND PARKS, INCLUDING CHICAGO'S ELEVATED PARK AND TRAIL SYSTEM KNOWN AS THE 6 0 6.
SHE HAS EARNED NATIONAL APPOINTMENTS FROM PRESIDENTS OBAMA AND BIDEN TO HELP FEDERAL AGENCIES DEVELOP LONG-TERM PLANS FOR PUBLIC SPACE USAGE.
SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION AND RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FROM LAMBDA ALPHA INTERNATIONAL WITH A PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD FOR HER WORK IN CHICAGO, WASHINGTON DC AND HOUSTON.
SINCE JOINING THE PARKS BOARD IN 2016, BETH WHITE'S STRATEGIC GUIDANCE HAS HELPED ADVANCE THE BAYOU GREENWAYS THE REGION'S MORE THAN 150 MILE INTERCONNECTED LINEAR PARKS SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THE REVITALIZATION OF MORE THAN 30 NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS SUCH AS MCGREGOR PARK RENOVATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND THE KINDER FOUNDATION, THE DEVELOPMENT OF HILL AT SIMS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE.
AND LET'S PLAY HOUSTON AT 25 NEIGHBORHOOD PARK INITIATIVE LED BY HOUSTON MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER.
HER LEADERSHIP IS DEFINED BY STRONG COLLABORATION ACROSS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS, WORKING CLOSELY WITH CITY, COUNTY COMMUNITY AND PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS.
THROUGHOUT HER PARKS BOARD TENURE, BETH WHITE OVERSAW SUBSTANTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH WITH NEARLY $300 MILLION INVESTED IN PARKS AND GREEN SPACE PROJECTS, MAINTENANCE AND CONSERVATION WORK.
THE PARKS BOARD HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN SIZE, YET SHE MAINTAINED A HANDS-ON APPROACH MENTORING EMPLOYEES WHO NOW LEAD ITS PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS AND IN EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS.
HER LEADERSHIP AT THE PARKS BOARD EARNED HER THE HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL'S 2021 MOST ADMIRED CEO AWARD.
AS BETH WHITE CONCLUDES HER FORMAL LEADERSHIP.
SHE LEAVES A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE, INCLUDING HER GUIDANCE IN DEVELOPING BEYOND THE BA, A LONG-TERM FRAMEWORK FOR IMPROVED EQUITY ACCESS AND NATURAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN HOUSTON.
OVER THE NEXT 50 YEARS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ALONG WITH THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD, RECOGNIZES BETH WHITE FOR HER PASSIONATE WORK TO ENHANCE THE REGION'S GREEN SPACES FOR HER DECADE OF TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP AND FOR HER, THE ENDURING LEGACY THAT WILL BENEFIT TODAY'S HOUSTONIANS AND GENERATIONS TO COME.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION, BUT IT'S EASY TO HAVE THE PASSION WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH A GREAT SUBJECT.
AND I CAN'T ADD TO THIS PROCLAMATION OTHER THAN TO PERSONALLY THINK ON BEHALF OF ALL HOUSTONIANS PERSONALLY.
YOU'VE CHANGED THE CULTURE, THE MINDSET.
YOU HAVE A UNIQUE PEOPLE SKILL TO MAKE PEOPLE WANNA DO THE RIGHT THING, NOT FORCE 'EM, BUT JUST MAKE IT THEIR PURPOSE IN PUBLIC OFFICE AND AS ADMINISTRATOR.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HATE TO LET YOU GO, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE REALLY LETTING YOU GO
I KNOW COUNCIL ALCO IS GOING TO, WE'RE WE'RE ALL GONNA WORK WITH YOU GOING FORWARD, AND YOU'VE CERTAINLY, UH, PASSED THE BATON TO A FINE TEAM.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER COMPLIMENT TO USE.
SO, HECK, THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 2ND, 2025 IS BETH WHITE DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THANK, OH, THIS IS, UM, A LITTLE OVERWHELMING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, THIS RECOGNITION AND ALSO FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, THE MINUTE I GOT TO HOUSTON, UM, I FELT I WAS EMBRACED AND WELCOMED AND, YOU KNOW, I RAISED MY HAND, WAS WILLING TO WORK, AND YOU ALL PUT YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN ME TO BE A, A PARTNER.
AND TOGETHER WE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT.
I WAS DRAWN HERE BY THE VISION AND CHALLENGE OF THE IDEA OF BIOG GREEN WAYS, A 150 MILE PLUS SYSTEM THAT THE CITY HAD PUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS BEHIND OUR ORGANIZATION, YOU KNOW, OFFERED TO RAISE 125 MILLION.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S HERE AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD IT OUT.
AND THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO OUR PARTNERSHIP.
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WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WHO I WORKED WITH LONG BEFORE SHE BECAME A COUNCIL MEMBER ON SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES.AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY AS YOU WERE JUST SAYING, GETTING PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND JUST THINK ABOUT OUR SPACE TOGETHER HERE IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY.
AND IT'S, IT IS JUST BEEN A JOY TO BE PART OF THE GREEN RENAISSANCE OF HOUSTON.
AND I GET TO WORK HEAD NOTES HERE ON, I'M NOT LOOKING AT THEM
UM, I GET TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE ME EVERY DAY, UM, SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE WITH ME, OUR AMAZING BOARD, OUR TALENTED STAFF, OUR INCREDIBLE VOLUNTEERS.
UM, I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THEM AND WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH TOGETHER.
UM, MAYOR WHITMEYER ASKED ME RECENTLY, WHY DO I CARE SO MUCH ABOUT PARKS? AND OF COURSE, HE WAS BEING A LITTLE SMART, ELEC, WOULD YOU GET YOUR FIRST KISS THERE? I WAS LIKE, I'LL NEVER TELL.
BUT, UM, I, I REALLY DO THINK PARKS BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, WE COME TOGETHER IN COMMON PURPOSE.
WE'RE CONNECTED TO NATURE, CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER, AND THE THINGS THAT MATTER, AND I, AND GREAT CITIES NEED GREAT PARKS.
SO THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO EVERY DAY IS SO IMPORTANT TO CARRYING THAT ON.
AND THE LEGACY OF HOUSTON PARKS BOARD WILL CONTINUE, AS THE MAYOR SAID, JUSTIN SCHULTZ IS GONNA BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT AND CEO AND HE'LL BE BACK BEFORE YOU IN JUST A FEW WEEKS WITH A REQUEST FOR AN INTERLOCAL TO KEEP WORKING ON NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS TOGETHER.
AND, UM, FINALLY, I'D LOVE TO THANK MY HUSBAND WHO'S BEEN OUR NUMBER ONE VOLUNTEER.
UM, HE ALSO IS THE ONE WHO ENCOURAGED ME TO CALL THE HEADHUNTER BACK.
UM, STEVE NEWTON, WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW, WHO IS THE BEST SALESPERSON FOR HOUSTON YOU WILL EVER HAVE.
BUT HE SAID, WELL, WHAT THE HECK? GO TALK TO HIM AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK.
AND ONE TRIP, AND I WAS HOOKED.
UM, WE'RE PROUD TO BE HOUSTONIANS NOW.
AND, UM, I, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S BEEN QUITE A RIDE, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
COUNT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU FOR, UM, PRESENTING THIS PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US BECAUSE BETH, YOU SAID IT PARKS DO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
UM, WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS INCREDIBLE AND WE'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU EVEN WHEN YOU LEAVE, WHEN WE ARE, UM, STROLLING THROUGH THE GREEN SPACE ALONG THE BAYOU.
WE WILL ALWAYS THANK BETH WHITE FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE.
WE'LL START WITH, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ELKHORN FOR PRESENTING THIS TODAY.
BETH, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY.
I STARTED MAKING A LIST OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS, AND THE LIST JUST KEPT GOING LONGER AND LONGER, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS.
UM, THE OAKBROOK, OAKBROOK GREEN SPACE, WHITE OAK BAYOU TRAIL, SPRING BRANCH TRAIL, VOGEL CREEK, AARON LADAY PARK, LANGWOOD PARK, AND THE UPCOMING HAYDEN PARK AND SCHWARTZ PARK, UM, PROJECTS.
ALL OF THESE HAVE REALLY BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE, UM, IN DISTRICT A AND I'M JUST SO APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
UM, YEAH, BETH, UH, FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU.
I'M SURE WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU.
YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ THIS MORNING, UH, ABOUT THE PARKS AND, UH, I WAS TALKING TO HIM.
UH, THERE'S ONE I DRIVE BY PRETTY REGULARLY AT SIX 10 AND HOMESTEAD EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND I THINK IT'S MORE OF A WALKING TRAIL REALLY THAN A PARK.
THERE'S LOTS OF TIMES WHERE IT'LL BE FULL OF PEOPLE.
IT'S JUST GREAT TO SEE AND NICE PEOPLE, NICE PEOPLE TO BE OUT GETTING EXERCISE.
IT'S, IT'S JUST AN ALL A GOOD THING AND WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU.
OH, YOUR NAME, MAYOR RECOGNIZES, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE BAY AREA HOUSTON BALLET AND THEATER, TO RECOGNIZE THEIR 50TH YEAR
[00:10:22]
COUNCIL, UM, MAYOR PRO TIM, AND, UM, COLLEAGUES.UH, WE HAVE JILL REESE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BAY AREA HOUSTON BALLET AND THEATER, AND NELSON GEL, UH, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.
AND WE ARE HERE TODAY AS WE ARE PREPARING TO REPRESENT THESE TALENTED, UH, AND GREAT ORGANIZATIONS SOUTH OF OUR CITY.
WHEREAS THE BAY AREA HOUSTON BALLET THEATER ON DECEMBER 2ND, THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY RECOGNIZES AND CONGRATULATE THE BAY AREA HOUSTON BALLET AND THEATER, AS IT CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF GRACE'S PASSION AND PERFORMANCE.
AND WHEREAS BAY AREA, HOUSTON BALLET AND THEATER WAS FOUNDED WITH A BOLD AND AMBITIOUS VISION TO BRING WORLD CLASS DANCE AND THEATER TO THE SOUTH SIDE OF HOUSTON, AND TO CREATE A HOME WHERE ARTISTS AND AUDIENCE COULD SHARE IN TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF PERFORMANCE.
AND WHEREAS THE BAY AREA, HOUSTON BALLET AND THEATER HONOR THE RICH HERITAGE OF CLASSICAL BALLET WHILE EMBRACING THE INNOVATION, EXPLORATION AND LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE, THEATER AND PERFORMANCE ART.
IT PRESENTS A FULL SLATE OF PRODUCTIONS AT THE BIO THEATER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, CLEAR LAKE MAKING HIGH QUALITY PERFORMING ARTS ACCESSIBLE TO THOUSANDS OF PATRONS ACROSS BAY AREA.
HOUSTON REMAINING TRUE TO ITS GOAL OF OFFERING DIVERSE TO ENGAGING PERFORMANCES.
IT HAS EXPANDED ITS REPERTOIRE TO INCLUDE MUSICAL THEATER, PROVIDING DANCERS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE BROADWAY STYLE PERFORMANCE WHILE STRENGTHENING THE COMPANY'S VERSATILITY AND COMMUNITY REACH.
AND WHEREAS SINCE ITS EARLY YEARS, BAY AREA HOUSTON BALLET AND THEATER HAS WELCOMED WORLD RENOWNED GUEST ARTISTS, CHOREOGRAPHERS AND TEACHERS WHOSE TALENT AND GUIDANCE HAVE SHAPED ITS ARTISTIC IDENTITY.
IN 2015, INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIMED BALLET LUMINARY NELSON RIGO JOINED AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ELEVATING ITS TRAINING TO WORLD CLASS STANDARDS AND REAFFIRMING ITS MISSION TO NURTURE DANCERS WITH PROFESSIONALISM, INTEGRITY, AND PASSION.
AND WHEREAS WHAT BEGAN AS A SMALL COMMUNITY EFFORT HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE REGION'S MOST RESPECTED CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TODAY AS BAY EVERY HOUSTON BALLET AND THEATER CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY, IT CONTINUES TO SHINE AS A VIBRANT FORCE IN THE PERFORMING ARTS, ENRICHING THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF THE BIG AREA, HOUSTON REGION THROUGH CREATIVITY, EXCELLENCE, AND DEDICATION.
SO MAYOR, WE WOULD, UH, GIVE IT OVER TO YOU.
I'M GOING TO ASK MY GOOD FRIEND FRED FLICKINGER OF DISTRICT E TO COME OVER AND JOIN WITH US AS WE PRESENT THIS, UH, WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE BEFORE, OF COURSE, ALSO IN HIS DISTRICT.
YOU WANT TO YELL TO COUNCILMAN CHURCH? GO AHEAD.
WELL, LISTEN, UH, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND YOU'RE SHOWCASING WHY HOUSTON IS SUCH A GREAT CITY.
WE HAVE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THIS ALL ACROSS HOUSTON THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T BRING IT TO OUR ATTENTION, THE REST OF HOUSTON WILL NOT BE AWARE OF IT.
SO THANK YOU TO THE BAY AREA, UH, BALLET IN, IN THEATER DAY.
YOU BRING THE ART TO A COMMUNITY THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO COME TO CENTRAL HOUSTON.
THE HOUSTON BALLET CANNOT BE EVERYWHERE.
SO WITH YOUR, UH, YOUR RECORD, AND I'M SURE, UM, YOU'RE INFLUENCING THE NEXT GENERATION WITH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE, AND YOU'RE GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR SKILLS.
SO WE'RE ALL EXCITED THAT'RE TODAY, COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER.
UM, WE, WE NEVER WANT TO OVERLOOK THE BAY AREA.
UH, COUNCILMAN KEPT REFERRING TO SOUTH OF HOUSTON.
YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SHOWCASE THE BAY AREA
[00:15:01]
YES.SO TODAY IS A, A CELEBRATION OF, THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMORE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON HERE BY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 2ND, 2025 IS BAY AREA HOUSTON BALLET AND THEATER DAY ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AM I ALLOWED TO SAY SOMETHING? YES, YOU ARE.
UM, CONGRESSMAN DAVIS AND CONGRESSMAN FLICKINGER AND MAYOR AND THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL, WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR PRODUCT.
AND 50 YEARS IS A LONG TIME IN THE ARTS TO BE SUSTAINABLE, AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF IT.
AND YOUR RECOGNITION OF THAT TODAY, IT TRULY MEANS THE WORLD TO US.
ALSO, YOUR SUPPORT TO US IS INVALUABLE.
FOR OVER 30 YEARS, UH, SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS ENABLED US TO REALLY MAKE OUR MISSION GROW AND BE BIGGER AND BETTER.
WE, UM, TODAY I BROUGHT, UH, A FEW OF OUR PROFESSIONAL DANCERS HERE.
ONE, THE LITTLE SUGAR PALM FAIRY
YOU GOTTA HAVE THAT FOR A PHOTO UP, RIGHT? WE ARE MOVING INTO THE THEATER, OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA BE PERFORMING 21 SHOWS OF THE NUTCRACKER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME DOWN, EMAIL ME, TEXT ME, WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO.
I KNOW YOU CAN FIND ME, UH, AND I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE YOU TICKETS.
I WANT YOU TO SEE THE PRODUCT THAT YOU ARE SUPPORTING BECAUSE IT'S PHENOMENAL.
NELSON MAGICAL IS WORLD RENOWNED, AND HE BRINGS IN TO THE CITY IN THE SUMMERTIME.
WE HAD DANCERS FROM TAIWAN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT HAVE COME JUST TO BE TRAINED UNDER HIM.
AND IT, IT IS TRULY A TESTAMENT TO HOW HOUSTON BELIEVES IN THE ARTS AND HOW WE ARE KEEPING IT STRONG IN THE SOUTH END OF HOUSTON.
UH, I DO WANNA STATE TOO, STARTING ON THURSDAY, WE BRING, UH, 3000 TITLE ONE STUDENTS TO THE THEATER.
BUST THEM IN SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THE PRODUCTION OF THE NUTCRACKER AS WELL.
AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR SUPPORT THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT, AS WELL AS OUR EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES ALL OVER, UM, FOR THE YEAR.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND WE LOVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALL THAT YOU DO FOR THE ARTS.
WILL THERE, I SENT YOU A MEMO.
RECOGNIZES MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE CALDERON FAMILY, HONORING THEIR PUBLIC SERVICE AND LEGACY MEMBERS.
THIS, UH, THIS IS MATERIAL THAT MOVIES ARE MADE OUT OF.
I WANT EVERYONE TO, TO REALLY LET IT SINK IN WHAT WE'RE PROCLAIMING TODAY, LIKE SIX VETERANS OF HPD SIX BROTHERS, CAN YOU IMAGINE THEIR MOTHER AND FATHER AND SOME SLEEPLESS NIGHTS THAT THEY HAD? BUT THESE GENTLEMEN ARE ROLE MODELS.
THEY'RE PUBLIC SERVANTS, THEY'RE MENTORS.
THEY HAVE HELPED CREATE THE GREAT CITY THAT WE HAVE.
'CAUSE WHEN THEY WERE TRAILBLAZING HISPANICS WERE NOT ALWAYS WAYS.
WELCOME IN HPD, THEY STARTED IN 1975.
SO THERE'S NEARLY ALWAYS BEEN A CORON BROTHER ON HPD DURING MY 50 YEARS OF BEING IN THE LEGISLATURE.
SO I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THEM TOGETHER.
WE GOTTA ORGANIZED, THEIR FAMILIES ARE HERE.
AND LET ME JUST TAKE TIME TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION.
IT IS REALLY ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE THAT SIX BROTHERS IN THE SAME FAMILY
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PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE AT THE SAME TIME.ON DECEMBER 2ND, 2025, THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECOGNIZES THE LEGACY OF THE CRON FAMILY, WHOSE SIX BROTHERS, ROBERT, RICK, RUDY, RUBIN, RAY, AND RENEE COLLECTIVELY CONTRIBUTED 212 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE IN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, PROTECTING HOUSTONIANS WITH HONOR, COURAGE, AND DUTY.
THE COLORADO STORY BEGAN WITH THE ELDEST BROTHER ROBERT TERRON JR JOINED THE DEPARTMENT IN 1975 AS CLASS NUMBER 70.
FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS, HE SERVED THE NORTHEAST PATROL VICE ALTO THEFT EARNING HONORS THAT INCLUDED HPD OFFSHORE OF THE YEAR AWARDS.
IN 2007, A CHIEF'S COMMENDATION 2008 AND RECOGNITION BY THE 100 CLUB BEFORE RETIRING IN 2011, RICARDO RICK CALDERON JOINED HBD IN 77 WITH A CADET CLASS NUMBER 78.
HIS CAREER SPAN OVER 40 YEARS, CULMINATING IN PROMOTION TO SERGEANT.
HE SERVED IN NORTH SHEPHERD PARK PLACE, NORTHWEST PATROL, AND NEARLY THREE DECADES WITH THE MAJOR OFFENDERS DIVISION SERVING WITH PROFESSIONALISM AND EXCELLENCE UNTIL RETIRED.
RAUL RUDY CORON JOINED HPD IN 77 WITH CADET CLASS 79 SERVED OVER 39 YEARS.
HIS AWARDS INCLUDED THE CHIEF'S COMMENDATION, A MAYOR'S COMBINATION, AND ME MERITORIOUS AWARD IN 1996.
RUBEN CAL JOINED THE DEPARTMENT IN 1982 AS PART OF CADET CLASS 1 0 4.
OVER 40 YEAR CAREER, HE SERVED AS NORTHEAST PATROL, THE LATENT PRINT UNIT, THE KINGWOOD PATROL DIVISION.
HIS AWARDS INCLUDED AN AWARD, DOMINEE AND ASSISTANT CHIEF ACCOMMODATION, AND NUMEROUS ACCOMMODATIONS FROM SUPERVISORS AND CITIZENS FOR HIS DEDICATION AND PROFESSIONALISM.
RAY CALDERON JOINED HPD IN 85 WITH CADET CLASS 1 29.
IN HIS 20 YEARS OF SERVICE, HE WORKED IN NORTH SHEPHERD, THE BURGLARY AND THEFT AND COMMAND CENTER DIVISION IN 91.
HE WAS NAMED ALSO THE YEAR BY THE 100 CLUB AND RECEIVED THE PAUL ETO LIFESAVING AWARD BEFORE RETIRING IN 2005.
RENEE RAD JOINED HPD IN 1989 WITH A CADET CLASS 1 36.
OVER A 38 YEAR CAREER, HE SERVED IN NORTH CENTRAL KINGWOOD, SOUTH GASTER JAIL TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISIONS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT IN 2010.
HE CONCLUDED HIS SERVICE AT BUSH AIRPORT IN 2024.
HIS HONORS INCLUDED FOUR LIFE SAVINGS, A HOSTILE ENGAGEMENT AWARD, THREE CHIEFS ACCOMMODATIONS, AND MORE THAN 45 SUPERVISOR AND CITIZEN ACCOMMODATIONS.
WHILE THE COLORADO BROTHERS SERVED THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN, MADE PROFOUND SACRIFICES, ENDURING LOAN ABSENCES, AND UNPREDICTABLE HOURS, HOLIDAYS APART, AND STRESS OF CITYWIDE EMERGENCIES PROVIDING RESILIENT SUPPORT.
CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY HONORS THE SIGNIFICANT LEGACY OF THE CORON FAMILY.
AND THANKS ALL THE MEMBERS FOR THEIR DECADES OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE, SACRIFICE, AND COMMITMENT TO PEOPLE IN THE CITY THEY LOVE.
THE PROCLAMATION DOESN'T DO JUSTICE TO THE PERSONAL SACRIFICE THAT Y'ALL HAVE MADE IN YOUR FAMILIES.
YOUR PARENTS WE'RE A BETTER CITY FOR Y'ALL'S SERVICE.
I KNOW YOU PROBABLY HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS, BUT THAT'S WHAT YOUR CALLING WAS.
AND WE'RE HERE TODAY AS A CITY IN 2.3 MILLION HOUSTONIANS.
I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT IT DOES TO THE FAMILY CHALLENGES YOUR, YOUR CHILDREN.
I'M SURE YOU MISSED SOME LITTLE LEAGUE GAMES.
I'M SURE YOU MISSED SOME SCHOOL PROGRAMS, BUT WE'RE HERE TODAY TO THANK YOU PUBLICLY.
THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMORE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 2ND, 2025, IS A TERRON FAMILY DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN, BROTHERS, THAT IT WAS AN HONOR SERVING CITIZENS HOUSTON, AND LIKE YOU SAID, OVER 212 YEARS.
AND, UM, THE CITY'S BEEN GOOD TO US TOO THOUGH.
[00:25:02]
AND GOOD TO GO.AND, UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN BE HERE A LONG TIME AS CITIZENS AFTER PROVIDING THE SERVICE THAT WE DID.
WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US ALSO.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, FOR BRINGING THIS PROCLAMATION FORWARD.
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE FAMILY YOU HAVE.
WHAT GREAT EXAMPLES FOR YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR NIECES, NEPHEWS.
I'M SURE THAT THEY ARE ALL VERY, VERY PROUD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY, YOUR DEDICATION.
UM, WE SHOULD ALL ASPIRE TO BE THE COUNTERON FAMILY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TAM UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO US AS WELL, UH, TO THE CALON FAMILY.
UM, JUST THANK YOU FOR, FOR STEPPING UP AND AS A FAMILY, RIGHT? UH, TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER, UH, BLESSINGS TO YOUR PARENTS, UH, YOUR UNCLES, EVERYBODY THAT WAS OLDER THAN YOU THAT INSTILLED YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS WORK ETHIC AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN EVERYTHING, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO POUR BACK OR YOU'VE BEEN POURING BACK TO YOUR KIDS.
UH, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY.
UM, AND JUST AS MAYOR SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE LEAST THAT WE CAN DO.
UM, MY HOPE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS KNOW ABOUT THE CALON FAMILY AND THE, THE THINGS Y'ALL DONE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, THAT INSPIRE OTHER FOLKS TO DO, NOT JUST WITH HPD, BUT IN ANY OTHER THING, ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS FROM THE CITY THAT, THAT WE'RE HERE AS WELL.
MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION TO THIS WONDERFUL FAMILY.
AS I WAS LISTENING, TENTATIVELY TO THE YEARS OF THE SIX OF YOU SERVED, AND, UH, IT SAID A WHOLE LOT TO ME BECAUSE AS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND I GREW UP DURING THOSE TIMES, BEING A PROUD HOUSTONIAN THERE IN THIRD WARD, KIND OF EAST END.
AND I KNEW IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME, UH, WHEN I HEARD THE FIRST, YEAH, I THINK IT WAS 75 OR 72, SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
AND, UH, JUST TO THINK OF ALL OF THE SERVICE, HAVE YOU COMMITTED TO THIS CITY? WHEN I HEAR THE WORD SERVICE, I THINK OF IT ON ALL LEVELS, WHETHER IT'S POLICE, FIRE, MILITARY, BECAUSE THE SERVE IS A, IS A MAJOR WORD.
SO THANK GOD FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
AND CERTAINLY THANK GOD FOR YOUR FAMILIES, FOR YOUR SACRIFICE AND SERVICE.
EVAN SHA, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ.
I'M GONNA MAKE IT ROLL JUST LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE CALL ON FAMILY.
I'VE TRYING TO TRY TO MAKE IT WORK, BUT YOU GUYS LOOK GREAT.
I THINK YOU OUGHT TO SUIT BACK UP AND COME ON OUT TO DISTRICT D AND HELP US WITH ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE GOING ON.
BUT CERTAINLY, I CERTAINLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND I MEAN, IT'S QUITE A SACRIFICE.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE WERE MANY NIGHTS OF WORRY FOR YOUR FAMILIES OF WONDERING WHETHER YOU ARE GONNA COME HOME SAFELY.
SO THANK GOD THAT YOU DID, AND THANK GOD THAT YOU'RE HERE TODAY.
AND THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, WONDERFUL PROCLAMATION TO THIS FAMILY COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN, FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY.
WHAT, WHAT A REMARKABLE THING.
SIX BROTHERS FROM THE SAME FAMILY ALL BECOME POLICE OFFICERS AND, AND, AND SERVE HONORABLE CAREERS PROTECTING, UH, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE WHO WHO LIVE IN HOUSTON.
UH, WE MAY NEVER SEE THIS AGAIN, UH, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR CAREERS.
YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD FOR THE CITY IN KEEPING US SAFE AND FIGHTING CRIME.
AND, UH, YOU ALL LOOK HEALTHY.
I HOPE YOU'RE ALL IN GOOD HEALTH AND, UH, WISH YOU ALL, UH, MANY YEARS OF ENJOYMENT IN RETIREMENT.
[00:32:36]
COUNCIL MEMBER[2:00 P.M. - INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
ALCORN FOR THE INVOCATION.THANK YOU MAYOR AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY, BUT SHE HAS INVITED REVEREND DR.
ALEJANDRO MONTEZ, IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN US AT THE AT.
AND LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, ABOUT DR.
HE'S A RETIRED EPISCOPAL PRIEST WHOSE LIFELONG MINISTRY HAS PROFOUNDLY SHAPED THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
HE SERVED AS VICAR AND LATER AS RECTOR OF IGL EPISCOPAL SAN MATEO FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, BECOMING A LEADING VOICE IN HISPANIC LATINO MINISTRY.
IN 2019, HE JOINED GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH AS AN ASSISTING PRIEST, WHERE HE CONTINUES TO GUIDE AND SERVE THE SPANISH SPEAKING CONGREGATION.
FOR THE PAST 19 YEARS, PADRE ALEJANDRO HAS ALSO VOLUNTEERED WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE POLICE AND CLERGY ALLIANCE, A MULTI-FAITH CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING TRUST BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY.
THROUGH HIS WORK, HE HAS SUPPORTED OFFICERS, COMFORT OF VICTIMS, MENTORED YOUTH, AND PROMOTED RECONCILIATION ACROSS DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
IN HOUSTON, HE HOLDS AN HONORARY DOCTOR OF DIVINITY FROM THE SEMINARY OF THE SOUTHWEST, AWARDED IN RECOGNITION OF HIS EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO MINISTRY AND PUBLIC SERVICE.
GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR OUR CITY AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TODAY, TO ASK THAT TO GUIDE THE CITY COUNCIL, GRAB THEM TO WISDOM IN DISCERNMENT AS THEY MAKE DECISION THAT WILL AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY, MAY THEY APPROACH EACH ISSUE, ISSUE WITH OPEN MIND, LISTEN TO OUR PERSPECTIVES AND WORKING TOGETHER IN UNITY AND RESPECT.
HELP THEM TO HAVE COURAGE, TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT, TO FOCUS ON THE COMMON GOAL, AND TO SERVE ALL PEOPLE WITH JUSTICE AND COMPASSION.
THANK YOU GOD FOR THIS SERVANTS A MAYOR, OUR CITY MANAGER, OUR CITY STAFF, AND OUR CITY
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COUNCIL MEMBERS.WORK IN MY DAY DELIBERATIONS, BRING ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR CITY.
FATHER, PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE.
THANK YOU, FATHER, PLEASE STAND.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR MR.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING]
SECRETARY, YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER.
HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER WILL BE ABSENT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER.
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
MS. SECRETARY, YOU CALLER FIRST WITNESS BRIDGET BRIDGET JENSEN TO BE FOLLOWED BY DARREN JENKINS.GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I'M HERE, UH, TO SPEAK ABOUT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, THE RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE CITY'S INVESTMENT POLICY.
I WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE PROPOSED POLICY FOR THE UPCOMING VOTE.
SO I'M ASSUMING THAT, UH, THERE'S NOT ANY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FROM THE CURRENT POLICY.
I'M HERE AS I WAS LAST YEAR, TO ADVOCATE FOR AN AMENDMENT TO REMOVE SECTION 9.10 THAT LISTS THE BONDS OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AS AUTHORIZED AND SUITABLE INVESTMENTS.
LAST YEAR, ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES PROPOSED AN AMENDMENT TO STRIKE THE SECTION, BUT THEN WITHDREW IT AFTER CITY LEGAL RAISED THE CONCERN OF PREEMPTION BY THE STATE.
THIS WAS CONVENIENT SINCE I SUSPECT THAT THERE IS PERHAPS AS MUCH OR GREATER FEAR FOR MANY ON COUNCIL THAN STATE PREEMPTION THAN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT ISRAEL.
BUT IT'S TIME TO READ THE SHIFTING POLITICAL WINDS.
PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER, LONGER BLINDLY SUPPORTING ISRAEL AND ACCUSATIONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM BECAUSE OF CRITICISM OF ISRAEL HAVE BECOME TIRESOME.
IT'S TIME TO ADOPT AN AMENDMENT TO REMOVE SECTION 9.10.
AND LET ME HELP YOU SHED THIS FEAR OF PREEMPTION.
FIRST, CONSIDER THAT OTHER MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS, INCLUDING DALLAS, DO NOT AUTHORIZE THE PURCHASE OF ISRAEL BONDS, YET THEY HAVE NOT SUFFERED ANY REPERCUSSIONS.
SECONDLY, BECAUSE THE PUBLIC FUNDS INVESTMENT ACT HAS NO REQUIREMENT TO AUTHORIZE ISRAEL BONDS, IT ONLY GIVES THE OPTION TO INCLUDE THEM AS AN AUTHORIZED INVESTMENT.
SO THERE'S REALLY NO VALID RISK OF STATE PREEMPTION.
AS FOR ARGUMENTS FOR STRIKING SECTION 9.10.
MAYOR AND SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE CLAIMED YOU WON'T SUPPORT ANY RESOLUTION CONCERNING FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
BUT THE PROVISION IN THE RESOLUTION THAT ALLOWS THE PURCHASE, PURCHASE OF BONDS ISSUED BY A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT INHERENTLY CONCERNS INTERNATIONAL POLITICS.
[00:40:01]
YOU AREN'T GONNA TOUCH FAIR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THEN BE CONSISTENT AND REMOVE SECTION 9.10.SECONDLY, CONSIDER HOW ALLOWING FOR THE PURCHASE OF ISRAEL BONDS INDICATES THAT OUR CITY LEADERS ARE PERFECTLY FINE WITH INVESTING IN A COUNTRY WHOSE MILITARY IN A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS HAS OVER KILLED OVER 70,000 PEOPLE AND WOUNDED ALMOST 171,000, MOSTLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
AND DESPITE THE OCTOBER 10TH CEASEFIRE, THE ISRAELI MILITARY CONTINUES ITS ASSAULTS AND AIRSTRIKES IN GAZA.
JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, THE MILITARY MURDERED THESE TWO CHILDREN, 8-YEAR-OLD FADI AND HIS 11-YEAR-OLD BROTHER JUMA, WHILE THEY WERE OUT COLLECTING FIREWOOD FOR THEIR INJURED FATHER.
MANY OF US WILL BE ASHAMED IF OUR CITY LEADERS ONCE AGAIN FIND IT SUITABLE TO AUTHORIZE INVESTMENT IN ANY ENTITY THAT PUTS SO LITTLE VALUE ON HUMAN LIFE.
AMEND THE INVESTMENT POLICY TO REMOVE SECTION 9.10.
NEXT DARREN DARREN JENKINS TO BE FOLLOWED BY RANDALL CALLANAN.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU HAVE TO EXCUSE ME IF I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SPOKEN IN THIS CAPACITY.
UM, I'M HERE MORE OF A DISTURBANCE ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS FROM THE CITY'S ASPECT.
I LIVE AT THE 1600 BLOCK OF WHEELER RIGHT AT THE CORNER OF ALAMEDA.
AND, UM, THE, THE ADDRESS IN QUESTION, IS IT GONNA BE AT 43 0 6 ALAMEDA? UM, IT'S A VACANT LOT WITH FOUR WALLS BUT NO ROOF.
AND IT'S OPERATED AS A EVENT SPACE ESSENTIALLY, WHILE 90% OF THE TIME THE EVENT SPACE IS ABSOLUTELY FINE AND THE EVENTS ARE PLEASANT.
THE OTHER 10% COMES AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIMES AND HAS SOME OF THE WORST NEIGHBORS YOU COULD ASK FOR.
UM, SO THEY HAVE LITERAL FRAT PARTIES DIRECTLY BEHIND THE HOUSE.
IT HAS NO YARD AND IT'S DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE REAR OF THIS LOT.
UM, THIS FRAT PARTIES, AND I MEAN THAT IN A LITERAL SENSE GO ON FROM NINE AT NIGHT UNTIL ABOUT THREE OR FOUR IN THE MORNING OR UNTIL WHENEVER I CALL THE COPS AND THEY EVENTUALLY SHOW UP.
UM, SO THE, UH, THE PROBLEM EXTENDS BEYOND THE NOISE.
HOWEVER, THEY'LL HAVE PORTA JOHNS THAT THEY'LL PLACE SO CLOSE TO THE PROPERTY LINE THAT I CAN SMELL THE, UH, PORTA JOHN FLUID AND THE, UH, EXCREMENT FROM INSIDE OF MY HOME UNTIL THE PORTA JOHNS ARE REMOVED OR REPLACED.
UM, AND AFTER THEIR EVENTS, MAYBE 10, 15 INDUSTRIAL SIZED BAGS OF TRASH FIND THEIR WAY TO PEGGY PARK, UH, AND THE PEGGY PARK TRASH RECEPTACLES.
AND WHILE I'M APPRECIATE THEM BAGGING THEIR TRASH AND PUTTING IT SOMEWHERE, UH, THE HOMELESS PEOPLE AND THE LOCAL WILDLIFE SEEM TO LOVE IT.
AND AFTER ABOUT A DAY OR TWO, YOU'LL FIND THEIR TRASH STREWN ALL ABOUT FOR QUITE SOME WAYS AROUND PEGGY PARK.
AND, AND I DO PARTICULARLY LOVE PEGGY PARK.
UM, YOU'LL HAVE ALCOHOL, YOU'LL HAVE DISCARDED FOOD ITEMS, YOU'LL HAVE, UM, BROKEN GLASS ALL AROUND THE WALKWAYS, UH, TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN'T WALK MY OWN DOG.
UM, LET ME ASK YOU THIS, HAVE YOU BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF HPD? THAT'S CORRECT, SIR.
UM, I'VE CALLED HPD UH, NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND HAVING BEEN A PRIOR HPD OFFICER, I KNOW WHAT THE, THE, UH, NOISE ORDINANCE POLICIES ARE AND WHENEVER HPD DOES MAKE THEIR WAY OUT, AND, AND DON'T GET ME WRONG, I DID TRAIN AT SOUTH CENTRAL, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE BUSY.
UH, HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT THE SOUND ORDINANCE POLICY STATES THAT YOU COME WITH A SOUND METER AND YOU CHECK AND THAT NEVER HAPPENS.
HOW, HOW OFTEN ARE THE PARTIES WHENEVER THERE ARE YOUR, YOUR REGULAR EVENTS, REGULAR HOLIDAYS, FOR EXAMPLE, OBVIOUSLY ONE, ONE UNDER THE CONDITIONS YOU DESCRIBED IS TOO MANY.
WHAT IS YOUR BADGE? I'M JUST CURIOUS.
SAY IT AGAIN, SIR? YOUR, YOUR BADGE THAT YOU ARE DISPLAYING? METRO SIR.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN.
WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY, UH, MAKE CALLS AND HAVE SOME INTERVENTION.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUST A SEC.
UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MY OFFICE, BUT CERTAINLY WE WOULD TRY TO ASSIST YOU IN THIS.
I DON'T KNOW, INGRAM IS NORMALLY HERE.
I DON'T SEE HER, BUT I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I GIVE YOU A CARD AND I'LL MAKE SURE I GIVE HER YOUR NUMBER ABSOLUTELY.
SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO ASSIST YOU WITH THIS.
UH, IT'S, IT'S ANOTHER MATTER.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE.
I DO WANT TO TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE, UH, STUDENTS FROM SHARPSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL THAT
[00:45:01]
ARE WITHIN CHAMBERS WITH US.THEY'RE VISITING CITY HALL TODAY, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, UH, PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, NEXT RANDALL CALLAN, IAN HICK TO BE FOLLOWED BY ASTOR MARK.
COUNSEL FOR WEEKS EASTERN RESIDENCE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH MULTIPLE STREET CLOSURES THAT SEEM COMPLETELY UNCOORDINATED IN EDO, POLK, LELAND, JEFFERSON AND PES HAVE ALL BEEN CLOSED.
FORTUNATELY, LELAND AND BELLA ARE NOW OPEN, THANK GOODNESS.
AND POLK IS OPEN FOR WALKING AND BIKING.
THAT MATTERS A LOT AND I THINK Y'ALL HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THAT.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR GETTING THOSE OPEN.
BUT THIS CHAOTIC MIX OF PROJECTS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HARMFUL TO EAST ENDERS, ESPECIALLY TRANSIT RIDERS.
PEOPLE WHO RELY ON METRO BUSES TO REACH THE GRB DISCOVERY GREEN AND DOWNTOWN JOBS HAVE HAD THEIR COMMUTES COMPLETELY COMPROMISED.
RIDERS WHO USED TO BOARD AND EXIT BUSES ON THE SAME BLOCKS AS THE GRB NOW WALK LONG DISTANCES, MULTIPLE BLOCKS WAITING AT MULTIPLE LIGHTS.
THE PEOPLE WHO RIDE THESE BUSES ARE DIVERSE.
SOME ARE WORKING PROFESSIONALS LIKE MYSELF.
MANY OUR HOTEL WORKERS, RESTAURANT STAFF, JANITORIAL CREWS, SECURITY GUARDS, SOME ARE DISABLED AND USE WHEELCHAIRS CLOSING.
POLK WILL PUNISH THESE HOUSTONIANS WITH THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF ADDITIONAL COMMUTE TIME EVERY YEAR.
MANY OF THESE TRANSIT RIDER WORK MULTIPLE LOW WAGE JOBS WITHOUT MUCH TIME FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
RECENTLY, DOWNTOWN HOTEL AND RESTAURANT WORKERS FOUGHT FOR AND WON HIGHER PAY THROUGH THEIR UNIONS.
BUT MANY OF THOSE SAME WORKERS NOW FACE HOURS OF WASTED TIME ON DETOURED BUSES AND LONG WALKS THROUGH BLISTERING SUMMARY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE DON'T HAVE A FIRE EMERGENCY OR SOMETHING, DO WE? OKAY.
UM, IMAGINE DOING ALL THAT IN A WHEELCHAIR.
THEIR VOICES MATTER, BUT RIGHT NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE AN ADVOCATE.
EAST END COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE WORKED HARD ALL YEARS TO ENSURE THAT NEIGHBORS HAVE A VOICE IN THIS PROCESS.
THAT EFFORT CONTINUES TOMORROW NIGHT AT A TOWN HALL HOSTED BY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 64 88 AT 6:00 PM AT HOLY FAMILY HTX ON NAVIGATION.
I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO ATTEND.
WE DESPERATELY NEED YOU TO PUT YOURSELVES IN OUR SHOES BEFORE YOU VOTE TO CLOSE POLK STREET.
PLEASE RIDE THE 40 AND 41 WALK FROM A BUS STOP TO DISCOVERY GREEN AND THE GRB EXPERIENCE THE IMPACTS BEFORE YOU LOCK THEM IN FOREVER.
I UNDERSTAND FROM MARTY THAT'S A FIRE ALARM.
SO LET'S, UH, RECESS FOR 10 MINUTES TILL WE GET A, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF IT, AND WE'LL ADVISE EVERYONE.
UH, CJ SAYS IT WAS FRESH PAINT IN THE CONTROL ROOM HERE ON THE THIRD FLOOR, FRESH PAINT.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE KEVIN MURPHY UP TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON-AG AGENDA LIST FOR THREE MINUTES.
NEXT SPEAKER AS MARK NO CESAR ESPOSA TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARIA GARCIA.
HELLO, UM, CITY COUNCIL MAYOR, UH, I COME BEFORE YOU AS A NONE OTHER SHORT THAN A MIRACLE.
AFTER 50 DAYS OF BEING DETAINED, UH, EMMANUEL GARCIA WAS FREED FROM, UH, ORR OR, UH, FEDERAL DETENTION, IMMIGRATION DETENTION, UM, AFTER 50 DAYS, ALL BECAUSE HPD UNDER JOHN WHITMEYER SUPERVISION CALLED ICE AND ICE, REFER THEM TO ORR.
[00:50:01]
I WANT YOU TO QUESTION HIM LIKE YOU QUESTION HIM WITHOUT HIM BEING HERE.I WANT MARYANNE HUFFMAN TO TELL HIM THAT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM TO HIS FACE WHEN YOU QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT HE HAD A DISABILITY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL RECORD.
AND THANK THANK YOU TO MR. DAVIS FOR STEPPING IN AND TO, AND FOR QUESTIONING HIM AS THOUGH WE HAD HIS MOTHER CRYING OUTSIDE AS A, AS A PLOY FOR POLITICAL GAIN FOR WHATEVER.
I DON'T HAVE A, A ELECTED POSITION IN THE CITY.
WE'RE NOT CHARGING THIS FAMILY A SINGLE DIME.
IN FACT, WE'VE GOTTEN THEM PRO BONO REPRESENTATION BECAUSE OF THE FAILURES THAT THE CITY HAS HAD WITH THIS FAMILY BECAUSE OF THE CITIES THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD WITH THIS FAMILY.
SO EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THIS IS FOR ME, HOW THIS IS FOR THEM.
HOW THIS IS FOR THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE IN HOUSTON.
HOW IS THIS A POLITICAL PLOY? HOW IS THIS POLITICAL FOR US WHEN IT'S OUR LIVES? EMMANUEL'S RIGHT HERE, MAYOR.
ASK HIM WHAT YOU NEED TO ASK HIM.
ASK HIM WHAT YOU NEED TO ASK HIM.
WE'RE NOW GOING, HAVING TO UNDERGO A VERY DIFFICULT AND VERY COSTLY PROCESS TO TRY TO GET HIM WHEN HE DESERVES.
AND WE BROUGHT YOU YOUR TIME, HAS SOME RECEIPT FOR YOU IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THEM.
IT'S A CERTIFICATE THAT SAYS THANK YOU FOR NOTHING.
AND WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS AS PROOF.
WHO DO WE TURN THIS INTO? THANK YOU.
CITY SECRETARY RENEE, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT HE GETS NEXT.
UM, SINCE THAT I JUST, I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ALANA AS WELL.
I KNOW, UM, FIRST IT JUST, YOU KNOW, THANKS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN DOING.
UM, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING HIM BACK HOME TO HIS MOM.
THIS IS, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS, WELL THIS IS SUPER COMPLICATED.
AND WHAT I'VE BEEN ASKING, UM, IS FOR US TO BE A BIT MORE THOUGHTFUL.
AND I'M TRYING TO DO THAT ABOUT HOW WE GO ABOUT ACTIONS AND WHAT WE SAY.
AND I DON'T KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE HELPFUL IN A SPACE THAT NOT NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT AT THE STATE LEVEL AND A FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S NOT HEALTHY FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, SPECIFICALLY THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
I SHARED WITH, WITH ALAN THAT, UM, TWO FRIDAYS AGO I WAS GONNA SHOW UP TO A CAFE CIA WITH A COMMUNITY LEADER THAT HAS BEEN HELPING LEAD THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH HPD.
I NEED YOUR HELP TO HELP, TO ASSIST IN FIGURING OUT A WAY WHERE HPD IS NOT TOTALLY, NOT LIKE NOT BEING TRUSTED AT ALL, BECAUSE THERE ARE GOOD FOLKS THERE THAT, THAT ARE TRYING TO DO THE WORK.
WE NEED TO FIGURE THAT OUT TOGETHER.
AND I WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE SEEING.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROP A THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP, BUT AS WE DO THESE KIND OF, UM, THESE KINDS OF THINGS AS WELL, UH, IT DOES PRESENT AN EVEN MORE DANGER AS WELL WHERE OTHER LAWS CAN BE CREATED.
AND SO AS, AS, AND THIS IS JUST ME JUST LITERALLY JUST KIND OF POURING OUT TO YOU.
LIKE I, I NEED YOUR HELP IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
C COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, I ASK YOU TO ASK THE SAME THING FROM, FROM EVERYBODY AROUND THE HORSESHOE, INCLUDING OUR MAYOR WHO, WHEN HE, WHEN HE, HE HAS SAID BEFORE, AND YOU HAVE SAID IT BEFORE, THAT YOU ARE COLLABORATING WITH ICE.
AND THEN WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT, YOU SAY THAT IT'S NOT COLLABORATING WITH ICE.
AND THAT SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANNA SEE A MAYOR THAT STANDS UP WITH A POPULATION OF ONE IN FOUR.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST LEGAL MIGRANTS.
I MEAN, UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE RE TALKING ABOUT LEGAL MIGRANTS AS WELL.
AND WE WANNA SEE A MAYOR THAT SAYS, THAT PUTS THEIR FOOT DOWN AND SAYS, WE ARE, WE ARE PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY, NOT CALLING WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM NOT CALLING THE MODEL THAT WE CURRENTLY ARE WORKING UNDER A MODEL FOR OTHER CITIES TO FOLLOW.
THAT, THAT'S, THAT HAS BEEN SAID.
AND WE HAVE PROOF OF ALL OF THAT IN WRITING OF COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE
[00:55:01]
BY THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THIS CHIEF WHERE, WHERE IT HAS NOW, IN MY DEFENSE, I'VE SERVED ON A LOT OF PEOPLE.I GOT A LOT OF SLACK FOR SERVING ON THE LAST MAYOR'S, UH, POLICE REFORM TASK FORCE.
I GOT A LOT OF CRAP FROM ACTIVISTS.
BUT I DID IT BECAUSE I BELIEVE, AND I STILL BELIEVE THAT HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS IS BETTER.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT MAKES COMMUNITIES MORE SAFE RATHER THAN LESS SAFE.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE A TRAGEDY HAPPEN FROM PEOPLE RUNNING FROM ICE OR HPD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST WE ARE FALLING ON DEAF EARS AT THIS POINT.
AND I WON'T SPEAK FOR THE MAYOR, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM.
AND, AND THIS IS A TOUGH, COMPLICATED SPACE THAT WE'RE IN.
I I DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE HERE THINKING THAT HE'S NOT SUPPORTIVE, UH, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
I JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR ME, I NEED TO KNOW I NEED SOME HELP AS WELL.
AND, AND WE'RE TRYING TO, WE STILL ON RECORD.
I WANT IT TO BE SAID THAT WE STILL TELL PEOPLE THAT IF THEY'RE VICTIMS OR WITNESSES OF A CRIME, THEY SHOULD CALL HPD THAT IS ON RECORD.
AND I WANT TO SAY THIS, AND I KNOW AFTER THIS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA SAY YSS ARE DOING THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE BELIEVE.
THERE'S NO HIDDEN AGENDA HERE.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO REPORT VICTIMS AS WITNESSES, AS AS VICTIMS OF CRIME.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHAT KEEPS OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE CAN'T HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IF THERE'S THINGS BEING PUT OUT ON THE MEDIA, NOT JUST FROM US, BUT FROM THE OTHER SIDE TOO.
OF SAYING THAT, THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING WHAT TRUMP SAYS AND WE ARE COLLABORATING TO THE FULL EXTENT.
UM, IT'S LET'S, LET'S SIT DOWN.
AND I INVITE EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL TO SIT DOWN WITH THIS FAMILY IF THERE'S A WILL TO DO SO.
COUNCILOR CASTEX, MAYOR PROTE, CASSY STADIUM.
UM, CESAR, I GUESS FOR ME, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT, WHAT THE ASK IS NOW.
WE ALL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE VIDEO, UM, THE POLICE WORN BODY CAMERA VIDEO.
AND I WATCHED THE VIDEO AND I THOUGHT THE POLICE OFFICER WAS TRYING TO GATHER INFORMATION, UM, ABOUT THIS YOUNG MAN AND WHERE HE SHOULD, UH, HOW TO, HOW TO GET HIM BACK TO HIS PARENTS.
UM, WHEN I WATCHED THE VIDEO, I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THERE WAS ANY MALICE OR ANYTHING THAT WAS, UM, TRYING TO DO HARM TO HIM, BUT IT WAS MORE OF A FACT FINDING, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE DO NEXT? AND SO WHEN YOU COME AND SAY THAT THINGS WERE HANDLED WRONG, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY THAT WE SIT IN BECAUSE I WATCHED THE VIDEO AND THEN I HEAR YOU TALK, AND I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE ASK NOW? HOW, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE FOR US TO PROCEED? BECAUSE BASED ON WHAT WE SAW, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POLICE OFFICERS WERE FACT FINDING AND TRYING TO GET HIM BACK WHERE HE SHOULD BE WITH HIS, HIS PARENTS OR HIS LEGAL GUARDIAN.
SO, UM, I I THINK THERE'S, AND THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION.
I THINK THE IMMEDIATE ASK, THE IMMEDIATE ASK, UM, SO, UM, THE IMMEDIATE ASK FOR IS FOR THE FAMILY TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT VIDEO AS WELL.
UM, BECAUSE THEY, WE ARE ONLY GOING BY WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
I MEAN, 50 DAYS IN FEDERAL DETENTION AFTER THE POLICE REPORT WAS FILED WITH HPD, THE MISSING CHILD'S REPORT WAS FILED WITH HPD.
WHAT, WHAT LAPSED OR WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT PROCEDURE THAT ALTHOUGH THE OFFICERS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ACTING IN GOOD FAITH, WHY DIDN'T THEY CHECK THE OTHER SYSTEM FOR THE MISSING KIDS REPORT? MM-HMM
THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY A HUGE QUESTION THAT WE HAVE.
WHY, IF THE POLICE REPORT WAS FILED LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER, AFTER THE POLICE HAD AN ENGAGEMENT WITH EMANUEL, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT INTERIM PERIOD THAT THEY JUST COULDN'T GO LOOK AT THE OTHER SYSTEM OR MAKE SOME CALLS WITHIN THE SYSTEM? UH, NOW DOES THAT LEAD US TO BELIEVE THAT THE SYSTEM IS THAT FLAWED WITHIN HPD? THAT THERE'S NO COMMUNICATION THAT THAT LEADS US DOWN A RABBIT HOLE, REALLY? SO, AND THEN
[01:00:01]
THE SECOND ASK WOULD BE THAT THE, INSTEAD OF HAVING THE CHIEF COME UP HERE AND, AND THE DAY AFTER WE CAME AND SPOKE AND TALKED ABOUT THE TRUTH OF WHAT EMMANUEL REALLY THIS HE, I MEAN HE'S, HE'S, HE'S, UH, HE HAS THE MENTALITY OF A FOUR OR 5-YEAR-OLD.AND THEN FOR THEM TO SAY THAT HE WAS THAT, AND IT WAS AN OLD PICTURE WHEN IT WAS A NEW PICTURE, THERE WAS A LOT OF NOT, THERE WAS A LOT OF FACTS THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT AS FACTS THAT WERE ASSUMPTIONS.
THIS IS EMMANUEL, RIGHT? HE'S 15 YEARS OLD, YET HE IS, LOOK HOW SMALL HE IS.
RIGHT? AND SO FOR THEM, THERE WAS SO MANY THINGS AND WE'VE, WE HAVE THE TRANSCRIPT AND WE WENT THROUGH THE TRANSCRIPT AND WE HAVE, UH, AN ANSWER FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT THE MAYOR AND THE CHIEF ASKED WITHIN THEMSELVES OKAY.
OF WHEN THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN OF WHY WAS AN OLD PICTURE.
IT WASN'T NONE OF THAT WAS TRUE.
AND UNTIL THIS DAY, WELL, I THINK I WANNA, I WANNA, I WANNA HAVE IT ON RECORD SAYING THAT THIS FAMILY HAS YET TO HEAR FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN, IN TERMS OF EVEN, EVEN HAVING A DIALOGUE.
OKAY, MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, THERE'S STILL AN INVESTIGATION AND SO YOU KNOW WHAT ALL WE CAN SAY AND DO, UM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD FROM BOTH SIDES.
I KNOW WE HAD SOME ANSWERS FROM THE CHIEF AS WELL.
UM, SO THERE, THERE HAS TO BE A SWEET SPOT IN HERE WHERE WE CAN CONTACT THIS FAMILY AFTER THE INVESTIGATION AND TRY TO BRING SOME RESOLUTION SO THAT BOTH SIDES CAN FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN HEARD.
AND, AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ.
WE'VE ALL SEEN THE DOCUMENTATION OF FOUR HOURS, THEN A PAPER OF, OF INTERVENTION BY HPD ANSWERING A NINE ONE ONE CALL DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO REUNITE EMANUEL WITH HIS MOTHER AFTER EXHAUSTING ALL OPTIONS.
THEY DID REFER HIM TO CPS, WHICH YOU WOULD NORMALLY, CPS MADE MANY ATTEMPTS TO RELOCATE THE FAMILY.
THEN THEY REFERRED HIM TO THE IMMIGRATION CENTER WHERE HE NEEDED HEALTHCARE AND HE HAD AN OPERATION AT THE TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.
I WISH EVERYONE COULD SEE THE TAPE BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY CREATES A VISUAL, A PAPER TRAIL, AND CLARIFIES WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
WHAT CONCERNS ME MOST IS WHAT'S IN THE MOTHER AND CHILD'S BEST INTEREST.
I THINK THEY'RE CSAR IS USING THEM AND GIVING THEM HUGE EXPOSURE RIGHT NOW TO THEIR STATUS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
CESAR KNOWS, HE MAY NOT HAVE CHARGED THIS FAMILY, BUT HE ROUTINELY ASKED UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS FOR MONIES.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH TODAY, SIR.
AND HE KNOWS I DON'T WANNA GET HEATED.
I DON'T WANNA GET HEATED HERE.
DON'T WANNA GET HEATED HERE, BUT MAYOR CAESAR, YOU SCREAM DOWN THE CHIEF LIE.
AND THAT'S ONE REASON I'M NOT LYING.
YOU HAVE PROOF YOU HAVE TO TALK TO, YOU HAVE PROOF.
THAT'S THE REASON YOU DON'T LIAR.
YOU ARE MAYOR WHITTLER BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHO YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SMART ENOUGH, YOU'RE EXPOSING THIS MOTHER CHILD MAYOR TO THE AUTHORITIES AND YOU'RE USING THEM FOR THE WRONG REASON.
SHOW ME, CALL THE NEXT WITNESS.
WHEN I START THIS, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GO ON TO MAYOR PRO TEMS COMMENTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE TOLD REPEATEDLY WAS THAT HE WAS NON-VERBAL AND YOU WATCH THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE AND THAT'S JUST NOT CORRECT.
NOW, WHETHER OR NOT HE'S AUTISTIC, I FROM WATCHING THE BODY CAM VIDEO, I COULDN'T TELL IF THAT WAS THE CASE OR WHETHER HE WAS NERVOUS TALKING TO THE POLICE.
CERTAINLY VERY BELIEVABLE THAT HE IS.
I'M CERTAINLY NOT GONNA DISPUTE THAT.
BUT THE COMMENTS THAT HE WAS NON-VERBAL JUST WERE NOT TRUE.
AND I TOO WISH THE BODY CAM VIDEO WOULD BE RELEASED BECAUSE IT PORTRAYS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY THAN WHAT HAS BEEN PORTRAYED OUT IN THE MEDIA.
EVERYTHING I SAW THE POLICE DOING, THEY WERE LOOKING OUT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD WANTING TO HELP.
UH, IT WAS NOT UNTIL THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT THEY WENT TO CPS AND THEY REFERRED HIM AFTER HE SAID HE WAS BROUGHT OVER WITH A FRIEND AND A FRIEND'S FATHER,
[01:05:01]
AND THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THEY WERE, THAT THEY SENT HIM TO WHAT THE OFFICE OF REFUGEES RESETTLEMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS BEEN PORTRAYED IN THE MEDIA IS 180 DEGREES FROM WHAT WE SAW IN SAW IN THE BODY CAM VIDEO C COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FLICKINGER, CORRECT? YES.
UM, EMMANUEL THAT I, WE WE WANNA ALSO PUT IT ON RECORD THAT WE MAY, THAT WE DID, UH, MAKE A MISTAKE BASED ON WHAT THE MOM HAD TOLD US ABOUT HIM BEING NONVERBAL.
AND HE DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH.
BUT I INVITE YOU TO ASK EMMANUEL YOURSELF RIGHT NOW.
OH, AND LIKE I SAID, NO, I INVITE YOU.
I INVITE YOU TO DO IT RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T WANT TO DO A SHOW WITH THE NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
I JUST WANT YOU, I JUST WANT YOU TO, I WANT I WANT YOU TO, TO TALK AND I WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN TO THIS FAMILY WHY DIDN'T HPD CHECK WITH THE OTHER SYSTEM AND WHY EMMANUEL WAS DETAINED IN FEDERAL DETENTION FOR 50 DAYS? DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN? YES.
BECAUSE IF YOU WOULD'VE HAD CHILDREN AND YOU WOULD'VE HAD YOUR SON STRIP AWAY FROM YOU FOR 50 DAYS BECAUSE SOMEBODY DIDN'T CHECK ANOTHER COMPUTER, I THINK YOU WOULD BE STANDING HERE IN THE SAME SPOT.
AND FOR THE MAYOR TO TAKE PERSONAL SHOTS AND SAY THAT WE'RE CHARGING PEOPLE MONEY.
I WANT, I WANT YOU TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE AND HAVE HIM SHOW ALL OF YOU PROOF OF WHERE THAT'S TRUE.
BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, IT'S HIS WORD AGAINST MINE.
BUT HE OWES YOU ALL RECEIPTS, NOT ME.
I WANT YOU IN MAKING, I WANT YOU TO, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT, ASK HIM RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WANNA QUESTION HIM THE WAY HPD DID RIGHT NOW, WE ARE HERE.
WE BROUGHT HIM HERE SO THAT Y'ALL COULD SEE FOR YOURSELVES WHO EMMANUEL REALLY IS.
A AGAIN, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN MAKING A SHOW WITH A MINOR IN FRONT OF CITY HALL, BUT I WILL GRANT YOU.
FROM LOOKING AT THE VIDEO, I COULD SEE THAT YES, AUTISM CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT AT ALL.
BUT I ALSO THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT WELL HAVE BEEN THAT HE WAS NERVOUS DEALING WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS.
I MEAN, AND MY POINT OF VIEW WOULD BE THE SAME AS THE POLICE OFFICERS WHO'S NEVER DEALT WITH HIM.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY KNOWING THE CHILD, YOU WOULD KNOW SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY, OKAY? BUT FROM WHAT I SAW ON THE VIDEO, THE POLICE ACTED COMPLETELY APPROPRIATELY.
NOW MAYBE THEY COULD HAVE RUN THROUGH ANOTHER DATABASE OR GOT THE NAMES, THEY REVERSED THE NAMES OR, OR WHATEVER.
BUT YOU LOOK AT THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE, THEY ACTED APPROPRIATELY.
AND, UM, I WANNA SAY THAT MS. GARCIA, I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'VE BEEN REUNITED WITH YOUR SON.
I THINK OF EVERYTHING WE HAVE, WE'RE DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW, THE FACT THAT YOUR SON IS BACK WITH YOU IS WHAT MATTERS MOST.
UM, I, I, MAYOR, I KNOW IN THE PAST, I THINK ONE OF THE ASKS FOR THE FAMILY TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE.
I KNOW IN THE PAST WE HAD HPD HAS, EVEN IF IT'S PRIVATELY, 'CAUSE WE HAVE TO WAIT A CERTAIN TIME TO RELEASE IT TO THE PUBLIC, HAVE MADE THOSE EXCEPTIONS FOR THE FAMILY TO VIEW THAT BODY CAM FOOTAGE.
SO I AM HOPING WE CAN POSSIBLY MAKE, UM, THAT AVAILABLE TO THE FAMILY ITSELF.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, CESAR IN, IN TERMS OF WHAT I VIEWED OF THE BODY CAM FOOTAGE, I DO BELIEVE, UH, SINCERELY THAT HPD WAS DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY COULD WITH THE INFORMATION THEY HAD.
THAT BEING SAID, WHAT MANY OF US HAVE DISCUSSED IS WE HAVE SYSTEMS. AND WHERE IN THE SYSTEM DID THIS, DID THIS FAIL? UH, WE HAD TWO NAMES THAT RIGHT ONE THAT HPD WAS GOING OFF OF, ONE THAT YOU HAD GIVEN, BUT WHY WASN'T THAT CAUGHT? AND WHY WASN'T THAT CROSSCHECKED? SO I'M NOT AS FOCUSED ON THE VIDEO BECAUSE I'M NOT SAYING THAT HPD IN THAT INTERACTION NECESSARILY DID SOMETHING WRONG, BUT SOMETHING ALONG THE WAY HAPPENED AND WE HAVE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT HAPPENED SO THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
UM, I AM SO SORRY FOR WHAT YOU AND YOUR SON WENT THROUGH, UM, BUT I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU HAD SO MANY PEOPLE AROUND YOU FIGHTING FOR YOU.
UH, AND THIS AGAIN BRINGS UP THE IMPORTANCE OF LEGAL COUNSEL AND LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN THE, IN THESE FIGHTS.
UH, BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOUR SON IS SAFE AND THAT YOU'RE WELL.
YOU KNOW, UM, CERTAINLY I SAY AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
UM, SEEING THE BODY CAM, IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT HPD, UM, TOOK GOOD CARE OF YOUR SON.
AND THE FACT THAT YOUR SON WAS IN SOMEONE'S CUSTODY WHEN HE NEEDED AN EMERGENCY SURGERY IS, IS A BLESSING BECAUSE CERTAINLY WITHOUT THAT CARE,
[01:10:01]
IT, IT COULD NOT HAVE ENDED WELL.BUT, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN, THAN GO BACK AND FORTH IN FRONT OF THE MEDIA, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE WORKING WITH ATTORNEYS, WORK WITH YOUR ATTORNEYS TO, TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE, TO THE BODY CAM AND, AND TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION.
BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S A WHOLE LOT TO BE GAINED HERE WITH HAVING YOUR SON WHO IS ALREADY TRAUMATIZED IN FRONT OF ALL OF THESE PEOPLE, HASHING IT AND REHASHING IT, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE CLOSURE WORK IN PRIVATE AND, AND DON'T ALLOW YOU AND YOUR SON TO BE ON PUBLIC DISPLAY AS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET RESOLUTION, THEY'RE TRYING TO GET RESOLUTION FOR YOU.
SO WORK PRIVATELY TO ALLOW THEM TO DO THAT.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, LET, LET THE MEDIA DIE DOWN.
I MEAN, PEOPLE SAY, OH, HE WAS SNATCHED, BUT WHEN YOU SEE THE BODY CAM, THEY TALK TO HIM PERFECTLY NORMAL, VERY CALM.
I MEAN, IF IT WAS MY CHILD, I WOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT THEY TREATED HIM WITH THE CARE THAT THEY DID.
AND SO I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST OF LUCK AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BUT DON'T ALLOW YOURSELVES TO BE ON DISPLAY ANY LONGER.
WORK PRIVATELY WITH YOUR ATTORNEY TO GET RESOLUTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, MAY I JUST ASK A QUESTION? UH, HOW IS IT, HOW IS IT JUST THAT YOU ALL GOT TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN YET AND YOU HAVE PUBLIC ACCESS TO IT? COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS? YES.
PUBLIC PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
OUR, LET US ASK THE QUESTIONS, PLEASE.
UH, COUNCILOR DAVIS, IF THANK YOU MAYOR, UM, BROTHER CESAR.
I, I WANT TO, I WANT TO SAY THAT FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPROACH TODAY.
YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE PASSION AND THE COMPASSION.
I HAVE A GRANDSON I WANNA SPEAK TO VIEWING THE FILM AND THE ISSUE AROUND SOME OF THIS.
I HAVE A GRANDSON WHO IS AUTISTIC AND THE EXTREME YOU WERE USING THE HEIGHT OF YOUR, OF HER SON AND GOD AS HE BEING 15.
MY GRANDSON IS 11 AND HE LOOK LIKE HE'S 16.
'CAUSE HE'S TALL, HE'S A BIGGER KID.
BUT FROM A STATE, I WAS JUST ALLUDING TO THE FACT THAT THEY SAID, UH, CHIEF, UH, DIAZ SAID THAT THERE WAS AN OLD PICTURE OF HIM, UH, WHEN HE WAS 10 YEARS OLD, WHEN THAT PICTURE WAS TAKEN ON JANUARY 20TH, 2024.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS ALLUDING TO.
WELL, HERE, HERE'S THE THING I WANTED, I WANTED TO ALLUDE TO IN TERMS OF THE ISSUE.
HE'S BACK, HE'S WITH HIS MOTHER.
RIGHT? SO THE GOAL WAS TO ASSURE THAT HE BE WITH HIS MOTHER.
NOW, SO THERE ALSO WAS, AND THEN THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
THERE WERE A LOT OF ISSUES AROUND THE CASE BASED ON THE VIEWING.
UM, HE, HE, HE INDICATED HE CAME WITH FRIENDS, UH, A FRIEND'S FATHER, AND, AND DID MENTION THE MOTHER.
HE DID, HE DIDN'T IN VIEW, HE DIDN'T MENTION THE MOTHER IN THAT, IN THAT PIECE, IN THAT HE DIDN'T MENTION THE MOTHER.
OTHER ISSUES WITH NAME DIFFERENCES, THAT WAS ANOTHER ISSUE.
SO, SO I GUESS WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS IT IS THE JOB OF THAT YOU DON'T BE MIS WE MISUNDERSTAND.
YOU ARE, DO, UH, YOU, US AND TO INDICATE THE MAYOR SPEAK FOR HIMSELF.
I DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK FOR THE MAYOR, I DON'T SPEAK FOR THE COUNCIL, BUT, BUT TO INDICATE THOSE THINGS, I COULDN'T POLICE THE POLICE.
THAT'S WHAT WE PAID THEM TO DO.
AND YOU AS A CITIZEN THE SAME RESPECTFULLY.
SO, BUT I THINK THAT OFTENTIMES THESE ISSUES CAN BE VERY TOUCHY, BUT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE, AND I'M, I'M A PERSON.
I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU TO BE ME, BUT IT'S THE APPROACH OF A LOT OF MATTERS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE ABOUT HOW THE MATTERS HANDLED AND THE WAY IT GETS SOLVED, YOU KNOW? AND SO HOPEFULLY PRAYERFULLY THIS WILL MOVE FORWARD AND THAT, THANK GOD FOR THIS MOTHER HAVING A SON BACK.
AND I JUST BELIEVE THAT HPD DID THE JOB.
THEY, THEY, THEY FOLLOWED THE RULES.
THEY WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING OUTTA LINE, OUTTA ORDER.
AND SO THE QUESTION OF NOT CHECKING ANOTHER DATABASE IS, IS GONNA REMAIN UNANSWERED OR THAT, THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I ASK ALL OF Y'ALL.
[01:15:01]
'CAUSE HE WAS DETAINED 50 DAYS AND IF SOMEBODY WERE TO QUESTION YOUR GRANDCHILD WAS AUTISTIC, WOULD YOU BE, WOULD YOU HAVE THE SAME POSITION THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF THEM, ASSUMING THAT HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT AND HE ENDS UP IN DETENTION ROOM FOR 50 DAYS.AND CERTAINLY CESAR, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT AND FOR YOU AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
BUT I CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, I, I WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.
I'M A FORMER EDUCATOR AND I DO BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE INFORMATION YOU GOT, YOU GOT FROM THE YOUNG MAN, I DO KNOW THAT STORIES CHANGE WITH CHILDREN.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR THE FAMILY TO SEE THAT VIDEO BECAUSE WE SAW SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
WE DIDN'T SEE ANY MISTREATMENT.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY UP HERE WOULD BE INCENSED IF THERE WAS ANY MISTREATMENT OF THAT YOUNG, YOUNG MAN.
UM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE A VALID QUESTION AS TO WHY SOME, ANOTHER DATABASE WASN'T CHECKED.
BUT I, I, YOU KNOW, AND I CAN'T ANSWER THAT, BUT CERTAINLY I, FROM WHAT I SAW, I SAW HE WAS NOT MISTREATED IN ANY WAY.
WE WERE TOLD HE WAS NON-VERBAL AND HE WAS VERBAL.
UH, I DID WORK WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN AND SO JUST ME AND MY PROFESSIONALISM, I DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY DETECT THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN AUTISTIC.
UH, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU CAN TELL AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T IN A VISUAL MANNER.
BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE SO BENEFICIAL AFTER THE INVESTIGATION IF THIS FAMILY WOULD SEE THAT VIDEO.
AND OF COURSE, THIS IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE TO DO IT BETTER THE NEXT TIME.
AND SO I, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE OBJECTIVE IS NOW OTHER THAN TO MAYBE PUSH FORWARD TO GET THAT VIDEO.
AND I WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT YOU AND THE FAMILY SEEING IT BECAUSE I DO KNOW YOUNG PEOPLE STORIES CHANGE.
I DO KNOW THAT HE DIDN'T IDENTIFY HIS MOTHER, AND THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
HE SAID HE DIDN'T WANT HER TO BE CALLED ALSO THAT HE CAME TO THIS COUNTRY WITH AN OLDER GENTLEMAN AND HIS SON.
SO HE CONVEYED A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY FROM WHAT YOU ARE BEING TOLD.
BUT IF YOU SEE THAT VIDEO, THEY SAY A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
I THINK WE COULD ALLEVIATE THIS.
WE COULD MAYBE MOVE PAST ANY OF THIS ANIMOSITY THAT MAY BE CARRYING FORTH.
BUT AGAIN, I ALWAYS AM HONORED TO BE IN YOUR PRESENCE.
LIKEWISE, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO AND CERTAINLY I KNOW THAT YOU WILL PUSH FORWARD FOR JUSTICE, BUT JUSTICE IN THIS CASE, I THINK WOULD BE TO ALLOW THIS FAMILY TO SEE THAT VIDEO.
AND I WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR AT SOME POINT, MAYOR.
I HOPE, HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY THAT CAN BE DONE.
AND I WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR, AT NO POINT DID WE SAY THAT THEY HPD HARMED EMANUEL.
THERE, THERE, I I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S, THAT'S VERY CLEAR.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T, WE DON'T SAY THE QUESTION.
THERE'S TWO QUESTIONS I GUESS THAT ARISE FROM THIS.
NUMBER ONE IS, IS WHY WASN'T THE MISSING CHILD'S? THIS IS A CHILD.
WHY WASN'T THE MISSING CHILD'S DATABASE CONSULTANT, NUMBER ONE.
AND NUMBER TWO, UH, ICE THEMSELVES RELEASED A STATEMENT.
AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN CALL ICE AND CLARIFY WITH THEM.
'CAUSE THEY RELEASED A STATEMENT.
'CAUSE WE HAD SAID NOTHING ABOUT HPD UNTIL, UNTIL WE HAVE THE STATEMENT FROM ICE THAT SAID HPD CALLED ICE AND ICE CALLED ORR.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT A, A, A VERY LOW ASK THAT YOU CAN, THAT WE CAN ASK YOU IS TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT SAID THAT.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT SAID, AND THERE'S THE MEDIA AND, AND WE WERE SENT THAT STATEMENT AS WELL.
AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT FROM OUR POINT, THAT WORRIES US.
COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND BEING RESPONSIBLE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION AND KNOW THAT HPD MEMBERS IS DOING WHAT'S IN THE CHILD'S BEST INTEREST BY NOT PROLONGING THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE THE MOTHER AND THE CHILD TOGETHER, THEY HAVE SERIOUS EXPOSURE.
HPD HAS HANDLED THIS, AS I'VE SAID EARLIER, THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
THEY'RE NOT ICE, THEY'RE NOT IMMIGRATION.
THEY'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT SOMEONE'S IMMIGRATION STATUS.
THEY TREATED THIS LIKE PARENTS.
THEY'RE MEN AND WOMEN OF FAITH.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S GUIDING THEM.
AND POLICY, MY POLICY OF RESPONDING AND TREATING EVERYONE THE SAME, THE YOUNG MAN WAS TAKEN TO TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.
THAT'S THE WAY I WANT MY GRANDSON TO BE TREATED.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST AT THIS POINT, THE PUBLICITY AND THE NOTORIETY
[01:20:01]
OF BRINGING THEM TO CITY HALL IS DOING THEM SEVERE DAMAGE.THERE WERE LANGUAGE SKILLS USED.
THERE WAS EVERY ATTEMPT TO REENACT THIS FAMILY.
WE CELEBRATE THAT THEY ARE TONIGHT.
AND I THINK QUITE FRANKLY, THIS HAS A GOOD CONCLUSION.
UM, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S STILL SOME WORK TO BE DONE THOUGH.
UM, THERE'S A FEW ASKS THAT SINCE I WAS ASKING ON BEHALF OF, UH, MARIA AND EMMANUEL, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD, WE OWE THEM THAT.
I THINK THEY DESERVED THE VIDEO AND I'VE SEEN THE VIDEO AS WELL AND WE CAN'T DENY WHAT THE INTERACTION WAS AND IT, BUT WE'RE NOT FOCUSING ON WHAT THE ASK IS.
AND THE ASK IS, IF THIS HAPPENED TO HIM, COULD THIS HAPPENED TO SOMEONE ELSE? AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO WORK ON AS WELL.
I DON'T WANT THAT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT I WANNA, THAT I WANNA STRESS IS THERE'S A LOT OF COURAGE GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
I THINK, UM, THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THE CHALLENGES.
TALK, TALKING TO SEVERAL FOLKS, EVEN IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, UNDOCUMENTED FOR 20, 30 YEARS.
THEY KNOW THE RISK BEFORE THIS YEAR.
THOSE RISKS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE FOR THEM.
THIS COMMUNITY IS SUCH A STRONG COMMUNITY.
RESILIENT, SPOKE TO ABOUT 40 MOTHERS THREE WEEKS AGO WHO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE TO NOW PREPARE AND FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO DROP OFF THEIR KIDS TO AVOID, AVOID ICE STOPPING THEM.
WE ARE DEFINITELY IN SOME UGLY TIMES, BUT THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE.
AND I THINK WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THESE BY FIRST AND FOREMOST, ACKNOWLEDGING THIS PAIN, GIVING THEM WHAT THEY DESERVE, MAKING SURE THAT NO ONE ELSE GOES THROUGH THIS AS WELL.
AND THEN AS WE DO ALL THAT, I'M GOING TO STAY COMMITTED TO MY STATEMENT.
BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT YOUR PRIVILEGE, EVERYONE, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT GONNA END ANYTIME SOON.
AND WE HAVE TO STOP FINDING EACH OTHER IN OPPOSITE SIDES WHEN THERE IS NOT JUST THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY BUT THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY THAT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF US THAT IS SUFFERING RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M, I WOULD HOPE THAT IN OUR THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATIONS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE, THAT WE CAN FIND SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE THAT EVERY FAMILY FEELS SAFE.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, 10 YEARS AGO, PEOPLE DIDN'T FEEL SAFE, FOLKS WERE GETTING DEPORTED 10 YEARS AGO.
BUT TODAY IS SUCH A MORE EXTREME SPACE THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY, WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT AT THE END OF THE DAY AND THANK THE COURAGE THAT IS IN FRONT OF US BECAUSE THEY DO KNOW THAT THEY'RE AT RISK AND THEY'RE STILL HERE.
IN THE SAME CONTEXT, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WON'T BE HERE OR WON'T STAND HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY SCARED.
AND SO IF WE CAN HAVE THE VIDEO FOR THE MAYOR, IF WE CAN FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN AVOID THESE CHALLENGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED ALREADY, I TRUST IN YOU AS WELL.
I APPRECIATE THE OPEN DIALOGUE THAT WE'VE HAD IN SUCH A COMPLEX TIME RIGHT NOW.
I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FULFILLED THIS WORK FOR THIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW.
NEXT, MS. HER MARIA GARCIA, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR GIVING US THE SPACE FOR THOSE ARE PAYING ATTENTION BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS DOING SO AT THIS MOMENT.
BUT I UNDERSTAND TO THE MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
BUT, BUT ALSO, NO THANK YOU BECAUSE
[01:25:01]
I CAME TO LOOK AT YOU FROM THE BEGINNING.I CAME TO FIND HELP FROM THE BEGINNING BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH MY SON, BUT I DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER.
I WAS OPEN TO ANY MEETING, TO ANY MEETING WITH THE POLICE, WITH YOU, WITH ANYBODY.
PUT THE EVIDENCE WITH THE VIDEO TO SEE HOW WE WERE ABLE TO HANDLE THIS CASE OF MY SON.
I TRIED TO MEET WITH YOU ALL FOR ALL OF THIS, BUT I WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL AT IT.
AND THE OTHER THING IS NOBODY'S USING ME FOR ANYTHING.
I AM A CONSCIOUS WOMAN AND THE ONLY THING THAT CAME TO DO HERE WAS TO FIGHT FOR MY SON AND TO LOOK FOR HELP SO THAT MY SON COULD COME HOME.
BUT NOBODY ELSE WAS DOING IT EXCEPT FOR, AND ALL THE COMMUNITY IMMIGRANT WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE WITH ME ALONG THE WAY SO THAT MY SON COULD COME HOME.
NOBODY'S USING ME, NOBODY'S CHARGING ME A SINGLE CENT FOR THIS HELP OR THE FIELD ORGANIZATION OR MY ATTORNEYS ARE NOT CHARGING ME A SINGLE TIME AND NOBODY'S PAYING ME TO BE HERE AND NOBODY'S CHARGING ME TO HELP IN MY SON'S CASE, NO ONE'S ASKING ME FOR MONEY FOR ANYTHING.
SO TO YOU, THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO SAY IS THEY ARE HERE ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS AND THEY'RE HERE AND THEY ARE.
AND MY SON WAS ABLE TO COME OUT AND FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO GOD, BUT ALSO TO THE ATTORNEYS.
AND I HAVE FAITH THAT MY SON WAS GONNA BE RETURNED TO ME.
SO I'M THANKFUL TO GOD MY SON CAME BACK.
HE GUIDED THE ATTORNEY SO THAT THEY WOULD KNOW HOW TO DEFEND MY SON AND BRING HIM BACK HOME.
I SEE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT ME, WE ARE NOT PEOPLE THAT WE ARE NOT PUPPETS.
ONE, PROTECT EACH OTHER AND OUR KIDS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF MOTHERS THAT ARE BEING SEPARATED FROM THEIR KIDS.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S UP TO US THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SUFFER THAT.
AND OUR KIDS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SUFFER THAT.
I AM HERE TO FIGHT FOR MY SON, BUT FOR ALL THE PARENTS WHO ARE DETAINED, FOR ALL THE PARENTS WHO ARE DEPORTED, HOW ARE THEY GONNA FIGHT FOR THEIR KITS? THANK YOU.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE CENTRAL UTILITY PLANT RENOVATION AT BUSCH AIRPORT, SPECIFICALLY THE CHILDREN PROCUREMENT PROCESS, A FACILITY AS ASSESSMENT, UH, INVESTMENT WORTH OVER $10 MILLION.
I WANT TO SHARE MY CONCERN ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF THE CHILLER EVALUATION.
THE PLAN PURCHASED BEING ADVANCED BY THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR.
APPARENTLY A COMPETING MANUFACTURER WHOSE PROPOSAL CONTAINED SIGNIFICANT DEVIATIONS FROM THE PUBLISHED SPECIFICATIONS IS MOVING TOWARD APPROVAL AS PART OF THE PENDING GUARANTEED MAX PRICE.
WHILE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS CAN CERTAINLY BE CONSIDERED, THE PROCESS MUST BE FAIR, TRANSPARENT, AND CONSISTENT FOR ALL VENDORS.
IN THIS CASE, IT HAS NOT BEEN THE LACK OF AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD HAS ALMOST CERTAINLY RESULTED IN PRICING THAT IS HIGHER TO THE CITY THAN WHAT IS TRUE.
AND COMPARE COMPETITION WOULD'VE DELIVERED ON A TECHNICAL BASIS.
THE DEVI, THE DEVIATIONS CONSIDERED WITH SUPPLY CHILLERS THAT ARE LESS RELIABLE, LESS RESILIENT, LESS REDUNDANT, LESS SERVICEABLE, AND LESS SUSTAINABLE.
THESE QUALITIES WERE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AS KEY DESIGN PRIORITIES IN THE DESIGN BASIS ISSUED BY PAGE IN OCTOBER OF 2024.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNING GIVEN WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SUMMER OF 2023 WHEN THE AIRPORT EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE CHILLER FAILURES.
THESE FAILURES LED TO ELEVATED TERMINAL TEMPERATURES, MAJOR OPERATIONAL IMPACTS, AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF EXPENSIVE TEMPORARY COOLING AND EXCESS OF $1 MILLION.
WAS THAT THREE MINUTES? GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP.
APPROVING EQUIPMENT THAT REINTRODUCES SIMILAR VULNERABILITIES IS, IN MY VIEW, SHORT-SIGHTED AND RISKY.
ANY SAVINGS AND UPFRONT COSTS WILL BE QUICKLY OVERSHADOWED BY THE FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL RISKS THAT FOLLOW OUR ORIGINAL BID.
FULLY COMPLIED WITH THE SPECS.
IF THE CITY IS NOW WILLING TO ACCEPT EQUIPMENT THAT DOES NOT MEET SPECIFICATIONS, THEN FAIRNESS AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY REQUIRE THAT ALL BIDDERS BE ALLOWED TO REVISE THEIR PRICING USING THE SAME RELAXED CRITERIA.
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE TRUE APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON AND PROTECT TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
THE BEST PATH AND THE ONE THAT ENSURES THE HIGHEST RELIABILITY, RESILIENCY, REDUNDANCY, AND SERVICEABILITY, IS TO APPROVE THE PENDING GUARANTEED MAX PRICE
[01:30:01]
BASED ON THE FULLY COMPLIANT SPECIFICATIONS.I'D LIKE TO HAVE REQUEST A MEETING WITH YOU TO, UH, SUMMARIZE THIS AND I THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT THE ASK IS TODAY, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND.
SO BIDS WERE SUBMITTED, UM, UNDER CERTAIN SPECIFICATIONS AND ARE YOU SAYING WHOEVER WON THE BID NOW IS TRYING TO CHANGE THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE CHILLERS AT THE AIRPORT? NO, THERE'S BEEN SUBMITTED TO SPECS.
ONE OF THE COMPETITORS DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE SPECS.
SO THE GUARANTEED MAX PRICE FOR THE PROJECT IS BASED ON THAT LOWER PRICE.
SO YOU'RE GONNA GET THE GMP EVENTUALLY IT'S GONNA COME TO THE CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? BUT YOU ALL, YOU ALL, UH, ARE BEING SHORTCHANGED BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT FULLY COMPLIANT WITH THE SPECS.
THE SPECS WERE WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO THE AIRPORT CHILLER FAILURES OF THE SUBURB OF 2023.
THOSE SPEC ITEMS ARE THERE FOR, TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, OR AT LEAST MINIMIZE THE RISK.
SO THEY'RE SAVING A FEW BUCKS IN ORDER TO, UM, SAVING A FEW DOLLARS.
AND SO THERE WERE, THERE WAS A RECOMMENDED SPEC.
THERE WERE RECOMMENDED SPECS AND MOST PEOPLE COMPLIED WITH THE SPECS.
YEAH, WELL, I DON'T THINK I'M UNDERSTANDING.
YES, THERE'S A RECOMMENDED SPEC PAGE.
THE BIG ARCHITECTURE FIRM WROTE A SPECIFICATION ADDRESSING RESILIENCY, RIGHT? THAT COSTS MONEY TO GET MORE, OBVIOUSLY.
SO SOME COMPETITORS DECIDED NOT TO FOLLOW THE SPEC AND BID THEIR OWN OFFERING OUT OF COMPLIANCE AT A LOWER PRICE NATURALLY.
RIGHT? SO NOW Y'ALL ARE GETTING LESS THAN IT SPECIFIED.
SO NO ONE REALLY REALIZES THE FACT THAT THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE BEING REMOVED GREATLY IMPACT THE RELIABILITY OF THE PLANT.
SO WHEN IT HAPPENS, AGAIN, 10 YEARS, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, SOMEONE WILL BE ASKING THE QUESTIONS, WHY DID WE DO THIS? WHY WAS THAT ALLOWED TO GO THROUGH? NO ONE'S GONNA KNOW UNLESS I BRING IT UP RIGHT NOW.
SO MY, I JUST ASKED MAYBE FOR A REVIEW OR A MEETING TO LOOK AT IT IN GREATER DETAIL FOR HIM.
COUNCIL COUNCILOR POLLARD WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS IT.
UH, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
HOW WERE, HOW WERE THE VENDORS ABLE TO SUBMIT THEIR OWN SPECS OUTSIDE OF WHAT WAS PUT FORTH IN THE, IN THE ORIGINAL BID THAT THAT WAS, UH, DIFFERENT? YEAH, ANY VENDOR COULD DO ANYTHING THEY WANT ANYTIME.
SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES PRICE JUST IS ALL THAT MATTERS.
SO THEY, THEY SUBMITTED THE PRICING TO THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR ON THIS PROJECT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE PRICING IS LOWER AND THE GC SEES IT AND YOU JUST GO WITH IT.
THEY USUALLY DON'T HAVE A DETAILED SPARE REVIEW.
IN THIS CASE, THESE SPECIFICATIONS WERE REVIEWED BY PAIGE.
REJECTED BY PAIGE, AND SOMEHOW IS STILL GETTING SENT THROUGH CHANNELS FOR APPROVAL IN THE GMP.
CAN YOU I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
YEAH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT IN A PROCESS THAT IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU WOULD SEND ALL OF OUR OFFICES A EMAIL WITH, WITH KIND OF DETAIL IN THIS OUT FOR US MM-HMM
TO UNDERSTAND MORE AND THEN, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A I'LL, I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
CAN I GIVE THAT TO A COPY TO Y ALL? YEP.
DID DID THE CITY OR AIRPORT PROCUREMENT ACCEPT AN AWARD? THE CONTRACT? IT'S PENDING.
SEE, I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN AWARDED YET, BUT THE GM, THE GUARANTEED MAX CRISIS COMING AIRPORT PROCUREMENT OR THE CITIES AIRPORT TALKING ABOUT AIRPORT.
AND I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH, TRIED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE DIRECTOR AT LEAST SIX TIMES OVER.
WE HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, NO.
I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD IVAN GARCIA TO THE AGENDA AND BE THE NEXT SPEAKER.
THOSE OPPOSED A MOTION PASSES.
UH, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE HANNAH WALKER TO FOLLOW, UH, THE SPEAKER.
THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD ADDED.
IVAN, IS THERE A SECOND? MOTION MADE.
IS IT IVAN GARCIA? GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR.
UM, I JUST WANNA KNOW, UM, WHAT ACTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN BY THE CITY TO PREVENT FAMILIES, NONVIOLENT FAMILIES FROM BEING SEPARATED BY ICE? BECAUSE IT'S CRAZY THAT FAMILIES HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR OF BEING SEPARATED, LOSING THEIR MOMS 'CAUSE THEY GOT PULLED OVER, LOSING FRIENDS,
[01:35:01]
FAMILY, AND NEVER SEEING THEM AGAIN.UM, OR SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND THAT? THE CITY THINKS THAT IS.
THANK YOU IVAN, FOR COMING FORWARD.
IVAN IS WITH SHARPSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL AND WE JUST SPOKE TO HIS CLASS EARLIER TODAY, UH, WITH MY OFFICE.
WE'VE BEEN DOING SOME ONLINE, UH, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, UH, SEMINARS.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN TOUCH WITH DIFFERENT NONPROFITS THAT ARE PROVIDING LEGAL, UH, AID AND REPRESENTATION FOR FAMILIES.
UH, REACHING OUT TO OUR APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, UH, DIRECTLY ON WAYS IN WHICH TO HAVE, UH, CERTAIN SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE FOR FAMILIES.
UH, BUT THERE'S NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL PLAN, UH, RIGHT NOW.
UH, IT'S, IT, IT IS A SCARY MOMENT.
UH, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE VERY ANXIOUS AND, UM, AFRAID OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF BEING HERE AND BEING DETAINED AND POSSIBLY DEPORTED.
UH, WHAT I CAN SAY IS, UM, FROM MY OFFICER'S PERSPECTIVE, IF THERE'S SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS WHO, UH, HAVE QUESTIONS, UH, TO REACH OUT TO US DIRECTLY AND WE'LL SPEAK TO THEM ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, UH, AND TO BE VERY AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
AND, UM, UM, JUST KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WITHIN THE CITY, ME, ME SPECIFICALLY, THAT ARE VERY COMPASSIONATE AND SYMPATHETIC OF THIS TOPIC.
AND, UH, WE'RE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN TO, UH, KEEP COMMUNITY SAFE.
NO, IVAN, I WANTED TO THANK YOU.
AND SINCE WE DO HAVE A GROUP OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HERE, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU ALL ARE VERY ENGAGED IN SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I'M SURE YOU HAVE, UH, CLASSMATES THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THIS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, IN ADDITION TO KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, UM, RESOURCES AND LEGAL SUPPORT SERVICES, WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT ARE WHAT ARE CAN US CITIZENS BE DOING IS ALLIES TO HELP AS WELL.
SO WHEN YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S A FAMILY WHOSE PARENTS MAY BE AFRAID OR UNABLE TO NOW TAKE THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, CAN OTHER PARENTS STEP UP TO COORDINATE CARPOOLS? WHAT CAN WE BE DOING THOSE, WHEN COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ SPOKE ABOUT PRIVILEGE, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE OF US THAT, THAT DO HAVE PRIVILEGE OR DO FEEL MORE SECURE RIGHT NOW? WHAT ARE WE ABLE TO DO TO HELP AS WELL? AND THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I WOULD POSE TO YOU AND YOUR CLASSMATES, UH, SO THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN BE DOING TO HELP TOO.
BUT IT SEEMS, UM, NOT OKAY THAT, LIKE I SAID, NONVIOLENT FAMILIES BEING ARRESTED AND DEPORTED.
I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE GETTING ARRESTED FOR DUIS, UH, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT'S COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE.
THEY LOST THEIR CHANCE THAT THEY HAD HERE, BUT GETTING PULLED OVER FOR SPEEDING, STUFF LIKE THAT, IT ENDS UP THEM GOING TO A DETENTION CENTER AND FROM THERE, MAYBE NOT EVEN GETTING, UM, A TRIAL LIKE IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR MONTHS.
THEY JUST GET DEPORTED WITHOUT ANY TRIAL.
AND AND I THINK MANY OF US DO NOT SUPPORT THAT.
UM, I ALSO THINK WE HAVE ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT.
EVEN THOSE WITH, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT AREN'T BREAKING THE RULES, THAT DON'T POSE, UM, A RISK, A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE GOING IN FOR THEIR, UH, STANDARD GREEN CARD HEARINGS WITH LEGAL TEMPORARY STATUS WITH LEGAL STATUS HERE, UM, THAT ARE NOW BEING DETAINED.
UH, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY HPD, BUT THIS IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND IT'S HAPPENING IN OUR BACKYARD.
SO I, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU, UM, FOR TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE, UH, FOR ASKING US HARD QUESTIONS AS WELL BECAUSE EACH ONE OF US NEEDS TO BE, UH, DOING WHAT WE CAN TO PROTECT ALL OF HU ALL HOUSTONIANS AND FAMILIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M THE REC COORDINATOR AND THE FACILITY MANAGER AT THE METROPOLITAN MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE VISITED US IN THE PAST.
WE'RE OUR REC CENTER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND WE HAVE OUR BIG EVENT COMING UP THIS WEEKEND.
WE MOVE INTO GEORGIA R BROWN TOMORROW.
WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS, BUT THIS YEAR'S EXCEPTIONALLY EXCITING BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY REGISTERED OVER 400 ADAPTIVE ATHLETES.
SO WE HAVE WHEELCHAIR RUGBY, WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL.
WE HAVE OUR KIDS, THE LITTLE ROCKETS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LITTLE ROCKETS, PLEASE COME OUT.
OUR YOUNGEST KID IS FOUR YEARS OLD, SO THEY'RE GONNA BE OUT THERE COMPETING AGAINST OTHER TEAMS FROM AROUND THE STATE AND LOUISIANA.
THEIR FAMILIES ARE ALL COMING.
WE HAVE POWER WHEELCHAIR SOCCER.
[01:40:01]
GROWN A LOT THIS YEAR WE'RE PARTNERED WITH WINDED WARRIOR PROJECT.WE HAVE AN AIR FORCE TEAM, A SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND UNIT TEAM, A NAVY TEAM, A MARINE CORPS TEAM.
IS THAT EVERYONE? I THINK THAT'S EVERYONE.
WE HAVE ALL THE SERVICE LEADS THERE AND THEY'RE ALL COMING OUT.
THIS IS ALL WOUNDED WARRIORS OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE MILITARY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO COME.
I WANTED TO SAY THAT ALSO WE'RE LOOKING FOR NEW PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND I WANT EVERYONE IN HOUSTON TO UNDERSTAND IF THEY HAVE A DISABILITY, THEY CAN COME TO WEST GRAY.
WE HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM, WE HAVE A SPORT FOR THEM.
WE HAVE ALL THE THINGS FOR REHAB AND RECOVERY JOURNEY.
SO IF ANYBODY FROM A REHAB HOSPITAL WOULD LIKE TO BRING PATIENTS OUT, I WOULD LOVE TO MEET WITH THEM.
OR EVEN ASIDE FROM THIS EVENT THIS WEEKEND, WEST GRAY IS ALWAYS THERE.
AND IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY WITH A DISABILITY, WE WANNA KNOW ALL HOUSTONIANS HAVE A PLACE TO GO IN A HOME AT WEST GRAY.
UM, AND WE'RE KNOWN AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WE'RE THE BIGGEST EVENT OF ITS KIND.
SO PLEASE PASS THROUGH GRB THIS WEEKEND IF YOU CAN.
UM, I THINK I'M ON SOME OF YOUR AGENDAS ALREADY, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SHOWING YOU WHAT WE HAVE OUT THERE.
UM, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW HANNAH, UH, SHE'S WITH OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AND UH, THE ENERGY YOU SEE HERE IS THE ENERGY AND LOVE AND KINDNESS THAT SHE BRINGS.
AND THE ENTIRE PARKS DEPARTMENT STAFF BRINGS EVERY SINGLE DAY TO WEST GRAIN MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
UH, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT'S NOT JUST LOCAL FOLKS PARTICIPATING, UH, AT GRB THIS WEEKEND.
I THINK YOU SAID THERE'S SOME INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS COMING IN AS WELL.
I GOT THAT NOTIFICATION WHILE WE WERE HERE IN SESSION THAT I HAVE THREE ATHLETES FROM GHANA FLYING IN TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR EVENT.
SO THAT'LL BE THE FIRST TIME FOR THAT.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO GROW OUR INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE AND PROVIDE THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR OTHER COUNTRIES TO COME AND PLAY WITH US.
SO THAT'LL BE YOUR FIRST FOR US.
AND I KNOW RECENTLY WE ALSO HAD VETERANS FROM THE UKRAINE, UH, ACTUALLY COME TO TOUR.
WEST GRAY MULTI SERVICE CENTER BECAUSE OF THE ADAPTIVE AND REHABILITATIVE SPORTS PROGRAMMING THAT WE HAVE THERE.
UH, I JUST WANNA LIFT UP THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, THE IMPORTANCE OF WEST GRAY MAYOR.
I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW SUPPORTIVE YOU HAVE BEEN, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE INVESTMENT, UH, AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED AT WEST GRAY.
BUT REGARDLESS OF HOW, UM, IN POOR CONDITION THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER IS, YOU ALL CONTINUE TO BRING A CALIBER SERVICE TO OUR DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND THEIR FAMILIES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND I SEE DIRECTOR PONTE ALSO IN THE BACK AND I WANNA THANK HIM AS WELL.
UM, AND YOUR TEAM ANGEL FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL DO.
BUT HANNAH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS.
I HOPE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ATTEND.
NEXT CONNOR CLIFTON GABRIELA HAMDI TO BE FOLLOWED BY LUCRECIA ALLEN WYNN.
UH, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS GABRIELA HAMD AND I'M THE WASTE AND RECYCLING ASSOCIATE FOR ENVIRONMENT TEXAS.
UH, WE ARE A NONPROFIT ADVOCATE WITH ONE MISSION, UH, TO PROTECT THE NATURAL WORLD.
AND WE BELIEVE WE HAVE TO STOP TRASHING OUR PLANET EVERY DAY.
WE EXTRACT NATURAL RESOURCES TO PRODUCE GOODS THAT ARE USED OFTEN JUST FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE FER INTO LANDFILLS, INCINERATOR, OR THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
I RUN THE RELIABLE RECYCLING FOR HOUSTON CAMPAIGN.
OUR EFFORTS TO SHIFT HOUSTON TOWARDS SOME WHERE OUR MATERIALS ARE REUSED, RECYCLED, OR COMPOSTED IN A CONTINUOUS CYCLE.
AS YOU STONE, WE KNOW THE TOPIC OF TRASH AND RECYCLING PICKUP CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR CONCERN FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBERS FLICKING DURING ALCORN'S DISCUSSION ON THE CONTAMINATION RATE FOR RECYCLING.
WHILE WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS JACKSON AND THOMAS TALK ABOUT LEGAL DUMPING, WE HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO MEET WITH YOUR OFFICES PRO PROVIDING STUDIES ON EFFICIENCIES IN COMPARISONS TO OTHER PROGRAMS THAT TEXAS CITY HAVE MADE AND UPDATES ON OUR CAMPAIGN, WE APPLAUD MANY OF THEIR FIRMS, DIRECTOR HAAN HAS BEEN MAKING, INCLUDING MORE TRUCKS, MORE TRANSFER STATIONS, AND MORE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE A CRITICAL WAY TO PERMANENTLY IMPROVE SERVICES IS MORE RESOURCES.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGN AND OUR PROGRAM, WE INVITE YOUR OFFICES TO JOIN US FOR A WEBINAR ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4TH AT 12.
THIS WEBINAR WILL GIVE COMMUNITIES THE TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND AND IMPROVE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HOUSTON.
WE ARE VERY HONORED TO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER HAWKE MARTINEZ PARTICIPATE ON OUR PANEL AS WELL AS SOLID WASTE EMPLOYEES FROM HOPE ALONG WITH EXPERTS ON BEST PRACTICES.
WE'VE EMAILED ALL OF OUR OFFICES WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBINAR AND WE ARE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MAY HAVE.
WE BELIEVE A SOLID WASTE FEE WILL IMPROVE THE RELIABILITY OF TRASH AND RECYCLING PICKUP.
AS YOU KNOW, HOUSTON HAS RECYCLING RATE OF ABOUT 16% WITH A GOAL ADOPTED IN THIS BUDGET OF 18%.
THIS IS MORE THAN 15 PERCENTAGE POINTS BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 35%, AND WE MUST DO BETTER.
IN ADDITION TO INCREASING RECYCLING, A SOLID WASTE FEE INCENTIVIZES CITIZENS TO REDUCE WASTE PRODUCTION AND UTILIZE REUSABLE ITEMS IN
[01:45:01]
THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES.CITIES HAVE REPORTED AN AVERAGE TAX REDUCTION OF 28% AFTER IMPLEMENTING A PAY ATROPHY.
WE ALSO JOIN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE CITY AND CALLING FOR THE END OF THE CHEMICAL RECYCLING PROGRAM, STARTING UNDER THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION.
CHEMICAL RECYCLING ONLY FUNCTIONS AS ANOTHER NAME FOR BURNING PLASTIC AND ACTUALLY GENERATES MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF TOXIC AIR POLLUTION.
AND AS THE ONLY MAJOR METROPOLITAN CITY WITH ALL SOLID WASTE FEE, HOUSTON HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFEGUARD THE ENVIRONMENT BY ENSURING THAT SOLID WASTE CAN PROPERLY PERFORM ITS DUTIES.
AND AS HOUSTON, WE ARE THE BEST CITY IN TEXAS.
WE WANT TO DO OUR PART BY HELPING EDUCATE RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBORHOODS ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGN.
WE'LL GLADLY PARTNER WITH YOUR OFFICES TO MEET WITH CIVIC CLUBS AND LOCAL LEADERS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND FOR ALL YOU DO TO MAKE HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.
LUCRECIA ALLEN WYNN, RANDY WILKINS TO BE FOLLOWED BY SARITA BUFORT.
I'M RANDY WILKINS, CEO OF OLD FURNITURE PICKUP, A FIVE STAR COMPANY.
WE HAVE BEEN SERVING HOUSTON IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS FOR NEARLY SIX YEARS.
THE REASON I'M HERE IS BECAUSE ILLEGAL DUMPS HAS BEEN MAKING THE NEWS A LOT LATELY, AND I WANT TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY TO HAVE MY TEAM TO REMOVE ALL DUMPS ANYTIME AND ANY DAY.
RANDY, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
UH, I I'VE SEEN YOUR WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
UH, WE DO NEED A LOT OF HELP WITH CLEARING OUT ILLEGAL DUMPING.
UH, MANY OF OUR DISTRICT OFFICES HAVE, UH, CREWS, UM, THAT ARE, UH, TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
AND I KNOW THE CITY IS, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER A STRATEGY TO ADDRESS IT AS WELL.
SO, UM, IF YOU WANT TO EMAIL OUR OFFICE AS YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, UH, I I'M SURE, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO FIND A WAY TO COLLABORATE.
NEXT RITO BUFORD, REGINA KERR.
KEVIN HAWKINS TO BE FOLLOWED BY DESIREE ED.
YES, GOOD AFTERNOON, FINE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON AND OUR, OUR FINE MAYOR.
I COME UP A DIFFERENT NOTE, NO COMPLAINT WHATSOEVER.
SMILING FACES, CALL ME A NEIGHBOR.
I COME WITH A, UH, INITIATIVE TO HELP THE HOMELESS.
I WANT TO DO SOMETHING AS FAR AS, UH, A, A LARGER DYNAMIC.
SO I'M ASKING FOR THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS FAR AS I'M LOOKING MORE OR LESS FOR THE PARTS OF THE LAND THAT ARE KIND OF SPORADIC THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO, TO BUILD TINY HOME COMMUNITIES FOR THE, UH, HOMELESS SECTOR.
UH, SOMETHING THAT'S PASSIONATE WITHIN MY HEART.
UH, I KNOW IT'S AVAILABLE, IT'S KNOW, IT'S NECESSARY BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY HOMELESS PEOPLE OUT THERE.
UH, THE THE, THE PLIGHT THAT I HAVE IS NOT A HARD ONE BECAUSE WHEN YOU WALK OUTSIDE, COMPASSION JUST FALLS UPON YOU, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S NOT REALLY A CONVINCING POINT, SHOULD WE? IT'S LIKE, HOW FAST CAN WE, SO THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MAKE THIS PRETTY MUCH THE GENESIS IN OUR HEADQUARTERS WITH THIS DYNAMIC.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO PREDICATE ONLY ON HOUSTON ALONE.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO TAKE TO ALL THE MAJOR CITIES AND KIND OF ERADICATE OR MINIMIZE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE HOMELESSNESS ON THE STREET.
THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE CAUGHT BETWEEN PLACES.
UH, IT'S NOT, NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS THEIR FAULT.
IT MIGHT BE A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WE KNOW THAT FALLS UPON MANY.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A MOMENT TO GET WITH WHOEVER YOU HAVE MAYOR, TO BE A LIAISON TO HELP.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF COORDINATION WITH DIFFERENT, UM, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, 5 0 1 C3 PROGRAMS, UH, CHURCHES, DIFFERENT INITIATIVES OF THE SORT.
AND I'M HERE FOR THAT PURPOSE.
SO I WANNA CONNECT, I WANT TO ALIGN WITH WHOMEVER IS AVAILABLE TO MAKE THAT INITIATIVE HAPPEN.
BUT THERE IS A PART THAT I NEED FROM HOUSTON ITSELF, AND I'M HERE AND I WANT TO ASK ASSET, LIKE I SAID AGAIN, TO MAKE THIS
[01:50:01]
MY HEADQUARTERS.HAPPY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU BECAUSE I DO KNOW A FEW NONPROFITS WHO ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF TINY HOMES AND MAYBE WE CAN CONNECT YOU AND SEE HOW Y'ALL COULD WORK TOGETHER.
DESIREE CA TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALMA PEREZ.
AND, UH, SHE HAS REQUESTED, UH, INTERPRETATION.
I KNOW GOOD AFTERNOON IS GAY, IS THAT I'VE, I'VE NOTICED THAT EVERYBODY HAS BEEN ATTENTIVE AND HAS BEEN HEARING OUT EVERYBODY'S CALL.
AND I AM HERE TO, UM, ADDRESS THE CALL THAT'S BEEN PERING, UH, AT, AT COUNCIL IN PARTICULAR.
UM, MENTAL HEALTH, UM, IN PARTICULAR MENTAL HEALTH.
THE SITUATION THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING FOR THE PAST FIVE MONTHS INVOLVING THE FAMILY, UH, WITH THIS CRISIS IS BEING HEARD ALL ACROSS TEXAS AND ACROSS FIVE STATES AND FURTHER OUT MISSISSIPPI.
AND I AM HERE TO STATE THAT THIS, EVEN THE CHRIST HAVE BEEN HEARD OUT ALL THE WAY OUT TO MISSISSIPPI.
AND THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE MY, MY NEIGHBORS.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT HERE TO ASK FOR ANY TYPE OF, UM, ASK, UH, REGARDING, UM, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S SEXUAL IN NATURE.
ANY SEXUAL ORIENTATION, UM, THAT GETS BROUGHT UP IS SOMETHING OF THE PAST.
UM, WHATEVER, WHATEVER SEXUAL ORIENTATION, UH, COMES ACROSS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SITUATION.
UH, WHAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON IS ON MENTAL HEALTH.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IS UNACCEPTABLE.
THIS FAMILY THAT I'M SPEAKING OF NEEDS HELP.
AND TO ME, THE THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IS THE, THE PANDEMIC OF, OF, OF THE CENTURY.
AND I WANNA SAY THAT, THAT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, UH, COMING ACROSS ALL FORMS OF, UH, OF SOCIETY, UM, ACROSS SCHOOLS, ACROSS ANY PLATFORM, AND IT IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE STATE IMMEDIATELY.
WE CAN'T WAIT FOR SOMETHING THAT, UH, TO BECOME NOT THE NORM.
AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
RESPECT THE LACK OF AUTHORITY, UH, THE MESSAGE OF HATE, THE, THE, THE SCENE OF A FAMILY WHO'S IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF, UH, CHAOS AND CERTAINLY, UM, OVER A CASE THAT HAS TO DO DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
MAYOR, I'M COMING TO YOU TO ASK,
[01:55:06]
AND ALSO TO ALL OF YOU, MY FRIENDS AND EVERYBODY WHO IS WITNESSING ME AT THE MOMENT.UH, PLEASE ADVOCATE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ABOUT, UH, THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND THE SITUATION THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE MOMENT.
MAY I HAVE ONE MORE MINUTE? THIS FAMILY THAT I'M SPEAKING AND EVERYBODY NEEDS, UH, TO BRING THIS TO REST.
AND I HOPE FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE A, A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND, UH, A FESTIVE HOLIDAYS, UH, KNOWING RECEIVE THE, THE HELP THAT THEY NEED IN URGENCY.
EVERYBODY WHO HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING, UM, UH, A A POSITIVE FINANCIAL SITUATION IS NOT GOING TO ENCOUNTER THE SITUATION THAT, THAT THIS FAMILY IS ENCOUNTERING AT THE MOMENT.
AND I AM HERE, UM, UH, TO SAY, UH, IN THE END THAT, UM, THIS PERSON IS, UM, IS BASICALLY ADDRESSED FOR THE NE FOR THE NEEDS THAT SHE NEEDS.
NEXT ALMA PEREZ IS MARIA CONTRERAS DE GARZA.
ROGER HEARD ALEXANDER ROY HIRSH TO BE FOLLOWED BY NIAZ ZOFF.
RIGHT NOW, EAST END COMMUNITIES ARE STRUGGLING WITH MULTIPLE SEEMINGLY UNCOORDINATED ROADWAY PROJECTS AND STREET CLOSURES THAT ARE IMPACTING OUR COMMUTES, OUR BUSINESSES, AND OUR LIVES.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WARNING ABOUT ALL YEAR.
NOW THAT LELAND IS FINALLY OPEN AGAIN, WE CAN AT LEAST GLIMPSE OUR DREARY FUTURE WITHOUT POLK.
THE FACT THAT OUR CITY GOVERNMENT WAS UNPREPARED TO COORDINATE THESE STREET CLOSURES SHOULD TERRIFY US ABOUT WHAT'S COMING WITH THE N-H-H-I-P.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS JUST A TINY PREVIEW.
N-H-H-I-P WILL PERMANENTLY REMOVE THE PIERCE ELEVATED.
IT WILL CLOSE MULTIPLE SURFACE STREETS FOR MONTHS AT A TIME, WHILE TXDOT DIGS MASSIVE TRENCHES AND REBUILDS THE HIGHWAY.
EVERYTHING WE'VE WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW WILL AMPLIFIED 10 TIMES OVER.
DURING THAT CONSTRUCTION CHAOS, WE'LL NEED EVERY STREET CONNECTION WE HAVE.
EVERY OPTION WILL BE CRITICAL.
AND RIGHT BEFORE THIS BEGINS, HOUSTON FIRST IS ASKING YOU TO PERMANENTLY CLOSE POLK STREET.
I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD GET TO THIS POINT.
I HAD HOPED HOUSTON FIRST WOULD RECOGNIZE THE GLARING ERRORS IN THEIR ASSUMPTIONS AND CHANGE COURSE BEFORE FORCING YOU INTO THIS POSITION.
BUT THEY DON'T SEEM TO CARE ABOUT YOUR COMFORT NOR OURS.
SO LET ME ASK, WHAT IS THE RUSH? EVERY SIGN POINTS TO THE 2028 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION AT THE TOYOTA CENTER, WHICH, UH, ACTIVITY WITH ACTIVITIES AT THE GRB.
WHAT DEAL IS HOUSTON FIRST STRUCK, UH, FIRST CUT WITH THE RNC THAT REQUIRES THEM TO PUSH THROUGH THE SHAMEFUL PROCESS.
A PROCESS THAT IGNORES HOUSTON COMMUNITIES, IGNORES DATA, IGNORES BEST PRACTICE, WHATEVER THE DEAL IS, THIS BODY OF HONOR AND JUSTICE SHOULD NOT BE PARTY TO IT.
HOUSTON FIRST, UH, HAS OTHER OPTIONS.
EVERY OTHER MAJOR CONVENTION CENTER CITY FOUND WAYS TO EXPAND WITH THEIR CLOSING CRITICAL PUBLIC STREETS.
DALLAS AND PHILADELPHIA BUILT OVER THEIR STREETS.
SAN FRANCISCO FOUND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.
THEY ALL UNDERSTOOD THAT CONNECTIVITY MATTERS MORE THAN CONVENIENCE.
HOUSTON FIRST CAN MODIFY THEIR PLANS, THEY CAN BUILD OVER
[02:00:01]
POLK STREET.YES, IT WILL BE AN EXPENSIVE HEADACHE.
YES, THEY MAY NOT FINISH BEFORE THE RNC, BUT THAT IS A PRICE ABSOLUTELY WORTH BEARING BECAUSE HERE, WHAT'S NOT WORTH BEARING? PERMANENTLY ISOLATING THE EAST END.
JUST PRIOR TO YEARS OF N-H-H-I-P CHAOS SACRIFICING HOUSTON COMMUNITIES FOR A ONE WEEK POLITICAL EVENT, MAKING THIS COUNCIL COMPLICIT IN A DECISION YOU'LL REGRET FOR DECADES.
PLEASE, FOR THE SAKE OF THE EAST END, FOR THE SAKE OF ALL HOUSTONIANS, FOR THE HONOR OF THIS COUNCIL, DENY THE REQUEST TO ABANDON POLK STREET.
MAKE HOUSTON FIRST DO THIS RIGHT.
NEXT EZ OV TO BE FOLLOWED BY DAVID DAVID HERMAN HARMON.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY GREETINGS TO OUR, UH, CITY LEADERS AND OUR HONORABLE MAYOR WITTMEYER.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, WOULD IT BE OKAY? UH, 'CAUSE WE SIGNED UP UNDER THE SAME, UH, UH, VEHICLE FOR HIRE AND MY COLLEAGUES ARE HERE.
UH, UH, CAN THEY JOIN ME AGAIN AS WELL? YOU MAY HAVE LIKE QUESTIONS TOO.
UM, MY COLLEAGUES AND ANNA I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS ON AN IMPORTANT ISSUE CONCERNING VE VEHICLE FOR HIRE PETTY CAPS, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY.
IN OUR CITY, WE, WE BELIEVE THAT PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT OPERATE LEGALLY AND PAY TAXES.
UH, WHEN UNREGULATED OPERATORS ENTER THE MARKET, UH, IT CREATES, UH, TRAFFIC HAZARDS, UH, DAMAGES OUR REPUTATION, AND OFTEN BRINGS NEGATIVE MEDIA ATTENTION.
UH, ALTHOUGH THE ADMINISTRATION OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS HAS ESTABLISHED RULES, UH, ENFORCEMENT IS INCONSIST.
UH, INSPECTORS ARE RARELY PRESENT DURING MAJOR EVENTS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE.
AS A RESULT, MANY INDIVIDUALS WORK ILLEGALLY, OFTEN SHOWING UP.
UH, A RA OFTEN USUALLY SHOW UP 15 TO 16 DAY OF THE DURING THE RODEO.
EVEN AT THE BARBECUE KICKOFF, WHICH IS A KICKOFF FOR THE BIGGEST EVENT IN HOUSTON RODEO, ADDITIONAL PEDICABS DON'T FIT SAFELY WITHIN MANY OF THE VENUES.
THIS IS NOT A TOURIST DISTRICT DESIGNED FOR HIGH PE CAL VOLUME.
UM, MOST PEOPLE TRYING TO EARN A LIVING, UM, ARE WORKING CONCERTS, SPORTING EVENTS, UM, WHERE THE PHYSICAL SPACE SIM SIMPLY CAN ACCOMMODATE EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF PETTY CAPS.
THE AVERAGE PETTY CAP IS FOUR TO SIX FEET WIDE, SIX AND A HALF FEET WIDE.
AND IMAGINE, UM, A HUNDRED OF THEM ON EACH STREET MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THIS WILL CREATE A SERIOUS CONGESTION AND SAFETY RISKS FOR, UM, THESE REASONS.
WE STRONGLY BELIEVE PERMITS SHOULD BE KEPT AT APPROXIMATELY 72 75 TOTAL TO MAINTAIN SAFETY, EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT, UH, WE'RE PREPARED TO SUPPORT AN INCREASE PERMIT FEE TWO TO THREE TIMES TO CURRENT CURRENT AMOUNT.
AND, UM, RECOMMEND RAISING ANNUAL PERMIT COSTS FROM $10 TO $200 WITH RESPONSIBLE LOCAL OPERATORS AND PROPER REGULATION.
AND WITHOUT AN INFLUX OF OUT OF TOWNER TOWN WORKERS, WE CAN COLLABORATE AS A UNIFIED TEAM AND CONTINUE PROVIDING EXCELLENT SERVICE TO OUR HAS COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU NEXT DAVID HARMON TO BE FOLLOWED BY LISA HUNT.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DAVID HARMON, OWNER OPERATOR OF INDEPENDENT PETTY CAB.
UH, I'VE BEEN AN OPERATOR FOR OVER 16 YEARS, AND THE SAFETY OF NOT ONLY THE FUTURE OF OUR JOBS, BUT OUR OF OUR PASSENGERS IS OF IMPORTANCE TO US.
WITH UPCOMING EVENTS SUCH AS THE WORLD CUP COMING TO HOUSTON, WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT AN INFLUX OF OUT-OF-TOWNERS COMING IN AND JEOPARDIZING OUR ABILITY TO OPERATE.
PUTTING A CAP ON THE NUMBER OF PERMITS I THINK WOULD HELP ENSURE ALL OF OUR LOCAL SUCCESS.
THANK YOU, SIR FOR COMING IN THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER.
[02:05:02]
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PERMITTED PETTY CABS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST? I MEAN, THAT'S A QUESTION I CAN ASK OUR A RA DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT, I DON'T KNOW.I'M ASSUMING ABOUT THREE TO 400.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE, MAYOR, ABOUT ONES THAT COME IN THAT AREN'T PERMITTED AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE SEAL ON 'EM, AND THEY'RE JUST RUNNING THROUGH.
AND I CAN REALLY SEE THAT BEING AN ISSUE AT, AT FIFA.
UM, SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO, I THINK YOUR ASK IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE JUST HAVING THE REGULATED, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PLAYING BY THE RULES.
KUDOS TO THE GUY THAT SAID WE CAN UP THE FEED OF 200 FROM 10 BUCKS.
YEAH, I'M ALL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOME MORE REVENUE IN HERE, SO THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
UM, BUT, UH, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT 'CAUSE THAT IS GONNA BE AN ISSUE.
I WAS JUST IN AUSTIN AND THERE WERE PEDICABS GALORE, UM, AFTER THE FOOTBALL GAME.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANNA LOOK INTO.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE AND THAT THE, THE GOOD HOUSTON OPERATORS THAT ARE PLAYING BY THE RULES, UM, ARE PROTECTED.
WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD YOU, UM, ESTIMATE THAT, UM, THE ILLEGAL PETTY CABS ARE FOR MAJOR EVENTS? LIKE, IS IT, YOU THINK IT'S 30% OF THE PETTY CABS THAT'S OUT THERE, 50% OF THEM THAT'S OUT THERE.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? I WOULD EASILY PUT IT AT 20 TO 30%.
UM, AND WHAT, WHAT'S THE ENFORCEMENT LIKE WHEN IT, WHEN, WHEN WE DO HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE TO ENFORCE AND REGULATE THE PETTY CAB, UH, SPACE, ARE PEOPLE GETTING A TICKET? ARE THEY GETTING A BOOT? ARE THEY GETTING CONFISCATED? UH, LAST OCTOBER, THE CITY A RA WAS, UH, THREATENING TO IMPOUND, BUT I VERY RARELY EVER SEE EV ANY ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AND BEYOND JUST THE CABS THAT ARE LEGAL, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE REPERCUSSIONS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTING IRRESPONSIBLY, WHETHER THEY'RE SPEEDING OR DRIVING ERRATICALLY.
UM, HIT THEM WITH FINES, YOU KNOW, GET SOME, HIT 'EM, HIT 'EM, HIT 'EM IN THE POCKETBOOK, MAKE 'EM KNOW THAT THAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
IN MY HOUSE, WHEN WE HAVE COMPANY COMING, WE MAKE A, A REAL MAD DASH TO PICK UP AND CLEAN UP SO THINGS LOOK GOOD.
AND THAT FOLKS, UM, THINK WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, BECAUSE THE WAY WE LIVE GENERALLY AND THE WAY WE PRESENT TO VISITORS CAN BE DIFFERENT.
I THINK THAT THAT'S COMMON TO HOUSTON TOO.
AS WE'RE PREPARING FOR FIFA AND THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION.
I THINK IN TERMS OF OUR ROADS AND OUR TRANSPORTATION, WE'RE WANTING TO MAKE, UH, A GOOD IMPRESSION AND PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD.
UM, BUT I THINK AS WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE CLOSURE OF POLK STREET AND THE, UH, REPAVING OF UP TO 60 STREETS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WE'RE REALIZING, UM, THAT IT CAN BE CHAOTIC FOR THOSE WHO LIVE HERE AS WELL AS FOR THOSE WHO ARE COMING INTO DOWNTOWN.
UH, FOR EVENTS, BECAUSE WE LIVE HERE, I WANT TO COMMEND THE COUNCIL AND YOU MAYOR FOR BEING OPEN FOR, UH, TO A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AS WE'RE COPING WITH THESE TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES.
AND I WANT TO RAISE OUR ATTENTION NOW TO THE, UH, CONFLICTS AROUND IMPLEMENTATION, SPECIFICALLY AROUND COMMUNICATION OF ROAD CLOSURES AND THE LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT TIMELINES.
IT'S EVIDENT THAT, UM, CONSTRUCTION IS MOVING FORWARD, THAT WE'RE WORKING TO GET FIFA HERE AND, UH, FOR FOLKS TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
BUT WE REALLY NEED TO BE COORDINATING OUR COMMUNICATION AND PLANS AND TIMELINES ACROSS AGENCIES.
WE HAVE COUNTY, UH, WORK GOING ON.
WE HAVE, UH, TDOT WORK GOING ON.
WE HAVE CITY OF HOUSTON WORK GOING ON, AND THE LEFT HAND IS NOT KNOWING WHAT THE RIGHT HAND IS DOING, AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE FOR DANGER BOTH FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU ALL TO REQUEST OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO BE COORDINATING THEIR COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON SO THAT WE KNOW HOW TO ACCESS OUR ROADS.
FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO A TOWN HALL MEETING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING, UH, WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, THAT ANNOUNCEMENT GOT KIND OF GARBLED AS WE LEFT FOR THE FIRE, UH, DRILL TODAY.
UM, IT WILL BE, UH, TOMORROW NIGHT AT SIX O'CLOCK AT HOLY FAMILY AT HTX ON NAVIGATION.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ENGAGING, UH, MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND PRIORITIES AS WE'RE LIVING INTO THIS NEW STAGE OF IMPLEMENTATION.
NEXT SHILAH SALA TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES
[02:10:01]
ZUMWALT.UM, FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY, SO I THANK EVERYBODY FOR JUST HOLDING THIS SPACE FOR US.
WELL, MY NAME IS SHYLA AND I'M ACTUALLY A LOCAL PERFORMANCE ARTIST.
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO PERFORM AT BLAIR ART MUSEUM, THE HOBBY CENTER.
I'M A SEARCH AND RESCUE VOLUNTEER, AND I AM A PROUD SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WHO'S BEEN OPERATING PETTY CABS AND WORKING IN TOURISM FOR A DECADE.
AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT I ACTUALLY AM PART OF THE HIDDEN GEMS AS A TOUR GUIDE IN DOWNTOWN.
NOW, I'M AWARE OF THE STIGMA THAT WE FACE AS PETTY CABERS, AND I CAN'T SPEAK ON EVERYBODY, BUT I CAN SAY ON BEHALF OF MY TEAM TODAY THAT WE REALLY VALUE PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR CITY, WHICH IS WHY TODAY WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON A SIMPLE YET URGENT ISSUE, WHICH IS TO FINALLY ESTABLISH A CAP ON PETTY CAPS.
'CAUSE THE TRUTH IS, IT'S, IT'S GETTING REALLY DANGEROUS OUT THERE.
NOW, I SAW THE SENSE OF URGENCY COUNCIL DEMONSTRATED WITH SCOOTERS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR THE SAME URGENCY HERE, GIVEN THE HOUSTON RODEO AND THE WORLD CUP IS APPROACHING.
AND I WANT THE CITY TO KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT WITH THE A RA, BUT BEING 10 YEARS IN THIS INDUSTRY, I AM GROWING FRUSTRATED.
YOU KNOW, I WAS APPROACHED BY THEM TO REVIEW 28 PAGES OF THEIR REVISIONS, AND WE WERE ONLY GIVEN THREE BRIEF REVISIONS ABOUT PETTY CABS, WHICH HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MY INITIAL MEETING THAT I HAD WITH THEM.
AND I WANT THE CITY, I WANT THE COUNCIL TO KNOW THAT I WROTE 16 SOLUTIONS.
I DID MY BEST TO MAKE ALL OF OUR JOBS EASIER.
AND IT'S FRUSTRATING TO HEAR THE A RA SAY, WELL, WE GOTTA WAIT TILL NEXT SPRING TO REVISIT THIS TOPIC.
SO, AND AND I'LL BE HONEST HERE, WE KNOW THIS IS A BUSINESS.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT COMES DOWN TO MONEY.
WE'RE NOT AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT IT.
WE WORK WITH IT ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE WILLING TO CHIP IN TO PAY MORE FOR OUR PERMITS AND TO CAP IT.
AND JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE INSURED OR PERMITTED RIDERS DOESN'T MEAN THAT ALL OF THOSE OPERATORS ARE THE BEST OUT THERE, IF I'M GONNA PUT IT THAT WAY.
AND LASTLY, I AGREE TO UPHOLD MY WORD FOR THE A RA, WHICH WAS TO ADVOCATE FOR AN ADDITIONAL PEACE OFFICER.
IT WAS MADE KNOWN TO ME THAT IN ORDER TO LEGALLY TOW PETTY CABS, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PEACE OFFICER PRESENT.
THEY DO NEED MORE RESOURCES, A RA NEEDS NIGHT SHIFTS.
THOSE ARE THE SHIFTS THAT WE WORK.
AND LASTLY, I JUST WANT THE MAYOR AND I WANT THE CITY TO KNOW THAT WE'RE ON YOUR SIDE ON THIS.
WE SEE THE UPGRADES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR CITY.
AND AS A TOUR GUIDE, I THINK THAT'S BEAUTIFUL AND IT'S TIME FOR OUR SERVICES TO REFLECT THOSE UPGRADES AS WELL.
UM, HIL, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
ONE, IF, IF, IF THERE WAS A CAP, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THE NUMBER OF PERMITS YOU THINK BE? WELL, I THINK REALISTICALLY, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMETHING AS MASSIVE AS THE RODEO A HUNDRED WOULD BE FEASIBLE.
AND THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, EVEN WITH A CAP, IT SEEMS LIKE THE REAL, THE REAL ISSUE IS, IS ENFORCEMENT MORE THAN ANYTHING.
BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE A CAP ON THE PERMITS, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT ADDRESSING THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE PERMITS WITH REAL ENFORCEMENT, THEN IT, IT, IT IS THE SAME THING.
SO I, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE MORE OF A URGENCY AND A PRIORITY AND STRATEGY AROUND THE ENFORCEMENT TO ENSURE THAT THOSE THAT DO CURRENTLY EVEN HAVE, UH, PERMITS AND ARE DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY, UM, THAT WE ADDRESS THOSE WHO ARE NOT.
AND EVEN WITH A CAP, I STILL SEE THAT BEING A ISSUE.
SO I THINK WE AS A CITY HAVE TO FIND A WAY IN WHICH TO ADDRESS, UM, THE BAD ACTORS AND, AND REALLY TO STRESS ENFORCEMENT, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE HEAR EVERY YEAR ABOUT PETTY CABS.
AND IT'S NOT A, IT IS NOT A VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE.
I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE IT, AND WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE PUT PARAMETERS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S REAL ENFORCEMENT THAT, UM, SENDS A MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT COMPLYING THAT IF YOU, IF YOU COME TO HOUSTON AND YOU ARE NOT PROPERLY PERMANENT, THEN THERE'S GOING TO BE, UH, CONSEQUENCES TO THAT.
AND KEN, MAY I ADD ONTO THAT? SURE.
SO THE MAIN REASON WHY WE NEED A CAP, AND I, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY'S AWARE OF THIS, BUT WE WOULDN'T BE THE ONLY CITY WHO DOES IT.
AUSTIN HAS A CAP, SAN ANTONIO HAS A CAP, MIAMI HAS A CAP.
THE REASON WHY WE NEED THIS CAP IS BECAUSE WE WORK IN ISOLATED AREAS.
[02:15:01]
IT'S A REAL ISSUE.AND I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT I AM ACTUALLY SOMEBODY WHO SURVIVED A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN AUSTIN.
I WAS A PASSENGER ON A PETTY CAB.
AND I CAN SPEAK FIRSTHAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO THROUGH THAT STRUGGLE.
WHAT WOULD THE, WHAT WOULD THE CAP BE? IS IT LIKE A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE, OR IS THERE GONNA BE CERTAIN PARAMETERS AND PLACED IN SHIELD WHO GETS YES.
SO WHAT WE DISCUSSED AS A COMMUNITY WAS A MONOPOLY CLAUSE BECAUSE APPARENTLY THIS WAS AN ISSUE THAT THEY'VE HAD IN OTHER MARKETS.
SO WE'VE AGREED AS A COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT TO CHIP IN, WE WANNA COMBINED CAPITAL TO COVER THOSE PERMITS AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S FAIR FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU MORE ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU COUNCIL COUNCILMAN FLICKING HERE.
YEAH, JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN.
I, I THINK YOU REALLY NEED TO DIRECT EFFORTS OR WE NEED TO DIRECT EFFORTS THAT ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU HAVE A CAP AND YOU HAVE ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE COMING IN THAT AREN'T PART OF THE PROGRAM, YEAH.
IT REALLY DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE ANYWAY AT ONCE.
UH, SO IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THE ENFORCEMENT, THAT WILL ELIMINATE, ELIMINATE A LOT OF IT, AND THEN YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AFTER THAT TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT A CAP'S ACTUALLY NEEDED AT THAT TIME.
BUT UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY GET THE, TO WHERE IT'S ONLY REGULATED OPERATORS THAT ARE OPERATING MM-HMM
IT, IT REALLY DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
FLORENCIA REYES TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOE ORTIZ.
UM, I'M ALL, I'M ALSO HERE WITH, UH, MY CONSTITUENTS, UH, URGING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR THE SAFETY, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR THE EVENTS COMING UP, UH, FOR ONE OF THE REVISIONS FOR THE A RA TO, IF WE CAN, UH, GO AHEAD AND, AND PROBABLY ENACT A, UH, DRUG TESTING, UH, FOR WE ARE VEHICLES FOR HIRE.
UM, BUT I HAVE EXPERIENCED OUT THERE WORKING IN THE STREETS WITH SOME OF THESE, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES EVEN THOUGH THEY DO HAVE PERMITS.
UM, SOME OF THEM WILL BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CERTAIN THINGS.
AND, UH, IN MY CASE, MY BUSINESS, THE, UM, THE PUBLIC'S SAFETY IS TOP PRIORITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I TAKE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MOST THING AND, AND PRIDE IN, IN THE WORK THAT I DO.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, A FORM OF, AND A SOLUTION TO THIS ENFORCEMENT IS MAYBE, UM, REINSTATING THE, UH, DRUG PO UH, DRUG TESTING THAT WE ONCE HAD BEFORE, UH, IN THIS, IN THE CITY WITH, WITHIN THE A RA.
UM, I'VE WITNESSED PEOPLE, UM, OVERDOSE IN DURING AN EVENT, UM, WHILE, AND THEN TRY TO GET BACK ON PETTY CABS, GIVE THEM, UH, CUSTOMERS RIDES AND EVERYTHING.
AND, AND THAT'S EXTREMELY, UH, IT'S EXTREMELY DISTURBING AND IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE.
UM, WE NEVER, I'M NOT THE ONE PER KIND OF PERSON WHO WOULD EVER WANNA PUT SOMEBODY IN LIKE THAT.
I JUST COME HERE SO WE CAN PUT THAT TO THE DRUG TESTING AND THINGS.
TELL ME, WHEN DID Y'ALL TAKE THE DRUG TEST? YOU TOOK THE DRUG TEST BEFORE YOU WENT OUT TO DRIVE THE PEDICABS ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT? UH, NO MA'AM.
WE USED TO, UH, WHEN WE, WE WOULD GET OUR PERMITS, WE'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH A BACKGROUND CHECK, A WARRANT CHECK, AND ALSO, UH, HAVE TO PROVIDE A PHYSICAL AND A DRUG TEST, UH, TO PROVIDE THE A RA, UH, IN, UH, PRIOR YEARS, I THINK IT WAS 17.
AND THEN, UM, IT WAS THE SAME TIME THAT A, UH, A RA ALSO, UM, FOLLOWED THE, UM, THE UBERS AT THAT TIME.
AND WHEN, UH, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED THAT THING, THEN ALL DRUG TESTING WENT OUT THE WINDOW.
AND YET WE ARE STILL VEHICLES FOR HIRE.
UM, I BELIEVE, UM, THAT IF YOU GO THROUGH THE A RA, I'M NOT SURE IF IF THEIR VEHICLES YEAH, I'M CHECK, I I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I WAS THINKING IF, UM, YOU DID A DRUG TEST WHEN YOU DID YOUR APPLICATION MM-HMM
IT COULD BE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT RESULT THE NIGHT OF THE EVENT.
SO I WAS CURIOUS TO HOW, HOW THEY HANDLED THAT.
THAT IS, BUT IT KEEPS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WILL KEEP SOME PEOPLE THAT CANNOT GET IT.
NEXT SPEAKER JOE ORTIZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY DAISY MORENO.
[02:20:03]
I WAS GONNA SAY HELLO TO MAYOR, BUT HE IS NOT HERE.UH, I'VE BEEN PETTY CABINING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON SINCE 2013.
I STARTED IN GALVESTON ISLAND 2012, SO I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE.
I WORK, UM, MAJOR CITIES LIKE AUSTIN, TEXAS, DALLAS, FORT WORTH AREA.
I'VE WORKED BIG, UH, CONVENTIONS.
I'VE WORKED BIG EVENTS LIKE COACHELLA AND BONNAROO.
I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
NATIONWIDE IS A VERY SMALL COMMUNITY.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS SOMEONE.
AND THE WORRY I HAVE, AS MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, UH, A CAP WOULD REALLY HELP BECAUSE, AND ENFORCEMENT.
ONE PROBLEM I SEE WITH ENFORCEMENT SOMETIMES WHEN I SEE ILLEGAL RIDERS OR RIDERS DOING THE WRONG THING, OR RIDERS NOT SHOWING PROFESSIONAL COURTESY TO OTHER RIDERS, AND I'VE SEEN OFFICERS AND I'M OFFICER, HEY, THIS GUY'S DOING THIS, THIS GUY'S THAT I'VE BEEN TOLD BY AN HP TO OFFICER TAKE 'EM INTO ALLEY AND BEAT HIM UP.
WHICH IS RIDICULOUS BECAUSE IF I SAW A DRUNK DRIVER ON THE STREET AND I COULD SAY, YEAH, OFFICER, THERE'S A DRUNK DRIVER RIGHT THERE.
IT'S THE OFFICER'S JOB TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT HIM AND TO TELL ME TO TAKE HIM IN THE ALLEY AND BEAT HIM UP IS COMMIT A CRIME.
TO FIX A CRIME IS A RIDICULOUS ANSWER TO MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE ILLEGAL RIDER OUT THERE.
THE OTHER ISSUE SOMETIMES THAT HAPPENS AND I SEE IS WHEN THERE ARE MANY OF US THAT AREN'T FALLEN.
LAWS FOLLOW RULES, FOLLOW REGULATIONS.
EVERYTHING'S LEGAL, EVERYTHING'S PERMANENT, EVERYTHING'S INSURED, AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT.
WE'RE FACED WITH TOO MANY RIDERS COMING IN, WHETHER THEY'RE ILLEGAL OR WHETHER THEY'RE LEGAL AND THEY'RE RUNNING LIGHTS.
THEY'RE DOING THIS, THEY'RE RUNNING SIDEWALKS, THEY'RE DOING ALL THE BAD NEGATIVE THINGS.
AND ALL OF US THAT ARE DOING THINGS RIGHT, FACED REPERCUSSIONS AND COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT IS ILLEGAL UNDER GENEVA CONVENTIONS.
YET, WHEN IT COMES TO PETTY CAPS, WE ALL AT TIMES FACE THE PUNISHMENT, INCLUDING THOSE OF US THAT DO IT RIGHT EVERY TIME.
AND IT PUTS A STRAIN BECAUSE I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING, PAY MY BILLS, TAKE CARE OF MY WIFE OR MY GIRLFRIEND AND HER DYING MOTHER AND, AND PROVIDE FOR FAMILY.
AND WHEN I'M SITTING AT A RED LIGHT WAITING FOR IT TO CHANGE SO I CAN GO AND PICK UP PEOPLE AND DROP 'EM OFF AT DAIKIN PARK, MINUTE MAID FORMALLY, AND I HAVE ILLEGAL RIDERS RUNNING THE LIGHT, IT PUTS PRESSURE AND STRAIN ON ME TO CONTINUE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND I WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
BUT WHEN I SEE FIVE RIDERS DOING THE WRONG THING AND I'M TRYING AND I'M STRUGGLING, IT REALLY NEGATIVELY AFFECTS US ALL.
AND JUST ENFORCEMENT WOULD HELP A LOT.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WOULD WORK, WHAT COULD WORK, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.
WE HAVE A PITY CAP COMMUNITY HERE.
WE HAVE SEVERAL COMPANIES IN THIS CITY THAT COULD, UH, WOULD GLADLY PROVIDE INSIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP.
DAISY MORENO TO BE FOLLOWED BY N NANA SAMONE.
I'M HERE WITH, UH, SPACE CITY RIDES.
I'M ALSO A FELLOW PETTY CABER.
UM, MY COLLEAGUES HERE KIND OF TOUCHED BASE ON A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE HERE FOR MAINLY.
UM, ONE OF 'EM, OF COURSE IS THE CAP, UM, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE WHERE ALL OF THE US KIND OF CONTACTS THEM EACH OTHER THROUGH THERE.
AND BEFORE THIS RODEO ACTUALLY, SOMEBODY POSTED LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, CITY OF HOUSTON IS REALLY CRACKING DOWN.
AND IT KIND OF SCARED A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM SHOWING UP.
SO IT KIND OF DOES HELP, UM, IF WE HAD A CAP AS WELL AS ENFORCEMENT.
BUT, UM, I KNOW, YEAH, WE'RE ASKING LIKE, OH, OKAY, WELL IF WE HAVE A CAP, THEY'RE STILL GONNA SHOW UP.
BUT AS YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE WHERE WE'RE ALL IN CONTACT STILL WITH THEM.
LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, DON'T COME UP 'CAUSE THEY WILL TELL YOU THEY WILL DO THIS.
UM, BUT OF COURSE, UH, ENFORCEMENT IS REALLY NEEDED.
'CAUSE UM, I THINK THEY WERE SAYING THAT A RA PROBABLY SHOWED UP MAYBE JUST FOR THE RODEO, AND THEN THE REST OF THE YEAR WE DIDN'T EVEN SEE THEM AT ALL, WHICH WAS PRETTY CRAZY.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR.
AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE PUTTING EVERYBODY ELSE AT RISK OUT HERE.
LIKE THEY SAID, WE HAVE PEOPLE CRAZY DRIVERS RIDING FREELY ON THESE PETTY CABS, YOU KNOW, WITH KIDS, FAMILIES AND EVERYTHING.
UM, AND A LOT OF THESE COPS THAT WE WORK AROUND WITH AT NRG AND AT DYER PARK, THEY TRY TO GIVE US, UM, WHAT'S IT CALLED? A LITTLE PLACE TO WORK WITH.
BUT OVER TIME, ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES WHO COME FROM OUTTA TOWN JUST TO GET THEIR MONEY AND LEAVE, UM, THEY TEST THEIR BUTTONS AND THEN THEY, THEY LIKE PUSH US OUT AND THEY JUST WANT EVERYTHING
[02:25:01]
TO GET RID OF ALL OF US.SO OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT THERE TO DEAL WITH THIS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE THERE TO DEAL WITH.
THE TRAFFIC AND WHATNOT IS GOING ON IN THE EVENTS, RIGHT? SO YEAH, WE DEFINITELY DO NEED MORE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, THAT WOULD DEFINITELY HELP ALL OF US OUT THERE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER, NANA AMPONG TO BE FOLLOWED BY SYLVIA PU SANJU.
I'M A VISUAL ARTIST AND I'VE BEEN OPERATING AND, UM, ALSO AN OWNER OF A PETTY CAP FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
AND I WANT TO TOUCH ON SPECIFICALLY THE CAP ISSUE OF, UM, CAP AND PETTY CAPS IN HOUSTON.
AND, UM, SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER I'VE BEEN PETTY CAP AND EVEN BEFORE, UM, REGULATIONS, UM, KICKED IN.
AND THE REASON THAT TRIGGERED, UM, THE REGULATIONS WAS OVERSATURATION AND OVERSATURATION.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE, WE WORK IN VERY SPECIFIC AREAS AND, UM, IF THERE'S TOO MANY PETTY CABS THAT SHOW UP, THERE'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE.
AND MY COLLEAGUE SHYLA AND I HAD A MEETING WITH A RA AND THEY, UM, MADE IT KNOWN THAT THEY WANT TO PUSH AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD ALLOW, UM, NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, TEXAS OR HOUSTON RESIDENTS, BUT ANYONE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE NATION WITH A DRIVER'S LICENSE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, COME INTO WORK.
UM, AND THAT'S AN ISSUE BECAUSE STATISTICALLY THERE'S A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF, UM, OUTER TOWNERS THAT, THAT SHOW UP, UM, TO PETTY CAP.
AND, UM, WITH WORLD CUP COMING, IF, IF AN ORDINANCE IS, IS PUSHED FOR, TO ALLOW, UM, ALL RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE NATION TO, TO BE ALLOWED TO HAVE A, UM, A PEDIC CAP LICENSE, THEN OBVIOUSLY THIS OVERSATURATION ISSUE WOULD BE, UM, PANDEMIC WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE AN ISSUE.
SO, UM, WITH THE CAP ISSUE, WE WANT TO, THE APPROACH THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS TO GRANDFATHER IN, UM, THE COMPANIES AND INDEPENDENTS THAT ALREADY EXIST IN HOUSTON.
AND THEN, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN.
UM, WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT SOME TYPE OF LIKE LOTTERY SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S LIKE A, JUST, YOU KNOW, A LIMITED AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OR RIDER THAT COME FROM OUT OF TOWN, YOU KNOW, THAT WAY, UM, WE CAN CONTROL OR HAVE LIKE, UM, JUST A, A NUMBER OF PETTY CABS THAT OPERATE, UM, IN HOUSTON.
I MEAN, WE'VE WORKED IN PETTY CABIN FOR OVER THESE YEARS.
I'VE SEEN INDUSTRIES, UH, COLLAPSE AND FALL BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE OF, OF OVERSATURATION.
SO, UM, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF, UM, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS ISSUE IS, UM, IS ADDRESSED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
ARE YOU RICHARD, OH, SORRY, MR. TO BE FOLLOWED BY CRYSTAL PIPER.
IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT COUNCILWOMAN PLUMMER HAS PUT FORWARD AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE, WHICH GOVERNS THE HPD AND ICE INTERACTION.
IT CURRENTLY, IF THE POLICE ARE DOING A ROUTINE BACKGROUND CHECK AND THEY COME UP WITH A FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ALERT, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO REPORT THE PERSON TO IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES.
THE WORDING OF THIS, UH, AMENDMENT, WOULD JANE LEAVE IT TO THE DISCRETION OF THE OFFICERS TO REPORT.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS A KNOWN HUB FOR DRUG AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THAT ICE IS FOCUSED ON REMOVING CAREER CRIMINALS.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS ORDINANCE, THIS CHANGED THE ORDINANCE WOULD NOT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
FURTHERMORE, IMMIGRATION IS A FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY.
[02:30:01]
FEDERAL LAW TAKES PRECEDENT OVER STATE LAW AND LOCAL ORDINANCES.PEOPLE WHO INTERFERE WITH ICE OPERATIONS OPEN THEMSELVES UP TO PROSECUTION.
COUNCILWOMAN PLUMMER IS RUNNING FOR STATE OR DISTRICT JUDGE, COUNTY JUDGE.
AND THAT IN THAT RACE CRIME IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE.
HER OPPONENTS ARE GOING TO POINT TO THIS AMENDMENT THAT SHE'S PUT FORWARD AS EVIDENCE THAT SHE'S WEAK ON CRIME.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE VERY DETRIMENTAL TO HER CAMPAIGN.
SO ONE MIGHT CONCLUDE THAT SHE'S WASTING HER TIME AND MONEY RUNNING THAT RACE.
SCOTTY JOSEPH TO BE FOLLOWED BY BERNADETTE.
I'M SORRY THAT OUR MAYOR RAN OUT ON US, BUT I NEED A, I NEED TO GET SOME INFORMATION FROM Y'ALL.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SCOOTER BAND? WHAT'S GOING ON? IF YOU COULD JUST ARTICULATE TO ME WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SCOOTER BAND, I'D APPRECIATE THAT.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SCOOTER VAN, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANYBODY HAVE ANY IDEAS WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SCOOTER VAN? SO THERE WAS A VOTE ON THE, UM, COUNCIL, COUNCIL, COUNCIL AGENDA TWO WEEKS AGO FOR THE CURFEW.
UM, AND THAT INFORMATION, UM, CAME FROM, I GUESS A COMPILATION OF HPD OCCURRENCES.
UM, SO WE, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION PUT FORTH A, UM, ORDINANCE TO BAN SCOOTERS OR TO HAVE A CURFEW, UM, FOR SCOOTERS.
UH, SO THE COUNCIL VOTED FOR THAT.
I, I BELIEVE THERE IS, UM, A COMMITTEE MEETING THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
TO, OH, IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
OH, SO THE COMMITTEE MEETING, YOU GOT MORE INFORMATION.
GIMME WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SCOOTER VAN, BECAUSE I'M SAYING IF IT'S 8:00 PM AT NIGHT MM-HMM
AND MY FRIEND, GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO LIKES TO RIDE A SCOOTER, Y'ALL ALL KNOW HIM.
UM, MR. PETIT WANTS TO RIDE A SCOOTER TO MY HOUSE.
SO THE SCOOTER BAND ONLY IS FOR THE, IT IS AN OPERATORS OR IS IT FOR EVERYBODY? 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE BRINGING THEIR SCOOTERS TO, UM, ALLOW ENTERTAINMENT RIDING AFTER 8:00 PM AFTER 8:00 PM BUT IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT OWNS A SCOOTER AND YOU ARE RIDING FOR MOBILITY OR TRANSPORTATION, THAT IT DOES NOT N NEGATE YOU FROM RIDING TO YOUR FRIEND'S HOUSE.
I UNDERSTAND IF YOU WANNA RIDE YOUR SCOOTER TO YOUR FRIEND'S HOUSE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN STILL RIDE YOUR SCOOTER TO YOUR FRIEND'S HOUSE.
SO THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE, UH, THE INDEPENDENT OPERATORS, THE TENTS THAT SET UP DOWNTOWN, AND THE KIDS ARE RIDING THE SCOOTERS DOWNTOWN FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
SO WE, WE, WE'VE HAD LOTS OF CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, SCOOTER RIDERS GOING THE WRONG WAY UP AND DOWN THE STREET AT NIGHT.
UM, WE'VE HAD, UM, DANGEROUS ACCIDENTS THAT HAVE, HUH, WE'VE HAD DANGEROUS ACCIDENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, UM, FROM SCOOTER RIDING.
SO THIS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE, UM, THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE ADMINISTRATION MM-HMM
WITH, WITH THE SCOOTER RIDING DOWNTOWN.
UH, LAST QUESTION, DOES THIS ONLY, UM, IS THIS ONLY TO THE SCOOTERS OR IS THIS ANY OTHER TYPE OF, UH, TRANSPORTATION? UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, I'M, I'M DONE.
SAY, WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION AGAIN? UH, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, UH, I WAS, I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE AND IN REGARDS WITH THE BIKES.
SO A LOT OF THE BIKE COMMUNITY IS AFRAID BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW IF THIS TRICKLES OVER TO THEM WITH THE SCOOTERS.
YOU, IT'S NOT A BICYCLE, IT IS CONSIDERED MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES.
SO, WHICH WOULD BE THE SCOOTERS, BUT THIS IS YOUR PERSONAL SCOOTER AND YOU WANNA RIDE YOUR PERSONAL SCOOTER TO YOUR FRIEND'S HOUSE.
ALL ABOUT WANTS ALL ABOUT BIKE PERSONALLY.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO RIDE SCOOTERS MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, WE ALL RIDE TOGETHER AND A LOT OF THEM ARE AFRAID BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT HEARD ANY CLEAR LANGUAGE EXPLAINING EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU SO GIVING US SOME TYPE OF EXPLANATION AND, AND WE CAN GET YOU A COPY OF THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE.
BE EXEMPT PERSONALLY OWN SCOOTERS.
SO IF YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS OWN YOUR SCOOTERS AND YOU RIDE
[02:35:01]
YOUR SCOOTERS, THIS, THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU.WELL THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN Q.
IS HE GOING? COUNCIL MEMBER P*****K.
SCOTTY, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
SO, SO WE HAD A COMMITTEE MEETING YESTERDAY WHERE ARA SOME REPRESENTATIVES CAME AND, UH, EXPLAINED IT.
COUNCIL VOTED ON IT TWO WEEKS AGO AND PASSED IT UNANIMOUSLY.
BASICALLY IT COMES DOWN TO THIS, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A SCOOTER CURFEW BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 PM AND 4:00 AM CITYWIDE.
ALRIGHT? AND IT APPLIES TO ALL, UH, E UH, MOTORIZED SCOOTERS.
NOT JUST THOSE THAT YOU RENT, BUT IF YOU OWN YOUR OWN SCOOTER, THAT CURFEW APPLIES TO YOU AS WELL.
THERE, THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS.
I I THOUGHT THAT THE EXCEPTIONS ARE, THAT'S WHAT IT SAID.
IF YOU ARE COMMUTING TO OR FROM YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT OR SCHOOL, OR IF YOU'RE RESPONDING TO A PERSONAL OR FAMILY EMERGENCY, UH, THERE'S SOME MORE, MORE LIMITED, UH, UH, EXCEPTIONS THAT APPLY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT EMS AND SPECIAL EVENTS PERMITTED BY THE CITY.
BUT THOSE ARE THE, THE BASICS.
IT ALSO PROHIBITS RENTING, UH, FROM A TEMPORARY STRUCTURE OR A BRICK AND MORTAR ESTABLISHMENT BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 PM AND, AND 4:00 PM SO BASICALLY, ME AND ED PETTY CAN RIDE AFTER EIGHT O'CLOCK.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE JUST TELLING ME, RIGHT? THERE'S A CURFEW UNLESS, UH, IT FALLS UNDER ONE OF THOSE EXCEPTIONS THAT I MENTIONED.
AND THE COUNCIL PASSED THIS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T KNOW WITH WHAT, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO, BUT THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT PEOPLE TO STOP RIDING THEIR SCOOTERS AT EIGHT O'CLOCK WHEN THEY'RE THERE? I'M SORRY.
I'M, I'M AT A LOSS FOR WORDS RIGHT NOW.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME.
BUT THIS IS A, THIS IS A MISTAKE, Y'ALL, THIS IS A MISTAKE.
WE DO HAVE A CO ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER IN KIT.
ARE YOU IN Q? IF I COULD JUST NOT PLEASE.
ED, ARE YOU DONE LAST? I THINK I AM.
SCOTTY, I I APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
UM, THIS IS A FIRST STEP WITH SCOOTERS.
SO THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, OTHER STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN.
BUT, UH, THIS, THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, IF NOT YEARS.
UH, AND WE HAD A COMMITTEE MEETING EARLIER THIS YEAR WHERE ABOUT 40 PEOPLE, UH, GAVE COMMENT EXPRESSING VIEWS ALL OVER THE SPECTRUM.
SO THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT ON THIS AND, UM, AT LEAST TWO COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
IF, IF YOU WANNA OFFER A COMMENT, WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO TAKE IT.
UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AS WELL.
BUT AS I SAY, THIS IS, THIS IS A FIRST STEP ON, UH, REGULATING THE USE OF MOTORIZED SCOOTERS AND, AND THERE WILL BE ACTION IN THE FUTURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD KELLY, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
UH, AND YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION REGARDING THIS TOPIC.
I, I WAS ACTUALLY OUT OF TOWN ON THE DAY OF THE VOTE, SO I DID NOT GET TO CHIME IN OR VOTE ON THIS TOPIC.
BUT, UM, I DO THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME REGULATION WITH SCOOTERS DOWNTOWN BECAUSE, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CALLS TO SERVICE AND FRUSTRATED INDIVIDUALS BASED ON THE ACTIONS OF SOME RIDERS.
SO THERE DOES NEED TO BE SOME REGULATION.
UH, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE REGULATION NEEDS TO BE FOCUSED MORE ON, UH, THE VENDORS MORE SO THAN, THAN PERSONAL RIDER.
I, I, I DO BELIEVE THAT, UH, THOSE WITH PERSONAL SCOOTERS REALLY SHOULDN'T BE BARRED FROM MOVING AROUND THE CITY AT, AT THEIR FREE WILL.
UH, I DO THINK WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON CERTAIN AREAS WHERE THERE'S A PROLIFERATION OF SCOOTERS AND LOOK AT THE VENDORS AND PUT REGULATION ON TOP OF THEM.
I DO THINK WE NEED TO CRACK DOWN ON THE VENDORS, UH, BRICK AND MORTAR AND THE POPUPS TO WHERE THERE MAY NEED TO RIGHT NOW BE A BAN ON, ON ALL VENDORS, UM, UNTIL WE HAVE A, UH, STRATEGIC AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO, UH, PROVIDE ACCESS TO THOSE WHO WANT TO HAVE SCOOTERS IN THE CITY.
BUT I DO THINK THE ISSUE FOR ME, UH, AND I WOULD'VE ADDRESSED THIS IF I WAS THERE, IS ON PERSONAL USE.
I THINK IF THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PERSONAL SCOOTERS, UH, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE AROUND FREELY HOWEVER THEY WANT, UH, AS LONG AS THEY'RE DOING IT IN A SAFE AND LAWFUL MANNER.
UM, I THINK WHEN WE TAKE THIS BLANKET APPROACH IN THIS ONE
[02:40:01]
SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH WITH THE CURFEW, IT HAS A LOT OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES TO THIS.I DO RESPECT THE, THE WORK OF MY COLLEAGUES AND THE ONGOING WORK, UH, WITHIN THE COMMITTEE AND ANY AMENDMENTS THAT THEY WILL PUT FORTH.
UH, BUT I DO THINK THERE'S A SEPARATION BETWEEN PERSONAL USE MM-HMM
AND, AND THOSE WHO ARE RENTING FROM THE VENDORS, THOSE WHO HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONAL USE ARE USUALLY THE ONES THAT, UM, ARE ABIDING BY THE LAWS.
WHAT WE SEE IS PEOPLE WHO ARE RENTING FROM THE VENDORS, USUALLY YOUNG PEOPLE, AND SOMETIMES THE VENDORS AREN'T FOLLOWING THE LAWS BY CHECKING, UH, DRIVER'S LICENSES AND OTHER THINGS.
AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY CAUSING A LOT OF THE CHAOS.
AND SO, UH, I THINK THIS IS, UH, ONE STEP IN THE DIRECTION OF TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, UH, FOR PEOPLE DOWNTOWN.
BUT I DO THINK, UH, WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THIS TOPIC AND INCLUDE THE STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR, FOR, UH, THE MAJORITY OF US.
AND THOSE WOULD BE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, CONTINUE TO BE DISCUSSED AS WELL.
AND, UH, JUST TO, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, MAY I, MAY I, UM, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE POPUPS AND WHEN IT COMES TO THESE, UH, BRICK AND MORTAR AS WELL AS THE POPUPS, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME EDUCATION WITH THIS.
WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T OWN A THING, THEY DON'T CARE FOR A THING.
SO WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY PLACES LIKE ASTROWORLD AND PEOPLE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT SOME TYPE OF FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT, ALL THEY HAVE IS A SCOOTER FOR 30, $35 FOR HALF AN HOUR WITH NO TRAINING.
THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THE PROLIFERATION OF THE FOOLISHNESS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING DOWNTOWN, HOWEVER, TO PENALIZE ANYONE WITH THE SCOOTER.
TO YOUR POINT, ED, I AGREE WITH YOU.
I'M SURP I'M I'M SORRY THAT YOU WEREN'T AT THAT MEETING 'CAUSE THEY NEEDED YOU.
THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE, I BELIEVE IT'S TOO BROAD.
THERE'S NO DATA THAT SUPPORTS THAT THIS BAN NEEDS TO BE ALL OVER THIS CITY.
I HAVE STUDENTS AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, WHO NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO CLASS IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
MY PROBLEM WITH IT IS THAT HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THOSE THAT ARE EXEMPT? I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS TO BE SOME MORE DISCUSSION BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT I CAN BE RIDING A SCOOTER AND YOU STOP ME, WHICH CREATES A SITUATION THAT I AM ENGAGED WITH THE POLICE WHEN MAYBE THERE'S A HELMET OR SOMETHING, SOME KIND OF SOMETHING YOU CAN PUT ON THERE MM-HMM
I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO BE RIDING AND THEN YOU HAVE TO BE STOPPED TO PROVE MM-HMM
THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO RIDE YOUR SCOOTER.
I DO KNOW ED PETIT, I KNOW HE USES HIS SCOOTER TO GO EVERYWHERE MM-HMM
AND HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, SO WE CERTAINLY ARE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS AGAIN.
BUT DIS THE PROBLEM IS THE DISCUSSION ON THAT DAY WAS DOWNTOWN.
I DON'T EVEN THINK WE WERE LOOKING AT THE VERBIAGE OF THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE, WHICH SAYS CITYWIDE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I I, MY BAD AS THEY SAY, BUT I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO EITHER HAVE TO DO, UH, GET THE MAYOR TO LOOK AT, TO CHANGE THE VERBIAGE TO, TO AMEND THAT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE DOWNTOWN ARE OFF THE CHAIN.
AND WE ARE CERTAINLY GETTING COMMENDED FOR THIS MM-HMM
BUT TO PRECLUDE PEOPLE WHO USE THIS FOR THEIR, THEIR MOBILITY ALL OVER THE CITY, I THINK IS, IS A BROAD REACH.
AND SO I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH YOU.
I DID GO TO THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
I HAVE TO COMMEND THE CHAIR, UH, RAMIREZ, BECAUSE HIS INITIAL THOUGHT WAS TO WAIT AND VET THIS, BUT WE MOVED FORWARD BECAUSE WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS COMING AND WHAT WAS GOING ON DOWNTOWN.
I, AND SO FOR THAT, THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I EVEN REACHED OUT AND ASKED THE MAYOR IF HE COULD DO A ORDER TO NOT HAVE IT CITYWIDE MM-HMM
SO I, THERE CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE SOME LOOK, UH, SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND AMENDMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO ADD IN? YES, I DO.
REAL QUICKLY, AMERIPRO, TIM, THANK YOU.
UH, THANK YOU RU SCOTT FOR COMING.
AND UH, YES, A LOT OF DISCUSSION BEEN AROUND THESE SCOOTERS.
AND, UH, AND LET ME JUST SAY EVEN ON THE BASIS OF THE FACT THAT MAKE PEOPLE MAKING SOME GREAT POINTS TO THE ISSUES ABOUT WHERE IT'S GOING, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IS THE WAY IT'S BEING BROUGHT BEFORE.
BUT NOW, BUT LET ME JUST PUT ANOTHER POINT ON YOUR MIND.
PRIOR TO THE DOWNTOWN PROCESS, NOBODY WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT SCHOOL SCOOTERS.
[02:45:01]
NOT TRUE.NUMBER ONE, THE WHOLE ISSUE AROUND IT WAS ABOUT DOWNTOWN, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND IT'S NOT AN AMUSEMENT PARK.
YOU HAD MALLS, NOBODY WAS TAKING THEIR SCOOT TO THE MALLS.
SO, SO LET'S BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, AS TO WHY AND WHAT MADE THIS BUSINESSES VERSUS BUSINESSES.
MONEY VERSUS MONEY, OKAY? MM-HMM
SO, UH, WHEN THE IDEA CAME UP FROM COUNCIL MEMBER REGARDING THIS, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN MAKE SOME REVISIONS AND AMENDMENTS AND DO CHANGING.
OH, YOU GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME REVISIONS, BUT, UH, THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, ARE YOU BACK IN THE QUEUE? UH, I'M BACK IN THE QUEUE, PLEASE.
AND JUST, YOU KNOW, LAST THOUGHT HERE.
UM, I I WANTED TO DELAY IT A WEEK SO WE COULD, UH, GIVE THE PUBLIC A LITTLE MORE TIME TO, TO REVIEW IT.
UH, WE HAD RECEIVED THE LANGUAGE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND WE ENDED UP VOTING WEDNESDAY MORNING.
I DIDN'T GET TO REVIEW IT TILL SATURDAY.
AND, AND I THOUGHT PEOPLE, UH, SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE TIME TO REVIEW IT.
UH, I'M CONCERNED NOW BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS INDICATE THEY DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THE, THE SCOPE OF IT.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
HOWEVER, UM, THERE WERE, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT AND SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS THAT THAT MADE, UH, THE COUNCIL WANT TO ACT WHEN IT DID.
WE WILL REVISIT THIS, THIS, THIS, UH, TOPIC AGAIN.
AND SO I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY ENGAGED.
OH, IN THE PROCESS, GO FORWARD.
I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO STAY ENGAGED.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, TO THAT RIGHT THERE, AND, AND I'LL LEAVE YOU.
I KNOW YOU GUYS READY TO WRAP IT UP.
UM, THAT'S GONNA BE A HARD SALE.
I MEAN, YOU ALREADY PASSED IT.
YOU SAID AFTER 8:00 PM SCOOTER BAND, ANYBODY, THAT'S GONNA BE A HARD SALE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT.
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL.
SO IF YOU REMEMBER TWO MONTHS AGO, I TOLD YOU THAT NO TRUTH IS SELF-EVIDENT UNLESS EMBODIED.
AND LAST MONTH I REMINDED YOU THAT THE STORY OF A CITY ISN'T WRITTEN BY COMFORT, BUT BY COURAGE.
AND TODAY I RETURNED BECAUSE HOUSTON'S STORY HAS NOT CHANGED.
THE SAME WOUNDS, THE SAME VOICES.
AND AS WE'VE HEARD THE SAME TALKS ABOUT ICE.
I SAW A MOM TODAY WHO DIDN'T KNOW ENGLISH, BUT HER LOVE NEEDED NO TRANSLATION.
EVERY SPEAKER HERE, NAMING PAIN IS AN ACT OF COURAGE.
AND THE QUESTION REMAINS, WHO ARE WE BECOMING AND WHAT STORY ARE WE CHOOSING? AND PAIN MAY HAVE BROUGHT US HERE, BUT COURAGE SAYS WHERE WE GO NEXT.
JOSEPH HENLEY, I THINK SHE'S HERE.
HOW ARE YOU SIR? HOW DOING TODAY? I'M, I'LL TRY TO WRITE THIS IN ONE MINUTE.
I I DON'T TRY TO GET OVER ONE MINUTE.
UH, TALKING STRAIGHT TALK, TALK STRAIGHT.
TALK TO YOUR STRAIGHT BUSINESS WITH YOU.
UH, THIS IS MY COMPANY COLORADO LICENSE AGREEMENT.
AND THIS IS MY MAKE BELIEVE MICHAEL JORDAN WON MILLION DOLLAR CHECK.
YOU PUT 'EM TOGETHER, WE GOT A DEAL.
OTHERWISE, YOU PLAYING WITH LOSE HAND.
UH, I DON'T LIKE PEOPLE TO THINK THAT I LIKE SUING PEOPLE OR THE GOVERNMENT.
I READ DOWN, I REPAIR TO, UH, SELL THESE CASES OUT OF COURT.
THAT I THINK I NEED IS A PRO SE ANOTHER PRO SE LAWSUIT.
I USED TO HAVE, ENJOY THE FREEDOM, COME TO SPEAK AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND JOIN THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH WITHOUT SOMEBODY SHOWING UP AT MY PLACE OF RESIDENCE, FAMILY AND STATE OF MY HANGOUT.
BUT THAT'S FOR MILITARY MARTIAL LAW.
I THINK EVERYBODY NEED AN ICE, CRIMINAL BACKYARD CHECK.
JUST NOT THE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE THEY NEED ONE.
UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COME FROM HOUSTON, COME TO HOUSTON FOR ALL THE WORLD, BEING A BLACK AND AMERICAN CITIZEN, CITIZEN, UH, IF MY PAPERWORK GOTTA BE RIGHT, I FEEL EVERYBODY GOTTA BE PAID RIGHT.
[02:50:01]
AS LONG AS YOUR P RIGHT, YOU ARE RIGHT, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.CAN I HAVE MY LAST 30 SECONDS? MR. AMARI, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS,
TELL FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW, I UNDERSTAND SOMETHING.
WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT, NEXT WEEK.
I UNDERSTAND Y'ALL HAVE A LONG MEETING NOW.
MISS CITY COUNCIL SMITH, IF MR. WHITMORE WAS SITTING THERE, HE WOULD GIVE MY 30 SECONDS.
GET THE LAST 30 SECONDS MR. ARI.
WHY DO YOU REMEMBER CHURCH MARTIAL LAW WHEN THERE'S NO CIVIL UNREST? UH, WE DON'T, WE DON'T NEED IT.
PER THE ABRUPTLY, HAYES ORDERED THE UNION SOLDIERS TO EVACUATE THE SOUTH OUTTA CIVIL WAR KUTA BECOME A SANCTUARY CITY.
IF THE GOVERNMENT HAVE ALLOWED SOME TYPE OF NATO FORM LEGION TO LAND IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, AMERICA, WE WILL DEMAND THAT VACATE THE TEXAS STATE, TEXAS AND LOUISIANA.
THE OTHER GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE TRACKING DOWN THE PROGRESS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS AND WHEREABOUT AMERICAN CITIZENS.
THEY SHOULD BE ONLY MONITORING THEIR OWN CITIZENS, LIVING IN AMERICA OR LIVING, UH, AND NOT AMERICAN CITIZENS.
MR. LAMAR, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT NINE.