* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
           
          [Budget and Fiscal Affairs on December 9, 2025.]
          [00:00:29]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM. 
          HER VICE CHAIR IS COUNCIL MEMBER FRED FLICKINGER IS, HE IS HERE, AS IS MY VICE CHAIR, MARIO CASTILLO. 
          WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM AMY PECK, STAFF FROM MAYOR PRO TE'S OFFICE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ. 
          STAFF FROM DISTRICT GM ANN HUFFMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. 
          WE ALSO HAVE LETITIA PLUMMER STAFF ON VIRTUALLY. 
          AND, AND WE ALL HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, UM, WHO IN THE CHAMBER AS WELL. 
          SO WE HAVE A VERY FULL AGENDA TODAY. 
          I AM GOING TO, UM, LET THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR EACH ITEM COME UP AFTER THE ITEM INSTEAD OF WAITING TILL THE WHOLE END OF THE MEETING. 
          SO WE'LL START WITH THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT. 
          SO WE'LL BE JOINED BY MELISSA DEBOWSKI, DIRECTOR OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND WILL JONES, DEPUTY CITY CONTROLLER. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF. 
          I'M HERE TODAY, UH, TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING OCTOBER 31ST, 2025. 
          AND THE GENERAL FUND, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 336.8 MILLION OR 13.2% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO FOR FY 26. 
          THIS IS 17.5 MILLION LOWER, UH, THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. 
          THE DIFFERENCE IS DUE TO A LOWER REVENUE PROJECTION THAN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. 
          BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 145.8 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO AND RESERVE. 
          THE FY 26 BEGINNING FUND BALANCE IS 67.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE FY 25 ENDING, UH, ENDING FUND BALANCE REPORTED IN THE JUNE 30 MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT. 
          THE INCREASE IS DUE TO YEAR END ADJUSTMENTS TO REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES THAT WILL NOT BE FINAL UNTIL THE FY 25 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL, UH, REPORT IS PUBLISHED. 
          UM, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR REVENUE PROJECTION BY 6.8 MILLION FROM THE SEPTEMBER, 2025 REPORT AS FOLLOWS. 
          INTERGOVERNMENTAL INCREASE BY 4.9 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED CHARITY CARE PROGRAM REIMBURSEMENTS. 
          UH, THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY INCREASED BY 2 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER RECOVERIES AND REFUNDS FROM CENTER POINT ENERGY. 
          WE HAVE INCREASED OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTION BY 4.2 MILLION FROM THE SEPTEMBER REPORT WITH, UH, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AS FOLLOWS, AN INCREASE OF 3.3 MILLION IN CITY COUNCIL DUE TO PRIOR YEAR ROLLOVER ALLOCATION, AN INCREASE OF 0.6 MILLION IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO, UH, DUE TO PRIOR YEAR UNSPENT CITY COUNCIL FUNDS. 
          WE ARE PROJECTING NO CHANGES IN OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS FROM LAST MONTH. 
          UH, FOR THE COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS, THE CITY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT IN A VARIABLE RATE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH THE RATING AGENCIES OF 25% FROM TIME TO, FROM TIME TO TIME. 
          THE CITY'S ENTERPRISE CREDITS HAVE EXCEEDED THIS THRESHOLD ON AN INTERIM BASIS AS THEY HAVE AN UNDERTAKEN LARGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OR MAJOR EXPANSIONS. 
          AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. 
          THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          THIS IS THE FOUR PLUS EIGHT FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING OCTOBER 31ST, 2025. 
          FISCAL YEAR 26 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON FOUR MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND EIGHT MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS WITH THE GENERAL FUND. 
          OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS 44.5 MILLION LOWER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND 46 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH. 
          THE VARIANCE FROM THE PRIOR MONTH PROJECTION IS PRIMARILY DUE TO A $52.6 MILLION DECREASE IN PROPERTY TAX TO REFLECT THE TAX RATE THAT WAS ADOPTED EARLIER THIS YEAR. 
          WE'RE ALSO PROJECTING A $4.9 MILLION INCREASE IN INTERGOVERNMENTAL DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED CHARITY CARE PROGRAM REIMBURSEMENT, AS WELL AS A $2 MILLION INCREASE IN MISCELLANEOUS AND OTHER REVENUE DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED REIMBURSEMENT FROM CENTER POINT FOR SALES TAX. 
          WE'RE NOT MAKING 
          [00:05:01]
ANY CHANGES THIS MONTH, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER WERE 78.1 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 1.2% HIGHER THAN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. 
          TO MEET THE CURRENT ESTIMATE OF 902 MILLION, THE REMAINING PERIODS NEED TO COME IN 2.6% BELOW THE PRIOR YEAR. 
          ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, OUR PROJECTION IS 6 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND 4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FOLLOWING, THE $3.3 MILLION INCREASE IN, UM, CITY COUNCIL TO REFLECT PRIOR YEAR UNDER UTILIZATION OF COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, THAT WILL BE ROLLED OVER AS WELL AS 555,000 INCREASE IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENT FOR VARIOUS UNSPENT CITY COUNCIL FUNDS FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, AS WELL AS THE $250,000 INCREASE FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET ESTIMATE FOR COMPREHENSIVE COST OF SERVICE FEE STUDY. 
          WITH THOSE CHANGES, WE'RE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE TO BE 354 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 19 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH, AND REPRESENTS 13.9% OF EXPENDITURES, NOT INCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO. 
          THE TOTAL FUND BALANCE IS 163 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET OF FOLDING 7.5%. 
          WE'RE NOT PROJECTING ANY FORECAST CHANGES TO THE ENTERPRISE SPECIAL REVENUE OR OTHER FUNDS FOR THIS MONTH. 
          THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO THE BIGGEST CHANGE THERE IS YOU, YOU'VE NOW INCORPORATED THE TAX RATE, WHICH WE HAD TO LOWER BY $52.6 MILLION. 
          I'LL REPEAT THAT. 
          $52.6 MILLION LOWER BECAUSE WE KEPT THE TAX RATE FLAT ON THE, UM, ON THE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUND. 
          SINCE THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T GET 'EM, SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S ROLLOVERS BECAUSE OF PROJECTS. 
          SO THAT'S ALL THAT IS. 
          RIGHT? IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING THAT HAS HAVE TO BE SPENT. 
          CORRECT. 
          CORRECT. 
          YEAH. 
          AND IT'S PRETTY STANDARD EVERY YEAR. 
          YEAH. 
          OR WHATEVER'S UNSPENT APRIL FORWARD. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COST OF FEE SERVICE. 
          SURE. 
          SO WE HAVE A CITYWIDE, UM, CITYWIDE FEE SCHEDULE THAT'S ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. 
          AND AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S SEVERAL HUNDRED, UM, FEES ON THE CITYWIDE FEE SCHEDULE. 
          UM, WE HAVEN'T DONE A COMPREHENSIVE CITYWIDE, UM, FEE STUDY REVIEW SINCE, I WANNA SAY IT WAS ABOUT 2015 OR 2016 OVER 10 YEARS. 
          UM, AND SO, UM, BECAUSE OF LIMITED, LIMITED STAFFING, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR A THIRD PARTY TO, UM, HELP US ENGAGE TO REVIEW ALL THOSE HUNDREDS OF FEES, COST OF SERVICE STUDY. 
          BUT THIS IS KIND OF AN ONGOING THING THAT WE CONSISTENTLY DO OVER, THERE'S LIKE, THEY, THEY TAKE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF FEES EACH YEAR AND ANALYZE THOSE AND WHAT SURE. 
          SO, RIGHT, SO, BECAUSE I KNOW SOME FEES HAVEN'T BEEN CHANGED SINCE LIKE 1994 AND STUFF, SO MANY HAVEN'T BEEN CHANGED IN A WHILE. 
          WE DO HAVE A FINANCIAL POLICY THAT SAYS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO REVIEW THEM ON A ROTATING BASIS. 
          UM, BUT THIS WILL HELP US GET CAUGHT UP WITH THE ONES THAT WE HAVEN'T, UM, BEEN ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, WELCOME BACK DIRECTOR. 
          IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU. 
          UM, BECAUSE I HAVE YOU IN THE SEAT AND WE'RE TAKING UP AMENDMENTS, UH, FOLLOWING THIS, UH, IS THERE ANY UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF WHEN WE WILL GET A PROPOSAL FOR, UM, REVIEWING AND AMENDING THE FINANCIAL POLICIES OF THE CITY? BECAUSE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE EVERY TWO YEARS AND WE'RE RIGHT, WE'RE IN THE WINDOW FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. 
          IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. 
          I KNOW WE MADE A PRESENTATION EARLIER THIS YEAR IN SEPTEMBER, RIGHT. 
          AND THERE WERE A FEW, UM, THERE WERE A FEW SECTIONS WE WERE STILL LOOKING AT, UM, TO GET THE FINAL UPDATES IN. 
          SO I'M, I'M HOPING IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          ARE WE STILL WITHIN THE COMPLIANCE WINDOW FOR THOSE UPDATES? 'CAUSE AGAIN, BY ORDINANCE, IT REQUIRES EVERY TWO YEARS THAT THEY BE REVIEWED. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO THE WAY WE USUALLY LOOK AT IT IS IT'S WITHIN THE EVERY TWO YEARS, BUT WITHIN THE, SINCE WE'RE IN THE SAME FISCAL YEAR. 
          UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE LOOKED AT IT IN THE PAST. 
          LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK THE TIME BEFORE WE DID THEM IN AUGUST, WHEN WE BROUGHT THEM BACK, IT WAS TWO YEARS LATER, BUT IN NOVEMBER. 
          SO IT WAS TWO YEARS LATER, BUT STILL THE SAME FISCAL YEAR. 
          SO I, OKAY. 
          SO WE'RE STILL IN THE WINDOW OF COMPLIANCE. 
          YES. 
          AND IS THERE ANY UPDATE? I KNOW I KEEP HARPING ON IT ABOUT CHANGING WHEN OUR FISCAL YEAR ACTUALLY STARTS, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE ARE HA WE'RE DOING IT IN THE SUMMER. 
          WE DON'T HAVE ACTUALS, WE HAVE PROJECTIONS AND PRETTY MUCH HAVE OTHER ENTITIES DO IT BASED ON THE ACTUAL, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK AND REWORK THOSE NUMBERS. 
          THERE'S NOTHING, NO, NOTHING ADDITIONAL AT THIS POINT. 
          WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING TO CHANGE AT THIS POINT, BUT I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT AND CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT. 
          OKAY. 
          FINAL QUESTION. 
          WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? 'CAUSE WE COULD JUST BY ORDINANCE CHANGE THE FISCAL YEAR, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SYSTEMS NEEDS, THERE'S TIMING, THERE'S CALENDARING. 
          WHAT WOULD DEPARTMENTS NEED IN ORDER TO DO THIS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A MUCH MORE ACCURATE, UH, BUDGET THAT IS TAKEN UP BY THIS BODY? I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY CHANGED THEIR FISCAL YEAR A COUPLE YEARS AGO. 
          [00:10:01]
UM, WHEN THEY DID THAT, THEY HAD A, SOMETHING THEY CALLED A SHORT FISCAL YEAR. 
          UM, SO I THINK THEY, WHEN THEY ADOPTED THEIR BUDGET, IF I CAN REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THEY BASICALLY HAD A SHORT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET AND THEN THEY HAD ANOTHER FULL FISCAL YEAR. 
          SO THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE AN INTERIM YEAR, UM, WHILE A TRANSITION WAS MADE. 
          WE WOULD HAVE TO CERTAINLY MAKE CHANGES TO OUR SYSTEM OF RECORD SAP. 
          UM, IN ADDITION, I KNOW THAT WOULD AFFECT FINANCIAL REPORTING. 
          I MEAN, IT WOULD BE A LOT OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES AS WELL AS, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS BUSINESS PROCESS CHANGES AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR. 
          THE $2 MILLION INCREASE FROM, UH, REIMBURSEMENT OF CENTERPOINT. 
          CAN YOU GIMME A LITTLE MORE BACKGROUND ON THAT? SURE. 
          SO TO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, RATE CASES ONGOING WITH CENTERPOINT AND MAYBE DEPUTY CONTROLLER JONES REMEMBERS MORE ABOUT THIS THAN I DO. 
          UM, BUT WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE RATE CASES WITH POINT CENTER POINT REIMBURSES US THE COST FOR OUR LEGAL FEES. 
          UM, AND SO THIS $2 MILLION IS CENTER POINT REIMBURSING US FOR THE LEGAL FEES THAT WE, UM, UH, ACCRUED RELATED TO THE A RATE CASE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THE OTHER ONE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FEES THAT HAVEN'T CHANGED FOR DECADES. 
          IS THERE A CPI COMPONENT IN THOSE FEES OR, OR ARE THEY EXACTLY THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT THEY WERE 20 YEARS AGO? MANY OF THE FEES INCREASED BY CPI, SOME FEES ARE SET BY THE STATE AND WE CAN'T INCREASE THOSE ONES BY CPI. 
          UM, BUT OUR FEES ALSO GO THROUGH WHAT WE CALL A COST OF SERVICE STUDY SO THAT WE SET OUR FEES BASED ON THE COST THAT IT, UM, THAT WE INCUR TO PROVIDE A SERVICE. 
          UM, AND SO EVEN THOUGH SOME, UM, SOME FEES MAY BE INCREASING BY THE CPI, THE COST OF SERVICE OF PERFORMING THOSE SERVICES MAY HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY REFLECT IT, ALTHOUGH YOU WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT OKAY. 
          SOMEWHAT, YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, IT'S A MIXED BAG ON THAT. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. 
          THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATIONS AND YOU BOTH TOUCH ON, UM, INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE DUE TO ROLLOVERS FROM THE, UH, DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER SERVICE FUNDS. 
          AND YOU BOTH HAVE IT IDENTIFIED AS 3.3 MILLION JUST, UH, CLARIFICATION. 
          'CAUSE I, AT LARGE JUST DON'T GET THAT, OBVIOUSLY. 
          UM, SO SO DOES THE 3.3 MILLION, AND I I UNDERSTAND IT'S BROKEN DOWN IN VARIOUS, VARIOUS PROJECTS HAVE TO BE IDENTIFIED TO PARTICULAR PROJECTS IN ORDER TO GET ROLLED OVER. 
          YES. 
          AND, UM, DOWN BELOW THAT, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL BULLET POINT OF A 0.6 MILLION, UH, WILL, IN, IN YOUR REPORT, I THINK IT'S 555,000, UM, MELISSA, IN YOUR REPORT, VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO REFLECT UNSPENT CITY COUNCIL FUNDS. 
          ARE THOSE DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS AS WELL, OR IT'S OPERATING BUDGET? OPERATING BUDGET, YEAH. 
          FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED FOR OTHER PURPOSES TO DEPARTMENT, YEAH. 
          FOR VARIOUS, VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS FOR THE COUNCIL IDENTIFIED THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          GOT IT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND SO, SO THIS BUMPS UP EXPENDITURES FOR, FOR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR? CORRECT. 
          AND, AND REDUCES, I GUESS, EXPENDITURES FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR BY THOSE AMOUNTS? WELL, THE WAY IT WORKS IS LAST YEAR IT JUST ROLLED TO THE FUND BALANCE, AND SO THIS YEAR WE'RE JUST PULLING IT FROM THE FUND BALANCE. 
          GOT IT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          VICE CHAIR CASTILLO. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION ON THE EXPENDITURE DETAIL WITH THE INCREASE FOR GSD AND A RA SECURITY SERVICES BARK AND LIBRARIES. 
          UM, WERE THERE JUST A HIGH NUMBER OF INCIDENTS THAT WEREN'T ANTICIPATED THAT REQUIRED THE ADDITIONAL 1.5 MILLION? YES. 
          SO, UM, I GUESS I CAN SPEAK PARTICULARLY TO THE BARK BECAUSE, UM, THAT'S A NEW ONE THAT I THINK WE TYPICALLY HAVEN'T INCREASED SECURITY FOR BARK IN THE PAST, BUT THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WITH A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND THE CITY EMPLOYEE. 
          UM, AND SO A RA HAD REQUESTED, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL SECURITY OUT THERE. 
          SO YES, JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, DUE TO, DUE TO SOME INCREASED, UM, INCIDENTS AT THE FACILITY. 
          GOT IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ONE QUESTION. 
          I, WE WERE REFER, WE WERE TALKING BACK ABOUT THE SEPTEMBER MEETING. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT FINANCIAL POLICIES, AND YOU HAD ALSO, UM, GIVEN A PRESENTATION ON, UM, FINANCIAL PREPAREDNESS FOR NATURAL DISASTERS, UH, ASSESSING THE CITY'S ECONOMIC VULNERABILITIES, REVIEWING THE DISASTER RESERVE FUNDING POLICIES, UM, AND OPTIONS AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE US MORE FINANCIALLY PREPARED, UH, IN THAT YOU HAD 
          [00:15:01]
COMPARED OTHER CITIES IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY PUT INTO THEIR RESERVES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          UH, DO YOU RECALL THAT? I DO. 
          I DO. 
          AND WHAT, JUST GENERALLY SUMMARIZING, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HOUSTON SHOULD BE INCLUDING MORE OR STRENGTHENING OUR BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND? YEAH, I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY. 
          FROM, FROM THAT, THAT STUDY WE DID SEE THAT WE WERE BEHIND SOME OF OUR PEERS AND WE WERE BEHIND KIND OF THE GFOA RECOMMENDED AMOUNTS THAT WE SHOULD BE PUTTING IN RESERVE. 
          UM, SO, UH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          IF, IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, WE SHOULD BE PUTTING MORE. 
          AND WITH OTHER CITIES, HOW, HOW FREQUENTLY ARE, ARE THEY, I GUESS IF THEY DRAW DOWN MM-HMM . 
          WHAT ARE THEIR REQUIREMENTS FOR, UH, REPLENISHING, SO TO SPEAK? UM, I THINK IT VARIES. 
          FROM WHAT I CAN REMEMBER, I THINK SOME CITIES IS LIKE TWO YEARS. 
          UH, SO THEY ARE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO US JUST BECAUSE OF THE, THE TIMING OF THE, YOU KNOW, GETTING REIMBURSED FROM THE FEDS. 
          AND SO IT TAKES, TAKES SOME TIME. 
          UM, I DON'T RECALL ALL OF THE CITIES, BUT UH, THERE WERE DEFINITELY SOME THAT WERE KIND OF IN LINE WITH OUR STRATEGY, BUT THOSE CITIES HAVE A LOT MORE YEAH. 
          IN THEIR RESERVES, CORRECT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THEY CAN PROPORT FALL BACK ON MORE YEAH. 
          IF NEEDED. 
          YEAH, PROPORTIONALLY THEY DO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHAT, WHAT IS THE GFOA RECOMMENDED RAINY DAY FUND? UM, I, YEAH, HAVE RIGHT THERE. 
          I HAVE IT. 
          YOU LIKE THAT? IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO SAY IT. 
          YEAH, I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT. 
          UM, BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDS AT LEAST 16.7% OR MORE TWO MONTHS FUND BALANCE RESERVE LEVELS. 
          UM, WE REQUIRE, CURRENTLY WE REQUIRE ROUGHLY HALF THE MINIMUM RECOMMENDATION. 
          UM, OUR RESERVE DEPTH IS INSUFFICIENT COMPARED TO PEERS AND GFOA STANDARDS. 
          AND I'M TRYING TO FIND THE OTHER STANDARDS, BUT BASICALLY WE ARE FAR BELOW THE REQUIREMENT. 
          AND, AND, AND THAT'S THEN THE BUDGET STABILIZATION, BUT NOT THE OVERALL, UM, RESERVES, CORRECT? MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          AND WE WERE LOOKING AT OUR MINIMUM AND WHAT WE PUT IN THE RESERVE, WHICH WAS STILL BELOW LIKE, YOU KNOW, 7.5% PLUS THE, I I REMEMBER THE 7.5% BEING LO LOWER. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND THEN A SUBSET OF THAT IS ALSO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND IS ALSO LOWER. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, SO WE WILL MOVE ALONG UNLESS WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS ABOUT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT. 
          ONE SPEAKER, DOUG, COME ON UP. 
          DOUG SMITH ALL REPRESENTING THE WEST SIDE COMING UP. 
          YOU REPRESENT US. 
          WELL COME ON TWO MINUTES, DOUG. 
          I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TO TALK ABOUT. 
          UM, QUESTION ON THE $52 MILLION OF, UH, PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE RECEIVING. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          UH, WAS THAT BECAUSE OF YOUR BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT DIDN'T GET PASSED? OR IS THIS ACTUALLY BECAUSE VALUATIONS ARE DOWN? THIS IS, THIS IS WOULD'VE BEEN A YEAR WHEN WE COULD HAVE BY BOTH THE LOCAL IMPOSED, UH, REVENUE CAP AND THE STATE CAP MM-HMM . 
          WE COULD HAVE RAISED THE TAXES 1.40 CENTS, MELISSA, ONE POINT ABOUT 1.40 CENTS, WHICH WOULD'VE BROUGHT IN AN ADDITIONAL 52.6 MILLION. 
          SO BECAUSE WE KEPT THE TAX RATE FLAT VALUATIONS WERE SUCH THAT THIS WOULD'VE BEEN ONE OF THE YEARS WHEN WE COULD HAVE RAISED IT. 
          WE KEPT THE, WE KEPT THE TAX RATE FLAT. 
          SO WE'RE BASICALLY, I MEAN, THE RESIDENTS ARE KEEPING THAT 52.6 MILLION. 
          I DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO SAY THEY'RE NOT, BUT, BUT THE CITY'S NOT GETTING THAT MONEY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND IT WAS BUDGET, SO WE HAD TO RE, WE HAD TO ADJUST OUR BUDGET. 
          IT WAS A BUDGET, IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. 
          WAS BUDGET IN THE BUDGET WE PASSED IN JUNE, THAT 53 MILLION WAS BUDGETED. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          FINE. 
          ON PAGE, UH, WHAT IS IT? I PUT MY GLASSES ON PAGE NINE. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING I BROUGHT UP BEFORE AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE ANSWER TO IT. 
          UH, IF THERE'S A QUICK ANSWER, AND THAT IS UNDER D-D-S-R-F, THE TWO ACCOUNTS, THERE'S PROJECTED TO BE A HALF BILLION DOLLARS AT THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          AND AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WITH EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, UH, RELATED TO D-D-S-R-F, WHY IS THERE SUCH A LARGE BALANCE? AND I THINK WE'VE, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE ANSWER AND I JUST, I, I SEE IT EVERY MONTH AND IT REALLY, RIGHT. 
          AND, AND, AND VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, UM, PECK HAS BEEN ON THAT, UM, FROM THE JUMP AND WE HAD A PRESENTATION, I WANNA SAY TWO OR THREE MONTHS AGO THAT REALLY WENT INTO MORE DEPTH ABOUT THAT VERY THING. 
          SO I'M HAPPY TO SEND YOU THAT LINK. 
          AND IT, THERE'S A MORE IN DEPTH DIS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE IN THE D-D-S-R-F. 
          OKAY. 
          I MISSED THAT. 
          [00:20:01]
AND THEN FINALLY, ON PAGE 13, THE, UH, VOTER AUTHORIZED OBLIGATIONS, THIS IS JUST AN INFORMATIONAL QUESTION FOR ME. 
          UH, THERE'S A CATEGORY CALLED PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THERE'S EITHER, THERE'S AROUND $700 MILLION OF ISSUED OR, UH, APPROVED, UH, DEBT FOR THAT $700 MILLION. 
          WHAT IS PUBLIC SAFETY? WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT REFER TO YOU IN, IN THE, THOSE VOTER AUTHORIZED BONDS? IT'S USUALLY THE, UH, BUILDINGS AND, AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURES. 
          AH, YEAH. 
          FOR, OKAY. 
          I THINK OF POLICE AND FIRE, SO THAT WELL, OH, NO, NO, IT IS, I MEAN, IT IS, BUT HAVING TO DO WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, DIRECTOR, IS THAT CORRECT? I MEAN, THE VOTER AUTHORIZED BONDS ARE FOR BASICALLY VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOUG. 
          AND NEXT WE WILL MOVE ON TO UPCOMING FINANCIAL TRANSAC TRANSACTIONS. 
          AND THIS DISCUSSION WILL INCLUDE A, UM, WHAT IS A RATHER LARGE, UH, IMPORTANT FINANCING, UH, DISCUSSION FOR THE, THE GRB EXPANSION. 
          SO, UM, MELISSA DKI. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, STARTING THAT OFF CHAIR. 
          UM, I DID, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WHEN I COME UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT UPCOMING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS OR FAIRLY VANILLA, WE'RE REFUNDING FOR SAVINGS, YOU KNOW, NOTHING TOO OUTTA THE ORDINARY. 
          UM, THE TRANSACTION WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY AFTER WE TALK ABOUT THE, UM, DISCLOSURE POLICIES IS DEFINITELY, UM, NOT VANILLA. 
          IT'S TRANSFORMATIONAL, RIGHT? IT'S A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT FOR THE CITY. 
          AND SO THE FINANCING, UM, IS COMPLEX. 
          THE TEAM REALLY HAD TO PUT THEIR THINKING CAPS ON REAL GROUP EFFORT, UM, BETWEEN OUR OUTSIDE FINANCIAL ADVISORS, HOUSTON FIRST, UM, CITY FINANCE DEPARTMENT, CITY CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A HOST OF EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS, THE UNDERWRITING TEAM. 
          SO, UM, IT IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A COMPLEX PRESENTATION THAN I USUALLY MAKE, UM, BUT, UM, I THINK IT'LL BE A, A GOOD ROBUST CONVERSATION. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR LEADING US OFF CHAIR. 
          UM, SO BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE POLICIES, UM, WHICH ARE PART OF OUR CITY'S FINANCIAL POLICIES, UM, STATING THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE A WRITTEN DISCLOSURE POLICY THAT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED PERIODICALLY. 
          SO THIS IS IN OUR FINANCIAL POLICY SECTION K, UM, WHICH SAYS THAT AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS, THE FINANCE WORKING GROUP SHALL DEVELOP AN UPDATE, A WRITTEN DISCLOSURE POLICY CONSISTENT WITH FEDERAL SECURITIES LAW AND THE CITY'S CONTINUING DISCLOSURE UNDERTAKINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE CITY'S OUTSTANDING DEBT. 
          UM, SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE DO HAVE A FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE POLICY THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR SOME TIME. 
          THE FINANCE WORKING GROUP MEETS, UM, EVERY TWO WEEKS ON MONDAY, UM, AND TALKS ABOUT ALL OF OUR UPCOMING TRANSACTIONS AND ALSO DISCUSSES, UM, POLICIES THAT PERTAIN TO DEBT FINANCING FOR THE CITY. 
          UM, SO ON SLIDE FOUR, YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, ABOUT THE POLICIES. 
          UH, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES ARE FAIR AND ACCURATE AND COMPLY WITH ALL LAWS. 
          UH, WE NEED TO SATISFY IN A TIMELY MANNER ALL OF OUR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS PERTAINING TO DISCLOSURE UNDERTAKINGS RELATED TO DEBT. 
          AND WE ALSO WANNA PROMOTE, PROMOTE BEST PRACTICES, UM, RELATED TO FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES. 
          UM, SO WE HAVE A, A DOCUMENT THAT THE FINANCE WORKING GROUP, UM, IT'S KIND OF AN INTERNAL POLICY, UH, THAT WE LOOK AT AND WE REVIEW. 
          UM, IT LAYS OUT THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND, AND WHO NEEDS TO COMPLETE ALL THOSE. 
          SO ON SLIDE FIVE, ALL THESE PROCEDURES THAT ARE IN OUR POLICY, UH, PERTAIN TO ALL OF OUR DEBT OFFERINGS. 
          UM, AND THAT COVERS ALL THE CREDITS FOR THE CITY. 
          SO WE HAVE THE GENERAL OBLIGATION CREDIT, THE AIRPORT COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM, AND THE C AND E CONVENTION ENTERTAINMENT CREDIT. 
          UM, THE POLICIES LAY OUT PROCEDURES FOR, UH, REVIEWING AND UPDATING ANY OF OUR DISCLOSURES PRIOR TO FILING WITH OUR, UH, REGULATING GOVERNING BODY, WHICH IS, WE CALL IT EMMA, THE ELECTRONIC MUNICIPAL MARKET ACCESS WEBSITE. 
          UM, WE PREPARE OUR OFFERING DOCUMENTS AND, UM, MAKE FILINGS ON EMMA. 
          AND, UM, MR. VERNON LEWIS AND THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THOSE FILINGS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. 
          UH, SO WE WORK VERY COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE ON ALL THOSE FILINGS. 
          UM, OUR POLICIES ARE A LIVING DOCUMENT. 
          AS REGULATIONS CHANGE REGULARLY, WE KEEP AN EYE, UM, AND WE DO REVIEW, UH, OUR POLICIES. 
          AND WE'VE DETERMINED THAT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THERE'S BEEN NO, UM, CHANGES IN, UM, FEDERAL LAW OR POLICY THAT WOULD NECESSITATE US CHANGING OUR INTERNAL POLICIES AT THIS TIME. 
          SO, UM, THAT CONCLUDES MY UPDATE ON THE DISCLOSURE POLICIES. 
          [00:25:02]
SO, UM, MOVING ON TO SLIDE SIX, WE'LL JUMP INTO THE, UM, THE FINANCING FOR THE, UH, HOUSTON FIRST CONVENTION ENTERTAINMENT CREDIT. 
          UM, SO AS I MENTIONED, THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH THE FINANCE WORKING GROUP TEAM. 
          UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UM, SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS WE'VE LOOKED AT AS PART OF THIS PROCESS. 
          LIKE I MENTIONED, IT'S, IT'S VERY TRANSFORMATIONAL. 
          UM, DEFINITELY A LOT OF CREATIVE THINKING AND RE-ENVISIONING, UM, OF HOW WE FINANCE OUR PROJECTS PERTAINING TO THE CONVENTION ENTERTAINMENT CREDIT WENT INTO, WENT INTO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. 
          UM, WE KNOW WE HAVE FINANCING CHALLENGES, RIGHT? WE HAVE THE, UM, THE REVENUE THAT IS GOING TO BE AND HAS BEEN COMING INTO HOUSTON FIRST PERTAINING TO THE STATE LAW CHANGE. 
          UM, WE CALL THEM PFC REVENUES, BUT THIS IS THE STATE INCREMENTAL HOT, UH, FOLLOWING THE LEGISLATIVE BILL THAT WAS PASSED, NOT THIS LAST SESSION, BUT THE SESSION BEFORE. 
          BUT WE KNOW THAT THE TIMING OF THAT REVENUE, SINCE IT'S INCREMENTAL, WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE GROWTH TO COME. 
          UM, AND WHILE WE HAVE RECEIVED, I THINK AROUND $4 MILLION THIS FISCAL YEAR, THAT AMOUNT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW OVER TIME. 
          UM, AND THE TIMING OF THAT REVENUE AS IT COMES IN AT THIS POINT IN TIME TODAY, IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PAY WHAT THE DEBT SERVICE WOULD BE ON A BILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION OF THE GRB. 
          SO WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT ONLY THAT REVENUE, ALTHOUGH IT WILL BE A SOURCE AND BE USED TO HELP FINANCE THE PROJECT. 
          WE HAVE TO LOOK HOLISTICALLY AT THE REVENUES OF HOUSTON FIRST, UM, TO PUT TOGETHER A FINANCING PLAN IN PLACE, UM, THAT MEETS THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE GRB. 
          IN TERMS OF THE FINANCING TOOLS, WE'VE LOOKED AT THE MASTER BOND ORDINANCE FOR THE CONVENTION ENTERTAINMENT CREDIT, AND, UM, REALLY ARE GONNA BE OPENING UP AND MODERNIZING THAT ORDINANCE, WHICH WILL COME TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. 
          WE'RE GONNA BE CREATING MULTIPLE LEAN LEVELS, WHICH WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR THE AIRPORT CREDIT AND THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM CREDIT RIGHT NOW. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA BE SORT OF USING THAT SAME STRATEGY AND APPROACH TO CREATING MULTIPLE LIEN LEVELS WITH VARIOUS ADDITIONAL BONDS TESTS FOR THE CONVENTION ENTERTAINMENT CREDIT. 
          WE'RE GONNA BE INCLUDING ADDITIONAL REVENUES AS PLEDGED REVENUES FOR, UM, FOR THIS PROJECT, UM, INCLUDING EXPANSION OF THE HOT PLEDGE, AS WELL AS PLEDGING ADDITIONAL PARKING REVENUE FOR THE BONDS. 
          WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER BOND STRUCTURING TOOLS THAT I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL ON, BUT LOOKING AT CAPITALIZED INTEREST AND CAPITAL APPRECIATION BONDS AS WELL. 
          SO ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, THE OVERALL PLAN OF FINANCE, UM, SHOWS, UM, BASICALLY ALLOWS FOR SOME OF THAT REVENUE GROWTH AND RAMP UP OF THOSE PFCS, UH, OVER TIME. 
          SO, LEMME SEE. 
          COULD YOU GO BACK TO SLIDE SEVEN? YES, THAT'S GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU WHERE THE, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, THE PFCS, THESE, THAT'S THE STATE INCREMENTAL HOT IN THE COLORED LINES, SHOWS A FEW SCENARIOS OF A LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH SCENARIO FOR GROWTH OF THOSE PFC REVENUES. 
          AS YOU SEE RIGHT NOW, AS I MENTIONED, WE START AROUND, WE'RE AROUND $4 MILLION A YEAR, AND YOU SEE THAT THOSE REVENUES REALLY RAMPING UP OVER TIME IN THOSE SCENARIOS. 
          DO YOU SEE THE DEBT SERVICE, UM, THAT'S NEEDED FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT WE NEED FOR THE PROJECT OF ABOUT 1.1 BILLION. 
          UH, THOSE BONDS ARE NEEDED TODAY TO, UM, MODERNIZE AND EXPAND THE GRB. 
          AND YOU SEE, UM, SORT OF HOW THOSE REVENUES GROW OVER TIME AT THIS POINT IN TIME, YOU KNOW, IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PAY OFF THOSE BONDS, BUT WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT THE PFCS. 
          WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE OTHER REVENUES OF HOUSTON FIRST, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, THE PLEDGE PARKING, AS WELL AS OTHER, UH, REVENUES OF HOUSTON FIRST. 
          SO IF YOU GO TO SLIDE EIGHT, UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING TO RESTRUCTURE THE EXISTING SENIOR LIEN BONDS TO CREATE NEW CAPACITY FOR, UM, ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL DEBT. 
          UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE EXISTING SENIOR LIEN BONDS, THE CURRENT, UM, ADDITIONAL BONDS TEST FOR THOSE BONDS IS A 1.35 TIMES COVERAGE RATIO. 
          WE'RE GONNA BE ALSO CREATING TWO, UM, NEW LIEN LEVELS. 
          UH, THE FIRST LIEN, WHICH IS GONNA BE PART OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL ORDINANCE, AND THE COVERAGE RATIO THERE IS GONNA BE 1.25 TIMES. 
          AND FOR THE SECOND LIEN ORDINANCE, THE COVERAGE RATIO WILL BE LOWER SINCE THE BONDS GET PAID, UM, ON PARITY IN THE FLOW OF FUNDS, THAT ADDITIONAL BONDS TEST IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER AT 1.1 TIMES. 
          AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RATING AGENCIES. 
          WE'VE ALREADY HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. 
          'CAUSE LIKE I MENTIONED, THIS IS, UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY A, A LARGE CHANGE TO OUR MASTER BOND ORDINANCE. 
          DESCRIBE WHAT THE BOND TEST MM-HMM . 
          REQUIREMENT. 
          SURE. 
          SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE 1.35 TIMES, UM, THAT'S OUR CURRENT, UM, COVERAGE RATIO. 
          SO FOR THAT 1.35 TIMES TEST, 
          [00:30:01]
IT LOOKS AT THE BEST 12 MONTHS OUT OF THE LAST 18 MONTHS, UM, OF REVENUES FOR THOSE HOT TAXES. 
          UM, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE, WHEN YOU CALCULATE THE TEST, IT'S A RATIO OF THE REVENUES TO THE DEBT SERVICE. 
          SO AS WE LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT LIEN LEVELS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE 1.25 TIMES AND THE 1.1 TIMES, IT'S A, A LOWER PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE TO DEBT OUTSTANDING BASED ON WHERE THE BOND PAYMENTS WILL FALL IN THE FLOW OF FUNDS. 
          UM, SO THIS IS, IT'S DEFINITELY STANDARD WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER, UM, CREDITS WHERE WE HAVE DIFFERENT LIEN LEVELS. 
          THE FARTHER DOWN YOU GO IN THE LIEN LEVEL, THE LOWER THE ADDITIONAL BONDS TEST IS. 
          SO IT KIND OF, THEY'RE DIFFERENT NUMBERS. 
          IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, DIFF LOOKING AT DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS, BUT IT SORT OF FOLLOWS THE SAME PATTERN OR THOUGHT PROCESS OF LEAN DIFFERENT LEANN LEVELS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY ALREADY IN PLACE FOR THE AIRPORT AND FOR THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM. 
          UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE PLEDGED REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS, UM, BY LOOKING AT, UM, PLEDGING ADDITIONAL PARKING REVENUE THAT'S NOT CURRENTLY PLEDGED, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT, UM, EXPANDING THE PLEDGE OF THE, OF THE HOT FROM THE 5.65% ALL THE WAY UP TO THE 7%. 
          UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE CAPITAL APPRECIATION, BONDS AND CAPITALIZED INTEREST. 
          SO THESE ARE, THESE ARE FINANCING TOOLS THAT WE'VE USED IN OTHER CREDITS OF THE CITY, NAMELY THE AIRPORT CREDIT, WHERE, UM, AND, AND IN FACT WE'RE USING THEM REALLY RIGHT NOW AT THE AIRPORT WHERE YOU NEED THE DEBT FINANCING IN PLACE TO BUILD THE PROJECT, BUT THE PROJECT IS NOT GONNA BE OPERATIONAL FOR SOME, YOU KNOW, IN THE AIRPORT'S CASE A NUMBER OF YEARS, IN THIS CASE, MORE SHORT TERM. 
          BUT UNTIL YOU HAVE REVENUE COMING IN ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR NEW, UM, FACILITY, YOU DON'T WANNA GET YOURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE YOU'RE PAYING OFF DEBT SERVICE BEFORE THE FACILITY IS OPEN. 
          SO THOSE TYPES OF TOOLS ALLOW US FOR THE FACILITY TO OPEN REVENUE TO COME IN, AND THEN THOSE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS BECOME DUE. 
          UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE NEW PFC REVENUES THAT ARE COMING IN ARE NOT GOING TO BE PLEDGED TO DEBT SERVICE AT THIS POINT IN TIME FOR THIS TRANSACTION, BECAUSE LIKE I MENTIONED, RIGHT NOW IT'S ONLY COMING IN ABOUT $4 MILLION A YEAR PROJECTED TO GROW OVER TIME. 
          AND SO REALLY PLEDGING THOSE REVENUES, YOU DON'T GET A LOT OF BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. 
          UM, BUT AS THOSE REVENUES GROW OVER TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IN A FUTURE FINANCING PHASE, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA KIND OF HOLD BACK AS, UM, IN OUR RESERVES IN ORDER TO PLEDGE, UH, FOR A FUTURE ISSUANCE. 
          NOW, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE CAN'T USE THOSE PFCS TO PAY DEBT SERVICE. 
          WE CERTAINLY WILL IF NEEDED AS THOSE REVENUES COME IN. 
          UM, BUT IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR THOSE REVENUES TO GROW. 
          ARE THEY SET ASIDE THE 4 MILLION OR ARE, ARE WE USING 'EM FOR OPERATION? I MEAN, IS IT SET ASIDE FOR THIS PURPOSE OR IT'S BEING USED TO, TO PAY FOR PROJECT EXPENSES. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF PAYGO THAT MONEY. 
          OKAY. 
          GOT IT. 
          GOT IT. 
          AND I WOULD NOTE, AND I THINK THAT, UM, MR. HECKMAN, AND, AND MR. WILSON CAN PROBABLY TALK MORE TO IT, I KNOW THEY'RE UP NEXT, BUT WHEN THE LAW PASSED, THE LAW WAS VERY CLEAR THAT AS SOON AS YOU START RECEIVING THOSE INCREMENTAL REVENUES, YOU NEED TO START SPENDING THEM ON A PROJECT. 
          I THINK THE TIMELINE WAS WITHIN THREE YEARS OR FIVE YEARS, UH, WITHIN THREE YEARS. 
          UM, SO THAT WAS PART OF THE LEGISLATION THAT PASSED, IS ONCE THAT REVENUE STARTS FLOWING, YOU DO NEED TO USE IT TOWARDS THIS, THIS PROJECT. 
          SO MOVING ON TO SLIDE NINE. 
          UM, THIS WILL GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT A LITTLE BIT WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE OLD BOND TEST AND THE NEW BONDS TEST. 
          THE BLUE LINE AND THE GREEN LINE. 
          YOU SEE, THIS IS THE, UH, PROJECTION FOR THE PLEDGED, UH, HOT REVENUE AT 7% IN THE BLUE LINE AND THE PLEDGE AT THE CURRENT, UH, THE CURRENT PLEDGE LEVEL OF 5.65%. 
          AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THOSE AMOUNT OF REVENUES THAT ARE PROJECTED TO COME IN, AND THIS IS IN A CONSERVATIVE, UH, GROWTH CASE. 
          THE THE TEAM HAS LOOKED AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT GROWTH GROWTH CASES. 
          THIS IS THE MOST CONSERVATIVE VIEW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, UM, WHICH IS ABOUT A, UH, 2.4% GROWTH. 
          SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS THAT THE AMOUNT OF PLEDGED, PROJECTED PLEDGE REVENUE COMING IN IS MORE, MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO PAY WHAT THE DEBT SERVICE WILL BE, WHICH IS REPRESENTED BY THE GRAY BAR. 
          WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE ADDITIONAL BONDS TEST, THE ADDITIONAL BONDS TEST IS AT THE TIME YOU ISSUE THE DEBT, THE POINT IN TIME, LIKE I MENTIONED WITH THE EXISTING THE OLD BONDS TEST, THE, THE PURPLE DASH LINE, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BEST 12 MONTHS OUT OF YOUR MOST RECENT 18 MONTHS AT THIS POINT IN TIME. 
          AND WHEN YOU LOOK AND PROJECT THAT FORWARD, YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT ADDITIONAL BONDS TEST IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE COVERAGE RATIO ONCE YOU GET OUT IN TIME. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BLUE DASH LINE OF INCREASING THE PLEDGED REVENUE SO THAT WE CAN MEET THOSE ADDITIONAL BONDS TESTS. 
          EVEN THOUGH WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE GROWTH PROJECTION OF THE ACTUAL REVENUE COMING IN IS MUCH HIGHER 
          [00:35:01]
OVER TIME, BUT WHEN YOU ISSUE THE DEBT, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT BEST 12 OUT OF 18 MONTHS. 
          SO, UM, THIS IS KIND OF A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF, UH, THE PROJECTIONS THAT WE SEE, UM, BASED ON, BASED ON WHERE WE SEE THE DEBT SERVICE GOING AND WHERE WE SEE THE GROWTH OF THE ACTUAL REVENUES COMING IN. 
          SO, COLLEAGUES, WHEN I WAS BRIEFED ON THIS, THIS, THIS BASICALLY, AND SHE JUST SAID IT, I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE TO PLEDGE IT BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE DEBT TEST, THE DIFFERENCE IN THE 5.65 AND THE SEVEN, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA USE IT. 
          YOU CAN SEE BY THE CHART, WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT, NOT GONNA HAVE TO USE IT. 
          WE JUST HAVE TO PLEDGE IT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO MOVING ON TO SLIDE 10. 
          SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. 
          I MENTIONED A RESTRUCTURING OF THE SENIOR LIEN EXISTING DEBT SERVICE. 
          SO PART OF THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE EXISTING DEBT SERVICE, AND THERE'S A GRAPHICAL FORMAT OF IT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT WE WILL BE EXTENDING THE AVERAGE MATURITY OF THE EXISTING DEBT BY ABOUT 8.7 YEARS. 
          UH, TO CREATE, THE GOAL IS TO CREATE AN OVERALL, AS YOU SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SIDE, OVERALL LEVEL DEBT SERVICE PROFILE, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BIG SPIKE UP IN DEBT SERVICE. 
          SO IN ORDER TO CREATE THAT LEVEL OF DEBT SERVICE OVER TIME, WE DO NEED TO DO SOME RESTRUCTURING, UH, TO MOVE THE PRINCIPLE. 
          UM, THERE IS SOME DISS SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, WHICH IS ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY $6 MILLION, UH, OVER THE LIFE OF THE BONDS I ALREADY MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES. 
          BUT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT MAXIMIZING PLEDGE REVENUES TO CREATE ADDITIONAL BONDING CAPACITY, AND THAT WILL ALLOW US TO MAINTAIN THE ABILITY TO PLEDGE THE PFC REVENUE IN THE FUTURE WHEN THEY'VE RISEN TO HIGHER LEVELS. 
          SO ON SLIDE 11, UM, THIS IS A, A, A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF, UH, WHAT I TALKED ABOUT WITH THE RESTRUCTURING. 
          UM, IN ORDER TO UNLOCK THIS CAPACITY FOR NEW DEBT, UM, THERE IS GONNA BE A RESTRUCTURING COMPONENT TO THIS TRANSACTION, WHICH I MENTIONED WILL BE A JUST SAVINGS OF ABOUT $6 MILLION. 
          SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, SLIDE 12, THIS GIVES YOU THE OVERALL SNAPSHOT OF THE TRANSACTION, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE COMING TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. 
          UH, THE NEW MONEY PIECE OF THE TRANSACTION IS ESTIMATED ABOUT, UH, $1.186 BILLION FOR THE GRB EXPANSION. 
          THE SOURCE OF THE, OF THE, UM, PLEDGED REVENUE IS GOING TO BE THE HOT IS WHAT'S PLEDGED, AND THE PARKING IS WHAT, WHAT'S PLEDGED. 
          THE PFCS ARE THERE AND AVAILABLE FOR THE PROJECT. 
          UM, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, AS, UH, MR. WILSON MENTIONED, WHILE IT'S NOT FORMALLY A PLEDGE AS PART OF THIS TRANSACTION, THE REFUNDING COMPONENT OF THE TRANSACTION, LIKE I MENTIONED, IS ABOUT $230 MILLION, UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS NECESSARY AS PART OF THE TRANSACTION TO, UM, GET US IN THE PLACE WHERE WE HAVE THAT LEVEL DEBT SERVICE OVER TIME. 
          BASED ON THE CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS, WE'RE ESTIMATING THE TRUE INTEREST COST TO BE ABOUT 5.5% FOR THE TRANSACTION. 
          YOU CAN SEE WHAT I WAS, UH, MENTIONING WITH THE REFUNDING COMPONENT, THE EXTENSION OF THE EXISTING LIFE OF THE DEBT EXISTING TODAY BY ABOUT, UM, 8.7 YEARS. 
          AND THAT 6 MILLION TO SAVINGS WE ARE ANTICIPATING TO BRING THE, THE TRANSACTION TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. 
          UM, RIGHT HERE, COMING UP IN EARLY JANUARY, THE AVERAGE LIFE OF THE BONDS OF THE WHOLE TRANSACTION WILL BE AROUND 18 YEARS. 
          AND THE AVERAGE ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE WILL BE AROUND A HUNDRED 0.6, 106.8 MILLION. 
          UM, I THINK YOU GET A GOOD VIEW OF IT THOUGH ON SLIDE NINE, YOU CAN SEE FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS, UM, FROM NOW UNTIL ABOUT FY 29, THE DEBT SERVICE WILL BE RIGHT AROUND $50 MILLION, AND WE'LL START TO RAMP UP AFTER THAT. 
          AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION DIRECTOR. 
          THIS IS A, A VERY LARGE AND COMPLICATED AND, AND VERY BIG NUMBER. 
          AND CAN YOU JUST GIVE ME A LITTLE, UH, OR ALL OF US AN UNDERSTANDING OF, OF THE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED AND WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE WORKING GROUP AND IN BRINGING THIS TOGETHER. 
          I KNOW IT WAS THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST REALLY COMING UP WITH THIS, WITH THIS, THIS WHOLE SCENARIO. 
          SO TALK TO US ABOUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED. 
          SURE. 
          LIKE I MENTIONED, THE, THE FINANCE WORKING GROUP, UH, WE MEET EVERY OTHER WEEK ON MONDAYS, UM, TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF OUR TRANSACTIONS. 
          BUT, UM, WITH THIS TRANSACTION IN PARTICULAR, THERE HAVE BEEN WEEKLY MEETINGS FOR MONTHS LEADING UP TO THIS POINT, UH, WORKING GROUP SESSIONS TO GET, TO GET THIS FINANCING READY, UH, TO PRESENT TO THE BODY. 
          UM, SO THAT GROUP IS REPRESENTED BY, UM, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, UM, IS ALSO JUST AS INVOLVED AS THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, WE ALWAYS WORK WITH OUR, UM, OUR PARTNERS IN OUR OTHER ENTERPRISE FUNDS. 
          IN THIS CASE IT'S WITH HOUSTON FIRST AND THEIR TEAM AT HOUSTON FIRST. 
          UM, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS HEAVILY INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS TRANSACTION AS WE LOOK AT MODERNIZING THE ORDINANCE AND CHANGING THE MASTER BOND ORDINANCE AND CREATING LIEN LEVELS. 
          [00:40:01]
UM, WE ENGAGE EXTERNAL BOND COUNSEL AND DISCLOSURE COUNSEL, UM, TO HELP US LIAISE WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND, UM, GET OUR DISCLOSURE DOCUMENTS IN ORDER FOR THE INVESTOR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS, UH, MEETINGS WITH RATING AGENCIES. 
          UM, THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR OUTSIDE BANKING TEAM. 
          SO THE UNDERWRITING SYNDICATE, UM, THE TEAM ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH A QUITE A COMPETITIVE PROCESS WHERE WE SHORTLISTED A GROUP OF INVESTMENT BANKS TO GIVE PROPOSALS ABOUT, UM, THIS TRANSACTION SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE IT IS SO DIFFERENT. 
          SO WE WENT THROUGH THIS RFP PROCESS, THE FINANCE WORKING GROUP SELECTED A BANKING TEAM, AND THAT BANKING TEAM REALLY WORKED COLLABORATIVELY WITH HOUSTON. 
          FIRST, OUR OUTSIDE FINANCIAL ADVISORS, MASTERS, AND ADVISORS TO PUT TOGETHER THIS, UM, PLAN OF FINANCE. 
          SO IT'S DEFINITELY A BIG GROUP EFFORT. 
          AND WHO IS THE BANKING TEAM? WHO WAS SELECTED? MM-HMM . 
          WHAT, WHAT ENTITIES? YEAH, SO, UM, RAMIREZ, UM, RAMIREZ HAS BEEN IN OUR, UM, UNDERWRITING POOL FOR YEARS. 
          THEY'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB FOR US. 
          THEY CAME WITH SOME REALLY INNOVATIVE IDEAS, UM, AS WELL AS JP MORGAN. 
          SO THERE ARE TWO, WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING TWO LEADS. 
          WE CALL IT A LEAD LEFT AND A LEAD RIGHT, BECAUSE THE TRANSACTION IS SO COMPLEX. 
          SO REALLY WE HAVE TWO, UM, TWO LEAD BANKS THAT ARE BOUNCING IDEAS OFF EACH OTHER AND COLLABORATING. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE A, A TEAM UNDERNEATH THEM AS WELL. 
          AND THE BOND COUNCIL, THE BOND COUNCIL, EXTERNAL BOND COUNCIL IS, UM, ADRIAN PATTERSON. 
          UM, SO HE'S BEEN, UM, VERY INVOLVED WITH THE CONVENTION ENTERTAINMENT CREDIT, UM, FOR YEARS HISTORICALLY. 
          SO HE'S A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. 
          GREAT. 
          YES. 
          AND I KNOW MASTERSON WHO ADVISES US ON A LOT OF THINGS WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          OKAY. 
          ANY QUESTIONS ON THE, THE TRANSACTION FROM MY COLLEAGUES OR THE UPCOMING BOND? OKAY. 
          YOU DID A GREAT JOB EXPLAINING IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF THIS ITEM, I WANT, I WANT THE HOUSTON FIRST TEAM TO GO THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF THEIR PRESENTATION BEFORE THEY GET TO THEIR BUDGET, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE EXPANSION, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS, UM, FROM ANYBODY WANTING TO TALK ABOUT THE FINANCING OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE GRB EXPANSION. 
          SO, WELCOME HOUSTON. 
          FIRST WE HAVE MICHAEL HECKMAN AND FRANK WILSON, WHO IS CFO FROM HOUSTON, FIRST MICHAEL HECKMAN CHAIR. 
          UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL, UH, THIS MORNING. 
          UM, GREAT PRESENTATION THERE BY, UH, DIRECTOR DSKY OF JUST THE CARE AND SOPHISTICATION AND REALLY TEAM ORIENTED COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THAT REALLY WENT INTO THE LAST NUMBER OF MONTHS. 
          I, I THINK THAT YOU CAN SEE FROM THAT DETAILED PRESENTATION, UM, THE WORK THAT, THAT, THAT DID GO INTO IT. 
          UH, WE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY ON GIVING AN OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THIS PROJECT. 
          UM, UH, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI MENTIONED IT'S A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT. 
          WHAT WE'RE WEIGHING HERE IS, IS MERELY PHASE ONE OF THAT, UM, MULTIPLE STEPS ALONG THE WAY OVER THE NEXT 15, 20 YEARS THAT REALLY WILL BE GREAT, UH, NOT ONLY FOR CREATING VALUE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BUT CREATING GREAT PLACES, UH, AND GREAT GATHERING SPOTS FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AS WELL. 
          UM, OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING, UM, DILIGENTLY, UM, ON THE CONSTRUCTION, UM, CLOSELY WITH OUR BOARD. 
          OUR BOARD HAS BEEN APPROVING, UM, IN SEGMENTS FOR SUCH A LARGE PROJECT, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UM, BUDGET, UM, UM, BUDGET SURETY, UH, IS A VERY DYNAMIC MARKET OUT THERE RIGHT NOW WITH TARIFFS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GOING ON WHEN YOU HAVE A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE, UH, IS BEING ABLE TO LOCK IT DOWN AND, AND WORK THROUGH IT IN A VERY, UM, UM, EXPEDITIOUS, BUT, UM, UM, BUT ALSO CAREFUL AND RESPONSIBLE MANNER. 
          SO OUR BOARD HAS BEEN APPROVING, UM, UM, CHUNKS OF FUNDING. 
          UH, WE PRESENT TO OUR BOARD AS, UH, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH HEINZ, OUR, OUR DEVELOPER, AND WHAT IS GONNA GO INTO EACH ONE. 
          SO OUR, OUR BOARD HAS HAD A, UM, UH, UH, INTIMATE INVOLVEMENT AND APPROVAL ON EVERY, UM, STEP THAT WE'VE HAD ALONG THE WAY. 
          UM, WHAT WE WANT TO GIVE THIS MORNING IS A LITTLE BIT, UH, AT THE CHAIR'S REQUEST IS, IS A BREAKDOWN OF, OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY. 
          SO WE'LL GO, GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE, TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, LOOKING AT, LOOKING AT A VERY LARGE PROJECT, UM, UH, IT IS GONNA BE ROUGHLY $1.1 BILLION OF THE FINANCING THAT WE ARE GOING TO MARKET WITH. 
          UM, WE WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE WITHIN THAT FOR THE PROJECT BUDGET. 
          UM, AND, UH, UH, TO DATE, OUR BOARD HAS APPROVED ROUGHLY $750 MILLION OF SPENDING AUTHORITY. 
          WE HAVE NOT SPENT ALL THAT MONEY, BUT THAT IS A SPENDING AUTHORITY THAT OUR BOARD HAS APPROVED, UM, TO DATE. 
          AS WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AT HOUSTON. 
          FIRST, EVER SINCE OUR CREATION, WE HAVE HAD A CORPORATE, UM, DIVERSITY SUPPLIER PROGRAM POLICY. 
          IT IS 30%, AND WE HAVE EXCEEDED IT EVERY YEAR SINCE OUR EXISTENCE STARTING IN 2011. 
          THIS MEGA PROJECT WILL BE NO DIFFERENT. 
          UH, WE WILL HAVE, UH, A, WE HAVE A 30% IN OUR CONTRACTS, 
          [00:45:01]
UM, WITH OUR, UH, WITH OUR PROGRAM, UM, TEAM LEADERS, UH, A MINIMUM OF A 30%, UH, MWBE PARTICIPATION RATE. 
          I'M PROUD TO TELL YOU THIS MORNING, UH, THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY EXCEEDING THAT WE ARE AT 30.7% WITH A HUNDRED AND NEARLY $67 MILLION CONTRACTED WITH MWBE FIRMS TODAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT IS REAL MONEY. 
          WE HAVE HAD A GREAT PROGRAM FROM OUR OUTREACH. 
          UM, WE'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF YOUR OFFICES AS WELL FOR OUTREACH AND OFFERING TO HELP AND, AND GET INTO THE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, IT HAS BEEN ROBUST FROM THE RESPONSE THAT WE HAVE SEEN, UH, LOOKING RIGHT NOW AT THE NUMBERS HERE FROM THE TOTAL CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS 83 CURRENTLY ON THE PROJECT, AND 36 OF THEM ARE M-W-D-B-E FIRMS. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THIS. 
          WE WILL EXCEED THIS 30% NUMBER AT THE CONCLUSION, UH, OF THE PROJECT. 
          AND IF YOU JUST THINK ABOUT A $900 MILLION ROUGHLY, THAT WILL BE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION FUND, UH, ROUGHLY, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE MORE THAN $300 MILLION INVESTED INTO OUR, UM, UM, MINORITY FIRMS. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT. 
          IN ADDITION, UH, SAFETY IS, UH, OF UTMOST PRIORITY FOR US FOR THIS PROJECT. 
          UM, UH, WE HAVE INVESTED IN WHAT IS CALLED THE CONSTRUCTION CAREER COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM, C3 HOUSTON FIRST PAID FOR THIS, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL, UM, TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION FOR EVERY WORKER THAT THAT WALKS ON OUR JOB SITE. 
          SO THAT IS OSHA 10 CERTIFICATION, UH, FOR EVERY WORKER, AND THEN OSHA 34 FOR MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS. 
          SO, UH, LOOKING AT WHAT THAT HAS, HAS BROUGHT SO FAR AS OF DECEMBER 5TH, WHICH WE'RE NOW PAST THIS, I'M SURE IT'S OVER 90,000 OUT, 90,000 SAFELY WORKED, UM, MAN HOURS ON, ON THE PROJECT. 
          SO AGAIN, WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THIS BODY ON HOW WE'RE DOING ON EACH ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES. 
          UM, BUT FOR, FOR TODAY, WE'RE VERY PLEASED WITH, WITH, WITH WHERE WE ARE SO FAR. 
          ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE, UM, UH, WHAT OUR CREDIT, UH, CAPACITY HAS BEEN TO GET US STARTED. 
          UH, AS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE BOND FUNDING, WE HAVE, UH, $375 MILLION OF CREDIT CAPACITY THROUGH A TAX EXEMPT SUBNOTE BORROWING PROGRAM. 
          UM, UH, TO DATE, WE HAVE SPENT A LITTLE OVER $161 MILLION, UH, THROUGH THAT, THAT CREDIT FACILITY. 
          UM, ONCE, UH, I'LL LET FRANK TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT ONCE WE ARE ABLE TO, IF THE, IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES MOVING FORWARD, THE, UM, THE BOND FINANCING THEN WOULD TAKE OUT THIS, THIS CREDIT CAPACITY. 
          IS THAT RIGHT, FRANK? CORRECT. 
          THAT THIS WOULD NO LONGER BE IN EXISTENCE THEN. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND THEY'LL BE, THEY'LL BE CLOSED, THEY'LL BE RE REFUNDED AND CLOSED. 
          GREAT. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN, UM, FROM THE LAND THAT WAS, UH, REQUIRED FOR, FOR PURCHASE, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE EXPANSION, UM, CONSTRUCTION OF ROUGHLY AT ABOUT 70, $70 MILLION. 
          OUR SERVICES, UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WELL, ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING, ET CETERA. 
          SO LITTLE OVER, LITTLE OVER $160 MILLION SO FAR THAT HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN SPENT. 
          UM, I'M HAPPY TO SAY, UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE A PICTURE. 
          WE ARE, UH, AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. 
          UH, I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS IN STARK CONTRAST TO OTHER CITIES AROUND, UH, THE COUNTRY THAT ARE, THAT ARE EITHER CONTEMPLATING OR WORKING ON, UM, UH, CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSIONS. 
          UH, WE DID BENEFIT FROM REALLY GREAT WEATHER OVER THE SUMMER. 
          UM, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE REALLY GOOD HEADWAY, UH, WITH THAT. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE ANOTHER, ANOTHER PICTURE, THE WIDER PICTURE. 
          THIS IS FROM THE TOYOTA CENTER VIEW. 
          UH, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, UM, UH, THE FULL FOOTPRINT THERE THAT WE REALLY WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, REALLY WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, UH, ACCELERATE IN, IN THE DAYS AND MONTHS THAT ARE AHEAD. 
          YOU WILL SEE A COUPLE OF BIG STEPS THAT YOU'LL SEE UPCOMING. 
          UM, THE RUSTIC, UH, WILL BE CLOSED AT THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          UH, WE'RE REACHING A NEW LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THAT FIRM, UH, TO RELOCATE TO A NEARBY, UH, TRACT OF LAND, AS WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM, UH, IN, UH, UH, IN THE FOOTPRINT OF THE CONVENTION CAMPUS. 
          AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE TRANSITION WITH, WITH THE THESE, UM, UH, WHAT'S COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE HILTON GARAGE, BUT THAT IS THE, UH, THE SOUTH, UH, AVENUE TO SOUTH PARKING GARAGE, WHICH, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING. 
          UH, THE, THE GARAGE THAT WILL REPLACE THAT, THAT WILL OPEN IN THEN AUGUST OF, UM, OF NEXT SUMMER. 
          SO BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE, THE REST OF OUR ANNUAL BUDGET, MADAM CHAIR, WOULD YOU WANT ME TO STOP THERE FOR, FOR ANY QUESTIONS, RIGHT? YES. 
          WE'LL TAKE SOME COLLEAGUES QUESTIONS, THEN WE'LL HEAR FROM PUBLIC ON THE, THIS IS STRICTLY ON THE FINANCING SURE. 
          OR THE UPDATE ON THE GRB EXPANSION, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. 
          OH, AND I DO WANNA WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ HAS BEEN HERE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'VE JUST BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS. 
          MY TURN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, MIKE, TO THE ENTIRE HOUSTON FIRST TEAM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I KNOW THIS IS A MULTI-YEAR EFFORT, DOESN'T BEGIN TO CUT THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THIS IS. 
          UM, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID, 
          [00:50:01]
RATHER THAN HAVING THE CRUISE SHIP, WE NEED THE SPACESHIP, RIGHT? THE, MY QUESTIONS RELATE TO TWOFOLD. 
          ONE, SUSTAINABILITY, UH, AND WORKER SAFETY, AND TWO CONSTRUCTION PAINS. 
          UH, WE HAD HEARD EARLY ON THAT SOME, AND THIS IS AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, RIGHT? DURING CONSTRUCTION, A SIDEWALK GETS BLOCKED, BUT THERE'S NO PROPER DETOUR. 
          UM, OR IT'S A MID-BLOCK AND, AND SOMEONE HAS TO BOLT ACROSS THE STREET. 
          THIS IS SUCH A LONG TERM PROJECT. 
          WHAT ARE WE DOING TO COORDINATE BETTER TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE NOT IMPACTED, THEY'RE GONNA BE IMPACTED, BUT THE DE MINIMIS LEVEL? YEAH. 
          SO WE'VE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME ON THIS, AND I WANT TO, I WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN, IN, IN HIS DISTRICT THERE, OF, OF ENSURING THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE HEARING ANY FEEDBACK THAT MAYBE WE WOULDN'T BE HEARING DIRECTLY. 
          UM, AND GETTING THE INFORMATION AND, AND, UM, UM, UH, DETOURS OR OTHER INFORMATION OUT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. 
          BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS ON A PRETTY, PRETTY COMPACT AREA. 
          IT'S REALLY FOUR SQUARE BLOCKS. 
          THE TXDOT, UM, CONSTRUCTION HAS STARTED IN EARNEST, AS I'M SURE AS YOU ALL HAVE, HAVE SEEN. 
          IT'S HOW THEY INTERACT ONE ANOTHER TOGETHER, RIGHT? SO WE'VE TRIED TO, TO PUT THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE, THE BEST WE CAN. 
          ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          WE PUSH IT OUT, UH, PARTICULARLY WHEN THERE WAS THAT WE WERE, UH, DEMOLISHING THE RAMP TO THE GRB AND THE POLK STREET PEDESTRIAN, AND BIKEWAY HAD TO BE RELOCATED. 
          WE RELOCATED THAT TO RUSTS STREET THAT IS NOW BACK OPEN BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE, UH, THE RAMP THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN DEMOLISHED. 
          UH, SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN PROACTIVE IN THE BEST MANNER THAT WE CAN, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERS, THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, WITH, UH, THE ROCKETS AND, AND TOYOTA CENTER, DISCOVERY GREEN, EVERYONE THAT'S SORT OF IN OUR, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          AND THEN, UH, WORKING WITH OUR, OUR, UM, UH, OUR OTHER PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO GET THE, THE INFORMATION OUT THE BEST THAT WE CAN. 
          AND I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, I THINK AND COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. 
          'CAUSE IT HAPPENS ALL OVER THE CITY, RIGHT? IT'S JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE SIDEWALKS, IF THERE IS A CLOSURE, THAT IT'S NOT A MIDBLOCK THAT WE'VE LET PEOPLE KNOW, GO TO THE NEXT BLOCK. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT'S ON PUBLIC WORKS TOO. 
          THAT'S ON ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT COORDINATION IS HAPPENING. 
          'CAUSE IT'S GONNA GET MORE COMPLICATED. 
          YEAH. 
          TO PUT IT LIGHTLY. 
          SURE. 
          UM, IN TERMS OF WORKER SAFETY, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE OSHA AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, THE INCLUSION OF M-W-B-D-E, UM, THE, WHAT DO WE HAVE? MINIMUM PAY REQUIREMENTS, WHAT ARE OUR MINIMUM PAY REQUIREMENTS AND BENEFITS FOR CONTRACTORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? NO, I WOULD HAVE TO GO, UH, CHECK TO SEE WHAT OUR CONTRACTS STATE FOR THAT. 
          BUT I IS NOT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE GOT MINIMUM PAY REQUIREMENTS. 
          OKAY. 
          I'D, I'D BE, UM, INTERESTED IN GETTING THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. 
          SURE. 
          AND IF I COULD GO BACK IN QUEUE, I'D APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SURE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CHAIR. 
          UM, FIRST, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A QUESTION NECESSARILY FOR YOU ALL OR FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, BUT, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT DEBT SERVICES, UH, COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES, THE WAY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO STRUCTURE IT. 
          WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN WHY DID WE CHOOSE THIS, THIS, UH, DEBT STRUCTURE? YEAH, SO, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT SOME, SOME OTHER CITIES, UM, DALLAS HAS BEEN WORKING ON THEIR CONVENTION CENTER. 
          THEY'RE GONNA BUILD A NEW CONVENTION CENTER AMONGST MANY OTHER THINGS. 
          THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR YEARS. 
          THEY HAVE BASICALLY HAD THEIR FUNDING IN PLACE IN AROUND 2021 OR SO. 
          UM, THEY HAVE NOW HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. 
          AND I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE IMPACTED THEM UP THERE. 
          BUT WE'RE NOW HEARING THEY WON'T BE OPEN, UH, EARLIEST UNTIL 2031. 
          UM, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT, SAY AUSTIN AUSTIN'S NOW TORN THEIR CONVENTION CENTER DOWN. 
          UH, THEY STARTED THAT PROCESS WITH THEIR CITY, UH, WITH A PROPOSAL TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEIR CONVENTION CENTER 10 YEARS AGO. 
          SO THAT'LL BE A 14 YEAR PROCESS, UH, FOR AUSTIN. 
          UM, UH, WE HAVE TIME. 
          WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE APPROACHED THIS IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY. 
          UM, UH, WE HAVE APPROACHED THIS IN A PHASED COMPONENT SO THAT WE WON'T LOSE A SINGLE DAY OF CONVENTION BUSINESS. 
          WE WILL BUILD, UH, THE NEW GRB SOUTH. 
          WE'LL EVENTUALLY THEN CONNECT IT AND TEAR DOWN, UH, THE SOUTHERN WALL OF THE EXISTING GRB BUILDING, WHICH WILL GIVE US THEN THE, UM, UM, THE LARGE SPACE THAT WE WILL HAVE WITH THAT CONTIGUOUS FOOTPRINT THAT I'VE TESTIFIED IN FRONT OF THIS BODY BEFORE. 
          BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A BREAK IN THE ACTION. 
          THERE'S CRITICAL, WHAT'D YOU SAY? THERE'S A BREAK IN THE ACTION. 
          THERE'LL BE A, LIKE A FOUR YEAR BREAK BEFORE YOU DO THAT. 
          WELL, WELL, THAT WILL BE THEN FA NO, THAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN WE CONNECT THE BUILDINGS, BUT THEN PHASE TWO WILL BE SOMETIME DOWN THE ROAD. 
          OKAY. 
          I WOULD SAY MAYBE IN THE EARLY TH THIRTIES. 
          WE'LL NEED TO SYNCHRONIZE THAT FOR THE PHASE TWO OF THE EXISTING LEGACY BUILDING FROM THE MODERNIZATION AND, AND REFACING OF IT TO THE EAST SIDE. 
          WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SYNCHRONIZE THAT SOMEWHAT WITH, 
          [00:55:01]
WITH THE WAY THAT TDOT WILL BE DOING THEIR CONSTRUCTION THEN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE, OF THE BUILDING. 
          BUT COUNCIL MEMBER, YEAH, WE, WE'VE COME AT IT IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY THAN, THAN, THAN THAN OTHER CITIES HAVE. 
          UM, AND THEN, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, SO THIS IS SENATE BILL, UH, 10 57, UM, AND IT WAS STATED BY OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR THAT, UH, THE REVENUE IS SUPPOSED TO COME FROM, UH, AS SOON AS WE GET IT, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO START SPENDING, UH, FOR THIS, UH, THROUGH THE HOT TAX. 
          HOW ARE WE, HOW WE ARE PLANNING TO PAY FOR LELAND? UH, UM, YEAH, TWO WAY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO LELAND LELAND WILL BE IN, IS IN THE PROJECT BUDGET. 
          THAT WILL BE AS, AS PART OF THE, WHAT, WHAT I CALL THAT $900 MILLION, UM, CONSTRUCTION FUND. 
          UM, AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS IS INTENDED FOR, WE TALKED ABOUT IS FOR THE GRB EXPANSION, UH, JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY HOW WE'RE INCLUDING LELAND AS PART OF THE GRB EXPANSION. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN, UH, THE LAST ONE, I JUST KIND OF JUST TO, TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE, THE CONSTRUCTION PAINS ESSENTIALLY. 
          UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, I APPRECIATE THE, THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING TO KEEP MY OFFICE AND MY TEAM, UH, UM, ABREAST OF ANY DETOURS. 
          THERE'S NOT AS MANY ANYMORE TO YOUR POINT. 
          RIGHT. 
          IT'S A VERY COMPACT ZONE WHERE THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS LOCATED. 
          I'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, I'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH. 
          LET'S PAUSE JUST ONE SECOND. 
          WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE. 
          THE MARKET, GET HIM CERTIFIED. 
          WE'RE TRYING TO MUTE THE EXTERNAL. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK WE GOT IT UNDER CONTROL. 
          PERFECT. 
          UM, AND TO JUST, UH, BRING SOME MORE CLARITY TO MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL AS THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE. 
          UM, THIS IS, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT MORE PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING, AND I WOULD SAY, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE, THE PAIN IS REALLY COMING FROM THE TEXTILE EXPANSION, UM, AS IF YOU, MANY OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN ON THE EAST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN DRIVING IN AND OUT. 
          UM, BUT WE WILL ALSO SEE PUBLIC WORKS, UH, WORKING ON AND METRO WORKING ON SOME STREETS, AND ACTUALLY CURRENTLY DOING SOME MILL OVERLAYS AS WELL. 
          UM, THE GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO, UH, TRY AND FUNNEL THAT INTO ONE LOCATION, WHICH, UH, HOUSTON FIRST PUT ON THEIR LANDING PAGE. 
          BUT, UH, AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH TXDOT, UM, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LANDING PAGE THAT THEY WANNA KEEP SEPARATE. 
          UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS A FULL BODY, UM, WHENEVER THERE ARE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, DETOURS, UH, THAT WE CAN WORK TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS WHERE THESE LANDING PAGES ARE TO UNDERSTAND CONSTRUCTION UPDATES, UH, BUT ALSO DETOURS. 
          SO AGAIN, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO WORK WITH MY TEAM, UH, TO ENSURE, TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE INFORMING FOLKS ABOUT CONSTRUCTION. 
          IF I COULD ADD SOMETHING COUNCIL MEMBER REAL QUICKLY TO THAT TOO, WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS FROM DIFFERENT FOLKS, UM, IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY FOLKS. 
          WE KNOW SOME RESIDENTS, UM, UH, ASKING WHY SOMETHING IS A CERTAIN WAY AND, AND WE'VE GONE BACK AND RESEARCHED AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT BEEN US, IT'S BEEN TECH DOT. 
          SO WE'VE TRIED TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS THE BEST WE CAN, BUT MUCH OF THAT IS IS THE TEXT.WORK THAT IS, THAT IS CURRENTLY, CURRENTLY ONGOING? YEAH. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MARTINEZ AND I WERE AT A MEETING LAST WEEK. 
          WE WERE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT DETOURS AND WHATNOT, AND TXDOT WAS THERE TAKING A LOT OF NOTES. 
          SO HOPEFULLY SOME OF THAT WILL BE RESOLVED. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, THANK YOU CHAIR, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION TODAY AND ALSO THE BRIEFING LAST WEEK. 
          UM, JUST TO KIND OF PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON IT, THERE'S A COUPLE OF TIMING ISSUES. 
          ONE OF 'EM IS GONNA BE GREATLY TO OUR BENEFIT, AND THE OTHER ONE'S GONNA BE A BIT NEGATIVE. 
          UM, YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THE FACT THAT, UH, AUSTIN AND DALLAS ARE GOING TO BE, UH, COMPROMISED QUITE A BIT AS BEING ABLE TO HOLD THESE, SO WE'RE GOING TO GAIN BUSINESS FROM THAT. 
          ANYBODY LOOKING TO COME TO TEXAS? UM, THE COMMENT PREVIOUSLY ABOUT DIS SAVINGS GOES TO THE INTEREST RATES THAT WE'RE HAVING TO REFINANCE THE BONDS AT. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? NO, IT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING IS, UM, INTEREST RATES ARE MORE FAVORABLE THAN WHEN THOSE BONDS WERE ORIGINALLY ISSUED. 
          OKAY. 
          HOWEVER, UM, IN ORDER TO SHAPE, UM, OUR DEBT STACK ANNUALLY, WE NEED TO MAKE ROOM FOR SOME, SOME NEW MONEY. 
          UH, BUT WE WANNA DO IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT, UM, WE EXTEND, WE'RE ACTUALLY EXTENDING THE AVERAGE LIFE OF THE EXISTING BONDS THAT ARE BEING REFUNDED. 
          SO THAT'S CREATING THE, TO SAVINGS THAT WE ARE EXTENDING IT BEYOND WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR THE FINAL MATURITY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO ESSENTIALLY IT'S JUST ADDITIONAL INTEREST BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF THE TERM? CORRECT. 
          A LENGTHENING OKAY. 
          LENGTHENING OF THE TERM. 
          EXACTLY. 
          OKAY. 
          TERRIFIC. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. 
          THANK, UH, MICHAEL FRANK, THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION. 
          UM, IN OUR MEETING LAST WEEK, YOU HIGHLIGHTED, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE 
          [01:00:01]
TO HIRE AN OUTSIDE PROJECT MANAGER IN CONTRAST TO SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, CITY'S EXPERIENCES. 
          CAN YOU, CAN YOU TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT AND, AND IF MEMORY SERVES YOU, YOU OR SOMEONE MENTIONED THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES IN, IN DALLAS, FOR INSTANCE, UM, THEY HAVE REFERRED, UH, A NUMBER OF, UH, UM, CONVENTIONS TO HOUSTON. 
          CAN YOU, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THOSE TWO THINGS? SURE. 
          SO, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, THE STRUCTURE OF HOUSTON FIRST, AS, AS YOU ALL ARE, ARE WELL AWARE OVER THE YEARS, UM, UM, WE TRY TO DO THINGS AS, AS CLOSE TO PRIVATE SECTOR SPEED AND EFFICIENCY AS WE ARE ABLE TO DO. 
          UH, WE ARE USING PUBLIC MONEY, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          THAT'S WHY WE'RE REPORTABLE TO OUR PUBLICLY APPOINTED BOARD. 
          THAT'S WHY WE'RE REPORTABLE HERE TO COUNCIL. 
          OUR OUR BUDGET IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL EVERY YEAR. 
          UH, WE GIVE PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS. 
          AND SO WHAT WE HAVE SORT OF LOOKED AT IT AS IS THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS PROJECT, PUBLIC OVERSIGHT AND A PRIVATE DELIVERY MODEL. 
          WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE HIRED ONE OF THE BEST FIRMS IN THE COUNTRY OR THE WORLD REAL ESTATE FIRMS IN HEINZ, UM, LOCALLY BASED HERE TO REALLY BRING THEIR EXPERTISE THAT IF THEY WERE BUILDING THIS PROJECT, HOW WOULD THEY APPLY THEIR EXPERTISE, THEIR BEST PRACTICES, THE THINGS THAT, THAT THEY, THAT THEY WOULD DO, HOW THEY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAVING MONEY ON BEHALF OF US, THEIR CLIENTS. 
          A IT'S A FEE FOR SERVICE FOR, FOR HINES. 
          AND THAT'S GIVEN US A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COMFORT, UM, THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE BEST OF THE BEST GIVING US ADVICE, UH, AND BEING ABLE TO WORK THROUGH, UM, ANY OF THESE VERY COMPLICATED ISSUES. 
          UM, UH, WITH OUR CONSTRUCTION FIRM, WITH OUR ARCHITECTS, UM, UH, IT HAS GIVEN US A LOT OF COMFORT TO BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THIS, THIS PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN STAY, UH, ON BUDGET AND ON TIME. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS AT HINZ, WHEN WE WERE INTERVIEWING OUR DEVELOPERS, ONE OF THE, THE, THE COMMENTS THAT THEY KEPT MAKING TO US THROUGHOUT THEIR INTERVIEW WAS THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT THEIR NUMBER ONE JOB WORKING ON OUR BEHALF WAS TO DE-RISK THE PROJECT. 
          AND WE DUG DEEPER INTO THAT TO SEE WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK, WELL, WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THE BUILDING LOOKS RIGHT AND IT'S EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THERE'S, WITH, WITH A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE. 
          YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE SCHEDULE RISK, YOU HAVE TREMENDOUS BUDGET RISK, YOU HAVE SAFETY RISK, YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT GO INTO PLAY. 
          AND SO COUNCIL MEMBER, WE HAVE A GREAT, UH, GREAT DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE AND COMFORT WITH, UM, UH, WITH HINES WORKING ON OUR BEHALF. 
          THEY HAVE NO EQUITY INTEREST IN THIS. 
          THIS IS A FEE FOR SERVICE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          WHAT THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO DO IS HAVE SCHEDULE SURETY, UH, SO THAT WE DON'T KEEP LEAKING AND LEAKING AND LEAKING IN, INTO THE FUTURE LIKE OTHERS HAVE. 
          UH, IN FACT, UM, UH, DALLAS HAS CONTACTED US AND I'M SURE HAS CONTACTED OTHERS AS WELL BECAUSE OF THE DELAYS WITH, WITH GETTING THEIR CONVENTION CENTER OPEN. 
          THEY HAVE ASKED US FOR OUR AVAILABILITY TO RELOCATE THEIR ENTIRE 2029 CONVENTION CALENDAR, WHICH HAS TO BE VERY DIFFICULT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO, BUT WE WILL HAVE A BRAND NEW BUILDING OPEN AT THAT POINT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          SO THEY'RE FINISHING ON TIME IS NOT JUST A BOX TO CHECK, THERE'S AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR US BEING ON TIME AND ON BUDGET. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MAYOR CAYMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I'LL GOING BACK TO MY QUESTIONS RELATED TO LABOR AND WORKFORCE STANDARDS. 
          YEAH. 
          THERE'S A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT I'LL BE ASKING, AND I'M HAPPY TO SUBMIT THEM, BUT I JUST WANNA SHARE SOME OF THEM SO THAT Y'ALL ARE AWARE. 
          UM, JUST A WHOLE COMPLETE PICTURE OF WORKFORCE STANDARDS FROM WATER AND HEAT BREAKS, UM, TO PREVAILING WAGE TO, UH, UH, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          MY, I I AM RECALLING NOW THAT THIS IS A PREVAILING WAGE JOB, SO WE'LL GET YOU ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ASKED FOR, BUT THAT, THAT PERFECT APP RECOLLECTION, APP UTILIZATION PERCENTAGES, ALL THAT. 
          AGAIN, IT'S THE STANDARD QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST WANNA, UH, MAKE SURE WE, WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. 
          SURE. 
          AND THEN, UH, I ALWAYS ASK Y'ALL THIS, UH, BEAUTIFUL PICTURE AT THE FRONT OF THE PRESENTATION, RIGHT? WITH THAT AMAZING, WITH ROOF PARK, UH, IN GREEN ROOF, THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, RENDERINGS WITH SOLAR ON TOP. 
          WHERE ARE WE IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABILITY COMPONENTS THAT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN OF THE EXPANSION? YEAH, I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE MATERIALS THAT WE'RE USING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TIME YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS, GOSH, IT'S NOW AT LEAST BEEN A COUPLE YEARS AGO, MAYBE LONGER, UM, UH, THAT WE COMMITTED TO THAT. 
          AND WE ARE FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THAT. 
          OUR GOAL IS TO, IS TO HAVE THIS BUILDING AS, UH, A LEAD GOLD STATUS, WHICH WE'RE BUILDING OF THIS SIZE IS, IS NOT EASY TO DO. 
          UM, BUT, BUT USING THE TYPE OF MATERIALS THAT WE'RE USING WITH THE, WITH THE TIMBER THAT WE'LL BE USING ON THE, ON THE INSIDE, UM, WITH THE GREEN SPACE AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE WILL BE DOING, WE ARE VERY COMMITTED TO MAKE, TO MAKING SURE THAT IT IS REALLY, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY, ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE BUILDING IN THE WAY THAT WE PUT IT TOGETHER. 
          BECAUSE 
          [01:05:01]
YOU, YOU, YOU BUILD THESE FOR, YOU KNOW, 50 YEARS OR MORE. 
          AND IN TERMS OF GREEN ROOF AND SOLAR READY, UM, ARE THOSE STILL PLANNED FOR? WE STILL, WE STILL CONTINUE TO PLAN TO HAVE TO HAVE THEIRS AS A PIECE OF THE, OF THE PROJECT, YES. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'RE NOT QUITE TO FIRMING ALL OF THAT UP, BUT YES, THEY CONTINUE TO BE IN THE PLANS. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M GONNA KEEP PUSHING Y'ALL AND HOLDING ALL TO THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE RUSTIC. 
          HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK? THAT THEY OBVIOUSLY KNEW THIS WAS COMING. 
          YEP. 
          THERE'S, THEY'RE GOING TO A, A SPOT NEARBY. 
          DO WE HAVE TO PAY THEM? OR HOW, OR HOW DOES IT WORK? YEAH, SO, UH, THE LAND THAT, THAT, THAT THEY, THAT THEY SIT ON IS, UH, OWNED BY US. 
          SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE A LESSEE OF, OF, OF OURS. 
          UM, AND SO WE WENT, UH, TO THEM, THERE WAS A PROVISION IN THEIR AGREEMENT FOR, AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WHEN, WHEN THIS WAS ENTERED INTO MAYBE IN 2017, WHEREVER THE BEGINNING OF THEIR LEASE WAS, THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT MAY HAPPEN SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND SO THEN WE ACQUIRED, UH, WE ACQUIRED LAND, UM, NEAR THE CONVENTION CAMPUS, AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE, UM, UM, FIND A MUTUAL AGREEABLE, UM, UH, NEW LEASE TERM FOR THEM AS TO WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE. 
          UH, AND OUR BOARD HAS APPROVED US, UM, UH, BUILDING THE NEW BUILDING FOR THEM, AND WE'RE ENTERING INTO, UH, HOPEFULLY SOON A, UH, A NEW LEASE AGREEMENT FOR THEM. 
          GOT IT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, WE WILL HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES. 
          SO, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR THE GRB, THE FINANCING OF THE GRB AND OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GRB EXPANSION. 
          UM, SIGNED UP. 
          FIRST WAS DOMINIC MAZO, RESIDENT. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          96 RED LINE WALK. 
          GOT THAT WAY. 
          OKAY. 
          I HAVE A FEW THINGS ABOUT THIS. 
          I KNOW THIS THING'S GONNA BE PROBABLY BE, UH, DEALT WITH WITH LIKE PARKING AND HOT AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT BUILDING DOES BELONG TO, TO THE CITY, TO HOUSTON, WHICH ARE THE PEOPLE, ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY. 
          HOUSTON OWNED THAT BUILDING. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S THIS WHOLE THING. 
          NOW, SOME OF THIS CAME ABOUT BEFORE Y'ALL CAME INTO OFFICE. 
          I GET, I GET THAT. 
          I, AND EVEN, EVEN IF WE GOT THIS MONEY, I THINK THE SAME THING SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENT BEFORE THE VOTERS. 
          DO WE WANT THIS? DO WE WANT THIS THEN DONE TOO. 
          ALSO, TOO, HAS THERE BEEN AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY ON THIS? I KNOW THERE'S NO FEDERAL FUNDS, BUT I, HAS THERE BEEN AN IMPACT? I'M NODDING. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SORRY. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          NO, HAS, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WITH THE EAST END, THAT'S CUTTING OFF THE EAST END, YOU'RE TAKING UP PROPERTY, AND THEN TOO, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY FROM, FOR PARKING. 
          WAIT A MINUTE. 
          WHY DO WE HAVE THE GREEN AND PURPLE LINE? SHOULDN'T WE BE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE NOT TO DRIVE AND TO USE TRANSIT OR TWO PLUS, WHICH BRINGS ANOTHER ISSUE. 
          NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, BUT THE CHAIR OF METRO E MRS. ELIZABETH BROCK, I'M NOT SAYING SHE'S, SHE'S DOING IT, BUT SHE'S THE CHAIR OF METRO AND ALSO SHE'S ON THE BOARD OF VERSE HOUSTON. 
          AND NOW WE GOT THIS THING ABOUT WITH PARKING. 
          NOW SHE COULD BE INNOCENT AS EVERYTHING, BUT I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SEPARATION THERE, WHICH BRINGS UP ANOTHER ISSUE, WHICH ISN'T, WHICH THE COUNCIL IS GONNA HAVE TO START DEALING WITH. 
          I THINK WHEN THE MAYOR PUTS UP SOMEBODY FOR THESE IMPORTANT POSITIONS LIKE METRO, INSTEAD OF HIM JUST SAYING SOMETHING AND Y'ALL APPROVE IT AND PUT THE PERSON IN, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME, SOME PROCESS WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE INVENTED LIKE THE US SENATE DOES WITH SAY, SUPREME COURT JUSTICES OR, UH, THAT, THAT SORT OF THING. 
          BUT I, I REALLY, I REALLY THINK AND TOO, SAN ANTONIO, SAN ANTONIO JUST VOTED. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS FOR OR AGAINST, BUT THE WHOLE, THEIR CITY VOTED ON THEIR CONVENTION CENTER IN NEW SPORTS AREA. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MAZA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMING NEXT LISA HUNT. 
          I JUST WANNA ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION. 
          IF I SPEAK NOW, IS THIS MY ONLY TIME TO SPEAK FOR THE WHOLE, UM, MEETING? YOU CAN SPEAK AFTER EVERY, EVERY SITUATION. 
          OKAY. 
          JUST CLARIFY. 
          BUT WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP IT KIND OF ORDERLY FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST WANTED TO SPEAK ON ONE TOPIC THAT THEY COULD LEAVE OR WHATEVER. 
          OKAY. 
          I JUST, JUST WANNA CLARIFY. 
          SO I'LL COME BACK FOR THE OTHER TOPIC THEN. 
          I'M LISA HUNT, I'M A RESIDENT OF THE EAST END. 
          UM, I WANT TO FIRST BEGIN BY SAYING THE REASON THAT HOUSTON FIRST HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACT SO EXPEDITIOUSLY IS THAT THEY DID NOT DO A WHOLESOME AND FULLSOME, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THE WAY THAT AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO AND DALLAS DID. 
          IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER TO YOUR PUBLIC, YOU CAN GO VERY QUICKLY. 
          UM, 
          [01:10:01]
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE, UH, DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DEMOCRACY AND, AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR. 
          TRANSPORTATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ARE THEMES OF TODAY'S MEETING. 
          HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION HAS A DISMAL RECORD OF BOTH. 
          AN AGENCY THAT SPENDS MILLIONS OF PUBLIC DOLLARS ANNUALLY HAS A BOARD THAT HAS TYPICALLY MET QUARTERLY AND OFFERS A FIG LEAF OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON PROJECTS, WHICH WILL TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF RESIDENTS FOR YEARS BY DECIMATING THEIR TRANSPORTATION. 
          IT'S BARELY HELD TO ACCOUNT THE EXPANSION OF THE GEORGE R. BROWN LACKS A MASTER PLAN OTHER THAN PRETTY PICTURES. 
          A DETAILED ASSESSMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS NOT ONLY FOR THE SURROUNDING STREETS, BUT FOR THE IMPACTED COMMUNITIES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND A FULLY DISCLOSED ECONOMIC FORECAST. 
          WE NEVER RECEIVED THE FULL HUMIN REPORT. 
          YOU ONLY RECEIVED THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 
          I BELIEVE THE CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN RUSHED TO ACCOMMODATE FIFA AND THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION, AND THE HOUSTON FIRST BOARD HAS YET TO COMPLETE THE FULL BUDGET FOR THE PROJECT. 
          THE COMMUNICATION ON TIMELINES AND CONSTRUCTION LACK COORDINATION WITH TEXTILE AND THE CITY, AND GOING TO HOUSTON FIRST'S, UH, WEBSITE IS HARDLY A WAY OF COMMUNICATING OUT WITH COMMUTERS. 
          YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO ABANDON SIX STREETS IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. 
          ONE, A MAJOR CONNECTOR WITH ONLY VERBAL ASSURANCE THAT 0.5% OF THE 1.9 HOT TAX WILL BE DEDICATED, THAT IS DEDICATED TO THE GRB EXPANSION, WILL BE USED TO REPLACE THESE LOST ASSETS. 
          THE MOU THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPTED AT THE FIRST GRC VOTE ON THE CLOSURE HAS NO WRITTEN COMMITMENT TO PAY FOR A TWO-WAY LELAND. 
          WE RESPECT THAT. 
          UM, THAT INTENTION HAS BEEN MADE PUBLICLY, VERBALLY, BUT IT IS NOT IN WRITING. 
          WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S BEEN OUTSOURCED TO WALTER P. MOORE, UH, BUT GET, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S NO COMMUNICATION ON THE TIMELINE OR WHO THE PROJECT IS. 
          THANK YOU, MS. HUNT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'VE GOTTA MOVE ON. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALRIGHT, NOW WE'LL BRING BACK, UM, CEO OF HOUSTON FIRST, MICHAEL HECKMAN AND FRANK WILSON, CFO FOR, TO TALK ABOUT THE ANNUAL OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET OF HOUSTON. 
          FIRST, THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, MADAM CHAIR. 
          UM, SWITCHING TO OUR, OUR ANNUAL BUDGET, UM, UM, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND OF HOW WE GOT HERE TODAY THROUGH OUR GOVERNANCE PROCESS. 
          UM, OUR, UM, FINANCE AND ASSET MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TAKES A REALLY DEEP DIVE INTO OUR, OUR, OUR BUDGET, UH, ALL OF OUR FINANCIAL, UH, IMPLICATIONS OF OUR BUDGET, OUR STRATEGIES GOING INTO THE NEXT YEAR. 
          UH, AND THEN IT ULTIMATELY GOES TO OUR BOARD FOR, FOR ULTIMATE UH, APPROVAL. 
          UM, BOTH STEPS OF THE WAY THERE WERE, UH, PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY OUR, OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THEN, AND THEN BY OUR BOARD. 
          AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE COME HERE TO COUNCIL, UM, FOR, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, AND CONSIDERATION, UM, OF OUR, OF OUR BUDGET. 
          UM, WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY, UH, OUR ROLE, UM, UH, FOR THIS COMMUNITY. 
          UH, THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO, UH, PROMOTE THE CITY, TALK ABOUT THE CITY THAT WE ALL LOVE ALL OVER THE WORLD, UM, IS TRULY AN HONOR, UH, FOR MYSELF, FOR FRANK, FOR ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES, UH, THAT WORK WITHIN HOUSTON. 
          FIRST, THEY TAKE ENORMOUS PRIDE IN, UH, IN WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO ON, ON, ON BEHALF OF THIS COMMUNITY. 
          UH, AND AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, UM, WHEN WE ARE SUCCESSFUL, OUR COMMUNITY IS SUCCESSFUL. 
          AND I THINK THAT GOES TO THE NEXT PAGE, WHICH IS OUR MISSION. 
          EVERYTHING WE DO IS LASER FOCUSED ON, ON OUR MISSION, WHICH IS TO CREATE VALUE AND ENHANCE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY BY PROMOTING THE HOUSTON REGION. 
          UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY CONCISE, UH, BUT VERY POWERFUL, UH, MISSION ON BEHALF OF, OF THIS COMMUNITY. 
          AND WE HAVE MANY THINGS THAT, UH, THAT FALL UNDER, UNDER THAT UMBRELLA. 
          UM, FROM CONVENTION SALES TO LEISURE, TO MAJOR EVENTS TO TV AND FILM PROJECTS. 
          AND THEN, OF COURSE, UM, THE STEWARDSHIP OF, OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE'RE ENTRUSTED WITH BY, BY THE CITY. 
          UM, THE NEXT, THE NEXT PAGE, UH, I WON'T GO DEEP INTO THIS, BUT WE DO HAVE LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PILLARS, UH, TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP, DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT, AND REVENUE DIVERSIFICATION. 
          AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, UH, WE SHOW THIS TO OUR BOARD, UH, EVERY YEAR. 
          UH, WE SHOW THIS TO COUNCIL EVERY YEAR. 
          UH, THESE ARE OUR VALUE DRIVERS OF THE WAY THAT WE SEEK TO, UH, EXECUTE AS A MANAGEMENT TEAM, UH, AGAINST THE PRIORITIES THAT, THAT WE, THAT WE PUT FORWARD. 
          UM, THIS YEAR WAS A VERY STRONG YEAR. 
          UH, WE HAD THE RECORD YEAR OF ALL RECORD YEARS LAST YEAR. 
          UH, THAT IS A, A VERY HIGH BAR TO CONTINUE TO, TO JUMP OVER. 
          UH, WE ALSO SAW A BUMP LAST YEAR FROM, UH, HURRICANE BARREL. 
          UH, AND THEN THE THOUSANDS OF, OF, UH, 
          [01:15:01]
OF, OF LINESMEN THAT WERE, THAT WERE IN PEOPLE WERE, WERE DRIVEN INTO, INTO HOTEL ROOMS, WHICH GAVE US A BUMP OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. 
          UH, BUT WE DID SEE, UH, 54 MILLION VISITORS LAST YEAR. 
          UH, WE BELIEVE OUR HOT TAX WILL COME IN JUST UNDER, UH, THAT RECORD YEAR THAT WE HAD, UH, IN 2024 THIS YEAR. 
          UM, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THERE'S, UM, ALSO SOME MACRO ECONOMIC HEADWINDS, UM, THAT ALL CITIES IN THE US WERE FACING TARIFF UNCERTAINTY. 
          WE SAW LEISURE TRAVELERS START TO TAP THE BRAKES A LITTLE BIT. 
          UH, WE SAW SHORT TERM CORPORATE MEETINGS, UH, NOT MATERIALIZED LIKE WE HAD SEEN IN IN PREVIOUS YEARS. 
          UM, SOME OF THAT HAS, HAS ABATED SOMEWHAT, BUT SOME OF THOSE UNCERTAINTIES, UM, REMAIN DESPITE ALL OF THAT. 
          UM, UH, THE FORECAST THAT FRANK'S GONNA TELL YOU ABOUT HERE OF HOW WE'RE GONNA FINISH UP 2025, UM, IS AN EXCELLENT, UM, IS AN EXCELLENT FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE. 
          UM, WE WILL BE OUTPERFORMING OUR BUDGET FOR, I BELIEVE, THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, UH, THROUGH DRIVING OUR REVENUES AND THEN SMART MANAGEMENT OF, OF, OF OUR EXPENSES. 
          UM, SO I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM AS THE WAY THEY EXECUTED. 
          UH, AND THAT'S ANY, ANY ORGANIZATION'S JOB, WHEN THERE ARE OBSTACLES, HOW DO YOU MANAGE AROUND THEM AND STILL DELIVER, UH, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO FOR, FOR YOUR MISSION AND FOR THE BOTTOM LINE. 
          SO I'M GONNA HAVE FRANK, UM, WILSON, UH, ASK HIM TO, UH, UH, TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW AS TO HOW WE WILL, UH, FORECAST TO FINISH THIS YEAR. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANKS, MICHAEL. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          WELCOME MADAM CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          UH, WE EXPECT TO FINISH, UH, THE YEAR, UH, WITH GROWTH, TOTAL REVENUES OF ABOUT $250 MILLION. 
          UH, AND SHOULD WE ACHIEVE THAT, WE'LL EXCEED BUDGET BY ABOUT 3.8 MILLION. 
          UM, THEN ON AN EXPENSE SIDE, UM, OUR EXPENSES ARE GONNA BE WELL MANAGED. 
          UH, WE EXPECT TO FINISH WITH, UH, TOTAL EXPENSES OF 240 MILLION BELOW BUDGET BY ABOUT 4.5 MILLION. 
          AND, UH, EXPECT TO HAVE REVENUES IN EXCESS OF EXPENSES OF ABOUT 10.2 MILLION. 
          IT MAY SEEM LIKE A LOT, HOWEVER, THAT'S OUR PAY GO TO PAY FOR OUR CAPITAL. 
          UM, OUR BUDGET, UH, IS HEAVILY, UM, GEARED TOWARDS OPERATING AND, AND MAINTAINING, UM, BUILDINGS THAT ARE QUITE OLD, INCLUDING THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER. 
          THAT'S ABOUT 32 YEARS OLD, 33 YEARS OLD. 
          AND SO, UM, FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, WE EXPECT TO FINANCE OUR CAPITAL ON A PECO BASIS. 
          A BIG DRIVER IN OUR REVENUES. 
          UH, OUR OPERATING REVENUES, UM, ABOUT $134 MILLION OF OUR REVENUES ARE OPERATING. 
          UM, AND IT'S LED BY 110 MILLION OF, UH, VENUE REVENUES AND ALMOST, UH, $10 MILLION VARIANCE TO BUDGET. 
          UM, WHAT'S THE, THE DRIVER BEHIND ALL THAT? MICHAEL, KIND OF, UM, ALLUDED TO IT IS, UH, WE, WE WILL HAVE 250 EVENTS AT THE GRB THIS YEAR AND, UH, IN EXCESS OF A APPROXIMATELY 950,000 ATTENDEES. 
          SO MEETINGS ARE BACK. 
          UM, UM, OTHER STRONG REVENUE DRIVERS WERE FOOD AND BEVERAGE, AND THAT KIND OF GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE BUSIER, UM, CONVENTION CALENDAR. 
          UH, WE EXPECT TO, UH, HAVE F AND B REVENUES OF ABOUT $34 MILLION, AND THAT WILL EXCEED BUDGET BY, UM, 3.7 MILLION. 
          UM, THE OTHER BIG MAJOR REVENUE THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS OUR, OUR PARKING. 
          UH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF OUR BUDGET. 
          UH, JUST, UH, IT'S $22 MILLION, AND WE EXPECT TO EXCEED BUDGET BY 1.3 MILLION THIS YEAR. 
          UM, NOTABLE IS THAT IN, IN PERSON PARKING IS BACK. 
          UH, WE, IN THE THEATER DISTRICT PARKING GARAGE, UH, WE HAVE OVER 2,900 MONTHLY PARKS, AND THAT EXCEEDS OUR, UH, PRE PANDEMIC NUMBERS. 
          UH, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MICHAEL. 
          OH, NEXT SLIDE. 
          THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, UH, GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF SOME OF OUR REVENUE TRENDS. 
          UM, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE SHOWN, UM, BARS THAT REFLECT ACTUAL 2024, UM, GROSS REVENUES, UH, AND THEN THE FORECAST OF FOUR, UH, 200, UH, 2025 FORECAST, AND THEN THE PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET. 
          WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT IS HOW STEADY THESE ARE AND HOW GROWTH IS MOVING INTO A MORE ECONOMIC, UH, A NORMAL ECONOMIC CYCLE. 
          UM, WHAT WAS INTERESTING WHEN I'VE COME TO YOU BEFORE WITH THESE TRENDS IS THAT, UM, WE SAW GROWTH RATES OF FROM 21 TO 22 EXCEED OF OUR REVENUES EXCEEDING 50%, AND THEN FROM 22 TO 23, EXCEEDING 17%, 23 TO 24, ABOUT 2% YEAR OVER YEAR. 
          BUT WHAT WE ARE EXPECTING AND WHAT'S REFLECTED IN THIS SLIDE IS ABOUT THREE TO 3.3% REVENUE GROWTH YEAR OVER YEAR. 
          SO THAT'S A VERY STEADY, VERY STRONG, UM, UM, GROWTH RATE, UH, THAT, THAT YOU CAN SEE FOR OUR BUDGET. 
          SO FOR THE NEXT, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, EACH OF YOU HAVE COPIES OF THESE, SO I WON'T GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE, BUT, UH, EACH YEAR WE, WE, WE HIGHLIGHT, UM, SOME OF OUR STRATEGIC, UH, CORPORATE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE. 
          SO I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THOSE FOR YOU TODAY. 
          CLEARLY, NEXT YEAR IS A BIG EVENT YEAR, UH, FIFA WORLD CUP. 
          UH, 
          [01:20:01]
YOU'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT OF THE EXCITEMENT ABOUT THAT IN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. 
          UH, WE'VE ALSO GOT THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC, THAT WILL BE HERE IN MARCH, I BELIEVE, 11 GAMES. 
          IT WILL BE AT KIN PARKS, A BIG INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE THERE. 
          UM, AS WELL, WE'VE GOT THE NCA SOUTH REGIONALS. 
          UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT A BIG EVENT, UH, THAT WE'LL BE ANNOUNCING SOON WITH ABOUT 65,000 ATTENDEES. 
          UM, THAT WILL BE, UH, IN FEBRUARY. 
          SO WE'LL BE ANNOUNCING THAT SHORTLY, UH, HERE, BUT VERY EXCITED ABOUT, ABOUT THAT EVENT ON TOP OF OUR STRONG CONVENTION CALENDAR THAT WE HAVE FOR, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          UM, CLEARLY STAYING ON TIME ON BUDGET WITH THE GRB CONSTRUCTION, UM, IS, IS A HIGH LEVEL PRIORITY, UM, FOR US, UH, AS WELL AS NOW, UM, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN SELL INTO THAT BUILDING. 
          OKAY. 
          WE HAVE PREDICTABILITY ON THE DATE. 
          WE KNOW WHAT THE LAYOUT OF THE BUILDING IS GONNA BE. 
          SO OUR SALES TEAM IS CURRENTLY SELLING INTO THAT BUILDING. 
          WE ARE HOSTING THIS WEEK RIGHT NOW, UH, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EXHIBITIONS AND EXHIBITORS, AND IT'S A BIG INDUSTRY EVENT. 
          WE HAVE PRESENTATION AFTER PRESENTATION, AFTER PRESENTATION, UH, THIS WEEK WITH CLIENTS THAT ARE IN TOWN, SHOWING THEM THE NEW BUILDING, SELLING INTO IT. 
          AND THE, THE RESPONSE RATE THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONAL. 
          UH, THE TYPE OF GROUPS THAT POSSIBLY WE'VE NEVER BOOKED BEFORE, THE TYPE OF VALUE OF GROUPS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO BOOK. 
          AND THEN THAT LAYERING EFFECT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE, WHEN WE PRESENTED ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BEING ABLE TO HOST MULTIPLE GROUPS AT, UM, UH, AT ONE TIME. 
          UH, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, MEXICO CONTINUES TO BE, UM, UH, A HIGH PRIORITY FOR US. 
          UM, 70%, ROUGHLY 70% OF OUR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS COME FROM THE MEXICAN MARKET. 
          EVEN AS MUCH OF AN INTERNATIONAL CITY AS HOUSTON IS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ARE NOT ENGAGED IN, UH, IN ASIA. 
          THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT ENGAGED IN EUROPE AND OTHER PLACES. 
          BUT MEXICO, UM, UH, HAS, HAS A HIGH PENSION TO TRAVEL HERE. 
          THEY HAVE HIGH VALUE VISITORS, THEY HAVE FAMILY CONNECTIONS HERE. 
          SO THAT WILL, THAT WILL ALWAYS BE, UH, A PRIORITY FOR US WITH OUR IN-MARKET ENGAGEMENTS THERE. 
          THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING, UM, AS WELL, THE TV AND FILM, UM, UH, COMMISSION FALLS UNDER OUR UMBRELLA. 
          UH, WE WERE SO THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE LEGISLATION PASSED AT THE STATE. 
          THAT GIVES US A 10 YEAR TIME HORIZON ON THE, THAT INCENTIVE. 
          UH, HOUSTON FIRST THIS YEAR, UH, PUT OUT A $400,000 LOCAL INCENTIVE AS WELL, WHERE CERTAIN SPENDING, UM, UH, CRITERIA AND OTHER CRITERIA WERE REACHED. 
          WE'VE SEEN A HUGE PICKUP FROM THAT. 
          WE HAVE THAT IN OUR BUDGET, UM, AGAIN NEXT YEAR. 
          UM, SO THAT IS AN INDUSTRY NOW THAT CONTINUES TO NEED TO BE BUILT OUT WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WITH BRICKS AND MORTAR FOR PRODUCTION STUDIOS AND OTHER THINGS. 
          SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH A NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          AND THEN WE'LL BE FINISHING, UH, UH, ON THE TV AND FILM. 
          WE'LL BE FINISHING A FIVE YEAR, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WILL BE UNVEILING NEXT YEAR. 
          SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WE'LL BE WORKING ON A 10 YEAR DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR ASPIRATIONALLY. 
          WHERE, WHERE DO WE WANNA BE AS A DESTINATION? HOW DO, HOW CAN WE GROW? HOW DO WE FILL IN, UH, OUR GAPS OF OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THAT WE HAVE? AND, AND WHAT'S LISTED ON THAT? FINAL BULLET POINT IS ABOUT THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. 
          WHEN WE IDENTIFY WHAT THESE, WHAT, WHAT THESE, THIS ROADMAP CAN POTENTIALLY BE. 
          THE PUBLIC SECTOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT ON ITS OWN. 
          IT WILL TAKE, IT WILL TAKE PRIVATE ENGAGEMENT, PRIVATE INVESTMENT, AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO, TO BEING ABLE TO, TO DO THAT. 
          SO NEXT YEAR, WE WANNA ACCOMPLISH A LOT. 
          THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS. 
          UH, WE WANNA TAKE EVERY ADVANTAGE OF HAVING FOLKS IN OUR MARKET THAT HAVE LIKELY NEVER BEEN TO HOUSTON BEFORE FOR THE, THE WORLD CUP, THE MEDIA THAT WILL BE HERE. 
          WE HAVE A STRONG ENGAGEMENT PLAN, UH, PUT TOGETHER FOR THAT. 
          SO, UH, WE'RE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, TO NEXT YEAR. 
          AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO FRANK. 
          THAT'S GONNA DESCRIBE OUR BUDGET, THAT WILL SUPPORT THOSE, THOSE PRIORITIES. 
          THANKS MICHAEL. 
          UM, THIS SLIDE IS, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IS, UM, DESIGNED TO KIND OF GIVE A THUMBNAIL, BUT ALSO SOME ASSUMPTIONS AND MARKET CONDITIONS. 
          UH, WE ANTICIPATE, UH, OR A BUDGETING PROPOSED BUDGET OF 258.5 MILLION OF REVENUES. 
          UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S ABOUT 3.1% GROWTH OVER THIS YEAR. 
          FORECAST, UH, EXPENSES, TOTAL EXPENSES OF ABOUT 257 MILLION, UH, WITH A, UH, EXCESS OF REVENUES OVER EXPENSES OF ABOUT 1.5 MILLION. 
          UH, IMPORTANTLY ON THIS SLIDE IS THE $19.2 MILLION. 
          THAT'S OUR CAPEX, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND ON MAINTAINING BUILDINGS. 
          AND IT INCLUDES ABOUT $4.8 MILLION THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND ON HILTON UPGRADES. 
          UM, THE, THE RIGHT SIDE IS WHERE THE MARKED CONDITIONS ARE ITEMIZED. 
          UM, THE KEY HERE IS WE DON'T ANTICIPATE A RECESSION, UH, BUT MODEST REVENUE GROWTH. 
          WE ALSO EXPECT LESS INFLATION AND LOWER INTEREST RATES. 
          HOPEFULLY WE'LL HEAR FROM THE FED TODAY OR TOMORROW ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO ABOUT, UM, INTEREST RATES. 
          UM, WE ALSO 
          [01:25:01]
EXPECT THAT, UM, AS A PART OF THE PROJECT, WE'LL HAVE THE SOUTH GARAGE, WHICH IS ALSO CALLED THE HILTON GARAGE, UH, DEMOLISHED. 
          AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOME OPERATIONAL LOGISTICS TO TRY AND, UH, CAPTURE AS MUCH OF THAT HILTON REVENUE. 
          'CAUSE IT WILL FOR THREE MONTHS, BE, UM, PUT OVER INTO, UH, AVENUE CENTRAL GARAGE. 
          AND THEN AFTER THAT, THREE MONTHS AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST, UM, THE HILTON PARKERS WILL GO OVER TO THE, UH, GARAGE, WHICH WILL BE COMPLETED IN THE EXPANSION, UH, BUILDING. 
          UM, WE ALSO EXPECT, UM, LEISURE TRAVEL GROWTH TO CONTINUE, BUT MODESTLY DRIVEN BY UPPER, MIDDLE, AND UPPER INCOME TRAVELERS. 
          UH, AND MAJOR EVENTS, UH, MICHAEL MADE MENTION OF THEM. 
          I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MARCH MADNESS. 
          THAT'S COMING BACK. 
          UH, BUT WE ALSO EXPECT, UH, BUSINESS TRAVEL TO CONTINUE MODEST GROWTH AND AS WELL AS MODEST GROWTH AND AVERAGE DAILY RATE AT HOTELS AND CORPORATE MEETING DEMAND CONTINUING TO HAPPEN GOING FORWARD. 
          UH, THE NEXT SLIDE GIVES YOU A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THE BUDGET. 
          I, I MENTIONED THE 258 MILLION OF, OF, UH, REVENUES. 
          UH, THAT'S, UH, AN INCREASE OF 2000 OF, OF 8.3 MILLION OVER 2025 FORECAST. 
          TOTAL EXPENSES OF ABOUT 257 MILLION REFLECT, UM, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 7%, UM, OVER THE 2025 FORECAST. 
          MUCH OF THIS IS DRIVEN BY TWO FACTORS. 
          THE MAJOR EVENTS, THE MORE BUSIER THE BUILDING, THE MORE JANITORIAL, THE MORE SECURITY. 
          ALL OF THESE EXPENSES, UH, INCREASE ALONG. 
          THEY'RE HIGHLY CORRELATED TO THE BUSYNESS, UH, OF THE CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          UM, WE'RE ALSO BUDGETING REVENUES TO EXCEED EXPENSES BY 1.5. 
          I MENTIONED THAT, UM, A BIG PART OF WHAT SIGNIFICANT REVENUE GROWTH IS EXPECTED TO COME FROM HOT. 
          UM, THAT'S, UH, WE'RE BUDGETING 117 MILLION FOR THAT. 
          UM, THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS IS, UM, SOME THINGS, UH, THAT, UH, THESE ARE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO THE CITY AS A PART OF THE INTER INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. 
          UM, FOR, UM, OH, AH, HERE FOR 2026, WE WILL SPEND APPROXIMATELY $22 MILLION ON HOT. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, NEXT YEAR WE'LL SPEND WE WE'LL REMIT TO THE CITY, $22.4 MILLION OF HOT AND THEN PROMOTION PROTOCOL, TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATION, ANNEX GARAGE, AND HOBBY CENTER. 
          THESE ARE REMITTANCES TO THE CITY. 
          ON THE RIGHT SIDE ARE OUR CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT TO STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING DISCOVERY GREEN HOBBY CENTER, AND THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP. 
          THIS TOTALS THESE CONTRACTUAL, UM, OBLIGATIONS TOTAL ABOUT, UH, $28 MILLION. 
          UM, AND I'LL TURN BACK OVER TO MICHAEL. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU, FRANK. 
          UH, THIS SLIDE JUST SHOWS A LITTLE BIT OF MAYBE, UH, WHAT'S NOT ALWAYS APPARENT IN, IN OUR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, OBLIGATIONS THAT, THAT, THAT WE, UH, PICK UP ON, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. 
          UM, I WILL, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THE VISITOR ECONOMY IS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN HOSPITALITY, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE EMPLOYED. 
          WE LOOK TO GROW THAT. 
          UM, AGAIN, NEXT YEAR. 
          UH, I THINK IN 24, WE HAD ROUGHLY $16 BILLION IN SPENDING FROM VISITORS HERE TO THE MARKET. 
          UM, EVERY YEAR WE FACE, UH, A BIG CHALLENGE ON HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE PROPERLY BALANCE IN INVESTING AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN SALES, MARKETING, AND PROMOTION, WHILE ALSO BEING GREAT STEWARDS FOR THE, THE FACILITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN, THAT WE'VE BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH BY THE CITY. 
          UH, I THINK ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR, WE'VE FOUND THAT RIGHT BALANCE THAT WILL MAXIMIZE OUR ROI, UH, ON BEHALF OF THIS COMMUNITY. 
          AND BACK TO THE CITY. 
          MADAM CHAIR, THAT'S OUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BOTH PRESENTATIONS. 
          MR. HECKMAN. 
          MR. WILSON, I DO NOT SEE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, SO YOU DID A GOOD JOB EXPLAINING YOUR BUDGET. 
          COLLEAGUES, WE, THIS IS NUMBER EIGHT ON TOMORROW'S AGENDA. 
          SO, UM, CERTAINLY IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, REACH OUT TO HOUSTON. 
          FIRST, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          AND, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS ON THE OPERATING AND BUDGET THAT, WHAT WAS JUST PRESENTED BY, UM, BY THESE GENTLEMEN? I DON'T HAVE ANY SIGNED UP, BUT IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          NOT SEEING ANYONE. 
          SO WE WILL MOVE AHEAD TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR. 
          AND THIS, AGAIN, IS OUR SECOND MEETING. 
          UM, WE, WE HAD TO POSTPONE THE LAST ONE THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION ASKED US TO POSTPONE THAT 'CAUSE THEY HAD SOMETHING ELSE ON THE FOUR 19 EMANCIPATION GOING ON THAT SAME DAY AND TIME. 
          SO WE ARE MOVING WITH OUR SECOND, AND THIS IS REALLY WHY WE'RE JOINED TOGETHER WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, ON THE THREE CIP AMENDMENTS BROUGHT FORTH FROM, FROM OUR COLLEAGUES. 
          WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE PRESENTATIONS BY DEPARTMENTS. 
          WE'VE DONE THAT 
          [01:30:01]
ALREADY. 
          UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER LAY OUT THEIR, UM, ARGUMENTS FOR, FOR THEIR AMENDMENTS. 
          AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO, I THINK WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, OR WE DID, I THINK WE DO. 
          UM, WE'LL HAVE A, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ON TO ADVANCE THIS TO THAT. 
          WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ADVANCED FOR FULL COUNSEL CONSIDERATION. 
          SO WE WILL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, UM, WITH HIS, UH, WITH HIS TRANSPARENCY AMENDMENT. 
          AND I THINK, UH, IT'S UP ON THE SCREEN, BUT HE ALSO, UH, PASSED OUT A PRINTED COPY. 
          SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. 
          AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M NOT GOING TO, UH, DELVE TOO MUCH INTO THE MOTIVATION FOR THE AMENDMENTS. 
          I, I ADDRESSED THAT WHEN I INTRODUCED THEM LAST JULY, AND I ADDRESSED THEM IN AN EARLIER COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. 
          HERE WE ARE AGAIN. 
          SO, UH, I HAVE, UM, SHAPED MOLDED THE, THE AMENDMENTS, UH, AFTER VISITING WITH A NUMBER OF FOLKS AND WANT TO GO OVER WHAT SOME OF THOSE, UH, CHANGES ARE IN, UM, AMENDMENT 1 0 1, UH, WE HAVE CHANGED THE THRESHOLD AMOUNT OF THE DELAY CANCELLATION REDESIGN, REMOVAL, REMOVAL OR ALTERATION AND SCOPE THAT WILL TRIGGER, UH, THE REPORTING FROM 5% OR MORE THAN 50,000 TO 10%, OR MORE THAN 100,000, NOT INCLUDING CONTRACTUAL CONTINGENCIES. 
          THAT CHANGE WAS MADE AFTER, UH, CONSULTATION WITH THE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, MEETING WITH, UM, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, RANDY MACKAY, AND, UH, STEVEN DAVID, UH, ONE OF THE MAYOR'S TOP DEPUTIES. 
          AND SO WE APPRECIATE THE, THE COOPERATION AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. 
          AND THAT CHANGE IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THAT FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED. 
          UM, SUBSECTION B OF 1 0 1 WAS, WAS ADDED, I BELIEVE. 
          IT SAYS, ALTERNATIVELY, THE ADMINISTRATION MAY MAINTAIN ONLINE AND UPDATED REPORT IN SEARCHABLE FOR FORMAT. 
          AGAIN, THIS WAS, UH, AN ADDITION THAT RESULTED FROM THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD WITH DIRECTOR MACKAY AND, AND STEVEN DAVID, UM, DIRECTOR MACKAY REFERRED TO THE WEBSITE THAT PUBLIC WORKS CURRENTLY HAS. 
          AND, UH, EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT, UH, THEY'D BE ABLE TO, TO DO THIS ONLINE. 
          UM, UH, AND, AND STEVE AND DAVID, UH, ALSO SPOKE TO THIS AS, AS WELL. 
          SO WE WANT TO GIVE THE ADMINISTRATION THE OPTION TO DO IT ONLINE LINE, UM, AND SUBSECTION C, SENDING A REPORT TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, OF A NOTICE OF INTENT TO PROCEED. 
          WE'VE BEEN TOLD THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THIS. 
          SO THIS MERELY CODIFIES THAT PRACTICE AND, AND, AND MAKES IT OFFICIAL, IF YOU WILL. 
          UM, AMENDMENT 1 0 2 ADDS, UH, THE LAST SENTENCE. 
          THE FILING OF A WRITTEN OBJECTION ALONE SHALL NOT STOP THE DELAY, CANCELLATION REDESIGN OR ALTERATION AND SCOPE. 
          SO THE PROJECT WON'T JUST BE STOPPED IN ITS TRACK BY, UH, AN OBJECTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          AND THIS, THIS WAS ADDED, UH, IN RESPONSE TO A CONVERSATION WITH, UM, WITH, UM, CASEY CHRISMAN OF THE HOUSTON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION. 
          AGAIN, THE INTENT OF THIS PROPOSAL IS NOT TO SLOW DOWN ANY WORK, UH, BUT TO GIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS MORE INFORMATION, UH, DURING THE PROCESS SO THAT THEY CAN SERVE THEIR CONSTITUENTS MORE, UH, EFFECTIVELY. 
          IN, IN ADDITION, I'VE ADDED THE LANGUAGE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS ONE, SUBJECT TO ARTICLE SEVEN, SECTION THREE OF THE CITY CHARTER, THREE OR MORE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. 
          SO THAT IS A REFERENCE TO PROP A THAT WAS PASSED BY THE VOTERS TO INDICATE THAT, UH, THE INTENT IS NOT TO DO ANYTHING INCONSISTENT WITH PROP A, BUT, UM, TO, TO FOLLOW ALONG AND, AND MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF PROP A, UM, AMENDMENT 1 0 3 CHANGES PUBLIC HEARING TO PUBLIC MEETING TO INCREASE THE FLEXIBILITY. 
          A PUBLIC MEETING COULD BE A MEETING SUCH AS THIS ONE. 
          IT COULD BE, UM, UH, IT COULD BE MEETING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, JUST SOMETHING THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, THAT IS SPONSORED BY ONE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THAT WOULD ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          AND ALSO ALLOW THE 
          [01:35:01]
ADMINISTRATION, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AS WELL. 
          I HAVE NOT ADDED, BUT, BUT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO ADD, UH, A TIMEFRAME UNDER WHICH THIS WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED. 
          UM, AND THAT IS DEPENDENT, I THINK, ON, ON HOW THIS PROGRESSES, WHEN IT WOULD ULTIMATELY BE PASSED, IF IT IS PASSED, AND FEEDBACK FROM PUBLIC WORKS IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO, TO DO THIS RIGHT NOW. 
          THEN, UH, I BELIEVE FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH DIRECTOR MACKAY, UH, THEY'RE MOVING TOWARD THE, THE, THE POINT WHERE THEY COULD DO THIS. 
          SO I WOULD NOT BE AVERSE TO ADDING, UH, YOU KNOW, A TIMEFRAME UNDER WHICH, UH, THEY'D BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THIS. 
          SO I'VE OUTLINED A NUMBER OF CHANGES, ALL OF WHICH, OR A RESULT OF, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH, UH, FOLKS IN THIS PROCESS. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THE COOPERATION OF, UH, DIRECTOR MACKAY, STEVEN DAVID, THE REST OF THE ADMINISTRATION. 
          UM, I'VE SPOKEN TO A NUMBER OF FOLKS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, UH, UM, CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE SUPPORTING THIS. 
          I APPRECIATE ALL THE EXPRESSIONS OF SUPPORT FOR THESE. 
          I KNOW A NUMBER OF THEM ARE HERE. 
          MANY MORE HAVE WEIGHED IN, IN VIA EMAIL. 
          I'VE ALSO APPRECIATED THE SUPPORT FROM, UM, ENGINEERS AND FOLKS IN THE BUSINESS WHO HAVE TOLD ME THAT, UH, THEY BELIEVE THIS IS A GOOD IDEA AND, AND ONE THAT SHOULD BE PUT FORWARD. 
          SO, SO JUST IN CLOSING, UM, THIS IS AN EFFORT TO MAKE COUNCIL MEMBERS MORE EFFECTIVE BY PROVIDING THEM WITH THE INFORMATION THEY NEED ABOUT CHANGES, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS MORE EFFECTIVELY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. 
          QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. 
          UH, YOU AND I HAVE WORKED ON THIS, AND I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING EARLY ON, UH, THE, TAKING THIS TASK ON WHEN WE CAME TO YOU AND SAID, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE THINKING. 
          AND YOU REALLY CHAMPIONED THIS AND RAN WITH IT. 
          SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS AMENDMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN A HYPOTHETICAL, UM, WOULD PROVIDE COUNSEL WITH SUFFICIENT NOTICE WHEN, UM, THE SCOPE OF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT HAS CHANGED, OR A COMPLETED PROJECT HAS CHANGED, AND WE'RE NOW GOING BACK TO EITHER FURTHER MODIFY IT OR EXPEND OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CHANGE THAT? UH, AND THERE'S MULTIPLE SCENARIOS I CAN THINK ABOUT IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS WHERE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, STILL HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVING THE INQUIRIES IN QUESTION RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE ASKED WHEN IT RELATES TO SPECIFICALLY THE FINANCIAL EXPENDITURES OR POTENTIAL COSTS OF ALTERATIONS, UH, TO RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS. 
          WELL, THE LANGUAGE UNDER 1 0 1 A, UH, SUB ONE DOES INCLUDE THE WORD REMOVAL. 
          SO, UH, BY, BY ITS LANGUAGE, IT WOULD, I THINK, APPLY, UH, TO THAT SORT OF, UH, PROJECT. 
          AND UNDER YOUR NEW, UM, ADDITION OF B SUBSECTION B, UH, WOULD THAT HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED MONTHLY, AT LEAST MONTHLY? UM, DIRECTOR MACKAY EXPRESSED AS EXPRESSED A PREFERENCE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE DAY MAYBE IT'LL, IT'LL BE ESSENTIALLY IN, IN REAL TIME. 
          HE DIDN'T USE THAT, THAT LANGUAGE. 
          BUT, UM, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL IN THE FUTURE, I THINK, TO, TO, TO HAVE IT, UH, COMPLY WITH EVEN MORE FREQUENTLY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I APPRECIATE, UM, ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, THE ENGAGEMENT. 
          'CAUSE WE DO WANT WORK AT THE CITY TO CONTINUE MOVING. 
          WE WANT INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAFETY FOR OUR CITY. 
          UH, THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO INHIBIT, BUT AGAIN, WE ARE NOT GETTING ALL THE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE RAISING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE COSTS OF CERTAIN PROJECTS, THE ANALYSIS OR WHEN THINGS ARE HAPPENING. 
          I WILL SAY UNDER SUBSECTION C, UM, SPEAKING AS A DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, WE, THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO PROCEED IS NOT SUFFICIENT. 
          NOTICE WE ARE GETTING IT WITHIN A DAY OR TWO AT TIMES OF WHEN THE PROJECT IS STARTING. 
          UH, WE ARE NOT GETTING THE NOTICE TO PROCEED, UH, WITH SUFFICIENT NOTICE. 
          AGAIN, I KNOW THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN RIGHT NOW, THIS ISN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, IN ANY WAY A SHAME THING. 
          IT'S A, FROM A DISTRICT PERSPECTIVE, OR SOMETIMES EVEN GETTING IT A FEW DAYS AFTER IT'S STARTED RIGHT NOW. 
          UH, SO I WOULD JUST ASK THAT COUNSEL, CONSIDER THAT, BECAUSE IF THAT'S THE ONLY, DOES SUBSECTION C CIRCUMVENT A OR BI GUESS IS MY QUESTION? LIKE, DOES THAT, DOES SUBSECTION C NO. 
          IS THAT ALL THEY WOULD NEED TO DO IT? IT'S AN ADDITION, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          IT'S NOT AN EITHER OR THING. 
          [01:40:01]
OKAY. 
          THAT WOULD BE ADDITIONALLY. 
          AND THEN LASTLY, UM, MAY I CONTINUE OR THANK YOU? SURE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, 1.03, PRIOR TO INITIATING THE PROCUREMENT OF GOODS OR SERVICES RELATED TO THE INSTALLATION, UM, REFERRING BACK TO 1.01, IS THERE A REQUIREMENT THAT NOTICE BE PROVIDED PRIOR TO THAT PROCUREMENT PROCESS AS WELL? OR ARE WE GETTING IT AFTER ALL OF THIS IS SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED? UH, I DON'T THINK IT CREATES AN ADDITIONAL NOTICE REQUIREMENT. 
          UH, I THINK THE WAY IT'S INTENDED IS AS A RESULT OF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBERS LEARNED UNDER 1 0 1 OR FROM SOME OTHER SOURCE THAN UNDER 1 0 3, THEY CAN HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, AND I THINK MY QUESTION JUST, AND WE CAN TALK OFFLINE, BUT AGAIN, IN TERMS OF THE TIMING OF ALL OF THIS, IF WE'RE ONLY GETTING IT, UM, IF WE'RE GETTING INFORMATION AFTER PROCUREMENT HAS OCCURRED, THAT THEN PROHIBITS OUR ABILITY TO HAVE THAT MEETING OR ENGAGE PRIOR TO THIS BEING A DONE DEAL, AND THEN WE'VE JUST, WE'VE THEREFORE EXPENDED ADDITIONAL DOLLARS. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I THINK INFORMED THIS AMENDMENT, THOUGH, I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR YOU. 
          I KNOW FOR ME WERE THE, UM, POTENTIAL FOR UNNECESSARY EXPENDITURES AND TRYING TO SAVE MONEY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON RIGHT NOW. 
          SO AS WE BRING IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WILL BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO AMEND, BUT I JUST WOULD WANNA NAIL DOWN, UM, I I FULLY SUPPORT THIS ITEM. 
          I WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT, BUT MAKING SURE THAT COUNCIL IS GETTING INFORMATION BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. 
          YEAH, THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES TO AMEND WHEN IT COMES TO FULL COUNCIL. 
          I AGREE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, GENESIS AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS WAS INITIALLY, UH, SUBMITTED. 
          I JUST HAVE A FEW CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ON 1.01 AND THEN ALSO TO 1.02. 
          SO THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FROM A DISTRICT PERSPECTIVE TAKES AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET TO THE FINISH LINE. 
          UM, FOR CONTEXT, WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA AND ASTRID VILLAGE, A DRAINAGE PROJECT, A SWAT $6 MILLION WAS WE INITIATED IN FISCAL 23. 
          WE ARE NOW APPROACHING FISCAL, WE ARE IN FISCAL 26. 
          AND SO I, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME LANGUAGE AROUND WHERE THESE PROJECTS GENERATE FROM. 
          ARE WE TALKING CIP, SWAT, THIRD PARTY, T-H-G-A-C, FEDERAL CITYWIDE SIDEWALK? BECAUSE OUR PROJECTS HAPPEN IN MULTIPLE WAYS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THEY HAVE NO IDEA. 
          AND MY, I THINK IT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO SOME MISCOMMUNICATION, UM, PARTICULARLY AROUND THREE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING IN THE MIDST OF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT HAS PROBABLY TAKEN US TWO YEARS TO GET ON THE LINE. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER AND F WILL NOT BE ME AND WILL NOT BE PROACTIVE AND WILL NOT HOST THESE MEETINGS AND DO ALL OF THIS WORK. 
          BUT I'M JUST IMAGINING THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS HOSTING A PUBLIC MEETING ABOUT A PROJECT THAT IS ACTIVE FOR YEARS, AND IT INTERRUPTS EITHER A PROCESS OR IT CREATES DISTRUST OR MISTRUST AND MISCOMMUNICATION. 
          UH, I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN IN F WHERE WE SPLIT PROJECTS IN HALF AND CREATED HALF KNOTS AND HALF KNOTS. 
          AND THEN THE NORTH SIDE OF BROWN MEADOW IS LIKE, WHAT ABOUT US, THE SOUTH SIDE? AND SO NOW WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          WE DON'T SPLIT PROJECTS IN HALF BECAUSE WE LEARNED THAT LESSON. 
          SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME CLARIFICATION IN TERMS OF WHERE THESE PROJECTS LIVE. 
          MAJORITY OF THE NOTICES TO PROCEED, UM, ARE FUNDED BY CDSF. 
          SO, UM, COUNCIL OFFICES ARE INITIATING THESE SIDEWALK PROJECTS, A DA PANEL REPLACEMENT SPEED CUSHIONS. 
          AND SO WE RECEIVED THE NOTICES. 
          RESIDENTS ARE ALREADY A PART OF THAT BECAUSE THEY FRONT LOADED, THEY MADE THE REQUEST LIKE THEY'RE INCLUDED IN THAT PROJECT. 
          UM, AND SO IF YOU GET A NOTICE THAT WE'RE HAVING A SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND F THEN WHAT, DO YOU JUST WANT THE NOTICE OR WHAT IS THERE, WHAT'S WHEN THAT HAS PROBABLY BEEN REQUESTED BY SOMEONE IN ORDER FOR US TO DO. 
          AND THEN THE, THE OTHER PIECE THAT I, I I, THAT I'M, I'M REALLY JUST CONCERNED AROUND IS JUST POSTING THIS MEETING AND INTERRUPTING A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT TAKES FOREVER. 
          AND I'LL, I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS. 
          MY FISCAL 25, WE ADDED A GENERATOR TO THE A LEAF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER. 
          WE'RE THROUGH PERMITTING, WE'RE THROUGH ALL OF THAT, BUT IT WON'T BE COMPLETED UNTIL 2027. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND SO THIS IS THE AMOUNT 
          [01:45:01]
OF TIME YOU HAVE CONSTRUCTION DELAYS, YOU HAVE ORDERING DELAYS, YOU HAVE ALL THESE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE NUANCED WITH THESE PROJECTS. 
          AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME CONSIDERATION AROUND THAT. 
          UM, PERHAPS MAYBE INCLUDING THE MEMBER OF ONE OF THE THREE TO BE A PART OF THE THREE IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. 
          SO IT'S NOT OUTSIDE OF THE MEMBER WHERE THE, THE PROJECT IS HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          THERE'S A LOT IN THERE. 
          I WILL TRY TO ADDRESS AS MUCH OF THAT AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, SO, SO THE, THE, THIS IS MEANT REALLY TO ADDRESS CHANGE. 
          I UNDERSTAND PROJECTS TAKE A LONG TIME AND THE FACT THAT A PROJECT IS ONGOING FOR A LONG TIME DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME SORT OF CHANGE. 
          RIGHT. 
          UH, AND WITH REGARD TO 1 0 3, PUBLIC MEETING, THE IDEA HERE, HERE IS NOT TO STOP THE PROJECT WHILE WE HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING. 
          THE PROJECT WOULD CONTINUE. 
          UH, THE LANGUAGE IN THERE DOES NOT SAY THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO HOLD UP THE PROJECT IN ORDER TO HOLD THE PUBLIC MEETING. 
          THAT THAT IS REALLY INFORMATIONAL, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC AND, AND FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          UM, AS, AS FAR AS WHAT IT WOULD APPLY TO BY ITS LANGUAGE, IT APPLIES TO PROJECTS USING CITY REVENUE, UM, I AM OPEN TO MORE CLARIFICATION AND ADDING MORE DETAIL THAN, THAN THAT. 
          IF THERE IS A DESIRE FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ADD THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE, YOU KNOW, UH, GETTING INTO, YOU KNOW, T FUNDS OR FUNDS FROM METRO OR SOME OFAC OR WHATEVER. 
          THAT'S HOW MY CIS ARE FUNDED. 
          MOST OF THEM ARE, YOU KNOW, TEXT OUT MONEY THAT COME THROUGH THE CITY AND THEN THEY QUALIFY FOR CIP BECAUSE WE RECEIVE THE FUNDING. 
          SO, BUT THEY'LL SHOW UP AS A CIP ON THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE AGENDA. 
          THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. 
          AND SO THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY LIKE A TRIGGER TO SAY MM-HMM . 
          YEAH. 
          AND WE HAVE NOT, WE HAVE NOT DEFINED CITY REVENUE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'M HAPPY TO TACKLE THAT AND, UH, UH, RECEIVE INPUT FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ON, ON WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT. 
          SURE. 
          HELPFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          VERY HELPFUL. 
          AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A GENERAL CONCERN WE, UH, FROM EVERYONE THAT WE DON'T WANNA UNINTENTIONALLY DELAY SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE, THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING. 
          UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, YOU BROUGHT UP SOME REALLY GOOD POINTS, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD. 
          UM, AND I UNDERSTAND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR TRANSPARENCY, HAVING WORKED IN CONSTRUCTION, THE FEASIBILITY ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS IS VERY CUMBERSOME. 
          UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CONTIN, YOU KNOW, E EVEN NUMBER ONE, UH, ON YOUR 1 0 1 A TO PROVIDE REPORTS, AT LEAST MONTHLY, AT LEAST MONTHLY, LIKE MONTHLY, WEEKLY, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? LIKE, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DEFINE THAT AT LEAST THE OTHER ON THE CONTINGENCIES WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS CONTINGENCY OR 10%? IS THAT REGARDING THE ENTIRE PROJECT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AT THE, THE BOTTOM LINE OF A COMPLETED PROJECT, YOU MAY BE OVER HERE AND UNDER THERE, AND SO YOUR BOTTOM LINE IS, IS WITHIN BUDGET. 
          UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW, AS FAR AS THE ENFORCEMENT OF, YOU KNOW, I, YOU TRYING TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC SO THAT THERE'S TRANSPARENCY, THIS SEEMS LIKE A HEAVY LIFT, AND I'M SURE I'M, I'M NOT SURE, I GUESS WHAT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, SINCE THERE CAN BE NO DELAY OR STATED IN 1 0 2, NO DELAY, CANCELLATION, REDESIGN, UM, LIKE WHAT, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING? AND AGAIN, WITH, WITH FULL RESPECT TO YOUR WORK ON IT. 
          I JUST, I THINK THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE DELAYS ON THE COST, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE READY FOR STRUCTURAL STEEL, IT'S BEEN ORDERED MOONS AGO, RIGHT? IT, WHEN IT'S TIME TO LAY THAT DOWN, YOU CAN'T JUST SAY, HEY, WAIT A MINUTE. 
          YOU KNOW, HANG, HANG ON, WE'VE GOT CONCERNS. 
          AND THEN I KNOW THIS COMES FROM, YOU KNOW, PRIMARILY KIND OF REDESIGN OR LET'S THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE. 
          BUT I JUST, I THINK WHAT, WHAT THE INTENTION IS, IS GOOD, BUT I THINK THE OUTCOME WILL BE NOT ALIGNED WITH THE INTENTION. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND IF I COULD ADDRESS THAT, UM, YOU, YOU SPOKE TO, UM, THE CUMBERSOMENESS OF IT, UM, AND, AND I WOULD REFER YOU TO THE LANGUAGE IN 1 0 2 THAT WAS ADDED THAT SAYS, THE FILING OF A WRITTEN OBJECTION ALONE SHALL NOT STOP THE DELAY CANCELLATION 
          [01:50:01]
REDESIGN OR ALTERATION AND SCOPE. 
          SO, SO THE WORK CAN CONTINUE. 
          THIS, THIS DOESN'T STOP THAT. 
          UM, YOU, UH, ALSO MENTIONED, UM, CONTINGENCIES AND, AND THE LANGUAGE IN THE AMENDMENT SPEAKS TO CONTRACTUAL CONTINGENCIES. 
          SO, SO WHATEVER IS WRITTEN IN THAT PARTICULAR CONTRACT, HOWEVER THAT IS DEFINED, UH, CONTROLS, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE THERE HAS, HAS HAVE BEEN SOME COST OVERRUNS, UM, AND, AND THAT IS, UM, CONTEMPLATED IN, IN THE CONTRACT WILL NOT NECESSARILY TRIGGER THAT. 
          AND NOW AS FAR AS WHAT MONTHLY MEANS, I MEAN IT MEANS MONTHLY OR, OR, OR MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THAT IF, UH, PUBLIC WORKS CHOOSES TO DO THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO IT'S, THIS INFORMATION IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS. 
          OKAY. 
          CORRECT. 
          THAT, NO, UH, THIS IS, WELL, LET, LET ME, LET ME CLARIFY. 
          SOME OF IT MAY BE, IS ALL OF IT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE? I, I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT TO BE THE CASE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. 
          UM, UM, A FEW THINGS, I, I LIKE TO GET A CLARIFICATION, UNDERSTANDING. 
          ONE OF THEM WAS COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, CARTER ADDRESSED, UH, IN THE QUESTION ABOUT THE REPORT AT LEAST MONTHLY. 
          I, I DON'T HAVE FEAR, REAL CLARIFICATION ON THAT. 
          I RESPECT AND ADMIRABLE THE TRANSPARENCY OF, OF, OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. 
          BUT I THINK, UM, ONE PARTICULAR CASE, AND COUNCILMAN THOMAS CLARIFIED A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THESE FUNDING TRACKS ROLL INTO THESE, UM, DISTRICT PROJECTS. 
          UM, SO FOR INSTANCE, I HAD SOME CONSTITUENTS WHO CALLED FROM DISTRICT G ON A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS. 
          AND THE PROCESS AS I SPOKE TO COUNCIL MEMBER TO, UH, MAYOR HUFFMAN ABOUT IT, 'CAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT. 
          AND THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE COMPANY WENT BANKRUPT. 
          THAT WAS IN THE PROCESS. 
          THE COMPANY WENT BANKRUPT AND SOLD THE, THE, THE, THE STOPPAGE OF THE PROJECT WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE COMPANY WENT BANKRUPT. 
          AND SO THEY WERE PROCEEDING WITH TRYING TO FIND WHO WOULD PICK UP THAT PROJECT, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE NECESSARILY PROCESS. 
          WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF MANY CONSTITUENTS IN THE COMMUNITY EVEN KNOW ALL OF THE INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY IN THE LINE OF ENGINEERING AND THOSE TYPE OF AREAS. 
          I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY HAVE MUCH, UM, EXPERIENCE ON THAT. 
          SO TO HOLD UP A PROJECT TO INFORM THE PUBLIC, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF A VERY THIN ASPECT. 
          MY SECOND POINT IS ON 1 0 2, YOU MENTIONED THREE OR MORE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL MAY OBJECT TO THE DELAY OF THE CANCELLATION RE REDESIGN OR ALTERATION, UM, BY FILING A WRITTEN OBJECTION WITH THE SECRETARY. 
          TO ME, THAT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF DETAILED INFORMATION, UM, IN REGARDS TO IF IT'S A PROJECT IN A CERTAIN DISTRICT. 
          UH, AS TO THAT, I DON'T KNOW. 
          I MEAN, I, I GET THE GIST OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO, BUT I THINK THE PURPOSE IS MY CONCERN. 
          WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? YOU SAY TRANSPARENCY. 
          SO WHAT'S THE PURPOSE? BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF THE DELAY, JUST TRYING TO GO THROUGH PEOPLE TO GET THE PROPER INFORMATION, WHO GETS THE INFORMATION, THE TIMEFRAME THEY GET IT, AND THEN HOW LONG IS THAT GOING TO TAKE TO PROCEED WITH THE PROJECT? AND, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          SURE. 
          UM, AGAIN, UH, THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO, UH, CAUSE DELAY AND, AND THAT IS SET OUT IN THE AMENDMENTS. 
          THE WORK IS GONNA CONTINUE AND, AND YES. 
          YOU KNOW, THINGS HAPPEN. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT, THAT CAUSE DELAYS IN CONSTRUCTION OR IN A PROJECT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THIS ISN'T GONNA CHANGE THAT. 
          AND, AND THIS, UM, UH, CONTEMPLATES THAT IN 1 0 1 A, THE LAST SENTENCE IS THE REPORT SHALL INCLUDE THE REASON FOR AN ESTIMATED LENGTH OF ANY DELAY. 
          SO IN, IN, IN THAT SITUATION, IN DISTRICT G AND I, AND I'M, I'M SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, WITH THAT PROJECT, THE REASON FOR THE DELAY IS THE COMPANY WENT, WENT BANKRUPT, WENT BANKRUPT, AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY AVAILABLE TO DO THE WORK AT THIS TIME. 
          YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. 
          UH, BUT, BUT THAT INFORMATION 
          [01:55:02]
CAN BE VERY HELPFUL, UH, TO THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER AND, AND THE CONSTITUENTS TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, PEOPLE SEE THINGS NOT BEING DONE AND, AND THEY WANNA KNOW WHY. 
          SO, SO THIS PART OF THE, PART OF THE REASON BEHIND THIS IS TO GIVE THAT, GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION CAN, THAT THEY, THEY, THE CONSTITUENTS DEFINITELY NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          BUT I, BUT THAT WOULD BE, OF COURSE, THE, THE DISTRICT COUNCIL PERSON IN CONJUNCTION WITH PUBLIC WORKS SHOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND PROVIDED DIRECTLY TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS. 
          THAT'S ALL I WAS ALERT TO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I AGREE. 
          THEY, THEY, THEY SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION AND I DON'T THINK THEY ALWAYS DO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU VICE CHAIR CASTILLO. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          AND, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR YOUR, YOUR WORK ON THIS. 
          UM, I DO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. 
          AND, AND I JUST WANNA CLARIFY A COUPLE THINGS AS WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AROUND THE HORSESHOE, UM, YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS THAT NOT NECESSARILY HAVE BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR MANY YEARS AND MAY HAVE BEEN DELAYED FOR SOME REASON, OR TRYING TO DELAY A PROJECT THAT HAS GONE THROUGH NUMEROUS STEPS. 
          YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PROJECT THAT'S EITHER COMPLETED AND THEN IS QUICKLY BEING REDESIGNED OR REMOVED, OR A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND IS NOW BEING PAUSED TO GET REDESIGNED AND, AND BEING ABLE TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND TO THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER? I, I THINK IT INCLUDES BOTH OF THOSE. 
          YEAH, IT'S BOTH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND, AND I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SOME PROJECTS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN QUICKLY EXPEDITED AND CAN BE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANT INFORMATION, AND THAT INFORMATION HAS COME AFTER THE FACT. 
          AND SO THIS IS ABOUT GETTING THEM INFORMATION ON THE FRONT END ABOUT WHY THAT'S HAPPENING OR HOW MUCH IT COSTS, OR WHERE THAT THAT MONEY IS COMING FROM THAT'S PAYING FOR IT. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? YES. 
          I THINK THAT'S PART OF IT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THEN ON 1.02, WITH THREE MEMBERS OF COUNSEL OBJECTING TO THE DELAY, SO THE, THE WRITTEN OBJECTION FILED WITH THE CITY SECRETARY, THAT ALONE WON'T STOP ANYTHING FROM HAPPENING. 
          CORRECT. 
          THAT, THAT JUST GIVES, UM, THREE MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL AND THE FULL COUNSEL CAN HEAR IT OUT. 
          AND IF COMPANY'S GONE BANKRUPT, THEN, UH, THE FULL COUNSEL CAN SAY, WE COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, UH, THE REASON FOR THE DELAY, YOU KNOW, NO PROBLEM. 
          THAT'S IF THEY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE COMPANY GOING BANKRUPT LIKE THAT. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF, THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE. 
          RIGHT, RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, AND THERE COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES, YOU KNOW, LEGITIMATE REASONS. 
          SO YEAH, WE'LL LET COUNCIL DECIDE. 
          AND, AND I THINK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MAKING SURE, ESPECIALLY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE INFORMATION UPFRONT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE GET THE EMAILS, WE GET THE CALLS, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW. 
          AND IF WE'RE SAYING, WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK, WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE, THE WORK IS BEING DONE. 
          UH, THEY'RE LOOKING TO US FOR THAT, FOR THAT INFORMATION. 
          SO I DO APPRECIATE HELPING US BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT ON THE FRONT END AS THESE THINGS HAPPEN. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS AS WELL. 
          VICE MAYOR PROM, PET, THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR YOUR WORK ON THESE ITEMS. UM, FOR 1.01, UM, FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE STAFFERS MANY YEARS AGO, WE USED TO HAVE A PROGRAM. 
          IT WAS THE CIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. 
          IT WAS THE C-I-P-M-S, AND IT WAS BASICALLY THE PROGRAM THAT PUBLIC WORKS USED WHERE THEY PUT IN ALL THE INFORMATION ON EVERY SINGLE PROJECT IN EVERYONE'S DISTRICT. 
          AND IT WAS DONE, IT WAS UPDATED CONSTANTLY. 
          YOU KNOW, AS ANYTHING HAPPENED, THE ENGINEERS OR THE, UM, PEOPLE DOING THE CONSTRUCTION, THEY WOULD GO AND INPUT EVERYTHING. 
          AND THEN OVER THE YEARS, THAT SYSTEM KIND OF WENT AWAY WITH BUILDING HOUSTON FORWARD AND ALL OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY HAS. 
          SO I THINK IT'S REASONABLE IF WE JUST BRING BACK SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE THINGS ARE JUST CONSTANTLY UPDATED. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT WHEN WE ASK PUBLIC WORKS A QUESTION FOR AN UPDATE, THEY WOULD LOOK AT THAT SYSTEM AND CONSULT IT. 
          SO I THINK THAT IT'S REASONABLE THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN, WHERE WE COULD JUST SEE AT ANY MOMENT IN TIME, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS HAPPENING, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS RECREATING SOMETHING FOR EVERY, EVERY MONTH AND SENDING THINGS TO PEOPLE. 
          I THINK IF IT WAS JUST IN A SYSTEM LIKE THAT, WE COULD EASILY LOOK AND BE UPDATED, UM, IN REAL TIME. 
          UM, FOR 1.02. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING THREE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS OBJECT TO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALREADY DO THAT WITH PROP A. 
          WE COULD PUT FORWARD, YOU KNOW, AN 
          [02:00:01]
ORDINANCE THAT BASICALLY SAYS, THIS PROJECT NEED, YOU KNOW, SHALL MOVE FORWARD OR, YOU KNOW, OR A DELAY OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. 
          WE CAN ALREADY DO THAT WITH PROP A. 
          SO I THINK THAT THIS IS JUST KIND OF CODIFYING THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S AN, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE AVENUE FOR PURSUING THAT. 
          SO I DON'T THINK IT REALLY CHANGES ANYTHING NECESSARILY WITH OUR CURRENT SYSTEM OTHER THAN HIGHLIGHTING A SPECIFIC MECHANISM FOR PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA. 
          UM, AND THEN 1.03, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOMETIMES WHERE, UM, PUBLIC WORKS ISN'T PLANNING ON HOLDING A MEETING FOR A PROJECT, AND AT OUR REQUEST THEY DO HOLD MEETINGS. 
          UM, BUT I THINK THAT THIS JUST SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE ASK FOR THAT MEETING, THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE IT. 
          YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO HAVE THE MEETING, AND I GET THAT. 
          UM, BUT 'CAUSE IT COULD ADD UP TO A LOT OF MEETINGS, BUT I THINK IT JUST MAKES SURE THAT WHEN WE ASK FOR THAT MEETING, THEY HAVE TO SAY YES TO IT. 
          SO I'M IN FAVOR OF ALL OF THE ITEMS. UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S WAY TO WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT FIRST ONE SPECIFICALLY. 
          AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE COMMENTS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND, AND FOR SHARING YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR EXPERIENCES. 
          YOU'VE, YOU'VE BEEN AROUND HERE, THIS IS YOUR SECOND TERM, AND I KNOW THE FIRST TERM WAS DIFFICULT AT TIMES. 
          AND SO, UH, APPRECIATE HAVING THE BENEFIT OF YOUR EXPERIENCES. 
          UH, ON, ON 1 0 3, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT IT DOES NOT COMPEL THE ADMINISTRATION TO COME FORWARD AND PROVIDE INFORMATION. 
          UM, BUT CERTAINLY IF ONE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANTS TO HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING ON A PROJECT, UM, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL TRIGGER THE ADMINISTRATION TO ALSO PARTICIPATE AND, UH, PROVIDE INFORMATION, UH, SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN HEAR AND, AND OFFER COMMENT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT, UH, CIP MS, I'VE, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT AS WELL. 
          UH, I, AND I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S A WAY TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THIS, UM, UH, AND THAT THEY'RE NOT INCONSISTENT. 
          SO, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER HAMAN. 
          YEAH, VERY QUICKLY, JUST TO EMPHASIZE WHAT MY DISTRICT COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID IN TERMS OF THIS INFORMATION SHOULD ALREADY BE AVAILABLE. 
          I WON'T SPEAK FOR EVERY DISTRICT. 
          SOME OF US ARE NOT GETTING THIS INFORMATION. 
          UM, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE READ IN THE NEWS ABOUT CHANGES, UH, TO PROJECTS OR THE REMOVAL OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS RECENTLY PUT IN TO THE COST OF SOMETIMES 10 TIMES MORE THAN THE COST OF WHAT IT TOOK TO PUT IN. 
          AND AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE BEING CALLED UPON TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, WHICH IS OUR DUTY, UM, WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GETTING THE INFORMATION BEFORE IT STARTS. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, NOT TO PUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO ON THE SPOT, UM, BUT THERE WAS A DISCUSSION LAST WEEK AS IT PERTAINS TO ANOTHER PROJECT IN THE DISTRICT, UH, IN HIS DISTRICT THAT WAS, UH, A FEDERAL GRANT THAT THE CITY HAD TO PUT MONEY TOWARDS. 
          BUT THERE'S STILL OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS UNLESS COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, SINCE THAT TIME, YOU'VE RECEIVED ALL OF THOSE ANSWERS. 
          BUT I KNOW CONSTRUCTION HAS ALREADY BEGUN AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE TO REIMBURSE FOR THAT FEDERAL GRANT, WHAT, HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST, UH, TO INSTALL NEW, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE OF THAT. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS, EVEN THOUGH CONSTRUCTION HAS ALREADY BEGUN, BEGUN, AND THE DEPARTMENT KNEW WELL IN ADVANCE THAT THAT WORK WAS GOING TO TAKE PLACE. 
          SO THERE ARE INSTANCES WHEN, AND I'LL SPEAK FOR DISTRICT C, WE HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, COSTS THAT WE HAVE ASKED QUESTIONS ON AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED TIMELY INFORMATION ON. 
          AND THAT'S, AGAIN, NOT TO POINT FINGERS. 
          IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS SYSTEM FIXES. 
          BUT THIS IS ABOUT ENSURING THAT AS A CITY, AND AS AT LEAST FOR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE ARE BEING GIVEN SUFFICIENT NOTICE TO CHANGES IN SCOPE THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, WHEN WE'VE WORKED ON DIFFERENT SWAT PROJECTS, OKAY, THAT WE APPROVE THAT IF THE SCOPE CHANGED OR THERE WAS A MODIFICATION, I WOULD EXPECT TO BE ALERTED TO THAT PRIOR TO THAT BEING FINALIZED OR IT BEING SECURED. 
          AND THAT'S, I THINK WHAT COME THIS PART OF THIS COMES DOWN TO AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, SO THAT GOES BACK TO MY POINT THAT THIS SHOULD BE MORE TA UH, NARROWLY FOCUSED. 
          UM, ONE, IF IT'S CDSF PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY FUNDED, THEN YES, THEN THERE SHOULD BE A RESTRICTION AND A CERTAIN TYPE OF TRIGGER TO GO BACK BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE DIRECTED THEIR FUNDS. 
          IF THIS, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, IT JUST CAN'T BE THE, THE BLANKET. 
          I THINK CDSF IS DEFINITELY, THERE SHOULD BE A LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION BECAUSE YOU WORK SO HARD TO GO THROUGH THE VETTING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THESE PROJECTS, TO ACTUALLY GET THEM ON YOUR BOOKS TO DO THAT. 
          SO YES, I'M IN AGREEMENT, BUT 
          [02:05:01]
I THINK IT GOES BACK TO MY ORIGINAL REQUEST. 
          WE NEED TO REALLY DRILL THIS DOWN. 
          UM, AND, AND THEN I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, LET'S JUST GO TO BISSONNET. 
          THAT'S A $28 MILLION PROJECT. 
          THE, THE CITY PUTS IN $7 MILLION OF MATCHING FUNDS. 
          IT'S SEVEN MILES, THREE DISTRICTS. 
          THE OCR WAS SUBMITTED IN 2024, RIGHT? EARLY OUT THE GATE. 
          AND SO THEN WHEN DOES THIS MEETING HAPPEN? RIGHT? IS IT AT THE OCR PORTION WHEN THE DESIGN AND ALL THE CONCEPTS ARE DONE, WHEN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT'S DONE FOR OVER 18 MONTHS, WHEN DOES THAT MEETING HAPPEN? AT 1.03, I WOULD BE SHOCKED AND APPALLED IF THERE WAS A MEETING TO INTERRUPT BINET OUT THE BLUE. 
          AND THEN, BECAUSE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION'S IMPORTANT, AND HUMAN NATURE IS, ALTHOUGH ON THE ON PRINT IT SAYS THE, THE PROJECT WILL NOT STALL. 
          PUBLIC WORKS WILL STALL BECAUSE THEY'RE WAITING. 
          THERE'S THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE POSTED A MEETING TO SAY, WE WANNA HEAR WHAT THE PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY. 
          PEOPLE, THAT'S JUST HUMAN NATURE. 
          THEY'RE GONNA STALL UP. 
          AND SO I, I THINK IF WE CAN GET THIS TO THE FULL COUNCIL THAT HAS A MORE GUIDANCE AROUND WHICH PROJECTS THAT INFORMS COUNCIL MEMBERS ON WHAT TOOLS THEY HAVE, I'M VERY CLEAR, I WON'T BE HERE FOREVER, BUT PUBLIC, I DON'T DEPEND ON PUBLIC WORKS TO HOST ANY INFRASTRUCTURE MEETING IN DISTRICT F. 
          WE RUN THE TRAPS ON THAT. 
          WE BRING IT OUT, WE HOST IT, WE BRING THE UPDATES, WE BLOW UP THE MAPS, WE SAY, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING, THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT. 
          NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHO COMES BEHIND ME. 
          SO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TOOLS ON THE BOOKS FOR WHOEVER, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER TO LEVERAGE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC AS THEY NEED TO. 
          BUT I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE THESE TYPES OF DESIGNS, YOU GOTTA ALSO START AT THE OCR PROCESS. 
          THIS DOES NOT INFORM IF THIS IS ALREADY AT A COUNCIL ACTION, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE WORK THAT GOES BEFORE THIS EVEN COMES UP TO START. 
          UM, SO WE CAN HAVE, UH, UH, COHESIVE COMMUNICATION. 
          IF THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS HOSTED A COMMUNITY MEETING WITH THE PROJECT THAT WAS ALREADY ON THE STREET, YOU'RE GONNA CREATE EVEN MORE CONFUSION, EVEN MORE. 
          AND THEY'RE ALREADY CONFUSED AND YOU CAN COMMUNICATE FOR 12 MONTHS STRAIGHT. 
          AND THEY STILL DON'T KNOW. 
          THEY JUST KNOW THAT THERE'S CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING. 
          THE PROJECT HAS STOPPED, AND THEN NOW THERE'S A MEETING, IT'S POSTED ON THE AGENDA AND EVERYONE'S ON HIGH ALERT. 
          SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH LIKE THE REALITIES OF WHAT'S, OF HOW WE REALLY DO THIS AND THE, THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF WHAT THIS MEANS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO WEAKEN THE TRUST OF GOVERNMENT OR OUR OFFICES ACTUALLY GETTING THIS DONE? I THINK SO I WOULD SUPPORT IF THIS WAS CDSF RELATED. 
          'CAUSE IF I HAD A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PROJECT THAT I PUT MY MONEY ON THE STREET AND IT WAS INTERRUPTED, I WOULD RIGHT. 
          SOMEONE NEEDS TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT. 
          SO IF THIS WAS THAT RELATED, THEN YES, BUT JUST ALL PROJECTS, I, I, I CAN'T SUPPORT THAT IN, IN THE WHOLE, WELL, AGAIN, IT, IT REFERS TO CITY REVENUE, WHICH INCLUDES CDSF FUNDS. 
          UM, AND REGARDING THE MEETING, UM, YOU KNOW, IT SPEAKS TO ONE OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS HOLDING A PUBLIC MEETING AT WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION MAY PROVIDE. 
          UM, SO THE, THE, THE, UH, HONEST RIGHT THERE IS ON THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO HAVE THE MEETING. 
          WE'RE NOT REQUIRING THE ADMINISTRATION TO HAVE THE MEETING. 
          WE ARE ACTING TO HOLD THE MEETING. 
          AND, UM, HOPEFULLY THE ADMINISTRATION WILL, WILL, UH, BE THERE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, ON CITY REVENUE, WE CAN, WE CAN, UH, ADJUST THAT. 
          THE, THE VOTE THAT, UH, HOPEFULLY WILL OCCUR IN THIS COMMITTEE IS TO ADVANCE IT, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND TO KEEP, UM, UH, TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT AND TO MAKE ADDITIONAL CHANGES IF COUNCIL MEMBERS FEEL THAT THEY ARE NEEDED. 
          I, I DO NOT AGREE THAT, UM, MERELY FILING AN OBJECTION IS GONNA MAKE PUBLIC WORKS STOP WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THEIR TRACKS. 
          I, I, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AT ALL. 
          HAVE PROJECT. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY, YOU GUYS, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW THIS IS SUPPOSED TO PLAY OUT. 
          ALL THIS FEEDBACK IS GREAT, AND I'D LIKE TO NOW GO TO THE PUBLIC, ANY SPEAKERS THAT ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE TRANSPARENCY ORDINANCES. 
          BEFORE WE DO TAKE A VOTE, START WITH REUBEN GARZA. 
          WE DO HAVE A NUMBER, SO TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF. 
          MAXIMUM TWO MINUTES. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          FOR SURE. 
          CHECK ONE. 
          ALL RIGHT, COOL. 
          UH, HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS RUBEN GARZA. 
          I AM A LOCAL CONVERSATION LEADER FOR A GROUP CALLED STRONG TOWNS HOUSTON. 
          WE ARE THE HOUSTON CHAPTER OF A NATIONAL NONPROFIT, STRONG TOWNS, AND WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAVE INDICATED OUR SUPPORT AND ARE STILL IN SUPPORT 
          [02:10:01]
OF THE TRANSPARENCY ORDINANCE. 
          AND IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYONE HERE ON THIS COMMITTEE SEEMS TO AGREE THAT SOME LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY IS REQUIRED. 
          UH, OUR ORGANIZATION, UH, PUSHES FOR TRANSPARENCY IN LOCAL ACCOUNTING TO MAKE SURE WHERE WE KNOW OUR DEVELOPMENT DOLLARS ARE GOING, SO THAT WAY WE CAN PROMOTE A MORE PRODUCTIVE USE OF CITY FUNDS. 
          IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN HERE ABOUT POTENTIAL DELAYS, BUT I THINK AS COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ HAS POINTED OUT, IF THERE'S A CHANGE TO A PROJECT, IT GOES ON A REPORT, UH, THERE'S NO INDICATION. 
          THERE APPEARS TO BE NO INDICATION FROM THE WRITTEN TEXT, AND I UNDERSTAND SOME IMPLICATIONS, BUT THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED LATER ON. 
          BUT THERE WILL NOT BE A HOLDING UP OF A PROJECT. 
          THIS IS A SIMPLE REPORTING REQUIREMENT THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE CITY AT LARGE, AND TO THE RESIDENT CONSTITUENTS WHO CAN VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT ANY, UH, PROPOSED CANCELLATION DELAYS OR ANY SORT OF INTERRUPTIONS AS A COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN IS POINTING OUT EARLIER, PARTICULARLY ON, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, WERE POINTING OUT PARTICULARLY ON COMPLETED PROJECTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO REVISION. 
          THAT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT, IT'S AT THAT STAGE WHERE RESIDENTS HAVE THE MOST CONCERN, WHERE THERE'S RELIABLE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR YEARS, MONTHS, HOWEVER LONG THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN GETS RIPPED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. 
          THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT IN TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS, UH, HAVE THE MOST COMMUNICATION AND THE MOST FEEDBACK AND THE MOST INFORMATION FROM THE CITY ITSELF. 
          I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE GREAT RELATIONS WITH THE CITY AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO GET THIS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATE TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS, BUT NOT ALL OF US ARE LUCKY TO HAVE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS LIKE THAT. 
          UH, THAT'S NOTHING TO ANYONE ON THIS PANEL. 
          LET ME BE VERY CLEAR. 
          SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE LEFT IN THE DARK. 
          SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, DON'T RECEIVE INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER OR RECEIVE IT AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE, AND CAN'T RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. 
          THIS CREATES AN INSTITUTIONALIZED PROCESS FOR TRANSPARENCY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS WHY IT'S NEEDED AND WHY IT NEEDS TO GET TO THE FULL, UH, COUNCIL. 
          THANK YOU, RUBEN. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. 
          NEXT, LISA HUNT TO BE FOLLOWED BY FELIX KAPO. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I WANNA COMMEND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR BRINGING FORTH THESE, UH, TRANSPARENCY AMENDMENTS. 
          I THINK TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN CITY GOVERNMENT OF HOUSTON IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, AND I THINK IT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT AROUND THE ISSUE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CIP PROJECTS IN TERMS OF WHERE THE SOURCES OF INCOME ARE AND THE LENGTH OF TIME OF THESE PROJECTS. 
          I AGREE THAT OUR, UM, WE WISELY DRAW ON MULTIPLE SOURCES. 
          UM, I'M WONDERING IF THE PUBLIC WORKS MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN WITHIN THE TOOL THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK IS REFERRING TO ADDITIONAL COLUMNS THAT MIGHT INDICATE, UM, WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR A PARTICULAR PROJECT, AND ONE WAS IT INSTIGATED THAT WAY. 
          YOU'D HAVE A HISTORY BEFORE YOU. 
          I THINK THAT THE OTHER REASON THAT THIS, UM, THESE TRANSPARENCY AMENDMENTS ARE IMPORTANT IS A BALANCE OF POWER AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          I THINK IN OUR STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN THIS AREA OF, UM, PUBLIC WORKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS ARE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, THE COUNCIL HAS A CRITICAL ROLE IN THAT. 
          AND I THINK YOUR, UH, INPUT IS SOMETIMES INCLUDED, BUT ALSO WOULD NOT ALWAYS. 
          AND SO I THINK THAT THIS TRANSPARENCY ORDINANCE PROVIDES A VEHICLE FOR THE COUNCIL TO EXERCISE A CHECK AND BALANCE ON, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ALLOW CITIZENS TO KNOW HOW THEIR MONEY IS BEING SPENT. 
          I THINK IT'S ABOUT STEWARDSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          THANK YOU POINT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          POINT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, POINT OF ORDER OR POINT OF INQUIRY. 
          UM, I KNOW WE'RE VERY SHORTLY ABOUT TO LOSE QUORUM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE EAGER TO AT LEAST VOTE THESE OUT SO THAT THEY CAN COME TO THE FULL BODY. 
          I WANNA BE VERY RESPECTFUL OF PUBLIC COMMENT, RIGHT? BUT IS THERE, COULD WE, COULD I CALL THE VOTES? THERE'S SEVERAL MORE SPEAKERS, BUT WHAT, YEAH, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON, ON AND THEN WE STILL WANNA HEAR, BUT AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE AMENDMENTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THE FULL BODY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE FURTHER ENGAGEMENT ON IT AS WELL. 
          I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT. 
          AND WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, UM, PAUSE, PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          WE'RE GONNA GET BACK TO YOU. 
          AND THIS VOTE IS JUST TO, IN THAT SHOW, SHOW THAT THIS BO THIS BODY IS IN FAVOR OF ADVANCING THESE MEASURES TO THE FULL CO FOR FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION. 
          SO WE'LL TAKE UP THIS, UH, RAMIREZ FIRST CIP AMENDMENT 1 0 1. 
          HE'S ALREADY LAID IT OUT. 
          UM, MAY I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. 
          SECOND. 
          HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          OPPOSED? NO MEASURE PASSES. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          NEXT WE'LL HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. 
          UM, 
          [02:15:01]
BRIEFLY LAY OUT HER AMENDMENT AND TAKE THE SAME VOTE. 
          YES. 
          UH, COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, THIS COUNT. 
          UH, THIS AMENDMENT, UH, IMPROVES AND STRENGTHENS THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT AND, UH, REQUIRE REPLENISHMENT WITHIN 365 DAYS. 
          UH, AS DISCUSSED, I WOULD MOVE, UH, FOR A VOTE. 
          SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          OPPOSE OR ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          OPPOSE, NO. 
          MOTION CARRIES. 
          AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          UM, SO EVERY YEAR I OFFER A CIP AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE WAY WE EVALUATE WHICH PROJECTS GET FUNDED. 
          THE CURRENT PROCESS IS FLAWED AND INHERENTLY LEAVES CERTAIN AREAS BEHIND THE CITY USES A WORSE FIRST APPROACH TO DETERMINE CIP PROJECTS THROUGH THE D-D-S-R-F. 
          AND I SUPPORT THIS METHOD AND DO NOT AT ALL WANT TO MOVE AWAY FROM DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING. 
          UM, SHIFTING AWAY FROM THE DATA INVITES TOO MUCH SUBJECTIVITY. 
          AND THERE WAS A GOOD REASON WHY WE MOVED AWAY, WHY WE MOVED TO THE SYSTEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. 
          HOWEVER, THE WAY WE DEFINE AND PRIORITIZE WORSE FIRST IS NOT WORKING AS INTENDED. 
          RIGHT NOW, THE MOST CRITICAL PROJECTS ARE PUT ON A LIST WHERE THEY MUST COMPETE AGAINST, UM, ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS FOR THE LIMITED RESOURCES. 
          AND AS A RESULT, THE VERY WORST PROJECTS, OFTEN THE MOST EXPENSIVE ONES NEVER MOVE FORWARD. 
          WHY SPEND $100 MILLION ON THE MOST SEVERELY FLOODED AREA WHEN YOU CAN SPEND $50 MILLION ON A PROJECT WHERE FLOODING IS SLIGHTLY LESS SEVERE? FROM A FISCAL PERSPECTIVE, THAT CHOICE IS UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT IT STILL LEAVES THE $100 MILLION PROJECT UNATTENDED TO THE FUNDING FORMULA ALSO RESULTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF HOUSTON RECEIVING DISPROPORTIONATE SHARES OF PROJECTS WHILE OTHERS CONSISTENTLY LOSE OUT. 
          WE NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE FORMULA TO ENSURE FAIRNESS. 
          SO FUNDING IS MORE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE CITY, AND SO THAT OUR MOST SEVERELY IMPACTED AREAS FINALLY GET THE ATTENTION THAT THEY DESERVE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, WE SHOULD BUILD A MECHANISM INTO THE PROCESS THAT KEEPS PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD. 
          THIS WOULD HELP AVOID SITUATIONS WHERE FUNDS SIT UNUSED. 
          WHILE URGENT NEEDS ARE UNMET. 
          IF A PROJECT CANNOT ADVANCE ITS DESIGNATED FISCAL IN ADVANCE, IN ITS DESIGNATED FISCAL YEAR, THERE SHOULD BE OTHER SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS READY TO GO. 
          REEXAMINING THE PROCESS CAN HELP US ACHIEVE THIS CONTINU, CONTINUANT CONTINUENCY AND CAN'T SPEAK AND PREVENT UNNECESSARY DELAYS. 
          SO THIS, UM, CIP AMENDMENT BASICALLY JUST, UM, DETERMINES OR CREATES A WORKING GROUP TO DETERMINE THE FAIR WAY OF MOVING FORWARD. 
          THOMAS, MOVE SECOND. 
          ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          OPPOSED? NO. 
          MOTION CARRIES. 
          GREAT. 
          ALL THREE OF THESE WILL BE, UM, ADVANCED TO THE FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OR THIS, THIS BODY DESIRES THAT THEY BE MOVED FORWARD FOR THE FULL, FOR FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION. 
          REAL HATE TO RUSH THOSE LAST TWO. 
          I REALLY APOLOGIZE, BUT UNDERSTAND WE HAD A VERY LENGTHY MEETING AND NOW WE'LL CONTINUE WITH PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          UM, NEXT, FELIX FELIX KAPO. 
          DON'T SEE HIM. 
          OH, HE IS. 
          I DO SEE YOU. 
          THERE YOU ARE. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF. 
          HELLO. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          UM, HERE TO SPEAK ON COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S, UH, I GUESS NOW CIP AMENDMENT. 
          WHAT ONCE WERE BUDGET AMENDMENTS? UM, I WONDER COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, ONE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU THAT YOU CAN LIKE TAKE OFFLINE IS WHAT DO YOU THINK OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS' IDEA OF INCLUDING THE ACTUAL DISTRICT MEMBER, UH, OR DISTRICT COUNSELOR IN THAT SORT OF THREE BODY SCENARIO? UM, AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER PIECE WAS I DO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE CONCERNS ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED, BUT I DO THINK THERE ARE VERY STRONG PIECES THAT LIKE EITHER COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ CAN TAKE OUT OR, UM, OTHER THAT PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE CONSENSUS ON AFTER HEARING Y'ALL DISCUSS SUCH AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, BEING FRANK COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, LIKE YOU HAD NO CHOICE IN WHAT HAPPENED ON SHEPHERD WITH THAT PROJECT BEING STOPPED. 
          SO SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAVE REALLY, REALLY HELPED YOU ON, ON THAT PROJECT. 
          OR LIKE SOME OF THE BIKE LANES THAT HAVE BEEN REMOVED MUCH, MUCH AGAINST PUBLIC, UH, PUBLIC WANT ALL BECAUSE OF KIND OF LIKE WHOEVER'S CLOSE TO THE MAYOR'S EAR IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FROM THE OUTSIDE. 
          ALSO, UM, THE FACT THAT EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT MIGHT GET REPORTS, UM, WITH MORE DETAILED INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN THEN SHARE WITH THEIR CONSTITUENCY OR THAT THEY CAN THEN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS ON, UH, AS WELL AS, UM, MAYBE IN THIS, THIS WHOLE PROP A COMMITTEE IS TERRIBLE. 
          IT GOES AGAINST THE CITY CHARTER. 
          WE'RE BASICALLY BREAKING THE LAW. 
          [02:20:01]
LIKE IF WE CAN WRITE IN HERE MAYBE THAT IF THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS GET TOGETHER IT BI IT CAN BYPASS THE COMMITTEE AND JUST GO STRAIGHT TO COUNCIL BECAUSE THAT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT THE LETTER OF THE LAW SH SAID, AND THAT'S WHAT THE VOTERS VOTED ON. 
          AND RIGHT NOW THE MAYOR HAS INSTITUTED A COUNCIL FOR THAT TO GO TO BEFORE IT COMES TO CITY COUNCIL. 
          AND I THINK THAT REALLY IMPEDES THE PROGRESS AND CONTINUES TO LIMIT THE POWER OF COUNCIL, UM, AS INDIVIDUALS AND REALLY JUST CONTINUES TO PUSH FORWARD A STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM. 
          UM, AND IT WAS REALLY CONCERNING THAT WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN HAD SAID, AND I GUESS ALLUDED TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN DISTRICT H TWO THAT LIKE, SOME OF THIS INFORMATION ISN'T EVEN GETTING TO COUNSEL PEOPLE. 
          SO Y'ALL ARE FEELING THE CALLS BUT NOT REALLY DOING ANYTHING, HAVING ANY OF THE INFORMATION TO LIKE GIVE TO YOUR CONSTITUENCY. 
          AND LAST POINT, IF I MAY, UM, YEAH, ACTUALLY I JUST MADE MY LAST POINT. 
          SO THANK YOU FELIX, THAT REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. 
          NEXT SPEAKER IS IRA. 
          TARIQ, SHE'S NOT HERE, NOT SHE WAS GONNA BE VIRTUAL IRA. 
          TARIQ, UH, SHE'S NOT. 
          OKAY. 
          NEXT. 
          JACK VALINSKI. 
          I DO SEE YOU HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALICE. 
          JUST HAVE ALICE DOWN. 
          SORRY. 
          THE CLOCK IS FIXED. 
           THE CLOCK IS FIXED. 
          YES. 
          SOMETIMES THINGS WORK. 
          SO MONTROSE OR BOULEVARD IMPROVEMENTS, MONTROSE, SAFE STREET ROUTES, WA DRIVE BIKE LANE, CATS CROSSWALK, WESTHEIMER RE PAVEMENT, WEST ALABAMA RECONSTRUCTION, MONTROSE PRIDE CROSSWALK. 
          SOME OF THESE WE HAD PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH AND WE MADE SUGGESTIONS. 
          SOME OF THEM WERE JUST DONE. 
          BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THE MAYOR HAS A SHARPIE IN CHANGES THINGS THAT WE HAVE THE INPUTS. 
          NONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE TURS, MONTROSE TURS OVER THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, NOTHING WAS DONE. 
          IT WAS JUST WHATEVER THE MAYOR WANTS. 
          THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. 
          WE NEED TO HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE WE HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS, NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE INPUTS, THEN IT COMES BACK TO US. 
          WHAT HAPPENED? WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT. 
          WE SHOULD IN THE MIDDLE OF A PROJECT, HAVE SOMETHING CHANGED. 
          MONTROSE BOULEVARD COST A YEAR AND AN EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS AT LEAST. 
          AND WE GOT A MUCH POORER PROJECT THAN WHAT WE HAD ASKED FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. 
          COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS SO IMPORTANT. 
          THE, THE, UM, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH METRO, WHICH IS COMING FROM THE MAYOR, WE KNOW IT'S COMING FROM THE MAYOR. 
          THERE'S NO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. 
          THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. 
          WHY DID WE REDO TEXAS AVENUE WHEN NO BUSES GO ALONG, UH, TEXAS AVENUE FOR METRO? WHY DID METRO PAY FOR THAT? I'D STILL LIKE TO KNOW WHERE METRO'S GETTING THAT MONEY TO DO ALL THESE PROJECTS. 
          BECAUSE METRO'S SUPPOSED TO BE DOING TRANSPORTATION, NOT REAVING STREETS FOR THE CITY. 
          IF WE NEED MONEY, WE NEED TO RAISE TAXES, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT. 
          WE SHOULDN'T BE STEALING MONEY FROM OTHER AGENCIES. 
          BUT TO GET BACK TO THIS, WE NEED TO HAVE MORE TRANSPARENCY. 
          THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS UP. 
          I KNOW IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE INPUT THAT YOU ALLOWED US TO GIVE YOU A COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE IT'S NOT JUST THE MAYOR THAT USES A SHARPIE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU JACK. 
          REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. 
          NEXT, ALICE, SORRY, I SHOULD KNOW YOUR LAST NAME. 
          YOU COME A LOT. 
          IT JUST WASN'T PUT DOWN, BUT STATE YOUR NAME AND GO AHEAD. 
          HI, MY NAME'S ALICE LIU. 
          UM, I'M, I'M HERE ALSO IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S PROPOSAL. 
          UM, OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS UNDER THE CURRENT CITY ADMINISTRATION, TRANSPARENCY, COOPERATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY BETWEEN CITY DEPARTMENTS AND THE PUBLIC HAVE TAKEN A MAJOR HIT. 
          UM, MY ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN, HAS RELIED ON A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH PUBLIC WORKS FOR FOUR YEARS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS AND HOW BEST TO ADVOCATE FOR BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          BUT BECAUSE OF DEPARTMENTAL RESTRUCTURING AND A SHIFT IN THE WILLINGNESS TO COLLABORATE UNDER THE WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION, IT'S BEEN VERY HARD FOR US TO GET INFORMATION THAT WE USED TO GET EASILY ABOUT THE STATUS OF PROJECTS, WORKS AND FINANCES. 
          UM, THE CAP AMENDMENTS, WE ARE HOPING WILL ALLOW BOTH CITY COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC TO BETTER EXERCISE OUR RIGHTS, UM, TO UNDERSTAND INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOW OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT. 
          AND ONCE AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO ADDRESS OUR CURRENT BASELINE, WHICH IS FREQUENT AND UNEXPECTED DELAYS AND NOT NECESSARILY TO FURTHER DELAY PROJECTS IN HOUSTON. 
          AS A PERSON BEFORE US, UH, BEFORE ME JUST SPOKE ON, THERE'S SUCH A LOW LEVEL OF TRUST BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE INFORMATION REQUESTED IN THESE AMENDMENTS SHOULD REALLY BE THE BASELINE. 
          UM, I WOULD PARTICULARLY EMPHASIZE MY SUPPORT FOR 1.01 B SO THAT THE INFORMATION, THIS REPORT, IT'S AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND NOT JUST TO COUNCIL. 
          UM, IT'S ELIMINATING THAT EXTRA STEP. 
          AND THEN LASTLY, ALONG THE LINES OF TRANSPARENCY, I WANTED TO 
          [02:25:01]
MAKE SOME SPECIFIC REQUESTS ABOUT INFORMATION. 
          IT'S BEEN VERY HARD FOR US TO GET FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DRAINAGE NUMBER ONE, THE PROJECT TRACTOR ON BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD WEBSITE. 
          THIS USED TO BE THE MAIN WAY THE PUBLIC COULD VIEW PAST AND CURRENT FLOOD PROJECTS THAT'S BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR MOST OF THIS YEAR. 
          UM, ALSO THE FLOOD RISK PORTION OF THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN. 
          UM, WE KNOW IT'S BEEN COMPLETED FOR, UH, ALMOST A YEAR NOW, BUT IT'S BEEN STALLED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE. 
          UM, UH, IF I COULD JUST FINISH REAL QUICK, UM, WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION, COMMUNITIES ARE UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE MASTER PLAN WILL IMPACT THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          ALSO TO ADDRESS COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S AMENDMENT. 
          THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN IS WHAT PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN SAYING WILL DO EXACTLY THE GOAL OF REVAMPING THE CIP PROCESS SO THAT IT'S MORE EQUITABLE, IT'S MORE EFFICIENT, UM, AND IT'S NOT UP TO SORT OF POLITICAL WHIMS. SO I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION FOR PECK. 
          IS YOUR AMENDMENT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN HAS ALREADY BEEN UNDER DEVELOPMENT? THERE'S ALREADY BEEN A LOT OF REALLY GREAT WORK PUT PUT INTO IT THAT I WOULD LOVE FOR COUNCIL TO GET, GET BEHIND THAT EXISTING PROCESS INSTEAD OF CREATING A WHOLE NOTHER COMMITTEE. 
          UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. 
          YES, ABSOLUTELY. 
          WE SHOULD USE ANY AND ALL AVAILABLE DATA TO DETERMINE, UM, HOW PROJECTS GET FUNDED AND WHICH PROJECTS GET FUNDED. 
          AND IN FACT, LA I THINK IT WAS THIS LAST CIP PROCESS OR TWO CIP PROCESSES AGO, I DIDN'T PUT FORWARD THIS AMENDMENT BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING THE STORM WATER MM-HMM . 
          PLAN. 
          AND SO I THINK THAT WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THAT DATA, BUT THEN HOW DO WE EXECUTE THAT DATA AND ACTUALLY PUT IT INTO WHICH PROJECTS GET FUNDED? MM-HMM . 
          BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GOING TO SHOW A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT ALL OF US HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR FOR YEARS AND YEARS, SAYING THIS PRO, YOU KNOW, THIS AREA FLOODS AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND NOW WE HAVE DATA TO SUPPORT THAT, BUT THEN IT'S STILL A MATTER OF THEN HOW DO WE GET THAT PROJECT MOVING FORWARD, UM, TO GET IT FUNDED AND EXECUTED. 
          SO YEAH, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT, UM, DATA. 
          YEAH, I, I THINK SO. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN, IT'S DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS. 
          THE FIRST SECTION IS A FLOOD RISK, WHICH IS REALLY JUST THE DATA. 
          THE SECOND SECTION IS VULNERABILITY, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE PUTTING TOGETHER THAT DATA TO ACTUALLY INFLUENCE PROJECT SELECTION. 
          MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE THAT CITY COUNCIL CAN HAVE MORE OF A, UH, OF INPUT IN. 
          OVERALL, I REALLY, I AGREE WITH THE CONCERN. 
          CIP IS A HUGE CONCERN FOR US. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE ALREADY ISN'T LOST. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, NEXT. 
          TANYA HUGHES. 
          TANYA HUGHES VIRTUAL. 
          WE DON'T SEE HER ONLINE. 
          NEXT, KEVIN STRICKLAND. 
          THANK Y'ALL FOR HANG HANGING IN THERE FOR MY WORDS OF WISDOM. 
          UM, THIS PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT FRUSTRATING, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU. 
          UM, LOOK, THE, I'M GONNA GO OFF SCRIPT. 
          I FEEL LIKE THE DISCUSSION THAT'S HAPPENING HAS DRIFTED WAY AWAY FROM THE INTENT OF THE TRANSPARENCY ORDINANCE. 
          SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS HAPPENING. 
          Y'ALL ARE, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF NEED FOR THE PERFECT BEING THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD. 
          I WISH THERE HAD BEEN THIS LEVEL OF DELIBERATION AROUND THE SCOOTER BAN BEFORE Y'ALL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO PASS IT. 
          UH, 'CAUSE THIS, THE TRANSPARENCY ORDINANCE IS SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT. 
          UM, IF COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WAS STILL HERE, I WOULD LIKE HER TO KNOW THAT THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE. 
          THE REASON THAT TRANSPARENCY ORDINANCE EXISTS IS BECAUSE THE MAYOR HAS UNILATERAL POWER TO SPEND WHAT HE WANTS WHEN HE WANTS, HOW HE WANTS ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. 
          WE KNOW HOUSTON HAS A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
          IT IS THE STRONGEST FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN THE US. 
          THE TRANSPARENCY ORDINANCE IS INTENDED TO REFORM THAT. 
          SO I WILL REMIND YOU THIS IS A LOW BAR FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING. 
          THIS IS NOT A HIGH BAR. 
          IT IS A LOW BAR THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO KNOW ABOUT THESE PROJECTS. 
          SECOND, I'M SHOCKED THAT CITY COUNCIL'S NOT MORE, UM, CONCERNED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF WASTE THAT'S HAPPENING. 
          SO TO MY EARLIER POINT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT THE MAYOR HAS PAUSED, CANCELED, RADICALLY CHANGED. 
          I SENT Y'ALL A LIST. 
          IT'S A LONG LIST THAT ALL CAME FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. 
          SO LET ME GIVE YOU SOME POINTERS ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COST TELEPHONE ROAD 489,000 FOR THE REDESIGN MONTROSE BOULEVARD, 400,000 HOUSTON AVENUE, A HUNDRED THOUSAND, A MILLION TO REMOVE IT. 
          WEST ALABAMA, 90,000 SHEPHERD, DURHAM, PHASE TWO, 203,000 FOR THE REDESIGN 
          [02:30:01]
WASHINGTON AVENUE. 
          6 MILLION TO REPAVE A ROAD THAT HAD NOT BEEN PROGRAMMED. 
          UH, MONTROSE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL. 
          THE MAYOR REMOVED 16 CROSSWALKS AND THREE, FOUR-WAY STOP SIGNS. 
          WHO DOES THAT? NO ENGAGEMENT AFTER THE COMMUNITY. 
          EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT WE NEEDED THAT SORT OF PROJECT. 
          THANK YOU KEVIN. 
          AND THAT'S BEEN SENT TO ALL OF US. 
          CORRECT. 
          SO YOU'VE SENT THAT TO THE, A LIST OF THAT? YEP. 
          YOU SENT A LIST. 
          IT'S AN AND IT'S AN INCOMPLETE LIST. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          'CAUSE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TRANSPARENCY, SO THAT'S THE WHOLE INTENT IS TO GET EYES ON THIS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE APP. 
          WE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I FEEL LIKE YOU'LL PROBABLY GET THEM AGAIN AT THE NEXT PUBLIC SESSION, SO THAT'S FINE. 
          YOU COME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COME EARLY AND OFTEN. 
          THANKS. 
          WE ALSO HAVE LAURA GALLAGHER HAD HAD SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON, ON, I BELIEVE THE CAYMAN AMENDMENT. 
          I THINK SHE, SHE IS NOT HERE. 
          DOES ANYBODY ELSE IN THE, IN THE PUB, IN THE AUDIENCE WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS? ANY AND ALL ITEMS? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU COLLEAGUES. 
          I KNOW IT WAS LONG. 
          UM, WE HAD ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO, TO DIVIDE THESE UP, BUT THE ADMINISTRATION ASKED US TO DELAY THIS MEETING, UM, BECAUSE OF THE FOUR 19 EMANCIPATION CONFLICT. 
          SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LENGTH OF THE MEETING, BUT I THINK IT WAS A REALLY GOOD EX UH, DISCUSSION, UM, AT LEAST ON ONE OF THE  OF THE AMENDMENTS. 
          UM, BEFORE WE ADJOURN THE NEXT BFA MEETING, WE'LL BE TUESDAY, JANUARY 6TH AT 10:00 AM WE WILL BE, UM, BRINGING UP THE OPEN SPACE ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH PARKS FUNDING. 
          UM, SO LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR ATTEN UH, ATTENDANCE THERE. 
          UM, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. 
          THANK YOU.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.