* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] OUR FRIEND, UH, [PRESENTATIONS] COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ TO PLEASE RESIDE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK FOR A PROCLAMATION TO HOUSTON STRONG CHILDREN'S SERVICES. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. IT'S MY HONOR TO, UM, PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY TO HOUSTON STRONG CHILDREN, CHILDREN SERVICES. WHEREAS HOUSTON STRONG CHILDREN SERVICES IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN 2018 AND DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, SUPPORTING FOSTER YOUTH, AND EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES ACROSS GREATER HOUSTON. AND WHEREAS THROUGH ITS PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND OUTREACH EFFORTS, HOUSTON STRONG CHILDREN'S SERVICES HAS HELPED UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES BY SUPPORTING FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE FAMILIES, AT RISK YOUTH AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH HOUSING, EDUCATION, MENTAL HEALTH, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON APPRECIATES THE TIRELESS WORK OF HOUSTON STRONG CHILDREN'S SERVICES AND ITS VOLUNTEERS, MENTORS, CAREGIVERS, EDUCATORS AND ADVOCATES WHO DEDICATE THEIR TIME AND COMPASSION TO EMPOWERING OTHERS, STRENGTHENING THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF THE CITY, AND INSPIRING CONTINUED EFFORTS TOWARDS A BRIGHTER AND MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR ALL. HOUSTONIANS. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK, UH, YOU'RE BRINGING A SERVICE TO OUR ATTENTION THAT GOES QUIETLY DAY IN DAY AND HELPS US SERVE OUR CHILDREN, WHICH ARE OUR FUTURE LEADERS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTERVENTION, YOUR MENTORING, YOUR PASSION, YOUR CARING. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO ON A DAILY BASIS. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER 21ST, 2025 AS HOUSTON STRONG CHILDREN'S SERVICES DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU, MA'AM. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, HONOR COMMUNITY LEADERS AND HOUSTON STRONG ALL LISA. AW. UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR TAKING TIME TO RECOGNIZE HOUSTON STRONG AND THE COLLECTIVE WORK THAT ALL OF US AS NONPROFITS DO THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. UM, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SEVEN YEARS AGO, HOUSTON STRONG BEGAN AS A RESPONSE TO WHAT I HAD LIVED AS A FORMER FOSTER YOUTH. UH, WE CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND WHEN OUR CHILDREN COME INTO CARE, IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE BROKEN, IT'S BECAUSE THEIR FAMILIES NEEDED SUPPORT THAT CAME TOO LATE. WE WORK, UH, FOR OUR CHILDREN WITHIN THE SYSTEM, AND ONE IN FIVE OF THEM HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS. ONE IN FOUR ARE INCARCERATED. AND SO OUR GOALS ARE TO BREAK THOSE PIPELINES TO PRISON. WE EXIST WITH OUR WORK TO FOCUS ON INTERRUPTING THE TRAJECTORIES THAT ARE OUT THERE. AS WE LOOK FORWARD, WE'RE WORKING ON EXPANDING OUR WORK THROUGH OUR STRONG SMART INNOVATION CENTER. IT'S A GROUNDBREAKING MODEL DESIGNED TO TREAT TRAUMA AND TO BUILD OPPORTUNITY DIFFERENTLY. WE'VE GOT OUR INTERNS SHOUT OUT TO OUR 20 UNIVERSITIES THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US AND SOME OF OUR INTERNS THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR YOUTH SHOULD BE EXPOSED TO ROBOTICS, TECHNOLOGY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND URBAN FORMING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. WE BELIEVE THAT HOUSTON CAN LEAD THE NATION IN HOW IT RESPONDS TO TRAUMA, PREPARES A WORKFORCE, AND INVEST IN PREVENTION. WE ARE EAGER TO CONTINUE WORKING ALONGSIDE COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE CITY TO DO JUST THAT. THANK YOU ALL FOR SEEING THE WORK THAT WE DO. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ALL NONPROFITS AND ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE HOUSTON STRONG TEAM, THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING THE STRONG SYSTEMS THAT BUILD STRONG FAMILIES AND OUR STRONG FAMILIES THAT BUILD OUR STRONG CITIES. HOUSTON STRONG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU. AND WE NOW RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION, RECOGNIZING THE REACTIVATION OF THE FOURTH WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. [00:05:11] HOW ARE YOU? NICE TO MEET YOU. OKAY, NEIL, ALSO GREAT. UH, GOOD EVENING. EVERYONE, UH, WITH ME IS A VERY SPECIAL GROUP OF FOLKS, UM, THAT HAS BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY IN FOURTH WARD FRIEDMANS TOWN FOR YEARS. UH, BUT TONIGHT WE'RE HERE, UH, TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE EFFORT AND WORK THAT THEY AND MANY OTHERS THAT ARE NOT HERE WITH US, INCLUDING, UM, PASTOR ELMO JOHNSON AND OTHERS HAVE PUT IN TO REACTIVATE THE FOURTH WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, AS I'VE SAID MANY TIMES, MANY OF THEM ARE THE UNSUNG NEIGHBORHOOD HEROES OF THIS HISTORIC AREA, WHICH IS HOME TO THE FIRST BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON. FOLLOWING EMANCIPATION WAS THE FIRST HERITAGE DISTRICT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND IS ALSO A UNESCO SIDE OF MEMORY. AND THAT WITH THAT HISTORY, WE KNOW COMES A UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, BALANCING AGING INFRASTRUCTURE WITH HISTORICAL PRESERVATION CONCERNS. UH, NO ONE AROUND. I DON'T NEED TO TELL ANYONE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE HOW IMPORTANT OUR CIVIC CLUBS AND OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS ARE. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UH, THOSE LISTENING, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S ACTIVE IN YOUR AREA, FOLLOW THEIR LEAD, UH, AND PUT IN THE WORK. WE'RE HERE ON COUNCIL TO HELP WITH THIS, BUT IT REALLY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN HARNESSING THE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY FOR THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. UH, I'M WITH ME TONIGHT, UH, IS OF COURSE THE PRESIDENT OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. JOE, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU. OUR VICE PRESIDENT ZION. THERE YOU ARE. UH, WE HAVE THE MAYOR OF FRIEDMANS TOWN, SHARONDA JOHNSON, WHO'S DOING INCREDIBLE WORK AND, UH, ONE OF THE SEATS FOR AT LARGE THREE. RIGHT. UH, NEIL NEIL AS WELL. SO AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU, BUT REALLY MY HEARTFELT AND SINCEREST THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU AND TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED. WHEREAS THE FOURTH WARD, FRIEDMANS TOWN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS AN ESSENTIAL FORUM THAT PROVIDES RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS WITH A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND ENSURE LOCAL VOICES ARE HEARD. AT CITY HALL. ON JULY 17TH, 2025, NEIGHBORS GATHERED AT ROSE OF SHARON BAPTIST CHURCH FOR THE OFFICIAL REACTIVATION OF THE FOURTH WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UNITED BY A SHARED VISION TO BUILD TRUST AND GOODWILL. BRIDGE DIVIDES BETWEEN LEGACY AND NEW RESIDENTS AND WORK TOGETHER TO UPLIFT A COMMUNITY. LONG OVERLOOKED THE REACTION OF REACTIVATION OF THE FOURTH WARD. FRIEDMANS TOWN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL BUILDS UPON THE SIGNIFICANT AND ONGOING EFFORTS OF THE FREEMANS TOWN CONSERVANCY, THE FREEMANS TOWN ASSOCIATION, AND MANY DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WHO PRESERVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S HISTORY, HONOR ITS CULTURE, AND SUPPORT CURRENT RESIDENTS LIVING WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ORIGINAL COMMUNITY, FOUNDED BY FORMERLY ENSLAVED PEOPLE IN 1865. AND I'LL ADD TO THAT LIST THE WORK THAT OUR, UH, LIBRARY DOES AT THE GREGORY LINCOLN SCHOOL. THE STORY OF FRIEDMANS TOWN REFLECTS A BROADER AMERICAN TRUTH OF BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES SHAPED BY RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE, HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS IN RED REDLINING, AND DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT. DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, FRIEDMANS TOWN HAS ENDURED WITH HANDMADE BRICKS STILL LINING ITS STREETS, AND WE GO TO VERY GREAT LENGTHS TO PROTECT THEM. HISTORIC HOMES CONTINUING TO BE RESTORED IN A CULTURE OF CARE AND PERSEVERANCE THAT INSPIRES GENERATIONS AND DEMONSTRATES THE POWER OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. THE CITY OF HOUSTON CELEBRATES THE SUCCESSFUL REACTIVATION OF THIS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AND EXTENDS OUR DEEP GRATITUDE TO THE RESIDENTS, STAKEHOLDERS AND VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTINUE TO GIVE THEIR TIME, ENERGY, AND HEART TO PRESERVE AND ADVANCE THIS VITAL HOUSTON COMMUNITY. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, AND THANK YOU TO THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, CERTAINLY THE LEADERSHIP, UH, FOR YOUR RESILIENCY. YOU KNOW, I'VE, UH, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT FOR WARD FREEMANS TOWN FOR YEARS, CERTAINLY HAVING GROWN UP IN HOUSTON, I'VE SEEN THE TRANSITION. I'VE SEEN THE ATTEMPT BY COMMERCIAL REALTORS TO, UH, NOT PAY THE RESPECT OF FREEMANS TOWN THAT IT'S SO RIGHTFULLY DESERVED, BUT YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED TO SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOUR COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS THAT, UH, YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. THAT'S RIGHT. AND YOU SHOULDN'T GO ANYWHERE. AND I WAS HONORED TO HAVE YOU IN MY OFFICE WHEN I FIRST GOT TO CITY HALL AND I SAID, LET'S GO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN A HUNDRED DEGREES THAT AUGUST. SO ANYWAY, IT'S GREAT TO WELCOME YOU TO CITY HALL AND THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 16TH, 2025, [00:10:01] IS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD FOURTH WARD TODAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS. OF COURSE. AND, UH, I THINK JOE, OUR SUPER NEIGHBOR PRESIDENT'S GONNA SPEAK. I WOULD LOVE TO. WOW. WHAT A DAY. UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PROCLAMATION, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO SPEAK HERE THIS EVENING. UM, I THINK WE COULD TALK ALL EVENING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF FREEDMAN'S TOWN, THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, THE SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES, BUT I'D LIKE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE WORKING DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO MAKE THIS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, THAT WE ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE LIVING IN. UM, I HAVE TO START OFF WITH OBVIOUSLY COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN AND DISTRICT C WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO THEM OVER A YEAR AGO, ASKING TO KIND OF START THIS REACTIVATION PROCESS. UH, SHE NEVER ASKED US WHY WE WERE DOING THIS. SHE SAID, HOW CAN WE HELP AND WHEN DO WE START? AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANNA HEAR OUT OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UM, THE FIRST PERSON THAT I WAS RECOMMENDED TO SPEAK WITH WHEN, UH, WE STARTED THIS PROCESS WAS OBVIOUSLY THE MAYOR OF FRIEDMANS TOWN, SHARONDA JOHNSON. UM, SHE HAS WORKED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR YEARS AND YEARS, TRULY PUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON HER BACK. UH, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT SHE DOES. SHE WAS THE CONNECTOR OF THIS, UH, UH, EXERCISE. I ASKED HER DAY IN AND DAY OUT, WHO DO I NEED TO SPEAK WITH, WHO IS IMPORTANT, WHOSE VOICE NEEDS TO BE HEARD? AND SHE ALWAYS PUT ME, UH, IN THE RIGHT CONTACT AND, AND WE CAN'T THANK HER ENOUGH FOR THAT. UH, PASTOR ELMO JOHNSON, WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, I SHOULD HAVE CALLED HIM AND INSTEAD OF TEXTING THAT'S ON ME, UH, HE INSTANTLY OFFERED UP HIS CHURCH FOR OUR MEETINGS. THEY'RE HELD EVERY THIRD THURSDAY OF EVERY OTHER MONTH, ROSA, SHE AND BAPTIST CHURCH. UM, AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR HIS SUPPORT, NOT JUST IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO FOR THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, WE HAVE ZION ESCOBAR HERE WHO IS QUITE LITERALLY A LIVING LEGEND IN HOUSTON. THE AWARD HAS BEEN GIVEN, I BELIEVE, UM, NO ONE HAS A GREATER VISION FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAN ZION ESCOBAR. AND I REALLY, REALLY ENJOY GETTING TO WORK WITH HER. AND I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THE AMAZING THINGS THAT SHE ACCOMPLISHES IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, AND, AND FRANKLY, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WOULDN'T BE THAT IMPORTANT WITHOUT HER. SO WE, WE APPRECIATE HER. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE FREEDMAN SOUND CONSERVANCY. THE WORK THEY HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT AND TO UPHOLD THE CULTURE AND THE HISTORY OF, OF, OF FREEDMANS TOWN IS QUITE FRANKLY, REMARKABLE. UM, THEY HAVE BUILT A HOME AND A COMMUNITY IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE BEFORE, AND THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE WORK THAT THEY HAD ALREADY BUILT. SO, TO CASS, WHO, I DUNNO IF SHE'S HERE, CASS, THIS IS NOT HER FIRST SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD TO REACTIVATE, BY THE WAY, UH, SHARON TERRELL AND LEGINA, UH, WE CAN'T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH, COUNCIL MAYOR, UH, THE WORK HAS JUST BEGUN AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS FOR A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING THE US SPACE FORCE'S BIRTHDAY COLLEAGUES. I CANNOT SAY MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING MORE HONORABLE AND AS A VETERAN MYSELF TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION AND THEN ALSO TO LIVE TO SEE SOMETHING IN OUR NATION, IN WHICH IS WE ARE KNOWN IN HOUSTON AS A SPACE CITY. AND SO THIS IS A GREAT HONOR TO ALL OF US, AS WELL AS TO OUR COUNTRY, UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE. WHEREAS IN 2019, [00:15:01] CONGRESS ESTABLISHED THE UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE AS A MILITARY SERVICE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE. AND ON DECEMBER 20TH, 2019, THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW FORMALLY CREATING IT AS THE SIXTH BRANCH OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES. AND WHEREAS THE CREATION OF THE US SPACE FORCE REPRESENTS A HISTORIC MILESTONE AND A STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FOR THE NATION AS THE SPACE HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL TO DAILY LIFE, ECONOMIC STABILITY, NATIONAL SECURITY, REQUIRING DEDICATED CAPABILITIES TO PROTECT IT FROM EMERGING AND HOSTILE THREATS. AND WHEREAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE US SPACE FORCE TRACES BACK TO THE LAUNCH OF EXPLORER ONE IN 1958 AND CONTINUED THROUGH THE FORMAL ESTABLISHMENT IN 2019, FOLLOWED BY KEY MILESTONES, INCLUDING ITS FIRST ROCKET LAUNCH IN 2020, THE COMMISSIONING OF ITS FIRST OFFICERS, THE ASSUMPTION OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATION MISSIONS IN 2022, THE LAUNCH OF HIS FIRST FALCON HEAVY MISSION IN 2023, AND THE COMPLETION OF THE FINAL DELTA FOUR HEAVY LAUNCH IN 2024, REINFORCING THIS VITAL ROLE IN SAFEGUARDING UNITED STATES SPACE ENTRIES. AND WHEREAS A CENTRAL PURPOSE OF THE US SPACE FORCE IS THE CONSOLIDATION OF SPACE RELATED MISSIONS, RESOURCES, AND PERSONNEL FROM THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, THE US ARMY, THE US NAVY, AND THE US MARINE CORPS. IN 2022, THE SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS UNDER A SINGLE SERVICE FOR THE FIRST TIME FOLLOWED IN 2023 BY THE ASSUMPTION OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ARMY'S JOINT TACTICAL GROUND STATION, CENTRALIZING ALL SPACE-BASED MISSILE WARNING CAPABILITIES. AND WHEREAS THE US SPACE FORCE HAS CONTINUED TO GROW IN ITS RANKS ITS CAPABILITY, AND BEGINNING IN APRIL OF 2020 WHEN 86 MEMBERS OF THE US AIR FORCE ACADEMY CLASS OF 2020 BECAME ITS FIRST COMMISSION GRADUATES, AND LATER WELCOMING HIS FIRST ASTRONAUT COLONEL MICHAEL S. HOPKINS, WHO WAS SWORN IN ABOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION ON DECEMBER 18TH, 2020. WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, CONGRATULATIONS. THE UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE ON ITS SIXTH ANNIVERSARY EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS AND PROUDLY AFFIRMS ITS SUPPORT THROUGH THE MOTTO, SEPER SEPA SUPRA, ALWAYS ABOVE MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN DAVIS FOR DEMONSTRATING ONCE AGAIN YOUR LOVE AND RESPECT FOR OUR ARMED SERVICES. ABSOLUTELY. AND GIVING US ALL THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN YOU IN RESPECTING THESE, UH, SPECIAL SPACE FORCE GUARDIAN GUARDIANS OFFICERS. AND I WANNA THANK YOU WHAT YOU DO, PROBABLY SOME OF WHAT YOU DO, YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL US BECAUSE YOU'RE SO DILIGENT WORKING 7 24, 365 DAYS A YEAR PROTECTING US AND, UH, BEING VERY TRAINED. AND, UH, YOU ALLOW US TO DO OUR JOB WHILE YOU'RE DOING YOUR JOB. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT IS, THAT IS REALLY SPECIAL. AND I THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL HOUSTONIANS, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I'LL SPEAK FOR OUR COUNTRY. THANK YOU. I KNOW YOU'RE AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY, UH, SERVING US, SO THANK YOU. AND THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 20TH, 2025. IT'S UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS. YES. I'LL BE DORN LEARN SOMETHING TODAY. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR, UH, UH, THIS HONORED, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SPEAK AS A LONGTIME HOUSTON, UH, RESIDENT. UH, I'M RETIRED SPACE FORCE COLONEL JEFF HOKE, UH, AND I'M NOW THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE SPACE FORCE ASSOCIATION IN TEXAS. AND, UH, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS, UH, JUST A QUICK, UH, IDENTIFICATION OF WHAT'S THE SAME AND WHAT'S DIFFERENT. WHAT'S THE SAME IS THE LITTLE BLUE DOT THAT YOU FOLLOWED TO COME HERE, UH, TO, [00:20:01] TO THIS, UH, CEREMONY TODAY IS THE SAME. WE DID THAT BEFORE UNDER THE AIR FORCE AND IN THE NAVY AND THE OTHER SERVICES. WHAT'S NEW IS THAT WE'VE ADDED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTING THOSE THINGS. UH, THAT USED TO BE JUST SORT OF A, WELL, NOBODY CAN SHOOT AT US, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. UH, WELL, IN 1992, RUSSIA CREATED THE FIRST SPACE FORCE, AND RUSSIA BEGAN PRACTICING WITH LASERS AND PROJECTILE WEAPONS ON ORBIT. UH, IN 2015, UH, CHINA SET UP THE SECOND SPACE FORCE, UH, AND CHINA PRACTICED WITH GRAPPLING ARMS AND BEING ABLE TO REPOSITION SPACECRAFT AND OTHERWISE BEND THINGS AND BREAK THINGS ON ORBIT. UH, SO MEANWHILE, WHO'S PROTECTING OURS? WELL, EVERYBODY KIND OF LOOKED AT THEIR SHOES AND KIND OF WELL, UH, AND THAT'S WHEN, UH, AT THE TIME THAT WAS WHEN, UH, IT BECAME NECESSARY TO SAY, WELL, LET'S EVERYBODY STOP LOOKING AT YOUR SHOES. YOU, YOU KNOW, MOVE OUT AND SET UP THE, UH, THE SPACE FORCE. AND GENERAL RAYMOND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT AND, UH, AND DID THAT. SO, UH, SO WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE 9,000 UNIFORM GUARDIANS, OF WHICH WE HAVE SOME HERE IN HOUSTON THAT ARE ASSIGNED. WE HAVE ABOUT 10,000 CIVILIANS, GS, UH, POSITIONS THAT ALSO WORK TOGETHER, UH, WITH US AND, UH, OUR AIR FORCE BUDDIES, UH, THAT ARE STILL PART OF THE, UH, PART OF THE TEAM. SO, UH, HERE IN HOUSTON, UH, WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT, UH, REPRESENTATIONS HERE IN HOUSTON. ONE IS THE KLEIN HIGH SCHOOL SPACE FORCE. JUNIOR, ROTC IS ONE OF 10 SPACE FORCE JUNIOR ROTCS IN THE COUNTRY. UH, AND SO KLEIN HIGH SCHOOL, UH, HAS A SPACE FORCE JUNIOR, ROTC, UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE SPACE FORCE ASSOCIATION. AND, UH, MR. BRIAN, WHERE'D HE GO? MR. BRIAN CREIGHTON IS OUR PRESIDENT FOR THE HOUSTON AREA SPACE FORCE ASSOCIATION. AND THEN OUR THIRD GROUP THAT WE HAVE THAT'S ACTIVE DUTY IS THE SPACE TEST PROGRAM THAT WORKS OUT AT JSC NASA. AND I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL WILDER. UH, THAT'S FROM THE, UH, THE NASA TEAM. THANK YOU, JEFF. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND THANK YOU TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE HONOR OF BEING HERE TODAY. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS ONLY THE SPACE FORCE'S SIXTH BIRTHDAY, UM, LIKE, UH, MR. HOIT MENTIONED, WE'RE FROM THE DOD SPACE TEST PROGRAM AND OUR TEAM HAS TIES TO HOUSTON THAT DATE BACK MUCH, MUCH FARTHER THAN THAT. SO I WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY, SIR, TO GIVE YOU THIS STICKER FROM THE DOD SPACE TEST PROGRAM, UH, AND TO THANK THE CITY FOR A LONG RELATIONSHIP. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO BUILD A FRUIT FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIP. THANKS, SIR. YEAH, THANK YOU. I, WE GOT A SPACE FORCE CALLING FOR YOU, AND THIS IS THE PATCH FOR THE SIXTH ANNIVERSARY. THANK YOU. THANK SIR. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU DR. JONES AS WELL. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN [6:00 P.M. - INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] SHABAZZ FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU CAN HAVE ALL THAT. I'VE BEEN MOVED TO PRAY TODAY. I WILL NOT SING AN A AND B SELECTION AND THERE WILL BE NO COLLECTION PLATE. BUT MAY WE BOW OUR HEADS. FATHER GOD, WE COME TO YOU TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR MERCY AND FOR YOUR GRACE. WE LIFT YOU UP AND PRAISE YOU AND MAGNIFY YOUR NAME. 'CAUSE YOU ARE SO WORTHY TO BE PRAISED. WE ASK THAT YOU FORGIVE US FOR OUR SINS AND HELP US TO WALK IN ACCORDANCE TO YOUR WILL AND YOUR PURPOSE. LORD, WE ASK THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DWELL IN THIS PLACE AND [00:25:01] HELP US TO HEAR THE HEARTS AND VOICES OF THE PEOPLE. AND MAY WE BE EMPOWERED TO DO THAT WHICH IS BENEFICIAL TO THE WELLBEING OF ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. WE ASK FOR TRAVELING GRACE AND ANGELS OF PROTECTION AS WE TRAVEL THROUGH THE CITY OR THROUGH AIR, ROAD OR SEA, VISITING OUR LOVED ONES. WE PRAY A SPECIAL PRAYER OF COMFORT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LOVED ONES OR ARE CHALLENGED WITH HEALTH CONCERNS. WE ASK FOR A HEDGE OF PROTECTION AROUND OUR HEALTH, OUR STRENGTH, OUR EMOTIONS, OUR FAMILIES, AND OUR FINANCES. IT'S IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE. MR. SECRETARY, YOU [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING] PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR MEYER. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER P HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER WILL BE ABSENT. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ELKHORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 9TH AND 10TH. HECK MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. PROCEDURAL. ANY PROCEDURAL [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] MOTIONS? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND HAPPY HANUKKAH. UM, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD MATT TETLOW AND MARK OSIRA. AND MOVE MARI LUCAS UP. SO THE THREE OF THEM TOGETHER TO FOLLOW HOWARD WATSON UNDER THE THREE MINUTE NON-AG AGENDA LIST. I NEED A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND. MOTION IS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULE THAT WE WOULD MOVE, THAT WE WOULD ADD. JACOB TO THE END OF THE ONE MINUTE LIST. SPEAKER'S LIST. AGENDA. SECOND. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ANYONE ELSE ON A PROCEDURAL MOTION? MEMBERS? UH, WE HAVE A HEALTHY LIST OF WITNESSES SIGNED UP. UM, I'VE GOT TO LEAVE AT SEVEN FOR A PREVIOUS COMMITMENT AT A CIVIC CLUB. INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS. JOHN BRANCH, THEIR PRESIDENT. IT'S HIS LAST MEETING. HE'S SUFFERING, UH, HEALTH ISSUES AND, UH, I FEEL THE NEED TO BE WITH HIM. AND THAT'S CIVIC CLUB TONIGHT. SO WITH THAT SAID, MS. SPEAKER, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER? ADAM ANO DOY OF PARA LAND, JENNIFER HURST TO BE FOLLOWED BY OWEN HURST. IS IT OKAY THAT WE'RE UP TOGETHER? IS IT OKAY THAT HE CAME UP WITH ME? 'CAUSE HE'S TALKING AFTER ME. IS THIS THE GENTLEMAN THAT'S GONNA SPEAK NEXT? YES, IT'S FINE WITH ME. HE CAN STAND THERE. OKAY. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JENNIFER HURST. I MOVED TO HOUSTON OVER 30 YEARS AGO FOR A TWO YEAR TEACH FOR AMERICA COMMITMENT, AND NOW HOUSTON IS MY HOME. I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF DISTRICT J AND I'M HERE TO URGE YOU TO END THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ICE. HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY. OUR STRENGTH DEPENDS ON TRUST. TRUST THAT CALLING THE POLICE WILL LEAD TO HELP AND NOT FEAR. WHEN LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKS WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES THAT TRUST IS BROKEN, FAMILIES BECOME AFRAID TO REPORT CRIMES. WITNESSES STAY SILENT, AND ENTIRE COMMUNITIES BECOME LESS SAFE. HPDS MISSION IS TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY, NOT TO ACT AS AN ARM OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. IMMIGRATION STATUS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHETHER SOMEONE'S A VICTIM, A WITNESS, OR A NEIGHBOR IN NEED. WHEN FEAR KEEPS PEOPLE IN THE SHADOWS, VIOLENT CRIME GOES UNREPORTED AND JUSTICE GOES UNDONE. [00:30:01] ENDING THIS COLLABORATION IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS, IT'S ABOUT SAFETY, DIGNITY, AND SMART POLICING. I ASK YOU TO STAND WITH HOUSTON'S VALUES, PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES AND KEEP HPD FOCUSED ON SERVING ALL RESIDENTS WITHOUT FEAR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. HELLO, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS OWEN. I'M NINE YEARS OLD. I'M HERE BECAUSE I LOVE HOUSTON. SOME OF MY FRIENDS ARE SCARED THAT IF THEIR PARENTS CALLED A POLICE FOR HELP, SOME FROM ICE MIGHT COME AND TAKE THEIR FAMILY AWAY. SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE HAD FAMILY MEMBERS BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM ICE, AND THAT'S SCARY. KIDS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. WHEN PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF THE POLICE, THEY DON'T ASK FOR HELP EVEN WHEN THEY REALLY NEED IT. MY MOM AND MY TEACHERS HAVE TAUGHT ME THAT THE POLICE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HELPERS AND KEEP EVERYONE SAFE. THAT INCLUDES KIDS LIKE ME AND MY FRIENDS, NO MATTER WHERE OUR FAMILIES COME FROM. WHEN TO POLICE WORK WITH ICE, IT MAKES FAMILIES AFRAID AND THAT MAKES OUR CITY LESS SAFE. PLEASE HELP MAKE HOUSTON A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS SAFE ASKING FOR HELP. PLEASE STOP THE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE POLICE AND ICE. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME. THANK, THANK YOU COUNCILOR CHAPMAN. THANK YOU, OWEN. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I KNOW YOU'RE IN DISTRICT J AND YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT, UH, THIS WAS OWEN'S FIRST TIME AT CITY HALL, UH, AND I KNOW YOU WERE A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS, BUT YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB AND IT'S REALLY GREAT TO HAVE YOU COME BACK ANYTIME. NEXT, KATIE MEZA TO BE FOLLOWED BY CAMILLE, BRO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KATIE MEZA. I WORK FOR THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT D. I'M HERE SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF HOUSTON. LEADS DEMAND TO DECREASE COLLABORATION BETWEEN HPD AND ICE TO THE MINIMUM REQUIRED BY STATE LAW AND THE RISE CAMPAIGN'S DEMAND TO END NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. I'VE HEARD CITY OFFICIALS AND NEWS OUTLETS SAY THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON CANNOT LEGALLY DECREASE THEIR COLLABORATION WITH ICE. THIS IS AT BEST MISINFORMED AND AT WORST PURPOSEFUL DISINFORMATION. MY ORGANIZATION HAS PROVIDED WAYS THAT THE CITY CAN COMPLY WITH STATE LAW WHILE DECREASING THE AMOUNT IT COLLABORATES WITH ICE. OUR CITY SHOULD NOT BE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HELP ICE TEAR APART OUR COMMUNITY. THIS APPROACH SHOULD ONLY BE TAKEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH ENDING NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. A DEMAND OF THE RISE CAMPAIGN, WHICH HOUSTON LEADS HAS ENDORSED FOR YEARS, IMPLEMENTING BOTH OF THESE POLICIES WITH DECREASED RACIAL PROFILING, ARRESTS, DEPORTATIONS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT VIOLENCE AGAINST HOUSTONIANS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT CAMILLE BRO ALAIR MONTY'S EYES. SARAH GDO TO BE FOLLOWED BY CAMERON WATERSON. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS, COULD YOU STAND FROM THE MIC? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SARAH ALDO. I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND MEMBER OF DISTRICT B. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY THAT IS ACTIVELY BEING TARGETED BY HPD AND ICE. WE ARE DEMANDING THAT HPD STOP THEIR COLLABORATION WITH ICE AND THAT THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE END TO NON-SAFETY. TRAFFIC STOPS NON-PRIORITY. TRAFFIC STOPS LEAD TO BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE BEING UNLAWFULLY SEARCHED, DETAINED AND VIOLATED. HPD HAS A SHORTAGE OF THOUSANDS OF OFFICERS. SO WHY IS THEIR TIME BEING SPENT ON PURSUING CIVIL VIOLATIONS? ICE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS ARE NOT REVIEWED BY A JUDGE, NOR DO THEY GIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT LEGAL AUTHORITY TO ARREST SOMEONE. INNOCENT FAMILIES ARE SCARED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES TO SIMPLY WORK OR BUY GROCERIES. THEY FEAR CALLING FOR HELP WHEN THERE IS AN EMERGENCY. WHY CAN WOMEN NOT SAFELY REPORT DOMESTIC ABUSE? WHY WAS AN AUTISTIC CHILD HELD IN DETENTION FOR NEARLY TWO MONTHS? WHY WAS A 16-YEAR-OLD US CITIZEN KIDNAPPED AND BEATEN? CLEARLY THE LAW HOLDS NO MEANING OR VALUE, AND THERE IS NO EMPATHY OR RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. BROWN LATINOS ARE INDIGENOUS TO TURTLE ISLAND AND WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE YOUR TIME HAS HOME HERE AND WE TRULY BELONG HERE. THANK YOU. I URGE YOU ALL TO SUPPORT COUNCILWOMAN PLUMBERS EFFORTS. DO SOMETHING, HAVE A BACKBONE AND SHOW UP FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS. CAMERON WATERSON OF CONROE [00:35:01] TO BE FOLLOWED BY DANIEL BARRERA OF MAGNOLIA. HELLO. WHEN OUR MAYOR LIES AND WHEN HPD COLLABORATES WITH ICE, IT BREAKS THE FOUNDATION BETWEEN OFFICERS AND COMMUNITIES. FAMILIES ARE THEN AFRAID TO REPORT CRIME WITNESSES WILL STAY SILENT AND ACTUAL CRIME WILL GO UNCHECKED. ALL BECAUSE OUR NEIGHBORS FEAR THAT A CALL FOR HELP COULD LEAD TO DEPORTATION OR DETENTION. THIS DOESN'T MAKE US SAFER. IT MAKES US ALL MORE VULNERABLE TO STATE VIOLENCE. CURRENT POLICY HAS MADE US A CITY WHO IS 39% OF HOUSEHOLDS ARE FOOD INSECURE. WELL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. WE HAVE CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHOLE COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN IGNORED AND LEFT TO FLOOD AND STARVE YEAR AFTER YEAR. ALL LED BY A MAYOR WHO USES OUR UNIONS, ORGANIZATIONS AND NEW-ISH MELEE CENTER FOR PHOTO OPS AND CARES MORE ABOUT MAKING VIDEOS ABOUT A ROUNDABOUT ON PATENT STREET THAN POLICY THAT CAN PROTECT HIS OWN CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE BEING KIDNAPPED FROM THEIR JOBS, HOMES, AND FAMILIES BASED ON SKIN ALONE. SO YES, HOUSTON DOES HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT ICE IS NOT THE SOLUTION. SO I SAY AGAIN, STOP THE CAPITULATION BETWEEN ICE AND HPD. WE HAVE A RIGHT TO PROTECT THE DATA, WHETHER FINANCIAL, MEDICAL, OR BIOMETRIC OF ALL HOUSTONIANS DOCUMENTED OR NOT. THERE IS NO WORKERS RIGHTS WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS. THERE IS NO FREEDOM UNTIL WE ARE ALL FREE. THANK YOU. NEXT, DANIEL RERO OF MAGNOLIA TO BE FOLLOWED BY TABITHA CLAY. GOOD EVENING. LEMME START OFF WITH THIS. I'M HERE SPEAKING TONIGHT FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT SPEAK THEIR MIND OUTTA FEAR AND INTIMIDATION THAT YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER HAVE ALLOWED IN OUR CITY WILLINGLY. THESE PEOPLE HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY. THEIR SPIRITS CRY OUT TO SPEAK THEIR MIND. YET THEY LIVE IN PERPETUAL SILENCE FOR FEAR OF LOSING IT ALL. TONIGHT, I WISH TO BE THEIR VOICE. DAY BY DAY, WEEK AFTER WEEK, MONTH AFTER MONTH, WE, THE PEOPLE ARE WITNESSING OUR FELLOW NEIGHBORS, YOUR NEIGHBORS BEING KIDNAPPED BY MASS THUGS, ARMED AND UNIDENTIFIED. WE'RE SEEING CHILDREN CRYING AS THEY WITNESS THEIR LOVED ONES BEING SNATCHED FROM THEIR HOMES. UNDER YOUR WATCH, FAMILIES ARE BEING TORN APART. OUR COMMUNITIES LIVE IN CHAOS AND FEAR. AND YOU WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE OUR REPRESENTATION, OUR VOICE. JUST STAND BY AND WATCH YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND ANY OTHER COWARD THAT STOOD BEHIND THIS FIRST LIED TO US ABOUT ANY COLLABORATION AND NOW IT'S OUT IN THE OPEN. YOU WISH TO BURIED IN THE RUG. SITTING HERE IN THE LAST CITY MEETING, I WAS ABSOLUTELY APPALLED AT THE LACK OF CARE THAT YOU PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE FOR THIS SITUATION. THOUSANDS HAVE BEEN SNATCHED AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES AND CARTED OFF UNDER NOSES. BUT YOU PEOPLE CAN'T SEEM TO CARE TO SIT IN AND LISTEN TO YOUR PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU PROMISED TO SERVE, BUT INSTEAD YOU LIED TO YOU. MAYOR WHITMEYER RAN AWAY LAST TIME THAT WE WERE HERE. AND YOU ONLY CAME BACK UNTIL WE, WE WERE SITTING HERE DEMANDING YOU FOR YOU TO COME BACK. AND ONLY THEN DID YOU COME BACK. WHEN YOU FINALLY RETURNED, YOU SAT HERE ANNOYED AND FRUSTRATED AT OUR PRESENCE AS IF WE WERE BRINGING PETTY, UNIMPORTANT PROBLEMS THAT'S BELOW YOU. WELL, GUESS WHAT, SIR? WE WILL BE HERE TILL THE DAY THAT THIS COLLABORATION WITH ICE ENDS, WE WILL BE HERE TILL THE DAY THAT THAT ICE IS OUT OF OUR CITY. WE WILL FRUSTRATE YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH IF WE HAVE TO. WHY? BECAUSE WE ARE THE VOICE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NO VOICE. BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE ARE NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. THEY LIVE IN PERPETUAL FEAR AND SILENCE IN THEIR OWN HOMES. THEY NO LONGER WISH TO WALK OUTSIDE OR GO TO RESTAURANTS AND ENJOY THEMSELVES. SOME DON'T GO TO THE GROCERY STORES OR FAMILY PARTIES. SOME DON'T EVEN WANNA WORK. THEY HAVE TO BE, THEY HAVE BECOME PRISONERS IN THEIR OWN HOMES, TRAPPED AND PARANOID, AND YOU HAVE ALLOWED, HAS TO YOUR OWN PEOPLE. AND THIS COLLABORATION NOW. HELLO, MY NAME IS TABITHA AND I'M FROM DISTRICT J AND I'M HERE SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION OF ISIS COLLABORATION WITH HPD AS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN. IT SADDENS ME TO SEE MY NEIGHBORS LIVE THEIR DAILY LIVES IN FEAR THAT THEY'LL BE DETAINED OR DEPORTED. DURING MY LAST FEW MONTHS OF HIGH SCHOOL, I WORKED AT A, I WORKED AT A, I WORKED AT A RESTAURANT THAT EMPLOYED MAINLY WORKERS WHO WERE GUATEMALAN, SALVADORIAN OR FROM OTHER HISPANIC ORIGINS. I WATCHED DAILY AS THE ADMINISTRATION BEGAN THEIR GUSTAPO LIKE SCHEME. AND I WATCHED AS THEY, THEIR EXPRESSIONS GREW, WORRIED AND ANXIOUS. SOON, THESE MEN WHO HAVE CHILDREN, WIVES, AND FAMILIES IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES THAT DEPEND ON THEM WERE MISSING A SHIFT OR TWO AND, UH, IN FEAR THAT THEY WOULD BE DETAINED OR DEPORTED. I EVEN WORRIED THAT ONE OF MY COWORKERS WOULD BE DETAINED WHILE HE WAS AT HIS COURT HEARING FOR HIS CITIZENSHIP TEST. BLACK AND BROWN HOUSTONIANS ARE ALREADY AT AN ELEVATED RISK FOR BEING STOPPED AND SEARCHED AND PULLED OVER, UM, FOR MINOR REASONS. AND NOW IT'S BEING USED AS A TOOL TO DEPORT MIGRANTS WHO ARE HERE LEGALLY IN THE COUNTRY. THERE'S ALREADY A BASIC DISTRESS IN HUMAN IN INSTITUTIONS LIKE HPD AMONG MINORITIES [00:40:01] AS THEY'RE BUILT TO SYSTEMATICALLY FAIL US. YET. AND RATHER THAN PROTECTING US FROM DANGER, IT'S BECOME THE DANGER ITSELF. INCREASING FEAR AND PUTTING CITIZENS IN A POSITION WHERE THEY HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR SAFETY OR POSSIBLY BEING DEPORTED AND SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILY. BECAUSE OF ICE'S INCREASED PRESENCE IN THE CITY, IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE THE BACKBONE OF HOUSTON ARE SKIPPING GOING TO WORK SCHOOL AND OR, AND EVERY EVERYDAY TASKS LIKE GROCERY SHOPPING AND FEAR THAT THEY MIGHT BE STOPPED FOR THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN OR THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY SPEAK. ACCORDING TO THE 2012 SUPREME COURT CASE, ARIZONA V THE US LOCAL LAW, LOCAL LAWS DON'T HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO ARREST OR DETAIN PEOPLE BASED ON CIVIL IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS. YET WE FIND OURSELVES HERE TODAY IF WE REDIRECT HD'S RESOURCES AWAY FROM TRAFFIC STOPS FOR MINOR INFRACTIONS LIKE BROKEN HEADLIGHTS OR CRACKED WINDSHIELDS, WE CAN GIVE THE OFFICERS THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO VISIT ACTUAL, SERIOUS AND URGENT CALLS FROM CITIZENS. AND MAYBE THEN IT WON'T TAKE AN HOUR AND A HALF FOR THEM TO REACH A CRIME. AS A CITIZEN OF HOUSTON AND A DAUGHTER OF AN IMMIGRANT, I'M URGING YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TAKE ACTION AND CANCEL THE CITY'S CONTRACT WITH FLOCK, THE MASS SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM THAT TRACKS LICENSE PLATES OF POTENTIAL IMMIGRANTS ACROSS THE CITY AND PASS ORDINANCE TO END NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. THANK YOU. HI, G THIBO TO BE FOLLOWED BY ED PROLEX. HELLO MAYOR. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME'S HAJI THIBO. I'VE BEEN HORRIFIED AT VIDEOS OF ICE AGENTS THROUGHOUT THE US ACTING LIKE A GESTAPO FORCE, WEARING MASKS TO HIDE THEIR FACES, ABDUCTING PEOPLE, AND BREAKING APART FAMILIES. UM, AND I THOUGHT I WAS DISTANT. I THOUGHT I WAS FAR AWAY, BUT I'VE, IT'S NOT, NOT AFTER I'VE LEARNED OF H HPD IS A COLLABORATION WITH ICE INSTANCES LIKE ICE, UH, HPD CALLING ICE ON A WOMAN DEBE, UH, REPORTING DOMESTIC ABUSE, OR HOUSTON POLICE CALLING ICE ON A WOMAN REPORTING A CRASH. THIS SCARES PEOPLE AND ME. AND, UH, I LITERALLY SAW A WOMAN WHILE FISHING THE OTHER DAY. SHE GOT HIT BY A TRUCK, GOT UP, OBVIOUSLY INJURED AND REFUSED TO LET ANYBODY ELSE CALL THE POLICE. AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE REASON WHY HINT, IT'S, I THINK IT'S ICE AND IT'S WRONG FOR OUR NEIGHBORS TO BE SCARED TO GO TO SCHOOL OR WORK OR TO REFUSE MEDICAL CARE. UM, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARED OF DEPORTATION. I FEEL LIKE IT'S NONSENSE. AND I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD ALL, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS AGREE, UM, BUT WE CAN MAKE THINGS BETTER. UH, ONE, WE SHOULD PASS AN ORDINANCE ENDING. NON-SAFETY RELATED TRAFFIC STOPS OVER MINOR INFRACTIONS LIKE TINTED WINDOWS OR A CRACKED GLASS ON YOUR CAR. UM, BLACK AND BROWN DRIVERS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY SEARCHED AND, UH, THIS IS A DEPORTATION TOOL. UM, AND WE SHOULD ALSO CANCEL OUR FLOCK SECURITY CAMERA CONTRACT. AND IT'S WASTEFUL SPENDING $6.4 MILLION TO, UH, USE MASS SURVEILLANCE TRACK HOUSTONIANS WITH NO OVERSIGHT. AND AUSTIN SAN MARCOS AND HAYES COUNTY HAVE ALREADY ENDED THEIR FLAW CONTRACTS THIS YEAR. SO WE COULD STEP UP AND JOIN THEM. AND, UH, LASTLY, WE NEED CHANGES IMPLEMENTED WHERE THE NEXT PERSON WHO NEEDS POLICE CAN FEEL SAFE ENOUGH TO DO SO AND CALL THEM WHETHER THEY GET HIT BY A TRUCK LIKE THAT WOMAN I SAW. UM, AND, UH, WE NEED CHANGES IN OUR CONTRACT AND, YOU KNOW, RULES WITH OUR POLICE IN GENERAL TO WHERE POLICE ARE NO LONGER FORCED OR INCENTIVIZED TO CALL ICE WHEN THEY PULL SOMEONE OVER. UM, WE NEED THESE CHANGES DONE. IT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM ED PRU. I LIVE IN DISTRICT K, BUT I AM HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH, UM, ON BARING STREET, EMERSON AND FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH, WHO HAVE TOGETHER PUT TOGETHER A JOINT STATEMENT ASKING YOU TO LISTEN TO ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE TALKING TODAY AND, AND THE COMPLICIT THE COMPLICITNESS IN THE ONGOING MORAL DECAY OF THIS NATION. THANK YOU CAMILLE BRO, TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAVIER RODRIGUEZ. GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE TO URGE THIS COUNCIL TO PLACE LIMITS ON HPDS INVOLVEMENT WITH ICE. COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT SHOULD NOT BE BLIND. DISCRETION MATTERS, INCLUDING ENSURING THAT ANY ICE ACTION IS SUPPORTED BY PROPER JUDICIAL WARRANTS. HOUSTON'S STRENGTH STEMS FROM OUR DIVERSITY CULTURES, LANGUAGES, AND SHARED CONTRIBUTIONS. [00:45:01] THAT RICH TAPESTRY IS WHY SO MANY PEOPLE COME HERE. AND WHY SO MANY STAY. WE'VE SEEN THAT ICE, WE'VE SEEN WHAT ICE HAS DONE IN OTHER CITIES SUCH AS CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES, AND CHARLOTTE. BUT WE'VE ALSO SEEN NEIGHBORS SHOW UP FOR ONE ANOTHER. WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE SHOW HOW FAR THEY'LL GO TO PROTECT THEIR COMMUNITIES WHEN RESIDENTS FEAR THAT ANY INTERACTION WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES COULD LEAD TO DETENTION OR DEPORTATIONS. FAMILIES STAY SILENT, NEIGHBORS HESITATE TO HELP ONE ANOTHER, AND SAFETY IS COMPROMISED. THIS COUNCIL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALIGN CITY POLICY WITH THE VALUES OF THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES. I URGE YOU TO ENSURE HPD REMAINS FOCUSED ON PUBLIC SAFETY. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, NOT QUIETLY EXPANDING. ICE'S REACH THROUGH OUR CITY. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JAVIER RODRIGUEZ AND I AM A RESIDENT OF THE NORTHLAND COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT H. I CURRENTLY SERVE AS A TEACHER, AND OFTENTIMES I MET WITH THE QUESTION, MR, WHY DO WE ALWAYS GET IN TROUBLE FOR SOCIALIZING? AND IT COMES DOWN TO A QUESTION OF URBANISM IN A CITY WHERE MY STUDENTS HAVE TO DEPEND ON THEIR PARENTS TO SOCIALIZE, INTERACT WITH THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEIR CLASSMATES. THEY LACK THE ABILITY TO BECOME CRITICAL THINKERS AND BECOME PROBLEM SOLVERS BESIDES THE SCOPE OR THE FOUR WALLS OF THEIR HOME. FURTHERMORE, THIS PROBLEM EXPANDS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. AS MANY OF MY FRIENDS AND I HAVE RETURNED TO HOUSTON, AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, WE MET WITH THIS PROBLEM. HOW CAN WE BECOME PROBLEM SOLVERS ASSESSING COMMUNITY ISSUES IF THERE IS NO PUBLIC THREATS PLACE? AND NOW TODAY WE ASK OURSELVES THIS QUESTION, WHY IS THIS PATTERN OF GAS STATIONS GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? AS WE ASK FOR HEALTHY GROCERIES AND ACCESS TO FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, WE SEE A NEW GROCERY STORE WITH CHIPS AND SODAS AS WE WANT ACCESS TO HEALTHIER AIR. WE'RE MET WITH YET ANOTHER GAS STATION. AND EVEN MORE SO AS WE WANT SPACES TO ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND ASK HOW CAN WE BECOME PROBLEM SOLVERS? REGARDING THIS QUESTION OF ICE, WE ARE MET WITH ANOTHER GAS STATION. SO MY ASK FOR ALL OF YOU IS THREE. ONE, ELIMINATE THE STOP OF NEW GAS STATIONS CONSTRUCTED IN THE NORTHLINE NEIGHBORHOOD. TWO, PROMOTE WALKABILITY TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO BECOME CRITICAL THINKERS AND PROBLEM SOLVERS. M THREE, USE LAND USE CODE TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT. WE MAY NOT HAVE THE WEALTH OF YOUR HEIGHTS OR YOUR ROQUES, BUT WE ARE JUST ONE PEOPLE WHOSE FLESH EMBRACES A DIFFERENT COLOR. I ASK YOU TO ALLOW MY STUDENTS TO COME DOWN WITH ONE QUESTION. MR. I NOTICE HOW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS DESIGNED THIS WAY. HOW CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THIS IN THE FUTURE? THANK YOU HOWARD WATSON, TO BE FOLLOWED BY MATT TETLOW. GOOD EVENING MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO OUR COMMUNITY VOICES. I'M HOWARD WATSON AND I LIVE IN THE WEST END, WHICH IS DISTRICT C. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE WEST END CIVIC CLUB. WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ONCE AGAIN EXPRESS OUR COMMUNITY'S ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT OF THE SAFE STREETS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I REALIZE THAT THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS FOR ASPHALT OVERLAY SERVICES FOR SEVERAL LOCATIONS, INCLUDING PATTERSON STREET, FAGAN STREET, WASHINGTON AVENUE. THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THE PATTERSON STREET WHERE WE LIVE. WHY NOT THE WHOLE AREA OF PATTERSON, SINCE IT'S ON THAT SIDE OF WASHINGTON, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THE, THE COST FOR THAT WOULD BE $180,000. UH, WHY NOT LOOK AT THE SAFETY AND ALSO GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I HOPE, PRAY AND TRUST THAT YOU WOULD TAKE THIS UNDER CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. AND I KNOW YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER HAD TO LEAVE, BUT I REMEMBER HER TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE LAST WEEK. SO THE, THE ASPHALT OVERLAY PROJECT [00:50:01] IS NOT PART OF YOUR CIVIC CLUB, IT'S ANOTHER PORTION. CORRECT? RIGHT, RIGHT. AND YOU, YOUR PORTION OF PATTERSON HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UM, TOGETHER ON SOME SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE PURSUED. EXACTLY RIGHT. BUT BUT NOT PART OF THE PACKAGE THAT WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE TOMORROW. RIGHT. SO, SO SINCE THEY'RE GONNA DO THE CONSTRUCTION, SINCE THEY'RE GONNA TEAR IT UP OR DO WHATEVER, WHY NOT LOOK AT SAFETY? BUT, BUT THE BUT IT'S MY, THE ASPHALT OVERLAY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE APPROVING IS THAT, THAT'S SEPARATE THAN, THAT'S A DIFFERENT LOCATION, RIGHT? RIGHT. LIKE THE OTHER SIDE OF WASHINGTON. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. YES MA'AM. AND YOUR SAFETY IMPROVEMENT, YOU'RE SAYING INSTEAD OF LIKE, SPEND THAT MONEY OVER THERE ON ASPHALT OR DO BOTH DO THE, DO BOTH. DO THE ASPHALT IMPROVEMENTS AND THE SAFETY BECAUSE JUST THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, THEY JUST OVERLAID THAT SIDE OF, UH, UH, WASHINGTON ON, ON, UH, OH. SO YOU'RE SAYING MAYBE INSTEAD OF OVERLAYING THAT SIDE OF WASHINGTON, USE THOSE FUNDS TO, TO DO MORE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAD. RIGHT. HAD SO IS THAT, IS THAT SIDE OF WASHINGTON NOT LIKE BUMPY AND CRUMMY? I MEAN, LIKE A LOT OF ROADS, IS IT FAIRLY DECENT SHAPE? ON WHICH SIDE? I, I'LL DRIVE. I NEED TO DRIVE OVER THERE. OKAY. BUT LIKE THE ONE THAT WE PLANNED TO DO THE ASPHALT OVERLAY ON, IS IT, IS IT SMOOTH? I MEAN, IF WE JUST DID IT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, I WOULD SAY IT IS OKAY. I MEAN, I PASS DOWN THERE ALL THE TIME. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DO YOU KNOW THAT HOW MUCH YOUR SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS WOULD COST? I SURE KNOW, BUT I CAN GET. OKAY. WELL I CAN CHECK WITH PUBLIC WORKS. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU HOWARD FOR COMING DOWN THAT AREA TOWN IS NEAR AND DEAR TO ME. MY GRANDMOTHER LIVED ON FAGAN STREET. WOW. SO I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS JUST ROCKS RIGHT IN THE STREET. UH, AND SO IT'S COME A LONG, LONG WAY, BUT CERTAINLY AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN SAID, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND GETS WITH YOU SO THEN SHE CAN PERHAPS, UH, ADDRESS THE CONCERNS AND SEE HOW YOU ALL COULD COME TO, TO A HAPPY CONCLUSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU. NEXT MATT TETLOW TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARK OSIRA. GOOD EVENING. UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS MATT TETLOW. I'M A MEMBER OF DISTRICT C, A RESIDENT OF WEST END, AND I LIVE ON PATTERSON STREET. UH, I'M ALSO A, UH, BOARD MEMBER OF THE WEST END CIVIC ASSOCIATION THAT HOWARD REPRESENTS, THAT HE JUST SPOKE ABOUT. I'M HERE TO DISCUSS PATTERSON IMPROVEMENTS, THE NEED FOR SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL. UM, WE'VE BEEN SCRAMBLING SINCE IT WAS TAGGED LAST WEEK TO UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE, BUT I THINK EVERYTHING I'M SAYING HERE IS BROADLY GENERALIZABLE TO ANY TIME WE DEPLOY CREWS, MACHINERY, TOOLS, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE STREETS SAFER AND IMPROVE THEIR DESIGN WHILE WE'RE OUT THERE DOING THIS WORK. UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, COST EFFECTIVE, IT'S EFFICIENT AND IT GIVES, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SOME INPUT ON THE ABILITY TO MAKE THEIR STREETS SAFER. UM, I'M DISTRIBUTING A LETTER AND TWO SLIDE PACKS THAT YOU CAN SHARE TO LOOK AT, UM, KIND OF DOCUMENTING WHAT WE WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPROVEMENTS WE'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT WE KNOW WOULD MAKE IT SAFE, THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFER. UH, I SHOULD MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE CHANGES ARE VERY MUCH, UM, THE SAME AS WHAT'S IN THE APPROVED BIKEWAY PLAN. UH, THAT BIKEWAY HAD NOT ONE INCH OF BIKE LANE IN IT. IT WAS A SAFE STREETS ENHANCEMENT, YOU KNOW, STREET CALMING AND TRAFFIC SAFETY, CALMING MEASURES MEANT TO MAKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD BETTER FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO WALK AND BIKE IN THE LADDER. UM, I'LL MENTION THAT I'M HERE TODAY. UM, MY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST PAGE, YEAH, MY, UH, I'M HERE ON A HALL PASS. MY WIFE HAS ALLOWED ME TO COME DOWN HERE WITH A SEVEN WEEK OLD AT HOME. UM, BUT I'LL MENTION THAT I'M DOING THIS. I'M HERE FOR HIM AND FOR HER, THIS IS PERSONAL. UH, IT SHOULDN'T BE HEROIC OR DANGEROUS TO PUSH A STROLLER ACROSS THE STREET OR THE TRACKS TO GET TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK OR TO CROSS WASHINGTON AVENUE. UM, I RECENTLY BECAME A FATHER, LIKE I MENTIONED. SO THIS MATTERS TO ME. AND THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL LOOK AT THE COST, BUT I DO NOT THINK THESE ARE HIGH COST THINGS. THESE ARE SIMPLE PROVEN OF MEASURES, SIDEWALKS, BUFFERS, SAFE DESIGNS. THESE ARE DEPLOYED MANY PLACES ELSEWHERE. UM, AND THEY, WE, THEY SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY GETS INPUT ON ANYTIME WE'RE DEPLOYING THESE CREWS FOR SAFETY. SO, UM, I WOULD ASK THAT WE WOULD GET SOME INPUT AND SOME ABILITY TO GET AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THOSE MEASURES TO HAVE SOME OF THESE THINGS IMPLEMENTED. UM, IT WOULD MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE FAMILIES NOW WHO, UH, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHO CALL PATTERSON AND THE WEST END HOME. SO THANK YOU. GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU NICK. MARK KORA TO BE FOLLOWED BY MA LUCAS. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, MY NAME IS MARK KHARA. I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD OF THE WEST END CIVIC CLUB, DISTRICT C I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SAME THING, BUT I DON'T WANNA, UH, REHASH WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. SO I'M GONNA BE REALLY HONEST WITH YOU. UP TILL ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA COME UP HERE AND SAY THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT OF MOVING FORWARD, OUR SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THREE ADMINISTRATIONS ON FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS [00:55:01] NOW. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE WORK IS STOPPING AT WASHINGTON. SO THAT THANK YOU WAS A LITTLE BIT PREMATURE, BUT I STILL THINK THAT WE PULLED TOGETHER SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND WHAT ELSE COULD BE DONE IF WE LOOKED PAST WASHINGTON. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT WITH YOU. UM, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, UH, WE WORKED WITH H HP, UH, HPD, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, AND THEY INSTALLED TWO STOP SIGNS ON PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS CORNERS ALONG PATTERSON IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THE YEAR AND A HALF. THAT WAS LEADING UP TO THE, THE, UH, STOP SIGN INSTALLATION. WE HAD 10 ACCIDENTS REPORTED TO TXDOT. AND FROM WHAT WE KNOW FROM THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND THAT INTERSECTION, THAT'S PROBABLY A VERY LOW NUMBER GIVEN THE NUMBER OF ACTUAL INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED AND THE NUMBER OF NEAR MISSES THAT HAPPENED QUITE OFTEN. SO IN THE YEAR AND A HALF SINCE WE INSTALLED JUST THOSE TWO STOP SIGNS, WE'VE HAD ZERO TXDOT INCIDENTS. THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE STILL HAVEN'T HAD SOME NEAR MISSES AND SOME UNREPORTED THINGS, BUT THAT'S A, FOR US, A HUGE IMPROVEMENT SINCE THAT CORNER IS RIGHT AT WEST END PARK, WHICH IS OUR ONLY NEIGHBORHOOD PARK. UM, WHEN WE WERE PULLING THAT DATA, WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE OTHER SAFETY HOTSPOT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS ACTUALLY PATTERSON IN WASHINGTON AND IN TXDOT DATA, IT GOES BACK ABOUT 10 YEARS. SO IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, THAT INTERSECTION HAS HAD 42 REPORTED COLLISIONS, AND THE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP SINCE 2022. AND WHAT WE SEE COMING DOWN THE PIKE WITH THE TXDOT INNER KATY PROJECT AND MOVING SOME OF THE NORMAL I 10 TRAFFIC INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THE TRAFFIC IS GONNA BE WORSE THAN THE PEOPLE DRIVING THERE ARE GONNA BE LESS FAMILIAR BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE CUTTING THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET TO THEIR OWN. SO WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL KIND OF RETHINK WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING. YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVEN'T HAD REALLY ANY WORK OTHER THAN THOSE TWO STOP SIGNS ON OUR SIDE OF PATTERSON IN OVER 10 YEARS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT MARI LUCAS TO BE FOLLOWED BY SHARON HARRELL. AH, GOOD EVENING. MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO OUR COMMUNITY VOICES. I AM MARI BIRD LUCAS. I LIVE ON PATTERSON STREET IN DISTRICT C AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE WEST END CIVIC CLUB. I'M HERE, UM, TODAY TO LET Y'ALL KNOW AND REMIND YOU THAT WEST END COMMUNITY HAS HAD ROBUST AND ENTHUSIASTIC AND ENGAGEMENTS WITH CITY EXPERTS FOR MANY YEARS TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE SAFETY FOR ALL WHO UTILIZE PATTERSON STREET DRIVERS, WALKERS, DOG WALKERS, MOMS AND BABIES AND DADS AND BUS RIDERS AND CYCLISTS, DELIVERY DRIVERS, AND EVEN THE CITY SERVICE, UM, PERSONNEL PROVIDERS. UM, MANY, MANY OF US PASS THROUGH LIVE IN WEST END, WORK IN WEST END, PASS THROUGH WEST END, AND WE WELCOME SAFETY SOLUTIONS PRESENTED IN THE PATTERSON BIKEWAY PROJECT THAT WAS BID OUT BY THE CITY IN SPRING OF 2023. THAT IS ON PAUSE. WE REQUEST TO KNOW AN UPDATE ON THE PAUSE. HOWEVER, THE FOUR-WAY STOP AT PATTERSON AND KOHLER WAS INSTALLED AFTER WE HAD A CAR FLIP OVER, WE HAD ANOTHER CAR CRASH INTO A HOUSE AND KNOCK OFF A WHOLE BALCONY. UM, SO COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN AND CAME TO Y'ALL AND HELPED US INSTALL THE FOUR-WAY STOP THAT WAS PART OF THE PATTERSON BIKEWAY PROJECT. THAT HAS REALLY HELPED OUT A LOT. I LIVE RIGHT THERE ON PATTERSON STREET. I SEE IT, I'VE SEEN CARS RUN INTO THE PLAYGROUND THAT'S RIGHT THERE AT THAT CORNER. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. NOW WE NEED TO CONTINUE THOSE SAFETY SOLUTIONS THAT WERE PART OF THAT BIKEWAY PROJECT THAT ENHANCED SAFETY FOR ALL, NOT JUST CYCLISTS. IT WAS A SHARED CYCLE, BUT MAINLY IT WAS SAFETY SOLUTIONS THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN. SO OUR MAIN CONCERN IS SAFETY. WE NEED THE ENHANCED SAFETY FEATURES, ESPECIALLY AT WASHINGTON AND PATTERSON. IT IS SO VERY DANGEROUS. YOU CAN'T EVEN FROGGER ACROSS SAFELY ANYMORE. SO POSSIBLY, UM, SOME OF THOSE THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED AT THE WESTCOTT AREA COULD BE ESTABLISHED OVER THERE AT WASHINGTON AND PATTERSON. UM, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE REQUEST AN UPDATE ON THE PROJECT AND TO BE NOTIFIED AND INCLUDED IN FURTHER COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS AND ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ENHANCED SAFETY FEATURES WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY, BOTH IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND OF COURSE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE IT. AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, WESTIN CIVIC CLUB, CONTINUED WORKING WITH Y'ALL ON SAFETY [01:00:01] FEATURES. THANK YOU SHARON HARRELL TO BE FOLLOWED BY DEBBIE KYLE. UH, GOOD EVENING, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS, UH, SHARON HARRELL. I LIVE AT 58 41 SUN FOREST AND THAT IS CLOSE TO TWELL AND ANTOINE. AND WHAT I'M HERE FOR TONIGHT IS MY TOWN HOME ASSOCIATION. UM, THEY'RE KIND OF NOT PROTECTING US. WE HAVE, UH, SIDEWALKS THAT SHOULD BE HANDICAPPED ACCESSORY. WE SHOULD, UM, WE HAVING SENIOR CITIZENS, UM, WITH THE SIDEWALKS THAT ARE FALLING, KIDS ARE FALLING. THERE'S, UM, THE SWIMMING POOL USUALLY IN THE SUMMERTIME IS GREEN. AND, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YEAH, I MEAN, JUST BEING ABLE TO WALK, WALK. I MEAN, THROUGH OUR TOWN HOME, UH, WE'RE HAVING ALL KIND OF HOMELESS PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT ARE ON DRUGS AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY DOING MUCH FOR US. SO I FOUND OUT TODAY, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S HERE OR NOT, UH, HER NAME IS AMY PECK. UM, MAYBE SHE COULD HELP ME, UH, HELP US OUT. UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY BAD. I WORKED FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR ABOUT 21 YEARS AND I KNOW ABOUT HOW THE SIDEWALKS AND THEIR SPACES AND PEOPLE THAT ON CRUTCHES OR PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, ON THE SAFETY, UM, YOU KNOW, COURTS TO RIDE, THEN THEY CAN FALL, KIDS TO RIDE THERE FALLING. SO WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT CAN WE DO TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE TOWN HOME ASSOCIATION TO HELP US AND WE'RE NOT SAFE. THERE'S PEOPLE BREAKING INTO OUR CARS AND JUST A LOT OF THINGS GOING OVER RIGHT THERE IN THAT AREA OF TOWN. SO COUNCIL MAYOR PECK. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU SHARON FOR BEING HERE TODAY. YEAH. UM, ALAN IN MY OFFICE SPOKE WITH YOU EARLIER TODAY AND WE GOT THE INFORMATION AND, UM, CONTACTED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THEY ARE GOING TO REVIEW IT AND MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, ABOUT THE SIDEWALKS. AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT ONCE WE GET THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. AND AS FAR AS THE OTHER CONCERNS IN YOUR AREA, UM, WE WILL HAVE HPD REACH OUT TO YOU TO, UM, ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. DEBBIE. DEBBIE, KYLE, ARE YOU DEBBIE? YES. OKAY. TO BE FOLLOWED BY KEVIN JOAQUIN. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON OR EVENING. YES. I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTAL INFORMATION. I HAVE FOLLOWED THIS FOR A YEAR, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DID THIS LAST WEEK, BUT I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THESE FARMS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT OUT TO THE OWNERS AND TO THE OPERATORS AND TO THE LEASED PEOPLE. AND IF I LOOK AT THE FARM, THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT I AM LOOKING TO SEE. AND THEY ARE THE BUILDING, OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPLIANCE, ALL PERMITS BEING COMPLETED, AND THE SAFETY CODES BEING COMPLETED ON EACH BUILDING. AT THIS TIME, I LIVE NEXT DOOR TO A, I'LL SAY NO, I'LL TELL YOU HOW I SAY IT. I'M LIVING TO A, A, AN ILLEGAL SHORT TERM RENTAL. THEY DO NOT HAVE BUILDING CODES, THEY DO NOT HAVE SAFETY CODES COMPLETED. HOWEVER, AS I PRAY TO THE INFORMATION, THEY HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION, UH, PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE, WHICH IS JANUARY. AND, UH, AND THEN THEY'RE ABLE, AND THEY'VE BEEN PERMITTED TO USE THE CERTIFICATE AND HAVE, UM, GUESTS [01:05:01] IN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL. AND WHY DOES THIS AFFECT ME? I WON'T TELL YOU HOW IT BEGAN, BUT IF ANYBODY WANTS TO KNOW, YOU'LL KNOW WHY I'M HERE. BUT I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M HERE BECAUSE MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE, ARE CONCERNED ABOUT BUILDINGS THAT ARE UNSAFE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT BUILDINGS THAT DON'T HAVE FIRE CODES TAKEN CARE OF, AND THEY ALREADY HAVE GUESTS. IT IS WRONG. AND I THINK IT'S JUST RATHER, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT JUST FEELS LIKE, UM, UH, WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE WON'T WIN AS HOME HOMESTEAD OR AS OUR HOMEOWNERS. WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOLD THAT THEY GET TO DO THIS BEFORE JANUARY. SO, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY'S NOT GOING TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS, BELIEVE ME, THEY'RE GONNA ENJOY IT. NOW, I DOUBT THEY'LL HAVE INSTRUCTIONS COMPLETED BY JANUARY. THEY WON'T BECAUSE JANUARY'S TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES. I JUST HAD MY DRIVER'S LICENSE STOLEN. I'VE HAD MY CARS, UH, AFFECTED. I'M SAYING THIS TO YOU BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE INTIMIDATED ME OR TRIED TO, BUT BECAUSE I HAVE THE COURAGE TO COME AND TALK TO YOU TODAY, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO WORK, GET GUESTS, GET, MAKE PROFIT, AND NOT FEEL THAT THEY NEED TO PAY THE CITY TO WORK IN THIS CITY. I MEAN, I THINK YOU NEED TO PAY YOUR WAY. COUNCIL MEMBER EVIDENCE, SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND THANK YOU, DEBBIE. THIS HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE. UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHAT I'M SEEING IS THAT A LOT OF THESE PLACES ARE GETTING RED TAGGED, BUT THEY ARE CONTINUING TO BUILD AND THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT THAT BASICALLY STOPS THEM. AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM. SOME OF THEM ARE IN VIOLATION OF DEED RESTRICTIONS, YET WHEN THEY FILE FOR THE PERMIT, BECAUSE THERE IS NO SIGNATURE REQUIRED, AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE DAY ONE, YOU CAN'T JUST CHECK OFF THAT YOU HAVE, UH, REVIEWED THE DEED RESTRICTIONS WITH THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE. AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. THEY'RE NOT SIGNING, THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENTS OR ORGANIZATIONS TO ACTUALLY SIGN THAT THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE. AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT BECAUSE THERE ARE BUILDINGS COME IN UP ALL OVER, UH, DISTRICT D AND OF COURSE I LIVE IN THIRD WARD, SO I, THERE'S ONE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM ME WHERE IT HAS PRIVATE PROPERTY. UH, AND IN OTHER WORDS, THEY DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S GONNA COME THERE, BUT THEY'VE BEEN RED TAGGED, BUT THEY ARE CONTINUING TO BUILD. AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF LEGAL NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED OR WE NEED TO GET AN EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE, BUT CERTAINLY THAT'S A PROBLEM. IT'S NO POINT IN HAVING DEED RESTRICTIONS IF NOBODY IS GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE BEING FOLLOWED. AND SO, UH, CERTAINLY I APPRECIATE YOU COMING. THANK YOU. YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO SAY? YEAH, JUST PLEASE, BECAUSE AS I'M LOOKING AT WHAT WAS WRITTEN FOR THE PEOPLE TO SIGN FOR THE, UH, THE CERTIFICATE, IT'S A MESS. I MEAN, IT IS, UH, IT'S LIKE WE'VE BEEN BAMBOOZLED WHEN I LOOK AT IT. I DIDN'T BRING ANY WITH YOU TONIGHT BECAUSE TONIGHT, OH, I'M SORRY. I SAID WE HAVE BEEN BAMBOOZLED. WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT EVENTUALLY CAME OUT OF YOUR APRIL 15TH, UM, UH, UH, STATEMENTS ABOUT WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE BUILDING AND, UM, CONSTRUCTION WAS VERY IMPORTANT. THAT WAS FIRST ON THE LIST. NOW WHEN I LOOK AT IT, UM, THE OWNERS THAT SIGN OFF FOR, UH, GETTING A CERTIFICATE IN JANUARY, WHEN YOU READ THROUGH IT, THERE'S NOTHING LISTING THAT THEY HAVE BUILDING CODE COMPLIANCE CHECKED OFF OR SAFETY CODE COMPLIANCE CHECKED OFF. I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE THIS FOR YOU TO SEE. THERE'S NOTHING THERE FOR THEM TO SAY THAT THEY'VE DONE THAT. WHEN I LOOK FURTHER INTO IT FOR THE, UM, FOR THE, UH, THAT'S A PROPERTY OWNER. AND THEN WHEN I LOOK FURTHER INTO IT FOR THE, THE OPERATOR, THERE'S NOTHING THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT BUILDING CODE COMPLIANCE CHECK. YOU HAVE TO HAVE ALL BUILDING CODES COMPLETED THAT'S NOT THERE. BUT NOW WHERE THEY DO SAY IT, IT'LL BE FURTHER IN. IT'S WHEN THEY'RE TALKING TO THE, UH, [01:10:01] UH, THE HOST OF THE BUILDING. BUT WHY WOULD THE HOST OF THE BUILDER HAVE A BUILDING CODE COMPLIANCE? HOW WOULD THEY KNOW ABOUT THAT? UNLESS THE OWNER KNEW ABOUT IT AND THE OPERATOR KNEW ABOUT IT, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE RE-REVIEWED. I WANNA TALK TO YOU, I KNOW JANUARY 1ST IS COMING UP, SO I JUST, I HAVE THIS INFORMATION. I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU BECAUSE WHAT YOU SAID WAS GOOD, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH SO WATERED DOWN. IT'S NOT SAID IN THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION, UH, REGULATIONS, UH, INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN PASSED OUT FOR THEM TO SIGN NOW. THANK YOU, MA'AM. AND COULD YOU MEET WITH A LADY RIGHT THERE AND SHARE THE PAPERS THAT YOU HAVE SO THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO IT? MA'AM? OH, GO BACK. GO BACK. GO BACK, BACK. OH, THAT'S HAPPENING. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MA'AM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN. I'M SORRY THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOU. I WILL REACH OUT TO A RA AND CHECK ON THIS AND, AND GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOU. THANK YOU. COULD I GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOU REGARDING THIS? SURE. YEAH. OKAY. BECAUSE I FOLLOW UP. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I'LL MR. UH, RAMIREZ. I'LL GIVE KEVIN JOAQUIN, GENEVA COLBERT, JEANETTE THITO, RHONDA NORRIS, RACHEL LADAY, CAROLINA MARTINEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY MONICA GONZALEZ OF KATIE. MY NAME IS GATO, AND AS A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT H, MY MESSAGE IS FOR YOU MARIO CASTILLO. EVERY TIME THE COMMUNITY ASKS FOR A STOP TO HPDS COLLABORATION WITH ICE, WE ARE EITHER FED LIES COMPLETELY IGNORED OR TOLD. THERE WILL BE UNWANTED ATTENTION TO HOUSTON. BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS ACTUALLY BRINGING UNWANTED ATTENTION TO HOUSTON? FAMILIES BEING TORN APART, PARENTS TOO AFRAID TO GO TO WORK, AND KIDS THAT ARE TERRIFIED THEIR PARENTS WON'T COME HOME. AND YOUR WORDS WITHOUT ACTION ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO HELP THIS COMMUNITY. AND I JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR THAT THE CO THE COMMUNITY IS NOT ASKING THIS COUNCIL TO BREAK ANY STATE LAWS. WE'RE SIMPLY ASKING THAT HPD STOP GOING BEYOND WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES, AND THAT IS AN END TO ALL NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. SO I IMPLORE YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER GUILLO AND THE REST OF THIS COUNCIL TO STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING. YOU NEED TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, AND YOU NEED TO STOP HIDING BEHIND WHAT COULD HAPPEN AND START DEALING WITH WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING TO THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. COUNCIL EVAN SHIBA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN. I HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR THE LONGEST, MOST PEOPLE ARE BEING DEPORTED AFTER A TRAFFIC VIOLATION, THEY ARE BEING STOPPED. IF WE STOP WITH THE NON-SAFETY, UH, INFRACTIONS, WHICH CAN BE TICKETED WITHOUT AN INTERACTION, THEN THAT ALLEVIATES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ASKING THEM WHO ARE YOU? GIVE US YOUR ID. AND THEN CALLING IN SO THAT THEY CAN END UP POSSIBLY BEING DEPORTED. SO THAT IS, WE ARE NOT CIRCUMVENTING THE LAW BY DOING THAT. WE ARE JUST WORKING WITH ANOTHER ASPECT THAT WILL CERTAINLY, IF IT'S NON-SAFETY, THEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WHEN THE TOLL PEOPLE GO THROUGH THE TOLL, THEY TAKE A PICTURE AND THEN ONCE THEY TAKE THE PICTURE, THEN THEY CAN GO BACK AND, AND TRY TO GET WHATEVER IS NEEDED, UH, TO GET THEM IN COMPLIANCE OR TO FIND THEM, BUT TO STOP THEM FOR INSPECTION STICKERS OR LICENSE PLATES OR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NOT PUTTING THEM OR ANYONE ELSE IN JEOPARDY IMMEDIATELY, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AS A MEANS OF STOPPING SOME OF THESE ERRANT TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. THANK YOU. OH, JUST A SECOND. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN HERE, UM, AND FOR SHARING YOUR COMMENTS. UM, WHEN YOU'RE DONE AT THE PODIUM, I'LL STEP OUT AND WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU IN THE HALLWAY. PERFECT. NEXT, MA MONICA GONZALEZ OF KATIE [01:15:10] TRU. TRUDY ORS. BRIAN HALLIGAN OF LEAGUE CITY TO BE FOLLOWED BY NORA PIERCE. MR. MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU CAN'T HEAR ME, RIGHT? OKAY. IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T SOUND WELL. OKAY. MY NAME IS BRIAN HALLIGAN. I'M A MEMBER OF THE GREATER CLEAR LAKE JUSTICE COALITION, AND I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF BAY AREA UU CHURCH. AND THIS IS SOMETHING NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. OUR OWN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS WAGING A CAMPAIGN TO TARGET THE MARGINALIZE A SOCIETY. ICE RECENTLY ADMITTED IT HAD DETAINED OVER 400 CHILDREN LONGER THAN THE 20 DAY LEGAL LIMIT. KIDS ARE BEING HELD UP TO 168 DAYS IN DETENTION. THERE REPORTS THAT FOOD AND DETENTION CENTERS CONTAINED WORMS AND IS SPOILED INJURED. KIDS ARE WAITING DAYS FOR MEDICAL CARE. MANY OF THESE PARENTS AREN'T CRIMINALS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, MOST OF THEM IN DETENTION ARE NOT CRIMINALS. MANY OF THESE KIDS ARE US CITIZENS. NO CHILD, REGARDLESS OF THEIR STATUS DESERVES TO BE TREATED LIKE THIS. WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND THE MARGINALIZED OF SOCIETY. THE BIBLE THROUGH JESUS TELLS US THAT TRULY I SAY UNTO YOU, AS YOU DO TO THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU DO UNTO ME. WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS. I THINK I SAID THAT RIGHTS, RIGHTS IN A MARGINALIZED SOCIETY AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON CANNOT COOPERATE WITH ICE IN ANY WAY. WHILE ICE OPERATES IN SUCH AN UNCONSCIONABLE MANNER. THE CITY OF USON NEEDS TO REMAIN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. AND THE CITY HAS A MORAL, AS WELL AS A LEGAL OBLIGATION TO PROTECT ALL THE PEOPLE WITHIN THEIR BORDERS. THANK YOU, NORA PIERCE, TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINA PEREZ OF KINGWOOD. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME'S NORA PIERCE, AND I'M A MEMBER OF A UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, YOUNG DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST OF AMERICA. UM, I'M HERE BECAUSE HOUSTON'S BEHIND, WE'RE LATE TO THE TREND OF BLUE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES BECOMING SANCTUARY CITIES AND PROTECTING ANYONE THAT ICE CAN TARGET FROM ITS OVERREACH. AND I'VE HEARD THE DEFENSE THAT IT WON'T WORK. HOUSTON'S A BLUE OASIS, BUT IN SUCH A RED STATE THAT NOTHING COULD STICK. THAT'S WHY IT'S THAT MUCH MORE IMPORTANT. IGNORANCE IS BLISS WHEN YOU CAN IGNORE HEADLINES ABOUT ICE DEPORTING WOMEN WHO HAVE REPORTED DOMESTIC ABUSE. IGNORANCE IS BLISS. WHEN YOU COULD IGNORE HEADLINES ABOUT UH NOT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, FINDING A LOST AUTISTIC CHILD AND DECIDING TO CALL ICE FOR HELP INSTEAD OF REUNITING HIM WITH HIS MOTHER FOR A MONTH. IT'S DISGUSTING. AND IT WOULD BE INCORRECT FOR ME TO SAY THAT MOST OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE IN FRONT OF ME TODAY, UH, ARE HEARTLESS BECAUSE YOU'VE, YOU'VE HEARD, UH, THE DOZENS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS TESTIMONY ABOUT THE HARMS OF ICE AND DONE NOTHING BECAUSE THAT WOULD IMPLY THAT YOU'RE LISTENING. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'RE LISTENING UNTIL SOMETHING IS DONE. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU CARE ABOUT HOUSTON UNTIL SOMETHING IS DONE. YOU CAN FIX THIS. YOU ARE IGNORING THE FACT THAT THERE IS A CLEAR PATH THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE FOLLOWED, INCLUDING LIMITING TO THE LEGAL, LIKE MINIMUM OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IMMIGRATIONS AND CUSTOM ENFORCEMENT. THE FACT THAT THERE IS ACTUAL CITY COUNCIL CONTENT THAT IS SEEKING TO DO THIS, AND IT, WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT TODAY, BUT WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET IT TO BE PASSED IN THE FIRST PLACE SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT IS SHAMEFUL THE FACT THAT WE ARE STILL, IT'S STEP ONE WHEN WE SHOULD BE PROTECTING HOUSTONIANS. 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT CITIZENSHIP, IT'S ABOUT WHO BELONGS. AND IT'S UP TO YOU TO DECIDE IF YOU'RE SIDING WITH WHAT THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION IS SAYING, OR IF YOU LIKE HOUSTON, WE WILL REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAY WHEN WE GO TO VOTE. REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAY [01:20:01] WE'RE FOREVER. THIS IS A STAIN ON HOUSTON'S HISTORY, AND YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO TRY TO REMOVE IT THE BEST YOU CAN AND MOVE FORWARD OR GO DOWN A PATH THAT RIPS APART FAMILIES, TEARS APART HOUSTON AS WE KNOW IT, AND GIVES INTO THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION IN A WAY THAT DISGRACES HOUSTON FOR THE REALLY THE ETERNITY OF TIME. IT'S, I LOVE BEING A HOUSTONIAN AND I'M ASHAMED OF WHERE WE ARE. WE ARE NOT A BLUE OASIS. IF THIS IS HOW YOU'RE GOING TO TREAT THIS, WE'RE NOT EVEN A PURPLE OASIS. IF YOU'RE GONNA TREAT THIS, WHAT GOOD IS IT TO HAVE A DEMOCRATIC MAYOR IF THIS IS WHAT WE GET? DO YOU LOVE HOUSTON OR DO YOU LOVE TRUMP? DO YOU LOVE HOUSTON? DO YOU EVEN LIKE DEMOCRACY FOR THAT MATTER? OR DO YOU LIKE THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION? YOUR YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YOU MUST DECIDE AND WE WILL REMEMBER WHAT YOU PICK. HELLO, MY NAME IS CHRISTINA AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING MYSELF IN THE LATINO AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON, A COMMUNITY THAT HAS SHAPED THIS CITY FOR GENERATIONS. MY ROOTS IN TEXAS RUN DEEP, BOTH OF MY GRANDFATHER'S CROSS DE GRANDE AND ONE IN 19 67, 1 IN 1979, MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER CAME THROUGH THE SYSTEM CREATED BY THE 1965 HEART CELLAR ACT, A SYSTEM BUILT ON LABOR, FAMILY, AND DIGNITY. OUR STORY IS NOT UNIQUE, THOUGH. IT IS THE STORY OF HOUSTON. PEOPLE CAME HERE TO WORK, TO BUILD, TO SEEK SAFETY AND TO CREATE A FUTURE. AND I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW YOUR ADMINISTRATION'S CONTINUED COOPERATION WITH ICE, HAS BROUGHT FEAR INTO HOUSEHOLDS LIKE OURS. FEAR THAT MAKES PEOPLE HIDE INSTEAD OF THRIVE. MAYOR WHITMEYER, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SAY THIS PLAINLY. YOUR COLLABORATION WITH ICE IS HARMING FAMILIES, DISRUPTING COMMUNITIES, AND CONTRADICTING THE PROMISES YOU MADE TO THE CITY. YOU TOLD US HPD WOULD ENFORCE LOCAL LAWS, NOT FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS. YOU TOLD US HPD DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN ICE RAID. YOU TOLD US OFFICERS WOULD NOT CHECK IMMIGRATION STATUS DURING TRAFFIC STOPS. YOU TOLD US TRUST NOT FEAR WAS THE PRIORITY, BUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS FEAR, REAL FEAR HERE IN OUR TRUST HERE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WORKPLACES AND DAILY LIVES. WHEN I WAS FRESH OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL WORKING AT THE MR CAR WASH OFF WESTHEIMER WESTHEIMER, I SAW THE SAME MEN AND WOMEN WALKING THAT STRIP EVERY MORNING. THEY OWN NOTHING BUT A BACKPACK AND DETERMINATION. THEY WEREN'T CAUSING TROUBLE, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR WORK. THAT MEMORY STAYED WITH ME BECAUSE IT SHOWED A SIMPLE TRUTH. CAN PEOPLE COME HERE TO CONTRIBUTE TODAY? I KNOW A FATHER AND AN UNDOCUMENTED HOUSTONIAN WHO HAD HIS FINGER COMPLETELY SEVERED IN A WORKPLACE ACCIDENT. AND INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE HOSPITAL, HE HAD TO WRAP IT AND STAY HOME SHAKING IN PAIN BECAUSE HE FEARED THAT SEEKING MEDICAL CARE COULD LEAD TO DEPORTATION. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MEDICAL ATTENTION AND STAYING WITH THEIR FAMILY. THAT IS NOT TRUST. THAT IS NOT SAFETY, AND IT IS NOT THE HOUSTON YOU PROMISED TO LEAD. AND LET US BE CLEAR, THE FEAR IS NOT ABOUT CRIMINALS. THE DATA IS OVERWHELMING. UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS COMMIT FEWER CRIMES THAN US-BORN CITIZENS AND CONTRIBUTE BILLIONS IN TAXES EVERY YEAR. IMMIGRANT LABOR KEEPS HOUSTON'S BUSINESSES, CONSTRUCTION SITES, RESTAURANTS AND HOSPITALS RUNNING. WE ARE CONTRIBUTORS. NOT THREATS YET. BROCHURE PROFILING CONTINUES. LA LATINO, US CITIZENS HAVE REPORTED BEING QUESTIONED OR DETAINED BECAUSE OF SKIN COLOR OR ACCENT. YOU SAID HPD WOULD AVOID CREATING FEAR, BUT FEAR IS EXACTLY WHAT HAS TAKEN ROOT AND IT IS HAPPENING ON YOUR WATCH. MAYOR WHITMEYER, YOU CAMPAIGNED AS A STEADY HAND AND A PROTECTOR, BUT THE POLICIES YOU ARE CHOOSING ARE NOT NEUTRAL. COLLABORATION WITH ICE, EVEN LIMITED COLLABORATION IS A CHOICE AND IT IS A HARMFUL ONE. SO I AM HERE TO ASK YOU PUBLICLY, WILL YOU COMMIT TO ENDING ALL VOLUNTARY COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ICE? WILL YOU RELEASE TRANSPARENT DATA ON EVERY INSTANCE IN WHICH HPD OR ANY CITY DEPARTMENT INTERACTS WITH ICE? WILL YOU MEET WITH IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY LEADERS IN A PUBLIC FORUM? AND WILL YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FEAR THESE POLICIES HAVE CREATED? BECAUSE THESE, THE HOUSTON MY GRANDFATHER'S CROSS THE RIVER FOR WAS NOT BUILT ON FEAR. IT WAS BUILT ON OPPORTUNITY, COMMUNITY AND DIGNITY. MAYOR WHITMEYER CITY COUNCIL, YOUR LEGACY IS BEING WRITTEN RIGHT NOW. CHOOSE TRUST, CHOOSE SAFETY. CHOOSE TRANSPARENCY, CHOOSE HOUSTON. THANK YOU CHERYL ABRAHAMS TO BE FOLLOWED BY SEAN AIRE. GOOD EVENING MAYOR WHITMEYER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M HERE AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C, A MEMBER OF THE FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH AND A MOTHER. MY FAITH CALLS ON ME TO UPHOLD THE WORTH AND DIGNITY OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS AND PARENTHOOD HAS MADE ME DEEPLY INVESTED IN COMMUNITY SAFETY. I AM GREATLY CONCERNED [01:25:01] THAT MULTITUDES OF ARMED AND MASKED FEDERAL ICE AGENTS HAVE DESCENDED ON HOUSTON, EVEN AS WE READ HUNDREDS OF CREDIBLE REPORTS OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES THAT HAVE BEEN COMMITTED BY SUCH AGENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY. THERE ARE FEW, IF ANY, EFFECTIVE PROCESSES FOR HOLDING THESE AGENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR MISCONDUCT, EVEN IF THEY USE EXCESSIVE FORCE OR VIOLATE DUE PROCESS. AND THERE IS SADLY NO INDICATION THAT ANY OF THE NORMAL CONSTITUTIONAL OR HUMAN RIGHTS SAFEGUARDS THAT WE MIGHT EXPECT FROM OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR EVEN OUR STATE GOVERNMENT ARE FORTHCOMING HOUSTONIANS ARE GOING TO GET HURT. I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU AS OUR CITY LEADERS TO STEP IN TO PROTECT OUR SAFETY AND OUR RIGHTS SINCE THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE GOVERNMENTS WILL NOT PLEASE DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO LIMIT HPD COLLABORATION WITH ICE. THIS INCLUDES CHANGING THE WAY THAT HPD HANDLES TRAFFIC STOPS. YOU ARE QUITE SIMPLY OUR LAST LINE OF DEFENSE. THANK YOU, SEAN LARE, HANNAH ROMERO, FLO FLO HOYLE TO BE FOLLOWED BY DARCY ADA WHOSE NAME WAS INADVERTENTLY LEFT OFF THE LIST. GOOD EVENING. I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD WAIT FOR THE MAYOR OR WHAT PROCEEDS, UH OH NO. WELL, I I HAD INITIALLY INTENDED TO MENTION MORAL ETHICS AND MORE THAN ANYTHING REASONS FOR WHY THE COLLABORATION OF ICE AND HPD IS INHUMANE, SEEING AS HOW CRUEL AND INHUMANE THEIR TACTICS ARE. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU DO NOT SHARE THE SAME CHRISTIAN VALUES THAT MOVE ME AND OTHERS TO QUESTION THE ATTACK ON OUR COMMUNITIES BY MASS MEN AND ON OUR IN UNMARKED VEHICLES WITH FAKE LICENSE PLATES WHO ARE ESSENTIALLY KIDNAPPING PEOPLE WHILE FALSELY CLAIMING THAT THEY ARE ARRESTING CRIMINAL ALIENS. WE KNOW THAT PHRASE IS NOT TRUE. ICE IS DISAPPEARING AND BEATING PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE NATION, AND THERE IS PLENTY OF EVIDENCE OUT THERE FOR THAT. SO INSTEAD, I, WE'LL APPEAL TO THE ECONOMIC REASONS OF WHY THIS DOES NOT SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. WHEN MAYOR, UH, WHITMEYER ADDRESSES HIS CONSTITUENTS, HE CALLS US HOUSTONIANS. BUT, UH, WHEN HE DOES THAT, HE, HE'S ALSO TALKING TO IMMIGRANTS, LEGAL AND NOT BECAUSE, UH, NOT ONLY DO THEY CONTRIBUTE AND GENERATE WEALTH VIA THEIR LABOR, WHICH IS OFTEN EXPLOITED, I BET BY SOME OF PEOPLE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE SITTING HERE TOO. BUT THEY'RE ALSO CONSUMERS. THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY BUYING VEHICLES, BUYING ELECTRONICS, CONTRACTING UTILITY SERVICES, SHOPPING AT LOCAL STORES, EATING AT RESTAURANTS, PAYING FOR HOUSING, EDUCATION, FITNESS. THEY ENRICH THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES WITH THEIR CONSUMERISM BY GIVING FREE RANGE TO ICE. AND HPD COLLABORATION, YOU ARE NEGATIVELY IMPACTING THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF THE CITY THAT YOU ARE ENTRUSTED TO LEAD. HPD COLLABORATION WITH ICE OPENS UP HPD TO LAWSUITS. AND WHO ENDS UP PAYING FOR THOSE? NOT THE COPS, BUT WE, THE TAXPAYERS. WHAT THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE IS THAT YOU DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE FINANCIAL STATE OF YOUR GENERAL CONSTITUENTS. AND YOU ARE INSTEAD FAVORING THE FINANCIAL GROWTH FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS OF FOR-PROFIT DETENTION CENTERS INSTEAD, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES MAKING PROFIT FROM THE KIDNAPPING AND IMPRISONMENT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO LEGAL STATUS AND EVEN OF THOSE WITH ILLEGAL STATUS. AND WE HAVE EVEN SEEN US CITIZENS GETTING KIDNAPPED TO DHS MADE A MEANINGLESS STATEMENT THAT, AND I QUOTE, THEY WILL BE FOCUSING ON PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS. AND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THEIR INITIAL FOCUS, BUT THEY USED THE LINCOLN RILEY ACT TO CRIMINALIZE ANYONE WHO IS AN IMMIGRANT WITHOUT EVEN PRODUCING EVIDENCE, JUST AS SIMPLE ACCUSATION. DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR? THE GOVERNMENT USED THAT TO, TO THE GOVERNMENT USED TO DO THAT TO ENSLAVED PEOPLE. MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON OF CHICAGO REMINDED US THAT BLACK PEOPLE USED TO BE LEGALLY LABELED AS SLAVES TO DEHUMANIZE THEM. AND NOW THIS TYPE OF LABELING IS BEING IMPOSED AS A LEGAL TERM TO DEHUMANIZE IMMIGRANTS SO THEY CAN TO BE TRAFFICKED AND BE USED FOR THE NEXT BEST THING. [01:30:01] NEXT, NEXT BEST THING TO SLAVE LABOR. IT IS REPORTED THAT FOR-PROFIT IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTERS USE DETAINED IMMIGRANTS FOR FACILITY LABOR THROUGH A PROGRAM THAT PAYS AS LITTLE AS $1 PER DAY. AND IF SOMEBODY CAN GIVE THIS TO MAYOR WHITMEYER, MAYBE HE CAN, HE CAN BE EDUCATED ON HOW IMMIGRANTS, LEGAL OR NOT PROVIDE BENEFIT AND GENERATE WEALTH IN MANY WAYS TO THE COUNTRY. AND IF HE IS REALLY INTERESTED IN THE BEST FOR HOUSTON, YOU ARE MY REPRESENTATIVE, MARY ANN HUFFMAN. I COULDN'T SEE YOU FROM BACK THERE. IF HE IS INTERESTED IN MAKING, MA'AM, IF YOU COULD WRAP UP THE COMMENTS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED HOUSTON. HE NEEDS TO DETAIN, STOP ALL THE COLLABORATION OF ICE WITH HPD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. DARCY LATA CALLED MY NAME BEFORE I DID, I'M SORRY. UH, HANNAH ROMERO. YES. OKAY. TO BE FOLLOWED BY DARCY LATA. HI, UM, MY NAME IS HANNAH ATKINS ROMERO AND I'M THE RECTOR OF TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN MIDTOWN HOUSTON HISTORIC CHURCH WITH A VERY ACTIVE AND, UM, MULTICULTURAL CONGREGATION. I'M HERE TONIGHT AS, UH, THE, THEIR CHIEF PASTOR, AS WELL AS THE WIFE OF A NATURALIZED CITIZEN. UH, AND THE STATE OF FEAR THAT OUR COUNTRY IS IN NOW. UH, MY HUSBAND, MY SONS HAVE TO CARRY THEIR PASSPORT, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF BEING DETAINED BY ICE, WHICH HAS GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL AND UNACCOUNTABLE OUR PARISHIONERS ARE, UH, CONCERNED, WORRIED, NOT GOING TO SCHOOL, NOT GOING TO CHURCH, NOT GOING TO WORK. UM, AND THIS IS HURTING OUR CITY, HURTING OUR FAMILIES, HURTING OUR CHURCH. UH, AND IT IS, UM, UNCONSCIONABLE. SO I'M HERE TO URGE HOUSTON, UH, CITY COUNCIL TO STOP COLLABORATION WITH, UM, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ICE. AND I URGE YOU ALL TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT NON-SAFETY RELATED TRAFFIC STOPS. UM, YOU ALL KNOW THE STATISTICS, YOU ALL HAVE THE INFORMATION. MANY PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN TO THAT TODAY. I'VE BEEN HERE AS THE RECTOR OF TRINITY HOUSTON FOR 18 YEARS, AND I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN, UM, IMMIGRANTS WERE SCARED, UH, TO, UH, APPLY FOR HELP. AND THE MAYOR GOT UP ON, UH, NATIONAL TELEVISION AND SAID, IF ANYBODY BOTHERS YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR STATUS, I WILL PERSONALLY DEFEND YOU. WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT TYPE OF STICKING UP FOR THE RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS AND COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THAT LESS COLLABORATION, UM, THAT, UH, IS INHUMANE, SEPARATES FAMILIES, UM, SEES, UH, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE AS LESS THAN AND AS, AS PAWNS IN A POLITICAL GAME INSTEAD OF OUR NEIGHBORS. UM, I, UH, WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, MARK 12, UH, THE GOSPEL OF MARK CHAPTER 12 VERSES 30 31 SAYS, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART. THAT'S THE FIRST COMMANDMENT. AND THE SECOND IS THIS, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. THERE IS NO OTHER COMMANDMENT GREATER THAN THESE. I ALSO WANNA INVITE YOU TO A PRAYER VIGIL IN FRONT OF THE TENSION CENTER. TOMORROW BETWEEN ONE AND TWO 15, EPISCOPAL CHURCHES ARE BEGINNING TO ORGANIZE, UM, TO, ALONG WITH INTERFAITH NEIGHBORS, UH, TO, UH, MOBILIZE, UH, TO, TO, TO INFLUENCE, UH, A BETTER HOUSTON. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DARCY KIRSON LADA. I LIVE IN DISTRICT DI WORK IN DISTRICT J. ALTHOUGH I DISAGREE WITH MUCH OF MAYOR WHITTIER'S POLICIES SUCH AS HIS CAR-CENTRIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND ITS COMPLICITY THROUGH THE DISASTROUS TA TAKEOVER [01:35:01] OF HOUSTON ISD. I DO AGREE WITH HIS STATEMENT THAT ICE USES FEAR-BASED TACTICS, TEARS FAMILIES APART, AND UNDERMINES TRUST IN OUR COMMUNITIES. I'M A REGISTERED NURSE IN A PREDOMINANTLY IMI WHO WORKS IN A PREDOMINANTLY IMMIGRANT POPULATION IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. FEAR OF ICE IS PUSHING PATIENTS AND FAMILIES AWAY FROM SEEKING MEDICAL CARE, WHICH CAN LEAD AND IS LEADING TO MORE DANGEROUS COMPLICATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, I'VE HAD AT LEAST ONE MOTHER GIVE BIRTH ALONE BECAUSE HER PARTNER'S DEPORTED. IT'S AN EMOTIONAL AND HEARTBREAKING EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL TO OFFSET THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS STEMMING FROM THE HPD COLLABORATION WITH ICE. FIRST, YOU CAN END NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS SINCE MINOR TRAFFIC STOPS LIKE HAVING A BROKEN HEADLIGHT SHOULDN'T BE A PIPELINE TO FEDERAL IMMIGRATION DETENTION AND DEPORTATION. SECOND, YOU CAN CANCEL ALL CONTRACTS WITH FLOCK SECURITY AND ANY OTHER SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM SINCE WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY HELP REDUCE CRIME IN HOUSTON. THIRD, YOU CAN PROVIDE FUNDING FOR LEGAL RESOURCES FOR IMMIGRANTS. FOURTH, YOU CAN COMMISSION AUDITS OF ICE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION. THIS CAN BE DONE WITH ENTITIES, THREE ENTITIES SUCH AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEES, AND CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT BODIES. AND OF COURSE, SHARE THESE FINDINGS PUBLICLY. WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY LIKE OTHERS HAVE SAID, OUR CITY'S MILES BEHIND. AND WE'RE PLEADING WITH YOU HERE TONIGHT TO GET AHEAD OF THINGS. CLEARLY, THE RADICAL RIGHT WING MOVEMENT, SCAPEGOAT MOVEMENT TO SCAPEGOAT AND PUNISH IMMIGRANTS WON'T STOP. SO NOW IT'S MORE URGENT THAN EVER THAT OUR CITY PRIORITIZE PROTECTING THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE HOUSTON SO UNIQUELY SPECIAL, THE IMMIGRANTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COURTNEY. SELLER BILL'S JOHN TO BE FOLLOWED BY KELLY ADLER. HI, MY NAME IS COURTNEY SELLERS. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT I, I AM HERE LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE TO ASK CITY COUNCIL TO ELIMINATE AND END OUR COLLABORATION WITH ICE. THROUGH HPD. WE'VE ALL BEEN DISGUSTED AND DISTURBED BY WHAT WE SEE ON TV, UM, OR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT WE ALSO EXPERIENCE THAT IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES. MY LITTLE SISTER WAS JUST TELLING ME THE OTHER DAY, SHE WORKS IN A RESTAURANT AND EVERY DAY SHE GOES TO WORK AND THERE'S AT LEAST ONE COWORKER WHO SHE'S JUST NEVER GOING TO SEE AGAIN. THAT PERSON'S GONE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR FAMILY. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM. MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HAD TO CLOSE DOWN HER BOOTH AT THE PASADENA FLEA MARKET BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF ICE, THAT NO ONE'S COMING OUT AND BUYING STUFF. IT'S HURTING OUR ECONOMY AND OUR COMMUNITY. BUT I ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT WHAT OTHER THING, WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS TO THE CHILDREN OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PICKED UP BY ICE IN THESE SWEEPS? THEY JUST SIT AT HOME, THEIR PARENTS DON'T COME HOME. MAYBE THEY GO INTO THE CPS SYSTEM. WELL, 25% OF THOSE YOUTH WILL END UP HOMELESS. MAYBE THEY'RE 16 OR 17 YEARS OLD, AND CPS WON'T EVEN TAKE THEM INTO CUSTODY. AND NOW THEY'RE ALONE AND THEY HAVE NO RESOURCES. THOSE OF US THAT WORK WITH HOMELESS YOUTH WILL TELL YOU THAT WE ARE ALREADY LACKING THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO SERVE THE UNHOUSED YOUTH THAT ARE ALREADY IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S BEFORE YOU ADD MORE AND MORE AND MORE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAD PARENTS AT HOME WHO WERE WORKING HARD TO PROVIDE FOR THEM WHO MOVED HERE TO HOUSTON, JUST LIKE MANY OF OUR PARENTS FOR A BETTER LIFE. SO I'M URGING YOU TODAY TO PLEASE END YOUR COLLABORATION WITH ICE WITH HPD. I WISH JOHN WHITMEYER WERE HERE SO I COULD ASK HIM MYSELF, BUT I'M ASKING Y'ALL, PLEASE HELP US. THANK YOU. HI COUNSEL. UM, MARTINEZ. HE'S MINE, BUT I DON'T SEE HIM. UM, I'M KELLY SADLER AND I KNOW Y'ALL ARE TIRED OF HEARING FROM US ABOUT ICE. UM, BUT THIS IS OUR ONLY OUTLET. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY, AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE ON COUNCIL WHO VOTED FOR THESE TUESDAY NIGHT MEETINGS BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO US. UM, THIS IS REALLY THE ONLY WAY WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU GUYS ABOUT JUST HOW UNHAPPY. LOOK AT HOW MANY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, DIFFERENT RACES, DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES, DIFFERENT HOUSTONIANS WHO ARE ALL HERE FOR THE EXACT SAME REASON. UH, HPD OFFICERS ACT AS ICE INFORMANTS. THIS ISN'T PUBLIC SAFETY. IT'S STATE SPONSORED [01:40:01] CRUELTY, HARRIS COUNTY JAILS SALES, ICE AND SALES IMMIGRANTS TO ICE TO MEET FOR-PROFIT PRISON QUOTAS. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON HERE. IT'S THE MONEY. FOLLOW THE MONEY. I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER ISN'T HERE BECAUSE I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT CORE, CIVIC AND GEO GROUP. CORE CIVIC AND GEO GROUP ARE THE FOR-PROFIT PRISON CORPORATIONS THAT FUND HIS CAMPAIGN. HE MAKES MONEY. SO DOES SO DOES GREG ABBOTT EVERY TIME ICE DETAINS A HOUSTONIAN, THESE GROUPS BACK TO THE MAYOR'S CAMPAIGN. AND WE CAN ALL PUBLICLY SEE HOW EFFECTIVE, UM, THIS POLICY IS AT MAKING THEM EVEN RICHER. THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. COUNSEL, YOU HAVE A CHOICE TODAY. CUT CONTRACTS WITH ICE. NO MORE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DOING DIRTY WORK FOR THEM. BAN ICE FROM OUR JAILS, OUR SCHOOLS, AND OUR STREETS JUST LIKE DALLAS AND AUSTIN. I KNOW SENATE BILL FOUR. I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT. DALLAS AND AUSTIN HAVE A GREAT PROGRAM THAT DOES NOT HAVE, UM, NON, WHAT IS IT? THE SAFETY STOPS. WE, THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON ARE NOT A CLIENT LIST FOR THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. WE ARE YOUR CONSTITUENTS. PLEASE ACT LIKE IT. MA'AM, MA'AM, IF YOU COULD, MA'AM, IF YOU COULD COME BACK, MS. SADLER, IF YOU COULD COME BACK. WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WANTED TO ADDRESS YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR PRO TIM. AND, UH, GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE. UH, I DO WANT TO CORRECT YOUR, YOUR STATEMENT. UH, WE'RE NOT TIRED OF, OF HEARING FROM YOU ALL. I THINK YOUR WORDS ARE NECESSARY. I THINK YOUR ENGAGEMENT IS NECESSARY. I THINK YOUR PRESENCE IS NECESSARY. UH, WE WORK FOR YOU AT THE END OF THE DAY AND WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU ON WAYS IN WHICH YOU BELIEVE THAT WE CAN, UH, HELP CREATE A SAFER CITY FOR ALL. AND, UM, I CAN TELL YOU FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE WORDS THAT YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT TODAY AND THE WORDS OF YOUR, OF YOUR ASSOCIATES WHO ARE SPEAKING TODAY, UH, ARE REIGNING TRUE. AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M LOOKING AT AND WOULD LIKE TO DO. AND I'M SURE FOR MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE, UH, IT IS THE SAME. SO JUST BECAUSE WE MAY NOT SPEAK AFTER EVERY SINGLE SPEAKER DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT LISTENING, THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING IN WHAT YOU ALL ARE SAYING AND THAT YOU ARE NOT WASTING YOUR TIME BY BEING HERE. YOUR WORDS ARE VERY MUCH IMPORTANT. YOUR WORDS ARE VERY MUCH, UH, VALUED. AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. THANK YOU, SIR. AND I WANNA SHOUT OUT YOU AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. Y'ALL HAVE REALLY SHOWED UP FOR US, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. CONNOR VIKE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ERIC SANCHEZ. GOOD. OH, I'M SORRY. UH, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. I GUESS NOT MAYOR WHITMEYER. I GUESS HE HAS SOMEWHERE ELSE TO BE. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HIS JOB IF IT MEANT I COULD JUST, UH, LEAVE WHENEVER I WANTED TO. UH, THAT SOUNDS PRETTY COOL. UM, MY NAME IS CONNOR VIKE. I'M A NATIVE TEXAN AND A MEMBER OF THE HOUSTON DSA. AND I HAVE LIVED IN HOUSTON FOR MOST OF MY LIFEM. I'M SPEAKING Y'ALL. IF Y'ALL, TONIGHT I HAVE A DEEP SENSE OF CARE AND DUTY THAT I FEEL FOR MY COMMUNITY. SADLY, I FEEL THAT MOST OF YOU DO NOT REFLECT THIS SAME SENSE OF CARE, UM, AND DUTY. IF I'M WRONG, I ASK YOU TO PROVE IT TO ME, TO THIS WHOLE ROOM, TO THIS WHOLE CITY. BUT DO NOT DO IT WITH WORDS, DO IT WITH ACTIONS. WE WANT TO SEE SOMETHING IN WRITING OF WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO. AND I ASK YOU THIS AND NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS AN EXPIRED VEHICLE REGISTRATION CAN RESULT IN JAIL AND DEPORTATION. AND NOW THE IDENTIFICATION IS REQUIRED AS SOON AS LAST MONTH, UH, TO RECEIVE OR RENEW VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS. UM, THE STRATEGY OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS STATE THAT DESPISE OUR, UH, UNDOCUMENTED HOUSTONIANS IS CLEAR THEY INTEND TO PAY A LARGER AND LARGER TARGET ON THEIR BACKS. WHILE ALL OF Y'ALL SIT HERE AND DO NOTHING BUT PUT OUT STATEMENTS THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE TIME FOR THAT IS OVER THE TIME FOR PLAYING DEAD WHILE HOUSTONIAN SUFFER IS OVER. IF Y'ALL DO NOT FEEL THAT IN YOUR HEARTS BY NOW, YOU WILL CERTAINLY FEEL IT ON ELECTION DAY. THANK YOU ERIC SANCHEZ. [01:45:05] JULIE DUNS DUNSMORE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANGEL LE. HELLO, MY NAME IS JULIE DUNSMORE. I LIVE IN DISTRICT C I'VE BEEN A DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND FAMILY SCIENTIST FOR 30 YEARS. SO I CAN SPEAK ABOUT WHAT HELPS FAMILIES THRIVE AND WHAT HARMS FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON ARE. THE STRENGTH AND THE BEAUTY OF HOUSTON, OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH THAT HELPS THE WHOLE CITY TO THRIVE. THE HARM BEING DONE TO IMMIGRANT FAMILIES BY ICE AS WELL DOCUMENTED AND PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE SPOKEN SO ELOQUENTLY ABOUT IT. IT'S DEVASTATING TO LIVE IN FEAR BECAUSE YOUR FAMILY IS BEING TARGETED. WHEN SOME FAMILIES ARE UNDER ASSAULT, THAT DISRUPTS COMMUNITY SAFETY FOR EVERYONE. IT'S EVEN WORSE WHEN PEOPLE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COUNT ON TO PROTECT US. HOUSTON POLICE ACTIVELY COLLABORATE WITH THOSE CAUSING HARM COUNCIL MEMBERS. I IMAGINE THAT ONE REASON YOU RAN FOR OFFICE WAS THAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE TO CREATE A LEGACY BENEFITING THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON, YOUR ACTIONS OR YOUR LACK OF ACTIONS. SHOW US WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU VALUE. WILL YOUR LEGACY BE THAT YOU STOOD ASIDE WHILE IMMIGRANT FAMILIES WERE THREATENED AND HARMED? YOU CAN ACT TO LIMIT HOUSTON POLICE COLLABORATION WITH ICE. SHOW US THAT YOU STAND WITH THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON AND CREATE A LEGACY THAT YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. CITY. UH, CITY COUNCIL. I WISH I SAY THE SAME TO MAYOR WHITMEYER. UH, MY NAME IS AN, UH, I'VE GROWN UP AND LIVED IN HOUSTON ALL MY LIFE. LIKEWISE. I GREW UP ATTENDING TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL WHERE I LEARNED THAT GOVERNMENTS ARE CREATED TO PROTECT THE LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS OF ALL PEOPLE. DESPITE THE ACTIONS OF MY GOVERNMENT, I HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT. AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE BY NOW, IT'S PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE THAT HOUSTON POLICE ARE OPENLY COLLABORATING WITH ICE. WITH THIS, A MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT TO THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON THAT OUR LIFE, LIBERTY, AND HAPPINESS ARE SECONDARY OBJECTIVES OF THIS COUNCIL. THE PESS, THE PESSIMISTS IN ME WORRIES. THAT'S BECAUSE YOU WOULD RATHER APPEASE YOUR CORPORATE INTERESTS. HOW MANY STORIES DO THERE NEED TO BE OF HPD REPORTING PEOPLE TO ICE WHEN SIMPLY FILING A POLICE REPORT FOR ASKING FOR HELP, GETTING HOME, FOR BEING PULLED OVER BECAUSE OF TINTED WINDOWS? BY ALLOWING THIS COLLABORATION TO GO ON, I'M SORRY. BY ALLOWING THIS COLLABORATION TO GO ON, YOU'VE ERODED TRUST IN THE POLICE OF THE CITY. AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH ME ON THE EFFICACY OF ICE. BUT YOU HAVE TO SEE THAT THIS MAKES THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON FEEL UNSAFE. DO YOU NOT SEE HOW THIS COULD DETER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HOUSTONIANS FROM REPORTING CRIMES, FROM TAKING THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, FROM RUNNING SIMPLE ERRANDS LIKE GROCERY SHOPPING? I IMPLORE YOU TO RETHINK THIS COLLABORATION BETWEEN ICE AND THE HOUSTON POLICE. THERE WAS A PROPOSAL ON THIS COUNCIL JUST LAST MONTH THAT LACKED THE SUPPORT TO, TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA FOR CONSIDERATION. IT WILL HAVE GIVEN HPD MORE DISCRETION CON IN CONTACTING ICE. AND I ASK YOU RECONSIDER. I ALSO ASK YOU TO END NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS AS MANY OTHERS HAVE TODAY. THEY'VE LONG BEEN USED TO DISPROPORTIONATELY TARGET BLACK AND BROWN CITIZENS, AND ARE LIKEWISE BEING WEAPONIZED BY THIS COLLABORATION. THE BEST TIME TO ACT ON ALL OF THIS WAS MONTHS AGO. BUT THE SECOND BEST TIME IS NOW. I WOULD SAY THIS TO MAYOR WHITMEYER AS WELL. BUT CITY OF COUNCIL, THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON DESERVE BETTER. WE DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE. PLEASE DELIVER. THANK YOU TWAN WYNN TO BE FOLLOWED BY LAURA GALLIER. [01:50:02] HI EVERYONE. MY NAME IS TWAN. I'M A TEACHER IN ALE, REPRESENTED BY TIFFANY THOMAS. UM, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MAYOR AND A TROPE THAT IS OFTEN BROUGHT UP WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION. AND IT COMES OUT IN STATEMENTS, IT COMES OUT IN PRESS CONFERENCES. IT COMES OUT ALL THE TIME, WHICH IS TO SAY THAT THIS IS A CITY OF IMMIGRANTS. IT'S THREE WORDS THAT MEAN NOTHING. YES, HOUSTON IS A CITY. AND YES, THERE ARE IMMIGRANTS IN HERE. OF COURSE, IT'S A CITY OF IMMIGRANTS. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT IT, IF IT IS A CITY FOR IMMIGRANTS, THE DIFFERENCE IS IN ONE WORLD, IMMIGRANTS DO THEIR JOB. THEY DO CONSTRUCTION, THEY SHUT THE HELL UP AND THEY GO HOME. AND IN THE OTHER WORLD, THEY HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ACTUALLY STAND UP FOR THEM. COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WILL ACTUALLY DEFEND THEM. A MAYOR THAT WILL TELL THEM THAT THEY BELONG EVERYWHERE, NOT JUST IN GULFTON OR IN ALE. IT'S A CITY COUNCIL FOR A CITY THAT DEMANDS JUSTICE, NOT JUST THAT PROCLAIMS IT. I'D LIKE TO MENTION ONE EPISODE AT CITY COUNCIL THAT HASN'T OFTEN BEEN BROUGHT UP. AND THAT'S WHEN THE CHIEF OF POLICE OF THIS CITY CAME BEFORE THE COUNCIL. ONE COUNCIL MEMBER DESCRIBED HOW NORMAL CUSTODIANS ARE STANDING UP. WE'RE LEGALLY OBSERVING, WE'RE DOCUMENTING ICE. WE'RE STANDING UP FOR OUR NEIGHBORS. HOW DID THE CHIEF OF POLICE RESPOND? SHE, HE TOLD HER THAT THIS WAS DANGEROUS AND WE SHOULDN'T DO IT. WELL THEN WHO IS GOING TO, IS IT THE CITY COUNCIL? NO. IS IT THE POLICE? NO. SO IF THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLS ON THE PUBLIC, THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY, IF OUR COUNCIL DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, AND THIS IS A STATEMENT FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM AND EVERYONE ELSE LISTENING AT HOME, THESE PEOPLE HAVE VERY LITTLE POWER. WE HAVE THE REAL POWER. THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES DEFENDING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, SHOWING THEM HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES AGAINST ICE. THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN SHOWING UP AT ICE SIGHTINGS TO DOCUMENT AND PROTECT OUR FELLOW HOUSTONIANS. THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN SHOWING UP AT COURTS TO MAKE SURE THAT ICE IS NOT THERE IF THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING, WE HAVE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO. BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO HOPE THAT MAYBE THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE DONE. REPRESENTATIVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE NOT TIRED OF HEARING FROM US. I'D LIKE TO ASK SALLY ALCORN IF SHE'S NOT TIRED OF LISTENING TO US, BECAUSE LAST TIME I CAME AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, I APPROACHED HER AS SHE WAS WALKING OUT. AFTER I SHARED MY TESTIMONY ABOUT MY STUDENTS CRYING, TELLING ME ABOUT PARENTS WHO ARE WORKING THREE, FOUR JOBS. SHE LIMPLY SHOOK MY HANDS. THAT'S NOT WHAT I TEACH MY STUDENTS TO DO. AS A SPEECH AND DEBATE TEACHER, I TEACH THAT YOU NEED TO FIRMLY SHAKE PEOPLE'S HANDS. SHE, LILY SHOOK MY HANDS AND I ASKED HER KINDLY, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE'RE TALKING TO HPD AND SHE WALKED AWAY. COUNCIL MEMBER, I KNOW YOU'RE TIRED. IT'S A LONG DAY. WE'RE ALL TIRED TOO. WE HAVE DAY JOBS TOO. I DIDN'T HAVE TO SIT WITH MY STUDENT TO TALK TO, TO HER FOR AN HOUR EXTRA. I DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT ON WEEKENDS TO TALK TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND WORKERS AT HOME DEPOT PLACES. YOU WRAP YOUR COMMENTS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT I CHOOSE TO. AND SO I ASK THAT EVERYONE HERE CHOOSE TO TAKE ACTION. EVERY DEMOCRAT THAT SHOWS NOT TO SIGN ON TO AL PLUMBER'S LEGISLATION. IF THEY HAVE CRITICISMS ABOUT IT BEING LEAKED TO THE PRESS, THEN YOU DO SOMETHING. IF YOU CAN DO IT BETTER. LAURA GALLIER. BURNETT NOEL DEEZ GONZALEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTOPHER JENKINS. OKAY. ONE PERSON. YOU HAVE TO ASK A GROUP. IS IT OKAY IF, UM, OUR MEMBERS COME? IF YOU WANNA JUST STAND BEHIND HER, UM, IN THE AUDIENCE, THAT'S FINE. JUST IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE IF YOU COULD. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DEMARS GONZALEZ AND I'M HERE WITH THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT, SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF BLACK AND LATINO IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, FAMILIES WHO ARE SUFFERING THE DEVASTATING IMPACTS OF DEPORTATIONS AND THE GROWING COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ICE. RIGHT NOW IN HOUSTON, A SIMPLE [01:55:01] TRAFFIC STOP CAN CHANGE A FAMILY'S LIFE FOREVER. A BROKEN TAILLIGHT, A CRACKED WINDSHIELD, OR AN EXPIRED REGISTRATION CAN LEAD TO DETENTION, DEPORTATION AND FAMILY SEPARATION. CHILDREN ARE LOSING THEIR PARENTS HOUSEHOLDS ARE LOSING THEIR STABILITY. BLACK AND LATINO FAMILIES ARE LIVING WITH THE FEAR EVERY SINGLE DAY. THESE FAMILIES ARE NOT STRANGERS TO OUR CITY. THEY ARE ESSENTIAL SUCCESS. THEY WORK IN A RESTAURANTS PREPARING AND SERVING OUR FOOD. THEY PAY FOR ROADS, CARE FOR ELDERS, BUILD OUR HOMES, AND RUN SMALL BUSINESSES. HOUSTON STILL RUNS BECAUSE OF BLACK AND LATINO IMMIGRANTS, AND YET, INSTEAD OF BEING PROTECTED, THEY'RE BEING TARGETED. PUBLIC RECORDS SHOW THAT FROM 2020 TO 2024 HPD CONDUCTED ICE, JUST 19 TIMES THIS YEAR ALONE, THAT NUMBER HAS JUMPED TO 107 CALLS AND INCREASE OF MORE THAN 1000%. THE BEST MAJORITY OF THESE CALLS WERE TRIGGERED BY NON-SAFE AND TRAFFIC STOPS. TRAFFIC STOP. LEMME BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. THIS IS ABOUT CRIMINALIZING EVERYDAY LIFE IN BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES. TRAFFIC STOPS ARE BEING USED AS A PIPELINE TO DEPOSITION. AND WHEN YOU CALL POLICE ACT, AS IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TRUST IS DESTROYED, PEOPLE STOP CALLING THE POLICE. THEY STOP REPORTING CRIMES. SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE STAY SILENT, WITNESSES DISAPPEAR. AND THAT MAKES EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US LESS SAFE. WHO ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO CALL WHEN THEY'RE IN DANGER OF CALLING THE POLICE COMMUNITY DEPORTATION. FOR MANY FAMILIES LIKE MINE, THIS IS FROM A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEAD. WE ALL DEMANDING AN AN END TO HP COLLABORATION WITH ICE. WE ARE DEMANDING A STOP TO NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. WE WANT ICE OUTTA OUR COURTS, OUTTA OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUT OUR CITY. MAYOR WITH MEYER, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME BACK THERE, YOU WERE ENTRUSTED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN HOUSTON REGARDLESS OF RACE, LANGUAGE, OR IMMIGRANT STATUS. AS WE ENTER THE HOLIDAY SEASON, I I, I HOPE THAT YOU REMEMBER ALL THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN DEPORTED UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP AND TO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE TODAY. SILENCE IS NON NEUTRALITY. SILENCE IS COMPLICITY. IF YOU, I URGE YOU TO FIND THE COURAGE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TO SPEAK OUT AND PROTECT PEOPLE WHO MAKE HOUSTON HOME. THANK YOU MA'AM. MA'AM, IF YOU CAN COME BACK UP. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU AND, AND, AND TOP MEMBERS FOR COMING IN AND, UM, SPEAKING ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT DELEGATE, UM, ISSUE. UM, LAST MONTH I REACHED OUT TO TIFFANY AND LET HER KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER HAD INTRODUCED A ORDINANCE THAT WILL GIVE OFFICERS THE DISCRETION, UM, WHEN DEALING WITH SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT IS POSSIBLY UNDOCUMENTED. AND I SIGNED ONTO IT, BUT WE LATER, UM, LEARNED THAT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT WAS IN VIOLATION OF, UM, THE TEXAS OF STATE LAW. RIGHT? WHAT LAW WAS THAT? UM, SENATE BILL SB FOUR. AND, UM, PUSHING THIS FORWARD. COULD IT, IT COULD POTENTIALLY, UM, WE CAN FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES OR EITHER BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE, BUT HOWEVER, UM, THE NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS, UM, I WILL BE ENGAGING WITH LEGAL, UM, JUST TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN DO. AND I, UM, ECHO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD THAT WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU. I MEAN, THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. UM, AND OF COURSE, THE NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOP IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO AND I'M WILLING TO LOOK INTO IT. UM, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, WHEN I WAS AT TOP, A LOT OF OUR RIGHT TO JUSTICE WORK WAS ENDING ICE AND POLICE COLLABORATION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, SIGHT AND RELEASE IMPLEMENT. SIGHT AND RELEASE. AND SO I'M STILL COMMITTED TO THAT WORK. AND SO ONCE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HEAR EVERYONE OUT, BUT WE WILL GO TO THE TABLE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN DO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT'S LEGAL WITHIN OUR LEGAL, UM, BOUNDARIES TO PROTECT OUR, OUR RESIDENTS. I RECEIVED A CALL, UM, TODAY THAT, AND RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE OF PICTURES SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT B IS OVER, YOU KNOW, FLOODED WITH, WITH ICE AGENTS AND, AND DPS AGENTS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST POLICE AND, AND, AND ANYBODY, NOT JUST IMMIGRANT, BUT REGULAR CITIZENS FEEL UNSAFE AND, AND AFRAID. AND OF COURSE IT'S SITE AND RELEASE. UM, UM, WELL, ACTUALLY, FOLKS THAT, UM, ARE NOT DOCUMENTED CAN GET ARRESTED FOR, UH, A TRAFFIC TICKET OR A FEE AND A FINE. AND I'M, I'M KNOWING, I KNOW THAT THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. SO JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. UM, WORK CLOSELY WITH ADMINISTRATION. I MEAN, I HEAR YOU SAYING THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER DON'T CARE. HE CARES. UM, AND HE YES HE DOES. HE CARES. UM, AND HE, AND, AND HE HAD TO, HE, HE SAID BEFORE THE MEETING THAT HE HAD TO GO TO A MEETING, HE HAD TO LEAVE AT SEVEN O'CLOCK. SO HE DID DISCLOSE THAT RIGHT BEFORE THE [02:00:01] MEETING STARTS. SO IN ALL FAIRNESS, HE DID LET FOLKS KNOW HE NEEDED TO LEAVE. BUT JUST KNOW AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT WE CAN TO, UM, UM, LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. OKAY? SO WE CAN TO SUPPORT THAT. THANK YOU. YEAH. AND THIS URGENCY COMES AS, AS YOU MENTIONED IT, LIKE ICE RATES HAVE BEEN HAPPENING NONSTOP IN OUR STREETS, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICTS WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. AND SO MAYOR WITH MEYER CARES, I, I HOPE AND I WISH, AND IT'S MY PRAYER THAT HE MEETS WITH ALL OF US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS, WE'RE COMING INTO THE HOLIDAY SEASON, BUT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, MANY OF OUR FAMILIES ARE SUFFERING AND LIVING IN THE FEAR, INCLUDING MINE. I'M A TACA RECIPIENT. I MIGRATED TO HOUSTON WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD AND EVERY DAY I HAVE TO DRIVE WITH THE FEAR OF BEING STOPPED BY THE COPS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK CHRISTOPHER JENKINS TO BE FOLLOWED BY DARRYL HARPER. GOOD EVENING. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, EVERYONE IN THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER JENKINS. I AM A MEMBER OF TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT AND THE RIGHT TO JUSTICE CAMPAIGN. I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN. I'M HERE 'CAUSE THE DATA IS CLEAR. NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS ARE NOT ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY IN HOUSTON. THEY'RE ALL ABOUT SURVEILLANCE, PUNISHMENT, AND RACIAL DISPARITY. IN 2023 ALONE, HPD CONDUCTED 339,715, TRAFFIC STOPS NEARLY 107,000 OF THOSE WERE NON-SAFETY STOPS. THINGS LIKE EXPIRED TAGS OR MINOR EQUIPMENT ISSUES. THERE'S A FOUR 89% INCREASE FROM THE YEAR BEFORE. BLACK DRIVERS ARE MADE UP 38% OF THOSE NON TRAFFIC STOPS. EVEN THOUGH, UH, BLACK RESIDENTS ARE ONLY 22% OF HOUSTON'S POPULATION. LATINO DRIVERS WERE STOPPED AT 31% OF THE TIME. THESE STOPS ESCALATE. HPD MADE 9,001 TO 75 ARRESTS DURING NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. BLACK DRIVERS ACCOUNTED FOR 49% OF THOSE ARRESTS. NEARLY HALF USE OF FORCE DURING TRAFFIC STOPS INCREASED 17%. AND 2023 BLACK DRIVERS WILL EXPERIENCED 52% OF ALL FORCE USED. AND DESPITE OF CLAIMS THAT THESE STOPS ARE ABOUT CONTRABAND OR CRIME PREVENTION, HPD ONLY FOUND CONTRABAND 5% OF THE TIME. AND ARREST WITH CONTRABAND OCCURRED JUST 3% OF THE TIME. THAT MEANS MOST OF THE TIME POLICE FOUND NOTHING EXCEPT FOR OPPORTUNITY TO HARM PEOPLE. CITY COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THIS. WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PASS THE ORDINANCE THAT ENDS NON-SAFETY. TRAFFIC STOPS FOCUS ENFORCEMENT ON SERIOUS SAFETY VIOLATIONS AND REDIRECT RESOURCES TO OUR REAL PUBLIC SAFETY. HOUSTON CAN DO BETTER. THE DEMAND, THE DATA DEMANDS THAT AND SEEMS LIKE THEY DON'T WANNA DO THE REAL WORK, RIGHT? LIKE I SAID, I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN. I'M FROM ACRES HOME. I STAY IN DISTRICT J NOW I'M IN DISTRICT D. AND IT'S A, IT, THEY, THEY, IT IMPACTS EVERYTHING FROM THE SCHOOL TO PUBLIC SAFETY, WITH THE ROADS JAIL OVERCROWDING. IT'S JUST SO MANY ASPECTS AND PEOPLE COULD LOSE THEIR LIVES OVER A TRAFFIC TICKET, MISSING WORK, LOSING THEIR HOMES, END UP BEING HOMELESS, YOU KNOW, SO IT IS SO MANY. I'M NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, LIKE MY DAUGHTER GOT KICKED IN SO MANY TIMES, I GOT PULLED OVER SO MANY TIMES. BUT GUESS WHAT THEY SAY? OH, WRONG PERSON. YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? AND SO THAT'S PART OF MY LIFE, RIGHT? AND SO ANYTIME I HAVE A STORY ABOUT ME BEING A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND WHERE I'M FRONTING WHAT I'VE DID AND EVERYTHING THAT I DO, I'M ALWAYS BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT IN MY MIND. POLICE DON'T KICK IN MY DOOR A LOT OF TIMES TOO, AND A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS. I'M COMMUNITY ORGANIZED. A LOT OF PEOPLE I WORK WITH, THEY HAVE THOSE SAME ISSUES. HOW DID YOU LOSE YOUR JOB? HOW DID YOU NOT FINISH YOUR EDUCATION? WELL, I HAD A TRAFFIC TICKET AND I GOT PULLED OVER. THEY TOOK ME TO JAIL AND THEN THEY HAD ME GO OVER THERE. I COULDN'T GO TO COURT AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS. IT'S REALLY IMPACTFUL. THINK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC VALUE IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WHERE IT'S GOING DOWN. WHEN INDIVIDUALS AND RESIDENTS IN THE CITY GETTING DONE LIKE THAT, THINK ABOUT ALL THE MONEY. EVEN WITH THE ICE COLLABORATIONS, YOU TAKE IT AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY HELP IMPLEMENT THESE PROGRAMS. AND WE ALL SUPPOSED TO WORK TOGETHER, RIGHT? IF ONE PERSON PASSES AWAY OR ONE PERSON GET DEPORTED, WE ALL SUPPOSED TO QUESTION IT AND SAY, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PROGRAM? WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM? WHY IT'S NOT UPDATED? WHY CAN'T WE IMPLEMENT THINGS THAT MAKE CHANGE TO HELP SOMEBODY? RIGHT? THANK YOU. Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. DARRELL HARPER. NO, EDUARDO DURAN BURNETT NOLL TO BE FOLLOWED BY JEANNETTE THIBO. UH, GOODNIGHT COUNSEL. UM, I'M BARRETT KROLL, UH, UH, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT I AND, UH, JOAQUIN [02:05:01] MARTINEZ IS MY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, I'M JU I'M GONNA SAY A LOT OF THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID TONIGHT. MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY FEEL UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THEY COULD BE STOPPED ON THE ROAD BY, ON A POLICE OFFICER'S WEB. THAT'S AN ENTIRELY VALID FEAR ON THEIR PART. 'CAUSE HPD IS USING NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC STOPS AS A DEPORTATION TOOL. YOU KNOW, THEY CAN JUST SEE THAT THERE'S A BLACK OR BROWN DRIVER AND, AND YOU KNOW, JUST STOP 'EM AND, YOU KNOW, HOPE SOMETHING COMES UP WHEN THEY CHECK THE SYSTEM. UM, IF THEY JUST SEE THEY CAN REALLY MAKE ANY EXCUSE THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, STOP THE CAR. UM, THEY HAVE NO LEGAL OBLIGATION TO DO THIS, BUT, SO I THINK WE SHOULD PUT SOMETHING IN WRITING TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO DO SO. UM, SOME OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE TALKING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, BUT NOT ACTING. SOME ARE NOT EVEN BOTHERING TO SHOW UP, TO LISTEN TO, UH, THEIR CONSTITUENTS TESTIMONY. LIKE MY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ AND SOME LIKE OUR MAYOR WHITMER, UM, WHO I'VE SEEN AT THESE MEETINGS WANT TO BE ANYWHERE ELSE BUT HERE, LISTENING TO HIS CONSTITUENTS. UH, I'M SURE IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING AND HE IS JUST VERY SAD TO MISS THIS. UM, DON'T USE THE BIG BAD REPUBLICAN STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS AS AN EXCUSE TO NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. ACTUALLY DO IT. DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST STOP USING EXCUSES. COME ON. LET'S GO. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. JEANETTE THIBO. GOOD DAY AL. I AM JEANETTE THIBODAUX, BORN AND RAISED HERE IN HOUSTON. I'M HERE TODAY TO MAKE A STAND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. I HAVE TRIED TO REPORT SOME SERIOUS CRIMES. I WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT AN INVESTIGATOR WOULD EVENTUALLY BE ASSIGNED TO IT. I SPOKE TO POLICE AT THREE DIFFERENT STATIONS. I LEFT A LOT OF DETAILS, UH, EACH TIME I WENT AND I WENT SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO CALL, UH, OR, OR RECEIVE CALLS BECAUSE I HAVE ABANDONED MY PHONE FOR MONTHS NOW. AND YOU'LL ALSO KNOW WHY THERE ARE MULTIPLE CRIMES IN THE TOP. THREE ARE CHILD SEX EXPLOITATION, ONLINE, CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING, AS YOUNG AS TODDLERS AND INFANT TRAFFICKING, BROADEST AMONG THE OTHER CRIMES. NO TELLING WHAT ELSE. ONCE IT'S THE INVESTIGATION START. MY SON AND I LEFT OUR HOME BECAUSE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OF ALL SORTS EXCEPT PHYSICAL ABUSE, WHICH MADE IT HARD TO REPORT. AFTER WE LEFT, WE REALIZED MY SON WAS BEING TRAFFICKED FOR SEX. I ALSO REALIZED HE'S A TWIN. THE TWIN WAS TAKEN FROM ME ON THE DAY OF THEIR BIRTH. I NEED HELP FINDING US THAT THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT HE IS GOING THROUGH. WE ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER. I HAVE RUN OUT OF FUNDS AND HAVE VERY LITTLE FINANCIAL SUPPORT. I HAVE ISOLATED US UNTIL WE FIND OUT WHO WE CAN TRUST. AS I SAID EARLIER, I LEFT AND SOLD MY PHONE MONTHS AGO. I HAVE NOT LOGGED INTO ANY ACCOUNTS THAT COMPLETELY ABANDONED EVERYTHING. I BELIEVE MY INFORMATION MAY HAVE BEEN USED POSSIBLY ON THE DARK WEBSITE, JUST STOPPED LOGGING IN. MY HUSBAND DID MENTION THAT HIS AND EMAIL HAD ENDED UP ON THE DARK WEB, BUT NEVER REALLY MENTIONED HOW IT KNEW ORGANIZED CRIME IS GETTING OUTTA HAND AND WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO GROW IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE TO STOP THEM. THIS OPERATION, THIS COVERT OPERATION, IS PUTTING MANY CHILDREN IN DANGER AND SO MANY UNREPORTED IF THE PARENTS DON'T EVEN KNOW THIS IS URGENT, PLEASE. I HAD NO IDEA IF ANY OF THE CRIMES UNTIL AFTER I LEFT. I WAS AT HOME WITH MY SON WASHING AND CLEANING IN A SIMPLE HOME. I COULD TELL SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT I DID NOT IMAGINE THAT IT WAS THIS BIG. I HAVE PLENTY MORE TO SHARE AND GIMME THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE MORE DETAILS SO THERE CAN, UH, BE AN INVESTIGATION. THE VICTIMS GOT YOUNG AND YOUNGER AND SO DO THE PERPETRATORS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THESE MEN HAVE NO LIMIT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF RETALIATION THERE WILL BE AND IT'S SCARY, BUT I'LL COOPERATE AND DO MY BEST TO MY ABILITY. I DO BELIEVE IT GETS EVEN DARKER THAN THAT. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. OKAY, I JUST HAVE A FEW MORE LINES. IF I COULD FINISH, IF YOU COULD WRAP UP. GO AHEAD. YES. UH, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS THE WORST, BUT I I DO FEEL LIKE, UH, IT COULD BE EVEN DARKER THAN THAT. IT'S OKAY BABY. IT'S OKAY. I [02:10:01] HAVE LOTS TO SHARE AND I JUST NEED TO SPEAK TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND GET SOMETHING GOING TO STOP THESE MONSTERS. I'M DONE. MA'AM, I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THAT. IF YOU COULD, UM, GET ALL OF YOUR INFORMATION TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO RENEE SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ASSIST. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER JOSEPH AMMA TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB NEWSOM. I GET, GET ABOUT 30 SECONDS AT THE END. THOMAS RAI THOMAS SQUARE. BUSINESS AMERICA CANNOT DENY WE HAVE SLAVERY IN THIS, THIS COUNTRY. AS LAW I NEW AMERICA AND OUR NEW SOUTH, WE DON'T WANT SLAVERY TO RETURN UNDER NO CONDITION ON CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE NAME OF COMMUNISM. ABRAHAM LINCOLN FOUGHT THE WAR AGAINST SERVITUDE IN AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT ABOLISHED IT. MY BIGGEST PEOPLE ARE THE IMMIGRANTS AND UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS FAMILIES IN UN COMMUNITY, BUT WE DON'T WANT IS AN ICE DIVIDED CONQUER FAMILY, IMMIGRANT FAMILY, PORSCHE PLAN AND POLICY BY ME AND MY FAMILY EXPERIENCED BY THE HARRIS COUNTY COUNTRY COURT SYSTEM, THE SEPARATION OF ME AND MY MOTHER BY KIDNAPPER AS A FREE BLACK AMERICAN MAN AND A CITIZEN WHENEVER THIS HAPPENS, HARRIS COUNTY JUDGES SHOULD ALWAYS BE, SHOULD ALWAYS HONOR TEXAS STATUS, VEGETATION CUSTODY, VEGETATION RIGHTS ORDER WHERE THEY DON'T, THEY SHOULD BE OUSTED, REMOVED FROM THE BENCH, IMPEACHED IN PRISON AND SUED FOR DENIAL PARENTAL RIGHTS. WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS ONE THAT PUT THE FATHER BACK TO HIS HOMELAND WHILE LEAVING HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN IN AMERICA. I EXPERIENCED THAT SAME FELT HURT. WHAT WE BLACK AMERICA WANT ON THE PROCESS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED UNDER THE PROCESS. WE BLACK AMERICA WANT THE ENTIRE FAMILY MEMBERS WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION ENDED UP BACK HOME IN THEIR OWN HOMELAND, THEIR OWN COUNTRY. THANK YOU SIR. IF YOU COULD WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER. EVERY NATION, EVERY COUNTRY, EVERY GOVERNMENT UNDER ANY STATUTE LAW HAS A RIGHT TO POWER THE PORT FOR CITIZENS WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED PASSPORTS EXPIRED. THANK YOU SIR. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NEED THE GREEN CAUSE A PASSPORT. THAT'S NOT RACISM. EVERY GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, AMERICA, HAVE A VEST OF INTEREST TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS, TO PROTECT THE VALUE OF THE PASSPORT GREEN CARD AND WORK VISA IMMIGRATION POLICY SYSTEM. MR. MAR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR NICK. SPEAKER JACOB NEWSOM HALEY ROGERS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANTHONY HUBBARD. HELLO, MY NAME IS HALEY ROGERS. I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA. I'M ALSO A LIFELONG RESIDENT AT ALE AND I'M ALSO AN ORGANIZER WITH HOUSTON LEADS. UM, WE SHOULD ALL KNOW BY NOW THAT HPD IS COLLABORATING WITH I A, THEY'RE COLLABORATING WITH ICE AT TRAFFIC STOPS. THEY'RE ALSO COLLABORATING WITH ICE USING GENERAL ORDER 500 DASH ZERO FIVE. THIS SHOULD NOT BE NEWS TO ANY OF YOU AT THIS POINT. WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR MONTHS AND WE'VE BEEN TESTIFYING ABOUT THIS FOR MONTHS. UM, MOST OF THESE TRAFFIC STOPS ARE HAPPENING BECAUSE OF NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS. SO THINGS LIKE MAYBE A BROKEN TAIL LIGHT, MAYBE A TINTED WINDOW. THESE ARE NOT REASONS TO STOP SOMEBODY CALL ICE AND THEN DEPORT THEM AND UPROOT THEIR LIVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE ARE ALLOWING OUR HPD POLICE OFFICERS TO ACT AS PSEUDO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT USING OUR TAX DOLLARS. CALLS TO ICE HAVE SKYROCKETED OVER A THOUSAND PERCENT. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TIME AND TIME AGAIN BY MULTIPLE NEWS, NEWS OUTLETS. YOUR MANY OF YOU HAVE ISSUED STATEMENTS. NEED TO WRAP UP COMMENTS. IT'S NOT ENOUGH. YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING TODAY. AND QUITE FRANKLY, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU APOLOGIZE TO SOME CONSTITUENTS OUT HERE FOR WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THEM. YOU HAVE ALSO MADE STATEMENTS AS WELL ABOUT YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE THERE'S A LACK OF URGENCY HERE. AND EVERYBODY ON THIS BODY IS BASICALLY ASKING THE PUBLIC HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO. YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS. YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES. MA'AM, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. PLEASE WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS. HE STOP ACTING OBLIVIOUS TO THE SITUATION AT LARGE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, ANTHONY HUBBARD. MM-HMM . TO BE FOLLOWED BY TRAVIS SMITH. IF HALEY IS RIGHT, ALSO BE WORKING WITH US, NOT AGAINST US. I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE DIALOGUE YOU'VE HAD AND THE SUPPORT THAT Y'ALL HAVE SHOWN, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ENOUGH. UM, PEOPLE ARE SCARED. PEOPLE ARE AFRAID. PEOPLE LIKE ME, PEOPLE LIKE OUR NEIGHBORS, PEOPLE LIKE OUR COMMUNITY [02:15:01] MEMBERS. THAT'S BEFORE MAY OUTLAW. IT MAY THREATEN SOME OF Y'ALL, BUT WE FEEL THREATENED TOO. ALL OF US, WE COME UP, WE DON'T KNOW. WE ARE FULL OF SELF-DOUBT. WE'RE SCARED EVERY MORNING WE'RE TRYING TO PAY BILLS. AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE KNOW PEOPLE MAY BE UNJUSTLY OR EVEN JUST CRUELLY TARGETED OR DETAINED. AND YOU ALL HAVE HEARD STORIES ABOUT THE CONDITIONS. I DON'T NEED TO GO ABOUT THAT. I ONLY HAVE A MINUTE TO SPEAK. BUT WE CAN WORK WITH Y'ALL. WE CAN PASS PROPOSALS, EVEN TRANSPARENCY. Y'ALL CAN, Y'ALL CAN DEMAND TRANSPARENCY ABOUT WHAT HBD IS DOING AND WE CAN FIND WAYS TO WORK AROUND SP FOUR. WE CAN FIND WAYS TO ACTUALLY, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED COLLABORATIVELY. WORK TOGETHER ON THIS. AND I HOPE THAT Y'ALL LISTEN TO THE PROPOSALS. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT UP PROPOSALS FOR Y'ALL AND THERE ARE MANY MORE COMING AND I HOPE Y'ALL BRING PROPOSALS AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, TRAVIS SMITH. JESSICA DUGAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY SANDRA PETERS. HELLO, I AM JESSE DUGAN. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C, UH, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY VOICES FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION GROUP, AS WELL AS THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA. A LOT OF US ARE HERE TONIGHT. THIS COUNCIL AND I HAVE JUST STARTED WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING HISD BACK TO LOCAL CONTROL. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE HELD STATE APPOINTED SUPERINTENDENT MIKE MILES ACCOUNTABLE AT CITY HALL TWO MONTHS AGO AFTER TWO YEARS OF DEMANDING ANSWERS. WATCHING THAT MAN ACTUALLY HAVE TO ANSWER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ADMINISTERED BY YOU, MADE ME FEEL, LISTENED TO AND UNDERSTOOD. WE ARE GONNA DO SO MUCH MORE GREAT WORK TOGETHER IN 2026. I HAVE SO MUCH TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS. IF YOU CAN WORK WITH ME ON THE IMPORTANT WORK OF ENDING THE HISD TAKEOVER, YOU CAN WORK WITH MY FRIENDS HERE, ENDING THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN HPD AND ICE. IT, IT MUST END. AND THIS NON TRAFFIC, UH, NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOP THING IS ALSO A NO-BRAINER. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT POWER IS SHIFTING IN HOUSTON. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. IT DIDN'T EVEN HELD A LITTLE RETIREMENT VOTE FOR THE MAYOR, SO I WISH HIM AN EARLY RETIREMENT. NEXT SPEAKER, SANDRA PETERS. LINDSEY BURROWS TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES CONLEY. GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THREE HOUSTON FAMILIES WHO ARE TOO AFRAID TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. ABBY HAS WORKED AT THE SAME RESTAURANT FOR 20 YEARS. HER HUSBAND JUAN, WAS DETAINED BY ICE. WHILE GROCERY SHOPPING LAST WEEK, PATRICIA'S HUSBAND JOSE WAS DETAINED AT A SCHEDULED IMMIGRATION APPOINTMENT. THE SAME HAPPENED TO ELIZABETH'S HU HUSBAND HECTOR. THESE FAMILIES HAVE LOST HUSBANDS, FATHERS, AND PRIMARY PROVIDERS. THESE WOMEN ARE NOW STRUGGL, STRUGGLING TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR CHILDREN ALONE WHILE TRYING TO KEEP THEIR FAMILIES SAFE FOR THEM. EVERYDAY LIFE CARRIES NEW FEAR, DRIVING TO WORK, BUYING GROCERIES. A MOTHER CANCELED DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS FOR HER 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER BECAUSE SHE WAS TOO AFRAID TO GO. A NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOP FOR THEM CAN LEAD TO HPD CALLING ICE AND BEING DETAINED. THAT FEAR LIMITS MOVEMENT. IT ERODES TRUST AND IT MAKES FAMILIES HESITATE BEFORE CALLING HPD. EVEN IN EMERGENCIES, THAT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE FOR OUR CITY. HOUSTON. FAMILIES LIKE ABBY'S, PATRICIA'S, AND ELIZABETHS DESERVE SAFETY, NOT FEAR. HPD SHOULD NOT BE ICE'S. HOUND DOGS WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO ACT. ENDING NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS AND ENDING THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN ICE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN HELPING THEM GET TO THEIR DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS. SO OUR COMMUNITY IS HOUSTON STRONG. YOU GUYS ARE WEAK AND YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING. NEXT SPEAKER JAMES CONLEY, TO BE FOLLOWED BY RAHI GARCIA. HELLO, MY NAME IS JAMES. I'M ALSO FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, YOUNG DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS. AND THIS IS, WELL, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A HARSH MESSAGE FOR MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER. THOUGH I CAN RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS ABSENCE, BUT THIS IS ALSO A WARNING TO [02:20:01] CITY COUNCIL. I WISH I COULD BE HERE LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, AND HUMBLY PLEAD A CASE FOR THE APPLICATION OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS TO THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, YOU'RE ALL GROWN ADULTS. YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR JOB IS AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT ENTAILS TO THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE. THERE'S A REASON WHY THE DEMOCRATS AMERICA'S MOST USELESS PARTY DROPPED MAYOR WHITMEYER RECENTLY. IT'S BECAUSE HE IS A BALD FACED AND A BALDHEADED LIAR WHO MASQUERADES AS A DEMOCRAT WHILE DOING EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO SUCK UP TO OUR FASCIST ADMINISTRATION. FOR THAT SHAME ON HIM FOR LYING ABOUT HPD AND ICE'S COLLABORATION FOR MONTHS. SHAME ON HIM FOR ASKING THE VICTIMS OF HIS POLICIES TO NOT POLITICIZE HIS TERROR ON THE F*****G THEM. SHAME ON HIM. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. UH, I WANNA RECOGNIZE HE CAN WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS. CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, SUCH AS COUNCILPERSON PLUMMER. UH, REGRETTABLY, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE LACK OF WILLINGNESS TO ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING FROM THE GENERAL BODY OF THIS COUNCIL. THE TIME FOR MAYORS AND REPRESENTATIVES LIKE QUI MEYER IS OVER THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW. WHEN YOUR CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT ABOUT THESE, IF CAN WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS, YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THE TRUTH OF WHAT YOU DID WITH YOUR POWER. WHEN THE FASCIST REGIME HAS CRUMBLED, LIKE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM BEFORE THIS ONE WILL THE COWARDS WHO EXECUTE ITS WILL WHEN THEY ARE BROUGHT BEFORE A TRIBUNAL, WILL YOU STAND ALONGSIDE THE WHIT MEYERS OF AMERICA. WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, WILL THE PEOPLE VOUCH FOR YOU? WILL YOU CLAIM YOU WERE JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS? THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. SO RAHI GARCIA, RAHI GARCIA, THOMAS SUTHERLAND TO BE FOLLOWED BY JASMINE AKBARI EVENING COUNSEL. I WANT TO BEGIN BY THANKING COUNCILWOMAN PUBLIC PLUMBER PUBLICLY FOR HER PROPOSED ORDINANCE, WHICH WOULD BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HOWEVER, I AM NOT ONLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE LACK OF ACTION FROM THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ON THIS MATTER. I AM DISGUSTED. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE, NOT EVEN SOMETHING UNREASONABLE. WE ARE SIMPLY ASKING THAT YOU STAND WITH THE VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY OF COLLABORATION WITH ICE, AND THAT YOU DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT THEM TO THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL WHO THINK THAT STANDING WITH ICE IS TO THEIR BENEFIT. I HAVE A NEWS FLASH FOR YOU. ICE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOU. ICE HAS NO RESPECT FOR YOU. STANDING WITH THEM NOW WILL NOT STOP THEM FROM VIOLENTLY SUPPRESSING YOU. THE SECOND YOU STAND IN THEIR WAY, THEY WILL PEPPER SPRAY YOU LIKE THEY DID. CONGRESSWOMAN ADA ELIDA ALVA. THEY WILL VIOLENTLY ARREST YOU LIKE THEY DID NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER BRAD LANDER. SO DO THE RIGHT THING AND STAND WITH US, YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND STAND WITH THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES WHO NEED YOUR HELP. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS CITY WHO LIVE THEIR LIVES IN FEAR EVERY DAY. AND I REFUSE TO STAND BY AND ALLOW THEM AND ALLOW THIS OPPRESSIVE STATUS QUO. YOUR TIME GO ARE CHALLENGED. THE QUESTION IS, WILL YOU? THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, JACK JASMINE AKBARI, ALFREDO DOMINGUEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY ADRIANA TEEZ. HEY, COUNCIL MEMBERS, HOW Y'ALL DOING? I GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET HIGHER ON THIS LIST, UH, FOR THE NEXT COUNCILMAN PRECISION. BUT, UM, UH, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND PEOPLE'S FRUSTRATION. UH, WE JUST, LIKE ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR, FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF HOURS AND HAVE BEEN DOING. SO IF AT THIS POINT, THIS IS THE THIRD TO OF THE NIGHT TESTIMONIES THAT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE TURNED OUT TO, TO TRY AND MAKE THIS POINT, THAT WE WANT OUR CITY TO FUNCTION DIFFERENTLY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NON-SAFE TRAFFIC STOPS OR HPDS COLLABORATION WITH ICE OR THE FLOCK SAFETY CAMERAS AND MASS SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS. WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE APPARATUS OF POLICING FOR WHICH FRANKLY HAS CHANGED VERY LITTLE SINCE THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD IN IN MINNEAPOLIS IN 2020. WHEN WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT, IF ANYTHING, POLICE ARE BETTER FUNDED NOW, HAVE MORE RESOURCES, HAVE MORE TOOLS TO POLICE OUR COMMUNITIES THAN THEY DID BACK THEN. AND WHAT IS THIS COUNCIL CHOOSING TO DO ABOUT IT? THAT'S THE REAL QUESTION HERE. RIGHT? AND YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND OUR FRUSTRATIONS. WE ARE NOT THE DECISION MAKERS IN THIS PROCESS, RIGHT? WE'VE BEEN SHOWING UP FOR FREE, RIGHT? WE ARE HERE AFTER ALL OF US WORKDAY JOBS. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HAVE TO PROVIDE FOR OUR FAMILIES AND STILL CHOOSE TO SHOW UP BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND WE THINK THEY'RE [02:25:01] IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE CARE ABOUT AND THAT WE FEEL INDEBTED TO. WHAT I WANT TO ASK IS WHAT IS THE PLAN HERE TO, WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT THE RISE COALITION YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, HAS PUT TOGETHER AN ORDINANCE THAT WE THINK SURVIVES LEGAL SCRUTINY AND WE BELIEVE P COULD WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS. UM, NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS WITH THIS ORDINANCE PUT FOUR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, A ADRIANA EZ DAVEN MORROW TO BE FOLLOWED BY TAYLOR BRENTS, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS PRESENT AND ABSENT. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO HOLD YOU TO THE OATHS YOU TOOK WHEN YOU SWORN YOUR INTO YOUR POSITIONS. EACH ONE OF YOU SWORE AN OATH TO PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. AS A NATION, AS A CITY, AND AS A COMMUNITY. WE ARE UNDER ASSAULT BY FORCES HOSTILE TO THE RIGHTS GUARANTEED TO US UNDER THE CONSTITUTION FORCES THAT ARE ATTEMPTING TO USURP THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE INDIVIDUAL FOR THE PLENARY AUTHORITY OF FASCIST AUTOCRACY. IN CONTINUING COLLABORATION WITH THE LAWLESS THUGS, VIOLATING OUR FOURTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS AGAINST UNREASONABLE SEARCH AND SEIZURE AND OUR 14TH AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO DUE PROCESS, YOU ARE FAILING TO UPHOLD YOUR OATHS TO PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION. WE EXPECT AND WE DEMAND MORE FROM YOU AS YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND AS YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS. THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON ARE CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE CEASING OF HPDS COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION WITH ICE. YOUR UPHOLD, YOUR OATH, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND STAND UP TO THESE FASCISTS. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, TAYLOR BRENTS. JACOB CLEMENT, EXPRESS DELIVERY. THANK YOU JACOB. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT. OKAY, WHO WANTS HEAR AN AGGIE JOKE? OKAY, UH, THIS, UH, AGGIE STUDENT JUST GRADUATED FROM A M AND HIS MAJOR WAS ENGLISH, BUT A SUB MAJOR OF GRAMMAR. AND HE WAS ASKED TO BE A MODEL. AND SO HE WAS CHRISTMAS ONE DAY AND SO HE BECAME SANTA CLA. NO, HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE SANTA CLA. HE WANTED TO BE SENT TO . THANK YOU JACOB. THAT WASN'T BAD. THANK YOU JACOB. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AS ALWAYS. NEXT SPEAKER, THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE [RECESS] TONIGHT. WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL 9:00 AM TOMORROW TO PROVIDE FOR CON CONTINUATION AND SUPPORT OF HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER PERMITTING AND INSPECTION SYSTEM. ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,202,000 OUT OF THE GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND $900,000 AT A OUT OF EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION. CONSOLIDATED FUND, $786,000 OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT FUND, $2,201,000 OUT OF POLICE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, $1,798,000 OUT OF FIRE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, $2,997,000 OUT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, $2,116,000 OUT [02:30:01] OF PUBLIC LIBRARY. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, $333,000 OUT OF SOLID WASTE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND $2,335,000 OUT OF PARKS. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR TASK ORDER, JOB ORDER CONTRACTING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS. ITEM 30, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $750,000 APPROVED IN AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT WITH ANN SLOW. BRYAN CONSTRUCTION, LTD ITEM 31 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE NEW MUNICIPAL COURT PROJECTS. ITEM 32, ORDINANCE APPROV AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT. WE KEYSTONE TURBINE SERVICES LLC ITEM 33 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT WITH MEDCO RESPIRATORY INSTRUMENTS INC. ITEM 34, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2022 DASH 2 68 RELATED TO CONTRACT WITH EPPS CO PUBLISHING INC. ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND BFI, WASTE SERVICES OF TEXAS LP ITEM 36, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2024 DASH 2 91 APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT WITH WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY. ITEM 37 HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION, WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 38, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR THE FFY 2025 PORT SECURITY GRANT. ITEM 39, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZED AND PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND NELLY. ABUNDANCE FOR SALE OF APPROXIMATELY 5,000 SQUARE FEET OF LAND. ITEM 40 ORDINANCE. FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF A 10 FOOT WIDE WATERLINE EASEMENT SITUATED IN THE EB COGSWELL SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 7 85 BEING OUT OF SHERWOOD FOREST. SECTION A ITEM 41 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY. INTEREST IN IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE GROUNDWATER REDUCTION PLAN. CONVERSION WATER LINES GROUP C PROJECT ITEM 42, ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE SERGIO IVAN RODRIGUEZ MEMORIAL PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE PROJECT. PROJECT ITEM 43 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF PLUS MINUS 48,436 SQUARE FEET OF BLACK HALL STREET FROM PARK ROAD DRIVE NORTH TO ITS TERMINUS BEING A PORTION OF BLACK HALL STREET AT DAM SITUATION. UM, AT DAM SUBDIVISION SITUATED IN THE JOEL WHEATON SURVEY, A 80 HARRIS COUNTY TEXAS ABANDONED AND SAID STREET EASEMENT TO CYPRESS BROOK PARK ROAD INVESTORS LP IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS PAYMENT TO THE CITY IN THE AMOUNT OF $925,467. ITEM 44, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,459,600 APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH PROJECT SURVEILLANCE INC. ITEM 45 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2022 DASH 6 21 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND FIVE ENGINEERING LLC ITEM 46 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $156,450 APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HDR ENGINEERING INC. ITEM 47 HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 48, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $112,807 TO CONTRACT WITH JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP INC. ITEM 49 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATE $9,289,782 77 CENTS AWARDED A CONTRACT TO JFT CONSTRUCTION INC. ITEM 50 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,750,000 AWARD AND CONTRACT TO DL GLOVER UTILITIES LLC FOR FY 2025 STREET AND DRAINAGE REHABILITATION WORK ORDER CONTRACT NUMBER TWO, ITEM 51 ORDINANCE AWARD AND CONTRACT TO DL GLOVER UTILITIES LLC FOR FY 26 DITCH MAINTENANCE WORK ORDER CONTRACT ITEM 52, ORDINANCE AWARD AND CONTRACT TO DL GLOVER UTILITIES LLC FOR FY 26 DITCH REESTABLISHMENT WORK ORDER CONTRACT NUMBER ONE ITEM 53, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $12,979,535 AWARD AND CONTRACT TO BOER INC. ITEM 54, MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION. OBJECTION FOR ONE [02:35:01] APPLICANT SEEKING 4% HOUSING TAX CREDIT FOR THE FOLLOWING, MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT BENICIA PLACE HEARING DATE, 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7TH, 2026. ITEM 55, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,434,536 9 CENTS. ORDINANCE CONTRACT TO JAY RES CONSTRUCTION LLC. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND WAS ITEM 46 ON THE AGENDA OF DECEMBER 10TH, 2025. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE CAPTIONS FOR THE AGENDA OF DECEMBER 17TH, 2025. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL SESSION TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND WITH THAT, I WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY AND BLESSED HUMP DAY. [RECONVENE] COUNSEL, PLEASE COME TO ORDER MEMBERS. [MAYOR'S REPORT] UM, I WOULD ASK YOU TO KEEP DR. PAGE'S FAMILY IN OUR PRAYERS. HE WAS AN OUTSTANDING HISD SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT BECAME OUR US SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, PASSED AT UH, AGE OF 92. ROD WAS A FRIEND OF MINE, A MENTOR. HE WAS A HOUSTON HERO AND, UH, WE COULD SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT HOW HE CONTRIBUTED TO HOUSTON'S GREATNESS. HIS, UH, SERVICE AT TSU AND, UM, HISD. HE WAS A GENTLEMAN. HE WAS LION STATE ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH AT THE ROD PAGE EDUCATION BUILDING AT TEXAS SOUTHERN. HIS FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH, TOMORROW AT BRENTWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH ON LANDMARK STREET. ALSO, HE LOST AN I ICON IN DAVE WARD. A BC NEWS ANCHOR PASSED ON DECEMBER 13TH AT THE AGE OF 86. DAVE, ALSO A FRIEND AND MENTOR, REALLY WAS SO TRANSPARENT AND THOROUGH IN ITS COVERAGE. OBVIOUSLY, I COULDN'T TALK ABOUT DAVE'S RECORD WITHOUT MENTIONING CRIME STOPPERS. I THINK HE PUT CRIME STOPPERS ON THE MAP MAP AND I KNOW HE SAVED LIVES BY FURTHERING THAT SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM. HE WILL LIE AND REPOST AT THE CRIME STOPPERS BUILDING THE DAVE WARD BUILDING AT 3 0 0 1 MAIN STREET, UH, DECEMBER 17TH, WEDNESDAY, STARTING TODAY AT 11:00 AM NOON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19TH. FUNERAL SERVICES FOR DAVE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT ST. MARTIN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SEVEN 17 SAGE ROAD. I ASK YOU TO KEEP DAVE'S FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS AND, UH, LET'S HONOR THESE TWO ICONS THAT HAVE, UH, CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO OUR COMMUNITY AND CONSENT. MR. SECRETARY, [CONSENT AGENDA (Part 1 of 2)] WILL YOU MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA? READY? MM-HMM . UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEM TWO HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEMS ONE AND TWO? CASTEX TATU MOVE I SECOND. SHE SAID ONE AND TWO. I'M SORRY. ONE AND THREE. CASTEX. TATU. MOVE FOR ITEMS ONE AND THREE I SECOND. MOTION. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY, IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEMS FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX CAST STATE MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED TO ANY MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS. CATEGORY ITEMS 12 AND 16 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEMS? 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 13, 14, 15 CASTEX, TATUM MOVED. NEXT. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSAGE UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY. ITEM ITEM 18 HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. IS THERE A VOTE FOR ITEM 17? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY MOTION PASSES [02:40:06] UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY SINCE YOUR LIST WAS DISTRIBUTED. ITEM 24 HAS BEEN RECEIVED. ITEMS 37 AND 47 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS 20, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 38, 46, 49. 51 53 HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED, BUT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY'RE RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING. ITEMS PULLED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION, REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ITEMS. 19 35, 36 AND 42 IS THEIR VOTE ON THE BALANCE? HOLD ON. 1919. 35. 36. 42 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. IS THEIR VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEMS REMOVED FOR [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM TWO CAST? STATE A. MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES, EXCEPT I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK AFTER VOTE. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, COLLEAGUES. I JUST WANTED TO LIFT UP THIS ITEM. THIS IS THE DESIGNATION, UM, OF A BANNER DISTRICT FOR THE HOUSTON DESIGN DISTRICT AND DISTRICT C. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS, UM, QUITE FRANKLY FOR NEARLY, UH, A DECADE ALMOST. AND IT'S, UH, VERY IMPORTANT TO THE AREA. WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT CAME TOGETHER FOR THIS DESIGNATION THAT WILL PROVIDE BEAUTIFICATION AND ALSO HELP BOOST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. UH, I DID ALSO WANNA EMPHASIZE THE NEED, UH, AS WE'VE STEPPED FORWARD WITH THIS BANNER DISTRICT, WHICH WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT. UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO PURSUE A SIMILAR DESIGNATION, UH, TO REVIVE THE MONTROSE BANNER DISTRICT THAT WAS FORMALLY MANAGED BY THE MONTROSE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. SINCE WE HA NO LONGER HAVE A MANAGEMENT DISTRICT THERE, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD TO TRY TO REVIVE THAT, UM, AS WELL, GIVEN THE HISTORIC AND ARTISTIC NATURE OF MONTROSE. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY, UH, BIG DEAL, UH, AND GOES A LONG WAY IN TERMS OF BOOSTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM 12? CAST? NEXT TATUM. MOVE. NEXT. SECOND. COUNCILOR POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. UM, MAYOR, I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED A, A MEMO FROM THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE SURE. REGARDING, UH, THIS ITEM. AND THIS ITEM IS PROPOSING TO USE $30 MILLION FROM THE STORM WATER FUND ON, UH, DEMOLITION OF A BUILDING. AND WE KNOW THAT THE STORM WATER FUND HAS VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSES FOR WHAT IT COULD BE USED FOR, UM, PRIMARILY MAINTAINING OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM. AND SO THE QUESTION BECOMES HOW ARE WE ABLE TO USE, OR WHY ARE WE USING $30 MILLION FROM THE STORM WATER FUND, UH, FOR THE DEMOLITION OF A BUILDING? UM, I THINK THAT, THAT THIS SETS BAD PRECEDENT. WE'LL BE ABLE TO INTERPRET, UM, BASED ON OUR OWN PERSPECTIVE, HOW WE'RE ABLE TO PUT FORTH, UM, ANY PROPOSALS THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT MONEY FROM POTS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY DESIGNATED FOR ONE PURPOSE AND BASED ON, UH, INTERPRETATION, BE ABLE TO PUT THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT, UM, MANY WOULD CONSIDER NOT ITS INTENDED PURPOSE. AND SO, UM, BASED ON THE MEMO THAT HAS COME OUT, THAT WAS LAID OUT PRETTY, UM, CLEARLY I THINK WE ARE OVERSTEPPING OUR BOUNDS ON WHAT THE STORM WATER FUND INTEND INTENDED PURPOSE TRULY WAS. AND I DON'T SEE WHERE THE NEXUS IS BETWEEN, UM, MAINTAINING OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM AND DEMOLISHING A BUILDING. UM, AND SO IF YOU CAN GIVE SOME CLARITY ON THAT, UM, THAT WOULD HELP. WELL, FIRST I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S BEEN THOROUGHLY VETTED AND WE'RE PREPARED TO WALK YOU THROUGH IT. IT'S BEEN USED BEFORE FOR THIS PURPOSE. [02:45:02] BUT, UH, THE MAYOR PRO TIM WOULD LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COUNCILMAN PARLER. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. I THINK WE ALL HAD, UM, QUESTIONS. WE'VE RECEIVED THE INFORMATION IN THE BACKUP. WE'VE RECEIVED THE INFORMATION FROM THE CITY CONTROLLER. UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR ME, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF BUILDINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE DEMOLISHED, UM, IN THE DISTRICT. AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE ARE, UM, AWAITING DOLLARS FOR DEMOLISHING BUILDINGS IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THAT WE CAN GET THOSE DOLLARS AND KIND OF FOLLOW THE TRAIL. UM, AND SO WHEN I TALKED TO, UM, PUBLIC WORKS, I WAS REMINDED ABOUT THE MONEY WE PUT IN, UM, 2302 DURING THE BUDGET CYCLE. UM, AND WE TALKED ABOUT USING THOSE DOLLARS FOR DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS. AND, UM, SO WHEN I SAW THE MEMO FROM THE CONTROLLER, UM, I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF FIGURE OUT, 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO USE THE MONEY IN, IN AN INAPPROPRIATE WAY, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DEMO THE BUILDINGS IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITIES. BECAUSE I KNOW IF I HAVE, YOU KNOW, OVER 54 BUILDINGS, I CAN IMAGINE THAT MANY OF US HAVE BUILDINGS THAT NEED TO BE DEMOLISHED. UM, SO MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE, UM, MAYBE, UH, RANDY FROM PUBLIC WORKS COME SURE. AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DISCUSSED DURING THE BUDGET CYCLE, UM, ABOUT THE DOLLARS THAT WE WOULD USE. I THINK I, I THINK MAYBE WE PUT 40, 40 MILLION, 25,000,005, 25 MILLION. 25 MILLION. AND THEN THIS ADDITIONAL 5 MILLION WOULD BE MAYBE FROM THE OUTLYING YEARS. UM, AND HOW MANY BUILDINGS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO DEMOLISH AND IF, UH, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. I, I, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE, BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT IS THE NEXUS BETWEEN DEMOLISHING BUILDINGS AND MAINTAINING THE STORM? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I'M GONNA CALL RANDY TO COME GIVE US THE SCOPE. UH, IF, IF, IF YOU'LL YELL, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM AND JED'S GONNA EXPLAIN THE, UH, PURCHASE OF THE SERVICES. AND THEN ARTURO WILL TELL US THE, UH, LEGAL QUESTIONS. BUT, UH, IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES WITH 2300 DANGEROUS BUILDINGS IN HOUSTON. 343 HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR DEMOLITION. AND, UH, RANDY CAN SHOW YOU HOW IT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR DRAINAGE. RANDY, WHY DON'T YOU DESCRIBE HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT AND THE, UH, SCOPE OF IT AND THE FACT OF, UH, THE NEXUS TO DRAINAGE. CERTAINLY. THANK YOU MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS. GOOD MORNING. IT'S, UH, CERTAINLY A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS ITEM. UH, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY'S BACKLOG, ARE MORE THAN 2300 BUILDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN. I WOULD, AND I THINK WE WOULD ALL KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THERE'S FAR MORE THAN THAT. THIS IS JUST SIMPLY WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE ON THE LOGS OF STRUCTURES THAT ARE IN THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED, THAT ARE CREATING PROBLEMS IN OUR COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW FOR A FACT, I VISITED WITH ALMOST EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE AT SOME POINT ABOUT STRUCTURES WITHIN DISTRICTS THAT ARE CREATING MAJOR CHALLENGES TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. AND ALMOST ALWAYS, THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP TO FLOODING THAT TAKES PLACE AROUND THEM. THE REALITY IS THIS DANGEROUS BUILDINGS THAT ARE, UH, BLIGHTS ON OUR COMMUNITY ARE GROUND ZERO FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING. I MEAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR TO FIND ANY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE STRUCTURES WHERE THAT IS THE PLACE WHERE FOLKS KNOW, BECAUSE NO ONE'S LOOKING, THEY CAN DUMP THEIR STUFF OFF. WHEN YOU GO THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICTS, YOU FIND THAT MOST OF THAT TRASH SOMEHOW ENDS UP IN OUR OPEN DITCHES AND THEN LATER ON IN THE STORM SYSTEMS THEMSELVES. SO I'VE GOT A SERIES OF PICTURES HERE OF ONE PARTICULAR PROPERTY. THESE ARE PICTURES THAT I TOOK MYSELF, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR OF, UH, A PROPERTY OVER ON EMS AT NOBLE THAT PERFECTLY ILLUSTRATES EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS. AND OF COURSE, EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DRAINAGE. THIS IS THE STRUCTURE ITSELF. IT WAS AN OLD, UM, YOU KNOW, METAL SHED OF SOME SORT. YOU GO TO THE NEXT PICTURE. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE AROUND IT. NEXT PICTURE JUST CONTIN. THIS IS THE ACTUAL STREET ITSELF. OPEN DITCH ON BOTH SIDES WITH A FEW ENCLOSED STORM SYSTEMS THAT GO THERE. NEXT PICTURE, PLEASE SEE, RANDY, THOSE ITEMS WHICH I WERE WITH YOU, CAME OUT OF THAT BUILDING WAITING TO BE DEMOLISHED. [02:50:01] WELL, SO SOME OF THEM CAME OUTTA THAT BUILDING AND SOME OF THEM WERE ADDED TO THE BUILDING. AND IN FACT, ACTUALLY, MAYOR, AFTER YOU AND I VISITED THAT SITE, THE VERY NEXT DAY, THERE WAS A WHOLE NEW TRUCKLOAD OF STUFF THAT WAS DUMPED ON THAT ROAD. AND IF YOU WILL PLAY THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, WHICH IS A VIDEO, THIS WILL ACTUALLY SHOW YOU THE FLOW OF WATER. AND THIS IS NOT EVEN RELATED TO A STORM EVENT. THIS IS ACTUALLY A WATER MAIN BREAK THAT WAS HIDING UNDER ALL OF THIS TRASH THAT WAS IN SHOVING THE RESPITE THERE. WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS WHEN WE HAVE RAIN EVENTS LIKE WE DO IN HOUSTON, AND THE SHEET FLOW COMES DOWN THE ROAD, IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH WITH IT. THIS IS A SMALL LITTLE TRICKLE FROM A WATER MAIN BREAK, BUT WHEN WE CLEANED THIS PROPERTY OUT, WE REMOVED TONS OF TRASH FROM THE STORM SYSTEM ITSELF. SO COUNCIL MEMBER, YOUR, YOUR QUESTION IS WELL TAKEN. UM, I WANNA POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS. NUMBER ONE, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS IN ADDITION TO EXISTING CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE TO DEMOLISH DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, FIRST OF ALL, UM, THOSE ONES ARE MANAGED BY THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND. THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER CONTRACTS, WHICH IS WHY THE BACKLOG, FRANKLY, IS AS BIG AS IT IS. THAT'S ALWAYS THE QUESTION IS WHY CAN'T WE TEAR IT DOWN? AND THE ANSWER IS, WHERE ARE WE GONNA GET THE MONEY FROM, NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, WHAT WE INTEND TO DO HERE IS ENSURE THAT WHEN WE ARE USING THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT, THAT THERE IS A DIRECT NEXUS INTO OUR STORMWATER SYSTEM. FOR INSTANCE, AND I'VE, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR STRUCTURE HERE DOWNTOWN FOR SO LONG BECAUSE IT DRIVES ME NUTS. FOR 20 YEARS I'VE BEEN DRIVING PAST THE OLD HOLIDAY INN WATCHING THE GRAFFITI GROW UP AND DOWN THOSE CORRIDORS FOR THIS BUILDING THAT'S, THAT'S JUST COMPLETELY LEFT OPEN. THERE IS NO WAY WE COULD USE THIS CONTRACT AND STORMWATER FUNDS TO TAKE THAT BUILDING DOWN. THERE IS NO NEXUS WHATSOEVER. BUT WHEN I GO OUT TO SIMS AND NOBLE AND I SEE THE TRASH ADDED AND I WATCH IT GOING INTO THE ACTUAL ENCLOSED SYSTEM THERE, WHICH IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THAN AN OPEN SYSTEM, IT DRIVES ME ABSOLUTELY NUTS BECAUSE WE'RE MISSING THE PICTURE SOMETIMES. IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR AND YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM AND THE DOCTOR PRESCRIBES YOU A PARTICULAR MEDICATION, WE OFTENTIMES MISS WHAT THE ROOT CAUSE IS FOR WHY WE GOT THERE. COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M TELLING YOU, THE ROOT CAUSE OF ILLEGAL DUMPING IS THAT WE HAVE PLACES WHERE WE INVITE PEOPLE TO PUT IT THERE. AND IF WE WILL TAKE THE TIME TO START TREATING THE ROOT CAUSES, IT WILL GREATLY ENHANCE OUR EFFICIENCY SO THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING THE SAME MONEY ON THE SAME PLACE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THE REALITY IS WE COULD GO AND WE COULD CLEAN THIS DITCH AT SIMS EVERY SINGLE MONTH FOR A YEAR, AND IT WILL COST US FAR MORE THAN IF WE REMOVE THE STRUCTURE AND CLEAN IT UP ONCE AND FOR ALL. THE DIRECTOR, YOU, YOU'RE A TRAINED LAWYER AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE A REALLY GOOD LAWYER AND I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE YOUR CASE FOR WHAT THE NEXUS IS BETWEEN DEMOLISHING BUILDINGS AND MAINTAINING THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. BUT WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS BASED ON ILLEGAL DUMPING, UH, THAT HAS SOME CORRELATION WITH MAINTAINING INFRASTRUCTURE. I WOULD ARGUE AGAINST THAT. EVEN IN PLACES, EVEN IN PLACES WHERE THERE IS NO ILLEGAL DUMPING. I MEAN, WHERE THERE IS NO HOME OR BUILDING, THERE IS ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE MONEY THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO APPROPRIATE FROM, UM, AN ILLEGAL DUMPING SITE ON A CLEAR FIELD TO THEN SAY THAT WE CAN USE THAT MONEY FOR, UM, MAINTAINING THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. I THINK WHAT THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THAT FUND WAS FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT TO ENSURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM TO MITIGATE FLOODING, UH, FROM A INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT, NOT A MAINTENANCE STANDPOINT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE PROPERTY. NOW, I AGREE WITH YOU, YOU CAN CORRELATE THIS AND FIND THE NEXUS IF YOU WANT TO, BUT I, I WOULD ARGUE YOU CAN DO THAT IN ANYTHING, ANYTHING ACROSS THE BOARD, ON ANY ENTERPRISE FUND, ANY DEDICATED FUND. WE COULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT. THE QUESTION IS, IS IT A STRONG ARGUMENT? I I DON'T THINK THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THAT STORM WATER DRAINAGE FUND WAS FOR THESE PARTICULAR INSTANCES. AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT HAS GOTTEN US IN THE, THE, UH, ISSUE, UH, FROM VOTERS IN THE PUBLIC IN THE PAST, FROM THIS WATSON LAWSUIT AND OTHER ISSUES THAT WE WERE USING, DEDICATED MONEY THAT WAS FOR A SPECIFIC INTENDED PURPOSE AND PUTTING OUR OWN SPIN TO IT TO THEN ALLOCATE THOSE DOLLARS IN A DIFFERENT WAY. SO FOR, FOR ME, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. YOU'RE A VERY GOOD LAWYER AND YOU'RE MAKING YOUR CASE FOR IT. UH, BUT, BUT I DO THINK THAT'S A STRETCH TO FIND THE NEXUS BASED ON ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT COMES FROM ABANDONED HOMES OR BUILDINGS AND HOW THAT AFFECTS THE INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT OF OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. I, I UNDERSTAND [02:55:01] WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I WOULD SAY THESE PICTURES DON'T SHOW A SPIN. THEY SHOW REALITY. UM, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE CAN DOCUMENT THIS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY AND THE COMMITMENT IS, IS WE'RE USING IT SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE THINGS WHERE IT MEETS THESE SORTS OF THRESHOLDS. UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, YOU AND I VISITED A PROPERTY NOT TOO LONG AGO WHERE IT WAS A VERY SIMILAR SITUATION. WE SAW HOW OVERGROWN THAT DITCH HAD BECOME AND HOW MUCH THE ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT WENT THERE. UM, AND TO THAT POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE DO CLEAN OUT DITCHES WHERE THERE'S NO HOMES RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL DUMPING. THE INFRASTRUCTURE ONLY IS AS GOOD AS IT IS CLEAN AND CLEAR. AND WE USE STORMWATER FUNDING ALREADY, SOMETHING TO CLEAN OUT DITCHES WHERE THERE'S NO STRUCTURES NOW WHERE WE HAVE STRUCTURES THAT EXACERBATE THAT PROBLEM. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE A LARGER CORRECTION. IF, IF I COULD INTERJECT, FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE A GOOD LAWYER, BUT YOU'RE EVEN A BETTER PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. I THINK WE'RE GETTING AWAY FROM THE ROOT CAUSE AS YOU DESCRIBED IT. THESE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO OUR DRAINAGE PROBLEM. WE DEMONSTRATED THAT WHEN WE PASSED THE BUDGET, AND I WOULD DARE SAY MOST OF US PUT THE 25 MILLION INTO THE STORM DRAINAGE FUND. AND SO GET BACK TO WHAT HOUSTONIANS ARE ASKING US TO DO, AND WE'VE ALL MADE IT A HIGH PRIORITY TO DO AWAY WITH THE 343 THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED TO BE DEMOLISHED. AND THEN WE CAN ADDRESS THE REST OF 'EM. IT'S, IT, THE PUBLIC'S NOT GOING TO QUESTION, THEY JUST WON'T GET IT DONE. AND WE'VE USED THIS FUND FOR THIS PURPOSE BEFORE AND, UH, THE PEOPLE I VISIT WITH ARE NOT GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT WHICH FUND THEY'RE GONNA ASK YOU, DID YOU DEMOLISH THESE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO OUR DRAINAGE? AND WE FIXED THE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS IN BETWEEN THE STORMS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. MAYOR, MAYOR, MY QUESTION, MY QUESTION FOR THE, THE DIRECTOR THOUGH WAS WHEN I READ THE LETTER FROM THE CONTROLLER, THE PART THAT GAVE ME PAUSE WAS WHERE HE SAID, UM, IF WE DO THIS, THEN WE CAN USE ANYTHING TO, UM, VALIDATE THIS. YEAH. SO HOW, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT? ARE WE GOING TO LOOK AT A SPECIFIC BUILDING AND SAY, THIS BUILDING IS AROUND OPEN DITCHES AND SO IT WOULD QUALIFY? UM, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT OPENING OURSELVES? BECAUSE THE RESPONSE WE GOT FROM LEGAL WITH THAT IS THAT THIS IS LEGAL AND THIS IS A GOOD, UM, USE OF THE FUNDS THAT WE PUT INTO THE BUDGET. BUT AGAIN, LIKE, LIKE I, LIKE I TOLD YOU WHEN I READ THAT FROM THE CONTROLLER, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A STEADY ARGUMENT THAT THIS ACTUALLY IS LEGAL, IT CAN BE DONE. AND HOW WILL YOU DETERMINE WHICH BUILDING ACTUALLY QUALIFIES FROM THESE, UM, FUNDS THAT WE ALLOCATED IN THE, IN THE BUDGET CYCLE? YEAH, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE COULD MAKE THAT ARGUMENT THAT YOU COULD USE ANYTHING JUST FOR ANY PURPOSE. I THINK YOU'VE GOT DOCUMENT AND YOU'VE GOTTA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHY YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND HOW YOU GET THERE. I GAVE A GREAT EXAMPLE, FOR INSTANCE, OF THE HOLIDAY INN. CLEARLY WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT BEFORE WE ASSESS ANY OF THESE PROPERTIES. THERE'S A VERY THOROUGH AND RIGOROUS INSPECTION, PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE IS TAKEN, THERE'S GREAT DOCUMENTATION BEFORE WE MOBILIZE A CONTRACTOR OUT THERE. IN FACT, BEFORE WE EVEN FIGURE OUT WHICH CONTRACTOR NEEDS TO HANDLE THAT PARTICULAR CASE, BECAUSE EACH ONE IS DIFFERENT, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT SAME PROCESS HERE AS WE VISIT EACH ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES OF THE 300 PLUS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CLEARED FOR DEMOLITION, NOT A SINGLE WORK ORDER'S BEEN ISSUED YET BECAUSE THERE WILL NOW NEED TO BE, SINCE THEY'VE CLEARED THE PROCESS, AN ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE WE ACTUALLY APPROVED IT FOR DEMOLITION. WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS LIKE AT THAT POINT? IF THERE IS NO NEXUS, IF THERE IS NOTHING IMPACTING THAT DRAINAGE SYSTEM, THIS CONTRACT DOES NOT MOBILIZE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE PROPERTIES, WE WILL UTILIZE THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND FOR THAT PURPOSE. AND THEN HOW DO YOU ANSWER HIS, UM, STATEMENT ABOUT THIS IS SIMILAR TO D-D-S-R-F BECAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY IS SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAD THAT LAWSUIT. SO HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, VOTE FOR THIS WITH THAT ON OUR MIND AS WELL AND BEING SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD A A SIMILAR SITUATION? YEAH. UM, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT? I'LL SAY A COUPLE THINGS AND THEN REALLY DEFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY. I THINK ON THAT PART ONE, THIS IS APPLES AND ORANGES ON THE D-D-S-R-F LAWSUIT. D-D-S-R-F WAS ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE WERE INTENTIONALLY UNDERFUNDING WHAT OUR COMMITMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS RELATED TO STREET AND DRAINAGE RENEWAL RIGHT [03:00:01] HERE, THE, UH, PARTICULAR MASTER ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS US TO USE THE STORMWATER FUND FROM THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM HAS SOME PRETTY CLEAR LANGUAGE ON WHAT THE NEXUS LOOKS LIKE THERE. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S A SIMILAR SITUATION AT ALL. UM, IMPORTANTLY, AGAIN, AS OPPOSED TO THE ISSUES IN D-D-S-R-F, THAT WAS MONEY THAT DIDN'T GO TO GETTING WORK DONE. IT WENT TO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT HAD NO RELATIONSHIP WHATSOEVER. YOU'RE GONNA SEE WORK GETTING DONE HERE FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, BUT I THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN CAN SURE. I WAS GONNA LET YOU WRAP IT UP, BUT WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND, AND UH, SPEAK TO THE LOCAL, I'M FULLY CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS LEGAL. UH, THE ISSUE OF INTENT OR THE PERCEIVED INTENT OF WHAT IT MEANS IS REALLY ONE THAT SHOULD GUIDE A COUNCIL MEMBER'S VOTE. BECAUSE EVEN WITH A MULTI-MEMBER BODY, MOST LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN COURTS DON'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT INTENT UNLESS FURTHER DOWN THE LINE, IF THERE'S AMBIGUITY HERE, THE LANGUAGE IS PRETTY CLEAR. YOU HAVE THE WORDS IM IMPROVEMENT, REPAIR, MAINTENANCE, WHAT THE DIRECTOR HAS BEEN DESCRIBING, IT FALLS WITHIN THAT RUBRIC. SO I'M, I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT IT, IT IS, IT IS FULLY LEGAL AND THERE'S THE EVIDENTIARY SUPPORT THAT HE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT. WHAT, WHAT THEY HAVE SEEN THE WAY THEY WILL GO ABOUT DETERMINING WHICH BUILDINGS ARE GOING TO BE TAKEN DOWN. THE OTHER TWO ASPECTS OF THE MEMO IS THERE WAS ONE ISSUE ABOUT WHETHER IT WOULD JEOPARDIZE OUR, OUR BOND HOLDERS. IT, IT WON'T BOND HOLDERS GET PAID OFF THE TOP. UH, THEY'RE CONCERNED WITH THE RESERVE. THIS IS NOT LOWERING THE RESERVE AT ALL, SO WE SHOULD BE FINE. AND A JONES WATSON TYPE LAWSUIT, YOU'RE TALKING APPLES AND HORNS, THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT FUNDS. D-D-S-R-F DOES NOT FUND STORM WATER EXCEPT FOR A LOW PERCENTAGE, 10%. AND IT'S SEGREGATED. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE FUNDS WILL NOT BE D-D-S-R-F. SO I THINK THOSE POTENTIAL LEGAL CLAIMS ARE REALLY, UM, THEY'RE A RED HERRING, THEY'RE NOT OF CONCERN. I THINK THIS MEETS THE STANDARD FOR LAWFULNESS AND, UH, I'M GONNA END WITH COUNSEL IS GIVEN CONSIDERABLE DEFERENCE IN TERMS OF WHAT ITS ORDINANCE MEANS. IN FACT, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, EXCEPT IN RARE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT DON'T APPLY HERE, WILL NOT OPINE ON THE LEGALITY OF A CITY ORDINANCE BECAUSE OF THE DEFERENCE GIVEN TO COUNCIL . SO IN YOUR LEGAL OPINION, IF WE VOTE YES FOR THIS, WE ARE NOT OPENING OURSELVES UP TO A SIMILAR LAWSUIT? NO, NO. I MEAN, ANYONE CAN BRING A LAWSUIT, BUT I I I THINK IT WILL BE, UH, DISMISSED ON A DISPOSITIVE MOTION. OKAY. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT I SURE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THESE, THESE, THESE FUNDS FOR A LONG TIME. AND THE STORMWATER FUND GETS ITS REVENUES FROM THE WATER SEWER SYSTEM. SO THIS IS, THIS IS A WATER SEWER SYSTEM FUNDED THINGS AND, AND THE STORMWATER FUND WAS CREATED, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE HAD REBUILT HOUSTON RENEW HOUSTON BUILDING, HOUSTON FORD, YOU KNOW, TO, TO HANDLE A LOT OF OUR STORMWATER MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND ALSO TO PAY SOME DOWN SOME DEBT THAT WAS ISSUED, UM, DURING THE BILL WHITE YEARS. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT WAS SET UP FOR WHEN RENEW HOUSTON WAS BEING CAMPAIGNED AND EVERYTHING, IT WAS KIND OF THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WOULD, KNOWING THAT THE WATER WASTEWATER SYSTEM NEEDS ALL THE MONEY IT CAN POSSIBLY GET FOR OUR WATER WASTEWATER SYSTEM, THAT IDEA WAS THAT WE'D BE EVENTUALLY WEANING OFF THAT STORMWATER FUND FOR, FOR STORMWATER MAINTENANCE. BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. THE STORMWATER FUND STILL THERE. AND BECAUSE WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, ARTURO MICHELLE, THE LEGAL OPINION THEN WAS THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO FUND IT TO THE FULL 11.80 CENTS. ONCE WE HIT THE REVENUE CAP, WE LATER FOUND OUT WE LOST THAT LAWSUIT AND NOW WE'RE UP HAVING TO UP THAT BILL. SO I THINK IT, IT DOES MATTER WHAT, WHAT FUND IT IS. I THINK THIS WAS CREATED FOR STORMWATER MAINTENANCE. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. I MEAN, I AGREE IT'S MORE OF AN ILLEGAL DUMPING PROBLEM AND THAT OTHER FUNDS SHOULD COME FROM OTHER PLACES TO HELP WITH THAT. BUT I'M OKAY WITH STORMWATER FUND CLEARING OUT THAT DITCH THAT YOU'RE SHOWING. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. THAT'S STORMWATER MAINTENANCE. I DO THINK THAT IT'S A FLIMSY ARGUMENT AND I GET IT, YOU'RE THE ROOT CAUSE THE ROOT CAUSES THAT HOUSE, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE STORMWATER FUND WAS SET UP TO DO. THE STORMWATER FUND WAS SET UP TO PROTECT AND MAINTAIN OUR MAINTENANCE. ALSO REBUILD HOUSTON ALSO ONLY ALLOWS US TO, TO SPEND 25% ON MAINTENANCE. IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR MAINTENANCE. WE NEED THE STORMWATER FUND. SO MAYOR, YOU SAY PEOPLE DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT FUND IT'S COMING FROM, BUT IF THERE'S WATER IN YOUR HOUSE AND YOU DIDN'T USE THE STORM WATER MONEY TO, TO, TO DO THE PROPER DRAINAGE, YOU DIDN'T USE IT ENOUGH FOR MAINTENANCE ALL [03:05:01] OVER TOWN, YOU'RE REALLY JUST HELPING OUT WITH A, WITH A DANGEROUS BUILDING AND AN ILLEGAL DUMPING PROBLEM, UM, THEN YOU CARE, YOU CARE WHAT THE FUND FOR, WHAT THE FUND IS FOR. AND I THINK ALL OF US ARE, ESPECIALLY THE, THE SECOND TERMERS ARE SUPER GUN SHY ABOUT, ABOUT, UM, ACCUSATIONS THAT WERE USING MONEY THAT WAS MEANT FOR STORM DRAINS AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE ALL GOT ELECTED RIGHT AFTER HARVEY. AND SO WE ARE JUST LIKE, DON'T TAKE A DIME OF MONEY THAT SHOULD BE FOR STORM DRAINS TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. AND I GET IT, THESE BUILDINGS ARE TERRIBLE AND I AND THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU NEED TO HAVE THESE BUILDINGS ADDRESSED. AND IT'S IMPORTANT. I WANT THEM ADDRESSED. I AND I REALIZE WE'RE LOOKING, I MEAN WE'RE LOOKING TO A LOT, WE'RE LOOKING TO THE CS FOR A LOT OF THINGS AND WE MOVED 3 1 1 OVER THERE. EVEN IF YOU'RE JUST CALLING ABOUT A LOST DOG OR A TRASH, THAT'S THE WATER SEWER PAYING FOR THAT. WE'RE MOVING THIS OVER TO WATER SEWER AND PAYING SEWER, PAYING FOR DANGEROUS BUILDINGS. WE'RE BUILDING ALL THE NUISANCE CALLS, WATER, SEWER. SO WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING WHEN YOU PUT ALL THIS MONEY OVER IN WATER SEWER, DOING THE RATE STUDY, NOT PAYING THE WATER SEWER ON, ON, ON THE STUFF, THAT SHOULD BE WHAT GOES UP. WHAT GOES UP EVENTUALLY IS WATER RATES. SO I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I I RESPECT BOTH SIDES OF THIS OPINION AND I, AND I GET THAT WE WE'RE TR YOU KNOW, IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS, WE NEED TO GET THESE BUILDINGS DOWN, BUT, AND I, AND I SUPPORT THE PORTION OF THE STORMWATER FUND BEING USED TO CLEAN OUT THE DRAINS, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD USE THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND, UM, TO, TO KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSES AND WHAT IS THE COST TO KNOCK DOWN AN AVERAGE DILAPIDATED HOUSE. I KNOW THEY ALL VARY, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S SUPER EXPENSIVE. RIGHT? IS IT LIKE $10,000 TO KNOCK DOWN A HOUSE? YOU USUALLY, FOR INSTANCE, IN, IN THIS INSTANCE HERE, THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY WAS SPENT ON THE REST OF EVERYTHING. THE STRUCTURE ITSELF WAS ABOUT 15,000. SO, SO HOW COME IF THAT'S 15,000, I'M GONNA SOMEBODY DO THE MATH FOR ME. 300 HOUSES AT $15,000. I MEAN THAT SEEMS LIKE MONEY WE COULD GET FROM THE, FROM THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND. EVERYBODY COULD WIN. WE COULD, WE, WE, WE COULD ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE WITH THE STORMWATER FUND, WHICH WAS, ITS ITS PURPOSE. AND WE COULD USE, UM, BUILDING INSPECTION FOR $4.5 MILLION. THANK YOU. CALCULATOR $4.5 MILLION. WE CAN FIND THAT IN THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND TO GO KNOCK DOWN THE BUILDINGS. I KNOW MY, I WOULD, IIII WILL VOTE NO ON THIS IF WE'RE GONNA USE IT TO KNOCK DOWN THE BUILDINGS, I, I'LL VOTE FINE IF WE CAN USE 4.5 MILLION OR WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KNOCK DOWN THE FOUR, THE HOUSES ON JUST THE DRAINAGE ONES. I DON'T WANT YOU USING DRAINAGE MONEY IF THERE'S NO NEXUS AT ALL. YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT ANYWAY. BUT IF WE COULD SOMEHOW SEPARATE THE DEMOLITION COSTS, UM, FROM THE, FROM THE ACTUAL DRAINAGE COSTS, I THINK, UH, IT WOULD SIT A LOT BETTER WITH ME. I THINK IT GETS DOWN IN MY MIND BEING ADVISED BY THE DIRECTOR, THE PERSON THAT WE'VE PUT IN CHARGE OF THE STORMWATER FUND AND THE DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS IS CLEARLY DRAWN A, A NEXUS THAT THAT BUILDING IS CAUSING A DRAINAGE PROBLEM. AND SO THAT'S WHAT HOUSTONIANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, A DANGEROUS BUILDING THAT IS CREATING A DRAINAGE PROBLEM. AND SO WHAT WOULD BE A BETTER USE FOR THE STORMWATER FUND THAN TO, LIKE I SAID, ELIMINATE WHAT IS CAUSING THE DRAINAGE PROBLEM THROUGH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD? AND HE'S GONNA DOCUMENT. OKAY. AND THAT'S FINE. I JUST, I'LL, I'LL BE A NO IF WE'RE GONNA USE THESE FUNDS TO KNOCK DOWN BUILDINGS, BUT I'M OKAY WITH USING THE STORMWATER FUND ON, ON THE DRAINAGE ISSUES IN THE DITCH AND UPSIZING THE INLET AND WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO TO MAINTAIN THE ACTUAL DRAINAGE. VERY GOOD. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I'M SORRY. CAYMAN, THANK YOU. UH, AND I, I WANNA START BY REITERATING, ESPECIALLY AS DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE DANGERS AND CONCERNS POSED BY BLIGHTED BUILDINGS. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY AROUND THIS HORSESHOE THAT DOES NOT WANT BLIGHTED AND DANGEROUS BUILDINGS ADDRESSED. UH, AND WE HAVE TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THAT. BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAWS THAT THIS COUNCIL BY ORDINANCE HAS SET OUT. AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S POINT, WE CAN GET GUIDANCE FROM CITY LEGAL. AND I'M NOT REFERRING TO, YOU KNOW, OUR CURRENT CITY ATTORNEY WHO DOES A TERRIFIC JOB, BUT WE HAVE GOTTEN LEGAL ADVICE IN THE PAST AND THEN WE'VE BEEN SUED AS A CITY AND WE'VE LOST BECAUSE OF THAT MISINTERPRETATION. AND SO JUST BECAUSE WE TAKE A VOTE HERE DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE RIGHT ON SOMETHING AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THE BEST JUDGMENT THAT WE CAN. AND I WANTED TO QUICKLY POINT OUT SECTION TWO OF THE ORDINANCE WE'RE REFERRING TO NUMBER 2004 DASH 3 0 1, WHICH RATIFIED THE STORM WATER FUND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND IN PART IT SAYS THE STORM WATER FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR THE PLANNING DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, REGULATION IMPROVEMENT, REPAIR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF FACILITIES [03:10:01] AND PROGRAMS RELATING TO A SYSTEM OR NETWORK OF STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FACILITIES. AND THEN THEY LIST THOSE OUT AND INLETS, CONDUITS, MANHOLES, CHANNELS, DITCHES, DRAINAGE EASEMENTS, RETENTION AND DETENTION BASIN INFILTRATION FACILITIES AND OTHER COMPONENTS. AND WHEN YOU LOOK TO THE SPIRIT OF THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, DIRECTOR, I COMPLETELY AGREE. AND WE EVEN PUT DISTRICT FUNDS, I BELIEVE, UH, QUITE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TOWARDS DITCH REHABILITATIONS. BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING AND WITH THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN AND THE, UH, FLOOD STUDY, THE CITYWIDE FLOOD STUDIES AND MAPPING THAT IS FINALLY DONE THAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING YEARS ON. I'M LOOKING AT ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE STILL AT RISK OF FLOODING. AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR TOURS TO FUND STUDIES, OKAY, IF WE DID THIS ONE NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE MAPLEWOOD NORTH, WE SOUTHWEST TOURS DID A STUDY AND SAID, YEAH, WE NEED TO FIX THIS, THIS, AND THIS TO PROTECT THESE HOMES FROM FLOODING EVEN WITH PROJECT BRAZE, BUT WE NEED AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLARS TO ACTUALLY GO IN AND DO THAT REPAIR. AND MY CONCERN IS NOT ONLY THAT THERE'S A DISCONNECT WITH THE NEXUS HERE, BUT THAT WITH LEGAL, THE LEGAL NEXUS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EVEN MORE BLIGHTED HOMES IF WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING THE ROOT ISSUE OF THE ACTUAL DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE. AND WE HAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY THAT STILL NEED THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IN INVESTMENT. THE UPSIZING OF INLETS MUCH, MUCH MORE IS NEEDED. AND AGAIN, WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH IN THE PIE. IT'S HOW THE DEBATE IS, HOW WE SLICE AND DICE IT. BUT WE HAVE A VERY CLEAR DIRECTIVE AS TO WHAT THIS FUND IS FOR. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE, ARE WE NOT ABLE, AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST TO USE CDB HUD, CDBG FUNDS TO PERFORM DEMOS OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT, UH, IS OUTSIDE OF MY PURVIEW? UH, THAT'S NOT TYPICALLY WHAT'S GONE THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS ON THAT SIDE OF THINGS, BUT UH, IT CERTAINLY COULD BE POSSIBLE. OKAY, SO, UM, THE REALITY IS THIS, WHEN WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH EVERYBODY ALL ALONG, WE SAY, WHY CAN'T WE TAKE CARE OF IT? THE ANSWER HAS ALWAYS BEEN MONEY. AND SO WHAT WE HAVE PRESENTED IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT, UH, AND I AGREE WITH CITY ATTORNEY, I RESPECT THAT MAYBE THERE ARE OTHER INTERPRETATIONS OF THAT, BUT, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE A STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IF EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT IS BLOCKED. I I UNDER, AND, AND OVERWHELMINGLY, OVERWHELMINGLY, THOSE ARE THE ACTIVITIES THAT MY DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATES IN IS REMEDIATION OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. AND, AND AGAIN, DIRECTOR, WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY ON SOME OF THOSE REMEDIATIONS. THERE'S NO, UH, I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS SAYING WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM HERE. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS LEGAL AND WHAT WAS CONCERNING. UH, ONE, GOING BACK TO HUD CDBG, UM, I'LL DEFER TO OUR HOUSING CHAIR, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT HUD EXPRESSLY PERMITS THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS. ADDITIONALLY, THOUGH THE PROCESS IN WHICH THIS HAS COME BEFORE US, THAT IT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE CONTROLLER'S, OFFICE CONTROLLER'S, OFFICE RAISED ISSUES, AND THEN WE CIRCUMVENTED AND JUST FOUND A WAY TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA, ALSO RAISES CONCERNS IN TERMS OF PROCESS FOR ME. AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING YOUR JOB, YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND MONEY WHERE YOU CAN TO GET AS MUCH DONE AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF ENERGY WE WANNA SEE. BUT IT'S ALSO OUR OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS DONE LEGALLY AND THAT WE'RE ALSO PRIORITIZING FLOOD MITIGATION, NOT JUST A LEGAL DUMPING THAT IS CREATING THAT FLOOD RISK AS WELL. UM, SO I, I WILL EITHER BE VOTING NO OR BE TAGGING SO THAT WE CAN, UM, HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS, SUBMIT ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK YOU SHOULD POSE YOUR QUESTION TO JED. UH, THE TERM CIRCUMVENT, I DON'T BELIEVE ACCURATELY DESCRIBES HIS OPPORTUNITY TO USE A CO-OP AND FIND A MORE AFFORDABLE WAY TO DO IT. AND I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND INTERJECT, UH, BECAUSE I'M ENJOYING THIS DIALOGUE. IT IS LEGAL. MANY OF US RAN TO FIX HOUSTON. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THOUSANDS OF DANGEROUS BUILDINGS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO OUR DRAINAGE PROBLEM. WE'LL NEVER FIX THE DRAINAGE AS LONG AS WE HAVE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT DRAINAGE. SO IT GETS PRETTY SIMPLE OF DO WE WANNA ADDRESS THE DEMOLITION OF HAZARDOUS UNSAFE UNSIGHTLY BUILDINGS ACROSS HOUSTON? IT'S ONE OF THE, HOUSTON IS NUMBER ONE CONCERNS [03:15:01] SOME DISTRICTS MORE THAN OTHERS, BUT I THINK ALL DISTRICTS ARE EXPERIENCING IT. SO THE FOLKS IN CHARGE HAVE COME UP WITH A VALID WAY TO ADDRESS THAT. AND ALL I'D SAY MEMBERS, IF WE KEEP DOING IT THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT, THAT'S THE REASON WE GOT SEVERAL THOUSAND DANGEROUS BUILDINGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DEMOLISHED. SO WE HAVE A LEGAL FUND NOW AND A PROCESS TRANSPARENT, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT HOUSTONIANS ARE LOOKING FOR. AND I, I RESPECT THAT. I WOULD SAY THAT WE WILL HAVE A LOT MORE HAZARDOUS BUILDINGS AND VACANT BUILDINGS IF WE DO NOT UTILIZE THE FUNDS FOR DRAINAGE AND IMPROVING OUR DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER PROTECTION SYSTEMS. AND I WAS REMINDED, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DID ALL VOTE FOR $25 MILLION IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS, THIS VERY PURPOSE. AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THAT MAYOR. UM, WE VOTED ON SOMETHING THAT DOES, AND I'M THE FIRST TO SAY THAT JUST BECAUSE WE VOTED ON SOMETHING, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT SAID, HEY, THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF THIS, THIS IS NOW THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, HANG ON A SECOND, WE NEED TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY. SO JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS IN THE BUDGET DOES NOT MEAN IT'S A RUBBER STAMP TO CIRCUMVENT THE RULE. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I INITIALLY WAS VERY MUCH AGAINST THIS ITEM AS WELL. I THINK THAT THE ARGUMENT WE'RE STRETCHING A BIT ABOUT THAT MONEY AND YES, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IN THE BUDGET, I DIDN'T LOVE IT THEN IT WASN'T GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THE BUDGET OVER ONE THING THAT I MAY HAVE DISAGREED WITH. AND JUST BECAUSE IT'S LEGAL MAYBE DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NECESSARILY THE BEST USE OF THE FUNDS. THE ONLY REASON WHY I MAYBE CHANGED MY MIND ON A NO VOTE IS BECAUSE THE MONEY THAT WE'RE PUTTING AS A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY IS COMING BACK TO THIS FUND. SO WE'RE BASICALLY JUST LOANING THE MONEY IN ORDER TO DO THIS WORK AND THE MONEY'S COMING BACK TO THIS FUND IN ORDER TO USE IT FOR WHAT I THINK IS MORE OF ITS INTENDED PURPOSE. BUT MY CONCERN WITH THAT THOUGH IS THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, I'VE DONE BUDGET AMENDMENTS, I'VE WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES TO TRY TO DO SIMILAR THINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF WE PUT A LIEN ON A PROPERTY WHERE THAT MONEY GOES BACK TO WHATEVER THE DEPARTMENT IS, WHETHER IT WAS PUBLIC WORKS OR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD IT CAN BE DONE. WE CAN'T TRACK THE MONEY, THE MONEY CAN'T GO BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT, THERE'S NO WAY TO DO IT. NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, OH OF COURSE WE CAN DO IT, THE MONEY WILL DEFINITELY GO BACK TO THE FUND. AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ABOUT THAT, THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE CAN PUT THE MONEY BACK INTO THE FUND WHEN WE COULDN'T A WEEK AGO. SO MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE A COMMITMENT TO, I'M, I COULD DO A MOTION TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THIS MONEY GOES BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE LOST IN, YOU KNOW, A PURCHASING ITEM. I'D RATHER SEE AN ORDINANCE COME TO COUNCIL WHERE IT SURES UP THAT THAT MONEY WILL COME BACK BECAUSE THIS COULD BE LONG-TERM FUNDING. MAYOR, I, I AM CONFIDENT THAT YOU WILL WATCH THE MONEY, THE MONEY WILL GO BACK, YOU KNOW, WHILE YOU'RE IN OFFICE. BUT IF, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW WHERE WE FINALLY GET THAT MONEY BACK, WHO'S TO SAY WHERE THAT MONEY'S GONNA ACTUALLY GO? SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, ASSURE THAT UP TO MAKE SURE THAT MONEY GOES BACK TO THIS DEPARTMENT. VERY WELL. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR FROM MELISSA, ALYSSA, YOU WANNA COME FORWARD AND SPEAK TO THE BUDGET ITEM THAT ADDRESSED THIS AND WENT INTO THIS FUND FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE AND ALSO ADDRESS COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S CONCERNS? SURE. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. SO IN TERMS OF THE MONEY COMING BACK TO THE FUND, SO RIGHT NOW WHEN UM, WE DEMOLISH DANGEROUS BUILDINGS OR HAVE OTHER BUILDINGS THAT ARE ON THE STRIKE OFF, UM, THAT GET SOLD AT AUCTION, THAT REVENUE, UH, THAT GETS PUT AS A LIEN WHEN SALE OF THE PROPERTY HAPPENS, EVENTUALLY COMES BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND. UM, RIGHT NOW THE REPORTING THAT WE GET, UM, DOESN'T BREAK DOWN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUILDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED VERSUS THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN STRICKEN OFF AND SOLD FOR SALE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DEMOLISHED. SO WE HAVE TO WORK TO GET SOME MORE, UM, FINE REPORTING ON THAT TO BE ABLE TO BREAK THAT DOWN. UM, BUT LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE OF THE AUCTION PROCESS, THE REVENUE, UM, IN PROPERTY BECAUSE IT COMES INTO US AS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, UM, WAS ABOUT $3.6 MILLION. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK TO GET, UM, MORE FINE DETAIL ON THE REPORTING AS FAR AS WHICH OF THOSE PROPERTIES HAD DEMOLITION ASSOCIATED WITH THEM OR NOT TO BE ABLE TO BREAK DOWN THOSE FUNDS. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DEFINITELY WORK ON. [03:20:01] YOUR PLUMBER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, IN THE SAME WAY I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN CREATE A NEXUS BETWEEN STORM WATER DRAINAGE AND THE ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND ILLEGAL DUMPING. I THINK THE SAME, YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY. I MEAN THESE ARE DANGEROUS AREAS AS WELL. PEOPLE LIVE THERE. SOMETIMES THERE START FIRES. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES AND I DO THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE WATCHING MAYOR, I THINK THAT PEOPLE DO WANNA KNOW THAT WE SPEND THE MONEY THE WAY THAT WE INTEND TO DO IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE JUST EXPERIENCE THAT LAWSUIT. AND SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THIS ITEM, ALTHOUGH I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO MITIGATE THIS, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE WAY TO DO IT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THIS IS MORE SO DIRECTED TO, UH, DIRECTOR. SO LAST MONTH IN THE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, THE DEPARTMENT PROPOSED A ALLOCATION OF $645,000 FROM THE HUD ANNUAL ACTION PLAN TO DEALLOCATE TO DESIGNATE TO DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. AND ALTHOUGH I WAS EXCITED ABOUT THAT, WE ALSO, MAYOR PRO TEM AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT PUSHING A AROUND WHY ARE WE LOCATING $645,000 FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT WAS DESIGNATED FOR PUBLIC WORKS WHEN WE NEED CODE ENFORCEMENT TO ADDRESS THESE BLIGHTED HOMES. AND A LOT OF THE ISSUE, UH, ESPECIALLY AT A MICRO LEVEL IN A DISTRICT, IT'S THE BLIGHT, RIGHT? AND I HAVE SIX IDENTIFIED ALREADY IN DANGEROUS BUILDINGS FOR LIKE THE LAST SIX YEARS, RIGHT? WE'RE GETTING THEM THROUGH THE QUEUE. WE PASSED THAT ITEM LAST WEEK TO DEALLOCATE THE 640 AND THE UH, THOUSAND. AND THE CONVERSATION THAT CAME UP WAS THAT PUBLIC WORKS DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT. SO THEN WHEN WE HAVE THIS $30 MILLION ITEM TO SAY, OH, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ALL OF THIS, I AM, I'M TORN BETWEEN OKAY. CAPACITY OF NOT HAVING STAFFING TO DO CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHICH IS THE GENESIS OF GETTING ALL OF THAT WORK DONE TO THEN NOW THIS EXTREME OF WE'RE AT DEMOLITION WE'RE WE CAN MOVE WITH THESE FUNDS. SO I NEED CLARITY ON WHAT'S THE REAL CAPACITY OF THE DEPARTMENT TO ACTUALLY MOVE WITH THIS FUNDING BECAUSE WHEN WE GO OUT INTO COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORS CONSISTENTLY EMAIL US ABOUT WHAT'S GOING, I GOT AN EMAIL FROM THE HOAA BRI METAL THIS MORNING ABOUT SOMEONE PARKED AN RV ON CHRIS STREET, THE HOME THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR DEMOLITION, THAT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR DEMOLITION SINCE 2019. OKAY. SO I, I, I NEED MORE INFORMATION AROUND THAT BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA SET AN EXPECTATION IN THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR US TO MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY WHEN IT'S NOT, WHEN IT, AND THEN WE'RE USING LIMITED FUNDS, AND THEN WHEN I HAVE TO GO BACK ON FUNDS AND THEN BEG A DEPARTMENT OR WONDER WHY WE'RE LOCATING $645,000 TO DO THE VERY THING THAT WE SAY WE'RE GONNA DO. I, I NEED MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, UH, TO GIVE MYSELF SOME CLARITY ON THIS ITEM. TWO, TWO RESPONSES TO THAT. FIRST, UH, I WANNA FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT MY STAFF'S CONTEXT WAS IN REGARDS TO CAPACITY. I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE A CAPACITY PROBLEM WHERE IT COMES TO INSPECTORS. IN FACT, THAT WAS THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF MERGING THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS CODE ENFORCEMENT GROUP WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS CODE ENFORCEMENT GROUP, IS SO THAT WE COULD CREATE CROSS TRAINING PROGRAMS, PUT PEOPLE TO WORK, WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER. INSTEAD OF HAVING TWO SETS OF INSPECTORS ON THE STRAIN STREET, ONE WORKING ON COMMERCIAL, ONE WORKING ON RESIDENTIAL, THEY CAN ALL DO THE SAME THING. I BELIEVE WE HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY THERE, AND WE HAVE A VERY AGGRESSIVE HIRING PROGRAM ALREADY IN PLACE WITH FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT THAT COVERS THE SALARIES FOR ADDITIONAL INSPECTORS TO COME IN. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY THE ANSWER WOULD'VE BEEN, WELL, WE DON'T NEED THIS BECAUSE OF CAPACITY. UM, IF I HAVE A KNEE JERK REACTION, IT'S BECAUSE, WELL, WE ALREADY HAVE DIFFERENT FUNDING THAT'S SET UP TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE. BUT, BUT I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU. SURE. I MEAN, WE DID DE I MEAN, THE ITEM PASSED. WE DE ALLOCATED $645,000 LAST WEEK TO DO, YOU KNOW, FOR HUD FUNDS. SO I, TWO THINGS CAN BE TRUE. YEAH. BUT I THINK ONCE WE NOW HAVE THIS ITEM BEFORE US, I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXPECTATION TO COUNCIL MEMBER PALMER AND ALCORN'S POINT ABOUT THE PUBLIC IS WATCHING. THERE IS A DEMAND ON THIS THERE, YOU KNOW, AND I UNDERSTAND WE DEAL WITH THE LEGAL DUMPING ALL THE TIME. THIS IS A REAL ISSUE. IT'S, THIS IS REAL. UM, BUT THIS IS A HARD, THIS IS A HARD ASK FOR, FOR ME TO CONCEPTUALLY UNDERSTAND, KNOWING KIND OF WHAT, WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH ON A DAILY BASIS AROUND DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, BLIGHT, ILLEGAL DUMPING DRAINAGE, YOU KNOW, LIMITED FUNDS AROUND SWAT, WHAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH DURING BUDGET CYCLES, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, TO INTIMATE THAT NO ONE REALLY, WHEN THOSE PEOPLE FILL UP THIS CHAMBER, AND THEY'RE DEMANDING THAT WE INVEST IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEY'RE COMING AND THEY'RE SHOWING PHOTOS OF LIKE A SIMPLE RAIN AND THEIR HOME, I MEAN, THE WATERS TO THEIR DOOR ALMOST AFTER AN HOUR RAIN. Y'ALL HAVE MOVED IN DISTRICT F WHEN SIMPLE RAIN AND HAD TO CLEAR TREE ROOTS [03:25:01] RIGHT WITHIN THE HOUR BECAUSE OF THAT. SO I THINK WE'RE REALLY, REALLY SENSITIVE TO THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY. UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF, IF WE'RE CALLING THE VOTE TODAY OR IF THERE'S A, A, A MOTION TO AMEND OR WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT I, I WOULD ENJOY MORE DISCUSSION. RANDY, WOULD YOU ADDRESS THAT? WHETHER WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE OR NOT, WE, IN TERMS OF HAVE WE USED THIS FUNDING FOR THESE PURPOSES BEFORE? THE ANSWER IS YES. IT IS NOT THE SAME WAY THAT THIS ITEM HAS COME BEFORE. IN OTHER WORDS, WE'VE NEVER HAD A CONTRACT THAT DEDICATED THAT FUNDING SOURCE, BUT WE HAVE, UH, USED EXISTING CONTRACTS THAT WERE MOBILIZED AND THEN WE CHARGED BACK THE STORM WATER TO, I MEAN, SIMS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES. WHEN WE CLEARED THIS AREA OUT AND WE DEMOLISHED IT OUT BECAUSE OF THE INUNDATION WE FOUND TO THE STORM SYSTEM THERE, THAT WAS A CHARGEBACK TO 2302. SO WE, WE HAVE USED IT BEFORE. WE'VE JUST NEVER DEDICATED A CONTRACT. MY INTEREST WAS THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA PLAY A LOT OF FINANCIAL ISSUES IN THE BACKGROUND. I'D RATHER WE WERE UPFRONT WITH THE CONTRACT IS DEDICATED TO THIS PURPOSE, AND THAT HELPS MOVE THINGS FASTER, AND IT KEEPS THE DEPARTMENT MORE EFFICIENT. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ? THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, RANDY, FOR THE PRESENTATION. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION. YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH TREMENDOUS ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES. VERY COMPELLING ISSUE. WE HAVE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF BUILDINGS THAT NEED TO COME DOWN. ON THE OTHER HAND, UM, A LARGE PORTION OF OUR POPULATION THINKS THE CITY MISUSES FUNDS BY TAKING FUNDS THAT WAS DIRECTED FOR ONE PURPOSE AND USING IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE. AND, UH, I I WISH THIS DISCUSSION HAD STARTED BEFORE NINE 30 THIS MORNING. YEAH. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS NEXUS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THESE GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS. YEAH. NONE OF THAT'S IN THE BACKUP. UM, AND, AND THAT KIND OF, KIND OF TROUBLES ME THAT, UH, AND NO ONE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION REACHED OUT TO ME ON THIS ISSUE. I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, WHETHER THERE ARE ANY WRITTEN CRITERIA FOR INCLUSION IN, IN THIS PROGRAM THAT, THAT YOU ALL ARE PROPOSING. THESE ARE, THESE ARE, UH, COMPELLING PHOTOGRAPHS. UH, DO PROPERTIES HAVE TO LOOK LIKE THIS BUILDING ON SIMS IN ORDER TO, UH, TO USE THESE FUNDS? OR, OR, OR WHAT? YEAH. WE MOBILIZE THE INSPECTORS TO EVALUATE THE PROPERTY, UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION. THEY DOCUMENT THOROUGHLY. THEY USE, THEY TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF EVERYTHING. AND THEN A JUDGMENT CALL IS MADE ON WHAT CONTRACTS WE MOBILIZE TO HANDLE THINGS. RIGHT. FRANKLY, LIKE WE DO ON PRETTY MUCH ANY OTHER OPERATIONAL MEASURE. BUT GUESS I'M, WHAT I'M ASKING IS, DOES THE PROP, DOES THE BUILDING HAVE TO BE WITHIN A CERTAIN, UH, NUMBER OF FEET FROM A DITCH OR, UH, OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? DOES IT HAVE TO BE IN THE FLOODPLAIN? DOES, UM, YEAH, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING THERE IS NOT A WRITTEN CRITERIA. RIGHT. THIS IS GONNA BE BASED ON THE INSPECTION EVALUATION AT THE SITE. OKAY. I THINK I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, UH, IF, IF THERE WERE SOME, SOME GUARDRAILS ON, ON EXACTLY WHEN THIS MONEY WOULD BE USED FOR DRAINAGE. ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, DID YOU ALL SPEAK TO ANY STAKEHOLDERS WHO, WHO MIGHT, MIGHT BE, UH, EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN THIS? FOR INSTANCE, BOB JONES, WHO HAS PRETTY GOOD RECORD, UH, SUING THE CITY. UM, DID YOU ALL SPEAK TO ANYBODY? I DIDN'T SPEAK TO BOB JONES. NO. UH, BUT I'VE SPOKEN WITH FOLKS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST YEAR AS DIRECTOR. UM, THE BLIGHT ON OUR COMMUNITY AND THE INUNDATION THAT WE EXPERIENCE IS, IS REAL AGREE. ITS REAL. TO TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. TO, TO THE POINT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PECK WAS ASKING ABOUT, UM, I I, SHE MAY HAVE USED THE WORD ESSENTIALLY A LOAN. RIGHT? AND, AND I GUESS THE IDEA IS WE ARE GOING TO SELL THESE PROPERTIES, SO WE DO NOT TAKE ANY OF THE PROPERTIES. I, AND I WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. WHEN WE DEMOLISH A BUILDING, THE PROPERTY OWNER STILL OWNS IT. THERE IS A LIEN PLACED ON THAT FOR THE WORK THAT WAS DONE. AND THE CITY EXPECTS TO BE FULLY SATISFIED FOR THAT WORK AT THE TIME THAT THERE IS A FUTURE TRANSACTION. AND SO, AM I CORRECT IN THINKING THAT THAT MONEY, THIS MONEY WILL BE REPLACED, IT THE FUTURE BE REPLACED, CORRECT? ON, ON A ONE-TO-ONE BASIS? OR THE LIEN OUGHT? THE LIEN IS FOR THE EXACT AMOUNT THAT WE DO. WE, WE CAN'T LEAN MORE THAN WHAT WE SPEND. OKAY. AND WE WOULD NOT BE INTERESTED IN LEANING LESS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. I APPRECIATE ALL THAT AND WE'LL LISTEN TO THE REST OF THIS DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, DIRECTOR, I JUST HAD A QUESTION AND, UH, A GREAT DISCUSSION. AND WITH RESPECT TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE A WHOLE LOT LONGER THAN I AM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROPERTIES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS BEING A PROBLEM IMPACTING DRAINAGE. CORRECT? CORRECT. SO, BUT NOT ALL IMPACT DRAINAGE, RIGHT? CORRECT. NOT ALL PROPERTIES THAT NEED TO BE DEMOLISHED IMPACT [03:30:01] DRAINAGE. SO I'M LOOKING AT A PICTURE HERE. SO COMMON SENSE TELLS ME I WOULDN'T JUST GO CLEAN THAT UP, JUST RIGHT THERE AND NOT ADDRESS THE BIGGER PICTURE. AND SO IT IS NOT, LET'S SAY THE, IF IF THERE'S A, A PROPERTY THAT'S CONTINUOUSLY BEING DUMPED ON AND THERE'S, IT IS CLEARLY IMPACTING THE SYSTEM, THIS PICTURE JUST WENT AWAY. WOULD IT NOT BE A COST OF DOING BUSINESS THIS 10, THIS $10,000 TO, TO, FOR THE DEMOLITION? THAT TO ME SEEMS LIKE SORT OF A, A PIECE OF THE PROJECT IN GENERAL TO, YOU KNOW, MEANS TO AN END, IF WE KNOW THIS IS CAUSING THIS AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED IT AS SUCH, I'M, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, DEDICATED FUNDS, BUT TO ME, THESE, YOU KNOW, WE CLARIFIED 10,000, MAYBE 15,000 A HOUSE, WHATEVER OUR BUILDING THAT'S PART OF THE COST OF CLEANUP AND MITIGATING THE FLOOD ISSUE. IS THAT CORRECT? COUNCIL MEMBER? YOU VERY ELOQUENT. THAT'S, I I THINK THAT'S THE EXACT POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE. WE CAN COME OUT AND WE CAN CLEAN IT OUT EVERY MONTH, AND THAT'S GONNA HAVE A COST, OR WE CAN CLEAN IT ONCE AND GREATLY EXTEND THE LIFE CYCLE AND DIMINISH THE AMOUNT OF OVERALL MONEY THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND. THAT'S REALLY THE WHOLE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND WHY WE WOULD USE THIS FUNDING, WHY WE WOULD GET HERE. AND AGAIN, THE COMMITMENT IS, IS THAT WE'RE ONLY USING IT FOR ONES THAT HAVE THIS SPECIFIC IMPACT ON THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. ONES THAT DO NOT, WE WILL FIND ALTERNATIVE SOURCES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND RANDY, THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING ALL THE QUESTIONS. THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN HELPFUL. UH, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT ABSOLUTELY, YOU KNOW, IMPACTS DISTRICT H FROM ALL OF THE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS WE HAVE COUPLED WITH THE, THE ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT OFTEN ACCOMPANIES THEM. SO YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS, THIS MONEY WILL BE USED FOR STRUCTURES THAT ARE IMPACTING DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE. WHAT IS THE CRITERIA OR WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT WILL DETERMINE WHEN THAT IS TRIGGERED VERSUS WHEN ANOTHER FUND IS SOUGHT AFTER TO, TO DO THE DEMOLITION? I MEAN, ULTIMATELY, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, THAT IS GONNA BE BASED ON THE INSPECTION, THE INSPECTION REPORT, THE EVIDENCE THAT THE INSPECTOR COLLECTS. YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE NOT SAID THIS AND, AND MAYBE I THOUGHT I DID, BUT I, I SHOULD HAVE, RIGHT? THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY GONNA BE SITUATIONS OR SCENARIOS WHERE OUR INSPECTORS GO OUT AND THEY FIND A STRUCTURE THAT IS TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S POINT SO FAR AWAY FROM THE PROBLEM THAT YOU HAVE IN THE DITCH THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT JUSTIFICATION. RIGHT? STEMS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE THE STRUCTURE WAS RIGHT ON TOP OF THE DITCH AND THE DUMPING TOOK PLACE NOT JUST ON THE, ON THE DITCH, BUT IN THE STREET AS WELL. AND THEN EVERYTHING FLOWS DOWNHILL FROM THERE. BUT YOU MAY HAVE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES WHERE THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE. AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS. WE HAVE TO RELY TREMENDOUSLY ON OUR INSPECTORS AND THEIR ABILITY TO GO AND THOROUGHLY ASSESS THE SITUATION AND COME BACK AND REPORT. SOMETIMES THEY GO OUT THERE AND THEY FIND THAT THERE'S THOUSANDS OF TIRES HIDDEN BEHIND ALL OF THE GRASS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SO OVERGROWN THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE FROM THE STREET. BUT SOMETIMES THEY GO BACK THERE AND THEY FIND THERE REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING HERE. AND THAT'S A REASON WHY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SO MANY BUILDINGS THAT ARE ON THE BACKLOG RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY THAT HAVE BEEN DISQUALIFIED OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE AFTER THAT INSPECTION, WE REALIZED IT'S TOO FAR FOR US TO GO TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW, THE LEGAL CHALLENGES WHEN WE GO AND YOU SCRAPE A BUILDING OFF IS REALLY GONNA BE A PROPERTY OWNER ASKING WHETHER WE ARE, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATING IN TAKING, UM, THAT'S WHY OUR PROCESS IS SO EVALUATIVE AND THOROUGH. IT'S WHY, FRANKLY IT'S A LITTLE BIT SLOW BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T EXPOSE THE CITY TO UNNECESSARY RISK THAT WOULD PUT US AT THE SORT OF SITUATION LIKE WE HAVE WITH A BOB JONES LAWSUIT FOR INSTANCE. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN DOING. UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A ITEM THAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD. AND, AND I DO HAVE TO REITERATE THIS MORE THAN WE ARE TALKING A LOT ABOUT SCRAPING BUILDINGS OFF. IT'S MORE THAN THAT. THIS ITEM IS FOR ABATEMENT SERVICES AS WELL, RIGHT? SO IT INCLUDES THOSE TIMES WHERE THE BUILDING DOESN'T COUNT, BUT THE DITCH DOES. AND WE NEED TO GO AND FINISH THAT OUT. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO SWAP PROJECTS, A LOT OF TIMES WE RUN INTO FUNDING CHALLENGES THERE TOO, BECAUSE WE HIT OUR CAP. UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE TO MAKE THE STORM SYSTEM AS OPERATIONAL AS POSSIBLE. ITS CAPACITY IS LIMITED WHEN THERE'S NOWHERE FOR THE WATER TO FLOW. SO THE PROCESS WILL BE BASED ON THE INSPECTOR WHO GOES OUT AND DOES THE INSPECTION. THEY WILL DETERMINE WHETHER IT MEETS THE CRITERIA THAT IT'S IMPACTING DRAINAGE OR NOT. [03:35:01] THE INSPECTOR IS GOING TO SUBMIT THE PACKET OF INFORMATION AND THEN WE DETERMINE WHICH, UH, CONTRACTOR IS GOING TO COMPLETE THAT WORK. AND THE CONTRACTOR OR THE CONTRACT THAT WE MOBILIZED TO COMPLETE THAT WORK WILL BE TIED TO THE FUNDING SOURCE. MM-HMM . AND, AND IS, HAS THAT PROCESS ALL BEEN SORT OF FLESHED OUT? LIKE IS IT, IS IT SET, ARE Y'ALL STILL BUILT THAT, THAT'S THE PROCESS WE CURRENTLY ENGAGE IN RIGHT NOW. THE DIFFERENCE IS, RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE ONE CONTRACT THAT WE UTILIZE, WHICH IS THE ONE WITH BUILDING INSPECTION. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU RANDY, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, VERY, UM, UH, COLLECTION OF, OF DATA THAT YOU PRESENTED TO US CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROCESS. MY QUESTION IS CONCERNING THE, UM, CONTROLLERS CONCERNS ABOUT THIS, SOME OF THE, AS WE, ALL OF US GOT THE LETTER FROM THE CONTROLLER, I WAS SPECIFICALLY CONCERNED WITH BECAUSE RATHER THAN TRYING TO CREATE A DIVIDE, THE, THE CONTROLLER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROCESS OVERSIGHT. UM, HIS ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, UM, HE CONCERNED WAS ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE'S THE FUNDING SOURCE. UM, THE WORK IS THE SAME. THE LEGAL ISSUE IS THE SAME, BUT THE LEGAL ASPECT OF IT THAT THE ATTORNEY, THE CITY ATTORNEY SAID IT IS LEGAL. THE CONTROLLER OPINION IS THAT IT'S NOT LEGAL. UM, HE INDICATED ALSO THAT, UM, HIS RECOMMENDATION WAS, WAS UNSAFE OF THE DETERIORATING BUILDINGS, UM, ISN'T IMPORTANT PUBLIC SAFETY ITEM, BUT HE SAID, BUT FOR THE REFERENCE, I PROVIDE WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE, THE MAYOR'S TEAM OUTLINING THE PROPOSAL VIOLATES THE ORDINANCE GOVERNING STORM WATER FUNDS. RIGHT. UM, AND MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT I WOULD, WOULD HOPE, AND I'M SURE THAT YOU AS WELL AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS IN DETAIL, BUT I WOULD NOT WANT ANYTHING TO BE HELD UP BECAUSE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE OPINION OF THE CONTROLLER AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND PUBLIC WORKS. SO, UM, I I JUST THINK THAT THERE, HE OFFERED TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL, TO WORK WITH COUNCIL, UH, ON A LAWFUL APPROACH TO ADDRESS THIS. THE COUNCILMAN MEMBER ALCORN PRESENTED A ARGUMENT IN TERMS OF COST OF DEMOLITIONS AS RELATES TO THE STORM DRAINAGE FUND. UM, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THAT? WHAT, WHAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST WOULD BE THE MOST FEASIBLE WAY TO GO ABOUT IT IN ORDER TO GET THE OBJECTIVE DONE WITH THIS ISSUE? BECAUSE THE DUMPING AND LEGAL DUMPING, WE KNOW IT'S EVERYWHERE. MM-HMM . IT'S ALL OVER THE CITY. RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT PARTICULAR AREA THIS, THESE PHOTOS WAS IN. WHERE WAS IT? YOU KNOW? YEAH. THIS IS, THIS IS NOT, EMS IS NOT FAR OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN. OKAY. OKAY. JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF I 10. OKAY. SO, SO WHAT WOULD, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOUR OPINION IN REGARDS TO THE COST OF GETTING THIS EFFECTIVELY DONE? BECAUSE IT IS A PROBLEM. I THINK IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS TO ALL OF US. YEAH. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER, MY, MY PROPOSAL IS THE ITEM THAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY. THAT'S RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT'S IT. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION OF, WELL, WE COULD USE IT FOR THIS HALF AND THEN YOU COULD GET SOMEONE ELSE TO THE OTHER HALF. YOU, YOU DRIVE UP COSTS WHEN YOU MOBILIZE TWO CONTRACTORS VERSUS ONE. UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS, THIS WAS THE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WAY TO BOTH USE MONEY AND TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK AT HAND. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE STAND TODAY. I CAN TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND IS STRETCHED REAL THIN. THERE'S A REASON WHY THAT CONTRACT IS, FRANKLY, AS SMALL AS IT IS, I THINK IT'S JUST BARELY A LITTLE BIT OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THAT REALLY HAS EVER BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THE DEMOLITION AND ABATEMENT OF BUILDINGS. THAT'S WHY THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD STRUGGLED FOR SO LONG. THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF OTHER FUNDING SOURCES. IF WE WANTED TO SAY BUILDING INSPECTION SHOULD BE IT. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THAT. THE CONSEQUENCE, THOSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH A PRETTY THOROUGH COST OF SERVICE STUDY THERE AND REALIZE HOW YOU HAVE TO RAISE PERMIT FEES, ET CETERA. AND THAT, THAT'S A PROCESS THAT'LL TAKE SOME TIME TOO. THAT [03:40:01] COULD BE A FUTURE OPPORTUNITY. BUT TODAY, THIS IS THE PROPOSAL THAT, THAT WE'RE PUTTING BEFORE THE COUNCIL. OKAY. OKAY. LAST THING. THE 30 MILLION WAS TO ASK, AND HE INDICATED IN THERE THE 50 MILLION, WAS THAT ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR THE ASBESTOS OR WHAT? YEAH, AND, AND I WON'T, I WON'T SPEAK OVER, UH, CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER. WE, WE RECOGNIZED WHEN THIS ITEM ORIGINALLY CAME TO COUNCIL IN OCTOBER, THE END OF OCTOBER, UM, IT WAS AT A 50 MILLION. THAT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE UTILIZING EXISTING CONTRACTS AND ADDING MORE MONEY TO IT. FOR SPD, THAT'S ONE OF THE FASTEST AND MOST EFFICIENT WAYS FOR THEM TO DO IT. AS WE HIT SOME ROADBLOCKS, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REFLECT ON IS THERE IN FACT A BETTER WAY THAT COULD SERVE THE CITY EVEN BETTER? AND, AND JED ACTUALLY HAS SOME GREAT INFORMATION ON WHY THIS PARTICULAR MECHANISM IS BETTER THAN WHAT WE WERE GONNA GO DOWN BEFORE BECAUSE OF THE CAPITAL RETURN TO THE CITY. YEAH. SO, SO PARTLY, AGAIN, THE, THE 50 TO THE 30 MILLION IS REALLY THE CONTRACT TIME PERIOD. SO THE, THE CONTRACTS THAT WE WERE GOING TO MEND HAD A LONGER CONTRACT TERM, SO THERE WAS MORE MONEY IN THE OUT YEARS. UH, WHEN WE RE-LOOKED AT THIS, UH, WE LOOKED AT COOPERATIVES, RIGHT? SO AS THE DIRECTOR SAYS, WHEN, WHEN I'M, WHEN WE RECEIVE AN URGENT REQUEST, WE LOOK AT EXISTING CONTRACTS, AND THEN NEXT WE LOOK AT COOPERATIVE CONTRACTS. THOSE ARE THE QUICKEST WAYS THAT I CAN PROCURE AND GET THINGS COMPLETE. SO, ON, ON THE ITEM THAT'S FOR YOU TODAY IS A COOPERATIVE, THE BENEFIT HERE IS, WHILE WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH OUR EY EFFICIENCY, UH, PROCESS IN SPD, WE'RE NEGOTIATING, UH, COST SAVINGS. AND PART OF THAT IS WITH COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATIONS THEMSELVES. SO NOT, NOT THE CONTRACTOR, BUT WITH THE COOPERATIVE AGENCY. AS ALL THIS WAS MOVING ON, WE HAD REACHED AGREEMENT WITH, UH, TIPS, WHICH IS THE MECHANISM WE'RE USING THE COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATION, THAT WE ACTUALLY GET REBATE FUNDS BACK ON THE BACKEND. SO NOW THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL SAVINGS BY USING THAT PROCUREMENT METHODOLOGY TO COME THROUGH AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SAVINGS BACK TO THE CITY. YEP. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'VE BEEN REALLY LOOKING AT THIS, AND I CAN SAY IT, YOU KNOW, AT FIRST I WAS A, JUST A, A NO, BUT THEN I, BECAUSE I FIGURE, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH IT'S LEGAL, WE'LL WE'LL GET SUED JUST BECAUSE, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE DEBRIS AND THE, UM, THE TRASH AND ALL OF THAT. IT'S ABOUT THE ABILITY OF THAT GROUND TO INFILTRATE THE STORM WATER. AND WITH THAT BUILDING THERE, IT CANNOT, WHICH MEANS THAT THE WATER WILL END UP IN OUR CHANNELS. AND SO IF WE REMOVE ALL OF THE STRUCTURES, THE IMPERVIOUS, UM, MATERIAL AND THE, UM, CONCRETE, THEN IT GIVES US A BETTER ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT WATER IN THE GROUND AS OPPOSED TO HAVING A DANGEROUS BUILDING THERE THAT KEEPS THE WATER FROM, UM, ACTUALLY PERMEATING THE GROUND. SO I, I, I'M, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO IN THE OTHER DIRECTION NOW BECAUSE I HAVE 84 HOUSES, 84 HOUSES THAT NEED, UH, DEMOLITION. AND IF, IF I CAN CORRELATE THAT, NOT JUST WITH DEBRIS AND HEAVY TRASH AND ALL THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE CASE, BUT IT'S ALWAYS THE CASE AS TO WHETHER WATER CAN, UM, CAN INFILTRATE THE GROUND WITH A STRUCTURE THERE. AND SO I BELIEVE FOR THAT, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SUPPORT THE ITEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU RANDY. UM, MAYOR, UM, RANDY FOR THE, UM, PRESENTATION, AS YOU KNOW, IN MY DISTRICT, WE GOT A LOT OF BUILDINGS THE MOST, UM, THE MOST BUILDINGS 112 BUILDINGS. UM, AND OF COURSE WE DEAL WITH A LOT OF FLOODING, UM, ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND SO, UM, AT FIRST I WAS, YOU KNOW, AS I'M, I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF, UM, THIS ORDINANCE AND CONTROLLER APPRECIATE HIS LETTER. BUT, UM, I TALKED TO MY CONSTITUENTS, SOME OF MY CONSTITUENTS THIS MORNING, AND THEY, I MEAN, WE NEED TO GET THESE BUILDINGS DOWN AND WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, SO SOMETIME YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE MONEY, THE LIGHT BILL MONEY TO PAY THE GAS BILL, BUT, UM, , BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M IN, I KNOW, BUT WE ARE IN A SITUATION AND DISTRICT B THAT WE NEED ALL THE SUPPORT THAT WE CAN GET. UM, BUT I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. IS THIS GONNA IMPACT EXISTING PROJECTS, FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS, STORM WATER PROJECTS JUST HAPPENING RIGHT NOW? WE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE NO PROJECTS. AGAIN, WE, UM, DEDICATED THIS MONEY IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. SO IT'S NOT, LIKE WE SAID, WE'RE NOT DOING THESE PROJECTS, SO WE CAN PUT THIS 25 MILLION OVER HERE. THAT WAS THE INTENTION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. I SUPPORT IT. THANKS, COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION TODAY. UM, [03:45:01] OBVIOUSLY WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE IS CREATIVE. UM, I THINK IT WILL BE MORE EFFICIENT AND ACTUALLY ALLOW US TO DO MORE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE CITY. I DO THINK ALSO IT IS A BIT OF A STRETCH, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S STRETCHED BEYOND UNREASONABLE. SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I APPRECIATE ALL THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU THAT I, I, I'M, I'M LEANING YES. AND I'M TORN. YES. BECAUSE I KNOW HOW MANY BUILDINGS AND, AND HOMES THAT WE NEED TO TEAR DOWN. WE HAD A BUILDING ON MARLEY THAT CAUGHT FIRE. UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE IN THE BUILDING. THE BUILDING CAUGHT FIRE, THE SOOT, ALL OF THE REMNANTS FROM THE FIRE AND THE BUILDING WERE RUNNING INTO THE STORM DRAIN. SO I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT. UM, BUT WHAT, WHAT I REALLY WANT TO GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING ABOUT IS THE MONEY THAT WE ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET. I WANT, I, I NEED TO BE REMINDED, YOU SAID WE HAVE ABOUT A MILLION END DANGEROUS BUILDINGS. IF WE WERE TO TEAR DOWN THE BUILDINGS THAT WOULD QUALIFY BASED ON WHAT THE INSPECTORS WOULD IDENTIFY AS IMPACTING OUR STORM DRAINS, HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD WE NEED TO DO THAT? BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, THE PEOPLE WANT THESE BUILDINGS TORN DOWN. THE, THE, THE PEOPLE WHOSE HOUSE CAUGHT ON FIRE, YOU KNOW, THEIR WINDOWS GOT BUSTED OUT BECAUSE THE BUILDING WAS THERE. THEY WANT THESE BUILDINGS TORN DOWN. I MEAN, DO WE HAVE MONEY TO GET THESE BUILDINGS TORN DOWN ANYWHERE ELSE? OR WAS THIS THE IDENTIFIED WAY? IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE TWO POTS OF MONEY YEAH. TO TAKE THESE BUILDINGS DOWN. ONE, LIKE WE TRADITIONALLY DID WITH DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEN THIS ONE, THIS 2302 THAT WE ALLOCATED THE ADDITIONAL $25 MILLION. YEAH. MAYOR POTM, WE, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN PREPARATION FOR THE BUDGET TO SEE WHAT SOURCES WERE AVAILABLE. THIS WAS, THIS WAS THE SOLUTION THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE TO US. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY OTHER PLACES THAT WE COULD DO. GREAT EXAMPLE, RIGHT? YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY USE DDS RF MONEY FOR THIS. IT HAS SUCH A SPECIFIC DEFINITION ON HOW THAT, UH, MUST BE UTILIZED. YOU, YOU COULD NOT GO THERE. SO, FROM PUBLIC WORKS STANDPOINT, I REALLY HAVE BASICALLY THREE, UH, POTS OF MONEY. I'VE GOT THE CUS, WHICH INCLUDES STORMWATER FUND. I'VE GOT DDS RF MONEY, AND THEN WE'VE GOT STUFF FROM THE PERMITTING CENTER, RIGHT? EFFECTIVELY, THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND. THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND IS, IS PRETTY TAPPED. UH, WE ACTUALLY RELY ON ITS REMAINING FUND BALLOTS YEAR OVER YEAR. IT DIMINISHES EVERY YEAR. UM, AND THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH DECISIONS THAT GO BACK REALLY, REALLY, REALLY FAR. OKAY. UM, SO UNTIL WE CAN FIND A WAY TO SHORE UP THAT PARTICULAR FUNDING, WHICH WOULD BE THROUGH A COST OF SERVICE STUDY, WHICH WOULD WITHOUT A DOUBT INCREASE THE COST OF PERMITTING FEES, IMPACT FEES, AND SO FORTH. THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND IS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US THERE. THAT REALLY LEAVES ME WITH ONLY THE STORMWATER FUND AT THIS POINT. AND THAT'S WHY WE IDENTIFIED IT. WE DID BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS THAT NEXUS. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, EVEN IF WE USED ALL 30 MILLION OF THIS FOR THE BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE ON THE LIST, IT'S PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH. BECAUSE WHILE IT MIGHT ONLY BE MAYBE 15,000 OR SO TO TAKE A PARTICULAR STRUCTURE DOWN, THE ABATEMENT, REMEDIATION ON SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS IS GONNA BE FAR MORE SIGNIFICANT ON A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, IT COULD BE THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO EVALUATE AND TELL YOU WHAT A FIRM COST WOULD BE, BUT WE DO KNOW IT'S MORE THAN 30 MILLION AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE FAR IN HOUSTON TO JUST SPOT ONE AFTER THE NEXT, AFTER THE NEXT. SO IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY WHEN WE WOULD SPEND THESE DOLLARS TO DEMO DEMO THE BUILDINGS? I, I WOULD, I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PUT THE RUBRIC TOGETHER AND SHARE THAT WITH COUNCIL. UH, AND IN FACT, I MAKE A VERY FIRM COMMITMENT ON ALL OF THE STRUCTURES WE'VE DEMOLISHED IN ANY OF YOUR DISTRICTS THAT YOU HAVE. WELL, AND ADVANCED NOTICE, WE'LL BE VERY, VERY AGGRESSIVE ON HOW WE LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND FRANKLY, THE FUNDING SOURCES WE USE TO DO THAT. AND, AND IF, YOU KNOW, I CAN TELL YOU THERE ARE SOME IN DISTRICT B THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING FOR WHEN THE BULLDOZER SHOWS UP. MAYBE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS INTEREST IN SOME OF THOSE DISTRICTS BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG. BUT I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM OUTLINING THE PROCESS, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S SHOR UP. AND AGAIN, AS WITH ALL THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR, AS WE'VE TRIED TO REALLY TURN PUBLIC WORKS AROUND IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE AS WE LEARN THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT RIGHT. YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT IS INVALUABLE TO ME. UM, WE [03:50:01] ABSOLUTELY TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS IN EVERYTHING THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN DO. BUT MOST OF YOU KNOW ME AT THIS POINT. I'M, I'M HERE JUST TO GET IT DONE. UM, THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME FOR ME IS I WANT US TO MOVE FORWARD AND STOP TALKING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AND START SOLVING THEM. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR PLUMMER. THANK YOU. MY LAST, LAST COMMENT. UM, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE THAT THE DOJ IS NOT MONITORING ILLEGAL DUMPING, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS CONVERSATION IS. SO WHEN YOU DO DEMOLISH THESE BUILDINGS, NOW, THERE'S A VACANT LOT. YEAH. ARE YOU FENCING THE, ARE YOU FENCING THE PROPERTY AS WELL? WE, WE MAY BE REQUIRED TO IN SOME INSTANCES. UH, IT DEPENDS REALLY ON WHERE IT'S LOCATED AND, AND WHAT'S TAKING PLACE. WE, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO WATCH THOSE PROPERTIES DEPENDING ON WHAT'S THERE, VEGETATION WISE, ET CETERA, TO ENSURE THAT IT KIND OF STAYS MOWED DOWN. BUT AGAIN, THE, THE INTEREST OF THAT IS ENSURING THAT WE DON'T JUST ALLOW THE SAME PROBLEM TO PERSIST RESIDENTIAL AREAS, FOR INSTANCE, WE DON'T DO A LOT OF FENCING IN THERE. IT'S NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE. UM, COMMERCIAL AREAS WE DO TEND TO FENCE A LOT. SO IT JUST DEPENDS. THANK YOU. REMEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION TODAY. I THINK THERE, YOU KNOW, ARE ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES. I THINK ONE ARGUMENT IS STRONGER THAN THE OTHER, UH, MAYOR, AS YOU KNOW, AS SERVING IN THE LEGISLATURE, THAT, UH, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THESE TYPE OF DEBATES, UH, WE LOOK AT THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT. AND I DO THINK THAT THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT OF THE STORM WATER FUND WAS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT. AND WHEN WE GET DOWN TO A MAINTENANCE, IT MAY BE TO CLEAR DRAINS OR CLEAR DITCHES, UH, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEMOLISHING STRUCTURES. THERE'S NO NEXUS BETWEEN THAT STRUCTURE AND THAT INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM. THAT, THAT'S TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS. NOW, THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SHOWING ON THIS, THE SLIDESHOW HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THE STORM WATER SYSTEM. THEY'RE NOT RELATED AT ALL. NOW WE CAN, WE CAN DRAW CORRELATIONS AND FIND NEXUS, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE, IF YOU, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LOOK AT THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT OF WHY THIS IS A DEDICATED MONEY AND WHY THE, THE, THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A DEDICATED POT FOR, UM, STORM WATER IS FOR THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM ITSELF TO ENSURE, ENSURE THAT WE HAVE DOLLARS TO IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF IT, TO MITIGATE FLOODING THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE STRUCTURE. SO THIS COMES DOWN TO ARE WE USING THESE DOLLARS IN THE APPROPRIATE MANNER? THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT WE COULD PRO PROBABLY STRETCH AND FIND WAYS TO SHIFT MONEY. BUT FOR WHATEV, FOR, FOR WHATEVER SYSTEM WE'RE IN, THERE'S A LOT OF DEDICATED ACCOUNTS AND ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND, AND SPECIFIC FUNDING THAT ONLY CAN BE USED FOR CERTAIN THINGS IN THE CITY. THAT'S WHY WE'RE UNDER SO MUCH FINANCIAL CONSTRAINT AS WE ARE, IS 'CAUSE WE CAN'T SHIFT MONEY JUST BECAUSE EVEN IF THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON WANT TO GET CERTAIN THINGS DONE BASED ON THE SYSTEM AND THE PARAMETERS THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, WORK WITHIN, WE CAN'T REALLY SHIFT MONEY UNLESS THERE IS A CLEAR NEXUS. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A CLEAR NEXUS. AND THE CONTROLLER WHO WROTE THIS MEMO, WHO'S GIVEN US GUIDANCE, IS A LAWYER HIMSELF. SO YOU HAVE LAWYERS ALL OVER THE MAP ON THIS. AND WHAT I SAY IS WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD PROCEED WITH CAUTION. WE'VE ALREADY BEEN HERE ONCE BEFORE WHEN WE AS A BODY VOTE A CERTAIN WAY, AND THEN THE, THE PUBLIC LOOKS AT US AS USING THOSE DOLLARS IN A, IN A WAY THAT IT WAS NOT INTENDED. AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, EVEN MORE MONEY TO PAY OUT IN THE END. AND SO BASED ON THAT, UM, I'M GONNA FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE OF OUR CITY CONTROLLER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL CAYMAN. THANK YOU. UH, RANDY AND JED, THANK YOU BOTH FOR JUST HANGING IN THERE AND STANDING UP THERE THROUGH ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS. UM, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO GET THEM SOME WATER AT THIS POINT. , UH, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE PROCESS OF LIENS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE PUTTING LIENS ON THESE PROPERTIES, UH, AND THAT THAT MONEY WILL THEN BE PUT BACK INTO THE FUND. ABOUT HOW LONG, IF YOU'RE AWARE, DOES A LIEN ENFORCEMENT TAKE? I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR YOU. I MEAN, IT DEPENDS. IT'S NOT A SHORT PROCESS TRADITIONALLY. RIGHT. AND, AND MAYBE, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT. MAYBE THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN SPEAK TO THIS. IN TERMS OF THE LIEN PROCESS, ABOUT HOW LONG DOES THAT PROCESS TAKE? RANGE, BALLPARK RANGE. [03:55:01] I, I CAN'T GIVE A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF YEARS, BUT IT'S OFTEN SEVERAL YEARS. YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE DILAPIDATED AREAS, IT USUALLY TAKES REDEVELOPMENT AND GENTRIFICATION TO BE ABLE TO SELL THE PROPERTY AND GET THE MONEY BACK. BUT THERE IS INTEREST CHARGED. AND SO IT TAKES YEARS TO GET THE MONEY BACK. AND DO WE HAVE A SUCCESS RATE? HOW MANY LIENS ARE WE ABLE TO ACTUALLY, UM, WIN ON OR ENFORCE? WE ALWAYS WIN . THE ISSUE IS WHEN IT, HOW LONG WHEN IT'S SOLD, YOU KNOW, AND IT, IT, IT WILL, SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO SELL IT IS GOING TO MAKE MONEY FROM IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. SO THEY, ONCE THE THE VALUES START TO RISE, THEY WILL SELL IT AND THEY'LL GET THE MONEY. BUT IT'S NOT AN ISSUE OF US NOT PREVAILING IN A LIAM PROCEEDING. CORRECT. BUT IT DOES, WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IT CAN TAKE YEARS. SO WE'RE TAKING MONEY FROM WHAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTED INTO DRAINAGE AND WAITING YEARS AND YEARS. I WILL SAY KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD TO PULL THAT MONEY BACK IN TO THEN MAKE ACTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO PREVENT FUTURE HOMES AND BUSINESSES FROM FLOODING. SO WHEN WE'RE, YES, WE WILL, THAT MONEY WILL EVENTUALLY GO BACK IN. BUT DIRECTOR, I THINK YOU SAID IT YOURSELF WITH SWAP, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH MONEY MM-HMM . SO WE, YEAH. THE, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS RIGHT NOW ARE GETTING PLANNED OR WE'RE MAKING THOSE ALLOCATIONS. BUT HOW MANY MORE DO EACH OF US HAVE IN QUEUE THAT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED RIGHT NOW? AND THAT'S ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS. UH, WE HAVE A SOLID WASTE PROBLEM. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DITCH DITCHES BEING HINDERED IN MY DISTRICT, WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST OPEN DITCHES IN THE DISTRICTS AND TO DISTRICT B. AND WHEN HEAVY TRASH, NOT JUST ILLEGAL DUMPING, BUT HEAVY TRASH BUILDS UP AND BUILDS UP AND BUILDS UP AND IT BLOCKS THE DITCHES, CAN WE NOW USE THESE FUNDS TOWARDS SOLID WASTE FOR WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING THAT. I UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION BECAUSE AGAIN, NOW WHAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION IS A VERY CLEAR ORDINANCE WITHIN THE CUS FUNDING. AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE DITCH REHABILITATIONS OR DITCH CLEARINGS OUT, BUT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS A VERY CRITICAL NEED. AND I WANNA, AGAIN, EMPHASIZE THE CRITICAL NEED OF BLIGHTED BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT POSE A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK. NOT JUST A QUALITY OF LIFE RISK, BUT THE WAY IN WHICH WE DO THAT, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES. AND AGAIN, IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PREVENT MORE ABANDONMENTS, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PREVENT MORE BLIGHT WHEN WE FLOOD? AND A PROPERTY OWNER CAN NO LONGER LIVE THERE AND DOESN'T HAVE THE MEANS AND THE RESOURCES. WE ARE NOT WORKING TOWARDS PREVENTION. WE ARE REACTING TO A PROBLEM WE ALREADY HAVE. UH, SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN QUEUE. UH, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SAY. UM, BUT THEN I'LL BE TAGGING THIS ITEM JUST TO ALCORN COUNCILLOR ALCORN. THANK YOU. JUST ONE LAST THING. THESE FUNDS ARE, HAVE BEEN USED THESE STORM WATER FUNDS AND, AND, AND PROBABLY SOME HAVE YOU SAID SOME HAVE BEEN USED FOR THIS PURPOSE, BUT FOR THE MAIN, FOR THE MAIN PART, THEY'VE BEEN USED TO PAY DOWN DEBT AND TO MAINTAIN OUR OVERALL DRAINAGE SYSTEM, OUR OVERALL DRAINAGE SYSTEM. THERE'S NOT, THEY'RE NOT USED TO DO ILLEGAL DUMPING. AND I MEAN, SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN, I GUESS, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY THE PURPOSE OF ILLEGAL DUMPING AND CUTTING DOWN BUILDINGS. SO MY, MY PROBLEM IS, IF WE'RE NOT USING THEM TO MAINTAIN UPSIZE INLETS, DO ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO DO IN ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE THESE PROBLEMS, IF WE'RE NOT USING THOSE FUNDS THERE AND REBUILD, HOUSTON HAS THE 25% MAINTENANCE CUTOFF. WE'RE DEPLETING THE, THE EXTRA FUNDS WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE GENERAL SYSTEM. SO MY, MY ISSUE IS NOT IS, IS THE USE OF THESE FUNDS FOR THIS PURPOSE, BUT ALSO THAT WE ARE, IF WE'RE USING THEM FOR THIS PURPOSE, WE'RE NOT USING THEM IN OTHER AREAS WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED. AND THAT'S IT. I DON'T NEED A RESPONSE CALL THE QUESTION, LET'S VOTE. KIM, ARE WE CALLING THE QUESTION? I'M TAGGING. GO AHEAD. SHE SAID I'LL WITHDRAW THE CALL. THE QUESTION, I, I JUST WANT, I WANNA BE A YES, I WANT, I WANNA BE A YES, MM-HMM . UM, BECAUSE OF, OF THE NEED. AND I WANT TO BE A, A YES AND ABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY. UM, I WANT TO HEAR FROM ARTURO, UM, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVE THAT SAYS THIS IS LIKE D-D-S-R-F. WHAT IS THE [04:00:01] HOW, HOW, HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THAT AND SAY, THIS IS DIFFERENT. ARE WE USING A DIFFERENT FUND SOURCE? HOW DO WE SAY THIS IS, THIS IS NOT THE SAME. THERE ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FUNDS. THE, THE ONE AT ISSUE HERE WAS ESTABLISHED BY ORDINANCE. UM, WHEN I'M ASKED TO GIVE AN OPINION, I APPROACH IT AS IF I WERE A JUDGE OR IF I WERE A WORKING LAWYER. AND I LOOK THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ASPECT. I MEAN, THERE HAVE BEEN, I MEAN, THE ISSUE THAT THE CITY'S BEEN WRONG BEFORE, WE WOULD BE WRONG IN THE FUTURE. WE'RE NEARLY 200 YEARS OLD, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN. BUT IF I WERE A JUDGE, THAT WOULD NOT BE A BASIS FOR ME TO SAY, WELL, I CAN'T MAKE A DECISION. I'M PRETTY CLEAR HERE THAT THE LANGUAGE, AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT INTENT, INTENT ONLY FACTORS IN IF THERE'S AMBIGUITY, THESE ARE CLEAR WORDS, MAINTENANCE, IMPROVEMENT, REPAIR, THE DICTIONARY WOULD ENCOMPASS WHAT IS BEING DONE HERE. UH, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR. A JUDGE WOULD LOOK ONLY AT THAT AND WOULD NOT LOOK ANY FURTHER THAN THAT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LI THE SPECIFIC LIST OF THINGS, THERE'S THE CONCEPT OF, UM, THE LAST PHRASE, IT, IT, JUDAS UHIS, WHICH MEANS A LIST MEANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT OF THE SAME NATURE. I THINK IT'S OF THE SAME NATURE, BUT EVEN IF IT WEREN'T, THE LANGUAGE SAYS INCLUDED. BUT NOT LIMITING TO WHICH IS COMMON IN OUR ORDINANCES BECAUSE WE CAN'T ALWAYS PREDICT THE FUTURE. SO I'M CONFIDENT THAT THIS MEETS LEGAL MUSTER. I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY DOUBT ABOUT IT. AND I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT IT. THANK YOU MEMBERS. UH, FIRST OF ALL, THAT LAST COMMENT IS SO STRATEGIC THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE CITY ATTORNEY THAT WE DEPEND ON. HE IS VERY CAPABLE AND HE'S CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE ON SOUND LEGAL GROUNDING. UH, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS, HOW IMPORTANT THIS PROCESS IS TO GET THESE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, I THINK IT'S IRREFUTABLE IF YOU GO THERE, WHICH I DO. THE DANGEROUS BUILDING IS CONTRIBUTING TO OUR DRAINAGE PROBLEM. IT ATTRACTS DUMPING TO THAT SITE BECAUSE NO ONE'S LIVING THERE. AND PEOPLE SEE IT AS ANOTHER HAZARDOUS, DANGEROUS BUILDING THAT EVERYONE'S IGNORING. IT BECOMES A DUMPING SITE, WHICH FEEDS INTO BLOCKING OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS. SO WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE, PUBLIC WORKS, WHO WE HAVE CONFIDENCE, I BELIEVE IN THIS DIRECTOR, CERTAINLY I DO. HE'S A FIX-IT GUY. HE HAS A SYSTEM. HE'S USED THIS BEFORE. THEN JED COMES BACK AND MAKES IT MORE AFFORDABLE. MELISSA SAYS, YES, WE'VE PUT MONEY IN THE BUDGET INTO THE SAME PROCESS, THEN ARTURO SAYS IT'S LEGAL. SO I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DEPEND ON THESE RESOURCES AS WE TRY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. AND I WILL CLOSE BY SAYING, LOOK AT THE DISTRICTS WHERE THE BUILDINGS ARE LOW INCOME MINORITY COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE SUFFERED FROM THIS FOR YEARS. SO OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD A GREAT HEARING. IT ALSO SHOWS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE MEANINGFUL COMMITTEE SYSTEMS. SOMEONE REFERENCED THE LEGISLATURE A WHILE AGO. THIS WOULD BE IN THE LEGISLATURE, A COMMITTEE HEARING, AND WE'D ALSO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC PRO AND CON. BUT WE'VE DONE OUR JOB TODAY. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. YOU MENTIONED TAGGING, BUT COUNCILMAN P HAD ALREADY MENTIONED THAT SHE WANTED TO, TO GET CLARIFICATION. SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WANTS TO CALL THE QUESTION. BEG HORN. CALL THE QUESTION. OH, THE QUESTION. CAYMAN ALREADY TAGGED. OH, BEG PARDON? I ALREADY TAGGED AND I'M HAP AGAIN. MAYOR, YOU. WELL, THAT'S FINE. I'M, I, I SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE I WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS THEY NEED. WE COULD VOTE AND I, I, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SUPPORT FOR IT, BUT YOU KNOW, HELL, UH, THERE WAS THIS, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF BUILDINGS THAT WERE DANGEROUS WHEN I GOT HERE. WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND WE HAVE A MECHANISM WITH THE BEST ADVICE WE CAN GET. SO, AND MAYOR, SINCE YOU HAD MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM, AGAIN, THIS NEVER CAME TO COMMITTEE, IT JUST WAS SET ON AGENDA. SO I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO REFER TO BFA. I WOULD DO ANYTHING, BUT THIS CONVERSATION ISN'T OVER. WE HAVEN'T HAD, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT HE'LL LAY OUT PARAMETERS UNDER THE PROGRAM. THERE'S A LOT THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED HERE. SURE. REMOVE YOUR TAG THEN. MOTION. NO, IT'S TAGGED. REMOVE YOUR TAG OR COMMITTEE. I TAGGED IT. I CAME AND TAGGED IT. I'M HAPPY TO REMOVE MY TAG TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION. A MOTION TO REFER TO THE BUSINESS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE IF THAT'S, I I PREFER [04:05:01] A TAG AT THIS TIME. THAT WAY WE, THAT WAY WE, EVERYBODY DEAL WITH IT ON THE TAG. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK TAGGED IT. WE CAN, WE CAN GO TAG. WELL, THAT'S GREAT. TAGGED BY CAYMAN AND PECK. ALRIGHT, THANK Y'ALL. NEXT. OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM 16? NEXT, SECOND. COUNCILMAN CAITLIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'LL BE TAGGING THIS ITEM AS WELL. I KNOW THIS WAS A PROPOSAL FROM THE ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY, BUT IT'S FOUR $180 MILLION, UH, FOR FLEET PROCUREMENT. UH, I'D LIKE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS. UH, JED, I'LL ABSOLUTELY GET WITH YOU. BUT AGAIN, WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS UNDER WHICH FLEET IS GOING TO BE OPERATING IF THESE AREN'T COMING FORWARD, INCLUDING THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND RESILIENT HOUSTON PLAN, UH, AS IT RELATES TO WHAT TYPES OF VEHICLES WE ARE SEEKING TO OBTAIN TAG RELEASING FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSION. RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU. I TOO AM INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THIS. UM, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE SPEND TOTAL IN VEHICLES OVER THREE YEARS. IS IT, IS IT MORE THAN 180 MILLION? IS IT LESS? YEAH, JEFF CAN ADDRESS IT. IT'S NOT WHAT YOU MIGHT BE THINKING ABOUT LIKE CARS AND TRUCKS. IT'S, IT'S EQUIPMENT AND ALL THE, UH, PURCHASES, UH, OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. IT WAS PART OF THE ERNS AND YOUNG RECOMMENDATION. WHEN YOU HAVE THIS ABILITY, YOU SAVE MONEY, JED, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND TOO THAT WE WANNA HAVE CASH ON HAND BECAUSE WE'RE LOSING OUT ON, ON SOME OF THESE BIDS BECAUSE WE'RE COMPETING WITH ALL THESE OTHER, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. GO AHEAD. YEAH. AND, AND IT IS, AND, AND TO THE AMOUNT, IT'S THE CIP AMOUNT THAT'S ALREADY IN THE CIP BOOK. SO THIS IS A THREE YEAR CONTRACT. WE TOOK THOSE CIP AMOUNTS, THAT'S WHAT DETERMINES THE 180. BUT IT GIVES US NOW ALL THE FLEXIBILITY TO WHEN WE HAVE, WE, WE ORDER OUR BIGGER UNIT, OUR BIGGER, UH, ALLOTMENTS EARLY ON IN THE FISCAL YEAR, BUT WE'RE RESTRICTED BY THE MANUFACTURERS ON HOW MANY WE CAN ORDER. THERE ARE SOME THAT SHOW UP ON THE LOTS TO BECOME AVAILABLE, AND IT'S WHOEVER CAN GET THE PO THE QUICKEST GET THOSE UNITS. AND SO THIS GIVES US THE FLEXIBILITY, LIKE WE DID WITH THE GARBAGE TRUCKS. UH, WE TURN THAT PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT I HAVE TO SHUT DOWN MY OPERATIONS AND SAY, GET THIS GOING, BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA GET THOSE TRUCKS COMPLETELY INEFFICIENT ON MY OPERATIONS ON HOW TO, HOW TO RUN THAT. SO THIS GIVES US THE ABILITY TO BE FLEXIBLE. AND AS THE ARGUMENT I MADE EARLIER, THESE ARE ON THOSE COOPERATIVE CONTRACTS THAT WE'VE NOW NEGOTIATED ADDITIONAL REBATES TO COME ON THE BACK END. SO NOW NOT ONLY DO WE GET THE LOWER PRICE IN THE COOPERATIVE CONTRACT ITSELF, THEN ANNUALLY WE'RE GONNA GET REBATES BASED ON OUR PERCENTAGE OF SPEND OFF OF THOSE. SO IT'S JUST AN ADDITIONAL WAY TO BRING SAVINGS AND GIVE US FLEXIBILITY. COUNCILOR P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. LIKE MOST OF YOU ALL, I SAW THIS, UH, THIS FIGURE, AND IT, IT, IT CAUGHT MY EYE. I, I DID HAVE A, A GREAT MEETING, UH, JED YESTERDAY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WAS, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY, HOW MANY VEHICLES DO WE EVEN HAVE WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON? WHAT'S, WHAT'S A PART OF OUR, OUR FLEET? AND THE NUMBER WAS 13,700. UH, BECAUSE I ALWAYS SEE VEHICLE PURCHASES ON OUR AGENDA, LIKE ALMOST EVERY WEEK WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON VEHICLES. I'M LIKE, HOW MANY, HOW MANY VEHICLES DO WE OWN? AND WHAT'S THE LIFESPAN OF THESE VEHICLES? AND THEN WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE GETTING TRADE IN? OR, OR, OR, UM, SOME TYPE OF COMPENSATION FOR THE VEHICLES WHEN THEY NO LONGER HAVE LIFE USE FOR US WHEN WE'RE PUTTING OUT, OUT FOR AUCTION OR TRADING THEM IN OR WHATEVER WE'RE DOING. UM, BUT THE 180 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS, ONCE BROKEN DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, 60 MILLION BASICALLY A YEAR, AND AN AVERAGE UNIT PRICE OF LET'S SAY $60,000 A VEHICLE THAT'S A A THOUSAND UNITS OR VEHICLES, UH, PER YEAR, IT STARTS TO MAKE SENSE. AND IT, IT, IT DOES START TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS THE CREATIVE WAY ABOUT DOING IT, UM, AND HOW IT GIVES US SOME FLEXIBILITY. AND SO, UH, ALTHOUGH IT'S A, A BIG PRICE TAG, AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE PURCHASING VEHICLES EVERY AGENDA, I DO SEE I THE STRATEGY BEHIND THIS. AND SO, JED, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE CLARIFICATION ON, ON WHY WE'RE BRINGING IT FORTH IN THIS MANNER. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, JED. GOOD JOB. HUMAN [04:10:01] TAG. THANK YOU. UH, TAG BY COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. NEXT, UM, MOTION. YEAH. CONSIDER THAT ONE AND THEN TAKE A VOTE. YEAH. 15. THE MAYOR PROTE MOVES THAT WE RECONSIDER. ITEM 15, THAT WAS SECOND ACCIDENTALLY PUT ON CONSENT. A MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE NO SAY NOTE, UH, ITEM 15 BEFORE ITS MEMBERS IS, IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM 15 CAST? TAKE SECOND POLL. DO YOU RECOGNIZE? YEAH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I SENT AN EMAIL REGARDING THIS, UM, ITEM. I DON'T, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED TO MY KNOWLEDGE A RESPONSE YET, BUT IT, IT JUST CAUGHT MY EYE. WE'RE INCREASING SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PAVEMENT PRESERVATION SERVICES IN AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS. UM, DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE CONNECTION IS WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT I WAS ALSO MORE INTERESTED IN WHAT THESE SERVICES ACTUALLY DO FOR PAVEMENT, UH, PRESERVATION. UH, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME OF THE WORST STREETS IN THE COUNTRY, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT STREETS WE HAVE USED THIS SERVICE FOR, FOR PAVEMENT PRESERVATION AND WHAT IT ACTUALLY DOES. UM, BUT I WOULD BE MORE INTERESTED TO LEARN ABOUT IT. I'M NOT SURE IF, IF YOU CAN BREAK THAT DOWN FOR ME NOW, OR, OR I SHOULD JUST TAG IT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. BUT, UM, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY RESPONSE FROM, FROM, UH, YOUR ADMINISTRATION ON THAT YET. SO, UH, I'LL, I'LL KEEP IT OPEN IF, IF THERE'S MORE INSIGHT AND CLARIFICATION ON IT. I'M LOOKING FOR RANDY. I THINK, UH, RANDY WENT TO WORK . OKAY. ALRIGHT. WELL, I, SO YOU WANNA TAG 15? THAT'S FINE. YEAH. I'LL TAG IT. I'LL LEAVE IT OPEN IF ANYONE ELSE HAS A DISCUSSION ON IT, AND THEN I'LL TAG RANDY'S COMING OUT IN FRONT. YEAH, RANDY HEARD THE ALARM. HE'S COMING AROUND. ALL RIGHT. SO, SO RANDY, MY, MY, MY QUESTION AND WELCOME BACK. UM, WE WE'RE INCREASING THE SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PAVEMENT PRESERVATION SERVICES. WANTED TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THESE SERVICES ACTUALLY DO, WHAT STREETS HAVE WE ALREADY PUT THIS SERVICE TOWARDS, TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING IF IT ACTUALLY WORKS. BECAUSE IF, IF, IF THERE IS A SERVICE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, PRESERVES THE PAVEMENT IN THIS CITY, THEN YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR PUTTING AS MUCH MONEY TOWARDS IT AS POSSIBLE. BUT ALSO WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE NEXUS OR THE CORRELATION WITH THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THIS, THE CITY OF DALLAS AND HOW THAT YEAH. HOW WE WORK TOGETHER. YEAH. UM, SO AS FAR AS THE DALLAS AGREEMENT IS CONCERNED, UH, WE'RE BASICALLY JUST TACKING ON DALLAS'S EXISTING CONTRACT TO BE ABLE TO USE THE MECHANISM WITH THE, WITH THE CONTRACTOR THERE. WE LAUNCHED A PILOT PROGRAM FOR PAVEMENT PRESERVATION EARLIER LAST YEAR. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY HAS NEVER DONE, RIGHT? AND WE TALK ABOUT PAVEMENT PRESERVATION. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, SEALING NEW ASPHALT CRACK SEALS WHERE THINGS START TO HAPPEN. THIS IS THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE TO EXPAND THE LIFESPAN PRIMARILY OF COMPOSITE AND ASPHALT SURFACES. AND SO WE, WE BEGAN THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE CITY'S HISTORY EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND IT'S BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL. I'M HAPPY TO HAVE, UH, OUR TEAM GET A LIST OF AREAS THAT WE'VE DONE IT ON. SO FAR, IT'S BEEN VERY SMALL AND TARGETED IN NATURE, SO IT'S NOT HUGE. WE, WE REALLY STARTED WITH A PRETTY SMALL CONTRACT, BUT THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO GO BACK AND ADD ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO THAT SO THAT WE CAN EXPAND THAT SERVICE ACROSS THE CITY. SO WHAT WILL THIS INCREASE BE ABLE TO DO FROM A CAPACITY STANDPOINT? IS WILL, WILL THIS BE ABLE TO, TO HELP WITH MANY MORE STREETS, JUST A FEW MORE STREETS? LIKE WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? YEAH, IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE MANY MORE SIMILAR TO A LOT OF OUR WORK ORDER CONTRACTS. IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON EXACTLY WHAT THE SCOPE WE PUT IN FRONT OF 'EM, RIGHT? SO YOU COULD FIND SOME STREETS WHERE A LOT OF CRACK CEILING IS GONNA GO A LONG WAYS AND, AND PREVENT US FROM NEEDING TO NECESSARILY GO AND COMPLETELY DO A MILL AND OVERLAY FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER COUPLE OF YEARS OR EVEN LONGER BEYOND THAT, ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS WAS AFTER WE GO THROUGH THIS MASSIVE PROJECT THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW OF REHABILITATING THOUSANDS OF LANE MILES OF ROADWAY EVERY SINGLE YEAR, I DIDN'T WANT TO GET IN THE CYCLE WHERE IN THREE YEARS WE'VE GOTTA DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. AND THAT'S REALLY HONESTLY ABOUT HOW LONG SOME OF OUR STUFF'S BEEN LASTING. THREE TO FIVE YEARS. ASPHALT AUTO LASTS US 10, 15, 20 PLUS. IF WE TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT NOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF COMPLICATIONS WITH THAT. WHEN YOU GET A LOT OF SEMI-TRUCK GOING THROUGH THERE, IT'S GONNA DEGRADE IT REAL QUICK. THAT'S WHERE THINGS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, POTHOLE REPAIR SERVICES COMES IN FOR US, BUT IF WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE START TO SEE SURFACE CRACKING AND OTHER THINGS AND FILL THAT IN, [04:15:01] IT'S GONNA PREVENT THOSE POTHOLES FROM POPPING UP LATER ON AS WELL. SO IT'S, IT'S A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THINGS. THAT IS ALWAYS A CASE BY CASE, DEPENDING ON THAT ROAD, ITS USAGE AND WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. THE INTENT HERE WAS TO ADD A BUNCH MORE, UM, THROUGH THIS, THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT SO THAT WE COULD DO MORE AND CONTINUE TO PROVE IT OUT. I WILL ALSO SAY THERE WILL BE PLACES WHERE IT'S NOT GONNA BE VERY EFFECTIVE. WE'LL LEARN THAT LESSON IN CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN WHERE WE SAY, OKAY, WE KNOW WE HAVE TO BE ON A BETTER CYCLE HERE FOR JUST OVERALL REHAB AND REFRESH. AND THE, SO THE QUESTION ON CITY OF DALLAS, SO WE HAVE UNDER, UH, STATE LAW AND UNDER OUR PROCUREMENT POLICIES, WE CAN DO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS AND ADOPT THE PROCUREMENT OR CONTRACT OF ANOTHER, UH, GOVERNMENT ENTITY. SO WE DO THAT ALL THE TIME WHERE IT MAY BE CITY OF DALLAS OR CITY OF PHOENIX, HARRIS COUNTY. UM, AND LIKEWISE THOSE ENTITIES CAN USE CITY OF HOUSTON CONTRACTS. SO IT'S JUST ANOTHER METHODOLOGY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR TOOL BELT FOR PROCUREMENT ON HOW WE WANT TO UTILIZE THOSE CONTRACTS. AND THEN WE CAN BRING THOSE VENDORS IN AND THEN WE CAN NEGOTIATE FURTHER IF WE CAN GET ADDITIONAL COST SAVINGS BASED ON VOLUME OR WHATEVER WE MIGHT BRING. IT'S PRETTY COOL. THANK YOU FOR THE INSIGHT. I, I'LL REMOVE MY TAG. MR. THOMAS? YES. I JUST WANT TO, UH, SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM, UH, DIRECTOR YOU, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, YOU CAME BEFORE THIS BODY AND TALKED ABOUT THE FLEXIBILITY. YOU, YOUR DEPARTMENT NEEDED TO ADDRESS STREET REPAIR THROUGH THE ASPHALT BECAUSE THE MATERIALS HAD IMPROVED OVER TIME. AND THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT ASPHALT PROJECTS ON THE WEST SIDE THAT HAVE, WE'VE RECEIVED BETTER COMMUNICATION AND FEEDBACK BECAUSE OF THE IMPROVEMENT, THE TIMING OF THE PROJECTS AND HOW SWIFTLY Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO COME IN AND, AND REPAIR THOSE STREETS. SO I APPRECIATE THIS COMING BEFORE, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS. UH, THAT WOULD'VE PROBABLY HAD TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, CIP ACTION ITEM TO GET DONE WITH THIS FLEXIBILITY ABILITY. IT ALLOWS US TO, TO CURE THAT BACKLOG. THANK YOU. OKAY. MEMBERS ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM 15? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED, AYE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT ITEM 18 IS A RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCIL, MAYOR, SECOND CHAIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WANTED TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM. UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR ABOUT THE LAST TWO MONTHS WITH BOTH, UH, HARRIS COUNTY AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY, ALONG WITH OUR STATE PARTNERS AS WELL. UM, THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION WAS, UH, RECENTLY SOLD FROM RIKO TO SCARBOROUGH. AND, UH, THINGS CHANGE FAIRLY QUICKLY. YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO FLOODING, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INHERENT ISSUES THAT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT. THERE'S LITTLE CHANGE IN ELEVATION. WE'RE VERY FLAT. UH, WE'RE CLOSE TO THE BAY, WHICH MEANS ALL THE RIVERS AND CREEKS AND BAS, UH, RUN INTO THAT. SO WE'RE KIND OF AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FUNNEL. UH, WE'RE CLOSE TO THE GULF, WHICH MEANS WE GET TROPICAL SYSTEMS AND MOISTURE JUST COMING OFF THE GULF. AND WE'VE ALWAYS HAD FLOODING ISSUES AND WE'VE CERTAINLY ADDRESSED THEM IN THE PAST. BUT I THINK HARVEY WAS A GAME CHANGER. UH, THE COUNTY PASSED A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR BOND WITH A LOT OF MONEY, EXPECTED TO COME FROM OTHER PARTNERS, UH, TO HELP WITH FLOOD MITIGATION. UH, WE ENACTED NEW BUILDING CODES THAT MADE IT, UH, MORE DIFFICULT TO BUILD OR IMPOSSIBLE TO BUILD IN SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE BUILT BEFORE. BUT THIS DEVELOPMENT IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP BACKWARDS. UH, THIS LAND LIES AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE WEST FORK OF THE SANGIO CENTER RIVER, SPRING CREEK, CYPRESS CREEK. IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST FLOODED AREAS IN THE ENTIRE AREA. AND WORSE THAN THAT, IT'S GOING TO MAKE FLOODING DOWNSTREAM EVEN WORSE. AND ALTHOUGH THIS CERTAINLY AFFECTS MY CONSTITUENTS IN KINGWOOD AND HUFFMAN, IT ALSO DOES FOR HUMBLE AND ITASCA. UH, YOU KNOW, THIS AREA JUST ABOUT A MILE SOUTH OF THE RIVER OF WHERE THIS IS BEING BUILT AT 59 HAD THE HIGHEST READING FOR THE FLOOD GAUGES DURING HARVEY. UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THE FLOODING, FLOODING WAS SIGNIFICANT. WE PASSED OUT PICTURES JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY OF, OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE, UH, FROM HARVEY AND KINGWOOD IN HUFFMAN DIDN'T FLOOD FROM THE RAIN. WE FLOODED FROM THE RISE IN THE SANAL RIVER AND THE RISE IN LAKE HOUSTON. AND, AND THIS IS GOING TO EXACERBATE THAT AND JUST REALLY WOULD LOVE EVERYBODY'S SUPPORT ON THIS RESOLUTION OF OBJECTION. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, TO THE ATTENTION OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND, AND TO THIS BODY. UM, CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT'S A GAME CHANGER IF THIS CAN, IF THIS PROJECT CONTINUES IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT'S A GAME CHANGER, BUT ALSO IN THE SURROUNDING REGION. UM, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOUR PICTURES, I THINK MUST BELONG TO BOB HICKS. YES. SO THIS PARTICULAR PICTURE, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, I TOOK PARTICULAR NOTE TO THIS YOUNG MAN'S, OVER THE LEFT OF HIS SHOULDER, LESS THAN 200 [04:20:01] YARDS. THE WATER WAS 18 PLUS FEET HIGH. THE LITTLE LEAGUE FIELDS WERE OVER THERE, AND IT WAS UP OVER THE BACKSTOPS. SO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO REALLY ADD THE IMPERVIOUS GROUND THAT, THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD, AND IN THE COMMUNITY AND TO SEE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND ALL THE DEVELOPMENT IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON ALL OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WE CAN AND THAT WE HAVE ANY INPUT, BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE A, A, A GAME CHANGER FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I CERTAINLY AM IN FAVOR. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I ALSO WANT TO, UH, SHOW MY SUPPORT AND THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN FLICK FOR BRINGING THIS TO, UH, BEFORE US. AND CERTAINLY THE OPPOSING THIS ITEM BECAUSE TRULY LOOKING INTO IT AND RESEARCHING IT, UH, WITH HIM, UH, IT WOULD CERTAINLY BRING ABOUT A CATASTROPHE IN THE KINGWOOD AREA. AND, UH, MANY OF OUR KINGWOOD, UH, CITIZENS HAVE ALREADY SUFFERED, EXPERIENCED DEVASTATING OF, UH, RISING WATERS. AND THIS WOULD JUST ADD TO IT. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS. I SUPPORT THIS. HELP ME. THANK YOU. AND I AM ALSO, UM, IN SUPPORT OF THIS RESOLUTION. AS SOMEBODY WHO FLOODED IN HURRICANE HARVEY, YOU KNOW, NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE, BUT EVEN IF WE ISSUE THIS RESOLUTION, IT'S NOT GONNA PREVENT THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY FROM POTENTIALLY BEING DEVELOPED. IT'S NOT GONNA PREVENT THE CITY OF HOUSTON FROM ISSUING PERMITS. UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY MEET ALL THE CRITERIA. AND SO I THINK THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESOLUTION IS TO GIVE NOTICE, UM, OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE AREA, BUT FUTURE HOMEOWNERS NEED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CANCER CLUSTERS AND YOU KNOW THAT EVEN ONCE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THAT AREA WAS NOT SAFE, PERMITS WERE STILL ISSUED WITH NO NOTICE WHEN THE PERMIT WAS ISSUED THAT, THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWER IS, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE FUTURE RESIDENTS, UM, WHEN THEY PULL PERMITS TO, TO BE AWARE THAT, THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE. COUNCIL RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS RESOLUTION AS WELL. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, FLOOD PREVENTION. THE REALITY IS WE ARE AT THE MERCY, OR AT LEAST KINGWOOD RESIDENTS ARE WHO OUR HOUSTON RESIDENTS AT THE MERCY OF WHAT HAPPENS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. AND THIS DEVELOPMENT IS A HUGE THREAT TO THEM. AND, UH, ALL HOUSTONIANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS. THIS SAME RESOLUTION PASSED HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT. UNANIMOUSLY, EVERYONE VOTED FOR IT, AND WE, UH, SHOULD DO THE SAME AS WELL. UH, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY DESCRIBED THIS 5,300 ACRE DEVELOPMENT. UH, IF IT WENT THROUGH WITHOUT FURTHER, UM, UH, FLOOD LIMITATIONS WOULD BE LIKE AIMING A FIRE HOSE AT KINGWOOD AND HUMBLE. SO THIS IS THE BIG DEAL. I'M ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT THE STATE, UH, GENERAL LAND OFFICE IS, IS PART OF THIS AS WELL. AND SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO, UM, IMPRESS UPON THAT AGENCY, THE IMPORTANCE, UM, OF, OF CON ADDED CONTROLS TO THIS DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE A GOOD THING AS WELL. UH, I FULLY SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN FLICKING. YEAH, JUST WANTED TO ADD AND TO, UH, COMMENT ON COUNCILWOMAN HUFFMAN'S POINT. SHE'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. THIS DOESN'T STOP THE PROJECT. UM, I WISH IT WAS, AND, BUT CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA GIVE ANYBODY THE, THE FALSE HOPE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WILL STOP IT. BUT I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SEND A STRONG MESSAGE AND A UNITED MESSAGE TO THE DEVELOPER THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY, UM, MONTGOMERY COUNTY WILL BE ON BOARD WITH THAT AS WELL, AND I THINK THEY WILL. SO, THANK YOU. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES, AS OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. GOOD WORK. ITEM ITEM 19 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 35 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. HOLD ON. WHAT'D YOU SAY? 35. COUNCILOR ALCORN. BBFI. OKAY, GREAT. I WAS MAKING SURE IT WAS THE BFI ONE. UM, YEAH, CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS. THIS IS, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE NEGOTIATING PRICES DOWNWARD, SO THAT'S GOOD. TIPPING FEES DOWNWARD. WE'VE GOT ABOUT NINE YEARS LEFT AT THE MCCARTY LANDFILL. SO, UH, SCARY. [04:25:01] UM, BUT THERE IS 73 YEARS LEFT AT THE BLUE RIDGE LANDFILL. UM, I'M EXCITED THAT THEY'RE NEGOTIATING THOSE TIPPING PRICES DOWN. UM, BFI SLASH REPUBLIC OPERATES TWO OF THE GARBAGE TRANSFER STATIONS. THERE'S ALSO INCLUDED IN DISTRICT F OF THE 2020 CONTRACT IS THE GASPER TRANSFER STATION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY A NOT OPERATIONAL, IT'S A REGULAR TRASH TRANSFER STATION. I'M EXCITED THAT THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SUBMIT IN THE CIP PROCESS FOR FUNDS TO CONVERT IT TO A RECYCLING TRANSFER STATION. I KNOW WE'VE ALL BEEN ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THAT, SO HOPEFULLY THAT CAN GET GOING AND, UM, HELP US OUT ON THE RECYCLING SIDE. SO JUST, THIS IS GOOD. AND, UM, CERTAINLY WANNA GIVE THEM THE TIME TO NEGOTIATE, UM, GOOD PRICING FOR THE CITY. AND, UM, BE MINDFUL OF, OF, YOU KNOW, THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE IN SOLID WASTE. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 36 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 42 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED A MOTION PASSES. BLESS YOU. BLESS YOU. ITEM 54 [NON-CONSENT MISCELLANEOUS] IS A MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION FOR ONE APPLICANT SEEKING 4% HOUSING TAX CREDITS FOR THE FOLLOWING MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT BENICIA PLACE. IS THERE A MOTION TO SET THE HEARING? DATE KAT MOVE TO SET THE HEARING DATE FOR 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7TH, 2026. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED TO NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM ITEM 46 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. I'M, I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. ITEM 55 [MATTER'S HELD] IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED. A MOTION PASSES SECOND ITEMS IN THAT WERE LISTED AS NOT IN EARLIER. SO IF WE CAN TAKE THOSE UP. ITEMS NOT IN. MR. [CONSENT AGENDA (Part 2 of 2)] SECRETARY ANNOUNCED THE ITEMS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED DURING THE COURSE OF THE MEETING. ITEMS. 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 38, 46, 49, 51 AND 53 HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. DO IT ONE MORE TIME. 21 UHHUH. 22, 28, 29, 30, 38, 46, 49, 51 AND 53. UH, ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, STATE CAST. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, ITEM 21, A GRANT FOR WESLEY COMMUNITY CENTER. WE HAVE ANOTHER ON THE AGENDA AS WELL THAT HASN'T COME IN YET, BUT THESE ARE FOR, UM, EDUCATION SERVICES, EARLY CHILDHOOD AND ALSO EMPLOYMENT SERVICES FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME FOLKS. AND WESLEY JUST CONTINUES TO DO FANTASTIC WORK IN THE COMMUNITY. AND, UH, I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT THESE ITEMS. VERY GOOD. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 22 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 28 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 29 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 38 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 46 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 49 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 51 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 53 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. YES, THIS [04:30:01] COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. OKAY, UH, WILL YOU YELL [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] AND LET ME, UH, CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER TO LEAD US OFF AND TAKE YOUR TIME. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. YOU KNOW HOW I THINK PUBLIC SERVICE IS A CALLING AND I PUT A REAL HIGH PREMIUM ON IT. THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE SERVING WITH YOU. AND UH, BOTTOM LINE IS YOU'VE MADE A DIFFERENCE. SO GO FORWARD, . THANK YOU. AND I YIELD AND WE RECOGNIZE YOU FOR POPOFF. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. I'M GONNA TRY TO DO THIS WITHOUT CRYING. UM, I JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK HOUSTON FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE YOU FOR THE LAST TWO TERMS. I DON'T TAKE THIS LIGHTLY AND I'VE DONE MY BEST TO SERVE YOU WITH INTEGRITY, GRIT, AND TRANSPARENCY TO MY COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE WITH YOU. AND I WISH ALL OF YOU THE BEST IN YOUR REMAINING TIME HERE. I KNOW YOU DO A GREAT JOB FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THEY'RE LUCKY TO HAVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU TO THE MAYOR AND HIS ADMINISTRATION. I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT ON SO MANY IMPORTANT INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD. AND I'M TRUSTING THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THEM FORWARD IN THE MOST POSITIVE WAY POSSIBLE TO THE DEPARTMENTS. I DON'T KNOW ANYONE THAT WORKS HARDER TO ALLOW OUR RESIDENTS TO EXPERIENCE THE BEST, THE VERY BEST OF HOUSTON THAT HAS TO OFFER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND YOUR DRIVE. AND THIS ALSO GOES TO THE DIRECTORS AND THE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH EVERY ONE OF YOU. AND FINALLY, TO MY TEAM, WE HAVE PUSHED MOUNTAINS TO SERVE. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AND WE HAVE WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. I COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER ARMY TO FIGHT THIS FIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU. SERIOUSLY, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR. NEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. I'M HERE NOW AND WE DID GOOD WORK TOGETHER. THANK YOU. AND BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE. THANK YOU HOUSTON. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. SO THE BEST DAY OF MY 2019 CAMPAIGN WAS THE DAY THAT LETICIA BLUMER PLUMMER GOT OUTTA MY RACE. , AMANDA MA AMANDA, UH, EDWARDS ANNOUNCED FOR THE US SENATE. AND I WAS LIKE, HOT DOG. SHE LEFT OVER THERE. 'CAUSE EVERYBODY TOLD US, DON'T RUN AGAINST EACH OTHER. AND SO THAT WAS THE HAPPIEST DAY. AND THEN SHE'S BEEN MY SEATMATE FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS. AND JUST SUCH A JOY. ALWAYS HAPPY, ALWAYS, UH, ALWAYS A GREAT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. AND LIKE I SAID LAST WEEK, ALWAYS KIND OF ARE CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE, THE LEAST OF US AND REALLY, UM, HOW YOU'VE WORKED SO HARD ON AIR QUALITY AND CANCER CLUSTER AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND THE, THE APARTMENT INSPECTION REFORM AND REALLY CARING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR, FOR THE THE POOREST AMONG US. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND JUST THANKS FOR JUST BEING SO FUN AND A NICE SEATMATE. IT'S SO GREAT TO COME AND SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAYS. I'M GONNA REALLY, REALLY MISS YOU AND YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT IMPORTANT WORK. SO FOR THAT, JOAQUIN AND I ARE THROWING YOU A PARTY. OH, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY FOR EVERYBODY, BUT WE CAN HONOR YOU FROM FIVE TO SEVEN TODAY AT J BAR M JUST A LITTLE CHRISTMAS CHEER FOR COUNCIL AND STAFF, AND NOT THE WHOLE OF HOUSTON, BUT YOU KNOW, ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE OUT THERE. UH, J BAR M 2201 LELAND STREET FROM FIVE TO SEVEN. SO THANKS. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE. HAPPY HANUKKAH AND ALL, ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE FESTIVITIES. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU COUNCILOR CARTER. WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. I SAID, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME CRY, WHICH AS Y'ALL KNOW IS PRETTY EASY. UM, BUT WHAT A GREAT SEATMATE. AND YOU ARE HAPPY. AND YOU KNOW, MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU LEAD FROM THE HEART. AND, AND THAT'S ALWAYS EVIDENT IN, IN YOUR EMOTION, WHETHER IT'S IT'S FIGHTING FOR SOMETHING OR LEANING INTO IT. YOU, YOU JUST LEAD FROM THE HEART. AND IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SIT BY YOU. I'M SANDWICHED BETWEEN . WELL, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SIT BY YOU. CAREFUL, , JUST GET, I'M JUST KIDDING. BUT, UM, I TAKE CARE OF YOU, YOU KNOW, I LOVE YOU. UM, BUT NO, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR NEXT ENDEAVOR. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO ADD MY CONDOLENCES TO MY, UH, DEAR FRIEND, UH, LAURA WARD AND, AND THE FAMILY. DAVE WAS SUCH A, A, ONE OF A KIND. I USED TO SAY, GOSH, I CAN REMEMBER LYING ON MY GRANDMOTHER'S LIVING ROOM FLOOR LISTENING TO YOU TALK. AND HE SAID, DON'T TELL EVERYONE THAT , YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HE WAS, YOU KNOW, GREW UP WITH DAVE [04:35:01] WARD. BUT CERTAINLY, UH, TODAY HE WILL, HE, YOU KNOW, HE'S, UH, LYING IN REPO AND AT CRIME STOPPERS IN THE SERVICES ON FRIDAY, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED. BUT WHAT A GREAT, UH, A GREAT ASSET TO THIS CITY. GREAT GIFT. A GREAT GIFT OF A VOICE OF ONE, OF A KIND. UM, AND THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ADD IS THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS PAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS. BEEN CRAZY FUN, BUT I GET A NEW CHIEF OF STAFF IN JANUARY AND I'M SO EXCITED. AND WE'LL BE MA MAKING THAT INTRODUCTION AND IT'LL TAKE SOME OF THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD OFF OF YOU ALL AND YOUR OFFER TO ASSIST. SO, THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SCHOZ , BOB BUG. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, JUST WANNA KIND OF HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF EVENTS. UM, WE HAD OUR DISTRICT D HOLIDAY FIXINGS, FOOD DISTRIBUTION AT THE HOUSTON TEXANS, YMCA, AND IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK THE YMCA, THE TEXANS, YMCA, KOREAN RECOVERY RESOURCES, THE YWCA AND CERTAINLY THE OFFICES OF COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS, AND COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER AND DAKIN FOR DONATING AIR PURIFIERS TO THE RESIDENTS. AND THIS, UH, CONTINUES AS A SPECIAL TRADITION FROM OUR OFFICE. UM, WE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, AND I HAD A GREAT TIME WATCHING THOSE STUDENTS YESTERDAY. THEY WERE REALLY, REALLY DANCING A JIG. WE HAD THE SPARK PARK DEDICATION AT FRAZIER ELEMENTARY. I TOOK SOME VIDEO, AND I'M GONNA LOOK BACK AT THAT ANYTIME. I WANT MY SPIRITS LIFTED BECAUSE THEY HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. THANK YOU, UH, TO MS. PONTE, THE PRINCIPAL, JAIME, UH, WALTERS, ELIZABETH HOWLEY, AND THE ENTIRE SPARK SCHOOL PARK PROGRAM FOR THEIR VISION AND LEADERSHIP. UM, I'M ALWAYS HAPPY WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN OUR SPARK PARKS BECAUSE IT MAKES A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE AND ALLOWS OUR STUDENTS TO PLAY AND BE CREATIVE AND HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE OUTDOOR SPACES. AND, UH, OUR UPCOMING EVENTS, UH, THE BLACK JOURNALISTS SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS GALA WILL BE SATURDAY, DECEMBER THE 20TH FROM 7:00 PM TO NOON AT THE ENSEMBLE THEATER. IT IS A SNEAKER BALL, SO COME OUT AND ENJOY THIS ANNUAL GALA, WHICH CELEBRATES, UH, EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM, HONORS LEGACY, AND EMERGING LEADERS IN THE MEDIA. AND, UH, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH DISTRICT K, UH, THE HFD OPERATION TOY DRIVE. HOLIDAY DISTRIBUTION WILL BE SATURDAY FROM NOON TO THREE AT THE NEVA JERUSALEM CHURCH. UH, 1 2 2 3 0 HODGES STREET IN HOUSTON. AND IT'S FOR REGISTERED FAMILIES. UH, BUT WE WANT YOU TO COME OUT, UH, THEY'RE PROVIDING TOYS AND HOLIDAY JOY AND CERTAINLY, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. I, I CERTAINLY WISH YOU WELL. UH, YOU ARE ONE THAT WILL SPEAK UP, UH, FROM THE HEART. AND, UH, THAT'S SO VERY NEEDED AND APPRECIATED BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WHO SERVE PEOPLE MUST HAVE A HEART FOR THEM. UH, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OR THE WRONG SIDE, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU CARE. AND I THINK THAT THEY DO KNOW THAT YOU CARE. AND I BELIEVE THAT WE, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT CERTAINLY SHOW THAT THEY CARE. AND SO, UH, YOU'RE SITTING BETWEEN ACTUALLY TWO SPELMAN SISTERS AND TWO AND TWO AKAS. OKAY? SO YOU ARE IN REALLY GOOD, YOU, YOU'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SITTING BETWEEN US, AND HOPEFULLY YOU, YOU HAVE GLEANED SOMETHING FROM OUR EXCELLENT. SO CERTAINLY I WANT TO KEEP, I WANNA KEEP MY CONDOLENCES AND I'M, YOU KNOW, UH, ON A MORE SOMBER NOTE TO THE FAMILY OF ROD PAGE AND THE FAMILY OF DAVE WARD. THEY BOTH WERE STELLAR AND THEY, UH, MADE A GREAT IMPACT ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT EVERYONE HAS A SAFE AND MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND WE'LL BE BACK HERE IN JANUARY, UM, DOING WHAT THE, THE PUBLIC HAS ALLOWED US TO DO. AND I, I RECEIVED THAT VERY HUMBLY, AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA START BY TAKING A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THE INCREDIBLE WORK THEY DID AROUND OPERATION STOCKING STUFFER THIS PAST WEEKEND. UH, WE PARTNERED WITH DISTRICT I AND DISTRICT E AND IT WAS, IT WAS NICE TO PARTNER WITH DISTRICT E. WE DON'T GET TO DO A LOT OF WORK WITH THE DISTRICT E OFFICE, BUT WE, UH, WORKED TOGETHER TO DISTRIBUTE, UH, TOYS TO FAMILIES, UM, ON SATURDAY. AND, AND IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT. UM, AND THE FIRE, THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO MAKING THAT HAPPEN. UM, AND WE HAD A MARIACHI BAND OUT THERE AND A VISIT FROM SANTA, IT WAS GREAT. UH, [04:40:01] UH, GOOD TO BE A PART OF THAT. A NUMBER OF CONSTITUENTS HAVE REACHED OUT AROUND THE MKT BRIDGE. I DO WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO FOLKS ON THAT. UM, BASED ON THE CURRENT SCHEDULE, THE BRIDGE REPAIR WORK IS ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETE FIRST QUARTER OF 2026. UM, THERE'S SOME ONGOING FOUNDATION REVIEW HAPPENING. CONTRACTOR IS ADDRESSING SOME ALIGNMENT RELATED COMMENTS AND ASSESSING FEASIBILITY, UH, FOR REPAIRS. UM, THE GOAL IS TO GET EVERYTHING EXPEDITED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. UH, WHEN PLANS ARE REVISED, THEY'LL BE RESUBMITTED THROUGH THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, STAY ENGAGED ON THE TIMELINE AND PROVIDE UPDATES. I KNOW THIS IS A, A CRITICAL, UM, BRIDGE FOR FOLKS, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH ALL THE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON WITH I 10 RIGHT THERE, UH, NEAR THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON THAT, UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. UH, I, I DO WANNA SAY IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO SERVE ALONGSIDE YOU AND, UH, YOUR VOICE, PARTICULARLY AROUND ISSUES RELATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, HAS BEEN FELT AND IT WILL BE MISSED. UM, SO I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THE FUTURE. AND, UH, ALSO WANNA WISH EVERYONE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO ALSO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, UH, ATTENDING OUR SECOND ANNUAL MAYOR AND MINISTER'S PRIME BREAKFAST ON LAST FRIDAY, GIVING THE KEYNOTE. WE WERE SO APPRECIATIVE TO THAT AND YOU TAKING THE TIME, AND CERTAINLY YOUR STAFF AND, UH, MANY OF THE LEADERS, DEPARTMENT LEADERS, OUR CHIEFS, FIRST RESPONDER CHIEFS, UH, WHO SHOWED SUPPORT FIVE EVENT. IT WAS A TREMENDOUS OCCASION THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER 300 FATE LEADERS FROM THE HOUSTON REGION UNITED IN A SHARED MISSION TO MAKE HOUSTON COMMUNITY STRONGER TOGETHER. WE DO IT OFTEN. OFTENTIMES, OUR FAITH LEADERS ARE ACTIVE IN MANY THINGS THAT GO ON IN THE CITY, AND CERTAINLY TO COME TOGETHER AS ONE. UH, AND CERTAINLY WE'VE RESURRECTED THAT GATHERING OF ALL DIFFERENT FAITH LEADERS, OF ALL DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS, OF ALL COLORS. AND, UH, WE WERE CERTAINLY PROUD OF THAT. AND SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT, MAYOR, IN GIVING FAITH LEADERS A VOICE AND TAKING CONCERNS AND ADVISEMENT TO HEART. WE ATTEND TO ROLL OUT MANY INITIATIVES FROM OUR FAITH LEADERS, UH, THE HOMELESS INITIATIVE, THE CRIME INITIATIVE, AND ALSO OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING OUT OF THE MINISTER ADVISORY. SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. I WANT TO THANK, UM, THE MINISTER ADVISORY BOARD TO THE MAYOR EXECUTIVE BOARD. THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP AND SUPPORT. I WANT TO THANK OUR BROTHER, UH, MR. MICHAEL HECKMAN, UH, AND TRACY PRINCE AT HOUSTON FIRST, UH, FOR THEIR COMING AND GIVING SUPPORT AND EXPRESSING SOME OF THE VISIONARY THINGS, UH, REBECCA WILLIAMS OUT OF YOUR OFFICE. AND THEN THE KEY TO BRO, UH, THE LEADER OF THE TOPLEY DISTINCTION. UH, THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB IN HELPING US WITH THE GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE, AND CERTAINLY NOT MY LEAST, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, SISTER DAVIS, MY WIFE AND STAFF ARE COORDINATING AND MAKE AN EVENT IS WARM AND WELCOME TO EVERYONE. IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED, IT WAS VERY WELL, UH, RECEIVED, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR. AND ON ANNUAL WOULD BE OUR THIRD ANNUAL ONE. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO TEX DOT, WHO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE. GIVEAWAY TOYS TO THEM ARE ON, UH, MONDAY, UH, AND ON LAST NIGHT, UH, TOYS TO THE KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, WE HAD HOSTED A RESOURCE, UM, FAIR, UH, THERE IN THE FIFTH WARD COMMUNITY, UH, ON MONDAY. AND THEN LAST NIGHT WE WAS AT THE MOODY CENTER, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE OUT TOYS TO KIDS, UH, AS WELL AS BIKES, AS WELL AS TOYS. AND IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED. AND I WANT TO THANK THEM, UH, FOR PARTICIPATING THAT AND WISH EVERYBODY, UH, MERRY CHRISTMAS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN FOR FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, TO KIND OF TAKE OFF ON COUNCILMAN CASTILLO'S COMMENTS, UH, THE, THE HFD TOY DRIVE WAS GREAT. UH, THE VISIT FROM SANTA CLAUS HAPPENED TO BE MY CHIEF OF STAFF, DUSTIN HODGES, UH, WHO I THINK MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE RELUCTANT AT FIRST, BUT REALLY GOT INTO IT AND DID A GREAT JOB IN, IN FACT, HE DID SUCH A GOOD JOB THAT, UH, THE CHIEF ACTUALLY VISITED WITH HIM AND ASKED FOR A NEW FIRETRUCK. [04:45:01] SO, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME THROUGH WITH THAT FOR HIM. UM, ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE OF, UH, ATTENDING A BEHE EVENT, UH, YESTERDAY. THAT, UH, WAS WITH A NUMBER OF FINNISH, UH, COMPANIES THAT ARE LOOKING TO DO BUSINESS, UH, HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY GEARED AROUND NASA AND SPACEPORT. UH, THERE WAS, UH, A NUMBER OF TECHNOLOGY, AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE COMPANIES THAT WERE THERE. UM, GALVESTON, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP WAS THERE, THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, SENATOR CORNYN'S OFFICE. UH, IT, IT WAS A REALLY, UH, A GOOD MEETING WITH, UH, THE FINISHED DELEGATION. SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S, UH, A LOT OF GREAT THINGS COMING, UH, INTO THE CLEAR LAKE AND BAY AREA THAT, UH, IS GONNA HELP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR, UH, ALL OF US HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, SO ON LAST THURSDAY, WE HONORED 30, UM, CREDIBLE MESSENGER MENTEE THAT GRADUATED A 2025 CLASS. UM, IT WAS AMAZING. THE GRADUATION WAS FILLED WITH POWERFUL TESTIMONIES, REFLECTIONS, AND CELEBRATIONS. AS GRADUATES WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR GROWTH, RESILIENCE, AND THE COMMITMENT TO CHANGE, UM, THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM CONTINUES TO DIS, DIS, UM, DIS, I'M SORRY, DEMONSTRATE THE IMPACT OF MENTORSHIP, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND COMMUNITY CENTERED SUPPORT, AND HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE REWRITE THEIR STORIES AND STEP CONFIDENTIALLY INTO THEIR FUTURES. AND SO, UM, THE CEREMONY SERVED AS A REMINDER THAT WHEN WE SURROUND INDIVIDUALS WITH THE RIGHT SUPPORT AND BELIEF AND RESOURCES, THEY CAN TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES. AND SO I WANT TO THANK, UM, MAYOR WI THE LATE MAYOR TURNER, UM, FOR HIS, UM, SUPPORT, UM, FOR THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM. THIS IS OUR SECOND, UM, GRADUATING CLASS. AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR HELPING US GET THOSE RESOURCES. UM, TO KICK OFF, TO KICK OFF THE, UM, PILOT PROGRAM, ALSO, I WANNA SHARE THAT I WILL BE GOING UNDERGOING SURGERY ON JANUARY THE FIFTH. UM, MY RECOVERY PERIOD WILL RUN THROUGH MARCH. I'M HAVING A SPINE SURGERY, AND SO BEGINNING FEBRUARY THE NINTH, I WILL RETURN BACK, UM, VIRTUALLY. UM, AND THEN MARCH THE SECOND, I WILL BE BACK IN PERSON. UM, BUT DURING THAT TIME, MY STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO MANAGE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT, UM, OF THEIR LEADERSHIP, AND I'M ALSO ASKING MY COLLEAGUES TO PITCH IN. UM, BUT I WILL BE, YOU KNOW, ON THE PHONE, UM, IT'S GONNA BE KIND OF HARD TO STAY DOWN, BUT THIS, I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND SO I HAD TO, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKE THE CHOICE TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE SURGERY. SO JUST KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYERS AND, UM, LOOK OUT FOR THE DISTRICT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN PLUM. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN PLUM, JUST FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP. UM, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR SERVING, UM, DISTRICT B WITH YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE CANCER CLUSTERS, THE FLOODING PROJECTS, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE, UM, TO LEAD, UM, THE DISTRICT WITH ME. AND SO I'M GONNA MISS YOU, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING A LOT, DOING A LOT OF WORK TOGETHER. YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. UM, SO, BUT JUST THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK. OKAY, COUNCIL FROM HELPING ME. THANK YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, I REALLY ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW YOU. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF OUR PATHS WOULD'VE CROSSED OTHERWISE, BUT IT REALLY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. YOU KNOW, YOU WEAR SO MANY HATS AS A DOCTOR, A MOM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, BUT THE ONE THING THAT I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE WITH IS THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS AUTHENTIC. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR CITY. GOOD LUCK, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA TAKE THIS, UM, MOMENT HALFWAY THROUGH OUR TERM, UH, TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK THESE LAST TWO YEARS. UH, I THINK WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS ON A LOT OF ISSUES, UM, DIFFICULT ISSUES. SURELY THERE IS A LOT MORE TO, TO DO. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TACKLING THOSE CHALLENGES WITH YOU. I WANNA THANK YOU AS WELL, MAYOR. UH, YOU'VE GOT AN AWFULLY TOUGH JOB, UH, TO DO. AND, UM, APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN, IN HELPING HOUSTON. UM, I WANT TO SALUTE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER AND WISH HER WELL IN HER FUTURE ENDEAVORS. UM, I'VE ALWAYS RESPECTED AND ADMIRED YOUR ADVOCACY FOR THE POWERLESS, UH, AND THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE TO LIVE IN, UM, AWFUL CONDITIONS HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, WE WILL, WE WILL TAKE FORWARD YOUR, YOUR ORDINANCE AND, UH, ASSURE YOU THAT YOUR EFFORTS WILL NOT HAVE BEEN IN VAIN. BUT, UH, WANNA WISH EVERYBODY A MERRY CHRISTMAS, A HAPPY HANUKKAH, AND A HAPPY HOLIDAYS. THANK YOU, THOMAS. THANK YOU. UM, FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER, PLUMMER, YOU PROBABLY, UH, NEVER THOUGHT WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING THAT YOU WOULD WALK INTO A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AN EVICTION CRISIS, SMALL BUSINESS, SHUTTING DOWN THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY REFORMS AFTER THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD. [04:50:01] LIKE IT WAS A WHIRLWIND TERM ONE. AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY, YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE HORSESHOE HAS BEEN MEANINGFUL. YOU'VE PUSHED PEOPLE TO ASK FOR MORE. YOU'VE PUSHED ADMINISTRATIONS TO DO MORE. YOU'VE PUSHED YOUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY. UM, AND SO I WANT YOU TO TAKE THAT WITH YOU, THAT, UH, PLUM BE PUSHING. THAT MAY BE YOUR HASHTAG, BUT YOU'VE, BUT YOU'VE PUSHED US TO THINK DIFFERENTLY. YOUR HEALTHCARE PERSPECTIVE WAS PARAMOUNT IN THIS HORSESHOE DURING THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC. HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, ADD THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND THAT PUBLIC HE HEALTH PIECE, FOR US TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE WENT INTO OUR DISTRICTS TO SERVE, UM, CHALLENGING ON PUBLIC SAFETY REFORMS AND AROUND HOW DOES HOUSTON STAND UP IN THE MIDST OF THAT CONVERSATION. SO, I KNOW IT'S A WHIRLWIND, AND WE'RE MOVING BY THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A PLAYBOOK FOR ANY OF THAT. UH, BUT YOU CREATED A PLAYBOOK, UM, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT PLAYBOOK WITH YOU IN YOUR FUTURE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONVERSATION. AND A LOT OF THE HARDEST CONVERSATIONS WE'VE PROBABLY HAD HERE, UM, HAS BEEN BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THINKING DIFFERENTLY ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN OFFERED. SO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONVERSA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION, AND THANK YOU FOR STANDING IN THAT. THANK YOU. UM, I'M NOT DONE. I STILL GOT FIVE MINUTES, SON, , GO FOR IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WAS JUST STARTING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER AT THE TOP. UH, ONE GOOD NEWS, WE JUST RECEIVED A WORK ORDER ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A PANEL REPLACEMENT FROM WEST BELFORT TO KIRKWOOD ALL THROUGH DAIRY ASHFORD. THAT STARTS JANUARY 6TH. SO PUBLIC WORKS WILL SEND THAT MAP OUT THROUGH THE NEWSLETTER. BUT WE HAVE A, A SERIES OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS HAPPENING ON THE WEST SIDE. ALSO WANNA UPDATE TO YOU. THIS WAS ALSO IN OUR NEWSLETTER ABOUT THE SOLID WASTE SCHEDULE FOR THE HOLIDAYS. SOLID WASTE. UH, THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED AND THERE WILL NOT BE COLLECTION ON CHRISTMAS DAY OR NEW YEAR'S EVE. SO WE WANNA REMIND THAT THE UPDATED HOLIDAY SCHEDULE IS ON THE WEBSITE IN OUR NEWSLETTER, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEND THAT OUT. UM, LAST WEEK I HAD THE PLEASURE OF JOINING DIRECTOR MIKE NICHOLS, UM, AND HIS EXECUTIVE TEAM AT ROBIN'S LANDING, UH, UH, OFF OF MESA, WHERE WE, UH, GIFTED, WELL PRESENTED MS. PERRO, WHO RECEIVED $73,000 IN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR HER FIRST HOME, WHICH WAS TRANSFORMATIONAL. UH, SHE HAD, YOU KNOW, LIVED HER LIFE THROUGH APARTMENTS AND FINALLY HAD ACCESS TO HER PERMANENT AMERICAN DREAM. UH, AMERICAN FURNITURE WAREHOUSE WAS ALSO A PARTNER AND PRESENTED HER WITH THE GIFT CARD AND THE FUNDING FOR THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE IS OUR HARVEY, UH, HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE 2.0 WHERE WE REALLOCATED THOSE FUNDS, AND SHE'S AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING A FACE TO THE POLICY COLLEAGUES, AND THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THAT FUNDING BECAUSE, UH, HOUSTONIANS ARE ACTUALLY MOVING INTO HOMES AND COMMUNITIES OF CHOICE. I ALSO WAS BACK IN THE DISTRICT ON THURSDAY, UH, FOR THE GROUNDBREAKING OF DASHWOOD TRAILS, A 9% TAX DEAL THAT CAME BEFORE THIS BODY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THEY'LL BRING OVER A HUNDRED AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS FOR OUR SENIORS IN A LEAVE DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE NE UH, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER. REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WE'LL HAVE A COMMUNITY TOUR AND RIBBON CUTTING IN 2026. I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME STREETLIGHT INSTALLATION DELAYS WITH PUBLIC WORKS. UH, WE HAVE 13 APPLICATIONS FOR STREETLIGHT INSTALLATIONS IN THE QUEUE. THOSE APPLICATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN MOVED FORWARD DUE TO CAPACITY, BUT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A 2026 INSTALLATION. REMEMBER, OUR STREETLIGHT INSTALLATION INITIATIVE IS A PART OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN. DISTRICT F IS LIT. CONTINUE TO SUBMIT THOSE APPLICATIONS, SO WE'LL HAVE 'EM IN THE QUEUE, AND WE'LL BE READY TO INSTALL AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BRIGHTER AND SAFER. UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE CLOSURE OF THE AILEY YMCA. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE CLOSURE OF FUNPLEX. THESE ARE ALL THIRD SPACES ON THE WEST SIDE, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE OPENING OF LAUNCH WEST HOUSTON. IT OPENED OFF OF ELDRIDGE. THE OLD SAM'S CLUB HAS NOW BEEN, UH, OPENED AS A FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT SPACE. I WAS JOINED BY COLLEAGUES FROM AILEY, ISD AND OTHERS, UH, TO CELEBRATE THIS, FAMILIES WERE WRAPPED AROUND THE BUILDING. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THE OWNER IS FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO FIRST HAD HIS FIRST JOB AT FUNPLEX AND UNDERSTOOD THE VISION ABOUT CREATING SAFE SPACES FOR FAMILY. SO I WAS, UM, ABLE TO JOIN THEM. AND I EVEN DID ONE OF THE ROPES COURSE AND I DID NOT FALL DOWN. SO I WANT TO INVITE ALL FAMILY MEMBERS TO GO OUT THERE. THEY HAVE A BAR, BOWLING ALLEY, YOU NAME IT, STUFF FOR THE KIDS. UH, AND WE'RE DEFINITELY INVESTING ON THE, IN THE WEST SIDE, UH, WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. UH, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, HAPPY HOLIDAYS. MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH TO ALL THOSE WHO CELEBRATE. UH, MY OFFICE, UH, WILL BE WORKING VIRTUALLY THROUGH THE HOLIDAY SEASON, BUT IF WE CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE TO YOU, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO DISTRICT F AT HOUSTON. TX DO GOB. THANK YOU. [04:55:01] THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR TODAY. TOMORROW, WE WILL BE HOSTING OUR ANNUAL DRIVE THROUGH TURKEY GIFT AWAY FOR OUR SENIORS. UH, WE HAVE, UH, HUNDREDS OF SENIOR SENIORS THAT WILL BE AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER, UM, FROM 10 TO 12 ON TOMORROW. IT'S ALWAYS A FUN TIME. UH, WE HAVE A DJ OUT THERE AND WE GET TO LAUGH AND SMILE WITH SO MANY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS. UM, SO WE WILL BE THERE ON TOMORROW. UH, COLLEAGUES, IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN IN THE FUN, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU THERE. WE'LL BE THERE, UM, SETTING UP EARLY. UM, BUT THE ACTUAL DRIVE THROUGH IS FROM 10 TO 12. UH, OUR NEXT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 40 MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, JANUARY THE 22ND FROM SIX 30 TO 8:00 PM AND WE'LL HOST THAT AT THE HAROLD L. PRESTON POLICE STATION. OUR BYLAWS COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING FIERCELY TO ESTABLISH THESE NEW BYLAWS. WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 40 COME BACK ONLINE, UH, IN DISTRICT K. UH, IF YOU ARE STILL WONDERING IF YOU RESIDE IN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 40, YOU CAN CONTACT JUSTICE IN OUR OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 1 6 4 ASSISTANCE COLLEAGUES. OUR NEXT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD TODAY, UM, AT 2:00 PM HERE IN THE CHAMBERS. WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION BY DIRECTOR HORDE, UH, FROM THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ON OUR QUARTER ONE UPDATES, AND ALSO A PRESENTATION ON THE HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT THREE 90. AND THEN FINALLY, UM, TO CLOSE MY COMMENTS TODAY, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER MERA, UH, JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT, UM, IT TAKES COURAGE TO PUT YOUR NAME ON A BALLOT. UM, AND YOU PUT YOUR NAME ON THE BALLOT A COUPLE OF TIMES. UM, YOU PUT YOUR NAME ON THE BALLOT FOR CITY COUNCIL. UM, YOU HAVE, UM, DEFINITELY BEEN A CHAMPION IN SO MANY ASPECTS, AND I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST AS YOU MOVE FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT ENDEAVORS. AND I HOPE THAT, UM, YOUR TIME HERE, UM, WITH ALL OF US HAS, HAS BEEN GOOD TO YOU AS YOU HAVE BEEN TO, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, AND THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING PUBLIC SERVICE. WE CAN'T ENCOURAGE ENOUGH GOOD PEOPLE TO RUN FOR OFFICE. AND SO YOU HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT. AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING PUBLIC SERVICE. BEST WISHES TO YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST SOLID WASTE. UM, THE HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION HAS NOT BEEN PICKED UP IN DISTRICT A SINCE OCTOBER. UM, AND THE MAP THAT'S ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, IT'S NOT EVEN IN PROGRESS AT ALL ON THE WHOLE WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON. SO ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO, MAYOR, TO HELP MOVE THAT ALONG ON THE WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON, WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. UM, NEXT, I WANT TO THANK THE DISTRICT, A TEAM FOR A GREAT YEAR. UM, LIZ, SARAH, ALAN, JOSIE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY. I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE ABOUT EVERYONE IN DISTRICT A AND I FEEL LIKE, UM, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE'RE REALLY ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR STAFF. THEY'RE THE ONES DOING THE HARD WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND I JUST APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE DID, UH, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE SCHOOL ORDINANCE. UM, MAYOR, THANK YOU AND COLLEAGUES FOR HELPING WITH THAT ORDINANCE. UH, OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS, SPECIFICALLY RESIDENTS, UM, AND THEY'VE SHARED THAT, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY BEEN NIGHT AND DAY, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING HISTORICALLY. UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO, TO START WORKING ON THE NEXT STEPS IS, UH, AN RFP TO IDENTIFY, UH, A LEGITIMATE VENDOR THAT COULD HELP WITH, UM, ENSURING THAT WE COULD BE PREPARED FOR FIFA SPECIFICALLY. UH, WHETHER IT'S, UH, SCOOTERS, UH, E-BIKES, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, UH, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, OPPORTUNITY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THESE, UH, RESTRICTIONS, SELF RESTRICTIONS WITH THE DEVICES, UM, AND THEN ALSO BUILD UPON THE ORDINANCE THAT WE, WE PASS. SO, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM MAYOR TO SEE THIS, UH, COME TO FRUITION SOON. UH, TIME IS, IS TICKING AND FIFA IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, AND WE DEFINITELY NEED TO IDENTIFY WAYS, UH, WHERE THIS INTERNATIONAL, UH, UH, POPULATIONS COMING INTO HOUSTON, UH, HAVE, UH, A VARIETY OF MOBILITY, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, SPECIFICALLY DOWNTOWN, EAST DOWNTOWN, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, UH, AS, AS THEY'RE MOVING TOWARDS NRG AS WELL. UM, I WANNA, UH, ALSO JUST, UH, SAY A A FEW THANK YOUS TO, UH, SEVERAL TOY DISTRIBUTIONS THAT WE'VE HAD OR WE'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING WITH. UH, THE FIRST ONE IS NAVI RIO. UH, THEY'VE CELEBRATED 37 YEARS OF GIVING TOYS. UM, AND I'VE SHARED AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. I WAS, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST RECIPIENTS, UH, 37 YEARS AGO. UM, AND SO TO BE ABLE TO BE, UH, PART [05:00:01] OF THAT PROCESS OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS, SPECIFICALLY OUTTA THE DISTRICT EYE OFFICE HAS, UH, HAS BEEN, UM, GROUNDING, UH, FOR THE MOST PART AND, AND ENSURING THAT WE STAY FOCUSED ON DOING THE GOOD WORK THAT WE, UH, I THINK WE ALL ARE, ARE INTENTIONAL ABOUT. ALSO, OF COURSE, UH, UH, FIREFIGHTERS OPERATIONAL STOCKING STUFFERS. UH, ENJOYED WORKING WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND THEIR TEAM, UH, WANTED TO LIFT UP, UH, PRISCILLA FROM MY TEAM, WHO WAS, UH, REALLY, UH, DOING A LOT OF THE HEAVY LIFTING OUT OF, OUT OF OUR OFFICE. UH, BUT IT WAS JUST, IT WAS A REAL SMOOTH, UH, EVENT OVERALL. UM, AND AS, UH, UH, COUNCILOR CASTILLO MENTIONED, WE'VE, WE HAD, UH, MARIACHIS, WE HAD SANTA, UH, THANKS TO DISTRICT E UH, MARIACHIS WERE, UH, CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH ARE IN DISTRICT E, BUT BORDER, I MEAN, DISTRICT I, BUT BORDERS DISTRICT E. SO IT WAS A REAL GOOD EVENT WHERE COMMUNITY WERE ABLE TO COME IN, UM, STRESS FREE, UM, AND, AND ENJOY SOME TOYS AS WELL. OF COURSE, THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER WITH THE ELL CENTER. UM, THEN HPD, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF, UH, ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ. YESTERDAY, WE SPENT SOME TIME, UH, BUYING SOME TOYS AT WALMART. AND THEN TODAY WE'LL BE STOPPING BY A APARTMENT COMPLEX IN DISTRICT I. AND THEN, UH, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, MY, MY FRATERNITY, UH, SLAND BETA, WE ALWAYS, UH, HAVE A, UH, ADOLESCENT TOY DRIVE BECAUSE USUALLY, UH, THE YOUNGER KIDS ARE ALWAYS LOOKED AT. UH, BUT THEN WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THOSE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UM, THEY, THEY NORMALLY ARE MORE THAN LIKELY GET OVERLOOKED. SO, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH FOR THAT. UM, AND THEN, UM, WANT TO DEFINITELY TURN, TURN MY ATTENTION TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. UM, AS A STAFFER, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH, UH, YOUR OFFICE, SPECIFICALLY ON APARTMENT, UH, THE APARTMENT ORDINANCE, MORE SO ON THE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THESE, THESE, UH, NUISANCE PROPERTIES. AND SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M, I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, UH, THAT YOU'VE DONE. UM, AS YOUR COLLEAGUES SERVING NEXT TO YOU, I'VE ALSO BEEN APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND CONTINUING TO DO, UH, UP TO THIS DAY. UM, AND IF IT IS BEEN SAID BY COUNCILOR RAMIREZ, UH, YOUR WORK WILL NOT, YOU KNOW, BE DONE, UH, OR LOST IN VAIN. UM, YOU HAVE SEVERAL COLLEAGUES THAT YOU'VE LEFT IMPRESSIONS ON, UH, THAT WE ARE EXCITED AND CONTINUE WANTING TO DO THE WORK THAT YOU'VE, UH, THAT YOU'VE PUT FORWARD. SO, UH, WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS AS WELL. UH, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. UM, TO, TO THE MAYOR, MY COLLEAGUES, UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. UH, IT WAS A LONG BUT PRODUCTIVE, I SAY LONG WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF O'S, UH, BUT PRODUCTIVE YEAR. UH, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING, CONTINUING TO WORK, UH, ON IMPORTANT, UH, THINGS IN THE UPCOMING YEAR AND WANNA WISH EVERYBODY A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST OFF, UM, MAYOR, I'M GONNA BE SENDING YOUR, YOU AND YOUR STAFF AN EMAIL, UM, REGARDING SOME ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACING ON THE RICHMOND AND WESTHEIMER STRIPS, UH, THE NIGHTLIFE SCENE THAT'S OUT THERE. UH, WHEN YOU RECEIVE IT, HOPEFULLY, UH, YOU AND I CAN WORK TOGETHER ON SOME OF THOSE ISSUES. UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN JC WITH THE NIGHTLIFE WITH SOME OF THE, UH, UM, THE AFTER HOUR SPOTS. AND SO HOPEFULLY, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN COLLABORATE ON FINDING A STRATEGY TO ADDRESS. UM, TO MY SPELMAN SISTER, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, I WANT TO JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND LEADERSHIP. UH, YOU ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN REALLY HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR CLINICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO HOW WE DEESCALATE AND HOW WE RESPOND TO CRISIS AND CRISIS INTERVENTION. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE REMEMBERED FOR. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY REALLY GOT BEHIND IN THIS BODY GOT BEHIND AT A TIME WHEN THERE WAS A LOT OF SOCIAL AND CIVIL UNREST. AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BUILD UPON, BUT YOUR NAME SHOULD BE STAMPED ON IT AS ONE OF THE LEADERS WHO KIND OF BROUGHT THAT TO THE FOREFRONT. AND SO, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND MANY OF THE OTHER, UH, INITIATIVES AND THE, UH, ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, OBTAIN AS YOU'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THIS BODY. UM, YOU ARE EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL. UH, YOU'RE PREPARED, AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS. UM, I THINK YOU'LL BE A SHINING STAR IN WHATEVER SEATS YOU ARE ABLE TO GET. AND TWO, MY COLLEAGUES AND THE MAYOR, UH, I WANNA JUST WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS, A HAPPY HANUKKAH, UH, HAPPY KWANZA, UH, HAVE A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAYS WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND BE SAFE. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. ANYONE ELSE WE STAND ADJOURN. HAPPY NEW YEAR, . * 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.