* 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] COUNCIL, PLEASE [PRESENTATIONS] COME TO ORDER. I'M GONNA ASK THE MAYOR PROTE TO RESIDE. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR A PROCLAMATION TO UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING COALITION AND RECOGNITION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO, TIM. AND THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, COLLEAGUES, IF I CAN HAVE, UM, TAMIKA WALKER AND TITUS BENTON, THEY CAN BOTH COME UP AND THEY'RE WITH UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING. UM, BEFORE I GET STARTED ON SOME FEW REMARKS, I JUST, UH, FULL DISCLOSURE, UH, ONE OF MY FORMER BOSSES IS UP HERE, UH, IS TAMIKA WALKER. WHEN I WAS A YOUNG 21, 22, 20 3-YEAR-OLD, UH, DOING YOUTH PROGRAMMING, SHE WAS, SHE REALLY LIKE, POURED A LOT INTO ME. SO I DEFINITELY HAVE TO RECOGNIZE YOU, MY POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO SAY THANK YOU. UM, SO, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS HAPPENING, AS WE ALL KNOW IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ONLINE AND EVEN WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS AS WE GET CLOSER TO FIFA, UH, WHICH WE'RE ALL EXPECTING TO HAVE A, A GREAT TIME. BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE ACT NOW TO STRENGTHEN OUR CITY BEFORE THE CHALLENGES GET AHEAD OF US. AS LEADERS, WE MUST CONTINUE TO DO OUR PART, TO PROVIDE RESOURCES, MAKE SURE OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE INFORMED, AND OFFER SUPPORT THROUGH ESSENTIAL SERVICES. UH, TODAY I'M PROUD TO RECOGNIZE UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING COALITION FOR THEIR CRITICAL WORK SUPPORTING SURVIVORS. THEY DELIVER EDUCATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS AIMED AT PROTECTING OUR VULNERABLE, UH, POPULATIONS, PARTICULARLY HOUSTON'S YOUTH FROM EXPLOITATION. AND THIS PROCLAMATION IS A CALL TO ACTION FOR ALL OF US TO STAY VIGILANT, INFORMED, AND UNITED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CUBAN TRAFFICKING. UM, BEFORE I START THE PROCLAMATION, JUST WANNA REMIND MY COLLEAGUES, UH, I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL WERE DOWN DOWNSTAIRS AT THE LEGACY ROOM JUST A BIT BEFORE, UH, PUBLIC SESSION, BUT, UH, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO, UH, IS HOSTING A, UH, A RECEPTION AFTER THE PROCLAMATION. SO PLEASE, UH, STOP BY, UM, AFTER PUBLIC SESSION. AND SO, WHEREAS HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS PROFOUND, IS A PROFOUND VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS THAT JEOPARDIZES THE SAFETY AND DIGNITY OF INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE GLOBE, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, WHERE VICTIMS OF ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND VULNERABILITIES ARE AFFECTED. AND WHEREAS HOUSTON IS HOME TO A NETWORK OF DEDICATED ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, ADVOCACY GROUPS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING BY INCREASING AWARENESS, DELIVERING COMPASSIONATE AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE FOR, TO SURVIVORS AND HOLDING OFFENDERS ACCOUNTABLE. AND WHEREAS THROUGHOUT JANUARY, 2026, HOUSTON WILL HOST EVENTS AND INITIATIVES THAT FOSTER A MORE INFORMED AND ENGAGED AND UNIFIED COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER TO PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY. MAYOR, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THESE HEROES SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE YOUR GOOD DEEDS. UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PASS A LOT OF LEGISLATION. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN ENHANCEMENT OF PENALTIES, UH, NO TRAFFIC ZONES. WE CAN PUT NOTICES IN OUR AIRPORTS, OUR BALLPARKS. I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE FIFA WORLD CUP GAMES. THERE'S JUST A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT ALL THE LAWS WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVE IF WE DO NOT HAVE YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION ON THE GROUND. SO THANK YOU FOR COLLABORATING WITH US AND, UH, LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO AT CITY. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY, 2026 AS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE COUNCIL. UH, WE APPRECIATE SO MUCH YOUR SUPPORT, NOT JUST THIS YEAR, BUT FOR MANY YEARS NOW. LOTS OF FAMILIAR FACES, SMILING FACES EVERY YEAR, SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT BEFORE, UH, OUR CEO TAMIKA WALKER SHARES A FEW WORDS. UH, WE DID, UH, JUST SPEAK TO THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT THIS TAKES. AND THIS IS NOT A PROCLAMATION, UH, THAT IS IN HONOR OF OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT OUR COALITION AND MANY MEMBERS OF THAT COALITION ARE PRESENT HERE TODAY, AND I JUST WANTED THEM TO BE RECOGNIZED AS WELL. SO, IF YOU ALL WOULD PLEASE STAND A DOZEN OR SO ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED HERE TODAY, WORKING TOGETHER YEAR ROUND TO COMBAT THIS [00:05:01] ISSUE, AND TO THE COUNCILMAN'S, UH, POINT RECENTLY, UH, ACTIVELY WORKING TOGETHER ON, UH, THE WORLD CUP, UH, COMING UP IN JULY. UH, WE GOT A MEETING ABOUT THAT IN JUST A COUPLE WEEKS. SO WE'LL CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK, BUT WE CONT WE CONTINUE TO APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP AS WELL. AND WITH THAT, UH, I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR CEO TAMIKA WALKER. CAN I HAVE ONE MORE TIME? OH, WOW. THANK YOU. AND MAYOR, MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH JUST FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT. I APPRECIATE YOU. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE, TO STAND BEFORE YOU, UH, IN A, IN A VERY HUMBLE PLACE. AS A LEADER OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR ALMOST 11 YEARS. WE'VE SEEN A LOT. UH, AND I THINK THE BIGGEST PIECE THAT HAS HELPED US AS AN ORGANIZATION IS TO HAVE THE SUPPORT, UH, FROM THE, THE MANY MAYORS, AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THAT YOU TOO, CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON THIS ISSUE IN THE CITY. I THINK THAT FOR, UH, OUR SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, KNOWING THAT FOLKS ARE GONNA ALWAYS BE ADVOCATES FOR THEM, THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA ALWAYS ELEVATE THEIR VOICES, IS CRITICAL TO THE MOVEMENT. WE MADE A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL STRIDES OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS AS AN ORGANIZATION, BUT I THINK THE, THE, WHAT, WHAT I'M SO PROUD OF IS THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUE TO UNIFY THE COMMUNITY. UH, LEADING THE COALITION HAS BEEN A, A BLESSING FOR AN ORGANIZATION. WE STARTED AS A COALITION, RIGHT? AND SO HAVING TO WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO MAKE SURE WE ALL STAY ON ONE ACCORD, TO REALLY ELEVATE THE VOICE OF SURVIVORS HAS BEEN KEY TO OUR SUCCESS AS A ORGANIZATION. SO, KNOW THAT WE LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. BUT AS YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT, HOW YOU CAN BEST SERVE THE COMMUNITY, THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GET ENGAGED IN YOUR DISTRICTS AND REALLY ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION AROUND HUMAN TRAFFICKING. 'CAUSE IT'S HAPPENING HERE IN OUR CITY. WE'VE DONE SOME GREAT WORK AND PARTNERED WITH HPD AND OTHER, UH, PROVIDERS IN THE CITY AS WELL. BUT THE VOICES OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IN YOUR, UH, RESPECTIVE, UM, DISTRICTS WILL REALLY HELP ELEVATE THIS ISSUE. SO, KNOW THAT WE LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU. THERE ARE ACTIVITIES HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MONTH TO ELEVATE THE CONVERSATIONS IN YOUR DISTRICTS, AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BE ENGAGED AND REALLY ELEVATE THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE THE SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING WILL REALLY, REALLY BENEFIT FROM THAT. SO, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT. YOU DO KNOW THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE'RE ABOUT UNITY. AND AS A TIME, IN A TIME LIKE THIS, WE HAVE GOT TO CONTINUE TO COME TOGETHER AND LOVE ON ONE ANOTHER AND SHOW RESPECT AND DIGNITY IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, BECAUSE AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE KNOW THAT IT'S THE BEST THING TO DO TO BEST SERVE SURVIVORS. SO KNOW THAT I LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT. THANK YOU, MAYOR FOR, UH, BEING, FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND AND SUPPORTING US. AND JOAQUIN, THANK YOU FOR BACK IN THE DAY, UH, 20 YEARS AGO. 'CAUSE I, I'M 25, 20 YEARS AGO, UH, JOAQUIN WAS A KEY MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE EAST END, AND WE WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER TO, TO DO GREAT WORK TO SUPPORT YOUTH IN THE EAST END. SO TO SEE HIM HERE TODAY AND IN HIS ROLE THAT SHOWS YOU THAT COMMITMENT AND LEADERSHIP AND FOCUS AND, AND REALLY, REALLY POURING INTO THE YOUTH AND PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. SO, I LOVE YOU, BROTHER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND THANK EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU FOR WHAT, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. UH, AND I THINK AT THIS POINT WE CAN GET A A HUG. YOU WANT A HUG? ARE YOU GOOD ? SHE'S A HUG. SHE'S A HUG. SHE SAID. SHE SAID. WOW. WE, WE DO, WE DO. HAVE WE BACK ANY DAY? OKAY. OKAY, GOOD. MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE IF YOU'LL HANG ON. WE DO WANT TO, UM, CONGRATULATE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING. UM, NOT JUST THIS ORGANIZATION, BUT THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, UH, THAT IS, UH, DEMONSTRATED IN THE CHAMBERS TODAY AROUND HUMAN TRAFFICKING. YOU KNOW, HOUSTON REALLY PIONEERED HUMAN TRAFFICKING AT A NATIONAL LEVEL WHERE MANY CITIES WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING DAY TO DAY, NOT JUST IN HUMAN AND SEX TRAFFICKING, BUT ALSO ABUSE DURING WORKFORCE TRAFFICKING. AND WHAT I LEARNED, PARTICULARLY AS, UM, A NATURAL DISASTER WOULD HAPPEN, UM, HOW INDIVIDUALS WILL BE EXPLOITED BECAUSE OF, OF WAGES AND, AND LOSS AND AND WHATNOT. UM, BUT AS A PROUD MEMBER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA, I SEE, UM, DELTA SIGMA THETA, UM, UH, ADOPTED HUMAN TRAFFICKING. UM, BECAUSE WHAT HOUSTON WAS WILLING TO DO AT A NATIONAL LEVEL AND, AND REALLY CHALLENGE OTHER CITIES TO ADOPT THIS AS WELL, OTHER DIVINE NINE ORGANIZATIONS. UM, AND AS THE NATIONAL CHAIR OF SOCIAL ACTION FOR THE LINKS INCORPORATED, HU HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS ONE OF OUR NATIONAL INITIATIVES BECAUSE OF WHAT THE HOUSTON AREA CHAPTERS DECIDED TO DO WHEN IT WASN'T POPULAR, IT WASN'T SEXY. UM, SO THE WORK IS MOVING, THE CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING. UM, HAPPY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN EXTEND THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ON THE GROUND AT A NATIONAL LEVEL TO ELEVATE THIS WORK. I SEE KIMBERLY IN THE CHAMBERS. UH, SHE HAS DONE A WHOLE LOT OF WORK, UM, IN HER PREVIOUS ROLE WITH, UH, IN, IN THE MEDICAL CENTER. SO, CONGRATULATIONS, THIS IS WONDERFUL. AND THEN SHOUT OUT TO HPD. I WOULD TELL YOU, I WOULD, UH, UH, PRIOR TO BEING, UH, ELECTED, I WOULD GO TO PIP MEETINGS AND I WOULD HEAR THEM GIVE UPDATES ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND EDUCATE RESIDENTS ON WHAT TO BE AWARE OF. AND A LOT OF WHAT, UH, THAT, THAT TECHNICAL SIDE THAT THEY PROVIDED REALLY EMPOWERED RESIDENTS [00:10:01] TO, TO, YOU KNOW, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. SO, THANK YOU. UH, WE NEVER GET TIRED OF, OF GREETING AND CELEBRATING Y'ALL EVERY JANUARY. I MEAN, THERE'S MORE WORK FOR US TO DO. SO, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. I THINK, UM, FOUNDER'S DAY IS THE PERFECT DAY FOR THEM TO BE HERE, RIGHT? I SEE , , UH, UH, MS. WALKER, THANK YOU, AND THE ENTIRE COALITION FOR BEING HERE. UM, YOUR DILIGENCE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE NEVER GROW TIRED OF THIS MESSAGING REALLY KEEPS HOUSTON IN THE FOREFRONT, UM, TO COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU, AND WE ALL CAN CONTINUE TO GET THIS MESSAGE OUT ON HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING. THANK YOU, AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. [00:15:25] COUNCIL. [2:00 P.M. - INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] COME TO ORDER. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, COLLEAGUES. I AM CERTAINLY, UM, INDEED HONORED TODAY TO BRING A VERY GOOD FRIEND, UM, AND LIKE FAMILY TODAY TO PRESENT OUR US THE INVOCATION. UM, BEFORE OUR SESSION, UH, DR. MIA KAY WRIGHT IS THE CO-PASTOR OF THE FOUNTAIN OF PRAISE CHURCH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, WHERE SHE SERVES ALONGSIDE SENIOR PASTOR DR. REMA E WRIGHT. HER LEADERSHIP EMPHASIZES CONGREGATIONAL CARE, VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT, BRIDGING FAITH WITH MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY IMPACT. DR. WRIGHT HOLDS A DOCTORATE FROM USCA MASTER DIVINITY DEGREE FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN BAPTIST SEMINARY, AND A BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. HER PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY BROUGHT HER TO HOUSTON 35 YEARS AGO. TODAY, DR. MIA SPEAKS TO CORPORATE AND FAITH-BASED AUDIENCES ON ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN SERVICE, A TA TED X SPEAKER AND SENIOR FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM, CLASS 45. DR. WRIGHT IS A MEMBER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY INCORPORATED AND THE LINKS INCORPORATED. SHE ALSO SERVES ON THE BOARD OF ADVISORS FOR THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM, HOUSTON, AND PARTICIPATES IN THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD. INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK, HOUSTON MOTHER TO THREE INCREDIBLE SONS, A DOCTOR, A LAWYER, AND A PASTOR. DR. M IS A TRAVEL ENTHUSIAST WHO HAS VISITED 69 COUNTRIES TO DATE AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE GLOBAL TRAVEL. DR. WRIGHT APPROACHES THIS MOMENT WITH HUMILITY, BELIEVING PRAYER INVITES WISDOM, UNITY, AND GUIDANCE AS LEADERS SEEK THE COMMON GOOD. SO I PRESENT TO YOU MY FRIEND AND SISTER, DR. MIA K WRIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS, MY SISTER, OUR GOOD FRIEND. AND BEFORE I BEGIN THIS PRAYER, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE AMAZING LEADERSHIP WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, TO OUR MAYOR, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE FAMILIES AND THIS GREAT CITY, HOUSTON, TEXAS. LET'S PRAY. GRACIOUS AND ETERNAL GOD, WE PAUSE AT THE START OF THIS MEETING TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AS THE SOURCE OF WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, AND LIFE. WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER IN THESE CHAMBERS WHERE DECISIONS ARE MADE THAT SHAPE FAMILIES, THAT SHAPE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE FUTURE OF THIS GREAT CITY. WE LIFT UP BEFORE YOU ARE MAYOR, THE COUNCIL, AND ALL WHO SERVE IN LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORTIVE ROLES. YOUR WORD REMINDS US, GOD, THAT IF ANYONE LACKS WISDOM, THEY SHOULD ASK YOU WHO GIVES GENEROUSLY. SO TODAY WE ASK GRANT THE WISDOM THAT IS CLEAR KNOWLEDGE, THAT IS INFORMED AND UNDERSTANDING THAT CONSIDERS BOTH PRESENT NEEDS AND FUTURE IMPACT. MAY EVERY DECISION BE GUIDED BY COMPASSION, INTEGRITY, AND SOUND JUDGMENT. WE ALSO PRAY FOR THOSE WHO INFLUENCE LEADERSHIP ADVISORS, STAFF, PARTNERS AND VOICES BEYOND THIS CHAMBER. LET THEIR COUNCIL BE ROOTED NOT IN SELF-INTEREST, BUT IN A SINCERE DESIRE FOR THE COMMON GOOD OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. GOD, AS RESOURCES ARE LIMITED AND DEMANDS ARE GREAT, WE PRAY FOR WISE STEWARDSHIP GUIDE, THE FAIR AND THOUGHTFUL DISTRIBUTION OF FINANCES AND SERVICES. SO THEY ARE USED EFFECTIVELY, RESPONSIBLY, AND SUSTAINABLY, NOT ONLY FOR TODAY, BUT FOR GENERATIONS [00:20:01] TO COME. WE THANK YOU, DEAR LORD. FOR HOUSTON'S RICH DIVERSITY OF CULTURES, BACKGROUNDS, PERSPECTIVES, AND FAITH TRADITIONS. MAY THIS DIVERSITY CONTINUE TO BE OUR STRENGTH AND A MODEL FOR OUR NATION. LET IT BE REFLECTED ACROSS GOVERNMENT, CIVIC LIFE, BUSINESS, COMMUNITY, AND FAITH SPACES SHOWING THE WORLD THAT OUR DIFFERENCES WHEN UNITED WITH PURPOSE MAKES US GREATER TOGETHER. FINALLY, GOD, WE PRAY FOR PEACE IN OUR NATION AND IN OUR WORLD. WE PRAY FOR A GREATER UNITY AMID DIFFERENCES, COURAGE AMID COMPLEXITY AND COLLABORATION AMID CHALLENGE. MAY THE WORK DONE HERE TODAY ADVANCE JUSTICE, PROMOTE WELLBEING, AND SERVE THE COMMON GOOD OF ALL WHO CALL HOUSTON HOME. WE OFFER THIS PRAYER WITH GRATITUDE AND HUMILITY IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WILL YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE I PRAYER AMERICA, WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION INDIVIDUAL. MR. [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING] SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR WHITMEYER, PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. YES. NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT A MINUTES OF JANUARY 6TH AND SEVEN? CAST , MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY. IF NOT, UH, CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER, DOMINIQUE MAZO, UH, HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CLEVEN GENAU. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND HORSESHOE. UM, FIRST THINGS FIRST RED LINE. I MEAN, EXCUSE ME. NINE, SIX RED LINE AND THE TUNNELS HERE. UM, THE NEXT THING IS, AND BECAUSE OF THE RED LINE, IT PASSES BY THE PLACE I'M TALKING ABOUT TODAY, WHICH IS MOODY PARK. AND PART OF THE THING, AND I'M GOING TO PUT SPLIT THIS INTO TWO DIFFERENT MODES HERE. THE IDEA OF HARRIS COUNTY TAKING MAINTENANCE OF THE PARK. I THINK THAT'S GOOD. IT'S COLLABORATIVE RIGHT NOW. THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS, UH, WORKING WITH NPV ALONG THE NORTH END, SO THAT THAT'S A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN WATCH AND USE THE RESTROOM. I, I GET THAT. UM, ADRIAN GARCIA IS A GOOD PERSON TO WORK WITH. I THINK MARIO AGREES WITH THAT. SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING. AND I, I THINK, I THINK COUNTY, COUNTY IS, IT'S HOW WE GOT TO THIS. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, IS THAT IF THIS WAS JUST A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN COUNTY AND HERE, THE TWO HORSESHOES GET TOGETHER. WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT. THAT'S ONE THING. BUT, AND PART OF THE WORLD CUP SITUATION WAS SOMETHING THIS COMPLETE HORSESHOE, AND YOU MAY, UH, ADOPTED THIS, THIS COUNCIL IS NOT TO TO BLAME FOR TAKING ON, UH, THAT, THAT EPISODE OR THAT EVENT. BUT MY THING IS, FIFA IS TELLING US TO GET THIS GRANT, THE CITY HAS TO GIVE SOMETHING TO THE COUNTY. NOW, IF THIS WAS JUST THE CITY, THE STATE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, I DON'T HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH IT. BUT AS FAR AS THIS BEING A, I'M GONNA CALL IT A SOVEREIGNTY ISSUE, I, AND, AND AGAIN, WE CAN'T CHANGE IT NOW, ANYTHING'S GOING ON NOW, IT'S BEEN GRANDFATHERED. BUT I THINK IN THE FUTURE, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE EVENTS LIKE THIS, I THINK THE THING TO DO IS, OKAY, HOUSTON FIRST OR WHOEVER PRESENTS THE EVENT, THEN IT PRESENTS BEFORE THE HORSESHOE, BOTH HERE AND COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND I THINK BEFOREHAND, BEFORE EITHER ONE OF THE OTHER BOATS TO HAVE IT. I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS. 'CAUSE MY THING IS, YES, THIS IS GONNA BRING MONEY INTO THE CITY, BUT IS IT LIKE THE, LIKE THE WOMAN WHO WAS AGO, IS IT GONNA BE IN A WAY THAT IS JUST FOR EVERYBODY? REMEMBER THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY. SO AGAIN, I THINK, AND TWO, [00:25:01] THINK ABOUT THIS, METRO HAD TO HAVE AN ELECTION TO HA TO PUT THE RED LINE IN THE, THE EXTENSION. AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD LAW. I THINK IT REALLY IS. I'M, I'M, I'M VERY MUCH FOR THAT. BUT I THINK FROM HERE ON OUT, UH, I THINK, UH, COUNCIL NEEDS TO REALLY LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF, UH, OPENING UP THESE BOOKS TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. ALSO, TOO, WITH FIFA, YOU HAVE, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, SEX TRAFFICKING, I CALL IT SEXUAL SLAVERY. I THINK WE NEED A STRONGER TERM ON THAT. AND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN YOU SOMETHING FROM OUR, OUR HISTORY THAT, THAT, THAT, AND PARTICULARLY FROM YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, EDWARD, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND. SO WITH THAT, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I THINK ABOUT TIME, I'M GONNA SEND IT BACK TO, TO YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT CLS GENAU TO BE FOLLOWED BY ISIDRO GARZA. GOOD AFTERNOON, Y'ALL. HOPE Y'ALL ARE DOING ALL RIGHT. UH, MINDBODY, WHOA, MINDBODY AND EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. UM, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE THINGS, UM, ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. UH, I THINK YOU GUYS MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP, UH, MORE SPECIFICALLY, DISTRICT. I, I AM NOT CERTAIN WHO, UM, FONDE PARK, UH, HAS REALLY RUSTY WATER. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. UM, IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD FOR THE KIDS AND EVERYTHING. LIKE, UM, OH, UH, YEAH. SO FOND DAY PARK, UH, IN DISTRICT, I HAS VERY, VERY RUSTY WATER. SO I'M, I'M NOT, I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE WHALES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. UH, AND ALSO THE BA SURROUNDING THE PARK, UH, I FEEL LIKE, UH, COULD BE RETROFITTED, UM, TWO MASSIVE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS, MAYBE, UH, A COUPLE TREES RUNNING ALONGSIDE IT. AND MY FAULT, UH, I DID HAVE A WHOLE SPEECH AND I, I, I FIGURED I SAVE YOU GUYS THE TIME. UM, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONCISELY JUST TELL Y'ALL EXACTLY WHAT I'M HERE FOR. UH, YEAH, THE HORNS, UM, AND METRO AND B-M-F-S-F, UH, LIKE THAT, UH, HAVE CHANGED. AND I'VE NOTICED THAT, UM, WELL, I PERCEIVE IT TO BE SOMEWHAT OF A HATE SPEECH OR HATE CRIME AGAINST, AGAINST THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD, JUST 'CAUSE THEY'RE SO, SO LOUD AND, AND, AND, AND EVERYTHING. SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU GUYS CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UH, YEP. THAT'S ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, BE SAFE. NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. SORRY, SIR. I'M SORRY, SIR. SIR, EXCUSE ME, SIR, COME BACK. I HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, SO FONDE PARK IS IN DISTRICT I, AND SO I'M HAPPY TO STEP OUT AND GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE. UH, SOME OF THOSE ARE, COULD BE EASY FIXES 3 1 1 FOR THE, THE, THE COLOR OF THE WATER. UM, BUT THEN ALSO TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ALONG THE HIKING BIKE TRAIL. ALONG THERE, WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENED, AND THEN WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PLANS. AND THEN YOU SPEAK TO BNSF, THE POSSIBLY A QUIET ZONE. SAME THING. I, WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE, UH, FURTHER CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT. SO HAPPY TO STEP OUT AND SPEAK TO YOU. YEAH. SOUNDS GOOD. ONE MORE, SIR. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. IS THIS YOUR SECOND TIME HERE? HAVE YOU BEEN HERE BEFORE? YEAH, A COUPLE TIMES. YEAH. YEAH. YOU, YOU ALWAYS GIVE GOOD INSIGHT. AND SO, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR COMING FORWARD. I'M GONNA PASS YOU MY CARD AS WELL. UH, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO, UH, SEND US OR JUST SHOOT AN EMAIL, UM, WE'LL RECEIVE THOSE AS WELL. THAT WAY, UH, YOU ALWAYS DON'T HAVE TO COME IN PERSON. ALWAYS WELCOME. BUT YOU HAVE SOME GOOD INSIGHT. AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER IDEAS YOU HAVE, WE WE'RE ABLE TO CAPTURE. SO I'LL GIVE YOU MY INFORMATION NEXT. ISIDRO GARZA OF SPRING TO BE, BE FOLLOWED BY RANDALL CALLAN. [00:30:01] UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND, UH, HONORABLE COUNCIL. UH, UH, I'M A CLASS OF 73, UH, TEXAS AGGIE, UH, MECHANICAL ENGINEER. UH, AND TODAY, I, I COME BECAUSE, UH, UH, ABOUT, UH, A FEW MONTHS BACK, WE MET WITH THE MAYOR IN YOUR OFFICE ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT WE FELT WAS AN INCREASING FEAR IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, UH, THAT WAS BEING GENERATED, UH, THROUGH ICE. UH, AND MY, THE, OUR QUESTION WAS VERY SIMPLE. WHAT IS THE DIRECTIVE THAT THESE, UH, POLICE, THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS IN, IN COLLABORATING AND WORKING WITH, WITH ICE? UH, UH, MAYOR, YOU PASS THAT ON TO THE, THE POLICE CHIEF TO ANSWER, UH, INITIALLY. AND HE STATED THAT, UH, THAT THEY HAD TO GO AHEAD WHEN THEY APPREHEND SOMEBODY THAT MAY NOT HAVE DOCUMENTS, THE PROPER DOCUMENTS THAT THEY WOULD, THAT THEY WOULD CALL ICE. UH, AND, UH, UH, IF YOU RECALL, I, I, I DIDN'T THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT WE, WE THE COMMUNITY WOULD WANTED. UH, AND, AND HE, HE, HE SUBSTANTIATED THAT POSITION BECAUSE HE SAID THAT IF THEY DIDN'T, THAT THEY STOOD TO LOSE $400 MILLION FROM FEDERAL FUNDS THAT COME INTO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. UH, THEN, UH, I ASKED YOU, MAYOR, AND YOU MADE A STATEMENT, UH, WHICH WAS VERY CORRECT AT THAT TIME. BUT I THINK SITUATIONS HAVE CHANGED SINCE WE MET. YOUR STATEMENT WAS, YOU SEE ALL OF THESE RATES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. YOU'RE NOT SEEING THESE RATES HERE IN HOUSTON. AND I'M PROUD OF THAT. I'M PROUD THAT, THAT HE, THAT THAT'S OUR COMMUNITY. WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE, WE, WE COOPERATE AND COLLABORATE WHENEVER WE CAN. BUT WE'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENED IN MINNEAPOLIS AND HERE LOCALLY. AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU MENTIONED YOU DON'T SEE ANY RATES IN THE HOME, HOME DEPOT. IT CAME FROM YOUR MOUTH. WELL, SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD RATES HERE IN HOUSTON, IN HOME DEPOT. SO I ASK THAT MAYBE YOU RECONSIDER YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT RANDALL CALLAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY JEFF REESE. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, IN MINNEAPOLIS, UH, WHERE I USED TO LIVE. I'M FROM MINNESOTA. I LIVED HERE IN HOUSTON NOW FOR OVER 30 YEARS. UH, MS. GOOD WAS KILLED BY AN ICE AGENT, AND THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING THAT CRIME. HERE IN HOUSTON. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF ARRESTS OF, UH, OF IMMIGRANTS AND TO, AND DURING THESE ARRESTS, AMERICAN CITIZENS AND PEOPLE WITH LEGAL IMMIGRATION STATUS ARE BEING ASSAULTED, WHICH IS THE CRIME OF ASSAULT. AND ALSO THEY'RE BEING DETAINED, WHICH IS THE CRIME OF OFFICIAL OPPRESSION. THESE ARE TEXAS CRIMES. AND JUST LIKE IN MINNESOTA WHERE THE MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE CRIME BY ICE, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATING THE CRIMES BY ICE HERE. IS THAT OCCURRING? I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ONE SINGLE INSTANCE, ALTHOUGH I'VE HEARD OF DOZENS AND DOZENS AND DOZENS OF CRIMES BY ICE. NOT ONE IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE A LAW ABOUT COOPERATION AND MAYBE CALL WHEN THERE'S A WARRANT, BUT THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO WARRANTS. AND REGARDING THE PEOPLE THAT AT THE LOWE'S AND THE HOME DEPOT WHO ARE JUST WANTING TO WORK, WELL, THERE'S AMERICANS THERE. I KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE USED THESE PEOPLE BEFORE AND THERE'S PEOPLE THERE WITH LEGAL STATUS AND SURE. ARE THERE SOMETIMES PEOPLE THERE WITH, UH, NOT GOOD STATUS. YES, BUT THEY STOP EVERYBODY. THEY DETAIN EVERYBODY. THAT IS THE CRIME OF OFFICIAL OPPRESSION. AND THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE LOOKING INTO THESE DOZENS AND DOZENS AND DOZENS OF CRIMES BY ICE BEFORE THEY SHOOT AND KILL SOMEBODY LIKE THEY DID TO THE MOTHER OF THREE. NEXT JEFF REESE TO BE FOLLOWED BY STEVEN ALVAREZ. HI, UM, MY NAME IS JEFF REESE. I AM A RETIRED SERGEANT WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. AND BEFORE I DO ANYTHING ELSE, I CAME HERE TO THANK YOU GUYS, THE MAYOR, ESPECIALLY, AND MR. POLLARD AND ALL YOU GUYS, BECAUSE Y'ALL DID SOMETHING. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REALIZE YOU SAVED LOTS OF LIVES. I WASN'T AWARE THAT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD A POLICY OF STOPPING, MAKING ONE STOP PER SHIFT. NOW, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT STILL DOES. I, I, YOU KNOW, THEY STILL HAVE SOME POLICY LIKE THAT, BUT JUST BY NOT BEING THERE, YOU'VE SOLVED A LOT OF PROBLEMS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I SAY ANYTHING ELSE, I THINK YOU DESERVED A PAT ON THE BACK FOR THAT. [00:35:01] AND SO I DO THANK YOU GUYS. UM, I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, BUT YOU KNOW, Y'ALL DID. SO THAT'S GREAT. UM, THE SITUATION WITH ICE IN MINNEAPOLIS, THAT'S OKAY. WE, WE ARE ALL INTERCONNECTED, ALL OF US. AND I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS, UM, AN ABUSE OF THE LAW. AND UNFORTUNATELY, EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT OPINIONS. WE CAN HAVE A VIDEO UP HERE, AND YOU HAVE 10 PEOPLE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE 10 DIFFERENT OPINIONS OF WHAT THEY JUST SAW. AND A LOT OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, A PREDISPOSED BIAS THAT WE HAVE. ALL OF US HAVE IT TO A POINT. SO I HAVE ONLY GOT TWO MINUTES. I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M GONNA SAY ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OR THAT SOMEBODY BEHIND ME IS GONNA SAY. SO I DON'T WANT TO HOLD YOU GUYS UP. I KNOW YOU GOT A BUSY DAY, SO I WILL END IT HERE. IF SOMEBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. NEXT STEVEN ALVAREZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY UA LEWIS. GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, FELLOW AMERICANS. UM, I'M HERE TO ECHO THE VOICE OF THE AMERICANS AND THE HOUSTONIANS AROUND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, OF OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS HERE AND AROUND THE NATION SWORE AN OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION TO PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES. WHEN WE EXERCISE OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES, WE SHOULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY IMPACTED BY AGGRESSION, BY INTIMIDATION. AND FOR MRS. GOOD'S. LAST AND FINAL MOVEMENT WAS A, WAS A VIOLENT ONE. AND IT WAS A VIOLENT ONE FROM OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS, THE PEOPLE WHO SWORE TO PROTECT OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES. THERE WERE MANY OTHER MANNERS TO ADDRESS MS. GOOD, BUT WITH A NINE MILLIMETER, THAT WASN'T IT. THAT WAS, THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE FIRST RESPONSE. I SAY TO THE AMERICANS THAT THE EVIDENCE OF ILL TRAINING IS CLEAR. IT, IT IS SO CLEAR THAT I WOULD WANT EVERY, EVERY AMERICAN TO TELL THOSE CHILDREN WHY THEIR MOM IS NO LONGER HERE. EXPLAIN TO 'EM HOW SOMEONE WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT YOUR CIVIL LIBERTIES IS THE ONE THAT TOOK YOUR MOM. YOU CAN SEE THE ILL TRAINING JUST HERE NEXT DOOR, PASADENA, TEXAS. PEOPLE GO THERE, EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS OF FREEDOM, OF SPEECH. MAYOR INE HAS 'EM ESCORTED OUT IF THEY EXPOSE HIS CORRUPTION. I'M ONE, I'M ONE OF THE VICTIMS OF THAT. I WAS INCARCERATED BY JEFF WAGNER FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH. YEP. TO STOP THE TIME HAS EXPIRED. JOHNNY, JOHNNY MATA, BEFORE YOU LEAVE UP HERE, I WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU FOR CERTAINLY SOME OF OUR YOUNG PARTICIPANTS TODAY. UH, YOU'RE AN ICON IN HOUSTON CIVIL RIGHTS EFFORTS. SO THANK YOU. AND, AND THANK YOU. I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE YOU SIGNED UP, BUT I WANTED YOU TO APPRECIATE, UH, OR RECOGNIZE I APPRECIATE YOU, THE COMMUNITY DOES, UH, FOR YOUR MANY, MANY YEARS OF, UH, REPRESENTING THOSE THAT HAVE NO VOICE. THANK YOU. AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. I HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING HPD 2 0 0 2. THE WAS PLEASED AFTER, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT ON YOUR PLATE, BUT I WANNA COME BACK, SIT DOWN WITH THE COALITION MEMBERS WE WILL, AND TRY TO DO THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECOGNITION. I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN HE WAS SENATOR, WE WANTED TO CHANGE THE GRAND JURY AFTER SO MANY MISCARRIAGE DISCUSSIONS. YOU DIDN'T SPEAK INTO THE MIC, JOHNNY, THIS IS WORTH OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OR THE YES. WHAT, CAN YOU HEAR IT? YES. OR NOW YOU CAN. OKAY. I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK THE MAYOR WHEN HE WAS SENATOR. WE CHANGED THE GRANDING JURY IN HARRIS COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE MIS INJUSTICE THAT WERE CARRIED OUT WHEN POLICE OFFICERS COMMITTED A CRIME. AND IT WORKED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. BUT I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT NOT ALL MEN AND WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE BAD. WE JUST GOTTA FIND SYSTEMS TO PREVENT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN MINNESOTA. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. SURE, JOHNNY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. [00:40:01] NEXT, NEXT UA LEWIS. OH, DIANE GUZMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROBERT GROVE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. I AM DIANE OLMO, GMAN, PRESIDENT OF THE AB, ALMOST EAST END LULAC COUNCIL 2 2 5 0 3, AND A MEMBER OF THE GREATER HOUSTON COALITION FOR JUSTICE. AS I WAS SITTING HERE AND LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM, I NOTICED UP HERE JUSTICE, I NOTICED UP HERE THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY. I AM PART OF THE PEOPLE. I AM A THIRD GENERATION NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, WHO HAS ALWAYS FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF OUR PEOPLE. YOU REMEMBER THAT MR. WHITMEYER, WE WERE PART OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. NOT ONLY THAT, I'M HERE TO LET, NOT TO COMPLAIN, BUT TO PLEAD TO YOUR BETTER JUDGMENT AND TO YOUR HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THIS NATION IS UNJUST AND TERRORISTIC. AND NOW IT'S COMING HERE TO HOUSTON. I WITNESSED ONE OF THOSE, UH, RAIDS. I SAW FOR MYSELF THE FEAR IN THOSE PEOPLE'S EYES. MY PEOPLE, THE LATINOS. NOT ONLY THAT I DO AFTERSCHOOL PRO PROGRAMS. AND WHEN THE DEPORTATION STARTED LAST YEAR, I LOST OUT OF 45 KIDS. I LOST 15 CHILDREN BECAUSE OF THEIR FEAR TO COME TO THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. AND THEIR PARENTS TOO. THEY WERE AFRAID TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO US. I HAD TO SECURE BUILDINGS TO ENSURE THAT THESE CHILDREN WERE SAFE COMING TO THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU GUYS FUND. AND WITH THAT, I WANNA LET YOU KNOW, THE FEAR IS IN ME TOO. I GO AROUND WITH MY PASSPORT AND MY PURSE EVERY SINGLE DAY BECAUSE I'M AFRAID BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN AND HOW I LOOK THAT I'LL BE STOPPED. AND LIKE I SAID, I'M THIRD GENERATION NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, AND I PLEAD TO Y'ALL TO YOUR BETTER JUDGMENT. AND REMEMBER JOE TORRES, THANK YOU. COUNT. JUST DIANA DIANE. JUST A MOMENT. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND YOU'RE THE LAST, UH, INDIVIDUAL SPEAKING ABOUT THIS TOPIC. DIANE. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING. AS YOU KNOW, I WORKED WITH YOUR DAD OUTTA THE DISTRICT EYE OFFICE, UH, AS AN INTERN, UH, BACK THEN. AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO IN HIS NAME AS WELL. UM, WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO US. AND I THINK, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE'RE ALL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT. I CAN SAY THAT. UM, I'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO THE MAYOR PRETTY MUCH, UH, I WOULD SAY DAILY, EVERY OTHER DAY ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION AND HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE PREVENT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE, UH, FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE, AS, AS JOHNNY MENTIONED, HOW DO WE CREATE SYSTEMS WHERE WE CAN PREVENT WHAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN MORE HARM COMING TO US. UM, THE FOCUS FOR ME CONTINUES TO BE HOW DO WE BUILD TRUST WITH HPD, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT THE DISTRUST THAT HAS SOMEWHAT BEEN CREATED, NOT JUST, UH, BECAUSE OF WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IN GENERAL IS, KIND OF A BROAD STROKE'S BEEN, BEEN PUT ON AS WELL ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE NATION. BUT, UH, SPECIFICALLY HERE IN HOUSTON, BECAUSE WE HAVE COMMUNITIES, UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH HPD, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, IT'S CREATING MORE HARM. UM, AND I, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE CONTINUING. I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU AS WELL AND WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING YOU TO THE TABLE TO, UH, TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS SOON. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER DIALOGUE IS EVERYTHING. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND I'D LOVE TO BE A PART OF THAT COMMITTEE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE, DIANA. THANK YOU. NEXT ROBERT GROVE, BILL KELLY, [00:45:07] THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD AFTERNOON. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'VE BEEN IN THIS ROOM AND THIS MICROPHONE MANY TIMES, BUT I COME HERE TODAY AS THE SECRETARY OF THE FIRST WARD CIVIC CLUB, HAVING BEEN A HOMEOWNER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR OVER A DECADE NOW. I'M VERY PROUD TO SERVE ON OUR EXEC COMMITTEE AND HELP BETTER OUR COMMUNITY. SPECIFICALLY, I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I VOLUNTEERED TO HELP WITH A PROBLEM THAT I THINK WE COULD FIX PRETTY QUICKLY. THERE'S SOME CONTEXT. CONSTRUCTION IS ALL AROUND OUR FIRST WARD NEIGHBORHOOD. WE'VE GOT THE I 10 WIDENING, UH, GOING ON UP NORTH. WE'VE GOT VARIOUS DEALS WITH I 45 ON THE EAST. UH, WE'VE GOT THE RESURFACED WASHINGTON AVENUE ON THE SOUTH, UH, AND THEN SEVERAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ON STU MONT. SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION. WHEN THE HOUSTON AVENUE BRIDGE GETS CLOSED FOR, UH, REPAIRS, TRAFFIC INCREASES ALONG CROCKETT STREET AS PEOPLE CUT ACROSS TO SAWYER, LOOKING FOR ANOTHER WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET OVER. UH, I 10 CROCKETT STREET IS THE ONLY EAST, WEST STREET THAT DOESN'T HAVE STOP SIGNS AT SILVER. RIGHT. AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT SILVER IS A BLOCK AND A HALF FROM CROCKETT ELEMENTARY. RIGHT. HOMEOWNERS ALONG CROCKETT HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER AND HIS STAFF AND WANNA THANK THEM AS WELL AS THE STAFF AT PUBLIC WORKS. BUT RIGHT NOW, CRASH DATA DOESN'T JUSTIFY ADDING A STOP SIGN BECAUSE, AND BECAUSE OF CROCKETT'S USE AS A EMS, UH, STREET OR ARTERY, WE CAN APPLY FOR THE SPEED CUSHIONS. SO THIS OCTOBER WHEN THE HOUSTON AVENUE BRIDGE WAS, AGAIN OUT, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD REPEATED STRIKES ON IT, UM, A SPEEDING CAR RAN OFF THE ROAD AT CROCKETT AND SILVER AND MAYOR, IF YOU JUST ENVISIONED, THEY HAD THEIR HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS UP. THEY HAD A SKELETON IN THE YARD, AND THEN THEY ALSO HAD A SUV. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY CONCERNING. SO, MAYOR, YOU, YOU OFTEN TALK ABOUT COMMON SENSE, RIGHT? YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEGREE TO KNOW WHEN THAT HOUSTON AVENUE BRIDGE IS CLOSED, PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE CUTTING ACROSS AT CROCKETT, RIGHT? INSTALLING STOP SIGN AT THIS INTERSECTION, WHICH AGAIN, IS THE ONLY SILVER STREET INTERSECTION THAT DOESN'T HAVE A STOP SIGN RIGHT NOW. UH, WOULD, WOULD REALLY HELP THE RESIDENTS, THE PEDESTRIANS, AND THE CHILDREN THAT ARE GOING TO CROCODILE ELEMENTARY. RECENTLY, THE FIRST WARD CIVIC CLUB PASSED A RESOLUTION, UH, URGING THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO INSTALL STOP SIGNS AT THE INTERSECTION. WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO GET LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES, AS WELL AS OUR STATE SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO, BOTH OF WHOM HAVE ATTENDED OUR MEETING AND ALWAYS HAVE STAFF THERE. UM, WE ARE ALSO ABLE TO PASS A RESOLUTION AT OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22. UH, SO BIG SHOUT OUT TO STACY FAIRCHILD THERE. MAYOR, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU, UH, TO SEE THIS FOR YOURSELF. 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN OUT TO ACTUALLY SEE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. I'VE BEEN AUTHORIZED TO SAY, I CAN BUY YOU A BURGER FROM STANTON'S. MY FAVORITE BURGER THERE IS THE, UH, UH, THE HOLY COW. BUT THEY'VE ALSO GOT A BURGER CALLED A MISS PIGGY AND A LUKE SKY BURGER. SO, UH, A LOT OF GOOD STUFF. THANK YOU, BILL. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND WE WILL SHARE YOUR INFORMATION AND HAVE PUBLIC WORKS GO TO WORK. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU. HOLD ON. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU, MAYOR BILL, WERE YOU, UH, DONE WITH YOUR REMARKS? I, I JUST HAD ONE MORE THING. ONE OF THE, UH, UH, UH, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, WHEN I, WHEN I BOUGHT MY HOME IN 2015, UH, BOUGHT IT IN MAY AND WE HAD OUR FIRST HALLOWEEN, WE WERE EXCITED AS HOMEOWNERS TO BE ABLE TO DO, WE HAD THREE TRIGGER TREATERS. SO IT WAS KIND OF A BUMMER THIS LAST YEAR WE HAD ALMOST A HUNDRED. WOW. RIGHT? SO THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNG FAMILIES THAT ARE MOVING IN THAT AREA. SURE. AND THAT'S WHY I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN HAD THE SITUATION ON WITH, UH, LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL, UH, WHERE IT WAS A SIMPLE KIND OF TRAFFIC TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO FIX A CONCERN. WE'RE REALLY, THINK IF WE JUST GET SOME STOP SIGNS IN THERE, THAT'S GONNA, THAT'S, THAT'LL SOLVE THE PROBLEM. AND IT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T HAVE THEM. AND THE STREET LITERALLY TURNS IN FIVE BLOCKS DOWN INTO THAT TARGET SHOPPING CENTER. SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A BIG FLOW ISSUE. IT'S JUST RIGHT THERE. YOU REALLY KIND OF NEED SOME FOLKS TO SLOW DOWN A BIT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND RUSSELL'S WORK ON ALWAYS ATTENDING OUR MEETINGS. STEVE, COUNCIL MEMBER. ABSOLUTELY. UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN HERE. YOU KNOW, Y'ALL HAVE REALLY ADVOCATED FOR THIS, UH, TIME AND TIME AGAIN. YOU'VE GOTTEN LETTERS OF SUPPORT PASSED RESOLUTIONS. UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE GET HIT BY THE SAME ROADBLOCK, WHICH IS THE CRASH DATA. THE CRASH DATA. AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DON'T WANT A TRAGEDY TO OCCUR FOR THE STOP SIGN TO GET PUT IN. UM, BUT WE ARE CLOSE TO A SCHOOL. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF RESIDENTIAL AREA. UH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO LOOK AT THIS, UM, THAT CAN QUALIFY THE STOP SIGN, UM, I WOULD ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT IT BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, WITH THAT CONSTRUCTION GOING ON AND THEN THE BRIDGE CLOSING, WE KNOW IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. THE HOUSTON AVENUE BRIDGE, IT'S GONNA GET, UH, MORE CONGESTED AND THERE WILL BE MORE TRAFFIC FLOWING DOWN. CROCKETT. THANK YOU. NEXT ROLAND CURRY, THANK TO BE FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM SOWELL. [00:50:06] GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MAYOR. MY NAME IS ROLAND CURRY. I LIVE AT 59 11 BENT BY LANE AND 2023 MY HOME. MY HOME LIFE WAS ABRUPTLY DISRUPTED WHEN, WHEN MY THEN SPOUSE LEFT WITHOUT NOTICE TAKING OUR ONLY VEHICLE AND REFUSING TO RETURN IT. WHAT FOLLOWED WAS A PATTERN OF UNLAWFUL ENTRIES INTO MY HOME. VANDALISM THEFT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY HARASSMENT AND FALSE POLICE CALLS MADE AGAINST ME. THE IN INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED TO THE HOUSTON POLICE. DESPITE REPEATED REPORTS, NONE OF THESE INCIDENTS HAVE RESULTED IN MEANINGFUL FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATIONS. EACH REPORT WAS TAKEN, RECORDED, AND THEN EFFECTIVELY DISREGARDED. I HAVE WRITTEN TO THIS COUNSEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO DIRECT, DIRECT COMMUNICATION THOSE EFFORTS RECEIVE NO RESPONSE. AS A LIFELONG HOUSTON UNIT, AN ARMY VETERAN TAXPAYER, I AM SIMPLY ASKING A SIMPLE QUESTION. WHY DOES ACCESS TO BASIC CITY SERVICES APPEAR TO DEPEND ON WHERE ONE LIVES? I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT RESIDENTS OF TANGLEWOOD, AUSTIN OAKS, SOUTH HAMPTON OR RIVER OAKS WOULD EXPERIENCE THE SAME LEVEL OF INACTION. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I FOUGHT. I I MATTER WHEN MY VOTING FAR FOR COUNCIL SEATS FOR BOND ELECTIONS. I SHOULD MATTER EQUALLY WHEN I NEED THE PROTECTION AND SERVICES OF MY CITY. EQUAL FER UNDER THE LAW SHOULD NOT BE OPTIONAL. AND THE COMMENT ON THIS ICE STUFF I GOT PULLED OVER SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND I'M AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HANDCUFFED AND THROWN IN THE BACK OF A POLICE CAR. THE ONLY THING SAVED ME. I HAD A GOOD FRIEND TOLD ME, ROLAND, YOU BETTER START CARRYING YOUR PASSPORT EVERYWHERE WE GO. PEOPLE SPEAK SPANISH TO YOU 'CAUSE THEY THINK YOU'RE SPANISH. WELL, I'M NOT. AND I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TAKE IT BACK TO THE 16 HUNDREDS. MY GRANDMOTHER CAME FROM FI LEON, MY ANCESTOR. SHE GOT A LAND GRANT FROM KING NAN. OKAY? AND SHE OWNED THE LAND WHEN WHITE WOMEN COULD NOT OWN LAND. SHE'S IN THE HISTORY BOOKS. WHEN GEORGE WASHINGTON DIED, UH, THEY HAD TO PUT MARTHA'S PROPERTY IN ONE OF HER NEPHEW'S NAME 'CAUSE SHE COULD NOT OWN PROPERTY. BUT YET STILL, I GOT HANDCUFFED AND THE ONLY THING SAVED ME, MY PASSPORT WAS IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. I SHOULDN'T NEED A PASSPORT TO KEEP FROM BEING THREATENED TO BE SENT TO EL SALVADOR. OKAY? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCILMAN P*****K ONE. I JUST WANT TO, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING, BUT TWO, THANK YOU SIR. UM, I DON'T THINK ANYONE AROUND THIS, THIS HORSESHOE, UM, WANTS YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE TO BELIEVE THAT SERVICES ARE BASED ON ZIP CODE. SO WE, WE WOULD, WE WOULD DO WHAT YOU CAN. I'LL GIVE YOU MY CARD TO MAKE SURE I GET PERSONALLY GET THAT. AND JUST REAL QUICK. YEAH. UH, I HAVE A PERSIAN RUG OKAY? IN MY BEDROOM THAT IS SOAKED WITH URINE THAT BELONGS TO THE GUY THAT'S BEEN COMING IN MY HOME. YEAH. AND I, I'VE LEFT IT IN TO PRESERVE MORE THAN OTHERS. THE DNA GUESS WHAT? THEY GOT A BROTHER THAT, THE ONE THAT FOR CALLED PLANET THE BOMB IN DC YEAH, THEY NA HIM. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY PINGED HIS TELEPHONE. OKAY, GUESS WHAT? PING THIS GUY'S PHONE AND WE CAN FIND OUT WHO BEEN IN MY HOME FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. COME ON. I GOT YOU. I, YEAH, I'LL PASS MY CAR TOO. THE TECHNOLOGY IS OUT THERE, BUT IF IT IS JUST FOR THE RICH OR CAN THE POOR GET THE SAME S COME ON NOW. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. AND GUESS WHAT? I'M, I'M GONNA SAY THIS AND I'M DONE. I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF THE GOVERNOR, BUT MAYBE HE RIGHT, MAYBE HE NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE MONEY TO MAKE THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE RED THAN BLUE. I DON'T KNOW. I'M NOT A RED PERSON, BUT A CONGRESSWOMAN TOLD ME THAT MY LATE FRIEND SHEILA JACKSON LEE, SHE SAID, MR. CURRY, DID YOU KNOW THE FBI GOT A FILE ON YOU. SO GUESS WHAT? IF SHE TOLD ME THAT, THEN IF THE FBI GOT A FILE ON ME, I'M SURE HPD GOT ONE TOO. COME ON. I'M DONE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT. WILLIAM SOWELL. SEE YOU GONNA LEARN GETTING IN THAT MIC, TRYING TO HAVE TO COME TO BE FOLLOWED BY CRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ. YES. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE HOMELESS. UH, BECAUSE I WAS HOMELESS THROUGH THE RAIN [00:55:01] AND THE COLD AND EVERYTHING, AND Y'ALL HAVE A PROGRAM THROUGH THE SALVATION ARMY THAT HELPS THE HOMELESS PEOPLE COME OFF THE STREETS. AND UH, UH, ON CHRISTMAS EVE, AN INSPECTOR CAME AND MY MANAGER AT THE APARTMENTS CAME TO MY APARTMENT ON CHRISTMAS EVE, SAID THEY WAS GONNA DO A POPUP, UH, UH, UH, VISIT NO 48 HOUR NOTICE THAT THEY WAS GONNA BE COMING TO MY APARTMENT OR ANYTHING. AND THEY CALLED ME ON THE PHONE AND SAID, AND I TOLD 'EM I WAS NOT AT HOME ON CHRISTMAS EVE. SO THEY SAID IF I DIDN'T, I WAS GONNA LOSE MY APARTMENT. SO THE MANAGER GAVE ME EVICTION NOTICE TO MOVE OUT WITHIN ON THE 29TH OF THIS MONTH BECAUSE I WAS NOT AT HOME FOR THEM TO COME IN AND DO MY, UH, UH, INSPECTION TO MY APARTMENT. AND THIS IS A A, A BAD WAY TO START THE YEAR OFF KICKING PEOPLE BACK OFF INTO THE STREETS WHEN I KNOW OTHER HOMELESS PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE MAYOR SAID HE DOESN'T WANT US ON THE STREETS OR WE'RE GOING TO JAIL. SO I THANK GOD FOR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE FOR ME AND HAD GOT ME APARTMENT. AND I'VE BEEN IN MINES FOR THREE YEARS, AND NOW THEY WANT TO KICK ME OUTTA MY APARTMENT. BUT THEY PUSHED A NOTE UP UNDER MY DOOR THAT THEY WAS GONNA GIVE ME, UH, UH, 30 DAYS TO GET OUT. AND MY CASE, THIS MONEY GOES TO THE SALVATION ARMY TO HELP THOSE HOMELESS PEOPLE COME OFF THE STREET. AND THE CASEWORKERS, UH, THEY COME TO THE, MY APARTMENT HARASSING ME. COME IN MY BEDROOM TAKING PICTURES, VIDEO RECORDING, VIDEO RECORDING ME. THIS IS, I KNOW ME WHAT I NEED. I, AND THIS IS REALLY HYPING ME UP WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME, WELL, YOU NEED TO GO GET A JOB AND THIS AND THAT. THE GOVERNMENT IS GIVING YOU MONEY TO TAKE CARE AND YOU INVADED MY PRIVACY. YOU DISCUSSED IN MY PERSONAL BUSINESS AMONG RESIDENTS THAT'S PASSING THROUGH, RIGHT? THERE'S A, YOU SEE THAT YOUR ADDRESS, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THE STAFF HAVE NO RIGHT. WHY WOULD YOU, Y'ALL WON'T EVEN YOUR UNIT. WHY YOU WANNA COME INTO MY HOUSE, INVADE MY PRIVACY. INVADE MY PRIVACY, OKAY. AND THEN HOLD AND HOLD IT. LEMME YOU DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO COME IN MY HOUSE. MY, YOU CAN GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS. OKAY? AND, UH, AND, AND, AND, UH, THEY, LIKE I SAY, THEY TAKE PICTURES OF MY BEDROOM, UH, COMING TO MY DOOR WITH PUTTING THE CAMERAS IN MY FACE. YEAH, WE'RE GOING. NO ONE HAS A RIGHT TO DO THAT. ALL THIS HARD WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING SURE. FOR THE HOMELESS PEOPLE SHOWING LOVE BECAUSE THE WORD IS OUT ON THE STREET THAT YOU, YOU, THEY'RE SAYING THAT YOU SAID YOU DON'T WANT THEM ON THE STREET OR THEY GOING TO JAIL. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, CONSIDER YOUR SOURCE. NO ONE'S GOING TO JAIL FOR BEING HOMELESS. OKAY? WELL THAT'S, THEY, THEY SCARED THEY STAND THERE. I UNDERSTAND. BUT MORE MISINFORMATION. WHY DON'T YOU MEET WITH MS. WILLIAMS? SHE'S VERY GOOD. AND WE WILL, UH, GET YOUR INFORMATION. SEE WHAT AUTHORITY IS ACTUALLY THE SO-CALLED INSPECTOR WORKING FOR. YEAH. 'CAUSE THE MANAGER OR MY, UH, CASE WORKER COULD NOT EVEN, WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A NAME. AND YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE. WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. OKAY? THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU MAYOR. YOU LOOK SHARP TODAY TOO. WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE OF YOU, AND GOD. NEXT, CRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ TCOY TO BE FOLLOWED BY XAVIER HOLMES HOMES. HI EVERYONE. HOW ARE YOU DOING? MY NAME IS TRAMEL MCCOY. I'M THE OWNER OF PRONTO SHIPPING AND STORAGE. UM, I'M ONE OF THE LARGEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE OWNERS IN SOUTH PARK. I BROUGHT MY BUSINESS OVER THERE TO GROW THE COMMUNITY. I'VE MADE IT GORGEOUS WHILE I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH SOUTH PARK GAS STATION. THE DUMPING. HERE'S THE DUMPING, HERE'S THE DUMPING. I PAY A LANDSCAPER $500 A WEEK TO PICK UP ALL THE GRASS. I MEAN ALL THE TRASH SURROUNDING MY NINE AND A HALF ACRES I OWN. AND THE TWO BUILDINGS, GUESS WHAT? THE TRASH COMES BACK AND IT KEEPS COMING BACK. I AM TIRED. I NEED HELP. I AM TIRED. UM, OKAY, LET'S KEEP GOING. STORM DRAINS. I HAVE NO STORM DRAINS ON VAN FLEET. SO WHEN IT RAINS, YOU GET ONE HARD RAIN. I'M TRAPPED AND MY EMPLOYEES ARE TRAPPED. WE ALL ARE TRAPPED BECAUSE I OWN BOTH OF THE BUILDINGS ON THE CORNER AND THE OTHER BUILDING BEHIND. SO I'M JUST LIKE, I'M DOING MY PART. I'VE MADE IT GORGEOUS. PEOPLE COME OVER THERE AND THEY WERE LIKE, YOU OWN IT. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. I'VE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY MAKING IT BEAUTIFUL. SOUTH PARK HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE NEXT LOGISTICS HUB. OKAY? IT'S QUIETLY BECOMING THAT. I PUT MY, I BOUGHT [01:00:01] THE REAL ESTATE, I MOVED MY BUSINESS OVER THERE. NEXT HEB, THEY MOVED THEIR DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSE OVER THERE. AND IF YOU LOOK AT MY PERMIT, I JUST PULLED A PERMIT TO BUILD ANOTHER WAREHOUSE OVER THERE. MLK. THERE'S ANOTHER DEVELOPER. HE BUILT HIS HUGE, UH, WAREHOUSE, LOGISTIC PARK. SO WE ALL ARE IN LOGISTICS AND WE ARE BUILDING WAREHOUSES. WE WANNA MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL, BUT WE NEED SOME HELP WITH THE TRASH. SOUTH PARK GAS STATION. THE OWNER HAS ALREADY BEEN INDICTED FOR, GUESS WHAT? FUEL TAX FRAUD. OKAY. THEY SELL DRUGS UP THERE. . I NEED SOME HELP. I NEED SOME HELP. I NEED SOMEONE TO HELP ME. PLEASE. I'M BECKY, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN. UH, THERE IS A TREMENDOUS PROBLEM WITH, WITH TRASH. CERTAINLY. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO TALK TO THE LADY OVER THERE IN THE DOOR. COREY. COREY, UM, HE'S, HE, I MEAN, I CALL OVER THERE, THEY PICK UP THE TRASH, THE POLICE COME, THEY RUN THE HOMELESS PEOPLE, THEN THEY COME BACK THE NEXT DAY. THEY HAVE AN ILLEGAL DUMPING BUSINESS. THEY, YOU PAY 'EM $5, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DUMP. HERE COMES MY LANDSCAPER. I GIVE 500 A WEEK. HE'S PICKING UP ALL THE TRASH. I HAVE TO MAKE IT LOOK BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE MY BUSINESS IS THERE AND I DON'T WANT TO RUN MY CUSTOMERS OFF. RIGHT. SO I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO, IT'S, IT'S A CONSISTENT PROBLEM. AND CERTAINLY, UH, HAVE TALKED TO INGRAM OVER THERE. WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. I KNOW IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING. IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I'M MAKING IT BEAUTIFUL. YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT WE DO RESPOND AND COME AND, AND GET IT CLEANED UP. BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN IF THE GAS STATION NEEDS TO BE DEMOED. I MEAN, ARE WE DEMOING? CAN WE DEMO THE GAS STATION BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SELLING GAS ? BOY, THAT'S A SERIOUS QUESTION. I MEAN, CAN WE DEMO THE GAS? I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, CAN WE DEMO? YOU'RE GONNA SEE DEMO. LET'S DEMO THE GAS STATION. THAT'S WHERE THE TRA I MEAN, THEY SELL DRUGS OUT IN THE OPEN. THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING. PROBABLY BLOCKS THE DRAINAGE TOO. WHAT IT DOES. SO LET'S DEMO THE GAS STATION. . I MEAN, LET, LOOK, I'M JUST HERE. I WANT, LET'S GET RID OF THE GAS STATION. ILL YOU WHAT WE WILL NOTIFY HPD OF YOUR LOCATION. THEY'VE ACTUALLY STARTED DOING SOME STINGS, UH, ON, ON A SELECT BASIS. MM-HMM . HOTSPOTS THAT ARE CONTINUING REPEAT VIOLATORS. UH, CYNTHIA, LET'S, LET'S TURN THIS OVER TO, UH, THE CHIEF'S OFFICE. I HAVE A QUESTION. DO YOU HAVE A CAMERA? I'M SORRY. EVANS. I HAVE CAMERAS EVERYWHERE. I'M ONE OF THE LARGEST. AND SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PICK UP ANY FOOTAGE OF ANYBODY DOING THE DUMPING? IF YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED THEIR LICENSE PLATE NUMBER. UH, I I MEAN A LICENSE PLATE. I DON'T MEAN FOR YOU TO BE A IT JUST COME OF MY BUSINESS. THEY'LL DO IT. RIGHT. A SHIRO OR NOTHING LIKE THAT. IT'S, IT'S A GROUP. IT'S A GROUP. BUT HAVE YOU VIEWED YOUR CAMERAS TO SEE IF YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE ANYBODY THAT'S DOING THE DUMPING? IT'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND THEY'LL COME PULL UP. THAT'S AMAZING. THEY'LL JUST DUMP THEIR TRASH AND THEY KEEP GOING. MA'AM, WE'RE ON IT. I I, I WILL WORK WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER AND DO SOME VIDEO AND I'VE, I'VE HAD PEOPLE COME YOU, IT'S BEAUTIFUL OVER HERE. TRELL, YOU'VE MADE THIS PROPERTY BEAUTIFUL. YEAH. I'M LIKE, YEAH, I HAVE. BUT WHAT ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE? , RIGHT? GOOD. THANK YOU. I'M TIRED. THANK YOU FOR COMING. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. STOP AND TALK TO INGRAM OVER THERE. THANK YOU. WE JUST GET THE ADDRESS. WE'LL CALL THE CHIEF, UH, NEXT XAVIER HOLMES LEE PERRY TO BE FOLLOWED BY BRENDA RODRIGUEZ. MY NAME IS LEE FERRY. UH, I'VE BEEN IN HERE SEVERAL TIMES. I FILED A COMPLAINT IN HPD, UH, FINANCIAL CRIMES NETWORK TWO YEARS AGO. AND, UH, SINCE THAT TIME PERIOD, I'VE BEEN IN CIVIL COURT. JUST GOT BOTH OF THESE. TODAY I'M IN CIVIL COURT, BUT WHILE IN CIVIL COURT, THE JUDGE DISTRICT COURT JUDGE RIGHT DOWNTOWN SAID THAT PART OF MY COMPLAINT IS CRIMINAL. AND YOU NEED TO TELL YOU ACROSS THE STREET, WHEN I FILED MY COMPLAINT WITH HPD, THE GUY THAT'S BEEN HANDLING THE THING, HE SAID, IT AIN'T CRIMINAL. IF YOU GOOGLE IT, IT SAYS SPECIFICALLY YOU CANNOT BUY PROPERTY WITH A, A COUNTERFEIT CHECK. I SIGNED MY PROPERTY OVER TO HIM. HE GAVE ME A CHECK THAT WAS USELESS WITH THE BANK. AND THAT'S CRIMINAL. YEAH. AND IF YOU GO GET A JACK CHECK, EPT OR ANY KIND OF WAY YOU WANT [01:05:01] TO, NOW WE IN COURT, IN CIVIL COURT, IN THE CIVIL COURT DISTRICT COURT JUDGE SPECIFICALLY TOLD BOTH OF US, THAT IS CRIMINAL. YOU NEED TO TAKE IT ACROSS THE STREET. I COULD ONLY HANDLE A SILVER PORT. LET'S GO FURTHER THAN THAT. I WROTE HER THE BAND LETTER TO THE COMPANY IN NOVEMBER. THEY PAID ME FOR EVERY MONTH FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE VERY NEXT MONTH. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I REMINDED THEM OF THE CRIMINALITY OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING NOW. AND THIS GUY, OH, FIRST OF ALL, NOW I REALIZE DONALD TRUMP, HE DISSOLVED THE FINANCIAL CRIMES NETWORK ON A FEDERAL BASIS. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW FROM Y'ALL IS ARE YOU DOING THE SAME THING HERE ON THE STATE LEVEL? BECAUSE IT APPEARS TO ME, YOU, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ANY REASON WHY YOU NOT SAYING THAT. NOW, THE COUNTY CLERK SAYS IT'S CRIMINAL. THE DISTRICT COURT JUDGE SAYS IT IS CRIMINAL. I SENT HIM A DEMAND LETTER. THEY IMMEDIATELY PAID ME FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. AND THIS GUY'S STILL TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ABOUT HE DON'T TAKE HIS CRIMINAL. HOW LONG SOMEBODY THAT COULD BE DOING THAT IS THE, THE SECOND DAY DONALD TRUMP GOT IN IN OFFICE, HE DISSOLVES THE FINANCIAL CRIMES NETWORK. THAT'S ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL. WE HERE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL HAVE OUR FINANCIAL CRIMES NETWORK BEEN BIZARRE. WHEN WE GET SCAMS DOWN HERE ON THIS HEAD HERE, I'M 74 YEARS OLD. I'M A US VETERAN, AND I, I HATE TO BE GETTING SCAM LIKE THAT. AND THEN YOU GOT SOMEBODY, SEE YOU. THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE WHEN YOU GET SCAMS, THE FIRST THING THEY SAY DO IS REPORT REPORTED TO THE HPD DEPARTMENT. I DID THAT TWO YEARS AGO. TWO YEARS LATER, HE'S STILL TALKING ABOUT THE CHECK. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HE TALKING ABOUT. HAVE YOU MET WITH THE DA'S OFFICE? NO. I CAN'T GET TO THE DA. THE FIRST HE HAVE TO SUBMIT SOMETHING TO THEM. SAID, I DO BELIEVE IT'S CRIMINAL NOW. EVERYBODY, THE COUNTY CLERK SAYS CRIMINAL. A JUDGE THAT SAID IT'S CRIMINAL. EVEN A COMPANY REALIZED THEY GOT A SECOND OPINION THAT SAID THEY MUST HAVE REALIZED THAT THEY WAS DOING CRIMINAL BECAUSE THEY SAID IT TWO, TWO YEARS WORTH OF PAYMENT. THE VERY NEXT MONTH. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO. AND HE'S STILL UP HERE TALKING ABOUT HE DON'T BELIEVE HE WAS CRIMINAL. OKAY. BUT ANYWAY, BECAUSE I'M STILL IN CIVIL COURT, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN OVER WITH A LONG TIME AGO. IT DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO GO HERE. OKAY. IT DIDN'T HAVE TO. WE'LL TALK TO THE AUTHORITIES. WELL, I HOPE SOMEBODY DO BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? IF SOMEBODY OUGHT TALK TO 'EM, I'M LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THIS IS MY INTENT TO SUE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN CONSTITUTIONALLY DEPRIVED OF MY RIGHTS AND I WILL BE SUING HPD. OKAY, YOU'RE COUNSEL MEMBER. I'M LETTING Y'ALL KNOW RIGHT NOW. IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU MR. PERRY. MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, I KNOW MR. PERRY PERSONALLY, HE IS A VERY CREDIBLE INDIVIDUAL. SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ASSIST HIM, I HOPE THAT WE CAN, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN COMING DOWN HERE A FEW TIMES. I HAVE, I'M SURE THE STATUTE HAS STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS TOLD OR LOOK AFTER I, I SENT THEM A DEMAND LETTER IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER. THEY PAID ME FOR TWO YEARS OF BACK PAY. IMMEDIATELY THEY GOT A SECOND OPINION FROM I GUESS A CRIMINAL LAW. YOU REALIZED THAT THEY WAS DOING WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS CRIMINAL AND THEY IMMEDIATELY PAID ME. BUT IT GOES ON. SEE THIS OIL AND GAS COMPANY, THEY PAID ME ALL THE BACK MONEY. AND THE ONLY PERSON STILL TALKING ABOUT IT AIN'T CRIMINAL IS A CIVIL LAWYER. YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? SO YOU HAVE A CIVIL LAWYER? NO, I DON'T. I CAN'T AFFORD, NOW I ONLY GET SOCIAL SECURITY. THAT'S THE PROBLEM. I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN. THEY PREY ON US WITH THAT. THEY SEND THESE FALSE CHECKS OUT, THEY GET OUR PROPERTY, AND ONCE THEY FILE, WE'LL HAVE HPD TAKE A LOOK. IN FACT, HP D'S ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH THE BUSINESS LADY THAT WAS HERE A MOMENT AGO. SO THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO COUNSEL WILL MAKE CERTAIN, WELL, YOU NEED TO TELL ME SOMETHING. I'M, HE NEED TO TELL ME SOMETHING BECAUSE SEE, I JUST GOT THIS TODAY. I GOT ONE THAT, THAT'S BEST I CAN DO AT, AT THIS POINT. THIS IS HAVE HPD LOOK AT IT, HUH? AND THE BEST WE COULD DO RIGHT THIS MINUTE IS HAVE HPD REVIEW YOUR PAPERS AND SEE IF IN THEIR OPINION, IT'S A CRIMINAL MATTER. THEN THEY CAN REFER IT TO THE DA. I DONE HEARD THAT FOR TWO YEARS NOW. COUNCILOR [01:10:01] POLLARD. I'M JUST SAYING, MR. PERRY, I, I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU OUTSIDE. YEAH, I GOT SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING. THANK YOU. NEXT BRENDA RODRIGUEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY ASHTON POPE. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER PRO, TIM, AND ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS BRENDA RODRIGUEZ. I'VE BEEN HERE A LOT OF TIMES AND IT IS SAID, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. I'VE HEARD TO SAY A LOT OF PEOPLE IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS ARE FACING SERIOUS ENCROACHMENT PROBLEMS. AND TO ENSURE NO ENCROACHMENT TAKES PLACE, ALL LOTS IN OUR AREA NEED TO BE SURVEYED AT LEAST THREE TIMES BEFORE ANY, UH, BUILDINGS OR BUSINESSES GO UP, BECAUSE THESE SURVEYORS ARE NOT GOING BY THE ORIGINAL PLA OF OUR AREA. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE PAYING TAXES ON PROPERTY. THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE PROPERTY OWNED. ANOTHER PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING IN OUR AREA IS THAT A GUY NAMED HADDI JAFAR ABOUT PROPERTY TAX SALE. AND THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF HEIDI'S PROPERTY WITHOUT CONFLICT OF CONTROVERSY, IS LOCATED AT 5 0 8 EAST 38TH STREET LOT 27 28 29 BLOCK 54 INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS. UH, ZIP CODE 7 7 0 18. ACCORDING TO THE HCA MAP, SOMEONE IS TRYING TO MAKE FALSE DOCUMENTS SAYING THAT HIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED ON 39TH STREET. AND IF YOU MAKE A FALSE STATEMENT ON PAPERWORK, YOU COULD BE FOUND GUILTY OF A CLASS MISDEMEANOR AND A STATE JAIL FELONY UNDER TEXAS PENAL CODE SECTION 30 17. AND, UH, AND, UH, MY FAMILY, UH, PROPERTY HAD NO PRIOR DELINQUENT TAXES. AND OUR FAMILY DEEDED THE PROPERTY TO OUR CHURCH, GREATER NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH. THE DEEDS WERE FILED BY REAL ESTATE LAWYER ROBIN HARLAN. WE HIRED A LAWYER NAMED ANN RICHIE. AND BACK ON FEBRUARY THE 24TH, 2012, SHE SAID THAT SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO TRICK US OUT OF OUR LOTS, BUT SHE NEVER TOLD US HOW SHE DID NOT REPRESENT US THE WAY A LAWYER'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAD. BUT LATER WE FOUND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT REALLY, TRULY, HONESTLY HAPPENED, AND ALL WE WANT NOW IS FOR SOMEONE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND TO STOP THIS, UH, GUY HEIDI AND HIS LAWYER FROM, UH, HARASSING OUR CHURCH AND US ABOUT OUR PROPERTY. CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR BRENDA. HI. GOOD TO SEE YOU. I WANT TO FIRST OFFER MY CONDOLENCES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR MOM. UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE, UM, GONE BACK AND FORTH, UH, WITH A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS, UH, AROUND THIS WITH Y'ALL FROM, UH, MY STAFF MM-HMM . AND REALLY HAVE BEEN, UH, TRYING TO GET THE COUNTY INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE, UM, AS IT'S REALLY IN THEIR PURVIEW. UM, I KNOW Y'ALL WANT, UH, A SITE VISIT TO, ON THE PROPERTY MM-HMM . AND I'M ABSOLUTELY, UH, WILLING TO DO THAT. UM, BUT I DO WANT TO GET THEM THERE AS WELL SO WE CAN ALL BE THERE, UH, AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHERE THIS NEEDS TO BE IN TERMS OF WHERE Y'ALL ARE WORKING THROUGH THE ISSUES. BUT, UH, I AM COMMITTED TO, TO HELPING Y'ALL IN THAT PROCESS. UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET SOME RESOLUTION ON FOR, FOR MANY YEARS. WE HAVE BEEN, LIKE I SAY, HIS PROPERTY IS ON 38TH STREET, NOT OUR STREET, 39TH STREET. AND WE'VE BEEN HARASSED ABOUT THIS HERE SINCE, LIKE I SAY, BACK IN 2012. AND THIS IS NEED TO JUST STOP. YEAH. SO, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO CON COMMUNICATE WITH Y'ALL AND GET, UH, A MEETING OUT THERE. I APPRECIATE IT WITH MY OFFICE IN THE, IN THE COUNTY AS WELL. I APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT ASTON POPE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANTHONY SLOAN OF KATIE. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ASHTON POPE. I'M A NATIVE OF LOUISIANA AND HAVE LIVED IN TEXAS FOR MOST OF MY LIFE. I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT TWO TOPICS, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES. FIRSTLY, MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE OUTPATIENT COMPETENCY RESTORATION PROGRAM AT 25 0 5 SOUTHMORE BOULEVARD AND HOUSTON WAS VERY POSITIVE. THANK YOU. UNLIKE OTHER MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTIONS, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROGRAM ALLOWED A DEGREE OF FREEDOM TO GO OUTSIDE, WHICH I FOUND HELPFUL FOR RECOVERY. I CONTINUE TO VOLUNTARILY LIVE AT A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY, AND ACCESS TO NATURE AND OUTDOOR SPACES HAS BEEN EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL FOR MY WELLBEING. I ENCOURAGE LOUISIANA RESIDENTS TO CONSIDER ADVOCATING FOR SIMILAR APPROACHES. I ALSO ENCOURAGE OTHER HOUSTON AREA MENTAL FACILITIES TO PROVIDE OUTDOOR SPACES [01:15:01] WITH GREENERY AND ADEQUATE WALKING SPACES, AS IS DONE AT THE OCR PROGRAM AND UT HEALTH PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT MASSACHUSETTS PROVIDES ADDITIONAL PROCEDURAL PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE. INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INVOLUNTARILY HOSPITALIZED ARE OFFERED A THREE DAY NOTICE PERIOD IN, IN SOME CASES, THE OPTION TO CONVERT TO CONDITIONAL VOLUNTARY STATUS. THIS APPROACH SUPPORTS CONTINUED CONTINUITY OF CARE WHILE GIVING PATIENTS GREATER ADVOCACY AND CLARITY REGARDING THEIR LEGAL STATUS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS CONDITIONAL VOLUNTARY ADMISSION OPTION CONSIDERED IN HOUSTON. AS PART OF BROADER EFFORTS TO SUPPORT PATIENT-CENTERED MENTAL HEALTH CARE. MASSACHUSETTS HAS ALSO CONSISTENTLY REPORTED A LOWER SUICIDE RATE THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH IS OFTEN REFERENCED IN DISCUSSIONS OF ACCESS TO SUPPORTIVE CARE AND PROCEDURAL PROTECTIONS. SECONDLY, REGARDING PRESIDENTIAL ELIGIBILITY, ARTICLE TWO OF THE US CONSTITUTION REQUIRES THAT A PRESIDENT HAVE 14 YEARS OF RESIDENTS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. THIS REQUIREMENT HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE THE NATION'S FOUNDING AND REFLECTS THE FRAMER'S INTENT TO ENSURE FAMILIARITY WITH THE COUNTRY AND INDEPENDENCE FROM FOREIGN INFLUENCE. I BELIEVE THAT PUBLIC FIGURES, INCLUDING DONALD TRUMP SHOULD PROVIDE PUBLIC CLEAR PROOF OF HAVING MET THIS CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY CONTACTED A CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE, CONGRESSMAN DAN CRENSHAW. I DO NOT HAVE CONFIRMATION THAT CORRESPONDENCE WAS RECEIVED OR PERSONALLY REVIEWED, AND I HAVE TWO CURRENT HOUSTON MAILING ADDRESSES IN TWO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. AND IT'S UNCLEAR WHICH ADDRESS IS APPLICABLE FOR CONSTITUENT CORRESPONDENCE. WHILE PHOTOGRAPHS OR PUBLIC APPEARANCES MAY SUGGEST PRESENCE IN THE UNITED STATES, ELIGIBILITY IS GENERALLY VERIFIED THROUGH OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION. I OFFER THESE REMARKS SOLELY TO PROVIDE CONTEXT ON CONSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS AND MENTAL HEALTH POLICY CONSIDERATIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER HAS A PROCEDURAL MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PROCEDURAL MOTION TO ADD MARIAN WRIGHT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE, UH, THREE MINUTE. OKAY. TWO MINUTE LIST. OKAY. MOTION MAY 2ND. WE ON A THREE MINUTE LIST. SECOND THREE MINUTE LIST. THREE MINUTE LIST. OH, SORRY. THREE MINUTE LIST. YOU OKAY. MOTION PASSES. NEXT ONE SECOND. ANTHONY SLOAN OF KATIE. MICHELLE EGEN HOCKLEY. I DON'T SEE HER. ILI. ILI MONTOYA. REVIS OF HUMBLE. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MR. UH, JOHN WIMAR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THIS WAS MY GRANDPA, MY WORLD WAR II GRANDPA AND MY GRANDMOTHER. UM, I WAS TOLD THAT, UH, SOME OF YOU WERE THE, UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WAS, UH, HOMELESS. I WASN'T HOMELESS. WE'RE HAVING, HAVING SOME, UH, FAMILY ISSUES. I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU. UH, WE WERE NOT VERY CLOSE TO SOME OF YOU AT THE TIME THAT, UH, SYLVESTER TURNER WAS, UH, HERE. VERY, VERY, UH, WERE VERY RUDE. UH, BESIDES BEING POLITICIANS, YOU GUYS ARE HUMAN BEINGS. I'M A US CITIZEN. I WAS TRAINED BY GRANDPA WORLD WAR II VETERAN. I WAS RUN, UH, REALLY OLD PEOPLE, UH, ALL MY LIFE. UM, UM, RECENTLY. WE HAVEN'T PLAYED A GAME AMONG MY FRIENDS. THE AIRBNB GAME, THE HOTEL GAME, THE I GO TO GAME THAT I DON'T WANNA TALK TO. YOU GAME. THAT YOU ARE BEING RUDE. AND AS A US CITIZEN, I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO ABIDE BY THE CONSTITUTION. ABIDE BY THE LAW. MANY TIMES I ADDRESS ARTURO MICHEL. I SAID, TELL ME ABOUT MY LEGAL RIGHTS RECENTLY, UH, LAST TIME I ADDRESSED YOU, MR. POLLER, YOU WERE VERY RUDE. I, I COULDN'T BELIEVE THOSE WORDS WERE COMING OUT OF YOU SINCE YOU ARE SUCH A GOOD GUY. AND YOU ALL, ALL OF A SUDDEN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE POSSESSED BY DEMONS. I VERY, I'M VERY SPIRITUAL OR, OR WHAT KIND OF MEETINGS OR PEOPLE YOU ARE ROBBING AGAINST. UH, SO I DON'T WANNA TALK TO YOU, OKAY? UH, AND I, I THINK SYLVESTER, HE WILL BE HERE. HE WILL BE ASHAMED OF ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVEN'T DONE, DONE, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVEN'T MEETING, AND THE PICTURES YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN. BUT THAT'S OKAY. I'M NOT GONNA HELP YOU. UH, UH, WHAT IS IT CALLED WITH MEDIUM WORK? UM, I, I HAVEN'T BEEN HOMELESS. I WOULD LIKE TO [01:20:01] SEE MY KIDS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MY GRAND BABIES. I MEAN, THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH JOSH, DANA, UH, LUPE, UH, STEVE TRU, AND THE FAMILY. UH, I'M STAYING CURRENTLY WITH SOME, UH, MEMBERS FROM THE CHURCH, FROM THE LDS, UH, THE, THIS CHURCH. I DON'T MIND COMING HERE TO SUPPORT YOU. WE NOT PAY, UM, UH, IN THE, UH, DISTRICT, UM, BY LEE ROAD. UM, I'M RENTING WITH SOME MEMBERS OF A CHURCH, UH, IN THE DISTRICT OF, UH, TAR JACKSON. I'M TAKING BLOOD, BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATION, SERLINE, THAT'S FOR DEPRESSION BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE TOO MUCH DRAMA, TOO MUCH, UH, UH, STUFF THAT YOU GUYS CANNOT RESOLVE WHEN IT CAN BE RESOLVED. A STEP ONE BY ONE BASED UPON THE LAW. I DON'T KNOW WHY, WHY YOU GUYS ARE PAYING ARTURO IF YOU GUYS ARE NOT GONNA TAKE HIM IN CONSIDERATION. I DON'T LIKE, I CANNOT DRIVE MY JOB. I HAVE TO TAKE MEDICATION. I HAVE TO TAKE MEDICATION BECAUSE IF I DON'T TAKE MEDICATION, I CAN HAVE A HEART ATTACK. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE WAS MY ATTORNEY AND HE DROPPED MY CASE AT NIGHT. THEY SAID, I YOUR TIME EXPIRED. I CANNOT REMEMBER A BUNCH OF STUFF. THANK YOU, SIR. MARIAN WRIGHT TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB NEWSOM. HI. UM, FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS AND A WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST COUNCIL MEMBER. SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE. SECONDLY, I WANTED TO THANK TWO OF YOUR EMPLOYEES, UM, OR CITY COUNCIL OR, UM, EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THE FIRST ONE IS A MR. VAN. THERE WAS A BIG GIANT HOLE THAT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AT COLUMBIA AND 12TH. AND, UM, WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND IT WAS JUST THIS BIG HOLE. IT WAS LIKE A SINKHOLE. AND, UM, THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN COMING IN, A PUBLIC WORKS TRUCK. HE WORKED, ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE HE SAID, UM, INSPECTIONS, ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS. HIS LAST NAME WAS MR. VAN. HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HOLE, NOTHING AT ALL. BUT HE STOPPED AND HELPED FIND CONES TO CONE IT OFF UNTIL Y'ALL COULD COME OUT LATER THAT DAY TO TAKE CARE OF IT. AND HE MADE A POINT OF SAYING, I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO REPURPOSE THESE CONES, BUT WE NEED TO. HE WENT AND HE DID THE JOB. HE DID WHAT HAD TO BE DONE. HE CONNED IT OFF. AND SO I JUST TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD COME AND THANK HIM AT SESSION. AND HE SAID, THANK YOU. 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL WE GET IS NEGATIVE STUFF. SO, MR. VAN, GIVE HIM A PROMOTION. DO WHATEVER YOU CAN. NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT HE TOOK CARE OF THE SITUATION. I'D ALSO LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF, MS. WILSON. THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH CENTER POINT THAT, UM, TRIED TO HOLD UP A UTILITY POLE BY BLOCKING THE STREET AT JC PARK. I CONTACTED COUNCIL MEMBER CAME CAYMAN'S OFFICE, AND ALSO LESLIE BRIAN'S OFFICE. 'CAUSE MS. BRIANIS IS NOW TAKING OVER THE PARK MAINTENANCE. THEY BOTH SAID THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS CENTER POINT. I ASKED FOR WHO COULD HAVE CONTACTED CENTER POINT, NOTHING. I GOT IN TOUCH WITH MS. WILSON EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING BY TWO 30 THAT AFTERNOON. THE PROBLEM WAS TAKEN CARE OF. IT WAS JUST THE EDGES OF THE BRACE HAD TO BE CUT UNTIL THEY CAN, I GUESS, FIX THE POLE PROPERLY. THIS WAS SINCE THE DE RATIO. IT HAD BEEN THERE. WE HAD MADE MULTIPLE CALLS, NOTHING GOT IT DONE. SHE GOT IT DONE WITHIN LESS THAN 24 HOURS. SO THANK YOU FOR CUTTING THROUGH THE SILLY RED TAPE AND JUST DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO THANK YOU IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION FOR THAT. THANK YOU. NEXT, JACOB NEWSOM TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSEPH AMMA. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL, AND CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS. UM, SO TODAY I'LL PICK UP WHERE THE FOUNDING FATHERS LEFT OFF, WHICH IS WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, HOWEVER, NO TRUTH LIVES UNLESS WE EMBODY IT. SO THIS WEEK, YOU'RE NOT JUST VOTING ON CONTRACTS, PARKS, OR DRAINAGE. YOU'RE DECIDING WHAT KIND OF LEGACY WE LEAVE BEHIND. AND WILL THESE BE JUST TRANSACTIONS OR WILL THIS WEEK BE THE WEEK THAT WE LIVE UP TO THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF OUR CITY? SO WHEN YOU VOTE THIS WEEK, YOU DECIDE WITH TRUCE BECOME REAL, AND WHAT STORY WE WILL TELL OUR CHILDREN. SO LET'S MAKE THIS CHAP, LET'S MAKE THIS A CHAPTER THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF. THANK YOU AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, BY THE WAY, Y'ALL NEXT JOSEPH AMARI TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB CLEMENTI, UH, TALKING STRAIGHT TALK TO YOU. I MEAN, UH, HOLD ON. YOU HAD TO THIS CONVERSATION 'CAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE SOME RACISM INVOLVED IN IT. BUT I DON IT'S MY BLACK AMERICAN RACISM EXPERIENCE ALONG WITH MY GLOBAL RACISM EXPERIENCE. [01:25:01] AND, UM, I KNOW EVERYBODY HAVE A LITTLE TRIBALISM NO MATTER WHAT COUNTRY YOU COME FROM. BUT IN THE SOUTH, WE KNOW WE GOT THE MR. KU KLUX KLAN, ROBERT LEE, MASSIMO ON PROPERTY IN MANDINGO, UNCLE STAR, MR. MISS FIELD, AND SAN BOTH NEIGHBORHOODS. HOWEVER, IT'S NOT LEGAL OR IT'S NOT AMERICAN CUSTOMER SYSTEM. RATIFICATION OF 13TH AND 14TH AMENDMENT TO FOLLOW AMERICAN CITIZEN, PLACE TO PLACE THEM, THE AMERICAN CITIZEN, FREEDOM OF TRAVELING WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT KNOWING WHERE THEY ARE. WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THIS, THIS, UH, HAVE THIS, UH, BEHAVIOR. THEY NEED BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. I KNOW AMERICA NATIONALIZATION IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT IS NOT RACISM. IT'S OUR GOVERNMENT CIVIL DUTY. BUT THE RACISM IS THE POWER TO BE THAT WAR HO UNDOCUMENTED DR. RY JOHNSON. GOVERNMENT BENEFITS WHILE THE DENY TO THE ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. CAN I JUST, MR. OMAR, GO AHEAD AND HAVE ANOTHER MINUTE. I DON'T NEED ANOTHER MINUTE. , I NEED 10 SECONDS. GO AHEAD. 10 SECONDS. I DON'T EVEN NEED ANOTHER MINUTE. GO AHEAD. I'M PRACTICING. SEE, I USED TO, I USED TO. I'M A THEATER MAJOR. YEAH. ANYWAY, UH, UH, THE IMMIGRATION, THE IMMIGRATION, IMMIGRATION AND UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATED GOVERNMENTS ARE MOST LIKELY HAVE A SIMILAR I AGREEMENT POLICY UNDER THEIR INTERNATIONAL LAW. AND SIMILAR, I USED TO IMMIGRATE, UH, A LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM LIKE THE UNITED STATES AMERICA ICE DEPARTMENT DEPORTATION PROGRAM. EVERY GOVERNOR, INCLUDING UNITED STATES AMERICA, HAVE BEST ENTRY, PROTECT THE, PROTECT THE VALUE OF THE PASSPORT, GREEN COURT WORK VISA, THE ADMINISTRATION POLICY SYSTEM. AMERICA CANNOT AFFORD TO ALLOW NATIONAL IN DEPARTMENT TO BE DISRESPECTED, DEVALUE UNITED. THANK YOU MS. DELMAR. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. THANK YOU AGAIN. NEXT SPEAKER. JACOB CLEMENTI. JACOB CLEMENTI. HELLO, JACOB. YEAH, TEXANS, GET UP AND SCREAM. YOU SEEN TEXANS GET UP AND SCREAM? YEAH. GET UP AND SCREAM. GO TEXANS. UH, YOU CAN'T HEAR IT? WELL, ACTUALLY, UH, I'M GOING TO PICK ON, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS AND COUNCIL MEMBER TODAY ALSO. BUT FIRST I'M GONNA MENTION DEMENTIA, AND THAT IS I'M GOING ON A MEDICAL TRIP TO AUSTIN AND COME NEXT TUESDAY. THERE, I'M GOING TO SPEAK FIRST HERE, AND THEN WE'LL GET ONTO THE BUS STOP TO CATCH THE BUS THERE. AND SO, UM, I WANT TO SAY THIS ABOUT DEMENTIA. I TOLD THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONS COURT ABOUT ME, MY TRIP TO AUSTIN, AND THEY, THEY, UH, COULD HELP ME. AND SO YEAH, I'M GONNA ASK Y'ALL IF Y'ALL CAN HELP ME WITH THE TRIP TO AUSTIN. AND, UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO. NOT THAT I, I PICK ON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. LEN, DOES YOUR WIFE REALLY LIKE YOU BEING THE COUNCIL MEMBER? SHE, SHE'S THRILLED THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE. OH, THAT'S GOOD. AND NOW TOMORROW, HAVE YOU HEARD THAT YOU JOKE? WHAT'S THE ? OKAY, WELL, UM, THIS, UH, THIS, UH, ARCHITECTURE MAJOR AT A AND M UM, DECIDED NOT TO DESIGN BUILDINGS ANYMORE, BUT THE DESIGN CLOTHING, AND YOU KNOW WHO HIS NEW FAVORITE, UH, PHILOSOPHER WAS, BUT SOCRATES . UH, WELL, CAN I HAVE ANOTHER MINUTE? THEY HAVEN'T RINGED A BELL YET. JACOB, YOU STILL HAVE TIME? ? UM, WELL, I, I SEE YOUR HEAD TURN ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND DISTRICT D UH, MR. POLL, COUNCIL MEMBER POLL, AND SO WELL HOUSE, CHURCH, MRS. AND SAME UNCLES, UH, GO TO ST. TERESA'S. OH, ST. TERESA'S ON HIGH SCHOOL. YEAH. UM, OH, WELL, UH, OH, BYE-BYE FOLKS. . JACOB, UH, YOU'RE THE LAST SPEAKER TODAY, BUT I DID WANNA TELL YOU, CONGRATULATIONS. I SAW YOUR VIDEO WHEN YOU CAME TO, UM, TALK ABOUT THE TEXANS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY, ACROSS THE STATE, AND, UM, ACROSS THE INTERNET. SAW YOUR, UM, WHEN YOU CAME TO TALK ABOUT ROOTING FOR THE TEXANS. SO, CONGRATULATIONS. I THINK YOU'RE BECOMING AN INTERNET SENSATION . [01:30:01] YEAH, BUT I DON'T YOU LIKE THAT? OH, HERE'S THE RIGHT, OH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD IS IN THE QUEUE. HE WANTS TO ADDRESS YOU AS WELL. YEAH, I WAS GONNA MENTION THE SAME THING, JACOB, DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR VIDEO WENT VIRAL, WAS ALL OVER THE INTERNET, AND, UH, YOU ALL RECALL WHEN JACOB CAME LAST WEEK, HE PLAYED, UH, A SONG ON HIS PHONE AND THE ARTIST WAS THE RAPPER, SLIM THUG. AND SLIM THUG REPOSTED THAT VIDEO ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE THAT SAYS, EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE LIKE, BE LIKE JACOB. AND IT WENT, IT WENT ALL OVER, UH, THE COUNTRY. AND PEOPLE SAW THAT VIDEO OF YOUR SUPPORT OF THE TEXANS. AND BECAUSE OF THAT SUPPORT, UH, THE, THE TEAM FELT THAT, AND WE HAD A GOOD GAME YESTERDAY. SO WE'RE GONNA NEED THAT SAME TYPE OF ENERGY GOING INTO NEXT WEEK. SO THAT WAS PRETTY COOL. WELL, I PLAYED CLAY WALKER TODAY FOR Y'ALL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, JACOB. AND, UM, ONE OTHER THING. DID ANYBODY GO TO RICE? I GOT A RICE UNIVERSITY JOKE. GO AHEAD. ANYONE GO TO RICE. GO AHEAD. I GOT RICE UNIVERSITY Y DO YOU KNOW WHY, UH, LENE, RIGHT. UH, PERFORM THE BEST AT NINE GAMES BECAUSE OWLS ARE NOCTURNAL. OWLS ARE NOCTURNAL. GOOD ONE M WHERE YOU GET THAT ONE FROM? DAVID? IS THAT THE LAST BEGINNING? I COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT I FIGURED. THANK YOU JACOB. [RECESS] COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT NINE. THANK YOU. THROW THAT ON YOUR OWN . THAT WAS GOOD THOUGH. THAT WAS GOOD. WAY TO GO. JACOB. AN AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES FOR FY 25 COPS HIRING PROGRAM GRANT FOR THE CHIEF OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 37, ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 1.0568 ACRES OF LAND TO GRANT ROAD PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT. ITEM 38, ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 56.3248 ACRES OF LAND TO INTERCONTINENTAL CROSSING MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT. ITEM 39 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 LIFT STATION, REHABILITATION AND CON RECONSTRUCTION DESIGN, FEMA CD, WOODLAND RIDGE LIFT STATION, BENZ BRANCH LIFT STATION, EL ELMWOOD HILLS LIFT STATION TRAIL RIVER LIFT STATION, FOREST SHORES LIFT STATION, RIVER LAWN LIFT STATION PROJECT ITEM 40, THE 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 54 INCH WATERLINE ALONG GENOA RED BLUFF AND EASEMENTS FROM S-E-W-P-P TO GRAYSON STREET, SETL PROJECT ITEM 41 ORDINANCE, FINDING AND DETERMINING THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, KNOWN AS THE TURKEY GULLY DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECT. ITEM 42 ORDINANCE, FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE GRAVITY SEWER LINE ADJUSTMENT PROJECT. ITEM 43 ORDINANCE APPROV AND AUTHORIZING JOINT PARTICIPATION IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MEMORIAL HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR WAR DRIVE AND HEIGHTS BOULEVARD SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. ITEM 44, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING JOINT PARTICIPATION IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ENERGY CORRIDOR DISTRICT FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT. PROJECT ITEM 45 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING AN ADDITIONAL $3,087,246 30 CENTS FOR AGREEMENT TO CONTRIBUTE FUNDS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. ITEM 46 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,050,000 APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT IN, IN AND INSPECTION SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND SAS CONSULTING ENGINEERS, INC. LLC. ITEM 47 HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION, WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 48, ORDINANCE, AWARD AND CONTRACT TO EQU INTEGRITY SOUTHEAST INC. ITEM 49, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,279,965 76 CENTS AWARD AND CONTRACT TO TRAFFIC SYSTEMS CONSTRUCTION INC. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR JANUARY THE 14TH, 2026. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND WITH THAT, I WISH EVERYONE A BLESSED [01:35:01] AND HAPPY HUMP DAY COUNSEL, [RECONVENE] COME TO ORDER, UM, A LITTLE DEPARTURE [Additional Item 1] OF OUR AGENDA. I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE ARMANDO WALLY TO, UH, GIVE US A LEGISLATIVE REPORT, CERTAINLY ON THE COLLABORATION WITH THE LEGISLATURE, WHICH IS BENEFITING THE CITY. UH, ARMANDO WALLY, REPRESENTATIVE WALLY, YOU WANNA COME FORWARD? I WILL. UH, I'LL GET US STARTED BY SAYING WE HAD THE BEST LEGISLATIVE SESSION FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE IN ANYONE'S MEMORY. UH, HAVING BEEN A MEMBER OF THE HARRIS COUNTY DELEGATION, I'VE WATCHED THE CITY, CITY DID HAVE MUCH OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LEADERSHIP IN AUSTIN, AND EVEN MEMBERS OF OUR DELEGATION, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SENATOR HUFFMAN, UH, OTHER MEMBERS. BUT LET ME JUST, FROM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE HAVING BEEN ON THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AT ONE TIME, THE BUDGETS WRITTEN IN THE CLOSE THE DAYS OF THE SESSION BY THE FIVE SENATORS, FIVE HOUSE MEMBERS THAT SERVE ON THIS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO COME UP WITH A FINAL VERSION, WHICH ULTIMATELY IS APPROVED. UH, ONE OF THE REAL PLEASURES IN MY PUBLIC SERVICE HAS BEEN WATCHING YOUNG PEOPLE ENTER THE SYSTEM. REPRESENTATIVE WILEY, I WANT TO CALL YOU ARMANDO, SO BAD. UH, I WATCH YOU BE AN AIDE TO GENE GREEN, LEAVING YOUR FAMILY GOING TO WASHINGTON DURING SESSIONS AND COMING BACK. YOU GOT ELECTED WITH SUPPORT OF A LOT OF US. AND FOR YOU TO BE NOW SEVERAL SESSIONS AS ONE OF THE FIVE DRAFTERS OF THE FINAL BUDGET IS SO REWARDING, CERTAINLY TO THE CITY, YOUR DISTRICT. THESE ARE , THESE ARE POSITIONS THAT EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO SERVE YOU BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE. YOU GET ITEMS ON AS A FINAL CONSIDERATION FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, FOR YOUR CITY, YOUR COUNTY, AND THIS SESSION. AND THANK YOU TO JOSH AND OUR GOVERNMENTAL TEAM. WE GOT $260 MILLION. PEOPLE SAY, HOW ARE YOU GONNA BALANCE THE BUDGET? HOW ARE YOU GONNA IMPROVE HOUSTON COLLABORATION? AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT COUNTY PARTICIPATION LATER THIS MORNING, BUT I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH. I COULD, I'VE ASKED STAFF TO HAND IT OUT. 17 MILLION FOR 12 PARKS. WE'RE SHORT ON PARK MONEY, WE'RE IMPROVING OUR PARKS. A TOTAL OF 270 MILLION, 17 MILLION IN 12 PARKS, CITY OF HOUSTON WATER STRUCTURE, 215 MILLION, OUR LIFT STATION, A HUNDRED MILLION ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE 20 MILLION. HERE'S ONE THAT IS VERY UNIQUE. NEVER WOULD THE STATE IN PREVIOUS YEARS CONSIDER GIVING MONEY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE FORM OF 200 POLICE CARS IN AUSTIN. THE ATTITUDE IS CITIES CAN TAKE CARE OF THEMSELF, CERTAINLY THE LARGEST WE KNOW BETTER. WE NEED THE PARTNERSHIP, THE STATE SITTING ON $32 BILLION SURPLUS THAT BELONGS TO ALL THE CITIZENS OF TEXAS. SO LET ME JUST THANK YOU. I WANTED YOU TO GIVE THIS REPORT. I KNOW NEXT SESSION WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN DO BETTER UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE GOVERNING BODY IN AUSTIN. WHILE WE FIGHT OVER MANY ISSUES. I KNOW YOU FIGHT. I COULD GO THROUGH A LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU AND I FIGHT THEM OVER. BUT WHEN IT GETS TO RESOURCES AND GETTING HOUSTON IS FAIR SHARE, UH, WE'RE DOING, WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH. SO THANK YOU. I WILL YIELD TO YOU, UH, ANYTHING WE CAN DO FOR YOUR OFFICE. UH, WE STAND READY, BUT MEMBERS, THIS IS HOW WE'RE MOVING HOUSTON FORWARD WITH INFRASTRUCTURE, PARTS, STREETS, AND CERTAINLY WATER TREATMENT. SO I YELL TO YOU ABOUT, I, I WILL REPEAT, WATCHING YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL PUBLIC SERVANT IS VERY REWARDING FOR CERTAINLY ME AND SO MANY OF YOUR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING. [01:40:01] UH, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU TO, UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM, UH, K SIX TATUM AND THE REST OF CITY COUNCIL. UH, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. I I INITIALLY, UH, CAME TO TALK ABOUT PARKS, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, UH, AND I, AND, AND ACTUALLY YOUR ADMINISTRATION, LEGAL DEPARTMENT, PARKS DEPARTMENT, BEEN WORKING TOGETHER ON SEVERAL PARKS, UH, OVER THE LAST 6, 7, 8 YEARS, UH, TO TRY TO BEAUTIFY. THAT WAS THE INITIAL, UH, REASON I WAS HERE. BUT, UH, SINCE YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UM, JUST THE, UH, THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN YOUR ADMINISTRATION, JOSH, UH, AND, AND MANY OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THAT CAME, UH, TO, TO, TO THE LEGISLATURE TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, IT WAS GRATIFYING TO SEE THAT ADVOCACY, UM, THAT, THAT ADVOCACY INCLUDING, UH, WORKING WITH OUR OFFICE. UH, LOOK, I I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE NOW, UH, GOING 18 YEARS. I WAS ELECTED, UH, UH, YOU MENTIONED, UM, CONGRESSMAN GENE GREEN, AND, AND HE'S A GREAT MENTOR. UM, AND, AND SOMEBODY THAT I, I, I ADMIRE DEEPLY BECAUSE HE WAS, HE WAS FROM THE NORTH SIDE. UH, HE, HE GREW UP IN, IN, UH, IN THE BENNINGTON CROSS TIMBERS AREA. UH, HIS WIFE WENT TO HELL AND WENT TO SAM HOUSTON. HE WENT TO, UH, WHAT IS NOW, UH, UH, NORTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL. UH, AND SO, UM, I WORKED FOR HIM FOR MANY YEARS. LEARNED ABOUT COLLABORATION, UH, LEARNED ABOUT JUST DOING THE WORK, UH, AND NOT SEEKING THE, THE LIMELIGHT. UH, BUT, UH, TO BE FAIR, I, I DID WORK FOR, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE AS WELL. SHE WAS A GREAT MENTOR. UH, GOD REST HER SOUL. SHE WAS SOMEBODY THAT I LOOKED UP TO. UH, SHE, SHE WORKED AS REALLY HARD . UH, BUT, BUT IT WAS A, A, A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR ME. BUT TO BE FAIR TO THOSE TWO FOLKS, UH, UH, RESPECTFULLY TO THEM, I ACTUALLY STARTED MY PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER, UH, IN THIS, UH, IN THIS CHAMBER. UH, I WAS A, UM, TULIP INTERN. UH, I WAS PLACED IN, IN AN OFF SESSION YEAR IN 2000 NEAR NOW, 20 PLUS YEARS AGO, UH, IN DISTRICT B IN, UH, NEWLY ELECTED, UH, CAROL MIMS GALLOWAY'S OFFICE. AND, UH, IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I GOT TO, UH, FIELD MANY CALLS ON, ON PUBLIC WORKS, ON HEAVY TRASH PICKUP, ON, UH, POLICE PROTECTION, FIRE PROTECTION, UM, UH, POTHOLES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. AND I WENT TO ALL THE COMMITTEE HEARINGS THAT, THAT I COULD GO TO. WENT TO CIVIC CLUBS, UH, WENT TO PLEASANTVILLE, TO ACRES HOMES, KASHMERE GARDENS, TRINITY GARDENS, UH, CENIC WOODS, CALGARY WOODS, UH, EAST TEXAS, JENSEN COMMUNITY. AND MATTER OF FACT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I GREW UP. AND THAT'S, UH, TO TRANSITION. THAT'S, THAT'S THE AREA THAT, THAT WE'RE HERE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT. UH, AND PART OF THAT IS, UH, HAVING BEEN ELECTED, HAVING BEEN ON THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO THE STATE BUDGET, IT'S AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE, UH, WHEN YOU'RE THERE, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE ROOM, UM, IN MAKING THESE FINAL DECISIONS AND BEING IN THE ROOM TO BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CITY AND YOUR COUNTY IS AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE. UM, I'VE HAD THAT ROLE FOR THE LAST THREE SESSIONS. UH, IT'S, IT'S BEEN GREAT. UH, IT'S BEEN GREAT TO BE IN THE ROOM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER FOR YOUR CITY, UM, AND DELIVER FOR THE PEOPLE, UH, OF, OF, OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT OF, OF HARRIS COUNTY, OF THE 5 MILLION PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN HARRIS COUNTY. BUT AL OBVIOUSLY, THE, UH, 2.3, 2.4 MILLION PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN HARRIS COUNTY, UH, LIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO MANY OF THE PARKS THAT YOU SEE HERE, UM, THOSE WERE JUST FOR THIS SESSION. UH, AND, AND IT, IT RANGES FROM SOUTHEAST HOUSTON AND DR. ALLEN'S DISTRICT, UH, TO NORTHEAST HOUSTON AND, AND MRS. T'S DISTRICT TO, UH, UH, LACEY HOLES DISTRICT. IT WAS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT. UH, THESE, THESE PARKS HERE, UH, WILL GET AN INFUSION OF, YOU KNOW, AT, AT MINIMUM A MILLION DOLLARS, AND IT'S UP TO $3 MILLION. UM, THESE ARE, THESE ARE NICE, UH, INFUSIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THESE PARKS. THE ONLY THING I WOULD CAUTION, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND THE ADMINISTRATION IS TO, TO HAVE A, DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THESE PARKS. AND I KNOW THAT YOU WILL, UH, I'VE WORKED WITH, UH, WITH THE DIRECTOR, UH, FOR MANY YEARS NOW AT PARKS DEPARTMENT. UH, THE STAFF THERE WORK WITH HIM INTIMATELY, UH, BECAUSE THIS, THESE ARE NOT THE FIRST PARKS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN MONEY FOR. UH, THE LAST TWO OR THREE SESSIONS WE'VE GOTTEN MONEY, UM, FOR MASON PARK AND, AND COUNCIL, UH, IN COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MARTINEZ'S DISTRICT. UM, I KNOW IN COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S DISTRICT, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GET CLARK PARK, BUT, BUT MELROSE IS THE ONE, UH, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF NEAR ANOTHER PARK. THAT'S, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL PARK. MONTE BEACH PARK IS GONNA GET SOME MONEY. UH, SO, UH, I KNOW A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THESE PARKS IS NOT ENOUGH, TO BE FRANK, IS NOT ENOUGH TO, TO DO ALL WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN [01:45:01] PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES THAT, THAT NEED THE DOLLARS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE DOLLARS. BUT, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIFT STATION, UH, THE DREDGING, SO THE LAKE HOUSTON DOLLARS, THOSE, THESE DOLLARS ARE NOT THE FIRST DOLLARS THAT LAKE HOUSTON HAS GOTTEN IN THE, IN THE KINGWOOD AREA. UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEEN GREAT TO, TO WORK WITH FOLKS IN KINGWOOD, UH, TO GET THOSE DOLLARS AS WELL. UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK, UM, I DON'T REPRESENT SOUTHEAST HOUSTON OR MILBY HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY. UM, BUT WHEN THE, WHEN THIS YOUNG MAN PASSED AWAY AS A RESULT OF THE TRAIN TRAFFIC AND GOING OVER AND OVER AND UNDER, UNFORTUNATELY, FOR MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, UH, THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, APPROPRIATED JUST APPROPRIATED $250 MILLION FOR RAIL SAFETY MEASURES STATEWIDE. NOW, HOW THEY DEVELOP NOW, HOW D TXDOT DEVELOPS THOSE, UM, THOSE DOLLARS, UH, FOR COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO, TO APPLY FOR, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO WORK WITH TXDOT. HOWEVER, IN A SEPARATE ITEM RELATED TO THAT, THERE WAS A $10 MILLION, UM, SPECIAL ITEM THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. IT WAS INCLUDED BY BOTH CHAMBERS, UH, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND THE SPEAKER, AND OBVIOUSLY THE ADVOCACY OF, OF, OF SENATOR ALVARADO, UH, THE GIO, IVAN RODRIGUEZ MEMORIAL PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, $10 MILLION SPECIAL ITEM FOR THAT COMMUNITY. UM, MRS. T AND I WORK, UH, FOR THAT RAIL THAT'S, UH, THAT HUGS HIRSCH ROAD, UH, IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE CITY. $5 MILLION EACH FOR RAIL CROSSING BRIDGE, UH, PLANNING AT LID YORK AND AT TIDWELL AT HIRSCH. UH, THERE'S A RAILROAD THAT CROSSES THERE. UM, AND IT'S A PRETTY ACTIVE RAILROAD. SO THESE ARE DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, JUST TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, LET ALONE THE DOLLARS THAT WE, WE, THAT MY OFFICE HAS BEEN ABLE TO SECURE AT THE COUNTY, UH, WITH FLOOD CONTROL DOLLARS. WE WE'RE, WE GOT SOME FLOOD CONTROL DOLLARS, PROBABLY IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO DO. I KNOW YOU, YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF THE DRAINAGE, GETTING THE WATER TO THE CHANNELS, UH, THAT THOSE THINGS JUST HAVE TO WORK HAND IN HAND. BUT I, I DO WANT TO, UM, UH, END BY SAYING THAT THANK YOU FOR THIS COLLABORATION. THANK YOU FOR, PARTICULARLY FOR ITEMS. UH, I KNOW YOU HAVE 33 FOR TIDWELL PARK. THE, UM, THE ACCEPTANCE OF THOSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BY THREE, THREE TO $5 MILLION FOR, UH, TIDWELL PARK THAT ALREADY HAS A, A, UM, AN AQUATIC CENTER HAS A POOL, BUT I THINK IT NEEDS SOME UPGRADES. UH, MOODY PARK AS WELL IS, IS GOING TO BE, UM, MOODY PARK AND KEITH WEISS PARK, MOODY PARK, UH, HISTORIC PARK IN THE NEAR NORTH SIDE, UM, THAT TRANSFER OVER TO MAINTENANCE TO PRECINCT TWO. UH, WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA'S OFFICE. AND FINALLY, ITEM 35, UH, WHICH IS KEITH WEISS PARK. IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT KEITH WEISS PARK, UH, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PARK. UH, THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, DAVIS', UH, IS THIS PARK IS A CITY PARK IN THE COUNTY. SO I HAVE A DISTRICT THAT'S HALF MY DISTRICT UNINCORPORATED. THE OTHER HALF IS IN THE CITY LIMITS. THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS PARK IS THE ONLY THING THAT CONNECTS THE CITY TO THIS PROPERTY IS ALDE WESTFIELD. SO, ALDEN WESTFIELD BEGINS AT JENSEN DRIVE, AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY NORTH. AND THAT'S A CITY ROAD THAT RUNS THROUGH THE CITY FROM JENSEN TO TIDWELL. BEAUTIFUL. YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB. PUBLIC WORKS, DID A GREAT JOB. IT'S A BOULEVARD, UH, TWO LANE, FOUR LANES IN THE MEDIAN TURN AROUND. IT'S BEAUTIFUL AS YOU GO NORTH ON, UH, PAST LID YORK TIDWELL, OR I'M SORRY, ALDE WESTFIELD GOES CONSTRICTS BACK TO JUST TWO ROADS, OR TWO LANES AND DITCHES. AND IT, IT GOES THAT WAY ALL THE WAY TILL YOU GET TO ALDEEN BENDER FM 5 25, WHERE IT OPENS BACK UP TO GO GET TO THE AIRPORT. UH, AND SO THIS PARK SITS ON THE UNINCORPORATED PARK OF, OF THE CITY, OF THE COUNTY. UH, BUT IT'S A CITY PARK. IT'S 500 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE. NOW, THIS PARK ALSO, UH, HA, WE, THE COUNTY AND THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUILT A DETENTION BASIN IN THERE. SO THERE'S HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS THAT ARE ALREADY EXISTING THERE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PARK. UM, OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE EAST ALDE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, UM, WE ASSESS A ONE PENNY SALES TAX OUT THERE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THOSE DOLLARS IS, [01:50:01] IS, UM, DOING SOME QUALITY OF LIFE. WE HAVE, UH, UH, UH, FOLKS IN THAT COMMUNITY THAT DON'T HAVE SEWER AND WATER CONNECTIONS. SO THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT PAYS FOR, HAS PAID FOR SEWER AND WATER CONNECTIONS, UM, FOR THAT COMMUNITY. BUT WE DON'T HAVE, UH, QUALITY PARKS. AND SO THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN PRECINCT TWO AND THE TRANSFER OF KEITH WEISS PARK TO PRECINCT TWO IS GONNA BE, UM, GREAT FOR US IN THAT. WE ALSO, IF Y'ALL HAVEN'T GONE OUT HERE, SO WE HAVE THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. WE, WE PURCHASED 60 ACRES TO DEVELOP, UM, A PRIVATE NONPROFIT, UH, DEVELOPMENT. SO, BAKER RIPLEY, MANY OF YOU GUYS ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH BAKER RIPLEY, BUILT 20 TO $30 MILLION FACILITY COMMUNITY CENTER, SENIOR CENTER CLINIC ON THIS, ON THIS SITE. LONE STAR COLLEGE BUILT THE SATELLITE CAMPUS, AND A HIGH SCHOOL, HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1 BUILT THEIR 9 1 1 CENTER. UM, AND SO THIS 60 ACRES OF BUTS, KEITH WHITES PARK, UH, I, I'M NOT SURE IF ANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE GONE, I KNOW THE MAYOR, YOU'VE GONE OUT THERE. UH, I THINK THAT SOME OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE GONE OUT THERE. SO THE PLAN IS, SEVERAL SESSIONS AGO WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE WAS I GOT $6 MILLION FOR KEITH WEISS PARK TO DO NATURE CENTER, REC CENTER TO DO HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS. SO THE PLAN IS RIGHT NOW IS OUR 60 ACRES, WHERE NOW OUR MANAGEMENT DI DISTRICT HAS AN OFFICE. I HAVE AN OFFICE THERE. THERE'S A ROAD THAT DEAD ENDS AT THE TREE LINE WHERE KEITH WHITES PARK, UH, UH, BEGINS. WHAT WE WANNA DO IS, UM, WE WANNA PROTECT THE, AS MANY TREES AS WE CAN IN THAT PARK, UH, BUT WE WANT TO GO THROUGH THERE AND BE ABLE TO ENHANCE THE PARK. PART OF THAT ENHANCEMENT IS TO INCLUDE MORE HIKING, BIKE TRAILS, MORE LIGHTING. UH, THE SECURITY COMPONENT HAS BEEN A BIG CHALLENGE FOR US, BECAUSE WHEN WE WOULD HAVE ISSUES AT KEITH WEISS PARK, UM, THE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WOULD SAY, HEY, NO, THIS IS A CITY PARK, HPD, YOU NEED TO GO OUT THERE. AND VICE VERSA. HPD WOULD SAY, NO, THE PARK IS IN THE, THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO GO OUT THERE. SO IT WAS, IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE. UM, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MEET THE CHALLENGE YOU'RE TRYING TO MEET, UH, NAVIGATE THE BUREAUCRACY OF CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT. BUT IN THIS CASE, IN THIS CASE, UH, COUNCIL MAYOR ALCORN, THIS IS A GOOD THING. THE TRANSFER OF THE, OF THIS, OF A CITY ASSET. I KNOW THAT'S, YOU DON'T WANNA DO THAT, , I MEAN, THIS, THIS IS, I'M SENSITIVE TO THAT. HAVING WORKED HERE BEFORE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO, IN ESSENCE, GIVE UP 500 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE. BUT IN THIS CASE, IT WORKS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A WILLING TAKER AND PRECINCT TWO IN, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, THAT HE WILL ALSO, OUR COMMITMENT IS THAT, OR THEIR COMMITMENT IS THAT, UM, PRECINCT, TWO COMMISSIONER'S, PRECINCT STAFF IS GOING TO INFUSE THIS PARK WITH DOLLARS, ALONG WITH THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT DOLLARS AND THE DOLLARS THAT I GOT FROM THE STAKES FROM THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, UH, SIX TO $7 MILLION TO ENHANCE THIS PARK, TO MAKE IT A, A DESTINATION PARK. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PARK, UH, BEAUTIFUL PARK, AND ANOTHER PARK THAT'S IN THE COUNTY, UH, KIND OF IN THE COUNTY AS WELL. SQUATTY LYONS PARK. NOW THIS, THIS COUNCIL, WHEN, UH, MAYOR TURNER WAS HERE, THIS, THE LEGISLATURE INFUSED IT WITH A MILLION DOLLARS. THE CITY PUT ANOTHER 2 MILLION. SO THAT PARK GOT NEW BALL FIELDS, ANOTHER PARK, CITY PARK IN THE COUNTY DOWN THE STREET FROM KEITH WEISS. AND SO, UH, I'M PROUD TO BE HERE, PROUD TO REPRESENT THIS, THIS COMMUNITY. UH, SORRY I WENT A LITTLE BIT LONG, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT HISTORY. UH, AND CONGRATULATIONS, UH, UH, NEWLY SWORN IN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS. REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE. UH, JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT MY COMMUNITY, UH, AND, AND WORKING WITH, WITH THE CITY. AND, AND I TO THE EXTENT THAT, UH, THE SPEAKER, GLAD BOTH SPEAK, ALL THREE SPEAKERS THAT I'VE SERVED UNDER HAVE, UH, KEPT ME IN THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT SESSION. EVERY SESSION'S NEW. UH, BUT, UH, I, I CERTAINLY WILL, WILL ADVOCATE FOR THIS CITY. UH, EVERY TIME THAT I'M IN ANY ROOM AT THE CAPITOL, THEY KNOW WHERE ARMANDO WALLY'S FROM, UH, I'M FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS, LOVE BEING, UH, A MEMBER OF FROM HARRIS COUNTY, AND LOVE BEING ABLE TO DELIVER FOR THIS CITY ON A DAILY BASIS. WELL, LET ME THANK YOU. AND WHEN YOU WERE NAMING YOUR MENTORS, UH, CERTAINLY THAT HAD A HUGE IMPACT. I MET YOU WHEN YOU WERE WORKING FOR JEAN GREEN, CERTAINLY [01:55:01] IS THE REASON I HIGHLIGHTED JEAN. UH, BUT YOU DID NOT MENTION THE COUNTY JUDGE HAGO, WHO ASKED YOU TO BE KIND OF THE RESISTANT C CZAR. AND I'M TRYING TO THINK WHICH FLOOD. WAS IT HARVEY OR THE TAX? NO, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS, UM, DURING COVID COVID, YEAH. BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND, UH, REPRESENTATIVE WALLY, UH, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, FIRST AND FOREMOST. UH, I THINK, UM, AS YOU KIND OF JUST LAID OUT EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S DEFINITELY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC KNOW THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE. UM, I, I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, I, I TRY TO YELL OFF THE TOP OF THE HIGHEST CLIFF IS THAT THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE STATE, UH, SPECIFICALLY WITH YOU AND SOME FOLKS THAT OVERLAP OVER, UH, IN DISTRICT, I, UH, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT, UM, COMING FINANCIALLY. BUT THEN ALL THAT, ALL THOSE DOLLARS ACTUALLY, UH, TURNED INTO PROJECTS. UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE BRIDGE AT, AT MILBY HIGH SCHOOL, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW WHEN WE WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, AT GRADE CROSSINGS, WE NEEDED TO FIND WAYS WHERE WE CAN, UH, EASE UP, UH, A LOT OF THE BLOCKAGE, UM, THE, THE PARKS, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. I'M, I'M, I'M, UH, GLAD TO CALL YOUR FRIEND AS WELL, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND JUST TEXT AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE CITY AND, AND TO BE ABLE TO RELY ON THAT SUPPORT AS WELL. AND SO, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS ON KEITH WISE PARK. THAT'S ACTUALLY MY IN-LAWS. THAT'S WHERE THEY LIVE IN THAT AREA, SO VERY FAMILIAR WITH KEITH WISE PARK AND THE ALDING, UH, AREA. UM, SO LOOK FORWARD TO MORE PARTNERSHIP. LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THIS, UH, SUSTAINING, UH, FOR, FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ENTIRE CITY, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT. I, AND, AND SINCE YOU MENTIONED, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, I WANNA ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHT THE WORK THAT HE'S DOING, UM, IN THAT AREA. UM, WHETHER IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE, THERE'S MORE LIGHTING IN THE OUTING AREA THAT, UH, HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. UH, SO SAFETY'S, UH, YOU KNOW, A TOP PRIORITY FOR EVERYONE. UM, AND THEN I'LL JUST CLOSE WITH THIS. UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UH, THANK YOU TO DEBBIE AND THE KIDS FOR THE SACRIFICES THAT THEY, UM, ALSO, UH, TAKE ON FOR THE, THE ROLE THAT YOU, THAT YOU'RE IN NOW. UM, AND YOU'VE BEEN IN. SO, UH, AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN IT TOGETHER. SO, GRACIAS. THANK YOU. YOU'RE, YOU'RE, UH, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE OUR U OF H DAYS. AND SO, UH, WHEN YOU WORKED AT WHAT IS NOW BAKER RIPLEY, NCI, NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, INC. AND SO I KNEW YOU, YOU WERE AN ADVOCATE FOR THE, FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, UH, THE SHOUT OUT AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN MASON PARK, I KNOW IS NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. UM, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, MASON PARK, UM, GOT A SEPARATE, UH, ALLOCATION FROM THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, UH, LOCAL PARKS, GRANTS, UH, DOLLARS. UH, I THINK THEY GOT $2 MILLION TO DO, TO DO SOME, SOME BEGINNING WORK THERE. BUT LOOK, $2 MILLION, MILLION DOLLARS AT EACH OF THESE PARKS IS REALLY NOT ENOUGH, BUT THEY'RE AT LEAST A SHOT IN THE ARM, UH, TO TRY TO TRY TO GET SOME, SOME FOLKS SOME HELP. BEFORE WE GIVE YOU ANY MORE SHOUT OUTS, I AM GOING TO, UH, GET YOU TO COMMENT . FIRST OF ALL, EVERYONE, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH THE SPEAKER LIEUTENANT, AND THEN THE GOVERNOR GETS TO OVERSEE THE FINAL VERSION. THE MAJORITY OF BOTH BODIES ARE REPUBLICANS. THAT'S CORRECT. YOU'VE CERTAINLY MASTERED THE LEGISLATIVE SKILL. OF COURSE, YOU HAD A GOOD MENTOR OF HOW TO WORK WITH THE OPPOSITION PARTY AND FIGHT 'EM SOMETIME ON A DAILY BASIS ON SOCIAL ISSUES, IMMIGRATION, I COULD GO THROUGH A LIST THAT YOU'RE ALSO ONE OF THE BEST FIGHTERS FOR HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY AND OUR PEOPLE. BUT THEN ALSO MEET THEM HALFWAY AND GET YOUR SHARE OF THE BUDGET FOR HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY. IT, IT HAS GOTTEN BETTER EACH AND EVERY YEAR. WE DIDN'T MENTION DENVER HARBOR, UH, IS BEING TRANSFORMED FROM PREVIOUS BUDGET ITEMS. SO I JUST THINK FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND HOW THINGS REALLY WORK IN AUSTIN. UH, YOU'RE AT THE TABLE, BUT WHEN YOU LEAVE THE BUDGET TABLE, YOU GO BACK AND FIGHT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, HEALTHCARE HIGHER ED. I CAN'T BEGIN IF I HAD MY U OF H HAT ON WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR U OF H DOWNTOWN AND THE MAIN CAMPUS. SO I JUST THINK IT'S WORTH EMPHASIZING HOW YOU MANEUVER AND CONTINUE, UH, TO WORK WITH THE OPPOSITION PARTY, A MAJORITY OF THE LEGISLATURE, AND ABLE TO PEOPLE SKILLS, LEGISLATIVE SKILLS, LEGAL SKILLS, AND GET IT DONE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S VERY REWARDING FOR ALL OF US. WELL, WELL, [02:00:01] MAYOR, I, I, I LEARNED, I LEARNED FROM YOU AT THE TIME WHEN YOU WERE IN THE LEGISLATURE. UM, THERE WERE MANY BATTLES THAT YOU HELPED ME, UH, NAVIGATE. AND I SOUGHT YOUR, YOUR GUIDANCE. UH, I, I RECALL ONE PARTICULAR, UH, INSTANCE WHERE SOME OF THE POLICE UNION FOLK WERE, UH, TRYING TO KILL ONE OF MY BILLS TO ACTUALLY HELP YOUNG PEOPLE IN BEING ABLE TO, UM, UH, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS HAD A BILL TO PROVIDE MORE TRAINING FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS. THESE FOLKS ARE BASICALLY YOUR PDS, YOUR, YOUR ISD PDS WHO WERE TRYING TO, 'CAUSE WE HAD A HIGH INSTANCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY YOUNG MEN OF COLOR THAT WERE BEING ASSESSED, UH, UH, CLASS C MISDEMEANORS, WHEN THEY WOULD GET INTO SOME, SOME ISSUES ON CAMPUS. AND THE FIRST FOLKS THAT WOULD CALL THAT THE, THAT THE ADMINISTRATION, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION WOULD CALL, WOULD BE THEIR PDS. AND SO THE FIRST INTERACTION THAT, THAT SOME OF Y OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY BLACK AND BROWN KIDS, UH, BUT PARTICULARLY BLACK KIDS, UH, WERE, WERE, WERE BEING, UH, OVERPOLICED. AND SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO, UH, WITH THE HELP OF HELEN GIDDINGS, WHO WAS ON THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, A SENIOR MEMBER, I WAS A JUNIOR MEMBER, ACTUALLY, I WAS A NEW MEMBER, FIRST, SECOND TERM MEMBER TRYING TO NAVIGATE. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT CERTAIN POLICE UNION FOLK, AND I, I SAY THIS PUBLICLY, DIDN'T LIKE EACH OTHER. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT CLEAT AND TNPA COULDN'T STAND EACH OTHER. AND SO WHEN I HAD THE BILL TO TRY TO HELP PROVIDE MORE TRAINING FOR THEM FOLKS, I DIDN'T KNOW WHO WAS SABOTAGING MY BILL. SO, WHO DID I CALL . I CALLED SENATOR WHITMEYER. I SAID, SENATOR WHITMEYER, I'M HAVING THIS ISSUE. I NEED HELP. I NEED HELP NAVIGATING THIS. I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. AND SO THE SENATOR AT THE TIME, MAYOR OPENED UP HIS OFFICE. HE SAID, WHY, WHY DON'T YOU MEET IN MY OFFICE? BRING EVERYBODY IN. LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS. LET'S GET, LET'S HASH THIS OUT. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. SO A LOT OF TIMES, UM, UNLIKE CONGRESS WHERE MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSING PARTY SOMETIMES DON'T EVEN TALK TO EACH OTHER, UM, IN THE LEGISLATURE, I'VE BEEN, IT'S BEEN HARD. IT IS BEEN HARD, UH, TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE SOME OF THE ANTI-HISPANIC, ANTI-IMMIGRANT RHETORIC. UM, I'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT THAT. UM, BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS AND BREAKING QUORUM TWICE, UH, BREAKING QUORUM, UM, BUT STILL, UH, YOU KNOW, FIGHT THEM. DEATH STAR BILL, I HEARD IT EARLIER, HEARD THE BILL EARLIER, UH, PRETTY MUCH NEUTERING LOCAL, TRYING TO NEUTER LOCAL COUNTY GOVERNMENTS, UM, UH, FROM THE LEGISLATURE. LOOK, IT'S HARD TO NAVIGATE THOSE WATERS, BUT I AM A DEMOCRAT AND A REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED LEGISLATURE. AND UNTIL THE VOTERS DECIDE WHO THEY WANT TO ELECT AS THEIR GOVERNOR, THEIR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, STATEWIDE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IS ELECTED BY BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS. UH, IT HAS BEEN SINCE, FOR YEARS. UM, AND SO FOR ME, IT'S, IT'S, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM TOOTH AND NAIL WHERE I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM. THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT A, UH, UH, NOT, NOT ASHAMED OF THAT. UH, I'M PROUD OF THAT, BUT I'M ALSO GONNA WORK WITH HIM, WORK WITHIN THE CONFINES OF WHAT I CAN DO FOR MY COMMUNITY. AND WHATEVER I CAN DO TO GET FOR MY COMMUNITY, I'M GONNA DO, UH, AND I, AND I SLEEP, I SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT FOR DOING THAT. VERY GOOD. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND AS CHAIR OF THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. THANKS FOR THE MONEY. YES, MA'AM. THANKS FOR THE MONEY. UM, MAYOR, GREAT JOB. YOUR TEAM, JOSH, ALEXA, CARLA, UM, JUST A GREAT JOB. WHO ELSE? ANDY. SORRY, ANDY. UM, REALLY WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND, AND I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS. REP WALLY. SO THE, I, I'M SPECI PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE PARKS FUNDING, GETTING THAT MONEY, AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP KEITH WISE AND ALDINE WESTFIELD. I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, AND YOUR OFFICE HAS BEEN INVOLVED. SO GARCIA'S OFFICE, WE'VE HAD A BIG GROUP INVOLVED IN TRYING TO GET, UM, THROUGH TPC AND HGAC, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THAT STRETCH OF ROAD. I'VE DRIVEN THAT STRETCH OF ROAD. IT'S A DISASTER, A BIG BOTTLENECK OVER THERE. BUT REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HIGHLIGHTING THAT. AND, AND THIS INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY'S HUGE. IT, IT'S ALL, IT ALL MATTERS. AND, AND MAYOR, YOU DO GET A LOT OF FLACK FOR, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S, YOU KNOW, LOT THE MONEY STUFF. I READ THE EDITORIAL TODAY. BUT, BUT YOU'RE BRINGING IN, YOU'RE BRINGING IN MONEY THROUGH THE STATE, AND THEY'RE SITTING ON GOBS OF CASH, AS YOU SAID, WHICH IS, WHICH BELONGS TO US. I MEAN, WE'RE PAYING THAT MONEY IN. THAT SURPLUS PART OF THAT SURPLUS BELONGS TO US. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UM, HARD WORK IN BRINGING IT HOME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY REPRESENTATIVE OR REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL MEMBER. SO WHEN YOU SAY THIS MONEY IS OURS, IT IS OUR MONEY. SURE. RIGHT, BECAUSE THE STATE BUDGET IS [02:05:01] DERIVED MOSTLY BY STATE SALES TAX. AND SO, UM, IT'S A CONSUMPTION TAX, RIGHT? UH, A REGRESSIVE TAX, BUT IT'S A CONSUMPTION TAX. SURE. AND WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS THE POP, THE, THE, THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, CENTRAL TEXAS BEAR, AND TRAVIS AND THE METROPLEX, UH, TARYN AND DALLAS COUNTIES, AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES AROUND DALLAS AND, AND, UH, FORT WORTH, WE'RE THE LARGEST. WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE THE PEOPLE ARE. AND SO WE'RE THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR OF THE STATE BUDGET, THE BIG, THE BIG POPULATION CENTERS. SO WE DESERVE THAT MONEY BACK. UH, AND SO I, I'M PROUD TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS AND, AND, AND BE HERE WITH YOU. I KNOW, UM, COMMISSIONER GARCIA IS, IS BEHIND ME AND, AND, UH, APPRECIATE HIS COLLABORATION WITH THIS PARK. BUT IN GENERAL, UH, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE INFUSED SOME, DO SOME COUNTY, UH, SOME MONEY AT THE COUNTY FOR SOME OF THEIR PARKS AS WELL, UH, OVER OFF OF FRICK ROAD, UH, DOSS DOW TWO, I FORGET IT'S DOSS OR DOW. IT, IT'S, IT'S, UH, CONFUSES ME OVER THERE. BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S A COLLABORATION AND I APPRECIATE THE CITY. THANK YOU. AND OUR LOCAL COMMISSIONERS CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE. GREAT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND REPRESENTATIVE WALLY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU HAVE PUT INTO TO DELIVERING THESE DOLLARS FOR THE CITY. WE SAW THIS PRESENTATION A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND WE WERE ALL REALLY IMPRESSED ABOUT, UH, THE DOLLARS THAT WERE COMING IN FOR PARKS. AND NOW TO HAVE YOU HERE AND TO BE ABLE TO THANK YOU PERSONALLY, UH, IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. YOU KNOW, UH, ALL THE FOLKS THAT YOU WORKED WITH TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. FROM THE MAYOR'S GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM TO THE HOUSTON LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, THE FOLKS AT THE COUNTY THAT HAVE BEEN WILLING TO, TO PARTNER ON THE PARK SIDE, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, WHO, WHO IS HERE NOW, UM, IT ALL HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE AND AN IMPACT. AND THESE DOLLARS ARE VITAL. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE HORSESHOE ABOUT RESOURCES AND CORRECT. WHEN WE GO INTO OUR BUDGET SEASON AND OUR BUDGET WORKSHOPS, UH, WE LEARN ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT IS DOING WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. AND SO THESE DOLLARS COMING IN ARE GONNA HELP IN A, IN A BIG WAY, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE AS WELL. SO IT SHOWS WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN FOLKS ARE COMING TOGETHER, UH, FOR A COMMON GOAL. AND SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO IT. IT DEFINITELY BENEFITS DISTRICT H AS WE'VE GOT THREE PARKS THAT ARE ON THIS LIST. UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING CLARK PARK AS WELL. UH, BUT IT BENEFITS THE CITY AS A WHOLE. AND, UH, I APPRECIATE ALL, ALL YOUR HARD WORK TO, TO MAKING IT HAPPEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO WORK WITH YOU, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU AND, AND YOUR STAFF. AND, UH, WHEN A LOT OF THE, UM, UH, HURRICANES AND NATURAL DISASTERS, I KNOW OUR TEAMS HAVE, HAVE, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY DELIVERED ICE TO PEOPLE OVER AT DOTSON PARK. YOU AND I WERE THERE, UH, HANDING OUT ICE TO FOLKS. UH, SO, UH, BEAR, YOU HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE CITY IS, UH, HAS VERY GOOD ADVOCATES. UH, AND SO I'M PROUD TO WORK WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. SOME I WORK CLOSER THAN OTHERS, UH, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH, EACH ONE OF YOU. UM, WHETHER IT'S IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON OR, UH, WEST HOUSTON, I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO, TO LEND MY, MY, UH, MY GUIDANCE, WHATEVER, AND WHATEVER I CAN DO. AND, AND LOOK AT IT, IT IS IMPORTANT TOO, THAT TO NOTE, UH, THE CHAIR OF APPROPRIATIONS, DR. BONDON, IS FROM THE HOUSTON AREA. UH, THE, THE, THE CHAIR FI SENATE FINANCE, UH, SENATOR HUFFMAN IS FROM THE HOUSTON AREA, OR HAS HOUSTON TIES. UH, AND SO, UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE MYSELF, UH, ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. SO IT, AND THEN YOU HAVE A DELEGATION. SO I DO WANT TO SHOUT OUT OUR DELEGATION. UH, THERE'S 24 STRONG MEMBERS OF THE HARRIS COUNTY DELEGATION, BOTH DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN. UM, WE, WE HAVE A DELEGATION, UH, CHAIR. I THINK IT'S, UH, MARIANNE PEREZ IS OUR DELEGATION CHAIR. UM, SHE GOT A LITTLE, SHE GOT A LITTLE LOVE IN HERE TOO, AS WELL AT, AT MEADOW CREEK PARK. SO I WANNA SHOW HER SOME LOVE. UM, AND THIS, THIS IS GREAT. IT'S A GREAT DAY, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THESE DOLLARS, BUT ALSO COLLABORATE. UM, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PROTI TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, COLLEAGUES, WE ALL KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IS OUT. UM, BUT SHE DID SEND ME A TEXT REPRESENTATIVE WALLY, AND SHE WANTED ME TO LET YOU KNOW THAT SHE APPRECIATES THE PARTNERSHIP, UM, AND THE, UH, SECURING OF THE MILLIONS OF, UH, DOLLARS, INCLUDING THE 5 MILLION FOR KEITH WEISS PARK, UM, ALL. SHE ALSO WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MS. T, WHO'S SECURED OVER 15 MILLIONS, 15 MILLION FOR, UH, TIDWELL. SO MM-HMM . ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON AND DISTRICT B, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. AND I ALSO WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, UM, TALKING ABOUT [02:10:01] HOW YOU BUILT UP YOUR BODY OF WORK AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MENTORED YOU AND WORKED WITH YOU. UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE A FIRST DAY AND IT, AND IT TAKES GREAT MENTORSHIP AND WORKING WITH PEOPLE WHO POUR INTO US SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THE SERVICE FOR THE PEOPLE. THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING PUBLIC SERVICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. I, I STARTED AS AN INTERN HERE AND ANSWERING PHONES, AND WHEN THEY HAD FAX MACHINES, WE'D FAX REQUESTS OVER TO PUBLIC WORKS FROM PEOPLE, SEWER LINES OR TRASH WASN'T PICKED UP. SO IT, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, UM, YOU KNOW, SENATOR RODNEY ELLIS AS WELL. HE'S THE ONE THAT GAVE ME A SHOT IN TUP, SO I DO GOTTA GIVE HIM A A, MM-HMM . A LITTLE LOVE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IS ACTUALLY, SHE, SHE CAME TO VISIT US IN THE LEGISLATURE MANY TIMES. MANY TIMES. AND SO, UH, THERE'S A REASON ALSO WHY SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE PARK GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE LOVE, UH, THE STARS ALIGNED. WHEN YOU HAVE MS. T, MYSELF AND FOLKS COMING IN TO ADVOCATE, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT. COUNCIL MEMBER, KAMAN. GOOD MORNING REPRESENTATIVE. IT'S SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE. UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE PARK FUNDING, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER IS ALSO HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT. SO I'LL, I'LL WITHHOLD MY REMARKS ON THAT, BUT I'LL SAY THANK YOU. AND I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, YOU NOT ONLY REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT SO WELL, UH, AND WE GO BACK TO WHEN I WAS WORKING AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, BUT FROM COUNCIL EVEN, UH, OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, YOU HAVEN'T JUST BEEN FOCUSING ON YOUR DISTRICT AND YOU SERVE THEM SO WELL. YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING OUT FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UH, DURING THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, THE RISK TO SNAP YOU STEPPED UP IN A STATEWIDE CAPACITY AND IN A REGIONAL CAPACITY TO LEAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS WHO NEED IT MOST ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF. SO I, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU, UM, THE RECOGNITION FOR THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH THAT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES THAT PEOPLE DON'T OFTEN GET TO SEE, AND YOU SHOW UP EVERY SINGLE TIME. SO I APPRECIATE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AS MUCH AS, UH, THE CRITICAL DOLLARS THAT YOU AND OUR, UH, STATE DELEGATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION, OUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM, UH, ARE DELIVERING FOR HOUSTONIANS. AND I ALSO WANNA THANK, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CITY EMPLOYEES, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AS WELL, UH, WHO HAS BEEN COMBING EVERY WHICH WAY TO TRY TO FIND DOLLARS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR PARKS MATTER. SO WE APPRECIATE JUST THIS COLLABORATION, THIS TEAM EFFORT. BUT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW HOW HARD YOU WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY. UH, AND I TAKE A LOT OF MY LESSONS FROM YOU, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, YOUR KIDS. YOU SHOW UP FOR YOUR FAMILY ALL, I MEAN, YOU'RE SO DEDICATED AND YOU SHOW THAT LOVE AND COMPASSION TO YOUR RESIDENTS, AND WE HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. UH, AND, UM, OUR, OUR KIDS, UH, MY MY OLDEST SON, UH, WAS PLAYING WITH YOUR SON THE OTHER DAY AT AN EVENT, AND, UH, IT WAS A GOOD FEELING TO BE ABLE TO SEE YOUNG PEOPLE. MY SON'S 14, NO, HE'S 15. I DROPPED HIM OFF. UH, HE ATTENDS STRICT JESUIT, UH, SO OVER AT THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF TOWN. AND, UM, AND, UH, LOVE BEING ABLE TO DRIVE DOWN THERE, UH, WHICH I, YOU KNOW, GET BETTER FAMILIAR WITH. BUT BEING ABLE TO SEE MY BOY AND YOUR BOY PLAYING, UH, TOGETHER, IT WAS, IT WAS A GOOD FEELING TO BE, TO SEE HOUSTON'S A GOOD HANDS IN THE FUTURE. YEAH. WELL, WE JUST HAD OUR FIRST TEE-BALL PRACTICE, AND WE'RE TAKING NOTES ON ALL THE TIPS YOU'VE BEEN GIVING YOUR KIDS. . THANK YOU. AND, AND YOUR SON'S BEEN BEAT BEATING MY GRANDSON'S TEAM FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, BUT HE'S CATCHING UP. NO, THANK YOU. AND, AND, AND, AND MAYOR, IF Y'ALL DON'T KNOW, OUR, OUR, HIS GRANDSON, UH, BROOKS AND MY YOUNGEST SON, UH, JOAQUIN, HAVE PLAYED TOGETHER AND PLAYED AGAINST EACH OTHER IN BASEBALL. YEAH. UH, SO WE, WE, WE GET TO SEE THE MAYOR AND THE MAYOR'S FAMILY. THEY, THEY ROOT FOR EACH OTHER UNTIL THEY DON'T . YES. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE WALLY, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND, UH, TO THANK YOU IN PERSON FOR YOUR SERVICE, NOT JUST YOUR DISTRICT, BUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON IN, IN YOUR POSITION ON THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. YOU ARE WELL POSITIONED TO HELP GET RESOURCES FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS. WE SEE THAT. WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND, AND IT GOES BEYOND PARKS AS, AS YOU HAVE POINTED OUT. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN ALLUDED TO THIS AS WELL, BUT YOU'VE SPONSORED, UH, THE LAST FEW SESSIONS, SOME BILLS HAVING TO DO WITH CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS. THAT'S CORRECT. WHICH ARE AN ISSUE HERE IN HOUSTON. AND WE APPRECIATE YOU ADVOCATING FOR US AND FOR BETTER AIR QUALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS ARE A BIG PROBLEM IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, THE H HOUSING IS A BIG PROBLEM, OR AFFORDABILITY IS A, UH, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND WORKING WITH, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. UH, WE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH FQHC, OR NOT FQHCS. [02:15:01] UH, PFCS. FQHCS ARE THE CLINIC, SORRY. UM, UH, WE GOT THEM SOME MONEY AS WELL, UH, FOR HARRIS COUNTY. BUT, UH, UH, MANY ISSUES THAT, THAT WE CARE ABOUT. UM, NOT JUST THE PARKS, BUT A LOT OF THE POLICY THAT, THAT HARMS OUR COMMUNITIES. WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH YOU, AND, AND OUR OFFICE IS OPEN TO ANYBODY ON THIS, IN THIS HORSESHOE THAT WANTS TO WORK WITH US. UH, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN HELP, WE'LL BE THERE. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, REPRESENTATIVE WILEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. FIRST AND FOREMOST, BECAUSE, UM, BEING ON THE APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE UNDERSTANDABLY REPRESENTS COLLABORATION. THAT'S CORRECT. AND THE ROLE IN WHICH YOU PLAY. AND I AM ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE FOR ALL OF HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHERE IT IS. BUT IT REPRESENTS THE CITY. AND I THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION IN CONTACTING AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH OTHERS, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN ON THIS COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY FOR ME AS A NEWCOMER, THE FACT THAT COLLABORATION PRODUCES VALUE PRODUCTION, WHERE WE GET MONIES, WHERE IT NEEDED BE. AND, UH, AS IN AT LARGE, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF HOUSTON, NO MATTER WHAT PART IT IS. AND SO, I WANT TO THANK YOU PERSONALLY, AND YOU KNOW, AND CONGRATULATIONS FOR THAT OBJECTIVE IN REACHING THAT GOAL. 'CAUSE THAT HELPS ALL OF US WHO LOVE HOUSTON. WE LOVE HOUSTON. AND, UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORTS AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN GETTING THIS DONE. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, VICE MAYOR, PRO PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU REPRESENTATIVE. I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, UM, AND FOR BRINGING HOME MONEY FOR THESE IMPORTANT PROJECTS AND AREAS ALL OVER HOUSTON, EVEN OUTSIDE OF YOUR DISTRICT. SO, UM, I SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO THANK YOU AND REPRESENTATIVE HULL FOR THE FUNDING FOR HAYDEN PARK, AGNES MOFFITT PARK, THAT'S, AND THE SPRING SHADOWS, DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. I THINK THERE'S ABOUT, UH, FOUR TO 5 MILLION FOR THAT, FOR THAT DRAINAGE PROJECT. SO YES. $5 MILLION. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT. NO, THAT'S GREAT. GREAT FOR THAT COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. BOTTOM LINE IS WE ALL REPRESENT THE SAME PEOPLE. THAT'S CORRECT. AND JUST A SHOUT OUT TO WARREN PARK. WARREN PARK. REMEMBER THAT PARK, AGAIN, ASIDE FROM KEITH WEISS, IT'S THE PARK THAT I GREW UP IN. UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NEED SOME HELP, NEED SOME LOVE. UH, BUT THE CITY, THE, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S BEEN GOOD WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF TIRES THAT GET DUMPED OVER THERE. UH, I DRIVE BY THERE ALMOST WEEKLY. YEAH. UH, AND THE TEAM, THE CITY TEAM IS ALWAYS THERE PICKING UP TIRES BECAUSE WE GET A LOT OF DUMPING. YEAH. ILLEGAL DUMPING OUT THERE. UH, BUT WARREN PARK GOT $2 MILLION. IT'S THE PARK WHERE I, I GREW UP IN, SO JUST SOUNDS GOOD. REMEMBER THAT PARK GO TO WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR . THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER GARCIA. [Additional Item 2] YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER, WHEN YOU STAND BEFORE US, I CAN'T KEEP FROM THINKING YOU DEMONSTRATE EXPERIENCE MATTERS. UH, HPD UH, ONE OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, CITY COUNCIL, SHERIFF'S OFFICE, COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LONG, HONORABLE CAREER OF PUBLIC SERVICE. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT LEFT IN THE TANK, AND YOU'RE HERE TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT YOU CAN GET DONE IF YOU WORK, UH, WITH ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. AND, UH, CERTAINLY I'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM YOU. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. UH, I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE ONE OR TWO ITEMS TO MY COLLEAGUES. UH, AS YOU DESCRIBED, THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT, THAT YOU'RE, UH, OFFERING US IS, THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, THE, UM, THE LENGTH OF THE AGREEMENT, THE, UH, SAFEGUARDS FOR THE CITY. YOU AND I HAVE MET OUR STAFFS MEET REGULARLY. UM, IT'S TO IMPROVE AN ICONIC PARK. AND, UH, YOU HAD RESOURCES, SUGGESTIONS, AND A COMMITMENT TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY. UH, THERE WAS A LITTLE QUESTION FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. KENNETH ALLEN, WHO DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB, WANTED TO PROTECT HIS CITY PROGRAMS, SPECIFICALLY A SOCCER PROGRAM. Y'ALL ACCOMMODATED THAT. UM, IT'S A 20 YEAR AGREEMENT. UM, ANYTHING SPENT OVER 5 MILLION WE'RE CONSULTED. SO IT'S JUST ONE HECK OF A DEMONSTRATION OF RELATIONSHIPS AND, UH, [02:20:01] COLLABORATION. AND AS I'VE MENTIONED TO THE REPRESENTATIVE WHEN HE LEFT, WE REPRESENT THE SAME PEOPLE, AND WE'VE INVOLVED YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO I'LL YIELD TO YOU, BUT THIS IS, UH, OH, NOT TO MENTION THE WISE PART. AND YOU'RE, AND YOU'RE SO INVOLVED. SO IF YOU WOULD WALK US THROUGH HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT. BUT IT'S REALLY A TESTIMONY TO, UH, TO RELATIONSHIPS, COLLABORATION, AND THE BEST USE OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS. GOOD DEAL. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME A FEW MINUTES. AND I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCREDIBLE WORK OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE WALLET. UH, WE'VE BEEN THE CITY, THE STATE, THE COUNTY, UH, WE ARE PARTNERS, UH, IN EVERY ENDEAVOR. AND SO, I AM SO, SO EXCITED. I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, UH, IN PARTICULAR, UH, FOR THE MOODY PARK, UH, PIECE OF THIS. AND ALSO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON AS WELL. BUT, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, RELATIONSHIPS MATTER AND EXPERIENCE MATTERS. AND I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS, UH, TO, UH, LISTEN, UH, HEAR THE IDEAS AND UNDERSTAND, UH, THE VALUE IN THIS, UH, COLLABORATION THAT, UH, CAN COME TO THE CITY, TO THE COUNTY. UH, BUT MOST, IN PARTICULAR, AS YOU JUST SAID, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT WE BOTH REPRESENT, UH, THE CITIZENS OF THE NEAR NORTH SIDE AND DISTRICT H IN PARTICULAR, UH, AS WELL AS THE FOLKS UP IN THE NORTHEAST, UH, AREA. I CAN'T TELL YOU, I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU JUST HOW EXCITED I AM. UH, THIS, HI. THIS PARK IS HISTORIC IN MANY REGARDS. UH, IT'S THE PARK WHEN I RIDE MY BIKE. I RIDE BY THERE EVERY DAY. I DRIVE BY THERE NEARLY EVERY DAY. UH, WHEN I GO GET MY DELICIOUS TACOS AT TACO NASO, I AM, UH, I DRIVE BY THERE EVERY TIME, UH, WHEN I, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST BEEN FAMILY TO ME. AND, UH, AND THEN KEITH WISE, UH, IT'S REALLY IN THE COUNTY. UM, AND SO IT'S SITTING OUT THERE BY ITSELF, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT HAS, UH, A GOOD FRIEND AND A GOOD SUPPORTER, UH, AND TO BE A PARTNER WITH, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S HIS, THAT'S HIS MOODY PARK, THAT'S HIS NEIGHBORHOOD PARK. HE'S GOT A LOT OF PERSONAL HISTORY THERE. AND SO I JUST AM VERY EXCITED. UM, I DO WANNA ALSO, UH, INDICATE, UH, THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL WITH THE FRIENDS OF MOODY PARK. WE HAVE BEEN A BIG PART OF THE CONVERSATION IN THIS REGARD, AND SO I WANNA APPLAUD, UH, THE COMMUNITY'S LEADERSHIP IN THIS REGARD AS WELL. UH, BUT WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, UH, MAYOR, UH, YOUR WORK, UH, ALONG WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, HAVE HELPED US GET TO THIS PARTICULAR POINT. AND AGAIN, FOR THAT, I THANK YOU. AND I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE WORK, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD ALONG THE WAY. UM, I WANT TO THANK MY STAFF FOR WORKING THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS BEYOND A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED. AND SO, UM, YOU, YOU HAVE MY WORD TODAY, UH, THAT, UH, THIS WILL BE A INCREDIBLE EXAMPLE, UH, FOR YOUR ADMINISTRATION, BUT TO THE CITIZENS IN GENERAL, UH, OF THE PHENOMENAL, UH, RELATIONSHIP THAT CAN HAPPEN WITH TWO LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT WHO REPRESENT THE SAME PEOPLE, ACT IN, IN, IN TERMS OF KEITH, WHY IS THREE, UH, WHEN WE COME TOGETHER AND UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT, AND THE WAY I TEND TO GOVERN IS I LOOK AT THE ISSUES AS WHAT MATTERS MOST TO MOST. AND SO THIS IS AN ITEM WHERE, UH, IT'S BRINGING US ALL TOGETHER. IT MAKES SENSE, IT MAKES FINANCIAL SENSE, UH, AND THE COLLABORATION IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITIZENS WANNA SEE. THEY WANNA SEE US ALL WORKING TOGETHER. UH, SO I, I, AGAIN, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH, AND ALSO, UH, TO HIGHLIGHT COMMISSIONER OF THE FOUR NEW SOCCER FIELDS, WHICH WILL BE, UH, A PART OF THE LEGACY PROGRAM AS A RESULT OF THE WORLD CUP. SO YOU'RE GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOUR NEW SOCCER FIELDS, AND SO LET THE WORD GO OUT. THINGS ARE REALLY GOING TO BE EXCITING, UH, AB AB ABSOLUTELY. IN MOODY PARK. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, I WAS JUST TALKING TO SOMEBODY, AND, AND YOU CAN, UH, YOU CAN APPRECIATE THIS, UM, WHEN YOU'VE BEEN AROUND A LITTLE BIT, UH, THAT EXPERIENCE, UH, KIND OF KICKS IN. BUT THIS WHOLE THING WITH THE WORLD CUP IS JUST BRINGING, UH, TOGETHER JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. BEFORE I JOINED COUNCIL, UH, THEY HAD THE, UH, EXHIBITION GAME BETWEEN MEXICO AND THE US AT NRG, RIGHT AFTER NRG HAD OPENED. AND, UH, SO I WAS HIRED BY OUR LOCAL RADIO STATION TO [02:25:01] ACTUALLY PROTECT THE WORLD CUP TROPHY. AND SO I WAS ON, ON THE FLOOR, UH, OF NRG. BEEN AROUND THE, THE ELECTRICITY OF THE FANS WAS INCREDIBLE. AND ACTUALLY, IT WAS OLIVER LUCK, WHO WAS THE, THE CHAIR OF THE SPORTS AUTHORITY AT THE TIME. AND I LEANED OVER AND I TOLD OLIVER, AND I SAID, LOOK, WHEN THE STADIUM COMES CRASHING DOWN, I'M GONNA GRAB THE TROPHY AND I'M GONNA RUN. THAT WAY YOU CAN RUN WITH ME OR NOT. UH, BUT THAT WAS THE ENERGY BE, AND I, I MAKE THAT POINT, BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS AN INCREDIBLE PUBLIC CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER SOCCER ACTUALLY FIT IN HOUSTON'S MM-HMM . UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, ATTITUDE. UH, AND, UH, THAT PARTICULAR GAME SHUT THE CONVERSATION DOWN TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FANS FOR FOOTBALL, AS THEY SAY TO IT IN MEXICO, UH, ARE HERE. AND, UH, AND THEN WHEN I JOINED COUNCIL, UM, I GOT TO MEET ALL OF THE, OR MANY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SOCCER LEAGUES, UH, THAT WERE REALLY AT THAT TIME, FUNCTIONING WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY. UH, A LOT OF CLANDESTINE FIELDS THAT WERE JUST POPPING UP IN SOFTBALL FIELDS OR BASEBALL FIELDS. AND THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY TENSION. AND SO WE, UH, WORKED THROUGH THE, UH, THE, UH, THE, THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON, ON PARKS, UH, CAN'T REMEMBER THE ACTUAL NAME OF IT, BUT, UH, PAM LED US THROUGH THAT CONVERSATION. AND WE ULTIMATELY CAME WITH A PLAN TO BUILD MANY MORE SOCCER FIELDS. AND SO, AS IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, WITH THAT BACKGROUND IN MIND, WITH THE WORLD CUP IN OUR, UH, FRONT WHEEL, UH, WINDSHIELD, UH, ABSOLUTELY THOSE PARKS ARE GONNA BE A REMINDER THAT SOMETHING INCREDIBLE HAPPENED HERE. MM-HMM . UH, THAT, UH, AND, AND THAT, THAT, THAT WORLD CUP, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR COMMITMENT BY COMMITMENT, COMMISSIONER P'S COMMITMENT, AND OTHERS, THAT THE FINANCIAL, UH, AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE WORLD CUP IS GONNA BE FELT THROUGHOUT THE REGION. BUT I AM JUST VERY EXCITED THAT IT, IT IS ALSO TOUCHING, UH, BOOTY PARK AND THE NEAR NORTH SIDE. AND YOU'VE BEEN IN MEETINGS WITH ME, WITH THE FIFA OFFICIALS THAT SAY, BECAUSE OF OUR COLLABORATION, THAT HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY IS A HEAD OF ANY OTHER MAJOR THAT'S RIGHT. METROPOLITAN AREA IN OUR PREPARATION. IN FACT, YOU'VE HEARD 'EM CALL US THE GROWNUP CITY. THAT'S RIGHT. THE ADULT CITY. YEAH. YEAH. BECAUSE OF OUR, UH, ABILITY TO GET THINGS DONE. THAT'S RIGHT. SO, THANK YOU. AND I, I YIELD TO YOU, AND WE'RE WILLING TO LISTEN TO YOU, BUT WE SHARE YOUR EXCITEMENT AND GOOD DEAL. I'M JUST EXCITED. SO THANK YOU. AND, AND AGAIN, THANK MEMBERS OF COUNCIL FOR, UH, THEIR SUPPORTING THEIR LEADERSHIP IN THESE PARTICULAR ITEMS. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COMMISSIONER, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK AT CITY HALL. WELCOME. THANK YOU. UM, ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT EXAMPLE OF CITY COUNTY COLLABORATION. UH, THE FIRST ROUND OF THESE, WE ACTUALLY HAD IN DISTRICT C IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMISSIONER BRIANIS, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP. UH, DOES THE CITY RETAIN THE RIGHT TO THESE PARKS? AND THE ANSWER IS YES. MM-HMM . BUT THE COUNTY IS STEPPING UP FOR REALLY CRITICAL IMPROVEMENTS AND ABOVE ALL THESE PARTNERSHIPS. SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. I WANNA THANK THE COUNTY, ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS FOR REALLY STEPPING UP TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, BECAUSE WHO BENEFITS IS THE PEOPLE? THAT'S RIGHT. UH, IT, DISTRICT C AT JC PARK, I KNOW COMMISSIONER BRIANIS WAS ALREADY STANDING UP SOME TERRIFIC PROGRAMMING. UH, WE'VE BEEN SEEING CREWS FROM THE COUNTY COMING OUT TO CLEAN UP THE PARK. SO FOR YOU TO STEP IN IN THIS WAY, MAKE SUCH A PROFOUND DIFFERENCE. AGAIN, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THEIR PARKS DEPARTMENT, TOO, 'CAUSE THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP. RIGHT. UH, BUT I WANT TO LIFT UP THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW. AND I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT FOR SO MANY OF US, OUR PARKS, UH, AREN'T JUST PARKS. THEY MEAN SOMETHING TO HOUSTON, BUT THEY ALSO MEAN SOMETHING TO EACH OF US PERSONALLY. AND I THINK FOR SOME OF THESE PARKS, UH, YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE STORY AS WELL TO SHARE. AND, UH, NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT STORY ABOUT WHAT FUTURE GEN, HOW FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN BE IMPACTED. WELL, I, I THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, UH, I APPRECIATE IT. YOU KNOW, REFLECTING ON, ON, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, GOD IS GOOD, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE A KID WHO GREW UP IN THE NEAR NORTH SIDE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN THESE PARTICULAR HALLS AND TO HELP MAKE THESE PARTICULAR DECISIONS AND TO WORK ALONGSIDE INCREDIBLE LEADERS, GOD IS GOOD. AND, UH, AND GROWING UP IN THE NEAR NORTH SIDE, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN A TOUGH NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE TOUGH THINGS HAPPEN. [02:30:01] UM, BUT MOODY PARK WAS A HAVEN, UH, FOR MY BROTHERS AND I, AND FRIENDS, AND, UH, HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT, UH, I HUNG OUT WITH FROM THE IRVINGTON VILLAGE, UH, HOUSING, UH, PROJECT. AND THE SWIM POOL THAT WE KNOW TODAY USED TO BE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM IRVINGTON VILLAGE. AND SO WE JUST USED TO HANG OUT THERE, HAVE A LOT OF FUN. UH, BUT HERE'S A LITTLE FUN FACT. UH, MAYOR, I ACTUALLY GREW UP PRESBYTERIAN AND JUAN MARGO'S, UH, PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM BOOTY PARK. AND, UH, UNTIL I REALIZED I WAS GONNA MARRY A YOUNG LADY, UH, I, I REALIZED THAT, WELL, MY MOM WAS THE ONE THAT SAID, YOU CAN'T HAVE A DIVIDED HOUSE SON. YOU KNOW, YOU GO, GO AND BECOME A CATHOLIC. AND SO I DID. UH, BUT I WAS AT MOODY PARK ON THAT, UH, TERRIBLE DAY AFTER THE MURDER OF JOSE CAMPO TORRES, UH, WHERE THEY WERE HAVING THE SINGLE, THE MAYO FESTIVAL. I WAS HELPING THE SUPPORT, THE HOT DOG STAND, OR FOOD STAND AT THE CHURCH WAS RUNNING. AND SO I GOT TO SEE, I DIDN'T HAVE TO BECOME A COP TO READ THE REPORT OF WHAT HAPPENED AT MOODY PARK. UH, I SAW HOW THINGS TRANSPIRED. I SAW, UH, THE, UH, EFFORT OF, UH, THE PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THE TIME, AND THEIR RESPONSE, UH, THEN HPD, MY OLDER BROTHER, IGNACIO, WAS A HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER AT THE TIME, AND WAS PART OF THE RESPONSE TO THE, UH, TO THE INCIDENT. UH, SO I REMEMBER THAT SITUATION VERY VIVIDLY. BUT IT WAS ALSO THAT EVENT THAT, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME, BUT CREATED A PARTICULAR PERSPECTIVE ON HISPANICS, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT NEEDED TO BE BUILT. AND, UM, AND MY FRIENDS, AS WE WERE WATCHING THE, THE CHAOS, THE CARS BURNING, UH, AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS TAKING PLACE, UH, REMEMBER THEM SAYING, YOU KNOW, THAT THOSE COPS, UH, THE HISPANICS IN PARTICULAR WERE SELLOUTS. AND I REMEMBER THINKING, WELL, MY BROTHER IS NOT A SELLOUT, AND HE'S NOT, UH, HOW YOU'RE TRANSPIRING HIM, UH, OR DESCRIBING HIM TO BE. AND, UH, SO IT JUST MADE ME REALIZE THAT SOMETHING WAS BROKEN. AND I, WHEN I DECIDED TO JOIN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND I SAID, MY COMMITMENT WAS TO CHANGE IT FROM THE INSIDE OUT. SO I HOPE THAT MY TIME THERE, UH, HELPED TO CONTRIBUTE, UH, MOVING THE DEPARTMENT A LITTLE FORWARD. SO, FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, THE PARK HAS A LOT OF, UH, SPECIAL MEANING. I, I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THAT STORY. AND AGAIN, YOUR COMMITMENT, UH, NOT JUST TO YOUR PRECINCT, BUT WE'RE PAVING THE WAY FOR THIS TO BE HAPPENING CITY AND COUNTYWIDE THESE PARTNERSHIPS. SO, THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COMMISSIONER. UH, GOOD TO SEE YOU. CONGRATULATIONS ON MOODY PARK SPECIFICALLY. I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU AND I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT AS WELL. UM, LOOK FORWARD TO THE HOBBY IN EAST END. NOW, , UM, NO. IF NOT, THEN I'M GONNA TAG, I'M KIDDING. . I'M KIDDING, PLEASE. I'M KIDDING. UH, NO. UH, BUT IN ALL SINCERITY, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. UH, OF COURSE, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE WALLY, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THESE, THESE, UM, THESE STORIES OF HOW THINGS ARE GETTING DONE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T GET TO DO THAT A LOT, UH, WHETHER IT'S THE MEDIA, WHETHER IT'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY SPEAK TO THESE KINDS OF, UH, UH, PARTNERSHIPS. AND THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT, SPECIFICALLY TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHERE WE KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE, UM, DECREASED THE TAX RATE OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, OR KEPT IT THE SAME IN THE LAST 12 YEARS. WE KNOW THAT RESOURCES ARE STRAPPED. UM, AND SO, WHENEVER, UM, THESE PARTNERSHIPS COME TO FRUITION, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT AS WELL. UM, AND, AND I WANNA TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. ALSO, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IN MAGNOLIA PARK, THE DRAINAGE PROJECT, UH, OVER $20 MILLION PROJECT THERE. UH, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS TO A COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN OVERLOOKED AS WELL. AND SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT THESE, THESE PARTNERSHIPS. UM, AND THEN ALSO BRING YOU ALL TO, TO THE, AROUND THE HORSESHOE TO SHARE, UH, WHAT THAT PROCESS WAS LIKE. BECAUSE I THINK, UM, LIKE MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE HORSESHOE, WE REALLY WANNA SEE MORE OF THESE TYPES OF, UH, UM, PARTNERSHIPS. UM, NOT JUST AGAIN, FOR CITY OF HOUSTON, BECAUSE WE DO REPRESENT THE SAME FOLKS, UH, BUT FOR THE COUNTY, THAT UNINCORPORATED AREA. UM, AND SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AS WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN DOING, UM, AT THE CITY, BUT ALSO AT THE COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND IN FACT, YOU MADE ME THINK ABOUT SOMETHING, UH, BECAUSE OF WHERE YOU REPRESENT. UH, MAYOR, UH, REMEMBER OUR DEAR FRIEND, SENATOR MARIO GALLEGOS. UH, I REMEMBER WHEN MARIO CAME TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, COMPLAINING ABOUT THE LACK OF COUNTY INVESTMENT INSIDE THE CITY. UH, AND REGRETTABLY, [02:35:01] UH, THE FOLKS WHO WERE SITTING IN THAT PARTICULAR HORSE HORSESHOE SAID, UH, YOU OUGHT TO BE HAPPY. YOU GOT A COUNTY JAIL, AND YOU GOTTA BEEN TAUGHT, UH, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? AND SO, UH, IT IS EXCITING, AGAIN, FOR REASONS LIKE THAT, FOR CITIZENS TO KNOW THAT, UH, THEY HAVE A PARTNER IN THE COUNTY. THE PARTNER HAS THE, THE, THE COUNTY HAS A PARTNER IN THE CITY. UH, AND I'M JUST EXCITED ABOUT, UH, THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'RE BRINGING TOGETHER TO BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I TOLD REP WALLY, THANKS FOR THE MONEY. YEAH. UM, KENNETH, UH, YOU, WE'VE DISCUSSED A LOT ABOUT GREEN, ABOUT MAINTENANCE OF OUR PARKS. AND, UH, AT, AT, UH, MOODY, YOU'RE TAKING OVER ALMOST 35 ACRES THAT COST THE CITY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO, TO MOW AND MAINTAIN. AT KEITH WEISS, IT'S 75 ACRES. THAT'S ABOUT $200,000. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU SPREAD THAT OUT OVER 20 YEARS, THAT'S $6 MILLION. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THE MONEY. THANK YOU. YOU, WE NEED IT. AND APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP. I'M EXCITED, I'M EXCITED TO BRING THAT MONEY. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COMMISSIONER GARCIA, IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY AS, AS WE CONSIDER THIS ITEM. YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A LOT, A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO TO GETTING TO THIS POINT. UH, I DEFINITELY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. AND ALL THE PARTIES THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE FROM THE MAYOR AND HIS TEAM TO OUR PARKS, DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, ALLEN, YOU AND YOUR STAFF, UM, IT'S NOT EASY FOR GOVERNMENTS TO COLLABORATE IN THIS WAY, BUT THE COMMUNITY REALLY IS THE ONE THAT, THAT BENEFITS. AND SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO BE HERE WHILE, WHILE THIS HAPPENS. UM, I SHARE A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THE PARK. LIKE YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP RIGHT BEHIND MOODY PARK. MM-HMM . AND I WALKED TO TACO NASO PLENTY OF TIMES, MYSELF, UH, SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT MOODY PARK WHEN I WAS A KID. AND SO TO SEE IT RECEIVE THIS TYPE OF INVESTMENT, UH, AT A TIME WHEN THE COMMUNITY IS ALSO STEPPING UP TO PLAY A BIGGER ROLE IN THE PARK, TO TAKE MORE OWNERSHIP AND BRING MORE PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVITY, UH, AND FRIENDS AT MOODY PARK HAS BEEN DOING A, A FANTASTIC JOB. I'M, I'M GLAD THAT Y'ALL ARE OPEN TO CONTINUING TO, TO WORK WITH THEM. UM, THIS IS A VERY, VERY EXCITING TIME. AND, UH, THE NEAR NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY AND, AND DISTRICT H OVERALL, UH, THEY'RE GONNA STAND TO, TO BENEFIT FROM A, A COUNTY MAINTAINED MOODY PARK. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO DO THIS. I, I DON'T THINK, I WAS ON COUNCIL A WEEK AND YOU STARTED TALKING TO ME ABOUT MOODY PARKS. THAT'S RIGHT. SO I KNOW HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO YOU. UM, BUT, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS. AND, UH, MAYOR, YOU AND YOUR TEAM MAKING THIS HAPPEN ALONG WITH OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT. GOOD DEAL. CA, COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I NEED TO THANK YOU. I, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A, A LONG ENDEAVOR FOR ME, UH, SINCE I JOINED THE COUNTY. I'VE BEEN, UH, I'VE HAD THIS IDEA IN MIND. IT WAS NOT UNTIL YOUR ADMINISTRATION, THAT THE DOOR TO THE POSSIBILITY, UH, WAS OPENED. AND SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ALSO KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND LISTEN TO THE IDEAS, UH, AND, AND WORK WITH US TO GET US TO THIS POINT. SO, I, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU. IF NOT FOR YOU, WE PROBABLY, UH, WOULDN'T BE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS. 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR LIKES TO ALSO DEFER TO DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS ON ISSUES OF THIS NATURE. AND SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. UM, AND I, AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UM, I WANNA PUT A CAVEAT TO THE MAINTENANCE, BECAUSE IT'S, FOR ME, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE, IT'S ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS. UH, IT'S THE INVESTMENT, UH, BEYOND MAINTENANCE, UH, THAT I AM SO HUNGRY AND EXCITED, UH, TO BE A PART OF. UH, SO, UH, MAINTENANCE IS A COMMITMENT. BUT, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE ENHANCEMENTS, UH, TO MAKE IT A DESTINATION PARK, UH, TO MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF NEGRO SIDE CAN BE IMMENSELY PROUD OF, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA BE WORKING FOR EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO, THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. WELCOME BACK. AND, UH, I, I WANNA EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION AS WELL FOR THESE, UH, MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENTS. UH, I KNOW YOU'LL TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MOODY PARK. UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR, AS YOU POINTED IT OUT EARLIER, THERE WAS A TIME, AND ACTUALLY IT'S BEEN MOST OF HISTORY, WHEN THE COUNTY SPENT VERY FEW DOLLARS IN, IN THE CITY, MOST OF, UH, THE COUNTY DOLLARS WERE SPENT IN UNINCORPORATED HARRIS COUNTY. UM, OBVIOUSLY, WE ALL PAY TAXES [02:40:01] IN THE CITY TO THE COUNTY. AND SO, UH, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, HAVING THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT, UH, DO ENGAGEMENT ON THE ISSUES SURROUNDING THE BEN TOP EXPANSION AND, UH, THE PROPOSED CONDEMNATION OF PART OF HERMAN PARK. UH, THERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES SURROUNDING THAT. AND, UH, IT, IT IS RIGHT AND APPROPRIATE THAT COMMISSIONERS, UH, INCLUDING YOURSELF, STOOD UP AND SAID, HEY, WE NEED MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THIS, SO THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. WE TRULY APPRECIATE THAT. I SAW YOU, UH, LAST WEEK AT, AT THE ONE THAT WAS, UM, UH, PUT ON IN, IN YOUR, UH, PRECINCT. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT, AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, UH, I'LL TELL YOU THAT THE BEST TRAINING I THINK I'VE GOTTEN IN THIS PARTICULAR WORK IS ACTUALLY THIS, AT THIS, UH, SHORT, SHORT HORSESHOE. UH, BECAUSE THE CITIZENS HAVE ACCESS TO YOU, TO US, UH, YOU LISTEN TO THEM. AND, UH, SO I'M, I'M WORKING TO SEE HOW WE, I CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR COUNTY, UH, UH, DIRECTORS AND THE LIKE, ALSO LEARN TO LISTEN AS WELL. AND I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL TO MAKE SURE WE GET THINGS RIGHT AND, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIZENS ALSO HAVE A, A, A SEAT TO PARTICIPATE AND HELP, UH, SHAPE POLICY AND IDEAS IN THE FUTURE. SO, THANK YOU. AGREED SO MUCH. AGREED. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD TO SEE YOU ALWAYS. COMMISSIONER. GOOD TO, UM, AS I'M LISTENING AROUND THE HORSESHOE, I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK I LOOK OVER AND SEE PARKS DEPARTMENT HERE AND BACK, UM, 15 YEARS AGO NOW, WE STARTED THAT, THAT PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP. AND, UH, I THINK ABOUT THE, AFTER WE FINISHED AT MOODY, UM, EVERY YEAR YOU SHOWED UP FOR THAT LITTLE LEAGUE OUT THERE. AND IT WAS ALWAYS GREAT TO BE THERE BECAUSE YOU COULD SEE THE REAL IMPACT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO REALLY PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY. I CAN'T HELP BUT RECALL MY GOOD FRIEND, JUDGE EMMETT USED TO TELL ME, REMIND THEM THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON RESIDES IN HARRIS COUNTY. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. AND, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING I ALWAYS, ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND, BECAUSE CERTAINLY AS RESIDENTS OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, WE SHOULD WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE IT IS OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMITMENT. BUT ALSO ON THE IMPROVEMENT SIDE, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT THE LONG-TERM COMMITMENT ON THE MAINTENANCE IS CRITICAL. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND HAVE DONE FOR SO MANY YEARS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND, AND, AND THANK YOU AS WELL FOR YOUR WORK WITH THE ASTROS, UH, YOUR, YOUR WORK AND BRINGING RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY DIDN'T START WHEN YOU GOT ELECTED. YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT. AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP AS WELL. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. COMMISSIONER, GOOD TO SEE YOU. UM, YOU BROUGHT UP BEN TODD, YOU BROUGHT UP DISCUSSING PARKS AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ BROUGHT UP, UH, A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION THAT'S GOING ON WITH THE PROPOSED EXPANSION. UH, SINCE YOU'RE BEFORE US, CAN YOU, UH, UM, GIVE US SOME INSIGHT ON WHAT YOU'RE HEARING, UH, FROM CONSTITUENTS, STAKEHOLDERS, UM, THINGS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING, UH, DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTY LEVEL REGARDING THAT EXPANSION AND WHAT WE CAN FORESEE HAVING TO, UH, PONDER GOING FORWARD? GOOD DEAL. I THINK THE CITIZENS ARE SPEAKING VERY LOUDLY, NUMBER ONE, UH, THAT THEY, UH, HAVE A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN, UH, IN THE PROTECTION AND THE, UH, SUPPORT OF HERMAN PARK. UH, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, EVERYBODY IS UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING A GREATER VALUE FOR THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN BEN TOP. AND, UH, TOO OFTEN BEN TODD IS SEEN AS OTHER PEOPLE'S HOSPITAL SYSTEM, UH, BUT I REMIND THEM THAT IF ONE OF OUR HOUSTON OFFICERS OR FIREFIGHTERS IS INJURED, IT'S BEN TA THAT YOU WANT TO GET 'EM TO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. UH, AND BEING, UH, HAVING BEEN A YOUNG COP, I'VE SPENT MANY A TIME AT BEN TOP, UH, WATCHING, UH, THE MAGIC OF THOSE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS SAVING LIVES IN HALLWAYS. AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. AND SO, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE. BUT, UH, AS I WAS SHARING WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, RAMIREZ, THAT, UH, IN SPITE OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, IT ALSO IS NOT PERMISSION TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT ENGAGING THE PUBLIC. AND I DO BELIEVE, UH, BY VIRTUE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M HEARING, UH, THAT THE, UH, IF, IF THE, IF THE IMPROVEMENT IS ULTIMATELY, UH, SUPPORTED BY COMMISSIONER COURT, THAT IT WILL COME WITH, UH, SOME ADJUSTMENTS THAT, UH, NOT THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT, NOT COMMISSIONER COURT, BUT THE, THAT THE PEOPLE WILL HAVE MADE. [02:45:01] AND, UH, AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. BUT PEOPLE ARE, THERE'S, THERE'S A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE PARKING. THERE'S A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, UH, WHETHER IT, IT ACTUALLY NEEDS TO BE THERE OR CAN IT GO UP? AND SO ALL OF THAT IS BEING, UH, REALLY, UH, REGURGITATED AND UNDERSTOOD BETTER. UH, AND SO I JUST, UH, I'M GLAD THAT I FORCED THAT CONVERSATION, UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE GOTTA DO. WE GOTTA DO 'EM YESTERDAY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT THAT THE PUBLIC, THAT WE WORK FOR THE PUBLIC AND THEY DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. IS THERE A TIMELINE ON ALL THIS THAT YOU CAN GIVE US? UH, I THINK WE'LL BE, UH, THERE'S STILL, UH, SOME MORE TOWN HALL MEETINGS TO BE HAD, AND SO I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY BE, UH, SEEING SOME MORE, UH, SEEING SOMETHING COME BEFORE COURT, PROBABLY WITHIN, I THINK MAYBE A COUPLE MONTHS OR SO, TWO, THREE MONTHS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. I THANK YOU. A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. I'VE ACTUALLY, EARLY IN MY LEGISLATIVE CAREER HAD A COMMISSIONER TELL ME THAT THE COUNTY STARTS AT HOUSTON CITY LIMITS. THAT'S HOW BAD THE ENVIRONMENT WAS. YEARS PAST. UH, ROBERT EC ECHOS WHEN HE WAS COUNTY JUDGE, AND I GOT INTO TANGO OVER MOORE COUNTY PROGRAMMING INSIDE THE CITY. HE SAID, WELL, SENATOR, YOU'VE GOT THE JAIL. YOU'VE GOT BEN TOP. I SAID, ROBERT, JUDGE, NEXT TIME YOU WANNA BUILD A JAIL ANNEX, PUT IT ON 1960. WE WANT PARKS, LIBRARIES. AND I'M EXCITED TO, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT NOT ONLY YOUR COLLABORATION, BUT ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF 'EM NOW IN THEIR OWN MANNER, ARE SHARING RESOURCES INSIDE THE CITY, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE HARRIS COUNTY. YOUR PARTICIPATION IN DEBRIS PICKUP DURING THE STORMS, UH, SENATOR ELLIS HAS SO MANY, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, BRIAN'S PARKS, DRAINAGE, FLOODING, AND TOM RAMSEY WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE, SAID, MAYOR, I WILL PAY FOR HALF OF THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS IN MY PRECINCT, WHICH ARE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO IT'S A GREAT DEMONSTRATION TODAY. BUT WHETHER IT'S HOMELESSNESS, INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, WE'RE REALLY TRUE PARTNERS WITH THE COUNTY. AND FOR THAT, I THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR PROJECTS WITH US THIS MORNING. GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND AGAIN, HAPPY NEW YEAR. AND GO, TEXANS. OH, BY, BY THE WAY, UH, WHEN I USED TO SERVE AT THIS HORSESHOE, UH, BILL WHITE USED TO HAVE, UH, A LOT OF, UH, REASON TO LAUGH AT ME. 'CAUSE I WOULD USE MY FIVE MINUTES, UH, TO DO SOME COLOR COMMENTARY ON THE PREVIOUS GAME. UH, SO I'LL JUST SAY, CJ, DO SOMETHING WITH HIM. HANDS CATCH THAT FOOTBALL DON'T FUMBLE. WE'RE GONNA WIN THIS GAME AS LONG AS WE SCORE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA (Part 1 of 2)] MEMBERS. UH, WHILE WE'RE ON THE ITEM OF THESE, UH, COLLABORATION, I WOULD ASK, IS THERE MOTION TO TAKE ITEMS 34 AND 35 OUT OF ORDER? TATUM, MOVE TO MOVE ITEMS 34 AND 35 UP. NEXT SECOND. MOTION MADE, AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU, AMANDA. UH, MS. SECRETARY, 34 AND 35. ITEM 34 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. GOOD WORK. ITEM 34 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. YEAH, I'M SORRY. ITEM 35 IS AN ORDINANCE 35. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. WE GO TO THE HEARING. [PUBLIC HEARINGS] I, MS. SECRETARY, WE'LL GO TO, UM, THE HEARING. OUR FIRST HEARING ITEM ONE, IS A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE DESIGNATION OF A LANDMARK PROTECTED, PROTECTED LANDMARK OR CHANGE OF DESIGNATION. UH, MR. WILLIAMSON? YES, SIR. PLEASE PROCEED. ALRIGHT. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR WHITMER. YOU STEP IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MICS, EITHER ONE. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, UH, WHITMEYER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING TO SPEAK. I'M ROBERT WILLIAMSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND WITH THIS MORNING IN THE AUDIENCE IS YASMINE AON, WHO IS OUR INTERIM HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER WAS ON, OKAY. I'M SORRY, . I'M TOO TALL. UH, THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S HEARING, UH, IS TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED DESIGNATION OF TWO LANDMARKS [02:50:01] FOR PROTECTED LANDMARKS AND THE CHANGE OF DESIGNATION OF TWO CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS FOR A TOTAL OF EIGHT PROPERTIES. UNDER CONSIDERATION, UNDER HOUSTON'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, PROPERTY OWNERS OR THE HOUSTON ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORICAL COMMISSION MAY SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNATION AS A LANDMARK. HOWEVER, FOR PROTECTED LANDMARK STATUS, ONLY THE HOMEOWNER OR THE PROPERTY OWNER RATHER MAY APPLY BEFORE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BROUGHT. BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, THEY MUST HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE HOUSTON ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL COMMISSION. ALL EIGHT OF THE PROPERTIES TODAY HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS AND APPROVED BY THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION. SINCE THE LANDMARK ORDINANCE WAS ORIGINALLY PASSED IN 1996, THE CITY HAS FORMALLY DESIGNATED 308 LANDMARKS, 203 PROTECTED LANDMARKS. AND OF THESE 511 PROPERTIES, 17 ARE OWNED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND ONE ALL PROTECTED EXCEPT FOR ONE. THE LANDMARK DESIGNATION MEANS ALTERATIONS, ADDITIONS, AND CERTAIN MAINTENANCE OF THE BUILDING STRUCTURE MUST OR SITE MUST FOLLOW THE HOUSTON PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. LANDMARK DESIGNATIONS MAY ALSO QUALIFY PROPERTIES FOR LIMITED TAX EXEMPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CITY COUNCIL AND ARE ADMINISTERED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. TO DATE, THERE ARE ONLY FI 58 OF THE 511 DESIGNATED LANDMARKS HAVE APPLIED FOR HISTORIC TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR PROPERTY OR SITE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION, IT MUST MEET AT LEAST ONE OF EIGHT SPECIFIC CRITERIA. WHILE NOTEWORTHY, THE DESIGNATION DOES NOT EXEMPT A PROPERTY FROM DEMOLITION, ONLY A PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION PREVENTS A PROPERTY FROM DEMOLITION. FOR A PROPERTY TO RECEIVE LANDMARK DESIGNATION, IT MUST MEET ONE OF FOUR ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR THE TWO PROPERTIES. SEEKING A CHANGE OF DESIGNATION. TODAY, THE PROCESS MAY BE INITIATED ONLY UPON FINDING THAT THE PROPERTIES WERE INCORRECTLY CLASSIFIED, WHICH IS THE CASE HERE. THIS MAP SHOWS THE LOCATION OF THE EIGHT PROPERTIES, AND THEY'RE SPREAD ACROSS THREE COUNCIL DISTRICTS, DISTRICT C, DISTRICT H, AND DISTRICT D. IN DISTRICT C, WE'VE GOT TWO LANDMARKS AND ONE PROTECTED LANDMARK. THE FIRST PROPERTY IS THE GREATER PLEASANT, THE GREATER PLEASANT HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH AT 8 28 WEST 20TH STREET IN THE HOUSTON HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION, AND IS SEEKING A LANDMARK DESIGNATION. THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED CIRCA 1953 AND IS A ONE STORY WOOD FRAME STRUCTURE. THE CHURCH WAS ORGANIZED ON JANUARY 1ST, 1931, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF REVEREND HENRY THOMPSON. OVER THE YEARS THE CHURCH HAS SERVED, THE CHURCH HAS SEVERAL NOTABLE PASTORS, INCLUDING BENJAMIN MEREDITH, BM JORDAN, FATHER OF THE LATE CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA JORDAN. THE CHURCH CONTINUES TO OPERATE TODAY AND MAINTAINS AN ACTIVE CONGREGATION. NEXT SLIDE. THE SECOND PROPERTY IS THE ALLEN AND HATTIE GREENHOUSE. AT 53 19 INSTITUTE LANE IN THE JANOR GARDEN SUBDIVISION NEAR RICE UNIVERSITY IS ALSO SEEKING A LANDMARK DESIGNATION. THE TWO STORY BRICK VENEER RESIDENCE WAS CONSTRUCTED CIRCUIT 1929 IN THE COLONIAL REVIVAL ARCHITECTURAL STYLE. THE HOUSE WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO BE BUILT IN THE SUBDIVISION, WHICH IN 1925, THE HOUSTON POST DESCRIBED AS BEING ONE OF THE MOST SELECT HOME CENTERS. IN SOUTH END, 53 19 INSTITUTE WAS NAMED IN HONOR OF ITS FIRST RESIDENTS, ALAN AND HATTIE GREEN, WHO LIVED THERE FROM 1929 UNTIL THE EARLY 1950S. THE THIRD PROPERTY IS WESTMONT'S DREAM HOME AT 1707. MILFORD IN THE EDGEMONT ORMAN PLACE SUBDIVISION ALSO NEAR RICE, AND THEY'RE SEEKING A PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION. THE TWO STORY BRICK AND SHAKE SHINGLE VENEER TUDOR STYLE HOUSE WAS DESIGNED BY BONITA BUILDING AND LUMBER COMPANY FOR A HOUSTON POST DISPATCH NEWSPAPER CONTEST. IN 1927, THE NEWSPAPER PARTNERED WITH THE LUMBER COMPANY TO SPONSOR THE NAMING OF THE NEW, UH, TWO STORY RESIDENCE ON MILFORD TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SUBDIVISION. AND THE WINNER WON A PRIZE OF A WHOPPING $25. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. IN DISTRICT D, WE HAVE ONE PROTECTED LANDMARK. THIS PROPERTY IS THE GREATER ROSE HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH. AT 30, AT 30 29 HOLMAN STREET IN THE THIRD WARD IN IS SEEKING PROTECTED LANDMARK STATUS. THE TWO STORY MID-CENTURY BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1962 AND IS A HISTORIC BLACK CHURCH THAT HOUSES A 120 3-YEAR-OLD CONGREGATION. THE GREATER ROSE HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH WAS FOUNDED IN 1902 AND MOVED TO ITS CURRENT LOCATION IN 1925, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF REVEREND WM SYKES, WHO WAS PASTOR OF ROSE HILL FOR 46 YEARS. THE ORIGINAL ROSE HILL SANCTUARY WAS DEMOLISHED AND REBUILT IN 1962. OVER THE YEARS, ROSE HILL HAS [02:55:01] CON CONTINUED TO REMAIN AS A CENTRAL PILLAR IN THE THIRD WARD COMMUNITY. AS AN ACTIVE CONGREGATION, THIS DESIGNATION WILL ENSURE THE CHURCH CONTINUES TO OPERATE AND SERVE AS BOTH A PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL REPRESENTATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE AND HISTORY. OF THE THIRD WARD. IN DISTRICT H, WE HAVE TWO PROTECTED LANDMARKS. THESE PROPERTIES ARE THE VALENTE DYSON HOUSES AT 1505 AND 1507 ALAMO STREET IN THE FIRST WARD, AND BOTH ARE SEEKING LAND PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATIONS. THE TWO PROPERTIES ARE NEIGHBORING, ONE STORY ARE NEIGHBORING, ONE STORY CRAFTS AND BUNGALOWS. THESE TWO HOUSES REPRESENT SOME OF THE LAST SURVIVING BUNGALOWS IN THIS FORMER WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS ORIGINALLY SETTLED BY GERMAN AND ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS. THEY'RE BEING DESIGNATED AS PROTECTED LANDMARKS SINCE BOTH PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE THE HIGH FIRST WARD HISTORIC DISTRICT, AND HAVE NO OTHER PROTECTIONS. THE NEW OWNERS COMPLETED A WELL. THE HOUSES WERE IN THE DYSON FAMILY FOR NEARLY NINE DECADES, AND BEFORE THEY WERE SOLD IN 2021, THE NEW OWNERS COMPLETED A FULL RENOVATION THAT EARNED A GOOD, GOOD BRICK AWARD BY PRESERVATION HOUSTON IN 2024. THE CHANGE OF DESIGNATION FOR TWO PROPERTIES LOCATED IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS, ONE IN DISTRICT C AND ONE IN DISTRICT H, BOTH ARE BEING CHANGED FROM CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES TO NON-CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES IN DISTRICT C3 20 EAST 20TH STREET IN HOUSTON HEIGHTS, EAST HISTORIC DISTRICT. A CHANGE OF DESIGNATION WAS REQUESTED DUE TO THE INCORRECTLY LISTED CONSTRUCTION DATE AND THE ORIGINAL HEIGHTS EAST END HISTORIC DISTRICT INVENTORY. THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION DATE WAS 1945 RATHER THAN 1930, WHICH WAS LISTED IN THE INVENTORY. THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND INTEGRITY HAVE ALSO BEEN COMPROMISED OVER THE YEARS, AND THE SITE IS INCONSISTENT WITH OTHERS IN THE CONTEXT AREA WITH NO ENDURING COMMUNITY VALUE. THE NEXT IS IN DISTRICT H. IT'S 31 0 9 MORRISON STREET IN THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS HISTORIC DISTRICT. THIS CHANGE OF DESIGNATION WAS ALSO REQUESTED DUE TO AN INCORRECTLY LISTED CONSTRUCTION DATE IN THE ORIGINAL WOODLAND HEIGHTS HISTORIC DISTRICT INVENTORY. THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION DATE WAS 1940 RATHER THAN 1930. IN ADDITION, THE BUILDING'S ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND SCALE BUILDING MATERIALS USED AND DENSE FIVE UNIT LAYOUT IS NOT IN KEEPING WITH OTHER CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES IN THE CONTEXT AREA. THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AND THE PLANNING TEAM, I SEE THE DIRECTOR AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. UM, IT, IT TAKES A LOT TO BRING THESE ITEMS FORWARD. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK AS YOU EXPLAINED, THAT HAPPENS BEFORE IT EVEN COMES TO COUNCIL. UM, SO I JUST, I WANNA THANK THE RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT C THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS. AND I, I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE, UM, WITH, UH, GREATER PLEASANT HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH THAT'S JUST A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM ME. WE HAVE SEEN AN EXPLOSION OF DEVELOPMENT ALL AROUND. UH, WE'VE LOST SOME HOMES THAT WERE THE ORIGINAL TIMBER FROM THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, IN TERMS OF HOW THOSE HOMES WERE BUILT. AND SO TO HAVE THE CHURCH RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THIS, UH, THAT IS RECOGNIZED FOR WHAT IT MEANS, NOT ONLY IN SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDING ITSELF, BUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF, UM, THE CONGREGATION, THE MEMBERS, AND THE PASTORAL LEADERSHIP. UH, REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT COME FORWARD. SO AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK CITYWIDE THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? IF NOT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PRETTY THOROUGH JOB. UH, WE HAVE FOUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS, PUBLIC SPEAKERS CALL THE FIRST CALL THE FIRST NISHA HARRIS TO BE FOLLOWED BY EMILY WAN. GOOD MORNING. OKAY, GOOD MORNING TO ALL. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS NISHA, AND I HAVE BEEN SERVING AS THE CHURCH HISTORIAN ON THIS PROJECT. I'M HERE TO STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THE GREATER HO GREATER ROSE HILL MINISTRY BAPTIST CHURCH UNDER THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP OF DR. GIN HOMES, WHICH IS A FAITH COMMUNITY THAT HAS STOOD IN OUR CITY FOR MORE THAN 120 YEARS, BE FORMERLY PLACED INTO HOUSTON'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT IT WILL NEVER BE SUBJECT TO DEMOLITION, AND THAT ITS LEGACY WILL REMAIN PROTECTED FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. THIS CHURCH IS MORE THAN JUST A BUILDING. IT IS A LIVING LANDMARK. SO FOR OVER A CENTURY, IT HAS WITNESSED THE GROWTH, THE CHALLENGES, AND THE TRIUMPHS OF OUR CITY. WHILE THE SKYLINE HAS CHANGED AND NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE TRANSFORMED, THIS CHURCH HAS REMAINED A CONSTANT, [03:00:01] A REMINDER OF WHERE WE'VE COME FROM AND WHO WE ASPIRE TO BE. BUT ITS VALUE ISN'T ONLY HISTORICAL, IT'S DEEPLY ACTIVELY WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY. TODAY, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THIS CHURCH HOSTS FOOD DRIVES. WE YOUTH MENTOR YOUTH PROGRAMS, COMMUNITY MEETINGS. WE GIVE CLOTHES AWAY. WE HAVE SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES AND WE PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS. DOZENS OF FAMILIES RELY ON THESE PROGRAMS EVERY SINGLE WEEK AND TIMES OF CRISIS, WHETHER STORMS, ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, OR EVEN PERSONAL EMERGENCIES. UM, THE CHURCH OPENS ITS DOORS WITHOUT HESITATION. IT IS OFTEN ONE OF THE FIRST ORGANIZATIONS OF OUR RESIDENTS TO TURN TO FOR HELP, AND IT NEVER TURNS THEM AWAY. WE ALL KNOW THAT ONCE A HISTORIC BUILDING IS GONE, IT'S GONE FOREVER. WE CANNOT RECLAIM ITS ARCHITECTURE IS STORIES OR THE GENERATIONS OF MEMORIES HELD WITHIN ITS WALLS LOSES THIS CHURCH WOULD MEAN LOSING AN IRREPLACEABLE PIECE OF OUR CITY'S IDENTITY. BY PLACING IT IN THE CITY'S PRE PRESENTATION PROGRAM, WE AFFIRM THAT OUR HISTORY, OUR CULTURE, AND THE INSTITUTION SERVE OUR PEOPLE THAT MATTER. IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO BE A PART OF SUCH A REMARKABLE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY ON ANY GIVEN DAY. LIKE A RANDOM TUESDAY. YOU MAY SEE A MAN LESS FORTUNATE PUSHING A SHOPPING CART PASTOR THE CHURCH TO ASK THE PASTOR FOR PRAYER. AND WITHOUT HESITATION, THE PASTOR NOT ONLY STOPS AND PRAISE WITH HIM, BUT SOMETIMES HE REACHES IN HIS OWN POCKET TO OFFER HELP WITHOUT EVER BEING ASKED. THAT SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY THAT I HAVE WITNESSED MYSELF AND COMPASSION IS WHAT DEFINES AND LEADS THIS CHURCH. WEEK AFTER WEEK, THE MEMBERS WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS, THEIR KINDNESS TO THE MEMBERS. THEY GENUINELY WARM THEIR HEARTS. AND BEING LOCATED DOWN THE STREET FROM HISTORIC LANDMARKS SUCH AS THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, THE DEVELOPING COM, COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL, THE ELTA BALLROOM, EMANCIPATION PARK, AND PROJECT ROW HOUSES ARE JUST A FEW NUMBER THINGS TO ONLY DEEPEN SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PLACE. UM, TO BE RECOGNIZED SUCH AN ICONIC INSTITUTION AS A CORNERSTONE OF THIS COMMUNITY WOULD TRULY BE AN HONOR. I ONCE AGAIN, RESPECTFULLY ASKED THE COUNCIL TO DESIGNATE THIS CHURCH GREATER ROSE HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH AS A PROTECTED HISTORIC SITE THROUGH THE PRESERVATION PROGRAM. LET US SAFEGUARD THIS REMARKABLE INSTITUTION, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF ITS PAST, BUT BECAUSE OF THE VITAL ROLE IT CONTINUES TO PLAY AND SHAPING OUR FUTURE. THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND THE INSIGHT THAT YOU'VE SHARED WITH US ON, WITH THE CHURCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER, EMILY ORAN, TO BE FOLLOWED BY DARRELL MICKEN. GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. I'M EMILY WAN, REPRESENTING PRESERVATION HOUSTON, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS PEOPLE SAVE THE PLACES THAT ARE MEANINGFUL TO THEM. I'M SPEAKING THIS MORNING IN SUPPORT OF THE LANDMARK AND PROTECTED LANDMARK NOMINATIONS PRESENTED THIS MORNING, PRESERVATION HOUSTON WROTE FOUR OF THESE NOMINATIONS AT THE REQUEST OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS. THESE DESIGNATIONS MATTER BECAUSE THEY HELP HOUSTON GROW WITHOUT LOSING ITSELF. WE HAVE SUCH A RICH MULTIFACETED HISTORY, AND THESE DESIGNATIONS HELP US TO KEEP PASSING THAT STORY ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HOUSTONIANS LANDMARK DESIGNATIONS. LET THE CITY EVOLVE WHILE ENSURING WE KEEP A CRITICAL MASS OF THE BUILDINGS, STORIES, AND CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES THAT GIVE HOUSTON ITS IDENTITY. OUR HISTORIC PLACES ARE A BIG PART OF WHAT MAKES HOUSTON LOOK LIKE HOUSTON, NOT JUST ANY OTHER CITY LANDMARKS ALSO GIVE US SOMETHING THAT'S INCREASINGLY RARE IN A CITY THAT'S GROWING SO FAST, A SENSE OF CONTINUITY THAT HELPS PEOPLE STAY CONNECTED TO WHERE THEY LIVE. THE PROPERTIES YOU'RE VOTING ON REPRESENT FIVE OF HOUSTON'S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND RANGE FROM HUMBLE BUNGALOWS TO GRAND TWO TO REVIVAL HOUSES, PLUS TWO HISTORIC BLACK CHURCHES THAT HAVE SERVED AS COMMUNITY ANCHORS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE GREATER ROSE HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH. IN PARTICULAR, THE CONGREGATION HAS OCCUPIED THE SAME CORNER OF HOLMAN STREET FOR MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS, BUT ITS SURROUNDINGS LOOK VERY DIFFERENT TODAY THAN THEY DID JUST 20 YEARS AGO. THE SMALL SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT ONCE FRAMED THE CHURCH WERE REPLACED FIRST BY VACANT LOTS AND MORE RECENTLY BY NEW MULTI-STORY TOWN HOMES. THIS STRETCH OF HOLMAN IS FORTUNATE TO RETAIN A FEW OF ITS HISTORIC PLACES, INCLUDING THE JOHN CHASE DESIGNED MEDICAL CLINIC ACROSS THE STREET, NEARBY BLACKSHIRE ELEMENTARY, RIVERSIDE HOSPITAL, AND THIS CHURCH, WHICH TOGETHER HELPED PRESERVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S CHARACTER AND STORY AS IT CHANGES. AS A REMINDER, PROTECTED LANDMARK NOMINATIONS CAN ONLY BE INITIATED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER. THE REVIEW PROCESS APPLIES ONLY TO EXTERIOR CHANGES VISIBLE FROM THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS ARE EXEMPTED, AS IS ALL INTERIOR WORK. THIS IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC REALM WHILE GIVING OWNERS FLEXIBILITY, A BALANCE THAT ALLOWS HOUSTON TO MOVE FORWARD WHILE KEEPING THE PLACES THAT MAKE IT SO DISTINCTIVE. THANK YOU VERY [03:05:01] MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, DARYL ENS TO BE FOLLOWED BY LOIS ZAMORA. AND GOOD MORNING TO ALL, UM, FOR GENERATIONS. THIS HOUSE OF WORSHIP HAS SERVED AS A SANCTUARY OF PRAYER, UH, A CENTER FOR FELLOWSHIP, A BEACON OF HOPE WITHIN THESE WALLS. UH, LIVES HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED, FAMILIES HAVE STRENGTHENED, AND THE GOSPEL FATALLY PROCLAIMED, UH, THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF THIS CHURCH BEARS SOLID WI WITNESS, COUNTLESS ACTS OF FAITH AND PRESERVATION AND, UH, SACRIFICIAL LOVE. THE PRESERVATION OF THIS HISTORICAL CHURCH IS NOT MERELY AN ACT OF CON CON, UH, CONSERVATION. IT IS AN ACT OF STEWARDSHIP. UM, THE SCRIPTURE REMINDS US THAT IT'S MOREOVER, UH, UH, REQUIRES US TO BE STEWARDS OF, OF, OF THAT. UM, WE ARE ENTRUSTED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SAFEGUARD THIS PLACE. UH, WE'VE BEEN HANDED DOWN, UM, NOT MERELY SOLELY FOR OUR BENEFIT, FOR OUR BENEFIT OF OUR COMMUNITY. THE BUILDING REFLECTS THE LABOR AND VISION OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US. MEN AND WOMEN WHO INVESTED THEIR, UH, TIME AND RESOURCES AND PRAYERS TO ESTABLISH A LASTING, UH, SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION. THEIR COMMITMENT ENSURE THAT THIS CHURCH WOULD ENDURE THROUGH SEASONS OF CHANGE, CHALLENGING AND CONTINUAL MISSION WITHOUT COMPROMISE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO TESTIFY? OH, WE HAVE ONE MORE. LOIS RA. ONE MORE. NO, MS. RA LOIS ZAMORA. MS. ZAMORA, IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING CAST TO MOVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. AS OPPOSED TO THE MOTION PASSES. [CONSENT AGENDA] NOW, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO CONSENT, BUT BEFORE WE DO, I'M GOING TO ASK THE SECRETARY AND WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE DIALOGUE IF YOU CHOOSE. I'VE ASKED HIM TO PULL ITEM 11 AND 24. UH, ARTURO'S NOT PRESENT TODAY, A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER. I KNOW SEVERAL MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS CERTAINLY IS REVIEWING THE LEGALITIES OF THIS. UH, I WANT EVERYONE TO BE CLEAR AND CERTAINLY THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND. THIS WAS ON THE AGENDA IN AUGUST, AND AT THAT TIME, MANY OF US, UH, OPPOSED IT. UH, UM, LEGAL BROUGHT IT FORWARD, PUBLIC WORKS BROUGHT IT FORWARD, AND WE'VE REVIEWED IT CAREFULLY. UH, I SAID AT THE TIME, I WOULDN'T GIVE MR. NERI ANY MONIES. I DIDN'T VOTE FOR THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT. HE'S A BAD ACTOR, BUT LEGAL STRONGLY BELIEVES THAT IF WE DO NOT RETURN TO HIM THE RETAINAGE OF ABOUT $400,000, WHICH THE CONTRACT PROVIDED FOR THAT HUD HERE'S OUR EXPOSURE. NOT THAT IF HE WANTS TO SUE, HE COULD GET AFTER IT, BUT HUD IS VERY CLEAR THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE TERMS OF WHAT THE MONEY WAS INTENDED FOR, FOR DISASTER RECOVERY. IT'S AN AGREEMENT WITH HUD. AND IF WE DON'T COMPLY, OUR DIALOGUE WITH HUD IS THAT IT WOULD EXPOSE $9 MILLION THAT WE POTENTIALLY WOULD HAVE TO RETURN. WE COULD PLAY CHICKEN WITH THEM. I DON'T THINK IT'S WISE. CERTAINLY I LISTENED TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND PUBLIC WORKS, JED, BUT I DO RESPECT, UH, CERTAINLY A NEW MEMBER AND OTHERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LEGAL DISCUSSION. ALSO, THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT ITEM 24, WHICH CONTAINS ANOTHER LEGAL SETTLEMENT THAT I THINK ARTURO SHOULD BE PRESENT TO PROVIDE HIS, UH, ADVICE AND COUNSEL. SO WITH THOSE, THAT CONSIDERATION, I WOULD ASK TO PULL THOSE ITEMS AND LET EVERYONE DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE BETWEEN NOW, AND IT'LL BE BACK ON COUNCIL NEXT WEEK. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS AND I HAVE SPOKEN, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, UM, HAS BEEN RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT THIS AS WE LOOK AT THE CONTRACT. SO I WANNA THANK YOU [03:10:01] FOR PULLING THIS ITEM BECAUSE I DO THINK IT REQUIRES A LOT MORE CONVERSATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LEGALITY OF THIS, THE LIABILITY TO THE CITY, UM, POTENTIAL PRECEDENT, ET CETERA. SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL RE I'LL WITHHOLD MY OTHER COMMENTS UNTIL WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, BUT I DO, UH, WANT TO RECOGNIZE HOW STRINGENTLY MANY OF US, INCLUDING YOURSELF OR LOOKING, UM, AT THE TERMS OF THIS CONTRACT SPECIFICALLY. WELL, THANK YOU. IF ANYONE HAS ANY MORE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT PROVIDING TRANSPARENCY, UH, I'M OPEN TO THAT. UM, IF I THOUGHT A HEARING WOULD BE, UM, APPROPRIATE, I'D DO THAT. BUT ARTURO, UH, RANDY JED, THE ONES THAT ASKED TO PUT THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA, UH, MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE AND PARTICULARLY ARTURO. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS MAYOR, I JUST WANNA ECHO, I COMMEND YOUR COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC INTEGRITY, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KICK THE TIRES ON THIS. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE SAME GOAL, AND I, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOUR TEAM. YOUR TEAM HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT ACCESSIBLE AND SUPPORTIVE IN THIS PROCESS, AND I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO GET THE BEST OUTCOME POSSIBLE. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC INTEGRITY ON THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. AND, AND I RESPECT YOUR LEGAL SKILLS AND YOUR, UH, TRANSPARENCY. AND, AND, UH, WHEN I HEARD YOU HAD SOME, UH, QUESTIONS, IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR TO ME THAT, THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL TIME AS WELL AS ALL THE, UH, MEMBERS. I JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME. I DON'T WANT TO OWN THIS, BUT I'VE LEARNED MEMBERS . I OWN OTHER ITEMS THAT COME ON THE AGENDA THAT, UM, WE'RE STARTING AND CREATED BEFORE I GOT HERE. BUT, UH, WE NEED TO DO THE RESPONSIBLE THING IN SOMETHING THAT WOULD HOLD UP IN COURT. AND, UH, REALLY IT'S THE HUD THE HUD, UH, EXPOSURE IS, IS KIND OF DIRECTING THIS. UH, MR. NERI IS A BAD ACTOR AND, UH, WE NEED TO SAFEGUARD THE PUBLIC FROM BAD ACTORS. BUT, UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY COMPLYING WITH A HUD REQUIREMENT, WHICH WE NEED TO, UH, HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND ALSO FOLLOW THEIR GUIDELINES. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA APPLAUD YOU FOR PULLING THIS. AND ALSO, UM, THANK COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS FOR RAISING QUESTIONS. UM, I LOOK FORWARD DURING THIS BREAK TO VISITING WITH LEGAL AND SEEING WHAT, WHAT HUD UM, SAYS ABOUT SITUATIONS WHERE A VENDOR ENGAGES IN, IN BRIBERY AND, AND WHAT RAMIFICATIONS THAT HAS WITH THE CONTRACT. BUT I WELCOME THE ADDITIONAL TIME TO, TO DELVE DEEPER INTO THIS. THANK YOU VERY WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR PULLING THIS ITEM. AND I, I WANT, WANT TO, UH, OFFER MY APPRECIATION TO COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS FOR RAISING THE CONCERNS, UH, BRINGING HER PERSPECTIVE TO THE HORSESHOE AND, AND IMMEDIATELY SCRUTINIZING SOMETHING, UH, THAT HAS NOW BROUGHT A DIFFERENT LIGHT TO IT. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE TIME TO FURTHER DIG INTO THIS, UH, WITH, UH, YOUR TEAM AND HER AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING, I WOULD ASK SECRETARY TO MOVE NOW TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEMS TWO THROUGH SIX? YES. SIX. TAYLOR, MOVE I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. THOMAS . COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND COLLEAGUES. I JUST WANNA, I, I KNOW WE, UH, VOTED ON CONSENT FOR NUMBER FIVE. I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE APPOINTMENT OF DR. ANTHONY MAYS, THE A FIVE D SUPERINTENDENT, AND THEN ALSO THE REAPPOINTMENT OF JAY SHAWNEE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. THEY DO INCREDIBLE WORK ON THE WEST SIDE AND DISTRICT F, ANN AND JAY. UM, AND APPRECIATE, UH, THE SLATE OF CANDIDATES COMING FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, NOMINATION AND THE APPROVAL. THANK YOU. AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS. UM, NEXT, UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY, IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM SEVEN THROUGH 10? CAST STATE A. MOVE I SECOND. MOTIONS MADE SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM 12? CAST STATE A. MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY. ITEM 15 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM [03:15:01] 13 HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEMS 14, 16, AND 17? MOVE SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY. ITEM 18 NEEDS A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. AS OPPOSED TO NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY. ESSENTIAL LIST WAS DISTRIBUTED, HAS BEEN ONE MINOR CHANGE, UH, THAT BEING ITEM 19, UH, REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 47 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 19, 20, 25, 29, 36, 41 AND 43. AGAIN, 19, 20, 25, 29, 36, 41 AND 43. IS THERE VOTE ON THE BALLOT. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA (Part 2 of 2)] ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM 13 CONTEST A MOVE. SECOND. MOTION. NO. 19. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? NO. ON 19TH 19, YOUR HONOR. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 19 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. COUNCILOR THOMAS. THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES. THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA, UM, HAS COME BEFORE COMMITTEE. AND THIS IS AN INCREASE OF AFFORDABILITY, UM, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN OUR CHODO PROGRAM, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UM, SINGLE FAMILY PROGRAM. AND SO, UH, THIS IS A, A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, INCREASING AFFORDABILITY IN THE INVESTMENT THAT WE MAKE TOWARDS THESE PROJECTS. HOPEFULLY, TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS AS IT'S A GOOD MOVE FOR THE CITY. MAYOR. VERY WELL, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM. I WANNA THANK OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP AND, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS CHAIR OF THE, UH, HOUSING COMMITTEE FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS. UM, I WOULD NOTE THAT AT THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE LAST WEEK, UH, DIRECTOR NICHOLS GAVE AN UPDATE ON THE PROCESS TO COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, HOUSING PLAN, UH, WITH CITY COUNCIL'S HELP. WE'RE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS. HOPEFUL THAT THAT PROCESS WILL INCLUDE A REVIEW OF, OF POLICY FOR ITEMS LIKE, LIKE THIS ONE. THIS ITEM PERTAINS TO THE GUIDELINES FOR, UH, HOUSING, UH, AS IT RELATES TO SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. UM, OUR HOUSING DOLLARS ARE SCARCE, SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY GOOD STEWARDS OF, UH, THE DOLLARS THAT WE GET AND MAKE SURE WE'RE HELPING MORE THAN JUST A HANDFUL OF FAMILIES WHEN IT COMES TO SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES I HOPE WE'LL CONSIDER GOING FORWARD, UH, INCLUDING THOSE RELATING TO DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, SUCH AS A LAND TRUST MODEL, WHICH DIRECTOR NICHOLS HAS ENDORSED IN THE PAST. LOOKING AT SINGLE FAMILY RENTALS AND CONSIDERING LOANS THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE REPAID INSTEAD OF ENTIRELY FORGIVEN. SO LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM 19? THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED SAY NO. MOTION PASSES. REPRESENTATIVE CAYMAN. UH, THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SHOUT THIS ITEM OUT. UM, IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS GRANT FUND, UM, THAT IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE GOING TO COVENANT HOUSE AND THE CHILDCARE COUNCIL OF GREATER HOUSTON, UM, TO SUPPORT INFANT AND EARLY CHILDCARE PROGRAMMING, UH, FOR PARENTS LOW AND MODERATE INCOME. UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF UNHOUSED YOUTH AT COVENANT HOUSE THAT ARE PARENTS. AND, UH, I, THEY'RE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB OVER THERE, UH, AND TO SEE THIS MONEY GOING TOWARDS PROGRAMMING THAT NOT ONLY SUPPORTS THE PARENTS, BUT THOSE LITTLE CHILDREN AS WELL IS VERY MEANINGFUL. SO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK BEING DONE, UH, OVER AT COVENANT HOUSE RIGHT NOW. VERY GOOD, THANK YOU. NEXT ITEM 25 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCILOR MARTINEZ. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. THIS IS THE MAGNOLIA MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UH, SOME FOLKS MIGHT NOT REALIZE, BUT DISTRICT I IS FURTHEST NORTH. UH, POINT IS GREENS BAYOU AND HIGHWAY 90. AND THEN OUR FURTHEST SOUTHERN POINT IS ABOUT BELTWAY AND, UM, AND 45. UM, AND WITHIN THAT, [03:20:01] THAT REGION, WE HAVE ONE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. SO IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, DO OUR BEST TO INVEST SPECIFICALLY IN THIS ONE WHEN WE, UM, HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE COLD NIGHTS OR THOSE, THOSE THOSE DAYS THAT ARE VERY WARM. THIS IS OUR LOCATION WHERE FOLKS CAN, UM, COME AND, AND VISIT A CITY OF HOUSTON FACILITY. OTHER THAN THAT, WE DEPEND ON SEVERAL CHURCHES, UH, PARTNERSHIPS IN THAT SENSE. SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE'RE MOVING, UH, FUNDS INTO SOME RENOVATIONS AT, AT THE MAGNOLIA MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UM, AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING, UH, MORE HAPPEN AT THAT, AT THAT, THAT CENTER AS WELL. SO, APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S SUPPORT. VERY GOOD. ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM 25. SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 29 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL RAMIREZ FAVOR. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. OH, SORRY, MAYOR. THANK YOU. UH, YES, I I JUST WANT TO, UH, OFFER SOME GENERAL COM COMMENTS, BUT FIRST LEMME BE SPECIFIC. I, I NOTICED THAT CHRIS LARSON IS HERE, SO WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING HE'S DOING WITH, WITH THE DOWNTOWN TURS. UM, BUT JUST A GENERAL COMMENT. UH, 29, 30, 31, AND 32, THE THREE OF WHICH HAVE, HAVE ALREADY PASSED ALL RELATE TO TUS. UH, THREE OF THESE ITEMS CAME BEFORE COMMITTEE. UH, ONE DID NOT. ITEM 30 DID NOT COME TO COMMITTEE. MY MY SUGGESTION THAT I WOULD OFFER GOING FORWARD IS THAT EACH OF THE TS BUDGETS COME BEFORE A COMMITTEE DID, UH, SO THAT COUNCIL CAN, UH, CRUT WELL, 30 ACTUALLY DID NOT CAN, CAN SCRUTINIZE THESE A LITTLE MORE, UH, THIS COMING YEAR. HU UH, THE CITY WILL, UM, UM, DIRECT $200 MILLION TO OUR T AND SO, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO MORE CLOSELY CONSIDER THESE IN COMMITTEE. BUT I'LL BE SUPPORTING, UH, THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR, UH, MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND YOU KNOW, CHRIS HAS ALREADY BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED. I WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU, CHRIS, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO FOR, UH, DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WORK FROM THE, THE, THE MAIN STREET 2.0, THE PROMENADE. UM, AND, AND I, I ALWAYS HAVE TO DO THIS BECAUSE, UH, I THINK, UM, AS A FORMER STAFFER, WE APPRECIATE, UH, ALL, ALL THE FOLKS THAT DO THE GOOD WORK. UM, AND ONE OF MY FORMER COLLEAGUES WHO WAS REALLY A HELP, UH, LEAD, UH, WITHIN THE DISTRICT EYE OFFICE, DANIEL SANTA MARIA. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT HE'S EXCITED TO SEE THIS COME TO FRUITION. I KNOW THIS, UH, IT'S ALSO HUGE FOR FIFA THAT'S COMING, UH, BUT JUST QUITE FRANKLY FOR ALL OF, UH, HOUSTONIANS THAT, UH, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ENJOY, UM, DOWNTOWN IN A SAFE WAY, UM, IN A WAY WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING TO SEE SOME, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ABLE TO SEE TREE CANOPIES NOW WE KNOW IS, IS USUALLY HOT IN HOUSTON. BUT, UH, EVERYTHING THAT, THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, DOWNTOWN CONTINUES TO BE THAT DESTINATION. UM, ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IDO CAT PARK. UH, I KNOW ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES IS GONNA SPEAK TO IT AS WELL, BUT, UM, YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS SPACE AS WELL IS, IS, IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. UM, WE KNOW THAT THIS PROJECT WON'T BE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 6, 7, 8 YEARS AT LEAST WHEN WE START LOOKING AT SOME POSSIBLE DESIGNS. UM, BUT, UH, BEING ABLE TO ALLOCATE FUNDING TOWARDS, UH, THIS, UH, THIS CAT PARK WILL REALLY HELP US, YOU KNOW, UH, IDENTIFY OR SEE IT COME TO FRUITION. IT'S A, IT'S A SMALL BUCKET THAT ULTIMATELY WE CONTINUE TO, UH, SET ASIDE SOME DOLLARS, ROUGHLY ABOUT 30 MILLION. UM, I THINK ESTIMATED IS $150 MILLION. UH, BUT IT, IT AT LEAST ALLOWS US, UH, AS A CITY TO TAKE THAT, THAT LEAD IN THE CONVERSATION. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING AS WELL BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP. UM, SO JUST WANT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, LET MY COLLEAGUES KNOW THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE, WE HIGHLIGHT T ON SO SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS, BUT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF TURS THAT, UH, IS REALLY DOING A, A, A HEAVY LIFT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THEN WE REALLY GET A RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT AS WELL. SO, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S SUPPORT. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THANK YOU. AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S POINT, THIS IS A, A LOT OF MONEY GOES INTO TERRAS AND I KNOW, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM BRING DOES BRING THESE TO COMMITTEE. WE, WE REALLY SCRUTINIZE THESE BUDGETS IN OUR OFFICE, AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM GOT BACK TO ME WITH A LOT OF QUESTIONS. CHRIS LARSON, YOU PERSONALLY ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS. UH, I WALKED DOWN MONDAY ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO SEE THE PROGRESS ON THE MAIN STREET. IT'S, IT'S SO EXCITING THAT BIG BLUE TILE MAIN STREET'S MY FAVORITE THING OF ALL OF HOUSTON RIGHT NOW. IT'S REALLY GREAT. IT'S JUST REALLY FUN TO SEE. UM, MID-MAY, I GUESS YOU SAID THAT WAS GONNA BE ALL COMPLETED, SO LOOKS LIKE THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO. SO I HOPE WE HAVE A LOT OF SUNNY, SUNNY, GOOD CONSTRUCTION DAYS UNTIL THEN. AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ BROUGHT, I MEAN, MARTINEZ BROUGHT UP THE, UH, THE CAT PARK. I ASKED A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, WE ARE SETTING ASIDE, UM, UNTIL 2030, ABOUT $30 MILLION. AND, AND TO ME, THIS LOOKS LIKE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE THE ONLY, THE TOURS IS THE ONLY GROUP SETTING ASIDE FUNDING RIGHT NOW FOR THIS. SO I ASKED A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS LIKE, WHO'S TAKING THE LEAD? IS THIS [03:25:01] GONNA BE A CITY PROJECT? IS THIS A TOURIST PROJECT? AND I KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU'VE GOT SIX YEAR, I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS CAT PARKS GOING UP, BUT I THINK WITH THE POLK DISCUSSION AND THE GRB, THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN WHAT'S GOING ON FOR THE IDO CAT PARK. SO TO THE EXTENT, UM, WE CAN HAVE MORE TO TALK ABOUT, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT KIND OF ANY ORGANIZATION AROUND AND SUPPORT AROUND WHAT THE, WHAT THE PLANS ARE FOR THAT AREA, EVEN THOUGH IT IS IN THE, IN, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS OFF. UM, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE. BUT THANKS CHRIS, FOR ALL YOUR GOOD WORK. IT'S REALLY EXCITING AND, AND APPRECIATE ALL Y'ALL ARE DOING. VERY GOOD, CHRIS, THANKS FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. NO ONE'S MENTIONED THAT 85 DOWNTOWN BLOCKS, YOU'RE FIXING TO JOIN THE CITY IN REPAVING. UH, I'M NOT GONNA ASK FOR A PROGRESS REPORT THIS MORNING, BUT WE GOTTA BE DONE BY FIFA. SO YOU'VE GOT A LOT ON YOUR PLATE AS WE DO. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR, UH, PROGRESS. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES AS OPPOSED TO NAY. MOTION PASSES. VERY GOOD. ITEM 36 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. AYE. THANK YOU MAYOR. I WANTED TO SPEAK BEFORE THE ITEM. I APOLOGIZE. I DIDN'T SEE YOUR LIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, BECAUSE OUR CITY ATTORNEY ISN'T HERE, UM, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY LIKE TO TAG THIS ITEM. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM, UH, THAT WE HAVE SUPPORTED THE PAST 12 YEARS. IT'S ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDING, UM, FOR, UH, OUR POLICE OFFICERS. UH, BUT THERE'S SOME LANGUAGE THAT THE DOJ HAS PUT OUT. UM, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE CLARIFICATION, UH, FROM CITY LEGAL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS THE SAME LANGUAGE, UH, THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS INCLUDED IN THIS GRANT IN YEARS PRIOR, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO, UM, THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION REGARDING CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION STATUS, INCLUDING LAWFUL STATUS. UH, SO IF WE COULD JUST GET AN ANSWER ON THAT. SURE, SURE. YOU WANNA MOVE TO RECONSIDER? 'CAUSE I WOULD ALREADY GATHERED IT THROUGH. THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC. SECOND, YEAH. MOTION. MAKE RECONSIDER ITEM. UH, 36. 36. 36. UH, ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. ALL OPPOSED NAY. MOTION. MOTION BACK BEFORE US AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN TAGS IT RESPECTFULLY. YEAH, I'M SURE. THANK YOU. EVERYTHING WE DO IS RESPECTFULLY . WE WANNA MAKE SURE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IS GETTING THE SUPPORT. NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT. THE, THE CHALLENGES IS, IS THE FUNDINGS FOR OUR CADET CLASSES. SO WE'RE HAVING ALL TIME, UH, LARGE CADET CLASSES. SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT THAT FUNDING. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. NEXT ITEM 41 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. I OPPOSED NAY. OKAY. AFTER. OKAY, AFTER THE VOTE. UH, AFTER THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR. MOTION PASSES. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. ALL RIGHT. TURKEY GULLY. UH, I WANTED TO LIFT UP THIS ITEM. COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE TURKEY GULLY, UH, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS FOR YEARS. UH, WE SECURED $16 MILLION, UTILIZING 14 MILLION OF HUD CDBG FUNDS FOR THIS. UH, I WANNA THANK PUBLIC WORKS AND FLOOD CONTROL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP ON THIS. THIS PROJECT REMOVES 171 PROPERTIES OUT OF A FLOOD RISK AREA DURING A TWO YEAR STORM EVENT. IT REMOVES 238 PROPERTIES FROM FLOOD, EXCUSE ME, FROM FLOOD RISK IN A 10 YEAR STORM EVENT, AND REMOVES 157 PROPERTIES. THESE ARE HOMES AND BUSINESSES OUT OF FLOOD RISK IN A 100 YEAR STORM EVENT. WHAT THIS ITEM DOES IS IT HELPS EXPEDITE THE PROCESS, UH, OF ACQUIRING CERTAIN LAND AND RIGHTS OF WAY OR EASEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE DRAINAGE PROJECT, IF THAT IS NECESSARY. UH, I CONTINUE TO SAY WE'RE ON BORROWED TIME WHEN IT COMES TO STORMS AND FLOODING, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT IS GOING TO MAKE, UH, A REAL IMPACT FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. IT'S AT 90% DESIGN RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, THIS ITEM SPECIFICALLY IS A GREAT MECHANISM TO HELP MOVE THE PROCESS ALONG FASTER. SO, AGAIN, JUST WANNA GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT BECAUSE TURKEY GULLY DRAINAGE AND PRE PAVING PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD. VERY GOOD. ITEM 43 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. AND THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA MEMBERS. UH, THE [Additional Item 3] MAYOR'S REPORT WAS KIND OF TAKEN OVER BY OUR GUEST, UH, ARMANDO WALLY. AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, I HAD TWO IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT [03:30:01] I WANTED TO MENTION. IF I WOULD LIKE TO START OUT A POP OFF, UH, FIRST OBVIOUSLY THE TEXANS SURELY ON EVERYONE'S MIND FOR TWO O'CLOCK SUNDAY. UH, PLAN NEW ENGLAND. WE WISH THE BEST FOR, UH, THE TEAM AND TARRO, AND INVITE ALL HOUSTONIANS TO GET BEHIND THE TEXANS BECAUSE IT'S AN EVENT THAT BRINGS ALL HOUSTONIANS TOGETHER. THEY, UH, SPORTS EVENTS. WHEN I LEAVE A BALL GAME, I ALWAYS REFLECT ON WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS TO COME TOGETHER AND BE HOUSTONIANS. SO THANK YOU TO THE TEXANS. WISH 'EM WELL, AND HOPE THE QUARTERBACK HAS A GREAT GAME, , AND I'M SURE HE WILL. ALSO IMPORTANT THAT I WOULD'VE LED OFF ALL OF OUR SESSION ON TODAY IS MLK UNITY PARADE. I'M VERY PROUD OF THE CITY WORKING WITH THE BLACK HERITAGE SOCIETY, THE MLK GRANDE PARADE. MR. TERESA BREWER HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR MANY YEARS. AND OF COURSE, MR. STAMPS, WHO'S PRESIDENT, I'M GONNA ASK HIM TO COME, LET US RECOGNIZE HIM. YOU KNOW, WHEN I GOT ELECTED, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I HAD TO DECIDE WAS THE EFFICIENCY OF THE MLK, THE APPROPRIATENESS OF HONORING HOW DO WE BEST HONOR DR. KING. I FOUND OUT SAN ANTONIO HAS A LARGER PARADE THAN HOUSTON. AND, UH, I SAID, WELL, WE CAN'T DO THAT. AND MY ADVISORS THAT HAVE BEEN CITY LONGER THAN ME SAID, DON'T GO THERE, MAYOR. DON'T GO THERE. UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYORS HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF THE UNITY OF THE TWO PARADES, AND THE OTHER ANGLO MAYORS HAVE NEVER TRIED. AND OF COURSE, I GOT ELECTED TO MAKE THINGS IMPROVE. SO WE STARTED WORKING WITH BOTH GROUPS. REBECCA WILLIAMS PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE. UM, BUT MR. STAMPS, I I TOLD YOU YESTERDAY AT LUNCH, UH, THIS IS REALLY SPECIAL. FOR OVER 40 YEARS, WE'VE HAD TWO PARADES FOR THE SAME PURPOSE. AND MY JUDGMENT, IT WAS NOT THE BEST WAY TO HONOR DR. KING. UH, IT WAS STRETCHING RESOURCES AFTER THE NEW ORLEANS TRAGEDY OF A CAR DRIVING THROUGH A CROWD, UH, TO STRETCH HPD TO TWO ROUTES AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH IS NOT, NOT SMART. SO YOU'VE REALLY BEEN A LEADER IN THIS EFFORT, AND I WANNA PUBLICLY THANK YOU, MS. BREWER. COULDN'T BE HERE, BUT, UH, IT'S A, I THINK IT'S A GREAT CELEBRATION. I'VE HEARD FROM ACROSS HOUSTON. CERTAINLY OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMITTEE TO SAY, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO. YOU KNEW IT, MS. BREWER KNEW IT. I KNEW IT. AND IT'S HAPPENING. UH, MONDAY, THERE'S A NINE O'CLOCK RECEPTION, 10 O'CLOCK PARADE, 36 BANDS, THREE GRAND MARSHALS, MAYOR WHITMEYER, CHARLES STAMPS, AND A RADIO PERSONALITY. MATT HATTER. SO JUST LET'S CELEBRATE THIS OCCASION, HONOR DR. KING AND DEMONSTRATE HOW HOUSTON IS A UNITED CITY. IT'S A UNITY PARADE. THE WEATHER IS SUPPOSED TO COOPERATE, ALTHOUGH IT WILL BE COLD, BUT THANK YOU. MR. STAMPS, I YIELD TO YOU. YOU WANT TO TELL US, UH, A LITTLE HISTORY AND THE STATUS REPORT? SPEAK INTO THE MIC ON THE OTHER SIDE. EITHER ONE. EITHER ONE. WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UM, MAYOR PROAM FROM HAVING ME OUT THIS MORNING. UM, THE SOLUTION, UH, TO THE DUAL PARADE WAS VERY SIMPLE. MM-HMM . AND WAS ALWAYS CONTAINED IN, UH, CITY ORDINANCE. BUT FOR 30 YEARS, NO COUNCIL MEMBER, NO MAYOR EVER THOUGHT TO LOOK AT IT UNTIL NOW. AND WHEN THEY DID, THEY FOUND THE SOLUTION AND THAT SOLUTION WAS EXERCISED. AND AS A RESULT, UH, YOU HAVE A COMBINED PARADE. UM, I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT I LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE IT COME TO FRUITION. AND, UM, THE MIRROR ENCOURAGES ME BECAUSE HIM AND I ARE THE SAME AGE. AND WHEN HE TELLS [03:35:01] ME THAT HE CAN DO IT ANOTHER YEAR, IT ENCOURAGES ME THAT I CAN DO IT ANOTHER YEAR AS WELL. BUT, UM, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE VERY PROUD OF WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE ON MONDAY. UM, THE MAYOR IS CORRECT. WE'VE BEEN IN CALLS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. UH, WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AS WE SPEAK, IS THAT THEY'RE USING OUR EFFORTS AS A TEMPLATE TO IMPLEMENT A SIMILAR EVENT MOVING FORWARD. UH, IN DALLAS, YOU'RE DOING THAT NOW, WHICH IS A MIRROR IMAGE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN HOUSTON. UM, WE'RE EXPECTING RECORD BREAKING, UH, CROWDS. UH, OUR BEST ESTIMATES IS THAT, IS THAT IT'S GOING TO EXCEED 400,000 DEPENDING ON WHETHER, BUT WHAT WE CAN GAUGE AND CALCULATE. PERSONALLY, THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN AN EVENT PARADE OR ANY OTHERWISE. IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT'S HAD THIS NUMBER OF ENTRIES. UM, ON PAPER, IT IS WELL OVER 300 ENTRIES THAT'S ON PAPER. BUT WHEN YOU TAKE IT OFF PAPER AND PUT IT ON THE STREETS, IT'S GONNA BE LARGER. UH, WE ANTICIPATE THAT EACH 100 PARADE ENTRIES ARE GOING TO EXCEED, UH, A DURATION THE ONE HOUR. SO IF YOU HAVE 300 PARADE ENTRIES, YOU HAVE A THREE HOUR PRODUCTION, UM, ANYTHING OVER 300, UM, WE'RE FUL THAT THE WEATHER HOLDS UP LONG ENOUGH THAT THE PARADE WILL END BEFORE IT GETS DARK. BUT I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE VERY PROUD, UH, VERY ENCOURAGED, AND YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN YEARS TO BECOME. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I APPRECIATE THE RECOGNITION. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DA, LET ME, BEFORE I CALL ON HIM A KEY COMPONENT, A CRITICAL INVOLVEMENT OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, PASTOR DAVIS, THROUGH YOUR FRIENDSHIP, RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. UH, IT ASSISTED US NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN WE HAD ISSUES COMING UP. SO COUNCILMAN DAVIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE TOGETHER CELEBRATING ON MONDAY. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU CHARLES. UM, MY CONTRIBUTION WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY SMALL AND IT'S IN, IN RESPECT TO THIS IDEA. BUT LET ME FIRST START WITH MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE ACTION OF STEPPING UP AS A LEADER AND DOING WHAT YOU KNOW IS TO BE RIGHT BECAUSE OF YOUR WORK AS A SENATOR AND A, AND A REPRESENTATIVE, LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE, AND NOW THE MAYOR OF THIS CITY. WE ARE A PHENOMENAL CITY. I BELIEVE THAT IN DIVINE INTERVENTION, IF I MAY, TO MANY OF US, EVERYTHING IS BY TIMING. TIMING. PEOPLE SAID TO THE MAYOR, DON'T DO IT. THAT IT WOULD BE CHAOS TO DO THAT. AND THE MAYOR SAID, WELL, I'M, I'M THE LEADER, SO I'M GONNA DO IT. HOW CAN WE AS A COMMUNITY, SO MANY ISSUES WE TALK ABOUT AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. WE HEAR SO MANY PROTESTORS WHO COME TO THIS CITY AND ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT DIVIDE US. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY AND A TIME TO UNITE US. I CANNOT BEGIN TO TELL YOU COLLEAGUES HOW MANY FAITH LEADERS OF ALL CULTURES AND RACES THAT ARE CALLING AND EXCITED ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN THIS PARADE. UH, THE MAYOR INDICATED THAT HE WANTED THIS PARADE TO BE THE LARGEST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND IT IS THAT IT IS GOING TO BE IN A PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT'S GONNA COME DOWNTOWN OF ALL OUR CULTURES. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MAJOR PARTICIPATION OF THE LATINO HISPANIC COMMUNITY IN THIS PARADE. MRS. STAMP HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB. MS. BREWER HAS DONE A GREAT JOB. AND I THINK IT WOULD BE REMISS OF US THAT WE WOULD NOT SHOW OUR UNITY BY COMING TOGETHER AS WE REPRESENT HOUSTON. AND TO SUPPORT WHAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAVE DONE TO BRING THE CITY TOGETHER, WAS CELEBRATING A LEADER WHO SUBMITTED HIS LIFE, HIS TIME AND EVERYTHING TO UNITING PEOPLE, NOT DIVIDING PEOPLE. AND SO THAT WAS MY, I HEAR THESE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS COMING FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE ABOUT CERTAIN GROUPS, BUT HERE'S A GROUP. HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO COME TOGETHER AND SHOW THE CITY THAT WE ARE UNITED. [03:40:01] WE COME TO LIVESTOCK SHOWING RODEOS. WE GO TO THANKSGIVING, WE GO TO VETERAN, WE GO TO EVERYTHING. BUT THIS IS AN EFFORT BEYOND ALL EFFORTS, THIS WILL PROBABLY GO NATIONAL BECAUSE OF THE PARTICIPATION. MRS. STAMP, LET ME THANK YOU FOR, UH, IN THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD. UH, IT WAS A TALL HILL TO CLIMB, BUT WE DID IT. BOTH SIDES CAME TOGETHER AND AGREED, AND IT WENT FORWARD. RICARDO'S PARTICIPATION, REBECCA WILLIAMS PARTICIPATE, PARTICIPATION, AND, UM, IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, MR. STAMPS AND THEN MS. BREW IN HER ABSENCE. AND ALL OF THOSE INVOLVE, IT'S VERY LITTLE ABOUT ME, BUT SOMETIMES IF WE ALL THINK ABOUT IT, DIVINE INTERVENTION IS SO IMPORTANT. AND SO THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR TAKING THE LEADERSHIP. YOUR ROLE WAS TO THINK ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CITY. AT THE SAME TIME, YOU ALSO FELT THAT IT WAS RIGHT FOR AFTER 30 YEARS OF DIVISION TO COME TOGETHER AS ONE. AND I COMMEND YOU FOR IT, AND I COMMEND YOU, BROTHER STAMPS AND MS. WARNER ABSENT FOR DECIDING THAT IT WAS TIME FOR NO LONGER TO BE DIVIDED, BUT TO BE UNITED. AMEN. THANK YOU. OKAY, COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU MAYOR. MR. STAMPS. UM, WHILE I'VE NOT HAD THE, THE PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU HERE TODAY. UM, BACK IN 2011, I HAD THE PLEASURE TO MEET MR. OBIDE DUNCAN TELL, AND WE USED TO SIT ACROSS THE TABLE AND TALK ABOUT WHY ISN'T THERE JUST ONE PARADE? AND SO TO SEE YOU HERE TODAY AND MAYOR, FOR YOU MAKING THIS HAPPEN, IT'S LONG OVERDUE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT CERTAINLY, THAT'S SPOT ON IN THAT WHEN YOU'RE DIVIDED JUST ON A, A FRONT OF HONORING SOMEONE, THEN WHAT HONOR IS THAT? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT HONOR ARE YOU PLACING? SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR WILLINGNESS AND YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THAT. AND I KNOW FOR FOR MANY YEARS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE ENTIRE CITY HAS PROBABLY WANTED TO, TO, UH, SEE COME TO FRUITION. SO THANKS FOR ALL'S EFFORTS INVOLVED IN IT. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. AND MR. AMPS, YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED HOW WE'RE GONNA BUILD UPON THIS YEAR'S EVENT. 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH ENTHUSIASM, AND WE'RE ALREADY DISCUSSING NEXT YEAR HOW TO EVEN BE BIGGER AND BETTER. RIGHT? UM, I THINK YOU DESCRIBED WE'RE ON A SUGAR HIGH RIGHT NOW. SO WHEN, WHEN WE COME DOWN OFF OF IT, WE NEED TO GET READY AND BUILD, RIGHT? WE JOKINGLY REFERRED TO AS A SUGAR HIGH BECAUSE WE, WE INITIALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, WE DISCUSSED A PROSPECTS THAT IT HAD TO BE IN TWO PHASES, IF YOU WILL. THE FIRST PHASE WOULD BE TO OVERCOME THE APPEARANCE, THE OPTICS. WHY, WHY, WHY? I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT. THE SECOND PHASE, WHICH IS MORE MOST IMPORTANTLY, IS THE MESSAGE. AND YOU BEGIN BY STANDING, UH, MS. CARTER, THAT WHEN DR. KING WAS TALKING ABOUT UNITY, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT WORLD UNITY. HE WASN'T TALKING ABOUT UNITY IN A COMMUNITY OR FOR ONE SPECIFIC ETHNICITY. THE PARADE IS ON MY BIRTHDAY, JANUARY 19TH, I'M GONNA CHECK ONE DAY OFF. AND ON JANUARY 21, WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE THE SECOND PHASE, WHICH IS MESSAGING, INCLUSION, MAKING OUR DIFFERENCES WORK FOR US AS OPPOSED TO AGAINST US. WE DO IT EVERY DAY. WE JUST DON'T REALIZE IT. IT TAKES SOMETHING MAJOR FOR US TO SNAP, LIKE, UH, THE WORLD TRADE CENTER OR A NATURAL DISASTER. AND WE ALL COME TOGETHER. WE COME TOGETHER EVERY DAY WORKING ON THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN COMMON. THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE IN COMMON, WE'RE JUST WORK ON IT. WILLIE AND I SERVED AN ARMY TOGETHER, AND WE HAD A MOTTO. AND THE MOTTO WAS THAT THEY'RE DIFFICULT. WE DO FIRST, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. MM-HMM . BUT THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES US A LITTLE LONGER. SO IT MAY, IT MAY TAKE US A WHILE TO GET TO THAT SECOND, UH, COMPLETE THAT SECOND PHASE IF WE EVER COMPLETED AT ALL. BUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE WORKING ON IT, UM, STRIVING FOR A MORE, A MORE PERFECT UNION. IT MAY NOT EVER BE PERFECT, BUT AS LONG AS YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT IDEA OF THAT CONCEPT, THEN THERE'S HOPE. AND THAT'S WHAT THE MAYOR AND I DISCUSSED. AND, UM, MARY, YOU'RE VERY SHARP. YOU KNOW THAT TO BE 75 YEARS OLD, WELL, YOU'VE BOUT SAID ENOUGH. HEY, LISTEN HERE, I AGREE WITH [03:45:01] YOU. AND, UH, IN FACT, I REALLY AGREE WITH YOU. UH, WE NEED TO THANK OUR, OUR POLICE, CHIEF DIAZ AND FIRE CHIEF MUNOZ. 'CAUSE WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. AND IN THE PAST THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE IT, BUT IT WAS BECOMING A REAL CHALLENGE. SO THEY WERE AT THE TABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT SAFETY IS ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES FOR THE PARTICIPANTS AND THE, UM, OBSERVERS OF THE PARADE. SO LET'S, LET'S HAVE FUN. I KNOW YOU HAVE A GALA SUNDAY NIGHT, AND THERE'S A, UH, GOSPEL SINGING SATURDAY NIGHT. SO, YOU KNOW, AS COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS SAID, WE HAVE A LOT OF CRITICS COME BEFORE US. AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T DISCUSS ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT A GREAT CITY THAT THIS IS IN TERMS OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER. WE HAVE GREAT PEOPLE. WE'RE MEETING OUR CHALLENGES, AND WE CAN SAY, NOW WE'VE GOT ONE UNITY PARADE HONORING DR. KING. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR VITAL ROLE. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. [MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] MEMBERS SHOUT OUT, UH, CARTER. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TO, UH, OUR NECK OF THE WOODS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER HAD, UH, SET UP OUR FIFTH MEDIAN MADNESS, AND I'M SURE HE'LL TALK A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT THANK YOU FOR ACTUALLY SPENDING TIME OUT THERE, NOT JUST PASSING THROUGH, BUT GETTING IN AND GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY AND YOU AND YOUR FEET A LITTLE WET PROBABLY. BUT IT MATTERS TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE CITY WHEN YOUR PRESENCE IS THERE, THEY KNOW IT MATTERS TO YOU, AND IT CERTAINLY MATTERS TO US. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, UH, ON SOME COLLABORATIONS TO GET THINGS MOVING ALONG IN THAT FRONT. SO APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER, YOUR SUCCESSFUL MODEL FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. GETTING THOSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OUT ON SATURDAY MORNING IN A COLD WEATHER, EIGHT O'CLOCK TO CUT DEBRIS OFF OF THE KINGWOOD DRIVE IS, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT TO BE A PART OF IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WE SHOULD TAKE THAT ACROSS HOUSTON FOR SURE. COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GO TEXANS. UH, I WANT TO BEGIN BY SHARING A BRIEF RECAP FROM DISTRICT D. LAST WEEK, RESIDENTS CAME TOGETHER FOR THE HARRIS HEALTH TOWN HALL AT HERMAN PARK TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED BEN TOP HOSPITAL EXPANSION AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY. THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY CONVERSATION, AND I WANNA SINCERELY THANK COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE PRESENT AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE HERMAN PARK CONSERVANCY FOR HOSTING AND FACILITATING A SPACE THAT ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM STAKEHOLDERS, ASK QUESTIONS, AND ENGAGE IN THOUGHTFUL DIALOGUE. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MATTERS. AND THIS TOWN HALL REFLECTED OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY, PUBLIC INPUT, AND REASONABLE PLANNING. AS WE CONTINUE THIS PROCESS, I REMAIN COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE VOICES OF DISTRICT D RESIDENTS ARE HEARD AND RESPECTED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. HEALTHCARE AND PARK SPACE ARE BOTH VITALLY IMPORTANT, SO WE WANT TO WORK TOWARDS A WIN-WIN DECISION. LOOKING AHEAD, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TWO UPCOMING EVENTS. FIRST ON WEDNESDAY. UH, TODAY, UH, I WILL ATTEND THE HOUSTON CITY COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SWEARING IN CEREMONY HONORING, UH, MONICA FLORES REIHART, RENEE JEFFERSON PATTERSON, AND CYNTHIA LINTON. GARY. THIS CEREMONY RECOGNIZES LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE IN HIGHER EDUCATION, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING THESE TRUSTEES AS THEY BEGIN AND CONTINUE THEIR TERMS. UH, I ALWAYS REFLECT ON MY REWARDING TIME SERVING AS A TRUSTEE AND BOARD CHAIR, AND LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THE COLLEGE ON MONDAY, JANUARY THE 19TH, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE HOUSTON TEXANS YMCA LEGENDS BREAKFAST MARKING, THE YMCA'S 15TH ANNIVERSARY AND SER SERVING AS A PRELUDE TO THE MARTIN LUTHER KING KING DAY OF SERVICE. THIS EVENT CELEBRATES LEGACY LEADERSHIP AND THE CONTINUED IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE AND STRENGTHENING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THE BREAKFAST STARTS AT 9:00 AM FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE BEAUTIFICATION OF FACILITY AND GROUNDS IN KEEPING WITH THE THEME BUILT ON SERVICE GROUNDED IN COMMUNITY. AND THE ADDRESS OF THE HOUSTON TEXANS. BREAKFAST IS 52 0 2 GRIGGS ROAD. AGAIN, IT BEGINS AT NINE, BUT DUE TO THE PARADE, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE BREAKFAST AND SERVICE EVENT EVENT, BUT I WILL BE THERE IN SPIRIT. AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. [03:50:01] I WANT TO START OFF, UH, BY THANKING EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED THE FIRST DISTRICT H TOWN HALL OF 2026 THIS PAST SATURDAY, INCLUDING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND CHIEF DIAZ WERE PRESENT ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF CITY DEPARTMENTS AND RESOURCES. I WILL HOLD OUR NEXT TOWN HALL JANUARY 24TH, SATURDAY AT CLARK PARK. IT'S GONNA BE IN THE NORTH LINE AREA AT 10:00 AM AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING Y'ALL OUT THERE. I WANNA ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE SIGNIFICANCE AGAIN. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER OF THE AGREEMENT WITH PRECINCT TWO FOR MOODY PARK. UM, AND THANK, UH, ALL THE, THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT MADE THAT HAPPEN. YOU KNOW, THIS PARTNERSHIP, UH, MEANS THAT THE CITY KEEPS THE OWNERSHIP, THE COUNTY WILL MAINTAIN AND OPERATE THE PARK. THIS INCLUDES MOWING, LITTER REMOVAL, SECURITY TREE CARE, FIELD IMPROVEMENTS. THERE'S ALSO IMPROVEMENTS COMING TO THE PARK, TIED TO THE WORLD CUP, AS WELL AS COMMITMENTS FROM COMMISSIONER GARCIA, WHICH WE HEARD TODAY FOR, FOR FURTHER ENHANCEMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO MOODY PARK, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY CONTINUING TO PLAY A ROLE, UH, IN THE ACTIVITIES THERE WITH THE FRIENDS OF MOODY PARK GROUP. UH, THIS WILL SUPPORT THE FREE KICKS SOCCER, LOW COST TO NO COST PROGRAM FOR YOUTH. AND, UH, CURRENT HOUSTON PARKS DEPARTMENTS, YOUTH SOCCER PARTICIPANTS, UH, WILL ALSO BE A PART OF THAT. AND NO CITY FUNDING IS GOING INTO THIS. THIS IS ACTUALLY SAVING THE CITY MONEY. SO IT'S A GREAT, UH, MODEL THAT HAS BEEN APPLIED AT OTHER PARKS ACROSS THE CITY. THIS IS NOW, UH, COMING TO MOODY PARK. AND I WANT TO, AGAIN REITERATE, UH, ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO MAKING IT HAPPEN AND HOW THIS WILL BENEFIT, UH, THE DISTRICT AND THE PARK IN THE LONG TERM. AND FINALLY, UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE SENIORS THAT LIVE AT INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS, UH, SENIOR LIVING FACILITY. THEY'VE BEEN DEALING WITH A BROKEN ELEVATOR. UH, IT'S THE ONLY ELEVATOR IN THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEX, AND IT WAS OUT FOR A WEEK. UM, SO YOU HAD SOME FOLKS THAT WERE LIVING ON THE TOP FLOORS THAT HAD MOBILITY ISSUES THAT COULDN'T, UH, COULDN'T GET OUT OF THERE. UH, IT IS BACK UP AND RUNNING, BUT IT JUST HIGHLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, HOW VULNERABLE OUR SENIORS CAN BE WHEN, WHEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN. AND IT IS SOMETHING, UH, THAT PUBLIC WORKS WAS, WAS ASSISTING WITH. UM, BUT I DO WANNA LOOK AT, UH, MAYOR, WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO, UH, TO HOLD THE OWNERS OF THE BUILDINGS, UH, ACCOUNTABLE TO INCENTIVIZE OR TO, TO GET THESE REPAIRS DONE QUICKER, UM, SO THAT FOLKS THAT ARE IN THOSE POSITIONS AREN'T, AREN'T LEFT, UH, WAITING WEEKS, YOU KNOW, FOR AN ELEVATOR TO GET FIXED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, LET ME BEGIN BY, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN SHABAZZ FOR THE INVITE TO US IN REGARDS TO THE MEETING THAT WAS HELD AT THE CONSERVANCY, I THINK WAS VERY, UM, GREAT INFORMATION THAT WE GOT ON BOTH SIDES. UM, AND CERTAINLY THAT'S A CONCERN EARLIER WHEN IT WAS, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED BY ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES ABOUT WHERE IT IS AS IT RELATES TO THE COUNTY, AND IT WILL COME BACK TO US. BUT, UH, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO FURTHER THAT DISCUSSION, BUT THERE IS A CONCERN THAT I HAVE, UH, IN ATTENDING THE MEETING. AND THAT WAS THAT THE CONSERVANCY WHO WAS GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS, UM, AND WHERE THE, NO MATTER WHERE AND WHAT SIDE PEOPLE ARE ON, BUT THE CONCERN IS THIS, THE HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT ARE HOLDING MEETINGS, BUT THEY'RE NOT INVITED THE CONSERVANCY AT THEIR MEETINGS TO BRING UP THE ISSUE. IF IT'S GONNA REPRESENT ALL OF HARRIS COUNTY AND THE CITY, THEN I WOULD THINK, UH, THAT THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME EXPRESSIONS FROM THE CONSERVANCY AT THEIR MEETINGS. THEY INVITED THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT TO THEIR MEETING. SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT BROUGHT, WAS BROUGHT UP BY SOME CONSTITUENTS WHO EXPRESSED TO ME THAT THEY WERE NOT, UH, GIVEN THE INVITE TO THE, THE MEETINGS THAT THE HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT WAS DOING. SO, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THERE WILL BE FURTHERING DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. UH, ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO SHOUT OUT THAT I'M ALWAYS GRATEFUL TO MY STAFF. AS YOU KNOW, WE STARTED, UH, LAST YEAR MAKING FOUR TOWN HALL MEETINGS A YEAR. OUR GOAL ACROSS THE CITY, WE'VE GONE NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST. AND, UH, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT, WE ARE GOING TO BE IN THE METROPOLITAN, UH, MULTIPURPOSE CENTER ON GRAY. WE'LL BE THERE, WE WOULD'VE DONE IT THIS MONTH. BUT DUE TO, UM, SOME OF THE ELECTIONS, WE ARE GONNA DO IT IN FEBRUARY. AND WE HOPE [03:55:01] TO HAVE A ROBUST PARTICIPATION OF, UM, SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENT LEADERS AS WELL AS WE WANT TO HAVE, UH, MANY OF THE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS AND CIVIC CLUBS TO PARTICIPATE. WE'VE HAD SUCCESSFUL, BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL THAT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, UH, WITH AT LEAST EIGHT OF THOSE ALREADY. SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO STARTING THE YEAR OFF THE SAME WAY AND BRINGING THAT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. AND WE CAN FIX THAT ISSUE OF THE CONSERVANCY NOT BEING ENGAGED ENOUGH. I, I KNOW FOR A FACT THEY'RE TALKING A LOT, BUT MAYBE NOT IN PUBLIC, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY A PHONE CALL SOLUTION. SURE, SURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLICKINGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, JUST TO ECHO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN TWI CARTER'S COMMENTS, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT THERE. IT MADE IT, IT WAS A BIG DEAL FOR THE COMMUNITY. UM, YOU KNOW, THE MEDIUM MADNESS WE HAD WITH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE YOUNG MEN SERVICE LEAGUE, ALL OF THOSE YOUNG MEN GOT TO SEE YOU OUT THERE AND SEE YOU SERVICE, YOU KNOW, YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE, AND WHILE THERE BEING TAUGHT TO DO SERVICE WORK AS WELL. SO IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY GOOD. UH, WE HAD A LOT OF HELP WITH THAT. UM, WE HAD HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, HPD TREES FOR KINGWOOD, UH, HOUSTON TOOL BANK, HEB, CHICK-FIL-A. EVERYBODY HELPED OUT. SO IT, IT MADE FOR A NICE EVENT. AND I THINK THIS WAS RIGHT AT THE VERY END. UM, WE ACTUALLY PULLED A SMALL SAILBOAT OUT OF THE, THE MEDIAN THAT WE FOUND IN THERE. UH, AND TO, TO MAKE THIS STORY EVEN ODDER, UH, SUNDAY, UH, SEVERAL OF THE, UH, UH, TREES FOR KINGWOOD PEOPLE WERE OUT THERE DOING SOME, SOME FINAL WORK. AND, UH, A GENTLEMAN CAME BY AND CLAIMED THE BOAT SAID IT WAS ACTUALLY HIS, THAT HIS GRANDMOTHER WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 11 PEOPLE TO LIVE OUT IN KINGWOOD. AND, UH, THAT THEY USED TO USE THIS, UH, OLD LITTLE SAILBOAT YEARS AND YEARS AGO. SO IT WAS, IT WAS A LITTLE ODD. UH, ALSO WANTED TO CALL ATTENTION TO ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE HAD THAT WAS, UH, NOT NEARLY AS AS UPLIFTING. UH, THERE WAS A, A SHOOTING, I THINK MOST EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF ON, UH, METRO BUS. MM-HMM . HERE LAST WEEK. UH, THERE WAS A 16-YEAR-OLD BOY THAT WAS WOUNDED, A 25-YEAR-OLD WOMAN, CAITLYN STUPP, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED. AND THEY'VE ARRESTED TWO PEOPLE FOR THIS, UM, AN 18-YEAR-OLD AND A 17-YEAR-OLD. AND AS YOUNG AS THEY ARE, THIS WAS NOT THEIR FIRST RODEO. UH, ONE OF THEM WAS ALREADY OUT ON DEFERRED ADJUDICATION FOR EVADING ARREST WHILE ON DEFERRED ADJUDICATION. HE HAD MULTIPLE CURFEW AND ELECTRONIC MONITORING VIOLATIONS. UH, THEY BROUGHT HIM BACK IN, GAVE HIM A BOND OF $500. SO HE HAD TO COME UP WITH 50 BUCKS IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT. UH, AND AFTER POSTING THAT, HE GOT AN AGGRAVATED ROBBERY WITH A WEAPON CHARGE AND WAS GIVEN A $50,000 BOND. AND THEN JUDGE KELLY JOHNSON OF THE HUNDRED AND 78TH DISTRICT COURT REDUCED THAT TO 15,000, THEREBY ALLOWING HIM TO GET OUT FOR $1,500 IN KIND OF FACILITATING WHAT HAD HAPPENED. UH, THE OTHER GENTLEMAN WAS OUT ON, UH, JUVENILE PROBATION FOR ATTEMPTED AR AGGRAVATED ROBBERY. SO, I MEAN, IT REALLY SEEMS LIKE IF PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO ROB PEOPLE WITH A WEAPON, A GUN, THEY'RE A THREAT TO SOCIETY. AND THE JUDGES NEED TO DEAL WITH IT ACCORDINGLY. AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET 'EM TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, FLICKING CHAIR. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU LIFTING THAT UP. UM, BECAUSE THESE KIDS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAD A FIREARM TO BEGIN WITH. UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS A TRAGEDY THAT WAS AVOIDABLE. UM, AND I AGAIN, WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE ATTENTION THAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THAT. UM, AS WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, I DID WANNA LIFT UP, MAYOR, YOU RESPONDED. YOU WERE OUT WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT A REALLY LARGE CHURCH FIRE, UM, JUST A FEW DAYS AGO. AND OUR OFFICE, UH, ACTUALLY HAS BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND WE HAVE, UH, ALLOCATED DISTRICT DOLLARS FOR $60,000, UH, FOR FIVE DRONES THAT HAVE ACTUAL LOUDSPEAKERS ON THEM AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY. AND THE REASON WHY WE PROCURED THESE DRONES, I TALK A LOT ABOUT DURING TIMES OF NATURAL DISASTERS, UH, WHEN OUR CELL SERVICE GOES DOWN, HOW ARE WE ACTUALLY ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH RESIDENTS TO GET THEM CRITICAL INFORMATION WHEN INTERNET'S DOWN CELL SERVICES DOWN? AND THAT'S WHAT THESE DRONES AS A PILOT PROGRAM ARE INTENDED TO DO, IS TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE SPEAKERS. [04:00:01] BUT THEY ACTUALLY, THESE DRONES WERE CRITICAL AND THE RESPONSE TO THE FIRE ITSELF, UM, PROVIDING CRITICAL IMAGERY FOR, UH, REAL TIME RESPONSE FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO KEEP THEM SAFE. SO I WANNA THANK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE PARTNERSHIP, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF DISASTER RESPONSE, BUT LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN A VERY SMART WAY SO THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, OFFICIALS CAN RESPOND IN AN EMERGENCY. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHER PARTNERS, UH, TO LOOK AT THE TECHNOLOGY WE ARE UTILIZING. 'CAUSE OUR DEPARTMENTS COULD CERTAINLY USE A LOT MORE OF THAT. UH, BUT WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY BEFORE, AND I'M GLAD IT WAS ABLE TO BE USED, UH, IN RESPONSE TO THAT FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS, UH, AMONG OTHER NEEDS THAT WE ARE FULFILLING. I ALSO WANNA LIFT UP, UM, IN WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS, WE HAVE SECURED EIGHT MILES OR CLOSE TO HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OF DITCH REHABILITATION, INCLUDING IN MAGNOLIA GROVE RICE MILITARY, AND OUR WOODCREST NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, I HAVE ALLOCATED 125,000 IN DISTRICT DOLLARS TOWARDS THIS PARTNERSHIP. AND CREWS ARE NOW BEGINNING THAT MAINTENANCE. SO AGAIN, MORE DITCH REHABILITATIONS, MORE FLOOD PROTECTION IS ON THE WAY. AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO SUBMITTED PHOTOS AND HELPED FLAG THESE AREAS FOR US. IT, THEY CAME OUT OF OUR DISTRICT SEA DITCH TEAM SURVEY THAT WE PUT OUT IN RESIDENTS RESPOND, UH, WITH AREAS WHERE THERE ARE PROBLEM DITCHES, UH, GO TEXANS. UH, OF COURSE WE HONOR THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. KING. UH, BUT THAT WORK ISN'T JUST ABOUT ONE DAY. THAT WORK IS EVERY DAY. UH, SO AGAIN, UH, APPRECIATE EVERYBODY LIFTING UP THE IMPORTANCE OF IN THE HISTORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, BUT WE HAVE CRITICAL FIGHTS THAT ARE ONGOING, THAT WE HAVE CRITICAL WORK THAT MUST CONTINUE TODAY. SO AS MUCH AS IT IS ABOUT HONORING A LEGACY, IT IS ABOUT CARRYING FORWARD THAT LEGACY, UH, WHICH WE ARE ALL COMMITTED TO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THE CHURCH WAS PROVIDED SHELTER. IT WAS AN ABANDONED BUILDING OWNED BY TX STOCK, WHICH IS ANOTHER COMPLEX ISSUE AS THEY GO DOWN 45 CONTENDING BUILDINGS. THEY'VE FENCED IT OUT, BUT STILL THERE WERE HOMELESS INVOLVED. UH, A SUSPECT'S BEEN ARRESTED. UH, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THE STORMWATER DRAINAGE FEED, BUT IF YOU WERE AT THE SITE AS I WAS, THE DRAINAGE WAS IMPACTED. I STOPPED UP CULVERT AND DEBRIS RIGHT ON LARGELY BY THE HOMELESS. SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, DON'T WANT TO DELIBERATE THAT TODAY, BUT IT WAS A LIVING EXAMPLE OF THE DANGER OF SOME OF THE ABANDONED BUILDINGS ARE AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE ISSUE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. TWO THINGS, ONE, GO TEXANS. WHAT A GREAT SEASON IT'S BEEN. THERE'S NOTHING THAT BRINGS HOUSTONIANS TOGETHER LIKE A PLAYOFF RUN OR A HURRICANE. AND, UH, I THINK WE'D ALL MUCH RATHER SEE A, A PLAYOFF RUN. AND, UH, I WANNA REMIND HOUSTONIANS THAT THE TEXANS STARTED OUT OH AND THREE THIS YEAR, AND I THINK SOME PEOPLE STARTED TO GIVE UP ON THEM, BUT THEY PROCEEDED TO WIN, UH, 12 OF THE NEXT 14 GAMES. THEY'RE THE HOTTEST TEAM IN THE NFL, AND WE HAVE THE BEST DEFENSE. SO I LIKE OUR CHANCES, BUT SO GRATEFUL TO BE WATCHING, UH, OUR FOOTBALL TEAM PLAY IN JANUARY. AND SO, UH, LET'S EVERYBODY ROOT FOR THE TEXANS AS THEY PLAY, UH, NEW ENGLAND ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. UH, SECOND AND FINAL THING IS, UM, I'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR BRINGING HOUSTON TOGETHER INITIATIVE. BEFORE I DO THAT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH MY CHIEF OF STAFF, LEAH WOLF AND COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, UH, APPRECIATE THEIR PARTNERSHIP. WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR THIRD EVENT THIS EVENING AT INTERFAITH MINISTRIES. AND, UM, WE WILL BRING PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM TOGETHER TO, UH, TALK ABOUT SOME CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS OVER SOME, UM, REFRESHMENTS. AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DISCUSSION. APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP OF BRAVER ANGELS AND INTERFAITH MINISTRIES, UH, ON THAT. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR THOMAS. THANK YOU. ALLOW ME TO BE THE LAST PERSON TO WISH ALL OF US A HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND ALONG WITH THE RESIDENTS ON THE WEST SIDE. SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN 26, UM, THE 2025 ANNUAL REPORT FOR DISTRICT F IS COMPLETE. ALL OF YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE DIGITAL VERSION, WHICH IS ON OUR WEBSITE. THE THEME IS ABOVE THE RIM, WHERE WE'VE DEMONSTRATED ALL OF OUR EFFORTS AND OUR FIVE PRIORITIES AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, BY THE NUMBERS IMPACTING MORE [04:05:01] H HOAS AND CIVIC CLUBS. YOU'LL RECEIVE YOUR COPY BY JANUARY 23RD. I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE SHOOTING THAT TOOK PLACE ON THE RICHMOND NUMBER 25 LAST WEEK. UM, AS MAYOR WHITMEYER AND I WERE WITH COMMISSIONER BRIANIS, THIS WAS HAPPENING IN WEST CHASE OFF OF RICHMOND AND WALNUT BEND. UM, UM, IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THE LEADERSHIP OF FORMER EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF BAND 10 AS THE POLICE CHIEF HANDLE THE SITUATION. THE SWAT TEAM WAS THERE. UH, MANY CONSTITUENTS WERE TEXTING AND EMAILING. UH, THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL WAS SHUT DOWN. THEY MOVED EXPEDITIOUSLY TO SEARCH THE AREA AND APPREHEND, UH, THE SUSPECT. SO WE ARE DEFINITELY FOLLOWING THIS CASE, OUR PRAYERS AND CONDOLENCES GO TO THE LIVES THAT WERE LOST. CALIN, STUMP STUMP, AND THE 16-YEAR-OLD TEEN WHO WAS ALSO SHOCKED. AND THEN JUST THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED, WITNESSING THAT TYPE OF, UM, UM, VIOLENT CRIME ON A BUS, YOU KNOW, MANY OF US ARE. SO, UM, UH, WE'RE STRONG ADVOCATES AROUND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO USE OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT AND, AND TALKING ABOUT THE SAFETY ON OUR BUSES IN OUR COMMUNITIES. SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A, A STEP BACK, BUT I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I EXTEND MY OFFICE AND MY CREDIBILITY TO REMIND HOUSTONIANS THAT IT IS SAFE TO RIDE A A METRO BUS. UM, I WANNA ANNOUNCE THAT THE JANUARY 20TH HOUSING COMMITTEE HAS BEEN CANCELED. WE ARE GONNA FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON OUR 9% TAX ROUNDS. WE'LL HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, WHAT I LIKE TO CALL THE SUPER BOWL OF HOUSING. UH, COLLEAGUES IN YOUR INBOX AND EMAILS, YOU SHOULD BE RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS, REQUIRED NOTIFICATIONS FROM DEVELOPERS ABOUT THEIR PROPOSALS. UM, I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE GET THEM TO THE RIGHT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AS THAT IS A POINT OF THE POINT PROCESS FOR THEM TO SUBMIT. UM, AND THEN IT'S A VERY FAST, UH, AGGRESSIVE PROCESS MOVING FORWARD. I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, SEVERAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE MOVING THROUGH THE WEST SIDE. VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING. UM, I'M, I WILL BE ENTANGLED WILD AT THE CIVIC CLUB ON JANUARY 29TH. ON JANUARY 21ST, WE HAVE A, THE GESNER PAVING AND DRAINAGE PROJECT THAT IS SLATED TO BE ON THE AGENDA. UM, THIS WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED IN 2017, UM, TO EXPAND GESNER FROM FOUR TO SIX LANES, UM, WITH THE CONTINGENT OF METRO. NEXT, UH, MOVING FORWARD IN 2019, A NEW TRANSPORTATION STUDY WAS DONE. GESNER, UH, AT WESTHEIMER WILL NOT BE EXPANDED. UM, BUT THERE ARE A SERIES OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN THAT AREA. AND I'LL SHOW, I'LL BE THERE WITH MAPS AND DETAILS AND SCOPES OF THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT. UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TANGO WILD AND WESTMONT AND WESTCHASE RESIDENTS TO JOIN US AT LOS TEOS. UM, ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THE HACKBERRY BOONE DETENTION PROJECT, LONG AWAITED IS SLATED TO ROLL ROLLOUT. UH, BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH, IT IS A EIGHT $15 MILLION PROJECT, UH, AND, UH, HACKBERRY AND BOOM, A PARK, IT'LL LOOK LIKE TO THE NAKED EYE THAT WE'RE RECEIVING PARK IMPROVEMENTS, BUT IT'S REALLY DETENTION TO MAKE SURE THAT IF AND WHEN WE EXPERIENCE A FLOOD, THE WATER GOES TO OUR PARKS. I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, UM, THAT ARE ON THE IN PROCESS TO BE INSTALLED. UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE ON WEST PARK IN ELDRIDGE, AND THE ITEM WE PASS NUMBER 49 WILL ALLOW FOR NEW WORK ORDERS OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS IN AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN NOTED, UM, AS DANGEROUS AND IMPEDES OUR MOBILITY. UM, SO FOR RESIDENTS WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU THAT IF THERE'S SOME INTERSECTIONS THAT NEED OUR ATTENTION, PLEASE CALL 3 0 1 SO THE TRAFFIC STUDY CAN BE INITIATED. WE CAN GET THIS TO OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER IN THE CITY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN INSTALL THESE, UH, TRAFFIC SIGNALS IN YOUR COMMUNITY ON MARCH 8TH. AND I'LL CONTINUE TO REMIND CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THIS. I'M JOINING WITH PILGRIMS REST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH. WE'RE HOSTING A COMMUNITY WORSHIP SERVICE IN THE PARK ON MARCH 8TH. IT'S GOING DOWN. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD HOLY GHOST TIME JOIN US, UH, FOR THAT. UH, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S IT. IF MY OFFICE CAN BE OF ANY, UM, A SERVICE AND RESOURCE, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT. OH, LASTLY, LET ME CLOSE WITH THIS, UM, CHANNEL 11 FEATURED PINEY POINT CARVER CREST A A NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE NEWS LAST EARLIER THIS WEEK, TALKING ABOUT THE MECHANIC SHOPS AND THE AUTO BODY SHOPS THAT'S IMPEDING MOBILITY. UM, CARS ARE LITERALLY IN OPEN DITCH DRAINS. UM, THAT ARTICLE IS OUT. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE ATTENTION. WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MOVE THIS ITEM FORWARD AND HOPEFULLY AMEND CHAPTER EIGHT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE FINES FOR THOSE, UH, UH, AUTO BODY SHOPS THAT ARE IMPEDING MOBILITY AND CHALLENGING QUALITY OF LIFE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE, CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS, UM, THINGS HAPPENING IN AND AROUND DISTRICT K, UH, BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND. OUR SHRED DAY IS JANUARY THE 24TH, AND THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT WESTBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FROM NINE TO 12. IF YOU HAVE ITEMS YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE SHREDDED, UM, TO, UH, [04:10:01] KEEP YOUR IDENTITY SAFE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THAT BRINGS, UM, PLEASE, UH, COME JOIN US ON JANUARY 24TH AT WESTBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FROM NINE TO 12:00 PM AND THEN WE ARE SUPER EXCITED THAT, UM, THE BYLAWS COMMITTEE FOR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 40 HAS COMPLETED THEIR WORK. UM, THEY ARE READY TO INTRODUCE THOSE, UM, REVISED AND NEW BYLAWS TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY ON JANUARY THE 22ND. WE WILL HOST, UM, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 40 MEETING AT 6:00 PM AT THE HIAM CLARK MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UM, IF YOU ARE IN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 40 AND YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REVITALIZING OF THAT, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU AT THE MEETING ON JANUARY THE 22ND AT 6:00 PM AND THEN SUPER EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE MOVING FORWARD OF OUR CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE PARK RAMBLEWOOD PROJECT. UM, THIS IS A $10.3 MILLION DRAINAGE PROJECT THAT'S HAPPENING AT, UM, CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE PARK. PUBLIC WORKS DID HAVE THEIR, UM, PROJECT UPDATE LAST NIGHT. IF RESIDENTS MISSED THAT, THERE IS A FULL VIDEO THAT THEY CAN WATCH TO BE CAUGHT UP ON THAT ACTUAL PROJECT@ENGAGEHOUSTON.ORG SLASH CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE. I HOPE THAT RESIDENTS WILL BE PLEASED WITH THAT ADDITIONAL DRAINAGE THAT IS COMING, UM, TO THEIR AREA, WHICH MEANS, UM, FEWER DISRUPTIONS OF THEIR DAILY LIFE WHEN WE DO HAVE, UM, LOTS OF RAIN COMING, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I LOVE THE STRATEGIC USE OF OUR PARKLAND, THIS DUAL USE OF, UM, OUR PARK SPACE FOR DETENTION AS WELL AS, UM, OUR PARK SPACE. UH, I KNOW MAYOR, WE TALKED ABOUT THE MLK UH, PARADE, UH, COMING UP ON MONDAY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I DID GET A TEXT MESSAGE FROM REBECCA WILLIAMS THAT THEY'RE GONNA SEND THE INFORMATION OUT FOR THE COUNCIL FLOAT, UM, AND FOR OUR PARTICIPATION, UH, ON, ON TODAY. UM, AND WHILE WE TALK ABOUT, UM, MARTIN LUTHER KING, I READ SOMETHING THAT BERNICE KING WROTE ON HER, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE, AND I WANTED TO SHARE IT BECAUSE IT REALLY RESONATED WITH ME. UM, AND SHE SAID, THIS IS FROM DR. BERNICE KING, THE DAUGHTER OF, UH, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING. AS WE KICK OFF KING HOLIDAY WEEK, I'M THINKING NOT ONLY OF MY FATHER, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR, BUT ALSO OF MY MOTHER, CORETTA SCOTT KING, THE ARCHITECT AND STEWARD OF THE KING LEGACY. MY MOTHER UNDERSTOOD THAT MY FATHER'S WORK COULD NOT LIVE ONLY IN MEMORY. SHE INSISTED IT MUST BE PROTECTED, TAUGHT, AND PRACTICED BECAUSE OF HER VISION. THE KING CENTER EXISTS NOT SIMPLY TO HONOR WHAT WAS, BUT TO EQUIP PEOPLE TO LIVE OUT WHAT MUST BE TOGETHER. MY PARENTS GAVE THE WORLD MORE THAN WORDS. THEY OFFERED A PHILOSOPHY OF A WAY OF LIFE ROOTED IN NON-VIOLENCE, JUSTICE, TRUTH AND LOVE THAT CAUSED US TO CREATE THE BELOVED COMMUNITY IN OUR TIME. AS THIS WEEK BEGINS, MY HOPE IS THAT WE MOVE BEYOND REMEMBRANCE AND RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO ACTION, TO LEARNING, TO PRACTICING NONVIOLENCE, AND TO BUILDING THE KIND OF WORLD MY PARENTS BELIEVED WAS POSSIBLE. ONE, GROUNDED IN DIGNITY, COMPASSION, AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. THANK YOU. UH, ASK MAYOR PROTI. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MAYOR PROTI FOR SHARING THAT. UM, WE ARE VERY EXCITED FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE THE PLANS FOR THE DEMOLITION OF THE VACANT APARTMENT COMPLEX AT GUEST WESTVIEW. THE UM, PRESS CONFERENCE WILL BE TUESDAY, JANUARY 20TH AT 10:00 AM IT'LL BE AT THE PARK ON WESTVIEW APARTMENTS, 1 0 1 5 7 WESTVIEW DRIVE. UM, 7 7 0 4 3. WE'RE HAPPY TO BE JOINED BY MAYOR WHITMEYER, UM, TARA 17, BOARD MEMBERS, CHIEF DIAZ AND CHIEF MUNOZ. HOPE EVERYONE CAN ATTEND THIS EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, TOO AM LOOKING FORWARD TO CELEBRATING, UH, THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MY MOREHOUSE BROTHER MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. UH, I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR US TO TAKE TIME TO REFLECT ON, UM, THE SACRIFICES OF HIM AND MANY OTHERS IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, BUT ALSO TO REMEMBER, UH, THAT AT ONE POINT IN TIME, YOU KNOW, HE WAS SEEN AS A AGITATOR. HE WAS SEEN AS SOMEONE THAT WAS NOT HELD IN HIGH REGARD BY THE MASS PUBLIC. UH, BUT HE STILL, UH, PUT FORTH A LOT OF EFFORT, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF ALL OF US ARE PROTECTED. AND, UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PEACEFUL PROTEST AND ALL OF THE, UM, ACTIONS OF THOSE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, UH, WE'RE DOING DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, MANY OF THOSE SAME, UM, ISSUES [04:15:02] ARE STILL FACING US TODAY. AND SO THE BEST WAY TO HONOR, UH, THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. KING IS CONTINUING TO DO THE WORK THAT HE BELIEVED IN AND MANY OTHERS. UH, BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID HE SACRIFICE HIS FAMILY SACRIFICE, BUT HE, HE GAVE HIS LIFE, UH, FOR THOSE BELIEFS. UM, MAYOR, ON A LOCAL NOTE, UH, I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, BUT YOU HAD TO LEAVE EARLY, THAT MY OFFICE IS STILL, UH, DEALING WITH THE ISSUE OF NOT GETTING OUR OVERTIME DOLLARS FROM THE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUND APPROVED FOR HPD. AND I'M NOT SURE WHY MY OFFICE IS THE ONLY DISTRICT OFFICE THAT IS NOT GETTING THEIR DOLLARS APPROVED FOR HPD SPECIFICALLY FOR OVERTIME. UH, BUT I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE SPEAK TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE ON WORKING WITH MY OFFICE TO GET THOSE DOLLARS APPROVED. BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS, UM, THERE ARE AREAS IN MY DISTRICT THAT AT ONE POINT IN TIME WERE GETTING DOLLARS FOR COMMUNITY POLICING TO ADDRESS CERTAIN ISSUES. WITHOUT THAT COMMUNITY POLICING BEING PRESENT BASED ON THE DOLLARS THAT MY OFFICE ALLOCATES, THOSE ISSUES ARE NOW COMING BACK. SO I'M COMING TO YOU MAYOR IN A VERY, UH, DIPLOMATIC FASHION. UM, I'M THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT IS HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE, AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE HAS THE DISCRETION TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO PUT FORTH DOLLARS IN WAYS IN WHICH THEY BELIEVE WILL PRIORITIZE THEIR DISTRICT. WE WANT TO PUT OUR DOLLARS WITH HPD TOWARDS COMMUNITY POLICING. AND MY OFFICE, I'VE BEEN TOLD, HAS GIVEN MORE MONEY THAN ANY OTHER OFFICE TO HPD SINCE MY TENURE. AND SO I'M VERY MUCH LIKE YOU COMMITTED TO PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT FOR MY OFFICE NOT TO GET THESE DOLLARS APPROVED IS A EXTREME DETRIMENT TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT RELY ON THAT COMMUNITY POLICING TO BE PRESENT. AND SO, AGAIN, I'M, I'M ASKING YOU TO WORK WITH ME AND TO SPEAK WITH THE CHIEF ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT MY DOLLARS ARE APPROVED LIKE EVERY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. I, I TALKED TO THE CHIEF SEVERAL TIMES EACH DAY, AND, UH, I THINK THE TWO OF YOU HAVE A COMMUNICATION ISSUE. I SUPPORT MY CHIEF IN THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE POLICE CHIEF, AND HE WILL DECIDE WHERE THE RESOURCES GO AND NOT LET YOU OR OTHER OFFICIALS DICTATE AND USE IT AS A PROMOTION FOR YOUR OFFICE WHERE THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY DOLLARS GO. WE HAVE ONE DEPARTMENT, ONE CHIEF, ONE MAYOR. YOU HAVE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT AND MAYBE IN PAST CHIEFS. UH, YOU COULD ADVERTISE ON CITY VEHICLES, YOU COULD TELL 'EM WHAT AREA THAT YOU WANTED TO COVER, BUT IT'S A NEW DAY. WE, UH, WE HAVE COLLABORATION WITH EACH OTHER AND I SUPPORT THE CHIEF'S. THERE'S, I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS RIGHT NOW, BUT HE'S FIGHTING CRIME, SO, WELL, I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU, MAYOR, THERE'S, I UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR MESSAGE. MM-HMM . AND I'M JUST TELLING YOU THE POLICE CHIEF, THAT'S ABOUT 20, 30 YEARS MORE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAN YOU AND I SUPPORT ONE POLICE CHIEF, ONE DEPARTMENT, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA POLITICIZE POLICE SERVICES. SO I STAND ADJOURNED. I. * 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.