[INVOCATION & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
[00:00:03]
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR THE INVOCATION.
HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE AMAZING CITY IN WHICH WE LIVE, AND FOR THIS INCREDIBLE GROUP OF PEOPLE AND FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF THE MAYOR, WE HUMBLY COME BEFORE YOU ASKING THAT THIS MEETING BE PRODUCTIVE, EDIFYING, AND UNITED.
THANK YOU THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER WITH ONE VISION TO MAKE THE CITY OF HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE.
YOUR WORD SAYS THAT YOU APPOINT AND ESTABLISHED LEADERS.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR WHERE YOU HAVE PLACED US FOR SUCH A TIME.
AS THIS MAY WE HONOR YOU AND THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON WITH OUR MEETING TODAY.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC.
[ROLL CALL & MINUTES]
ROLL CALL PLEASE.COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER COUNCIL.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS PRESENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE.
NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT A MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 10TH AND 11TH.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
MS. SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY.IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEMS 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR? CAST SECRETARY, MOVE.
THOSE SUPPOSED A MOTION PASSES.
I DO SEE THAT WE HAVE, UH, MEMBERS FROM THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS, I MEAN FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.
WANTED TO AMPLIFY THAT AND, UH, ASK THEM TO STAND SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE THEM.
UM, MY LEADERSHIP, HOUSTON CLASSMATE VICTOR LEE IS HERE.
UH, UH, RAQUEL OLIVER IS HERE.
UH, MARLON MITCHELL, MICHELLE WRIGHT, AND YUSEF BURGESS.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER MEMBERS HERE, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THIS ADVISORY BOARD.
AND THEN OF COURSE, I WANT TO, UM, GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE DIRECTOR OF OBO, WHO IS THE, UM, FIERCE CHAMPION OF THE WORK THAT WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU BEING HERE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU GIVING OF YOUR TIME AND SERVICE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR ECONOMIC ECOSYSTEM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I JUST WANT TO ECHO A BIT OF WHAT, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM HAS MENTIONED.
I ALSO RECOGNIZE ADRIANNA, UH, GONZALEZ WITH THE RIOS.
AND, UH, ALTHOUGH HE'S NOT HERE, ED, UH, MILTON, HE'S A DISTRICT EYE RESIDENT.
AND JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES SEE OPPORTUNITIES AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE AND DIRECTOR.
YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR THE JOB YOU'RE DOING, AND THE ADVISORY GROUP WILL, UH, MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF HOUSTON'S REPRESENTED IN YOUR FINE WORK.
UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY, IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM FIVE? CAST T MOVE.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM SIX? CASTEX.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT? CASTEX TATUM.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY.
ITEM 10 HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
IS THERE A VOTE FOR ITEM NINE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
[00:05:01]
THOSE OPPOSED NAY.MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED, BUT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY'RE RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING.
ITEMS. 12, 13, 14, 16, 24, 25, 27, 30, AND 31.
AGAIN, ITEMS NOT RECEIVED, BUT WILL BE CONSIDERED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING.
12, 13, 16, 24, 25, 27, 30, AND 31 ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
JUST NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE.
ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
DID YOU WANNA BE RECOGNIZED REP? UH, COUNCILMAN JUST VOTED NO.
SHOWED NO BY FLICKINGER AND RAM AND RAMIREZ AND RAMIREZ.
ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE, JUST ME TO VOTE.
JUST WANT TO, UH, EXPRESS THANKS FOR OUR GOVERNMENTAL PARTNERS AT, AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL FOR $15 MILLION TO HELP WITH FIFA, UH, SECURITY.
THIS IS GONNA ALLOW US TO COUNTER, UH, DRONES THAT COULD BE USED, UH, TO THREATEN PUBLIC SAFETY FOR OUR VISITORS AND FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND SO JUST GRATEFUL FOR, UH, THE FUNDING FROM OUR PARTNERS ON THIS.
ALL IN FAVOR, SAY, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER.
CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER.
JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF, UH, STATE REP MARIANNE PEREZ ON THIS, UH, GETTING THIS MONEY.
AND ALONG WITH OUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM.
UH, MEADOW CREEK IS KIND OF A FORGOTTEN AREA IN, IN THE CITY.
UH, AND, UH, THIS MONEY FOR THIS PARK WILL REALLY GO A LONG WAYS IN, IN HELPING THESE FOLKS OUT.
[NON-CONSENT MISCELLANEOUS]
NEXT ITEM 32.32 IS A MOTION TO RECEIVE NOMINATIONS FOR THE APPOINTMENT TO POSITION TWO OF THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY CHAIR RECOGNIZED COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I WISH TO NOMINATE THOMAS JONES FOR POSITION TWO ON THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY, CASTEX TATUM.
AND SECOND IS, IS THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS, IF NOT MOTION.
CASTEX TATUM MOVED TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS.
AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS.
THOMAS JONES HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE HOUSTON PORT.
OH, I TOLD HIM WE'D DO IT TODAY.
[MATTER'S HELD]
OKAY, NEXT CALL.AND WE HAVE SOME PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
SO YOU WANNA CALL WITH PUBLIC SPEAKERS ON IT.
MR. MARTIN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? IT'S BEN ST.
[00:10:01]
CHEYENNE PARK.UM, YOU, YOU WERE LISTED AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER, BUT WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS UP NOW.
SO YOU, UH, RECOGNIZE COMMENTS? YES, SIR.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I LIVE IN THE, UH, LAKES OF PARKWAY NEIGHBORHOOD DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE PROPOSED, UH, 9%, UH, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT OFF OF HIGHWAY SIX.
UH, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COUNCIL WITHHOLD OR AT LEAST DEFER SUPPORT ON THIS TAX CREDIT APPLICATION UNTIL, UH, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAFETY CONCERNS ARE RESOLVED.
THIS IS NOT OPPOSITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THIS IS WHETHER THE SPECIFIC SITE IN QUESTION IS READY FOR THIS, UH, SET DEVELOPMENT.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS I'D LIKE TO GO OVER.
UH, FIRST, DRAINAGE VALIDATION HAS NOT BEEN, UH, PROVIDED.
OUR LOCAL MUD, MUD 3 55 HAS ALREADY REQUIRED UPDATED ENGINEERING AND DRAINING ANALYSIS, WHICH THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED.
THIS AREA HAS DOCUMENTED RUNOFF AND ELEVATION CONCERNS REQUIRED.
DRAINAGE DATA HAS NOT BEEN DELIVERED TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THERE'S STILL NO CLARITY REGARDING DETENTION CAPACITY, UH, OR OUTFALL LOCATION.
APPROVING, UH, SUPPORT BEFORE DRAINAGE VALIDATION SHIFTS RISK TO EXISTING HOMEOWNERS AND ULTIMATELY TO THE CITY.
UM, NEXT UP, PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRAFFIC CONSTRAINTS.
ACCESS RELIES ON HIGHWAY SIX REQUIRING VEHICLES TO MULTIPLE LANES WITHOUT SIGNALED INTERSECTION OR A DEDICATED TURN LANE.
THE QUARTER SERVES WEST, UH, WEST SIDE HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, WESTBOROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL, BARBARA BUSH ELEMENTARY, FIRE STATION 86, ALL OF WHICH HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONGESTION, UH, WITH THE CURRENT, UH, UH, POPULATION DENSITY THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
ADDING DENSITY WITHOUT MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS, RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND DAILY SAFETY TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC SAFETY RATHER.
UH, NEXT INFRASTRUCTURE HAS NOT GROWN OR KEPT PACE WITH GROWTH.
RESIDENTS ARE EX UH, EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT INCREASED TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND UTILITY CONSTRAINTS AND POWER RELIABILITY AS WELL.
UH, SERVICE DELAYS, LACK OF PEDESTRIAN, UH, CONNECTIVITY.
UM, NEXT SITE DOES NOT ALIGN WITH TRANSPORTATION ASSUMPTIONS.
TAX CREDIT DEVELOPMENTS ARE MOST SUCCESSFUL WHEN RESIDENTS CAN ACCESS TRANSIT AND SCHOOLS SAFELY.
THIS CURRENT SITE HAS NO CONNECTED SIDEWALKS TO THE METRO AREA.
STUDENTS WITHIN THREE MILES DO NOT HAVE QUAL, UH, DO NOT QUALIFY FOR HISD BUS TRANSPORTATION.
THE DEVELOPMENT WILL FUNCTION AS FULLY CAR DEPENDENT AND ALREADY CONSTRAINED.
CORRIDOR, UH, THIS IS A PLANNING MISMATCH.
COMMUNITY POSITION IS LAST WEEK.
UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 17, WHICH REPRESENTS OUR LOCAL AREA.
DID HAVE A MAJORITY VOTE AGAINST SUPPORTING THIS DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS SOME OTHER PROPOSED PROJECTS, I THINK WITHIN THE VICINITY.
UH, THIS REFLECTS BROAD CONCERN FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE READINESS, CUMULATIVE IMPACT, NOT OPPOSITION TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IN CLOSING, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK COUNCIL TO VOTE NO, OR AT LEAST DEFER SUPPORT TO DRAINAGE, TRAFFIC MITIGATION, AND INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY ARE FULLY DEMONSTRATED.
RESPONSIBLE GROWTH REQUIRES SEQUENCING DEVELOPMENT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT ASKING COMMUNITIES TO ABSORB UNVERIFIED RISK.
AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR COMING FORWARD TODAY.
WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA, AND I'VE RECEIVED, UM, OVER A HUNDRED LETTERS, UM, FROM RESIDENTS AROUND THERE.
WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE MUD'S REQUIREMENT OF THE DEVELOPER TO SUBMIT AN, UM, A CURRENT, UM, ENGINEERED DRAINAGE PLAN IS STILL OPEN AND PENDING AT THIS TIME.
SO WE'LL TAKE ALL OF THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND LAST THING, THERE WAS A PETITION THAT WAS SENT AS OF THIS MORNING, 533 SIGNATURES FROM OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS.
AND THEN SHE DOES HAVE THE PROCEDURAL MOTION TO ADD TWO PEOPLE.
LET'S HEAR FROM, UH, MR. MARTIN.
UH, MR. MAYOR, I DIDN'T, DIDN'T HEAR YOU CALL MY NAME BACK THERE.
MARTIN WITH CANTERBURY DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE, UH, HOUSING DEVELOPERS BASED HERE IN HOUSTON.
WE'VE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR OUR PROPOSED SENIOR PROPERTY OASIS GARDENS, A, UH, AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING COMMUNITY IN AAF.
UM, WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO YOU IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT.
WE'VE SENT OUT THE PROPER NOTIFICATIONS TO EVERYONE'S OFFICE, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE AND SAY HELLO.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UH, THIS IS A PROCEDURAL MOTION.
LET ME RELEASE THIS GENTLEMAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PROCEDURAL MOTION TO ADD JAMES, UH, HUSER AND PATRICIA
[00:15:01]
REDMOND TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST.UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR A MOTION.
GONNA HEAR THOSE TWO SPEAKERS AFTER THOSE TWO SPEAKERS.
YOUR FIRST SPEAKER, JAMES, ER, EXCUSE ME.
TO BE FOLLOWED BY PATRICIA REDMOND.
HONORABLE, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS A UNIQUE ECONOMIC FRONTIER FOR HOUSTON.
THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF DRONE NEW SHIP DELIVERY SERVICES ALONG OUR SHORELINES.
CURRENTLY THOUSANDS OF INTERNATIONAL CREW CREW MEMBERS ON MARKED ON VESSELS AT THE PORT OF HOUSTON REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT MISSED ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE PURCHASING POWER, BUT LIMITED ACCESS TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
BY ESTABLISHING A DRONE CORRIDOR FROM THE SHORELINE TO THESE VESSELS, WE CAN CAPTURE THESE FOREIGN DOLLARS, INJECTING THEM DIRECTLY INTO HOUSTON'S LOCAL BUSINESSES.
IMAGINE A NETWORK OF VENDING HUBS OR AUTOMATED DISPATCH POINTS ALONG THE PORCH PERIMETER.
THESE WOULD SERVE AS RELAY STATIONS WHERE LOCAL GOODS FROM ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES TO HOUSTON MID RETAIL CAN BE DELIVERED TO SHIPS MINUTES.
WE'RE SEEING 2026 IS THE YEAR OF DRONES IN HOUSTON WITH RESIDENTIAL DELIVERIES ALREADY TAKING FLIGHT IN THE SUBURBS.
HOWEVER, THE MARITIME APPLICATION IS EVEN MORE ADVANTAGEOUS.
FLIGHTS OVER WATER ARE OFTEN LESS COMPLEX TO PERMIT THAN FLIGHTS OVER DENSE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
YET THE BUSINESS POTENTIAL HERE IS WORTH MILLIONS IN UNTAPPED TRADE.
I'M SEEKING THE COUNCIL'S GUIDANCE ON THREE SPECIFIC AREAS TO MAKE THIS REALITY LAND USE AND ZONING.
WHAT IS THE CITY'S CURRENT STANCE ON DRONE DISPATCH HUBS OR VENDING NODES ON CITY ADJACENT LAND? UM, INFRASTRUCTURE SYNERGIES.
HOW CAN WE ALIGN WITH THE PORT'S ONGOING? $365 MILLION CAPITAL AND PERMIT PROJECTS TO ENSURE WE ARE BUILDING DRONE DELIVERY INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
WHILE THE FAA GOVERNS THE SKY, I'M LOOKING TO CLARITY ON LOCAL ORDINANCES REGARDING SHORELINE LAUNCH POINTS.
AND THE CITY CAN ADVOCATE FOR THIS SPECIFIC MARITIME USE CASE.
HOUSTON HAS ALREADY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CITY OF LOGISTICS IN AEROSPACE BY SUPPORTING MARITIME, MARITIME DRONE COMMERCIALIZATION.
WE ARE JUST ADOPTING NEW TECH.
WE'RE CLAIMING WE'RE RECLAIMING A LOSS MARKET AND POSITIONING THE PORT OF HOUSTON IS THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED PORT IN THE WORLD.
I WELCOME ANY GUIDANCE IN THE PROPER DEPARTMENTS TO ENGAGE WITH, TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS.
UH, MR. ER KAISER, YOU, YOU'RE RELEASED.
I THINK Y'ALL ARE USING THE SAME PERSON.
IS THERE A JAMES ER HERE THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? THAT WAS THAT, THAT WAS JUST ADDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
OKAY, MS. REDMOND, YOU WERE ADDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
AM I IN THE WRONG ONE? EITHER ONE IS FINE.
UM, TRICIA REDMOND FROM LAKES OF PARKWAY REPRESENTING, UM, HOA BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND LAKES OF PARKWAY SAFETY COMMITTEE, UM, ON BEHALF OF 870 HOMEOWNERS.
UM, I WILL NOT REITERATE WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM ONE OF THE RESIDENTS.
UH, MUD 3 55 REQUIREMENT IS STILL AN OPEN ITEM.
SN 17 VOTED, UH, NON-SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO WITHHOLD SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT DUE TO THE ADVERSE IMPACT ON LAKES OF PARKWAY RESIDENTS, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE DRAINAGE.
THEY ALSO MADE A REQUEST TO, UH, RETAIN THE TWO MILE SAME YEAR RULE RESTRICTION FOR DEVELOPERS REGARDING ADJOINING PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, LAKES THE PARKWAY RESIDENTS DO HAVE AN ONGOING PETITION AGAINST THE PROJECT, WHICH IS CONSTANTLY GROWING.
WHILE WE'VE BEEN HERE, IT'S INCREASED ALMOST ANOTHER 50, UM, SIGNATURES.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO FOCUS A FEW MINUTES ON THE LAKES OF PARKWAY SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UH, STUDY, UH, REPORT ON HIGH DENSITY HOUSING AND TRAFFIC.
UM, IT IS NINE TENTHS OF A MILE FROM LAKES OF PARKWAY'S MAIN ENTRY ON BRIAR BRIAR FOREST TO THE HIGHWAY SIX INTERSECTION, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST INTERSECTION TO THIS PROJECT.
WITHIN THIS DISTANCE ON BRIAR FOREST, THERE ARE 1,478 HIGH DENSITY HOUSING UNITS THAT HAVE PRIMARY, IF NOT SOLE ENTRY EXIT ONTO BRIAR FOREST WITHIN AN ADDITIONAL MILE FROM LAKES OF PARKWAY GOING NORTH VIA HIGHWAY SIX THERE
[00:20:01]
EXISTS IN AN ADDITIONAL 1,343 HOUSING UNITS, OF WHICH 924 HAVE BEEN ADDED IN THE MOST RECENT THREE YEARS OR LESS.UM, THESE OWNERS ADVERTISE PARTICIPATION IN A RECOGNIZED, UH, ESSENTIAL HOUSING PROGRAM, WHICH OFFERS SLIDING SCALE RENT BASED ON ECONOMIC, UH, INCOME OF THE HOUSEHOLD.
SO THERE ARE SOME LOW INCOME PROJECTS, UM, ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN THE AREA, COLLECTIVELY WITHIN A 1.8 MILE DISTANCE FROM THE FRONT GATE OF LAKES.
THE PARKWAY THERE EXISTS THE HIGH DENSITY POPULATION OF 2,821 HOUSING UNITS.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO KNOWN UPDATES TO SURROUNDING INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADWAYS, UTILITIES AND SERVICES.
UH, ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC REFERENCE WAS TRAFFIC GENERATED BY WEST SIDE HIGH SCHOOL WITH ITS 2,825 STUDENT CAPACITY.
UM, DATA FROM 2024 WEST SIDE HAS A HIGH NUMBER OF STUDENT DRIVER VEHICLES.
HISD DOES NOT PROVIDE BUS TRANSPORTATION IF STUDENT RESIDES WITHIN THREE MILES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE PROPOSED PROJECT.
AND THERE ARE AN ADDITIONAL 1200 PLUS DAILY VENDOR VISITOR VEHICLES THAT ENTER AND EXIT LAKELAND PARKWAY ONTO BRIAR FOREST.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC AND DENSITY INFORMATION TO COUNCIL'S ATTENTION.
UM, AND, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL OF THIS DATA HAS BEEN SUBMITTED THROUGH THE VARIOUS COUNCIL OFFICES.
SORRY TO MAKE YOU KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH.
UH, PATRICIA, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.
YOU'RE HERE AGAIN, AND I SAW YOU LAST, UH, LAST WEEK AT A COMMUNITY MEETING.
SO APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR INPUT.
WELL, WE WANNA HAVE A GREAT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY.
SOMEBODY WAS USING YOUR NAME A MOMENT AGO.
COME ON IN NAME FOR THE RECORD.
MAYOR WHITMEYER, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'M HERE TO, UH, EXPRESS MY OPPOSITION TO THE, UH, 9% TAX, UH, TAX CREDIT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ALONG HIGHWAY SIX IN WEST HOUSTON.
UM, MY, MY FOCUS HERE IS PRE PRINCIPALLY ON COMPLIANCE WITH DRAINAGE AND FLOOD REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
I'M A CHEMICAL ENGINEER AT MANY YEARS OF DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL STUDY, AND I, I ATTEND OUR HARRIS COUNTY MUD MEETINGS, MUD 3 55.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, ORDINANCE CHAPTER 19 DICTATES THAT STORM WATER DESIGN AND DETENTION REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS BE BASED UPON A TWO YEAR RAINFALL STANDARD AND A 100 YEAR RAINFALL EVENT STANDARD TO MITIGATE STRUCTURAL FLOODING.
THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SITS ON A THREE ACRE FIELD WHERE DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL IS CURRENTLY MANAGED BY ONSITE SOIL ABSORPTION.
AND SOME RUN OVER TO MUD 3 55 FOR EVENT RELATED STORM WATER.
TH THIS DEVELOPMENT PROPOSES TO COVER THE ABSORPTIVE SOIL WITH NONPERMEABLE MATERIALS, CONCRETE AND ASPHALT.
THE RESULTING IMPACT A TWO YEAR RAINFALL EVENT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
UH, UNDER CHAPTER 19 OF THE CITY, ORDINATE WOULD REPRESENT FOR THIS SIZE PROPERTY OF 487,000 GALLONS OF STORM WATER RUNOFF FOR A SINGLE, UH, TWO YEAR RAINFALL EVENT.
AND WITH REGARD TO, UH, THE STRUCTURAL FLOODING REQUIREMENT, WHICH IS A, A 100 YEAR RAINFALL STANDARD, IT RISES TO 1.5 MILLION GALLONS OF RUN WA RUNOFF.
ONCE WE COVER THAT, THAT SOIL WITH NONPERMEABLE MATERIALS, MUD 3 55 HAS ALREADY INFORMED THE DEVELOPER THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY AND CAN TAKE NO FURTHER RUNOFF FROM THIS PROPERTY.
WHEN THREE ACRES OF SOIL, UH, IS COVERED BY IMPERMEABLE COVER, STORMWATER RUNOFF WILL OCCUR AND IT MUST GO SOMEWHERE.
THE RUNOFF CANNOT BE DIRECTED TOWARDS NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
IT CAN'T BE SENT OUT TOWARDS HIGHWAY SIX.
THE WATER MUST BE EITHER SELF-CONTAINED OR ABSORBED BY THE LOCAL MUD.
AND THE MUD HAS ALREADY INFORMED THE DEVELOPER THAT IT HAS NO CAPACITY, UH, TO TAKE ANY FURTHER RUNOFF FROM THIS PROPERTY.
WE PRESENTED THIS ISSUE TO THE DEVELOPER AT THE RECENT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING.
UM, THE DEVELOPER INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT YET, UH, HAVE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
NOTE THAT A SIMILAR FAILED, UH, DEVELOPMENT WAS PROPOSED ON THIS SAME PROPERTY, UH, A 9% TAX CREDIT, UH, UH, PROPOSAL APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO.
AGAIN, WITHOUT A VALID DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL PLAN.
[00:25:01]
WE FIND IT NOT ONLY, UM, INAPPROPRIATE, BUT IF I DARE SAY IRRESPONSIBLE TO BE MOVING FORWARD, BUT, UH, ON A PROJECT THAT DOES NOT HAVE A DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL PLAN, ESPECIALLY IN THE EVENT THAT THE MUD, UH, CANNOT HANDLE ANY MORE, UH, ANY MORE RUNOFF, UH, FROM THE PROPERTY.I ATTEND THOSE MUD MEETINGS AND I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE WHERE THEY'RE AT.
SO MY CONCERN IS, IS STRICTLY RELATED TO DRAINAGE AND, AND FLOOD CONTROL ON THIS PROPERTY.
AT THIS TIME, UH, COUNCILOR THOMAS? NO, WE HAVE ONE MORE.
I'M JANINE CACK, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL OF DMA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY.
WE'RE THE DEVELOPER, UM, PROPOSING THE SUNSTONE ON SH SIX, UM, IN DISTRICT COUNCIL.
G QUICKLY TO, I SPOKE LAST WEEK TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
IN ADDITION TO MEETING WITH THE MUD AND THE LAKES OF PARKWAY, HOA, I DID MEET WITH SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 17 WHILE THEY VOTED LAST WEEK TO FORMALLY OPPOSE THE PROJECT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT TWO OF THE DELEGATES VOTED IN SUPPORT.
ONE WAS NEUTRAL, AND FIVE WERE IN OPPOSITION.
IF I WAS ABLE TO CHANGE MINDS, I THINK IT'S BECAUSE DMA AGREED TO LIVE LIMIT THE DEVELOPMENT TO 65 UNITS IN A TWO STORY STRUCTURE.
AND WE OFFERED A 30 FOOT BOUNDARY TO ADDRESS THE PRIVACY CONCERNS OF THE THREE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ADJACENT TO OUR SITE.
WE BELIEVE WE'VE MET THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REQUIREMENT OF THE TAX CREDIT POLICY.
WE ASK YOU TO SUPPORT OUR DEVELOPMENT UNDER ITEM 33 AND 36.
I WANNA NOTE FINALLY THAT, UM, DISTRICT G HAS A SENIOR, UH, TAX CREDIT PROPOSAL ALSO PROPOSED.
BUT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PROPO PRO, EXCUSE ME, WE'RE NOT PROPOSING AGE RESTRICTED.
UM, WE REQUEST A WAIVER OF THE TWO MILE RULE BECAUSE WE'RE SERVING DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS? NO, WE'RE FINE.
CA COUNCILOR TO WE'RE, WE'RE FINISHED? YES.
WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR PROCEDURAL.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, ONE I WANNA THANK, UH, THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOR GETTING THESE APPLICATIONS TO US.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT AND TO ALL OF YOU, MY COLLEAGUES AND YOUR STAFFS THAT HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS ENTIRE PROCESS AND WORKING WITH, UH, DEVELOPERS TO GET THEM IN FRONT OF, OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
UM, YESTERDAY I WAS WITH THE NATIONAL BUILDERS AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, 9% TAX CREDITS HELP US GET TO THE GOAL, PARTICULARLY IN HOUSTON.
UM, AND WITH THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS A NON-NEGOTIABLE STEP, UH, IN THAT PROCESS.
AND FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL OF YOU IS THAT THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN THE WAY THAT WE HAVE CREATED, UM, A RHYTHM AROUND AT THE CITY.
AND SO THIS CAN'T BE TREATED AS A CHECKBOX, AND IT'S A CRITICAL COMPONENT THAT DETERMINES WHETHER PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD.
AS YOU SEE, DEVELOPERS MUST ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO WILL POTENTIALLY BENEFIT FROM THESE PROJECTS, UH, THESE DEVELOPMENTS WHO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY IN THE COMMUNITY ARE HEARD AND INVOLVED AT THE START.
UH, LETTERS OF SUPPORT SHOULD REFLECT GENUINE ON THE GROUND ENGAGEMENT WITH SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, CIVIC CLUBS, AND NOT JUST TOP DOWN OUTREACH.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I MOVE TO SEPARATE AND REFER BACK THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. APPLICATION NUMBER 2 6 0 1 9 TO THE ADMINISTRATION APPLICATION.
BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION APPLICATION.
BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION APPLICATION.
DO YOU WANT A MOTION TO, TO SEPARATE AND TO REFER BACK? UHHUH.
SO WAS IT FOUR OF THEM? IT'S FOUR.
CAN YOU REPEAT APPLICATION? 2, 6 1, 9 DISTRICT A APPLICATION.
DISTRICT F APPLICATION 2 6 2 3 8.
TO SEPARATE THE ITEM AND REFER BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
DISCUSSION ON THE SEPARATION ITEMS THAT WERE SEPARATION.
WHAT'S YOUR REQUEST SAID IT WAS TO SEPARATE AMBER FOR BACK.
SO CAN YOU HAVE DISCUSS? SURE.
WE, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF TAKING A VOTE.
SO YOU WANT TO DISCUSS IT BEFORE WE FINISH THE VOTE? WE HAVE DISCUSSION.
I WOULD LIKE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION.
MEMBERS WE'RE SET ASIDE THE BEGINNING OF THE VOTE AND RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE
[00:30:01]
INCLUDED IN THIS PROCESS.THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE PUT A VERY STRONG EMPHASIS ON, UH, THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF US DOING THESE PROGRAMS. ONE QUESTION I HAVE IN TERMS OF TIMELINE, UM, DOES REFERRING THEM BACK, WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS IN TERMS OF OUR TIMELINE TO OR DEADLINE TO GET THESE TO THE STATE FOR THE APPLICATION PROCESS? THE ITEMS THAT WILL MOVE FORWARD ONCE THIS ITEM WILL SEPARATE? UM, WE WILL, UH, THEY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE DEADLINE FROM THE STATE.
ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO COMMENT? IF NOT, UH, MOTION ABOUT THOMAS HAS BEEN SECONDED.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
UH, THIS PERTAINS TO THE BUDGET FOR TOURS 18, WHICH, UH, IS LOCATED IN THE FIFTH WARD.
AND, UM, I WANNA SAY THAT, UH, I WON'T BE SUPPORTING THIS BUDGET.
NOT THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF THE FIFTH WARD AREN'T GREAT.
THEY ARE, THEY ALSO NEED A GREAT BOARD.
AND, UH, WE HAD THE SAME DISCUSSION A YEAR AGO.
UM, I WON'T REHASH THE ENTIRE DISCUSSION, BUT WHEN THE ITEM CAME UP, IT WAS TAGGED BY THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THEN THE FOLLOWING WEEK THERE WAS A MOTION TO REFER BACK THAT WAS AN EIGHT TO EIGHT VOTE.
UH, ALMOST PASSED, BUT FAILED.
AND THE MAIN POINTS MADE BACK THEN WERE, IT'S A BOARD WITH CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
UM, AND IT, IT'S A BOARD THAT NEVER SEEMS TO ACCOMPLISH VERY MUCH IN TERMS OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
I UNDERSTAND THE INCREMENT IS NOT GREAT RELATIVE TO SOME OF OUR OTHER T HOWEVER, IF OVER THE YEARS YOU ADD UP THE INCREMENT SINCE IN THE LAST TWO 10 YEARS, THEY, THEY HAVE ACCUMULATED MORE THAN $15 MILLION.
VERY LITTLE OF THAT HAS GONE TO ANY REAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
A LOT OF IT HAS GONE TO, UH, OVERHEAD AND CONSULTANT FEES.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THE RESIDENTS OF THE FIFTH WARD TURS DESERVE.
I THOUGHT ABOUT MOVING TO REFER THIS BACK.
HOWEVER, I'VE SPOKEN WITH OUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TARSHA JACKSON, WHO IS OUT ON MEDICAL LEAVE AND SHE DOES NOT WANT THAT.
SHE'S FEARFUL THAT PROJECTS WON'T GO FORWARD IF THIS BUDGET IS REFERRED BACK.
AND SO OUT OF DEFERENCE TO HER, I WILL NOT BE MOVING TO REFER THIS BACK.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THIS MORNING I HAD A FRUITFUL CONVERSATION, MAYOR WITH YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF, DR. WILSON.
AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BE MEETING REGULARLY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IN, UH, GETTING SOME BOARD, UH, APPOINTMENTS CHANGED OUT MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.
I INTERVIEWED SEVERAL, UH, CANDIDATES WHO WOULD DO WELL ON THAT BOARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON DID AS WELL.
AND, UH, WE SUBMITTED THOSE NAMES TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
SO HOPEFULLY GOING FORWARD, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SOME CHANGES.
AND WE HAVE 12 AND 30 IN IF YOU WANNA DO THOSE REAL QUICK.
AND THEN NUMBER 12 HAS JUST ARRIVED.
MR. SECRETARY, ITEM 12 IS IN ORDINANCE.
LET'S MOVE TO PUBLIC SESSION NOW.
UH, MR. SECRETARY, WILL YOU CALL OUR SPEAKERS? MAG H GENEVA? COLBERT.
[00:35:03]
ANTONIO HENDERSON.PAUL ROBERSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY EMILY ORAN.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.
UM, MY NAME IS EMILY ENT AND I'M REPRESENTING PRESERVATION HOUSTON, A LOCAL NONPROFIT THAT, UH, IS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE CULTURAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF OUR GREAT CITY.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE GARDEN OAKS THEATER THIS MORNING, UH, 1947 MOVIE THEATER ON NORTH SHEPHERD.
THE PROPERTY WAS RECENTLY PURCHASED FOR REDEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING PLANS TO DEMOLISH AND REPLACE THE BUILDING OPENING ALMOST 80 YEARS AGO.
AND DESIGNED BY THE SAME ARCHITECT AS THE RIVER OAKS THEATER.
THE GARDEN OAKS WAS BUILT TO ANCHOR ITS NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT GAVE THE COMMUNITY A LANDMARK, A GATHERING PLACE, AND A SHARED SENSE OF IDENTITY.
WHEN THOUGHTFULLY REHABILITATED BUILDINGS OF THIS SCALE CAN CONTINUE SERVING THAT ROLE WITHIN LARGER REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL GREAT EXAMPLES OF THIS IN HOUSTON, THE RIVER OAKS HEIGHTS TOWER AND DELUXE THEATERS, WHICH RETAIN THEIR ENTERTAINMENT USE, BUT ALSO THE ALABAMA, WHICH NOW SERVES A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PURPOSE AS A GROCERY STORE.
WHILE WE DO HAVE A HANDFUL OF SUCCESSES, WE'VE LOST FAR MORE OF THESE NEIGHBORHOOD THEATERS.
JUST IN THE LAST YEAR, THE GRANADA THEATER ON JENSEN AND ITS TWIN, THE CAPITAN IN PASADENA WERE DEMOLISHED IN CONTRAST TO THESE TWO THEATERS, WHICH HAD BEEN VACANT FOR A LONG TIME.
THE GARDEN OAKS IS IN GOOD, VERY USABLE CONDITION AND WAS IN CONTINUOUS USE UP TO ITS RECENT SALE.
IT STILL RETAINS ITS ART DECO INTERIOR WITH BEAUTIFUL PATTERN TERRAZZO FLOORS, ALONG WITH LOTS OF OTHER FEATURES THAT DESERVE TO BE ENJOYED, NOT ADDED TO A LANDFILL.
WHILE WE DON'T KNOW THE DEVELOPER'S EXACT PLANS YET, WE'VE HEARD IT WILL LIKELY BE A SHOPPING CENTER.
THE GARDEN OAKS IS A SHOPPING CENTER.
UM, IT INCLUDES SPACES THAT ORIGINALLY HOUSED A PHARMACY AND OTHER RETAIL TENANTS.
SO IT WOULD BE ESPECIALLY WELL-SUITED FOR RENOVATION.
WE'RE ASKING FOR HELP FACILITATING A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE PROPERTY DEVELOPER, THE PRESERVATION COMMUNITY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GARDEN OAKS NEIGHBORS.
WE HOPE THEY'LL BE WILLING TO EXPLORE WHETHER THERE'S A PATH THAT MEETS THEIR NEEDS AND KEEPS THIS LANDMARK STANDING.
LAST YEAR, JUST UP THE STREET, UH, THE DEVELOPERS OF THE FORMER SEARS SITE ON NORTH SHEPHERD DID SIT DOWN WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ENDED UP CHOOSING TO KEEP THE DISTINCTIVE CONCRETE PYLON AND BUS SHELTER ON THE PROPERTY ALONG WITH THE MATURE TREE NEXT TO IT.
THIS KIND OF COLLABORATION TURNS A TYPICAL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT INTO A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED PROJECT THAT BENEFITS ITS NEIGHBORHOOD IN MULTIPLE WAYS.
IT ALSO OPENS UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRESERVATION INCENTIVES, INCLUDING STATE AND FEDERAL HISTORIC TAX CREDITS, WHICH COMBINED ARE WORTH 45% OF THE QUALIFYING REHAB COSTS, INCLUDING ARCHITECT FEES AND CONTRACTOR OVERHEAD.
THE RIVER OAKS THEATER AND ST.
ELIZABETH HOSPITAL, UH, BOTH RECENTLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THESE, UH, TAX CREDITS IN THEIR REHAB PROJECTS.
WE'RE ALL FORESEEING THIS PROPERTY REDEVELOPED, BUT WE BELIEVE IT CAN BE DONE PROFITABLY AND SUCCESSFULLY WHILE HONORING BOTH THE HISTORY AND CURRENT DESIRES OF GARDEN OAKS.
A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE LOST A REALLY UNIQUE, UH, DISTINCTIVE MID-CENTURY BANK BUILDING ON WASHINGTON AND YALE, UM, FOR A STANDARD CHICK-FIL-A JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AGO IN SHERMAN OAKS, CALIFORNIA, A NEW CHICK-FIL-A OPENED INSIDE A FULLY RESTORED MID-CENTURY MODERN DINER.
WE DON'T HAVE TO LOSE THESE BUILDINGS IN ORDER TO PROGRESS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YES, THANK YOU, MA'AM.
I'LL DEFER FIRST TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, AND THEN I'LL, I'LL SPEAK AFTER.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I KNOW, UH, BOTH YOU AND MAUREEN ARE, ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE THEATER, UH, AND I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THE SHEPHERD OR THE, UH, SEARS PROJECT ON SHEPHERD MM-HMM
BECAUSE THAT IS A VERY RECENT EXAMPLE, JUST DOWN THE STREET.
OF THE DEVELOPER AND THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER, WORKING TOGETHER, AND FINDING A WAY TO HONOR HISTORY AND PRESERVE PART OF, OF THAT DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE WILLINGNESS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO WORK WITH, UH, REDEVELOPMENT AND HONOR THE HISTORY OF THE STRUCTURES.
UM, I WILL SAY I HAVE HEARD FROM THE NEW OWNER, UH, AS OF THIS MORNING,
[00:40:01]
HE IS, HE IS WILLING TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY.WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING THAT, UM, SET UP SO THAT THERE IS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A DIALOGUE.
UH, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO BE IN COMMUNICATION, UM, WITH NEIGHBORS ON THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP.
UH, FIRST EMILY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN EVERYTHING THAT PRESERVATION HOUSTON DOES.
UH, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL AND I APPRECIATE THE ENGAGEMENT.
I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, SOME OTHER RESIDENTS HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS, BUT I DO WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
AGAIN, THIS IS IN HIS DISTRICT, AND I WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF THAT.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THIS ALSO RESIDE IN DISTRICT C.
UH, SO I'M IN COMMUNICATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
UM, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY BEHIND US IN FINDING A SOLUTION, UH, TO PRESERVE THIS WHILE MAKING IT, UH, FROM A BUSINESS SENSE, ECONOMICALLY VIABLE AND PROFITABLE, BECAUSE THAT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND AGAIN, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.
THANK YOU EVERYONE VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
NEXT MAUREEN MCNAMARA TO BE FOLLOWED BY PAUL ROBERSON.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR WHITMEYER, HONORABLE MAYOR WHITMEYER AND CITY COUNCIL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THIS MORNING.
UM, MY NAME IS MAUREEN MCNAMARA AND I AM ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS AND DIRECTORS OF FRIENDS OF RIVER OAKS THEATER, WHICH NOW DOES BUSINESS AS ART HOUSE HOUSTON.
ART HOUSE HOUSTON HAS EXPANDED, UH, OUR ROLE OR, UM, ATTEMPT TO ASSIST WITH OTHER HISTORIC THEATERS, UH, AFTER THE HUGE SUCCESS THAT THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ALL OF US HAD AT THE RIVER OAKS THEATER.
THERE ARE, UM, BIG CONCERNS BY BOTH THE, UH, COMMUNITY AND, UH, OUR ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF THE GARDEN OAKS THEATER.
IT'S BEEN, AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S BEEN A THIRD SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY FOR, UH, ALMOST 80 YEARS.
UM, AS A CHURCH, AS A THEATER.
IT'S HAD SEVERAL LIVES, BUT IT, UH, IT REALLY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PLACE OF COMMUNITY FOR MULTIPLE DISTRICTS.
UM, I WANTED TO, UH, SPECIFICALLY ASK COUNCIL TO, UH, AND MAYOR WHITMEYER TO HELP SUPPORT, UH, FINDING A WAY THAT THE THEATER CAN CONTINUE TO EXIST AND BE PART OF THE FABRIC OF OUR CITY.
I THINK IT CAN BE A WIN-WIN, WIN-WIN WHERE THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY, THE NEIGHBORING BUSINESSES AND INVESTORS IN ALL OF THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES CAN WORK TOGETHER AS THEY DID WITH THE RIVER OAKS THEATER.
MAJOR CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE SAVED THEIR, HIS HISTORIC MOVIE THEATERS AS COMMUNITY ARTS AND FILM CENTERS.
THEY'RE NOW PROTECTED AND THRIVING JEWELS FOR THEIR CITIES.
MICHIGAN, UH, HAS THE MICHIGAN AND STATE THEATERS, THE TAMPA THEATER IN TAMPA, THE FOX IN ATLANTA, THE MUSIC BOX IN CHICAGO, NEW YORK, LA BOSTON, SAN FRANCISCO, JUST REOPENED TO THE CASTRO AND AUSTIN THEATER ALLIANCE.
A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT HAS RAISED MILLIONS FOR A FULL RESTORATION OF BOTH THE PARAMOUNT THEATER IN AUSTIN AND THE STATE THEATER LIKE THESE THEATERS.
THE GARDEN OAKS IS A SPECIAL SPACE.
IT'S, AS EMILY POINTED OUT, IT'S DESIGNED BY THE SAME ARCHITECT AS THE RIVER OAKS THEATER, GRACE CHURCH, AND WAS THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE THEATER.
AND THEY NEVER HAD THE PROPERTY HISTORICALLY PROTECTED OR DESIGNATED BY THE CITY, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR IMPORT.
AND IMPORTANTLY, THEY DID NOT.
[00:45:01]
SALE.ART HOUSE HOUSTON HAS BEEN WATCHING THE PROPERTY FOR YEARS, DAYS AGO, WE LEARNED THAT THE NEW OWNERS HAVE THE INTENTION NOT TO SAVE THE HISTORIC THEATER.
AND THERE'S A GREEN TAG ON THE BUILDING THAT SAYS RE'S DEMO.
THE NEW OWNERS HELP SHOW THEM THE BENEFITS OF SAVING THE THEATER.
AND, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS STILL HOPE VERY WELL.
THANK YOU, MAYOR MAUREEN, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN VERY ENGAGED AROUND THIS LATELY, UM, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR COMMUNICATION AND, AND GIVING ME A LOT OF BACKGROUND AND HISTORY IN THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THIS SPACE ACROSS THE CITY.
YOU DO HAVE MY SUPPORT AND MY COMMITMENT, AND I WILL BE, UH, IN COMMUNICATION WITH YOU AROUND THIS, UH, THIS MEETING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING SET UP.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN AND MAUREEN.
IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AT COUNCIL, THOUGH.
IT'S UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, UH, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, SOME OF THE BACKGROUND, UH, FRIENDS OF RIVER OAKS THEATER, WHICH MAUREEN AND OTHERS REALLY SPEARHEADED.
I MEAN, WHEN THE THEATER SHUT DOWN AND IT WAS AT RISK OF BEING TORN DOWN, UH, THEY WOULD HAVE COMMUNITY THEATER NIGHTS PROJECTING ON THE WALL.
THEY WERE ENGAGED EVERY SINGLE STEP, NOT ANTAGONISTICALLY, BUT IN CELEBRATING AND LIFTING UP THE HISTORY AND HOW MUCH THIS THEATER MEANS TO HOUSTON.
UH, SO TO SEE YOU ENGAGED ON THIS, UH, IT WARMS MY HEART BECAUSE AGAIN, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE COMING FROM A PLACE NOT OF, UM, AGAIN, HOSTILITY, BUT SOLUTIONS ORIENTED.
AND THE WAY IN WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE RIVER OAKS THEATER WAS IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY GROUNDSWELL OF SUPPORT FOR THIS AND THE ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT AND THE WORK BEHIND THE SCENES TO FIND DEVELOPERS.
EVERYONE CAME TOGETHER TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT NOW, LO AND BEHOLD, I MEAN, CAN YOU IMAGINE, I COULD NOT HAVE IMAGINED HOW MUCH BETTER RIVER OAKS THEATER IS NOW YES.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL YOUR WORK.
AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE, UH, WE'VE HAD TWO EXPERTS THAT ARE SO INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY COMING BEFORE US.
AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AGAIN, WE'RE IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION.
UM, I'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN AND HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE AND, UH, HIS ENGAGEMENT ON THIS RIGHT NOW.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THERE ARE ALMOST 2000 SIGNATURES ON A PETITION THAT JUST WENT UP WITH COMMENTS, PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL ALL TAKE TO HEART.
AND WE NEED THE SUPPORT OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
AND THERE'S A PROCEDURAL FROM HUFFMAN.
WE CAN DO HER PROCEDURAL REAL QUICK WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR HIM.
AS, UH, PROTOCOL HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED, I ROSE TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE THAT I'M HAVING WITH THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, UH, CLASS A LAWSUIT THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT, UH, AND THE SURVIVORS ARE, ARE GOVERNED TO THE STATE IN WHICH THIS, UH, THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.
WELL, MY MAJOR PROBLEM IS THAT THE LAW FIRM HAS ALTERED THE PENALTY CODE THAT, UH, STRUCTURE WHAT ASSAULT ABUSE IS.
NOW IT'S LISTED IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE, BUT IT'S WRONG.
IT LEFT OUT THE SECTION THAT SAYS TEXAS, UH, UH, RECOGNIZES CERTAIN INCIDENTS WITHIN AN A CHILD ABUSE CASE THAT MOVES IT FROM ABUSE TO ASSAULT.
AND THE, AND THE, AND THE STATUTE OF LIMITATION WITH THIS, UH, REVISED REVISEMENT DOES NOT RUN OUT.
BUT THEY WANT, THEY WANT THIS, THIS, THIS, UH, STATEMENT WITHIN THE, UM, WITHIN THE QUESTIONNAIRE MAKES IT WHERE THE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COMES TO THE SURVIVOR IS, UH, IS LESS THAN HALF.
AND THAT MONEY WILL BE USED OR UTILIZED BY TEXANS IN THIS ECONOMY.
[00:50:01]
AND THEY'RE TAKING IT OUT OF OUR ECONOMY AND USING IT FOR THE, THE LAW FIRM'S GOOD.AND THEY'RE GONNA BE, THEY'RE GONNA BE PROFITING FROM THE, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT RIGHT.
AND IT SAYS CLEARLY THAT ANYTHING THAT'S THAT'S UNTRUE, THAT'S PUT IN THIS DOCUMENT IS A, UH, IS IS PENALTY UNDER PERJURY.
SO I I, I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT APPLIES TO THEM AS WELL.
'CAUSE IT'S CLEARLY STATED, AND I HAD TO, I DID THE RESEARCH MYSELF TO SEE WHAT THE, WHAT THAT PEN CODE SAYS.
BUT IT, BUT RIGHT WHERE THE, UH, THE, THE, UM, THE SECTION IS WHERE IT TELLS, IT'S OMITTED, IT HAS SECTION ONE AND IT HAS A, B, C, AND D.
IT TELLS WHAT'S THE, THE NUMBER SECTION IS TWO POINT SOMETHING, AND THEN AFTER THAT THEY LEAVE OFF A OR B OR C, WHICH ONE IT, THEY LEAVE IT OFF IT.
THEN WHEN THEY GO BACK TO 'EM AND CHALLENGE 'EM ON IT, IT'S A PROBLEM.
AND IT'S, UH, THEY'RE FULL OF, UH, UH, UH, DENIAL.
AND THEY, THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO CHALLENGE 'EM ON WHAT'S TRUE.
SO I DON'T, AND I WENT TO, I WENT TO THE, THE, THE, THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, THE GEN, UH, ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE, NO HELP.
I WENT TO, UH, DAN, UH, UH, CRENSHAW, NO HELP.
I WENT TO, UH, UH, CROCKETT NO HELP.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO.
BUT COME TO THE, THE COUNCIL AND APPEAL BECAUSE THE TAKING THE MONEY FROM THE SURVIVORS THAT WE ARE GONNA USE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I KNOW I'M GONNA USE MINE IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT THEN THAT'S, WE WON'T EVEN GET IT.
THE AMOUNT THAT THEY OFFER IS SO MUCH LESS THAN IT WOULD BE IF THEY FOLLOW THE PEN CODE AND WHAT THEY SAY, THEY'RE GONNA GOVERN THEIR DECISIONS ON MR. ROBINSON.
I I'M SORRY ABOUT YOUR, YOUR DIFFICULTY.
I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO LISTEN TO YOUR ATTORNEY.
THE CITY HAS NO JURISDICTION OVER THAT LEGAL MATTER.
I MEAN, I, I JUST HAD A CHANCE BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY NO, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, BUT WORKING FOR THIS.
BUT YOUR BEST PATHWAY IS LISTEN TO YOUR ATTORNEY.
HE'S, THEY ARE FOR THEMSELVES.
I MEAN, I CAN LISTEN TO HIM, BUT HE'S SAYING THAT HE WANTS TO TAKE THE MONEY THAT'S DUE ME AND THE OTHER SURVIVORS OF TEXAS AND USE IT FOR THEIR, THEIR OWN.
UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
AND YOU, YOU DO HAVE AN ATTORNEY, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
UM, I'LL, I'LL SIT DOWN WITH YOU AFTER THE MEETING IF YOU CAN WAIT AROUND.
UM, BUT THE PENAL CODE AND THE CODE UNDER WHICH THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WOULD BE BROUGHT OR DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, I'M NOT COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I KNOW IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO EXPLAIN IT BECAUSE IT'S LEGAL TERMS AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO YEAH, BUT I'LL, I'LL SIT DOWN WITH YOU IF YOU WAIT TILL AFTERNOON.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN ON PROCEDURAL.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PROCEDURAL MOTION TO ADD GLORIA NINO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST.
MICHELLE BOUCHARD TO BE FOLLOWED BY BARBARA DENSON.
UM, I AM IN COUNCILMAN KAY CAYMAN'S, DISTRICT C, AND I'M HERE TO ASK YOU, PLEASE SUPPORT HPD IN ITS INTERACTIONS WITH ICE.
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE THE BACKBONE OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR CITY.
AND THEY ARE THE FRONT LINES TO CATCHING HARDEN REPEAT OFFENDERS.
SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES CATCHING THOSE VIOLENT OFFENDERS STARTS WITH A SINGLE ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP WHERE A BROKEN TAIL LIGHT LEADS TO THE DISCOVERY OF A WARRANT FOR SERIOUS UNSPEAKABLE CRIMES.
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE TELLING US THAT ANY ORDINANCE TO COMPLETELY REDEFINE HOW THEY POLICE THE STREETS WILL HURT THEM.
DO WE REALLY WANNA WEAKEN OUR CITY'S PUBLIC SAFETY, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN WE SEE OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY UP IN FLAMES? YOU'VE HEARD A GREAT DEAL FROM THE OTHER POINT OF VIEW.
I'M HERE TO VOICE THE VIEWS OF THOUSANDS OF HOUSTONIANS WHO, WHO YOU HAVE NOT YET HEARD FROM.
HOUSTON HAS NOT YET SEEN THE DANGEROUS INTERACTIONS
[00:55:01]
INVOLVED WITH APPREHENDING ILLEGAL ALIENS IN THE COMMUNITY, NOR THE VIOLENCE AND THE RIOTING THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE SEEN.THE PROCESS OF REMOVING ILLEGAL ALIENS HAS LARGELY GONE UNNOTICED IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE LOCAL ICE OFFICE HAS REMOVED AS MANY ALIENS HERE AS ANY OTHER OFFICE IN THE COUNTRY.
IF IT'S NOT BROKEN, DON'T TRY TO FIX IT.
THERE HAVE BEEN 15,000 DEPORTATIONS ORIGINATING FROM HOUSTON ICE OFFICE.
THIS OFFICE INCLUDES HARRIS COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
OF THOSE 15,002 THIRDS HAVE ORIGINATED FROM THE JAILS WHERE THE PERSON WAS ALREADY IN JAIL ON ANOTHER OFFENSE.
AND WHEN HPD ENTERS A NAME INTO THE COMPUTER, IF A WARRANT APPEARS THAT AGENCY IS CONTACTED, WHETHER THAT'S ANOTHER STATE, COUNTY, CITY, OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, HPD HAD 160 ICE WARRANTS APPEAR IN 2025 AND ICE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED FOR EACH OF THOSE ICE ADVISED HPD TO RELEASE 90 OF THOSE.
AND THE OTHER 70 WERE PICKED UP BY ICE.
THEREFORE, OF THE 15,000 DEPORTATIONS ONLY 0.47% OF THE, OF THE TOTAL WAS INITIATED BY HPD.
SO NOW YOU SEE THE SCALE, WHICH IS SMALL.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT CRIMES WERE COMMITTED BY THE 70.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN MERELY IMMIGRATION VIOLATION OR A VIOLENT CRIME.
HPD IS SIMPLY TREATING ICE WARRANTS IN THE SAME MANNER THEY TREAT ANY OTHER WARRANT.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOES NOT NEED THE ATTENTION OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE RECEIVING AFTER CONFRONTING ICE.
SO I BEG YOU, PLEASE DO NOT UPEND THE ABILITY OF OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO INTERACT WITH OTHER LOW, OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY BECAUSE IT WOULD CRIPPLE OUR OFFICER'S ABILITIES TO POLICE THE STREETS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN DAVIS.
OH, THANK YES, SIR, FOR COMING.
THANK YOU FOR COMING MICHELLE.
UM, IN YOUR NUMBERS THAT YOU RECORDED, DOES YOUR NUMBERS INCLUDE OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENTS OTHER THAN HPD? UH, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT YOUR POINT IS THAT YOU ARE NOT IN SUPPORT OF THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO MAY BE STOPPED, UM, OF VIOLATIONS BY HPD, UH, AND THOSE NUMBERS THAT RELATIVELY COULD BE CONSIDERED, UH, NOT VERY HEINOUS OR HIGH CRIMES.
BUT YOUR CONCERN IS, IF I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY, IS THAT YOU ARE NOT, YOU DON'T FEEL AS THOUGH IN RIGHT.
TO IMPEDE HPDS PROCESS, CORRECT? RIGHT.
AND THE CAUSE TO IMPEDE THE PROCESS AND, AND, AND, AND NOT ALLOW THEM TO CONTACT ICE.
BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED AT VARIOUS TIMES, I THINK.
SO I, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT IN, IN DOING THAT HPD IS FOLLOWING THE VARIOUS SAME PROCEDURE AS THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT YES.
THEY'RE FOLLOWING THEIR PROTOCOL AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
ONLY IN GOVERNMENT DO WE LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT ISN'T BROKEN AND DECIDE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO FIX IT.
HOUSTON HAS NOT EXPERIENCED THE DANGEROUS CONFRONTATIONS, RIOTS, OR HIGH PROFILE CLASHES WITH ICE THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE SEEN.
WE HAVEN'T HAD THE CHAOS, THE HEADLINES OR THE LAWSUITS.
WHY? BECAUSE THE PROCESS HERE HAS BEEN QUIET, ORDERLY, AND FRANKLY, QUITE BORING.
BORING IS GREAT WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
OUR LOCAL ICE OFFICE HAS REMOVED 15,000 INDIVIDUALS PLACING HOUSTON AMONG THE HIGHEST PERFORMING OFFICES IN THE COUNTRY.
AND YET MOST HOUSTONIANS COULDN'T TELL YOU A SINGLE STORY ABOUT IT.
THAT'S HOW SMOOTHLY THE SYSTEM WORKS FOR.
NOW, HERE'S THE PART THAT REALLY MATTERS.
TWO OF THOSE 15,000 REMOVALS CAME STRAIGHT FROM THE JAILS.
PEOPLE WHO WERE ALREADY ARRESTED FOR OTHER OFFENSES.
THESE AREN'T RANDOM STREET ENCOUNTERS.
THESE WERE INDIVIDUALS ALREADY IN CUSTODY FOR BREAKING LAWS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHAT ABOUT HPD? OF THOSE 15,000 REMOVALS, LESS THAN ONE 10TH OF 1% WERE INITIATED BY HPD OFFICERS IN THE FIELD.
AND EVEN THEN, HPD DIDN'T GO HUNTING FOR ANYONE.
OFFICERS SIMPLY ENTERED A NAME INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND WHEN A WARRANT POPPED UP, THEY DID WHAT THEY ALWAYS DO.
THEY NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT ISSUED IT IN
[01:00:01]
2025.HPD ENCOUNTERED 160 ICE WARRANTS.
ICE ITSELF TOLD HPD TO RELEASE 90 OF THESE INDIVIDUALS.
THE REMAINING 70 WERE PICKED UP BY ICE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THOSE WARRANTS WERE FOR IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS OR VIOLENT CRIMES.
AND FRANKLY, NEITHER DO THE OFFICERS ON THE STREET.
TO LET LAW ENFORCEMENT KNOW THAT SOMEONE SOMEWHERE HAS UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH THE LAW.
HPD IS NOT DOING ANYTHING UNUSUAL OR EXTREME.
THEY'RE TREATING ICE WARRANTS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY THEY TREAT EVERY OTHER WARRANT.
THAT'S CONSISTENCY, THAT'S PROFESSIONALISM.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS HOUSTON HAS AVOIDED THE HORRIFIC NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE STUMBLED INTO.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT CONSEQUENCES.
HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY HAVE RECEIVED HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING.
THAT MONEY SUPPORTS THE VERY SERVICES WE RELY ON PUBLIC SAFETY, DISASTER RESPONSE, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND MORE.
PICKING A FIGHT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER A PROCESS THAT'S WORKING SMOOTHLY WOULD BE NOT REAL SMART.
HOUSTON HAS A SYSTEM THAT WORKS.
IT'S CALM, IT'S ORDERLY, IT'S EFFECTIVE, AND IT KEEPS US OUT OF THE HEADLINES FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS.
BEFORE WE RUSH TO FIX SOMETHING, LET'S MAKE SURE IT'S ACTUALLY BROKEN.
GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR TIME WITH US THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU ALL MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR SHARING YOUR TIME WITH US THIS MORNING.
UM, IT'S LONG BEEN KNOWN THAT WHEN HUMANS ARE TRAFFICKED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BORDER, THE WOMEN ARE FREQUENTLY RAPED ANYWHERE.
I'VE HEARD ESTIMATES FROM 30% TO A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEIR CLOTHING IS THROWN UP INTO A TREE.
THAT TREE IS CALLED A RAPE TREE.
UM, I LIVE IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON NOT VERY LONG AGO.
UM, I WAS DRIVING THROUGH MY NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE INTERSECTION OF RENWICK AND, UM, HOLLY, THREE BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE.
THERE WERE TWO DRESS, THERE WAS A DRESS HANGING THERE.
THE FIRST DAY I NOTICED THERE WAS ANOTHER DRESS DOWN CLOSE TO, UM, THE INTERSECTION OF GULFTON IN RENWICK.
AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR A DAY OR SO, AND THEN I WENT BACK, PULLED IN, AND I TOOK THOSE DRESSES DOWN.
THEN TWO DAYS LATER, THERE WERE TWO MORE DRESSES HANGING AT HOLLY AND RENWICK.
THESE ARE THE DRESSES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I GOT THE SECOND SET OF DRESSES ALSO.
EACH TIME I PICKED UP THESE DRESSES, I PUT THEM THROUGH MY WASHING MACHINE AND MY DRYER, AND I HUNG THEM RESPECTFULLY IN MY CLOSET BECAUSE THESE DRESSES BELONG TO YOUNG WOMEN WHO WERE RAPED.
UM, I CALLED HPD NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER.
I CALLED THREE, TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT, UH, SUBSTATIONS BEFORE WE ASCERTAINED.
WHO WAS THE, UM, WHO HAD JURISDICTION? I CALLED SEX CRIMES.
I CALLED, UH, THE BEL AIR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS ABOUT 35 FEET AWAY IN TERMS OF JURISDICTION FROM WHERE THESE DRESSES WERE HUNG.
I, NOT IN ANY ONE OF THOSE, UH, DID I FIND ANYBODY THAT ACTUALLY KNEW WHAT A RAPE TREE WAS AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE.
SO, UM, I ALSO TALKED TO THE MAN WHO WAS ELECTED OUR, UH, CONSTABLE.
I TALKED TO ONE OF THE OTHER CANDIDATES WHO IS NOT ELECTED FOR SHERIFF, AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ONE WAS.
SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A REAL ABSENCE OF ANY WAY IN HPD TO DEAL WITH THIS THING THAT IS IN FRONT OF US, AND IT'S GOING TO GROW WORSE.
WHAT I WANT US TO DO IS NOT TO MAKE HPD ICE.
I WANT A COOPERATION BETWEEN HPD AND ICE.
AND IF WE DO THAT, THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC BENEFITS THAT WILL ARISE.
[01:05:01]
AND I'M SURE YOU CAN GUESS WHAT THOSE ARE.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
OH, THIS IS FOR YOU, MR. MAYOR.
HOW CAN I GIVE IT TO LOUIE? THAT GENTLEMAN, THE BLUE SUIT RIGHT THERE.
TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES SHREVER.
HELLO, MARY ANNE HUFFMAN, OUR COUNCIL G UH, DISTRICT G COUNCILWOMAN COUNCIL.
I AM A PRECINCT CHAIR AND I'M ON THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION OF WEST LANE PLACE.
I'M ONE PERSON HERE, BUT WE'RE ABOUT 2000 PEOPLE IN THE GROUPS THAT I REPRESENT.
AND THEY CANNOT BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING.
I'M HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE HEARD A TERRIBLE RUMOR AT THIS POINT THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING INTERFERING WITH HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY TRY TO CONTACT ICE BECAUSE THEY'VE APPREHENDED SOMEONE WITH A WARRANT.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, WE'RE HORRIFIED.
EVERYONE IN MY DISTRICT IS HORRIFIED.
NOT ONE PERSON SUPPORTS THIS IDEA.
WE NEED THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOBS.
I DON'T CAN, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE REASONING BEHIND THIS IDEA.
I MEAN, ARE YOU TRYING TO TURN HOUSTON INTO MINNEAPOLIS? CAN WE NOT SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DON'T COOPERATE WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? WHEN WE DON'T TRY TO BRING CRIMINALS IN? THEY PREY ON THE REST OF US.
WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS THINKING ABOUT? SO I'M HERE TO URGE YOU, PLEASE DO NOT GO DOWN THIS PATH.
DO NOT TAKE US TO THE ROAD TO MINNEAPOLIS, PLEASE.
HOUSTON DOES NOT WANT DO THIS.
AGAIN, I'M ONE PERSON, BUT THERE ARE 2000 PEOPLE WHO I REPRESENT.
NONE OF US WANT YOU TO DO THIS.
MR. MAYOR, I HAVE THIS FOR YOU TOO.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL.
UM, IF I MAY ASK YOU A QUESTION AND RESPOND TO A STATEMENT YOU MADE.
UM, WHAT IS THE RUMOR THAT YOU'RE HEARING AND WHO ARE YOU HEARING IT FROM? WELL, I CAN'T SAY EXACTLY WHERE IT ORIGINATED BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT.
BUT WE'VE HEARD THAT CITY COUNCIL IS CONTEMPLATING, INTERFERING WITH HPD NOTIFYING ICE WHEN THEY STOP SOMEONE WITH A WARRANT FROM ICE.
AND ALSO WE'VE HEARD THAT YOU'RE CONTEMPLATING NOT ALLOWING HPD TO STOP CARS FOR NON-MOVING VIOLATIONS, LIKE A TAILLIGHT OUT.
AND, AND FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND, THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT HPD ONE OF THE TOOLS THEY USE TO FIND THE CRIMINALS THAT THEY NEED TO BRING IN.
WELL, I CERTAINLY CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, BUT YOUR FIRST, UH, RUMOR IS NOT PROHIBITED BY STATE LAW.
SB FOUR SAYS WE CANNOT PREVENT AN OFFICER FROM CALLING ICE.
WE ALL, WE, WE CAN'T UNDER STATE LAW.
I DON'T, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY MERIT TO THAT RUMOR BECAUSE UNDER STATE LAW, WE ARE PROHIBITED FROM TELLING AN OFFICER THEY CANNOT CALL ICE.
SO I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME IN ADDRESSING THAT MISINFORMATION.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE TAILLIGHT, THE NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP FOR A NON-MOVING VIOLATION? IS THAT ALSO A, AN UNFOUNDED RUMOR? WELL, AS YOU AND EVERYONE IN THIS CHAMBER KNOWS, THERE WAS, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PUBLIC SUPPORT AND ORGANIZATIONS AND AN ORDINANCE HAS BEEN SUGGESTED TO COUNSEL.
UM, I'M SURE THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED BY FOLKS, BUT ALL OF THE LEGAL CONCERNS I THINK ARE BEING GIVEN SERIOUS AND THOUGHTFUL MERIT.
BUT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULE OF LAW AND MAKE SURE THAT WE COMPLY WITH, IN ALL RESPECT.
AND I'M SURE MYSELF, AND I DON'T MEAN TO SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES, WILL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO FOLLOW THE LAW IN THAT RESPECT AS WELL.
WELL, I'M DELIGHTED TO HEAR IT WAS AN UNFOUNDED RUMOR THAT WE WOULDN'T COOPERATE WITH ICE.
BUT I WOULD REMIND EVERYONE HERE FROM, OF THE, UH, DEMONSTRATION, I'M AWARE THAT WAS HERE RECENTLY, PEOPLE WHO BECAME VERY HEATED IN THEIR POSITION ABOUT NOT STOPPING FOR NON-MOVING VIOLATIONS.
BUT I'M REMINDING YOU, I'M HERE REPRESENTING 2000 PEOPLE WHO ARE BUSY AT WORK WHO CANNOT COME, BUT THEY VOTE AND THEY DO NOT WANT THIS TO GO INTO EFFECT.
I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND TAKING THE TIME, BUT PLEASE, CAN YOU HELP ME, UH, ADDRESS THAT MISINFORMATION? YES, I WILL TELL EVERYONE WHO ASKS ME AND THOSE WHO DON'T, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OH, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN, GILDA.
UH, CERTAINLY, UM, YOU, YOU ALL DO REPRESENT AN UNHEARD VOICE, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING AND ADDRESSING US IN A RESPECTFUL WAY AND NOT CURSING AND SCREAMING AND CARRYING ON AND, AND IT TRYING TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS.
UM, AS FAR AS UN YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS RUMORS AND SUCH, WE ALL KNOW THAT HPOU HAS HAD A CONCERN WITH THE FACT THAT THIS COUNCIL
[01:10:01]
WOULD ATTEMPT TO POLICE, POLICE, POLICE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN REQUESTING THAT WE, THAT THEY MAY, MAY NOT STOP NON, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED VIOLATORS.I SPENT, UH, ABOUT AN HOUR WITH, UM, SOME INDIVIDUALS, UM, IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS WELL AS, UM, UH, LEADERSHIP FROM THE AIRPORT SYSTEM YESTERDAY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HPD I'M SURE CAN VERIFY IT FOR YOU, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
UH, THE LADY WHO SPOKE BEFORE, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE RAPE TREES AND, AND THAT CERTAINLY ON THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING SIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE FOUND BY TRAFFIC STOPS AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING TRAFFICKED TRAFFICKERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THIS BODY TO CONSIDER AND, AND IMPACT, UH, HP D'S ABILITY TO DO THEIR JOB IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE HEARD.
AND THAT, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED TO JUST OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
AND AS YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE HAVE COME BEFORE US TO SPEAK AGAINST, AGAINST HPD STOPPING FOR NON-SAFETY RELATED, UH, VIOLATIONS.
BUT I GUESS HOW DO YOU DEFINE PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOW DO YOU DEFINE WHAT EXACTLY IN YOUR EYES VERSUS HP D'S EYES? BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY THE TRAINED PROFESSIONAL AND WE'RE NOT.
WHAT IS PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED AND WHAT ISN'T? SO THEREIN LIES THE PROBLEM.
I WOULD SAY THAT WE NEED MORE HPD EYES OUT THERE, AND I WOULD REMIND COUNCIL THAT THE GROUP THAT CAME WITH ME REPRESENTS THE, UH, WEST U AREA, REPRESENTS THE ENERGY CORRIDOR, REPRESENTS MY AREA AROUND AFTON OAKS.
RIVER OAKS AREA REPRESENTS, UM, CHIMNEY ROCK AND, AND WHAT IS THAT? WHAT IS YOUR, THE TOWN OVER THERE, SHARPSTOWN? SO, I MEAN, WE ARE A BIG GROUP OF PEOPLE AND WE ALL WANT THE POLICE TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOBS WHEN WE DON'T WANT YOU TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
AND I WANNA THANK THE, YOU MENTIONED THE GROUP THAT CAME TODAY.
IS IT A, DO Y'ALL REPRESENT AN OFFICIAL GROUP? NO, I UNDERSTAND YOU REPRESENT DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE DIALOGUE, THE RESPECT, THE CONVERSATION.
BUT I, UM, FIRST QUESTION, DO Y'ALL REPRESENT AN OFFICIAL GROUP? NO.
WE ARE ALL GRASSROOT PEOPLE WHO JUST REPRESENT OUR, YOUR AREAS CONSTITUENTS IN OUR AREAS.
AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE DIALOGUE AROUND PUBLIC SERVICE BECAUSE ONE OF MY POSITIONS, WHICH I'VE MADE VERY CLEAR, IS LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO DO THE LAW OF, OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH IS PREVENTING AND SOLVING CRIME, NOT ACTING AS FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS, WHICH IS THE JOB OF FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS.
WE DON'T HAVE, AS YOU SAID, WE NEED MORE OFFICERS.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE DOING THE JOB OF SOMEBODY ELSE RIGHT NOW.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANNA CAUTION US, A WOMAN CAME FORWARD TALKING ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS AND RAPE VICTIMS AND TYING THAT TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SEX TRAFFICKING.
BUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS, NOT THE CRIMINALS.
AND TO ASSUME OR TO INFER THAT ALL RAPISTS ARE ARE IMMIGRANTS, THAT THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
WELL, LET'S LOOK AT THE CRIME STATISTICS IN TERMS OF, UH, RAPISTS, ABUSERS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ET CETERA.
AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN WE SAY THAT LAW ENFORCE WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH THE TENSION THAT WE ARE SEEING, NOT JUST THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY, BUT HERE IN HOUSTON, IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS ARE AFRAID TO GO AND TESTIFY.
WITNESSES TO CRIMES ARE AFRAID TO GO AND TESTIFY.
WE CANNOT HOLD CRIMINALS ACCOUNTABLE WHEN OTHERS ARE BEING FORCED INTO THE SHADOWS.
AND I'M SORRY, BUT AN 18-YEAR-OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ABOUT TO GRADUATE WHO PLAYS SOCCER IN HIS SCHOOL, WHO HAS BEEN DETAINED BY ICE FOR MONTHS OR THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN, THOUSANDS THAT ARE NOT SHOWING UP TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE AFRAID AND THEY CAN'T GET THE EDUCATION THAT THEY NEED.
THERE IS A DEEPER ISSUE HERE THAT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF PROTECTING RESIDENTS.
SO AGAIN, I SUPPORT HPDI THINK THEY HAVE BEEN PUT IN A TERRIBLE POSITION WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WARRANTS.
WE NEED TO HAVE A MUCH MORE NUANCED CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS AND CRIMINAL WARRANTS.
AND THE MOTHER THAT IS JUST TRYING TO GET BY TO SUPPORT HER CHILDREN IS NOT WHERE OUR RESOURCES, AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIGHTING VIOLENT CRIME AND CRIME IN GENERAL AND PROTECTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
[01:15:01]
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE, AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE.OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS BROKEN, BUT IT IS NOT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE BEING VICTIMIZED BY THIS.
THAT SHOULD BE THE TARGETS OF THIS RIGHT NOW.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ALSO, UM, I BROUGHT INTO THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT AS WE TALK ABOUT YOU ALL REPRESENT, SO IMPORTANTLY, YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND RESIDENTS THAT I SPEAK TO EVERY DAY.
I HAVE DISTRICT C RESIDENTS HERE, AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND SPENDING YOUR TIME.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER RESIDENTS TOO, THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THIS IN OTHER WAYS.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REPRESENTING ALL OF THOSE PERSPECTIVES AS WE TRY TO FIND A WAY FORWARD BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE HURTING.
UM, I BELIEVE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REBECCA BRU WHO HAD THE DRESSES THAT SHE BROUGHT UP HERE.
AND I KNOW REBECCA BECAUSE WE'VE DONE THINGS IN THE PAST, NOT A FORMAL GROUP, BUT I KNOW HER AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO COMPLETE HER STORY 'CAUSE HER THREE MINUTES WAS UP.
BUT SHE IS NOT CONFLATING IMMIGRANTS WITH CRIME THAT HAPPENED.
THAT INCIDENT HAPPENED TO BE IN AN AREA, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT WAS GANG.
IT WAS A GANG AND IT WAS NOT AMERICANS.
SO SHE IS NOT INVENTING CRIMINALITY FOR IMMIGRANTS.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS HPD, KEEPING THEIR BUSINESS LOCAL, IF THERE'S A WARRANT OUT THERE FOR SOMEONE THAT THEY'VE APPREHENDED, I THINK IT'S PART OF THEIR BUSINESS TO KEEP THAT PERSON OUT OFF THE STREETS.
IF THEY HAVE A WARRANT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S FOR.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S FOR.
THAT'S PART OF THEIR LOCAL BUSINESS.
BUT THE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WARRANT, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU MM-HMM
I DON'T WANNA, AGAIN, I'M LISTENING RIGHT NOW, BUT I DO WANT US TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WARRANTS BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN CERTAIN TYPES OF WARRANTS.
AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANTS, THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT CATEGORY THAT HPD DOES KNOW.
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT, I LOOK, YOU CAN ASK PRETTY MUCH ANY ONE OF US AROUND THIS HORSESHOE, HOW FREQUENTLY WE ARE ON THE PHONE WITH HPD AND THE LEADERS OF HPD TALKING THROUGH THIS ISSUE.
HOW CAN WE BE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT? WHAT RESOURCES DO THEY NEED AND HOW DO WE WORK THROUGH THIS TOGETHER? SO IT'S NOT COMING FROM A PLACE OF ANTAGONISM, BUT THERE ARE, THESE ARE HIGHLY COMPLEX ISSUES AND THERE ARE PEOPLE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF IT.
BUT IF I IS, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, HPD CAN'T EVEN DISTINGUISH WHAT KIND OF WARRANT IT IS.
THEY, THEY CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN CERTAIN TYPES.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZ.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING DOWN.
THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE, BUT I WANNA ASK YOU, DO YOU SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE BEING TREATED BY ICE? DO YOU SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING MURDERED AND, UH, JUST BEING TERRIBLY MISTREATED? THAT KIND A I HAVE SEEN NEWS, OF COURSE, LIKE EVERYONE I'VE SEEN, MOSTLY EVERYBODY IN HERE HAS SEEN IT.
I WOULD SAY THAT IT WASN'T THAT THE REASON THOSE PEOPLE IN MINNEAPOLIS GOT SHOT WAS THE LOCAL LEADERSHIP OF MINNEAPOLIS DOING THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD YOU GUYS WERE TRYING TO START HERE, WHICH IS STIRRING UP THE POPULACE TO CREATE CONFRONTATIONS.
OKAY? CERTAINLY WE DO NOT WANNA PUT OUR CITIZENSHIP IN DANGER.
AND, BUT I THINK IF, IF WE WE'RE ASSURED THAT ICE WOULD TREAT PEOPLE HUMANELY AND THEY WOULDN'T MURDER THEM, WE MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK.
BUT CERTAINLY, UM, IT, IT, IT GIVES ME PAUSE AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, BUT NON, UH, WHAT IS IT? SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ACTUALLY STARTED TO STOP SOME OF THESE INTERACTIONS WITH AFRICAN AMERICANS.
AND SO COOPERATING IS ONE THING, BUT SENDING PEOPLE INTO SITUATIONS THAT ARE DESTROYING THEIR FAMILIES MAY END UP IN, IN BEING MURDERED, KILLED, PUT IN THESE, IN INHUMANE SITUATIONS REALLY DISTURBS ME.
AND SO I, I GUESS I'M, I'M KIND OF THINKING, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE GOING ON IN THE CITY, HOUSTON, I WOULD THINK OUR POLICE OFFICERS WOULD REALLY RATHER NOT BE PUT IN A POSITION TO BE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, OFFICERS FOR IMMIGRATION.
AND SO, I I JUST, IT IT JUST DISTURBS ME THAT WE ARE HERE TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW TO HANDLE THIS HUMANELY.
AND WE ARE IN A TOUGH POSITION HERE
[01:20:01]
BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT ANY HUMAN BEING REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY COME FROM OR WHY THEY ENDED UP HERE, TO END UP IN A SITUATION THAT COULD LEAD TO THEM BEING KILLED, MURDERED, OR PUT IN CLOSE CONFINES WHERE THEY ARE TREATED INHUMANELY.NOW THAT, THAT'S JUST MY POSITION.
I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR EVERYBODY UP HERE, BUT, BUT IT JUST KIND OF GIVES ME PAUSE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE COME AND, AND THEY, WELL, WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANT 'EM HERE EITHER.
AND WE DON'T WANNA STIR THE POT, AS THEY SAY.
BUT I ALSO DON'T WANNA SEE PEOPLE TREATED LIKE WORSE THAN ANIMALS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE COME OUT TO TALK ABOUT BARKING ANIMALS.
LET'S HELP THESE DOGS, LET'S HELP THESE CATS.
AND I LOVE ANIMALS, SO DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE, THE HUMAN BEINGS THAT ARE HERE, THAT SOME OF THEM ARE RUNNING FROM SITUATIONS WHERE THEIR LIES ARE IN DANGER.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT? COUNCILWOMAN I AND MY LIFE HAVE BEEN STOPPED FOR A TAILLIGHT THAT'S OUT.
AND I'VE NEVER BEEN MISTAKEN FOR BEING AN AFRICAN AMERICAN.
SO I CANNOT AGREE WITH YOU THAT THAT LAW WAS DIRECTED TOWARD AFRICAN AMERICANS OR ANY PARTICULAR GROUP.
IT'S A TOOL POLICE USE, MAYBE LIKE I ASSUME IN MY CASE, TO LET ME KNOW MY TAILLIGHT WASN'T WORKING.
AND MAYBE IF WHEN THEY STOPPED ME, IF THEY HAD DISCOVERED SOMETHING THAT THEY NEEDED TO INVESTIGATE, MAYBE IT WOULD'VE LED TO MORE, I COULD ALMOST ASSURE YOU THAT IF YOU GOT STOPPED FOR A TAILLIGHT, THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU TO GET OUTTA YOUR CAR, PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE CAR AND TREAT YOU LIKE A CRIMINAL.
I, I'M JUST, I'M, I COULD BE WRONG 'CAUSE I WASN'T THERE.
I HAD TO SHOW MY, ID HAVEN'T SEEN VIDEO CAM.
I HAD TO SHOW MY ID INSURANCE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD DO THAT TO ME.
AND I'M AN AFRICAN AMERICAN DRIVER'S LICENSE INSURANCE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT HAPPENS.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S TARGET.
WE ARE IN A VERY COMPLEX POSITION HERE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO HOW WE WANT HUMAN BEINGS TO BE TREATED.
WE WANT THEM TO BE TREATED BETTER THAN ANIMALS.
WE WILL COME OUT IN DROVES ABOUT ANIMALS.
I LOVE ANIMALS, BUT I LOVE PEOPLE AS WELL.
AND, AND WE ARE IN A TOUGH SPACE HERE.
AND I, I JUST CAN'T SAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T DO ANYTHING JUST BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEY MAY SHOW UP ANYWAY.
THE WAY THIS IS GOING, MAY DECIDE WE HAVE A DEMOCRATIC CITY AND A DEMOCRATIC MAYOR, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA COME DOWN HERE AND THEY OUTNUMBER HPD WHEN THEY COME.
SO WE GONNA, WE JUST GONNA AGREE TO DISAGREE.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A HARD DECISION UP HERE.
IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT, WHAT IS THAT? WHAT DO I ALWAYS SAY? HEY IS THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THAT WE ARE OKAY WITH PEOPLE BEING TURNED OVER AND PUT INTO SOMEWHAT CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
OH, I'M WONDERING AND MISTREATED.
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY PEOPLE IN ICE CUSTODY TO DIE IN HOUSTON? LET'S, UH, I'M UNAWARE WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT ON A STATISTIC FOR SOMEONE TO BE KILLED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE'S A PROBLEM.
WE, WE ARE SEEING IT ON TV, DAILY TV AND SOME OF THEM LOOK LIKE YOU THAT ARE BEING MURDERED.
SO LET'S NOT FORGET THAT AS WELL.
THANK YOU MS. BYGONE FOR COMING FORWARD TODAY.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE AGREE WITH YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND I KNOW THAT NOT ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE CREATED EQUAL, BUT I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND, UM, THE TRAINING THAT HPD GOES THROUGH, THEY POLICE WITH COMPASSION.
WE HAVE A GREAT DEPARTMENT AND I PLEDGE TO DO WHATEVER I CAN TO SUPPORT HPD.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN HERE.
UM, AND KIND OF JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM WHAT I THINK THE GIST OF WHAT Y'ALL ARE SAYING IS, AND THIS KIND OF GOES, UH, TO COUNCILMAN SHABAZZ'S POINT.
UH, CERTAINLY THERE'S BEEN TWO PEOPLE KILLED UP IN MINNEAPOLIS BY ICE, AND WE SAW THAT.
AND I THINK Y'ALL'S POINT IS THAT WITH THE FACT THAT ICE IS APPREHENDING THE PEOPLE WHILE THEY'RE IN THE JAILS ALREADY IN CUSTODY, THAT THAT IS TWO THIRDS ACCORDING TO THE CHRONICLE AND THE NEW YORK TIMES, TWO THIRDS OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN DEPORTED, THAT THAT'S AN ORDERLY WAY TO DO IT AND DOESN'T PUT PEOPLE IN DANGER, WHETHER IT BE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE ILLEGALLY OR WHETHER IT'S ANY OTHER PUBLIC.
IS THAT WHAT Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO SAY? ABSOLUTELY.
NO, I JUST, I I WANTED TO ADD, IT'S BEEN MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE SHOT AND KILLED, UM, IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE OF ICE RIGHT NOW.
[01:25:01]
AND THERE ARE CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS THAT ARE BEING VIOLATED.UM, AND THAT IS NOT, AGAIN, HPD THAT IS NOT A REFLECTION OF HPD, THAT IS A REFLECTION OF UNTRAINED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SUCH HIGH STANDARDS WITH HPD WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR TRAINING, WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR INTERACTION, UH, WITH THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
UH, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SWA, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I SEE YOU, UM, THE EXPERIENCE OF BLACK AMERICANS, BLACK MOTHERS HAVING TO HAVE THE TALK WITH THEIR CHILDREN.
NOW WE HAVE HISPANIC AND LATINO FAMILIES THAT HAVE TO HAVE THE TALK WITH THEIR CHILDREN.
AND IT'S NOT JUST HISPANIC AND LATINO.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SERVED OUR MILITARY AND SUPPORTED OUR MILITARY IN AFGHANISTAN WHO ARE HERE THAT ARE NOW EITHER BEING SENT BACK OR THEIR FAMILIES ARE BEING SENT BACK.
BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE INVOLVEMENT WITH ICE, I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR.
IT'S NOT JUST THE INTERACTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
PEOPLE ARE DYING IN THE DETENTION CENTERS.
PEOPLE, CHILDREN HAVE WORMS IN THEIR FOOD.
THIS IS BEING REPORTED, THIS IS FACTUAL.
WOMEN ARE BEING PUT INTO DIAPERS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO USE THE RESTROOM.
SO WE DO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, I WANNA THANK OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE SPEAKING THROUGH A LENS OF PUBLIC SAFETY THAT IS IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
BUT THIS IS AN ISSUE FAR BEYOND JUST THAT.
AND IT CALLS UPON EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US TO SPEAK FROM OUR HUMANITY AND OUR CONSCIENCE AND OUR ETHICS AS AMERICANS AND WHAT WE STAND FOR IN THIS COUNTRY AS WELL.
UH, IT'S, IT IS BEEN, UM, INSIGHTFUL TO HEAR, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUES ON, UM, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS ISSUE.
I THINK WHAT WE ALL WANT TO SEE HERE IN HOUSTON, WHICH IS THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN AMERICA, UH, AND THAT DIVERSITY IS BUILT ON, UH, THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE HAVE HERE, ONE OUT OF FOUR PEOPLE IN HOUSTON ARE FOREIGN BORN, IS TO ENSURE THAT THE CONVERSATION STAYS ON WHAT IT WAS INTENDED TO BE ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO FEDERAL AGENTS IN CITIES.
AND THAT IS TO FOCUS ON DANGEROUS, VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
OKAY? AND I THINK ALL OF US ON THIS HORSESHOE AND EVERYONE IN THE PUBLIC WOULD AGREE WITH GOING AFTER DANGEROUS VIOLENT CRIMINALS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD SUPPORT.
WHETHER YOU'RE HERE ILLEGALLY OR ILLEGALLY, LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON DANGEROUS, VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
NOW, YOU, YOU SAID, AND OTHERS THAT HPD IS SPREAD THIN, WE NEED MORE OFFICERS.
I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE NEED TO DO ALL WE CAN TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH THE OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO THE STANCE WOULD BE LET'S FOCUS ON GOING AFTER THE DANGEROUS VIOLENT CRIMINALS AND NOT LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE LOW HANGING, NON-MOVING VIOLENT, UH, NON-MOVING, UH, TRAFFIC STOPS.
BECAUSE MANY TIMES THAT'S TAKING OFFICERS OFF THE STREET TO DO MINOR INCIDENTS, CITABLE INFRACTIONS, WHEN WE CAN BE FOCUSED ON MORE DANGEROUS, SERIOUS CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
THE ICE AGENTS THAT ARE HERE IN OUR CITY, UH, THERE'S NOTHING THAT A LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THIS BODY CAN STOP THEM FROM DOING.
BUT WE, OR WHAT MY STANCE WOULD BE IS TO ONLY FOCUS ON THE DANGEROUS VIOLENT CRIMINALS AND THE DANGEROUS VIOLENT ACTIVITY THAT IS OUT THERE.
ANYTHING ELSE? HPD HAS SO MANY OTHER LOCAL, UH, NEEDS TO ADDRESS THAT THERE'S NO REASON TO DO ANYTHING TO, UH, AID ICE IN THEIR OWN, UH, INVESTIGATIONS OR THEIR OWN ACTIONS.
HPD SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE LOCAL LAWS AND THE THINGS THAT AFFECT HOUSTONIANS ON THE DAY TO DAY.
WHEN YOU COME FORWARD AND YOU SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HP D'S ONLY DOING LESS THAN 1% OF, OF THE, UM, CALLS TO ICE ON ISSUES REGARDING, UM, INTERACTIONS WITH, WITH THE PUBLIC.
THAT MAY BE WELL AND SAID, BUT PEOPLE ARE STILL VERY FEARFUL IN MY COMMUNITY, WHICH IS SOUTHWEST HOUSTON OF
[01:30:01]
ICE BEING PREVALENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS BRING SOME CALM TO THEM AND SOME, AND, AND, AND TO LESSEN THEIR APPREHENSION BY SAYING THAT WE SHOULD ONLY BE FOCUSED ON THE DANGEROUS, VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
THAT'S WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID INITIALLY.
THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE ANTICIPATED WHEN THEY WERE SEEING THAT ICE WAS COMING INTO CITIES.
BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING AROUND THE COUNTRY AND EVEN SOMETIMES HERE IN HOUSTON, IS THAT THERE ARE VERY, UM, DANGEROUS AND INHUMANE TYPE OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ICE AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND MANY TIMES IT IS WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A VIOLENT CRIMINAL HISTORY.
AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEING, UM, ENGAGED OR THEY'RE HAVING TO GO THROUGH THESE INTERACTIONS WITH ICE AND THEY HAVE NO VIOLENT CRIMINAL HISTORY, THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE START TO HAVE ISSUES.
AND WE HAVE TO FIND THAT BALANCE OF HOW ARE WE ABLE TO KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE AND ENSURE THAT HPD HAS ALL THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME NOT TEARING UP COMMUNITIES, UH, BY FOCUSING ON PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO BRING HARM TO OUR SOCIETY OR TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT ARE PRODUCTIVE, CONTRIBUTING RESIDENTS.
AND I THINK IF WE FOCUS ON THE DANGEROUS, VIOLENT CRIMINALS AND NOT PUT, UH, ANY FOCUS ON THOSE WHO ARE NOT BRINGING HARM TO OUR COMMUNITY, YOU WILL SEE MUCH MORE CALM, UH, NOT ONLY IN THIS CITY, BUT IN CITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND I THINK THAT IS THE, UH, THE GOAL THAT WE SHOULD BE AIMING FOR.
COUNCILMAN, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMEHOW IN THE POST DISCUSSION, IT'S WE'RE BEING, UM, KIND OF DRAWN AS PEOPLE WHO ARE ANTI-IMMIGRANTS.
I HAPPEN TO BE MARRIED TO AN IMMIGRANT.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO OBJECT TO HAVING NEWCOMERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING THAT PREVENTS HPD FROM PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY.
AND WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU AGREE THAT THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE DANGEROUS VIOLENT CRIMINALS THAT SHOULD BE A, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT'S FOCUS? NO, I DON'T THINK HPD SHOULD HAVE TO DISCRIMINATE.
IF THEY COME ACROSS SOMEONE WITH A WARRANT, THAT'S AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT.
THEY SHOULD JUST RESPOND TO THE WARRANT AND NOT HAVE TO DECIDE IF IT'S A WARRANT THEY SHOULD RESPOND TO OR NOT.
ANYBODY ELSE? COUNCILMAN CARTER? JUST 1 0 1 LAST COMMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE AROUND, EVERYBODY'S WEIGHED IN OR MANY HAVE WEIGHED IN ON COMMENTS AND SUCH, AND WE'VE ALL AGREED THAT HP D'S A A, A STELLAR LAW ENFORCEMENT UNIT.
AND, BUT WE YET, WE KEEP COMPARING TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OTHER CITIES AND AROUND THE NATION.
WE'RE IN HOUSTON AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HPD.
AND SO IF WE RESPECT THAT HPD IS DOING A GOOD JOB IN WORKING WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, THAT IS THE ENTIRE POINT.
WE, WE LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK BACK AND FORTH, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YES, I'M, IT'S, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT PEOPLE HAVE DIED, BUT NOT IN THIS CITY, RIGHT? NOT, WE'RE NOT COMPARING OURSELVES.
WHY DO WE NEED TO COMPARE HOUSTON TO OTHER CITIES? AND PART OF THE PROBLEM, AND PART OF THE FEAR FACTOR OUT THERE IS BECAUSE IT KEEPS COMING BACK.
WELL, WHAT HAPPENED IN MINNEAPOLIS, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE ON THE NEWS THEY'RE SHOWING MINNEAPOLIS AND TALKING ABOUT HOUSTON.
THE MAYORS, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
EVERYONE AROUND THIS HORSESHOES FOCUSED ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO WHY NOT LET HOUSTON STAND ALONE AS A STELLAR EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER AND NOT WORK AGAINST EACH OTHER AND AGAINST OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND QUIT COMPARING OURSELVES TO CITIES WHERE, OH, THIS HAPPENED OVER HERE.
WELL, I'M SORRY THAT THAT HAPPENED, BUT THAT'S NOT MY CITY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE STANCE.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA.
AND, UH, JUST FOR THE RECORD, I FULLY SUPPORT HPDI FULLY SUPPORT, BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
NOW YOU SAY YOU HAVE A GROUP OF 2000 AND I'M SURE THAT NOT WITH ME TODAY.
WELL, I KIND OF, I KIND OF FIGURED THAT.
RIGHT? BECAUSE I'D HATE FOR 2000 PEOPLE TO GET UP AND SPEAK, BUT CERTAINLY I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE GROUPS THAT BELIEVE JUST AS YOU DO IN OTHER CITIES.
SO WHY IS IT YOU ALL DON'T GET THAT GROUP TOGETHER AND GO TO DC AND TALK TO THE PERSON IN THE WHITE HOUSE OR WHATEVER TO TELL THEM TO BE HUMANE WITH PEOPLE, TO, UM, TELL THEM TO
[01:35:01]
TAKE THOSE MASKS OFF? UH, TELL THEM TO GET ADEQUATE TRAINING.DO YOU HAVE A GROUP READY TO DO THAT? 'CAUSE I'LL TAKE THAT RIDE IF IT WERE MY, BUT CERTAINLY THAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE.
IT'S NOT HPD, IT'S THE PERSONS THAT ARE COMING AS MASKED MEN, WOMEN, MAYBE.
I MEAN, BECAUSE NORMALLY YOU SEE SOMEBODY IN THE MASK AND IT'S NOT COVID THEY COMING TO, TO, TO, UH, ROB OR DO SOME HARM.
AND SO HAVE YOU TAKEN THAT STANCE TO GO WHERE THE REAL IMPETUS OF THIS PROBLEM IS COUNCILWOMAN? IF IT WERE MY GROUP, I WOULD NOT BE ASKING THE ICE AGENTS TO TAKE OFF THEIR MASKS.
'CAUSE THEY'RE WEARING THEM TO PROTECT THEIR IDENTITIES FROM HARM BECAUSE THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN THREATENED, THEY'VE BEEN FOLLOWED, THEY'VE BEEN HARASSED IN THEIR PRIVATE LIVES.
THEY HAVE TO WEAR THOSE MASKS IN ORDER TO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
HPD OFFICERS SOMETIMES FACE THOSE SAME PROBLEMS AND THEY DON'T COME TO YOU WITH A MASK.
WELL, I WOULD SUBMIT THAT WE DON'T HAVE NATIONAL MEDIA DOWN THE NECKS OF HPD OFFICER OFFICER, BUT HAVE HD WE HAVE OFFICERS IN EVERY CITY.
HEY, THANK YOU COUNCILOR COUNCILMAN POLLARD.
I, I JUST WANT TO END WITH THIS.
UM, SO I, I REPRESENT A DISTRICT WITH A LOT OF THESE ISSUES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE, AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S NOT ON THE MEDIA AND IT'S NOT IN YOUR FACE.
UH, BUT ONE INCIDENT THAT DID HAPPEN RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON, UM, THERE WAS A MAN TAKING HIS SON TO SCHOOL ONE MORNING.
HE WAS A RESIDENT OF MY DISTRICT.
HE'S BEEN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.
HE HAS TWO DAUGHTERS, BOTH FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES HERE.
HE HAS A SON THAT, UH, ATTENDS A HIGH SCHOOL IN THE ALE AREA.
HE WAS TAKING HIS SON TO SCHOOL.
AND FROM WHAT THE REPORTS HAVE SHOWN, AND THE VIDEOS HAVE SHOWN UNMARKED ICE AGENTS, UH, NOT IN UNIFORM, UM, CONVERGED ON HIS CAR WITH HIS YOUNG SON, UH, THEY WERE FEARFUL.
AND, UH, BECAUSE OF, OF, OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF BEING SCARED THEY RAN.
THEY GET, UM, CAUGHT AT A LOCAL STORE.
ICE AGENTS FROM WHAT THE VIDEO HAS SHOWN, UH, TACKLES THEM BODY, SLAMS THEM, BEATS 'EM UP.
THE FATHER IS, I BELIEVE, DEPORTED MAYBE THAT DAY OR THE NEXT DAY, VERY SOON AFTER THE MOTHER, HIS WIFE STILL RESIDES IN MY DISTRICT.
THE TWO DAUGHTERS WITH THE COLLEGE DEGREES THAT RESIDE IN MY DISTRICT, THE SON, THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, THE US CITIZEN RESIDES IN MY DISTRICT.
UM, I, I WAS TOLD THAT HE HAD A DWI 10 YEARS AGO, BUT NOTHING ELSE ON HIS CRIMINAL HISTORY.
THAT STORY IMPACTED ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THE INTENT WAS TO GO AFTER THE DANGEROUS VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
THEY HAVE A HOME IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, HE WORKED IN CONSTRUCTION.
THEY WERE, UH, MAYBE UNDOCUMENTED, BUT THEY WERE AMERICAN FAMILY.
THEIR FAMILY IS NOW TORN APART.
THE, THE, THE, THE FAMILY, THE THE CHILDREN ARE NOW TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP EVERYTHING GOING.
THAT FAMILY DID NOT REALLY DO ANYTHING BY ALL ACCOUNTS TO BRING HARM OR DANGER TO OUR CITY.
THEY WERE CONTRIBUTING RESIDENTS OF THE CITY AND A MA.
AND, AND WHEN THAT FAMILY GETS TORN APART, UH, BECAUSE OF STATUS, I THINK IT WEAKENS OUR CITY.
UM, AND SO THE BALANCE THAT WE HAVE TO FIND HERE AND WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE FEARFUL AND WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE APPREHENSIVE IS HOW DO WE PROTECT THOSE WHO'VE BEEN IN THE CITY FOR A LONG TIME, WHO'VE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CITY WHO AREN'T BRINGING HARM TO THE CITY, WHO HAVE FAMILY IN THE CITY? UM, AND PUT THE FOCUS ON THOSE WHO ARE CREATING HARM AND DANGER AND FEAR.
AND THAT IS WHAT HOUSTON IS ALL ABOUT.
YOU CAN'T BE THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN AMERICA AND BE THE MOST WELCOMING CITY IN AMERICA AND NOT BE ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TWO.
OKAY? AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE
[01:40:01]
OUT.AND I THINK THAT'S THE BALANCE THAT HPD IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
AND I TOO, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES SUPPORT HPD AND THEIR EFFORTS IN KEEPING OUR CITY SAFE.
BUT WE DO HAVE A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC HERE IN HOUSTON THAT WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN A MAJOR WAY.
AND THEY HAVE FAMILIES AND THEY HAVE LIVES.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO TEAR THOSE FAMILIES UP IF IT'S PROVEN THAT THEY'RE NOT BRINGING ANY HARM TO OUR CITY.
AND I THINK WHEN WE SPEND RESOURCES AND TIME TO DO THAT, OR TO AID IN ANY WAY WITH THE FEDERAL AGENTS IN DOING THAT, UH, THAT TO WEAKENS OUR CITY.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY, UH, TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND YOUR CONCERNS ARE VALID AND YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS VALID.
AND YOU WANT TO HAVE A VERY SAFE CITY AND A, AND A SAFE COMMUNITY, AS DO I.
UH, AND SO THAT IS OUR CHARGE AND OUR CHALLENGE.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, FIND THAT BALANCE.
AND I THINK HPD IN THE CITY HAS DONE WELL IN THAT BALANCE, BUT THERE ARE STILL INSTANCES AS THE ONE THAT I HAVE BROUGHT UP THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS MY COMMUNITY THAT I REPRESENT, UH, THAT I THINK WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AT AS WELL.
I MENTIONED I'M MARRIED TO AN IMMIGRANT.
HE WAS A STUDENT WHEN HE, WHEN HIS HOURS DROPPED ONE HOUR BELOW WHAT WAS FULL-TIME STUDENT STATUS, IMMIGRATION CAME AND QUESTIONED HIM.
WHY? AND BEFORE HE BECAME A CITIZEN, HE HAD TO STUDY OUR SYSTEM.
HE HAD TO SWEAR HE HAD NEVER BEEN A COMMUNIST, AND HE HAD TO TAKE THE OATH TO THIS COUNTRY AND RELINQUISH HIS, UH, ALLEGIANCE TO ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT.
AND SO HE IS A FUNCTIONING IMMIGRANT WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED A LOT AND IS FOR THE, YOUR CONSTITUENT WHO WAS ARRESTED.
I WOULD SAY THAT'S A VERY SAD STORY.
I'M SORRY HE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS HIMSELF AND BECOME A FULLY LEGAL CITIZEN.
BUT WE'RE NOT HERE AS A REFERENDUM ON ROCK ON ICE AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS WHAT, HOW WE CAN TELL HPD TO DO ITS JOB.
AND MY, I AM HERE AND MY CONSTITUENTS JUST WANT YOU NOT TO INTERFERE WITH HPD.
EDUARDO DURAN, STEVE WILLIAMS, GLORIA NINO TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELY MONTOYA.
UM, I WANT TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL HERE.
UM, I OWN A RENTAL PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT I CANNOT VOTE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE I AM A WEST UNIVERSITY RESIDENT.
AND, UH, BUT CRIME HAS JUST GONE OUT OF CONTROL.
AND I DO WORK IN HOUSTON, AND I FEEL THAT COMMON SENSE, JUST COMMON SENSE HAS JUST BEEN THROWN OUT THE WINDOW.
AND I IMPLORE ON EVERYBODY ON THE CITY COUNCIL TO DO A BETTER JOB IN THAT REGARD.
YOU KNOW, WHEN LAWS ARE BROKEN, THEY'RE BROKEN, PERIOD.
PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH HOOPS TO SAY, WELL, HOW ILLEGAL ARE YOU? AND ARE YOU ILLEGAL? AND ARE YOU A CRIMINAL? AND ARE YOU A WHATEVER? DO YOU HAVE A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST OR WHATEVER? UH, I DO.
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT STOPPING SOMEBODY FOR A TAILLIGHT THAT'S OUT DOES HELP ADDRESS PEOPLE THAT, THAT DO HAVE WARRANTS FOR THEIR ARREST.
SOMETHING SO SIMPLE LIKE THAT, WHY SHOULDN'T THEY BE STOPPED? IT'S ILLEGAL, RIGHT? IT'S ILLEGAL TO BE DRIVING AROUND WITHOUT TAIL LIGHTS OR WITHOUT LIGHTS ON OR A PAPER, UH, ILLEGAL LICENSE PLATE ONLY FOR PEOPLE TO COMMIT CRIME BECAUSE THOSE LICENSE PLATES HAVE BEEN BOUGHT ON AMAZON OR WHEREVER THE HELL THEY BUY THEM, AND THEN THEY COMMIT CRIME, AND THEN YOU CAN'T TRACK 'EM.
SO IF THEY'RE DOING THAT, THEY SHOULD BE STOPPED.
UM, WE HAVE A CHILEAN ILLEGAL PERSON, UH, WHO WAS CAUGHT IN THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY, UH, FOR BREAKING INTO A HOME.
[01:45:01]
FOR WEST UNIVERSITY RESIDENTS AND BEL AIR RESIDENTS AND ALL THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AROUND THE CITY, UH, THOSE CRIMINALS ARE BROUGHT INTO THE CITY JAIL, AND THEN NOTHING HAPPENS.UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY A SHAME.
YOU KNOW, HOUSTON IS A HUB FOR A MAJOR HUB FOR, FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND YET IT'S DONE OPENLY.
I'VE, I'M INVOLVED WITH SO MANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS RIGHT NOW WITH THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING THAT HAPPENS HERE IN HOUSTON, AND NOTHING'S DONE ABOUT IT.
IT, IT, IT JUST AMAZES ME THAT THIS CAN CONTINUE AND CONTINUE AND CONTINUE.
AND NOW TO PRO TO POSSIBLY, UH, PREVENT HPD WHO I SO RESPECT WHAT THEY DO.
THEY HAVE A, THEY HAVE A TOUGH JOB, BUT TO HANDCUFF THEM AND NOT STOPPING PEOPLE WITH A BROKEN TAILLIGHT OR PAPER PLATES THAT ARE NOT LEGAL OR WHATEVER, THEY SHOULD BE STOPPED.
AND THEN IF THERE'S, IF THEY'RE CRIMINALS, THEY SHOULD BE ARRESTED.
AND THEN THE PROCESS SHOULD CONTINUE.
ELI MONTOYA REVIS AND JOSEPH AMMA, UH, HAD BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
UH, MY COMPANY, BLACK HISTORY MONTH FUNDRAISING PROJECTS IN THE BUSINESS OF MY COMPANY, CHIEF PROJECT.
OF COURSE, I WANT THE ADVANCE TO HANDLE A DEPOSIT OF 10%.
IF YOU'RE WILLING TO PAY FOR IT, I WOULD LIKE TO GET IT.
YOUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
I'LL TELL YOU DEAL, A BLACK ELECTORATE FROM THE NORTH WAS ON TWO PROBLEM THAT WE DON'T NEED BLACK HISTORY, BUT BECAUSE WE ELECTED BLACK OBAMA PRESIDENT AND WHITE PEOPLE OPPOSE IT.
I DISAGREE WITH HIM BECAUSE BLACK HISTORY, BUT ONLY EDUCATE OCCASION, EDUCATE US ABOUT BLACK HISTORIES.
IT ALSO HAVE A TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC IMPACT THROUGHOUT AMERICA BECAUSE ALL THE STUFF WE BUY SELL EVENTS, WE GO BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
UH, MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THE, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE NEW BLACK AND BLACK AMERICAN UNDERGROUND PARTY OPPOSES.
THEY DON'T LIKE US MAKING MONEY.
CARTER WILSON GAVE US BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN 19 24, 19 28, BEFORE WE HAD ANY BLACK ELECTED OFFICIAL ASKED THE NAACP, EVEN THE MORE RACIST SEGREGATED SOUTH, THE WHITE PEOPLE DID NOT MIND BLACK HISTORY MONTH OR BLACK HISTORY.
MR. AMARI, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
MR. OMAR DISCRIMINATED DIS, IT INTEGRATED.
SOUTH WHITE PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
THE CLARK BLACK HISTORY MONTH IS ALWAYS NEEDED.
ALWAYS WANTED MR. AMARI BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
BUT WE DON'T NEED POLITICAL LEADERSHIP.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MR. DAMARI, WE APPRECIATE YOU.
WE DO HAVE SOME ITEMS THAT ARE IN, UH, THAT WE ARE GONNA GO BACK TO.
JUST HOLD ON, GIVE US A MINUTE.
ALRIGHT, YOU READY? ITEM 14 IS AN ORDINANCE.
EVERYBODY READY? READY? ALL THOSE IN BACK.
ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, JUST NEED ANY DISCUSSION, IF NOT ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES.
UM, THIS IS FOR THE, ANOTHER EXTENSION RELATED TO THE RMS SYSTEM, UH, WHICH I SUPPORT.
UH, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE SYSTEM MOVING WHILE WE WORK TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW RMS SYSTEM.
UH, I'M VERY GLAD THAT IT WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS TAKEN OVER THE IMPLEMENTATION.
HOWEVER, UH, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, MAYOR, AGAIN, I, WE CONTINUE TO SEE ADDITIONAL EXTENSIONS PUT ON, UH, FOR LARGE SUMS OF MONEY.
SO A PROJECTION OF HOW MUCH LONGER WE THINK THIS IS GONNA TAKE AND HOW MANY MORE EXTENSIONS WILL THIS COST.
[01:50:01]
UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO SUBMIT THAT QUESTION.AGAIN, I WILL SUPPORT THIS ITEM, BUT BOTH, UM, CHAIRWOMAN PECK AND I HAVE BEEN, UH, WORKING ON THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
I UNDERSTAND THE REASONS FOR THE EXTENSION, BUT THE COST CONTINUES TO GROW.
SO JUST HAVING A, UH, FULL PICTURE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AND THE TIMELINE ON THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THE EXTENSION IS TO GET US THROUGH THE WORLD CUP.
WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
WE'VE HAD OTHER EXTENSIONS FOR THIS AMOUNT AND MORE WHERE IT WAS TO GET US THROUGH TO FIFA.
OKAY, SO WE CONTINUE TO SEE THESE ITEMS. SAY IT'S TO GET US THROUGH FIFA, BUT AGAIN, IT'S MORE AND MORE MONEY.
SO WE WOULD JUST LIKE AN ACCURATE PROJECTION OF HOW MUCH THAT IS.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES FOR THE SUPPORT.
I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM, WHICH IS GONNA BRING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN DRAINAGE AND FLOOD RISK REDUCTION TO THE NEAR NORTH SIDE AREA.
THIS WILL INCLUDE FULL REBUILDS OF CONCRETE PAVING, STORM SEWERS, CURBS, SIDEWALKS, AND UNDERGROUND UTILITIES.
IT'S AN AREA IN THE NEAR NORTH SIDE SURROUNDED BY, UH, LOCAL SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A LOT OF STUDENTS WHO WALK, A LOT OF FAMILIES PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY.
THIS WILL, UH, MAKE THOSE COMMUTES TO AND FROM THE SCHOOL SAFER.
AND IT'S BEING DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMISSIONER GARCIA PRECINCT TWO.
I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR HIS FINANCIAL SUPPORT, UH, FOR THIS PROJECT AS WELL AS HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UH, FOR WORKING ON THAT, UH, PARTNERSHIP AND FACILITATING THIS.
ITEM, THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UH, AS A REMINDER, DISTRICT C OUR ANNUAL REPORT IS OUT.
YOU CAN GET IT ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, I FIRST WANNA THANK, UH, PUBLIC WORKS MAYOR LAST WEEK, A DEVELOPER, PRIVATE DEVELOPER DID NOT FOLLOW THE PROTOCOLS PUT IN PLACE BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHEN THEY PULLED A PERMIT, UM, TO DO SOME WORK IN FRIEDMANS TOWN AND REMOVED A HUNDRED AND OVER 120 BRICKS.
THE DEVELOPER KNEW BETTER BECAUSE JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO THEY HAD DONE ADDITIONAL WORK, HAD MET WITH THE CONSERVANCY, WE HAD INSPECTORS ON SITE, WE HAD A HISTORIAN ON SITE.
SO I WANT TO, UM, I CONFIRMED WITH THE DEPARTMENT THAT OUR PROCESSES WERE PUT IN PLACE.
THE DEVELOPER DID NOT FOLLOW THE PROCESS AND PROTOCOLS.
SO I HAVE ASKED, UH, THE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE A CITATION ON THE DEVELOPER, UH, TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE ARE ABLE, BECAUSE AGAIN, I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPRESS THE LEVEL OF DISRESPECT THAT THIS SHOWS, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS JUST SAID, AGAIN, IN THE MIDDLE OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT WEEK, WHAT MONTH, IT'S THE BRICKS THAT NEED TO BE RESPECTED AND PRESERVED AND PROTECTED.
UM, SO THANK YOU TO PUBLIC WORKS AND THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, FOR WORKING WITH US.
WE WERE IMMEDIATELY ON SITE TO STOP ANY FURTHER WORK, BUT DEVELOPERS NEED TO PAY ATTENTION.
THEY KNEW THE RULES, THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW THEM.
UM, TWO OTHER ITEMS, UH, JUST SO THAT COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS, UH, THERE, THE MONTROSE TOURS HAD A MEETING ON MONDAY REGARDING THE WEST ALABAMA CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS.
WEST ALABAMA COUNCILS MEMBER, ALCORN YOU'LL RECALL, WAS SITTING ON THE CIP FOR OVER A DECADE, NOT MOVING BECAUSE OF HOW EXPENSIVE IT WAS.
AND WE WORKED OUT A DEAL, MY OFFICE, TO MOVE WEST ALABAMA CORRIDOR PROJECT TO THE MONTROSE TOURS WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WOULD BE IMPROVED.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, SINCE WE REMOVED IT FROM THE CIP, THEN WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LOWER WEST TIMER CORRIDOR.
SO THERE WAS A WHOLE PLAN PUT IN PLACE THAT TOOK SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, I'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT THEY'RE VERY UPSET
[01:55:01]
BECAUSE WEST ALABAMA WAS PRETTY MUCH DESIGNED.WE PAID FOR THAT DESIGN AND NOW IT'S BEING COMPLETELY REDESIGNED.
AGAIN, I DUNNO HOW MUCH THAT IS COSTING, BUT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY WITH THET TO COME TO A COMPROMISE TO INCORPORATE THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ELEMENTS THAT WERE SO INTRINSIC TO THIS PROJECT.
UH, THAT AGAIN, HAS BEEN YEARS AND YEARS IN THE MAKING, AND THAT ACTUALLY ENDED UP SAVING THE CITY MONEY THE WAY THAT WE, WE HAD WORKED THIS AGREEMENT.
SO I WOULD ASK FOR SENSITIVITY AND ATTENTION, UH, AND THE HELP OF OUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE RESIDENT INPUT MATTERS HERE.
UH, AND IT'S A VERY CRITICAL CORRIDOR.
WE WANT TRAFFIC TO MOVE SAFELY, BUT WE ALSO WANT ALL OF OUR PEDESTRIANS WHO WALK TO SCHOOL, WHO WALK TO CHURCH, WHO GO TO HEB, ALL OF THE ABOVE, TO BE ABLE TO USE THIS CORRIDOR SAFELY AND REDUCE, UM, CRASHES AS WELL.
I WANT TO, UH, WE DIDN'T TOUCH ON IT BECAUSE AGAIN, IT GOT MORE NATIONAL HEADLINES, BUT IT HAS SUCH AN IMPACT ON HOUSTON.
UM, THE EPA RECENTLY, UH, ROLLED BACK, UH, ITS WILLINGNESS TO REGULATE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
UH, IT'S CALLED THE ENDANGERMENT FINDING AND IT ELIMINATES YEARS OF PRECEDENT UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND BASICALLY THE EPA AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID, WE ARE NO LONGER GOING TO REGULATE THIS.
AND I TESTIFIED BEFORE THE EPA, UH, WHEN THEY WERE DOING THE HEARINGS ON THIS, EVERY SINGLE PERSON PRETTY MUCH THAT TESTIFIED WAS OPPOSED TO THE ROLLBACK.
UM, AND I SPEAK BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL DISASTERS THAT WE HAVE ALL GONE THROUGH, UH, THE UNSOUND BREAK WITH LONGSTANDING LEGAL PRECEDENT UNDER THE CLEAN AIR ACT, HOUSTON IS ALREADY SEEING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND DURING TOO MANY SUPPOSED TO BE ONCE IN A LIFETIME.
REMEMBER, WE HAD NINE FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS IN 11 YEARS.
DURING HARVEY ALONE, CLIMATE CHANGE INCREASED RAINFALL, 40% COSTING OVER 125 BILLION IN DAMAGES.
WE'RE HAVING LONGER, HOTTER SUMMERS, MORE AIR QUALITY ALERT DAYS THAT PUT OUR CHILDREN AND SENIORS AND OUTDOOR WORKERS AT RISK.
AND WE CONTINUE AS HOUSTON TO RANK AMONG THE WORST FOR AIR QUALITY AND POLLUTION.
GREENHOUSE GASES, INCLUDING VEHICLE EMISSIONS, ARE UNDENIABLY WORSENING GROUND LEVEL OZONE AND OVERALL AIR QUALITY.
MORE ASTHMA ATTACKS, ER VISITS, CHRONIC ILLNESS IN COMMUNITIES THAT WE REPRESENT IF POLLUTERS ARE ALLOWED TO OPERATE UNCHECKED.
AND THE ENDANGERMENT FINDING IS GROUNDED IN DECADES OF RIGOROUS SCIENCE SHOWING GREENHOUSE GASES THREATENED PUBLIC HEALTH ARE THE ROOT CAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND CREATE ECONOMIC INSTABILITY WHEN NOT REGULATED.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS UNQUESTIONABLY TIED TO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
AND THE REPEAL GOES BEYOND POLITICAL POSTURING.
IT'S REMOVING A CRITICAL TOOL THAT ALLOWS US AS LAWMAKERS TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS.
WE ARE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
INDUSTRY IS OUR PARTNER IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION HERE IN HOUSTON, BUT NOTHING STANDS IN PLACE OF GUARDRAILS OF FEDERAL STANDARDS.
AND WITHOUT THEM, CITIES LIKE OURS THAT ARE ON THE FRONT LINES ARE LEFT TO FACE THE IMPACTS OF INCREASING EXTREME WEATHER AND POLLUTION THAT COSTS AMERICAN AND HOUSTON LIVES NEARLY 800 BILLION A YEAR IN HEALTHCARE EXPENSES ALONE, WHICH IS 5% OF OUR NATIONAL GDP.
THE ENDANGERMENT FINDING HAS BEEN REPEALED.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE WORSENING, FLOODS, HEAT WAVES, AND MORE EXPOSURE TO POLLUTION.
SO I ASK THAT WE CONTINUE TO ALL REMAIN ENGAGED BECAUSE AGAIN, WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL DOES HAVE A LOCAL IMPACT ON EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR LIVES.
UH, WITH THAT I CONCLUDE, BUT I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, THE LOSS OF REVEREND JESSE JACKSON.
I'M SURE MANY OF US WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT THAT.
I HOPE WE CAN ADJOURN IN HIS HONOR.
TODAY, WHEN I WAS 13 ON A TRIP TO DC, UH, I HAD CONVINCED OUR TEACHERS, RATHER THAN GOING TO THE HOUSTONIAN TO GO TO THE SUPREME COURT AS BUSH V GORE WAS BEING HEARD, UH, AND THE PROTESTS OUTSIDE OF THE COURTROOM.
AND JESSE JACKSON MARCHED DOWN THE STREET IN FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT AND GAVE A SPEECH THAT LITERALLY INSPIRED ME TO GET INVOLVED IN GOVERNMENT.
UH, SO I KNOW HE HAS HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON OUR NATION IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND ON ALL OF US AS INDIVIDUALS.
BUT I DO WANNA LIFT UP HIS LEGACY AND HIS MEMORY, UH, AS WE CONCLUDE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
[02:00:01]
YOU MAYOR PRO TEM.I JUST WANNA REMIND COLLEAGUES AND THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING THAT WE HAVE THE FIRST OF THE TWO COMMUNITY MEETINGS FOR THE IMPART APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH AT THE A LEAF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM WE'RE INVITING DISTRICTS A FGJ, AND K, BUT IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE YOU.
IF YOU CAN JOIN US, PLEASE BE THERE.
UH, WE, OUR OFFICES, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM IN MY OFFICE, WE'VE BEEN DOING AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF OUTREACH.
WE'VE SHARED THIS WITH ALL OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES.
SO WE, WE, WE ARE INVITING YOU TO JOIN US IN THAT OUTREACH SO WE CAN LISTEN TO OUR LEASE HOLDERS, PROPERTY OWNERS, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, UM, IN THE FORMAT OF THE MEETING SO WE CAN REALLY GET DOWN, UH, TO BUSINESS TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE THIS ITEM IS PRESENTED, UM, THAT IT'S WELL BALANCED.
WELL, MAYOR PRO TEM WILL LEAD THE DISCUSSION WITH, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS AND OPERATORS, AND THEN I'LL LEAD THE DISCUSSION WITH LEASEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, UM, IN ANOTHER ROOM.
AND THEN WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH DEPARTMENT THAT INFLUENCES THIS ITEM AND THAT THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR HABITABILITY CONCERNS.
SO WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO, TO JOIN US.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, HTV WILL BROADCAST THIS LIVE, AND WE DO HAVE SPANISH, CHINESE, URDU AND VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION.
UM, AND WE HAVE SUBSEQUENT ONGOING ENGAGEMENT AND REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO MAKE IT AND PROVIDE THEIR OFFICES WITH YOUR FEEDBACK.
UH, AND I WANNA REMIND YOU OF THE SECOND ONE, WHICH IS THURSDAY, MARCH 5TH IN DISTRICT H AT 6,300 IRVINGTON AT THE HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
UH, I ALSO WANNA JUST REMIND FOLKS ABOUT LUNAR NEW YEAR 2026.
SO YESTERDAY WE GOT TO DO IT AGAIN, UH, FROM THE, UH, LUNAR NEW YEAR.
SO EVERYONE WHO JOINED ON THE WEST SIDE TO CELEBRATE THANK YOU.
AND I'LL BE WITH THE VIETNAMESE AT THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY CENTER ON SATURDAY, SUPPORTING THEM IN THEIR EFFORTS.
I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE PASSING OF REVEREND JESSE JACKSON, UM, AN ICON IN AMERICA, NOT JUST THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
AND I REMEMBER AT THE DINNER TABLE, MY PARENTS TALKING ABOUT HIS PRESIDENTIAL RUN.
I REMEMBER WATCHING HIS DNC SPEECH AND HOW THAT INSPIRED ME, UH, UM, TO BE SO BOLD AND SO CLEAR ABOUT THE HOPE OF AMERICA.
I LATER HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING HIM AT A NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE CONFERENCE IN 2007 IN ORLANDO WITH THE, UH, THEN DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.
BARACK OBAMA SPOKE TO THE, UH, NATIONAL CONFERENCE.
UH, I LATER HAD ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO MEET HIM IN HOUSTON, UM, WHILE HE WAS SUNSETTING IN HIS, IN HIS SERVICE, HIS PUBLIC SERVICE.
BUT I WILL, I'LL TELL YOU, THE SPIRIT OF JESSE JACKSON CONTINUES TO LIVE ON IN MANY OF US.
AND, UM, UH, CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY AND ALL THE, ALL WHO KNEW HIM.
UH, REST WELL THY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.
I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE PASSING OF NORMAN C FRANCIS, THE LONGTIME PRESIDENT OF XAVIER UNIVERSITY IN NEW ORLEANS.
HE IS, HE WAS THE FIRST BLACK AND LAY PRESIDENT OF A CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE SECOND BLACK, UH, PRESIDENT OF A A CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY NATIONWIDE.
UH, HE IS A LEADER IN NEW ORLEANS AND, UH, WE ARE DEFINITELY LOSING OUR CIVIL RIGHT ICONS, BUT HE DEFINITELY INFLUENCED, UH, MY FAMILY AND, AND MY COMMUNITY THAT'S STILL THERE.
AND ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE AN AFFECTION FOR THAT CAMPUS AND FOR THAT CITY.
SO, UH, REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE AT DISTRICT F@HOUSTONTX.GOV IF WE CAN BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR, VICE MAYOR PRO TEAK.
UM, I RECENTLY MET WITH CONSTITUENTS IN THE TIMBER OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THIS IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD ADJACENT TO AGNES MOFFETT PARK.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE PARK, IT'S UM, ABOUT 40 ACRES AT THE BELTWAY AND HAMMERLY.
UM, THE NEIGHBORS EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT SOME CRIME ISSUES AND, UM, SOME PEOPLE HAVE STARTED PUTTING UP TENTS IN THE PARK TO LIVE THERE.
WE JUST WANTED TO LET OUR CONSTITUENTS KNOW THAT THEY'RE ON TOP OF IT.
AND THANK HPD FOR, UM, WORKING ON THIS CONCERN.
UM, ALSO WANTED TO ADVOCATE AGAIN FOR THE PARK IMPROVEMENTS AT THIS, UM, PARK WITH THE BOND MONEY THAT WE PASSED A FEW YEARS AGO.
SO ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO MOVE UP THAT PROCESS, UM, TO GET THAT PARK REVITALIZED WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, AND FINALLY, I WANT TO WISH A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SARAH SINGLETON IN MY OFFICE.
HER BIRTHDAY WAS LAST WEEK, AND, UM, SHE DOES SUCH AN AMAZING JOB IN OUR OFFICE.
I CAN'T THANK HER ENOUGH FOR HER SERVICE TO DISTRICT A THANK YOU.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'RE GONNA PIVOT BACK TO THE AGENDA.
SO MR. SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL ITEM 13.
LET ME EVERYBODY READY?
VICE MAYOR PRO TEEK BEFORE OR AFTER? UM, BEFORE IS FINE.
[02:05:01]
UM, INITIALLY HAD SOME CONCERNS WITH THIS ITEM, UM, BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE SPENDING ON THE, NOT THE POOL ITSELF, THIS IS IN COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S, UM, DISTRICT, BUT JUST THE HEATING ELEMENT OF, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY ON, UM, HEATING A POOL WHEN WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER CONSTRAINTS IN OUR BUDGET.I DID TALK TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, AND SHE, UM, GAVE ME THE WHOLE HISTORY OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO THIS POINT AND EXPRESSED THAT SHE, UM, WOULD USE SERVICE FUNDS TO HELP SUPPLEMENT SOME OF THIS, UM, MAINTENANCE ON THE POOL.
AND ALSO THAT SHE WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF ALLOWING GROUPS TO RENT OUT THE POOL TO KIND OF RECOUP SOME OF THOSE COSTS OF, OF HEATING THE POOL.
SO JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW, UM, HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO HER COMMUNITY AND HER DISTRICT, AND THAT SHE'S, UM, PUTTING IN THOSE EFFORTS TO RECOUP SOME OF THAT MONEY.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, AFTER THE ITEM.
UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ITEM 13 PASSES.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON DID, UH, SHARE WITH US A STATEMENT AND JUST ON RECORD IN HER ABSENCE.
I JUST WANNA SHARE, UH, UM, A BRIEF COMMENT OF THAT.
UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRONG SUPPORT OF ITEM 13.
IT SECURES $14.6 MILLION TO BRING THE TIDWELL PARK AQUATIC FACILITY TO LIFE.
THIS IS A TRANSFOR TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
NEARLY ALL OF THIS FUNDING COMES FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THANKS TO THE LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY OF STATE REPRESENTATIVES, ROIA THOMPSON, THIS IS NOT JUST A NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITY, IT'S OUR CITY'S ONLY YEAR-ROUND POOL AVAILABLE TO EVERY HOUSTONIAN FOR SWIM LESSONS, WATER SAFETY PROGRAMS, AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
IT ALSO POSITIONS OUR CITY TO HOST INCOME PRODUCING SWIM MEETS TOURNAMENTS AND COMPETITIONS THAT CAN GENERATE REVENUE AND BRING POSITIVE ATTENTION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AS I RECUPERATE FROM SPINAL SURGERY.
I CAN'T WAIT TILL I REJOIN YOU AS WE CAN WORK TO MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD.
UH, TODAY WE WILL HOST OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AT 2:00 PM UH, THIS AFTERNOON HERE IN CHAMBERS, WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON A TAX ABATEMENT PROPOSAL AND DOWNTOWN HOUSTON PLUS ON THE MAIN STREET PROMENADE OUTDOOR DI DINING DESIGN GUIDELINES.
I KNOW EVERYBODY WAS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO WE WILL HAVE THAT DISCUSSION IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY.
AND THEN I WANT TO INVITE THE RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT A TO THE SOUTH GESNER PIP MEETING FOR PRESENTATION FROM HPDS FORENSIC ARTIST UNIT.
THAT MEETING WILL BE HELD AT 6:30 PM AT THE SOUTH GESNER STATION.
UH, THE FORENSIC ARTIST UNIT WILL DISCUSS THE USE OF COMPOSITE SKETCHES, UM, AND OTHER PRACTICES THAT THEY USE TO SUPPORT INVESTIGATION.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT, THE PIP MEETING IS THE PLACE TO BE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS HAS ALREADY MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE.
UM, JUST A REMINDER THAT IS THIS THURSDAY AT 6:00 PM AT THE ALE COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, COLLEAGUES, I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO SEND THAT INFORMATION OUT.
UM, SO WE HAVE DONE A, A VERY COMPREHENSIVE, UM, MARKETING EFFORT TO GET EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS ORDINANCE.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO COUNCIL, UM, HOPEFULLY WE HAVE HEARD FROM ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND ANYONE THAT WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN GETTING THEIR VOICE HEARD ABOUT THE APARTMENT INSPECTION ORDINANCE.
SO, UH, THAT MEETING WILL BE THURSDAY AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE ON MARCH THE FIFTH AT THE HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
SO ANY HELP THAT YOU CAN GIVE US WITH YOUR SPHERES AND YOUR COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT THOSE MEETINGS IS DEFINITELY HELPFUL.
UH, WE WILL HAVE, UM, MONITORS OF THOSE COMMENTS SO THAT ANYONE AND EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO PARTICIPATE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD.
AND THEN ALSO WANT TO, UM, LET RESIDENTS KNOW THAT WE'RE HOSTING OUR LAST SHRED DAY THIS SATURDAY AT 9:00 AM TO 12:00 PM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW FAITH CHURCH ON WEST FUKE WAY.
AND IN ADDITION TO SHREDDING, THERE'LL BE SOME OTHER SERVICES AND RESOURCES AT THE CHURCH.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
UH, ALSO WANT TO, UM, SHARE MY CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF, UH, JESSE JACKSON.
UM, I, I DID, UM, PIN, UM, A POST ABOUT IT.
UH, I REMEMBER WHEN, UH, REVEREND JESSE JACKSON RAN FOR PRESIDENT.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, WHEN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD.
AND THE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME YESTERDAY WHEN I WATCHED ALL THE TRIBUTES WAS I REMEMBER HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE PRAYING THAT HE DIDN'T GET SHOT.
AND IT REMINDED ME OF THE HEAVINESS OF THOSE TIMES WHEN HE WAS
[02:10:01]
BOLD AND COURAGEOUS, UM, TO RECITE THE LITANY THAT I AM SOMEBODY, I MAY BE POOR, BUT I AM SOMEBODY.AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HE ENCOURAGED, UH, BLACK AMERICANS TO BE PROUD OF.
AND WHEN HE PASSED, THAT CAME BACK TO MY MIND.
I REMEMBER ALL OF THE PEOPLE AT CHURCH AND, AND MY PARENTS AND HOW WE ALL WERE SAYING, OH MY GOODNESS, I HOPE HE DOESN'T GET SHOT.
AND, UM, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD TO REFLECT ON HOW BOLD HE WAS AND HOW COURAGEOUS HE WAS IN A TIME WHEN, UM, THAT LEADERSHIP WAS NOT COMMON.
UM, BUT, UH, LOOK, LOOK AT US NOW.
UH, AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE, UH, MY COLLEAGUES TO CONTINUE TO LIFT, LIFT UP THE FAMILY OF REVEREND JESSE JACKSON, WHO WAS A LION, WHO WE LOST, UM, A COURAGEOUS LEADER IN OUR COMMUNITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HIS LEGACY WILL LIVE ON.
SO MAYOR, I KNOW WE HAD A COUPLE OF REQUESTS TO ADJOURN TODAY IN HONOR OF, UH, REVEREND JESSE JACKSON.
SO I WILL JOIN THAT REQUEST AS WELL.
Y'ALL BE KIND TO SOMEBODY, EVERYBODY, AND MAKE IT A GREAT DAY.
AND I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW OF, UH, A COMMUNITY PRAYER VI TO HONOR REVEREND JACKSON WILL BE TONIGHT AT THE COMMUNITY OF FAITH KINGS DOME 10 24 PINE MOUNT DRIVE.
REVEREND BISHOP, UH, JAMES DIXON WILL BE, UH, THE EVENT IS ALSO HOSTED BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
IT'LL BE AT 7:00 PM TONIGHT AT THE, UH, FAITH KING DOME CATHEDRAL IN PINE MOUNT VICE MAYOR, PRO PECK.
UH, FIRST I WANNA WISH, UH, THE CONSTITUENCY A HAPPY LU LUNAR NEW YEAR, UH, FOR THOSE THAT CELEBRATE.
WISHING EVERYONE WILL PROSPEROUS 2026, UH, YEAR OF THE HORSE AS WELL, WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, THE START OF LIN SEASON TODAY, UH, DURING THIS LIN SEASON.
UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO REFLECTING, UM, AND REALLY, UH, PRACTICING PATIENCE, KINDNESS, AND, UH, GRATITUDE AS WELL.
UM, REMINDER OF EARLY VOTING, UH, IT'S, IT BEGAN YESTERDAY.
UH, MAKE A PLAN, UH, AND MAKE SURE WHERE, WHERE YOUR VOTING POLL IS AT.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU CAN GO TO HARRIS VOTES.COM, UH, AND YOU CAN IDENTIFY WHERE, UH, WHERE YOUR NEAREST VOTING LOCATION IS.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, THIS SATURDAY, UH, MY OFFICE, ALONG WITH, UH, COUNCILLOR, UH, CASTILLO, UH, COUNCILLOR RAMIREZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS ARE HOSTING A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION, UH, IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD TODAY AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE HOSTING THIS TO, UH, ENSURE THAT HPD, UH, HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND BUILD BACK TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IT'S THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST AT 9:00 AM UH, AT THE, THE HANO CENTER FOR COMMUNITY CONCERNS LOCATED AT 29 50 BROADWAY IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF HOUSTON.
IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU NEED MORE OR YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE NEEDING, UH, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 1 1.
UH, FIRST I TOO WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR WHO CELEBRATE.
UH, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, OUR CHIP INTERN WHO IS IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, NYLA HEARD, COULD YOU PLEASE STAND? UH, SHE GOES TO UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND WILL BE WITH US FOR THE SEMESTER IN THE JC OFFICE.
UM, MAY I, UM, SENT YOUR OFFICE A LETTER YESTERDAY, UM, THAT WAS ADDRESSED TO THE ISSUES, UM, THAT COMMUNITY IS FACING AS IT RELATES TO THE 12 SCHOOLS THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN, UM, CHOSEN TO CLOSE, UM, IN HISD.
AND THE LETTER, UH, WAS TO REQUEST THAT YOU CONSIDER HAVING, UH, THE SUPERINTENDENT MILES COME BEFORE THIS BODY, UH, SO THAT WE MAY ADDRESS HIM ON EXPECTATIONS, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COMMUNITY HAS REGARDING DATA, AND, UH, REASONS WHY, UH, THIS DECISION WAS MADE, AS YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE TAKEOVER, UM, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ELECTED TRUSTEES, THEY DO NOT SERVE IN AN AUTHORITATIVE, UH, MANNER.
AND SO THE CONSTITUENTS DO NOT HAVE AN ELECTED MEMBER THAT THEY CAN REALLY GO TO TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS.
SO OUR OFFICE, UH, RECEIVES MANY CALLS AND INQUIRIES, UH, REGARDING THE SCHOOL CLOSURES.
WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, UM, BUT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO HAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT COME BEFORE US LIKE HE HAS DONE BEFORE, UH, SO THAT WE MAY ASK QUESTIONS ON, BE ON BEHALF OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO, UM, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD ADDRESS THE LETTER AND, AND GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT.
[02:15:01]
I TOO, UH, WANT TO GIVE MY CONDOLENCES TO THE, THE FAMILY AND THE, AND THE LOVED ONES OF REVEREND JESSE JACKSON.UM, I PUT OUT A POST YESTERDAY ON MY FACEBOOK THAT MY, MY GRANDFATHER, REVEREND TJ JAMISON, WHO I'VE MENTIONED TO YOU ALL MANY TIMES, WHO, UH, ORGANIZED A FIRST FIRST BUS BOYCOTT IN BATON ROUGE IN 1953, UH, WAS A FRIEND OF, UH, REVEREND JESSE JACKSON.
AND IN 1992, UH, WHEN MY GRANDFATHER WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION, UM, I REMEMBER JESSE JACKSON BEING IN THE HOTEL ROOM, UH, NEXT TO MY GRANDFATHER.
AND, UH, WE WERE RUSHING TO GET TO THE CONVENTION HALL, AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TIE A TIE AT THE TIME.
UM, AND REVEREND JESSE JACKSON TAUGHT ME HOW TO TIE A TIE.
AND, UM, THROUGH MY SUIT FOR SUCCESS PROGRAM, ONE OF THE CLASSES, UH, IS HOW TO TIE A TIE.
AND I HAVE HELPED, YOU KNOW, COUNTLESS YOUNG MEN LEARN HOW TO PROPERLY TIE A NECK TIE.
AND I ALWAYS THINK BACK TO, UH, REVEREND JESSE JACKSON BEING THE ONE WHO TAUGHT ME, UH, THAT SKILL.
UM, I'M REMINDED THAT, YOU KNOW, REVEREND JESSE JACKSON WAS JUST A FEW FEET AWAY FROM DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
WHEN HE WAS ASSASSINATED AT THE LORRAINE MOTEL.
AND YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE, NOT ONLY SEEING YOUR DEAR FRIEND GET SHOT AND KILLED, BUT TO BE THAT CLOSE UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES IN THAT TIME, AND TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M STILL GOING FORWARD.
I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW THIS TO DETER ME, TO BRING SO MUCH FEAR THAT I STOP.
UH, THERE'S TOO MUCH AT STAKE.
UH, THERE'S TOO MUCH, UH, PROGRESS THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE, UH, FOR US TO STOP NOW.
AND YOU HAVE TO BE ONE BOLD, COURAGEOUS INDIVIDUAL, UH, TO GO THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE AND STILL PUSH FORWARD.
AND SO HE WAS A, A CHAMPION FOR EQUAL RIGHTS.
I, TOO, LAST NIGHT, WENT BACK AND WENT ON YOUTUBE AND SAW, UH, HIS CONVENTION SPEECH, AND, UH, IT, THOSE WORDS STILL RING TRUE TODAY.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL NOT ONLY REMEMBER HIM, BUT WHAT HE STOOD FOR, AND CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT LEGACY FORWARD.
UH, COLLEAGUES, I WANNA LET YOU KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING I'M DOING WITH SCENIC HOUSTON AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ON OUR ADOPT AND ESPLANADE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE OVER 7,000 ESPLANADES THAT, YOU KNOW, PARKS IS IN CHARGE OF.
THEY GET ADOPTED OUT BY SOME NEIGHBORHOODS AND THINGS, WHICH SAVES US ABOUT $3 MILLION A YEAR.
BUT I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY LIKE, PEOPLE THAT OWN STRIP CENTERS AND STUFF, AND THEY WANNA GET INVOLVED.
SO WE'RE BRINGING MORE CORPORATE, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO MARKET IT TO MORE CORPORATE PEOPLE.
I'LL SEND YOU THE INFORMATION.
PATRICK'S DAY AT 11:00 AM UM, IT WAS ACTUALLY JOSH SANDERS IDEA, MAYOR, UH, MAYOR TO GET SNIC HOUSTON INVOLVED IN THIS.
AND THEY'RE GONNA TAKE ON A LOT OF THE MARKETING OF THE PROGRAM.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET A LOT MORE OF THESE ESPLANADES ADOPTED AND SAVE THE CITY SOME MONEY.
SO MARCH 17TH AT 11:00 AM WE, WE DON'T WANNA JUST JUST BE CORPORATE PEOPLE, IT'S GONNA BE ALL SCENIC HOUSTON'S, UM, LISTSERV, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING SNIC.
HOUSTON'S ALSO WORKING ON SIMPLIFYING THE GUIDE THAT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED AND MAKING THE PROCESS A LITTLE MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, STREAMLINED SO IT'LL BE EASIER TO ADOPT AND EVERYBODY CAN GET OUT THERE AND ADOPT THEIR ESPLANADE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR STORY VERY MUCH ABOUT TYING THE TIDE.
I REMEMBER, I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THOSE SPEECHES AT THE DNC, UM, INCREDIBLE.
AND GEORGE AND I, MY, MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER WENT TO OLE MISS.
SO WE'D OFTEN FIND OURSELVES IN MEMPHIS.
SO ONE TIME WHEN WE WERE THERE, WE WENT TO THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, AND HE WAS THERE.
HE WAS THERE LIKE, WE WERE LIKE, OH MY GOD.
IT WASN'T LIKE FOR A SPEECH OR ANYTHING, HE WAS JUST THERE TOURING IT.
I WAS LIKE, I THINK THAT'S JESSE JACKSON.
AND GEORGE WAS LIKE, YEAH, WE WENT.
HE HAD A BUNCH OF PEOPLE AROUND HIM, SO WE DIDN'T BOTHER HIM.
BUT I HAVE A GREAT MEMORY OF THINKING THIS, HOW FITTING THAT I'M SEEING HIM AT THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM IN MEMPHIS.
COUNCILMAN SALINAS, I WOULD, YOU DIDN'T SAY WHAT TIME THE MEETING WAS ON MARCH 17TH, 1511 AM IT'S GONNA BE ON, UH, V UH, VIRTUAL 11:00 AM OH, VIRTUAL.
YOU'LL GET ALL THE, THE DETAILS.
IF WE CAN ADOPT SOME MORE, WE'LL SAVE SOME MORE MONEY.
UH, I'D LIKE TO START BY WISHING A HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR AND A HAPPY RAMADAN TO ALL THOSE WHO CELEBRATE.
UM, AND ALSO JUST A REMINDER, WE ARE HOSTING OUR FIRST OFFICE HOUR OFFICE, UH, OFFICE HOURS TOMORROW FROM THREE TO 7:00 PM WE STILL HAVE A FEW SLOTS AVAILABLE, SO IF ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO MEET ABOUT ANYTHING WITH MYSELF, UH, PLEASE SIGN UP ON OUR WEBSITE TO DO SO.
UM, AND LAST, I JUST WANNA ALSO EXTEND CONDOLENCES TO THE JACKSON FAMILY AND ALL THOSE WHO WERE
[02:20:01]
INSPIRED BY HIM.WE WOULD NOT HAVE PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, BUT FOR JESSE JACKSON AND SHIRLEY CHISHOLM AND SO MANY OTHERS THAT STOOD UP AND HIS STRENGTH AND BRAVERY IS A REMINDER TO ALL OF US THAT WE HAVE TO HOLD STRONG AND CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT'S RIGHT TODAY.
JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, YOU HAVE, UH, LUNAR NEW YEAR, UM, CELEBRATION AT THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER SATURDAY.
COUNCILMAN BCO WAS THERE, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A GREAT TURNOUT.
THE WEATHER CAME IN A LITTLE BIT, UH, EARLIER THAN THOUGHT, BUT GREAT TURNOUT.
AND JUST TO SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY CENTER THERE, THEY DO SUCH FANTASTIC WORK IN THE ASIAN COMMUNITY AND IT'S VERY INCLUSIVE, AND I JUST, IT'S ALWAYS A LOT OF FUN.
GREAT FOOD IN JAY CITY DOWN THERE.
IS THAT RIGHT?
BUT ALSO TOO, JUST A NOTE, UM, THE ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING IS AT 10:00 AM ON THURSDAY.
I WANNA BRIEFLY RECAP TWO IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS.
LAST WEEK I ATTENDED THE STATE OF THE N-A-A-C-P HOUSTON BRANCH AT THE ENSEMBLE THEATER.
THE BRANCH OUTLINED ITS PRIORITIES AROUND CIVIL RIGHTS, VOTER ENGAGEMENT, ECONOMIC EQUITY, AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT.
I AM HONORED TO BE THE SECOND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BRANCH AND A PART OF THE WORK, AND THAT THEY DO.
AND THE WORK CONTINUES, AND THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ADVOCACY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REMAINS CRITICAL.
AND WE WILL HONORED TO HAVE OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO DEREK JOHNSON JOIN US.
MY STAFF ATTENDED THE RIVERSIDE HOSPITAL RENOVATION AND EXPANSION COMMUNITY MEETING HOSTED BY COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS AT THE HISTORIC EL DORADO BALLROOM.
HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH PROVIDED UPDATES ON THE PROJECT AND NEXT STEPS, AND RESIDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE DIRECTLY ON HEALTHCARE ACCESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE SO LOOKING FORWARD TO PROVIDING HEALTHCARE TO A POPULATION THAT HAS NO HEALTH INSURANCE.
UH, LOOKING AT AHEAD TODAY, I WILL ATTEND THE COLORED CARNEGIE PERFORMANCE AT THE HOBBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS WITH A GROUP OF FIFTH GRADERS, UH, 800 BAGBY 1145 TODAY.
SO I'M GONNA LEAVE IMMEDIATELY, UH, THIS POWERFUL MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERFORMANCE HONORS HOUSTON'S COLORED CARNEGIE LIBRARY, THE CITY'S FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS, HIGHLIGHTING BLACK RESILIENCE, LITERACY, AND CIVIC INVESTMENT DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
TOMORROW I WILL ATTEND THE NHIP COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOP, FINANCIAL READINESS TACKLING BARRIERS TO HOME OWNERSHIP AT THE BLUE TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTER, 3005 MCGOWAN STREET, SUITE 300 FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM THIS WORKSHOP FOCUSES ON FINANCIAL LITERACY AND PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABLE HOME OWNERSHIP, AND FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY THE 19TH, AT 6:30 PM WE WILL HOST THE MCGREGOR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY MEETING.
THIS MEETING WILL ADDRESS CONCERNS RELATED TO NON-PERMITTED STRUCTURES AND SHORT-TERM RENTAL ACTIVITY.
CITY DEPARTMENTS INVITED INCLUDE LEGAL MUNICIPAL COURTS, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.
MAYOR, I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN ENSURING THAT SOLID, THAT THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP IS PRESENT.
THE COMMUNITY HAS SPECIFIC CONCERNS THAT REQUIRE DIRECT ENGAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
THERE WILL BE A FOLLOW-UP MEETING AT THE GOOD HOPE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH AT 30 15 NORTH MCGREGOR.
WAY FROM 60 8:00 PM ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
WE ARE TRYING TO PREVENT A PROPOSED FUEL DEPOT BEING CONSTRUCTED AND OPERATED AT LIVE OAK AND SOUTHMORE.
WE HAVE FOUR GAS STATIONS IN LESS THAN A HALF A MILE.
WE HAVE RESIDENCES, WHICH CAN BE IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SUCH AS SOIL CONTAMINATION, AND ANOTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTIES TO TAKE PLACE AT OUR GAS STATIONS AND OTHER ISSUES THAT SOMETIMES, UH, COME WITH CONVENIENCE STORES.
FINALLY, IN REGARDS TO THE EXCHANGE TODAY, I HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS ABOUT ICE CONVERGING ON HOUSTON, BUT I HAVE TO REFLECT BACK ON SLAVERY AND HOW THE BLACK PEOPLE WERE NOT FREED PURELY BECAUSE OF OUR OWN EFFORTS.
IT WAS IN FACT BRAVE WHITE PEOPLE WHO TOOK RISKS TO THEIR LIVES AND FAMILIES WHO HELPED US TO BE FREED.
I COMMEND THE BOLDNESS AND PASSION OF THE SPEAKERS, BUT I NEED YOU TO KEEP THAT SAME ENERGY.
AN ORGANIZATION, PARTICULARLY OF BRAVE WHITE WOMEN UNITED, COULD CHANGE THE FACE OF THESE HORRIFIC ENGAGEMENTS WITH MASK, VIOLENT, UNTRAINED MEN, HOW POWERFUL, COMPASSIONATE, AND IMPACTFUL THAT WOULD BE.
LET'S MAKE AMERICA HUMANE AGAIN.
IN THE WORDS OF JESSE JACKSON, KEEP HOPE ALIVE.
[02:25:01]
REST IN PEACE WITH THE ANCESTORS.I HAVE PICTURES WITH HIM, UH, THAT I WILL CHERISH FOREVER.
DISTRICT D REMAINS COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENCY, RESPONSIVENESS, AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR RESIDENTS.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER AT DISTRICT D@HOUSTONTX.GOV, AND PLEASE GO OUT AND MAKE AN INFORMED VOTE.
THIS CONCLUDES, THIS CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CASTILLO.
I WANT TO START BY THANKING EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO THE MOODY PARK TOWN HALL LAST NIGHT TO LEARN ABOUT THE FUTURE OF MOODY PARK WITH, UH, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY, THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WILL BE COMING, HOW IT'S IMPACTING, UH, PROGRAMMING AND CURRENT, UH, SPORT LEAGUES THAT ARE THERE.
UH, WE HAD A PACKED HOUSE, UM, AND I, I WANT, I KNOW THERE PEOPLE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND IF YOU STILL DO, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE.
WE ARE, UH, STILL ENGAGED AND INVOLVED, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE TRANSITION, UH, TO PRECINCT TWO IS SMOOTH AND SEAMLESS.
WHILE WE WERE THERE, A NUMBER OF FOLKS, UM, ACTUALLY WENT AND VOTED BEFOREHAND.
'CAUSE MOODY PARK IS AN EARLY VOTE LOCATION.
SO I WANT TO REMIND FOLKS, UM, YOU CAN UTILIZE METRO FOR A FREE RIDE TO THE POLLS.
UH, THIS INCLUDES THE BUS, THE RAIL CURB TO CURB THE COMMUNITY CONNECTOR AND METRO LIFT ALL THROUGHOUT EARLY VOTING, WHICH RUNS THROUGH THE 27TH OF FEBRUARY.
AND ALSO ON ELECTION DAY TO GET TO THE POLLS AND CAST YOUR VOTE.
THERE ARE TWO MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISTRICT H RESIDENTS TO UTILIZE LOW COST SPAY NEUTER THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH PETSET.
FEBRUARY 20TH AND 22ND, THE PET SET MOBILE SPAY NEUTER CLINIC WILL BE AT ZOOMIES ON CANAL STREET.
YOU CAN GO TO PETSET.ORG TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT.
I WENT OUT AND VISITED THIS, UH, CLINIC WHEN IT WAS AT WABASH.
IT'S, UH, FANTASTIC BRAND NEW, UM, MOBILE UNIT.
AND, UH, THEY ARE VERY EXCITED TO GET THIS THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY TO PERFORM THE SPAY NEUTER SERVICES.
UM, JUST WANTED TO BEGIN BY HIGHLIGHTING THE, UM, INVITING EVERYONE TO, UH, VISIT OUR BOOTH, UH, TO EXPLORE THE CITY SERVICE PROGRAM OF HOUSTON'S CHOICE RESOURCE FAIR.
UH, SET UP BY TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
UH, WE ARE DESIGNED TO REALLY HELP.
I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT THAT HOUSING FOCUSED INITIATIVE BECAUSE IT EXPANDS ACCESS, UH, TO ESSENTIAL RESOURCES AND BRINGS TOGETHER HOME BUYERS, RENTERS, BUILDERS, LENDERS, DEVELOPERS, AND TRUSTS THAT COMMUNITY, UM, UH, PARTNERS AT WORKING, UH, TOWARDS STRONGER, MORE STABLE COMMUNITIES.
AS WE KNOW, OUR CITY IS GROWING AND EXPANDING IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, AND I'M HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THAT.
MOST OF YOU, UH, CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND SEE IT BY UNITING THESE STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, EACH FAIR HELPS INFORM AND STRENGTHEN, EMPOWER THE NEIGHBORHOODS MOST IMPACTED BY THE I 45 NORTH HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT.
UH, SO THE DATES, UH, ARE GOING TO BE TODAY, FEBRUARY 18TH, UH, FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM AT THE FIFTH WARD MULTI-SERVICE CENTER IN THE FIFTH WARD COMMUNITY, UH, THURSDAY, FEB, FEBRUARY THE 19TH FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM AT THE BLUE TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTER IN THIRD WARD, UH, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, NINE TO 11:00 AM AT THE MOODY COMMUNITY CENTER NEAR NORTH SIDE AND INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY.
SO WE CERTAINLY INVITE ALL TO COME OUT AND GET SOME VERY NEEDED INFORMATION.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I DO WANT TO, UM, CLOSE BY GIVING MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF REVEREND JESSE JACKSON.
UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE DOING MY FOUR YEAR TENURE IN CHICAGO TO WORK WITH REVEREND JACKSON ON TWO PARTICULAR THINGS THAT MANY MAY NOT KNOW THE PERSON THAT'S REALLY BEEN LABELED AS THE LEADER.
UH, FIRST THE SACRIFICE FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT WAS GIVEN TO THE HONOR OF, UH, EMMETT TILL, UH, THIS 14-YEAR-OLD TEENAGER WHO WAS KILLED.
AND SO THAT WAS A DISRUPTION OF HIS GRAVE IN CHICAGO.
AND, UH, REVEREND JACKSON JACKSON GOT ALL OF US PASTORS AND MINISTERS AND FAITH LEAVES IN THE COMMUNITY
[02:30:01]
THAT WE CAME OUT TO SPEAK AGAINST THIS HORRIFIC THING TO THE EMMETT TILL FAMILY.SECONDLY, I WORKED WITH REVEREND JACKSON, UH, AFTER WORKING HERE IN HOUSTON IN OH FIVE WITH THE KATRINA STORM INITIATIVE THAT HOUSTON TOOK UNDER, UH, UNDER MAYOR BILL WHITE AND MANY OF OUR OTHER FAITH LEADERS, WHICH WAS A VERY HEAVY LIFT.
SO WHEN I WAS MOVED TO CHICAGO TO PASTOR AND LEAD A CHURCH, UH, REVEREND JACKSON KNEW OF THE WORK THAT WE DID AND ASKED ME TO JOIN WITH HIM IN HELPING IN THE PREPARATION WITH THE STATE OF ILLINOIS IN THEIR, UH, PROGRAM FOR RECOVERY AND PREPARATION STORM.
SO I WAS REALLY, REALLY, UM, CERTAINLY, UH, MOVED BY THE FACT HIS SON AND I, JONATHAN, WE WORK VERY CLOSE TOGETHER WITH SOME OF THE LOCAL THINGS.
SO I CERTAINLY WANT TO GIVE MY CONDOLENCES TO THE JACKSON FAMILY, UH, IN THE LOSS OF A GREAT LEADER IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, I PRAY THAT, UM, HIS FAMILY AND THEY WILL GET THROUGH THIS.
AND, UM, OTHER THAN THAT, GOD BLESS ALL.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL CHAIR FLICKINGER.
UM, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HERE HAS ASKED ME TO URGE EVERYBODY TO GET OUT AND VOTE.
OUR EARLY VOTING HAS ALREADY STARTED AND RUNS THROUGH THE 27TH WITH ELECTION DAY BEING MARCH 3RD.
FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, POLLING LOCATIONS OR HOURS, YOU CAN GO TO HARRIS VOTES.COM.
UH, ALSO WE ARE HAVING THE 40TH ANNUAL ARBITRAGE DAY TREE PLANTING AT GREENWOOD PARK ON SATURDAY.
UH, IF THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH GREENWOOD PARK, IT'S OVER IN THE NORTH SHORE AREA.
AND YES, THAT'S IN MY DISTRICT TOO.
UH, BUT WE'RE HAVING THAT AT 10:00 AM COME OUT AND JOIN US HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION TO BE OUT THERE.
UH, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH OUR APACHE CORPORATION TREE LIFE FARMS IN TEXAS A AND M FOREST SERVICE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN.
UH, REALLY QUICKLY, IN ADDITION TO WISHING EVERYONE A RAMADAN MUBARAK AND A HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR, WE FORGOT TO WISH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO A HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON MONDAY.
SO, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
ANYTHING ELSE AS WE EXPRESS OUR CONDOLENCES TO JESSE JACKSON'S FAMILY? I'M GONNA YIELD A GAVEL TO THE MAYOR PROTE TO HAVE THE HONOR OF ADJOURNING IN HIS RECOGNITION.
TODAY WE WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING IN HONOR OF A TIRELESS CHAMPION FOR JUSTICE, THE REVEREND JESSE JACKSON.