* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] BANG ON THAT GAL. [5:00 P.M. - INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ] COUNCIL, COME TO ORDER. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKER FOR THE INVOCATION AS WE GATHER TODAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING OUR CITY AND COMMUNITY. GRANT US WISDOM IN THE WORK BEFORE US IN HUMILITY AND HOW WE LEAD AND SERVE OTHERS. HELP US ACT WITH INTEGRITY, COMPASSION, AND UNITY. IN ALL WE DO. AS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND APPROACHES, WE PAUSE TO HONOR AND REMEMBER THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND SERVICE TO OUR NATION. WE HAVE THANKS FOR THEIR COURAGE AND SACRIFICE. AND WE PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES WHO CONTINUE TO CARRY THE MEMORY WITH STRENGTH AND GRACE. MAY WE NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED THE FREEDOM SECURED THROUGH THEIR SACRIFICE, AND MAY OUR ACTIONS REFLECT GRATITUDE AND RESPECT FOR ALL WHO SERVED IN YOUR HOLY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. THANK YOU. PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES, STATES OF AMERICA, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING] MR. SECRETARY. YOU CALLED THE ROLL MAYOR WHITMEYER PRESIDENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF MAY 12TH AND 13. CASTEX TATUM. MOVE. NEXT. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD CARMEL JOHNSON TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NONE AGENDA. AMAN. SECOND. VERY GOOD. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSED. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. PROCEDURAL MOTION TO ADD BRIAN KELLY SHALANDA BRISBEE, SARAH SED AND LATONYA PAYNE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSING NAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. I DON'T HAVE PROCEDURE MOTION. JUST WANTED TO, UH, TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR GUESTS WHO ARE PRESENT WITH US TODAY. UH, I CAN DO IT NOW. WAIT TILL AFTER DON A ONE MOMENT TILL WE GET OUR PROCEDURE. MOTIONS PASSED AS COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO MOVE TRAVIS MCGEE TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST, FOLLOWED BY THERESE COVINGTON. HUFFMAN. SECOND. VERY WELL. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. ANY OTHER MOTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. [Additional Item] THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. I, UM, CERTAINLY IS HONORED. I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR'S, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAS ALREADY RECOGNIZED THE GUEST THAT I'M ABOUT TO, UH, INTRODUCE, UH, ON BEHALF OF, UM, THE BOOKER T WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL. UH, WE HAVE SOME DELEGATES THAT ARE HERE FROM LIBERIA, UH, WHO WILL BE HERE, US VISITING THE CITY. UH, IN THE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY. UH, THEY HAVE A PROJECT AND I'M GONNA ASK THEM TO STAND ALL OF THEM THAT ARE WITH THE LIBERIA DELEGATION TO STAND. UH, AND, UH, THEY ARE HERE VISITING WITH US BECAUSE IT IS A, UH, PROJECT THAT I'VE COME TO KNOW ABOUT AND LEARN ABOUT THAT THEY ARE WORKING WITH BOOKER T HIGH SCHOOL. UM, THEY HAVE A PROGRAM THAT IS CONNECTED WITH STUDENTS HERE AT BOOKER T ON ENGINEERING AND AGRICULTURE. AND SO THEY'RE KIND OF A, AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM AND IT'S A PHENOMENAL PRIDE PROGRAM AND I'M JUST HONORED TO HAVE THEM HERE WITH US. MS. KIMBERLY LANIER HAS AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS PARTNERED WITH THEM AND GOING FORWARD, AND CERTAINLY BOOKER T WASHINGTON INSTITUTE. UH, MS. FREEMAN, WHO'S THE PRINCIPAL THERE. AND, UH, ALSO WE HAVE, UH, HONORABLE, UH, EMMANUEL LAWRENCE, UH, WHO'S WITH US, UH, QUEEN IN DEPARTING ON SUNDAY. SHE'S THE EX OFFICE, CEO, UH, OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE, OF THE PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA. [00:05:01] AND SO WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM IN THE CITY AND I JUST WANT TO WELCOME THEM HERE AND, UH, AND TELL THEM I, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT. WE ALSO HAVE THE PRINCIPAL, VICE PRINCIPAL AND ALSO, UM, THE ENGINEER TEACHER AS WELL AS THE, UM, AG TEACHER. AND I LITERALLY THOUGHT THEY WERE STUDENTS, MAYOR. I DIDN'T HAVE NO IDEA, UH, LOOKING AT THEM, THAT THEY WERE LITERALLY THE TEACHERS IN THE PRINCIPALS IN THE SCHOOL. SO WE ARE JUST HAPPY TO HAVE THEM, HONOR THEM FOR BEING HERE TODAY. VERY GOOD. MR. WILLIAMS, JOHN? YES. WHO'S REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY? YES. GIBBS, COME ON. YES. BRING YOUR, BRING YOUR PRINCIPAL. CAN WE, UH, HELP JUDGE SMITH? MR. SMITH, WHY DON'T YOU GIVE US ABOUT TWO MINUTES OF YOUR, UH, YOUR MISSION, THE LIBERIA AND, AND WHAT YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT. OKAY. YES. EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO VISIT BOOKER T WASHINGTON AND SEE THE MARVELOUS DEVELOPMENTS YOU'VE CREATED. YES, SIR. UM, SO WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY, UM, WITH CERTAIN CONTINENTS. UM, PRIMARILY AFRICA. UM, MAYBE THROUGH SOMETHING THAT WE WENT TO ZIMBABWE FOR OUR FIRST PROJECT. UM, THIS TIME WE'RE IN LIBERIA AT BOOKER WASHINGTON INSTITUTE. UM, BOOKER WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL IS A HIGH SCHOOL. THAT WAS THE FIRST HIGH SCHOOL THAT TAKE THE LUTHER FREE SLAVES IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. WE HAVE LONGTON HISTORY WORKING WITH KIDS WITH OUR MAGNET PROGRAM. SO OUR MISSION IS TO VISIT LIBERIA, TO PARTNER WITH THEM, TO WORK WITH DIFFERENT PROJECTS SET WITH SANITATION ISSUES AND ALSO OTHER ISSUES THEY FACE IN THEIR CAMPUS. THEY'RE ACTUALLY A DEFICIT FOR. SO THAT'S OUR MISSION HERE TODAY, TO REPRESENT THEM AND TO COLLABORATE AND JUST WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE WE BETTER THE WORLD FOR OUR YOUTH AND POSSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM ACROSS THE ORAL. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO OUR GUESTS. YEAH, JOHN. THANK YOU. MR. MAYOR BOOKER T WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSION. UH, WE CELEBRATED 50 YEARS. THE SCHOOL, THE UNIVERSITY BOOKER T WASHINGTON INSTITUTE HAS THE SAME NAME IN LIBERIA. SO I KNOW I SAW PEOPLE LOOKING 'CAUSE THEY, THEY KEPT HEARING BOOKER T WASHINGTON AND BOOKER T WASHINGTON. AND I WANT THANK THE MAYOR BECAUSE HE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN, UH, RECRUITING SOME FUNDS THAT WE HAVE THE VISION PARK. AND AS A RESULT OF THE VISION PARK, WE HAVE A WIND TURBINE. WE HAVE A A, A PODIUM WITH A ROCKET ON IT. BOOKER T WASHINGTON HAVE BUILT ROCKETS THAT WE LAUNCHED WITH NASA OVERSIGHT AND TEXAS A AND M PARTICIPATION. I WANTED THANK THE MAYOR FOR PARTICIPATE IN THAT. AND, UH, NIA THOMPSON, SHE WAS IN INSTRUMENTAL IN, UH, ASKING FOR THAT. SO WE WANT YOU TO COME AND SEE THE VISION PART. WE HAVE A STATUE BOOKER T WASHINGTON ON CAMPUS NOW WITH IT. WE WERE GOING TO ZIMBABWE AND DEALT WITH, UH, WIND TURBINE OVER THERE. NOW WE GOING TO IBERIA TAKING SOLAR PANELS AND WE WANT TO ASK THAT YOU WOULD HELP US BECAUSE Y'ALL KNOW WITH ANYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, WE NEED SOME FUNDING AND WE WILL BE COMING BACK INDIVIDUALLY KNOCKING ON DOORS, , YOU KNOW, TO ASK FOR SOME FUNDING. BUT MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TIME AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECEIVING US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? MEMBERS? MEMBERS, UH, WITH [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] THE ADDITION OF SPEAKERS, UH, THIS AFTERNOON, THE SECRETARY SAYS, WE'VE TRIGGERED THE ONE MINUTE RULE. SO I'LL ASK OUR GUESTS TO LIMIT THEIR TESTIMONY TO ONE MINUTE. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IF YOU WANNA READ BACK, CALL HER FIRST SPEAKER, PLEASE. ALEXANDRA MORRA SCHOOL TO BE FOLLOWED BY BRIAN KELLY. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME'S ALEXA MURE AND I AM THE VAL VOLUNTEER AND OUTREACH MANAGER WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HOUSTON. UM, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT G. UM, I'M HERE THIS EVENING IN SUPPORT OF THE CREATION OF ONLINE PUBLIC SESSION REGISTRATION. WHILE THE LEAGUE IS WIDELY KNOWN FOR OUR WORK IN VOTER EDUCATION OUTREACH, GET OUT THE VOTE EFFORTS, WE ARE EQUALLY COMMITTED TO INCREASING CIVIC PARTICIPATION AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING ENGAGEMENT WITH CITY COUNCIL. THAT'S WHY WE'RE EXCITED TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF ONLINE PUBLIC SESSION REGISTRATION BY CREATING ADDITIONAL AND MORE ACCESSIBLE WAYS FOR RESIDENTS TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK BEFORE COUNCIL, WE HELP REDUCE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION AND CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIS HOUSTONIANS TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD. EXPANDING ACCESS TO THIS BODY STRENGTHENS TRANSPARENCY, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND PUBLIC TRUST IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. IN ADDITION, THIS PROPOSAL REFLECTS [00:10:01] HOW PEOPLE ALREADY INTERACT WITH INSTITUTIONS EVERY DAY. MOST RESIDENTS ROUTINELY USE ONLINE FORMS TO SCHEDULE IMPORTANT APPOINTMENTS, SUBMIT OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, ACCESS LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES, AND COMMUNICATE WITH ORGANIZATIONS. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, BRIAN KELLY SHALANDA BRIBEE, SARAH SAYED, LATONYA PAYNE, ANGELA ROSS, CARMEL JOHNSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY TRAVIS MCGEE E. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CARMEL JOHNSON. I'M HERE TODAY ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE I BROUGHT TO THIS COUNCIL IN 2022. I'M A RESIDENT AT CLAN MANOR APARTMENTS. FOR YEARS, MY UNIT HAS EXPERIENCE REPEATED FLOODING, SEWER BACKS INVOLVING CONTAMINATED SEW WATER, ENTERING MY HOME THROUGH THE TUBS, TOILETS, AND SINKS. DESPITE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS AND ATTEMPTS TO GET THIS RESOLVED. THE PROBLEM IS STILL HAPPENING TODAY. THIS IS NOT JUST FRUSTRATING, IT'S A SERIOUS HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE. NO RESIDENT SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH THIS SEWAGE BACKING UP INTO THEIR UNIT, DAMAGING PROPERTY, CAUSING UNSANITARY CONDITIONS, AND DISRUPTING DAILY LIFE. I CAME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL NEARLY FOUR YEARS AGO ASKING FOR HELP. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT I STILL HAVE TO STAND HERE TODAY WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. IT'S AN ONGOING NATURE OF THIS ISSUE, SHOWS THAT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY ADDRESSED. TONIGHT, I AM ASKING THE CITY TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION BY INVESTIGATING THE REOCCURRENCE OR BACKUPS, HOLDING THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES ACCOUNTABLE AND ENSURING SAFE, SAFE LIVING CONDITIONS FOR MY CHILDREN. AND I, I AM SIMPLY ASKING YOUR, YOUR TIME. GO AHEAD, MA'AM. LEMME ASK SOMETHING. DID YOU JUST SAY YOU APPEARED IN 2022 HERE? YES, SIR. AND WHAT RESULTS? THE UNIT IS STILL FLOODING AND IT'S EVEN WORSE. AND I'M VERY MORE NERVOUS NOW. HURRICANE SEASON IS APPROACHING AGAIN. I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN WITH TWO OF THEM BEING SICK AND ONE BEING DISABLED. OKAY, CYNTHIA? YES, SIR. TALK TO THAT LADY RIGHT THERE. AND LET'S GET THANK YOU. HEALTH AND PUBLIC WORKS INVOLVED. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, TRAVIS MCGEE TO BE FOLLOWED BY THERESA COVINGTON. UH, GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW TOURIST DOLLARS ARE BEING USED. UH, LAST YEAR WE VOTED, YOU ALL VOTED ON THAT, UH, LEVY PARK DEAL, WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TOAND EXPAND THE PARK, BUT NOW TODAY THEY'RE BUILDING A 30,000 SQUARE FOOT, PRETTY MUCH PRIVATE RESORT. PRIVATE IS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF PUBLIC. TOURISTS ARE STILL ALL TAX DOLLARS. THEY'RE STILL, THEY'RE STILL PUBLIC DOLLARS. NOW, WHEN I CAME DOWN HERE AND SPOKE TO Y'ALL ABOUT THIS, I, I SUGGESTED THAT THE VOTE SHOULD HAVE BEEN YES, FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND NO FOR THE PARK. COINCIDENTALLY, IT WAS A WATER MAIN BREAK, LESS THAN A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE PARK. AND THAT WATER HAS NOT DRAINED YET. SO, AND, AND THIS COINCIDES WITH THE CITY BUDGET. I THINK WHEN THE CITY DO GET IN TROUBLE, THEY SHOULD GO AND LOOK FOR, LOOK AT THE TOURIST DOLLARS FIRST BEFORE THEY COME AND ASK US FOR ANY MORE MONEY. WE ARE SCRATCHED TOO THIN ALREADY. EACH TIME THEY ASK FOR THESE ADDITIONAL FEES, THEY ALWAYS FIND ANOTHER SOMETHING ELSE TO USE THOSE MONIES FOR ANYWAY. ALL TACTICS HAVE ALREADY TRIPLED IN THE SUNNYSIDE AREA DUE TO POOR ORDINANCES LIKE CHAPTER 42. SO WHEN WE CONTINUE TO JUST TO GIVE MONEY AWAY TO YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. CAN I HAVE A FEW MORE MINUTES? ANYBODY? YEAH, GO AHEAD. COUPLE MINUTES. GO AHEAD. OKAY. BECAUSE WHEN MY CHECKING ACCOUNT GET LOW, I HAVE TO GO TO MY SAVINGS ACCOUNT, MY SAVINGS ACCOUNT GET LOW. I MIGHT HAVE TO GO TO MY CREDIT UNION, GET A LOAN. SO THAT'S THE SAME THING WE SHOULD DO. WE ALLOW THE TOURISTS TO PILE UP BILLIONS AND BILLIONS IF OF DOLLARS OUT OF THE, OUT OF THESE TOURISTS. HOW MANY ACTUAL FIT THE CRITERIA FOR BLIGHTED, UNDERSERVED, NEGLECTED COMMUNITIES? NOT MANY. SO WE NEED TO REFORM THIS. BUT IF YOU ALL GO AND LOOK AT THAT THING THAT THEY'RE BUILDING OVER, IT IS A PRIVATE WINE SOCIAL CLUB. AND NEXT MONTH THE CITY OF HOUSTON MIGHT BE UNDER WATER. THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. THANK YOU. AND, AND IT REQUIRES A MEMBERSHIP. VERY GOOD. COUNCILOR P*****K. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND TRAVIS, THANK YOU FOR FLAGGING THIS. IT'S NOT MY DISTRICT, SO I'LL, I'LL KIND [00:15:01] OF DEFER TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT I DO RECALL US HAVING THIS DISCUSSION AND I DO RECALL THAT WHAT I THOUGHT WE WERE VOTING ON WAS THE EXPANSION OF GREEN SPACE, RIGHT? AND THAT THE TOURIST DOLLARS WAS GONNA BE TO ENHANCE LEVY PARK AND NOT PUT, YOU KNOW, A PRIVATE ENTERPRISE THERE. UM, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF THE TURS AND HOW THE DYNAMICS HAPPENED AROUND THAT DEVELOPMENT OR THAT PROJECT, BUT, UH, THERE SHOULD NOT BE PUBLIC DOLLARS GOING TOWARD A PRIVATE, A PRIVATE PURPOSE. UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WERE, I THOUGHT TOLD THAT IT WAS GONNA BE FOR A PARK EXPANSION AND WE WANTED TO ENSURE LEVY PARK HAD GREEN SPACE THAT WAS ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD OF RICHMOND. UH, SO I'LL DEFER TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER ON THAT 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU CONTINUING TO FLAG, FLAG THESE ISSUES. COUNCIL MEMBER AL, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. UH, I'LL ALSO DE DEFER TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, BUT I DID SEE, I WAS AT LEVY LEVY PARK TOGETHER, UH, ON SUNDAY DOING THE CIGNA, UM, SUNDAY IN THE PARK. FABULOUS PARK. LOVED THAT PARK. WE WERE SITTING HAVING A BITE TO EAT AT THE LITTLE, UM, RESTAURANT RIGHT THERE. AND, AND THERE IS THIS BIG CONSTRUCTION GOING ON ON RICHMOND. AND TRAVIS COMES UP TO GEORGE JAM, MEAN, HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PRIVATE CLUB OVER THERE. I'M LIKE, THERE'S NO WAY. SO STRAIGHTEN US OUT. UM, AND MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS. I'M ACTUALLY MEETING WITH TRAVIS AT FROM UPPER KIRBY THIS WEEK. WE'RE MEETING ON A SEPARATE ISSUE, BUT I'M GONNA DEFINITELY ASK HIM ABOUT THAT. SO I, YOU KNOW, I WENT ONLINE, I GOOGLED IT AND SURE ENOUGH, IT'S LIKE A PRIVATE MEMBERSHIP THING ON THIS PROPERTY. AND I LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD WHEN WE VOTED TO ADD, UH, FUNDING TO THAT. UM, CERTAINLY COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF EVEN THAT MEASURE TO ADD GREEN SPACE TO FRONT RICHMOND TO EXPAND THAT FOOTPRINT. I NEVER, IN MY WILDEST DREAMS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A PRIVATE CLUB. I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT'S, THAT COULD BE LEGAL. SO, UM, ANYWAY, SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY PROVE ME WRONG. PROVE THIS WRONG. WE WE'LL CHECK IT OUT. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. YEAH. MY UNDERSTANDING IS BECAUSE OF THE CRITICISM, RIGHT? WE WANTED TO USE PUBLIC FUNDING TO EXPAND THE GREEN SPACE, AND THAT WAS TO AFFORD THE TURS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON THAT LAND. THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THAT LAND WHERE THERE'S PRIVATE BUILDING GOING ON IS BEING USED BY THE TURS. SO AGAIN, WE CAN GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT, BUT JUST BECAUSE THERE'S BUILDING THERE DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S THE TURS. WE WERE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT FOR GREEN SPACE, BUT JUST BE THAT THAT WAS IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BID TO TRY TO SECURE THE LAND FOR THAT. WELL, LET ME, LET ME SAY THIS. I DON'T THINK NO PARTS. IT WAS 8.5 FOR THE, THE LAND ACQUISITION THEN IT WAS ANOTHER 6 MILLION. ONE THING ABOUT ME, YOU DON'T HAVE TO EVER HEAR ABOUT HE SAY, SHE SAY THEY GOING, THEY NOT GONNA NEVER SAY HE DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. AND IT WAS ANOTHER $6 MILLION FOR IMPROVEMENTS ON THE PARK. THAT'S $14 MILLION THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE GOING TO THIS PROJECT. IF THEY WAS GONNA BUILD THIS PRIVATE THING, THEY SHOULD HAVE BUILT IT WITH THEIR OWN MONEY. VERY WELL. COUNCIL RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR TRAVIS, YOU AND I ARE, ARE A ACQUIRER OF TWO PEOPLE. APPARENTLY I VOTED AGAINST IT, UH, FOR JUST THE SORT OF THING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. MORE THAN $36 MILLION OF OUR TAX MONEY HAS GONE INTO THIS PARK. NOW YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER PARKS IN THE CITY AND, AND TELL ME THAT, THAT, THAT THAT'S FAIR. BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING CONCERNS ME AND, AND I'M GONNA, UM, CONTINUE LOOKING AT IT, UH, TO SEE, UH, JUST, JUST EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. YEAH, AND NO, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ELEVATING THE ISSUE. AGAIN. LET'S TALK SEPARATELY ABOUT THE WHAT IS GOING ON. WHAT I BELIEVE IS STILL PRIVATE PROPERTY, NOT THE PARK ITSELF VERSUS WHEN WE USE LIKE THE CRITICISM OF PUBLIC DOLLARS GOING TO A PARK THAT IS USED BY THE ENTIRE REGION. I WAS JUST THERE COUNCIL MEMBER WITH YOU AND PEOPLE WERE VISITING FROM ALL OVER. AND YES, WE NEED MORE COMMUNITY PARKS, BUT IT IS A INCREDIBLE MODEL FOR WHAT CAN BE DONE. SO I WOULD CAUTION FOLKS AT PICKING APART WHAT IS A MODEL EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE CITY. THAT BEING SAID, YES, ABSOLUTELY. INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED ABOUT WHAT I BELIEVE, AND I COULD BE COMPLETELY MISTAKEN, IS STILL PRIVATE PROPERTY WITH A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS UNRELATED TO WHAT THE TURS HAD WANTED TO DO THERE. BUT WHEN WE JUST CARTE BLANCHE START ATTACKING, UM, PARKS LIKE LEVY PARK THAT ARE A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE CITY AND HOW THIS CAN BE DONE, I WOULD JUST CAUTION US AS A BODY FROM ISSUING [00:20:01] SWEEPING STATEMENTS LIKE THAT. THIS, THIS THE PROBLEM THOUGH, UH, COUNSEL THE CITY DID A NEEDS ASSESSMENT ON ALL THE PARKS, NOT TRAVIS AND LEVY PARK CAME DEAD LAST FOR NEED ASSESSMENT, MEANING THEY DIDN'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE. DISTRICT D HAD 10 OF THE WORST 18 PARKS ON THAT LIST. SOME OF OUR PARKS, IF YOU ALL WAS HERE, WE STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT PORT POTTY. SOME OF OUR PARKS DON'T HAVE TRASH CANS. SOME OF OUR PARKS DON'T HAVE SWINGS, SO WE CAN'T, WHEN WE SAY THE MODEL FOR THE RED, WELL THE CITY IS A CITY OF THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS. THAT HAS NOT BEEN A MODEL FOR THE WHOLE CITY. IF YOU ASK PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HOW THEIR PARKS LOOK NOW, I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE TAKING MY GRANDKIDS TO SOME OF THE PARKS IN MY AREA. SURE. JUST A SECOND. SORRY. I UNDERSTAND. I THINK WE'RE GETTING OFF ONTO A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION. YEAH. MY ONLY DISCUSSION THAT I WANNA WANNA HAVE AND ALL THAT'S A GREAT DISCUSSION TO HAVE, UM, UM, BUT RIGHT NOW MY BIGGEST CONCERN WE DIDN'T GET IT IS, I GUESS I WANNA KNOW WHETHER THE CITY, THE TOUR ACTUALLY PURCHASED THAT PROPERTY WHERE THE PRIVATE THING'S GOING. IF IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THEY'RE BUILDING A PRIVATE CLUB ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, THEN YOU KNOW, THAT'S THEIR RIGHT. SO I JUST GUESS I NEED TO KNOW WHAT PART WE DID THE TURS DID BUY OR NOT BUY OR ANY OF THAT AND WE'LL GET THAT STRAIGHTENED OUT. THAT'S CORRECT. AND COUNCILMAN CAMAN. YEAH, NO, SORRY MAYOR, JUST TO GO BACK TO THAT, WHAT THE TSS ARE ABLE TO DO AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THIS GOES TO THE INITIATIVE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE MORE GREEN SPACES INITIATIVE AND THE NEED TO PUBLICLY FUND OUR PUBLIC PARKS. WHAT CAME TO COUNCIL WITH LEVY PARK WAS AN AUTHORIZATION FOR THE TURS TO BE ABLE TO EXPEND TURS DOLLARS WITH THEIR INCREMENT BACK INTO EXPANDING THE PARK. NOT CITY DOLLARS THAT WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY FROM OTHER PARKS TO GO TO THAT THE TS ARE CONSTRAINED BY INVESTING IN THE AREAS IN WHICH THEY REPRESENT AND TAKING THAT INCREMENT. NOW THERE'S GENUINE AND, UH, VALID CRITICISM THAT TS ARE INVESTING IN THOSE AREAS, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE BUILDING MORE AND MORE IMPROVEMENTS AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO OTHER PLACES AROUND THE CITY. BUT AT NO POINT ON COUNCIL DID WE SAY, HERE'S $8 MILLION OF CITY FUNDING TO GO TO LEVY PARK. IT WAS TO PER PERMIT THE TS TO EXPAND THEIR OWN BUDGET, TAKING THEIR OWN INCREMENT TO TRY AND GO GET LAND TO INCREASE THE PARK. SO WHEN THEY ACQUIRED THE LAND, DID THEY USE IT FOR PARK LAND OR DO THEY DO IT, USE IT FOR COMMERCIAL? WHEN WE HAD DISCUSSED IT, IT WAS FOR PARKLAND, MY UNDERSTANDING, BUT I DON'T WANNA SAY IT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE I DON'T, I'M NOT REPRESENTING THE T IS THAT THAT'S STILL PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT TS DIDN'T GET THAT PROPERTY. THAT'S NOT TS PROPERTY. SO WE HAD BEEN HOPING WITH THAT AUTHORIZATION WHEN THERE WAS THE DEBATE AND THEN IT WAS STOPPED. WE'LL FIND OUT. WE COULD GO SEEK OUT THAT PROPERTY. THANK YOU. WE'LL ALL DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, BEFORE I GO, AREN'T TOUR ON TOURIST DOLLARS? STILL OUR TAX DOLLARS? YES SIR. WE OKAY. WE WE'RE ON TOP OF IT. I, I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT BEFORE I LEAVE BECAUSE WE KEEP TRYING TO SEPARATE IT. UH, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE HURRICANE COME NEXT MONTH IN JUNE, WE DON'T CARE WHERE THE DOLLARS COME FROM. WE JUST WANT THE WATER OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL CASTILLO FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE KELLY SADLER TO FOLLOW HAYDEN COHEN VERY WELL. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED MADE. MOTION PASSES. NEXT, THERES COVINGTON LINA VIRE PRESENT TO BE FOLLOWED BY SUSAN RICHARDS. I AM HERE TO URGE YOU TO TALK. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT CESAR CHAVEZ BOULEVARD AND I'M ME YOU TO RENAME IT AFTER MARIA JIMENEZ. I'M SAYING THAT NOT JUST BECAUSE SHE WAS MY MOTHER, BUT BECAUSE HER ACTIVISM WAS BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED. ROSA PARKS NOMINATED HER NAME TO BE PART OF AN ELECTRONIC MURAL IN ALABAMA. SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIR FEW PEOPLE WHO WAS ABLE TO LAY A WREATH ON MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR'S GRAVE. AND WHEN MEXICO FINALLY RECOGNIZED DUAL NATIONALITY, SHE WAS ONE OF 100 PEOPLE SELECTED TO, UH, BECOME A DUAL NATIONAL AND ALSO ONE OF 10 PEOPLE TO SHAKE THE HAND OF THE PRESIDENT AND ONE OF THREE PEOPLE TO GIVE A SPEECH. SH HER LOCAL ACTIVISM HAS SHAKE, HELPED SHAPE MANY RESIDENTS. SHE WAS A, A RESIDENT OF MAGNOLIA PARK, BUT MAJORITY OF HER LIFE, AS AM I. AND SO, UM, HER [00:25:01] ACTIVISM HAS HELPED PEOPLE, UM, GET RESIDENCY AND CITIZENSHIP. SHE'S HELPED PEOPLE, UH, WITH, UH, ENVIRONMENTALISM AS WELL. UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, SUSAN RICHARDS TO BE FOLLOWED BY SANDRA EDWARDS. HELLO, MY NAME IS SUSAN RICHARDS. I'M A CONCERNED HOUSTONIAN HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED MONTHLY TRASH PICKUP FEE. THIS FEE WOULD AFFECT ALL OF US, BUT LET'S FACE IT, MONTHLY FEES DON'T AFFECT EVERYONE EQUALLY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, MONTHLY FEES DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT OUR MOST VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS, LIKE THE ELDERLY OR ANYONE TRYING TO LIVE ON A FIXED INCOME OR MINIMUM WAGE JOBS. LAST YEAR, ONE IN FIVE OF OUR HOUSTONIANS FELL AT OR BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE AT THIS POINT IT'S MORE THAN 20% OF US. SO WE CAN SEE HOW STANDARD FEES WOULD BE A MUCH BIGGER PIECE OF THE MONTHLY PIE FOR SOME OF US THAN FOR OTHERS. WITH THIS IN MIND, I'M HERE TO ASK THAT WE FIND A MORE FAIR WAY TO MEET OUR BUDGET SHORTFALLS. FOR EXAMPLE, WE COULD STOP GIVING ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS IN TAX BREAKS TO THE POLLUTING INDUSTRIES IN OUR COUNTY. LIKE THE $198 MILLION TAX ABATEMENT WE GAVE TO EXXON, ONE OF THE MOST PROFITABLE COMPANIES IN THE WORLD. YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU, MA'AM. COULD I SPEAK FURTHER? WE'RE REALLY ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE. GO AHEAD. OKAY. THE THING IS, WE ALSO GAVE $77.4 MILLION TO OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM. THAT'S $38.7 MILLION PER JOB. AND WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE ALREADY PAYING THE PRICE IN HEALTH CONSEQUENCES LIKE CANCER AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES LIKE INCREASED FLOODING, MORE EXTREME HEAT, WATER DEPLETION, AND AS THEY'RE ALL ASSOCIATED WITH AIR AND WATER POLLUTION. SO, ALL RIGHTY, I'M JUST ASKING THAT WE MAKE THEM PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE. THANK YOU. NEXT SANDRA EDWARDS TO BE FOLLOWED BY DORIS BROWN. GOOD EVENING. UM, I'M HERE. I'M LIKE THE LADY FROM CLINTON MANOR. I'VE BEEN HERE 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 ABOUT THE BUDGET. I'M, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET, BUT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT ME. I'VE BEEN PUT ON THE SIDE BURNER FOR GETTING MY HOUSE REPAIRED, FOR GETTING IT REBUILT FOUR, FIVE TIMES. AND THEN LAST MONTH I GET A CALL TELLING ME THAT IT'S OFF AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE EPA. THEN I FIND OUT I'M NOT EVEN UNDER THE EPA, I WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. I'M HERE IN FRONT OF ALL Y'ALL TODAY. SOMEBODY GIVE ME A ANSWER. AND THAT BUDGET THAT THEY THREW AT US IS, IS CRAZY BECAUSE ONLY PEOPLE BEING FIT FROM IT IS, I WANNA SAY Y'ALL OR THE OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY IS NOT Y'ALL TAKEN FROM THE GARBAGE, Y'ALL TALK TAKEN FROM THE, UH, TAX PAYERS, YOU'RE TAKEN FROM THE HOMEOWNERS, YOU TAKING FROM EVERYTHING. DO I NEED TO WAIT FOR YOU TO TAKE YOUR PHONE CALL? 'CAUSE IT'S OKAY NOW THAT BILL DON'T MEAN NOTHING TO ME. OKAY, LET ME, OKAY. 'CAUSE I NEED TO FINISH. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NO IT HASN'T. I HADN'T STARTED. I WANTED TO WAIT FOR THE MAYOR TO GET OFF THE PHONE. OKAY. ANYWAY, I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE DO WE AS A COMMUNITY, AS A RESIDENT BECOME OUR TIME? WHEN DO WE GET THAT WHAT WE PAY FOR, FOR OUR TAXES, OUR TRASH AND ALL THAT? WE BARELY GOT A PICKUP, BUT NOW Y'ALL WANNA CHANGE AND START CHARGING US FOR SOMETHING THAT WE ALREADY GETTING HALFWAY GETTING. SO WE GONNA PAY TO GET HALFWAY TRASH PICKED UP AGAIN. I MEAN, GETTING THE HALFWAY PICKED UP, Y'ALL TAKING MONEY FROM THE ENTITIES THAT'S NEEDED AND GIVING IT TO PEOPLE THAT REALLY DON'T NEED IT. UH, DEFUND THE POLICE, DEFUND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, DO A LITTLE BREAK SOME TAX BREAK WITH THEM AND GIVE US SOME MONEY BACK SO WE CAN FIX OUR HOUSES. I'VE BEEN FLOODED SINCE HARVEY. I DONE BEEN HIT BY FOUR STORMS AND HAVE I GOTTEN ANY HELP YET? NO, BECAUSE I KEEP PUTTING ON THE BACK BURNER, BUT I DONE JUMP THROUGH HOOPS WITH GASOLINE DRAWERS ON TO GET YOUR TAX CAUGHT UP, GET YOUR THIS, GET YOUR HOUSE IN YOUR NAME. I DONE DID ALL THAT AND I'M STILL RIGHT BACK AT SQUARE ONE. MY HOUSE IS FALLING DOWN NOW FROM THE LAST STORM. MY HOUSE IS SITTING ON MY PIPES, MY I MY WATER IN MY BATHROOM, THEY IN MY ROOM DOESN'T EVEN WORK ANYMORE [00:30:01] BECAUSE THE HOUSE IS LEANING. MY ROOF IS GONE. I HAD IT REPAIRED THIS PATCH, BUT I DON'T HAVE INSULATION, SO I'M SMELLING EVERYTHING ON THE OUTSIDE. SO WHEN IS IT I TIME AS A COMMUNITY, I'M A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST. I WORK HARD IN MY COMMUNITY. I WORK HARD. THE OTHER COMMUNITY TOO. YOUR TIME'S UP, MA'AM, BUT WE STILL, I STILL DON'T HAVE NO ANSWERS. WHEN DO WE GET THE ANSWERS THAT WE ASKING THE QUESTIONS TO? THANK YOU. OH, THAT'S ALL WE DID. MAYOR, COUNCILOR JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. I THINK SANDRA, I THINK, UM, SO SANDRA, I KNOW ONE OF THE, UM, ISSUES IS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET YOUR HOME REPAIRED, RIGHT? I WANT, I DON'T WANT IT TO REPAIR, RIGHT? AND BECAUSE IT'S IN THE AREA OF THE CANCER CLUSTER, THEY ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE REPAIRS BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS ON HOLD. SO I THINK MAYOR, WE JUST TRYING TO DETERMINE WHEN, WHEN FOLKS CAN START GETTING THEIR HOMES REPAIRED. THAT'S IN, THAT'S IN THE COUNCIL CLUSTER AREA BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ON HOLD SINCE PERMITTING IS ON HOLD. RE YOU KNOW, BUILDING IS ON HOLD IN THAT AREA. SO THAT'S FOR YEARS. SO THAT'S SLOWING DOWN YOUR FOR PROGRESS PERIOD. PROGRESS, SLOWING IT DOWN. SO SHE'S PROVIDING EVERYTHING SHE'S FED UP. I'M FRUSTRATED NOW. AND I DON'T MEAN TO PUT IT OUT HERE LIKE THIS. I'M, YEAH, I UNDERSTAND. YOU'RE FRUSTRATED. YOU UNDERSTAND MY, BECAUSE I TALK TO YOU ON A REGULAR BASIS, I'M FREAKING FRUSTRATED. IT'S NO MORE I CAN DO, I CAN'T KEEP PUTTING BANDAIDS OVER OPEN HEART SURGERY AND THINKING AIN'T GONNA OOZE THROUGH THE, THE BANDAID. THAT'S WHERE I'M AT NOW. SO THIS IS WHERE I'M AT. SO SANDRA, SO WE, SO BASICALLY SHE'S PROVIDED ALL THE PAPERWORK, EVERYTHING THAT WELL CHECK SOMETIMES. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH IT? SOMETIMES? YEAH. I'M, I'M, I'M FAMILIAR IF YOU'VE GOT THE PAPERWORK FAMILIAR WITH IT, LET'S SIT DOWN AND, AND GO OVER SEE WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS. LET'S FIND OUT. THANK YOU. NEXT. THANK YOU SANDRA. DORIS BROWN TO BE FOLLOWED BY HAYDEN COHEN SAG. MY NAME IS DORIS BROWN. I AM A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF DISTRICT B. Y'ALL ARE NOT BEING HONEST ABOUT THE TRASH FEE. ONCE AGAIN, MYSELF AND MY COMMUNITY OF BEING ASKED TO PAY THE PRICE FOR A BUDGET DEFICIT THAT CITY COUNCIL HELPED CREATE BY APPROVING IRRESPONSIBLE POLICE SPENDING. AND ALL OF Y'ALL KNOW THIS ISN'T RIGHT. WE HAVE A TRASH PROBLEM IN HOUSTON, BUT THIS FEE ISN'T GOING TO SOLVE IT. THERE IS NO CLEAR ANSWER ON HOW THIS FEE WILL IMPROVE SERVICE WHEN IT DOESN'T COME CLOSE TO ADDRESSING THE UNDERLYING PROBLEMS WITH OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT UNDERSTANDING HORRIBLE WORKING CONDITIONS AND WORKER RETENTION RATES AND OUTDATED EQUIPMENT. WORST OF ALL, THERE IS NO EXEMPTION FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE FEE. AND DESPITE WHITMEYER AND DIRECTOR MALACHI'S CLAIM, WE ALL KNOW THAT THE, THAT WE ARE BEING LOCKED INTO EVENTUALLY PAYING $25 A MONTH. AT LEAST RIGHT NOW, MR. WHITMEYER, A BIG PERCENTAGE OF MY NEIGHBORS AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD ARE ON A FIXED INCOME AND MANY OF MY FRIENDS AND HAVE DISABILITIES. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YES, I KNOW, BUT I WANNA SAY THIS AS ELECTRIC OFFICIALS, YOU SHOULD BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR TAX AND DRAINAGE MONEY. IT SHOULD BE BENEFIT THE CITIZENS AND NOT IMPACT US. I KNEW YOU WAS GOING TO CUT THE THREE MINUTES. NEXT. MS. BROWN. YES. THANK YOU. UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU TO YOU FOR YOUR VOICE AND TO NACK. UM, YOU ALL DON'T JUST SHOW UP DURING BUDGET SEASON. Y'ALL HAVE BEEN ENGAGING FOR YEARS AND YEARS ON THIS, SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOICE. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO EXTEND OUR CONDOLENCES, UM, TO THE LOSS OF BENJAMIN BROADWAY. YEAH. UH, WE MENTIONED IT AT COUNCIL LAST WEEK, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HERE AND OTHERS ARE HERE, UM, WE WE LOST A GIANT. YES WE DID. AND, UH, I KNOW THAT WORK WILL CONTINUE IN HIS HONOR, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT LOSS. THANK YOU. AS IT PERTAINS TO, UM, THE GARBAGE FEE AND OTHER THINGS, WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY CITIES IN THE, WE'RE THE ONLY MAJOR CITY IN TEXAS THAT DOESN'T UTILIZE A GARBAGE FEE. I KNOW THERE HAD BEEN OTHER PROPOSALS, FOR EXAMPLE, OF, UM, NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD. UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS IF, LET'S SAY A TRA A GARBAGE FEE NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED, DO YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS OF A MORE EQUITABLE WAY TO DO SO? WELL, YOU COULD CHARGE EVERYONE, UH, 1 CENTS IN THEIR PROPERTY TAX AND THEY WOULD RAISE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THIS $5 IS NOW. APRIL THE FIRST, IT WENT UP 8.76%. MY WATER BILL WENT UP $20 ALREADY. SO THAT'S AN EXTRA $240 EVERY YEAR THAT I'M ALREADY PAYING FOR THE SAME THING. AND NOW YOU WANNA GO UP FIVE MORE DOLLARS, THAT'S 300 AND SOMETHING DOLLARS EXTRA [00:35:01] EVERY YEAR. PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOME CANNOT AFFORD THAT, YOU KNOW, SO NOW YOU GOTTA DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANNA BUY BABY SOME MILK. DO YOU WANT TO EAT? UH, YOU KNOW, DO YOU WANNA PAY YOUR RENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. WE NEED TO FIND SOME OTHER WAY TO FUND THIS. DAR SOUTH. THANK YOU. NEXT HAYDEN COHEN TO BE FOLLOWED BY KELLY SADLER. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME'S HAYDEN AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT C. AND BEFORE I BEGIN, I JUST WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, CAYMAN FOR HER YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND WISH HER THE VERY BEST IN HER NEW ROLE. I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO INCLUDE THE LGBTQ PLUS ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT COORDINATOR POSITION IN THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND BUDGET AND TRANSITION IT INTO A FULL-TIME CITY POSITION. I'M GRATEFUL THIS POSITION EXISTS AT ALL BECAUSE OF COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND RAMIREZ'S OFFICE STEPPED UP AND PULLED TOGETHER FUNDING AND IT DEMONSTRATES THE LEADERSHIP AND RECOGNITION THAT THE PLUS HOUSTONIANS DESERVE SUPPORT AND INVESTMENT. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT MODEL SHOWS EXACTLY WHY CHANGE IS NEEDED RIGHT NOW. THIS POSITION DEPENDS ON CONTRIBUTIONS AND GONNA CREATE SOME UNCERTAINTY AND LIMITS GROWTH AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES SHOULD BE A PART OF THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. OVER LAST YEAR, THERE WERE RESUME WORKSHOPS. PARTICIPANTS CONNECTED WITH WORKFORCE SUPPORT. JOB SEEKERS RECEIVED ONGOING ASSISTANCE AND BUSINESSES CONNECTED TO CITY RESOURCES AND CERTIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES. MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTING THE CITY BUDGET TO STRATEGY. SO EXPANDING THIS POSITION, CREATE STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS WITH NONPROFITS THAT SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT PATHWAYS FOR YOUTH. IT ALSO, MAY I CONTINUE? YES, MA'AM. 30 SECONDS. IT ALSO SUPPORTS ECONOMIC GROWTH BY HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES CONNECT WITH CITY RESOURCES, PURSUE CERTIFICATION, AND COMPETE FOR CITY CONTRACTS. LGBTQ PLUS YOUNG PEOPLE FACING HOUSING AND CIVILITY, EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS OR NAVIGATING EARLY CAREERS NEED MORE THAN OCCASIONAL WORKSHOPS. THEY NEED SUSTAINED SUPPORT IN THIS. I URGE COUNSEL TO MOVE THIS POSITION INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO MAKE IT SO THAT WORK CAN BECOME SUSTAINABLE, STABLE, AND CAPABLE OF SERVING MORE HOUSTONIANS. THANK YOU COUNCILOR AND CASTILLO. THANK YOU MAYOR AND HAYDEN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHERS AS WELL SPEAKING ON THIS TOPIC, AND YOU DID A GREAT JOB DESCRIBING THE IMPACT THAT THE POSITION HAS HAD, UM, AS A PART-TIME ROLE AND ONE THAT WASN'T EVEN ON THE GROUND FOR A FULL YEAR YET. UH, THE IDEA OF A FULL-TIME POSITION REALLY WILL EXPAND ON THAT IMPACT, UM, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SUPPORT FOR JOB PLACEMENT, THE SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS CERTIFICATION HERE AT THE CITY, THE ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH COMMUNITIES AND EMPLOYERS AS WELL. SO I I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND FOR THE OTHERS THAT WILL ALSO, UH, COME UP TO SPEAK AND SUPPORT AND WE'LL DO, UM, MY BEST TO, TO MAKE THAT FULL-TIME POSITION, UH, A REALITY FOR SURE. WE'RE LOOKING TO THIS AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. NEXT. KELLY SADLER TO BE FOLLOWED BY SCOTT SINGLETON. HI, GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR. UM, THE L-G-B-T-Q ECONOMIC COORDINATOR POSITION IS WORKING. WE HAVE THE RESULTS, RESUME WORKSHOPS, JOB SUPPORT, QUEER OWNED BUSINESSES GETTING CERTIFIED WITH THE CITY. QUEER HOUSTONIANS, LIKE ME ARE BENEFITING. WE APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBERS, CASTILLO AND RAMIREZ FOR FUNDING THIS PART-TIME ROLE. BUT PART-TIME IS NOT ENOUGH FOR A COMMUNITY THAT IS FULL-TIME EXHAUSTED, FULL-TIME EXTRACTED FROM AND FULL-TIME READY TO WORK. A FULL-TIME COORDINATOR IN THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IS NOT A LUXURY, IT'S A NECESSITY. QUEER HOUSTONIANS, DON'T STOP BEING QUEER WHEN THE PART-TIME HOURS RUN OUT OUR ECONOMIC NEEDS. DON'T CLOCK OUT AFTER 20 HOURS. PLEASE FUND THIS POSITION FULLY. WE'VE PROVEN IT WORKS. NOW LET'S FINISH THE JOB. I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, SHE HAS BEEN A GREAT SUPPORTER AND I WISH HER LUCK. UM, AND SHOUT OUT TO JOAQUIN, WHO'S MY COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. NICK SCOTT SINGLETON. COURTNEY REVELS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANTHONY HUBBARD. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, Y'ALL. MY NAME IS COURTNEY REVELS. I'M A MEMBER OF THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. IT'S GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL AGAIN. UM, I'M HERE FOR LIKE, LIKE THEY SAID, SINCE 20 22, 23, 24, [00:40:02] ASKING THAT WE HAVE AN EQUITABLE AND FAIR BUDGET. UM, UH, LIKE, LIKE, LIKE OTHERS HAVE SAID, THE WATER BILL INCREASE, THAT IS THE, THE INCREASED WATER BILLS ARE REALLY HURTING FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON FIXED INCOMES, BUT ESPECIALLY PEOPLE LIKE SANDRA THAT ARE IN UNLIVABLE HOMES. WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE THAT CAN BARELY AFFORD, LIKE, THAT CAN'T EVEN LIVE IN THEIR HOMES TO PAY INCREASED FEES. I'M URGING YOU TO RETHINK HOW WE CAN EQUITABLY, UM, SERVICE THESE FEES. AND ALSO, UM, WE ALSO WANT YOU GUYS TO RETHINK USING THE CUS FUND TO DECREASE THE DEFICIT THAT WAS CREATED BY THIS COUNCIL. WE HAVE COME HERE, WE SAID THAT INCREASING POLICE PAY IN THE AMOUNT THAT IT WAS INCREASED WILL PUT OUR CITY IN A BAD POSITION. NOW, TAKING THIS MONEY FROM THE CUS FUND WILL ALSO PUT OUR CITY IN A BAD POSITION. WE NEED TO BE FUNDING YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED WATER SYSTEMS AND WASTE WATER SYSTEMS. WE ALREADY HAVE A CONSENT DECREE THAT WE NEED TO FULFILL SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T HAVING SEWAGE BACKUPS IN THEIR HOMES. I'VE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED IT. IT'S NOT OKAY. SO WE NEED TO RECONSIDER. WE DO NOT HAVE A, A CITY THAT'S BROKE. WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT'S BROKEN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. IT, IT'S, IT'S ON SOMETHING ELSE. NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. SEPARATE SUBJECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, NO THANK YOU MAYOR. FOR THE MOMENT OF, UH, PERSONAL RECOGNITION. I DID CONFIRM, UH, WITH THE TURS. JUST SO EVERYONE IS CLEAR WITH THE UPTOWN TUR, NOT UPTOWN UPPER KIRBY TURS, THAT IS PRIVATE PROPERTY WITH A PRIVATE MEMBERS ONLY CLUB. I CANNOT THINK OF SOMETHING OTHER THAN A BAR OR NIGHTCLUB THAT COULD BE WORSE TO GO ACROSS FROM PUBLIC GREEN SPACE. BUT WHILE WE WERE DEBATING WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD AUTHORIZE THE TURS TO GO INTO NEGOTIATIONS TO TRY TO OBTAIN THAT LAND, IT ACTUALLY WENT UNDER CONTRACT PRIVATELY. AND IT'S A MEMBERS ONLY CLUB ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, NOT THE TURS. OKAY, NEXT ANTHONY HUBBARD TO BE FOLLOWED BY FELIX KAPO. WE JUST SAID, YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO BE SO MUCH BETTER. MAYOR WHITMEYER, YOU RAN ON BEING ABLE TO DEAL WITH ABBOTT AND YOU CAPITULATED COMPLETELY TO HIM IN THE TIME THAT WE REALLY NEED TO STAND AS A CITY. THERE'S NO REASON WE SHOULD GET INTO THE FIGHT THAT EASY. THERE'S NO REASON THAT WE SHOULD HAVE JUST PRETTY MUCH LET THE RULE OF LAW GO CHALLENGED. YOU SAID YOURSELF AS WELL AS A CITY ATTORNEY. THAT WHAT THE ICE RULING THAT WE ALL HERE, THAT WE ALL HERE AGREED THAT WAS LEGAL, WAS PRETTY MUCH ASIDE ILLEGAL BY NOT AN ATTORNEY, NOT BY THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, BUT BY GOVERNOR. THIS IS MORE THAN JUST THE PEOPLE HERE. THIS IS ABOUT THE NATION, THIS IS ABOUT THE STATE. IF WE LET THE SIT, THE TIME HAS EXPIRED. THE GOVERNOR JUST PUSHES AROUND WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT US TO THE CITY. THANK YOU. NEXT. FELIX KAPO. I WANNA SAY ONE MORE THING ABOUT THE BUDGET. WHAT'S UP SIR? NEXT? FELIX KAPO. YOU SHOULD REPRESENT THE PEOPLE HERE. $5 A MONTH CAN DO A LOT. JUST THINK ABOUT THOSE THAT DISABLED IN FIXED INCOME. THOSE MAY NOT BE AFFORD THAT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THERE ARE WA TO FIND THE MONEY. I KNOW THAT YOU CAN AND KNOW THAT THERE'S WAIVES, SO THANK YOU. OKAY, FELIX KAPO, FOLLOWED BY VIVIAN LEE. UH, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. OH, UM, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UM, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING BIG BEN AND, UH, HIS PASSING. UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. I WANNA TAKE THIS TIME TO THANK YOU FOR THE PROCLAMATION THAT YOUR OFFICE GAVE, UH, IN HONOR OF HIS, UM, OF HIS NAME. UM, I WISH HE WAS HERE TODAY, BUT, UH, BUT THE WORK GOES ON. UM, IN THE WORDS OF THE GREAT ORGANIZER, MS. SANDRA EDWARDS, UH, I NEED THE COUNSEL TO HELP ME MAKE THIS FEE. MAKE SENSE? UM, HOW IS IT THAT WE'VE PAID INTO A WATER FEE FOR YEARS TO MEET A CONSENT DECREE, UH, DUE TO NEGLIGENT, UM, DUE TO THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE CITY OF OUR SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE? UM, HOW IS IT THAT WE HAVE A FEE WHEN OVER 20% OF HOUSTONIANS LIVE BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE? UM, AND WE'RE CHARGING A [00:45:01] FLAT FEE WITH, UH, NO ESCALATOR AND IT'S EXPECTED TO GROW AND IT'S GOING TO DIRECTLY TOWARDS SALARY, AND IT'S NOT GOING DIRECTLY TOWARDS SALARY OR SAFETY OF WORKERS WITHIN SOLID WASTE. THERE ARE NEW FLOODPLAIN MAPS THAT WERE JUST RELEASED AND WE AREN'T ALLOCATING ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE DITCHES TO MOVE WATER AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. VERY BRIEFLY, THE ASK IS TO PUT AN ADDITIONAL $20 MILLION TOWARDS THE DITCH RE-ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM. WE NEED AN EQUITY PROVISION FOR THE TRASH FEE IMMEDIATELY, AND WE NEED TO PROTECT THE CUS, CHARGE US THE PENNY AND PROPERTY TAXES, FIND NEW REVENUE LIKE CAPPING OVERTIME AND ABATEMENTS. BLESS YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND, UM, STOP GIVING TAX BREAKS TO OIL AND GAS. THANKS. NEXT. VIVIAN LEE SHALANDA BRISBEE. SHE'S HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY SARAH SED ORIGINALLY REQUESTED THREE MINUTES, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE TIME HAS PUT US IN A DIFFERENT TIME SEQUENCE. IF YOU GIMME ONE SECOND TO BRING THIS BACK UP. UH, MY NAME IS VIVIAN LEE. I AM WITH COALITION OF BARRY FREE LIVING. I'M AN ADVOCATE IN TRAINING. UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO PERSONALLY ASK FOR INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS THAT WE HAVE BEEN REQUESTING PROMINENTLY FROM THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY. I HAVE BEEN RESCUED BY THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT NO LESS THAN FIVE TIMES FROM A SIDEWALK THAT HAS BEEN SO DAMAGED THAT WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO GO AROUND, YOU GET STUCK AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT YOU CAN DO EXCEPT HOPE THEY CAN COME. AND WHEN WE REPAIR THESE THINGS, WE DON'T REPAIR THEM IN THE AREAS ACTUALLY TO BE REPAIRED. SO I'M ASKING, WHAT CAN YOU DO? BECAUSE YOU AND I MET AT ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, MR. MAYOR, WHERE I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO WALKED UP TO YOU AND SPOKE TO YOU IN A COMPLETELY CROWDED PARKING LOT FROM AN ADV, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY MEETING BY TMO. I KNOW YOU DON'T REMEMBER, IT'S OKAY. IT WAS DURING ELECTION SEASON, BUT I WALKED UP TO YOU AND ASKED YOU TO PLEASE REMEMBER THE DISABLED COMMUNITY. AND YOU SAID, I WILL DO WHAT I, I CAN FOR ALL OF US. BUT THIS WAS AFTER, I MEAN, AND AFTER THAT I MET YOU AGAIN OR SAW YOU AGAIN AT THE STATE CAPITOL WHERE THEY ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON AFTER THE STORM. AND YOU SAID, AND I'M GONNA COACH YOU. I'VE ONLY HAD THIS JOB FOR SEVEN MONTHS AND I INHERITED A MESS. AND HONESTLY, EVEN THOUGH AS EMBARRASSING AS THAT STATEMENT WAS, IT'S TRUE WE ARE A MESS OF ALL KINDS. BUT I JUST HAVE THE SIMPLEST QUESTION WHEN YOU SAID YOU WOULD DO YOUR BEST. IS THIS YOUR BEST? THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? MM-HMM . JUST A SECOND MA'AM. OH, MS. LEE. COUNCILMAN MA'AM. MS. LEE. MS. LEE, PARDON? ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN, WHAT IS THE LOCATION OF THE SIDEWALK THAT YOU WOULD LIKE REPAIRED? IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LOOK AT THE AREAS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED WHERE MOST OF THEM ARE DURING COVID. THEY BLACK TOPPED WESTHEIMER A STREET THAT DIDN'T NEED TO BE DONE, BUT THEY DID IT AND THEY DESTROYED ALL THE CURB CUTS. SO WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE STATE TO COME BACK AND PUT THOSE BACK IN. BUT A BUSY STREET LIKE WHERE I LIVE ON WESTHEIMER, YOU CAN GO EVERY OTHER BLOCK AND FIND A HOLE IN THE SIDEWALK THAT'S THERE BY A CITY WATER METER, THOSE LITTLE BITTY METERS THAT MAKE JUST ENOUGH OF A HOLE. AND IS IT JUST ENOUGH OF A PATHWAY THAT YOU, YOU TRY TO GO AROUND, YOU'RE EITHER GONNA DROP THIS SIDE OR THAT SIDE IF IT'S NOT LEVEL GROUND OR TAKE A CHANCE, PULL OUT OF A DRIVEWAY INTO THE STREET AND GO AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO THE NEXT DRIVEWAY AND GET BACK ON OR TURN AROUND, GO BACK TO THE LIGHT, GO ACROSS THE STREET AND HOPE YOU DON'T HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON THAT SIDE. AND YOU CAN FIND THIS ALL OVER TOWN. WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING HERE AND THERE. IT'S EVERYWHERE. I CAN GUARANTEE YOU, YOU CAN GO DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW AND YOU'RE GONNA FIND A SIDEWALK. YOU CAN'T GO. IT'S GOT A HOLE IN IT OR IT'S GOT A PIECE MISSING. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD, BUT IT IS FOR PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, IF I CAN'T GET AROUND A HOLE, I'M STUCK. AND SOMETIMES WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ONE BLOCK. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING BACK TWO, THREE BLOCKS, GOING OVER, COMING BACK, GOING ACROSS, HOPING THAT YOU CAN MAKE IT WHERE YOU'RE GOING. AND IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THE COALITION FOR BARRIER FREE LIVING, THAT'S OUR MAIN, UH, OFFICE. AND THE HOUSTON CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING IS OUR GROUPING. [00:50:01] WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER WHO CALL 3 1 1 REGULARLY. WE HAVE THEM SET UP TO DO JUST THAT. PEOPLE CALL THEM AND TELL THEM WHERE THE PROBLEM IS. WE CALL 3 1 1 AND WE KNOW 3 1 1 IS NOT TOTALLY FUNDED COMPLETELY AS IT COULD BE, BUT OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS PRIORITY. WHERE DOES THE PRIORITY LIE? WHOSE AREA GETS FIXED FIRST? YOU, 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHERE YOU START. IF YOU PICK AREAS THAT LOOK EASY, THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA START. AND THAT'S FINE BECAUSE EASY IS FAST. BUT SOME OF THESE PLACES ARE TERRIBLE. WELL, THANK YOU MS. LEE. AND, UM, I'LL HAVE SOMEBODY FROM MY OFFICE REACH OUT TO YOU SO WE CAN LEARN MORE. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND, AND OUR, MY TEACHER, MY ADVOCACY TEACHER, MS. ANNABELL, SHE'S GOING TO SPEAK AGAIN ON THIS. SHE IS THE HEAD OF OUR ADVOCACY ILS AT HOUSTON CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING. SO SHE'S ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAN ALSO HAVE INFORMATION THAT YOU MIGHT NEED AS FAR AS OUR PEOPLE, BUT THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IS JUST FIX THE THINGS WE THAT WAS PROMISED. THANK YOU MA'AM. NICK SHALANDA BRIBE TO BE FOLLOWED BY SARAH SAYED. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS SHALANDA BRISBY AND I'M A LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON. OKAY, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON, UM, WAIT A MINUTE, I'M SORRY. I'M A LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN HERE TO SPEAK ON THE NEED TO MAKE THE TRASH FEE AFFORDABLE FOR RESIDENTS LIKE MYSELF AND MAKE IT BETTER A BETTER DEAL FOR WORKERS. MY NEIGHBORS AND I CANNOT AFFORD THIS FEE. THE US CENSUS DATA SHOWS HOUSTON'S POVERTY RATE. IT'S DOUBLE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AND HEAVILY AFFECTS CHILDREN WITH NEARLY ONE IN THREE CHILDREN EXPERIENCING POVERTY. RIGHT NOW, THE MAIN IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED FEE IS NOT TO IMPROVE TRASH PICKUP OR HELP SOLID WASTE WORKERS. IT'S MEANT AS A WAY FOR THE CITY TO ACCESS A FUND CALLED THE CUS. THE CUS WILL NOW BE USED TO PAY FOR THE LARGE BUDGET DEFICIT THE CITY IS FACING. MY ASK TO YOU ARE VERY SIMPLE. IF THIS TRASH FEE IS GOING TO PASS, WE NEED AN EXEMPTION FOR THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE DISABLED, WHO ARE ON A FIXED INCOME, WHO NEED TO FEED THEIR CHILDREN WHO ARE LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE. THIS FEE INCREASE TO $25 A MONTH IS IN JUST FIVE YEARS. JUST LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH OUR WATER RATES, THIS FEE WILL CAUSES SHOCK HOMES. YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. OUTSIDE THE WEALTHY AREAS, THE CITY NEEDS TO STEP UP AND DO A JOB TO PROTECT AND PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR OUR CITY. THANK YOU. NEXT, SARAH SAYED TO BE FOLLOWED BY LATONYA PAYNE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SARAH AND I'M AN ORGANIZER AND A MEMBER WITH THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. WE'VE BEEN ENGAGING WITH YOU FOR MANY YEARS. TODAY I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE GROWING FINANCIAL PRESSURE, UM, PEOPLE ARE FACING, UM, WHAT THEY, WHAT MANY PEOPLE CALL FEE STACKING. MANY CITY FEES ALREADY INCREASE AUTOMATICALLY EACH YEAR THROUGH INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS TIED TO CONSUMER PRICE INDEX OR CPI. AT THE SAME TIME, PROPERTY TAXES RISE WITH HOME VALUES, BUSINESSES PASS COSTS THROUGH CONSUMERS, AND NOW THE CITY IS ADDING RECURRING SOLID WASTE FEES. THE CONCERN IS NOT ONE SINGLE INCREASE, IT'S THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OVER TIME ON WORKING FAMILIES, RENTERS, SENIORS, AND SMALL BUSINESSES. AS COUNCIL MOVES THIS BUDGET CYCLE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRIORITIZE SOLUTIONS THAT REDUCE PRESSURE ON RESIDENTS WHILE PROTECTING HORROR CITY SERVICES. THAT INCLUDES ALLOCATING $45 MILLION FOR THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT, EXPANDING HIRING FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND REDUCING OVERTIME SO WE CAN IMPROVE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES, CREATING LOW INCOME EXEMPTIONS OR ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR ANY FUTURE SOLID WASTE FEES. AND OPPOSING THE PROPOSED 5% RIGHT AWAY FEE FROM COMBINED UTILITIES FROM THE CUS THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY BE PASSED DOWN TO CUSTOMERS. UM, YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I WILL ADD ONE MORE THING. I ASKED THE COUNCIL TO REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE TO THE VOTER APPROVED CAP, WHICH COULD GENERATE MILLIONS IN REVENUE AND HELP REDUCE RELIANCE ON LAYERED MONTHLY FEES AND KEEP WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS FOCUSED ON WATER. IF THE CITY'S GOING TO RELY MORE HEAVILY ON FEES MOVING FORWARD, THERE MUST BE SAFEGUARDS AND OFFSETS FOR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. NEXT, THANKS. LATONYA PAYNE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTIANA MCKEE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M HERE TO STRONGLY QUESTION BOTH THE IMPLEMENTATION AND PROPOSED INCREASE OF THIS FEE BEYOND THE $5 RESIDENTS ALREADY FACE THE AGGREGATION OF RISING COST. A FEE INCREASE TO $25 A MONTH OVER [00:55:01] A FIVE YEAR PERIOD MAY SEEM SMALL ON PAPER, BUT FOR WORKING FAMILIES, SENIORS IN AT-RISK COMMUNITIES, IT BECOMES ANOTHER RECURRING BURDEN PULLED FROM THE SAME HOUSEHOLD POT FAMILIES RELY ON FOR GROCERIES, MEDICATION, CHILDCARE, AND TRANSPORTATION. HISTORICALLY, SYSTEMS PRESENTED AS EQUAL OFTEN IMPACT COMMUNITIES UNEQUALLY WITH LOWER INCOME RESIDENTS CARRYING A HEAVIER PROPORTIONAL BOARD BO BURDEN WHILE WEALTHIER HOUSEHOLDS ABSORB THE INCREASE MORE EASILY. AT SOME POINT WE MUST ASK, ARE WE IMPROVING OUR CITY FOR RESIDENTS OR SLOWLY PRICING, WORKING FAMILIES OUT, PUSHING THEM OUT ALTOGETHER? IF CITY ORDINANCES GIVE THIS COUNCIL THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE AN EXEMPTION TO THESE FEES, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. URGE TO USE THAT AUTHORITY ONE MORE THING. AND IF ANY, UH, INCREASE IS DEEMED NECESSARY, THERE MUST BE TRANSPARENCY, A HARD CAP EXEMPTIONS FOR AT RISK COMMUNITIES AND SUBSIDIZED OR INCOME BASED APPLICATION OF THE FEE EQUITY IS NOT EVERYONE PAYING THE THE SAME AMOUNT. EQUITY IS RECOGNIZING WHO CAN ACTUALLY ABSORB THE IMPACT AND MAKING SURE WE SUPPORT THOSE WHO CAN. THANK YOU. NEXT. CHRISTIANA MCKEE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTOPHER GRAHAM. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHRISTIANA MCKEE AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT A. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE FLOCK CAMERAS WERE RECENTLY INSTALLED AT THE ENTRANCE OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH MEANS EVERY TIME I LEAVE OR RETURN HOME, MY MOVEMENTS AND MY FAMILY'S MOVEMENTS ARE BEING PHOTOGRAPHED, LOGGED, AND STORED IN A PRIVATE CORPORATE DATABASE. AND I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THESE CAMERAS ACTUALLY ARE. FLOCK MARKETS THEM AS A SIMPLE LICENSE PLATE READER, BUT THEIR OWN PATENTS AND PUBLIC RECORDS TELL A DIFFERENT STORY. THESE DEVICES ARE AI POWERED SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS THAT CAPTURE EVERY PASSING VEHICLE AND PERSON AND UPLOAD THAT INFORMATION TO A PRIVATE CORPORATE CLOUD THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOES NOT CONTROL. RESIDENTS HAVE NO PUBLIC RECORDS RIGHTS OVER THAT DATA. WE CANNOT SEE WHO ACCESSES IT HOW OFTEN, OR FOR WHAT PURPOSES. YET THIS INFORMATION IS BEING HARVESTED BY A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION THAT ANSWERS TO VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTORS, NOT TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. HOUSTON NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WHO THEY'RE DOING BUSINESS WITH. FLOCK'S. CEO PUBLICLY DENIED HAVING FEDERAL CONTRACTS, BUT PUBLIC RECORDS SHOW THAT FLOCK WAS QUIETLY GIVING US BORDER PATROL ACCESS TO LOCAL POLICE CAMERA DATA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, CHRISTOPHER GRAHAM TO BE, TO BE FOLLOWED BY ERIC SANCHEZ. GOOD UNION COUNCIL. I WAS COMING TO, UM, AND TO ADDRESS SOME CONCERNS IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'M A GOOD, UM, I'M A GOOD PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY. I'VE LIVED HERE FOR A LONG TIME. I'M BACK NOW. IT'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT SHOULDN'T, UM, PUTTING 'EM ON THE ALERT WITH THINGS THAT SHOULDN'T BE. I DON'T HAVE A HISTORY OF THINGS. UH, THINGS ARE HAPPENING. IT IS NOT SAFE FOR MYSELF OR THEM. AND WITH ME SAYING THAT ALSO, UM, BASICALLY THE NINE ONE ONE SYSTEM, WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1, IT'S EMERGENCY. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO COME REGARDLESS. YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GET TO PICK AND CHOOSE, WELL, I'M GONNA COME. THIS WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT. UM, OR THEY DON'T SHOW UP AT ALL. SO I HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE 9 1 1 DIDN'T SHOW UP. THINGS HAPPEN. BUT WHEN ANOTHER PERSON CALL, THEY SHOW UP. UM, BASICALLY 9 1 1 SHOULD BE A EMERGENCY RESPONSE. WHETHER EVERYONE LIKE THE FIVE TRUCK, EVERYONE COMES THERE OR NOT. LEMME FINISH. YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. UM, BASICALLY THERE'S SOME THINGS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY AND I NEED TO KNOW WHY, WHO'S ALLOWING IT WHEN THERE'S NO HISTORY OF IT, WHEN NO ONE IS IN DANGER AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT FAIR FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE PUT ON ALERT WITH THINGS LIKE THAT WHEN IT'S NEVER BEEN A HISTORY OR THE PERSON THAT'S DONE THOSE THINGS. SO BASICALLY, UM, IF WE CAN GET THAT TOGETHER AND I NEED SOME ANSWERS ON THAT. ALL THANK YOU SIR. NEXT, ERIC SANCHEZ AMMA, AKA ASHLEY BUTLER TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANNABELLE RIOS. ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. SO I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE LAST YEAR I MET WITH MY CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND I ASKED THEM WHY HAD THE PLAYGROUNDS IN [01:00:01] MY NEIGHBORHOOD BEEN ABOLISHED. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD GET ON IT. HOWEVER, A YEAR LATER, WE STILL DON'T HAVE A PLAYGROUND IN MY COMMUNITY. BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HOST FOREIGNERS TO COME INTO THE CITY AND WATCH SOCCER GAMES WITH THE FIFA WORLD CUP. AND OUR KIDS DON'T EVEN HAVE A PLAYGROUND. ALSO, SORRY. IN 2010, HOUSTON VOTERS VOTED AGAINST THE TRAFFIC CAMERAS. HOWEVER, ALL AROUND THE CITY CAMERAS ARE POPPING UP. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT'S OKAY WHEN JUST 16 YEARS AGO WE DIDN'T AGREE FOR THE CAMERAS, AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION, WE HAVE TO BE SURVEILLANCE SURVEYED. UM, AND THEN MY LAST CONCERN, SORRY. UM, ALSO IN MY COMMUNITY ON THE STREET OF MLK, I'VE COUNTED COUNTLESS GAS STATIONS. IN FACT, THEY'RE BUILDING A NEW GAS STATION. OH, OKAY. WRAP IT UP. THANK YOU. NEXT ANNABELLE RIOS, GEORGE LE BLANCHE. LE BLANCHE. OH NO. OH, HI MAYOR. MY NAME IS ANNA BELL. I KNOW YOU SEE US HERE BEFORE. WE ARE PART OF THE COALITION FOR BARRIER FREE LIVING. SO THIS IS A NON-PROFIT THAT THAT ADVOCATES FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. AND TWICE A YEAR WE HOST AN ADVOCACY CLASS WHERE WE PREPARE INDIVIDUALS AND TEACH 'EM SKILLS, UH, TO NOT BE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AND THE ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I ESPECIALLY BEING BROUGHT UP MOST OF THE ISSUES AND SOME OF THE STREETS THAT ARE MAJOR CONCERN, I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO, UH, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, PROBLEMS THAT I HAD. I MIGHT SPEAK RATHER, I'M GONNA SPEAK FROM THE HEART. YOU KNOW, I MYSELF HAVE RUN INTO SITUATIONS WHERE I'VE BEEN STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET DUE TO A POTHOLE NOT BEING ABLE TO CROSS THE STREET UNTIL SOMEBODY COMES UP TO MY RESCUE AND GIVES ME UNSTUCK TO BE ABLE TO CROSS THE STREET. ON ANOTHER OCCASION. I RODE THE CITY BUS WITH NO PROBLEM GETTING OFF THE BUS, BUT YET HAVING TO RIDE BETWEEN A BLOCKS ON THE STREET BEFORE BEING ABLE TO RIDE ANAC ACCESSIBLE, AN ACCESSIBLE SIDEWALK, THEY SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I URGE YOU AND PUBLIC WORKS TO WORK FOR BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE AND MORE FUNDING FOR, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES PEDESTRIAN PROGRAM, BUT WE KNOW THAT MORE FUNDING IS NEEDED. SO I URGE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO PROVIDE TO FEELINGS SIDEWALKS HAVE IN HIGH TRAFFIC AND HIGH SPEED NEED AREAS, REPAIRING DAMAGE OR OBSTRUCTED SIDEWALK, AND ENSURING THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT INCLUDE A DA TRUCTURE POLICIES, INVESTING IN A MORE EQUITABLE, HISTORICALLY UNSERVED COMMUNITIES ACCESSIBILITY, ACCESSIBLE SIDEWALKS IS NOT ELECTRIC. IT IS A NEED THAT INCREASES MOBILITY AND ACCESS. AND, AND WITH THE CITY AS BIG AND DIVERSE AS HOUSTON, HOUSTON NEEDS TO WORK BETTER IN MAKING AN ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY FOR OUR IANS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT, GEORGE LEBLA. CHAZ SAMPSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY OLIVIA HASSELL OF PARA LAND. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MAYOR. MY NAME IS CHAZ SAMPSON AND MY NIGHTTIME GIG [01:05:01] IS BEING AN NFL AGENT. BUT DURING THE DAY, I'M A CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN THE REAL ESTATE SPACE. UM, I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU, NOT ONLY AS A LANDOWNER, BUT ALSO AS A FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR, BUT ALSO SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO CREATE A SAFER AND MORE COMPLIANT AND MORE PROFESSIONAL STR ECOSYSTEM. HOUSTON'S AT A CRITICAL POINT RIGHT NOW. WE ARE NO LONGER DEBATING WHETHER SHORT TERM RENTALS EXISTS. THEY'RE IN OUR, OUR PERMANENT PART OF HOUSTON'S TOURISM, HOUSING, HOUSING, AND SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMY. THE REAL QUESTION IS WHETHER WE CREATE A SYSTEM THAT REWARDS RESPONSIBLE OPERATORS, WHY AGGRESSIVELY REMOVING BAD ACTORS? I WANNA GIVE YOU GUYS A FEW POINTERS THAT I ALSO WAS ABLE TO POINT OUT WHILE BEING IN THIS SPACE. UH, APRIL 22ND, 2025 WAS THE EFFECTIVE DATE FOR ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 20 25 DASH 3 22, WHICH IS SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE. UM, RIGHT NOW THERE IS 3,500 PLUS RE REGISTERED STR 83% AREN'T COMPLIANT, BUT THE 17% ARE NOT. THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED WITH MOSTLY IN PART IS, UM, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. ONE, YOU CAN COMPLETE IT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, SO HERE'S MY ASK VERY QUICKLY. UH, I'M, I, I FIRM BELIEVE THERE'S A BALANCE BETWEEN NEIGHBORS AND STR INVESTORS THAT CAN EXIST. UM, THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, I THINK IS A SOLID SET RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT I THINK IT'S MISSING SOME TEETH, MOSTLY IN PART TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN INVESTORS IN THE COMMUNITY AS ALSO NEIGHBORS. UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO PETITION FOR INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL THAT CONSISTS OF INVESTORS AS WELL AS COMMUNITY, UH, LEADERS AS WELL, TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THAT ARE COMPLIANT STAY IN COMPLIANCE LIKE MYSELF, I'M IN THE BUSINESS, BUT ALSO THOSE THAT ARE NOT COMPLIANT ARE ALSO PENALIZED IN, IN A PROPER WAY. THAT'S WHERE THOSE THAT ARE NOT COMPLIANT DOES NOT OVERWHELM THOSE THAT ARE COMPLIANT LIKE MYSELF AS WELL. WE ALSO HAVE AN EVENT TOMORROW. WE DO HAVE THE A RA THAT WILL BE THERE, UH, IN ATTENDANCE. UH, THIS EVENT IS TO EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT SHORT-TERM RENTALS, UM, HOW TO MANAGE THEM AND HOW TO BE COMPLIANT WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. EXCUSE ME. COUNCILOR PECK? YES, MA. YEP. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. UM, MY OFFICE SPOKE WITH YOU EARLIER TODAY. YES. TODAY. YES MA'AM. TALK WILL. YES. YEAH, GREAT. WE'LL REACH OUT TO YOU TO SET UP A MEETING SO WE CAN DISCUSS ALL OF THIS FURTHER. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU, SIR. MY PLEASURE. NEXT, OLIVIA HASSEL OF PEARLAND TO BE FOLLOWED BY, FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER EDMONDSON. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS OLIVIA HASSELL AND I'M AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DOCTORAL STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH. THROUGHOUT MY EXPERIENCE WORKING IN HEALTHCARE AND ADAPTIVE RECREATION, I HAVE REALIZED THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, FAMILIES, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AND EVEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ARE UNAWARE OF THE ADAPTIVE SPORT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE HERE IN HOUSTON. BECAUSE OF THIS, I'M ORGANIZING A HOUSTON ADAPTIVE SPORTS DAY EVENT ON SATURDAY, JUNE 27TH AT THE WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. THIS EVENT WILL BRING TOGETHER ADAPTIVE SPORT PROGRAMS FROM ACROSS HOUSTON TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES THE OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT, EXPLORE, AND TRY DIFFERENT ADAPTIVE SPORTS IN A WELCOMING AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT. WHILE THE EVENT PRIMARILY TARGETS INDIVIDUALS WITH MOBILITY AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS, ALL INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. WHETHER, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING OR SIMPLY WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOUSTON'S ADAPTIVE SPORTS COMMUNITY, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME OUT AND SUPPORT THIS EVENT. MY HOPE IS THAT THIS EVENT WILL INCREASE AWARENESS, ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUSION, AND LONG-TERM PARTICIPATION IN ADAPTIVE SPORTS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. TODAY, I'M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP AND SPREADING AWARENESS OF THIS EVENT, WHETHER THROUGH. THANK YOU, MA'AM. JUST A MOMENT. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN? UH, YES, OLIVIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'M SURE IF YOU CIRCULATED THAT INFORMATION, UH, TO ALL OF COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE IT OUT, UM, PARTICIPATE, AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING THAT YOU'RE DOING. I WANTED TO PERSONALLY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. UH, AND, AND MAYOR, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF FOLKS FROM OUR DISABILITY COMMUNITY COMING FORWARD TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACE EVERY SINGLE DAY BECAUSE, UM, OF HOW OUR CITY IS BUILT OR NOT MAINTAINED. WEST GRAY IS THAT GEM, UM, NOT ONLY OF HOPE, BUT OF A SUPPORTIVE NETWORK THAT EXISTS NOWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY. IT'S WHY WE HAVE FOUGHT SO HARD TO SECURE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR WEST GRAY TO RE-ENVISION IT, TO DO THE COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AROUND IT. SO, UH, WAS NOT, DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE COMING TO SPEAK ON, BUT YOU MENTIONED WEST GRACE. SO I REALLY JUST WANTED TO LIFT UP NOT ONLY YOUR WORK, BUT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, TO NOT ONLY CONTINUE THAT PROGRAMMING, BUT TO BUILD UPON IT IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS THE DIGNITY, UH, THAT OUR DISABILITY COMMUNITY DESERVES. YES. THANK YOU. I HAVE FLYERS IF ANYONE IS OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT, [01:10:04] JENNIFER EDMONDSON. FERDINAND RISSO OF MISSOURI CITY. JA, JAMES TURNER. WALTER RIVERA, LIMU LOCKEY DAVIS OF DICKINSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY MCKENZIE NALL. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LI MILWAUKEE, PAULA BY DAVIS. I AM 19 YEARS OLD AND I'M A COMPETITIVE FIGURE SKATER WHO SKATES AND TRAINS AT MEMORIAL CITY ICE RINK. TODAY, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT THE CLOSING OF OUR ICE RINK AND WHAT IT REALLY MEANS FOR ME AND SO MANY OTHERS DOWN SOUTH, THERE ARE VERY RARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOCKEY PLAYERS AND FIGURE SKATING. AND IF THIS GETS REPLACED BY A PARKING LOT, IT'S NOT JUST AN INCONVENIENCE. IT IS WIPING AWAY CHANCES FOR YOUNG AND FUTURE SKATERS TO TRAIN AND GROW AND TO LEARN. THEY'RE TAKING AWAY OPPORTUNITIES FROM ATHLETES WHO HAVE DEDICATED YEARS OF THEIR LIVES TO THIS SPORT, AND THEY'RE TAKING AWAY A TRAINING FACILITY FROM ATHLETES WHO LOVE WHAT THEY DO. IF THEY TAKE THIS SHRINK AWAY, THEY'LL BE TEARING DOWN A COMMUNITY THAT HAS HELPED SO MANY FAMILIES IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, AND IT'S TEARING DOWN DREAMS. MEMORIAL CITY SITS NEAR THE MIDDLE OF HOUSTON. IT'S THE EASIEST FACILITY FOR MANY FAMILIES TO TRAVEL TO. WITHOUT THIS, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT MANY YOUNG SKATERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THEIR SKATING JOURNEY DUE TO THE COMMUTE WITH PARENTS TRYING TO BALANCE THEIR WORK LIFE, THEIR CHILDREN'S SCHOOL, AND THEN JUST LIFE IN GENERAL. MAY THINGS YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THIS ONE SECTION, IT CAN BE EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT. I MEAN, MY, ME, MYSELF, I HAVE TO TRAVEL ABOUT AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF, ONE WAY JUST TO GET TO THE EASIEST RINK, AND IT HURTS KNOWING THAT IT'S GONNA BE REPLACED WITH ASPHALT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT MACKENZIE NALL TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHARLOTTE NALL. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M MACKENZIE NALL. I'VE BEEN FIGURE SKATING FOR ALMOST SIX YEARS NOW, AND I SKATE AT MEMORIAL CITY SIX DAYS PER WEEK. I CALLED MY SECOND HOME. FOR FIGURE SKATERS. WE EACH HAVE TO TRAIN CONSISTENTLY OR WE CAN LOSE OUR JUMPS, OUR EDGES, OUR BALANCE, AND OUR PROGRESS IN THE SPORT. I PARTICIPATE IN OFF-CAMPUS PE SO THAT I CAN TRAIN. I'M ALSO A PART OF HOUSTON ICE THEATER SKATERS HITS, WHICH IS HOUSTON'S OWN NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED THEATER ON ICE TEAM. OUR JUNIOR LEVEL TEAM WAS SELECTED TO REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE 2026 NATION'S CUP AND WORLD'S CUP. AND MEMORIAL CITY ICE RINK IS OUR TEAM'S HOME RINK. THROUGH FIGURE SKATING, I'VE LEARNED TIME MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND HAVE GAINED CONFIDENCE IN HANDLING CHALLENGES BOTH ON AND OFF THE ICE. I HAVE LEARNED HOW TO SET GOALS AND HOW TO WORK TO ATTAIN THEM. YOU, THROUGH MY EXPERIENCE ON HITS, I'VE LEARNED HOW TO WORK AS A PART OF A TEAM AND DEVELOP PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS. I'M SURE A WHOLE COMMUNITY OF ICE SPORTS ATHLETES CAN SAY THAT THIS IS OUR HEALTH AND FITNESS OUTLET, OUR HAPPY PLACE, AND OUR SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORK. IF MEMORIAL CITY ICE RINK CLOSES, THERE IS NOWHERE FOR ME TO DO MY SPORT CONSISTENT CONSTANTLY. THE OTHER REG REGULATION SIZE RANKS, CAN I PLEASE CONTINUE? THE OTHER REGULATION SIZE RINKS ARE FAR AWAY, AND BOTH OF MY PARENTS WORK FULL TIME. THERE ALSO ISN'T ENOUGH ICE FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WILL QUIT SKATING ALTOGETHER, AND I REALLY HOPE THAT I DON'T HAVE TO. MY OFF-CAMPUS PE APPLICATION WAS JUST DENIED FOR THE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ANOTHER APPROVED ICE RINK TO GO TO. THE UNITED STATES JUST WON GOLD MEDALS AND FIGURE SKATING, AND IN MEN'S AND WOMEN'S HOCKEY, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE IN INTERESTED IN TRYING ICE SPORTS. HOUSTON ALREADY DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH ENOUGH ICE RINKS COMPARED TO EVERY OTHER MAJOR CITY, BUT WITH THE MEMORIAL CITY ICE RINK CLOSING, IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR ANY ASPIRING ICE SPORT ATHLETE IN HOUSTON. WE DO NOT HAVE A FAIR SHOT AT COMPETING ACADEMICALLY AND ATHLETICALLY WITHOUT AN ACCESSIBLE FULL SIZE ICE RINK IN HOUSTON. HOUSTON DESERVES THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AT EVER AS EVERY OTHER MAJOR CITY. I RESPECTFULLY, I RESPECTFULLY ASK CITY LEADERSHIP TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY CENTERED SOLUTIONS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO OUR SPORTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. COME BACK. COME BACK, MA'AM. COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THANK YOU MACKENZIE FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS TO COUNCIL. I'VE READ QUITE A BIT ABOUT IT. DO YOU ALL KNOW WHO OWNS THE FACILITY, THE ICE RINK? UH, CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? I, I SAID DO YOU, [01:15:01] DO, DO, DO YOU ALL KNOW WHO OWNS THE FACILITY? WHO OWNS THE ICE RINK? NO. UH, METRO NATIONAL. OKAY. UM, IT IS A, IT IS A PRIVATELY OWNED, UH, A I THINK WE MAYBE KNOW SOME OF THE OWNERS, BUT IT, THE CITY DOESN'T OWN IT. MY, MY, UH, CHIEF OF STAFF IS A COMPETITIVE ICE SKATER, AND SHE'S TALKED ABOUT IT QUITE A BIT. AND SO, YEAH. UM, CERTAINLY I KNOW IT'S AN ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE VALUE OF HAVING THAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT, IT DOES TEACH THE YOUNG ATHLETES SO MUCH IN A SECOND HOME, AND I'M, I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE COULD DO ABOUT IT OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, CARRY THE MESSAGE TO THE OWNERS, BUT I'M SURE THERE'S MANY BUSINESS DECISIONS BASED ON, ON WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING. BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN, AND I KNOW IT MEANS A LOT TO YOU, AND HOPEFULLY THINGS WILL WORK OUT IN YOUR FAVOR. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT THANK YOU FOR, FOR BRINGING YOUR VOICE DOWN. THANK YOU. OH, NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NO, NO. COME BACK, COME, COME BACK. COUNCIL HOPE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MS. SMALL FOR COMING DOWN. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF RESIDENTS, UM, INSIDE OF DISTRICT G AND OUTSIDE OF DISTRICT G THAT UTILIZE THE MEMORIAL CITY ICE RINK. YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT MOST OLYMPIANS, UM, START SKATING BETWEEN THE AGES OF THREE AND SEVEN YEARS OLD. AND SO, YOU KNOW, REDUCING THESE ICE RINKS THAT THEY CAN PRACTICE ON WILL ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, HURT THE FUTURE. OLYMPIANS, YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF THE HOUSTON AREA, UM, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PRIVATE BUSINESSES MAKING DECISIONS, AND I KNOW THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY EASIER FOR Y'ALL. I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LARGE GROUP THAT HAS, UM, GOTTEN TOGETHER. I'VE SPOKEN WITH STATE REP REPRESENTATIVE LACEY HOLE. SHE'S KIND OF TAKEN THE CHARGE ON THIS. I KNOW HER SON IS AN AVID HOCKEY PLAYER AND USES THAT RINK ALL THE TIME. I KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOOKING INTO, UM, OTHER POTENTIAL LOCATIONS. I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE'S AN ICE RINK COMMITTEE THAT IS LOOKING AT NOT ONLY TEMPORARY FIXES BECAUSE THE ICE RINK WILL PERMANENTLY CLOSE IN JULY, BUT ALSO A, A LONG-TERM FIX AND SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IN THE, THE GENERAL AREA THAT WOULD BE EASY TO GET TO. I KNOW THAT, UM, I THINK LAST WEEK A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS WENT AND LOOKED AT A SPACE AROUND WESTVIEW AND BELTWAY EIGHT AS A POTENTIAL PLACE. I KNOW TO HAVE AN ICE RINK THAT'S BIG ENOUGH TO COMPETE ON, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE GALLERIA, IT HAS AN ICE RINK, BUT IT'S NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO, FOR THE TYPE OF COMPETITIONS THAT YOU'RE DOING. SO FINDING A PLACE AND A SPACE THAT DOESN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAS ONE BIG OPEN SPACE WITHOUT THE METAL BEAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, INTERRUPTING THE RINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, WE'RE GONNA KEEP WORKING ON THIS. I KNOW THAT REPRESENTATIVE HULL HAS TALKED TO, UM, POTENTIAL CORPORATE SPONSORS THAT MAY, YOU KNOW, SPONSOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, MAYBE CENTER POINT OR, OR ONE OF THESE OTHER BUSINESSES OUT THERE. YOU KNOW, THE CITY, WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING. AND OBVIOUSLY THIS ISN'T A, ISN'T A SILLY F CITY FACILITY, BUT IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE GREAT THINGS IN OUR AREA. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING DOWN. OH, NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT, CHARLOTTE NALL TO BE FOLLOWED BY PRINCESS HELEN. HI, I AM CHARLOTTE NALL. THAT WAS MY DAUGHTER. UM, I'M SEEKING ON BEHALF OF THE BROAD COMMUNITY OF SUPPORTERS WORKING TO PRESERVE ICE SKATE MEMORIAL CITY. HOUSTON'S THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA, YET THE CITY HAS EXTREMELY LIMITED YEAR-ROUND ICE ACCESS AND FALLS BEHIND EVERY OTHER MAJOR METROPOLITAN METROPOLITAN AREA IN RECREATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ICE SPORTS. HOUSTON HAS 30 TO 40 TIMES LESS ACCESS THAN TOP MARKETS. DALLAS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS 22 SHEETS OF ICE, AND HOUSTON WILL HAVE FOUR AFTER THE CLOSURE OF MEMORIAL CITY. LOSING THIS FACILITY WOULD DISPLACED ATHLETES ELIMINATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN IMPACT SCHOLARSHIP PATHWAYS, AND REDUCE A ACCESS TO UNIQUE SPORT THAT SERVES FAMILIES FROM DIVERSE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS. IT AFFECTS THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES AND DISPLACES PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN OPERA THAT HAVE OPERATED FOR DECADES. MORE THAN 8,500 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED OUR PETITION SUPPORTING CONTINUED ICE ACCESS IN HOUSTON. UH, MULTIPLE ELECTIVE REP REPRESENTATIVES, INCLUDING, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANNE HUFFMAN AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS, HAVE EX PUBLICLY EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR MAINTAINING ICE SPORTS ACCESS IN OUR HOUSTON COMMUNITY. LOCAL BUSINESSES HAVE SUPPORTED US AND CONFIRMED R THE RINK BRINGS CUSTOMERS TO THEIR BUSINESSES. MAY I CONTINUE? YES, MA'AM. GO AHEAD. OKAY. UM, SO THIS IS NOT JUST A RINK, IT'S A YOUTH DEVELOPMENT HUB, A HEALTH AND WELLNESS RESOURCE, A SAFE STRUCTURED AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITY AND SUPPORTS A LIFELONG SPORTS ECOSYSTEM, BUT WITHOUT EXCESS, THE ENTIRE PIPELINE COLLAPSES. CLOSING MORAL CITY ICE CREAM TAKES AWAY SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND PATHWAYS TO COLLEGE. FOR MANY OF THESE [01:20:01] STUDENT ATHLETES, HOUSTON IS ALREADY UNDERSERVED, AND EVEN IF THERE WAS ENOUGH ICE ELSEWHERE IN HOUSTON, LOSING OR RESTRICTING RINK SPACE CREATES BARRIERS TO ENTRY AND FINANCIAL BURDENS. FAMILIES ARE NOT ABLE TO OVERCOME, ESPECIALLY FOR THE MIDDLE AND LOWER INCOME FAMILIES. SO IT'S EVEN MORE THAN JUST A SPORTS ISSUE. IT'S AN EQUITY ISSUE. UM, IT ALSO LEADS TO, UH, DROPOUT RATES. PART PARTICIPATION DROPS, UM, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, DISENGAGEMENT INCREASES WITH THE AMERICAN ACADE ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, DECLARING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY AND CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL, ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH, WE URGE YOU TO PROTECT THIS MENTAL HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE. ADDITIONALLY, THE RINK HAS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL VALUE. IT'S A PROFITABLE RANK THAT HOSTS REGIONAL COMPETITIONS, TOURNAMENTS, AND PROMOTES TOURISM. UH, SO THE ISSUE IS MORE THAN JUST A BUILDING. IT'S ABOUT WHETHER HOUSTON WILL CONTINUE INVESTING IN COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, HEALTHY RECREATION, AND LONG-TERM QUALITY OF LIFE. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSTON TO DEMONSTRATE THAT GROWTH IN COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE CAN COEXIST SUCCESSFULLY. WE'RE NOT HERE TO OPPOSE GROWTH OR REDEVELOPMENT, BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR COLLABORATION, TRANSPARENCY, MEANINGFUL EXPLORATION OF PRESERVATION INTEGRATION, OR REPLACEMENT OPTIONS. BEFORE THIS COMMUNITY ASSET IS PERMANENTLY LOST, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THE CITY TO HELP FACILITATE STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY CENTERED SOLUTIONS. UM, I KNOW THAT YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, UM, ASKED ABOUT OR, OR MENTIONED THAT IT'S A PRIVATELY OWNED PROPERTY. UM, BUT THEY, THEY DON'T EXIST ON AN ISLAND. THEY DO HAVE PUBLIC WORKS, EMERGENCY SERVICES, FIRE MARSHAL TIER 17. SO THEY DO BENEFIT FROM PUBLIC, UH, PUBLIC FUNDS AS WELL. SO, UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE IS, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME. IT TAKES THREE YEARS TO BUILD A RINK. MY DAUGHTER GRADUATES IN FIVE. SO, UM, ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL COULD DO TO HELP US, WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT. MAY I APPROACH AND PASS THESE COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN KEY COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MS. NULL FOR COMING DOWN. I, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY AND KEEPING MY OFFICE INFORMED WITH THE DEVELOPMENTS AS, AS THEY MOVE ALONG. WE WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE THIS AND LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES. UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT IT WENT DOWN, IT SEEMED LIKE, YOU KNOW, QUITE A SURPRISE, UM, FOR EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY. SO, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP WORKING, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. THANK YOU GUYS. WE APPRECIATE YOU NEXT PRINCESS. OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS PRINCESS HELENE. I'M HERE WITH, UH, FOR THE SAME ISSUE. I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL TO HELP FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW RINK TO REPLACE MEMORIAL CITY ICE RINK. I'M HERE AS A PARENT OF A 22-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO HAVE SKATED FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND SHE IS TEACHING ICE SKATING AT MEMORIAL CITY TO YOUNG KIDS. FACILITIES LIKE MEMORIAL CITY ICE RINK PROMOTE PHYSICAL HEALTH SUPPORT, MENTAL HEALTH, MENTAL WELLBEING. I KNOW THIS FOR SURE FROM MY DAUGHTER, AND KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGED IN POSITIVE ACTIVITIES THAT BUILD DISCIPLINE, RESILIENCE, AND COMMUNITY. HOUSTON HAS VERY LIMITED ICE SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE. THE INCREASED DISTANCE AND COST FOR FAMILIES TO TRAVEL FURTHER WILL SIMPLY BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO, FOR THEIR CHILDREN. TO CONTINUE, CONTINUE PARTICIPATE IN ICE SKATING. I ASKED THE CITY TO HELP BRING TOGETHER PRIVATE INVESTORS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE A NEW RING IN WEST HOUSTON POSSIBLE VIA PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. THANK YOU. NEXT FRANZ HILLING TO BE FOLLOWED BY A COURTNEY NICHOLAS. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL. I'M FRANZ HELENE. I'LL BE BRIEF. UH, THE OTHER SPEAKERS THAT HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB REPRESENTING THE, THE NEED, UH, FOR A REPLACEMENT SKATING RINK FOR MEMORIAL CITY, UM, I JUST WANT TO REINFORCE THAT THE DEMISE OF A WELL-MANAGED, CENTRALLY LOCATED, UH, AND VERY, UH, COMFORTABLE SERVING ICE RINK IS A TRAGEDY. UH, SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO ANYTHING IN YOUR POWERS TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO, UH, ENABLE A NEW RINK, UH, IN THE GENERAL, UH, WEST HOUSTON OR CENTRAL HOUSTON AREA. THANK YOU. I YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT, COURTNEY NICHOLAS TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES KREMER. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. IT'S AN HONOR TO SPEAK IN THIS CHAMBER. I STARTED FIGURE SKATING SEVEN YEARS [01:25:01] AGO AS A 42-YEAR-OLD. I'VE LEARNED THAT SMALL VICTORIES REALLY ADD UP AND THAT EVERYONE HAS A PLACE ON THE ICE. I'VE WATCHED KIDS GAIN CONFIDENCE AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND I'VE MET FRIENDS WHO HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE SKATING HAS LITERALLY SAVED THEIR LIFE. SO I'M NOT JUST THINKING OF MYSELF BEING HERE TODAY, BUT OF THE CHILD OUT THERE WHO HAS YET TO DISCOVER SKATING, WE NEED TO PRESERVE RESOURCES LIKE THE MEMORIAL CITY RINK, WHICH HAS MADE SKATING ACCESSIBLE TO THE BROADEST RANGE OF SKATERS. IT IS THE ONLY FULL SIZE PUBLIC ACCESS RINK, WHICH YOU CAN REACH BY HOUSTON METRO BUS. IT'S THE ONLY ONE STUDENTS, CHURCH GROUPS AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE ENJOYED A HEALTHY SCREEN-FREE FAMILY ACTIVITY THERE. AND SIMILAR TO THE EXPLORER ACT, MANY CITIES AND ADVANCED NATIONS HAVE LAWS IN PLACE. YOUR YOUR TIME HAS TO PROTECT COMMUNITY ACTIVITY RESOURCES. WE ARE ASKING OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO HELP FACILITATE FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH METRO NATIONAL TO PRESERVE OR REPLACE MEMORIAL CITY ICE RINK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, JAMES KRETCHMAR TO BE FOLLOWED BY LARRY AGUIRE JR. GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS JAMES KRETCHMAR. FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY, UH, I'M A A PERSON IN LONG-TERM RECOVERY. WHAT THAT MEANS FOR ME IS I HAVEN'T FOUND A NEED TO TAKE A DRINK OR USE A MIND ALTERING SUBSTANCE. SINCE FEBRUARY 5TH, 2023, I'M A MEMBER OF OXFORD HOUSE AND THE CITYWIDE CHAIR. UH, I LIVE IN OXFORD HOUSE TWIN HILLS SINCE FEBRUARY 5TH, 2023. UM, WE ARE SOBER LIVING HOUSING. UH, OUR TRADITION ONE STATES THAT WE ARE OPEN FOR ANYBODY WHO IS WANTING RECOVERY, THAT ARE ALCOHOLICS AND ADDICTS AND, UM, AND WANTS AND WANTS TO BE IN RECOVERY. UM, WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. THERE'S A GROUP OF US TO INVITE ALL OF Y'ALL TO COME OUT ON JUNE 1ST TO A OXFORD HOUSE. STARTED 50 YEARS AGO. PAUL MALLOY STARTED THE FIRST HOUSE, AND WE ARE NOW OVER 4,000 HOUSES. CAN I HAVE A COUPLE? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE OVER 4,000 HOUSES ACROSS THE NATION. WE HAVE 36 IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON THERE. UM, I'VE GOT SOME INVITATIONS HE'S GONNA BE PASSING OUT AND STUFF, AND WE YES, WE'D LOVE Y'ALL TO SHOW UP ON THERE AND WE'VE GOT OTHER PEOPLE THAT WILL SPEAK. YEAH. THANK YOU. NEXT, LARRY AGUIRE JR. TO BE FOLLOWED BY EILEEN HARRIS. HI, I'M LARRY AGUIRE JR. I'M ALSO IN LONG-TERM RECOVERY, HADN'T FOUND A NEED TO PUT A DRUG OR USE ALCOHOL SINCE 20 11 19 20 19. I'M ALSO INVITING YOU ALL, UH, TO THIS OXFORD DOCUMENTARY THAT WE HAVE, UH, HERE ON THE FIRST. UM, I BELIEVE MY, THE MAYOR HAS RECEIVED ONE, UH, INVITATION AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE NOW GETTING THE INVITATION AS WELL. UM, JUST WITH A 12 STEP PROGRAM AND OXFORD HOUSE, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE YOU HERE TODAY. UM, I USED TO LIVE DOWNTOWN, UH, HOMELESS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AT A TIME, UM, WHEN USING AND DRINKING AND OXFORD HOUSE HELPED ME ACHIEVE THIS, UH, RECOVERY MILESTONE THAT I DID. OKAY, THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT EILEEN HARRIS TO BE FOLLOWED BY KIRSTEN BOGAR BOGART. THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS EILEEN. OH, OKAY. I AM EILEEN HARRIS AND I'M LONG-TERM RECOVERY. ALSO, I AM NOW AN ALUMNI OF OXFORD HOUSE, AND I WILL TELL YOU I'M A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC SINCE TWO SIX OF 2022. AND I HAVE BATTLED THE DISEASE OF ALCOHOLISM. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN IN ANY TROUBLE WITH THE LAW. I PUT MYSELF IN THERE. I WILL TELL YOU MY RECOVERY IS THE MAIN THING IN MY LIFE AND THE STRUCTURE IN MY LIFE, AND THAT IS WHAT OXFORD HOUSE HAS GIVEN ME. SO I WOULD EXTEND THE INVITATION TO YOU AND ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR, TO PLEASE COME AND SEE WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT. KIRSTEN BOGART. HELLO, MY NAME IS KIRSTEN BOGART. I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE [01:30:01] ONE OF THE OXFORD HOUSES, OXFORD HOUSE, SHELBY MARIE. UM, I AM HERE TODAY WITH MY 2-YEAR-OLD SON, DAVID. SO, WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT MY STORY IS I WAS ACTUALLY, UM, I'VE STRUGGLED WITH ADDICTION SINCE MY EARLY TWENTIES. I'M 37 NOW, AND AFTER HAVING MY SON, UM, I CHOSE TO GO TO THE OXFORD SOBER LIVING, AND I'VE BEEN THERE SINCE JULY OF 2024 WITH, WITH MY LITTLE BOY. UM, AND THIS FILM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT WE'RE INVITING EVERYONE TO, IT'S JUST REALLY TO SPREAD AWARENESS AND HOPEFULLY THAT WE CAN GET SOME MORE HOUSES SET UP FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY AS A MOM WITH A CHILD AND STAYING SOBER AND FOCUSING ON MY RECOVERY. THIS HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY RESTART MY LIFE IN A WAY THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO. SO I'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD MY RELATIONSHIP BACK WITH MY PARENTS AND MY SIBLINGS. AND ALSO, IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY JUST SOMETHING THAT'S UNDER, UNDER FOCUS. THERE'S NO NOT ENOUGH FOCUS ON IT FOR THOSE MEMBERS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF TREATMENT CENTERS AND NOT HAVING A PLACE TO GO OR COMING OUT OF INSTITUTIONS. AND WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO FORWARD THE INVITATION TO COME AND CHECK OUT OUR FILM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NEXT, MARIA GONZALEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARY AND SCOTT. GOOD EVENING. UH, MR. MAYOR, FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, GOOD TO SEE LOTS OF FRIENDS HERE. I WANNA THANK YOU'ALL FOR HO HOLDING EVENING SESSIONS. IT'S IMPORTANT SO ALL OUR, ALL OUR CITIZENS CAN PARTICIPATE. UM, I WANNA ENCOURAGE, UH, YOU ALL TO SUPPORT CHANGING THE NAME OF CESAR CHAVEZ STREET. WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF NAMES. ALSO, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER THERE ARE ALWAYS NEW STREETS BEING BUILT IN THE CITY. SO, UM, I DO ENCOURAGE MARIA JIMENEZ BE RECOGNIZED. UH, THE OTHER THING I, I WANT TO POINT OUT IT TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON TRYING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF ICE. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU ALL TO RECONSIDER LOOK AT THIS AGAIN. I HAVE HAD STUDENTS WHO, WHEN YOU GUYS WERE CONSIDERING ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF ICE, FELT SAFE AND MORE COMFORTABLE BEING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS ARE SCARED. IF WE CAN JUST SEND A MESSAGE OUT, YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. JUST A SECOND. YES, MS. WILLIAMS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. MARIA, IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU. UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE AN UPDATE WE RECEIVED TODAY. WE WILL BE GETTING THE FIRST PUBLIC REPORTING ABOUT HPDS COOPERATION WITH ICE ON JULY 15TH. UM, I ASSUME THAT REPORTING WILL BE PUBLIC, BUT IF NOT, AS SOON AS OUR OFFICE RECEIVES IT, WE WILL PROVIDE IT. AND SO I HOPE YOU WILL ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO USE THIS INFORMATION TO HOLD HPD ACCOUNTABLE. PLEASE. I, WE REALLY NEED TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THAT WE ARE NOT ALLOWING THIS CITY TO BECOME A PLACE WHERE OUR, MY STUDENTS FAMILIES ARE, ARE SCARED. AND IF WE CAN JUST KEEP SENDING THAT MESSAGE OUT, THAT WILL HELP HELP. AND I DO WANNA SLIP IN HERE. I REALLY ALSO WANNA SUPPORT THE LGBTQ PLUS EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE AND ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU NICK. MARY AND SCOTT WALTER MILLBURN OF SUGARLAND. BERNADETTE. KIKI, PRAISE THE LORD. ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR. UH, GREETINGS ALSO IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. SO I AM HERE TODAY TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS. DOES THE ENTIRE HOUSTONIANS KNOW THAT THE MESSIAH IS COMING? DOES THE ENTIRE HOUSTONIANS, TEXANS AND ALL OF UNITED STATES KNOW THAT RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IS AT HAND? DOES THE ENTIRE HOUSTONIANS KNOW THAT WE MUST PREPARE SERIOUSLY LIKE THE FIVE WISE VIRGINS TO MAKE RAPTURE? DO WE AGREE THAT THE PROPHETS IN THE BIBLE? PLEASE, CAN YOU LISTEN TO ME? I THINK SOME OF YOU ARE TALKING AND [01:35:01] MAYBE SOME OF YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION. BUT THIS IS VERY SERIOUS. THIS IS THE MOST SINGULAR, SERIOUS INFORMATION COMING TO THIS CITY HALL TODAY. YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. AND THE QUESTION I HAD FOR THE MAYOR AND BLESSED BELOVED COUNCIL MEMBERS IS THAT THE PROPHET IN THE BIBLE WAS SENT TO THE LEADERS LIKE ME AND YOU. ANCIENT PROPHET MOSES WAS SENT TO, UH, UH, UH, PROPHET, UH, WAS SENT TO THE EGYPTIAN PHARAOH. OKAY? AND ELIJAH WAS SENT TO WHO? AHAB, EVEN JONAH. WHEN JONAH WENT TO NVE, JONAH HAD TO CONVINCE THE KING AND ALL THE LEADERS TO GET INTO . AND I'VE COME HERE AND I HAVE ASKED HOUSTON AS THE NUMBER TWO MOST SINFUL NATION IN THE EARTH, ARE WE GOING TO BE RAPTURED? ARE WE GOING TO BE RAPTURED? AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS THAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS SAYING EVERY HUMAN BEING ON THE EARTH, REPENT. REPENT, REPENT. BECAUSE THE MESSIAH IS COMING. AND I SEE MYSELF HERE SOMETIMES I SEE PEOPLE THINKING THAT THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY GAVE US MUST BE REVERSED BACK. EVEN WHEN WE PRAY HERE, WE PRAY. WE SAY IN THE HOLY, IN YOUR HOLY NAME, PEOPLE ARE ASHAMED. CHRISTIANS ARE ASHAMED TO CALL THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST INSIDE THE CITY HALL. AND I COME AS A CONCERN, HOUSTONIAN TO SAY, BLESSED LEADERS, TIME IS OVER. THE MOST SINGLE NEVER RETURN BACK. HISTORIC DESTRUCTION IS COMING TO THE EARTH AND HOUSTONIAN IS BETTER. BE PREPARED. TRIBULATION IS AT HAND. WE ARE THE FIGO AT THE LINE AT THE AGE THE STREET OF HUMUS IS, IS BY THE LORD HIMSELF. OKAY? OKAY. THANK THE WAR IN RUSSIA. HE STRUCK BY THE HIMSELF. WAS BY THE LORD HIMSELF THROUGH, AND HE'S TELLING ME AND YOU GOD, HISTONIA. MA'AM, DON'T LET US GO TO HER. PLEASE, PLEASE US. DON'T LET US GO TO THANK YOU. PLEASE. I DON'T WANT MY CHILDREN TO GO TO HER. THANK YOU, MA'AM. LET YOU, YOU THANK YOU. THEY GONNA HELP YOU OUT. WE'RE OKAY OFFICERS. WE'RE OKAY. WE GOT YOU. WE NEEDED, WE NEEDED THAT. WE DID DID AMEN. NEXT BEL EDWARDS OF CONROE, SHE SAID, KENDRICK JOHNSON. SHE SAYS, GET RIGHT, CHOOSE NATHANIEL LEONARD JU THIS DAY. JEREMY PEELE. THANK YOU SISTER. WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK TO BE FOLLOWED BY MAX DIAZ. ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING, COUNSEL. MY NAME IS JEREMY PEEL. I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE HOUSTON EVICTION ADVOCACY CENTER, AND I'M HERE TO ASK COUNSEL TO ALLOCATE MORE FUNDING TO HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AS A SOLUTION TO THE HOUSING CRISIS. HOUSING INSTABILITY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES ESTONIANS FACE EVERY DAY I SEE PEOPLE PUSH TOWARD EVICTION BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, A TEMPORARY LOSS OF INCOME OR RENT RISING, OR A RISING RENT COSTS. AND ONCE SOMEONE LOSES HOUSING, THE CITY OFTEN ENDS UP PAYING FOR THAT INSTABILITY ANYWAYS THROUGH HOMELESSNESS, OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES. HOWEVER, PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN RESPONDING TO DISPLACEMENT AFTER IT OCCURS. AND WHEN PEOPLE HAVE STABLE HOUSING, THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO COMMIT CRIME AND MORE LIKELY TO MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES. IN ADDITION TO THE MAYOR'S IN IN STREET HOMELESSNESS FUND, I ASK COUNSEL TO ALLOCATE MORE MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND TO EVICTION PREVENTION, EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AND EVEN LE UH, LEGAL AID PROGRAMS THAT HELP KEEP HOUSE PEOPLE HOUSED. OUR CITY CANNOT SUCCEED YOUR TIME. THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP IT RUNNING CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE IN IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT, MAX DIAZ, NATHANIEL LEONARD TO BE FOLLOWED BY ISAIAH LOPEZ. [01:40:08] NOW WITH MY MIKE, PLEASE. OKAY. YEAH. UH, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR COUNSELOR OR SECRETARY. SHE HAS NOT, UH, CALLED, UH, OFFICER SMITH OVER AT WEST SIDE POLICE STATION. I'VE BEEN WAITING TO, UH, HEAR FROM YOU AS FAR AS ME GETTING SOME HELP WITH THE, UH, BIGOT SHERIFF SITUATION AND GETTING ME WITH THIS SAYS, COUNCIL OF JUSTICE AS FAR AS TEXAS GOES. AND HOUSTON GOES TO GET SOME JUSTICE DONE AS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAID TO WEED OUT BIGOTS AND PEOPLE WHO DO THINGS LIKE THAT TO PEOPLE WHO, WHICH THIS GUY TARGETED AND SABOTAGED MY LIFE FOR 20 YEARS. AND I DO NEED SOME HELP WITH, UH, BEN CRUMP, THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER TO GET SOME JUSTICE DONE FOR MY LIFE. NOT HAVING TO COME BACK HERE EVERY, UH, WEEK. AND, UH, I TRIED TO WAIT AND HEAR. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM YOU OR YOUR OFFICE OR YOUR SECRETARY. OKAY. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT, ISAIAH LOPEZ, DO YOU WANT ME TO COME BACK OR, OR THANK YOU. OKAY. I MEAN, DO I CALL THE OFFICE OR Y'ALL? HOW DO I DO THAT? OBJECT TO SIDE. OKAY. THANK YOU. ISAIAH LOPEZ, WEST. THAT'S WEST. WEST HOUSTON, PLEASE. THANK YOU. AUBREY CONTRERAS. MM-HMM . CAROLINA BUSTOS TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB CLEMENT. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL. MY NAME IS CAROLINA BUSTOS. I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH THE RAICES COLLABORATIVE AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, MONEY. YOU KNOW, UM, HOUSTON, ANYWHERE YOU GO, YOU'LL FIND A LITTLE BIT OF HOUSTON. I URGE YOU TO PROTECT YOUR CITY. OUR COMMUNITIES ARE ALREADY SUFFERING SO MUCH. MY DAUGHTER CAME HOME LAST WEEK AND TOLD ME ONE OF HER CLASSMATES ATE THEIR TEACHER'S CHIPS AND GOT YELLED AT IN JULY, 2025. THE STARTING SALARY FOR HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER WAS 81,600. LAST YEAR, CITY COUNCIL VOTED THAT OFFICERS WOULD RECEIVE A TOTAL BUMP PAY OF NEARLY 37%. AND NOW WE HAVE HPD OVERTIME SPENDING AT AN ALL TIME HIGH 74 MILLION, SURPASSING THIS 45 MILLION BUDGET BY $29 MILLION. ONE SENIOR OFFICER MATTHEW DAVIS, ANNUAL SALARY WAS 90,000. DAVIS RECEIVED 170,000 IN JUST OVERTIME. PLEASE PROTECT US. NEXT, JACOB CLEMENT TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSEPH AMARI. THE BEST FOR LAST AGGIE JOKE. OKAY, UM, I WAS TALKING ABOUT ATHLETES GENDER. WELL, WHEN I WAS A MEMBER, UH, I COMPETING ATHLETE AT THE 96 PARA OLYMPIC PARALYMPICS, UH, WE HAD A TEAM, A COMPETING TEAM OF MALES AND FEMALES. AND SO, WELL, WHEN THE FEMALES TOOK OFF BEFORE ME, UH, I DIDN'T PAY THAT MUCH TO IT, BUT LATER ON I PASSED HIM UP. AND SO I WAS GLAD. AND SO, UM, ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT A BIOLOGICAL MAN, EX Y COMES ON COMPETING AGAINST FEMALES, WHICH YOUR XX CU ZONES THEN THAT AIN'T RIGHT NOW. AND AG WAS US. WHAT IS SIN CALLED? MAY. AND HE WAS FROM MEXICO QUE. AND SO HE SAID, OH, IT'S 5 5 26. AND THEN THE SAME QUESTION WAS THAT, UH, AMERICAN AGGIE. AND HE SAID, OH, THAT'S EASY. IT IS 5 5 26. AND THEN, UH, WELL THAT CONFUSED THE OTHER AGGIE. AND HE SAID, WHY IS THAT? AND, AND THE, UH, AMERICAN SAID, CINCO AND THE AGGIE FROM QUE MEXICO SAID, UM, MAYO DECO. VERY GOOD. JACOB, LET'S GO NEXT. JO JOSEPH AMMAR. JOSEPH AMARI TO BE FOLLOWED BY EDUARDO DURAN. [01:45:01] HOW YOU DOING TODAY, MR. MAYOR? CITY COUNCIL? I END UP WITH SOME EDDIE MERCURY TRADING PLACES CLUB, BUT TIPS CAME OUT. I SAY I WON'T DO THIS AGE AMERICA THING, BUT ANYWAY, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE ME OR LIKE MY WORKING, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY. BUT IF YOU DON'T WANNA BUY IT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW. BUT ONCE YOU BUY IT, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT WITH IT. BUT UNTIL THEN, I REALLY DON'T LIKE INTEGRATING AND COLLABORATE OR MAKING THAT CROSSROAD MOVE WITH MY OFF FORM, WITHOUT THAT CONTRACT BEING IN PLACE AND ESTABLISH HOW MUCH THE DEALERS WORTH AND HOW MUCH DEAL CLOSED. I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT, UH, NEW OR OLD WHITE PRIVILEGE AS LONG AS YOU PAY ME FOR THE CONTRACT THAT AGREED UPON. AND I ASK YOU PLEASE 'CAUSE NOBODY LIKE THESE LAWSUITS AND NOT UNNECESSARY LAWSUITS. AND, AND PLEASE DON'T STEAL. USE MY HOODIE WITH THE NUMBER, THE BREAST AND THIGH NUMBER. DON'T HAVE A DEAL WITH IT. I DON'T WANNA SEE YOU GET HURT IN IT. AND, UH, DON'T SAY I JUST WARN YOU UNTIL THEN, I KEEP MY OFF ON, ON MY SIDE OF THE TABLE AND MY SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOT SIDE OF TRACK. YOU KEEP YOUR OFF FORM ON YOUR SIDE OF THE ROAD, YOU SIDE TO TRACK YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED JUST TO AMERICA. IN FACT, THEY'RE GONNA GET THE GEORGE FOREMAN GRIGG DEAL WITHOUT PAYING GEORGE FOREMAN AND THE GRIGG . ALL RIGHTY. THANK YOU NICK. EDO DURAN. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. AND THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. WE STAND ADJOURN. NO RECESS. RESET RECESS. RESET [RECESS] RECESS. YES. RECESS CHAMBER. [READING OF THE CONSENT AGENDA] I WILL NOW READ THE CAPTIONS FOR THE AGENDA OF MAY 20TH, 2026. ITEM ONE, REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF ALVIN JOHNSON IV TO POSITION TWO OF THE HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM TWO, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS THAT HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL ACCEPT THE WORK AND AUTHORIZED FINAL PAYMENT IF ANY OF THE CONTRACT WITH INDUSTRIAL TEXAS CORPORATION. ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS THAT HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL ACCEPT THE WORK AND AUTHORIZED FINAL PAYMENT IF ANY OF THE CONTRACT WITH JFT CONSTRUCTION INC. ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECT HU DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AT HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. ACCEPT THE WORK AND AUTHORIZED FINAL PAYMENT IF ANY OF THE CONTRACT WITH VORTEX SERVICES. LLC. ITEM FIVE, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE JOINT REFERRAL COMMITTEE ON REQUESTS FROM JOHN CHADDICK AND SCHWER CORRIGAN OGDEN DECLINING THE ACCEPTANCE OF REJECTED AND REFUSING THE DEDICATION OF AN OF AN 11 FOOT WIDE ALLEY FROM TEETH SHOR STREET NORTH OF HIS TERMINUS WITHIN THE YEOMAN EDITION OUT OF THE JOHN AUSTIN TWO LEAGUE SURVEY. A ONE ITEM SIX AMEND MOTION. 2026 DASH 1 29 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FROM $525,000 TO $598,000 ON AWARD TO ERNST AND YOUNG LLP ITEM SEVEN APPROVED. SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PROFESSIONAL GRANT SUPPORT SERVICES AWARDED TO THE RESPONSE GROUP LLC. ITEM EIGHT, TACTICAL SUPPORT EQUIPMENT INC. FOR SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE OF CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE TRACKING GEAR UPGRADES. ITEM NINE, TETRATECH INC. FOR EMERGENCY PAYMENT FOR EMERGENCY S-C-A-D-A SUPPORT SERVICES. ITEM 10, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AMENDING RESOLUTION 2026 DASH 18, SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING AT 9:00 AM ON JUNE 3RD, 2026 IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER OF CITY HALL 9 0 1 BAGBY STREET, SECOND FLOOR, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 2 ON THE CITY BUDGETS FOR THE TIME PERIOD. JULY 1ST, 2026 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2027. ITEM 11 OR ORDINANCE RELATING TO RETAIL GAS UTILITY RATES OF CENTER POINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORPORATION, DOING BUSINESS AS CENTER POINT ENERGY INDEX AND AS CENTER POINT ENERGY, TEXAS GAS. ITEM 12, ORDINANCE ACCEPTING PROPOSAL THROUGH MEMBER COMPANY, NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. ITEM 13 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $900,000 FOR REPLACEMENT OF PROTECTIVE GEAR AND EQUIPMENT. ITEM 14 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 15, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $45,134. APPROPRIATING $30,000 APPROPRIATING $790,857 46 CENTS APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT FOR PRO PROJECT ENHANCEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING BUFFALO BIO EAST PARK PROJECTS BETWEEN [01:50:01] THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND BUFFALO BIO PARTNERSHIP. ITEM 16, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $333,000 AND $90,000 FOR BROCK PARK IMPROVEMENTS. ITEM 17 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,084,000 AND $153,000 FOR CLOVER LAND PARK IMPROVEMENTS. ITEM 18 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,250,000 APPROVING IN AUTHORIZING IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH MEMORIAL HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM 19, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $585,000 AND $1,220,000 FOR IN GRANDO PARK RENOVATION. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 21 95 RELATED TO CONTRACTS WITH ALL TERRA ENGINEERING INC. ALPHA TESTING, INC. ASSOCIATED TESTING LABORATORIES, INC. A VILLAGES ENGINEERING CORPORATION, BRAUN INTERTECH CORPORATION, ECS SOUTHWEST, LLP DAY AND ASSOCIATES LIMITED HBJ ASSOCIATES, INC. KLEIN FELDER INC. NINO AND MORE GEOTECHNICAL EN AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES. SCIENCES CONSULTANTS, PARADIGM CONSULTANTS, INC. QC LABORATORIES INC. ROB NER INC. TERRACON CONSULTANTS INC. AND TU TO WONG ENGINEERS INC. TO PROVIDE MATERIAL TESTING AND ENGINEERING SERVICES. ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING TELECOMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT LICENSE BETWEEN METHODIST HOSPITAL AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR SPACE AT 6 65 65. FANON ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH ALPHA ICARE ASSOCIATES. PLLC ITEM 23. ORDINANCE APPROVED IN AUTHORIZING CONTRACTS WITH A A R INCORPORATED FNL LANDSCAPING CONSTRUCTION, INC. ISL CON CONTRACTORS, LLC PARAMOUNT BUILDERS OF TEXAS AND TOP CHOICE SOLUTIONS. ITEM 24 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATE $1,188,000 44 CENTS FOR REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 28 MEDICAL CENTER AREA ZONE FOR PAYMENT TO MEDICAL CENTER AREA REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS AND BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE FOR THE PATHWAYS FOR PRE-APPRENTICESHIP AND READINESS TRAINING. PROJECT ITEM 26 ORDINANCE PROVEN IN AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR FY 27 BODY WORN CAMERA PROGRAM. ITEM 27, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY FOR THE FY 26 HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS PROGRAM GRANT ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING FORM OF INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT RELATED TO FIFA WORLD CUP GRANT PROGRAM TO BE EXECUTED BY HARRIS COUNTY AND OTHER ENTITIES. ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT WITH SPORTS AUTHORITY FOUNDATION RELATED TO CONTRACT CONTRACTED SECURITY PERSONNEL FOR FIFA WORLD CUP FAN FEST. EVENTS ITEM 30 ORDINANCE PROVEN IN AUTHORIZING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY RELATED TO COUNTER UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS GRANT PROGRAM. ITEM 31 HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION WILL NOW BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 32 HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE PROVEN IN AUTHORIZING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH NEAR NORTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. ITEM 34 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 2,400 BLOCK OF GARIN STREET BETWEEN GOLD SPEAR STREET AND CULVER STREET WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM LOT SIZE BLOCK PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 42 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. ITEM 35 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 1 43 0.74 ACRES OF LAND TO WEST HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 21 ITEM 36 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF A 50 FOOT WIDE ENOCH AVENUE FROM CAMBRIDGE STREET PLATTED AS HOLT STREET WEST PLUS MINUS 350 FEET BEING ADJACENT TO BLOCK 88 AND 89 WITHIN KNIGHTS MAIN STREET EDITION SECTION TWO OUT OF THE BH FREELING SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER TWO 70, VACATING AND ABANDONING THE SAID PLUS MINUS 315 FEET OF 50 FOOT WIDE ENOCH AVENUE TO VICTOR GEORGE REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, LLC ITEM 37. MOTION TO SET A DATE NOT LESS THAN SEVEN DAYS FROM MAY 20TH, 2026 TO RECEIVE NOMINATIONS FOR POSITION ONE OF THE LAKE HOUSTON DREDGING DISTRICT. ITEM 38 ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION TWO DASH TWO OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE RELATED TO RELATE TEAM TO ALLOWING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO REGISTER TO SPEAK BEFORE CITY COUNCIL THROUGH AN ONLINE REQUEST FORM. THIS [01:55:01] COMPLETES THE READING OF THE CAPTIONS FOR THE AGENDA OF MAY 20TH, 2026. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT PUBLIC, THE NEXT COUNCIL SESSION TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND WITH THAT I WISH EVERYONE A BLESSED AND HAPPY HUMP DAY, [RECONVENE ] WHICH IT IS UNDER ORDER AND [MAYOR'S REPORT] THE MAYOR'S REPORT IS BEING YIELDED TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, TAKE YOUR TIME. THERE'S NOT A MAYOR'S REPORT. MORE IMPORTANT THEN YOUR REPORT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. UM, I DIDN'T SAY YOU'RE THE MAYOR, . I SAID THANK YOU. I SAID THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AND I'LL I'M YIELDING MY TIME. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I, UH, I'LL RESERVE MOST OF MY COMMENTS, UH, FOR AFTER COUNCIL TODAY. BUT WE HAVE TWO VERY SPECIAL GUESTS WITH US. UH, OUR COUNCIL, BABY SLADE AND MY HUSBAND MATT. MATT, IF YOU'LL COME UP FOR A SECOND, STAND RIGHT THERE. UH, OFTENTIMES COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO SERVE AND SERVE ON BOARDS, SERVE AS ELECTEDS, I THANK THEM ALSO FOR THEIR FAMILY SERVICE. AND TODAY I GET TO THANK MY FAMILY. UM, IT'S MY LAST DAY ON COUNCIL SLAYED. YOU HAVE SHARED SO MUCH OF YOU WITH THIS BODY AND WITH THIS CITY, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE AND, UH, TO MY HUSBAND MATT. I COULD NOT DO WHAT I DO. HEY, HEY, HEY. UH, I COULD NOT DO . I COULD NOT DO WHAT I DO FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITHOUT YOU AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILY, UH, TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WE DO. BUT JUST TO BE AN EXTRAORDINARY PARTNER. SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME, UM, TO RECOGNIZE MY FAMILY. 'CAUSE MANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT A SACRIFICE IT IS. AND I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL THAT I HAVE SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY PARTNER. MY ENTIRE FAMILY, MY MOM, MY DAD, MY SISTER, BUT REALLY MATT, UH, YOU'RE IT. AND HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS IS WHAT I WAS DOING TODAY. HE JUST THOUGHT HE WAS COMING DOWN TO SUPPORT ME. BUT YOU DESERVE SO MUCH, UH, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND RECOGNITION FOR WHO YOU ARE. AND I LOVE YOU MATT HANSEL. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING SLAYED. YOU'RE JUST THE BEST DUDE, . ALRIGHT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE, WE ALL KNOW THE IMPACT THAT PUBLIC SERVICE HAS ON YOUR FAMILY. UH, GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MEET INTERESTING PEOPLE, BUT ALSO THE DEMANDS ON YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO THE JOB IS A FAMILY SACRIFICE. AND MY DAUGHTERS HAVE BEEN RAISED BY A PUBLIC SERVANT THEIR ENTIRE LIFE. AND WE COULD GO AROUND THE HORSESHOE AND IT'S, IT'S A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, BUT IT ALSO IS A, UH, A CHALLENGE. SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT. I APPRECIATE IT. AND I THINK SL I THINK OF OUT OF EVERYONE'S SLADE WAS, UH, THE MOST SAD 'CAUSE HE HEARD I WASN'T GONNA BE COMING BACK TO HIS. HE LOVES HANGING OUT BACK IN CHAMBERS. AND, UH, BUT THIS, OUR COUNCIL FAMILY HAS REALLY EMBRACED MY FAMILY AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. VERY GOOD. [CONSENT AGENDA] LET'S GO TO CONSENT. UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEM ONE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY CATEGORY. UH, NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR, CAST STATE MOVE I SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. NEED A MOTION FOR ITEM FIVE? CASTEX TO MOVE NEXT SECOND. LET ME, UH, PAUSE RIGHT HERE. MR. JOHNSON, WHO WE JUST VOTED ON? NO, NOT YET. NOT YET. NOT YET. NOT YET. NOT YET. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE HIM. NOT HERE YET. OKAY. WE HAVEN'T VOTED ON IT YET. IT'LL COME BACK IN A MINUTE. OR WE CAN CALL US NOW. WHAT DIFFERE? DOES IT MATTER? YOU MIGHT WELL DO IT. I WE CAN CALL. WE CAN CALL NUMBER ONE. YOU CALL. YEAH. CALL NUMBER ONE. I WAS, I WAS MINDFUL OF HIS TIME. UH, MR. JOHNSON, WE RECOGNIZE YOU AND WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON YOU IN A MOMENT, BUT I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT YOUR VOTE. , COME FORWARD AND LET US THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE VOTE? WE'RE GONNA LET, LET HIM CALL IT. DO YOU NEED ME TO MOVE TO [02:00:02] WE'RE, WE'RE FINE. I, I THOUGHT YOU MAYBE HAD A SCHEDULING ISSUE, BUT YOU'RE HERE FOR LONGER. THANK YOU, BROTHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IS THAT YOUR FAMILY WITH YOU? YES. THANK HER. THANK YOU MA'AM. DITO TO MY WORDS. IT'S A, IT'S A FAMILY CHALLENGE TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT. SO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR BEING HERE. TROY'S GONNA CALL NUMBER ONE REAL QUICK SO WE CAN VOTE ON THIS. ITEM ONE NEEDS A MOTION CAST. TM MOVE SECOND. HOLD ON. MOTIONS MADE. AND SECOND ON ITEM ONE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NO PASSES. THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON. MRS. JOHNSON, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS APPOINTMENT. UM, AS YOU KNOW, UM, THE HOUSTON HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, AND WE, UH, UH, NOMINATED AND APPOINTED A SERIES OF, OF NEW APPOINTMENTS. AND ALVIN REPRESENTS, UM, THE ADDITION TO THAT AS WE MOVE TO, UH, MEET OUR DEMANDS AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY. UH, EXCITED ABOUT, UH, HIS WORK. UM, YOU'VE HEARD ME MENTION SOME OF HIS WORK AT THE HORSESHOE. UM, UH, THE BANK THAT HE'S A, UH, AFFILIATED WITH TEXAS FIRST BANK, UM, DID SOME OF THE FUNDING AT BONTON CDC WITH THOSE 13 LOTS. UM, ALSO HE'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE THIRD WARD, UH, LITTLE LEAGUE CLUB, UH, THAT IS, HAS A RESURGE THAT'S BEEN IN THE NEWS LATELY. SO, UH, EXCITED. MAYOR, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. PUBLIC SERVICE IS A, A DEEP COMMITMENT. UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTING TO YOUR CITY. HAPPY TO HAVE YOU APPOINTED. THANK YOU FOR THE RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU MRS. MRS. AND MR. JOHNSON. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. OKAY, NEXT, UNDER THE PURCHASE AND, AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY, NEED A MOTIONS FOR ITEM SIX THROUGH NINE? MOVE. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS 14, 31 AND 32 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS 15, 29, 28, 29 AND 30 HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED, BUT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING. 14 31, 32. ITEMS 11 AND 12 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES, [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 11 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 12 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. [NON-CONSENT AGENDA] ITEM 37 IS A MOTION TO SET A DATE NOT LESS THAN SEVEN DAYS FROM MAY 20TH, 2026 TO RECEIVE NOMINATIONS FOR POSITION ONE OF THE LAKE HOUSTON DREDGING, DISTRICT CASTEX STATE MOVE. SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM [PROPOSITION A COUNCIL MEMBER ITEM] 38 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. SALINAS. COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS. THANK YOU. UM, I JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE THIS ORDINANCE. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BRING IT FORTH ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILE. UH, THIS IS A MUCH NEEDED APPROVAL TO OUR SIGNUP PROCESS, ALLOWING FOLKS TO SIGN UP ONLINE TO PARTICIPATE AT CITY HALL. UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT CONTINUATION OF THE WORK THAT COUNCIL'S ALREADY BEEN DOING TO MAKE CITY HALL MORE ACCESSIBLE BY HAVING EVENING MEETINGS. UM, AND I HOPE THERE ARE MORE INITIATIVES LIKE THIS THAT WE CAN PUSH FORWARD. UM, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I APPRECIATE COLLEAGUES, THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT ON THIS. UM, AND I HOPE IT IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. CONGRATULATIONS COUNCIL. 15 MINUTES. SAVE THIS, MAYDAY THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. I'D GIVE YOU THE GAVEL, BUT I, PHYSICAL RESPONSIBILITY, WE GOTTA KEEP USING THIS NEXT TIME I, I'LL GET ONE FOR YOU. OKAY. [MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] ALL RIGHT, POP OFF. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO START BY HIGHLIGHTING A ITEM THAT WAS PASSED TODAY. ITEM 18, WHICH IS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND TS FIVE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO STU PARK. UM, THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP THAT'S GONNA IMPLEMENT THE VISION [02:05:01] THAT, UM, TOUR FIVE WAS, WAS SPEARHEADING WITH REGARD TO STU PARK. AND IT'S, UH, ALMOST $2 MILLION IN INVESTMENTS. IT'S GOING TO INCLUDE DRAINAGE, IRRIGATION WORK, RENOVATED PLAYGROUND, COMMUNITY CENTER IMPROVEMENTS, PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLISTS SITE, UH, ENHANCEMENT, UPGRADED PATHWAYS, PARKING AREAS, HANDICAP ENHANCEMENTS, MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS TO A PARK. UH, IT'S HIGHLY UTILIZED. IT'S RIGHT ALONG OUR HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL ON THE WIDE OAK BAYOU. AND SO I WANNA, UH, HIGHLIGHT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, MEMORIAL HEIGHTS TOURS FIVE. THEY, THEY DO FANTASTIC WORK AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THEM. FOR THE ENHANCEMENTS TO STU PARK, DISTRICT H WILL BE HOSTING A SHRED DAY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A A RP. THIS IS GONNA BE MAY 30TH, 9:00 AM TO NOON AT THE DENVER HARBOR MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UM, THERE'S NO COST TO THE RESIDENTS. YOU JUST NEED TO REGISTER AND, UH, YOU CAN BRING YOUR PAPERWORK AND, UM, BOXES OF PHO OF PAPERS THAT YOU'D LIKE SHREDDED. THIS WILL BE, AGAIN, ON SATURDAY, MAY 30TH, 9:00 AM TO NOON AT THE DENVER HARBOR MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND IF YOU WANT TO REGISTER, UM, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO DISTRICT H@HOUSTONTX.GOV FOR INFORMATION THERE. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UM, ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF MY TEAM, WENDY, WHO GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON HONORS COLLEGE LAST WEEK. UH, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF HER. SHE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING VERY SIGNIFICANT. UM, SO SHE IS NOW, UH, OFFICIALLY A HONORS COLLEGE GRADUATE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. AND I APPRECIATE ALL HER HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO THE DISTRICT H TEAM, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY. LATER TONIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND I WILL BE HOSTING A VIRTUAL BUDGET TOWN HALL. THIS WILL BE OUR LAST BUDGET, TOWN HALL. IT'LL BE AT 6:00 PM UM, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO DISTRICT H@HOUSTONTX.GOV IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RSS VP. AND THIS IS A CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET. SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK, ASK YOUR QUESTIONS. 6:00 PM TONIGHT. UM, AND THIS PAST SATURDAY, I WANT TO THANK FINCAS ROBLES FOR, UH, INVITING ME TO BE A JUDGE FOR THEIR SALSA DE MAYO SALSA TASTING COMPETITION. WE HAD A GREAT TIME OUT THERE. UH, IT RAISED MONEY FOR THE NONPROFIT, THE URBAN FARM, FINCA ROBLES, WHICH, UH, DOES A LOT OF GREAT WORK PROMOTING ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHY FOOD. THEY ALSO RUN A GROCERY STORE ON SITE THAT OPERATES ON A SLIDING SCALE IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF QUALITY FRESH PRODUCE. UM, BUT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PRICES. UH, THIS IS RIGHT IN THE SECOND WARD ON CANAL, AND THEY DO, THEY DO FANTASTIC WORK. SO I WAS PROUD TO BE THERE SUPPORTING THEM FOR THAT. AND I WANNA THANK THEM FOR HAVING ME. AND THEN FINALLY, I WANNA WISH MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT H, DISTRICT C THEY SHARE A LOT OF BORDER TOGETHER. AND I HAVE BEEN, UH, SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU ON SO MANY THINGS, UH, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. YOU KNOW, FOR THE TWO AND A HALF YEARS ON COUNCIL, UH, YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP IN SO MANY WAYS YOU WERE WILLING TO MEET AND, UH, OFFER YOUR GUIDANCE AND YOUR SUPPORT WITHOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY HESITATION OR RESERVATION. IT'S BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH YOU TO GET TO KNOW YOU. I'M PROUD TO CALL YOU A FRIEND AND WE WILL MISS YOU ON COUNSEL. YES. YES, WE DID GET ITEMS IN ITEM 28 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF 28. SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 29 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NA. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU, SIR. UH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, WE WANT TO, UH, START OFF JUST BRIEFLY BY THANKING FIRST OF ALL MY STAFF AGAIN FOR OUR, UH, OUR 10TH, UH, TOWN HALL MEETING. UM, AND WE WAS, WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. WE HELD IT AT THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER AND, UH, IT WAS VERY, VERY WELL ATTENDED TO THOSE WHO WERE ABLE TO ARRIVE AND WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT. UH, WE WANT TO THANK THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN SPONSORING US AND FOR ALL OF THOSE AND CERTAINLY WANT TO, UM, EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION TO THE PANELISTS. UH, [02:10:01] CHIEF DIAZ, UH, FROM OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, BROTHER DARREN LEWIS FROM METRO POLICE ASSISTANT CHIEF LARRY SADDLE WHITE, UH, FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY. CHRISTIAN BUTLER, HPW, LAURA HANSON, HOUSTON SOLID WASTE. UH, MIKE NICHOLS, HOUSTON HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, PRENTICE COLLINS FROM HOUSTON PARK TO RECREATION. AND, UH, ALSO TWE LAW FROM THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. AND WE ARE CERTAINLY GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THE RESOURCE TABLES WHO WERE THERE WITH US. WE HAD 22, UH, RESOURCE TABLES AND IT WAS VERY, VERY WELL, UH, SUPPORTED AND THE COMMUNITY REALLY APPRECIATED. SO WE REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM FOR THAT. AND ALSO TO, UH, OUR IN, UH, PARTICIPATION OF OUR MAYOR WHO POPPED IN. AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR COMING BY. AND, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WERE PRETTY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU THERE. SO THANKS AGAIN TO ALL OF THE WORK THAT THOSE PUT IN PLACE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, ITEM 37 TODAY, HAD TO DO WITH THE LAKE HOUSTON DREDGING DISTRICT AND GETS US, UH, ONE STEP CLOSER TO GETTING THAT BOARD, UH, UH, INITIATED. AND KATHLEEN JORDAN IS WHO I'LL BE NOMINATING. KATHLEEN, WHY DON'T YOU STAND UP? UM, KATHLEEN WAS ACTUALLY, UH, RECOMMENDED BY THE, THE BILL'S AUTHOR, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM. UH, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE DEFERENCE AND BESIDES THE FACT, UH, I'M THRILLED WITH KATHLEEN AS WELL. SO, UH, WE'LL BE PUTTING THAT, UH, NOMINATION IN PLACE NEXT WEEK. AND, UH, LOOK FOR EVERYBODY'S SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILOR CAYMAN, DO YOU WANT TO COME BACK AND LET YOU WRAP THINGS UP? IT BE A NICE WAYS TO CLOSE TODAY? I THINK YOU WANNA DO BOTH, , THIS IS YOUR DAY. UH, SERIOUSLY, YOU WANNA GET ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OUTTA THE WAY FOR THE DISTRICT AND THEN, OR, OR LET'S LET YOU WRAP THINGS UP TODAY. UH, I'LL JUST SAY ONE DISTRICT ANNOUNCEMENT. CAN'T, CAN'T MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY. UM, WE'LL BE PERHAPS RELEASING AN, AN, NOT JUST OUR ANNUAL REPORT, BUT PRETTY MUCH THROUGHOUT MY TIME ON COUNCIL ISSUING A REPORT, IDEALLY BY THE END OF THE WEEK. IT'S LONG, BUT IT'S A ROADMAP FOR ALL RESIDENTS TO KNOW WHERE THEIR PROJECTS STILL STAND, WHERE ALL OF THAT FUNDING IS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THAT WORK CONTINUES. SO JUST BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT. WE'LL BE EMAILING A LINK, BUT IT'LL ALSO BE ON THE DISTRICT C WEBSITE. OKAY. AND WE'LL, UH, VISIT WITH YOU IN A LITTLE WHILE. UH, COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER, CAITLIN, I HAVE REALLY, REALLY ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR MOM. YOU KNOW, ONE OF YOUR GREAT STRENGTHS IS YOUR ABILITY TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS AND FOSTER THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. UM, I HAVE APPRECIATED, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE SHARE A BOUNDARY, ALSO YOUR WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH ME ON SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS FOR THE GOOD OF BOTH OF OUR DISTRICTS. AND, UM, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU. YOU'RE GONNA DO GREAT IN YOUR NEXT JOB. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK OF YOU, REALLY THE WORD THAT COMES TO MIND IS LIMITLESS. LIKE YOU ARE LIMITLESS. SO CONGRATULATIONS. LOVE YOU. THANK YOU COUNCIL MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, HAD A BUSY, UH, WEEKEND. STARTED OFF SATURDAY, ATTENDING THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR MENTAL ILLNESS, GREATER HOUSTON WALK AND SAW YOU THERE, MAYOR. UM, THEY DO, UH, COMMONLY KNOWN AS NAMI. THEY DO WONDERFUL WORK RAISING AWARENESS AND FUNDS TO, UH, ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH, UH, ISSUES. AND, UH, I WAS HAPPY TO SUPPORT THEM. I KNOW THAT, UH, AS A CITY, WE DO SOME THINGS TO, UM, MAKE SURE WE'RE, UH, ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES APPROPRIATELY WHEN THERE'S POTENTIAL INTERACTION WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. FOR INSTANCE, THE CRISIS CALL DIVERSION, UH, FOLKS THAT WE HAVE WORKING, UH, BEHIND 9 1 1. AND WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE TO DO OUR PART, UH, TO HELP THOSE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T END UP IN, IN, IN A JAIL CELL WHEN, WHEN IT'S NOT NEEDED. ANYWAY, I, I'M THANKFUL FOR NAMI IN THE WORK THEY DO. ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY SATURDAY TO ATTEND ONE OF THE DEMOLITION DAY PROJECTS. THIS WAS ON NETTLETON STREET, AND AGAIN, I ENCOUNTERED, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER THERE. DEMOLITION DAYS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THE HOUSTON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION TAKES TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY AND WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO, TO DONATE, UH, TIME AND ASSETS TO BRING DOWN, UM, DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS. SO, I WANT TO THANK THE HOUSTON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION AND ITS, UH, UH, LEADERSHIP, INCLUDING [02:15:01] JOHN HARPER, WHOSE COMPANY, UH, BROUGHT DOWN THAT BUILDING ON NETTLETON STREET. UM, ALSO WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND HER STAFF, UH, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM, UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, CASTILLO FOR THEIR WORK ON, UH, THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, THE BUDGET TOWN HALLS, THE BUDGET SURVEY. IT'S ALL VERY HELPFUL TO COUNCIL TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET AND THE COMPLEXITY OF IT. AND SO, UH, EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY. UH, WE WOULD EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, BUT I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THEIR EFFORTS ON THAT. I WOULD REQUEST AN ADDITIONAL SESSION TO BE HELD WHERE WE CAN HEAR MORE ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, RAISED WITH REGARD TO THE, UH, CUS MM-HMM . SO IF WE COULD HAVE A, ANOTHER SESSION ON THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. BEFORE THE VOTE, UM, WE HAD ANOTHER SPECIAL ELECTION, AND WE WILL BE GETTING A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER IN, IN DISTRICT C. UM, WE'VE HAD TWO SPECIAL ELECTIONS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND, UM, THE THING THAT I TAKE AWAY FROM THOSE ELECTIONS IS THE, THE LOW VOTER TURNOUT IN THOSE SPECIAL ELECTIONS. I THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE DOING A BETTER JOB OF PUBLICIZING, UH, ELECTIONS, ESPECIALLY, UH, THE SPECIAL ELECTIONS, SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE HOUSTONIANS OUT TO THE POLLS. I'M NOT SUGGESTING IN ANY WAY THAT RESULTS WOULD'VE BEEN DIFFERENT IF MORE PEOPLE HAD TURNED OUT, BUT I THINK THAT, UH, OR I'D LOVE TO SEE HOUSTONIANS TAKE A, A, A BIGGER ROLE IN, IN, IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN SELECTING THEIR LEADERS. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME UP WITH WAYS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, UH, TO HELP BETTER PUBLICIZE THESE ELECTIONS. AND FINALLY, IF I COULD DIRECT A FEW REMARKS TO, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I HAVE REALLY APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU ON COUNCIL. UM, YOUR PASSION FOR REPRESENTING YOUR, YOUR DISTRICT IS EVIDENT, AND, AND THERE'S NO ONE MORE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAN YOU ARE. SO, I, I GREATLY RESPECT AND APPRECIATE THAT I'VE, UH, APPRECIATED THE COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT THAT YOU AND I HAVE HAD. WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO LOOK FOR THOSE THINGS WHERE WE DO AGREE AND TO WORK WITH ME AS, AS A PARTNER. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE WHO SUPPORTED ME AND, AND TOOK UP FOR ME. I, I TOOK UP FOR YOU ALL THE TIME. YEAH, RIGHT. , YOU DO. UH, BUT I TRULY, I WILL NEVER, UH, FORGET THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF I TAKE AWAY ANYTHING FROM, FROM OUR MEETINGS, IT WILL BE THE COMPASSION YOU SHOW FOR THE REGULAR FOLKS WHO COME UP TO THAT DAYS THERE AND, AND ADDRESS US WITH PROBLEMS. YOUR, YOUR TRUE COMPASSION FOR THEM, UH, HAS COME THROUGH MANY, MANY TIMES LOUD AND CLEAR. SO, UM, I WILL, I WILL MISS WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS COUNCIL, BUT LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING, UH, WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN THOMAS. THANK YOU. UM, ON MONDAY, UH, WE ALL CELEBRATED THE, UH, RENAMING OF TERMINAL E. UH, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATED THE REMARKS OF MY COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S STORY ABOUT THE CONGRESSWOMAN. UH, AND, AND MAYOR, I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THE REMARKS YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU MADE WHEN YOU SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS RUNNING HER, HER CAMPAIGN OUTTA YOUR OFFICE, AND I JUST WAS IMAGINING, YOU KNOW, UM, A 45-YEAR-OLD, YOU AND HER, AND, UH, WHAT THOSE INTERACTIONS WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE. AND SO WHENEVER YOU WRITE THAT BOOK, I DEFINITELY WANT TO, UH, UH, I WANNA PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHAPTER OF SHEILA JACKSON LEE AND JOHN WHITMEYER. UM, BUT, UH, KUDOS TO THE, UH, UH, AIRPORT. A PHENOMENAL EVENT. KUDOS TO THE JACKSON LEE FAMILY AND EVERY PERSON WHO TOUCHED, UH, THE EVENT AND THEN THE PROCESS. THANK YOU TO COUNSEL, UM, FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS. IT WAS TRULY A WONDERFUL DAY. THE FAMILY WALKED AWAY, UH, TRULY TOUCHED, HAPPY TO BE THERE. UH, ON MONDAY NIGHT, ON THE 18TH IN DISTRICT F, WE HAD HOSTED TCEQ, UM, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING A WASTEWATER PERMIT AT BISSONNET IN KIRKWOOD. AND I WILL TELL YOU, UH, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF A COUPLE OF THINGS. CIVIC LITERACY AND COMMUNICATING ACCURACY, AND IN AN AGE WHERE MISINFORMATION DOMINATES, UH, MUCH OF THE CONVERSATION. MY COMMITMENT TO DISTRICT F RESIDENTS, UM, WILL BE THAT WE WILL, UH, VISIT AND PARTNER WITH THE A LEAF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD TO TALK ABOUT THE 138 ACRES OF REDEVELOPMENT AT BINET [02:20:01] AND KIRKWOOD, WHICH FITS INTO OUR LARGER, UH, REVITALIZATION, UH, INITIATIVE. UM, PRIOR TO SERVING ON COUNCIL AND, OR EVEN ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT JUST LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, EVERYONE WOULD ASK, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT BISSONNET AND KIRKWOOD? AND WE HAVE A SERIES OF MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING FROM BISSONNET SAFE STREETS TO THE TURS BOUNDARIES, EXPANDING TO HELP WITH INFRASTRUCTURE, A SERIES OF DETENTION PROJECTS. AND THIS 138, UH, ACRE PROJECT WILL TRANSFORM BINET THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION, UH, ON, ON THE WEST SIDE. AND THEY'RE GETTING THAT ATTENTION. SO, I WILL COME BACK TO YOU SOON WITH DETAILS, AND WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION IN COMMUNITY, AND I'M SURE YOU WILL BE PLEASED. I WANNA REMIND MY COLLEAGUES AND THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED THAT THE HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE WILL BE BACK IN CHAMBERS ON TUESDAY, MAY 26TH AT 10:00 AM. UH, THE AGENDA SHOULD BE POSTED EITHER TODAY OR TOMORROW ON OUR WEBSITE. AND IF YOU CAN SIGN UP, IF YOU WANNA BE A SPEAKER FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, YOU CAN SIGN UP BEFORE FIVE O'CLOCK, OR YOU CAN SIGN UP IN PERSON. LOOKING FORWARD TO DISCUSSING THOSE ITEMS TO YOU. AND IN CLOSING TO MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UH, CAMPAIGNING IN 2019, BEING SWORN IN IN 2020, I DON'T THINK MAYOR TURNER KNEW WHAT HE HAD IN STORE. I THINK WE WERE THE ROWDIEST, UH, INCOMING FRESHMAN OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. HIS HANDS WERE TRULY FULL. UH, WE CAME IN WITH, UH, BIG IDEAS, BIG HOPE, AND THEN THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC HAPPENED. UM, WE EXPERIENCED THE PANDEMIC COVID-19 EVICTION CRISIS, UH, GEORGE FLOYD SOCIAL AND CIVIL UNREST, UH, HURRICANES, FREEZES, YOU NAME IT, WE DID IT. AND, UH, WE ARE BETTER FOR IT. YOU ARE BETTER FOR IT. AND SO, I'M SURE WHEN YOU SAID YES TO REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT C, YOU NEVER THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT HARRIS COUNTY. AND NOW I GET TO WITNESS YOUR GROWTH, AND I GET TO WITNESS YOUR STAR SHINE AS I'M SO EXCITED ON WHAT IS IN STORE FOR YOU. THE COMMITMENT AND THE FERVOR, UM, AND THE FIERCENESS THAT YOU REPRESENT, YOUR, UH, CONSTITUENTS. MY HOPE IS THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS SAY, WE'VE NEVER HAD ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UM, BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU STOOD WITH THEM IN TIMES THAT WERE TOUGH, EVEN WHEN YOU WERE THE LONE VOICE, EVEN WHEN YOU WERE RAISING A FLAG OF AN ISSUE THAT NO ONE ELSE POSSIBLY WERE PAYING ATTENTION TO OR MAKING A CONNECTION TO WHAT THE IMP IMPLICATIONS OF HOUSTON AND THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THEY HAVE A GOOD COUNCIL MEMBER IN YOU. AND I KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE A GOOD COUNTY ATTORNEY IN YOU. SO CONGRATULATIONS, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL OF THE PARTNERSHIPS, ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS. AND, UM, I'LL MAKE SURE TO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ IS BACK WHILE YOU GONE SINCE. HE SAY, I DON'T, SINCE HE SAY, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I'D BE OVER HERE HOLDING IT DOWN FOR HIM. HE DON'T EVEN KNOW. UM, BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND TO YOUR FAMILY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE, UM, RENAMING CEREMONY, UH, THIS WEEK AT THE AIRPORT. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REMEMBER THE LEGACY OF, UH, THE LATE CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE. VERY HONORED TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT NAMING CEREMONY. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS VERY WELL DONE. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HAD A HAND IN, UM, THAT ACTUAL CEREMONY. AND THEN, UM, COLLEAGUES, UH, THIS WEEK, I ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE MAYOR IN THE CITY AT THE 78TH, UH, INDEPENDENCE DAY OF ISRAEL. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER WAS THERE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WAS THERE. UM, THIS WAS THE LAST EVENT, UM, INDEPENDENT STATE THAT WE WILL HAVE WITH CONSUL GENERAL OLIVIA LINKED REIV. UM, SHE HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF ISRAEL. HER SUCCESSOR HAS BEEN NAMED, UM, SHE WILL BE LEAVING SHORTLY, BUT WANTED TO JUST THANK HER FOR ALWAYS, UM, ALLOWING THE CITY TO CELEBRATE AND THE INCREDIBLE FRIENDSHIP AND OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'VE HAD TO DO SOME GREAT WORK TOGETHER, UH, ON BEHALF OF ISRAEL AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT K. UH, THE SOUTH ER PIP MEETING WILL BE HELD THIS EVENING AT SIX 30 AT THE GESNER STATION AT 86 0 5 WEST PLACE DRIVE. THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT WILL BE FROM HPD AIR SUPPORT FOX TEAM. UM, THEY WILL BE THE GUEST SPEAKER, AND THEY'LL DISCUSS THE CRITICAL ROLE THEY PLAY IN ENHANCING COMMUNITY SAFETY AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE OPERATIONS. SO, UH, RESIDENTS WANT TO ATTEND THAT PIP MEETING. IT IS, AGAIN, TONIGHT AT SIX 30. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO HOSTING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETING ON TOMORROW FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM UH, AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER. IT'LL BE HOSTED BY SOUTH POST OAK, UH, REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, THE FIVE CORNERS DISTRICT, UM, HARM CLARK FORT BEND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. UH, THE THEME IS THE NIGHT IS YOUR VOICE, [02:25:01] OUR COMMUNITY, AND OUR FUTURE. SO IT'S DIVINE DESIGNED TO GIVE EVERYONE A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO DISCUSS THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS, UM, THAT DIRECTLY FACE OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEN I WANT TO, UM, GIVE A SPECIAL, UM, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN WAS, UH, PROBABLY THE FIRST PERSON OUTSIDE OF MYSELF THAT I ACTUALLY WENT AND BLOCK WALKED WITH, UH, WHEN SHE WAS RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL. I MET HER. UM, WE CONNECTED. AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE HER AS A COLLEAGUE ON CITY COUNCIL. I HAVE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS, AND, UM, WE BLOCKED WALK AND I GOT TO KNOW HER BETTER. AND YOU HAVE BEEN A STAUNCH ADVOCATE FOR DISTRICT C FOR THE DISTRICT C RESIDENTS. UM, THE THING THAT I LOVED WORKING WITH YOU THE MOST HAS BEEN THE PASSING OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE. SO MANY TIMES, WE, UM, ARE IN SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, THEY'RE MALE DOMINATED. SITTING AROUND CITY COUNCIL OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN MORE WOMEN ON COUNCIL THAN MEN. UM, THE ISSUE OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE PASSING IN 2022 BLOWS MY MIND THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON DID NOT HAVE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE. UM, BUT IT WAS YOUR FIERCE ADVOCACY, UM, YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCES THAT REALLY HELPED US TO SEE WHY THAT WAS IMPORTANT AS A CITY. UM, AND YOU LED THAT CHARGE. AND NOW WE HAVE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I, WE APPRECIATE YOUR VOICE. UH, WE STAND WITH YOU. WE ENCOURAGE YOU AS YOU MOVE TO YOUR NEXT ROLE. UH, WE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND I ARE HOSTING AN A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ON NEXT TUESDAY AT THE ISMA CENTER AT 5:00 PM IF YOU HAVE NOT REGISTERED, WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL REGISTER TO ATTEND. MAYOR, I KNOW YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU WILL BE THERE, SO WE WANT TO GIVE HER A BEAUTIFUL SEND OFF, UH, TO THE COUNTY. AND I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA GIVE IT TO 'EM WHEN YOU GET THERE. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FIRST I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE ARE HAVING OUR NEXT COFFEE WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER AND COPS THURSDAY, MAY 28TH AT 10:00 AM AT THE WHITE OAK CONFERENCE CENTER. WE HOPE TO SEE ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS THERE, AND OUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO JOIN, TOO. UM, NEXT, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND THEIR STAFF FOR ALL OF THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS AND THE TOWN HALLS AND ALL THE WORK THEY PUT INTO THAT. THEY WERE GREAT WORKSHOPS. VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THOSE. UM, I WANT TO WISH A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MARTA, WHOSE BIRTHDAY IS ON MONDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAR , JUST FOR YOU, JUST FOR ME. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, IT HAS BEEN SUCH A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU ON COUNCIL. I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW MUCH YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND YOUR ADVOCACY FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS. AND I'M, I KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO TRANSLATE TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS NOW OF HARRIS COUNTY. I'M SO EXCITED FOR YOU IN THIS NEW ROLE. I'M EXCITED FOR THE CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE DOWN TOGETHER AND THE SLUM APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE DOWN. UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE NUISANCE, UM, ISSUES THAT I'M GOING TO BRING TO YOU. BUT MOST OF ALL, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT NOW NO ONE WILL SAY TO ME, WAIT, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER ARE YOU? ARE YOU PECK? OR ARE YOU CAME ? WE GET THAT ALL THE TIME, BUT ALL KIDDING ASIDE, I'M VERY EXCITED FOR YOU IN YOUR NEW ROLE. CONGRATULATIONS, MR. MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, FIRST, UH, JUST A REMINDER THAT EARLY VOTING STARTED FOR OUR PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTIONS DURING THE WAY. SO PLEASE, UH, HAVE A PLAN TO VOTE. THIS IS IMPORTANT, AND YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND YOUR NEAREST POLLING LOCATION AT, UH, UH, HARRIS VOTES.COM. UH, SECONDLY, UH, LAST WEEK I HAD THE PRIVILEGE AND, UH, THE PLEASURE TO HANG OUT WITH SEVERAL OF OUR YOUNG FOLKS. UM, I WAS ABLE TO, UH, PARTICIPATE AT THE TEEN COURT GRADUATION, THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL FIRESIDE CHAT, AND THEN MILBY HIGH SCHOOL HAD, UH, THEIR NATIONAL HONORS SOCIETY HAD A MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE. UH, AND IT WAS JUST, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO, UM, SEE SOME OF OUR FUTURE LEADERS, UH, IN THESE DIFFERENT SPACES. AND SO, JUST WANT TO LIFT UP THE, UH, THE MENTORS, THE TEACHERS, THE VOLUNTEERS, ALL THE ADULTS THAT HAVE BEEN POURING INTO THEM. AND, UH, SOME OF MY, UH, MY WORDS TO THEM WERE, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING POURED INTO YOU. MAKE SURE THAT YOU POUR THAT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. UM, SECONDLY, UH, WE ARE 20 DAYS AWAY FROM [02:30:01] FIFA, UH, FAN FEST, UH, LOAD IN THE EAST END. AND SO, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE FOLKS GET THE UPDATES ON ROAD CLOSURES ACTIVITIES. UH, YOU CAN VISIT FWC 26 HOUSTON.COM. UH, MY OFFICE WILL BE HOSTING ANOTHER COMMUNITY, UH, MEETING IN EAST DOWNTOWN ON JUNE 6TH TO PROVIDE MORE UPDATES RELATED TO WORLD CUP AND FAN FEST ACTIVITIES, UH, TAKING PLACE IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, THE MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, JUNE THE SIXTH AT PSO HTX ON AS AT 26 19 POLK STREET. UM, THIS IS FROM NINE TO 10. UM, ALSO, UH, I KNOW MARTA WANTED TO WISH HER HAPPY BIRTHDAY AS WELL, BUT ALSO MY CHIEF OF STAFF EDIT SANTA MARIA. TODAY'S HER BIRTHDAY. UH, I WANTED TO LIFT UP MY CHIEF OF STAFF. SHE'S A, SHE'S A GREAT ASSET TO OUR TEAM, UM, AND LEADING AND LEADING OUR OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY. UM, ALSO WANNA, UH, TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, THE KIDS. ALL THE KIDS ARE ABOUT TO GET OUTTA SCHOOL, UH, AS SCHOOL WRAPS UP, UH, OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. JUST WANNA WISH EVERYBODY A SAFE, FUN, AND HAPPY SUMMER. UM, I'LL BE ABLE TO VISIT WITH MY 10-YEAR-OLD AT HIS GRADUATION TODAY, UH, LATER ON. UM, AND JUST FOR THE, FOR THE PARENTS, I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALWAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NEXT RIGHT? WITH SUMMER PROGRAMMING AND, YOU KNOW, WHERE AM I GONNA PUT MY KIDS? UH, WE'RE, MY OFFICE WILL BE ANNOUNCING A PARTNERSHIP WITH DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, ANTI, UH, THE GANG PREVENTION OFFICE, UM, ON JUNE THE FIRST. WE'LL BE PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION ON SOME OF OUR ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG FOLKS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. UH, SO YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE TO THE, UH, NEWSLETTER TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION OR FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND THEN, UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, OF COURSE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CAME. AND, UM, I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT THE WORK IS THE WORK, RIGHT? UH, BUT WHAT I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED FROM YOU IS BEING A PARENT FIRST. I THINK WE CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY WHENEVER WE'RE AROUND THESE HORSESHOES, UH, THIS HORSESHOE AND THE WAY THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONNECT WITH YOU IN THAT, IN THAT FASHION. I WANNA LIFT UP, I KNOW MATT AND SLATE ARE NOT HERE. THEY'RE PROBABLY IN THE BACK RIGHT NOW, OR THEY LEFT ALREADY. YEAH. THEY HAVE SCHOOL E EXACTLY RIGHT. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT AS PARENTS AROUND THE HORSESHOE THAT WE JUGGLE. UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING A, A GREAT MOTHER, A GREAT PARTNER, UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE WORK IS THE WORK, BUT THAT PART, WE CAN NEVER FORGET. AND ULTIMATELY, THAT'S WHY WE, I THINK WE SERVE AS WELL. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS HAVE A BETTER HOUSTON. UM, AND SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AROUND THE HORSESHOE, FIRST AND FOREMOST. BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING A GREAT MOTHER AND A GREAT PARTNER. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS PAST WEEK, UH, MY OFFICE CO-HOSTED A JOB FAIR AT BURNETT BAYLEN PARK. UM, IT WAS PUT ON BY THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO DIRECTOR HORDE, UH, TO BRANDON JONES, UH, TO COMMISSIONER LESLIE BRIAN'S OFFICE, AND ALL THOSE WHO HELPED, UH, US ASSEMBLE THAT JOB FAIR. UM, THE JOB FAIR STARTED AT 10:00 AM WHEN WE GOT THERE, A LITTLE BEFORE 10, THERE WAS A LINE ALREADY WRAPPED AROUND THE BUILDING, AND IT JUST REALLY MAKES YOU AWARE OF HOW GREAT THE NEED IS FOR MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT THAT'S OUT THERE. AND SO MY OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, TRY TO WORK WITH AS MANY ENTITIES AS POSSIBLE AT PUTTING ON THESE JOB FAIRS. UH, FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT, UM, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO TO MORE JOBS HOUSTON.COM. THAT IS A ONESTOP SITE THAT MY OFFICE, UH, HAS, UH, CREATED FOR JOB SEEKERS. UM, THERE'S OVER 4,000 JOBS ON THERE RIGHT NOW, UH, IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA FOR ANY TYPE OF, UM, INDUSTRY SPACE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AT, UM, DIFFERENT POSITIONS FROM ENTRY LEVEL, ALL THE WAY TO THINGS THAT REQUIRE A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A JOB, UM, OR YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO'S LOOKING FOR A JOB, PLEASE GO TO MORE JOBS HOUSTON.COM. ALSO, UM, TO MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UM, BEFORE I MET YOU, I MET YOUR MOM. UH, OUR MOMS WERE BOTH AT THE EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS, UM, HELPING US TO PASS OUT LITERATURE FOR THOSE WHO WERE COMING TO VOTE. AND YOUR MOM WAS PRETTY SPUNKY. SHE WAS OUT THERE AND SHE WAS RUNNING AROUND, AND MY MOM WAS DOING THE SAME. AND MY MOM HAS PASSED AWAY NOW, BUT I I, I DO REMEMBER HOW MUCH PRIDE BOTH OF OUR MOMS SEEMED TO HAVE OF BEING OUT THERE FOR US AS WE WERE CAMPAIGNING. AND WE WERE BOTH YOUNG IN OUR, LIKE, EARLY MID THIRTIES WHEN WE WERE EMBARKING ON, UH, RUNNING FOR COUNCIL. AND THEN ONCE ELECTED, WE SAT NEXT TO EACH OTHER FOR MY FIRST FOUR YEARS. AND I RECALL WHEN I, THE FIRST SEVERAL MEETINGS, UH, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE AGENDA. YOU WOULD BE LEANING OVER AND YOU WOULD BE TELLING ME THINGS LIKE, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THIS, AND YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. AND I'M LIKE, WHO IS THIS? WHO IS THIS WOMAN? ? [02:35:01] IT WAS ALL IN MY EAR. BUT, UM, YOU HAVE A DYNAMIC PERSONALITY. AND I WROTE SOME WORDS THAT I THOUGHT BEST DESCRIBES YOU, UH, WHICH IS SMART, WELL-PREPARED, INFORMED, PRUDENT, COMPASSIONATE, SYMPATHETIC, BOLD, THOUGHTFUL, DIRECT, AND VOCAL. AND VOCAL IS THE ONE THAT STANDS OUT THE MOST BECAUSE YOU USE YOUR VOICE EVEN IN TIMES THAT ARE, THAT AREN'T ALWAYS THE EASIEST. UH, YOU USE YOUR VOICE AROUND THIS COUNCIL. WE, WE LEAN ON YOUR VOICE. WE LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE. YOUR VOICE MATTERS IN THE DISCUSSION. WE KNOW THAT WHEN YOU SPEAK ON A TOPIC THAT, UH, YOU UNDERSTAND THE SUBJECT MATTER, YOU ARE WELL PREPARED, YOU ARE STUDIED. AND, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO MISS. UH, I TRY TO USE THIS MICROPHONE AS MUCH AS I CAN, AND YOU'RE SOMEONE I KNOW USES HER MICROPHONE AS WELL, AND WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU. BUT I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA DO GREAT THINGS IN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING YOU IN THAT. SO GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE, IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS TO MY VICE CHAIR, MARIO CASTILLO, WHO HELPED ME RUN, UH, SOME OF THOSE. AND, AND, UH, JUST REALLY APPRECIATE MAYOR, YOUR DIRECTORS BROUGHT THEIR A GAME. THEY, THEY ENDURED HOURS OF QUESTIONING, NOT JUST HERE IN THE CHAMBER, BUT ALSO WRITTEN QUESTIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, NOBODY CAN SAY THEY DON'T KNOW LINE BY LINE OF THIS BUDGET. WE REALLY COVERED IT THOROUGHLY. SO REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S WORK AND EVERYBODY'S PARTICIPATION IN THAT. AH, ABBY, I MEAN, YOU, YOU ARE A FAMILY WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE ON THOSE. TIFFANY THOMAS SAID IT, WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE CAMPAIGNING TOGETHER, YOU JUST , MAN. IT'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE YOU DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE, BUT YOU BOND AND YOU'RE LIKE, WE ARE IN THIS FIGHT, MAN. AND THE PEOPLE THAT WIN, THE PEOPLE THAT LOSE, I MEAN, YOU'RE JUST LIKE A GROUP OUT THERE AND THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT. SO, I'VE WRITTEN A POEM FOR ABBY ON HER LAST DAY OF COUNCIL. IT'S NOT THAT GREAT. Y'ALL DON'T BE TOO EXCITED. . ALRIGHT, HERE IT GOES. NOTHING. SIX AND A HALF YEARS OF SERVICE IN EVERY BREATH. A CHAPTER CLOSING WITH QUIET DEPTH FROM POTHOLE PLEAS TO CROSSWALK FIGHTS FROM PARENTAL LEAVE TO BROKEN PIPES. SHE FOUGHT AND FOUGHT FOR DRAINAGE MONEY. WATCHING HER TRY TO KEEP HER COOL WAS REALLY FUNNY. , THE MARATHON PUBLIC SAFETY MEETINGS. THE GUN SAFETY LOCK, THE NOISE LOCKS. THE NOISE ORDINANCE, THE CONSTANT GREETINGS. NO ONE HAS WORKED HARDER FOR DISTRICT CA NEEDY BUNCH. YOU HEARD THEIR PLEASE THEN CAME THE STORMS, LITERAL ONES. WHEN HURRICANE SWALLOWED OUR HOUSTON SUNS, ABBY WAS THERE WITH DISASTER RELIEF, CLIPBOARD AND HAND BOOTS IN THE GRIEF. SHE MAPPED OUT SHELTERS, HAULED SUPPLIES, HELD TREMBLING HANDS WITH STEADY EYES, AND LEARNED THAT LEADERSHIP'S TRUEST TEST IS SHOWING UP WHEN HOPE FEELS PRESSED. AND YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT, COUNCIL BABY SLAVES, FAR OUT, FUNKY, COOL, AND SHADY. ABBY CAME IN, YOU HAVE MADE YOUR MARK. I'LL MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY AS YOU DISEMBARK. SO CHEERS TO ABBY ON HER LAST DAY. THE GUYS OUR MEETINGS WERE SURE BE SHORTER. I HAVE TO SAY COUNCILMAN SALINAS. I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW THAT UP. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY, ABBY, I'VE OBVIOUSLY KNOWN YOU THE SHORTEST ON THIS, ON THIS HORSESHOE, BUT IN THE TIME I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW YOU, I HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY IMPRESSED, UM, BY SO MANY THINGS OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID. BUT FOR ME, WHAT HAS REALLY STOOD OUT IS YOUR BRAVERY AT EVERY STEP. YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, NO MATTER WHO IT BOTHERS, NO MATTER WHO IT UPSETS, BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND THAT TAKES REAL BRAVERY. AND THAT'S AN INSPIRATION TO ME. I KNOW IT'S AN INSPIRATION TO YOUR COLL, TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS DISTRICT C AND NOW YOU'LL BE AN INSPIRATION TO THE COUNTY. SO DON'T EVER LOSE THAT BRAVERY. YOU WILL REMAIN AN INSPIRATION TO ALL OF US. PLEASE DON'T MIND. I WILL CONTINUE TO CALL ON YOU FOR ADVICE AND COUNSEL, BUT TRULY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. AND JOE HAS VERY BIG SHOES TO FILL. WELL, COUNCILMAN CARTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I TOO WANTED TO JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO KATHLEEN JORDAN, THE NOMINATION, UH, NOMINEE FOR THE, UH, DREDGING BOARD. UH, KATHLEEN'S A TRUSTED VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK SHE CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS. AND, AND I HOPE YOU ALL WILL SUPPORT, UH, HER NOMINATION. AND, AND, UH, NEXT WEEK, UM, YESTERDAY WE HOSTED A COFFEE CONVERSATION ON, ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING, BROUGHT SOME, UH, RESPECTED VOICES TO THE COMMUNITY. AND YOU, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT FIFA. IT WASN'T JUST ABOUT FIFA, IT'S ABOUT HOUSTON. UM, AND, UH, TEXAS IS A NO TRAFFICKING ZONE. AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SEE, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO PUSH OUT THAT MESSAGE AS THE NUMBERS, UH, GO UP. AND, UH, FIFA CERTAINLY WILL BRING A, A [02:40:01] ELEVATED ELEMENT THERE. SO THANK YOU MAYOR FOR PARTICIPATING. ALSO, TOO, WHO KNEW STARBUCKS IS A SECOND CHANCE, UH, REENTRY EMPLOYER. SO LEARNED SOMETHING NEW YESTERDAY. I HAD A GREAT, UH, THEY HOSTED, HELPED US WITH COFFEE AND PASTRIES, AND THEY DO A LOT OF GREAT COMMUNITY SERVICE. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT ON THAT. AND THEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN. I MET YOU WHEN YOU WERE PREGNANT WITH, UH, SLADE. AND, UM, I REMEMBER SAYING, WHO IS THAT? I THINK IT WAS WITH THE THEN COUNCIL MEMBER COHEN, RIGHT? UM, OR, YEAH, I THINK ABOUT IT. ANYWAY, I, I REMEMBER JUST, I REMEMBER SEEING YOU. WHO IS THAT? SHE'S SO YOUNG, IS WHAT I SAID. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, GRAY HAIR. BUT, UM, YOUR ADVOCACY FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS, UM, YOUR UNRELENTING. AND DON'T WORRY, I'LL CARRY THAT TORCH AND I'LL LOOK FOR YOU AT THE COUNTY TO, TO HELP, TO CONTINUE THAT WORK. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT YOU, I SOME, YOU KNOW, WE SIT EYE TO EYE AND SOMETIMES WE, WE MAKE EYE CONTACT AND WE CAN LAUGH, AND SOMETIMES WE MAKE FACES BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHAT WE DISAGREE ON. BUT, UM, YOUR STUDY AND UNWAVERING STRENGTH IS ADMIRABLE. AND, UM, IT REMINDS ME OF A, UM, OF A, UH, A QUOTE FROM ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES, MAYA ANGELOU. AND ITS COURAGE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL VIRTUES. BECAUSE WITHOUT COURAGE, YOU CAN'T PRACTICE ANY OTHER VIRTUE CONSISTENTLY. AND I THINK THAT THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO, TO WHO YOU ARE. AND I KNOW YOU'LL DO A GREAT JOB OVER AT THE COUNTY. I'VE, UH, I TOLD YOU, I'M GIVING YOU MY LIST OF, UH, RIGHT AFTER COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, OR IS IT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, WHOEVER SHE IS. . I DIDN'T MAKE THE COMPARISON UNTIL TODAY, ACTUALLY. SO, UM, BUT ANYWAY, I WISH YOU ALL THE VERY BEST AND, AND, UH, WE'LL MISS, WE'LL MISS THE, THE, UH, COMMONALITY WE HAVE ACROSS THE HORSESHOE HERE. SO, UH, GOD BLESS YOU, AND I WISH YOU WELL VERY WELL. UH, BEFORE I RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN CAMAN, ITEMS 15 HAS ARRIVED, MR. SECRETARY. AND IF Y'ALL WOULD ONE LAST VOTE, CONSIDER I ITEM 15. ITEM 15 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. AND, UH, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE HOUSTON CONTRACTORS WHO CONTRIBUTED OUR TIME AND RESOURCES TO THE DEMOLITION OF HOUSES ON SATURDAY. AND NOW, COUNCILMAN CAMAN, YOU KNOW, THE PREMIUM I PUT ON PUBLIC SERVICE, I THINK IT'S A CALLING, AND YOU'VE DEFINITELY ANSWERED THAT CALLING EACH AND EVERY DAY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. I KNOW YOU'LL DO IT GOING FORWARD. I THINK THE GREATEST TRIBUTE ANY PUBLIC SERVANT, ELECTED OFFICIAL CAN HAVE IS WHAT THEIR COLLEAGUES SPEAK AND, UH, AND RECOGNIZING THEM. AND SO YOU'RE THAT, THAT CALLING. UH, AS YOU ALSO KNOW, I BELIEVE WE'RE ALL GONNA BE JUDGED SOMEDAY BY OUR PUBLIC SERVICE, AND YOU'RE GONNA GET EXTREMELY GOOD GRADES. SO THANK YOU. AND CONTINUE IT. IT WILL BE, AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL, IT'S GONNA BE VERY INTERESTING TO WATCH YOU MAKE THE TRANSITION, WHICH I KNOW YOU WILL TAKE YOUR LEGAL KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR SERIOUSNESS TO THAT JOB AND, UH, KIND OF SHAPE UP THOSE COMMISSIONERS. WOULD YOU , TELL, TELL HER WE ENJOY THE COLLABORATION AND YOU BRING THAT SPIRIT TO, UH, TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT. SO WE WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE BEST AND, UH, OUR TIME IS YOUR TIME NOW. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. I'M, I'M JUST MOVED. UH, I HAVE LOVED SERVING THE CITY EVERY SINGLE DAY. UH, THIS IS NOT JUST A JOB. I THINK FOR THOSE THAT ARE SITTING AROUND HERE WITH ME AS MY COLLEAGUES, YOU ALL KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T JUST A JOB. THIS IS LOVE FOR OUR CITY AND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE EVERY SINGLE DAY. THIS IS THE MOST INCREDIBLE DISTRICT THAT ANYONE COULD HAVE THE PRIVILEGE, UH, TO REPRESENT. AND IT'S A PRECIOUS RESPONSIBILITY. AND I WANNA THANK THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT C, UH, FOR THAT PRIVILEGE, FOR THAT HONOR. THEY ARE THE MOST ENGAGED, COMPASSIONATE, UM, COMMITTED RESIDENTS THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. UH, THE WAY IN WHICH THEY WORK TOGETHER, THE WAY IN WHICH THEY NOT ONLY WORK WITH OUR OFFICE, BUT LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER. SO I REALLY JUST WANNA THANK DISTRICT C, UM, BECAUSE THE [02:45:01] RESIDENTS DESERVE NOTHING LESS THAN GIVING THIS EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE HAD. AND THEY ARE WHAT COMES FIRST. UH, SO I WANNA ALSO CONGRATULATE, UM, THE INCOMING COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT, UH, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN THE PRIVILEGE OF MY LIFE THUS FAR, TO SERVE DISTRICT C AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND TO EACH OF YOU, WE WOULD BE HERE ALL DAY IF I WENT AROUND THE HORSESHOE TO TALK ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER. UM, THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU HAVE NOT ONLY LIFTED ME UP, BUT LIFTED UP YOUR OWN DISTRICTS OR THE CITY AT LARGE. UM, I WAS LOOKING OVER PHOTOS. UH, FIRST OFF, I STARTED OFF AS A BLONDE COUNCIL MEMBER, CARTER, LITTLE MORE GRAY HAIR. UM, BUT WE HAD THREE WEEKS INTO OFFICE, THE WATSON PLANT EXPLOSION, THREE WEEKS IN, THEN THE PANDEMIC. IT WAS DISASTER AFTER DISASTER FROM STORMS TO FREEZES, TO GRID FAILURES. GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER, CIVIL UNREST, THE DEMAND FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES, OCTOBER 7TH. I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THE PANDEMIC, BUT THAT JUST OVERSHADOWED EVERYTHING. BUT WE HAVE SOMEHOW FOUND A WAY THROUGH IT ALL, NOT ONLY TO LIFT UP HOUSTON, BUT TO CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WE SET OUT TO DO. AND FOR EACH OF YOUR FRIENDSHIPS, FOR EACH OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO WHAT WE DO AROUND THIS BODY, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU AS WELL. UM, YOUR PASSIONS, YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOUR EXPERTISE IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TAKEN SO MUCH FROM. AND AS I MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, I'M NOT GOING VERY FAR. AND I'M HERE FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. AND I'M HERE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON. BUT I WANNA CLOSE WITH SAYING THAT WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE VOICE AND THE POWER OF THIS BODY, AND THE POWER AND THE VOICE THAT WE HAVE IN GOVERNING TO SAFEGUARD THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON, TO NOT ALLOW ANYBODY TO CHIP AWAY AT THAT OR ANYTHING, TO CHIP AWAY AT THAT. UH, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AT THE 1787 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION WAS ASKED IF THEY HAD CREATED A REPUBLIC OR A MONARCHY, AND HE RESPONDED, A REPUBLIC, A REPUBLIC, IF WE CAN KEEP IT. AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT IMPACTS EVERY SINGLE PERSON MOST DIRECTLY. AND IT IS A PRECIOUS RESPONSIBILITY. UH, OUR MISSION AND OUR, OUR MANTRA, IF YOU WILL, IN DISTRICT C, HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO LEAVE OUR DISTRICT IN THE CITY BETTER THAN WHEN WE GOT HERE, SO THAT THE NEXT PERSON CAN BUILD UPON THAT. THAT NOBODY HAS TO GO BACK. AND I THINK ABOUT OUR FAMILIES, I THINK ABOUT OUR KIDS, AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT OUR OWN FAMILIES, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HOUSTON AND THE CHILDREN THAT ARE YET TO BE AND LEAVING THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR THEM. AND I AM SO GRATEFUL, AGAIN, FOR THE HONOR, UM, BUT THE PRIVILEGE TO HAVE GOTTEN TO COME TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY AND READ THE WORDS, FREEDOM, EQUALITY, JUSTICE COUNCIL. BUT THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY. AND EACH OF YOU HAS MADE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON MY LIFE. UH, I'M GRATEFUL FOR EACH OF YOUR LEADERSHIP, BUT ABOVE ALL, I'M SO GRATEFUL TO THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT C. UH, AGAIN, THE WORDS I'M JUST LEFT WITH ARE, THANK YOU. WOW. . WE, UH, WE ADJOURN IN HONOR OF COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.