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GOOD AFTERNOON.[Economic Development Committee on June 17, 2026.]
IT IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE THE 17TH, 2026, AND THE TIME IS 2:03 PM I'M MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, THE CHAIR OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND I LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.I DO WANT TO WELCOME, UH, ALL COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL MEMBER, STAFF AND GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, UM, WHO IS HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, WHO IS HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, VICE MAYOR PROM PECK, WHO IS HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER.
WE DO HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE, UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S OFFICE AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S OFFICE IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL.
THIS MEETING IS BEING, UH, HELD AND IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
AND WE'RE ALSO BROADCASTING, UH, ON HTV COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF.
OF COURSE, IF YOU WOULD JUST HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
UH, IF COUNCIL MEMBER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK OFFICE AND QUESTIONS AND ARE PRESENT IN THE CHAMBER AND REQUEST TO SPEAK, IF YOU'RE JOINING VIRTUALLY, UM, YOU CAN REQUEST TO SPEAK IN THE CHAT POD VICE CHAIR.
FLICKINGER, DO YOU HAVE ANY REMARKS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE AT THIS TIME? NO, MA'AM.
THERE ARE 12 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.
IF YOU DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK, AND YOU ARE IN THE CHAMBER AND YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, THERE IS A SIGNUP SHEET AT THE FRONT TABLE ON YOUR RIGHT.
OUR TWO DISTRICT K INTERNS ARE MANNING THE TABLE, SO Y'ALL GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO SO THEY CAN, UH, HAVE, HAVE SOME FUN TODAY.
UH, WHILE THEY'RE WORKING IN THE DISTRICT, A OFFICE, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRESENTATION.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THAT MAY COME UP EITHER TODAY OR AFTER THE PRESENTATION, YOU CAN DEFINITELY EMAIL THAT TO THE DISTRICT K OFFICE AT DISTRICT K@HOUSTONTX.GOV, AND WE WILL FORWARD THOSE TO THE RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ENTITIES FOR RESPONSES.
UM, WE HAVE ONE PRESENTATION SCHEDULED TODAY, AND THAT PRESENTATION WILL BE DONE BY LEE VELA, WHO IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR AND LANY FARROW, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS OUT FRONT MEDIA, AND THEY WILL PRESENT TODAY ON DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
UH, MR. VELA AND MS. FARROW, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
IF YOU ARE READY, WE ARE READY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
VICE CHAIR FLICKINGER, THANK YOU FOR, UH, ALLOWING US TO TELL, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF WHAT COULD BE THE FUTURE OF, OF HOUSTON.
MY NAME IS LEE ELLA, AS YOU HEARD, UH, WITH CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR.
AND ON MY LEFT IS LANNY FARROW WITH OUTFRONT MEDIA.
AND WE ARE REALLY HERE TO TALK ABOUT AN OPPORTUNITY AND TO EXPLAIN THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WORKS AND THE BENEFIT, THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF, OF DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
WE'RE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT TO TRAFFIC AND PUBLIC SAFETY LIGHTING STANDARDS AND HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED, UM, FOR ACROSS THE STATE IF WE CAN CHANGE THE SLIDE.
SO THAT'S OUR, OUR AGENDA TODAY, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ONCE WE'VE FINISHED OUR PRESENTATION.
UH, AND SO, UM, WE'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT FIRST, UM, IF WE GO TO SLIDE THREE, THERE ARE ACTUALLY THREE PILLARS TO THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UH, THAT, THAT STARTS WITH UPDATED TECHNOLOGY LEADING TO A NET REDUCTION OF THE NUMBER OF BILLBOARDS WHILE CREATING A DYNAMIC COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM.
WE ARE PROPOSING, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING, UH, A RESPONSIBLE UPDATE TO THE HOUSTON SIGN CODE THAT WILL ALLOW LEGALLY PERMITTED EXISTING RELOCATED BILLBOARDS TO USE MODERN TECHNOLOGY, UM, MODERN TECHNOLOGY, AND MOVING, UH, FROM PRINTED MESSAGES TO ELECTRONIC MESSAGES.
YOU CAN THINK OF THIS KIND OF LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING AN OLDER MODEL CAR, UH, THAT HAD A HAND CRANK, UH, WINDOW, VERSUS A NEWER MODEL THAT WHERE YOU JUST PUSH
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A BUTTON, UH, FOR IT TO GO UP.UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY, UM, IS, WILL BE LIMITED TO COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL AREAS, UM, AND WE PROPOSE THAT IT'LL BE LIMITED TO COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL AREAS AS WELL AS CONTROL ACCESS INTERSTATES AND ROADWAYS.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING PRESCRIBED SPACING BETWEEN BILLBOARDS, STRINGENT LIGHT CONTROLS, A PHASE, UH, PHASED ROLLOUT IN THE NUMBER OF YEARS, ALONG WITH OTHER CONTROLS AND RESTRICTIONS.
WE RECOMMEND, UH, USING A TRADE-IN MODEL THERE, WHERE A SET OF A NUMBER, UH, WHERE THERE'S A SET NUMBER OF BILLBOARDS ARE REMOVED IN EXCHANGE FOR THE RIGHT TO CONVERT OTHER BILLBOARDS, UH, CREATING INTO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY, CREATING A NET REDUCTION OF BILLBOARDS WITHIN THE CITY'S JURISDICTION, WE PROPOSE A THREE TO ONE RATIO, MEANING A THREE MINIMUM OF THREE BILLBOARDS WOULD BE PERMANENTLY REMOVED FROM THE LANDSCAPE, UH, BEFORE A FOURTH ONE CAN BE CONVERTED TO DIGITAL.
AND THIS WILL DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THE, UM, THE URBAN LANDSCAPE THAT WE LIVE IN.
THIS ELECTRONIC PLATFORM BUILT OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS CREATES A DYNAMIC MESSAGE TOOL THAT CAN BE LEVIED LEVERAGED BY THE CITY TO INTERACT WITH ITS CITIZENS AND ON AND ON ON CRITICAL HEALTH ISSUES, WELFARE ISSUES, UM, SAFETY AND EVENTS IN REAL TIME.
OVER 111 TEXAS CITIES NOW ALLOW DIGITAL BILLBOARDS IN THEIR CITIES, AND THEY ENJOY THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT FROM THAT.
WHAT WE FOUND IT OUT HANDED OUT TO YOU IS SOME, SOME SUGGESTED LANGUAGE FOR THIS PROPOSED, UH, ORDINANCE CHANGE.
SO, UM, DIGITAL BILLBOARDS USE MODERN LED PANELS THAT DISPLAY A SERIES OF STATIC MESSAGES CHANGING EVERY EIGHT SECONDS.
THEY DO NOT FLASH, THEY DO NOT SCROLL.
THEY USE FULL, THEY DO NOT USE FULL MOTION, BUT STATIC MESSAGES THAT CHANGE EVERY EIGHT SECONDS.
THE STATIC MESSAGES CHANGE WITHIN LESS THAN TWO SECONDS, AND PANELS HAVE, UH, LIGHT, UH, SENSORS THAT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST FOR THE AMBIENT LIGHT IN CONDITIONS.
THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY MEETS DARK SKY ORDINANCES, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AS IT RELATES TO ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, MODERN TECHNOLOGY ON EXISTING BILLBOARDS CREATES A, A POSITIVE ECONOMIC, UH, IMPACT ON THE CITY.
THE CITY WILL SEE ECONOMIC IMPACT WITH INCREASED CONSTRUCTION, ELECTRICAL, AND OPERATING PERMITS.
UH, ON THESE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE RELIED ON OUT OF HOME ADVERTISING PRIMARILY BECAUSE OTHER FORMS OF MEDIA ARE INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE, RIGHT? AND SO SMALL BUSINESSES TEND TO BENEFIT MORE FROM OUT OF HOME.
UM, AND THIS, A DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WILL ENHANCE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, ABOUT 70%, 75% OF BILLBOARD MESSAGES ARE LOCAL.
THEY'RE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES.
UH, THEY PROMOTE THOSE BUSINESSES, THEY SUPPORT AND CREATE JOBS FOR RESIDENTS, UH, AND THEY DRIVE SALES TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
UH, IN ADDITION TO LOCAL BUSINESSES, THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY LEVERAGE THESE BILLBOARDS AS WELL, UH, TO PROMOTE, UH, PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS.
AND IN SOME CASES, NONPROFITS GENERATE FUNDING WHEN NEEDED.
UH, A STUDY CONDUCTED, UH, BY DR. RAY TAYLOR WITH VILLANOVA, UH, RECENTLY FOUND THAT 77% OF BUSINESSES SURVEYED SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOSE OUT ON SALES WITHOUT ACCESS TO BILLBOARDS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT.
SO, WE UNDERSTAND SAFETY IS A HUGE CONCERN, UH, AS IT SHOULD BE.
UH, DIGITAL BILLBOARDS WERE FIRST INSTALLED IN 2007 IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, AND IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA.
AND SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTIVE STUDIES, UH, RELATED TO THEIR SAFETY, UH, THE MOST THOROUGH MULTI-YEAR STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN 2013 BY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ASSOCIATION.
UH, MOST RECENTLY, IN 2025, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REQUESTED THAT THE TEXAS TRAFFIC INSTITUTE AT TEXAS A AND M CONDUCT A SAFETY SURVEY, WHICH INDICATED THE SAME, THEY'RE SAFETY NEUTRAL.
UM, ADDITIONAL VEHICULAR CAR DATA HAS BEEN GENERATED IN BOTH NEW YORK AND MASSACHUSETTS, AND THE SAME HAS FOUND NO DETRIMENTAL SAFETY IMPACT, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO, PUBLIC SAFETY IS CERTAINLY A CONCERN OF EVERYONE, AND DIGITAL BILLBOARDS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY
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EFFECTIVE IN ASSISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT IN FINDING MISSING CHILDREN.UH, SINCE 2008, WE HAVE DISPLAYED OVER A THOUSAND A THOUSAND MESSAGES USING PICTURES OF, UH, CHILDREN, UH, UH, SUBJECT TO AMBER ALERTS IN THE CONNECTION WITH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING EXPLOITED CHILDREN, AND THE TEXAS CENTER FOR THE MISSING.
UH, AND THE LOCAL CAMPAIGNS HAVE REUNITED 20 CHILDREN, TEXAS CHILDREN WITH THEIR FAMILIES JUST FROM THE BUS, THE DIGITAL BILLBOARD, UH, MESSAGES MANY OF THOSE IN SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE COVERAGE INSIDE THE CITY IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, WORKING WITH THE FBI, UH, WE HAVE, UH, 53 FUGITIVES WHO, WHOSE, UH, FACES WERE DISPLAYED DURING THE STOP HOUSTON GANGS PROGRAM THAT WE DID WITH THEM WERE INTER APPREHENDED, AND THAT RESULTED IN AN 85% CAPTURE RATE, UH, FOR THE FBI AND HOUSTON CRIME STOPPERS.
LOCALLY, WE, WE DIRECT, UM, WE DIRECTLY WORK WITH HOMELAND SECURITY IN SIX COUNTIES NOW, AND I WILL GIVE SOME PASS OUTS FOR THESE LOCALLY, WE WORK WITH SIX COUNTIES IN THE HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICES TO, UH, DISPLAY EMERGENCY MESSAGING IN WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE ANOTHER STORM, EITHER A MANMADE OR NATURAL DISASTER.
UH, AND THAT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL AND, AND WON A NUMBER OF AWARDS, UH, IN BEING ABLE TO INFORM THE PUBLIC INSTANTLY WHEN THERE ISN'T AS DANGER, UH, LURKING OUT IN THE, UH, IN THE GULF OR IN, UH, CERTAIN, IN CERTAIN AREAS.
UH, VARIOUS CITIES HAVE HAVE LOOKED AT THIS AS A, AS A, AS AN ASSET, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGE PETROCHEMICAL INSTALL INSTALLMENTS THAT ARE IN THEIR CITIES.
SO WE'RE PASSING OUT SOME LETTERS FROM THE FBI AND FROM, UH, HOUSTON PETSET AND FROM, UH, JUDGE, UM, MARK HENRY FROM GALVESTON COUNTY AS WELL.
SO DIGITAL BILLBOARDS PRODUCE LESS LIGHT TRESPASS THAN TRADITIONAL PRINTED BILLBOARDS, LOUVERS DIRECT LIGHT DOWNWARD TO THE ROADWAY.
AND THE CURRENT TECH, THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY THAT WE USE COMPLIES WITH DARK SKY ORDINANCES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, THE OUT-OF-HOME INDUSTRY STANDARDS INCLUDE STRICT BRIGHTNESS CONTROLS, AND THEY'RE CAPPED AT 0.3 FOOT CANDLES OVER AMBIENT LIGHT.
UH, THESE STANDARDS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY TDOT AND LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, BRIGHTNESS AUTO ADJUSTS TO SURROUNDING CONDITIONS, AND ALL PANELS HAVE AN AUTO SHUTOFF TRIGGER.
UM, IT, THE, THE, WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IN THE LIGHTING CURRENTLY WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY IS THAT THE OUT OF HOME INDUSTRY ITSELF, BESIDES THE STATE REGULATING OUT OF HOME, UM, AND WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO, WE OURSELVES AS AN INDUSTRY HAVE HIGHLY REGULATED OURSELF TO BE A GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNER IN THIS SPACE OF LIGHTING.
SO, OUR TECHNOLOGY, THE TECHNOLOGY WE USE ON THESE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
UM, IT WAS APPROVED IN 2007, AND THE FIRST BOARDS WERE CONVERTED IN SAN ANTONIO AND EL PASO IN 2008.
UM, IT, AS LEE MENTIONED, UH, THEY'RE USED IN OVER 111 CITIES IN TEXAS AND APPROXIMATELY A THOUSAND CITIES ACROSS THE US.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, VERY TIGHTLY REGULATED BY STATE REGULATION, BUT ALSO HEAVILY REGULATED BY THE INDUSTRY AND THE COMPANIES THEMSELVES.
SO, WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF OUR PROJECTS.
UM, THE CAN YOU SEE ME PROJECT IS A PROJECT WE HAVE DONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW WITH, UH, A 21, WHICH IS AN INTERNATIONAL, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT FIGHTS HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
UH, WHEN WE FIRST LAUNCHED THIS CAMPAIGN, IT RESULTED IN A 33% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CALLS GOING INTO THE CALL CENTER IN WASHINGTON, DC FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING OUT OF TEXAS.
THAT RESULTED IN 1,204 VICTIMS BEING FOUND AND HELPED SPECIFICALLY FROM THE BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THIS ORGANIZATION HAD USED OUTDOOR ADVERTISING TO, UH, TO PUT THEIR MESSAGE OUT ON THE STREETS, AND THEY WANT THE FHWA, UH, UH, AWARDED THEM A VERY PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR THAT CAMPAIGN.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN AGAIN, AND WE'RE DOING THIS NATIONWIDE, UH, WITH THE HELP OF
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UNION PACIFIC AND A 21 AND, UM, UM, UH, AND CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOORS.SO WE ARE, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE WORKED WITH BOB'S, UH, RANCH HAND RESCUES, BOB'S HOUSE OF HOPE, UH, AND WE WERE UNAWARE THAT THIS WAS SUCH AN ISSUE, BUT IT IS, UH, WHERE BOYS ARE BEING TRAFFICKED, AND THIS IS THE ONLY SAFE HOUSE IN, IN THE NATION WHERE BOYS CAN BE HELPED.
UH, YOU'LL HEAR LATER FROM ONE OF THE FOLKS HERE.
BUT THAT, THAT, UM, THAT CAMPAIGN RESULTED IN A LOT OF LIVES BEING CHANGED.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR MISSING CHILDREN'S CAMPAIGN.
THESE ARE TWO EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN, ONE HERE IN HOUSTON AND ONE IN, UM, SAN ANTONIO THAT WERE FOUND AND REUNITED WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR, UM, FAMILIES.
UH, AND WE HAVE LETTERS FROM THESE FAMILIES THANKING US BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BILLBOARD, UM, UH, DIGITAL MESSAGES THAT THEIR PICTURE WAS SEEN AND SOMEWHAT KNEW WHERE THIS CHILD WAS AND GOT THEM HOME.
SO WE ARE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THOSE PARTICULAR CAMPAIGNS.
AND, UH, WE CONTINUE WITH THAT CAMPAIGN TODAY.
UH, WE JUST LAUNCHED IT LAST MAY 25TH, SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR AS AN ANNUAL EVENT WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING EXPLOITED CHILDREN AND THE TEXAS CENTER FOR THE MISSING.
AS, AS IT RELATES TO LOCAL BUSINESSES AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE ABLE TO UTILIZE, UM, OUT OF HOME, RIGHT? FIFA IS A GREAT EXAMPLE, RIGHT? WE'VE, UH, SO OUT FRONT MEDIA AS WELL AS CLEAR CHANNEL HAVE PARTNERED WITH FIFA ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, RIGHT? UM, AND WE'VE SEEN SOME AMAZING SUCCESS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, IN, IN THOSE VARIOUS CITIES, RIGHT? WE, WE'VE SEEN A, A, A HUGE INCREASE IN FOOT TRAFFIC TO FAN ZONES, UM, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND SO THIS IS, UH, A CAMPAIGN THAT WE RAN, UH, VERY RECENTLY AS A COUNTDOWN.
GREAT, GREAT OPPORTUNITY UTILIZING DIGITAL, UM, AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC SERVICE AS WELL.
AND, AND SOMETHING WE, WE TOUCH UPON VERY, UH, LITTLE HERE, BUT IS VERY IMPORTANT, IS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
AND, UM, AS IT RELATES TO WEATHER ALERTS AND TRAFFIC ALERTS, UM, IN, IN MANY CASES, WE HAVE MUNICIPALITIES REACHING OUT TO US AS COMPANIES SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES TO UTILIZE BILLBOARDS AS A MECHANISM FOR EMERGENCY MESSAGING DURING MAJOR STORMS, UM, DURING TRAFFIC EVENTS TO HELP THE COMMUNITY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION AT HAND AT THE MOMENT.
UM, AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE CONSISTENTLY SEE MORE AND MORE MUNICIPALITIES COME TO US, COUNTIES COME TO US, UM, TO DISCUSS THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AGAIN, OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES UTILIZING DIGITAL MEDIA, RIGHT? UM, SO IN, IN SOME CASES, WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL REACH OUT TO US AND SAY, WE'RE TRYING TO DRIVE FOOT TRAFFIC TO AN EVENT.
WE'RE TRYING TO GENERATE REVENUE, GENERATE FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES TOWARD A NONPROFIT.
HOW CAN YOU HELP US IN THE IMMEDIATE RIGHT? DIGITAL MEDIA ALLOWS FOR THAT.
UM, IT, IT HELPS DRIVE PEOPLE TO GAMES, UH, IT HELPS DRIVE PEOPLE TO DONATIONS.
SO THIS IS JUST SOME, SOME CREATIVE THAT WE WANTED TO SHARE ON THINGS THAT WE'VE UTILIZED ON, ON DIGITAL MEDIA THAT WE'VE UTILIZED TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES IN A PARTICULAR MOMENT IN TIME TO DRIVE ATTENTION OR AWARENESS OR FUNDING.
AND THEN, WELL, I WILL SAY THAT THE FLEXIBILITY THAT THIS, UH, MODE OF COMMUNICATIONS OFFERS, OFFERS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACT QUICKLY.
UH, THE ONE SLIDE YOU SEE THERE WITH THE CAPTURED ACROSS IT, IF YOU'LL RECALL, IN 2023, THERE WAS THIS, UH, GENTLEMAN WHO MURDERED HIS FAMILY UP IN THE CLEVELAND AREA.
WE LITERALLY HAD SOMETHING UP ON OUR DIGITAL BOARDS WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF BEING CALLED BY THE FBI AND FBI HAS TOLD US THAT THE LEAD THAT CAME IN THAT CAUGHT THIS GUY WAS, IT CAME FROM SOMEONE SEEING THE BILLBOARD MESSAGE IN CONROE, BECAUSE WE'RE INSIDE THE CITY OF CONROE.
SO THESE, WE KNOW THAT THIS WORKS, WHETHER IT'S STOP HOUSTON GANGS, WHERE WE'RE PUTTING UP A NEW A WANTED GANG MEMBER EVERY WEEK, AND MANY OF THEM TURNING THEMSELVES IN BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA SEE THEIR PICTURE UP THERE.
OR IT'S WORKING WITH THE FBI ON ON CRIME SUCH AS THIS.
AND THAT IS THE ESSENCE OF E ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, KEEPING OUR SAFE, OUR STREETS SAFE, UH, FINDING MISSING CHILDREN, UH, BEING PREPARED FOR EMERGENCY MESSAGING, UH, IN OUR CITY.
AND THAT IS TRUE, UH, IN, IN OUR, OUR SPHERE, TRUE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, ISSUES THAT WE, UH,
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WE THINK THAT WE CAN BE A PIVOTAL PART OF THAT FOR THE CITY AND WANT TO WORK WITH THE CITY, UM, UH, AS A PARTNER IN, IN PUTTING OUT THESE MESSAGES THROUGHOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT, THROUGH THE EMERGENCY MESSAGING AND SO FORTH, THAT WILL NOT ONLY WILL JUST NOTHING, DO NOTHING BUT BENEFIT THE CITY.SO WITH THAT, WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU ALL.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND, AND WE'LL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT COLLEAGUES, I WANTED TO, UM, JUST LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I MET WITH, UM, LEE AND LANNY AND THE BILLBOARD FOLKS, UM, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WANTED TO PRESENT.
I SAID, LET'S JUST KIND OF SEE THE PULSE OF THE COUNCIL, UM, WITH THESE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
UM, IT IS NOT A SECRET THAT THERE IS BIG OPPOSITION TO THESE BILLBOARDS.
UM, PRIMARILY THROUGH, UM, THE SCENIC HOUSTON GROUP.
UH, WE ALL HAVE HEARD THE PROS AND CONS FROM THE BILLBOARD TEAM AND FROM SCENIC HOUSTON.
UH, AND AN IDEAL WORLD, OUR BILLBOARD FRIENDS AND OUR SCENIC HOUSTON FRIENDS WOULD SIT TOGETHER AND BRING US A PROPOSAL AND SAY, HEY, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? UM, THAT MAY HAPPEN, THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, ASK THE QUESTIONS, UM, AND SEE IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE HAS, THIS IS NOT A, A PUSH, UH, BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
THIS WAS, I MET WITH THE BILLBOARD FOLKS.
LET'S JUST SEE THE, WHAT THE APPETITE OR THE PULSE OF THE COUNCIL IS AT THIS TIME.
I KNOW THAT, UM, IN ORDER FOR US TO DO ANYTHING, WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE, THE ORDINANCE, THE SIGN ORDINANCE.
UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
THERE ARE, UM, OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE ORDINANCES.
UM, WHEN I MET WITH THEM, I SAID, WELL, WHAT CITIES HAVE ORDINANCES? YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, SO THIS IS JUST A PRESENTATION OF THE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS AND CHECKING THE PULSE OF THE COUNCIL, AND THEN WE'LL DETERMINE WHAT COMES NEXT.
UM, OKAY, COLLEAGUES, IF YOU WANT TO GO TO QUESTIONS NOW, I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IS IN THE QUEUE,
IT'S NO SECRET THAT I AM OPPOSED TO DIGITAL BILLBOARDS IN HOUSTON.
I THINK WE HAVE WORKED TOO LONG AND TOO HARD FOR DECADES TO IMPROVE THE VISUAL LANDSCAPE OF OUR CITY.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY THE MAYOR PRO TEM IS THE RIGHT PERSON AND IS ALWAYS GONNA GIVE PEOPLE THE FLOOR.
AND I, I SAY THAT KNOWING HOW MUCH GOOD YOU HAVE DONE IN THE PUBLIC REALM ALREADY, UM, FOR THE CITY, AND I DON'T DISCOUNT, UM, THE WORK BOTH OF YOU HAVE DONE TO HELP WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AND OTHER MATTERS.
UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT SAFETY STANDARDS, UM, SAFETY, SAFETY STUDIES.
YOU KNOW, I CAN, I CAN SHOW YOU OTHER STUDIES THAT SAY DIFFERENTLY, RIGHT? WE CAN OUT STUDY EACH OTHER.
UM, BUT, BUT ULTIMATELY, WE LIVE IN A CITY, A REGION THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS IN THE COUNTRY.
YOU LOOK AWAY FOR TWO SECONDS AT 65 TO 75 MILES AN HOUR, YOU'VE GONE A FOOTBALL FIELD.
AND I'VE SEEN STUDIES, THE ALABAMA, FLORIDA STUDIES FEDERALLY FUNDED THAT SHOW THERE'S A 25 TO 29% GREATER CRASH RATES AROUND DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
WE'RE NOT, WE COULD DEBATE, LIKE I SAID, WE COULD DEBATE ALL THE STUDIES BACK AND FORTH.
UM, I DO WANNA TALK TO YOU A LITTLE LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE MAKING A PROPOSAL.
HAS THIS PROPOSAL, THE MAYOR PRO TEM SAID THIS IS NOT BEING LED BY THE WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION.
HAVE YOU MADE A FORMAL PROPOSAL OTHER THAN SITTING RIGHT HERE? NO.
AND TELL ME HOW THE THREE TO ONE WOULD WORK.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE UNDER A, UH, WE'VE BEEN UNDER, YOU KNOW, THE SIGN CODE KIND OF ALLOWS FOR US TAKING DOWN BILLBOARDS OVER TIME.
SO HOW, HOW WOULD YOU PROPOSE THE THREE TO ONE TAKE DOWN? WELL, IF WE REALLY WANT TO CHANGE THE URBAN LANDSCAPE AND HAVE LESS BILLBOARDS, THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS TO DO THAT.
UM, AND TO ALSO THINK ABOUT THE I 45 PROJECT WILL DISPLACE ABOUT 125 BILLBOARDS, RIGHT? WHICH WE'LL HAVE THE RIGHT TO FIND NEW HOMES FOR.
SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT'S BETTER FOR THE CITY, IF YOU REALLY WANT LESS, THEN THAT'S BETTER FOR THE CITY.
THEN WE'D LOOK AT SOME SORT OF RATIO.
THREE TO ONE WOULD MEAN THREE SQUARE FEET OF AN EXISTING BILLBOARD FOR ONE SQUARE FOOT OF A DIGITAL BILLBOARD.
SO 672 FEET IS A, IS A, UH, SIZE OF A 14 FOOT BY 48 FOOT SIZE SIGN.
SO YOU WOULD DO TIMES THREE, AND THAT WOULD BE THE NUMBER OF, OF SQUARE FEET THAT YOU WOULD COME UP WITH.
SO YOU'LL GET MORE STRUCTURES THAT WAY THAN JUST DOING STRUCTURE TO
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STRUCTURE.SO IT WOULDN'T INCLUDE THE, THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY COMING DOWN FROM 45, WELL, WE'LL HAVE, AND THE ONE THAT ARE ALREADY WELL ATION RIGHTS FOR THOSE.
I GUESS I JUST NEED TO GET WHERE, I MEAN IT, DETAILS OF WHAT, THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT FOR SURE.
UM, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF FAN YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO CITY.
HOW MANY ADS DO YOU PUT ON ONE DIGITAL BILLBOARD AT A TIME? THERE ARE EIGHT IN A ROTATION THERE.
EIGHT IN A ROTATION, MOVING EVERY EIGHT SECONDS.
PIECE, ONCE YOU'RE IN THE ROTATION, IT, YOUR, YOUR MESSAGE COMES UP YOU 1,250 TIMES PER DAY.
AND, AND YOUR REVENUE TO THE CITY IS BY, UM, JUST FROM THE PERMITTING? FROM PERMITTING PERMITS.
AND WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE PERMIT, I MEAN, WHAT THE STATIC SIGNS? DO YOU KNOW WHAT? YEAH, I, I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY GET IT FOR YOU.
I MEAN, UH, THIS WAS, I CAN GET I FROM YEAH, WE CAN, CAN FIRST CERTAINLY GET THAT FOR YOU.
UM, SO YOU, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PHASING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT IT WOULDN'T BE LIKE THE PHA IN YES.
TALK, TALK TO ME MORE ABOUT THAT.
YES, WE PROPOSED THAT WE WOULD DO NO MORE THAN 10 PER COMPANY PER YEAR.
AND HOW MANY COMPANIES? WELL, WE REPRESENT ABOUT 85 TO 90% OF THE BILLBOARD, UH, PERMITS IN THE CITY.
BUT THERE ARE ACTUALLY 21 OPERATORS IN THE CITY.
UH, MANY OF THOSE ARE ONE OR TWO TYPE BILLBOARDS.
UH, SO IF YOU, UH, THERE ARE 21 OPERATORS AND, UH, THERE ARE 14 THAT HAVE ONE SIGN EACH OUT OF THAT NUMBER.
AND THERE ARE, THERE'S ONE THAT HAS TWO SIGNS.
IT, THIS PROPOSAL WOULD, WOULD GET, UH, SEVEN OPERATORS COULD PARTICIPATE.
AND IF WE OPEN UP THE SIGN CODE, I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE ON-PREMISE, YOU, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO A DIGITAL SIGN AT ON-PREMISE, BUT THERE'S ALL KINDS OF RESTRICTIONS.
YES, WE DO THIS AND K BAR THE DOOR, IN MY OPINION, THEY WILL ALL BE HERE TRYING TO END ANY KIND OF RESTRICTIONS.
AND WE WILL BE LIT UP LIKE A, A 4TH OF JULY ALL OVER TOWN.
AND THAT'S HAPPENED IN OTHER CITIES.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S A BIG THING TO CONSIDER, UM, IN MY OPINION.
I'LL, I'LL HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL LET SOMEBODY ELSE GO.
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I WANT TO, UH, RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, WHO CAME IN AFTER I DID THE RECOGNITIONS, BUT HE IS HERE AND HAS BEEN HERE.
SEES YOU WILLIE, BUT I SEE YOU, I SEE YOU.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ IS NEXT IN THE QUEUE, THOUGH.
UM, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN, IN NUMBERS.
SO HOW MANY, HOW MANY BILLBOARDS DOES CLEAR CHANNEL CURRENTLY HAVE IN HOUSTON? IF YOU KNOW LEE, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER.
I DO HAVE A APPROXIMATE, UM, WITNESS HERE.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE EXACT NUMBER.
DO YOU KNOW FOUR, THE LAST 50, THE LAST NUMBER WE HEARD WAS MAYBE AROUND 14, 1500.
ARE THEY LIKE, IS THAT MAYBE COMBINED? OURS IS COMBINED.
SO DO, DO WE, CAN WE SAY AROUND 14, 1500 BILLBOARDS? THERE ARE ABOUT 400 POSTER PANELS AND YES, 700, 1500, 1500 TOGETHER.
SO I MEAN, YOU'D HAVE TO, YOU'D HAVE TO COUNT 'EM AND FIND OUT, UH, FOR ANY OR BEFORE ANY ORDINANCE PASSED.
IF YOU'RE GONNA, SURE, OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
SO ABOUT 1500 AND OUT FRONT HAS ABOUT 550, SO ABOUT ROUGHLY TWO, 2000.
HOW WOULD YOU DETERMINE, SO IF THE ORDINANCE PASSED AND YOU REMOVED THREE FOR EVERY ONE THAT YOU WERE PERMITTED, HOW WOULD YOU DETERMINE, UH, WHICH ONES TO TAKE OUT? WELL, SO MUCH.
IT DEPENDS ON SPACING AND COVERAGE OF THE, OF THE MARKET.
AND THEN ALSO WE HAVE, UM, CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS WITH LANDOWNERS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO EFFECT AS WELL.
UM, THERE, THERE'S REFERENCE TO A, A DISTANCE REQUIREMENT, DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE DISTANCE REQUIREMENT IS CURRENTLY? AND WHAT'S THE DISTANCE REQUIREMENT? WELL, WE DON'T HAVE DIGITALS HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT TXDOT REQUIREMENTS ARE 1500 FEET, 15, 1500 FEET BETWEEN THEM CURRENTLY.
AND WE WOULD GO TO, TO WHAT? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DISCUSS.
WHAT HAVE OTHER CITIES ADOPTED? UM, USUALLY IT'S AROUND THE TXDOT, UM, UH, REG, UH, REGULATIONS.
SOME CITIES WILL DO LESS, BUT IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, I IS THE SIZE OF THE DIGITAL BILLBOARD, THE SAME SIZE, STANDARD STANDARD 14 FEET BY 48 FEET.
AND, UH, THE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS HAVE LED BULBS, IS THAT CORRECT? MM-HMM
SO HOW MANY, HOW MANY LED BULBS? I WOULD BE IN ONE OF THESE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
[00:30:01]
GONNA PHONE A FRIEND WHO APPLE KNOWI DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER OF GOALS THEY'RE DONE IN MODULES THAT ARE, YEAH, THEY'RE MODULES.
YOU'LL HAVE TO TALK IN THE MIC.
YOU'LL HAVE TO COME AND TALK IN THE MICROPHONE.
WE WANT TO GET THAT ON THE RECORD.
IT'S DONE, IT IS DONE IN MODULES.
AND ABOUT THIRTEENS AND ABOUT 1300, ABOUT 1300 BULBS TOTAL.
SO, SO WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THOSE LED BULBS GO OUT? WHAT, WHAT DO Y'ALL DO WITH THEM? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE, THAT PANEL, THAT THAT ENTIRE SECTION OF BULBS IS REPLACED, AND TYPICALLY, MOST, MOST COMPANIES HAVE, UH, WHETHER IT'S A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION WITH A MUNICIPALITY OR A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION WITH A LANDOWNER, IT'S TYPICALLY WITHIN 24 TO 48 HOURS.
THAT WE FIX THOSE LIGHT BULBS.
AND REMEMBER, THOSE ARE ADS, AND WE DON'T WANNA MAKE OUR CUSTOMERS UNHAPPY.
SO WE'RE QUICK TO, WE'RE VERY QUICK, VERY QUICK TO CHANGE THOSE.
BUT LOOKING AT IT FROM AN E-WASTE, UH, PERSPECTIVE, SO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH, UH, THE BULBS THAT, THAT YOU HAVE REPLACED? SO WE ALL, BOTH COMPANIES HAVE MAJOR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS. EVEN OUR VINYLS, FOR INSTANCE, GET OR RECYCLED, SCRUBBED AND RECYCLED.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE VERY STRINGENT, UM, SUSTAINABILITY, UM, POLICIES WITHIN THE COMPANY TO RECYCLE AND DO ALL THOSE THINGS, UM, THAT YOU WOULD DO WITH ANY ELECTRONICS.
SO THAT MEANS THEY GO TO A, A, A SPECIALIZED COMPANY THAT HANDLES THAT? YES.
OR THEY, OR WE SEND THEM SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY CAN BE REPLACED.
IF WE HAVE A, A SUB REFURBISHED SUBCONTRACT THAT CAN REFURBISH OR FIX THOSE, THAT UNIT.
THEN WE WOULD DO THAT AS WELL.
BUT, BUT ULTIMATELY, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT'S DONE WITH THE BULB, IF YOU KNOW? I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.
WE CAN CERTAINLY FIND OUT FOR YOU THOUGH.
WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU WITH THAT.
AND, UM, I THINK, LEE, YOU MENTIONED NO, NO SCROLLING, NO.
UH, FLASHING, NO FLASHING, NO LIVE ANIMATION.
TEXT, TEXT AND FEDERAL REGS FOR THAT.
SO WHEN I'VE DONE LIKE, POWERPOINTS AND THERE DIFFERENT ANIMATION MODES.
SO WHAT, WHAT'S THE NO ANIMATION.
NO ANIMATION, NO ANIMATION AT ALL.
SO JUST SORT OF, WE DON'T EVEN PUT QR CODES ON OUR BILLBOARDS.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROHIBITS FULL LIVE ANIMATION.
SO AS COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN MENTIONED COMPETING STUDIES THAT SHOW THAT THEY DO POSE A SAFETY HAZARD.
I'M, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH ANY STUDY THAT SHOWS ANYTHING, BUT, WELL, I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF STUDIES ON, ON VARIOUS THINGS, BUT WHAT WE GO BY IS WHAT THE FHWA HAD DONE.
AND IT'S, IT WAS A MULTI-YEAR STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION THAT FOUND THEM SAFETY NEUTRAL.
SO THAT HAS SORT OF, AND THE INDUSTRY WAS NOT IN, WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THAT AT ALL.
AND THEN THE TEXAS A AND M JUST DID WHAT SOMETHING LAST, UH, YEAR, UH, SAME, CAME UP WITH THE SAME CONCLUSIONS IN TEXAS MM-HMM
I'D, I'D BE INTERESTED TO, WE CAN GET YOU THOSE, WE CAN GET YOUR COPY SURE.
I THINK, I THINK THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR NOW.
UH, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I AM VERY, YOU KNOW, INTERESTED IN THE PRESENTATION REGARDING, UM, THE DIGITAL BILLBOARD.
UH, FROM AN ASPECT, UH, MY COLLEAGUE WHO TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA THAT THERE ARE DATA FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE OVER DIGITAL AND RATHER THE STANDARD, UM, AT THIS POINT, FOR ME, ONE OF THE THINGS IS I LISTEN AND LOOK THROUGH ALL OF THE MATERIAL.
I'M VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN HOW WE PRESENT CRIME STATS IN OUR CITY.
I'VE LIVED IN TWO MAJOR CITIES, BOTH CHICAGO AND HOUSTON, THREE AND FOUR.
AND, UM, WE UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE DATA OF THE DAY DEALING WITH SEX TRAFFICKING.
UM, IN TERMS OF MURDERS, I WAS LOOKING AT THE STATS, AND LIKE I SAY, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE DA DATA APPROACH TO IT.
I'M, I'M REALLY MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE BENEFIT OF IT.
NOT THAT IT'D BE A HAZARDOUS, NOT ARGUING THAT IT WOULDN'T BE TO SOME PEOPLE, BUT, BUT BY RECORD, UH, ON THE PUBLIC IT SAYS THE DIGITAL, UM, BILLBOARDING IS RECALLED BY THE GENERAL AUDIENCE.
PEOPLE WATCH IT AND THEY, AND THEY REMEMBER RIGHT.
THIS FLIPS EVERY EIGHT SECONDS.
SO, WITH MUCH OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND THE CONCERN, LIKE RIGHT NOW, I WENT TO A TOWN HALL MEETING JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO
[00:35:01]
AND DISTRICT D UM, AT LARGE.SO I GO EVERYWHERE THAT I POSSIBLY CAN, DISTRICT D 'CAUSE OF RI THE RISING HOMICIDE RATE IN ONE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHERE I LIVE AT 7 0 0 4.
SO WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO COMMIT DIFFERENT CRIMES AND OF ALL SORTS.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M MORE, UM, FAVORABLE OF THE FACT OF WHAT THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CAN DO.
WE SIT AROUND THE HORSESHOE, WE TALK ABOUT CRIME RATES, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
WE KNOW RIGHT NOW HOUSTON'S A PRETTY POPULAR CITY BASED ON THE GROWTH AND EVERYTHING THAT'S HERE.
SO, UM, DO YOU THINK MY QUESTION WOULD BE THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF NOT JUST ADVERTISING AND MARKETING FOR BUSINESS, BUT ALSO IN THE SAFETY ASPECT? MM-HMM
I WILL TELL YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, A FEW YEARS AGO WE WORKED WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ON A CASE THAT WAS A COLD CASE.
IT WAS, UH, 18 MONTHS COLD OF A SERIAL RAPIST IN THE NORTHWEST AREA, NORTHEAST AREA.
AND WE ONLY HAD TWO, UH, SKETCHES OF THIS GUY.
AND WE PUT IT ON THE DIGITAL AND WE, WE ALTERNATED ONE SKETCH OVER THE OTHER, AND WITHIN THREE WEEKS HE WAS TURNED IN.
HE HAD BEEN ON THE LOOSE FOR 18 MONTHS.
I TELL PEOPLE IT'S A LITTLE LIKE, UH, THE OLD WANTED POSTERS IN THE POST OFFICE, BUT NOT MANY PEOPLE GO TO A POST OFFICE ANYMORE.
UH, BUT PUTTING THAT IMAGE OUT ON THE STREETS, SOMEBODY KNOWS SOMETHING SOMEWHERE, SOMEWHERE ABOUT THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS DONE SOMETHING.
NOT JUST THAT, BUT JUST WITH THE, THE MISSING CHILDREN AS WELL.
SO MUCH OF THIS IS TIED INTO HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
I WILL TELL YOU ALSO A REALLY SHORT STORY.
ABOUT ONE YEAR WE HAD A YOUNG LADY WE WERE GONNA FEATURE ON THE, ON THE BILLBOARD FOR HUMAN TRAFFIC FOR, FOR MISSING CHILDREN'S, UH, DAY.
AND HER MOTHER CALLED THREE DAYS BEFORE THE PRESS CONFERENCE AND SAID, WE DON'T REALLY NEED TO DO IT.
I'VE HEARD FROM MY DAUGHTER, SHE'S IN ANOTHER STATE AND THEY'RE PAYING HER IN CASH.
AND I SAID, THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE NEED TO DO THIS PRESS CONFERENCE.
AND WITHIN THREE WEEKS THAT YOUNG GIRL WAS HOME WITH HER FAMILY.
SO WE KNOW IT HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON CRIME, ON FINDING CHILDREN ON EMERGENCY MESSAGING.
WE KNOW THAT WE, THAT IS PROVEN.
UH, AND THIS P PROPOSAL WILL NOT ONLY BENEFIT THE CITY THAT WAY, BUT IT WILL ALSO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF BILLBOARDS YEAH.
AND WHAT IS HERE NOW IS, IS GOING TO BE HERE FOR A GOOD LONG TIME BECAUSE IT'S PROTECTED BY THE HIGHWAY IFICATION ACT, UH, FEDERAL REGS.
SO THIS IS A WAY TO LOOK AT REALLY CHANGING THE URBAN LANDSCAPE, REALLY MAKING SOMETHING THAT'S A POSITIVE FOR MAKING THE CITY LOOK BETTER AND ALSO A POSITIVE FOR SOLVING CRIMES AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
IF I MAY ADD ONE OF THE MM-HMM
WE WORK WITH SO MANY MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN, IN WHAT WE CALL COMMUNITY INFORMATION PANEL PROJECTS OR JUST MUNICIPAL CONTRACTS.
AND THE BIGGEST SUPPORTERS OF DIGITAL BILLBOARDS ALWAYS TO COME OUT FIRST ARE FIRE CHIEFS AND POLICE CHIEFS.
AND I COULD SEE THAT WE HAVE COUNTLESS LETTERS FROM MAJOR CITIES LIKE ATLANTA, UM, LA THAT HAVE WRITTEN LETTERS, DETAILING WHAT AN ASSISTANCE IT HAS BEEN TO THEIR PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN SHARE FOR SURE.
AND THE DIGITAL CAN GET MORE MESSAGES OUT THAN A STANDARD STANDALONE.
IT CAN GET QUICKLY, GET BACK IN THE QUEUE.
THE, THE KEY IS TIME WITH A MISSING CHILD OR, OR A CRIME TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
TRADITIONAL BILLBOARDS CAN TAKE THREE WEEKS TO PUT TOGETHER AND BE ON THE STREETS.
I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER.
SO THE PROPOSAL THAT Y'ALL ARE PUTTING FORWARD IS ESSENTIALLY FOR EVERY FOUR BILLBOARDS YOU HAVE, YOU WOULD END UP WITH ONE, WELL, THIS IS A THREE FOR ONE PROPOSAL.
SO YOU GET RID OF THREE AND ONE OF 'EM WOULD BE CONVERTED.
SO FOR EVERY FOUR YOU END UP WITH ONE.
AND I ASSUME EXISTING BOARDS, NO NEW BOARDS? CORRECT.
AND, AND I, I ASSUME THAT IT'S A MORE ADVANTAGEOUS TIME TO BE DONE HERE WHILE THE I 45 EXPANSION IS GOING ON, BECAUSE YES, SIR.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE PULLING SOME DOWN ANYWAY.
SO RATHER THAN PUTTING THOSE BACK UP ONE FOR ONE AT ANOTHER LOCATION, YOU WOULD TRADE THEM IN.
UM, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ TALKED ABOUT THE, THE E-WASTE IS, IS THERE CURRENTLY WASTE WITH
[00:40:01]
THE PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE NOW WITH THE SIGNAGE? I MEAN, WHEN YOU SWAP OUT WHICH ADDITIONAL BILLBOARDS? YES.UH, WE, WE HAVE BOTH COMPANIES HAVE A VERY ROBUST, UM, SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS. AND MANY OF THESE, THE VINYLS THAT GO ON THE BILLBOARDS ARE RECYCLED AND, AND MADE INTO PRODUCTS AS A MATTER OF, AS A MATTER OF FACT.
YOU ALL HAVE A, A, UH, NOTEBOOK THAT I GAVE YOU THAT IS MADE FROM A RECYCLED BILLBOARD.
SO ESSENTIALLY YOU'RE DEALING WITH SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES JUST NOW.
IT'S ELECTRONIC VERSUS ABSOLUTELY.
OF COURSE, WE ALSO, WE ALSO JUST, UH, FYI FOR HURRICANE SEASON COMING UP, WE ALSO, UM, WILL GIVE THOSE SCRUBBED VINYLS TO, FOR ROOFS, I I, FOR TEMPORARY TARPING AND YES.
SO WE DO, WE VERY, VERY SUSTAINABILITY FOCUSED.
UM, WELL, CERTAINLY FRIENDS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT I CER I, I UNDERSTAND THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND, AND CERTAINLY HAVE BENEFITED ON PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS AND ALSO FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, THIS TOPIC OPENS UP A BIT OF A CAN OF WORMS BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS, OUR FRIENDS FROM SCENE IN HOUSTON.
IN A PERFECT WORLD, MY PRAYER WOULD BE YOU ALL COULD GET TOGETHER AND, AND COME UP WITH A GREAT SOLUTION.
UM, I'VE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF EMAILS AND, AND, UH, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE TO ASK, UM, IS REGARDING, REGARDING, UH, THE BILLBOARDS AS RELATES TO THE TAX ROLL AND SPECIFICALLY, UM, THERE'S CALLED OUT A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT, YOU KNOW, SAY IS VALUED AT 550,000 WITH A THREE-SIDED BILLBOARD THAT, UM, THE IMPROVEMENTS SHOW, YOU KNOW, ZERO.
AND SO THE TAXES ARE JUST STRICTLY ON THE LAND, BUT YET THE ADVERTISING ON, ON ONE SIDE OF THE BILLBOARD IS, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY $90,000 OR WHATEVER THE NUMBER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A QUESTION AS TO HOW THE CITY COULD HANDLE THE REVENUE OR HANDLE AND CREATE A REVENUE STREAM FOR THESE BILLBOARDS BECAUSE, AND I THINK YOU KNOW, WHICH ONE I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, WE, WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY ALSO THE, UM, BENEFIT OF THE NONPROFIT SIDE, BUT ALSO TO THEN THERE'S THAT OTHER SIDE.
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, ON THE, THE GENERAL ON THE REVENUE THAT THE, THAT THE ADVERTISING THAT THE BILLBOARDS GENERATE, HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE LOOK AT THAT? WELL, I MEAN, IF YOU TAX THE REVENUE THAT COMES FROM ADVERTISING SALES, AND THAT'S A SALES TAX ON ADVERTISING, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT IN A NUMBER OF STATES AND, AND IN TEXAS, BUT HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE.
UM, SO I, I DON'T KNOW HOW IF A CITY COULD ACTUALLY DO THAT, BUT IT, IT STATE COULDN'T DO IT.
WELL, GROWING UP IN THIS AREA, CERTAINLY I REMEMBER THE BEFORE AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE BEFORE AND, AND NOW FROM, FROM HERE TO, TO HERE.
SO I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE SURE.
UM, THE WORK DONE TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THOSE STATIC BOARDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S AGAIN, A STICKY, STICKY SUBJECT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND, AND OUR FRIENDS OUT IN THE AUDIENCE HERE.
MAYBE WE COULD JUST HAVE A, A BIG LUNCH AND SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT IT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
I'M NOT A LIGHT EXPERT, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME A DIGITAL BILLBOARD IS LIT UP.
A STATIC BILLBOARD IS JUST LIT AT NIGHT.
I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT, AND YOU'RE CHANGING IT.
YOU'RE CHANGING, IF YOU'RE GOING FROM A DARK SCREEN TO A LIGHT SCREEN, I MEAN, IT CATCHES YOUR EYE, IT DRAWS, IT DRAWS YOUR ATTENTION AWAY UNLIKE A STATIC BILLBOARD.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S A SAFETY ISSUE.
AND THIS, IN THIS, IN THE, IN THE SAFETY STUDY THAT YOU'RE QUOTING IS, IS OVER A DECADE OLD.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE RECENT INFORMATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYBODY ON THEIR PHONES ANYWAY, DRIVING DOWN THE STREET.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S LOOKING AWAY.
ANYWAY, IT'S ONE MORE THING TO LOOK AWAY AT.
BUT TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE LIGHTING.
'CAUSE YOU TALK, YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, THESE ARE NOT AS BRIGHT.
UM, WELL, THEY CHANGED THE, BUT THAT'S HARD FOR ME.
LIKE THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIT
AND TO, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS, THEN EACH, EACH, UH, BOARD IS EQUIPPED WITH A LIGHT METER THAT THAT LIGHT CHANGES AS THE AMBIENT LIGHT CHANGES AROUND IT.
SO IT'S NEVER GONNA BE, IF YOU'LL NEVER SEE 'EM GLARING, NOW YOU WILL SEE SOME ON-PREMISE, UH, UH, DIGITAL SIGNS GLARING MM-HMM
UH, BECAUSE THE, THE REGS ARE A BIT DIFFERENT, BUT WITH, WITH OUTDOOR, WITH OFF-PREMISE SIGNS, THEY'LL NEVER GLARE
[00:45:01]
BECAUSE THEY'LL NEVER GO OVER 0.3 FOOT CANDLES.UH, AND WE MAY, WE GO TO VERY LONG STRIDES TO MAKE SURE THAT IS ADHERED TO, BUT THIS IS OUR OWN SELF-POLICING.
THIS IS NOT, IN MANY CASES, NOT, IT'S NOT REQUIRED, BUT WE DO IT, UH, BECAUSE IT'S A DISTRACTION.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT TAKES AWAY FROM WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ANYWAY.
WHAT, WHAT PERCENT OF YOUR BUSINESS IS PUBLIC SAFETY NOTICES? CAN YOU SAY? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? PUBLIC SAFETY NOTICE? LIKE YEAH.
WHAT PERCENT OUT OF ALL YOUR, HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, HERE IN HOUSTON? WELL, NATIONALLY, WELL HERE, I MEAN WE, HOWEVER YOU WANNA GIVE IT TO ME,
AND SO WE TRY TO LOOK AT ORGANIZATIONS AND ISSUES THAT WE CAN HELP.
SO, SO YOU'RE MAINLY GOING TO BOARDS THAT AREN'T ALREADY SOLD, YOUR BOARDS THAT ARE SOLD, PERIOD.
YOU'RE RUNNING YOUR AD TIMES ON IT.
UM, IT'S, HAS THIS BEEN WORKED OUT? LIKE YOU GUYS KNOW YOU CAN RELOCATE THOSE SIGNS WHEREVER YOU WANT, THAT'S DONE DEAL YOU MEET, YOU MEET ALL THE, ALL THE PRETTY MUCH YES.
UM, ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON, OTHER THAN, WELL, THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF WHERE THEY CAN GO AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING.
I DON'T SI DON'T HAVE ALL THAT HERE WITH ME, BUT YES.
AND WHAT'S THE TIMING OF, OF THAT? WE SHOULD KNOW
THE, THE, THE TIMING, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN IS IT HAPPENING, IS HAPPENING NOW.
AND WE'RE ALREADY GETTING CONDEMNATIONS NOW.
AND WE'VE, AND WE HAVE WORKED IN STATES WHERE ROADWAY PROJECTS HAVE NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE RELOCATION OF BILLBOARDS.
AND IT HAS SEVERELY IMPACTED, ITS CAUSED LAWSUITS.
IT'S, IT'S SEVERELY IMPACTED THE PROJECTS RUN UP THE COST OF PROJECTS, UM, WHICH IS WHY THE TIME IS NOW TO PLAN, UM, AND AVOID ALL OF THAT.
WHERE'D YOU COME UP WITH THREE TO ONE? I'M LOOKING AT ST.
PETERSBURG, FLORIDA WITH 13.8 TO ONE AND OTHER PLACES WITH A LOT HIGHER TAKE DOWNS FOR THE DIGITAL SPACE.
AND IF YOU'RE GETTING EIGHT, EIGHT ADS ON EACH ONE TO ROTATE FOR 1,250 YEAH.
WHY DON'T WE TAKE DOWN 1400
PETE IS A VERY SMALL BEACH TOWN.
UM, NOT A LOT OF, NOT A LOT OF BILLBOARDS.
UM, MOST LIKE SIZE CITIES AND COUNTIES ARE THREE TO ONE.
WE, WE OPERATE IN 12, 13 CITIES SURROUNDING HOUSTON.
AND IT, IT WILL VARY ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO THREE TO ONE.
SO IT, THERE'S NOTHING HERE, LIKE, NOTHING IN ANYTHING AROUND HOUSTON THAT DOES SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE STANDARD IN THE INDUSTRY IN, IN, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO INTERESTED IN THE IMPACT ON YOUR WORKFORCE, IF YOU GO DIGITAL, BECAUSE THE STATIC BILLBOARDS HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED BY WORKERS.
AND I WOULD ASSUME WHEN YOU'RE, UH, LOADING, IF YOU WILL, YOU KNOW, THE DIGITAL ADS, YOU CAN DO THAT, UM, REMOTELY, ELECTRONICALLY, REMOTELY, PERHAPS EVEN REMOTELY.
WHAT, WHAT'S BEEN THE EFFECT ON YOUR WORKFORCE? WE'RE WE'RE NOT EVER GONNA BE A HUNDRED PERCENT DIGITAL.
WE'RE NOT EVER GONNA BE A HUNDRED PERCENT DIGITAL.
WE WILL BE STATIC AND DIGITAL TOGETHER.
AND, AND THE, THE DIGITAL WILL REQUIRE JUST AS MUCH OPERATIONS STAFF.
I, I CAN TELL YOU IN THE 14 MARKETS THAT I REPRESENT, UH, WHEN WE'VE DONE MAJOR DIGITAL CONVERSIONS, LIKE I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU MY PERSONAL EXAMPLE.
IN ATLANTA, WE TOOK 95 FACES DOWN, BUILT 20, UM, WE ACTUALLY INCREASED OUR OPERATIONS TEAM.
SO, SO DIGITAL DOESN'T MEAN A REDUCTION IN OPERATING IT, IT ACT, IT ACTUALLY CREATES A POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
AND I WILL SAY HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE LAST MAJOR CITIES WITHOUT THIS TECHNOLOGY ON THE STREETS.
UM, YOU'LL, YOU, WITH, WITH FIFA BEING HERE RIGHT NOW AS WE TALK, UM, EVERY OTHER MAJOR HOST CITY HAD VERY ROBUST PROGRAMS WITH OUTDOOR ADVERTISING ON DIGITAL BILLBOARDS EXCEPT HOUSTON.
IN, IN DEALING WITH THE FIFA HOST COMMITTEE MYSELF, UM, IN MIAMI, DALLAS AND ATLANTA, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AS ONE OF THE DETRIMENTS.
UM, THIS WAS, THAT THERE NOT, WAS NOT SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR SPONSORSHIP HERE.
SO IN THE CITIES WHERE YOU'VE GONE TO DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, HAVE, HAVE THOSE CITIES ENACTED HIGHER FEES FOR THE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS? IN SOME CASES, YES.
AND WHAT, WHAT HAS BEEN, WHAT SOME
[00:50:01]
OF THE DIFFERENCES YOU'VE SEEN THERE? I MEAN, IT, IT'S ALL SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN ALL ON THE BOARD.IT, IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BOARDS.
UM, UH, AGAIN, BECOMES A NEGOTIATION.
BUT I THINK AS COMPANIES, WE UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A BENEFIT FOR BOTH THE CITY AND FOR US TO REDUCE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLBOARDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE ARE WILLING TO GO FOR A HIGHER PERMIT FEE.
UM, SO THAT THERE IS OPPORTUNITY IN THAT IN MOST CASES, THE, THE FEE INCREASES IN SOME CASES MINIMALLY, IN SOME CASES MODERATELY.
NOW, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE PUBLIC, UH, SERVICE THAT, UH, THE BILLBOARD COMPANIES DO PROVIDE, UH, FROM TIME TO TIME AND CURIOUS TO KNOW, 'CAUSE LEE, YOU MENTIONED, UH, A CASE WHERE YOU ARE ABLE TO LOAD, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, A SUSPECT WHO WAS BEING, UH, HUNTED BY THE POLICE IN VERY SHORT ORDER.
SO IS IT A SITUATION WHERE YOU WOULD INTERRUPT THE, UH, THE ROTATION THAT'S ALREADY, UH, GOING ON, UH, OF, OF ADVERTISEMENTS IN ORDER TO, UH, PUT THE INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THE SUSPECT? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? WELL, IT WOULD DEPEND UPON WHAT WE DO, WHAT, HOW WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION.
I WILL TELL YOU WITH OUR EMERGENCY MESSAGING, WE HAVE PROTOCOLS IN PLACE THAT WE KNOW IF IT'S A LEVEL ONE, LEVEL TWO, LEVEL THREE, LEVEL FIVE, UH, AND, UH, IN THAT STAGE, FIRST IT WILL BE GET READY STORM IN THE GULF, THAT SORT OF THING.
IT, IT COULD BE A, UM, UH, EVACUATION MESSAGE.
WHAT'S THE MESSAGE IN GALVESTON COUNTY MAY BE A DIFFERENT MESSAGE IN HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, BUT, UH, AS THE, IF, AS THE, AS THE DANGER PROGRESSES AND GETS MORE, WE WILL INTERRUPT.
WE WILL PRO PREEMPT COMMERCIAL SALES.
UM, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS A MAJOR CRIME THAT THE FBI OR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT OR HPD WANTS TO GET OUT SOMETHING OUT QUICKLY, THEN CERTAINLY WE CAN LOOK AT PUTTING THOSE PROTOCOLS IN PLACE FOR THAT PARTICULAR IS ISSUE AS WELL.
I THINK, I THINK EVERY COMPANY IN THAT RESPECT WILL BE DIFFERENT.
BUT, UM, IN INSTANCES THAT WE'VE DONE, WE'VE BLACKED OUT OUR BOARDS SO THAT THAT IS THE ONLY IMAGE SHOWING YES.
IN OTHER CASES, WE'LL MAKE IT, UH, EVERY THIRD, EVERY FOURTH FLIP.
REGARDLESS OF, OF THE EIGHT FLIPS.
UM, IT, IT REALLY DOES DEPEND ON THE SEVERITY, BUT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MANIPULATE THAT.
AND, AND THEN CERTAINLY OUR, OUR BOARDS, I THINK AS WELL AS YOURS ARE, UM, MANNED IN ONE LOCATION.
SO THERE'S, WE'VE OFTEN HEARD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, WELL, CAN SOMEBODY HACK YOUR BILLBOARDS? IN OUR CASES, NO.
UH, WE HAVE AN IRONCLAD SYSTEM IN THE YEARS THAT OUT FRONT HAS BEEN OPERATING.
I THINK THE SAME FOR CLEAR CHANNEL.
NOBODY HAS EVER HACKED OUR BILLBOARDS.
UH, SO MUCH LAST, LAST QUESTION FROM ME.
WHAT, HOW, HOW QUICKLY CAN WE GET THE ANNOUNCEMENT UP? HOW, HOW FAST WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT PROCESS BE IF SOMETHING ON DIGITAL, ON THE DIGITAL MINUTES? 30.
IT DEPENDS IF THE CREATIVE NEEDS TO BE CREATIVE, RIGHT? YEAH.
WE NEED TO DEVELOP A CREATIVE FOR THE IMAGE.
IF YOU HAVE A CREATIVE THAT'S ALREADY READY TO GO.
WE CAN JUST PUT THAT WITH OUR EMERGENCY MESSAGING THAT WE DO WITH THE HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICES.
SO THAT WE JUST SLIDE IN THE, WHAT THE MESSAGE IS THAT THE HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICES WANT US TO PUT UP.
AND LITERALLY WHEN BARRELL CAME THROUGH, I GOT THE CALL AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES WE HAD SOMETHING UP.
NOW THE REASON I ASKED THAT TOO, BECAUSE CONSIDERING WHERE WE ARE AND BEING HOUSTON, TEXAS, UH, STORMS, OTHER HUNDRED PERCENT ENTITIES LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS, AGAIN, I'M NOT ARGUING, YOU KNOW, AGAINST THE, THE STATIONARY OR THOSE WHO OPPOSE IT.
BUT I THINK FROM AN INFORMATIONAL RESPECT, 'CAUSE I REMEMBER THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DEALT WITH THE HURRICANES BEFORE, UH, YES.
YOU KNOW, RITA AND ALL THAT CAME INTO THE CITY, UH, KATRINA.
AND, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THAT.
AND IT IS BRANDED 'CAUSE I WAS A PART OF THAT.
SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN VERY, VERY BENEFICIAL FOR PEOPLE GIVING DIRECTIONS WHERE THEY GO, WHAT EXIT THEY CAN MAKE, WHAT WHATEVER PERTAINS TO THAT.
SO I'M JUST BASICALLY LOOKING AT IT FROM HOW IT BENEFITS THE CITY AS A WHOLE AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT JUST WEATHER RELATED ISSUES AS WELL.
IT COULD BE A PLANT EXPLOSION.
[00:55:01]
THERE WAS A FIRE IN DISTRICT A, UH, AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WERE TRAINED TO BE EVACUATED FROM BECAUSE OF CHEMICALS.THAT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE CAN GET SOMETHING UP QUICKLY TO INFORM PEOPLE.
NOT EVERYONE WATCHES TELEVISION.
NOT EVERYONE LISTENS TO THE RADIO.
AND IN AN IDEAL STATE, SOME OF THE BEST MUNICIPAL PARTNERS WILL CREATE TEMPLATES, UM, FOR WEATHER FOR AND JUST HAVE THEM THROUGH THE PIO OFFICE AND JUST HAVE THEM READY TO GO IN COMMUNICATION WITH US.
AND THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
WHAT'S YOUR POLICY ON THE TYPE OF ADVERTISING ALLOWED ON THE BILLBOARDS QUESTION? WELL, NONE OF US, OR NEITHER ONE OF US EXCEPT SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES, NUMBER ONE.
UH, AND ANY KIND OF ADULT, UM, UM, BEVERAGES OR ANY KIND OF, UH, THINGS THAT ARE DIRECTED TO ADULTS ARE RESTRICTED WITHIN 500 FEET OF CHURCH SCHOOLS AND PLAYGROUNDS.
WHAT ABOUT SEXUAL INNUENDOS? UM, I DON'T, YEAH, WE WE'RE PRETTY STRICT ON COPY.
SO I DON'T THINK YOU DO TURN DOWN COPY.
AS AN IN, AS AN, AGAIN, AS AN INDUSTRY, WE DON'T TAKE TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
'CAUSE YEAH, THAT'S, BUT FOR SOBS, WE DON'T TAKE ANY KIND OF BUSINESS FROM THOSE FOLKS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, YOU'RE BACK IN THE QUEUE.
UM, TO CLARIFY ON THE PSAS ROUGHLY IN THE HOUSTON AREA, RIGHT? I MEAN YOU MAY NOT HAVE THIS INFORMATION HANDY, BUT AT THIS TIME, HOW MANY STATIC BILLBOARDS OR PSAS AND THEN WHAT ON THE ROTATION THROUGH THE, ON, ON THE DIGITAL ROUGHLY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN A, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH TO SAY 24 HOURS BECAUSE SO MANY OF 'EM AGAIN, ARE DONE WITH SPACE AVAILABLE BASIS.
UH, BUT WE, WE ARE NEVER TOTALLY A HUNDRED PERCENT SOLD.
NOW WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO IT WITH FIFA RIGHT NOW.
BUT, BUT, BUT BARRING THAT, WE DO HAVE TIME AND SPACE, PARTICULARLY ON THE DIGITALS THAT WE CAN USE.
SO I, TO GIVE YOU A PERCENTAGE, IT'S A LITTLE TOUGH TO DO THAT.
WE CAN TRY TO DETERMINE THAT AT A, AT A SNAPSHOT THAT WE CAN LOOK AT FOR TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT IS RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT.
WHAT WE COULD TELL YOU IS IF IF THERE WERE MORE DIGITAL, THERE WOULD BE MORE PSA SPACE FOR US TO PUT UP.
SO, SO THERE WOULD BE LESS SPACE ON THE STATIC, BUT IF WE HAD THE DIGITAL CAPABILITY, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RUN MORE PSA.
NONPROFITS HAVE, AS YOU WELL KNOW, NON NONPROFITS HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PRODUCTION AND, AND IT'S FOR THE MATERIALS THAT GO ON THE BILLBOARD.
SO WITH DIGITAL, THERE'S NO PRODUCTION COST.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ON THOSE STATIC, UM, AS THE, UH, ADVERTISING IS SOLD, THAT STATIC BILLBOARD FOR THE PSA MAY MOVE FROM HERE TO, TO ANOTHER OVER CORRECT.
YOU KNOW, JUST AS, AS INVENTORY IS AVAILABLE.
SO, UM, AT A CERTAIN LEVEL THERE'S A PRETTY CONSISTENT PERCENTAGE OF STATIC PSAS.
I WOULD SAY ANYWHERE FROM, UH, 10, 20%, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YOU SAID THERE WILL ALWAYS BE STATIC BILLBOARDS AND IF WE MOVE TO DIGITAL, THERE WOULD BE BOTH.
UM, ARE THE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS ONLY THE, YOUR POTENTIAL ONLY ON HIGHWAYS? THEY, THEY WOULDN'T BE LIKE IN URBAN CORRIDORS.
ARE THEY ONLY ON HIGHWAYS? NO, NO SURFACE STREETS.
ONLY FREEWAYS ONLY BECAUSE I KNOW THEY HAVE ONE IN STAFFORD OFF OF YEAH, OFF OF 90.
THAT'S A AND THAT'S A STATE HIGHWAY KIND OF HIGHWAY.
HIGHWAY 90 IS A STATE HIGHWAY.
SO YEAH, STATE AND STATE AND FEDERAL HIGHWAYS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, YOU'RE BACK IN THE QUEUE.
AND I APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION.
I, I, I'VE READ WHERE IT'S MORE LIKE 1% AND IT MIGHT BE HIGHER THAN THAT, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE ON THAT PERCENTAGE.
NO, I'M SURE WE CAN, WE'RE WE'RE HERE TALKING A LOT ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND I UNDERSTAND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE HERE TO SELL.
BUT YOU'RE AN ADVERTISING COMPANY.
I MEAN, YOU'RE AN ADVERTISING COMPANY THAT STANDS TO MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.
IF WE GO TO DIGITAL AND YOU'RE ABLE TO SELL ONE BILLBOARD FOR EIGHT, EIGHT DIFFERENT TIMES.
SO LET'S ALL BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
AND EVERYBODY, UM, DON'T BEGRUDGE ANYBODY'S RIGHT TO MAKE MONEY.
WE'RE ALL HERE, WE'RE ALL OUT THERE TRYING TO MAKE SOME MONEY.
SO, UM, BUT, BUT I WANNA BACK TO, BACK TO THAT TYPES OF ADVERTISING WHEN WE WERE HAVING THE DIGITAL BILL, DIGITAL KIOSK DISCUSSION.
UM, LOT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, LOT OF TALK JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING RIGHT HERE.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I GO BUY A DIGITAL KIOSK AND THERE'S A, A, YOU KNOW, ALCOHOL ALCOHOL OR, OR POPCORN CHICKEN FROM JACK IN THE BOX OR WHATEVER.
THEY ALSO DO SOME ART STEPS AND SOME PSAS.
I KNOW Y'ALL AREN'T THE DIGITAL KIOSK PEOPLE, BUT I, I JUST DON'T WANNA OVERSELL THIS WHOLE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, YOU
[01:00:01]
KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY.'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND UH, I'M SURE, HAVE Y'ALL DONE THE ERIC DICK BILLBOARDS? MY FORMER OPPONENT? WHO HAS ANY ERIC DICK? UH, NEITHER ONE OF US DO BILLBOARDS OUT THERE.
LET'S NOT, NEITHER ONE OF US DO.
AGAIN, MY COMMENTS ARE NOT PERSONAL.
UM, IT IS, OF COURSE IS DEFINITELY, UM, I AM ON THE OPPOSING SIDE OF THIS.
I HAVE A LOT, WE ALL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS NOT, UH, THIS IS A, A LONG CONVERSATION THAT I THINK SHOULD ALSO VERY MUCH INVOLVE THE PUBLIC AND INVOLVED RESIDENTS AND INVOLVED EVERYBODY.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT HA HAS A STAKE IN THIS.
WE, IT WAS KIND OF A DISADVANTAGE FOR THE CITY AND FIFA FOR NOT, YOU KNOW, HAVING SPONSORS TO BE ABLE TO ROLL THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE HOUSTON AND WE HAVE HAD A LONG HISTORY HERE WHERE OTHER CITIES HAVE NOT HAD THIS KIND OF HISTORY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF ARE VERY, VERY RETICENT TO OPEN UP THE SIGN CODE.
AGAIN, WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED SO HARD TO BRING THESE DOWN.
I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA BE THREE FOR ONE, AND IT'S ALL, BUT TO ME, ONE DIGITAL BILL, I'D RATHER HAVE THE THREE, THE THREE STATIC ONES THAN THE DIGITAL ONE.
I THINK THEY'RE WAY MORE DANGEROUS.
AND, AND, UM, I THINK THAT, THAT OUR SIGN CODES IS HAVING THOSE COME DOWN OVER TIME ANYWAY, SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
UM, GOODBYE
I GUESS THAT KIND OF VARIES FROM COMPANY TO COMPANY.
IT, IT WILL, WHAT'S THE LONGEST LAND LEASE THAT'S OUT THERE? WELL, I MEAN, THERE, MOST OF OUR LEASES ARE MULTI-YEAR, OBVIOUSLY, BUT, UM, I KNOW, BUT IT WAS LIKE FIVE YEARS OR 30 YEARS.
I MEAN, WE ALL HAVE CLAUSES WE CAN, UH, ENACT AND SO FORTH IN OUR, IN OUR CONTRACTS, BUT WE HAVE TO ANA, DO AN ANALYSIS OF WHO WOULD THAT BE, WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE MARKET, UM, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT 'EM ALL IN ONE AREA.
YOU WANT TO HAVE 'EM ALL AROUND.
UH, SO IT, IT'S KIND OF A HARDER QUESTION TO ANSWER.
UH, JUST BECAUSE, UM, SOME CAN BE AS QUICKLY AS, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A FEW MONTHS AND SOME COULD BE TAKEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE, AND I KNOW WHEN WE TALKED, UM, YOU KNOW, MY SUGGESTION WAS TO CHIT CHAT WITH OUR SCENIC HOUSTON FRIENDS.
HAS, DID Y'ALL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, WE BOTH HAVE MET WITH LEADERSHIP IN SNIC HOUSTON? YEP.
UM, AGAIN, IDEALLY, UM, IF THERE WAS ANYTHING DRAFTED, IT WOULD COME FROM THE BILLBOARD TEAM, OUR FRIENDS AT SCENIC HOUSTON, AND Y'ALL WOULD SAY, HEY, HERE'S SOMETHING WE THINK WE BOTH COULD LIVE WITH, BUT HERE WE ARE.
UM, AND WE'LL KEEP TALKING, UH, AND WE'LL KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS.
WE WANT ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, UM, DETERMINE WHAT THEY LIKE, WHAT THEY DON'T LIKE, WHAT QUESTIONS THEY HAVE.
WE DEFINITELY WOULD WANT TO GO TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, WE, WE, OF COURSE, HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
UM, COLLEAGUES, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AS PART OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, I ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE OF LETTERS FROM THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HERE TO SPEAK THAT.
IF I COULD GIVE THEM TO THE YEAH, THEY'LL TELL TO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
SO THE FIRST PERSON ON, UM, THE LIST OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS IS ANDREA FRENCH.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL.
UH, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR SCENIC HOUSTON.
UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION TODAY ON THIS REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, FOR OVER 40 YEARS, SCENIC HOUSTON HAS WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, ALONGSIDE TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE VISUAL SPACE, UH, OF OUR CITY AND THE CHARACTER THROUGH THOUGHTFUL SIGN POLICY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THROUGH THAT SIGN POLICY CHANGE, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CIVIC LEADERS LIKE ELEANOR TINSLEY UNDERSTOOD THAT HOUSTON SKYLINES, BAYOU PARKS NEIGHBORHOODS BELONG TO ALL OF US.
AND DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT DOMINATES THOSE LANDSCAPES MATTER.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WORLD CUP SO MUCH AND THE LOST
[01:05:01]
OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO ADVERTISE BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY WATCHING MANY OF THE PROMO VIDEOS THAT WE ARE SHARING WITH THE WORLD AND ASKING THEM TO COME HERE.AND WE WANT THE WORLD TO SEE HOUSTON.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING TO ME IS WHAT WE, WHAT I SAW, RIGHT? SO OF OUR BAYOU, OUR PUBLIC SPACES, OUR PARKS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WHAT WAS MISSING WAS BILLBOARDS.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU IS, WHAT DO WE SHOW THE WORLD THAT WE VALUE IN THOSE VIDEOS? WE VALUE THOSE OPEN SPACES, THOSE GREEN SPACES, THOSE BEAUTIFUL SKYLINES.
WE DO NOT VALUE THE BILLBOARDS WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO SHOW THE WORLD WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE VALUE.
AND TO COME HERE AND VISIT THAT OBSERVATION TELLS US SOMETHING IMPORTANT ABOUT THE CONVERSATION BEFORE US.
TODAY, FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS, HOUSTON HAS BEEN MOVING IN ONE DIRECTION.
SO WE WENT FROM 10,000, 10,000 BILLBOARDS TO 1400 TODAY, NEARLY 1400.
THE SIGN CODE WAS DESIGNED SO THAT OVER TIME, THOSE BILLBOARDS WOULD PHASE OUT, BECAUSE IT WAS A UNANIMOUS AND CONSENSUS BUILDING EXERCISE THAT WE WENT THROUGH TO SAY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A CITY VALUE, WE VALUE OUR SKYLINE.
WE VALUE WHAT HOUSTON LOOKS LIKE.
IT HAPPENED BECAUSE GENERATIONS OF HOUSTONIANS CHOSE TO BALANCE GROWTH, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND THE VISUAL CHARACTER OF OUR CITY.
AND IT'S THE PRODUCT OF DECADES OF POLICY REFINEMENT, CIVIC LEADERSHIP, AND COMMUNITY CONSENSUS.
IT WAS DELIBERATE AND IT WORKED.
THE HOUSTON THAT WE ARE PROUDLY SHOWING TO THE WORLD TODAY IS IN LARGE PART THE RESULT OF MANY OF THOSE DECISIONS OVER MANY DECADES.
AND THE STORY AND FUTURE OF HOUSTON SIGN CODE IS ULTIMATELY A STORY ABOUT CONTEXT AND PERSPECTIVE.
AS I LISTENED TODAY, I WAS REMINDED THAT CONTEXT MATTERS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE DATA POINTS.
SO YES, THERE ARE A HUNDRED CITIES IN TEXAS THAT DO HAVE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
WE HAVE 1400 INCORPORATED CITIES IN TEXAS.
SO WE ARE ACTUALLY WITH 93% OF THE CITIES IN TEXAS THAT DO NOT PERMIT DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
WE ALSO HEARD THE TTI SAFETY STUDY THAT MADE NO RECOMMENDATION AGAINST DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
AND PERHAPS THAT'S TRUE, BUT IT'S NOT THE COMPLETE PICTURE.
THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT DIGITAL BILLBOARDS ATTRACT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DRIVER ATTENTION THAN TRADITIONAL BILLBOARDS AND WITH LONGER VIEWS.
SO WHILE IT'S NOT RECOMMENDING AGAINST THEM, IT CERTAINLY WAS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT.
WE WERE ALSO PRESENTED WITH WHAT WAS CHARACTERIZED AS A SIGNIFICANT TRADE.
SO THE THREE TO ONE SWAP, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE CITIES THAT HAVE GOTTEN BETTER DEALS, AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RATIO SWAP.
IF YOU WANT TO GO AND LOOK AT EACH OF THOSE CITIES THAT ARE DOING THE SWAP, THEY HAVE CAPS, THEY HAVE SUNSET PROVISIONS, THEY HAVE, UM, UH, SIZING CHANGES FOR THE DIGITAL SIGNS.
UM, THEY HAVE SPACE FROM THE, FROM THE HIGHWAY, UM, SETBACKS, ALLOWANCES, THERE'S ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT WERE NEGOTIATED.
PETERSBURG DEAL TOOK ABOUT THREE YEARS.
SO I DO ENCOURAGE A SLOW, THOUGHTFUL PROCESS AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO THE INFORMATION PRESENTED TODAY, AS I'VE SAID, DOES DESERVE ADDITIONAL SCRUTINY BECAUSE BEFORE HOUSTON CHANGES A POLICY FRAMEWORK THAT HAS GUIDED THE CITY FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC DESERVE A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THE IMPLICATIONS.
THE HOUSTON, THE WORLD IS ADMIRING.
TODAY DID NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT OR BY QUICK DECISION.
IT WAS PROTECTED INTENTIONALLY, AND ANY CHANGE DESERVES THE SAME CARE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, BEING HERE.
AND I DO WANT TO JUST TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, UH, ON BANDIT SIGNS.
UM, WE APPRECIATE YOU GREAT WORK THERE.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A REPORT SOON OF, UM, SOME MM-HMM
GREAT BENEFIT FROM THE WORK WE DID ON BANDED SIGNS AND INCREASING THOSE FINES.
UM, IS THERE ANY ACCEPTABLE PROPOSAL TO CENIC HOUSTON ON MODERNIZATION OF BILLBOARDS? SO, I, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY CHALLENGING TO SIT HERE TODAY MM-HMM
AND THROW OUT KIND OF A MAGIC NUMBER, UM, A MAGIC LIST, A MAGIC WISHLIST, RIGHT? I THINK I JUST KIND OF WENT THROUGH SOME DIFFERENT LAYERS OF DEALS, SO TO SPEAK, THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE WORKED OUT.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF LAYERS.
AND EVEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE REALIGNMENT OF I 45, IT'S NOT QUITE AS SIMPLE AS WHAT WAS EXPLAINED.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR SWAPS AND FOR, UM, ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS TO, TO AN AGREEMENT, RIGHT? SO I MENTIONED KIND OF THE SETBACKS, THE SIZING.
UH, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIGHTING.
[01:10:01]
AND I, ME, AND AS I SAID TOO, I MEAN, THE SIGN CODE IS 40 YEARS, IT'S DECADES.IT'S BEEN REFINED, IT'S BEEN REVISITED.
IT'S BEEN RE UNANIMOUSLY, YOU KNOW, CODIFIED IN 2008.
I MEAN, SO THIS IS A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE.
AND IT IS A, IT'S, IT'S LEGAL, IT'S AESTHETICS FOR THE CITY.
IT'S PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, IT'S NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THERE'S SO MANY PIECES TO IT.
AND SO I I, I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL'S COMMITMENT TO, TO TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND TO SAY THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE A LONG, THOUGHTFUL PROCESS, AND THE PUBLIC HAS TO BE ENGAGED.
WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY AGAIN.
UM, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR FRIENDS AT SCENIC HOUSTON AND OUR FRIENDS AT THE BILLBOARD TEAMS MM-HMM
TO SIT TOGETHER TO LOOK AT A, A POTENTIAL DRAFT ORDINANCE? YES.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE DID MEET IN LAST FALL, AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR PROPOSED LANGUAGE.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR SAMPLE AGREEMENTS FROM OTHER CITIES, UM, AND WE, WE HAVE NOT BEEN PROVIDED THAT INFORMATION.
SO WE ARE WILLING, UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN TRYING, AND WE'RE STILL WILLING.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, FLICKINGER, YOU'RE IN THE QUEUE.
I JUST WANTED TO PUSH A LITTLE MORE ON, ON WHAT, UH, MAYOR PRO TIMM SPOKE ABOUT.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THIS ISN'T A SURPRISE.
UH, Y'ALL HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS.
IS THERE ANY NUMBER OF SWAP THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO YOU? I, YOU KNOW, I LOVE HOUSTON, SO I WANT THE BEST DEAL.
ARE, ARE YOU, ARE YOU ABLE TO GIVE ME A NUMBER? I AM NOT COMFORTABLE.
I'M REALLY NOT COMFORTABLE SETTLING ON A NUMBER BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER PIECES TO THAT NUMBER.
IT IS, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY, UM, UNFAIR FOR ME TO SIT HERE AND, AND AGREE TO A SWAP WHEN I'VE NOT SEEN LOCATIONS OF SWAMPS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE IMPACTED.
THAT WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO THE PUBLIC INPUT OF THE PROCESS.
SO I NEED TO SEE A LOT OF INFORMATION BEFORE I WOULD GIVE YOU A MAGIC NUMBER, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE WOULD WANT BETTER THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN AROUND THE NATION.
I MEAN, EVENTUALLY IT'S GONNA COME DOWN TO A NUMBER, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW THAT I DON'T, WELL, I MEAN, IF SOMETHING, I DUNNO, THAT WE'VE PULLED, BECAUSE THERE'S EITHER, THERE'S EITHER THE STATUS QUO, A COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK SHE SAYS SHE'S UNCOMFORTABLE WITH COMING UP WITH A NUMBER.
BUT I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT THE STATUS QUO TODAY, AND YOU CAN HAVE THE SAME NUMBER, OR YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BE WILLING TO ACCEPT A DIFFERENT NUMBER, NOT NECESSARILY, BECAUSE STATUS QUO, BASED ON THE CURRENT SIGN CODE, MEANS THAT EVENTUALLY THESE BILLBOARDS AGE OUT.
SO I'M NOT, TO ME, THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING DOWN, BUT TODAY WE RE TODAY IF WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND WE AGREE TO SOMETHING, WE RESET THAT CLOCK.
THANK YOU, ANDREA, FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND THANK, UH, SCENIC HOUSTON FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO FOR HOUSTON.
I, I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA ASK THIS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY FROM, FROM, UH, UH, THE WAY COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER DID IS, IS A REDUCTION, WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS, THERE'S A REDUCTION IN STATIC TRADITIONAL BILLBOARDS, A PLUS, UH, IF, IF WE HAVE TO, UH, GET SOME NUMBER OF DIGITAL AS WELL, BUT A LARGER REDUCTION, IS THAT, IS THAT A PLUS? YES OR NO? AND AND WHY DO YOU THINK THAT? YEAH.
SO REDUCTION IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS A PLUS.
I THINK IT'S, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THERE ARE ALREADY AT LEAST 50 TO 60 STRUCTURES THAT WOULD BE COMING DOWN AS PART OF THE REALIGNMENT.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THAT WAS MENTIONED.
THERE'S THE CITY AND THE STATE HAVE TO AGREE TO THAT RELOCATION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, AGAIN, Y'ALL NEED TO LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT CAREFULLY.
UM, SO WE'RE ALREADY GONNA SEE A REDUCTION, WE BELIEVE, THROUGH THE I FOR, THROUGH THE ALIGNMENT, UH, REALIGNMENT.
SO BEYOND THAT, YES, FURTHER REDUCTION IS, IS A POSITIVE.
AGAIN, I WANT TO BE SO THOUGHTFUL BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SO MANY DIFFERENT PIECES AND, AND, AND NOT REAL SOLID INFORMATION.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE SOME THAT STAY STATIC.
THE DIGITAL WON'T NECESSARILY BE ON URBAN ROADWAYS.
SO I WOULD WONDER, OKAY, SO WHEN WE'RE SWAPPING AND WE'RE DOING ALL OF THIS, WE'RE REDUCING, BUT WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE BRINGING TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE PUBLIC SPACE? THAT'S WHAT I WOULD WANNA SEE.
IT'S NOT JUST AN EVEN EXCHANGE.
AND LAST THING, UH, AND I'LL LET YOU GO, IS, UH, SO WE'VE HEARD, UH, FROM, UH, THE PRESENTERS THAT, UH, THERE'S NO REDUCTION IN SAFETY MM-HMM
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAS SUGGESTED, THERE ARE STUDIES THAT SAY JUST THE OPPOSITE.
ARE, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THOSE STUDIES THAT SAY, YES, SAFETY IS AFFECTED, AND COULD YOU SHARE THOSE WITH THE COUNCIL? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO I THINK IF WE LOOK AT THE MOST RECENT STUDY, WHICH I WOULD ENCOURAGE, YES.
[01:15:01]
RECENT STUDIES ARE PROBABLY THE MORE ACCURATE, GIVEN ALL OF THE CHANGES IN TECH AND TINY COMPUTERS THAT WERE CARRYING WITH US ALL THE TIME.SO 2025 WAS THE TTI STUDY, THE TEXAS A AND M, UH, TEXAS TRANSPORTATION IN INSTITUTE STUDY, WHICH WASN'T GOING TO COME OUT AND OUTRIGHT SAY AND CONDEMN DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, BUT DID ACKNOWLEDGE AT LEAST A 30% INCREASE IN DISTRACTION FOR PEOPLE DRIVING BY.
AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S POINT, WHEN YOU'RE ON A HIGHWAY AND YOU'RE GOING 70 MILES AN HOUR, ONE TO TWO SECONDS ADDITIONAL LOOKING.
AND IF YOU'RE, AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO LOOK OVER A LITTLE LONGER, WE ARE INCREASING RISK AND WE ARE INCREASING THE RISK OF FATALITIES, AND WE HAVE THE MOST DANGEROUS ROADS IN THE NATION.
THAT IS, WE DON'T NEED A STUDY ANYMORE.
THANK YOU, ANDREA, FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING.
UM, ON THE, ON THE SIGNS THAT ARE COMING DOWN ANYWAY, POTENTIALLY THIS I 45, THE, THE ONES THAT ARE BEING DISPLACED, THEY SAID THEY ABSOLUTELY CAN PUT THOSE UP.
YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERING INFORMATION MM-HMM
OR MAYBE SOME MORE REGULATIONS THAT NEED TO BE, BUT, BUT EXPLAIN MORE, UM, ABOUT JUST THROUGH THE SIGN CODE, HOW MM-HMM
BILLBOARDS ARE COMING DOWN, AND KIND OF THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS REACHED, OR SETTLEMENT THAT WAS REACHED YEARS AGO, AND HOW BILLBOARDS ARE COMING DOWN ANYWAY.
SO AS THE BILLBOARDS AGE OUT OR, OR ARE, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, DESTROYED, EITHER IT'S THROUGH A STORM OR IT'S JUST SHEER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WEAR AND TEAR, UM, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BILLBOARD, IT, IT CAN'T, IT CAN'T HAVE A VALUE THAT'S HIGHER, UM, THAN WHAT WAS EXISTING.
AND SO, THE COST OF RECONSTRUCTING IT.
NOW, WHEN WE HIT HURRICANE BARRELL, I WILL TELL YOU ONE OF THE HARDEST COMPONENTS OF THIS, AND YOU AS THE REGULATORS OF THIS INDUSTRY, THE CITY RIGHT, IS ENFORCEMENT.
SO, WHEN BARRELL CAME THROUGH, WE LOST A LOT OF, THERE WAS A LOT OF STRUCTURES THAT CAME DOWN, AND I WAS GETTING CALLS LEFT AND RIGHT.
PEOPLE WERE ANGRY BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING RE-ERECTED SO QUICKLY.
HOW ARE THEY GETTING THAT PERMIT TO PUT THAT BACK UP AGAIN SO FAST.
SO ENFORCEMENT IS REALLY CHALLENGING.
SO I WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
FOR ONE AND TWO, IT WAS THEM SAYING THAT THE VALUE TO, TO RECONSTRUCT THIS STRUCTURE WAS, WAS LESS THAN WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY.
AND THAT IS, THAT IS THEIR WORD AGAINST WHOMEVER IS ON CITY STAFF TRYING TO ENFORCE IT.
SO THE IDEA THOUGH, IS THAT OVER TIME, THAT'S THE WAY THAT THE SIGN CODE WAS WRITTEN, THAT THESE STRUCTURES WOULD EVENTUALLY TIME OUT.
AND I THINK THAT YOU COULD TALK TO MANY IN LEGAL, FORMER LEGAL, AND THEY WOULD HAVE THAT SAME OPINION OF HOW THE SIGN CODE WAS STRUCTURED AND DESIGNED.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
AGAIN, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE AND CERTAINLY FOR YOUR WORK AND EFFORTS SUR PASS REGARDING THE, THE CITY AND THE SIGNAGE.
UM, I HEARD YOUR RESPOND IN REGARDS TO THE NUMBER OF SIGNAGE.
SAUL, I WANT TO KNOW, I LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION, DO YOU OPPOSE DIGITAL SIGNING? SO YES, SCENIC HOUSTON'S POSITION HAS BEEN OPPOSING DIGITAL SIGNAGE.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, I MEAN, SO IN THE SIGN CODE, CURRENTLY ON PREMISE, BUSINESSES CAN HAVE DIGITAL SIGNS, RIGHT? SO THERE THEY'RE WHAT ELSE, AGAIN, ON PREMISE.
SO SIGNS THAT ARE ON A, ON THE PREMISE OF A BUSINESS MM-HMM
THEY CAN CURRENTLY HAVE DIGITIZED SIGNS.
THERE'S A, AND CHURCHES, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED, WHICH BY THE WAY, THEY WILL, THEY WILL COME KNOCKING FOR ADDITIONAL, IF WE OPEN UP THAT SIGN CODE, THAT'S GONNA BE A PART OF IT, RIGHT? THEY'RE GONNA WANT MORE.
UM, SO THERE ARE PIECES OF THE SIGN CODE THAT DO HAVE THE DIGITIZED PIECE FOR ON-PREMISE SIGNS, BUT NOT FOR THE ONES THAT BLOCK OUR, OUR VIEW OF THE SKYLINE.
DIGITAL BILLBOARDS IS WHAT OUR, OUR SIGN SIGN CODES.
YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ONE THAT ARE ON THE EXPRESSWAYS AND, RIGHT.
AS A PASTOR, I, YOU KNOW, I, I GET IT.
SO, BUT, UM, WITH THAT, YOU'RE NOT, YOU, YOU'RE OPPOSED TO IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
YEAH, SO I'M, I'M SORRY, I'M ACTUALLY, CAN I ADD TO THAT A LITTLE BIT? SO THE OPPOSITION IS LESS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE DIGITIZED, RIGHT.
BUT IT'S MORE ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT RESETS THAT CLOCK.
BECAUSE ONCE THOSE DIGITAL STRUCTURES COME UP, THEY ARE PERMANENT, WHICH IS, RIGHT NOW THE SIGN CODE IS DESIGNED SO THAT THE STRUCTURES THAT ARE THERE, THE STATIC SIGNS WILL EVENTUALLY AGE OUT.
IF WE WERE REPLACE THOSE WITH DIGITAL, IT'S FOREVER.
UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE A SUNSET OF SOME KIND.
SO YOU HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSION, UH, YOU SAID EARLIER WITH, YOU'VE TALKED WITH THE SIGNED COMPANIES, UH, YOU'VE HAD TALKS PREVIOUS.
WE, WE HAVE COME TO THE TABLE AND WE HAVE ASKED FOR WHAT WAS GOING TO BE THE PROPOSAL, UM, FOR HOUSTON.
[01:20:01]
DIGITAL SCIENCE IN YOUR OPINION? SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REDUCTIONS, AND WE TALK ABOUT ADDITIONAL, UM, ELEMENTS THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE RECEIVED, SO CAPS, YOU KNOW, ON THE, ON THE NUMBER THAT CAN BE ERECTED, UM, SETBACKS, SIZING.SO I'M FROM BALTIMORE, AND BALTIMORE HAS DIGITIZED SIGNS.
THEY ARE SMALLER THAN OUR BILLBOARDS.
THEY'RE SETBACK PRETTY FAR FROM THE FREEWAY, AND THEY'RE SMALLER.
SO OTHER CITIES, MAJOR CITIES MAY HAVE THEM.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S WHAT COMES, WHAT COMES WITH THAT AGREEMENT.
RIGHT? AND OF COURSE, YOU DO KNOW THE, THE, AND I CAN ALSO ATTEST TO THAT, 'CAUSE LIVING IN A CITY MM-HMM
CHICAGO, AND I, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU ALSO KEEP IN MIND, HOUSTON'S 670 SQUARE MILES OF CITY MM-HMM
RIGHT? SO THE BENEFIT AND THE CONDITIONS OF CITIES ARE DIFFERENT.
EVERY CITY IS DIFFERENT, AND HOUSTON'S UNIQUE.
SO WE WANT OUR OWN, WE WANT OUR OWN DEAL.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS FRANCISCO SANCHEZ, TO BE FOLLOWED BY ASHLEY GRIS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TIM, UH, VICE CHAIR AND THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS ASHLEY GRIGSBY, AND I HAVE SERVED ON THE SCENIC HOUSTON BOARD FOR OVER 20 YEARS, INCLUDING, UM, SERVING AS CHAIRMAN IN 2023 AND 2024.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE, AND I WORK IN THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS.
UM, I WANNA FOCUS ON THREE POINTS, ECONOMICS, PUBLIC BENEFIT, AND PROCESS.
FIRST, ECONOMICS, THE CITY DOES NOT SHARE IN BILLBOARD ADVERTISING REVENUE.
IT COLLECTS ONLY THE MODEST PERMIT FEES.
THE REAL FINANCIAL BENEFIT FLOWS THROUGH TO THE PRIVATE OPERATORS AND THE LANDOWNERS.
SO THIS IS NOT A MEANINGFUL NEW REVENUE SOURCE FOR HOUSTON.
AND SH WE SHOULD BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
SECOND, PUBLIC BENEFIT BILLBOARDS CAN BE A USEFUL ADVERTISING TOOL.
WE ALL AGREE, AND SMALL BUSINESSES ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO THEM.
TODAY, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS NOT ABOUT ACCESS.
IT'S ABOUT CHANGING A LONGSTANDING POLICY TO ALLOW DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, WHICH ARE BRIGHTER, CHANGE FREQUENTLY, AND ARE DESIGNED TO CAPTURE ATTENTION IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY.
ON EMERGENCY MESSAGING, WE ALREADY HAVE STRONG SYSTEMS IN PLACE FROM TEXT BOT DOT BOARDS TO WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS.
DIGITAL BILLBOARDS DON'T CREATE THAT CAPABILITY.
THEY COMBINE IT WITH COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING.
FINALLY, PROCESS HOUSTON REDUCED BILLBOARDS BY 86% OVER FOUR DECADES THROUGH CAREFUL, TRANSPARENT POLICY MAKING AND BROAD ENGAGEMENT.
THIS PROPOSAL HAS NOT YET FOLLOWED THAT SAME PATH.
WE'RE NOT SAYING NEVER, AND WE'RE NOT SAYING NO, BUT A CHANGE OF THIS MAGNITUDE DESERVES THOROUGH ANALYSIS AND PUBLIC INPUT.
WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU JUST SLOW DOWN AND MAKE SURE WE GET THIS RIGHT FOR HOUSTON'S LONG TERM FUTURE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS DOMINIQUE MAZA.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMITTEE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME SOME TIME TODAY.
UH, I'M ALEX LOPEZ, NEGATIVE, AND, UH, MY WIFE KATHY AND I BUILT LOPEZ NEGATIVE TO COMMUNICATIONS 40 YEARS AGO OUT OF OUR TOWN HOME IN A LEAF.
AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGE IN THE CITY TODAY.
WE ARE AMONG THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT HISPANIC OWNED AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES IN THE COUNTRY, AND WE'RE STILL VERY PROUD TO CALL HOUSTON OUR HEADQUARTERS IN OUR HOME.
I COME TO YOU AS A MARKETER TODAY, PURELY AS A MARKETER AND CERTAINLY A CITIZEN AND A RESIDENT OF THIS GREAT CITY.
COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC IS OUR BUSINESS.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT US, I'D LIKE TO THINK IS THAT WE ARE AS BEHOLDEN TO DELIVER FOR OUR CLIENTS AS WE ARE TO DELIVER FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE COME FROM AND REPRESENT.
WE FERVENTLY BELIEVE THAT WHEN OUR WORK WELL DONE CREATES BETTER INFORMED, MORE EMPOWERED,
[01:25:02]
SMARTER CONSUMERS AND RESIDENTS.FOR THAT REASON, WE HAVE ALWAYS CONSIDERED OUTDOOR, FAR MORE THAN JUST A MEDIUM.
YOU ALL HAVE MENTIONED AND, AND, AND DISCUSSED.
OUR CLIENTS STILL CONSIDER IT ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOLS TO REACH THE RIGHT PEOPLE, TO MOVE GOODS AND SERVICES AND TO DRIVE POWER JOBS, ECONOMY AND TAX REVENUE.
WE'VE USED IT FOR CLIENTS, SMALL AND LARGE, BANK OF AMERICA, HEB, THE ROCKETS, THE ASTROS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE.
AND FOR OTHER, UH, ENTITIES THAT ARE MUCH CLOSER TO THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY, LIKE THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION, FEMA, AND, UH, THE 2020 CENSUS.
SIMPLY IT'S ABOUT REACHING PEOPLE WHEN AND WITH WHAT MATTERS THE MOST AT THAT MOMENT.
MY CONCERN IS THIS, AND WE'VE, IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED TODAY.
HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE LAST MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES WITHOUT DIGITAL BILLBOARDS ON ITS STREETS IN THE CITY.
TODAY, DIGITAL, OUTDOOR COVERAGE IS LIMITED TO THE SUBURBS, AND THE CITY ITSELF IS DARK.
WE'VE ALSO DISCUSSED THAT RIGHT NOW WE ARE HOSTING THE WORLD FOR THE FIFA WORLD CUP.
EVERY OTHER HOST CITY HAS DIGITAL OUT OF HOME TO SERVE ITS SPONSORS, BUT ALSO MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO COMMUNICATE WITH ITS VISITORS.
EVERY ONE OF THEM, EVERY CITY.
THIS TECHNOLOGY BRINGS THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.
THE ACCURACY, THE TIMING, THE FLEXIBILITY TO REACH THE FULL BREADTH OF WHO HOUSTON ACTUALLY IS AND WHAT ITS POPULATION NEEDS TO KNOW AT THE RIGHT MOMENT.
WHEN AN EMERGENCY HITS THESE BOARDS CARRY CRITICAL MESSAGES IN REAL TIME.
THEY HELP FIND MISSING CHILDREN.
THEY ALERT A NATURAL DISASTER FOR A CITY THAT KNOWS WHAT A STORM MEANS.
THAT IS REALLY VERY IMPORTANT.
AS A HOUSTON NATIVE AND A BUSINESS OWNER WHOSE LIVELIHOOD IS HELPING OTHER BUSINESSES GROW, I DO URGE YOU TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, BRING HOUSTON INTO THE 21ST CENTURY AND PUT US ON PAR WITH CITIES WE COMPETE AGAINST EVERY DAY.
UH, OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES THE DYNAMISM THAT THIS NEW MEDIUM OFFERS US.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK FOR, WITH THE CITY ON OUR CENSUS.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ IS IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU, ALEX, FOR YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, AS, AS SOMEONE WHO, WHO, WHO CREATES ADVERTISING, WHEN, WHEN YOU CREATE ADVERTISING FOR A BILLBOARD, SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE ADJACENT TO A ROADSIDE, DO, DO YOU DO IT DIFFERENTLY WITH, WITH THE THOUGHT IN MIND THAT PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT VERY QUICKLY? OR IS IT JUST LIKE ANY OTHER AD? YEAH, THANK, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE'RE VERY, WE'RE VERY METHODICAL AND VERY OCD WHEN IT COMES TO HOW WE DESIGN OUTDOOR.
UH, WE BELIEVE THAT LESS IS MORE.
WE BELIEVE THAT VERY QUICK, SIMPLE MESSAGING.
SOMETIMES NO, NO MORE THAN SEVEN WORDS IS THE WAY TO GO.
SO YES, SIR, WE, WE ARE VERY, VERY JUDICIOUS ABOUT WHAT OUTDOOR LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT, UH, UH, UH, PURPOSE IT SERVES.
WE DO DESIGN DIFFERENTLY FOR DIGITAL THAN WE DO FOR OUTDOOR, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S FAST.
SO IT HAS TO BE REALLY SIMPLE AND EASY READ, NOT DISTRACTING.
UM, I, I'M HERE TODAY JUST AS A CITIZEN.
UM, AND I WANTED TO COME BECAUSE I AM VERY, VERY FAR FROM AN EXPERT ON BILLBOARDS, UNLIKE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE ROOM.
UH, BUT I HAVE WATCHED THIS AS A PART OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COALITION OVER, UH, SEVERAL YEARS NOW, AND WATCHED COLLEAGUES GRAPPLE WITH WHAT I BELIEVE ARE REALLY TRICKY, TRICKY ISSUES.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S, IT, THIS, THIS VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION IS COMPLICATED.
LEGALLY WE HAVE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL RULES, AND IT'S COMPLICATED, FRANKLY, FACTUALLY.
SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY BROUGHT UP TODAY, I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST DO SOME VERY QUICK, AND I'LL TALK AS QUICKLY AS I CAN TO SAY, I THINK THESE ARE QUESTIONS WE COULD ALL BENEFIT FROM GETTING ANSWERS TO HOW ARE THE CONVERSIONS REALLY GONNA INTERACT WITH FREEWAY EXPANSIONS? I KNOW THAT LEE SAID, UH, THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO MOVE THOSE BOARDS.
I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE CHECKED.
[01:30:01]
UH, THERE WAS A, A POSITION IN THE, IN THE SLIDE PACKET SAYING, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT DIGITALS IN ANYWHERE BUT COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL AREAS.HOW CAN WE BE SURE THAT DIGITALS ARE NOT GONNA BE LOOMING OVER PEOPLE'S HOUSES OR BEAMING INTO THEIR APARTMENT WINDOWS? UM, NEIGHBORHOODS CHANGE.
HOW ARE THE CONVERSIONS GONNA INTERACT WITH OUR EXISTING AMORTIZATION PROGRAM? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SEVERAL OF YOU AND, AND, UH, ANDREA FROM SCENIC TALKED ABOUT, BOARDS THAT ARE COMING DOWN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA COUNT THOSE.
WE DON'T WANNA TRADE A SHORT-LIVED BOARD FOR SOMETHING THAT IS GONNA LIVE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE.
WE NEED TO GET A MUCH BROADER VIEW THAN WE CAN GET IN A QUICK AFTERNOON CONVERSATION ON SAFETY.
I KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT STUDIES AND FROM YOUR QUESTIONS, I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT STUDIES TO KNOW THAT CONTEXT REALLY MATTERS.
WHO DID IT? WHO PAID FOR IT, EXACTLY.
WHAT WAS THE CONTEXT? THEY'RE, I SUSPECT WE'RE GONNA FIND THAT THE CONCLUSIONS ARE VARIED AND THEY'RE A LOT MORE SUBTLE THAN ONE-LINERS ON EITHER SIDE OF THIS DISCUSSION.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT HOUSTON DRIVING IS, CAN JUST A LITTLE GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP THAT HOUSTON DRIVING IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN MOST OTHER CITIES, AND WE ALL TRAVEL ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT.
IS IT RESPONSIBLE TO ADD MORE DIGITAL DISTRACTION GIVEN THE ENVIRONMENT WE ACTUALLY OPERATE IN? FINALLY, HOW REAL ARE THE PUBLIC BENEFITS? I TAKE SO SERIOUSLY, THE THE COMMENTS THAT YOU OFFERED ABOUT, ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I THINK THERE CLEARLY ARE SOME BENEFITS, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN OPERATING FEES.
THAT HAS TO BE AWASHED TO THE CITY.
AND I'M SKEPTICAL OF BILLBOARDS AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL.
I'LL TELL YOU, A REAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROBLEM.
AND THAT'S THE WAY OUR CITY LOOKS FROM THE AIRPORTS.
ESPECIALLY AS YOU COME IN, IF THIS SITUATION CAN BE USED AS A TOOL TO AMELIORATE THAT VERY REAL PROBLEM, WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT IF IT'S GONNA MAKE IT WORSE IN THE CITY, WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS.
AND WE WE'RE GONNA ROLL THE TAPE AND WE'RE GONNA GET EVERY ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
'CAUSE ALL VERY GOOD, ESPECIALLY ON THE AMORTIZATION.
I MEAN, YEAH, YOU DON'T WANNA LIKE, TAKE DOWN A BILLBOARD THAT WAS COMING DOWN ANYWAY, AND, AND I REALLY, UM, UM, REALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON THE AIRPORTS
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S EVERYBODY'S FIRST INTRODUCTION TO HOUSTON.
NOBODY COMES TO A CITY FOR THE BILLBOARDS, I'LL TELL YOU THAT MUCH
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, WE'LL THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS ALL VERY GOOD.
AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ANSWERS.
I'M ALSO VER VERTICALLY CHALLENGED.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND THE RECOVERY OF AT-RISK MISSING CHILDREN.
AS YOU SAID, MY NAME IS MEL TURNQUIST.
I'M THE CEO OF TEXAS CENTER FOR THE MISSING, AND WE'RE HOUSTON'S AMBER ALERT PROVIDER.
AND I CAN TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS AND WEAS.
UH, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT.
UM, SINCE 2014, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR AND A TARGETED DIGITAL BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN TO BRING HOME MISSING HOUSTON CHILDREN.
CURRENTLY WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING 15-YEAR-OLD DEBORAH MOORE WHO WENT MISSING LAST YEAR WHEN SHE WAS JUST 14 YEARS OLD.
DEBORAH'S ONE OF THE MORE THAN 7,000 CHILDREN REPORTED MISSING ACROSS GREATER HOUSTON EACH YEAR.
TO DATE, DIGITAL BILLBOARDS HAVE RECOVERED 20 TEXAS CHILDREN, INCLUDING THREE KIDS RIGHT HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA, ONE OF WHICH IS 16-YEAR-OLD EVANGELIST WHOSE MOTHER IS CERTAIN.
THE BILLBOARD IS WHY EVANGELIST IS NOW BACK HOME SAFE.
IT'S ALSO RECOVERED 15-YEAR-OLD THALIA MACIAS, 8-YEAR-OLD REBECCA ATLAS.
AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THESE RECOVERIES, WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT DIGITAL BILLBOARDS AND THE INSTANT COMMUNICATION THIS TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES.
THESE STORIES ARE JUST A FEW OF THE 20 TEXAS KIDS RECOVERED BY THIS MULTI-YEAR CROSS JURISDICTIONAL PARTNERSHIP.
THE USE OF DIGITAL BILLBOARDS HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL IN OUR EFFORTS TO BRING CHILDREN HOME BECAUSE IT WORKS.
IMAGINE HOW MUCH MORE WE CAN ACHIEVE WITH THIS KIND OF COVERAGE INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WITH YOUR HELP, WE WILL REUNITE MORE FAMILIES.
LAST YEAR, OVER 6,000 NEW MISSING CHILD CASES WERE FILED IN HARRIS COUNTY ALONE.
28% OF ALL MISSING TEXAS CHILDREN COME FROM OUR REGION RIGHT HERE IN GREATER HOUSTON.
WE AS A LOCAL HOUSTON AREA NONPROFIT ACTIVATE AMBER ALERTS FOR HOUSTON, AND WE'RE IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO SEE THE POWER OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY.
WE PROVIDE 24 7 REUNIFICATION RESOURCES TO SEARCHING FAMILIES.
WE TRAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT ON EMERGENCY
[01:35:01]
ALERT ACTIVATION, AND WE PROVIDE INTERNET SAFETY TRAINING TO HOUSTONIANS.AND IF ANYONE NEEDS OUR SERVICES, THEY'RE ACCESSIBLE VIA OUR WEBSITE AT CENTER FOR THE MISSING.ORG.
THESE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS SUPPORT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS AND EXPANDING THIS LIFESAVING TOOL INTO HOUSTON COULD BRING MORE CHILDREN HOME.
AND I KNOW Y'ALL WERE TALKING A LOT ABOUT PERCENTAGES, BUT THIS REPRESENTS ANYWHERE FROM A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO $800,000 WORTH OF EXPENSE WE WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO PURCHASE.
AND THESE ARE LIVES SAVED WITHOUT QUESTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND JUST AS AN FYI, WEIS AND DIGITAL MESS DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS DO NOT INCLUDE IMAGES.
AND WE KNOW IMAGES ARE WHAT BRING PEOPLE HOME SO THEY ARE NOT EQUIVALENT.
SHE'S, SHE'S STILL ON MM-HMM
JOANNE LEITER, WE'RE READY FOR YOU.
SEE IF WE CAN GO WORK WITH HER.
ROBERT WILLIAMS. ROBERT WILLIAMS. HELLO, MR. WILLIAMS. HI.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT'S AN HONOR, UM, TO BE WITH YOU TODAY AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I'M BOB WILLIAMS AND I'M THE CHAIRMAN AND CEO AND ORGANIZATION CALLED RANCH HANDS RESCUE AND BOB'S HOUSE OF HOPE.
UH, BOB'S HOUSE OF HOPE IS THE FIRST AND ONLY SAFE HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN THAT HAVE BEEN SEX TRAFFICKED.
UM, AND I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM HERE IN HOUSTON.
WE'VE HAD A PARTNERSHIP FOR MANY YEARS WITH CLEAR CHANNEL AND THE DIGITAL BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN THAT THEY'VE DONATED TO US HAS RESULTED IN OVER 900,000 IMPRESSIONS.
WE'VE RESCUED 10 YOUNG MEN AS A RESULT OF THOSE CAMPAIGNS.
IT'S RESULTED IN 15 NEW PARTNERSHIPS, UM, WITH PARTNERS THAT HAD NO IDEA THAT BOYS ARE SEX TRAFFICKED.
THE REALITY OF THIS, AND I GET IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE, BUT I SUBSCRIBE TO THE FACT THAT THERE'S A SOLUTION FOR EVERY PROBLEM.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE PARTIES COULD WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE WHAT I CARE ABOUT IS VICTIMS. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, 51% OF MISSING CHILDREN ARE BOYS.
WE HAVE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHAT AN EPIDEMIC THIS IS IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY, IN EVERY REPORT THAT YOU READ, UM, IT SAYS THAT THE DATA'S A SOLID 40%, BUT THAT IS SO UNDERREPORTED, UH, THAT IT COULD BE AN EXCESS OF 50%, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS BOYS JUST DON'T COME FORWARD RIGHT AWAY.
WE KNOW IN DALLAS, FROM OUR STREET TEAMS THAT BOYS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN ALREADY FROM OTHER, OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO BE SEX TRAFFICKED DURING FIFA.
WE KNOW IT'S HAPPENING HERE IN HOUSTON.
UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS WITH YOUR POLICE CHIEF.
I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE READY TO GO.
BUT MY POINT IS THAT EDUCATION AND AWARENESS IS CRITICAL.
WE PARTNER WITH THE CENTER FOR MISSING EXPLOITED KIDS.
WE PARTNER WITH EVERY ORGANIZATION.
AND THE CAMPAIGNS, UM, FROM THE DIGITAL CAMPAIGNS HAVE BEEN CRITICAL TO US IN RESCUING VICTIMS. AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU HERE CARE ABOUT OUR CHILDREN, AND YOU ARE THE VOICE OF OUR CHILDREN AND THE INNOCENT.
AND TO ME, IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION BECAUSE WE CAN TOGETHER ADVERTISE THESE THINGS.
WE CAN GET THE WORD OUT, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE CAN EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.
IT'S, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
AND THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE RESCUED 10 BOYS THROUGH THAT LAST CAMPAIGN, CLEAR CHANNEL'S, DOING ANOTHER CAMPAIGN FOR US RIGHT NOW.
I WISH WITH ALL MY HEART THAT HOUSTON WAS INVOLVED, BUT AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS, AROUND THE FIFA WORLD CUP IN 70 CITIES.
AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
OUR PHONES ARE BRINGING OFF THE HOOK.
AND SO I JUST THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE JUST TAKE A SINCERE LOOK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF GOOD THAT CAN BE DONE BY THESE BILLBOARDS.
AND I GET THE MONEY, I GET ALL OF IT, BUT WHAT THEY DID FOR US WAS OVER A MILLION DOLLAR CAMPAIGN.
I MEAN, THEY SHOULD MAKE SOME MONEY.
SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL, AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE HONOR TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
[01:40:01]
SPEAKER IS NICOLE CHRISTOFF.IT'S A HI CHAIR
I AM THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON.
FOR OVER 40 YEARS, CRIME STOPPERS HAS HELPED KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE BY SOLVING NEARLY 40,000 CRIMES IN THIS CITY.
IN HARRIS COUNTY ALONE, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH CLEAR CHANNEL, UM, ON STATIC BILLBOARDS AND ON DIGITAL BILLBOARDS THROUGHOUT MY TENURE WITH CRIME STOPPERS, WHICH IS NEARLY 15 YEARS.
SO I HAVE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE ON THE BENEFIT OF ACTUALLY BOTH THE STATIC AND THE DIGITAL.
THE FIRST DIGITAL CAMPAIGN THAT WE DID WITH CLEAR CHANNEL, THAT CASE WAS SOLVED IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS ONE DAY.
THAT IS, UM, JUST UNHEARD OF PRACTICALLY.
UM, WE DO A LOT OF OUR PREVENTION EFFORTS WITH CLEAR CHANNEL ON THEIR PSAS WITH THEIR STATIC BILLBOARDS.
THEY HOLD OUR FINALS AS EVERGREEN AND THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT AS LEE MENTIONED WITH THE STOP HOUSTON GANGS INITIATIVE, WE HAD AN 80% SUCCESS RATE IN GETTING THOSE VIOLENT FUGITIVES OFF OF THE STREETS OF HOUSTON.
I I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE, UM, BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE DO EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE DEAL WITH FAMILIES THAT ARE WORKING THROUGH THE WORST, MOST UNIMAGINABLE PAIN OF THEIR LIVES WITH THE LOSS OF SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN MURDERED.
THEY DON'T HAVE A VOICE IN MANY REALMS, BUT WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CLEAR CHANNEL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DIGITAL, WE ARE ABLE TO HELP FAMILIES GET A WANTED POSTER UP OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY ACTUALLY NOW HAVE A VOICE.
SOMEONE IS PUTTING A FACE TO THE NAME, AND THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING, BEING HERE.
WE DO HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND Q IRRESPECTIVE OF THE CONVERSATION ON THE BILLBOARD.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO AT CRIME STOPPERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, THANK YOU NICOLE FOR BEING HERE AS WELL.
APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT CRIME STOPPERS DOES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
CURIOUS TO KNOW, SO WHEN, WHEN, UH, CRIME STOPPERS DOES A DIGITAL AD CAMPAIGN, UH, TO TRY TO HELP CATCH SOMEONE MM-HMM
UM, ARE THERE OTHER METHODS THAT ARE USED TO GET THE SAME MESSAGE OUT? OR IS IT JUST STRICTLY BILLBOARDS? WELL, OF COURSE THERE'S OTHER METHODS.
WE HAVE A DATABASE OF OVER 200 MEDIA PARTNERS THAT WE SEND INFORMATION TO, BUT THAT IS DEPENDENT UPON SOMEBODY CLICKING A LINK TO VIEW, UM, A NEWS ARTICLE OR THAT SORT OF THING.
WHEREAS WITH THE DIGITAL SPACE, YOU'RE GETTING THOSE EYES ALL DAY EVERY DAY, AS LONG AS THAT AD IS UP.
AND I, I'VE TALKED TO FAMILIES THAT THEY JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE ANYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT THEIR LOVED ONE MATTERED.
AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS LARGE, UM, SCALE RECOGNITION OF NUMBER ONE, THAT THIS PERSON EXISTED.
NUMBER TWO, THERE'S SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT DID IT AND WE NEED TO GET THEM OFF THE STREETS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MAISHA COULTER.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, GIVING ME THIS TIME.
MY NAME IS MAISHA COULTER AND I'M THE CEO OF ABDA AID TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE.
ABDA WORKS TO END FAMILY VIOLENCE BY PROVIDING FREE LEGAL REPRESENTATION, UH, TRAUMA COUNSELING, VICTIM ADVOCACY, AND PREVENTIVE EDUCATION TO SURVIVORS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
LAST YEAR ALONE, WE SUPPORTED MORE THAN 5,600 ADULTS AND CHILDREN WHO WERE IMPACTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND FILED NEARLY 1800 NEW FAMILY LAW SUITS, UM, REPRESENTING SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE, BOTH IN HARRIS COUNTY AND FORT BEND COUNTY.
ONE THING I'VE LEARNED IN THIS WORK IS THAT VICTIMS CANNOT ASK FOR HELP IF THEY DO NOT KNOW THAT IT EXISTS.
THAT IS WHY OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT FOR MORE
[01:45:01]
THAN A DECADE.CLEAR CHANNEL HAS DONATED BILLBOARD SPACE THAT ALLOWS US TO PLACE LIFE-CHANGING MESSAGES DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF PEOPLE WHO MAY BE EXPERIENCING ABUSE.
THOSE MESSAGES TELL SURVIVORS THEY ARE NOT ALONE, AND THAT FREE HELP IS AVAILABLE.
DIGITAL BILLBOARDS HAVE MADE THAT OUTREACH EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE.
THEY ALLOW US TO QUICKLY UPDATE MESSAGES, TARGET DIFFERENT AUDIENCES, DISPLAY INFORMATION IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, AND RESPOND TO EMERGING COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR OUR ORGANIZATION WITH LIMITED RESOURCES.
THIS FLEXIBILITY IS INVALUABLE.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES THAT WE, WE FACE IN OUR NATION.
UM, IN OUR CITY, IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY, EVERYDAY SURVIVORS ARE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN.
SOMETIMES A SIMPLE MESSAGE ON A BILLBOARD CAN BE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD REACHING OUT FOR HELP.
AS SOMEONE WHO SEES THE IMPACT OF THESE MESSAGES FIRSTHAND, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER THE POSITIVE ROLE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS CAN PLAY IN CONNECTING RESIDENTS WITH CRITICAL SERVICES, STRENGTHENING PUBLIC AWARENESS, AND SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ABDA THAT WORK EVERY DAY TO MAKE A HOUSTON A SAFER PLACE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR, THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, YOU'RE IN THE QUEUE.
JUST A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO YOUR ORGANIZATION THAT I THINK I WAS MADE MORE AWARE OF.
DO YOU WORK THE, THE HARRIS COUNTY CHILDREN ASSESSMENT CENTER? WE DO, YES.
SO OUR, SO OUR WORK IS DIRECTLY REPRESENTING SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM IN REGARD TO CASES WHERE, UM, CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ABUSED AS A RESULT OF, UM, RIGHT.
YEAH, BECAUSE THAT, THAT ONE ORGANIZATION THAT I BECAME MORE FAMILIAR WITH AND REALLY ADDRESSING THE TURNING SEXUAL CENTER, WHICH MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALLY KNOW MM-HMM
ALL OF THE INFORMATION WITH IT.
BUT I, I DID RECALL YOUR ORGANIZATION IN REGARDS TO THAT.
APPRECIATE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
TIM ANDERSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY DAVID MILLS.
MADAM CHAIR, I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE I WAS ON THE RECORD.
I'M A RESOURCE WITNESS FOR CLEAR CHANNEL.
I I COME TO YOU AS THE FOUNDER OF THE KAYLEE MILLS FOUNDATION, AND ALSO AS A GRIEVING FATHER.
UM, NINE YEARS AGO, I LOST, UH, MY, MY 16-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN A CAR CRASH IN HARRIS COUNTY.
AND, UH, SHE WAS RIDING IN THE CAR WITH THREE TEENAGERS.
UM, AND, UH, SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS INJURED.
THE OTHER THREE WALKED AWAY WITH NO INJURIES.
SHE WAS NOT WEARING HER SEATBELT.
SO THE KAYLEE MILLS FOUNDATION WAS FOUNDED TO PREVENT OTHER FAMILIES FROM HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE SAME TRAGEDY THAT, THAT MY FAMILY WENT THROUGH.
AND, UM, WE DO THAT BY RAISING AWARENESS.
UH, WE'VE BECOME THE LEADERS IN THE UNITED STATES FOR RAISING AWARENESS FOR SEAT BELTS.
UH, THIS IS A CAUSE THAT, THAT, UH, STARTED RIGHT HERE IN THIS AREA.
AND, UM, OUR BILLBOARDS ARE A BIG PART OF THAT.
AND THE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, ESPECIALLY, UH, THOUSANDS OF THESE BILLBOARDS GO UP ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.
AND, UM, IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE BECAUSE IT HAS A, IT HAS A PHOTO OF MY, MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, UH, AND HER BIG SMILE REMINDING PEOPLE, UM, BUCKLE UP.
SOMEONE LOVES YOU, UM, AND, AND WHO DO YOU BUCKLE UP FOR? AND SO IT'S, IT'S VERY TARGETED TO THE AUDIENCE, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT IT MEANS THE MOST TO, WHICH IS DRIVERS ON THE ROAD.
AND, UH, WE'VE GOTTEN, I, I KNOW THAT, I KNOW THAT THESE CAMPAIGNS OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS HAVE SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES, UM, BOTH AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
AND, UM, IT JUST, HERE IN, IN, IN THE HOUSTON AREA, 300, OVER 300, UH, FAMILIES A YEAR ARE LEFT TO GRIEVE THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE FROM A CAR CRASH.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, UM, UH, FOR CAR CRASHES.
AND THAT'S ALMOST ONE EVERY DAY.
AND, UM, I CAN TELL YOU WITH CERTAINTY THAT, UM, THE BILLBOARDS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK THAT YOU GUYS CONSIDER, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, UH, THESE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS MEAN.
NOT JUST, NOT JUST TO, UM, MY FAMILY, BUT, BUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND ALL THOSE FAMILIES OUT THERE THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT THESE TRAGEDIES FROM HAPPENING TOO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
SO SHE'S TRYING, I DON'T KNOW IF
[01:50:01]
IT'S GONNA WORK.IT MAY BE OUR TECHNOLOGY, BUT, UM, WE DEFINITELY WILL, UM, REACH OUT TO HER AND GET, GET HER COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK JUST BRIEFLY, I, UH, DON'T COME HERE TO ARGUE.
I COME TO SHARE PERSPECTIVE THE LAST 17 YEARS OF MY LIFE DEDICATED TO SERVING AMERICA'S VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE COPING WITH COMBAT RELATED POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS.
WHAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW AND UNDERSTAND, EVEN IN THE MONTH OF JUNE, WHICH IS PTSD AWARENESS MONTH, WE ARE LOSING UP TO 44 VETERANS EVERY SINGLE DAY AS TO SUICIDE, ADDICTION AND OVERDOSE 44 EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, THROUGH THESE YEARS, WE'VE BUILT A TRACK RECORD OF BRINGING VETERANS IN AND NOT ONLY SAVING THEIR LIVES, BUT ALSO SEEING SOME DRAMATIC LIFE TRAJECTORY CHANGE.
ALL THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE GOODWILL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, ONE VETERAN, UH, FROM HOUSTON, SERVED POST NINE 11, CAME HOME, STRUGGLED IN THE REINTEGRATION, HOMELESS ON THE CITY STREETS OF HOUSTON FOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS.
IN 2000, UH, 2020, HE CAME TO CAMP HOPE HE GRADUATED THE PROGRAM.
A SHORT TIME LATER HE CAME ON STAFF, WHERE TODAY HE SERVES HELPING OTHER VETERANS REBUILD THEIR LIVES.
UM, TWO YEARS AGO, HE BOUGHT HIS VERY FIRST HOME.
THAT'S POSITIVE IMPACT TO THE CITY.
I CAN CONTRAST THAT UNFORTUNATELY, THAT I ALSO GET PHONE CALLS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HEAR ABOUT US AND REACH OUT TO US AFTER THEIR LOVED ONE HAS BECOME A STATISTIC.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE TO ME, IT'S GUT WRENCHING AND IT'S ONE OF THE WORST DAYS OF MY LIFE WHEN I GET THOSE KIND OF PHONE CALLS.
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BE THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN TOWN.
WE ARE DOING SOMETHING HERE IN HOUSTON THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD IS DOING, AND WE HAVE GREAT SUCCESS.
UH, WE APPRECIATED VERY MUCH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH CLEAR CHAN AND OUT FRONT HELPING US GET THE WORD OUT.
UH, THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE AND THE ABILITY TO GET OUR NAME OUT THERE MORE OFTEN AND MORE FREQUENTLY, OBVIOUSLY IS GOING TO HELP US SAVE AND CHANGE SOME LIVES.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT TO THAT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU OUR BEGINNING WAS IF WE COULD HELP SAVE ONE LIFE, IT WAS WORTH WHATEVER IT COST AND WHATEVER IT TOOK OF OUR TIME.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, UH, ON BEHALF OF THESE MANY NONPROFITS WHO, UH, VERY MUCH ARE AIDED BY THE SERVICES OF FOLKS LIKE, UH, CLEAR CHANNEL AND OUT FRONT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY AND FOR BEING HERE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ESMERALDA LEDESMA.
I'M WITH CLEAR CHANNEL AND I'M JUST A RESOURCE TODAY, SO I DON'T NEED TO SAY ANYTHING.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, COUNCIL MEMBERS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS? NOPE.
SINCE WE HAVE A COUPLE RESOURCE WITNESSES, UM, I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS, I DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT, ABOUT THE, THE BILLBOARD INDUSTRY, BUT IS THERE, IS THERE LIKE A REGULATORY MODEL WHERE, UM, A CITY CHARGES A FEE FOR EVERY IMAGE THAT APPEARS? 'CAUSE 'CAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF YOU'VE GOT SIX IMAGES ROTATING, SIX ADS ROTATING, IT'S ACTUALLY SIX ADS DIFFERENT, EIGHT DIFFERENT SIGNS.
EIGHT, I'M SORRY, EIGHT, EIGHT DIFFERENT SIGNS.
IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, YOU'RE ASKING IF WE PAY ANY CITY TO RUN AN IMAGE? Y YES, THE ANSWER'S NO.
'CAUSE I'M JUST THINKING IF I HAVE A BUSINESS AND I PUT A SIGN ON THE BUSINESS AND THEN I, I I CHANGE IT, I SWITCH IT OUT AND, AND PUT UP A DIFFERENT SIGN LATER, YOU KNOW, I, I PROBABLY INCUR ANOTHER, ANOTHER FEE.
BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THE BUSINESS IN, IN HOUSTON, UM, AN ON-PREMISE SIGN DOES NEED A PERMIT TO CHANGE THE COPY.
UH, AN OFF-PREMISE SIGN DOES NOT.
I THINK THE GENESIS OF THE QUESTION MAY BE THE STATE HAS DETERMINED THAT ADVERTISING ON BILLBOARDS IS VERY SIMILAR TO CIRCULARS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO NEWSPAPERS.
AND THOSE ARE NOT, THAT THE STATE HAS DETERMINED THAT THOSE ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO EACH OTHER, THAT THAT IS NOT TAXED CONSIDERED TAXABLE BY THE COMPTROLLERS.
SO THAT, I THINK THAT HAS DERIVATIVE DOWN TO THE CITIES PROBABLY ARE HAVING TO HOLD THAT SAME OPINION.
SO, SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING THE STATE'S PREEMPTED
[01:55:01]
THAT I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA GO THAT FAR.YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING THAT, THAT THE STATE OBVIOUSLY HAS FIRST SHOT AT, AT, UH, TAXATION AND THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE.
THE COMPTROLLER HAS DETERMINED.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, DO THE, DO THE CITIES GENERATE REVENUE FROM THE PERMITS ON IT, OR IS THE PERMITS PRETTY MUCH REGULATED TO THE COST OF, UH, COMPLIANCE? SO THERE'S, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PERMITS FOR A BILLBOARD.
STAIR IS A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT AND ELECTRICAL PERMIT.
THERE IS A, UM, AN OPERATING PERMIT THAT IS RENEWED ANNUALLY.
UM, SO THE CITY DOES MAKE REVENUE OFF OF THAT.
UM, THEY ALSO MAKE REVENUE OFF THE TAXES, WHICH I THINK WE HAD A, UM, FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'S, WHO'S NOT HERE, UM, BILLBOARDS ARE TAXED AS PERSONAL PROPERTY.
UM, SO, SO GENERALLY WE'RE A TENANT ON, ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY WHERE WE HAVE A LEASE WITH THE LANDOWNER.
THE LANDOWNER IS TAXED AS REAL PROPERTY AVALOR TAXES UNDER THE TAX CODE.
THE BILLBOARDS ARE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND TAXED AS SUCH.
SO VERY MUCH LIKE THE EQUIPMENT, UM, IN A DRY CLEANER IS TAXED AS PERSONAL PROPERTY SIMILAR TO INVENTORY, ALL THAT.
RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S STRUCTURED COST NEW, LESS DEPRECIATION.
AND SO ON A NON-DIGITAL BILLBOARD, CALL IT MAYBE $150,000 IN VALUE VERSUS A A A A BOARD WITH TWO DIGITAL PANELS, THAT'S GONNA BE IN THE, IN THE RANGE OF, YOU KNOW, A MILLION DOLLARS.
THANK YOU FOR TAXABLE VERSUS WOULD OUR FRIENDS AT THE BILLBOARD COMPANIES BE, UM, AMENABLE TO SITTING DOWN WITH OUR FRIENDS AT SCENIC HOUSTON FOR A STAB AT A DRAFT ORDINANCE? OH, I THINK THE ANSWER IS CERTAINLY, AND I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT.
I'VE DONE THAT MYSELF MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
SO YEAH, WE'RE AMENABLE TO OBVIOUSLY TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH EVERYBODY, ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
OKAY, COLLEAGUES, UH, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TODAY AND LET YOU KNOW THAT OUR NEXT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE ON JULY 15TH AT 2:00 PM IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING INFORMATION ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS, YOU CAN CONTACT THE DISTRICT, A OFFICE AT DISTRICT A@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
THE TIME IS FOUR O'CLOCK AND THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.