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COUNCILMAN POLLARD FOR THE INVOCATION.[5:00 P.M. - INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE.IF YOU WOULD PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS FOR WORD OF PRAYER.
LORD, THANK YOU FOR WAKING US UP TO SEE ANOTHER DAY.
PLEASE WATCH OVER US AND GUIDE US AS WE GOVERN THROUGH THIS MEETING.
WATCH OVER OUR CITY, WATCH OVER OUR FAMILIES.
UH, WATCH OVER EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
WILL YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE? MR. SECRETARY?
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING ]
YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.MAYOR WHITMEYER, PRESIDENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
HERE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE ADOPTION OF MINUTES.
AND THEN I DON'T HAVE A MOTION.
SIR, DID YOU WANNA MOVE MARK FIRST? YEAH.
LET ME, UH, ONE PAUSE FOR A MINUTE.
DID YOU HAVE A MOTION? PROCEDURAL, SIR? PROCEDURAL.
YOU HAVE PROCEDURAL? I DO, BUT I WANT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SURE, SURE.
I'LL, I REC I RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THAT MOTION.
UH, MAYOR, I MOVE TO MOVE RONALDO SALGADO TO THE TOP OF THE ONE MINUTE AGENDA.
ALSO, MOVE TO ADD CONTA REYES TO THE SPEAKER'S LIST TO FOLLOW.
LASTLY, BEAR, I MOVE TO ADD NORM NORMA MATU AND RUTH SKE TO THE ONE MINUTE AGENDA TO FOLLOW REYES HUFFMAN.
AND SECOND AND ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
THOSE OPPOSED MAKE MOTION PASSES.
AND THEN DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS OR DID YOU WANNA DO DAVIS'S MOTION? COUNCILMAN DAVIS.
UH, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD BETH GUIDE TO THE TOP OF THE TWO MINUTE, UH, NON AGENDA LIST.
I MOVE TO MOVE, UH, RUBEN GARZA TO THE TOP OF THE ONE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST.
SO AFTER THE MARTINEZ MEETING? YES SIR.
THOSE OPPOSING NAME MOTION PASSES.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, I MOVE TO MOVE, UH, LUCIA MORENO TO FOLLOW, UH, RUBEN GARZA ON THE ONE MINUTE LIST.
UM, RONALDO, YOU WANNA COME FORWARD IN YOUR FAMILY? ANYONE YOU'D LIKE TO BRING SPEAKING TO EITHER MIKE AND I, UH, I RECOGNIZE YOU AND DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TIME.
THERE'S NO RESTRAINTS ON YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
FIRST OFF, THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS MARTINEZ AND DAVIS.
Y'ALL WERE THE FIRST ONES TO STEP UP AND SHARE WORDS OF CONDOLENCES.
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DOWN PART OF CANAL STREET SO THAT MY MOM COULD VISIT THE SITE WITH NO MEDIA AND NO CROWD ALLOWED TO THE HOUSTONIANS FROM THE EAST END TO THE NORTH SIDE.YOU HAVE BEEN THE FUEL TO KEEP US GOING ALONG WITH THE MARCHES AND PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS.
THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP OUR FAMILY IN THIS CASE.
SO IF YOU LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR WAYSIDE CANAL, OR IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING AT ALL PERTAINING TO WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MORNING OF JULY 7TH, PLEASE CONSIDER SENDING ANY AND ALL INFORMATION TO THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS TIPS@ALUTEXAS.ORG.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF Y'ALL? COUNCIL MEMBERS ESTEEMED ELECTED OFFICIALS.
HOW HAVE, HOW HAVE Y'ALL SHOWED UP FOR MY FAMILY? NOT ONE PEEP FROM SOME OF Y'ALL.
WHERE IS THE BASIC HUMAN DECENCY? HOW IS IT THAT THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY CAN ACKNOWLEDGE DIS, DIS INJUSTICE FROM AFAR, ESPECIALLY TO SOME OF Y'ALL AT LARGE MEMBERS? AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON OR DOES YOUR SYMPATHY FOR HUMANITY? AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE EAST END AND MAGNOLIA PARK NEIGHBORHOODS, TAKE A PAGE FROM WILLIE DAVIS' BOOK.
HE HAS SHOWN UP TO EVERY SINGLE EVENT, THE VIGILS, THE MASSES.
HE WAS THERE ON THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL TO GIVE HIS CONDOLENCES TO GIVE US A HUG.
AND TO THAT COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
PLEASE EXPECT A THANK YOU LETTER FROM MY FAMILY FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT.
MY QUESTION FOR Y'ALL IS, HOW WILL YOU SHOW UP FOR THE REST OF THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE IN HOUSTON TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY DAD, LORENZO
THIS IS AN ISSUE OF RIGHT AND WRONG.
AND THIS WRONG NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN YOUR DISTRICT.
HOW WILL YOU PROTECT THEM? MY FAMILY'S BEEN ASKING FOR THREE THINGS.
A FULL, INDEPENDENT, TRANSPARENT INVESTIGATION, JUSTICE FOR MY FATHER, AND FOR THIS TO NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
HERE'S HOW YOU GUYS CAN HELP WITH THE THIRD ONE.
CONSIDER ENDING THE HPD PARTNERSHIP WITH ICE.
CONSIDER PUTTING PRESSURING THAT AT THE STATE LEVEL.
CALL YOUR CONTEMPORARIES AT THIS TEXAS CAPITOL AND ENSURE THAT THE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IMMIGRANTS, CAN HAVE TRUST IN THEIR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
WITNESSES ARE SCARED TO TESTIFY, ALL BECAUSE ANY INTERACTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN LEAD TO DEPORTATION.
AND IF YOU'RE SCARED ABOUT LOSING YOUR JOBS OVER DOING THE RIGHT THING, AT LEAST YOU STILL HAVE YOUR LIFE.
THAT CAN'T BE SAID ABOUT MY FATHER.
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS SLOWLY T TORN, TURNING TOWARDS JUSTICE FOR MY DAD.
ONE OF THE MEN IN THE VAN WILL BE RELEASED VERY SOON.
THE OTHER TWO SHOULD AND MUST FOLLOW BECAUSE THEY DESERVE TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL.
I WENT TO THE DEPORTATION CENTER, THE DETENTION CENTER TODAY IN CONROE TO VISIT MY UNCLE.
I'M GLAD TO REPORT THAT HE'S IN GOOD SPARES DESPITE THE CIRCUMSTANCES, FULLY SUPPORTING US FROM THE INSIDE.
WHILE WE VISITED, A WOMAN APPROACHED MY BROTHER AND I AND GAVE US WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
THIS IS A WOMAN WHO IS MOST LIKELY GOING THROUGH ONE OF THE WORST EXPERIENCES IMAGINABLE, SEEING THEIR LOVED ONE BEHIND A GLASS.
YET SHE FELT LIKE SHE HAD TO GIVE US WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO CONSIDER FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE FOR MY DAD.
SO IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT RELEASING THE OTHER TWO MEN, VIO AND DANIEL RO, BUT IT'S ALSO THE PEOPLE INSIDE THE DETENTION CENTERS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE NO CRIMINAL RECORD.
AND THEY DESERVE TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES TOO.
AND IF THAT WOMAN AT THE DETENTION CENTER WAS ABLE TO GIVE US WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, THEN WHY CAN'T YOU USE YOUR VOICE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN YOUR DISTRICTS AND IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON OVERALL.
AND THIS ISN'T JUST THE ENTIRE CITY LOOKING AT US, THE WHOLE WORLD IS LOOKING AT US.
AND I INVITE YOU GUYS TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY, JUSTICE FOR LORENZO, JUSTICE FOR JOANN, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
LEMME LEMME SPEAK FOR THE CITY AND CERTAINLY AS
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THE MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE.I'VE BEEN IN GOVERNMENT AND SESSIONS FOR YEARS.
YOUR STRENGTH TO BEING HERE TODAY AND YOUR COURAGE.
WE ALL JOIN YOU IN CALLING FOR REFORMS. THANK YOU JUSTICE FOR YOUR FATHER.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL COMMUNICATE TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER THAT WE UNDERSTAND MOTHERS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BURY THEIR SONS TO YOUR MOTHER.
WE WILL CALL OUT FOR AN INDEPENDENT, TRANSPARENT INVESTIGATION, WHICH WE DID AT THIS TABLE THE DAY AFTER YOUR FATHER'S MURDER.
WE WILL WORK WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS.
I'D LIKE TO THINK AS YOU HAVE SYLVIA GARCIA MENEFEE, LIZZIE FLETCHER, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHIEF DIAZ.
SO AS I'VE TOLD YOU PRIVATELY, I ON BEHALF OF THE CITY ARE A PHONE CALL AWAY.
WE WANNA PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY, YOUR SECURITY.
AND I KNOW THIS IS A LIFE ALTERING PERMANENT CHANGE.
WE THANK YOU FOR BEING A SCHOOL TEACHER AND CHANGING YOUR PLANS TO TEACH THIS FALL.
I, ON BEHALF OF THIS COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, WILL MEMORIALIZE YOUR FATHER.
WE WILL WORK WITH THE FAMILY, THE COMMUNITY.
YOU'VE ALREADY GIVEN ME SOME SUGGESTIONS TO WHERE WE NEVER FORGET THAT YOUR FATHER DID NOT LOSE HIS LIFE IN VAIN.
BUT THE COMMUNITY WILL KNOW FROM NOW ON WHO YOUR FATHER WAS, HIS VALUES, HIS LIFE.
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND TO YOUR, TO YOUR BROTHERS, YOUR MOTHER, YOUR GRAND GRANDMOTHER, AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL SHOW YOUR FAMILY THE RESPECT AS WE EXERCISE OUR FIRST AMENDMENT AND NOT MAKE THIS ANY MORE PAINFUL THAN IT ALREADY HAS BEEN.
I SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION, YOUR ANGER, YOUR SADNESS.
AND I WISH WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS AS I MENTIONED TWO YEARS AGO, BUT WE HAVE TO TOGETHER, GET THROUGH THIS, REPRESENT THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, THE EAST SIDE, AND ALL HOUSTONIANS.
AND NOT ONLY TALK ABOUT OUR DIVERSITY, BUT PRACTICE IT IN OUR INCLUSION.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND SHOWING THE COURAGE THAT YOU'RE DISPLAYING.
I KNOW YOUR FATHER WOULD BE PROUD OF YOU.
MR. SALGADO, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE BEEN, BUT YOUR COURAGE IS AN INSPIRATION TO THE ENTIRE CITY.
UM, MY ONE QUESTION FOR YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY ANSWERED, WHICH IS WHAT DO YOU WANT THIS BODY TO DO TO SUPPORT YOU? AND WHAT I HEARD YOU TO SAY IS TO END HPDS COOPERATION WITH ICE.
AND I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU, SIR, THAT MANY OF US TRIED TO DO TO REDUCE THE COOPERATION MANY MONTHS AGO.
THAT EFFORT WAS ULTIMATELY OVERTURNED BY GOVERNOR ABBOTT.
BUT YOU HAVE MY PLEDGE AND I'M SURE OTHERS ON THIS COUNCIL TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO BRING THAT ORDINANCE BACK, TO HONOR YOUR WISHES, TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO REDUCE COOPERATION WITH ICE.
[5:00 P.M. – PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
GUEST.UH, WE HAVE A LONG LIST OF SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE THAN 150 MINUTES WORTH OF SPEAKERS.
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US TO ONLY GIVE EACH SPEAKER ONE MINUTE.EVEN IF YOU SIGNED UP FOR MORE, I'LL TRY TO USE MY GOOD JUDGMENT.
BUT, UH, I HOPE IN THE SPIRIT OF UNITY AND YOU, YOU KNOW, WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
AND I'VE JUST EXPRESSED WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.
I HOPE WE CAN HAVE RESPECT FOR THE HEARING AND LISTEN TO ALL THE SPEAKERS WITHOUT INTERRUPTIONS AND HAVE A PRODUCTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING TONIGHT.
WITH THAT, MR. SECRETARY, WILL YOU CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER? FIRST SPEAKER, CONTA REYES TO BE FOLLOWED BY NORMA MOTU.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS CONCHITA REYES.
I'M A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE AND I'M ALSO PART OF LULAC COUNCIL 60.
ON THAT TRAGIC DAY, I WAS THERE AND I MET RONALDO.
AND FROM THEN ON I'VE BEEN AT HIS SIDE AND HIS FAMILY SIDE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE I'VE CONTACTED AT THE PARENTS' AT THE FAMILY'S REQUEST.
BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INVITE EVERYONE, EVERYONE THAT'S WATCHING, EVERYONE IS SURROUNDED HORSESHOE.
I'M INVITING YOU TO PARTAKE IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
THERE'S A PLACE FOR THE RA, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RALLYING, PROTESTING.
THERE'S A PLACE FOR OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THERE ARE A PLACE, A BUSINESS OWNERS, AND THERE IS PLACE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A TIME THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE REFINING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, BUT YOU SHOW HUMANITY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER.
SO I ASK EVERYONE TO SHOW RESPECT IN THE NAME OF LORENZO TO SHOW LOVE, TO SHOW COMMUNITY AND SHOW HOW STRONG HOUSTON IS.
WE DID IT DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AND NOW'S THE TIME WE SHOW UP.
ROS, ARE YOU SPEAKING TO THE MICROPHONE? YES.
I'M NOT GONNA STAND HERE AND GIVE YOU A STATISTICS BECAUSE Y'ALL ALREADY KNOW WHAT THE STATISTICS ARE.
BUT WHAT I AM GONNA ASK IS TO REMIND YOURSELVES THAT WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THE GOVERNOR, RIGHT, ASK HIM THIS QUESTION.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN IMMIGRANT LOOKS LIKE? BECAUSE MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE SAYS WHITE.
BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT IF YOU SEE ME DRIVING TO THE SCHOOL THAT I'M GONNA TEACH AT OR THE CHILDREN THAT I'M DRIVING, YOU WOULD NOT KNOW THAT YOU WOULD THINK THAT I'M AN IMMIGRANT BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN.
AND RIGHT NOW IMMIGRANTS ARE TO ICE BROWN AND BLACK PEOPLE.
AND SO I REALLY NEED YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT A STATE, LOCAL, OR FEDERAL ISSUE.
WHY CAN'T I, WHY CAN'T WE SEE IT AS A HUMANITARIAN ISSUE? BECAUSE THE UNITED NATIONS, THE UNITED NATIONS, MR. BILL, MR. JOHN, UM, WHITMEYER, I'M SORRY, MAYOR WHITMEYER, UM, THE UNITED NATIONS HAS CALLED FOR AN IN, FOR ACTIVELY CALLING FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE SPIKE OF THE DEATH INVOLVING US IMMIGRATIONS AND CUSTOM ENFORCEMENTS.
SO WHY IS OUR GOVERNOR ABOVE THE UN? WHY CAN'T THE GOVERNOR UNDERSTAND? AND THEN, UM, SIR, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
SO I SAW YOU AT THE TEXAS, UM, LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS THE OTHER DAY.
AND I SAW YOU ASKING THE REPRESENTATIVES, CAN CITY COUNCIL BE INVOLVED? YES YOU CAN.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT TO ICE AT SIX 30 IN THE MORNING.
YOU LOOK LIKE AN IMMIGRANT TOO, SIR JOHN WHITMEYER, WE ARE BEING TARGETED BY OUR COLOR.
WE ARE NOT BEING TARGETED BY THE KNOWLEDGE OR BY OUR BACHELORS, OUR MASTERS, THE EDUCATION THAT WE'VE SOUGHT FOR, THAT OUR PA OUR FATHERS AND MOTHERS
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FOUGHT FOR.WE ARE BEING TARGETED BY OUR COLOR.
AND SIR, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THANK GOD IT WAS NOT, THANK GOD SCHOOL WAS NOT IN SESSION BECAUSE HAD THAT ROGUE BULLET GONE INTO ONE OF MY BABY STUDENTS BUS BUSES THAT THEY HAD TO DRIVE TO GET TO SCHOOL, WE WOULD'VE HAD ANOTHER ISSUE HERE.
AND WE'RE ABOUT TO START SCHOOL IN TWO WEEKS.
SIR, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE PEOPLE ON THESE ROADS.
YOUR ROADS, SIR, THAT YOU, THAT YOU SWORE TO PROTECT THAT EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS SWORN TO PROTECT.
AND YOU HAVE TEACHERS THAT ARE TEACHING HERE WITH IMMIGRANT STATUS.
SIR, WE REALLY NEED YOU TO, UH, YOU MIGHT NOT BE OVER THE MAYOR AND I DO THANK YOU FOR, FOR TALKING AND SPEAKING, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I NEED YOU TO DO SIR? I NEED YOU TO HELP HPD UNDERSTAND THAT HELPING ICE RIGHT NOW IS NOT THE CASE.
WE NEED TO GET OUR CHILDREN EDUCATED.
THESE THIS ISSUE IS ABOVE IMMIGRATION.
THIS IS A HUMANITARIAN ISSUE, SIR.
ROS TO BE FOLLOWED BY MATTHEW.
HI, HOW ARE YOU? NICE TO SEE ALL OF YOU GUYS.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE, BUT I'M ALWAYS WATCHING EVERYTHING ON THE NEWS THAT'S GOING ON.
MY MOM IMMIGRATED HERE FROM EL SALVADOR AND I DON'T HAVE A LOT.
I COULD SAY A LOT, BUT I THINK WHAT I'M GONNA DO INSTEAD IS JUST READ A LETTER FROM SOMEBODY THAT WAS IN DETENTION AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM WHILE THEY WERE IN DETENTION.
AND I ALSO BROUGHT IT FOR YOU GUYS TO SEE IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT, YOU CAN HAVE THE COPIES.
UM, BUT SORRY, I'M NERVOUS AND I WANNA SAY THIS WITHOUT TOO MUCH EMOTION, BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE, I MEAN IT'S ALWAYS BEEN HAPPENING, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S RAMPED UP MORE SINCE LAST YEAR AROUND THE TIME THAT IMMANUEL WAS TAKEN, UNJUSTLY HELD FOR 50 DAYS.
AND THEN AT THAT TIME I SAID, THESE PEOPLE ARE OUT HERE IN OUR STREETS MAKING IT UNSAFE AND SOMEONE'S GONNA GET HURT.
SOMEBODY GOT KILLED, RIGHT? SO I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN SINCE JANUARY WHEN I'VE SEEN THIS PERSON GET TAKEN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD A COUPLE.
SO YOU WANT, GUYS WANNA KEEP IT, IT'S THERE.
BUT THEY WENT TO THREE DIFFERENT DETENTION CENTERS IN ONE MONTH AND WERE DEPORTED BACK TO VENEZUELA AND THEY DID EVERYTHING RIGHT.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THIS IS AFFECTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S HURTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
MY NEIGHBORHOOD'S NOT THE SAME ANYMORE.
PEOPLE DON'T WANNA GO OUTSIDE.
AND THE PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THAT THIS ALL HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT ON OUR YOUTH.
IT'S CREATING A WHOLE WAVE OF YOUTH THAT ARE GOING TO BE MAD AT YOU GUYS FOR WHAT Y'ALL DID TO THEIR PARENTS.
BECAUSE IF WHAT WAS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WAS HAPPENING WHEN I WAS A KID, BECAUSE MY MOM CAME HERE IN THE EIGHTIES FROM EL SALVADOR, OKAY? WHICH IS A WHOLE NOTHER ISSUE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT BECAUSE OF WHY SHE CAME HERE.
SHE FLED A CIVIL WAR BECAUSE HER COUNTRY WAS MESSED UP.
I'M HALF SALVADOR AND HALF AMERICAN.
IF RIGHT NOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, I WILL BE AT RISK OF LOSING A FAMILY MEMBER OR A PARENT.
RIGHT NOW I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS AT RISK OF BEING DEPORTED.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'S AFFECTING EVERYBODY IN SO MANY WAYS AND IT'S HURTING OUR CHILDREN.
AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE SAFETY ACTION PLANS FOR KIDS THAT ARE BORN HERE JUST IN CASE THEY GO OUT WITH THEIR DAD WHO'S MEXICAN, WHO LOOKS A CERTAIN WAY, WHO IN CASE HE GETS PULLED OVER, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION.
PRAYER TIME FOR THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND I FEEL BAD FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND I HOPE IT HEALS.
I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD TO WYNN, UH, BEHIND SAJI CHACO UNDER THE THREE MINUTE MOTIONS MADE.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW ALEX
I RESPECTIVELY SUPPORT AGENDA ITEM 17.
OUR REQUEST IS LIMITED OR MODESTY OLE IN OUR PARISH MEMBERS WITHIN WALL CHURCH CAMPUS.
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I WOULD LIKE TO, IT WOULD BE NO UNDERGROUND IES AND WOULD BE PERMANENTLY ED BY THE PARISH.WE ARE COMMITTED, PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH SAFETY ENVIRONMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORS.
WE ARE COMPLY ALL THE APPLICABLE CITY AND STATE REQUIREMENT.
THE PRO THE PRO THE PROJECT WOULD PROVIDE PRIORITIES WITH THE DIGNIFIED CATHOLIC RESTING PEACE AREA NEAR OUR SPIRITUAL HOME.
PLEASE VOTE FOR AGENDA ITEM 70.
NEXT, ABRAHAM, JACOB OF MISSOURI CITY TO BE FOLLOWED BY EM, JACOB OF MISSOURI CITY.
GOOD EVENING, YOUR HONORABLE MAYOR AND, UH, RESPECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS FATHER ABRAHAM JACOB.
I'M THE PASTOR OF THE SAINT MARY SCAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AT, UH, 6,400 WESTBROOK COURT DRIVE.
ALTHOUGH OUR MAILING ADDRESS IS MISS CITY, OUR PROPERTY IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I RESPECTFULLY SUPPORT AGENDA ITEM 17.
OUR PARISH WISHES TO APPLY FOR PERMISSION TO CONSTRUCT A MODEST ABOVE GROUND MUSEUM WITHIN OUR CHURCH CAMPUS.
IT WOULD CONTAIN SEALED INDIVIDUAL CRIS ON AN ENGINEERED CONCRETE PLATFORM WITH NO UNDERGROUND BURIAL.
IT WOULD BE RESERVED FOR PARISH MEMBERS AND PERMANENTLY MAINTAINED BY THE CHURCH.
THIS REQUEST COMES ESPECIALLY FROM OUR SENIOR CITIZENS WHO DESIRE A SIGNIFIED CATHOLIC RESTING PLACE NEAR THE CHURCH THAT HAS BEEN THEIR SPIRITUAL HOME IN OUR FAITH, CARING FOR THE DISEASE.
THEY SAY CORPORAL WORK OF MERCY AND PRAYING FOR THEM EXPRESS OUR HOPE IN THE RESTRICTION.
WE ARE PREPARED TO COMPLY WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING PUBLIC HEALTH ENGINEERING.
YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED ACCESSIBILITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION, SO PLEASE ADOPT AGENDA IT ITEM 17, SO THAT WE MAY SUBMIT A COMPLETE APPLICATION FOR THE CITY'S PROFESSIONAL REVIEW.
NEXT EM JACOB FROM MISSOURI CITY TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSE CHACO OF MISSOURI CITY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT WHATEVER FATHER SAID THE SAME REQUEST THAT KINDLY APPROVE OUR PROJECT AND OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE REALLY THANKFUL AND IT'LL BE BIG HELP FOR THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO CANNOT AFFORD A, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL, UH, EXPENSIVE BARRIER OR ANYTHING.
AND, UH, ELDERLY PEOPLE, THEY CANNOT VISIT THEIR LOUD ONE SIDE ON A DISTANTLY.
SO IT'LL BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL AND ESPECIALLY I WANT TO EXTEND OUR THANKS FOR MR. SAMRA WHO HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME FOR THIS PROJECT AND HELPING US ON THIS MATTER.
JOSE CHACO TO BE FOLLOWED BY JI CHACO.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER BASE.
MARY'S GRANITE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
I RESPECTFULLY SUPPORT AGENDA ITEM 17.
OUR PROPOSAL HAS BEEN DESIGNED WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION IN MIND.
THE OLEUM WOULD CONTAIN PERMANENTLY SEALED CRIPS CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY ABOVE GROUND ON AN ENGINEERED CONCRETE PLATFORM.
IT WOULD BE LOCATED INSIDE OUR EXISTING WALL CHURCH CAMPUS.
IT'S ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPING, LIGHTING, TRAIN AID, ACCESS, AND SCREENING.
AND SCREENING WOULD COMPLEMENT THE CHURCH AND PROTECT NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
WE ARE PLEASED TO, WE ARE PREPARED TO SUBMIT A PROFESSIONAL SURVEY, SITE PLAN, ENGINEERING AND TRAIN AID DOCUMENTS, ACCESS PLAN, MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, AND ALL REQUIRED HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION.
THE PARISH WILL ALSO PROVIDE PERMANENT SUPERVISION AND FINANCIAL RESPONSE.
WE ARE NOT REQUESTING EXEMPTION FROM REGULATION.
WE ARE REQUESTING A CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS THROUGH WHICH WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPLAINTS.
PLEASE SUPPORT AGENDA ITEM 17.
I, MY QUESTION IS FOR, UM, OUR, OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
SO, UH, TOMORROW WHEN WE, UM, LOOK AT ITEM 17 FOR THE MAUSOLEUM, UH, THIS IS LOCATED AT 6,400, UH, WEST FUQUA IN FORT BEND, HOUSTON, UH, THE CHURCH IS WANTING TO ERECT A MAUSOLEUM.
WE DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON THE BOOKS FOR SOMEONE TO ERECT A CEMETERY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO WE HAVE THIS NOW, IF WE VOTE FOR THIS TOMORROW, THEN WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP FOR THE CHURCH IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD? RIGHT.
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SO WHAT THE ORDINANCE DOES TOMORROW IS PRESCRIBE THE INFORMATION THAT HAS TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE CHURCH IN ORDER TO OPEN THIS MAUSOLEUM.AND AS I'VE SPOKEN TO THEM, THIS IS A MAUSOLEUM THAT WOULD BE ONLY ON THE CHURCH PROPERTY AND ONLY OPEN TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THAT CHURCH.
SO, UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A VERY, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY SMALL MAUSOLEUM.
SO THE ORDINANCE TOMORROW ESSENTIALLY SAYS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THIS MAUSOLEUM, OR IT COULD BE A CEMETERY, BUT IN THIS CASE A MAUSOLEUM WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.
THEY WILL PROVIDE THAT TO THE CITY'S SECRETARY.
ONCE THEY PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
THERE HAS TO BE A SECOND VOTE BY COUNCIL.
WHERE COUNCIL HAS TO ESSENTIALLY MAKE THE DETERMINATION THAT THIS MAUSOLEUM WILL NOT IMPACT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ESSENTIALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, IT'S FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, TO BE CANDID WITH YOU, YOU COULD NOT OPEN UP A MAUSOLEUM AIR CEMETERY WITHIN CITY LIMITS.
THE LAW WAS CHANGED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
AND IT IS NOW A TWO STEP PROCESS.
PROCESS NUMBER ONE IS PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT PRESCRIBES ONE INFORMATION, UH, THE, THE CITY WANTS.
UH, AND THEN THE STEP, SECOND STEP IS TO REVIEW THAT INFORMATION AND DECIDE THAT YES, YOU CAN OPEN THE CEMETERY WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
SO THEN AFTER THEY PROVIDE THE INFORMATION, THE CITY SECRETARY, WE WOULD PROVIDE THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, WE'D PROBABLY ALSO HAVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT LOOK AT IT.
OKAY, THAT'S, AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION NEXT.
THAT'S WHAT I, TO KNOW WHO ACTUALLY WILL FROM THE CITY WILL ACTUALLY MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
SO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL PROBABLY GO AND THEN WE'LL GET THE BRIEFING AND THEN WE MAKE THE DECISION.
NEXT SAJI CHACO TO BE FOLLOWED BY TO WYNN.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS SJI CHACO, ONE OF THE TRUSTEES OF SEMINARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH.
CATHOLICS TREAT THE BODIES OF THE DISEASE WITH THE, WITH THE DIGNITY AND CONSIDER, PRAY FOR THEM AS SACRED RESPONSIBILITY.
OUR FAMILY TRADITIONALLY VISIT THE TOMS AFTER CHURCH SERVICES ON ANNIVERSARIES MEMORIAL DAYS AND ALL SALES DAY.
SINCE THERE IS NO CONVENIENT LOCATED CATHOLIC CEMETERY NEAR OUR PARISH.
AND OLEUM ON THE CHURCH CAMPUS WOULD ALLOW ELDERLY SPOUSES, CHILDREN, AND GRANDCHILDREN TO PRAY FOR THEIR LOUD ONES WITHOUT TRAVELING LONG DISTANCES.
PLEASE SUPPORT AGENDA ITEM 17 AND ALLOW OUR PARISH TO SUBMIT ITS APPLICATION FOR CITY REVIEW.
NEXT WAN WYNN TO BE FOLLOWED BY RUBEN GARZA.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CASSICK TATUM FOR ADDING ME.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY AND ASK THE MAYOR IF HE KNEW THE NAMES OF THE THREE MEN THAT WERE DETAINED AFTER LORENZO SALGADO RAHO WAS KILLED IF HE KNEW THEIR FULL NAMES.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'LL SHARE THEIR NAMES.
VICTOR SALGADO RAHO, OF COURSE, HIS BROTHER, DANIEL PANTORA TODO AND JOSE ROJAS.
ARE ANY OF THESE MEN WORTH LESS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT DIE? WHERE ARE THE CALLS FOR THEIR FREEDOM? MAYOR WHITMEYER CONSTANTLY PROCLAIMS HIS LEADERSHIP IN THIS CITY.
IN A NEW YORK TIMES INTERVIEW, HE BEMOANS LEADERSHIP LIKE THAT OF ZORAN MOMANI.
AND YET WHEN AN IMMIGRANT WAS DETAINED BY ICE, THE NEXT DAY, THE MAYOR ANI CALLED PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE IMMIGRANT WAS RELEASED.
BUT HERE FOR A YEAR, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS NO POWER.
SO MAYOR WHITMEYER, AS YOU'VE COMMUNICATED TO ALL OF US, YOU'RE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THE GOVERNOR, WITH THE PRESIDENT.
YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM HAS ENSURED THIS CITY'S SAFETY, ALTHOUGH PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE DETAINED AND NOW SOMEONE IS KILLED.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT THIS AMAZING RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU HAVE WITH THE PRESIDENT THAT YOU USED, FREE THE THREE AMEN.
UM, I FIRST WANT TO PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THAT I'M NOT HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE SALGADO FAMILY OR THE SHOOTING, BUT MY CONDOLENCES ARE WITH THE FAMILY.
AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE SOME JUSTICE PREVAIL FOR LORENZO, INCLUDING THE PROSECUTOR, THE PROSECUTION OF HIS MURDERS.
UH, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE EDITORIAL PIECE'S, OPINION ON, UH, PIECE ON PARKING REFORM, WHETHER YOU LIKE THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE OR NOT, EVEN IF YOU DON'T, YOU GOTTA ADMIT A BROKEN CLOCK IS RIGHT TWICE A DAY.
UH, THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE CALLED THE ATTENTION TO, UH, PARKING REFORM AS A VITAL STEP FOR
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.AND, UH, INFILL IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AS THE CITY, WE CAN EITHER INCREASE TAXES OR FEES, REDUCE SERVICES, OR DEVELOP IN A MORE PRODUCTIVE WAY.
I OP I HOPE THAT THE CITY CHOOSES OPTION THREE.
WE ELIMINATE PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND ALLOW DEVELOPERS TO ALLOW DEVELOPERS AND, UH, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES TO DEVELOP AND BUILD HOMES AS NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE NEED THE MOST RIGHT NOW.
AND I KNOW I'M COMING TO CITY COUNCIL TO TESTIFY ABOUT THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
BUT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS, I CARE ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THE CITY BEING TOO BROKE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT STREETS, ABOUT FLOODING.
AND VERY LASTLY, I'M GONNA KEEP COMING BACK HERE UNTIL MY HAIR EITHER LOOKS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ IS OR COUNCILMAN OR MAYOR WITT MEYERS, DEPENDING ON WHICH SIDE OF THE FAMILY'S JEANS I HAVE.
NEXT LUCIA MORENO TO BE FOLLOWED BY RYAN ANDERSON.
I THINK THERE'S A CONFUSION 'CAUSE I'M SET FOR THE THREE MINUTES INSTEAD OF THE ONE MINUTE I'M ON THE LIST, SO I'M NOT SURE.
AND THANK YOU FOR MY TRASH CAN THERE, BUT I'LL OKAY, THANK YOU.
IF I HAD KNOWN I WAS THIS GIRL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
I AM HERE TO OFFER CONCRETE SOLUTIONS TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR BARK AND THE CITY THROUGH ORDINANCES ENFORCEMENT, WHILE ADDRESSING THE SEVERE ANIMAL WELFARE CRISIS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
MANY PEOPLE LOOK AT ANIMAL RESCUERS AND THINK WE ARE JUST CRAZY PET PEOPLE.
MANY OF US COME FROM PLACES OF DEEP PERSONAL HARDSHIP.
I WAS LIVING ON THE STREETS AT 14 TO ESCAPE AN ABUSIVE HOME BEATEN BY A STEPMOTHER WITH DOG CHAINS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE CPS THEN, SO IT MEANT NOTHING.
WE DO THIS WORK FROM A PLACE OF PROFOUND EMPATHY, NOT FOR ATTENTION.
I HAVE BEEN AN INDEPENDENT RESCUER IN THIS CITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU FIRSTHAND, THE SITUATION IS GETTING WORSE BECAUSE OUR CITY ORDINANCES ARE COMPLETELY IGNORED.
PEOPLE TRAVEL FROM ALL OVER THE CITY TO ABANDON PETS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
DAILY RESCUES ARE AGING OUT AND WE CANNOT KEEP UP.
WE HAVE GREAT LAWS ON THE BOOKS, BUT THEY LACK ENFORCEMENT.
AND THE FEW TICKETS WRITTEN ARE OFTEN DISMISSED TO FIX THIS RACE, REVENUE AND SAVE ANIMALS, I PROPOSE THREE IMMEDIATE ACTIONS ENFORCE PARKING LOT SALES.
INDIVIDUAL SELLING PUPPIES IN PARKING LOTS SHOULD FACE THREE IMMEDIATE CITATIONS.
OPERATING A BUSINESS WITHOUT A PERMIT, BREEDING WITH A, WITHOUT A LICENSE AND STANDARD ANIMAL ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS, THAT'S THREE TICKETS.
IF THEY CANNOT PAY THE FINES, MANDATE COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS DIRECTLY AT BARK OR REGISTER RESCUES TO OFFSET, OFFSET THE LABOR SHORTAGE.
ESTABLISH A VOLUNTEER 3 1 1 ANIMAL FOR TASK FORCE TO KEEP FROM INDIAN DATING OUTWARD 3 1 1 OPERATORS THE CITY SHOULD UTILIZE OUR MASSIVE NETWORK OF INDEPENDENT RESCUERS AND STREET FEEDERS AS TRAINED VOLUNTEERS TO PROCESS VET AND ROUTINE ANIMAL WELFARE DATA DIRECTLY TO BARK ADDRESS BREEDING AMONG THE UNHOUSED.
WHILE MANY UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS CARE FOR THEIR PETS, SOME USE THEM TO GENERATE DONATIONS, MISTREAT THEM, OR BREED THEM FOR CASH PARKING LOT SALES.
WE MUST ENFORCE A MANDATE TO KEEP AN ANIMAL, TO KEEP AN ANIMAL IN THESE CONDITIONS.
IT MUST BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED.
RESCUES WILL GLADLY FACILITATE THIS USING EXISTING FREE CITY AND NONPROFIT RESOURCES, RESCUES AND INDEPENDENT FEEDERS ARE READY TO JUMP IN AND ASSIST THE CITY IN ANY WAY WE CAN.
HOWEVER, WE NEED THE CITY TO MEET US HALFWAY RIGHT NOW WHEN WE TRY TO REPORT THESE VIOLATIONS.
SOME POLICE OFFICERS LAUGH AT THE ORDINANCES OR REFUSE TO HELP.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED NEW LAWS.
WE NEED THE POLITICAL WILL TO ENFORCE THE ONES WE HAVE.
LET'S PROTECT OUR ANIMALS, SUPPORT OUR RESCUERS, AND GENERATE THE VE REVENUE BARK DESPERATELY NEEDS.
[00:40:01]
YOU.COMING UP HERE, I SAW PLENTY OF THEM, BUT I DO HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT COMING IN TODAY AFTER FIVE.
WE CAN'T GO THROUGH YOUR TUNNEL.
AND IF YOU'RE HANDICAPPED LIKE MYSELF, I HAVE TO COME UP THE STAIRS, WALK OVER HERE AND YOU'RE THANKS.
WE HAVE TO GO AROUND AND UP THE STAIRS.
ONE MORE THING, MAYOR, PLEASE DON'T BE MAD AT ME.
BUT
I SAW ONE GET CLOSER TO THE MIC TODAY.
I SAW ONE OF YOUR COUNCILMEN BE VERY RUDE TO COUNCILMAN SALINAS'S, UH, PERSON.
COUNCILMAN DAVIS COME UP AND THREATEN THAT MAN.
YOU COULD HAVE TOLD HIM IN ANOTHER WAY THAT YOU DON'T WANT YOUR FACE ON HIS VIDEO.
THANK YOU NICK RYAN ANDERSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY LINDSEY BURROWS.
BOTH ICE AND HPD ARE ACTIVELY TRAMPLING ON OUR FIRST FOURTH AND FIFTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
WHILE YOU J MAYOR, UH, JOHN WHITMEYER CONTINUE TO BEND THE KNEE TO THE FASCIST MOVEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY.
THE WEDNESDAY AFTER ICE MURDERED LORENZO SALGADO RAJO.
I KNOW NONE OF Y'ALL WERE THERE, SO I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK RECAP.
THE VIGIL WAS ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE STREET THAT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
IT WAS BLOCKED OFF INDEPENDENT OF THE VIGIL BEING THERE.
HOWEVER, AT NINE 15 HPD OFFICERS INSTRUCTED US TO LEAVE, I ASKED THEM WHY THEY WERE TRYING TO GET US TO LEAVE.
WE WERE MOURNING AT A VIGIL AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WANTED TO, UH, OPEN IT UP FOR TRAFFIC.
LIKE I SAID, IT WAS ALREADY UNCON UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
THEY COULDN'T, THE TRUCK CARS COULDN'T GET ON THERE ON THAT STREET REGARDLESS.
AND SO I TRIED TO TELL THAT HPD OFFICER THAT THEIR RESPONSE WAS, I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS.
THEIR ORDER WAS TO DENY US OF OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE.
THEY OBEYED BECAUSE YOU GREEN LIT THEM.
YOU ALLOW THEM TO TRAMPLE ON OUR RIGHTS WHILE DOING NOTHING.
AS A LEADER, HPD SPITS ON THE FOURTH AMENDMENT EVERY TIME THEY HOLD A HOUSTONIAN AT A TRAFFIC STOP JUST FOR ICE TO SHOW UP.
AND NOW ICE IS OBSTRUCTING DUE PROCESS.
THE FIFTH AMENDMENT FOR VICTOR SALGADO ARJO, DANIEL PANTO AND, AND, UH, JOSE OJAS.
THESE MEN ARE NOT ONLY WITNESSES TO ICE'S MURDER, BUT THEY ARE VICTIMS OF ICE AS WELL.
JEREMY PEELE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES SHREVER.
ON JULY 7TH, I WAS AT A COURT IN THIRD WARD REPRESENTING AN UNDOCUMENTED COUPLE DURING THEIR EVICTION PROCEEDING.
WHEN WE LEFT THE COURTROOM, I ADVISED THEM NOT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR LANDLORD TO AVOID UPSETTING HER BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID THEY MIGHT RETALIATE AND CALL ICE.
WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT A COUPLE HOURS EARLIER, ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY, LORENZO SALGADO ARAJO HAD BEEN MURDERED BY ICE IN OUR STREETS FOR MONTHS.
WE WARNED YOU THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN IN OUR CITY AND YOU SAID THERE WAS NOTHING YOU COULD DO.
HOWEVER, WE NOW KNOW THAT NOT ONLY HAS HPD INCREASED THE NUMBER OF TIMES THEY'VE CALLED ICE, BUT THEY'VE DOUBLED THOSE NUMBERS.
WE KNOW THAT SOME OFFICERS WAITED OVER TWO HOURS FOR ICE TO ARRIVE EVEN AFTER BEING DIRECTED NOT TO.
WHILE HPD WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING, WHEN YOU HAND OVER A DAIN, A DETAINEE TO ICE, YOU ARE HANDING THEM OVER TO THE VERY AGENTS WHO MURDERED ONE OF OUR OWN.
AND IF THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO DO IN OUR STREETS, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY'RE WILLING TO DO BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS OF AN ATTENTION FACILITY WHERE THEY'RE THREATENING WITNESSES? LET ME ASSURE YOU, WE ARE GOING TO PROPOSE IN NOVEMBER AND WE WILL DO THE SAME NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.
THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.
AND YOU CAN'T SAY YOU CARE ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY UNTIL YOU CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF ALL HOUSTONIANS, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
JAMES SHRIVER, JAMES SHRIVER TO BE FOLLOWED BY JESUS NITO MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE
[00:45:01]
COME TO YOU TO SPEAK ABOUT IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS.WE'VE COME FOR MONTHS AFTER THE KILLINGS IN MINNESOTA.
WE KNEW THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN IN HOUSTON.
WE TRIED TO GET YOU TO TAKE ACTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS WROTE AN ORDINANCE.
THE GOVERNOR VETOED THE ORDINANCE.
HOW RIDICULOUS IS THAT? WE CALL UPON YOU TO REINSTATE THE ORDINANCE, BREAK THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN HPD AND ICE.
THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING IN THE WORLD.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILY.
JESUS NITO, TABITHA CLAY, AISHA NEWMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY ETHAN CAMPBELL.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME IN THAT CROWN? THANK YOU.
OKAY, LET'S START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ.
I WANNA START, WELL I WANNA START WITH SAYING I HAVE SEMI-PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOME OF YOU.
SO I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'RE HUMAN BEINGS, BUT WE'VE ASKED YOU TO DO A JOB COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ.
I DON'T APPRECIATE HOW YOU ADDRESSED THE CROWD IN, UH, A TESTIMONY THE OTHER DAY SAYING THAT WE NEED TO VOTE ON PEOPLE.
YOU'RE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND I'M GONNA KEEP GOING 'CAUSE I'M BEING TIMED.
BUT WE ALSO CAN'T ELECT ANYBODY IN HPD.
LIKE THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO SHOW UP RIGHT NOW.
I WANNA SAY JOHN WHITMEYER, YOU'VE DONE SOME AMAZING WORK IN THE PAST.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE IS FOUGHT TO REPEAL THE TEXAS HONOR LAW.
IN 1993 AFTER THE HEIGHT OF THE AIDS EPIDEMIC, YOU THOUGHT YOU WORKED TO DECRIMINALIZE TRUANCY AND YOU FOUGHT FOR DACA RECIPIENTS.
WHERE IS THAT GUY? I DON'T SEE HIM TODAY.
AND I WANNA CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF THE WITNESSES TO LORENZO SALGADO'S MURDER.
AND THE LAST THING IS THAT NONE OF YOUR JOBS ARE SAFE.
IF YOU ARE TERM LIMITED, YOU'RE LUCKY.
IF YOU'RE NOT WELL, I WOULD SAY YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR EYES OUT 'CAUSE WE ARE COMING FOR YOUR JOBS.
ETHAN CAMPBELL OF CROSBY QUINN DINA TO BE FOLLOWED BY ISAIAH LOPEZ.
I AM A, UM, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT H.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO DO, UH, THREE THINGS.
ASK YOU TO DO MORE TO BRING JUSTICE FOR THE MURDER OF LORENZO SALGADO RAGHU AND HIS FAMILY TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE REMAINING HOUSTONIANS HELD IN ICE CUSTODY AND END CITY COLLABORATION WITH ICE.
WE HAVE A SMALL WIN, SMALL VICTORY TO CELEBRATE TONIGHT WITH THE JUDGE'S ORDER TO RELEASE JOSE ROJA BGO.
NOW THIS WAS A CHOICE OF A FEDERAL JUDGE, BUT THIS RELEASE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE PRESSURE, BY FAMILY MEMBERS, BY CITIZENS LIKE OURSELVES AND POLITICIANS LIKE YOU.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO RELEASE THE OTHER TWO HOUSTONIANS, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU'RE POWERLESS.
EACH OF YOU HAS MORE POWER, MAGNITUDES, MORE POWER THAN ANY OF US IN THE CROWD AND THE AVERAGE HOUSTONIAN.
SO USE THAT POWER, LEVERAGE YOUR INFLUENCE ON FEDERAL OFFICIALS, BUSINESS LEADERS.
WE ALL KNOW A LOT OF YOU HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH BUSINESS LEADERS.
SO USE YOUR VOICE TO STOP ICE TERRORISM HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IN OUR CITY, IN YOUR CITY, AND JUST DO MORE.
ISAIAH, ISAIAH LOPEZ, SAMUEL JESSE TO BE FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL HILLBY HILLBY.
[00:50:01]
UM, MY NAME IS DR. SAMUEL DAVID, JESS OF DISTRICT D AND MY VIEWS REPRESENT MY OWN.HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR VIEWS WITH A SIMPLE POLL.
I INVITE YOU, YOU AND THE UH, PEOPLE BEHIND ME TO RAISE YOUR HANDS.
RAISE YOUR HANDS IF YOU SEE IMMIGRANTS AS YOUR NEIGHBORS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR DOCUMENTATION STATUS.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU ARE OUTRAGED BY THE KILLING OF LORENZO SALGADO, ARAJO BY ICE.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WANT THE CITY TO END COLLABORATION WITH HPD AND ICE AND WILL FIGHT THE STATE TO BRING THE ORDINANCE BACK.
VICTOR SALGADO RAJO, DANIEL TODO PANTOJA AND JOSE TRINIDAD ROJAS TO BE FREE FROM JOE CORLEY PROCESSING CENTER IN CONROE.
NOW RAISE YOUR FIST IF YOU ARE HUNGRY TO UNITE WITH THE PEOPLE BESIDE YOU AND TAKE ACTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS NEVER HAPPENS IN OUR CITY AGAIN.
NOW I DON'T NEED TO TURN AROUND TO KNOW WHERE THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME STAND.
AND IF YOU ARE UNWILLING TO TAKE A STAND ON THIS NOW, THEN PLEASE FOLLOW THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION.
YOU CAN DO SO BY LYING ON YOUR BELLY LIKE A COWARDICE, SNAKES AND RETREATING BACK INTO THE DARKNESS FROM ONCE YOU CAME.
WHERE WERE YOUR HANDS? YEAH, WHERE WERE YOUR HANDS SIR? GO AHEAD PLEASE.
HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS MIKE HILBIG AND I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PSO, UH, WHO ALSO USED TO TEACH FRESHMAN COMPOSITION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN.
I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT A STUDENT I HAD SOME YEARS BACK, AN 18-YEAR-OLD FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT FROM EL SALVADOR.
UH, SHE WROTE ME A PERSONAL NARRATIVE ABOUT THE TIME WHEN SHE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD AND HAD TO CLOSE HER EYES AND HOLD HER MOTHER'S HAND AS THEY WADE THROUGH A RIVER OF DEAD BODIES TO GET HERE ON THEIR WAY TO SEEKING ASYLUM.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HER SINCE, UH, BUT I WONDER IF SHE'S SITTING IN ICE DETENTION TODAY.
I'M ALSO REMINDED BY MY WORK IN THE PRO-PALESTINE MOVEMENT THAT THIS CITY COUNCIL HAS STILL NOT DIVESTED FROM SENDING WEAPONS TO ISRAEL MADE BY THE SAME COMPANIES WHO HAVE SENT NUMEROUS ARMED SHIPMENTS TO LATIN AMERICA.
WHEN YOU TAKE BLOOD MONEY, YOU CREATE THE SITUATION IN WHICH PEOPLE NEED TO FLEE AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENTS IN THE FIRST PLACE IN.
AND WHEN YOU FAIL TO ACT, WHEN MEANT LIKE LORENZO ARE MURDERED, YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE SAME AUTHORITARIAN TERROR.
I DEMAND THAT YOU PROSECUTE THE AGENTS WHO MURDER LORENZO AND THAT YOU STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR YOUR OWN PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM HAVE FLED, MANY OF WHOM HAVE FLED COUNTRIES BECAUSE OF BLOOD MONEY THAT PEOPLE IN THIS CITY COUNCIL HAVE TAKEN.
I, I ORIGINALLY CAME TO ASK ABOUT AIR CONDITIONING AND CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW WE CAN GO DOWN AN AIR CONDITIONING ROAD AND WANT CLIMATE CHANGE AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE AGAINST EACH OTHER, WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER.
SO THERE SEEMS TO BE A DIVIDE THERE.
BUT WHAT I, BUT I'M SITTING HERE LISTENING TO THIS.
I AM A NATURALIZED AMERICAN CITIZEN.
I DID ILLEGALLY AND I I APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU KNOW, NOBODY SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO GET SHOT AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF THAT GOES ON.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, GUYS, YOU'RE PUTTING ME AT RISK BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ENFORCING THE LAW.
AND BY NOT ENFORCING THE LAW, THOSE OF US THAT ARE HERE LEGALLY, WE'RE STRUGGLING AGAINST IT.
EITHER WE'RE A CITY OF LAWS OR WE'RE NOT A CITY OF LAWS AND WE NEED TO PICK A DIS A DIRECTION AND GO IN THAT DIRECTION.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT I CAME HERE FOR A BETTER LIFE.
I DID IT LEGALLY AND EVERY TIME WE PUT ME AND LUMP ME IN THE SAME BREATH AS SOMEBODY THAT DIDN'T, YOU ARE DEMEANING ME AND TAKING AWAY MY
[00:55:01]
STATURE AS WELL.AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE NATURALIZED AMERICAN CITIZENS AND THERE'S A LOT OF US.
I'M HERE WITH A GROUP OF EIGHT.
OVER ONE THIRD OF THAT GROUP IS NATURALIZED.
I DON'T THINK YOU TOM BEAM TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTOPHER CASAS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS TOM AMP AND I'M A PROUD VETERAN OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, RESIDING IN DISTRICT J IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON.
I'M STANDING HERE TODAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH THIS COMMUNITY ALONGSIDE MY FELLOW VETERANS FROM COMMON DEFENSE.
'CAUSE ON JULY 7TH, AN ICE OFFICER TOOK THE LIFE OF LORENZO SALGADO ARAJO RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY.
IT WAS A WRONGFUL KILLING AND WE WILL NOT LOOK AWAY FROM IT.
WHEN I RAISED MY RIGHT HAND AND SWORN OATH TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, I MEANT IT.
EVERY VETERAN STANDING WITH ME TODAY MEANT IT.
TOO MANY PEOPLE THINK THE OATH ENDS WHEN YOUR SERVICE DOES.
NOT FOR ME, NOT FOR ANY OF US.
IT STILL MEANS SOMETHING AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
WE ARE DEMANDING THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON REQUIRE HPD FULLY TO FULLY COOPERATE WITH THE HU UH, HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION, RELEASE THE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE AND DON'T OBSTRUCT THE JUSTICE THAT LORENZO AND HIS COMMUNITY DESERVES.
AND I'M DEMANDING THAT THE CITY PASS ORDINANCES SO THAT NO FEDERAL AGENCY, NO TASK FORCE CAN CARRY OUT A HIGH RISK OPERATION OR A TRAFFIC STOP INSIDE HOUSTON CITY LIMITS IN SECRET, THAT MEANS UNMASKED ON CAMERA AND WITH LOCAL DISPATCH NOTIFIED IF YOU'RE GOING TO ACT IN OUR CITY.
WE HAVE A RIGHT TO SEE YOUR FACE AND KNOW YOUR NAME.
HIS FAMILY DESERVES TO STILL HAVE HIM AT HOME.
OUR NEIGHBORS HERE IN HOUSTON DESERVE BETTER AND HOUSTON CAN DO BETTER.
NEXT, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER JOHN CASAS.
I'M A DISTRICT E RESIDENT, LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN AND US MARINE VETERAN.
I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT FAMILY SAFETY AND KEEPING OUR PROMISES TO SERVICE MEMBERS.
I'M ASKING YOU TO STAND UP FOR HOUSTONIANS VETERANS AND CIVILIANS WHO ARE BEING ABDUCTED MURDERED BY ICE.
SHIRLEY GUDO CAME HERE WHEN SHE WAS 16.
SHE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, SHE GOT A JOB AND SHE MARRIED AN ACTIVE DUTY SOLDIER AND THEN SHE BECAME A MOTHER.
YET SHE WAS ABDUCTED AND PORTED LAST YEAR ALL THE SAME.
SEPARATING HER FROM HER INFANT SON, LEARNING THAT HPD ASSISTED ICE IN THIS MAKES ME ASHAMED OF OUR CITY SILENCE.
I QUESTION THE SINCERITY OF LEADERS WHO CLAIM TO SUPPORT THE TROOPS WHILE ENABLING POLICIES THAT TEAR THEIR FAMILIES APART.
NO HUMAN BEING REGARDLESS OF STATUS SHOULD HAVE THEIR PARENTS KIDNAPPED OR KILLED.
A FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERED A JOSE RELEASE YESTERDAY.
I ASK YOU TO PUBLICLY CALL ON ICE TO RELEASE VICTOR, DANIELLA AND JOSE, THE KEY WITNESSES IN THE MURDER OF LORENZO SALGADO.
RISHA CHALA TO BE FOLLOWED BY GRIFFIN WALKER.
UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I AM A UM, I'M PART OF A DISTRICT D UH, ONE YEAR AGO I STOOD HERE AND SPOKE ABOUT HPDS SHAMEFUL COLLABORATION WITH ICE THAT, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS REPEATEDLY OVERSEEN AND DEFENDED AND WHO HAS PAID THE PRICE OF THIS OVER 100 CALLS TO ICE IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS ALONE, LEADING TO SEVERAL DETENTIONS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THIS HAS A CHILLING EFFECT ON PEOPLE SIMPLY BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND EXIST IN PUBLIC SOCIETY, AVOIDING GROCERY STORE SHOPPING, FEAR OF DROPPING ONE'S KIDS TO SCHOOL OR GOD FORBID NOT GOING TO THE DOCTOR WHEN YOU'RE SICK BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE YOUR LOST
[01:00:01]
TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY.I'M A RESIDENT PHYSICIAN AND A CHILD PSYCHIATRIST IN TRAINING AND IT BREAKS MY HEART TO SAY THAT SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS IN THIS WAY HAS BEEN LINKED TO INCREASED ANXIETY, BEHAVIORAL ISSUES AND PTSD SYMPTOMS. BUT IT SHOULDN'T TAKE A DOCTOR TO KNOW THAT IT JUST SHOULD TAKE A HUMAN BEING.
AND RIGHT NOW I'M DOUBTING YOUR HUMANITY.
SO WILL YOU BE A FAIRLY HUMAN? AND CALL FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF VICTOR SALGADO ARAJO, DANIEL RADO PENOLA AND JOSE TRIN.
I'M GRIFFIN FROM DISTRICT C AND I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION AND STAND UP HOUSTON, AN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS VOLUNTEER NETWORK.
IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS SINCE THE MURDER OF LORENZO SALGADO RAJO AND WE STILL DON'T KNOW THE NAMES OF HIS MURDERERS.
THEY GET TO GO HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES AND CONTINUE TERRORIZING OUR COMMUNITY.
WHILE LORENZO'S FAMILY WILL NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN.
THAT MAKES IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE WORTH MORE THAN OTHERS TO YOU.
YOU'RE FINE WITH LETTING ICE AGENTS WHO ARE MURDERERS RUN AMOK IN, IN UNMARKED CARS WITH FACES HIDDEN AND WEAPONS POISED TO KILL THE REST OF US.
ARE THEY DESERVING OF SOME PROTECTION THAT THE REST OF US ARE NOT? WHEN AN IMMIGRATION VIOLATION, A CIVIL OFFENSE, WHICH IS NOT A CRIME, IS PUNISHED MORE HEAVILY THAN MURDER.
THE ONLY LOGICAL EXPLANATION IS RACISM.
AND NOW AS TPS ENDS FOR HAITIANS THIS WEEK, THE ENTIRE BLACK COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON AND ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WILL BE FURTHER ENDANGERED.
WE KNOW ICE AGENTS DON'T CARE WHETHER WE'RE CITIZENS OR NOT.
DO YOU? AS LONG AS WE ARE BLACK AND BROWN, THEY'LL KIDNAP US OR KILL US FIRST AND MAYBE ASK QUESTIONS LATER.
IF YOU ARE NOT DEMANDING THE RELEASE OF THE NAMES OF LORENZO'S MURDERERS, THE RELEASE OF THE OTHER MEN IMPRISONED, YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
KARTHIK SORO CORE FORTUNE TO BE FOLLOWED BY SYLVESTER DENBERG.
IT HAS BEEN THREE WEEKS SINCE LORENZO SALGADO RAJO WAS MURDERED.
AND WE STILL DON'T KNOW THE NAMES OF HIS KILLERS.
EVERYONE WHO SITS IN FRONT OF US TODAY HAS FAILED THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
YOU HAVE LET ICE RUN RAMPANT IN OUR STREETS.
IF YOU DO NOT SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY, YOU TELL US TO ACT RIGHT.
BUT THOSE ARE THE WORDS OF COWARDS.
WE HAVE STOOD UP, WE HAVE TAKEN TO THE STREETS, WE HAVE SHUT OUR BUSINESSES DOWN TO DEMAND JUSTICE FOR LORENZO.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT HISTORY, WE KNOW THAT EVERY VICTORY THAT THE WORKING PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY HAVE EVER WON WAS NOT HANDED TO US BY THE PEOPLE IN POWER.
WE HAD TO FIGHT FOR THOSE VICTORIES AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP DOING THAT.
THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON ARE GOING TO KEEP FIGHTING FOR OUR CITY FOR AN END TO ICE TERROR, FOR JUSTICE FOR LORENZO AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MEANT TO SERVE US.
BUT WE KNOW THAT WE RUN THE CITY AND WE HAVE THE POWER TO KEEP SHUTTING IT DOWN UNTIL JUSTICE IS SERVED.
CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER SYLVESTER.
SYLVESTER DENBERG TO BE FOLLOWED BY JASMINE KAMBA.
[01:05:01]
I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION FOR WELL OVER A YEAR ICE WITH THE FULL COOPERATION OF HPD HAS BEEN TERRORIZING OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND NOW THEY'VE MURDERED A HOUSTONIAN.AND THE RESPONSE FROM THE MAYOR AND MANY ON CITY COUNCIL HAS, HAS BEEN BAFFLING COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW OUR PROTESTS MAKE YOU FEEL.
SAYING THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO, UH, BLAMING YOUR OWN CONSTITUENTS FOR NOT VOTING IN SOME ELECTION THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE EXCUSES WHILE ORDINARY PEOPLE EXHAUST EVERY CHANNEL AVAILABLE TO THEM TO GET JUSTICE FOR LORENZO SALGADO ARAJO.
THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS WATCHING WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE AND THEY'RE WATCHING YOU REFUSE TO BRING THESE KILLER ICE AGENTS TO JUSTICE.
WHY DO WE STILL NOT KNOW THE NAMES OF LORENZO'S KILLERS? WE ARE SEEING THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS IN MAINE, IN FLORIDA, IN WISCONSIN, IN AUSTIN.
ICE AND POLICE FEEL EMBOLDENED TO USE EXCESSIVE LETHAL VIOLENCE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY CAN DO IT WITH IMPUNITY, WITH ANONYMITY WITHOUT ANYONE KNOWING THEIR NAMES.
RELEASE THE NAMES OF LORENZO'S KILLERS TO THE PUBLIC, RELEASE THE OTHER WITNESSES AND GET THESE SADISTIC KILLER ICE AGENTS OFF OUR STREETS.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS BLOOD ON ITS HANDS AND THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS COMPLICIT.
WHEN HOUSTON TRIED TO PASS THE ORDINANCE TO STOP HPD FROM AIDING AND ABETTING THE ROGUE ORGANIZATION THAT MURDERS OUR PEOPLE ON THE STREETS, WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIGHT ICE AND YOU REFUSED.
AND NOW A FATHER HAS BEEN MURDERED.
AND THE RESULT IS THAT IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, HPD HAS CALLED ICE OVER A HUNDRED TIMES AND 19 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ICE CUSTODY.
ICE SPOKE TO ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WAS DETAINED AND DEPORTED DURING ONE OF HPDS TRAFFIC STOPS.
LAST YEAR THEY TOLD ME THAT THE DAY THAT THEY WERE DEPORTED WAS THE DAY THAT THEIR HAPPINESS WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM.
AND TO THIS DAY THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT BACK.
SO DON'T TELL US THAT THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO.
DON'T TELL US WE NEED TO REFORM ICE.
HAVE THE POLITICAL AND MORAL WILL TO ACT TO SAY THE WORDS ABOLISH ICE EVEN IF IT DOESN'T.
HAVE THE POLITICAL COURAGE TO END HPDS RELATIONSHIP WITH ICE EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO STAND UP TO THE STATE TO DO IT.
AND USE, USE EVERY POLITICAL CONNECTION YOU HAVE TO ENSURE THAT VICTOR, SALGADO, ARAJO, AND DANIEL GET OUTTA DETENTION AND GET ICE OUTTA HOUSTON.
CLAIRE STALEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANTONIO VENTURA.
I AM AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PSL AND I CALL ON THE COUNCIL TO STOP HPDS.
HPD HAS NO MANDATE, NO AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE IMMIGRATION WARRANTS.
HPD IS WASTING RESOURCES, KIDNAPPING PEOPLE, AND HOLDING THEM HOSTAGE, SPENDING SIX TIMES LONGER WAITING AROUND FOR ICE THAN ON ANY OTHER CALL BECAUSE HPD AND THIS COUNCIL HAS ALLOWED ICE TO RANSACK OUR CITY.
LORENZO SALGADO AJO WAS MURDERED ON ITS PAPERWORK.
THIS COUNCIL HAS INSISTED IT CAN DO NOTHING.
WHEN THE THING IT COULD HAVE DONE AND SHOULD HAVE DONE IS SOMETHING COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS HAS ALREADY PROPOSED.
STOP HPDS CORROBORATION WITH ICE MAYOR WHITMEYER WOULD RATHER BOW DOWN TO ABBOTT AND TRUMP THAN PROTECT THE CITIZENS HE PROMISED TO SERVE LORENZO.
NAME, NAME LORENZO LIVED MORE YEARS IN THIS CITY THAN I'VE BEEN ALIVE.
HE WAS AS MUCH A PART OF THIS CITY AS I'M, THIS IS A RACIST SYSTEM.
YOU ARE ENCOURAGING AND FACILITATING THE ABUSE, ENSLAVEMENT, AND MURDER OF PEOPLE FOR PROFIT.
ARE WE MEANT TO IGNORE THE OVERTIME POLICE EARN FROM ALL THIS WAITING AROUND, ARE WE MEANT TO IGNORE THE DONATIONS
[01:10:01]
TO YOUR CAMPAIGN FUNDS FROM THEIR UNIONS? ARE WE MEANT TO IGNORE THE MASS CONTRACTS CORPORATIONS LIKE CORE, CIVIC RECEIVED FROM THE STATE TO HOLD INNOCENCE, INCLUDING CHILDREN IN ABHOR CONDITIONS? HOW DARE YOU DO THIS WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS WHEN WE CAN BARELY AFFORD TO PAY OUR BILLS AND PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.COLLABORATION WITH ICE NOW? UH, GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS ANTONIO VENTURA AND I AM AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PARTY FOR SOCIALISM AND LIBERATION.
I'M A CHILD OF AN IMMIGRANT WHO USED TO LIVE AND WORK HERE IN HOUSTON AND I HAVE FOUND MY CITY, MY CITY'S LEADERSHIP AND THE RESPONSE TO ICE'S INVASION OF HOUSTON TO BE EXTREMELY DISTURBING.
MARY WHITMEYER, YOU HESITATED TO CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION WHEN LORENZO RACO WAS MURDERED ON OUR STREETS.
AND STILL YOU REFUSE TO TAKE PRODUCTIVE STEPS TOWARDS EXILING ICE FROM OUR CITY.
INSTEAD, YOU CALL FOR A MORATORIUM.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE TO SEE? YOU LIED TO OUR FACES WHEN YOU SAID HPD WAS NOT WORKING WITH ICE.
AND JUST WHEN IT LOOK LIKE YOU'D ACTUALLY STAND UP FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND END THIS COLLABORATION YOU GAVE INTO THE FASCIST REPUBLICAN PARTY'S DEMANDS AND KEPT THESE NO MURDERS ON OUR STREETS.
YOU LET THEM FREE TO TRAFFIC OUR NEIGHBORS INTO FOR-PROFIT FACILITIES WHERE THEY FACE INHUMANE, TORTUROUS CONDITIONS, MEDICAL NEGLECT AND RAPE.
YOUR COWARDICE LD VICIOUS MURDER OF A FATHER OVER PAPERWORK, BY THE WAY, THANK YOU SIR.
AND APPARENTLY YOU THINK THAT BODY CAMERAS WILL FIX THIS AS IF THERE ISN'T MORE THAN ENOUGH EVIDENCE OF IS' DEPRAVED BEHAVIOR.
THEY DARE TO LIE ABOUT MR. RACO HAVING DRUGS IN HIS CAR WHEN HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO WORK BUILDING THIS CITY AND IS DOESN'T NEED MORE TRAINING.
THEY DON'T NEED BODY CAMERAS AND THEY WON'T BE STOPPED BY A MORATORIUM.
THEY NEED TO GET THE F**K OUT OF OUR CITY.
KIRSTEN WEBSTER, AYA HANIFA TO BE FOLLOWED BY JEFFREY FOLEY.
MY NAME IS KIRSTEN WEBSTER AND I AM STANDING BEFORE YOU AS AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PSL.
I AM HERE TO EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION AND MY ANGER OVER THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY OF CITY OFFICIALS AND ICE.
IN RELATION TO THE JULY 7TH MURDER OF LORENZO.
IT HAS BEEN THREE WEEKS SINCE LORENZO WAS KILLED IN COLD BLOOD WHILE ON HIS WAY TO WORK SOMETHING THAT NO ONE SHOULD FEAR DOING BY ICE AGENTS WHOSE NAMES HAVE STILL NOT BEEN RELEASED.
THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON DESERVE TRANSPARENCY.
THE FAMILY OF LORENZO DESERVES TRANSPARENCY.
ICE AGENTS HAVE A HISTORY OF AVOIDING ACCOUNTABILITY BY ALLEGING VICTIMHOOD AND CRIMES.
THEY WERE LATER REVEALED TO HAVE INSTIGATED A CYCLE WE HAVE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
AND WHILE THE ARAJO FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY GRIEVES THE LOSS OF A FATHER AND WORRY FOR THE WELLBEING OF A DETAINED UNCLE, THESE MURDEROUS ICE AGENTS ARE BEING PROTECTED BY THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT US.
THEY ARE GOING ABOUT THEIR LIVES AS IF THEY DON'T HAVE A MAN'S BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS HIDING LIKE COWARDS BEHIND THEIR MASK.
WHILE LORENZO'S NAMES IS BEING DRAGGED WITH FALSE ACCUSATIONS.
THESE AGENTS ARE AVOIDING PUBLIC REPERCUSSIONS FOR THEIR ACTIONS.
WE AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY DEMAND JUSTICE FOR LORENZO SALGADO ARAJO AND DEMAND THE RELEASE OF THE NAMES OF THE ICE AGENTS NOW.
I'M AN ORGANIZER WITH THE PSL MAYOR WHITMORE WHITMEYER.
FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO STAY COMPLACENT AND
[01:15:01]
SHOW NO URGENCY TO STOP THE COLLABORATION WITH ICE IN THIS CITY.THE PEOPLE YOU VOWED TO SERVE HAVE BEGGED YOU TO TAKE ACTION FOR MONTHS.
EVEN WHEN A NEIGHBOR, FATHER, AN ESSENTIAL WORKER WAS MURDERED IN YOUR OWN STREETS, STILL YOU DO NOTHING.
YOU HAVE SHOWN THAT YOU DO NOT CARE TO PROTECT THE CITY OR THE TYRANNICAL KILLERS KNOWN AS ICE.
AND TO MS. CAROLYN EVANS, YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO LOOK US IN THE FACE AND TELL US THAT'S A SOLUTION TO ALL OF THIS IS TO GO VOTE.
GOING UP TO THE POLLS IS NOT GONNA BRING LORENZO BACK TO HIS FAMILY.
THESE LAST TWO WEEKS HAVE PROVEN ONE THING THAT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE IN THIS CITY HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACKS, WHERE YOU ALL SLACK TO EVEN LOOK UP AT US AS WE DEMAND JUSTICE, WE THE PEOPLE, LINDA, LISTENING EAR TO EACH OTHER, A SHOULDER TO CRY ON AND A HAND IN HAND.
AS WE MARCH FOR RESTITUTION, THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY HAVE SHOWN RADICAL LOVE, LOVE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY BY TAKING TO THE STREETS TO PROTEST AND GET ORGANIZED, TO DEFEND THEIR NEIGHBORS GETTING TERRORIZED BY ICE.
ONLY WE WILL BE OUR OWN HEROES.
JUST AS FOR LORENZO ABOLISH ICE.
NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PROCEDURAL MOTION TO ADD HALEY ROGERS TO THE END OF THE SPEAKERS LIST.
MR. MAYOR, MEN AND WOMEN OF OF CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS JEFFREY FOLEY AND I COME BEFORE YOU TO ENTREAT WITH YOU FOR JUSTICE.
JUSTICE, OF COURSE, FOR THE MURDERED LORENZO ARAJO.
NOW, WHILE THAT MAN'S LIFE CANNOT BE GIVEN BACK AS I SPEAK ORIGINALLY, THREE, NOW JUST TWO OF HIS FELLOWS, BY THE GRACE OF A FEDERAL JUDGE, THOSE MEN BEING DANIEL PENHA AND HIS OWN BROTHER VICTOR ARAJO, REMAIN IN CUSTODY.
THESE MEN IN CUSTODY ARE NOT CRIMINALS.
THEY'RE NOT VILLAINS NOR CROOKS NOR ANYTHING OF THE LIKE.
THEY'RE COMMON PEOPLE, WORKERS OF FLESH AND BLOOD, PEOPLE WHO LABOR TO PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES, FOR THEIR FAMILIES, FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN MADE VICTIMS BY A STATE APPARATUS THAT THRIVES UPON RACIALIZED VIOLENCE.
THOSE MEN IN CUSTODY HAVE DONE NO GENUINE WRONG TO ANYONE IN THIS CITY.
NO ONE IN HERE, NO ONE OUT THERE, NO WRONG WHATSOEVER.
THUS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THAT, WHICH IS GOOD AND JUST, I CALL UPON THE CITY COUNCIL TO DO ALL THAT IS POSSIBLE WITHIN ITS POWER TO RELEASE THOSE TWO MEN TO SEE TO THEIR RELEASE AND TO END THE COLLABORATION WITH THE GANG OF FASCIST BANDITS THAT CALL THEMSELVES ICE.
AND ANDREA GUERRERO? ERIC? IAN.
UM, I DON'T HAVE IT FOR EVERYONE, BUT YEAH, JUST LIKE EVERY TWO OR THREE 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
AND THEN ONE FOR THE MAYOR, THE ONE THAT SAYS THE, YEAH, AGAIN, Y'ALL WOULD JUST HAVE TO SHARE.
UH, THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK.
YOU ARE, I REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE THE ASSISTANT TO MY FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER BACK AT SPRING BRANCH, SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
UH, THIS WAS ALREADY, WAS SLATED POST BEFORE TWO, THREE MINUTES.
UM, SO I'LL TRY TO TRUNCATE THIS, BUT AT LEAST YOU HAVE, UH, THE DOCUMENTS THERE.
AND THEN, UM, SO I AM A PETTY CAB, UH, UH, NOT JUST DRIVER, BUT ALSO AN OWNER OF HOUSTON PETTY CABS, ONE OF THE ORIGINAL PETTY CAB COMPANIES.
AND I'M ALSO, AS OF RIGHT NOW, REALLY THE, ONE OF THE, THE ONLY ACTUAL, UH,
[01:20:01]
IN, UH, UH, UH, COMPLIANCE OR BASICALLY LEGAL PETTY CALVER BECAUSE I DO NOT USE ELECTRIC MOTOR.THE CITY CA UH, YOU CAN SEE THERE, THE CITY DEFINES PETTY CABS AS BICYCLE TRICYCLE.
THAT'S DEVICE IS HUMAN PA UH, PALS.
SO THE CITY DOESN'T ALLOW MOTORS.
UH, BUT EVERY ONE, EVERY PETTY CAB OUT THERE HAS ELECTRIC MOTORS.
EVEN THOSE PEOPLE THAT CAME IN HERE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WHEN THEY WERE PLANNING, THEY HAD LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS.
BUT THE ONE THING THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU IS ALL OF THOSE GUYS ALSO HAD MOTORS.
SO THEY ARE ALSO OUT OF COMPLIANCE AS WELL.
THE REASON WHY I LIKE CITY TO ENFORCE IT'S, UH, WHAT ALREADY HAS IS NOT ALLOWING MOTORS, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, THEY'RE DANGEROUS.
SEE IN AUSTIN WITH THE BATTERIES, THEY USE THESE LITHIUM PHOSPHATE IRON, UH, BATTERIES.
YOUR TIME HAS FIRE ONE, AUSTIN ONE IN AUSTIN, UH, DESTROY 20% OF THEM.
ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THESE MOTORS IS THEY ALLOW FOR THESE BIGGER, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY PEDALING LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, AND THEY'RE NOT PEDAL ASSIST, THEY ALLOW FOR THEM TO USE THE SIX SEATER MOTORS, UM, SIX OR BIKES, WHICH ARE A LOT BIGGER.
AND THEN THESE MOTORS ALLOW THEM TO GO 30 TO 40 MILES.
SIR, WE HAVE HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT ONE SECOND.
COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, ERIC, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE PETTY CAB INDUSTRY.
THIS IS, IS, UM, HOW YOU, HOW YOU ARE MAKING YOUR LIVING.
MY QUESTION IS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, ARE DO WE GIVE PERMITS TO PETTY CABS THAT HAVE MOTORS? THAT QUESTION, I DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER FOR A COUNCIL MEMBER.
THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY AN A RA QUESTION I CAN FIND OUT FOR YOU, BUT I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
SO WHEN YOU GO DO YOUR, UM, INSPECTION WITH A RA, YOU CAN INSPECT IT FOR AS, UH, LIKE I AM NO MOTOR OUT.
SO THERE'S NO CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT ONE, YOU HAVE THE FUNCTIONAL MOTOR, THAT YOUR BATTERY'S SAFE.
AND SO THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE THAT IN THERE.
NOW, IF THE CITY WANTS TO HAVE, WHICH AGAIN, I WOULD ADVISE NOT TO, BUT THE CITY DOESN'T CARE STILL WILL ALLOW THEM TO HAVE THE ELECTRIC MOTORS.
I DO HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO DO IT, WHICH IS ON THE PAPER, WHICH IS, UM, IN AUSTIN, WHICH DOES HAVE MOTORS.
THE ACTUAL REGULATORS OUT THERE, THEY WILL BE OUT THERE AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE RADAR GUNS ON US TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T GO OVER 15 MILES PER HOUR.
AS WELL AS IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH DOES HAVE MOTORS, THEY HAVE TO HAVE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ON THE CABS BECAUSE AGAIN, THOSE THINGS CAN'T CATCH FIRES REALLY EASILY.
SO THOSE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS.
AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD ALSO BE, IF THEY'RE GONNA HAVE MOTORS, THEY HAVE TO BE THE MID DRIVE.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY WILL ALLOW PEDAL ASSIST.
THEY HAVE THE REAR ONES OR THE FRONT HUBS.
PEDAL ASSIST MEANS THAT YOU GO EXACTLY WHAT YOU CAN DO PEDALING.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN GO 30, 40 MILES PER HOUR.
THAT'S LIKE SAYING THAT MY TRUCK IS, UH, UH, UH, BEING ASSISTED BY ME.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY DOING THE WHOLE THING.
SO, UM, UH, BUT YEAH, THEY DO NOT GET INSPECTED WHEN THEY DO A USED PUT AFTER.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS PEOPLE GO AND GET THEIR A RA PERMIT AND THEN THEY PUT THE MOTOR ON, THEY PUT IT ON OUTFIELD AFTER.
SO WE NEED THE ENFORCEMENT IF WE ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW MOTORS ON THE, ON THE PETTY CABS.
ARE YOU AGAINST MOTORS ON PETTY CABS? I'M AGAINST THAT BECAUSE OF, AS I HAVE LISTED ON HERE.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO DO THIS FRIDAY, THERE'S GONNA BE THE ASTROS VERSUS THE RANGERS.
IF SOME OF Y'ALL COME DURING THE NINE 30 TO 10, 10 O'CLOCK, WHEN IT COMES OUT, I WOULD JUST LIKE Y'ALL TO STAND ON TEXAS STREET AND JUST WATCH, JUST WATCH, UH, HOW THEY OPERATE.
SEE HOW FAST THEY GO WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEING LET OUT, HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE.
SEE HOW, UH, FAST THOSE THINGS ARE TRAVELING.
THEY, THERE'S SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE HIT, UH, UH, PEOPLE SUCH AS, UH, OVER AT BLIND STADIUM AND THEN THEY RUN OFF AND ALL.
SO I'M AGAINST THAT FOR IT'S DANGEROUS.
IT PROMOTES, UH, CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.
THERE WAS AN INCIDENT APPARENTLY HAPPENED IN 2025 AT THE RODEO.
IT CAME DOWN, IT WAS AT, UM, KIRBY AND UM, UH, UM, MCNEE, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO CROSS OVER INTO KIRBY, BUT THIS GUY, HE HAD, UH, PEOPLE ON HIS CAB.
HE WAS TOLD BY THE CONSTABLE NOT TO DO IT, BUT BECAUSE HE HAD A MOTOR, HE KEPT DOING IT AND APPARENTLY HE, THIS IS WHAT HE RELAYED TO ANOTHER PETTY CAPTAIN.
THE CONSTABLE TOLD HIM NOT TO DO IT, CAME BACK, HE DID IT AGAIN, AND THEN, UM, THE CONSTABLE WAS GONNA ARREST HIM OR WHATEVER AND HE JUST TOOK OFF BECAUSE HE COULDN'T, HE HAD A MOTOR AND THE CONST 'CAUSE HE HAD A MOTOR.
UM, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION WITH A RA, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED THAT WE HAD A LOT OF UN PERMITTED PETTY CABS AND THEN WE PUT OUT SOME ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT YES.
TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE PETTY CABS HAD THEIR PERMITS.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE NOW WE GOT AN ADDITIONAL ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH.
[01:25:01]
NEED TO DETERMINE IF WE ARE ALLOWING MOTORS OR NOT ALLOWING MOTORS, AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW WE ENFORCE THAT.SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
WE'LL CIRCLE BACK WITH A RA ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, NOT SURE WHICH COMMITTEE THIS COULD POTENTIALLY GO TO, OR AT LEAST JUST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH A RA ABOUT, UM, THE ENFORCEMENT OF, UH, THE PETTY CABS WITH MOTORS.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING THIS INFORMATION.
COUNCIL MAYOR PRO, THANK YOU FOR COMING, UM, TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND I HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING ON, UM, THE ISSUE OF MOTORIZED BIKES IN GENERAL IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE THEY'VE BECOME VERY DANGEROUS.
AND SO, UM, AND MANY OF THEM ARE NOT ALLOWED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON HOW TO KIND OF CRACK DOWN ON THAT IN GENERAL.
SO TO HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE ON THE PETTY CABS AND, UM, CERTAIN ONES MAY NOT BE EVEN ALLOWED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I DO WANNA WORK WITH MAYOR PRO TEM CAST TATU TO SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS AS WE'VE SEEN WITH JUST THE REGULAR MOTORIZED BIKE.
SO, SO OUT THIS FRIDAY, WE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
THOSE RANGERS HAS COME OUT THERE.
NEXT SCOTTY JOSEPH AMINA ISHA KATIE O'SHEA TO BE FOLLOWED BY ARCO BAR BARMAN.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS KATIE O'SHEA AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON ENERGY AND CLIMATE WEEK AND A NONPROFIT ALLIES AND ENERGY.
WE OFFER OUR DEEPEST CONSULT CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF MR. ALGO ARAJO.
AND WE STAND WITH THIS COMMUNITY TONIGHT.
WE HOLD IN OUR THOUGHTS, THOSE STILL BEING HELD IN CUSTODY OUT OF RESPECT.
WE WILL DEFER OUR COMMENTS REGARDING HOUSTON ENERGY AND CLIMATE WEEK TO A LATER DATE AND WE CAN SEND COMMENTS THROUGH TO THE COUNCIL YOU NEXT.
I'M AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF STATISTICS AT RICE UNIVERSITY.
I'M HERE TO DEMAND THAT THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TERMINATE ITS CONTRACT WITH FLOCK SAFETY AND OTHER SIMILAR SYSTEMS. MORE THAN 53 MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE U ACROSS THE US HAVE ALREADY CUT TIES WITH FLOCK AND HOUSTON SHOULD BE NEXT.
I HAVE 14 YEARS OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE BUILDING THESE SYSTEMS, AND I KNOW THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE ENOUGH FOR REAL WORLD USE.
A RECENT AUDIT BY LAPD INSPECTOR GENERAL FOUND AN ERROR RATE OF ONE IN THREE, WHICH MEANS THE 1 BILLION, UH, 1 BILLION LICENSE PLATES READ BY THEM HAVE 323 MILLION ERRORS THAT'S EQUAL TO THE POPULATION OF THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
AS YOU GO HOME, FIVE OUT OF 16 OF YOUR PLATES ARE GOING TO BE MISREAD BY FLOCK OR A SIMILAR SYSTEM.
AND FLOCK HAS BEEN OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN TEXAS FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS.
BETWEEN 2019 AND 2024 P FLOP OPERATED WITHOUT A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR LICENSE IN TEXAS.
THEN BETWEEN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER, 2025, FLOP CONTINUED OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
CITY OF HOUSTON RESIDENCE SHOULD NOT ACCEPT A SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM THAT'S WRONG.
ONE OUT OF THREE TIMES RUN BY A COMPANY THAT BROKE STATE LAW FOR OVER HALF A DECADE.
AND THIS COST THE CITY $6.4 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS.
WHILE ESSENTIAL SERVICES LIKE HFD LANGUAGES, THERE ARE 10 SHOT FIRE STATIONS.
THANK HB HFD RUN SHOT OF 65 AMBULANCES.
$6.4 MILLION CAN BE SPENT ON BILLION NEW FIRE STATION AND 10 AMBULANCES FOR A YEAR.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON MUST TERMINATE THE FLOOR CONTRACT AND REDISTRIBUTE TO USEFUL FUNDS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD LAKEISHA LLOYD TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ONCE THREE MINUTE NOW.
[01:30:01]
LABELLE.CALEB KUROWSKI, FELIPE WOODS OF SPRING TO BE FOLLOWED BY BRIAN LISKO OF SUGARLAND.
I HAD A WHOLE SPEECH WRITTEN OUT, BUT I'D RATHER JUST SOME, UH, SCRAP IT AND ONLY KEEP THE ONES THAT I NEEDED TO SAY.
AFTER TWO WEEKS SINCE LORENZO RAJO WAS MURDERED IN THIS, IN OUR STREETS, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WE STILL DO NOT KNOW WHO THE NAMES OF THE ICE AGENTS THAT, THAT, THAT PULLED THE TRIGGER.
AND HERE WE ARE TWO WEEKS LATER, AGAIN, COMING HERE TO GET YOU GUYS TO, TO BE COURAGEOUS AND NOT ACT LIKE A BUNCH OF COWARDS.
OUR DEMANDS ARE SIMPLE CULTURE, ABBOTT AND ABBOTT AND THEIR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO, TO RELEASE VICTOR SALGADO ARJO, DANIEL TIRO PANHA, AND JOSE TRINIDAD ROJAS, WHO CAN PROVIDE EXTENSIVE TESTIMONY ON WHAT, ON WHAT HAPPENED.
BRIAN LISKO OF SUGAR LAND TO BE FOLLOWED BY SUSANNA TO DURAN.
SET MYSELF A THREE MINUTE TIMER HERE.
SO, UH, IT SEEMED LIKE YOU GUYS' HANDS WERE KIND OF GLUED TO YOUR DESKS OR SOMETHING BEFORE.
LET'S TRY AGAIN, HUH? SO WE, WE KNOW THAT THIS, THIS MURDER WAS JUST THE LATEST EPISODE IN A CENTURIES LONG PROJECT OF CLEARING OUT THIS LAND OF PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE HIM.
AND I THINK ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO KNOW BETTER THAN THE NAZI, THE WHITE SUPREMACIST, THE COLONIZER, THE SLAVER SHOULD SAY THAT THIS IS PRETTY EASILY UNACCEPTABLE.
SO DO WE KNOW BETTER IS THE QUESTION? AND, UH, SO LET'S GO AROUND THE ROOM.
HUH? WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? MR. MAYOR, DO YOU KNOW BETTER THAN A NAZI? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
I'VE GOT, OH, I'VE GOT ONE MINUTE AND 45 SECONDS LEFT.
UH, DO YOU KNOW BETTER THAN A NAZI? SIR, WE'RE A ONE MINUTE DRILL.
DO YOU KNOW BETTER WHITE SUPREMACIST COMPLETE YOUR COMMENTS.
LET'S ALL, LET'S ALL THE QUESTION, THE QUESTION.
AND, AND IF YOU DON'T RAISE YOUR HAND, I'M GOING TO CALL YOU A NAZI.
WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? LET'S RAISE OUR HAND.
EVERYBODY WHO KNOWS BETTER THAN A NAZI.
I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT ONE MINUTE AND 15 SECONDS LEFT.
WRAP UP EVERYBODY WHO KNOWS BETTER THAN A WHITE SUPREMACIST.
YOU, WHAT'S GOING ON, SIR? THANK YOU.
WHERE'S YOUR HAND AT NICK'S? DO YOU KNOW BETTER THAN A WHITE SUPREMACIST DUR DURAN? DO YOU, DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THIS IS
[01:35:04]
NEXT.I LIVE IN SHARPSTOWN AND I INITIALLY WANTED TO APPEAL TO FAITH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND REASONABLENESS, BUT I WITNESSED A PARTICULARLY CRUEL AND CALLOUS LINE OF QUESTIONING DURING A PROP, A COMMITTEE MEETING EARLIER TODAY THAT WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY BEREFT OF COMPASSION AND REALLY ANY FOUNDATION OF ECONOMICS KNOWLEDGE.
BUT, UM, BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS WHERE THEY SHALL BE SATISFIED.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HPD CALLS ICE AGAIN AND THE ICE AGENT THAT COMES IS LIKE THE ONE THAT KILLED LORENZO? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE ASKED YOU TO END THE HPD AND ICE COLLABORATION? AND ONLY TWO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS RIGHT HERE BEFORE ME HAD THE SPINE AND THE REASONABLENESS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND PUSH FORTH AN ORDINANCE.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, CALLARD AND SALINAS, UM, AND, UH, PREVIOUSLY CAME IN, WHO ALSO SUPPORTED THAT.
WHAT HAPPENS THEN? UH, I, I HAVE THIS RINGING IN MY HEAD FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS THAT WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO SUPPORT THAT ORDINANCE, I KEPT HEARING FROM THE MAYOR AND CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS, WELL, THIS IS IN MINNEAPOLIS.
WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN NOW? THANK YOU.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HPD CALLS ANOTHER ROGUE KILLER ICE AGENT THAT'S ON YOUR HANDS? WHAT HAPPENS? BRIANNA ARREVALLO OF RICHMOND TO BE FOLLOWED BY SANDRA EDWARDS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS BRIANNA ARVEO.
I AM AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER IN HISD AT A SCHOOL IN SHARPSTOWN WITH OVER 85% EMERGENT BILINGUALS EVERY DAY.
TEACHERS ACROSS HOUSTON ARE CHALLENGED TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN THEIR LEARNING WITHIN A WORLD IN WHICH THEY FEEL CONFUSED, INSECURE IN THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS, AND AT TIMES, INCREDIBLY UNSAFE ABSENCES, WITHDRAWALS AND DECREASING ENROLLMENTS ARE ON THE RISE.
THIS HAS PUT BOTH A STRAIN ON OUR CITY'S CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND LED TO THE ELIMINATION OF SEVERAL TEACHING POSITIONS TO ACCOMMODATE HIGHER CLASSROOM RATIOS.
STUDENTS ARE DISRUPTING AND OPTING OUT OF CLASSES.
FAMILIES ARE FLEEING OUR CITY DUE TO FEAR, VIOLENCE, AND FATALITY.
YOU ALL HAVE FAILED TO PREVENT ON OUR STREETS.
I WISH TO REMIND YOU THAT WE ARE UP TO OUR NECKS IN A CRISIS OF DEEP SEATED APATHY IN OUR SOCIETY.
NOT ONLY ARE CHILDREN STRUGGLING TO CARE ABOUT THEIR LEARNING, THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR FUTURE, NOT ONLY ARE US CITIZENS STRUGGLING TO CARE ABOUT POLITICAL ISSUES IN A SYSTEM THAT MAKES THEM FEEL POWERLESS.
YOU ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL SITTING BEFORE ME ARE STRUGGLING TO CARE AND TAKE ACTION THAT THOUSANDS ACROSS OUR CITY ARE FACING RACIAL PROFILING, STATE SANCTIONED VIOLENCE AND BRUTALITY, THANK YOU.
AND VIOLATIONS TO THEIR HUMAN CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO DUE PROCESS FOR YEARS.
WE DEMAND THE RELEASE OF ALL THE WITNESSES TO LORENZO SALGADO'S MURDER FROM ICE DETENTION, THE RELEASE OF THE NAMES OF THE ICE OFFICERS THAT KILLED HIM.
A COMPLETE CESSATION TO HPDS COLLABORATION WITH ICE.
AND THAT YOU TAKE A STAND AGAINST THOSE IN THE STATE GOVERNMENT THAT HAVE OPPOSED YOUR PRIOR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
MY STUDENTS, MY FAMILY ON ALL IMMIGRANTS NEED YOU.
THEY DESERVE SAFETY, PEACE OF MIND, AND THE ABILITY TO THRIVE IN OUR GREAT CITY.
SANDRA EDWARDS, THOMAS SUTHERLAND TO BE FO FOLLOWED BY CAROLINA MARTINEZ.
WE CAME TO THESE CHAMBERS MONTH AFTER MONTH, SESSION AFTER SESSION.
WE TOLD YOU ABOUT ICE'S HISTORY OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, PROVIDED COUNTLESS STORIES AND EXAMPLES OF FEDERAL AGENTS BRUTALIZING AND EVEN KILLING PEOPLE.
WE TOLD YOU THAT ICE'S PRESENCE IN OUR CITY IS A DANGER TO ITS INHABITANTS.
WE ASKED YOU TO DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT US FROM THIS THREAT TO OUR SAFETY.
[01:40:01]
YOU HAD A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING IN APRIL.INSTEAD, YOU COWERED AND CAVED TO THE PRESSURE FROM THE STATE.
NOW LORENZO SALGADO ALGO'S BLOOD IS ON THE STREETS.
YOU GOVERN AND IT IS NOT JUST ON THE STREETS, YOU GOVERN.
I WANT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU TO LOOK AT THIS.
MONTHS AFTER, MONTHS AFTER WE'VE VISITED MY CITY COUNCIL.
I'LL BE SPEAKING ON HER BEHALF.
I'LL BE SPEAKING ON HER BEHALF, MA'AM.
SO YOU ARE NOT CAROLINA MARTINEZ.
MAY I SPEAK ON HER BEHALF? WELL, IS BEFORE I DOES WHAT HIM? WE JUST NEED THIS NAME FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS ADAM MARIANO BOWIE.
MONTHS AFTER MONTHS OF VISITING CITY COUNCIL AND WATCHING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR FACES STARE AT ME IN APATHY REGARDING OVER THE WORDS.
I SAY, I WITNESSED ONE OF THE WORST THINGS THAT I EVER HAVE WITNESSED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WHITMEYER, YOU OFFER NOTHING BUT WORDS OF PLATITUDE AND EMPTY GESTURES TO THE SON OF THE MAN THAT WAS MURDERED ON OUR VERY STREETS.
EVEN NOW, YOU'VE STARE AT ME WITH SUCH EMPTY EYES AS JUST AS MUCH AS THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL DOES BECAUSE JU, AS MUCH AS I HATE TO ADMIT IT, I AM VERY MUCH UNCONVINCED THAT YOU ARE UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MURDER AND TO SEEK JUSTICE FOR LORENZO RAJO.
NOTHING I'VE SEEN IN THE MONTHS THAT I'VE, I'VE READ NOTHING I'VE SEEN MONTHS THAT I'VE COME HERE TO VISIT AND SPEAK WITH YOU ON.
CITY COUNCIL HAS SUGGESTED TO ME THAT YOU DO ANYTHING ABOUT ICE IN OUR CITY.
SO INSTEAD I'M GOING TO TURN THAT TO OUR PEOPLE.
I BELIEVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND I BELIEVE IN ITS GOODNESS, NOT BECAUSE I SEE A BUNCH OF POLITICIANS STARE AT ME WITH HATEFUL AND TIRED EYES, BUT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER IN THIS.
I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN FIND JUSTICE IN EACH OTHER.
I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN FIND JUSTICE, WIN OURSELVES OUTSIDE OF THE PEOPLE THAT SIT HERE.
DO YOU WANT TO BELIEVE THESE PEOPLE, PEOPLE.
ANGEL LEO BENTLEY GILCHRIST TO BE FOLLOWED BY AILEEN ZACHARIA.
I'M A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON WHERE I STUDY TO GET A CERTIFICATION IN TEACHING MATH FROM GRADE SEVEN THROUGH 12.
THAT'S WHY IT HORRIFIES ME TO SEE STUDENTS OF THIS CITY BE KIDNAPPED OFF OUR STREETS BY ICE AGENTS.
THAT'S WHY IT HORRIFIES ME TO SEE RONALDO SALGADO, A UH, ALUMNI AND A TEACHER.
SOMEONE I VERY MUCH ASPIRE TO BE RECOUNT THE HORROR OF SEARCHING WHO THE EAST END AT 7:00 AM IN THE MORNING, NOT KNOWING IF HIS DAD WAS ALIVE OR DEAD AND ALL THIS W***E.
WHEN I LOOK TO CITY COUNCIL, I SEE TIMIDNESS, I SEE HALF MEASURES.
I SEE A REFUSAL TO DIG YOUR FEET IN AND FIGHT THE TEAR THAT ICE BRINGS UPON OUR COMMUNITIES.
MR. WHITMEYER, YOU TALK ABOUT HOW YOU ADMIRE THE COURAGE OF RONDO.
WHERE IS YOUR OWN? YOU TALK ABOUT HOW YOU ADMIRE HIS STRENGTH TO COME UP TO CITY COUNCIL.
WHERE IS YOUR STRENGTH TO STOP HPD FROM COLLABORATING WITH ICE? WHERE IS IT TO STOP ICE FROM COMING INTO OUR CITY TO MAKE MORE LORENZO SALGADOS? YOU'VE SAID TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THERE IS SIMPLY NOTHING YOU CAN DO.
I'M A, UM, PROBLEM ORIENTED PERSON.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU SOME SOLUTIONS.
FIRSTLY, PUBLICLY CALL AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO RELEASE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
THREE NOW, TWO INDIVIDUALS IN ICE DETENTION.
TWO, UH, REPEAL THE ABBOTT AMENDMENT AND WHEN HE COMES BACK, FIGHT HIM IN THE COURTS.
STOP SPENDING $6.4 MILLION OF OUR TAXPAYER MONEY TO INSTALL SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS ACROSS THIS CITY.
[01:45:02]
THANK YOU.SO WHY WON'T YOU PROTECT THE PEOPLE, AILEEN ZACHARIAS TO BE FOLLOWED BY RICKY SANCHEZ? HELLO, MY NAME'S ELAINE FROM KATY, TEXAS.
UM, I'M A MEMBER OF HOUSTON DSA.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A TESTIMONY FROM, UM, AN IMMIGRANT THAT WE CAME INTO, UM, INTERVIEWING WITH THERE.
I TO TRANSLATE THE REST IN ENGLISH, THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT PROTECTING US.
UM, AND ALSO TO ADD, I'VE BEEN TO LOCAL FLU MARKETS LATELY, UM, WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS JUST QUITE FRANKLY, VERY AFRAID AT THIS TIME.
UM, AND I JUST ASK EVERYONE HERE, PLEASE, AS EVERYONE HAS MENTIONED BEFORE ME VERY BRAVELY, UM, TO PLEASE PLAY A PART, UM, IN ENDING HPD COOPERATION WITH ICE SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN FEEL SAFE, SPECIFICALLY IMMIGRANTS AND BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.
UM, I ASK THAT YOU GUYS PLEASE, UM, ALLOW THE RESTORATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER SELENA'S ORDINANCE AND FULL TRANSPARENCY AS WELL.
AND THEN I ALSO ASK THAT WE RELEASE, UM, VICTOR, JOSE, AND
MY NAME IS RICKY SANCHEZ AND I'M A HOUSTONIAN, BORN AND RAISED, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST OF AMERICA.
I NEED TO MENTION THAT BEFORE I CAME UP HERE, I WAS TOLD I COULDN'T BRING MY PALESTINE SCARF UPSTAIRS BECAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED A BANNER.
SO I'M A LITTLE KEY RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A COOL IRONY CONSIDERING THE DOCUMENTED DEADLY EXCHANGE OF TACTICS AND TECHNOLOGY BETWEEN THE ZIONIST OCCUPATION FORCES AND ICE AGENTS TESTED TO THE GENOCIDE AND THE OPPRESSION OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
THREE PALESTINE AND THE ION OF ICE ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
THERE'S A LOT OF RIGHTEOUS THEORY IN THIS ROOM AND COMPARISON HAVE BEEN MADE BETWEEN ICE NAZIS, ESTOPPEL, FASCISM, BUT THAT'S NOT INACCURATE.
BUT WE DON'T NEED TO GO OVERSEAS FOR A HISTORICAL ANALOGY.
WE CAN LOOK AT THE OWN DARK HISTORY OF THE US AND FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT OF 1850.
THE HISTORY OF THE SLAVE HOOD.
THE SLAVE CATCHER AFRAID THE 14TH AMENDMENT.
BLACK SLAVES WERE NOT CONSIDERED CITIZENS.
THEY WERE CONSIDERED THE PROPERTY OF THE SLAVE OWNER.
IF YOU HAD TO CARRY PAPERS TO SHOW YOU WERE FREE OR YOU WERE AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL, OR YOU WERE UNDOCUMENTED AND SUBJECT TO ARREST AND PUNISHMENT.
DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR TO ANYONE HERE? THIS WAS A BE FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT REGIME THAT DEPUTIZED LOCAL OFFICIALS AND FORCED YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED REGARDLESS OF SLAVERY WITH LEGAL IN THE STATE.
BUT THIS ACT IN THE SYSTEM WAS NOT DEFENDED BY COMPLIANCE AND COLLABORATION.
IT WAS, IT WAS DEFEATED BY BLACK AMERICANS.
AB ORGANIZING, VIGILANT COMMITTEES FOUND TO DEFEND BLACK RESIDENTS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE LEGAL REGIME DICT DICTATED TO QUOTE, MR. SANCHEZ EXPIRED.
MR. SANCHEZ, YOUR YOUR TIME IS CONSTITUTION.
WE WILL NOW NO FUTURE SLAVES TO BE TAKEN FROM MASSACHUSETTS.
THAT'S THE KIND OF ENERGY WE NEED RIGHT NOW IN THIS CITY.
THAT'S THE ENERGY WE NEED FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
NEXT SPEAKER, NEXT SPEAKER, SERGIO VERDE.
YOUR MICROPHONES ARE NOW WORKING TO BE FOLLOWED BY SAMANTHA FARLEY.
WOULD, WE'D LIKE TO HEAR THE SPEAKERS PLEASE.
I'M A CHICANO FILMMAKER HERE IN HOUSTON, AND I'VE LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE.
AND SOMETIME IN THE MID TWO THOUSANDS, ELA BUS CAME TO THIS COUNTRY WITH MATE MEME TO PROVIDE HIM WITH PROPER CANCER, CANCER TREATMENT.
AND IT WAS ONLY OUTTA THE KINDNESS OF A COMPLETE STRANGER THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND I THINK ABOUT THAT STRANGER ALL THE TIME.
AND I FEEL THAT SAME KINDNESS AND THAT SAME LOVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES THAT HOUSTON HAS.
THE EAST END IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
AND TO WITNESS LOREN SALGADO'S MURDER, TO WITNESS THE INACTION, TO WITNESS
[01:50:01]
THE COLLECTIVE GRIEF AS BROKEN MY HEART TIME AND TIME AGAIN.AND IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ALSO DETAINED WERE FREE.
DEMAND THE REST OF THE PEOPLE TO ALSO BE FREED.
WE DEMAND AN END OF HPD AND ICE COLLABORATION.
WE DEMAND A CALL TO ABOLISH ICE AND THAT'S THE BARE MINIMUM.
NEXT SPEAKER, SAMANTHA FARLEY.
SAMANTHA FARLEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY MAXIM MILANO DIAZ TESTING.
CAN YOU, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU ALL HAVE FAMILIES, CONGREGATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES THAT YOU SERVE.
I URGE YOU TODAY WHEN YOU HEAR THE PLEAS OF THOSE AROUND YOU, THAT YOU SEE THAT THIS IS ALSO THE PLEASE OF A FAMILY, A COMMUNITY IN A CITY THAT IS MOURNING.
IF YOU LOVE BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF YOUR LOVED ONES THAT WAS MURDERED.
YOU HAVE A DUTY AS THE VOICE OF YOUR PEOPLE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR WISHES.
THIS IS A CHANCE TO SHOW YOUR DISTRICT, YOUR CITY, YOUR COMMUNITY, THAT YOU DON'T BEND TO STATE INTERFERENCE.
THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW THE LEADS OF OTHER SANCTUARY CITIES.
THAT YOU TAKE THE TIME NOT JUST TO LISTEN, BUT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE SAYING.
IF YOU SEE THE VALUE IN YOUR POSITION, THEN YOU MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS IN YOUR POWER TO CALL FOR THE END OF HPD COLLABORATION WITH ICE AND HPD COLLABORATION WITH ICE.
NOW PROSECUTE THE OFFICERS WHO MURDERED LORENZO.
RELEASE THE WITNESSES TO LORENZO'S DEATH.
MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
ANYTHING ELSE IS A DISGRACE TO THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
UH, I'M NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING.
IT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN OTHER PLACES.
THE CHILDREN ARE AFRAID THEY'RE BEING MISTREATED AND INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE BEING ATTACKED JUST FOR THEIR APPEARANCE.
AND ANOTHER MESSAGE HERE, I DEMAND A RELEASE OF VICTOR, DAVID, AND JOSEPH.
I DON'T LIKE HOW ICE TREATS HISPANICS NOW.
LIKE WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING HAS BEEN REALLY HORRIBLE.
UM, IT'S JUST BEEN A TRAVESTY.
BUT A LOT OF, LIKE, A LOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENED, LIKE THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE THIS, EVEN BEFORE THE MURDER OF, UM, MR. ARAJO THAT JUST KIND OF MADE IT EASIER FOR THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN.
LIKE JUST HOW MUCH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO I LIKE HPD AND FOR LIKE SURVEILLANCE TO SETTING UP THIS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING.
AS YOU GOT PUBLIC SERVICES IN SOME OF THESE VERY COMMUNITIES.
LIKE MAYOR, EVEN WHEN TALKING ABOUT MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS SAID SOME VERY RACIST THINGS ABOUT GULFTON RESIDENTS AND IT'S JUST BEEN, THANK YOU.
HEY, HALEY SNYDER TO BE FOLLOWED BY DANIEL GOMEZ.
HELLO, MY NAME IS HALEY AND I'M REPRESENTING SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE.
TODAY I'M SPEAKING TO THE PEOPLE HERE WHO ACTUALLY MATTER OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR FRIENDS, COWORKERS, AND LOVED ONES WHO ARE TARGETED, MURDERED, ASSAULTED.
WE NEED ELECTED OFFICIALS AND MOVEMENT LEADERS WHO WILL FIGHT TO ENSURE OUR COMMUNITY'S WELLBEING BY FUNDING HISD MAYBE INSTEAD OF ICE LIKE A FELLOW SPEAKER WAS TRYING TO SAY BEFORE HE WAS UNJUSTLY REMOVED.
WHEN WE LOOK AT HISTORY, WE FIND THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES TODAY COMES FROM THE SAME POLICIES USED TO COMMIT GENOCIDE AGAINST INDIGENOUS NATIONS.
THE MURDER BRUTAL REMOVAL OF PEOPLES FROM THEIR HOMES, THEIR DETENTION AND SEPARATION FROM FAMILY.
DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR? OUR REPRESENTATIVE SUPPORTS THIS BY DOING NOTHING.
[01:55:01]
BUT WE, THE WORKING PEOPLE IN HOUSTON WILL NOT CARRY ON THAT LEGACY.WE MUST ORGANIZE A MASSIVE COALITION TO SHUT HOUSTON DOWN.
SO THOSE WHO SAY THEIR HANDS ARE TIED WILL LISTEN TO US BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE MOTIVATED BY IS NOT HELPING US.
PEOPLE WHO PUT THEM INTO OFFICE, BUT THEIR POCKETBOOKS.
AND BY THE WAY, WE WILL GET ICE OUT OF HOUSTON.
WE WILL GET ICE OUT OF TEXAS, AND WE ARE GOING TO GET ICE OUT OF EVERYWHERE.
I'VE SEEN A LOT OF DISGRACEFUL BEHAVIOR FROM YOU MEN AND WOMEN UP HERE IN THE WAY THAT YOU ARE INTERACTING WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL AND NOT BE FITTING WITH SOMEONE THAT CALLS THEMSELVES A LEADER.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU OF SOME OF OUR HISTORY.
WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
THAT THEY'RE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS.
THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
ICE IS THE ANTITHESIS, ANTITHESIS OF WHAT OUR INDE A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS WRITTEN FOR.
ANOTHER DEFINITION THAT I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU IS STRAIGHT FROM THE DOD, THE CALCULATED USE OF UNLAWFUL VIOLENCE OR THREAT OF UNLAWFUL VIOLENCE TO, IN INCULCATE FEAR INTENDED TO COERCE OR TO INTIMIDATE GOVERNMENTS OR SOCIETIES IN THE PURSUIT OF GOALS THAT ARE GENERALLY POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS, OR IDEOLOGICAL.
DO ANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? FROM THAT IS THE DOD DEFINITION OF TERRORISM OF TERRORISTS.
ICE IS A PARAMILITARY TERRORIST GROUP THAT IS RUNNING RAMPANT IN OUR STREETS, KILLING CIVILIANS AND CITIZENS ALIKE.
IT IS DISGRACEFUL TO THIS NATION AND TO THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SAY YOU SERVE.
HALEY ROGERS TO BE FOLLOWED BY LAKEISHA LORD.
UH, FIRSTLY, THANK YOU, UM, COUNCIL LINAS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND PUTTING ME ON THE DOCKET.
HELLO, MY NAME IS HAILEY ROGERS.
I AM A NEW RESIDENT OF DISTRICT G.
UM, BUT BEFORE I, UH, LIVED IN DISTRICT GI UM, LIVED IN MISSION BEND A LEAF DISTRICT.
AND, UM, MY COMMUNITY IS LIKE THE EAST COMMUNITY.
UM, IT IS MULTICULTURAL, IT IS DIVERSE, AND, UM, IT IS THE TARGET OF ICE.
AND, UM, OUR COMMUNITY IS SCARED BECAUSE OF LORENZO'S MURDER.
MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, THE PEOPLE WHO I THINK ARE MY FAMILY AS WELL, ARE SCARED TO GO OUTSIDE.
THEY'RE SCARED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES.
AND I'D LIKE TO READ A STATEMENT FROM A COMMUNITY MEMBER NAMED JOSE IN MISSION BEND.
JOSE SAYS, I'M WORRIED WHAT HAPPENED WAS SAD.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE FAMILY FEELS HORRIBLE.
I HOPE THE MAYOR MAKES A CHANGE AND HELPS PROTECT THE IMMIGRANTS THAT AGENTS ARE ACTING TOO FORCEFUL.
THEY NEED TO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES.
I'M WORRIED WE DON'T KNOW IF ICE OR IF IT'S ICE OR SOME RANDOM PERSON PULLS US OVER.
WHAT HAPPENED TO LORENZO CAN HAPPEN AT ANY POINT.
AGAIN, I URGE THIS ENTIRE COUNCIL TO USE YOUR PLATFORM AND YOUR CITY LEVERAGE TO QUALITY PRESS CONFERENCE TO RELEASE VICTOR SALGADO AND HIS WORKER, DANIEL PANTO.
UH, REALLY QUICK BEFORE I MAKE MY STATEMENTS.
I AM UNITED STATES ARMY VETERAN.
I HAVE SACRIFICED MY MIND, MY BODY FOR THIS COUNTRY, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF I COULD HAVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION FOR MY SACRIFICE.
I LIVE LITERALLY RIGHT ON THE BORDER OF THE CY UH, HOUSTON CITY LIMITS.
AND I'M, LIKE I SAID, I'M A UNITED STATES ARMY VETERAN AND I'M A NATIONAL DIRECTOR WITH COMMON DEFENSE, A VETERANS ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION.
[02:00:02]
YOU'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF MY VETERANS THIS EVENING.LORENZO SALGADO WAS A HUSBAND, A FATHER, AND A 35 YEAR RESIDENT OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO WORK AND SHOULD HAVE MADE IT HOME.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY THAT MAN SHOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT HOME.
HE WAS NOT THE TARGET VETERANS KNOW THAT COURAGE IS ONLY FOUND IS NOT ONLY FOUND ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
SOMETIMES COURAGE MEANS STANDING RIGHT HERE AND CITY HALL IN FRONT OF YOU, FIND FOLKS AND TELLING THE TRUTH.
AND SOMETIMES IT MEANS USING OUR VOICES TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WITH POWER HEAR THE PEOPLE THEY WERE ELECTED TO SERVE.
WE ARE CALLING ON YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER.
I WOULD LIKE IT IF YOU LOOKED AT ME, SIR.
THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE MEANINGFUL ACTION BY SUPPORTING AN INDEPENDENT LOCAL INVESTIGATION, DEMANDING TRANSPARENCY FROM EVERY AGENCY INVOLVED AND STANDING WITH LORENZO'S FAMILY.
I DID NOT FIGHT AND WATCH MY COMRADES FALL ON THE BATTLEFIELD TO HAVE TO SIT HERE AND HAVE MY SON, WHO IS 15 YEARS OLD, WATCH HIS SCHOOLMATES, AFRAID TO COME TO SCHOOL.
I DID NOT FIGHT AND SACRIFICE MY LIFE AND MY VETERANS' LIVES FOR THIS RIGHT HERE.
IF WE CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY UNDER THE U-U-C-M-J FOR THE EXACT SAME ACTIONS, IF WE HAD TOOK THIS, WE'D BE UNDER LEAVENWORTH.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT Y'ALL CALL PATRIOTS, BUT I'M A PATRIOT.
I'M HAVING TO WATCH MY MILITARY GEAR ON A LAWLESS UNIT, TERRORIZING OUR STREETS.
DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS OR WE WILL SEE YOU IN NOVEMBER NEXT.
NO NOEL FREEMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY AUDREY NAFF.
UH, IN THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORK STRATEGIC PLAN, THERE ARE SIX CORE VALUES.
THE VERY FIRST CORE VALUE IS RESPONSIVENESS.
WE WILL RESPOND TIMELY WITH CARE AND COMMITMENT.
IT'S BEEN SIX WEEKS SINCE I RAISED MY ISSUES ABOUT 1002 WEST 11TH PUBLIC WORKS.
AND I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD ANYONE, NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I CONTACTED THE DEPARTMENT.
EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE OR COUNCIL MEMBER ELLA'S OFFICE.
THEY'LL TALK TO YOU FOLKS ALL DAY LONG, BUT THEY WILL NOT TALK TO A CITIZEN OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHO HAS AN ISSUE WITH A PROBLEM THEY HELPED CREATE.
NOW I WANNA GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE.
I REPORTED ILLEGAL DUMPING OF FOOD TRASH ON MY FENCE LINE BY THIS RESTAURANT.
SOLID WASTE RESOLVED THAT ISSUE IN 16 HOURS.
TO ARAS CREDIT, THEY CONTACTED ME 30 MINUTES AFTER I SPOKE HERE TWO WEEKS AGO, AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CALLED ME THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT AN ISSUE WITH USED COOKING OIL BEING STORED ALONG MY FENCE LINE.
MAYOR WHITMEYER, I WILL REITERATE THE ASK THAT I HAD TWO WEEKS AGO.
PLEASE COMPEL PUBLIC WORKS TO FORCE A RESOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE.
I CAN'T EVEN GET, HEY, WE GOT YOUR EMAIL.
NOT EVEN THAT, YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
HEY, NO, GIVE, UH, REBECCA WILLIAMS YOUR INFORMATION.
DANNY HERNANDEZ, NEIL COLBERT, MAURICE BELL.
JACOB JACOB CLEMENT TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAY BUSTOS.
YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF COMPLAINING AND, AND SOME OF IT IS YOU ARE VERY MUCH JUST RIGHT.
BUT AT RATE I BRING YOU TWO TWO GIFTS, A HAT AUTOGRAPH I FROM DYNAMO PLAYERS AND A, UH, JERSEY AUTOGRAPH BY EITHER A
[02:05:01]
TOP PICK PLAYER FOUR DAY, NAMELY ME.K AND, UH, WELL, UH, AT, ANYWAY, UM, I, UM, I MEAN THE SHORT, AS I CAN TELL FROM MY MOTHER TELLING TO ME ABOUT MY FATHER WHO WAS AN IMMIGRANT.
YEAH, I MEAN, I FOUGHT FOR US.
I MEAN, THIS IS HIS WORST IS GUSTAPO.
JAY BUSTOS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANTHONY HUBBARD.
YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD, HOUSTONIAN, I MUST SAY I FIND IT APPALLING, AM BEWILDERING WITH THE LACK OF ACTION AND VOICES OF THIS COUNCIL FOR FIGHTING FOR THIS CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS, ALL RESIDENTS.
LORENZO WAS MURDERED JULY 7TH, THREE WEEKS SINCE HE, UH, HIS PASSING.
EVEN THOUGH THE OBVIOUSNESS OF WHAT IS SHOULD ALREADY BE DONE OF CUTTING ALL TIES WITH ICE, DESPITE ALSO Y'ALL SAYING, UH, Y'ALL DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO ANYTHING Y'ALL DO.
Y'ALL CAN DO A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT STEPS.
I COULD SAY ONE, OF COURSE, THE TOP OF THE LIST.
TWO, CUT THE CONTRACTS WITH FLOCK.
NEXT END, NON-SAFETY TRAFFIC STOPS, THAT'S ASSISTING ICE WITH ALL THIS.
AND LAST OR NEXT PUBLICLY, BE MORE VOCAL ABOUT ICE.
YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED THAT ARE COMMITTING ILLEGAL ACTS, KIDNAPPING AND MURDERING PEOPLE.
AND I ASK AGAIN, HOW MUCH PAIN AND APPARENT BLOOD IS NEEDED FOR Y'ALL TILL Y'ALL ACTUALLY GET UP AND DO SOMETHING.
ANTHONY HUBBARD TO BE FOLLOWED BY CAMERON WATERSON, HOW MUCH PAIN, HOW MUCH BLOOD? MAYOR WHITMEYER TODAY, YOU PROMISE CALLS FOR REFORM TO RONALDO.
I SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU FOLLOW THROUGH IN THAT PROMISE.
WILL TRUTH BE TOLD, PUBLIC TRUST IS A ALL TIME LOW.
IT HAS BEEN THREE WEEKS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.
MAYOR, YOU CAN EXTEND EMPATHY TO THE FAMILY.
BUT TRUE EMPATHY WOULD MEAN NO ONE ELSE.
NO ONE ELSE SHOULD HAVE TO FEEL THAT PAIN.
AND HOW CAN WE EXPECT THAT? IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.
ANY THREE OF Y'ALL COULD SIGN A PROP, A ORDINANCE TO PUT FORTH TO COUNCIL.
SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT PROMISE AND YOU CALL FOR YOUR FORM.
SINCE OUR LAST TWO COUNCIL MEETINGS, I WATCHED OUR CITY REPRESENTATIVES TRY TO REPAIR THEIR EGOS FROM WHAT HOUSTON HAS SAID.
WITHIN THE DECORUM OF A LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND THE COUNCIL, YOUR POLICYMAKING HAS SHOWN THAT YOU ARE TOO POLITICALLY INEPT TO HANDLE CITY POLICY OR PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOUR ABYSMAL FISCAL SHORTFALLS AND FAILURES SHOW YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST MORALLY BANKRUPT, BUT THAT YOU TRULY DO NOT CARE.
AND FOR THOSE OF OUR COUNCIL WHO SAY THAT, LET'S MAKE SURE TO GO AND VOTE AND DO MORE THAN PROTESTS, SUGGESTING THAT WE CAN VOTE THE PROBLEM AWAY.
THIS STATEMENT WAS NOT ONLY TONE DEATH, BUT IT WAS POLITICALLY IGNORANT TO HISTORY ITSELF.
THESE PROTESTERS ARE MORE THAN YOUR LABELS, THEY'RE ORGANIZERS, WORKERS, PARENTS, HOUSTONIANS.
WE ORGANIZED FOOD DRIVES FOR THOSE YOU LEAVE IN FOOD DESERTS TO STARVE.
CLOTHING DRIVES FOR THOSE YOU WON'T CLOTHE OR EDUCATE.
WE ORGANIZE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, OUTREACH FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU HAVE LEFT TO DIE.
AND WE DID ALL THIS WHILE BEING REGISTERED TO VOTE.
A VOTE WILL NOT BRING BACK A FATHER TO HIS
[02:10:01]
CHILDREN OR LIFT THE WEIGHT OF DEATH OFF OF OUR CITY.WE HAVE VOTES, BUT YOU HAVE HPD, THE TREASURY PUBLIC WORKS, AND THE ABILITY FOR CITY ORDINANCE TO PREVENT VIOLENCE.
WE CALL FOR THE NAMES OF THE MURDERERS RELEASED AND TO BE PROSECUTED.
WE CALL FOR ALL PASSENGERS TO BE FREED.
WE CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION, AN ENDING OF ALL COLLABORATION WITH ISEN CPD OR HPD.
SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO AT HOUSTON TO PREVENT A SECOND CLASS OF CITIZENS IN OUR COUNTRY? AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO PREVENT ANOTHER HOUSTONIAN OFF OUR STREETS BY DEATH? AND HOW DO WE SAVE ANOTHER FATHER FROM BEING KILLED, MAKING SURE THAT THEY GO HOME TO THEIR KIDS.
SO PLEASE REFLECT ON THIS, GUYS.
THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[RECESS]
RECESS TILL NINE IN THE MORNING.[RECONVENE]
COUNSEL, PLEASE COME TO ORDER.[CONSENT AGENDA]
MR. SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PROCEED WITH A CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY? ITEM FOUR HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS 1, 2, 3, AND FIVE.
NEXT UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY, ITEM SIX NEEDS A MOTION CAST TATUM MOVE.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION PURCHASE AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY.
NEED A MOTION FOR ITEM SEVEN THROUGH 15? CASTEX T.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES OPPOSED NAY.
MOTION PASSES
ITEMS 19 25, 35 AND 36 HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
ITEMS NOT RECEIVED, BUT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY'RE RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING ARE 23 AND 24.
AGAIN, THOSE ARE ITEMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED BUT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF THEY'RE RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING.
ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38, 41, AND 46.
AGAIN, ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
26 27, 29 THROUGH 32, 35 AND 36.
41 46 NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.COUNCILOR HUFFMAN FOR COMMENTS.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR THIS PROJECT AND ESPECIALLY TO STEVEN LIU, WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THIS PROJECT STARTED.
THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER.
SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD'VE SEEN ON THE NEWS, BUT, UM, PUBLIC WORKS CAME OUT, ADDRESSED IT IMMEDIATELY.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS EXTREMELY HAPPY.
COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE NEXT ONE.
[02:15:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER PENZA.UM, JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK NOTE ON THIS ITEM.
UM, TODAY WE ARE VOTING ON A SERIES OF PUBLIC SAFETY GRANTS THAT I WILL BE SUPPORTING.
UM, I'M ITEM 30, SPECIFICALLY IS AN HPD PUBLIC SAFETY GRANT FOR H HPDS CATALYTIC CONVERTER CRIME TASK FORCE.
I SUPPORT THE WORK OF THIS TASK FORCE.
UH, CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND HOUSTON HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT, UH, IN COMBATING IT.
THIS ITEM INCLUDES FUNDING FOR PERSONNEL OVER TIME, SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT.
INCLUDED IN THIS EQUIPMENT IS SERVICE FOR EXISTING FLOCK CAMERAS.
WHILE I SUPPORT THE GENERAL PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT AND HP'S WORK IN MITIGATING CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT, I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE CITY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH FLOCK.
FLOCK RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS REGARDING PRIVACY, DATA ACCESS AND OVERSIGHT.
WE HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE HEADLINES ON THE MISUSE OF FLOCK AND THE LACK OF OVERSIGHT, INCLUDING JUSTICE WEEK.
A BAYTOWN POLICE OFFICER HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF ALLEGEDLY MISUSING FLOCK AND IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION.
WHILE THESE ARE JUST INDIVIDUALS ABUSING THIS POWER, THE LACK OF PROACTIVE OVERSIGHT IS CONCERNING ON A LARGER SCALE, MANY RESIDENTS HAVE SHARED BIPARTISAN CONCERNS WITH MASS SURVEILLANCE AND I PERSONALLY SHARE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR RIGHT TO PRIVACY.
FINALLY, RESIDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHO HAS ACCESS TO THIS DATA AND WHAT SAFEGUARDS EXIST TO PREVENT ITS MISUSE IN SOME.
I HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT THE USE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY WHEN THERE ARE STILL SO MANY QUESTIONS AND POTENTIAL POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS OF CIVIL LIBERTIES.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE AROUND HOW WE'RE USING THIS TECHNOLOGY AND HOW TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF HOUSTONIANS.
THEREFORE, I'LL BE VOTING NO ON THIS ITEM.
MEMBER VOTING? NO, I'M VOTING NO AS WELL.
AND SALINAS, JOE, UH, COUNCILMAN SALINAS AND PENZA VOTING NO.
THIS ITEM I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE GREATER NORTHSIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
THERE ARE SOME CORRIDORS THAT WILL BE RECEIVING SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO INCLUDE HIGH VISIBILITY CROSSWALKS, UPGRADED SIDEWALKS, PEDESTRIAN REFUGE ISLANDS, A DA ACCESSIBLE ENHANCEMENTS AND IMPROVED STREET CROSSINGS AND SIGNALS.
AIRLINE, JENSEN AND TIDWELL IN DISTRICT H.
AND THESE ARE, UM, HIGH TRAFFICKED AND HIGHLY UTILIZED CORRIDORS THAT NEED THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND I APPRECIATE THE CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP OF THE GREATER NORTHSIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, UH, FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS AND, AND THE OTHER PROJECTS WE WORK ON TOGETHER.
I JUST WANNA, UM, ADD MY COMMENTS TO JOIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO ON THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
UM, AS WE'RE ALL AWARE, UH, THE CITY RECEIVED A $28 MILLION SAFE STREETS GRANT, UM, THAT, UH, IMPROVES VISINE NET FROM DISTRICTS C, J AND F.
UM, THIS IS A COMPLIMENT TO THAT EXTENDING THE, UH, PROGRAM FROM DAIRY ASHFORD AND BINET ALL THE WAY TILL ELDRIDGE.
AND I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN FOR HIS ADVOCACY FOR THE FEDERAL MATCH.
UM, IN THE DISTRICT OF, OF COUNCIL OF, UH, US HOUSE DISTRICT NINE.
I'M SO HAPPY THAT THE CITY IS PUTTING THEIR MATCH TOGETHER TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR PEDESTRIAN AND SAFETY EFFORTS.
AND I WAS THERE SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
UH, YOU GET OFF 59 AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE.
I QUESTION PUBLIC WORKS ABOUT DOING IT ALL AT ONE TIME, BUT I WAS INFORMED THAT'S THE MOST EFFICIENT, COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO IT.
BUT AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE DOWN BINET, UH, WORK THAT YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DONE TO GET BINET KIND OF, KIND OF DISRUPTED SOME OF THE RETAIL STREET RETAIL.
BUT, UM, THEY'LL, THEY'LL LEARN TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES AS OPPOSED TO NAY.
[02:20:01]
RECEIVED.THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
BEFORE I CALL ON OUR FIRST SPEAKER, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO HAVE
[MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
A MINI POP OFF.UH, STEVEN DAVID'S LAST DAY IS TOMORROW.
UH, STEVEN'S BEEN WITH OUR TEAM EVEN BEFORE WE WERE SWORN IN.
HE HAS HIS QUICK MIND AS ANYONE IN CITY HALL AND CERTAINLY A LOT OF HISTORIC, UH, BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH DENISE AND OTHER MAYORS.
UM, I DIDN'T TRY TO TALK HIM OUT OF IT BECAUSE HE SAID HE'S DOING IT FOR FAMILY AND HEALTH.
I THINK MAINLY HE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH ME
HE'S JUST TAKEN ON A DIFFERENT ROLE.
SO YOU'LL SEE HIM CERTAINLY AS WE PREPARE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND OTHER ERNST AND YOUNG IMPLEMENTATION.
SO STEVEN, YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND AND A VALUED CITY EMPLOYEE, AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING FAR.
YOU BETTER MAKE SURE YOU CHECK IN OR YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE CONTROLLER IF THEY DON'T SEE
SO ANYWAY, I, I'D BE GLAD TO LET YOU SPEAK TO COUNSEL.
I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THIS PROCESS, BUT YOU GOTTA QUIT WORKING ALL NIGHT AND THE WEEKEND AND ON THE WEEKENDS.
AND I YIELD TO YOU AT THIS TIME AND I KNOW YOU DIDN'T EXPECT ME TO CALL ON YOU.
SO AGAIN, WE'LL GET TO SEE HOW QUICK YOU ARE.
UH, AS I SAID IN THE EMAIL THAT I SENT OUT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF MY LIFETIME.
UM, I AM A FIFTH GENERATION HOUSTONIAN.
UH, KIND OF A FUN FACT ABOUT MY FAMILY.
MY MOTHER'S MOTHER'S FATHER, UH, WAS THE FIRST, UH, DELIVERY ICE COMPANY IN, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND SO I, I HAVE DEEP ROOTS HERE.
I WAS BORN HERE, WENT TO SCHOOL HERE.
MY PARENTS WERE TEACHERS, UH, AT JOHN MARSHALL MIDDLE SCHOOL, RAUL C MARTINEZ, WESLEY ELEMENTARY.
UM, IT, VERY IMPORTANT TO ME OF, OF PUBLIC SERVICE TEACHERS ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS, JUST LIKE, UH, Y'ALL ARE JUST LIKE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ARE.
AND IT MEANS A LOT TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE CITY THAT I I GREW UP IN WAS BORN IN AND AND LOVE WITH ALL MY HEART.
UM, GETTING TO WORK WITH Y'ALL, UH, IS A, A PRIVILEGE, UM, THAT BUREAUCRATS RARELY GET TO SEE.
A LOT OF TIMES THERE ARE 21,000 EMPLOYEES.
I GUARANTEE ALL OF Y'ALL, INCLUDING YOU MAYOR, WHO WALKS AROUND AND SHAKES PEOPLE'S HANDS, UH, AND, UH, ALL OF THE FLOORS OF THE BUILDINGS THAT WE OWN.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO SIT ADJACENT TO Y'ALL, UM, AND WORK CLOSELY WITH Y'ALL AND SEE THE, THE PASSION THAT YOU DELIVER FOR THE CITY AT LARGE OR FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS IS SOMETHING THAT I'LL CHERISH FOREVER.
UM, I THINK THE, THE THING, THE ONLY THING THAT I'LL, I'D LIKE TO SAY, UH, BEYOND ANOTHER THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR AND TO THE THE TEAM IS THAT, UH, IT IS A THANKLESS JOB THAT YOU SIT IN AND THAT, UH, FOLKS WHO WORK FOR YOU SIT IN.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO COME, WHEN PEOPLE CALL 3 1 1 9 1 1, THEY'RE NOT HAVING A GOOD DAY.
UM, THEY'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH ADVERSITY AND CHALLENGE.
AND I THINK ALL OF YOU I'VE OBSERVED HAVE APPROACHED, UH, EVEN WHEN I DISAGREE WITH Y'ALL, UM, YOU'VE APPROACHED, UH, YOUR POSITIONS.
HONESTLY, IT'S, UH, A BELIEF STRUCTURE.
I'VE NEVER FELT DISINGENUOUSNESS, EVEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE, UM, WILLING TO PUT CAMERAS IN YOUR FACE AND, AND SAY SHAME FOR A POSITION THAT YOU HONESTLY TAKE.
AND SO I, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF Y'ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, UH, IS FOR COMING TO THIS JOB EVERY DAY AND, AND PUTTING ON, UH, PUTTING ON YOUR PANTS ONE LEG AT A TIME AND RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD IS TO TALK ABOUT IT AND TO DO THE WORK.
UM, SO AS MAYOR, AS YOU LIKE TO SAY, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST IN ME.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU KEEP A SMALL CIRCLE OF PEOPLE.
I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WHEN YOU WORK FOR TEAM WHITMEYER, WHEN, IF YOU'VE WORKED FOR WHITMEYER ONCE, YOU ALWAYS WORK FOR WHITMEYER.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO'VE SPENT, YOU'VE SPENT 50 YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
I KNOW PEOPLE WHO'VE WORKED FOR YOU FOR 30 YEARS, 40 YEARS.
AND, UM, EVEN IF YOU DON'T WORK FOR, UH, JOHN WHITMEYER, YOU ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE AN ADVISOR,
[02:25:01]
A FRIEND.UM, AND MAYBE I'LL AS A, AS AN INTERESTING, UH, STORY OR CLOSE TO MY, WHAT I SAY.
UM, I THINK THE THING THAT OPENED MY EYES TO WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON MAYOR WAS, UH, WITHIN WEEK TWO.
NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THIS, BUT, UH, CHRIS NEWPORT, MAYOR'S FIRST CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, WITHIN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE CITY, HAD HIS TRUCK STOLEN STRAIGHT OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY, MOVED TO HIS NEW HOUSE, AND IT WAS JUST LIFTED RIGHT OUT OF IT.
AND I'M NOT KIDDING WHEN I SAY, UH, THE MAYOR TOOK HIS PERSONAL TRUCK KEYS, TOSSED HIM TO CHRIS AND LET CHRIS HAVE IT FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS WHILE HPD TRIED TO FIND HIS TRUCK.
AND THEN THE INSURANCE COMPANY DRAGGED THEIR FEET ABOUT GETTING HIM MONEY FOR THE NEW ONE.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE.
UM, AND I'VE LEARNED A TON FROM YOU AND I APPRECIATE IT.
UH, I HOPE THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING SOME LEVITY, UH, FOR A WHILE.
YOU DIDN'T LIKE TO JOKE SO MUCH.
NOW IT'S ALL JOKES ALL THE TIME.
SO I, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT.
I AM, UH, ALSO QUITE FOND OF THE TEAM YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER.
YOU ASSEMBLE, UH, A REALLY INTERESTING ECLECTIC GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO BRING, UH, DILIGENCE AND STRENGTH AND DEDICATION TO VERY HARD JOBS, UH, DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
UH, THE SAD PART ABOUT ME LEAVING THE CITY IS IT IS BECAUSE OF, OF HEALTH REASONS.
UH, HAD A DOCTOR SAY, IF YOU WANNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK IN YOUR FORTIES, KEEP ON.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR ME.
I WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE, UH, WHERE POSSIBLE.
BUT I, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE.
UM, I AM ALWAYS A PHONE CALL AWAY, UH, FOR ANY OF YOU.
ALTHOUGH I MIGHT, UH, RESERVE RETURNING THOSE CALLS LIKE IN LATE AFTERNOON.
UM, COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER, SAD TO SEE YOU GO.
REALLY ENJOYED WORKING FOR YOU AND HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR YOU.
SO GOOD LUCK, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ.
UM, WE ALL, THIS IS NOT A EULOGY
UM, STEVEN JUST, UH, AS A STAFFER, THE STAFFER, RIGHT? YOU WORKED OUT COUNCIL MEMBER, A GONZALEZ'S OFFICE.
SO YOU UNDERSTAND A LOT OF WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HOW TO, HOW TO MAKE, MAKE THE MEAT RIGHT, UM, AS WELL.
UH, BUT AS A STAFFER, THE STAFFER, AND AS A FRIEND, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR PROVIDING THE SUPPORT THAT I NEEDED AS A FRESHMAN COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, BUT MORE SO OUTSIDE OF THE, OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, THE OFFICE, JUST FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, GUIDANCE, UM, AND THEN ALSO BEING ABLE TO TAKE SOME FEEDBACK AS WELL.
MAYBE SOME THINGS THAT YOU DIDN'T LIKE.
UH, BUT AGAIN, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND YOU SAID IT IN, IN, IN YOUR WORDS, RIGHT? UM, ULTIMATELY THE WORK THAT WE DO IS THE WORK FOR PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE WE GET IT RIGHT, SOMETIMES WE GET IT WRONG.
UM, BUT ULTIMATELY WE WANNA SEE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LEAVE BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAD WHEN WE GOT HERE.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HELPING SHEPHERD A ADMINISTRATIVE FEE AS WELL,
BUT ULTIMATELY, I THINK IN ALL THE WORK, WHETHER IT'S THAT, WHETHER IT'S THE FINANCES, UH, FOR THE CITY, WE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT, AGAIN, WE LEAVE IT BETTER, BETTER THAN WE, WE HAD IT WHEN WE GOT HERE.
LOOK FORWARD TO HANGING OUT AFTER OUTSIDE OF THIS SPACE, UH, JUST TO CATCH UP.
THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK.
I WILL NOT BE THANKING YOU FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE
WHEN THE MAYOR TALKS ABOUT PEOPLE BEING PUBLIC, SERVANTS, BEING OUTSIDE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, THAT COMPLETELY FITS YOU IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
I MEAN, YOU'VE REALLY WORKED ON SOME REVOLUTIONARY THINGS HERE AT THE CITY, AND I'M JUST TRULY THANKFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
UH, DAVID MANN, LISTEN, WE, WE WILL GET USED TO YOU NOT BEING HERE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL JUST, BUT WE'LL KNOW YOU AROUND.
AND OF COURSE, IF WE DON'T SEE YOU, UH, AS YOU HAVE HELPED US IN MANY AREAS, UM, WE'LL, YOU AND I, WE'LL CATCH UP ON THE RADIO.
THAT'S SOMETHING BETWEEN ME AND DAVID, WE'LL CATCH UP ALREADY.
I WAS GONNA SAVE THIS FOR MY POPOFF, BUT I'LL JUST DO IT NOW.
I DIDN'T WRITE YOU A POEM THOUGH, SORRY,
UM, Y'ALL WILL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED.
UH, YOU'RE TRULY ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS, AND, UH, I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR A REALLY LONG TIME FROM THE GONZALEZ DAYS THROUGH MAYOR PARKER'S TENURE, THROUGH MAYOR TURNER'S TENURE, THROUGH YOUR PRIVATE SECTOR.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST TRULY ONE OF THE SMARTEST GUYS I KNOW.
AND YOU'RE MY GO-TO PERSON ON ALL THINGS CITY GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY CITY FINANCES.
UM, YOU SAT DOWN AND HELPED ME DO MY CAMPAIGN WEBSITE.
I WAS LIKE, I'M GETTING THE SMARTEST GUY I KNOW TO WRITE A BUNCH TO HELP ME WRITE A BUNCH OF STUFF ON THIS CAMPAIGN WEBSITE.
[02:30:01]
YOU HAVE BEEN, UM, EVEN WE'RE NOT, WHEN WE'RE NOT IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT, YOU HAVE A WAY OF BRINGING, BRINGING ME AROUND EVERY TIME.UM, YOU, UH, THIS IS A HUGE LOSS, MAYOR FOR THE CITY.
I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
THIS IS A GUY WITH AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET THAT NEVER QUITS.
BUT I KNOW THAT'S WHY YOU'RE MOVING ON BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TURN IT OFF.
AND YOU ARE A GOOD GOVERNMENT GUY, AND YOU ARE A, A PERSON WHO BELIEVES THAT GOVERNMENT COULD BE A FORCE FOR GOOD.
AND, UH, FOR THAT, I'M TRULY GRATEFUL.
I WENT THIS SUMMER TO A WEDDING IN NEW YORK, AND THERE WAS AN EXHIBIT AT THE WHITNEY BIENNIAL ABOUT CITY EMPLOYEES, SOMETHING I'VE NEVER SEEN IN A MUSEUM, UH, DONE BY AN ARTIST WHO IS A CITY EMPLOYEE IN NEW YORK.
AND HE WROTE SOMETHING ON ONE.
THERE WERE A BUNCH OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF CITY EMPLOYEES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF VIEWS OUT THEIR WINDOWS AND THINGS THAT THEY DID.
AND HE WROTE SOMETHING, UM, ABOUT, IT WAS TALKING ABOUT SANITATION WORKERS AND OTHER CITY WORKERS, AND, AND HE ABOUT BEING IN THE INSIDE.
AND IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, BEING A CITY WORKER MAKES YOU, MAKES YOU SEE, YOU SEE IT FROM THE CITY WORKER PERSPECTIVE, WHICH I THINK YOU'VE ALWAYS BROUGHT.
IT MAKES ME WANNA DO BETTER TO HELP THE DEPARTMENT BE BETTER.
I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CIVIL SERVANTS WANT TO DO GOOD FOR THE CITY.
IT'S A BADGE OF HONOR FOR MOST PEOPLE TO SAY, I WORK FOR THE CITY.
AND THE MAJORITY OF CITY EMPLOYEES JUST WANT TO DO A GOOD JOB.
THEY WANT TO HAVE A GOOD JOB AND TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
YOU BELIEVE IN CIVIL SERVICE, YOU BELIEVE IN PUBLIC SERVICE LIKE YOU DO MAYOR.
AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR OUR FRIENDSHIP, AND I KNOW THAT WILL CONTINUE ON AND ON.
AND NOW WHEN I GET MAD AT THE MAYOR, WHO AM I GONNA CALL
THANK YOU, MAYOR STEVEN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
YOU KNOW, FROM TIMES OF DISASTER AND EMERGENCY WHERE YOU KEPT US SO INFORMED WITH YOUR, UH, FREQUENT UPDATES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU EVER SLEPT DURING
UH, NOT TO MENTION YOUR PASSION FOR ANIMALS AND, UH, US GETTING TO WORK ON, ON BARK RELATED, UH, ITEMS. UH, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR THE CITY.
UH, WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING.
UM, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE STEPHEN DAVID AS HE PREPARES TO LEAVE HIS FULL-TIME ROLE WITH ADMINISTRATION.
UH, STEVEN HAS SERVED THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH INTELLIGENCE, PROFESSIONALISM, AND A STEADY HAND ACROSS MULTIPLE MAYORAL ADMINISTRATIONS.
AND DURING HIS TIME WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION, HE HELPED GUIDE THE CITY THROUGH SOME INCREDIBLY CONSEQUENTIAL MOMENTS FROM SEVERE WEATHER AND OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES TO BUDGET AND THE ONGOING WORK OF MAKING CITY GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT AND RESPONSIVE.
UH, STEVEN KNEW HOW TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
KEEP COMMUNICATION MOVING AND HELP US FIND COMMON GROUND AND SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING ACCESSIBLE, THOUGHTFUL, AND WILLING TO WORK THROUGH THE DIFFICULT ISSUES.
YOUR LEADERSHIP AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE HAS MADE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE.
AND WHILE WE KNOW YOU WILL CONTINUE SUPPORTING YOUR AND OUR CITY IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY, YOUR DAILY PRESENCE AT CITY HALL WILL CERTAINLY BE MISSED.
AND BE HA ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT D, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND, AND WISH YOU MORE TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY.
THAT'S IMMEASURABLE, UH, CONTINUED SUCCESS, GOOD HEALTH, AND ALL THE BEST IN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER.
AND WHAT CAN YOU SAY FOR A MAN THAT HAS TO CARRY TWO FIRST NAMES? YOU KNOW, HE HAS TO BE PHENOMENAL.
AND TRUE
WHAT STEVEN, DAVID, STEVEN, THANK.
ANYWAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND YOU CAN'T IMAGINE HOW I HAD A HARD TIME LEARNING HIS NAME,
IS HE STEVEN OR IS HE DAVID? WHAT IS THAT GUY'S NAME? IS IT STEVEN OR IS IT DAVID? I, I FIGURED IT OUT.
AND, UH, SOMEBODY ASKED ME WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH, WITH STEPHEN DAVID, AND I SAID, HE NEEDED A LIFE, RIGHT? HE NEEDED A LIFE BECAUSE IT'S NOT, UH, DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE 24 7.
AND AFTER I MET YOU, EVERY TIME YOUR NAME COMES UP, I'M LIKE, THAT'S GONNA BE THE SMARTEST GUY IN THE ROOM.
I JUST, YOU, YOU NEVER, YOU NEVER MISS A BEAT.
AND YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY, YOU'RE GOING TO BE MISSED,
[02:35:01]
BUT WE'LL SEE YOU DOWN THE ROAD.THANK YOU, MAYOR STEPHEN, CONGRATULATIONS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AT THE CITY.
PUBLIC SERVICE REALLY IS A CALLING, AND I DON'T THINK NO ONE'S ANSWERED IT AS WELL AS YOU HAVE.
SO, SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT.
UM, YOU WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN MY ONBOARDING FOR, FOR THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS.
UH, I THINK I WAS SWORN IN THE WEEK BEFORE THE BUDGET, SO YOU AND I SPOKE, UH, MANY HOURS, MANY HOURS.
AND, AND BEST OF LUCK MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND I SO APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY.
IF, IF I HAD TO COUNT HOW MANY TIMES I'VE CALLED PEOPLE WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION, I THINK YOU'D BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU'RE ALWAYS CALLING BACK.
I, I, I KNOW YOU WERE USUALLY BUSY, BUT, BUT YOU ALWAYS CALLED BACK AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, THE, THE, UH, INTELLECT, YOU BROUGHT, THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR HEART.
UM, UM, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO KEEP THAT BEATING.
YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT BEATING.
SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR YOUR NEED TO LEAVE AT THIS POINT, BUT, BUT YOU WILL BE MISSED.
AND SO UNDERSTAND THAT AND, AND, AND DON'T BE SURPRISED IF I CALL YOU AGAIN SOON.
THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU LET YOUR WIFE JENNY, KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT SHE'S ALLOWED YOU TO SPEND AT CITY HALL.
WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL BE TALKING, UH, VERY SOON.
SO, UH, ACTUALLY RECEPTION TOMORROW AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
WHAT, UH, WHAT BAR DID YOU CHOOSE?
SO I'M GONNA BE AT PATTERSON PARK TOMORROW.
UH, IT START FROM FOUR TO 7:00 PM IT'S STEAK NIGHT, BY THE WAY, WHICH IS ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YEAH,
WILL EVERYONE JOIN ME IN NOW? GO TO WORK,
I KNOW, UH, MANY OF YOU SAW THE RULING THAT CAME OUT ON YESTERDAY.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED, UM, BY THAT RULING AGAINST THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MWBE PROGRAM.
I MEAN, FOR FOUR DECADES, THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR US TO REALLY REPRESENT THE CITY'S COMMITMENT, UH, TO QUALIFY BUSINESSES HAVING MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE FOR THESE CONTRACTS THAT COME OUT THROUGH OUR CITIES.
AND THESE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE ENTREPRENEURS.
THEY ARE CREATING JOBS, THEY'RE INVESTING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THEY REALLY ARE MAKING AN IMPACT TO STRENGTHENING HOUSTON'S ECONOMY.
UM, MAYOR, EVEN THOUGH THIS RULING CAME OUT, I THINK IT IS EXTREMELY CRITICAL FOR US AS A BODY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO FIND LEGALLY SOUND WAYS TO EXPRESS ACCESS AND EXPAND ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE BUSINESSES.
WE CANNOT LET THIS MOMENT BECOME THE END OF OUR COMMITMENT TO ECONOMIC INCLUSION.
UM, AND WHILE WE ARE DETERMINING OUR NEXT STEPS AFTER THAT RULING THAT CAME OUT YESTERDAY, I DO WANT TO CHALLENGE US TO DEVELOP POLICIES THAT WILL WITHSTAND LEGAL SCRUTINY WHILE ALSO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
UM, I WAS AT THE GREATER HOUSTON BUSINESS PROCUREMENT FORUM JUST LAST WEEK TALKING ABOUT OUR COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT EVERY BUSINESS IN HOUSTON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE FOR THESE TYPES OF CONTRACTS IN OUR CITY.
UM, AND IT'S NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE, UM, AFTER THE DISPARITY STUDY THAT OUR MINORITY BUSINESSES ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO GAIN ACCESS, AND WE CANNOT, UM, STOP FIGHTING FOR THAT ECONOMIC INCLUSION BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, HOUSTON IS STRONGEST WHEN EVERYONE HAS A FAIR CHANCE TO COMPETE.
I DO WANT TO THANK THE LEGAL TEAM, UM, FOR THEIR FIGHT, UM, DIRECTOR HORDE FOR THE WORK THAT SHE CONTINUES TO DO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THE INFORMATION SO PEOPLE THAT HAVE BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON KNOW HOW TO, UM, APPLY FOR THOSE CONTRACTS AND COMPETE FOR THOSE CONTRACTS.
UM, BUT WE CANNOT STOP NOW EVEN WITH THIS RULING IN TRYING TO CREATE, UH, ACCESS FOR EVERYONE IN OUR CITY TO BE ABLE TO, UH, COMPETE AND RAISE THEIR FAMILIES AND HAVE A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR CITY.
[02:40:01]
UH, THEN I WANT TO ALSO TAKE A MOMENT TO SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON OUR DISTRICT K INTERNS THAT ARE HERE.UM, ALTHOUGH OUR TIME IS WINDING DOWN, UH, FOR THE SUMMER, UH, I HOPE THAT Y'ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE PODCAST THAT THEY HAVE PRODUCED.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE PODCAST, THEY, THEY NAMED IT THE TURNS SHORT FOR INTERNS, UH, AND THEY HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWING INTERNS FROM, UH, ALL DIFFERENT AREAS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO SEE THE PERSPECTIVE OF OUR INTERNS AND WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING HERE AT CITY HALL.
YOU CAN CATCH THE, AND, AND THE, AND THEY ARE PRETTY BIG TIME BECAUSE HTV IS CARRYING THEIR PODCAST, UH, ON, ON ONLINE.
SO, UH, IT'S EARLY IN THE MORNING, LATE EVENINGS WE'VE BEEN POSTING WHEN THEIR, UH, PODCAST COMES ON HTV, UH, THE NEXT, UH, ONE WILL BE ON THURSDAY MORNING AT SIX 30 TO 7:00 AM BUT Y'ALL KNOW, Y'ALL CAN ALWAYS GO BACK.
IT'LL, IT'LL BE CHRONICLED TO ONLINE.
UH, TO WATCH THE INTERN MAYOR, THEY, THEY INTERVIEWED SOME FOLKS FROM THE, SOME INTERNS FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
I THINK WE HAD A COUPLE OF FOLKS FROM, UH, DISTRICT F AND SOME OF, UH, SOME, SOME OF THE OTHER OFFICES.
UH, AND IT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THEIR CREATIVITY.
MY CHARGE TO THEM WAS, HOW DO WE GET YOUR PEERS INTERESTED IN CITY GOVERNMENT? AND THIS IS WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF, OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AND THE, UH, EXPANDING OF KNOWLEDGE FOR THEIR PEERS.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU, AND WE'LL HAVE THIS TO ALWAYS LOOK TO AND FOR OUR FUTURE INTERNS TO BUILD ON.
SO GREAT WORK THIS SUMMER AND, UM, BACK TO SCHOOL IS, IS GEARING UP.
UM, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS HAPPENING IN DISTRICT K, THE JARED VANDERBILT FOUNDATIONAL SIX ANNUAL BACKPACK GIVEAWAY.
THIS ONE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES BECAUSE JARED VANDERBILT GREW UP IN DISTRICT K.
HE PLAYED BASKETBALL AT MARION PARK, UM, WHILE HE WAS GROWING UP, AND NOW HE PLAYS FOR THE LAKERS.
UM, AND SO HE ALWAYS COMES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HE GREW UP IN TO GIVE BACK DURING SCHOOL TIME.
SO, UM, THIS SATURDAY AT 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AT MARION PARK, UH, ON SOUTH GESNER, UH, HE WILL BE THERE AND THERE WILL BE BACKPACKS, HAIRCUTS, GROCERIES, A GREAT COMMUNITY RESOURCE.
UM, AND WE'RE ALWAYS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH JARED WHEN HE DOES HIS ANNUAL BACKPACK GIVEAWAY, UH, HARM CLARK MULTI SERVICE CENTERS, ALSO HAVING A BACKPACK EVENT.
UM, THIS ONE IS A LITTLE UNIQUE.
IT'S A TEACHER'S BACK TO SCHOOL FOR AUTISTIC STUDENTS.
SO THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THEY'VE DONE A BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT WHERE THEY ARE PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS ONE IS ON SATURDAY, AUGUST THE EIGHTH, FROM NINE TO 1130 AT 38 10 WEST FUQUA.
UM, AND THEN I WANNA JUST GIVE A LITTLE SHOUT OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, I SAW YOU IN, UH, HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 40 UNDER 40.
ANYBODY THAT KNOWS MARIO KNOW THIS IS, KNOWS THIS IS A, A WELL-DESERVED HONOR.
SO, AND, UH, THANK YOU STEPHEN DAVID, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
WE'LL, WE'LL MISS YOU AS WELL.
Y'ALL BE KIND TO EACH OTHER,
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE COURT RULING.
UH, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT DIRECTOR HORDE.
WE HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR AN ADVERSE RULING, AND WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT SINCE THE RULING CAME DOWN WORKING WITH ARTURO AND HIS TEAM.
UH, I'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC OFFICE AND CERTAINLY IN SOCIETY LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE BEFORE AN NWB PROGRAM AND THE SUCCESS THAT IT'S HAD.
BUT THE COURT RULING, UH, GAVE US THE, THE LENGTH OF TIME WE, WE REALLY WAS SURPRISED THAT IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET IT BECAUSE IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT, UH, PART OF CITY GOVERNMENT.
UH, WHAT DIRECTOR HOR HAS DONE IS PROVIDED AN SBA PROGRAM.
ALL THE CERTIFIED MINORITIES UNDER THE MWB PROGRAM ARE ALSO CERTIFIED AS SMALL BUSINESS MM-HMM
SO I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THAT'LL STILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN OUR CONTRACTING.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, AND I AGREE EVERYONE SHOULD GET ALONG
UH, IN FACT, I GUESS I TO THANK EVERYONE FOR, FOR PLAYING A ROLE YESTERDAY OF SITTING AND GIVING OUR SPEAKERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
[02:45:01]
TIMES, BUT TOGETHER, WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH IT.AND, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO.
UM, SINCE WE ARE OFF NEXT WEEK, I DO WANNA ANNOUNCE THAT THE FOLLOWING WEEK, UM, WILL BE OUR NEXT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, TUESDAY, AUGUST 11TH AT 10:00 AM WE WILL HEAR FROM HPD ABOUT, UM, THE MOST RECENT HPD QUARTERLY IMMIGRATION REPORT.
SO PLEASE BE SURE TO JOIN US FOR THAT MEETING.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ.
UM, AND I ALSO WANTED TO ECHO MAYOR PRO TE'S, UH, KANSAS ADAM'S, UH, STATEMENT ON THE NWBE.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS OVER THE PAST YEAR.
UH, I, I DO GREATLY APPRECIATE DIRECTOR HORDE AND WHICH YOU JUST MENTIONED, UH, MAYOR, YOU KNOW, IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH HER, UM, EARLY ON WHEN, WHEN AFTER THE DISPARITY STUDY WAS, WAS, UH, SHARED, IT WAS, UM, HOW CAN WE ENSURE IN, IN THE, IF THIS EVER CAME TO FRUITION.
UM, AND FOR HER TO, UH, BE PROACTIVE ABOUT THE SBE PROGRAM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, I, I DEFINITELY WANT TO SHARE, UH, WITH THE LARGER COMMUNITY, SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT, THAT WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE WHATEVER LEGAL OPTIONS WE HAVE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE AS A CITY TO FOSTER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S FAIR OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL, UH, WITH CONTRACTS.
UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID THIS PLENTY OF TIMES, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES EMPLOY A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, THAT DOLLAR CIRCULATING WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR CITY, UH, HELPS US STAY, UH, UH, ECONOMICALLY STABLE AS WELL.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO LIFT UP SMALL BUSINESSES, MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UH, CONTINUE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITH CITY CONTRACTS SO THAT WAY OUR RESIDENTS CAN FEEL, UH, THAT POSITIVE IMPACT AS WELL.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, I JUST WANT TO, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CANNOT ALLOW THAT THIS IS THIS DECISION TO SLOW DOWN THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO EXPAND THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO HOUSTON SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND I'M, I WILL REMAIN COMMITTED WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I'LL DEFINITELY LEAN, LEAN INTO OUR MAYOR PRO TE AND, UH, YOU MAYOR, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO, UH, SEE THIS HAPPEN AS WELL.
UH, LASTLY, UH, NEXT THURSDAY, AUGUST THE SIXTH.
UH, MY OFFICE IS PARTNERING WITH THE WORKFORCE SOLUTION GULF COAST.
UH, WE'LL BE HOSTING OUR JOB FAIR AT HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE NORTHEAST CAMPUS.
UH, IT'LL TAKE PLACE FROM 10 TO NOON, AND WE'LL HAVE VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVES FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS ALONG WITH OTHER WORKFORCE PARTNERS, UH, THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE INFORMATION AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES WITH, UH, WITH JOBS AND CAREERS.
UH, SO I ENCOURAGE ANYONE THAT'S LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT TO JOIN US NEXT, UH, UH, NEXT THURSDAY, AUGUST THE SIXTH.
AND LET ME FILE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THANKING THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND YOUR RECOGNITION OF HER WORK, UH, MAKES THE DIVERSITY STUDY SO IMPORTANT AT THIS TIME AS WE GO FORWARD WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION.
UH, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT DIVERSITY STUDY AS STRONGLY AS WE ALL DID, UH, AND HAVE THAT IN PLACE, UH, TO SUPPORT THE SMALL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION, UH, PUTS US IN A POSITION TO CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN SEEING THAT EVERYONE IN OUR CITY, UH, IS LIFTED UP TOGETHER.
BUT THE DIVERSITY STUDY, UM, TOOK SOME REAL NAVIGATING TO MAKE CERTAIN, ALL THE PARTIES KNEW THAT WE WERE INCLUDING THEM.
I, TOO, UM, VERY DISAPPOINTED AT THE RULING THAT CAME DOWN REGARDING THE M-W-S-B-E PROGRAM.
UM, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT MY ROLE WAS GOING TO BE.
WHAT WAS I, WHAT WAS I GOING TO KIND OF FOCUS ON? AND JERRY DAVIS TOLD ME ABOUT HOW LARRY GREEN, THE LATE LARRY GREEN, WAS A STRONG VOICE ON CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE MWBE PROGRAM, UH, WHICH STARTED AS THE MBE PROGRAM.
AND I HAVE STRONG FAMILY TIES TO THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM BASED ON MY FATHER, WHO WAS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, OWNED A UNIFORM COMPANY, AND FOUGHT REALLY HARD TO GET THIS PROGRAM, UM, INSTITUTED SO THAT SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
AND MY FATHER WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE ON SOME CONTRACTS
[02:50:01]
AS A UNIFORM VENDOR, UH, WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND OTHERS, AND LIKE HIM, SO MANY OTHER SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES AROUND THE CITY HAVE BENEFITED FROM HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROGRAM.AND THAT PROGRAM WAS PUT IN PLACE FOR A REASON THAT PROGRAM WAS PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE THERE WERE BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, WHO WERE NOT GETTING THEIR FAIR OPPORTUNITY AT PARTICIPATION.
AND THE CITY WAS PUTTING OUT CONTRACTS, BUT THEY WEREN'T REALLY ABLE TO BID OR PARTICIPATE BECAUSE THEY EITHER DID NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES, THE CAPACITY, THE RELATIONSHIPS, AND MANY TIMES IT CAME DOWN TO RACE.
AND THAT'S JUST THE SIMPLE REALITY OF IT ALL.
SO THAT A, A PROGRAM HAD TO BE PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE IT FAIR.
AND THEN THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, IN A SYSTEM THAT WOULD HOLD, UM, VENDORS ACCOUNTABLE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE TRIED TO DO AS I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, IS LOOK AT EACH ITEM AND THE MWBE PROVISION TO SEE IF WE'RE MEETING OUR GOALS AND WE'RE REACHING OUR REQUIREMENTS.
AND IF NOT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO HOLD THE CITY AND THOSE VENDORS ACCOUNTABLE.
THE JUDGE WHO RULED ON THIS WAS APPOINTED, UH, BY PRESIDENT REAGAN, IT WAS LIKE 40 YEARS AGO.
AND THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE FACED 40 YEARS AGO WE'RE STILL FACING TODAY.
AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT THE ARGUMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE ARE SAYING THAT THE PROGRAM IS DISCRIMINATORY, UH, AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE SHOWN ON EVERY DISPARITY STUDY THAT HAS COME OUT, THAT MINORITIES ARE STILL NOT GETTING THEY'RE FAIR, UH, UM, SLICE OF THE PIE, ESPECIALLY BLACK PEOPLE.
WE GO AROUND THE CITY AND WE PROMOTE THE PROGRAM, MANY BLACK VENDORS CERTIFIED.
I WANNA GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO OBO BECAUSE OUR OFFICE IS THE ONE THAT CERTIFIES FOR MANY OTHER ENTITIES IN THE REGION, AND SPECIFICALLY BLACK PEOPLE WHO WERE THE, AT THE FRONT LINES OF CREATING THE MBE PROGRAM ARE CERTIFIED.
BUT OUR NUMBERS IN THE DISPARITY STUDY SHOW THAT BLACK VENDORS ARE STILL NOT GETTING MUCH OF THE WORK AND PROGRESS STILL NEEDS TO BE MADE.
AND AS WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE PROGRESS, THIS RULING COMES DOWN.
SO I THINK THAT NOW PUTS US IN A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE IN OUR APPROACH, IN HOW TO ENSURE THAT AS THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN AMERICA, WE STILL FIND WAYS TO GIVE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO THE BROAD CROSS SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
AND WE DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT INFRINGES UPON THAT, AND WE CAN'T LET OUTSIDE INFLUENCES, UM, THAT MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN US AND, UH, WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY LONGER THAN THEY NEED TO BE, MAKE DECISIONS THAT IMPACT OUR FUTURE AND THE CITY'S FUTURE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO, I, I CHARGE THE ADMINISTRATION AND THIS COUNCIL, UM, TO BE THOUGHTFUL IN THE WAY WE APPROACH THIS, UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THE PROGRESS TO BE LOST, BUT THIS MAY GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING EVEN BETTER.
AND SO I HOPE THAT WE MAKE THAT A PRIORITY.
UM, ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, I DO WANT TO THANK MY INTERNS TODAY.
UH, THIS WEEK IS THEIR LAST WEEK.
UH, THEY'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB IN ASSISTING MY OFFICE IN, IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT SPECIFICALLY, UH, THIS PAST WEEKEND WE HAD A DIAPER DRIVE, AND THAT WAS THEIR CORE PROJECT THAT THEY EXECUTED, UM, IN AN EXCELLENT WAY.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE, THANK THEM FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS.
THIS WAS AN IMPRESSIVE GROUP OF SUMMER INTERNS THAT WE HAD IN OUR OFFICE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES, AND I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT MS. HORDE IS CERTAINLY THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME IN, IN THAT POSITION.
SHE AND I ARE IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH PLANS IF THIS RULING WENT THE WAY IT DID.
SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
I MEAN, THIS PROGRAM'S BEEN AROUND AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN AROUND AND, AND, AND IT'S BEEN AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SPREADING ALL THE PIECES OF THE PIE, UM, UH, AROUND AND APPRECIATE, UH,
[02:55:01]
MY COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE REALLY WORKED HARD ON THIS, THIS, I REMEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM, WHEN YOU WON THE AWARD, YOU WON THE MWBE DIVERSITY CHAMPION AWARD.AND I WENT TO THAT PROGRAM AND THERE'S ALL THE MCGOWAN'S THERE.
I MEAN, THIS WAS ERNIE MCGOWAN BACK IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES.
WE WERE THE FIRST TEXAS CITY TO HAVE SUCH A PROGRAM.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T SURPRISED IN THIS CLIMATE THAT THAT WAS THE DECISION.
UH, BUT YEAH, HOPEFULLY, AS HAS BEEN SAID, WE CAN TURN THIS INTO A, UM, AN, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT MAKING SURE WE ARE STILL MAKING SURE THAT OUR CITY DOLLARS ARE BEING SPREAD TO, UM, AS MANY, AS MANY BUSINESSES AS AS POSSIBLE.
I, UM, I DID SEE YOUR INTERNS, UH, PODCAST LAST NIGHT.
GEORGE WAS WATCHING PUBLIC SESSION.
AND, UM, AND, AND I CAME HOME AND IT WAS STILL ON.
AND THERE WERE YOUR, UH, THERE WERE YOUR INTERNS UP THERE, AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT'S THIS SHOW? AND WE LISTENED TO IT FOR A WHILE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE NATHAN ADLER, ARE YOU OUT THERE STILL? THIS IS MY SUMMER INTERN WHO'S ALSO INTERNING AT THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM.
HE'S A, UH, RISING SENIOR AT THE KINCAID SCHOOL AND PLAYS SOCCER AND TENNIS AND CHESS, AND DOES A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS.
SO, WELCOME NATHAN, AND THANKS.
UH, I ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF MANY ON THE RIDICULOUS DECISION THAT CAME OUT OF THE COURT.
JUDGE HITTNER IS WRONG IN HIS READING OF THE LAW, AND THERE ARE TWO VERY SPECIFIC THINGS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COULD DO RIGHT NOW TO ASSURE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROTECTING MINORITY BUSINESSES.
FIRST, WE CAN MAKE A PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO APPEAL THE DECISION.
AND SECOND, THE LE THE CITY ATTORNEY, CAN MAKE A COMMITMENT TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL IN 30 OR 60 DAYS WITH A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION OF STEPS WE CAN TAKE TO MAINTAIN THE PROGRAM.
IN THE INTERIM, WHILE WE APPEAL THE DECISION, BUSINESSES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND UNIVERSITIES HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO ADAPT TO THE SUPREME COURT'S.
WHILE I BELIEVE INCORRECT DECISION, WHILE STILL EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CAN DO THE SAME, AND WE NEED THE GUIDANCE FROM OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO DO SO.
SO I URGE THE CITY ATTORNEY AND I URGE THE ADMINISTRATION TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE WILL BE LEGALLY WET STAND LEGAL SCRUTINY UNDER THIS DECISION.
ALBEIT, I THINK IT'S WRONG, BUT THERE IS A WAY TO DO IT.
AND I HOPE THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WILL PRIORITIZE THIS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE SENDING A MESSAGE TO MINORITY BUSINESSES, THAT WE ARE GONNA PROTECT THEM AND FIGHT FOR THEM REGARDLESS OF THE CLIMATE THAT WE HAVE.
THE SECOND ITEM I WANNA SPEAK TO IS WHAT, UH, MR. SALGADO'S SON BROUGHT UP YESTERDAY WHEN HE SPOKE AT COUNCIL.
HE CAME TO US AND HE HAD VERY SPECIFIC DEMANDS OF WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
AND I THINK EVERYONE HERE ECHOES THE SENTIMENT THAT WE WANT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION AND WANTS, WANTS TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF HIS FATHER.
AND WHAT HE ASKED US TO DO WAS TO END OUR COOPERATION WITH ICE.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE IT, AND THOSE EFFORTS ARE WHAT THEY ARE, BUT WHAT WE KNOW NOW IS THAT BASED ON THE TRANSPARENCY REPORT, WE HAVE DOUBLED THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT WE ARE CALLING ICE HBD HAS IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS, AND THAT WE ARE STILL HOLDING PEOPLE FOR UP TO TWO HOURS WHILE WE WAIT FOR ICE TO ARRIVE ON THE SCENE.
WE RECEIVED ASSURANCES FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT THAT WASN'T GONNA HAPPEN, AND THAT HAS PROVEN TO BE FALSE.
SO WE HAVE A CHOICE AS A CITY.
ARE WE GONNA STAND BY THE REPRESENTATIONS WE MADE TO THE PUBLIC WHEN WE VOTED ON THAT AMENDMENT OR NOT? I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE HPD IS COMING TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING AND IS GONNA EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC WHAT IS GOING ON.
BUT I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT HOLDING SOMEONE FOR TWO HOURS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, RATHER THAN SOLVING CRIMES, RATHER THAN KEEPING HOUSTONIAN SAFE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
AND WE ALL NEED TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO CHANGE THAT.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE, UH, DISCLOSURE OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING FOR THOSE TWO HOURS.
THEY WERE GETTING THE SCENE OF A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT UNDER CONTROL, UNDER YOUR PROCLAMATION, WHICH WENT TO A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME INSTEAD OF THE 30 MINUTE RESTRICTION, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY WAS BEING VERY SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCTED.
IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TWO HOURS, THEY WEREN'T DEALING WITH ICE.
THE CLOCK STARTED WHEN THEY MADE THE SCENE.
AND THEN AFTER THEY SECURED THE SITE, TOOK CARE OF THE PASSENGERS, THEN THEY CALLED ICE.
SO THE REGISTER SHOWS LIKE A TWO HOUR PERIOD, BUT THEY WERE VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME WITH ICE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO GET ACCURATE PORTRAYALS OF WHAT THE CITY'S DOING.
WE DON'T COLLABORATE WITH ICE,
[03:00:01]
WE DON'T INTERACT WITH ICE.AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE PROCLAMATION IN THE ORDINANCE THAT WE PASSED HERE, 30 MINUTES, QUITE FRANKLY, WAS WORKING.
IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION TO GO TO REASONABLE TIME WITH A SUPERVISOR.
THERE YOU GOT ANOTHER LENGTHY INVOLVEMENT WAS, UM, A DOMESTIC SITUATION.
WHEN THEY GOT THERE, CLOCK RUNNING, AS SOON AS THEY MADE THE SCENE, UH, THEY HAD TO SECURE THE CHILDREN.
THERE WERE NUMEROUS MINORS THERE.
SO THEN AFTER THEY TOOK CARE OF THE CHILDREN, THEN BECAUSE OF THE WARRANT, THEY FOLLOWED THE LAW AND OUR ORDINANCE AND CONTACTED ICE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO FULL DISCLOSURE OF THAT.
UH, 60% OF THE PEOPLE ARE STILL, UH, RELEASED.
AND SO I KNOW WE ALL AGREE WE NEED TO GET BACK, UH, TO TAKING DANGEROUS CRIMINALS OFF THE STREET AND LEAVE THE FAMILIES ALONE.
SO LET'S, LET'S CONTINUE THIS DIALOGUE IN A COMMITTEE.
UH, AND I, I KNOW FOR A FACT THE CHIEF IS ANXIOUS TO DISCUSS IT.
HE AND I ARE MEETING WITH LULAC OFFICIALS THIS AFTERNOON, SO WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
UH, IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TIME.
UM, AND LET'S DO IT RIGHT RESPECTFULLY, MAYOR.
UM, THOSE FACTS ARE INCORRECT.
THE IN INSTANCES THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO ACTUALLY RESULTED IN THREE TO FOUR HOUR WAITS, AND I WASN'T EVEN INCLUDING THOSE.
THE INSTANCES THAT I'M REFERRING TO WERE SPECIFICALLY DESCRIBED BY THE HPD REPORT AS A TRAFFIC STOP.
THE INCIDENTS THAT ARE RESPONDING TO ACCIDENTS ARE CATEGORIZED DIFFERENTLY.
SO BY HPDS OWN REPORTING, THESE ARE NOT ACCIDENTS.
THESE ARE NOT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS.
AND I WILL ALSO ADD, WE LEARNED THROUGH PUBLIC REPORTING THAT IN ONE OF THOSE INSTANCES, THE CALL WAS NOT ON THE PERPETRATOR, BUT ON THE PERSON WHO CALLED TO REPORT SOMEONE THAT WAS THREATENING THEIR LIFE, THE VICTIM THAT CALLED TO SAY THAT MY LIFE IS BEING THREATENED, HPD CALLED ICE ON THEM.
IT IS FAR BEYOND THE SCOPE OF WHAT HPD SHOULD BE DOING, AND IT NEEDS TO COME TO AN END.
AND I'M, I KNOW, AND I HOPE IN MY HEART THAT YOU ARE COMMITTED TO THAT AS WELL.
I'M SURE YOU WERE GIVEN BAD INFORMATION ON THAT FACT, BUT KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, IT IS TRAFFIC STOPS WHERE THEY'RE HOLDING PEOPLE FOR NEARLY TWO HOURS.
BUT I, I THINK THE POINT IS, IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW YET BECAUSE THE CHIEF OF POLICE HASN'T COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND HASN'T GIVEN US THIS UPDATE.
AND SO UNTIL WE GET THAT UPDATE FROM HIM AND WE HEAR THE FACTS, UM, AND I THINK THAT WE MAY HEAR THAT ON ONE OF THOSE TRAFFIC STOPS, THE REASON WHY IT TOOK SO LONG WAS BECAUSE, UM, THE GUY ASKED IF HE COULD HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER COME AND PICK UP HIS TOOLS.
HE HAD A BUNCH OF TOOLS IN HIS CAR, AND THAT IS HIS LIVELIHOOD.
AND THEY WAITED A REALLY LONG TIME FOR A FAMILY MEMBER TO BE ABLE TO COME AND PICK UP THOSE TOOLS.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, LET'S SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND WAIT UNTIL WE ACTUALLY HAVE INFORMATION FROM THE SOURCE.
UM, AND I'M SURE WE ALL AGREED TO INFLAME THE SITUATION.
IT'S A VERY TRAGIC TIME, UH, IN THE CITY, AND WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.
LET'S LET THE FACTS AND, UH, BE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT'S BEING OCCURRED.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO GET A, GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE GOOD WORK THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING AROUND THE CITY.
UH, UH, LAST SATURDAY I JOINED COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS AT THE, IN THE GREATER SOUTHWEST AREA WITH, FOR THE PLAZA AMERICA'S 19TH, UH, BACKPACK HEALTH, BACKPACK GIVEAWAY, HEALTH FAIR, AND SCHOOL SUPPLY, UH, GIVEAWAY.
AND I KNOW, MAYOR, YOU'VE GOT THE, UH, GIVEAWAY THIS SATURDAY.
AND THEN, UH, AUGUST 8TH, THERE'S ANOTHER GIVEAWAY.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, UH, COHA, THEY EXPECT 5,000, UH, STUDENTS TO APPEAR.
AND TO HAVE ALL THOSE RESOURCES IN A ONE-STOP SHOP IS A WONDERFUL ASSET FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR THE GOOD WORK THEY'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEMBER, EVAN SHAMA.
UM, I, I FIRST, AGAIN, WANT TO GIVE MY CONDOLENCES, BUT JUST THE STRENGTH OF MR. SALGADO TO COME DOWN AND ADDRESS COUNCIL IS SOMETHING THAT WAS HEART WRENCHING AND CERTAINLY, UH, WANT THEM TO KNOW THE FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE ARE DOING, UM, WHAT WE CAN WITH WHERE WE ARE.
AND CERTAINLY WE WANT EVERYONE PROTECTED.
UH, THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT IS GOING TO GO AWAY OR HAS GONE AWAY.
AND SO WE STILL, UM, HAVE THE COM, THE INTEREST, BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, ALONG WITH WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES THAT WE HAVE,
[03:05:02]
UM, TO TRY TO STOP THESE, UH, TRAVESTIES AND MURDERS.AND, UM, MOVING ON, I WANT TO RECAP OUR RECENT SENIOR EVENT AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, WHERE WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE OUR SENIORS.
OUR SENIORS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
THEY HAVE PRAYED FOR US, WORK FOR US, AND RAISE FAMILIES, BUILT NEIGHBORHOODS, AND HELP SHAPE THE DISTRICT D WE KNOW TODAY.
IT WAS AN HONOR TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM AND RECOGNIZE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND REMIND THEM THAT THEY ARE LOVED, VALUED, AND NEVER FORGOTTEN.
I WANNA THANK MRS. CLARICE FREEMAN, WHO NEXT MONTH WILL BE 106 YEARS OLD, WHO ALLOWED ME TO CHAUFFEUR HER TO THE EVENT, GOT IN THE CAR, GOT CAME OUT, LOCKED HER DOOR, GOT IN THE CAR ON HER OWN, GOT OUT OF THE CAR ON HER OWN, UH, I MEAN, SHE'S JUST AMAZING.
AND THEN LATER THAT EVENING, WENT TO THE DESTINY'S CHILD REVIEW.
UH, SO I MEAN, SHE HAD MORE ENERGY THAN I DID THAT DAY, BUT I WANT TO THANK HER AND THE MANY SENIORS WHO PARTICIPATED, WHO WERE OVER 90 YEARS OF AGE, I WANT TO THANK, UH, NIECY DUFFIELD DOBBINS AND HER MAGNIFICENT TEAM.
THE BREAK FREE MINISTRIES, ALL THE VENDORS AND THE FOOD, YOU CAN TELL I DON'T MISS MANY MEALS, WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
UPCOMING EVENT, CENTRAL CITY SWAT PROJECT COMMUNITY MEETING.
I ALSO WANT TO REMIND RESIDENTS ABOUT THE UPCOMING CENTRAL CITY SWAT PROJECT.
COMMUNITY MEETING, UH, AT CENTRAL CITY SWAT PROJECT.
COMMUNITY MEETING WILL BE HELD THURSDAY, TOMORROW, JULY 30TH AT 6:00 PM AT THE SHEREE FLORES GARDEN PAVILION AT MCGOVERN CENTENNIAL GARDENS AT HERMAN PARK.
1500 HERMAN DRIVE, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 0 4.
FREE PARKING IS AVAILABLE IN LOT C.
THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY THROUGH MICROSOFT TEAMS. THIS MEETING IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND THE DISTRICT D OFFICE ABOUT THE PROJECT, ASK QUESTIONS AND RECEIVE IMPORTANT UPDATES.
UH, WE ENCOURAGE CENTRAL CITY RESIDENTS TO ATTEND AND BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
ALSO UPCOMING WILL BE THE WORLD YOUTH FOUNDATION BACK TO SCHOOL JAM, UH, WHICH WILL BE, WHICH IS HAPPENING THIS SATURDAY AT THE, UH, AT FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM ALSO AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, 44 10 REED ROAD, UH, 7 7 0 0 0 5 1.
THIS EVENT WILL HELP STUDENTS AND FAMILIES PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES, RESOURCES, SUPPORT SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION.
I WANT TO THANK THE WORLD YOUTH FOUNDATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, AND ALL THE PARTNERS WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE START THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH CONFIDENCE AND SUPPORT.
UH, CERTAINLY, UH, JUST A SOMEWHAT OF A GOOD REPORT, EVEN THOUGH I AM, YOU KNOW, AND CONCERNED THAT ANYONE IS HOMELESS.
BUT A FRIEND A REACHED OUT TO TELL ME THAT HE IS AT THE, UH, HOMELESS CENTER, AND HE SAID IT WAS A VERY NICE FACILITY.
AND, UH, HE WAS SAYING THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEIR OWN RESTROOMS AND SHOWERS.
NOW HE IS CONCERNED THAT HE CAN'T BRING HIS OWN SNACKS IN, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN WORK ON THAT.
BUT HE INTENDS TO USE THAT FOR THE PURPOSE OF WHICH IT WAS DESIGNED, AND THAT IS TO GET ON HIS FEET SO THAT HE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN HIMSELF.
UM, AFTER THIS SITUATION, UH, MOVES FORWARD.
UM, CERTAINLY I ALSO WANT TO, UH, RECOGNIZE MY WONDERFUL INTERNS, AND THEIR LAST DAY IS FRIDAY.
AND THEY WERE THE ONES THAT THEY CAME IN AND THEY WORKED, THEY DID NOT PUSH, JUST PUSH PAPER AND ANSWER PHONES.
THEY ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED, WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE CONSTITUENTS, WITH THE DIRECTOR, THE DIRECTION OF MY CONSTITUENTS DIRECTOR, INGRAM MITCHUM, AND ALL OF MY STAFF, CC.
AND, UH, COREY, UH, WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH THEM.
WE WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THEM ON YESTERDAY, AND WE CERTAINLY WISH THEM WELL AS THEY ALL GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
AND SO, UM, THEN ON A SAD NOTE, I WANNA RECOGNIZE TUCKER TOOL, OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, AS HE PREPARES FOR HIS LAST DAY WITH THE DISTRICT D OFFICE.
TUCKER HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR TEAM, HELPING TELL THE STORY OF DISTRICT D, UPLIFTING OUR RESIDENTS, SUPPORTING OUR NEWSLETTERS, EVENTS, RECOGNITIONS, AND MAKING SURE THE WORK OF THIS OFFICE WAS COMMUNICATED WITH CARE AND PROFESSIONALISM.
TUCKER IS A PROUD MOREHOUSE MAN, A PROUD KAPPA, AND SOMEONE WHO HAS BROUGHT CREATIVITY, PRESENCE, AND HEART TO THIS OFFICE.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR HIS SERVICE, HIS CONTRIBUTIONS, AND THE ROLE HE HAS PLAYED IN HELPING US HIGHLIGHT THE PEOPLE, PROJECTS,
[03:10:01]
AND PROGRESS TAKING PLACE ACROSS DISTRICT D TUCKER, WE THANK YOU.WE CELEBRATE YOU, AND WE WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS AS YOU STEP INTO YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT IS GOING ON.
A LOT OF PEOPLE USED TO ASK TUCKER, WAS HE RELATED TO ME? AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, NO NEPOTISM.
I DIDN'T KNOW TUCKER BEFORE HE WAS HIRED, BUT CERTAINLY I KNOW HIM NOW, AND HE, I WOULD BE PROUD TO BE RELATED TO HIM IN ANY CAPACITY.
AND SO CERTAINLY THIS CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
I WANT TO START BY GIVING MY APPRECIATION FOR THE, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE TML BOARD TO YOU AND MY COLLEAGUES, AND, UH, RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S SERVICE ON THE TML BOARD AS SHE STEPS DOWN.
IT'S A BIG ORGANIZATION, AND HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, PLAYS A BIG PART IN TML.
SHE HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB OF REPRESENTING US AND, UH, WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER SERVICE.
THIS PAST WEEKEND, I WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST BACK TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR, PUT ON BY RO LAN ON HARRISBURG.
A FEW CITY DEPARTMENTS WERE OUT THERE, 3 1 1, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND, AND A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT WERE THERE TO RECEIVE, UH, BACKPACKS AND HEALTH, UH, SCREENINGS AND, AND WANNA THANK THEM FOR PUTTING THAT EVENT ON.
IT WAS A PRETTY HOT AFTERNOON, UH, BUT PEOPLE WERE STILL OUT THERE SHOWING UP.
AND ALSO, UM, THE THRUST CDC CORPORATION HERDING REACHED UNIVERSALLY STRENGTHENED.
THEY HAD A CEREMONY, UH, WHERE ALL THE YOUTH THAT PARTICIPATED, UM, I WAS ABLE TO GO AND, AND VISIT WITH THEM AND, UH, RECOGNIZE THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS.
UM, IT'S AN OUTREACH MINISTRY COMMITTED TO EMPOWERING YOUTH AND INSPIRING THEM TO BE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
WE, WE WORKED WITH THEM ON A, A BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT A FEW WEEKS AGO AND, AND NOW WITH THEIR, UM, THEIR, UH, CERTIFICATE RECOGNITION PROGRAM THAT THEY HAD, UH, THIS PAST SATURDAY IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, APPRECIATE ALL THAT THEY DO IN THE COMMUNITY.
THIS COMING SATURDAY, I'LL BE PARTNERING WITH THE FIRST WARD COMMUNITY.
WE'RE GONNA BE OUT, UH, CLEANING CROCKETT ELEMENTARY, UH, WITH SOME LANDSCAPING, POWER WASHING, TREE TRIMMING, WEEDING, STARTING AT 8:30 AM AS WE HELP GET THAT SCHOOL READY, UH, FOR STUDENTS.
I'VE DONE THIS, UH, IN A FEW COMMUNITIES, UH, BEFORE BACK TO SCHOOL.
I'M EXCITED TO BE OUT AT CROCKETT 8:30 AM AND, AND THERE'S STILL A NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS IF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO, TO SHOW UP AND HELP OUT.
YESTERDAY, UH, MAYOR, I SENT A LETTER TO YOU AROUND THE GAS STATION, UH, MORATORIUM 90 DAY, UH, PAUSE REQUESTING ONE.
I HAVE SINCE RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION AROUND, UH, SOME STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT, UH, WOULD COME INTO PLAY IF HOUSTON WERE TO TRY AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, THAT WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING TO KNOW, UH, BUT ALSO APPRECIATE THE COMMITMENT FROM CITY LEGAL, UH, YOUR ADMINISTRATION ON LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT HOUSTON CAN DO, UH, TO HELP PROTECT HOUSTONIANS.
AS WE HAVE SEEN A NUMBER OF THESE, UH, FACILITIES POP UP, VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY, UM, TO RESIDENTS AND HOMES AND THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAVING ON COMMUNITIES, UH, AND LOOK FORWARD TO, TO COMING TO SOME SOLUTION THERE BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING THEM, UM, ALL OVER, NOT JUST IN MY DISTRICT.
UH, AND THEY ARE HAVING A DIRECT IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND FINALLY, TO FOLKS THAT SHOWED UP YESTERDAY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, UH, COMING UP ON THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF EVENING PUBLIC SESSION.
THAT, THAT FIRST ONE WAS IN AUGUST.
UM, AND WE'VE HAD SOME ROBUST ATTENDANCE AT THESE EVENING, UH, MEETINGS.
I THINK THAT THEY HAVE ACHIEVED THE GOAL OF EXPANDING ACCESS FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND INTERACT WITH AND EXPRESS, UH, THEIR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS TO THEIR ELECTED LEADERS.
UM, AND WE ARE THE CLOSEST TO THE PEOPLE AT CITY COUNCIL.
WE MEET EVERY WEEK, AND THEY CAN COME AND TALK TO US.
UH, THEY CAN'T ALWAYS DO THAT WITH THEIR SENATORS AND THEIR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES, UH, THEIR STATE REPRESENTATIVES, BUT THEY CAN DO THAT WITH US.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE CONTINUE THAT.
UH, I WANT TO END MY COMMENTS TODAY BY, UH, LENDING MY VOICE TO THE CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF THE LAST TWO WITNESSES THAT ARE STILL HELD IN ICE CUSTODY, VICTOR SALGADO ARJO, AND DANIEL VO PANTOJA, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE TRANSPARENCY, UH, THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE, THE FACTS AND THE JUSTICE FOR
[03:15:01]
LORENZO AND CONTINUE TO PURSUE THAT.THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE NIGHT SESSIONS.
I REALLY ENJOY 'EM
UM, I WANNA START THIS WEEK BY, UM, STATING IT WAS CONFIRMED BY DA CHANTE THAT THE SUBSTANCES FOUND IN LORENZO SAL'S VAN WAS NOT INDEED DRUGS, BUT AN ELECTROLYTE MIX FOR INDIVIDUALS DOING HOT WORK OUT IN THE TEXAS SUN.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT, THOUGH, BEING SET BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS MAKING UNTRUE CLAIMS. AND I WANT TO CHALLENGE OUR MEDIA PARTNERS AND ALSO PUSH BACK ON ICE, UM, TO FACT CHECK AND BE HONEST AND, AND ENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION GETTING OUT, UH, IS TRULY ACCURATE.
THIS ALSO SPEAKS TO ICE'S CREDIBILITY, AND WE HAVE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO STRETCH AND PUSH INFORMATION TO FIT THEIR OWN NARRATIVE.
AND FRANKLY, WE WON'T STAND FOR THAT.
I STILL DEMAND FOR ICE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND FOR A FULL AND TRANSPARENT INVESTIGATION, AND THE RELEASING OF THE OTHER TWO INDIVIDUALS WOULD SURELY HELP IN THAT.
ON A BRIGHTER NOTE, I WILL BE IN MONTROSE THIS SATURDAY AT 8:00 AM HELPING TO CLEAN THE WALL BIKE LANE WITH, UH, SOME AMAZING PARTNERS WE HAVE BY HOUSTON COMING OUT THE NEAR TOWN, MONTROSE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, FRIENDS OF THE BOULEVARD AND THE NORTH MONTROSE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, UM, HELPING TO CLEAN OUR REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE BIKE LANES.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WANNA, UH, CONGRATULATE AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER MARK CASTILLO FOR BEING APPOINTED TO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THAT'S A REALLY IMPRESSIVE, UH, UH, ACHIEVEMENT, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU REPRESENT HOUSTON.
I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ELLIE CUNNINGHAM, THE DISTRICT G SUMMER INTERN.
THANK YOU FOR SPENDING YOUR SUMMER AT CITY HALL.
UM, YOU ARE AN INCREDIBLE WORKER AND GOOD LUCK AS YOU RETURN TO BAYLOR IN THE FALL.
ALSO, WE HAVE SOME CONSTRUCTION GOING ON OUT WEST, UM, AROUND ASHFORD PARKWAY, AND I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY MORE THAN ONE CONSTITUENT TO TELL ME HOW GREAT THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HAS BEEN OUT THERE, WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS JOB.
JFT CONSTRUCTION, UM, MORE THAN ONE RESIDENT HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE, THEY'RE COURTEOUS, THEY CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES.
UM, THEY, THEY'RE JUST LOVING THE WORK OUT THERE, SO THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, DID A LOT OF THINGS LAST WEEK, ONE OF WHICH WAS ATTENDING A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING IN THE EAST AND, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS 45 AND 88 COMBINED MEETING GREATER EASTWOOD AND LAWNDALE WAYSIDE.
A NUMBER OF FOLKS SPOKE THERE, INCLUDING COLLEAGUE COUNCIL, MEMBER SALINAS, UM, DA SEAN TIER.
SPOKE TO THE GROUP AND UPDATED THE GROUP ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE INVESTIGATION.
AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, I KNOW A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE CALLED FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW THAT WHAT DA TIER IS DOING IS AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION.
HE'S USING HIS OWN STAFF, UH, INVESTIGATORS AND LAWYERS TO GATHER AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE, AND THE CITY IS HELPING WITH THAT.
HPD IS PROVIDING, UH, WHAT SUPPORT IT CAN.
I VISITED WITH CHIEF DIAZ YESTERDAY, AND HE, HE, UH, TALKED ABOUT THAT, UH, THE HELP THAT THEY'RE GIVING TO DA SEAN TIER DA TIER INDICATED THAT, UM, HE WAS SATISFIED WITH THE HELP THAT HE'S GETTING FROM HPD.
SO THEY ARE WORKING TOGETHER, AND I KNOW THAT, THAT IN TIME, UH, THEY WILL GET ACCESS TO AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE SO THAT, UH, IF THEY CAN PRESENT EVIDENCE TO A GRAND JURY TO SEE IF STATE LAW VIOLATIONS OCCURRED, THEY WILL DO THAT.
BUT SLOWLY, THEY ARE GETTING ACCESS TO INFORMATION.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW CHIEF DIAZ IS DOING WHAT HE CAN TO HELP WITH THAT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC KNOWS THERE IS AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION GOING ON, BEING CONDUCTED BY DA TIER.
HE WILL COME TO HIS OWN CONCLUSIONS AFTER GATHERING, UH, THE FACTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO HIM AND, UM, AND MAY IN THE FUTURE BE PRESENTING THAT TO A GRAND JURY.
UM, LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SALLY ALCORN DOING HER CIVIC DUTY LAST WEEK, SERVING ON A JURY, ONE OF OUR, UH, CRIMINAL JURIES HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY.
SHE ANSWERED HER JURY SUMMONS AND SHOWED UP AND SAT ALL WEEK ON A MURDER TRIAL, WHICH WAS HER SECOND MURDER TRIAL.
I UNDERSTAND, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS AN IMPORTANT CIVIC DUTY.
A LOT OF FOLKS IGNORE THEIR, THEIR JURY SUMMONS.
I EXPERIENCED THAT WHEN I WORKED AT, AT THE COURTHOUSE, UH, MANY TIMES.
THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THERE WERE TRIAL SET, BUT YOU COULDN'T START TRIAL BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET ENOUGH JURORS TO SHOW UP.
[03:20:01]
SALLY, FOR SHOWING UP AND DOING YOUR, YOUR PART.AND PUBLICLY, AT THE CONGRESSIONAL HEARING, SHATI RAMIREZ SAID THAT EACH DAY GETS BETTER WITH INFORMATION DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE TEXAS RANGERS ARE INVOLVED.
SO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT PROCESS TO GO FORWARD.
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU, UM, SO MUCH FOR ME TO SHARE.
UH, ONE, WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT THE, UH, RULING ON OUR PROGRAM, I WAS DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED.
BUT MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS ABOUT, UH, MY FIRST THOUGHT WENT TO A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, ERNEST MCGOWAN.
UM, AND I WAS JUST IMAGINING THE DAY WHEN THE CITY CELEBRATED, UH, THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT IT MEANT TO THE CITY, UH, FOR OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I WAS THINKING OF, UH, THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO ADVOCATED IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
AND THEN I WAS ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE COMMENTARY THAT I HEARD AND WITNESSED DURING THE HORSESHOE AS WE DISCUSSED THIS AS A BODY, AND HOW DISAPPOINTING SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE, UM, IN THIS CITY.
UH, WE BOAST OF DIVERSITY, BUT DURING THAT MOMENT, IT WAS ALMOST AS IF IT WERE, WE WERE CREATING AN US VERSUS THEM TONE IN OUR CITY.
AND WE ARE BETTER THAN THE CL THIS NATIONAL CLIMATE.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY DISAPPOINTING.
UM, DIRECTOR HORDE IS, HER LEADERSHIP IS UNMATCHED, AND I THINK SHE HAS LED, OF COURSE, WITH OUR MAYOR, PRO TEM LED US THROUGH THIS WITH THE LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND SETTING A STANDARD ON WHAT WE KNOW AS A CITY WE GET TO DO, UM, TO CONTINUE TO CREATE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, BUT YEAH, I'M THINKING ABOUT, UH, ERNEST MCGOWAN AND THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THIS AND WHAT THEY SET FORTH AND HOW THAT'S UNRAVELING.
UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR DISTRICT F INTERNS, IMAN AND ALA.
CAN YOU STAND UP? UH, IMAN'S HEADED TO HARVARD, Y'ALL.
UM, SO SHE IS ON HER WAY OUT, BUT WE WILL NOT RELEASE HER UNTIL HER PROJECTS ARE DONE.
SO, UH, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, EXTREMELY BLESSED WITH THE, THE TWO YOUNG LADIES WHO HAVE JOINED US.
UM, THEY HAVE BEEN ACTIVE AND AILEY VOTES AND SO MANY DIFFERENT CIVIC INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, SO THEM SERVING AS INTERNS, UM, THEY DID NOT SKIP A BEAT.
UH, AND, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UH, CHOOSING TO SERVE WITH US, UH, THIS SUMMER.
UH, ALA WILL, UH, UH, ATTEND AI LEAF TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL AS A RISING SENIOR.
AND THEN WE WILL, WE WILL SURELY SEE IMAN SOON AS SHE, UM, MOVES TO THE EAST COAST TO PURSUE HER EDUCATION.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
THEY'VE LED A, A SERIES OF EVENTS, AND ANOTHER ONE WE'LL HAVE A BRICK DISTRIBUTION.
THE OLD ALE PENNINGTON LIBRARY IS OFFICIALLY DEMOLISHED.
UM, GETTING THAT, UH, BUILDING DOWN.
UM, MANY OF YOU RECALL, UH, THE NEW LIBRARY HAS BEEN ACTIVE AND OPEN SINCE 2023.
UM, AND THIS LOCATION WILL BE DEDICATED TO INCREASED DRAINAGE DETENTION IN THE AREA TO PROTECT SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS FROM FLOODING.
WE HAVE SECURED 170 COMMEMORATIVE BRICKS, AND WE HAVE A 40 PERSON WAIT LIST, SO THANK YOU GSD AND TO THE HOT TEAM FOR SECURING THOSE.
THE DISTRIBUTION WILL BE ON THURSDAY, TOMORROW, JULY 29TH AT 3:00 PM AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
WE WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET THERE.
THIS IS A DRIVE THROUGH EVENT.
YOU SHOULD ALREADY HAVE AN EMAIL REMINDER IN YOUR INBOX.
AND SO I'M LISTENING TO MIN, THE PLENTY STORE, PLENTY OF STORIES FROM RESIDENTS OF HOW THEY FELL IN LOVE WITH LIBRARIES, READING, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, CONNECTIONS, HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, SECURED THEIR FIRST PASSPORT, UM, BECAUSE OF THE LIBRARY, UM, WHERE THE LIBRARY SERVED AS THEIR BABYSITTER 'CAUSE THEIR PARENTS HAD TO WORK.
ALL OF THOSE STORIES, UH, UH, IS WHAT MAKES OUR CITY SO AMAZING.
UM, AND OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES SO IMPORTANT IN EACH COMMUNITY.
I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT BECAUSE OF THE HEAT ADVISORY, OUR ANNUAL FIRE CANVASSING EVENT WILL BE PUSHED BACK TO AUGUST 4TH DURING OUR ANNUAL SUMMER OF SAFETY.
WE'VE HAD A SERIES OF HOUSE FIRES IN CATALINA SQUARE, HUNTINGTON VILLAGE.
AND SO THAT WILL BE ON AUGUST 4TH FROM 9:30 AM TO 1:00 PM AND WE INTENTIONALLY KNOCK DOORS IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND REMIND INDIVIDUALS ABOUT SMOKE DETECTORS AND THAT HOUSTON FIRE WILL INSTALL AND PROVIDE AT NO COST TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HOME SAFE.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE THAT HAPPENING.
I WANNA THANK HOUSTON FIRE FOR PARTNERING WITH OUR OFFICE ANNUALLY.
AGAIN, I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT AND THANK HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
THANK YOU FOR MOVING EXPEDITIOUSLY TO COMPLETE THE DRAINAGE PROJECT ON WESTWICK DRIVE AND ASHTON VILLAGE.
UH, YOU CAN SNEEZE ON THAT STREET AND IT WOULD FLOOD.
[03:25:01]
THANK YOU FOR MO YOU, YOU COULD SNEEZE AND IT'S THE WATER TO YOUR KNEES ON THE SNEEZE.THE RESIDENTS ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL EVEN WITH WEATHER DELAYS, YOU WERE ABLE TO GET THIS DONE, AND THERE'S MORE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO COME DOWN THE LINES.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT.
UH, WE HAVE ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO REMAINING GUN LOCKS.
IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL GUN LOCK DISTRIBUTION.
AND SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SECURING YOUR GUN LOCK, UM, THIS SUMMER, AS WE PROTECT, UH, HOUSEHOLD AND FAMILIES FROM, UH, ACCESSIBILITY TO GUNS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS FACILITATED AS WELL.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUTDOOR MEDIA AND HOUSTON SWIM WAVES CLUB, WE HAVE A BILLBOARD PROMOTING OUR SWIM EVENT.
THIS IS A REAL PHOTO, LET ME SAY THAT FIRST.
UH, THANK YOU, UM, AND, UH, OUR SWIM EVENT.
BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, TO BRING TO THE POINT THAT OF COURSE, WE'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO USE, UM, ALL OF OUR CITY POOLS AT NO COST TO YOU.
TEXAS HAS ALREADY EXPERIENCED 44 DROWNINGS IN THE STATE WITH NINE BEING WITHIN HARRIS COUNTY.
MOST OF THOSE ARE HAPPENING AT APARTMENT COMPLEXES OR PRIVATE POOLS.
UM, AND SO I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR CITY POOLS WHERE WE HAVE TRAINED CERTIFIED LIFEGUARDS THERE.
UM, SO YOU CAN ENJOY SWIMMING AS YOU ESCAPE THE HEAT ADVISORY AND ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, THIS IS A PART OF OUR ANNUAL SUMMER OF SAFETY EVENT, AND OUR THEME AROUND THE SWIM EVENT IS THAT DROWNING IS SILENT, BUT PREVENTION IS LOUD.
UM, AND SO WE ARE WORKING, UM, WITH THE HOUSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, TO CONTINUE TO A, UM, ADVOCATE AND INFORM FAMILIES ON HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO LESSONS.
SO CHECK US OUT ON WEST TIMER AND HIGHWAY SIX.
OKAY? UH, AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, UM, I JUST WANNA, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTS, UH, WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED NEWSLETTER GOING OUT OUTLINING ALL OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS FROM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, STORM WATER ACTION, UM, ANY METRO, UM, MILLING PROJECTS TO COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS.
WE HAVE AROUND 20 PROJECTS THAT ARE DELAYED IN THE QUEUE.
WE'VE, UH, PASSED A COUPLE OF CONTRACTS AT THE, AT THIS BODY TO MOVE THE BACKLOG FORWARD.
SO WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT STEP, BUT THIS SPECIAL CALL EMAIL WILL PROVIDE YOU A DETAILED UPDATE OF ALL OF THE PROJECTS SO NEIGHBORHOODS ARE INFORMED AND YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF.
UM, GIVE US SOME TIME AS ADDITIONAL CONTRACTS COME TO THE BODY SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE CAN WE CONTINUE TO ENHANCE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY SIDEWALKS, PANEL REPLACEMENTS, YOU NAME IT.
ALL OF THAT IS IN THE QUEUE, UM, WITH THE PRIORITY.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF MY COMMENTS.
UM, UH, CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, YOU SIGNED UP FOR MORE FREE WORK.
UH, UM, FREE WORK BOX LUNCHES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME.
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO, THEY NEVER SELECT ME AS A JUROR, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT THEY, THEY SAY GET HER OUTTA HERE.
OKAY? YOU WANT
OH, AND THEN LASTLY, I, I FORGOT ON AUGUST 1ST, 85 D FROM 8:00 AM TILL ONE P TILL 11 AT P AM WILL HOST THEIR BACK TO SCHOOL HEALTH SCREENING.
AND THEN YOU CAN LEAVE A LEAVE HEAD TO THE GEORGIA BROWN UNTIL 2:00 PM WHERE THE MAYOR'S HOSTING HIS ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL AT GEORGIA BROWN.
SO IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY, UM, FROM THE WEST SIDE TO DOWNTOWN TO SECURE AS MANY, UM, SCHOOL SUPPLIES AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN ON AUGUST 8TH, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH AGAPE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP, UM, FOR THEIR ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL AS WELL.
SO MAYOR, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME BACKPACKS, WINK, WINK, UH, TO DISTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF BACKPACKS.
I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE FOOD BANK WHO HELPED, UH, PUT THE ITEMS IN THE BACKPACK.
SHELL ALL FURNISH THE RESOURCES AND NOT ONLY IS IT BACKPACK BACK TO SCHOOL, BUT HEALTH FAIR.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR DISTRICT, OUR CONSTITUENTS, TO GET THEIR DENTAL SCREENINGS AND EVEN EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS A MEASLES VACCINATION.
THERE IS INCIDENTS OF MEASLES.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A CRISIS, BUT WE DON'T WANT ONE.
SO HAVE PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE, TO GO BE VACCINATED FOR MEASLES AT SATURDAY MORNING.
GEORGE BROWN, WOULD THAT ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OF, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO? UH, BE CAREFUL WHO YOU MEET ON THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.
AND I JUST MENTIONED TO HER, IF YOU'D HAVE TOLD ME THEN THAT WE'D BE SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER IN THIS HORSESHOE, I WOULD'VE, UH, BEEN SURPRISED.
SO THANK YOU TO TAKE FULL OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK AND REPRESENT THE CITY OF HOUSTON
[03:30:02]
WITH THAT LONG WIND.I DON'T WANT YOU TO SIT THERE ALL DAY WITHOUT BEING RECOGNIZED.
LONG THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, STAN, AND BE RECOGNIZED.
GREAT, GREAT, GREAT PART OF HOUSTON'S FUTURE.
WE DON'T MEET NEXT WEEK MEMBERS.
UH, WE'LL MEET AGAIN ON AUGUST 11TH AT ONE 30.
WITH THAT SAID, EVERYONE BE SAFE AND, UH, LET'S GO TO WORK.