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RECOGNIZ IS[Additional Item]
COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER FOR A PROCLAMATION, RECOGNIZING CHENE ENERGY, INC.FOR THE CHENE PUBLIC PARKS IMPACT DAY.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, DIRECTOR ALLEN, UH, TINA ORTIZ, AND OUR FRIENDS FROM CHENE ENERGY, UH, CFO, ZACH DAVIS.
AND WENDY CRAVEN, DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL GIVING.
SO TODAY WE'RE HERE TO RECOGNIZE THE EFFORTS OF THE PARTNERSHIP WITH CHENE ENERGY AND LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SPECIFICALLY IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TODAY.
UM, THE IMPROVEMENTS VIA YOUTH SOCCER, COMMUNITY RECREATION, AND JUST REALLY MAKING OUR CITY A BETTER PLACE IS WHY WE'RE HERE.
WITH CHENE, THEY'VE INVESTED OVER $600,000, COUNTLESS VOLUNTEER HOURS, THEIR TIME AND ENERGY AND COMMITMENT SO FAR, THEIR WORK HAS ENHANCED 14 PARKS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO WE'RE HONORED TODAY TO HAVE OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEER ENERGY HERE TO RECOGNIZE AND ACKNOWLEDGE ALL YOU DO FOR OUR CITY.
SO ON BEHALF OF JANENE PUBLIC PARKS IMPACT DAY, WHEREAS AUGUST 18TH, 2026, THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND IT'S PARKS, IT'S HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, JOIN SOCCER FOR SUCCESS COACHES, YOUTH PARTICIPANTS AND FAMILIES, AND RECOGNIZING CH JANENE ENERGY INC.
AND ITS EMPLOYEES AT CITY HALL FOR THEIR MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS TO IMPROVING THE CITY'S PARKS AND SOCCER FIELDS.
AND WHEREAS H PART IS COMMITTED TO ENHANCING PARK FACILITIES AND EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH SOCCER, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVE LIFESTYLES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT HOUSTON.
AND WHEREAS CHENE SHARES THIS COMMITMENT THROUGH ITS IMPACT DAY INITIATIVE THROUGH WHICH HAS PARTNERED WITH HPR TO COM CON, CONTRIBUTE, CONTRIBUTE, CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN A THOUSAND, I CAN'T READ TODAY, A THOUSAND EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER HOURS, AND INVEST OVER 600,000, $600,000 ACROSS THE PAST FIVE YEARS TO IMPROVE 14 CITY PARKS AND SOCCER FIELDS, INCLUDING ZURI MALONE, OUR PARK, WOODRUFF, EARL HENDERSON, AND MANY, MANY MORE.
I'M NOT GONNA READ 'EM ALL, AND IN GRANDO, ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
WHEREAS THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ENGINEERS STRENGTHENS NEIGHBORHOODS, SUPPORTS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, ENHANCES PUBLIC GREEN SPACES WHERE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES CAN PLAY, GATHER, PLAY SOCCER AND THRIVE EXEMPLIFYING THE POSITIVE IMPACT ACHIEVED WHEN CORPORATE PARTNERS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITE TO ENRICH THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS.
AND WHEREAS FOLLOWING THE HISTORIC FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 HOSTED IN HOUSTON THIS SUMMER, THE LEGACY OF THE GLOBAL EVENT IS MEASURED NOT ONLY BY THE EXCITEMENT ON THE PITCH, BUT ALSO BY THE LOCAL CHILDREN INSPIRED TO BECOME FUTURE PLAYERS, COACHES, LEADERS, AND FANS WHO WILL CARRY THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME FORWARD IN CITY PARKS FOR YEARS TO COME.
AND WHEREAS HANNIE ENERGY'S INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC PARKS, YOUTH SPORTS, AND RECREATIONAL SPACES, ALONGSIDE THIS LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH H PARK TRULY REFLECT THE GENEROSITY, CIVIC MINDEDNESS, AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT THAT DEFINE HOUSTON AND ITS PEOPLE.
THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 18TH, 2026 AT CHENE PUBLIC PARKS IMPACT DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? THIS IS YOUR BIG MOMENT.
UM, JUST VERY PROUD OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS TOGETHER AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
ZACH, WENDY, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CITY, TO OUR CHILDREN, UM, JUST WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU GUYS, UM, DAILY, UH, IMPROVING NOT ONLY PARKS, BUT SOCCER FIELDS WITH THE, THE END RESULT OF WHAT YOU DO.
WE GET TO SEE THE KIDS KICKING, LAUGHING, PLAYING, AND DEVELOPING.
AND I WANNA TAKE THIS TIME ALSO TO HAVE THE REST OF THE PARK TEAM THAT STOOD ALONGSIDE OF YOU GUYS, UH, WORKING IN THIS HEAT.
UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND UP BEHIND ME?
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THESE ARE THE COACHES, MENTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND GUYS THAT TAKE CARE OF THE, UH, GROUNDS.WOULD YOU PLEASE COME UP FOR A, UH, PHOTO OP AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD? HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
BEFORE WE, UM, DIRECT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER BEFORE WE DO PHOTOS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM, AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR.
I ALWAYS GET IT WRONG, BUT JUST THANK YOU FOR JUST FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
UM, I REPRESENT DISTRICT B AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO UPGRADE, I WOULD SAY PRACTICALLY EVERY PARK IN DISTRICT B THROUGH DUE TO THIS PARTNERSHIP.
AND SO, UM, PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE HOW WE MOVE OUR DISTRICTS FORWARD, OUR COMMUNITY FORWARD.
AND SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
AND AGAIN, PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, DIRECTOR ALLEN, YOU GUYS HAVE LIKE BEEN ON OUR PHONES.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING, WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DISTRICT B PARKS.
AND AGAIN, THIS PARTNERSHIP HAS HELPED US ACCOMPLISH OUR OVERALL GOAL IN HAVING SOME PARKS WHERE OUR CONSTITUENTS CAN GO AND PLAY AND ENJOY AND WALK AND JUST REALLY, UM, ENJOY THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
WHERE JACKSON FOR A PROCLAMATION TO MERTIS ST.
FOR HIS WORK OVER THE YEARS WITH THE PRAIRIE VIEW TRAIL WRITERS FOR HIS 71ST 71ST BIRTHDAY.
UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM, AND THANK YOU, MR. MYS FAMILY CAN COME UP.
AND BEFORE I, BEFORE I READ THIS PROCLAMATION, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE, HISTORY, AND LEGACY.
THE STORY OF WEST AMERICAN WEST CANNOT BE TOLD WITHOUT THE STORY OF BLACK COWBOYS.
THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE WOVEN INTO THE HISTORY OF TEXAS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT ONLY REMEMBER THAT HISTORY, BUT ALSO CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE WHO CONTINUE TO KEEP THAT HISTORY ALIVE.
AND SO TODAY WE HONOR MR. DITMAN, A MAN WHO HAS CARRIED FORWARD AN EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY LEGACY WHILE MAKING HIS OWN THROUGH THE PRAIRIE TRAIL RIDERS, HE HAS HELPED PRESERVE OUR BLACK WESTERN HERITAGE, PASSED THEIR TRADITIONS ON TO OTHER GENERATIONS, AND REMINDED US THAT HISTORY BELONGS IN THE STORY OF TEXAS.
SO, UM, I'M HONORED TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR GUEST COME ON UP.
AND I KNOW WE GONNA DO A LITTLE PRAYER TOO, RIGHT? Y'ALL GONNA DO? OKAY.
SO WE GONNA GO AHEAD AND READ THE PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS ON AUGUST THE 18TH, 2026, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WARMLY WELCOMES MR. DIMAN JR.
TO CITY HALL AS HE IS LAUDED BEFORE THE COMMUNITY FOR HIS DEDICATED, LONGSTANDING WORK WITH THE PRAIRIE VIEW TRAIL RIDERS, THE OLDEST BLACK TRAIL WIDE ASSOCIATION IN TEXAS, AND FOR HIS CONTINUED IMPACT ON THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA AND THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WHEREAS MR. DIMAN DIMAN JR.
CARRIES FORWARD THE LEGACY OF HIS FATHER, MIDIS DIMAN, A PIONEER AFRICAN AMERICAN COWBOY RODEO HALL, OR FAMER AND RODEO ICON WHO CO-FOUNDED THE PRAIRIE TRAIL WRITERS THE FIRST AMERICAN GROUP TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO.
IT'S TRAIL RIDES GO TEXANS DAY AND PARADE IN 1957.
AND WHEREAS BUILDING UP ON THE HISTOR HISTORIC FOUNDATION LAID BY HIS FATHER, MIRUS DIMAN, AM I GONNA SAY IT RIGHT? TIS MES.
MR. MERTIS DITMAN JR ENSURES THIS LEGACY THRIVES BY DEDICATING HIS EFFORTS TO UPLIFTING FUTURE GENERATIONS THROUGH MENTORSHIP,
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EDUCATION, AND EXPOSURE TO AGRICULTURAL AND RODEO TRADITIONS.AND WHEREAS AS THE ACTIVE LEADER WITHIN THE VIEW TRAIL RIDERS, HE ORGANIZES YOUTH FOCUS EVENTS, LEAD COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVES, AND CREATE COMMUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN CHARACTER BUILDING ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE DISCIPLINE, RESPONSIBILITY, TEAMWORK, AND HORSEMANSHIP IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
AND WHEREAS HIS DEVOTED INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PRAIRIE VIEW TRAIL RIDERS BRINGS TOGETHER DIVERSE POPULATIONS, FOSTER COMMUNITY PRIDE STRENGTHENS HOUSTON'S CULTURE IDENTITY AND ENSURE THE HISTORY OF CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN COWBOYS REMAIN CELEBRATED BRIDGE HOUSTON URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES.
AND WHEREAS ON THIS GREAT OCCASION, IN CONJUNCTION WITH HIS 75TH BIRTHDAY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY RECOGNIZES MR. BITMAN JR.
FOR HIS DECADES OF OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY SERVICE, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, AND THE PRESERVATION OF WESTERN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE.
AND WHEREAS THE IMAGE OF MR. D'S GENIUS ATOP HIS TRUST HEART TRULY EXEMPLIFIES THE VERY BEST OF HOUSTON'S VALUES, COMMUNITY DIVERSITY AND LEGACY.
AND THEREFORE, MAYOR PRO TEM, THEREFORE I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 18TH, 2026 AS PRAIRIE VIEW TRAIL RIDERS DAY IN HOUSTON.
TATUM, ALL THESE COWBOYS AND COWGIRLS UP HERE, Y'ALL? YES.
YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? OKAY.
I'D LIKE TO THANK GOD FIRST GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, WHICH I WAS BORN IN.
I AM A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, SO PROUD OF THAT FOR SURE.
AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE MAYOR AND HIS TEAM AND PRAIRIE VIEW 12 ASSOCIATION IS 71 YEARS OR NEXT YEAR, I MEAN 70 YEARS.
I'M SORRY, I'M 71, SHE SAID 75, BUT I AIN'T MADE TO SEVEN FIVE YET.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, WE'LL CELEBRATING 70 YEARS OF TRAIL RIDING, WHICH IS A MILESTONE WHICH WE GOING, WE NECK AND NECK WITH THE PRAIRIE VIEW UNIVERSITY, WHO'S CELEBRATING 150 YEARS.
SO WE GOT GREAT CELEBRATION COMING NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE HOPE Y'ALL OUT COME, COME TO SOME OF THE CELEBRATIONS THAT WE'LL BE, UH, ANNOUNCING IN IN JANUARY FOR SURE.
WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND COME OUT AND SEE AND ENJOY, UH, THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PRAIRIE VIEW TRAIL RIDES ASSOCIATION.
ONCE AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY AND ALL MY FAMILIES AND FRIENDS THAT CAME OUT TODAY AND MY PRAIRIE VIEW FAMILY ALSO.
ON BEHALF OF THE MYS DIGHTON JUNIOR PROCLAMATION DAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO ALSO HONOR WITH THE COWBOY PRAYER BY MR. HAROLD CASH.
DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE'LL PAUSE IN THE MIDST OF THIS OCCASION, GIVE HONOR AND THANKS TO DEE FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE.
LIFE FOR TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISING, BUT DEAR GOD, WE KNOW YOU CAN MAKE IT EVERLASTING.
YOU ARE THE GUIDED LIGHT AND YOU CAN MAKE IT SHINE IN THE VERY, VERY DARKNESS OF NIGHT FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO.
DEAR GOD, AS A COWBOY, WE'LL ASK NO SPECIAL FABLES, NOT AS TO BREAK A BARRIER IN A TIME EVENT, OR EVEN JOIN A HORSE.
AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DEAR GOD, DON'T MAKE US ABOVE NORMAL THAT WE MIGHT RIDE A BULL THAT'S NEVER, NEVER BEEN ROLLED, BUT GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO PERFORM IN THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AND WE MAKE THAT LAST RIDE.
OH YES, LORD, LET THAT BE THE RIDE INTO YOUR HEAVEN WHILE THE GRASS WE DON'T REALLY KNOW, IT JUST MIGHT GROW A LUST GREEN AND IT MIGHT EVEN GROW.
YOU AS OUR FOUND JUDGE, TELL US THAT OUR ENTRY FEES HAVE BEEN PAID IN FULL.
THESE BLESSING, WE ASK IN YOUR NAME, LET US ALL SAY AMEN.
FOR THE MIGHTY GOD THAT WE SERVE, WE GONNA GO OUTSIDE.
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THERE YOU GO,I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO RECOGNIZE THE REESTABLISHMENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 45 IN THE NORTHLINE AREA.
WE ALL KNOW THE VITAL ROLE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS PLAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH ADVOCACY AND IN WORK WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE.
SO, UH, THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOW CELEBRATING THE REESTABLISHMENT OF NORTHLINE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS A, A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT.
AND WE HAVE THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT, PASTOR DEB, HERE TO RECEIVE THE, THE REC RECOGNITION.
WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE ESTABLISHED IN 1999 PROVIDES A COLLABORATIVE FRAMEWORK THAT EMPOWERS RESIDENTS, CIVIC LEADERS, BUSINESSES, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS TO UNITE WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO STRENGTHEN NEIGHBORHOODS AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND WHEREAS FOLLOWING THE DEVASTATION OF HURRICANE HARVEY AND 2017 NORTHLINE RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, UNITED TO FORM THE NORTHLINE COMMUNITY REVIVAL COALITION, DEVELOPING THE VISIONARY TENURE, HEALTHY, WEALTHY WISE AND RESILIENT NORTHLINE COMMUNITY PLAN TO ADVANCE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND RESILIENCE.
AND THROUGH DEDICATED COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S DEPARTMENT AND NEIGHBORHOODS LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, ORGANIZED AND ESTABLISHED SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 45, CREATING A UNIFIED REPRESENTATIVE BODY THAT AMPLIFIES THE VOICES OF NORTHLINE RESIDENTS AND FOSTERS COLLABORATION ACROSS NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, FAITH COMMUNITIES, CIVIC LEADERS.
AND WHEREAS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 45 EXEMPLIFIES THE SPIRIT OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT THROUGH VOLUNTEERISM, NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCACY, COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING, SERVING AS A MODEL FOR RESIDENT LED INITIATIVES THAT STRENGTHEN THE NORTHLINE COMMUNITY AND EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
AND WHEREAS ON AUGUST 18TH, 2026, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WARMLY WELCOMES THE RESIDENTS, VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND LEADERS OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 45 TO CITY HALL AND PROUDLY RECOGNIZES THEIR COLLECTIVE SERVICE, VISION AND DEDICATED COMMITMENT TO ENHANCING THE VITALITY, SAFETY, AND PROSPERITY OF THE NORTH LINE AREA AND ENRICHING OUR BELOVED CITY.
THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATE, A MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST 18TH, 2026 AS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, 45 DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
THANK ALL OF YOU ELECTED OFFICIALS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING TO THIS TODAY.
UM, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT STAND BEHIND THIS WORK.
I'M ONLY ONE OF THEM HAPPEN TO BE ONE THAT'S NOT, UH, BUSY DURING THE DAY.
UM, BUT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT NORTHLINE AND NORTH SIDE, WE ARE NORTHLINE OF NORTH SIDE AND, UH, WE ARE MANY NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE'RE 60,000 IN FOUR ZIP CODES AND ON ONE SIDE ACRES HOMES ON THE OTHER EAST TEX JENSEN.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF REGIONAL WORK TO DO AND PARTNERSHIP, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE ARE, AND WE ARE DOING THIS, WE ARE TRANSFORMING STRIFE AND BLIGHT INTO VIBRANT, THRIVING NEIGHBORHOODS.
WITH YOUR HELP AND PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS, WE WILL GET THIS DONE AND CONTINUE DOING IT.
THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM FOR A PROCLAMATION TO HOUSTON'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AWARENESS MONTH.
AND, UH, ON BEHALF OF MAYOR WHITMEYER, IT IS OUR HONOR TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION AND WE HAVE, UH, BRIAN MASON HERE TO RECEIVE IT.
AND THE PROCLAMATION READS, WHEREAS NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AWARENESS MONTH IS OBSERVED EACH AUGUST IN
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THE UNITED STATES TO RECOGNIZE THE VITAL ROLE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS PLAY IN PREPARING FOR RESPONDING TO RECOVERING FROM AND MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF DISASTERS, WHILE ENCOURAGING EVERY RESIDENT TO BE READY FOR EMERGENCIES.AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON FACES A WIDE RANGE OF HAZARDS INCLUDING HURRICANES, FLOODING, EXTREME HEAT, SEVERE WEATHER, HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENTS AND OTHER EMERGENCIES, MAKING PREPAREDNESS AND A COORDINATED RESPONSE ESSENTIAL TO PROTECTING LIVES, PROPERTY AND THE RESILIENCE AND OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WORKS YEAR ROUND ALONGSIDE LOCAL, STATE, FEDERAL, NONPROFIT AND PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS TO STRENGTHEN THE CITY'S READINESS THROUGH PLANNING, TRAINING, PUBLIC EDUCATION, EMERGENCY COORDINATION, AND DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY EFFORTS.
AND WHEREAS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AND EVERY HOUSTONIAN IS ENCOURAGED TO MAKE A PLAN, STAY INFORMED, BUILD A KIT, AND GET CONNECTED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEIR NEIGHBORS BEFORE DISASTERS OCCUR.
AND WHEREAS DURING NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AWARENESS MONTH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE BY EMPOWERING RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES AND RECOVER STRONGER TOGETHER.
THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM AUGUST, 2026 AS NATIONAL EMERGENCY AWARENESS MONTH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
AS YOU GUYS KNOW, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR TEAM, UH, DEDICATES OUR LIVES TOWARDS BEING A PUBLIC SERVANT.
UM, SO IN A SECOND WE'LL BRING THEM UP TO TAKE A PICTURE.
BUT, UH, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T USE THIS AS A REMINDER FOR YOU GUYS TO PLEASE REMIND ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO HAVE A PLAN, HAVE A KIT, STAY INFORMED, UM, AND MAKE SURE YOU GET CONNECTED INSIDE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO HURRICANE SEASON'S GOING ON, HOPEFULLY IT'S A SLOW ONE.
WE JUST FINISHED UP WITH THE WORLD CUP, BUT THERE WILL BE OTHER BIG SPECIAL EVENTS, BUT I WANTED TO BRING THE TEAM UP TO RECOGNIZE THEM FOR ALL THEIR HARD, HARD WORK AND DEDICATION SERVING THE RESIDENTS.
VERY EXCITED TO HAVE Y'ALL SQUEEZE IN.
THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO.
[2:00 P.M. - INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS FOR THE INVOCATION.UM, I'D LIKE TO INVITE FATHER SALVATO TO GEORGE TO JOIN US.
AS HE'S COMING UP, I'D, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIS BACKGROUND.
FATHER DE GEORGE IS A MEMBER OF THE MISSIONARY OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE AND A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN.
HE WAS RAISED IN AN ITALIAN IMMIGRANT FAMILY AND STUDIED AT ST.
ANTHONY SEMINARY IN HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN ANTONIO, FOLLOWED BY SEVEN YEARS IN ROME WHERE HE STUDIED PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY.
HE HAS SERVED IN NUMEROUS MINISTERIAL CAPACITIES, INCLUDING PASTOR SHIPS AT ST.
THOMAS HUNTSVILLE, HOLY FAMILY, BROWNSVILLE, AND ST.
HIS LOVE AND PASSION FOR THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HAS BEEN A PART OF HIS LIFELONG COMMITMENT AS A PRIEST AND FAITHFUL OBLATE.
HE CURRENTLY LIVES AT IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARIS IN MAGNOLIA PARK AND HELPS WITH SEVERAL PARISHES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE.
FATHER, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL YOU FOLKS THAT RECEIVED PLAQUE.
I DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS THAT MUCH GOING ON IN HOUSTON.
UM, I'M HONORED TO BE HERE IN YOUR
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PRESENCE.YOU'RE THE FOLKS FATHER, IF YOU WOULD STAND BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICROPHONES.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET TO HEAR THE BLESSING TODAY.
UH, I'M VERY HONORED TO BE HERE.
UH, YOU'RE THE FOLKS THAT, UH, YOUR WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE GUIDES, UH, AND DIRECTS AND EVEN PROTECTS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PLANTED HERE ON.
WE LIVE ON A SAVANNAH, YOU KNOW THAT THIS BIG SAVANNAH, WE SHARE IT WITH MOSQUITOES, WE SHARE IT WITH HURRICANES, AND WE SHARE THIS, ESPECIALLY WE ARE PLANTED HERE IN THIS WONDERFUL CITY, IS SHAPED FOR A GREAT PART OF IT BY YOU, BY YOUR WISDOM AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
SO, UH, TODAY, UH, I GAVE YOU A HANDOUT THERE.
IT'S A DOCUMENT FROM 1965 IN A BIG MEETING, AND IT SPEAKS OF SOMETHING VERY, VERY DEEP IN OUR LIVES.
AND I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOU THAT IS NOT ONLY FROM MY HEART, BUT FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN THE YEARS THAT I'VE WORKED MANY OF THOSE YEARS HERE IN HOUSTON.
I WAS BORN, I THINK IT'S IN THE SIXTH WARD IN THE WARD DAYS WHEN WE ALWAYS HAD A WARD.
I WAS RAISED ON FAGAN IN WARD DRIVE.
AND WE USED TO ALWAYS BE THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WE LIVE ON THE HIGHEST SPOT IN HOUSTON, 57 FEET.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? NOT KILIMANJARO, BUT THE HIGHEST SPOT IN HOUSTON.
WE COULD WATCH THE WATER DRAIN AND WHEN THE HURRICANE WENT BY, WE COULD JUST WATCH THE FLOODS AND NOT BE HARMED.
BUT ALL OF THAT'S CHANGED A GREAT DEAL.
I LOVE IT, BUT SOMETIMES I DON'T LIKE IT IN THE TRAFFIC.
BUT Y'ALL ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
I'M GRATIFIED TO SEE ONE OF MY ALTAR BOYS HERE.
JOAQUIN WAS AN ALTAR BOY WHEN I USED TO HELP OUT AT BLESSED SACRAMENT.
I'M GONNA SHARE HIS STORY IF IT OFFENDS YOU.
UH, I USED TO LOVE TO SEE HIM.
HE WAS ONE OF 12 SIBLINGS AND THEY WOULD COME TO CHURCH TOGETHER AND THEY WOULD WALK IN LIKE, UH, A LITTLE GAGGLE OF DUCKS.
AND A TENDER MEMORY IS TO SEE THEM PLACED IN CHURCH AND FAITHFULLY BE THERE.
AND HE AND HIS BROTHER SERVING MASS.
SO IT'S TOUCHING TO SEE YOU HERE, THAT YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE STILL SERVING MASS, I HOPE.
UM, SO DON'T EVER INVITE A 87-YEAR-OLD PERSON TO, UH, TO GIVE A FEW WORDS WITHOUT EXPECTING A STORY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT TO SAY, YOU SEE? AND, UH, SO WE OFTEN OVERSPEAK, AND IF I DO THAT AND THERE'S ANY HARM DONE, IT'S NOT MEANT.
UM, I WAS RAISED IN NATURALLY HERE AND MY STORY BRIEFLY, UP TO 80 YEARS OLD, I WAS COMPLETELY HEALTHY.
I THINK I USED TO TAKE A VITAMIN PILL SOMETIME AFTER THAT HEART.
SO WHAT DID THAT INCLUDE? WELL, A PACEMAKER WATCHMAN STENT, TWO TRI CLIPS.
NOBODY EVEN KNOWS WHAT A TRI CLIP IS.
I EVEN TOLD THE DOCTOR, I SAID, WELL, THAT THING YOU'RE GONNA DO TO ME SOUNDS KIND OF SERIOUS.
HE LOOKED AT IT AND HE SAYS, IT'S YOUR ONLY CHANCE.
IT'S A GOOD INDIAN DOCTOR, A MIRACLE WORKER.
I'VE NEVER BEEN REALLY, ESPECIALLY IN MY UPPER YEARS, I'VE NEVER FEARED DEATH.
AND, UH, IN FACT, I DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT.
HOWEVER, WHEN I CAME OUT OF THAT LAST OF A PROCEDURE, THE PERSON WHO WAS WAITING FOR ME IN THE WAITING ROOM SAID, YOU CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAID WHEN YOU CAME OUT OF THAT PROCEDURE.
SAYS, WHAT? IS THERE A TAG ON MY TOE? SO EVIDENTLY I WAS KIND OF COMP, IT WAS COMPLICATED.
NOW, WHY WOULD I SAY THAT? WELL, BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD ASK ME, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? NOW YOU MADE IT THROUGH ALL THAT.
THE LAST ONE WAS FEBRUARY THE FIFTH.
AND I FELT LIKE LAZARUS, YOU KNOW THE STORY OF LAZARUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
I FELT LIKE LAZARUS STANDING AT THE MOUTH OF THE TOMB.
EVERYBODY HAD GONE HOME TO EAT LAZARUS THERE
[00:35:01]
ALONE.HE WAS LOOKING TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT.
AND HE WAS SAYING, NOW WHAT DO I DO? SO THE PRAYER I'M GONNA SAY FOR YOU FOLKS, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO JOIN BY YOU FOLKS, PLEASE PRAY WITH ME.
I GUESS THAT'S THE THEORY HERE.
JUST JOIN IN THAT SAME VERY PRAYER BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN IMPORTANT JOB, A VERY IMPORTANT JOB.
AND SO THE PRAYER IS A SIMPLE PRAYER.
AND I'M GOING TO ADDRESS THE PRAYER TO GOD WHO IS CREATOR AND BROUGHT US INTO LIFE FOR LOVE, OUT OF RESPECT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I DON'T KNOW YOUR DENOMINATIONS OR YOUR BACKGROUND OR YOUR BELIEFS.
SO WE WILL PRAY TO A LOVING GOD WHO IS HERE WITH US AND GUIDING US, AND ESPECIALLY BLESSING THIS GROUP WHOSE WISDOM REALLY GUARDS OUR LIVES.
SO, UH, THE SHEET THAT'S ON YOUR DESK THERE, FROM THAT, IT'S A LITTLE SEXIST.
OKAY? SO THE PRAYER, WE'RE GONNA PRAY, GRACIOUS AND CARING AND LOVING GOD, THANK YOU FOR LIFE.
THAT IS YOUR BREATH IN EACH OF US.
THANK YOU FOR THESE GOOD PEOPLE ON THE COUNCIL CALLED TO SERVE BY YOU AND CHOSEN BY THE PEOPLE.
THANK YOU FOR OVER THE AGES YOU HAVE SENT TO US PROPHETS, YOUR SON, CHILDREN, EACH OTHER.
AND WITH ALL OF THOSE VOICES, YOU TRAIN US AND YOU GUARD US.
BUT THANK YOU ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES.
YOUR PRESENCE WHICH GUIDES US AND SPEAKS TO US AND YOUR PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES THAT SPEAKS TO US IS OUR CONSCIENCE.
OUR CONSCIENCE IS THE ABORIGINAL VICAR OF GOD IN OUR LIVES.
THIS FIGURE OF GOD IN OUR LIVES SPEAKS TO US AND TELLS US, DO WHAT IS GOOD, AVOID WHAT IS EVIL.
AND WE PRAY THAT THIS GROUP ALWAYS HONE THAT VOICE OF GOD.
DO WHAT IS GOOD, AVOID WHAT IS EVIL AS YOU GUIDE US, WE PRAY THAT YOU CHOOSE THIS GOOD AND AVOID THIS EVIL AND NOT LET IT BE TAINTED BY ANY FEAR OF RETRIBUTION, BY HARMFUL IDEOLOGIES, BY ANY PERSONAL GAIN.
BUT YOU GUIDE US IN THE WAY OF GOD, DO WHAT IS GOOD AND AVOID THE EVIL.
AND PERHAPS IN THIS DAY, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING, FUNCTION THAT YOU PRESERVE AND DO PROTECTS US.
AND YOU ARE OFTEN CALLED TO PULL OUT THE STOPPER OF THAT GENIE, WHICH ALLOWS THAT SPIRIT TO FLOW THROUGH OUR WORLD.
YOU ARE OFTEN CALLED TO OPEN PANDORA'S BOX IN A JUDICIOUS WAY AND RELEASE UNKNOWN GENIES AND GOBLINS UPON OUR WORLD.
WE PRAY THAT YOU BE JUDICIOUS, WHETHER IT BE CAMERAS, WHETHER IT BE UNJUST TREATMENT OF THOSE WHO IMPROPERLY BE HERE WITH US, ARE UNJUSTLY TREATED INSTEAD OF BEING TREATED BY THE LAW WITH DIGNITY AND SOMETIMES TURN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS INTO HUNTING GROUNDS.
YOUR JOB IS A VERY GOD FILLED JOB.
SOMETIMES THE REAL TASK IN A COUNCIL IS TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER, TO LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER AS A BROTHER OR SISTER AND SAYING MAYBE THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
I'LL JUDGE WHEN THEY FINISH IF THEY HAD ANYTHING TO SAY.
BUT LET ME LISTEN AND LET ME BE OPEN TO THE WISDOM OF THE GROUP, WHICH IS THE VERY NATURE OF A COUNCIL.
[00:40:01]
WE ASK THAT YOU SERVE NOBLY, YOU SERVE MERCIFULLY, YOU SERVE JUSTLY.YOU SPEAK ONCE AGAIN FROM THAT VOICE OF GOD, WHICH SAYS TO US, CHOOSE THE GOOD, AVOID THE EVIL.
AND MAY YOUR LIVES BE BLESSED AND MAY WE BE BLESSED BY YOUR SERVICE.
AND MAY WE ALSO UNABASHEDLY PRAISE THE GRACIOUS GOD WHO LIVES WITHIN US AND LOVES US AND LEADS US ONWARD AND BY OUR LIVES WE SAY AMEN.
PLEASE RISE, PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE TO LEAVE TO THE PLAN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND REPUBLIC OVER WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING]
SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL THE ROLL, MAYOR WHITMEYER.COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS HERE AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF JULY 28TH AND 29TH.
ANY DISCUSSION? IT'S NOT ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED? THE ITEM CARRIES ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? UH, WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS.
THE FIRST I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADD ALBERTO REGA TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THE ITEM CARES.
AND THE SECOND I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD AMY DEN.
TO FOLLOW RANDALL CALLANAN ON THE TWO MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST TO BE FOLLOWED BY LISA HUNT, AMY ERICKSON, KYLE ROGERS, IAN HAACK, AND THEN SCOTT SINGLETON AND ROY HIRSCH.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THE ITEM CARRIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, I MOVE TO SUSPEND, SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADD JACOB CLEMENTE AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE ONE MINUTE LIST.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ITEM CARRIES.
[2:00 P.M. – PUBLIC SPEAKERS ]
MR. SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER, ANDY ESCOBAR.NEXT SPEAKER DMITRI HAWKINS TO BE FOLLOWED BY KARELL ANDERSON.
HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH COALITION, AS WELL AS A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER, EQUITY BRIDGE, LLC.
I AM ALSO A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT A HERE IN HOUSTON.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AS A VOICE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE BLACK AND BIPOC FAMILIES WHO OFTEN ARE OVERLOOKED.
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH COALITION HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES SINCE 1997 AND NEARLY 30 YEARS OF COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT EVERY RESIDENT HAS THE RIGHT TO SAFE AND HEALTHY LIVING CONDITIONS.
TODAY WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS'S RIGHT TO AIR CONDITIONING ORDINANCE.
THIS IS NOT A MATTER OF OF COMFORT, IT IS A MATTER OF SURVIVAL.
OVER 20,000 RENTAL UNITS IN HOUSTON LACK AIR CONDITIONING AND THE BURDEN FALLS DISPROPORTIONATELY ON OUR COMMUNITIES.
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH HAS REPORTED OVER 7,600 CASES OF HEART RELATED OR HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES WITH 279 TEXAS DEATHS THAT IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE, WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE.
IN MY PREVIOUS ROLE AS BAKER AT BAKER RIPLEY AS THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UM, SUPERVISOR, I MANAGED A $20 MILLION RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
EVEN BACK THEN IN 2019 AND 2020,
[00:45:02]
I SAW THE URGENT NEED FOR ACTION.FAMILIES WERE STRUGGLING AND WE KNOW THAT INADEQUATE HOUSING CONDITIONS WERE CONTRIBUTING TO SEVERE HEALTH DISPARITIES.
THE RIGHT TO AC ORDINANCE AIMS TO ELIMINATE THE LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWS LANDLORDS TO AVOID PROVIDING OPERATIONAL AIR CONDITIONING AND INHABITABLE SPACES.
THIS IS A BASIC HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARD THAT EVERY HOUSTONIAN DESERVES.
OTHER CITIES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED SIM SIMILAR MEASURES WITHOUT NEGATIVE, UH, IMPACT ON THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
THE ORDINANCE IS JUST, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
THE ORDINANCE IS ABOUT JUSTICE AND HEALTH EQUITY.
IT'S TIME TO ENSURE THAT EVERY FAMILY IN HOUSTON HAS THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE HOME.
LET'S STAND TOGETHER AND MAKE OUR VOICE HEARD.
I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO AC ORDINANCE.
NEXT SPEAKER ANDERSON KAMAR ANDERSON.
NEXT SPEAKER, JULIANA HERNANDEZ.
NEXT SPEAKER YIN YANG UAC TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROSE SAMPSON.
I AM AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND THE RESEARCH AND POLICY DIRECTOR FOR ALLIANCE HOUSTON.
AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE AC ORDINANCE AS IT PROTECTS RESIDENTS MOST VULNERABLE TO EXTREME HEAT.
FOR MANY RENTERS, $150 TO $300 WINDOW AC UNIT CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SAFE HOME AND AN UNSAFE ONE.
PARTICULARLY IN HOUSTON'S SWELTERING HEAT, THE HEALTH RISK IS CLEAR.
AS OF AUGUST 5TH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S HEAT SURVEILLANCE DATA SHOWED OVER 2000 ER VISITS FOR EXTREME HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES SINCE APRIL 1ST.
THAT NUMBER IS NOT JUST A STATISTIC.
IT REPRESENTS THOUSANDS OF MOMENTS WHEN HEAT BECAME A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND MANY MORE CASES LIKE LIKELY NEVER REACHED AN EAR.
HEAT ILLNESS DOES NOT AFFECT EVERYONE EQUALLY.
ACCORDING TO THE SAME HOUSTON AREA HEAT SURVEILLANCE DATA, HISPANIC RESIDENTS, MEN AND ADULTS 65 YEARS AND OLDER ARE AMONG THE GROUPS MOST AFFECTED.
AND RENTERS WITHOUT AC ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE.
WHAT DO THEY DO? DURING OUR MULTIPLE OZONE ACTION DAYS, OUR RECYCLING FACILITY FIRES RENTERS WITHOUT AC ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE.
UM, DURING THIS EVENT, BECAUSE DURING THIS EVENTS, YOU'RE ASKED TO SHELTER IN PLACE AND SHUT YOUR WINDOWS AND VENTS, PLEASE SAY YES TO THE U AC ORDINANCE.
AND I WILL CLOSE WITH THANKING COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS FOR BRINGING THIS AC ORDINANCE TO LIGHT.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WILL BE VOTING YES TO THIS AC ORDINANCE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
LAURA GALLAGHER TO BE FOLLOWED BY JUAN JUAN RUBIO.
SOMEBODY LEFT? NO, THAT BELONGS UP THERE.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT C I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE AC ORDINANCE.
MY PARENTS GREW UP IN HOUSTON BEFORE AC WAS COMMON, BUT HOMES WERE CONSTRUCTED DIFFERENTLY TO ALLOW AIRFLOW AND HOUSTON WAS NOT AS HOT AND HAD FEWER EXTREMELY HOT DAYS IN 2020.
I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT AIR CONDITIONING IN OUR HOMES IS ESSENTIAL.
IN FACT, IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH.
FANS BLOWING 100 DEGREE AIR DOES NOT GET BODY TEMPERATURES TO A HEALTHY LEVEL.
DID YOU KNOW THAT MORE PEOPLE DIE FROM EXTREME HEAT FROM THE EFFECTS OF EXTREME HEAT THAN FROM ALL OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS? ALL OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS.
EXTREME HEAT ALSO IMPACTS CERTAIN MEDICATIONS.
PUTTING OUR NEIGHBORS AT UNNECESSARY RISK AC IS AN AFFORDABLE ESSENTIAL HEALTH MATTER.
YOU CAN ALSO COOL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BY PLANTING SHADE TREES, ESPECIALLY THOSE YOU REMOVED, INSISTING THAT LANDLORDS PROVIDE.
AC IS IMPORTANT TO ME EVEN THOUGH I LIVE IN AIR CONDITIONED COMFORT EVEN
[00:50:01]
DURING A POWER OUTAGE BECAUSE I HAVE SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERY.I'M ASKING YOU TO UNANIMOUSLY PASS THIS ORDINANCE AND IF YOU CAN'T VOTE FOR IT, WOULD YOU PLEASE EMAIL ME WHAT I'M MISSING? THANK YOU.
CHERYL HENDERSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY SARAH MONTGOMERY.
HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? DOING WELL.
I AM A PROUD MEMBER OF NAC NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE.
I STAY IN DISTRICT DI WAS HERE LAST TIME SPEAKING ON THE AC ORDINANCE.
I DO SUPPORT COUNCIL, UH, SALINAS ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
LIKE EVERY OTHER THAT WAS SPEAKING ON IT LAST TIME, I I GAVE Y'ALL MY TESTIMONY.
UM, NAC GAVE ME A PORTABLE AC UNIT.
ONLY ROOM THAT REALLY STAY COOL IS MY BEDROOM FROM MORNING.
IT'S IN THE HUNDREDS IN MY APARTMENT RIGHT NOW.
AND IT DON'T GET COOL UNTIL SUN GO DOWN.
IF IT RAINS, THAT'S THE ONLY TIME IT STAY.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THIS IN PLACE AND FOR EVERYONE TO VOTE YES FOR IT BECAUSE WE DO NEED AC UNITS IN HOUSES, APARTMENTS OR WHATEVER.
WITH ME HAVING HEALTH ISSUES, I HAVE OI HAVE WHAT A SMOKER WILL HAVE AND I DON'T SMOKE MY LUNG BRONCHOS COLLAPSE.
AND I'M AFRAID EVERY DAY WHEN I DO CLOSE MY EYES, I PROBABLY WON'T WAKE UP.
'CAUSE I HAVE A DOOR THAT YOU HAVE TO COME IN DOWNSTAIRS, COME UP THE STAIRWELL TO GET TO MY FRONT DOOR AND IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GET INTO MY APARTMENT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE KEYS TO GET IN THERE.
AND I DON'T WANT MY KIDS TO GET THAT CALL THAT I PASSED AWAY BECAUSE OF HEATED EXHAUSTION.
I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT IT AND THEIR OPINIONS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T CHOOSE TO STAY IN THE PLACES THEY STAY BECAUSE OF THE CHEAPNESS OF THE APARTMENT OR THEY CAN AFFORD IT.
IT'S WHAT THAT LANDLORD PUT OUT THERE SHOWING THAT, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT I HAVE AVAILABLE.
THAT LANDLORD IS TRYING TO GET OUT OF THAT, THAT RESPONSIBILITY OF PLACING WHAT NEEDS TO BE PLACED IN PLACE FOR A PERSON TO LIVE SAFELY, HEALTHY AND CAN LIVE THERE WITH STABILITY.
DI UNDERSTAND BECAUSE MY LIGHT BILL I JUST GOT TODAY, IF I WASN'T IN THE PROGRAM WITH THE LIGHT COMPANY, I HAVE TO BE PAYING LIKE THREE OR $400 RIGHT NOW.
MY LIGHT BILL IS LIKE $199 AND NINE 8 CENTS AND I'M ON DISABILITY AND ONCE MY MONEY COME, IT'S GONE.
I'M PAYING MY RENT, I'M PAYING WHAT I HAVE TO PAY.
I DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR NOTHING ELSE.
AND WHEN IT GOES FOR ME TO GO TO THE DOCTOR, COPAYS COME OUT, I DON'T HAVE THAT.
I HAVE A, A PAYMENT THAT'S RIGHT THERE SITTING WAITING ON ME.
WHENEVER I DO HAVE MONEY, I TRY TO PAY ON THAT TO TRY TO KEEP IT DOWN.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU FINISHED WITH YOUR COMMENTS? YES MA'AM.
I JUST, I WISH Y'ALL SAY YES AND VOTE YES FOR IT BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED THIS.
JULIA ARNIA TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELSA MINA.
I'M THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR TEXAS HOUSERS.
THE AC ORDINANCE IS A CHANCE TO GIVE PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO HEALTHY LIVING CONDITIONS AS DISASTERS OF ALL KIND.
CONTINUE TO BE THE NORM IN HOUSTON, INCLUDING EXTREME HEAT.
WE MUST ADAPT AND IMPROVE OUR REGULATIONS.
I GREW UP IN THE ARID TEXAS DESERT OF LAREDO WHERE SUSTAINED TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES FOR MONTHS ARE THE NORM AND ARE NIGHTS DON'T COOL BELOW 90 DEGREES.
HOWEVER, THE HOUSTON HEAT IS SOMETHING THAT I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED
[00:55:01]
BEFORE.WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LAREDO HEAT AND THE HOUSTON HEAT, I TELL PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN WALK UNDER THE SHADE OF A TREE IN LAREDO AND FEEL A SIGNIFICANT TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE.
BUT IN HOUSTON, WHAT EVEN UNDER THE SHADE, YOU ARE SWIMMING IN THE SAME SAUNA.
THIS HOT, HUMID AIR, YOU CAN'T ESCAPE WITHOUT SOME TYPE OF COOLING SYSTEM.
IN 2021, HOUSTON HARRIS HEAT ACTION TEAM LED AN URBAN HEAT STUDY AS A PART OF THE CITY'S HU UH, RESILIENT HOUSTON PUBLICATION.
THE RESULTS INCLUDED OVER 230,000 TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY READINGS COLLECTED ON A SINGLE DAY, AS WELL AS LEVERAGING SATELLITE IMAGERY MODELS AND HEAT INDEX VALUES.
IN 2021, THEY FOUND THAT QUOTE, THE HOTTEST POINTS MEASURED IN HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY ON MAPPING DAY WAS 103 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, LOCATED JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE GALLERIA ON RICHMOND AND NEAR THE IGN INTERSECTION OF CHIMNEY ROCK ROAD COMPARED TO 86 DEGREE, 86.2 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, LOCATED 20 MILES EAST ON WOOD FOREST BOULEVARD AND CHANNELVIEW.
THIS DATA ILLUSTRATES A 17.1 DEGREE DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURES ACROSS HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY AT THE SAME TYPE OF DAY AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES OR THE FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURE WILL CALCULATE IT FROM TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY.
MEASURINGS REACH ULTIMATELY UNHEALTHY LEVELS ABOVE 108 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT ACROSS HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY.
THIS IS THE PROBLEM THAT WE SEEK TO SOLVE AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO SOLVE FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT CONTROL THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS AND ARE AT THE MERCY OF THEIR LANDLORDS.
WHILE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS MIGHT BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LIVE WITHOUT COOLING SYSTEMS IN HOUSTON, I'D LIKE TO OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE POINT OF VIEW.
THIS RIGHT TO AIR CONDITIONING ALSO SUPPORTS TENANTS WHO NEED REPAIRS.
I HAVE HEARD STORIES OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE WITHOUT ACCESS TO COOLING SYSTEMS FOR MONTHS, FOR OVER A YEAR BECAUSE THE LANDLORD WON'T SPEND THEIR MONEY ON THESE NEEDS.
THE LOOPHOLE IN THIS ORDINANCE SEEKS TO CLOSE TO ALLOW LOOP PORTS THE LANDLORDS TO GET AWAY WITH LEAVING PEOPLE IN THESE UNINHABITABLE LIVING CONDITIONS AND EVEN TENANTS WHO ARE GUARANTEED COOLING IN THEIR RENT PAYMENTS AND LEASE.
WE ARE HOUSTON STRONG BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A DISASTER PRONE AREA, BUT WE SHOULD NOT FORCE HOUSTONIANS TO BE RESILIENT BECAUSE LANDLORDS LIMITED APPETITE TO SPEND THEIR PROFIT ON MUCH NEEDED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
AGAIN, I OFFER AS A FUNDING SOLUTION, A REVOLVING LOAN OF LANDLORDS FOR LANDLORDS WHICH MUCH COME, WHICH WHICH MUST COME WITH ADDITIONAL TENANT PROTECTIONS AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE OF HOUSTON STRONG STANDARDS.
I'M HAPPY TO MEET, UH, WITH ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS FURTHER.
OH, PROCEDURAL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD LETICIA GUTIERREZ TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? THE ITEM CARRIES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS ELMINA AND I'M A LABOR JUSTICE ORGANIZER AT WORKERS DEFENSE ACTION FUND.
WE ARE A MEMBER LED ORGANIZATION WHICH FIGHTS FOR THE RIGHTS, DIGNITY, AND SAFETY OF IMMIGRANT WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN TEXAS.
OUR MEMBERS ARE IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE RIGHT TO AC ORDINANCE.
ONE, SUCH MEMBER GERMAN, UM, SHARED THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE WITHOUT AC BECAUSE OF EVER RISING TEMPERATURES DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
ANOTHER OF OUR MEMBERS, MARIA, SAID, WE NEED TO SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WHICH ARE MOST VULNERABLE.
AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF MY WORK IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR MEMBERS AND WORKERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES, PARDON ME, ARE EDUCATED ON HEAT SAFETY AND THE PERILS OF WORKING IN EXTREME HEAT.
AS I SPEAK TO WORKERS AT LABOR'S CORNERS AND WORK SITES, I HEAR COUNTLESS STORIES OF WORKERS WHO HAVE HAD TO CONTINUE TO WORK IN SPITE OF FEELING THE SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION.
WORKERS WHO ARE HARDWORKING AND TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT THEY DO.
WORKERS WHO MANY TIMES ARE NOT GRANTED RUST BREAKS WORKERS WHO BUILD TEXAS AND DESERVE RESPITE FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE HARSH HEAT.
AND AS A PROUD OF A PROUD WIFE OF A MAN WHO HAS HELPED BUILD TEXAS, I HAVE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND HOW HAVING AC IN OUR APARTMENT AIDS IN REGULATING MY HEART, MY HUSBAND, MINOR ALVAREZ BODY TEMPERATURE.
AND I STAND HERE NOT ONLY IN ADVOCACY OF THE MEMBERS, WORKERS DEFENSE REPRESENTS, BUT AN ADVOCACY OF OTHER UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES WHO ARE NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS, PEOPLE WHO LIKE YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBERS DESERVE A HOME THAT IS AN OASIS FROM THE HEAT.
[01:00:01]
COVA.TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANDREA GUERRERO, OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT.
GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, WANTED TO TELL YOU, I'M HERE ON THIS BEHALF IS OF NOT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
ON BEHALF OF MY CONGREGATION, ZELMA FRIENDS OF NORTH HOUSTON, WHERE A SMALL QUAKER ORGANIZATION AND, UM, AND WE MINISTER, UH, TO THE SOUL, THE SPIRIT, AND TO THE BODY, AND MOSTLY HELP CHILDREN AND ELDERLY.
LIKE MANY FAITH LEADERS, I'M CALLED TO SIT ON BOARDS THAT STEWARD AND GUIDE HIGHLY IMPORTANT MISSIONS.
THIS CALLING ALSO DIRECTS ME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THOSE WITHOUT AGENCY, THOSE WHO FACE DIFFICULT TIMES WITH LITTLE RELIEF AND SIGHT.
TODAY THE SPIRIT MOVES ME TO SPEAK ON THE PLIGHT OF AN ALARMING NUMBER OF AT RISK, VULNERABLE, AND SPECIAL NEEDS HOUSTONIANS WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING.
AS AN ELDER AND NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, I GREW UP IN WHAT WAS CALLED A SINGLE PARENT HOME IN CHIEF RUNDOWN APARTMENTS.
ONE SUCH PLACE, UH, WAS OVER ON YALE AND CROSS TIMBERS.
IT'S NOW A HIGH RISE CALLED PATRICK PLACE.
IT WAS PATRICK APARTMENTS, UH, IN THE SEVENTIES.
I KNOW FIRSTHAND ABOUT LIVING IN HOT AND OFTEN UNBEARABLE CONDITIONS AS A FRIGHTENED ASTHMATIC CHILD, NOT SCARED OF INSECTS AND CREATURES, WE POOR FOLKS SOMETIMES SHARE SPACE WITH, BUT AFRAID OF NOT CATCHING A BREATH.
OR EVENTUALLY I'D STOP BREATHING AND EVEN DIE.
I WORRIED MY GRANDPARENTS WERE NEEDING TO BE SEATED BY THE FANS, BUT MADE SPACE FOR THE CHILDREN AND WE BEGGED NOT TO GO OUTSIDE.
A SPLASH OF THE HOSE IN SUMMER MADE THINGS BEARABLE, BUT NIGHTS WERE UNCOMFORTABLE.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS MADE FOR POOR SCHOOL DAYS.
MOVING INTO OUR FIRST RENT HOUSE WITH AIR CONDITIONING TRANSLATED INTO LESS SICK DAYS FOR ME IN FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE.
AND BY SEVENTH GRADE, MY LUNGS IMPROVED ENOUGH WHERE I COULD WALK TO VILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL FROM, FROM A AIRLINE IN, UM, WITCHER ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LITTLE YORK.
AS A YOUNG PARENT, I WORKED FOR HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRIO PROGRAMS. MY HUSBAND COMPLETED JOURNEYMAN TRAINING WITH LOCAL 68 PLUMBERS, ALLOWING US TO BUY AN AIR CONDITIONED HOUSE NEAR CLARK PARK WHERE WE RAISED TWO SONS.
I PARTICIPATED IN NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT BEFORE THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM EXISTED.
MY MOTHER AND I VISITED APARTMENTS, TRAILER HOMES AND DUPLEXES, TAKING FOOD, CLOTHES AND ESSENTIALS TO THE NEEDY WITH OUR BETHEL CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL FRIENDS.
DUE TO THE AGING CONDITION PROPERTIES, A FEW, IF ANY OF THESE PLACES HAD AIR CONDITIONING AND THOSE THAT DID WEREN'T ALWAYS DEPENDABLE.
UH, WHILE I APPRECIATE THE POSITION AND HOLD CONCERN FOR RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS, I SUPPORT THIS RIGHT TO AIR CONDITIONING MEASURE BEING CONSIDERED TODAY.
THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO DELIBERATING TO BRING THIS TO FRUITION, BUT I HOPE THESE, UH, DISCUSSIONS CONCLUDE IN A WAY THAT WILL IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH WITHOUT INFRINGING ON PROPERTY OWNERS AND THEIR ABILITY TO PROSPER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT SPEAKER, ANDREA GUERRERO.
ALBERTO CARGO TO BE FOLLOWED BY LETICIA GUTIERREZ.
UH, MY NAME IS RETO CARIAGA, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, MEMBER OF HOUSTON TENANTS UNION, UH, AN ARTIST.
I LIVE IN GB AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED AC ORDINANCE.
UH, LIKE SO MANY TENANTS IN THIS CITY, UH, I EMPATHIZE WITH THE FRUSTRATION ANYONE CAN EXPERIENCE WHEN, UH, LANDLORDS DRAG THEIR FEET TO MAKE REPAIRS HAPPEN.
FIXING AN AC UNIT ISN'T A PRIORITY FOR THEM WHEN THEY'RE NOT SWEATING THROUGH THE NIGHT.
UH, THIS ORDINANCE IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE ALL HOUSTONIANS A BASIC NON-NEGOTIABLE RIGHT TO A HEALTHY LIVING CONDITION.
TO SPEND A MINUTE OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW, UH, AND UNDERSTAND THAT HOUSTON WEATHER IS NOT A JOKE.
DISASTERS, WHETHER IT'S HURRICANE FLOODING, EXTREME HEAT HAVE BECOME OUR NEW NORMAL AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ADAPT.
WE CAN'T KEEP USING OUTDATED REGULATIONS WHILE OUR CITY BAKES UNDER A HEAT.
DOME AIR CONDITION ISN'T A LUXURY HERE.
UH, IT'S A SHIELD AND IT'S A RIGHT, IT'S AN INEXPENSIVE, SIMPLE AND PROVEN SOLUTION TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AND SAVE LIVES DURING OUR BRUTAL SUMMERS.
[01:05:01]
HERE'S WHAT I THINK MOST ABOUT THIS WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT.OUR ELDERS, SO MANY SENIORS IN HOUSTON BECOME RENTERS LATER IN LIFE, AND THEY NO LONGER ARE EARNING A WORKING WAGE OR THEY'RE TRYING TO SURVIVE ON A FIXED INCOME.
EVERY DOLLAR GOES TO FOOD, MEDICINE AND RENT.
THEY DON'T HAVE EXTRA MONEY TO BARGAIN WITH A LANDLORD OR MOVE TO A BETTER PLACE FORCING THEM TO LIVE IN A SWELTERING UNSAFE CONDITION SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD HIGHER RENT.
HOUSTONIANS DESERVE TO DO MORE THAN JUST SURVIVE.
AND THAT STARTS WITH BASICS, A SAFE, COOL HOME.
SO I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO STAND UP FOR TENANTS AND YOUR DISTRICT FOR RENTERS ALL ACROSS THE CITY, AND VOTE YES FOR THE RIGHT TO AC AND HEALTHY LIVING CONDITIONS.
NEXT SPEAKER, LETICIA GUCCI TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANDY ESCOBAR.
HELLO, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
I'M HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE, DR.
I'M THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR FOR AIRLINES HOUSTON.
AND WE'RE HERE TODAY IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE, THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, UM, WHICH IS ULTIMATELY ABOUT PROTECTING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AND DIGNITY OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON AREA FACES SOME OF THE MOST ALARMING HEAT CRISES, UM, WITH ALREADY 61 HEAT RELATED DEATHS REPORTED SO FAR.
EXTREME HEAT IS NOT JUST UNCOMFORTABLE.
IT CAN BE DEADLY, ESPECIALLY FOR SENIORS, CHILDREN, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, LOW INCOME RESIDENTS, AND THOSE LIVING IN UNSAFE, INADEQUATE, INADEQUATE HOUSING.
THIS ORDINANCE IS AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS PROTECTING THOSE WHO ARE MOST AT RISK.
BUT I ALSO WANNA SPEAK FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AS SOMEONE IS FROM THAT IS IMMIGRANT.
I KNOW THAT THEY'RE INCREDIBLE.
THERE ARE INCIDENTS AND CONDITIONS THAT GO UNDER REPORTED BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP.
THAT FEAR CAN EXTEND BEYOND UNSAFE OR UNTHINKABLE LIVING CONDITIONS.
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR SAFETY AND THEIR IMMIGRANT STATUS.
EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES TO LIVE AS A SAFE CONDITION AND FEEL SECURE, REPORTING DANGEROUS CONDITIONS OR CRIMES WITHOUT FEAR.
I ALSO WANNA CALL ON OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TAKE ACTION TO PLEASE STOP HBD COOPERATION WITH ICE.
OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR AND BEING SEPARATED FROM FAMILY SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY REPORT CRIMES.
SEEK HELP OR SPEAK UP ABOUT UNSAFE LIVING CONDITIONS.
PUBLIC SAFETY SHOULD BE DEPENDS ON TRUST.
WE, WE, THE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF CONTACTING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND THAT PUTS ALL OF US AT RISK.
I URGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO STAND WITH HOUSTON IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE RESIDENT, REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRANT STATUS, CAN CALL FOR HELP WITHOUT FEAR.
NEXT SPEAKER, ANDY ESCOBAR TO BE FOLLOWED BY CAMILLE BOARD.
MY NAME IS ANDY ESCOBAR AND I SERVE AS THE CAMPAIGNS MANAGER WITH THE COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENT EQUITY AND RESILIENCE.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TO ENTHUSIASTICALLY ASK Y'ALL TO SUPPORT THE AIR CONDITIONING ORDINANCE SO WE CAN USHER IN A NEW CHAPTER FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS WHERE WE ARE SETTING THE STANDARD FOR CELL FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY.
AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT, UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS ONLY GONNA GET WORSE, THAT THE EXTREME HEAT WILL GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE WET BULBS, WHERE FOLKS WON'T BE ABLE TO REGULATE THEIR BODIES BECAUSE OF BOTH THE HEAT AND THE HUMIDITY.
AND IF THAT IS IN OUR FUTURE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR OUR HOMES? RIGHT? THERE'S GONNA BE DAYS WHERE PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE TO STAY INSIDE.
SO WE NEED TO PREPARE NOW AND BE BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK IN THE FUTURE AND SAY WE DID THE RIGHT THING.
AND, UH, ENSURING THAT EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO REFRIGERATED COOLING AIR.
CAMILLE BOYD TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROSARIO PENA.
MY NAME IS NIDRA CAMILLE BOYD.
AND I JUST WANT, UH, YOU GUYS TO KNOW TODAY THAT, UH, I MYSELF GREW UP IN HOUSTON AS A HOUSTONIAN IN THE SEVENTIES, AND MY MOM WAS A RENTAL.
AND THE LANDLORD, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SENSOR AIR OR AC WE HAD, UH, A BOX FAN.
AND RIGHT NOW I WOULD JUST LIKE FOR YOU GUYS TO VOTE YES, BECAUSE A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS ARE ELDERLY AND THEY SUFFER FROM COPD AND ASTHMA.
AND I, MYSELF IS A PART OF WEST STREET, WHICH IS A PART OF NAC.
I'M A HUB, I'M A HUB HOUSE CAPTAIN, AND MY NEIGHBORS COME TO ME BECAUSE THE ORGANIZATION THAT I'M WITH, SUPPLY, PORTABLE AIR CONDITION
[01:10:01]
THAT THEY CAN USE.AND I JUST THINK THE LANDLORD SHOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPLY THESE THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND NOT A NEIGHBOR.
NEXT SPEAKER, ROSARIO PENA TO BE FOLLOWED BY GIAN CHE.
MY NAME IS ROSARIO
AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO READ THIS FOR CARMEL ANDERSON.
SHE'S A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER AS I AM, AND SHE, WELL WORKED WITH CHILDREN AS LISTEN AND EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THE SAME THING AND THE SAME LANGUAGE.
UM, I'M GONNA SPEAK MY EXPERIENCE AS A RENTER AND WE REALLY NEED MM-HMM
UM, NOT BECAUSE WE AS ELDERS, UM, NEED AIR CONDITION BY OUR KIDS.
I KNOW EVERY ONE OF YOU SLEEP REALLY GOOD TONIGHT AND YESTERDAY, AND MAYBE YOU WERE COLD, BUT THINK ABOUT THOSE THAT WERE SO HOT THEY COULDN'T SLEEP AND THEY HAD TO GO TO SCHOOL THIS MORNING AND THEY MAY BE SLEEPING IN THE, UH, UH, CLASSROOMS BECAUSE THEY WERE COMFORTABLE THERE TODAY.
THINK ABOUT ALL THOSE THAT NEED THE, THE ESSENTIAL 'CAUSE.
UH, AIR CONDITIONING IS NOT A LUXURY NOW.
IT'S A NEED FOR ALL THOSE WHO CAN PROVIDE, UM, PAR UH, PARENTS GO TO WORK TO BRING FOOD AT TABLES TO PAY RENT, TO PAY BILLS.
AND THEY'RE, THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE LANDLORD TO COME AND, AND, UH, PLACE AN AIR CONDITION UNTIL THEY WANT TO COME.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE AS A CITY ALTOGETHER THAT EVERY HOUSEHOLD HAS AN AIR CONDITIONED UNIT AND ESPECIALLY IN THE BEDROOMS WHERE THEY CAN REST.
NEXT GIAN ACHE TO BE FOLLOWED BY FRANKIE CADE.
HOW YOU GUYS DOING? I'M HERE TO ADDRESS MULTIPLE ISSUES THAT, UH, WE'RE BRINGING UP TO YOUR ATTENTION WITH THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? UH, THIS CONSTRUCTION HAS TAKEN A HUGE TOLL ON MY LIFE IN HOUSTON.
UM, IT IS INCREDIBLY NOISY, DUSTY.
UM, I BELIEVE I WROTE AN EMAIL TO A MAYOR A COUPLE OF TIMES.
UH, I DON'T FEEL LIKE ANYBODY'S TAKING ANY ACTION AND I CAN'T GET THROUGH, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HOLD ANYONE ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WRONG.
I HAVE THEM TRUCKS MAKING NOISE AT TWO, THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
I HAVE DUST THAT REACHED TO THE, UH, ROOF OF THE BUILDING.
UM, I HAD MULTIPLE WATER CUTOFFS, ELECTRICITY CUTOFFS THE OTHER DAY.
AND EVERY TIME I TRY TO, UH, CALL ANY CUSTOMER SERVICE, TALK TO ANY, UH, CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISORS, SIR, WHAT, WHAT? BE A LITTLE MORE DETAILED ABOUT WHERE'S THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION? WHAT TYPE? JEFFERSON AND HUTCHINS.
JEFFERSON WHAT? UH, ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE STREET.
WHAT? RIGHT WHERE THEY'RE DOING THE OKAY.
HIGHWAY, HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
EVERY TIME I ASK, NOBODY REALLY KNOWS.
UM, JUST LIKE WHEN I DON'T HAVE THE WATER, I COME OUTSIDE, TALK TO THE GUYS.
WHO, WHO'S ENOUGH THE WATER IN.
TALK TO REBECCA WILLIAMS AND WE'LL GET THE DETAILS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
NEXT FRANKIE K MARK, MARK RODRIGUEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY JEFFRIES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S VERY ALARMING TO ME TO FIND OUT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS COOPERATING WITH ICE AND TURNING IN PEOPLE THAT ARE THE VICTIMS OF CRIMES.
IMAGINE IF ONE OF Y'ALL GOT RAPED, ROBBED, OR KILLED, AND THE ONLY WITNESS WAS A MIGRANT IN THE PROCESS
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OF FIXING THEIR IMMIGRATION PAPERWORK.AND THEY'RE AFRAID TO COOPERATE WITH A POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR FEAR THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET TURNED INTO ICE.
IMAGINE OF ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT, ALL THESE CRIMES THAT ARE NOT GONNA GET REPORTED.
NOW BECAUSE OF THIS COOPERATION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, I REALLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF Y'ALL TO GO AND SEE HOW IT FEELS.
I MEAN, TO BE A VICTIM AND HOW, HOW NOT HAVE SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO TESTIFY FOR Y'ALL.
TODAY I WENT TO MUNICIPAL COURTS ON A TRAFFIC TICKET.
IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY 'CAUSE IN MY COMMUNITY, I CAN'T GET THEM TO PATROL A SCHOOL ZONE.
BUT OVER THERE IN THE HEIGHTS, I WAS DOING 39 AND A 30 AND I THOUGHT IT WAS 35.
AND I GOT PULLED OVER AND I GOT THE, AND I DIDN'T WANNA ARGUE, BUT THE, IN THE COURT, IN THE MUNICIPAL COURTHOUSE, 90 SOMETHING PERCENT LATINO.
I'VE TALKED TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER, I SENT HIM PICTURES.
I ENCOURAGE ANY OF Y'ALL AT CITY COUNCIL TO GO SEE THAT FOR YOURSELF.
AND MAYBE YOU CAN TALK TO CHIEF DIAZ ABOUT WHAT HIS OFFICERS ARE DOING TO MY COMMUNITY.
THERE'S, THERE'S PEOPLE AT CHURCHES THAT ARE, LAST NIGHT AT MY COMMUNITY MEETING, I HAD 25 PEOPLE, RESIDENTS AT MY COMMUNITY MEETING.
THEY WERE ASKING THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHAT CAN HE, WHAT CAN THE COMMU, WHAT CAN THE LATINO COMMUNITY EXPECT WITH THIS COOPERATION WITH HBD? I WOULD LIKE Y'ALL TO ASSURE THE LATINO COMMUNITY AND EVERY OTHER IMMIGRANT IN THIS CITY THAT HPD WILL NOT BE COOPERATING WITH ICE WHEN THEY'RE VICTIMS, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT RIGHT, MAYOR, NOT RIGHT.
LAST, IN LATIN EAST, SEVEN MONTHS AGO, I REPORTED A SIDEWALK AND BACK OF A SCHOOL, STILL BROKE HALF A BLOCK FROM BURNETT ELEMENTARY.
I REPORTED TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER SEVEN MONTHS AGO.
PUBLIC WORKS IS STILL NOT FIXED.
THE LAST AND ALARMING THING I HAVE, WEDNESDAY MORNING, I SAW A LADY, A HOMELESS LADY WITH THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE THAT HPD NEEDS TO ENFORCE.
SHE WAS AT EASTWOOD PARK WEDNESDAY MORNING.
I SENT MY COUNCIL MEMBER A PICTURE.
I SENT IT TO TWO SERGEANTS FROM HPD.
GOT, AND HIS STAFF, AND NOTHING GOT DONE.
SHE'S THERE ALL WEDNESDAY, ALL THURSDAY.
THURSDAY EVENING, I CALLED MY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER, HOW CAN YOU NOT EXPECT US TO EXPECT MORE FROM THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT? 30 MINUTES LATER SHE GOT PICKED UP OR MOVED.
I MEAN, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BETTER FOR OUR CITY.
AND I, I AM SORRY, MAYOR, I NEVER, I, I APPLAUD YOU SO MUCH AND A LOT YOU DO.
BUT I REALLY HOPE YOU CAN WORK WITH CHIEF DIAZ TO MAKE THIS A BETTER PLACE.
NEXT, JEFF REESE TO BE FOLLOWED BY RANDALL CALLANAN.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? GOT A BIG MOUTH.
UM, KIND OF TALKING ON THE SAME THING THAT, UM, MARK JUST BROUGHT UP, BUT AS A FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND A TRAINER OF POLICE OFFICERS, I THOUGHT I COULD MAYBE GIVE YOU A LITTLE NUGGET FROM THE MILLER LIGHT SCHOOL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION.
THERE WAS A, AND, AND I'LL GO TO ISLAM TO DO THIS, IF YOU WILL.
UM, THERE WAS A GUY THAT JUST CAME, UM, FROM THE BATTLES THAT WERE BEING FOUGHT, AND THEY ASKED HIM, HE SAYS, HEY, MESSENGER OF GOD, WHAT WISDOM DO YOU HAVE FOR US, THE LOWLY PEOPLE OVER HERE? AND HE SAYS, WELL, HE SAYS, NUMBER ONE, HELP THE OPPRESSED.
NUMBER TWO, HELP THE OPPRESSOR.
AND SO HE SAYS, WELL, I UNDERSTAND HOW TO HELP THE OPPRESSED.
HE SAYS, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO, UH, HELP THE OPPRESSOR.
AND HE SAYS, BY HINDERING HIM FROM DOING WRONG.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO DOES THE WRONG, WE SHOULD ALL BE HINDERING THAT THE WRONG, AND WE SHOULD BE HELPING THE RIGHT.
AND SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT.
IT'S EASY FOR ME TO COME UP HERE AND TELL YOU GUYS WHAT TO DO.
BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOME OTHER SOLUTIONS OUT THERE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT.
SO THAT'S ALL I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP.
NEXT, RANDALL CALLANAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY AMY DEN.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UH, MAYOR, UH, GOOD SAMARITANS WHO REPORT SERIOUS CRIMES AGAINST HOUSTONIANS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AWAY BY ICE.
THERE SHOULD BE NO COOPERATION WHEN IT COMES TO HPD AND, AND THE TAKING AWAY OF OUR WITNESSES AND VICTIMS. IF THERE'S SOMEBODY IN, UH, THE FOURTH WARD OR FIFTH
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WARD, OR RIVER OAKS WHO GETS INJURED OR SHOT, AND THE ONLY WITNESS IS AN IMMIGRANT, DON'T YOU WANT THAT IMMIGRANT COMING AND TESTIFYING? THIS IS A MORAL ISSUE.WE NEED TO PROTECT THE VICTIMS AND WITNESSES WHO ARE, WHO ARE GONNA RISK THEMSELVES TO COME FORWARD AND TESTIFY AGAINST CRIMINALS.
IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO TESTIFY AGAINST CRIMINALS, DRUG DEALERS, CARTEL MEMBERS, DANGEROUS PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE COMING FORWARD TO TESTIFY AND YOU ARREST THEM OR ALLOW THEM TO BE ARRESTED.
HOW DID THAT ICE AGENT EVEN KNOW THAT THAT WHAT THAT GUY'S NAME WAS, MR. MONROY.
SOMEBODY MUST HAVE INFORMED HIM, WHO INFORMED HIM.
HPD PROBABLY HAD HIS, HAD HIS INFORMATION.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING THEY DO.
DID HPD INFORM ICE WHO THAT WAS? IS THAT WHY THEY PICKED HIM UP? I'M WONDERING, AND WE NEED TO FIND OUT, BUT EACH ONE OF US NEEDS TO THINK WHEN IT COMES TO ARRESTING WITNESSES AND VICTIMS FOR THE SECURITY AND SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON.
UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, UH, MAYOR, UM, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO, UH, BRING UP, UH, SET SIDE ESPINOSA RIGHT NOW ON THE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SO AS YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE BEEN DEALING A LOT WITH THIS ICE ISSUE AND IT'S BEEN BACK AND FORTH AND, UH, THERE'S A LOT TO, TO UNPACK.
UH, AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PRESS ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS AN ISSUE THAT'S AFFECTING APPROXIMATELY 600,000 HOUSTONIANS.
UH, ON THE ONE HAND, UH, I DO WANT TO MAYBE TAKE A MOMENT TO COMMEND HPD BECAUSE THEY DID TRY TO KEEP ICE FROM TAKING MR. MONROY.
UH, IT WAS ON THE REPORT, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAN WE HAVE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW.
NUMBER ONE, WHY WAS I THERE BEFORE HPD NUMBER TWO, WHY WAS MR. IF MR. MONROY TORU WAS A WITNESS OF A CRIME, WHY WAS HE TAKEN AWAY? AND THIS IS NOT SO MUCH OF A QUESTION, BUT A TANGIBLE THING THAT WE CAN DO RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
MAYOR WHITMEYER, PLEASE CALL CHIEF DIAZ AND TELL HIM TO CERTIFY MR. MONROY TOROS U VISA RIGHT NOW THAT COULD HELP US GET MR. MONROY ROY OUT OF FEDERAL DETENTION SO THAT HE CAN CONTINUE TO COOPERATE WITH HPD IN THIS INVESTIGATION.
AND HE SHOULD BE PROTECTED, NOT DEPORTED, BUT PROTECTED.
WE CAN DO THAT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
AND IF WE WANT TO, IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING THAT COMMUNITY TRUST BACK, BECAUSE THIS IN A SHOCKWAVE LAST WEEK WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE TELLING US, CALLING OUR OFFICE AND ASKING US, DO WE CALL HPD? AND OUR ANSWER CONTINUES TO BE ABSOLUTELY.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T HANDLE THAT, BUT HPD CAN.
AND SO ONE THING THAT CAN BE DONE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW IN GOOD FAITH TO WIN THE COMMUNITY'S TRUST BACK WITH HPD IS TO CERTIFY U VISA FOR MR. MONROY TORO IMMEDIATELY.
UH, CESAR, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO HAVE OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO WHAT THE U VISA IS FOR US AND WHAT IT IS FOR THE COUNTY AND WHY IS THAT NECESSARY? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, SO, UH, U VISA IS A POTENTIAL, NOT A GUARANTEED, BUT A POTENTIAL BENEFIT THAT FOLKS CAN GET IF THEY, UH, PARTICIPATE IN FIGURING OUT CRIMES, UH, AS WITNESS OR AS VICTIMS OF CRIMES.
UH, AND TO MR. CALLAN'S POINT, UH, ONE OUT OF EVERY 10 HOUSTONIANS IS UNDOCUMENTED.
THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM BEING A WITNESS OR A VICTIM OF A CRIME IS ONE IN 10.
AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THESE MEASURES FOR THEM SO THAT THEY CAN BE, BE ABLE TO CERTIFY, UH, FOR THE U VISA PROCESS.
NOW, IN THE CASE OF MR. LORENZO SALGADO RAJO, ALL THREE WITNESSES HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED BY, UH, BY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SEAN TIER.
BUT WE NEED TO KEEP PUSHING BECAUSE ALL THREE OF THEM ARE STILL IN FEDERAL DETENTION.
SO THIS DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT HE'S GONNA BE RELEASED, BUT IT CAN HELP
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SO THAT OUR ATTORNEYS CAN COME IN AND A HUNDRED PERCENT PRO BONO HELP THIS MAN BE ABLE TO, TO GET OUT OF DETENTION AND TO BE ABLE TO REUNITE WITH HIS FAMILY.THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
NEXT COUNCILOR IN SALINAS CESA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO COUNCIL TO SPEAK ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
I COULD NOT AGREE THAT A U VISA SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE APPROVED.
UM, HPD SHOULD ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT ITS CURRENT U VISA POLICIES TO EXTEND THEM BEYOND THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS TO ENSURE THAT IMMIGRANTS ARE PROTECTED.
UM, BUT AS YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM GOES WELL BEYOND U VISAS, AS YOU NOTED RIGHT NOW, IT IS HPD POLICY THAT IF SOMEONE CALLS TO REPORT A CRIME, THEY ARE CALLING US.
AND THAT IS A MANDATORY POLICY COMING FROM THE CITY.
IT IS VERY UNFORTUNATE, AND WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO REVISIT IT.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS NOT AS STRICT AS WE ARE BEING.
UM, AND I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO COME TO COUNCIL AND BRING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO URGE US TO CHANGE OUR POLICY.
YES, AND, AND FOR YEARS, UH, FI'S BEEN AROUND.
NOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TURN 20 YEARS OLD NEXT YEAR.
UH, AND WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO WE'VE DEALT WITH OTHER, WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED WITH OTHER ADMINISTRATIONS AND WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A, AN AMICABLE RELATIONSHIP.
UM, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT IN THE NAME OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO THE QUESTION AT HAND IS, ARE IMMIGRANTS SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, DO THEY NOT DESERVE PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THEY DO.
NEXT, AMY, AMY DEAN, I'M AMY DEN EASTON RESIDENT.
PRESENT TODAY FOR PEOPLE FOR POLK.
IT'S BEEN A MINUTE SINCE OUR GROUP WAS AT COUNCIL.
IN FACT, IT'S BEEN 10 MONTHS SINCE THE VOTE ON THE JRCC PROCESS AND THE CITY'S DECISION TO ENTER A MEMO, RANDOM OF UNDERSTANDING, OR MOU SIGNED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ AND THE HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION.
AS WE APPROACH THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE MOU IN OCTOBER, WE WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THE STATUS OF THE VARIOUS COMMITMENTS TO THE CITY MADE BY HOUSTON FIRST IN THAT LEGALLY ENFORCEABLE DOCUMENT.
OVERALL, OUR GROUP HAS CONCERNS ABOUT THE LACK OF PROGRESS ON THE MOU COMMITMENTS BY HOUSTON FIRST AND THE CITY.
EACH OF THE SPEAKERS FOLLOWING ME WILL ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS FOR EACH OF THOSE MOU OBLIGATIONS.
IN ADDITION, WE'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ON THE JRCC PROCESS AND WHAT THE STATUS OF THOSE TIMELINES ARE.
PRIOR TO THE FIRST VOTE IN OCTOBER, WE WERE TOLD BY HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS THAT THEY WERE STILL ASSESSING THE FEASIBILITY OF A TWO-WAY LELAND BY HOUSTON.
FIRST, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A TWO-WAY LELAND CONSTRUCTED AND OPEN WITHIN A YEAR, AND BY OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT WE WOULD NOT COMPLETE THE JRCC PROCESS WITHOUT MOVING FORWARD ON THE COMMITMENTS IN THE MOU.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MOU HAS BEEN SLOW, AND THESE COMMITMENTS HAVE NOT STAYED ON THEIR ORIGINAL TIMELINES.
FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN THOUGH CONSTRUCTION HAS ALREADY BEGUN, WE DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE APPRAISALS FOR THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF THESE CITY STREETS THAT THE PUBLIC HAS ALREADY LOST ACCESS TO.
AS OUR PEOPLE OF PO FOR PO MEMBERS SPEAK TODAY ON THESE ISSUES, WE HOPE YOU'LL RENEW THE COMMITMENT TO THE MOU AGREEMENT, IMPLEMENT ITS REQUIREMENTS, AND CONSIDER WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE EAST WEST ACCESS AND DOWNTOWN CORRIDORS.
FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS, WE NEED TO PUT HOUSTONIANS FIRST AND IMPLEMENT THE MMOU.
NOW, I DO HAVE COPIES OF THE MOU FOR COUNSEL, IN CASE YOU'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT WAS IN IT.
UM, 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN A MINUTE.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO PASS THOSE OUT IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AS THE SPEAKERS CONTINUE, I THANK YOU.
I'M LISA HUNT, AND I'M PART OF PEOPLE FOR POLK, THE PUBLIC AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
WERE ASSURED THAT THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WOULD PROVIDE FOR A STUDY OF EAST WEST MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION CONDUCTIVITY SO THAT EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO POLK STREET WOULD BE CREATED AND FURTHER EROSION OF VITAL CONNECTIONS AVERTED THE FUNDING FOR THE STUDY AND ITS SCOPE.
WERE NOT DEFINED IN THE DOCUMENT.
AN RFP HAS YET TO BE ISSUED, AND OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CITY IS ALLOWING PLANNING TO GO FORTH WITHOUT ROBUST COORDINATION WITH THE EAST END.
SINCE THE EFFECTIVE CLOSURE OF POLK STREET, THE MAYOR AND BUSINESS LEADERS HAVE HERALDED FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE TOYOTA CENTER IN DAON PARK.
TAKEN TOGETHER WITH THE GRB EXPANSION, THEY SEEK TO CREATE A RENEWED DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, YET NO MASTER TRANSPORTATION PLAN HAS BEEN CREATED TO LINK DOWNTOWN TO THE EAST END.
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IN THESE VISIONS, WHAT IS THE COMMITMENT TO CONNECTING THE EAST END TO THE REST OF THE CITY? WILL THE PROPOSED STUDY INCLUDE THE EAST END AT THE PLANNING TABLE, OR WILL IT BE LIMITED TO DOWNTOWN WHO WILL FUND IT AND DEFINE ITS SCOPE AND ENSURE THAT THE EAST END IS NOT IGNORED? AGAIN? HOW WILL THE PROCESS BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON? PUT HOUSTONIANS FIRST.AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO AMY AND LISA AND, AND ALL OF YOU WHO ARE HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS.
AND YOU, YOU RAISED SOME, UH, LEGITIMATE CONCERNS.
AND I, I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR HOUSTON FIRST TO PRESENT TO A CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE OR TO THE FULL COUNCIL, UH, TO REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF, OF THESE MEASURES THAT WERE OUTLINED IN THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M AMY ERICKSON, AND I'LL BE COVERING THE MOST BASIC AND ACHIEVABLE POINT OF THE MOU, WHICH IS COMMUNICATION.
CAN RESIDENTS ACTUALLY FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS? THE MOU COMMITTED TO ONGOING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
DURING GRB CONSTRUCTION, MORE THAN 300 DAYS IN THAT COMMIS COMMITMENT IS NOT BEING MET.
THERE'S NO SINGLE COORDINATED SOURCE OF INFORMATION.
JUST AS YOU HEARD MOMENTS AGO FROM MR. TOL ACHE, RESIDENTS HAVE TO CHECK THREE DIFFERENT PLACES TO FIND OUT WHAT'S CLOSED AND ARE MET WITH SITES THAT HAVE INACCURATE AND OUTDATED INFORMATION.
HOUSTON FIRST, TX METRO AND THE CITY ARE NOT COORDINATING WITH EACH OTHER, LET ALONE US.
HOUSTON FIRST PROJECT WEBPAGE WAS UPDATED ONCE IN APRIL AND HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE.
IT MISSED PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE ROUTE CHANGES, AND IT MISSED THE BELL STREET ENCLOSURE ENTIRELY.
WE NEED STREET LEVEL MAPS SHOWING CLOSURES AND DETOURS.
WE NEED PROACTIVE UPDATES ABOUT TIMELINES AND ALTERNATIVE ACCESS, NOT INFORMATION WE HAVE TO HUNT DOWN AFTER THE FACT.
THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT VEHICLES.
PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS, METRO AND VEHICULAR CON CONNECTIVITY ALL MATTER, AND NONE OF IT IS BEING COMMUNICATED CLEARLY.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S OFFICE HAS MADE AN EFFORT THROUGH MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT ONE OFFICE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THE WORK THAT HOUSTON FIRST AND TXDOT SHOULD BE DOING AT SCALE IN BOTH LANGUAGES AND CONSISTENTLY.
NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS ARE READY AND WILLING TO HELP SPREAD THE WORDS AND GET, UH, ACCURATE INFORMATION TO RESIDENTS.
COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS EXTEND TO THE REMAINING STEPS OF THE JRC PROCESS.
WHEN PARCEL APPRAISALS WERE REQUESTED THROUGH A-T-P-I-A, THEY WERE NOT, WERE NOT PRODUCED.
AN OPAQUE PROCESS FROM THE BEGINNING CONTINUES TO BE SHIELDED FROM PUBLIC VIEW.
COMMUNICATION ISN'T A NICE TO HAVE.
IT'S A REQUIREMENT IN THE MOU.
PUT HOUSTONIANS FIRST AND IMPLEMENT THE MOU.
KYLE ROGERS TO BE FOLLOW, FOLLOWED BY IAN HICK.
UM, I'LL JUST GET STRAIGHT TO IT.
THE MOU PROMISED POLK STREET, THE SIDEWALK NEXT TO POLK STREET TO, UH, NEXT TO THE GRB WOULD STAY OPEN TO PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS FOR A FULL YEAR AFTER CLOSURE.
INSTEAD, IT WAS CUT OFF THIS PAST APRIL MONTHS EARLY.
SO HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION COLLAPSED THE TWO SKY BRIDGES TO THEIR PARKING GARAGE.
IT HAS REMAINED CLOSED SINCE THEN.
IT REMAINED CLOSED DURING THAT DEMOLITION, AS WELL AS THE RAISING OF SAID PARKING GARAGE.
IT STARTED IN MAY, WHICH STARTED IN MAY.
THE REMAINING CLO IT REMAINED CLOSED THROUGH FIFA FAN FEST IN JUNE, UH, A TIME ONE IMAGINES ATTENDEES WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE HAD A CONVENIENT AND PUBLIC PLACE TO PARK AND WALK TO THE FESTIVITIES.
INSTEAD OF GETTING, UH, WHAT WE WERE PROMISED, THE COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY LOST APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS AND COUNTING OF A YEAR, UH, OF THE YEAR IT WAS PROMISED EVERY MONTH.
THAT TAKEN FROM THAT PROMISED YEAR IS A MONTH.
THE COMMUNITY NEVER GETS BACK.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE HAD IS A BIKE DE TOUR FOR POLK STREET DUMPING CYCLISTS ONTO A NARROW RUS STREET SIDEWALK SQUEEZED BETWEEN SIGNALS, SIGNAL EQUIPMENT ALONGSIDE DI DETERIORATING PAVEMENT NEXT TO DISCOVERY GREEN SHARES, UH, AND SHARING SPACE WITH LIGHT RAIL CROSSINGS AND GARAGE TRAFFIC TO LOOK FURTHER SOUTH.
SIDEWALKS ON THE BRIDGES OVER THE FREEWAY BELL.
JOSEPH AND PIERCE ARE MINIMAL AT BEST.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU IS TO FULFILL THE MLU AND KEEP YOUR PROMISES TO HOUSTONIANS.
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THE PEDESTRIAN SITE ROCK ON POLK, AND GIVE US OUR YEAR OF CONNECTION.PUT HOUSTONIANS FIRST AND IMPLEMENT THE MOU NOW.
NEXT IAN EK TO BE FOLLOWED BY SCOTT SINGLETON.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
RECENTLY, NOAH HOROWITZ WROTE AN ARTICLE FOR THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD WONDER LOOKING UP AT DOWNTOWN SKYSCRAPERS.
GROWING UP IN THE EAST MYSELF, I SHEER SHARED THAT SAME WONDER.
HOWEVER, OVER THE DECADES, THOSE SKYSCRAPERS HAVE BEEN PUSHED FAR AWAY, NOT AS THE GRACKLE FLIES, BUT AS A HUMAN WALKS.
HOUSTON STRATEGY OF CHAOTIC DEVELOPMENT HAS CLOSED ONE STREET AFTER ANOTHER.
FIRST, THE ORIGINAL GRB, THEN ITS PREVIOUS EXPANSIONS, THE BALLPARK, THE SOCCER STADIUM EACH CARRIED ITS REAL, A REAL SOCIAL IMPACT ON EAST ENDERS.
WE WERE ONCE A SEAMLESS EXTENSION OF DOWNTOWN.
SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN SYSTEM SYSTEMATICALLY SHUT OUT.
POLK STREET IS ONE OF THE LAST LINKAGES TO BE SEVERED.
FORTUNATELY, FUTURE PHASES OF THE GRB AND TEXTILES FREEWAY PROJECT GIVE US A CHANCE TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO UNDO SOME OF THAT HARM AND RECONNECT.
THE EAST END PLANNING IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.
THAT'S WHY THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD REQUIRED BY THE MOU NEEDS TO BE UP AND RUNNING.
PREVIOUS PROJECTS LET THE EAST END OUT OF THE DISCUSSION UNTIL, AS WE'VE HEARD COUNTLESS TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR, THE SHIP HAS SAILED.
THE ADVISORY BOARD IS OUR CHANCE TO HELP STOCK THE NEXT SHIP BEFORE IT LEAVES THE DOCK.
I HAVE NEVER FELT FURTHER FROM DOWNTOWN.
TWO YEARS AGO, I SUSPECT NUMEROUS EASTERN FAMILIES TREATED DISCOVERY GREEN LIKE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD PARK.
I SUSPECT THAT NUMBER HAS PLUMMETED BECAUSE IT IS SO HARD TO GET THERE.
WE ARE AT LEAST 10 TO 15 YEARS AWAY FROM THE COMPLETION OF THE FREEWAY AND THE FUTURE PHASES OF THE GRB.
BY THEN, NONE OF YOU WILL LIKELY BE AROUND THE HORSESHOE.
AND TXDOT AND HOUSTON FIRST WILL LIKELY HAVE NEW LEADERSHIP.
BUT EASTERN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS WILL STILL BE HERE WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY.
MR. HOROWITZ ARTICLE, BEMOANED HOUSTON'S CURRENT LACK OF ENERGY AND AMBITION.
WE JUST NEED THE CITY TO START WORKING WITH US INSTEAD OF AGAINST US.
PLEASE ACTIVATE THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD NOW.
INCLUDE THE EAST END AND CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PROJECTS THAT WILL IMPACT US.
GIVE US A SAY IN OUR OWN DESTINY.
PLEASE PUT EAST ENDERS AND ALL HOUSTONIANS.
SCOTT SINGLETON TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROY HIRSCH.
LELAND STREET HAS BEEN PROMISED TO THIS COMMUNITY MULTIPLE TIMES WITH EACH PROMISE QUIETLY MOVING THE GOALPOSTS.
IN MARCH 25TH, 2025, MAYOR, YOU ANNOUNCED THE CITY WOULD MAKE LELAND TWO WAY.
IN JULY, 2025, PUBLIC WORKS ANNOUNCED THEY WERE ONLY 90% SURE THE CONVERSION WAS EVEN FEASIBLE, BUT THEY INTENDED TO HAVE IT FINISHED BY FALL OF 2025.
NOTHING HAPPENED BY OCTOBER, 2025.
MICHAEL HECKMAN GAVE COUNSEL A NEW CONSTRUCTION DEADLINE WITHIN A YEAR AND SAID IT WAS ALREADY FUNDED.
THEN THE MOU ASSIGNED AND THE WRITTEN COMMITMENT WAS WEAKER THAN ANY OF THOSE PROMISES.
JUST TO EVALUATE LELAND'S BEST USE WITH NO DATE AT ALL.
TODAY WE'RE TOLD THERE'S A VENDOR SEARCH UNDERWAY WITH NO FUNDING SOURCE IDENTIFIED FOR WHAT FEASIBILITY STUDY A DESIGN.
WE WERE TOLD THIS WOULD BE FINISHED BY NOW.
LELAND SHOULD HAVE BEEN FINISHED BEFORE POLK WAS CLOSED.
THIS IS URGENT RIGHT NOW, NOT SOMEDAY.
RIGHT NOW, PIERCE STREET IS CLOSED.
SO LELAND ONLY LEADS OUT OF DOWNTOWN TODAY TO GET IN, YOU'RE FORCED ONTO PEAS.
A FAST FREEWAY OFF RAMP WITH DEPLORABLE PAVEMENT NOW CARRYING TRAFFIC FROM EVERY ONE OF THOSE OTHER CLOSURES, AS WELL AS EAST END DRIVERS, BICYCLISTS AND METRO BUSES.
THIS COMMUNITY HAS ALMOST NO SAFE WAY IN OR OUT OF DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED IT BECAUSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
AND ONCE TEXDOT STARTS TEARING UP THE FREEWAY, THERE WILL BE MANY MORE CLOSURES LIKE THESE.
POLK WOULD'VE BEEN A BIG HELP DURING THAT CONSTRUCTION.
[01:40:01]
PUT HOUSTONIANS FIRST IMPLEMENT THE MOU.THANK YOU NOW, NICK ROY HIRSCH TO BE FOLLOWED BY GREGORIA VER RUBIUS MAYOR, MAYOR WHITMEYER, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND MY YOUTH.
I WAS TAUGHT A PERSON TRULY OWNS TWO THINGS IN THIS LIFE.
IF THERE IS NO HONOR TO BE FOUND IN THEIR WORD, THERE WOULD BE NONE GIVEN TO THEIR NAME.
ADDITIONALLY, WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER, UH, UM, IN AN AGREEMENT ON WAYS TO NEGOTIATE ISSUES BETWEEN THEM AND THEN GIVE, GIVE EACH OTHER THEIR WORD AND SHAKE HANDS UPON THIS ACCORD, THEY HAVE THEN ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT BOUND BY THE HONOR OF THEIR WORDS.
THIS IS A LAYMAN'S INTERPRETATION, BOILING THINGS DOWN TO THEIR BARE ESSENCE.
SO BEFORE US ALL IS THE BURNING QUESTION, WHICH BEGS TO BE ANSWERED.
IS THERE ANY HONOR TO BE FOUND IN THE WORDS OF THIS MOU? OR ARE THEY WORTH LESS THAN THE PAPER UPON WHICH THEY ARE PRINTED? WE SEEK THE HELP OF THIS COUNCIL TO HONOR THIS AGREEMENT.
PUT HOUSTONIANS FIRST IMPLEMENT THE MOU NOW.
AND I WANNA JUST THANK EVERYBODY THAT, THAT, UH, CAME UP TO SPEAK.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT, YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY WITH MY OFFICE, AND OF COURSE MY COLLEAGUES THAT Y'ALL BEEN SPEAKING WITH AS WELL.
UM, JUST WANT TO GIVE FOLKS A HEADS UP OR FOLKS AROUND THE HORSESHOE.
SO I RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH A FEW OF THE, THE SPEAKERS ON JUNE THE 25TH, WHERE I PROVIDED AN UPDATE AND THE PROGRESS OF THE MOU.
THE AS AS I'VE MENTIONED IN THAT MEETING.
WE'VE ESTABLISHED A STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP THAT MEETS MONTHLY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND HIS STAFF, UH, ATTEND THAT MEETING AS WELL.
WHERE WE'RE WE'RE, UM, DEVELOPING AN RFP, UH, FOR AN EASTWEST CONNECTIVITY STUDY.
UH, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE FINAL DRAFT.
WE'RE GONNA MEET ACTUALLY WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
IT'S OUR FIFTH MEETING, UM, WHERE PUBLIC WORKS WELL.
I KNOW THERE WAS QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM, WHERE PUBLIC WORKS WE'LL ISSUE THE, THE RFP THIS YEAR.
UM, AND SO AS, UH, UPDATES CONTINUE WITHIN THE MOU, UH, MY OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
NEXT GREGORIA VER RUBIUS TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSE VER RUBIUS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS, AND I AM A MEMBER OF WORKERS' DEFENSE LATINOS.
WE ARE A MEMBER LED ORGANIZATION, WHICH FIGHTS FOR THE RIGHTS AND WELLBEING OF IMMIGRANT LATINO WORK WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE FOR THE RIGHT TO AC.
I BELIEVE THAT ALL PEOPLE DESERVE HAVE A RIGHT TO COLD AIR AND RELIEF FROM THE INTENSE HEAT OF HOUSTON SUMMERS.
EVEN DURING THIS RELATIVELY MILD SUMMER, THE TEMPERATURE HAS RISEN AS MUCH AS 102 DEGREES.
HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THE EXTREME HEAT REPRESENTS A SERIOUS THREAT FOR THE WELLBEING AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF ALL PEOPLE.
EXTREME HEAT CAUSES A LOT OF STRESS TO A PERSON'S BODY.
IT CAN CAUSE DEHYDRATION, EXHAUSTION, AND IN EXTREME CASES, EVEN HEAT STROKE, WHICH CAN PUT SOMEONE IN SERIOUS, PUT SOMEONE'S LIFE IN SERIOUS THREAT.
[01:45:09]
MANY PEOPLE WORK IN VERY HOT CONDITIONS, INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION, LANDSCAPING, REFINERIES, AND OTHER JOBS, WHICH REQUIRE A LOT OF PHYSICAL EFFORT.THESE PEOPLE DESERVE TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN FIND RELIEF FROM THE HEAT AND ALLOW THEIR BODIES TO RECOVER.
I'M ALSO VERY CONCERNED FOR THE WELLBEING OF CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY, AND PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.
THESE PEOPLE ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO THE RISK POSED BY HEAT STROKE.
EVERY PERSON WHO LIVES IN HOUSTON DESERVES A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN RECOVER FROM EXTREME HEAT.
COLIUS TO BE FOLLOWED BY LOURDES ORTEGO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I LIVE AND WORK IN HOUSTON, AND I'M A MEMBER OF WORKERS' DEFENSE.
WE ARE A MEMBER LED ORGANIZATION, WHICH FIGHTS FOR THE RIGHTS AND WELLBEING OF IMMIGRANT LATINO WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN FAVOR AND IN SUPPORT OF THE RIGHT TO AC ORDINANCE.
I BELIEVE THAT ALL PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO AIR CONDITIONING TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE INTENSE HEAT OF HOUSTON SUMMERS, ENSURING THAT ALL HOUSTON RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO COLD AIR CONSIDERABLY REDUCES THE RISK OF HEAT STROKE AND OTHER, UM, PHYSICAL AILMENTS RELATED TO HEAT.
I HAVE RENTED AND LIVED IN A HOME THAT HAS NO AIR CONDITIONING.
I KNOW FIRSTHAND THROUGH MY OWN EXPERIENCE HOW DIFFICULT IT CAN BE TO LIVE IN EXTREME HEAT WITH NO WAY TO HAVE TO ALLOW YOUR BODY TO RECOVER AND THE KIND OF STRESS IT CAN CAUSE TO MY BODY.
I'M ALSO VERY CONCERNED FOR THE WELLBEING OF CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY, AND PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.
THESE PEOPLE ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO THE RISKS POSED BY HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE.
A LAW WHICH GUARANTEES THAT ALL PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO AIR CONDITIONING IN THEIR HOMES WOULD GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE HEAT AND TO BEGIN AND END EVERY DAY IN A WAY WHICH IS HEALTHY AND SAFE.
IDEALLY, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE EVERY PERSON BE PROVIDED WITH BOTH COOLING AND HEATING, BECAUSE BOTH TIMES OF EXTREME CLIMATE CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS TO A PERSON'S HEALTH.
THIS ORDINANCE IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECT HOUSTONIANS FROM A HEAT WHICH IS GETTING WORSE AND WORSE EVERY YEAR.
FOUR, PLEASE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE.
[01:50:01]
TO BE FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL MOR.I WISH I KNEW I COULD HAVE AN INTERPRETER, BUT LEMME SEE.
I'M LIVE IN THE MR. CASTILLOS DISTRICT AND I'M HERE BECAUSE I HAVE CALLED 3 1 1 FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS OR MORE.
UH, AND MR. CASTILLO'S OFFICE, I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL TIMES TO REPORT A VERY SERIOUS OVERGROUND VACANT LOT THAT IS, THAT IS LOCATED NEXT TO MY HOUSE.
IT'S IN THE CORNER OF, OF CHAPMAN IN MELBOURNE.
AND AT THIS POINT, I FEEL THAT MY REPEATED REQUESTS HAVE GONE UNANSWERED.
AND THE ISSUE HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO CONTINUE FOR FAR TOO LONG.
THIS VACANT LOT HAS NOT BEEN MAINTAINING.
AND THE CONDITION IS AFFECTING MY HOUSE IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS LOT IS JUST A FEED FROM MY HOUSE.
AND I GET ALL KIND OF ANIMALS AND RATS THAT ARE COMING FROM THAT LOT INTO MY HOUSE.
AND THE PAST, MY HUSBAND AND I, MY FAMILY, WE'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF THAT VACANT LOT.
BUT WE ARE ALL NOW, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO CONTINUE DOING IT.
AND WHY THAT I HAVE TO KEEP A, A LAND CLEAN THEN I DON'T OWN.
IT IS NOT MY, IT IS NOT MY LAND.
I ASKED THE CITY TO PLEASE INSPECT AND TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ENFORCEMENT ACTION TO HAVE THAT GRASS AND WHEATS CUT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I HOPE YOU CAN REVIEW MY PREVIOUS CALL TO MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS TO 3 1 1 ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LAND.
AND BUT TO BE FAIR, I SPOKE TO T IN MR. CASTILLO'S OFFICE AND TO MR. SEZ.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT MR. SEZ, HE WORKS FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
THEY, THEY ASSURE ME THAT THEY GONNA TAKE CARE OF MY PROBLEM.
SO I DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK AND ADDRESS ALL OF YOU.
UH, I HEAR THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HEAR THE CITIZENS AND TAKE ACTION.
I KNOW MR. CASTILLO, YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT MY PROBLEM, BUT NOW YOU DO.
AND I HOPE YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF MY PROBLEM.
NOT BECAUSE I DON'T LIVE IN THAT PRIVILEGED ZIP CODE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR THAT NOBODY LISTEN TO ME FOR TWO YEARS.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN HERE.
I KNOW, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND MY STAFF HAVE ALREADY YEAH.
THANK, UH, VISITED WITH YOU AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE ARE GONNA GET YOUR, YOUR SITUATION ADDRESSED.
UM, WE ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE SAME ZIP CODE.
SO YES, UH, IT'S NOT, UH, IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT.
BUT IT IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT CONSTITUENTS ARE BEING SERVED MM-HMM
AND THAT WHEN YOU DO CALL AND YOU FILE YOUR COMPLAINTS AND YOU FILE YOUR THREE ONE ONES THAT WE'RE GETTING THE FOLLOW UP THAT, THAT EVERYBODY, UH, IS OWED.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU ON IT.
NEXT MICHAEL MOR TO BE FOLLOWED BY KAREN JENNINGS OF OF MISSOURI CITY.
I LIVE IN THE OAK FOREST NEIGHBORHOOD.
MY HOME BACKS UP TO JUY STREET BETWEEN ROSALYN AND, UM, DONNA BE AND WE HAVE A TRASH PROBLEM BACK THERE.
ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, THEY BUILT AROUND 60, UM, TOWNHOUSES BACK THERE.
AND SLOWLY, I THINK THEY'RE ALL LEASED.
BUT SLOWLY NOW, THE, THE TENANTS WHO LIVE BACK THERE HAVE BEEN LEAVING THEIR TRASH BINS, BOTH THE RECYCLING AND THEIR GARBAGE BINS ALL ALONG JUDO WAY STREET, WHICH BACKS UP TO ALL THE HOMES THAT ARE BEHIND THEM.
AND I'VE CALLED 3 1 1 SINCE MARCH, SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH.
THEY KEEP OPENING THE CASES AND CLOSING THE CASES.
THERE'S RACCOONS BACK THERE, THERE'S POSSUMS BACK THERE.
WHOSE TRASH BINS ARE THEY? THEY'RE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE.
THEY'RE NOT DOING IT PROPERLY.
AND THEY'RE, IT'S LEASED PROPERTY, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AN HOA BACK THERE OR WHAT, BUT NO ONE.
THEY'RE JUST LEAVING THE BINS OUT 24 7.
AND, AND THE LIDS ARE FLYING OFF.
SO WHEN IT'S WINDY, THERE'S TRASH ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THERE'S RACCOONS, THERE'S POSSUMS BACK THERE.
[01:55:01]
UM, AND NOBODY ADDRESS AWAY NEAR ELLA OAK FOREST DRIVE.AND IT'S, IT'S JUDO WAY STREET.
IT'S, AND IT'S JUST BEFORE DEBERRY.
ARE THOSE HOUSES OR CONDOS? THEY'RE TOWN HOMES.
I'M PICTURE, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION.
AND I HAVE PICTURES OF ALL THE TRASH BINS.
UM, SO I CAN LEAVE THOSE FOR YOU.
BUT IF YOU'LL GIVE 'EM TO REBECCA WILLIAMS, WE'LL JUMP RIGHT ON TOP OF IT.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO BY CHANCE, TALKED TO HOMEOWNERS? NO.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE LEASED PEOPLE.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT, THEY'RE WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE? THEY LEASED THOSE HOMES.
SO IT'S DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN AND OUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WELL, BUT THE RESIDENTS, THE RENTERS OUGHT TO DO BETTER IF YOU'VE, THEY'RE NOT TAKING THE BINS TO THEIR GARAGE.
THEY'RE LEAVING THEM ON THE STREETS.
IT'S AWFUL HARD FOR US TO LEGISLATIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR, BUT WE'LL DO OUR BEST.
WELL, A LOT OF THE BINS HAVE THEIR ADDRESSES ON 'EM.
BEG PARDON? A LOT OF THE BINS HAVE THEIR ADDRESSES ON THEM.
SO IF SOMEBODY GOES THERE TO INSPECT IT, YOU CAN VERY EASILY FIND OUT WHOSE BIN IT IS.
WE'LL, WE'LL DO THE BEST WE CAN.
WE'LL WORK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER AS WELL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO MAKE PEOPLE SOMETIMES.
BUT IF THEY GET A FEW CITATIONS, I THINK THEY'LL OH, YOU WANT, YOU WANT ME TO WRITE 'EM AND TAKE YOU? WHAT'S THAT?
GIVE, UH, REBECCA WILLIAMS, YOUR INFO.
KAREN JENNINGS OF MISSOURI CITY.
KEVIN STRICKLAND TO BE FOLLOWED BY LISA MACK WASHINGTON.
UM, UH, FIRST, UH, QUICK COMMENT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PASSING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS'S RIGHT TO AC ORDINANCE.
IT'S SHOCKING THAT IN HOUSTON WE'RE EVEN DEBATING THE NEED FOR THAT.
UM, I'LL HAVE TO SAY, I WAS WISHING MY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT C WAS HERE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE DEBACLE, WHICH IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN TWO OF DISTRICT C'S TOURS, MONTROSE TOURS, AND FOURTH WARD.
THEY'VE BUDGETED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR YEARS.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW, I JUST BLEEP MYSELF SO THAT THE MAYOR WOULDN'T ARREST ME FOR SWEARING.
THAT WAS TARRANT COUNTY WHERE THAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT.
I WAS THERE TO RIP THEM A NEW ONE.
AND IN THEIR UPDATE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FROM THEIR COMMITTEE WAS, I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP.
WE'RE GOING TO PAINT SOME UTILITY BOXES.
THEY'VE BUDGETED A LOT OF MONEY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
40% OF HOMELESS YOUTH OR L-G-B-T-Q.
IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT THE TURS AND MONTROSE, WHICH REGULARLY FAILS TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY, IS UNABLE TO DO SOMETHING INTENTIONAL AND WITH IMPACT TO HELP THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN MONTROSE DOING THIS WORK.
SO HERE'S MY ASK FOR OUR L-G-B-T-Q LEADERS, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO TO WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ELLA TO HELP THIS TURS GET THEIR POO POO TOGETHER.
TOMORROW ON YOUR AGENDA WILL BE THEIR BUDGET.
ANOTHER TURS, WHICH HAS DONE NOTHING TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR 15 YEARS.
THIS TOUR HAS SPENT MILLIONS TO BUY VACANT LOTS AND ZERO AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS BEEN CREATED.
HOW ON EARTH DO YOU APPROVE THEIR BUDGET WHEN THEY HAVE NOT PRESENTED A PLAN AND THAT PLAN HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE COMMUNITY? THIS TUR OWNS 27 VACANT LOTS.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO GO AND LOOK AT GOOGLE MAPS.
YOU WILL SEE THE NUMBER OF VACANT LOTS.
MOST OF THOSE ARE OWNED BY THE TURS.
FOR 15 YEARS THEY'VE BEEN VACANT.
SO NOT ONLY HAS THIS TURS CREATED ZERO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEY'VE ALSO SUBTRACTED FROM THEIR OWN INCREMENT.
TO MAKE IT WORSE, THIS TURS IS NOTORIOUSLY NOT TRANSPARENT.
THEY REFUSE TO PUBLISH THEIR BOARD BOOKS FOREVER,
[02:00:01]
AS Y'ALL KNOW, THAT'S WHERE ALL THE INFORMATION IS, IS IN THE BOARD BOOK.THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM TO PUBLISH THEIR BOARD BOOKS.
THANK YOU ALSO TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED FOR YOUR OTHER EFFORTS AT TRANSPARENCY FOR TS, ESPECIALLY WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HERE'S MY ASK THAT THIS BUDGET BE TAGGED TOMORROW ON THE REQUIREMENT THAT THET PRESENT THEIR PLAN AND DISCUSS IT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU MAYOR KEVIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE HAVE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY FOURTH WARD TOUR'S PLANS ARE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER YET.
HOWEVER, UH, DID LEARN THAT APPARENTLY WHEN THEY DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEY DON'T COORDINATE WITH OUR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, WHICH SEEMS LIKE AN ISSUE.
UM, ON, ON TRANSPARENCY, I APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH, UM, A DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, REGARDING ENACTING SOME TRANSPARENCY STANDARDS FOR ALL OF THE TSS AND, AND HAVE YET TO HEAR ANYTHING ON THAT FRONT EITHER.
BUT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN.
I I JUST WANNA POINT OUT IT'S A REALLY LOW BAR TO EXPECT, DETER TO PRESENT A PLAN THAT'S GONNA BE FUNDED AND THEN TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THAT PLAN.
UH, KEVIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
I, I TOO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FOURTH WARD OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDS.
SO, UH, WE, WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT.
NEXT, LISA MC WASHINGTON TO BE FOLLOWED BY THOMAS RAY.
I HAVE NEVER DONE THIS, BUT I'M HERE AS A MOTHER.
AND MY DAUGHTER NAME IS ASHLEY ANEZ HARRISON.
AND I REPRESENT HER JUST AS WELL.
I MOVED IN A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED ROBERTS LANDING IN DISTRICT B.
UM, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THAT THEY'RE ROBBING US AND STEALING.
IT'S BEEN A DEATH IN THE COMMUNITY.
I ONLY BEEN THERE A YEAR, BOUGHT A HOME THAT COST $300,000 IN HABITAT.
THEY CAME TOGETHER WITH THIS COMMUNITY AND I WORKED TO THE BONES TO GET THIS HOME FOR MY DAUGHTER.
BECAUSE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME, SHE'LL HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.
SHE WON'T BE PUT INTO A FACILITY.
AND SO I WENT TO THE HOMELAND SECURITY OFF OF LAY ROAD.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA 'CAUSE I'M NOT FROM THAT AREA, BUT I LIVE THERE NOW.
I'VE SEEN SOME STUFF IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN IN YEARS.
SO ALL THESE THINGS THAT'S ON THIS PAPER, HOMELESS MEDICATION I TAKE.
TOOK ME 14 YEARS TO GET GUARDIANSHIP OF MY DAUGHTER BECAUSE OF MY BEHAVIOR OF DRUGS.
SO I STAND HERE AND I, I I I REPRESENT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, I'M A PARTNERS IN POLICY MAKING FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND MY GOAL IS TO MAKE A CHANGE FOR THE DISABILITY AND ELDERLY THAT IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM.
SO TO SAY TO THAT, WE NEED SOME HELP.
HOA, THEY CHARGE US $600 A YEAR FOR HOA FEES.
AND THE OTHER COMMUNITIES PAY $20 A YEAR.
THEY COME OVER, THEY USE A FACILITY AND THEN THEY JUST, THE HOMELESS, THEY BUNK OUT.
BUT HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN CALLED SEVERAL TIMES,
[02:05:01]
DON'T SHOW UP IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS.AND SOME, I FINALLY KIND OF RATTLED SOME CAGES.
AND I HAVE THE PARTNERS IN POLICY MAKING IS STARTING AND THEY'RE WORKING ON IT TO SUBMIT SOME PAPERWORK.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH POLITICS.
BUT I HAVE TO GET INVOLVED BECAUSE OF MY DAUGHTER, MS. SO TO SAY THAT WE NEED SOME HELP.
AND WE'RE SORRY ABOUT YOUR STRESSFUL SITUATION.
UH, REBECCA, WE MEET WITH MS. WASHINGTON.
CARTER AND JACKSON ARE IN THE KEY CIRCUMSTANCE.
CARTER, UH, COUNCILOR JACKSON'S IN THE KEY.
TAR JACKSON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND THANK YOU MS. WASHINGTON FOR COMING IN AND, UM, BRINGING US AWARE, MAKING US AWARE OF THE SITUATION OVER AT BRADY'S LANDING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS OVER THERE WITH SOME GR YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE DID SOME GROUNDBREAKING.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT SOUND LIKE THERE'S SOME SECURITY ISSUES.
AND SO VERY MUCH, UM, I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND JUST, YOU KNOW, ASSESS AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER IN THAT AREA AND POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, TALK WITH HPD, THE PATROL OVER IN THE AREA.
AND SO, UM, AS YOU SPEAK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, MY OFFICE WILL COLLABORATE WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
THEY DID COME OVER TO THE HOME, UH, AFTER THE, AFTER WE, I WENT TO THEIR MEETING THAT EVENING MM-HMM
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
BUT WE, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND COUNCIL ROSE, MAYOR CARTER.
I WAS JUST GONNA OFFER TO ASSIST.
UH, I KNOW THAT YOU AT A MEETING LAST NIGHT, ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS HAD MENTIONED.
BUT WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN HELP YOU OUT WORKING WITH THE REST OF THE I REALLY APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE IT'S A NICE AREA.
YOUR, YOUR, YOUR COMMUNITY'S A VERY NICE AREA.
THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON TO LET IT, LET IT, UH, YEAH.
I, I'VE SEEN THEM JUMP OUT IN AND OUT THE CAR.
NEXT CALL, RAY THOMAS TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARVIN HOLMES.
MAYOR MEYER, EVERYBODY ESTEEMED AT THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M 68 YEARS OF AGE AND AN AIR FORCE VETERAN.
AND, UM, NOTHING HAPPENED IN THE MILITARY, BECAME DISABLED AT THE MILITARY.
YOU'VE GOT FLOWN ON LIFE FLIGHT MEMORIAL.
HERMAN, MY MAMA, LEFT THE CASHIER BOOT, RAN ALL THE WAY FROM SCURLOCK TOWERS TO SEE HER SON COME IN GETTING SHOT ON LIFE FLIGHT TO SEE THE HELICOPTER COME IN.
SO KNOWING AND HAVING MET WITH THE, A FORMER MAYOR THAT MY MOM WORKED FOR AT THIS CITY WHEN I WAS, UH, AT THE AGE OF 16, IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW THAT WHAT THEY SAID, I WOULD NEVER TALK AGAIN.
NOW THAT I'M ABLE TO TALK AFTER HAVING A TRACHEOTOMY AND THE BLOOD WAS GONNA FILL MY LUNGS AND I WOULD'VE DROWN IN MY OWN LUNGS.
SO I'M SPEAKING UP ON THE SOFTWARE THAT HAS TAKEN THE, UH, HUMAN ELEMENT OUT OF COMMUNICATING AND EFFECTIVELY IN LOGISTICS.
SO THE SOFTWARE IS DEALING WITH METRO.
IT'S NOT JUST METRO LIFT, WHICH I TAKE AS A DISABLED PERSON IS METRO.
AND, UH, LOOKING AT THE WORLD CUP AND HOW, HOW MANY BUSES WERE RUNNING PARKING RIDES THAT WERE UP UNTIL MIDNIGHT NOW THEY DON'T HAVE IT UP UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
THEY'RE MOVING THE CITY FORWARD IN A BACKWARDS WAY.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS HOW CAN YOU HAVE A PARKING RIDE SERVICE AVAILABLE TO GO ALL THE WAY TO CYPRESS? AND THEN HOW CAN YOU NOT LET METRO LIFT GO AT THE 20 YEARS OF MY LIVING IN THAT AREA TO CASTLE BRIDGE AND WEST ROAD, WHERE THE TWO 16 CORRIDOR GO ALL THE WAY TO CYPRESS AND YOU DO NOT LET METRO LIFT GO ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM WHERE I LIVE AT, BUT YOU WANT ME TO USE AN APP THAT'LL TAKE A SEVEN MINUTE RIDE TO THE NEXT NEAREST PARKING RIDE AND ALLOW THAT APP SOFTWARE TO MAKE ME RIDE FOR ONE HOUR
[02:10:02]
AND THEN MISS A PUBLIC BUS THAT'S GOING TO LEAVE TO GO TOWARD MEMORIAL CITY MALL.WHICH I WENT THERE ON SATURDAY WITH A METRO LIFT PATRON THAT'S DISABLED FROM MY VISION BEING LOST.
AND, UH, THEY SAY YOUR RIDES OUTSIDE THE SOFTWARE, SAY YOUR RIDES HERE.
THE END OF THE CHANGE IT WHEN WORLD CUP, WHEN I WAS AT THE AIRPORT, WHICH I WORKED THERE, AND I WAS THERE TRYING TO GET PICKED UP FROM THE AIRPORT.
THEY SAID ON THE SOFTWARE, WE'RE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN.
WE'RE RUNNING LATE, WE'RE GONNA GET YOU THERE.
SO THIS SOFTWARE IS A TREMENDOUS GLITCH AND IT KEEPS ON FALTERING TELLING PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE ON THE WAY.
AND THEN THE METRO CARD THAT THE SOFTWARE GIVES YOU, THEY'RE WAITING FROM DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR TO TELL PEOPLE THEY STILL HAD A CUE CARD ON THERE.
AND IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, IT STOPPED WORKING ON THE METRO SERVICES WITH THE SOFTWARE.
YOU COULDN'T RIDE THE PUBLIC BUS SOFTWARE.
YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED THE SOFTWARE, MR. LEMON, THE SOFTWARE IS A TREMENDOUS GLITCH AND THE SOFTWARE IS CAUSING PEOPLE TO HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS IN GETTING LEFT BEHIND.
COUNCILOR DAVIS WILL, UH, COUNCILOR DAVIS, I, I WAS JUST THE NOTE FROM METRO SAYS THAT REPEATEDLY THEY WOULD SHOW UP AND YOU WEREN'T THERE.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO GET THE TWO PARTIES TOGETHER, SIR.
AND YOU, SIR, YOU SERVED IN WHAT AIR FORCE? YES SIR.
I WENT IN RIGHT THERE ON CENT STREET 31ST OF OC OCTOBER.
YOU DIS YOU'RE DISABLED VET? THAT IS CORRECT, SIR.
WELL FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, SIR.
YOU WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND I WAS JUST, AS THE MAYOR WAS GIVING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP YOU AND TO FACILITATE, UH, WHAT YOUR CONCERNS AND NEEDS ARE, SIR.
THEY SUSPENDED ME WITH METRO OF SERVICES, UH, FIVE DAYS NOW FOR THE WHOLE MONTH OF AUGUST.
IT'S GONNA BE HALF THE MONTH THAT THEY'RE GONNA SUSPEND ME.
'CAUSE THE APP GAVE 27 ADDITIONAL TRIPS THAT WASN'T EVEN AUTHORIZED BECAUSE IT WENT BEYOND WHAT I HAD ALREADY SCHEDULED, CAUSED ME TO MISS VETERAN'S DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, OTHER OUTSIDE MEMORIAL HERMANN APPOINTMENTS AND SO ON.
WELL, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION TO TOUCH BASE WITH YOU SIR, AS WELL AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
I'VE BEEN NEEDLING WITH METRO FOR A LONG TIME.
I DON'T APPRECIATE THE WAY I'M BEING TREATED.
I ALSO DON'T APPRECIATE THE WAY METRO IS TREATING THESE ELDERLY PASSENGERS THAT GET ON THESE BUSES.
METRO DO NOT LET PEOPLE SIT DOWN.
THEY JUST RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET ON THE BUS, THEY, AND THE OTHER WEEK, I, I FELL ON THE 1 61 AND SEE THIS.
THAT'S 'CAUSE OF METRO AND I'M GETTING TIRED OF METRO AND I, EVERY TIME I FILE A COMPLAINT, THEY DON'T CALL ME BACK.
AND I'M REALLY, I CAN'T DO THE JAIL.
I CAN'T DO, I I CAN'T DO IT EVERY TIME I CALL.
MR. HOLMES, I KNOW THAT YOU SPOKE WITH ALAN IN MY OFFICE EARLIER TODAY, UM, AND HE GOT YOU IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE AT METRO.
DO YOU HAVE CONTACT NOW IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER CONCERNS? AND PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WHO I NEED ELSE GOING FORWARD.
SO MY OFFICE, UM, AMY PECK'S OFFICE, ALAN SPOKE WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT YOUR CONCERNS.
SO JUST KEEP US IN THE LOOP OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
THE BUS, I WAS ON THE 24 62, THE NUMBER 46 COMING OVER HERE.
HE WAS, I CAUGHT THE BUS AT EIGHT 40 THIS MORNING, 24 62.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M THROUGH WITH IT.
Y'ALL NEED TO, AND SOME OF THESE BUS DRIVERS, MS. PICK, HAVE SOME VERY, VERY NA VERY NASTY ATTITUDES.
AND SOME OF 'EM LOOKED LIKE BEEN DRINKING OR SMOKING BEFORE COMING TO WORK.
THAT'S WHAT I TOLD THE MAN I TALKED TO THAT CALLED ME THIS MORNING.
SOME OF THESE DRIVERS NEED TO GET THEY WALKING PAPERS.
SOME OF 'EM NEED TO GET WALKING PAPERS LIKE NOW.
[02:15:03]
CAROLYN, OT.SO I DO, DO I NEED TO CALL YOUR OFFICE? NO, I'M, ARE YOU MS. CAROLYN? NO.
TO BE FOLLOWED BY SEBASTIAN LAUR.
MAYOR, I CAME BEFORE YOU ON JULY THE SEVENTH ABOUT MY METRO LIFT.
I WAS ADDRESSING MR. J UH, MARTINEZ.
YOU TOLD HIM TO GIMME MY EVIDENCE BACK AND THAT YOU WAS GONNA HANDLE MY METRO LIFT SITUATION.
THAT WAS THE SAME DAY THAT ISIS HAD THAT SITUATION.
I KNOW YOU HAD A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON, BUT I STILL WANT TO UPDATE ON MY METRO LIFT WHERE THEY LEFT MY EVIDENCE WHERE AT METRO DURING MY APPEAL, SOME SHADY STUFF WAS GOING ON OVER THERE.
ARE YOU GONNA ADDRESS MY, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, HAVE COUNCILMAN JACKSON.
UM, SO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUR METRO? UM, LIFT? I WAS DENIED, UM, MY RENEWAL FOR METRO LIFT.
AND SO I PUT IN FOR AN APPEAL, TOOK MY PAPERWORK TO METRO WINDOW 11.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GET THERE BEFORE THE APPEAL.
SO WHEN I WENT TO MY APPEAL, MY EVIDENCE, MY FOLDER NEVER MADE IT TO THE APPEAL.
THE YOUNG LADY THERE TOLD ME, UM, WITH THE APPEALS OFFICER, SHE TOLD THE APPEALS OFFICER THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING IN MY, UH, PACKAGE THAT WAS CURRENT.
MEDICAL EVIDENCE THAT WAS CURRENT.
ON THE PAPERWORK IT SAYS ANY DOCUMENTATION YOU HAVE PRESENTED BEFORE THE APPEAL.
THAT'S CURRENT MEDICAL HISTORY.
NONE OF THAT EVER MADE IT TO THE APPEAL.
SOME SHADY STUFF GOING ON OVER THERE.
AND I SAID THAT THE FBI HAD GOT THEMSELVES INVOLVED.
THEY DON'T OVERRIDE MY DOCTORS.
YEAH, I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET UPDATED.
AND SO WHAT I'LL DO IS FOLLOW UP WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
UM, I'LL FOLLOW UP JUST TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP UP TO DATE ON THE STATUS AND JUST SEE HOW MY OFFICE CAN SUPPORT.
SEBASTIAN LACO TO BE FOLLOWED TO BE FOLLOWED BY CELIO ROBLES.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO COMMENT ON A BIT OF A DISCREPANCY IN LAST WEEK'S NEWS.
LAST WEEK WE LEARNED THAT A LARGE BLOCK OF DOWNTOWN AT WALKER AND CAROLINE IS BEING TRANSFORMED INTO A 12 STORY PARKING GARAGE WITH OVER 2000 SPACES AS PART OF THE ONE HOUSTON CENTER.
A FEW DAYS EARLIER THOUGH, WE LEARNED THAT METRO HAS SHELVED THE INTER K-A-B-R-T AN EXPRESS BUS SERVICE THAT WOULD'VE RUN FROM SPRING BRANCH, UH, DIRECTLY INTO DOWNTOWN.
THIS, UH, THIS COMES ON THE HEELS OF METRO PAUSING THE UNIVERSITY LINE, WHICH WAS A SIMILAR RAPID TRANSIT BUS THAT WOULD'VE CONNECTED WESTCHASE AND THE GALLERIA AND MONTROSE TO THE BIG PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, THIS ITSELF WAS A REPLACEMENT FOR THE RICHMOND METRO RAIL LINE THAT WE NEVER BUILT.
I'M NOT GONNA SECOND GUESS ANY OF THESE PARTICULAR CHOICES.
LIKE I'M NOT HERE TO HATE ON THE PARKING GARAGE, BUT I WANNA OBSERVE, UH, SOMETHING.
IN RECENT YEARS WE'VE MADE A REAL PUSH AND I THINK A VERY GOOD PUSH TO GET FOLKS DOWNTOWN, BOTH FOR BUSINESS AND FOR PLEASURE.
THERE WAS, UH, THE RETURN TO WORK ORDER FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
THERE'S BEEN THE, UH, THE MAIN STREET PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE AND THEN THERE'S THE ONGOING CONVENTION DISTRICT TRANSFORMATION.
YET AT THE SAME TIME, WE SEEM TO KEEP CANCELING THESE TRANSIT PROJECTS THAT AIM TO GIVE PEOPLE A MORE CONVENIENT
[02:20:01]
AND LESS STRESSFUL WAY TO GET DOWNTOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE.UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I COME DOWNTOWN FOR JURY DUTY OR MY WIFE AND I CATCH A SHOW AT THE HUBBY CENTER, I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE CAN JUST TAKE THE TRAIN UP FROM THE SOUTH SIDE.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DRIVING OR PARKING AT ALL.
IT MAKES US BOTH A LOT MORE LIKELY TO CHOOSE TO COME DOWNTOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IF WE WANNA GET, UM, THE MOST OUT OF OUR ONGOING INVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWN, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE BUILDING WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO DO JUST THIS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE TWO LIGHT RAIL LINES, GREEN AND PURPLE THAT COME UP FROM THE EAST SIDE AND THEN STOP BASICALLY RIGHT OUTSIDE THIS BUILDING.
WHAT IF THEY WERE TO CONTINUE WEST CONNECTING WASHINGTON AVENUE OR THE HEIGHTS OR MONTROSE TO DOWNTOWN THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY IS WHERE SO MUCH OF OUR DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN AND WHERE YOU'LL FIND A LOT OF THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT WE'D LIKE TO COME DOWNTOWN MORE OFTEN.
SO THAT'S JUST MY ASK TODAY AS WE KEEP IMPROVING DOWNTOWN.
AND I LIKE A LOT OF THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING, LET'S ALSO KEEP CREATING OPTIONS FOR FOLKS TO GET HERE.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THE PEOPLE LINING UP OUTSIDE THE NEW GARAGE WILL CERTAINLY APPRECIATE HAVING FEWER OTHER CARS, UH, TO COMPETE WITH.
OH, JOSEPH TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALMA FIEROS.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU AND SEE YOU VERY MUCH BECAUSE I WAS REALLY LOOK FOR YOU AND LOOK FOR CATHERINE MEYER.
CATHERINE WHITMEYER WAS THE BEST PERSON THAT I KNEW IN ALL MY LIFE AND I LEARNED A LOT.
AND RIGHT NOW I AM GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION WHEN I, WHEN I START CHATTERING WITH MY, AND IT, RIGHT BEFORE IT WAS ANSWERING TWO SIMILAR QUESTION ABOUT TWO C IF YOU ARE QUICKLY AND YOU'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND LEARN ABOUT IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT IT AND THAT'S HOW I'M TELLING EVERYBODY.
NOW, UH, THE, THE, WHEN WE STARTED AND WE GO TO THE, TO THE ROAD AND FOR THE LAWS THEN TERRY MONTHS VISIT UPPER OCCASIONAL LAWS AND.COM 29 EQUATION REPLY TO A STOP TO COULD TALK TO LOAD PER REGION.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE THING THAT I KNOW ABOUT IT.
BUT, UH, WHEN I CHAT IN MEYER START COMING AND LEARNING FOR MYSELF THAT TO COME TO THE, UH, NEW NEW GMAIL.COM AND THEN I WENT TO THE, TO THE 2107 CHURCH ALSO.
I WENT AND I LEARN ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT HERE AND MY LIFE.
AND NOT TO ORDER A NEW COURT CHART AND BALANCE OF
[02:25:01]
THE COURT LAST USE DATES.AND THAT WAS ANOTHER, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
ANOTHER INFORMATION ABOUT IT, LOCATION, SPACE CITY CRASH 7 7 4 6 LAINA GRAND ROAD, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 7 5.
THAT IS ALSO, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO LEARN THOSE, TO KNOW HOW CAN WE DO BETTER THINGS, BETTER WAY, AND LOVE ONE OF EACH OTHER.
MS.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
I'LL MOVE ALL THAT, THAT I DID ALL OF IT BECAUSE I WANT, I WANT THE CATHERINE MEYER.
WE APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THAT WITH US.
AUDREY NTH TO BE FOLLOWED BY LINDSEY WILLIAMS. HELLO, I'M AUDREY NTH.
I AM A NEUROLOGIST AND CO-CHAIR OF THE HOUSTON PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS.
AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE AC ORDINANCE.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C, SO WE KNOW THAT LACK OF AIR CONDITIONING CAN BE A RISK FACTOR FOR MOLD GROWING, GIVEN THE HUMIDITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH CAN TRIGGER RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES AS WELL.
HE CAN BE A TRIGGER FOR EPILEPSY, UM, AS WELL AS A CAUSE OF HEAT, STROKE AND DEATH.
AND WE KNOW THAT HERE IN HOUSTON WE HAVE DISPARITIES IN HEALTH OUTCOMES BETWEEN ZIP CODES.
THERE IS A 19 YEAR DIFFERENCE IN LIFE EXPECTANCY.
UH, AND THE LACK OF AIR CONDITIONING IN APARTMENTS MAY VERY WELL BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS DISPARITY.
SO I'M ASKING ALL OF YOU TO VOTE YES TO THE AIR CONDITIONING ORDINANCE FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DALLAS AND AUSTIN AND EL PASO FOR THE HEALTH OF ALL HOUSTONIANS.
NEXT SPEAKER LINDSEY WILLIAMS. LINDSEY WILLIAMS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ARCO BAR BARMAN.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WHITMEYER.
WELL, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX M AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
MY NAME IS LINDSAY, UH, LINDSAY WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 64 AND 88 GREATER EAST WITH ON DOWN WAYSIDE.
AT OUR JUNE, 2026 SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, OUR RESIDENTS VOTED TO SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO AIR CONDITIONING ORDINANCE.
WE TOOK THAT VOTE BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT A HOUSTON SUMMER DOES TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
HEAT ISN'T AN INCONVENIENCE HERE, IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS RIGHT NOW.
WHETHER YOU SURVIVE, IT COMFORTABLY DEPENDS ON YOUR LANDLORD AND YOUR ZIP CODE.
I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME LINGERING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UNINTENDED EFFECTS, BUT PLEASE PASS THE ORDINANCE.
WE SUPPORT ALL EFFORTS TO LIMIT NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ABSORB ADDITIONAL COSTS.
HOWEVER, SIMILAR TO WHAT COUNCIL DID WITH THE $5 UTILITY FEE MITIGATION FOR RESIDENTS CAN BE WORKED THROUGH EVEN AFTER THE ORDINANCE HAS PASSED.
HEY, I WANT TO THANK MAYOR WHITMEYER BECAUSE HE HELPED ME AND OTHER TAXPAYER CITIZENS GO TO THE DASH
DON'T YOU THINK IT'S BEAUTIFUL? YES, IT IS A CHAMPIONSHIP RING FROM 2006.
NOW TO TELL YOU THIS, I WENT TO THE UH, BEL AIR CITY COUNCIL THE OTHER DAY YESTERDAY.
AND THERE I THOUGHT I HAD DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHY THEY GAVE ME FIVE MINUTES?
HOW MANY SPEAKERS DID THEY HAVE? TWO.
[02:30:02]
JACOB, IF WE EVER HAVE TWO SPEAKERS, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU FIVE MINUTES TOO.NO, THAT WASN'T GOOD FOR THIS CHARLIE TELL AM MAN OWN JOKE.
A CHEESE SUPER JOKE OR AN AGGIE JOKE.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE FRENCH SPEAKER WHO PLANTED IN THE WRONG CUP? YOU KNOW WHAT HE CALLED HIS ADOPTED FRENCH.
ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? THIS COMPLETES.
THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[RECESS]
MEMBERS.UH, WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT 9 1 0 1 1 5
[READING OF THE CONSENT AGENDA]
COLLECT LEE DRIVE IN 5,005 WEST BELFORT AVENUE AUTHORIZING THE SALE.AN AUTHORIZING MARKETING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND RYLAND ENTERPRISES, INC.
DOING BUSINESS AS ARVO REALTY ADVISORS.
LLC ITEM 21, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2025 DASH 2 0 8 RELATED TO CONTRACT WITH DENALI WATER SOLUTIONS, LLC ITEM 22.
ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH ACCURATE BACKGROUND.
LLC ITEM 23, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2026 DASH 4 39 RELATED TO CONTRACT WITH THE SPORTS AUTHORITY FOUNDATION.
ITEM 24, ORDINANCE APPROVED IN AUTHORIZING TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND NRG GREENS BIO SIX LLC ITEM 25 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS.
NUMBER SIX, EAST SIDE ZONE APPROVING FISCAL YEAR 2027 OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE ZONE.
ITEM 26 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF OLD SIX WARD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 1306, WARD ZONE APPROVING FISCAL YEAR 2027, OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE AUTHORITY AND FISCAL YEAR IS 2027 THROUGH 2031.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BUDGET FOR THE ZONE.
ITEM 27 ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE FISCAL AFFAIRS OF FOURTH WARD REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 14, FOURTH WARD ZONE APPROVING FISCAL YEAR 2027, OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE AUTHORITY AND FISCAL YEAR 2027 THROUGH 20 TH 2031 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BUDGET FOR THE ZONE.
ITEM 28 HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF WORK PLAN, PROPOSAL AND APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR THE RESTORE FPL FOUR RIPARIAN RESTORATION INITIATIVE.
PROJECT ITEM 30 ORDINANCE ALTERING AND ESTABLISHING PRIMA FACE SPEED LIMITS IN CERTAIN ZONES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
ITEM 31, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2025 DASH 10 43 TO INCLUDE ACQUISITION OF TWO ADDITIONAL PARCELS OF GROUNDWATER REDUCTION PLAN CONVERSION WATER LINES, GROUP C PROJECT ITEM 32, ORDINANCE APPROVING PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER'S PENSION SYSTEM.
ITEM 33, ORDINANCE APPROVING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY CONTRACT REVENUE BONDS SERIES 2026 TO THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
ITEM 34, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $728,651.
APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH CSI CONSOLIDATED LLC DOING BUSINESS AS AIMS COMPANIES.
ITEM 35, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO DARLING INGREDIENTS INC.
A TEXAS CORPORATION, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
THIS IS THE SECOND READING ITEM 36 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO GRANT MCKAY COMPANY INC.
A TEXAS CORPORATION, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
THIS IS THE SECOND READING ITEM 37 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO METRO GREASE TRAP, LLCA TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
A SECOND READING ITEM 38, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO PAYLESS WASTE SOLUTIONS, INC.
A TEXAS CORPORATION, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
SECOND READING ITEM 39, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO RENTALS TO GO OF TEXAS, LLCA TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, THE W RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
SECOND READING ITEM 40, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO SEWER SQUAD LLCA TEXAS LIMITED
[02:35:01]
LIABILITY COMPANY, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.SECOND READING ITEM 41, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO GRO OF TEXAS, CDR INC.
A MARYLAND CORPORATION, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
SECOND READING ITEM 42, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO WASTE MANAGEMENT OF TEXAS INC.
A TEXAS CORPORATION, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SECOND READING ITEM 43, THE MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR TIER NINTH PROJECT PLANNED AMENDMENT HEARING DATE, 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26TH, 2026.
ITEM 44, ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 10 DASH 360 3 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES RELATING TO A PROPERTY OWNER'S REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE AIR CONDITIONING FOR HA HABITABLE HABITABLE SPACES.
THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE CAPTIONS FOR TODAY'S AGENDA, AUGUST 19TH, 2026.
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL.
SESSION TWO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND WITH THAT, HAPPY WEDNESDAY EVERYONE, PLEASE COME TO
[RECONVENE]
ORDER MEMBERS.UM, I BRING TO YOU A VERY SAD NOTE THAT OVER THE WEEKEND WE LOST HER FIRST ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, RANDY SAMOA.
I UNDERSTAND HE HAD A FALL LED TO HIS DEATH.
NOW, RANDY QUIETLY HAS BEEN AN OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVANT FOR DECADES.
CHIEF PROSECUTOR AT THE MUNICIPAL COURTS SERVED UNDER FIVE CITY ATTORNEYS, SEVERAL MAYORS.
I TRUSTED HIM AND AS Y'ALL HAVE NOTICED, HE HAD A REAL SKILL OF WORKING AROUND THE HORSESHOE BY, I THINK HE MASTERED SAYING, I'LL GET BACK WITH YOU,
CERTAINLY WE'VE SEEN IT IN RECENT DAYS, BUT LET'S THINK ABOUT HIS FAMILY.
AND IT SHOWS HOW FRAGILE LIFE IS AS WE DO OUR WORK AND REPRESENT HOUSTONIANS.
AND I THINK THE, THE, THE GREATEST THING THAT I CAN ACKNOWLEDGE TODAY ABOUT RANDY'S LIFE, CERTAINLY HIS SERVICE TO THE CITY.
I HAVEN'T COUNTED HOW MANY LEGAL DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES ARE HERE THIS MORNING, BUT I JUST PERSONALLY THANK THEM FOR BEING HERE.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EXPERIENCED ANYTHING QUITE LIKE IT, CERTAINLY SINCE I'VE BEEN MAYOR, AND MAYBE EVEN AS A LEGISLATOR, THAT YOU LOSE A LOVED ONE, A COLLEAGUE, AND THERE'S SUCH AN OUTPOURING OF PUBLIC SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCES.
AND LET ME JUST CLOSE BY SAYING, GOD DOES NOT ALLOW US TO CHOOSE WHEN WE LOSE A LOVED ONE OR FRIEND, BUT HE ALLOWS US TO CELEBRATE.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD URGE ALL OF US AS WE SEND OUR CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY, LET'S CELEBRATE HIS LIFE BECAUSE HE WAS TRULY A PUBLIC SERVANT.
NEVER ON THE BALLOT, BUT EVER MUCH A PUBLIC SERVANT IS ANYONE THAT'S EVER BEEN ELECTED.
SO JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF, OF SILENCE FOR RANDY.
ALSO, UM, LET ME MENTIONED THIS MORNING, 1130, THERE'LL BE A SERVICE FOR GEORGIA PROVOST, ANOTHER PUBLIC CIVIC LEADER, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE MAYOR OF THIRD WARD.
WE ALL KNEW MS. PROVOST, SHE AND HER HUSBAND DOCUMENTED THROUGH THEIR PHOTOGRAPHY SHOP THE, THE PROGRESS THAT WAS MADE IN RACE RELATIONS SHIP IN HOUSTON,
[02:40:02]
DOCUMENTING THE CHALLENGES OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN THIRD WARD AS IT RELATED TO TSU EDUCATION.SHE'D BE THE FIRST TO SAY WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK LEFT IN FRONT OF US.
SO WE WILL CELEBRATE HER LIFE THIS MORNING AT 1130.
SO KEEP HER FAMILY AND YOUR THOUGHTS, UH, MATERIAL.
YOU LOST YOUR BROTHER THIS MORNING.
WE CERTAINLY SEND YOU OUR CONDOLENCES AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WILL BE WITH YOUR FAMILY STARTING LATER TODAY.
SO, WE'LL, WE GOT YOUR BACK COVERED HERE.
YOU TAKE CARE OF FAMILY AND, UH, WE'LL CELEBRATE YOUR BROTHER'S LIFE.
THAT SAID, COUNCILMAN POLLARD, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE.
I TOO WANNA, UM, SHARE MY CONDOLENCES, UH, ARTURO TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, UH, TO THE ZAMORA FAMILY.
UM, THE ENTIRE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
UH, I KNEW RANDY BEFORE I EVEN GOT ON COUNSEL.
UM, I WAS DOING PERSONAL INJURY CASES AND SOMETIMES, UH, I WOULD GO AGAINST THE CITY AND RANDY WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND RANDY WAS ALWAYS PROFESSIONAL.
HE WAS ALWAYS PRUDENT AND HE WAS ALWAYS FAIR.
RANDY WAS A FAIR MAN AND A FUNNY STORY, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I HAD RANDY MACKEY'S NUMBER PROGRAMMED IN MY PHONE, UH, AS RANDY ZA MORRIS NUMBER.
SO I THOUGHT I WAS TALKING TO RANDY MACKEY, BUT I REALLY WAS TALKING TO RANDY ZAMORE AND I WAS TEXTING RANDY ZAMORA PICTURES OF BROKEN SIDEWALKS,
AND I'M LIKE, RANDY, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS SIDEWALK? YOU TOLD, I THOUGHT THIS WAS GONNA GET FIXED.
AND RANDY ZAMORA, TO HIS CREDIT, WAS GOING BACK, GETTING ME ALL THESE LEGAL OPINIONS ON SIDEWALKS AND SETBACKS.
AND I'M LIKE, WHY IS HE GIVING ME THIS? AND SO THEN I JUST HAD TO CALL.
I SAID, RANDY, WHAT IS GOING ON? WHY ARE YOU? AND HE WAS LIKE, WELL, I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT YOU NEEDED.
I HAVE SOME PEOPLE IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT LOOKING INTO IT, AND I'M LIKE, WHAT, WHICH RANDY AM I TALKING TO? AND IT WAS RANDY ZAMORE.
BUT THAT LETS YOU KNOW WHAT TYPE OF MAN HE WAS, WHAT TYPE OF PUBLIC SERVANT HE WAS.
HE WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO TRY TO HELP, EVEN IF IT DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE.
HE WAS TRYING HIS BEST, UH, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO, UM, MY CONDOLENCES AGAIN TO HIS FAMILY AND TO THE PROVOST FAMILY AS WELL.
UH, THEY WILL BE MISSED, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN.
THANK YOU, UM, MAYOR PRO TO HIM.
THANK YOU, MAYOR TO, UH, ARTURO, OUR CONDOLENCES FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR FAMILY AND, UM, YOUR PERSONAL FAMILY AND YOUR WORK FAMILY.
I SEE SO MANY MEMBERS FROM THE LEGAL TEAM IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.
UH, SO OFTEN THE FOLKS THAT WE WORK WITH BECOME LIKE OUR FAMILY.
AND SO THESE LOSSES ARE VERY HEARTFELT.
UM, IT IS MY PRAYER THAT, UH, THE MEMORIES THAT YOU HAVE HAD WITH, UM, RANDY WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH THIS SAD TIME.
UH, I KNOW THAT HE LOVED MUSIC AND, UM, HE WAS A MUSICIAN AND WE TALKED ABOUT MUSIC AND, UH, HIS COMEDY AND ALL OF THE FUN THINGS.
UM, I HOPE THAT THOSE MEMORIES WILL ALWAYS RESONATE IN YOUR, IN YOUR HEARTS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, RANDY ZAMORA, UH, AS A FATHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW HE HAS A 15-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AND A WIFE.
UM, SO WE WILL MISS THE FAMILY MAN THAT HE WAS THE FUN PERSON THAT HE WAS AND THE LEGAL CONTRIBUTIONS THAT HE PROVIDED FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO, UM, JUST WANT TO UPLIFT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT DURING THIS SAD TIME AND LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN OUR, OUR PRAYERS.
AND, UM, ALSO WANNA SEND, UH, HEARTFELT THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO THE PROVOST FAMILY AS THEY, UM, CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF GEORGIA PROVOST, WHO WAS AN ICON IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
VERY GOOD COUNCILOR, VICE MAYOR, PROTE PECK.
I ALSO WANNA OFFER MY CONDOLENCES.
UM, RANDY WAS SO GREAT TO WORK WITH EVERYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICE ASKED HIM.
HE WAS ABLE TO GET US ANSWERS ALL THE TIME.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GETTING TO SIT NEXT TO HIM ON TUESDAYS IN MY FIRST TERM OVER THERE AND GOT TO KNOW HIM.
AND, UM, I WOULD BUG HIM EVERY TUESDAY ABOUT ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
[02:45:01]
SO GREAT AND SO PROFESSIONAL ABOUT IT.AND HE JUST LOVED TALKING ABOUT MUSIC AND HIS FAMILY AND JUST A GREAT PERSON.
SO JUST WANTED TO LET THE WHOLE LEGAL DEPARTMENT KNOW THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT YOU DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME.
I'LL JUST JUMP IN TO SAY, GOSH, OVER THE YEARS, WORKED WITH RANDY ON SO MANY THINGS.
I COULD CALL HIM ANYTIME, GET ANSWERS.
THE MOST FUN THOUGH, WAS WORKING WITH HIM ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE.
HE WAS, HE GOES, I WAS MAKING THE NOISE BACK IN THE DAY.
SO HE, HE WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, HE HAD SYMPATHY FOR ALL THE PEOPLE AND THE RESIDENTS, BUT HE WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ALSO REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE BUSINESS SIDE AND THE MUSIC SIDE OF THINGS.
AND HE WAS JUST GREAT TO WORK WITH.
REALLY HELPED GET THROUGH DIFFICULT, UM, A DIFFICULT ISSUE AND NEVER GOT RUFFLED AND ALWAYS JUST WAS THAT GOOD SOLID VOICE.
AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, MAYOR PRO TEM, WE WERE LIKE A FAMILY UP HERE.
YOU'RE JUST USED TO SEEING HIM EVERY TUESDAY AND TALKING TO HIM AND GETTING ANSWERS ON THINGS AND, AND, UM, I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
I KNOW Y'ALL ARE ALL IN SHOCK.
YOU AND YOU GUYS ALL WORKED SO CLOSELY WITH THEM.
IT'S SUCH A TESTAMENT THAT YOU'RE ALL HERE, ARTURO.
I'M SO SORRY ABOUT YOUR BROTHER.
AND, UH, WE ALL RAN WHEN GEORGIA PROVOST WAS RUNNING
THERE WAS, I LOVE YOU AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
AND, UM, AND, AND SHE WAS JUST A, A FUN CANDIDATE TO, TO, TO RUN WITH.
UH, UH, CERTAINLY MY CONDOLENCES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR BROTHER, BUT TO, TO THE ENTIRE LEGAL TEAM ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I EXPERIENCED WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING NOW, THE LOSS OF A FAMILY MEMBER, A WORK FAMILY MEMBER.
AND, UM, IT'S KIND OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT EVERYBODY'S HEART IS VERY HEAVY.
WORK CONTINUES ALL AROUND YOU.
PEOPLE WALK PAST, THEY DON'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO CRY.
AND TO THAT, I SAY IT'S OKAY TO CRY BECAUSE IT'S A TIME TO CRY AND IT'S A TIME TO CELEBRATE.
AND SO KNOW THAT MY HEART IS, IS CERTAINLY WITH YOU BECAUSE HAVING, HAVING BEEN THERE, IT'S HARD TO CO COMPARTMENTALIZE WHAT SURROUNDS YOU EVERY DAY.
AND SUDDENLY THIS PERSON IS MISSING FROM YOUR, YOUR WORK WORLD, WHICH YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME HERE.
SO MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU ALL.
UM, AND, AND MAY YOU JUST CELEBRATE HIS MEMORIES AND YES, HE WAS, WHILE I DIDN'T KNOW RANDY WELL, HE'S VERY BALANCED AND JUST STEADY, EDDIE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WAS VERY CALM.
UM, BUT MY, MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU ALL.
AND YEAH, GEORGIA PROVOST, MY GOSH, HEAVEN'S HAVING A BIG TIME UP THERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE SHE WAS ONE COLORFUL LADY.
AND I, WHAT A PLEASURE TO HAVE KNOWN HER AND TO, TO WATCH HER, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICE OVER THE YEARS.
SO MY CONDOLENCES TO HER FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REMARKS.
I THINK IT'D BE APPROPRIATE BEFORE WE GO INTO OUR BUSINESS TO ASK OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO SHOW YOU CAN'T ALL SPEAK, BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY ALL RISE IN SUPPORT OF RANDY AND HIS FAMILY.
SO WOULD Y'ALL PLEASE LEGAL DEPARTMENT STAND UP? THANK Y'ALL FOR WHAT Y'ALL DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPRESSION OF LOVE AND RESPECT FOR RANDY AND CONDOLENCES TO YOUR FAMILY.
YOUR PRESENCE HERE SPEAKS VOLUMES OF RANDY'S CAREER AND HIS FRIENDSHIP TO SO MANY OF US.
I'VE WATCHED HIM TRY TO HELP, UH, CITIZENS WITH THEIR LEGAL CHALLENGES AS, UH, AS THEY APPEAR.
SO THANK YOU'ALL FOR BEING HERE AND WE, IT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
[CONSENT AGENDA – NUMBERS 1 through 42 (Part 1 of 2)]
MR. SECRETARY, LET'S MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE.UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, NEED A MOTION FOR MOTION FOR ITEMS ONE THROUGH THREE, CASTEX TATUM, MOVE MOTIONS MADE.
AND SECOND AND ALL IN FAVOR, SAY YES.
NEXT, UNDER THE PURCHASE AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY, NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS FOUR THROUGH EIGHT? CAST? SAY A MOVE.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY.
NEED A VOTE FOR ITEMS NINE THROUGH 13? JUST A VOTE.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
SINCE YOUR LIST WAS DISTRIBUTED, I, ITEM 18 HAS BEEN RECEIVED.
ITEM 28 HAS BEEN PULLED, WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ITEMS 24, 26 AND 27 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
NEED A VOTE FOR THE BALANCE? STATE
[02:50:01]
VOTE.ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
ITEM, UH, MR SQUARED ITEM, I'M SORRY.
ITEM 15 IS ALSO BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
POLLARD TAG TAGGED BY, UM, COUNCILMAN POLLARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS COUNCIL.
UM, FIRST OFF, I, I WANNA COMMEND THE IBW FOR SUPPORTING THIS ABATEMENT.
I THINK IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT JOB CREATION OPPORTUNITY.
AND I JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO COMMENT.
UH, SINCE I MISSED LAST WEEK, AND I KNOW WE ARE GOING TO BE REEXAMINING OUR TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE, I THINK THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY AS A COUNCIL TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE CURRENT POLICIES WE HAVE IN PLACE AND WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE UTILIZING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, NAMELY MANY OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS HAVE ADOPTED POLICIES SUCH AS SETTING A MINIMUM WAGE FLOOR FOR THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE PROVIDING AN ABATEMENT TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS.
AND MAY I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOUR TEAM ON SOME OF THESE POTENTIAL CHANGES TO OUR TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE, JUST TO BRING US IN LINE WITH WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE.
IT WILL KEEP US COMPETITIVE AND WE'LL ENSURE THAT WE ALL FOLLOW THROUGH ON OUR COMMITMENTS TO STAND UP FOR LABOR WHENEVER WE CAN.
NEXT, ITEM 26 IS AN ORDINANCE.
ITEM 27 IS AN ORDINANCE, JUST ME TO VOTE.
COUNCIL RAMIREZ, TAG NUMBER 27 IS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
[NON-CONSENT MISCELLANEOUS]
ITEM 43 IS A MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR TIER NINTH PROJECT PLAN AMENDMENT.COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ HAS A MOTION FOR THAT WITH AN ALTERNATE DATE? YES.
MOVE TO SET THE HEARING DATE FOR SEPTEMBER THE THIRD.
[PROPOSITION A COUNCIL MEMBER ITEM – NUMBER 44]
ITEM 44 IS AN ORDINANCE JUST ME A VOTE? YES.UM, I CAN'T DECIDE WHETHER TO BE THE FIRST SPEAKER OR THE LAST SPEAKER.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS.
YOUR COMPASSION FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE IS ABUNDANT.
I THINK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US SHARE YOUR CONCERN, EITHER CAMPAIGNING OR LIVING IN LIFE.
WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE LESS FORTUNATE LIVE IN BAD CONDITIONS.
ONE REASON WE DID THE APARTMENT IN INSPECTION, WHICH STILL NEEDS TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE, AND CERTAINLY AS A SOCIAL WORKER GOING THROUGH COLLEGE AT THE, WHAT WAS THEN CALLED THE WELFARE DEPARTMENT.
NOW, HUMAN RESOURCES, I'VE WALKED INTO SOME DEPLORABLE SITUATIONS WHERE ON A HOME VISIT I ASKED SOMEONE WHY THEIR ELECTRIC BILL IS SO HIGH.
THEY HAD NO AIR CONDITIONING LIVED OFF OF LIONS AVENUE.
I'VE SEEN IT FIRSTHAND WHERE THE LADY EXPLANATION WHEN I WAS INTERVIEWING HER TO SEE IF SHE QUALIFIED FOR FOOD STAMPS, SHE SAID SHE KEPT THE LIGHTS ON 24 HOURS, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TO KEEP THE RATS FROM BITING THE, UH, NIPPLE OFF OF THE BABY'S BOTTLE.
SO I PERSONALLY KNOW THE PURPOSE IN YOUR PROPOSAL.
I'VE PUT IT TO THE GREATER GOOD TEST, WHICH I'VE DONE MOST OF MY CAREER.
WHEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE A TOUGH CALL, I'M FEARFUL, AND I THINK IT WOULD SERVE THE PEOPLE YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP TO MONITOR THEIR ELECTRIC BILLS,
[02:55:02]
THEIR RENT, THEIR PREVIOUS RENT AGREEMENTS.SO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUE.
YOU AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS, AND I KNOW DALLAS HAS DONE THIS FOR YEARS, AND AUSTIN IS IN A VERY EARLY STAGES OF DOING IT, BUT I'M GONNA VOTE FOR IT EVEN THOUGH I'M CONCERNED, AND I HOPE THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST TIME WE DISCUSS THIS FEARFUL OF AFFORDABILITY.
I'VE HAD SOME COLLEAGUES SAY THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT IT COULD LITERALLY PUT PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREETS.
SO LET'S, LET'S REALIZE THAT IT'S, IT'S REALLY TRANSITIONAL.
I, UH, COULD TAKE YOU TO HOMES RIGHT NOW, VERY LITTLE OR NO INSULATION.
NOW WE'RE GONNA REQUIRE MY GUEST TO HAVE A WINDOW UNIT.
ELECTRICAL WIRING WILL BE A CONCERN.
THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES IN DOING THIS, BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN GET AWAY FROM THE INTENT AND YOUR GOOD WORK AND THE HEARING THAT I WITNESSED THAT WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
BUT I DO THINK IT DESERVES OUR FULL ATTENTION GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, AND BY THE TIME THIS IS IMPLEMENTED, I ASSUME WE'LL BE IN THE FALL.
SO I THINK STARTING NEXT SPRING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REALLY BE ON TOP OF IT, MAKE SURE THERE IS ENFORCEMENT, THAT IT'S NOT JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF GOVERNMENT ORDINANCE MAKING.
SO ANYWAY, I, I JUST HAVE TO GET, GET THAT OFF MY CHEST.
AND I'M CERTAIN I COULD HAVE WRAPPED THINGS UP, BUT IT IS JUST, IT'S, IT'S AN ISSUE THAT I'VE REALLY STRUGGLED WITH BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET CALLS FROM PEOPLE THAT SAY, I'M GONNA HAVE TO MOVE BECAUSE MY WINDOW WON'T EVEN SUPPORT A WINDOW UNIT.
LET'S HAVE A, A GOOD DISCUSSION AND DO WHAT WE THINK THE PROPER THING REPRESENTING OUR DISTRICTS.
UH, COUNCILMAN DAVIS? UH, MAYOR, MAY I RESPOND TO YOU FIRST? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD, UH, LET, LET ME, LET ME, EXCUSE ME.
I'LL YIELD TO YOU TO RESPOND TO ANYTHING THAT I, WELL, I, I JUST WANNA, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, I KNOW YOU MISSED A BIT OF PUBLIC SESSION YESTERDAY, BUT WE HAD DOCTORS COME AND CONVEY THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ORDINANCE.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, THE HOUSTON APARTMENT ASSOCIATION, AND SO MANY OTHERS, I THANK YOU GREATLY FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT MAKING SURE THIS ACTUALLY BENEFITS THE PEOPLE.
WE WANT TO BENEFIT I I IN COMPLETE ALIGNMENT WITH YOU, THAT WE SHOULD NOT PASS ORDINANCES FOR THE SAKE OF PASSING THEM, BUT ENSURE THAT THEY REALLY HELP PEOPLE.
AND THE FIRST CALL I WILL HAVE AFTER THIS PASSES IS WITH THE HEALTH DIRECTOR TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY TO IMPLEMENTATION.
AND I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT HELPING LANDLORDS.
I WAS SO GRATEFUL THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PECK REACHED OUT TO US AND MADE A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW WE SHOULD EXTEND THE TIME PERIOD THAT LANDLORDS HAVE TO, TO, UH, COMPLY WITH THE BILL.
AND AS EVERYONE CAN SEE, THERE IS AN AMENDMENT ON EVERYONE'S DESK THAT I AM SPONSORING TO EXTEND THE PERIOD TO 120 DAYS.
SO I'M NOT ONE WITHOUT COMPROMISE.
I THANK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR THOROUGH AND THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU, MAYOR, THAT THIS IS ULTIMATELY THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
IT PUTS, TAKES US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC HAVE MY WORD THAT WE ARE NOT GONNA STOP TODAY.
WE ARE GONNA DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS IMPLEMENTED EFFECTIVELY AND EQUITABLY.
BUT I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, MAYOR.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENTS CONCERNING THIS MATTER.
AND I TOO, AS YOU, UH, HAVE SOME DEEP CONCERNS, AND I EXPRESSED IT TO COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS IN THE PRESENTATION OF THIS PROPOSAL.
UM, LET ME JUST SAY, AND I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE IDEA OF HELPING PEOPLE, WHAT I'VE DONE FOR 40 YEARS AS A PASTOR.
IT'S ONE THING TO LOOK SAMARITAN, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO BE SAMARITAN.
THERE'S A STORY IN THE BIBLE OF A MAN BEAT DOWN ON THE ROAD CALLED THE JERICHO ROAD.
AND THIS, HE WAS ROBBED, HE WAS BRUISED, HE WAS BEATEN, AND TWO PEOPLE PASSED HIM UP.
[03:00:01]
OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN.BUT WHAT MADE THE GOOD SAMARITAN A NATIONAL WORLDWIDE STORY IS BECAUSE THE GOOD SAMARITAN PUT THE PERSON UP, HEALED HIM FROM HIS WOUNDS AND WHAT MADE HIM A GOOD SAMARITAN BECAUSE HE HAD THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT.
I'M NOT, THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE OF, OF, AGAINST ANYBODY.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROPOSAL.
AND I HEARD COUNCIL MEMBER SAY THAT AFTER THIS, SHE'S GOING TO CONTACT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
WELL, I'VE TALKED TO HOUSING, I'VE TALKED TO THE, UH, APARTMENT ASSOCIATION.
I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT FOR IT.
NOT THAT I WOULDN'T SUPPORT THIS, BUT I THINK THAT SOME OF THE THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED IN THE OFFSET.
AND YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THEM.
I DON'T WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE VOTE FOR SOMETHING THAT'S A BURDEN THAN A BENEFIT.
IT CAN LOOK BENEFICIAL ON THE FRONT, BUT ON THE BACK END, IT COULD BE A BURDEN PUT UPON S AND CITIZENS AND TENDERS IN THIS CITY.
I WENT TO, UH, THE, THE, UH, INSTITUTE, KIND INSTITUTE AND GOT NUMBERS.
HARRIS COUNTY, WE HAVE THE HIGHEST EVICTION NUMBER.
WE TALK ABOUT OTHER CITIES AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
LET'S LOOK AT THE OTHER NEGATIVE SIDE.
WE AVERAGE SEVEN 5,000 TO SEVEN 8,000 EVICTIONS ANNUALLY IN THIS CITY, IN THIS COUNTY ANNUALLY.
NOW LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT I ALSO LOOKED UP IN COMPARISON TO THIS UNITED WAY, ONE OF THE BIGGEST AGENCIES FOR ASSISTING IN HELPING PEOPLE.
IN 2024, THEY HAD A RECORD OF 120,000 CALLS AND GIVES OF UTILITIES.
AND 25, IT WAS 145,000 JUST IN UTILITIES.
AND WE HAVE NOT EVEN WENT TO THE END OF THE YEAR.
RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE UNITED WAY AND 24 WAS 133,000.
IN 2025, IT WAS UP TO, IT DROPPED TO 123,000.
AND UP TO THIS POINT IS 93,000.
AND THE THIRD LEVEL OF GIVE FROM UNITED WAY WAS FOOD.
SO MY, MY, MY CONCERNS ARE, MY CONCERNS ARE THAT WE DON'T BE PUTTING A BANDAID ON A SHOTGUN WOUND.
NOW, MY QUESTION THAT I WANT TO ASK MAYOR, WHO'S GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO ENFORCING THESE UNITS, PUT IN THESE FACILITIES? WHAT DEPARTMENT ARE WE EXPECTING TO UPHOLD THE ENFORCEMENT OF THAT IT'S THE SAME DEPARTMENT.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, UM, MAYOR IT IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
ARE YOU ASKING COUNSEL? I'M ASKING THE MAYOR.
I'M ASKING YOU WHO IS ENFORCED.
WELL, OBVIOUSLY I'LL BE WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS.
I THINK HER INTENT IS WORK WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
OKAY, SO, SO MAYOR, I, I CAN JUST CLARIFY, BUT I I WILL YIELD TO THE, TO THE AUTHOR.
UM, SO WE SPOKE WITH THE HOUSTON, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS MM-HMM
AND THEN THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY ACTUALLY DO NOT ENFORCE THE CURRENT AC AND HEATING CODE THAT IS ENFORCED BY THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO IT'S NOT AS IF WE ARE HAVING THE DISCUSSION FOR THE FIRST TIME FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THIS ORDINANCE.
THERE'S BEEN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION.
AND JUST TO CORRECT A STATEMENT YOU MADE, THE HOUSTON DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATION IS IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
NOW, SINCE YOU'VE CONTACTED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY INSPECTORS DO THEY HAVE? COUNCILMAN, DO YOU KNOW? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? I WAS ANSWERING A QUESTION.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY INSPECTORS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAVE TO ENFORCE THIS? THE CURRENT MEASURES? YEAH.
THE NUMBER OF HOW MANY? I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE ANY INSPECTORS DEDICATED SOLELY TO THIS MEASURE.
BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE MEASURE HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED, SO THEY COULD NOT HAVE PEOPLE ASSIGNED.
LEMME GIVE YOU THE NUMBER SPECIFICALLY.
LEMME NUMBER OF HOW MANY INSPECTORS WE HAVE ON RECORD.
NOW, WE PASSED AN ORDINANCE A FEW MONTHS AGO ON SLUM LORDS.
WE PASSED AN ORDINANCE ON SLUM LORDS.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON WITHIN THE FACILITIES,
[03:05:02]
HPW AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS TWO LISTS.WE WENT TO 14 HIGH RISK THAT WAS EMAILED TO EVERYBODY ON THE ORDINANCE THAT CAME OUT OF THIS COUNCIL TO GIVE THESE PEOPLE THE DECENCY OF LIVING IN HUMANE CONDITIONS.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? HEALTH HPW ONLY HAD NINE INSPECTORS.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ONLY HAVE SIX.
I MET WITH DR. TRAN AND THEY ARE SHORT OF THAT.
WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT WE CAN KEEP PUTTING PEN TO PAPER AND WE COULD KEEP ADDING ORDINANCES ON THE BOOKS THAT WERE NOT ENFORCING.
I HEARD THE COUNCIL, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON BOARD ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, SHORTFALLS WE HAVE ENFORCING SOME OF THE THINGS THE CITY ALREADY HAVE.
WE CAN'T MEET THE ENFORCEMENT OF MOST OF THE STUFF THAT WE PUT IN ORDER THIS AS OF TODAY.
SO, SAMIR, I I I, I, I JUST WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD, MY CONCERN IS NOT TO STOP PEOPLE FROM HAVING AIR CONDITIONING UNITS.
I LIVED AND BORN IN THIS TOWN I DIDN'T HAVE WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY OTHERS SHOULDN'T HAVE IT.
I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT ALL WE JUST PUTTING A BANDAID, BECAUSE IF THE PEOPLE DO IT, NOW WHAT HAPPENS? AND I ASK IF THESE UNITS GET STOLEN, IF THESE UNITS GET STOLEN, DO WE CALL HPD ON $150 UNIT BEING STOLEN? IS THE THE THE LANDLORD IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED, UH, REQUIRED TO REPLACE IT? HOW MANY TIMES THEY GOING TO DO IT? ARE THEY GOING TO, YOU DON'T THINK THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PASS THAT COST ONTO THE RESIDENT? YES, THEY ARE.
AND ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO REESTABLISH THEIR FACILITIES.
AND SO FROM A STANDPOINT, UH, I KNOW WHAT I DO.
I DON'T, I DON'T WORRY ABOUT HOW PEOPLE VIEW ME IN TERMS OF THAT.
I HELP PEOPLE EVERY WEEK, AND I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS.
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO HELP PEOPLE WITH RENT AND, AND UTILITIES AS WELL AS FOOD.
BUT LIKE I SAY, I DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE A SAMARITAN AND NOT BE ONE.
AND THE CITY, WE ARE GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE IN THE MIDDLE FOR IF THESE PEOPLE DO NOT GET WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT WE ARE REQUIRING THEM TO HAVE, NOW WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ISSUE.
SO ON THE HEELS OF THAT MAYOR, I, I, I, FOR THE SAKE OF ALL I, I, I WOULD SUPPORT IT.
BUT I SURELY HOPE THAT WE TAKE SERIOUS, SERIOUS ACTIONS ABOUT HOW WE HANDLE THESE MATTERS AND THAT WE JUST NOT DOING IT FOR THE PURPOSES OF JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, UH, LOOK SAMARITAN AND NOT BE SAMARITAN.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THE GREATER GOOD TEST.
THIS ONE, UM, THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC IS VERY PERSONAL TO ME.
UM, AND I'M GONNA SPEAK FROM A REAL PERSONAL LEVEL, NOT FROM RESEARCH, NOT FROM GOOGLE, NOT FROM AI, BUT FOR A PERSONAL LEVEL.
AS A CHILD, OVER A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD, I CHANGED SCHOOLS 10 TIMES.
WHAT THAT MEANT WAS EVERY TIME THE RENT CAME DUE, WE MOVED.
AND FOR A VERY SHORT TIME, WE HAD ELECTRICITY UNTIL, OF COURSE WE DIDN'T.
SOME OF THE PLACES WE LIVED, APARTMENTS, HOUSES, AIR CONDITIONING, NO AIR CONDITIONING, WINDOW UNITS, WATER COOLERS, ATTIC FANS, NO FANS, SCREENS, NO SCREENS.
I COULD GO ON AND ON TO SAY THAT, TO PROVIDE THE OPTION TO TURN THE AIR CONDITIONER ON.
I'M ALSO FAMILIAR WITH THAT OPTION.
YOU HAVE AN AIR CONDITIONING, AIR CONDITIONER, IT'S HOT, YOU TURN IT ON, THE BILL COMES.
AND NOT ONLY DO YOU TURN THAT OFF, YOU TURN EVERYTHING ELSE OFF.
AND THE HIGHER THE BILL, THE LONGER IT TAKES TO PAY THE BILL AND TO GET THE ELECTRICITY TURNED BACK ON.
SO I SPEAK FROM LIVED EXPERIENCE FOR THE COMMUNITY ON THE RECEIVING END OF THIS, THE, THE ELECTRICITY BILLS, THE PASS THROUGH COST.
[03:10:01]
IT'S VERY REAL.AND, UM, AGAIN, WHEN RESOURCES ARE FINITE, IS REASSURANCE ENOUGH TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU, WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU.
WHEN YOU HEAR THAT THE RESOURCES ARE LIMITED, THERE'S, THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH TO GO AROUND.
AND NO DOUBT THIS MEASURE IS GOING TO PASS WITHOUT MY VOTE.
BUT PASSING IT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT.
AND MY CONCERN IS THAT THE PE IS, IS REALLY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT THIS POLICY IS INTENDED TO PROTECT.
THEY WILL ULTIMATELY BEAR THE GREATEST BURDEN.
THIS IS AN UNFUNDED MANDATE, RIGHT? UNFUNDED MANDATE WITH NO MEANINGFUL GUARDRAILS FOR THE TENANTS.
LANDLORDS AREN'T GONNA SAY, LET'S PUT IN AC LET'S DO THIS AND LET'S, LET ME ABSORB IT.
THEY DON'T JUST DISAPPEAR BECAUSE GOVERNMENT IMPOSES THEM AT THE SAME TIME.
TENANTS WHO ARE ALREADY FACING HIGH COST OF LIVING ELECTRICITY, BILLS, WATER BILLS, AND THERE CAN'T MAKE ENDS MEET.
WE HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION, WHEN THE RESOURCES ARE SO, SO FINITE, WHAT IS THE RELIEF? WHERE IS THE RELIEF? AND WHILE IT'S ALL GOOD INTENDED, OF COURSE I WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE AIR CONDITIONING, BUT GOOD, GOOD INTENTIONS, GOOD INTENTIONS AREN'T ENOUGH.
GOOD INTENTIONS AREN'T ENOUGH.
A POLICY DE DESIGNED TO HELP WORKING FAMILIES SHOULDN'T UNINTENTIONALLY MAKE HOUSING COSTS LESS AFFORDABLE, MAKE HOUSING LESS AFFORDABLE, COST HIGHER, AND PLACE FINANCIAL BURDENS ON ALREADY BURDENED CITIZENS, THE VERY PEOPLE THAT WE ARE INTENDING TO PROTECT.
AND SO BEFORE WE CELEBRATE WHAT LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER, BEFORE WE WAVE THE FLAG AND SAY, WHAT A GOOD THING WE'VE DONE FOR ALL, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE CONFRONT THE COST IN REAL LIFE.
WHAT ARE THE REAL LIFE COSTS? BECAUSE THIS COMES AT A HEAVY COST AND IT, IT WILL PUT PEOPLE ON THE STREETS, THE PEOPLE THAT WE REPRESENT, THEY DON'T PAY FOR POLICIES WITH GOOD INTENTIONS, MAYOR.
THEY PAY WITH THEIR HARD EARNED DOLLARS.
AND I THINK, AGAIN, THIS WILL PASS WITHOUT MY VOTE IN THE, THE GREATER GOOD TEST.
I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS AND I CANNOT VOTE FOR THIS.
UM, I COMMEND YOU FOR GOING OUT ON A LIMB AND, AND LOOKING AT WHAT CHANGES CAN BE MADE TO HELP THOSE, ALL OF YOU WHO SUPPORT IT.
BUT I ALSO KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE LOOKING AT WHERE IS THE RELIEF? WHAT IS THE RELIEF? BECAUSE SPEAKING FIRSTHAND IN, IN REAL LIFE, IT, IT WILL, IT WILL IMPACT MANY.
AND AS A CHILD, YOU DON'T KNOW, DON'T TURN THE AIR CONDITIONER ON.
WE CAN ONLY USE IT AT NIGHT BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE LIGHT BILL.
WHEN, WHEN PARENTS ARE AWAY, THE AIR CONDITIONER GOES ON.
SO THEN THE PARENTS, OH, YOU, YOU'VE TURNED THE AIR CONDITIONER ON WHILE WE'RE GONE.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? WE CAN'T PAY THE LIGHT BILL BECAUSE RIGHT.
AND, AND, AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I COULD GO ON AND ON.
AND AGAIN, IT'S VERY PERSONAL.
I MADE THE DECISION TO SPEAK OUT IN THE MANNER IN WHICH I HAVE, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE WONDERING WHAT THEIR NEXT MOVE WILL BE WHEN THIS HAS TO BE IN 120 DAYS AND 90 DAYS, 120 DAYS.
LET ME SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION AND COURAGE OF SHARING THAT STORY.
UM, IT'S REALLY MEANINGFUL, TOUGH.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS THAT OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO GO WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING.
UH, WE GO WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING FOR A DAY IN THE SUMMER, AND IT'S QUITE BRUTAL.
UH, TO NOT HAVE IT AT ALL, UH, IS OBVIOUSLY TOUGH.
BUT I THINK THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THIS IS ADDRESSING A SYMPTOM OF A PROBLEM RATHER THAN THE ACTUAL PROBLEM.
THE ACTUAL PROBLEM IS POVERTY.
UH, WE HAD A STUDY THAT CAME OUT RECENTLY.
HOUSTON HAS, I BELIEVE, THE HIGHEST POVERTY RATE, UH, OF THE MAJOR CITIES.
UH, AND, AND THAT IS THE ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, I WENT OUT AND VISITED THE LOCATION THAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN SALINAS GAVE US FOR, UH, ONE OF THE LOCATIONS THAT DIDN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
[03:15:01]
CAMPBELL.THE RENT AT 35 0 2 CAMPBELL IS $800 A MONTH.
THEY DO NOT PROVIDE AIR CONDITIONING.
THEY SAY IN THEIR MARKETING MATERIAL, THE TENANT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING THEIR OWN WINDOW UNIT.
THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER APARTMENT COMPLEX, SEVEN BLOCKS AWAY FROM THAT.
THEY PROVIDE AIR CONDITIONING, BUT INSTEAD OF AN $800 A MONTH RENT, THEIR RENT IS $1,379.
NOT DOUBLE, BUT NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM DOUBLE.
AND WHY THE PRICE DISPARITY? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE ONE APARTMENT COMPLEX IS OF SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER STANDARDS THAN WHAT THE OTHER ONE IS.
IT'S A BETTER PRODUCT THAN THE OTHER.
ONE IS, IF THE LANDLORD AT 35 0 2 CAMPBELL CHARGED THE SAME AMOUNT OF RENT AS THE ONE THAT PROVIDES AIR CONDITIONING, NOBODY WOULD LEASE FROM THEM.
AND THEY'VE DROPPED THE RATE ENOUGH THAT SOME PEOPLE, ENOUGH PEOPLE FOR THEM HAVE DECIDED, YES, I'LL GO AHEAD AND DEAL WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING RATHER THAN PAYING THE EXTRA MONEY.
MY GUESS IS FOR A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE, IT WAS THE ONLY CHOICE THEY HAD BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE INCOME TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE OTHER.
SO WHEN WE FORCE THIS LANDLORD TO IMPROVE HIS PROPERTY BY PROVIDING AIR CONDITIONING, HE'S NO LONGER GONNA HAVE TO DROP HIS RATES AS MUCH TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE.
HE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK CUSTOMERS AT A HIGHER RATE.
RENTS WILL ABSOLUTELY INCREASE THE ELECTRIC BILL, AS COUNCILWOMAN CARTER SPOKE ABOUT, AS SOME OF THE, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS SPOKE ABOUT YESTERDAY AND NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR $300 BILL BECAUSE THEY HAD AIR CONDITIONING.
THEY'VE GOT THAT ON TOP OF THE INCREASED RENTS.
SO YOU'RE GONNA GET SIGNIFICANT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FROM THIS.
AND HERE, HERE'S ANOTHER ONE INTERESTING THING ABOUT 35 0 2.
CAMPBELL AND I, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYONE DISCUSS THIS.
IT'S IN THE PROCESS OF BEING GENTRIFIED.
THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY TO THE EAST AND IMMEDIATELY TO THE NORTH HAVE NEW HOMES ON THEM.
MY GUESS IS THAT THE OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY HAS ALREADY RECEIVED OFFERS FROM DEVELOPERS LOOKING TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA TELL 35 0 2 CAMPBELL, YOU'VE GOTTA PUT IN AIR CONDITIONING.
THIS PROPERTY HAS NOT HAD ANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE REQUIRED THEM TO COMPLY WITH UPDATED CODES.
WHEN WE START ADDING THIS DRAW AND ELECTRICITY, THEY MAY WELL HAVE TO GO BACK AND REDO THEIR ELECTRICAL DEPENDING UPON WHAT THE COST IS.
IF IT GETS UP TO 50% OF THE APPRAISED VALUE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO COMPLY WITH EVERY SINGLE UPDATED CODE FOR THE LAST 60 YEARS.
MY GUESS IS IF THAT HAPPENS, THEY'RE GONNA DECIDE THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THE OFFER FROM THE DEVELOPER AND THOSE APARTMENTS WILL BE GONE BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED COST TO THE TENANTS IN RENT, THE INCREASED COST IN UTILITIES, THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME OF THESE LANDLORDS SIMPLY SAYING, I'M TAKING THE OFFER AND MOVING.
PEOPLE ARE GONNA END UP HOMELESS.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE ALL OF 'EM, BUT THERE WILL BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF 'EM THAT END UP HOMELESS.
WE ALREADY HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM WITH HOMELESSNESS.
WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT ALL THE TIME.
SO AGAIN, EVERYBODY WANTS ALL OF HOUSTONIANS TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN A REASONABLE MANNER.
YOU KNOW, APARTMENTS THAT AREN'T ROACH INFESTED, RAT INFESTED THAT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE ARE ADDRESSING A SYMPTOM OF A PROBLEM RATHER THAN THE UNDERLYING ROOT CAUSE.
AND THIS IS WHY WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH THESE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS FOR, UM, EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF TIME TO MAKE THIS ORDINANCE, UM, EFFECTIVE.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO GO A LONG WAY FOR LANDLORDS WHO MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE ELECTRICAL WIRING AND THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, I I HAVE SOME CONCERNS STILL ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, EVERYTHING THAT WAS RAISED, UM, DEFINITELY THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND ENFORCEMENT FOR SURE.
ULTIMATELY, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, AND I GENERALLY DON'T SUPPORT ANY REGULATIONS THAT MAKE HOUSTON LESS AFFORDABLE TO LIVE
[03:20:01]
HERE.UM, BUT WE CAN'T MAKE AFFORDABILITY AT THE EXPENSE OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT SINCE IN HOUSTON, WE REGULATE HEAT, BUT NOT AIR CONDITIONING IN HOUSTON, WHERE USUALLY HEAT IS WHAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE REGULATED OVER WHERE AIR CONDITIONING NEEDS TO BE REGULATED.
UM, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AIR CONDITIONING THOUGH, UM, WHAT I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS NOT SO MUCH THE UNITS THAT DON'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING AND PEOPLE KNOW THAT MOVING IN.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE UNITS WHERE THERE'S WORKING AIR CONDITIONING WHEN THEY MOVE IN AND IT BREAKS AND THE LANDLORD REFUSES TO FIX IT.
THAT IS ANOTHER CONCERN THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
WE HEAR ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY SUMMER THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IN TALKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES WE CAN MAKE ON THAT END.
BECAUSE SLUMLORDS WHO ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE, USUALLY THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION NEEDS TO BE PUT ON NOTICE THAT THEY CAN NO LONGER DO THIS IN HOUSTON.
THERE'S, THERE'S A BASE LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT THEY NEED TO RISE TO THAT LEVEL.
THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN SALINAS FOR, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING PROPOSITION.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE EVICTION RATES IN HARRIS COUNTY.
IT, IT IS TRUE HARRIS COUNTY HAS THE HIGHEST EVICTION RATE IN THE NATION, WHICH IS PRETTY REMARKABLE.
UM, BUT WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT IT IS NOT IN, UM, SOME OF THE LESS DEVELOPED NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT.
MEYERLAND, UH, UH, HAS AN EVICTION RATE OF 10 OUTTA A HUNDRED.
UH, DURING THE COVID YEARS, MONTROSE HAD SOME OF THE HIGHEST EVICTION RATES IN THE CITY.
AND SO THESE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE NOT REALLY GONNA BE IMPACTED BY THIS AC ORDINANCE.
THIS IS AN ISSUE OF CORPORATE GREED, CORPORATE LANDLORDS THAT, UM, ARE CONTINUING TO FUNNEL RESIDENTS THROUGH THE EVICTION PIPELINE.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, THIS ORDINANCE IS TRULY ASKING FOR THE BARE MINIMUM FOR LIVABILITY IN THIS CITY.
AND I THINK 10 YEARS FROM NOW, WE'RE GONNA LOOK BACK AND BE VERY SURPRISED THAT WE EVER HAD TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE.
BUT TO BE SURPRISED IN 10 YEARS, WE NEED TO PASS IT TODAY.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO VOTE YES ON THIS.
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS FOR AUTHORING, UH, THE PROPOSAL.
THIS WAS ONE THAT I SIGNED ON TO, UH, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, AND THERE WAS NO DOUBT THE, THE IMPACT TO AFFORDABILITY WAS A QUESTION TO WEIGH AND CONSIDER.
WE ALL KNOW HOW FOLKS ARE BEING SQUEEZED IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AROUND COSTS AND PRICES AT THIS POINT IN TIME AS SOMEONE WHO COMES FROM PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, THERE, THE CORRELATION HERE IS PRETTY DIRECT IN HOUSTON, HEAT IMPACTS HEALTH AND IT IMPACTS THE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THE MOST FROM OUR YOUTH TO OUR ELDERLY.
AND THOSE WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS.
AND OUR CODES AND OUR REGULATIONS ARE DESIGNED PRIMARILY TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.
THAT IS WHY WE HAVE A PERMITTING PROCESS WITH INSPECTIONS TO ENSURE WORK IS BEING DONE.
THAT'S NOT GONNA HARM FOLKS WHEN THEY MOVE INTO A BUILDING OR GO TO A BUSINESS.
AND THIS IS RAISING THE BAR ON THE MINIMUM, WHICH IS THAT WHEN YOU RENT A PLACE, THERE WILL BE A WINDOW UNIT THERE AT THE MINIMUM, NOT A SCREEN, BUT A COOLING UNIT.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN FOLKS HAVE TO RUN IT 24 7, BUT IT'S THERE AND IT'S THERE TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE FROM THE HIGH HEAT TEMPERATURES THAT WE DO FACE.
WE'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT HAVE COME TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC SESSION, THAT HAVE SIGNED LETTERS OF SUPPORT THAT SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE THAT WANT IT.
AND THE GOOD THING IS, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS BEING DONE.
SO WHILE THERE ARE QUESTIONS AND WHILE THERE ARE CONCERNS, WE CAN LOOK TO WHERE IT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO SEE WHAT THOSE IMPACTS HAVE BEEN.
AND A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED TODAY DID NOT COME TO FRUITION IN OTHER PLACES WHERE THIS HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
SO WE CAN GO OUT ON A LIMB A BIT KNOWING THAT THERE IS REASSURANCE AND A COMMITMENT THAT WE WILL REVISIT IT, THAT WE WILL LOOK AT IT AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AREN'T IMPACTING OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, THE MAYOR, TO ENSURE THAT THOSE THINGS TAKE PLACE AND WE'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS PROPOSITION TODAY.
UM, NOT AN EASY ISSUE AND I'VE GIVEN IT A LOT OF THOUGHT AND I COME DOWN ON THE SIDE OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE HAVE SO MANY SENIORS IN THIS CITY THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE HEAT AND TO LIVE IN A PLACE
[03:25:01]
THAT DOES NOT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING, PUTS THEIR HEALTH AT RISK.I ALSO THINK ABOUT THE YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CITY, UH, THAT HAVE TO LIVE IN HOUSING WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING, UM, CAUSING THEM TO NOT BE ABLE TO SLEEP AND AFFECTING IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, UH, THEIR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL.
UM, I GREW UP IN A HOUSE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING AS COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER DID.
FORTUNATELY MY DAD, ALONG WITH, UM, FRIENDS AND FAMILY BUILT IT IN A WAY, UH, THAT, UH, FACILITATED, UM, UH, VENTILATION.
BUT OVER THE YEARS, AND BECAUSE WE COULD AFFORD IT, WE GOT AIR CONDITIONERS, WE USED WATER COOLERS, CEILING FANS AND SO FORTH.
AND, UM, AND, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE LIVED.
UM, BUT IT SEEMS HOTTER THESE DAYS AND I'M NOT MAKING ANY SORT OF COMMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I HAVE TO THINK OF OUR SENIORS AND OUR CHILDREN THAT HAVE TO LIVE IN THESE KINDS OF CONDITIONS.
THERE WILL BE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, THERE'S NO DOUBT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT OF THOSE.
AND ANOTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME IS THAT WHILE WE HAVE RECEIVED SO MUCH, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT AND SO MANY EMAILS IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROPOSAL, I HAVE YET TO SEE ANYONE COME TO A PUBLIC MEETING AND OPPOSE THIS PROPOSAL.
AND I'VE NOT RECEIVED A SINGLE EMAIL FROM SOMEONE OPPOSING THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, I I EXPECTED THAT WE WOULD HEAR FROM LANDLORDS WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS ORDINANCE, BUT, BUT WE HAVE NOT THE TRADE GROUPS THAT HAVE WEIGHED IN THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION, HAR, THE BUILDERS, NONE OF THOSE GROUPS ARE OPPOSED TO THIS ORDINANCE.
AND, UH, WHILE IS, IT IS NOT AN EASY, UH, CHOICE BECAUSE I'M INCLINED TO LET THE MARKET, UH, DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS PROVIDED AND CONSUMERS DEMAND, UH, WHAT GETS PROVIDED.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT WILL NOT GET SOLVED BY THE MARKET.
AND, AND BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, CONSIDERATIONS, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MAYOR POLLARD.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO COME TO THE CITY THAT COME AND VISIT OUR CITY AND THEY CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW HOT IT IS HERE AND HOW WE LIVE HERE.
I'VE BEEN HERE ALL MY LIFE, SO I FEEL LIKE I'M A LITTLE IMMUNE TO IT.
BUT WHEN I HAVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS COME AND VISIT, I MEAN, THEY'RE TAKEN ABACK ABOUT HOW HOT IT IS.
THE OTHER DAY I WAS OUT WITH SOMEONE AND THEY WERE JUST REALLY FRUSTRATED, HAD A ATTITUDE.
I'M LIKE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? THEY WAS LIKE, IT'S JUST HOT.
THE HEAT IN THIS CITY IS SOMETIMES UNBEARABLE.
SOMETIMES YOU GET IN YOUR CAR AS, AS IT'S BEEN SITTING OUTSIDE FOR A WHILE AND YOU GET IN THERE AND YOU, YOU, YOU ALMOST CAN'T EVEN SIT IN THE CAR.
IMAGINE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THINK ABOUT WHEN OUR AC GOES OFF DURING THE STORM, RIGHT? AND IT'S HOT OUTSIDE AND WE'RE ALL SCRAMBLING AROUND TRYING TO GET TO HOTELS.
WE'RE DOING ALL WE CAN TO TRY TO FIND SOMEONE WITH AC 'CAUSE WE HAVE THAT LUXURY.
AND YES, IT WILL BE PROBABLY A HIT TO THEIR POCKETBOOK, SOME JUST LIKE IT IS WITH GAS PRICES THAT'S GOING UP WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD PRICES THAT'S GOING UP, INFLATION AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE DON'T SPEAK OUT ABOUT MANY OF THE LEADERSHIP THAT'S CAUSING THE RISE IN THOSE ISSUES, BUT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY HERE TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE LIVE IN HUMANE CIRCUMSTANCES.
LIVING WITHOUT AC IN THIS CITY SHOULD BE CRIMINAL.
WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS FIRST BROUGHT THIS ITEM TO ME, I THOUGHT IT WAS A NO-BRAINER TO LIVE IN THIS CITY WITH NO AC SHOULD BE CRIMINAL.
SOMETIMES WE COME IN HERE AND WE FEEL HOT.
IMAGINE BEING IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH KIDS.
THEY HAVE TO BE IN THIS STEAMING HOT UNIT.
[03:30:01]
MAY HAVE TO PAY SOME MORE MONEY AT EACH MONTH IF THE COST GETS PASSED DOWN, MAYBE.SO EVERY OTHER CITY IN TEXAS IS ALREADY DOING THIS AND THEY'VE FIGURED IT OUT.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE SAME.
SO WE CAN'T BE A WORLD CLASS CITY AND SOME PEOPLE ARE, ARE LIVING IN UNITS WITH NO AC THAT THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT HOUSTON.
AND YES, WILL THERE BE SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES? PROBABLY, BUT THERE ALWAYS IS, AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ SAID, NOT ONE LANDLORD HAS APPROACHED ME SAYING THAT IT WAS GONNA BE AN ISSUE.
COSTS GO UP ON ALL TYPES OF THINGS ALL THE TIME.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNG, MY MOTHER'S AC WENT OUT IN HER CAR.
AND, UH, THE LINER ON THE CAR WAS COMING DOWN AND WE HAD TO PULL OVER AND LIKE SIT IN LOBBIES OF, OF, OF, OF OFFICE BUILDINGS JUST SO WE COULD COOL OFF.
THINKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO LIVE EVERY DAY WITH NO AC.
IT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT SOMETIMES WE AS LEADERS OF THE CITY, WE JUST HAVE TO STEP IN AND MAKE THE DECISION KNOWING THAT ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE A HIT TO THEM FINANCIALLY, SOME, IT'S STILL A DECISION THAT HAS TO BE MADE FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT, FROM A HUMANE STANDPOINT.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND NOT THINK ABOUT JUST PURELY THE COST, BUT THE, THE HUMANITY IN THIS AND THE INTENT OF THIS.
AND JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER ORDINANCE WE HAVE THAT'S HARD TO ENFORCE.
WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT OURSELVES.
THAT'S WHY THEY PUT US IN THESE SEATS TO FIGURE THAT PART OUT.
BUT THE INTENT OF THIS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SAFE AND HUMANE LIVING CONDITIONS, I THINK HAS BEEN MET.
NOW THE LOGISTICS OF HOW WE GET IT DONE IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF IT ALL, THAT'S ON US.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING.
JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY A COUPLE THINGS.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVING WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING AND LIVING WITHOUT ELECTRICITY.
WHAT I'VE REFERENCED IS LIVING WITHOUT ELECTRICITY RELATIVE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO PAY THE BILL BECAUSE OF AIR CONDITIONING.
YES, I LIVED WITHOUT ELECTRICITY, NOT WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING.
THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, QUESTION I HAVE IS, IT SEEMS TO ME, I REMEMBER THIS IMPACTS 20,000 ISH UNITS, APARTMENT UNITS.
IS THAT AN ACCURATE, THERE'S 20,000 PEOPLE IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA, 20,000 PEOPLE IN GREATER HOUSTON AND, UH, APPROXIMATELY 500,000 ARE LIVING IN POVERTY.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT ELDERLY IN HOMES, IN, YOU KNOW, IN ANYWAY, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL POPULATION OF THOSE LIVING IN POVERTY, AND I GUESS THE IMPACT OF THE 20,000, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, TO ME IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'RE WE'RE ADDING TO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S JUST 2 CENTS WORTH.
UM, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE A, THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING SOMETHING WHEN WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING THE GREATER NEED, WHICH IS HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE OVERALL POVERTY.
COUNCIL DAVIS, THANK YOU AGAIN, MAYOR.
I'M GLAD TO, UM, HEAR THAT THE HEALTH ISSUE, AND I AGREE THAT IT IS A HEALTH FACTOR.
UH, COUNCILMAN MCC CORN, THE HEALTH ISSUES.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT TOO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, AND I STARTED OFF MY COMMENTS ABOUT ENFORCEMENT, SO I'M AMENABLE TO THAT.
BUT LET'S, LET'S, WHY ARE WE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE MEASURES GONNA BE TO ENFORCE IT? WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTING IT, BUT WHERE'S THE ENFORCEMENT RIGHT NOW? WE WENT TO MAGNOLIA APARTMENTS ON WONDER STREET OFF OF COLOR, WHICH WAS AN ISSUE THAT'S HAPPENING IN EVERY, ALMOST EVERY DISTRICT IN THIS CITY.
YOU KNOW WHAT, IT WAS SENIOR CITIZEN FACILITY THAT HAD THREE ELEVATORS AND ONLY ONE WAS WORKING AND THERE'S FOUR FLOORS UP.
BUT I DON'T, I DON'T, I HADN'T HEARD ANYBODY BRING UP THE FACT THAT HOW SOME OF THESE SENIORS WHO MANY OF US HAVE GOTTEN CALLS FROM NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU DIDN'T GET CALLS FROM IT.
I GOT CALLS FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE CONCERNING THE MATTER.
[03:35:01]
WE CAN'T EVEN GET ELEVATORS.SOME OF THESE ELEVATORS BEEN DOWN FOR MORE THAN 4, 5, 6 MONTHS.
AND THE SENIOR CITIZENS, SINCE THEY BROUGHT UP BY OUR SENIORS, THEY CAN'T EVEN GET TO AN ELEVATOR BECAUSE THE, THE OWNERS OF THE APARTMENT FACILITIES ARE NOT ACCOMMODATING THEM.
AND NOT ONLY TO SAY, AGAIN, I'D SAY ABOUT THESE VERY PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUPPLYING THESE WINDOW UNITS.
WE GOT 14 HIGH RISK FACILITIES THAT HHD AND HPW HAVE NOT EVEN GOTTEN TO YET.
SO I COMMEND THE, THE ORDINANCE AT ALL AND WOULD SUPPORT IT.
BUT I THINK SOME OF THOSE AREAS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, RESOLVED AND, UH, AND WE COULD GO, YOU KNOW, AND LONG AS I BE SATISFIED WITH IT, YOU KNOW.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, COUNCILMAN SALINAS FOR A TABLE AMENDMENT? YES.
SO, UM, I MOVED TO PASS THE AMENDMENT OF THE ORIGINAL AND PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO EXTEND THE COMPLIANCE PERIOD FROM 90 TO 120 DAYS.
I BELIEVE A COPY IS IN FRONT OF EACH OF YOU NOW.
UH, SO I MOVE FOR A VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT AND THEN WE CAN VOTE ON THE ITEM.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT? UH, ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
AND THEN THE MAIN ITEM AS AMENDED.
SIR, THE MAIN ITEM 44 AS AMENDED IS BEFORE US.
FLICKINGER, NO CARTER, NO SHOW CARTER AND FLICKINGER.
[CONSENT AGENDA – NUMBERS 1 through 42 (Part 2 of 2)]
DO HAVE ITEM 32.WE HAVE 32 NOW, BEFORE ITS MEMBERS, IT WAS JUST RECEIVED.
SO IF YOU'LL TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO IT.
AND THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, THANKS MEMBERS FOR GOOD DISCUSSION THIS MORNING.
[MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ ON, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.UM, JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD ABOUT A U-VISA, UH, YESTERDAY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL THAT THAT CALLED HPD.
UM, JUST WANTED TO GIVE, LET YOU KNOW, MAYOR, THAT I WAS GONNA BE SHARING SOME, UH, SHARING THE LETTER OVER TO CHIEF DIAZ, UH, REQUESTING FOR HIM TO CERTIFY, UH, OR REQUESTING A U VISA OR ANY OTHER WAY THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY HELP, UH, THIS INDIVIDUAL, UH, SINCE HE IS A WITNESS TO THE CRIME.
UH, SO APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT.
UM, ON ANOTHER, ON ANOTHER NOTE, UM, IF I CAN HAVE, UH, JUAN PABLO STAND.
UH, SO THIS IS, UM, JUAN PABLO'S, UH, LAST WEEK, UH, HIS LAST DAY WILL BE FRIDAY AT MY OFFICE.
UH, HE WILL BE MOVING FROM THE DISTRICT OFFICE AND, UH, HE'S BEEN, HE'S BEEN WITH ME FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS, RIGHT? AROUND TWO YEARS.
AND JUST WANTED TO LET HIM KNOW, UH, THAT I APPRECIATE ALL OF HIS WORK.
UH, CONSTITUENT SERVICES IS REALLY THE HEAVIEST IN THE OFFICE.
I KNOW THAT 'CAUSE I WAS, UH, I HAD THAT POSITION WHEN I WAS ON STAFF.
UM, AND SO KNOWING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, ALL THE, THE PRESSURE THAT COMES WITH HAVING A, A ADDRESS CONSTITUENTS CONCERNS, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS THEY CALL, THEY, THEY CALL FRUSTRATED USUALLY.
AND THEN FROM THERE, UH, ABLE TO GET TO, UH, AN, AN, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY OF, OF SOLVING THEIR ISSUES.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, UH, JUAN PABLO, UH, AND THEN WANNA WISH YOU THE VERY BEST IN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER AS WELL.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM COLLEAGUES.
I MET, UM, ON MONDAY WITH, OR TUESDAY WITH ELIZABETH HALLEY OF THE SPARK PARK.
AND A LOT OF YOU DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS ALREADY KNOW THIS, BUT IT WAS NEWS TO ME, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T PUTTING IT TOGETHER, THAT WHEN THE HISD SCHOOL CLOSURES, UM, AND AN S-B-I-S-D SCHOOL, UM, ALONG WITH THOSE COME SPARK PARKS THAT ARE IN PARK DESERTS ALREADY.
SO FLEMING MIDDLE SCHOOL, BRISCOE ELEMENTARY, FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY, PORT HOUSTON ELEMENTARY, MCREYNOLDS MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND NORTHBROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND S-B-I-S-D.
AND YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TO SOME OF THESE REESE PARKS LIKE RECENTLY.
I MEAN, THIS IS A LOT OF, UM, SOME, SOME, UM, PUBLIC MONEY, A LOT OF PRIVATE MONEY, A LOT OF ART, A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, A LOT OF WALKWAYS, UM, IN PARK AREAS AND IN AREAS THAT REALLY NEED PARKS, PARK DESERTS.
SO, UH, I'M JUST KIND OF PUTTING THE WORD OUT.
IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY OUT THERE THAT WANTS TO BUY
[03:40:01]
USE IT AS A PRIVATE PARK.I MEAN, WE'D LIKE TO KEEP THESE, UH, THIS PARKLAND PARKS AND, UH, I KNOW THAT CONVERSATIONS ARE GOING ON WITH THE COUNTY AND DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, UM, ENTITIES.
BUT TO THE EXTENT WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE SCHOOL CLOSURES, ONE THING, AND THEN TO HAVE THESE, UH, COMMUNITY ASSETS, THIS LONG, UH, LEGACY OF COUNCIL MEMBER ELEANOR TINSLEY, TO HAVE SIX OF THEM CLOSE IS, IS SAD.
SO LET'S, UH, PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS? YES.
I JUST WANTED TO, FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T HEARD TO ANNOUNCE OUR OFFICE IS DOING AN AIR CONDITIONER GIVEAWAY.
UM, ANYONE CAN GO TO OUR CITY, UH, COUNCIL WEBSITE OR CALL OUR OFFICE.
DO THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APPLICATION? UM, BUT THIS IS A BROAD APPLICATION FOR ANYONE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH ANY TYPE OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP.
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY AUGUST 31ST.
UH, BUT PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD, UH, TO ANYONE WHO YOU THINK THAT MAY BE IN NEED OF AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN ON THE SPARK PARKS.
TWO OF THEM IN MY DISTRICT, PORT HOUSTON AND MCREYNOLDS.
I CONTRIBUTED COUNCIL SERVICE DOLLARS TO THE REPAR WITH THE ASSURANCES THAT THOSE PARKS WOULD REMAIN OPEN, THE SCHOOLS WOULD STAY OPEN, AND THEN THEY, THEY CLOSED THEM.
SO WHATEVER I CAN DO TO HELP YOU ON THAT, I KNOW THE COMMUNITY USES THOSE PARKS, UH, IN THAT AREA, YOU KNOW, AND THEY, THEY WILL FEEL THAT LOSS, NOT TO MENTION THE SERVICE DOLLARS THAT WENT INTO THEM.
UM, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS AND PRIDE 365 HOUSTON FOR RE-HOSTING THE RESCHEDULED PRIDE PARADE THIS PAST SATURDAY.
UM, IT WAS HOT OUT THERE, BUT WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND, UH, WE PULLED IT OFF.
AND I KNOW THE FIRST ONE WAS INTERRUPTED BY THE WEATHER, BUT, UH, IT WAS, UH, WELL RECEIVED AND THE COMMUNITY CAME OUT TO CELEBRATE AND I WANNA THANK THEM ALL FOR THEIR WORK.
TOMORROW THE TECH AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE WILL BE MEETING, AND WE WILL BE REVIEWING AN ITEM THAT WAS ON LAST COUNCIL'S AGENDA, UM, THAT WAS OF SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL COSTS.
I KNOW THERE WAS INTEREST FROM COLLEAGUES TO HAVE THAT COME TO COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW.
UM, SO THAT WILL BE TOMORROW AT 2:00 PM HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ALONG WITH, UH, A REVIEW OF A REVAMPED, UM, EMPLOYEE LEARNING SYSTEM FOR, UM, WITH HR AND, UM, OTHER ITEMS AS WELL.
UH, WE'LL BE KICKING OFF OUR TOWN HALLS HERE NEXT MONTH.
UH, STARTING IN, UH, KINGWOOD THE SEPTEMBER 22ND AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, THEN AT CLEAR LAKE AT SPACE CENTER HOUSTON ON OCTOBER 8TH.
AUGUSTINE CHURCH FOR THE MIDDLE AREA OF OUR DISTRICT ON OCTOBER 20TH.
UH, WE'VE GOT THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WILL BE OUT THERE AS WELL BE ABLE TO ANSWER, UH, THE CONSTITUENTS QUESTIONS.
UH, AND THEN ALSO THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH FROM 1230 TO THREE 30, WE ARE HOSTING A HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY EVENT AT THE BAY AREA HOUSTON ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP.
THE EVENT WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE INFORMATION ON OPPORTUNITIES TO BUSINESS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPLIER OUTREACH AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO HELP BUSINESSES COMPETE FOR CONTRACTS.
SO PLEASE COME OUT AND, UH, JOIN US FOR THAT.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RAMIREZ.
I JUST WANT TO ADD MY VOICE TO THOSE EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES FOR, UH, RANDY'S LOSS.
THIS HAS BEEN A TOUGH WEEK FOR CITY OF HOUSTON FAMILY.
WE LOST RANDY AND I WILL MISS HIS PRESENCE HERE AT THE HORSESHOE ON TUESDAY AFTERNOONS, AND APPRECIATE, UM, HIS SERVICE AND HIS HELP THAT HE'S GIVING ME, UH, WHILE I'VE BEEN HERE.
UM, TOUGH LOSS, NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY, BUT OBVIOUSLY FOR HIS FAMILY AND, AND MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH, WITH ALL OF YOU.
WE ALSO LOST, UH, MONICA BURNHAM, AN EMPLOYEE IN OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS ON MONDAY AND, AND MY THOUGHTS AND CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO OUR, OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND TO HER FAMILY AS WELL.
UH, FINALLY, I, I WANNA NOTE THAT I ATTENDED, UH, THE TOWN HALL PUT ON BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS IN SUNNYSIDE EARLIER THIS WEEK.
AND, UH, KUDOS TO COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS.
IT WAS A GREAT EVENT, GOOD TURNOUT.
A LOT OF FOLKS GOT TO EXPRESS, UH, THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT ISSUES THEY WERE HAVING AND SPEAK DIRECTLY TO DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS.
AND OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY SEAN TIER WAS THERE AS WELL.
SO IT WAS A WORTHWHILE, UH, EVENT.
AND, UH, AGAIN, KUDOS TO COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS FOR PUTTING THAT ON.
[03:45:01]
I WANNA THANK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.UM, THERE WAS AN ISSUE LAST WEEK WITH A SEWER OVERFLOW AT A SCHOOL AND IT WAS IMPACTING, UM, ADJACENT RESIDENTS.
AND SO THEY WERE OUT THERE THE WHOLE TIME AND JUST DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOB.
IT WASN'T JUST THE CITATIONS THAT THEY ISSUED, BUT THEY ACTUALLY CHECKED IN WITH ALL OF THE, UM, SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL, AND REALLY JUST STAYED OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS GOT FIXED.
I WANTED TO THANK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON THAT.
AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE SPARK PARK.
UM, WE HAVE NORTHBROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL AND DISTRICT A THAT, UM, IS CLOSING.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A VERY WELL USED AND WELL LOVED PARK.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT.
AND I WILL, UH, ROUND US OFF WITH A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DISTRICT K.
UM, WE DID RECEIVE A MESSAGE FROM CENTERPOINT, UM, ABOUT SOME UPGRADES TO FONDANT GARDENS IN CENTRAL SOUTHWEST.
THEY WILL BE DOING SOME RESILIENCY INITIATIVES.
SO CENTERPOINT WILL CONDUCT SOME CRITICAL GRID UPDATES, UH, THROUGHOUT THOSE AREAS.
THEY WILL BE INSTALLING STRONGER POLES, UM, AUTOMATIC DEVICES TO REDUCE OUTAGE IMPACTS.
SO CREWS WILL BE OUT IN THE FONDANT GARDENS AND CENTRAL SOUTHWEST AREAS ON MONDAYS THROUGH SATURDAYS FROM 8:00 AM TO 5:00 PM UH, CUSTOMERS AND RESIDENTS SHOULD RECEIVE SOME ADVANCE OUTREACH ABOUT THIS WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, UM, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME TEMPORARY POWER OUTAGES OR NECESSARY PRIVATE PROPERTY ACCESS.
IF RESIDENTS HAVE CONCERNS, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE AND WE'LL PUT YOU IN CONTACT WITH THE CENTER POINT REPRESENTATIVES.
UM, THERE ALSO MAY BE SOME TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURES.
UM, ALL OF THE CENTER POINT EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS WILL WEAR VISIBLE ID BADGES AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR VERIFICATION UPON REQUEST.
SO JUST WANNA LET THOSE RESIDENTS KNOW THAT THAT WORK IS HAPPENING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
ALSO, OUR SOUTH GESNER UH, PIP MEETING WILL BE HELD THIS EVENING AT 6:30 PM AT THE SOUTH GESNER POLICE STATION ON WEST PLACE DRIVE.
THIS MONTH'S PRESENTATION WILL FEATURE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THEY'LL HAVE VALUABLE INFORMATION ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT PRESENTATION, WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE PIP MEETING AT THE NER STATION TONIGHT.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL CONVENE THIS AFTERNOON AT 2:00 PM HERE IN THE CHAMBERS.
WE'LL HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON THE TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE, UH, ADOPTION, AND ONE TAX ABATEMENT PROPOSAL.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU HERE IN THE CHAMBERS AT 2:00 PM IF THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER, UH, WE STAND ADJOURNED.