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IF COUNCIL WILL COME TO ORDER,[Additional Item]
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO TIM PECK FOR A PROCLAMATION TO PCSI IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR EFFORTS TO ADVOCATE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING IN THE WORKPLACE.IT'S AN HONOR, UM, TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY, WHEREAS ON SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2026, THE ANNUAL DEATH AND HARD OF HEARING AWARENESS NIGHT WILL TAKE PLACE IN HOUSTON.
PRESENTED BY PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT SERVICES INC.
THE EVENT BRINGS THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER THROUGH ACCESSIBLE EXPERIENCES AND EDUCATION PROMOTES INCLUSION AND UNDERSTANDING, AND HONORS HOUSTON'S DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS PCSI IS A TEXAS BASED NA NATIONWIDE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, THAT TOGETHER WITH THE SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS IS BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE REMARKABLE TALENTS, CONTRIBUTIONS, AND EXPERIENCES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING, WHOSE RESILIENCE, CREATIVITY, AND STRONG COMMUNITY BONDS ENRICH THE FABRIC OF HOUSTON.
AND WHEREAS ON THIS OCCASION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON URGES ALL HOUSTONIANS TO RECOGNIZE THE INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITY, AND TO PARTICIPATE IN AND SUPPORT INITIATIVES THAT ADVANCE ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL RESIDENTS SUCH AS DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING AWARENESS NIGHT, HELPING TO ENRICH OUR SHARED EXPERIENCES AND CREATE A CITY WHERE EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE REGARDLESS OF ABILITY.
THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, THE MAYOR PRO TIM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2026 AT DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING AWARENESS NIGHT 2026 IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
AND I'M HONORED TO REPRESENT PCSI HERE TODAY.
WE PROVIDE MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND VETERANS WE'RE UNWAVERING IN OUR COMMITMENT TO ENHANCING THEIR LIVES THROUGH OUR EMPLOYMENT, ADVOCACY, AND PARTNERSHIP.
THAT MISSION IS LED TODAY BY OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO MAJOR GENERAL TONY OLO, US ARMY RETIRED PCSI WAS FOUNDED IN 1996 IN SAN ANTONIO.
SIX YEARS AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, OUR FOUNDER SET OUT TO DO ONE THING, CREATE REAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
TODAY, PCSI EMPLOYS 2,100 PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
PART OF THAT MISSION IS OUR COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, STARTED BY OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, VANESSA FERGUSON, AROUND A SIMPLE IDEA SO THAT NO PERSON IS LEFT BEHIND.
THAT PROGRAM IS WHAT CONNECTS JOB SEEKERS DIRECTLY TO EMPLOYERS READY TO HIRE.
THIS SEPTEMBER 3RD MARKS OUR FIFTH ANNUAL DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING AWARENESS BASEBALL GAME HELD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS ORGANIZATION.
WE BRING TOGETHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITY YEAR ROUND, ALONG WITH EMPLOYER PARTNERS.
AND WE CONNECT JOB SEEKERS TO REAL OPPORTUNITIES WHENEVER WE CAN.
DURING THE GAME, THE NATIONAL ANTHEM WILL BE PERFORMED IN A SL AND WILL HOLD A SILENT INNING SO THAT EVERYONE IN THE STADIUM GETS A SMALL WINDOW INTO WHAT IT MEANS TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD WITHOUT SOUND.
THE DEAF AND HEART OF HEARING COMMUNITY IS A VITAL PART OF THIS CITY'S FABRIC.
THEIR TALENTS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS DESERVE TO BE SEEN, CELEBRATED, AND CONNECTED TO REAL JOBS, NOT JUST ONE NIGHT IN SEPTEMBER, BUT EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.
I WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND EVERYONE HERE FOR STANDING BEHIND THIS WORK.
THIS PROCLAMATION IS A COMMITMENT TO KEEP BUILDING A CITY WHERE EVERYONE BELONGS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR STANDING WITH US AS WE KEEP UP THIS WORK.
AND IT'S ALSO, WE HAVE THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, ANGEL PONSE HERE REPRESENTING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR THE GOOD WORK YOU DO IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
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YOU'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING OR THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I JUST, UH, WANNA ADD TO THE CONGRATULATIONS.UM, IT'S BECAUSE OF COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU REPRESENT HERE TODAY THAT OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE DISABILITIES THAT ARE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES, UH, AND OPPORTUNITY TO BE INDEPENDENT.
AND I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT JUST GAINING MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT DOES OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR OTHER THINGS LIKE BUYING THE HOUSE, UH, MAKING, UH, BEING A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY, MAKING NEW FRIENDS.
AND SO, UH, KUDOS TO YOU AND THE ORGANIZATION.
UH, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION TO ASK YOU.
DO WE GET TICKETS TO GO WATCH THE SPACE? COWBOYS
I THINK ROGER CLEMENTS HAS YOUR TICKET.
CAN WE DO A
BETH, YOU HAVE THE ESTEEMED PLEASURE OF GETTING TO BE JOINED BY OUR MAYOR PROAM.
DID YOU BRING ANY FOLK? NOT TODAY,
SO, SO COLLEAGUES, UH, I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF PRESENTING A PROCLAMATION TO CHEF ADRIAN TORRES.
UM, SOME OF YOU ALL MAY KNOW HIM.
HE HAS NOW BECOME A CELEBRITY AMONG US.
UH, HE HAS A FANTASTIC RESTAURANT KNOWN AS MAXIMO.
AND AS YOU WILL LEARN, AS I READ THE PROCLAMATION IN HIS STORY, HE TRULY EXEMPLIFIES WHAT MAKES HOUSTON SPECIAL.
HE BRINGS HIS DIVERSITY, HIS PASSION, UH, HIS CULTURE TO WHAT HE DOES, AND HE MAKES HOUSTON BETTER FOR IT.
UM, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO MAXIMO, I RECOMMEND YOU GO TONIGHT.
UM, AND I WILL READ THE PROCLAMATION NOW, WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY WELCOMED CHEF ADRIAN TORRES TO CITY HALL TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE COMMUNITY AND ALL OF HOUSTON FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL CULINARY SKILLS, CREATIVITY, AND DEDICATION TO HIS CRAFT.
AND FOR RECEIVING THE PRESTIGIOUS 2026 JAMES BEARD EMERGING CHEF AWARD, WHERE YES, LET'S GIVE A ROUND APPLAUSE.
WHEREAS CHEF TORRES IS THE EXECUTIVE CHEF OF MAXIMO, WHERE AT THE AGE OF 26, HE TOOK THE REINS AND TRANSFORMED THE MEXICAN RESTAURANT IN WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE INTO AN AWARD-WINNING DESTINATION, CREATING AN EXCEPTIONAL DINING EXPERIENCE THAT CELEBRATES HOUSTON'S DIVERSE FLAVORS, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY.
WHEREAS AS A DACA RECIPIENT, CHEF, DODI'S, PERSEVERANCE, WORK ETHIC AND DETERMINATION REFLECT THE STRENGTH OF HOUSTON'S IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, WHILE HIS ACHIEVEMENTS EXEMPLIFY THE IMPACT OF OPPORTUNITY, HARD WORK, AND TALENT ON OUR CITY'S CULINARY LANDSCAPE.
WHEREAS IN RECOGNITION OF THE PRIDE HIS WORK BRINGS TO OUR GREAT DIVERSE AND GLOBAL CITY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COMMENDS AND CONGRATULATES EXECUTIVE CHEF ADRIAN TORRES ON RECEIVING THE 2026 JAMES BEARD EMERGING CHEF AWARD, AND THANKS HIM FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE HOUSTON'S CULINARY COMMUNITY.
AS WELL AS AS FOR STRENGTHENING OUR REPUTATION AS A WELCOMING INTERNATIONAL FOOD CITY WHERE CULTURE AND INNOVATION, INNOVATION INTERSECTS WITH PEOPLE AND EXCELLENCE DRIVE.
THEREFORE, I'M MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, THE MAYOR PRO TIM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER THE 15TH, 2026 AS CHEF ADRIAN TORRES DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
LIKE TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP ON THE NORTH SIDE, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE IN A BUILDING LIKE THIS IN A ROOM SURROUNDED BY SUCH AMAZING, UH, FRIENDS, FAMILY, UH, A LOT OF POLITICIANS
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY REWARDING.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THANK YOU TO MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, EVERYONE BACK AT THE RESTAURANT THAT'S SUPPORTED ME.
I COULDN'T DO IT BY MYSELF, EVEN THOUGH MY NAME'S ON HERE.
I'LL SEE IF I CAN WRITE EVERYBODY'S NAME ON THE BACK OF IT WHEN I GET BACK TO THE RESTAURANT.
UM, THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THANK YOU TO AANDRA SALINAS FOR THIS AMAZING, UH, PROCLAMATION.
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YEAH, I MEAN, THANK YOU FOR, UM, LETTING MY LIGHT SHINE.YOU KNOW, EVEN, EVEN, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A TIME OF CELEBRATION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT WE NEED TO GET BACK TO.
AND MY FRIEND SESAR IS HERE TO HELP ME WITH THAT, AS ALWAYS.
UM, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
GET A SHOUT OUT OF WHERE THE RESTAURANT IS.
TELL US, UH, SHOUT OUT MAXIMO WEST U UH, WE'RE CLOSE TODAY, SO DON'T COME BY TODAY 'CAUSE YOU DON'T, WE NOBODY THERE.
UH, WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, WE'LL BE THERE.
THANK YOU, VICE PRO AND CHEF ADRIAN.
UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING THE BEST OF WHAT HOUSTON IS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, THE CULTURE, THE FOOD, UM, WHAT WAS IT, ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, WE GOT TO BE, UH, JUDGES FOR THE CAR THROW DOWN, UM, WHICH WAS A PRETTY COOL EVENT AS WELL.
UH, AND THAT WAS RIGHT BEFORE YOU LEFT TO THE, TO GO TO CHICAGO FOR THE, FOR THE JAMES BEARD AWARDS.
AND SO, UM, HEARING YOUR STORY THEN AND, AND THEN SEEING IT COME TO FRUITION, SEEING THE VIDEOS, EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THEN, UH, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU SAY YOU'RE HERE AND YOU'RE IN AWE, BUT HONESTLY WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS ACTUALLY WHAT WE SHOULD BE IN AWE OF.
UM, AND, AND YOU'RE PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SEEN IN A, IN A POSITIVE LIGHT, IN A LIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SIMILAR TO EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS, IN THIS LARGER CITY THAT WE CALL HOUSTON.
AND SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU HAVE ELSE, ANYONE ELSE IN THE PHOTO, Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO HOLD IT.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MAYOR PRO TEM KASEK TATUM FOR A PROCLAMATION TO RECOGNIZE INFANT HUNGER ACTION MONTH.
COLLEAGUES TODAY I'M SUPER EXCITED TO BE JOINED BY LIFE HOUSTON AND ITS FOUNDER, CHANTELLE MCWILLIAMS. UH, WE'RE CELEBRATING INFANT HUNGER ACTION MONTH THIS MONTH.
UH, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM OUR DISTRICT A OFFICE EXPLAINING WHAT INFANT, UH, HUNGER ACTION MONTH IS AND HOW YOU CAN ALL BE A PART OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE ARE NO HUNGRY BABIES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, UM, TODAY WE ARE EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION, UH, TO THE, TO THE, UH, FOUNDER AND CEO OF, UH, INFANT HUNGER ACTION MONTH IN HOUSTON.
AND DID Y'ALL EVEN KNOW THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD AN INFANT FOOD BANK? YEAH,
SO THIS MONTH WE ARE, UM, TAKING A BIG STEP, UH, TO HELP THE, UH, ORGANIZATION TO END INFANT HUNGER.
SO I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU RECEIVED THE AMAZON LINK.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL UTILIZE THAT AMAZON LINK AND MAKE SURE THAT THE SHELVES AT THE INFANT, UH, FOOD BANK ARE, ARE, ARE FULLY STOCKED SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES, UH, CAN PROVIDE MILK FOR THEIR BABIES.
WHEREAS HUNGER ACTION MONTH IS A NATIONAL AWARENESS AND ACTION INITIATIVE, OBSERVED EACH SEPTEMBER ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUITABLE ACCESS TO FOOD IN HOUSTON LIFE.
HOUSTON, THE CITY'S ONLY INFANT FORMULA BANK RECOGNIZES THIS MONTH WITH THE FOCUS ON ADDRESSING INFANT HUNGER THROUGH INFANT HUNGER ACTION MONTH.
AND WHEREAS INFANT HUNGER ACTION MONTH HIGHLIGHTS OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO SUPPORT INFANTS AND FAMILIES, PARTICULARLY AS MANY ACROSS THE NATION AND IN OUR CITY, CONTINUE TO FACE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES THAT LIMIT ACCESS TO INFANT FORMULA, NUTRITIOUS FOOD, AND OTHER BASIC NECESSITIES, PUTTING THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF SOME CHILDREN AT RISK.
AND WHEREAS LIFE HOUSTON IS A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION HAS FAITHFULLY SERVED THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOR 38 YEARS THROUGH COMPASSIONATE SERVICE, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ADDRESSING INFANT HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY THROUGH FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY.
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IN RECOGNITION OF THIS MONTH'S LONG OBSERVANCE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECOGNIZES THE SERVICE AND IMPACT OF LIFE HOUSTON, AND ITS COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT EVERY CHILD HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN LIFE, HEALTHY, NOURISHED, AND PREPARED TO THRIVE WHILE ADVANCING OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR CITY'S YOUNGEST RESIDENTS.THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, THE MAYOR, PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ON BEHALF OF JOHN WHITMEYER, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026 AS INFANT HUNGER ACTION MONTH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I AM CHANTELLE MCWILLIAMS, AND ALTHOUGH I'M NOT THE FOUNDER OF THE ORGANIZATION, I AM THE CEO.
THE, THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED
UM, AND THE MISSION OF LIFE HOUSTON IS SIMPLE.
IT'S TO FEED HUNGRY BABIES, ONE IN FOUR BABIES IN HARRIS COUNTY OF SUFFERING FROM FOOD INSECURITY.
IT IS OUR MISSION, IT IS OUR PASSION, IT IS OUR LIFE'S PURPOSE TO ENSURE THAT THESE BABIES HAVE FOOD.
AND IT'S, ALONG WITH YOU GUYS, YOU'RE GONNA HELP US WITH OUR MISSION.
I AM SO HONORED AND I HAVE MY TEAM HERE, BOARD MEMBERS HERE.
WE ARE SO HONORED TO BE HERE TO REPRESENT LIFE HOUSTON AND TO LET EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM KNOW THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO THIS CITY AND THEY WERE COMMITTED TO THIS MISSION.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH MARTHA TATUM FOR BEING OUR HONORARY CHAIR FOR THE CITYWIDE FORMULA DRIVE.
WE ARE DOING A CITYWIDE FORMULA DRIVE.
WE WANT THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO KNOW ABOUT THIS MISSION AND TO ENSURE THAT NO BABY HAVE TO GO TO BED HUNGRY, ONE IN FOUR, ONE IN FOUR BABIES ARE SUFFERING.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DO OUR PART.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECOGNITION, AND WE WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE YOU PROUD.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING AND, AND LIFTING UP LIFE.
HOUSTON, UH, THEY, THEY DO SIT IN DISTRICT I OFF OF 45 AND, AND, UH, WAYSIDE.
AND SO I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH THEM FOR A FEW YEARS.
UH, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, IS, IS CHANTEL SAID IS SO BEAUTIFULLY MAKING SURE BABIES HAVE THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT, UH, UH, BABY, UH, FORMULA FOR, FOR THEM TO BE HEALTHY.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER, IF SOME OF Y'ALL THAT ARE PARENTS OR BEEN PARENTS, THAT PURPLE CAN WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ONE,
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER WE START TALKING ABOUT BABY FORMULA, THE SMALL CAN WAS ABOUT $25, ABOUT ALMOST 18 YEARS AGO, OR 19 YEARS AGO FOR MY SON.
UH, SO WHAT IT COSTS NOW, AND SO WITH THE, THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING.
I WANNA ALSO JUST GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO MY FRATERNAL BROTHER, JORGE OLIVEA, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT HE'S DOING AS A CHAIR.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT WE, THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO.
SO WE ARE GONNA BE, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS TO, UH, PROVIDE SOME CDSF MONEY SO THAT WE CAN HELP STOCK UP, UH, THEIR, THEIR PANTRY.
SO WE'LL BE HELPING OUT ASIDE FROM THAT, UH, WITH THE AMAZON LINK AS WELL AT PRO.
I'M GETTING A PICTURE WITH US SINCE YOU GIVING CDSF DOLLARS
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
YOUR MISSION THANK YOU IS SO SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, FEED HUNGRY BABIES, BUT IT'S SO CRUCIAL AND JUST SO IMPORTANT.
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YOUR PROCLAMATION TO DAVID DAVIS, RECOGNIZING HIS HEROISM BY SAVING SEVERAL INNOCENT LIVES DURING A DANGEROUS SHOOTING IN HOUSTON.HOW ARE YOU? I THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM AND MAYOR PRO TEM.
UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I WAS WATCHING THE NEWS AND THERE WAS AN INCIDENT THAT WAS OCCURRING IN OUR CITY WHERE A PERSON WAS CARRYING A AK 47 AND HE WAS SHOOTING INTO VEHICLES THAT WERE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET.
LITERALLY, CARS ARE JUST ON THEIR WAY TO WHEREVER, AND THIS MAN WHO WAS OBVIOUSLY MENTALLY DISTURBED, UH, WAS JUST SHOOTING INTO VEHICLES.
THESE TWO GENTLEMEN RIGHT HERE, HELPED SAVE MANY LIVES ON THAT DAY.
AND TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE RECOGNIZING MR. DAVID DAVIS.
HE'S THE INDIVIDUAL THAT MANY OF YOU ALL SAW ON THE NEWS, WHO, UH, WAS TRYING TO DISTRACT THIS INDIVIDUAL AND WARN VEHICLES NOT TO GO FURTHER DOWN THE STREET.
AND THE, THE VIDEOS THAT WE SAW ON THE NEWS WERE SO GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING, UH, BUT COULD HAVE GOTTEN A LOT WORSE IF IT WASN'T FOR THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS.
MR. GORDON, HERE WAS THE FIRST ONE TO HEAR THE SHOTS GO OUTSIDE AND TRY TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS AT THE CHICKEN RESTAURANT.
AND THEN MR. DAVIS CAME AND LITERALLY STARTED TO YELL, GET THE ATTENTION OF, UH, OF VEHICLES AND TRY TO DISTRACT THIS, UH, INDIVIDUAL WITH THE AK 47.
AND SO THEY REPRESENT THE BEST OF HOUSTON AND THEIR HEROISM, UH, LED THEM HERE TODAY FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS A BODY NICE.
WHEREAS ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026, THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY RECOGNIZES AND WELCOMES DAVID DAVIS TO CITY HALL FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY BRAVERY AND ACTIONS IN PROTECTING THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
AND WHEREAS ON AUGUST 14TH, 2026, A SHOOTING INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 7 8 1 9 ST.
LOUIS STREET, PLACING INNOCENT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN IMMEDIATE DANGER.
DAVID DAVIS, AN EMPLOYEE OF CHICKEN PLUS, DEMONSTRATED REMARKABLE COURAGE AND PRESENCE OF MIND BY TAKING IMMEDIATE ACTION TO WARN AND PROTECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM THE DANGER UNFOLDING AROUND THEM.
AND WHEREAS RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON HIS OWN SAFETY, MR. DAVIS AND MR. GORDON PREVENTED OTHERS FROM UNKNOWINGLY ENTERING AN AREA WHERE GUNFIRE WAS OCCURRING.
HIS ACTIONS REFLECT THE VERY BEST QUALITIES OF A HOUSTONIAN COURAGE IN THE FACE OF DANGER, COMPASSION FOR OTHERS, QUICK THINKING IN A MOMENT OF CRISIS, AND A STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF HIS FELLOW CITIZENS.
AND WHEREAS IN RECOGNITION OF HIS BRAVERY AND SELFLESS SERVICE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS AND EXPRESSES HIS SINCERE APPRECIATION TO MR. MR. DAVIS AND MR. GORDON FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING FELLOW HOUSTONIANS.
HIS EXAMPLE REMINDS US THAT HEROES ARE DEFINED BY THE CHOICES THEY MAKE WHEN OTHERS ARE IN NEED AND WHEN THEIR COMMUNITY NEEDS THEM.
MOST 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 SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026.
AS DAVID DAVIS DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I ALSO WANT TO ADD SHAVON GARDEN DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? UH, I LIKE TO THANK THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON, UM, MY FAMILY,
I'M, UH, A LITTLE SHAKEN UP RIGHT NOW, AND, UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, GIVING ME THIS AWARD.
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THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.UH, I RECENTLY MOVED HERE FROM JAMAICA, SO BEING HERE, SEEING, SEEING WHAT I SAW, ME AND MY BOY HERE, WE JUST THOUGHT THERE MUST BUS, THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE.
AND I'M SO GLAD TODAY THAT WE ARE NOT ONE OF THOSE PERSON THAT SAYS MAYBE IF WE DID THIS OR DID THAT, WE JUST ACTED BASED OFF WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THAT MOMENT.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, FOR BRINGING THEM FORWARD.
I REMEMBER SEEING YOU GUYS ON THE NEWS AND I WAS LIKE, THESE ARE SUPERHEROES BECAUSE Y'ALL WERE ACTING WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT YOURSELVES.
I MEAN, I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT FEAR THAT I WOULD BE JUST ALL BESIDE MYSELF.
SOMEBODY SHOOTING LIKE THAT AND YOU GUYS SPRING INTO ACTION.
STOP THE YELLING AND CARRYING ON, BUT GOD BLESS YOU FOR JUST TAKING THAT INITIATIVE AND WITHOUT THINKING OF, OF YOURSELVES YOU DID FOR OTHERS, TOTAL STRANGERS.
AND GOD BLESS YOU, WE NEED A LOT MORE LIKE YOU IN OUR CITY.
AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
THANKS, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER.
JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID.
UH, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, THERE WAS FIVE CARS THAT GOT HIT.
I MEAN, LUCKILY NO PERSON DID, BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS COULD QUITE POSSIBLY HAVE KEPT SOMEBODY FROM GETTING INJURED.
THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DID.
UH, IT WAS A LADY AND A DAUGHTER.
I HAVE MY DAUGHTER HERE WITH ME.
I THOUGHT ABOUT MY KIDS, I THOUGHT ABOUT OTHER KIDS.
I THOUGHT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WAS COMING DOWN THAT STREET, MY AUNT THAT'S HERE, SHE GOES DOWN THAT STREET.
AND, UH, IT WAS JUST CRAZY JUST TO SEE THAT MAN OUT THERE LIKE THAT.
BUT I JUST COULDN'T STAND THERE AND WATCH HIM JUST SHOOT.
AND WHEN I SEEN THAT, I JUST, ME AND MY BOY, WE JUST HAD TO DO SOMETHING NICE.
AND ANOTHER INCREDIBLE STORY ABOUT THAT IS THIS PAST WEEKEND, UM, I WAS IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION AND WE HAD A DIAPER DISTRIBUTION, AND ONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS, UH, ROLLED UP IN HIS VEHICLE.
IT WAS ONE OF THE VEHICLES THAT WAS SHOT INTO, AND HIS HAND GOT SHOT, AND HE STILL WAS OUT THERE VOLUNTEERING AT THAT DIAPER DISTRIBUTION.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA FIND A WAY TO GIVE OUR APPRECIATION TO HIM AS WELL, UH, FOR JUST NOT LETTING THAT TRAGIC EVENT STOP HIM FROM STILL WANTING TO GET OUT THERE, VOLUNTEER HELP HOUSTONIANS, UH, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF LOCAL HEROES IN OUR CITY.
THAT'S WHY WE RECOGNIZE THEM ON THESE TUESDAYS.
AND THESE TWO GENTLEMEN ARE AMONGST THE BEST.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO MARY JEAN WARD EDMONDSON TO CELEBRATE HER 100TH BIRTHDAY.
OKAY, YOU GUYS, I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS PROCLAMATION.
A LOT OF US REMEMBER DONNA EDMONDSON, THE CITY'S FIRST AND ONLY WOMAN CITY ATTORNEY THAT SERVED THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
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WE CAN GIVE HER A SHOUT OUT.SO DONNA IS HERE WITH HER MOTHER, WHO TURNED 100 YEARS OLD ON MAY 1ST.
AND FUN FACT, UH, SHE'S ALSO MY HUSBAND, GEORGE'S GREAT AUNT
SO FOR MARY JEAN WARD EDMONDSON, WHO'S JOINED HERE BY HER FAMILY, I WILL READ THIS PRO PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026, THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROUDLY WELCOMES MARY JEAN WARD EDMONDSON AND HER FAMILY TO CITY HALL AS SHE IS CELEBRATED AS A LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN AND CENTENARIAN.
AND WHEREAS A THIRD GENERATION HOUSTONIAN MARY JEAN, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS JEAN OR AUNT JEAN TO US, WAS BORN TO THOMAS FRANCIS WARD AND CRYSTAL GLOVER WARD ON MAY 1ST, 1926 AT HOUSTON ST.
JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL, AND RAISED IN THE EAST END, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ AND THE EAST END ON CAPITAL STREET IN A FAMILY HOME THAT STILL STANDS TODAY.
AND WHEREAS RAISED IN THE CATHOLIC FAITH, JEAN AND HER FAMILY WORSHIPED AT BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH WHERE SHE RECER RECEIVED HER EARLY EDUCATION.
SHE LATER GRADUATED FROM INCARNATE WORD CLASS OF 1943.
AND WHEREAS JEAN WAS EMPLOYED AS AN OFFICE CLERK FOR GULF OIL WORKING IN THE BUILDING, NOW KNOWN AS THE JP MORGAN CHASE BUILDING, WHERE SHE MET HER FUTURE HUSBAND, ROY HEMPSTEAD EDMONDSON.
AND WHEREAS JEAN AND ROY MARRIED A BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH IN DECEMBER, 1946, AND BEGAN THEIR LIFE TOGETHER IN HOUSTON'S EAST AND ON GLADSTONE STREET, WHERE THEY WELCOMED THEIR FOUR, THEIR FIRST FOUR CHILDREN, THREE SONS AND A DAUGHTER.
AND WHEREAS JEAN AND ROY BUILT THEIR SECOND AND FINAL HOME IN THE WESTBURY NEIGHBORHOOD MAYOR PRO TEM IN 1957, WHERE THEY WELCOMED THEIR TWIN DAUGHTERS AND SON.
TODAY, JEAN IS THE PROUD GRANDMOTHER OF 10, GREAT-GRANDMOTHER OF 11 AND GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER OF ONE.
AND WHEREAS ON THIS JOYFUL OCCASION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON EXTENDS ITS HEARTFELT.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MARY JEAN WARD EDMONDSON ON REACHING HER CENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY RECOGNIZES HER REMARKABLE LIFE AND LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CITY, AND OFFERS ITS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED HEALTH AND HAPPINESS SURROUNDED BY THE LOVE OF HER FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COMMUNITY.
YOU GET THE REAL LIVE MAYOR TO PROCLAIM IT.
UH, I, I TEXTED HIM A SECOND AGO.
I GO, I GOT A HUNDRED YEAR OLD WAITING ON YOU,
I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT POLICE DETAIL DROVE LIKE BAT OUTTA HELL TO GET YOU HERE.
I'VE NEVER MADE A HUNDRED YEAR OLD LADY WAIT FOR ME
I WANT TO KNOW THE SECRET, SECRET.
THERE THERE IS YOU, THERE IS ONE SECRET, AND I'LL, I'LL GIVE IT.
THIS LADY'S HAD MILK AND COOKIES FOR LUNCH FOR 30 YEARS.
THAT'S HOW YOU LIVE TO BE A HUNDRED MILK AND COOKIES.
AND YOU KNOW, MAYOR, THIS IS, UM, DONNA EDMONDSON, HER DAUGHTER, WHO WAS THE CITY'S FIRST AND ONLY WOMAN CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SHE WAS CITY ATTORNEY DURING MAYOR PARKER'S ADMINISTRATION, AND SHE'S MY GREAT AUNT
YOU GOT HELP HER ANY, HUH? I DO.
I'M EXCITED TO, I I WAS TIED UP IN A MEETING OVER DEALING WITH THE WEATHER, BUT I DID HEAR THAT YOU WERE HERE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE WEATHER
UH, GOTTA READ THE OFFICIAL WORDS.
UH, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? WHERE'D YOU GROW UP? PARDON? WHERE'D YOU GROW UP? HOUSTON.
HOUSTON, ER AH, YEAH, EAST END.
SHE LIVED ON THE EAST END, GREW UP ON THE EAST END, AND THEN MOVED TO WESTBURY.
WELL, THAT EXPLAINS ONE OF YOUR SECRETS RIGHT THERE.
OR YOU'VE STAYED SPENT YOUR WHOLE LIFE IN HOUSTON.
AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING US MAKE A GREAT CITY.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, UH, CITIZENS LIKE YOURSELF THAT KIND OF PAVED THE WAY FOR THE REST OF US.
SO HAVE YOU READ THE PROCLAMATION? I ALREADY READ? YOU'VE ALREADY READ.
YOU JUST HAVE TO PROCLAIM THE DAY.
SHOULDN'T HAVE TO LOOK AT IT, BUT I WANNA DO IT.
THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2026, IS MARY JEAN WARD EDMOND DAY, ACROSS THIS GREAT CITY, SO THANK YOU.
[00:35:01]
UH, GENE IS A THIRD GENERATION HOUSTONIAN AND THE LAST OF, UM, YOU KNOW, MATRIARCH OF A LAST OF, UH, A GENERATION.AND SHE HAS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OUR SEVENTH GENERATION OF HOUSTONIANS.
WE'RE ALL VERY PROUD TO CALL HOUSTON OUR HOME, AND WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING JEAN.
ALRIGHT, WELL TAKE SOME STEPS.
THERE'S A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS, MS. MAYOR PER CASTILLO, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, 100 YEARS DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED.
UM, WE'VE HAD MANY RESIDENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE, UM, LIVED TO BE 100, AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM DOES THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST TO CELEBRATE AN ENTIRE CENTURY WITH THEIR LOVED ONES.
AND I DO THINK THAT IN ADDITION TO THE MILK AND COOKIES, IT WAS THE, THE MERE FACT THAT THEY LIVED IN DISTRICT K
UH, LET THAT BE A LESSON TO EVERYONE ELSE THAT, UH, DISTRICT A IS A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE YOUR FAMILY AND LIVE.
UH, BUT CONGRATULATIONS ON A HUNDRED YEARS AND WE WISH YOU MANY MORE YEARS OF GOOD HEALTH.
AND WITH THAT MAYOR PROTO, I THINK REALLY THE SECRET IS THE EAST END IN YOU REALLY
UH, AND THEN ALSO, I, I LOVE HEARING BLESSED SACRAMENT, UH, AND A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES KNOW I WAS AN ALTAR BOY THERE FOR 10 YEARS, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THAT CHURCH, I COULD ONLY, THAT IS A SECRET REALLY.
UM, GOING TO THAT CHURCH JUST KNOWS THAT IT GAVE ME A WHOLE BUNCH OF MEMORIES, UH, TO JUST, YOU KNOW, FAMILY, COMMUNITY.
AND SO I WANNA JUST SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY AS WELL.
AND, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR HUNDREDTH, UH, BIRTHDAY.
AND THEN FOR THE FAMILY, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT, THAT, UH, SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO POUR INTO YOU.
I KNOW Y'ALL POURING INTO OTHERS AS WELL, SO, UH, JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
YOU KNOW, WE CELEBRATED HOUSTON'S ONE 90TH BIRTHDAY THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND, YOU KNOW, AT A HUNDRED YEARS OLD, I CAN'T SEE YOU DOWN THERE, SO I'M GONNA STAND UP AT A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
I MEAN, YOU'RE CATCHING UP WITH THE CITY, SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
[2:00 P.M. - INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
WE STARTED OVER.WILL YOU JOIN ME IN PRAYER? WE COME FROM, WE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY, LORD, WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS, ASKING FOR YOUR WISDOM, YOUR GUIDANCE, AND YOUR PROTECTION OVER OUR LEADERS, OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR NATION.
GIVE OUR LEADERS THE COURAGE TO LEAD WITH INTEGRITY, HUMILITY AND WISDOM ALWAYS REMIND US THAT LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT POWER, BUT ABOUT SERVICE.
BRING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AND HELP US LOOK BEYOND OUR DIFFERENCES AND RECOGNIZE THE COMMON GROUND THAT BINDS US ALL TOGETHER.
AS NEIGHBORS AND FELLOW AMERICANS, WE ASK FOR YOUR SPECIAL PROTECTION, LORD, OVER THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE IN OUR MILITARY.
WATCH OVER THOSE SERVING OUR COUNTRY AT HOME AND ABROAD, AND KEEP THEM SAFE.
STRENGTHEN THEIR FAMILIES AND GIVE THEM THE
[00:40:01]
COURAGE TO SERVE EVERY DAY.WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SACRIFICE AND FOR THE FREEDOMS OF SERVICE PROTECTS.
FATHER, REMIND US THAT WHILE WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE, WE CAN ALWAYS CHOOSE RESPECT, COMPASSION, AND UNITY.
GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO WORK TOGETHER, THE WISDOM TO LISTEN, AND THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
AND LORD, WE ASK FOR A SPECIAL PROTECTION AND CONTINUED GOOD HEALTH FOR GEORGE'S AUNT JEAN.
WE'LL SEE HER NEXT YEAR AT 101.
IT'S CERTAIN IN YOUR HOLY SON'S NAME WE PRAY.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING]
SECRETARY, YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR WHITMEYER, PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE.COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PRESENT.
HERE, I NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 25TH AND 26TH.
[2:00 P.M. – PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
PROCEDURAL.COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR PROCEDURAL.
I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD TRACY RILEY TO THE END OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST.
AND SECOND AND ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
ANYONE ELSE ON A PROCEDURAL MATTER? IF NOT SECRETARY, YOU CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER CECIL BOONE, TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANTHONY VU.
I'M HERE TO OFFICIALLY SHARE MY OPPOSITION FOR THE USE OF AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS OR A LPR CAMERAS.
WHILE THESE CAMERAS MAY BE PRESENTED AS A TOOL FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL ABOUT GIVING THE GOVERNMENT THE ABILITY TO TRACK WHERE PEOPLE GO WHEN THEY GO THERE, AND POTENTIALLY WHO THEY ASSOCIATE WITH A LPR TECHNOLOGY CAN COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT THOUSANDS OF LAW ABIDING CITIZENS.
A PERSON CAN DRIVE TO A DOCTOR'S OFFICE, VISIT A PLACE OF WORSHIP OR ATTEND A POLITICAL MEETING, AND THEIR MOVEMENTS CAN POTENTIALLY BECOME PART OF A GOVERNMENT DATABASE THAT RAISES SERIOUS CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS.
THE FOURTH AMENDMENT PROTECTS AMERICANS FROM UNREASONABLE SEARCHES AND SEIZURES AND RECOGNIZES THAT OUR GOVERNMENT CANNOT SIMPLY INTRUDE INTO OUR PRIVATE LIVES WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION.
CREATING DETAILED RECORDS OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS CAN AMOUNT TO A VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS, PARTICULARLY WHEN INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE MONITORED WITHOUT INDIVIDUALIZED SUSPICION.
THIS IS ALSO AN ISSUE OF GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.
TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NOT BECOME AN EXCUSE FOR EXPANDING GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS. PUBLIC SAFETY IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT CANNOT IMPEDE ON INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY, FREEDOM AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS THAT STAND BETWEEN CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.
FOR THOSE REASONS, I DEMAND THAT WE END THE USE OF A LPR CAMERAS IN HOUSTON.
THANK YOU ERIC ANTHONY VU TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROBERT BARRETT OF CONROE.
ALRIGHT, SO TO BEGIN, DOWNTOWN IS UGLY.
BUILDINGS LEFT AND RIGHT ARE BEING ACCUSED OF BEING HAUNTED.
I BLAME IT ENTIRELY ON POLICY.
SPECIFICALLY, I BLAME IT ON THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT POLICY.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A SHIFT IN ITS PRIORITY.
THE CITY NEEDS TO EMPHASIZE HIRING AS MANY OF THE UNEMPLOYED AS POSSIBLE.
HOW DOES THIS LOOK? IF I'M ATTEMPTING TO DEVELOP A LUXURY APARTMENT BECAUSE I AM LAZY, THERE'S NO WAY THAT I CAN PRODUCTIVELY HIRE THAT MANY UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE.
BUT IF I WANT THAT SWEET TAX ABATEMENT, WHAT DO I DO? I SEE IF IT'S WORTH LEASING OUT TWO FLOORS WORTH OF SPACE TO A HEB OR ANYONE QUALIFIED ENOUGH TO TAKE ON THAT MUCH LABOR,
[00:45:01]
THEY WILL FIGURE IT OUT.I WILL CASH IN ON THE TAX ABATEMENT AND THEY WILL CASH IN ON A CHEAPER LEASE ON TOP OF QUALIFYING FOR FEDERAL TAX CREDITS.
AND MANY JOBS WILL BE CREATED IN, IN THE PROCESS AS THERE ALSO HAPPEN TO BE LESS FOOD DESERTS IN THE REGION.
WHY THE UNEMPLOYED? BECAUSE IT MAKES BUSINESSES ACTUALLY GET CREATIVE.
IF I'M LEASING OUT SPACE TO YOU WITH THE STIPULATION THAT YOU HIRE AS MANY UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE AS YOU CAN, THEN YOU WILL TRY TO MAKE THEM PRODUCTIVE.
STANDARD TEMPLATES WILL NOT WORK.
YOU CANNOT JUST IMPORT A HIRING TEMPLATE AND EXPECT YOUR BUSINESS TO BE FULLY PRODUCTIVE BECAUSE THE CONTEXT IS NOW DIFFERENT.
YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE HAVE TO OFFER.
YOU HAVE TO FIND A WAY FOR EVERYONE TO BE USEFUL.
THE OPPOSITE OF HOW AI COMPANIES ARE TRYING TO PERSUADE EMPLOYEES OR EMPLOYERS, THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE IS USELESS.
YOU HAVE TO BREAK DOWN EXISTING JOBS AND RETHINK HOW WORK LOOKS LIKE.
THERE IS A SAYING YOU CAN'T TAKE NINE WOMEN AND HAVE A BABY WITHIN A MONTH.
BUT THIS SAYING IS LIMITED TO JUST ONE SET OF PROBLEMS. THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS THAT THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO.
GREAT BUSINESSES CAN COME OUT OF THIS.
MY PLAN TO MAKE DOWNTOWN LESS UGLY IS SIMPLE.
LET BUSINESSES FIGURE IT OUT, TURN DOWNTOWN LIVELY IN THE PROCESS AND THEN TAX THEM OVER THE LONG RUN AFTER THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT WORK.
I AM YOUNG, THE CITY CAN AFFORD THE DEBT, AND I BELIEVE THAT IT NEEDS TO TAKE ON THE RISK.
IF YOU NEED HELP ROLLING THIS OUT, YOU CAN HIRE ME.
IF YOU NEED HELP CLIPPING YOUR NAILS, YOU CAN HIRE ME.
WE CAN BUILD A BUSINESS OUT OF ANYTHING THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR.
SO LET THIS BE GROUND ZERO AND BEGIN NOW.
SO, ALRIGHT, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT, NICK.
THANK YOU ROBERT BARRETT, WHO DID SAY JANE ROSAS TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHERYL PARKER.
UM, MY NAME'S JANE ROSA AND I AM NOT A HUNDRED YEARS OLD, BUT I WILL BE 76 IN A FEW YEARS.
PEOPLE SAY I DON'T LOOK LIKE IT, BUT MY BODY REMINDS ME I AM THAT AGE.
I SAID, UM, I BELIEVE HOUSTON IS THE CITY WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THE CITY APPROVED MY PLANS FOR A NEW HOME.
IF THE STRUCTURE HAD BEEN DONE, I WAS ASKED TO DO A FIREWALL AND CUT THE EDGE OF ROOF.
I AM AFRAID I MS. MONTGOMERY AS SHE HAS TRIED TO BEAT ME UP SEVERAL TIMES.
FOLLOW ME TO GROCERY STORE, TRYING TO KILL ME, HAS PASSED SEVERAL TIMES INTO MY PROPERTY.
THIS HAS CAUSED ME MENTAL LANGUAGE, FINANCIAL LOSSES, AND HAVING TO BE ON AN ENDLESS ALERT FOR MY LIFE.
MS. MONTGOMERY'S HOME IS ENCROACHING IN MY PROPERTY.
HER HOME IS LANDED IN MY DRIVEWAY, FOUR FEET IN FRONT.
A FEEDING BACK JUDGE HARRY CARTER ORDERED ME TO PAY HER $14,000.
MS. MS TO ME MONTGOMERY, I APPEAL CASE TO CIVIL COURT.
WE WERE SENT TO MEDIATOR RUSSELL DOFF.
HE SUGGESTED WE BOTH THOSE SURVEYS WITH ECI, EVERYTHING IN CHRIST MS. MONTGOMERY REJECTED.
HE SENT EMAIL MAY THE SEVENTH, 2 22 25 FOR US TO GO TO PRECISION SURVEY.
I DIGITALLY COMPLIED IN MY SURVEY ON JUNE 18TH, 2025.
MEDIATOR RUSSELL UFFORD SENT, EMAILED TO PAMELA POWELL AND MADE A MEDIATOR, SUGGESTED TO TRY AND RESOLVE THIS MATTER WITH OUR TRIAL.
AND HE STATED ONE OF THE PARTIES PURSUED MY SUGGESTION, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THE OTHER CAN OR WOULD I DID ACCORDINGLY, I'M DECLARING THEIR MEDIATION IN PEPSI.
THAT'S WHAT HE STATED ON MAY 15TH, 2025.
ARIAN SAYS THAT I GO TO PRIME TEXAS SURVEYOR, I REFUSE.
TEXAS HAD GIVEN ME A BLANK CONTRACT TO PURCHASE MY PREVIOUS HOME.
A WORKER ATTACKED ME WHEN I WENT TO COLLECT OPTION FEE DECEMBER 9TH, 2025.
I ASKED FOR A MANDATORY INJUNCTION ON JANUARY 14TH, JUDGE SAYING, SIGN ORDER GIVEN MS. MONTGOMERY SIX MONTHS TO REMOVE HOME, WHICH SITS ON BLOCKS.
JUDGE ING INSISTED ON SIX MONTHS.
I SUGGESTING WHAT HAPPENED IF SHE DOESN'T MOVE ON JULY.
AND SHE IGNORED MY QUESTION ON JULY 21ST, 2026.
SHE HAD BEEN DOING WORK INSIDE THE HOME WITHOUT PERMITS, MADE IT HOLE IN HER HOME TO TRESS TO MY PROPERTY TO REMOVE THE LIGHT POST WITHOUT PERMITS.
THERE WAS A BUNCH OF PERMITS IN HER, HER FRONT DOOR.
SHE APPLIED FOR A REMODELING PERMIT, NEVER FOR A DEMOLITION PERMIT.
ON JULY 21ST, 2026 APPLIED FOR A MOTION FOR JUDGE TO HAVE PROPERTY REMOVED HEAD COURT ON AUGUST THE 25TH,
[00:50:01]
2026.JUDGE THEN STATED THE CASE HAD BEEN CLOSED ON NOVEMBER 17TH, 2025.
HOW CAN I RESOLVE THIS ISSUE? UH, I'M SORRY, I MISSED A PAGE.
ON JUNE THE NINTH, 19 2 25, COURT DISMISSED THE CASE.
WHEN WE WENT, CLERKS FAILED TO PUT INFORMATION THAT I HAD SUBMITTED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT, AND MS. MONTGOMERY WAS ON VACATION JUNE 10, 25.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE COURT ON THE NIGHT ON JUNE THE 10TH, MS. MONTGOMERY, EVERYTHING HAD A MEETING AND I WAS NOT THERE.
THE COURT CASE, YOUR TIME, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
BUT I HAVE, I HAVE COPIES OF EVERYTHING THAT I'VE SAID.
I'VE TAKEN COPIES OF EVERYTHING.
ALL OF 'EM SAY THAT SHE'S IN MY PROPERTY.
SHE HAS TWO AND I HAVE FOUR SURVEYS THAT I WAS ASKED TO DO BY THE COURTS.
IF YOU WOULD GIVE YOUR PAPERWORK TO, UH, THAT YOUNG MAN RIGHT THERE.
THANK YOU CHERYL PARKER TO BE FOLLOWED BY KASSIM KAHN.
I'M HERE REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT OF MY INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE.
ON SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2025, I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS CAUSED BY HOUSTON METRO BUS AROUND 6:00 PM I WAS TRAVELING ON TRAVIS NEAR ST.
WHEN I SAW AND HEARD A FIRETRUCK APPROACHING WITH LIGHTS AND SIRENS, I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE FIRETRUCK HAD TWO OPEN LANES TO MY LEFT TO PASS.
A METRO BUSTIN EXITED THE METRO PARKING AREA ON THE LEFT AND TURNED DIRECTLY INTO TRAFFIC, CUTTING OFF THE FIRE TRUCK TO AVOID HITTING THE BUS.
THE FIRE TRUCK SWERVED AND SIDESWIPED MY VEHICLE.
METRO POLICE AND HPD CRIME DIVISION RESPONDED.
THE METRO DRIVER RECEIVED A TICKET AND I WAS GIVEN A CITIZEN'S EXCHANGE OF CRASH INFORMATION AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT METRO ON SEPTEMBER 5TH.
I CALLED METRO TO ONLY RECEIVE A RECORDING BECAUSE I WAS LEAVING TOWN AND NEEDED A VEHICLE.
I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY, WHICH ADVISED ME TO FILE THE CLAIM THROUGH THEM.
THIS BEGAN MONTHS OF DELAYS AS METRO DID NOT RETURN MY INSURANCE'S CALLS.
IN JANUARY, I REACHED METRO, OBTAINED CLAIM INFORMATION AND PASSED IT TO MY INSURER.
METRO THEN DENIED THE CLAIM STATING THAT BECAUSE THEIR BUST DID NOT PHYSICALLY STRIKE MY VEHICLE, HFD WAS RESPONSIBLE.
HFD WAS CONSIDERED AT FAULT BECAUSE THE CITATION WAS NOT FILED.
I LATER LEARNED THAT METRO'S DRIVER'S TICKET MAY HAVE BEEN VOIDED OR WAIVED BECAUSE HE'S A CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEE.
I ATTEMPTED TO REACH HFD WITHOUT SUCCESS.
SO IN FEBRUARY, I CONTACTED COUNCIL MEMBER CASSON TATUM'S OFFICE AND WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH JUSTICE.
I SOON THEN RECEIVED A CALL FROM CAPTAIN EUGENE THOMAS INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT THE CITY OF HOUSTON CLAIMS DEPARTMENT.
I RELAYED THIS TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HANDLE IT.
IN JULY, THEY SENT ME A LETTER STATING THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
UNSUCCESSFUL, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, ADVISING ME TO PURSUE REIMBURSEMENT ON MY DEDUCTIBLE DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO I FILED A CLAIM, AND THIS IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY.
I PRAISE GOD, I WAS NOT INJURED OR KILLED, BUT THIS PROCESS HAS REQUIRED NEEDLESS HOURS OF MY TIME TO TRY TO GET RESOLVED AND EVEN TAKEN OFF WORK TODAY.
HOWEVER, I'M ACTUALLY MORE DISAPPOINTED THAT AN EMERGENCY WAS DELAYED DUE TO AN AVOIDABLE ACCIDENT.
AND THAT METRO CAN BE THAT THE EMPLOYEE AND THEREBY METRO CAN BE ABSOLVED OF RESPONSIBILITY SIMPLY BY AFFILIATION.
I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT OF MY DEDUCTIBLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND I'M SORRY THAT THIS HAS UH, HAPPENED TO YOU AND THAT YOU ARE HAVING SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME TRYING TO, UM, GET A REIMBURSEMENT FOR YOUR DEDUCTIBLE.
UM, I DID TALK TO JUSTICE, UM, GLAD THAT SHE DIRECTED YOU TO THE CITY'S CLAIMS DEPARTMENT.
WE DID RECEIVE AN EMAIL THAT METRO WAS REVIEWING THE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE ACTUAL INCIDENT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON CLAIMS DEPARTMENT AND SEE IF, IF THERE IS, UM, JUSTIFICATION FOR THEM TO REIMBURSE THE $500.
I KNOW IT'S A FRUSTRATING PROCESS, UM, BUT WE'LL FOLLOW IT THROUGH TO TRY TO GET THE, THE $500 DEDUCTIBLE, UM, TO YOU.
IF, IF IT CAN BE, UM, GET BACK,
[00:55:01]
GET BACK TO YOU AND SORRY YOU HAD TO COME UP HERE AND DO ALL THAT AND THAT THIS HAPPENED.UM, AND I'M GLAD THAT AN AVOIDABLE, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE TRAGIC ACCIDENT DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
AND I AGREE, UM, THAT THE FIRETRUCK WAS SLOWED DOWN BECAUSE OF SOME POSSIBLE NEGLIGENCE.
BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND WE'LL HELP YOU TRY TO GET TO THE, UH, RESULT.
UM, CAN WE SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD RUTH KRAVITZ AFTER TRACY? RIGHTLY SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES AS OPPOSED TO ANY MOTION PASSES.
TRAVIS MCGEE TO BE FOLLOWED BY KATHY TATUM.
UH, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, GRIMES PARK.
WE JUST GOT THAT PARK THREE YEARS AGO.
IT'S BEEN LEASED BY THE CITY SINCE 1977.
UH, IT TOOK US DECADES TO GET THE PARK REDONE.
THE SAME FOOTBALL TEAM HAS BEEN ON THAT FOOTBALL FIELD FOR OVER 25 YEARS.
UH, WE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE LEASE SAYS AND WHATNOT SINCE IT WAS BEING LEASED, UH, FROM HISD BY THE CITY.
I'M WONDERING, DID Y'ALL EVER OFFER TO BUY? DID Y'ALL EVER FIND OUT? WHEN DID Y'ALL FIND OUT THEY WAS GOING TO TAKE THE PARK FROM US? WE JUST FOUND OUT LAST THURSDAY.
UH, DID THE CITY EVER TRY TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY OR SWAP OTHER CITY PROPERTIES OUT? UH, Y'ALL DID A NEEDS ASSESSMENTS ON PARKS LIKE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
10 OF THE FIRST 18 PARKS ALL OR IN DISTRICT D.
BRIANS WAS NUMBER TWO ON THAT LIST, MEANING IT WAS THE PARK MOSTLY IN NEED AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY TAKING IT FROM IT.
IT'S THE MOST UTILIZED PARK IN THE AREA.
IT'S 300 KIDS OUT THERE EVERY DAY FOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE.
AND SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT THE COUNSELOR PERSON AND HER STAFF HAS OFFERED TO US.
I WOULDN'T LET MY KIDS GO AND PLAY ACROSS THE STREET FROM A CRACK MOTEL WITH THINGS LIKE THAT.
SOME OF THE PARKS THAT THEY SUGGESTED, NO, DON'T HAVE LIGHTS.
THIS PARTICULAR PARK WAS FORMALLY A SOFTBALL FIELD WHEN IT WAS TIME TO DESIGN THE PARK.
SINCE THE FOOTBALL FIELD WAS USED, THE FOOTBALL TEAM WAS USING SO MUCH.
WE GOT A BRAND NEW FOOTBALL FIELD OUT OF IT.
I ALSO NOTICED WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN THEY WAS PLAYING, IT TOOK THE CITY SOMETIME WEEKS, MONTHS TO COME OUT AND FIX IT.
BUT THEY'RE TAKING EVERYTHING DOWN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
THEY'RE NOT TAKING ANY TIME TO DO THAT.
AND I'M ASKING ALL LEADERS IF, IF OUR LEADERSHIP IS NOT GONNA FIGHT FOR US, AT LEAST GIVE US A CHANCE TO FIGHT FOR OURSELF.
THIS WAS A LEGAL BINDING DOCUMENT.
THEY SAID SOME PEOPLE SAY 30 YEARS, WELL, 30 YEARS FROM 1977 WILL BE 2007 AND ANOTHER 30 YEARS WILL BE 2000 2037.
SO WE NEED TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
WE NOT AGAINST A TRADE SCHOOL, HOWEVER, THAT NO ONE EVER MENTIONED THAT THEY WAS GOING TO TAKE OUR PARK IN THE PROCESS.
THE ADDRESS THEY USED WAS 92 20 LIN.
THAT'S WHERE THE FORMER BH GRINDS, WHICH CLOSED IN 2011, STILL SETS THE ADDRESS TO THE PARK IS 51 50 REED ROAD.
WHY TAKE US THROUGH ALL THE CHANGES DURING THE CIP REQUESTS.
IF THEY JUST GONNA COME BACK AND TEAR EVERYTHING UP, WHY USE THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY LIKE THAT? MAYOR WHITMEYER, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION, BUT THIS IS NOT RIGHT, MAN.
I MEAN, WE HAD TO TURN IN THESE CIP REQUESTS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR ABOUT THE EXACT SAME THING.
OUR AREA HAVE TO FIGHT FOR EVERYTHING.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR PROSTRATION AND, AND WE DID ATTEMPT, UH, UM, TO GET HIC TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE THERE, BUT, UM, THEY HAD A DIFFERENT OPINION.
UM, OUR DIRECTOR, KENNETH ALLEN IS DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ACTIVITIES THAT WERE THERE.
BUT I'M, I'M JUST HERE TO TELL YOU, UH, HID WANTED THEIR PROPERTY.
HAS HAS ANYBODY SEEN THE UH, NO.
I'M BE HONEST WITH, WE, WE WILL, UH, GET WITH LEGAL, WE'LL GET WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, BUT WE DO FIGHT HARD FOR OUR PARKS.
UH, DIRECTOR ALLEN IS VERY PROTECTIVE, BUT IT, IT WAS NOT OUR PROPERTY.
AND, AND THEY, THEY THEY STARTED PULLING PERMITS IN JUNE.
[01:00:01]
AND THE THING ABOUT THIS, WHAT MAKE THIS SO FRUSTRATION FOLKS SO FRUSTRATED IS, IS, IS OKAY IN 2024, THE VOTERS REJECTED THE BOND.THEY TOOK IT UPON THEYSELF TO GO BORROW MONEY AND DO IT ANYWAY.
AND THEY STILL TRYING TO JUST TAKE, AND, AND I SEE IT AS, AS OUR PART BECAUSE WE TAXPAYERS THE CITY, MONEY IS OUR MONEY AS WELL AS HID IS OUR MONEY.
BUT SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS A LONG TIME AGO.
IT DID ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD TO HAVE THIS.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME OF OUR ELECTRICAL OFFICIALS ARE QUICK TO COME OUT AND PICK UP THE SHOVELS AND PICK UP THE SCISSORS.
BUT WHEN IT'S TIME TO FIGHT FOR THIS STUFF, WHAT HE AT NOW I UNDERSTAND.
UH, COUNCILMAN ALOR, THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU TRACY FOR COMING.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND BRINGING THIS TO MY ATTENTION A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, MAYOR, I POPPED OFF ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SPARK PARKS WE'RE LOSING 'CAUSE OF THE 'CAUSE OF THE HISD.
THIS IS, UH, AND THESE ARE RECENT INVESTMENTS, WHICH MAKES IT ALL THE MORE FRUSTRATING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IN, IN 2023 WE DID DO THAT 50 50 PARK HERE AND THAT YOU GOT MONEY FROM WELLS FARGO AND CIGNA AND YOU KNOW, PEOPLE PUT MONEY INTO THESE PARKS THAT WE ASKED FOR.
SAME WITH SOME OF THESE PARK PARKS.
AND THEN HISD KIND OF PULLS THE PLUG.
BUT THE, THE BOTTOM LINE, TRACY SADLY IS THEY OWN IT.
WHAT DID I SAY TRAVIS? SORRY, TRA WHAT? OKAY, SORRY TRAVIS.
YES, I I UNDERSTAND THEY OWN IT, BUT THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT.
AND THAT, AND WE DID GET THE PARKS TO PULL THAT LEASE AND STUFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, I'M WITH YOU.
WE DON'T WANNA USE A SI LOSE A SINGLE PATCH OF PARK LAND.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN POSSIBLY DO.
BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, THEY WANT, THEY, IT'S, THEY OWN IT AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THIS STATE'S A BIG PROPERTY, RIGHT? STATE YOU OWN THE, THE LAND YOU GET TO DO WITH WHAT WITH IT WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU, AND THE WAY THE COACH FOUND OUT ABOUT IT'S, THEY WAS GOING TO RENEW THEIR, THEIR PARK PERMIT.
NOBODY THE, EVEN THE CITY, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THEY JUST TOLD US LAST THURSDAY, THEY DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING EITHER.
THEY WASN'T BEING TRANSPARENT EITHER.
THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO RIGHT NOW.
NOW IF YOU ALLOW ME TO MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS TODAY SO THEY CAN HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO WITHIN A WEEK NOW, THAT'D BE GREAT.
PARK ON CULLEN IS A BIG, BIG, BIG PARK.
IT'S NOT BEING USED FOR ANYTHING, BUT IT WILL NEED LIGHTS, IT WILL NEED ADDITIONAL PARKING VERSUS THE UH, BEACH WHITE PARK THAT HAS 24 SLOTS.
AND AS I SAID, PARKING SLOTS AND AS I SAID, IT IS OVER 300 KIDS OUT THERE EVERY WEEK AND IT'S A CRACK HOTEL RIGHT ACROSS FROM IT.
I WOULDN'T SEND MY KIDS THERE.
I DON'T EXPECT ANYBODY ELSE TO DO THAT.
GRINDS WAS A SAFE PARK, BUT THE MOST UTILIZED PARK AND SOMEBODY IN LEGAL SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THAT.
AND TRAVIS, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ISSUE UP.
I, I DO THINK IT RAISES AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT MATTER FOR US ALL TO KIND OF BE AWARE OF MAYOR.
AND THAT IS LIKE, I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD, UH, GRASP ON THE LEASE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE ON PROPERTY OUT THERE IN THE CITY.
UM, I BELIEVE THIS WAS A 50 50 PARK AND WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT AND MONEY OUTSIDE DOLLARS INTO IT.
AND THAT WAS JUST A FEW YEARS AGO.
YOU WOULD THINK WE WOULD'VE KNOWN LIKE THE TERMS OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT BEFORE CHOOSING THAT AS A PARK OR INVESTING THAT MUCH INTO THE PARK OR MAYBE RENEWING THE LEASE SINCE WE'RE PUTTING SO MUCH INTO THE PARK.
SO THIS GIVES US, I THINK AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE NEED TO, UH, BE MORE DILIGENT IN THE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE UNDER LEASE WHEN THEY'RE COMING UP AND WHAT THE, UH, EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR THEM GOING FORWARD.
BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS A LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY AND IT'S A LOSS TO THOSE WHO INVESTED IN THAT PARK.
AND SO, UM, KEEP US POSTED ON WHAT YOU HEAR ON YOUR SIDE.
AND I, I'M SURE UH, THE ADMINISTRATION WITHIN LEGAL AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WILL DO THE SAME.
I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION SINCE WE WASN'T A PART OF THE WE'LL BE IN CONTACT.
THE, THE PARKS DIRECTOR WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
KATHY TATUM TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANASTASIA MAVA.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE I SHOULDN'T EVEN BE HERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I SUPPOSED TO BE FEEDING OUR SENIORS IN OUR HOTEL.
I HAD TO COME DOWN HERE BECAUSE IT'S A SHAME THAT I KEEP EMAILING ABOUT EVERYTHING.
I AM PRETTY MUCH IN EVERYBODY'S COMMUNITY, RIGHT? BECAUSE
[01:05:02]
I SERVE HUMAN TRAFFICKING SENIORS.I GO TO SUNNYSIDE, I GO EVERYWHERE.
YOU GOT THE BEST MISS D UM, THEY COME TO ME AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY COME TO ME WITH A BOX TRUCK AND I DO SUPPLIES 81 MILLION.
I PUT MY FUNDING FROM BETHUNE.
I DID BECAUSE WHEN SHE LOOKED DIED AND I SAY CONGRESSWOMAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THERE'S PLENTY OF FUNDING.
BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO GET NONE OF Y'ALL ON THE PHONE.
I DO HOLD THE BACKUP GENERATORS WITH HUD AND EVERYTHING, BUT I CAN'T PUT 'EM ON ANY BUILDING BECAUSE I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET AHOLD OF ALL OF Y'ALL.
THERE IS A SITUATION ON ANTOINE WHERE ALL OF OUR STUFF IS BEING TORN DOWN OR CLOSED AT THE END OF THE DAY.
THE BIGGEST ONE OF THE TOWN HALL PASTOR WILLIE, THAT'S WHY I COME TO Y'ALL'S.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW THIS INDIVIDUAL THAT OWNS A LOT OF PROPERTY.
WESTBURY SQUARE, THEN SITTING THERE, SPRING BRANCH COMMUNITY CENTER WAS BUILT ON PINTER ROAD BECAUSE OF AL EVERYTHING THAT I CLOSED DOWN.
I'M BEING THREATENED WITH A GUN.
IT TOOK HPD EIGHT HOURS TO GET TO ME YESTERDAY WHILE I WAS TRAPPED ON ANTOINE WITH A GUN CALLED EVERYBODY.
THIS INVESTIGATION STARTED BECAUSE WHEN WE WENT INTO THE GAME ROOMS AND THE STRIP CLUBS, I PUT THEM IN SCHOOL.
I'M HERE TO SAY THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA DO A RULING WITH THE LANDLORDS, MOST LANDLORDS OWN COMMUNITY PROPERTY PARKS, THEY ALSO OWN APARTMENTS.
THE, I'M GONNA SAY THEY DID THEIR JOB.
ONCE I START BUYING THIS PROPERTY, THE $5.5 MILLION DOWN THE CITY CAME, DID THE GAME ROOM TRAPPED TWO HOURS.
GUESS WHAT? IT'S VACANT RIGHT NOW.
AL AND JIM SUED THE CITY OF HOUSTON AT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, SAID THIS PROPERTY IS NOT WORTH ANYTHING.
THEY CAME AND SEALED UP ALL THE DOORS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S INSIDE 15 2 1 0.
HE HAD A FIRE ALSO IN BAYTOWN.
IT'S ALL IN THERE HOW YOU KEEP HAVING FIRES RIGHT BEFORE A SALE.
IT'S ALL THE FURNITURE IS AT 63 0 5 ANTOINE.
I AM REALLY TIRED OF WHEN Y'ALL DO A RULING.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO A RULING ON LANDLORDS, WHERE'S THE FOLLOW UP? WHERE'S THE FOLLOW UP? THAT IS BIPARTISAN.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE COMMUNITY, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FIRE IN THE COMMUNITY.
ARE NOT GETTING ALL THIS FUNDING.
I JUST CAME HERE BECAUSE HE SAID HE'S GONNA KILL ME AND HE ALMOST SHOT ME YESTERDAY AND NOT ONE PERSON CAME TO MY THING.
SO I'M JUST HERE TO PUT IT ON RECORD.
ANASTASIA MALVIN, NEIL COLBERT, BRODY, WASHINGTON BECAUSE TRACY RILEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY RUTH KRAVITZ.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE CLOSURE OF GRIMES PARK.
I DON'T HAVE A SPEECH PREPARED, BUT I FELT THAT I WANTED TO COME TODAY TO SHARE MY STORY WITH YOU.
AS A RESIDENT OF TIMBER GROVE MANOR AND CHILDREN WHO ATTEND HISD SCHOOLS, MY KIDDOS WENT TO LOVE ELEMENTARY AND IT WAS ONE OF THE 50 50 PARKS PROGRAMS OF A PREVIOUS MAYORAL ADMINISTRATION.
BUT AS SOMEONE WHO IS A PAST CHAIR OF JC PARK, A PAST PRESIDENT OF TIMBER GROVE MANOR CIVIC CLUB, I LIKE TO SAY I'M FAMILIAR HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE AND THE ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT AND COORDINATION THAT IT TAKES WITH THE CITY AND ALL OF OUR ENTITIES TO GET NICE THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, IT'S NOT EASY, BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF CROSS-FUNCTIONAL SUPPORT BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISE.
SO WHEN I HEARD ABOUT GRIMES AS A TAXPAYER, I THOUGHT, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE WE DOING TEARING DOWN A THREE-YEAR-OLD PARK TO BUILD AN HICE, CT CTE, CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTER, WHICH IS AMAZING.
I KNOW THAT WELDERS AND PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED, BUT DO WE HAVE TO HAVE IT RIGHT HERE IN OUR PARK.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS A TAXPAYER IS FOR ONE, I DON'T WANT THAT IN MY BACKYARD.
SO I'M HERE TODAY TO SAY I LOVE, LOVE PARK.
MY KIDS GO TO THE SUMMER PROGRAMS THERE, THEY ATTEND THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, THEY
[01:10:01]
GO TO HARVARD ELEMENTARY, AND THEY STILL GO TO LOVE PARK.I'M WORRIED THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN BEHIND THE SCENES BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY TO HOW THAT DECISION WAS MADE.
SO MY ASK OF YOU GUYS TODAY IS TWOFOLD.
WHAT HAPPENED THERE? AND DID YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT IT AS COUNSEL? OR CAN YOU ASK QUESTIONS ON OUR BEHALF AS CITIZENS AND SAY, WHY THAT SITE? WHY DO WE NEED TO TEAR DOWN A THREE-YEAR-OLD GORGEOUS PARK AND CAN THAT HAPPEN AGAIN? SO MAYBE WE DO A LEGAL REVIEW OF OUR H PAR LEASES WITHOUT OUR ENTITIES, MAYBE JUST NOT HISD.
AND THEN FURTHERMORE, I THINK AS A TAXPAYER, HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? I KNOW THAT WE CAN'T TELL HISD WHAT TO DO, BUT WE ARE COLLABORATORS AND WE ARE PARTNERS TOGETHER.
AND ARE WE BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE IN OUR APPROACH, WHETHER IT'S AS THE PARTNERSHIP OR THE CITY? AND DO WE REALLY WANNA PUT OUR PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN JEOPARDY TO SAY WE SPEND GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD AND TEAR THINGS DOWN? AND I SHARED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN TODAY, I AM LIKE, I KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE AT ONE TIME.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE HERE TODAY AS A PARENT OF FOUR KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS A TAXPAYER, AS A LANDLORD.
WHAT ARE WE DOING? YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA WALK.
ALL MEANS EVERYONE IN OUR CITY.
IT'S ALL, I'M NOT GONNA LEAVE GRIMES WITH NOTHING 'CAUSE IT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN.
'CAUSE IT COULD HAPPEN TO ME TOO.
THANK YOU TRACY FOR BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, UH, UM, FOR THE COMMENTS.
I'M ACTUALLY UNAWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
COULD YOU GIMME A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT AS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH GRIMES PARK AND, AND KIND OF YEAH.
WHAT'S THE LAND USE GONNA BE? SURE.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, I THINK IT'S IN, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT D IS GRIMES PARK.
THERE IS A PROPERTY OWNED BY HISD THAT'S IN A VACANT LOT.
AND IT WAS PRESENTED FOR SALE PERHAPS IN MARCH WITH ONE ADDRESS.
AND SO THE MEMBERS OF THE SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY HEARD THAT ADDRESS AND THE PARK HAD A DIFFERENT ADDRESS, SO IT DIDN'T RAISE ALARM BELLS ON ANYONE'S RADAR.
AND THE PROPERTY WAS FOR SALE.
I'M SURE NO ONE WANTED TO BUY A PROPERTY AND RAISE A PARK THAT WAS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD, HAS A SPLASH PAD, MANY GREAT THINGS FOR THE SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE HISD HAS MADE THE DECISION TO PUT THE CAREER TECH ED CENTER THERE.
THE WAY IT WAS DISCOVERED WAS THAT A FLAG FOOTBALL YOUTH, UM, I GUESS HE WAS A COACH.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GO TO PARKS DEPARTMENT AND ASK FOR A PERMIT EVERY WEEK TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE FIELDS.
SO HE WENT TO RENEW HIS PERMIT FOR HIS LITTLE KIDDOS TO GO PLAY FOOTBALL ON A LIGHTED FIELD.
AND THEY SAID, OH, NO, NO, THAT PARK'S NOT OPEN ANYMORE.
YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR FOOTBALL PRACTICE THERE.
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THE COMMUNITY FOUND OUT.
AND THEN WHEN I DUG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, H PAR JUST PUT FOUR DAYS AGO AND NOTICE THAT THE PARK WOULD BE CLOSING.
SO I THINK FOR YOU ALL, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF DIGGING, I WOULD HOPE, IS HOW DID THE RIGHT HAND NOT TALK TO THE LEFT IN THIS SITUATION? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WITHOUT A DEEPER DIVE.
NEXT, RUTH KRAVITZ, THANK TO BE FOLLOWED BY CESAR ESPINOSA.
IT'S SO NICE TO SEE ALL OF YOU.
I'M GONNA ADD MORE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTION IN MY TIME.
IN A NORMAL WORLD, THIS WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING.
IF YOU TOLD ME THREE YEARS AGO, FIVE YEARS AGO, OR 10 YEARS AGO, THAT A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY WOULD BE PAVING OVER A PARK THAT WAS THREE YEARS OLD, I WOULD'VE SAID IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
BUT WE'VE LIVED UNDER THE TAKEOVER.
SO I WANNA START BY SAYING THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN WHEN WE HAVE AN ELECTED BOARD AND THE SCHOOL BOARD OR AN ELECTED CITY COUNCIL TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE AT THE BALLOT BOX.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND.
UM, GRIMES PARK, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, WAS COMPLETED IN 2023.
IT HAD A RENOVATED, IT HAD A WALKING PATHS.
IT HAS NEW TENNIS COURTS, IT HAS A BASKETBALL COURT.
IT HAS A ROOF ON THE BASKETBALL COURT.
IT HAS A SOFTBALL FIELD THAT WAS CONVERTED TO FOOTBALL FIELD TO ACCOMMODATE YOUTH SPORTS.
UM, IT HAS LIGHTS AND IT HAS, UM, AND THOSE LIGHTS AND POLES WERE TAKEN DOWN ON WEDNESDAY EVENING.
UM, WITH THE KIDS PRESENT, THAT'S INAPPROPRIATE.
THE REASON WHY HISD MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE PICKED THIS, LEMME GO BACKWARDS.
THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD, NONE OF THEM WERE AWARE OF THIS AS RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY.
THEY DID NOT KNOW THIS WAS HAPPENING.
ANOTHER ISSUE IS THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES WHERE HISD COULD HAVE PUT THIS PARK AFTER HISD LOST ITS BOND IN NOVEMBER OF 24 IN JANUARY,
[01:15:01]
THEY PUT THE PROPERTY UP FOR SALE.IT DID NOT SELL PROPERTY FOR THE REASONS THAT TRACY IS BRINGING UP, WHO'S GONNA, WHO'S GONNA BUY A PROPERTY WITH A REALLY NICE PARK ON IT.
SO THEY TOOK IT OFF THE MARKET.
AND SOMETIME IN THE LAST YEAR, THEY MUST HAVE LOOKED AT THE BOILERPLATE LANGUAGE IN THE LEASE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE WITH PARKS ALL OVER THE CITY.
SO EARLY ON I'M ADDRESSING THAT WE SHOULD REALLY LOOK AT THE LEASES BECAUSE THESE ARE PARKS EVERYWHERE.
AND IF THE LANGUAGE SAID YOU CAN'T, UM, BUILD ON THE PARK, YOU CAN'T TERMINATE YOUR RELATIONSHIP UNLESS YOU LET ME.
I DON'T, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE LEASE.
Y'ALL NEED TO LOOK AT IT UNLESS YOU, UM, ARE BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY FOR THE INTEREST OF STUDENTS.
AND IN A NORMAL UNIVERSE, WE WOULD EXPECT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CARE ABOUT THE INTERESTS OF CHILDREN AND KNOW THEY'D BE VOTED OUT AT THE BALLOT BOX IF THEY WEREN'T.
BUT THIS ISN'T A NORMAL UNIVERSE.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HISD.
SO THEY DECIDED TO BUILD IT THERE.
WHY NOT 1.3 MILES AWAY AT FAIRCHILD, WHICH WAS CLOSED IN 2007.
WHY NOT TWO POINT AND CHANGE MILES AWAY AT ROADS, WHICH WAS CLOSED IN 2011, ONE OF THE THREE SCHOOLS THAT WERE CLOSED WHERE, UM, TRAVIS MCGEE HAD HIS KIDS GO TO SCHOOL.
WHY NOT AT JONES ALSO ONE MILE AWAY, WHICH HAS I THINK 22 ACRES.
AND THIS PLOT OF LAND HAS LESS THAN THAT, AND ALL THE OTHER PROPERTIES HAVE ABOUT THE SAME PLOT OF LAND.
SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION? THE SOLUTION IS DELAY, PAUSE THE DEMOLITION.
IF THERE IS A LEGAL WAY IN WHICH YOU CAN DO IT WITH YOUR LAWYERS, IF YOU CAN'T PAUSE THE DEMOLITION, THEN FIND THE MONEY TO REHAB THE PARK AND MOVE IT TO FAIRCHILD OR ROADS OR JOE'S.
I MEAN, WHAT I THINK IS PROBABLY GONNA HAPPEN IS THE PARK'S JUST GONNA, YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
IT'S GONNA GET DEMOLISHED, THEN WE'LL BE STUCK OUT.
THANK YOU RUTH, TRAVIS, AND TRACY FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF IT.
UM, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHETHER CITY TAX REVENUE WENT INTO THIS PARK.
UH, I IT'S A 50 50 PARK PARTNER COLLABORATION.
SO, UM, SO MOSTLY PRIVATE DOLLARS.
THERE IS A, A FEDERAL YOU GOT HERE.
WHAT WAS THAT? SO, I'M, I'M WONDERING, AND MAYBE, UH, OUR, UH, MAYBE RASHAD, OUR CITY ATTORNEY COULD ANSWER.
DOES THE CITY HAVE ANY RECOURSE GIVEN THAT CITY MONEY WENT INTO DEVELOP THIS PARK? I'M NOT SURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LEASE ITSELF.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT HISD WENT INTO THE EARLY TERMINATION PROVISION, UM, OF THE LEASE AND SIMPLY PROVIDED THE CITY WITH NOTICE THAT IT WAS GONNA TERMINATE THE LEASE.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE ARRIVED AT THIS SITUATION.
I'M, I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANYTHING THE CITY CAN DO, WHETHER WE'RE DO ANY MONEY BACK SINCE WE PUT MONEY IN, UH, I KNOW OF ANOTHER SITUATION WHERE CITY PARKLAND IS BEING CONDEMNED AND TAKEN, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME PURPOSE.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER ANY EMINENT DOMAIN, UH, LAWS WOULD APPLY HERE EITHER, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT.
AND, AND I AGREE WITH YOU ALL WHO HAVE SPOKEN THAT, THAT, UM, HISD IS, IS, UH, DEMOLISHING THIS PARK FOR THEIR PURPOSES AT, AT A TIME WHEN THEY'RE CLOSING DOWN SCHOOLS AND HAVE OTHER PROPERTIES AVAILABLE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO, TO OUR ATTENTION, ALL OF YOU.
AND A LOT OF, LOT OF QUESTIONS HERE THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED.
WE SHOULD END WITH NO ONE LIKES TO GIVE THEIR MONEY TO BAD PROJECTS TWICE.
NEXT STATE ESPINOSA TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARILYN RA RAKEY.
HELLO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR.
UH, LAST WEEK I WAS, I WAS ABSENT FROM CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE, UH, WE WERE IN AUSTIN FIGHTING ANOTHER BATTLE, UH, WITH THE COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE.
BUT, UH, I WAS REALLY TAKEN ABACK AND REALLY DISHEARTENED BY THE FACT THAT, UH, IN THE MORNING MEETING WHEN HPD AND CHIEF DIAZ WAS SUPPOSED TO BE STANDING HERE, UH, THERE WAS CLEARLY MANY PEOPLE ABSENT, UH, INCLUDING OUR MAYOR, INCLUDING THE CHIEF OF POLICE, INCLUDING ANY COMMAND STAFF FROM THE CHIEF, UH, FROM THE CHIEF'S OFFICE.
NOW, UH, MANY TIMES THE WORD TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST HAS BEEN TOSSED AROUND, AROUND THIS HORSESHOE.
BUT HOW DOES, HOW DOES HIDING BEHIND ATTORNEYS, HOW DOES NOT EVEN ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS ON THE REPORT THAT WAS TO BE PRESENTED, HOW IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BRING BACK TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY? I KNOW THERE'S A PENDING LAWSUIT AND WE, WE SAW, UH, THE, THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY AT THE TIME, UH, ANSWERING A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE REPRESENTATIVE WHO WAS NOT GIVEN AMPLE TIME, UH, TO, TO BE HERE ALLEGEDLY.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT GOES BACK TO THE SAME THING.
HOW DOES THAT YOUR TIME EXPIRE? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO TRUST Y'ALL IF WE CAN'T EVEN HAVE OUR CHIEF SHOW FACE? COUNCIL MARTINEZ.
UH, CESAR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, WERE YOU DONE OR DO YOU HAVE ANY
[01:20:01]
OTHER NO, I'M DONE.YEAH, I JUST WANNA, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE, I'VE SPOKEN TO THIS AS WELL AND, AND STARTED HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH THE CHIEF AND HIS COMMAND STAFF AS, UM, ABOUT DISAPPOINTMENT IN NOT SHOWING UP AS, AS WELL THAT DAY.
UM, I THINK IT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO, IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE, UM, THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO GAIN THAT TRUST AND AND ACCOUNTABILITY, THEN WE DEFINITELY NEED THE FACE OF HPD TO BE HERE AS WELL.
AND, AND AGAIN, WE'RE DEFINITELY IN THE, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A LAWSUIT, BUT I STILL THINK THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO SHARE ANSWERS TO, UH, ANY PART OF THE REPORT THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LAWSUIT.
AND SO, UM, AGAIN, I KNOW YOU WEREN'T HERE LAST WEEK AND I'M, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE TO THAT.
'CAUSE I, I REALLY DO BELIEVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND IT'S NOT A WORD THAT I JUST WANT TO THROW AROUND, BUT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT TRUST IN COMMUNITY, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT, UM, AND FORTHCOMING WITH INFORMATION THAT WE, THAT WE CAN, UM, AT THAT TIME.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR, FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE BRINGING TO US.
AND, AND IN GOOD FAITH, UH, OUR ATTORNEYS ARE PREPARING, UH, DOCUMENTS FOR YOU ALL, WHICH WOULD BE DELIBERATE TO YOUR OFFICES ON MANY THINGS THAT THE CITY CAN BE DOING, INCLUDING, UH, CONTINUOUS CERTIFY U VISAS FOR VICTIMS AND WITNESSES OF CRIME, WHICH, UH, UNFORTUNATELY IN, IN OTHER COUNCIL SESSIONS, UH, AND, AND THE MEDIA HAS BEEN PORTRAYED AS HPD DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT, BUT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON, ON A LEGAL BRIEF TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALSO THAT, TO CLARIFY THAT SITUATION AS WELL, BECAUSE HPD CAN IN FACT CERTIFY, UH, U VISAS.
NEXT MERLIN RAKI TO BE FOLLOWED BY AIF AIF CHILDRE.
UM, I'M BACK AFTER, UM, GETTING ESCORTED OUT LIKE BY A BUNCH OF PEOPLE, UM, AFTER SAYING I WAS DOING TOO MUCH, BUT I'M BACK AGAIN.
UM, I'M GONNA KEEP COMING BACK, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATS TO CHEF ADRIAN.
UM, HE'S VITAL TO OUR COMMUNITY, JUST LIKE A LOT OF OTHER DACA KIDS.
AND I WANNA SAY THAT DACA KIDS ARE NOW ADULTS AND THEY HAVE FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES AND THEY'VE LAID ROOTS HERE.
AND I REALLY WISH THAT Y'ALL WOULD TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND TRY TO PROTECT THEM IN OUR CITY BECAUSE THERE'S 84,000 DACA RECIPIENTS IN TEXAS RIGHT NOW, AND THEY SPEND ABOUT 6 BILLION EVERY YEAR, AND THEY PAY ABOUT 1.3 BILLION IN TAXES EVERY YEAR.
AND SINCE THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON THIS YEAR, ABOUT 270 DACA RECIPIENTS HAVE BEEN DETAINED, AND 174 HAVE BEEN DEPORTED, WHICH LETS YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S A BIG NUMBER THAT'S BEING DEPORTED BECAUSE, MAINLY BECAUSE OF LAB STATUS.
AND I WANNA SAY AGAIN, THAT THIS WOULD BE A THREAT TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR ECONOMY IN A WAY THAT THERE'S 4,300 HEALTHCARE WORKERS RIGHT NOW WITH DACA AND 2,800 TEACHERS WITH DACA.
AND TEXAS HAS THE LARGEST SECOND LARGEST DACA POPULATION.
AND ALL OF THIS WOULD DESTABILIZE OUR ECONOMY.
NEXT AIE, CHILD CHILDRY OF SUGARLAND TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB CLEMENT, UM, BEARING WITH MARRIED.
UM, WHEN A FAMILY IS GRIEVING AND COMES IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, NOT ONCE, BUT MULTIPLE TIMES, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SON, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SON, AURORA ELDERS, AND THEN, AND ASK FOR SPECIFIC ACTIONS, AND YOUR RESPONSE IS, YOU HAVE MY CELL CALL ME ANYTIME.
AND THAT'S NOT ACTION, THAT'S JUST LIKE PERFORMANCE YOU'RE DOING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH GIVE G AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A BUNCH OF FACES, I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY APPROPRIATE.
UM, I KNOW MR. LINA IS NOT HERE, MR. EDWARD, I MEAN, I KIND OF HOLD YOU ON A HIGHER STANDARD BECAUSE JUST LIKE YOU KNOW, YOU ADMIRE YOUR GRANDPARENT AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
ALL RIGHT? WE EXPECT YOU TO DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
I MEAN, YOU COULD HAVE JUST SHAKE HIS HANDS OUTSIDE OR ANYWHERE RATHER THAN MAKING UP.
JACOB CLEAGE TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARVIN HOLMES.
OKAY, WE'VE HAD THEM WALK UP HERE.
NOW ONE AREA IS REPLACEMENTS, BUT THE DYNAMO AND THE DASH AND MORE, SPEAKING OF WHICH, THE DYNAMO HAD A, UH, ROCK PARTY, UH, THIS PAST WEEKEND.
AND I WENT TO IT AND I HAD A GREAT TIME.
NOW, I ASKED YOU ALL THE BEAUTIFUL COUNCILMAN WOMAN HERE WHO
[01:25:01]
WANTS TO MEET MY DATE TO THE DASH MEETING MATCH COME, UH, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH.WELL, DO I HAVE ANY OFFER CHECKERS? OKAY? AND THIS LEAVES, UH, OF THE, TO THIS WHO ANSWERS AN NIKE JOKE, THE BEST, BUT AN NIKE.
AND SO I ASK YOU, AGGIE, SHOULD HE MAYOR WHITMAR, GET THIS HAIR? HE AGREES.
SAID YOU'RE GOING TO GET THIS HAIR.
NEXT, MARVIN HOLMES ARCO BARMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY EDUARDO DURAN.
ORCO BARMAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF STATISTICS AT WRIGHT UNIVERSITY.
I'M HERE TO DEMAND THAT THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TERMINATE ITS CONTRACT WITH FLOCK SAFETY AND NEVER EVER REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER SIMILAR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.
LAST WEEK, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABASH, SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY, SHE TOLD ME, IF WE CANCEL FLOCK, WE WILL REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
AND SHE SAID, WE NEED SOME KIND OF SURVEILLANCE.
I DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU AGREE WITH HER.
SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT HOW SURVEILLANCE HAS REPEATEDLY TARGETED WOMEN, BLACK, BROWN, AND LATINO COMMUNITIES, THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY AND THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY SURVEILLANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TOOL OF OPPRESSION AGAINST MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
I SEE NINE WOMEN ON THE COUNCIL.
I SEE 10 FACES FROM BLACK, BROWN, LATINO IMMIGRANT, AND L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITIES.
I WOULD LIKE, LIKE TO ASK ALL OF YOU, TELL ME HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO BACK TO YOUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITIES? LOOK YOUR MOTHERS AND FATHERS, YOUR SPOUSES AND CHILDREN, YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE EYE, AND TELL THEM YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
WE NEED SURVEILLANCE EVEN THOUGH BLACK, BROWN AND LATINO LEADERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, SUCH AS MLK JR.
AND JOHN LEWIS AND CESAR CHAVEZ WERE HEAVILY SURVEILLED.
AND THAT LED TO STATE SPONSORED ASSASSINATIONS.
TELL THEM WE NEED SURVEILLANCE.
EVEN THOUGH POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE USED VIDEO SURVEILLANCE TO ILLEGALLY TARGET, THANK YOU, BLACK MATTERS LIVES.
TELL THEM WE NEED SURVEILLANCE.
EVEN THOUGH FLOCK CAMERAS ARE HEAVILY CONCENTRATED IN BLACK, LATINO, AND IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORHOODS, TELL THEM WE NEED SURVEILLANCE EVEN THOUGH DHS EXPLICITLY ALLOWS, THANK YOU, SIR.
SURVEILLANCE ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
TELL THEM WE NEED SURVEILLANCE.
EVEN THOUGH POLICE OFFICERS IN KD FORD BEND, DEER PARK, BAYTOWN, AND PIER LAND ARE UNDER SURVEILLANCE FOR USING FLOCK CAMERAS TO STALK WOMEN, TELL THEM WE NEED SURVEILLANCE EVEN THOUGH SURVEILLANCE BY TEXAS DPS LED TO THE MURDER OF LORENZO AL.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO RESPOND, PLEASE? THANK YOU.
WOULD ANYONE NOT RESPOND? THANK YOU.
NEXT, EDUARDO DURAN, WHICH I DON'T SEE WHO I DON'T SEE.
THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[RECESS]
MEMBERS, WE STAND RECESS TILL NINE O'CLOCK.NOW READ THE CAPTIONS FOR THE AGENDA TODAY.
URS THREE NINTH PROJECT PLAN AMENDMENT ITEM TWO.
ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,753,206 43 CENTS AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO CONTRACT WITH AUSTIN GILBANE JOINT VENTURE.
ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM.
ACCEPT THE WORK AND AUTHORIZE FINAL PAYMENT IF ANY OF THE CONTRACT WITH AUSTIN GILBANE JOINT VENTURE.
ITEM FOUR, APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF PROPRIETARY BIORAD DIAGNOSTIC AND VI VIROLOGICAL TEST KITS AWARDED TO BIORAD LABORATORIES INC.
ITEM FIVE APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR LEASE OF PRINT SHOP EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES AWARDED TO THE STEWARD ORGANIZATION.
ITEM SIX, APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF DEPOSITORY COMPACTORS AND BAILERS AWARDED TO BOX GAIN MAG BOX GANG MANUFACTURING LLC.
ITEM SEVEN, ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 15 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES RELATED TO PROCUREMENT PROCESSES.
ITEM EIGHT, ORDINANCE DENYING APPLICATION OF CENTER POINT ENERGY, HOUSTON ELECTRIC LLC.
ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $100 MILLION AND $29,907,000 APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH UNITED AIRLINES INC.
ITEM 10, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING FINAL SETTLEMENT RELEASE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENTS BETWEEN
[01:30:01]
THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND M AND M SALAZAR CONSTRUCTION, LLC ITEM 11, ORDINANCE APPROPRI AND $2,500,000.CONDUCTED ENERGY DEVICES, ACCESSORIES AND SUPPLIES.
ITEM 12, ORDINANCE APPROVED APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH DESIREE BITNER, LLC, DOING BUSINESS AS FIRST RESPONSE FAMILY CLINIC.
ITEM 13, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH EUROFINS ENVIRONMENT TESTING ECO TOXICOLOGY LLC.
ITEM 14, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING CONTRACT WITH COMPASS GROUP USA INC.
ITEM 15 HAS BEEN PULLED BY THE ADMINISTRATION, WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ITEM 16, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2021 DASH 4 61 APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT WITH PURE TECHNOLOGIES US INC.
ITEM 17, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING A TOTAL OF $13,125,000 AND $925,000 PROVEN AND AUTHORIZING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRISBURG REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
ITEM 18 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF EAST DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 15, THE EAST DOWNTOWN ZONE APPROVING FISCAL YEAR 2027 OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE AUTHORITY IN FISCAL YEARS 2027 THROUGH 2031.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN BUDGET FOR THE ZONE.
ITEM 19 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF HARRISBURG REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT.
ZONE NUMBER 23, THE HARRISBURG ZONE APPROVING FISCAL YEAR 2027 OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE AUTHORITY AND FISCAL YEAR 2027 THROUGH 2031.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN BUDGET FOR THE ZONE.
ITEM 20 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF MEDICAL CENTER AREA REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT.
ZONE NUMBER 28, THE MEDICAL CENTER ZONE APPROVING FISCAL YEAR 2027 OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE AUTHORITY.
ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT AMONG THE CITY OF HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 16 AND UPTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 2,400 THROUGH 2,500 BLOCK OF EAGLE STREET NORTH SIDE BETWEEN OAK STREET AND EMANCIPATION AVENUE AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM LOT SIZE BLOCK.
ITEM 23 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHED IN THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF THE 2100 BLOCK OF GENE STREET BETWEEN SANDERS AVENUE AND HANSFORD STREET AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM LOT SIZE BLOCK.
ITEM 24 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 8.6259 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 64 ITEM 25.
ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 58.8896 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 4 4 1 ITEM 26.
ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 186.026 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 4 9 3 ITEM 27 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 2 67 0.49 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT.
DISTRICT NUMBER 1 5 9 ITEM 28.
ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 1616 0.02 ACRES OF LAND TO SPRING WEST MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING WATER SUPPLY SUPPLEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 11, ITEM 30, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING WATER SUPPLY SUPPLEMENT WITH NORTH GREEN MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT ITEM 31, ORDINANCE GRANTED TO D HAWK GREASE TRANSPORT, LLC, THE WRIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
THIS IS THE FIRST READING ITEM 32.
MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE REGARDING RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION FOR RESERVE AT ELLA SEEKING 4% HOUSING TAX CREDIT CREDITS, HEARING DATE, 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2026.
ITEM 33, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING THIRD AMENDMENT TO REGIONAL PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT WITH THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP, A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THIS ITEM WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD AND WAS ITEM SEVEN ON THE AGENDA OF AUGUST 26.
THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE CAPTIONS FOR THE AGENDA OF SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2026.
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL SESSION TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND WITH THAT HAPPY WEDNESDAY
[RECONVENE]
COUNSEL, PLEASE COME TO ORDER.[HEARINGS – 9:00 A.M.]
LET'S HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARING MR. SECRETARY ON ITEM NUMBER ONE.[01:35:01]
ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JURORS THREE NINTH PROJECT PLAN AMENDMENT.UH, MR. BUSKER, PLEASE PROCEED.
I'M ANDREW BUSKER IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY IS REGARDING THE PROPOSED NINTH AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN STREET MARKET SQUARE ZONE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN.
NOTICE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED IN THE AUGUST 21ST, 2026 EDITION OF THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS THREE 11.0033 11.007, AND THREE 11.11 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE.
A MUNICIPALITY MUST HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING WHEN PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO A PROJECT PLAN INCLUDE CHANGES THAT INCREASE THE TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COST STATED IN THE PROJECT PLAN, OR REDUCES OR ENLARGES THE BOUNDARIES OF A ZONE.
ON NOVEMBER 11TH, 2025, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER THREE ALSO CALLED THE MAIN STREET MARKET SQUARE ZONE AND DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY APPROVED A NINTH AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN STREET MARKET SQUARE ZONES PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN, AND FORWARDED THE AMENDED PLAN TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.
IN BRIEF, THE AMENDED PLAN AMENDS HARRIS COUNTY'S PARTICIPATION IN THE ZONE REFLECTING ORDINANCE 2026 DASH 6 68, THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL ON JULY 29TH OF, SORRY, YEAH, JULY 29TH OF THIS YEAR, HARRIS COUNTY WILL REMIT 100% OF CAPTURED TAXABLE VALUE GENERATED AND COLLECTED BY, FROM HARRIS COUNTY AT VORA REAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE PRECINCT, ONE BOUNDARIES OF THE MAIN STREET MARKET SQUARE ZONE AND CALCULATED AT THE COUNTY'S TAX RATE, LESS DEBT SERVICE UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST, 2043.
TAXES LEVIED BY THE COUNTY ON BEHALF OF THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT, HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OR SIMILAR ENTITIES ARE NOT INCLUDED.
10% OF THE COUNTY'S INCREMENT WILL BE DIRECTED TO AN ACCOUNT ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY'S DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT HOUSING RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS.
AS ALLOWED BY STATE STATUTE, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WOULD ENABLE THE MAIN STREET MARKET SQUARE ZONE AND THE AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, PRIMARILY, UH, TO PROVIDE FOR PARKS AND OPEN SPACE IMPROVEMENTS AND ROADWAY AND MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
IN CLOSING, CITY STAFF HAS WORKED WITH THE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON THE PROPOSED NINTH AMENDED PLAN.
THE ORDINANCE TO APPROVE THE NINTH AMENDED PLAN IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR THE SEPTEMBER 22ND CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
ANYONE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? THANK YOU, ANDREW.
ANYONE, UH, PRESENT? WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE MATTER IF NOT THE COMMITTEE.
AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING.
[Additional Item]
OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING PRESENTS ME IN THE MAYOR'S REPORT TO HIGHLIGHT A REPORT THAT I RECENTLY RECEIVED, UH, FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF AIRPORT, MR. SUSAN, THE ACT.UH, JIM, IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD.
UH, MEMBERS, UH, WE'VE BEEN SO BUSY.
WE'VE, AND WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD FROM THE FIFA, UH, AND SPONSORS AND SPORTS AUTHORITY AND EVERYONE THAT TALKED ABOUT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT MADE A SUCCESSFUL WORLD CUP EXPERIENCE IN HOUSTON.
PROBABLY DIDN'T HEAR ENOUGH ABOUT THE VOLUME OF PEOPLE THAT CAME THROUGH THE AIRPORT.
WE PROVIDED SHUTTLES FROM THE AIRPORT, UH, TO GEORGE BROWN AND DOWNTOWN ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING THE HOTELS.
BUT, UH, AS A HOUSTONIAN, I'VE EXPERIENCED THE GROWTH OF OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM, THE FRUSTRATIONS OF, UH, PARKING FRUSTRATIONS, MAYBE OF SOME OLD RESTROOMS. BUT JIM GAVE A REPORT THE OTHER DAY THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF.
AND HIS LEADERSHIP, UH, SINCE WE APPOINTED HIM SHORTLY AFTER I BECAME MAYOR, IS, UH, REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
AND, UH, DIRECTOR, IF YOU WOULD, UH, SHARE THOSE REAL TIME REPORTS OF OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM.
[01:40:01]
UH, TOUCH ON THE GROWTH.IT ALWAYS CONCERNS ME HOW ARE WE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE? UH, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE JOB YOU DO, YOUR TEAM.
I WISH ALL OF YOUR TEAM AND I'LL CERTAINLY GO TO THE AIRPORT TO THANK THEM.
WE CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY THIS BODY, UH, GAVE YOUR WORKERS, THE PEOPLE THAT HELP YOU ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, A BETTER BENEFIT PACKAGE.
UH, WE'RE STILL HEARING, UH, HOW THE MORALES IMPROVED.
UH, THOSE THAT WORK FOR THE VENDORS, THOSE AGREED PEOPLE, THOSE WHO HELP THOSE THAT NEED WHEELCHAIRS.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE VISITING A GREAT CITY OUT THERE.
AND CERTAINLY, UH, YOU GET SO MUCH OF THE CREDIT.
SO I'LL YIELD TO YOU TO GIVE US, UH, YOUR REPORT SURE.
IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, MORE THAN 1300 HAS EMPLOYEES, CITY EMPLOYEES THAT, UH, WORK EVERY DAY TO, TO BRING A GOOD EXPERIENCE TO THE AIRPORTS.
UH, I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF DATA ON OUR EXECUTION OF THE MAYOR'S VISION, UH, AND THEN ALSO THE MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY THAT WE'RE OPERATING UNDER, UH, WITH THE MAYOR.
UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE VISION, UM, IT WAS, UH, MY, YOU KNOW, HE'S PRETTY, PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
IT WAS TO FIX THE PROBLEMS AT THE AIRPORT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AS THE TRAVELERS ARE MOVING TO THE AIRPORT.
UH, AND THEN FROM A MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY, IT WAS THAT USING THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AS THE AIRPORT TO BE ABLE TO TURN THE CURVE, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS, IS GO THROUGH AND SHOW SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE'VE GOT ON THERE TO SHOW THAT WE'RE REALLY MAKING AN IMPACT.
UM, SO WE ALL REMEMBER, UH, THE TRAFFIC AT THE AIRPORT.
I AM VERY PROUD TO REPORT THAT THAT ROADWAY TRAFFIC AT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM REMAINS TAME.
UM, THIS IS DATA THAT SHOWS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR ALL THE WAY THROUGH FIFA.
UH, WE HAD NO SEVERE TRAFFIC AT, AT EITHER AIRPORT.
UM, HEAVY TRAFFIC IS VERY, VERY RARE.
AND THEN EVEN MODERATE TRAFFIC AT THE AIRPORTS IS INFREQUENT.
THAT'S AGAIN, THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'VE DELIVERED, THE POLICIES THAT WE'VE TWEAKED, AND THEN THE HARD WORK OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE ON THE CURBS MOVING THE TRAFFIC ALONG.
UH, AND THEN OUR PARTNERS AT HPD ALSO HELPING WITH THAT.
UM, AGAIN, WE THANK YOU ALL FOR APPROVING THE, UH, RESTROOM FUNDING THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THIS.
UM, WHAT I'M PROUD TO SAY IS, IS THAT, UH, THE TERMINAL D PROJECT, WE ARE BASICALLY DONE WITH ALL THE RESTROOMS ON THE, ON THE PASSENGER FACING SIDE OF TERMINAL D AT TERMINAL A.
WERE EITHER COMPLETED OR MORE THAN 50% DONE WITH THE RESTROOMS IN TERMINAL.
UM, A AND THEN UNITED HAS ACTUALLY COMPLETED THEIR FIRST RESTROOM RE RENOVATION AND TERMINAL E WHEN THEY DO THE, THE COMPLETE PACKAGE OF ENC.
UH, WE MEASURE THAT, THAT DATA ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND SO DURING WORLD CUP, WE WERE MAINTAINED A 95, OR I'M SORRY, 94% POSITIVE RATING AT IAH AND A 97% PO UH, POSITIVE RATING AT, UH, HOU.
AND THAT'S AGAIN, A COM COMBINATION OF THE HARD WORK OUR CUSTODIANS DO ON A REGULAR BASIS AND NEW RESTROOMS. IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS REALLY KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS THE, THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT YOU GET FROM THE PASSENGERS.
SO THIS IS THE WOMEN'S RESTROOM AT GATE A 12.
UM, SO THAT'S OVER WHERE DELTA AIRLINES AND UNITED AIRLINES KIND OF OPERATE IN, IN TERMINAL A AND PRE-RENOVATION.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE WERE RUNNING WITH A 66% POSITIVE AND A 33% NEGATIVE.
UM, NOW THAT WE'VE REDONE IT AND OPENED IT AFTER A COUPLE MONTHS, WE'VE GOT A 96% POSITIVE RATING.
UM, AND IF WE LOOK AT THE, THE CHART THAT'S ON THERE, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS BASICALLY THAT, THAT LOW EXPECTATION AND LOW SAT SATISFACTION ON THE LEFT, UM, WE GOT A LOT OF NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, UM, BUT WE WEREN'T GETTING FEEDBACK AT ALL WHEN WE'VE OPENED THAT NEW RESTROOM RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE ARE SEEING DOUBLE THE POSITIVE COMMENTS THAN ALL OF 2024 RIGHT NOW, JUST FOR THE COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT WE'VE HAD IT OPEN.
SO IT REALLY SHOWS THAT HOUSTONIANS AND THE TRAVELING PUBLIC WHEN THEY SEE THE NEW RESTROOMS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INVEST IN THERE, UH, THEY'RE REALLY LOVING THOSE.
UM, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO THIS IS, AGAIN, ANOTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE HAD AT THE AIRPORT WAS OUR PARKING.
UM, SO WE SURVEY THE, THE FOLKS AFTER THEY PARKED WITH US, WE SENT 'EM A SURVEY.
HOW WAS YOUR PARKING EXPERIENCE? UM, THIS IS A NET PROMOTER SCORE.
SO THIS IS A MEASURED BETWEEN NEGATIVE 100 AND A POSITIVE 100.
AND ANYTHING OVER KIND OF LIKE A 30 IS GONNA BE A VERY GOOD.
UM, AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE FOR US, UM, AT BUSH, UM, A COUPLE THINGS THAT YOU SEE THERE.
NUMBER ONE, WE STARTED WITH A NEGATIVE RATING, SO THAT'S BAD.
UH, THAT WAS THE TIME THOUGH, THAT WE HAD SEVERE TRAFFIC AT THE AIRPORT, SO YOU WOULD GET TRAPPED IN THERE.
UH, BUT AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR AND YOU'VE BEEN PROVIDING THE FUNDING NECESSARY, UM, WE SEE THAT INITIAL JUMP UP IS WHEN WE, WE, WE SAW THE TRAFFIC ISSUES AND THEN ALSO WE INSTALLED THE NEW PARKING REVENUE SYSTEM.
AND SO WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR, IN OUR SCORES THERE.
UM, AND THAT AS WE GET TOWARDS THE LATER, PARTICULARLY FOR BUSH, YOU'LL SEE UP THERE IN THE FIFTIES, UM, WE JUST COMPLETED OUR NEW RESIGNING OF THE TERMINAL SEA GARAGE.
AND SO THAT HELPED ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT WE WOULD GET
[01:45:01]
FEEDBACK FROM PASSENGERS ABOUT THE CONFUSION WHEN YOU IN GOT ON THE GARAGE ABOUT THE SIGNAGE IN THERE.SO AGAIN, WE CONTINUE TO ADD THINGS, UM, TO THE, THE EXPERIENCE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GET FEEDBACK FROM THE CUSTOMERS, WE, WE SOLVE THOSE, AND THEN WE GET OUR SCORES TO INCREASE.
AND THIS KIND OF GOES FOR THIS, AGAIN, YOU GAVE US, UH, THE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AGAIN IN A SQ, THAT'S THE AIRPORT SERVICE QUALITY, UM, PROGRAM THAT WE DO WITH OTHER AIRPORTS.
SO THIS IS OUR AIRPORT TRADE GROUP.
THEY USE A BUNCH OF AIRPORTS, SAME STANDARD SURVEY.
WE SURVEY PASSENGERS AS THEY COME IN AND OUTTA THE AIRPORTS, AND WE ASK 'EM A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS ON THERE.
OUR OVERALL BENCHMARKS NOW, UH, COMPARED TO OUR PEERS AT BOTH AIRPORTS FOR THEIR FIRST TIME LAST QUARTER, ARE HIGHER THAN OUR PEERS.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE, WE WENT FROM A, YOU KNOW, A, A, A, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A POOR SCORE, UM, UP TO WHERE WE'RE NOW LEADING, UM, OUR PEERS RIGHT NOW.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS A FIVE POINT SCALE, SO VERY GOOD DATA THAT WE GET ACTUALLY FROM THE PASSENGERS TO TELL US THAT THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING ARE REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE ON THEIR OVERALL EXPERIENCE THROUGH OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOT JUST FOCUSING, UM, ON, ON JUST ONE FO AREA OF THE AIRPORTS, UH, IMPORTANT FOR US IS AN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL.
UH, WITH THE NEW GATES THERE, WE ACTUALLY DID OPEN, UH, WITH A NEW RECORD THIS YEAR OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS.
SO GOOD FOR ALL NEW DESTINATIONS.
WE THANK AMBASSADOR TO TODA AND THE MAYOR FOR HELPING LAND THAT, UH, EAT A FLIGHT FROM ITALY.
UH, BUT OUR INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IS UP.
UM, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM ITSELF, IT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ABOUT $40 BILLION IN ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE CITY AND THE REGION.
UH, ROUGHLY AROUND 18 BILLION OF THAT IS AIR CARGO RELATED.
AND SO WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T, WE, WE, WE DON'T FORGET ABOUT THAT AND WE DO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HOUSE, BUT ALSO FROM AN AIR, AIR CARGO PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE IMPORTANT ON THAT, WHERE, AGAIN, RECORD HIGHS IN AIR CARGO.
UH, VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME NEW INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO OPEN.
UM, SO AT THE END OF OCTOBER, WE'LL BE OPENING TERMINAL B WITH 22 NEW GATES.
UH, NEW LARGEST, UH, UNITED AIRLINES LOUNGE OVER THERE.
I KNOW PASSENGERS AND HOUSTONIANS ARE GONNA LOVE IT.
UH, AND THEN IN THE FIRST PART OF 2027, WE'LL BE OPENING A SEVEN GATE EXPANSION, UH, DOWN AT HOBBY.
UH, AGAIN, I WAS IN THAT THE OTHER DAY, AND THAT'S LOOKING VERY, VERY NICE TOO.
SO PASSENGERS ARE REALLY GONNA ENJOY THAT.
UH, AND WITH THE HOBBY PROJECT, WE ALSO COME WITH A REDESIGNED BAGGAGE CLAIM DOWN THERE.
UM, SO PROBABLY RIGHT, RIGHT BEFORE, UH, THANKSGIVING, WE'RE ANTICIPATING TO OPEN OUR FIRST KIND OF SKYLIGHT DOWN THERE.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, CONTINUE TO ROLL OUT, UH, CHANGES DOWN THERE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE INVEST IN HOBBY TOO, THAT WE GET A GOOD EXPERIENCE AT HOBBY.
UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IS WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE IS THE FAA FORECAST FOR THE HOUSTON AIRPORTS.
UH, BY 2055, UH, TRAFFIC THROUGH OUR AIRPORTS IS SET TO ALMOST DOUBLE.
UM, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE INVEST IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, UH, THEN ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY IS A UNITED AIRLINES MOA THAT'S GONNA WORK FOR THE AIRPORT AND THE AIRLINES TO KIND OF PARTNER TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER SOME ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED FROM A GROWTH PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SO THIS UNITED AIRLINES, MOA, UM, IS GONNA NUMBER ONE AND, AND BUILD A 8,100 SQUARE, UH, SQUARE FOOT, OR SORRY, 8,100 SPACE, UH, PARKING FACILITY FOR EMPLOYEES.
SO IT'S A CONSOLIDATED EMPLOYEE LOT WHERE THEY'D BE ABLE TO PARK THERE.
UM, THAT'S GONNA DO TWO THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, IT'S GONNA HELP US FOR AN EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO CENTRALIZE EVERYTHING, BUT NUMBER TWO, WE'VE GOT EMPLOYEES THAT ARE PARKING IN THE CUSTOMER PARKING SPOTS RIGHT NOW, AND SOME IN THE TERMINALS, AND SOME IN OUR ECO ECONOMY LOTS.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PULL THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE AND PUT THEM IN THIS, THIS LOT.
AND THAT'S GONNA FREE UP MORE PARKING SPACES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
ALSO, WE'RE GONNA EXPAND THE TERMINAL AB GARAGE ENTRANCE.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S A TWO LANE ENTRANCE.
WE'RE GONNA EXPAND IT TO FOUR.
SO THAT'S GONNA EASIER PATH GETTING INTO THAT GARAGE AND, AND PREVENT, UH, BACKUPS ONTO THE ROADWAY SYSTEM AS PEOPLE TRY AND ENTER THAT GARAGE.
AND THEN AGAIN, AS WE WE RESPOND TO PARKING, UH, REQUESTS FROM OUR PASSENGERS, THEY ARE REQUESTING THAT WE HAVE MORE COVERED PARKING AT THE AIRPORT.
AND SO THIS WILL PROVIDE US MORE COVERED PARKING IN OUR ECONOMY LOT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE GOT SOME MORE TECHNICAL STUFF.
UM, AIRFIELD WISE, WE'RE GONNA BUILD A GIANT, UH, AIRCRAFT HOLD PAD, UH, THAT HELPS US DURING BAD WEATHER TO BE ABLE TO HOLD AIRCRAFT THAT DON'T HAVE GATES.
UH, AND THEN OVERNIGHT WE CAN PUT SOME AIRCRAFT THAT ARE GONNA, THAT ARE GONNA BE REMAINING OVER THERE, UH, OVERNIGHT IN THAT PAD.
UM, STORMWATER WISE, WE'RE ALSO, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE DOING THE ATTENTION WORK OUT THERE FOR EXISTING PROJECTS, IT'S GONNA ALLOW US TO BUILD THE, THE, THE, THE, THE BASINS BIGGER, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE GROWTH.
SO IT MAKES IT WISE DECISION IF WE'RE GONNA BUILD THE HOLE, WE MIGHT AS WELL BUILD A LITTLE DIGGER, SORRY, BUILD IT A LITTLE BIGGER SO THAT WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, UH, FOR FUTURE PROJECTS OVER THERE.
UH, AND THEN WE'VE GOT THREE BAS THAT ARE ON THE, UH, UH, ON, ON THE AIRPORT.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BUILD, UH, UH, DETENTION IN EACH OF THE BAYOU.
UH, ALSO WE'RE GONNA DO SOME UTILITY WORK IN THE, UH, NORTH TERMINAL ROAD.
SO SOME WATER LINES TO SUPPORT THE TERMINALS.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE, THE ORIGINAL TERMINALS OVER THERE ARE 1960 NINES VINTAGE.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE THERE.
[01:50:01]
AND THEN AIRFIELD EXPANSION.SO WE'VE GOT SOME ACCESS GATES THAT WE USE TO CONTROL THE AIRFIELD.
UM, WITH THE TRAFFIC THAT'S ON THERE, WE'RE GONNA DOUBLE THE CAPACITY OF ONE OF THEM AND EXPAND THE OTHER TO BE ABLE TO EX TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN EFFICIENT OPERATION, UM, FOR THE AIRFIELD, UH, AS THE AIRPORT CONTINUES TO GROW.
UH, WITH THE UNITED AIRLINES, MOA, UH, TWO PIECES OF IT.
SO THE INITIAL FUNDING IS, UH, REQUEST IS GONNA BE FOR 129 MILLION.
UH, AND THEN NEXT YEAR WE'LL COME BACK, UH, LOOKING FOR THE ADDITIONAL, UH, A HUNDRED MILLION KEY THINGS ON THAT.
UH, THIS IS, AGAIN, FUNDED BY AIRPORT FUNDS.
THIS IS NO, NO FUNDS COMING OUTTA THE AIRPORT, I'M SORRY, OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND.
CITY TAXPAYERS DON'T PAY ANYTHING FOR THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN THIS WILL ULTIMATELY BE REFUNDED BY THE AIRLINES AS THE FEES THAT THEY PAY TO THE AIRPORT.
UM, SO WE'LL IMPLEMENT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AND THE AIRLINES THROUGH THEIR RATES AND CHARGES.
WE'LL CHARGE THEM BACK FOR THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, SO THAT KIND OF CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW, AND IF YOU'VE GOT ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, I'D BE READY TO TAKE 'EM.
ANY QUESTIONS FIRST, IF NOT, UH, JIM, THANK YOU.
UH, YOU'RE SATISFIED THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE GROWTH? YES.
SO AGAIN, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
OUR, OUR, OUR GOAL AT THE AIRPORT IS NOT TO TURN INTO THE AUSTIN AIRPORT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BASICALLY, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T MEET THE ME THE GROWTH OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, AND, AND, AND THE GROWTH OF THE CITY.
SO WE'RE, AGAIN, PLANNING FOR CARGO EXPANSION.
WE'VE GOT THE TERMINAL EXPANSION THAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE'RE DOING THE EXPANSION ON PARKING, SO WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOT ALL THE SYSTEMS AT THE AIRPORT GROWING TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE AIRPORT SYSTEM.
AND THANK YOUR, UH, THANK YOU.
YEAH, I, WE, WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT, UH, WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR.
AND THEN WE ALSO CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT THE 1300 PLUS EMPLOYEES.
I ASSUME IT'S SAFE TO SAY THE PAY INCREASE CERTAINLY, UH, HELPED WITH MORALE AND ATTENDANCE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WERE CHALLENGED WITH.
SO AGAIN, IT, IT DOES STRENGTHEN OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE TURNOVER.
IS IT MUCH TURNOVER? IT'S, YOU'VE GOT THAT, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENT, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEE BASE OVER THERE THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UNDERSTANDS THE PLACE, AND KNOWS HOW TO TREAT THE PASSENGER.
[CONSENT AGENDA – NUMBERS 2 through 31]
MR. SECRETARY.LET'S GO TO THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, SINCE YOUR LIST WAS DISTRIBUTED, ITEMS TWO AND THREE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION CAST TO MOVE.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY.
NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS FOUR THROUGH SIX? YES.
MOTION PASSES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
ITEM 15 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ITEMS 7, 10, 18, 19, 20, AND 25 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
AGAIN, THOSE NUMBERS ARE 7, 10, 18, 19, 20, AND 25.
NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES.
MOTION PASSES, ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
COUNCIL FLICKINGER, I, I'LL BE VOTING FOR THIS, MAYOR, BUT I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AGAIN, HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM THE PEOPLE THAT DID THIS CAUSED FOR EVERYBODY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE PUNISHMENT THAT THEY RECEIVED FOR THE THEFT OF THESE TAX DOLLARS, IT'S A SLAP ON THE WRIST, WOULD BE MORE THAN WHAT THEY ACTUALLY RECEIVED.
SO I'M GLAD TO GET THIS DONE AND BEYOND US, BUT I JUST REALLY THINK THE WHOLE THING IS YOUR CONCERN.
WE ACTUALLY ATTEMPTED TO, TO BLOCK OR GO A DIFFERENT ROUTE, BUT IT STARTED SHORT CHANGING THE SUBCONTRACTORS.
SO THIS IS ONE FINAL, UH, DECISION TO, TO, UM, CLOSE IT OUT WITH CONCERN AND DIRECTION THAT THE SUBCONTRACTORS BE COMPENSATED.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
[01:55:01]
THANK YOU.THIS IS ON 19, THIS IS THE HARRISBURG, UH, TURS, UH, BUDGET.
AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE HARRISBURG TURS BOARD FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH RESIDENTS.
UH, RESIDENTS HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE TELEPHONE ROAD REDESIGN AND BROUGHT SOME CONCERNS TO THEIR ATTENTION.
THEY WORKED WITH THE RESIDENTS, MADE SOME CHANGES.
WANNA COMMEND MARLENE GAFFER AS WELL FOR HER ENGAGEMENT WITH WITH RESIDENTS.
UM, THE RESIDENTS STILL HAVE SOME SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE, THE WAY THE DESIGN IS CURRENTLY, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE ADMINISTRATION TO CONTINUE ENGAGING WITH THEM.
BUT DID WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE TOURS BOARD AND, AND MARLENE FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RESIDENTS.
UH, AND APPRECIATE THOSE WORDS.
UH, THE, THE TUR HAS BEEN ENGAGED AND MY OFFICE ACTUALLY HELD A FEW, UH, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS AS WELL WHEN IT CAME TO TELEPHONE ROAD PROJECT.
UH, SOME OF THE OUTCOMES THAT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, OF COURSE, IS BETTER DRAINAGE, UH, THE PAVEMENT CONDITIONS.
I GREW UP, I'VE SHARED THIS AT THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
I GREW UP GOING TO BOTH THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL THAT ARE LESS THAN A MILE, HALF A MILE AWAY FROM THAT, THAT, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT'S SOON TO COME.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO, UH, APPRECIATIVE THAT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT LARGER, UH, WIDER SIDEWALKS ALONG TELEPHONE.
SO I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR HIS SUPPORT ON THAT.
AND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT, UH, CONTINUE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INCREASING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH MARLENE ABOUT, UH, INCLUDING MORE HAWK LIGHTS AT SPECIFIC INTERSECTIONS WHERE WE KNOW THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S DANGEROUS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WANT TO THANK THE TUR FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT, UH, THE COMMUNITY FOR CONTINUING TO VOICE THE CONCERNS AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH MY TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT TELEPHONE BROAD PROJECT SEES, UH, IT'S, IT COMES TO FRUITION.
ALL IN FAVOR, VICE MAYOR PRO, VICE MAYOR, PROTE PECK.
UM, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THIS MUD ANNEXATION.
UM, WE GET A LOT OF THESE REQUESTS EVERY WEEK AND I LOOK AT THEM VERY CLOSELY BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE VERY CLOSE TO DISTRICT A AND IMPACT OUR DRAINAGE.
UM, AND MOST OF THE TIME, UM, THEY ARE BUILDING EITHER, EITHER NOT IN THE FLOODPLAIN OR THEY'RE BUILDING MORE DETENTION THAN WHAT'S REQUIRED, OFTEN TAKING THEMSELVES OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN BECAUSE OF THIS EXTRA DE UM, DRAINAGE, THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
UM, IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THEY'RE BUILDING ANY EXTRA DRAINAGE THAN WHAT'S REQUIRED, BUT WHAT I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT THEY ARE USING PRE ATLAS 14 REQUIREMENTS FOR THEIR JUSTIFICATION.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, ATLAS 14 WAS ADOPTED IN 2018, AND SO NO ONE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT REQUIREMENTS OVER EIGHT YEARS OLD TO, UH, JUSTIFY THAT SOMEONE ISN'T GOING TO FLOOD TOMORROW.
SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY LOOKED AT THE 500 YEAR FLOODPLAIN ON THIS TOO, SO IT WILL PROBABLY BE OKAY, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO RISK SOMEONE FLOODING ON PROBABLY.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THE CORRECT REQUIREMENTS.
SO I'M GOING TO TAG THIS ITEM TODAY VERY WELL, UH, TAGGED BY VICE MAYOR PROTE PECK.
[NON-CONSENT AGENDA]
32 IS A MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE.CASTEX STATE MOVE TO SET THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE NINTH, 2026.
THOSE OPPOSED ANY MOTION PASSES.
UM, MEMBERS, IF YOU'LL LOOK AT ITEM 33, UH, I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD FOR TAGGING IT LAST WEEK THAT GAVE US ADDITIONAL TIME TO GATHER, GATHER DATA THAT HAS BEEN HELPFUL.
UM, CHAIR FINANCE, ALCORN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING A PRODUCTIVE HEARING.
UH, IT CERTAINLY FOLLOWED THESE HEARINGS AND DISCUSSIONS I'VE MET AND DISCUSSED WITH MOST, MOST OF YOU.
AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND SHOWED WHERE EXPERIENCE AND RELATIONSHIPS REALLY MATTER.
UH, I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE IN OH SEVEN WHEN MAYOR WHITE PROPOSED THIS, UH, ANNEXATION OF THE WOODLANDS WAS VERY CONTENTIOUS, EVEN BACK IN OH SEVEN.
SO THIS, THIS MODEL WAS ADOPTED TO KIND OF REALLY KICK THE CAN
[02:00:01]
DOWN THE ROAD.UH, IT'S AN OH SEVEN MODEL THAT I THINK THE FACTS WILL SHOW THAT IT'S OUTLIVED ITS USEFULNESS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, MANY OF YOU, EVEN THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOUR YEARS LONGER THAN ME, WERE NOT AWARE OF IT.
BUT IT'S BEEN A TOPIC IN THE LEGISLATURE FOR YEARS, CULMINATING IN A 2019 VOTE BY THE LEGISLATURE THAT NO AREA CAN BE ANNEXED WITHOUT A VOTE OF THAT AREA BEING CONSIDERED.
I VOTED AGAINST THAT LEGISLATION BEING THE VOICE OF HOUSTON, THOUGHT THAT ANNEXATION SHOULD BE STILL A VIABLE CONSIDERATION.
I VOTED THAT WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF WATCHING KATHY WHITMEYER ANNEX CLEAR LAKE, AND THEY'RE STILL BITTER, MADE THAT VOTE MINDFUL OF BOB LANIER ANNEXING KINGWOOD, THEY'RE STILL BITTER.
SO IT'S VERY SAFE TO SAY AT A MATTER OF FACT, AFTER THAT LEGISLATION, THERE WILL BE NO ANNEXATION WITHOUT A VOTE OF THE PROPOSED SITE.
WE ALL KNOW ONE THE VOTE WOULD GO AGAINST THERE BEING ANNEX.
NUMBER TWO, BEING RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP OF HOUSTON.
WE CAN'T SERVICE ADDITIONAL AREAS RIGHT NOW.
WE ALL WORK, CERTAINLY THE DISTRICT MEMBERS AND AT LARGE OF SOME OF OUR UNKEPT NEEDS.
ALMOST MOST DEPARTMENTS NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
SO BEFORE WE WOULD EVER CONTEMPLATE REACHING OUT FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICE AREAS, WE KNOW IT'D BE IRRESPONSIBLE.
THE WOODLANDS WILL NOT BE NORTH CYPRUS AND I COULD GO AROUND OUR SUBDIVISIONS.
WE'RE WORKING TO FIX HOUSTON AND GIVE HOUSTONIANS THE SERVICE THAT THEY DESIRE AND DESERVE.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FINANCES.
I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WILL BE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW IN TERMS OF SALES TAX REVENUE.
SOME OF THE CRITICS OF THIS PACKAGE USE 5% GROWTH AS SOME OF THEIR SPECULATION.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD THAN WE WERE IN 2007.
AND IT IS WILD SPECULATION TO TRY TO DESCRIBE WHAT THE NEXT 30 YEARS WILL BE LIKE.
WOODLANDS STILL HAVE A LOT OF INFLUENCE IN THE LEGISLATURE.
THE CHAIR OF THE WOODLANDS VILLAGE JUST GOT ELECTED.
SO FOLKS, EXPERIENCE, RELATIONSHIPS MATTER.
WE BETTER BE RESPONSIBLE AND ACCEPT THIS $50 MILLION 'CAUSE WE MAY NEVER SEE IT AGAIN AND LORD KNOWS WE NEED IT.
SO YOU CAN PLAY POLITICS WITH CITY FINANCES.
I PERSONALLY THINK YOU IRRESPONSIBLE.
WE GOTTA ATTEND TO THE PUBLIC'S BUSINESS.
WE'RE TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS THAT WAS, THAT'S BEEN NEGLECTED FOR YEARS BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND RELATIONSHIPS.
THIS MODEL OF THE 2 7 2 0 7 AGREEMENT WHERE WE GET ONE 16TH OF THEIR SALES TAX, THEN WE HAVE TO MATCH IT, THEN WE HAVE TO AGREE WHERE IT'S GONNA BE SPENT.
THE LEGISLATURE'S NOT GONNA ALLOW THAT TO GO FORWARD.
THE LEADERSHIP IN AUSTIN IS LARGELY ELECTED USING THE WOODLANDS BLOCK OF VOTES.
SO I CAN TALK ABOUT THE REAL POLITICAL PICTURE THAT'S CHANGING HAS CHANGED SINCE WE MADE THIS AGREEMENT.
SO WE'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH THE WOODLANDS.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO PUT THE AGREEMENT BEHIND THEM.
I WAS SURPRISED, QUITE FRANKLY, THAT THEY CAME AND AGREED TO THE $50 MILLION.
[02:05:02]
THEY DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TO.SO IT'S A RESPONSIBLE VOTE IN VIEW THAT WILL NEVER ANNEX THE WOODLANDS BASED ON STATE LAW.
IT'S WILD SPECULATION WHAT THE FUTURE REVENUE STREAM WOULD BE, BUT I KNOW WHAT IT IS TODAY.
AND WHETHER YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, LIBRARIES, PARKS, YOU NAME IT, WE CAN PROPERLY USE THIS 50 MILLION ALONG WITH OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE AND WORKED HARD SOMEDAY.
HAVING THAT STEADY STREAM OF REVENUE THAT WE WILL CONVINCE HOUSTONIANS THAT WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE THEM THE SERVICES THEY NEED.
ONE OTHER POINT, WHEN THIS AGREEMENT WAS MADE, THERE WAS NO REVENUE CAP THAT WAS A GAME CHANGER.
SO LET'S MAKE THE DECISION TODAY TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
USE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET $50 MILLION TO SERVICE OUR COMMUNITIES, CONTINUE TO FIX OUR STREETS.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE MORE LANE MILEAGE THAN EVER IN A YEAR, A THOUSAND MILES.
WE'VE SPENT IN 500 MILLION ON DRAINAGE AND STREETS.
NEXT YEAR IT GOES TO 750 MILLION.
SO I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IT'S THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO.
I'VE CONSIDERED ALL OPTIONS, POSSIBILITIES, PROJECTIONS BASED ON REAL NUMBERS, AND THIS WOULD BE A VERY PRO HOUSTON RESIDENCE VOTE.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU MAYOR TO YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM FOR PUTTING IN THE WORK TO BRING THIS DEAL FORWARD.
UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR LEADING A GREAT, UH, FINANCIAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE YESTERDAY.
UM, A LOT OF GREAT QUESTIONS WERE POSED AND, AND SOME DID NOT YET HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER FOR ME AT LEAST.
UM, WHILE WE HAVE OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AND CONTROL HERE, I'D LIKE TO REVIEW SOME OF THAT, OF THAT INFORMATION IF POSSIBLE.
UM, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI AND CONTROL HOLLANDS, ARE Y'ALL ABLE TO COME UP MAYBE AND ANSWER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS WHILE WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION? IF THAT'S OKAY? ANSWER? YES, SIR.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FROM, FROM YESTERDAY.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE THIS IS THE PROPER, BUT IF YOU JUST REALLY THINK IT WOULD HELP YOU LEARN SOMETHING.
I'M JUST, JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC DEAL THAT WE DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT YESTERDAY IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND I THINK IT'D BE APPROPRIATE TO RE-REVIEW THEM.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
UM, JUST A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS TO REVIEW BEFORE WE GO TO A VOTE.
UM, I NOTICED THAT THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY PROJECTS PROPOSED, UM, SINCE 2019.
IS THERE A PARTICULAR REASON WHY THE CITY HAS NOT SOUGHT PROJECTS FROM THIS FUNDING SINCE THAT YEAR? MAYBE YOU OUGHT TO DIRECT THAT TO ME.
UM, SO THE LAST TIME THAT I CAN RECALL THAT A PROJECT WAS REQUESTED FROM THE WOODLANDS WAS BACK IN 2018.
UM, I THINK THERE WAS SOME MORE CONVERSATION YESTERDAY, UM, UH, DURING THE COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, AND TRYING TO LOOK BACK ON THE RECORDS.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT WE REQUESTED ANYTHING SINCE THAT TIME.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAD, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE HARVEY, WE HAD COVID.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THAT INTERIM PERIOD.
UM, AND THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, TOP OF MIND ON THE, ON THE TOP OF THE RADAR.
YEAH, I CAN'T SPECULATE AS TO THE REASON WHY NO REQUEST WAS MADE.
UH, BUT WHAT'S BEEN SOLD TO YOU IS THAT THE WOODLANDS HAS BEEN AN IMPEDIMENT TO MOVING THE DOLLARS OUTTA THIS FUND AND PUTTING THEM TO USE IN HOUSTON.
AND THAT CLAIM IS PLAINLY FALSE AT BFA YESTERDAY, OUR FRIEND FROM THE WOODLANDS, WHO I BELIEVE IS HERE WITH US TODAY, UH, MADE IT CLEAR THAT NO REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE.
AND SINCE 2018, NO REQUEST HAS BEEN DENIED.
UH, HE ALSO MADE CLEAR THAT WOODLANDS HAS BEEN A FRIEND TO HOUSTON AND I THINK THAT WE ALL AGREE WITH THAT.
AND SO TO IMPLY TO CLAIM, UH, WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE THAT SOMEHOW WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SPEND THE MONEY OUT OF THIS FUND RIGHT
[02:10:01]
NOW, YOU KNOW, UPWARDS OF $20 MILLION ARE ALREADY IN THIS FUND THAT WE COULD SPEND ON PROJECTS.UH, THE CLAIM THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE WOODLANDS IN THE WAY IS A FALSE CLAIM AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
I GUESS THAT KINDA LEADS TO MY SECOND QUESTION.
HAS THE CITY ATTEMPTED TO SUBMIT PROJECTS TO THE WOODLANDS AND THE PARTIES WHERE THE PARTIES COULD NOT REACH AN AGREEMENT OR HAVE ZERO PROJECTS BEEN SUBMITTED SINCE THE LAST PROJECT WAS BUDGET IN 2018? I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT YOU JUST ANSWERED THERE.
UM, IS THERE AN ANTICIPATED USE, AND MAYBE FOR, FOR BOTH OF Y'ALL HERE, IS THERE ANTICIPATED USE FOR THESE FUNDS ONCE THEY HIT THE GENERAL FUND? ARE THE, UH, ARE THERE ANY IDENTIFIED DEPARTMENTS OR PROJECTS IN PARTICULAR MM-HMM
I GUESS I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'M, AND AGAIN, I THINK I SAID YESTERDAY IN THE COMMITTEE MEETING, I'M TRYING TO DUST OFF THE COBWEBS, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THIS IS SIX YEARS AGO, EIGHT YEARS AGO.
UM, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS THAT WE HAD.
UM, AND FINDING THOSE MATCHING FUNDS AND WORKING WITH THE WOODLANDS, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF THE PROJECTS ARE RESTRICTED TO THE EXHIBIT B.
UM, FOR THE MOST PART, THEY REQUIRE JOINT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE WOODLANDS AND MATCHING FUNDS.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED SINCE THAT TIME, RIGHT? WE HAVE THE JONES AND WATSON SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT THAT'S PUTTING A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR MORE INTO STREETS AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS COMING DIRECTLY OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND THAN HAD IN THE PAST.
RIGHT? THAT'S NEW WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UM, AND SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE ARE, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE PROJECTS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD AND THE FUNDING THAT'S GOING INTO THE D-D-S-R-F FUND NOW, WHICH IS, IS DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
OKAY? I THINK THAT COMMENTARY BRINGS US TO ANOTHER POINT.
ANOTHER PLAINLY FALSE ARGUMENT THAT HAS BEEN MADE IS THAT WE WOULD STRUGGLE TO SOMEHOW COME UP WITH THE MATCHING FUNDS FOR TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN INVESTMENT.
WE KNOW UPWARDS OF A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ARE ALREADY DEDICATED TO THIS.
THERE ARE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT ARE WELL WITHIN THE AREAS COVERED IN EXHIBIT B WEALTH IN THE AREAS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT PAST PROJECTS, UH, WITHIN, UH, THAT THIS MONEY HAS BEEN USED FOR, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MEMORIAL AREA, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE MEDICAL CENTER, UH, ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, UH, AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROJECTS TYPE PROJECT TYPES, UH, WE KNOW THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE AVAILABLE AND NEED TO BE DONE.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR NOW, THAT IS REAL MONEY.
BUT ON THE SCALE OF THE ROAD PROJECTS, THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE NECESSARY HERE, PARK BEAUTIFICATION AND OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT THIS MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT ON BEFORE, THERE'S AMPLE OPPORTUNITY, UH, AND AMPLE FUNDING AVAILABLE ON OUR SIDE TO MATCH TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
AND SO THE ARGUMENT THAT WE SOMEHOW WOULD STRUGGLE TO DO THAT DOES NOT HOLD UP.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO TAKE THE LIBERTY.
UM, THIS IS A DEAL THAT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE EXTENDING INTO 30 YEARS FROM NOW.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TODAY, SO I APPRECIATE THE TIME FOR BOTH OF YOU.
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THAT'S, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, THERE'S NOT A QUESTION.
THERE'S A DEAL HERE THAT'S ON THE TABLE CONTROLLER THAT IS A SHORT TERM FIX THAT DOES NOT SOLVE HOUSTON SPENDING PROBLEM.
IT'S BEING PITCHED TO YOU AS A $50 MILLION DEAL.
WE KNOW THAT THE TRUTH IS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $27 MILLION IN NEW MONEY WITH $23 MILLION ALREADY IN OUR ACCOUNT AND AVAILABLE TO SPEND TODAY.
AND WE'RE TAKING THAT $27 MILLION IN EXCHANGE FOR GIVING AWAY AN INCOME STREAM WORTH A HUNDRED TO $200 MILLION.
NOW, THE MAYOR'S TALKING ABOUT SPECULATION OF WHAT THAT VALUE IS.
THE WOODLANDS THEMSELVES VALUES IT AT $130 MILLION.
I BELIEVE THAT DIRECTOR DEBOSKEY'S ANALYSIS HAS IT IN THE SAME BALLPARK OF AROUND $130 MILLION TO TRADE $130 MILLION FOR $27 MILLION.
THIS IS NOT A DEAL THAT ANY CFO WOULD MAKE.
THIS IS NOT A DEAL THAT ANY OF YOU WOULD MAKE WITH YOUR OWN MONEY, AND WE SHOULDN'T DO IT WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS EITHER.
AS WELL AS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, DEMAND THAT YOU REJECT THIS DEAL, AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.
COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN, THANK YOU.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR Y'ALL.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO FAR WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF NOT RAISING TAXES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT AT SOME POINT, SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE.
I AM SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM BECAUSE IT'S NOT EVERY DAY THAT WE'RE GONNA FIND $50 MILLION SITTING AROUND SOMEWHERE.
IF WE VOTE NO TODAY, WE DON'T TAKE THIS MONEY, WE RAISE TAXES, AND THEN WHAT WE HOPE FOR A, A BETTER DEAL LATER ON, THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
YOU KNOW, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE DO, WE REPRESENT THE TAXPAYERS, AND THIS MONEY
[02:15:01]
IS CRUCIAL.UM, IT GETS US A LONG WAY AWAY FROM NOT RAISING TAXES.
AND I BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE TAXPAYERS WANT.
THERE'S NO QUESTION, MR. CONTROLLER, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE YOUR OPPORTUNITY WHEN YOU DO YOUR FINANCIAL REPORT.
A MEMBER CALLED YOU, YOU'RE NOT BEING ASKED A QUESTION RIGHT NOW.
THANK BOTH OF YOU TILL WE HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
UH, RELATED TO ITEM 33, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS ABOUT REVENUE, AND THAT THIS IS AN ATTEMPT FOR US TO FIND NEW MONIES TO ADDRESS, UM, PRIORITIES AND ALSO FILL GAPS.
AND SO FOR ME, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE INITIAL IDEA.
UH, MADAM CHAIR ALCORN, THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THE MEETING.
LEARNED A LOT OF INFORMATION, AND I WAS ABLE TO JUST TO SIT WITH, UH, THE REALITY THAT, UH, THIS WILL PASS, THAT THIS ITEM WILL PASS.
AND THEN IF, IF IT DOES PASS, WHAT'S THE ASK THAT WE GET TO MAKE MY CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR HAS, UH, AROUND THESE FUNDS HAS BEEN ABOUT, UH, TWO THINGS.
ONE, SUPPORTING OUR HOMELESS EFFORTS WITH THESE ONE TIME MON.
THIS IS A ONE TIME SOURCE OF REVENUE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, REPLENISHING OUR DISASTER FUND, WHICH WE KNOW, UH, WE DID NOT IN THE PREVIOUS BUDGET.
UH, GOD'S GRACE HAS ALLOWED US TO, THE, THE TROPICAL STORM HAS PASSED US.
UM, BUT IF WE WERE IN A POSITION OF A, A STORM, THESE DOLLARS WOULD ALLOW US TO MOVE QUICKLY, UM, WITHOUT TAPPING INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND SO I THINK THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE, UM, IF THIS ITEM PASSES.
UM, BUT I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START THINKING ABOUT, UM, IF IT DOES, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT, UH, UH, HOW THE MONIES CAN BE USED, UM, UM, CITYWIDE FOR OUR INITIATIVES, NOT JUST INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IN ADDITION TO IN INFRASTRUCTURE, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN OUR DISTRICTS THAT CONTINUE TO COME UP, UM, SIMILAR TO APA FUNDS, RIGHT? WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY WITH ONE TIME FUNDING SOURCE TO DO A LOT OF THINGS.
UM, WE HAVE A SIMILAR OPPORTUNITY WITH, UH, THIS ONE TIME FUNDING SOURCE FOR A LIMITED TIME TO DO, UH, SIMILAR THINGS AS WELL.
AND I, I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN, UM, QUITE A BIT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO KNEW ABOUT THIS, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO REQUEST THE PROJECTS.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, I WAS HERE IN 2017.
UM, I, I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THIS, THIS DEAL.
UM, I, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAPPENED, UM, WITH THIS MONEY HAPPENED IN DISTRICT K.
UM, SOME OF 'EM HAPPENED IN DISTRICT C.
UM, YOU KNOW, A SMALL ONE HAPPENED, UM, IN DISTRICT F UH, AND, AND DURING THE HEARING YESTERDAY, MY QUESTION WAS WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR REQUESTING THE PROJECTS? UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS MAKES IT AN EXCELLENT POINT.
YOU KNOW, IN 2018 AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, UM, YOU KNOW, IN 2020 WE WENT THROUGH COVID.
THERE WERE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO MOVED AROUND IN THIS CITY, QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK IT JUST FELL OFF EVERYBODY'S RADAR.
AND, AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE IT JUST FELL OFF EVERYBODY'S RADAR.
AND THERE'S NO FAULT OF WHO, WHO DID IT AND WHO DIDN'T DO IT.
I THINK IT JUST FELL OFF EVERYBODY'S RADAR.
UM, BUT SINCE IT IS ON THE TABLE TODAY, I DO WANT TO, UM, KIND OF WALK THROUGH THE CHECKS AND BALANCES OF IT SO THAT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH MY VOTE ON THIS ACTUAL ISSUE.
AND MY QUESTION TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM WHAT, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, ARE WE LEAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVER ANNEX THE WOODLANDS ON THE TABLE? UH, I THINK IF PASSING THIS AGREEMENT, YOU WOULD FOREGO THAT OPPORTUNITY UNLESS LEGISLATION CHANGES, WHICH DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY.
THE CURRENT LEGISLATION NOW STATES THAT IF THE CITY OF HOUSTON EVER DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO ANNEX THE WOODLANDS, THE WOODLANDS WOULD HAVE TO VOTE TO AGREE TO BE ANNEXED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE THE PEOPLE IN THE WOODLANDS WANTING TO BE ANNEXED TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I I THINK YOU'D GET THE SAME VOTE FROM KINGWOOD TODAY.
AND, AND, AND I, AND I'M SAD ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I WISH THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANTED TO BE A PART.
I WISH THAT WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AND WE WERE IN A POSITION TO SERVICE OUR HOUSTONIANS AND PEOPLE THAT WERE GOING TO BE IN OUR CITY IN A STELLAR WAY.
[02:20:01]
UM, I DO THINK THAT WE ARE HAMPERED BY OUR REVENUE CAP.WHAT WOULD BE THE, IM, LET'S, LET'S JUST SAY THE WOODLANDS WERE ANNEXED INTO HOUSTON.
WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT OF THAT? WITH OUR CURRENT REVENUE CAP? I THINK IT'S LIKELY WE'D HAVE TO, UH, LOWER OUR, UH, OUR TAX RATE.
SO WE WOULD HAVE LESS MONEY TO SERVICE OUR CURRENT HOUSTONIANS PLUS OUR ADDITIONAL 40,000 RESIDENTS THAT WE HAVE WELCOMED TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS CURRENT FUNDING SOURCE, UH, WE, WE'VE CALLED IT $50 MILLION.
IS IT ACTUALLY $50 MILLION? I KNOW WE'VE GOT A, A A 20 SOMETHING MILLION KIND OF IN ESCROW, UM, AND AN ADDITIONAL 27 MILLION THAT WOULD COME TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
CAN YOU JUST KIND OF WALK THROUGH, IS IT, IS IT ACTUALLY 50 MILLION? WELL, IT'LL BE, IT'S GONNA BE PAID OVER THE COURSE OF, UH, FOUR YEARS, AND IT'S GOING TO APPROXIMATE 50 MILLION.
AND WE'RE DOING THIS IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THE STATE ALWAYS RETAINS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THE LAWS AND TO DO AWAY WITH ANY INCOME STREAM THAT WE, THAT WE WOULD HAVE.
SO, SO THE BIG QUESTION FOR ME IS, DO WE TAKE THIS MONEY NOW, OR DO WE WAIT AND TAKE THE ONE 16TH OF THE SALES TAX OVER OVER THE YEARS, HOWEVER, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THAT MONEY WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE TO US.
IT'S, IT'S THE BIRD IN THE HAND THAT, THAT WE WOULD HAVE.
SO WHAT I NEED TO FIGURE OUT FOR MY VOTE IS, DO WE, DO I WANT THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO TAKE THE MONEY TODAY, UM, THAT'S ON THE TABLE, OR DO I GAMBLE HOPE? MAYBE THINK THAT THE EXISTING LEASE OR, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE IS GOING TO GENERATE OVER A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS.
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE WOODLANDS TO CHANGE THIS AGREEMENT? UH, WOULD WE HAVE TO GO TO THE LEGISLATURE TO DO THAT? YOU'D HAVE TO GO TO THE LEGISLATURE.
TEXAS AND ITS CONSTITUTION HAS EXPOSED FACTOS LAW, BUT THOSE DO NOT APPLY TO GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE ARE EFFECTIVELY A CHILD OF THE STATE.
IF IT DECIDES WE DON'T, WE SHOULDN'T GET THIS REVENUE STREAM.
IT CAN PASS LEGISLATION TO DO SO.
AND, AND RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, WE ALL CAN PROBABLY AGREE THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS NOT BEEN FRIENDLY TO CITIES.
THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN THE CASE FOR SEVERAL SESSIONS NOW.
DE DEFINITELY THE LARGE, UH, BLUE CITIES.
AND, AND THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATION TOO.
I, I THINK, UM, YESTERDAY A COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S, UH, BUDGET MEETING WAS VERY TELLING THE FACT THAT THIS MONEY'S BEEN ON THE TABLE, AND THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY PROJECTS, UH, REQUESTED SINCE 2018.
NO ONE KNOWS WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR REQUESTING THE FUNDING'S THERE.
BUT THE TOTAL LACK OF AWARENESS YESTERDAY, THE LACK OF FUNDING, THE LACK OF PROJECT PROJECTS.
NOW TODAY, THE AWARENESS LEADS US TO MAKE A DECISION BASED ON THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CITY.
AND OBVIOUSLY AS A, AS A KINGWOOD RESIDENT, I CAN TELL YOU, UH, THE WOODLANDS WOULD NEVER VOTE IN FAVOR OF ANNEXATION.
RIGHT? THEY'VE, THEY'VE SEEN THE HISTORY, UH, THAT'S BEEN BEFORE THEM.
SO I CERTAINLY WILL BE SUPPORTING BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S TRULY IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CITY AND OUR CITIZENS, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GAMBLING ON WHAT WILL BE, WE ARE DECIDING ON WHAT WE KNOW TO BE TODAY.
AND, AND DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION.
I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS HARD.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE HERE, ESPECIALLY WHERE I SIT TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THE CITY IN THE BEST FINANCIAL POSITION WE CAN.
YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I VOTED AGAINST YOU TWICE ON TAX RATES.
'CAUSE I FELT LIKE WE WEREN'T, THAT WAS MONEY THAT WE NEEDED, UM, TO PUT US IN THE BEST, UH, FINANCIAL POSITION.
UH, THIS $50 MILLION I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION WILL PUT US IN A BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION.
UH, CHRIS, I GET YOUR, YOUR EXPLANATION.
I GET, UM, THE, THE PROBLEM WITH SPENDING ONE TIME MONEY ON RECURRING EXPENSES,
[02:25:01]
IT'S TOUGH.I MEAN, MAYOR PARKER SOLD THE COMPACT CENTER FOR SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
'CAUSE YOU'RE FACED WITH WHAT YOU'RE FACED WITH.
AND, AND WE SPENT THE ARPA MONEY ON RECURRING EXPENSES BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE FACED WITH WHAT YOU'RE FACED WITH.
LIKE I SAID YESTERDAY, WE'RE LOOKING UNDER THE COUCH CUSHIONS FOR MONEY.
WE'RE, WE ARE, WE ARE TRYING TO, UH, I MEAN, I, I FIRMLY BELIEVE, AND I'VE SAID A THOUSAND TIMES OVER, THAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO LOOK AT THE REVENUE SIDE OF THE EQUATION AND MATCH RECURRING EXPENSES WITH RECURRING REVENUES.
BUT FROM WHERE I SIT TODAY, UM, AT PRESENT VALUE AND PRESENT VALUE TERMS WITH ALL THE LEGISLATIVE, YOU KNOW, HURDLES THAT HAVE TO BE, UH, JUMPED OVER, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS, IS THE BEST, UM, THING FOR THE CITY, I BELIEVE.
AND, UM, TO PUT US, TO PUT US IN A BETTER POSITION THAN WE WERE YESTERDAY OR TODAY.
THIS WILL BE A BETTER MOVE FOR THE CITY FROM WHERE I SIT.
IS IT PERFECT? NO, BUT, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE ARE FACED WITH AND HOW WE WILL DEAL WITH, UM, OUR FISCAL PICTURE, WHICH IS LOOKING BETTER, UM, BY RATING AGENCIES, BY THE AMOUNT OF OUR DEFICIT, UH, SHRINKING.
THIS PUTS US IN A BETTER POSITION.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.
I APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION, APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION FROM YOUR ADMINISTRATION, MAYOR, AND FROM CONTROLLER HOLLANDS.
UM, THE CITY IS OBVIOUSLY IN A CHALLENGING REVENUE SITUATION, AND AT THE SAME TIME, AFFORDABILITY IS ON EVERYONE'S MINDS.
AND, UM, I, I COME DOWN ON THE, ON IN FAVOR OF THIS PROPOSAL.
UH, ONE OF THE REASONS IS I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SEE THIS VOTED DOWN AND THEN HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS, UH, IN A FEW YEARS AND ASK FOR MORE REVENUE AND THEN GET ASKED, WHY DID YOU TURN THIS $50 MILLION DOWN? UM, I ALSO LIKE THE FACT THAT, UH, THE REVENUE COMING TO THE CITY WILL BE UNRESTRICTED.
WE CAN USE IT FOR WHATEVER WE NEED TO USE IT FOR.
UM, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE WOODLANDS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SPIN IT, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO MATCH IT.
SO IT, IT IS A COMPLEX QUESTION BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AN AGREEMENT GOING INTO THE FUTURE FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT THE REALITY IS, UM, ANNEXATION IS NOT A REAL POSSIBILITY AT THIS TIME AND PROBABLY WON'T BE FOR, UH, FOR OUR LIFETIME.
SO, UM, UH, I COME DOWN IN FAVOR OF THIS.
I, I WANT TO JUST ADD THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AROUND THIS TOPIC REGARDING ANNEXATION.
UM, WHAT WE DO KNOW, WHEN I HEARD THIS, AND THANK COUNCILMAN ALCORN AGAIN FROM OTHERS ABOUT THE MEETING THAT WE HAD AND THE, THE, THE MR. BRADLEY COMING BEFORE US.
AND, UH, I, I CAN APPRECIATE THE FUTURE LOOKING OF OUR CITY, WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
BUT THERE'S ONE THING I THINK WE NEED TO ALL KEEP IN MIND, THAT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN THE BENEFACTORS OF THE, THE STATE GIVING US MONEY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO, UH, OUR MAYOR IN THIS ADMINISTRATION.
AND THE RELATIONSHIP, UH, HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD.
AND I THINK AS OLD SAYING IS, UH, THE BIRD IN THE HAND IS BETTER THAN TWO IN A BUSH IN REGARDS TO THIS.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT TOO, THE SENATE BILL, I LOOKED AT THIS THE OTHER NIGHT, AND, YOU KNOW, SENATE BILL SIX IN 2017, THE LEGISLATURE, AND I THINK EVERYBODY NEED TO LOOK AT THE FACT THAT, UH, THE LEGISLATOR DON'T TAKE TOO LIKELY TO ENFORCING ANNEXATION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO GET INTO THE FIGHT WITH THE LEGISLATURE, UH, IN REGARDS TO ANNEXATION.
AND, UH, AND AS IT WAS STATED ON YESTERDAY, UH, EVEN ATTORNEY TODAY SAID, KINGWOOD CERTAINLY OPPOSE THIS, UH, ANNEXATION THEY HAVE BEEN.
AND SO I, I SUPPORT THIS ITEM.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, LET US NOT FORGET OUR RATING WENT UP HERE JUST RECENTLY FROM, UH, AND, AND I WANT TO COMMEND AGAIN, UH, THE ACTIONS OF OUR CITY IN HELPING OUR RATING.
AND THIS DEFINITELY PUTS US IN A MORE POSITIVE APPROACH GOING FORWARD IN OUR CITY.
JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION, MR. MAYOR, MAY I, UH, FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, MAY I ASK HER A QUESTION? UM, CHAIRWOMAN, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO BRING THIS ITEM BACK TO BFA, UM, AFTER WE HAVE THE, AN UPDATE ON THE USE OF THE FUNDS? SURE, SURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS? YES, I,
[02:30:01]
I HAD A QUESTION FOR THE CONTROLLER AND THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.UM, THE CONTROLLER MENTIONED THAT WE WOULD BE LOSING ABOUT $130 MILLION.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS THAT THE FINANCE DIRECTOR HAD A POSITION ON THAT.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE ESTIMATE? IF NOT, WHY NOT? UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO GIVE THE CONTROLLER A CHANCE TO RESPOND.
UM, I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF ROBUST DISCUSSION AT THE COMMITTEE YESTERDAY.
UM, THERE ARE OF COURSE, A LOT OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND VARIABLES THAT YOU CAN RUN, RIGHT? YOU COULD ASSUME THAT SALES TAX IS GONNA GROW BY 5%.
WE KNOW THAT OVER THE LIFE OF THE AGREEMENT SO FAR SINCE 2007, UM, LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE GROWTH IN SALES TAX, WHEN YOU REMOVE OUT THE KIND OF THE COVID DOWNTURN, AND THEN THE POST COVID REALLY HIGH REBOUND THAT WE HAD, THAT THE AVERAGE SALES TAX GROWTH OVER THAT PERIOD IS ABOUT 3%.
SO THAT'S WHAT WENT INTO OUR ANALYSIS.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, REALLY, A LOT OF IT GETS DOWN TO THE RESTRICTED USE OF THE FUND BASED ON THE WAY THE AGREEMENT IS TODAY.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, WITH THE THIRD AMENDMENT, THAT THE RESTRICTIONS WILL BE FREED UP AND WE CAN USE THE SOURCES FOR WHATEVER WE WANT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE.
WE TALKED YESTERDAY ABOUT THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST, UM, THE PROGRESS THAT WE MADE WITH THE 27 BUDGET.
UM, MOODY'S GIVING US THE UPGRADE ON OUR CREDIT RATING, WHICH IS AMAZING NEWS AND GREAT.
BUT WE KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
AND FOR ME, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE WOODLANDS AND MR. BAILEY BEING HERE.
UM, BUT I, FOR ME, I'M FOCUSED ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE HEALTH OF THE GENERAL FUND AND GETTING THAT REVENUE INTO THE GENERAL FUND, REALLY HELPING WITH OUR FINANCIAL OUTLOOK IS, IS NUMBER ONE FOR ME.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT.
C CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT AND DON'T MEAN TO TO DISAGREE WITH YOU ABOUT ANY OF THAT.
I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND ON MY QUESTION THOUGH.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE CONTROLLER'S ESTIMATE THAT WE ARE LEAVING, I THINK HE SAID $130 MILLION ROUGHLY ON THE TABLE.
AND IF YOU DISAGREE, WHAT IS THE NUMBER THAT YOU BELIEVE WE ARE LEAVING ON THE TABLE? MY UNDERSTANDING, THE NUMBERS THAT HE HAD IN THE ONE PAGER THAT I SAW YESTERDAY DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT YESTERDAY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FUTURE VALUE, RIGHT? SO ASSUMING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE USE DISCOUNT RATES AND, UM, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT A DOLLAR TODAY IS, IS WORTH DIFFERENT THAN A DOLLAR 30 YEARS FROM NOW.
SO FACTORING IN THOSE CALCULATIONS IS HOW WE GET TO THE, THE NUMBER THAT WE FEEL, YOU KNOW, IS ON THE TABLE TODAY.
SO, SO HOW MUCH DO YOU BELIEVE WE ARE LOSING BY SIGNING? DO YOU BELIEVE WE'RE LOSING ANY MONEY? NO, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE LOSING, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT GROWTH IN SALES TAX IS GOING TO BE.
THE $50 MILLION NUMBER IS CALCULATED BASED ON A 3% GROWTH OF SALES TAX.
IF THE CONTROLLER BELIEVES THE GROWTH IS 5%, WELL THEN HE MIGHT SAY, WE'RE LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE, BUT THE GROWTH MAY BE FLAT.
WE MAY HAVE A DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY, RIGHT? SO IT GOES BACK TO COUNCIL FOR ALCORN.
AND THE, THE BURDEN IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH, RIGHT? UM, SO TO ME, NO, I, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE LEAVING ON THE TABLE.
I, I, I, NO, I, I, I APPRECIATE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
IT'S A FINANCE, UH, DEPARTMENT'S POSITION THAT THERE IS NO MONEY BEING LOST IN ON THIS POTENTIAL AGREEMENT.
WE HAD A LOT OF ROBUST DISCUSSION WITH THE WOODLANDS, RIGHT? AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS THE NUMBER THAT, BASED ON OUR ANALYSIS THAT, THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, AND I WOULDN'T BE BRINGING, I WOULDN'T BE AT THIS MICROPHONE ADVOCATING FOR THIS.
IF I, IF I THOUGHT THERE WAS MORE WE COULD GET MR. CONTROLLER, YOU WANNA RESPOND? YEAH.
SO SINCE THE QUESTION WASN'T ANSWERED, I WILL PAUSE IT FOR YOU.
THAT FINANCE'S ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH MONEY BEING LEFT ON THE TABLE IS $130 MILLION.
IF, IF THE DIRECTOR DISAGREES, SHE CAN, SHE CAN STATE THAT.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT THEY VALUE THE FUTURE INCOME STREAM, UH, AT $130 MILLION IN CASH.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THE DISCOUNT RATE IN A MOMENT.
I BELIEVE THAT THE WOODLANDS ESTIMATE IS ALSO ROUGHLY $130 MILLION.
UH, OUR RANGE FROM A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE TO, UH, TO AN AGGRESSIVE ESTIMATE IS 100 MILLION TO $200 MILLION.
FINANCES ESTIMATE, AS WELL AS THE WOODLANDS ESTIMATE FALLS WELL WITHIN THAT RANGE.
NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DISCOUNT RATE, UH, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, 'CAUSE I WAS TALKING TO THE PRESS YESTERDAY AND IT WAS CLEAR THAT NOT EVERYBODY IS A FINANCE PERSON.
UH, THE DISCOUNT RATE IS HOW YOU VALUE FUTURE MONEY IN TODAY'S DOLLARS, RIGHT? AND SO IF I WERE, UH, TO LOAN YOU A HUNDRED DOLLARS, WELL, LET'S SAY IF I WAS A BANK, 'CAUSE I WOULD JUST LOAN IT TO YOU AND SAY, GET IT BACK TO ME WHENEVER.
BUT IF I WAS A BANK AND I WAS GONNA LOAN YOU A HUNDRED DOLLARS, I WOULD MAKE YOU PAY ME BACK $105 NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? AND SO THAT A HUNDRED DOLLARS TODAY, OR PARDON ME, THAT $105 IN THE FUTURE IS ACTUALLY WORTH A HUNDRED DOLLARS TODAY.
AND SO THAT'S THE CONCEPT OF, OF
[02:35:01]
A DISCOUNT RATE.NOW, THE DISCOUNT RATE COMES FROM HOW MUCH YOU MIGHT EXPECT TO GAIN IF YOU WERE TO INVEST THAT MONEY OR HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST YOU TO BORROW THAT MONEY WHEN THE CITY INVESTS MONEY.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE PULLING IN FOUR ISH PERCENT, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
WHEN THE CITY BORROWS MONEY RIGHT NOW, IT COSTS US THREE TO 4%.
AND SO THAT'S THE DISCOUNT RATE THAT YOU WOULD USE TO SOMEHOW GET FROM A $130 MILLION CASH VALUATION DOWN TO THIS $50 MILLION NUMBER.
THERE IS NO REASONABLE DISCOUNT RATE THAT GETS YOU THERE, PERIOD.
IF YOU USE 3%, IT WOULD VALUE THAT FUTURE LOSS.
AT $80 MILLION, YOU HAVE TO GET UP INTO THE TEENS, WHICH IT HAS NEVER COST THE CITY OF MONEY THAT MUCH TO BORROW MONEY.
WE HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THAT MUCH ON OUR INVESTMENTS BECAUSE OUR INVESTMENTS ARE LOW RISK, UH, INVESTMENTS LIKE US TREASURIES AND MUNICIPAL BONDS, ET CETERA.
AND SO USING A 3% DISCOUNT RATE, WHICH THE DIRECTOR CLAIMS THEY'RE BEING, THEY'RE USING AND USING THE $130 MILLION VALUE OF THE INCOME STREAM THAT I WOULD PO IT AS THEIR NUMBER.
IF THAT'S NOT THEIR NUMBER, YOU WOULD NEVER GET TO A $50 MILLION DISCOUNTED VALUE.
IT WOULD BE ABOUT $80 MILLION.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS THE BASE CASE SCENARIO.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, AND I BELIEVE I IT MAY HAVE BEEN COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, UH, YOU'VE MENTIONED A GAMBLE IN YOUR COMMENTARY.
THIS IS A CONTRACT THAT EXISTS TODAY BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP.
WE HAVE THE CONTRACT RIGHT NOW.
WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON IS TO CHANGE THE CONTRACT.
THE CONTRACT EXISTS, IT'S LOCKED UP.
YES, YOU CAN SPECULATE ABOUT THE FUTURE, UH, TAX RATE.
YOU COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, OVER THE COURSE OF 30 YEARS, IT MIGHT BE 1%, IT MIGHT BE 2%, IT MIGHT BE 5%.
NOW, REALITY, AND AGAIN, CALLING THIS A GAMBLE, CALLING THIS WILD SPECULATION, ECONOMISTS MAKE THIS PROJECTION ALL THE TIME.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON MAKES THESE PROJECTIONS ALL THE TIME.
THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP MAKES THESE PROJECTIONS ALL THE TIME.
IT IS NOT WILD SPECULATION, RIGHT? IT IS BASED ON CONDITIONS THAT WE KNOW TO EXIST IN THE WORLD THAT HAVE EXISTED FOR DECADES, RIGHT? AND THE CONDITIONS THAT WE UNDERSTAND WILL BE IN PLACE GOING INTO THE FUTURE.
UH, THERE ARE ESTIMATES THAT CAN BE MADE LOW TO MODERATE GROWTH.
IT GETS WORSE AT THE HISTORICAL GROWTH, WHICH I'LL TELL YOU IS 5.5%.
BUT USING A 3% ESTIMATE THAT FINANCES USED, USING A 3% ESTIMATE THAT THE WILLINGS HAVE USED, IT IS STILL A BAD DEAL.
IT'S $27 MILLION IN NEW MONEY THAT WE'RE THROWING AWAY IN EXCHANGE FOR GIVING UP THIS REVENUE STREAM.
THIS MAYOR HAS CRITICIZED PAST ADMINISTRATIONS FOR RELYING ON ONE-TIME FIXES LIKE ASSET SALES TO SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT DON'T ACTUALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
THIS IS AN ASSET SALE THAT IS GOING TO FUND DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AND THEN WILL BE IN BAD SHAPE.
THIS IS MATHEMATICALLY A BAD DEAL FOR THE FISCAL CONSERVATIVES AROUND THIS DAY.
PEOPLE WILL ASK YOU, WHY DID YOU GIVE AWAY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO GET $50 MILLION? WHY DID YOU GIVE AWAY A RECURRING INCOME STREAM TO SOLVE A ONE-TIME PROBLEM? THAT IS WHAT ALL OF YOU CAMPAIGNED AGAINST DOING.
OKAY, ANY OTHER, UH, THANK YOU.
ONE MORE THING JUST QUICKLY ON THE REVENUE CAP.
UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, THE REVENUE CAP IS BASED ON POPULATION AS WELL AS, UH, INFLATION.
IF OUR POPULATION WERE TO GROW, THE, THE REVENUE CAP WOULD GROW AS WELL.
AND SO THE CONCERN AROUND IF WE ANNEX SOMEBODY, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE REVENUE CAP, IT WOULD GO UP BASED ON THE POPULATION THAT YOU BROUGHT IN.
THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, WE CAN PUT ANNEXATION VERY FAR OFF THE TABLE BECAUSE THIS, WHAT WE'RE DEBATING TODAY IS NOT IF WE'RE GONNA ANNEX THE WOODLANDS, IT'S WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO TRADE AN INCOME STREAM OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS THAT'S WORTH A HUNDRED TO $200 MILLION FOR $27 MILLION IN NEW MONEY.
THAT IS THE DECISION THAT YOU'RE MAKING.
YOU'RE NOT THANK YOU C COUNCIL MEMBER, A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER TO ANNEX THE WILLIAMS COUNCIL MEMBER PAN PANZA.
AND I WANNA, AGAIN, THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR, UH, PUTTING IN THE WORK AND THE EFFORT TO, I I THINK Y'ALL CAN, I HAVE NO MORE QUESTIONS, AT LEAST.
JUST WANTED TO REITERATE, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PUTTING IN THE EFFORT TO, UH, CONTINUE TO BE DILIGENT ON, UH, FIXING THE BUDGET ISSUES THAT WE CONTINUE
[02:40:01]
TO HAVE.UM, MY MAJOR CONCERNS HERE ARE CURRENTLY AS THE MONEY STANDS, IT IS DESIGNATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
UM, IN THE DEAL THAT WE'RE VOTING ON TODAY, IT IS TRANSITIONING TO UNRESTRICTED.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY JUST MY MAJOR CONCERN HERE IS THAT, UH, WE CONTINUE TO SEE THESE FUNDS GO TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT, UH, WE SO DESPERATELY NEED.
SO, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRIORITY LIST.
UH, DISTRICT C'S GOT MORE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAN ANY OTHER AREA OF THE CITY, AND IT WILL CONTINUE, UH, WITH THE JONES WATSON SETTLEMENT.
ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED MILLION, WE'LL GET TO 750 MILLION NEXT YEAR IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UM, PEOPLE ARE COMMENTING, HOUSTONIANS KNOW WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, CERTAINLY WITH THE IMPROVEMENT TO STREETS AND DRAINAGE.
I COULD TALK ABOUT EVERYONE, AND I'LL BE GLAD TO SHOW, UH, OUR REVIEW OF WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE OF THE PUBLIC.
THEY STILL CONCERNED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE'VE HIRED AN ADDITIONAL OFFICERS AND HPD AND 800 ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, AND SO WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE STILL HAVE CHALLENGES, WHICH WE'LL MEET COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKING.
UM, IN, IN LOOKING AT THE AGREEMENT, THESE PROJECTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TO HOUSTONIANS AND TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE WOODLANDS.
AND WHEN WE WERE GIVEN THE LIST YESTERDAY, I WAS KIND OF SCRATCHING MY HEAD AT JUST HOW BENEFICIAL THESE PROJECTS WERE TO THE WOODLANDS AND THINK THAT THE WOODLANDS HAS BEEN VERY BENEVOLENT IN AGREEING TO THESE PROJECTS.
MY CONCERN WOULD BE IF WE SAY NO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, AFTER THIS AGREEMENT HAS BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH THEM, WOULD THEY BE AS BENEVOLENT IN THE FUTURE? I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY WOULD BE.
SO GETTING THE MONEY THAT WE ALL KIND OF LOOK AT AS THE POT OF GOLD AT DOING THE RAINBOW MAY BE CONSIDERABLY MORE DIFFICULT TO GET IN THE FUTURE IF WE SAY NO TO THIS TODAY.
AND YOU RECOGNIZED THE MODEL THAT WAS AGREED TO IN 2007 IN THAT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT WAS PASSED WITHOUT FORECASTING WHAT TODAY'S POLITICAL WORLD IS, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING TO HEAR WHILE SPECULATION OR WHAT THE RATE WILL BE, WHAT THE WORLD WILL LOOK LIKE, AND, AND LEAVE OUT THE DISCUSSION, THE POLITICAL REALITY.
THE WOODLANDS HAS BEEN BENEVOLENT, AS YOU DESCRIBED IT, WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
MOST OF OBJECTIVE PEOPLE WOULD TELL YOU THAT THE CURRENT MODEL WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO GO FORWARD WITH THE CURRENT MAKEUP OF THE LEGISLATURE.
SO WE CAN YES, GAMBLE, SPECULATE, POLITICIZE WHAT THE WORLD WILL LOOK LIKE 30 YEARS FROM NOW, OR EVEN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
I KNOW FOR A FACT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSTON THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF $50 MILLION BEFORE WE HAVEN'T EVEN DISCUSSED WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF THE WOODLANDS? ARE THEY GONNA INCORPORATE, THEY'RE GROWING, THEY HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS, THEY HAVE TRAFFIC CONCERNS.
DO YOU REALLY THINK THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE WHEN THEY CAN CHANGE THIS AGREEMENT? YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT A CONTRACT THAT'S SOMEONE THAT'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LEGISLATURE, THE LEGISLATURE, LOCAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IS MEETING TODAY, DISCUSSING SOME CITY ORDINANCES THEY DON'T LIKE, OR THEY CAN EASILY UNDO THIS AGREEMENT.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S WISE TO PASS ON 50 MILLION WITH OUR CURRENT NEEDS AS WE GO FORWARD IN OUR BUDGET.
THANK YOU AGAIN, CREATED A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR CITY FINANCES BY OUR IMPROVED RATING.
AND SO AS WE BUILD CREDIBILITY, WE'RE GONNA GET THAT STEADY STREAM OF REVENUE THAT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
SO ARTICULATES IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL.
THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS I'M HAVING WITH OTHER CITIES ABOUT AN URBAN INITIATIVE IN THE LEGISLATURE.
WE'VE BEEN VERY FAIR TO RURAL TEXAS.
IN MY 50 YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE, RURAL TEXAS HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR, WE HAVE THE BEST FARM TO MARKET ROAD
[02:45:01]
IN THE NATION.WE HELP RURAL TEXAS WITH BRUSH CONTROL WATER TO WEST TEXAS.
IT IS NOW TIME FOR THE STATE GOVERNMENT COLLABORATING WITH US TO HAVE A TRULY URBAN INITIATIVE.
AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT LARGE CITIES, I'M TALKING ABOUT BRYAN COLLEGE STATION, WACO, VICTORIA.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF STATE GOVERNMENT TO FOCUS WHERE THE POPULATION RESIDES.
FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, I CAN ASSURE YOU, THIS IS A SMART PROPOSAL.
IF YOU TAKE IN THE REALITIES OF WHERE THE LEGISLATURE IS HEADED, IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE TODAY TO NOT ACCEPT A $50 MILLION AGREEMENT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE UNCERTAINTIES, NOT ONLY FINANCIAL, BUT POLITICAL IN THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE NATION.
SO THANK THIS IS EXACTLY THE WAY THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS SHOULD WORK.
AND WE'VE HAD A COMMITTEE MEETING.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE DIALOGUE WE PROBABLY OUGHT TO USE ON MORE AND MORE OF OUR ISSUES.
CERTAINLY WE USE THE APARTMENT INSPECTION OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE DIALOGUE WITH HOUSTON RESIDENTS.
SO THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS REALLY NOT BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE PAST.
I'M TRYING TO BE JUST AS TRANSPARENT.
I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW WHAT I'VE HEARD AND LET HOUSTONIANS REALIZE WHAT'S AT STAKE HERE.
I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR, OUR CITY ATTORNEY BECAUSE I, I'M, I'M STILL TRYING TO MAKE MY DECISION.
DO WE, DO WE TAKE THE 50 MILLION OR DO WE FOREGO THE, THE ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT COULD PO POSSIBLY ON TABLE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE LEGISLATURE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THAT, THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED? CAN YOU, CAN YOU TELL US WHO, WHO NEGOTIATED THE DEAL? I WASN'T IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.
UH, IT WAS, UH, JOSH SANDERS AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND, UH, WITH SUPPORT FROM OUR, UH, FROM OUR LAWYERS.
SO YOUR OFFICE, I'M, MY QUESTION IS TO YOU, IS THIS THE BEST DEAL THAT WE COULD GET FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON? YES.
I MEAN, YOU CAN SPECULATE AS TO THE FUTURE, BUT I THINK BOTH SIDES AGREE.
AND WHENEVER YOU HAVE A NEGOTIATION, PEOPLE ALWAYS WISH THEY COULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE.
BUT I THINK THE 50 MILLION IS, IS A FAIR, UM, CONCLUSION, MAYOR, AND I'LL ASK YOU, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE BEST DEAL THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON COULD GET? YES, MA'AM.
I MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER, UH, I'M SURPRISED THAT THE WOODLANDS AGREED TO A $50 MILLION FIGURE.
IF IN TODAY'S POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, LOOKING AT, UM, HOW THE MODEL HAS BEEN USED IN PAST YEARS, UM, I'M CERTAINLY PREPARED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION.
$50 MILLION TODAY IS SO REASONABLE IN LIEU OF THE UNCERTAINTIES OF THE FUTURE, FINANCIAL, POLITICAL, THE FUTURE OF THE WOODLANDS, THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO ANNEX THE WOODLANDS AND THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT CAN BE CHANGED IN ONE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO IT IS VERY FISCAL RESPONSIBLE TO ACCEPT THIS 50 MILLION.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECULATION, BUT WE MIGHT OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT SPECULATING THAT IF WE DON'T PASS THIS, THEN LEGISLATURE, YOU KNOW, WE, BILLS ARE SUBMITTED, CHANGES ARE MADE, AND THAT ONE 16TH AGREEMENT COULD IN EFFECT GO BACK TO THE TOWNSHIP OR THE STATE, CORRECT? AND WE COULD BE LEFT WITH ZERO.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE TABLE IN MY MIND.
AND THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
[ADMINISTRATION REPORT]
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE OUR FINANCIAL REPORT.[02:50:06]
GOOD MORNING MAYOR, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL THIS MORNING.
I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR JULY OF 2026.
THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF $259 MILLION OR 9.9% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027.
THIS IS 45 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
THE DIFFERENCE IS DUE TO A LOWER REVENUE PROJECTION THAN FINANCE.
UH, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, IT'S LARGELY DRIVEN BY A $38 MILLION DIFFERENCE, UH, IN OUR PROJECTIONS AROUND PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
LAST YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 2026, THE ACTUAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE COLLECTED, UH, WAS $70 MILLION LOWER THAN WAS WHAT, UH, THAN WHAT WAS IN THE APPROVED BUDGET, UH, A YEAR PLUS AGO.
UH, THE MISTAKES THAT WERE MADE IN COMING UP WITH THAT NUMBER, UH, IN SOME WAYS HAD BEEN REPEATED IN THE ESTIMATES IN THIS NUMBER FOR PROPERTY TAXES.
AND SO YOU SHOULD EXPECT THAT PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 WILL COME IN LOWER, UH, THAN WAS WHAT, THAN WHAT WAS IN YOUR APPROVED BUDGET.
BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $62.5 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO IN RESERVE.
THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BEGINNING FUND BALANCE IS $12.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE FY 2026 ENDING FUND BALANCE REPORTED IN THE JUNE, 2026 REPORT.
THE INCREASE IS DUE TO YEAREND ADJUSTMENTS TO REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES THAT WILL NOT BE FINAL UNTIL THE FY 2026 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT IS PUBLISHED.
I BELIEVE ABOUT HALF OF THAT $12.4 MILLION INCREASE IS BASED ON, UH, SALES TAXES COMING IN HIGHER AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE FY 2027 GENERAL FUND PROJECTION ASSUMES APPROXIMATELY $104 MILLION IN REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPOSED RIGHT OF WAY FEE.
BECAUSE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FEE REMAINS UNCERTAIN, THIS REVENUE REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO THE PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE.
IF THE RIGHT OF WAY FEE IS NOT IMPLEMENTED OR THE ANTICIPATED REVENUE IS NOT REALIZED, THE PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE WOULD BE REDUCED TO APPROXIMATELY $155 MILLION OR 5.9% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
THIS WOULD PLACE THE GENERAL FUND BELOW THE CITY'S 7.5% RESERVE TARGET, REQUIRING THE CITY TO IDENTIFY AN ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOURCE OR REDUCE THE FFY 2027 EXPENDITURE BUDGET TO RESTORE RESERVES.
YESTERDAY, DEPUTY CITY CONTROLLER WILL JONES RELEASED OUR OFFICE'S NEW SALES TAX INSIGHTS REPORT NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR EVERY HOUSTONIAN TO REVIEW.
SALES TAX IS THE CITY'S SECOND LARGEST REVENUE SOURCE, MAKING UP 30% OF GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, BUT IT'S ALSO, UH, ONE OF THE MOST VOLATILE, CLOSELY HIGH TO SWINGS IN THE BROADER ECONOMY AND CONSUMER SPENDING.
UH, WHILE THIS CAN BE PROJECTED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, YEAR TO YEAR SWINGS, UM, ARE QUITE UNPREDICTABLE.
AND, AND WILL, UH, EXCUSE ME, DEPUTY CONTROLLER JONES, UH, WENT OVER SOME OF THOSE EXAMPLES, UH, YESTERDAY, SUCH AS THE PANDEMIC, UH, SUCH AS OIL CRISES, UH, SUCH AS THE HOUSING, UH, CHALLENGES, UH, IN THE PAST.
THE INSIGHTS REPORT WALKS THROUGH HOW SALES TAX IS GENERATED AND ALLOCATED TO THE CITY, WHY IT MOVES THE WAY IT DOES, HISTORICAL TRENDS AND GROWTH AND DECLINE, AND WHAT CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS COULD MEAN FOR FUTURE COLLECTIONS.
AND SO I HOPE YOU FOUND THAT PRESENTATION YESTERDAY, UH, USEFUL AND IT CAN BE FOUND AGAIN ON THE CITY CONTROLLER'S WEBSITE NOW TO OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
AT THIS TIME, WE ARE PROJECTING NO CHANGES FROM THE ADOPTED BUDGET IN ANY OF THESE FUNDS FOR OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS.
THE CITY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT IN A VARIABLE RATE STRUCTURE.
AS JULY 31ST, 2026, THE RATIO OF UNH VARIABLE RATE DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF OUTSTANDING DEBT REMAIN WELL BELOW THE 20% THRESHOLD.
ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH, OUR OFFICE WILL HOST OUR ANNUAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION, HONORING THE HISTORY, CULTURE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF HIS, OF HOUSTON'S HISPANIC AND LATINO COMMUNITY, AND RECOGNIZING LOCAL LEADERS WHO CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR CITY.
HOUSTON'S HISPANIC AND LATINO COMMUNITIES ARE ESSENTIAL TO WHAT MAKES OUR CITY STRONG, DYNAMIC AND RESILIENT.
AND WE'RE PROUD TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THEIR IMPACT, UH, TO ALL OF
[02:55:01]
YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, TO STAFF, TO THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING TODAY, BOTH ONLINE AND HERE IN THE CHAMBER, I HOPE THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO JOIN US IN THE LEGACY ROOM THERE ON SEPTEMBER 17TH.AS WE CELEBRATE TOGETHER, THE PROGRAM WILL HONOR COMMUNITY HERO CARLOS ESPINA, THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL FOR THE FUTURE, COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS DIEGO NORIA AND RAQUEL NACIO OF THE DIVINE ART COLLECTION, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE, CESAR ESPINOZA, THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF FI AND CONGRESSWOMAN, AND FORMER CITY CONTROLLER SYLVIA GARCIA, WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION.
WE WILL ALSO HONOR THE MEMORY OF LORENZO SALGADO A ROJO, AND RECOGNIZE HIS FAMILY AND THEIR ONGOING FIGHT FOR JUSTICE.
MR. SALGADO'S FAMILY WAS IN THIS CHAMBER LAST WEEK LOOKING FOR ANSWERS, EXPECTING TO HEAR THE TRUTH FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE ABOUT HPDS PARTNERSHIP WITH ICE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WERE ALSO HERE WAITING FOR ANSWERS.
HOUSTON TAXPAYERS WHO SPENT HUNDREDS OF MILLION DOLLARS ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND WHO DESERVE TRANSPARENCY.
THE INVESTMENT THAT HOUSTONIANS MAKE IN PUBLIC SAFETY BRINGS WITH IT A BASIC EXPECTATION.
TAXPAYERS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW HOW THEIR MONEY IS BEING USED, HOW THEIR GOVERNMENT IS OPERATING, AND WHETHER THE PEOPLE ENTRUSTED WITH THOSE RESOURCES ARE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
BUT INSTEAD OF PROVIDING THOSE ANSWERS, THE CHIEF OF POLICE DIDN'T SHOW UP.
THE MAYOR CLAIMED TO BE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE CHIEF WASN'T HERE, BUT THE CHIEF REPORTS TO THE MAYOR.
THE MAYOR ALSO A POINTED THE FINGER AT THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR NOT ALLOWING THE POLICE CHIEF TO BE HERE.
BUT THE CITY ATTORNEY ALSO REPORTS TO THE MAYOR.
YOU CANNOT ASK HOUSTONIANS TO TRUST THEIR GOVERNMENT WITH THEIR HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS WHILE WITHHOLDING THE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT EARNS THAT TRUST.
TAXPAYERS ARE CONTINUING TO ASK FOR ANSWERS AND FAMILIES ARE WAITING FOR THOSE SAME ANSWERS.
AND WHEN CITY OFFICIALS ARE CALLED BEFORE THIS COUNCIL TO PROVIDE THOSE ANSWERS, THEY NEED TO SHOW UP.
I ALSO WANNA BRING THIS COUNCIL'S ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SUNNYSIDE.
ACCORDING TO REPORTING FROM THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE THIS WEEK, HISD ENDED ITS NEARLY 30 YEAR LEASE OF GRIMES PARK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN ORDER TO BREAK GROUND ON A NEW CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTER.
AND RESIDENTS SAY THAT THEY LEARNED ABOUT THE CLOSURE ONLY DAYS BEFOREHAND.
FOR YEARS, SUNNYSIDE RESIDENTS PUSHED FOR INVESTMENT IN THAT PARK AND LONG AWAITED REV UH, RENOVATIONS FINALLY TOOK PLACE IN 2023.
NOW THE COMMUNITY SAYS IT LOST ITS SPACE WITH ALMOST NO WARNING.
LIGHTING AND PARK EQUIPMENT HAVE ALREADY BEEN REMOVED.
MACHINERY IS ON SITE TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION.
AND A YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE THAT HAS PRACTICED THERE SINCE 1993 IS SUDDENLY SCRAMBLING WITH NOWHERE TO PLAY.
I THINK ALL OF US UNDERSTAND HD'S MISSION TO INVEST IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, AND THIS COMMUNITY HAS SAID THAT IT WANTS THAT INVESTMENT.
BUT WHEN A DECISION LIKE THIS LANDS ON A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH SO LITTLE NOTICE, IT UNDERMINES THE TRUST THAT THAT MISSION DEPENDS ON.
SUNNYSIDE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME TRANSPARENCY AND ENGAGEMENT AND RESPECT IN THIS PROCESS AS EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN HOUSTON SHOULD.
I REACHED OUT TO HISD LEADERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN ON NOTICE ABOUT THIS CHANGE SINCE MAY, THAT THE PARK WOULD BE SHUTTING DOWN TRANSPARENCY.
WHEN WE KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA AFFECT THE LIVES OF OUR RESIDENTS, WE CAN'T WITHHOLD THAT INFORMATION, EVEN IF IT'S INCONVENIENT.
THE SOUTHEAST LIONS WOULD'VE HAD MONTHS INSTEAD OF DAYS TO FIND A PRACTICE LOCATION FOR THEIR BOYS AND GIRLS FOOTBALL TEAMS. THEY WOULD'VE HAD TIME TO PLAN.
AND NOW AGAIN, THEY'RE SCRAMBLING.
I ALSO DISCOVERED IN MY TALKS WITH HISD, THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL PATH FORWARD TO RETURN MUCH NEEDED GREEN SPACE TO THE SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE FOUR SITES WITHIN TWO MILES OF GRIMES PARK THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE CONVERTED INTO PUBLIC PARK SPACE.
AND SO I ENCOURAGE OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH HISD TO MAKE THAT A REALITY.
A BRIEF A, EXCUSE ME, A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR INVESTIGATION INTO CHRIS BROWN.
AS OF TODAY, MY OFFICE HAS STILL NOT RECEIVED A SINGLE PIECE OF INFORMATION REQUESTED FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
WE'RE NEARING THREE MONTHS SINCE THAT INFORMATION WAS FIRST REQUESTED.
AND AT TWO SUCCESSIVE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS MONTHS APART, THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS MISLED YOU AND THE PUBLIC WHILE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE MAYOR IN RAILROADING OUR OFFICE'S FACT FINDING MISSION.
MOST RECENTLY, THE CITY ATTORNEY SENT ME A LETTER STATING THAT HE WOULD GIVE MY OFFICE THE INFORMATION ONLY IF I SIGNED A DOCUMENT PROMISING NOT TO REVEAL ANY OF THE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC UNDER PENALTY OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
I'M GONNA REPEAT THAT UNDER PENALTY OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
I'M NOT THE CRIMINAL HERE AND I DO NOT TAKE CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS LIGHTLY.
THE CONTROL'S OFFICE ROUTINELY HANDLES SENSITIVE INFORMATION AND
[03:00:01]
WE HANDLE IT APPROPRIATELY, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO HERE.AS A FIDUCIARY OF THE CITY, I TAKE THAT OBLIGATION VERY SERIOUSLY.
THAT SAID, I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE ONLY OATH THAT I NEED TO TAKE TO DO MY JOB.
I'M NOT SIGNING A PLEDGE, I'M NOT SIGNING A COMMITMENT.
I'M NOT SIGNING ANY DOCUMENT AS A PRECONDITION TO ACCESSING RECORDS THAT I'M ALREADY LEGALLY ENTITLED TO REVIEW.
TAXPAYERS NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
TAXPAYERS ARE ENTITLED TO KNOW HOW THEIR MONEY IS BEING SPENT AND IF IT'S BEING SPENT PROPERLY.
AND THIS OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE THAT INFORMATION UNTIL WE GET IT.
I HAD SOME COMMENTARY ON THE WOODLANDS THAT I THINK YOU OUGHT TO HAVE HEARD FROM ME, UH, IN SUBSTANTIVE FORM.
UM, BUT TODAY WAS NOT A GOOD DAY FOR THIS COUNCIL WITH THAT DIRECTOR.
THIS IS THE ONE PLUS ONE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JULY 31ST, 2026.
FISCAL YEAR 27 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON ONE MONTH OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND 11 MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND, TOUCHING ON FISCAL YEAR 26 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS FOR GOVERNMENT FUNDS.
THE FINAL REVENUES FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 WILL INCLUDE REVENUES EARNED THROUGH JUNE 30TH, ONLY IF THEY ARE COLLECTED BY THE END OF AUGUST, WHICH HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AGO.
EXPENDITURES THROUGH JUNE 30TH WILL ALSO INCLUDE SPENDING INCURRED BEFORE THE END OF JUNE.
AND THESE EXPENSES CONTINUE TO BE RECORDED AS ACCRUALS TO FISCAL YEAR 26, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR, UH, ACCOUNTING PRACTICES, THE CURRENT PRELIMINARY UNDESIGNATED FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 IS 332 MILLION, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 6.7 MILLION HIGHER THAN OUR JUNE MOFA PROJECTION.
THESE RESULTS ARE NOT FINAL UNTIL THE PUBLICATION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 26 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, WHICH SHOULD COME BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
MOVING ON TO FISCAL YEAR 27, OUR REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS REMAIN AT BUDGET.
UH, JUST TO TOUCH ON SALES TAX RECEIPTS FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE.
UM, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE MONTH OF JUNE, SO THEY WILL BE PART OF FISCAL YEAR 20 SIXES, BUT I STILL LIKE TO PROVIDE A MONTHLY UPDATE ON SALES TAXES.
THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE WERE 90.9 MILLION, OR ABOUT 7.8% HIGHER THAN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, AND ABOUT 12.5 MILLION HIGHER THAN BUDGETED GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 27.
THAT MEANS THAT OUR BUDGETED SALES TAX AMOUNT OF 942 MILLION REPRESENTS 1.7 MILLION BELOW FISCAL YEAR 26 ACTUALS.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT OUR SALES TAX PROJECTION, UH, AND BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 IS CONSERVATIVE, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND PROVIDE MONTHLY UPDATES, UH, AS WE DO EVERY MONTH.
WE'RE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 TO BE 304.5 MILLION, WHICH IS 31.6 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND 11.6% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES NOT INCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
THAT FUND BALANCE IS $108 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES.
AGAIN, NOT INCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO FOR THE ENTERPRISE SPECIAL REVENUE AND OTHER FUNDS.
SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST MONTH OF THE FISCAL YEAR 27 REPORT, UM, AS IS STANDARD, WE'RE NOT PROJECTING ANY FORECAST CHANGES AT THIS TIME SINCE WE'RE JUST ONE, YOU KNOW, REPORTING ON THE FIRST PERIOD OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR THIS MONTH, FLICKINGER.
UH, FOR THE CONTROLLER, THIS IS A LITTLE OFF TOPIC, BUT I GUESS THAT'S OKAY FOR TODAY.
UM, WE'VE GOT A MOWING VENDOR THAT WE'VE BEEN USING FOR A WHILE NOW TO SUPPLEMENT MOWING IN THE CITY.
IT'S, UH, R-C-R-C-J COMMERCIAL SERVICES.
UH, IN FACT, UH, WE HAD QUITE A WHILE ACTUALLY FINDING SOMEBODY THANKS TO THE HELP FROM PROCUREMENT.
UH, WE BOUNCED A CHECK TO HIM MONDAY, AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET WITH YOUR OFFICE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
SO IF YOU COULD LOOK INTO THAT AND GET BACK WITH US, I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HEARING ABOUT IT, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT TO MY ATTENTION.
AND WE WILL, WE'LL GET THAT RESOLVED.
UM, CONTROLLER HOLLINS, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I'M CURIOUS, WHAT DOES THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE HAVE TO DO WITH HISD, YOU, YOU IN YOUR REPORT AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, THE PARK AND ALL, YOU KNOW, WE GET A LOT OF EMAIL ABOUT IT, AND I'M ASSUMING YOU DO TOO.
AND SO, UM, FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, PERSPECTIVE OF CONTROLLER FOR THE CITY, WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT YOUR OFFICE WILL BE DOING ABOUT THAT AND AND WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THAT? SURE.
UH, MY ENCOURAGEMENT WAS TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH HISD HERE.
UM, MY TIE TO THIS AS CONTROLLER, UH, IS THE
[03:05:01]
FINANCES THAT GO INTO THESE EFFORTS.UH, AS I LAID OUT HERE, UH, THE CITY SPENT A LOT OF MONEY, UH, ON RENOVATIONS TO, TO GRIME PARK, GRIMES PARK THAT WERE FINALIZED IN 2020, UH, THREE AND OF COURSE HAVE INVESTED IN MAINTAINING, UH, GRIMES PARK.
I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE IF WE KNEW THAT THIS PARK WAS GONNA BE SNATCHED OUT FROM UNDER US, UH, SO QUICKLY.
AND SO, UH, THERE'S CERTAINLY A, A CHALLENGE AROUND TRANSPARENCY FOR THE COMMUNITY HERE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
BUT NOW THERE'S A HUMAN NEED, UH, FOR, FOR ACCESS TO PARKS AND GREEN SPACE, UH, IN THE AREA.
AND SO I REACHED OUT, UH, TO, TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP AT HISD AND ASKED THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND, UH, I'LL TELL YOU THAT HISD DOESN'T THINK THEY GET A FAIR SHAKE FROM THE CHRONICLE.
AND SO I TOLD THEM, I SAID, I WANT TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM YOU DIRECTLY.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY SHARE WITH ME.
THEY SHARE WITH ME THAT THE CITY WAS ON NOTICE ABOUT THIS BACK IN MAY, BUT THEY ALSO ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH I THINK IS POSITIVE NEWS, IDENTIFIED, UH, SEVERAL PLOTS OF LAND IN THE AREA, UH, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE USED TO RESTORE, UH, GREEN SPACE.
AND I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR THEM HERE, BUT THERE WAS A, AN INTENTION, UM, TO, TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S POSITIVE NEWS THAT SHOULD BE CELEBRATED.
COUNCILMAN SALINAS, COUNCILMAN CARTER, THERE'S A CORRECT VERSION TO THAT THAT I'LL BE GLAD TO SHARE WITH YOU.
AND WE KNOW KENNETH ALLEN DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB AND HE'S BEEN ON IT FROM DAY ONE.
WE ALSO KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE WITH HID ON MOST MATTERS, SO I'LL BE GLAD TO GIVE YOU A VERY CURRENT ACCURATE EFFORT ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, IT WAS MAYBE MORE A RHETORICAL QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK THAT ON THE FINANCE REPORT, THERE SEEMS TO BE, OH, WE ALL SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING.
A LOT OF BLURRED INFORMATION, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS, UM, MR. CITY ATTORNEY, WHAT IS THE STATUTE THAT YOU'RE USING AS THE BASIS FOR THE LETTER YOU SENT THE CONTROLLER DEMANDING THAT HE NOT DISCLOSE THE INFORMATION HE'S PROVIDED? WELL, IT'S THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT THAT THIS IS AN INTER-AGENCY TRANSFER.
UM, SO WE WERE ASKING FOR THE INFORMATION TO BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.
BUT MY QUESTION IS THE CONTROLLER REPRESENTED, BUT PLEASE CORRECT HIM IF HE'S, IF HE'S MISSTATING IT, THAT YOUR OFFICE DEMANDED THAT HE SIGN SOMETHING SUBJECT TO PURGE TO PENALTY BY LAW THAT HE NOT DISCLOSE THE INFORMATION HE'S BEING PROVIDED.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY LANGUAGE IN THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO COMPEL AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO DO THAT.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHAT STATUTORY BASIS DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE SUCH A REQUEST ON AN INDEPENDENTLY ELECT? INDEPENDENTLY ELECTED OFFICIAL? IT WAS AN INTERAGENCY TRANSFER.
SO DO YOU HAVE A STATUTORY BASIS TO MAKE SUCH A DEMAND? IT, IT'S, IT'S HOW WE'VE INTERPRETED THE, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.
WHAT PROVISION OF THE STATUTE ARE YOU INTERPRETING TO SUPPORT THAT DEMAND? THE INTERAGENCY TRANSFER.
WHAT PARTICULAR SECTION? I'D HAVE TO LOOK UP THE CITATION.
AND DO YOU STAND BY THAT? IT'S YOUR POSITION PUBLICLY THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S ALLOWED TO DEMAND THAT? YES, WE MAKE THAT OF THE CONTROLLER.
WE CAN MAKE THAT REQUEST, YES.
HAS THAT BEEN MADE OF A PRIOR ELECTED OFFICIAL BEFORE? I'D HAVE TO CHECK.
CAN YOU PLEASE PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO US SO WE CAN PROVIDE IT TO THE PUBLIC? YES.
WE KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE SHARED THE REQUEST DIRECTLY WITH YOU THAT THE HUGE MAJORITY OF WHAT WE REQUESTED, IF NOT ALL OF IT, IS PUBLIC INFORMATION ALREADY.
UH, WE HAVE ASKED, AND I'M GONNA SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD HERE.
I KNOW YOU MISSED THE LAST TIME WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
I THINK YOU WERE, I FORGET WHY YOU WERE AWAY, BUT YOU WERE HERE THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR, UH, IS STRAIGHTFORWARD EMPLOYMENT RECORDS.
WE HAVE ALREADY STATED THAT IF THERE'S SENSITIVE INFORMATION, LIKE A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, LIKE A HOME ADDRESS, UH, THAT WE WOULD OF COURSE, UH, MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY THERE.
UH, AND ALSO THEY COULD JUST BLACK IT OUT BEFORE THEY SEND IT TO US IF THEY, IF THEY FELT LED TO DO SO.
YOU ALSO KNOW AS THE, AS THE THE OFFICIAL WHO SITS ATOP OUR AUDIT DIVISION, MY OFFICE ROUTINELY HANDLES, UH, SENSITIVE INFORMATION OF THIS NATURE AND HANDLES IT APPROPRIATELY.
AND SO TO SAY, SIGN THIS DOCUMENT THAT SAYS THAT YOU WILL NOT SHARE ANY OF THIS OTHERWISE ALREADY PUBLIC INFORMATION UNDER CRIMINAL PENALTY IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE SHARED WITH YOU.
[03:10:01]
I'M, I'M SORRY, C CONTROLLER.I KNOW THE ARTURO THAT, UM, YOU HAD A, SOME LOSSES RECENTLY.
UM, YOUR BROTHER WAS A REMARKABLE MAN.
RANDY WAS A GREAT HUMAN BEING AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT WAS A REAL LOSS FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND SO I EXTEND THAT SYMPATHY TO YOU.
UH, AND IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WAITED TO SEND OUR REPLY TO YOU FOR A TIME JUST TO, YOU KNOW, ALLOW YOU TO HAVE THAT MOMENT.
UM, I NEED YOU TO TURN OVER THESE DOCUMENTS.
YOU HAVE A PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, UH, TO DO THAT.
AND WE HAVE TO STOP THIS, RIGHT? THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALINAS AND, UH, RELATIONSHIP TO THOSE RECORDS.
UH, THE CONTROLLER HAS NO AUTHORITY.
IN FACT, WHAT HE'S DOING IS DEMONSTRATING WHY CHRIS BROWN WAS EMPLOYED, UH, FROM DAY ONE.
HE DID NOT WANT TO COOPERATE WITH THE, THE CITY.
SO OIGS ALREADY CALLED THE INQUIRY FRIVOLOUS, AND, UH, WE'LL COMPLY WITH YOUR, UH, REQUEST, UH, EXPEDITIOUSLY.
BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA CONTINUE TO PLAY POLITICS, UM, WITH MATTERS AS SERIOUS AS CITY GOVERNMENT.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
WE NEED A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE REPORT, PLEASE.
I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT MOTIONS MADE.
[MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
CUSTOMERONE I'LL BE HOSTING, UH, THE ANNUAL DISTRICT H HEALTH FAIR ON SEPTEMBER THE 12TH AT THE MELROSE COMMUNITY CENTER.
THIS WILL BE, UH, IN THE MORNING AND IT IS FOR ALL RESIDENTS TO COME.
WE WILL HAVE, UM, FOLKS ON SITE TO PROVIDE BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS, NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, RE RESOURCES, FLU SHOTS.
UH, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, SAN JOSE CLINIC, A NUMBER OF OTHER RESOURCES, AND, UH, WANNA MAKE SURE FOLKS ARE OF INVITED SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH AT THE MELROSE COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND THEN, UM, THE NOR HILL DESIGN GUIDELINES MEETING WILL BE TOMORROW.
UH, THIS IS AT PROCTOR PLAZA, 6:00 PM MYSELF, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR.
UM, THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS OF THE GUIDELINES AND THE REMAINING, UM, ITEMS THAT ARE, ARE STILL BEING WORKED THROUGH, UH, TO PROVIDE COMMENT, ASK QUESTIONS.
AND THIS WILL BE 6:00 PM PROCTOR PLAZA TOMORROW IN NOR HILL.
ALSO, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ART HOUSE HOUSTON, UH, THE NONPROFIT THAT'S BEEN TRYING TO SAVE THE GARDEN OAKS THEATER.
UH, THEY ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THEY WILL BE MOVING TO CLOSE ON THE GARDEN OAKS THEATER.
UM, AND, UH, GIVE MAUREEN MC MCNAIR A BIG, UH, KUDOS FOR REALLY SPEARHEADING THAT EFFORT AND, UH, BEING SO PERSISTENT AND RAISING MONEY AND REACHING, UH, OUT TO WHOEVER WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO VISIT.
UM, THEY BROUGHT WES ANDERSON, UH, INTO HOUSTON FOR A, A GALA TO RAISE MONEY FOR IT.
UM, I KNOW THE TUTORS WERE ALSO HEAVILY INVOLVED, BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM, UH, FOR SAVING THE HISTORIC GARDEN OAKS THEATER.
UH, OUR OFFICE HAD A NICE WIN HERE LAST WEEK.
UH, WE HAD A SITUATION ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO WHERE THERE WAS A RESIDENT THAT WITNESSED DUMPING GOING ON AND CALLED 9 1 1 TO REPORT THE DUMPING.
AND HE STAYED AND VIDEOTAPED THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY DOING THE DUMPING.
AND THE POLICE NEVER SHOWED UP.
AND WE WERE QUITE UPSET ABOUT THE FACT THAT HERE OR SOMEBODY IS REPORTING, DUMPING.
AND WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS THAT THE REASON THE POLICE DIDN'T RESPOND IS 'CAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY THE WAY THEIR PRIORITIES WERE SET UP.
DUMPING IS A PRIORITY FOR CALL.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT THERE SHOULD BE A DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN DUMPING IN PROGRESS VERSUS SOMEBODY DUMPED SOMETHING ON MY PROPERTY LAST WEEK OR WHATEVER.
[03:15:01]
AND, UH, HPD AGREED.AND NOW WE'VE GOT IT CHANGED TO WHERE THERE IS A DUMPING IN PROGRESS, UH, CALL.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN CATCH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT DOING THE DUMPING.
AND SPEAKING OF CATCHING THEM, DOING THE DUMPING, HPD DID MAKE IT OUT TO THERE, WAS ABLE TO FIND SOME EVIDENCE AND ACTUALLY CAUGHT THE PEOPLE WHO DID THE DUMPING AS WELL.
SO IT, IT ALL WORKED OUT AND WE'RE REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT.
UM, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT HOPEFULLY WE GET SOME, SOME FINALIZATION ON.
ALSO WHEN IT COMES TO DUMPING IS, UH, MYSELF AND MY OFFICE WENT OUT ON A, UH, INSPECTION, UH, OF THE TIRE FACILITIES IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF OUR SCRAP TIRE ORDINANCE.
AND IN THE COURSE OF THAT, WE FOUND ONE OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WAS ACTUALLY CUTTING THE SIDEWALLS OFF OF THE TIRES, AND THEY WERE DOING THAT BECAUSE IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO DISPOSE OF THE TIRES 'CAUSE THEY TAKE UP SO MUCH LESS SPACE.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH SOLID WASTE TO SEE IF THAT IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO CODIFY IN AN ORDINANCE.
AND THEY'RE GOING BACK WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AND, AND GETTING THEIR THOUGHTS ON IT.
AND HOPEFULLY, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO, TO ELIMINATE A LOT OF THE, UH, DUMPING WITH THE TIRES.
'CAUSE UH, I MEAN, THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT WE PROBABLY SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, UH, RESOLVING.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO SOMETHING.
AND BESIDES THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES AND, AND GET SOME IMPROVEMENT THERE.
UH, THEN LASTLY, WE'VE GOT OUR TOWN HALLS COMING UP.
UH, KINGWOOD IS SEPTEMBER 22ND.
CLEAR LAKE IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER THE EIGHTH.
AND OUR SOUTHEAST TOWN HALL IS GONNA BE IN ST.
AUGUSTINE CHURCH ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20TH.
UH, WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS OUT THERE AND, UH, HOPEFULLY A LOT OF RESIDENTS AND LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
I SOMEBODY WON'T PASS WHAT YOU SAY.
UH, SAVE THE DATE FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL FAITH AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUMMIT.
UM, IT'S, IT WILL BE HOSTED ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10TH, UM, AT THE COLLECTIVE IN DISTRICT K AT, UH, 12 4 0 1 SOUTH POST OAK.
WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT, UM, HOSTING THIS AT THE COLLECTIVE.
UH, WE ARE CREATING UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL INTERACTIONS WITH BANKERS, BUILDERS, NONPROFIT DEVELOPERS, AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF CLERGY TO ATTEND.
WE'VE LISTENED TO YOUR FEEDBACK AND, AND WE ARE ADDING MORE DIRECT RESOURCES.
UM, YOU'LL HEAR FROM TOP STAFF, FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS, FROM PERMITTING, HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN PARTNERING WITH THE CITY TO DO BUSINESS.
UM, I HAS, I, AS WE ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, UH, SINGLE FAMILY MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY ZONES, UH, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO JOIN US ON THAT SATURDAY.
I'M REALLY EXCITED, UM, ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIPS.
WE HAVE A PRESENTING PARTNER, FIFTH THIRD BANK, UH, WHICH HAS, UM, UM, ESTABLISHED PRESENCE IN THE, IN TEXAS.
UM, THEY'RE SLATED TO BUILD 150 BANKS WITH MANY OF THOSE, UM, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND SO WE WANNA, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SHARE UPDATES AROUND THAT.
AND, AND AS I CLOSE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE IDENTIFIED 361 ACRES OF LAND OWNED BY HOUSES OF WORSHIP, WHICH EQUATES TO A THOUSAND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, 7,000 MULTIFAMILY HOMES.
SO THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO MEET OUR MOMENT WITH OUR FAITH COMMUNITY.
MORE TO COME AND HAPPY TO, UH, UH, ANNOUNCE, UM, OUR CONFIRMED SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, NUMBER TWO, IT'S TIME TO PAY YOUR WATER BILL, Y'ALL.
SO, UH, THE DIRECTOR ACHI IS SHAKING POCKETS AND KNOCKING ON DOORS.
UH, WE HAVE REQUESTED, UH, A, A NUMBER IN DISTRICT F OF HOW MANY BILLS ARE PAST DUE.
WE WILL COMMUNICATE THAT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IS PREPARED TO SHARE A CHART, UM, SHOWING NUMBERS OF ALL DISTRICTS.
ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD GET THAT.
WE WILL SHARE OUR UPDATE ON FRIDAY, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEWSLETTER.
IF YOU NEED SUPPORT, REACH OUT TO THE OFFICE SO WE CAN HELP YOU GET TO A PAYMENT PLAN, UM, BEFORE THEY CUT YOUR WATER OFF.
UM, ALSO, UH, ON TOMORROW I'M MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, OUR QUARTERLY MEETING TO GO OVER ALL THINGS INFRASTRUCTURE PUT WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON RICHMOND WEST OF THE BELTWAY.
THAT IS A LONGSTANDING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT HAS NOT BEEN FUNDED, HAS NOT.
UH, AND SO WE ARE WORKING, UM, TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE ENGINEERING STUDY SO WE CAN GO BACK TO COMMUNITY WITH REAL SOLUTIONS AND, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
AND SO YOU WOULD'VE RECEIVED OUR SPECIAL CALL NEWSLETTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
ALL OF YOUR FEEDBACK AROUND THAT HAS, UH, BEEN ADDED TO OUR AGENDA.
SO STAY TUNED TO THE DISTRICT F NEWSLETTER ON FRIDAY, AND YOU'LL HAVE AN UPDATE.
[03:20:01]
DO, UM, WOULD ASK IF Y'ALL HAVE THE FLYER FOR OCTOBER 10TH, WE'LL PUT IT IN OUR NEWSLETTER, UM, AS WELL, BECAUSE I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW EXCITED WE ARE ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW FAITH CHURCH.UM, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX COMING ONLINE SOON.
UH, DO WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING PLAT APPLICATION 20 26 13 28 LOOM CREST PLAZA.
UH, THE SITE IS LOCATED AT 1 4 2 1 7 MAIN STREET AT LOOM CREST.
UH, THE APPLICANT STATED THAT THE DEVELOPER WISHES TO REPL THE PROPERTY INTO ONE RESTRICTED RESERVE.
SO RESIDENTS IN FONDREN COMMUNITY CAN PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS PARTICULAR, UM, HEARING ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH AT 2:30 PM IN THE CITY HALL ANNEX.
AND WE'LL MAKE SURE TO SEND THIS OUT TO OUR RESIDENTS AS WELL IN CASE THEY HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS THEY'D LIKE TO, UM, PUT INTO THE RECORD AT OUR NEXT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, CO COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUST A GENTLE REMINDER ABOUT LIFE HOUSTON'S INFANT FOOD, UH, DRIVE THIS MONTH.
WOULD LOVE YOUR PARTICIPATION AND FOR YOU TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
UM, SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HAVING AN INFANT FOOD BANK AND WANNA DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THE BABIES IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE FOOD, UM, FOR, UH, THEM TO, UH, EAT.
UH, ALSO WANT TO WELCOME, UH, HAYA ALANI.
UH, SHE'S MAJORING IN POLITICAL STUDIES.
SHE'LL BE WORKING WITH US IN THE DISTRICT, A OFFICE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, ENGAGING WITH YOU AND SHARING AND LEARNING, UH, FROM EACH OTHER.
AND THEN SUPER EXCITED THAT ALEXANDRA TAYLOR, ALEXANDRIA TAYLOR IS HERE TODAY.
SHE HAS AN INTEREST IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC SERVICE.
SO ANYTIME WE GET THESE CALLS FROM YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, FROM OUR AREA, UM, THAT ARE INTERESTED, WE LOVE TO WELCOME THEM TO THEIR CITY HALL SO THEY CAN SEE, UM, OUR GOVERNMENT IN ACTION.
UM, AND HAPPY TO HAVE HER SHADOWING IN THE DISTRICT A OFFICE TODAY.
Y'ALL BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND MAKE IT A GREAT DAY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE TO OUR NEXT COFFEE WITH THE COPS AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
IT'LL BE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH AT 10:00 AM AT TRINITY MINDEN HALL, WHICH IS 1 4 1 4 WT ROAD.
WE'LL HAVE COFFEE LIGHT BITES.
UM, BRING ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, FIRST I JUST WANT TO, UH, GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE MET WITH THEM AND A FEW OF OUR LITTLE LEAGUES FOOT, UH, LITTLE LEAGUE FOOTBALL TEAMS THAT STARTED THEIR SEASON, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO.
UH, USUALLY WE USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FIELDS ARE READY, BUT ALSO MAKE MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THEY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS WITH THE PERMITTING, UM, AND JUST THEIR GAME SCHEDULES, MAKING SURE THAT THE, THE KIDS ARE SAFE AS WELL.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE PARKS DIRECTOR AND HIS TEAM.
UM, IN ADDITION TO WISHING THE EAST END EAGLES AND THE MAGNOLIA PARK SHARKS A SUCCESSFUL SEASON, I ALSO WANNA, UH, CONGRATULATE THE MARIACHI FESTIVAL FOR THOSE THAT WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THIS, THE SEVENTH ANNUAL MARIACHI FESTIVAL, IT WAS AT THE WAR.
THEM, UH, FOR THOSE THAT COULD REMEMBER, UH, THE FIRST MARIACHI FESTIVAL WAS AT TBH LENTO BILINGUAL DE HOUSTON.
AND NOW IT'S GROWN INTO, UH, AND IT WAS ONLY ONE DAY AND NOW IT'S GROWN INTO THREE DAYS AT THE WORTHHAM.
AND SO I WANNA THANK HOUSTON FIRST FOR SUPPORTING THOSE EFFORTS.
UM, OF COURSE PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON MEG BOOTH FOR ALSO PARTNERING WITH MARIACHI FESTIVAL.
UH, AND JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, UH, SEE THIS FESTIVAL AND HAVE A SOLD OUT, UH, THREE DAY EVENT.
UH, THERE'S SEVERAL FOLKS ON SUNDAY WHERE THEY'RE TAKING THEIR ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS AND, UH, JUST IT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE OF SHARING CULTURE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, AND AT ONE OF HOUSTON'S, UH, PREMIER, UH, VENUES AS WELL AT THE WORTHHAM.
AND THEN LASTLY, I ALSO WANNA WELCOME, UH, FATI KOSTA, OUR FALL CHIP IN INTERN.
SHE CAN STAND, UH, SHE'S A SENIOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, MAJORING IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND MINOR IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION.
WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD.
UH, OUR OFFICE LOVES TO LIFT UP THE, THE CHIP INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
ACTUALLY MY CHIEF OF STAFF EDIT SANTA MARIA WAS ALSO A CHIP INTERN.
SO, UH, THERE'S A LOT, LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO FATIMA, AND WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU WITH OUR TEAM AS WELL.
ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, WE STAND, SIR.