* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Proposition A Committee on September 29, 2026.] [00:00:13] ALL RIGHT. WELCOME EVERYONE. IF WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. GOOD MORNING. I AM YOUR CHAIR, MARY ANNE HUFFMAN, CHAIR OF THE PROPOSITION A COMMITTEE WHERE IDEAS BECOME ORDINANCES. I'D LIKE TO, UM, START WITH, IT IS 2:02 PM ON SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2026, AND I'M GONNA CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. AS A REMINDER, PUBLIC SPEAKERS WILL SPEAK AFTER WE HEAR, UM, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, WHO IS GOING TO BE PRESENTING TO US TODAY. I WANNA WELCOME ALL OF THOSE IN ATTENDANCE AND THOSE WATCHING ONLINE. AND I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. DO YOU HAVE ANY REMARKS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THIS PROP A HAS REALLY BEEN ENLIGHTENING, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL FOR THE CITIZENS OF, AND THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND I'M JUST GLAD TO BE HERE TO BE ABLE TO HELP FACILITATE THOSE OBJECTIVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MEMBER ALCORN'S, OFFICE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM PECK, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PANZELLA'S OFFICE. ALL RIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ TO LET US KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU, CHAIR. GOOD AFTERNOON, COLLEAGUES. UH, TODAY I'M PRESENTING A PROPOSITION A RELATED TO OUR PROCESS FOR APPROVING CHANGES TO FUTURE PROPOSED RECYCLING PROGRAMS. WE ALL KNOW THAT RECENT RESTRUCTURING WITH SOLID WASTE, UH, DEPARTMENT MOVED SOLID WASTE UNDER THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS AND IMPLEMENTED A $5 ADMINISTRATIVE FEE WITH FUTURE INCREMENT INCREMENTAL FEES FOR TRASH. UM, I BELIEVE THIS REFORM WAS NEEDED, BUT NOW WARRANTS INCREASED TRANSPARENCY, OVERSIGHT, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC, UH, INPUT ON PROPOSED FUTURE CHANGES THAT MAY IMPACT THE CITY'S RECYCLING PROGRAMS. SO THE PROPOSED, AS CURRENTLY DRAFTED IS, AND, AND ALL OF Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU, ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 39 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE ANY PROGRAM, POLICY OR CONTRACT THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE COLLECTION, PROCESSING, TRANSPORTATION OR DISPOSAL OF DIVERTABLE MATERIALS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO RECYCLES RECYCLABLES AND, AND COMPOSTABLES FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OWNED OR MANAGED LANDFILLS UNDER THE SOLID WASTE DIVISION SHALL BE REQUIRED TO BE APPROVED BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. THIS REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO INTERNAL STAFF ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO EMPLOYEE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, STAFF TRAINING INITIATIVES, OR OTHER NON-BINDING INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS. THIS PROPOSAL, UH, PROPOSAL ORDINANCE REQUIRES CHANGES TO, REQUIRES CHANGES TO ANY PROGRAM, POLICY, OR CONTRACT THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE COLLECTION, PROCESSING, TRANSPORTATION OR DISPOSAL OF RECYCLABLES TO BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL. ULTIMATELY, THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT ABOUT TELLING SOLID WASTE WHAT PROCESS TO USE. IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO RECYCLING ARE MADE TRANSPARENTLY, ACCOUNTABLY, AND WITH THE PUBLIC AT THE TABLE. WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSIONS. I ALSO FORGOT TO WELCOME OUR PROPOSITION, A ATTORNEY DANNY NORRIS, TO ANSWER ALL OUR LEGAL QUESTIONS. UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ OR HIS PROPOSAL? COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR PRESENTING THIS. UM, SO JUST CURIOUS, UH, I'VE READ, READ THE SUMMARY, WHICH YOU OUTLINED. IS THERE A LANGUAGE YET ON WHAT THE, UH, PROPOSAL WOULD ACTUALLY SAY? SO THE, THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE, UM, I THINK, UH, IF YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU. IT'S, UH, THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE LANGUAGE IS IN FRONT. YEAH, SORRY. I'M SORRY. ACTUALLY, WE, WE HAVE THE SUMMARY, I MEAN, THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE, UH, EDITH, WE NEED THE ORDINANCE, THE RED LINE. UH, SO I THINK THAT, AND I THINK THAT DID, DID, UH, BRAD, I THINK HE SENT THAT OUT. YOU TALKING ABOUT JUST THE LANGUAGE ITSELF? 'CAUSE THIS'S ACTUALLY CONTAINED, I THINK IT'S CONTAINED. SO THIS IS A SUMMARY, BUT THE ACTUAL RED LINE TO THE CHAPTER CHAPTER 39. YES. I, YEAH. THAT, THAT WAS, UH, THERE, THERE WAS NO RED LINE. I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A RED LINE THAT WAS SENT OUT, BUT THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE, I THINK ITSELF WAS SENT OUT, SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENT OUT. I THOUGHT IT WAS SENT OUT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN EMAIL. I THINK [00:05:01] IT SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT ABOUT LAST WEEK. I THINK LAST WEDNESDAY. IT SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT VIA, UM, UH, I THINK BRADLEY OUT OF, OF COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HUFFMAN'S OFFICE, I THINK SENT THAT OUT. THE ACTUAL DRAFT LANGUAGE. LET ME FIND IT REAL QUICK. AND WE, WE CAN, UM, WHILE WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT, WE WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER SALINAS'S OFFICE. THE COMMITTEE DID SEND THAT OUT. YEAH, THE COMMITTEE SENT THAT OUT AS WELL. LET ME FIND IT REAL QUICK AND THAT WAY I CAN READ IT OUT AS WELL. ONE SECOND. YEAH, SO IT'S, UH, SO THE DRAFT PROPOSAL, IT'S ANY PROGRAM POLICY OR CONTRACT THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE COLLECTION? ESSENTIALLY WHAT, WHAT I'VE, WHAT I'VE, UH, BUT I, IT'S A SUMMARY AS WELL. OKAY. UM, SO THIS, ONE OF THE THINGS IT WOULD DO, UH, IT SEEMS IS EXPAND THE CONTRACT AMOUNT, UH, LIMIT THAT OR RE REDUCE IT, I GUESS, UH, ON, ON CONTRACTS THAT HAVE TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL, CURRENTLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR MORE. RIGHT. UH, COME BEFORE COUNCIL. SO, SO THIS, ANY DOLLAR AMOUNT THEN, UH, WOULD COME BEFORE COUNCIL THIS, IF THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL RECYCLING PROGRAM THAT'S COMING FORWARD. SO, UH, WE'VE HAD SOME EXAMPLES MORE RECENTLY, UM, WHEN IT CAME TO, LET ME PULL THIS UP, THE RE THE RECYCLING, MOU, WHERE THERE WAS NO DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A MAJOR CONTRACT THAT WE, WE, WE'VE, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD SOME, SOME OVERSIGHT OVER THAT ONE. ALRIGHT. AND, AND FOR CLARIFICATION, SO WE'RE USING, UM, RULE, UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE DOING RULE 24 WHERE WE'RE JUST PROPOSING IT. WE'RE RULE 23 IS WHERE WE ACTUALLY DO THE, THE, UH, I SEE THE RED LINE. OKAY. AND IT WOULD EXCLUDE INTERNAL STAFF ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS. AND SO THOSE WOULD BE ANY, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES, PROGRAMS RELATED TO PERSONNEL? CORRECT. SO THIS ORDINANCE WILL PRESERVE ALL INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS. UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SEEKING HERE IS, UH, POLICY AND CONTRACT THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT COLLECTION, PROCESSING, TRANSPORTATION, UM, OF THE VERTIBLE MATERIAL. MM-HMM . DOES THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE A POSITION ON IT? UM, SO WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH SOME OF THE STAFF MEMBERS. UH, THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY REAL BIG PUSHBACK, UH, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD AS A PROP A AND THEN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AROUND THE HORSESHOE WHEN TIME IS APPROPRIATE AS WELL. AND SO I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING MORE TRANSPARENCY, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS TRASH FEE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT, UM, IS THERE A NEED FOR THIS AND LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD SAY THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THE COLLECTION DAY FOR PICKING UP RECYCLING, WOULD THAT FALL UNDER POLICY? SO, E UM, THIS IS, UM, DOESN'T DO THE ACTUAL, UM, THE INTERNAL PROCESS. THIS IS MORE WITH CONTRACTS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE RECYCLING MATERIAL. OKAY. SO, AND SO BESIDES CONTRACTS, GIVE ME, UM, DO YOU HAVE LIKE ANOTHER EXAMPLE YOU CAN KIND OF SHARE WITH US? YEAH, SO, UM, SO WHEN WE, AGAIN, LET ME GO BACK TO THE RECYCLING MOU THAT WE DID IN 2022 BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS MOU SPECIFICALLY AND THE STATUS OF IT. UM, WE'VE PAUSED IT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, IF IT'S BEEN INDEFINITE, LIKE CANCELED. AND SO THOSE TYPES OF, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT SPECIFIC TYPE OF PROGRAM. UH, PERSONALLY, I'VE, UH, VISITED FCC AS WELL, SOME OF MANY OF US HAVE. AND CONTRACTUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'VE BEEN, UH, COMMITTING TO EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS THAT HAVE, THAT HAS THAT ACTUALLY BEEN HAPPENING. SO IT'S, FROM WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PRESENT HERE IS THAT ANYTHING THAT WE DO DISCUSS WITHIN THE RECYCLING, UH, PROCESS THAT, UH, WHETHER IT'S, AGAIN, PICKUP DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMMING, UH, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY AGREEING TO PRIOR TO ACCEPTING THOSE CONTRACTS. THAT MAKE SENSE? UH, I, I THINK I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND YOU. UM, SO THIS WOULD APPLY TO ANY POLICY, UH, WHETHER IT'S WRITTEN OR UNWRITTEN, FORMAL OR INFORMAL WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS, UH, RECYCLING, CORRECT? MM-HMM . OKAY. DO THEY HAVE INTERNAL WRITTEN POLICIES THE WAY, SAY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS MIGHT? THEY DO. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHENEVER COLLECTION, THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAIN POLICIES THAT THEY FOLLOW AS WELL. [00:10:01] UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, WE HAVE, UH, WHAT, WHAT IS, UH, A AMOUNT OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, YARD WASTE THAT, THAT COULD BE PUT OUT OR, UM, HEAVY TRASH THAT THEY COULD PUT OUT. SO THERE ARE SOME INTERNAL POLICIES. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE TACKLING A LOT OF THOSE INTERNAL PROCESSES, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ON LARGER, UM, PROGRAMMING PROGRAM OR CONTRACTS THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO SEE THAT HERE. AND THE, THE FOCUS, AGAIN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE BEGUN TO, UH, MOVE SOLID WASTE UNDER PUBLIC WORKS, HAVING THIS ADMINISTRATIVE FEE, IT'S, I FEEL IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE HELD MORE ACCOUNTABLE, BE MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THOSE DOLLARS. HMM. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION AND A STATEMENT. SO BASICALLY THIS ORDINANCE, THIS AMENDMENT, IT WILL REQUIRE SOLID WASTE. ANYTHING THAT'S DEALING WITH, UM, MONEY CONTRACTS OR WHATEVER, HAS TO COME BACK TO, UM, COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. SO PROGRAMS, POLICY, OR CONTRACTS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT OR AFFECT COLLECTION, PROCESSING, OR TRANSPORTATION OR DISPOSAL OF THE IBLE MATERIALS. OKAY. SO DON'T, UM, THESE TYPE OF ITEMS HAVE TO COME TO COUNCIL CURRENTLY? JUST CURIOUS. NO, NOT, NOT ALL. UM, WE DO SEE SOME OF THEM, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM DO. AND SO THIS IS TO, SO WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE DO SEE THESE, UH, AGREEMENTS BEFORE US AS WELL. OKAY. THANKS. ANYBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE TO SPEAK? SAYING NONE. WE WILL NOW RECOGNIZE OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS. PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER, BETH MARTIN. THANK YOU, MS. MARTIN. YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. CHIN IS TO PROTECT THE NATURAL WORLD TO CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES AND PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT. WE WORK TO REDUCE WASTE AND MOVE TOWARD A SYSTEM IN WHICH PRODUCTS ARE BUILT TO LAST, AND MATERIALS ARE REUSED, RECYCLED, AND COMPOSTED. THIS PROPOSITION IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARD FOR A MINUTE. WE'VE RECENTLY MET WITH A NUMBER OF OFFICES, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH ALL OFFICES. OUR GROUP STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE MAYOR'S BUDGET, CREATING A FIVE $5 FEE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ REFERENCED EARLIER, TO HELP FUND SOLID WASTE SERVICES. I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT CONSISTENT AND REGULAR PICKUP IS KEY FOR INCREASING RECYCLING RATES. WE REGULARLY CONSULT WITH HOPE 1, 2, 3, AS A COALITION PARTNER, LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN WHO PROVIDE THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND THEIR INPUT HELPS INFORM OUR ADVOCACY. SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SERVICE FOR HOUSTONIANS. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ RIGHTLY, BRINGS THIS PROPOSITION, A ORDINANCE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON TRANSPARENCY. DURING THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, AN MOU WAS SIGNED BY THE MAYOR WITH COMPANIES WHO PLEDGED TO WORK WITH THE CITY THROUGH THE HOUSTON RECYCLING COLLABORATIVE, SORRY, HOUSTON RECYCLING COLLABORATION TO RECYCLE PLASTICS THROUGH AN ADVANCED RECYCLING PROCESS, ALSO KNOWN AS CHEMICAL RECYCLING. ENVIRONMENTAL AND NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCATES OPPOSE CHEMICAL RECYCLING BECAUSE IT'S POLLUTING, NOT ACTUALLY RECYCLING, AND THE PROGRAM NEVER DELIVERED ON ITS PROMISES. IN FACT, THE PLASTIC COLLECTED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS BEEN SITTING IN A WAREHOUSE AS REVEALED BY INVESTIGATIVE REPORT. TRANSPARENCY IS SOMETHING EVERYONE CAN AGREE WITH, AND THIS AGREEMENT WAS MADE WITHOUT ANY CONSULTATION WITH COUNCIL OR PUBLIC INPUT. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HEAR FROM NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS OUR CITY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO APPROVE CHANGES TO OUR RECYCLING PROGRAM. IN THE END, THIS PROPOSITION WILL CREATE A MORE INFORMED AND ROBUST DISCUSSION AROUND RECYCLING COUNSEL. I WANNA REMIND UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM'S AMENDMENT FOR 250,000 FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION ON RECYCLING TO DECREASE OUR CONTAMINATION RATE. NOT ONLY SHOULD RESIDENTS KNOW WHAT CAN AND CAN'T BE RECYCLED, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRUST THAT WHAT THEY PUT IN THEIR RECYCLING BINS IS BEING PROPERLY RECYCLED. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BY PASSING THIS PROPOSITION, YOU'LL BE TAKING THE FIRST STEP AT ENSURING RECYCLING DECISIONS ARE MADE IN THE LIGHT OF DAY. HOUSTONIANS NOW PAYING, PAYING INTO THESE SERVICES DESERVE THAT CLARITY. WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US IN SUPPORTING COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S EFFORT TO MAKE TRANSPARENCY AND RECYCLING A REALITY AND POLICY. THANK YOU. [00:15:01] THANK YOU. BEFORE WE CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, I WANNA WELCOME STAFF FROM MAYOR PRO TIM'S OFFICE. AND JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC, THERE'S A SIGNUP SHEET ON THE TABLE UP FRONT IF ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO SIGN UP. OH, AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S OFFICE HAS JOINED US. THANK YOU. CALL THE NEXT SPEAKER. MALACHI KEY. YOU WANT ME? OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MAL IKE, AND I'M HERE TODAY AS REPRESENTATIVE OF ALLIANCE HOUSTON. OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS SIMPLE. WE BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE, NO MATTER THEIR BACKGROUND OR WHERE THEY LIVE, DESERVES TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR. WE BELIEVE THAT PROPERLY MANAGING WASTE AND BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THE COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENT AROUND US ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT MISSION, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAPPY TO STAND HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ'S PROPOSAL. WHILE WASTE MANAGEMENT TRANSPARENCY ORDINANCE AND AIR QUALITY MIGHT NOT SEEM RELATED, ONE NEEDS TO LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE RECENT TRAGIC MAMMOTH METAL RECYCLING FIRE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO TO SEE WHAT A LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO MAN WASTE MANAGEMENT. NOIA SMOKE FILLED WITH PARTICULATE MATTER POURING INTO COMMUNITIES FOR HOURS. BUT MUCH OF OUR SUPPORT FOR THIS AMENDMENT COMES FROM ONE ILL FADED PROGRAM, THE HOUSTON RECYCLING COLLABORATION. DURING THE PREVIOUS, MY ADMINISTRATION AND MOU WAS SIGNED BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON SUPPORTING, UH, AN INCREASE OF MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL RECYCLING RATES. UH, WE HERE AT AIRLINES FIRMLY OPPOSE CHEMICAL RECYCLING DUE TO WHAT WE FEAR IS EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF AIR POLLUTANTS AND WASTE POURED INTO COMMUNITIES. BUT EVEN IF WE LAND ON DIFFERENT OPINIONS REGARDING CHEMICAL RECYCLING, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THIS PROGRAM DID NOT WORK. UH, AS BELIEVERS IN TRANSPARENCY AIR ALLIANCE, ALONG WITH THE LAST BEACH NETWORK AND THE LATE GREAT INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, JIM BRUS TESTED THIS PROGRAM BY USING TRACKERS TO SEE WHETHER THE PLASTIC WAS ENDING UP AT THE CHEMICAL RECYCLING FACILITIES. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM OUR TRACKER SHEET, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO SEND TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I'VE SHARED WITH MANY OF Y'ALL BEFORE, UM, THESE ARE NOT ENDING UP AT THE FACILITY. THEY SAY THEY ENDED UP AT MANY OF THESE TRACKERS ENDED UP AT RIGHT WASTE MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS AN OPEN AIR UNPERMITTED, UH, FACILITY THAT HAD MULTIPLE FIRE CODE VIOLATIONS. A LOT OF THESE ARE ENDING UP IN LANDFILLS OR, UH, BEING SHIPPED INTO OTHER STATES COMPLETELY, WHICH IS NOT WHAT THE PROGRAM PROMISED. AFTER MULTIPLE YEARS OF BAD PRESS AND COMPANIES PULLING OUT THE PROGRAM SEEMS TO HAVE QUIETLY SHUTTERED. TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE NOT HERE TO SHAME WASTE MANAGEMENT STAFF OR ANYONE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WE'RE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. WE KNOW DIRECTOR LARRY S HASSAN HAS BEEN HARD AT WORK, MOVING SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT INTO A BRIGHTER ERA, AND WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE EFFORTS LIKE MAYOR PRO TIM MARTHA CASTEX, TATUMS RECYCLING EDUCATION INITIATIVE, AS WELL AS FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN'S MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING PILOT PROGRAM. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. UM, YEAH. WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, WE ARE EXCITED AND HOPEFUL FOR A SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT THAT OPERATES EFFICIENTLY AND OPENLY. UH, THE PUBLIC DESERVES TO NOT REPEAT THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST RECYCLING PROGRAMS IF THEY ARE NOT PROPERLY INFORMED, EDUCATED, UH, THEY SUFFER. THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAVE BEEN BAD FOR HOUSTON RECYCLING. AND IF WE WANNA GET THESE RATES UP AND GET OUR CONTAMINATION DOWN, UH, WE NEED A PROGRAM THAT'S TRANSPARENT AND OPEN. AND I THINK THAT THIS ORDINANCE WILL HOPELY PROVIDE FOR FUTURE PROGRAMS THAT FILL THAT BILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, IF YOU'LL STAY AT THE MICROPHONE. MR. MALACHI? YES. WE HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. NOW, YOU MENTIONED THE BIG RECYCLING FIRE THAT WE WERE ALL, YOU KNOW, AWARE OF. YES. RECENTLY THAT HAPPENED. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD'VE HELPED PREVENT SOMETHING LIKE THAT? OR HOW DO YOU THINK, DO YOU THINK THIS ORDINANCE WOULD'VE HAD A, HAD AN EFFECT IF THIS ORDINANCE HAD BEEN ON THE BOOKS? UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT OPERATE THROUGH CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY. UH, I THINK THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A FACILITY THAT REALLY COULD HAVE STOOD TO HANDLE MORE INSPECTION. UH, THERE'S MORE ROOM FOR CITY COUNCIL TO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, HAVE THESE PROGRAMS AND THESE CONTRACTS BROUGHT BEFORE THEM, UH, HAVE GREATER POTENTIAL FOR BEING ABLE TO INSPECT THESE. IN GENERAL, MY KNOWLEDGE IS SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT. IT'S NOT MY MAIN AREA. BUT I WILL SAY THAT'S MORE OF AN EXAMPLE OF, I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND A LACK OF INSPECTION AT THAT PARTICULAR SITE. UH, AND WHILE I DON'T KNOW IF IT COULD HAVE BEEN SOLVED BY THIS ORDINANCE IN PARTICULAR, I DO THINK THAT FUTURE ISSUES CAN BE SOLVED THROUGH THIS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MALACHI. THANK YOU. UH, WE APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK FROM ENVIRONMENT, TEXAS AND, AND AIR ALLIANCE. SO THE MMOU, YOU WERE REFERRING TO THAT, THAT PREDATED THIS COUNCIL, IS THAT CORRECT, OR? THAT IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, UM, IT'S BEEN VERY CHALLENGING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER IT'S STILL ONGOING. WHEN WE VISITED THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPOSITORY IS UP UNTIL THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THEY'RE STILL DISPLAYING LABELS THAT REFERENCE THIS PROGRAM, THAT REFERENCE THE ABILITY TO RECYCLE ALL OF YOUR PLASTIC. UM, WHICH WE KNOW BOTH FROM OUR RESEARCH AND FROM, UH, INTERNAL ADMISSIONS, THAT'S NOT REALLY CONTINUING. OKAY. AND LET ME ASK YOU WHETHER OR NOT THIS MOU WAS APPROVED BY, UH, PRIOR COUNSEL OR NOT? SO, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND WITH [00:20:01] THE MOU, THAT WAS MORE OR LESS IN THE INFORMAL CONTRACT, ALTHOUGH IT IS DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, I I TAKE IT PRETTY SERIOUSLY, IT'S RECYCLING EDUCATION. UH, AS I UNDERSTAND THAT WAS HANDLED BY A, SIGNED BY A SMALL NUMBER OF INTERNAL CITY STAFF. I DON'T BELIEVE IT WENT TO BEFORE CITY COUNCIL. SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL JUST BE CANDID. I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT TRYING TO MICROMANAGE A CITY DEPARTMENT. SURE. AND, UM, WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT THIS SORT OF PROBLEM COULD BE ADDRESSED WITH AN ORDINANCE DIRECTED AT MOUS. IN OTHER WORDS, MAKING THEM COME TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL OR JUST OUTRIGHT, UH, BANNING CHEMICAL RECYCLING OR, UH, PASSING AN ORDINANCE THAT, UH, CHEMICAL RECYCLING HAS TO BE APPROVED BY, BY COUNCIL. WHAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? UH, I MEAN, WE WOULD BE FIRMLY IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I MEAN, I AM SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ IS AS WELL. UH, WE THINK THAT CHEMICAL RECYCLING HAS BEEN A BAD DEAL FOR A LOT OF CITIES. I CAN SEND YOU MULTIPLE ARTICLES ON CITIES THAT HAVE HAD A SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE THEY'VE STARTED A PROGRAM AND THEN YEARS LATER FOUND THAT IT'S NOT PROGRESSING. SO I THINK SOMETHING TARGETING MOUS OR CHEMICAL RECYCLING IN GENERAL, UH, COULD DEFINITELY BE HELPFUL, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO HELP WORK ON THE LANGUAGE FOR THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCIL, MEMBER CARTER. THANK YOU. CHAIR. UM, THAT MOU WAS SIGNED BY VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS. I ACTUALLY HAVE A COPY OF IT, BUT IT'S, I, I WAS OUT AT THE FACILITY RECENTLY MM-HMM . AND THAT THE PROGRAM IS NOT ACTIVE AND HAS NOT BEEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UM, WITH EXXONMOBIL. BUT IT, IT WAS PREVIOUS THAT, THAT MOU WAS SIGNED BY ONE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, PREVIOUS CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, UM, CYCL EXXON MOBIL, FCC AND LYB, WHICH LINE DEL BASSEL. BUT ANYWAY, YES, THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN CARTER, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. YEAH. SO JUST TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT, SO IT WAS NOT APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, AND, UH, JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. WE'RE NOT DE, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MICROMANAGE, UM, AT, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS ORDINANCE, BUT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS, UH, MAKE SURE THAT ANY MAJOR CHANGES THAT THEY COME TO CITY COUNCIL, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUR EYES ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS. MOU THAT WAS, THAT, UH, COUNCIL CARTER HAD JUST MENTIONED. UH, BUT FOR IT PAUSING MORE RECENTLY, WHAT WE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT AT THE END OF THE DAY. UH, SO AGAIN, IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT MICROMANAGING THE, THE, UH, THE INTERNAL PROCESSES IS, UM, YOU KNOW, ROUTINE OPERATIONS. UH, BUT, UM, LARGE ITEMS, UH, WE SHOULD HAVE OUR EYES ON THEM. SO APPRECIATE, UH, YOU BEING HERE AS WELL, MALACHI. OF COURSE. AND ALSO, THIS DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO DO WITH THE ORDINANCE, BUT JUST BECAUSE THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY MY WHEELHOUSE EITHER MM-HMM . UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE ARGUMENTS, LIKE, WHAT ARE THE PROPONENTS FOR CHEMICAL RECYCLING SAYING, UH, THE PROPONENTS FOR CHEMICAL RECYCLING ARE SAYING THAT WITH MORE FAVORABLE REGULATION AND MARKET CONDITIONS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN WORK. UH, AND THEY'RE SAYING IT CAN WORK AT WIDER SCALE THAN MECHANICAL RECYCLING. UM, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE FRANKLY HAVEN'T SEEN. UH, A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS RELY VERY HEAVILY ON SUBSIDIES, UH, VARIOUS DIFFERENT REVIEWS OF THAT. WE'LL BACK THIS UP, AND THAT WAS KIND OF THE PROBLEM HERE, IS THAT THESE FACILITIES, MORE OR LESS DRAGGED THEIR FEET ON THE OPENING TIME FOR THEM, AND THEN DECIDED TO REINVEST IN A MORE FAVORABLE MARKET, UH, SPECIFICALLY EUROPE. UM, AND IT'S UNCERTAIN IF THAT WOULD CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. SO, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, UM, THAT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AND, AND I HAVE BEEN BOTH AT FCC, BUT ALSO AT EXXON, BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THIS, HAVING WORKED WITH, UM, ONE OF YOUR AIR ALLIANCE MEMBERS, UM, AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT WHEN IT WAS, WHEN IT WAS SIGNED, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ELEMENTS WEREN'T TRULY IN PLACE MM-HMM . TO, TO REALLY RECYCLE. UM, BUT SO COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, I, I CERTAINLY WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT, AT, UM, ANYTHING THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD, UH, PUT AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE AS FAR AS RECYCLING, BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO SECRET THIS, THIS MOU AS WELL AS THE RECYCLING, UM, WITH FCC, BOTH ARE QUESTIONABLE. WE HAVE ISSUES, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ISSUES WITH THIS BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN PLACE. I MEAN, IT'S NOT ACTIVE, BUT FCC AND THE ABILITY TO RECYCLE AND WHAT'S RECYCLABLE AND THE EDUCATION BEHIND IT. AND I THINK CERTAINLY, UH, THERE'S A, AND I WASN'T AROUND BACK THEN, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WAS A LOT MORE WORK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT INTO THESE OPTIONS WHEN THE MOU WAS SIGNED AND EVEN THE FCC AGREEMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, [00:25:03] SPEAKER. UM, OUR MARTINEZ NEXT SPEAKER IS STEPHANIE MARTINEZ. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. UM, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE MARTINEZ. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ECAP, WHICH IS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FOR GALENA PARK. AND I AM HERE TO SUPPORT THE COM, UM, PROPOSITION AA FOR COMMUNITIES, UM, FOR ALLOWING HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO FULLY EXERCISE THE AUTHORITY GRANTED TO IT BY THE VOTERS AND NO BACKDOOR DEALS. SUPPORTING THIS PROPOSITION ALLOWS TRANSPARENCY TO OUR COMMUNITIES. THIS PROPOSITION IS IMPORTANT TO ALL COMMUNITIES AND SHOULD BE RESPECTED AND BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL, AND SHOULD BE DECIDED THROUGH AND FAIR TRANSPARENCY DEMOCRACY PROCESS WITH A MAJORITY VOTE. UM, I URGE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THIS PROPOSITION, RESPECT THE WILL OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY VOTERS, AND ALLOW THAT THE BODY CONDUCTS ITS BUSINESS THROUGH AN OPEN, FAIR, AND MAJORITY RULE PROCESS. REGULATIONS AND TRANSPARENCY ARE IMPORTANT AND ALL SHOULD BE OPENLY ADDRESSED AND VOTED AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER. THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING AGAIN, HAPPENING BEHIND THE DOORS. EVERYTHING SHOULD COME IN FRONT OF YOU. THAT'S WHAT WE AS COMMUNITIES VOTED FOR. THERE SHOULD BE NO DECISIONS MADE WITHOUT YOU BEING AWARE OF OR ANYTHING CHANGED WITHOUT YOU BEING AWARE OF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE? UH, BILL KELLY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. BILL KELLY, COME FORWARD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST WANTED TO, UH, BRIEFLY, UH, ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ HAD. UH, FIRST WANTING TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. HE'S, UH, SINCE BEFORE HE WAS SITTING IN THE HORSESHOE, HE HAS BEEN WORKING ON SOLID WASTE IMPROVEMENT AND, AND REALLY WANNA JUST BE THANKFUL FOR HIS EFFORTS. A LOT OF THIS COMES FROM A MISTAKE THAT WE MADE IN THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION, AND I VERY MUCH TAKE RESPONSIBILITY ON THAT. AS, AS, UH, UH, SOMEONE WHO WORKED WITH MAYOR TURNER, WE PHRASED THE ORDINANCE THE WAY WE WERE LOOKING TO PHRASE IT, TO CAPTURE AN MOU, RIGHT? THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE REALLY KIND OF LOOKING AT. UH, WHILE WE DIDN'T, UH, IT WASN'T JUST A CONTRACTING AMOUNT BECAUSE THE MOU ACTUALLY DOESN'T HAVE A MONETARY AMOUNT. SO WE ENUMERATED THOSE INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS TO WHERE IF SOLID WASTE WANTS TO PICK UP MY RECYCLING ON TUESDAY INSTEAD OF MONDAY, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD APPLY TO. THAT'S AN INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY ALTER ANY KIND OF, UH, UH, SOLID WASTE POLICY WITH IT. THAT'S JUST A CALENDAR CHANGE. SO WE WANTED TO BE SURE TO HAVE THOSE, UH, SIGNPOSTED WITHIN, UH, THE ORDINANCE, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE TRYING TO MICROMANAGE, UH, THE POLICY WITH IT. BECAUSE WE, FRANKLY, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY THIS COALITION HAS HAD A SUPPORTIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR SOLID WASTE, WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON SAYING, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY AND DO. UH, WE WANT TO COME TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. SO I REALLY THANK THE, AGAIN, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR, UH, HELPING TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF SPELL OUT WHAT IS AND ISN'T GONNA BE APPLICABLE, UH, FOR, UH, COUNCIL DISCUSSION WHEN IT COMES TO THIS. AGAIN, WE THINK THE DIRECTOR'S DONE A GREAT JOB. THAT'S WHY WE'RE SO, UH, BOISTEROUS ON OUR SUPPORT FOR THE SOLID WASTE FEE WITH IT. UH, WE DON'T WANNA BE TRYING TO TELL THE DIRECTOR HOW TO RUN THE DEPARTMENT. WE JUST WANT THE MAJOR DECISIONS THAT ACTUALLY AFFECT THOSE RECYCLABLES NOW THAT WE'RE ALL PAYING $5 FOR THAT COLLECTION TO BE SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL, UH, DOES IN THE LIGHT OF DAY WITH IT. SO WITH THAT, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. YEAH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. BILL, THANK YOU FOR THAT BACKGROUND AND CLARIFICATION. AND, AND I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO GET TO WHAT YOU GUYS WANT, QUITE FRANKLY. SO, UH, I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T WANT TO, UH, UH, WORK WITH YOU GUYS ON THAT. UH, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MY INITIAL THOUGHTS FROM READING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME. SO, NO, A ABSOLUTELY. AND, UH, UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT GOES BEYOND, OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS BASED ON A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE IT, UH, SOMETHING THAT WOULD APPLY, UH, SO THAT FUTURE PROPOSITIONS, WHETHER THEY BE GOOD IN OUR JUDGMENT OR NOT, IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH. UM, THE PREVIOUS DEAL DID NOT, AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS A MISTAKE ON OUR PART. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE GOAL OF THE, UH, UM, THE ORDINANCE IS. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER. I THINK HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB WORKING ON THAT. AND, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ WORK ON IT AS WELL. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING YOU BRING UP FOR, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, WHAT DAY OUR RECYCLING GETS PICKED UP. MM-HMM . SEE, I SEE THAT. I SEE THAT AS A, AS A POLICY, RIGHT? UH, BUT WHILE WE'RE ON THAT TOPIC, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT CHANGES TO THE HEAVY TRASH AND TREE WASTE PICKUP THAT WERE SORT OF SPRUNG ON US ON, ON THE CITY WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. AND SO I'D CERTAINLY BE OPEN TO, UH, ADDING IN, UH, IF YOU THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF NOTICE REQUIREMENT PRIOR TO [00:30:01] ENACTING THOSE KINDS OF, UH, CHANGES AS WELL. SO, ANYWAY, THANK YOU. I, I'D THROW BACK JUST ONE DISTINCTION WITH IT. IF THEY CHANGE THE DAY, I THINK THAT THAT'S AN INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION. IF THEY CHANGE THAT, THEY'RE PICKING IT UP ONCE A MONTH INSTEAD OF TWICE A MONTH. I THINK THAT'S A POLICY, RIGHT? AND I THINK YOU CAN GET A GOOD READ OF THAT FROM WHAT'S BEEN ENUMERATED WITHIN THE ORDINANCE. COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ. MARTINEZ. HEY, MARTINEZ. THANK YOU. UH, BILL FIRST, UH, AND I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE THAT SPOKE ON IT. I WANNA THANK, UH, MY COLLEAGUES. SO, UH, AGAIN, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, UM, THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE WILL BE WORKING ON IT, SO I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE ANY OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, COUNSELOR RAMIREZ. UM, AND I THINK, UH, AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON IS ANYTHING THAT'S MAJOR. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT CHANGING HEAVY TRASH PICKUP FROM EVERY MONTH TO EVERY OTHER MONTH, UM, I'D LOVE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE TO YOUR POINT, IT, THE NOTICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT OUT THERE, UH, AND IT, IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, BUT WHAT DOES THAT COMMUNICATION LOOK LIKE? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING UNDER THIS PROP A, UH, I'D LIKE TO DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH YOU TO, UH, DECIDE, UH, WHETHER IT FITS, IT FITS WITHIN THOSE, THESE PARAMETERS. UH, I DON'T WANNA MICROMANAGE SOLID WASTE. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. UH, ESPECIALLY DIRECTOR NOW, UH, UH, DIRECTOR RIS, HE'S BEEN, UH, REALLY SHIFTING, UM, SOLID WASTE IN THE, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I WILL SAY THAT BECAUSE OF THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE $5 ADMINISTRATIVE FEE, WE'RE FINALLY FUNDING SOLID WASTE AT A, AT A NUMBER WHERE THEY SHOULD BE. UH, WHERE HISTORICALLY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT 90 TO A HUNDRED MILLION. SO, UM, AGAIN, UH, THIS IS, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, UTILIZING RULE 24. SO THIS IS A PROPOSED, UH, PROPOSAL. UH, BUT FROM HERE WOULD DEFINITELY BE WORKING WITH, UH, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND ANY, ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT WOULD LOVE TO BE ON A OFFICIAL PROP, A UH, I WOULD LOVE TO, UM, HAVE Y'ALL SIGN ON. SIGN ON ON IT AS WELL. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE? SEEING NONE THEN? UM, YEAH. UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MARTINEZ FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. I'D BE EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH YOU, UH, TO HELP KIND OF REFINE THIS LANGUAGE. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM TODAY. LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS JUST A PROPOSAL. NO ACTION'S GONNA BE TAKEN. SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO READ, YOU KNOW, THE ORDINANCE WHEN IT KIND OF COMES OUT, THE RED LINES, AND WE CAN ALL JUST KINDA GET TOGETHER TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT BETTER. I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR ATTENDING AND PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S MEETING. THE TIME IS NOW 2:34 PM AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. SO PLEASE LOOK FOR COMMUNICATION FROM MY OFFICE FOR THE NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING, WHICH RIGHT NOW IS SET FOR OCTOBER 27TH AT 2:00 PM BUT AS A REMINDER, THIS COMMITTEE ONLY MEETS WHEN WE RECEIVE ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION. SO IF WE DON'T RECEIVE ANYTHING, THERE WILL NOT BE AN OCTOBER 27TH MEETING. ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR DAY. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.