Will your community cleanup today?

The 15th meeting of the 26th Council will come to order.

All counselors are present this evening or will be.

We'll have a moment of silence and then the Pledge of Allegiance in English and Spanish.

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You can obtain a parking pass from council staff at the table near the chamber's entrance.

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The council will take a break at approximately 7 p.m.

this evening if it's needed.

With regard to decorum in the chambers, we want tonight's proceedings to be as civil and respectful as possible.

Please do not make any personal attacks, and please no applause or other outbursts during the meeting.

So there's proclamation recognizing childhood cancer month, accepting this evening are the Casaus Natale family, Michael, Naomi, Sebastian, and Santiago.

And I want to start by thanking Mike and Naomi Cassels for all the work they're doing for cancer research and awareness.

But as a father and as a scientist, I know there are cures out there, and I know we can find them, and I know we need to find them soon.

Do we read this first?

We'll start by reading.

So whereas childhood cancer is a leading cause of death by disease among children in the U.S., and whereas more than 15,190 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States, with the average age of diagnosed being six years old, and one in 285 children in the United States will be diagnosed by their 20th birthday and whereas 80% of childhood cancer patients are diagnosed late and with metatastic disease, and whereas at least one child from New Mexico is diagnosed with cancer each week with more than 50 children from the Albuquerque metro area currently being treated for childhood cancer, and whereas on average there's been a 0.6% increase in incidents per year since the mid-1970s, resulting in an overall incidence increase of 24% over the last 40 years, and whereas two-thirds of childhood cancer patients will have chronic health conditions as a result of their treatment toxicity, with one quarter being classified as severe to life threatening and whereas the causes of childhood cancer are largely unknown, and significantly more research and funding is needed to develop the most effective treatments in children.

And whereas in the last 30 years, only six new drugs have been approved by the FDA to specifically treat childhood cancer.

And whereas the dedicated effort efforts of healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocacy groups are vital to uh improving the treatment, advancing research, and providing support to affect children and their families.

And whereas it is crucial to recognize and honor the strength and courage of childs battling cancer, as well as the resilience of their families in the contributions of those working tirelessly to improve the outcomes.

And whereas increased awareness and support from all citizens of Albuquerque can lead to early detection, better treatment options, and ultimately a higher quality of life for children diagnosed with cancer.

Be it proclaimed by the council, the governing body of the city of Albuquerque, hereby proclaimed the month of September 2024 as childhood cancer awareness month in the City of Albuquerque.

Sure.

Thank you, Council President, Councillor Baca, Councillor Champagne.

My name is Michael Cassaus, and I'm joined here today by my wife, Naomi Metale, and our two boys, Santiago and Sebastian, who we affectionately call Sebas.

We stand before you this evening with immense gratitude and appreciation.

Childhood cancer is a heartbreaking disease that devastates countless families and lives like ours.

When Sebas was just two years old, he was diagnosed with an ultra-rare cancer called myoepithelial carcinoma, which was metastatic and had spread to his lungs.

He endured 10 rounds of grueling chemotherapy, and since then he's had two recurrences and three lung surgeries.

Sebas is still in the middle of his cancer journey, but he's our little warrior, and we cherish every day that we have together and try not to take even one of them for granted.

We're very grateful to share that Sebas just started kindergarten and Santiago just started first grade, and they both also just started soccer with their first game this Saturday.

So on behalf of our family and so many families like ours, we want to extend our deepest thanks to Councillor Baca, Councillor Champagne, and the entire council for issuing this proclamation that declaring September as childhood cancer awareness month.

It brings much needed attention to the issue of childhood cancer and shines a light on the struggles that so many children and their families endure.

It also offers comfort to those families like ours who so often feel invisible and isolated in their fight against this disease.

This proclamation helps us feel seen, and that is one of the most healing things that anyone can offer us.

Thank you for your leadership, and thanks for standing with us in this fight.

We're truly grateful for your support, and thanks again for this proclamation.

All right, thank you, Councillors Baca, Councilor Champine.

Uh next uh presentation and uh to introduce this presentation, Councillor February.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, we had asked um Director Rogers from the Environmental Health Department a couple of um meetings ago to do a presentation on the disposal of human feces program, and I believe he's here to make that presentation.

Council President and Councillor February Corn, Deputy Director Terrence Smith will be handling the presentation this evening.

Okay, thank you, Deputy Director.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you very much, Council President and Council, Councilmember FIBACorn.

Uh my name is Dr.

Terrence Smith, Deputy Director for Environmental Health Company here by Director Paul Rogers and Associate Director and I mean Angelo Eutheria to talk about the uh human feces cleanup program.

Oh, excuse me, which was uh passed and amended on February 21st.

Vendors obtained on March 2024, and program started in April.

For the resolution 2420-3, uh, the city administration shall develop and administer a program to collect feces that believed come from human, including engaging with and supervising the contractor, specializes in removing disposing of potential heart hazardous material, uh directing the contractor to clean up human feces on both public and private property, contracting a 311 excuse me, coordinating with 311s and a mechanism mechanism to through which residents can report human feces and contractor that can be dispatched to the location, and in conjunction with the contractor, track where human feces is found, a number of instances that the contractor uh cleans up such a such waste.

The demand matrix, uh, this is our calls.

We serviced over 309 calls, April averaged 3.3 calls per week, May 15.5 calls per week, and June, 19 calls per week.