Good evening and welcome to the city council meeting.

Before Mayor Parker calls a meeting to order, we ask that you please be seated and silence all electronic devices.

City council meetings are conducted for the official business of sit of the city council and to receive input from residents.

Members of the public attending meetings shall observe rules of decorum and shall not engage in conduct that interferes with the ability of those present to observe or to participate in the meeting without disruption or fear of intimidation, threats or hostility.

An individual engaging in disruptive conduct may be removed from the chamber and could be arrested for disruption of a meeting.

We pray for the health and wellness of our city, strengthen those who are sick, comfort those who are hurting, encourage those who are facing mental and emotional struggles, and give hope to families experience difficult seasons.

Bless our healthcare professionals, caregivers, and all that work to improve the quality of lives for others.

God, we pray for our public safety throughout Fort Worth, our Fort Worth Police Department, our firefighters, protect our communities and our neighborhoods, schools and businesses, roles and public spaces.

Lord, please bless every city of Fort Worth employees, from those working inside our neighborhoods, streets, those serving behind deses, and those answering mercy calls, remind them that their work makes a different place for all of our residents.

We pray for our communities where there is the vision, bring unity, where there is violence, bring peace, where there is hopelessness, bring hope, where there is poverty, create an opportunity.

Father God, bless the mayor and city council as we conduct the people's business, give us wisdom beyond our own understanding, help us listen before we speak, seek understanding before judgment, and always remember the people who were entrusted to serve.

Bless our city today, protect our people, strengthen our communities, watch over our police officers, firefighters, first responders, and city employees, families, seniors, children, and all who call forward home.

May we pray that we continue to be one Fort Worth, one community and one city.

Bless us all in the matchless name of Jesus the Christ, we pray.

Amen.

The United States of America.

To the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all.

Honor the Texas flag.

Legislation to the one state.

One and individual.

Council, our first action or our first items will be special presentations.

With the first presentation being a presentation of a recognition for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Mayor Pro Tem Flores and Councilmember Jeanette Martinez will be presenting this important recognition.

I see the mic is being put into my face.

Thank you, Jeanette.

Mayor and Council, it's my pleasure to stand here for you with my colleague on council, Jeanette Martinez, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

It's more than just, you know, noteworthy month.

It does represent traditions, people, cultures that continue to enrich our great nation.

And I think that we would be remiss if we don't take some time and acknowledge just how special you know this nation is, and just how great Fort Worth is to live and to uh raise a family.

So on this occasion, uh Jeanette Martinez and I worked on a special recognition to acknowledge those contributions of Hispanic Heritage Month.

And so I'll prevail on my council colleague, Janet.

Would you mind uh saying some words and starting to read it?

Thank you, Carlos.

And I just want to say thank you to my our council colleagues and leadership for being a part of our Hispanic Heritage kickoff today, you know, at um in the lobby, we had a wonderful celebration with various groups from across the city.

Um, you know, this is Hispanic Heritage Month, and we not only celebrate, of course, our Mexican culture, but we know we are a melting pot of other Latino cultures from El Salvador, Honduras, and so forth.

And so we are celebrating in unity.

And so today I am very privileged to present to read this special recognition, whereas Fort Worth is a diverse and thriving city where Hispanic and Latin Latin American cultures are an essential part of the character, history, traditions, neighborhoods, businesses, and daily life for our community, and whereas Hispanic Heritage Month provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the generations of Hispanic and Latin American residents whose accomplishments, traditions, leadership, and service have helped shape Fort Worth into the vibrant community it is today.

And whereas Fort Worth's local government, local leaders, community organizations, schools, businesses, cultural institutions, and nonprofit organizations play an important role in supporting and celebrating the rich heritage accomplishments and contributions of Hispanic and Latin American residents throughout our city.

And whereas local leaders such as myself and Mayor Pro Tem Carlos Flores actively engage with Fort Worth's diverse communities, foster meaningful connections between residents and local government, and champion an inclusive city where every resident has the opportunity to participate, contribute, and thrive.

And now therefore we, Mayor Protam Carlos Flores and myself proudly proclaimed September 15th through October 15th, 2026 as Hispanic Heritage Month, and encourage all residents to join in honoring and celebrate the heritage achievements, contributions, and cultural traditions of our Hispanic and Latin American communities, presented on this 15th day of September 2026.

And so now we'd like to invite all the groups who are here today.

If we could take a group picture, please represent Hispana etaman inclusivo the representation de la Oficina Council General.

Yes, today we have an array of different organizations and businesses that came today to showcase how Fort Word is full of Hispanic businesses, contributing every day with culture, with their business to the economy of this great city.

So we have from nuestra raíces, Alejandra, we have from the bank, Frost Bank that support us.

But as you saw in the lobby, all the kids that are are there, happy and you know, to be American, but cherries their heritage.

So thank you for having us today.

I did get to see some kids dancing, which is really my favorite part anyway.

Um and by the way, we were outside in a hundred degree heat.

Many of you were there this morning for Lina Rosa opening for Trinity Metro, but no one was more beautiful in the heat than those Belleth for Glorico dancers.

They were so impressive this morning.

I had the honor this morning to welcome the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to our city here in Fort Worth.

By the way, they know how to have fun.

They'd been at Billy Bob's last night, of course, and we're already raving about how welcoming our community is and how proud they were to be here.

And importantly, our own Hispanic chamber leadership back to Rosa Navajar, of course, now to Erica Garza, and so many others made that possible for our city, working on that for over a decade.

But one thing I learned in researching for my remarks this morning, I think this is incredibly important, that the US Latino businesses in the United States today represent four trillion dollars of economic impact in America.

And if you compare that to other economies, they would be the fourth largest economy in the entire world, right?

And I think that is so important to remember as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in September that the bedrock of Fort Worth's success are small businesses, and that includes our Latino businesses.

So for that we're incredibly thankful.

Welcome, and we're so glad we could give this recognition to you today, of course.

Let's take a photograph.