Mayor Pro Tim Cat Six Tatum to uh preside, please while we do our proclamations.

All right.

The Chair recognizes Councilmember Castillo recognizing the month of August as Civic Health Month.

How are you?

Good afternoon, colleagues.

Today I'm excited to recognize August as Civic Health Month and a partnership with the Harris County Department of Education.

We have a number of folks here that will uh be present while the proclamation is presented.

And uh as someone who's had a career in public health, this is something that uh I'm passionate about knowing the connection between our civic governments and our physical health.

So with that.

Whereas August is nationally recognized as Civic Health Month, a time to highlight the vital connection between education, civic participation, and the well-being of individuals and communities.

Well-being and learning are deeply connected.

Healthy students achieve greater academic success and informed civically engaged communities, lay the foundation for better futures for all.

When students and families are informed, engaged, and empowered to participate in civic life, they strengthen the nation's democracy by helping to shape policies that affect schools, neighborhoods, and public health systems.

Whereas this August, the City of Houston, together with the Harris County Department of Education joins hundreds of organizations nationwide, including public health networks and educational institutions, celebrating the power of civic participation to transform communities.

And whereas the city and the Harris County Department of Education recognize that empowering community members to become informed advocates for policies that promote educational excellence, community health, and equal opportunity is essential.

Harris County Department of Education and its civic engagement team partner with various City of Houston departments, City Council members, and community organizations to promote civic education, share voter readiness materials, and encourage community involvement throughout Houston and Harris County.

This partnership, parents and families with local resources such as health screenings, library services, and community events, including resource fairs, naturalization workshops, and candidate forums.

Whereas as we celebrate Civic Health Month this August, the City of Houston calls on everyone to commit to ensuring that every student, family, and community member has meaningful opportunity to help build a healthier, more informed, more civically engaged Houston and Harris County.

Thank you, Councilmember.

And you give us this opportunity to recognize Civic Health Month and uh it's a national uh mission, and we're doing it right here in Houston, Texas, and you're making us slow down and recognize it.

But what I'm really excited about is the uh the staff that's joined us.

You know, we couldn't have Civic Health Month.

We couldn't have our daily obligations and responsibilities to use telling me about each and every one of you, and there's probably hundreds of other employees that you're representing here.

So thank you for what you do on a daily basis.

It's very impressive, diverse group of uh staff from the education department over at our friends at the county and certainly Houston Health Department.

So just a lot of we're very blessed to be here today and able to gather and recognize the Civic Health Month, and thank you, Councilmember.

So therefore, I add John Whitmeyer, Mayor of the City of Houston hereby proclaim August 2025 as Civic Health Month in the City of Houston.

Thank y'all.

Well, good afternoon, and thank you, Mayor Whitmeyer and City Council.

Um, I'm Danielle Bartz, Chief of Staff to County Superintendent James Colbert, and we want to thank you for recognizing Civic Health Month.

At the Harris County Department of Education, we aim to close the gaps in public education, and we do that through early childhood head start.

Uh we do that through after school and summer programming that you all are very familiar with with Case for Kids.

We do that through adult education, um, ESL GED workforce certification, and we do that through special education and alternative campuses.

And we're thrilled that for the last year and a half, we have had dedicated members of our team to incorporating civic engagement and education into all of those service areas that we do all the time.

And so we know that civic health is more than just voting.

It is um uh HCDE knows, and we are committed to the idea that civic education can begin at any age.

So for us, civic education looks like Head Start parents sitting on our policy council and advocating for their littlest learners.

It looks like those little baby learners voting on what snack they get in class.

It looks like our after school kids going on field trips to the art murals around the city and discussing the community concerns that the artist is expressing.

Um it looks like mock elections, and it looks like community meetings in partnership with some of these organizations here with us today, where we are making sure our adult students know what elections are coming up and what community services are available to them through offices like yours.

So, this proclamation recognizing August as Civic Health Month just reminds us that Houston finds value in well-informed civically active community members, and so we're proud to be part of that network of civic engagement.

We are proud to carry the message of Civic Health Month throughout our services in Harris County, and we're proud to continue the work alongside you all at the city.

So thank you for recognizing us.

Thank you.

You guys can't do that.

Next, the chair recognizes Councilmember Davis for a proclamation to the U.S.

Coast Guard to celebrate their 235th birthday.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim and Mayor and colleagues.

It is indeed an honor.

And before I start, let me let me ask that uh Commander Kelly Brown, oh very good.

And Doc Lachandra Jones.

She's she there we go.

Come on up, Dr.

Jones, who our director of military uh veterans affairs out of mayor's office.

We are always indeed honored, and certainly for me as a veteran and always to recognize the great men and women who give their lives and protect all of us, no matter where we are, what we do, uh, and the cost of people who make millions and millions of dollars, and uh, but that they work for little or nothing, because I know I lived it, but I'm always indeed honored to recognize our own forces.

And today, Mayor uh and colleagues, this is an honor, certainly to those who protect our shores, and certainly the boundaries around uh our shores in the states of the United States of America.

Um, this is to the United States Coast Guard.

Uh, even though it's the fourth, but we know the day is not the fourth, but whereas on August 4th, 1790, the newly independent United States established a fleet of cutters to prevent smuggling, collect revenue on goods, entering the country.

These cutters marked the beginning of what would become the United States Coast Guard, the nation's oldest continuous uh seagoing service.

And whereas originally known as the Revenue Cutter Service, this small but vital organization merged with the life-saving service in 1915, and officially became the United States Coast Guard in 1967.

It was transferred to the Department of Transportation, and in 2003, it became part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Today, the Coast Guard proudly serves as both the federal law enforcement agency and a branch of the U.S.

military.

And whereas the city of Houston is proud to become home to the U.S.

Coast Guard sector, Houston Galveston, and Coast Guard Air Station Houston, which work in close partnership with local governments to ensure that the nation's largest port complex remains safe, secure, environmentally sound by performing the Coast Guard's eleven statutory missions.

And whereas in the average year, our local Coast Guard responds to approximately 400 search and rescue cases, saving or assisting more than 800 lives, protecting over 30 million dollars in property.

And whereas this year, the United States Coast Guard celebrates 235 years of honor, respect, and devotion to duty as the nation's premier maritime law enforcement agency.

Coast Guard personnel serve with distinction in saving lives, protecting the environment, defending the homeland, their motto, simple portraits, always ready.

Their commitment to service, and whereas the city of Houston proudly commends the United States Coast Guard on this mis uh momentous milestone and invites all the Houstonians to recognize and celebrate the dedication of all Coast Guard personnel.

Mayor.

And uh I could go on and on if time allowed.

The Houston port would be nearly as successful, per se, without the U.S.

Coast Guard.

Our fleet week this fall would not be carried out without your participation.

So there's a lot to be excited about recognizing our friends in the Coast Guard.

Therefore, our John Whitmore, mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaim August 4th, 2025, is United States Coast Guard Day in the City of Houston.

Congratulations.

On our uh 235th birthday, um, we truly love working and being a part of this community.

Um, thanks so much for your partnership, and we look forward to the future.

Uh, Fleet Week and all the events that are coming up.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Yes.

Next, the chair recognizes Councilmember Thomas for a proclamation to the Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim and to my colleagues.

Once an Urban League.

Always the Urban League.

All right, let's turn this energy up in the chambers.

Um, I would like to introduce to some and reintroduce to others of the Houston Area Urban League, Young Professionals and Auxiliary of the Houston Area Urban League.

In 1999, the National Urban League hosted its convention in this city.

And at that convention, they authorized a young professionals auxiliary, which they realized that young professionals were the future of not just the civil rights movement, but also our communities.

Houston was one of those first uh chapters, and I'm a proud past president of the Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals.

So I'm excited to present this proclamation.

And before I read that, I do want to acknowledge the CEO of the Houston Area Urban League, Judson Robinson the third, no stranger to this horseshoe.

His father was the first African American council member elected citywide, um, and then uh followed by his uh wife after his death, and then his son, Judson Robinson the third, assumed his seat and served this city uh for six years.

Um and is now the CEO of the Houston Area Urban League, and he is unable to join us today.

Um as a note, uh, the Houston Young Professionals chapter, it's not just any chapter, it's an award-winning chapter.

Uh the first national award was under my administration.

I'll just say that.

But uh, they continue to lead, um, and most recently in Cleveland.

Uh in Cleveland, uh, Jessica Kimball was uh announced member of the year, and our president, Miss Spirit Dupree, was announced president of the year um throughout all the chapters, so we're really excited.

So, mayor, thank you for um sharing this a moment with me.

Whereas founded in 1999, the Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals, HYP serves as a dynamic auxiliary of the Houston Area Urban League, committed to supporting the professional and personal development of young leaders between the ages of 21 and 40, as well as empowering communities through volunteerism and civic engagement.

Whereas Hall YP has been a driving force for positive change across the greater Houston area for two decades, championing the causes of economic empowerment, social justice, and equitable access to resources for historically underserved communities.

And whereas Hall YP members have contributed tens of thousands of volunteer hours to vital local, state, and national initiatives, including voter education, registration drives, financial literacy programs, health and wellness campaigns, and professional and entrepreneurship development, and many mentorship efforts that continue to support and uplift the next generation of leaders.

And whereas Hall YP's commitment to civic engagement is evidenced by its partnerships with local organizations, civic leaders, public institutions to promote equity, advocacy, and awareness around pressing issues affecting Houston's diverse communities.

Now we have a very diverse panel here at City Council.

So our society is better because of the Urban League and its young professionals, but so is our nation.

I enjoy watching your president on talk shows, representing all of us on Sunday morning talk shows.

So anyway, you you certainly made a huge difference, and therefore I, John Whitmeyer, mayor of the city of Houston, hereby proclaimed August 12th, 2025.

It's Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals Day in Houston.

Woo.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, everyone here.

My name is Spear, and I'm honored to serve as the president of the Houston Area Urbanly Young Professionals, where we believe in empowering communities and changing lives.

Do you know that the work is not stopping here?

We have been around for 26 years, and we will continue to do the work, continuing to advocate for the Houston community, continue to develop the next leadership generation, and just continue to love on this city of Houston.

So thank you all so much.

Thank you.

And I would like to acknowledge Lorraine Winslow with the executive team for the Houston Area Urban League affiliate as well, um, who's in the audience as well.

So everyone can join us.

Councilmember Thomas, it I I don't think it's a surprise that uh they won awards under your leadership.

Very excited to hear that and definitely want to say congratulations.

I think member of the year, president of the year deserves an extra shout out.

So congratulations for all of the great work that you do.

Okay, Councilmember Evan Shabazz for the invocation.

But but before you would, I'd like to call us daughter.

Council come to order.

Chair recognizes Councilmember Evan Shabazz for the invocation.

Thank you, Mayor, and welcome back, colleagues.

Seems like I haven't seen you all in a long time.

Hopefully, you had a restful week.

I did my best.

But at any rate, I would like to ask Pastor Bennett Hayes, who is the founder of the past and pastor of Glory Land Missionary Baptist Church of Houston to come forward.

I always have to say how I know Pastor Hayes.

Pastor Hayes actually officiated a funeral of a family member.

And I tell you, he had reassed me the whole time.

You would have thought I was the deceased.

But but thank God I wasn't.

But we have forged a great relationship.

He is a wonderful person.

He just celebrated 38 years of faithful service and serves as the president of the Word of God Theological Seminary.

Thirteen church flocks have been birthed from Glory Land under Pastor Hayes' leadership.

Dr.

Hayes serves on the National Executive Committee of the American Clergy Leadership Conference, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Within this organization, he has traveled internationally proclaiming the word of God rightly divided.

As an answer to the cries of urban youth unjustly entangled in the criminal justice system, Dr.

Hayes founded the People's Defense Fund of Houston to advocate for fairness and provide access to a strong legal defense.

Pastor Hayes has been married 55 years to Minister Ethel M.

Hayes, bless her heart, who serves as an associate minister at Glory Land.

They have seven children, twelve grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

Pastor Hayes also founded the MW Breider Light Grand Lodge, AFNAM, as well as the Aheman rezon independent Supreme Council and serves as Mosan, Sovereign Grand Commander.

Thank you, Pastor Hayes.

It's such an honor and a pleasure for you to be here today.

Thank you.

Go right ahead.

Let us pray.

We actually blessings upon the entire council.

Our mayor, upon each member, their homes.

Oh God, we ask that you give them prudence, give them understanding, and give them wisdom.

We actually blessed upon our state and our country.

We give you glory, and we thank you for this day.

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Will you please rise for the pledge?

A pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the Republic of one nation, under God, Justice.

Mayor Whitmeyer.

Present.

Councilmember Peck.

Here.

Councilmember Jackson.

Here.

Councilmember Cayman will be absent.

Councilmember Evan Shabazz.

Here.

Councilmember Flickinger will be absent.

Councilmember Thomas.

Councilmember Huffman.

Present.

Councilmember Castillo?

Here.

Councilmember Martinez.

Here.

Councilmember Pollard.

Councilmember Castax Tatum.

Here.

Councilmember Ramirez?

Here.

Councilmember Davis.

Here.

Councilmember Carter will be absent.

Councilmember Plummer.

Here.

And Councilmember Alcorn.

Did you just give me?

No, I see you.

Oh, okay.

Need a motion to adopt the minutes of July 29th and 30th.

Cast Tatum move.

Heck, second.

Motion made and second.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Members and guests, we have a long list of speakers today because we have more than a hundred total minutes of scheduled testimony.

The rules require us to give each of you only one minute, even if you signed up for more.

And I'll do my very best to have uh follow the rules.

Um, mayor.

I move to suspend the rules to add Joseph Bramante to the bottom of the three-minute agenda list, and also to move Didry Rashid to the top of the two-minute agenda list.

Second.

Motion made and second.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Councilmember Evan Shabazz.

Thank you, Member.

I would like to suspend the rules to addred Mildred Whitfield to the top of the three-minute non-agenda list.

Motion made in second.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Anyone else for procedural motion?

If not, before we call our first speaker, I might take the liberty of saying a large number of people have signed up dealing with the recovery funding.

Quite frankly, it's a it's a good problem to have that we have the amount of funding given to Houston for the recovery of the Rico and Barrel.

$314 million total were issued by HUD and FEMA to the City of Houston.

The county got 60 million.

So through weeks of testimony, previous testimony.

Today is your day, but I do think it would be beneficial for everyone to recognize the process of listening to the public, listening to counsel that uh, as we said two weeks ago before we took the school break that uh Councilman Thomas has an amendment that's gonna take fifty million dollars from the generator proposal and put it on home repairs.

That will be from zero when we started, working with HUD and the Biden administration and the Trump administration that did not want to go to home repairs.

Had the Secretary of HUD present with us in our city through persuasion and demonstration of how serious we were about using the money appropriately.

We came down to a formula including fifty million for home repair.

Through testimony and leadership of council members, it's been decided that we would adopt Councilmembers Thomas amendment tomorrow to take 50 million from the generator fund and put it additionally into home repairs.

All of us are committed to home repairs.

I can remember being in uh Northeast Houston days after DeRecho and uh Tra the Truth was there helping with home repairs.

Foundations, labor, Fred Woods.

I could go through a list of people.

We're all committed.

But during the storm, the people that are suffering from damaged homes have to have a safe environment to go to.

That's where the generator emphasis came from.

We have to have generators in cooling centers, fire and police, multi-service centers.

So it's not at the neglect of any other good cause.

It was trying to balance this $314 million for the greatest good.

And I think I'm very proud of the process that we uh are discussing today.

And you're welcome to testify.

You're welcome to tell us how we got to this point.

Thank you for the organizers.

But thank you for Councilmember Thomas, Councilmember Plummer had additional amendments, but we've all built a consensus of what we believe will serve most Houstonians, including now a hundred million dollars in the home repairs.

We have a new acting director of resiliency and recovery.

Brian Mason, meeting with my office, said the 150 for generators, let's go with 100 million.

It's hard to spend that appropriately in the next two years.

We need more generators across the city for chilling, warming centers, our first responders, our hub in Kashmir.

Can you imagine?

We went into the storms last summer with no generators.

I learned it in the middle of the storm.

Fire stations were not operating because of lack of power.

And if you talk to Houstonians, what was their number one concern coming out of the storm?

Go in a week, sometimes two weeks without power.

They needed to be finding shelter in Houston sponsored operations, fire police libraries, multi-service centers.

So I'm proud, like I said, tomorrow we're gonna thoroughly discuss this.

Councilmember Thomas, thank you for your leadership.

We've listened, and uh it's a darn good day to present this, and we want to hear from Houstonians.

With that said, uh you'd be glad to yield to anyone.

If not, I yield to the public with our first speaker.

Deedra Rashi.

To be followed by Udevine Barnes.

What happens?

Can you hear me?

Am I on?

Okay.

I said it's an honor to be before you, Mayor, Council members.

Um, good to be here.

I think that I've already discussed with my council member about um the issue that I was originally coming before you on, which was Arlo Liquors, which is located, Mayor, on Oram.

Um, off of City Square Lane, and he has these fluorescent pink and green letters.

And when he said he got a permit, he came back after we did the permit complaint, and he made it bigger, pink and green letters that you can see from the 288 freeway.

So we are concerned because that is in violation of his commercial D restrictions.

However, he's over the Commercial Association.

So no enforcement has happened there.

Um, however, he has been able to come to the city and get a permit in spite of there being existing regulations there in that regarding the signage, the marketing, and what is permissive in that area.

So we are asking for help, Mayor, Council members in trying to find a resolution for this.

We are trying to build a quality community in that area.

Councilmember Evan Shabash.

Thank you, Mayor, and certainly thank you, Dre.

Now, first my issue is that it's pink and green.

I gotta I got an issue with that.

You know, a big li a big lick of store fan, right?

At any rate, uh, you have had the opportunity to speak with I have, thank you so much, Councilmember.

And certainly uh we will try to guide you and hopefully this can come to a peaceful resolution.

Yes.

You know, I would hope that when businesses are operating in a community, they would cooperate because your business will only thrive if you can work with the community.

Absolutely.

And so uh hopefully they will realize that they are not just operating, uh, but they are sitting in a beautiful community uh who would patronize, I'm sure, if they could get the cooperation of the business owner.

So thank you so very much for coming forward and for bringing this to our attention.

Did you have anything else you want to say?

No, I just I simply want to thank you all for just being understanding and trying to help us.

You know, we are small when it comes to residents, but with your help, we are bigger.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Always a pleasure.

Next, you divine Barnes.

To be followed by Jacqueline Haley.

Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council.

My name is Yudavine Sampson Barnes, and I'm here to represent TMO.

On June 17, 2025, I stood before our mayor and the city council of Houston on behalf of TMO and our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church.

At that time, I respectfully asked our mayor and city council to allocate at least 100 million dollars from the Federal Disaster Recovery Funds of 314.6 million dollars to help families who are still in need of home repairs due to disasters caused by Hurricane Barrow.

It is with great pride and humility that we give thanks to our mayor of Houston and the City Council for changing their perspective by increasing search funds to low-income families from $50 million to 100 million dollars.

Your time has expired.

You can you can go ahead and complete your statement.

Thank you all for the decision you have made for the families and the community of the Houston area.

In closing, I would like to ask that you all consider the allotted 100 million dollars to be allocated and distributed by early next year, 2026, so that we are then helping families, homeowners that are still in desperate need of repair to their homes.

Again, thank you, Mayor with Mara and the City Council for the decision to move forward with strengthening community and family.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thanks again.

Next Jacqueline Haley.

To be followed by Pamela Duck.

Good afternoon.

I'm Minister Jacqueline Haley from New Hope Baptist Church and TMO.

We at TMO are grateful to the Mayor, Mayor Whitmire, and City Council for allocating funding to repair homes damaged by Hurricane Beryl and the storm DeRachel.

That is the 100 million dollar housing repair program that you will be voting on today.

Again, we thank you for pushing ahead.

Next, Pamela Duck.

To be followed by Stephanie Valdez.

Good afternoon, Mayor White and City Council.

My name is Pamela Duck.

I am a TMO leader and a minister at First Metropolitan Church.

I am speaking on behalf of Agenda 69.

During public hearings, TMO, including myself, previously testified that the City of Houston needed to change course and place at least a hundred million into home repairs.

We are elated and grateful that Mayor White and CM Timmy Timothy Tiffany Thomas, Chair of the Housing Committee, agreed to TMO's position along with the council.

In closing, I like three requests.

One with TMO.

Request that funds be distributed as soon as possible without delay early next year in 2026.

Target the vulnerable members in the community, particularly the elderly for home repairs, and focus on home repairs instead of home replacements due to the limited funds.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next.

Stephanie Valdez.

George Morales.

To be followed by Angel Davis.

Good afternoon, uh Mayor and Council members.

I'm here to speak on behalf of my mother, uh, Patricia Morales, my grandmother, uh Milagros Salamanca, and my aunt, uh Cassandra Malardis.

I'm also a community member of the Texas Organization Project.

Like so many Houstonians, we have experienced their harmful effects of storms after storms.

We are flooded and displaced by Hurricanes Harvey.

FEMA supported my grandmother relocation to a to a house, a positive example of a disaster recovery fund supporting community members.

My mother lost everything in barrel, but because she was in a trailer on another person's land and had a limited ability to recoup her losses.

A year later, she's living with family as she can.

Our experience on under sources underscores the need for housing solutions in Houston.

And while I know these particular funds are forced on damage from last summer, we still support using these resources and maximizing 100 million dollars for housing that more families like mine can recover after Barrel and uh DITRO.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next, Angel Angel Davis.

To be followed by Kim Salke.

Good afternoon.

Everybody.

Mayor and council, City Council.

My name is Angel Davis.

I live in I live in Fitwater in the Fifth District in District 5.

I'm here with the Texas organization program to urge you to support the $100 million with the with the housing of the city action plan.

I have lupus.

Other deeds that's weak as my immune system.

Living in current housing, that's not standable for me.

Okay.

Collapse ceiling, debris, mold, no place to go.

I had no help from FEMA and no one else.

Okay.

As God knows we live better than that.

I wanted to read what's on this paper, but I can't.

I want to speak for myself.

I'm a victim.

I just made 65.

And I've been living like this forever.

It doesn't make any sense.

I work and I can't get anything.

I live and I can't get anything.

We shouldn't have to live like this.

God didn't make us like this people.

Your time has been a little bit more.

So I want y'all to help us.

Please help us with this funding.

And I want to thank you for me being here.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next, Kim Salke.

Okay.

Good afternoon, Honorable Houston City Council.

My name is Kim Sauk, and I am here today to talk about the $314 million in federal assistance to help with disaster response and recovery from Hurricane Barrel.

The current plan dedicates more than half of the funds to providing emergency power generation at fire stations, community centers, and hospitals, and all are critical places during disasters.

Some evidently, in my understanding, want to amend this and divert the 50 to 100 million dollars away from the essential projects and direct it towards a limited number of residents whose homes were damaged and need repair.

Any disaster relief funds, I believe, should be funneled to help the largest number of Houstonians.

There should be massive numbers of people to help.

And we need strong and effective emergency power at the fire stations, hospitals, and community centers for when the next has expired strikes.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Next Sandra Edwards.

To be followed by Tom Slocum.

Okay, I'm like her.

Good evening, everybody.

Um first of all, that bill gonna go off, and I'm just gonna say that one minute ain't gonna be enough to tell you how much we are being violated.

Because I'm with her.

Um profitable people.

We need to look out for the residents.

I'm a stall, I've been a victim from Harvey out the way in my house is fouling apart, but we cannot get help.

Dr.

Plum, I want to thank what's she?

Um, Dr.

Plum, I want to give her thanks because she's the only one really looking out for fifth water and come and talk to the residents.

We all want to put the money in the fire department and our lead, that's our fine and dandy.

But what about the people?

The people have been suffering since Harvey.

We still haven't gotten no help.

When do we come first?

When did it come our time?

When it is then when do we get our houses repaired?

Because we keep moving around trying to move this around and that around to survive, and it's not working.

When do we get the funds to come to the neighborhood and take care of people and our houses?

When?

Because I'll be here, all this money being raised and going here, then left and right, but none of it is coming to the neighborhoods that's suffering the most.

When is it our time?

When do we get I want to get a bill?

When do we get our time?

I uh I know that, but when we get an answer, when do we get our time?

When do we get our houses repaired?

When are they gonna come to us?

Tomorrow at nine.

Tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Thank you.

That's an ounce.

Council Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, I move to suspend the rules to move up.

Liliana Rambo behind Mildred Whitfield.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passed.

Mayor Pro Tim Castic Statum.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move to suspend the rules to add Daniel Rumsey to the top of the three-minute uh agenda.

Motion made in second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Yes, sir.

Uh yo Houston, what's poppin', Mr.

Mayor Whitmer, City Council members, taxpayers, get Rob Blind, and all y'all real H Town hustlers out there.

I'm here representing 77018.

Listen up.

I believe we gotta slam every last cent of this money into our city's guts when I'm talking about the FEMA and the HUD money for roads that don't swallow our cars and trucks, bridges that don't crumble like your ex promises, drainage, drainage that actually drains power grids that don't ghost us in the storm, and fat stacks of backup generators.

I want to see lots of generators, over 200 million worth of emergency power to keep the fire stations lit.

We remember what just happened in Kerrville, Texas, and how many people died.

Over 137 people have died in Kerrville.

This isn't a chip and Giovanna Gains reality show for home remodels.

This isn't an episode of fixer upper.

I say zero zilch nada.

Okay, we need real policy.

We need policy that's Houston strong, not Houston wrong.

Wake up.

We need to deliver real results for the city of Houston.

Not drafting a plan for an extra 100 million dollars for handouts and political favors across the city.

Thank you.

Next Daniel Rumsey.

Daniel Romsey.

Good afternoon, good afternoon, Council members, Mr.

Mayor and staff.

My name is Daniel Rumsey.

I am the regional vice president for FCC Environmental Services, the uh city's recycling partner.

It's an honor to be here with you today.

For those of you who may not know, FCC is part of a global company with over a hundred years of experience in waste and recycling with customers.

Uh today, FCC Global services over 66 million people in 55 countries.

Here in the U.S., FCC provides solid waste recycling to 14 million Americans across seven states, with Houst Houston being proudly the location for our national corporate headquarters.

In Houston, we have been proudly managing the city's recycling since 2019 through our state-of-the-art materials recovery facility, which we call a MERF, which is located in Northeast Houston, District B.

This facility is not only the largest and most advanced in the region.

In 2021, it was named the number one recycling facility in the nation for its innovation and sustainability.

How did you ever think you could service Houston with one drop-off?

Well, um I think a lot of cities do that.

No, and let me answer you, but not other cities.

Most of us are real upset.

I am particularly upset.

It doesn't matter how much personnel, how many trucks, we are getting 30 new trucks this week, we're hiring folks, but then they go wait at your location hour or more to drop off.

How in the world does anyone think one drop-off serves 600 square miles and 2.3 million people?

In fact, if I could get out of the contract and we are reviewing it, I would do it today.

Well, respectfully, sir, I I think that if the logistics are planned correctly and the trucks are not all being sent to the facility all at one time, 30 to 40 to 50 trucks, you are going to have the same problem with any company.

If you first from ACT, we need multiple locations, and your company should have anticipated.

The leadership should have anticipated.

You cannot have people going from Southwest Houston to Northeast to make a drop and then returning back to their route.

Impossible.

And we are working the best we can to deal with it.

Additional trucks and people, a new model of operation and management.

But it is never going to be what it should be because of this Dorn contract having one drop-off.

You know it, and any reasonable common sense person would know it.

Well, uh with all due respect, we we absolutely met with the new director, and we are in full agreement that City could use transfer stations across the city.

We welcome that.

We received the RFP and a recommended award for the Gasmer transfer station at the end of last year that honestly is not moved in any direction at all.

So I agree with Mr.

Rassan's approach of additional transfer stations.

I think that would be great for the city.

Um again, I think that's the next one.

You need to partner with him to find additional drop-off or allow the contract to be amended that we can contract with other entities to get additional drop-off for recycling.

One is impossible.

It doesn't matter if you work seven days a week.

You need additional drop-offs.

You cannot cross 600 miles for a drop-off and then return to your route.

You should have known it.

The city should have known it, and we are going to do everything we can to fix it.

Again, I I welcome the partnership with uh with Mr.

Director.

I think that's a great plan with the transfer stations.

And again, we're fully supportive.

We have offered additional trucks and drivers.

We are absolutely in all support for the government.

Well, I thank you for being here.

But we are all frustrated representing citizens, and it should have never happened in the first place.

Council Mayor Pro Tim Castic Statum.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, thank you for coming.

I I don't think it's a secret that residents in Houston are talking about recycling and how we can make recycling better.

Um, when we talked about recycling a couple of weeks ago, I knew we had done something with the Gazma station a while back.

Um, and I asked the administration, you know, what what are we doing with Gasma?

And I specifically remember it because it's a location in District K, and we had previously been talking about how to get the trucks to go to that location so they don't have to go all the way to the other location, and then they can get back on the route.

I think that what we are seeing now is in the midst of transition, um, some things have have stalled.

Um Mayor, I would love for us to be able to, you know, get together.

I know Director Hassan is anxious to try to fix this problem on behalf of the administration and Houstonians.

Um, Mr.

Romsey is here saying they want to help.

Um I think that it would be a benefit to Houstonians for us to figure out um the best way to get that recycling picked up as as fast as we can and to get the Gazmer station up and running.

Um, do we know have have you talked about the Gazma station already?

Or have you met with the director about the Gazma station?

Because I think the last time we talked about it as a council, um, we had a logistical plan so that we would be able to expedite the pickup of recycling with that additional um facility online.

Yes, yes, ma'am.

We have um again, this was the first conversation we had with the director is you know, what's the status of the gas transfer station?

Um he did mention that there's additional transportations in the works.

Again, all beneficial to the collection of the recycling.

So again, next steps is I'm waiting to hear.

I was told it was with legal, but again, we have not seen anything move forward since then.

Um we're more than willing to jump through hoops to make anything possible.

So even if it's uh, you know, again, a a quick transition until the full station is operational, more than willing.

Absolutely.

Can you now I've read in the paper about the wait times um and we heard from the director about the wait times, and then your data shows a different um amount of wait times.

Can you just kind of give us a perspective?

Because we're getting all this information from several different sources.

Um what?

What are those wait times and what would you suggest we do to deliver recycling for Houstonians?

Yeah, good question.

Uh yeah, I think that the change and where the recent problems have have started is the collection of recycling on one day a week.

So, as uh Director Hassan stated, there it's the makeup day, so they collect everything on Wednesdays, right?

And if 40 or 50 trucks arrive at a recycling center, no matter where they're at in Houston, you're gonna have delays.

So again, the suggestion and the commitment the the director gave to me is that recycling will be collected um multiple days a week now.

The schedules will change, which of course will help with those wait times.

But again, the average wait times throughout the week are nothing close to that.

Again, 19 minutes max.

Some trucks are in and out in 10 to 15 minutes.

So it's it's when you don't properly route your trucks to arrive at a certain time, you're gonna expect delays at any facility.

Right.

So that's why I was saying if you stagger the start time, group A starts at 6 a.m., group B starts at 7 a.m., group C starts at 8 a.m.

and and so on and so forth.

That is how you you manage the logistics of facility like this.

And then we we have heard from a lot of folks about um their recycling, and then we heard from the director and folks that are in that recycling arena that the recycling that we are picking up the load talk to us about those loads and the education that we need as a city to make sure that recycling can actually take place.

Yeah, I mean, uh I think the biggest and most critical piece to to a successful recycling program is timely pickup.

Um again, if the recycling is not picked up on schedule or not regularly scheduled day, what happens is the lids stay open, it rains, and all of the paper and and you know, cardboard, those things start to dispose.

So it's just not good.

So timely collection is absolutely first priority.

Secondly, again, um if that container sits at the street for three or four days or longer, naturally pedestrians and cars will drive by and and throw trash into them.

So that's a big piece to it.

So timely collection is number one.

Education is a huge piece to it.

I think foremost of any recycling program is the education.

So whatever we can partner with the city, um, and I've spoken with the director about this, whatever we um as the experts can help provide that education and build that out for the city, we're always welcome and open to do it.

Thank you.

Councilman.

Thank you, Mayor, and good afternoon to everyone.

Thank you for coming forward.

Uh this has been a hot topic around the city and especially in our districts uh recently.

Uh how long has your company had the contract with the City of Houston?

Since 2019 when we started operating.

Okay, sir.

And from 2019 to present, does it seem as if there are more issues with recycling currently or has this been something that you all have been dealing with since 2019?

So when we started the contract, um the forecasted contamination rate is 25 percent when we signed the contract.

Today it's anywhere between 46 and 48 percent.

And why do you think that is?

Um again, uh the combination of education, um timely pickups, you know.

And you get paid, your company gets paid based on tonnage of recyclable material, correct?

Correct.

So when so you want as much tonnage and you want it to actually be real recyclable material.

Yes, correct.

So right now the City of Houston, based on logistic logistic failures, or issues with with trucks personnel, or whatever the case may be, you're getting less tonnage than you anticipated or less tonnage than you have gotten in the past, correct?

Absolutely.

It's trending down year by year, yes.

That's a big problem.

So there has to be some type of collaboration between the city and FCC in order to find a resolution to ensure that the expectations that you all originally contracted for that we're meeting as a city.

Correct.

And right now we are not meeting those.

That's correct.

And um and again, just for a little clarity, we've over the over the past three years, um we have been with the prior administration working through amendments, um, working through things to approve the program, a lot of different things.

And um, and again, now it's kind of starting back over with a change in administration.

But um the city has been well aware uh they have consultants um working with them as well to help try and improve as well.

So there's a lot to it.

Well, I appreciate you being here as well.

It it takes a lot to come uh speak to us under these circumstances.

You know, as a businessman, I know all you all want to do is um collect the recycling, get the tonnage so that you can maximize your profits, and then we can keep the city as clean as possible.

There are things that go on here at the city that we're not meeting those expectations.

We try to put all of the blame on FCC, like you all are the end-all be-all, when we really need to look at ourselves many times and the leadership here to ensure that we can meet those expectations as well.

So thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

And again, I do want to state that FCC is more than willing to do anything and everything to make this program successful.

It's the mutual success of these this program um again is on both of our parts.

So and lastly, uh at the end of the contract with FCC, I want to remind everybody that this will be the City's facility.

So for future planning and reference, um, it's going to be turned over to the city.

How long was the contract?

30 years.

How long?

15.

15.

50.

Councilmember Alcorn.

Thank you.

Thank you.

When when the contract started in 2019, about how many households were uh were on the I mean has it grown significantly?

Yes, it's a very important thing.

The number of houses.

In addition to the contamination rate being uh much above 25 percent, there is also the number of homes.

Correct.

Also our resource problems with with trucks, et cetera.

Correct, correct.

Um when when this was negotiated initially, um, I was a staffer here, and remember the big key was to keep the cost below what the landfill cost was.

Our landfill cost now is about 33 bucks a ton.

Right.

You are at 20 dollars a ton is what we're paying.

So that was a significant factor.

And quite lower than anybody else, what anybody else was offering.

Is uh what were when you when this was negotiated, was the gasmer and other transfer stations part of the scenario?

I mean, was that expected to be online as a transfer station?

So initially when we when we built the facility, um and again it it's uh it's a massive investment.

It was $25 million.

Um that's just to start.

And then from there, conversation started shortly after a year, a year and a half.

We have been speaking with with the government.

Yeah, like you you said you answered an RFP to operate the gas mercation.

And you were you were awarded or you intend to be able to do that.

We were recommended to awards.

Recommended to award the gas station.

And that's to what uh the Mayor Pro Tem was talking about.

And I just want to say you mentioned the transversations.

We have been discussing this option with the city for probably more than three years.

Okay.

And and uh it's my understanding that you contracted separately with a company called ITR, another MIRF to handle what the Wednesdays and the Saturdays and the times when the the truck when it was too long of lines, or what what what was your what was your affiliation with the ITR?

Yeah, so so every MIRF really in the State of Texas uh that I have been a part of, it's just a contingency.

So the time that we sent material to ITR, this is no longer a business.

It was because we had a major breakdown at our facility.

Oh, it wasn't having to do with uh overflow.

That was what I was originally told.

Okay.

And and you could contract yourselves with an additional MIRF to help with it, or would that be a a help or or is more of the answer the transfer station?

I I think absolutely the transfer station is going to be the most viable option later.

And talk talk to me about the contaminated uh loads.

Okay.

Once you you get it, you sort out what can be saved and what is contaminated.

You then FCC has to take the contaminated loads to the landfill.

I've heard conflicting things about things about what at what cost.

Do we do we charge do we pay, do we charge you for that?

How do how does that work?

Yeah, so there's there's two ways.

So if it's the contamination or what's left over that we call it the residue, uh we transport that to the landfill and we are charged, and it's basically a reimbursement from the city based on that charge.

Okay.

So but in essence, yes, the city is pay for the city is paying the $33.

We're paying we're paying the $20.

And then we're paying the $33 on half of recycling.

Yeah.

And again, you mentioned the half the recycling.

That's that's the key here.

Right.

Thank you.

Councilman Plummer.

Thank you, Mayor.

What sorting mechanism do you use?

So we our MERF in uh the City of Houston is state of art.

It's I mean, it collects um you know through conveyors, it sorts through air, magnets, uh, pulleys.

There's just a lot of sophisticated equipment.

Um I mean, I would love to give everybody a tour, kind of walk you through the whole process, but it's all state of the art.

Um, you know, excuse me for my throat is not good.

Um but um yeah, so it's it's all state of the art, but that's how it is.

And then um are you all doing a combination of mechanical and a chemical recycling?

And if so, is there a percentage chemical?

Chemical or mechanical recycling.

What type of recycling are you all doing?

Are you all just No, no chemical.

Okay.

No.

No.

So it's it's all you know, the traditional recycling, paper, plastic, aluminum, tin, cardboard, um, all the major recycling materials.

Okay.

And it's a combination of machinery and people sorting at that site.

So it's just sorting at the site.

Yes.

Automated and manual sort of.

Okay.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

Very good.

All right, thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for being here.

I got a question about uh education.

What are your duties to educate under the contract?

Um currently we we provide a um education fund to the city in 2034, excuse me, it was 113,000.

Uh this year want to pay thank you.

Um we're at 65,000 through so far through 25.

So you say you pay into an education fund.

Do you actually make try to educate the public about how to recycle?

We do.

We do.

We we host uh 14 this this past quarter year, uh I'm sorry, this fiscal year, we've done 14 public um tours and also school uh tours through the facility.

So and we work with staff on scheduling those and everything else, yeah.

But then the city has to pay you for your having to truck contaminated loads to the to the dump.

For the portions of it, yes.

Yeah.

Well that sounds backward to me because the incentive should be the more effective your uh education program is uh the less money the city has to or or the more money that that your company makes, but it's it's backward because we pay you to educate, and then we pay you when the education isn't successful.

Sorry.

So the education we pay to the city, and it's up to the city to partner with us on whatever way they would like us to roll out that that education.

We're a partner.

Um most cities are responsible for their own education of their um, you know.

Is is FCC uh a national company or not located just here in Houston.

So you should have an idea of what kind of education is effective, right?

Yeah, I mean, um just you know I used to manage the the company that collects for the woodlands, Conroe, Willis, um in the woodlands, it's a it's a very tight program, right?

Uh heavy education, tagging of the containers, um, just a lot of different things.

Mailers to the to the residents, and even at times removal of the bin, right?

If it's continually contaminated, it gets removed.

Umfortunately, again, it's we'll we will be glad to partner, but at the end of the day, we process the material.

Again, I I appreciate your being here, but if this gets renegotiated, I I hope this education piece makes makes more sense, because it's it just seems like we're paying uh double, if you will, uh, for education that that doesn't work.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Appreciate you coming out here.

Um in a previous life, I spent a lot of time managing uh hubs that did a lot of recycling, so I'm pretty familiar with the contamination that you are talking about.

Yep.

Um we have a number of open containers that we put at the parking ride in Kingwood and down in Clear Lake every weekend.

And from what I have seen uh the material being put into those containers, I really don't think this is a matter of not being picked up or the can being open and getting wet, the stuff that goes in there just amazes me.

And kind of the dovetail on Councilman Ramirez's comments about education.

Uh I think we have invited you to our next town hall up in Kingwood to come out and try and educate the public.

Um I know myself and my staff have got a tour scheduled for Monday.

Perfect at your facility.

Absolutely.

Uh trying to see what is going on.

And I do have a question on the contamination.

Is that what is left over after you sort that you can't do anything with, or is that an entire load that is deemed contaminated, and you just push the whole load off to the side?

So once we do a full audit and we do them quarterly, but but correct.

The contamination level is after we have sorted all the material, what is left over the residue slash trash is coming in at that 46 percent.

Okay.

So you actually process every load, and after the processing, what is not recyclable, that is what is left as contamination, and that is what you have to in turn send to the landfill.

Okay, thank you.

Anyone else?

Thank you for being here.

Uh I hope you will work closely with Director Hassan.

Absolutely.

He uh has been very refreshing.

He's discovered some bad practices, some conflicts of interest.

I hope you allow him to seek out additional drop sites.

So thank you for for your willingness.

But uh was there not discussion in 2019 at the time the city entered the contract that the city would actually profit uh from the recycling business?

And if that was part of the agreement, um how much has the city made from it?

You know, I I I would have to go back.

Uh and again, I wasn't part of the organization to 2019 when the contract was drafted, and I will be glad to get answered for you on that.

We will all get together and look at it.

And and and to that point, um I think everybody is aware that the recycling commodity market is just not good right now.

So it's just it it ebbs and flows, right?

And so based on the contract, the city would benefit more.

We would like to revisit that contract and see if it could be more responsive with additional opportunities for transfer stations, perhaps even contract with other companies to assist us.

Because I am of the strong opinion, as I stated earlier, it's a bad model to have one drop-off for the entire city.

It should have never been allowed.

Councilmember Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, Mr.

Ramsy, uh, I appreciate you being here as well.

Um question.

Why are you here now?

What what brought you to the to Council today?

Uh well, uh honestly, there's been a lot of um, you know, and I responded to a letter to to Councilmember, so everybody got that.

Uh there's just been a lot of um I would consider misinformation about you know reasons and causes for the English.

You spoke to some of the, you know, where there are some contaminated, and I think we all understand as well where you as a city we have challenges with trucks, and so there's some of the reason why it is being contaminated as well.

Yep.

Um but but in that in that conversation, you know that there is a new administration, new council.

Um I was a staffer, so I am aware of the contract.

Yep.

But it I think it's also important to be able to come in and speak to us and say, hey, we've been talking about this for three years.

Uh what are the where are the challenges?

And and now we're at a point where we're having to have real tough conversations with with constituents when recycled is three weeks late, two weeks late.

And I get it.

Um, you know, I think there might be some misinformation, but I think just as no information is not good at all.

Um so my hope is that as you be working with the director and of course the administration and the rest of this horseshoe, um, you're just as involved in your hands are just as dirty, right, to get things right that need to be done.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Thank you, sir.

Uh Councilman Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

And and for clarification, when were you all awarded that contract for that Gasma uh location?

We were recommended for award in December of 2024.

So December of 24.

And to date that what it what is what is your your interpretation of where you are with that recommendation of award?

After meeting with uh Directors on a few weeks ago, um they they gave us a pair of keys to at least go visit the site.

And since then, the feedback has been it's with legal's hands, and we will know more very shortly, and we haven't heard anything.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you.

Next Aaron Ambroso be followed by Lucinda Davis.

Hi, uh my name is Aaron Ambroso.

Sorry.

My name is Aaron and Bros.

I'm the co-founder and co-director of the Houston Climate Justice Museum and Cultural Center.

We do projects on environmental issues and climate change.

I've I was also out in the Northeast after the Director, helping hand up batteries, uh seeing people's homes who have been devastated by trees.

The issue is that we're in the middle of a housing crisis.

We have soaring home costs and stagnating wages.

Um it's critical that these funds go towards the most vulnerable communities, uh the most vulnerable people who um uh uh need to rebuild their homes, not towards police or or fire infrastructure.

Um the people I saw weren't trying to go to the police station or the fire station.

Um I also want to emphasize uh the importance of the climate crisis and taking the climate crisis seriously, um, which it doesn't seem like um the current leadership here is doing.

Um methane uh gas generators emit the very things that make our disasters worse.

How does that make sense?

Uh we should be uh considering um solar microgrids and and other forms of of clean energy that that are not going to contribute to the types of disasters that we're seeing more and more often uh in central Texas on our TVs uh in our backyards.

Um we live in a a growing world of of refugees and a shrinking world of uh of safe places.

So it's critical that these funds your time has expired going go to go to housing.

Thank you.

Next Lucinda Davis.

Rain Eatman.

To be followed by Joseph Bramante, good afternoon, Council.

Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to speak.

Um I'm coming on behalf of the Acres Homes Community Advocacy Group in support of item number 58, where the Houston Public Works Department is uh looking to apply for a safe routes to school um uh grant uh to understand how to create safer routes to communities like Acres Homes.

Um what I'm passing out to you all is actually a safe routes to school plan that was actually uh done in partnership with uh Be Well Complete Communities, Be Well Acres Homes, and with uh Harris County Public Health, and in that it actually covers a portion of the area that the safe routes to school application would actually cover.

Uh Carver Road um from West Little York all the way to uh Victory Road in between Drew Academy and Carver High School.

Um I've also taken the liberty of including some language from uh community members who are also in support of item number 58 and saying how it would greatly uh uh affect their ability to actually take their children to and from school safely.

And then lastly, I included a page that actually provides other funding sources that uh Harris County Public Health identified so that way it could be a little bit easier for us to actually move forward on this initiative.

This conversation was actually held within the last uh four years um in partnership with B Wells.

One more minute, one more moment.

Uh with B Well Complete, uh B Well Acres Homes uh Steering Committee, MD Anderson, UT Texas.

Um and this is a conversation that's been going on for a little over four years about making sure we're getting safe routes to school with three separate studies for elementary school specifically in Acres Homes.

And so since there's already precedent for this conversation, I'm really eager to hear if there's any appetite or desire to do an interlocal agreement with Harris County to ensure that there's funding moving forward for this so that way we can actually move the ball forward.

Thank you, Councilmember Jackson.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Rain, for your continued advocacy.

Um a true leader um in the acres homes in district B um communities.

And so just wanted to um I want to give him more time to discuss.

Yes, and just let me know what I can do um to support you.

I'm really excited about this item.

Thank you for lifting it up.

And so, you know, it's an opportunity for us to get sidewalks and just really make sure that our neighborhoods are safe that around the school so that the kids can get to school.

Safely.

So go ahead and have some more of my time.

Thank you.

On uh the back of the page, there's actually a diagram that was done as a study that shows that there are virtually no sidewalks around Houston Academy, which is just a few blocks away from Carver High School, and it actually extends to the southernmost part of Carver Road on the south side of uh Victory, where there's also no sidewalks, and there's actually a park in that community, uh Windsor slash Carver Park that actually has no sidewalks at all, even though it received a over a million dollars worth of renovations.

So it's always being utilized in the community, but there's absolutely no sidewalks or mobility infrastructure in that space.

And to that point, the funding list is listing things from the safe routes to school program on the national level.

There's bike Texas, Bike Houston.

Um I'm pretty sure there's even conversations to look into organizations like Lisc or United Way to see if there's any other additional funding, but more importantly, I'm really eager to see if there's any t appetite to start talking about an interlocal agreement with Harris County, specifically because the public health department already taken up the time to do a study on this.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Rain.

You're so amazing in all the work that you do.

So I really appreciate you.

Just a quick question.

Is ma'am?

Um this is precinct one.

Yes.

Any collaborations with Commissioner Ellis?

So for this particular initiative, majority of the uh collaboration was just demonstration.

Um if you look up this entire uh uh report, you'll see that there was actually a study done uh through all three of the schools and in an attempt to get more consensus from the community.

Uh uh Commissioner Ellis' Bike One program actually did a bike rodeo in partnership with another Acres Homes champion, Alonzo Mims and his Kings Bikeway group to show the um efficacy and the desirability of actually creating bike lanes in the community.

But in terms of funding, in terms of funding, nothing has been identified.

I did try to do my due diligence and see if any money has been allocated on the county level, but I'm assuming uh one of the one of the um ways they chose to um identify a path forward was mentioning some type of interlocal agreement with the city of Houston.

Now, what whether that means there's some additional funding for it, I'm not entirely sure.

Okay.

I think because I think this still falls into sidewalks.

Yes, absolutely.

I know it's surrounded by schools, but still falls on the sidewalk.

So I think definitely, I mean I would that that's I mean, a lot of the commissioners are really focusing on sidewalk infrastructure.

So I would circle back on that.

Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for coming and certainly bringing this to attention.

I think my question was was going to be the same.

You you talked about intragovernal process between the city and the county.

And my question is have you presented that to Commissioner's court?

Did you know at any time a proposal?

Did you present anything along the lines of that?

Well, to be transparent, a lot of my focus uh on the county level has been around their recent budget hearings and conversations.

So I have not had a chance to present that.

And I also want to uh he he left, but uh one of the uh team members from um uh councilmember Ramirez's office, Miss Leah Wolf Hall actually gave us this information a couple of days ago.

So uh as as quickly as I can work, unfortunately I couldn't get to Commissioner's Court in enough time to talk it over before I came here.

It was just I I think I got this information last Friday.

Um and then I tried my best to kind of consolidate all of the uh reports that have already been made in pursuit of safe routes to school to uh provide an opportunity for discourse of how we can bring this to commissioner's court and you know make this more viable moving forward.

Yeah, okay.

Well, I'm sure that'd be a good plan going forward, but I just wanted was curious to find out if you have done that.

Okay, yes, uh as much as I would love to.

This is fr between Friday and Tuesday.

Can't really do much.

Councillor Jackson.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um Rain, my office will be happy to facilitate those conversations because I know how hard you've been working on this.

And so just you know, reach out and we have make it happen, okay?

Thank you so much.

Thank you all for your time.

Next, Joseph Bramante.

To be followed by Randall Callancing, thank you for your time.

My name is Joseph Ramonte, CEO of Triarch.

Uh we're a Houston-based department owner operator here in town, about 1,500 units locally.

I'm here today in strong support of allocating the $100 million in disaster recovery funds, not just for individual homes, but also for apartment communities as well.

Anyone who has dealt with insurance company knows they are not in the business of paying out money.

When two major storms hit just thirty days apart, it created the perfect storm for insurance companies to muddy the waters, argue over which storm caused which damage, using that confusion as a reason not to pay.

That left many of us stuck, especially uh the smaller operators who don't have the pockets or legal teams to fight it.

The properties most affected were the older, more affordable apartment communities, often owned by everyday people who've pulled their money together to purchase the properties.

In our particular case, we took a direct hit and lost 60 units on our 1970 property.

After the storm, our investors contributed million millions from their own pocket to clean it up, repair the roofs, and bring 20 units back online while our insurance denied both of our claims.

I urge you I urge your support for this proposal, not just for the individual owners, but also for the affordable apartment.

We serve in the affordability we're trying to preserve in the city.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, sir.

Next, Randall Callanan.

Mildred Whitfield.

To be followed by Liliana Rambo.

Good afternoon.

It's an honor to meet you, uh Mayor Whitmeyer and all the council people on the uh in their seats today.

I uh had a concern about speed limit signs.

Speed limit signs on 60,000 block of Belle Guard.

Uh my wonderful council uh lady has uh approved that, and I want to thank her.

I was concerned about how long it's gonna take now uh to get them put out.

Uh and also the junk yard that's being implemented in our community on Bellfoot.

I don't know anything about it, but I have a lot of my community people are talking about it, and while I was here to thank Shebeez, because I I really was concerned about the speed limit of that the traffic that's coming down uh Belguard, I mean Dalton, uh 100 miles an hour speed, and so I just wanted a couple of signs put there to at least get their attention.

I don't know if it may not stop them from speeding, but it can get their attention.

And so uh that's what all I have today.

And I could get some information about that junkyard that's being implemented on Bell Foot 6053 Bellfoot.

Okay.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Have a good day.

Councilman Evans.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mildred.

Yeah, JY for life.

Um certainly I'm glad that you are here.

Uh we will look into those speed cushions.

Are you looking for speed cushions or signs?

Speed limit signs, 30, I think is the mile per hour that's there, but it's no signs down between uh MLK and Makaiah.

Okay.

Um Ingram is in here.

I just want to make sure you speak with her so that we can make sure we have the location.

Okay.

And then, you know, I don't know if they've already done a traffic assessment to determine whether they will put them there and where they will and or where they will put them.

But we always appreciate people coming down because you are the eyes and ears of the community, and we thank you.

And we we have a lot of speakers about the uh salvage yards, so we will address that when they come up with the case.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, Liliana Rambo.

To be followed by Abraham Levitz.

Good afternoon, Mayor.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Mayor Petem, and Council members.

My name is Selena Rambo, and I have the honor of being here today as uh serving as the new Chief Executive Officer for Sur Jobs.

And I'm joined today by members of our senior team, Ms.

Almas Ferris Silva as well as Ms.

Nikia Robinson, but also by our executive board, I have Mr.

Brian Neely, Mr.

Daniel Science, and Mark McCulloch.

For six decades, Surrey Jobs has been a trusted partner in Houston's workforce development and economic mobility efforts.

It was founded in 1965, and SER was born from a vision to help people overcome barriers to employment, gain marketable skills, and achieve financial independence.

Today we serve individuals across Houston through a comprehensive train, police, and support model.

And this includes career training, job placement, financial empowerment, and wraparound support or services.

Here are some of our outcomes.

In 2024, over 51 Houstonians engaged with SER jobs.

Over 600 of them secure jobs.

And before engaging with SER jobs, the average wage Your time has expired.

Thank you, Mayor.

You can go ahead and use my time.

Thank you.

The average wage was 953 per hour.

After get that they got the training, their average wage increased to 1669, way above the minimum wage.

55% of our graduates from our training programs found employment within 90 days.

Over 21 million in wages were generated by program graduates in 2024.

That is that is what we do as her jobs.

Our work is about more than jobs.

It's about transformation.

We have helped young adults launch their first careers.

Second chance members reintegrate successfully, and parents thrive instead of surviving.

On October 4th, we will host our 60th year anniversary, Gala.

Mayor with Meyer and Council members, we will be honored to have you join us.

Thank you for welcoming today and for the continued leadership.

We look forward to your support.

Councilor Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Liliana, I just want to say congratulations on your new position.

Thank you for you know steering steering this organization and the continuous uh positive projectile, right?

Um I'm very familiar with Sir Jobs just in the East End, but it actually services the entire city and quite frankly, parts of the county as well.

I'm looking forward to the October 4th uh event, and I also want to make sure that uh that it we as you extended that to my colleagues at other uh council members and mayor if you're available to attend as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next John Rabon, Robert Campbell, Demetria Lewis.

To be followed by Latoya Shaw.

Greetings to all.

My name is Demetria Lewis.

I reside at 6102 Ridgway, Houston, Texas.

Currently, there's a junkyard that is being built directly behind my home at 6053 Belfort.

This junkyard has caused an infestation of rodents.

The digging of the fence to develop the junkyard has disturbed their area.

This is an eyesore to our neighborhood and our community.

Per the City of Houston planning and development audience, junkyard audience requires that the location of auto-wrecking, salvage yards, and lots used for open storage by junk dealers, scrap metal processors, and secondhand dealers are prohibited within 300 feet of a school, church, or residence.

This reference is from the City of Houston 2025.

And this junkyard is directly in my backyard.

I can just take my hand and touch the fence.

Thank you, Councillor Aaron Spause.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for coming.

Did Stephen visit your home the other day because he did go out because there was another neighbor who uh said that they live directly behind it.

Was it your home?

Yes, it's my home.

Okay.

All right.

We we have been working on this.

I mean, and I have to honestly say I wouldn't want that in my neighborhood.

Absolutely.

So I don't expect anybody else to just tolerate something, especially if it's not done appropriately.

Yes.

And I'm told that they do not at this point, I think have the permit for the fence.

They've been red tagged, they've moved it, all of that.

They're being tagged and it's being removed.

Every time they are tagged, it's removed.

But you know, I I I just want to take this opportunity to say something.

You know, people, even people that are building, they get red tagged and they continue to build.

I got a problem with that.

I really do.

Because at the end of the day, we ask them to pay citations or whatever, but that's the cost of doing business.

I believe that when people are in violation and they continue to be in violation, then they must remove those structures.

And so I do know that there is an ordinance about how close it is, extreme B.

And we're working on that because you can believe that I I believe that people need to have quality of life.

They need to have things in their neighborhood that reflect their own character and the character of their neighborhoods, and I don't see that that would be doing that.

And so we are working with you.

We're working with permitting um on that issue as well as these houses that are being built.

So out of compliance.

Just add on two other issues.

It is of concern of safety at this point.

You're having to pull all the way out on the street to be able to see incoming cars.

Sooner or later, we're going to have an extremely bad accident there.

Someone is going to lose their lives on Belfort as well as Wayside, too.

The safety of the safety is of major concern.

You can't see anything now.

I wanted to add something else too.

I know about the grass.

The grass is probably about to mile away.

So there will be another inspection about uh by Department of Neighborhoods on the 15th.

So we are staying on top of it as best we can uh to make sure that whatever structure is there is within the the guidelines of permitting and certainly the guidelines of the residents that live in close proximity.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Ms.

Lewis, thank you for coming down.

Um good to see you again.

Thank you.

We were out there at your facility, your relevance on last week.

The issue should have been dealt with.

This issue should not have gotten as far as it has been.

That facility, that land, uh to all of it, that trash.

It was it was a horrible situation.

What we did, the office was to let you know that we spoke with the person who's leasing the property.

They're not even they're not even the owners, they're leasing it.

That company leased it from another individual who purchased it from the midtime metro group.

Okay.

So it's a chain, the action, what's going on.

The the rodents and things that's coming from out of that facility, mayor council is just horrible.

It's something that shouldn't have been done.

The fencing that they put up there is like a nine-foot metal fence all around that property.

The persons are going to, what they're going to do eventually, the intent was to make it like a scrap junkyard.

Okay.

So, but what we've done, we we contacted all of them.

The person's leasing it.

He wasn't aware of a civic association.

He wasn't aware of the deed restriction.

So the problem should never get there.

He was red tagged, and they moved the tag off.

They literally took the tag off.

I spoke to this inspector, and the inspector let me know that they were trying to plan to do another uh permit in order to get them the opportunity to do it.

The plan of it is is to bring in containers, but they have not talked with the community at all.

Now, after coming out to the civic association on last week, hearing all of the constituents, what we're planning, he's agreed with me to do is to talk, have a meeting with all of you to include himself.

Because I said to him, oftentimes those people come in the community and they never touch with the residents.

They don't know uh who they are.

So I just want to let you know that we will uh follow up as well.

We've taken the initiative to do that because it's really an odd sort, it should not come.

Yes, it is.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And thank you, Councilmember Davis, for partnering with us on that.

Absolutely.

Uh certainly it is gonna take that again.

I don't expect people to want to live around anything.

I wouldn't want to live around.

So thank you, and to all of the other speakers that are coming forward.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next, Latoria Shaw.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council members and fellow Houstonians.

I'm here today as well to raise concerns about the unpermitted construction and lack of transparency regarding any commercial plans.

Site plans for this 6053 Belfort Street and uh zip code 77033.

As Councilman Davis highlighted, Midtown Redevelopment Authority was at the center of real estate transactions that are questionable by means of round uh round trip transactions where we would he the land was purchased and then sold to to companies that are connected through common family ownership.

That's the first issue.

Second issue is that that land was supposed to be uh developed for you know affordable housing.

Recently, many residents have contacted 311 to express our opposition to the to the development of what appears to be a junkyard or container storage at this site.

The fencing around the property is unsightly and poor in poor condition and encroaches on sidewalks where two metro bus stops are located.

It also exceeds the eight-foot height limit, which requires a permit.

There are no visible permits at the site or public notices or variance requests have been issued.

There is no clear public information about the site's final plan.

Your time has been.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, Travis McGee.

Good afternoon.

I'm here speaking on behalf of the South Park Super Neighborhood.

I am the president, and I believe anything starts off wrong, ends up wrong.

They should never started the construction without the permit in the first place.

The same day that they received the first citation, it's the same day they went down there and and uh got the permits.

The permits on the 17th, they didn't get the permits until the 22nd.

That's what they started that.

So at the end of the day, everything they the loophole is the container storage yard.

Uh the state, the city, as well as the county also all have things related to junkyards, but there's zero in there about the storage yards.

The easy fix for this is to mean what you already have in the ordinance and add the container uh storage yards to that.

They could build them up as high as the houses and things like that.

This area is also in the floodplain.

April the 21st of this year from re-road to 610 from Jellin to Macau Road was underwater.

What's going to happen when the structure um restricts the water from getting to the drainage and stuff like that?

Uh it's close to Macau Road.

It has two MSpi.

It's a traffic issue also.

Uh the exhaust from the trucks that are gonna be waiting for these things are gonna be going directly to the residents behind the buildings, things like that.

So it's an easy fix.

And the city easement also sits on their property.

So if y'all want to use eminent domain to stop this, y'all could do that if y'all wanted to stop it.

Mayor Hurton.

Mayor Pro Chair.

Thank you, Mayor.

My question is to city legal.

If we have ordinance on the books about junkyards, if uh property owner uses a container to contain the junk, that still constitutes a junkyard.

I'd have to look at the definition uh of junkyard and get back to you.

I don't I don't know the actual definition, but I I would like for us to look at that.

Get some clarification on that because if we have ordinance on the books that already covers this, then we should be able to move forward with um the permitting issue.

If we need to change it to include a container, we need to be able to do that ASAP so we can uh make sure we're having the proper enforcement.

We'll get you and get to you, Councilmember.

Right.

Councilmember Evidence Shabazz.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, uh Travis.

Um I'm in line with what you're saying.

We certainly need to look at that.

And if we need to do an amendment or something to cover that, then that is what we need to do because people are using loopholes, as he said, to be able to move forward to do structures that are certainly not in line with what the community wants.

And so thank you for coming.

Did you finish your comment?

I can give you some time.

I can use the comments.

I'll give you some time.

Go right ahead.

Uh, this particular uh person has plenty of money.

So whatever he like, if it's an eight-foot fence, he's gonna go down there and pay that money to get the uh the uh nine-foot fence.

So he's circumventing with his money as well as the permitting process because at the end of the day, when the residents try to repair their house, even after the storm, they got to go through hell with the city of Houston, but they can come in and put things that we don't want or need in our area with little resistance at all.

So it's a whole lot more that that can be done if we if we get it done.

Have you had a chance to talk to the owner of the property?

Has it had has the community met with the owner of the property?

No, we haven't.

What I would what I found out thus far, he has like 17 properties and 16 of them is in the third ward area.

And multiple properties have been sold to the midtown tourists.

Now, each time I've came to council, people tell us that the tourist dollars have to stay within those boundaries.

And the only way that the tourist dollars can lead those boundaries is for affordable housing.

So it's something wrong with that also, because they said it depends on how the tours was actually set up.

But I understand what you're saying.

I think that um because we've had a similar situation in District K when somebody brought in some warehouses and it was right on the back of people's homes.

Um, and it was a difficult situation because of the uh private property rights in the city.

That's why I really want to make sure that we try to help the neighborhood because it was an uphill battle.

Right.

Um, because Texas is such a strong property rights state, but we need to make sure that our ordinances are being enforced.

And that's where we need to put I know Councilmember Davis and Shabaz will will work on that, but the the big thing is we got to determine what the junkyard um definition actually is so we can enforce it.

And I would um encourage the residents, don't give up on this, don't don't stop fighting this, and to try to set up a meeting with the owner.

Because when we had the issue with the warehouses right behind uh one of the neighborhoods, we set up a meeting with the owner and the neighborhood so the owner could hear firsthand from the residents about their concerns, and we did get some cooperation because the the problem is Texas is such a strong property rights state, and if they own the property, if they're not violating D restrictions, and you gotta make sure also that um this raw land is part of your community's D restrictions, because what we found out was because that property was not um in the outline of the community, those D restrictions didn't um apply to that property.

Right.

So what we need to do is make sure we have our ordinance in place with the junkyard definition and try to set up a meeting with the owner and the neighborhood and somebody there to kind of develop some cooperation.

So if you have to dwell together, you can dwell together.

But my recommendation is to surely um get the ordinance in in place so we can have enforcement mechanisms.

Right.

Well, that that is most definitely the loophole, but at the same time, as I said, his way around uh planning and community development was not getting the permit.

That's why we did not receive the variance and stuff like that, because we are registered to get any construction permit to come in our area.

Right.

So he's doing it.

Then when it can from less than 24 hours, it went from savage yards to junkyards to auto storage.

Yeah.

So when it people started complaining, he just started using those loopholes.

And we really, since Houston don't need no zoning, we really need the right ordinances that really protect us.

Right.

Not the developers, not the businesses, but that protect us.

It's bad enough that we're dealing with chapter 42 that's priced inside our neighborhoods.

Then we have things like this, and it's it's it's horrible.

Right.

But no, I I I hear you.

And I think that um your council member and council member Davis will work with the legal department.

We've got to get our ordinance correct so we can have an enforcement mechanism.

And I would encourage the residents to stay in touch with their council member and council member Davis and put pressure on the on that owner to meet with you.

So I mean, if they if they want to, if they can put up a better fence, because I will tell you what they told us about the fence was the city does not regulate ugly, and we hated that.

Those fences that those businesses are putting up, they're horrible.

The these are fences that don't look good uh around people's homes.

Right.

Um and we've been told, well, the city doesn't regulate ugly.

Right.

And so we've got to do a better job of catching this on the front end and making sure we have the mechanisms to enforce this and that residents can um have these conversations with these business owners to try to come to some better resolution if we have to dwell together in that space.

Right.

But this particular fence is the metal panel fence.

I know exactly what kind of fence you're talking about.

It it does have to be level by by city ownership.

No, it has to be a certain height, but I'm talking about how it looks.

Right.

I mean, the the they look horrible.

Yes.

It it supposed to be level at the top, all the way down and paint it one particular color, and it's not.

Even when the when Ike Jr.

come through here, those panels are gonna be everywhere.

Right.

It's falling apart now.

Yeah.

And we also keep working with your council member and council member Davis to get some enforcement or uh ordinances that we can really enforce.

One more problem that we have.

We shouldn't have to explain the city ordinances to the inspectors.

It's been a lot of turnover, whatnot, but still when they come out, they supposed to know exactly what they're supposed to be giving the citation for.

Right.

That's another problem.

Okay.

We'll definitely talk to the director about that.

Councilmember Davis.

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim.

I I certainly want to acknowledge the issue that you talked about in District K because I remember that issue.

I was with the Fordman pastors in Houston combined group when we had that problem with your community was talking about that.

I remember it very vividly and how that was done.

I'm looking forward to working with the district council, our district council member, she's mine, and that's uh Councilmember Shabazz, because of the fact we work together.

That's one of the things I try to emphasize.

I let all of our district people know as an at large, I'm gonna try to support them.

That's what we do is support the district council members in the effort that that that that's that that's what that's what we're supposed to do.

That's the whole objective of the town halls we did.

Now, the owner of the property leased it to another individual.

I've talked to both of them today.

For two hours I spoke to them.

And the the issue is they need to sit down with the civic association.

That means it's getting ready to happen.

I will let council member Shabazz know, her staff know, we'll make sure that happens, and so that this problem doesn't happen in any district because they come in like overnight, and you don't even know that they're there, and next thing you know, you got this big junk.

We took pictures last Friday, Friday, we or Thursday, we went out there.

There's different colors on the fence.

Lewis's husband saw a rat run out of there bigger than a cat.

This cannot I mean, I was sitting there like, Mayor, I said, What?

She said it scared her husband.

So you know what it did to her.

So we we we have to do this.

Thank you.

Coming down, brother, thank you for that, bringing it to the attention of the district council member Stephen James was there to address the situation.

So we own it, okay?

Thank you.

And can we keep in mind just as the last result that the uh the city easement does set on this particular person's property?

So the worst case scenario, if we have to use eminent domain or whatnot, let's do it.

Because McCower has all the industrial property, and he's moving from one property, they always bring all the bad stuff to our area.

Stuff that we don't need.

So it's keep in mind he didn't start off right, it's not gonna end right.

Councilman Reverend Shabana.

Thank you, Mayor.

I wanted to ask a question.

You said that there are 16 other lots that this company owns.

Are they using them in the same manner?

They're doing the same thing on these lots.

No, I'm I'm trying to figure out why he's not building putting the same type of things in third ward.

Because these lots are right next to each other.

Okay.

All right, and and then it is my understanding that it is less than 300 feet between that property, that that line, that fence, and the uh adjacent owner.

And so that's a violation.

But of course, if he if he has plenty of money, like you said, he can just move his fence a little.

Right.

So we're gonna have to actually work on the ordinance just as uh Mayor Pro Tem said, uh, because again, money should not help you to be able to help use a loophole to get through to have the neighborhood in a manner that people are not accepting of it, and or any, and I'm sure he doesn't even live in that area, so it's okay for him to come to somebody else's area and do that, but that's not acceptable.

So we will do whatever we can to make it.

This is how it worked.

They will put a permit in for a boarding house, but it's in reality it's a halfway house.

That's that's the loophole they use a rat here now because at the end of the day, we put this big fence up, you're not gonna be able to see what's behind it anyway.

And if we want permitted to start getting on top of that now, like the fence had has not gone through the final stages yet.

Each uh the floodplain, the city stool, it's different phases to the permit there, but we need them to get on top of it now.

Now the slap on the hand, again, treat him like they would treat us.

We can't put sides on our house without the inspectors coming by and stopping it.

You know, also let me let everybody know in regards to like those halfway houses, boarding houses.

We are having a meeting today in the third ward multi-service center at five o'clock.

If anybody wants to come and talk about that issue as well, I'm not gonna be gone.

All right, thank you.

Next Cynthia Forms, Michael Hughes, to be followed by Abraham Levitt.

Now when I have my lined up before I come up and I get here, and then everything goes on freeze mode.

Yeah, uh well, first of all, I want to address uh council member, and I'm glad to see that you have the spirit concerning that issue that you do, you know, because it was a little concerning about how these things would be working out.

Um, we'll do.

I'm trying to find my little segment that I want to share with you all, but I guess everything is probably neat as been said concerning this issue.

But bottom line whether you have permits, artists or not, and we can't regulate what you call um uh morality, but it's really a shame for someone to come put something that grotesque up in people's neighborhoods that established.

It's a nice neighborhood.

It might not have uh $300,000 homes, but the taxes have gone up every year, exceedingly high.

But it shouldn't be there anyhow.

Uh some of you council members have got emails from me concerning the issue.

And uh we just hope we can, you know, get the situation resolved.

There's nothing more that I can say that hasn't been said, and thank you all for your time, and thank y'all for your effort and Councilmember Silvaz, thank you for the interest that you are showing.

Councilmember Evan Schrott.

Thank you.

Very quickly.

I just want to say that you were the first person that brought it to my attention when you came and showed to show me the pictures when I was at the Sunnyside Health and Multi-Service Center.

And so we have been working on it ever since.

And I appreciate you coming to that meeting and anybody that wants to share anything, make sure that you do that, because once we know we are accountable, and we must do things to help our communities.

Literally, I am uh lifelong residents of District D and I respective 31 years in District D, and now currently 35 in District I, and that affects your district because we ride on the board.

Yeah, you might have got an email from me.

So it affects all of us.

And just like gang green, the uh big toe might not be uh worried about the little tow, but it's gonna all get cut off when you got bad circulation.

So it'll get to your neighborhood eventually.

It'll get to your neighborhood eventually.

Thank you.

Next.

Next Abraham Levits.

Good afternoon, Council members, Mr.

Mayor, and staff.

Uh thank you for the time today regarding the uh details regarding the proposed scooter ban.

Uh my name is Abraham Levitz.

I'm a small business owner here in Houston, and I'm speaking on behalf of a coalition of legal operators here in Houston about the scooter ban.

Uh we share the city's goal, a safe, accessible, and well-regulated downtown.

Recent enforcement efforts by the mayor are working, and it's cleaning up Discovery Green and the Avenida of the illegal operators.

So thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Safety is our number one concern.

Text out supports that e-scooters have far fewer incidents per trip than bicycles, motorcycles, cars, and pedestrian walking.

Less than one in ten thousand rides results in an incident, and that's a.009 percent likelihood of an incident.

The economic impact of the ban would be catastrophic to local small business.

We employ hundreds of Houstonians and have invested millions of dollars in fleets, technology, insurance, leases, and compliance.

Legal operators have generated tens of millions of dollars in combined local revenue, spending, and tax contributions.

Money that supports use and businesses, city services, and downtown revitalization.

We propose using technology and a targeted solution to combat the challenges that we all face.

We have introduced a phased regulatory framework.

It was previously emailed, um, and that is the basis of our approach moving forward.

We propose a scooter ban using geofencing technology around Discovery Green and the Avenida, and we also propose a trusted operator program with a new permitting classification for operators that put safety first to have leases and brick and mortar businesses and can enforce regulation.

In closing, a ban is not the answer.

There is a path forward that we can collectively work on together.

We need to continue to remove illegal pop-up vendors and enact proper regulation.

A ban would bankrupt our businesses and put hundreds of Houstonians out of work.

Tell me how that geofencing works.

Yes, ma'am.

Um there is commercial grade scooters that we currently utilize.

It has a technology built in called IoT.

Uh that technology allows us to create fences around any particular area in the city, and the scooters would be non-operable in those areas.

So when you drive past it, it just turns off or you fall off.

We can control it's a good question.

Is it like the grocery store baskets that it's a little bit it's a little bit like that?

We we can control it so it slows down as it approaches us a geofenced area, and then as it enters the geofence area, it would set off alarms and shut down the scooter.

Do you know exactly how many um scooter businesses are in that downtown area?

I I represent a coalition of seven that we would designate as legal operators.

But there are there's many that are more than seven because people just show up on Friday nights and and those are the ones that we're trying to combat because it's they're lumping all of us together in this baby with the bathwater situation and um giving us a bad name.

Okay.

Under your model, where would the uh pedestrian where would they ride the scooters under your model?

They would ride in bike lanes and any legal right-of-ways.

Obviously, there is limited bike lanes downtown.

Have you witnessed what most of us have going up sidewalks, alleys, theater district, one-way streets, red lights, waving in and out of the walkability around the convention center, the dynamo stadium?

How are we going to address that?

I I think through technology that's going to help dramatically.

No, the technology is going to keep them off Discovery Green and other venues.

Yes.

I am talking about the general mobility and the walkability of downtown.

There's a lot Where do you ride a scooter?

Where would you propose a scooter be ridden?

Primarily on bike lanes and public workers.

Sir, you know the bike lane is very limited.

And how are you going to enforce it?

Outside of technology, a lot of it starts with education.

So you are going to restrict them to a bike lane?

Initially, yeah, we bike lanes and public right-of-ways.

You know they are going down Allen Parkway.

Yes.

In the theater districts.

Same same issue.

And one-way streets.

Yeah.

And then again, how fast would you allow one to go?

You know they are doing 30 and 35 down.

Without helmets.

Most of our scooters are limited to 25 kilometers an hour.

Sir?

Most of them are limited to 25 kilometers an hour.

25, most of them.

Yes, sir.

You think it is safe to do a 25 miles per hour in a congested area?

Kilometers, sorry.

16 to 18 miles per hour.

16 miles per hour.

You think that's safe?

Yes.

Helmets?

We offer helmets, correct.

You offer helmets.

Yes.

And we charge for them, we offer a helmet scene.

The committee has done a great job of hearings, but I really think we got a real hazard.

We have created a real walkable environment around the convention center to restaurants.

Is it not fair to say most of your folks are just recreational riders?

Most of the people we rent to are using it for recreation, and some people use it to get around the city.

Sir?

Most are using it for recreation, sir.

Yes.

And it's interfering with the hotel convention business.

People check in one night, check out the next because of the disturbance downtown.

What about the weapons?

People with weapons using scooters.

No, but the police and the victims have.

Anyway.

Yeah.

I think we got a real tragedy that is going to occur.

Young people.

And most are coming in from the suburbs for recreation.

If they are riding for school or work, we could give them a permit at no cost, and they would not be interfered with at all.

I think it is just the astral world environment that we are attracting downtown from all of our adjoining jurisdictions that are really jeopardizing Houstonians and our guests from a lovely evening in a theater district and walkability downtown.

Councilmember Plummer.

Thank you, Mayor.

And thank you for being here.

So when someone comes to your store to get one of the scooters, do they have to give you ID or walk through with me a little bit?

What do you get from them versus the pop-up folks?

Great question.

So when they come to our store, number one, they are encountered by a lot of uh information about things you can and cannot do, rules.

But uh in order to rent from us, you have to provide a valid driver's license with the age of 18.

Once you we validated your driver's license, we then go through a waiver process, and then after everything has been uh assigned and uh the rental has been paid for, they go through a safety instructional um educational component component before they are uh issued a scooter.

And so if they damage something, who does that liability fall on?

You or do you carry insurance?

We carry commercial uh grade insurance, correct.

It's a very, very difficult insurance to carry um and we carry the carry the best insurance available.

And with all the clubs and bars downtown, do you modify do you I mean do you check to see if they are drinking or one one of the benefits that we have because we are issuing the scooter directly to an individual is we can determine if they are inebriated or not.

And we don't rent to anybody that is under the influence.

And how long do they keep how long they keep the scooters?

Uh typically about an hour.

And what time y'all close?

During the week we close at 2 a.m.

During the week.

Would that be something that you would be open to changing?

Because that's kind of late during the week.

We're up to do this in a partnership with you guys is to provide sensible regulation.

We want to make sure that we're providing enough context to understand the issue.

And we proposed a framework that was previously emailed that highlights a lot of these I'm sorry to interrogate you but this has been a really contentious conversation.

And then the last question I sound like Council Member Pollard.

The last the last question is what if do they can they have radios, like loud radios on the like do you monitor how much noise they are creating if they have like we don't uh offer anything that makes any noise the scooters themselves are quiet.

And anybody who is carrying anything we definitely always recommend leaving their stuff in their cars and not to carry it because it can fall down and but we're not we're not here to promote adding additional noise in the downtown area.

Yeah because I mean sometimes they have those small, you know those radios and they're really loud and I think that's another concern that folks happen absolutely yeah.

Okay.

All right thank you.

Thank you.

Martinez Councilmember Martinez Thank you, Mayor and I appreciate you being here Abraham I cover most of downtown and easttown town and I think that's where your your uh brick and mortar is located.

Yes sir.

Um what's what is the magic number to have scooters at one time you know I guess during the day or whatever.

You mean on the streets or rent it out?

Uh we we find that during the day it's not as frequent because people are working we tend to see a lot more traffic starting around six, eight o'clock on on average.

So what's that magic number?

What would you say would be okay to have how many scooters at one time?

It's a good question.

I I couldn't give you a a number just from our business collectively how many scooters are out there right now since you are representing seven operators how many scooters do you say are out?

I think collectively on an average day of the week you're probably seeing five hundred at two a two a m no no after six o'clock you're going to average maybe five hundred scooters rented in an even I don't know I got a number closer to a thousand or more that you can have scooters out with all the operators that are there whether legitimate or not.

Yeah I just taking an average and then uh I guess to that point what's a good time for scooters to stop being on the streets.

I I think a reasonable time is probably two a because that's when what what is what does somebody use a scooter for at 2 a.m or at one o'clock in the morning?

They're exploring Houston and having fun with their friends.

Okay.

So joy riding essentially essentially Okay.

And then also uh the you said you take an an ID.

What's the age restriction?

Is there a restriction on anybody?

Because we've we've gotten you know reports of 14, 15, 16 year olds at 2 a.m.

Yeah.

And and those are the illegal operators that we're talking about.

We we have an age restriction of 18 years old with the valid driver.

So no one under 18 is what?

18 years old.

18 so no one under 18 rents your scooters?

Correct.

What's the cost to rent a scooter for an hour?

20 dollars.

Twenty dollars and I appreciate you know the the mayor's putting the attention on this you know Discovery Green has been torn up plenty of times not just by scooters but also by ATVs.

And then and the scooters are not honestly just they've just been inviting more of this joy riding.

I'm a I'm a proponent of making sure that folks have alternate you know options for tra transportation.

But for joy riding at 2 a.m that's something that I'm definitely not in in agreement with I would like to hear more of what is it that you would concede to I per personally think uh eight or nine p.m curfew there's nothing there's nothing good happening at 10 and 11, 12 o'clock in the morning uh joy riding um age of course the geofencing the technology I think that's also something that we should be you know diving into more um speed governors how fast right um by the way we're in the United States so I don't kilometers is kind of hard to sorry but but with that you know you know 15 15 miles per hour if if I if I could touch on some of the timing if you don't mind.

So a lot of people s seek scooter rental as an alternative to other forms of entertainment.

As it gets later into the evening and especially where a lot of these people are coming in from they're they're disenfranchised because a lot of the stuff nearby where they live is closed at eight o'clock I think I think they need to have it at their you know their area right whether they're coming from a Tasca Cita, umbo they can go ahead and have scooters at 2 in the morning but not in your easy sugar land port being I think y'all should definitely start setting up pop-up shops over there and just seeing what those communities say you know and how they respond to what y'all are doing.

Again I'm not opposed to having this form of transportation I get calls from I've gotten calls from residents in District I that live in Eastwood say I ride my scooter a judge I actually ride the scooter from Eastwood to downtown but that's during the the day but to have a scooter at you know two in the morning and then if if they get there at 1.30 and they still can ride for an hour, 2.30 now or someone will get there right before two and now it's three o'clock I I just think it's something that again if you're going to be able to concede to some of these things and I'd like to have those conversations with you.

I I just think something that again, if you're gonna be able to concede to some of these things, then I'd like to have those conversations with you.

We we absolutely would.

Uh we're we're here to again provide context information so we can collectively put sensible regulation forward.

If you rent someone that's eighteen when they leave your establishment, what keeps them from allowing a younger person to drive it when they get a block, two blocks away.

You know it happens.

Uh so we put in our waiver, obviously that you put as much framework as we can to try to prevent that.

But it's happening, sir, and it's a danger to the user of the scooter, to the pedestrians.

It's just not a good mix.

And you know it, and I appreciate your making a living off of what I think is a very dangerous scenario, and at two o'clock in the morning, we are literally losing customers to our major convention hotels.

The noise of 500 people or anything close to 500 with their music, with their joy riding, people are checking out of the Marriott Hilton in four seasons.

And that's why you've got to appreciate the concern of businessmen and women.

Absolutely.

That you interfered with their livelihood.

Here we're fixing to have.

Can you imagine the volume of scooter riders during the World Cup, with people trying to walk to restaurants, walk to other venues, it's just a dangerous situation.

And I'm sorry that you are faced with it, but I don't see a remedy of allowing people to 2 o'clock in the morning.

You know that's where you're making your big money.

The later, the more congested, drugs are involved, weapons are involved, and it's just not what we're trying to attract downtown.

Yeah, and then that's why we're proposing a ban that we can enforce their technology in those areas.

No, your your technology is keeping them off of a designated turf site.

Like I mean, Discovery Greens is essentially not usable on Friday and Saturday night after nine o'clock.

It's dangerous for families.

And I'm sorry, you're doing a good job pleading your case, but uh the the scooters, when they violate the law, they run from the law enforcement, they go into parking garages, they go up alleys, and it's just not the way downtown Houston was designed.

Yeah.

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

I I want to I want to thank you, Abe, for coming and uh and and bringing this to the attention.

And let me just say I'm a strong advocate for what makes our city better, and certainly businesses and all, okay.

But this issue and and some of the council members uh who expressed it, all the colleagues around this table are very very concerned about this.

Now, I want to make two points, if I may.

Number one, I almost hit two scooter riders one night.

My wife and we were downtown and we made a turn, and the scooter rider busted out in front of the car, right as we make it a left turn.

And I immediately stop.

Once they went by, I'm getting ready to take off again, and two more came by, which is following that one.

So they they don't they're not in no regard of the traffic, the violation because they they they don't have any of that involved.

So that's a concern.

Number two, if you walk in down the sidewalk, now the mayor mentioned about people living in hotels, when they hear they're walking out.

Think about it.

If you on you walk in and the scooter comes up behind you, what is the person gonna say that's walking in the scooter behind?

They're gonna holler scooter, right?

They'll let them know get out of the way.

But they don't know whether to go left or right, because you come in behind them.

That's a that's a very dangerous situation to be.

Now, I mean, downtown is not an amusement park.

I mean, we had one colaster world years ago, but they gone maybe never to return.

I don't know.

But you turn it into that.

And last thing my concern is when you see the videos out there, people that don't Mayor Pro Tim was asking you, and Councilmember Joaquin and I went downtown late as some of the other colleagues have been down there as well.

But we were down at observe this.

They tow up the Discovery Green, and and this is not just saying you personally, right?

But we have a problem mainly with teenagers a lot of time.

Gathering, yeah, which also creates another problem.

You know, the City of Chicago, which I'm always looking at teenage issues and crime.

They have this thing called teen takeover.

All of a sudden everybody is down there.

Two or three hundred of them.

And if you talk about two a.m.

in the morning, that's a hazardous.

So I'd like to see, I like to look at what you plan.

I heard what you said about the technology.

I don't know if that'll fix it.

Personally, I don't know if that, you know, the Mayor Platinum was mentioned it in the mayor, but I don't I don't know if that would solve the problem.

Understood.

I I welcome the conversation.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Councilman Mayor.

You know, Councilman Mayor, you just reminded me that there is a reason why we do not like let bicycles or scooters on Memorial Park jogging path.

Yeah.

Pedestrians walkability just doesn't mix with the scooter or bike.

You're at you let them go to the left or right.

It's very dangerous.

Councilman Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for being here, Mr.

Levits.

Um and appreciate you meeting with me uh several days ago.

During that meeting, we had a conversation.

I asked you about the number of rentals you do on a given Friday or Saturday night.

And uh you told me it was 2,000 rentals on a given Friday or Saturday night.

Is that right?

Uh so we went earlier when I was asked on average, it was about we average about 500 rentals a day on average throughout the week.

On those Saturday and Saturday and uh Sunday or Friday and Saturday nights, we're gonna average around 2,000 rentals.

You're just one of five companies in your coalition, right?

Uh one of seven.

One of seven, thank you.

In in your coalition, right?

Yes, sir.

And that's not counting uh some of the other non-brick and mortar operations in the other parking lots downtown.

Correct.

Is there a limit to the number of motorized scooters you will you will rent?

Um at the moment there's there's not, but if there was a framework that we had to adhere to going forward, we would obviously respect that framework.

All right.

Would you be in support of a limit on the number of motorized scooters that are permitted to operate in the downtown area?

Yes, in our in our regulatory framework, we propose not only a permit classification, but also registering the scooters with the city, so the city has uh documentation on anyone riding a scooter from a from a legal operator, and then those uh numbers I believe can be um reviewed and discussed.

All right.

And uh you have a number of locations.

I may have missed it uh here, but how many locations do you have?

We have seven.

Seven locations.

How many of those are in parking lots?

Uh we have two brick and mortar businesses in the east of downtown and five uh on parking lots.

So you you have five operations in parking lots downtown?

Yes, sir.

How how close are they to Discovery Green?

Uh we have a partnership with uh wind park management, so we're right in front of the Toyota Center.

Right in front of the Toyota Center.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

You know personally, I was leaving the dynamo stadium about three weeks ago.

So you had about 10,000 people all walking out of the stadium.

And what do you think we had to get out of the way of scooters using the sidewalk instead of I mean interfering with the dynamo?

Yeah.

And you know it's worse than you than you're admitting.

Well, I mean, it's no 500 on a Friday or Saturday night.

Yeah.

I understand that's a challenge.

Yeah.

We're here to work with you to pray some regulations.

Councilman Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, thank you for coming forward.

Regarding this waiver.

Yes, sir.

Does the waiver um cut liability for you as a business owner to not be held responsible for the acts of the scooter renter?

So if they were to do something illegal or a violation of city ordinance, it relieves you of the liability.

Is that correct?

That's correct.

So once that renter leaves your shop and they do illegal activities or or ride the wrong way on the street, nothing can be tied back to you, correct?

Based on the waiver.

I mean, the way the waiver is written, that's correct.

Okay.

So it would you would think that to be a business that's a community partner with the city, the waiver should be the reverse, to where we can identify whose scooter belongs to which operator, and if that renter does something that is adverse to our local laws, that the operator is then held responsible.

And I think if the operators are starting to be the ones that is held responsible and the waiver does not limit UAL's liability, then you all would think twice about who is getting the scooters, how many are going out, what's the education, because right now they are leaving your operation, and once they get out there into the public realm, they're doing whatever they want to do, but none of it is tied to the operators because you're making them sign a waiver.

Right.

So for me, I think regulation is something to consider, but the regulation would have to include the operators being held responsible for what happens on individuals who ride their scooters, just like an employee would be responsible for what happens during their scope of employment.

Okay?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Evan Schraz.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I don't mean to pile on, but uh and I don't know if anybody mentioned it.

But people are getting robbed by people on these scooters.

So and they can get away so quickly.

And so there has to be some accountability and some regulation, because you know, we don't have any way of figuring out who they are or where they are going.

But we know that if they did get that scooter from this particular place, that we could trace that back and perhaps we could stop some of the criminal activity that is taking place uh downtown.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Councilman Plummer.

Thank you, Mayor.

And one last question.

Um sure you have heard we have limited funding for and officers for enforcement.

So in in this framework that you are creating, would you be open to paying for cameras or additional officers or any of those?

Have you talked to your colleagues about that?

The irony of a little bit of this is that for months we were going to the local precincts and even trying to have meetings with Discovery Green to pay for officers after hours to help clean up the downtown area because of this issue.

Um but in my proposed framework that we've we have submitted via email to everybody, uh we recommend that there is a revenue generator derived from the permitting and also the registration of the scooters on an annual basis that will fund a lot of these initiatives to help uh tackle any deficit that might be incurred with uh this regulation.

Well, I would recommend, I mean, the revenue generation, I think that should be something maybe on the private side.

The revenue generation probably should come to the city so we can make the repairs that are necessary that the scooters are maybe potentially destroying.

But if there is security and camera placement, I think that should be something that should be generated from your coalition versus it then be something that we have to collect and then pay for.

We we welcome that.

Okay, all right, thank you.

Anyone else?

Thank you, sir.

Thank you for your time today, appreciate it.

Next, Eric Ross.

Roberto Coelho.

Can you hear me?

Yes, it's probably this.

Good afternoon, can you hear me?

Um Good afternoon, Mayor, Council members, and City Staff, thank you very much for your time and the work uh and the work that you do.

It's much appreciated.

Much appreciated more today with all the things that you have going on.

My name is Roberto Cuello.

I'm a homeowner, taxpayer, father, business owner, and volunteer with local nonprofits, as picture today for myself and some neighbors.

Uh, we're submitting a petition that's passing around for urgent uh draining and drainage and asphalt maintenance needed in 2025 on Hutchins Street between McGowan and Hadley by the fire hydrant.

Uh the lack of drainage is causing high amounts of pests, animal hazards and even fly infestations, which is referenced from 311 on pages 25, 26, and 27 with regards to the communications that we have had.

On the packet of which is nothing, nothing unfortunately was done from the departments.

Uh included in the packet on page 24.

Page 24 is page two of Chapter 7 of the City Houston Design Manual, which I mentioned the fire hydrant shall be located to uh considering adequate drainage to avoid flooding, which is what's happening.

If you could check on page 12, 13, and 14 with regards to that fire hydrant, there's uh images of that.

Uh for years, the Hutchins Two Association, which includes myself as a private volunteer board member for six years, and Dr.

Donald White, who is on the current board and under petition, as well with support of numerous other members, we have maintained the walkways and the green space ourselves, which is labeled in green.

Uh cleaning line space, added soda lighting, uh offer personal funds and the HOA.

So we're looking for you guys' support, despite numerous requests, uh, every work order was a good idea.

Thank you.

Next.

I'm sorry, Councilman Shabaz.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for bringing this.

Uh if you could step and talk to the lady over there, uh that is in District D.

Yes.

And I would like to get some more information.

And this is a good idea.

Yes, we I'm sorry, great presentation.

Thank you.

I appreciate you.

We've we've discussed it with Ms.

Ingrim.

Um, we've also discussed it with 311.

I'm here because uh that we got stuck in the process uh like six months ago.

And then there's been no response, everything's been closed off, we've been submitting, and it's like flies, and it's and it stinks.

And so it's like hundreds of homes, and that's a bunch of construction one block away, and there's just drainage there, and then and then so I have a list of the taxpayers that are on the street, some pictures there about they're getting new streets with paving, there's no houses there.

We're like cleaning it all up in this this area that needs a lot of maintenance that we have not gotten any progress with 311.

So um I spoke to Sal, Sal called me because he saw my name on the list.

He seems like a nice guy, but we got stuck last time.

I'm just kind of he is when we had things get moving, so yeah.

So we just want to I just want to bring it to all your attention that we hustling with regards to our block, trying to get it taken care of, cleaning it up.

Uh, but we have this issue.

We can't handle it.

It's it's it's a lot of pressure on us.

We're getting into arguments over it.

Um so please, that's what we need.

It's your help with this.

Okay.

I'll look at it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right.

Well, thank you very much.

Next, Hazel Barry.

Dr.

Inga Ford.

Darrell Johnson.

How y'all doing today?

Uh yes.

Uh Mayor and the city council I'm here on today.

Uh, if you notice it, say Metro.

Uh I've been with Metro for 28 years.

I was a bus driver.

I won numbers of awards.

And uh I got to be uh uh a steward, a union steward, whereas I had to I save a lot of people jobs.

And then from the union steward, I moved up for being on the executive board.

So I did what y'all did right here, following the rules of order and everything.

Um I'm here on today because um I got an insubordination on me at Metro.

And mayor, I'd like for you to look at this real good.

Uh the insubordination is we had a gentleman did some and I passed the fly to y'all.

Inappropriate to one of the ladies.

I wanted him to be removed.

Okay, and uh we have our uh hall meetings at Metro, and I've been to four.

Go ahead.

Okay.

I've been to four of the Metro Hall meetings, and I was asking Metro officials, why have y'all not moved this gentleman on what he did to the lady on the job?

And Mr.

Mayor, I really want you to look into this.

When when did this uh occur?

Actually, Mr.

Mayor, about me being the insubordination or you dismissed.

Uh November of uh 24th to insubordination.

Last November.

Yes.

Do you have an attorney?

Did you have a representative attorney?

No.

Okay.

And you appealed and you lost your appeal.

Here's the deal was no appeal.

We had a gentleman named Mr.

Kirk Lawson.

He threw my paperwork in the trash.

And I've been fighting for the last five months.

Well, I'm going to suggest you might want to get a labor attorney.

Because obviously, you're in the middle of a dispute.

You've worked the process.

You still are unhappy.

So you might want to consider an attorney.

Well, mayor.

Because we're not in it's going to be very difficult for us to enter the picture.

Certainly, we're not the Metro Board.

So it wasn't nothing dealing with my job for as uh coming to work doing my job.

That's was a 100 there.

The issue was me coming to the board, me and asking why have this guy wasn't.

I understand.

I understand.

All due respect, Mr.

Mayor.

If you was to make the phone call, which I was here for one of your council people to look at this matter, whereas you can see I was doing what was right.

But at the end, I was it's like a bogus insubordination basically.

Well, I'm sorry that you find yourself in this situation.

I would recommend that you get an attorney.

Councilman Pollard.

Councilman Pollard.

Uh I too am uh sorry that you are going through the situation.

I'll talk with you offline to see if uh we can come up with some some creative ideas on how to resolve.

Please do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

James Post.

To be followed by Mushir El Mahmood.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

My name is James Post.

I am the current president of Sister Cities of Houston.

I want to thank you, Mayor Whitmeyer, and all of City Council for everything that you do for this the entire community of Houston, but especially our vast global community.

I am here specifically today on behalf of the Houston Perth Sister City Association.

On March 1st, 1942, the USS Houston and the HMAS Perth fought together in Sunda Strait.

They fought against impossible odds against superior Japanese forces, and they were both lost.

They were lost knowing that was going to be their fate.

They gave Allied forces time to regroup and help prevent the invasion of Australia.

In 1998, the USS Houston Foundation lobbied and managed to get a statue erected in Sam Houston Park that commemorates the USS Houston.

Every year on March 1st, we have a sell we have a celebration, a commemoration of their service.

Thank you, Councilmember Davis.

You were there this past year.

Commander Jim Sterling, United States Navy retired.

He is a member of the U.S.

Houston Foundation, and he was critical in getting the USS Houston Monument in Sam Houston Park.

He has proposed.

Wrap it up.

He has proposed to have a monument for the HMAS Perth installed nearby the USS Houston.

We're not asking for any money on this.

This would all come from private donation.

What we're asking for is support and assistance with getting this approved.

That's all that I have.

Again, thank you for everything you do for the global community of Houston.

Have a great day.

Very good.

Thank you for being here.

Moshir El Mahmoud.

To be followed by Harold Herrera.

Hello, everyone.

I would like to discuss uh two concerns today, but it depends if you give me enough time or not.

So the first concern is regarding the ride chair platforms.

Uh I do believe that the wage we obtain are not really enough to cover the expenses, because when you are using your car, you are not only losing uh fuel like gas or diesel ore, etc.

You are also uh wearing out the tires, the brakes, the spark plugs, and so many components.

So which authority can pressure these platforms to set up uh a minimum fare or a minimum wage to be reasonable and just so this is my concern.

And if you would like to allow me to discuss the second concern, I am ready.

Uh well, thank you.

We we have a one-minute limitation today.

Okay, the second concern is uh that I do use 311 app to report some portholes or any other road imperfections, but sometimes the inspectors don't make in the time has expired me back.

Thank you.

Next, Harold Herrera.

Council Romares, proceeded procedural procedural.

No, that's fine.

Thank you.

It's a procedure matter.

Yes, sir, Councilman.

Move to suspend the rules to fine, sir.

Thank you.

Move to suspend the rules to move uh Roberto Cardinas.

I'm sorry, Contreras, uh after Mr.

Herrera, who is next.

Motion made in the segment all in favor, say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Harold Herrero.

Next, Roberto Contreras.

Roberto, go on down.

Good afternoon.

Mayor Whitmeyer.

Councilmember Ramirez.

City Council.

My name is Roberto Contreras.

I am president at DC Partners.

I'm also the chairman of the Houston Hispanic Chamber.

But most importantly, I am the father of three young children at the Audi International School, which now shares a fence with a very active concrete batch plant servicing the I-10 expansion project through the year 2028 and very likely beyond.

You see, this batch plant used to be much smaller.

And then it was set vacant and for several years and idle for several years until it was allowed to reopen under a new operator at a much larger scale this last May.

That same month, the city of Houston uh cited the batch plant for dust emissions.

Um and that same month, several of the two schools of students came down with severe respiratory illnesses.

Uh you see this dust from cement batch plants is not just any kind of dust.

Uh it's uh dust that contains crystalline silica, which is a known carcinogen and known to be very harmful to children in particular.

Uh so we've just handed out some packets of information that were prepared by some of the parents that are here today.

Your time has expired.

Thank you for being here.

Uh we're throwing the full force of the city of Houston uh in protest.

Uh it was permitted in 2011, in 2014, 2019.

The 24 permit was temporary.

Uh we'll continue to cite them.

We're ultimately going to have to work with our Harris County legislative delegation and uh it's very difficult.

I've fought batch plants across my Senate district for years.

But we hear you.

Um stay in contact, legals involved, our governmental affairs director is involved.

But you well know it's a difficult situation.

Yes, Mr.

Mayor.

Because it's permitted by the state.

We don't have zoning.

So yes, we go cite them, but to get them out of there.

It's a Weber company.

We're trying to put some conscience on their minds, but it hasn't worked.

So, Mr.

Mayor, we understand.

Um thank you, and you know, for all of the influence that you can sure push, especially with your contacts in the state.

Um should have never been allowed there in the first place.

That's correct, Mr.

Mayor.

We're we're we're we're we're we're collaborating with you and and parents in the neighborhood.

I mean, I live a rock throw from it myself.

I go OKD quite often.

Uh I'm shocked that it's there and uh we'll stay on top of it, so I can make a commitment.

And the Rockets have are also aware of it now as well.

They're uh they're outdoor, they have an outdoor sort of training area that's just about 20, 30 feet away from the process.

I'm not even certain what construction project they're working on now.

It it's the I-10 expansion.

Um the I-10 expansion project, uh, close here to downtown.

But there are several batch plants that they could go to.

I mean, being in real estate development myself, I can tell that there's much less construction now than before.

Okay, well, thank you, but we've got a brief, we're ready to row, we're protesting.

But ultimately we need to reach out to our legislators as well.

Which we are, but what is the CIQs?

We have the TCQ right now investigating, but what is the fastest way to do that?

Well, we're we're in contact with them.

Okay.

With school starting next week, we're in full crisis mode.

We're doing the best we can.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor Puritan.

Councilmember Pack.

Vice Mayor Purchase.

Thank you so much for being here, and I know more parents are speaking on this issue in a little bit.

And Mayor, thank you so much for the work that you have done on it with your office as well.

Um the health department is going to continue to go out there to um check for air quality and dust um particles as well.

Um the mayor is absolutely right.

The TCEQ at the state level is the entity that permits this.

So at the city level, we don't have the regulatory authority to say yes or no.

But right before this meeting, I was on a phone call that Representative Lacey Hull organized along with Senator Molly Cook with the TCEQ, and those questions that I think all of us have as far as you know the permit and uh why their the work expanded on that property.

They've asked all those questions and the TCEQ has um launched an investigation into all of that, and so hopefully we'll get some answers here pretty soon.

But I think we all share those questions about you know timing and why they were able to expand.

So hopefully we'll get those answers um very soon.

I know with school starting up, time is of the essence right now, but we're doing everything we can to work with our state elected officials and then also here at the city level, working with the health department and anything that we could possibly do to um to do what we can here at the city level.

Thank you, Councilman.

Council Mayor Plummer.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for being here.

I mean, this issue um is incredibly common in some areas.

I mean, they're block after block.

And so um I definitely understand what you're experiencing.

Um I am willing to work with you as well.

I do a lot of work with Air Alliance, um, and we're we're tracking this.

We've already written a letter um to TCQ and just stay engaged, but it is a challenge because it's mandated and um all the permits are given by the state, as mentioned before.

Um but your advocacy is incredibly important, but this is something that Houston deals with across the entire city.

And it's um oftentimes in really poor communities because unfortunately don't have the the finances or the resource, you know, the resources to to fight this, but band together, make sure that your voices are heard, write letters, make sure that when they are up for re for repermitting that you write um to TCQ and you go to all the hearings, uh and just we just have to do the best we can, but obviously the administration is supporting um helping making this happen, and I'm willing to help you too.

I mean I work a lot of a lot of these in a lot of the areas.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Thank you.

Next, Sidney Mayoung be Sydney May Youngby.

To be followed by Annie Johnson.

Hello, Mayor and Council members.

Um I'm here today because I am a calisthenic athlete.

Uh I have been going to the Memorial Park for years now.

Thank you for rebuilding the calisthenic uh portion on the 1500 block of West Memorial.

The reason I'm here today is because I was told by Michelle Nashelle, I believe, the one that uh runs the Memorial Park, I guess, director, that you mayor called and said that we are a uh intimidating uh the people of Memorial and not uh and they're unable to uh work out in the calisthenic area.

I feel that is incorrect because we've been uh very inviting, and in fact, we've had a lot of people come to that area because of us.

I'm not sure what the intimidation is because we are into health and fitness, we're not a commercial organization, we're not a nonprofit, we're just regular Houstonians that like to work out.

Uh the four million uh residents in Houston.

Your time has expired.

Okay.

How come we us, how come uh we're being targeted and uh how come they're telling us that we need to.

Let me see if I understand they won't the the Memorial Park, I guess the Conservancy wants you to get a permit to work out?

Yes.

Yes.

When the hell do they pay you that?

Last Wednesday on the 6th.

Yeah, let me see.

I still don't have a mental picture of this.

You and your colleagues work out there by the bench.

Yes.

Who approached you?

Uh uh her name is Anyway, what capacity a park ranger?

Uh she says she runs the Helen Michelle.

Helen Michelle.

Did how did she identify ourselves?

Uh she said that she is the, I guess, director, the manager who runs the Memorial Conservatory.

Well, we'll get to the bottom of this and so have you gone back?

Uh we've suspended going there because we feel like we've been targeted every time we go there.

Every time we went there, they told us to break apart.

Went there again.

They targeted us again.

So she's saying where you get this permit?

She said we can't get a permit because the space doesn't even allow the the the space that she said they're not going to issue a permit because the space doesn't allow them to even issue any permit.

So have you been back since since this encounter?

We've been back once.

And they targeted us again and then we just stopped going.

Charge you.

They targeted us again.

Targeted you.

Yes.

How many people were there?

How many people?

What time of day?

Give us a visual of this.

What time of day are you trying to do it?

6 30 p.m.

Wednesday.

There's usually a run club that's there.

Sure.

I see.

I was there Sunday afternoon.

There's there's no problem.

Somebody's creating a problem.

So Wednesday, 6 30 p.m.

and Sunday in the morning, we're usually there.

Okay.

There's got to be some misunderstanding.

Yeah, that it doesn't sound right to me.

I I guess I guess that the difference sometimes uh not not at Memorial Park, but in other areas of town when I've been called on about matters that are seem like an organized activity, like if it's uh if it's some kind of organized regular thing.

Yeah, or for a few years.

That that requires a permit, but you know, just general, like hey, meeting some friends.

I I guess the mayor mentioned uh how men like if it's an organized, and I'm not sure I'd have to have parks break down the exact rules, but I mean why don't you talk to Rebecca Williams in my office and we'll immediately get in touch.

Okay.

Make sure we can get in touch with you, and we'll get this resolved.

This sounds like a failure to communicate.

Okay.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you very much, Mayor.

Council.

What Rebecca work with this gentleman?

And let's get Director Allen, Conservancy, a little working group and fix this.

There might be the rest of the story that uh we need to learn.

Thank you, sir.

I'm sorry, sir.

Hold on.

Councilman Thomas.

Hold on, can you come back, please?

Thank you.

So I I know that you live in A.

Leaf, and so um I just would encourage you in the interim to use the wonderful sixty million dollar park that's right down the street.

Yes, ma'am.

That right down the street.

Both use both.

Continue to use that.

It's the thing is the thing is.

If it's not him, it'll be someone else, Councilman.

Right, but you got Harwood Park right there.

Almost a million dollar investment, trails, trees, that is $60 million on the case.

Why do I have to I I get that?

But I mean uh uh why am I restricted from using memorial?

You're not restricted.

Hey, but I want to make sure that you have the whole portfolio available in your neighborhood.

Yes, ma'am.

And also I want to give one recommendation.

I think that if we have so many people in Houston, you should make the uh Calisthenic uh uh uh parks a little bit bigger, just like in Europe, just like in other countries.

That it's so small.

If you can only accommodate 10 people and there's four million people in the park, you need to expand it.

This is something that is discussed with Estonians, in my opinion.

So thank you.

Let's let's solve your immediate problem.

Okay, thank you.

Talk to Rebecca Williams.

We might need to remind the Conservatives, it is a city park.

Yeah, okay.

City Park.

Thank you, sir.

We'll be back in touch.

Next, Annie Johnson.

Marisela Ruiz.

To be followed by Greg Egan.

Hi, good afternoon.

I just wanted to talk about regarding about the panhandlers.

Uh uh, they um have an issue regarding about that about them having children uh while they're doing that.

I don't think that that is a right thing for them to be having them out in the streets in the heat.

And um, I think that we should think about more about the children's safety.

And um, I think if people want to give uh money to them and stuff, that's their that's their choice, but not to be putting children up in that point.

Um so I don't know what can you do regarding about that issue.

So that's all I came here for to that because I see that a lot of people are you know concerned about that matter, and I just wanted to bring it up about that because I see them under the streets and under the freeways and the children over there in the heat and they're all dirty, and I sometimes call the officers, but we don't have time to, you know, they don't come out on time.

So if y'all can see if y'all can do something about that, and then I appreciate it.

Counselor Collard.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for coming forward.

This this is uh Mayor, a uh issue that not only my district faces, but I'm sure many of our districts face, where we get calls or we're just riding down the street and we see individuals on the side of the streets with their ch young children that are selling items.

And I know from our office's standpoint, we do contact HPD for them to go out there.

Um we don't call child protective services, but maybe that's something that needs to be um considered on some department being able to have a direct line to who we can notify when we see these type of things because especially in Houston when it's so hot outside, and then they're they're near the curb with these speeding cars going by, and the child has no ability to say I don't want to be out there.

They have to be out there with their parent because their parent is making them stand there.

This this is a real issue, and I think it is incumbent upon us to find a solution for this because we've been put on notice over and over about this issue, and so collectively we're gonna have to think of what can be done uh when we do identify individuals that are out on the street with their young children.

How we can make sure that HPD or whoever prioritizes that call.

That needs to be a high priority call, and we shouldn't look at it as one of the lower level uh violations, but it needs to be more of a priority one call since a child is involved.

And so um I'll continue to talk to my colleagues about that.

I do want to thank you for coming forward and hopefully we can come up with something that makes sense for the city.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Councillor Flickinger.

This is a question more for legal.

I remember decades ago they had an incident where an adult had their child out in the on the corner selling merchandise, and the child fell into the street, got hit by a car, and I believe was killed.

And if I recall correctly, the city passed an ordinance saying that you could not display goods for sale in public without a permit.

Yeah, we still have some.

It used to be called uh that is correct.

I can't think of the name of the ordinance, but there's a lot of.

So it's it's already against the law, correct?

Uh you need you need to uh now obviously that doesn't impact panhandling.

Right, that's correct.

It does not.

So there's been a federal case that gave them the right to be there.

I mean, we're we're on it.

We all see it.

We work with HPD, but then if you talk to legal, there's a federal case that gives them the right to be in public space.

And uh, you know, it's it's horrible.

And nobody likes to have the encounters.

Many of them are professional panhandlers.

You get inside the operation and heights and I-10 is a $300 a day job.

Washington and I-10 is a $200 a day.

So many people confuse them with homeless.

But if you visit with them, many of them have a residence and address.

I've seen them before.

Where they park down the street.

Yeah, and so get the car.

The plan handlers are a serious problem.

It's a traffic hazard, it's a danger to the young people that are there.

But it's a complex issue because the courts are protecting them.

Just like the courts are protecting the library about this time of day will start being very congested.

So we have to go through the courts, use our judgment, and educate the public.

You know, many would say just don't participate and and give them assistance, but that's sometimes hard to do.

Thank you, ma'am.

We appreciate you bringing this up.

Next Greg Egan.

Patrick Edge.

To be followed by Lee Banner.

Good afternoon, Council and Mayor.

Uh over the past ten years, we've seen the La White Linen Festival degrade into a bro fest fueled by Bud Light and taco trucks.

I'd like to see changes that exemplify the diverse, colorful uh atmosphere of the city.

And I asked that you consider a ban on alcohol and vehicle-based vendors within the festival limits.

Very well.

Thank you.

It's an excellent entertainment.

Next.

Lee Benner.

To be followed by Willie Drew.

Well, this is a real different, but I'm trying to figure out how to take some sculpture out of the sidewalk downtown that I put in about 15 years ago without getting arrested.

So I've called everybody I can find in the city, from cultural arts to the sidewalk people to everybody I and I haven't talked to anybody that could tell me anything about what to do.

So here I am.

You live in Sugarland?

Yes, sir.

Well welcome.

Thank you.

You're talking about our sidewalks or sugarlands?

No, no, it's a downtown at 218 Travis.

And I I used to own the building there.

Yeah.

Back when I put the stuff in.

Okay.

And the side during the Coxwall project, when they were redoing the sidewalk, I put in three columns in front of the building.

And that when they put the sidewalk in, it left some holes about square about 10 inches or so.

Okay.

And they were a few inches deep, and they just filled up with cigarettes.

So I thought, oh, I'll put some of these sculptures.

I don't know if you've gotten a picture of them.

I'm looking at it.

We'll check on it.

Thank you.

Over the years, three of them have been stolen.

Yeah.

And then the one you can sort of tell my I got from my wife, and it was hers, and she's liked it because it's to her it's me when I'm mad.

Okay.

We'll try to we'll try to remedy.

These really bother you a lot, huh?

Oh, uh really, yeah.

They bother you a lot?

Huh?

He wants them back.

He wants them back.

So why didn't you take them when you moved when you sold the property?

Oh, well, I I actually put them in right after I sold the property.

Was it a gift to the city?

To cover up the cigarettes?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Right next to the uh you can just pull them out.

You said people have stolen them?

Yeah.

But you can just pull them out.

Well, with a hammer and a screwdriver, yeah, you can pop them right out.

When did you put them in there?

When?

Yeah.

About 15 years ago.

Oh my goodness.

Well, maybe it's a priority.

Well, I've just work on it.

Thank you.

We will we will ask public works to check it out.

Okay.

And y'all have my phone number or something?

Yes.

Oh, we got it.

Okay, good.

Counselor and Pollard.

So so the uh your sculptors, they're they're inside uh concrete that's on city property?

Yeah, it's on the sidewalk right next to the uh old horse.

But it's city property, right?

So when you tell you well, actually one of the people I met in the city came up with something and said that she thinks that that sidewalk is part of the county.

A county?

Well, maybe they put money in in the Coxwall project, but that didn't.

So when you put those, you didn't you didn't anticipate that it would become a part of the city's property going forward?

No, it was a city property.

I know.

So when you made the sculptors, did you not understand that you were contributing to the city's property and that it would become city's property?

No, I didn't I didn't give that uh much of a 15 years ago.

All right, thank you.

All righty, we'll go to work on we'll go to work on it.

Thank you.

Next, Willie Drew.

Marissa Rand.

Rebecca, put that on your to-do list, will you?

Marissa Rand.

Janice Spangenberger.

Thank you for hearing me.

I'm here with the Audi parents.

I'm a parent of a three and a half-year-old at Lip Babble pre-K, and just to give you some context, there are roughly 85 children at our preschool that have been there to school uh through the summer camp all summer being exposed to the silica dust from this concrete batch mixing facility.

Um my three and a half year old is asthmatic.

We've had one hospitalization thus far, um, but managed with uh medication not related to the cement, fortunately.

Um just for context, we have 26 infants, three months to eight to eighteen months when and two pregnant teachers that have been exposed to this uh all summer, unbeknownst to us and unbeknownst to our school.

We heard about this on Thursday last week after parent teacher orientation for the new pre-K curriculum that started yesterday.

Um we have a lot of concerns um as parents.

There are several parents that have relocated their children to other lip babble locations.

There's three sites.

However, now those are full.

Um it's a full language immersion curriculum that teaches in uh that teaches in uh Spanish, French, and Mandarin, and full uh education in those languages, which is very important at those preschool levels if you want to raise a bilingual or multilingual child, which is why we have sought out these educational schools that are very few, far between, and weightlisted in the city.

Um we're up against it.

I understand um uh how up against it we are with industry, and if there is any help uh for us as parents that are now having to choose between the general health and well-being of our children and the education we desperately want them to get.

Uh that's not even uh a choice.

Um I have to pull him uh as um several of the parents are going to, which is adversely affecting the business for for Lip Apple.

And these teachers are wonderful.

You know, my grandson, who I do have custody of, so I do make these decisions for him, is thriving at this school.

He's been there since 23.

They built relationships with these teachers, they're phenomenal.

Uh, that is not easy.

That's not easy to find.

Anyone that's raised children knows that's a that's a blessing.

We're we're obviously sympathetic and sorry that you even faced with this discussion, but it's the state of Texas.

We're contacting the permitting.

But uh I don't see a quick fix for it.

I trust that.

So anyway.

Council Vice Mayor Protein.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for being here.

I did want to share an update that I received from the school.

Um, they got the results of the environmental from the environmental consultants and found nearly non-detectable um contaminants in all the samples and no identify identifiable hazards, which is in line with the health department from the city has found as well, but that's now we know in the past that that wasn't always the case, and they did find issues and citations were written.

So um at least at the moment they didn't find anything, but the health department will continue to go out there to do um those tests as well.

But at least for right now, um, they didn't find anything.

But we'll continue to monitor it, of course.

It will, is that going to be something that's going to be put upon the parents and the schools to No, we'll be testing.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next Malia Tipton.

To be followed by Daniel Mahoney.

Good afternoon, Major Counsel.

My name is Melathipton.

I'm a geophysical engineer, mother of three young Houstonians with a fourth one on the way.

I'm also an Audi parent.

As you know, now we have an arctic concrete batch plan that sits right across the fence from our school.

Last May, when these plants started operation, my oldest son developed pneumonia.

He was later diagnosed with persistent asthma, a lifelong condition.

So even though TCQ only requires these plants to be a hundred feet or more away from a schools, these one shares a fence with us.

We know this is hard.

We know this is challenging, but this is not just a problem for a school, it's a problem for the community and for the CTO of Houston as a whole.

Because a plant can be moved and rebuilt, but a child's lungs cannot be rebuilt.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next Daniel Mahoney.

Good afternoon.

I'm Dr.

Daniel Mahoney, uh board certified associate professor of pediatrics.

My daughter Sophia is about to start kindergarten at Audi.

I appreciate Mayor your comment that this concrete plant never should have happened.

Um and we're all very upset that it did.

Um our children are about to start school next week.

They'll be breathing this air six hours a day, 180 days a year.

For a child who is three years old and it stays for the next three three years through the end of this project in 2028.

That's half of their life that they're exposed to known car known airborne carcinogens.

All the data about silicosis and things like that is is comes from adults.

Um we don't have the data in kids because it's not right to expose them at this young age because their lungs are developing and it really is just it's so unhealthy.

Um I appreciate very much the support that we have we as an Audi parent community have received uh from Councilmembers Peck and Alcurton as well as well as our uh state legislators, Hull and Cook, who have all raised awareness and expedited the permit reviews to help support us and align with us in this.

Thank you.

Next Hanka Wadwa.

To be followed by Jose Carbajel.

I have been a resident of Houston for 50 years developing housing in our urban neighborhoods, and as an engineer, a home builder, I depend on concrete plants to provide ready mix quickly and the right strength, just like Text Dot does for their projects.

But I source that concrete plants, not from plants that are located next to Audi, but from plants that are located in industrial sectors of the city.

As an engineer, I would like to offer a solution.

Typically, wet concrete has a 90-minute limit once it is loaded into the truck to be poured out of project.

This time can be lengthened with curing retarders, chilled water, or even ice in the mix.

Now the Weber bat batch plant, which started operating recently is located adjacent to my kids' school.

This plant conveniently provides ready mix for the I-10 elevation project five miles away, which is just a 15-minute drive for the trucks.

Generally, concrete plants, as you know, are located in industrial parts of the city, and they're not adjacent to schools.

They may be in the same region, but they are not next to the property.

If I may have one more minute, please.

So the I-10 project, the elevation project, we need it sorely.

I know no one likes flooding in Houston.

It's right here at 45 in I-10.

So that plant is in the middle of the city.

There's plenty of other plants that can provide this type of concrete using these proven methods to extend the delivery time and still get the end result of an I-10 that doesn't have to flood.

So basically, this plant was a convenient location for Text Dot, but at the expense of the neighboring schools.

Audi school, the Lip School, and the children and the teachers would be suffering, not just for uh the time that is in operation right now, but over the course of the plant, which is expected to be three years or everything with projects are delayed.

You're looking at well over three years.

Very good.

Very good.

We're we're in total agreement.

I I I I want to just make one more point to um the results that were uh just announced.

The plant right now is operating at a limited capacity.

If you go out there and walk along the White Oak hike and bike trail, you'll see that you'll see that they have just started putting in the columns and the pillars.

There's a limited amount of concrete in those columns.

They may be three, four feet in diameter, and they only hold maybe a few trucks of concrete in each column.

Once you start pouring those main lanes, you're gonna have dozens and dozens of trucks an hour lined up, going in and out of that facility, pouring millions of yards of concrete.

Are you gonna wait another two years or three years to get those test results while these kids are going to school, while these teachers are teaching them?

I I I appreciate everything you are doing, but let's use those solutions.

Thank you, sir, and appreciate all the folks who have spoken out about this concrete batch plant.

I live in District A, and really that plant is not all that far away from where I live.

I do want to note this is a problem throughout the city.

Councilmember Plummer referenced it.

There are a lot of Houstonians who live in industrial areas.

And if we could regulate these things, we would.

Unfortunately, the state has made it easy for them to get permits and for them to get permits renewed even when there are violations.

But this is a problem all around the city, including on the east side, northeast, you name it.

Thank you.

I urge you to work with the textile engineers to use these alternative solutions for increasing the delivery times to some other type of plant that's not in any of these school locations or residential areas.

Right.

There's plants in industrial sectors.

They can they could use it all as alternates.

I agree.

My advice is is also to contact your legislators, and I know Councilmember Peck referenced that she's been working with uh representative.

Other families have been doing that, yes.

Hall, so thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Next Jose Corbagel.

Carbajal.

Philip Hart.

Stuff when you have a new vision for Houston.

Why our city needs a better flag.

Howdy.

My name is Philip Hart.

I'm 13 years old, and my passion for flags runs deep.

I'm a member of the North American Vexillological Association, NAVA, and I believe flags are powerful symbols of pride, joy, and unity.

Unfortunately, Houston's current flag doesn't live up to these standards.

And it's time for a change.

Houston, the fourth largest city in America, deserves a flag that truly represents its spirit.

Our current flag, the city seal on a star within a blue background, fails to meet the standards of good flag design.

According to NAVA, a good flag should, number one, keep it simple so that a child could draw it from memory.

Use meaningful symbolism, use two or three basic colors, have no lettering or seals, and be distinctive or be related to another flag.

Houston's flag fails on all of these points, especially on the use of a seal.

The problem with seals is that they're impossible to recognize from a distance.

Our flag looks just like the 33 other State flags that also feature their seals on a monochrome background.

From a distance, it even looks like the Connecticut State flag.

In contrast, cities like Chicago, Denver, and Washington, D.C.

boast iconic flags that follow these principles and have become cultural symbols.

The Chicago flag, for example, is so beloved that there's an entire website dedicated to tattoos of it.

Houston's flag is a missed up.

Where do you go to school?

I go to Annunciation Orthodox School AOS in Montrose.

Okay.

Is this school project?

What?

Is this a school project or are you just starting your own initiative?

I wanted to do this because I thought that the Houston flag failed.

Oh, we're sorry.

Councilmember Flickinger.

May I have a few more moments to finish?

You better wrap it up.

We've had a long day and we still got work to do.

We're going to look at that flag.

I think it ought to have a generator on it myself.

Inspired by Great City Fest.

They got locomotive off and put a generator.

Inspired by Great City Federal.

I've designed a new flag for Houston.

I drew the colors black, white, and yellow from Sam Houston's coat of arms.

My design features a single black star on a field of horizontal stripes.

The black star is a nod to the Lone Star State.

It symbolizes our vital oil and gas industry, as well as the vastness of space, reflecting our identity as the space city.

The top yellow stripe represents the sun shining brightly on our city, which it certainly does.

While the bottom blue stripe signifies our buy-use in waterways.

The white background symbolizes unity, reflecting on how Houstonians come together as one.

Replacing our flag would come with the cost.

However, the long-term immeasurable returns in civic pride and community togetherness far outweigh this initial investment.

Since 2021, three states and many cities have successfully changed their outdated flags.

Well, my design follows the principles of good vexillology.

The ultimate design is a decision for the city.

I propose the city council vote to either approve my design, hire designer, or hold a public contest.

Well, thank you.

You're a sharp young man.

We appreciate it.

Councillor Fleckinger.

Yes, Mr.

Hart, just wanted to tell you that uh you're way ahead of me.

Uh Councilman Davis and I toured Walker uh the other day, and that's what I learned last week that we had a flag.

I had no idea.

Come up to the mayor's office, we got Vice Mayor Proton.

Thank you for coming down.

I appreciate it.

I like the flag design that you came up with.

So thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Have a good day.

You too.

Jacques Olongo.

To be followed by Joe Arlara Khan.

Good afternoon, Ms.

Mayor.

Go ahead.

Go ahead.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Mayor and the Consul and the staff.

My name is Apostle Jack Divin Bolingo Longo, Pastor of Kaddash Kingdom Church here in Houston.

I speak for the LSSC victims team.

Hundred of Eustonians and thousands worldwide robbed by a criminal network called Lightning Share Schooler Company.

On May 3rd, 2024, the Colorado Secretary of State issued LSSC a certificate of good standing, which they used to convince the public they were legitimate.

In June 2025, they lynched a carnival promotion promising no withdrawal fees, major payout, and the opening of U.S.

headquarters in Dallas.

People empty retirement savings and 401k planes to participate.

But it was a lie.

By July 11th, 2025, withdrawals were blocked.

They demanded crypto conversions and identity fees.

On July 30th, we reported them to law enforcement and the U.S.

Secret Service.

Today, parents can't send children to school.

Your time has expired.

Go ahead.

Families can pay rent or buy food.

Some victims have died.

We have traced over 4 billion dollars to a Hong Kong wallet linked to LSSC.

Mr.

Mayor, we ask you to urge law enforcement to freeze this wallet, help create an emergency relief fund.

We have registered over 1,000 victims in urgent need.

LSCC played with people's lives.

Stand with us so justice is sweet and restitution real.

Thank you.

What's the name of the company?

L S S C Lightning Share Scooter Company.

L S.

L S C.

L S C.

So they scammed you and other folks out of their money.

So over a thousand people were scammed by this one company.

Over a million of people.

Yes.

But here we just registered 1,000 people to our uh no profit organization who came to us to report to the Secret Service and to the police.

And you filed a police report?

Yes, we did.

And I don't know who in the police department would look up this type of scam.

I don't I don't anticipate that's just something that the financial crimes is.

Have you talked to anybody in financial crimes?

Yeah, we talked with the Secret Service agents.

They were here, but they left because you know our commitments.

Yes.

We haven't talked yet with financial crimes.

We just made a police report.

You made a police report.

Okay.

Then I would see if uh our police officers can get you in touch with financial crimes because it's not something that we could actually solve here, uh, but we could encourage our financial crimes division to help with with your case.

Now, ma'am, there is a request we are trying to make.

Uh we've done investigations and we know exactly where the money is.

We've tracked the wallets because it's cryptocurrency uh transactions.

We know where the wallet is.

So you know where the wallet is is the cryptocurrency transaction.

So the financial crimes folks needs you need to talk to them about it because we can't do anything about the wallet and the cryptocurrency.

But I'm sure that the financial crimes division would have the specific technology and people to help you try to identify and stop the scamming from moving forward.

Now we appreciate that, ma'am.

Now, about retrieving the funds, our our plea here today, ma'am.

And what's your name, sir?

My name is Christian.

Christian, what's your last name?

Christian Aw.

A W O H I WOOL.

Thank you, sir.

Appreciate you, ma'am.

So our plea to them, ma'am.

Because these criminals are moving fast, they are expanding globally.

I appreciate the fact that you are asking that this topic, but also for us to have the fonts back of the innocent people that they have scammed.

Uh we are asking that if there's a possibility to issue an injunction that possibly can freeze those accounts.

That can freeze those accounts.

So that's uh that's not quite a city function to freeze those accounts.

That's why I my suggestion is to talk to financial crimes so we can see what is available to help in this situation.

Okay.

Can you can you meet with them to get them to financial crimes?

My next question is is there a possibility that either the senator can make a call, or anyone else can make a call and while we speak with Foods and the United States.

Who is your senator?

I don't know.

Oh, your US Senator.

Okay.

We can get you we can get you their contact information.

I will appreciate that, ma'am.

Okay.

Absolutely, we can get you their connections.

And we appreciate it because we really wanted we want the city of Houston to know this because many Eustinians are being scammed out of this.

So thank you for bringing it to our attention.

It's lightning scooters company.

So many people are putting in their hard-earned money.

I hope that people will learn from this big costly mistake.

Yes, ma'am.

But if you definitely want to step over and talk to our police officer here, and she can help you with getting in touch with financial crimes.

Okay.

Best wishes to you.

Okay.

And Rebecca, can you get them Senator Cruz's contact?

Yeah.

Thank you.

No, not anymore.

Next speaker.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Okay, ma'am.

I appreciate you.

Thank you.

Best wishes to see you.

Thank you so much.

Joe Alarcon.

I don't think he's here.

Joseph Smith.

Mary and Scott.

She knows.

Michelle Aganbore.

Christopher Jenkins.

I'm Michelle.

Oh, Michelle.

Okay.

The ACLU warned this category was ripe for abuse.

And abuse is exactly what the FBI is doing, harassing civilians through a category it was never authorized to have.

Sounds like COINTELPRO, doesn't it?

And I want to show you where this all began.

Back in 2003, the President issued the HSPD6 executive order, which grants at the FBI limited authorities to create investigative categories for known or suspected terrorists.

But rather than operating within that boundary, the barrel quietly created its own unauthorized classification.

Entirely outside of the scope of executive or congressional approval.

Under the HSPD six, which was the FBI's only source of legal authority to populate the terrorist watch list, only two categories were ever lawfully authorized.

Henley codes one and two.

These apply to individuals with verified links to terrorism.

And what we calmly know today, as known or suspected terrorists.

Each as a nation, as per the requirements of that order, was required to meet a legal threshold.

Backed by evidence, oversight, and a formal review process.

Your time has expired.

Okay.

Thank you, ma'am.

Can I continue going on?

Just a real short little bit.

Like 30 seconds?

Yeah.

Um can I get a minute?

Okay.

Take a minute.

Chris.

A fast minute.

So each doesn't nation, right?

Handling codes one and two were the only authorized categories to be on the TSDB, right?

And they required a formal review process, right?

Evidence.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Evidence, oversight, and a formal review process, right?

But the FBI did not follow that.

Right?

It sidestepped that law entirely.

Manufacturing its own private categories, handling codes three and four.

These codes had no legal authorization, no executive order, and no congressional approval.

They were never reviewed, never vetted, and never authorized by law.

Yet they were quietly slapped on to civilians, ordinary Americans with no charges, no crimes, and no connection to terrorism.

Just suspicion, fabricated in a vacuum outside the law.

Okay.

You've made a good point.

All right, that's that's it.

Yeah, I would really like uh Mayor, I know I emailed you.

I would really like this category to be referred to the proper parties.

This category was never authorized by the DOJ, the executive branch, or Congress.

And not only was it ever, you know, authorized for creation, but it was created by the FBI in defiance of an executive mandate.

Intelligence agencies do not have the capabilities to defy executive mandates and create and enforce their own private categories.

So that's why there's a push for an investigation into the second.

Thank you.

I've been real patient.

All right, thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next.

Christopher Jenkins.

Julia Arduña.

To be followed by Barbara Denson.

Good afternoon.

I'm Julia Arduña, Regional Director at Texas Housers.

This is an important moment to reflect on.

You heard from low-income homeowners, multifamily developers, and advocates alike that we need housing improvements, and you answered the call with a hundred million dollars.

In Houston, we live in a compounding housing crisis, with many still recovering from Harvey, Amelda, Uri, and last year's disasters made more single family homes unlivable, more apartment complexes unsafe and uninhabitable, and less affordable housing stock for Houstonians available means that the faster we see this housing crisis unfold.

I hope that this is the beginning of a conversation in the long road to housing and recovery and not the end.

The real start.

The real work starts now.

Thank you so much.

Very good.

Thank you.

Barbara Denson.

I'm Barbara Denson, urging you to vote no on both amendments that would cut funding for emergency services.

Houston's emergency infrastructure is the power core to our city's heartbeat.

It keeps fire stations, hospitals, and shelters running, and powers the crews, clearing debris and saving lives.

These amendments threaten to yank that cord from the wall.

Disaster relief is how we prote uh disaster relief isn't just about helping singular homes.

It's how we protect everyone, especially those who can't protect themselves, seniors on oxygen, families in shelters, first responders who need power and clear roads to save lives.

This isn't about choosing between compassion and infrastructure.

It's about choosing resilience.

Let's keep the lights on, the roads clear, and the heartbeat strong.

Vote no on both of these amendments.

Thank you.

Councilman Pollard.

Ma'am.

So I just want to give you my perspective on things, and I'll appreciate your comments.

I think this is the second time you may have come forward.

So thank you for taking the time to come here.

The city looks at the damage as a totality, okay?

And within that damage, the Federal Government then allocates dollars based on the total damage that the city has sustained.

Some of that damage is to people's homes.

And some of that damage has been categorized as being the highest unmet need within the city as it were as it relates to disaster and disaster recovery.

So as we are planning to ensure that our city assets are resilient, homes that have been affected and damaged based on the storms of no fault of their own also have to be protected as well.

And so there has to be a balance there.

And so I know this is my time.

And so I just want you to understand from my standpoint on why I will be supporting the amendment is because I understand that it's not just city facilities that have to be protected.

Individuals in communities that are very vulnerable that do not have the resources available to them to fix their homes, the Federal Government is giving that aid as an option for people to be able to use to fix their homes.

And but for those dollars, those individuals will not be able to do anything.

With these DR24 funds, we're under the city's umbrella.

So we're hoping that the dollars will be executed in a more um prudent manner and that these homes will be repaired in a prompt fashion.

Thank you.

Well, let me say, as someone who has had two homes get flooded and has had zippo taken care of and had to handle everything on ourselves, I totally get that the you know what people go through.

It's been horrific.

I would like, though, to see us take care of emergency response that takes care of everyone and start doing more to keep these floods from happening.

I'm seeing zero.

I know I think I don't think the city does any of that.

I think it's more like the county and state and all that, but nothing is being done out in the west part of town where those reservoirs opened up.

Nothing is being done.

And this has been years now, and and we've gotten all this money for it, and nothing's being done.

So we need to I don't think that's you guys.

But uh, I recognize what you're saying.

I feel for you.

I'm just trying to look out for everybody else.

Thank you very much.

One moment, ma'am.

Councilmember Thomas.

Ms.

Denson, um I I think your comments are deeply disconnected from deeply disconnected from those of uh your neighbors, Houstonians that do not have the financial threshold that you may have had to recover after two storms.

These are their tax dollars, our tax dollars returning back to us to meet the exact need they were designed to do.

It is unfortunate that you didn't have support, um, you didn't have financial assistance, but I am shocked that you are willing to extend that other people have to experience that lack of support because you because it happened to you.

My time, hold on.

You sat here for hours to share this information for people that in District B were 76,000 people during 2024 received $6 million of emergency assistance specifically for housing.

Specifically.

And so what the $314 million package does, it's a fair option for the city.

We will continue to invest in public facilities.

We will invest in fire stations, police stations, multi-service centers.

But we are also making sure that once they leave that library from charging their oxygen take, that we also can fix their roof.

And we can do and in both in this city.

We have done it, we've done it successfully.

The areas where we have found weakness, we will improve that.

But I think it is a sh- I am a shock and shame that you would come here and sit here for hours and say to vote against an amendment for people's tax dollars who don't have the financial safety net, they don't have the insurance, insurance have told them no, they don't have the flood insurance, they don't have the discretionary income, and because that's your experience, they're supposed to experience it too.

So I hope that my colleagues, when the item does come up, that it's a unanimous um vote of support to make sure that we can stabilize neighborhoods and improve our resiliency in this city.

Thank you I think I get to speak again then.

No comment, thank you.

I've known so many people out where I live that lost everything.

People that died from the depression, people that lost their homes, had to move in with family.

I know so many.

And the thing is, this is a little band-aid thing you're gonna do that's gonna go to certain people.

It's not enough to take care of everyone's homes.

So you have to pick and choose who you're gonna give it to, who are you gonna take care of?

And I and I never see anything happening to help the people out where I live, and I've seen tons of destruction, tons of families ruined, people losing everything.

It's it's not all that easy out there.

You just can't, there's not enough money to build rebuild everybody's home.

Okay, Councilmember Fleckinger.

Ma'am, I just wanted to say thank you for coming down and giving us your perspective.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council member Huffman.

Councilmember.

Councilmember Huffman.

Thank you, and thank you, Ms.

Denson, for coming.

Um, I know, you know, being out on the west side of Houston, there were a lot of people that lost everything.

And just like you said, it's not just about housing, it's the depression that follows afterwards.

It's all of the little things.

You know, um, I flooded in Hurricane Harvey.

My house still isn't fixed.

You know, we ran out of money.

Um you know, I don't care what you do for a living.

Um, nobody puts a disaster like this into their family budget.

And so I think that's very disrespectful, Councilmember Thomas, to shame her for just coming and giving her opinion on this.

This is her opinion.

That's not it's disrespectful to the people who are impacted by these snows.

You have no idea the impact this person was disrespectful.

Okay, we're not gonna that's what's disrespectful.