Councilmember Fleckinger for the invitation.

Heavenly Father, we stand before you today, grateful for every blessing you have bestowed upon us.

We humbly ask for your guidance in everything we do.

Let us seek your wisdom in every decision as we make in our effort to make the city a better place to live and work.

Never forgetting we are here to serve all the people.

Amen.

Thank you.

Please draw for the pledge.

Mr.

Secretary, would you please call the roll?

Mayor Whitmeyer.

Councilmember Pett.

Here.

Councilmember Jackson.

Councilmember Kamen.

Councilmember Everson Balls.

Councilmember Flickinger.

Councilmember Thomas.

Here.

Councilmember Huffman.

Councilmember Castillo?

Here.

Councilmember Martinez?

Here.

Councilmember Pollard.

Council Member Castax Tatal.

Here.

Council Member Ramirez?

Here.

Councilmember Davis?

Councilmember Carter.

Councilmember Plummer.

And Councilmember Alcorn.

Need a motion to adopt the minutes of August 26th and 27th.

Cas tax Tatum move.

Next second.

Motion made in second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Next members, we will get our monthly financial report.

Recognized Controller.

Hollins and Good morning, Mayor, Honorable Members of Council.

I am here today to present the monthly financial report for the month ending July 31, 2025.

The controller's office is projecting an ending fund balance of $328.1 million or $12.9 percent of expenditures, less debt service and pay as you go for fiscal year 2026.

This amount is $17.5 million lower than the projection of the Finance Department.

The difference is due to a lower revenue projection than finance.

Based on our current projections, the fund balance will be approximately $137.6 million above the City's target of holding $7.5% of total expenditures, excluding debt service and pay as you go in reserve.

We have increased our revenue projection by $55 million from the FY 2026 Trends Report.

Transfers from other funds increased by $9.6 million, primarily due to recovery of 380 reimbursements from TERS 24.

And direct interfund transfers increased by 1.3 million dollars to reflect higher reimbursements from the airport for police services following HPD pay raises.

From time to time, the city's enterprise credits have exceeded this threshold on an interim basis as they have undertaken large capital improvement projects or major expansions.

As of July 31, 2025, the ratio of unhedged variable rate debt for each type of outstanding debt was for general obligation, combined utility system, and aviation.

They remain well below the 20 percent threshold.

For convention and entertainment, we're currently at 43.78 percent.

Houston First has drawn down uh 200 million dollars in interim financing as they work on design and feasibility for the upcoming uh convention center expansion.

It's expected that the permanent financing, uh, which is fixed uh for this project will close in January of 2026.

And so at that time, it's expected that Houston First proportion of variable rate debt exposure will revert closer to its historic level, which again uh is well below that 20 percent threshold.

We have received the final sales tax receipts for fiscal year 2025.

The June collection totaled $84.3 million, which is $7.6 million or 9.9 percent higher than the same period in the previous fiscal year.

Total sales tax revenue for fiscal year 2025 reached $919 million, $16 million above the June MoFer projection of $903 million and $36 million higher than the fiscal year 2024 total of $883 million.

That is a 4.1 percent overall increase from fiscal year 2024.

When compared to the controller's office's regression model, the fiscal year 2025 actuals came in within 0.1 percent of our office's base case projection and 0.5 percent of our Conservative presentation, uh, demonstrating the model's accuracy.

So we are very proud of that and will continue to try to achieve that going forward.

Uh Mayor and Council members, I hope that each of you enjoy the long holiday weekend.

Labor Day and the start of a new school year both point to Houston's greatest strength, which is our people.

From first responders and educators to city employees, service workers, and business leaders, every role in our city matters.

Each effort contributes to the strength of our communities today and helps shape the Houston that will share tomorrow.

Every worker on the job and every student in the classroom represents new possibilities and expanded opportunities.

When we honor that work and invest in education, we reinforce the values that make our city strong, resilient, and full of promise.

Now, as we make our way through what has thankfully been a quiet hurricane season so far, it is important to remember that Houston needs to do more to financially prepare for the disasters that strike our city all too often.

We are now entering the roughest stretch of the season, just as Washington is cutting funding for FEMA and other and other Federal programs that cities like ours have long relied on in times of crisis.

If we can no longer count on those dollars, we must make sure that our own finances are strong enough to provide the relief, recovery, and essential services that Houstonians need when disaster hits, because we know that it's a win, not an if.

Over the past decade, we have endured hurricanes, floods, and winter storms, nearly one Federally declared disaster every single year since 2015.

That is what makes our current position such an issue.

The City's financial policies only set aside reserves to cover about a few weeks of city operations.

That is barely half of what financial experts recommend, and significantly less than what other major cities across Texas keep in their emergency savings.

This leaves Houston financially vulnerable at a time when extreme weather is not only more frequent, but also more costly.

And let's be clear.

It is the difference between whether trash gets picked up, roads get cleared, and emergency crews show up when people need them the most.

That is why fiscal oversight and disaster readiness must go hand in hand.

In the Controller's Office's latest insights report, which was shared with the BFA committee yesterday, that report was entitled Weathering the Storm.

We lay out practical steps to strengthen Houston's financial foundation.

First, raise our minimum reserve requirements so that the city has more breathing room when disaster strikes.

Second, safeguard our rainy day fund from being spent down when it is not raining, and third, direct year-end surpluses and clawbacks into emergency savings to steadily grow the cushion that we have in time of need.

These are achievable, common sense measures that will ensure Houston can respond to the next storm with resilience rather than desperation.

The choice is simple: plan responsibly now or scramble later and risk falling short when Houstonians need us the most.

Finally, I want to address the upcoming special election in Congressional District 18 once more.

Because of the unusual and frankly improper timing of recent redistricting changes, many voters are understandably confused and concerned.

That confusion isn't an accident.

It is part of a broader and deeply troubling disregard for our democracy.

And the reality is this efforts to discourage voting are real and rampant.

Texas has become ground zero for voter suppression and the erosion of democratic norms.

But Houstonians cannot afford to sit this out.

The best way to push back is simple.

Show up and vote.

Every ballot cast in this special election and in every election is more than a personal choice.

It is a declaration that power belongs to the people, and every voter who steps into the booth is doing their part to preserve and protect our democracy.

In closing, Houston is at its best when we honor hard work, prepare wisely for the future, and stand firm in defense of democracy.

Whether it is through our daily challenges in times of disaster or at the ballot box, I have no doubt that Houstonians will continue showing up for each other.

Thank you.

And that concludes my report.

Good morning.

This is the one plus eleven financial report for the period ending July 31, 2025.

Fiscal year 26 projections are based on one month of actual results and 11 months of projections.

Looking back at fiscal year 25, in accordance with the government accounting standards for the governmental funds, the final revenues for fiscal year 25 will include revenues earned through June 30th, only if they are collected by the end of August.

So the projected fund balance that we talk about is still being true up and won't be finalized until we uh have the release of the annual comprehensive financial report, which is typically uh at the end of the calendar year.

So moving on to fiscal year 26 for the first month, our revenue and expenditure projections remain at budget.

As the controller mentioned, the sales tax receipts uh for the previous month were about 9.88 percent higher than the same period last year, and about 4.6 million higher than budget.

Uh so we'll continue to monitor sales tax uh as we go through the fiscal year.

We're currently projecting the ending fund balance for fiscal year 26 to be 345.6 million, which is 40.7 million higher than the adopted budget and represents 13.6 percent of estimated expenditures, not including debt service and pay as you go.

That fund balance is 155 million above the target of holding 7.5 percent of expenditures, not including debt service and pay as you go.

For the enterprise special revenue and other funds, we're not projecting any changes this month.

And they remain the projections remain at the operating uh adopted budget level.

And that concludes our report.

Thank you.

We just need the uh motion to motion.

Mayor Purteen.

Thank you.

Controller, um yesterday when we had the presentation during b BFA, there was a slide that talked about the comparison cities and what um other cities held in their fund balances.

And uh one of the questions I had was as we are looking at these other cities, um I know some of these cities either uh have trash fees, they own their own water, they have other opportunities to bring in money.

And my question was um can we look at those and kind of determine if there is something that the City of Houston, is there an opportunity that the City of Houston doesn't actually um do, but maybe could have the framework to institute to bring in some additional dollars that we aren't looking at because when I looked at the comparison and what they were keeping in their fund balances were in the teens and you know, ours that I mean we're in the teens now, but our requirement is the 7.5.

Um maybe we can do a little deeper dive and kind of talk about opportunities that would be available for us in the in the City of Houston.

Absolutely.

And I believe that that finance under Director Debowski has shown some form of that analysis previously about the effective tax rate, you know, in other cities that includes you know, trash fee, water costs, et cetera.

Um so uh we would be happy to take a look at it, but I believe that information already exists.

And and my assumption is that Ernst and Young is also doing some version of that analysis as well.

Again, I could be mistaken because I'm not close to the work.

Um but again, we would be happy to refresh that and maybe we could do it in partnership with finance.

Yeah, I I think that um because we looked at it on yesterday in that in that graph form.

Um, you know, the what came to mind for me was how do we compare that, you know, kind of apples to apples and what opportunities do we have that maybe we we just haven't thought about.

I mean, I I I feel like we we try everything we can to look at bringing in additional dollars to make sure that we have those funds in our our fund balance.

But you know, you uh what other cities are doing, there just may be something out there that we um could also be putting a framework together in the in the city of Houston.

No, absolutely.

Um, all of those things have you know costs and benefits, and those are you know, real dollar costs.

Um but again, uh the last time I remember Director Dabowski sharing a version of that analysis, it it laid out some of the key things that those cities are doing, but would be happy to bring that back before you all.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Very well.

Um to accept the monthly financial report.

Thank you, Council.

South moves seconded.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed.

Second.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Members on the mayor's report.

There's a lot going on, but today I would like to focus on uh notice of uh storm preparation.

Um we all know the tragedy in Kerrville.

It's very controversial discussions about the notice that the families receive.

And uh learning from it and our own previous experience, two storms last year.

Uh we want to do everything possible to communicate with 2.3 million Houstonians.

So I've asked uh Ron Mason to come forward today.

It's uh exciting leadership.

Um he's going to tell you about our warning system, a test for it, but I don't know of other communities that uh are as prepared as we are.

Certainly uh numerous mentioned that we're entering storm center.

Ryan monitors everything coming off the African coast.

Um having been in the emergency center for the last two storms.

We monitor things for the National Weather Bureau.

Uh hell uh Barrel was going to Mexico and South Texas on a Saturday morning.

Sunday morning, it shifted, and uh probably wasn't a good means, Ryan, to notify Houstonians.

You can listen to the media and uh get conflicting reports.

But I want to yield to you now what you are what you are presenting this morning is really, really exciting and important.

So I'll let you do a better job than I would of explaining.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

And thank you uh for your leadership and council's leadership and allowing us to do this test.

Um obviously sending a message to 2.3 million residents um can cause some concern.

Uh so we've been trying to do some ample messaging, press releases, and coordinating with all you to get that information out to your constituents and our residents.

Uh so on Friday, September 5th, so this Friday at 11 a.m., uh City of Houston Office of Emergency Management is going to send a wireless emergency alert message to all residents or all cell phones inside our geographical area, kind of our city boundaries.

Um the test is going to come.

It's going to look a lot like an Amber alert, so it's going to come through the same way.

But instead of being an amber alert, it's going to come through as a public safety alert.

So it will clearly have a different kind of category or classification on it.

Inside the message, it will say multiple times that this is a test, um, that no action is required.

Um, but it's an opportunity for us to test the system, number one, to work with the carriers.

We have been working closely with ATT Verizon and all the large carriers to make sure they are aware that this message is going to come through.

It allows us to test a few other things as well, getting ready for a World Cup.

So we're working with our consulate corps and folks to make sure that international cell phones would be getting those messages if people were here.

We're testing some translation or language options as well.

Um so if you are a resident that has Spanish as your preferred language, when the message goes out, that message you should receive that message in Spanish versus English.

So we're able to test that as well.

So once again, it's going to start at 11 a.m.

on Friday.

The test should only last for 15 minutes.

Once you get the message once, you should not get the message again.

Um but obviously we want people to be aware that the message will come through on their cell phone.

Um we've uh once again been coordinating with media, press releases, partners, stakeholders all around the region.

Um we've been posting stuff on social media and our website.

One thing I would like to drive people to is people may have turned off those wireless emergency alerts on their cell phone.

Um if they were getting overwhelmed with messaging, they can go in and opt out of those messages.

So on our website, we have the step-by-step procedures, whether you have an iPhone or an Android on how to go back in and verify and validate that those messages are turned on to where you can get those important life safety uh messages.

I will tell you this is different than alert Houston.

Once again, alert Houston is something you opt into as an individual, we send those messages more frequently.

This we a message would be for a true life safety intimate threat, where we would want the public to take some type of immediate action to protect human health or uh or property.

So it's not something we send on a regular basis.

That's why we want to test this and make sure that our residents have that enabled on their phones and know what it means when that message comes through.

So with that, um I will pause and if anybody has any questions about the test.

Councilmember Cayman.

Good morning, Chief.

I first and foremost want to thank you.

Mayor, we talk a lot, you and I, about the incredible work that OEM does, the hours that they are there that most of the public does not know about.

So I I was thrilled to see this.

Uh the word I think is getting out.

Uh Mayor, I saw it on my feed just last night.

Uh, you know, and we will, as council, our office will continue to push out that message.

Thank you.

Um again, thank you for being so proactive, um, especially in light of uh the tragedies that have unfolded where people didn't get notice.

One of the concerns that I still have that I hope we can continue to work on is Mayor, when cell towers are up before a storm, we can get that alert out.

My concern is when the Derecho came through, when barrel comes through and those towers go down and we lose cell service.

How are we going to be communicating with the public then?

Um, it would be very helpful, I think, at least for me to know after we went through this and after we have our systems in place and we verified that everything is working smoothly.

What are we doing on the back end and how are we going to approach that as well?

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Before we get to nominations, members, uh each week I see in our among our guests an outstanding Houstonian, and I can't recognize all of them, but a real leader in our community fighting human trafficking, someone I've worked with for years.

Actually, she teaches a uh mentor class inside a women's prison.

Uh Kathy Griffin is with us today.

Her life story is one that wouldn't written about Kathy.

Thank you.

She uh will call me from an emergency center or medical facility with uh victims that need immediate attention.

In fact, she's actually worked with Dr.

Tran in the emergency room uh binding uh safe keeping.

So, Kathy, thank you for being here.

And uh if anyone would like to visit your prison mentorship in Dayton, Texas any Thursday afternoon.

It's uh it's a huge eye-opener.

And you'll leave there motivated.

Thank you.

Uh on appointments, Dr.

Item number one is Dr.

Tran for the health department, and I recognize the mayor pro temp.

We need a motion to take those out of order and then we can call it.

Cast next time move to take the items out of order.

One through six.

Yes, sir.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Item number one.

Item one needs a motion.

Uh mayor, I'd like to um offer a friendly tag on this item.

I know that Dr.

Tran is here.

Um it was consolidated week and um some council members have not had an opportunity to meet with her yet.

She is um scheduled to be here and around this week.

So if council members would like to schedule a time to meet with her, I did have an opportunity to meet with her.

I saw her uh resume and um very impressed with um what she is bringing to the City of Houston, but I would like to tag this item before we vote on uh the actual appointment so that council members can visit with her.

Thank you.

I totally support your effort uh and your motion to give everyone ample opportunity to meet.

Uh this outstanding public servant uh the schedule with the consolidated uh meetings and the weekend.

Um we just want to address uh the introduction as properly as possible.

So uh items been tagged.

Item one is tagged.

Next.

Item two needs a motion.

Cast X say to move.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed, nay.

Motion passed.

Let's do number three also since they're all archived.

Sure.

Item number three.

Item three needs a motion.

Cast X tater move.

Pack second.

Motion made in second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passed.

So we just appointed.

And Councilman Martinez is in the queue.

Councilman Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just wanted to acknowledge uh Robert Browning.

He's a district I resident.

Want to uh thank uh Councilmember Castillo for nominating him in my absence.

Um this uh historic art and archaeological commission is important to district I specifically because of Glenbrook Valley.

It's the largest uh um historic neighborhood uh that we have and so again just want to recognize Robert Browning for his service that he'll be he'll be uh uh having over the next couple of years.

Thank you.

Next item three and four and four four and five.

Item four needs a motion.

Castax tell you to move.

Next second.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed, no.

Motion passes.

Councillor Alcorn.

Councilman Alcorn.

It's fine to be after the vote.

Lisa Halfman's in the audience, and just want to thank her and HEB for everything they do for the city of Houston.

It's monumental and happy that you're on this special event for everybody loves Lisa.

And uh, we're so happy you're here, and all of these great nominees.

Thanks for your help.

Civic celebrations and special events are huge, huge for our city.

They make it fun to live here, they give everybody a sense of pride and really um respect and your work on helping us do that.

So thank you.

And Lisa no one will ever know unless we tell them how we met.

Lisa had a fresh bite program, fresh vegetables in our area schools.

And I got uh asked to come visit, and next thing you know, the agriculture department in Austin was giving Lisa and her program significant grants.

So it's a great path to see you here and your leadership at HEB.

So let's continue to work together and make Houston the great city that it is.

Thank you.

I learned a lot from you.

Thank you for your fresh fight program.

Is anybody else?

Many many of our inner neighborhood school children would never get a fresh fruit or vegetable, but for Lisa and the program that she innovated.

So thank you.

And it's amazing that you end up now in the food supply business.

Thank you.

Uh Mayor Pro Tim Castick's Tatum.

Thank you, Mayor.

I I know that Councilmember Alcorn recognized Lisa.

I just wanted to ask if any of the other appointments were here if if they would stand, and we appreciate their um willingness to serve as well.

If any of the other appointments are here, thank you very much for we appreciate your willingness to serve on the committee.

Thank you.

No, thank you.

And seeing people stand, I couldn't catch everyone's face, but I also wanted to recognize Zion Escobar who's here, um, who has done incredible work in Fourth Ward Freedmanstown.

Um so thank you for your dedication, Lisa.

We love you too.

I got two, I got a lot of strong district C uh representation here today, Mayor.

Thank you.

Very well.

Item five, please.

Item five needs a motion.

Castex T a move.

Motion made and second, all in favor say yes, those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Item six needs a motion.

Castex tater move, pack second.

Motion made in a second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

That's all for the appointments.

That's it for the appointments.

So we're ready to move to public session.

Okay.

One second.

Ivy Spivy.

Ivy Spivy.

Pamela Busby.

To be followed by Michael Wade.

Good morning.

Morning, ma'am.

I'm bringing this awareness.

I am a victim of J Von Major.

Oh my god.

I'm sorry.

I'm a victim of J Von Major.

He's the funeral home scammer in Houston, Texas.

And I want to thank Mr.

Martinez's office for assisting with us.

Victim with this situation.

Um he opened up an unlicensed funeral home at 1104 Evergreen.

And he's visiting to the city that it's a church.

But he's hosting funerals, he's putting bodies in this facility.

And I would like for the mayor's office to come in and sit and help us victim bring awareness because the city of Occupy is giving him six months to bring to get a permit, and that is unacceptable because he's hurting more people and bringing in hurting more people with bringing the bodies in and hosting funeral in this building.

And I would like for the mayor's office to step in and also Mr.

Martini's office also stepped in to make sure that no one else get hurt with this incident.

And it's very, very crucial because he just did a funeral the other day.

He's bringing these families into this building, hosting funeral is unacceptable.

Very unacceptable.

Take the funeral home commission is going through a lot right now.

There's an allegation of uh corrupts going on.

We can't get no help from them.

He just got out of jail for probation.

He's been out of Houston.

I've been all on the news.

Why should I have to go to the media for attention?

I should be able to go to my local state representative.

So Fonsor Thompson office stepped in as well.

Because being a funeral director is a misdemeanor.

We're trying to get it to a felony.

So I should be able to go to anyone, anyone to get assistant to help this stop this man from hurting more families.

It's unacceptable.

Unacceptable.

Thank you.

It's been red tagged by the public works department, and they're gonna revisit it Friday for further action.

When?

Friday.

Friday.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

And could you also let the city occupant know they're not supposed to let him know who's sending in information?

Because they're putting other people in jeopardy.

He's calling people threatening them because they're saying that the city of occupant inspectors told him who was representing, sending in letters.

That is totally unacceptable.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Councilman Martinez.

Councilman Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Ms.

Busby, thank you for bringing this to our office.

Um, you know, uh, Juan Pablo from my office, my team, he's been working with you diligently.

Uh Mr.

Mayor stated they'll be doing a site visit Friday as well.

There they've been red tag.

Um, and if it wasn't for you bringing this to our attention, who knows how long this would have been going on.

Yeah.

Uh we'll continue to make sure we stay in communication with you at the end.

Hey, can I talk to someone with your office as well?

Yes.

If I can.

I'll have Juan Bablo come uh come here and if you want to wait for a bit, he'll right.

Thank you, guys.

God bless.

All right, you be safe.

Next.

Michael Wade.

Very to be followed by Letitia Gomez.

Uh good morning, Mr.

Mayor and the council.

Uh I can't see many of you.

I'm legally blind, but uh I'm coming for uh district uh B, basically the 77078 uh zip code area.

Uh my first topic is about the uh barrel uh relief funds and how that would be uh distributed whenever the federal government releases that to the city.

Uh that area, uh in particular our home.

This is my mother who uh provides care for me right now, uh was totally destroyed.

And I know that that area typically doesn't get the assistance, whether it be from uh local, state or federal.

And so we're we're looking to make sure that this time we don't get passed over.

Uh currently, right now we don't have any uh congressional representation, so I wanted to bring it to the city's attention that we are uh looking for that help.

Uh the second thing is the rising crime in that area, the 7707 eight and seven seven zero nine three zip codes.

Uh I go to dialysis on uh Tipwell and Jensen Road and in the mornings, whether it's at 5:30, 6 a.m.

or either when I'm getting out at nine o'clock, we're stopped at red lights by street walkers.

You know, at that time of uh morning.

Uh people, you know, going in and out during the course of the day, making their drug transactions, and it really makes uh people in my situation feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

Uh because I'm with me being legally blind, not able to, you know, really defend myself or know who's around me, makes it very difficult.

And uh not just in that area, but also our local grocery store has really been taken over by drug users.

Uh the Fiesta on Titwell and Mace Road, uh pimps, prostitutes, uh, people doing their illegal activities in the parking lot, so we can't even go and grocery shop there anymore.

We have to travel approximately seven miles to another grocery store to just uh you know get groceries.

And uh the third and final thing is uh at one point they are doing public works, uh drainage improvement in the area, and that might be causing some uh other issues as far as pipes bursting and things of that nature, and uh my neighbor was told that they would have to cover that cost, and we're trying to find out if it's actually them or not.

And your time has expired.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Jackson.

Councilmember Sir Councilmember Jackson.

Thank you, Mayor.

And Mr.

Wade, thank you for coming in and sharing um your concerns.

I'm Councilmember Jackson.

I represent um the area, and so we'll love to um sit down and speak with you, have my constituent service web work with you.

I don't know if you want I mean you mentioned home repair, just make sure that you're you know how to navigate that space and then connecting you with I would like to connect you with our super neighborhoods 5950.

Um, we're doing a lot of work around the flooding and um grocery stores.

So, you know, having you a part of the conversation, you can you know it offer your advice, but then also be included and be part of um creating the um the solutions for some of the problems that we have in the district.

So um I will have Anthony or Jessica reach out to you and then we will you know get you involved.

Okay.

Thank you.

I'll wait on okay.

All right.

Next Letitia Gomez, Reginald Huey to be followed by Paul Rodriguez.

Good morning, Mr.

Mayor and Councilmembers.

I have to make sure that I didn't skip Miss Gomez there.

I uh my name is Reginald Huey, and I am a native Houstonian, grew up in the area, went educated here, worked here, and now I am a business owner here.

Um as a native Houstonian educator and business owner, I take pride in my city and my community, stepping up to make a difference by striving to make things better as part of my wheelhouse, such as the case after the civility ordinance was expanded in July of 2025.

While I support the goals of the ordinance as it helps to address the concerns of the homelessness, my concerns center around the fact that the homeless problem isn't solved but rather displaced.

By outlawing homelessness, homeless encampments in the downtown and east of downtown area, and as long as there are more individuals than there are beds to support them, the homeless problem is simply being displaced in the direction of the path of least resistance.

My experience suggests that north of downtown and north of Edo is such a path of least resistance and or displacement.

Um people that are living in parks and things like that in the area of 77020.

So some of the impacts that we're realizing as new homelessness encampments.

All this week, there are individuals encamping in the Catherine Adams Park, 4800 Raleigh Street, 77020, directly in front of our Airbnb business and three other Airbnbs on the street.

This is not the picture we hope to paint of Houston to travelers booking our properties from other cities and other states.

As people see homeless encampments across the street from the properties.

And then property valuation reduction.

The displacement has caused many homeowners to decide to move to other areas of the city.

Sellers have found it.

Your time has expired.

Okay.

Councilman Pollard.

You have my time.

You can continue to talk.

Appreciate that.

Sellers have found it difficult to sell at appraised values and benefit from the equity that has been built over the last few years.

Some homes have appreciated more than 100,000, and homeowners are shocked to find that they are unable to sell their homes quickly and at the preferred price.

Our neighbors directly next to us are in this predicament, having decided to move to the heights.

They cannot sell their home and are forced to lose equity in attempts to find a price point more attractive to prospective buyers.

And I've got pictures of the blight that is happening in the area and homes that are for sale and unable to be sold there.

So suggestions that I I present.

One is to implement the ordinance citywide as a minimum standard to provide all city residents the same tools to address the challenges in their neighborhoods and communities.

Number two, implement the ordinance only as the number of available beds support the number of individuals displaced.

And the third point is to postpone the ordinance if resources are not available to implement the ordinance in a fair and equitable way for all Houstonians residents impacted.

So these are my thoughts.

Thank you, sir.

And appreciate the information.

Actually, it did start until September 1.

So a lot of the conditions that you are describing, as you well know, have been present for years.

And uh we're doing everything we can to clean it up, not only in the area of central Houston, but area adjoining neighborhood.

So no one will be relocated unless there's a shelter for them.

So I hear you loud and clear.

We have a lot of neglect to attend to.

Some of the pictures that uh you have submitted, I'm familiar with.

And uh it's years of neglect, and we appreciate your leadership in being here.

Thank you.

Paul Rodriguez.

Clemente Mathis, Eric Sanchez, Christopher Cato, Mildred Trepillo, Tremika Davis, Marion Scott, Ian Lavachek, Richard Gilmore.

To be followed by Joseph Omari.

Good morning, Council.

I'm here again to speak in opposition for the closure polk.

Living in the East End comes with known connectivity issues that compound with each other frequently.

Trains and rain.

The neighborhood tallies over 5400, aggregate blockages annually, some lasting hours.

To provide context, 45 states in the U.S.

experience less than a thousand annually.

These are made worse with intense rain.

I would like to review East West connections now.

Runnels that crosses a train track and will be a dead end after the highway expansion.

Navigation underpass that was closed several days this week due to rain.

Commerce, the same rail line crossing Runnels often delays Eastwest connections significantly, and the route east if navigation is closed.

Harrisburg heading west out of the neighborhood.

It has an underpass for the rails that will lose effectiveness when rain with rain and splits into Congress and Texas.

Both streets entangled with the ballpark and soccer stadium, no doubt will have significant impacts from the World Cup.

Then we have our beloved pulk, unaffected, but like its northern parallel streets, only facing the chopping block from the convention center.

Then south we have Leland, the darling child that has been floated at two-way conversion.

Currently stands closed at the highway with construction for drainage, with nothing in writing on how the construction will cadence with the surrounding area for a conversion.

Closing polk not only impacts connectivity but further exasperates the known public health issue of first responders' response time to get into and service in residence.

Why does Houston first continue to downplay the significance polk and expect residents to be satisfied with the lack of public engagement on how this will be addressed?

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, sir.

Next Joseph Amari.

To be followed by Tremika Davis.

I know I bring a lot of the uh a lot of bringing the Houston City Council a lot of national political issues, but the land must remain free.

These are national political policy issues that affected us adversely locally in Houston, Texas, and all across America.

If American Social Security policy was good enough for President Franklin D.

Roosevelt, all the rest of the American president was no longer good enough for President Obama, Trump, and Biden make you want to go.

America must reinforce its principle of providing labor and management fair wages and salary.

It must just compensate American labor forces with economic for the economic critical contribution to society.

The system has been totally corrupted.

We have we got Harris County family court Georges, the nine non custoder biological family, ex-husband, baby dad of the real taste by when there's no objection from the expanding ex-wife, baby mama.

This is a part of the apology program.

People working inside the Associate Benefit Department of Leverage Women's jobs, it's just beneficial to get these men with taste rights including lines.

I studied Harris County family corporate and won the case.

We gotta go back to our time has expired.

I just can I have thirty more seconds.

Sure, go ahead.

We gotta go back to our check uh all checked and balance system.

American can pay for everything for everybody around the world to scratch our dollar all around the world, uh pay for everybody walls includes all in this new dress number economy without any cash generation economy economics, the back of Houston and the United States of America economy.

Cash is king and queen of paper, everything including death.

Whoever decided to change our Social Security program policy for the worst, they should be filed and impeached, but it's good enough for our parents, our mothers, and our father before us why it's not longer good enough for us.

Thank you.

Next Tremika Davis Hiya Joan.

Hiya, Doran.

My name is my name is Tremeka Davis, and I've been being harassed by um some rappers.

And um they are involved in um doing body enhancements, uh, stealing from my human's bodies, and they called kidnapped my children and walked them into jail to the hospital, and in some cases, death.

Um I'm here to um ask for um help with um victim compensation so I can get a lawyer.

Um the rapper have my child in jail beating him up and raping him because he was born with spiritual gifts.

Um with the black descendants of um King David, and we was born with gifts to um help run the government and rapper um and and the rapper, whatever that's been harassing us, Jay-Z, he's a distant family member of mine, and instead of him coming to help me, he um decided to decode us and put our gifts on another young lady.

And um, the babies that they've been finding under the mantis um belongs to me.

He reconstructed my um uterus, my um burden system, and swapped it to someone else, following the Da Vinci code.

Um he said it um the anatomy of a human body and learned how to uh swap body parts.

And I do have medical records of my bones and everything being swapped out.

Um my most concern is that um he's in a um astral protecting court, and he's leaving his body to come sit in our body to um harass us constantly or whatever, and it's not just him.

He didn't pick up some of his friends and uh raping and hurt my child because he gifted and Jay Z wannabe um called a king, and he's not the king we are, and my child need help today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks for sharing.

It looks like your address is in District J.

Have you heard of J City?

No.

The council member is uh Councilmember Pollard, and I think someone from his team will be able to help you.

You're right there in J City, and they have an abundance of services.

Um and he's an attorney, and I think he could be of some help.

Okay.

Um I really appreciate it.

Um ransom, and um he um I explained to you later.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

This completes the list of speakers.

Please let's go back to the consent.

Under the property category, item seven needs a motion.

Cas say to move.

Text second.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Under the resolutions category, item eight.

Just needs a vote.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Under the ordinances category.

Since your list was distributed, items 9, 14, 15, 16, 22, and 23 have been received.

All right.

Uh items 10, 13, 17, and 21 have not been received, but will be considered if they receive before the end of the meeting.

Items removed for separate consideration.

14, 16, and 21.

Need a vote on the balance.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Items removed for separate consideration.

Item 14 is an ordinance.

Just need a vote.

Councilmember Flickr.

Councilmember Flickinger.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'll be supporting this item, but I did want to call attention that you know the damage that was done from the group of people that took advantage of that emergency PO we are still dealing with today.

It seems like a lot of people thought that this was a victimless crime, where in fact, you know, we had all these subs coming to us week after week pleading how they couldn't get paid because this was under investigation.

And you know, the punishment that went to these people was almost non-existent with the majority of them getting deferred adjudication.

Only one person actually having to pay the money back that they stole.

Uh only one person going to jail, and that person is already eligible for parole.

So I highly doubt they'll be in jail very long at all.

So thank you for bringing it to our attention.

Just need a vote.

All in favor say yes, those opposed, no.

Motion passes.

Item 16 is an ordinance.

Just need a vote.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Item 24 is an ordinance.

Just need a vote.

Motion passes.

Councilmember King.

Councilmember Kamen.

Thank you.

I was waiting for this item to pass.

Um, Mayor, I just wanted to spotlight and thank uh Commissioner Brianis' office for stepping up to invest in our city-owned parks.

This is a um long-term uh two-decade agreement with the City of Houston for precinct four to take over maintenance of uh multiple parks, four of which, the majority of which are in District C.

Uh so I I do want to thank the Commissioner's office uh and Commissioner Brianis specifically for stepping up uh while recognizing that you know we decreased H part's budget by four percent.

So this is a partnership that is really important to keep that maintenance going.

Um I also appreciate you know, our office had helped fund some of the maintenance improvements for this park just this past year for one of them at JC Park, which I know you're familiar with.

Um I hope those improvements will continue, and we look forward to the partnership.

But again, uh grateful for the city county partnership here.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Um the Commissioner has been an outstanding uh partner.

Uh the collaboration between the city and her precinct is a model.

Actually, other commissioners are joining in.

We all represent the same people, and uh citizens will benefit.

And citizens will benefit.

So thank you for your remarks.

And thank you to Commissioner Brianis.

She's an outstanding public official.

Councilmember Thomas.

Thank you.

I just want to add my my comments to this item.

The location in District F is not a park, it's just a sliver of grass.

And if it is to be developed, I want to make sure that we're included in that conversation.

But I will say that the District F hotspot team has last year completed over 106,000 square feet of landscaping.

And so for the Parks Department, we're always a partner in this work as we're already maintaining easements, public spaces, and so would have appreciated being in the conversation with this because I read this announcement prior to the vote.

So it was already as if this was a done deal.

So I would just appreciate that if we can close the communication uh loops and making sure that council members are included in these types of conversations so we can support our departments and elevate the partnership.

Thank you so much.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

And we received item 21.

So we can go to 21 next.

Item 21.

Item 21 is an ordinance.

Just need a vote.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, no.

Motion passes.

This completes the items on the agenda.

Very well.

Pop all council member Evan Shabaz.

Well, good morning.

Um thank you, Mayor.

Uh District D remained active in the community over this past week.

And on Wednesday, uh the Cinderella Ball for Seniors was just fantastic in the Sunnyside Health and Multi-Service Center.

It was hosted by the honorary mayor of Sunnyside, Sandra Massey Hines, who is a woman who has due all the accolades because she works very, very hard in Sunnyside, particularly for the seniors, and it was a day of fellowship and recognition.

On Thursday, the South Union Civic Association held its community meeting at South Union place apartments on Scott Street.

Certainly got grilled a lot regarding the trash and things that are going on in that area.

And I'm certainly going to work with that community to take care of some of their priorities and certainly share updates with them to help them to have a better quality of life.

And on Friday, I attended the inaugural uh tournament, golf tournament and fundraiser hosted by James Smoky Phillips, our constable at the Wildcat Golf Club.

The occasion served as both a fundraiser and a celebration of his birthday.

So happy belated birthday, Constable, drawing strong participation and support from across the community.

On Sunday, I attended Westley AME Church, where they had a Greek Sunday.

It was such a spirit-filled engagement, and certainly all of the Greek organizations were represented.

And it was just a wonderful day of fellowship there in their new sanctuary.

And so certainly just really, really glad to be in their presence and know that we can come together regardless of what colors we may wear, certainly, which is indicative of the world.

And so certainly was glad to participate.

Certainly we want to hear from the candidates as we have long been without representation.

And so we certainly want people to come out so that you can become informed regarding uh the people who may take that seat.

And so I believe uh oh, I'm sorry, Korean Recovery Resources, 80th anniversary breakfast will be Friday, September the 12th from 8 to 9 a.m.

at the Houston Junior League, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, uh certainly near the Galleria.

And finally, Mayor, I want to thank you and the administration other others in the ministry administration for pausing the Herman Park uh golf course improvements to allow time to address the community concerns.

I have been an inundated with many phone calls from people who do not support the change.

But that part, that historical park, let me note that, has been a staple in the community, not just for the golfers, but for the people who are walking and engaging at the park.

And so I believe that we started the wrong way by not engaging the golf community and the community, and so certainly uh gonna circle back and do that.

And so this park not only serves District D, but all Houstonians.

And so I I I spoke with uh Councilmember Mary Nan Huffman who indicated that there are people in her district who really don't want the park changed as well because the accessibility and the ability to get in and engage in the sport is much easier, and the greens fees are certainly not as expensive.

And so we cherish Herman Park, and just I'm just gonna say that if there are any changes, a fight comes with it.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

In working with you uh and the community uh be ample time, and it's being uh really managed by the parks department who brought this forward, the Conservancy, as you well know, the Astros showed interest.

So uh it's a good time to slow down, have engagement, and uh I look forward to working with you.

Nothing, nothing is moving forward without a consensus.

Uh but as you know, the Director Allen is an outstanding uh parks director.

Uh the Conservancy was going to do some things.

I understand that we're kind of uh first, certainly some maybe soccer fields for the community.

Uh the Robinson Center is needed updating for years and years, but that can all be done in due time with proper consensus building.

So thank you for uh representing your district.

And also, as you well said, it's a citywide uh asset.

I've been known to uh play golf there as well.

So yeah.

So great opportunity, but uh there's no reason not to pause and uh let you and I work together with the community.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yeah.

Councilmember Castillo.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to express my support for the Unite Here Local Union members who are out striking um for better wages and safer working conditions.

I haven't had a chance to make it out there yet.

I do plan on joining them uh in their efforts, but wanted to uh express solidarity with them as they are on strike right now.

And remind folks that on September the 20th, uh be organizing a community update meeting for the Hispanic History Research Center.

Uh Councilmember Ramirez and Martinez will also be a part of this effort, and we will be uh finalizing a location soon, but the date is Saturday, September the 20th, 10 a.m.

And we'll be providing an update on the progress of the Hispanic History Research Center project and getting um feedback and input from the community.

So more info on that, but uh just want to get the date and the time out there for folks to mark their calendars.

Thank you.

Hey, thank you for bringing up the uh workers at the Hilton uh United here.

I'm monitoring it very carefully in contact with all the stakeholders.

Uh I expect a fair settlement on behalf of the workers.

Uh as a union member myself, I understand the process.

I understand they're very close, but certainly the energy of the uh union members is is admirable.

And I do expect a fair settlement for all parties concerned.

Thank you for being there yesterday.

I was fully aware of uh and and let me really give a shout out to HPD too.

HPD was over there assisting uh with water for those that were striking and uh very considerate of the conditions.

So it's part of the process, and I'm very optimistic that uh they've called for a 10-day strike.

I don't know if it will last the full ten days, but those are some of the finest people that allow Houston to be visited uh by millions of people each year.

So thank you for your comments.

Uh next, Councilmember Davis.

Fred, um Councilmember Fleckinger.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh we've got our town halls scheduled for this fall in uh Kingwood on September 30th, the community center at uh Clear Lake on October 14th at the uh Space Center, Houston.

And on uh Edgebrook on the 21st at the One Movement Bible Church.

So all these start at uh 6 30.

Uh hope the community can uh get out there.

We have invited a number of uh the city departments and some of our state reps and local leaders, so we should have uh a large tenants out there.

Uh Kingwood electronic recycling will be this Saturday from uh 9 to 3 at the uh Kingwood uh park and ride, and uh that's all I've got.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Councilman Kaman.

Thank you.

A few things.

Mayor, we if you'll recall um Heights Towers, which I know you are familiar with, the Senior Center on 19th Street.

Um that really during the freeze kicked off our awareness of the dangers of senior centers that are not um taking care of their residents the right way.

And this is a property that has a lot of seniors with disabilities.

Um my office received notice yesterday that Heights Towers had been without air conditioning since Friday.

Um we escalated both to the health department, public works uh to the health department to public works, um, and we requested dispatch.

Um we also notified Don and HFD so that they would be aware.

Um I want to thank we made a site visit over there to meet with the management, um, and I want to thank uh Village Heights Church for donating pizza and salads yesterday.

Um we were assured that the management would be bringing in coolers today, but again, for those seniors to have over four days in this heat without air conditioning is just it's not okay.

It's not safe.

So I wanted to bring that to the attention of council um, but thank all the residents for stepping in to make our office aware.

Um I also wanted to thank Public Works TDO and Shepherd Forest.

Uh there had been somewhat of a hot potato over ditch maintenance.

Was it the city's property or Center Point's property?

It took, I think, Mayor, a little too long to figure out whose property it was.

We have had this come up multiple times.

Once we were able to resolve that, the city stepped in and we got the ditch rehab done.

But if there's anything we can be doing to expedite the way in which we're trying to figure out whose property is what, um, it it just seems to be taking so long on multiple fronts.

I don't think that's anyone's problem uh anyone's fault, but we do have to start cutting through that red tape.

Um can I have to do that?

Yeah, please.

Please go ahead.

Do you remember when you and I couldn't decide if a piece of property belonged to the State or the City at the corner of Durham and I believe your office was saying it was the state's super neighborhood just wanted it cleaned up on the corner.

In fact, I was noticing the other day we still need to address that.

And the state tech stock came in.

So it's been a problem at the city level of who owns their property, and uh maybe it's mislabeled, but it's so fascinating to hear you talk about the current problem of the city trying to identify their property, uh, whether it's center point or the cities when I was a senator, you and I dealt with the same issue.

It's been going on for a very long time.

Um, I'm trying to make.

I mean, I just walked in this job, and there's still issues that have been unresolved for years.

Another thing on the 19th Street, my Rebecca Williams is out there right now.

We got our same call you did.

So we're monitoring it.

Um it's interesting for full transparency.

Amanda Edwards called me yesterday afternoon.

I don't know who called you, but uh it's unacceptable.

And it's across the city that these private or nonprofit residential facilities just do not maintain uh their standards.

So we'll continue to work.

But Rebecca is actually out there right now, so we'll get it resolved.

Wonderful.

It's historically been a really fine facility.

Air conditioners go out, and so we need backup plans and you know, gets back to our issues about generators, I think as as Houston progresses uh goes forward, it's just gonna almost be essential to have a generator, but we don't want to have to have a generator and have nots not.

So we got a lot of work to do.

Yeah, and and luckily here they didn't lose power, it's just the AC, but again, four or five days without AC for a bunch of seniors.

Bad leadership, and we've seen it in storms where the management just abandons the problem.

So thank you for bringing it down.

Thank you.

Um I did want to uh thank everyone for a very productive uh BFA meeting yesterday.

And I will continue to emphasize the need for investments and funding in our rainy day fund because, again, that comparison to other cities really stood out as what is critical and important.

So looking forward to moving on that.

And then last week I was, as I was thanking everyone for participating in our firearm safety campaign the day before the shooting in Minnesota was happening.

We continue to hear story after story of older children protecting younger children.

So our hearts are with the families in the community impacted by the devastating loss, but it has to be more than thoughts and prayers.

And this is why we will continue to work on safe storage.

We will continue to tackle gun violence head on.

But I do want to lift up all of the families that are going through something that is unimaginable but far too common in our country.

Mayor Councilman Thomas.

Thank you, Mayor.

So I am proud to announce that Harris County Princeton Commissioner Ellis' office has started construction on the park that will surround the Curtis M.

Graves detention basin on homestead and Molly Road.

This development marks the next steps in transforming years of planning and advocacy into meaningful relief and opportunities for the residents in District B.

This detention fund is designed to capture and temporary store stormwater doing heavy rains, reducing the risk of neighborhood flooding, and that has devastated Trinity Garden, Houston Garden, City Gas, and nearby communities.

Now, this basin is in place is focused.

Okay.

Now this basin in place, not that the basin is in place.

The focus has shifted to park amenities.

The Curtis M.

Graves Park will feature new trails, green space, a pedestrian connection, linking surrounding neighborhoods to the revitalization area.

And I am really excited about this because we did some bike rides like three years ago with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee talking about this basin.

And the folks in Houston Garden really wanted to turn it into a park.

We also extended the tours to cover the maintenance for this area.

So really excited about the project moving forward.

As we continue to celebrate the completion of the basin and start the park construction, I remain committed to making sure that this project move forward.

Secondly, I also want to invite folks out to the District B to Strategic Plan meeting that is happening tomorrow night at the Acres Home Multi-Service Center.

This is our second meeting.

The first meeting was on the northeast side Alpha Homestead, and so we are taking it to the Acres Home area so that the community can understand and get a snapshot of the implementation plan that incorporates all the community studies, like complete communities resilience study and other studies that was done to address projects that is needed within District B.

And so it is a blueprint for developers who want to come into our community and want to invest in our community.

It's basically the community outlining what projects that they are willing to support.

And it gives them developers a jump start on working with our community.

So with that being said, everyone have a blessed week.

Thank you, Councilman Hoffman.

Remarez.

Thank you, Mayor.

A couple of things.

One, I want to second what uh my colleague uh Councilmember Evans Shabazz said about the Herman Park uh golf course plan.

I also have received numerous complaints from longtime users of the golf course, in particular uh members of a women's league that really has no other place to play in Houston because Memorial Park is so hard to get on, and uh Gus Wortham was not interested in in hosting them.

And so they have been playing for years, and the changes would have meant that the golf course no longer would have qualified for tournament play, and they would have been out a place to play.

Others have chimed in with similar uh complaints, and I know uh constituents of Councilmember Evans Shabbaz have complained as well.

So, Mayor, I want to thank you for uh considering all these views and putting a pause on it and reconsidering what is going to happen uh to one of our most important municipal golf courses uh that we have here in Houston, and which is really uh the only option that a lot of players have.

So thank you for for doing that.

Uh the other thing I wanted to note was that uh we have a much shorter agenda today, and our agendas in the future will be much shorter as well due to Senate Bill 1173, which passed the legislature this past regular session.

What the bill means is that um contracts between 50,000 and 100,000 will no longer have to go through the formal competitive bidding process uh that they had to previously.

And it also means that contracts between 50 and 100,000 are no longer uh subject to council approval.

Now, this is applauded by a lot of folks, but it does give me some concern some concern because there are a lot of contracts.

Um last year's report has shown that end up very close to the to the limit uh that we never take a look at.

Our excellent Chief Procurement Officer Judd Greenfield was kind enough last year to give me a list of uh contracts that were under $50,000 and thousands and thousands of contracts that never come before us to review.

And so I'm gonna ask him for a similar report of the last fiscal year, how many contracts are fell in that $50,000 to $100,000 range.

Um they do a great job, but but still I'm concerned because I want to make sure that somebody is reviewing these contracts and making sure uh that fraud is not occurring.

So thank you.

That's all I'm gonna do.

Uh Council Thomas.

Yes, um, on the West side, we are about that action.

Um right now, what's happening is my hot team is picking up recycle bins and trash bins at the uh hub right now.

We are delivering the bins that have been in the queue for requests.

Shout out to the director of Solid Waste for his innovation.

Um they have heard all of the complaints.

They're reorganizing that work, and so I I believe that there's soon to come some news about residents and those replacement bins.

So shout out to the hot team.

We're getting it done on the west side.

Um, we have, as I mentioned last week, a series of public safety issues that are happening on the west side today.

I'm visiting with the Crossview Court's apartment with the landowner and some residents, and right on Crossview, there's an adult entertainment club PRIVE.

And they've already, the landlord, the owner has already filed a lawsuit against the club because of the quality of life and public safety issues.

So we are going to be there on site about that, and and I hope to come back with some uh updates with the challenges, a series of homicides that have happened on that property and just you know, trafficking, noise, you name it.

It's happening there.

So we'll be there.

More to come on that.

I also want to highlight uh for residents that the uh hold on, let me back up.

I also want to highlight that on August 18th I mentioned that there were three babies that were roll roaming an apartment complex uh searching for food because their parents were deceased in the unit.

Uh we have made contact with the CPS supervisor and they have made their request in terms of what they need in order to be supported.

We'll be sharing this out with the public.

So if you can um so we can respond to your interest in supporting these babies as they transition with their maternal grandmother who has them.

So thank you for your interest in that.

Um also I just want to highlight for to Houston Public Works and give you a public uh shout out.

Thank you for moving expeditiously and addressing some of the blockage in Briar Meadow south of of uh Richmond.

After the rain last Wednesday, there were inches of rain in the street.

And just as a reminder, our streets are designed as secondary detention.

So the expectation is that the water should be in the street so that it's not in your home.

Um, however, Houston Public Works sent out a team, investigated the drains.

There was some blockage within the drains, and the and that was cleared on August 28th.

I have a meeting with the director to go over our quarterly issues on September 8th, so more to come on that.

And on September 18th, we're going over all of our tra uh transportation and drainage projects, and there will be a special call newsletter going out to the district where we will itemize everything from speed cushions to our SWAT projects.

And so more to con we've been talking about in our newsletter um periodically.

I also want to highlight that national night out is coming up soon.

Uh, we released the registration link on Friday.

We are already scheduled for four neighborhoods.

Please get registered so we can spend time with you and talk about updates in your neighborhood, particularly public safety and quality of life.

Um I also want to highlight that on Monday, Labor Day, skeletal remains were found off of Bissinet and Dairy Ashford at a known encampment um within a wooded area.

This encampment was identified by my district theft hotspot team as they were clearing illegal dumping and reported by residents.

Um I love a lot of the conversation in the horseshoes often about uh the the presence and the public viewing of the unhoused.

But um what is often missed are those that are hiding within the shadows within the woods.

And so uh Westside HPD, uh we are working them over time in terms of you know focusing their attention on these types of uh crimes and resolving that.

They are investigating the remains, but I just want to underscore the importance of making sure that we're investing in our coordinated care system, providing direct services, stabilization with housing and case management.

Uh also I want to join um add my voice with uh Councilmember Castillo and other colleagues that have joined local Unite 23 are our Hilton workers.

Um I think we have an obligation to take care of the people that take care of us.

I and I love the Hilton Americans and I often um have staycations there.

And as a convention city uh that and where business is open, we have to make sure that the people um that are working in those institutions to make sure that we enjoy the city are paid fairly, so I stand with them in pursuit of uh livable wage.

Uh more to come in terms of what's coming out of district stuff on the West side and more to come on our second annual Faith in Affordable Housing.

Thank you so much.

You uh Mayor Proteirs.

Yes, Tatum.

Thank you, Mayor.

A couple of things.

Um one item I know we've talked about it before, but uh I'd like for us to kind of get some clarification, Mayor.

We um have been talking about prohibited yard parking enforcement, and I know that we um we've gone to our PIP meetings and we've talked to HPD about prohibited yard parking.

Our residents are are they continue to be frustrated with reporting it to HPD.

Then we got a letter from HPD that said they were no longer um enforcing the prohibited yard parking and for residents to call 311.

So we've we've encouraged residents to call 311.

But this week I got um some emails from residents that have been calling 311, and 311 response is to report it to HPD.

So we've got a breakdown in actually who's going to enforce the prohibited yard parking.

And I know it it seems like a small thing for neighborhoods, it's a really big thing, especially because they worked so hard to become uh to participate in the actual being designated as uh prohibited yard parking neighborhood.

So we we've got to figure out who actually will enforce that.

So I know that you you spend some time with the chief.

We've we've talked to our um command station about it.

Um everyone's kind of looking for what's going to be the final resolution on who will actually enforce that.

Um I don't know who else we should probably pull into that conversation, but residents are looking for who will actually enforce this to kind of keep that um happening in their neighborhoods because the problem is getting bigger, and for those neighborhoods where it's happening, they want some type of resolution.

So we need to work through that issue.

Um then we talked a little bit about this this morning.

We've got a couple of gas stations in the district that you know we've been trying to um get some resolution with um visible drug use.

Um we have reported, reported.

Um I know we talked about contacting TABC.

We've had residents to call TABC, but we really are looking for some some assistance, and I know that um you and the and the chief, we will huddle to figure out how we how we get these these issues resolved because we uh uh council members, y'all remember we knocked down the MACO station.

Um what we found is those same folks have moved down to the Conaco station now, um, and that there seems to be a lot of um drug use and um people that are visibly um high and living in an abandoned facility on White Heather, and and residents are complaining a lot about this area, and and we need help with uh enforcement and trying to get something resolved at that gas station and in that area.

And then the other thing that um we are getting a lot of uh concerns about, there is uh homeless encampments that are growing under Highway 90 and Hillcroft, and then of course, under the 610 underpass.

We're we're we're going to continue to have those conversations about homelessness.

But for those particular areas, what we're seeing is the tremendous amount of drug use.

Um I mean, at this point, Mayor, I think we we've got to really tackle how we are going to handle this chronic homelessness based on drug uses usage.

Use it's not uh, you know, just that they are homeless because they don't have money to to live somewhere, but it's the the the use of um of drugs and it and it's a tough issue to address, um, but we we probably need to figure something out and kind of huddle together because more and more of these areas are being riddled with um folks under those those uh underpasses.

And then some better news.

Um we are hosting a meet the team event um on September the 20th to introduce our two new team members in District K.

We hope that uh residents will join us at the Starbucks, the new Starbucks in District K.

Um it will be held from 9 to 11 on Sam Houston Parkway.

Um so we are um very excited to host the Meet the Team event and hope that residents will come and uh meet our two meet team members in District K.

And then um also to reiterate National Night Out on October 7th.

I know Councilmember Thomas talked about it.

Please get registered so that we can make those visits to our individual neighborhoods.

And finally, for Fort Bend residents, Stimley Blue Library is still temporarily closed for roof replacement, and that library should be um open again in at the end of October, so residents can um definitely visit Vincent Branch Library or any of our other libraries in the City of Houston.

So uh be kind to each other and make it a great day.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor Pro Tim Pack.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I just want to remind everyone that our next public safety committee meeting will be this coming Tuesday, September 9th at 10 o'clock a.m.

Metro Police Department will be there to give a public safety update.

So please join us at that meeting.

Thank you.

Councilmember Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um also want to uh stand in solidarity with my colleagues uh with Unite Here Um this past Monday.

We we celebrated Labor Day, and um for many folks that were taking the day off.

Uh it was a reminder that uh progress happens when workers raise their voices together.

Uh we know that the visitors economy, um, specifically in Houston has seen about 16 billion dollars.

And I think for any city to be successful uh when when that kind of economy happens, we need to make sure that working families are also seeing the fruits of of those benefits.

Uh Mayor, I want to thank you personally.

Uh, you know, Monday we're on the on the phone uh having discussions about things that were happening out there and to be able to make sure that folks are able to um lift up their voices without uh any threats of being arrested and whatnot.

And so just want to thank you for your leadership and your team as well, Mayor.

Um also um over the weekend I want to highlight uh that there is uh a shooting at Discovery Green.

Um, you know, this has been uh something that we continue to have conversations about when it comes to scooters.

Um this kind of uh activity, it's it's it's linked to a lot of folks that are draw writing at the end of the day.

Uh these aren't folks that are uh really leading into transportation uh as a as a form of uh getting to work.

This is happening late in the evening and um you know continue to have conversation with you, Mayor, and your and your team to see uh steps moving forward.

Uh we definitely need to make sure that we uh bring regulations.

Uh we shouldn't have anybody you know on the road on a scooter at 3 in the morning, two in the morning.

And so um look forward to continuing to talk to you, you know, work with you and your team.

Um and then also on a sad note, um over the weekend we had an 11-year-old uh boy, uh Julian Guzman uh who was killed in the Clinton Park Fidelity area.

Um just as a father who's about to have a 10-year-old uh in about a week or so, you know, just my heart goes out to the family.

Uh, you know, this is uh this is a tough thing, I'm sure that the family is going through, and just want to remind folks that you know violence is definitely not the solution and prayers and go out to the family.

Thank you, Mayor.

And good morning to everyone.

Uh Mayor, I sent uh your office an email as well as the director of Solid Waste about a neighborhood in my district, um St.

George place uh that recycling is behind by seven weeks.

And it was reported to 311 by several people within the community wasn't addressed.

The director did um answer the email this morning.

I appreciate his prompt response.

He did mention that it was accurate that it they were seven weeks behind and it was unacceptable and that it would be getting addressed hopefully today.

But seven weeks behind is something that just can't happen.

And we are getting notices from the Solid Waste Department on things being on time.

And obviously that is far from accurate.

And so we have to figure out how to have better communication when it comes to anticipation and expectations for solid waste pickup.

Heavy trash is still an issue.

We have several neighborhoods that seem to be having heavy trash out on the curb for over a month now.

And that is something that we have to address.

Last week I also mentioned that there were retirees that took your pension package that still were not going to get paid until at least the end of this month.

And so we continue to field calls on that, and I have been trying to direct people over to the pension board.

I know that they are doing all they can with the limited resources and coordination that they have.

But I think you know, we have to do a better job of communicating to employees what the expectations are when they are relying on these checks, and it is going to be going on 120 days before they even get a single payment.

When it comes to when it comes to the crime rates and all of the things that we are hearing around this horseshoe, even today, you can see how crime is out of control.

It rose almost 4.5 percent last year, and out of all of the major cities in the country, Houston is the only city that made the list out of the top 15 most populous cities in America.

And so I rarely have ever seen our city on the list for these type of reasons.

And it is a cause for concern.

I think we have to not only look at law enforcement, but we have to look at root crime, I mean root causes.

Everything is not going to get solved with police officers.

We have to look at jobs and training and education.

And so on that note, uh all over the city, we've been putting up advertising saying more jobs and less crime.

So I encourage people who are looking for a job, or if you need uh a job to go to more jobs, Houston.com.

We have thousands of jobs all over the greater Houston area.

Uh, and we know to have a thriving city, you must have a thriving workforce.

That thriving workforce will then turn into individuals able to pay money, and that tax money is what we use to provide services.

So it is all correlated.

And so uh we have a heavy lift here as council members, and we have to do our part to try to do what we can to push the city forward.

But there are a lot of challenges that are there.

And although we always talk about the good things, we can't forget that there are a lot of people in need and a lot of things that need to be addressed that we need to make a priority.

Thank you.

Mayor and colleagues, yesterday we had a presentation by the controller's office, and one of the slides on the on it was talking about natural disasters and mainly talking about our reserves.

The Mayor Pro Tem referenced it yesterday.

And one of the slides outlined our baseline, if we stay with the same tax rate, if we stay with all things the same.

$76 million deficit this year, next year 2027, 227 million, 28, 353 million, 29, 423 million, 2030, 463 million.

That matches exactly Melissa Dabowski's chart that she gave us in the five-year forecast.

We are in tax rate setting season.

That will come before this body in October.

Last year, some of my colleagues and I advocated for an increase to cover the disaster costs, which was covered by the State.

We did not raise it to the voter approved rate, which would have allowed us to raise our tax rate by 1.7 cents.

We stayed exactly at $0.51.

I would urge this body, if the voter attack the voter approved tax rate allows us an increase, one, two, three cents.

I don't know what it what it is what the calculation is going to be.

I sit around this horseshoe and I listen to all the needs in every council district.

They are monumental.

They would overwhelm the best of us.

And we have to have resources to attack those needs.

You have done an outstanding job, Mayor.

Ernst and Young.

Things that we have never done before, voluntary retirements, restructuring, contract spend look at, things we have not done before.

But I believe, as my role as chair of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee, I cannot see a stay on the same exact course.

We have to find a way to generate more revenue, and we are going to have to make an unpopular decisions in order to give the residents of this city the services they deserve.

Thank you.

Anyone else?