Our friend Councilmember Maris to please preside.

Thank you, Mayor.

The Chair recognizes Vice Mayor Pro Tempeck for a proclamation to Houston Strong Children's Services.

Thank you, Councilmember.

It's my honor to present this proclamation today to Houston Strong Children Children's Services.

Whereas Houston Strong Children's Services is a nonprofit organization founded in 2018 and dedicated to strengthening families, supporting foster youth, and empowering communities across Greater Houston.

And whereas through its programs, partnerships, and outreach efforts, Houston Strong Children's Services has helped underserved communities by supporting foster and adoptive families at risk youth and community members through housing education, mental health, and workforce development opportunities.

And whereas the City of Houston appreciates the tireless work of Houston Strong Children's Services and its volunteers, mentors, caregivers, educators, and advocates who dedicate their time and compassion to empowering others, strengthening the social fabric of the city, and inspiring continued efforts towards a brighter and more equitable future for all Houstonians.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Pro Tim.

You're bringing a service to our attention that goes quietly day and day and helps us serve our children, which are our future leaders.

So thank you for your intervention, your mentoring, your passion, your caring.

So thank you for being here, and thank you for what you do on a daily basis.

Therefore, I John Whitmaier, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaim November 21st, 2025 is Houston Strong Children's Services Day in the City of Houston.

Thank you, ma'am.

Would you like to say something?

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Council members, Honored Community Leaders, and Houston Strong.

All these strong.

We continue to serve the community.

And when our children come into care, it's not because they're broken, it's because their families needed support that came too late.

We work for our children within the system, and one in five of them have experienced homelessness.

One in four are incarcerated.

And so our goals are to break those pipelines to prison.

We exist with our work to focus on interrupting the trajectories that are out there.

As we look forward, we're working on expanding our work through our strong smart innovation center.

It's a groundbreak breaking model designed to treat trauma and to build opportunity differently.

We've got our interns, shout out to our 20 universities that have been working with us and some of our interns that are here tonight.

Thank you all for seeing the work that we do.

Thank you for supporting all nonprofits and on behalf of the entire Houston Strong team, thank you for believing the strong systems that build strong families and our strong families that build our strong cities.

Thank you.

And we now recognize Councilmember Kamen for a proclamation recognizing the reactivation of the Fourth Ward Super Neighborhood.

Good evening, everyone.

Uh with me is a very special group of folks that has been working tirelessly in Fourth Ward Freedmanstown for years.

Uh but tonight we're here uh to recognize all the effort and work that they and many others that are not here with us, including um Pastor Elmo Johnson and others have put in to reactivate the Fourth Ward Super Neighborhood.

Uh as I've said many times, many of them are the unsung neighborhood heroes of this historic area, which is home to the first black and African American community in Houston following emancipation, was the first heritage district for the city of Houston, and is also a UNESCO site of memory.

And that with that history, we know comes a unique set of challenges and responsibilities, balancing aging infrastructure with historical preservation concerns.

Uh no one around I don't need to tell anyone around this horseshoe how important our civic clubs and our super neighborhoods are.

And I would encourage uh those listening.

If you don't have a super neighborhood that's active in your area, follow their lead uh and put in the work.

We're here on council to help with this, but it really does make a difference in harnessing the voices of the community for the needs of the community.

Uh I'm with me tonight, uh, is of course the president of the superneighborhood, Joe.

It's great to have you.

Our vice president Zion, there you are.

Uh we have the mayor of Freedmanstown, Sharonda Johnson, who's doing incredible work, and uh one of the seats for at large three, right?

Uh Neal as well.

So again, congratulations to all of you, but really my heartfelt and sincere thank you to each of you and to everybody involved.

Whereas the Fourth Ward Freedman's Town, Super Neighborhood is an essential forum that provides residents and stakeholders with a seat at the table to advocate for their community and ensure local voices are heard at City Hall.

On July 17, 2025, neighbors gathered at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church for the official reactivation of the Fourth Ward Super Neighborhood.

United by a shared vision to build trust and goodwill, bridge divides between legacy and new residents, and work together to uplift a community long overlooked.

The reaction of reactivation of the Fourth Ward Freedmanstown Super Neighborhood Council builds upon the significant and ongoing efforts of the Freedmanstown Conservancy, the Freedmanstown Association, and many dedicated volunteers who preserve the neighborhood's history, honor its culture, and support current residents living within the boundaries of the original community founded by formerly enslaved people in 1865.

And I'll add to that list the work that our uh library does at the Gregory Lincoln School.

The story of Freedmanstown reflects a broader American truth of black and brown communities shaped by resilience in the face of systemic injustice, highway expansions and redlining, and decades of disinvestment.

Despite these challenges, Freedmanstown has endured, with handmade bricks still lining its streets, and we go to very great lengths to protect them.

Historic homes continuing to be restored in a culture of care and perseverance that inspires generations and demonstrates the power of civic engagement.

The City of Houston celebrates the successful reactivation of this super neighborhood council and extends our deep gratitude to the residents, stakeholders, and volunteers who continue to give their time, energy, and heart to preserve and advance this vital Houston community.

Thank you, Councilmember Kayman, and thank you to the Super Neighborhood.

Certainly the leadership for your resiliency.

You know, I've uh had the opportunity to represent Fourth Ward Freemanstown for years, certainly having grown up in Houston.

I've seen the transition.

I've seen the attempt by commercial realtors to uh not pay the respect to Freemanstown that it's so rightfully deserved.

But you've demonstrated through Super Neighborhood and your collaboration with others that uh you're not going anywhere.

That's right.

And you shouldn't go anywhere.

And I was honored to have you in my office when I first got to City Hall.

And I said, let's go see what the problem is.

It had to have been a hundred degrees that August.

So, anyway, it's great to welcome you to City Hall.

And therefore, I, John Whitmeyer, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaimed December 16th, 2025, is Super Neighborhood, fourth ward day in Houston, Texas.

Congratulations.

And I think Joe, our supernatural president's going to speak.

I would love to.

Wow, what a day.

Mayor Whitmeyer, City Council, thank you so much for the proclamation, and thank you so much for the opportunity to speak here this evening.

Um I think we could talk all evening about the history of Freedmanstown, the trials and tribulations, the successes and challenges, but I'd like to speak a little bit about the people here that are working day in and day out to make this a neighborhood that we all feel comfortable living in.

I have to start off with obviously Councilmember Abby Cayman and District C.

When we reached out to them over a year ago asking to kind of start this reactivation process, uh, she never asked us why we were doing this.

She said, how can we help and when do we start?

And that's exactly what we want to hear out of our council member, and we really appreciate all that you've done for us, uh, Councilmember Cayman.

Um the first person that I was recommended to speak with when uh we started this process was obviously the mayor of Freedmanstown, Sharonda Johnson.

Um she has worked in the community for years and years, truly put the neighborhood on her back, uh, and we appreciate all the work that she does.

She was the connector of this uh uh exercise.

I asked her day in and day out who do I need to speak with, who is important, whose voice needs to be heard, and she always put me uh in the right contact, and and we can't thank her enough for that.

Uh Pastor Elmo Johnson, who's not here today, unfortunately.

Uh I should have called him instead of texting, that's on me.

Uh, he instantly offered up his church for our meetings.

They're held every third Thursday of every other month, Rosa Sharon Baptist Church, um, and we're so grateful for his support, not just in the community, but also for the super neighborhood.

Uh we have Zion Escobar here, who is quite literally a living legend in Houston.

The award has been given, I believe.

Um one has a greater vision for this neighborhood than Zion Escobar.

And I really, really enjoy getting to work with her, and I cannot wait to see the amazing things that she accomplishes in this neighborhood.

Um and frankly, the super neighborhood wouldn't be that important without her.

So we we appreciate her.

And last but not least, the Freedmanstown Conservancy.

The work they have been doing over the past few years to preserve and protect and to uphold the culture and the history of uh of Freedmanstown is quite frankly remarkable.

Um they have built a home in a community in this neighborhood that was not possible before.

And the super neighborhood would not have been possible without the work that they had already built.

So to Cass, who I don't know if she's here, Cass, this is not her first super neighborhood to reactivate, by the way.

Uh Sharon Terrell and Legina, uh, we can't thank you all enough.

Council, Mayor, uh the work has just begun, and we look forward to working with y'all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Davis for a proclamation recognizing the U.S.

Space Force's birthday colleagues, I can not say, Mayor and colleagues, I cannot think of anything more honorable and as a veteran myself to make this presentation, and then also to live to see something in our nation, and which is we are known in Houston as a space city.

And so this is a great honor to all of us as well as to our country.

United States Space Force, whereas in 2019, Congress established the United States Space Force as a military service within the department of the Air Force, and on December 20th, 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law, formally creating it as the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces.

And whereas the creation of the U.S.

Space Force represents a historic milestone and a strategic imperative for the nation as a space has become essential to daily life, economic stability, national security, requiring dedicated capabilities to protect it from emerging and hostile threats.

And whereas the evolution of the U.S.

Space Force traces back to the launch of Explorer One in 1958 and continued through the formal establishment in 2019, followed by key milestones, including its first rocket launch in 2020, the commissioning of its first officers, the assumption of satellite communication missions in 2022, the launch of its first Falcon Heavy mission in 2023, and the completion of the final Delta 4 heavy launch in 2024, reinforcing its vital role in safeguarding United States space interests.

And whereas a central purpose of the U.S.

Space Force is the consolidation of space-related missions, resources, and personnel from the United States Air Force, the U.S.

Army, the U.S.

Navy, and the U.S.

Marine Corps.

In 2022, the satellite communications under a single service for the first time followed in 2023 by the assumption of responsibility for the Army's joint tactical ground station, centralizing all space-based missile warning capabilities.

And whereas the U.S.

Space Force has continued to grow in its ranks as capability, and beginning in April of 2020, when 86 members of the U.S.

Air Force Academy class of 2020 became his first commissioned graduates, and later welcoming his first astronaut, Colonel Michael S.

Hopkins, who was sworn in aboard the International Space Station on December 18, 2020.

Whereas the city of Houston congratulates the United States Space Force on its sixth anniversary, extends best wishes for continued success, and proudly affirms its support through the motto, Semper Supra, always above.

Mayor.

Thank you, Councilor Davis, for demonstrating once again your love and respect for our armed services.

Absolutely.

And giving us all the opportunity to join you in respecting these uh special Space Force Guard officers.

And I want to thank you for what you do, probably some of what you do.

You can't even tell us because you're so diligent, working 724, 365 days a year protecting us and uh being very trained and uh you allow us to do our job while you're doing your job.

That is really special, and I thank you on behalf of all Houstonians and quite frankly, I'll speak for our country.

Thank you.

I know you're away from your family uh serving us, so thank you.

And therefore, our John Whitmer, mayor of the city of Houston hereby proclaimed December 20th, 2025, it's United States Space Force Day in Houston, Texas.

Congratulations.

I'll be doing something today good evening.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you for uh uh this honored uh opportunity to to speak.

As a longtime Houston uh resident, uh I'm retired Space Force Colonel Jeff Hokett, uh, and I'm now the executive vice president for the Space Force Association in Texas.

And uh what we'd like to do is uh just a quick uh identification of what's the same and what's different.

What's the same is the little blue dot that you followed to come here uh to to this uh ceremony today is the same.

We did that before under the Air Force and then the Navy and the other services.

What's new is that we've added the responsibility of protecting those things.

Uh that used to be just sort of a well, nobody can shoot at us, so don't worry about it.

Uh well, in 1992, Russia created the first Space Force, and Russia began practicing with lasers and projectile weapons on orbit.

Uh in 2015, uh China set up the second space force uh and China practiced with grappling arms and being able to reposition spacecraft and otherwise bend things and break things on orbit.

Uh so meanwhile, who's protecting ours?

Well, everybody kind of looked at their shoes and kind of well uh, and that's when uh at the time that was when uh it became necessary to say, well, let's everybody stop looking at your shoes.

You you know, move out and set up the uh the space force, and General Raymond acknowledged that and uh and did that.

So uh so we have uh we have 9,000 uniformed guardians, of which we have some here in Houston that are assigned.

We have about 10,000 civilians, GS uh positions that also work together uh with us and uh our Air Force buddies uh that are still part of the uh part of the team.

So uh here in Houston uh we have three different uh representations here in Houston.

One is the Klein High School Space Force Junior ROTC is one of ten Space Force Junior RTCs in the country.

Uh and so Klein High School uh has a Space Force Junior ROTC.

Uh we also have the Space Force Association and uh Mr.

Bryan pretty good.

Mr.

Brian Creighton is our president for the Houston Area Space Force Association.

And then our third group that we have that's active duty is the space test program that works out at JSC NASA.

And I'd like to turn it over to Lieutenant Colonel Wilder uh that's from the uh the NASA team.

Thank you, Jeff.

Thank you, uh Mayor Whitmeyer, and thank you to the City Council for the honor of being here today.

Even though this is only the Space Force's sixth birthday, um, like uh Mr.

Hokett mentioned, we're from the DOD space test program, and our team has ties to Houston that date back much much farther than that.

So I want to take the opportunity, sir, to give you this sticker from the DOD space test program uh and to thank the city for a long relationship, and we look forward to continuing to build a fruitful relationship.

Thanks, sir.

Thank you.

We got a Space Force calling for you.

And this is the patch for the sixth anniversary.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Thank you all.

Thank you, Dr.

Jones, as well.

Councilmember Evan Shabazz for the invocation.

Thank you, Mayor.

I've been moved to pray today.

I will not sing an A and B selection, and there will be no collection plate.

But may we bow our heads.

Father God, we come to you to thank you for your mercy and for your grace.

We lift you up and praise you and magnify your name, because you are so worthy to be praised.

We ask that you forgive us for our sins and help us to walk in accordance to your will and your purpose.

And may we be empowered to do that which is beneficial to the well-being of all of our constituents to the best of our ability.

We ask for traveling grace and angels of protection as we travel through the city or through air, road, or sea, visiting our loved ones.

We pray a special prayer of comfort for those who have lost their loved ones or are challenged with health concerns.

We ask for a hedge of protection around our health, our strength, our emotions, our families, and our finances.

It's in Jesus' name.

We pray.

Amen.

Thank you.

Please rise for the pledge.

Mr.

Secretary, you please call the roll.

Mayor Whitmeyer.

Present.

Councilmember Peg?

Here.

Councilmember Jackson.

Councilmember Kaman.

Present.

Councilmember Evan Shabala.

Here.

Council Member Flickinger will be absent.

Councilmember Thomas will be absent.

Councilmember Hoffman.

Present.

Council Member Castillo?

Here.

Council Member Martinez?

Here.

Councilmember Pollard.

Councilmember Castax Tatum will be absent.

Councilmember Ramirez?

Here.

Councilmember Davis.

Councilmember Carter.

Councilmember Plummer will be absent.

And Councilmember Alcorn.

Here.

Need a motion to adopt the minutes of December 9th and 10th.

Peck move.

Second.

Motion made and seconded.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Any procedural motions?

Uh Councilmember Kamen.

Thank you, Mayor, and Happy Hanukkah.

Um, I move to suspend the rules to add Matt Tetlow and Mark Kosiara and move Mari Lucas up.

So the three of them together to follow Howard Watson under the three-minute non-agenda list.

Motion is made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Councilmember Davis.

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move to suspend the rule that we would move that we would add Jacob to the end of the one-minute list.

Speakers listen to them.

Motion is made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed motion passes.

Anyone else want to proceed your motion?

Members, uh, we have a healthy list of witnesses signed up.

Um I've got to leave at seven for a previous commitment at a civic club, Independent Heights.

John Branch, their president.

It's his last meeting.

He's suffering health issues, and uh I feel the need to be with him and that civic club tonight.

So with that said, Mr.

Speaker, we please call the first speaker.

Adam Laureano Dowie of Paraland.

Jennifer Dewhurst.

To be followed by Owen Dewhurst.

Is it okay that we're up together?

Is it okay that he came up with me?

Because he's talking after me.

Is this the gentleman who's going to speak next?

Yes.

It's fine with me.

He can stand there.

Okay.

Okay.

Good evening, Mayor Whitmeyer and Houston City Council members.

My name is Jennifer Dewhurst.

I moved to Houston over 30 years ago for a two-year Teach for America commitment.

And now Houston is my home.

I'm a proud resident of District A, and I'm here to urge you to end the collaboration between the Houston Police Department and ICE.

Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country.

Our strength depends on trust.

Trust that calling the police will lead to help and not fear.

When local law enforcement works with federal immigration authorities, that trust is broken.

Families become afraid to report crimes.

Witnesses stay silent, and entire communities become less safe.

HPD's mission is to protect public safety, not to act as an arm of federal immigration enforcement.

Immigration status has nothing to do with whether someone's a victim, a witness, or a neighbor in need.

When fear keeps people in the shadows, violent crime goes unreported, and justice goes undone.

Ending this collaboration is not about politics.

It's about safety, dignity, and smart policing.

I ask you to stand with Houston's values, protect our communities, and keep HPD focused on serving all residents without fear.

Thank you for your time.

Hello, Mayor Whitna Meyer and City Council members.

My name is Owen, and I'm nine years old.

I'm here because I love Houston.

Some of my friends are scared that if their parents call to police for help, some from ICE might come and take their family away.

Some of my friends have had family members being taken away from ICE.

And that's scary.

Kids should not have to worry about that.

When people are scared of the police, they don't ask for help, even when they really need it.

My mom and my teachers have taught me that the police are supposed to be helpers and keep everyone safe.

That includes kids like me and my friends.

No matter where our families come from, when to police work with ICE, it makes families afraid.

And that makes our city less safe.

Please help make Houston a place where everyone feels safe asking for help.

Please stop the cooperation between the police and ICE.

Thank you for listening to me.

Councilman Cayman.

Thank you.

Owen, I just wanted to say, I know you're in District J and your council member couldn't be here tonight, but uh this was Owen's first time at City Hall.

Uh and I know you are a little bit nervous, but you did a wonderful job, and it's really great to have you.

Come back any time.

Next, Katie Murza.

To be followed by Camille Burrow.

Good evening.

My name is Katie Murza.

I work for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and I live in District D.

I'm here speaking in support of Houston Leeds' demand to decrease collaboration between HPD and ICE to the minimum required by state law and the RISE campaign's demand to end non-safety traffic stops.

I've heard city officials and news outlets say that the city of Houston cannot legally decrease their collaboration with ICE.

This is at best misinformed and at worst purposeful disinformation.

My organization has provided ways that the city can comply with state law while decreasing the amount it collaborates with ICE.

Our city should not be going above and beyond to help ICE tear apart our community.

Implementing both of these policies would decrease racial profiling, arrests, deportations, and law enforcement violence against Tucsonians.

Thank you.

Sarah Grossado.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council members.

My name is Sarah Grifaldo.

I'm a native Houstonian and member of District B.

I am here to speak on behalf of the community that is actively being targeted by HPD and ICE.

We are demanding that HPD stop their collaboration with ICE and that there is an immediate end to non-safety traffic stops.

Non-priority traffic stops lead to black and brown people being unlawfully searched, detained, and violated.

HPD has a shortage of thousands of officers, so why is their time being spent on pursuing civil violations?

ICE administrative warrants are not reviewed by a judge, nor do they give law enforcement legal authority to arrest someone.

Innocent families are scared to leave their homes to simply work or buy groceries.

They fear calling for help when there is an emergency.

Why can women not safely report domestic abuse?

Why was an autistic child held in detention for nearly two months?

Why was a 16-year-old US citizen kidnapped and beaten?

Clearly the law holds no meaning or value, and there is no empathy or respect for human rights.

Brown Latinos are indigenous to Turtle Island, and we're the ones who are at home here, and we truly belong here.

To be followed by Daniel Barrero of Magnolia.

Hello.

When our mayor lies and when HPD collaborates with ICE, it breaks the foundation between officers and communities.

Families are then afraid to report crime.

Witnesses will stay silent, and actual crime will go unchecked.

All because our neighbors fear that a call for help could lead to deportation or detention.

This doesn't make us safer.

It makes us all more vulnerable to state violence.

Current policy has made us a city who is 39% of households are food insecure, well above the national average.

We have crumbling infrastructure and whole communities who have been ignored and left to flood and starve year after year, all led by a mayor who uses our unions, organizations, and newish Melee Center for photo ops and cares more about making videos about a roundabout on Patent Street than policy that can protect his own constituents who are being kidnapped from their jobs, homes, and families based on skin alone.

So yes, Houston does have a problem, but ICE is not the solution.

So I say again, stop the capitulation between ICE and HPD.

We have a right to protect the data, whether financial, medical, or biometric of all Houstonians, documented or not.

There is no workers' rights without immigrants' rights.

There is no freedom until we are all free.

Thank you.

Next Daniel Barrero of Magnolia.

To be followed by Tabitha Clay.

Good evening.

Let me start off with this.

I'm here speaking tonight for those who cannot speak their mind out of fear and intimidation that you, Mayor Whitmeyer, have allowed in our city willingly.

These people have so much to say.

Their spirits cry out to speak their mind, yet they live in perpetual silence for fear of losing it all.

Tonight, I wish to be their voice.

Day by day, week after week, month after month, we the people are witnessing our fellow neighbors, your neighbors, being kidnapped by mass thugs, armed and unidentified.

We're seeing children crying as they witness their loved ones being snatched from their homes under your watch.

Families are being torn apart.

Our communities live in chaos and fear, and you, who were supposed to be our representation, our voice, just stand by and watch.

You, Mayor Whitmeyer, and any other coward that stood behind this first lied to us about any collaboration, and now it's out in the open, you wish to bury it in the rug.

Sitting here in the last city meeting, I was absolutely appalled at the lack of care that you people seem to have for this situation.

Thousands have been snatched away from their homes and carted off under noses.

But you people can't seem to care to sit in and listen to your people.

The people that you promised to serve, but instead you lied to.

You, Mayor Whitmeyer, ran away last time that we were here, and you only came back until we we were sitting here demanding you for you to come back, and only then did you come back.

When you finally returned, you sat here annoyed and frustrated at our presence as if we were bringing petty, unimportant problems that's below you.

Well, guess what, sir?

We will be here till the day that this collaboration with ICE ends.

We will be here till the day that the uh that ICE is out of our city.

We will frustrate you and your colleagues to the ends of the earth if we have to.

Why?

Because we are the voice to those who have no voice.

Because our people, our neighbors, your neighbors, are being discriminated against.

They live in perpetual fear and silence in their own homes.

They no longer wish to walk outside or go to restaurants and enjoy themselves.

Some don't go to the grocery stores or family parties.

Some don't even want to work.

They have to be they have become prisoners in their own homes, trapped and paranoid.

And you have allowed that to your own people.

End this collaboration now.

Hello.

My name is Tabitha, and I'm from District J, and I'm here speaking in opposition of ICE's collaboration with HPD.

As a native Houstonian, it saddens me to see my neighbors live their daily lives in fear that they'll be detained or deported.

During my last few months of high school, I worked at a I worked at a I worked at a restaurant that employed mainly workers who were Guatemalan Salvadorian or from other Hispanic origins.

I watched daily as the administration began their Gestapo-like scheme, and I watched as they their expressions grew worried and anxious.

Soon these men who have children, wives, and families in their home countries that depend on them were missing a shift or two, and uh in fear that they would be detained or deported.

I even worried that one of my co-workers would be detained while he was at his court hearing for his citizenship test.

Black and brown Houstonians are already at an elevated risk for being stopped and searched and pulled over um for minor reasons, and now it's being used as a tool to deport migrants who are here legally in the country.

There's already a basic distrust in human in institutions like HPD among minorities as they're built to systematically fail us.

Yet, and rather than protecting us from danger, it's become the danger itself, increasing fear in putting citizens in a position where they have to choose between their safety or possibly being deported and separated from their family.

Because of ICE's increased presence in the city, immigrants who are the backbone of Houston art skipping going to work, school, and or and every everyday task like grocery shopping and fear that they might be stopped for the color of their skin or the language that they speak.

According to the 2012 Supreme Court case Arizona via the US, local law, local laws don't have the legal authority to arrest or detain people based on civil immigration violations, yet we find ourselves here today.

If we redirect HPD's resources away from traffic stops for minor infractions like broken headlights or cracked windshields, we can give the officers the resources that they need to visit actual series and urgent calls from citizens, and maybe then it won't take an hour and a half for them to reach a crime.

As a citizen of Houston and a daughter of an immigrant, I'm urging you, Mayor Whitmaier, and Council members to take action and cancel the city's contract with Flock, the mass surveillance system that tracks license plates of potential immigrants across the city and pass ordinance to end non-safety traffic stops.

Thank you.

Haji Thibault.

To be followed by Ed Prolex.

Hello, Mayor and uh Council members.

Uh my name's Haji Tabo.

I've been horrified at videos of ICE agents throughout the U.S.

acting like a Gestapo force, wearing masks to hide their faces, abducting people, and breaking apart families.

Um I thought I was distant.

I thought it was far away, but I'm it's not.

Not after I've learned of HPD's collaboration with ICE instances like ICE, uh HPD calling ICE on a woman reporting domestic abuse, or Houston police calling ICE on a woman reporting a crash.

This scares people and me.

And uh I literally saw a woman while fishing the other day.

She got hit by a truck, got up, obviously injured, and refused to let anybody else call the police.

And I can only imagine the reason why.

Hint, it's I think it's ICE.

And it's wrong for our neighbors to be scared to go to school or work or to refuse medical care just because they're scared of deportation.

I feel like it's nonsense, and I think you guys should all, you know, you guys agree.

Um but we can make things better.

Uh one, we should pass an ordinance ending non-safety related traffic stops over minor infractions like tinted windows or a cracked glass on your car.

Um black and brown drivers are disproportionately searched, and uh this is a deportation tool.

Um, and we should also cancel our flock security camera contract and its wasteful spending.

Six point four million dollars to uh use mass surveillance, track Houstonians with no oversight, and Austin, San Marcos, and Hayes County have already ended their flock contracts this year.

So we could step up and join them.

And uh lastly, we need changes implemented where the next person who needs police can feel safe enough to do so and call them, whether they get hit by a truck like that woman I saw.

Um, and uh we need changes in our contract and you know rules with our police in general to where police are no longer forced or incentivized to call ice when they pull someone over.

Um we need these changes done.

It would be really beneficial to our community.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I am Ed Pru.

I live in District K, but I am here as a representative of the Unitarian Universalist Church.

Um on Bering Street, Emerson, and First Unitarian Universalist Church who have together put together a joint statement asking you to listen to all these people who are talking today and the complicit the complicitness in the ongoing moral decay of this nation.

Thank you.

To be followed by Javier Rodriguez.

Good evening.

I'm here to urge this council to place limits on HPD's involvement with ICE.

Cooperation with federal immigration enforcement should not be blind.

Discretion matters, including ensuring that any ICE action is supported by proper judicial warrants.

Houston's strength stems from our diversity, cultures, languages, and shared contributions.

That rich tapestry is why so many people come here and why so many stay.

We've seen what ICE has done in other cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Charlotte.

But we've also seen neighbors show up for one another.

We've seen people show how far they'll go to protect their communities.

When residents fear that any interaction with local authorities could lead to detention or deportations, families stay silent, neighbors hesitate to help one another, and safety is compromised.

This council has the opportunity to realign city policy with the values of the communities it serves.

I urge you to ensure HPD remains focused on public safety not quietly expanding ICE's reach through our city.

I currently serve as a teacher, and oftentimes I'm met with the question, Mister, why do we always get in trouble for socializing?

And it comes down to a question of urbanism.

In a city where my students have to depend on their parents to socialize and react with their community and their classmates, they lack the ability to become critical thinkers and become problem solvers besides the scope or the four walls of their home.

Furthermore, this problem expands across our community.

As many of my friends and I have returned to Houston after graduating from college, we're met with this problem.

How can we become problem solvers assessing community issues if there is no public third place?

And now today we ask ourselves this question why is this pattern of gas stations going on in our neighborhood?

As we ask for healthy groceries and access to fruits and vegetables, we see a new grocery store with chips and sodas.

As we want access to healthier air, we're met with yet another gas station.

And even more so, as you want spaces to engage with one another and ask how can we become problem solvers regarding this question of ice, we are met with another gas station.

So my ask for all of you is three.

One, eliminate the stop of new gas stations constructed in the North Line neighborhood.

Two, promote walkability to allow students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers, and three, use land use code to facilitate access to social engagement.

We may not have the wealth of your heights or your viroques, but we're just one people whose flesh embraces a different color.

How can we learn about this in the future?

Thank you.

To be followed by Matt Tetlow.

Thank you for your time and attention to our community voices.

I'm president of the West End Civic Club.

We're here today to once again express our community's enthusiastic support of the safe streets in our community.

I realize that the item on the agenda is for asphalt overlay services for several locations, including Paterson Street, Fagan Street, Washington Avenue.

This is separate from the Patterson Street where we live.

Why not the whole area of Patterson?

Since it's on that side of Washington.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Council Member Alcorn.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

And I know your district council member had to leave, but I remember her talking about this issue last week.

So the asphalt overlay project is not part of your Civic Club.

It's another portion, correct?

Right.

Right.

And you your portion of Patterson has been working on together on some safety improvements that need to be pursued.

Exactly right.

But not part of the package that we're going to approve tomorrow.

So sis they're going to do the construction, since they're going to tear it up or do whatever, why not look at safety?

But but that but it it's my the asphalt overlay that we're going to be approving.

Is that that separate than that's a different location the other side of Washington?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

And your safety improvement.

You're saying instead of like spend that money over there on asphalt or do both.

Because just three or four years ago, they just overlaid that side of uh uh Washington.

Um, so you're saying maybe instead of overlaying that side of Washington, use those funds to to do more of what the community has.

So is that is that side of Washington not like bumpy and crummy?

I mean, like a lot of roads, is it fairly decent shape?

On which side.

I I'll draw I need to drive over there.

But like the one that we plan to do the asphalt overlay on, is it is it smooth?

I mean, if we just did it three or four years ago?

I would say it is.

Okay.

I mean, I passed down there all the time.

Okay.

Okay, thank you very much.

Do you know that how much your safety improvements would cost?

I should know, but I can it's Okay.

Well, I can check with public works.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Evan Schmidt.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Howard, for coming down.

That area of town is near and dear to me.

My grandmother lived on Fagan Street.

Wow.

So I remember when it was just rocks in the street.

Uh and so it's come a long, long way.

But certainly, as uh Councilmember Alcoin said, we will make sure that Councilmember came and gets with you so then she can perhaps uh address the concerns and see how you all could come to a happy conclusion.

Thank you so much.

So thank you.

All right.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Next, Matt Tetlow.

To be followed by Mark Cosiara.

Good evening, uh Mayor Whitmeyer, members of City Council.

Uh my name is Matt Tetlow.

I'm a member of District C, a resident of West End, and I live on Patterson Street.

I'm also a uh board member of the West End Civic Association that Howard represents that he just spoke about.

I'm here to discuss Patterson improvements, the need for safety improvements as well.

Um we've been scrambling since it was tagged last week to understand the scope, but I think everything I'm saying here is broadly generalizable to any time we deploy crews, machinery tools.

We should be looking for opportunities to make streets safer and improve their design while we're out there doing this work.

Um it's you know cost effective, it's efficient, and it gives you members of the public some input on the ability to make their streets safer.

Um I'm distributing a letter and two slide packs that you can share to look at, uh, kind of documenting what we would like, you know, the improvements we're looking for, things that we know would make it safe the our neighborhood safer.

Uh I should mention that you know some of these changes are very much um the same as what's in the approved bikeway plan.

Uh the bikeway is had not one inch of bike lane in it.

It was a safe streets enhancement, you know, sleep street calming and traffic safety calming measures meant to make the neighborhood better for everyone, including people who walk and bike and the ladder.

Um I'll mention that I am here today.

Um if you look at the last page, yeah.

My uh I'm here in a hall pass.

My wife has allowed me to come down here with a seven-week old at home.

Um but I'll mention that I'm doing this.

I'm here for him and for her.

This is personal.

Uh, it shouldn't be heroic or dangerous to push a stroller across the street or the tracks to get to the neighborhood park or to cross Washington Avenue.

Um I recently became a father, like I mentioned, so this matters to me.

And these are, you know, we'll look at the cost, but I do not think these are high cost things.

These are simple proven of measures, sidewalks, buffers, safe designs.

These are deployed many places elsewhere.

Um they should be looked at as something that the community gets input on any time we're deploying these crews for safety.

So um I would ask that we would get some input and some ability to get an update on some of those measures to have some of these things implemented.

Um it would make a real difference for the people and the families now who uh in our neighborhood who call Patterson and the West E.

So thank you.

I greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Next Mark Cosiaro.

To be followed by Maury Lucas.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, Councilmembers.

Um my name is Mark Kashara.

I am also on the board of the West End Civic Club, District C.

I'm here to talk about the same thing, but I don't want to uh rehash what has already been said.

So I'm gonna be really honest with you.

Up till about an hour ago, I thought I was gonna come up here and say thank you for the support of moving forward our safety improvements that we've been working with three administrations on for over eight years.

Now we understand that the work is stopping at Washington, so that thank you is a little bit premature, but I still think that we pulled together some information about the safety improvements that have been made and what else could be done if we look past Washington.

So I would like to share a little bit of that with you.

Um about a year and a half ago, uh we worked with HB uh HPD uh public works, and they installed two stop signs on probably one of the most dangerous corners along Patterson in our neighborhood.

For the year and a half that was leading up to the uh stop sign installation, we had 10 accidents reported to tech stop.

And from what we know from the people that live around that intersection, that's probably a very low number given the number of actual incidents that happened and the number of near misses that happen quite often.

So in the year and a half since we installed just those two stop signs.

We've had zero textile incidents.

That's not to say we still haven't had some near misses and some unreported things, but that's a for us a huge improvement since that corner is right at West End Park, which is our only neighborhood park.

Um we were pulling that data.

We also looked at the other safety hotspot in our neighborhood, which is actually Patterson and Washington.

And in Text Dot data goes back about 10 years.

So in the last 10 years, that intersection has had 42 reported collisions.

And the numbers are going up since 2022.

And what we see coming down the pike with the TextOt Intercadi project and moving some of the normal I 10 traffic into our neighborhood.

The traffic is going to be worse, and the people driving there are going to be less familiar because they're going to be cutting through neighborhoods to get to their own.

So we hope that you will kind of rethink where the money is going.

You know, we we haven't had really any work other than those two stop signs on our side of Patterson in over 10 years.

So thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Next.

Mari Lucas.

To be followed by Sharon Harrell.

Good evening, Mayor Whitmeyer and Council members.

Uh, thank you for your time and attention to our community voices.

I am Mari Bird Lucas.

I live on Patterson Street in District C, and I'm a member of the West End Civic Club.

I'm here um today to let y'all know and remind you that West End Community has had robust and enthusiastic engagements with city experts for many years to develop solutions to increase safety for all who utilize Patterson Street.

Drivers, walkers, dog walkers, moms and babies and dads and bus riders and cyclists, delivery drivers, and even the city service um personnel providers.

Um live in West End, work in West End, pass through West End.

And we welcome safety solutions presented in the Patterson Bikeway project that was bid out by the city in spring of 2023.

That is on pause.

We request to know an update on the pause.

However, the four-way stop at Patterson and Culler was installed after we had a car flip over.

We had another car crash into a house and knock off a whole balcony.

Um so council member came in and came to y'all and helped us install the four-way stop that was part of the Patterson Bikeway project.

That has really helped out a lot.

I live right there on Patterson Street.

I see it.

I've seen cars run into the playground that's right there at that corner.

So thank you for that.

Now we need to continue those safety solutions that were part of that bikeway project that enhance safety for all, not just cyclists.

It was a shared cycle, but mainly it was safety solutions that we are interested in.

So our main concern is safety.

We need the enhanced safety features, especially at Washington and Patterson.

It is so very dangerous.

You can't even frog her across safely anymore.

So possibly some of those that were implemented at the Westcott area could be established over there at Washington and Patterson.

Um but most importantly, we request an update on the project and to be notified and included in further community discussions.

And especially important is to move forward with enhanced safety features without any further delay, both in our neighborhood and of course throughout the whole city.

Thank you for your time.

I appreciate it and look forward to um West End Civic Club continued working with y'all on safety features.

Thank you.

Sharon Harrell.

To be followed by Debbie Kyle.

Good evening, Mayor and City Count City Council.

My name is Sharon Harrell.

I live in 5841 Sun Forest, and that is close to Twell and Antoine.

And what I'm here for tonight is my townhome association.

We have sidewalks that should be handicapped accessory.

We should uh we have an senior citizens with the sidewalks that are falling, kids are falling.

There's um the swimming pool, usually in the summertime is green, and um the neighborhood, yeah.

I mean, just being able to walk, walk coming through our town home.

Uh, we're having all kind of homeless people, people that are on drugs and they're not really doing much for us.

So I found her today.

I don't know if she's here or not.

Um her name is Amy Peck.

Um, maybe she can help me uh help us out.

Um, but it's it's it's really bad.

I work for the city of Houston for about 21 years, and I know about how the sidewalks and their spaces and people that are on crutches or people that are um you know on the safety um you know carts to ride, then they can fall.

Kids are out there falling, so what what can we do?

What can we do to get the town home association uh help us?

And we're not safe.

There's people breaking into our cars and just a lot of things going over right there in that area town.

So mayor peck.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Sharon, for being here today.

Um Alan in my office spoke with you earlier today, and we got the information and um contacted the mayor's office for people with disabilities.

They are going to review it and make some recommendations um about the sidewalks, and so we'll continue working with you on that once we get the recommendations.

And as far as the other concerns in your area, um, we will have HPD reach out to you to um address those concerns as well.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks for being here.

Thank you.

Debbie Debbie Kyle.

Yes.

Okay.

To be followed by Kevin Joaquin.

Well, good afternoon or evening.

Yes.

I would like to speak to you about short-term rental information.

I have followed this for a year.

I know you guys did this last week, but I've been looking at these forms that have been sent out to the owners and to the operators and to the lease people.

And if I look at the farm, there are two things that I am looking to see.

And they are the building or construction compliance, all permits being completed, and the safety codes being completed on each building.

At this time, I live next door to a high say it.

I'm living to a an illegal short-term rental.

They do not have building codes, they do not have safety codes completed.

However, as I've heard of the information, they have been allowed to obtain a certificate of registration prior to the effective date, which is January.

And uh, and then they are able to be permitted to use the certificate and have um guests in the short-term rental.

And why does this affect me?

I won't tell you how it began, but if anybody wants to know, you'll know why I'm here.

But I want to let you know that I'm here because my community members are concerned about buildings that are unsafe in our neighborhoods.

We're concerned about buildings that don't have fire codes taken care of, and they already have guests.

So you know if somebody's not going to follow instructions, believe me, if they're going to enjoy it now, I doubt they'll have the instructions completed by January.

They won't, because January is two weeks from now.

You know, I've had a lot of issues.

I just had my driver's license stolen.

I've had my cars uh affected.

I'm saying this to you because people have intimidated me or tried to, but because I have the courage to come and talk to you today, I want you to understand I'm not going to allow people to work, get guests, get make profit, and not feel that they need to pay the city to work in this city.

I mean, I think you need to pay your way.

Councilmember Evan Shabazz.

Thank you, Mayor, and and thank you, Debbie.

This has been a real challenge.

Um what's happening, and what I'm saying is that a lot of these places are getting red tagged.

But they are continuing to build, and there's no enforcement that basically stops them, and that's the problem.

Some of them are in violation of deed restrictions, yet when they file for the permit, because there is no signature required, and I've been saying this since day one.

You can't just check off that you have uh review the deed restrictions with the appropriate people.

And that's what's happening.

They're not signing, they're not getting the civic club presidents or organizations to actually sign that they are in compliance.

And that's the problem.

And so that's something that we really need to look at because there are buildings coming up all over uh district D.

And I, of course, I live in third ward, so I there's one right around the corner from me where it has private property.

Uh, and in other words, they don't think anybody's gonna come there.

But they've been red tagged, but they are continuing to build.

And so I don't know if legal needs to get involved or we need to get an example of people who are out of compliance.

But certainly that's a problem.

It's no point in having deed restrictions if nobody is going to make sure that they are being followed.

Uh and so uh certainly I appreciate you coming.

You had you had something else you want to say?

Yeah, just quickly, because as I'm looking at what was written for the people to sign for the uh the certificate, it's a mess.

I mean, it is uh it's like we've been bamboozled.

When I look at it, I didn't bring any with you tonight because tonight Oh, I'm sorry.

I said we have been bamboozled when I look at what eventually came out of your April 15th um uh uh statements about what needed to be done.

Building and um construction was very important.

That was first on the list.

Now, when I look at it, um the owners that sign off for uh getting a certificate in January, when you read through it, there's nothing listing that they have building code compliance checked off or safety code compliance checked off.

I'll have to leave this for you to see.

There's nothing there for them to say that they've done that.

When I look further into it for the um for the uh that's a property owner.

And then when I look further into it for the operator, there's nothing there that talks about building code compliance check.

You have to have all building codes completed that's not there.

It's when they're talking to the uh uh the host of the building.

Well, why would the host of the builder have a building code compliance?

How would they know about that unless the owner knew about it and the operator knew about it?

I think it needs to be re-reviewed.

I want to talk to you.

I know January 1st is coming up.

So I just I have this information.

I want to share it with you because what you said was good, but it's it's very much a water down, and it's not said in the uh administration uh regulations uh information that has been passed out for them to say now.

Thank you, ma'am.

And could you meet with the lady right there and share the papers that you have so that we can look into ma'am?

Oh, go back, go back, go back, go ahead.

Councilmember Maris.

Thank you, Mayor.

Ma'am, I just want to thank you for coming down.

I'm sorry this is happening to you.

I will reach out to ARA and check on this and and get back in touch with you.

Thank you.

Could I get back in touch with you regarding this?

Sure.

Yeah.

Okay, because I follow up.

That's why I'm here tonight.

Okay.

Okay.

So I'll, Mr.

Ramirez.

I'll give it.

Kevin Joaquin.

Geneva Colbert.

Janet Thibodeau.

Rhonda Norris.

Rachel Leday.

Carolina Martinez.

To be followed by Monica Gonzalez of Katie.

My name is Scato, and as a constituent of District H, my message is for you, Mario Castillo.

Every time the community asks for a stop to HPD's collaboration with ICE, we are either federalized, completely ignored, or told there will be unwanted attention to Houston.

But do you know what is actually bringing unwanted attention to Houston?

Families being torn apart, parents too afraid to go to work, and kids that are terrified, their parents won't come home.

And your words without action are not doing anything to help this community.

And I just want to be very clear that the community is not asking this council to break any state laws.

We're simply asking that HPD stop going beyond what the law requires.

And that is an end to all non-safety traffic stops.

So I implore you, Councilmember Gastillo, and the rest of this council to stand up and do something.

You need to fight for what is right, and you need to stop hiding behind what could happen and start dealing with what is actually happening to the people in the city.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for coming down.

I have been saying that for the longest.

Most people are being deported after a traffic violation.

They are being stopped.

If we stop with the non-safety uh infractions which can be ticketed without an interaction, then that alleviates the responsibility of asking them who are you, give us your ID, and then calling in so that they can end up possibly being deported.

So that is we're not circumventing the law by doing that.

We're just working with another aspect that will certainly, if it's non-safety, then it's you know, just like when the toll people go through the toll, they take a picture, and then once they take the picture, then they can go back and try to get whatever is needed uh to get them in compliance or to find them.

But to stop them for inspection stickers or license plates or those things that are not putting them or anyone else in jeopardy immediately, I think it's something that we need to look at as a means of stopping some of these errant traffic violations.

Thank you.

Oh, Councilmember Castello.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for coming down here and for sharing your comments.

Um when you're done at the podium, I'll step out and would like to speak with you in the hallway.

Perfect.

Next Monica Gonzalez of Katie Trudy Orz.

Of Katie.

Trudy Orz.

Brian Halligan of League City.

To be followed by Nora Pierce.

Mr.

Mayor, Council members.

You can't hear me, right?

Okay, it doesn't it doesn't sound well.

Okay.

My name is Brian Halligan.

I'm a member of the Greater Clear Lake Justice Coalition, and I'm also a member of Bay Area UU Church.

And this is something near and dear to my heart.

Our own Federal government is waging a campaign to target the marginalize a society.

ICE recently admitted it had detained over 400 children longer than the 20-day legal limit.

Kids are being held up to 168 days in detention.

There are reports that food at detention centers contained worms and is spoiled.

Injured kids are waiting days for medical care.

Many of these parents aren't criminals.

As a matter of fact, most of them in detention are not criminals.

Many of these kids are U.S.

citizens.

No child, regardless of their status, deserves to be treated like this.

We should do everything to protect the rights of the marginalized society.

The Bible, through Jesus, tells us that truly I say unto you, as you do to the least of these, you do unto me.

We should do everything to protect the rights.

Thank you.

To be followed by Christina Perez of King Wood.

Good afternoon.

My name is Nora Pierce, and I'm a member of uh University of Houston, Young Democratic Socialist America.

Um I'm here because Houston's behind.

We're late to the trend of blue cities in the United States becoming sanctuary cities and protecting anyone that ICE can target from its overreach.

And I've heard the defense that it won't work.

Houston's a blue oasis, but in such a red state that nothing could stick.

That's why it's that much more important.

Ignorance is bliss when you can ignore headlines about ICE deporting women who have reported domestic abuse.

Ignorance is bliss when you could ignore headlines about UHP, not you tweeting.

The Houston Police Department uh finding a lost autistic child and deciding to call ICE for help instead of reuniting him with his mother for a month.

It's disgusting.

And it would be incorrect for me to say that most of the city council members that are here in front of me today uh are heartless because you've you've heard uh the dozens of your constituents' testimony about the harms of ICE and done nothing, because that would imply that you're listening.

I don't believe you're listening until something is done.

I don't believe you care about Houston until something is done.

You can fix this.

You are ignoring the fact that there is a clear path that other cities have followed, including limiting to the legal like minimum of collaboration between the Houston Police Department and immigration and custom enforcement.

The fact that there is actual city council content that is seeking to do this, and it we are not talking about that today, but we are still trying to get it to be passed in the first place so we can discuss it, is shameful.

The fact that we are still at step one when we should be protecting Houstonians, because it's not about citizenship.

It's about who belongs.

And it's up to you to decide.

If you're siding with what the Federal Administration is saying, or if you like Houston.

We will remember what you say when we go to vote.

Remember what you say forever.

This is a stain on Houston's history, and you have the chance to try to remove it the best you can and move forward, or go down a path that rips apart families, tears apart Houston as we know it, and gives in to the Federal Administration in a way that disgraces Houston for the really the eternity of time.

It's I love being a Houstonian, and I'm ashamed of where we are.

We are not a blue oasis if this is how you're going to treat this.

We're not even a purple oasis if you're going to treat this.

What good is it to have a democratic mayor if this is what we get?

Do you love Houston or do you love Trump?

Do you love Houston?

Do you even like democracy for that matter?

Or do you like the federal administration?

Your time has achieved.

You must decide, and we will remember what you pick.

A community that has shaped this city for generations.

My roots in Texas run deep.

Both of my grandfathers crossed the Rio Grande, and one in 1967, one in 1979.

My great grandfather came through the system created by the 1965 Heart Seller Act, a system built on labor, family, and dignity.

Our story is not unique, though.

It is the story of Houston.

People came here to work to build, to seek safety, and to create a future.

And I have seen firsthand how your administration's continued cooperation with ICE has brought fear into households like ours.

Fear that makes people hide instead of thrive.

Mayor Whitmeyer, I'm here tonight to say this plainly.

You told us HPD would enforce local laws, not federal immigration laws.

You told us HPD does not participate in ICE raids.

You told us officers would not check immigration status during tropic stops.

You told us trust, not fear was the priority.

But what we are seeing is fear, real fear, here in our trusts, here in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and daily lives.

When I was fresh out of high school working at the Mr.

Carr wash off West Hymer Westheimer, I saw the same men and women walking that strip every morning.

They own nothing but a backpack and determination.

They weren't causing trouble, they were looking for work.

That memory stayed with me because it showed a simple truth.

People come here to contribute.

Today, I know a father in an undocumented Houstonian who had his finger completely severed in a workplace accident, and instead of going to the hospital, he had to wrap it and stay home, shaking in pain because he feared that seeking medical care could lead to deportation.

No one should have to choose between medical attention and staying with their family.

That is not trust, that is not safety, and it is not the Houston you promised to lead.

And let us be clear.

The fear is not about criminals.

The data is overwhelming.

Undocumented immigrants commit fewer crimes than U.S.

born citizens and contribute billions in taxes every year.

Immigrant labor keeps Houston's businesses, construction sites, restaurants, and hospitals running.

We are contributors, not threats.

Yet brocial profiling continues.

L'Altino U.S.

citizens have reported being questioned or detained because of skin color or accent.

You said HPD would avoid creating fear, but fear is exactly what has taken root, and it is happening on your watch.

Mayor Whitmeyer, you campaigned as a steady hand and a protector, but the policies you are choosing are not neutral.

Collaboration with ICE, even limited collaboration, is a choice, and it is a harmful one.

So I am here to ask you publicly: will you commit to ending all voluntary cooperation between the city of Houston and ICE?

Will you release transparent data on every instance in which HPD or any city department interacts with ICE?

Will you meet with immigrant community leaders in a public forum?

And will you take responsibility for the fear these policies have created?

Because these Houston my grandfather's crossed the river for was not built on fear.

It was built on opportunity, community, and dignity.

Mayor Whitmeyer, City Council, your legacy is being written right now.

Choose trust, choose safety, choose transparency, choose Houston.

Thank you.

To be followed by Sean Ledeer.

And a mother.

I am greatly concerned that multitudes of armed and massed federal ICE agents have descended on Houston, even as we read hundreds of credible reports of civil rights and human rights abuses that have been committed by such agents around the country.

There are few, if any, effective processes for holding these agents accountable for misconduct, even if they use excessive force or violate due process.

And there is sadly no indication that any of the normal constitutional or human rights safeguards that we might expect from our federal government or even our state government are forthcoming.

Houstonians are going to get hurt.

I'm here today to ask you, as our city leaders to step in to protect our safety and our rights since the federal and the state governments will not.

Please do everything in your power to limit HPD collaboration with ICE.

This includes changing the way that HPD handles traffic stops.

You are quite simply our last line of defense.

Thank you.

Hannah Romero.

To be followed by Darcy Lorata, whose name was inadvertently left off the list.

Good evening.

I don't know if I should wait for the mayor or what proceeds.

No?

Well, I I had initially intended to mention moral ethics and more than anything, reasons for why the collaboration of ICE and HPD is inhumane, seeing as how cruel and inhumane their tactics are, but it seems like you do not share the same Christian values that move me and others to question the attack on our communities by masked men and on our in on market vehicles with fake license plates who are essentially kidnapping people while falsely claiming that they are arresting criminal aliens.

We know that phrase is not true.

ICE is disappearing and beating people all across the nation, and there is plenty of evidence out there for that.

So instead I will appeal to the economic reasons of why this does not serve our community.

When Mayor uh Whitmeyer addresses his constituents, he calls us Houstonians.

But uh when he does that, he all he's also talking to immigrants, legal and not, because uh not only do they contribute and generate wealth via their labor, which is often exploited, I bet by some of people, some of the people sitting here too, but they are also consumers.

They spend their money buying vehicles, buying electronics, contracting utility services, shopping at local stores, eating at restaurants, paying for housing, education, fitness, they enrich their local communities with their consumerism.

By giving free range to ICE in HPD collaboration, you are negatively impacting the economic growth of the city that you're entrusted to lead.

HPD collaboration with NICE opens up HPD to lawsuits, and who ends up paying for those?

Not the cops, but we the taxpayers.

What this leads me to believe is that you do not care about the financial state of your general constituents, and you are instead favoring the financial growth for the stakeholders of for-profit detention centers instead, because they are the ones making profit from the kidnapping and imprisonment of people who have no legal status and even of those with a legal status.

And we have even seen U.S.

citizens getting kidnapped too.

VHS made a meaningless statement that, and I quote, they will be focusing on people with criminal records.

And that was supposed to be their initial focus, but they use the Lincoln Riley Act to criminalize anyone who is an immigrant without even producing evidence, just as simple accusation.

Does that sound familiar?

The government used that to the government used to do that to enslave people.

Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago reminded us that black people used to be legally labeled as slaves to dehumanize them, and now this type of labeling is being imposed as a legal term to dehumanize immigrants so they can too be trafficked and be used for the next best thing next next best thing to slave labor.

It is reported that for-profit immigration detention centers use detained immigrants with facility labor through a program that pays as little as one dollar per day.

And if somebody can give this to Mayor Whitmeyer, maybe he can be educated on how immigrants legal or not provide benefit and generate wealth in many ways to the country.

And if he is really interested in the best for Houston, you're my representative, Mary Nanhoffman.

I couldn't see you from back there.

If he is interested in maybe comments and time and wendy, he needs to stop all the collaboration of ICE with HPD.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, next speaker.

Dorothy Lorado.

Hannah Romero.

Yes.

Okay.

To be followed by Dorothy Lorada.

Hi, uh, my name is Hannah Atkins Romero, and I'm the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Midtown Houston, a historic church with a very active and um multicultural congregation.

I'm here tonight as uh the their chief pastor, as well as the wife of a naturalized citizen, uh, and the state of fear that our country is in now.

Uh my husband, my sons have to carry their passport because they are afraid of being detained by ICE which has gotten out of control and unaccountable.

Our parishioners are uh concerned, worried, not going to school, not going to church, not going to work, um, and this is hurting our city, hurting our families, hurting our church.

Uh, and it is um unconscionable.

So I'm here to urge Houston uh city council to stop collaboration with um Houston Police Department and ICE.

And I urge you all to adopt an ordinance to prohibit non-safety related traffic stops.

Um you all know the statistics, you all have the information.

Many people have spoken to that today.

I've been here as the rector of Trinity Houston for 18 years, and I remember a time when immigrants were scared uh to uh apply for help, and the mayor got up on uh national television and said, if anybody bothers you because of your status, I will personally defend you.

What happened to that type of sticking up for the residents and citizens and community of Houston?

I would like to see more of that, less collaboration that uh is inhumane, separates families, um, sees uh black and brown people as less than as as pawns in a political game instead of our neighbors.

Um I uh want to say that um Mark 12, uh the gospel of Mark, chapter 12, verses 30 to 31 says, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.

That's the first commandment, and the second is this you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.

Also want to invite you to a prayer vigil in front of the detention center tomorrow between one and two, 15 episcopal churches are beginning to organize um to uh along with interfaith neighbors uh to uh mobilize uh to to influence uh a better Houston.

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker, good evening.

Good evening.

My name is Darcy Kirch and LaRota.

I live in District D.

I work in District J.

I do agree with his statement that ICE uses fear-based tactics, tears families apart, and undermines trust in our communities.

I'm a registered nurse in a predominantly immigrant who works in a predominant immigrant population in Southwest Houston.

Fear of ICE is pushing patients and families away from seeking medical care, which can lead and is leading to more dangerous complications.

Additionally, I've had at least one mother give birth alone because her partner is deported.

It's an emotional and heartbreaking experience for everyone involved.

But there are several options available to the mayor and the council to offset the negative effects stemming from the HPD collaboration with ICE.

First, you can end non-safety traffic stops.

Since minor traffic stops like having a broken headlight shouldn't be a pipeline to federal immigration detention and deportation.

Second, you can cancel all contracts with flock security and any other surveillance system since we have no evidence that they help reduce crime in Houston.

Third, you can provide funding for legal resources for immigrants.

Fourth, you can commission audits of ICE and local law enforcement cooperation.

This can be done with entities through entities such as council members, public safety committees, and civilian oversight bodies, and of course, share these findings publicly.

We need more transparency.

Like others have said, our city's miles behind, and we're pleading with you here tonight to get ahead of things.

Clearly, the radical right wing movement, scapegoat movement to scapegoat and punish immigrants won't stop.

So now it's more urgent than ever that our city prioritize protecting the people who make Houston so uniquely special, the immigrants.

Thank you.

Courtney Seller.

To be followed by Kelly Sadler.

Hi, my name is Courtney Sellers.

I'm a resident of District I.

We've all been disgusted and disturbed by what we see on TV or in our neighborhoods.

But we also experience that in our day-to-day lives.

My little sister was just telling me the other day, she works in a restaurant, and every day she goes to work, and there's at least one coworker who she's just never going to see again.

That person's gone.

We don't know what happens to their family.

We don't know what happens to them.

My next door neighbor had to close down her booth at the Pasadena flea market because so many people are afraid of ICE that no one's coming out and buying stuff.

It's hurting our economy and our community.

But I also want to talk about one other thing.

What do you think happens to the children of people who are picked up by ICE in these sweeps?

They just sit at home, their parents don't come home.

Maybe they go into the CPS system.

Well, 25% of those youth will end up homeless.

Maybe they're 16 or 17 years old, and CPS won't even take them into custody, and now they're alone and they have no resources.

Those of us that work with homeless youth will tell you that we are already lacking the resources that we need to serve the unhoused youth that are already in our community.

And that's before you add more and more and more young people who had parents at home who were working hard to provide for them, who moved here to Houston just like many of our parents for a better life.

So I'm urging you today to please end your collaboration with ICE, with HPD.

I wish John Whitmeyer were here so I could ask him myself, but I'm asking y'all.

Please help us.

Thank you.

Hi, Council Martinez.

He's mine, but I don't see him.

Um I'm Kelly Sadler, and I know y'all are tired of hearing from us about ICE.

Um, but this is our only outlet.

This is the only way, and I want to thank everyone on council who voted for these Tuesday night meetings because they are really important to us.

Um this is really the only way we have to communicate with you guys about just how unhappy.

Look at how many different backgrounds, different races, different nationalities, different Houstonians who are all here for the exact same reason.

Uh HPD officers act as ICE informants.

This isn't public safety, it's state-sponsored cruelty.

Harris County jail sells ice and sells immigrants to ice to meet for-profit prison quotas.

Let's talk about what's really going on here.

It's the money.

Follow the money.

I'm not surprised that Mayor Whitmeyer isn't here because I always talk about core civic and geogroup.

Core Civic and Geo Group are the for-profit prison corporations that fund his campaign.

He makes money, so does so does Greg Abbott.

Every time I still paint a Houstonian.

These groups backed the mayor's campaign, and we can all publicly see how effective um this policy is at making them even richer.

This is not a coincidence.

It is a conflict of interest.

Council, you have a choice today.

Cut contracts with ice, no more local law enforcement doing dirty work for them.

Ban ice from our jails, our schools, and our streets, just like Dallas and Austin.

I know Senate Bill Ford.

I understand we have to follow that.

Dallas and Austin have a great program that does not have non, what is it, the set safety stops.

We the people of Houston are not a client list for the prison industrial complex.

We are your constituents.

Please act like it.

Ma'am.

Ma'am, if you could.

Ma'am, if you could come back.

Ms.

Adler, if you could come back.

We have a council member who wanted to address you.

Councilmember Pollard.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Pro Tim, and uh good evening to everyone.

Uh I do want to correct your your statement.

Uh we're not tired of of hearing from you all.

I think your words are necessary.

I think your engagement is necessary.

I think your presence is necessary.

Uh we work for you at the end of the day, and we need to hear from you on ways in which you believe that we can uh help create a safer city for all.

And um I can tell you from my perspective the words that you were speaking about today and the words of your of your associates who are speaking today uh are reigning true in some of the things that I'm looking at and would like to do, and I'm sure for many of the council members here uh it is the same.

So just because we may not speak after every single speaker does not mean that we're not listening, that we're not taking in what you all are saying, and that you are not wasting your time by being here.

Your words are very much important, your words are very much uh valued, and we want to thank you for coming forward.

Thank you, sir, and I want to shout out you and also Councilmember Plummer.

Y'all have really showed up for us, so thank you.

Thank you.

To be followed by Eric Sanchez.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Uh good evening, counsel.

I guess not Mayor Whitmeyer.

I guess he has somewhere else to be.

I would like to have his job if it meant I could just uh leave whenever I wanted to.

Uh that sounds pretty cool.

Umor Vike.

I'm a native Texan and a member of the Houston DSA, and I have lived in Houston for most of my life.

I'm speaking all to y'all tonight out of a deep sense of care and duty that I feel for my community.

Sadly, I feel that most of you do not reflect this same sense of care and duty.

If I am wrong, I ask you to prove it to me, to this whole room, to this whole city, but do not do it with words, do it with actions.

We want to see something in writing of what you are going to do.

And I ask you this.

End non-safety traffic stops.

It is unacceptable that something as simple as an expired vehicle registration can result in jail and deportation.

And now the identification is required as soon as last month uh to receive or renew vehicle registrations.

Um the strategy of the members of this state that despise our uh undocumented Houstonians is clear.

They intend to paint a larger and larger target on their backs while all of y'all sit here and do nothing but put out statements.

That is not acceptable.

The time for that is over.

The time for playing dead while Houstonians suffer is over.

If y'all do not feel that in your hearts by now, you will certainly feel it on election day.

Thank you.

Julie Dunes Dunsmore.

To be followed by Angel Leal.

Hello.

My name is Julie Dunsmore.

I live in District C.

I've been a developmental psychologist and family scientist for 30 years, so I can speak about what helps families thrive and what harms families and communities.

The people of Houston are the strength and the beauty of Houston.

Our immigrant communities contribute so much that helps the whole city to thrive.

The harm being done to immigrant families by ICE is well documented, and previous speakers have spoken so eloquently about it.

It's devastating to live in fear because your family is being targeted.

When some families are under assault, that disrupts community safety for everyone.

It's even worse when people we should be able to count on to protect us.

Houston police actively collaborate with those causing harm.

Council members, I imagine that one reason you ran for office was that you wanted to make a meaningful difference, to create a legacy benefiting the people of Houston.

Your actions or your lack of actions show us who you are and what you value.

Will your legacy be that you stood aside while immigrant families were threatened and harmed?

You can act to limit Houston police collaboration with ICE.

Show us that you stand with the people of Houston and create a legacy that you want to be known for.

Thank you.

I've grown up and lived in Houston all my life.

Likewise, I grew up attending Texas Public School, where I learned that governments are created to protect the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of all people.

Despite the actions of my government, I hold these truths to be self-evident.

As I'm sure you're aware by now, it's public knowledge that Houston police are openly collaborating with ICE.

With this, a message has been sent to the people of Houston that our life, liberty, and happiness are secondary objectives of this council.

The pessist the pessimist in me worries that's because you would rather appease your corporate interest.

How many stories do there need to be of HPD reporting people to ICE when simply filing a police report?

For asking for help getting home, for being pulled over because of tinted windows.

By allowing this collaboration to go on.

I'm sorry.

Agree or disagree with me on the efficacy of ICE, but you have to see that this makes the people of Houston feel unsafe.

Do you not see how this could deter hundreds of thousands of Houstonians from reporting crimes, from taking their children to school, from running simple errands like grocery shopping.

I implore you to rethink this collaboration between ICE and the Houston police.

There was a proposal on this council just last month that lacked the support to be placed on the agenda for consideration.

It will have given HPD more discretion in contacting ICE, and I ask you, reconsider.

I also ask you to end non-safety traffic stops, as many others have today.

They've long been used to disproportionately target black and brown citizens, and are likewise being weaponized by this collaboration.

The best time to act on all of this was months ago.

The second best time is now.

We deserve to feel safe.

Please deliver.

Thank you.

To be followed by Laura Gallier.

Hi everyone.

My name is Tuan.

I'm a teacher in A.

Leaf represented by Syphony Thomas.

I'd like to speak a little bit about the mayor and a trope that is often brought up when we talk about immigration.

And it comes out in statements, it comes out in press conferences, it comes out all the time, which is to say that this is a city of immigrants.

It's three words that mean nothing.

Yes, Houston is a city, and yes, there are immigrants in here.

Of course, it's a city of immigrants.

The question is whether or not it is a city for immigrants.

The difference is in one world, immigrants do their job, they do construction, they shut the hell up, and they go home.

And in the other world, they have council members that actually stand up for them.

Council members that will actually defend them, a mayor that will tell them that they belong everywhere, not just in Galton or in A Leaf.

It's a city council for a city that demands justice, not just that proclaims it.

I'd like to mention one episode at City Council that hasn't often been brought up.

And that's when the chief of police of this city came before the council.

One council member described how normal Houstonians are standing up.

We're legally observing, we're documenting ice, we're standing up for our neighbors.

How did the chief of police respond?

She he told her that this was dangerous and we shouldn't do it.

Well, then who is going to?

Is it the city council?

No.

Is it the police?

No.

So if the responsibility falls on the public, the people of this city, if our council does absolutely nothing.

And this is a statement for everyone else in the room and everyone else listening at home.

These people have very little power.

We have the real power.

That's why we've been in our communities defending our small businesses, showing them how to protect themselves and their employees against ICE.

That's why we've been showing up at ICE sightings to document and protect our fellow Houstonians.

That's why we've been showing up at courts to make sure that ICE is not there.

If they won't do anything, we have and we will continue to.

She limply shook my hands.

That's not what I teach my students to do as a speech and debate teacher.

I teach that you need to firmly shake people's hands.

She limply shook my hands, and I asked her kindly, council member, what are you doing?

We're talking to HPD.

And she walked away.

Councilmember, I know you're tired.

It's a long day.

We're all tired too.

We have day jobs too.

I didn't have to sit with my student to talk to her.

For an hour extra.

I don't have to go out on weekends to talk to small businesses and workers at home.

Laura Gallier.

Burnett Noel.

To be followed by Christopher Jenkins.

You have to ask.

If you want to just stand behind her in the audience, that's fine.

Just in the in the audience, if you could.

Thank you.

Good evening, Council members.

My name is Maris Gonzalez, and I'm here with the Texas Organizing Project.

Speaking in support of black and Latino immigrant communities.

Families who are suffering the devastating impacts of deportations and the growing collaboration between the Houston police department and ICE.

Why now in Houston, a simple traffic stop can change a family's life forever.

A broken taillight, a crack windshield, or an expired registration can lead to detention, deportation, and family separation.

Children are losing their parents.

Households are losing their stability.

Black and Latino families are living with this fear every single day.

These families are not strangers to our city.

They are essential to Houston success.

They work in the restaurants, preparing and serving our food.

They paper roads, care for our elders, build our homes, and run small businesses.

Houston runs because of black and Latino immigrants.

And yet, instead of being protected, they are being targeted.

Public records show that from 2020 to 2024, HPD contacted ice just 19 times.

This year alone, that number has jumped to 107 calls and inclusive more than 1,000 percent.

The vast majority of these calls were triggered by non-safety traffic stops.

Let me be clear.

This is not about public safety.

This is about criminalizing everyday life in black and Latino communities.

Traffic stops are being used as a pipeline to deportation.

And when local police act as immigration enforcement trust is destroyed.

People stop calling the police.

They stop reporting crimes.

So vibers of violence stay silent.

We misses disappear, and that makes every single one of us less safe.

Who are people supposed to go when they are in danger of calling the police who mean deportation?

For many families like mine, this is a matter of life and dead.

We are demanding an end to HPD's collaboration with ICE.

We are demanding a stop to non-safety traffic stops.

We want ICE out of our courts, out of our communities, and out of our city.

As we enter the holiday season, I I hope that you remember all the families that have been deported under your leadership.

And to all the city council members here today, silence is non-neutrality.

Silence is completely if you I urge you to find the courage this holiday season to speak out and protect people who make Houston home.

Thank you.

Ma'am, if you can come back up.

Councilmember Jackson.

Thank you.

And thank you and top members for coming in and um speaking on this very important delegate um issue.

Um last month I reached out to Tiffany and let her know that Councilmember Palmer had introduced a ordinance that will give officers discretion when dealing with someone that you know that is possibly undocumented.

And I signed on to it, but we later um learned that as council members it was in violation of um the uh Texas state law, right?

What law was that?

Um Senate Bill, SB4.

And um pushing this forward could require it, it could potentially um we can face criminal charges or either be removed from office.

But however, um the non-safety traffic stops.

Um I will be engaging with legal um just to see exactly what we can do, and I um echo um council member Pollard that we are listening to you.

I mean, this is our opportunity to hear what you have to say.

Um, and of course, the non-safety traffic stop is something that we can look into, and I'm willing to look into it.

Um as you guys know, when I was at top, a lot of our right to justice work was in an ICE and police collaboration and um, you know, um site and release, implement fight and relief, and so I'm still committed to that work.

And so once um, you know, we're gonna hear everyone out, but we will go to the table to see exactly what we can do as council members that's legal within our legal um boundaries to protect our uh residents.

I received the call um today that uh and received a text message of pictures saying that you know district B is overlooked, you know, flooded with with ICE agents and and DPS agents and you know, just police and and and anybody, not just immigrant, but regular citizens feel unsafe and and afraid.

And of course, it's fight and release.

Um, actually, folks that um are not documented can get arrested for uh a traffic ticket or a fee and a fine.

And I'm I'm knowing that I know that that's happening right now.

So just know that we're committed to do what we can to address the issue.

Um work closely with the administration.

I mean, I hear you saying that Mayor Whitmaier don't care, he cares.

Um and he and and he had to he's he said before the meeting that he had to go to a meeting, he had to leave at seven o'clock.

So he did disclose that right before the meeting starts.

So in all fairness, he did let folks know he needed to leave.

But just know, as council members, we're gonna do what we can to um um look into this issue.

Okay, see what we can to support that.

Thank you.

Yeah, and this urgency comes as you mentioned that like ice raids have been happening non-stop in our streets, especially in districts where there is a lot of immigrant community.

And so mayor with Meyer cares.

I I hope and I wish and it's my prayer that he makes with all of us as soon as possible because I know this we're coming into the holiday season, but this holiday season many of our families are suffering and even in the fear, including mine.

I'm a Tucker recipient.

I migrated to Keystone when I was 12 years old, and every day I have to drive with the fear of being stopped by the cops.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Christopher Jenkins to be followed by Daryl Harper.

Good evening, uh Council members.

Uh, everyone city council.

My name is Christopher Jenkins.

I am a member of Texas Organizing Project and the Right to Justice Campaign.

I'm a native Houstonian.

I'm here because the data is clear.

Non-safety traffic stops are not about public safety in Houston.

They're all about surveillance, punishment, and racial disparity.

In 2023 alone, HPD conducted 339, 715 traffic stops, nearly 17,000 of those were non-safety stops, things like expired tags or minor equipment issues.

There's a 489% increase from the year before.

Black drivers are made of 38% of those non-traffic stops.

Even though uh black residents are only 22% of Houston's population, Latino drivers were stopped at 31% of the time.

These stops escalate.

HBD made 9,175 risks during non-safety traffic stops.

Black drivers are counting for 49% of those arrests, nearly have.

Use of fourth during traffic stops increased 17% in 2023.

Black drivers will experience 52% of all fours used.

And despite the claims that these stops are about contraband or crime prevention, HBD only found contraband 5% of the time and arrest with contraband occurred just 3% of the time.

That means most of the time police found nothing except for opportunity to harm people.

City council has the authority to change this.

We are asking you to pass the ordinance that ends non-safety traffic stops, focus enforcement on serious safety violations, and redirect resources toward real public safety.

Houston could do better.

The demand, the data demands that, and it seems like they don't want to do the real work, right?

Like I said, I'm a native Houstonian.

I'm from Agashom.

I stayed in District J.

Now I'm in District D.

And it's a it they they it impacts everything from the school to public safety with the roads, jail overcrowding, it's just so many aspects, and people can lose their lives over a traffic ticket, missing work, losing their homes, and being homeless.

You know, so it's so many.

I'm Native Stone.

Like my dog don't got kicked in so many times, I got pulled over so many times, but guess what they say?

Oh, wrong person.

You understand what I'm saying?

And so that's part of my life, right?

And so anytime I have a story about me being a native Houstonian and where I'm front and what I've done and everything that I do, I'm always bad to have it in my mind.

Police don't kick down my door a lot of times too.

And a lot of constituents, I'm community organized.

A lot of people I work with, they have those same issues.

How did you lose your job?

How did you not finish your education?

Well, I had a traffic ticket and I got pulled over.

They took me to jail, and then they had me go over that.

I couldn't go to court, and all these different things is really impactful.

Think about the economic value in the community development where it's going down, where individuals and residents in the city are getting done like that.

Think about all the money, even with the ICE collaborations.

You take it away from the people that actually help implement these programs.

And we all supposed to work together, right?

If one person passes away or one person get deported, we are supposed to question and say, what's wrong with this program?

What's wrong with this system?

Why is it not updated?

Why can't we implement things that make change to help somebody, right?

Thank you.

Y'all have a great day.

Thank you, next speaker.

Daryl Harper.

Burnett Noel.

To be followed by Janet Chibodeau.

Uh good night, council.

Um I'm Barrett Kroll.

Um I'm just I'm gonna say a lot of things that other people have said tonight.

Members of my community feel unsafe to drive because they could be stopped on the road by on a police officer's whim.

That's an entirely valid fear on their part.

Because HPD is using non-safety traffic traffic stops as a deportation tool.

Yeah, they can just see that there's a black or brown driver and look and you know, just stop them and you know, hope something comes up when they check the system.

Um if they just see they can really make any excuse they want to you know stop the car.

Um they have no legal obligation to do this, but so I think we should put something in writing to make it impossible for them to do so.

Um of our council members are talking about doing something about this, but not acting.

Some are not even bothering to show up to listen to uh their constituents' testimony, like my uh council member Martinez, and some like our mayor Whitmer, um, who I've seen at these meetings want to be anywhere else but here listening to his constituents.

Uh I'm sure it was a very important meeting, and he's just very sad to miss this.

Um, use the big bad Republican state and federal governments as an excuse to not do anything about this.

Actually do it do something about this and do something about this and you know just stop using excuses.

Come on, let's go.

Thank you, next speaker.

Janet Thibodeau.

Good day to all.

I am Jeanette Thibodeau, born and raised here in Houston.

I'm here today to make a stand for those who are not able to speak for themselves.

I have tried to report some serious crimes.

I was led to believe that an investigator would eventually be assigned to it.

I spoke to police at three different stations.

I left a lot of details.

Uh each time I went, and I went several times because I was not able to call uh or or receive calls because I have abandoned my phone for months now.

You'll soon know why.

There are multiple crimes in the top three are child sex exploitation online, child sex trafficking as young as toddlers, and infant trafficking.

Once it's the investigation start.

After we left, I realized my son was being trafficked for sex.

I also realized he's a twin.

The twin was taken from me on the day of their birth.

I need help finding us, there's no telling what he is going through.

We are in immediate danger.

I have run out of funds and have very little financial support.

I have isolated us until we find out who we can trust.

As I said earlier, I left and sold my phone months ago.

I believe my information may have been used, possibly on the dark web, so I just stopped logging in.

My husband did mention that his and email had ended up on the dark web, but never really mentioned how it knew.

Organized crime is getting out of hand and will only continue to grow if something is not done to stop them.

This operation.

Give me the opportunity to give more details so there can be an investigation.

The victims got young and younger, and so do the perpetrators.

Something needs to be done.

These men have no limit.

I don't know what kind of retaliation there will be.

And it's scary, but I will cooperate and do my best to my ability.

I do believe.

It gets even darker.

Your time has expired.

Okay.

I just have a few more lines if I could finish.

If you could wrap up, go ahead.

Yes.

I always thought that was the worst, but I I do feel like uh it could be even darker than that.

It's okay, baby.

It's okay.

I have lots to share, and I just need to speak to the right people and get something going to stop these monsters.

I'm done.

Ma'am, I'm sorry to hear that you're going through that.

If you could um get all of your information to the mayor's office to Renee so that we can see what we can do to assist.

Thank you.

Thanks for being here tonight.

Next speaker.

Joseph Amari.

To be followed by Jacob Newsom.

I get up here at about 30 seconds at the evening.

Talk a straight top of square business.

America cannot deny we have slavery in this country as a law.

What we don't want is an ICE divide, conquer family, immigrant family that you push a plan and policy.

Like me and my family experienced by the Hash County court system, the separation of me and my mother by kidnappers as a free black American man and a citizen.

Whenever this happens, has county judges should always be should always honor Texas Status Custody, Petit Rights Order.

When they don't, they should be ousted, removed from the bench, impeached, in prison, and sued for now appearing rights.

I just put father we don't want is wanting to deport the father back to his homeland while leaving his wife and children in America.

I have a spirit of the same felt hurt.

Well, we black America want on the end of the expired.

Thank you, sir.

If you could wrap up your comments.

The truth of the matter, every nation, every country, every government understand the law has the right, the power to put for a citizen who are undocumented passports expired.

Thank you, sir.

Your time has expired.

A passport.

That's not racism.

Every government, including the United States of America, have a best interest to pick the right to pick the value of the passport, being called breakfast, immigration policy just to be able to do that.

Mr.

Mari, your time has expired.

Thank you so much, sir.

Next speaker.

Jacob Newsom.

Haley Rogers.

To be followed by Anthony Hubbard.

Hello, my name is Haley Rogers.

I'm an organizer with the Democratic Socialists of America.

I'm also a lifelong resident at A Leaf.

I'm also an organizer with Houston Leeds.

They're collaborating with ICE at traffic stops.

They're also collaborating with ICE using General Order 500-05.

This should not be news to any of you at this point.

We've been here for months.

And we've been testifying about this for months.

Most of these traffic stops are happening because of non-safety traffic stops.

So things like maybe a broken taillight, maybe a tented window.

These are not reasons to stop somebody, call ICE and then deport them and uproot their lives and their families.

We are allowing our HPD police officers to act as pseudo-immigration enforcement using our tax dollars.

Calls to ICE have skyrocketed.

Over a thousand percent.

This has been reported time and time again by multiple news outlets.

Many of you have comments.

And quite frankly, I understand that you apologize to some constituents out here for what's going on with them.

You have also made statements as well about you want to do something, but it seems to be there's a lack of urgency here.

And everybody on this body is basically asking the public here to tell you what to do.

You need to come up with solutions.

You have the resources.

People are afraid.

People like me, people like our neighbors, people like our community members.

But we feel threatened too.

All of us.

We come up, we don't know, we foolish self-doubt.

We're scared every morning, we're trying to pay bills, and not only that, we know people may be unjustly or even just cruelly targeted or detained.

And you all have heard stories about the conditions.

I don't need to go about that.

I only have a minute to speak.

But we can work with y'all.

We can pass proposals.

Even transparency.

Y'all can y'all can demand transparency about what HPD is doing.

And we can find ways to work around SP4.

We can find ways to actually collaboratively work together on this.

And I hope they all listen to the proposals.

I know some people have brought up bills for y'all, and there are many more coming.

And I hope y'all bring repositories as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, next speaker.

Travis Smith.

Jessica Dugan.

To be followed by Sandra Peters.

Hello.

I am Jesse Dugan.

I'm a resident of District C, uh, and I'm a member of the Community Voices for Public Education Group, as well as the Democratic Socialists of America.

A lot of us are here tonight.

This council and I have just started working together to bring HISD back to local control.

I really do appreciate those of you who have held state appointed Superintendent Mike Miles accountable at City Hall two months ago.

After two years of demanding answers, watching that man actually have to answer important questions administered by you made me feel listened to and understood.

We are going to do so much more great work together in 2026.

I have so much to share with you guys.

If you can work with me on the important work of ending the HISD takeover, you can work with my friends here.

Ending the collaboration between HPD and ICE, it it must end.

And this non-traff uh non-safety traffic stop thing is also a no-brainer.

I think we all know that power is shifting in Houston.

Your time hasn't seen it.

The Dems even held a little retirement vote for the mayor.

So I wish him an early retirement.

Next speaker.

Sandra Peters.

Lindsay Burroughs.

To be followed by James Conley.

I'm here speaking on behalf of three Houston families who are too afraid to speak for themselves.

Abby has worked at the same restaurant for 20 years.

Her husband Juan was detained by ICE while grocery shopping.

Last week, Patricia's husband Jose was detained at a scheduled immigration appointment.

The same happened to Elizabeth's husband Hector.

These families have lost husbands, fathers, and primary providers.

These women are now struggling struggling to provide for their children alone while trying to keep their families safe.

For them, everyday life carries new fear driving to work, buying groceries.

A mother canceled doctor appointments for her seven-year-old daughter because she was too afraid to go.

A non-safety traffic stop for them can lead to HPD calling ICE and being detained.

That fear limits movement.

It erodes trust and it makes families hesitate before calling HPD, even in emergencies.

That is a public safety issue for our city.

Houston families like Abby's, Patricia's, and Elizabeth's deserve safety, not fear.

HPD should not be ICE's hound dogs.

Words are not enough.

You have the power to act, ending non-safety traffic stops and ending the collaboration between ICE.

Your time has expired.

So our community is Houston strong.

You guys are weak, and you need to do something.

James Conley.

But this is also a warning to City Council.

I wish I could be here like so many others and humbly plead a case for the application of basic human rights to the most vulnerable people in our community.

But the fact of the matter is, you're all grown adults.

You know what your job is, and you know what it entails to the people you serve.

There's a reason why the Democrats, America's most useless party, dropped Mayor Whitmeyer recently.

It's because he is a bald-faced and a bald-headed liar who admasquerades as a Democrat while doing everything in his power to suck up to our fascist administration.

For that, shame on him for lying about HPD and ICE's collaboration for months.

Shame on him for asking the victims of his policies to not politicize his terror on the fucking them.

Shame on him.

When your children are taught about the case, if you can wrap up your comments, your time has expired.

When the fascist regime has crumbled, like each and every one of them before this one, will the cowards who execute its will, when they are brought before a tribunal, will you stand alongside the Whitmeyers of America?

When all is said and done, will the people vouch for you?

Or will you claim you were just following orders?

Thank you, next speaker.

So Sarahi Garcia.

Sarah Garcia.

To be followed by Jasmine Khatamaghbari.

However, I am not only disappointed in the lack of action from the other members of the Council on this matter.

I am disgusted.

We are not asking for something impossible, not even something unreasonable.

We are simply asking that you stand with the vulnerable members of our communities who are affected by this policy of collaboration with ICE and that you do something to protect them.

To the members of this council who think that standing with ICE is to their benefit, I have a news flash for you.

ICE doesn't care about you.

ICE has no respect for you.

Standing with them now will not stop them from violently suppressing you the second you stand in their way.

They will pepper spray you like they did Congresswoman Adelita Grifalva.

They will violently arrest you like they did New York City comp troller Brad Lander.

So do the right thing and stand with us, your constituents, and stand with the members of our communities who need your help.

There are too many people in this city who live their lives in fear every day, and I refuse to stand by and allow them and allow this oppressive status quote.

The question is, will you?

Thank you, next speaker.

Jasmine Katamagbari.

When we actually look at it, if anything, police are better funded now, have more resources, have more tools to police our communities than they did back then.

And what is this council choosing to do about it?

That's the real question here, right?

And you have to understand our frustrations.

Every single one of us have to provide for our families and still choose to show up because we care about these issues and we think they're important to the communities that we care about and that we feel indebted to.

But I want to ask is what is the plan here to we have an ordinance that the rights and time has expired.

Has put together an ordinance that we think survives legal scrutiny, and we believe non-safety traffic stops with this ordinance.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Davin Morrow.

To be followed by Taylor Bramps.

Council members and mayors, present and absent.

I stand before you today to hold you to the oaths you took when you swore your into your positions.

Each one of you swore an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

As a nation, as a city, and as a community, we are under assault by forces hostile to the rights guaranteed to us under the Constitution.

Forces that are attempting to usurp the sovereignty of the individual for the plenary authority of fascist autocracy.

In continuing collaboration with the lawless thugs violating our fourth amendment, rights against unreasonable search and seizure, and our 14th amendment rights to due process.

You are failing to uphold your oaths to protect the Constitution.

We expect and we demand more from you as your constituents and as your fellow Americans.

The people of Houston are calling for the immediate ceasing of HPD's collaboration and cooperation with ICE.

Uphold your own defend our constitutional rights and stand up to these fascists.

Taylor Brent.

Okay, who wants to hear an Aggie Gilvin over?

Okay, uh this uh Aggie's Greg would have him, and his manual is English, but maker of grammar, and he was asked to be a model until he was Christmas one day until he became Santa Claus.

No, he didn't want to be Santa Claus.

He wanted it to be in the past participle.

Thank you, Jacob.

That wasn't bad.

Thank you, Jacob.

We appreciate you being here as always.

Next speaker.

This completes the list of speakers.

Thank you, everyone, for being here tonight.

We stand in recess until 9 a.m.

tomorrow to provide for continuation and support of Houston Permitting Center's permitting and inspection system.

Item 29, ordinance appropriating 2 million, 2002,000 dollars out of the general improvements consolidated construction fund, 900,000 out of equipment acquisition consolidated fund, 786,000 out of contributed capital project fund, 2,21,000 out of police consolidated construction fund, 1,798,000 out of fire consolidated construction fund, $2,997,000 out of public health consolidated construction fund, $2,116,000 out of public library consolidated construction fund, $333,000 out of Solid Way's Consolidated Construction Fund and $2,335,000 out of parks.

Item 30 ordinance appropriating $750,000 approved and authorizing second amendment to contract with Ann Slow Bryant Construction LTD.

Item 31 ordinance finding and determining public convenience and necessity for the acquisition of real property interest in connection with the public improvement project known as the new municipal court projects.

Item 32 ordinance approving and authorizing contract with Keystone Turbine Services LLC Item 33 ordinance approving and authorizing a second amendment to the contract with Medco respiratory instruments inc.

Item 34 ordinance amending ordinance number 2022-268 related to contract with EPS Co Publishing Inc.

Item 35 ordinance approving and authorizing the second amendment to the contract between the City of Houston and BFI waste services of Texas LP.

Item 36 ordinance amending ordinance number 2024-291 approving and authorizing first amendment to contract with William Marsh Rice University.

Item 37 has been pulled by the administration will now be considered item 38 ordinance approving and authorizing submission of electronic application for grant assistance to the United States Department of Homeland Security for the FY 2025 port security grant item 39 ordinance approving and authorizing purchase and sale agreement between City of Houston and Nelly abundance for sale of approximately 5,000 square feet of land item 40 ordinance finding and determining that public convenience and necessity no longer require the continued use of a 10 foot wide waterline easement situated in the EB Cogswell survey abstract number 785 being out of Sherwood Forest Section A.

Item 41 ordinance finding and determining public convenience and necessity for the acquisition of real property interest in in connection with the public improvement project known as the groundwater reduction plan conversion water lines group C project item 42 ordinance finding and determining public convenience and necessity for the acquisition of real property interest in connection with the public approved project known as the Sergio Ivan Rodriguez Memorial Pedestrian Bridge Project Item 43 ordinance finding and determining the public convenience and necessity no longer require the continued use of plusminus 48,436 square feet of Black Hall Street from Park Road Drive North to its terminus being a portion of Black Hall Street Attic Dams Situation Attic Dam Subdivision situated in the Joel Wheaton Survey 880 Harris County Texas.

Abandoning said street easement to Cyprus Brook Park Row investors LP in exchange for its payment to the city in the amount of $925,467 item 44 ordinance appropriating $2,459 approving and authorizing contract with Project Surveillance Inc.

Item 45 ordinance amending ordinance number $2022 621 to increase the maximum contract amount for professional engineering services contract between the city of Houston and 5 engineering LLC Item 46 ordinance appropriating $1560 approving and authorizing First Amendment to Professional Engineering Services contract between the City of Houston and HDR Engineering Inc.

Item 47 has been pulled by the administration and will now be considered item 48 ordinance appropriating $1127 to contract with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Item 49 ordinance appropriating $9,28927 awarding a contract to JFT Construction Inc.

Item 50 ordinance appropriating $5,750 award and contract to DL Glover Utilities LLC for FY 2025 Street and drainage rehabilitation work order contract number two item 51 ordinance award and contract to DL Global Utilities LLC for FY26 Ditch maintenance work order contract item 52 ordinance award and contract to DL Glover Utilities LLC for FY26 Ditch reestablishment work order contract number one item 53 ordinance appropriating $12,979 awarding contract to Boyer Inc.

Item 54 motion to set a public hearing date to provide a resolution of no objection objection for one applicant seeking four percent housing tax credits for the following multifamily development Bernisia Place Hearing Date 9 a.m.

Wednesday January 7 2026 item 55 ordinance appropriating 5 million four hundred thirty-four thousand five hundred thirty-six dollars nine centract to J.

Reeves Construction LLC.

This was tagged by Councilmember Cayman and was item 46 on the agenda of December 10th, 2025.

This completes the reading of the captions for the agenda of December 17, 2025.

Stay tuned for the next council session to begin at 9 a.m.

With that, I wish everyone a happy and blessed update.

Council, please come to order.

Members, um I would ask you to keep Dr.

Page's family in our prayers.

He was an outstanding HISD school superintendent, became our U.S.

Secretary of Education, passed at uh age of 92.

Rod was a friend of mine, a mentor.

He was a Houston hero.

And uh we could spend a lot of time talking about how he contributed to Houston's greatness.

His service at TSU and HISD.

He was a gentleman.

He will lie in state on Wednesday, December 17th at the Rod Page Education Building at Texas Southern.

His funeral service will be on Thursday, December 18th, tomorrow at Brentwood Baptist Church on Landmark Street.

Also, we lost an icon in Dave Ward.

ABC News Anchor passed on December 13th at the age of 86.

Dave also a friend and mentor really was so transparent and thorough in its coverage.

Obviously, I couldn't talk about Dave's record without mentioning crime stoppers.

I think he put crime stoppers on the map map, and I know he saved lives by furthering that successful program.

He will lie in repose at the Crime Stoppers Building, the Dave Ward Building at 3001 Main Street, uh, December 17th, Wednesday, starting today at 11 a.m.

Noon Friday, December 19th, Penal Services for Dave were open to the public at St.

Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road.

I ask you to keep Dave's family in your prayers, and uh let's honor these two icons that have uh contributed so much to our community secretary will you move to the consent agenda under the miscellaneous category item two has been removed for separate consideration.

Is there a motion for items one and two?

Cas X Tater move second one and two.

I'm sorry, one and three cast X Tater move for items one and three.

Heck second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed, name motion passes.

Under the accept work category, is there a motion for items four, five, and six?

Cast X tater move.

Second.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed name motion passes under the purchasing and tabulation of bids category.

Items 12 and 16 have been removed for separate consideration.

Is there a motion for items 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15?

Cast text Tatum moved.

Next second.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Under the resolutions category, item 18 has been removed for separate consideration.

Is there a vote for item 17?

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, no.

Motion passes.

Under the ordinances category.

Since your list was distributed, item 24 has been received.

Items 37 and 47 have been pulled and will not be considered.

Items 20, 21, 22, 28, 29, 30, 38, 46, 49, 51, 53 have not been received, but will be considered if they are received before the end of the meeting.

Items pulled for separate consideration.

Removed for separate consideration.

Items 19, 35, 36, and 42.

Their vote on the balance.

19, 35, 36, 42 have been removed for separate consideration.

Is there a vote on the balance?

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Items removed for separate consideration.

Is there a motion for item two?

Castex say to move.

Motion made and seconded.

All in favor say yes except.

I'm happy to speak out of the case.

Okay.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Councilmember Kamen.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good morning, colleagues.

I just wanted to lift up this item.

This is the designation of a banner district for the Houston Design District in District C.

This is something that has been in the works, quite frankly, for nearly a decade almost.

And it's very important to the area.

We have a lot of businesses that came together for this designation that will provide beautification and also help boost economic development and supporting our local businesses.

But again, this is a very big deal and goes a long way in terms of boosting economic development.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next.

Is there a motion for item 12?

Cas X Tatum move.

Next second.

Councilmember Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor, and uh good morning to everyone.

Um Mayor, I'm sure you've seen that we have received a memo from the controller's office regarding uh this item.

And this item is proposing to use thirty million dollars from the stormwater fund on uh demolition of a building.

And we know that the stormwater fund has very specific purposes for what it could be used for.

Um primarily maintaining our drainage system.

And so the question becomes how are we able to use or why are we using thirty million dollars from the stormwater fund for the demolition of a building?

Um I think that that this sets bad precedent.

We'll be able to interpret um based on our own perspective, how we're able to put forth um any proposals that we want to be able to shift money from pots that are particularly designated for one purpose, and based on uh interpretation, be able to put those funds towards something that many would consider not its intended purpose.

And so um, based on the memo that has come out that was laid out pretty um clearly, I think we are overstepping our bounds on what the stormwater fund intended purpose truly was, and I don't see where the nexus is between uh maintaining our drainage system and demolishing a building.

Um so if you can give some clarity on that, um that would help.

Well, first I really want to thank you for asking that question because it's been thoroughly vetted and we're prepared to walk you through it.

It's been used before for this purpose.

But the Mayor Pro Tim would like to be recognized.

Thank you, Mayor.

Councilmember Parler, thank you for bringing that up.

I think we all had questions.

We've received the information in the backup.

We have received the information from the city controller.

And so I think it is important, especially for me because I know that we have lots of buildings that we need to be demolished in the district.

And so I wanted to make sure that if we are awaiting dollars for demolishing buildings in our communities, that we can get those dollars and kind of follow the trail.

And so when I talked to public works, I was reminded about the money we put in 2302 during the budget cycle.

And we talked about using those dollars for demolition of buildings.

And so when I saw the memo from the controller, I wanted to just kind of figure out, because I don't want to use the money in in an inappropriate way, but I also want to make sure that we can demo the buildings in our in our communities, because I know if I have, you know, over 54 buildings, I can imagine that many of us have buildings that need to be demolished.

So, Mayor, I don't know if it would be appropriate to have maybe uh Randy from Public Works come and talk about what we discussed during the budget cycle about the dollars that we would use.

I think I think maybe we put 40 million, 25 million.

25 million.

25 million, and then this additional 5 million would be maybe from the outlying years and how many buildings that would allow us to demolish, and if uh it would be appropriate, I I don't think it would be.

I guess my question was what is the nexus between demolishing buildings and maintaining the storm.

And I'm gonna call Randy to come give us the scope if if if you will yield, uh, Mayor Pro Temp.

And Jed is going to explain the uh purchase of the services, and then Arturo will tell us the uh legal questions.

But uh it's probably one of our highest priorities with 2300 dangerous buildings in Houston.

343 have been approved for demolition, and uh Randy can show you how it has a direct impact on our drainage.

Randy, why don't you describe how we got to this point and the uh scope of it and the fact of uh the nexus to drainage.

Certainly.

Thank you, Mayor.

Council members, good morning.

It's uh certainly a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about this item.

Uh as the mayor mentioned, right now in the city's backlog are more than 2300 buildings that have been reported in.

I would and I think we would all know and understand there's far more than that.

This is just simply what we already have on the logs of structures that are in the investigation process that have been reported that are creating problems in our community.

One of the things that I know for a fact, I visited with almost every council member here at some point about structures within districts that are creating major challenges to our infrastructure, and almost always there is a relationship to flooding that takes place around them.

The reality is this dangerous buildings that are uh blights on our community are ground zero for illegal dumping.

I mean, you don't have to go very far to find any single one of those structures where that is the place where folks know because no one is looking, they can dump their stuff off.

When you go throughout the districts, you find that most of that trash somehow ends up in our open ditches, and then later on in the storm systems themselves.

So I have got a series of pictures here of one particular property.

These are pictures that I took myself earlier this year of uh a property over on SEMS at Noble that perfectly illustrates exactly what happens, and of course, exactly what happens to the drainage.

This is the structure itself.

It was an old um, you know, metal shed of some sort.

You can go to the next picture.

This is a place where all of the things that you see around it, next picture, just continu.

This is the actual street itself.

Open ditch on both sides with a few enclosed storm systems that go there.

Next picture, please.

Say, Randy, those items, which I were with you, came out of that building waiting to be demolished.

Well, so some of them came out of that building, and some of them were added to the building.

And in fact, actually, Mayor, after you and I visited that site, the very next day, there was a whole new truckload of stuff that was dumped on that road.

And if you will play the next slide here, which is a video, this will actually show you the flow of water, and this is not even related to a storm event.

This is actually a water main break that was hiding under all of this trash that was in shoving the rest of it there.

What happens is when we have rain events like we do in Houston, and the sheet flow comes down the road, it is going to take everything in its path with it.

This is a small little trickle from a water main break.

But when we clean this property out, we removed tons of trash from the storm system itself.

So, Councilmember, your your question is well taken.

I want to point out a couple of things.

Number one, this particular item is in addition to existing contracts that we have to demolish dangerous buildings, first of all.

Those ones are managed by the building inspection fund.

They are much smaller contracts, which is why the backlog, frankly, is as big as it is.

That's always the question is why can't we tear it down?

And the answer is where are we going to get the money from?

Number one.

Number two, what we intend to do here is ensure that when we are using this particular contract, that there is a direct nexus into our stormwater system.

For instance, and I've I've talked about this particular structure here downtown for so long because it drives me nuts.

For 20 years, I have been driving past the old holiday inn, watching the graffiti grow up and down those corridors for this building that's that's just completely left open.

There is no way we could use this contract and stormwater funds to take that building down.

There is no nexus whatsoever.

But when I go out to SEMS and Noble and I see the trash added and I watch it going into the actual enclosed system there, which is much more difficult to maintain than an open system, it drives me absolutely nuts because we are missing the picture.

Sometimes it's like when you go to the doctor and you have got a problem and the doctor prescribes you a particular medication, we oftentimes miss what the root cause is for why we got there.

Councilmembers, I am telling you the root cause of illegal dumping is that we have places where we invite people to put it there.

And if we will take the time to start treating the root causes, it will greatly enhance our efficiency so that we are not spending the same money on the same place over and over and over again.

The reality is we could go and we could clean this ditch at SEMS every single month for a year, and it will cost us far more than if we remove the structure and clean it up once and for all.

But, Director, you you're a trained lawyer and you're you're a really good lawyer, and I know you are trying to make your case for what the nexus is between demolishing buildings and maintaining the drainage system.

But what you are describing is illegal dumping.

And what you are describing is based on illegal dumping that has some correlation with maintaining infrastructure.

I would argue against that.

Even in places, even in places where there is no illegal dumping, I mean where there is no home or building, there is illegal dumping.

And I don't think that there would be money that we would be able to appropriate from an illegal dumping site on a clear field to then say that we can use that money for uh maintaining the drainage system.

I think what the intended purpose of that fund was from an infrastructure standpoint to ensure that we maintain the drainage system to mitigate flooding from an infrastructure standpoint, not a maintenance standpoint of what is happening on the property.

Now, I agree with you.

You can correlate this and find the nexus if you want to, but I I would argue you can do that in anything, anything across the board on any enterprise fund, any dedicated fund, we could make the argument.

The question is, is it a strong argument?

I I don't think the intended purpose of that stormwater drainage fund was for these particular instances.

And I think this is what has gotten us in the issue uh from voters in the public in the past, from this Watson lawsuit and other issues that we were using dedicated money that was for a specific intended purpose and putting our own spin to it to then allocate those dollars in a different way.

So for for me, I think that is kind of what we are doing here.

You are a very good lawyer and you're making your case for it.

Uh, but but I do think that's a stretch to find the nexus based on illegal dumping that comes from abandoned homes or buildings and how that affects the infrastructure standpoint of our drainage system.

Thank you.

Councilmember, I understand what you are saying.

I would say these pictures don't show a spin, they show reality.

The fact of the matter is we can document this throughout the entire city.

And the commitment is we are using it specifically for those things where it meets these sorts of thresholds.

Councilman Martinez, you and I visited a property not too long ago where it was a very similar situation.

We saw how overgrown that ditch had become and how much the illegal dumping that went there.

And to that point, Councilmember, we do clean out ditches where there is no homes right now because of illegal dumping.

The infrastructure only is as good as it is clean and clear.

And we use stormwater funding already to clean out ditches where there is no structures.

Now where we have structures that exacerbate that problem, this is an opportunity for us to make a larger.

If I could interject, first of all, you are a good lawyer, but you are even a better public works director.

I think we are getting away from the root cause as you described it.

These dangerous buildings are contributing to our drainage problem.

We demonstrated that when we passed the budget, and I would dare say most of us put the 25 million into the storm drainage fund.

And so get back to what Houstonians are asking us to do.

And we have all made it a high priority to do away with the 343 that have already been approved to be demolished, and then we can address the rest of them.

The public is not going to question, they just won't get it done.

And we have used this fund for this purpose before, and uh the people I visit with are not going to ask you about which fund they are going to ask you, did you demolish these dangerous buildings that are contributing to our drainage?

And we fixed the drainage problems in between the storms.

And that is what we are doing today.

My question for the director, though, was when I read the letter from the controller, the part that gave me pause was where he said, um, if we do this, then we can use anything to validate this.

So how what would be your response to that?

Are we going to look at a specific building and say this building is around open ditches?

And so it will qualify.

Um how do we make sure that we are not opening ourselves, because the response we got from legal with that is that this is legal.

Yeah.

And this is a good use of the funds that we put into the budget.

But again, like like I like I told you, when I read that from the controller, I want to make sure that we have a steady argument that this actually is legal, it can be done, and how will you determine which building actually qualifies from these funds that we allocated in the in the budget cycle?

Yeah, thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.

I do not believe that we could make that argument that you could use anything just for any purpose.

I think you have got to document and you have got to be very clear about why you are doing what you are doing and how you get there.

I gave a great example, for instance, of the Holiday Inn.

Clearly, we would not be able to do that.

Before we assess any of these properties, there is a very thorough and rigorous inspection.

Photographic evidence is taken.

There is great documentation before we mobilize a contractor out there.

In fact, before we even figure out which contractor needs to handle that particular case, because each one is different.

We are going to take that same process here as we visit each one of those properties.

Of the 300 plus that have already been cleared for demolition, not a single work order has been issued yet, because there will now need to be, since they have cleared the process, an additional assessment to figure out what has happened since we actually approved it for demolition, what are the conditions like at that point?

If there is no nexus, if there is nothing impacting that drainage system, this contract does not mobilize to take care of those properties.

We will utilize the building inspection fund for that purpose.

And then how do you answer his statement about this is similar to DDSRF?

Because I think everybody is sensitive to the fact that we had that lawsuit.

So how do we vote for this with that on our mind as well and being sensitive to the fact that we have had a similar situation?

You know, how do we address that?

I will say a couple of things and then really defer to the City Attorney, I think, on that part.

One, this is apples and oranges on the DDSRF lawsuit.

DDSRF was about the fact that we were intentionally underfunding what our commitment was supposed to be to take care of those specific problems related to street and drainage renewal, right?

The particular master ordinance that allows us to use the stormwater fund from the combined utility system has some pretty clear language on what the nexus looks like there.

So I don't think it is a similar situation at all.

Importantly, again, as opposed to the issues in DDSRF, that was money that didn't go to getting work done.

It went to completely different programs that had no relationship whatsoever.

You are going to see work getting done here from an operational standpoint, but I think the City Attorney can wrap it up.

But would you go ahead and speak to the legal being?

I am fully confident that this is legal.

The issue of intent or the perceived intent of what it means is really one that should guide a councilmember's vote.

Because even with a multimember body, most local governments courts don't take into account intent unless further down the line, if there is ambiguity here, the language is pretty clear.

You have the words improvement, repair, maintenance.

What the Director has been describing, it falls within that rubric.

So I am pretty confident that it is it is fully legal, and there is the evidentiary support that he has been talking about.

What they have seen, the way they will go about determining which buildings are going to be taken down.

The other two aspects of the memo is there was one issue about whether it would jeopardize our bondholders.

It won't.

Bondholders get paid off the top.

They're concerned with the reserve.

This is not lowering the reserve at all, so we should be fine.

And a Jones Watson type lawsuit, you are talking apples and hornes.

So these are two different funds.

DDSRF does not fund stormwater except for a low percentage, 10 percent, and it's segregated, and I understand that these funds will not be DDSRF.

So I think those potential legal claims are really they're a red herring.

They're not of concern.

I think this meets the standard for lawfulness, and uh I'm gonna end with council is given considerable deference in terms of what its ordinance means.

In fact, the Attorney General, except in rare circumstances it don't apply here, will not opine on the legality of a city ordinance because of the deference given to Council.

So in your legal opinion, if we vote yes for this, we are not opening ourselves up to a similar lawsuit.

No, no.

I mean, anyone can bring a lawsuit, but uh I I think it will be uh dismissed on a dispositive motion.

Okay.

Councilmember Alcorn.

Thank you, Mayor.

And and I'm not a lawyer, but I sure have been dealing with these these funds for a long time.

And the Stormwater Fund gets its revenues from the water sewer system.

So this is this is a water sewer system funded things.

And in the stormwater fund was created, you know, before we had rebuilt Houston, Renew Houston, building Houston Ford, you know, to handle a lot of our stormwater maintenance issues, and also to pay down some debt that was issued during the Bill White Years.

So that is kind of what it was set up for.

When Renew Houston was being campaigned and everything, it was kind of the understanding that we would, knowing that the water wastewater system needs all the money it can possibly get for our water wastewater system.

That idea was that we would be eventually weaning off that stormwater fund for stormwater maintenance.

But we all know that didn't happen.

The stormwater fund is still there.

And because, with all due respect, Dr.

O'Michelle, the legal opinion then was that we didn't need to fund it to the full 11.8 cents once we hit the revenue cap.

We later found out we lost that lawsuit, and now we're up having to up that bill.

So I think it it does matter what what fund it is.

I think this was created for stormwater maintenance.

I don't have a problem.

I mean, I agree it's more of an illegal dumping problem, and that other funds should come from other places to help with that, but I am okay with stormwater fund clearing out that ditch that you are showing.

That's what we do.

That's stormwater maintenance.

I do think that it's a flimsy argument, and I get it, you're the root cause, the root cause is that house.

But that's not what the stormwater fund was set up to do.

Stormwater fund was set up to protect and maintain our maintenance.

Also, rebuild Houston also only allows us to spend 25 percent on maintenance.

It is not enough for maintenance.

We need the stormwater fund.

So, Mayor, you say people don't really care what fund it is coming from, but if there is water in your house and you didn't use the stormwater money to to do the proper drainage, you didn't use it enough for maintenance all over town, you're really just helping out with a with a dangerous building and an illegal dumping problem, um, then you care.

You care what the fund for what the fund is for, and I think all of us are, especially the the second termers are super gun shy about um accusations that we're using money that was meant for storm drains.

And you know, we all got elected right after Harvey, and so we're just like don't take a dime of money that should be for storm drains to do anything else.

And I get it.

These buildings are terrible.

And I and the district council members, you need to have these buildings addressed.

It's important.

I want them addressed.

I and I realize we're looking.

I mean, we're looking to a lot, we're looking at the C US for a lot of things.

And we moved 311 over there.

Even if you're just calling about a lost dog or a trash, that's the water sewer payment for that.

We're moving this over to water sew and paying sewer payment for dangerous buildings.

We're built building inspect all the nuisance calls, water sewer.

So, what ends up happening when you put all this money over in water sewer?

Doing the right study, not paying the water sewer on the stuff that should be.

What goes up, what goes up eventually is water rates.

So I don't I, you know, I I respect both sides of this opinion, and I and I get that we we're trying, you know, in the scheme of things, we'd need to get these buildings down.

But and I and I support the portion of the stormwater fund being used to clean out the drains, but I would hope that we would use the building inspection fund um to to knock down the houses.

And what is the cost to knock down an average dilapidated house?

I know they all vary, but I don't think it's super expensive, right?

Is it like 10,000 to knock down a house?

Usually, for instance, in in this instance here, the majority of the money was spent on the rest of everything.

The structure itself was about 15,000.

So how come if that is 15,000, I mean somebody do the math for me, 300 houses at $15,000?

I mean, that seems like money we could get from the from the building inspection fund.

Everybody could win.

We could we could we could address the drainage with the stormwater fund, which was its its purpose, and we could use uh building inspection for $4.5 million, thank you, calculator.

$4.5 million, we can find that in the building inspection fund to go knock down the buildings.

I know my I would I uh I'm I will vote no on this if we're gonna use it to knock down the buildings.

I I'll vote fine if we can use $4.5 million or whatever it takes to knock down the four the houses on just the drainage ones.

I don't want you to use a drainage money if there is no nexus at all.

You said you wouldn't do that anyway.

But if we could somehow separate the demolition costs from the from the actual drainage costs, I think uh it would sit a lot better with me.

I think it gets down in my mind, being advised by the director.

The person that we put in charge of the stormwater fund and the demolition of buildings is clearly drawn a nexus that that building is causing a drainage problem.

So that's what Houstonians are concerned about.

A dangerous building that is creating a drainage problem.

And so, what would be a better use for the stormwater fund to eliminate what is causing the drainage problem through their neighborhood?

And he's going to document.

Okay, and that's fine.

I just I'll be a no if we're going to use these funds to knock down buildings.

But I'm okay with using the stormwater fund on the on the drainage issues in the ditch and upsizing the inlet and whatever you need to do to maintain the actual drainage.

Very good.

Councilmember Alcorn.

I'm sorry, Cayman.

Thank you.

Uh and I I want to start by reiterating, especially as District Council members, the dangers and concerns posed by blighted buildings.

I don't think there is anybody around this horseshoe that does not want blighted and dangerous buildings addressed.

Uh and we have to find a solution for that.

But I do think we have to follow the laws that this council by ordinance has set out.

And to Councilmember Alcorn's point, we can get guidance from City Legal, and I'm not referring to our current city attorney who does a terrific job, but we have gotten legal advice in the past, and then we've been sued as a city, and we have lost because of that misinterpretation.

And so just because we take a vote here doesn't mean that we're right on something, and we have to make the best judgment that we can.

And I wanted to quickly point out Section 2 of the ordinance we are referring to number 2004-301, which ratified the stormwater fund that we're talking about.

And in part, it says the stormwater fund may be used only for the planning, design, construction, regulation, improvement, repair, maintenance, and operation of facilities and programs relating to a system or network of stormwater management facilities, and then they list those out.

Inlets, conduits, manholes, channels, ditches, drainage easements, retention and detention basion, infiltration facilities, and other components.

And when you look to the spirit of that, for example, Director, I completely agree, and we even put district funds, I believe, uh quite a significant amount towards ditch rehabilitations.

But we have also been working and with the stormwater master plan and the uh flood study, the citywide flood studies and mapping that is finally done that we have been waiting years on.

I'm looking at all of the neighborhoods that are still at risk of flooding.

And we have been working with our TURS to fund studies.

Okay, if we did this one neighborhood like Maplewood North, we Southwest TURS did a study and said, yeah, we need to fix this, this and this to protect these homes from flooding, even with Project Brays.

But we need at least a million dollars to actually go in and do that repair.

And my concern is not only that there's a disconnect with the nexus here, but that with legal, the legal nexus.

But we're going to have even more blighted homes if we're not addressing the root issue of the actual drainage infrastructure.

And we have hundreds and hundreds of neighborhoods throughout our city that still need that infrastructure investment.

The upsizing of inlets, much, much more is needed.

And again, we only have so much in the pie.

It's how the debate is how we slice and dice it, but we have a very clear directive as to what this fund is for.

One of the questions I have, are we not able, as we have in the past, to use CDB, HUD CDBG funds to perform demos of single-family homes?

That uh is outside of my purview.

Uh that's not typically what's gone through public works on that side of things.

But uh it certainly could be possible.

Okay.

The reality is this when we've had these conversations with everybody all along, we say, why can't we take care of it?

The answer has always been money.

And so what we have presented is an opportunity that uh, and I agree with City Attorney.

I respect that maybe there are other interpretations of that.

But uh you don't have a stormwater infrastructure if everything you have got is blocked.

I think overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly, those are the activities that my department participates in remediation of those sorts of things.

And and again, Director, we have worked very closely on some of those remediations.

There is no uh I don't think anyone is saying we don't have a problem here.

The question is whether or not this is legal, and what was concerning uh one going back to HUD CDBG, um I will defer to our housing chair, but I do believe that HUD expressly permits the use of those funds.

Additionally, though, the process in which this has come before us, that it was submitted to the controller's office, controller's office raised issues, and then we circumvented and just found a way to put this on the agenda also raises concerns in terms of process for me.

And again, I understand that y'all are doing your job.

You are trying to find money where you can to get as much done as possible, and that is the type of energy we want to see.

But it is also our obligation to make sure that this is done legally and that we're also prioritizing flood mitigation, not just illegal dumping that is creating that flood risk as well.

Um I I will either be voting no or be tagging so that we can um have further conversations, submit additional questions to the department.

And I appreciate that.

I think you should pose your question to Jid of the term circumvent.

I don't believe accurately described his opportunity to use a co-op and find a more affordable way to do it.

And I will just go ahead and interject uh because I am enjoying this dialogue.

It's legal.

Many of us ran to fix Houston.

We have an opportunity to address thousands of dangerous buildings that are contributing to our drainage problem.

We will never fix the drainage as long as we have dangerous buildings contributing to that drainage.

So it gets pretty simple of do we want to address the demolition of hazardous, unsafe, unsightly buildings across Houston.

It's one of the Houston's number one concerns.

Some districts more than others, but I think all districts are experiencing it.

So the folks in charge have come up with a valid way to address that.

And all I'd say members, if we keep doing it the way we've always done it, that's the reason we got several thousand dangerous buildings that haven't been demolished.

So we have a legal fund now and a process, transparent, and I think that's what Houstonians are looking for.

And I I respect that.

I would say that we will have a lot more hazardous buildings and vacant buildings if we do not utilize the funds for drainage and improving our drainage and stormwater protection systems.

And I was reminded, as I mentioned earlier, we did all vote for $25 million in the budget for this very purpose.

And and I appreciate you raising that, Mayor.

We voted on something that does, and I am the first to say that.

Just because we voted on something, if we didn't have all the information that said, hey, there's a question about the legality of this, this is now that opportunity to say, hang on a second, we need to do this the right way.

So just because something was in the budget does not mean it's a rubber stamp to circumvent the rule.

Very good.

Councilmember Peck.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I initially was very much against this item as well.

I think that the argument we're stretching a bit about that money.

And yes, it was, you know, in the budget.

I didn't love it then, it wasn't going to vote against the budget over one thing that I may have disagreed with.

And just because it's legal maybe doesn't mean that it's necessarily the best use of the funds.

The only reason why I maybe changed my mind on a no vote is because the money that we're putting as a lien on the property is coming back to this fund.

So we're basically just loaning the money in order to do this work, and the money is coming back to this fund in order to use it for what I think is more of its intended purpose.

But my concern with that, though, is that since I've been on council, I have done budget amendments, I've worked behind the scenes to try to do similar things where you know, if we put a lien on a property where that money goes back to whatever the department is, whether it was public works or the health department, department of neighborhoods, and have always been told it cannot be done.

We can't track the money, the money can't go back to the department, there's no way to do it.

Now all of a sudden, oh, of course we can do it.

The money will definitely go back to the fund.

And so I don't know what to think about that, that all of a sudden we can put the money back into the fund when we couldn't a week ago.

So Mayor, I would like a commitment to I'm I could do a motion to, you know, make sure that this money goes back to the department, but I feel like it's going to be lost in a purchasing item.

I would rather see an ordinance come to council where it shures up that that money will come back, because this could be long-term funding, Mayor.

I am confident that you will watch the money.

The money will go back, you know, while you're in office, but if you know something happens seven years from now where we finally get that money back, who's to say where that money is going to actually go?

So I would really like to see us share that up to make sure that money goes back to this department.

Very well.

Would you like to hear from Melissa?

Unless you want to come forward and speak to the budget item that addressed this and went into this fund for this very purpose, and also address Councilmember Peck's concerns.

Sure.

Councilmember Peck, so in terms of the money coming back to the fund, so right now when we demolish dangerous buildings or have other buildings that are on the strikeoff that get sold at auction, that revenue uh that gets put as a lien when the sale of the property happens, eventually comes back to the general fund.

Um right now, the reporting that we get doesn't break down the difference between buildings that have been demolished versus those that have been stricken off and sold for sale that haven't been demolished.

So we have to work to get some more fine reporting on that to be able to break that down.

Um but last year, for example, because of the auction process, the revenue um in property tax, because it comes in to us as property tax revenue was about $3.6 million.

So we would have to work to get um more fine detail on the reporting as far as which of those properties had demolition associated with them or not to be able to break down those funds, but that's something we could definitely work on.

Group Plummer.

Thank you, Mayor.

And um in the same way, I believe that we can create a nexus between stormwater drainage and the abandoned buildings and illegal dumping.

I think the same, you can do the same thing with public safety.

I mean, these are dangerous areas as well.

People live there sometimes, there start fires, there are other issues.

And I do think that people are watching, Mayor.

I think that people do want to know that we spend the money the way that we intend to do it, especially when we just experience that lawsuit.

And so unfortunately, I'm not going to support this item, although I do understand that we do need to do something to mitigate this, but I don't think this is the way to do it.

Councilmember Thomas.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh this is more so directed to uh director.

So last month in the housing committee meeting, uh the department proposed a de-allocation of six hundred and forty-five thousand dollars from the HUD annual action plan to deallocate to designate to down payment assistance.

And although I was excited about that, we also, Mayor Pro Tim and I had a conversation about pushing a around why are we de-allocating six hundred and forty-five thousand dollars from code enforcement that was designated for public works when we need code enforcement to address these blighted homes, and a lot of the issue uh, especially if at a micro level in a district, it's the blight, right?

And I have six identified already in dangerous buildings for like the last six years, right?

We're getting them through the queue.

We passed that item last week to deallocate the 640 and the uh thousand, and the conversation that came up was that public works didn't have the capacity for the code enforcement.

So then when we have this $30 million item to say, oh, we're gonna move all of this, I am I'm torn between okay, capacity of not having staffing to do code enforcement, which is the genesis of getting all of that work done, to then now this extreme of we're at demolition, we're we can move with these funds.

So I need clarity on what's the real capacity of the department to actually move with this funding because when we go out into community and neighbors consistently email us about what's going on, I got an email from the HOA or Briar Meadow this morning about someone parked an RV on Chris Street, the home that is scheduled for demolition that has been scheduled for demolition since 2019.

Okay.

So I I I need more information around that because I don't want to set an expectation in the public that this is now available for us to move expeditiously when it's not, when it and then we're using limited funds, and then when I have to go back on funds and then beg a department or wonder why we're de-allocating $645,000 to do the very thing that we say we're gonna do.

I I need more information on that uh to give myself some clarity on this item.

Two two responses to that.

First, uh I want to find out more about what my staff's context was in regards to capacity.

I do not believe we have a capacity problem where it comes to inspectors.

In fact, that was the entire purpose of merging the Department of Neighborhood's code enforcement group with the public works code enforcement group is so that we could create cross-training programs, put people to work, work smarter, not harder.

Instead of having two sets of inspectors on the strain street, one working on commercial, one working on residential, they can all do the same thing.

I believe we have enough capacity there, and we have a very aggressive hiring program already in place with funding from the department that covers the salaries for additional inspectors to come in.

Um I don't know why the answer would have been, well, we don't need this because of capacity.

Um if I have a knee-jerk reaction, it's because well, we already have different funding that's set up to ensure that we have staff available.

But but I'll have to get back to you.

Sure.

I mean, we did I mean the item passed.

We deallocated $645,000 last week to do, you know, for HUD funds.

So I two things can be true, but I think once we now have this item before us, I'm not sure of the expectation to Councilmember Palmer and Alcorn's point about the public is watching, there is a demand on this.

There, you know, and I understand that we deal with the legal dumping all the time.

This is a real issue.

It's this is real.

Um But this is a hard this is a hard ask for for me to conceptually understand, knowing kind of what what we are dealing with on a daily basis around dangerous buildings, blight, illegal dumping, drainage, you know, limited funds around SWAT, what we have to deal with during budget cycles uh to you know, to intimate that no one really when those people fill up this chamber and they're demanding that we invest in their neighborhoods and they're coming and they're showing photos of like a simple rain in their home.

I mean, the waters to their door almost after an hour rain, y'all have moved in District F when or simple rain and had to clear tree roots right within the hour because of that.

So I think we're really, really sensitive to this type of activity.

Um so I don't know if if we're calling the vote today or if there's a a motion to amend or what is going on, but I I would it enjoy more discussion.

Randy, would you address that whether we have done this before or not?

We in terms of have we used this funding for these purposes before?

The answer is yes.

It is not the same way that this item has come before.

In other words, we have never had a contract that dedicated that funding source, but we have uh used existing contracts that were mobilized, and then we charged back the stormwater to I mean, SEMS is actually one of those properties.

When we cleared this area out, we demolished it out because of the inundation we found to the storm system there, that was a chargeback to 2302.

So we we have used it before, we have just never dedicated a contract.

My interest was that we weren't going to play a lot of financial issues in the background.

I would rather we were up front with the contract is dedicated to this purpose, and that helps move things faster and it keeps the department more efficient.

Very good.

Councilmember Maris.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Randy, for the presentation.

This has been a great discussion, you know, with with tremendous arguments on both sides.

Very compelling issue.

We have hundreds, if not thousands of buildings that need to come down.

On the other hand, um, a large portion of our population thinks the city misuses funds by taking funds that was directed for one purpose and using it for something else.

And uh I wish this discussion had started before 9.30 this morning.

You know, this this nexus that you are talking about, these great photographs, none of that is in the backup.

Um and that kind of kind of troubles me that uh and no one from the administration reached out to me on this issue.

I do have some questions about um whether there are any written criteria for inclusion in this program that that you all are proposing.

These are these are uh compelling photographs.

Uh do properties have to look like this building on SIMS in order to uh to use these funds or or or what?

Yeah, we mobilize the inspectors to evaluate the property, understand the situation, they document thoroughly, they use they take photographs of everything, and then a judgment call is made on what contracts we mobilize to handle things correctly, like we do on pretty much any other operational.

I guess I'm uh what I am asking is does the prop does the building have to be within a certain uh number of feet from a ditch or uh or something like that?

Does it have to be in the floodplain?

Does uh Yeah, what you are what you are asking, there is not a written criteria, right?

This is going to be based on the inspection evaluation at the site.

Okay.

I think I would feel more comfortable uh if there were some some guardrails on on exactly when this money would be used for drainage.

Another question I have is um, did you all speak to any stakeholders who who might be uh extremely interested in this?

For instance, Bob Jones, who has pretty good record uh of suing the city.

Um did you all speak to anybody?

I didn't speak to Bob Jones, no.

But I've spoken with folks throughout the community over the last year as director.

Um the blight on our community and the inundation that we experience is is real.

It is real.

Totally agree with you.

To the point that Councilmember Peck was asking about, um she may have used the word essentially a loan, right?

And I guess the idea is we are going to sell these properties.

So we do not take any of the properties.

And I want to be clear about that.

When we demolish a building, the property owner still owns it.

There is a lien placed on that for the work that was done, and the city expects to be fully satisfied for that work at the time that there is a future transaction.

And so am I correct in thinking that that money, this money will be replaced?

It ought to be placed, correct.

On a one-to-one basis, or the lien ought to the lien is for the exact amount that we do.

We we can't lean more than what we spend, and we would not be interested in leaning less.

Okay.

All right.

All right.

I appreciate all that, and we will listen to the rest of this discussion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Carter.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Director, I just had a question, and I great discussion, and with respect to those who have been here a whole lot longer than I have.

We're talking about properties that are identified as being a problem impacting drainage, correct?

Correct.

So but not all impact drainage, right?

Not all properties that need to be demolished impact drainage.

So I am looking at a picture here.

So common sense tells me I wouldn't just go clean that up just right there and not address the bigger picture.

And so is not, let's say the if if there is a property that is continuously being dumped on and there is it is clearly impacting the system.

Would it not be a cost of doing business, this 10 this $10,000 for the demolition?

That to me seems like sort of a piece of the project in general to, you know, means to an end.

If we know this is causing this and we have identified it as such, I am, you know, like I understand, you know, dedicated funds, but to me, these, you know, we clarified 10,000, maybe 15,000 a house, whatever, or building, that's part of the cost of cleanup and mitigating the flood issue.

Is that correct?

Councilmember, you very eloquent.

That's I think that is the exact point that I am trying to make.

We can come out and we can clean it out every month, and that is going to have a cost.

Or we can clean it once and greatly extend the life cycle and diminish the amount of overall money that we are going to spend.

That's really the whole thought process behind why we would use this funding, why we would get here.

And again, the commitment is that we're only using it for ones that have this specific impact on the drainage system.

Ones that do not, we will find alternative sources.

Thank you, Mayor.

And Randy, thank you for answering all of the questions.

The discussion has been helpful.

This is an item that absolutely impacts District H from all of the dangerous buildings we have, coupled with the illegal dumping that often accompanies them.

So you talked about how this money will be used for structures that are impacting drainage infrastructure.

What is the criteria or what is the process that will determine when that is triggered versus when another fund is sought after to do the demolition?

I mean, ultimately, as it stands right now, that is going to be based on the inspection, the inspection report, the evidence that the inspector collects.

You know, I I have not said this, and and maybe I thought I did, but I I should have, right?

There are absolutely going to be situations or scenarios where our inspectors go out and they find a structure that is, to Councilmember Ramirez's point, so far away from the problem that you have in the ditch that we wouldn't be able to make that justification, right?

SEMS is a great example because the structure was right on top of the ditch.

And the dumping took place not just on the on the ditch, but in the street as well, and then everything flows downhill from there.

But you may have residential structures where that is certainly not the case, and then we would have to look at alternative arrangements.

We have to rely tremendously on our inspectors and their ability to go and thoroughly assess the situation and come back and report.

Sometimes they go out there and they find that there is thousands of tires hidden behind all of the grass that is, you know, so overgrown that we wouldn't have been able to see from the street.

But sometimes they go back there and they find there really isn't anything here.

And that's a reason why, you know, we have got so many buildings that are on the backlog right now, but there's more than twice as many that have been disqualified over the years because after that inspection we realize it is too far for us to go to do that.

You know, the legal challenges when we go and you scrape a building off is really going to be a property owner asking whether we are, you know, participating in and taking.

Um that is why our process is so evaluative and thorough.

It is why, frankly, it is a little bit slow because we want to make sure that we don't expose the city to unnecessary risk that would put us at the sort of situation like we have with a Bob Jones lawsuit, for instance.

That is not what we are interested in doing.

Um item that we brought forward, and and I do have to reiterate this more than we are talking a lot about scraping buildings off.

It is more than that.

This item is for abatement services as well, right?

So it includes those times where the building doesn't count, but the ditch does, and we need to go and finish that out.

You know, when we get to swap projects a lot of times, we run into funding challenges there too, because we hit our cap.

Um we want to make sure that we can maximize the opportunities we have to make the storm system as operational as possible.

Its capacity is limited when there is nowhere for the water to flow.

So the process will be based on the inspector who goes out and does the inspection.

They will determine whether it meets the criteria that it is impacting drainage or not.

The inspector is going to submit the packet of information, and then we determine which contractor is going to complete that work.

And the contractor or the contract that we mobilized to complete that work will be tied to the funding source.

And then has that process all been sort of fleshed out?

Like is it is it set?

Are y'all still?

That's the process we currently engage in right now.

The difference is right now we only have one contract that we utilize, which is the one with building inspection.

Okay.

Thank you.

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Randy, for your presentation.

Very collection of data that you presented to us concerned about this process.

My question is concerning the controllers concerns about this.

Some of the, as we all of us got the letter from the controller.

Because rather than trying to create a divide, the controller was concerned about the process oversight.

His original proposal, he concerned was about the fact that he the funding source, the work is the same, the legal issues the same, but the legal aspect of it that the attorney, the city attorney said it is legal.

He indicated also that his recommendation was unsafe or the deteriorating buildings, isn't a part in public safety item, but he said, but for the reference, I provide written correspondence, the mayor's team outlining the proposal violates the ordinance governing stormwater funds.

So I just think that there he offered to speak to council, to work with council on a lawful approach to address this.

The council member Alcorn presented an argument in terms of cost of demolitions as relates to the storm drainage fund.

What is your opinion on that?

What what is of the dollar mount?

What would you what would you suggest would be the most feasible way to go about it in order to get the objective done with this issue?

Because the dumping, illegal dumping, we know it's everywhere.

It's all over the city.

Right.

I don't know what particular area this these photos was in.

Where was it?

You know.

Yeah, this is this is not SEMS is not far outside of downtown.

Okay.

Um.

Just on the other side of I-10.

Okay.

So what would what would be your opinion in regards to the cost of getting this effectively done?

Because it is a problem.

I think it is pretty obvious to all of us.

Yeah, I mean, you know, Councilmember, my my proposal is the item that is before you today.

It is right now.

I mean, I I think that's it.

You know, I know there's been some discussion of well, we could use it for this half, and then you can get someone else the other half.

You you drive up costs when you mobilize two contractors versus one.

Um, you know, as we've looked at this, this was the effective and efficient way to both use money and to accomplish the task at hand.

And that's that is where we stand today.

I can tell you, you know, the building inspection fund is stretched real thin.

There is a reason why that contract is frankly as small as it is.

I think it is just barely a little bit over a million dollars.

That's that's all that really has ever been allocated for the demolition and abatement of buildings.

It is why the Department of Neighborhood struggled for so long.

There was not a lot of other funding sources.

If we wanted to say building inspection should be it, I am not opposed to that.

The consequence, though, is you're gonna have to uh you know go through a pretty thorough cost of service study there and realize how you have to raise permit fees, et cetera.

And that that's a process that will take some time too.

That could be a future opportunity, but today this is the proposal that that we're putting before the council.

Okay.

Okay.

Last thing, the 30 million was to ask.

And he indicated in there the 50 million, was that additional dollars for the best us or what?

Yeah, and and I won't I won't speak over uh Chief Procurement Officer.

We we recognize when this item originally came to Council in October, the end of October, um it was at a 50 million.

That was because we were utilizing existing contracts and adding more money to it.

For SPD, that is one of the fastest and most efficient ways for them to do it.

As we hit some roadblocks, it was an opportunity for us to reflect on is there in fact a better way that could serve the city even better?

And and Jed actually has some great information on why this particular mechanism is better than what we were going to go down before, because of the capital return to the city.

Yeah, so so partly again, the the 50 to the 30 million is really the contract time period.

So the contracts that we were going to mend had a longer contract term, so there was more money in the out years.

Uh when we re-looked at this, uh we looked at cooperatives, right?

So as the director says, when when I'm when we receive an urgent request, we look at existing contracts, and then next we look at cooperative contracts.

Those are the quickest ways that I can procure and get things complete.

So on on the item that is for you today is a cooperative.

The benefit here is while we have been going through our EY efficiency uh process in SPD.

We are negotiating uh cost savings, and part of that is with cooperative organizations themselves.

So not not the contractor, but with the cooperative agency.

As all this was moving on, we had reached agreement with uh TIPS, which is the mechanism we are using, the cooperative organization, that we actually get rebate funds back on the back end.

So now there is an additional savings by using that procurement methodology to come through and provide additional savings back to the city.

Councilmember Evan Shabbos.

Thank you, Mayor.

I have been really looking at this, and I can say it, you know, at first I was uh just uh a no.

But then I because I figure, you know, even though it is legal, we'll we'll get sued just because.

But certainly uh when I think about it, it's not just about the debris and the um the trash and all of that.

It is about the ability of that ground to infiltrate the storm water.

And with that building there, it cannot, which means that the water will end up in our channels.

And so if we remove all of the structures, the impervious uh material and the um concrete, then it gives us a better ability to be able to keep that water in the ground, as opposed to having a dangerous building there that keeps the water from uh actually permeating the ground.

So I I'm you know, I guess I'm gonna have to go in the other direction now because I have 84 houses, 84 houses that need uh demolition.

And if if I can correlate that, not just with debris and heavy trash and all that, because that's not the case, but it is always the case as to whether water can um can infiltrate the ground with a structure there.

And so I believe for that I'm gonna have to support the item.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Jackson.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Randy, um, Mayor.

Um presentation.

As you know, in my district, we got a lot of buildings.

The most the most buildings, 112 buildings.

Um of course we deal with a lot of flooding, um, illegal dumping.

And so um at first I was, you know, if I'm I appreciate my colleagues for the you know the conversation about the legality of um disordiness and controller appreciate his letter, but um I talked to my constituents on my constituents this morning, and they I mean we need to get these buildings down, and we need to do what we need to do to address the issues, you know.

So sometimes you have to take the money for the light bill money to pay the gas bill.

But um but um you know, I mean I know but uh we're in a situation in District B that we need all the support that we can get.

Um but I do have one question.

Is this gonna impact existing projects?

Flood mitigation projects, stormwater projects that's happening right now.

We there are there are no projects.

Again, we um dedicated this money in the budget process at the beginning of the year.

So it's not like we said we're not doing these projects, so we can put this 25 million over here.

That was the intention from the very beginning.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

I support it.

Thanks.

Councilman Flickinger.

Thank you, Mayor, and appreciate the conversation today.

Obviously, what you all have done is creative.

I think it will be more efficient and actually allow us to do more of what needs to be done in the city.

I do think also it is a bit of a stretch, but I don't think it is stretched beyond unreasonable.

So I will be supporting this.

Thank you.

Mayor Pro Tim.

Thank you, Mayor.

I appreciate all the conversation because I will tell you that I am I am leaning yes and I am torn.

Yes, because I know how many buildings and homes that we need to tear down.

We had a building on Marley that caught fire.

So I definitely understand the argument.

But what I really want to get a good understanding about is the money that we allocated in the budget.

I want I need to be reminded, you said we have about a million in dangerous buildings.

If we were to tear down the buildings that would qualify based on what the inspectors would identify as impacting our storm drains, how much money would we need to do that?

Because quite frankly, the people want these buildings torn down.

They want these buildings torn down.

I mean, do we have money to get these buildings torn down anywhere else, or was this the identified way?

It seems like we have two pots of money to take these buildings down.

One, like we traditionally did with Department of Neighborhoods, and then this one is 2302 that we allocated the additional 25 million dollars.

Yeah.

Mayor Pro Tem, we we spent a lot of time in preparation for the budget to see what sources were available.

This was this was the solution that we had available to us.

We were not able to identify other places that we could do.

Great example, right?

You couldn't possibly use DDSRF money for this.

It has such a specific definition on how that must be utilized.

You you could not go there.

So from public works standpoint, I really have basically three uh pots of money.

I have got the CUS, which includes the stormwater fund, I have got DDSRF money, and then we have got stuff from the permitting center, right?

Effectively the majority of that is the building inspection fund.

The building inspection fund is pretty tapped.

Uh we actually rely on its remaining fund ballots year over year.

It diminishes every year.

Um, and that has a lot to do with decisions that go back really, really, really far.

Okay.

Um until we can find a way to shore up that particular funding, which would be through a cost of service study, which would without a doubt increase the cost of permitting fees, impact fees, and so forth, the building inspection fund is not an opportunity for us there.

That really leaves me with only the stormwater fund at this point.

That is why we identified it.

We did believe that there was that nexus.

I can tell you right now, even if we used all 30 million of this for the buildings that we have on the list, it is probably not enough.

Because while it might only be maybe 15,000 or so to take a particular structure down, the abatement remediation on some of those projects is going to be far more significant.

On a commercial property, it could be the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It is really hard for us to evaluate and tell you what a firm cost would be, but we do know it is more than 30 million, and you don't have to drive far in Houston to just spot one after the next after the next.

So is there any opportunity to clarify when we would spend these dollars to demo demo the buildings?

I would I would be more than happy to put the rubric together and share that with council.

Uh and in fact, I make a very firm commitment on all of the structures we have demolished in any of your districts that you have well in advanced notice will be very, very aggressive on how we let you know what we are doing, and frankly, the funding sources we use to do that.

And if you know I can tell you there are some in District B that they want to have a ribbon cutting for when the bulldozer shows up, maybe that is something that is interest in some of those districts because the residents have been waiting for so long.

But I I have no problem outlining the process, making sure that it's shown up.

And again, as with all things that we have done over the last year, as we have tried to really turn public works around in the right direction.

If there are additional adjustments that we need to make as we learn through that process, we will continue to make that, right?

Your feedback on that is invaluable to me.

We absolutely take that into account as in everything that we possibly can do.

But most of you know me at this point.

I'm I'm here just to get it done.

Um that's the name of the game for me is I want us to move forward and stop talking about the problems and start solving them.

Thank you.

Councilor Plummer.

Thank you.

Last comment.

Um I know that you are probably aware that the DOJ is not monitoring illegal dumping, and that's really what this conversation is.

So when you do demolish these buildings, now there's a vacant lot.

Are you fencing the are you fencing the property as well?

We we may be required to in some instances.

Uh it depends really on where it is located and and what is taking place.

We we are going to have to watch those properties, depending on what is there, vegetation-wise, et cetera, to ensure that it kind of stays mowed down.

But again, the the interest of that is is ensuring that we don't just allow the same problem to persist.

Residential areas, for instance, we don't do a lot of fencing in there.

It's not terribly effective.

Um commercial areas we do tend to fence a lot, so it just depends.

Thank you.

Member Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

And uh I I appreciate this discussion today.

I think there, you know, are arguments on both sides.

I think one argument is stronger than the other.

Uh mayor, as you know, as serving in the legislature that uh when it comes down to these type of debates, uh, we look at the legislative intent.

And I do think that the legislative intent of the storm water fund was to ensure that we are maintaining our drainage system from an infrastructure standpoint.

And when we get down to a maintenance, it may be to clear drains or clear ditches, uh, but we're talking about demolishing structures.

There is no nexus between that structure and that infrastructure system that that's two completely different things.

Now, the things that you are showing on this, the slideshow have nothing to do with the actual infrastructure of maintaining and improving the stormwater system.

They're not related at all.

Now, we can we can draw correlations and find nexus, but if you look at the if you if you really want to look at the legislative intent of why this is a dedicated money and why the the people of Houston want to ensure that we have a dedicated pot for storm water, is for the drainage system itself, to ensure that we have dollars to improve the infrastructure of it to mitigate flooding.

That doesn't have anything to do with the structure.

So this comes down to are we using these dollars in the appropriate manner?

There are many things that we could probably stretch and find ways to shift money.

But for whatever for whatever system we are in, there's a lot of dedicated accounts in enterprise funds and specific funding that only can be used for certain things in the city.

That's why we are under so much financial constraint as we are, is because we can't shift money just because, even if the people of Houston want to get certain things done, based on the system and the parameters that we have to uh work with in, we can't really shift money unless there is a clear nexus.

In this particular case, I don't think there is a clear nexus.

And the controller who wrote this memo, who's given us guidance is a lawyer himself.

So you have lawyers all over the map on this.

And what I say is we should we should proceed with caution.

We have already been here once before when we as a body vote a certain way, and then the the public looks at us as using those dollars in a in a way that it was not intended, and then we have uh even more money to pay out in the end.

And so, based on that, um I'm gonna follow the uh guidance of our city controller.

Thank you very much.

Councilor Cayman.

Thank you.

Uh Randy and Chad, thank you both for just hanging in there and standing up there through all of our questions.

Um I feel like we need to get them some water at this point.

Uh we have talked a lot about the process of liens, that we are going to be putting liens on these properties and that that money will then be put back into the fund.

About how long, if you are aware, does a lien enforcement take?

I don't have a number for you.

I mean, it depends.

It's not a short process traditionally.

Right.

And maybe, and it I apologize for putting on the spot, maybe the City Attorney can speak to this.

In terms of the lien process, about how long does that process take?

Ballpark range.

I can't give a specific number of years, but it is often several years.

You know, if you have dilapidated areas, it usually takes redevelopment and gentrification to be able to sell the property and get the money back.

But there is interest charged.

And so it takes years to get the money back, and do we have a success rate?

How many liens are we able to actually win on force?

We always win.

The issue is when it is sold.

You know, and it it it will someone who is going to sell it is going to make money from it one way or the other.

So they once the values start to rise, they will sell it and they will get the money.

But it's not an issue of us not prevailing in a lien proceeding.

Correct.

But it does what I mean by that is it can take years.

So we are taking money from what needs to be invested into drainage and waiting years and years, I will say kicking the can down the road to pull that money back in to then make actual infrastructure improvements to prevent future homes and businesses from flooding.

So when we're yes, we will, that money will eventually go back in, but Director, I think you said it yourself, with SWAT, we don't even have enough money.

So yeah, the projects that are on the books right now are getting planned or we're making those allocations, but how many more do each of us have in queue that are desperately needed right now?

And that's one of my biggest concerns.

Uh we have a solid waste problem.

And when we talk about ditch ditches being hindered, I in my district we have some of the most open ditches in the district, similar to District B.

And when heavy trash, not just legal dumping, but heavy trash builds up and builds up and builds up and it blocks the ditches.

Can we now use these funds towards solid waste for we have already been doing that?

I understand.

But I am asking that question because again, now what's been brought to our attention is a very clear ordinance within the CUS funding, and I have no problem with the ditch rehabilitations or ditch clearings out.

But we are attempting to address a very critical need, and I want to again emphasize the critical need of blighted buildings in the City of Houston that pose a public safety risk, not just a quality of life risk.

But the way in which we do that, we have to follow the rules, and again, in terms of what are we doing to prevent more abandonment?

What are we doing to prevent more blight?

When we flood and a property owner can no longer live there and doesn't have the means and the resources, we are not working towards prevention.

We are reacting to a problem we already have.

Uh so uh I don't know where we are in queue.

Uh I I want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to say what they would like to say, uh, but then I'll be tagging this item.

Counselor Alcorn.

Thank you.

Just one last thing.

These funds are have been used, these stormwater funds, and and and probably some have you said some have been used for this purpose.

But for the main for the main part, they have been used to pay down debt and to maintain our overall drainage system.

Our overall drainage system.

There's not, they're not used to do illegal dumping and I mean some of them have been, I guess, but that's not really the purpose, the illegal dumping and cutting down buildings.

So my problem is if we're not using them to maintain upsize inlets, do all the things that need to do in all the neighborhoods that don't have these problems.

If we're not using those funds there, and rebuild Houston has the 25 percent maintenance cutoff, we're depleting the other the extra funds we need to maintain the general system.

So my my issue is not it is is the use of these funds for this purpose, but also that we are, if we're using them for this purpose, we're not using them in other areas where they are needed.

And that's it.

I don't need a response.

Call the question.

Let's vote.

Are we calling the question?

I'm tagging.

Go ahead.

I'll withdraw the call the question.

I I just want I want to be a yes.

I want I want to be a yes because of the need, and I want to be a yes and able to explain why.

Um I want to hear from Arturo.

Um based on the information that we receive that says this is like DDSRF.

What is the how how do we respond to that and say this is different?

Are we using a different fund source?

How do we say this is a this is not the same?

There are two completely different funds.

Um I am asked to give an opinion, I approach it as if I were a judge or if I were a working lawyer and I look through every single aspect.

I mean, there have been I mean the issue that the city has been wrong before, we would be wrong in the future.

We're nearly 200 years old.

It's going to happen again.

But if I were a judge, that would not be a basis for me to say, well, I can't make a decision.

I'm pretty clear here that the language, and when you talk about intent, intent only factors in if there is ambiguity.

These are clear words, maintenance, improvement, repair.

The dictionary would encompass what is being done here.

Uh I think that's pretty clear.

A judge would look only at that and would not look any further than that.

When you look at the specific list of things, there's the concept of uh the Latin phrase is i i adjudice uh generis, which means a list means you have to have it of the same nature.

I think it's of the same nature, but even if it weren't, the language says included but not limiting to, which is common in our ordinances because we can't always predict the future.

So I'm confident that this meets legal muster.

I don't really have any doubt about it.

And I've spent a lot of time looking at it.

Thank you.

Members, uh first of all, that last comment is so strategic that we only have one city attorney that we depend on.

He is very capable, and he is confident that we are on sound legal grounding.

Um I can't tell you how, and I know you know this, how important this process is to get these dangerous buildings out of our neighborhoods.

Uh I think it is irrefutable if you go there, which I do.

The dangerous building is contributing to our drainage problem.

It attracts dumping to that site because no one is living there.

And people see it as another hazardous, dangerous building that everyone's ignoring.

It becomes a dumping site which feeds into blocking our drainage system, and that's what we are attempting to address.

So we did our due diligence.

Public works, who we have confidence, I believe, in this director.

Certainly I do.

He's a fix-it guy.

He has a system.

He's used this before.

Then Jed comes back and makes it more affordable.

Melissa says yes, we put money in the budget into the same process.

Then Arturo says it is legal.

So I think we need to continue to depend on these resources as we try to fix this problem.

And I will close by saying look at the districts where the buildings are.

Low-income minority communities that have suffered from this for years.

So obviously we have had a great hearing.

It also shows that we need to have more meaningful committee systems.

Someone referenced the legislature a while ago.

This would be in the legislature a committee hearing.

And we would also hear from the public, pro and con.

But we have done our job today.

Councilman Kamen, you mentioned tagging, but Councilman Peck had already mentioned that she wanted to to get clarification.

So uh Councilmember Alcorn wants to call the question.

Cayman already tagged.

Oh Beg pardon?

I already tagged.

And I'm happy again, Mayor, you have to do that.

Well, that's fine.

I'm I I support that because I want everyone to have as much information as they need.

We could vote, and I see I I understand there is support for it, but you know, hell uh there was this, you know, thousands of buildings that were dangerous when I got here.

We're trying to address the problem, and we have a mechanism with the best advice we can get.

And Mayor, since you had mentioned the importance of the committee system, again, this never came to committee.

It just was set on agenda, so I would entertain a motion to refer to BFA.

I would do anything, but this conversation isn't over.

We haven't had, you know, I appreciate the director said that he'll lay out parameters under the program.

There's a lot that needs to be discussed here.

So remove your tag, then motion.

No, it's tagged.

You want to remember your tag or a committee.

I tagged in the right.

I am happy to remove my tag to entertain a motion, uh motion to refer to the business and finance committee if that's a good idea.

I prefer a tag at this time that way we that way we can everybody deal with it.

Councilmember Peck tagged it.

Well, that's great.

Tag by Kamen and Peck.

All right.

Thank you.

Next.

Okay.

Is that a motion for item 16?

Councilman Kateman.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I'll be tagging this item as well.

I know this was a proposal from the Ernst and Young study, but it's for 180 million dollars uh for fleet procurement.

Uh I'd like further discussion on this.

Uh Jet, I'll absolutely get with you.

But again, what are the parameters under which fleet is going to be operating if these aren't coming forward, including the climate action plan and resilient Houston plan uh as it relates to what types of vehicles we are seeking to obtain.

Tag releasing for the purpose of discussion, recognize council.

Yeah.

Councilmember Hoffman.

Thank you.

I too am interested in learning more about this.

Um and I don't know how much we spend total in vehicles over three years.

Is it is it more than 180 million?

Yeah, Jed can address it.

It's not what you might be thinking about, like cars and trucks, it's it's equipment and all the uh purchases uh over the next three years.

It was part of the Ernst and Young recommendation.

When you have this ability, you save money.

Jen.

And I understand too that we want to have cash on hand because we're losing out on on some of these bids because we're competing with all these other, you know, government entities and things like that.

So I I totally understand that.

Go ahead.

Yeah, and and it is and and to the amount, it's the CIP amount that's already in the CIP book.

So this is a three-year contract.

We took those CIP amounts.

That's what determines the 180.

But it gives us now all the flexibility to when we have we we order our bigger unit, our bigger uh allotments early on in the fiscal year, but we're restricted by the manufacturers on how many we can order.

There are some that show up on the lots that become available, and it's whoever can get the PO the quickest, get those units.

And so this gives us the flexibility, like we did with the garbage trucks.

Uh, we turn that pretty quickly, but I have to shut down my operations and say, get this going because we've got to get those trucks.

Completely inefficient on my operations on how to how to run that.

So this gives us the ability to be flexible, and as the argument I made earlier, these are on those cooperative uh contracts that we've now negotiated additional rebates to come on the back end.

Uh so now not only do we get the lower price in the cooperative contract itself, then annually we're going to get rebates based on our percentage of spend off of those.

So it's just an additional way to bring savings and give us flexibility.

Councilmember Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Like most of you all, I saw this uh this figure and it it caught my eye.

I I did have a great meeting with Jed yesterday.

And um, you know.

One of the questions I had was, you know, how many how many vehicles do we even have within the City of Houston?

What's what's a part of our our fleet?

And the number was 13,700.

Uh because I always see vehicle purchases on our agenda, like almost every week.

We're we're spending money on vehicles.

I'm like, how many how many vehicles do we own?

And what's the lifespan of these vehicles?

And then what it what are we getting trade in or or um some type of compensation for the vehicles when they no longer have life use for us when we're putting them out for auction or trading them in or whatever we're doing.

Um but the 180 million over three years, once broken down to you know, 60 million basically a year, and the average unit price of let's say $60,000 a vehicle, that's a 1,000 units or vehicles uh per year, it starts to make sense.

And it it does start to understand why uh this is the creative way about doing it and how it gives us some flexibility.

And so uh although it's a a big price tag and it seems like we're purchasing vehicles every agenda, I do see um the strategy behind this.

And so, Jed, I want to thank you for uh the clarification on on why we're bringing it forth in this manner.

Absolutely.

Thank you, Jed.

Good job.

He's thank you.

Tagged uh councilmember Cayman.

Next.

The mayor pro Tim moves that we reconsider item 15 that was accidentally put on consent.

A motion made in a second.

All in favor say yes.

Those no.

Say no.

Item 15 before us, member.

Is it is that a motion for item 15?

Next second.

Holler, do you want to recognize?

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

Um.

I sent an email regarding this item.

I don't I have not received to my knowledge a response yet, but it just caught my eye.

We're increasing spending authority for pavement preservation services in our interlocal agreement with the City of Dallas.

Um don't know what the connection is with the City of Dallas, but I was also more interested in what these services actually do for pavement preservation.

Um we know that we have some of the worst streets in the country.

Um I don't know what streets we have used this service for for pavement preservation and what it actually does.

Um but I would be more interested to learn about it.

I'm not sure if if you can break that down for me now or or I should just tag it for additional information.

But um I have not received my response from uh your administration on that yet.

So uh I'll I'll keep it open if if there's more insight and clarification on it.

I think uh Randy went to work.

Okay.

All right.

Well, uh so you want to tag 15, that's fine.

Yeah, I'll tag it.

I'll leave it open if anyone else has a discussion on it, and then I'll tag.

Randy's coming out from the Randy heard the alarm.

He's coming around.

All right, so so Randy, my my my question and welcome back.

Um we're increasing the spending authority for pavement preservation services.

Yeah.

One to get a better understanding of what these services actually do.

What streets have we already put the service towards to have a better understanding if it actually works, because if if if there is a service that uh you know preserves the pavement in this city, then you know I'm all for putting as much money towards it as possible.

But also wanted to understand what is the nexus or the correlation with this interlocal agreement with this the city of Dallas and how that yeah, how we work together.

Yeah, um so as far as the Dallas Agreement is concerned, uh we're basically just tacking on to Dallas's existing contract to be able to use the mechanism with the with the contractor there.

We launched a pilot program for pavement preservation earlier last year.

This is something that the city has never done, right?

When we talk about pavement preservation, we're talking about uh sealing new asphalt, crack seals where things start to happen.

This is the efforts that we have to expand the lifespan, primarily of composite and asphalt surfaces.

And so we we began this for the first time in the city's history earlier this year, and it's been pretty successful.

I'm happy to have uh our team get a list of areas that we've done it on so far.

It's been very small and targeted in nature, so it's not huge.

We we really started with a pretty small contract, but that's why we wanted to go back and add additional capacity to that so that we can expand that service across the city.

So, what will this increase be able to do from a capacity standpoint?

What are we looking at?

Yeah, it'll be it'll be many more.

Similar to a lot of our work order contracts, it's gonna depend on exactly what the scope we put in front of them, right?

So you could find some streets where a lot of crack sealing is gonna go a long ways and and prevent us from needing to necessarily go and completely do a mill and overlay for at least another couple of years or even longer beyond that.

One of my biggest concerns was after we go through this massive project that we have right now of rehabilitating thousands of lane miles of roadway every single year.

I didn't want to get in the cycle where in three years we've got to do it all over again.

And that's really honestly about how long some of our stuff has been lasting, three to five years.

Asphalt auto lasts us 10, 15, 20, plus if we take good care of it.

Now we have a lot of complications with that.

When you get a lot of semi-trucks going through there, it's going to degrade it real quick.

That's where things like um, you know, the pothole repair services comes in for us.

But if we're able to make sure that when we start to see surface cracking and other things and fill that in, it's going to prevent those potholes from popping up later on as well.

So it's it's a pretty comprehensive look at things that is always a case-by-case, depending on that road, its usage and what is going on there.

The intent here was to add a bunch more through this particular contract so that we could do more and continue to prove it out.

I will also say there will be places where it's not going to be very effective.

We will learn that lesson in certain parts of town when we say, okay, we know we have to be on a better cycle here for just overall rehab and refresh.

And that so the question on the City of Dallas.

So we have under uh state law and under our procurement policies, we can do interlocal agreements and adopt the procurement or contract of another uh government entity.

So we do that all the time, where it may be City of Dallas or City of Phoenix, Harris County.

Um likewise those entities can use City of Houston contracts.

So it's just another methodology that we have in our tool belt for procurement on how we want to utilize those contracts, and then we can bring those vendors in, and then we can negotiate further if we can get additional cost savings based on volume or whatever we might bring.

It is pretty cool.

Thank you for the insight.

Uh I'll remove my tag.

Yes, I just want to uh speak in support of this item.

Uh Director, you a couple of months ago you came before this body and talked about the flexibility you your department needed to address street repair through the asphalt because the materials had improved over time, and there have been significant asphalt projects on the west side that have we received better communication and feedback because of the improvement, the timing of the projects, and how swiftly y'all were able to come in and repair those streets.

So I appreciate this coming before, and hopefully we can get some of those projects uh that would have probably had to take, you know, CIP action item to get done with this flexibility ability, it allows us to cure that backlog.

Thank you.

Okay.

Members all in favor of item 15 say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Next.

Item 18 is a resolution.

Just need a vote.

Councilmember Fleckinger.

Thank you, Mayor.

Wanted to speak in support of this item.

Uh I've been working on this for about the last two months with both uh Harris County and Montgomery County, along with our state partners as well.

Um the property in question was uh recently sold from RICO to Scarborough, and uh things change fairly quickly.

You know, when it comes to flooding, we have got a lot of inherent issues that we can't do anything about.

There's little change in elevation.

We're very flat.

Uh we're close to the bay, which means all the rivers and creeks and bayous uh run into that, so we're kind of at the bottom of the funnel.

Uh we're close to the Gulf, which means we get tropical systems and moisture just coming off the Gulf.

And we have always had flooding issues.

And we've certainly addressed them in the past, but I think Harvey was a game changer.

Uh the county passed a multi-billion dollar bond with a lot of money expected to come from other partners uh to help with flood mitigation.

Uh we enacted new building codes that made it uh more difficult to build or impossible to build in some of the areas that we built before.

But this development is a significant step backwards.

Uh this land lies at the confluence of the West Fork of the San Jacino River, Spring Creek, Cypress Creek.

It's probably one of the most flooded areas in the entire area.

And worse than that, it's going to make flooding downstream even worse.

And although this certainly affects my constituents in Kingwood and Huffman, it also does for Umble and Atascaseda.

Uh you know, this area just about a mile south of the river of where this is being built at 59 had the highest reading for the flood gauges during Harvey.

Uh you know, the flooding was significant.

We passed out pictures just to remind everybody of what it was like uh from Harvey.

And Kingwood in Huffman didn't flood from the rain.

We flooded from the rise in the San Jacino River and the rise in Lake Houston.

And this is going to exacerbate that, and just really would love everybody's support on this resolution of objection.

Thank you.

Councilmember Carter.

Thank you, Mayor.

And thank you, Councilmember Fleckinger, for bringing this uh to the attention of the administration and and to this body.

Um certainly uh, you know, it is it's a game changer.

If this can if this project continues in our community, it's a game changer, but also in the surrounding region.

Um, you know, what your pictures, I think must belong to Bob Rehex.

So this particular picture to give you an idea, I took particular note to this young man's over the left of his shoulder, less than 200 yards, the water was 18 plus feet high.

The little league fields were over there and it was up over the back stops.

So, you know, to to really add the impervious ground that that this project would in the community and to see with the construction and all the development in Montgomery County.

Um, you know, I think we need to keep a close eye on all of the major projects that we can and that we have any input because it certainly would be a uh a game changer for the community.

So thank you for bringing this forward.

I certainly am in favor.

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh I also want to uh show my support and thank Councilman Flick for bringing this to uh before us and certainly the opposing this item because truly looking into it and researching it uh with him, uh it would certainly bring about a catastrophe in the Kingwood area.

And uh many of our Kingwood uh citizens have already suffered and experienced devastation of uh rising waters, and this would just add to it.

So thank you for bringing it.

I support this.

Thank you.

And I am also um in support of this resolution as somebody who flooded in Hurricane Harvey, you know, no one should have to go through that experience.

But even if we issue this resolution, it's not going to prevent this piece of property from potentially being developed.

It's not going to prevent the City of Houston from issuing permits, you know, if they meet all the criteria.

And so I think the purpose of this resolution is to give notice of the concerns about the area.

But future homeowners need to know.

You know, we talked about, you know, the cancer clusters, and you know, that even once it was determined that that area was not safe, permits were still issued with no notice when the permit was issued that that this was an issue.

Um I don't know what the right answer is, but I think that we need to do something to make future residents when they pull permits to to be aware that that this is an issue.

Councilmember Ramirez.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to speak in support of this resolution as well.

When we talk about uh flood prevention, the reality is we are at the mercy, or at least Kingwood residents are, who are Houston residents, at the mercy of what happens in Montgomery County.

And this development is a huge threat to them.

And uh all Houstonians need to know about this.

This same resolution passed Harris County Commissioner's Court unanimously.

Everyone voted for it, and we uh should do the same as well.

Uh Commissioner Ramsey described this 5,003 acre development.

Uh if it went through without further um uh flood limitations, would be like aiming a fire hose at Kingwood and Umble.

So this is the big deal.

I am also understanding that the State uh General Land Office is part of this as well.

And so anything we can do to um impress upon that agency the importance um of con added controls to this development would be a good thing as well.

Uh I fully support it.

Thank you.

Councilman Flickin.

Yeah, I just wanted to add in to uh comment on Councilwoman Huppin's point.

She is absolutely correct.

This doesn't stop the project.

Um wish it was, and but certainly don't want to give anybody the false hope that the you know it will stop it.

But I do think it is really important that we send a strong message and a united message to the developer that this is a problem.