Order Councilman Pollard for the invocation.

Thank you, Mayor, and good afternoon to everyone.

If you'll please bow your head for a word of prayer Lord, thank you for waking us up to see another day.

Thank you for bringing us here safely.

Please watch over us as we convene this meeting.

Please watch over our city and its residents.

Have us do everything in your glory.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

Thank you.

Please stand for the pledge.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, ma'am.

Mr.

Secretary, do you please call the row?

Mayor Whitmeyer.

President.

Councilmember Peck?

Here.

Councilmember Jackson.

Councilmember Kamen, Councilmember Evans Shabazz, Councilmember Flickinger will be absent.

Councilmember Thomas will be absent.

Councilmember Huffman, Councilmember Castillo?

Here.

Councilmember Martinez.

Councilmember Pollard?

Here.

Councilmember Castax Pater.

Here.

Council Member Ramirez.

Here.

Councilmember Davis.

Councilmember Carter.

Councilmember Salinas.

Present.

And Councilmember Alcorn.

Here.

Need a motion to adopt the minutes of March 24th and 25th.

Cast tight to move.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion.

Council Castillo for the procedural.

Councilmember Castillo.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move to suspend the rules to add Gloria Flores de Guardado and Jared DeBronick to the bottom of the one minute non-agenda list.

Motion made and seconded.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passed.

Anyone else?

No, sir, that's all.

Members, we have a very long list of speakers signed up today.

Because we have 150 minutes worth of speakers.

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

So welcome everyone.

We hope you'll abide by that rule so we can have a uh successful evening.

With that, uh Ms.

Secretary, our first speaker.

Andrea Guerrero.

Andrea Guerrero.

Second.

Kathy Fletcher.

To be followed by Americ Paket.

Either one.

Hi, uh my name is Kathy Fletcher, and I'm a proud Houstonian from District C.

I'm here to thank Councilmember Salinas for introducing the proposal to improve how our police interact with ICE and Council members Cayman and Pollard for their support.

Your leadership reflects what Houston stands for.

A city that welcomes people from all over the world that work hard, enrich our culture, raise families, and put down roots here.

Houston is one of the most diverse and dynamic cities in America, and that is our strength.

But due to MAGA and ICE overreach, one in seven Houstonians now know someone detained or deported.

Nearly 4,000 immigrant children have stopped coming to school out of fear.

MAGA and ICE are not on Houston's side.

Their actions are damaging our schools, our neighborhoods, and our economy.

And wasting the time of our officers to serve their political agenda.

This ordinance is common sense.

And to keep pushing for even stronger proposals so every Houston family can live here without fear.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next.

Americ Piquet.

Americ Poquett.

No.

Haley Rogers.

Patricia Chen.

To be followed by Philippe Diaz.

Mayor Whitmeyer, Houston City Council members.

My name is Patricia.

Thank you for your time.

I'm here to talk about community safety.

And what I'm supposed to do is start with some shared values or a problem that we can all agree upon.

However, my fellow Houstonians have been doing this for quite some time with very little movement on the part of the council.

So I'm going to try something different.

Maybe this is a problem that you care more about.

HPD is licking ICE's balls.

They are acting like lap dogs in service of ICE over their fellow Houstonians.

So what I would like to ask is for the council members to please put back a key provision that I understand was taken out of Salinas's proposition.

This key provision would have allowed HPD to have some more discretion when they're at traffic stops, particularly for members who um particularly for people who have administrative warrants.

So put back that key provision.

It's very important.

And then once the original provision is back, or once the original uh proposition is back where it should be, then I would ask the council members to bring it forward to a vote, and everybody should vote yes, especially uh Mr.

Castillo since you're my council member.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Next believe Diaz.

To be followed by Kyle Rogers.

Council members.

I'm one of your midtown constituents, and I'm here to talk to you about the Prop A ordinance regarding cooperation between HPD and ICE.

It's a great first step.

However, allowing HPD to detain people for more than 30 minutes beyond their original traffic stop while they are waiting for ICE to arrive is a violation of the Fourth Amendment.

As established in the 2015 Supreme Court case Rodriguez VUS.

And in cases where ICE doesn't show up, HPD members should not be compelled to share that person's name and address back to ICE.

Executive ICE warrants are civil matters and lie outside of HPD's jurisdiction.

There are no grounds for this kind of cooperation.

Our city's police force are sicking ICE agents on community members, most of whom are regular taxpayers and without any kind of criminal history.

This is not my idea of safety.

In something tells me it's not yours either.

I urge you to change the ordinance to remedy these points.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Solinas.

Thank you for all the speakers that are here.

I just want to offer some additional information about where the propo the ordinance stands today.

So the two remaining provisions that were deemed lawful have been added to the agenda, and they will be voted on next Wednesday.

Um so please know our focus is to try to pass these two items first, and then we will work together with community to address the additional provision that is deemed unlawful.

But my hope is we can focus on the two provisions that have been passed, approved for lawfulness, and then we'll have the fight on the administrative warrants piece.

But thank you so much for coming to speak.

Thank you all for being here.

This is Democracy at Work, and it's amazing.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Kyle Rogers.

Hi, my name's AJ.

I am eight years old.

So the problem with ICE is that I'm scared to go out of my house.

Like ICE is everywhere, like all around Houston.

Like, I'm scared.

How does it feel when you guys are trying to like if somebody is black, right?

And ICE is following them like that all over the city, right?

So I am scared to go out of my house on the street because I am worried that I might be captured.

Thank you.

Very good.

Thank you.

Hi.

My name is Anna, and this is my son AJ.

Um we have had currently no negative interactions with ICE or police, but this fear is very real, and it's not something I can just say, don't worry, police are safe.

We have seen police take kids off of this, or if we have seen ICE take police take kids away from their families.

If five-year-old Liam wasn't safe, how can my eight-year-old feel safe?

I urge City Council to vote yes on this new ordinance to protect Houstonians.

While more work needs to be done, I do feel like this is a step in the right direction.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, Clark Foster.

To be followed by Kim Sao.

Hello.

I am a resident of District D in the city of Houston, and I'm here to speak uh against HPD and ICE collaboration.

Uh Houston and its residents deserve better from our city government.

Uh we deserve to have more transparency.

We deserve to have uh um non-enforcement of admin we deserve to have an HPD that is not cooperating with ICE and that uh administrative warrants are not being used as grounds for HPD to uh to arrest, detain, and transport individuals.

Uh we would like to see, I would like to see greater transparency from the city, not to see uh feat dragged by members of our city government on admitting to cooperation between ICE and HPD as we've seen in the past, and to see a stronger uh advocacy for protecting the Fourth Amendment and our right against unlawful search and seizure as well as detention.

Uh the actions that the City Council can take uh are greater than those which they're the which they have taken in the time.

Thank you.

Next, Kim Sao.

To be followed by Dale Story, good afternoon, uh honorable Houston City Council.

My name is Kim Sauk, and I live in District K.

And I believe that the ICE agents and HPD should communicate with each other to better manage the situation uh here in Houston uh and what they're working uh towards.

So there should not be any limits in communication.

Um generally speaking in the workforce, uh communication should anyway promote uh better outcomes, uh a better place to live here in Houston.

And so I believe that uh they uh should uh be able to communicate.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next, Dale Story.

To be followed by UA Lewis.

Uh Dale Story, retired political science professor emeritus, District C.

Speaking in support of the original Salinas et al.

proposed ordinance and in strong opposition to the City Attorney's decision, excuse me, to delete the section on ICE administrative warrants.

This amounts to a unilateral decision by an unelected official, beholden only to Mayor Whitmeyer, essentially an executive veto prior to even being considered by the council.

While disguised as a legal opinion, this decision is a prolongation of the false and racist rec rhetoric regarding this community.

The literature clearly shows that undocumented immigrants provide a net positive contribution to our economy and the average level of criminal activity far below that of the born citizens.

Uphold democratic decision making and protect our communities.

Follow the truth.

C say quite next.

To be followed by Haney Khalil.

Good afternoon, everyone.

I'm a civil rights attorney here in Houston, Texas.

And I'm sorry, I'm a civil rights attorney here in Houston, Texas.

And um the young man AJ made a point that is very valid.

As a United States citizen, he has every right to be afraid of ICE.

Here in Houston and all over the United States, I'm holding up a picture of Keith Porter Jr.

He is a former Houston resident.

He will no longer ever be a Houston resident because of the actions of ICE and a story that was lied about him that he was shooting when he never was.

This is the things that we have to be afraid of, and I I encourage you all to pass this ordinance.

It's very important as it stands and as it was presented.

Mayor Whitmeyer, I encourage you to be the leader on this and not take anything out of it and respect the law that I know that you can and will do in this ordinance.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Haney Kalillo.

To be followed by Elisa Koyar.

Good afternoon, Mayor Whitmeyer and City Council members.

Many Khalil with the Texas Gulf Coast AFL CIO, and on behalf of our Federation's 75 affiliated unions and 60,000 union members, I urge you to pass the revised immigration ordinance.

Last week our Federation's executive board voted unanimously to support this ordinance.

We did so because unions believe every worker deserves to live and work without fear, regardless of our immigration status.

Houston is built by working people from all backgrounds, including immigrant workers who are vital to our economy, our unions, our families.

But when workers fear that interacting with police could lead to deportation and harm to their families, they're less likely to report crimes, take their kids to school, speak up about unsafe conditions on the job, or even report to work, making all of us less safe in the economy more vulnerable.

Dallas, Austin, Bear County have already passed similar ordinances.

We believe the deleted officer discretion provision is lawful and will continue advocating for that.

But in the meantime, the city of Houston should take meaningful action today to protect immigrant families by passing this immigration ordinance.

Your time has expired.

Thank you.

Councilman Kamer.

No, really, Hanny, I think you answered it because you said that the body, first off, thank you for your leadership and the voices of our working families.

You had said that the body had voted in favor of the proposition.

That was prior to the legal ruling by the city legal department to remove a section just for the record.

Y'all would support it as a whole as well.

Is that correct?

Absolutely.

Okay.

Yeah.

We want we want to look we're the labor movement is very practical.

We would like to see progress made when progress is on the table, and we will continue to advocate for what we think is lawful.

Other cities have passed this.

We think it that other provisions should be added back, and we'll support it then.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next.

Elisa Quayar.

To be followed by Tana Pradio.

Hi, I'm Alyssa Quayar, resident of District D.

Um.

I've had a lot of conversations with a lot of very different people in the last several weeks about police and ICE and immigration in Houston.

And one thing I've noticed across the board, no matter who you're talking to, people are very quick to identify a personal relationship that they have to an immigrant in their lives.

It's like they can't help it, actually.

Um I think that this is because we all have this when you live in Houston, you know that every single day of your life, an immigrant does something to make your life a little bit better.

It's an unavoidable reality here.

Councilmember Carter, the last month when we were here, I heard you say that the conversation we were having that day was not really about immigration.

And if that's true, I hope that it can be a conversation instead about seeing every person as a human being first and everything else second.

I've heard you advocate for police accountability.

A lot of you advocate for police accountability and public safety, and I believe that.

I want to believe that.

I want to live in that world.

Your time has expired.

Thank you.

I'll finish up.

Um I would like to live in that world.

But the way things are now, we are weakening police accountability to Houstonians by making police accountable to federal immigration authorities.

So please pass the ordinance, and I hope you have a serious conversation about taking HPD off of non-safety traffic stops.

Thank you so much and have a nice day.

Good afternoon, Council members.

I am Tana Pardilla, one of the co-founders of Positive Women's Network, Texas Strike Force.

So as a Native Houstonian, it is really important, but also as a black woman living with HIV, that these policies that should be designed so all motorists benefit from a clearer rules, safer enforcement practices, and fewer unnecessary policies in our action.

But what I'm saying today is as someone who is 65 years old, who pride herself living in Houston, that we need to have policies and procedures that benefit all of Houston, not just parts of Houston when it comes to immigration, when it comes to people's health care, when it comes to the rights of the people that have grew up and been a part of this community for a lifetime, deserve to have the things that they need as Houstonians, but also as human beings.

So please consider the policies and procedures that are beneficial to you.

Your time has expired.

Thank you.

Gloria.

Gloria Flores de Guard Guardado.

She moved Jared Dobrine Dobranit.

He's in the overflow room.

Sir Tony Curry.

Hold on, if they're in the overflow room, how does that work?

Are we going to wait for them to walk over?

I think we're going to go in order to be back.

Okay, they'll we'll come back around.

Okay.

Sir Tony Curry.

Sir Tony Curry.

Robert Stubblefield.

To be followed by Ian Lavachik.

Good afternoon.

My name is Bob Stubblefield.

I'm coordinator of the Justice Ministry at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church over in Timbergrove Manor.

We're here representing both my congregation and Texas Impact's Houston Faith votes in support of Council Member Salinas' proposed ordinance clarifying the law regarding when HPD is required to contact ICE officers.

I'm asking that the proposed ordinance be implemented to limit HPD officers' involvement in immigration enforcement during traffic stops.

Specifically encounters involving individuals with administrative immigration civil warrants that are not signed by a judge or a magistrate.

Under the current policy, there is danger of racial profiling and pretext abuse whereby some officers could use seemingly minor traffic violations like a crack windshield as a pretext to stop a vehicle and escalate uh routine traffic stop into an immigration enforcement encounter.

Your time has expired.

Thank you.

Next Ian Lavachek.

To be followed by Sarah Hirsch.

Good evening, Council.

I grew up in Houston's East End in District I.

When I attended Land Trip Elementary School, I was one of the few white children in class.

But I didn't realize it because they were just my friends, and that was just my community.

But now that I'm older, I realize that my skin color is a privilege and it is undeserved.

So I want to use it to protect the other members of my community who don't have that privilege.

Across Houston, especially in District I, many are immigrants or have immigrant relatives.

They're scared, they don't trust HPD, and so they don't call.

And they don't talk to the council members because to them you're part of the system, fair or not.

America has played a nasty bait and switch for decades.

We love cheap immigrant labor and the food and goods they provide, so we recruit them, we look the other way until we need a scapegoat.

That we cast them as villains and criminals, even those trying to navigate our Byzantine immigration system.

Your time has expired.

Thank you.

To be followed by Amanda Moreno.

Hello, everyone.

I am also a high school teacher, which makes me a civil servant.

And I understand how precious Tuesday night evening time is.

So uh that's why I'm out here.

Uh it's worth it to me to come speak in support of the Salinas Cayman Pollard ICE and HBD ordinance.

I would very much like it if you all voted for it.

Thank you.

Next.

Councilmember Pollard has a procedural motion.

Council.

Thank you, Mayor Pollard.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

I'd like to um make a motion to add uh Cesar Espinosa to the end of the original three-minute agenda list.

Motion made and seconded.

All in favor say yes, those opposed to night.

Motion back.

Council Mr.

Salinas.

I'd like to make a motion to add the Disa Gutierrez to the end of the one-minute list.

Okay.

Motion made and seconded.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed to night.

Motion passes.

Okay.

Uh fellow Houstonians and City Council members, first, thank you so much for your time.

I stand here today to oppose Proposition A, as it would limit our uh HPD's cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Our elected leaders were chosen by U.S.

citizens, not by people who are here unlawfully.

We must work with our state and federal partners, not against them, to enforce the law and ensure American prosperity.

Catering to those who are here unlawfully is not compassionate.

It's reckless.

It drives up the tax burden of hardworking Houston families who already pay for emergency rooms, hospitals, schools, and public services strained by those who enter our country unlawfully.

Enough is enough.

Houston deserves leaders who put American citizens first, reject this proposal, stop coddling non-cit citizens at the expense of taxpayers, demand full cooperation with ICE in federal law.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Amanda Moreno.

Oh, that was a man.

Nicole Hughes.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Nicholas Hughes.

Elsmarelda Ledezma.

To be followed by Letty Ortega.

Good evening, Council members.

My name is Esmeralda Ledesma, and I am with Wuri Juntos, advocating for immigrant communities across Houston, and I am a resident of District C in the museum district.

As a Houstonian directly impacted by immigration policy, I was eager to learn about Councilmember Salinas's ordinance empowering HPD to not do ICE's dirty work for them.

As we all know, Houston is a city that thrives from diversity, and to have an ordinance like this presented for the hundreds of thousands of Houstonians that are immigrants who call the city home was long overdue.

This moment of joy was short-lived when I learned about the city attorney's cut, the single most impactful piece of the ordinance.

Without the section regarding HPD not calling ICE on administrative warrants, the protection for our communities is only the very beginning of what Houstonians need.

Today I call upon you, the council members of the city of Houston and the city attorney to stand up for all Houstonians regardless of status to ensure no one has to live in fear.

Across Houston, fathers feel being pulled over on their way to work.

Mothers think twice before going to the grocery store, and children bite their nails fearing.

Oh, thank you.

Your time your time has expired.

Yes, go ahead, ma'am.

Good evening.

My name is Letty Ortega.

I'm a Houstonian and organizer at Mi Familia Naccion.

We work with communities across the county, including youth and mixed status families.

We believe that when every community voice is included, we can create solutions that help every family thrive.

We don't have safer or happier communities when people are afraid to call for help when they're being hurt, need an ambulance, when they're sick, or to simply be outside in their community because they don't know what will happen or if they will be treated fairly.

Collaboration with ICE does not bring safety to Houston communities.

It puts the freedoms and rights of everyone at risk and creates fear, distrust, and confusion in our city.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next Haley Rogers.

To be followed by Kyle Rogers.

But most importantly, I am a lifelong Houstonian of this city.

Um and I care for this city deeply, even though half my family has urged me to leave this city.

And I want to acknowledge while this ordinance is a step in the right direction towards towards harm reduction for our most vulnerable communities.

It is not enough.

Taking out the key provision in Prop A that allows HPD discretion to call ICE when an administrative warrant is found in the NCIC database is not what the city wants, needs, or demands.

Every day we hear about horrible conditions detainees, especially women and children are facing within the detention centers in this state.

Thank you.

Kyle Rogers.

To be followed by Ruth Hoffman Locke.

First, I would like to introduce myself.

My name is Carmen Mayorgan with SCIU Texas, and I'm gonna be doing the interpretation for our member.

Okay.

I must travel.

See my name is Graviera and I'm 55 years old and I work for George Or Brown Convention Centers, and I also have other co-workers downstairs.

Okay.

We I'm here in support of our airport workers, and not only that, but also uh city contract workers and airport workers.

Ustedes pueden marcar una differencia but uh necessitamos que stay con nosotros.

You can mark um a spot in our lives so you can we could you can make a difference.

We cannot live with what we are um what we are getting paid.

Most of us tenemos those trabajos.

A lot of us have two jobs.

I work from six in the morning, six thirty in the morning to two p.m.

Epor Lanoche trabajo the once of three de la mañana or quattro de la mañana para levantarme si trenta al siguiente da yeah.

And then I work from eleven eleven p.m.

to three in the morning, and sometimes to four in the morning, and I wake up at six thirty in the morning.

Recentemente se aumentar los salarios de las personas del Hilton, American Houston.

But we must recently the Hilton America received a pay increases, which we have not received a pay increase.

We're not asking nothing irrational.

We're asking for justice who dignidad para expired.

Please don't leave us behind.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ruth Ruth Hoff Ruth Hoffman Locke.

Good afternoon.

On the Reverend Dr.

Colin Boston, Senior Minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston.

Speaking in support of the original ordinance as proposed by Councilmembers Salinas, Cayman and Pollard, including all three provisions.

Our congregation was founded in 1914 and has been a voice for social justice in Houston for over a century.

The values that have guided us and our work for civil rights, gender equity, and LBGTQ rights are the same that bring me here today to speak for immigrant rights, namely the belief that all persons have inherent worthiness and dignity, and that all are deserving of love, respect, and equality under the law.

Please work to enact the full ordinance to protect the rights and dignities of all Houstonians.

And I join my fellow like-minded Houstonians and completely support the adoption of the ordinance on the on this ordinance on the grounds that public monies should not be spent for HPD to engage in chaperon obligations to ICE related to administrative warrants which are civil in nature and not reviewed by a judge.

Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio have adopted similar measures.

I simply ask the council to please pass this ordinance.

Thank you very much.

Alexandria O'Neill.

Timothy Taft.

To be followed by Stephanie Wilkins.

I live in District F.

I see my counsel person is not here.

And have resided in Houston since 1968, except for two years in the Army, including a tour in Vietnam.

I served as a Harris County prosecutor for 16 years and a justice on the first Court of Appeals here in Houston for 14 and a half years.

I also served seven years in the Texas Airborne National Guard and many years as Deacon and Treasurer of Pine Valley Bible Church.

My wife, who is a native Houstonian, and I continue our 20 years of service to our neighborhood as Citizens on Patrol.

I have come to speak against the proposed ordinance that would place the concerns of illegal immigrants above the safety of all Houston residents, including both legal and illegal.

ICE is simply carrying out immigration law that was not only not executed during the Biden administration, but immigration law was flagrantly violated millions of times.

Your time has expired.

I thought we have two minutes.

But we can't hear what people are saying when someone's talking, and whether we agree or disagree with them, can we please afford them the same respect as everybody else in the chamber, please?

I'm on a two-minute list.

Everybody gets one.

One minute, sure.

Oh okay.

Could I uh submit copies of the we're going by strict enforcement?

Okay.

Could I I have copies for the mayor and you can handle members give me a question?

Okay, thank you.

I'll put them at the Stephanie Wilkins.

Joy Davis.

Carla West.

Somebody shot all these people up.

Are you Carlo?

Hello, distinguished members of our council.

Again, hello, distinguished members of our council.

Um I want to thank you for your service.

And I want to remind you of two things that are really really important to me.

This is Holy Week.

In Holy Week, we recognize, even though this should not be political, it should not be religious inside these chambers, it is.

But we're here to recognize the death of who I consider my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who was an immigrant.

But one important thing about him is to remember that although he was Jewish, although he would lived in a certain place, he died for us all.

So let us honor all people.

So in traffic stops, certain people that look a certain way shouldn't be targeted.

They shouldn't be afraid, because traffic stops and our police is here to protect us all.

So let's protect us all.

Your time is a very important thing.

And respect us all.

Thank you.

Ursula Surreal from Fresno.

To be followed by Jarrett Dobranic.

Good evening.

First of all, my last name was misspelled, it's Ursula Cereal, spelled S-E-R-E-A-L for the correction, please.

Good afternoon.

I am speaking today on traffic stops.

I hope my words are hurt or really hurt this evening.

Okay.

The um regarding the fair traffic enforcements, you know, we hope that to ensure the safety and fairness and trap stats is for everybody, regardless of their race or the immigration status.

Um I hope the city council uh endorse measures that maximize relief for the drivers and build public trust in everybody's community, especially in the black community.

Um in my neighborhood, the black neighborhoods, we share and we worry about the escalation of traffic stats.

Um I've had that experience.

The time has expired.

Thank you.

Jared DeBrand.

To be followed by Monique Jackson from Umble.

My name is Jared.

I was born and raised right here in Houston.

I'm here today because I deeply care about the direction our city is taking regarding the safety and rights of all our neighbors and friends.

The ordinance is an important step, but as it stands, it simply doesn't go far enough to protect our community.

Houston deserves policies that provide full protection, not half measures that leave the door open for overreach.

If major cities like Dallas and Austin already have implemented policies that provide safety for over ice, there's no reason why Houston cannot do the same.

Every Houstonian deserves to feel safe in their city.

I urge the city council members to vote yes for their original ordinance.

Thank you.

Monique Monique Jackson.

To be followed by Christine Vaux.

Good evening.

My name is Quinn DuFerena, and I'm a uh resident of District H.

Um so for the council members, I'd like to take have you take a moment and just think and remember why you got into public service.

I would like to think or I truly hope that you told yourself that you would make hard decisions in tough times, that you would choose to fight for what is right in the face of pressure from those that have may have more power than yourselves, be it the mayor, the governor, or even the president.

Now is the time to make good on that promise to yourself and to your constituents.

That moment is here.

If you're not willing to take a stand for the community, we will find others who will do so.

There are innumerable talented, passionate, competent Houstonians that are ready to take the mantle.

They're in this room, they're in your districts, and they're in the city.

And they are ready to take on the challenge of resisting authoritarianism.

If you are too afraid to stand up to fascism, if you are too beholden to your donors, or too corrupted, your time has been by special interest.

This job is not for you.

Please do the right thing and vote in support of this proposed ordinance.

Thank you.

To be followed by Sylvester Redenberg.

Um good evening, City Council.

My name is Christine Vowe, and I'm a resident in District A in Spring Branch, and I organize with Stand Up Houston and Immigrant Rights Organization here in Houston.

Um I've been here before, and I'm back again to urge you to end the police department's cooperation with ICE.

Uh for months, organizers and community members have come time and time again to beg you to actually serve and protect your constituents.

Every single council member here should be supporting Councilmember Selena's proposal and its original language, uh, not the one that has been changed by the city's legal department.

But I want to remind you that while this is a great first step, uh it's still not enough.

We all know that, and you all know that.

Um earlier tonight we heard from AJ, a child about how scared he is of ICE.

And I just want to ask, why doesn't that move you more to do more?

The ordinance in its original language is a good step, but don't you want more for your city?

Don't you want more for the people that you've that have trusted you to protect and serve them.

Your time has expired.

I'm asking you to imagine a better future for us all.

Sylvester Radenberg.

To be followed by Griffin Walker.

Hi.

Uh I'm Sylvester Vriedenberg, and I'm a resident of District C.

Councilmember Selena's proposal in its original language is a crucial first step for a city that deserves so much more.

I was recently doing outreach with PSL and Stand Up Houston, and I spoke with some workers at a small clinic in Wayside and learned that it and many clinics like it are closing because people are afraid to leave their homes and go to the doctor.

Between that and the horrible conditions in ICE detention centers, this is a public health crisis.

The mayor has suggested that cooperating with ICE is protecting us from some kind of crackdown from Trump or Abbott, but this is blatantly false.

Houston leads the nation in ISRS, and we know it doesn't have to be this way.

Organizers here are already doing the crucial work the city should be doing, and we all saw in Minneapolis how students, unions, church leaders could unite, carry out a general strike, and win.

We cannot let the city's legal department stop us from doing the bare minimum to protect immigrants in Houston.

I want ICE out of the city, and I know that that's possible.

Griffin Walker.

To be followed by Kevin Joaquin.

Good evening.

I'm Griffin from District C.

As an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Stand Up Houston, an immigrant rights focused volunteer group.

I've spent the last year getting to know local immigrant communities and working alongside them to amplify the visibility of this deeply unpopular ICE crackdown.

It's become more clear each and every day that this city whose leadership claims to acknowledge the incredible contributions of immigrants is a hostile place for all of us.

HPD pretends to be concerned when communities don't trust them, yet uses any excuse to call IC.

Whitmeyer pretends to be honest while lying about HPD and ICE collaboration, and pretends to be protecting citizens from large ICE crackdowns by sacrificing our most vulnerable.

City attorney Arturo Michelle pretends to be concerned with state law while pulling out the key provision that gave this ordinance some teeth.

Pass this ordinance, end all collaboration with ICE.

Kevin Joaquin.

To be followed by A.J.

Gomez Stone.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Councilmembers, for this opportunity.

Also, as many of you know, I served on this body for 10 years and possibly voted for over thousands of items that were on the agenda within those ten years under two mayors, Mayor Parker and Mayor Turner.

And there's some of them were tough.

But Council members, this item is not tough.

During the 2020 census, Houston is made up of 46% of the population is Hispanic.

One out of four are foreign-born.

We're the most diverse city in the United States.

If our city needs to grow, Houstonians need to make sure that they are safe to go to work and they are safe.

Thank you.

AJ Gomez Stone.

Stephen Wu.

To be followed by Randall Baxley.

I'm Stephen Wu.

I'm the interim executive director for Woody Juntos, and I'm going to try to hold two things to be true.

The two remaining provisions of the Salinas ordinance are good.

Transparency and upholding the Fourth Amendment.

But the removal of the discretion provision was asinine and ridiculous.

How Dale said it best.

How are we allowing an appointed official to dictate the will of the people?

I need the city council members, especially those who are attorneys to talk with him and convince him and tell them that he is wrong.

We also need to make sure that for future actions, things like non-safety traffic stops, we must go further to prevent any of more of this violence against our communities.

And lastly, it's very evident that folks here in front of me are way too comfortable.

My last message is for the people behind me and for the people who are watching right now.

Organize with us at Woody Juntos, organize with us at Houston Leeds, and make sure that whatever we want, we get done.

Taking a moment to thank uh Amy Peck and Willie Davis for joining us on Friday for the uh veterans Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day at the uh at our park in in near North in Northside Houston.

Also to just simply state that if a man knows it is right and does it not, unto him it is sin.

If a man knows it is wrong and does it, unto him that is sin.

Now paraphrased a little bit, but not a lot.

We all know in our hearts from the second chapter of Genesis, that which is right and that which is wrong.

And I vote, I vote, and hope that you will vote the heart that God gave you.

Thank you.

Gerard Lynch.

Gerard Lynch.

Nora Pears.

You know, okay.

Good evening.

My name is Nora Pierce, and I'm a member of the University of Houston YDSA.

Today I am mourning.

I'm mourning the people who've interact with HPD and have not been able to go home and tell their loved ones about it.

I'm warning those who have been pulled over for a broken tail light, for those who have called HPD to report domestic abuse, and any Houstonian who has been kidnapped by masked agents because of this group's ineffectiveness.

I had to rewrite this because I plan to come and urge you towards supporting Prop A.

I'm still here to promote this, and like a lot of people here.

But the removal of the provision that allowed HPD discretion makes me sick.

You're telling me that an unelected member of the Houston City government decided to strike this.

That's not the voice of the people.

Never forget where Houston's investments lie.

With corporations and not the people.

But I'm glad that you all are using prop A to challenge bad leadership.

Clearly, you all have to push harder.

How do you want to be remembered as leadership?

As leaders that took vote action against fascism, or as people that didn't do enough for their communities.

Thank you.

When trust and timely were given.

You'll have to do better than this.

Julie Wynn.

James Con James Conley.

Elizabeth Guy.

James Connelly.

To be followed by Elizabeth Guy.

Of humble.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Beth Guide, and I'm from District D.

I'm not part of an organized group like many here.

Um and I doubt very highly many of them understand what it's like to be here on a visa.

I do because I live the first seven years of my life as a um a natural res a uh permanent resident.

I'm a naturalized American citizen now, and I went through the process legally.

I provide documentation all of my life.

I am asked on a regular basis and have to carry my naturalization certificate with me.

I don't think people realize that.

It's not unconna uncommon when you live in that kind of a situation.

Okay, I don't think it's right to hamper law enforcement.

Your job is to keep the city safe.

If ICE stops me, I can show that I'm here legally.

If you can't, then you either need to figure out the process, fix the process, or go back to where you came from.

I don't fear it, I don't worry about it, and I think you're I think we're making this very much unsafe to allow people to run around that you don't know that are here, you don't know if they're immunized, you don't know anything about them.

So I say let's support law enforcement.

You James.

As a UH student organizer and more importantly to y'all, a voter, I would like to tell a story about one of your former co-workers.

A couple of months ago, I cast my ballot for the Democratic Party primary, and while I didn't care for most names, one of them made me so excited, I almost shouted in the voting center.

That name was Letitia Plummer, a former council person here who, if you don't know, attempted to push legislation through to allow HPD to not have to call ICE on uh anybody with an administrative warrant.

It was because of that inkling of knowledge that I happily voted for her.

If Proposition A, which would do just that, does not get passed in its entirety, if you cannot pressure the city attorney's office to capitulate, and uh excuse my French, do as Austin and Dallas did, then the same grace I'm sure many others like me gave Ms.

Plummer will not be extended to you.

This bullshit ass state law excuse is no longer based in reality.

Y'all are free to put your profits in front of your politics, but that's all that anybody or any voter will ever see you as a profiteer.

Sarah Lopez.

Sarah Lopez.

Could I ask our guests to listen for a moment?

We're being so tolerant, and I'm uh going back over the names that Mr.

First calls.

So we're doing our part to make this a fair hearing.

Would you please honor our rules?

We're up here and we get the noise a lot more direct than you do.

And it is eating and you are eating up some valuable time.

So we can have a very fair fair hearing this afternoon, respect to each other, particularly those that you might disagree with.

But please hold the noise down.

We're doing everything we can to respect you, so please be respectful of that.

Okay, thank you.

Sarah Lopez.

Susanna Duran.

To be followed by Laura Perez Boston.

Hello, good evening.

I'm Susana Duran.

I'm an organizing manager at Workers' Defense Action Fund.

We are a member-led organization that fights for working immigrant families in Texas.

I live in District J, but I'm actually new to Houston.

I moved from Atlanta where I was an economist for the U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics and an organizer long before then.

When I joined the workers' defense team, I was immediately met with warmth and optimism from our members.

I've got to meet so many Houston members, and I've gotten to know their stories, their laughters, their fears, and the futures the envision.

And there's a common thread.

They want to live in absence of fear.

They want to go to work.

And they want to make it back home safe and sound.

They want their children to go back to school.

They want to go to the park on weekends.

They want to go to the flea markets again.

They want to go together as a family.

But they are being separated, detained, and deported because HPD is literally detaining and handing over individuals to ICE to be separated from their families, to be starved, to be made sick, and to be made to suffer in detention.

Our members fear this.

Laura Perez Boston.

I'm here today because all residents in this amazingly diverse city deserve not just safety, but the freedom to stay and thrive in our communities.

The impact of HBD's collaboration with ICE isn't just a ticket or a flag in the system.

It goes far beyond that.

It's the trauma and generational impact of separated families, the economic hardship of credit card debt to pay attorneys' fees, and suffering in inhumane conditions in detention camps.

This collaboration is destroying families and our community.

This is not who we are in Houston.

Thank you.

Next Teodoro Aguilar.

Thank you.

I've taken on many roles across the city beyond photography, including supporting work in the legal field, supporting businesses, building community connections.

I am a mom, a sister, a friend, a helper, and a protector and proud daughter of a domestic worker.

I'm here to ask you to vote in favor of Prop A, the proposed ordinance on community safety and immigration introduced by Council members Alejandra Salinas, Edward Pullard, and Abby Cannon.

We need to act with the same courage it takes for families to live their daily lives in the face of uncertainty.

This isn't just about immigrant families.

It affects our entire community.

Fear spreads business, businesses are disrupted, and children are left with questions that often go unanswered.

Houston cannot be neutral.

We need meaningful action that protects communities, allows families and businesses to thrive and creates healthy atmosphere where everyone feels safe and supported.

Thank you for your time.

Terry Chen.

To be followed by Mark Wadell.

Good evening, Council members.

I'm Terry Chen.

I'm a lifelong Houstonian, resident of District H, and I'm the community organizer with Woody Juntos serving immigrant communities.

We were all really excited when Councilmember Salinas introduced the original ordinance that would empower HBD to not call ICE for federal administrative warrants.

And then with whiplash speed, the most impactful piece of the ordinance was cut due to the city attorney's interpretation.

This leads us to understand the city attorney is only being Whitmeyer and HPD's puppet because the other major Texas cities have passed this ordinate with no pushback or repercussions.

It's a little suspicious that the city attorney doing Whitmeyer's bidding has a differing opinion from the many legal experts that worked on the original ordinance.

I want to thank Council members Selinas Pollard and Cayman for attempting to keep our families safe, but we need all the council members to find the courage to do what's right and to keep us all safe.

Passing this ordinance is the absolute floor.

Your time has expired.

And I'm also coming to talk about the inaction that's happened in this council right now.

Thank you to the people that have come to this action.

But we uh behind me, the people who have been talking have all come from the same place.

People as workers, and we are tired of the status quo.

People who do not fight are allowing the status quo to keep happening.

We are tired of it.

Us as a working class are coming together to talk to you and say we are tired of getting arrested for low-level um marijuana offenses.

We're tired of uh getting pulled over and being talked to.

We are tired of it.

We are fighting and we are fighting, and we come every month.

We're doing all we can, and I I pre I I am in support of Proposition A.

Thank you.

Roshan Evans Roshan Evans.

To be followed by Laura Castanedo.

How y'all doing?

Thank you, City Council Mayor.

First, I want to say um, I want to give y'all a special thanks.

You know, uh, normally a lot of y'all it look like y'all don't be paying attention or listening.

But today, you know, like I can actually tell like you guys are actually listening.

Um I also want to give a shout out and a thanks to uh Edward Pollard Cayman and a special shout out to Alejandra because you are the newly elected uh council member, and you all understand that something needs to be done and it needs to be done today.

Our undocumented population do not deserve what they are experiencing at the hands of law enforcement or ICE.

They do not deserve the detentions, especially behind line safety, traffic stops, and they especially don't deserve deportation.

But I also want people to remember that at the same time we move forward to figure out a solution because something do need to be done.

We need to figure out a way to move in unison because black people have been fighting on the front lines since they want to represent everybody in their issues, so when it comes time to solve a problem, make sure you do not cut the black issue out because they are my brothers and sisters, and I am theirs.

Rashawn, I I know is one of the leaders of peer justice, and I just want to recognize the work of peer justice and of advocates that are continuing to advocate for all of the communities throughout Houston.

Um again, we have a ton of speakers, so I'm not going to go into a lot of that, but I do want to make sure that you all are getting the recognition for the work that's being done behind the scenes as well.

Thank you.

Councillor Shabazz.

Thank you, Mayor, and certainly Roshan.

You know, I really appreciate when I see you and when you speak.

And I also want to point out the great work that you and your organization have been doing.

And you actually brought the non-traffic safety stops to us prior to this.

So I I hear you and I'm with them.

Coalition, we all work together very hard.

Whatever.

I saw you and come forward before this happened.

And so I I thank you as always for your participation and your words of wisdom.

Sure, sir.

Councillor Slavers.

I just want to very briefly say, Roshan, as you know in our many conversations, I believe, and many of us believe this is a both and situation.

So let's work together to get this passed and work together to work on non-safety traffic stops.

Laura Castañeda Larkin Blackwell from Prairie View.

Tanji Smith.

Coretta Brown.

Gian Thomas.

To be followed by Cecilia Fantineau.

Good afternoon, everyone.

My name.

Oh, either one?

Okay.

Good afternoon.

My name is Gian Christopher Thomas.

I am the CEO and founder of POP.

Protest organize and participate.

And I'm here because the traffic enforcement should be about safety and not fear.

It should be about protecting public and not creating more distrust between the government and the people it serves.

Too many residents, especially black and Latinos and low-income families and migrant families know what it is to be anxious at a traffic stop.

What should be a routine quick process has become a larger problem in the city of Houston.

People are being deported, families are being torn apart.

And it's for y'all, our city council to be that front line.

This fear is not a magic.

Has shown that black drivers are stopped and searched more often than white drivers.

I couldn't finish my statement, but I think y'all get the Cecilia Fontanau.

Good afternoon, everyone.

My name is Cecilia Fontineau.

I am here to support the prior to rising non-safety traffic stops.

Far too many elected officials and others take black people for granted.

They call on us to stand in unity, to fight in unison for everyone's issue except our very own.

Today this must stop.

Yet when it's time to act, our issues are pushed on the black burner.

Relief is not selective.

All communities need relief equally.

Are you Kenneth?

I'm Ken Ross.

Kenneth Rogers, all right.

And uh I'm not going to state the obvious.

Uh I think my colleagues have done that already.

I want to pull on your heart strings.

I want you to try to imagine years ago, when you were newly married, you had a toddler.

Focus was on a roof over your head, food, transportation or work.

And you have those things.

But all of a sudden, you backed into a poll and you lost your tail light.

You cannot afford to repair your terror light.

You get stopped.

You get a ticket.

Not only can you not afford to repair your tail light, you can't afford to pay the ticket.

Now you have a warrant and you're riding dirty at the same time.

Now you get picked up and you wind up in jail.

That's not the pathway that we should be providing for these young people.

Thank you.

Use your heart and your head, please.

Shake me for Councilman Shiraz.

Thank you, Mayor, and I just wanted to thank you, Ken Rogers.

You know you and your wife Dolores hold a very special place in my heart.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Lenita Robinson.

John Career.

First of all, I'm gonna say hello to Sally.

Tell George I say hello.

Um I just turned 74 last week, and I'm here to support my brown brothers and sisters.

Because what's happening to them has been happening to black people for years.

I graduate from high school in 1970.

I remember driving a car with my girlfriend at 16 years old, getting pulled over.

Police didn't ask for no ID, no way where you coming from, where you're going.

Going down Fairview.

We pull out the store, we're going down fair view.

I saw this police pass me.

I looked in my mirror, he made a U-turn.

I already knew what was about to happen.

He followed us for like six or seven black.

So it was me and my co-workers, four of us.

Pulled us over on Fannon.

By then he had called back up.

And your time has expired.

Okay, when he didn't even say, come up to the to the window.

He said, get out the car, come to the back of the car.

I said, What are you pulling me over for?

He said, because your sticker is out.

I said, My stickers are not.

He walked to the front, my sticker wasn't out.

He said, Well, my license had expired for for about a month.

He said, Well, your license expired.

You're in su I have my insurance.

That means your insurance is probably invalid.

I'm gonna give you a ticket for invalid insurance.

I go to court.

Okay.

I I hand the judge the insurance papers.

The judge said, why are you giving me this?

He said, I said, Well, he told me he was giving me a ticket for my insurance.

Was no good, but he gave me a ticket for my sticker.

The judge said, Man, get out of here.

I'm just so I'm saying this has been going on for years.

Okay, it's happening to my brown brothers and sisters right now.

And I I respect police.

My cousin was a policeman for 35 years.

I have a uh one of my friends, my menace was a member of the FBI.

So I respect law enforcement, but but you have road people that pulling over people just because of the color of their skin.

Your time has expired, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Elizabeth Ortiz.

Or Elizabeth Ortiz or Ortiz.

To be followed by Rebecca Sale.

Uh Councilor, uh, I'll be uh translating for Elizabeth.

Mayor uh mayor point of order.

We um received some new technology to um work on our translation service.

Would you let us test it out and not translate?

So if she can just speak in Spanish, we can test the technology to see if it works for future reference.

Will the will the council still be able to understand her testimony?

That's what I that's what we're trying to test out.

So when she speaks in Spanish, it's supposed to translate in English on our screen.

So I want to test it out without your translation.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

So just go ahead and look at it.

So you're not sure.

Tiene record limpio.

Solo sobreviving comida.

Casino tengo parabla con él ni siquiera una vez a la semana para encontrar un abogado.

Luis cuesta miles de dollars.

Le pregunta ustedes, careya my situation si la persona que aman de pasar y algo.

So familia, can allaria por ellos.

You said the responsibility create una cidadina sin miedo.

No colaborance con migración, formal.

No re las ordens de migración, que no viene siendo nuestro de un grime, no lo mismo que una ordem judicial.

It uh apparently works for us, but why don't you go ahead do it uh so our guests can hear what y'all get transcript?

Okay, I feel like Mayor, um I I think that as we start using this service that we need the closed caption should also be translated.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You're correct.

We'll do it there for the guests.

But why don't you go ahead?

Laura Love.

Hello, my name is Elizabeth, a member of workers' defense, and I live in District A.

On October 7th last year, county sheriffs arrested my husband Luis outside outside of our apartment.

They beat him, breaking three of his ribs and his nose.

He's still he's still in detention for five months under horrible conditions, and he has a clean record.

I lost my job afterwards.

They took my car.

Finding a lawyer for Luis costs thousands of dollars.

On top of that, Luisa's brother died without seeing him while he's in jail.

Luis is the kind of person who will take food from out of his own hands to give it to someone else.

I ask of you, what would you do in my situation?

If something happened to the person you love, your family member, what wouldn't you do for them?

What is within your power?

Even though he was arrested by the county, you still have a responsibility to create a city free from fear.

What we're facing doesn't fall under your jurisdiction.

What we're facing falls under your jurisdiction, and it's the least you can do.

Do not cooperate with immigration in any way in any capacity.

Do not honor immigration orders that aren't evidence of a crime, nor are they the same as a judicial warrant.

Thank you.

Rebecca Sale.

Trying to see if she's to be followed by Jocelyn Soto.

Good evening, Council members.

My name is Dani Hernandez, and I am currently an elected trustee for HIFD.

I live in District I, and I am also the president of the East Laundale Civic Association.

I'm here to say that as a civic association, we support Prop A.

I want to thank the City Council members, Salinas for writing the proposition, and Pollard and Cayman for supporting the proposition and the ordinance.

Trust and confidence in law enforcement is not optional.

They are the foundation of public safety.

When people are afraid of the police, they do not report crimes, they do not ask for help, and they do not come forward when something is wrong.

Fear does not make our neighborhoods and our communities safer.

It isolates people, it weakens communities, and makes effective policing harder for everyone.

Your time has expired.

That was a three minute.

No, ma'am.

Thank you.

Councilmember Power has a procedure question.

Councilmember Collard.

Hi.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'd like to make a motion to um call back up Tanji Smith after this speaker.

Second.

Tangy Smith.

Yeah.

Hi, my name is Jocelyn Soto, and I am here to ask this council to vote yes to Prop A and to stop collaborations with ICE.

ICE is a multi-billion dollar industry built on the exploitation of immigrants.

They cause fear in our communities, do not follow the rules of law, and serve the goals of a fascist regime.

Additionally, ICE has built a concentration camp in our backyard, one that is holding hundreds of innocent civilians under extreme conditions that no person is built to withstand.

Lastly, our immigrant community makes up a quarter of the city's population.

Houston was built by and still runs on the power of immigrant communities.

I implore you, as our representatives, to end all contracts with ICE, to stand up to fascist leaders, and to consider how you will be remembered in history.

You will either be champions of the people or complicit in a fascist regime.

You decide.

Thank you.

Tanji Smith.

To be followed by Jan Southern.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Tanji Smith.

I am a native Houstonian.

I have not been afraid of the police until the last 20 years.

Okay.

What about now?

Okay.

I have not been afraid of the police until the last 20 years.

I got pulled over in a traffic stop and I was profiled.

Because I was an African American.

I really believe that the policies have to change.

I really believe that if it was not for another officer with that officer and saw my wheelchair, the guy was going to ask me to get out of my car.

There was no way I was going to be able to do it in a timely fashion.

I'm just asking you guys to actually redo the policies and stop the profiling because it's not right.

We are a law abiding citizens, and we should not be judged according to how we look, but because if in fact we have done something wrong, because my tag was expired and I had the information, the guy ran it.

And he told me, ma'am, you have to go back to Kroger because they did not put the information in the system correctly.

That's not my fault.

I have what you asked for.

Don't profile me.

Because I am a citizen.

I'm a law by a law-abiding citizen, and that's what I have to say.

Thank you.

Jan Southern.

To be followed by Carlos Rebellar.

Good evening.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you this evening.

My name is Jan Southern.

I'm here to oppose Proposition A as put forward by the council members in an effort to install sanctuary city policies in the city of Houston.

Local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities must work together in a clear and lawful way to protect our communities rather than being discouraged from working with one another as proposed in Proposition A.

I apologize to you for some of the comments that have been made towards you.

I think you do your job well.

You do it as well as you can.

We're asking our police officers to make decisions on the fly.

I think that's not what we want them to do.

We have laws on the books that need to be enforced, and I'm encouraging you to decline Proposition A because they're asking you to not enforce those laws.

Thank you.

Carlos Rebuyar.

To be followed by Delveira Casanova.

Well, good afternoon.

My name is Carlos.

I am a local pastor living and serving in Houston's historic segundo barrio.

Um the stories we are hearing uh as local pastors across the uh the city in immigrant Hispanic churches are heartbreaking and alarming to say the least.

We've seen faithful church members and leaders separated from their families, separated from their children.

I believe it's incumbent upon you, mayor and uh city council, to ask yourselves will we make the vote necessary to further protect our most vulnerable Houston families, or will we retreat into fear ourselves, fear of losing funding, fear of poking the bear, whatever it might be.

Want to tell you a quick story with the last few seconds I have left.

Queen Esther in the Old Testament risked her life by approaching the king unsummoned to stop the destruction of her people.

She spoke truth to power, leading to the protection and salvation of her people, putting herself on the line.

Who knows?

Maybe God has placed you in your position for such a time as this vote for Proposition A.

Good afternoon.

I'm one of those senior social services coordinators for kids in need of defense.

That's kind here in the Houston field office.

Kind works to protect unaccompanied children by providing holistic legal and psychosocial support, helping immigrant youth recovering from trauma, stabilizing their lives, and safety, safely navigating complex systems.

Every day, we see how fear of immigration enforcement harms children.

Many of young people we serve come to this country hopeful, excited for a chance to learn, make friends, and build a future.

But the lines between law enforcement and immigration enforcement is becoming increasingly blurry, specifically when young people see security or police presence at or around educational institutions.

Those situations spark fear and their hopes is cut short.

We need strong trust-based relationships between communities and law enforcement.

Thank you.

To be followed by Tuan Wynn, Buenas Tardes.

My name is Mayra Herrera, and I'm a senior social service coordinator with Kids in Defense at the Houston field office.

In my work, I see how that trust is undermined when immigration enforcement becomes entangled in every day with everyday life.

I've had child clients forced into caregiver roles for younger siblings after their parents were detained during routine moments, like stopping at the grocery store to buy milk or traveling to a medical appointment.

I've also worked with children who hesitate to report bullying or seek help from school administrators because they fear school police will involve ICE.

Instead of reaching out, they stay silent.

The silence has real consequences.

When families that contact with law, when families fear that contact with local law enforcement could lead to detention or deportation.

Hi everyone.

This meeting has more attendance than the last one, so I'd like to recount some of the events of the last one.

It was after the session where half most of the council walked out, despite Mayor Whitmeyer skipping half of the speakers.

So after that session, the preceding session, the mayor blockaded the entire terrace off and forced everybody through a side lane.

It's probably because you don't go in the same way as us, you're probably better than us, that's why.

What is that?

What what is that?

And so the reason why we're here is not because of the proposition.

The two remedies in the proposition are because of what the mayor has done.

He's violated the Fourth Amendment, and he's undermined transparency in the city.

That's what those two are addressing.

Your time is your time has expired.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

Glad to see y'all.

Love evening session.

People more eloquent than I have been up to speak in support of the Selena's Cayman and Pollard Warnings.

I'm not gonna be the last.

Davis DeRuzman.

To be followed by Norma Gonzalez.

Hi, good evening.

Uh Councilmember Salinas Cayman and Pollard, thank you so much for your leadership on this ordinance.

Because let me tell you, this policy is a hell of a lot better than the mayor's current dominoes pizza ass ice policy.

Arrives in 30 minutes and they're free.

Mayor Papa John Whitmeyer.

Anyway, I'd like to direct the rest of my speech to any council members on the fence about voting yes.

Voting to protect immigrant residents in a county with the second most immigrants in the nation will not harm your career, except if you vote no.

Just like how voting against hero ten years ago cost Dwight Boykins his return to the horse shoe, among other things.

So if you're up for re-election next year, be prepared for big glossy mailers with the words, Councilmember, your name here.

Voted to protect ICE.

Voted against immigrants.

If you won't vote yes out of a sense of humanity, chalk it up to political survival because voting no, voting no will have someone else in your seat in 2028.

We, your constituents, immigrants and their children and relatives and friends and co-workers and neighbors will see to it.

Normal Gonzalez.

Norma Gonzalez.

To be followed by Gilda Bayagon.

Hello, uh, my name is Salem Ali Masi, a former refugee, and now a proud citizen.

Rush was organized from uh CWS.

Last September, I organized uh meeting with Bollard and uh Surikash Tiffany about this case because we saw it coming.

Last November, my brother in law got arrested for Tel Broken Light.

That's a lady for four months in ICE detention.

That's cost us $17,000 for Bond to release him.

Across Houston families are losing the essence of faith and security and safety.

But tonight with hope, we elected you to vote and to protect the community.

And that's what we hope for.

Thank you.

Gilda Bayagon to be followed by Barrett McNayup.

Mayor, counsel.

This is not a question of love versus hate or what neighborhood you're from, what color you are, what your background is.

It's a question of enforcing the law.

And no one in this room, none back there, and none of you have the authority to decide which laws to enforce and which laws to ignore.

And you know.

This is a federal law.

You do not have the authority to supersede federal law.

And when you try it, you cause can you ask them please to let me speak?

When you interfere, you cause confusion.

You cause less law enforcement.

We've seen cities as recently as the last week and a half, where an 18-year-old Loyola University freshman was murdered as she tried to run away from a Venezuelan immigrant who had been caught twice and released.

We don't want that in Houston.

Unless there was some kind of massive voter fraud, the people who elected you were U.S.

citizens.

You served U.S.

citizens.

That's who you're here to serve.

I ask you please do not adopt proposition A.

Barrett.

Barrett McNay.

Barrett McNay.

Ping Chao Wayne.

From Collis Station to be followed by a Shanza branch.

Good evening.

Good evening.

My name is Pen Chao, a master of student in landscape architecture at Texas AM.

There's an urgent demand for investing in uh chinage system in vulnerable vulnerable neighborhoods.

Uh in SADGAS, for example, a northeast uh neighborhoods in a neighborhood in northeast Houston.

Um, everywhere around the neighborhood, and even a very mild flood can bring contaminations around across the neighborhoods.

So over 50% of households are under the exposure of Lats.

And in sad gas, the average life expectancy is 11 years shorter than the Houston average.

So investing in Changish is not only about stormwater management, but public house, environmental justice, and the eco-civil rights to every single Houstonian.

Thank you.

Mitchell Collins.

To be followed by Eric Gonzalez.

Good evening, my name is Mitchell Collins.

I'm a lifelong Houstonian and current resident of District H.

About 20 years ago, our street in the East End was updated with new drainage infrastructure that ended up keeping us and our neighbors safe from flooding during Harvey.

We are extremely grateful for this and glad to say that there haven't been any flooding issues on our streets since.

If you fail to invest in infrastructure that will help protect the most impacted and marginalized communities from flooding, you have failed in your duty to keep us all safe, and you will have failed to meet the promises you campaigned on.

We live in an increasingly flood-prone city.

Failure to address the problem will only make it more dangerous and more expired.

I ask that you do your duty and fully fund the ditch reassessment program with 45 million in the FY2027 budget.

Thank you.

I'm a worker, student, and community organizer in District F.

I'm here today in support of flood infrastructure and to ask that the ditch re-establishment program be fully funded in the 2027 fiscal budget.

I've seen far too many families, particularly those in disadvantaged communities being at the forefront of extreme weather events that we as a city simply weren't prepared for.

But it's simply not just extreme weather events that impact us.

We've seen how small rain uh events uh can stri uh uh flood the streets and sidewalks.

Um, and this isn't just dangerous for drivers, but maybe sidewalks introduct intraversable for uh pedestrians.

You just literally can't pass sometimes.

Um we can't control these weather events, but as a city as prosperous as Houston, we definitely can invest in infrastructure that prepares us for them.

Our citizens deserve to feel safe and secure in their homes, and I just want to add this is also extend to HPD collaboration with ICE, which I urge you to vote against.

Thank you.

Councilmember Salinas.

Yes, I'd like to add Nick Vaughn to the end of the one-minute list.

Okay, yeah.

Madison Hessler.

Yes, hello, my name is Madison Hessler.

I'm a senior landscape architecture student at Texas AM University.

For my capstone project, we were working with Texas Target communities to work with a neighborhood called Setagast.

And when we went down there, something we noticed immediately that the flood infrastructure was not sufficient.

It was not what we had been taught was up to standard and code for areas that were at risk for flood events.

It is something that needs to be improved on.

The people in Setagas, especially already deal with so many health issues.

Their soil is flooded with lead, xylene, arsenic, and creosote, which is causing significant health issues.

When this flooding event happens, there is going to be all sorts of contaminants flushed into people's houses.

They're not going to be able to come away from that event healthy.

And so I call on the City Council tonight to look into the ditch re-establishment program so that you can fully fund the repair of these swales so that they can be up to code so that the people in all these communities can have the same access and equity for flood infrastructure that the rest of the people need.

Thank you.

Have a good evening.

Dana Jones.

I'm sorry for that.

However, my concern is uh flood issues in the Houston area, mainly in the city of Houston.

Uh I am visually impaired, however, I'm not deaf.

I still can hear and I can observe my other senses.

And I found that uh flooding is a big issue in the in our city, especially, you know.

I believe in the northeast area, also in my area as well.

And um after major crisis flooding, and I found that there are places that uh we people and deal with the flooding ESOs.

So I believe that uh CEO Houston.

Your time has expired.

Thank you.

Uh to help us to stop the problem.

Thank you.

Dana Jones to be followed by James Jones.

Hello, my name is Dana Jones, and I live in District 8.

Many of my flooding is a very serious and ongoing issue in my neighborhood.

Many of my um the people in my community have moved out simply out of fear of their family being targeted.

This year, council voted to take 30 million dollars from the drainage fund and redirect it toward removing dangerous building.

I understand the need to address the unsafe structures, but I want to highlight critical concerns of the people.

Flooding, drainage, and housing.

The working poor seniors and people with disabilities in our communities are not asking for luxuries.

They're simply trying to survive.

You, our elected officials, need to hear the voices of the people and respond to what they are telling you what they need.

I hope this year's budget will include the public's needs and not the desires of the few.

It's hell to be poor.

Hello, how are y'all doing today?

My name is James Jones.

I represent for God and our guard creations.

I got a solution for all these problems.

I'm ready to stop ice in his tracks.

You know, we gotta bring the truth to reality.

And this world has been living on a lot of lives and foolishness.

And I got a solution for all the foolishness that's going on in all the different communities with my city cleaning up.

I started one with Professor Turner, and I made a big difference in the city of Houston.

And so now it's time to wake up and smell the cuff.

And thank you, and y'all have a blessed day.

Tracy Hamlin.

To be followed by Ali Ali Kahn.

Uh Mayor Council, my name is Tracy Hamblin.

I live in District I.

Uh, first off, I support limiting non-safety traffic stops.

Uh that said for years, residents have been told austerity is necessary, but in practice it's left our city understaffed and struggling to keep up with basic services.

Hiring freezes for city workers are not a neutral budget decision.

They directly impact service quality.

When departments lack sufficient staff response times slow, maintenance is delayed and small issues grow into larger, more expensive problems.

Lifting the hiring freezes is not a luxury.

It is essential to maintaining reliable services and ensuring our city can meet the needs of its residents.

Tonight I'm asking for concrete action, end austerity budgeting that undermines essential services, lift the hiring freezes and restore full staffing across city departments.

These are not radical demands that the minimum standard for responsible governance.

The people of the city are not asking for extravagance.

We're asking for competence, transparency, and follow-through.

We're asking for a city that works.

Thank you for your time.

Oli.

Stephen Vargas.

To be followed by Crystal Townsend.

Evening City Council members.

I'm Stephen Vargas from District G.

I was here last fall asking for y'all to consider creating an HIV line item in the city budget to address some of the concerns that are arising right now.

We have a lot of changes happening at the federal level, which also affect our state level, and it's creating gaps in care and prevention and care.

And so we need our city.

We need all levels of government to start helping out with us.

So with a city line item budget, that should help us out tremendously to addressing the gaps that are created inadvertently by what's happening at the state and the federal level.

And I have to stand here and thank uh Councilmember Salinas and Pollard and Cayman's because what you're trying to do can also ease the pressures on people's fears for accessing their medical care.

So please, each city council member support that measure.

We are watching to see who does, and we're watching to see who doesn't.

When it comes to people living with HIV, there's close to 40,000 people in Houston alone living with HIV.

We can be a voting block.

Remember that.

Thank you.

Good evening, City Council.

My name is Crystal Townsend.

I am a Houstonian and oh, sorry.

My name is Crystal Townsend.

I'm a Houstonian and also the organizing director at Positive Women's Network, USA.

We prepare and support all women, trans and cis women, gender diverse people, and transgender people living with HIV to be effective advocates and leaders.

I want to say thank you to Roshan for inviting us here to stand in solidarity with other community members.

And I've been listening, and I stand in solidarity with the community, asking for clearer and fairer policies and non-safety traffic stops and separating ICE from HPD because we don't live single issue lives.

I think you heard Stevens talk about people living with HIV.

In fact, when people living with HIV and counter law enforcement, they are often subjected to worse treatment and enhanced criminal charges because of their HIV status.

That is not right.

Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars, we're asking for you to invest in public services, particularly for people living with it with HIV.

I know this is possible.

I'm almost done.

I know this is possible.

The late council woman, Ada Edwards, made this happen in the early 2000s, and we are asking for one of you to step up and meet with us and the Texas strike force to make this happen.

Thank you.

Thank you.

To be followed by Ivilio Escamillo.

Um good evening, City Council members.

Uh, my name is Elena Ferguson, and I'm a district K resident.

I currently serve as a policy specialist at Positive Women's Network, a national membership body led by important women and gender diverse people living with HIV.

According to a 2024 report done by the Houston Health Department, Houston has higher rates of new HIV diagnoses and HIV prevalence compared to Texas and the greater U.S.

Yet there has never been dedicated line item in the general fund of our city's budget for HIV treatment and prevention services.

At the time of increasing uncertainty and federal and state funding, this leaves our local HIV response vulnerable to delays, cuts, and service disruptions.

Without a city investment, there is no buffer when state and federal funding gaps occur.

This city must use every lever of power to ensure consistent and robust access to care and treatment options for the estimated 32,000 Houstonians living with HIV, regardless of their income, immigration status, or neighborhood that they live in.

Of course, I support Prop A.

It's an easy vote.

Come on.

We all live here together.

But I'm here also to also support my colleagues, uh Steven Vargas and uh the Positive Women's Network.

I have the data here.

How Houston, Harris County ranks in among other Texas major cities, among Hispanics.

I work for a Hispanic agency.

So we do a lot of work on numbers, and we're falling behind.

We're not doing that great.

So we have the AIDS walk on this April 18th.

I want you all to show up and walk with us and support us.

Prevention is the role of the city.

The county does care.

The role of prevention is the city.

Other state may other state the state and majors other major cities across the state have an addiction to federal funds.

This is quite obvious.

You guys are addicted to federal funds.

You don't want to pitch in.

We need to figure out ways to make it much more affordable.

HIV and aging sucks.

I've been living with a virus for 15 years.

And it's not.

It's very, very difficult to talk about this topic.

So it's really important that we really address this issue all together as one.

Thank you for being Councilman Gift to you.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to thank you and the others who have come to speak about this.

Um, you know, my background is public health, and I want to uh let you know that I'm gonna reach out to Crystal and uh get some time to meet with you all to further discuss specifically what it is you'd like to see from the city and have that conversation with y'all.

The city gets money, but the thing is that you you have to work more on messaging, and there's gaps in in messaging and how to deliver those services.

And of course, there's been cuts from the federal funds on on many things, and we're just addicted to federal funds.

We need to work better on that.

Thank you.

Yes, I would like to move to suspend the rules to add Jacob Clemente to the bottom of the speaker's list.

Motion made in second all in favor yes, those opposed to night.

Motion passed.

Hi, my name is Meredith Moore.

I'm a constituent of District C.

As a teacher, I know that for a child to develop and succeed, they need safety and belonging.

In the city that leads the nation's ICE arrests in large part due to HBD's collaboration with ICE during traffic stops.

What does safety and belonging look like for our kids?

It looks like me holding a crying teenager while she tells me about her most recent nightmare that her parents are gone.

It looks like students typing fuck ice into their graphing calculators instead of their linear functions.

It looks like growing absences in my grade book as more and more families are afraid to leave home.

Removing the first provision from Selena's prop A tells our children that y'all don't even care if there's a judge's signature before you tear their lives apart.

How's that for safety and belonging?

By passing Pop A without the original language, you are sowing terror where educators are trying to sow seats.

Daryl Harper.

Ryan Sh Ryan Schaunberg.

Rachel Reynolds.

To be followed by Bridget Land.

Hello, my name is Rachel Reynolds.

I'm here today to advocate for the usage of native plants and trees on the city approved lists.

I approached this council back in October 2024 to propose changing the lists.

I got great response.

Everyone seemed to be in agreement, the list needs to be updated.

Parks and rec shared with me their own list with native plant choices, but the old list is still in the code of ordinances.

Last time I approached the council with casual curiosity, but this time I'm choosing my words more carefully because the gravity of the situation could not be more serious.

Invasive, poisonous plants that are harmful to our environment are being planted under the requirements of the city.

Native plants consume less resources, less water, fertilizer, no pesticides.

We are actively wasting money and resources in making the wrong plant choices.

The root systems of native plants are also suited to our region, the Gulf Coast Prairie.

These plants have deep roots that prevent erosion and soak up water like sponges.

I don't even have to mention the flooding problem in Houston because others already did, but I'm looking at part of the problem or what could be part of the solution right here.

Thank you.

To be followed by Lindsay Williams.

Hello, everybody.

I will say this.

Where's our cornerstore ordinance for our black community?

Where is our dilapidated uh buildings for our community?

It ain't rocket science.

When she seen the issue, she put some forth in order to as a solution.

When Whitmeyer seen something for his community, guess what?

He proposed the ordinance to pass it for his community.

Where is ours?

It's not rocket science.

When if Rib Oaks had dilapidated buildings and uh corner stores that was overrun in their neighborhoods, what would they do?

That's how simple.

We gotta think about it.

And we don't do that for our community.

Guess what?

When all my supporters are asking for solutions or asking who we supporting for these, like they say, these next elections that's coming up.

Guess what?

We looking at who's putting forward solutions for our community at the same time.

And then again, I think this proposition should be for everybody.

Your time has expired.

Sir, if you could Sir Arlene.

My policy director is standing back there, and if you want to talk about any potential solutions you want us to push forward, let's have a conversation.

I'll make sure my super neighborhood know.

Thank you, Nick.

Lindsay Williams.

To be followed by Pauline Cheatham.

Hi, everybody.

My name is Lindsay Williams, and I'm speaking today as an Eastern resident, not as a civic leader and not as a super neighborhood president, just a neighbor and a sixth generation Texan.

Super neighborhood 64 and 88 has voted to support the ordinance clarifying HPD processes with ICE in its original form.

And I want to explain why that matters to me.

Our residents are talking to us.

They tell us that they are afraid.

They're afraid to call 911, afraid to report a crime, or even use 311, despite explaining that there is no risk in using 311.

They're afraid that routine traffic stop will not end the way it should, and that fear has real consequences for public safety, not just for our immigrant families, but for the every one of us who depend on neighbors feeling safe enough to speak up.

Personally, I'm worried about the people I live next to, good people, people who contribute to the city every day.

It is my job as a super neighborhood president to foster a safe environment, a role I take very seriously, no matter where somebody comes from, their language at home, or the color of their skin.

This ordinance doesn't ask Houston to do anything radical, and I urge your support.

Thank you.

Pauline Cheatham.

To be followed by Richard Schwager.

There used to be a gentleman that hands out everything.

You guys have a copy of the presentation.

Happy New Year.

Um to the entire city council, especially uh Mrs.

Salinas.

Uh was asked by a Metropolitan Transitatory bus driver, uh, married to a German-born migrant.

Our question is, oh, the topic is just a uh interject uh bathrooms.

Uh why does the city of Houston, Texas, amongst all districts uh uh are in control of Harris County?

Why are we not meeting the basic needs of our customers having bathroom facilities available?

The question pertains to Metro Transit Authority Transit Centers and Houston Parks and Recreation.

Why are uh what are some of the brainstorming troubleshooting and problem solving uh that we could do to solve meeting the basic needs?

As many of y'all might know, our Houston mayor, John Whitmire told me, keep doing what you're doing, opportunities will be presenting themselves in the future.

Could this be an opportunity for the city council members to meet the address of lack of public restrooms?

I have attached two Google over uh overviews of what we find when we type in Metro Transit Authority bathrooms.

Your time has expired.

My time is expired.

Happy Easter Richard Schwager.

Steve Williams.

Oh, he's not here.

Cesar Espinosa.

To be followed by Mary and Wright.

Hello.

Um Cesar Espinosa and I'm executive director of Fiel.

I feel like we've made uh some progress from the last couple of weeks because not only did we finally come clean to the city of Houston that in fact Houston is collaborating with ICE after all of these people were telling City Council and the mayor that that was happening, but that something finally comes forward.

I understand that um the uh overly paid uh city attorney uh has uh found uh an issue with this.

Um but it I think what we are all asking is for city council to show leadership, true leadership, and move forward with what these folks are asking with what we're asking uh to be able to provide uh some sort of help and reprieve uh to the to the calls.

Uh and I'll I'll share this with you, and I've been sharing this with everybody.

In 2023, Field received 23 intakes for deportation defense.

In 2025, we received 22,000.

859.

That's not an accident.

Hi, um, my name is Marion Wright.

Um, I attended a super neighborhood meeting, Super Neighborhood 51 with Mario Castillo, Councilmember Castillo, who's my council member, and it happened that um also the Chief Diaz was there.

What I find very interesting about that meeting is they were asking Chief Diaz many questions, whatever anybody wanted to, not one person brought up this amendment, this proposition.

It wasn't even on anyone's radar.

What people were worried about was crime, homelessness, dogs.

Am I missing anything?

I think those were the major things.

Okay.

This is an echo chamber.

These are special interest groups, a lot of them that are here.

When I asked Councilmember Salinas, I met with her and I said, have you gone to the super neighborhoods?

Have you talked to the community?

Have you met with Houstonians and spoken with them?

Her list of support groups, these are all special interest groups.

They're all special interest groups.

She's calling this a movement.

Your time has speak to the community members.

We need to speak to Houstonians.

And we need to stop having people in the audience not allow everybody to speak.

It's not right.

Thank you.

Your time has expired.

We all have a right to speak, and this has to stop.

It just has to stay.

That's right, your time has expired.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um, one moment.

Oh, never mind.

Oh, thank you.

Next speaker.

Thank you.

Lisa Hunt.

Good evening.

I'm Lisa Hunt, and I come to you this evening as an Episcopal priest to advocate for the passage of Prop A clarifying the relationship between the Houston Police Department and ICE.

This year the Jewish observance of Passover coincides with the Christian observance of Holy Week.

Both holidays commemorate the movement of God to liberate people from oppression at the hands of power.

In the Passover, God demanded to let my people go.

That met with the resistance from a pharaoh who thought he was God until he was defeated at the Red Sea.

Similarly, during Holy Week, Christians remember the power of Caesar in the person of conscious pilot to oppress and kill those who question the morals of empire in contrast to the power of God to free us from the values of death.

Today, federal and state policies seek to criminalize immigrants and refugees and to require cities like Houston to collaborate with their cruel and oppressive dictates.

These policies are a moral offense.

And to the United States Institution.

Let our people go past this ordinance.

Ma'am, hold on one second.

Ma'am.

Okay, sorry, never mind.

Next speaker.

Thank you.

Sarah Saeed.

To be followed by Rain Eatman.

I'm sorry, say a policy manager Adwoody Hotos.

Uh the proposition A process did not include a legal review component, and this was later codified by this council.

This means you have the authority to amend the proposition A process or challenge the city attorney's opinion.

Many of us have raised concerns about non-traffic stops, unchecked officer discretion, fourth amendment violations, and their impact.

You have been provided community testimony, your own data, and asked questions.

A year and a half ago, I asked you what your plan was for SB4 and its interaction with ICE and local law enforcement unfolding in our city.

And we've already seen the consequences.

Every time police and ICE collaborate together, they're taking a page from the Israeli defense force practices because they were trained by them.

We've seen unnecessary arrests, rising legal costs for families, increased detentions leaving families unsure of where their loved ones even are.

Thanks.

Randall Callanan.

Hi Bowie.

Lindsay Burroughs.

To be followed by Thomas Sutherland.

Good evening.

My name is Lindsay Burroughs.

I'm not a lawyer, but I think you need to re-evaluate the city lawyer.

There is a reason why Dallas and Austin and the other cities are literally not allowing or you know, they implemented the discretionary policies regarding the ICE administrative warrants.

I thought we were better than Dallas.

Everyone here thinks we're better than Dallas.

Apparently we're not.

That's a little crazy.

These cities operate under the same state law that Houston does, so why has our city attorney removed this provision?

We demand that the city attorney release their ruling to the public.

Eliminating the prolonging of traffic stops, requiring periodic transparent reports from HPD, and most importantly, granting officers the discretion to not contact federal immigration authorities on the basis of these administrative warrants alone.

Thank you.

Thomas Sutherland.

Oh, to be followed, followed by Carolina Martinez.

Good evening.

I have testified several times in front of this body speaking on the violence that ICE officials perpetrate under the guise of immigration enforcement.

I have asked you to see the humanity in Renee Good, Keith Porter, and Alex Pratt to do what you can to keep another name off that somber list of individuals whose lives have been cut short.

City policy as it stands now does not do that.

Prop A as it stands now does not do that.

So what must be done?

How many more human lives must be taken from us for this council to take real action?

How many more lives must be lost in ICE custody?

How many more families must be torn apart?

How many children traumatized?

How deep must the wounds run through our communities before this body takes meaningful action?

Houston deserves better than the feckless leadership that this body so-called provides.

And if you won't do better, we will find people who will.

Thank you.

Carolina Martinez to be followed by Jasmine Katamagbari.

Hi, my name is Scottle.

What happened to Councilmember Salinas's propos proposition last week was not neutral.

It was not consistent and it was not credible.

Arthur Michel struck down a key provision while cities like Dallas and Austin move forward with the same policies without consequence.

That's not caution, that's selective enforcement.

And when legal opinions only seem to appear like they're politically convenient, people start to notice.

And let's be clear.

And when his decisions just happen to align with what the mayor wants blocked, it raises a serious question.

Whose interests are actually being served.

Because this isn't about protecting the city.

Otherwise, you need to pass the original proposition as written.

Houston does not.

We would have, but it was cut by our city attorney who said it was unlawful.

Why?

He's not elected.

He's appointed by our mayor.

And in 2023, he was the highest paid city of Houston official.

And now, because of his legal opinion, a key part of this ordinance was struck down.

So I ask the city attorney to release his legal opinion to the public.

Because every person who has come here to testify over the past year deserves to know why their ordinance was watered down.

The day laborers in District C, the students at Sam Houston High School in District H, whose soccer captain is still in ICE detention, they all deserve to know why.

Because this ordinance, as much as much as I thank Council Member Salinas for bringing it forward.

This ordinance belongs to us, to Houstonians, and we deserve an ordinance that protects us just as much as the people in Dallas and in Austin.

Thank you.

Anthony Hubbard.

To be followed by Michelle Bouchard.

Thank you, Selinas.

Cayman, Pollard.

And since Whitmeyer is not here, I want to speak to all of y'all council members here.

Despite what some may say, people to support this.

You can talk to anyone.

District H, my district, Castillo was there when Morrow, a high school student was deported and taken from the family.

I don't know how many of y'all had anyone close to y'all.

But if my kid was taken from me, I wouldn't do heaven and hell to get them back.

People care about this.

And you can talk to them and you can just listen to the stories.

These are people.

I've I asked the all of y'all support Prop A, and all of y'all stand by our communities.

Think home.

Michelle Bouchard to be followed by Jeff Reese.

Thank you.

I'm a community organizer in uh council district C, and I am shocked and appalled at Proposition A, because it's a blatant organized hijacking of our priorities in this city.

This is a dangerous city.

We know this is a dangerous city, and we all should feel safe, and that why that is why law and order must be our priority.

By the way, Councilman Pollard, where's the outrage in this room over those cops who were shot engulfed in recently at a routine traffic stop?

Would they not have them do that traffic stop and have that guy out there shooting unarmed citizens?

Where is the outrage of the children and the women trafficked engulfed in and the outraged over Marietta Wilson, who is blatantly murdered in the heights recently?

Where is the outrage over the kids afraid to play outside and sunny side because they're gonna be shocked?

This is a hijacking of our priority, and keep your priorities straight, council.

Protect us.

Thank you.

Jeff Jeff Reese, Jeff Reese.

Samuel Jesse.

To be followed by Clara Johnson.

Hello.

Uh my name is Dr.

Samuel Jess, representing my views as a revenant residing in District D.

Uh, while this civic congregation here today clearly testifies why we call an end to HPD's collaboration with ICE.

Let me instead offer clairvoyance to the future.

Councilmember Selena's original language for Prop A is the bare minimum.

Recall the vast majority here today demanding this for our communities.

Failure to adopt this proposal will be carved on your name.

If you ignore this demand, your career in public office is numbered.

Trust that as you seek reelection, working class people outnumber you, and our organizing fervor will outmatch you.

May this chamber bear witness to your decision and serve as an impending tribunal.

United together, we embody the spirit of solidarity, the spirit of justice, and the spirit of democracy made manifest.

And by the power of this collective spirit, we will haunt you.

To be followed by Maxim Maximiliano Diaz.

I'm your friendly neighborhood Houstonian.

The request in the man is pretty simple.

Houston needs to cut all ties with IC.

At the very least, major props to the Prop A.

But at the very least, as the next step, or more the main goal, and non-safety traffic stops.

I could go down the facts on the dangers of all the non-safety traffic stops, such as like rarely uncovered evidence on random crime, or more likely to end the police force, or even risks for uh higher risk uh towards people of color.

But this is supposed to be a huge step towards you know, supporting our neighbors and our residents, and it's non-safety traffic stops would be a big step to like the biggest ending the biggest factor to giving ICE a BS excuse to ripping families apart.

If you don't want to look at it at humanity in a moral perspective, you could look at it as fiscal view.

This would take your time reduce waste time for officers, you know, that they could allocate towards something else.

Maximiliano Diaz.

My name's Maximiliano Diaz.

So Houston voters gave this council a check on mayoral power.

And council member Salinas used it yet somehow, and an unelected city attorney appointed by the supposedly very, very tolerant mayor, got it the most important provision before it could even reach a vote.

Everyone knows SB4 does not require enforcing administrative warrants.

Dallas knows this, Austin knows this, yet Dallas yet Houston city officials don't seem to know this.

My family deserves a city that knows this too.

Pass the full ordinance, reinstate the provision with an amendment.

Our city should not work with terrorists like ICE or Mayor Whitmeyer.

By the way, earlier someone said to give those speaking ill of immigrants respect.

I don't think Nazis deserve respect.

The original ordinance is the bare minimum.

We shall also stop non-safety traffic stops and end the city contract.

Jeremy Peel.

To be followed by Michelle Agenbore of Hockley.

SB4 would not allow a city policy that quote prohibits or materially limits enforcement of immigration laws.

This ordinance, even with officer discretion, does neither.

It does not ban communications between HPD and ICE, nor does it restrict it.

It simply allows officers to choose whether or not to contact ICE, much like the discretion officers exercise every day.

In both Dallas and Austin, police officers are not required to contact ICE when they find an individual with an administrative warrant.

And neither of these cities have been confronted with legal action for any alleged violation of state law.

In closing, I not only urge this council to pass this ordinance, but I also request that the city attorney release a legal opinion detailing why this provision was removed and why he disagrees with the three elected attorneys on council that proposed this ordinance.

Thank you.

Michelle Agenbore from Hockley, to be followed by Bernadette Kiki.

Hi.

The conduct of HPD with regarding this private classification follows exactly how this framework is being introduced.

Informal and off the books.

And what's coming out about this framework are the consequences associated with inclusion and systems such as the National Crime Information Center, including uh entries within files like the violent gang terrorist organization file and the alerts and coordinating measures that follow from inclusion.

By the act of inclusion of a civilian in that system, it reflects a level of concern.

Treat as justified that has been determined, which then triggers alerts, coordinating measures, and increase your time has expired.

Your time has expired.

Can I get more time?

No.

Okay.

Uh, which is why I've been coming here with regarding police harassment.

It's a scrutiny that comes from inclusion and systems like the NCIC.

Thank you.

Bernardette Kiki.

To be followed by Stephanie Wilkins.

Greetings, uh blessed Mayo and all council members.

Shout out to you.

Uh, you all know I'm from District F and um Bernard Kiki, 35 years of being in Houston.

Blessed Historians crying and praying that we in Houston do not go to hell.

And I'm here to announce that the hour of human existence, as we know it is speedily about to come to an end.

This last Sunday, the mega ish and prophet of Jehovah Yahweh, Esh and Elijah, call down rain in the very before of the whole world.

The thirty time, the thirty time, the Lord Jehovah Yahweh announced the city.

Your time has expired.

His sonia, the glorious Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior who died on the cross for us is coming back.

And he wants us all to know.

He's gonna be upset when you do because time is over.

I'm crying and welding every day as my Makiki.

I don't want to see anybody go to hell.

And let's walk together and bring the mega profit.

They are going from nation to nation.

Nation to nation, you said you lost you.

They leave that that is needed at this time.

Thank you so much.

Stephanie Wilkins.

Joetta Stevenson.

To be followed by Felix Kapoor.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, and all of City Council.

Um, I'm Joetta Stevenson, and I'm the president of the Greater Fifth Ward Super Neighborhood.

I've come here to speak about traffic stops.

They are still way, way, way too high.

I know that last year, the early part of last year that you stopped that one stop, one officer per day.

I know you stopped that, but it was still an uptick.

Remember in 2023, it the number of traffic stops escalated unbelievably high.

Well, we still are very, very high.

We're too high.

And black people lead the pack in who's getting stopped in this city.

We need to encourage officers or HPD, the chief, to please tell their officers to stop stopping people for broken taillights or other ridiculous things.

What about the safety of Houstonians?

What about people that are driving recklessly?

Target them, target others.

Your time has expired.

Endangering us.

Thank you.

And I call on all the city council to help.

Felix Kapoor.

All right.

Good evening, Council.

Good evening, Mayor.

Um, my name is Felix Kapoor, resident of District I and a proud member of the Northeast Action Collective.

Um Houston's threat to flooding just increased significantly, especially with neighborhoods in Northeast Houston.

I'm asking all of council to invest in public works by hiring the almost 400 employees that were pushed out with early retirement and job cuts last year.

This administration claims to have made historic drainage investments, but how can you invest money into a department then take away close to 10% of its workforce?

Apparently that's called efficiencies.

Um the new FEMA flood maps have been released, and that should be enough evidence to support this demand.

Um but I kind of want to ask a different question.

Uh, when is this council going to be brave?

Uh when are we gonna stand up and make hundred million dollar decisions to protect the people?

We don't need a freeway expansion, we don't need George R.

Brown to host the next Republican national convention.

Uh we don't need our streets paved for the World Cup.

That isn't what we need.

We need an end to all collaboration between HPD and ICE.

We need the people protected.

Make hundred million dollar investments into the people.

And whoever said they need to talk to the community in Houston from that super neighborhood.

This this is the community.

We are the community.

Anybody left her?

That's yours.

Oh, thank you.

Okay.

Uh, we are proud of black American with a rich historical lexic, the heritage of achievement in the field of social economics, political justice, entertainment, music, sports, science, politics, business, education, medicine.

John Hansen was the first president and the first black president of United States of America who created the Treasury Department, the Commerce Department, Defense Department, and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Frederick Douglass was the first pre-black American orator who was a white who was vital to speak at the independence celebration who spoke and about slavery during slavery.

We black America had accumulated 400 of generational collective wealth, 200 years of square ethnic wealth without pay in the name of freedom and slavery.

Uh 200 was years we received just compensation for our labor and created contribution to the global world economy in every field.

We didn't come to America on the Mayflowers immigrants.

We brought here as America and shackled the slavery.

We were the first human traffic business at the Barack Obama.

Your time has expired.

Letitia Gutierrez.

Nick Vaughan.

To be followed by Jacob Clementich.

Good evening.

Thank you so much for squeezing me in.

Uh my name is Nick Vaughn.

I'm here in my capacity as a representative and member of the board of the Houston LGBTQ political caucus to affirm our unanimous support for the Prop A ordinance proposed by Councilmember Selena Pollard and Cayman.

I recognize that there is concern about complying with state and federal law, but let's not confuse compliance with collaboration.

It's clear that the discretion provision isn't remotely unlawful.

The caucus fully supports the original proposed ordinance.

Any step in the right direction is a good step, and I feel confident in saying we would support a revised proposal, but it must be the foundation of much greater reform ahead.

Furthermore, I want to point out that this ordinance is in perfect alignment with the unified Houston queer agenda created through collaboration between more than two dozen LGBTQ plus serving organizations earlier this year.

So while I speak specifically for the caucus, I feel confident in saying that I also speak for Houston's border queer community and saying we need this ordinance and more.

Finally, I will add the caucus will be watching each vote on this ordinance very closely.

Thank you, may I have a procedure motion?

Um I move to suspend the rules to add Janelle Rowle's.

You know why you can use it to hail a wound with water, you can drown in it, and then see you can be burned.

But I'm bumped.

Go forward, Jacob.

Go ahead.

Well, uh, I want to say this.

My father was an immigrant and well, he was a legal immigrant, and uh well, uh I'm a son of an immigrant, and yet uh I was resident and I had a fellow in the charge, and I had time in jail, but hey, I got better.

I mean, I ha might have a mental health issue, but I think my medication and I get better and better every day and in every way.

And uh I was thinking, oh well, when I was in jail, your time John Wilmere was Mayor John Wilmayer was uh state senator, and he uh was uh in charge of Cumor of Justice, so he knows what he's doing.

Thank you, Jacob.

Next Janelle Roglis.

All right, good evening, Mayor and Council members.

My name is General Robles.

I am a resident here in Houston.

I have been a public servant for nearly a decade.

I served as a Harris County felony prosecutor, um protecting victims of violent crime, a magistrate judge in Harris County Probable Cause Court, and uh recently as a felony uh public defender here in Harris County.

Because I am bilingual, nearly all of my case fill involves representing Spanish speaking immigrants, individuals charged with a crime.

And it is sad to say in the last year or so, I have seen a rise in the number of individuals, bizarre cases filed against my immigrant clients.

Um, and I'm seeing my clients getting arrested, charged, and um accused for behaviors of other clients that I wouldn't otherwise see.

Um it's been pervasive, and because I was taught as a young prosecutor to evaluate the evidence thoroughly.

Um, dismissed, and sadly, they're still deported in going tice.

Thank you.

Um, and so I'm asking for support of the proposition.

Thank you.

This completes the list of speakers.

We stand uh anyone anyone got overlooked that signed up.

State your name, ma'am.

My name is Coretta Brown.

Were you on the list?

Yes, yes.

Please please proceed.

In regards to Prop A, it's decent, but it lacks inclusivity.

I firmly agree that safe traffic stops should be about safety, not suspicion.

Every driver, no matter their race, background, income, or immigration status, deserve to be treated fairly.

When we create policies that reflect that we're not just helping one group, we're protecting entire communities.

But the moment you exclude any demographic for any reason, you stop being a counsel for all people, and you begin to slip on the very promise that got you elected.

Also, this can't stop with discretion.

It has to move to prevention.

That means addressing the issue in a way that works for everyone.

Inclusive policies reduce harm, it build trust, and it make our roads safer for us all.

Thank you.

We stand reached there for nine in the morning.

Item 25, ordinance approved and authorizing the sale of plus minus 0.0163 acre easement being out of a city fee on portion of lot four, block four, CW Hall Company subdivision of blocks three, four, and five of the FC Tricky subdivision in the Thomas A.

Manafee survey survey, abstract number 565, conveying the easement to the county of Harris, a body corporate and politic under the laws of the state of Texas.

Item 26, 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 Clinton Drive Lift Station Emergency Generator Expansion Project.

Item 27, ordinance finding and determining public convenience and necessity for the acquisition of real property interest in connection with the public improvement project known as Lift Station Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Design FEMA-CD.

Kingwood Place South LS Lift Station, Gold Bear Golden Bear Lip Station, Deer Springs Lift Station, AG Farm Lip Station Golf Course Lift Station Project.

Item 28 Ordnance Finding and Determining Public Convenience and Necessity for the Acquisition of Real Property Interest in Connection with the Public Improvement Project known as the North Park Drive Overpass Project and the North Park Drive Over Overpass Project Phase 2.

Item 29, ordinance approving and authorizing interlocal agreement for construction of safe routes to school project by and between the city of Houston and Gulfgate Redevelopment Authority Revenue.

Item 30 ordinance approving and authorizing interlocal agreement with Greater Southeast Management District.

Item 31 has been pulled and will not be considered.

Item 32, ordinance appropriating $5,730,000.

Approving an authorizing contract with Reliance Construction Services LP.

Item 33, ordinance appropriating 48,816,735 37 cent.

Approving an authorizing contract with SER Construction Partners.

Item 34, ordinance appropriating 732,294.37.

Approving and authorizing contract with Brizo Bryso Construction LLC.

Item 35 ordinance granting to a Triple H Action Septic Service LLC, the right privilege and franchise to collect, haul and transport solid waste and industrial waste from commercial properties located within the city of Houston.

This is the third and final reading.

Item 36, ordin ordinance granting to JS Septic Services Corporation, the right privilege and franchise to collect haul and transport solid waste and industrial waste from commercial properties located within the city of Houston.

This is the third and final reading.

Item 37, ordinance granting to Masters Advanced Remediation Services, LLC, the right privilege and franchise to collect haul and transport solid waste and industrial waste from commercial properties located within the city of Houston.

This is the third and final reading.

Item 38, ordinance granting to Red Zone Robotics, Inc.

The right privilege and franchise to collect, haul, and transport solid waste and industrial waste from commercial properties located within the city of Houston, Texas.

This is the third and final reading.

Item 39, ordinance granting to refresh threads cleaners, LLC.

The right privilege and franchise to collect haul and transport solid waste and industrial waste from commercial properties located within the city of Houston.

This is the third and final reading.

Item 40 ordinance granting to CESCO LLC.

The right privilege and franchise to collect haul and transport solid waste and industrial waste from commercial properties located within the city of Houston.

This is the third and final reading.

Item 41, ordinance granting to Texas mint commercial washing LLC.

The right privilege and franchise to collect, haul and transport solid waste and industrial waste from commercial properties located within the city of Houston, Texas.

This is the third and final reading.

Item 42 is a motion to set a public hearing date to provide a resolution of no objection for applicants seeking 4% housing tax credits.

Item 43 is a motion to set a public hearing date to provide a resolution of no objection for applicants seeking 4% housing tax credits in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Item 44 is a motion to set a public hearing date on recommendation from the director of Houston Parks and Recreation Department regarding an authorization to use a portion of Dewite Eisenhower Park for non-park purposes.

Item 45 ordinance relating to fiscal fiscal affairs of reinvestment zone number 27.

Approving fiscal year 2026 operating budget and fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Capital improvements budget for the zone.

This item was tagged by Councilmember Thomas and was item 52 on the agenda of March 25th.

This completes the reading of the captions for the agenda of April 1st, 2026.

Stay tuned for the next council session to begin at 9 a.m.

And with that, I wish everyone a happy and blessed hump day.

Before before we start business, let me remind everyone that fleet week starts April 15th.

There's going to be a gradual build-up of events.

Make plans, invite your friends, family, and constituents to enjoy the presence of U.S.

Navy going to be three ships and Houston port and a number of public events.

That follows the best March members that we've ever had as a city for a hotel occupancy revenue.

And it just continues to bill.

Actually, as we talked, the Astros are on a four-game winning streak.

So you know.

Let's let them follow our model of a can do attitude.

But um the month of March might also add that the George Brown financing was completed.

I think Melissa is going to make reference to it.

We got the best bond rating.

Actually increased our bond rating because people want to invest in the City of Houston.

But this morning is special because we've invited Congresswoman, if you will come forward.

First of all, let me congratulate you on a very impressive recent primary victory.

Thank you.

I know they tried to draw you out of your district, but you have got that can-do attitude, and you know elections matter and reason we come to work.

Speaking of that this morning, you were the first one that contacted me when the allegations against Cesar Chalvez surfaced.

And terrible discovery that made the news, and you said we must do something to remove his name.

I told council last week you were correct.

I heard from council members.

I heard from the community, and I said I would exite it today.

So you'll know the motion, the activity in that direction.

We're sending out letters today to 38 businesses along 67th Street, which is also registered as Caesar Chavez.

So it was your contact that certainly impressed me.

I shared with the council.

And you also had a recommendation that we change the name to the victim, the iconic Dolores Huerta.

So that's the reason I've asked you to come today to help us kick off the process.

The businesses and residences that use that address will have 30 days for input, comment, but the city, based on the consensus that's been built and input from the community and your representation.

The process starts today with your public acknowledgement, and then also the letters will go out today.

So with that, uh my mayor's report yields to you at this time.

Thank you, Mayor, and to thank you to all the council members.

And as you proceed with the process, and certainly we do need to hear from the public and all the business owners and the uh homeowners that that are on that street to have input.

I wanted to just drop by because I don't get the opportunity uh to be here during the week when you meet.

I wanted to take the opportunity today to come and uh recommend that we name this after uh Dolores Huerta.

Uh, like so many people in Houston and across the country, I was deeply disturbed and heartbroken by the allegations involving Cesar Chavez.

We have to be clear.

No legacy, no matter how historic and impactful places anyone above accountability.

I believe and stand with the victims.

Their courage matters, and they deserve to be heard.

But this moment is also about asking something more of out of all of us.

It's asking us to reflect on how we can best honor a movement and who we choose to lift up as its face.

Because the farm workers' movement was never about one person, it was always about people.

It was about workers demanding dignity, families demanding fair wages, and communities demanding to be seen and not heard.

And at the heart of that movement was Dolores Huerta.

So as Houston considers what comes next, because there will be mayors you said a process.

This is not about erasing history.

It's about making a clear choice.

If we are going to rename Cesar Chavez Boulevard, then we should do it in a way that honors the movement and the people who carried it forward.

We should rename it Dolores Wertza Boulevard.

Because Dolores Werta represents the very best of that movement.

She represents the workers who feed this nation, the woman who fought to be heard, the communities that organized and demanded change.

And it is about making sure that the legacy we lift up reflects the truth, the sacrifice, and the strength of the movement itself.

So when we think about Dolores, Dolores is more than just a friend, and she is indeed a friend.

She is one of the strongest, most courageous people I have ever known.

She co-founded the United Farm Workers Union.

She coined the phrase, see Seb Puede.

We've all joined in that chant in many meetings and many conferences.

She helped lead the delay note rape strike.

She organized boycotts that changed labor conditions across this country.

But we are now learning adds more to the story.

Dolores induced harm and carried that pain quietly for so many years.

She stayed focused on the movement, on the workers and on the cause, even when it came at a personal cost.

She just kept going.

She continued to fight for farm workers, for women and for civil rights.

That is who she is.

She is someone that we should honor.

That is why last year, Mayor, I led a resolution in Congress to recognize Dolores Huerta with a National Day in her honor.

Because her life reflects the values this movement was built on.

And Mayor, you know my story I worked on a farm.

I know what it's like to be out there in the field.

We learn a lot from that hard labor.

So we learned a lot from this movement and she was at the forefront and we should honor her with placing her name to replace Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

With that, Mayor, I thank you for your time and I thank all the council members.

We have uh Councilmember's questions and comments I believe Councilmember Kestix Statum signed up thank you, Mayor.

Congresswoman, I wanted to say thank you to you for coming and being speaking in support of the name change, but I also because you are here wanted to thank you for your advocacy for the TSA workers.

So many times the um work that we do on the local level we have to be in partnership with our federal partners and I want to amplify um how you have been advocating for our TSA workers.

They are our frontline workers their families are important.

We need to make sure that they are getting um paid and I know that you have been lifting your voice and everything that you can to make sure that we are providing them the quality of life and and what they deserve to help us to make sure that everything we are doing here in the City of Houston runs smoothly.

So thank you for your advocacy on the Federal level and then of course thank you for lifting up the voice of Dolores Huerta and we look forward to receiving more feedback from the City of Houston about this name change.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Council Martinez would let me thank you for your engagement in the community and helping this process you certainly represent the area that's directly impacted you and Councilmember Castillo so could not occur without your feedback from the residents and businesses that will be served by this change.

Thank you, Mayor.

And you know Congressman Garcia just wanted first say as as the mayor noted um you know you were the first one to bring this to our attention as well and and so we've been able to have several conversations throughout the past uh week and a half, two weeks or so.

Just want to say thank you for your leadership.

You know thank you for as Mayor Protein mentioned the leadership that you share at at uh in DC but then quite frankly here in the community as well and I am with you I'm in support of of what you are requesting as well.

I think it's important that um as we work through these these difficulties that we also are able to lift up specifically women and then Dolores Huerta in in with her name and the work that she's done as you mentioned the goal has always been when I when I started speaking to you about this mayor and to your team was to move through this expeditiously we know that the process can take up to five months even more depending on on uh whether you can achieve the signatures or not.

And so I'm I'm thankful to to be able to work alongside with you mayor and of course with with the rest of uh uh the the community to make sure that we can do this as quickly as possible uh quite frankly um and and the sooner the better um we know that you know as the mayor mentioned 38 businesses but then also two dozen streets uh intersections that are there in District I and Magnolia Park that we would like to see this done as quickly as quickly as possible to ensure that um we can begin to move on and heal uh but quite frankly honor uh Latinos uh Chiganos uh within our own spaces as well uh because quite frankly as a young kid we need those those leaders to be able to build that confidence to be able to sit around this this type of space uh to ensure that leadership continues to grow and so uh mayor again I just want to say thank you for moving quickly with this is um from our conversations and I look forward to making sure that we continue to have these conversations with the community as well.

Thank you.

Right, as has um all the representatives and um uh Commissioner Briones uh and uh Marion Pitt is uh Mondel Wally on Irlandis, Christina Morales Christian meeting 201.

So I think this is something that is going to receive a lot of support that we obviously do need to hear from those business owners and the communities directly impacted.

I appreciate you bringing that up because again, I think it just shows a unified voice, as you mentioned uh from you know, for this north with uh Representative Wally down to Marianne Perez, who is on the southeast part of Houston and Harris County, and of course, even our commissioners uh that are supportive of this.

So thank you again for your leadership.

Thank you.

For full transparency, we are expediting it to the point that public works is going to print today to make the new signs.

So it cannot be taken more serious and extradited than uh humanly possible.

So thank you, and Carol Alvarado did contact me.

And Councilmember Castello is directly impacted representing his district.

Thank you for your leadership and working with the administration.

Thank you, Mayor.

Excuse me.

Thank you, Mayor and Congresswoman.

It's great to see you.

Welcome back to City Hall.

Thank you.

It looks a little different.

I notice the signs are different, and they do have different names.

It's great to have you here.

And I do want to thank you for your leadership on countless issues, but this one specifically.

You know, as you said, this is not about a racing history, but it is about making a choice on how we honor the movement, and I think that hits home to what we are talking about today and to your recommendation, which, you know, just hearing you uh this morning talk about all the time Dolores spent in Houston and all the things that you were able to show her and the work you all did.

I know your recommendation is not one that is made lightly, uh but one that comes from experience and from your years of service with her.

And so uh I appreciate you being here to lend your voice to this and to to be the one that has led the charge.

Uh as you mentioned in the in the group chat, you were the first to let us know.

Um with with you and and with the mayor's support and the expedited uh process, we will see the way that the movement is honored uh done in a way that reflects the the wishes in the and of the community.

So thank you for all that you have done to to get us to this point.

Thank you.

Councilman Kyman.

Good morning.

And Congresswoman, I want to thank you for your leadership, um, as well as my colleagues around the horseshoe and just the we're seeing a change throughout the nation where the acts of one are not going to define a movement, and the acts of one are not going to define the strength of women.

And I want to recognize you for your leadership in lifting up the voices of women like Dolores Muerta.

Um I want to double down on what I said last week, which was that no woman should ever be made to feel like she cannot speak her truth and have to sacrifice for the sake of a movement, and that her sacrifice absolutely needs to be recognized.

Um, but that what she went through does not define her.

That is only one part of her story.

Uh and it is incumbent upon all of us as we move forward uh to lift up the entire story of the movement, the entire story of these women who were courageous and saved the lives of so many others and broke barriers in ways that they at the time could not even imagine.

Uh so again, thank you for standing so strong uh for the voice of workers, for the voice of women, for the voices of this country.

Uh and it's it's a privilege that we as a city get to step up to do the right thing and to do so quickly when there are other instances, especially right now, where we are not doing the right thing when it comes to sexual abuse and sexual assault.

Uh and this is one of those moments that we can be proud of.

And so we stand with you, we stand with others, but we stand with all women uh who have gone through the unthinkable, uh, so that they never have to be silenced.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Salinas.

Congresswoman, it is so wonderful to see you here today.

First time I've seen you in that seat.

Um I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart as a Latina who sits on council, how powerful it is for you to come here today and share this powerful recommendation.

I myself have been advocating for the very same in my conversation with colleagues, but it means so much to come from you.

So thank you, thank you, thank you.

And I look forward to being there with you and the mayor and all of council when we rename the street Delores Jueta Boulevard.

Thank you.

Very well.

On a very personal note, I want to thank you for your career.

It is so strong in going forward.

Most people don't know you and I worked together before we were elected officials.

I was a State Employee, you were a county official.

Working in social services, so our careers have run very parallel, been in a lot of battles together and a lot of victories.

But thank you.

Help me.

Chief Municipal Judge, City Controller.

County Commissioner.

County Commissioner, State Senator.

Yes.

And we fought the battles in Austin and did a lot of good things.

So thank you.

And I know you are strong now, and we are making a strong statement today going forward.

So thank you.

And we stand ready to work with you.

And there is a lot of things we need help with in Washington, certainly the TSA.

I was surprised you all just didn't present me with a list.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But that's all about relationships.

We have it coming.

We have budget coming up.

The collaboration and your involvement of writing wrongs is why we all run for office and why we came to work today.

So thank you and take care of yourself and we're a phone call away.

Thank you, Mayor, and I look forward to continuing our work together for a better Houston.

Thank you.

Members, uh, we will move into the financial report.

Uh good morning, Mayor, Honorable Members of Council.

As she is walking out of the room, I just want to acknowledge and thank the Congresswoman uh for her leadership and for her advocacy.

Uh you know, this morning, as a former controller, she said she is probably the only one who is happy to hear this report this morning from me.

But um, you know, we are going to share it.

And uh I do want to say, Council members, I want to get added to the group chat.

Come on now.

I'm I'm an ally.

But uh Mayor, I am here to present the monthly financial report for the month of February 2026.

The controller's office is projecting an ending fund balance of $307 million, or 11.7 percent of expenditures, less debt service and pay as you go for fiscal year 2026.

This is $16.9 million lower than the projection of the Finance Department.

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

Uh just to interject really quickly, I am going to try to fly through these numbers, and I think Director Debasco is going to do the same.

We haven't completed the convention center financing.

The closing is actually like right now, and so we are going to try to get out of here and get over there.

Um so forgive some of the speed uh going through here.

Based on our current projections, the fund balance will be approximately 110.7 million dollars above the City's target of holding 7.5 percent of total expenditures, excluding debt service and pay as you go in reserve.

In general uh appropriations and the general fund, excuse me.

We have increased our revenue projection by $39 million from the January 2026 report.

Most of the increase has been driven by the following.

Uh sales tax revenue is up to 21.9 million is up by 21.9 million dollars due to higher than anticipated sales tax receipts.

Charges for services increased by $13.9 million, primarily due to stronger than expected ambulance fees, miscellaneous and other increased by $2.3 million, primarily due to higher recoveries and refunds from Verizon.

Transfers from other funds increased by 1.8 million dollars due to higher transfer from Park Houston Special Revenue Fund, sales of capital assets increased by $0.3 million due to higher than anticipated land sales.

Intergovernmental decreased by $0.7 million due to lower tax uh lower TERS administration fee collection.

Direct interfund decreased by $0.7 million due to lower than anticipated direct services recovered.

Moving over to expenditures, we have increased our expenditure projection by $68 million from the January 2026 report with significant changes as follows.

An increase of $50.6 million in fire, primarily due to classified overtime, termination pay, firefighting equipment supplies, and IT restricted accounts, an increase of $15.6 million in police due to classified overtime and IT cost overage, an increase of $4.5 million in various departments to reflect health benefits overage and increase of $1.6 million in general government to reflect additional funding for the Houston Forensic Science Center and consulting services for the enterprise risk assessment.

A decrease of $3.4 million in various departments to reflect vacancy savings and a decrease of $0.8 million in various departments to reflect savings in service chargeback costs.

For our enterprise funds, starting with aviation, operating revenues decreased by $26.8 million due to lower than anticipated terminal space rental fees and retail concessions offset by an increase in signatory landing fees.

I think this came up yesterday and there was a question asked about it.

The reason that there is such a difference there is that we're behind schedule with the International Central Processor, which has delayed an increase in fees that would have met these assumptions.

So when that when that progresses, when it moves forward, we'll see those fee increases that we uh were looking for at airport.

Uh and happy to go into more detail, obviously, I'm sure that the airport would be happy to share more detail as well.

Operating expenses decreased by $5.1 million, driven by lower supplies and services costs and delays in non-capital equipment purchases, partially offset by higher personnel costs.

Non-operating revenues increased by $12.3 million due to higher interest income and an operating transfer to the airport improvement fund decreased by $9.3 million.

For combined utilities, operating revenues decreased by $74.2 million due to a decrease in water and sewer revenues.

I believe this came up yesterday as well.

We're still digging to understand the details of that.

What we have gotten so far is with half a million customers, variation can happen, and sort of that's the answer, but we want to get a little bit of a better understanding there.

Operating expenses increased by 1.6 million dollars, primarily due to an accounting adjustment for interfund 311 services, partially offset by personnel savings, contract implementation delays, and lower water authority contract debt payments.

Non-operating revenues increased by $36.8 million due to higher than anticipated impact fee collections, judgments and claims, and recoveries and refunds, and operating transfers decreased by $83.5 million, primarily due to lower than anticipated transfer to the stormwater fund and accounting adjustments for $3.11 services and delays in capital equipment purchases.

For our dedicated drainage and street renewal funds, within Ad Villorum expenditures decreased by $0.7 million to reflect lower payments to the Chapter 380 program.

Our Metro Fund revenues decreased by $5.4 million due to lower reimbursement for street and traffic operating costs from the Metro Mobility Program.

And within Metro, expenditures also decreased by $2.3 million due to lower service chargebacks for vehicle fuel and purchases for construction materials and capital equipment.

For the Stormwater Fund, revenues decreased by $37 million due to lower transfers from the combined utility system.

Expenditures decreased by $19.7 million, primarily due to lower than anticipated demolition services.

And we are projecting no material changes from last month for convention entertainment or the remaining dedicated drainage and street renewal funds.

For our commercial paper and bonds, the city's practice has been to maintain no more than 20 percent of the total outstanding debt for each type of debt in a variable rate structure, which is in line with rating agency guidance of 25 percent.

From time to time, the city's credits have exceeded this threshold on an interim basis as they undertake large capital projects.

As of February 2026, the ratio of unhedged variable rate debt for convention and entertainment was 62.26 percent due to the George R.

Brown expansion.

The financing that we're going through right now will address this.

The ratio of unhedged variable rate debt for each of the other type of outstanding debts remain well below that 20 percent threshold.

Speaking specifically on this financing, on March 5th, the City priced $1.38 billion in bonds to restructure the convention center debt and fund phase one of the convention district transformation project.

Uh despite my notes say some market volatility, despite a lot of market volatility, uh investor demand was very strong, allowing us to tighten pricing and secure an all-in cost of 4.85 percent.

The mayor was correct in noting an upgrade in the rating of the convention center.

That is not the same as an upgrade of the city's general debt, uh, which is still on a negative outlook from two of our three ratings agencies.

The remaining portion of uh the conventional center finance is closing today.

Um I want to thank Treasurer Vernon Lewis, Director Melissa Dubowski, uh Houston First CFO, Frank Wilson, and the entire financial working group uh for their work in partnership uh in making this finance happening.

All right.

Uh pivoting to other recent events, uh, as we conclude Women's History Month, uh last week our office hosted an important roundtable event that brought together direct service providers, workforce leaders, philanthropists, and researchers to discuss improving economic outcomes for Houston mothers and children.

As you probably know, Harris County has the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation.

And we know that there's a direct intersection between these mortality rates and financial stability.

And so this convening began a conversation about how we bridge that connection here in Houston.

The controller's office is committed to connecting financial data with real human outcomes, because if we are serious about the economic future of this city, we have to make sure that it includes healthy mothers and healthy families.

Uh special thanks to Councilmember Abby Cayman for taking part in that discussion.

Uh if any of you around this horseshoe would like to join us uh further in this work, please reach out uh to our office.

We'd love to invite you into that conversation.

On March 17th, the controller's office uh and the city hosted the 10th annual Houston Investor Conference.

At this year's conference, we heard from city and county uh financial leaders as well as school district financial leaders, uh, from experts who are shaping energy transition and capital markets, and from Brian Daniel, the Texas president of the New York Stock Exchange.

The conference showcased Houston's strength and the city's attractiveness as a destination for continued growth and investment.

And so uh first I want to thank Councilmember Davis and his absence for joining us there, uh, and thank you again to Director Dubowski, uh, as well as some of our department level CFOs, uh Clint Steven from Airport, uh, Samir Solanke from Public Works, and again Frank Wilson from Houston First for sharing their insights and their plans uh for the future.

Uh big shout out to Vernon Lewis and the Treasury team uh for putting this on, as well as to the entire controller's office uh who worked hard to bring this conference together once again, uh, and we're already looking forward to next year.

Uh this past Saturday, thousands of Houstonians took to the streets for the No Kings 3 March.

A huge crowd was right here at City Hall in solidarity with millions of Americans uh in what was the largest single-day political demonstration in American history.

Uh and folks didn't show up because they were told to.

Uh, they didn't show up because they were forced to, uh, or because it was convenient.

They they showed up because they believed in the importance of securing uh our democracy.

Uh I want to thank all of those who marched and to the organizers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes uh to make Saturday a reality here in Houston.

Uh and I also want to thank the participants for exercising their First Amendment rights peacefully, because that was a critically important part of the success of the event.

And then finally, a big thank you to HPD for ensuring the safety of all the participants uh and all Houstonians as they do uh every single day.

Uh mayor and council, uh I'll close with this.

Uh we have a problem and we need your help to fix it.

My role is to be the taxpayers' watchdog.

My office monitors the city's finances, analyzes the numbers, and puts clear, actionable information in front of you so that you can make informed decisions.

But there's a disconnect that we have to solve together.

We're providing that information, but it's not being acted upon.

And the result is what we're experiencing today.

Uh I flew through this report, but Director Jones uh gave more detail yesterday.

What we're now facing is a 174 million dollar general fund deficit for fiscal year 2026, the largest single-year drawdown in the history of the City of Houston.

And that didn't happen overnight.

It happened one decision at a time.

This year's budget was advertised as balanced, even though at the very outset, it included over a hundred million dollars of drawdown of the city's general fund.

Uh that was brought down to 76 by the time you voted on it.

But even with that 76, uh, first of all, we know that it was never balanced to begin with.

But even that 76 was based on assumptions that we knew would not hold.

Uh during budget season, the 10 Hard Truths document that I shared with you, Council, with you, Mayor, uh, with the Houston uh public, laid out the realities of what was in that budget and what wasn't in that budget.

Truth number two made it very clear that to achieve the property tax revenue that was in that budget, you would have to raise taxes.

And that was impossible if you weren't going to raise the tax rate.

You would either need to lower the budget figure or commit to altering the tax rate.

But neither happened.

And the result was $53 million in additional deficit spending.

We saw the same pattern with overtime.

Truth number six in that document explained that the budget is repeated that the budget repeated last year's overtime miscalculation.

After spending nearly $140 million in overtime last fiscal year, this budget allocated only $64 million without any meaningful changes to operations that would bring about that figure.

And so that gap wasn't going to close on its own, and it didn't.

And that's an additional $50 million in deficit spending that you saw in today's financial report.

And there have been other revenue and expense changes throughout the year, but just those two decisions alone account for the entirety of essentially the $100 million increase in deficit spending that we've tacked on since July.

These risks were identified, the costs were quantified, the outcome was predictable.

But decisions didn't reflect these known risks, and the outcome that we're seeing should not be a surprise.

We saw the same pattern with the fire contract.

In June 2024, Council voted unanimously to approve that agreement without clearly defining the financial triggers that were tied to the pay escalators, the raise that firefighters would get each year.

And those terms would increase the contract's cost if triggered by over $120 million.

At the time, we put that risk in writing in bold print and shared it with each of you.

Without clearly defining those figures, the likelihood of disagreement was high, and the financial exposure that came with that would be high.

And that's exactly what followed.

The firefighters believed that they were entitled to the maximum raise in the contract.

The mayor thought they should be paid the lower number, and it went to arbitration, and then the city lost.

Now taxpayers are going to be responsible for significant back pay to firefighters on top of the already costly back pay that this agreement was intended to resolve in the first place.

That's expected.

We still need to get into the numbers, but we expect about 10 or 12 million dollars in additional deficit spending this year to cover that back pay and some of the related cost.

That doesn't include any legal fees associated with defending the matter.

I'm not sure if those exist or not.

And to be clear here, firefighters deserve to be paid fairly.

The issue is not that.

The issue is whether we get clear on the terms up front so that we can budget for this responsibly.

When we don't, we end up paying for it on the back end as you're seeing now.

And this is not about pointing fingers because we can't move forward that way.

This is about recognizing a pattern and being accountable to changing that pattern.

Because the reality is simple.

We cannot continue to make decisions that don't align with reality and expect anything besides reality coming back around to hit us in the face.

We can't budget based on assumptions that we know won't hold, and we cannot ask Houstonians to trust the plan if the plan doesn't reflect the truth that we all know to be true.

When the numbers don't add up, the impact doesn't just stay on sheets of paper.

It shows up in people's lives.

It shows up in reduced response times, it shows up in garbage not being picked up, it shows up in services not being delivered or reduced.

We are dealing with massive sums of money here.

It's a $7 billion budget.

But the most significant currency that we have is public trust.

And right now, the city's actions are putting that trust at risk.

And so I'm asking for your partnership.

Let's be honest about what things cost.

Let's be disciplined about how we plan, and let's align our decisions with the realities that we understand.

Our choices up to this point have put us in a hole, and now we have to do the harder work of digging ourselves out of that hole, deliberately, responsible responsibly and honestly.

I stand ready to work with each of you in doing that.

Thank you.

And that concludes my report.

Good morning.

This is the A plus 4 financial report for the period ending February 28 to 2026.

Fiscal year 26 projections are based on eight months of actual results and four months of projections.

For the general fund, our revenue projection is $3.5 million lower than the adopted budget and $38.4 million higher than the prior month.

The variance from the prior month projection is primarily due to an $18.3 million increase in sales tax, which is due to higher than anticipated sales tax receipts, as well as a $14.2 million increase in charges for services, primarily due to higher than anticipated ambulance fees.

We are also projecting a $4.5 million increase in miscellaneous and other, primarily due to anticipated reimbursement from Center Point Energy as well as a Verizon rebate based on our contract.

We're also reflecting a $2.6 million increase in other franchise fees due to higher than anticipated cable TV franchise fees and solid waste hauler franchise fees.

$1.8 million increase in transfer from other funds due to higher than anticipated transfer from the Park Houston Fund, and a $1.5 million decrease in license and permits, which is due to lower than anticipated special food permits, mobile food vendor licenses, and food manager permits, which is driven by legislative change at the state level.

We're also reflecting an $833,000 decrease in interest due to lower than anticipated interest earnings in pooled investments.

Just touching on sales tax receipts for the month of January.

I know we talked a little bit at the committee yesterday about the sales tax audit that we saw last year at this time.

So when you adjust for the one-time anomaly audit adjustment that we had last year, sales tax receipts for the month of January were about 4.8 percent higher than the same period last year.

And so we'll continue to monitor, but in order to meet our current estimate of $920.6 million, the remaining periods for sales tax need to come in uh flat to the prior year.

So we think that's still a conservative estimate.

On the expenditure side, the expenditure projection is $77.6 million higher than the adopted budget and is $68 million higher than the prior month.

As we discussed yesterday at the committee meeting, the variance is primarily due to uh $51 million increase in the fire department to reflect uh primarily due to classified overtime, um, equipment for new cadets, termination pay, face down, um, as well as billing collection fees.

Also in the police department, we're reflecting a $15.6 million increase to reflect classified overtime and higher HPD IT related cost.

Um we're also offsetting that um with some vacancy savings in other departments and um a variety of other uh savings that the controller already mentioned in his speaking notes, so I won't go over all of those individually.

Um putting all those together, the expenditures and the revenues, we're currently projecting the ending fund balance to be $323.8 million, which is about $30 million lower than the prior month and represents $12.4 percent of estimated expenditures, not including debt service and you pay as you go.

Uh this percent of fund balance and the amount of fund balance is still slightly above what was contemplated at the time of the adopted budget, uh, even with the decrease in property tax and the increase of expenditures that were reflecting in this report.

Um, at the time of the adopted budget, we were projecting the ending fund balance to be just about 12 percent.

So we're still slightly above that, primarily due to uh better than expected performance in fiscal year 25, as we do tend to budget conservatively.

So that fund balance that we are projecting represents $128 million above the minimum of holding 7.5 percent of expenditures, not including debt service and pay as you go.

Um the controller uh already went over all of the enterprise projections, special revenue fund projections, and his office agrees with our projections in those areas, so I won't uh go over all of those again.

Um I do want to um close and reiterate some of the controller's remarks on the bond transaction that the finance working group has been collaborating on over the last, I can't even say months, it's been over the course of a few years at this point that we've been working on this important transaction for the city.

As the controller mentioned, we uh worked together in March to price the bond transaction, um, which is generating about $1.4 billion of funding for the convention entertainment credit for the city.

The underwriting syndicate was led by uh jointly led by JP Morgan and Ramirez, and together they uh built a really strong book of orders.

Uh there was incredible demand by the investors.

Um, that allowed us to further negotiate the interest rates lower as we seek to keep the cost of borrowing as affordable as possible.

Um as the controller mentioned, there was there was really strong investor demand.

There were over a hundred different accounts that put in orders for this transaction.

Um the credit uh was upgraded by SP from a single A to a double A minus rating, which allowed us to price the bonds at an interest rate of 4.85 percent, as the controller mentioned.

Um the transaction is scheduled to close later today uh this morning.

Um and on the uh just going back to um a little more recap on the day of pricing.

It was a very choppy market, as the controller mentioned, um, with the war outbreaking just the weekend before.

Um, even still, the investor interest was very strong as investors clearly believe in Houston's future and want to invest in Houston.

The bond proceeds, as you all know, are going to be used to facilitate the expansion of the George R.

Brown, which is a project that is hugely important to moving our economy forward and bringing in some of those larger conventions that will generate additional uh revenue for years to come.

So that concludes my report.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you both for your reports.

Controller, can you go back over the figure that you said was spending increase for HFD at the beginning of your report?

Sure.

So the overall figure for fire is an increase of $50.6 million.

Within that $39 million.

Is that correct, Director?

Is overtime?

39, yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

Director, the last time we spoke when you were at the podium for the monthly financial report, you agreed that we have a spending problem.

I have always really tried to focus on the five-year forecast.

Where are we with that?

Because I always try to drop down on your estimates.

Are we still at a baseline, which would be close to about $500 million in 2030 as a deficit?

Or with these numbers that have been projected based on the additional increases that the controller has mentioned in his report, does that now push us even further into a larger deficit in the five-year forecast in your estimation?

So last month when we talked about the looking at the spending problem, I can't be remiss if I don't reiterate the Ernst and Young Citywide Efficiency Study, right, where we looked at looking at the duplication we have, we've moved forward with consolidations, reorganizations, we did the retirement incentive program.

A lot of those things in that report allowed us to decrease items in the budget that otherwise would have, you know, resulted in even more expenditures this fiscal year.

So, you know, we're going to be continuing to implement the findings of that report as we go through the even the five-year forecast.

The five-year forecast is going to be refreshed, of course, when we go to propose the budget, and we will see those those figures there.

One thing we did talk about yesterday in the committee meeting, um, Councilmember Ramirez asked about it specifically was um looking at how we do budget for overtime, and some overtime is unpredictable due to events that are you know outside of our control.

Um, but really taking a hard look at um overtime that is more operational in nature and regular in nature.

So I think that you will see uh change in how we budget for that this year.

So the $50 million that the controller is speaking of of a H F D increase, plus the $53 million that came from the additional cost that we absorb based on not changing the tax rate, that $100 million combined should impact the five-year forecast, uh, in my opinion, significantly.

Would you would you agree with that?

There are a lot of other moving pieces in the forecast, right?

So um even sales tax, for example, sales tax is our second largest revenue source in the general fund.

That has outperformed what we anticipated at the last time we did the five-year forecast.

So, of course, we still want to take a conservative look at sales tax.

We usually adopt a budget on sales tax projections somewhere between our we have a pessimistic, a likely and optimistic scenario.

We usually are between the pessimistic and likely scenario, but even that scenario, you know, it get everything gets refreshed on an annual basis.

So yes, you will probably see a more conservative projection on property tax revenue in the in the updated five-year forecast, but you may see other areas that are revenues increasing or other expenditures decreasing to offset.

So do you anticipate that we're still around the baseline projections for the five-year forecast of almost $500 million deficit?

By the fifth year of the forecast, yes.

Between four and five hundred million.

But that is unsustainable.

If if you have a if you have a projection that is showing that the city will be at a $500 million deficit in 2030, how how could the city financially survive with those type of numbers?

I mean, I would say that the five-year forecast and the budgetary gap that you see in the five-year forecast is, I think everyone would agree, is not new, right?

We have had a five-year forecast that shows a gap, at least as long as I have been at the city.

Um, we do what we can to try to bring that baseline down, control costs, um, look at other opportunities for revenue, figure out how we can be more efficient.

And I mean, ultimately, of course, we have forward looking and anything we do in a current fiscal year will help in the out years, but at the end of the day, we're, you know, we adopt the annual budget based based on what we can implement in that year.

Okay.

And lastly, um, as the controller mentioned, the the fire union seems to be um wanting to push forward with arbitration with the city regarding um contract disputes.

Um, the escalator clause that he mentioned, the 3 percent, um holiday buyback and safety paramedic holiday time, tuition reimbursement, retirement payments, uniform allowance, uh laundry service.

If we aren't able to um satisfy the current terms of our agreement and we have to pay for additional cost uh to the fire department, how is that going to impact um this year's fiscal budget?

I think uh city attorney can probably weigh in on that.

But um with the grievance process, if any of the items are determined by the arbitrator that they would impact future years, then we would need to budget for that in a future year.

If an arbitrator determines that it's only an impact to the current fiscal year, then that will be an impact to the current fiscal year, but not necessarily to the out years.

I don't know, Arturo, if there's anything.

You can put me back in the queue.

Councilman Cayman.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good morning to both of you.

Um I wanted to start off uh Controller Hollins, thank you for hosting uh the women's history uh round table discussion.

Um there were things that were discussed and brought up in that room that I was not aware of, such as the fact that one in four uh Houstonians, it's approximately 600,000 in Harris County are bankless.

That means that they don't keep their money in a bank.

That means they are much more susceptible, especially women, uh, to uh predatory lending and other uh predatory financial schemes.

Uh so again to bring everyone in that room, but I wanted to lift up that work because I was aghast at those numbers uh and how important the work is, and again, bringing uh financial education and literacy um into the community to to protect people and give them a stronger foundation uh because we all need that.

And it just so again I wanted to lift up that work.

Um, I think you said, and I don't want to misquote you, um, that we're facing potentially the largest budget deficit in city history.

Is that what you said?

The largest drawdown of our general fund.

But largest drawdown.

I I I would call that deficit spending, but um I'll give you the technical term.

Okay.

And um, Director Dubowski, I don't know if you had a a comment on that or a different interpretation, uh, but I wanted to give you the opportunity to respond.

I think that when we it's important to look historically, but we also have a um, you know, in our five-year forecast slide presentation, we do show the historical view uh how much is drawn from fund balance at the end of the year.

Um, this is uh this is where we are trying to true up the estimates to the budget at this point in time.

There are a lot of things that still are going to happen between now and the end of the fiscal year.

Um so I think to me, I I can't speak to that.

Yeah, I can't really agree or disagree with the controller, but I think that you know we'll we'll we'll be revisiting the estimates every single month from now.

Um again, I think we had a robust conversation at finance committee yesterday, um, including the overtime spending.

I think you know where I stand on that, where I really want to see the city actually incorporating uh disaster response into our budget uh because departments do not account for that when budgeting and presenting their budgets for the year.

Um but all that being said, uh I continue to be concerned.

Um I know you just mentioned that sales tax outperformed.

Um I'm I so appreciate that we take a much more conservative position, but I'm also very concerned with the uh outlook or forecast in the coming months.

We always see uh from the holidays through March, the highest sales tax for the City of Houston, right?

It's our time to shine.

Uh, but again, we're not only facing uh a lower level of sales tax just cyclically, but with the economy uh and what we're facing with such an uncertain and unstable economy in market right now.

So I I want to make sure that we're being as conservative as possible, understanding that we could be heading for a much grimmer financial outlook based on what the markets are doing right now.

All of that being said, I did have a question for our city attorney, and I certainly don't want to put you on the spot.

It came to light yesterday.

Some of us had not been aware that arbitration had concluded.

And one, I think that council absolutely needs to be informed about the impacts of arbitration, just as we should with litigation.

I am not aware, controller, you may have mentioned it, or Director Dabowski, you may have mentioned it, of how much we're now on the hook for from that step up clause.

I know that, and Councilmember Flickinger raised this yesterday.

And we were told, no, it's not going to be interpreted a certain way.

So one, I Director, I know you offered, but I want to make sure that that works for city legal.

I would like council members to be briefed on the arbitration proceedings.

And two, I would like to understand that further, and I don't know if either of you can elaborate on the financial impact of that.

Yes, so my office caught one of this at the same time that you did, which was when Councilmember Flickinger mentioned it uh yesterday.

Um I think we should have known about it a little earlier than that.

Uh our early estimates, we haven't seen any details from any arbitration ruling, nothing in writing, but just our quick math puts us in the 10 to 12 percent range on income.

Um 10 to 12 million dollar range on paying for additional income for firefighters.

And um there's still a bit more to do there because they're overtime, right?

These overtime numbers that we just reported to you, that could be impacted by the by the 3 percent change, uh, retirement and you know other things where folks have uh you know termination pay, et cetera, can be impacted.

So we have to actually get the ruling, which we haven't gotten yet.

Uh we have to dig into the details and then go into some of those kind of finer line items, but 10 to 12 million dollars for this fiscal year uh is the high level estimate.

Director, I didn't know if you had a comment or again, I'm asking all three.

I know it's I don't want to take up too much time, but any details would be very helpful.

Uh the the arbitration decision is uh it was recorded orally.

We're trying to get a transcript out.

There's also a considerable planning that needs to be done between payroll and HR to identify how this is going to be implemented, and we've been working well with the union on that.

So the intent has always been, and I think Stephen David will provide this, is to provide a uh a document that sets out what occurred, why, as best as we can tell in the process for doing that.

And uh when was arbitration concluded or finalized?

It was at the the beginning of rodeo weekend.

I can't remember that exact date right now.

Okay, so it's been several weeks at least.

Right, three or four weeks, yes.

Thank you very much.

Yeah.

Councilman Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I have you here, Director.

Uh I did want to ask you about an agenda item that we have today.

Um it's agenda item 11, which is um a spending authority for a $30 million award on a public safety emergency preparedness equipment um item.

Um I believe is for to assist with FIFA.

But these these out year dollars, are that is that something that will get reimbursed?

Are you familiar with this uh particular item I am referencing?

And can you give some clarity to us on that?

Because these these dollars aren't currently within our fiscal year budget.

So how are we going to um pay for these items and what is the reimbursement process like in in a timeline?

Sure.

So uh FIFA is unique, right?

We haven't um had a FIFA grant in the past, but to the best of my understanding, um we've received the grant award um from the Federal Government.

We have a couple different grants.

So we have um uh went to council early on in March to um get the authorization to apply for and accept the grants.

Um one of them is $65 million.

That's going to be used primarily for um public safety, fire and police overtime, real focus on EMS, um, some IT components there related to cybersecurity.

Um there's separately a grant um for uh $15 million, and then thirdly, there's some UASC funding, grant funding that we're gonna be utilizing.

So the way the grant programs work is they are reimbursement based.

So in order to order the equipment we need, get trained on it, receive it timely, uh we do need to, as we do with all other reimbursement-based grants, front some of our city funding, which we don't feel comfortable to do until we do have those grant awards, which we have that in hand now, the grant awards.

Um so that allows us to order the equipment so that we can receive it, train on it, and then we will seek the reimbursement from the Federal Government.

So of course we have to go through the federally compliant procurement process, um, you know, to make sure we are following all of the the rules and regulations laid out with the grants.

And um lastly, um a couple of years ago, the mayor um stated that he believed the city was broke.

Uh the controller just referenced that we are now facing the largest drawdown in the city city's history.

So if we were broke then, and this is the largest drawdown ever.

Would you consider us even more broke, more poor than we were before?

Where do we stand?

We still have a lot of work to do.

We have done a lot of work um to implement some of the things in the Ernst and Young Efficiency study to bring down the expenditures where we can.

Uh but we still have a lot of work to do, and you're gonna you're gonna see that in the proposed budget.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember, at the time that that statement about being broke was made, we actually had the highest fund balance in our city's history.

We have since been holding up.

What was that fund balance at the time, Controller?

Uh it was getting close to $600 million.

It was just uh in the high 500s.

Um now, again, we're projecting uh 307 at the end of this fiscal year.

Uh uh the finance department is projecting, I think 324.

So that's where we stand.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Following up on Councilmember Cayman's comments, um, Mr.

Michelle, will you commit to providing a copy of the arbitration proceedings, the full transcript to council?

Yes.

Okay.

Um will you also commit to allowing council to consult before making a determination on whether or not we are going to appeal the judgment before making payment?

We don't have an ability to uh appeal an arb an arbitrator's award.

Is that what the arbitration agreement says that we cannot appeal?

Yes.

Okay.

Anything else?

Thank you.

Councilmember Alcorn.

Councilmember Alcorn.

I move to accept the monthly financial report date of February 28th, 2026.

Second.

Motion made and second.

Motion Thank you.

Secretary Consent Counter, please.

All right.

Since your list was distributed, all items have been received and are now in under the accept work category.

Items one and three have been removed for separate consideration.

Need a motion for items two and four.

Cast next item move.

Second.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay, motion passes.

Under the property category.

Need a motion for item five.

Cast X tight amount.

Motion made in the second.

All in favor say yes.

Those proposed nay.

Motion pass.

Under the purchase and tabulation of bids category, item 11 has been removed for separate consideration.

Item eight is an ordinance.

Just need a vote.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay, motion passes.

Need a motion for items six, seven, nine, and ten.

Cas fact a move.

Motion made in the second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passed.

Under the ordinances category.

Items 21 and 31 have been pulled and will not be considered.

Items 19, 20, and 33 have been removed for separate separate consideration.

Need a vote on the balance.

It's on consent, but I want to square 13.

No, we're on uh not yet.

I need to tag it.

Move to suspend the rules.

Yeah, sure.

I just want to before we do the scrap.

Sure.

So before everybody wants to be able to do that.

But we haven't voted yet.

I just need the tag.

Next.

Do we need a vote on the ordinance category?

Thank you.

Okay.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

If an item is tagged, process.

Councilmember, I would advise rather than a tag to postpone it to the next regular meeting.

We're in a strange situation now because of the holiday on Friday.

We had to post yesterday.

So we have the inability to post a tag item.

It's better if you move to postpone.

It will have the same effect.

Sure.

Okay.

You want me to need to motion to reconsider and then move?

Motion reconsider.

Do I need to motion to reconsider?

No.

We'll ask you for your motion when we call it up.

Okay.

You're going to call it up.

Okay.

Yes.

Okay.

Starting without a move.

Next.

Item one needs a motion.

Cast X tata move.

Motion made and second.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion pass.

Item three needs a motion.

Cast XA to move.

Motion made in the second.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion pass.

Item 11 needs a motion.

Cast X Tatum move.

Motion made and segment.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Item 13 is an ordinance.

Just need a vote.

Mayor, I move to postpone item 13 to the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Very well.

Motion made in segment to postpone.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Item 19 is an ordinance.

Just need a vote.

Vice Mayor Party Tempek.

Councilman Peck.

Thank you, Mayor.

This is the interlocal agreement with the Memorial City Redevelopment Authority for the new public safety complex, including the approximately 100 acre feet of detention for flooding mitigation.

I know I talk about this item a lot, but my constituents are so excited about this, even in areas that are aren't right close to the complex.

Everyone is just so excited, including the police officers and the firefighters.

So thank you again, Mayor, and thank you, Councilmember Huffman, for your support of this project, too.

Very good.

Just need to vote.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay, motion passes.

Good job.

Item Item 20 is an ordinance.

Just need to vote.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Item 33 is an ordinance.

Just need a vote.

All in favor, say a money.

Councilman Cateman.

Thank you, Mayor.

This is uh close to $50 million overlay contract and package.

Uh I just wanted to clarify because district council members had received an email from public works previously, uh, I think 5 p.m.

Thursday that said that any of our lane mile allocations from FY26 uh would not be considered because they don't have capacity, but we would have FY27.

What it was supposed to say, and I cleared this up with Director Mack Eye, so I wanted to thank him and the department is that any of our designated FY26 lane miles can still be submitted, will still move forward, but they will get done in FY27.

So I just wanted to clear that up.

I didn't want to hold this package up, Mayor, but again, um the district lane miles are something that we want to make sure that we protect and honor uh as we move forward.

So our appreciation of the department, we recognize the constraints this year, uh, but look forward to them moving forward in FY27.

Thank you.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed to name motion passes.

Item 42 is a motion to set a public hearing date to provide a resolution of no objection for applicants seeking 4% housing tax credit in the City of Houston.

Cas tax item move uh to set the hearing date uh for the 4% tax credit.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Item 43 is a motion to set a public hearing date to provide a resolution of no objection for applicants seeking 4% housing tax credit in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Cast X t move to set the hearing date uh for the 4 percent tax credit uh for both hearings at 9 a.m.

on Wednesday, April the 8th, 2026.

Motion made in the segment.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Item 44 is a motion to set a public hearing date on recommendation from the Director of Houston Parks and Recreation regarding an authorization to use a portion of Dwight Eisenhower Park for non-park purposes.

Cast X state a move to set the hearing date for 9 a.m.

Wednesday, May the 5th, 2026.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Item 45 is an ordinance.

Just need a vote.

Pollard.

Councilmember Pollard tax.

Councilmember, could you make that a motion to postpone instead of regularly scheduled meeting?

Because of the holiday.

I make a motion to postpone to the next regularly scheduled.

Very good.

Thank you.

Motion.

Yeah, I'm on the case.

Councilman Kamen.

Thank you.

And I'm I will second the motion.

This is just mayor at my request.

We had I raised this last time related to the Montreal's tours.

There were outstanding questions.

We still have not received those questions.

Our understanding is some of the board is out sick.

So we are at respectfully asking for an additional week delay, and I appreciate Councilmember Pollard making that motion.

I second.

Very good.

Vote on the motion.

Motion is to postpone.

All in favor, motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passed.

Item 46 is an ordinance.

Just need to vote.

Council Mayor Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

I tagged this item a couple weeks ago.

It is an ordinance authorizing the submission of an electronic application for grant assistance from the Office of the Governor for the Northeast and the West Side divisions of HPD for their Houston violent gang crime suppression grant.

This grant amount is for 150,000.

I have no issue with this grant.

The dollars that I would like to put forward for overtime would be for community policing, specifically the District J Patrol, which is a modern approach to community policing.

We know that HPD is spread very thin.

They're going to prioritize the rap the assaults and murders before some of the lower level quality of life crimes and violations.

And so the District J Patrol would allow officers to use overtime dollars to address those neighborhood related crimes and violations, and residents will go to District J Patrol.com to put in their submissions.

This has been a program, my my most signature program that we've run for the last five years that has a lot of support from the community.

I want to go over some stats about this program really quick, just to tell you how significant it is.

The year before you came into office, Mayor, this same West Side Division, which encompasses the notorious Bissinet track, we focused on community policing and overtime dollars to address prostitution.

From 2023 to 2024, prostitution related crimes or prostitution dropped 80 percent from 146 offenses to 30.

Purchasing of prostitution dropped 98 percent from 178 offenses to four.

The program that I put in place works.

The data from HPD reflects that.

Now, ever since you came into office, that program has not been able to go forth in the same manner, and we're seeing an uptick in prostitution related issues on that corridor.

And so the stats speak for themselves.

Any effort to curtail this community policing program from going forward is just a detriment to the residents and the business owners of that area who don't deserve to live in a community that has these type of issues, especially when there is a program that I put in place to directly impact it for the for the better.

And so I'm asking once again for the dollars for the District J patrol and community policing to be um accepted so that we can continue on with the same success that we have in the past.

Thank you.

Item 45.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed night motion passes next.

It's item 46.

Okay, 46.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed to 9 motion passes.

This completes the items on the agenda.

I'm sure Mayor Protein.

Tatum.

Thank you, Mayor.

I have um a couple of announcements and some things happening in District K, but um before I get to my district K announcements, I'm super excited about the Artemis II mission.

Uh Victor Glover will be the uh first black astronaut to travel to the moon this evening.

Um he attended the Naval Academy, and um remember uh colleagues in 2023, all four of the astronauts came to City Hall and we hosted them in the legacy room, and we talked about this day would soon be coming.

So very excited that this is happening.

Um astronaut Christina Cock was also our keynote speaker at the TML conference that we hosted here in the City of Houston at NASA.

So we have some great connections, very prayerful for a successful launch and all that will happen uh today as we continue to be a leader in in space and uh the moon exploration.

Uh on April the 9th, my office is going to be hosting our President's Advisory Council from 6 to 8 p.m.

at the Fountain Life Center.

Um this uh event we will be talking about our current city policies, short-term rentals, um, and the changes that we've had uh in our ordinances.

So if you are a civic club president or a super neighborhood president, we want to make sure that you are in attendance on this meeting.

And then I'm super excited about this uh concrete panel replacement.

We've we are improving mobility throughout District K.

Um we will start the uh panel replacements in Westbury on Ludington Drive from Bob White to Lansdowne.

Uh that work is expected to be um started on April the 6th and should be complete by the end of the summer.

We're also uh moving forward on the CIP project for the Westbury area drainage and paving improvements.

Uh many of you have heard us talk about the repetitive flooding that has happened in the neighborhood.

Um so this is another project to help us uh prevent water from getting into our constituents' homes.

Uh we're encouraging residents to follow this project on Engage Houston and subscribing uh on this particular project, which is the um CIP Westbury Area Drainage and Pre Paving Improvement Project.

Uh we have a community beautification project.

The TERS 25 is hosting this project from 6 to 8 p.m.

at the Fountain Life Center.

If you work, live, play in the Hiram Clark Fort Bend area, you're invited to come and provide feedback on how we can shape the beauty in the community.

This should be a very interactive meeting.

Um hope that residents will come and let their feedback be heard.

Uh and we want to make sure that the work that's going forth is um what the community would like to see happen.

Keep Houston Beautiful Day is April the 11th.

We've got several communities that are hosting events.

Uh we will have a five corners, New Faith Church, uh Inspiration Church, the Fountain of Praise.

Um, is they are all hosting a Faith Day uh beautification day, and that will be on April the 11th from 8 to 12 p.m.

at the Fountain Life Center.

If you live in Super Neighborhood 40, we would encourage you all to attend and participate in this uh fun event.

And then uh Mayor want to give a big shout out to Joe B.

Allen and the work that he's been doing across the city.

Uh this was our week um last week and part of this week to have the uh contractors from Frontier in our community to help with heavy trash.

And I will tell you that our hot team uh followed the contractors around the district.

We kind of had some hot spots that we needed some assistance with, and y'all, they picked up 53 tons of trash in three days.

I mean, and it it was trash that was in weeds or in bushes or in ditches that our traditional hot team couldn't get to.

Um so this type of work really helps us to keep our community clean.

So sending a big shout out to Joe B.

Allen and uh his team and all of the work that they have done to help us keep our communities clean.

So we really appreciate uh that assistance to our to our help our hot team because they would not have been able to get those um areas cleaned up without the assistance of Frontier and the grappler truck and those additional resources.

So big shout out to our hot team and Air Goodwine for the work that they've done over this last week picking up 53 tons of trash throughout our community.

Y'all be kind to each other and make it a great day.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um last week we had our Civic Club and Super Neighborhood meeting um to help revitalize some of our groups in District A.

I want to thank Department of Neighborhoods, um, Director Sims, Arhonda, Darlena, um, thank you so much for being there and helping to answer all of our questions and Alan also in our office for setting this meeting up.

There was a great turnout and um a lot of interest in restarting some of the super neighborhoods, so we're excited about that.

Um then also we have our Tanner Road uh millen overlay project that is going to begin April 6th.

It is from Triway to Campbell.

Um this is to repair some um dangerous road conditions.

It is not the big um Tanner Road CIP project, but it's kind of an interim project um to assist with some of the road conditions.

So just want to let everyone know um to avoid that area that there will be a lot of work done there.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Martin.

Thank you.

Uh Mary, first I just want to say thank you for spending some time with us last Friday and the community at the Cafe Compole CIA.

I also want to uh share my appreciation for uh Chief Diaz for being present and answering questions.

I've shared with folks this is this has been uh a safe space for seven years um where a Spanish speaking community comes in.

Uh they are having positive interaction with uh Houston Police Department, uh more importantly, just strengthening the trust.

Where quite frankly, this is the work uh when we start talking about what's going on right now, is showing up, is being present and answering questions.

Um I also want to give a quick shout out to Salt Chief for organizing these meetings.

She's been a very amazing constant for the group, uh, somebody that has helped um really establish the hobby area as a space where folks in the community can be safe and trust uh uh Houston Police Department as well.

Um I also want to um make sure that that uh my colleagues know Bird Scooter will be along Bagby uh right immediately following council.

Uh last week I had a few council members and staff uh that that uh were able to experience some of the technology that ultimately uh provides uh self-regulation for some of these devices.

Um as we all know, we're 71 days away from FIFA and micromobility is important.

Uh we want to make sure that as uh thousands of folks come into the city of Houston uh that we have options for them.

So if you're available, I would love for you to come by and uh have these uh very um you know uh open dialogues with with the uh with this uh entity to make sure that you feel comfortable with some of the uh the work that they're trying to do to ensure that we're self-regulating these devices, uh allowing us to use our resources in other spaces.

Um lastly, I just want to wish everyone uh um who celebrates uh Easter a happy Easter.

I'm looking forward to attending Mass this Sunday, um, and just a reminder uh to be weather aware and prepared for the rain uh uh in case it comes.

So thank you.

Councilman Paul.

Mayor, can we go back to item 44?

May approach him.

Uh colleagues, I'd like to um make a motion and correct the date on item 44.

Um the hearing suggested date for the hearing should be Wednesday, May the 6th, 2026 instead of May the 5th.

Second.

Members, you've heard the motion.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Now Councilman Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh this past Monday, uh, my office hosted the um commemoration for Vietnam War Veterans Day at the Houston Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which is in uh Club Creek Park of J City.

Uh I want to thank Council Members Davis, Ramirez, and Alcorn for being there and staff from Councilmember Carter's office.

Um the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is something I'm extremely proud about.

Uh my father uh served as a Marine in the Vietnam War, and he always mentioned how when uh he and his fellow servicemen and women came back to Houston, they were not um given a proper hero's welcome.

Uh many of them faced disrespect and ridicule and not the appreciation for their sacrifice and their service.

And so I told myself if I ever was able to be elected, I would try to construct a memorial in their honor for a proper welcome home.

And so that is what is at Club Creek Park.

I encourage you all if you have not been there in the public to please go to Club Creek Park and check out the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

It gives the complete Houston story and also commemorates the names of those lives that we lost in the war from the greater Houston area.

The Club Creek Park is a is a new green space in J City.

And it's a $15 million park and serves not only as green space but also a detention basin for flood mitigation.

The memorial is a 1.5 million dollar investment in that community in our city.

Some of the dollars came from our Council District Service Funds, but a big heavy lift came from TURS 20, the Southwest Redevelopment Authority.

And so it was it was great to see the veterans and their families on Monday.

And we want them to know that we thank them for their service.

Secondly, I am not sure about the rest of you all, but I was pretty alarmed at the monthly finance report that we received.

I know we kind of go over these numbers kind of casually, but they are real numbers with real impact.

And when you have the controller saying that we are basing the largest drawdown on our fund balance in the city's history, that's something to really seriously take note of.

And each month that we hear these reports, we don't hear of real changes to our spending habits that are pushing us in the right direction.

And that's why I always focus on the five-year forecast, 2030.

Some of us will be in these seats at that time, and it's going to be important that we do things to ensure that we are drawing down on that estimation of 500 million.

That is that's a big number.

That's a huge number.

The city cannot be sustainable with these type of numbers.

And so as we go into the budget season, um I think we all need to truly reflect and ask the real questions and the hard questions on what we need to do to change some of these spending habits that we have seen.

As the controller mentioned, just two years ago, we were we had the highest fund balance in the city's history, and now we are facing major deficits.

And so that would be something I will be focused on, and I and I encourage everyone to do the same.

Thank you.

Councilmember Swinders.

Thank you, Mayor.

I would like to take a moment to briefly speak about the immigration ordinance that all of us are going to have an opportunity to vote on next Wednesday.

This ordinance has two provisions that have been deemed lawful by the City Attorney, and they do two main things.

The first is that we are going to follow the Fourth Amendment.

And when the lawful purpose of a stop ends, the person must be released.

So if someone gets pulled over for a broken tail light, after that ticket is issued, the person may be released.

That has been deemed lawful by the City Attorney and has been adopted by many other jurisdictions here in Texas in response to what we are seeing ICE doing.

The second is built rebuilding trust through transparency.

So allowing all Houstonians to understand how our tax dollars are being used to support ICE operations, and it would provide public reporting about how often HBD contacts ICE, how long the stop is, the purpose of the stop, and if someone is handed over to ICE custody.

These are very reasonable, rationable and lawful steps that many other jurisdictions have taken, and it's our opportunity to do something meaningful on the complaints and concerns we have been hearing from Houstonians across the city on this issue.

And you don't have to take my word for it or the other Council members who sponsored this bill.

Last night we heard from over 70 people, children, mothers, fathers, priests, union activists, labor activists, civil rights organizations, all walks of life who support this ordinance, and the almost 60 community organizations that have signed the letter of support.

And I just want to take a moment to recognize some of them.

The Texas Gulf Coast AFL CIO, which represents more than 60,000 members in 75 unions, has unanimously voted to support this ordinance.

The East End Alliance, the ACLU, the chair of the Harris County Democratic Party, the Houston Area Urban League, the Houston Federation of Teachers, the Houston Leads Coalition, the LGBTQ Political Caucus, Hope, our Municipal Workers, Jolt, the Latino Learning Center, Lulak Districts 8 and 18, SEIU, numerous super neighborhoods, Texas Civil Rights Project, Texas Impact, which is a coalition of more than 50 churches and faith organizations, the Texas Organizing Project, Unite Here Local 23, and the Workers' Defense Action Fund.

So many of us have stood hand in hand with so many of these organizations fighting the good fight.

I hope all of us colleagues will stand with them once again and vote in favor of this ordinance next Wednesday.

Thank you.

Councilman Cart.

Thank you, Mayor.

And just wanted to take a moment.

Last week we hosted a resource fair targeted audience was re-entry, homelessness, and uh domestic violence, either resource providers or nonprofits in search of resources.

Anyway, we hosted a really good outcome, uh, had over 20 vendors and about 100 participants, invited participants over at Fondi, and we'll continue that work to try to connect the resources to the needs.

Also, to um just want to give a shout out to the mayor of Sunny Sud, uh, Miss U Sandra Massey Hines, who hosted a March on Crime event over in Sunnyside last Thursday, and then as well as the Southwest Management District, who had a wonderful March on Crime event um on Thursday as well.

Was fortunate to be able to hit both of those.

And um Councilmember Pollard, sorry I didn't make your Vietnam veteran uh event on Monday.

Certainly we sent staff, but on Friday, I participated over um with Council with the Commissioner Garcia at the Veterans Memorial Park, and where he announced they were about to put 30 to 35 million into that park with upgrades and had um Andrea Wynne, who is a local uh news anchor uh over the years, gave a testimony of how she came to the United States as a refugee on a boat and and just a beautiful, beautiful ceremony, and it's wonderful to hear from those.

And speaking of immigration, you know, Mayor, with all due respect, last night as we sat here and we listened to some of these organized groups, um, there were children in the audience.

And when you start out, let me back up, as a mother of two sons who at about age eight or that young man who spoke last night, they're very impressionable.

And when you start out with someone speaking in such vile and vulgar manner, and such a vile and vulgar manner as one of the lead speakers, that's appalling.

And children are sponges.

And so I caution any of us who are in inviting people to speak to be sure to give them the kind of the I guess the definition of common decency, and when it comes to children and and and others in the room, you know, the the vulgar references, the cursing and carrying on I mean, that's unacceptable.

And uh it's offensive to me.

It should be offensive to anyone in this room, but by all means, they're so concerned about the children.

The children, be concerned about what you're teaching your children by allowing them in an environment that is really somewhat out of control at times, and with respect to this body, I think it is incumbent upon us to be able to be sure that we reiterate that to those we invite to speak.

And as anyone around this horseshoe who has children, I don't think anyone would disagree on that, and I I doubt there's anyone who would want their children to listen to some of that, some of the talk that goes on.

And it not it doesn't just go on when they're speaking at the mic.

You can hear them in the back.

They're, you know, we've all got staff members who are sitting there, and you know, the the just the nastiness around is unacceptable.

Thank you.

Council Mayor Everett.

Thank you, Mayor and colleagues.

I'm going to pass.

April Fools.

April Fools.

Okay.

Over the past week, District D continues to show up in powerful ways through culture, community, and connection.

Boy, yo, my chair of the Arts and Culture Committee, I included Houston's new civic art map on the agenda as our most recent at our most recent meeting, presented by the Houston Arts Alliance and our new director of arts, Michelle Lyell.

This initiative expands access to over 800 public artworks across the city through the new website.

This initiative expands access to over 800 public artworks across the city through the new website.

This past Saturday, we celebrated the fifth annual Third Ward on TAP Festival at Workshop Houston, bringing together residents, small businesses, and creatives, and showcasing the vibrancy and spirit of Third Ward.

Upcoming on Tuesday, April the 7th, HCC Central Campus, Community Partnership Meeting from 10 A.M.

to 11 a.m.

at the HCC Central Campus at the W.W.

Harmon Building, Room 100.

On Thursday, there will be a ribbon cutting on the Emancipation Avenue from 9 30 a.m.

to 1030 a.m.

Interme Studios 2206 Emancipation Avenue, Houston, Texas.

At this time, I want to ask CC Scott to stand.

I want her to be here because I want to again commend her.

She wasn't here before when I gave her her accolades, and I want her to be here because she's such an outstanding member of our staff.

Her professionalism and people skills are helping my other fantastic staff to serve the constituents of District D with care, consistency, and compassion, and we are blessed that she brings her five years of experience, which we commemorate with your five-year pen.

Thank you, CC.

Now the mayor, the mayor back to work, get back to work.

Okay.

Um not that we are trying to win the trans trash collection contest, but Joe B.

Allen and Frontier, who UTAP mayor to oversee the program, and District D has collected approximately 80 tons of trash, and they are continuing to pick up this week.

And we just are so thankful for partners and people to come to try to help us get it cleaned up because that's what it's gonna take.

And finally, I want to share a copy of what's your destination comic book that features me and other community leaders in District D.

The comic book was written by Melissa Diaz and Sasha Marshall Smith, who are founders of the Fair Housing Defenders Program.

Uh Sasha, well, that company provides in-person and virtual fair housing educational pro presentations, and they can uh be reached at Fair Housing Defenders at Yahoo.com.

There are some interesting stories of the history of the TAP and other historical studies, uh stories rather, and you can pick up a copy in my office.

We even have Councilmember Ramirez uh, his likeness is on the front uh of of the magazine.

Okay, and then all through the magazine, there are different people.

We have Councilmember Pollard, uh Martinez, Castex Tatum.

Okay, okay, okay.

All right, already.

All right.