Chair recognizes Councilmember Evan Shabazz for the invocation.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, uh colleagues.

Certainly, uh, it is my honor and my pleasure to ask Pastor Keith Edwards to come up.

I'm gonna tell you uh Pastor Keith is the pastor of Pilgrim Congregational Church, uh located on Blodgett Street, coincidentally, and certainly no coincidence, but I'm gonna tell you, you know, just my personal knowledge of him.

Uh he is a person that exudes uh what Christ asks us to do, and that's to love one another because uh the people there love him, the community loves him, he's so community-minded, and actually my sister attends the church, and so uh and I go there, I'm kind of an honorary member myself, and so I would love for Pastor Keith to share a prayer.

And I'm gonna tell you if you go and hear a word from Pastor Keith, and and you're sitting there, you're saying, wow, this guy is really on it.

I think you know he has really gotten a word from God, and then he'll tell you, and this is the message, and I love that, because he doesn't just go on and on, he gives us what God gives him, and I certainly appreciate him as a person and as a pastor.

So, Pastor Keith.

God bless you.

God bless you.

Oh, and his lovely wife is over there too.

I must recognize the first name, the first lady who's here.

Please do, because I like living where I live.

I know you do.

Mr.

Mayor, distinguished council members and clergy.

May we pray.

We thank you that you continue to watch over us, Lord.

We thank you for the purpose of this meeting.

We thank you for the productivity of the city.

We thank you, Lord, that in the midst of all of that, continue to pour out your blessings on us so that we can continue to be productive to do what the city needs for us to do, and that you see fit for us to do and not that we see fit.

Continue to be with us, be with us in this meeting, and allow your spirit to move us.

In Christ's name we pray, amen.

Thank you.

Please stand for the pledge.

I pledge allegiance to the end.

And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all the secretary.

Mayor Wimmeyer.

President.

Councilmember Peggy?

Here.

Councilmember Jackson.

Councilmember Kaman will be absent.

Councilmember Evan Shabazz.

Here.

Councilmember Flickinger.

Councilmember Thomas will be absent.

Councilmember Huffman.

Present.

Councilmember Castillo?

Here.

Councilmember Martinez.

Here.

Councilmember Pollard.

Here.

Councilmember Castex Tatum.

Councilmember Ramirez.

Here.

Councilmember Davis?

Here.

Councilmember Carter.

President.

Councilmember Salinas and Councilmember Alcorn.

Here.

Council.

Councilman Martinez for procedural motion.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move to suspend the rules to move up.

In this order, Brittany Ramidez, Joe Ramides, and Rick Noriega to the top of the one-minute non-agenda.

But keep them at three minutes.

All in favor, motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Councilmember Evan Shabazz.

Thank you, Mayor.

I move to suspend the rules to add Maya Tyler, Arva Howard, Lionel Howard.

Am I going too fast?

A little bit.

Okay.

Maya Tyler.

Arva Howard.

Lionel Howard.

Sister Mama Sonia.

And Al Lloyd to the top of the three-minute list, non-agenda.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Councilmember Salinas.

Thank you.

I'd like to motion to suspend the rules to take the following speakers out of order from the bottom of the three-minute agenda list to the two-minute list.

And their names are Guadalupe Fernandes, Christian Schlemmer, Danielle Newton, Uzman Mahmood, Alenka Gardenas, and Stephanie Valdez.

Motion made and second.

All in favor, say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Anyone else?

Mr.

Secretary, would you please call our first speaker?

Ken Rogers.

To be followed by Melinda Owens of Spring.

Hello.

Mr.

Mayor.

Councilmember Shabbaz.

Council Chamber.

I'm here today.

Actually, I signed up twice to talk.

I wanted to talk about Trinity East and their building over there.

I wanted to put that on your mind.

And just let me say that this is connected to the people that we all love in CUNY homes, and when that's going to start, when the demolition is going to start.

So I'm just want to put that on your hearts and your mind.

So anything that you guys can do, anything that comes up that can help move this along so we can have a place to keep our people in third ward where they belong.

Second thing I want to talk about is the bike lanes on blodgett.

I drive down blodgett daily.

My wife says I'm always leaving home, but I'm going down blodgett.

And on trash days, Tuesdays, trash cans are in the bike lane.

On the drizzle, mind you, I'm saying a drizzle, uh puddles in the bike lane.

Um I just walked downtown and I saw two-way bike lanes on the sidewalk, and I went.

That's a sign.

This works, and it was beautiful.

No puddle, no garbage cans.

This could work.

And it's safer for cyclists and walkers.

I think it's a brilliant idea that what you guys did downtown, and I think it's something that could be done in third ward.

And I'm asking you when this comes up, please put the expired.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Everton Shabbaz.

Thank you, Ken.

You you you brought two very important issues.

Uh the Trinity East Senior Project is so very needed because it's very important that the people who have to be relocated from CUNY Homes can stay in the area that they are familiar with, and we want them to stay.

We do.

And so that project is very, very important.

So certainly is something that I support.

And then let's go to the bike lanes.

Okay.

The bike lanes, as we know, uh have been a big problem.

Nobody in the area, well, I won't say nobody, because it may be somebody, but not very many people.

Uh the people that live on Blodget, they have nowhere for their their guests to park.

And so consequently, the guests end up parking in the bike lanes, and then they get tickets.

Uh, on trash day, the trash cans are everywhere.

And so certainly I always have a concern for the students at Texas Southern University.

If there is an opportunity, well, not an opportunity, an emergency, especially during an event.

It's very, very difficult uh to be able to have them get out safely.

It it's a it's a lot of things, but even more importantly, and and you know, there's a group here, and they have come here to speak regarding the removal of those bike lanes.

And then there we're gonna talk about who we think should be responsible for the removal of those bike lanes, but I won't steal their thunder, but I certainly will speak uh to support exactly what they're saying regarding.

We never wanted them.

There was no real community engagement for them, and it's just like they showed up, and the bike lanes do flood, so and it was supposed to be a drainage project.

And so that that's a concern as well.

So thank you, Ken.

Uh I appreciate you coming, and I look forward to the other speakers.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ken.

Sir, Ken.

Councilmember Ramirez.

Hey, Ken, good to see you.

Thank you.

Good to see you again.

So you you brought up two things.

One is CUNY Homes, uh, and Houston Housing Authority is rebranded, so I think it's Alliance.

Yes, Housing or Alliance Houston.

Have you spoken to them about when that project might start?

Uh matter of fact, I was in a meeting last night, and they said that demolition should start in August, hopefully.

Hopefully.

Could be sometime between August and September.

Okay.

And so we have a lot of projected housing to go up.

But like Trinity East, it hasn't even started yet.

Gotcha.

And so we are really concerned if this demolition is going to start, whether or not they have a place to put our people.

And so that's really the concern.

If we could just coordinate that, when we get the buildings up, then we can start the demolition, then we have a place to put the people.

Thank you for for uh raising that concern.

Uh it's not within our control, but we can certainly reach out to the housing authority and see what they can do.

The second thing you brought up was the bike lanes.

Yes.

You mentioned that uh the way it's done in part of downtown you think works well, and that's two lanes, did you say on the sidewalk or behind this building?

Oh, behind this building.

All right.

Do you do you agree that in that neighborhood along Blodgett and Third Ward, there is a need for bike lanes or not?

I for the TSU students.

Mainly.

I see them on their scooters.

So the students use them.

They use, but they can only use a portion of it, and that's where the apartments are and to go.

I forget which street that is, but they it's across in the street and just a little ways that they can use it.

Once they get past that point, then it gets really hairy.

Yeah.

I've I've heard that there's a higher percentage of residents in third ward who do not have a car.

Have you noticed that?

There, yes, that's a lot of scooters.

Uh I see, and I and I support that.

I I'm a member of uh uh Friends of Columbia Tap, which is tons of cyclists and scooters and talking to them on Friday mornings at uh El Dorado and listening to them talk.

I I understand and I get it.

But at the same time, I think had they engaged the community, we could have come up with this plan that you guys have here at City Hall, which would have made everybody happy.

It would have been a place a place to put your garbage can.

Uh they kind of deceived us and told us this was going to be a drainage issue that they were had uh having.

And but that's not showing up because that's puddles throughout.

And I'm not talking about our Houston rain.

I'm talking about a drizzle, and then all of a sudden we have a puddle in the lane, which the cyclists won't drive through, then they come out into the street to go around the puddle, which is dangerous.

Okay.

Thank you for your comment, Kent.

Thank you.

Councilor Shiraus.

Thank you, uh Mayor.

And just in in uh reference to what you're saying about a lot of people don't have cars.

They don't have bikes either.

They are not riding bikes.

They are accessing public transit, and certainly we do have that connector that goes through the third war, particularly.

But I promise you, if you were to sit there just for a day, you would see very few people riding.

And I normally see them riding in the middle of the street when they do ride.

But the statistics regarding the lack of of cars is correct, but they have not replaced them with bikes.

Thank you.

Next melinda Owens of Spring.

To be followed by Marilyn White.

Good evening.

Mayor Whitmeyer and Councilmembers.

I am Reverend Melinda Owens, Senior Pastor of Trinity East United Methodist Church, and we strongly support the development of the Trinity East Village Senior Apartment Complex.

Access to safe, affordable housing is a fundamental need.

And as costs continue to rise, there are many individuals and families, especially seniors on fixed incomes who are finding it increasingly difficult to remain in the community of third ward that they have long called home.

So building affordable housing is more than a matter of convenience.

It's a matter of dignity, stability, and fairness.

And we at Trinity East United Methodist Church, we look forward to providing resources, being present and journeying alongside all of the residents of the Trinity East Village Senior Apartment Complex.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Thank you.

Next.

Marilyn White.

To be followed by Herbert Green.

Good evening, uh, City Council.

I do greet you.

I'm Reverend Dr.

Marilyn White.

I am the executive director for the Trinity East CDC and have been working on this Trinity East project for years.

It has been a project in the making, and we're so excited where we are right now.

And I want to thank our city council person for your support throughout these years to get us here.

We have worked with the CUNY Homes community.

As a matter of fact, I took a group of them with me to Austin when we had to go testify for the 9% tax credit.

And all I heard from them is Pastor, don't fail us.

We've had so many promises, and nothing has come forth.

And we truly want to be able to have better living conditions.

So I do solicit your support for the Trinity East Senior Project.

Thank you so much.

Councilmember.

Thank you, Pastor, Doctor.

Marilyn White.

This is another one, another pastor that has such a heart for the people.

She has been so diligent with trying to get this project off the ground.

And you know, a couple of times she gave me the side act.

Uh, but I had to let her know that I am behind this project.

And so I just want to reiterate that I appreciate your diligence, um, your heart for the people because it's very important to make good on our promises.

Yes.

And this is one of the opportunities for us to make good on the promise of keeping people in the immediate area of the CUNY homes.

So I thank you so very much.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next.

Herbert Green.

To be followed by Dolores Rogers.

Good afternoon, Council members.

I'm Herbert Green, President of Trinity East Pillage CDC, co-developers of the Trinity East Senior Project.

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for your previous support with this project.

And obviously, you have deemed it necessary and thought it was worthwhile, and it would also be a value added to the community.

I want to give my personal thanks to our representative of District D, Carolyn Evans Shabazz.

Thank you so much for your support.

I have been pursuing this endeavor for over 30 years.

We recognized early on that due to the deplorable housing circumstances in the third ward, principally caused by redlining and so forth, and lack of investment in the neighborhood, is that we needed to do something.

And rather than curse the darkness, we felt that we should light a candle and try to be brighten the neighborhood.

And in doing so, we pursued to do this project as a senior citizen project, and we hopefully in the future will do a family project.

I thank you for your previous support.

And this project will be and provide decent, safe and sanctary housing for the residents of third ward.

Two-thirds of the units of this particular project has been dedicated for displacement housing for those in the CUNY Home Community.

So it's not only serving our needs and our purposes, but it's also serving the needs of the redevelopment of the CUNY Home Project, as well as providing resources, social activities, and so forth for people in the neighborhood.

And again, I thank you all for your previous support.

And if you deem it necessary, then worthy, I hope that you will do so again.

And all thanks to you and all glory and thanks to God.

Next, Dolores Rogers.

To be followed by Guadalupe Fernandez.

Good evening, Mayor and members of council.

I'm here on behalf of the Emancipation Economic Development Council regarding the Trinity East Village Senior Project that is scheduled to be built on LIVO.

This project includes the CUNY homes and its residents, are very important to our community.

This project will allow the CUNY Homes members to remain in their beloved community.

It is also an opportunity for the city to live up to the promises of providing low, really affordable housing to the citizens of their war.

It's an opportunity for residents to live in dignity and safety and not be displaced.

And so you will be considering an item to continue funding, and I'm here to urge you to support that item.

Is that about bike safety and the bike lanes?

Communities have to work together on solving community problems.

This bike lane has created maybe the inception of it was a good idea.

The bike lane and bikes, bike cyclists who bike all the time say it's the bike lane to nowhere.

This is budget.

And it doesn't really connect to the main bike lanes.

But that being aside, I think that the city does need to move forward with projects where cyclists and citizens can reside together.

And to me, that is co-mingling large sidewalks.

You see that on university campuses.

They have you know wide sidewalks.

They don't have dedicated bike lanes.

For people who use bikes, and so I urge you to consider listening to the residents and the citizens of the area and change the configuration of that street.

Thank you.

Councilor Evans.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just want to further emphasize what she was saying about the bike lanes to nowhere.

Uh those lanes were originally intended to be a part of a larger metro connected project.

That larger project was canceled, which means the current bike lanes do not connect to a broader network and effectively do not lead to anywhere.

And so I thank you.

It's no coincidence that her last name is the same as the first speaker.

Um, I can't say which is the better half because they're both stellar, but I think I'll have to give her an edge because she is the president of my Jack Yates reunion class.

So JY for life.

Sorry, Ken.

You're you're a schoolmate.

We adopted you, but Dolores is my classmate.

Thank you.

Thank you.

To be followed by Kristen Slimer.

Good evening, Mayor, Council.

My name is Badalupe Fernandez, Policy Strategy Director at Bayou City Waterkeeper and a resident of District I.

I'm here today to speak on the 2021 wastewater consent decree, a critical roadmap for our city and the urgency required to see it through five years in.

Earlier this year, we commissioned an independent engineer to review all publicly available reporting, including the 2022 CMOM program plan.

Our findings are clear.

Where the city invests, it works.

In Woodland Park, early projects have already significantly reduced sewer overflows during wet weather events.

This is proof that when we prioritize our infrastructure, we get real results.

To ensure the success across the city, we're asking city council for a few things.

Ensure that the city remains in full compliance with its legal obligations.

This decree was a win from Houstonians, and we must protect that progress.

Based on my conversations with many of you, the last time Public Works gave a public update on the service delivery committee was in August 2024.

Council and residents deserve clear accessible data.

Transportation is the only way we can verify work.

Um we can verify work and ensure that our critical investments are being managed responsibly and efficiently.

Protect our ratepayers.

We must move quickly to mitigate rising costs and potential fines.

Deferred maintenance is the most expensive way to run a city.

Every day of delay increases the financial burden on Houston ratepayers.

We're already facing a nine billion dollar price tag.

We must act now to ensure most vulnerable residents aren't forced to pay for the city's project delays.

The work is too important and the investment is too significant for us to operate without total clarity.

To assist you with this oversight, we've provided you copies of our summary brief of the experts memo.

We've offered maps of sewage overflows, and we've included a list of oversight questions for public works.

These are to help you as representatives of the people ensure that public works is delivering this project on time and on budget.

Thank you.

And my colleague Kristen will share more about our independent experts' findings.

Thank you.

Next.

To be followed by Danielle Newton.

Good evening, Council.

I'm Kristen Schlimmer.

I'm the coexecutive director at Bayou City Waterkeeper, and I'm a district H resident.

I've been in this role since 2018.

Um I think it was my first day on the job.

I was already thinking about Houston's sewage problem.

We're now five years into the consent decree, and I get the question all the time how is the city actually doing?

And we could look at the sewage overflow reports every month and see that there's still a big problem, and actually, sewage overflows are up.

But we wanted to have a more precise answer for residents, and that's why we commissioned the independent engineer to get us some answers.

And the report from the engineer is inconclusive.

The results are mixed.

One of the problems is unclear reporting, like Guadalupe just mentioned.

But where the reporting is clear, yes, we've seen some progress, but we're also seeing serious delays.

We've also seen unmet deadlines.

Examples of this include with uh planning around addressing capacity, so all the big overflows that we see during storms.

Uh three of three major projects are being delayed almost to the end of this consent decree.

So we're going to get to the end of the consent decree and only be dealing with some of the most significant problems this city is experiencing.

Um, similar problems are with wastewater treat plant uh wastewater treatment plant evaluations like the 69th Street wastewater treatment plant.

That's the oldest and biggest and sometimes the most problematic um wastewater treatment plant at the city.

It's behind schedule.

Um, same deal with wet uh weather facilities, these need to be phased out.

That's not going to happen until the end of the consent decree.

So other work has been completed, um, but is behind schedule.

And so all this leads us to wonder how delays on what you know, projects that are supposed to be priority projects are supposed to be early action projects.

If these are delayed, how is that going to affect the timing for everything else that needs to be done?

Um, and this raises just like the bigger question with 10 years left in this consent decree.

Is the city legitimately on track to finish all required upgrades by the 2036 deadline?

And we hope this council will ask that question of public works.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next Danielle Newton.

To be followed by Usman Mahmoud.

Good afternoon, City Council.

My name is Danielle Newton.

I'm the communications and design specialist with Bayou City Waterkeeper.

Um, I'm also a member of community member district A as well.

I want to start by saying that if you live in council districts, B, D, F, H, or I, your community is more likely to experience sewage overflows than anywhere else in Houston, meaning that your neighborhood faces a higher risk of exposure to harmful bacteria, contaminated water, and serious public health risk as a result of sewage overflows and exposure.

With me and y'all receive the maps, those are two maps using data directly from Houston's 311 wastewater reports.

One shows overflow hotspots since the adoption of the consent decree in 2021, and the other shows overflow locations by council district.

And if anyone here would like a copy of those maps, please come see me.

Together, they show clear and consistent pattern that overflows are not evenly distributed, and that they are concentrated in specific neighborhoods and districts.

And those neighborhoods are located in districts BDFH and I.

I'm just saying that again.

However, sewage overflows do occur across the entire city of Houston.

So whenever you layer this data with income, demographics, flood risk, and social vulnerability, the same areas that are already facing the highest infrastructure burdens continue to see the worst outcomes.

So the data shows us that the road to zero overflows is not moving at the pace that our neighborhoods deserve, and the slow pace has consequences with the consent decrees, such as increased costs, costly penalties, and potentially rising fees for community members each year.

It means investing in these high burdened communities sooner rather than later.

So you have the data.

Thank you.

Next.

Usman Mahmood.

To be followed by Alenka Cardinus.

Good evening, Council members.

My name is Isman, and I'm also with Bay City Watercuber.

Five years ago, Houston entered a federal consent decree to fix its sewer system.

We're here today because we want to make sure that work stays on track.

Earlier this month, we were in Washington, D.C.

advocating for Houston, pushing for the federal funding.

This city needs to actually get the work done.

We want to see this succeed.

At the same time, the cost of this infrastructure overhaul keeps going up.

And delays in project completion means costs will continue to rise even beyond the 2024 reported tag of $9 billion.

The city needs to be aggressively pursuing federal and state funding to bridge this gap.

These funding and repairs matter because Houston floods randomly and rapidly.

And when sewers fail during a flood, it becomes an infrastructure problem and more importantly, a public health problem.

Likewise, the main sewage system is inextricably linked with the private side.

And better funding would help create assistance programs for those who can't afford to repair faulty sewer lines that cost thousands of dollars.

As you've heard from my colleagues, we're here to be thought partners with the city on the issue, and advocating for funding that gets us to our shared goals is one way we can do that.

So we're as we're asking you to push uh public works for better transparency and stronger reporting.

We also support conversations about a real plan for funding this work, doing so in a way that does not cost the most for people with the least.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next Alinka Cardinas.

Stephanie Valdez.

To be followed by Joe Ramirez.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Stephanie Valdez, and I'm here in support with my colleagues, but I lead the water program with the Coalition for the Environment, Equity, and Resilience.

I'm here to talk about two things the wastewater consent decree and the city's budget and why they can't be they can't keep being treated like two separate conversations.

The consent decree is not a suggestion.

It is a legally binding commitment to fix a sewer system that has failed our communities for decades now.

We're talking about raw sewage in our streets, in our parks, our values, and that burden doesn't fall evenly across Houston.

The budget is when we see what the city actually does about it.

And right now, the information we are receiving just doesn't add up.

The cost of the consent decree has grown from two billion to at least 9 billion.

Meanwhile, residents are paying more every year through rising water and sewage rates.

Despite all of that, it is incredibly difficult to understand where the money is going and whether it's reaching neighborhoods that need it the most.

We're giving reports but not clarity, summaries, but the but not the raw data that we need to verify the progress.

And that matters because the city already has a priority matrix and is supposed that it's supposed to guide all of these projects.

If we can't see the data, we can't see whether you all are keeping our promises or not.

So the reality is that the consent decree is the obligation, the budget should be the evidence.

And right now, that evidence is missing.

So delays are driving up costs, and ratepayers are being asked to cover up that cover that gap to spend our tax dollars without transparency, without clear timelines, and without accountability.

We need transparency, we need equity, and we need accountability because Houstonians should not be paying more while they are left in the dark.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next Joe Ramirez.

To be followed by Britney Ramirez.

Good afternoon.

Mayor Whitmeyer, members of the Houston City Council.

My name is Retired Army Brigadier General Joe Ramirez Jr.

And I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak today about the renaming of Cesar Chavez Street in Houston's historic East End.

I grew up in the Magnolia Park neighborhood in the East End, and I'm here today to advocate for renaming Cesar Chavez Street for a local Magnolia Park hero, my father, Master Sergeant Joe Chaco Ramirez.

Joe Ramirez grew up in Magnolia Park, the youngest son of Elias and Isabel Ramirez, and had eight sisters.

He graduated from San Houston High School in 1950 and soon after joined the United States Army.

Six months after he joined the Army, he found himself on the Korean Peninsula in the bitter fighting of the Korean conflict.

In late October 1950, his unit was overrun by Chinese human wave attacks.

He was shot five times and was taken prisoner of war by the Chinese.

He spent the next 33 months as a POW, eventually being repatriated in 1953.

He returned home to Magolia Park to a hero's welcome with over 300 members of the community there to greet him, including his mother, his father, and all of his sisters.

At the time, he weighed just over 80 pounds, having barely survived the horrors of that POW camp.

After a short period of time at home, he decided to re-enlist in the Army and went on to serve for 22 years, retiring as a master sergeant in 1972.

Upon retirement from the Army, Joe brought his family back to Magnolia Park, where he became an active member of the community.

He was a member of American Legion Post 472 for almost 50 years, advocating for veterans and their families and leading the National Champion Color Guard for many years.

He also helped oversee efforts to provide food for needy families as well as gifts for neighborhood families so they could provide Christmas for their children.

He was also instrumental in raising money for scholarships for young people from the East End, providing them the opportunity to pursue their dream of getting a college education.

He coached the Magnolia Sharks Youth Football team and was also the commissioner of the Latin American Baseball League, a league that provided an opportunity for young men to play baseball at the collegiate and semi pro levels.

He even worked at the Ramsey unit of the Texas Department of Corrections, teaching prisoners how to make prescription glasses so they would have a viable skill upon release from custody.

Joe Chaco Ramirez died in 2020 from cancer at age 89, but days before his death, the community threw him a drive-by parade in honor of his 89th birthday and all that he had done for the community.

His legacy lives on in the many lives he touched with his selfless service to the community, as well as in his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

In closing, I'd like to once again ask your support for a native Houstonian who led a life of selfless service to his nation, his state, his city, and his community, and is truly deserving of having a street in the neighborhood he grew up in and raised his family in, named after him.

I humbly ask that you strongly consider naming Cesar Chavez Street in Houston's East End for a true Magnolia Park hero, Master Sergeant Joe E.

Chaco Ramirez.

Thank you again for your support and all that you do for the citizens of Houston and my hometown.

Thank you.

Just remember Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just want to take the opportunity, my friend, to thank you for your service.

Thank you for your service too as well, sir.

Well, thank you.

God bless you.

Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Retired General, just want to say thank you for being here and just kind of lay some of the groundwork.

First, I want to just thank the mayor for uh allowing us to go through this process.

Uh I shared initially that to rename a street or name a street, it's uh 75% of the signatures along that corridor.

Uh then you got to take it to the planning department.

So it's a lengthy and cumbersome process.

Uh we do have a special opportunity to see something happen.

Um, and uh I was at a meeting this past week in the community, and and what I'm asking folks to do is to continue to come to public session uh so that way my colleagues can hear uh what's going on.

So I appreciate you coming in and advocating for Joe Chaco Ramirez.

Thank you.

This was uh not a hard decision for me to make.

Obviously, I live in College Station.

Uh that was an easy drive to make to come in today and advocate for naming that street after my father.

And I realize it's a long process, but I'm thankful that we're at least considering people from Houston and Houston's East End to be named for that street.

Yes, sir.

And thank you for your service as well.

Thank you.

Councilor Ramirez.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'm sorry, Evan Chabon.

Just a second, I'm sorry.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'm gonna tell you, I was kind of looking off when you first got up there.

But when you said who you were, I had to look at you with so much respect.

And so I too want to thank you for your service and really appreciate that you have come forward to uh give the community another option uh, you know, in the process.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you so very much.

Greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Councilmember Ramirez.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, sir, for your service and for being here and for sharing a little bit about your father.

Truly was a great man, a hero.

And um, I had the opportunity to attend the meeting last week at the American Legion Hall, and there was a lot of support for naming uh the street after after your dad.

And so whatever is decided, um, truly thank you for sharing uh, you know, uh, about how what a hero your dad was.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I hoped to be there last Thursday.

Unfortunately, I had uh rotator cuff surgery last Thursday, so I was not able to make it, but uh I greatly appreciate your support in this effort.

Let me personally thank you for the good times we've spent together.

Mayor, it's great to see you again and again thank you all for what you're doing for this great city of ours.

Thank you for your service.

Be safe.

Thank you.

Same to you.

God bless you.

Thank you.

Next.

Brittany Ramirez.

To be followed by Richard Noriego.

Hello, Mayor Whitmeyer and uh Houston City Council.

First of all, I want to express my gratitude and granting me this opportunity to speak on the matter of renaming Cesar Chavez Boulevard in Houston's East End.

My name is Brittany Ramirez, and I'm here to advocate for Cesar Chavez Street to be renamed after a local hero from that neighborhood, my grandfather, Master Sergeant Joe E.

Chaco Ramirez.

I know you have heard um about how Joe Ramirez served his country valiantly and the horrors he went through.

So I will not talk about Joe Ramirez the soldier.

I will talk about Joe Ramirez, the man.

Joe Ramirez not only grew up in Magnolia Park, but he raised his family there.

He was very big on the importance of family, and he had two sons and two daughters.

Both of his sons served in the military.

One of them, you know, went on to be an Army Brigadier General.

Three of his kids graduated college, and all of his kids were successful in all of their endeavors.

He went on to have grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, all who would become nurses, firefighters, teachers, political activists, lawyers, and politicians, and so much more.

All because of the values that he instilled in us.

Joe Ramirez taught us the value of integrity of hard work to always be proud of where you come from, to always stand up for what is right, even when it seems the whole world is against you, and to always stay positive and keep your faith, even in the hardest of times, and to always serve others and give back, especially to your community.

His unwavering commitment to serving others and giving back to his community left an indelible mark on those around him.

The value of always giving back was a significant one to Joe Ramirez as he considered his neighborhood to be his family.

He not only imparted these values to us, but he demonstrated it through his actions.

Even after retiring from the Army, he remained an active volunteer, consistently giving back and serving those in his community.

He would often bring all of us along when he volunteered at charities, spoke at events for veterans, and we would also help deliver house items, clothes, and gifts when he would adopt families every holiday.

He was always there for his family and anyone in the community who needed him.

He taught us the importance of loving our God, loving our family, and loving our country.

It is because of the values that he instilled in us and the love and support that he showed his community that so many members of his legacy have gone on to achieve success and be have become contributing members of society.

In conclusion, I would kindly request your support in naming Cesar Chavez Street after Master Sergeant Joe Chaco Ramirez, a man who spent his entire life selflessly serving his God, his family, his country, and his community.

Thank you.

Next, Richard Noriego.

To be followed by Roy Hirsch.

Thank you, Mayor and Council members.

And uh first of all, I'm also a member of uh American Legion Post 472, one of the finest American Legion Posts in the community, if not in this country, in my opinion.

And I want to thank those council members like Councilmember Davis, Councilmember Ramitas, the Mayor, Councilmember Martinez, Councilmember Castillo, and others who frequent the American Legion Post, not just at certain times, but frequently.

Thank you for always being a part of the community in Magnolia Park.

I too am here to advocate for the renaming of Cesar Chavez Street for Master Sergeant Joe Chaco Ramirez.

As was mentioned by Brigadier General Ramirez, the Army value that he truly represented was selfless service.

Constantly, even though he spent a thousand days in imprisonment in the North Korean and Chinese uh prison camps.

Um those of you that don't know his story.

The family did not know where he was during all that time until a life magazine story came out that showed North Koreans uh taking American journalists to POW camps to show as a propaganda tool that they were being treated fairly.

It was only then that he was spotted in the in the magazine of Life Magazine that he was he was pictured there.

When he was finally returned to the United States, he was greeted at Hobby Airport as he exited the tarmac by the mothers of Magnolia Park that greeted him.

He from that point went to Immaculate uh Immaculate Conception Church with his mother to give prayer and thanks for his return home.

As was mentioned by General Raminez, he re-entered the military service, but upon his return to retirement, he completed continued to serve his community.

If you don't know where you come from, how do you know where you're going?

And he's representative of what we need to instill and all of our children throughout our community to be proudful of where you came from and to be able to continue to give back in the manner of selfless service as Joe Choco Ramidas.

When I got pinned, I made it a point to go to Post 472, Councilman Davis, and I had Chalco pin me in our American Legion Post.

It was that important to me.

In addition, when my father passed, who was a veteran of the 82nd Airborne, Choco was the one that delivered the flags from my father's coffin to my mother.

And I can only imagine how many flags Choco gave to other loved ones throughout the city of Houston as a member of that honored detail.

So I humbly ask and respectfully ask that y'all consider the renaming of Cesar Chavez Street for Master Sergeant Joe Chaco Ramidas.

Thank you.

Just a second, Rick.

Uh I mean Council Mayor McCarter.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good to see you, Rick.

Thank you for coming down.

And you all have painted a beautiful picture of one of our nation's greatest treasures, a veteran, and and what a great man serving his country, his community, God, and his home.

And just thank you for coming down and advocating for someone sounds like they're very deserving.

And you too are a brigadier general.

Last time I checked.

Thank you for your service.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, Mayor, Brother Rick.

Cool.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you for coming.

And thank you for your service as well for those of us that know what we give.

And thank you for expressing it and clarifying it for such a great man.

So thank you for coming and thank you for your service.

God bless you, Mike.

Let me add, thank you for your public service, the military, serving as legislature.

You were a pretty good staff for the Senator Whitmark one time.

I copied your hairstyle, Mayor.

No.

You did good, Rick.

And also, I want to thank you for being the author of the DREAM Act.

Yes, sir.

It's made a difference in so many lives in our community.

So you're outstanding Houstonian Texan U.S.

citizen.

Good to have you as a friend.

Thank you, Mayor, for all your support and for your family support.

As always, we appreciate you greatly.

Thank you, Rick.

Be safe.

Yes, sir.

Next.

Thank you.

Roy Hirsch.

Renee Hudson.

No.

Maya Tyler.

To be followed by Arva Howard.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members and guests.

First, I give all honor and glory to God for allowing me to stand here today and speak truth on behalf of my community.

My name is Maya Tyler, and I'm here because the people of my neighborhood are frustrated and tired of the bike lanes and bus ports on Blogget Street.

Let me be clear.

We understand that City Council did not create this problem for us.

However, someone did.

So we would like for it to be solved.

Commissioner Rodney Ellis pushed a project onto our community that may have looked good in the press release, but it's failed us in real life.

Bladget Street was already a very active corridor, yet the lanes have removed uh yet the lanes well one lane has been removed, tracked traffic has been restricted, and the congregation was the congestion was increased without proper collaboration, without our meaningful input and the respect for our people, we have to deal with the consequences of this every single day.

And now our community has to pay the price.

Residents sit in backed up traffic, families are constantly inconvenienced, and businesses most of all are impacted.

But most important of all, and most dangerously of all, emergency vehicles struggle to move through an area where every second can mean life or death.

What kind of leadership creates obstacles for ambulances and fire trucks, then causing progress.

We were told that these bike lanes were for the cyclists, yet they are underuse.

When we ask them on average, how many cyclists use Blogget Street?

No one could give us an answer.

And even in even though we're near a university where many students rely on alternative transportation, people are not using them.

Students continue to use the illustrious Tiger Walk, where I'm an alumni, and they are also using other paths such as the Columbia Tap Trail.

Because it's clear, clearly it was not based on community behaviors, traffic patterns, or just common sense.

On April 20th, a social media post said by Commissioner Ellis that every Harris County resident deserves to be seen, heard, and treated with dignity.

These are very powerful words.

However, words without action are just empty, because this community was not seen.

We have not been heard, and we certainly have not been treated with dignity.

At a forum that we held at Pilgrim Congregation United Church of Christ, where councilwoman Shabbaz Evans attended, we raised serious concerns, and instead of being met with humility, accountability, and the promise of partnership, what many of us felt was just arrogance.

Let me say this plainly, public officials do not do communities a favor by wasting money on unwanted projects that do their job.

Instead, they do their job by listening.

We are very upset with this, we're angry matter of fact, because we did not need this to happen.

We are angry because our verse voices have been ignored.

We are here because we will not be silent.

I mean, we are from Third Ward, a community with legacy, pride, resilience, and a long memory.

We know when we are being overlooked, and we know when we are being disrespected.

Today, I asked City Council to stand with us, the residents, the community members, those who work in commute there, to stand for safety, not for vanity projects, to stand with the people who must live with these decisions long after the ribbon cutting photos are gone.

We want action, accountability, and the removal of the budget blogger bike lane.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Did you finish what you were going to say, Maya?

Thank you all.

Well, I want to say I met Maya years ago.

She was a leader at the Texas Southern University.

I almost want to stand up and applaud and salute you.

Your words were so true in terms of how this project uh happened.

And certainly, speaking from the perspective of TSU, TSU's future growth, the campus safety.

I have sent the mayor pictures of the congestion in the area that the people have to go through.

And it's not just during the week, it's also on Sundays.

And you know, the ability to uh manage special events and daily garage access cannot depend on a one-lane street configuration that creates congestion, confusion, and access challenges.

So you are spot on, and she's a young person, and so that really makes me feel good to have a young person come and speak, um, knowing that maybe a lot of her friends may bike, but certainly um she's very much a part of the community, and I very much appreciate you coming forward.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, Arva Howard.

To be followed by Lionel Howard.

Good evening, Mayor and St.

I'm sorry.

Is it on?

Okay.

Jack 18 Senior High School forever, 100 years this year.

My name is Arva Howard, and I have lived within one block of Blogget and Tear Western my entire life.

I have seen my neighborhood through storms, celebrations, and renewal.

And that's why I'm here this evening to speak on those of us who rely on Blogget and Tear Western every day to enter our and exit our homes, to get to our churches, to our stores, to our jobs, and to our schools.

Although the lack of notification about this project was disrespectful in itself, the greater concern for our community comes down to three urgent points.

First, the conversion of a four-lane street to a two-way street, four-lane, two-way street into a single lane in each direction.

It's already blocked emergency and first responder vehicles.

When an ambulance or fire truck cannot move, and I've experienced that, where we could not move with an ambulance to cars behind us.

Lives are not simply inconvenienced, they are put at risk.

No transportation plan is worth a single preventable tragedy.

Second, the priority for this design was not for the benefit of our community, but for the benefit of a few connected contractors.

And third, this process sets a dangerous precedent, allowing county officials influenced by outside advocacy groups who do not live with the daily realities of our streets to impose changes without transparency, community engagement, or without respect for the people who call this neighborhood home.

We were not consulted, we were not heard, and we were not engaged, and our lives have been rearranged for the last three years.

We are not against progress, we're not against cyclists, but progress cannot mean ignoring the people who bear its burdens.

Justice demands participation, safety demands evidence, not flawed and fake data, and democracy demands a voice, not just for the few who cycle through, but for the many who live here, work here, and have built this community for generations.

So I'm asking not for a favor, but for fairness, not for conflict, but for correction.

We ask that the city restore blogged and tier western to a safe, functional roadway, and prevent this kind of overreach from happening again.

Our neighborhood deserves a process that respects us, a process that protects our elders, of whom I'm one, and a process that Harris County's constituents deserve governance that is fairly cooperative.

Thank you for your time and your leadership.

Councilmember Evan Chab.

Thank you, Arva.

Did you finish your statement?

I did.

Okay.

And in addition to that, um, you know, I was here when they did that, and there was never a vote for council to approve the use of those streets.

And that was sidestepped because they knew they couldn't get the uh support.

And so if it comes down to who really needs to remove those bike lanes, it needs to be a county project because they um put them there without permission.

So I just wanted to add that because you and I have talked about that.

I know when we did come back, come here in January, I think of 2023, and it was on the agenda, and they pulled it.

And we had a lot of discussion, and when that administration saw that the support and the votes were not there, he took it off the agenda.

So I don't know if this is an authorized project, and I agree with you.

If it is not, that ultra virus act of the county, they bear that financial cost.

We're just asking for our streets to become safe again.

I invite any one of you or your staff member, just come drive down Blogget and just take a look at that atrocity.

It is visually bad, but the main thing, it is unsafe.

I'm tired of seeing my neighbors almost hit those rails.

I've not seen any bike lane look like that in Harris County or even Ford Bend County.

It just could have done been done better.

And uh that project is what happens when you just don't care about your constituents.

Thank you.

Councilor ma'am.

One second.

Councilor Mary.

Thank you, ma'am.

Arva, I just want to say thank you for being here.

And thank you for your service to City of Houston.

You want to see you again in legal as one of our city attorneys for a long time.

Yeah.

Thank you for that.

Thank you.

Next, Lionel Howard.

To be followed by Sister Mama Sonia.

Good evening, Mayor, City Council, Estonians and guests.

I have to uh apologize.

My wife stole my speech.

So I come here as the uh most immediate uh past president of Tierwester Civic Association, and our northern border is Block Street.

I am a graduate of Jesse H.

Jones School of Business Tech to Southern in 1973.

I've been living on blogged uh one block off blogging for 53 years.

It was not uh legally uh done, as you heard also, and it's making things very difficult for us.

There are no bicycle riders on Blige Street that I've seen in these 53 years.

I've seen maybe five uh in those in that period of time.

So and we also have Texas Southern uh bicycle line.

So this uh construction is making it very dangerous for us, and it's it's very difficult.

You can't even make turns on the blogging street because of the construction.

If there are the bus coming down the street, everybody gotta wait to let the people off because it's only one lane.

So if the it's a difficult situation, it's very dangerous.

And I just implore that the that the city council uh does something about this and remove that blogger street construction.

Thank you.

Just a second.

Uh Councilman Power.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good afternoon to everyone.

Mr.

Howard, good to see you.

Yes, sir.

And to you and all the speakers on this particular topic.

Uh I want you to know it's very uh helpful for us to hear directly from you on this issue.

Your lived experience, uh your day-to-day routine.

Uh you experienced this on a daily basis.

And um the council member and I spoke about this item when it came when it was supposed to come before us back then, and we we saw we we foresaw this happening.

And I want to give her credit for continuing to uh keep this on the forefront and uh advocating on you all's behalf.

Uh she can she does it weekly, and I think it's because it's such an important issue for you all and as a community.

And so um your time here today was was helpful for us all to hear directly from you, and I'm a strong believer that you know the community should dictate what they want within their community.

Uh, you're the ones that live there every day, you're the ones that invest in that area, and so you uh should be the deciding factor on what amenities and what projects are there.

So I appreciate your commentary and everyone else on this topic as well.

Oh, I thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Next, Sister Mama Sanyu.

To be followed by Al Lloyd.

Greeting, servants of Houston.

Asante Sun out councilwoman Carolyn Evan Shabaz for your stellar lioness representation and support of the trade.

Cut us, y'all, and we bleed crimson and gold.

Hell JY.

Have you ever been on a path to nowhere?

Just driving along a path from going here to there.

There's a bike path on Blige that's a path to nowhere.

It was built with no input or blessing from our community.

It was put there with no third ward scrutiny.

I poll some third wardies and asked how many bicycles they have seen in the past.

And like me, they've seen no one on the path to nowhere.

I witnessed an emergency vehicle just trying to get by.

And with the lanes all messed up, they had to wait precious moments until it was clear.

Those precious moments could have meant a difference between the death and light of a life so dear.

Sixty-five years ago, I moved to Third Ward with my parents and have seen Blodget go from four usable lanes to two dangerous ones.

We need all of our lanes back, our streets safe and usable.

The need for secure pathways is irrefutable.

Third wardians are asking that you listen to us and hear our plea.

Please support the removal of the bike path and do what's right for restoration of a black tastic, black awesome, blacknificent community.

I leave you with the song I share at the school board meetings.

Listen to us, hear us, respect us, don't ignore us.

We hope you really care about us.

Councilor Salina.

Just a second.

Councilmember Salinas.

Sister Mama Silver, I just wanted to say it is such a pleasure to see you.

You always brighten my day.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you for sharing your perspective.

Thank you for everything you do in community.

Thank you.

Next Al Lloyd.

Matthew Da Leone.

To be followed by Margaret Samuel.

Thank you, Mayor and City Council for your time today and your service students every day.

My name is Matthew DeLeon.

I'm here as a community innovator.

But the reason I'm here is because I was my vehicle was towed off 20th Street in the Heights on March 4th in the public private right of way by Space City out of storage.

I reached out to almost every city of Houston department to figure out how I was legally towed, but all refused to give me a definite answer with a city ordinance to tell me what I can do so I can take this to court.

And only was told afterwards that they can't help me.

I even asked help from my councilmember Amby Cayman's office, and their office is also given the runaround to eventually they wash their hands from the situation.

So it's been two months now.

I still don't know if I was legally told or not.

And I believe this is a failure on city using staff.

But that's not all.

In my research, I found out this tow company had expired permits for the state of Texas, is putting wrong information on a toll receipts to prevent people from taking him to court, and also using another company's name and permit illegally to operate in the city of Houston.

I tried finally could play with HPD.

But that went nowhere, and it's company still operating right now, allowing the tow tow Houstonians illegally in the heights.

And this makes me think what other companies are doing this also.

This is a simple problem that can be fixed easily.

But my knowledge on HPD auto dealer permitting is limited because it's been hard to get information from them.

But one, the LDL division should require tow companies to list their state licensing in their enterprise database, so when that licensing expires, City of Houston knows about it.

Second, retrain public facing auto dealer staff to be more helpful to tow victims with tow regulation.

Some are a little sandoffish.

And third, City of Houston consider regulating tow signs for each sign, has an ID tied to a tow company and tow justification.

Right now it seems like anybody could put up a sign and tow Histonians with no regulation on the front end.

Again, this is a simple problem that can be fixed, and I'm willing to help.

Thank you for your time, and I'm here to answer any questions you have.

Council Mayor Salinas.

Thank you for raising this important issue.

My policy director Bryce Randall is gonna walk in, and he'd love to talk to you, and we'd love to help you figure out how to get to the bottom of it.

I appreciate it.

Yes.

Thank you.

Next, Margaret Samuel.

To be followed by A.

Keith Edwards.

Good evening, Mayor Whitmeyer, Counsel, my district councilwoman from District D, the district of this destination.

I am a third ward resident.

I have grown up in third ward.

I've been in third ward 64 years.

Let me say that.

I live one block from the Belog bike lanes.

I am an alumna of Texas Southern University.

So I understand that Texas Southern has events, and we do not want to stop them from having events.

But these bike lanes have created a a disaster, not only for us as residents, but even for the university.

Because when it was a four-lane hot four-lane street, we were able, those c the the law enforcement was able to keep the flow of traffic going.

Now they can't because even at homecoming, it was a disaster.

Because they couldn't stop them.

And the problem is that there are bike um bus pods that were placed in the middle of those lanes.

So there's nothing you can do.

The ambulances cannot get around them.

And the situation that I'm afraid of, because I believe in being proactive and not reactive, is that at one of these during one of these events, one of my neighbors, if not myself or someone, their homes are gonna catch on fire, or they're going to be sick and look.

The fire department can't get to us because all of that trouble that happens on because of the congestion on Belogit leads over into the neighborhood.

And they park on both sides of the street.

So we can't do anything during homecoming.

I was out there directing traffic like I was the police.

And that is unacceptable for us.

The bike lanes go nowhere.

If you go down to Scott, the bike lane stops in a driveway in someone's driveway across Scott.

And if you were to keep riding, you're going to ride into a dead end.

There's nothing down there, and it will never be anything down there because University of Houston's parking garage is there.

So unless they bow those, that parking garage, they'll never be anywhere.

So whoever designed those intrusive bike lanes, they need to be talked to as well.

Because they were poorly designed.

I've had friends to come into the neighborhood to come see me.

They ride down blogget.

They come from other parts of town.

And they're asking, Margaret, what what are these?

I've never seen any bike lanes like this.

We feel the same way.

So I thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak.

And I conclude.

Thank you.

Thank you, Margaret.

We have a new activist.

He has been very, very diligent about this.

But I want you to share something.

I believe you did a petition.

I did.

And how many names do you have to date on that petition?

I have approximately 345 names.

And a lot of those people were not able to come because we do have an aging area.

And one thing I do take um to heart is when I hear people say that people in third ward don't have cars.

That is, I don't know where those numbers come from, but that is screwed.

Skewed.

Excuse me.

That was a slip.

Those numbers are skewed.

Because again, I live from Wentworth.

If you come from where I live over to McGregor, there is not a resident in that area that does not own a car.

If more than most of them have two to three cars because they have children.

So I don't understand where those numbers came from, but again, that was something that was forced on us.

I thank you for giving me the time to speak.

You're welcome.

Thank you, Mark.

Thank you.

Next.

A.

Keith Edwards.

To be followed by Thomas Dale.

Good afternoon again, Council and Mayor.

If you don't mind if I could take a quick second, uh and Councilman Pollard, I'm uh appreciate you recognizing that the community is important and that their voice is important.

I'd like for the community to stand.

And what you see, what you see behind me are concerned citizens who left their houses tonight, stop watching Jeopardy to come down to this meeting.

The current configuration of bike lanes placed on Blodget Street between Scott Street and Innis has created a number of intentional unintentional challenges for residents and commuters alike.

Was once a four-lane roadway serving as a direct, efficient corridor to Highway 288, has been reduced to one-lane road with traffic flowing opposite directions.

This changes significantly increased congestion, created traffic delays, and raised safety concerns for both motorists and pedestrians.

In addition to traffic issues, the redesign has complicated essential services, such as weekly garbage collection with limit roadway space and made routine operations more difficult.

There are also emerging uh infrastructure concerns, including drainage problems in certain areas where standing water remained for several days after following rainfall.

These challenges are further intensified during peak activity periods associated with Texas Southern University, including class schedules, transitions, homecoming events, concerts, basketball games, and other events.

During these times, the reduced roadway capacity struggles to accommodate increased traffic volume, exacerbating congestion and limiting accessibility for residents and visitors.

This proposal does not uh oppose the concept of bike lanes or the importance of cyclist safety.

Rather, it advocates for more strategic and effective placement of bike infrastructure.

In areas where can uh current bike lanes are underutilized, consideration should have been given to relocating them to corridors where they can better serve the cyclist uh community without compromising vehicle flow or public safety.

Ultimately, the goal is to achieve a balanced approach when it supports uh transportation while also ensuring the public safety, accessibility, and infrastructure so that we can facilitate what needs to happen in the community.

I've sent each council member on yesterday pictures, because I think pictures have a the uh speak a thousand words.

And I invite anyone into the community, and I will personally escort you in the traffic so to show you just how congested and how uh how important it is for us to take care of this issue.

Thank you very much for your time.

Have y'all been to the county?

Obviously, it was a county project approved by the city.

But have you made such a compelling argument before Commissioner's court?

It's interesting that you asked me about that.

We tried to get with the county.

The county was supposed to meet with us, the county did not show up to the meeting that we were supposed to be at.

And the county is a big county.

Are you talking about your commissioner?

Absolutely, our commissioner.

That placed them there.

Yes.

Thank you for being here.

Councilmember Evan Shons.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I want to add, you know, the traffic is bad going east or west because people are coming to Texas Southern, and they are having to kind of U-turn turn to go into the parking facility.

And that means that the people that are coming from the East or the West are behind the traffic.

And so it it's a mess.

And he has sent me countless videos.

And you know, it it's just it's just too much.

And so I thank you.

I think you know the neighbors that have come out.

But it is it needs to go.

Um certainly, you know, there are uh you know, many reasons maybe that somebody else decided they wanted to put them there.

I think Arva Howard spoke to that in terms of contractors, because they're the ones that made the money uh at the expense of the community.

So thank you so very much, uh, Pastor Absolutely.

And and neighbors for coming out.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And again, we do have copies for you.

God bless you.

Thank you.

Next Thomas Dale.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, Councilmember.

Again, my name is Thomas Dale, and for you, I myself is a cyclist enthusiast.

I'm also an advocate for clean air and wholesome recreation.

And I'm sure some of the planners have some of these thoughts in mind.

However, I think if they came back to visit the situation on Blige Street, which is one mile long, they would have a different opinion.

Blodget on the east end extends into an intersection on Scott.

And on the west end, it intersects Innis.

That one block leads into those two major thoroughwares.

Why?

I have no answer for that.

One of the aspects, if you were to come and look on the ridership, the ridership on Blockett at this point in time is very, very low.

In fact, you'll probably see more bikers on the Columbia Gap Trail than you do on the actual bike lane.

So the utilitarian effect of that bike lane is the feeding itself.

So therefore, I am suggesting and recommending, and hopefully you will agree that we remove those curves so that we can again have safe transportation on blogging for the social service groups as well as the university itself.

And as a compromise, I would say that we can replace those curves with at least painted lanes so the cyclists can have their opportunity to enjoy as well.

Thank you for your time this evening.

Council mayor everyone.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I think that may be the last speaker uh regarding the blogged lanes, but I hope that they have conveyed how inconvenient and how unfair those bike lanes are to the community, and hopefully we can talk about this and discuss how we can bring a real substantive solution to the community who was not engaged regarding the original construction of those bike lanes, which I think every community should be afforded.

I am not anti-bike lane, but those bike lanes are just ridiculous.

I mean, that's that's the best word I can use, but certainly not anti-bike lane, so y'all don't need to start bombarding my whatever to say she's against bikers, and she because I am not.

I'm a biker on occasion when my electric bike is working.

But certainly um not anti-bike, but you have to really look at a community to see if it's advantageous to them and whether they have had substantive engagement, and they did not, and I believe that every community should be afforded uh a buy-in on those things that are going to unpack their mobility.

So thank you so very much for coming today.

And uh that concludes uh the bike lane speakers.

Certainly you uh you can stay here as long as you choose.

Some of you may want to go so that you can eat dinner, but we don't have that.

Uh we can't do that.

We we're gonna wait to hear the other speakers.

But certainly I thank you.

And I I see so many neighbors, classmates, college mates, and we're gonna have a great time at our reunion.

Yes, we are spellmen, spelmen.

All right, all right, thank you so very much.

I won't tell you how many years next.

Grace Kesterson to be followed by Richard Vega.

Good afternoon.

I came here back in February with a request that you would do your part to ensure the safety and security for the community that they deserve.

I watched as you feigned sympathy to the issues I spoke about regarding their safety and the fear that's felt by everyone in the community, the safety of children, all children, children who think they might need to protect someone from being illegally kidnapped if they're not fearing being taken themselves.

That is, if they are busy practicing school shooter drills.

I said in February, we cannot claim to be a city that celebrates and embraces diversity while letting families live in fear because of it.

It seems you disregarded my statement, and you bent the knee to Greg Abbott instead of protecting the community, you swore an oath due.

Even after you gave in, he moved the goal post.

So the children in this city watch leaders sell them out for funding instead of standing up for them or for what is right, and that is what our city will remember you for the next Richard Vago.

To be followed, followed by Daniel Valoes.

Good evening, uh Councilmembers and Mayor.

Uh I am up here to just tell you I attended a community meeting in the East End in the neighborhood of Magnolia uh last week with Councilmember Joaquin and uh Julian Ramirez, and uh I'll just uh say that there was an overwhelming joy of evidence in support of uh the name change of uh Joe uh Chaco Ramirez.

Um he is a hometown hero, his roots are right there in Magnolia, and if you know a little bit about the neighborhood, it's the oldest Chicano neighborhood in all of the city.

In fact, the Vegas are from there.

My great-grandfather moved there and rooted his family there.

In fact, on the way here tonight, I called my grandfather, who's 92 years old, just to talk to him about what was going on, and I got to talk to my aunt as well.

And um, I'll just tell you uh it's if you get the chance and the opportunity to learn his story and understand who the man was.

I believe that you guys will make the decision that this is the right move when we remove Caesar Chavez Street to Joe Chapel Ramirez.

It's it's important that the next generation are able to see the heroes of our own community, people that they can lead and follow after.

And I'll say this.

I'm also a member of the American Legion Post 472, and I got to see the shadow box of uh Joe Ramirez, and he has the first Calvary Division patch in there, and he wore it on his uniform if you get to see some of the pictures.

It's the same patch that I got to wear.

The same patch that I got to serve under.

And men like him are very rare.

There's a model in the division in which we served under, and it's called Live the Legend, and he absolutely lived that legend.

He came home and he served the community, he loved Houston, he loved people, he continued to sow so back into the community all the way to his last breath, and that is a leader in which we as the community would be proudly to stand behind.

Thank you.

Council Ramirez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Pastor, for your remarks.

Appreciate your your thoughts on that.

And thank you for your military service as well.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Daniel Veloz.

To be followed by Melissa Gallegos, the Friendswood.

Good evening, City Council.

Mayor Whitmire, Joaquin.

We're speaking to the microphone.

Oh, yeah.

Can you hear me?

Sorry.

Good evening, uh City Council.

My name is Daniel Velos, and I am the great nephew of Joe Ramirez.

Joe Ramirez, uh the Ochaco, as we know him.

Um I'm here on um behalf of my family, the Gallegos family and the Ramirez family, and I wanted to share with you a story about him, and so you know how he's impacting our community or community, excuse me.

So those of you who know he was uh held captive in North Korea for 33 months, and when they found him, he was a little over 80 pounds.

And with those of you don't that don't know, my grandmother, Olga Gallegos, who was the mother of Senator Mario Gallegos, who you served with in the Senate, and I know you and him go back many years.

Um she advocated for him when she worked at the Pentagon, and she happened to find a picture of him in Time magazine, and she was able to let the Army know and the military know that he was still alive.

So that's dear to our family because it shows the legacy that he left behind that that no matter what we're here to fight for our you know our our family and our and our neighborhood because of what he did.

Um I also wanted to say that this past week there was a meeting at the American Legion while Keem was there, and everybody was speaking about who they should name the street after, and with all due respect, there was many people there that were very honorable to the community, but I felt the impact more so for Joe because at the very end of that meeting, Joachim was there as a witness.

My son, who's 13 years old, got up and he spoke about his great great uncle, and to me, that's the significance of what legacy does is that it generate it it influences the generations to come, right?

And my son, 13 years old, knows about his great-great uncle so much that he was willing to go up there and speak in front of council members, and that is what a difference maker does in our community.

So I just wanted to convey that to you all to understand that this is uh what I feel is is the right thing to do, and um also I wanted to say that um you know legacy that we leave behind, you know, people are always gonna remember when they drive down that street and they see Joe Ramirez, they're gonna know his story and they're gonna know their will to fight and and to um you know give back to the community.

So just wanted to say that.

Thank you.

Thank you for sharing.

Next, Melissa Gallegos, friendswood, to be followed by Diana Chambers, Mayor, City Council.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak.

Um this is Joe Chacos Ramirez's family from Magnolia Park.

This is the legacy.

This is taken in 2015.

There are so many more now.

This was taken at Hidalgo Park at the gazebo.

It was at Ramirez Family Reunion.

Uh Master Sergeant Joe Elios Charco Ramirez Ramirez was born to Isabel and Elias Ramirez.

They moved to Houston in 1911.

So we've been here since 1911, our family.

And while Master Sergeant went through a lot, and he was a very big hero.

Um the point that I wanted to bring was that he never left his neighborhood.

He never left that neighborhood.

Even when he was in 33 months encampment, his heart was in that neighborhood.

And even when the military sent him to Kansas when he came back, he came back to this neighborhood.

Magnolia Park.

I just wanted to let y'all know that even renaming that street after somebody else, they would not be from that neighborhood.

He lived in the same house for so many years, raised children.

He was a feel to all of us, to my dad, late Senator Mario Gallegos.

He inspired these people to live life.

Because that 33 months, he thought he wasn't gonna make it back.

And by the power of prayer by his sisters, his many many sisters, and his mother, who walked every day from Avenue L to Maggle Hart and walked.

She walked.

And you you can ask people in the neighborhood, they saw her walk every day to pray for him.

So by the power of prayer, um, I just want to please consider renaming Cesar Chavez to Master Sergeant, Joe Chaco Ramirez for family, for his family, so that the legacy can carry on, and that like me when I was little, I looked up Marcario Garcia.

I didn't know who that was.

I looked it up, and I saw what a powerful, you know, person he was, and hopefully other little boys and girls can see Joe Ramirez's name.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Finish.

Take your time.

They can see his name and look him up and be inspired.

You know, because he he was inspirational.

Thank you.

Next.

Diana Chambers.

Diana Chambers.

Next speaker.

Lucy Salazar.

Lucy Salada.

Next speaker.

Bridget Land.

Bridget Land.

Bridget Land.

Next speaker.

Rosalind Blake.

Rosalind Blake.

To be followed by Leola Cornett.

Will you stand behind one of those mics?

Stand behind the mic.

Either one.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor, Council, members.

My name is Uniquarker.

I live in District B and I've lived in the Fifth War neighborhood for 30 years.

I'm here to speak on the need for people's budget in Houston so that my neighborhood can be safe from flooding without cutting funding for parks, libraries, and public health.

It is absolutely wrong that my neighbors have been suffering from flooding that only gets worse year by year.

City officials promise us drainage projects, and we are still waiting.

How are the billions of dollars in our city's budget being spent?

If not to keep us safe and to keep families who have lived here for generation after generation from having to move.

Tell me your name again.

Uniqua Parker.

Uniqua Parker.

She's not on the list.

Okay.

Thank you, Ms.

Parker.

Next speaker.

Leola Cornett.

Leola Carnett.

To be followed by Haven Bale.

Hello, City Council.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

I'm here to talk about our city budget that is for the people.

The people's budget is an extension of years of showing up each year to City Hall to fight for a better budget, one that prioritizes residents and not just the bare minimum the city can do, but the things that make our lives in the city better.

In the midst of an affordability crisis, a city as resource-rich as Houston should not have the nation's highest rate of people living in poverty.

And more importantly, it should not be cutting its services or infrastructure investments in the slightest.

And so our demands as the people of the city are quite clear.

We demand that you prevent flooding by fully spending drainage funding increase from settlement agreement.

We demand that you prevent flooding by fully spending drainage funding increase from settlement agreement, strengthen flood prevention and public trust by protecting all stormwater funding for future diversions, prevent flooding by fully funding the ditch re-establishment program, set strengthen city services by keeping them publicly owned, accountable, and free from privatization.

When profit becomes a priority, quality and the public suffer.

Strengthen our city by fighting for high quality services, removal of hiring freezes, and no compromises on worker safety, including fully staffing public works, decreasing deferred maintenance, and restoring expertise lost through early retirement buyouts and job cuts, and strengthen our social fabric by opposing job cuts and cuts to essential services.

Thank y'all.

Thank you for your time today.

And I also wanted to ask you have you had an opportunity to see our uh your two cents survey that uh Councilmember Alcorn puts out.

Um we'd love to actually have that in the survey as well.

You made some great points today.

Yes, I'd love to see it.

Okay, thank you.

Next speaker.

Haven Bale.

Haven Bale.

To be followed by Taylor Brown.

Hello, um, I'm currently living in District I, and I'm here to talk about funding for flooding infrastructure and the need for a budget that actually represents the needs of Houstonians.

Um in the short time I've lived here, I've been shocked by the infrastructure and the lack of investment in it.

It rains a lot here, um, which is not a shock.

It's a matter of location, though this will only get worse in the years to come, and flooding um will get worse as well.

I've learned very quickly that people and families who have lived here for decades have been fighting for uh fighting over and over for investment in infrastructure that would meet their concerns and help them keep their families and loved ones safe.

Um the communities have been consistently ignored in order uh in favor of what the city seems to think is considered public safety.

The Northeast Action Collective and communities around the city have been telling the council for years that public safety is more than police, and the recent public services and employment cuts to essential services and public works only make lives harder for those impacted by flooding the most.

Um in just one week, the mayor's uh budget will be released, and it's uh it is cities council city council's responsibility to uh listen to their constituents, the expert in this community um when they tell you what they want and need um and to keep their home safe.

For anyone who's here who's interested, please come talk to one of us to get plugged in, and thank you for your time.

Thank you for being here.

Next speaker, Taylor Brown.

Taylor Brown.

To be followed by Bonnie Alston Wheatley, hello, good evening, uh City Council.

So my name is Taylor Brown, I'm a current resident of District K, but I was born and raised in District H.

I'm here today to back up uh fellow people.

I'm all a member, I'm a nurse in the community, I also am a member of Houston DSA, and I'm also but tonight I'm specifically here to talk about um flooding infrastructure, general basic infrastructure in the city.

Um so as someone who grew up in District H in Willow Run outside of Acres Homes, um I've seen both from a personal perspective of uh my grandparents' house of even as a child, there were issues with drainage and the flooding.

Anytime it would rain for longer than 30 minutes, it was guaranteed that at least half your yard using it the grown tree in the middle of the yard, you could watch the flooding rise hour by hour if it continued to rain.

Hurricanes were another matter altogether.

That problem has only continued to worsen over the years with now with the most recent hurricane that the water got as close as a yard from the front door.

Um this house was not just my grandparents' grandparents' house, but it represents the only equity that my family owns.

It requisit represents generational wealth in terms of things that have been passed down, not just from my parents, but represents equity that the family can then have as a place of value.

Anytime that there is a major storm and there's damage, it is not just our house that is damaged.

You're talking tens of thousands of other homes that then with the cost of things rising, with the cost of, oh, now you have a hundred people asking to have their roof repaired, is the price of that going to remain the same?

No.

It continues to rise every storm.

It gets more expensive, and these issues can be addressed far cheaper if we were to address them proactively by dealing with flooding infrastructure, drainage infrastructure, and even allocating some of the funds that, for example, we were to fully fund the ditch re-establishment program 45 million dollars, which sounds like a lot of money unless you compare it to the HPD budget.

That if I were to give a quote of $850 million, their budget is more than that.

5% of that is $45 million.

5% of their budget could fully fund to build ditches in the city to address the drainage issues that have existed since before I was born.

These are things that, in terms of fully investing in public works, not just in specific projects, but in actual people who can then make their livelihood as city employees to then give back to their communities.

They live in their communities.

They should work in their communities, and those positions as people retire should then go to the next generation instead of us having budget cuts that causes people to those positions no longer exist.

So the jobs that no longer exist that do not create the generational wealth that we should have in this city.

We do have a very wealthy city, but we also have a large amount of people who are living in poverty in this city.

The commute from there to work was unreasonable, but also every time it rains, it flooded.

I chose to pay more to live in an apartment that's on the second floor because I know at least when it rains, I should only lose power.

At least I don't have to worry about my things being ruined.

We need to invest in public works.

We need to replace the staff that have been taken away, which would decrease under an unemployment in this city, and invest in the people that keep the city functioning, be it sanitation, be it solid waste, everything that is encompassing flood matters.

I think that this should be priority instead of just giving an increasing budget to HPD.

Let's put that money into mental health counseling to public works, have them be public employees instead of private.

Thank you.

Ma'am.

Mayor.

Mayor.

Thank you, Ms.

Brown for being here.

I I heard you say that you currently live in District K.

Wanted to just publicly acknowledge you for your advocacy.

We've met with the NOC group last week, heard their concerns, but I also want to ask if you would put your concerns in the two cents survey as well.

Our chair of BFA is hosting that uh survey along with the Kinder Institute, and we use that data also when we are making our decisions in our budget process.

So thank you for being here, and thank you for advocating for your concerns and your grandmother's house, and um we'll do what we can to make sure we try to protect those investments.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Next Bonnie Austin Whitley.

To be followed by Ikra Tariq of Bumble.

Hello.

Thank you for having me.

Um my name is Bonnie Whitley, Austin Whitley.

I am a pastor, a chaplain.

I work with uh children, homeless.

Um I do whatever I need to do for my community.

I'm here in with NAC because we need help.

We need these ditches dug out, we need these wires not falling down on our children.

We need these um overgrowth areas taken care of because it also helps the flooding.

We also need for the monies that were allocated for all of these to be taken care of.

We are in great need for some help.

I have lived here in Houston since 1967 on Bertrand Street, and it was like a little country.

Now there are multiple people living in there, and that means that there is more water that's starting to seep into the communities under the houses.

Flooding is overwhelming sometimes.

I remember when I woke up one day and I put my feet on the floor and it was no floor, there was water up to my ankle.

As I weighed through the water, I and my husband walked outside to look at our yard.

We had no yard.

We could not see our car.

Therefore, our car flooded.

But the worst thing that we seen was elderly people being floated on makeshift rafts.

We also seen that same raft start um seeping and the elderly being traumatized.

We worked to put them on makeshift children's pools to to get them to where they could uh be helped.

The city didn't help.

We helped each other.

Our churches were open, our homes were open.

Um one young man with their his first generation was going to college.

His car flooded.

He they hadn't they didn't know that they had to buy flood insurance with insurance, so everything came out of their pockets.

He he later did go to college, and he's right now is an activist also.

My thing is that we know that 45,000 45 million was given for the um the ditch and establishment program.

We asked you to uh invest in people working in the city because these people could help in numerous ways.

We have places on Parker that has camp have cameras, but there's trash there.

Water's uh water is sitting there.

We have animals that uh are not licensed.

We we fully thank you.

We just want a little help.

We were we're working people, we're people that uh will do our best to do the best for our community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next to be followed by Matthew Matthew Graf.

Hello, my name is Ikra, and I've been a resident of District E, in which my family and I have been subjected to flooding disasters multiple times.

Our streets would flood every time there was a storm, filling our walls with water and causing black mold to form throughout our houses infrastructure that has caused permanent respiratory issues and neurological impairments.

Hurricane Harvey is just one of the many disasters that has caused irreparable damage to our house and to our family.

And I stand here today as a flood survivor from 2017, and I still stand here today, a decade later, for the same issue.

Why has this not been fixed?

A flood at home is not a natural disaster, it is a policy issue.

It is said that public works does not have the staffing to spend down on all of the allocated money for the ditch reestablishment program.

It was set on record that they do not have the staff, partially due to last year's 10% department cuts and early retirement buyouts, in which public works lost the most employees.

Solid waste is lacking resources.

The parks and libraries are for are facing further cuts this year.

The health department has been severely cut at the federal level in the city, I'm sure will force them to cut their budget budget even further.

These are sorry.

These measures are not how our communities will survive nor thrive.

It is blatantly looks like a lack of care for the working class.

HBD is not the only department that needs funding.

We, the people that you serve, demand to protect our social services, provide basic city functions, and stop failing city residents on purpose.

This is a budget that is a matter of our survival.

It is a matter of literally fighting for our lives.

I will end this speech by asking you all a question.

Whose fault will it be when the next Houstonian dies from a flood?

Next Matthew Graf.

To be followed by Jay Boostos.

Good evening, Mayor and other members of the City Council.

I just want to begin by saying thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening.

Uh which has to do with HPD's cooperation with immigration enforcement authorities.

The first thing that I want to talk about in this is I know this is a highly political issue, and I understand that people have strong opinions.

That's what makes the city great is our ability to fight for justice and right.

But I think what's being lost in this is that the city council needs to make clear that individuals who are the potential victims of crime should not be afraid to contact law enforcement.

Now, there are three reasons why.

First, uh the explicit statements of Tom Homan, who indicated that immigration and customs enforcement is focusing on the defendant in these matters.

That's the defendant over which the police department has uh jurisdiction at that time.

Second, victims and witnesses are not subject to law enforcement screening.

Their status is not at question.

Third, federal law indicates that there is a space to protect people, even who have issues with status.

Look at the U visa.

The UV is an opportunity for individuals who cooperate with law enforcement to gain status as a result of that investigation.

Federal law has made space for individuals to work.

The biggest, most important thing here is that people need to feel safe contacting law enforcement.

And I think that's a clear statement that the city council needs to make.

Second, um the law enforcement is the function of the city, uh, but there are certain things that are not the function of the city.

Federal law will always preempt.

And there's a bit of speaking out of both sides of the mouth here in this legislation where we want to include information that things should not be interpreted to violate the law, and yet at the same time, we include things which may act in action violate the law.

And I think the biggest indicator or separator between what's been passed by the city council in Houston and what's been passed in San Antonio, Austin and Dallas is the mandate of noncompliance.

In Dallas, this is a general rule about administrative warrants.

In Austin and San Antonio, this is left to the discretion of the officer.

And this, alongside the incredibly onerous reporting requirements, what we have to understand when an officer makes an investigation, he's not just investigating someone's immigration status, it's any general investigation.

And so almost every investigation that's done by a police officer will fall under this standard, and now you're asking police officers to collect a lot more information.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, Jay Boost.

To be followed by Herman Henry.

Hello everyone.

I'm your friendly neighborhood, Houstonian.

And first off, I would like to thank uh the four council members that are continuing the support, you know, to fight against ICE.

Selinas, polar, Thomas Cayman, thank you.

Uh as for Mayor Whitmeyer and the rest of the council members that had initially voted yes and then voted no for this new revised ordinance uh uh passings.

What was the point of voting yes if you were going to go and change to vote no?

Abbott and his administrations were always going to pull off this move or just little stun.

They are playground bullies.

There was always going to be that chance that they're constantly playing chess moves with their powers of corruption.

Of course that they have made the stance that they don't really care about people as well as uh really the Houston residents.

They are just out to uh display their power of control.

They're just wanting to display their control over Texas.

The Houston is one of the biggest cities of diversity.

It is one of the biggest cities that shows or stands within Texas of being a city that prov uh can provide or show positive change for Texas.

I asked y'all, is Houston not worth defending?

Is it not worth fighting for the city?

You can ask your constituents, you can ask the residents here.

This we're asking just uh continuing to fight to one bring back the original uh um ordinance that y'all were uh placing without the revisement.

Two, or at the very least, probably continue the fight, but maybe as to uh ending non-safety traffic stops.

Do something to continue the fight against what ICE is standing for.

We want to show that we are fighting for our residents here.

We want to show that we stand with Houston, but us inching or backing off just because Abbott has says uh that they're wanting to play chicken with funding and stuff.

I get the understanding that public safety, the funds towards public safety is important.

Yes, but still y'all you'll have many members who are well advised within the law.

Y'all you have many members who are well advised within the law.

Your time has expired.

Thank you for your time.

Next Herman Henry.

To be followed by Lee Mercer.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Um, mayor and the council.

I live in District G, but my church is in District K, and I used to live in District D.

So my name is Herman Henry.

I'm a Houston resident.

I'm a neighbor.

And I come before you today with no anger, but love and a vision that I hope that K and D can be a part of, and hopefully everybody else.

I want to be honest with y'all today that the black community, Houston is hurting.

Not because we're weak, but because the institutions that are supposed to protect and serve us have shown documented cases over and over again that they do not.

An HPD officer was sworn in in 2024 and was recorded.

Everybody knows what she said and who she was talking about.

She completed over 16,000 hours of training, diversity courses.

She still wore that badge.

Houston Community College displaced over 90,000 long-time black professionals under one administration.

119 people got uh sued.

They settled in December 2025.

I don't share these facts to divide anybody.

I share them because every family in this room, black, brown, white Asian deserves an institution worthy of their trust.

That is not a black issue.

That is a Houston issue.

Where there is a wound, we have a responsibility to heal.

A ministry I'm now going to empower to overcome by Pastor Robert High.

Not only is Pastor Robert Hyde Jr.

Um the pastor there, he's a fire marshal.

I'm a fire technician.

I travel to all your districts.

I've helped so many people see so many different places from Pasadena up and down the area.

And all I'm saying is that black folks in different neighborhoods.

I used to live in Sunnyside, used to live um Brookhaven, and like I said, we're off of West Hamer, oh, excuse me, off of the Bellway and Airport.

Um, and I also live in G, like I said.

But the main thing is I'm just asking that somebody, uh, your constituents or whoever your subordinates stops by our church, sees what's going on.

We have a program in place where we want to start um getting folks off the streets.

Idle Hands causes the devil's time, as you all know.

And this this problem for poverty and just for uh the issues where people see our skin tone and they have a problem with us is because of uh image that was portrayed a long time ago.

I want to change that.

My pastor wants to change it.

Like I said, he's a fire marshal, he's um worked for the city of Houston, he's worked in the jails.

Me, I'm a fire technician, um, and I want to help out, and I just I'm looking for help.

So um Council Tatum and also Ms.

Caroline, if if y'all can have your people get in contact with me or something, I I really want to help my community.

Sir, Mayor Pro Tim.

Thank you, Mr.

Henry, for being here today.

Um we say this all the time that government can't do this work alone.

We have to have partners, and um, for you to come today and say that you are willing to help and you are looking for help.

Um, our office is happy to uh visit your church and see what programming you have and how we can be a partner.

Um we also um you know need partners on the ground in in our district.

Um so happy to sit down and and talk about how we can partner together to make our community better for us all.

I appreciate I'm a fire, I'm a I'm a uh fire technician and I work on construction side so for low-income um apartments.

I also do I do everything.

I'm all over the place.

There's more that you know I want to see more of us and better places.

Sounds good.

Thank you.

Look forward to talking to you.

Council Evan Shabazz.

Okay, uh thank you so much.

Is this information correct?

That's on here.

You you want my office to get in touch with you?

Both.

I do.

Because we're not too far, right?

So Sunnyside is not that far as 15 minutes.

I I actually um I'm working on uh orm tapestry off of uh radiate and cullen.

So I'm not too we're not 15 minutes away.

So I would like to I just want to make sure that this information is correct.

Yes, I I called earlier today and um I also called your office as well.

Um council.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, see the lady.

Thank you.

Lee Mercer to be followed by Shelton Modellas.

Yes, I was waiting until he passed the handouts out.

I'm Lee Mercer, and I'm coming for City Council today in reference to uh crime prevention.

And this is crime prevention I'm talking about.

Crime prevention is what we need in Houston, said Mayor John Whitmire on April 28, 2026 to me.

He said he will give me a million dollars.

I am to say that in the mayor's meeting, April 28, 2026.

He'll have hot wire hookup, abilities, evidence, bring from my University of Texas Health Science Center, Camp Bullis, Army, ROTC Academy, criminal intelligence, criminal law, crime solving, crime prevention, and my forensic science, police education.

Also I save America and save a life intelligence police program education.

Told through a police subpoena, everything is evidence driven, homicide killing, and murder intelligence.

That's what I do.

Thank you.

Next Shelton Modellist to be followed by Ridwan Kowando.

Good evening, Council members.

I'm here today to speak about illegal alien that has been terrorizing me for the last 20 years.

And my first question would be is this a full city council members here today.

Couple of apps.

Okay.

The reason I asked it before City Council is because our next step will have to deal with the I'm gonna say the illegal judiciary here in Harris County, because we came here 11 months ago about this same situation, and Miss Evans told me to get with her person, and 11 months ago that person didn't respond, and we have still been pegged with this illegal alien, and I believe he works on either the Harris County or the City of Houston payroll because any time I call police, nobody come.

We don't get no response.

We went Walmart, do some shopping, come back.

Our house was surrounded by 12 police cars, all having long guns and short pistols pointed at the house, saying that I refuse to allow the energy people, uh center point.

I refused to allow center point in to turn the power on.

This same illegal alien had called and made a false police report.

I wasn't even home.

I drove up to get to my house and I was handcuffed and everything.

These people could have burnt my house down saying I was inside and didn't come out.

So we are here today to let City Council know that we will be going forward with any lawsuits necessary to get this person out of our community.

Your time has expired.

Councilor Evans.

Thank you, sir.

I will give up my staff to find out what the status of this is and find out if why they did not reach back to you or whether they did and weren't able to reach you.

But I assume that this is the correct information that's on here.

Which information you have?

Your information, your post office box, which didn't tell me anything about where you live with your phone number.

My phone number is 713 733.

Okay.

Right.

That's what's on here.

Okay.

So we'll reach out to see.

Because I have called your office, I don't get no response.

Okay.

Well, that's why I'm gonna find out why.

Okay.

Because that's not acceptable.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next.

Ridwan Kwanda.

To be followed by Lakshmi Ravendra Ravendrin.

Yeah.

Good evening, everybody.

I'm here today with uh a simple idea that could save lives in Houston.

Um first responders uh arrive at an apartment complex or gairi community, they often lose critical minutes waiting for the leasing office to open the gate or somebody to do.

So I would love to work and help um the city and the fire department build an app where uh first responders and EMS can open the gates with uh one click and save time so that would be all right.

And thank you for the opportunity to talk.

Council Councilman Powell.

That sounds like a very interesting idea that you have.

First, I want to thank you for coming down and waiting so patiently to let us know.

If you want to send our offices some information on your background and and uh your experience, oh yeah, and maybe we can we could follow up with you and see how we could take that idea further.

No problem.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

All right.

Thank you.

Next, Lakshmi Ravendrin.

To be followed by Farron Manual.

Yeah.

So good evening, honorable mayor and the council members.

So my name is Lakshmi Pritarani.

I am resident of District G.

I am honorable, truly honorable here on behalf of Hindu Education Foundations, H E of USE and Project of Hindu Swam Sevaksang is a non-profit organization.

Thank you for giving me opportunities to speak about your deeply meaningful subject.

It's empowering the future, Hindu Education Foundation.

Recognize excellence in teaching.

Every every one of us can pause for a moment and remember a teacher who changed our life, someone who believed in us when we doubted ourselves and guided us when we felt lost and helped save who are we at today.

It aligns with teacher appreciation week in the United States, celebrating in the early May.

That means Guru is a creature and sustainer and the transformer and the guru is truly the embodiment of highly highest knowledge salutations to the river teacher.

Through Guru Vandana students, through Guru Vandana, even the students invite the teachers, express their gratitude and publicly recognize their impact.

What makes this especially powerful is that teachers from all backgrounds are honored through one universal value, gratitude.

Because when children learn to respect the teacher, they learn humility.

When they express gratitude, they build empathy, and when they recognize guidance, they become lifelong learners.

These are not just personal virtues, they are the foundation of strong communities.

In the diverse and vibrant city like Houston, programs like Guru Vandana, teacher appreciation event, bring people together, families, educators, and communities, reminding us that education is not just about knowledge, but about building characters and connections.

On behalf of the Hindu Education Foundation, I warmly invite you and your family to attend our annual Guru Vandara event on Saturday.

4 p.m.

to 6 30 p.m.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

So this is the invitations I can pass through space.

To be followed by Sunny Moss.

Hi, good afternoon or good evening.

Been here all day, it feels like afternoon still.

I want to ask City Council members and mayors if you've heard or are familiar with the name Makia Taylor.

I did not know her personally, but she was unfortunately tragically killed at the intersection of Emancipation and Pierce Street.

She was leaving the spot, Edo, and she was parked on the feeder.

I represent the community members of Coleman Crossing, we're in District I, and we've been there for about eight years, and this woman's passing really resonated with us.

This intersection is highly unsafe.

There have been cars that have been flipped over, run into poles.

And we believe that maybe in partnership with the city and Texas Department of Transportation, there can be some safety precautions put in place to prevent the patrons from either not parking on the feeder, or maybe additional lights or like they have in Montrose a cross guard for adults, but something that would prevent this happening again.

Unfortunately, she passed away in front of my door.

And her body remained there for about four hours while they conducted an investigation because the individual who hit her was traveling over 100 miles per hour, hit five other vehicles before hitting her.

You don't you don't just get over things like that.

This happened um earlier this year in February, and it's been heavy on my heart.

So what we're asking, I have a few other community members here, is potentially restricting or eliminating parking on the feeder, and again, this is at the intersection of emancipation and pierce.

There's a highway entrance ramp between this green light and where the people are allowed to park.

So cars are accelerating if there's a green light.

Additionally, um conducting a traffic study with Texas Department of Transportation to potentially see that this is a frequent happening, this is a frequent occurrence.

Next, installing pedestrian safety measures, blinking lights would help, or even a partnership with the local business owners to see what they could do about protecting their patrons as well.

This intersection is dangerous by design, but it is fixable, and I urge you to act before another tragedy occurs.

And again, I don't know Makia Taylor personally, but she was the mother of two small children.

And I I definitely hate that they are no longer able to be with her.

Thank you.

Council may have Council Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Ms.

Ms.

Manual, uh, and I'm trying to get some clarity because uh uh the address it's on the west side of 45, but you're talking about the exit off of Pierce onto Live Oak or Correct.

Well, just for clarification.

Again, I'm sorry for the tragedy.

We definitely want to make sure that we're doing what's best for the those residents as well.

But are you speaking about southbound on the Pierce or Northbound on the Southbound?

Okay, so then it's in District D, but this is I'm very familiar.

That's my right, then my route home.

So um I I'll work with uh my colleague, Councilman Erwin Sherman.

Yeah, we were trying to Google to figure out what district we were in.

We can't do that.

Yeah, but but at the end of the day, district lines, uh you know, especially for stuff like this, you know, we want we want to make sure that we're doing the best that we can.

Uh so I'll work with my colleague um and I have somebody, I think we both have uh team members here that you can speak to, and then we can find figure out what is going on.

There's there are some parking on Live Oak, and it's on the southbound on the furthest right uh left lane, and it does make it challenging because I think they frequent the establishments on the right side of the So let us let us figure out it might not I don't think it should be legally, like people should legally park there because it is a furnished road.

Um but uh we'll talk to TechSoup because it's gonna be a text uh conversation as well.

We figure so let us wrap our hands around it, okay um identify what the best solution is and then work with the administration as well to see what we need to do.

Thank you, thank you.

And most recently, Texas Department of Tram Transportation painted clear indications of lines where you could park.

So that our concern is that people are crossing when there's a green light, and if you don't honk, it I've seen so many.

And once you pass that light, you're actually jumping onto the immediate.

So it does make it difficult.

Um Pablo from my team is here.

Okay, perfect.

I think I don't know if Ingram Ingram's here as well.

So we'll tag team it together.

Okay.

Council.

Thank you, Mayor.

And you know when I when I heard about that, it was very devastating.

Um, you know, I I don't live very far from there, and then I've I've been there and know the owners of of the spot Edo.

But what's really important is that you haven't just come here to talk about it, you come here to present some possible solutions.

And and as my uh colleagues said, we will see what we can get done.

Thank you.

Now, just an understanding, she came out of the Spot Edo, uh, which is on the corner of emancipation and and and Pierce.

Where did she walk I'm assuming she was walking from the spot Ido to the left side of the street when she was struck.

Because she went across.

So it wasn't it didn't happen on live oak.

No, not on live oak.

Okay.

Correct.

My my address live on that.

Okay, because I was a little confused.

Yes, yes, yes.

No, she's well, one thing they maybe could do is stop all of that parking over there on that side of the street for sure.

That would be a view.

You know, because let's just be honest, people are coming out there somewhat impaired sometimes.

And so, and then they are flying down that street trying to get on the freeway.

So uh if you will talk to the the lady at the door and the gentleman at the door, we'll see what we can do.

But thank you for coming with some.

Yes, yes, yes, thank you so much.

You'll have a great evening.

Sonny Moss.

To be followed by Lee Perry.

Good afternoon.

My name's Sunny Moss.

Um I'm also in the same community as Farron, so my concerns are gonna mirror a lot of what hers do.

Um but just wanted to raise this um serious public safety concern um again related to the traffic traffic and parking um along Pierce Street at the intersection of emancipation.

So we are seeing and have been over the past several years an increase in traffic and roadside parking on this intersection.

Um folks are parking along the um along Pierce Street, which like you guys mentioned is a feeder road, is a frontage road.

Um it creates a dangerous mix of conditions with some drivers slowing down to park in these areas while uh while others are speeding up towards the on-ramp.

Um and then, like we mentioned, um we have pedestrians crossing this fizzy feeder road to get to the primarily two establishments that are right there.

Um it's worth noting that much of this activity happens after dark when lighting is poor, visibility is limited.

Um the lighting is really really bad in that area, um, which obviously all of this further increases the risk.

Um we have been unclear whether this parking is even permitted.

So they are parking alongside the feeder as well as the grassy area that is just um right beside the highway.

They've kind of created this area where there's almost like a parking lot.

Um so we don't know if that's permitted, if it is permitted, if it's appropriate.

Um I also just did want to mention the young lady that was that was killed um tragically on Sunday night, February 1st.

Um this was a Sunday night, so again, worth noting that while most of this traffic happens Friday and Saturday, we are seeing this Sunday nights and along throughout the week as well.

Um that loss really made it clear that these conditions are not just inconvenient, but they're unsafe.

Um I did also have a couple of solutions, many of which were mentioned by Farron.

But um we wanted you guys to consider things like restricting and prohibiting parking in these areas, um, increasing enforcement during peak hours, adding signage, lighting, um, and curl clearly marked pedestrian crossings, um, and then working with the local businesses to provide safer parking alternatives, maybe valet or off-site um parking arrangements.

Um we know parking is limited in the area and it is bringing a lot of traffic.

Um at minimum requesting a traffic and safety study along with interim measures to reduce the immediate risk and help prevent another tragedy.

Really appreciate your time.

Thank you.

Next Lee Perry.

To be followed by Alfreda Williams.

Pretty sure y'all know me by now.

Uh how y'all doing.

Uh let me read this letter for y'all right quick.

A review of the recorded documents pertaining to your interests in the county records has been completed.

And TG National Resources has released your interest into pay.

Now, when I first came in here, I talked to y'all about a counterfeit check that they use to purchase my property with.

Trying to explain to me why a counterfeit check is not counterfeit.

And if it ain't got no value to it, it is counterfeit.

If I bought somebody property and it would it was worth zero the check, I'll be in jail right now.

See, I think we've letting politics get into this, and they try to pick certain people to say, well, we it's wrong if it's right.

If you Google it, if you check GPT, it specifically tells you it's criminal.

But for two and a half years, I had to go to civil court.

The judge told us to take my part of what my pay, my case, over to the criminal court.

And he still up there trying to say it ain't nothing wrong.

Now here I am, the people that paid me for two and a half years that they kept my money.

And you gonna tell me it wasn't that wrong.

And he still said to this day nothing was wrong.

Hell they paid me and they go keep paying me, it had to be some wrong.

People don't just pay for them for the hell up.

They were paying me.

This guy came up with a counterfeit check, and I don't know where in all United States of America that had a check that's you useless for 21,000, and it's worth zero when you take to a bank.

Something wrong.

Something wrong with him.

He in the wrong department.

I'm just telling you right now, because they said out a thousand of these checks every month.

I worked all that gas for 52 years.

Matter of fact, I worked specifically with white collar crime.

And he's still sitting over there, trying to convince me and the DA, nothing is wrong.

Now the judge said it's criminal.

The people done already paid me.

And he still said it's criminal.

No, he still said wasn't that wrong.

Just a second, sir.

Council.

Thank you, Mr.

Peary.

I guess I'm trying to understand.

Did you say it's a counterfeit check or was it an insufficient funds check?

It was worth one penny.

Right.

Well, that's counterfeit.

If you say in your deed that you put a check for 21,000 in my hand, and I take it to the bank and they say it ain't worth one penny, you lie.

Okay, was the title to the property transferred to them basically?

Well, well, hold up, that's where the catch is.

This is where the scam.

I'm a senior citizen.

Now, once you sign that deed, that deed is a legal deed.

The check is the one that's illegal.

Right, right.

You have signed your property over to him.

And if he takes it to put it on file in the county courthouse, the only thing you could do is go to court.

And now you got to spend all this money because it got all started with a counterfeit check.

That's right.

Okay.

So then you're trying to cancel that sale.

I did.

I reported to HPD.

No, no, no.

So you've been trying to cancel that sale because you did execute the deed.

I did.

And they filed the deed with the counter.

They tried to file it.

I still have the original.

You can't file uh uh a copy.

Okay, so nobody told the country.

What I'm trying to understand is if they couldn't, if you have the original deed and they couldn't file it, and you already but they took it to the company that was paying me every month to our company, and our company took it.

The fraudulent deed, it says you go take they took my interest and gave it to them for two and a half years.

But they took it on a deed that was not the original deed?

That's the whole point.

It's criminal.

Okay, so the company is paying the person who gave you the bad check.

That's criminal.

Also, no, I'm not I'm not trying to get a good idea.

Okay, okay, no, no, no.

A bad check is it if a check is counterfeit, it's just counterfeit.

That's it.

Okay.

In every state in the whole United States of America.

Okay, sir.

Thank you.

Okay.

And they set out a thousand of these checks every month.

And they all go to look at you.

You want to fill a courtroom up with the senior citizens that get them and that have been turned away.

And then we got to go through all this two and a half years in court, spending all this money trying to get something that you could have got it done right in the beginning.

I'm sorry, sir.

Next.

Okay.

Well.

Alfredo Williams.

Didn't you?

I'll be filing lawsuit.

I'm letting y'all know.

Okay.

David Price.

Stephen Colt and I.

Code and I.

To be followed by Roba Gallegos.

Hello, Mr.

Mayor and Council.

I've spoken with Norma Modrano about this.

She was here earlier, and Dr.

I mean, and uh Miss Carter's office.

Speaking of my career.

Uh I have spoken with Ms.

Carter's office.

Uh uh Dennell Field, she's super sweet.

Also the fearless Carolyn uh office, uh Ingram Mitchum, and I appreciate those people.

Um I do ask all of you for more help.

Um I was banned from uh Harris Health two months ago.

Um this is a city full of homeless people.

The way out of homelessness is psychiatrists who actually do their job.

And uh, you know, that's the way to defund the police as well and create a self-police society.

Uh the psychiatrists uh in this city do not do their job, they are all overpaid.

They um were there at the commissioner's court when I was there lobbying really hard for the expansion of the Bentop hospital.

If you ask anybody in who uses the Metro bus what they think about Bentop Possible, they'll all tell you it's a slaughterhouse for guinea pigs, they turn indigents into cash cows, lab rats, guinea pigs, like I said, and it's the most dangerous place to go.

All of you are lucky to not have to go there.

Y'all are in leather chairs, and so are the commissioners who gave them more money to do all the abuses that they do do.

On that day, they were talking about patient healing, patient recovery, safety, dignity, but that's not what that's not what happens there.

They're supposed to be diverting people with neuropsychic illness away from the jail system, but that's definitely not what they do.

They uh go into appointments, they handcuff people, restrain people.

Uh that healthcare industrial complex and the prison industrial complex that they support, you know, preys on people like me with neuropsychic illness.

And um, it's very unfair, and I'm asking all of you for help.

I did file a case in the JP court and in the district court already.

Um like I said, they do everything there for their own job security.

They were filibustering for like 10, 15, 20 minutes uh for the expansion of that sick hospital, and um they got it, and it's a hostile takeover of public parkland.

Um the damages that they do there to people are very, very unsafe, very cruel.

They're all bullies as well.

Um like I said, if they want to ban me, unfortunately, you know, I am just one of many, and the people who they did it to also are you know probably stopped from coming here and talking to you guys about it, so please you know take my testimony seriously, and I do need y'all's support.

Um the uh and then once you expose their corruption, you report their abuse, they ban you.

Um also they injured my ankle, I couldn't walk for like two weeks.

I can barely see, I can barely hear, and it's that that is not the right approach to public health or public safety outcome.

Some assistance from one of you guys.

Are they there for me?

Very good.

Thank you, sir.

Okay, can someone gallegos next to be followed by Jeremy Peel good evening?

Uh I'm former Councilmember Robert Gallegos, who represented District I.

I'm here this evening because after hearing the city was renaming the street of Cesar Chavez Street, I reached out to the American Legion Post 472, and they agreed to hold a community meeting.

I walked Cesar Chavez Street and dropped off the uh community meeting notices and Joe Chaco Ramirez bio to the homes and businesses along most of Caesar Chavez Street.

I recently spoke at the American Legion Hall to the veterans and the women's auxiliary, and the majority were in support of renaming the street after Joe Chaco Ramirez.

I spoke at the Johnny Cervantes Veterans Club meeting and at the Houston GI forum monthly meeting.

Both groups signed petitions in support of Joe Chaco Ramirez.

I also reached out to the Body of Boys and Gathering of Eagles, two more area veterans groups.

Last week, the American Legion Post 472 hosted the community meeting, which was well attended.

Thank you, Council Members Martinez, Julian Ramirez for attending the meeting and hearing from the community.

At the meeting, the floor was open to make comments on who the street should be named after and why.

After everyone had the opportunity to speak.

Your time has expired.

Go ahead and finish up, Councilmember.

Thank you, Mayor.

After everyone had the opportunity to speak, a vote was taken, and it was overwhelmingly in support of renaming Caesar Chavez Street to Joe Chaco Ramitas.

So before the street signs are ordered and the stuff the ordered, the community was given the opportunity to speak, and they voted to rename Caesar Chavez Street after Master Sergeant Joe uh Ramitas.

Near the end of COVID epidemic, the Ramirez family celebrated Joe Chaco Ramirez' 89th birthday.

He was seated outside, and there was a community drive-by parade.

The late Mayor Turner and I attended the community event.

Mayor Turner presented a memorial proclamation, and I presented a district eye certificate of recognition to Joe Chaco Ramides during his 89th birthday parade.

It was heartwarming to see the number of decorated vehicles from the community participating in the per birthday parade, passing by in front of his home, a local war hero honking horns and waving at Joe Chaco Ramirez, who proudly waved back.

And I ask that you rename Caesar Chavez Street after the Master Sergeant Joe Chaco Ramirez.

Ramitas, a local hero.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Council.

Mayor Pro Jim.

Thank you, Mayor.

Councilmember, good to see you.

Thank you for your advocacy.

Are there any other names being considered?

Uh yes, ma'am.

At the uh public meeting that we held last Thursday.

I opened it up to the floor uh and it was well attended.

I asked, are there any other names?

Uh there was a total of four.

Uh there were some that said just leave it alone, leave it as Cesar Chavez.

Uh there was another uh group that stated they would like it named after Magnolia Park.

Uh there was another group that said let's name it after Maria Jimenez.

He she was a uh community activist, a community organizer and orator.

Uh, and then there was a group that said, Let's name it after Joe Chaco Ramirez.

We took a vote.

Uh everyone was allowed to speak.

I never I didn't cut anybody off.

Uh and then after uh everyone spoke, uh, we took a vote and it was overwhelmingly in support of Joe Chaco Ramirez.

Thank you for that insight, and we appreciate you being here today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jeremy Peel.

Joseph Amari.

Hey, you know it was a Bill White era.

He was it was a very uh good joke about the difference between uh what called Portable Halls and I won't go to the joke right now, but he had a good joke about what portable house meant back there.

But anyway, uh at the uh Anthony Hills also known as Joe Willemere reported to lose out text, the law of aid and governor authority that his mother was Braman Hills and continued to be a victim, a kidnapped victim.

He also reported that to the same law enforcement aidist and government authority that his evict that he's a victim of associated benefit fraud and were legally evicted in both the state of Texas and Louisiana.

His two movie scripts were stolen out of his Louisiana State family state as his family state and the family state property was illegally searched and seized a violation of the fourth and fifth amendment.

The firm was given Catrina's advance off box off potential is $50 million, the writers acting prices for three million dollars.

The movie script just living.

Box office potential is a hundred million dollars, but it's not for sale.

Your time has expired.

It's 200 million active price of three million dollars.

Thank you.

Have a good evening.

I'm with I'm having homeless, but my stuff is worth a lot of money.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Good luck.

I'll tell you what.

I'll tell you first of all, I was the Mike of Jackson Clint, I'll be Michael Jackson's songwriter at my answer to be 25% of every song he wrote.

Item 15 ordinance approved and authorizing First Amendment to contract with T2 Systems Inc.

Item 16 ordinance amending ordinance number 2024-71 related to contract with Star Service Inc.

Item 17 ordinance approved and authorizing increase in spending authority for lease agreement between the City of Houston and 5990 Airline Investment LLC.

Item 18, ordinance amending ordinance number 2020-148 related to contract with Harris County Hospital District doing business as Harris Health System and B Busy Wellness Center.

Item 19 has been pulled by the administration and will now be considered.

Item 20, ordinance approved and authorizing submission of application for grant assistance to the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Programs to support the community-based treatment programs for justice involved youth with substance abuse disorder.

Item 21 ordinance amending ordinance number 2021-1087 related to contract with Motorola Solutions Inc.

Item 22 ordinance approved and authorizing submission of application for grant assistance to focus on the investigation and prosecution of family violence.

Item 24 ordinance approved and authorizing alternative untreated water supply contract with Harris County Municipal Utility District No.

372.

Item 25 ordinance appropriating 210,000 as a second additional appropriation, approving and authorizing second amendment to professional engineering services contract with Civil Tech Engineering LLC.

This completes the reading of the captions for the agenda.

I'm sorry, for the City Council session of April 29th, 2026.

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

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

Council, please come to order.

We'll start with the monthly finance report, recognize our controller and finance director at this time.

That's a new sorry.

There you go.

You're still back.

Y'all can see me all right.

Okay, good.

Go for it.

Good morning, Mayor.

Honorable members of council.

I'm here today to present the monthly financial report for the month of March 2026.

The controller's office is projecting an ending fund balance of 276.1 million dollars or 10.4% of expenditures, less debt service, and pay as you go for fiscal year 2026.

This is 23.8 million dollars lower than the projection of the finance department, and 31 million dollars lower than last month's projection.

The difference between us and finance is a revenue projection.

Typically, the biggest difference between our offices in sales tax.

Uh, but this year this month, we're actually aligned on sales tax.

Uh the key difference this month is based on uh the TURS municipal service fee.

Over the past three years, the fee has averaged about $15.8 million annually.

This month, finance is projecting more than double that amount with an additional $16.54 million.

Uh that's a significant jump.

And before we incorporate that into our projection, we need a better understanding of what's driving that increase and whether those funds are tied to a specific use.

So we're planning to meet with finance and for uh the economic development team to get more clarity, but you wanted you to understand why that wasn't in our numbers today.

Based on our current projections, the fund balance will be approximately $76.9 million above the city's target of holding 7.5% of total expenditures, excluding debt service and pay as you go in reserve.

For general appropriations, we've increased our revenue projection by $8.8 million from the February 2026 report to reflect a $7.1 million increase in sales tax due to higher than anticipated sales tax receipts and $1.2 million primarily due to higher recoveries and refunds from Center Point Energy Energy.

Uh airport related services.

We have increased our expenditure projections by $39.6 million from the February 2026 report with significant changes as follows.

An increase of $22.2 million in the fire department, of which $11.8 million is attributable to the February 27th arbitration ruling related to the additional 3 percent pay escalator.

The remaining $10.4 million reflects over reflects other cost increases associated with contract grievances, special pay, and minimum staffing requirements.

An increase in $17.2 million in general government due to category management savings that have not been realized.

As you may recall, this was a plug used to help balance the budget based on anticipated savings from procurement reforms, and an increase of $0.3 million in Houston Public Library due to the interfund client services restricted account.

For our enterprise funds, our combined utility system operating transfers decreased by $15 million, primarily due to less transfers needed resulting from project delays in the roadside ditch reestablishment program in the Stormwater Fund.

In commission and entertainment, non-operating revenues decreased by $15.7 million, driven by lower than anticipated collections of hotel occupancy tax.

Operating transfers decreased by $15.2 million due to lower transfers to Houston First Corporation.

Moving to the Stormwater Fund, revenues and expenditures decreased by $15 million, driven by project delays and cost savings in the roadside district establishment program, which reduced the need for transfers from the combined utility system.

Our projections for the aviation operating fund and the dedicated drainage and street renewal funds remain unchanged from the prior month.

For our commercial paper and bonds, the city's practice has been to maintain no more than 20 million 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 enterprise credits have exceeded this threshold on an interim basis as they have undertaken large capital improvement projects or major expansions.

As of March 31, 2026, the ratio of unhedged variable rate debt for convention and entertainment was 62.4 percent.46 percent due to the ongoing George R.

Brown expansion.

You should see that number go down substantially as a result of the bond issuances that took place recently.

The ratio of unhedged variable rate debt for each other type of outstanding debt remained well below the 20 percent threshold.

With that, I'll move on to the quarterly investment and swap reports.

As of March 31, 2026, the city had $7.43 billion invested in our general investment pool.

The character of this pool is that of a short-term bond fund that holds investments of very high credit quality.

Fitch ratings reviewed this pool and assigned the pool its highest rating of AAA.

Our investment strategy is to match assets and liabilities for a time period of one year into the future, and to exercise discretion for the balance of remaining funds.

Investments are $970 million higher than last year, and this is primarily attributable to the new bond transaction in aviation and new bond transaction in the combined utility system.

As of March 31, 2026, the general investment pool was yielding 4.035 percent, which is up from the 4 percent yield in the prior quarter.

In addition to the general investment pool, we have two small investment pools that total about seven that total about $15 million.

Those pools exist to comply with tax requirements of the Federal Government.

A detailed listing of all the securities owned by the city appear at the back of the investment report.

Along with our investment report, we have included the quarterly swap report, as is required by the SWIT City swap policy.

The written swap report offers a comprehensive description of our two swap positions.

The city had a net paid for the nine months ending March 31st, 2026 from its swaps of $431,000.

Fair value for both swaps as of March 31, 2026 was negative $59 million, which is approximately $7 million less than the prior quarter.

The city swaps are fairly complex, so if you have questions regarding the report, please contact my office.

For three years running now, the controller's office has worked with Baker Ripley to bring free tax preparation services directly to City of Houston employees, hosting dedicated service days that champion Baker Ripley's broader volunteer income tax assistant initiatives while meeting our workforce where they are.

Over several days leading up to the filing deadline, we averaged about 20 filers per day across 16 different city departments.

Public works alone made up over 40 percent of the visits.

Solid waste operators were able to drop off paperwork mid-route and come back after their shift.

Airport workers drove in from all over from three different airports, and we even saw intergenerational referrals with a mother who got her taxes done one week, coming back with her daughter and son-in-law the next week.

I'm pleased to report that Bank on Houston also participated this year to ensure that city employees have the opportunity to access critical financial services and will continue to integrate into the program going forward.

While I don't necessarily look forward to next tax season, we do look forward to continuing to support Houstonians and City employees as they navigate through such an important time of year.

Next week, on May 7th, our office will host its annual Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration right here at City Hall.

Houston, as you know, is one of the most diverse cities in the country, and our AAPI community is a big part of what makes that true.

They are leaders in business, art, education, and public service.

They are entrepreneurs, advocates, and innovators helping shape Houston's future every single day.

In addition to celebrating with food and artistic performances, we will be honoring Dr.

Jody Lee, Chair of Southwestern National Bank, former Texas Tribune CEO Sonal Shaw, local nonprofit leader Ice Vinkates, who also happens to be a high school student, Hope Clinic Founder Beverly Jean Kwan Gore, attorney and advocate Omar Kawaja, and actor and comedian Mohar.

Each of you are invited to join us on May 7th, and we look forward to having you in attendance.

Now I want to return to the numbers.

Just last month, we increased the fire department budget by $51 million, most of which went predictively to high overtime spending.

Now this month, we're adding another $22 million.

That brings us to a total of $73 million in increases since the budget you passed in June.

Again, $73 million in overages just for the fire department.

To put that in perspective, the entire solid waste budget is about $101 million.

The entire park's budget is about $88 million.

Sometimes we hear the stat thrown around that if Texas were its own country, we'd be the eighth largest economy in the world.

Well, here, if just the overages in the fire department were its own department, it would be the fifth largest department in the City of Houston.

That's something that we need to take seriously.

Larger than our library system, larger than the Health Department.

Today's adjustments are due to previous miscalculations about the true cost of the collective bargaining agreement to the city, which come to about $8.5 million, as well as new back pay to firefighters after settlements and an arbitration ruling against the city that totaled $13.7 million.

The facts around this arbitrator's ruling were withheld from the controller's office and city council in a manner that remains concerning and disheartening.

We only found out about the arbitration ruling when Councilmember Flickinger heard rumors about it and called it out in a public session.

At that time, the City attorney told us that the ruling hadn't taken place, had just taken place a few weeks prior and hadn't been passed along to us because it was an oral ruling.

However, we now know that it was a written and signed ruling that was dated back in February.

To be honest, I simply don't know what to do with that.

When the administration actively misleads and hides information from the Controller's Office and from City Council, it makes it harder for us to do our jobs, and it makes it harder for us to make fact-based decisions.

Nevertheless, the net result is $73 million in additional deficit spending this year from the fire department alone.

Adding even further to the deficit is a phantom $17.00 in savings that predictably never materialized.

In the budget that you approved last June, after every department was given its individual budget, the department called General Government was given a budget of negative $17 million.

I'll repeat that.

A spending line item was put in for a negative $17.17.6 million or $17.5 million, not attributed to any department and not reducing any department's individual spending approval.

This is not news that we just discovered.

Before you voted on that budget last June, in our 10 hard truths document, which you have heard about over and over, truth number seven told you that the budget included this item, more than $17 million in vague savings with no explanation.

It said, in addition that the budget assumes that this money will be saved, but doesn't specify how or from where.

That's not a plan, it's a placeholder.

Today, those savings are nowhere to be found.

This is exactly what we warned about.

Budgets are not built on hope.

They are built on discipline, on transparency, and on execution.

When assumptions don't hold, the consequences don't disappear.

They show up in these deficits.

They show up in service cuts.

They show up in tough decisions that could have been avoided had we faced reality from the beginning.

That's why our office exists to ask the hard questions, to surface the risks early, and to make sure that Houston is making decisions based on reality and not wishful thinking.

Last month, when our office told you that the deficit for this year now stood at $174 million, the mayor told members of the media that that outlook was overstated.

Mayor, I want to make clear to you that this deficit figure comes from numbers that your team puts out.

Director Debalsi's report is coming up, but in it, her report will show you that our city's fund balance will go down this year by over $180 million.

This is not some projection way out five years in the future.

This is this fiscal year, fiscal year 2026 that wraps up in June.

Again, over $180 million in deficit spending based on your team's calculation, Mayor, not mine.

Ours is a little bit higher, and I explained that based on this Thursday, and it will get figured out.

Houston is a strong city, and I believe that we'll get through this financial trouble, just like we've gotten over other challenges and crises.

But at the end of the day, this is about accountability.

It's about leadership.

It's about whether we're willing to meet this moment with honesty and with the resolve that's required.

But that's not automatic, it's a choice.

It's a choice that we have to make every single day, and it's a choice that we have to make together.

Thank you.

And that concludes my report.

Good morning.

This is the 9 plus 3 financial report for the period ending March 31, 2026.

Fiscal year 26 projections are based on nine months of actual results and three months of projections.

For the general fund, our revenue projection is $12.2 million higher than the adopted budget and $15.7 million higher than the prior month.

The variance from the prior month projection is primarily due to a $16 million increase in intergovernmental revenue due to higher than anticipated tax incremental collections.

There is also a $539,000 increase in direct interfund services to reflect higher chargeback for fire airport services with $1.5 million decrease in interest to reflect lower than anticipated interest earnings.

We're not making any projections to our sales tax at this time.

The receipts for the month of February came in at $70.1 million, which is about 6% higher than the same period last year and about $1.1 million higher than we budgeted.

To meet the current estimate of $920 million, the remaining periods would need to come in about 1% below prior year.

So given that we're, you know, increased year to date so far, we feel comfortable with our projections at this point.

On the expenditure side, the expenditure projection is $117 million higher than the adopted budget and $39.6 million higher than the prior month.

The variance from the prior month projection is primarily due to a $22.00 increase in the fire department to reflect classified pay increases, special pay classified and earned leave, also known as holiday buyback program.

We're also showing a $17.2 million increase in general government due to lower than anticipated category management savings.

And we're projecting the ending fund balance to be $299.9 million, which is $23.9 million lower than the prior month, but represents $11.3 percent of estimated expenditures, not including debt service and pay as you go.

That fund balance is $100 million above the target of holding $7.5%.

Comparing how the projection looks like as of this month's MOFAR, when you look at the comparison to what we believe the fund balance would be at the time of the adopted budget.

At the time of the adopted budget, we projected the ending fund balance to be at 12.0 percent.

So the reflection of uh the current month's projections, even including the additional expenditures we're talking about and the revenues uh that we're forecasting to date, um, that difference between our estimated fund balance at the time of the adopted budget that you all voted on and the current projection is off by 0.7 percent or about $5 million.

Moving on to enterprise special revenue and other funds, we're projecting the following forecast changes.

For the combined utilities system, operating transfers decrease by $15 million due to lower than anticipated transfer to the stormwater fund.

For convention entertainment, non-operating revenues decrease by $15.7 million due to lower than anticipated collections of hotel occupancy tax and an offsetting uh transfer decrease to the Houston First Corporation by uh by the same amount.

In the stormwater fund, our projected expenditures are decreased by $15 million in other services due to lower than anticipated contract costs that uh were able to be achieved by going uh getting more favorable pricing in order to achieve the committed roadside ditch uh performance measures as planned.

On the Houston Emergency Center Fund, revenues decrease by 1.7 million due to lower than anticipated reimbursement for 911 staff, and expenditures decreased by 2.7 million due to personnel savings.

In the police special services fund, revenues increased by 1.5 million, mainly due to higher than anticipated transfers related to the police services for the homeless initiative program.

In the tourism and promotion special revenue fund, revenue decrease by $3 million due to lower than anticipated hotel occupancy tax that was previously discussed, and as a result, expenditures decreased by $2.1 million.

Just to give a brief overview of the Houston economy, which uh we went over yesterday at the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting.

Um so I'll just give a brief overview of it today.

Um according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the preliminary total non-farm employment for our MSA stands at $3.4 million as of January, which is down about 1% compared to the prior month.

Compared to the same period last year, the employment is up by 0.7 percent.

For unemployment as of January, uh the local unemployment was 4.9 percent.

Um, comparing to January of 2025, the rate was 4.4 percent, so there's a small uptick there.

In the energy sector, the average oil price, and this is as of March, things are obviously uh evolving rapidly with oil price, but the average oil price was about $91 a barrel as of the month of March, and that represents a 41% increase from the prior month's average price of $64.

Compared to the same period last year, the price increased by 33 percent.

As far as the rig count, our average oil rig count as of the month of March was about 0.7 percent higher than the prior month.

In home sales, the latest report prepared by the Houston Association of Realtors for the month of March shows that single family home sales was 3.7 percent higher compared to March of 2025.

And the single family home inventory reached about 4.7 months of supply in March, which is an increase uh year over year.

And that concludes my report.

Very good.

Councilman Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good morning to everyone.

Thank you both for your reports.

Um Director Debowski, um you and the controller both have uh an increased expenditure projection of 39.6 million from the prior month.

The 17.2 million in general government can you explain the rationale behind that number, why was put in the budget as a negative, why do we think that we would have cost savings from that, where are we getting that projection from, and where are the shortfalls that we have not seen as of this fiscal year?

And we had a pretty robust discussion yesterday at the BFA committee meeting, um, and we've been giving quarterly updates on the category management initiative.

So the estimate comes from our partnership with Ernst and Young, looking at all the different contracts that we have throughout the city.

Um, in their experience, they've seen that other entities are able to see see anywhere between a five to fifteen percent savings on contractual obligation savings by going through the category management initiative, which is really looking citywide at all the different contracts we have.

Do we have multiple contracts for the same type of services?

How can we bring those together to achieve a lower cost for the city?

Um so we went on a very conservative end um in terms of budgeting for that, um, hoping that we could realize some savings as part of fiscal year 26.

Um yesterday we talked about is that we've been working all year on rolling out that category management initiative.

We've created category councils across the city.

We've reorganized our strategic procurement division inside the finance department to organize how the team works into these category councils, having category managers for each category, and what they've been doing for the last year is working with Ernston Young to get all the data into a dashboard, which Jed uh Chief Procurement Officer Greenfield demoed yesterday.

And it really shows it it's giving us a better view of the data we already had to show us where to target on which contracts to target.

So really the first year has been to lay that groundwork to get that dashboard in place and to be able to see where we can get those opportunities.

It is going to require individual um negotiations with each of those contracted vendors as we go to renew contracts to really realize the hard savings.

Um so that's where we you know had an initial projection that we worked in consultation with our partners to come up with the projection.

We've done a lot of the groundwork.

We're we're not giving up, right?

So we're going to continue on with that work as we go into the next fiscal year.

Did you did you anticipate that we would actually realize those 17 million with this?

And was there a particular report that was furnished to give you all that information?

I'm not sure if I received that report, but have we received that report so I can dive into it a little deeper?

Yeah.

Yes, it's definitely something we worked with our consultants on.

Um I think what took us a little bit longer is getting that dashboard in place and combing through the data to see where we could target those savings.

And we have made a uh a very good start of it.

We have laid the groundwork.

Um part of what we found once we had all the data is that uh it turns out that our contract pricing um was actually pretty favorable.

Um now, together with obviously we talked about the oil prices going up, you know, it's we're at the point now where we're gonna be probably trying to keep our contracted costs flat um versus trying to lower them down.

So it's a it's a it's an ongoing process that we're gonna continue on with, but I I'm happy to get with you and share some of that.

And lastly, um the 73 million over what we budgeted for the firefighters.

What what plan is is being put in place as we see the money grow month over month that we're putting in place to ensure that we're not hitting these substantial numbers of over budgeting.

I mean, these numbers are pretty staggering when you look at them.

Um is there a plan that has been put in place that we're trying to implement, or is there just kind of free reign with that money right now that the department is able to have access to that is getting us to this point?

So um the fire chief had come to um the quarterly um briefings on the overtime that were part of the budget and fiscal affairs committee um over the course of the year, and he's talked about some initiatives that the fire department is doing.

Um he's going to be also presenting part of the Department budget workshops in the next couple weeks.

Um so he'll he'll probably be the best one to answer that question on um operation on the operational side.

Um based on the figures, the projection for fiscal year 26 overtime budget um has come down about five million compared to the prior year, what we spent in fiscal year twenty-five.

So the goal um of what the fire chief talks about is as we can increase recruitment and retention and have more cadets graduate through the academy based on the number of riding positions they need to fill by increasing recruitment, the goal is to bring down that overtime cost.

And controller, if you wanted to add anything to any of that commentary, uh you can have my time.

Sure.

Um it's the right thing to do to go and try to find savings, right?

Um it's the right thing to do when we notice that we're going 70 plus million dollars over on overtime in one year to try to bring that down the following year, right?

Those efforts are admirable.

When it comes to budgeting, right, when it comes to adding up the numbers, going cutting an overtime spend in half when none of the structural changes that have been made to operations have actually taken place makes no sense.

It's flavor gasting.

And so it's good that we're five million dollars lower than last year.

We're still in I think the number is 34 million dollars over the budget that got passed for fire, it's either 34 or 39.

I don't have the number right in front of me because that was last month.

What are we doing?

And if we look at the you know, the three biggest uh you know overtime uh spenders, I won't say like violators or offender, because again, they're doing their job.

They're keeping us safe, they're picking up our trash.

But solid waste overtime didn't go up.

It's it's flat over the last five years.

But we just keep budgeting too little over and over and over again.

Police, they're right at their five-year average on overtime in terms of our projections.

Nothing has changed.

We're just budgeting far too little for it.

Fire is the one exception.

Their overtime continues to go up in terms of comparison to the five-year budget.

Again, I want to acknowledge the five the five million dollar reduction uh from last year, but that's five million on a much larger pile that hasn't been addressed.

The same thing with the category management savings.

Again, we pointed this out to you all a year ago this time.

It's admirable to pursue these efforts to try and save money.

But to go and put a negative $17 million plug in the budget that no department is held to, right?

Whether it's the council department, the mayor's office, the fire department, the controller's office.

None of us had like, hey, you have to go get this much savings somewhere.

We just have a negative $17 million figure sitting out there that wasn't realistic to begin with, and now you are realizing in these reports is not realistic today.

Like we have to make sensible choices and realistic choices when we are budgeting.

Uh we can't budget on fairy tales, we can't budget on hopes and dreams.

Uh they have to be real hard numbers that that we can keep to, that ultimately when we get to the end of the year, we're not saying we're spending, you know, our our fund balance down $180 plus million dollars or $100 and I think it was $17 million more than what you said in y'all's budget that you passed.

Um again, this stuff was highly predictable.

If you look at this $180 plus million dollars, first of all, $76 of it was what y'all passed, right?

So you already planned for a $76 million reduction in the fund balance.

Another $50 million plus is on this overtime thing, which you all knew about.

Another $50 million plus is in uh the tax situation, where you budgeted a big number in revenue that was never going to come through in reality without impacting the tax rate, and another $17 plus million dollars today.

Like all those alone make up this $180 plus million dollars.

And these are all things that all of you were made aware of before you passed this budget.

Like we have to look at this stuff and take this stuff seriously.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you both for the presentation.

As we are talking about overtime costs for HFD and HPD, um, I do want to acknowledge that there are many events that they are working overtime for both departments, that we are getting reimbursed from the City of Houston that's just going back to the general fund and not going back to those two departments, and we're not offsetting the overtime cost by showing that we actually got reimbursed for some of those.

So it would be great to get those numbers to figure out how much are we actually not accounting for in this upcoming budget, how much we project that we're going to spend just in normal operations doing overtime work that maybe we need to increase that budget versus the money that is showing that what they are doing in overtime, but in fact, we're actually getting reimbursed for.

And so it is something that you know we've discussed many times in the past, and I think we need to do a better job of actually showing you know what we are actually getting reimbursed for, because it is just going back to the general fund, and those numbers are not showing an offset in the overtime.

So just to understand the request, you want to know how much we received in reimbursements from overtime services that flow back to the general fund but not are not attributed to those departments.

Yes.

Okay.

Because they are working events, they're doing, you know, HFD is doing wildland operations.

We're getting reimbursed for a lot of those operations, and it's just showing overtime, which I mean, yes, there are a lot of other overtime costs that we're not getting reimbursed for, but there's some delta there of what we're getting reimbursed for in both departments that it's not showing as offset in the overtime.

So we can work with the departments to um better highlight that in their budget workshops.

It is it is going back to the general fund, but it is being absolutely booked to the department that worked the overtime.

So if you look at the fire department's revenue and the police department's revenue, you can see in those revenues for those specific departments how much revenue is coming in.

For example, for HPD, um, the overtime that they work at the airport.

It's about $7 million out of the $33 million that we're talking about.

The airport reimburses back.

So that revenue, $7 million comes from the airport to the general fund, but books specifically to the police department.

So that's something that we can we can definitely have them highlight in the budget workshops.

Thank you.

Sure.

Councilman Alcoin.

Thank you, Mayor.

And we did have a lengthy conversation about the two items yesterday, the the firefighter or the fire budget and the $17.2 million.

You know, I was disappointed, and yeah, we it was a $4 million engagement.

The estimates were high on what we would save on the contract management side.

I do think we're saving some, according to Jed in the enterprise funds, and he's going to quantify that number for me.

But in the general fund, like Melissa said, it we already had very low pricing on a lot of these contracts.

So when we even though we were combining them and being more strategic in how we were procuring things, our prices were already low and we weren't really gaining this savings.

And I I've been to this movie before, and Mayor Parker's time, we had a consultant tell us, you know, 20, you're going to save 22 million dollars.

It was a line item in the budget, it didn't materialize.

So I think when we're working with consultants, you know, we have to kind of always, you know, kind of, you know, I I think we gained a lot.

What from what I heard Jed say yesterday, we gained a lot, and I think probably got our money's worth in operational, you know, the dashboard that they've set up, um, how we're more strategically looking at contracting.

I think all of that is going to really help us in the future and and could indeed yield some savings.

But uh, you know, I understand that until you get in there and really start doing it, you're not seeing exactly what could happen.

On the overtime spend in in this coming budget without giving anything away, um, will it be uh uh a different way of looking at overtime?

So yeah, I know we've been talking about that for the last couple of months.

We are definitely going to take a different approach to how we budget for overtime.

Um I know we spent a lot of time talking about um over the quarterly reports that necessarily the amount that you budget for overtime does not necessarily obviously equal to what is spent on overtime.

There's a lot of times where we have base pay savings or savings in other areas in those departments that can offset the overtime.

Um so you know, we're doing obviously we we've talked about it.

It's it shows up in these quarterly slides on overtime, how much savings there is in other areas that can help offset that.

Um so that's part of our analysis and approach as we go towards uh releasing the budget next week.

Okay.

Thank you.

Councilmember Maris.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you both for the presentations.

I wanted to focus on the $15 million less in spending on the roadside ditch re-establishment program.

You both addressed that in your reports, but there is there's a difference.

Um, Mr.

Controller, in yours, you say it's $15 million less due to project delays, and Director Dabowski, yours says $15 million less due to lower than anticipated contract costs.

So how how should we reconcile those two statements?

And Director Debowski, I will ask you first.

Sure.

Um I think that the public works department can probably speak to exactly how much they've delivered on that uh program.

Um but in talking with them when making the projections in the monthly financial report, um, they have met their metrics and their goals for what they were planning to get done as far as the number of projects for the year.

Um but due to savings on the contract costs, that's where we're seeing the the $15 million.

But uh we can have the public works department follow up on the specifics of the deliverables.

Okay, that would be great, and Mr.

Controller.

Yeah, I stand by our report as factual.

I can get you more information, and I agree that public works would be better suited to go into the details.

All right.

Thank you.

Council Plitt chair.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Director, you spoke about holiday buyback program for the fire department is one of the contributors to the increased costs.

Can you give me the details on that program?

Sure.

Um the holiday buyback program it is an item that is uh contemplated in the contract that states that if the um depending on your amount of sick leave usage that you use at the fire department, you can be eligible to have some of your holidays bought back from you.

Um the contract specifically talks about what is um the parameters of how that program works, and it also says that it's up to the city to decide how much we budget for that program.

Um at the time of the adopted budget, we didn't feel like we could afford to um put the $1.5 million at historically in the under the previous contract many years ago was in the in the program.

In working with the fire chief, um what we had talked about is of course if you're using sick leave, then you need another firefighter to come in and work that shift, and that would potentially increase the overtime cost.

So the idea of not participating in the holiday buyback program.

The thought is that instead of bringing instead of someone calling in sick and someone you know coming in on a time and a half, basically, or depending on the day, could be two times pay, um, that it would be um less expensive to use the holiday buy funding for holiday buyback and still cover the same number of shifts.

Okay.

Thank you.

That's all.

Anyone else?

Thank you.

Councilman Alcorn.

I move to accept the quarterly financial report dated March 31, 2026.

Second, motion made and second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

With the consent under the miscellaneous category, item one has been removed for separate consideration.

Under the accept work category, need a motion for items two and three.

Cas X tag a move.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed name, motion passes.

Under the purchasing and tabulation of bids category, item seven has been removed for separate consideration.

Item four is an ordinance, just need a vote.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed, nay, motion passes.

Need a motion for items five and six.

Cas tax text item move.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes, those opposed, nay, motion passes.

Under the ordinances category, since your list was distributed.

Items eight, eleven, sixteen, seventeen, and twenty-one have been received.

Again, those numbers are eight, eleven, sixteen, seventeen, and twenty one.

Item 25 has not been received, but will be considered if it is received before the end of the meeting.

Items removed for separate consideration are 9, 10, 11, 20, 22, and 24.

Again, 9, 10, 11, 20, 22, and 24.

Need a vote on the balance.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, name.

Motion passes.

Items removed for separate consideration.

Need a motion for item one.

Cas X title move.

Pack second.

Councilman Pick.

Thank you, ma'am.

Before the vote or after.

Before sign.

Sure.

This is for the approval of traffic calming devices citywide.

Most of these projects are funded through our council district service funds.

And we have a situation now where prices have tripled under our current contract.

And we've had to pause all new neighborhoods going through this process.

And I know a lot of other district council members are looking at that as well.

I know Director Mackay is working on this, but I just wanted to highlight it, Mayor, to your attention so we can prioritize this.

We have many neighborhoods waiting on speed cushions, but it's just not fiscally responsible to pay triple the cost that it should cost right now.

So anything we could do to get new contractors on this to reduce those costs, it would be appreciated.

This is a big public safety issue, and many neighborhoods really want these speed cushions.

So thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I want to echo um Vice Mayor Pro Tem's comments.

It's good to see these cushions get finalized this slate.

There are a number, particularly in District H that are funded, designed, and just ready for construction.

And these were neighborhood-driven projects with the signatures and the comments and the feedback.

So we hear from constituents frequently in my office about uh the status updates, and I know that we have almost 20 in queue.

And so I just want to bring that to the forefront and uh make sure you're aware that you know in District H these are uh these are highly sought after and they're they're waiting ready to go, just waiting on a contractor.

Very good.

Just need a vote.

All in favor say yes, those opposed to any motion passes.

Item seven needs a motion.

Cast a move.

Motion made and second, all in favor say yes, those opposed name, motion passes.

Item nine is an ordinance, just need a vote.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed name, motion passes.

Item 10 is an ordinance, just need a vote.

Tagged.

Motion tagged by Councilman Thomas.

Item 11 is an ordinance, just need a vote.

Councilmember Evan Shabazz.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, and good morning.

Uh one of first thank you, Mayor, our housing affordability committee chair, Councilmember Tiffany D.

Thomas, the community development department team, and everyone who has worked to help bring this item forward.

This project represents exactly the kind of meaningful community-centered housing investment we need in District D and across the City of Houston.

Trinity E.

Senior will help support quality affordable housing for seniors in the third ward area while also aligning with broader neighborhood stability, affordability, and community redevelopment goals.

It is part of the commitment to keep the residents in the CUNY homes in their familiar surroundings.

And I want to thank the ION Community Advisory Council and its chair Connie Cochran and Sam DK with Rice University for their work and support in helping this project cross the finish line with significant funding.

And projects like this don't just happen overnight.

They require persistence, partnership, and coordination among the city, institutional partners, community leaders, and the residents who understand the importance of protecting affordability while investing in the future of our neighborhoods.

And I am grateful to all who helped bring this item forward, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this investment will have for seniors, families, and the broader third war community.

I am sure a lot of the seniors will not want to go back to the CUNY homes, but certainly we want to provide an opportunity for them to stay in the areas that they are familiar with.

So thank you so very much, and I certainly support this item.

Thank you.

Thanks for your work, Councilmember Thomas.

Congratulations in advance, Councilmember Shabazz, and to all of my colleagues.

You may recall Trinity East came before us, I believe it was a 9 percent deal earlier, and it also highlights the partnership, the housing authority, the project-based vouchers.

Um you are absolutely correct.

It will be a jewel in District D.

Um and I think it will just a demonstration to show that we're not the intention is not to displace but to keep people in their beloved neighborhoods.

So thank you for your efforts in making sure this gets across the line.

Very good.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed, nay, motion passes.

Item 20 is an ordinance, just need a vote.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed, nay, motion passes.

Item 22 is an ordinance, just need a vote.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed, nay, motion passes.

Item 24 is an ordinance, just need a vote.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

This completes the items on the agenda.

Very good.

Very good.

Councilmember Alcorn.

Thank you, Mayor.

Umorrow they'll be laying out the at Planning Commission, they'll be laying out the open space ordinance revisions at Planning Commission.

We I know we've been discussing that at BFA, so pay attention to that.

That's one of our big sources of money for parks.

And uh happy to say the year two cents survey has been out for you know about a week or a little less than a week, and we've got what 600 responses.

And Dan Potter, those of you who are at the Kinder Institute lunch, Dan Parter is the one that helped me with this survey.

He brings a lot of liveliness to the survey.

We asked a lot of open-ended questions about departments and people could write comments, and that's really my favorite part of the survey, is kind of reading through the comments.

Basically, you know, what you what we hear all the time on garbage, with consistent on-time pickup, more resources and capacity, better quality of service, libraries, more funding materials and modernization, longer hours, uh, parks, uh, pick up the trash cans, you know, fix the broke broken playground equipment, um, want more lighting and security at parks.

So, you know, it's all the things we hear, but it's it's good to have them kind of consolidated in the survey, and we'll be having the Kinder uh Institute come and present all the findings when they're when they're done, but it's been very instructive so far and will help us out.

So thanks for thanks for getting it out to your constituents.

Thank you.

Councilman Carter.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just wanted to highlight the Houston prayer breakfast this morning.

If you were there, was just a fabulous event to have that many individuals in the room.

It looks like about 800.

Um, just a great event for our city.

It just shows the true unity in the community.

Um, additionally, hate to bring up a bad subject, but speaking of bike lanes, Councilmember Evans Shabaz.

Careful.

No, no, I'm good.

I'm good.

Uh 11th Street seem continues to reach out on that.

Um there are still concerns in the community with the businesses, with the trash cans in the bike lanes, with the lack of use in the bike lanes, with the safety hazards, just that whole big picture.

Just wanted to bring it back to the top because I continue to get uh correspondence questioning if anything's gonna be done about that.

So put it back on the list.

Thank you.

Very good, Councilmair Shamash.

Evan Shabon.

Thank you, Mayor and uh colleagues again.

I want to begin by thanking the residents, leaders, civic leaders, stakeholders, and community members who showed up uh last evening to share their concerns regarding blodget bike lanes.

When residents take the time to come out, speak up and advocate for their neighborhoods.

We have a responsibility to listen.

There are concerns around public safety, quality of life, mobility, and neighborhood impact matter.

And my office will continue working to make sure those voices remain at the center of the conversation.

And certainly I I just want to just say how important this issue is.

People talk to me all the time about those bike lanes, and I want to be clear, I am not anti-bike lane.

They are needed and necessary in some areas, but it's also a matter of respect for the neighborhood.

That neighborhood was not engaged regarding that, and I think that should be afforded every neighborhood to uh talk about those things that impact their mobility.

And so I I'm one of them I'm gonna move forward.

I also want to recap a very active and successful weekend in District D.

This past Saturday, we supported the South Union Proud Civic Association and community volunteers for the Let's Clean H Town, South Union volunteer cleanup at Zali Scales Park.

This was a great example of neighborhood leadership, stewardship, and residents working together to improve the community.

We also supported in the cleaner communities illegal dumping cleanup on Allison Road, hosted by the Harris County District Attorney's Office in partnership with District D and community partners.

Illegal dumping is not just a nuisance, it's a public safety, quality of life, and environmental concern.

I want to thank every partner and volunteer who came out to help address the issue directly.

I invite any community that wants the support in cleaning up their area to please reach out to my office because that is what is important.

It is something that we have to do together.

And uh later that day, we celebrated the TSU aviation hangar ribbon cutting ceremony at Ellington Field.

The new state of the art aviation hangar represents a major investment in workforce development, pilot training, and Houston's growing aviation and aerospace sector.

I want to congratulate the Texas Southern University and the Houston Airport systems on this important milestone.

That was a beautiful event to witness.

They got 12 new airplanes, a beautiful new hangar.

Terrence Fontaine, who was the director of that aviation department, has done a fabulous job.

I certainly want to highlight him because and then I had to share that I found out he was a pilot and he went up notches in my mind because that right there just gave me a person I could reach out to that I know has been successful in the aviation field.

I also want to highlight a major economic development win for District D.

Target has opened a new 265 million dollar receive center in Houston, a 1.2 million square foot facility that will create 185 jobs to start nearly 200 new jobs and strengthen the company's national supply chain.

This kind of investment matters.

It means jobs, opportunity, and continued economic growth right here in the District D, the district of destination.

That further substantiates that.

Upcoming, we have the evening in the park at Herman Park Conservancy, where we will go where we can benefit supporting Herman Park Conservancy.

That will be tomorrow at 6 30 p.m.

at Herman Park, 1700 Herman Drive.

And that's going to be a fabulous event.

This year's event will honor Christy and Chris Bradshaw with Mayor Dev Marshall and Reeshmah Mohammed serving as event chairs.

We look forward to supporting the Herman Park Conservancy and its continued work preserving and enhancing one of Houston's most treasured public spaces.

District D continues to lead through community engagement, public safety, workforce development, and meaningful investment, and we'll be complete when we move those bike lengths.

Oh, I'm sorry.

That concludes what's going on in the district of destination.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council, to you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yesterday I attended the Port Commission meeting where they formally launched an initiative called Anchored in Action, which aims to improve the communities that are along the port.

A couple of those are in District H.

And I want to commend them for their approach to this.

They did some extensive community engagement along the port.

They heard residents.

They've put together a very thoughtful, detailed neighborhood by neighborhood uh menu of what folks would like to see how their communities can be enhanced and ways that corporations and industries can partner to uh invest in the areas and the neighborhoods along the port.

Uh they're putting up uh an initial one million dollar investment into this plan, and I look forward to continuing to work with them uh to help improve the neighborhoods along the port.

But they they really did a thorough and intentional job in trying to be specific to the the each each community um that abuts the port because they are a neighbor to a number of of residents.

And so I want to commend them for that and congratulate them on the launch of Anchored in Action.

I also want to recognize Pepper Goodwin.

She's the uh District H's chip intern.

Today actually is her last day, and she has been a fantastic addition to the audience uh or to the audience to the office.

I thought for a second she might be in the audience, but she's not.

Um every time you know an opportunity has come up to engage uh the community or or be present, uh, she has said yes, and I want to wish her well and continued success.

And uh since we're talking about bike lanes this morning, I do want to uh remind my colleagues uh I did host a community listening session on 11th Street uh with uh Councilmember Kamen out on 11th Street, and we heard directly from the community.

Uh a lot of my constituents were there.

Uh the overwhelming majority of the folks uh did not want that project removed.

And I have all the feedback.

I'm happy to send it to anybody who wants it, but um the data has been clear on the safety side of that project, and um I would encourage anybody who is curious uh to reach out, happy to provide it to them.

Uh, but from the folks that live in District H nearby, and the ones that live in District C that were directly impacted by that project or near that project uh from getting kids to and from school or connecting to other greenways uh and hike and bike trails.

Um it was very clear that day that folks appreciated that project and and wanted it to stay.

Thank you.

Could I inquire how many people were there?

About I would say between 100 to 150, somewhere in between.

It was actually on the street.

It was at the church right there uh at 11th, just across from Hog Middle School.

It was on a Saturday morning.

Did you uh did fire police participate in in terms of their inability to go down 11th?

Public works was present.

Uh I know they were there.

I'm not I would have to go back and check on any anybody else, and I want to say Councilmember Pollard showed up and we also had some staff members from a couple other offices as well.

Thank you for doing that.

Very important.

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, this past Monday night in partnership with uh State Representative Charles Cunningham.

We hosted uh workshop to explain property tax protests.

Wanted to thank uh the appraisal district and specifically Kyle Scott and Mike Sullivan for helping organize this.

Um Saturday, May 2nd from 9 to 11, Houston Parks Board will host a pop-up event at Dillon Duncan Memorial Skate Park.

Residents are invited to stop by to review design boards and share feedback on potential skate park improvements.

Community survey will also be available to gather additional public input.

And uh the electronic recycling event will be happening at the Kingwood uh Metro Park and Ride this Saturday, starting at 9 o'clock or and ends at 3 or until the trucks are full.

So please come out and uh get all your electronic recycling needs.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Jackson.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I wanted to invite colleagues out to the service delivery committee meeting today at 2 p.m.

Um we'll be hearing from Director Tran with the Health Department.

She'll be going over the health department programs.

Just give us a comprehensive breakdown of the services that um the health department provide for um the city of Houston.

And so come out, learn more.

Um they are also gonna break down you just how the programs are broken down with on um budget.

You know, you can really understand you know how they're spending in money.

And so um come out and hear from the direct director Tran today at 2 o'clock in chambers.

Thank you, Councilman Help.

I'll pass.

Thank you, Mayor.

So over the weekend had the opportunity to ride in the XMS 150, which was a wonderful event.

Was able to achieve a personal goal of mine, but more importantly, uh participate in an effort to try to raise awareness and help find a cure for multiple sclerosis.

I know thousands of Eustonians suffer from this uh disease.

The uh event ray has raised so far more than nine million dollars.

I was also proud to be part of the City of Houston team of about 36 team members that together we raised 24 more than 24,000.

Uh so thank you to the members of council who supported that and to Mayor Whitmire, who generously matched the donations given by uh council members.

It was it was a lot of fun.

Uh huge shout out to Greg Bell with the city.

He works in the wellness center here.

Uh he handled all the logistics for 36 team members, meaning a huge tent, cots, food, snacks, drinks, uh, the works, and whatever we asked, he was able to take care of it.

Just uh tremendous job by team captain Greg Bell.

So thank you very much for not only for your work at the city, but for your work on this um organizing the ride.

So uh anyway, great experience, happy to be a part of it.

I do want to say as well that on Monday I got to speak to the senior classes at Sam Houston High School.

Uh their government classes were studying um how city government works, so I was happy to let them know a little bit about how my experience has been.

So wish them all luck uh to the graduating class, not only of Sam Houston High, but all our high schools in the area.

Thank you.

Thank you.

A notice to our residents, microsurfacing has begun.

We have nine locations.

Houston Public Works has initiated uh microsurfacing with on our asphalt streets.

It will cover 6.73 miles.

It started April 24th and should conclude May 6th.

Notices to the various locations will be in our upcoming newsletter and also shared with our civic clubs.

So, as you know, with improvements, often comes uh some frustration.

So be patient with us as we work to improve infrastructure in your community.

Uh I also want to just uh highlight the work that we're continuing to do around um Houstonians who are unsheltered on the West Side.

As you recall, um, Easter weekend we hosted our West Side Day of Care.

That work has continued.

Uh Wham in partnership with Agape on site last week, when Thursday and Friday canvas an additional 22 persons.

Um we were able to add 12 on the housing wait list, and 10 are in the process of being added to HMIS, which just speaks to our ongoing work on the West Side, and that we need to have attention on the West side to make sure that those individuals that are living in hidden parts of our city are actually able to take part of our community.

So I'm I'm I'm so grateful for the partnership and the ongoing work that we're doing.

Um I just want to highlight as well, we have a PSA out around our tree trimming uh um efforts on the West Side in partnership with the Houston Parks and Reg's Department, the urban forestry team.

They are uh a mighty team covering the entire city.

Um we had uh close to 38 requests in the queue.

We have cleared most of those.

Um from constituents.

And so if there are trees that are hazardous in the right-of-way in the medium, call through one, reach out to our office so we can make sure that we get that on the list.

A couple of months ago, Council approved a contract addressing this item.

So we want to make sure that those locations are able to be addressed.

Later today, I'll be presenting a certificate in observation of the 51st Memorial of the Fall of the Republic of South Vietnam at the A-Lif Neighborhood Center.

Um it's known as Black April, and it's a solemn moment to recognize the event that altered many families and generation.

Um and as you know, on the West side, and particularly in the city of Houston, it's home to the largest Vietnamese population outside of California in America.

So I will be with them later today.

Um and then also later this afternoon, I will be at my high school alma mater, A Leaf Elsic, um, supporting our junior ROTC cadets for their annual uh pass and review later today, a tradition that I participate in every year, and we'll present our graduating seniors with certificates for their work.

Many of them are pursuing military or college or career after graduation.

So excited to celebrate this, especially since I was a junior RLTC cadet myself.

Uh and then lastly, just want to uh remind everyone uh that the Barbara Quattro's memorial closes very soon.

And in honor of Earth Day, uh we want to make sure that you have an opportunity to visit the A Leaf Library and the tokens and memorial, uh the items that her family has presented so you can learn a little history as you enjoy the A Leaf Neighborhood Center.

Um, if there's anything else that my office can do to support your efforts around constituent services, please do not hesitate to reach out to District F at Houston TX.

And then um I also want to uh just to uh highlight that we are anticipating the apartment ordinance getting to the agenda soon.

Just uh to remind you we had a 30-day clock that this council voted on to make sure that once the item was presented to council that it will be presented on the agenda for vote.

So we're looking forward to that to that.

I would have loved to have it um at the end of April to close of Fair Housing Month.

Um but we're looking forward to that getting on the agenda so we can move one step closer to um ensuring quality safe housing in our city.

Thank you.

I'll uh step in here and share the good news of the concession workers at Bush Airport, members of United here got their contract this week with a minimum of $20 per hour significantly.

Improvement.

Thank you, Willie Gonzalez, for your leadership always and the opportunity to work with you.

So it's something to celebrate model very much after the contract at the Hilton.

So Mayor Proteam Cash Tatum.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh just want to highlight um two projects that are happening across the district.

Um Public Works will be hosting a virtual community meeting for the West Ridge and Beck Brays Terrace Phase 2 project.

I know residents have been anxiously awaiting the start of this project.

So the community meeting will be held on Tuesday, May the 5th at 5 30 p.m.

And this phase of the project will include street reconstruction, drainage improvements, and sidewalk and curb upgrades.

The project is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2026 and should be complete by the fall of 2028.

So it is a fairly comprehensive project that is going to take some time.

Any residents interested in attending can register at Engage Houston.org or call the district K office.

We'll be happy to help you make sure you can attend that meeting on Tuesday, May the 5th at 5 30 p.m.

And then also want residents in the Brays Oaks area to know that they will soon have uh street improvements as the work to fog seal the road is expected um to begin on May 4th, 2026 on Rourke Road, and that's the area between West Belfort Street and Murphy Road.

So this work is scheduled to be complete by the end of May 2026.

It's a uh shorter term project, um, but wanted to let residents in Brays Oaks know that that work will be happening and to slow down around the construction.

Uh it may get worse before it gets better, but it will be better.

Be kind to each other and make it a great day.

Great Mayor Protein.

Thank you, Mayor.

Our next public safety committee meeting will be this Monday, May 4th at 10 o'clock a.m.

The topics include domestic violence and child exploitation.

Our presenters will be aid to victims of domestic abuse, AVDA and Project Protect Our Children.

Thank you to Councilmore Carter's office for helping arrange um both presentations and look forward to seeing everyone at the committee meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

First, uh just piggyback off of your announcement, Mayor.

I want to congratulate the airport workers.

This is a great trend that I love seeing.

Again, just uh raise up the administration for the work, uh supporting working families.

Um I've shared this before.

Um as the city does well, I think it's important that all families can see that benefit as well.

So whether it's the Hilton workers, uh airport workers, looking at the GRB workers is eventually seeing something successful as well.

Uh so again, just congratulations to all working families.

Uh this Friday, May 1st, construction and load-in for FIFA FanFest in East Downtown will begin.

This will be this will take place in a four-block area around Shell Energy Stadium.

We are 43 days away from welcoming tens of thousands of visitors from around the world.

A reminder to please stay engaged to know what's happening in our community.

Last month I hosted a coffee with the council member East Downtown to update our community on plans and preparation that is going into hosting the FanFest in East Downtown.

Uh my office will continue to share updates, uh, important information to ensure this is a positive experience for us all here within the City of Houston.

Uh lastly, uh tomorrow, my office will be hosting our very first eye care uh day of service.

Our team will be volunteering volunteering at the Hay Center, uh, preparing kits for youth phasing out of foster care.

Uh service to our uh to others is really core within our office and and within the team, and so we're excited to launch this uh volunteer initiative.

And I uh definitely want to make sure that our my colleagues and of course uh your team members uh are are aware and can join us.

The Hay Center supports over a thousand youth each year with housing and career readiness programs.

Uh it's a good opportunity to see firsthand uh what the impacts that we've done as a city.

We contributed about five million dollars to that to that housing project uh to see that investment on how we supporting our youth.

Uh so if you are available, just uh want you to know we'll be out there tomorrow and look forward to uh having other eye care days, uh service dates in this uh with my team and the rest of you uh as well.

Thank you.

Council Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, just want to start off by uh highlighting uh the report from the controller and the finance director.

I think the controller and his office, I want to give them props for really um highlighting some of the issues that we're facing today regarding our budget.

That 10-point plan or document that they put out uh before last year's budget.

Many of those items that they highlighted are issues that we are uh having to deal with today.

I think it's really important for us to take those not only recommendations but their insight very uh seriously as we go into this budget cycle.

I do want to also thank Blueprint Church.

Uh we partnered with them.

My office partnered with Blueprint Church uh this past Sunday.

We did a city employee appreciation breakfast uh for 300 uh city employees at the ballroom at Tanglewood.

Uh that's just a small way of us saying thank you for all that you do uh for the contributions and the impact you make for the city.

We look forward to doing more of these appreciation events uh going forward.

Uh Mayor, I want to thank you for the swift action your office took with the termination of the HPD officer that used the racist and disrespectful language on her social media.

I did send a letter to Chief Diaz and D.A.T.

Um, asking both to really look into this officer's record.

Uh, look at and investigate all the cases that she was involved in and ensure that you know justice is not only being seen with her termination, but also with any involvement with individuals that she was engaged with that led to um criminal arrest.

Um I've also requested that their offices provide this body with a report on their findings.

I think it's very important for us to see and that it needs to have a level of accountability and transparency uh not only for that particular officer, but the the entire department to ensure that going forward, you know, that type of mentality and those type of actions won't be tolerated, and we have to be very much open uh to receiving that information and not just keeping it uh behind the scenes.

Uh lastly, I did get an email from Joe B.

Allen, that was the private contractor that that helped with heavy trash around the city.

That emailed to my office stated that in J City, that was the most trash that they had seen across the entire city.

And they were shocked at what they saw.

And my residents and myself have been advocating for months and months that our heavy trash had not been picked up.

We did get some City Houston trucks to come in this past week, but my office's private trash crew has been doing the heavy lifting in J City for the last almost year with small crews that do a lot being paid with Council District Service Funds, but there is poor communication regarding heavy trash pickup.

The residents are confused.

That's the number one call my office gets.

Councilmember Alcorn said that was the one of the number one things she was receiving in her survey.

This isn't rocket science.

Thank you very much.

If not, we stand adjourned.