The chair recognizes Vice Mayor Pro Tim Peck for a proclamation to Memorial Assistance Ministries to recognize that nonprofit's efforts.

Oh, you got it.

Yeah, got it.

Okay.

There you go.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor.

It's my honor to present this proclamation today to Memorial Assistance Ministries, one of my favorite organizations in District A.

Whereas for more than 40 years, Memorial Assistance Ministries has empowered individuals and families across Greater Houston by providing the resources, skills, and support needed to achieve stability and long-term success through education, workforce development, financial empowerment, and comprehensive support services.

And whereas on March 18th, 2026, community leaders, partners, and supporters gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Hamill Education Workforce Training Center, marking a significant milestone in Ma'am's continued growth and service to the community.

And whereas the new 21,000 square foot facility expands Ma'am's Spring Branch campus and serves as a hub for career readiness, English language and computer education, small business development and innovation, and whereas as part of its growing our impact together initiative, a 22 million dollar campaign designed to meet the evolving needs of the Houston community.

This expansion will enable Ma'am to serve more than 21,000 individuals annually and increases education and workforce training programs by 50%.

And whereas the City of Houston congratulates Memorial Assistance Ministries on the expansion of its services and recognizes the organization's ongoing commitment to helping thousands of hardworking Houstonians build stronger and more secure futures.

Thank you, Councilman Vice Mayor Pro Tim Peck for bringing the Memorial Assistance Ministries to our attention.

It's another example of the contributions of so many groups, nonprofits right to Houston's greatness.

Congratulations on your new facility.

Is Ma'am Day in the City of Houston.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Mayor Whitmeyer and Councilmember Peck.

My name is Sonya G.

It's my honor to be able to serve as the President CEO of Ma'am.

My dad and my grandparents came to Houston over 80 years ago with a dream to make a better future for their family.

And they found that opportunity here in Houston.

They own some of the first businesses, and they certainly faced barriers.

But what I'm so proud about is they, in addition to building a great future for their family, live their lives in service to help others to have opportunities just like they found in our amazing city.

So I'm proud to be a Houstonian, I'm proud to be a product of Houston ISD of Rice University, and I'm proud that today, in a city that continues to grow, Ma'am gets to serve over 20,000 people and their pathways to lifelong stability.

As you all know, we have an incredible city, so diverse with so much opportunity, but we also have a city with the largest poverty rate of any major city in the U.S.

And so there's so much work for us to be done.

It has been our honor and privilege to work together with Councilmember Peck and her team, and we're thankful for all of you and the service that you do to ensure that every single family, just like mine, now for two, and hopefully on our third generation, continue to have opportunities to live stable, healthy lives and to contribute to the vibrancy of our amazing city.

So thank you so much for this incredible honor.

We and my team that's here today love getting to work with our amazing community, and we're grateful for the recognition of the work that we do every single day.

Council Member Huffman.

Thank you.

I continue to be impressed with Ma'am every single day.

Thank you so much to you and your entire team.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Good luck.

The chair now recognizes Councilmember Salinas for a proclamation to the women's hospital of Texas in honor of its 50 years of service.

Thank you so much.

So I have the honor of reading the uh presenting the proclamation to the women's hospital of Texas, whereas the women's hospital of Texas was founded in 1976 by a group of local physicians who recognize the need for a hospital exclusively devoted to the care of women and newborns, and who intentionally chose to name women's rather than women's to honor each patient as an individual and to reflect the personalized patient-centered approach to care.

Whereas, since its opening, the women's hospital has delivered more than 300,000 babies and delivers more babies each month than any other hospital in the state of Texas.

Whereas the hospital is a home to a level four Neil NATO intensive care unit, which provides the highest level of care for premature and critically ill newborns and is designed as a level four maternal program for obstetrics and high-risk pregnancy care.

Whereas, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the women's hospital, Texas, the City of Houston proudly joins a community in celebrating the pioneering Houston and Texas institution and recognizes dedicated staff and leadership for their extraordinary contributions and lasting impact on the health and well-being of Houston women and families over the past five decades and counting.

Thank you, Councilman Salinas, and what an excellent opportunity to tell us about the history of the woman's hospital.

I just learned for myself why it's not the women's hospital, but it's a woman's hospital to emphasize the singular care of each and every individual.

Thank you.

Congratulations on your 50th year.

We all know the best years are yet to come.

So congratulations.

And therefore, I John Whitmeyer, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaim May 20th, 2026 as a woman's hospital of Texas Day across Houston, Texas.

Congratulations.

Did you have comments that you would y'all like to make any comments?

Yes.

Thank you.

She knows me.

She knows I have something to say.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor Whitmeyer, Mayor Pro Tem, Councilmembers, Councilmember Salinas, thank you to the City of Houston for this incredible honor.

My name is Gina Bamberg.

I have the honor of serving in my dream job as the CEO of this amazing hospital.

As you heard, for 50 years, the Women's Hospital of Texas has had the privilege of serving Houston's women, babies, and families during some of the most important moments in their lives.

What began in 1976 with the vision of 29 physicians, became Houston's first hospital and the state of Texas, dedicated exclusively to women and newborns, and over the decade, decades, we've been proud to help shape the future of women's health care in this fine city.

Our story is deeply connected to Houston's story.

As Houston has grown and diversified and become a global leader in health care, the women's hospital of Texas has grown alongside it.

We are grateful for the support, the partnership, and the trust we have received from the city of Houston throughout the years.

So, on behalf of Tenora Boykins, my board chair, my board of trustees, and senior leaders who are with me here today, our entire medical staff, colleagues, and thousands and thousands of families that we have served.

Thank you for this proclamation and for recognizing this important milestone in our history.

We are honored to be part of Houston's legacy, and we look forward to continuing to serve this remarkable city for generations to come.

Thank you again.

We do have a couple of council members in queue for comments.

We'll start with Councilmember Alcorn.

Thank you, Chair, and thanks for coming.

One of those 300,000 babies was mine.

I had my fourth baby at one hospital.

And I think my doctor's one of his, I think it's dad, one of those Jacobs is one of the founders.

Great care there, um, wonderful hospital.

Great to have you guys in town.

Thank you for happy 50th.

And good to see you, Genora.

Thank you.

Councilmember Davis.

Thank you, uh Mayor Pro Tim, and to you, Gina, and to umora it's good to see you.

Congratulations to you.

Thank you.

Uh, unlike Councilmember Alcorn, I don't have any uh babies that came through there, but I got a bunch of godchildren uh that came through there and many of my parishioners in our churches.

So I want to congratulate you because you have a tremendous history of of the work that you do in terms of the woman hospital.

So, congratulations.

Thank you so much, sir.

Thank you so much.

Good to see you, my sister.

Thank you.

Councilmember Jackson.

Thank you, um, Mayor Tim.

And congratulations.

Hey, Gina.

Hi.

Congratulations to you all, and thank you for everything that you do for women, for children.

Um, I had an opportunity to visit um the hospital, and you guys are amazing.

It was, I mean, I learned a whole lot um just from you know, going through the hall, the babies, the robotics on how you guys perform the surgery.

So it was a good experience.

And so I want to say thank you and congratulations and keep up the great work.

Thank you, ma'am.

Okay, Gina and Janore, 50 years deserves to be celebrated.

I'm so excited that uh Councilmember Salinas uh saw fit to celebrate with the proclamation.

Uh and mayor on behalf of the city of Houston, we can't say thank you enough.

Um, as a person who has um had a human growing inside of my body, I know uh the kind of care that you need when it is time to um birth your son or your daughter, um, and the work that you continue to do year after year, day after day at the women's hospital is extraordinary, and we are so fortunate to have you in the city of Houston.

So, congratulations, and um I love that you said this is your dream job.

It is.

I love that.

I love that.

Uh, congratulations, 50 years deserves to be celebrated.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next, the chair recognizes Councilmember Castillo for a proclamation to the Greater Houston LGBTQ plus Chamber of Commerce to celebrate its 10-year anniversary.

Good afternoon, colleagues.

I am honored to today present a proclamation to recognize the Houston LGBTQ plus Chamber of Commerce.

They are um a fantastic organization under the leadership of Tammy Wallace, her board, and her staff, it has now grown to be one of the pillars of Houston's LGBTQ community, and they are celebrating this year their 10-year anniversary with that.

Whereas 2026 marks the tenth anniversary of the Greater Houston LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, founded in 2016 to advance economic opportunity, visibility, and empowerment for LGBTQ community across Greater Houston region.

And whereas over the past decade, the chamber has become a leading voice for LGBTQ economic inclusion, fostering meaningful connections among businesses, community, and civic leaders while strengthening pathways to entrepreneurship, workforce development, and economic success.

And whereas the international partnerships, innovative programming, advocacy, and collaboration, the chamber has built one of the nation's most vibrant LGBTQ plus economic ecosystems, bringing together LGBTQ and allied businesses, professionals, corporate partners, nonprofits, and community organizations to thrive.

And since its founding, the chamber has worked to expand opportunity, close economic gaps, strengthen supplier diversity, and elevate the visibility and impact of LGBTQ businesses and professionals throughout Greater Houston.

The Chamber has partnered with the City of Houston and community stakeholders to advance meaningful initiatives that support LGBTQ plus economic empowerment, including efforts contributed to the creation of the LGBTQ plus economic empowerment coordinator position, and the off with in partnership with the Office of Business Opportunity.

And whereas this milestone anniversary provides an opportunity to celebrate the chamber's founders, members, partners, and community leaders whose vision and dedication have helped create lasting progress and a stronger, more inclusive regional economy.

On this occasion, the city of Houston congratulates the Greater Houston LGBTQ plus Chamber of Commerce on 10 years of impact achievement leadership and advocacy and recognizes its ongoing commitment to advancing economic empowerment, expanding opportunity, and strengthening the future of LGBTQ community across Greater Houston.

Thank you, Counselor Castillo and I could be a great witness, expert witness to the formation of the LBTQ plus chamber.

Meaning I was in public office before the chamber.

At a food drive, and the I pulled up in the Mexican consulate general was there.

She has become a longtime friend.

She's in San Diego now.

But think of that wonderful contact through the LGBTQ plus chamber, and it could go on and on.

So Houston's a better city for the chamber.

I'm impressed with its growth.

I think we need to all do everything we can increase the membership and allow it to participate and spread equality, not only in the business community, but across this great city.

They are such a great facilitator for all of us.

So therefore, I John Whitmer, mayor of the city of Houston, hereby proclaimed June 9th, 2026, is Greater Houston LGBTQ plus Chamber of Commerce Day across the City of Houston.

Congratulations, Tammy.

Um Tammy Wallace, I'm a co-founder, president and CEO of the Greater Houston LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce.

And to say that today is nothing short of remarkable would actually be an understatement.

We were not at the table when it comes to business and economic development in this city.

And we set out to change that.

Not only to change that, to get a seat, but to get a voice.

And 10 years later, we are in rooms, we are in spaces, we are, we have connections that our community did not have.

We are six, almost 600 members strong and growing.

Think about the last 10 years.

Political headwinds, Hurricane Harvey, the pandemic, winter storm Ure.

I could go on and on and on.

But this chamber has persevered, and we have done it for two reasons.

Actually, one is our members, and secondly, our community.

So when I often say we are just getting started, as we celebrate 10 years, and this Friday we launch into our next 10 years at our pride and business celebration.

We're just getting started.

We're building a bigger ecosystem.

We're bringing more people into this work so we can support our community, close gaps, support our city, and support our region.

Councilmember Castillo, thank you for this honor.

Mayor Whitmeyer, thank you for this honor.

And to our board and our staff.

They have been here every step of the way.

They are with us today.

Our board chair Stephen Miranda, our board member Rachel Bickham.

I'm grateful for their support and leadership because I don't do what I do without them.

And we don't do what we do without community.

Thank you.

We do have uh some council members in queue.

We'll start with uh Councilmember Panzarella.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Councilman Castillo.

Tammy, Stephen, Rachel.

Congratulations on an amazing achievement here.

I want to uh thank you all for using your voice.

Thank you all for building community throughout the region in Houston.

I look forward to attending all the brunch on Friday, but I look forward to the many more years of service ahead.

So again, congratulations.

Thank you so much.

Councilmember Salinas.

It is so wonderful to see you all here today.

As the former uh board member of the LGBT chamber, I I can't tell you how special it is to get to celebrate this day with you.

Stephen Tammy, you all are icons in our community.

You have done so much to elevate us, and you understand perhaps better than anyone, just how important it is not only to have a voice in the political arena in the public sector, but also in the boardrooms across the city, and you all have done far more than perhaps most to help make that possible.

And I know that when we write the history of Houston, Tammy Wallace, your name's gonna be in there.

It is an honor to know you.

It is an honor to have learned from you, and all of the LGBTQ leaders in Houston in the public and private sector stand on your shoulders.

So thank you for everything you've done to lift up our community.

Councilmember Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim, and Councilman Casillo and Mayor, uh, thank you for bringing uh this proclamation to uh today to City Council, Tammy and uh Steven.

I see you back there, District I resident.

Um, and Rachel, congratulations on 10 years and to 10 years of more success.

Um, and just want to also just continue to extend, however, district I uh businesses can continue to participate and even do outreach.

Uh, my team and I are here to continue to support you all.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Tammy, for all the great work that you and your team does in the city of Houston.

We look forward to continuing our great works together.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Mayor Whitmire for a proclamation to HFD Captain Andy Roseborough and Dr.

Joyeth Lagesity to recognize their extraordinary courage.

Thank you, Madam Pro Chairman, members.

Uh it's a great opportunity to highlight two of our first responders.

One uh honorable Coconut.

And thank you, one of our captains in the police department.

Andy Rosenborough, Captain.

Thank you, sir.

And Dr.

I guess Betty.

Ran to the young person's assistance.

Stopped the bleeding, waited for Mexico's first responders and saved a life.

And so the department is certainly proud of the certainly the union, but also on behalf of all, thank you for your public service for your bravery.

And uh, we want you to be here in council today to let you know.

So therefore, I John Whitmore, mayor of the city of Houston, hereby proclaimed June 9th, 2026 as Captain Andy Rosenberg and Dr.

Legesa across the city of Houston.

Do they have any comments?

And we do have a council member in queue.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, City Council.

It feels weird to be acknowledged for something that we've both done a lot in the normal course of our duties, but I'm so proud of my wife to see her spring into action in a very tense and bad situation.

I'm grateful that we had the opportunity to make what was a very bad day a little better for a couple people there.

So thank you to the Memorial Herman Hospital System and to the Houston Fire Department for giving us the years of experience and training that enabled us to help that day.

Yeah, I just wanted to say I saw this on the national news, and then I got a text from Marty informing me that this was a Houston firefighter.

I'm like, you know, how cool is that?

And just speaks to you know the professionalism of both of you.

Thank you very much.

Councilmember Huffman for the invocation.

Thank you.

At this time, I would like to welcome uh Steve Simons to the podium.

Mr.

Simons is a native Houstonian, a dedicated husband, devoted father and grandfather, and respected small business owner.

He's also the proud member of the Oaks Dads Club Hall of Fame and former state director of the Knights of Columbus.

Throughout his time with the Knights of Columbus, Mr.

Simons has held many leadership roles, including serving as the council director for their partnership with Interfaith Ministries and Chairs of the Columbian Squires and International Catholic Youth Fraternity for Boys ages 10 to 18, focused on leadership, spiritual growth, and community service.

Mr.

Simons has dedicated countless hours to serving his faith, his family, and his community.

His commitment to bringing people together and uplifting others has touched many lives.

In addition, Mr.

and Mrs.

Simons have raised an incredible son who will be marrying my deputy chief of staff, Rachel Maxie in September.

So welcome.

Thanks, Councilwoman.

This afternoon we gather as members of community, diverse in our background, perspective, and our experiences.

Let's bow our heads together.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for bringing us together in fellowship and purpose today.

We are grateful for the gift of community for the friendships that's strengthened and for the opportunity to serve one another with kindness and humility.

So they reflect compassion, integrity, and unity.

And Councilmember Alcorn.

Yes.

Need a motion to adopt the minutes of May 27th and June 2nd and 3rd.

Cast X take a move.

Thanks, second.

Motion made and seconded.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed to name.

Motion passes.

Any procedural motions.

I don't have any.

If not.

Call your first speaker, Mr.

Secretary.

Gloria Zentino.

To be followed by Patricia Cabrera.

Good afternoon, Mayor.

Good afternoon, Council members.

My name is Gloria Centeno, and I'm the founder of BATIO Dogs, a lifelong resident of the East End and a resident of District I.

It was in the East End, excuse me, that I found the true inspiration of BATIO DOGs having witnessed the issue of stray animals in our community firsthand.

Our organization addresses the root causes of this crisis through a long-term strategy of youth education by teaching our children to be better stewards of their animals and their community.

We also provide free spay and neuter services for pet owners that can't afford it.

And I would like to extend my gratitude to Councilmember Martinez and Councilmember Castillo for supporting us with these types of services, along with PETSEP and Empty the Shelter Project.

But even with all that support, we still face a serious issue and need more support because the problem is so huge.

As Councilmember Alcorn mentioned last week, it's going to take something significant to solve it.

Will be approved.

Again, thank you for thank you for the opportunity to speak.

Um appreciate it.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next, Patricia Cabrera.

To be followed by Glenda Osorto of Spring.

Okay.

Mayor, Council members, I'm Patricia Cabrera with East End Communities, a collaborative of organizations, partners and residents of Magnolia Park and surrounding neighborhoods.

We promote mental and physical health and well-being by improving the conditions of our neighborhoods.

Baffio Dogs is one of our member organizations, so we understand the long-existing problem of stray dogs.

We hold a monthly wellness walk at Hidalgo Park, armed with sunscreen, bug spray, and walking sticks in case we encounter the very likely stray dog or two.

We know that the problem is complex and exacerbated by the economy, housing, and general lack of information on laws, resources, and knowledge of responsible pet ownership.

But we wanted you to know that when you support these critical services, you allow people to feel safe, mentally and physically healthy and most of all connected with their neighbors on sidewalks, pathways, and parks.

We thank you for what you're doing and ask that you continue to prioritize services that help our four-legged friends and create safe and welcoming communities.

Thank you.

Next, Glenda Orsoto of Spring, to be followed by Bernadette Blanco.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Council.

Um, my name is Glenda Osorto.

I am a community member that works at Sarah Jobs.

Uh, and I am here today in support of increased funding for BARC.

My take is going to be a little bit different.

So in my work, I need people every day who are trying to rebuild their lives, they're going to some type of trauma, whether it be um mental health challenges, unemployment, or simply navigating to life's uh difficulties at times, and usually their comfort comes from a very unexpected source, their pets, whether it's a veteran live living with PTSD, a senior uh battling loneliness, a person in recovery, or one of my very own clients.

Um, I have seen firsthand the unconditional love that these little animals bring to our people.

Um, but bark's role extends far beyond adoption.

Everyday animals in our city um who suffer neglect, abandonment, abuse, and cruelty.

They cannot speak for themselves, and BARCS becomes their advocate, their refuge, and um often more than not, a better chance at uh living.

BARC also protects our neighborhoods by addressing stray and abandoned animals humanely, keeping our community safer.

When you fund BARC, you are not just funding an organization.

You are funding a community's well-being, its safety, and its compassion.

You are funding the healing of the people I serve and the protection of the voiceless animals that depend on us.

I respectfully urge you to please support BARC and approve their budget asking.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next, Bernadette Blanco to be followed by Darla Barry.

Hello, Houston City Leaders.

My name is Bernadette Blanco.

I am a longtime resident of the East End, District I.

I'm also a volunteer for Barrio Dogs, an animal welfare organization dedicated to creating a better future for animals and our community.

I help uh support Barrio Dog's Youth and Pause Education Program.

We're addressing Houston's animal overpopulation problem by providing education to teach young Houstonians and their families about proper pet care and the importance of spaying and neutering pets.

I am here to ask our city leaders to provide more funding for bark operations.

It is unacceptable and embarrassing that our city spends less on animal welfare than other major Texas cities.

My daily commute includes driving along Lockwood Drive between UH Main Campus and LBJ Hospital in Fifth Ward.

It's very common for me to see multiple stray dogs along this very busy thoroughfare.

And I actually saw a dog get hit and run over by a truck and then frightenly run across other lanes of traffic to get to safety.

It was almost hit by another car, but I was able to honk my horn and pause traffic long enough for the dog to get out of the street.

Sadly, I have seen multiple dead dogs on the side of this and many other Houston roads.

It is heartbreaking, not only for the dogs, but for the children and residents who live in that area.

It is traumatic.

Stray cats are also a concern.

There are currently three stray cats that are regularly on my property.

Their fighting and mating wakes me up at night.

My street, even though residential is very busy and cars are constantly speeding down the road.

About two months ago, a cat was hit and their deceased body laid on the utility easement for days.

My husband also found a half-deceased cat in our yard last month.

I am sure you all have read the June 2nd, 2026 opinion piece in the Houston Chronicle by Sharon Styman.

This article highlighted that our city allocates only $6.75 per person for BARK funding, while other Texas cities like Dallas and San Antonio spent almost $14 per person.

You all are all in a position to make a direct impact on Houston's animal overpopulation problem.

Please increase funding for bark.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next.

One moment, please.

Councilman Martinez.

Yes, Mayor.

I will just suspend the rules to add Lucy Moreno to the bottom of the two-minute um agenda list.

Motion made in a second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Yes, ma'am.

Hi, I'm Darla Barry with East End Kitties.

We are an all-volunteer organization that conducts TNR for about 250 cats a year, and we rescue kittens to get them off the streets.

I'm here today to tell you that we cannot solve Houston's animal overpopulation crisis on our own.

Every week I see dumped animals in my neighborhood, or someone reaches out for help with unwanted kittens or cats.

We are overwhelmed because we're trying to address a problem whose solution is already well known.

Spay and neuter is the most effective investment our city can make.

I would like to offer three suggestions.

We need to provide access to free spay and neuter services for low-income households.

For many families, this cost is simply out of reach.

We need public education campaign to share the enormous benefits of spaying and neutering.

Third, we could follow Seattle's lead and ban the unfair practice of pet rent.

Pet rent places a financial burden on low-income renters who often have to abandon their family member.

Pet damages can be covered by a pet deposit or the regular deposit.

We rescuers are willing to do the work, but we need stronger public commitment to prevention.

I want to add a final important plea for more funding for BARC.

They are a valuable partner, but they are required to meet an enormous challenge created by Houston residents who cannot afford veterinary care, or they don't care, or they don't understand the benefits of spay neuter.

BARC is expected to do this without the resources they need, and this is just not fair.

They need much greater funding to support a city of our size.

Houston can do better.

The answer is not more crisis response.

We could build 10 more shelters and they would all be full tomorrow.

The answer is prevention and education.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and thank you, Council Members Martinez and Castillo for your past support.

Darla, I was gonna make a comment to you.

Thank you.

Thanks.

I wanted to one thank you and all the other speakers that were here today to talk about BARC.

Y'all all made fantastic points as to why we need to add more resources to BARC and increase funding from the Spay and Newter to the education on responsible pet ownership to trap neuter release, all of it.

It's an all of the above approach.

This is why I've always advocated for more support for BARC through the city, through my service fund, working with uh organizations on the ground as well.

This is all part of a effort that ultimately is gonna need to involve the county as well because those lines don't mean anything to the animals.

And if we do everything right here in the city and the county's not doing it their part, that's it's not going to make the impact we want it to make.

So uh I'm committed to continuing continuing to support y'all in your efforts and working on those longer-term, bigger solutions as well.

Thank you.

Selena Bray Bulls.

To be followed by Lucy Moreno.

Good afternoon, Mayor Whitmeyer and City Council.

My name is Selena.

I'm a district C resident, and I'm an organizer with peer justice.

I'm here alongside my fellow community members in support of the people's budget and a couple recently proposed amendments.

I've had the honor of speaking to y'all before about the need to reimagine safety and put forth solutions that are based in resources and programs to meaningfully help those closest to our issues.

Yes, safety certainly involves updated apartment inspections and moves away from harmful traffic enforcement practices, and it also requires addressing residents' increasingly urgent needs before they evolve into active danger.

Like when large trash items accumulate on our streets, ditches, and sidewalks while the summer rains pick up, and this debris inevitably floats into the roads and clogs drains, which only worsens and quickens the local flooding.

The ongoing illegal dumping, the hiring crisis within public works, and lingering concerns regarding contracts and fiscal responsibility are all pressing matters and issues that one will not simply just vanish and two fall directly within your authority to take action on.

I urge you to move forward with amendments 402 to invest in hiring for the public works department, to have enough staff to address citywide drainage issues, 401 to allocate more funding for a legal dumping addressment, and 105 to create accountability measures for budget funds steered towards corporate benefits rather than again the city's pressing needs.

These amendments will help this budget more accurately reflect your stated positions of priorities of taking care of us as Houstonians, keeping us safe, and preparing the city for future generations and seasons.

The World Cup events that are happening here are going to be fun and vibrant and exciting in a way that only Houston can make happen.

And as we outstretch our arms towards visitors and fans from all over the world, we cannot forget to extend a hand to the community members who are most impacted year round by the criminal legal system, by infrastructure issues, and poverty.

We cannot do that.

Thank you for your time.

Mr.

Second Mayor.

Councilman Aaron Schwartz.

Thank you, Mayor.

I never want to miss an opportunity to encourage you.

You are just phenomenal, and you are the epitome of what we want to see in our youth.

And so thank you for coming forward.

We'll certainly consider what you have proposed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You too.

Thank you.

Lucy Moreno.

To be followed by Cheryl Chandler.

Thank you, Councilman Martinez, for adding me on.

First, I'd like to ask you to please put your phones down, pay attention.

I had to pay gas.

I'm on Social Security to get here.

So I think I deserve your attention.

You're asking five dollars more from us.

I'll gladly give it to you, but they better pick up my trash.

Yesterday I had to fight with them.

I'm handicapped.

They wanted me to push my trash can over to the other side because they had already passed outside.

And I'm sitting in my car.

I have cameras facing the street.

I have pictures, videos.

Then my other neighbor down the street, he's half paralyzed.

He comes dragging himself to let them know they didn't pick up his trash either.

The lady has a nerve to ask him to drag his trash cans over to them.

That's unacceptable.

You want our money?

Well, they better get on the ball, because it's not fair to us.

And I appreciate your time because on Social Security, we don't have money to be to spare.

And I'll be back next week because I have solutions for the bark then.

I think I brought them to you when you were an assistant to Trevino.

But I'm very angry.

Very angry.

Oh, best of all, they broke my trash can on purpose in front of my face.

My green one.

So there you go.

And if I have any media people out there, I will give them the videos.

I will give them every picture I have.

Because how dare they?

And I'm angry, maybe not directly at you, but the people that work for you, because they think we're ignorant, we're in the barrios, we're in wherever we live, and we're not gonna speak up.

They're very wrong because some of them, if some of us even have two degrees, but we live there because that's where we were raised.

I taught in that neighborhood, and I will always speak up for my neighborhood in the East End.

So how dare the city take that attitude with us?

That you can even break our trash can, because hey, you know, you don't feel like dealing with it.

So no.

And when I come up here, I'm gonna have receipts.

So I didn't come up here to waste your time or mine.

You want pictures?

I think I sent some to Councilman Martinez, Councilwoman Salinas's office, and I'll pull up my ring videos because this is one crazy woman that has 38 cameras around her house because I live too close to Greyhound.

So thank you for your time and for paying attention.

One moment, please.

Mayor Protein.

So, first of all, thank you for coming.

I apologize that you had that experience because that is definitely not the experience we want for Houstonians.

And if you do have footage of someone intentionally breaking your trash can, I definitely want to see it because that means that somebody either needs to be retrained or disciplined.

Um, also uh I want to know.

Are you familiar with our solid waste backdoor program?

Um, so if there are residents, we we have a couple of residents in our community that are paralyzed or have some mobility issues where they have the program where they can take their trash can in and out.

And if you aren't familiar with that, I would encourage um I'm not sure which one of your council members to make sure that you're familiar with that program, especially.

You said you had a neighbor that's paralyzed that we get him on the program so that we can try to assist with his trash on ones.

To drag himself two houses away from his to try to get his trash picked up.

Very wrong.

Right.

So I wanted to make sure you knew about those programs that we have and also that we will address if there was an incident of someone breaking your trash can intentionally, that's unacceptable, and we'd like to make sure that we have that footage that we can share with the people.

I can't open the recycle bin anymore.

I can get you a replacement.

It's still there, mine and the other gentleman's on the side.

I know your council member can definitely work to get you a replacement.

I know you well, and so we'll select us.

We can do it right now.

Uh a couple more council members want to ask you a question.

If you'll give Miss Wilson before you leave your address, we'll get you one.

Hopefully, it'll be there when you get home.

Okay.

And we're sorry about your experience.

Not reflective of solid waste.

We have outstanding city employees, and I'm not certain what was taking place yesterday, except somebody.

It hasn't just been yesterday.

I have another video where I have followed me.

We'll look at your videos.

And had Martinez's office on the phone like this, so they can hear.

Because they did not want to pick up my trash for some reason.

I don't know what the problem is.

Let me yield to my colleagues, but when you leave, give your address.

I will and uh we'll call the director.

He'll have someone deliver you.

You're talking about a recycling bin.

Thank yes, that's the one that's broken.

Okay.

Thank you for being here, Councilman Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Lucy, thank you for coming.

Um, I did get the direct message that you sent on Facebook, but uh I want to step out as well because uh aside from Facebook, it's good to call the office as well.

Uh the program that uh Mayor Pro Tem and Castle mentioned uh is something that we definitely want to make sure that you're on, and or any of any of the neighbors, it's something that we help a lot of our constituents, you know, get on if they have disabilities or have challenges taking the their uh refuse cart to the um to the um to the street as far as the uh the behavior as well uh mayor pro tem um comments if it's something that was done intentionally then allow my team to be able to look into it and help address it um as well.

But uh what I want to do is before uh I'm gonna step out and speak to you uh before you leave today.

I just want to make sure that you also have the office number, the district email, because though that footage is important and we can we can do something about it as well.

So again, thank you for coming.

I said I wasn't.

I forgot I said I have all the ring video.

What the heck am I paying for all these cameras for if I let no?

I I get it, and and like I said, I know we we communicate sometimes through uh Facebook messenger, but really the uh the the best way to get it go about doing you know this kind of work is to call the office so that way my team can jump on it as quickly as possible.

So I'll step out in a bit with you as well.

Can I ask the rest of you that that have seniors?

Please make sure that no one abuses that not taking their trash and they take it out on them.

It's easy to take it out on us because they think we're meek, we're not that meek.

I was out there trying to get people to vote that day all day.

So I will go out and fight for you guys, but you gotta fight for me.

Very good.

Councilmember Evans.

Thank you.

Hold on, Miss Moreno.

Oh, Miss Moreno.

Hold on.

Okay.

You know, I like your fire, Miss Moreno.

I mean, you're getting some act right in here.

You got everybody to put their phones down, especially me.

And certainly I appreciate that.

But you know, poor behavior and mistreatment is never acceptable.

And you know, you have a camera, but there are so many people that don't, but it shouldn't take a camera for people to know how to treat other people.

I mean, who's to say when or if we will ever be in a position where we may not be able to do those things that we are accustomed to doing, and so certainly it is very mindful of this body that more money does demand more accountability, and so certainly it would be um just a terrible thing for us to ask for the assistance to try to get these things and then not be accountable or the service does not improve, and so thank you for coming forward.

I'm gonna my phone is down, I can't promise it's gonna stay down, but certainly I do appreciate your fire and your coming today.

It's just I paid money for my gas.

I'm sorry.

One second, Councilor Selena.

I want to thank you so much for coming to council.

Um I'm so sorry that that happened to you.

It shouldn't happen to anybody, but you are incredibly brave and proud.

I know you spoke to Veronica on my team yesterday.

Know that we are all here to help you.

You are not alone in this fight.

Thank you for standing up for all seniors in Houston.

But we've got you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, everybody.

Talk to Miss.

Cheryl Chandler, to be followed by Randall Baxley.

Hello, my name is Cheryl Chandler.

Good afternoon to Mayer Whitmire and members of City Council.

Thank you to District B, Council Lady Jackson for her assistance.

Thank you for this opportunity, and I stand before you to respectfully request that City Council approve an honorary street marker at 611 Grove Street at Gillespie.

This marker is for Reverend Lacey, Reverend Bird Lacey Jr.

Reverend Lacey was a servant.

He preached 62 years.

He pastored at one church 40 years.

His earthly work included five churches that he pastored.

He built four of those churches, and all those churches under his leadership were when upon his departure, they were all paid for, which meant that they had burnt their note.

Reverend Lacey spent countless hours away from his family because of his God-given assignment at Greater Mount Olive.

The Black History Program was established, and your own councilman Pollard was our speaker.

He established a Lacey Day program, the Lester Herc Scholarship Fund, a youth choir that grew to 50 or more children.

The say to know drug program, the vacation Bible school.

He re-established the women's mission department each summer.

We had backpacks for every child in the community and a voucher where they could go buy their uniforms.

Reverend Lacey was also honored as past of the year by Prairie View AM University Ministry Association.

He held a title of Dean in the South Texas District, where he taught ethics.

He was honored by the late Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvester Turner for his tireless work in the fifth ward community.

I do not have a lot of time to tell you all of his accomplishments, but I respectfully ask that City Council please approve this marker for a man that was had integrity, character, morals, and honesty, a man that you would have been proud to know.

Please approve this marker because it will celebrate our mother's husband, our father's lifetime service at one church, one corner, and one community in Fifth Ward for 40 years.

Thank you for your time, leadership, and commitment to our city.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Ma'am, ma'am.

Ms.

Jackson, uh, Councilman Jackson.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Ms.

Chanley for coming in.

I'm really excited and honored to um vote on the market tomorrow.

And I know my colleagues will join me in supporting um getting this approved.

And so thank you for sharing the um the just the impact, um, Mr.

Lacey has made on our communities and so thank you.

Looking forward to voting, and thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

One more, ma'am.

Yes, ma'am.

Council Pollard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

No, I want to thank you for coming forward in those remarks you made.

Um, uh your family has a very rich history, and it needs to be commemorated and celebrated and acknowledged.

You're doing that today on behalf of your family.

Uh, and I want to give an acknowledgement to not only Reverend Lacey but the entire family for your sacrifices and contributions as well, because it really is a community and a family affair.

So thank you again and look forward to it.

You did a great job when you came.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Randall Baxley.

To be followed by Jovon Tyler.

Good afternoon.

My name is Randall Baxley.

I am a resident of District H.

And uh I have mailed a statement to Renee that uh is paying attention to another constituent at the moment.

But Renee, if if he could uh send the statement over, it's probably a lot.

I don't know how much time I have here, whether I have one, I I'm on second on the second list there.

I have three minutes.

We got a little bit of time then, so I can say a little bit, but the I'm slow, and there's a statement that I've prepared that is in an email he can send to the rest of y'all.

Um, and the uh this last week, White Oak and Buffalo bios, as well as a little white oak bio, all came very close to they came to a level that they did uh damage some properties, and we're moving towards getting to others.

The uh street flooding in the heights on Saturday afternoon was terrible.

Uh item five is one that's near and dear to my heart.

Is it's I mean, these wells have to be cleaned down down inside the drains.

The drain goes along, and as the trash goes by, there are wells down in there, and those the trash goes in those wells.

When those wells get full, the trash just goes and blocks something up, and then that's what we get is those kind of flooding that we had in the street and heights with this weekend.

Uh if these types of projects of item five are produced quickly and and done right, that will not happen because where we have already produced large pipes in the parts of the city.

Uh other than that, I want to speak to the super neighborhood and the civic clubs and the super neighborhood alliance as being a much better process, as good as this process is of coming and talking to you.

That process is much better in allowing individuals to move up from their from their residence where they see a problem, can take that problem to their to their neighborhood, take that to the super neighborhood.

The super neighborhood can take that to the super neighborhood alliance.

The mayor appoints people from the super neighborhood alliance and from others that come to that to the committees that produce ordinances that this body votes on.

And that process needs to be known to all residents, not just to those of us who took care to dig it out.

And so I thank you.

Thank you for your comments today.

Councilmember Castillo, sir.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.

Randy, did you say you you have a statement here to be distributed to us?

Yes.

If Renee can have an email, can you forward that email on to them?

I want to make sure we do get that if you brought it for us.

Yeah, I I had I prepared it to short of time and didn't have time to put to find the uh I have the mayor and all of y'all.

Okay.

Well, thank you for being here and for your comments.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Jovon Tyler.

Javon Tyler.

Javon Tyler, next speaker.

Vernon Bruce Art.

Vernon Bruce Hart.

To be followed by Elissa Koyar.

Hello, council.

My name is Vernon Bruce Art.

I lived in District B for over two decades.

I'm a proud member of Northeast Collective.

With the budget being voted then, with the budget vote being tomorrow, I'm asking the city council to make sure they vote yes against the abendments and for reporting the abatements.

The amendments concerning illegal dumping and the amendments for getting more resources ensure public works meets their crucial KPI of hiring 500 employees.

The amendments for public works absolutely is crucial for my neighborhood, Glenwood Forest.

We have flooded far too many times for this problem to be ignored.

And now my home and many others face head-on increased risk of flooding with the new FEMA maps and the ditches in my neighborhoods are one of our main lines of defense.

I want to recognize the strong investments from this for this council.

And to re uh into the ditch reestablishment programs and what flood protection could mean for Glenwood Forest.

This protection can help our communities recover, reduce flood risk, and protect what is often a family's most valuable assets, our homes.

But none of this can be done in a timely fashion without public works being fully staffed.

Please support the passing amendments of four point zero two.

I can't emphasize this clearly enough.

We need to make sure we keep the infrastructure working and additional throughout the Northeast Houston.

We are throughout the Northeast Houston, there are dangerous tree limbs hanging over power lines in homes.

I would like to see the city take a more productive approach in addressing these hazards before they cause damage similar to what many residents of Spears during Hurricane Barrel.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss ideas and collaborate on situations to help address this issue.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and your service to our cities.

Councilmember Jackson, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming in and sharing your um statement.

Um if there are any power lines or trees around power vegetation, um, reach out to our office, um 832 393 3009, that's the district B office, and contact 311 so that that can be reported.

And we actually had a um disaster recovery preparedness workshop on Saturday.

And um Center Point was there, and right now Center Point is in the community clearing up vegetation, and so the only way we know where this vegetation is at and need to be cleared up is if you guys let us know.

So please contact our office, and then Mary is in the audience or someone from my staff will get with you so that we can get that location.

Okay.

Thank you again for coming in.

Yes, ma'am, thank you.

You have a blessing.

Next speaker, Elissa Koyar, to be followed by David Espinoso.

Afternoon.

Uh my name is Elisa Quayer.

I'm a resident of District D.

First, I wanted to voice my support for some amendments, some of them have already been brought up, uh, including the increased hiring capacity for public works, increased transparency and reporting for economic development agreements for the Solid Waste Department for all of the departments.

Um I also wanted to voice my support for I heard Director Mackay say something like Public Works is working on making water rates more equitable across their customer base.

I look forward to seeing what that work turns up.

Um, and I wanted to say that I I see the city's need for more revenue, and I am glad actually that you are working to find a solution.

I think in this trash fee and in the move from the CUS, uh, the right-of-way fee from the CUS, you have found a patch for the boat that may hold for the moment.

Um, but in my opinion, I do not think it is equitable.

I do not think it is a long-term solution, and in fact, I think uh as time progresses, it will actually place a higher share of the burden on a smaller number of people.

Um, and I'm not inherently opposed to a trash fee.

Uh I want solid waste to have the funding it needs.

I want our health department and our housing department and our water system and our libraries to have the funding that they need to.

Uh I I think, like a lot of people, uh worry that our city is moving towards a place where it is just a police department with uh cup holders.

Uh and I came here for three reasons, really.

One, somebody told me there would be free food.

Two, I love this city, and I I want it to be as good as possible for all the people who live here.

And three, a little over a month ago, I watched uh something that hundreds of Houstonians had advocated for for months, came up for a vote, and the only thing that really mattered was not the law, it was not their words, it was not their stories, it wasn't their fear or their grief or or their opinion of the people that you govern, but the opinion of the governor, and that is not right.

It is not representative democracy, and I think it is a sign that something is broken here.

So I I know you have hard decisions, and I urge you to really listen to the people here today, and tonight really consider what your responsibility to the people of the city who have the least amount of power as you make your decisions.

Uh and I suppose that's all I really wanted to say.

Thank you so much.

Have a nice day.

Thank you.

David Espinoza.

To be followed by Karina Blast.

Hello, Mayor, Council members.

My name is David Valentine Espinoza.

I am a co-director at Westury Recovery and a resident of Fifth Ward.

So for the past five years that I've been uh doing volunteer work, working at West Street, me and my neighbors have been researching and just figuring out the ways, the reasons as to why flooding happens in our neighborhood.

And ultimately, what my neighbor is going to say or have said over right now, right now or the past five years that I've been I've been working with them.

The big thing is investment, right?

We need investment in the resources that we that we need, the infrastructure that will actually keep floodwaters off of our homes, that actually to invest in our safety and our well-being or state of mind that allows us to live there long term, allows us to run our businesses, and make our communities feel safe.

Although, of course, I do want to acknowledge that I know that there is some funding already set aside for LDP and the dish re-establishment, and these are very important to address these uh the problems of the neighborhood, things that happen in our communities with flooding.

So I want to thank y'all for that.

But that's you know, a start.

But let's get to the point.

Um, but I'm asking here uh the council to support three amendments.

That's amendment 4.01 that will allocate 3 million for illegal dumping.

Um, there's a problem with big big uh uh open lots or uh streets with no no uh front-facing houses where just trash is jumped off sometimes by contractors.

There's a lot of building material out there that we picked up during our cleanup day.

Um, and these are like streets like Wayside, Liberty Road, Green River Road, focus streets that y'all probably have driven down, probably want to avoid driving down because of how it looks.

Um, 4.02.

That's investing 500k in five um hiring public works department employees.

Um, and that's it's simple.

We need to invest in in hands, working hands that will uh build that drainage infrastructure, and amendment 1.05, and that's to implement accountability measures for the $93 million dollars that we give in tax abatements to corporations, and this is to keep tabs of our industries uh that receive tax abatements to make sure that they're following up on their end of the bargain uh as far as job creation goes.

And these amendments are the step in the right direction, but considering last year's budget and what we've read in this year's budget, um I feel like it we do feel like it does more harm than good.

So I'm asking all of my council members to vote no on that budget, to oppose an inequitable trash fee, the pleasure of our water infrastructure funding, and continued over investment in policing.

Overall, the budget is not serve the people who are supposed to be represented in this room.

So, what we want is a people's budget.

So I want you to keep looking at that over there where the people are the city.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Next, Karina Blast.

To be followed by Mirtala Tristan.

Thank you very much, Calsen men and women, Mayor Wintmeyer.

Thank you from for giving me this opportunity to speak.

I'm here to speak primarily about the trash fee.

I am absolutely okay with paying for trash.

I deeply appreciate our public workers, and I think they deserve a better pay.

It is thanks to uh Chris Hollins and Edward Pollard that I'm here to what I have called the Great Switcher Rule, taken from the general fund and put it into public utility fund.

Uh Councilman Joaquin Martinez has been uh very instrumental in helping me with my 311 requests, and as I don't know, I hope you don't remember, but I have called twice because of my sewage being backed up and overflowing into my home.

The sewage fund needs to be protected, the water fund needs to be protected.

Please, councilman and woman, do not approve this trash fee.

We need equitable trash fee.

I guarantee you somebody with a home that is one, two, three million dollars have a lot more trash than I produce in my home that is not of that amount, and they would not be bothered to pay a greater amount than it's what's being proposed.

Something that we're not talking about is a landfill situation, and I think that needs to be addressed, because right now the landfill is not being accounted into our 43 dollars, which is actually the cost of our trash fee.

It is not $25 and it's not five dollars.

So I am happy to pay for the actual cost of our trash fee.

However, we need to be talking about our landfill situation because we're going to run out of space and our cost is going to increase dramatically because those trash, the trash they pick up, they're gonna be transported much farther away, and the cost of actually creating new landfill will be, I'm sure very high.

Something else that I want to share with you all.

Last Saturday morning, a man carrying a machete ran down my driveway into my backyard, and I thought I was being delusional, but that actually happened.

I'm uh not happy to report that our neighborhood made into the Greasy Hood news where you can check out footage of this incident.

Why am I bringing this up?

Did I call HPD?

No, sir, I did not, because I needed help, so I need to call our constables because when I call the constables, they are at my door 10 to 15 minutes.

And why is that?

They have accountability, something that HPD, whom I deeply respect, do not have.

So instead of giving them an 8% increase in salary, use that money to provide GPS trackers so that when somebody calls HPD, they respond in an adequate amount of time.

I have called HPD before, it's two plus hours wait if they show up.

We have a problem, Houston, and it needs to be addressed.

So please allocate funds where they need a budget of 40 60 percent in HPD, that's not what we need.

Thank you very much.

To be followed by Anita Guevara.

She needs a translator, so she'll go first then.

It's an area, ustedes says, inundations.

No les parece, entonces, porque estamos descubriendo que canard dinero para construir los trabajadores necessarios para cumplir de sus promesas de protegernos.

Existemante and prevenir la communication la cumulation de basura futura.

Tengamos que vivir aterrizadas cada vez que llueve y tener una mejor calidad de vida.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council members.

I am Mirtala Tristan, and I live in Lakewood area of District B, and I'm a member of the Northeast Action Collective.

As you know, our community frequently floods from uh suffers from flooding because the sea sits at the junction of local bayous.

Due to high poverty levels, many of my neighbor neighbors lack adequate insurance coverage and face immerse difficulty recovering after a disaster.

For instance, the drainage ditches in my neighborhood are shallow and there are no ditches at all along Las Cruces Avenue.

Furthermore, during a cleanup day this past March organized by NAC, the Northeast Action Collective, my neighbors and I collected furniture, debris, and trash from the roadsides and out of the ditches.

This situation causes severe water accumulation at the intersection along Las Cruces, as the water cannot reach the bayou during rainy days like the ones we've experienced recently.

There are too many problems and to me.

The logical step is to invest more in our community.

Don't you all agree?

So why are we finding out that you want to cut the funding needed to hire the workers that are required to fulfill your promises to protect us?

This is why I am here to say that I support amendment 402, which would hire the necessary workers to complete this project, employing people from our own community.

I also support amendment four point zero one to help manage the cleanup of existing trash and prevent future accumulation that could clog waterways and cause flooding.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And until Hurricane Harvey's hit since then, the drainage in my neighborhood has not been kept up during Harvey, the water was so high we were trapped in the neighborhood waiting for help, and there was nothing we could do except wait until the water cleared up.

But even to this day, it takes days for water to evaporate because it has nowhere to drink.

This past week it rained for days, and the inner section were full of water.

Preventable flooding like this makes it very difficult to navigate.

For elders like myself and my son who is blind.

This is not just an inconvenience.

It is a threat to our health because it can take it can make getting to dialysis and to the doctors very difficult.

Why does this happen?

This streets near me have no drainage system at all.

Blacks away, there is inlets, but they're full of trash and mud.

The ditches everywhere else in the neighborhood or in the community or too shallow and too overgrown with grass.

Some of them do not even lead water into the bio.

There are ditches to nowhere.

We need investment in drainage system, but illegal dumping makes it way worse.

There's heavy trash along Las Cruces Avenue and even more in Green River Road that ends up in ditches.

Contractors who do not care about our neighborhood know when no one is looking, no one will hold them accountable.

My neighbors in NAC do their best to clean up after them, but we cannot keep up.

What I am asking for, I am asking for support from you all.

We need dedicated funds to address illegal dumping.

We need you to end the hiring priests and investing workers to finish the job.

I have seen good work you have done on homewood and woodland to let the water flow easily, but we need your time has expired.

Say yes to vote yes for amendment for zero one and for zero two.

Councilman Jackson.

Thank you, Mayor.

And thank you, Miss Anita.

Ms.

Anita, thank you for coming in and um sharing your testimony.

Miss Anita, and thank you for coming in and sharing your testimony.

So what I need for you to do, if you see some illegal dumping over in your area, can you contact 311, please?

And then contact our office.

You can even text us and let us know.

We have a hot scene that's running throughout the district five days out of the week, picking up tires, picking up illegal dumping.

They're having seniors cut their grass.

They're doing a lot of great work in the district, and so I want you to be able to take advantage of that.

Um, and just know that the flooding, we I know Lake Wood has some serious drainage issues.

Um, and so I'll be following up just to make sure you got you know exactly what projects are happening in your area and when they're gonna happen.

So just want you to know we are working on it, it didn't get that way overnight, but we're working to make sure that everything is taken care of, and and the the there's money in the budget to take care of those issues, okay?

But thank you again for coming in.

I really appreciate you sharing your testimony, okay?

Bye bye.

Dominique Chuck Home.

Elizabeth Lumia.

To be followed by Stephanie Valdez.

Hello, everyone.

Um council members, mayor, my name is Beth Lumia.

I'm the co-director of disaster preparedness at Western Recovery, and I'm also a member of the Northeast Action Collective.

And I'm resident of District C and uh Councilmember Panzarella, really nice to see you.

Um, congratulations.

Um, I am here today because the working class Estonians cannot afford a new five-dollar monthly trash fee, especially with the promise that the fee will only increase.

People are struggling right now.

I don't know if you've noticed, I don't know if you all have been listening.

Life is not easy for a lot of people in Houston.

Snap benefits have been slashed and or eliminated entirely.

While the cost of gas, groceries, and housing continue to skyrocket.

We're still thinking about adding on a $5 monthly trash fee.

You cannot ask Houston families to pay a budget gap.

They did not create.

Before moving to Houston, I live my whole life as a New Yorker.

So let me tell you a little bit about what's going on up there.

Just a couple of days ago, the NYPD announced record lows in major crime, transit crime, housing authority crimes, among other things as well, for the first five months of this year.

That's not because they increased an already inflated police budget, or because they put thousands more officers on the streets.

That happened by funding critical infrastructure, public services, and community support systems.

When you fund parks, when you fund infrastructure, when you fund the resources that people need to thrive, they do.

Okay.

Well, enough about New York.

Now let's talk about Houston.

Council members, I'm asking each of you to vote yes on the following three of them, following three amendments.

Amendment 4.01 to allocate three million to tackle the illegal dumping, which is an issue that impacts all districts.

As well as amendment 4.02 to invest 500,000 to hiring public work, project managers and inspectors, so we can finally fix the drainage problems that are tearing through our neighborhoods.

And lastly, amendment 1.5 to implement accountability measures for the 93 million, the 93 million dollars in this city's budget that is spent on corporate tax abatements instead of social services.

Finally, I urge you, all of the council members to vote no on the budget.

We must oppose this inequitable trash fee, stop the depletion of our infrastructure funds, and stop continued overinvestment in policing.

This current budget will make life harder for everyday Houstonians by passing a regressive fee in draining money from the very water infrastructure that keeps Houston healthy and safe.

Thank you.

Stephanie Valdez.

To be followed by Eric Gonzalez.

Good afternoon, Council.

My name's Stephanie Valdez, and I lead the water justice program with the Coalition for the Environment's Equity and Resilience.

And I am also a member of the Northeast Action Collective.

For years, Houstonians have been told that difficult decisions have to be made, that there's simply not enough money to fund the services that our communities need.

Yet somehow, year after year, we continue to find hundreds of millions of dollars for policing, while the departments responsible for keeping our city functioning are asked to do more with less.

For example, look at the library.

This budget continues that pattern.

It is a budget that's balanced on the backs of working people.

It asks residents to pay more while receiving less.

It shifts costs, delays investments, and relies on accounting maneuvers instead of addressing the root causes of Houston's financial challenges.

One of the most concerning examples is the diversion of water utility funds to help offset the cost of a new trash fee.

Water utility dollars should not be should be used for water infrastructure only.

Houston does not have a surplus water system.

Houston has a water crisis.

Our city is dealing with aging infrastructure, water main breaks, sewage overflows, flooding, and decades of deferred maintenance.

Residents across Houston have repeatedly raised concerns about water quality, reliability, and affordability.

HISD schools continue to grapple with lead contamination concerns, and families deserve confidence that the water coming out of their tabs is safe.

At a time where we should be making historic investments, investments in our water system, this budget moves us in the opposite direction.

Houston continues to flood.

Every major storm exposes the vulnerabilities in our infrastructure, that neighborhoods have flooded multiple times, are still waiting for solutions.

You all have heard their stories, they're here week after week, taking time off work, and they're all urging you to listen to our needs.

Yet public work remains understaffed, under resourced, and no not prioritized.

The people responsible for maintaining our roads, drainage systems, water lines, wastewater systems, and critical infrastructure are being asked to do more with fewer resources.

We cannot continue to demand first-class services from departments that are operating with a staff shortage.

The reality is that infrastructure does not care about politics.

Water lines will break whether we fund them or not.

Drainage systems will fail whether we invest them in or not.

Floor waters will continue to rise whether we prepare for them or not, and at the end of the day, you can't shoot a flood.

At the same time, large corporations continue receiving tax abatements and incentives while residents residents are told to tighten their belts.

This is not fiscal responsibility or a balanced budget.

This is not putting Houstonians first.

The truth is that every budget is a moral document.

It reflects our values.

It tells us who matters and what matters.

And this budget tells us that we continue finding money for policing while under investing in water drainage, public infrastructure, and services that import that improve people's quality of life.

Mayor Whitmeyer, this will become a part of your legacy.

For those council members who are nearing the end of your term, this budget will also become a part of your legacy.

And for the council members who will be here long after this vote, you will be left to manage the consequences of these decisions.

Your time has expired.

Remember who you are accountable to, your constituents, and Houston deserves better.

Next, Eric Gonzalez.

Tracy Hamlin.

Siri Vorvick.

To be followed by Larissa Jacobs.

Hello, council members and mayor.

I'm Siri Vorvick.

I'm a resident of District C, and I'm here as one representative of the Houston People's Budget.

I'm a professional urban planner, and I have a degree in urban studies and urban planning.

As an urban planner, I'm deeply familiar with how drainage infrastructure is implicated in the quality of people's lives.

Infrastructure impacts us all, whether through the dirty water that comes through my tap, or even more dangerously, the overflowing ditches that enter yards and homes in Northeast Houston.

For years, you have heard from residents with decades of experience trying to protect themselves, their families, and their children from toxic water due to drainage issues in Houston.

And as you know, funding infrastructure is a key way to ensure physical and mental health, which in turn supports a safe and connected city.

It is a preventative measure instead of reactionary, and everyone deserves a baseline of a safe, functioning and clean city.

I'm here today to ask you to vote yes on amendments 1.05, 4.01, and 4.02 from Council members Ramirez and Salinas.

The mayor is urging the council members to remove these amendments and impede the democratic process.

Councilmember Ramirez and Councilmember Salinas, we urge you to stand strong on our behalf and not withdraw these amendments.

First, we need to reinvest in hiring in the public works department and keep that department accountable to its promises through these measures.

Second, it is paramount we implement accountability measures for the 93 million dollars spent on corporate interests instead of social services.

Yet all of this comes at the cost of a budget that turns its back on its citizens.

I'm here today to ask you, council members, to vote no on this budget, oppose the inequitable and burdening trash fee, the depletion of infrastructure funds, and the continued overinvestment in policing.

A city should take care of its people first and foremost, and a city's budget is a reflection of its commitment to doing so.

I've heard that this city prides itself on affordability.

And yes, that is uh part of the reason why I moved here.

Yet the approvals of last year's budget and this year's budget shows that affordability is no longer a priority, which many in this council ran their campaigns on, and this is a change demonstrated in my own lived experience.

This budget betrays your priorities and the most vulnerable populations you represent, and the people do not believe this budget stands for them.

So you have the power to serve the people, and I'm sure you are ready to take a stand to do so.

Thank you.

Ma'am, just a second, Councilman.

Thank you so much for coming to speak.

Really appreciate your advocacy.

Um, I just wanted to clarify one thing you said.

The administration is not opposed to my amendments and has actually been quite supportive of providing additional funding towards illegal dumping and combating it.

So just wanted to clarify, we're all on the same page about pushing forward on that amendment.

Okay, that's great to hear.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, Larissa Jacobs.

To be followed by Terry Smith.

Thank you so much for having me today.

I'm Larissa Jacobs.

My nickname is LJ.

I'm with Fit Houston.

We're a nonprofit serving the health of communities.

We now have about 20 walking groups, actually, a few more.

Our groups combat chronic diseases and loneliness, social isolation by bringing people together to walk and activate public spaces, communities, neighborhoods.

Many of you have walked with us, and we're very grateful.

We do what we do because the Centers for Disease Control says that walking is the physical activity of choice to reduce or prevent chronic disease.

Now, many of our walkers are seniors.

They need to get outside and increase their vitamin D, which is an epidemic among that population, and many of us actually.

They love our groups.

You have brand new sidewalks there where we walk, but they've been telling me they don't want to go outside often because I can't believe I'm saying this, but they're telling me they've been bitten.

Um, which that was the first time I I'd heard that they'd actually been bitten by by loose dogs.

So, you know, I see this in all neighborhoods, not just in the east part of Houston.

I just wanted to clarify we're seeing it all over.

So we really support the investment in BARC.

We would love to see some kind of solution, um, so that we don't have to be in, I call it crouching defensive pose when you're just trying to get healthy.

So anything that you can do to make sure that that investment happens, um, we would be in support of it.

We just want to be able to walk and be healthy.

Walking is free, and it's a lot cheaper than insulin um or other treatment for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.

So thank you so much.

Ramirez.

Thank you, uh Larissa.

Always good to see you down here.

And thank you for the work that you do at Fit Houston.

As you may know, Councilmember Castillo has offered a budget amendment to add some funding to BARC.

And uh I'm grateful that he's done that, and I'm supportive of that because the issue you bring up is an important one.

We hear from people all over the city about uh dangerous and scary encounters with dogs, and um your walkers deserve to be able to enjoy that uh free of the you know the fear of being bitten by by a dog.

So I just want to say that and not to detract from your message, was which is an important one.

I do want to note that you are also here as a proud mom.

Your daughter Trudy, who's in the back there.

Trudy, would you stand up?

Thank you, yes.

Thank you so much.

Is the newest member of my staff, so proud to have her on staff.

She was an intern last summer, did a great job, and recently graduated from the University of Texas, hook'em horns, and we're just grateful to have her.

Thank you.

She loves working here and she believes in the city, and I don't have the right to speak for her, but we both do.

We love our city.

Um, I should also say we have done yoga outside and have pit bulls weaving through our yoga mats.

Very terrifying.

Uh, so we're just fortunate nothing's happened yet, but but thank you so much for your support.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Next, Terry Smith.

Kendra London.

To be followed by E.

Sosa.

Ido Samuen.

Good afternoon.

Um, I would like to say thank you to the mayor and to Councilmember Jackson as well as your chief of staff, Miss Mary Moreno, for your swift and your swift response and professionalism to the residents of Clint Manna.

But I wanted to know, did you all know I'm here to advocate for the residents?

The residents have been taking off the speaking minutes for today.

Were you aware of it?

Yeah, she's there.

She's here, but her name was removed when I visited her apartment yesterday.

She signed up on my phone to speak, and her name is not on here.

So I shouldn't be speaking for her.

She should have time to speak for herself.

But um council member Ramirez is who I was coming to speak to.

The last time I was here, he asked me about Clem Manor residents.

I spoke with him about the harsh conditions that NHPF, NHP Foundation has the residents living in.

The resident NHPL Foundation has not been held accountable since 2020 for sewer damage.

The same concern that has been happening over six consecutive years for the same building.

Not different buildings, the same exact building.

The young lady who is here to speak for herself has been going through this since 2019.

She's navigated through the hardships.

She's been in so I say she's been insulted by the amount of money that has been offered to her.

So I understand inside of the office.

I used to be on housing myself.

I used to be on section eight, and then I um gained stability to get off.

So now I understand both sides.

The NHBF gave me $300 and $250 gift cards to issue to four different units as a um a fix.

Since this young lady has been going through this, not one thing has been resolved.

She's bought her own equipment to fix the sewer damage.

No one would want to live two hours in what she's navigating through with disabled children.

There was feces coming up through her bathroom sink on yesterday.

I have it in my phone.

I videoed it.

That was water coming from the wall going through the hallway.

Ever since she put that concern in, not one maintenance order has been done.

I want to know this new program that the city created that is going for these slum lords.

Why are we still allowing private developers to come in with their own nonprofit?

That nonprofit does not do a quality assurance for the resident.

It only covers the mistakes of the developer.

And nobody is held accountable for all of the harsh financial hardships that they have to go through.

She can't even turn her lights off, her air off because of the smell of mold that will that she would have to go through for her children.

They would have to consume this.

And nobody's putting their putting any pressure on NHP.

And it's not like I'm against developers, I'm against the injustice that goes on for the residents.

Who takes up for the people?

Nobody.

Thank you, um, Mayor.

Thank you, Kendra, for just your advocacy.

You're always advocating for the folks in District B, um, and and particularly Clement Manor apartment complexes in the area.

Um I was under the impression that the health department um had went out from the previous request, and it was a request two weeks ago.

Um, from understanding they went out, but I will follow up with the health department, and then we'll come out and do an inspection um of you know the area of the the, I guess it's the building that she lives in.

Yes, but of the other.

And it's not just her, it's all four units, right?

So one of my biggest concerns is the residents will come to me and tell me the harassment that they experience after they say what's going on in their apartment.

Then all of a sudden, these letters of back pay that they owe come up.

All of these letters of 24 hour inspection is now due.

This is harassment after they tell you that they simply want standard living conditions.

Who is going to hold them accountable?

And the reason why I was asking Mr.

Moritz uh Ramirez, Councilmember Ramirez, the last time I was here, he asked me everything that was going on with NHPO.

They had people coming in, and I asked them not to come in there with City of Houston shirts on so they could build true rapport with the residents, and I said that for free and consult it.

And then it's still the same thing with the same people.

And I watched the front office who is owned by the developers.

That company is hired by the developers also to say, oh, it's income tax time, watch them buy all this new furniture.

They're not buying new furniture because they want to, they're buying new furniture because it's bed, it's all bed bugs.

It's infested with bad bugs and roaches.

So they don't want to spend their money like that.

Thank you for being here.

We talked to Rebecca Williams and let her work with you.

Thank you.

Rebecca.

To be followed by Terry Blanton of Missouri City.

Good afternoon, Mayor Whitmore and Council members.

One in ten women have endometriosis, one in ten have PCOS, and eight out of ten black women will have fibroids by the age of 50.

And when women are dealing with these debilitated hormonal and horrible period problems, they go to their medical doctors and they're often offered birth control or surgery, which unfortunately doesn't address the root cause and often leads to repeat procedures and in some cases delayed fertility.

My name is Asusa at Dosum1.

I'm a certified nutrition specialist, board certified coach, and the founder of Staying Ageless Coaching.

And for the past six going on seven years, I've been helping women reverse symptoms of hormonal imbalance naturally using simple diet supplements and lifestyle recommendations.

And because we're virtual, we're service women all over the country and all over the world.

We have an 83% success rate.

Some examples, my client Chanel, who was bleeding for over a year straight.

She went to multiple OBGYNs, could not find relief.

She joined our program and her period normalized in three weeks.

Or my client Cheedy, who was sent by her OBGYN, she had an ovarian cyst, fibroids, 40 pounds overweight.

She had horrible acne, and she was on 15 medications at the end of our program.

She had gone down to one medication, her skin had cleared, and her final ultrasound showed that she had no um cyst on her ovaries, one remaining fibroid, and she also lost 40 pounds.

For the second year in a row, we're hosting our womb wellness workshop at the SED Institute in Houston.

And I'm doing this in tandem with two other women-led businesses.

Helping them understand how to deal with things holistically and offering a QA for them to get their questions answered.

So we would love and would be honored to have you all there.

Um, whether you can join or send a representative or just get the word out to your districts, we'd be really appreciative because your presence would really tell us that women's health really does matter.

And I'm also currently building the technology to build to bring this kind of hormonal health care to women at scale, especially holistic.

And so if there's any initiatives in the city that connects to work happening, I would also love to continue the conversation.

I really appreciate your time today.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you so much for being here today.

Um, what you said definitely resonates with me.

Um, I think that it is important that so many women suffer through their hormonal challenges in silence, and we can definitely amplify that message.

Um, you being here does that.

Uh, if you could uh share the information about the event, I'm happy to share that with our constituents in hopes that we can reach uh any other women that may be suffering and and looking for opportunities to help um to clear up some of these concerns or questions that they may have about their health.

Thank you.

If you can email our offices, that would be extremely helpful.

If you send it to me, I'll send it out to the uh council members if you don't have access to all of our emails, but it's on the city's website.

Okay, perfect.

If it's if it's easy easier that way.

I have I have a card copy of uh, okay.

You give it to Renee, he can give it to us, but I'll send you an email as well, too.

Perfect, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Terry Blanton of Missouri City to be followed by Gabriel Patin.

Good afternoon, everyone.

I am most grateful for being here.

Less than a week ago, I was in ICU.

I had a heart attack.

My blood pressure went over 240, but I am here today because I'm here for a cause.

I am the CEO.

I have a production company, but right now we're talking about teen scene, as you can see, our t-shirts.

These are not just t-shirts, guys.

I had all of this memorized, but I can't remember all of this, so I'm gonna just go what I know.

When I look around and I see the people are the city, I think about our kids because I believe that our teenagers are our future.

Right now, the teenagers are getting a bad rap in the media, but I'm here today to show you that there are great kids out here.

I brought her here just to show you all this.

While we were sitting here listening to everybody, this is what she did.

But she also did this, not right now, you guys.

She didn't do this right now, but she also did this.

So what I'm trying, what what we're doing with teen scene, what I am asking the city to do is to invest in our teens.

There are positive teens out there that are doing great things.

I stepped up to the uh to the plate to say that I am willing to mentor.

I have teachers out here.

As you can see, they went to put money in the meter.

I think they thought they had to put money in the meter, so some of them are gone, but we have mentors out there, business owners, people that have stepped up.

We need to come back and invest in our in our kids.

Not all of our teenagers are negative.

There are positive teenagers that are out there that's doing positive things.

Those are the things that we need to be thinking about.

These are the things that we need to be investing in.

What we plan to do is show them just like her, entrepreneurship.

And it's teenagers, it's summertime, so there's a lot of things to get into.

So we want to make sure that our teens are getting into something positive.

Back in the day, I went to Ashtora and Waterborough.

They don't have Asteroid and Waterborough anymore.

We have all of these buildings that are out here that are just sitting idle.

What I'm coming to you today to ask you is that if you give me the chance and the opportunity that I will fill those buildings with something positive, I will fill it with kids, and I'm sorry, you guys, I'm a little emotional.

I will fill it with kids and teenagers that are doing something with their lives.

I have a 16-year-old daughter, and I also work at the airport.

Um I also did a um me and Sylvester Turner was friends as well.

I did a uh time has expired.

With him.

With them at with him as with him as well.

Um, so where I was at work one day, I asked one of the kids that was flying out to Puerto Rico.

I asked him, I said, why are these kids doing this?

This takeover thing.

What is this about?

He said, Ms.

Perry, it's just like the adults are listening with no ears.

And I didn't understand what that meant until I walked away.

Really not paying attention.

Thank you for being here today.

Um we are listening.

Um, and I do want to let you know, many of our offices support the Case for Kids program through Harris County Department of Education.

Um, those are grants that are available for organizations to apply for if you're not familiar with it.

Um that would be an opportunity for us to support programs for our teens, and you can find it on the Harris County Department of Education website.

They do a couple of cycles of grant funding throughout the year, and it's also available for summer funding.

So please uh look at that opportunity as well, and thank you for sharing um her craft with us.

Um, I too went to Astro World and Waterworld.

Um my first job was at Astro World, so I the young people today are definitely missing out on the fun that we did have growing up.

So thank you for caring about our youth and our teens, and we appreciate the work that you're doing.

We say it all the time, government can't do this work alone, and we need people like you to help us to make sure that we are raising um great great um boys and girls to be productive citizens in our great city.

So thank you.

Thank you again, God bless you.

Gabriel Patin.

Doris Ellis Robinson to be followed by Matthew Rankin, good afternoon, Houston City Council and Mayor and all the good friends and good people of Houston.

Um I stand here today because I am a proud Houstonian, and I'm always coming up with things that I think can make Houston a little bit better and to appreciate uh your service.

So good afternoon, Mayor Whitmeyer, members of the council, distinguished guests and fellow citizens.

I am Doris Ellis Robinson.

I'm publisher of the Houston Sun newspaper and president of the Houston Sun Foundation.

We are a newspaper who has been around since 1983, and we are still here and excited about our opportunity to work with that First Amendment that gives us the opportunity to be here in this setting today to talk to each other.

A hundred and sixty-one years after freedom for African Americans.

Thank you for allowing me a few moments to share information about 2026 Juneteenth celebration and asking you to help amplify what freedom means because our current president says that we don't need Juneteenth.

And so we need amplification from those who are elected.

Please, please amplify it, amplify it.

And we need to honor the legacy of freedom, unity, and progress.

Juneteenth marks the day when enslaved Africans in Texas finally learn of their freedom.

It is a celebration of liberation, resilience, and hope, and a reminder that freedom must be protected by all of us and passed on to future generations.

The Houston Sun Foundation has already begun its Juneteenth activities.

We have awarded our essay contest winners who talked about is Juneteenth really necessary, and the young people were vital in and vivid in their discussion.

And we successfully hosted the Lonel X.

Robinson talent show.

We are especially proud of our first place winner, Mr.

Mr.

Rashad Williams, who will reflect what he said during the time.

Hello, everybody.

Hello.

Hello, everybody, hello, people of Houston.

My name is Rashad Williams, and today I will be reciting for you a poem by I will be reciting for you the Black Family Pledge by Maya Angelo.

Because we have forgotten our ancestors, our children will no longer give us honor.

Because we have washed the path, our ancestors cleared, kneeling and pearlish undergrowth, our children cannot find their way, because we have banished the God of our ancestors.

Our children cannot pray.

Because the old wells of our ancestors have faded beyond our hearing.

Our children cannot hear us crying because we have abandoned our wisdom of mothering and fathering.

Give birth to children they neither want nor understand.

Because we have forgotten how to love the adversary is within our gates, and holds us up in the mirror of the world, shouting, regard the loveless.

Therefore, we pledge to bind ourselves to one another, to embrace our lowly, to keep company to our lowlies, to educate our illiterate, to close our rage, to feed our starving, knowing that we are more than just brothers and sisters, we are our brothers and sisters.

In honor of those who toiled and implored God with their golden tongues, and gratitude of the same God who brought us out of hopelessness and desolation, we make this pledge.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, before being spoken about youth, that we start our Juneteenth with youth programs, and we want the youth of this city to be ready to take your seats and other seats in this nation.

So thank you.

We have things going on.

Parade.

Join the parade on Saturday.

It's free.

Very good.

Okay.

Thank you.

Mayor Pro Tim.

Thank you, Mayor.

Ms.

Robinson, thank you for coming today and amplifying Juneteenth.

And um do want to say we are glad that you brought this young man to read his poem, uh, and we would continue to support your efforts and the efforts of amplifying the importance of Juneteenth and supporting our youth and making sure they understand our history.

So congratulations to you, and we appreciate you sharing your talents with us today.

Thank you so much.

We appreciate your being there.

We have a schedule.

Get on it.

May I pass out this?

Sure, good time, gentlemen.

Counselor Ervin Scharz.

Thank you, Mayor.

And Mr.

Williams, you did that.

I am so very, very proud of you.

You're standing there with a legend right there, right there next to you.

And so certainly I will uh be honored to participate in the parade, and certainly to uh sponsor the the um entourage of royalty that will bless us on next week.

Thank you so much.

And so thank you so much for what you do.

Uh people speak of you so fondly, and I personally appreciate all that you have poured into me as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

And Miss Robinson, I just want to uh thank you for all your efforts and leadership, not only this year, but in all years.

Uh the information and the news that you put out to our communities is vital.

The friendship you had with my mother.

Um, all of it is very meaningful, all of it is very necessary.

And so for your mentorship of the youth and your continued efforts to amplify our community.

I just want to say thank you for all your contributions.

I'll be out of town this weekend, but uh I'll be there in spirit.

Thank you so very much.

You know, we live on the sign.

It says the people are the city, and I'm just one of the people.

Alright, thank you.

Very good.

Thank you.

Next, Matthew Rankin of Corpus Christi.

To be followed by Rocky Jackson.

Hey, Matthew Rankin, Blately Armed Media.

And today I'm happy to say that I'm the first citizen to open carry to a council meeting here.

Until half an hour ago, I didn't think it was going to happen, but it looks like it's happened.

Just so you know, about four years ago, state legislature passed a new law.

Normally, open meetings are a prohibited place, but they added added an exception.

Anybody with a carry license can carry their handgun into the meetings.

That applies statewide to every meeting held under the Open Meetings Act.

You guys have complied.

But a couple other cities are doing the same thing four years late.

So you're you're an okay company now, and it didn't take giving you an AG letter to get it done.

Uh, what'll be handed out to you guys?

But you don't need that anymore because you're not going to get one.

Um, so thank you for that.

Uh we still got a little bit to work on because you guys have knives banned for the building, and you can't do that.

So penal code 229.001 is the state preemption law.

It doesn't allow you to make any um ordinance, rule, policy more strict than state law involving any kind of firearms or any kind of knives.

And the only thing in state law is that knives over five and a half inches are banned in the port prohibited places list.

So for this building, you can't ban, you can't ban uh knives, can't do swords, spears, whatever anybody wants to bring in for the council meeting, you can still ban large knives because that the only exception on the prohibited place is handguns when you've got a carry license.

But for every other city building, um, pretty much everything except for the city jail or uh a standalone city courthouse, you can't ban weapons of pretty much any type.

But I'll give you guys a chance to figure that out that one out too, because there's a lot of other cities that have done the same thing and had to get their law their uh policies changed.

You guys did this in two hours, so I'll give you a little bit uh more grace for taking care of pocket knives.

Um thanks and letting uh everybody know council members if you've got a carry license, you can carry now.

Um pretty much the only people that can't carry in this room now is your employees because you've probably got a city policy saying they're not allowed to carry on the job.

Um I'd go ahead and work on changing that now too.

Uh just think it'd be fair.

If you guys get to carry in here, they should get to carry in here too, or when they're at work downstairs.

Y'all have a great day.

Next, Rocky Jackson, Jeremy Peel.

Felix Kapoor.

To be followed by Alfredo Dominguez.

Good afternoon, council and mayor.

Um, I'm Felix, and I wanted to say one, thank you for the increase investment in the ditch re-establishment program as well as the um LDP program.

I wanted to come up to read a testimony of a resident that lives on Dockle Road, um, and how she was a renter that was flooded out after a heavy rain earlier this year.

Um I could email that out to your offices instead.

Um, and really I really want to use this time right now to talk about how this trash fee is inequitable and the water fund that we do have to support residents is not good enough.

There's too many restrictions, um, it creates a lot of eligibility problems as well, and we need to figure out something before August when this B gets passed.

Also, it's really really critical that we get resources to public works to fix and um fill in the 900 vacancies that they do have right now.

If that was an HPD problem, you know, they would receive a billion dollars to fill that award up.

So we need to make sure those resources are put to where they're going to work.

Thanks.

Alfredo Dominguez.

Ruben Garza.

To be followed by Eric Sanchez.

Thank you, Maryor and City Council.

My name is Ruben Garza with Strong Towns Houston.

I first want to say thank you to Councilmembers Julian Ramirez and Alejandro Salinas for proposing two important uh budget amendments regarding uh transparency on tax abatements and for combating illegal dumping.

I do understand that the administration supports the illegal dumping proposal, and there's supposed to be a motion regarding um the tax abatement ordinance or tax abatement uh proposal.

We'll be happily tracking that and uh throwing our support.

I'm here to talk about parking benefits districts uh specifically.

We have three in Houston, and with a lot of the available street parking in the city, we are leaving a lot of money on the table that can be given to a fund to support local infrastructure development and improvements.

Uh again, the three in Houston have done tremendous work in it on fixing our streets, installing lights, and uh trimming trees, particularly the museum district.

We're leaving a lot of money on the table in downtown and east downtown, and even in my growing area in Fifth Ward, uh parking benefits districts have been shown to support a lot of local infrastructure improvements, uh, a little to no cost to the city.

Happy to speak more on that if needed.

Your time has expired.

Thank you.

Yes, you can you can have some of my time, Ruben.

Oh, I mean, that was it.

I was just specifically going to.

Well, if I had a little more time, I was just gonna elaborate more on why we would need a downtown parking benefits district.

Uh, you know, the city of Houston has dedicated 25% of its land in downtown to parking.

Um, that is the most valuable uh land in the city, and a lot of that on the streets in particular is free real estate, as we tend to don't charge meters past or before certain hours and after certain hours.

I understand there's a special rules that can be in place, but with the downtown parking benefits district, we could have extra funds from uh excess for from additional meter revenue dedicated to a fund that would improve local infrastructure.

Um maybe we could have funded the main street promenade with uh out of town visitors and meter money, who knows?

But you know, a lot of other cities have instituted downtown uh instituted parking benefits districts to great effect for local projects.

Thank you.

Eric Sanchez to be followed by Jacob Klimitich.

Uh my name is Eric Sanchez.

The three cases I have presented to you are all closed.

There is no reason for the authorities to keep withholding the footage unless there is something to cover up.

This is a matter of public concern.

I ask that you deeply consider this and put yourselves in my shoes.

Imagine suddenly being woken up by a dozen HPD major offenders officers, they break down your door, hold you at gunpoint, order you to comply or die in front of your family and in front of children.

Imagine being taken by force, half dressed into an interrogation room, and the detective spends most of the time discussing a fraudulent police report filed by Grizzly Hooding News and Facebook post regarding attorneys Rusty Harding and Xavier Scobeto instead of the alleged assault charge.

Imagine seeing the footage of how these officers and civilians lied to set you up and they are not prosecuted and said they are protected by county lawyers.

Imagine being told to just be happy you didn't die or go to prison and move on.

This is not justice, this is not right, and the records must be released.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Be followed by Eduardo Duran.

Most of this one stuff I get three, and well, I got the ship for me and the Wackins were having a promotion one day, and the old John Brown Commandant and Rudy Tomovich was there.

Doc kind of an out of draft church from him.

Wolf MBA Walt Jimmy on it.

So yeah.

And um well on my cap I have uh jet bag was autograph and on the bag I have jet baggage autograph and I give to Mayor Woodmeyer uh a sports baseball um for practice by time by Jeff Bog well, HOF 17, all of them 17, and uh well toilet harder is a real star to me, so all I gotta uh ask your quilt or her to autograph and um what else um uh yeah most of the stuff that I get for sports is free and so well I pay attention to I can academy have a promo and I got that and can I have some more time to tell uh UT joke?

Go ahead, Jacob.

Thanks.

Okay.

Why do I have a preference to run for attorney general or agricultural commissioner?

I don't know why.

Because the first letters wouldn't begin with a G no agriculture and attorney general, and when they run with the offices and will aggravation to GT Longhorn's butt on bump.

Thank you, Jacob.

Thank you for being here.

Next speaker, Eduardo Duran.

Be followed by Joseph Amari.

I got a couple of uh clips.

I um I won't won't be able to get to the second one because specifically I was trying to find the science medical literature that the very solid uh news news uh alternative news uh reporter is actually stating, but I can at least at least I found this one.

It starts at 16 30, so it's uh Michael Holcher, a epidemiologist, you know, studies uh uh epidemics over at the Mechelok Foundation, and this is not some kind of uh, you know, ridiculous conspiratorial nonsense, which seems to be just finding itself to be more true all the time, so me while it may suppress those mosquitoes, um they tested this out, Google did in Fresno in 2018.

It suppressed the mosquitoes, but as soon as they were done dumping the mosquitoes, they all came back, and so what they require is a subscription service.

Google wants to wants these states, wants these corpitos, they all came back.

And so what they require is a subscription service.

Google wants you, wants these states, wants these corporations, these these governmental organizations to subscribe to Google's subscription service.

Mr.

Duran, you can go ahead and wrap up your comments.

I was gonna say that that one clip, but the thing is that she keeps on ringing the bell, so I'd because your time expired, but go ahead and wrap up your comments.

Right, because all I'm trying to show you is this one little clip, and I'm not trying to debate or discuss it.

I'm just trying to show it to you and then walk out the door.

Okay, thank you.

Because if you're not informed about this, by all means, who am I supposed to go ahead and bring it to?

I know, thank you for sharing.

So please came back.

And so what they require is a subscription service.

Google wants you, wants these states, wants these corporations, these these governmental organizations to subscribe to Google's mosquito releasing subscription service because that's the only way it even works.

Um, I would.

If you want to go ahead and send us a lot of transcribing mosquitoes in the states, version of that we'll definitely take a subscription.

That's pretty much it.

Uh, Google is releasing uh subscription based to mosquitoes statewide to every state.

I don't think this is something uh humorous or some kind of uh, you know, funny little conspiracy thing.

Right.

And uh, and um I can send you and pretty much the other thing is that uh, you know, people are getting Algal syndrome and um how do you call it uh uh allergies to meat because apparently uh ticks are being released as um as a way uh foral as a moral obligation to uh allow for for moral bioenhancement of people so pretty much are saying that uh making people allergic to meat is moral.

Um, thank you for sharing that with us.

Yeah, and I can go ahead and actually bring you next time.

I'll be able to bring you the actual science medical literature from the government on gov websites.

But um by all means, I mean, this is this is not some kind of a pride ego, egotistical thing here.

Thank you, Mr.

Duran.

I think that it is for you, but certainly I mean, every time I come here, I always bring you the best information.

You do, and we appreciate it.

A year before it happens.

Thank you, sir.

Joseph Amari.

Hello, Mr.

O'Mari.

How are you doing today?

I'm wonderful, thank you, sir.

All right.

Uh last time, I was spoken before the mayor of the city council.

I was spoken by the legal jurisdiction.

I hope all the city goes on both sides of the aisle of Democrats and Republicans had an opportunity to sign the position that they agree or disagree by the constitutionality jurisdiction in the United States of America's civil and criminal court system, court proceedings, and law enforcement jurisdiction before and after military martial law.

Regrettably, Congress did not uphold the debate before the media of the American people, President Obama, Military and Martial Law directive.

And judicial branch of government have constituted judicial over legal matters of civil courts, criminal proceedings, United States American law for the officers have jurisdictions that include township, city, counties, parish, and state, national, federal force jurisdictions, they have the power to investigate crimes, charge arrest, try convict, acquit suspects, defendants, and criminal cases.

Mr.

O'Mari, thank you so much for being here today.

I think somebody teaches civics again in American history.

I know everybody is.

I don't disagree with you.

I agree.

We need to keep civics in our classes.

You know, American government and American history, it's very important part of our educational system that toss tests did not teach our kids.

I agree.

Thank you, Mr.

Elmar.

We appreciate you being here today.

Nathaniel Leonard.

Nathaniel Leonard.

Where do you go?

Go ahead.

It's your time.

Yes, sir.

Okay, I was hoping to say in.

Oh, go ahead.

We're here.

All right.

You don't look like him.

No.

Anyway, uh yeah, Nathan Leonard.

Barack Obama said that uh he said to expose bigotry and to basically uh, you know, take care of it whenever you do expose it.

And so that's all it is.

I've just exposed some that happened in my life and stuff, and you probably try to figure out how could that happen for 20 years?

Well, probably by knocking you out, kidnapping you, and brainwashing you, and to affect your short-term and long-term memory and do things to you.

So I came to a council of justice after send people like Joel Ostein, uh, gallery of furniture, uh, Mr.

Gallery and uh Jim.

What is it?

Jim.

Mackinville.

Thank you.

And uh also NAACP and also the mayor of Austin, and now this uh justice council.

So I'm trying to get some help and stuff with the situation of something that like that happened to me as far as my working rights, constitutional rights, and civil rights that were uh targeted and uh targeted and what's the other word target and anyway uh caused me some problems and stuff, and I'm trying to just get that taken care of and get maybe uh Ben Crump to help me out with that now.

Haven't heard anything back from y'all.

So your your time has expired.

Well, thank you for being here.

We wish you the best.

Okay, I don't want the best, I want some help.

Okay, see Renee.

Renee will be able to help you.

Maybe we can um get in touch with Mr.

Crump.

Okay.

Renee will help you.

Renee here in the black jacket, sir.

Which one?

Right here in the black jacket.

Oh, hey, Renee.

All right, thank you.

Next speaker.

This can please still listen to speaker.

Yes, sir.

Council, we stand in recess until tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.

692 acre of Chimney Rock Park.

Item two, request for mayor for confirmation of the appointment of the following individuals to the board of directors of the Lake Houston Dredging and Management District.

Item three, recommendation from the Director of Planning and Development to designate an honorary street marker to Reverend Bird Lacey Jr.

Item 4, recommendation from the director of administration and regulatory affairs for the designation of a residential parking permit area in the 2100 block of Colquit Street, 3000 block of Reba, and the 2300 to 2400 blocks of Bell Mead.

Item five, recommendation from the Director of Houston Public Works, that Houston City Council accept the work and authorize final payment, if any, of the contract with CSI Consolidated LLC, doing business as Ames Companies.

Item six, recommendation from the Director of Houston Public Works that Houston City Council accept the work and authorize final payment, if any of the contract with sprint sand and clay, LLC.

Item seven, approved spending authority for pressure washing and paint restriping services, awarded to COI Cleaning and Restoration Service.

Item eight, approved spending authority for medical physical evaluations for cancer prevention, awarded to Desiree Bittner, LLC doing business as first response family clinic.

Item nine, approved spending authority for vehicle lease services awarded to Enterprise FM Trust.

Item 10, approval spending authority for purchase of regents, consumables and 12-month maintenance for the BioRad QX 600 auto DG droplets digital PCR system awarded to BioRad Laboratories Inc.

Item 11 LD Systems Inc.

for purchase of audio lighting video and rigging for freedom over Texas.

Item 12 approved spending authority for professional service agreement awarded to Arcadis U.S.

Inc.

Item 13, Absorb Systems Inc.

for soul source purchase of the upgrade and continued maintenance and licensing of a well-based software application and platform for program management.

Item 14 ordinance appropriating $18 million 650,000 related to contract with Barrier Inc.

Item 15 amend motion 2025-513 to increase spending authority from $114 million 45,419.60 cents to $130 million 545,419.60 cent for water and wastewater facility and system require system repair and maintenance services awarded to Boyer Inc.

This item shall only be considered after passage of item 14.

Item 16 Fortline Inc.

doing business as 40 line waterworks for purchase of manhole frame ring and inland drainage grade item 17 ordinance appropriating 18,450,358.90 cent related to contract with in situform technologies LLC Item 18 approved spending authority for water and wastewater facility and system repair and maintenance services awarded to in situform technologies LLC.

This item should only be considered after passage of item 17, item 19, amend motion 2025-56 to extend the term through December 31st, 2027, and to increase spending authority from 5 million to 18,950, 358.50 cent awarded to Viking Construction LLC.

Item 20, ordinance appropriating 5,630,000 related to contract with Vortex Services LLC.

Item 21, ordinance approved spending authority for water and wastewater facility and system repair maintenance services awarded to Vortex Services LLC.

This item shall only be considered after passage of item 20 above item 22 Exilem Dewatering Solutions Inc.

for purchase of three trailer mounted pumps.

Item 23 zone industry LLC for purchase of submersible pumps item 24 resolution authorizing the submission of project applications to the Houston Gavalton Area Council for the Bicycle Pedestrian Projects.

Item 25 ordinance approving and authorizing First Amendment to Park and License Agreement between the City of Houston and TS 2311 Texas LLC Item 26 ordinance approving and authorizing second amendment to parking lease between the city of Houston as Landlord and Warehouse Associates Corporate Center Shepherd Limited as Tenant Item 27 Ordinance Appropriating $7,486,000 for Hurricane Harvey Restoration and Mitigation Projects Item 28 ordinance appropriating $1,526,000 $13,000 and $13,000 and $461,000 for task order and job order contracting program item 29 ordinance appropriating $925,000 for capital renewal for deferred maintenance item 30 ordinance appropriating $1,284,000 and $269,000 for ball field and park lighting upgrades project item 31 ordinance appropriating $7,549,000 and $402,000 for Tiger Trail Project for Improvements.

Item 32 ordinance appropriating $700,000 approving and authorizing First Amendment to contract with Spall Glass Construction Corporation.

Item 33 ordinance de appropriating 119,500.

Previously appropriated under ordinance number 2025-733, appropriating 119,500 for the Holcomb Lab Expansion.

Item 34 ordinance appropriating $3 million for demolition of structures designated as dangerous and not eligible for stormwater funding.

Item 35 ordinance approved and authorizing contract with Ford Audio Video Systems LLC.

Item 36 ordinance approving and authorizing contract with red, white, and blue fuels LLC.

Item 37, ordinance amending ordinance number 2023-140 related to contract with MEK Interiors and Fords LLC.

Item 38 Ordinance approved and Authorizing Contract with Becton Dickinson and Company.

Item 39, ordinance approving and authorizing contract with Basegal Group Inc.

in Evergreen Solutions LLC.

Item 40, ordinance approving and Authorizing Contract with HLP Inc.

Item 41, ordinance approving and Authorizing Contract with full spectrum Group LLC.

Item 42 ordinance approving and authorizing contract contract with Fastonaire LLC.

Item 43 ordinance approving and authorizing contract with William Marsh Rice University.

Item 44 ordinance amending ordinance number 2021-601 approving and authorizing First Amendment to contract with the Searcy Corporation doing business as Circe Dynics.

Item 45 ordinance amending ordinance number 2024-1010 related to contract with Econo Light System Inc.

Item 46 ordinance amending con amending ordinance number 2024-161 related to contract with innovation painting and restoration LLC.

Item 47 ordinance amending ordinance number 2025-380.

Approving and authorizing First Amendment to contract with Rothellus Financial Inc.

Item 48 ordinance approved and authorizing interlocal agreement between the city of Houston and Texas AM Transportation Institute.

Item 49 ordinance amending ordinance number 2025-549.

Approving and authorizing First Amendment to contract with Crow LLP.

Item 50 ordinance approved and authorizing submission.

Application for grant assistance to the Office of the Governor Public Safety Office Office Criminal Justice Division for FY27 General Victim Assistance Grant Program.

Item 51 Ordinance Appropriating 220 million 485,966.15 cent for reinvestment zones one Lamar Terra Zone Two Midtown Zone 3 Main Street Market Square Zone 5 Memorial Heights Zone 6 East Side Zone 7 Old Spanish Trail Almeda Corridor Zone 8 Gupgate Zone 9 South Post Oak Zone 10 Lake Houston Zone 11 Greater Greens Point Zone 12 City Park Zone 13 O 6 Ward Zone 14 Fourth Ward Zone 15 East Downtown Zone 16 Uptown Zone 17 Memorial City Zone 18 Fifth Ward Zone 19 Upper Kirby Zone 20 Southwest Houston Zone 21 Hardy Near North Side Zone 22 Leland Wood Zone 23 Harrisburg Zone 24 Greater Houston Zone 25 Hiram Clark Fort Bend Zone 26 Sunnyside Zone 27 Montreal Zone and 28 Medical Center Area Zone Item 52 Ordinance Appropriating 60,138,2964 Cent for Reinvestment Zones 1 Lamar Terrace Zone 2 Midtown Zone 3 Main Street Market Square Zone 6 East Side Zone 7 Old Spanish Trail Almeda Corridor Zone 8 Gulfgate Zone 10 Lake Houston Zone 11 Greater Greenspoint Zone 12 City Park Zone 13 06 Ward Zone 14 Fourth Ward Zone 15 East Downtown Zone 16 Uptown Zone and 18 Fifth Ward Zone Item 53 Ordinance Designating 20 Additional Sites to Existing Texas Medical Center as a special parking area within the city of Houston Item 54 Ordinance approving purchase and sale agreement between Baybrook Municipal Utility District number one and the city of Houston Item 55 ordinance appropriating 10,500 approving and authorizing reimbursement agreement between the City of Houston and Union Pacific Railroad Company Item 56 ordinance appropriating 87,000 to contract with Industrial Texas Corporation Item 57 Ordinance Appropriating 3,115,000 $621 approving and authorizing contract with Lopez Utilities Contractor LLC Item 58 Ordinance Amending Ordinance 2021-454 related to contract with IMS Engineers Inc.

Item 59 Ordinance amending Ordinance 2023-511 related to contract with Industrial Texas Corporation.

Item 60, ordinance appropriating $6,358, 882.88 cent as an additional appropriation related to contract with Texas Materials Group Inc., item 61 ordinance related to the fiscal affairs of the city, approving the annual budgets of the city of Houston, Texas for fiscal year 2027, including provisions for future adjustment to certain fund balances providing for the reorganization of the solid waste management department as a division within Houston Public Works.

Amending Chapter 39 of the Code of Ordinances, Houston, Texas related to relating to the solid waste management department, amending chapter two of the code of ordinances, Houston, Texas.

This item was tagged by Council Members Jackson, Panzarella, Thomas, Castex Tatum, and Davis, and was item 14 on the agenda of June 3rd.

Item 62, ordinance of providing for the continuation of appropriations for the support of the city government pursuant to the requirements of Article 6A, Section 1 of the City Charter, authorizing certain transfers, amending ordinance number 2022-865 relating to the container lease fund and closing out the container lease fund.

Amending ordinance number 20 2008-792 relating to the recycling revenue fund and closing out the recycling revenue fund, closing out the bio greenway 2020 fund.

For full fiscal year 2027 operating expenses pursuant to the first interlocal agreement between the City of Houston and Houston Forensic Science Center Inc.

This item was tagged by Council members Jackson, Panzerella, Thomas, Castex, Tatum, and Davis, and was item 16 on the agenda of June 3rd.

Item 64, ordinance approving and authorizing payment to Houston Recovery Center LGC for full fiscal year 2027, operating expenses pursuant to an interlocal agreement between the City of Houston and Houston Recovery Center LGC.

This item was tagged by Council Members Jackson, Panzerella, Thomas, Castax Tatum, and Davis, and was item 17 on the agenda of June 3rd.

Item 65 ordinance approved and authorizing payment to Ethan Health LGC for full fiscal year 2027 operating expenses pursuant to an interlocal agreement between the city of Houston and Ethan Health LGC.

This item was tagged by Council Members Jackson, Panzerella Thomas, Castex Tatum and Davis, and was item 18 on the agenda of June 3rd.

Item 66, ordinance amending and supplementing the city of Houston, Texas, master ordinance number 20 2004-299 relating to the operations and management of the combined utilities system, including the expansion of the combined utility system to include the solid waste disposal system and the solid waste management department.

This item was tagged by Council Members Jackson, Panzerella, Thomas, Castax Tatum, and Davis, and was item 19 on the agenda of June 3rd.

Item 67 ordinance appropriating 1,200,000 for Jamail Skate Park Improvements.

This item was tagged by Councilmember Castillo and was item 25 on the agenda of June 3rd.

Item 68, ordinance amending ordinance number 2019-141 related to contract with Signa Health and Life Insurance Company.

This item was tagged by Councilmember Pollard and was item 33 on the agenda of June 3rd.

This completes the reading of the captions of the agenda.

Wednesday, June 10th, 2026.

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

And with that, happy Wednesday, everyone.

If you haven't been to the FanFest, which did a soft opening yesterday, we'll open to the public tomorrow.

Running from June 11th to June 19th.

Please visit, encourage your families, your constituents, our host committee, the sports authority, the city has done an outstanding job.

Outstanding job.

As a venue for you to watch the soccer games, large screens, entertainment, cooling centers, refreshments.

I just can't emphasize enough.

It's gotta be, and to anyone that can hear my voice, and certainly the media, go look for yourself.

It just demonstrates Houston's can-do attitude, the leadership, the rank and file of our city employees, a lot of indoors, minority vendors, people from the neighborhoods are there with their operations, and it is a free venue, a free venue.

Warm, but they've accommodated with cooling centers.

I could start naming the Vindars that have such unique images of Houston, but make it one of your stops in the next month.

Emancipation.

Yes, last night a hundred and seventy-seven residents working exactly the way it was intended.

Some of the residents in previous days have already been transferred or released to other better locations that suit their addictions and their mental health.

I think we'll hit 200 by the end of the week.

So that's really, really good news.

Thank you to Harris Health for providing the health care of the Houston Center with mental health.

Certainly our first responders, HPD now has nine full-time hot team members working out of the Emancipation Center.

And it's truly a blessing.

We have a busy day today, but there are four community leaders that have been very patient, wanting to comment on the proposed budget.

I know we've all spent many hours working on the budget that's before us today, but out of respect for these gentlemen, I'm gonna allow them to have short sweet presentations.

Reverend Johnson, Elmo Johnson, iconic figure in fourth ward, FM Williams, another iconic family, and FM leading the ministry advisory group, Reverend Costano, serves a very important Spanish-speaking congregation, and then our one and only Pastor Preston, Yale Street Baptist, that I've worked with for many, many years.

Councilmember, Councilmember, Pastor Johnson.

Thank you, Mayor City Council.

I am for five dollar fee, because I have 12 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

And what we have seen the budget and budget have been kicked down like a can kick down the road.

I thank God for this mayor, we have a solution for the budget.

The reason why I started uplift fourth ward in Freedman Town in the early 90s was to bring up the quality of life of the people in Fourth Ward and Allen Parkway and Victory Place.

And I think that's that's what this fee will do.

I know down the road, we'll have to go over it again, but I think this will help us.

Now we are Houstonians, and Houstonians don't mind helping those that are less fortunate.

If I have to pay six dollars to help somebody else that's less fortunate, I'll do it.

Amen.

I know I'm not preaching, but I'm gonna let these other preachers come on.

Good morning to the mayor and to the council, Pastor Johnson, as really pretty echoed the sentiments.

What I did want to uh just re-emphasize is the fact that we are concerned that this particular action is proactive in the sense that it anticipates any particular deficits or downfalls that we may see in the future if we can by merging those departments, make it more efficient, and if we can move from that to even be sure that we can maintain and sustain some of the services that we already now are pretty much take for granted and expect, and I think by right should be uh the Houstonians as citizens do.

I think we need to do that.

We also encouraged by this fact.

I want to encourage this mayor and council to consider that you have, to my understanding from our report, a two-year window to evaluate.

So as we look at it, it can be tweaked, it can be looked at it again, reevaluated to see where it needs to be improved, where it needs to be better.

And I do think is this as I yield to others who are coming behind me.

Uh, five dollars is a nice start comparing to what other cities are already paying for the same services.

So I think we all start there.

I want to encourage this mayor and the council to support the effort.

Thank you.

Thank you for your leadership.

Reverend Castanro.

Thank you, Honorable Mayor and Council members.

Good morning.

Um, as a Hispanic leader working with many of the churches uh for over 25 years now, and as the director of the Houston Areas Pastors Council and the president of the Texas Association of Ministers and Entrepreneurs, I'm here to speak today uh in representation of many of the pastors I talk to, the leaders, and above all the families that attend our churches.

No plan is perfect, nothing in life really is achieved by the silence or inactivity of leadership.

In a city like Houston, it takes bold, wise leadership with a clear vision and a well-developed strategic plan and how to build a more stable budget.

Our major John Whitmeyer has delivered a plan that I have heard from other leaders and pastors, including myself, we need to keep Houston moving forward towards safer community, cleaner environments, and above all, uh better opportunities for future generations.

Think about that, the future generations of our city.

Yes, it will require a monthly fee of five dollars, and yes, it will require a small sacrifice, but without any doubt, this is what makes Houston the city that it has been in the years before us, but better yet the years to come.

With this plan, our streets and communities, council members, can be safer, and safety is the most important thing that that any life will value, just being safe in our community, our families with their children being safe.

The proposed budget would provide an environment.

We can all live without fear of health issues.

A cleaner environment is a safer health issue, and we all want to live healthy and not be afraid of any sickness because of an environment that's contaminated.

Our parks and libraries deserve to be protected as well.

There are the places where our children grow, where families come together, where we enjoyed the nature that God has given us.

In conclusion, I'm here to speak for churches, pastors, and leaders in support of the proposed bachelor plan of Mayor John Whitmire, and we and we'll ask each one of you to do the same thing took to bring down a giant that was suppressing him and his kingdom.

And so it takes a small fee, but we'll bring down the giant that's spacing our city and can stop our city from being the Houston of the future.

So I ask you to consider that as a leader of this city, and I say pastor as well.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, sir.

To our mayor and to our mayor for Tim and to this esteemed council that we're standing here before today.

I'm T.

Leon, President of the Yale Street Baptist Church, and I stand in support of the effort of this uh proposed budget.

Uh of course, this proposal before us is not about creating new burdens on taxpayers, but it's about modernizing how we fund essential services that residents depend upon every day.

We're living in a growing city, the fastest growing cities in our nation.

Our infrastructure is continuously aging, and there are other cities who have always who have already implemented uh this type of plan.

So we're saying to you today, we support our mayor, we support this budget, and it also gives council an opportunity that after a couple of years you can come back, revisit it, tweak it, make it to be what it needs to be.

And yes, we are concerned about those who have financial challenges because we don't want them to be overburdened, but I believe with the wisdom that's around this DS, you're capable of putting together something that's going to make sure that Houston is a better city in days to come.

Thank you for your service, and we support this budget.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Uh just a moment, we have Councilman Panzarella first.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, thank you, Pastor Johnson, for being here for all pastors for being here and speaking.

Uh, I want to give a quick shout out to Almo Johnson.

When I reactivated the Freeman Sound Super Neighborhood, Pastor Johnson never once hesitated to offer up the Rosa Chair and Baptist Church for our meeting places.

So thank you for your leadership and thank you for being here today.

Thank you.

Councilman Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh pastors, thank y'all so much because uh quietness has kept many around that you may or may not know, but that we meet every month, and we've been doing it now for two years, and we've heard every aspect of this city.

Most people don't know what we do, and some people don't care what we do.

But the truth of the matter, I appreciate you guys coming because we you are the people that are in the community every day, all throughout the week, and you pastor people uh that we're talking about that it could have readily affect.

So your voice is very important to us.

It is important to the city.

And uh I just want to thank you guys for stepping up this morning, Pastor Stano, Pastor Preston, Pastor Johnson, Pastor William, for helping us uh to get to this point and showing your support.

Thank you so much.

Very good.

Thank you, gentlemen.

We appreciate your support and prayers.

Have a good day.

Next members will move on to item number one, public hearing.

Presenters will be public works, design.

Yeah, we got Mr.

Khalili.

Yeah, that's right.

Uh good morning, Mayor.

Yes, uh.

Good morning, members of council.

Uh uh.

Houston public works is requesting to use a portion of Chimney Rock Park for a 20-foot-wide sanitary sewer utility corridor, needed to install a new 42-inch gravity, uh, sanitary sewer line, and two associated manholes.

Uh, this is this improvement is part of the Westbury drainage and paving improvements, subproject one, uh, which addresses long-standing flooding and wastewater capacity issues in the Westbury neighborhood and surrounding areas.

The remote sanitary sewer must connect directly to the existing uh sewer lift station located with Chimney Rock Park within the chimney rock park, uh, which currently receives wastewater from several large diameter sanitary sewer, serving significant portion of the southwest history.

The new 42-inch line will replace the existing 36 sanitary sewer installed in 1958, which has reached the end of its useful life and was not designed to withstand the service load of the current park facilities.001 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code provides that a city may not approve any program or project that requires the use of or taking of land designated and used as parkland unless after notice and public hearing.

Its governing body determines that one there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use or taking of the parkland, and two, the program or project includes all reasonable planning to minimize harm to the parkland.

Houston Public Works conducted a full alternative analysis and determined that the selected alignment is the only feasible and prudent option.

Three alternatives were evaluated.

Number one, we replaced the existing sanitary sewer in place, but this would leave several thousand residents without sanitary service for two to three months, making this alternative infeasible.

The second alternative is to route the new line south of the existing sanitary sewer.

But this alignment would place the new line under center point, high voltage transmission line, and encroach into the Harris County Flood Control District right away, creating safety and regulatory conflicts.

The option number three, which is the preferred alternative, is to route the new line north of the existing sanitary sewer.

This alignment uses trenchless construction beneath the existing tennis court to connect directly to the lift station.

It avoid service interruptions, avoid conflicts with Center Point and Harris County Flood Control District and preserve existing park facilities.

So Houston public works, Houston Public Works and Houston Parks and Recreation Department have worked together to ensure that the project has minimal impact on the park.

The new sanitary sewer will be installed approximately 16 feet below a grade using trenchless construction beneath the tennis court.

Only two new manholes will be located on the surface outside the tennis court area.

Three impacts will be avoided, and all construction activities will be confined to a defined temporary work zone with fencing, controlled access and safety measures.

Any disturbed surface within the park will be restored to its original condition or better, including turf, grading, drainage, and any impacted facilities.

Houston Parks and Recreation Department will receive monetary compensation to resurface the tennis and basketball courts using its own contractor.

Site restoration must be inspected and approved by Harris County, Harris Parks and Recreation Department.

The sanitary sewer infrastructure will not embed the function of Chimney Rock Park as a whole and will have minimal impact on the continued use of the surface for park purposes.

The replacement of the 1958 sanitary sewer line will provide long-term reliability, reduce the risk of future failure, the benefit both the parts and surrounding neighborhoods.

We respectfully request your support on this project.

Yes, sir.

The Mayor Pro Tim has questions, comments.

Thank you for the presentation.

Is if we're going to build the new sewer line, what happens to that old line?

I know it's a 1950 line 58 line.

Does that just stay underneath the ground and we just build around it?

That would be abandoned in place, yes, ma'am.

I'm sorry.

It will be abandoned in place.

So it stays underneath the yeah, that would be uh blocked and grounded.

You'll cap it.

Okay.

And then when do we expect the ordinance to come to council?

Uh once we get this week.

Yeah, once we get this one approved, uh it will probably be like uh uh three months.

No, three to six months.

We could probably have it in the next week or so.

We'll work okay.

We'll work with you to do it sooner.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Good morning, Mayor and members of the city council.

My name is Eric Spurgeon.

I am a deputy director in the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

Chimney Rock Park is a 4.63 acre park located at 11 655 Chimney Rock Road.

The park consists of green space, tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground, and the plateau community center, the park also contains a large sewage lift station that has served the surrounding community since the former wastewater treatment plant on this site was decommissioned in 1965.

The parks and recreation department has worked with Houston Public Works to determine that there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use of a portion of the park for construction of the sanitary sewer line and to minimize the project's impacts to the park, the trenchless construction method avoids impacts to the tennis courts and uh and the other park facilities, and all disturbed areas will be restored to pre-construction condition or better.

The Houston Parks and Recreation Department supports using a portion of Chimney Rock Park for the project.

Thank you for your time.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Any questions?

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Legal.

Just for questions.

Yes, sir.

Anyone else uh would like to testify?

No one signed up, but is anyone present would like to testify?

If not, is there a motion to close the hearing?

Cast X Tatum move to close the hearing.

Motion is made in second, all in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay motion passes.

I know consent.

Now, Mr.

Secretary, if you'll move to the consent agenda, are you ready?

You need a couple of minutes.

No, he's good.

All right, let's blast it off.

Under the miscellaneous category, item two has been removed for separate consideration.

Need a motion for items three and four.

Cast X Tatum move.

Motion is made in the second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Under the accept work category, item six has been removed for separate consideration.

Need a motion for item five.

Castex Tata move.

Hex second.

Motion made and segment.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Under the purchasing and tabulation of bids category.

Item nine has been removed for separate consideration.

Items 14, 17, and 20 or ordinances.

Just need a vote.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Need a motion for items 78, 10 through 13, 15, 16, 18, 21, 22, and 23.

Motion made and second.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed to nay.

Motion passes.

Under the resolutions category, item 24 has been removed for separate cons separate consideration under the ordinances category.

Since your list was distributed.

Let me start over.

Let me start over.

Under the ordinances category, the following items have not been received but will be considered if they receive before the end of the meeting.

31 38, 42, 47, 48, 51, 52, 57, and 60.

Again, those numbers are 31, 38, 42, 47, 48, 51, 52, 57, and 60.

Item 36.

Item 36 has been pulled and will now be considered.

Items 34 and 35 have been removed for separate consideration.

Did that make sense?

Anybody got it?

One more time.

The whole thing?

Yeah.

Okay.

Item 36 has been pulled and will not be considered.

Items not received.

31, 36.

I'm sorry, 31, 38, 42, 47, 48, 51, 52, 57, and 60.

Items removed for separate consideration, 34 and 35.

34 and 45.

Okay.

Need a vote on the balance.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Good job.

Items removed for separate consideration.

Need a motion for item two.

Cast X Tatum move.

Hex second.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Councilman for the consideration.

Mayor, I'd uh like a chance just to recognize these individuals.

Uh Derek St.

John is here.

Sarah Burke, William Simpson, and uh Kathleen Jordan, who was confirmed the previous.

If you can stand up as well.

This is a huge thing for the entire Lake Houston area.

Um, you know, two years ago in May when we were out there, Mayor, and we had that big rain event.

The river and the lake were actually supposed to crest two feet higher than what they did.

And the reason they did not was because of the dredging that had been done previously, that that data had not been put into the models, and had it not been for that, we would have had significant structural flooding all around Lake Houston.

So the dredging plays a huge huge piece in the flood mitigation.

Uh it's also a good thing for our drinking water, as every cubic yard of sediment we remove means a cubic yard more of water that's out.

Uh no, the last dredging that we did, I think they removed 800,000 cubic yards of of material.

So it makes a huge difference for us.

And you know, uh, this uh legislation was worked on for three sessions.

Uh Representative Cunningham was just able to get it through the previous one, and uh we've got our board and looking to get to work.

Good.

Thank you for your public service, and this is just an example of the hard work, planning and execution that goes on in Houston each and every day, kind of quietly doing our jobs and making such a difference.

And you're right.

Kingwood has challenges, and that water, if not properly handled, does end up south of Kingwood in our neighborhood.

So, thank you for your service and leadership and the expertise that you bring to the table.

Councilmember Huffman.

Thank you, and thank all of you for your service.

We need people uh to serve on these types of boards.

Um Derek St.

John has done so much to help with flood mitigation and district G and all the projects you work on.

I don't know how you have enough time in the day to to do all the things that you do.

Um, but thank you very much.

I look forward to seeing on this board.

Item six needs a motion.

Cast take a move, pack second.

Motion made and second.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, colleagues, I look forward to your support of this.

This is the um final allocation to pay for the Spelman detention basin and for um the colleagues that were here back in 2020 when we voted on this.

Um, it has finally come to pass.

It's absolutely incredible.

If you haven't had an opportunity to actually see this detention basin, um it is uh where the old red Frank uh Mars Frank library was on West Belfort, just east of Fondron.

And this actual basin um is going to help us prevent um flooding to over 900 businesses and homes.

Um, it is 400 feet wide, 1600 feet long, and 19 feet deep.

And this will this basin actually stores almost 200 acre feet of storm water.

Um that's equivalent to approximately 64.5 million gallons of water during a hundred-year flood.

And for those of you that have been in Houston a long time, you know that Westbury Willow Waterhole area.

There was lots of repetitive flooding there.

This Spelman detention basin is really going to impact um that area and keep water out of those homes and those um businesses in that particular area.

This was a big project for us, um, and we've gotten it done, and this is the um vote to actually pay uh the contractors that that put that basin on the ground for us in the city of Houston.

So we should definitely be celebrating that we have made some big impact in an area that has experienced repetitive flooding in the city of Houston.

So look forward to your support on this item.

And thank you for your leadership.

I know how much the community has watched the development and huge improvement under your leadership.

Just need to vote.

All in favor say yes, those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Item nine needs a motion.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, this item is to extend the lease vehicle program for HFD for 105 vehicles.

Um, this was a budget amendment I had a few years ago in order to try to save money and get more reliable vehicles.

And I just want to thank you for continuing this program and hopefully we can see how we can expand it to other departments where it makes sense and could also save money.

So thank you.

Thank you.

I agree.

We need a motion first.

Motion.

Cast X say to move.

Heck second.

Motion made and seconded.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Item 24 is a resolution.

Just need a vote.

All in favor, say yes.

Councilmember Panzerola.

Yeah, I just want to give a quick comment on this.

This is bicycle pedestrian projects.

It's an application through HGA Transportation Alternative Set Aside Program.

I just want to highlight that connectivity and safety for all Houstonians is uh I think something that a lot of folks are asking for, and this application is a great step forward for doing that.

So I I look forward to this one.

Very good.

Thank you for your leadership.

Councilmember Alcorn.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yes, this is one of the things we do over at the Transportation Policy Council.

So there are active transportation projects being done in the city of Houston.

These are two good examples.

We also got some done with some carryover funds.

So uh this is uh, you know, kind of what uh council member Evans Shabazz and I and Councilmember Martinez and who's the other alternate uh councilmember Davis.

This is this is the stuff we work on um over there at Transportation Policy Council.

These are all these federal and state pass-through funds that come through their categorized active transportation, added capacity, it's all these different categories.

Anyway, I like to see us moving forward with these.

The good thing about these projects, these active transportation projects are quick to get done quicker.

Obviously, than a road or bridge project, so often gets the benefit of leftover funds or funds that aren't spent at the right time.

Not these, these are actual program TASA funds.

But um, Mayor, we are doing active transportation in this city, so that's a good thing.

Very good.

I agree, and thanks for serving in that capacity.

You and Councilmember Evan Shabonis.

Thanks for your report.

Councilmember Castillo.

Councilmember Castillo.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to echo my colleagues' comments on this item, and for the district H portion, this is in the northeast part of the district, and these improvements are coming to the areas near schools, near parks, and they're on the high injury network, and would encourage more projects like this to continue to come forward using this program.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Councilmember Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I just want to echo a little bit of uh uh what councilmember Alcorn has shared.

Um now uh both me and Councilmember Flickinger serve as the HGAC reps uh for the city of Houston.

We spent last Thursday and Friday at a board retreat.

Um and a lot of the conversations of course rely on transportation water uh infrastructure and the 13th county region, and so it's it's important that uh as a council that we continue to uh stay focused on how we can uh benefit from these federal dollars and state dollars, but also um we we were able to kind of take a step back understanding some of the more recent conversations with HJAC HGAC and TPC um to really build a stronger coalition with our 13 county region, um, and and what we've found over the last those those two days was that really the success of those smaller cities and counties uh depend on the city of Houston and Harris County, but quite frankly, we also depend on them as well.

And and with that said, uh that relationship just wanted you to know that we are working on really uh reestablishing it uh where we're focused on everybody's success in the region, Mayor.

So that projects like these can continue to move forward.

Thank you.

And the feedback I received from other jurisdictions, and those of you serving in those capacities that they're treating Houston a lot lot better, it's all about relationships and being at the table.

Thank you all for your service, just need a vote.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed nay, motion passes.

Item 34 is an ordinance, just need a vote.

All in favor say yes, those opposed nay, motion passes.

Item 45 is an ordinance, just need a vote.

All in favor, huffman.

Councilmember Huffman.

Thank you.

I just want to highlight this contract.

You know, we have a couple of traffic signals in district G, right now.

They're all working perfectly, but we have these problem signals that every once in a while um just start blinking.

And so I actually, the um government relations representative for Conaco Phillips reached out to me yesterday specifically about the light at uh ITEN and Eldridge, that that's one that consistently blinks.

Conico is willing to work with the city to come up with solutions, but I assured them that this was on the agenda for today, and that we would definitely take a look at it.

Thank you.

Very good.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed any vote should pass.

Item 61 is an ordinance.

Members for council item 61, we're going to use the matrix, the budget matrix and consider all the amendments in order beginning with Remares with 1.01.

Once we go through, we'll go back to the main item as amended.

Councilmember Maris.

Thank you, Mayor.

Last week I offered five budget amendments.

I am moving to amend the first two that I'd offered.

That would be amendment 1.01 and 1.02.

Copies of the amendment to the amendment should have been distributed this morning.

Please let me know if you haven't received one.

The difference in both of them is that the funding source is changing.

But would like the flexibility to determine where those funds will come from.

And to be clear, we're not talking about a lot of money here.

We're talking about in the case of Amendment 1.01, $216,000 and 1.02, 115,000, which in the grand scheme of things is not a whole lot of money.

But these two amendments can have a huge impact.

So I would move to amend the amendment and and then take up the merits of each amendment.

Second.

Yes.

Amendment is accepted.

So we'll be we vote, we'll now take a vote on one day.

Does everyone have a copy of the amendment?

All in favor of the substitute say aye.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

All right.

If I can address amendment 1.01, this would fully fund the crisis call diversion center at the Houston Emergency Center, otherwise known as HEC.

That's where our 911 calls go.

The Crisis Call Diversion Center is staffed by trained call takers who will take calls from Houstonians who are in mental health crisis or suffering from some situation or condition that they don't know how to deal with.

Oftentimes these calls do not involve a crime necessarily or a health emergency.

This funding would restore them.

Three crisis call takers, which would enable us to get a fourth crisis call taker using state matching grants.

We've been working closely with the Harris Center, which does wonderful work.

In fact, we just approved them to manage the emancipation uh homelessness facility, and we think very highly of them.

This is a smart thing to do, colleagues.

It would allow us to increase uh call volumes that the call takers would take by 4,800, enable them to extend their hours a little bit, and actually save money.

According to the Harris Center, they they expect that uh these positions will actually help the city save one point three million dollars in uh calls avoided where the police have to go out or fire and EMS have to go out, which can be uh quite time consuming and expensive.

So I would ask for the c your support colleagues in uh approving amendment number one.

It is supported by the administration.

As I say, mayor, I know this is this is uh something that's been important to you for a long, long time, which is helping folks in crisis, but also diverting folks out of the criminal justice system that don't need to be there.

I appreciate your support on this.

Um the fire fighters union supports it, the police union is not opposed to it, and the director of a heck center supports it, as well as uh NAMI, the National Alliance for Mental Illness, the Greater Houston chapter.

So I appreciate all that and would ask for support of this amendment.

Very good.

Thank you for your work and leadership.

Uh members, uh, item one point oh one.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

If I may address 1.02.

This this involves a substitute as well, uh, similar to the first one where all we're doing is changing the funding source.

Uh and this is at the administration's request.

The administration supports this one as well.

This would allow the administration to determine where the hundred and fifteen thousand dollars for this item would come from out of the overall budget.

And so I would ask that this substitute amendment be approved by the council.

Huffman second.

Vote on one point oh two.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

And if I could address the merits of it right now.

So this is another uh mental health initiative, if you will.

It would fund one additional licensed therapist position as part of a crisis intervention and response team, otherwise known as a cert team, that would cost a hundred and fifteen thousand dollars and will come out of the health health budget, health department budget, as the prior amendment does, not uh the police department budget.

What the CERT units are a uh is a two-person team that pairs a master's level therapist along with a crisis intervention trained police officer, and and I'll point out all of our officers receive crisis intervention training at the academy, and so they all receive uh a minimum level of training.

Some receive more than that.

So this would pair a therapist along with a police officer and riding around the city in a patrol car.

This is a a slight expansion of a program that began in 2008.

The city started this in 2008 and made it permanent then, and it has continued ever since.

Currently, we have I think about 12 full-time units, they represent the city's highest level response to individuals in serious mental health crisis, and we never have enough of them.

That was my experience when I was a prosecutor, and I think that's the same experience today.

When um Chief Harden was here in the budget workshops, he he agreed with me that we cannot have enough spending on these types of uh programs.

Um these are the types of units um that will go out uh when someone is experiencing a severe mental health uh crisis.

They sometimes assist uh the SWAT units uh in de-escalating vote volatile uh situations and um some of these calls actually come through the crisis call diversion uh staff that I was mentioning earlier um as they determine that uh uh a greater response is necessary.

So I would uh ask for colleagues support on this amendment as well.

The administration supports so I appreciate that support.02.

All in favor say yes, those opposed nay, motion passes.

Good job.

Thank you, Mayor.

Amendment 1.03 is a transparency initiative that would require for this coming year's budget each department director and the finance director to report quarterly to the budget and finance committee on projected overages above council approved expenditure amounts for overtime travel off supplies and food.

Currently, reports are being made, I believe quarterly, to the budget and finance committee or fiscal affairs committee by the finance director, um reporting on uh over overtime overages, and so this would make this uh a more formal requirement and extend to all the departments.

I understand the administration is requesting withdrawal, and what I would propose, mayor, is that this item uh instead of being called for a vote at this time or or strictly speaking withdrawn uh be referred to committee, be referred to the budget and fiscal affairs committee uh for consideration there.

Half three seconds.

Thank you.

Good motion.

We have a motion on the table, but we have Panzer on the key with that.

Councilman Panzer, do you want to be recognized?

Yes, please.

Yeah, exactly.

You got it.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, while this uh amendment does correspond to all the departments, I would do want to make a couple call-outs here.

Um over the past two years, we've spent close to double what we initially budgeted for the Houston Police Department and fire departments overtimes.

Um Houstonians deserve to know where their money is being spent, and you know, I have some figures here.

FY25, the fire department budgeted 45 million, they actually spent 87.9 million.

FY26, 43 million again, again spent 82 million.

Um, and it's a similar trend.

While I may be new to city council, I understand that this is not a new problem uh for these specific departments.

So um with this amendment, I recognize that um not only will we be having the finance director come speak quarterly, but also the department director heads, which I think is a great improvement.

Uh I want to give a shout out to Councilmember Ramirez for bringing this forward.

Uh it's something that I greatly look forward to uh addressing.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I'm happy to take this up at committee.

You know, we we have been getting regular reports on overtime.

I've been impressed that some year over year, at least in police we're under, we're still under budgeting.

I think we all know that.

I think when we come when the when they come for the quarterly reports, what I'd like to be more aware about is, you know, everybody's good with the spend.

We need to be doing the spend.

I'd like to know from where they're pulling the money.

Um, because I know we used to get that overtime money from vacancies, and I think we're still doing that to some extent, but if there's other line items um that are being that we're using, I I'd like that that to be part of the report to the extent uh Melissa, y'all can do that.

Very good.

Council Ramirez?

Councillor Mayors.

Appreciate all the comments.

And and I think this is this is important.

We've we've talked about it in committee before, and and I think there's a larger discussion that needs to be held.

Um over time, I think everybody would agree appears to be excessive, but the the real questions are why does it appear that way?

I know the administration has uh some thoughts on it, and and even if you will, uh a strategy uh on the way we budget for overtime, and that's not always made plain to the public.

Uh I've you know we're we're privy as as members of council to uh perhaps a little bit more information on why it is done this way, uh, but I'm I'm not always sure this is uh clear to the public and to the public it looks like we're just way overspending.

But you know, uh as part of the discussion we had in the workshops, uh Finance Director Dabowski pointed out that yes, while this line item uh is exceeded, you know, in in the police budget, for instance, uh the overall budget still stays within or very close to uh the number that council approved.

And so referring it to counts uh committee and having a discussion about it would I think uh be beneficial for the public and help them better understand what's going on.

So I appreciate I think you're on to something also we need uh testimony and committee as to the impact that the eight hundred additional officers, HPD has sworn in since you and I were elected, uh and they got a full cadet class there, and we'll probably go over a thousand.

It's the largest number of officers in Houston's history, and then you go over to the fire department.

Another significant increase of 600 firefighters uh that have been sworn in, and their cadet classes are full.

So I think it would be very relevant to examine the placement of those additional first responders and the impact it has on overtime.

Um, just a lot of things that they ought to ask on tow.

Uh and someday we will discuss the family leave.

There's any given day 400 officers on family leave, which we support.

Uh well, I hate to stir it up this morning, but I understand they take family leave from the department but still are doing their extra jobs.

So we might want to uh drill down on that uh use of personnel.

Or some are actually taking a week, a month for a year, so as good a program that is, I think we need to measure uh the impact it has on overtime and proper utilization.

So anyway, we have a lot of work left to do, but this is an excellent opportunity to look at overtime and uh.

Thank you for your your motion.

A vote on the motion to refer to committee.

I referred to the committee and asked for quarterly reports.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

It's gonna seem that way for the next few minutes at least.

Amendment one oh four, yeah, uh is again a transparency measure that would require in this next fiscal year our housing and community development department to submit to council an accounting of how TURS affordable housing funds out of Fund 2409 have been spent in the prior year.

Um much of their funding comes from the uh uh tax increment reinvestment zone uh funds.

So the report would include dates, vendors, amounts, and the purpose of each expenditure.

Um has been uh suggested by the administration that uh it be withdrawn, that it doesn't constitute a a proper budget amendment because it doesn't move money.

Um what I would like to do with this one, Mayor, uh, is also refer it to our our housing committee for discussion.

I think largely uh that that our leadership in housing community development do an excellent job, but I think we should have greater transparency in how this large sum of money that comes from the TERS is being spent and how it's affecting our efforts to increase affordable housing in the city.

So I would move to refer this item as well to the housing committee.

How's that seconds?

Motion made and segment referred to the housing committee.

All in favors that all in favor say yes.

Those opposed a motion passes.

I'll point you down and I clear that.

Now the vote members are on the item as substituted to refer to committee.

So we're going to fine we're where we need to be next.

105 is uh another transparency measure that would require a report from the mayor's Office of Economic Development that handles um economic development measures including tax abatements to the economic development committee the reporting would uh include information on 380 agreements IDAs 313s and tax abatements and would include information on whether or not benefits are actually being realized by the city the amount of the abatement the amount of the revenue foregone if any by the agreement and the expiration date of each agreement.

It's been suggested that this is already being done and I will uh I will say that with regard to new tax abatement agreements those are brought to economic development committee but regarding um the ones already in existence and uh others such as the 380s the IDAs and the 313s information is not presented regularly to the economic development committee on whether or not these are um a wise um concession to make research has shown that in the case of tax abatements um a number of them are are unnecessary because the companies would have located here or would have expanded regardless of whether the abatement had been given when I say research I'm talking about out of our university business schools so it's uh it's it's good research and so we should scrutinize these agreements a little bit more I believe and uh require that this information come to the economic development committee and would request that this item also be referred uh to the economic development committee very well council member jacks thank you mayor um second yeah thank you mayor um and thank you council member um just wanted to say I do support this item even though you're moving it's it's not an amendment that you're gonna withdraw it um I think it's important that we look at um community benefits agreements and tax abatements regularly um just recently I sat down with the East River um project that has a community benefits agreement one of the things we're trying to find jobs you know my main thing is where are these jobs and so regular updates can help us um recognize whether or not that um developer or whoever received the community benefits agreement if compliant and following through on their agreement so um I support this um but I know it'd be moved to committee but thank you for bringing this forward mayor pro temperament thank you and um thank you for amplifying this information does come to economic development committee we have um discussed this uh item with the um director Tillotson um so we definitely can look at what additional information uh the council members are looking for but when we have tax abatements or any of these items come to economic development.

We go through all of these items uh in the Economic development committee.

I know the big issue, you know, people want to know what the amount of the tax abatement is um after speaking with Director Tillotson, we can definitely um make sure that all of the questions that council members have about these abatements um can be answered.

But we do discuss these in our economic development committee meetings.

Council Ramirez.

Very good.

Councilmember Ramares.

Thank you.

I appreciate all the comments uh including our Mayor Pro Tems comments.

Um these are this is an interesting topic, and uh I think uh sometimes the public doesn't fully understand how these agreements work and how they affect um tax burdens and how much money the city can collect.

A couple years ago, I I asked questions about the PFCs that were done in prior administrations.

None, well, just three I think have been done in this administration, and that how that affects the city's tax revenue, and was told that uh those particular agreements didn't really affect the tax revenue we collected because of the revenue cap, right?

So some of that can't be collected uh in any event.

And so things like this, I think would be helpful for for everyone to understand a little better and look forward to the discussion in of these uh these topics in economic development committee.

Thank you.

Very well.

Motion made in the segment send item one point oh five to economic development.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed nay.

Motion passes.

Councilmember Salinas, 4.01.

I would like to begin by thanking you, Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem Cassix Tatum, Councilmember Jackson, Councilmember Castillo, and Councilmember Mamitas, as well as the more than a hundred and eighty community leaders, base leaders, and residents who supported this illegal dumping budget amendment and represent communities most impacted by chronic illegal dumping, including super neighborhoods and civic clubs across Acres Homes, the East End, East Little York, Homestead, Fifth Ward, Independence Heights, OST, Pleasantville, Settigas, South Union, Sunnyside, Third Ward, Trinity, Houston Gardens, and many more.

We all know illegal dumping is a serious public health, drainage, safety, and quality of life issue.

And this amendment puts forth dedicated resources behind a solution.

Last year residents filed near nearly 9,000 311 complaints related to illegal dumping.

We have 92% of those calls coming from majority black and Latino zip codes.

This amendment invests $3 million in dedicated funding to combat illegal dumping in these communities by hiring additional solid waste workers, expanding roll-off services, and access to legal disposal sites, installing cameras and signage at chronic dump sites, accelerating cleanup and overgrowth removal, and expanding education on legal disposal options.

This is a community-backed data-driven investment in cleaner, safer, and healthier neighborhoods.

I'm so grateful to my colleagues for all that they have done over the years to tackle this issue and working with us to move this forward.

I'm grateful to Director Mackai for working with us to find a source of funding to support this amendment, but it would also avoid any negative impact on HPW operations, as is reflected in the substituted language you all have before you.

And lastly, I want to thank you, Mayor.

You have been a longstanding leader on this issue.

I know this is one of the reasons why you ran to serve the city in this capacity.

I'm so grateful for your leadership.

I'm so grateful for your support on this amendment and for continuing to work together to tackle this very important issue.

Colleagues, I urge you to support this amendment.

Thank you.

Let me respond that you must have watched my announcement for office two and a half years ago because this was one of the items that I listed along with homelessness and infrastructure and so safety.

As a senator, I could not understand the neglect across so much of my district.

And it was listed as a priority, and it has been getting attention, but obviously you point out not enough.

Joby Allen was here two weeks ago.

The private sector joined him and picked up five hundred and eleven tons of illegal dumping in like a six-week period.

So we all know the issue.

Now working together, this council, this mayor is going to prioritize it.

But this is just a step in the right direction.

HPD actually arrested someone yesterday for illegal dumping, had the license plate given to them by a neighbor, and they went to the home and arrested the person.

So it's going to have to be a collaborative effort of public safety, the health department.

We know it impacts public health drainage.

I think the moves of working solid waste with public works will provide us more equipment, resources.

But I think it's incumbent upon all of us to talk to our constituents to not put illegal dumping in our neighborhoods.

I think we need to look and see if we could incentivize people to go into the landfills, maybe looking at the cost.

Maybe the city needs to work with our vendors.

Have very limited hours.

So through your effort, resources will be directed there, and then I think that's just a new beginning of all of us with Houstonians and all the stakeholders to draw attention and really once and for all.

Because when I was growing up in Houston, I'm sure the mayor pro temp can speak to this, or any of us, sadly, all of us that were Houstonians, it just wasn't present.

But it's just become kind of accepted, certainly in particular neighborhoods, which even makes it more profound.

And uh let me just applaud you and and my board's lighting up with council colleagues that have uh joined you, joined us in an effort to once and for all and let everyone know it it is a major factor in this budget to improve the quality of life of Houstonians.

Thank you, and thank you again, Councilmember Panzarella.

Fresh off the campaign trail that I bet for a fact you heard about it.

I heard about it.

Thank you, Mayor.

I appreciate that.

Um I want to uh voice my support in favor of this amendment, and I also want to add that I'm very grateful to Councilmember Salinas for leading on this and working with countless communities to address a chronic challenge that many neighborhoods face.

So huge kudos, congrats on this, and I look forward to voting on it.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Councilman.

As you know, district B has more illegal dumping than any um neighborhood um in the city of Houston.

In fact, in FY26, we spent over 300,000 of our district service funds on illegal dumping.

We have two hot teams, we contracted with a company to have a grapple truck.

Um so we're just like doing everything that we can.

As soon as we pick it up, it's back down.

And so we do need the additional resources to tackle the problem, and so this amendment will actually add that those resources that's needed.

So thank you for leading it, and I look forward to supporting it.

Thank you.

Council Alc.

Councilmember Salinas, great amendment.

Proud to support it.

We've been talking about illegal dumping for a long time.

And my first term when I chaired regulatory neighborhood affairs, I think it was our first meeting, Jordan, we had on illegal dumping.

Um, Mayor Pro Tem, Tarsha Jackson, many around the table have worked on this issue.

Uh I I noticed too when I was going through the budget, there was not like a line item like there used to be about illegal dumping, but it's hard for me to believe there was no money put into the original budget for illegal bumping for dumping.

Um can we quantify what the police are spending and what solid waste is spending?

I know council district service funds are often spent on it.

I mean, I wonder, um, and I don't have to get that answer right now, but I'd like to know what our full investment is in combating illegal dumping.

Three million dollars extra is awesome.

But uh I'd like to kind of get an idea of what we're already had in the budget.

I couldn't say it any better.

I think that's one of the reasons why this is a fresh start for public works and solid waste to document the benefits of their consolidation in a new approach.

But uh, you're right.

There were monies in the original proposed budget, it just wasn't quantified nearly as well as Councilmember Salinas's proposal.

Of course, there was money, significant money being spent on solid waste.

But that department, as we well know, uh needs additional resources.

I just made myself a note.

None of this will the new monies will take anything or neglect anything from heavy trash.

Another major uh priority to educate folks that some of the stuff they're putting out called heavy trash is not the city's responsibility.

But I think we're going to see significant, I know we're gonna see significant changes with solid waste having additional resources from public works in terms of equipment, new routes, new assessment of what they're spending and where it's going.

And obviously, your committee would be an excellent one to handle that.

HPD is uh doing it.

Uh I've I've worked with other neighborhoods, their neighborhood groups taking it upon themselves.

Uh phony forfeiture money how the DA's office has been used to install video cameras to try to deter people or catch them.

So there's a lot of effort going in this direction, but I think with the Salinas amendment, it's just gonna move to move it so much further than it's ever been before.

Great.

I saw Stephen David scribbling something that might be in front of you about about an investment that we're probably in.

He's talking about the millions that are being spent already on it.

Thank you, Stephen.

Why the hell didn't you have it as a line items on the thing we all want to know?

Okay.

No, one HPD's got 1.6 million budgeted for enforcement and solid waste 1.5 million.

So I know there's millions of things.

And so already 3 million, this will be an additional three million.

But I think it's a multifaceted operation of public awareness.

Uh just don't mess with Houston.

You know, I don't want to tamper with the states, do not mess with Texas successful effort, but we need to don't mess with Houston when it comes to illegal dumping, holding people accountable, but also a prevention and deterrent of it at the outset.

So thank you.

Good.

Mayor Brittany.

Mayor Pro Tim.

Thank you.

Your tires, I saw how many did you pull out of a lot?

A thousand.

Um tires and illegal dumping, definitely an issue that um keeps keeps us up at night.

Um just wanted to amplify this.

Thank you, Councilmember Salinas, for this budget amendment.

But I think that we also need to really talk about enforcement because if we don't have enforcement, then um people will continue to dump because we have seen time and time again that we clean up an area and then the next week that area has been dumped in again.

Um and I think that you know, if we get serious about the enforcement, we can have some violator funding for um picking up illegal dumping.

And from our works, we have found uh unfortunately that people dump one to three miles from their house.

So a lot of times it's folks, it's the neighbors is folks that have small businesses in the communities.

And it's an unpopular thing to say, but we need to let people know that we aren't going to tolerate them dumping in the actual communities.

You drive down Holmes Road, Blue Ridge Road.

I mean, we picked up a dead horse, boats, you know, all kinds of stuff on Holmes Road and Blue Ridge Road.

Those are the two notoriously dumped on roads in District K.

Um, but we have a hard time putting cameras on those roads because there's not electricity.

In the places where we've put put cameras and caught people, we notice uh the dumping has stopped because we follow the enforcement, make sure they get the citations.

I mean, HPD has gone to knock on people's doors that we have camera footage of them, you know, one to three miles from their house.

Um, these are people in the neighborhood that we have caught dumping.

It's the contractor that um is doing work uh in the in the city, and you know, you see his truck on the camera, and then we see his truck in the driveway.

Um, and they put it together.

So we have got to be vigilant on the enforcement.

Um, and then not only will we um you know deter folks from dumping when they see that these folks are getting caught, but we will also um have some violator funding to um help with the issue, and we we've got to also follow this through our citation process.

I know um a couple of them that we followed when they went to court, um the perpetrators could say uh, well, they didn't pick up my illegal dumping, um, they didn't pick up my um heavy trash, and then their their ticket would get dismissed.

And I think you know, yes, we have some issues with getting our trash picked up on time that does not give you the right to illegally dump in the city of Houston, so we definitely have some um processes that we need to fine-tune, but we do want to send the message to Houstonians that we we want you to dispose of your debris properly, amen.

Castillo.

Councilmember Castillo.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to commend Councilmember Salinas for leading this effort on this amendment, your support as well, Mayor.

This is a issue that impacts so many District H neighborhoods.

My service fund supports a hotspot team that works 40 hours a week picking up illegal dumping throughout District H.

And this is a significant investment.

It's also a comprehensive approach from not just picking up the illegal dumping, but the signage, the cameras, the enforcement.

Uh we know that cameras are a great tool at preventing uh dumping from even taking place, and uh this is gonna help support something that impacts quality of life uh throughout my district and throughout the city, and I'm proud to support this amendment.

You're you're correct, it's it's a citywide problem, but it's also focused on some neglected communities, and thank you for what you've done in independent heights.

Independent heights has been a victim of illegal dumping for many years, and it's just outrageous.

It's amazing also the impact it uh has on our drainage.

Huge impact, negative.

So thank you.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Councilmember Salinas for putting this forward.

Um, you know, I uh having grown up in District I, District H and District B.

It you're exactly right, Mayor.

The look around our city, you know, from 50 years ago is is just incredible as we progress that the enormous amounts of dumping.

You know, uh Councilmember or uh Mayor Pro Tim Cassex Tatum, perhaps those uh citations should turn into community service to help clean that up instead of the fines, and maybe that would get more attention.

But what I would like to see is once this is up and going, is uh not to burden public works, but uh a reporting on sort of the uh district wide progress or at least focus because I know we're gonna hear a lot of wait a bit, what about my district?

And no, we need more in my district.

So just to really take a look and see how that uh I guess the plan of attack will will go because certainly um I spend a fair amount of time in district B and it's it's a shame, but all around.

So just maybe some reporting back to to show what progress is made, collective progress would be great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm sitting here thinking that the impact it has on the community, the self-esteem of students.

When we were reopening public schools after COVID, Highland Heights and Acres home, you came out of the new school, the opening, and there is all the piles of illegal dumping, and you just it you have to fight that it becomes a norm that it's well, it's not anything we can do about it.

And of course, this will change that.

Council Councilmember Maris.

Thank you, Mayor.

This is a big deal as an at-large council member.

I travel to all the districts, and uh it's just a shame to see um stuff, anything dumped in esplanades in ditches along roadsides in all too many of our districts.

Houstonians should not have to live in neighborhoods where that is taking place.

And so I applaud Councilmember Salinas for her leadership in proposing this and also for your collaborating with the administration on an agreement where this would pass and become part of the budget.

And I look forward to the Houston where we we don't see all this uh trash dumped uh in all these places in our neighborhood.

So thank you.

Councilman Flickr.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Councilwoman Salinas.

Um, and to the Mayor Pro Temp's point, I mean, this is something we've all got to be working on.

Uh, a couple things my office is doing.

Uh, we had an incident here about a month ago where somebody caught somebody else dumping while they were in the act.

It was a citizen, got posted to Grizzly Hood.

Uh, they called HPD.

Apparently, HPD didn't get out there by the time they'd left.

What we did is we went back and looked at the prioritization of the call.

And there's nothing to differentiate dumping, which is a very low prioritization with a dumping in progress.

So, in fact, we've got a meeting with HPD today to see if we can differentiate those two things, get a little higher prioritization to where maybe get out there and get that call.

We're also looking at the scrap tire ordinance.

Uh that ordinance requires tire dealers to record the serial numbers of tires when they sell the tires.

The problem is that isn't when we want to track them.

We want to track them when they're actually scrapped, and the customer buys new tires.

So we're looking to change when we collect that data to when they buy new tires, not getting the new tire, but the old tire.

So hopefully we can go back and track who's dumping those old tires and be able to go and hold those people accountable.

Thank you.

Councilmember Salinas.

Uh, thank you all colleagues for your incredible support and again for all the great work you've done on this issue over the years.

Uh, Councilmember Carter, actually, in response to your comment about reporting, if you read the last paragraph of the amendment that is included in what we will be passing today.

So we will have quarterly reports that'll provide updated KPIs to us and the community about how this amendment is going into effect.

Um, but I also agree with all of you all that enforcement is key, and our office, along with Councilmember Jackson and others, are looking into how we can strengthen our ordinance and look forward to working closely with all of you to do that.

But look forward to passing this amendment now.

Very well.

Members, a motion to substitute this language in the place of 4.01.

Motion made in second, all in favor say yes.

Now the vote on the substitute.

All in favor say yes.

Those opposed, nay.

Congratulations.

And this is an excellent example of how the system works here around the horseshoe, that you have a great idea.

Did your research and found out the amount you wanted to put in the budget, and then you worked the council and certainly worked closely with me.

So thank you and uh congratulations.

It's gonna make a difference.

This budget's gonna make a difference.

Okay.

Next, Councilmember Salinas from 4.0.02.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh so with regards to the second amendment related to uh transferring funds to a higher hire additional folks to assist HPW with filling vacancies.

Again, I want to thank Director McKay for our very productive conversation and his commitment to do everything we can to fill those vacancies.

I'm very excited to share with the public that HPW is committed to filling all 95 vacant inspector positions by the end of this calendar year, which I think is gonna make a real difference on a number of issues that we're talking about, including illegal dumping.

Um, and I'm also excited to share that HPW is committed to providing quarterly reports to the public in council on how that hiring is going.

And so given those excellent uh commitments from the director, I will be withdrawing this amendment for now, but again, appreciate the director and the uh the department's commitment to filling these vacant positions.

Um I know there's a lot of hiring that has to be done, but I appreciate the prioritization on inspectors, because I think it's gonna make a big difference.

So thank you, Director.

Councilman Panzarella.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to get I want to again commend customer Salinas for putting this forward.

This is um a great amendment that is going to hopefully push forward a lot more of those infrastructure projects that we want to see get done across the city.

Um I had a chance to speak with director uh Mackay as well, and he let us know that while there are quite a few vacancies, not every vacancy equals uh you know an immediate job opening because they are kind of going through a reclassifying process to make sure that as we move forward, we're hiring the right positions to get the right work done.

So again, uh I support um pushing the amendment down and um following up on these KPIs in a couple months.

So thanks so much.

Councilman Alcorn.

Thank you.

Um Councilmember Salinas, I really liked this amendment because we've often had trouble around getting people hired and onboarded in a reasonable amount of time.

Um we used to ask questions that used to take four or five months to get somebody onboarded.

Um so additional help in in that is good.

Um Randy, it sounds like you're gonna do that and get people.

You know, HR does their part, then it goes to the director.

Then it's just like a whole process, and it it takes longer than it should, and and I haven't gotten as many complaints lately, so that must be getting better.

So good job.

And also a briefing with I think Councilmember Panzerella and I met with Randy.

Some of the positions are being uh redirected instead of administrative positions to get them out in the field.

That's part of the reorganization and will make a huge difference.

And uh quite frankly, public works is done the hiring now.

It's got to be processed, and I would actually encourage human resources to expedite these.

But the process is working, but the number is sometimes not indicative of the uh the need and necessity of these positions.

A lot of them are being redirected and uh gonna make a big difference.

Uh thank you.

Uh motion is withdrawn.

The items withdrawn.

Uh next.

Councilmember.

How corn?

5.01.

Thank you, Mayor.

Rare for me to just have one budget amendment, but um the big story of this budget is the solid waste and and perhaps the right-of-way fee too.

But uh, so we are moving solid waste into the utility.

I just think it's super important that we segregate it into you know different line items.

We know exactly.

I know there was kind of this is the first year of it, so the bud prep system didn't match with SAP and all this, but uh Melissa Debaski sat down with me.

She has assured me that by the time we get the approved budget book, these corrections will be made.

Solid waste will be its own page in the book.

Um you can't really tell which employee which FTEs work in regular trash, bulk waste, yard waste, that'll all be segregated out.

Um I'm interested in the revenues, uh the container lease revenues, the trash administrative fee, the uh any recycling revenue we may generate, that we we should be able to see that exact those exact numbers coming in.

I just don't want um, I don't want the solid waste operations to get mixed in with the water wastewater.

I think when we started Rebuild Houston, a lot of confusion about metro money being mixed with the drainage fee money, and that was a big mess.

I I think if we catch this really early on, make sure everything's laid out, we know exactly who's working for who.

Plus, I'm really interested in we're all interested in improvements being made at solid waste.

So that will be reflected in the expenditures, it'll be reflected in the FTEs.

And um I'm confident I'm happy to withdraw this because I'm confident by the time we get the printed budget book, um, that will all be uh laid out.

So thank you.

July one is is the schedule uh reporting mechanism that you're requesting, and that will be very informative for all of us.

Great.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor approach and peck.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, so 6.01 is um prior to any kind of increase over the five dollar administrative fee, that there will be a written analysis to evaluate whether there's sufficient funding to um offset or eliminate the fee for those who are disabled, qualified veterans or senior citizens.

I know that many Houstonians have been worried about what happens if the fee goes up over five dollars, and this will require a thoughtful process if that fee increases.

Um I want to thank um Councilmembers Castillo and Martinez for co-authoring this amendment.

I know that it's important to many Houstonians.

Very good.

Thank you for the uh accountability that you're calling for.

Councilmember Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I just want to uh uh you know share definitely shout out uh Councilmember Peck and Castillo for uh working on this amendment.

Um we've we've been talking about a trash fee and what that would look like for years, even I would even say, even prior to me being in office, um and with it with that conversation, we've never left out what would exemptions look like.

You know, I know several folks came in, you know, with with red flags and alarm uh that you know it's gonna hit 41 dollars.

You know, we don't know what that number will be, honestly.

Uh, there is a Burns McDonald study, but quite frankly, it's a study that doesn't tell us that we have to do that.

Um uh working through operational uh efficiencies and making sure that we're right sizing that department.

Uh my hope is that uh when we come back over the next couple of years that uh we're seeing uh better services and with that allow allowing um you know making sure that we don't put a whole bunch more burden on on families.

And I've said this plenty of times, you know, growing up in a family of 12, you know, those dollars get stretched, uh, but priorities are priorities even within a household.

And I think as a um when I think of even district I residents, I want to make sure that um we we all uh identify what what is the best pathway to support uh these larger challenges that we've had at the city, and so um I'm committed to continuing to have these conversations at every district uh I civic club and uh again reassuring folks that any anything that comes uh forward over the next couple years that we will continue to look at what these exemptions look like.

Thank you, and and you're correct, the study was misrepresented.

It was never if you if you read the study, it says if nothing changes, and everything's changing with the moves that we're making today, and also there is a commitment before we ever move to a garbage fee, in the traditional sense, there will be consideration for lower income veterans and considerations that other cities use.

Uh the five dollar administration fee is lower than any other cities uh consideration for those uh individuals that are seniors, veterans, and others.

So there's a lot of accountability that'll be carried out forward, and if you talk to public works and solid waste today, they think there could be some income received by the uh department if we open our transfer stations and also uh as recent as this morning, we want to review our contract with our recycling vendor and see if uh there could be some reconsideration of the terms of that contract, which is 30-year contract, and there are some major uh concerns about their operation and costs.

So a lot of work left to be done.

This is a step in the right direction.

Um thank you for your amendment, Vice Mayor Peck, which will certainly make it all very, very transparent.

Councilman Castillo, Councilman Castillo.

Thank you, Mayor, and to uh Vice Mayor Pro Tempec and Councilmember Martinez.

It was great to work with y'all on this amendment.

The the reason that I I like this amendment is because it requires a analysis prior to any increase.

And that's really important.

One because it gives us the time to actually put together a plan that works for Houston residents.

It's not just borrowing what a city does or or putting something together at the last minute, but we've got the time to really do a comprehensive analysis and determine what works best for our residents, and that that is in place before any increase goes into effect.

And and that goes a long way to reassure folks that are worried about what that cost would do to their budgets and how they would have to figure out to pay for it.

So I'm proud to support this and uh look forward to working with the administration on what that study looks like and and how that plan comes together.

And it also gives us time before any action is taken to see the improvements.

And uh we all know repeatedly, people will say it's fine to have this administration fee and a review it in two years, but we expect results, and that's uh exactly what we're uh endorsing today.

This amendment will look to results and look at all matters financially and delivery of services.

Thank you.

Just need a vote.

All in favor say yes, those opposed, nay.

Motion passes.

Councilmember Peck.

Thank you, and thank you everyone for your support on that item.

Um 6.02 and 6.03 um are both about the container lease fee.

And I gave council two options on this fee.

Um, like the first one better, but either one of them I think um will move us in the right direction for the container lease fee.

Um for council members who were not here when this passed, it started off as a dollar fourteen um a month in order to basically lease your your um recycling and garbage containers from the city of Houston.

It's now a dollar twenty-nine a month.

And the goal of this fee basically is to maintain our carts as people need replacements or repairs on the carts and also to deliver the carts to Houstonians who need new carts.

Um, as many of you know, um, delivery of cans has been lacking, um, sometimes taking up to three months or more um to deliver a can.

And we currently are taking in um little over five million dollars a year in this fund, but we have a fund a planned ending fund balance of over eight million dollars, and this has consistently been the case where we have a huge ending fund balance in this account.

When this item first passed, I voted against it, but have been pushing for this special revenue fund so that we can really track how this money is being spent.

And now that we have this um special revenue fund, we can see that we are not even spending anywhere near the amount of money that we are collecting every year.

So it begs the question do we even need to charge Houstonians this fee if we're not spending the money?

So um 6.02 just completely removes this container lease fee.

Um, but it doesn't cause a free-for-all of everyone gets new cans whenever they want, and we're just going to pay for it.

There are measures in place um where residents are required to pay for the new can plus delivery um for any new can.

So if someone is moving and they need to get a new can, that is when they are charged rather than a monthly fee that where they may never need to get a new can in the lifespan that they live at a house, but it just charges them for a new can at the time that it's needed.

It also charges residents um for replacement cans when they're asking for a replacement more than every five years.

So, but unless the solid waste department or its contractors break the can, then the city should pay for the can if they're the ones breaking it.

So um this um this one completely removes the container lease fee.

Um, six point zero three.

I know people might be a little skeptical to just completely remove the fee right off the bat.

So six point zero three, instead of removing the fee altogether, it sunsets it at the end of this fiscal year unless council votes to continue it.

I've heard that the reason why we have such a big ending fund balance is that it has not been managed properly in the past, and that's fine, but then prove it to us in a year that we can manage it better and that we actually need that money.

So um, you know, what is a five dollar administrative fee is actually six dollars and twenty-nine cents because of this container lease fee on top of it.

So um I'd like to take each item up for a vote and you know, whatever council decides on which which one they'd like to go with, hopefully one of the two.

Um, but I think that we need to really address this container lease fee.

I appreciate dialogue.

I thought we were going to withdraw it and give the new operation the opportunity to see what the actual cost is and use this to uh improve services.

Uh I will let everyone know at this time.

Miss Marino got her recycling bin yesterday when she got home.

So that systems work.

And Mayor, if you prefer six.

I would just ask you to withdraw it now.

The consolidation leadership and the better delivery of services, review that and see uh what their proposal would be.

And Mayor, if you'd like me to withdraw 6.02, I would be happy to do so, but I'd like to keep 6.03, which basically is doing what you're asking.

We're sunsetting it at the end of this fiscal year, unless council votes to continue it.

So I think it gives you a chance to show us in a year, you know, as the operations change, how that money is actually being used and needed.

Um, you wouldn't like to give them an opportunity to review it and come back with a physical report and and whether it should continue or not.

I think we're both.

Yeah, and I agree.

That's why I offered 6.03 as an alternative to just completely getting rid of the fee.

Um, but I would defer to council on that.

Okay.

We have council member Hendricky.

Councilman Alcorn.

Thank you.

I I was surprised to hear we hadn't spent that money.

Um you told me about that, Vice Mayor Pro Tem, and and I don't really understand that.

And you do make a good point that there's a lot of people that never never need that.

Um, what does sunset mean really?

Does that mean like it's an official thing that it's off the books?

I mean, or or are we saying the same thing, Mayor?

They come back, they tell us where's how they're spending the money, it's working, and then we're we could continue with the fee.

I don't like to let go of any money at the city of Houston.

I'm not letting go of this money.

I think we need it.

Solid waste definitely needs it, but like I guess it I guess we had to justify the fee when we passed it with the fee analysis if that's what it cost to re or we were still subsidizing.

I can't imagine anything's a dollar, but I guess over over time that was the amount.

I think it's a matter of how we get to where we all want to be, accountability.

I think the change in leadership, new director.

I mean, no one can understand why they weren't using the money or certainly bringing it to our attention.

But there's a heck of a lot about solid waste before the new leadership that I don't understand.

Wednesday was an official day off, but people were working so they could use overtime money.

So there was a lot of conflicts.

New director is headed in right direction.

The proposal that we're gonna vote on later will uh really streamline things.

We've already passed votes to hold accountability, so yeah, I just think a good fiscal policy would be to use those resources.

It might be absolutely part of the illegal dumping uh resources.

So I've got confidence in the directors, and uh I just think we ought to give them a chance to work.

I'm sure there's data on how many new cans we've gotten out there, how much money has been collected.

Well, we know how much money's been collected, how many new cans are out there, what we're spending.

I think all that we just need to dive into and and make sure we're this funds working right.

You're right.

We're we're making a big deal out of the five dollars that's a dollar twenty-nine.

You know, that that is uh I think residents will want to know that that's going for what it's supposed to go to.

I'm just looking for data before we we take a vote, and then I think you just pointed out we we need the information.

Uh and we haven't been given it in the past, we'll get it going forward.

So, Council Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, and I and I appreciate uh Council Member Peck looking into this because again, I think we've all uh I think the it was somewhat of a half-baked trash fee ultimately is what I want to call it uh when when the refuse can uh uh fee was being put on.

We should have at that time been talking about a trash fee back then, a full trash fee.

Uh um and so I'm I'm up for wanting to see what what uh public works and solid waste will be able to do.

So I want to see this report prior to eliminating any funds uh to Councilmember Alcorn's uh point.

Um we're finally giving solid waste uh funding where it should be, and actually this was conversations even five, six years ago.

Um so who knows what that cost really will be.

We're talking about illegal dumping, we're talking about every aspect of what solid waste was uh really missing missing the uh missing the point.

Um because we we did not have the the uh equipment, the facilities, the right the right amount of staffing, working our sta uh the uh solid waste staff uh 24-7, it felt like uh some months.

Um so I I'm of the the mindset of we can't pull money away from this department right now.

Let's uh move forward uh with uh a report prior to making uh any real decisions.

I know I have I have a few uh amendments that have to do with solid waste that I'll speak on as well, but I want to make sure that uh these these refuse cans uh that we f we found as well recently.

Uh and I know you had the the refuse can blitz as well where folks have been needing trash cans.

So we I know I want to make sure we get all that taken care of before we really start pulling away any kind of funding from solid waste.

So I would I would uh um you know ask my colleague to uh you know let's let's keep working through this department to start right sizing it to where it should be uh and really finally uh we you know making sure that residents have a real expectation of what we should be doing specifically when it comes to solid waste department.

Uh just got a call from Director Hassan, who we have confidence in.

When he took over, they were out of bins, and it had been out of bins for a long time.

So the money that was supposed to be spent on bins, we're just allowed to accumulate.

So we're still playing catch up, purchasing items, and uh again, it just points out why we changed directors that they were just weren't doing their job.

And so Mr.

Tibbs spending it and replacing bins, they just accumulated it.

And I think we ought to give the new leadership a chance to show what they can do.

Councilmember Maris.

Thank you, Mayor.

You know, uh I think I think uh 603 does have um appeal in the sense that um according to the fiscal note attached to it, there's a projected fund balance of eight million dollars.

So this seems to be uh money that's being collected from Houstonians that's not going towards uh payment for containers.

Um and point of order if anybody has the information on whether or not this is uh still accurate, a projected fund balance of more than eight million dollars.

Still accurate.

Yeah.

Well, you know, uh this would sunset the fee at the end of the year, which would give um at the end of the fiscal year, which would give public works plenty of time to get this figured out and report back to council, and we could certainly vote to continue the fee or at that level or whatever level would be sufficient to uh to cover the cost, but um I I think there is appeal for 603, and it kind of puts the impetus on solid waste and the council to get it figured out in you know in short order.

Thank you.

I'll withdraw 6.02.

I don't think that it is the will of council to just automatically get rid of it.

I had to try, right?

Um but I do want to keep 6.03.

Mayor, to your point about we've had to play catch up.

Yes, absolutely, I agree.

But if that's the case, it doesn't explain why we are projected to have an eight million dollar fund balance at the end of this.

Well, it won't be.

That's what I'm trying to I'm trying to deliver from the director that he needs to replace the bins, and it won't be a surplus, or at least we'll get an accurate report after he's gonna be able to do that.

Yeah, and Mayor, I think that we're seeing I mean everybody just vote vote their convictions, but I I really think that we need to give the new model the new leadership an opportunity to see what they're gonna do about renewal and delivery of bins, because apparently it's been a very uh dismal operation.

Yeah, and Mayor I I think that you and I are saying roughly the same thing.

We both want in a year from now, you know, to come to council and show a report and say here is how things have improved or not improved, and here's what we're doing with data.

But under 6.03, the only difference is that it requires council to actually take a vote at that time and say, yes, we're confident in the direction that this program is going, or no, we're not.

So just offers a little bit more accountability than just a report to a committee.

So I'd like to vote on 6.03.

Okay.

The vote is on 6.03, Ms.

Secretary, and the vote would be to uh adopt 6.03 or not.

Uh you want to call the road, Ms.

Secretary.

Councilmember Peck?

Yes, Councilmember Jackson?

Yes, Councilmember Panzaraldo?

Yes, Councilmember Avon Shabazz.

Council Member Flickinger.

Yes.

Councilmember Hoffman.

Yes.

Councilmember Castillo?

No.

Councilmember Martinez?

No.

Councilmember Pollard?

Yes.

Councilmember Castax Tatum?

No.

Councilmember Ramirez?

Yes.

Councilmember Davis.

Councilmember Carter?

Councilmember Salinas.

Yes.

And Councilmember.

Yes.

Councilmember Shabbaz.

We should pass this 10-6.

Good job.

Next.

Thank you.

Um 6.04 is to evaluate in the permitting process whether a new or significantly improved single family residential structure qualifies for city of Houston trash, and then to relay that information to the city's gyms or internal system for 311 call takers.

What's happening right now is um new homes are being built that don't qualify for city trash, and the person who purchases the home maybe doesn't know that, and they're they call 311 and request a trash can, and that trash can is delivered because through one call taker has no data to show that they don't actually qualify for trash.

Um so we just need some more internal mechanisms to show um whether when they're requesting a trash can if they actually qualify or not.

Sometimes they are in townhomes that are gated, and sometimes there's not sufficient right of way that would allow for city trash cans per hour ordinance.

And so I understand that Houston Public Works supports this concept and they are working on it.

Um, and I have no doubt that they are working on it.

So I will withdraw this amendment and look forward to implementing this program.

Very good.

6.04 is withdrawn.

6.05 is um to pilot the one bin collection program, where um solid waste and recyclable materials are all placed into one can and separated through environmentally sustainable processing methods.

Um this is to cut down on contamination, which we we've all heard the studies about contamination and recycling, and you know, people either are putting things into the recycling bin that they don't know isn't recyclable, or you know, whatever the situation is, it's been difficult to educate people about recycling.

Um this would also cut down on landfill use and whole host of other um positive um ideas if we implement this.

So I do think that we need to um look at this further, take it to committee, really evaluate this process, and I want to thank Councilmember Martinez um for working on this um amendment as well.

Thank you.

6.05, if we've drawn.

Councilmember Martinez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, and and we, you know, uh working with uh Council Mr.

Peck, uh uh goodwith withdrawing, but I also want to just highlight um and you know, Councilman Carter, who had a committee hearing with FTC as well.

And really for me, it's you know, we need to find uh put everything on the table and figure out what ways we can uh address uh our solid waste department specifically when it comes to recycling.

Um, you did mention it a bit a bit ago, mayor, that we we definitely need to look at the contract.

Right now, we're not making the money that we should be making.

FCC's not making the money that they're supposed to be making.

So right at this moment, you know, uh looking at um what what are the the challenges and I think one of them is education.

We've been speaking to it a lot uh with residents, um, what is being recycled um and what's being thrown in in folks uh green cats, but then the other one which we're working towards as well is uh the new refuse uh or the new new trucks that are uh specifically for recycling, because those were the trucks that we're using were basically uh using for both uh recycling and trash and contaminating a lot of our recycling uh material, and so um for me uh as we put this amendment forward, I really want to make sure that we're addressing every aspect of uh or every pathway to to ensure that not only um are we doing the best that we can uh to reduce the landfill, but then with this specific contract with FCC that we're also um ensuring that uh that contract is being fulfilled on both ends uh for us, uh identifying ways that we can bring in more revenue, but also uh staying true to the partnership that we have with FCC as well uh to ensure that they're not uh losing uh funding as well.

So um we'll uh gladly withdraw as well, but want to make sure that we're continuing this conversation.

Very good, Councilmember Huffman.

Thank you.

I just like to say that I really I really like this idea, and I look forward to working with both of you to uh explore this and look forward to it coming to the service delivery committee so we can discuss it more.

Thank you.

Councilmember our part.

I mean, we can all agree that the recycling contamination rate is out of control, and but we got a when when part of Mayor Parker was here, we got a million dollar Bloomberg grant to look into this one bin for all situation, tons of opposition from the environmental community, and there were all kinds of problems.

I don't know in the 10 years or 10 plus years, if that technology has gotten a lot better.

Um I'd certainly like to hear more at committee about that technology, but it was a big deal when we got the grant, and then a big deal when we couldn't do anything with it.

So I think there's a lot more to be said about this.

Councilman Carter.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, just to piggyback on those conversations.

I was out at Exxon uh this past Friday looking at the recycling uh program that we have within the MOU, and I think the entire recycling program from FCC's contract and addressing the contamination, the one bin, the Exxon MOU, and it's a big picture that we really need to focus on because certainly I think the processes out at Exxon are on hold, but um I think that it's it deserves a deep dive.

I think at least we need to expose the FCC contract, which was voted on several years ago, is just not performing.

And uh unfortunately it tied the city's hands for 30 years, but uh understand they're making requests of us, and that'll give us an opportunity to get back to the table and not only look at new concepts, technology, but also we've got to have better performance from them.

Councilmember Davis, Councilman Davis.

Thank you, Mayor.

I I just wanted to say that uh on the 6.05, Councilman McPeg, uh this is certainly something of great concern, and I think it addresses a definitely serious issue.

But what how do you put in the what would be the piece to put in in terms of educating the community?

Because you know that's always been a problem with the contamination on how we how we approach the public and educate them on uh what they throw in and whatever uh looking at the previous uh uh amendment that you presented.

So, did you have something in mind that as to you know when you guys were thinking about this on how we educate the public in that?

That seems to have been a real problem, yeah.

Um councilmember Davis, I I think that's something that we need to look at as we go through this process, but right now people are not sorting out their materials.

We've seen that, and so in a one-bin system, you can put everything in the same bin, and you don't have to worry about that education piece because it's being sorted um at the processing place, so it it cuts down on having to do that education piece a little bit, and then real fast to Councilmember Alcoin Alcorn's point about the um environmental issues.

Yes, absolutely, and that's why we specifically wrote through environmentally sustainable processing methods because that process has changed.

I think over 10 years, and we want to make sure obviously that it's um good for the environment as as we're moving forward with that, and it and it does seem to be with this new plan.

So, cost savings is uh is the thing, and I I think you're right.

Cost savings is something we definitely have to keep in mind, but how do we get the general public is another thing that I like to work on as well, how we make that happen.

Thank you.

Very good.

Anyone else?

6.05 is withdrawn, sent to committee.

6.06.

Um, so the Summermire neighborhood depository and transfer station is going to um be closed for two years for capital improvements and renovations, much needed.

Very happy about that project, but in that time, for at least a portion of it, the um the neighborhood depository is going to be closed, and I'm very concerned about in Northwest Houston, um, what that will do for illegal dumping.

You know, we just passed all of this money for illegal dumping measures, and I'm concerned that um people are just going to start illegally dumping in District A in Northwest Houston because this is closed.

I understand um that's um that is going to be looked at to see if there's other options, alternatives during that time while it's closed.

So I will withdraw this amendment.

Um, knowing that the administration is looking at this very closely.

Very well.

6.06 is withdrawn.

6.07 is um to develop and implement a contingency staffing and contractor plan for October through December collection periods um for residential trash collection and heavy trash collection.

Um during the holiday season, we see this every single year that we start, you know, from October, we start getting behind and behind and behind, and then by the time the holidays hit, we're so many months behind that when we start hiring contractors at that point, it takes months sometimes to collect all of the trash and heavy trash at that point.

It happens every single year, so I would just like to um not be reactive this time to it and make sure that we have measures in place going forward during that time.

And I know that you are requesting for it to be withdrawn that it doesn't amend the budget.

I believe that it does amend the budget as we were talking about finances and hiring contractors, which takes money to do.

What do you want to do?

Uh I mean if you say, That's fine.

We are hitting a complete restart button with solid waste and public works.

So the concerns that you've talked about in previous years, we're addressing those, and so certainly with the additional resources.

So uh I understand the concept.

We don't want to be always playing catch up, and that's the reason the budget is written as it is to make a difference.

Um, in light of that, Mayor, if you can assure us that you're gonna start looking at this many months before the holiday season and make sure everything's in place.

Um, before we get there, I have no reason to believe otherwise, so I'll we're on the same page.

Okay.

Then I will withdraw 6.07.

Thank you.

6.08.

6.08 is um just to give a little bit more accountability in some of the overtime funding.

You know, we get reports at um budget and fiscal affairs of overtime um spending from police and fire when a lot of times we're actually getting reimbursed for that overtime.

Not all of it.

I mean, we're still spending a lot in overtime, but we are getting reimbursements that we need to kind of back out of that overtime number.

Um, so this amendment was just to give some transparency towards that, to add um line items in the budget to actually show money coming um back and being reimbursed to the city for some of that overtime.

So I understand that that is happening now, and I'm happy to see that and look forward um in the future presentations for that no those numbers to be highlighted when we're talking about overtime funding.

So since it's happening now, I will withdraw this amendment.

6.09, um, this is for um the human resources department to work with the Houston Emergency Center to evaluate um the impact of utilizing off-duty firefighters to be 911 dispatch call takers.

Um we have vacancy concerns at the um Houston Emergency Center, and who better to answer those calls than firefighters?

A lot of times firefighters are working second jobs, and instead of going to another city or working somewhere else, and why not have them work in our call centers where it is very needed.

Um I understand that there's um some legal concerns with doing so, but would like to work, mayor with you and your administration on a path forward on this, because I do think that it would um really help with the vacancy um in that department.

So I will withdraw that and look forward to that.

So we're gonna um 6.10.

Um, this is similar to the budget amendment I had last year that basically says that if the fund balance ends up being higher than um than what we expect it to be, that we will use one percent of the difference towards the budget stabilization fund.

Um, and it it didn't happen this fiscal year, but if if it does and it could, um, then we could go forward um with putting one percent back into that very necessary fund.

To take a vote, all in favor of six point one oh, say yes, those opposed nine motion passes.

Next, thank you everyone for that.

Um, six point eleven.

Um, I think that there's been some confusion on this one.

Um, I'm going to withdraw it because um I'd like to work further on um providing some more clarity on this one.

But basically, um the goal of this is sometimes we're passing um uh a contract that spans the course of many years, and then there's option periods after those years, and sometimes we see in those option periods that the price has ballooned, and so we're still spending within the amount that we originally allocated, but something's happening in those option years that we're executing that causes the money um to go the spending to go way up, and so this would just provide some transparency and accountability with requiring it to come back to council before those option years are executed when this happens.

But again, I think that there's been maybe some confusion on how I wrote this one.

So I'll withdraw it and work um, mayor, with your office to provide some more clarity on this one.

Thank you.

6.11 is withdrawn next.

Um 6.12.

Um, this is to allow for um all of the inspection related activities um that the city brings in revenue for, um, for example, citations or um liens on properties, anything like that to go back into that fund um in order to do more inspections.

This is something every year.

I think since I've been on council, I've had some kind of budget amendment about money being spent and revenue being collected going back to that department where it originated from.

I'm happy to hear that we are doing that now in um in public works for this fund, and so because we are finally doing that um with inspections, I will withdraw this amendment.

6.12 withdrawing six.

Um, six point one three is um to evaluate if we can authorize qualified and certified um private engineers to conduct some of the inspections performed by the city.

We all know that um, you know, to get permits or to close out projects it oftentimes requires people to go out and and do certain inspections and we don't always have enough employees in that department to do those inspections so this would allow um people if they want to get this done a little faster to basically outsource it to someone who's a qualified engineer to perform that work I understand that um public works is evaluating this I did have this amendment last year as well and was told that it would be evaluated so I'm hopeful that it will be evaluated this time and we can move forward um with this idea yes ma'am we'll do okay so I will withdraw six point two six point one three is withdrawn six point one four um six point one four is to make sure that all of the fee in lieu of sidewalk payments collected by the city goes back into a special revenue fund at the time when this was implemented that um I think many of us believe that it was going into a special revenue fund and not to the general fund where we can't track it.

I have been told that um it is going into fund 2309 which although it is a CIP fund and not a special revenue fund um I have been told that it um cannot be used on any other item other than sidewalks and so if that is the case then um I think it it basically serves the same purpose as a special revenue fund so um I will withdraw that amendment with understanding that we're not using that money for anything else.

Councilor thanks for highlighting this Vice Mayor Pro Tem and and yeah the um I was excited mayor to see in the CIP a big bump in sidewalk funding this year so we're gonna be building and improving a lot of sidewalks this year so um this money will be put to good use.

Thank you for your comment uh 6.15 um six point one five um councilmember martinez and I had the same basically the same amendment and so um I will withdraw mine and um councilmember's will um lay this out when he goes through his amendments okay six point one five forward to discussing that one six point one six um six point one six is um kind of similar to six point one five but it is to determine the feasibility of allowing private companies and nonprofit organizations um to adopt city parks in part or in whole and so um in 6.15 that councilmember martinez will lay out later it's um you know about the community centers and recreational facilities this is the parks in general where a private company if they are next to a park for example their headquarters and they want to um sponsor a new playground equipment or other parts in the park or the whole park in total um that they basically have a menu that they can do that kind of thing.

It's very similar to the work that the Houston Parks board is working on now but this just allows um companies who want to do pieces of it rather than you know the whole park um to have that opportunity so um I know that you are requesting it to be withdrawn that it doesn't amend the budget I do believe that it is amending the budget since um we're talking about finances on this but would like to work um further with you and um using parks and recreation on moving this forward okay sounds good um 6.17 this is to evaluate the feasibility of allowing management districts to contract with the city legal department for legal services um relating to code enforcement and other habitability um issues so at apartments or businesses right now management districts um often times they're working with the county attorney's office but ultimately for buildings inside the city of Houston um it's going back to the city's legal department to work on the management districts are very focused um at least in my council district in um getting rid of some of these um slum lords some of these um other nuisance buildings, and it just gives opportunity for the legal department to um work on some of these issues within, you know, right now there are so there are so many issues that they're working on, they just don't have time to work on everything.

So this just would allow for um to to pay extra to work on some of these issues.

I have spoken with the legal department.

I understand that there are some concerns with that.

So I will withdraw this um but would like to work further with the legal department to implement this.

Very well.

6.17 and 6.16 was withdrawn.

Uh next.

Um 6.18.

I would like to um make sure that we send this to committee um to budget and fiscal affairs.

This is to require um the uh a committee meeting about the progress and financial health of the combined utility system.

And Councilmember Alcorn, this is kind of similar to your amendment about um making sure that it's um delineated in the budget.

This is just to give a presentation to make sure that we're um really looking at this um combined utility system regularly.

Do we need a second on the motion to refer?

You want to move to the yes, I move to refer this to budget and fiscal admission.

Motion motion maintenance and 6.18 to finance committee.

I'm sorry.

No, that's okay.

Uh I just uh I want to thank uh Vice Mayor Pro Tem for putting this forward.

Um I've talked a lot since this budget has come up about the health of our combined utility system, the health of the reserves.

We are all concerned about that.

We know that our water wastewater system is, you know, must be operational and we must have enough funding.

I was very grateful, uh, mayor to your administration for putting together some modeling.

That's what I really wanted to see on, and I think all of my colleagues have that.

Uh three years out on the reserves, you know, the fear that the those reserves are gonna dwindle down to big fat nothing, um, or or with the dangerous, you know, cash levels.

Um, I see from the modeling with the assumptions about growth in our city, not just growth of new residents, but growth of uh the CPI that we get every year, any rate adjustments um, plus efficiencies gained through this through the operations of the system are all assumed in this modeling.

So I'm comfortable now that that reserve fund, it's really not being it's staying well within, I think uh in three years, you're still have four hundred and fourteen days of cash on hand.

So appreciate I know it's not an exact science, um, but appreciate the work that was done to kind of verify that the CUS reserves are going to remain healthy.

Very good.

Councilman Panzarella.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, I also wanted to express my concern for the long-term implications of reallocating water and sewage funds to solid waste.

I understand a lot of district c residents have expressed that as well.

Um, I appreciate seeing that we'll be reviewing that on a monthly basis to ensure that um the forecasts put forward by the administration are actually true and that we're not really drawing down those funds.

So I appreciate that.

Very good motion main segments in item six point one eight to finance.

All in favor, say yes, those opposed nine.

So ordered.

Six point nineteen.

Um six point one nine.

This is related to the DDSRF when we are talking about funding for drainage and street improvement projects.