Fiscal Affairs Committee and welcome to the day two of the budget workshops.

And we're happy to have Director Tran come on up.

We are going to start with the Planning and Development Department.

And we also have Fan Z, I think joining you.

So we will go from this presentation, colleagues, to housing, then to airport.

So we're kind of all over the map today.

And I'd like to welcome my colleagues, Vice Mayor Pro Tem Amy Peck, Councilmember Joaquin Martinez, Councilmember Julian Ramirez, Councilmember Twila Carter, staff from Councilmember Abby Kamen, and Councilmember Tiffany Thomas, and okay.

I think that's it.

And Director Dabowski is here too.

So welcome all.

And with that, the floor is yours, Director Tran.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Chair Alcorn and Council members.

My name is Von Tran, and I'm the director of the Planning and Development Department.

Thank you for this opportunity to present our FY27 proposed budget.

It remains a privilege to serve this council, our mayor, and the residents of Houston.

More so, we so dearly appreciate your continued and consistent support of the department's work.

With me today are several members of our leadership and support team sitting on the front rows, Deputy Director Robert Williamson, Larry, uh our assistant director Larry Nerth, and standing next to me, our finance Fan Z, as well as our other finance team members, Alex Garcia and Donella Gamilian.

Also, thank you to Chief of Staff and Council Liaison's Anna Sidio and also Assistant Council Liaison Angie Panetta for being here to support me.

Together, we represent the breadth of the services and programs that keep this department functioning every day.

Slide two.

Another example of our efficiency efforts is our move to an external mailing service for public notices.

By shifting this work out of the department, we reduce staff preparation time by 75% and lower production and mail out costs per piece by 31%.

Capacity, we reinvest in more timely reviews, better communication, and improved customer service.

Over the last 10 months, we reviewed more than 2,600 commercial projects, over 6,000 residential projects, nearly 2,000 subdivision plats, and more than 300 applications for historic preservation.

These numbers reflect the continued development momentum across the city of Houston and the dedication our team have to move projects forward reliably, even in a disciplined budget constrained environment.

Community engagement remain a core part of our work as well.

Staff reached approximately 1,700 residents across 57 in-person public meetings, covering neighborhood tools, planning priorities, and development regulations.

Through our neighborhood preservation programs, such as the minimum lot size, minimum building line, and prohibited yard parking.

We processed 66 applications that resulted in 618 lots being protected.

Our GIS division continued supporting nearly every part of city operations.

They completed 285 mapping and data requests for departments across the city.

Council offices, as well as external partners such as universities and private firms.

This quiet but essential service ensures accurate information for planning, permitting, emergency responses, and public communication.

Together, these accomplishments reflect a department that is modernizing, raising its standards, and delivering high quality services to residents, businesses, developers, neighborhoods, and council offices.

Now let's begin.

Slide three, please.

This slide shows how our programs align with the mayor's priorities.

Government that works, quality of life, and infrastructure.

Administrative services and GIS support government that works, focusing on operational efficiency, accountability, and customer service.

Community and regional planning, as well as historic preservation, support quality of life, ensuring neighborhoods have the tools they need to remain stable and resilient.

Development services design review support services and transportation planning support infrastructure, keeping our department and mobility systems aligned with Houston's growth patterns.

When we look at the budget by priority, about 16% aligns with government that works, about 12% aligns with quality of life, and the remaining 72% supports infrastructure.

That 72% reflects the high volume of development activity and the fact that Houston continues to grow and evolve even during periods of economic uncertainty.

Slide four, please.

As part of the citywide plans to eliminate the GAAP initiative, our department eliminated three vacant positions, resulting in approximately $379,000 in savings across the general fund and the EGIS fund.

Because these positions were vacant and not expected to be filled, we achieved these savings without reducing service delivery.

This was a responsible reduction that aligns with the city's broader fiscal challenges while allowing us to maintain essential operations.

Slide five.

Okay, oh sorry, that is in the general fund.

The special fund revenue supports our efforts to ensure orderly development of land within the city and the ETJ and compliance with individual projects with our department standards.

We propose an increase of 776,000 or 6%.

The Central Service Revolving Fund, also known as the EGIS fund, is funded by all city departments that invest in GIS services.

We propose a decrease of 97,000 or 6%.

The historic preservation fund was established with the sale of several historic fire stations some years ago for the purpose of supporting the city's historic preservation program.

It covers training and consulting services.

We propose a decrease of $15,000 or 10%.

Overall, our budget changes are steady, deliberate, and guided by operational needs and efficiency gains.

Slide six.

Non-personnel expenditure include restricted accounts not controlled by the department, interfund services such as legal and technology services, supplies, services, and training.