Councilmember Pollard for the invocation.
Thank you, Mayor, and good afternoon to everyone if you would please bow your heads for word of prayer.
Lord, thank you for waking us up to see another day. Please watch over us and guide us as we govern through this meeting.
Watch over our city. Watch over our families. Watch over everything that we do.
We do have it be pleasing to you in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
We please rise for the pledge.
Thank you.
Sir?
Yeah, let me ask Paul from a, did you have a motion to proceed?
Sir?
Yes.
You have to proceed.
Sir, there's no question.
You go ahead. I'll recognize you for that motion.
Thank you, Mayor.
Mayor, move to move Ronaldos Algado to the top of the one minute agenda.
Second.
Motion made in second. All in favor say yes, those opposed.
Also move to add conchita reyes to the speakers list to follow Ronaldos Algado.
Motion made in second. All in favor say yes, those opposed.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mayor.
Lastly, bear.
I move to add more normal my two and rude.
Ross get to the one minute agenda to follow.
Conchita reyes.
Very good motion made in second. All in favor say yes, those opposed.
Motion made in second. All in favor say yes, those opposed.
Motion passes.
Councilor and Councillor Allen.
Thank you, Mayor.
I move to move.
Reuben Garza to the top of the one minute non agenda list.
Motion made in second.
So.
Yeah, so.
Yeah.
All in favor say yes, those opposed.
Motion passes.
Give this one second.
Okay.
Councilor soiness.
I move to move.
You see a mode.
I know to follow a Reuben Garza on the one minute list.
I think the first one is.
I think also.
favor say yes, those opposed.
Motion passes.
Renalo.
You want to come forward.
And you're family.
Anyone you'd like to bring.
Speaking that either Mike and I recognize you and do not worry about time, there's no restraints on you and your family.
Yes.
First off, thank you, Mayor Whitmire and Council members Martinez and Davis.
Y'all were the first ones to step up and share words of condolences.
Mayor, you even closed down part of Canal Street so that my mom could visit the site with no media and no crowd allowed.
To the Houstonians, from the east and to the north side, thank you.
You have been the fuel to keep us going.
Along with the marches and peaceful demonstrations, there's something else that you can do to help our family in this case.
So, if you live anywhere near Wayside Canal or if you know anything at all pertaining to what happened on the morning of July 7th,
please consider sending any and all information to the following email address tips at acleotexus.org.
But what about the rest of y'all? Council members, esteemed elected officials.
How have y'all showed up for my family?
Not one peep from some of y'all.
Where is the basic human decency?
How is it that the mayor of New York City can acknowledge this injustice from afar, especially to some of y'all at large members?
Are you supposed to represent the entire city of Houston?
Or does your sympathy for humanity end when it comes to the east end and Magnolia Park neighborhoods?
Take a page from Willie Davis's book.
He has shown up to every single event, the visuals, the masses.
He was there in the day of the funeral to give his condolences to give us a hug.
And to that, Council member Davis, thank you so much.
Please expect a thank you letter finally, family, for all of your support.
Thank you.
So he has shown up for us.
My question for y'all is, how will you show up for the rest of the immigrant community here in Houston to make sure that what happens to my dad?
Lorenzo Sagao Daucol doesn't happen to any of them.
This isn't a partisan issue.
This is an issue of right and wrong, and this wrong needs to be addressed.
Every single one of you Council members have immigrants living in your district.
How will you protect them?
My family has been asking for three things, and full independent transparent investigation just this for my father and for this to never happen again.
Here's how you guys can help with the third one.
Consider ending the HVD partnership with ICE.
Consider putting pressure in that at the state level.
Call your contemporaries at this Texas capital and ensure that the people, especially immigrants, can have trust in their local police departments.
Many crimes go unreported.
Witnesses are scared to testify, all because any interaction with law enforcement can lead to deportation.
And if you're scared about losing your jobs over doing the right thing, at least you still have your life.
That can't be said about my father.
The justice system is slowly turning towards justice for my dad.
One of the men in the van will be released very soon.
The other two should and must follow because they deserve to be with their families as well.
I went to the deportation center, the detention center, today in Conru.
To visit my uncle, I'm glad to report that he's in good spirits despite the circumstances fully supporting us from the inside.
While we visited a woman approach my brother and I and gave us words of encouragement.
This is a woman who is most likely going through one of the worst experiences imaginable seeing their loved one behind a glass.
Yet she felt like she had to give us words of encouragement to consider fighting for justice for my dad.
So it isn't just about releasing the other two men, Victor Hugo and Daniel Didal.
But it's also the people inside the detention centers, many of whom have no criminal record and they deserve to be with their families too.
And if that woman at the detention center was able to give us words of encouragement, then why can't you use your voice as elected officials to do what is right for the immigrant communities.
In your districts and in the city of Houston overall.
And this isn't just the entire city looking at us.
The whole world is looking at us and I invite you guys to be on the right side of history.
Just as for Lorenzo, just as for John and just as for all.
Thank you.
Lorenzo.
Let me speak.
Let me speak as for the city and certainly as a mayor.
Thank you for your courage.
I've been in government.
In sessions.
For years.
You're strength to being here today.
You're courage.
Thank you.
We all join you in calling for reforms.
Thank you.
Just as for your father.
I hope that you will communicate to your grandmother.
That we understand.
Mothers are not supposed to bury their sons.
To your mother.
We stand ready to assist her.
Thank you.
We will call out for an independent transparent investigation which we did at this table.
The day after your father's murder.
We will work with our congressional leaders.
I'd like to thank.
As you have Sylvia Garcia, Manofi, Dizzy Fletcher.
The district attorney.
Chief Dias.
So as I've told you privately.
I have to have the city or phone call away.
We want to protect your privacy, your security.
I know this is a life altering permanent change.
We thank you for being a school teacher and changing your plans to teach this fall.
I have on behalf of this council and the citizens of Houston will memorialize your father.
We will work with the family, the community.
You've already given me some suggestions to where we never forget.
That your father did not lose his life in vain.
But the community will know from now, who your father was, his values, his life.
And thank you for being here today.
And your brothers, your mother, your grandmother, and to the community.
I hope that people will show your family the respect as we exercise our first amendment.
And not make this any more painful than it already has been.
I'll share your frustration, your anger, your sadness.
And I wish we didn't have to deal with this as I mentioned two years ago.
But we have to together get through this, represent the immigrant community, the east side, and all Houstonians.
And not only talk about our diversity, but practice it in our inclusion.
So thank you for being here and showing the courage that you're displaying.
I know your father would be proud of you.
Councilmember Sleinas.
Mr. Salibado, I want to thank you for being here today.
I can't imagine how difficult the last few weeks have been.
But your courage is an inspiration to the entire city.
My one question for you, you've already answered, which is what do you want this body to do to support you?
And what I heard you to say is to end HPD's cooperation with ICE.
And I will tell you, sir, that many of us tried to reduce the cooperation many months ago.
That effort was ultimately overturned by Governor Abbott.
But you have my pledge and I'm sure others on this council to do everything our power to bring that ordinance back to honor your wishes to ensure that we are doing everything we can to reduce cooperation with ICE.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
To our guests, we have a long list of speakers signed up today because we have more than 150 minutes worth of speaking.
speakers, the rules requires to only give each speaker one minute, even if you signed up for more. I'll try to use my good judgment.
But I hope in the spirit of unity and you know we're doing the right thing, and I've just expressed we're going to get through this together.
I hope we can have respect for the hearing and listen to all the speakers without interruptions and have a productive public speaking tonight.
With that, Mr. Secretary, we've called the first speaker.
Contina Reyes.
To be followed by Norma.
Good afternoon. Mayor council members. My name is Contita Reyes. I'm a community advocate and I'm also part of Lula Council's 60.
On that tragic day, I was there and I met Ronaldo.
And from then on, I've been at his side and his family side every single day.
So there have been people I've contacted at the families request.
But this is an opportunity to invite everyone. Everyone that's watching, everyone that's around the horseshoe, everyone behind me.
I'm inviting you to partake in this endeavor.
There's a place for everyone. There's a place for the people that are rallying, protesting.
There's a place for elected officials. There are place of business owners and there's places for our community.
This is a time that not only refining for human rights, but you show humanity towards one another.
So I ask everyone to show respect in the name of Lorenzo to show love, to show community and show how strong Houston is.
We did it with Harvey. We did it during the pandemic. And now's the time we show up. Thank you.
Yes, thank you. Hi, my name's Norma Motu. I'm not going to stand here and give you a statistics because y'all already know what the statistics are.
You know what's going on, but what I am going to ask is to remind yourselves that when you're speaking to the governor, right, ask him this question, do you know what an immigrant looks like?
Because my birth certificate says white.
But you wouldn't know that if you see me driving to the school that I'm going to teach at or the children that I'm driving, you would not know that.
You would think that I'm an immigrant because of the color of my skin and right now immigrants are to ice brown and black people.
And so I really need you to understand that this is not a state local or federal issue.
Why cannot, why can't we see it as a humanitarian issue?
Because the United Nations, the United Nations, Mr. Bill, Mr. John Whitmire. I'm sorry, Mayor Whitmire.
The United Nations has called for an, for actively calling for an independent investigations into the spike of the death involving us, immigration and custom enforcement.
So why is our governor above the UN?
Why can't the governor understand?
And then, um, sir, what is your name?
Council member Ramirez.
Ramirez, okay, so I saw you at the Texas legislative caucus the other day.
And I saw you asking the representatives.
Can City Council be involved?
Yes, you can.
Yes, you can, sir.
Because you know what? Two ice?
At 630 in the morning, you look like an immigrant too.
Sir, John Whitmire, we are being targeted by our color.
We are not being targeted by the knowledge or by our bachelors, our masters, the education that we've stopped for, that our fathers and mothers fought for.
We are being targeted by our color and sir with our disrespect.
Thank God, it was not, I think that school was not in session.
Because had that rogue bullet gun into one of my baby students.
But, but, but, is that they have to drive to get to school?
We would have had another issue here.
And we're about to start school in two weeks, sir.
You're going to have more people on these roads.
Your roads, sir, that you, that you, that you sort of protect.
That every one of you has one super tech.
And you had teachers that are teaching here with immigrant status, sir.
We really need you to, you might not be over the mayor.
And I do thank you for talking and speaking.
But you know what, I need you to do, sir.
I need you to help HPD understand that helping ICE right now is not the case.
We need to get our children educated.
This issue is above immigration, sir.
This is a humanitarian issue, sir.
Yes, sir.
No more deaths, please.
Thank you.
Ruth Ross.
To be followed by Matthew Alex.
Hi, hurio.
Nice to see all of you guys.
This is my first time here, but I'm always watching you.
That's going on.
And I'm a Houstonian.
I grew up here.
Born here.
My mom immigrated here from Los Alvador.
And I don't have a lot.
I could say a lot, but I think what I'm going to do is to read a letter.
From somebody that was in detention.
And what happened to them?
Well, they were in detention.
And I'll also bribe for you guys to see if you want to look at it.
If you want to look at it, you can have the copies.
But, sorry, I'm nervous.
And I want to say this without too much emotion.
But this has been going on since...
I mean, it's always been happening.
But I feel like it's ramped up more since last year,
around the time that Emmanuel was taken unjustly,
held for 50 days.
And then, at that time, I said,
these people are out here in our streets,
making it unsafe,
and someone's going to get hurt.
Somebody got killed.
Right?
So, a business thing that's going to happen,
since January,
when I've seen this person get taken in my neighborhood a couple.
So, one of the guys want to keep it this there,
but they went to three different detention centers in one month,
and we were to put it back to Venezuela,
and they did everything right.
So, what I'm saying is, this is affecting our neighborhood.
It's hurting our neighborhood.
I grew up in a spring branch.
My neighborhood is not the same anymore.
People are scared.
People don't want to go outside.
Kids are suffering.
And the people don't understand is that this all has a ripple effect
on our youth.
It's creating a whole wave of youth
that are going to be mad at you guys
for what y'all did to their parents.
Because if what was happening right now,
what's happening when I was a kid,
because my mom came in from the 80's from our sidewalk,
which is a whole other issue that we're not going to talk about
because of why she came here.
She fled a civil war,
because her country was messed up.
My dad is an American.
I'm a half Salvadorian, half American.
If right now I was happening,
I would be at risk of losing a family member of a parent.
Right now I have family members.
I risk of being deported.
I'm talking children.
Okay, ma'am.
So, what I'm saying is,
it's affecting everybody in so many ways
and it's hurting our children.
And we shouldn't have to have safety action plans
for kids that are born here.
Just in case they go out with their dad.
This Mexican looks certainly in case he gets put over.
We have to have a final action.
Thank you.
That's it.
You're welcome.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for your time.
And I feel that for me, but I hope that he'll help you.
Thank you.
Mayor Proko.
Thank you, Mayor.
I'm moved.
This has been the rules to
to add time when behind Sajji Chaco under the three minutes.
Motion's made.
Thank you.
Motion passes.
Next speaker, please.
Good evening.
I don't know what I'm major and council members.
My name is Matthew Alex.
My name is James.
Only one.
And there's one.
You want respect, OK.
First City has a woman?
She.
I think that one.
The second by Bill.
Oregon.
Mary.
state recovery. The project would provide priorities with it. Beginnifid, Cadillac
Rustling Pisa area near our spiritual home. Please vote for Rajanda Itemsality.
Thank you, sir.
Next.
Abraham Jacob of Missouri. To be followed by Jaseem Jacob of Missouri.
Good evening, honorable mayor and respected council members. My name is Vadra Abraham
Jacob. I am the pastor of this in May. This is Kanaanaa, Cadillac Church at 6400 Peshavukwar
Drive. Although our mailing address is Missu Rissiti or properties within the jurisdiction
of the city of Houston, I respectfully support Rajanda Itemsality or Parish Bishas to apply
for permission to construct a modest above ground Muslim within our church campus. It would
contain sealed individual creeps on an engineered concrete platform with no underground
burial. It would be reserved for parish members and permanently maintained by the church.
This request comes especially from our senior citizens who desire a signified Catholic
resting place near the church that we ask when there is spiritual home. In our faith,
caring for the disease is a corporate work of Mayor C and praying for them express our hope
in the resurrection. We are prepared to comply with all the requirements concerning public health
engineering, Chinese expires, community and neighborhood protection. So please adopt agenda
18, item 17. So that we may submit a complete application for the city's professional
review. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Just say I'm Jacob. I'm deserves to be followed by Jose Chaco. I'm
deserves to be. Good afternoon.
Good afternoon, honorable Mayor and council members. Thank you all for time and I don't want to repeat
whatever father said is the same request that kindly approve our project and our community will
be really thankful and it will be big help for the community, especially the elderly people who
cannot afford what we call expensive, rural or anything and elderly people, they cannot
visit this, loud one site and a distant place. So it will be very helpful for us and I want to thank
you all and especially I want to extend our thanks for Mr. Samura who has been a lot of time for
this project and helping us on this matter. Thank you. Thank you, Nick. Jose Chaco. To be followed by
Saji Chaco. The pair line. Good evening, honorable Mayor and council members. My name is Jose Chaco.
I am the special role of Sanmeri's granite Catholic Church. I respect fully support agenda item 17.
Our proposal has been designed with public health, safety, environment, responsibility and
neighborhood protection in mind. The Mussolian would contain permanent lesile creeps,
constricted and rarely ever grounds on an engineer the concrete platform. It would be located inside
of our existing world church campers. Its architecture, landscaping, lighting, drainage, access
and screening and screening would complement the church and protect neighboring properties. We
have pleased to we have prepared to submit a professional survey site plan, engineering and drainage
documents, access plan, maintenance, program and all required health and environmental information.
The punish will also provide permanent supervision and financial response to this. We welcome
a careful review. We are not requesting an assumption for our regulation. We are requesting
a clear and transparent process through which we can demonstrate complaints. Please support
agenda item 17. Thank you. Thank you. Mayor, thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Mayor. My question is for
our city attorney. So tomorrow, when we look at item 17 for the Mussolian, this is located at
6,400 West feak way in Fort Ben Houston. The church is wanting to erect a Mussolian.
We did not have anything on the books for someone to erect a cemetery on private property. So we have
this now. If we vote for this tomorrow, then what is the next step for the church in order for them to
be able to move forward.
That has to be submitted by the church in order to open the smazzleam. And as I've spoke to them, this is a mazzleam that would be only on the church property and only open to individuals who are members of that church. So it's a very, it's going to be a very small mazzleam. So the ordinance tomorrow essentially says, if you would like to open this mazzleam or it could be a cemetery, but in this case a mazzleam within the city limits, this is the information that we need. They will provide that to the city secretary. Once they provide that information, there has to be a
second vote by council or council has to essentially make the determination that this mazzleam will not impact the health and safety of essentially the neighborhood. There's a little bit more.
It's for many, many years to begin with you. You could not open up a mazzleam or cemetery within the city limits. That was a law. The law was changed several years ago and it is now a two step process.
Number one is pass the ordinance that prescribes one information. The city wants. And then the step second step is to review that information and decide that yes, you can open the cemetery within the city limits.
So then after they provide the information in the city secretary, we would provide the city council members. We'd probably also have the health department look at it.
And then you would have to make the determination.
Who actually will from the city will actually make that determination.
So the health department will probably go and then we'll get the briefing and then we make the decision.
That is correct.
Okay. Thank you.
Next.
Saji Chaco to be followed by Tom Wien.
Good evening. Honourable Mayor and council members. My name is Saji Chaco, one of the trustees of the
Trustees of Samiris Kranaya Catholic Church. Catholic treats the bodies of the
Lisees with the dignity and consider, pray for them a sacred responsibility.
Our families traditionally visit the tombs after church services on anniversaries, memorial days and all sales day.
Since there is no convenient location at Catholic cemetery near our parish.
A mausoleum on the church campus would allow the Lisees spouses, children and grandchildren to pray for their
loud ones without traveling long distances.
Please support Agenda item 17 and allow our parish to submit his application for city review.
Thank you.
Next.
Tuan Wien.
To be followed by Rubin Garza.
Thank you.
Council member Kassik straight. I'm fratting me.
I wanted to say and ask the mayor if you knew the names of the free men that were detained after Lorenzo Solgato Rao
was killed.
If you knew there are full names.
All share their names.
I might struggle a bit.
Victor Solgato Rao.
Of course, his brother.
Daniel Pantolato Rao.
And Jose Trenial Rojas.
Are any of these men worth less because they did not die?
Where are the calls for their freedom?
Mayor Wilmaire constantly proclaims his leadership in the city.
And in New York Times interview, he belongs leadership like that of Zoran Mondani.
And yet, when an immigrant was detained by ICE, the next day, the mayor, Mondani,
Claude President Trump, and the immigrant was released.
But here for a year we've been told that city council has no power.
So Mayor Whitmire.
As you've communicated to all of us, you're in constant communication with the governor,
with the president, your leadership, your relationship with him, has ensured this city safety.
Although people continue to be detained, and now someone is killed.
And so I'd like to ask that this, but great, amazing relationship that you have with the president,
that you used to free the freedom.
The free time is expired.
Thank you, Mayor and City Council.
I first want to preface this by saying that I'm not here to speak about the Salgado family or the shooting,
but my condolences are with the family.
And hopefully we will see some justice prevail for Lorenzo,
including the prosecutor, the prosecution of his murders.
I'm here to talk about the Houston Chronicle editorial pieces opinion on peace on parking reform,
whether you like the Houston Chronicle or not, even if you don't, you got to admit,
broken clock is right twice a day.
The Houston Chronicle called the attention to parking reform as a vital step for economic development
in the city of Houston.
As a city, we can either increase taxes or fees, reduce services or develop in a more productive way.
I hope that the city chooses option three.
We eliminate parking requirements and allow developers to allow developers and small business owners
and local businesses to develop and build homes as needed in our communities.
Because that's what we need the most right now.
And I know I'm coming to City Council to testify about this again and again,
but this is an issue that means a lot to me because I care about small business.
I care about economic development.
And I'm second tired of the city being too broke to do anything about streets,
about flooding.
And very lastly, I'm going to keep coming back here until my hearing.
There looks like Council member Ramirez is, or Mayor Whitmire's,
depending on which side of the family's genes I have.
Thank you.
Next, Lucia Moreno.
To be followed by Ryan Anderson.
I think there's a confusion because I'm set for the three minutes,
instead of the one minute I want the list.
So I'm not sure.
And thank you for my trash camp there.
Thank you.
Okay.
Thank you.
If I didn't know now was this close.
Okay.
Good afternoon.
Thank you for your time today.
I am here to offer concrete solutions to generate revenue for bark and the city,
through ordinances and forcement while addressing the severe animal welfare.
Crisis in our neighborhoods.
Many people look at animal rescuers and think we are just crazy pet people.
We are not.
Many of us come from places of deep personal hardship.
I was living on the streets at 14 to escape in abuse of home,
beaten by a stepmother with dog chains.
We didn't have CPS then.
So it meant nothing.
We do this work from a place of profound empathy.
Not for attention.
I've been an independent rescue in the city for over 30 years,
and I can tell you firsthand.
The situation is getting worse.
Because our city ordinances are completely ignored.
People travel from all over the city to abandon pets in our neighborhoods.
Dating.
rescuers are aging out and we cannot keep up.
We have great laws on the books, but they lack enforcement.
And the few tickets written are often dismissed.
To fix this, raise revenue and save animals.
I propose three media actions.
Enforce parking lot sales.
Individual selling puppies and parking lot should face three immediate citations.
Operating a business without a permit.
Breeding without a license and standard animal ordinance violations.
That's three tickets.
That's money.
If they cannot pay the fines mandate community service hours.
Directly at bark or register rescues to offset the labor shortage.
Establish a volunteer 311 animal task force.
To keep from Indian dating.
Outward 311 operators.
The city should utilize our massive network of independent rescuers and street feeders.
As trained volunteers to process, vet and routine animal welfare data directly to bark.
Adress breeding upon the unhoused.
While many unhoused individuals care for their pets.
Some use them to generate donations.
Misthreat them.
Or breed them for cash.
Parking lot sales.
We must enforce a mandate to keep an animal.
To keep an animal in these conditions.
It must be spayed or neutered.
Rescue's well gladly facilitate this using existing free city and nonprofit resources.
Rescue's an independent feeders are ready to jump in and assist the city.
In any way we can.
However, we need the city.
To meet us halfway.
Right now when we try to report these violations.
Some police officers laugh at the ordinances or refuse to help.
We don't necessarily need new laws.
We need the political will to enforce the ones we have.
Let's protect our animals.
Support our rescuers.
And generate the revenue bark desperately needs.
Thank you.
Thank you, man.
Coming up here.
I saw plenty of them.
But I do have a complaint about coming in today.
After five, we can't go through your tunnel.
They tell us that we can't.
And if you're hand-to-cap like myself.
I have to come up the stairs.
Walk over here.
And you're.
Thanks.
They're blocked.
Thank you.
We have to go around and up the stairs.
We will address that.
Thank you.
One more thing, Mayor.
Please don't be mad at me.
But.
I do need to say this today.
Get closer to the mic.
Today, I saw one of your councilmen.
Be very rude.
Two councilmen, Salinas' person.
I'm sitting there.
They know I'm sitting there.
I'm a constituent.
How dare you councilmen, Davis.
Come up and threaten that man.
You could've told him in another way.
That you don't want your face on his video.
What you did was wrong.
Thank you.
Right.
Ryan Anderson.
To be followed by Lindsay Burrows.
Hello.
Both ice and HPD are actively trampling on our first, fourth, and fifth amendment rights.
Well, you, Mayor, John Whitmire, continue to bend the knee to the fascist movement in this country.
The Wednesday after ice, murdered Lorenzo Salgado adaho.
I was at the vigil.
I know none of y'all were there, so I'll give you a quick recap.
The vigil was on the same side of the street that was under construction.
It was blocked off independent of the vigil being there.
However, at 9.15, HPD officers instructed us to leave.
I asked them why they were trying to get us to leave.
We were morning at a vigil.
And they told me they wanted to open it up for traffic.
Like I said, it was already under construction.
They couldn't.
The truck cars couldn't get on there on that street regardless.
And so I tried to tell that.
HPD officer that.
The response was, I don't know.
I'm just following orders.
Their order was to deny us of our first amendment rights to assemble.
And they obeyed.
They obeyed because you green with them.
You arrive in the tramble on our rights for doing nothing as a leader.
Each piece fits on the fourth amendment.
Every time they hold a Houstonian traffic stop,
just for ICE to show up.
And now ICE is obstructing due process.
The fifth amendment for Victor Sagao,
Adaho, Daniel Pantalhan, and Jose Dojas.
These men are not only witnesses to ICE's murder,
but they are victims of ICE as well.
Freedom.
Hallelujah.
You're going to be the best of them!
I hope you guys will be...
Please...
Thank you.
You're going to be the best of them!
I hope we will be the best of them!
That's what they did.
They did well.
Not even the best.
Jeremy Peel.
To be followed by James Schreiber.
The same driver.
Good evening, Council.
On July 7, I was at a court and third ward representing an undocumented couple during their
eviction proceeding.
When we left the courtroom, I advised them not to communicate with their landlord to
avoid upsetting her because I was afraid they might retaliate and call eyes.
What I didn't know was that a couple hours earlier, only a few miles away, were in
home.
They have been murdered by ICE in our streets.
For months we warned you that this could happen.
And you said there was nothing you could do.
However, we now know that not only has HPD increased the number of times they have
called ICE, but they have doubled those numbers.
We know that some officers waited over two hours for ICE to arrive, even after being
directed not to.
While HPD was involved in the shooting, when you hand over the date of a
as a tanye to us, you're handing them over to the very agents who murdered one of our own.
And if this is what they're willing to do in our streets, what do you think they're willing
to do behind the closed north of an attention facility where they're threatening witnesses?
Let me assure you, we are going to oppose a November and we will do the same next year as
well.
This is not a political issue, this is a public safety issue and you can't say you care
about public safety until you care about the safety of all Houstonians regardless of where
they came from.
James Driver.
To be followed by Jesus Niato.
Mayors, members of Council, this is not a...
Reference rights. We've come for months after the killings in Minnesota, we knew this was going
to happen in Houston. We tried to get you to take action. Councilmember Salvinus wrote an
ordinance. The governor veto the ordinance. How ridiculous is that? We call upon you to
reinstate the ordinance. Break the collaboration between HPD and ICE. This is the most ridiculous thing
in the world. My heart goes out to the family.
To be followed by Ethan Campbell.
Can you hear me in this crowd? Thank you. Okay. Let's start with Councilmember Ivanshibaz. I want to
start. Well, I want to start with saying I have sent my personal relationships with seven of you. So I acknowledge
that you're human beings. But we've asked you to do a job. Councilmember Ivanshibaz, I want to appreciate how you
address the crowd in a testimony of the other day saying that we need to vote on people. I'm looking at you. You're
in right here. You're an elected official. And I'm going to keep going because I'm being timed. But we also can't
elect anybody in HPD. This is not the county. Like there's nothing that we can do. We're asking you to show up right now.
I want to say John Whitmer, you've done some amazing work in the past. One of the biggest things that you've done is
to be able to text us on the wall in 1993 after the height of the AIDS epidemic. You've thought you were to deepen
a life-churrency and you've thought for a doctor's advance. Where is that guy? I don't see him today. Bring him back.
And I want to talk to the release of the witness to Rendo Sagado's murder. And the last thing is that none of your jobs are safe. If you're a term-liminated, you're lucky. If you're not,
well, I would say, you should keep your eyes out. Because we are coming for your jobs. We are not afraid to run. We will replace you.
Ethan Campbell, we're Crosby.
Queen, do for Rendo. To be followed by Azea Lopez.
Good evening. My name is Quinn Dufranna. I am a resident of District H. I'm here tonight to do three things.
I'm going to ask you to do more to bring justice for the murder of Lorenzo Sagado Arauho and his family. To secure the release of the remaining
Houstonians held in iced custody and end city collaboration with ICE. We have a small wind, small victory to celebrate tonight with the judges order to release
Jose Rojas Piego. Now this was a choice of a federal judge, but this release was made possible by the pressure by family members
by citizens like ourselves and politicians like you. You may not have the authority to release the other two
Houstonians, but it does not mean you're powerless. Each of you has more power, magnitude more power than any of us in the crowd
and the average Houstonian. So use that power, leverage your influence on federal officials, business leaders.
We all know a lot of you have good relationship with business leaders. So use your voice to stop iced terrorism here in the city of Houston in our city in your city and just do more.
As they are Lopez Samuel Jesse to be followed by Michael Hillbeek, Hillbeek.
Hello. My name is Dr. Samuel David Jess of District D. My views represent my own hover. I'd like to get your views with a simple poll.
I invite you to view and people behind me to raise your hands. Raise your hands if you see immigrants as your neighbors regardless of their documentation status.
Raise your hand if you are outraged by the killing of Lorenzo Sagado Arauho by ICE.
Raise your hand if you want the city to enclaboration with HVD and ICE and will fight the state to bring the ordinance back.
Raise your hand if you want Victor Sagado Arauho, Daniel, Toronto, Pantoja and Jose Trinidad Rojas to be free from joke, quarry, processing, etc.
Now raise your fist if you are hungry to unite with the people beside you and take action to make sure that this never happens in our city again.
Now I don't need to turn around to know where the people behind me stand.
And if you are unwilling to take a stand on this now then please follow the logical conclusion.
You can do so by lying on your belly like a cowardice snakes and retreating back into the darkness from once you came.
Raise your hand if you want the people behind me.
Go ahead please.
So, my name is Michael Bigger, and I'm an organizer with the PSO, who also needs to teach
freshman composition at the University of Houston, downtown.
I'd like to talk about student I had some years back in 18-year-old first generation
college student from El Salvador.
She would be a person on narrative about the time when she was five years old and had to
close her eyes and hold her mother's hand as they waited through a river of dead bodies
to get here on their way to seeking asylum.
I don't know what has happened to her since, but I wonder if she's sitting in
ICE detention today.
I'm also reminded by my work in the proposed time movement that the city council has
still not divested from sending weapons to Israel, made by the same companies
who have sent numerous arm shimmers to Latin America.
When you take blood money, you create the situation in which people need to flee
authoritarian governments in the first boat, and when you fail to act when men like
the window are murdered, you participate in the same authoritarian chair
here.
I've been there in the capacity of the agents to marry the renter, and that you stand up
and fight for your own people.
Many of whom have fled, many of whom have fled countries because of blood money
that people in the street council have taken shame.
Thank you.
Beth guide.
Hi, everyone.
I originally came to ask about air conditioning and climate change, and how we can go down
in an air conditioning road, and we want climate change at the same time, because they
seem to be against each other, working against each other.
So there seems to be a divide there, but what I'm sitting here listening to this, I am a
naturalized American citizen.
I did it legally, and I appreciate that nobody should have the right to get shot and all the
other stuff that goes on.
But on the other side of the coin, guys, you're in me at risk because we're not enforcing
a law and by not enforcing all those of us that are here legally, we're struggling against
it.
Either we're a city of laws or we're not a city of laws, and we need to pick a direction and go
in that direction.
But what I will say is that I came here for a better life.
I did it legally, and every time we put me and lump me in the same breath as somebody that
didn't, you're demeaning me and taking away my structure as well.
And I don't know that people think about the naturalized American citizens.
And there's a lot of us.
I did it head count.
I'm here with a group of eight over one-third of that group is naturalized.
So thank you.
Thank you.
Lorenzo Sagao Juner.
Juner.
Thank you.
Tom Beacham.
To be followed by a Christopher Kossas.
Good evening, say council.
Hello, my name is Tom Beacham.
I'm a proud veteran of the United States Army, residing in District J in southwest Houston.
I'm standing here today in solidarity with this community, alongside my fellow veterans from common defense.
Because on July 7th, a nice officer took the life of Lorenzo Sagao Arajo right here in our city.
That was wrong.
It was a wrongful killing and we will not look away from it.
When I raised my right hand and sworn oath to defend the Constitution, I meant it.
Every veteran standing with me today meant it to.
People think the oath ends when your service does.
It doesn't.
It never expires.
Not for me, not for any of us.
It's still binding.
It still means something.
And that's why we're here.
So I'm demanding.
We're demanding.
That's the city of Houston require HPD fully to fully cooperate with the.
He's a Harris County district attorneys independent investigation.
Release the surveillance footage and don't obstruct the justice that Lorenzo and his community deserves.
And I'm demanding that the city pass ordinances to that no federal agency.
No task force can carry out a high risk operation or traffic stop inside Houston City limits in secret.
That means unmasked on camera and with local dispatch notified.
If you're going to act in our city, we have a right to see your face and know your name.
Lorenzo deserve better.
His family deserves to still have him at home.
Our neighbors here in Houston deserve better.
And Houston can do better.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Good afternoon.
Mayor and council.
My name is Christopher John Cossus.
I'm a district e resident.
Lifelong Houstonian and US Marine veteran.
I'm here today because I care deeply about family safety and keeping our promises to service members.
I'm asking you to stand up for Houstonians veterans and civilians who are being abducted and murdered by ice.
Shirley Guadaldo came here when she was 16.
She graduated high school.
She got a job and she married an active duty soldier.
And then she became a mother.
Yet she was abducted and imported last year all the same.
Separating her from her infants son.
Learning that HPD assisted ice in this makes me ashamed of our city silence.
I question the sincerity of leaders who claim to support the troops while enabling policies that tear their families apart.
No human being or guardless of status should have their parents kidnapped or killed.
A federal judge ordered a Jose release yesterday.
I ask you to publicly call on ice to release.
Thank you.
Rishab Chowla.
To be followed by Griffin Walker.
Good evening Mayor and council.
My name is Rishab Chowla.
I'm a part of district D.
One year ago, I stood here and spoke about HPD's shameful collaboration with ice.
That unfortunately, Mayor Whitmire has repeatedly overseen and defended.
And let's pay the price of this over 100 calls to ice in the last three months alone.
Leading to several detentions of community members.
This has a chilling effect on people simply being able to participate and exist in public society.
Avoiding grocery store shopping.
Fear of dropping one's kids to school.
Or God forbid not going to a doctor when you're sick because you don't know if it'll be...
And a child's psychiatrist in training. And it breaks my heart to say that separating children from their parents in this way, has been linked to increased anxiety, behavioral issues and PTSD symptoms.
But it shouldn't take a doctor to know that. It just should take a human being. And right now, I'm doubting your humanity. So will you be a fellow human? And call for the media release of Dr. Sargada Rahu, Daniel Pradapantava, and Rosé Trinidad Rosé.
Thank you.
I'm Griffin from District C, and I'm an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation and stand-up Houston, an immigrant rights volunteer network.
It's been three weeks since the murder of Lorenzo Sargada Rahu, and we still don't know the names of those murders.
They get to go home to their families and continue terrorizing our community while Lorenzo's family will never see him again.
That makes it perfect we clear that some community members are worth more than others to you.
You're fine with letting ICE agents who are murderers run a mock in unmarked cars with faces hidden and weapons points to kill the rest of us.
Are they deserving of some protection that the rest of us are not?
When an immigration violation, a civil offense which is not a crime is punished more heavily than murder, the only logical explanation is racism.
And now as TPS ends for Haitians this week, the entire Black community in Houston and across this country will be further endangered.
We know ICE agents don't care whether we're citizens or not.
Do you, as long as we are black and brown, they'll kidnap us or kill us first and maybe ask questions later.
If you are not demanding the release of the names of Lorenzo's murderers, the release of the other men in prison, you are an enemy of the people of Houston.
Carthique Suro.
Corre fortune.
To be followed by a severe red bird.
Okay, I'm going to say it again.
It has been three weeks since Lorenzo Savado Raja was murdered and we still don't know the names of his killers.
We still do not have justice.
Everyone who sits in front of us today has failed the city of Houston.
You have left ICE run rampant in our streets.
If you do not serve the people of the city, you tell us to act right.
Wait for November.
But those are the words of cowards.
The people of Houston, we are a people of courage.
We have stood up.
We have taken to the streets.
We have shot our businesses down to the man justice for Lorenzo.
And when we look at history, we know that every victory that the working people of this country have ever won was not handed to us by the people in power.
No, we had to struggle.
We had to fight for those victories.
And we are going to keep doing that.
The people of Houston are going to keep fighting for our city, for an end to ICE terror, for justice for Lorenzo.
And the people who are meant to serve us, you have failed.
But we know that we run the city.
And we have the power to keep shutting it down until justice is served.
Bring it on.
and yes.
I'll call you next week.
So, so that's a rain burn.
So that's a rain burn.
To be followed by Jasmine, Katamaak Bari.
I'm Sylvester.
I'm an organizer with the party for Socialism and Liberation.
For well over a year, Ice with the full cooperation of HPD has been terrorizing our immigrant communities.
of murder to Houstonian. And the response from the mayor and many on city council has been
baffling. Complaining about how our protest make you feel, saying there's not much you can do,
blaming your own constituents for not voting in some election that hasn't happened yet.
You continue to make excuses while ordinary people exhaust every channel available to them to get
justice for Lorenzo Salgado Arajo. The entire country is watching what is happening here and they
are watching you refuse to bring these killer ice agents to justice. Why do we still not know
the names of Lorenzo's killers? We are seeing the ramifications of this in Maine, in Florida,
in Wisconsin, in Austin, ice and police feel emboldened to use excessive lethal violence because
they know they can do it with impunity, with anonymity, without anyone knowing their names.
Release the names of Lorenzo's killers to the public, release the other witnesses, and get these
sadistic killer ice agents off our streets.
The city of Houston has blood on its hands, and the Houston Police Department is complicit.
When Houston tried to pass the ordinance to stop HPD from 80 and abetting the rogue
organization that murders our people on the streets, what did you do? You had the opportunity to fight ice
and you refused, and now a father has been murdered. You emboldened ice and the result is in the last
three months. HPD has called ice over a hundred times and 19 people have been taken into ice
custody. I spoke to one of the community members who was detained and deported during one of HPD's
traffic stops last year. They told me that the day that they were deported was the day that their
happiness was taken away from them. And to this day they haven't gotten it back. So don't tell us that there's
nothing you can do. Don't tell us to vote harder. Don't tell us we need to reform ice. Have the
political and let it act to say the words of barrage. Ice even if it doesn't please your donors.
Your time. Your time. Your time. Your time. Your time. Your time. Have the political courage
to end HPD's relationship with ice. Even if you have to stand up to the state to do it.
And use. Use every political connection you have to ensure that Victor Salgado
around whole and Daniel's the Father, but don't get out of detention and get ice out of Houston.
Claire Stakeley. If you follow by Antonio Vintero. I am an organizer with the PSL and I call on the council
to stop HPD's collaboration with ice. HPD has no mandate more authority to enforce immigration
warrants. HPD is wasting resources, kidnapping people and holding them hostage spending six
times longer waiting around for ice in on any other call. Because HPD in this council has around ice
ransacked our city. The results of our auto was murdered on its way to work. This council
has insisted it can do nothing. When the thing it could have done and should have done is something
counterbebbled Salinas was already proposed. Stop HPD's collaboration with ice. Never went
higher. We brought a bow down to Abbott and Trump to protect the citizens. He promised to serve
Lorenzo. Lorenzo lived more years in this city than I've been alive. He was as much a part of
this city as I am. This is a racist system. You are encouraging and facilitating to abuse
enslavements and murder of people for profit. Are we meant to ignore the over time police
are, the more this way around, are we meant to ignore the donations to your campaign funds from their
unions. Are we meant to ignore the mass contracts, corporations like course city, receive in the
state, to hood innocent, including children in applied conditions. I dare you do this with our tax
stars when we can barely afford to pay our bills and put food on the table. And HPD's collaboration
with ice now. Good evening. My name is Antonio Ventura and I am an organizer with the
party for Socialism and Liberation. I am a child of an immigrant who used to live and work here in
Houston and I have found my city's leadership and their response to ISIS invasion of Houston
to be extremely disturbing. May what my you hesitated to call for an independent investigation.
Melorangers, Salud Ghalo, Aralco, murdered on our streets and still you refuse to take
productive steps towards exiling ice from our city instead you call for a moratorium. What else do you
have to see? You lie to our faces when you said HPD was not working with ice. I just when it worked
like you to actually stand up for the constituents and end this collaboration you gave into the
fascist Republican party's demands and kept his no murders on our streets.
Body cameras will fix us as if there isn't more than that evidence of ISIS to create behavior.
We know that they lie. They dare to lie about Mr Aralco having drugs in this car and who's honest
very well voting this city. And ISIS will not change their own program, they don't need body cameras,
and they won't be stopped by a moratorium where you get the fuck out of our city.
Carsten Webster, Aya Hanifa, to be followed by Jeffrey Foley,
my name is Carsten Webster and I am standing before you as an organizer with the PSL.
I am here to express my frustration and my anger over the lack of accountability and transparency of
city officials and ICE and relation to the July 7th murder of Lorenzo Sagaral Aralco. It has been
three weeks since Lorenzo was killed and cold blood while on his way to work. Something that no one
should fear doing by ICE agents whose names have still not been released. The citizens of Houston
deserve transparency. The family of Lorenzo deserves transparency. ICE agents have a history of avoiding
accountability by alleging victimhood and crimes that are later revealed to have instigated a cycle
we have seen time and time again. And while the Aralco family and the community agrees the loss of a father
and worry for the well being of a detained uncle, these murders, ICE agents are being protected
by the elected officials that are supposed to represent us. They are going about their lives as if they
don't have a man's blood on their hands hiding like cowards behind their mask. While Lorenzo's
names is being dragged with false accusations, these agents are avoiding public repercussions for
their actions. We, as members of the community, demand justice for Lorenzo Sagaral Aralco
and demand the release of the names of the ICE agents now.
I'm an organizer with the PSO. Mayor Whitmore Whitmire for almost two years. You have chosen
The people you vow to serve have begged you to take action for months. Even when a neighbor, father, an essential worker, was murdered in your own streets, still you do nothing. You have shown that you do not care to protect the city or the tarambo killers known as ICE.
In to Miss Carolyn Evans, you have the audacity to look us in the face and tell us that the solution to all of this is to go vote, voting going up to the polls is not going to bring Lorenzo back to his family.
These last two weeks have proven one thing, but the people that live here in this city have each other's backs.
You all slack to even look up at us as we demand justice, we the people, win the listening ear to each other, a shoulder cry on and a hand and hand as we march for restitution.
The people of this city have shown radical love, love for their community, by taking to the streets to protest and get organized to defend their neighbors, getting terrorized by ICE.
Only we will be our own heroes. Justice for Lorenzo, abolish ICE now.
I'd like to make a procedural motion to add Haley Rogers to the end of the speaker's list.
Haley Rogers.
Motion, maiden second, all in favor say yes.
Oh sorry. Mr. Mayor, men and women of city council, my name is Jeffrey Folley and I come before you to entreat with you for justice.
Justice, of course, for the murdered Lorenzo, Eraho.
Well, that man's life cannot be given back.
As I speak, originally three now, just two of his fellows by the grace of a federal judge, both men being Daniel Pantoha and his own brother, Victor Eraho, remain in custody.
These men in custody are not criminals. They are not villains nor crooks nor anything of the life.
They are common people, workers of flesh and blood, people who labor to provide for themselves, for their families, for their communities, people who have been made victims by a state apparatus that thrives upon racialized violence.
Both men in custody have done no genuine wrong to anyone in this city, no one in here, no one out there, no wrong whatsoever.
Thus, in accordance with that which is good and just I call upon the city council to do all that is possible within its power to release those two men to see to their release and to end the collaboration with the gang of fascist bandits that call themselves I.
Thank you.
And Andrea Gouraro.
Eric Erecyan.
Erecyan.
Okay, uh, this was already, was played a close before two, three minutes, uh, so I'll try to try and
kick this, but at least you have, uh, the document is there. And, um, um, so I'm a petty cap, uh, uh, uh,
not just driverhood also, a owner, a piece of petty caps, one of the original petty cap companies.
And, uh, I'm also, as right now, really be one of the, the only actual, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,
compliance, or basically legal petty cover, because I do not use the electric motor, uh, city, uh,
as you can see there, the city, the fines, petty caps, as bicycle tries to cope. That's the,
the, the, the, the human, uh, pal, uh, pal, so the city doesn't allow motors, uh, but every one of
every petty, petty about their, has electric motors, so they're out of compliance, even those people that
came in here several months ago, when they were planning to have legitimate complaints, but the one
they didn't tell you, is all of those guys also had motors, so they are also out of compliance as well.
For reason why I, I like city to enforce it's, uh, uh, what already has it, not allowing motors,
as you can see there, they're dangerous, seeing Austin, but the batteries, they use these
lifting them phosphate, fire, uh, batteries, they can easy catch fires, the time it has just finalized,
the one in Austin, uh, destroy 20% of them, a lot of problem with these motors is they allow for these
bigger, because they're not actually peddling, like they're supposed to be doing, and they're not
pedal cyst, they allow for them to use the six-seater motors, six city or bikes, which are a lot bigger,
and then these motors allow them to go 30 to 30. So we have a question, our comment, one second,
jumps up, may or pro camp. Uh, Eric, thank you for coming. I know that, um, you have been talking about
the whole petty camp industry. This is, is, um, how you, how you are making your living. My question is for
the city attorney. Um, do we give permits to petty camps that have motors?
That question, I do not have an answer for council member. There would be probably an ARA question.
I can find out for you, but I don't know off the top of my hand. I can answer that real quick.
So when you go, do your, um, inspection on the ARA, you're going to inspect it for, uh, like I,
no motor out. So there's no check, make sure that one, you have a functional motor, that's your battery,
safe, none of that's happened. They just put it on after. Uh, and so the city doesn't have that in there.
Now, the city wants to, uh, which, again, I would advise not, but the city doesn't care. It's still
allowed them to have the Lexi motors. I do have suggestions on how to do it, which is on the paper,
which is, um, in Austin, which does have motors. The actual, um, uh, regularers out there. They will,
uh, be out there and they actually have radar guns on us to make sure that you don't go for 15 miles per hour,
um, as well as in Santonio, which does have motors. They have to have fire extinguishers on the camps,
because, again, those things can cause fires for easily. So those are some suggestions. And the
other one was also to be, if they're going to have motors, they have to be the mid-try.
Those are the ones that actually will allow pedal assist. They have the rear ones for the front hub.
It's not pedal assist. pedal assist means that you go exactly what you can do at a length. That does mean you
can go 30, 40 miles per hour. That's like saying that I truck is, uh, uh, uh, uh, being assisted by me.
It's obviously doing the whole thing. So, um, uh, but yeah, they do don't get infected when they do.
So what you're saying is people go and get their ARA permit and then they put the motor on.
So we need the enforcement if we are not going to allow motors on the, on the pedicats.
Are you against motors on pedicats?
I'm against it because of, uh, let's not hear. One, it's dangerous. What I would like for y'all to do this Friday,
there's going to be the Astros versus the Rangers. If some of y'all become during the 930, 10,
10 o'clock when it comes out, I would just like y'all to stand on Texas Street and just watch.
Just watch the, uh, how they operate. See how fast they go when people are being led out. How many people
there are? See how fast they think they're traveling. Yes, there's so many people I've hit, uh, people,
such as a program online stadium, and then they run off and off. So I'm against that for it's dangerous.
Yeah, it promotes, uh, criminal behavior. There was an incident. Apparently I happened in 2025.
I rodeo. This idiot from Chicago came down. It was at, um, Kirby and, um, uh, uh,
make me hear not supposed to, you know, that we're not supposed to cross over into Kirby. But this guy,
he had, uh, people on his calves who's told by the constable not to do it, but because he had motor,
he kept doing it. And apparently, he, this is what he relayed to another pedicum because he was proud of it.
The constable from not to do it came back, he did it again. And then, um, the constable was going to
press them or whatever. And he just took off because he could kind of motor and he was called. He had a motor.
Okay, I get it. Um, I do think that we need to have some conversation with ARA.
Um, I know that, um, people were concerned that we had a lot of, um, permitted pedicabs and then we put out
some additional enforcement to try to make sure that all the pedicabs had their permits.
So it looks like now we got an additional issue that we need to deal with. We need to determine if we're
allowing motors or not allowing motors and then figure out how we enforce that. So thank you for bringing this to
our attention. We'll circle back with ARA on this issue. Um, not sure which committee this could potentially go to.
Or at least just have that conversation with ARA about, um, the enforcement of the pedicabs with motors.
Yes. Thank you for coming. Um, today, to talk about this, councilmember Flickinger and I have
actually been working on, um, the issue of motorized by some general in the city of Houston because they've
become very dangerous. And so, um, and many of them are not allowed by the state of Texas. So we've been
working on how to kind of crack down on that in general. So to hear that, you know, maybe on the pedicabs
and, um, certain ones may not be even allowed by the state of Texas. I do want to work with Mayor
Protemcast 16. I'm to see what we need to do about that because you're right. They can be very dangerous.
As we've seen with just the regular motorized bikes. So we'll do on that. Thank you. Thank you. Next Scotty Joseph.
Amina Isha.
Katie O. C. To be followed by Arco Barman.
Good evening, Mayor and councilmembers. My name is Katie O. Sheade and I'm here on behalf
of Houston Energy and Climate Week and a non-profit allies and energy. We offer our deepest
consult condolences to the family and Mr. Sadago Arjo and we stand with this community tonight.
We hold in our thoughts those still being held in custody. Out of respects, we will defer our
comments regarding Houston Energy and Climate Week to a later date and we can send comments
through to the council. Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Arco Barman. I'm an associate professor of
statistics at Christ University. I'm here to demand that the Houston City Council
terminates its contract with lock safety and other similar systems. More than 53 municipalities
across the earth have already cut ties with us and Houston should be next. I have 13 years
of research experience building these systems and I know they're not reliable enough for your
world use. I'm missing the audit by L. E. B. D. Inspector General found an error rate of one in three,
which means the one billion, one billion license plates read by them have 323 million errors
that equal to the population of the entire United States. As you go home, five out of 16 of your
employees are going to be misragged by lock or a similar system. And lock has been operating
illegally in Texas for more than five years. Between 29 and 24, lock operated without a private
investigation license in Texas, then between October and December 22, 25, lock continued operating
illegally in the state of Texas. We deserve better. City of Houston residents should not
accept a surveillance system that's run one out of two times run by the company that broke state
law for over half a decade. And this cost to see six fine four million dollars over five years
while essential services like ATFD land wishes. There are 10 short fire stations,
more new trucks, more new crews, ATFD runs short of 65 ambulances, six fine four million dollars
can be spent on building a new fire station and 10 ambulances for a year. This isn't a hard choice.
Thank you. Thank you, Houston. Must terminate the flight contract and you deserve your
two use of funds. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. I like it. I make the most of you suspend the rules. To add,
the keeps are Lloyd to the bottom of the one three minute now one minute agenda list. Very good. Motion
made in second all in favor say yes. Those opposed tonight. Motion passes. Next speaker.
Christopher Davis, the spring, Larry Anthony, Christopher Graham, Caleb Coralsky, Philippe Woods of Spring.
To be followed by Brian Lisco for shuddling.
I had a whole speech written out, but I'd rather just some scrap it and only keep the ones that I needed to say.
This is ridiculous, all right? Here we are after two weeks since Lorenzo Masagara Rafa was murdered in our streets in our neighborhoods.
We still do not know who the names of the ICE agents that they prove a trigger.
And here we are two weeks later, again, coming here to get you guys to be courageous and not act like a bunch of powers.
Our demands are simple.
Culture, habits, and habits in the administration to release Victor Sagara Rafa.
Daniels, you are open to him, and we'll say to him that we're us.
We can provide extensive testimony on what happened in your time.
Thank you.
Brian Lisco of shuddling.
To be followed by Susana Durian.
Hi guys, good to see you again.
Set myself a three-minute timer here.
So, simply like you guys' hands were kind of glued to your desk or something before, let's try again.
So, I don't know that this murder was just the latest episode in a century's long project of clearing out this land of people that look like him.
For people that look like me.
And I think anyone who claims to know better than not see the white supremacist, the colonizer, the slaver, should say that this is pretty easily unacceptable.
So, don't mean no better.
This is the question.
So, let's go around the room.
Would you like to start Mr. Mayor?
Do you know better than not see?
Your time has expired.
Thank you.
I've got one minute and 45 seconds left.
Do you know better than not see?
Sure, we're at one minute.
What's the supremacist?
Complete your comments.
Let's all, let's all, let's all, let's all wear those hands.
Those are my comments.
And if you don't wear those hands, I'm going to call you a Nazi.
What are we talking about?
Let's wear those hands, everybody.
Thank you.
Everybody who knows better than not see, raise your hand.
Thank you, sir.
You're excused.
I've got one minute and 15 seconds left.
Everybody who knows better than the way the supremacist wears your hand.
Wrap it up, sir.
Come on, man.
Mr. Flickinger.
Pads away.
Tarsh.
Hey.
I'm not you.
What's going on?
Sure.
Thank you, your time's up.
Where's your hand at?
Next.
Do you know better than have lights supremacists?
Sysana Durand.
Do you know?
Do you disagree?
This, but it's almost too good.
I am worried.
It's not work.
He's at the government.
He is the only one.
And Eric.
My name is Anna Durand.
I'm a resident of District J,
I'm a resident of District J. I live in Sharf's town, and I initially wanted to appeal to
faith, righteousness, and reasonableness, but I witnessed a particularly cruel and
callous line of questioning during a proper committee meeting earlier today. That was just absolutely
bereft of compassion and really any foundation of economic knowledge, but
but blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
What happens when HPD calls I, again, and the ice agent that comes is like the one that
killed Lorenzo? What happens when we have asked you to end the HPD and ice collaboration
and only two council members right here before we had the spying and the reasonableness
to do the right thing and push forth an ordinance. Thank you. Thank you council members,
Collard and Salinas, and obviously came in who also supported that what happens then?
I have this re-e in my head for the past three weeks that when we were trying to support that ordinance,
I kept hearing from the mayor and so on. Council members, well, this isn't Minneapolis.
What happens when HPD calls another rogue killer ice agent? That's on your hands.
Thank you.
Brianna Arriballo.
Have a Richmond.
To be followed by Sandra Edwards.
Hello, my name is Brianna Arriballo. I am an elementary school teacher in HISD at a school in
Sharps town with over 85% emergent bilinguals. Every day teachers across HISD are challenged
to engage students in their learning within a world in which they feel confused, insecure in their
living conditions and at times incredibly unsafe, absences with drawles and decreasing enrollments
are on the rise. This has put both the strain on our city's children's education and led to the
elimination of several teaching positions to accommodate higher classroom ratios. Students are
disrupting and opting out of classes. Families are fleeing our city. Due to fear, violence and
fatality, you all have failed to prevent on our streets. I wish to remind you that we are up to our
next in a crisis of deep-seated apathy in our society, not only our children struggling to care about their
learning, their health and their future, not only are U.S citizens struggling to care about political
issues in a system that makes them feel powerless. You all the members of the council sitting before
me are struggling to care and take action that thousands across our city are facing racial,
profiling, state, sanctioned violence and brutality and violations to their human constitutional rights
to do process four years. Please, we demand the release of all the witnesses to Lorenzo
Sogato's murder from Isotention, the release of the names of the Vice Officers that killed him,
a complete cessation to HPD's collaboration with ICE and now you take a stand against those in the
state government that have opposed your prior efforts to address these issues. Thank you. My students,
my family, on all immigrants need you, they deserve safety, peace of mind and the ability
to thrive in our great city. Thank you. Thank you.
Sandra Edwards, Thomas Sullivan, to be followed by Carolina Martinez.
Good evening, Council. We warned you about this. We came to be changed months after months,
sentient after session. We told you about ICE's history of violent behavior provided countless
stories and examples of federal agents, brutalizing and even killing people. Each old you that
ICE is present in our city is a danger to its inhabitants. We asked you to do something to protect
us from this threat to our safety. You had a chance to do something in April, instead you coward
and came to the pressure from the state. Now Lorenzo's Agado at Alvo's blood is on the streets you govern.
And it is not just on the streets you govern. It is on your hands.
I stood next to this. I went every single one of you to look at this. Thank you. Thank you.
There. Carolina Martinez.
Good evening, City Council.
Months after months after we've visited North City Council.
Yes, obviously speaking on our behalf.
I was, I could may I speak on her behalf.
Good evening.
Thank you. I got it.
I got it. I got it. I don't worry about it.
My name is Adam Mariano Bowie.
Months after months visiting City Council, watching each and every one of your faces,
stare at me in apathy regarding over the words I say, I witnessed one of the worst things that I ever
have witnessed in the city of Houston with my ear. You offer nothing but words of gratitude and empty
gestures to the son of the man that was murdered on our very streets.
Even now, you stare at me with such empty eyes just as much as the rest of City Council does,
because as much as I hate to admit it, I am very much unconvinced that you are unwilling to do anything
about this murder and to seek justice for Lorenzo at our home.
Nothing I've seen in the months that I have lived. Nothing I've seen months that I've come here to visit
and speak with you on City Council has suggested to me that you do anything about ice in our city.
So instead I'm going to turn that to our people. I believe in City of Houston I believe in
its goodness, not because I see a bunch of politicians stare at me with hateful and tired eyes,
but because I believe that we can be there for each other in this hard time. I believe that we can
find justice in each other. I believe that we can find justice when ourselves outside of the people
that see. Here. Thank you. Do you want to believe these people here?
Angel Leel. Bentley Gilchrist. To be followed by Aileen Zacharias.
Hello, City Council. My name is Bentley Gilchrist. I'm a student at the University of Houston
where I study to get a certification and teaching math from grade 7 through 12.
That's why it qualifies me to see students of this city be kidnapped off our streets by ice agents.
That's why it qualifies me to see one auto sogato, a UH alumni and a teacher. Someone I very much aspire
to be recount the horror of searching through the east end at 7 a.m. in the morning not knowing
if his dad was a diver dead. In all this horror, when I look to City Council, I see Tim and Miss.
I see half measures. I see a refusal to dig your feet in and fight the tear that ice brings upon
our communities. John Whitmire. Mr Whitmire. You talk about how you admire the courage
or an auto. Where is your own? You talk about how you admire his strength to come up to City Council.
Where is your strength to stop HPD from collaborating with ice? To stop ice from coming into our city
to make more going to us. How got us? You've said time and time again that there is simply nothing you can do.
This is wrong. I'm a problem oriented person. So let me give you some solutions. Firstly,
publicly call as the City of Houston to release our two individuals in ice detention.
Two, repeal the Abbott Amendment and when he comes back, fight him in the courts.
Three, stop spending $6.4 million of our taxpayer money to install surveillance cameras across the
City. Ten of them down.
The people are the city, so I want to protect the people.
Hi, my name is Elaine from Katie Texas. I'm a member of Houston, DSA. I just wanted to share testimony from an immigrant that we came into.
I think we're very afraid at this time. And I just ask everyone here, please, as everyone is mentioned before, we're very bravely.
Please, to the part, and then each and every cooperation with ISC, our community members can feel safe, specifically immigrants and black and white people.
I ask that you guys, please, a lot of the restoration of Council Member Salina's ordinance and for the transparency as well.
And then I also ask that we release Victor Jose, and then yeah, thank you.
Thank you, my Palestine Skype, I suppose, because it was considered a banner, so I'm a little keen right now to prove I need to sit in the doctor and say that we change its tactics and technology, between the Zionist occupation for instance, and ISA's.
It's a lot of road to Spain in this world. In comparison, we have a room between us and not since the stop or fascism, but it's not an accurate, but we don't need to go overseas for a scope or analogy. We can look at the long dark history of the rest.
And if you say back in 2015, the Vista of the Slayhead and its clay catcher, the Vista of the mimey, the backstage, and I can see the citizens there, it's going to be the property of the Slayfiner.
If you have to carry papers to serve the food, or you're authorized to travel, or you're under un-documented and subject to arrest and punishment, because that's something really, it's on and what you're hearing.
This was a beautiful federal enforcement machine that
democratized local officials in the year of the time.
That was fired.
The government was willing to stay.
But this act in the system was not defended by compliance
and collaboration.
It was defended by black Americans.
I've been discriminating as in business communities.
Down to defend black residents.
The government will be represented as in the United States.
To court.
It wasn't the same thing.
It was the same thing.
It was the same.
It was the same thing.
The government.
This is their first time.
We have to follow our public.
The government.
We have to cross.
It's an important thing.
Thank you.
All right.
Next speaker.
The next speaker.
Sergio?
Sergio.
to be followed by Samantha Farley.
All right, check.
When I started this, I said, you have your brother there.
I'm a chicken, a filmmaker here in Houston.
And I've lived there all my life.
I am older than I is.
And sometimes I'm in the mid-2000s.
So me, I will get a scots and prize came to this country
with my D.O.M. to provide him with our cancer treatment.
And it was only out of the kindness of a complete stranger
that they were able to get to the hospital.
And I think about that stranger all the time
and I knew that same kindness and that same love
within the communities that Houston has.
The Houston's the most beautiful place.
And to witness Lord and Salad Oadaku's murder,
to witness the inaction,
to witness the collective grief
as broken my heart time and time again.
And it is only because of the community that
one of the people who are also detained with a freedom.
Thank you very much.
The rest of the people to also be free.
We demand an end of H.P.D. and Ice Collaboration.
We demand a girl to abolish eyes.
And that's the bare minimum.
Thank you.
Next speaker.
Thank you.
Samantha Farley.
To be followed by Maximiliano Diaz.
Testing.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
We can hear you.
Awesome.
Council members.
You all have families,
congregations and communities that you serve.
I urge you today when you hear the pleas of those around you
that you see that this is also the pleas of a family,
a community and a city that is morning.
If you love black and brown people,
it could have been one of your loved ones that was murdered.
You have a duty as the voice of your people to advocate for our wishes.
This is a chance to show your district, your city,
your community that you don't bend to state interference,
that you can follow the leaves of other century cities
that you take the time not just to listen
but to understand what your constituents are saying.
If you see the value in your position,
then you must acknowledge that it is in your power
to call for the end of HPV collaboration with ICE.
And HPV collaboration with ICE now,
prosecute the officers who murdered Lorenzo.
Release the witnesses to Lorenzo's death.
Make sure this doesn't happen again.
Anything else is a disgrace to the people of Houston.
Next speaker.
Hello, I'm translating this.
It's written in Spanish.
I'm not an agreement with what's happening.
It's a kidnapping.
It's what happens in other places.
The children are afraid.
They're being mistreated.
And innocent people are being attacked.
Just for their appearance.
Their workers.
And another message here.
I demand a release of Victor David and Joseph.
I don't like how ICE treats Hispanics.
Now, like what's been happening has been really horrible.
It's just been a travesty.
But a lot of what's happened.
There are a lot of things that happened before this,
even before the murder of Mr. Araval.
That just kind of made it easier for these things to happen.
Like just how much has been given to HPV and for surveillance.
To setting up this infrastructure for them to be able to do anything.
As you've got public services in some of these very communities.
Like, even when talking about things like this,
they're trying to mirror what might have said some very racist things
about golfed in a residence.
And it's just been very pathetic.
It's been, um, thank you.
Yeah.
Great.
Haley Snyder.
To be followed by Daniel Gamees.
Hello.
My name is Haley and I'm representing socialist alternative.
Today, I'm speaking to the people here who actually matter.
Our community.
We are fighting for our friends, coworkers, and loved ones for targeted, murdered, assaulted.
We need elected officials and movement leaders who will fight to ensure our communities
who are being, by funding HISD, maybe instead of ICE.
Like a fellow speaker was trying to say before he was unjustly removed.
When we look at history, we find that what is happening to immigrant communities
today comes from the same policies used to commit genocide against indigenous nations.
The murder, brutal removal of people from their homes at their detention and separation from family.
Does that sound familiar?
Our representative supports this by doing nothing.
But we, the working people in Houston, will not carry on that legacy.
We must organize a massive coalition to shut Houston down.
So those who say their hands are tied will listen to us because what they're motivated by is not helping us.
We put them into office, but they're pocketbooks.
And by the way, we will get ICE out of Houston.
We will get ICE out of Texas, and we're going to get ICE out of everywhere.
Good evening.
I've seen a lot of disgraceful behavior from new men and women up here in the way that you are interacting with your constituents.
Absolutely disgraceful and not be fitting a son that calls themselves a leader.
I would like to remind you of some of our history.
We hold these truths to be self-evident.
That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.
That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
ICE is the antithesis and tithesis of what our in the declaration of independence was written for.
Another definition that I'd like to give you is straight from the DOD.
The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculc, inculcate fear,
intended to coerce, or to intimidate government or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.
Do any of you know what that is from?
That is the DOD definition of terrorism of terror risks.
ICE is a paramilitary terrorist group that is running rampant
in our streets, killing civilians and citizens alike.
Your time.
It is fire.
It is graceful to this nation and to the people that you say you serve.
Thank you for your time.
Haley Rogers.
To be followed by the Keesha Lord.
Firstly, thank you.
Councilman Sneena is for your leadership and putting me on the DOD.
I appreciate it.
Haley Rogers.
I am a new resident of district G.
Haley.
But before I live in district G, I live in Mission Ben.
It leaves district.
I live there.
I have a lifelong resident and my community is like the East community.
It is multicultural.
It is diverse.
It is the target of ICE.
And our community is scared because of Lorenzo's murder.
My family, my friends, the people who I think are my family as well,
are scared to go outside.
They are scared to leave their homes.
And I'd like to read a statement from a community member named Jose in Mission Ben.
Jose says, I'm worried.
What happened beside, I can only imagine the family feels horrible.
I hope the mayor makes a change and helps protect the immigrants that agents are acting too
forceful.
They need to identify themselves.
I'm worried.
We don't know if ICE or if it's ICE or some random person pulls us over.
What happened to Lorenzo can happen at any point again.
I urge this entire council to use your platform and your city leverage to quietly pass
conference to release the Sombrotto and his work for Daniel Bungto.
Thank you.
You're Ms. Lawick.
Go ahead.
Good evening, everyone.
Really quick before I make my statements.
I am the United States Army veteran.
I have sacrificed my mind, my body for this country.
And I would appreciate it if I could have your undivided attention for my sacrifice.
Yeah.
My name is Locatial Lloyd.
I am a resident in spring.
I live literally right on the border of the city.
It's just a few city limits.
And I'm like I said, I'm a United States Army veteran.
And I'm a national director with common defense.
This is why I'm here today. The rinsa sagato was a husband, a father, and a 35-year resident of this community. And he was on his way to work. It should have made it home. There's no reason why that man should have made it home. He was not the target. Veterans know that courage is only found. It is not only found on the battlefield.
Sometimes courage means standing right here in city hall in front of you find folks and tell them the truth.
And sometimes it means using our voices to ensure that those with power. Here are the people they were elected to serve.
We are calling on you Mayor Whitmire. I would like it if you looked at me, sir. Thank you.
In the Houston City Council to take meaningful action by supporting an independent local investigation demanding transparency from every agency involved and setting with Lorenzo's family.
I do not fight and watch my comrades fall on the battlefield.
To have to sit here and have my son who is 15 years old, watch his schoolmates afraid to come school.
I did not fight and sacrifice my life and my veterans lives for this right here.
If we can be held accountable in the United States military under the UCMJ for the exact same actions, if we had took this we'd be under 11th.
Now I don't know what you all call patriots, but I'm a patriot.
I'm having to watch my military gear on a lawless unit, terrorizing our streets, do something about this.
Thank you.
Next.
No. No, Freeman.
To be followed by Audrey Naff.
Good evening. In the Houston Public Works Strategic Plan, there are six core values. The very first core value is responsiveness.
We will respond timely with care and commitment.
It's been six weeks since I raised my issues about 1,000 to West Lemuth Public Works.
And I haven't even had anyone not one single person acknowledge that I contacted the department.
Everything goes through councilman rail, corn's office or councilman vans are Ellis office. They'll talk to you folks all day long.
But they will not talk to a citizen of the city of Houston who has an issue with a problem they helped create.
Now, I want to give credit words do. I reported illegal dumping of food trash on my fence line by this restaurant.
Solid waste resolved that issue in 16 hours.
To ARA's credit, they contacted me 30 minutes after I spoke here two weeks ago.
And the Health Department called me this afternoon about an issue with used cooking oil being stored along my fence line.
Mayor, I will reiterate the ask that I had two weeks ago. Please compel public works to force a resolution to this issue.
I can't even get hate. We got your email. We'll look into it.
Not even now. Your time has expired. Thank you all.
Okay, no. Give the Quebec wheelchair information.
Thank you.
Next.
Audrey Nath.
Danny Hernandez.
Neil Colbert.
Maurice Bale.
Jacob Plymentich.
To be followed by Jay Boostos.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
I didn't wait any further.
A lot of complaining and some of it is your very much just but.
But then I bring you two gifts.
A hat.
Autograph by Snowden Mill.
Players.
And they.
Georgie.
Autograph by.
Either a topic.
Player four day.
Name me.
Me.
Yeah.
Right there.
You said.
Is.
Jacob's case.
And.
While.
And then.
I'm.
I mean.
As a sure as I can tell from my mother.
Tell them to me about my father.
And.
Everyone.
Yeah.
I mean.
I offer.
I mean.
This is.
Gestapo.
Thank you.
Jacob.
Jay Bullstos.
To be followed by Anthony Hover.
Hello, everyone.
Your friendly neighborhood.
I'm going to say I find it appalling and bewildering with the lack of action and voices of this council for fighting for this city and its residents all residents.
Lorenzo was murdered July 7.
Three weeks since.
His passing and nothing has been done.
Even though the obvious.
Isn't this what is it's should already been done of cutting all ties.
I was.
Also, you all saying.
Uh, I'll do not have the ability to do anything.
I'll do it.
You.
You may.
Of course the topic of the list.
Get justice for Lorenzo.
Relie so witnesses.
2.
Cut the contracts, with Flock.
Get rid of all the canarettes.
Next.
Next, and non-safety traffic stops.
That's the assisting ice with all this.
And last, or next, publicly be more vocal about ice.
They're inhumane.
You're your partner.
They're committing a legal acts, kidnapping and murdering people.
And I ask again, how much pain and apparent blood
is needed for y'all to get up and do something.
And Anthony Hubbard, to be followed by Cameron Waterson,
how much pain, how much blood.
Mayer, with my today, you promised calls to perform through an auto.
I sincerely hope that you fall through an impromence.
But to be told public trips is all the time low.
It has been three weeks and nothing has been done.
Maybe you can extend empathy to the family.
But true empathy would mean no one else.
No one else should have to feel that pain.
Not one more you're stoning in.
And how can we expect that there's been three weeks and nothing has happened.
Any three of y'all could sign a prop A or an inch to put forth two council.
We'll have three weeks.
Mayer sincerely hope that you fall through an impromence.
And you call it for you form.
Since our last two council meetings, I watched your city representatives try to repair their egos from what Houston has said.
So Mr. Mayor, let me speak within the decorum of a legislative session and the council.
Your policy making has shown that you are too politically inept to handle city policy or public safety.
Your abysmal fiscal shortfalls and failures show you are more than just morally bankrupt, but that you truly do not care.
And for those of our council who say that let's make sure to go and vote and do more than protest suggesting that we can vote the problem away.
This statement was not only tone death, but it was politically ignorant to history itself.
These protesters are more than your labels.
They are organizers, workers, parents, historians.
We organize food drives for those who even food deserts to starve.
We organize schooling, clothing drives for those who won't close or educate.
We organize, know your rights outreach for the communities you have left to die.
And we did all this while being registered to vote.
A vote will not bring back a father to his children or lift the weight of death off of our city.
We have votes, but you have HPD, the treasury, public works and the ability for city ordinance to prevent violent fire.
We call for the names of the murderers.
Release and to be prosecuted.
We call for all passengers to be freed.
We call for an independent investigation and an ending of all collaboration with ICE and CPD, our HPD.
And again, you have a chance.
This is a test.
TPS is now revoked.
So what are we going to do it?
Houston to prevent a second class of citizens in our country.
And what are we going to do to prevent another Houstonian off of streets by death?
And how do we save another father from being killed, making sure that they go home to their kids?
To please reflect on this, guys.
Very important.
Thank you.
Nessie Gavano.
This completes the list of speakers.
Please stand resist in the morning.
Council, please come to order.
Mr. Secretary, would you proceed with a consent agenda?
Under the except work category.
Item four has been removed for separate consideration.
Need a motion for items 1, 2, 3 and 5.
Pestic set of move.
Motion made in segment all in favor.
Say yes to those opposed.
Motion passes.
Next.
Under the property category.
Item six needs a motion.
Pestic set of move.
Motion made in segment.
In favor.
Say yes to those opposed.
Name motion passes.
Under the purchase in a tabulation.
Purchase in tabulation of beets category.
Need a motion for item 7 through 15.
Pestic set of motion made in segment all in favor.
Say yes to those opposed.
Motion passes.
Under the resolutions category.
Item 16 needs a vote.
Colin Fraver said yes to those opposed.
Name motion passes.
Under the ordinance is category.
Since your list was distributed.
Item 19, 25, 35 and 36 have been received.
Not received but will be considered if they received before the end of the meeting or 23 and 24.
Again those items that have not been received but will be considered if they received before the end of the meeting.
Item's removed for separate consideration.
R 26 27 29 30 31 32 35 36 38 41 and 46 again.
Item's removed for separate consideration.
26 27 29 through 32 35 and 36 38 41 46 need a vote on the balance.
On in favor.
Say yes to those opposed.
Name motion passes.
Item's removed for separate consideration.
Item 4 needs a motion.
Cast X to move.
Motion made in segment.
Comments.
Thank you.
I just want to give a shout out to the public works for this project.
And especially to Steven Lou who was instrumental in getting this project started.
This could have been something.
This could have been a disaster or something that we would have seen on the news.
But public works came out.
Address it immediately.
The neighborhood is extremely happy.
So thank you.
Thank you.
All in favor.
Say yes.
Those opposed.
Name motion passes.
Item 26 isn't ordinance.
Just need a vote.
All in favor.
Say yes.
Those opposed.
Name motion passes.
Item 27 isn't ordinance.
All in favor.
Say yes.
Those opposed.
Name motion passes.
Item 29 is an ordinance.
All in favor.
Say yes.
Those opposed.
Name motion passes.
Council member.
For the next one.
Next.
Item 30 is an ordinance.
Just need a vote. Councilor Benzurella.
Thank you, Mayor. Just wanted to make a quick note on this item. Today, we're voting on a series of public safety
grants that I will be supporting 2931-32. I'm 30, specifically as an HPD public safety grant for
HPD's catalytic converter crime task force. I support the work of this task force catalytic
converter theft is a major issue, and Houston has been at the forefront in combating it. This item includes
funding for personnel over time, supplies and equipment, included in this equipment is service for existing
flock cameras. While I support the general purpose of this grant and HPD's work in mitigating
catalytic converter theft, I have serious concerns about the city's partnership with flock.
Block raises serious concerns regarding privacy, data access, and oversight. We have seen multiple headlines on the
misuse of flock in the lack of oversight, including Justice Week. A Baytown police officer has been accused of
allegedly misusing flock in his curly under investigation. While these are just individuals
abusing this power, the lack of practice oversight is concerning. On a larger scale, many residents
have shared bipartisan concerns with mass surveillance, and I personally share the concerns about their
right to privacy. Finally, residents have the right to know who has access to this data and what
safeguards exist to prevent its misuse. In some, I have major concerns about the use of this
technology. When there are still so many questions, and potential potential violations of civil liberties,
we need to continue the dialogue around how we are using this technology and how to protect rights
a few stone hands. Therefore, I will be voting on this item.
Thank you.
I vote on item 30 on favor say yes, those post-9.
I'm voting as well.
I'm voting no. Next item 31 is an ordinance, just need to vote.
All in favor say yes, those opposed to nine motion passes.
Item 35 is an ordinance, just need to vote. All in favor say yes, those opposed to nine motion
passes.
Item 35 is an ordinance, just need to vote.
Thank you Mayor.
This item, I want to highlight the partnership between the city and the greater north-side management
district. There are some corridors that will be receiving safety improvements to include
high visibility crosswalks, upgraded sidewalks, pedestrian, refugee violence,
ADA, accessible enhancements, and improved street crossings and signals, airline
gents and a tid well in district age.
And these are high traffic and highly utilized corridors that need these improvements.
And I appreciate the continued partnership of the greater north-side management
district for these improvements and the other projects we work on together.
Councillor Thomas.
Thank you. Good morning. I'd want to add my comments to join with councilmember Castillo
on the partnership with the International Management District.
As we're all aware, the city received a $28 million safe street grant that
improves bisonet from district's CJ and F.
This is a compliment to that extending the program from dairy,
ashford, and bisonet all the way till Eldridge.
And I also want to acknowledge Congressman Al Green for his advocacy for the federal
match in the district of council of U.S. House District 9.
I'm so happy that the city is putting their match together to continue to support our
pedestrian and safety efforts.
Thank you. And I was there Saturday afternoon.
You get off 59 as far as you can see.
Our question public works about doing it all at one time.
But I was informed that's the most efficient, cost-effective way to do it.
But as far as you can see down bisonet, the work that you and Councilmember
Pollard have successfully done to get bisonet kind of disrupted some of the
retail street retail.
But they'll learn to go somewhere else.
Okay, I don't know. I'm 35. All in favor say yes.
Those post name, motion passes.
Item 36 is an ordinance just need a little favor say yes.
Those post name motion passes.
Item 38 is an ordinance just need a little.
All in favor say yes. Those post name motion passes.
Item 46 is an ordinance just need a little.
All in favor say yes. Those post name motion passes.
Item 23 is an ordinance just need a little.
Item 23 has been received.
It is an ordinance just need a little.
Okay, members. Item 23 all in favor say yes.
Those post name motion passes.
This completes the items on the agenda.
Before I call on our first speaker, I want to take a moment.
We have a mini pop off.
Stephen David's last day is tomorrow.
Stephen's been with our team even before.
We were sworn in.
He'll be missed. He has this quick amount as anyone in city hall.
And certainly a lot of historic.
I've been a fence of working with the needs and other mayors.
I didn't kind of talk about it because he said he's doing it for family and health.
I think mainly can't keep up with me.
But I wish him nothing from well.
He's not leaving our team.
He's just taken on a different role.
So you'll see him.
Certainly as we prepared next year's budget.
There are other arts and young implementations.
So Stephen, you're a good friend and a valued city employee.
And I know you're not going far.
You better make sure you check in or you're here from the controller.
If they don't see.
If you don't see, you go into the property.
If you don't go through the property channels to his liking.
So anyway, I'll be glad to let you speak to council.
I know how much you love this process.
But you got to quit working all night.
And on weekends.
And I yield to you at this time.
And now know you didn't expect me to call on you.
So again, we'll get to see how quick you are.
Thank you, Mayor.
As I said in the email that I sent out, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity of my lifetime.
I am a fifth generation Houstonian kind of a fun fact about my family.
My mother's mother's father was the first delivery ice company in the city of Houston.
And so I have deep roots here.
I grew up here.
I was born here.
I went to school here.
My parents were teachers at John Marshall Middle School.
And I also seen Martinez, Wesley Elementary.
Very important to me of public service.
Teachers are public servants.
Just like y'all are just like government employees are.
That runs deep.
And it means a lot to be able to serve the city that I grew up in was born in and love with all my heart.
Getting to work with y'all is a privilege that bureaucrats rarely get to see.
A lot of times there are 21,000 employees.
There are a lot of volunteers.
They are all of y'all including you, Mayor.
Who walks around and shakes people's hands.
And all of the floors of the buildings that we own.
Y'all have not met everybody.
And so being able to sit adjacent to y'all.
And work closely with y'all and see the passion that you deliver for the city at large.
Or for your individual districts.
Is something that I'll cherish forever.
I think the thing, the only thing that I'd like to say.
Beyond another thank you to the Mayor and to the team.
Is that it is a thankless job that you sit in and that folks who work for you sit in.
There are people who come when people call through 1-1-1-1-1-1-1.
They're not having a good day.
They're having to deal with adversity and challenge.
And I think all of you I've observed have approached even when I disagree with y'all.
You've approached your positions honestly.
It's a belief structure.
I've never felt disingenuousness.
Even when people are willing to put cameras in your face and say shame for a position that you honestly take.
And so I want to thank all of y'all from the bottom of my heart.
It's for coming to this job every day and putting on your pants one leg at a time and recognizing that this is the only way forward is to talk about it and to do the work.
So as Mayor, as you like to say again, thank you for your trust in me.
You keep a small circle of people.
I think everybody knows that.
When you work for teamwork, when you've worked for Whitmire once, you always work for Whitmire.
There are a lot of people who've spent, you've spent 50 years in public service.
I know people who've worked for you for 30 years, 40 years.
And even if you don't work for John Whitmire, you are always going to be an advisor, a friend.
And maybe as an interesting story or close to Mike, what I say,
I think the thing that opened my eyes to who you are as a person, Mayor, was within week two.
Not a lot of people know this, but Chris Newport, Mayor's first chief of staff within the first two weeks of the city had its truck stolen straight out of his driveway.
Move to his new house and it was just lifted right out of it.
And I'm not kidding when I say the mayor took his personal truck.
He's tossing with Chris and like Chris have it for about six months.
While HVD tried to find his truck and then the insurance company dragged their feet about getting a money for the new one.
And that's exactly the type of person you are. You think about people first.
And I've learned a ton from you and I appreciate it.
I hope that I've been able to bring some levity for a while.
You didn't like to joke so much. Now it's all jokes all the time.
So I appreciate the effort. I am also quite fond of the team you've put together.
You assemble a really interesting, eclectic group of people who bring diligence and strength and dedication.
To very hard jobs day in and day out.
The sad part about me leaving the city is it is because of health reasons.
Had a doctor say if you want to have a heart attack and your forties keep on.
And so that's that's an important thing for me.
I will continue to serve where possible but I just want to say thank you all for the opportunity to serve.
I am always a phone call away for any of you.
Although I might reserve for turning those calls like in late afternoon, not immediately.
But thank you, Mayor.
Moment. Councilmember Flickinger.
Sad to see you go.
Really enjoyed working for you and have the utmost respect for you.
Good luck.
Councilmember Martin.
Thank you, Mayor.
We are not a eulogy.
We heard it.
No.
It's even just as a staffer to staffer, right?
You worked out a councilmember at Gonzalo's office.
So you understand a lot of what kind of how to make the meat right as well.
But as a staffer to staffer and as a friend, I just want to say thank you for providing the support that I needed as a freshman councilmember.
But more so outside of the outside of the office, just for your continued support guidance.
And then also being able to take some feedback as well, maybe some things that you didn't like.
But again, I think at the end of the day and you said it in your work, right?
Ultimately, the work that we do is the work for people.
Yeah, sometimes we get it right, sometimes we get it wrong.
But ultimately, we want to see something that we can be better than we had when we got here.
So thank you for your work.
Thank you for helping Shepherd a administrative fee as well.
That might not have been the most, you know.
The thing that people want, but most positive thing that people are popular thing that people wanted to see happen.
But ultimately, I think in all the work, whether it's that, whether it's the finances for the city,
we're trying to make sure that again, we leave it better than we had when we got here.
So again, thank you.
Look forward to hanging out outside of this space.
Just catch up.
Thank you.
Vice Mayor Pro Jim Peck.
Thank you, Mayor.
I will not be thanking you for the administrative fee.
But seriously, thank you for your service to the city when the mayor talks about people being public servants being outside of elected officials.
That completely fits you in everything that you've done.
You've really worked on some revolutionary things here at the city.
And I'm just truly thankful for everything that you've done.
Thank you.
Councilor Davis.
Thank you, Mayor.
David Manley.
Listen, we will get you.
So you not being here, which is going to be something that will adjust with no you around.
And of course, if we don't see you as you have helped us in many areas.
We'll, you and I will catch up on the ready of them.
That's something between me and David.
We'll catch up on the ready.
Thank you.
Take care.
I'll go on.
I was going to save this for my pop-off, but I'll just do it now.
I didn't write you a poem, though, sorry.
Y'all will be very disappointed.
You're truly one of my best friends.
And I've known you for a really long time from the gun's office days through Mayor Parker's tenure, through Mayor Turner's tenure, through your
private sector.
You're just truly one of the smartest guys I know.
And you're my go-to person on all things city government, especially city finances.
You sat down and helped me do my campaign website.
I was like, I'm getting the smartest guy I know to write a bunch of help me write a bunch of stuff on this campaign.
We're not in complete agreement. You have a way of bringing me around every time. This is a huge loss, Mayor, for the city. I mean, this is institutional knowledge. This is a big brain trust. This is a guy with an Excel spreadsheet that never quits. But I know that's why you're moving on, because you can't turn it off. And you are a good government guy, and you are a person who believes that government could be able to do so.
And for that, I am truly grateful. I went this summer to a wedding in New York, and there was an exhibit at the Whitney Biennial about city employees. Something I've never seen in a museum.
Done by an artist who is a city employee in New York. And he wrote something on one, there were a bunch of photographs of city employees and, you know, kind of views out there windows and things that they did.
Something about, it was talking about sanitation workers and other city workers and about being in the inside. And it says, you know, being a city worker makes you, makes you, you see it from the city worker perspective, which I think you've always brought.
It makes me want to do better to help the department be better. I think the majority of the people that are civil servants want to do good for the city. It's a badge of honor for most people to say I work for the city.
And the majority of city employees just want to do a good job. They want to have a good job and to provide for their families. You've always been there for city employees. You believe in civil service. You believe in public service like you do mayor.
And I am so grateful for our friendship and I know that will continue on and on. And now when I get mad at the mayor, who am I going to call?
He was always my first call. But I'll still call you. Great job. We'll miss you.
Thank you. Well said. Council member. Thank you.
Thank you, Mayor. Steven, thank you for all your service to the city of Houston, you know, from times of disaster and emergency where you kept us.
So informed with your frequent updates. I don't know if you ever slept during storms or freezes or floods, but it was tireless.
What you did to help us keep Houston and safe. Not to mention your passion for animals and us getting to work on bark related items.
I appreciate it. Everything you've done for the city was you all the best in the future.
Thank you, Mayor and good morning. I want to take a moment to recognize Steven David as he prepares to leave his full-time role with administration.
Steven has served the city of Houston with intelligence, professionalism, and a steady hand across multiple male administrations.
And during his time with the administration he helped God the city through some incredibly consequential moments from severe weather and operational challenges to budget and the ongoing work of making city government more efficient and responsive.
Steven knew how to bring people together. He helped us, Mayor.
That's the sidebar. Keep communication moving and help us find common ground and service to the people of Houston.
I want to thank you for always being accessible, thoughtful and willing to work through the difficult issues.
Your leadership and institutional knowledge has made a meaningful difference.
We know you will continue supporting your and our city and a different capacity. Your daily presence at city hall will certainly be missed and be on behalf of the residents of District D.
I want to thank you for your service and wish you more time with your family. That's immeasurable.
Continue to success. Good health and all the best in your next chapter.
And what can you say for a man that has to carry two first names? You know he has to be phenomenal.
So thank you so much and true.
You know, two first names. What's Stephen Davis?
Anyway, thank you so much for your service.
And you can't imagine how hard time learning his name is.
Is he Stephen or is he that kind of name?
Stephen or is it David?
I figured it out.
Thank you, Mayor.
Somebody asked me what's happened with Stephen Davis and I said he needed a life.
Right? You needed a life because it's not difficult to recognize that you are 24-7.
And after I met you every time your name comes up, I'm like that's going to be the smartest guy in the room.
I just, you never, you never miss a beat.
And you know, certainly you're going to be missed, but we'll see you down the road.
Thank you for your service.
Thank you, Mayor.
Stephen congratulations.
Thank you for all your hard work at the city.
Public service really is a calling and I think no one's answered it as well as you have.
So thank you for all that.
You were instrumental in my onboarding for the first couple of weeks.
I think I was sworn in the week before the budget so you nice spoke.
Many hours, many hours.
So I really appreciate it and best of luck moving forward.
Thank you, Mayor.
Stephen, this is a big loss.
And I so appreciate your service to the city.
If I had to count how many times I've called people in the administration, I think you'd be at the top of the list.
And so I appreciate you're always calling back.
I know you're usually busy, but you always call back.
And I appreciate that. I appreciate the, the, the intellect you brought,
the institutional knowledge and your heart.
And obviously we want to keep that beating.
You want to keep that beating so I understand you're, you're, you're need to leave at this point,
but but you will be missed and so understand that.
And, and they'll be surprised if I call you again soon.
Thanks.
Thank you everyone for your comments.
Make certain that you let your wife, Jenny, know that we appreciate the time
that she's allowed you to spend at City Hall.
With that, we'll be talking very soon.
So actually reception to more at five o'clock.
What, what, what bar did you choose?
I, I'll preface this a little bit, Mayor.
One of the, I've been going to a lot of retirements and going the ways recently.
And I just felt that they were a little too stuffy and had too much pump.
So I'm going to be at Patterson Park tomorrow.
It's starting from 4 to 7 p.m.
It's steak night by the way, which is also one of those in home.
Yeah.
That's right.
Well, everyone join me in.
Mayor, Mayor.
Thank you, Mayor.
Mayor and Council, I know many of you saw the ruling that came out on yesterday.
And quite frankly, I am very disappointed by that ruling against the city of Houston's
M.W.B.E. program.
I mean, for four decades, this program has been in place for us to really represent the city's
movement to qualify businesses having meaningful opportunity to compete for these contracts
that come out through our cities.
And these are business owners who are entrepreneurs.
They are creating jobs.
They're investing in our neighborhoods.
They really are making an impact to strengthening Houston's economy.
Mayor, even though this ruling came out, I think it is extremely critical for us as a body
to make sure that we are continuing to finally sound ways to express access and expand access
to opportunities for these businesses.
We cannot let this moment become the end of our commitment to economic inclusion.
And while we are determining our next steps after that ruling that came out yesterday,
I do want to challenge us to develop policies that will withstand legal scrutiny.
While also continuing to support our small businesses, I was at the Greater Houston business
procurement forum just last week talking about our commitment to making sure that every business
in Houston has an opportunity to compete for these types of contracts in our city.
And it's no surprise to anyone after the disparity study that our minority businesses are still
struggling to gain access.
And we cannot stop fighting for that economic inclusion because quite frankly, Houston is
strongest when everyone has a fair chance to compete.
I do want to thank the legal team for their fight, direct a hold for the work that she continues
to do to make sure that we are providing the information so people that have businesses
in the city of Houston are how to apply for those contracts and compete for those contracts.
But we cannot stop now even with this ruling in trying to create access for everyone in our city
to be able to compete and raise their families and have a good quality of life in our city.
And then I want to also take a moment to shine a spotlight on our district gate interns that are here.
Although our time is winding down for the summer, I hope that y'all had a chance to see the podcast that they have
produced.
If you haven't had a chance to see the podcast, they named it the turns short for interns.
And they have been interviewing interns from all different areas in the city of Houston.
And it's very interesting to see the perspective of our interns and what they are learning here at City Hall.
You can catch that and they are pretty big time because HTV is carrying their podcasts online.
It's early in the morning late evenings.
We've been posting when their podcast comes on HTV.
The next one will be on Thursday morning at 630 to 7am, but y'all know y'all can always go back.
It'll be chronicle to online to watch the intern.
Mayer, they interviewed some folks from some interns from the mayor's office.
I think we had a couple of folks from district F and some of some of the other offices.
And it was really exciting to see their creativity.
My charge to them was how do we get your peers interested in city government?
And this is what they came up with and I'm very proud of the work that they've done and the expanding of knowledge for their peers.
So congratulations to both of you and we'll have this to always look to and for our future interns to build on.
So great work this summer.
And back to school is is gearing up.
We've got a couple of back to school events happening in district K.
The Jared Vanderbilt Foundation, those six annual backpack giveaway.
This one is one of my favorites because Jared Vanderbilt grew up in district K.
He played basketball at Mary and Park while he was growing up and now he plays for the Lakers.
And so he always comes back to the community that he grew up in to give back during school time.
So this Saturday at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mary and Park on South Gessner.
He will be there and there will be backpacks.
Haircuts, groceries, a great community resource.
We're always proud to partner with Jared when he does his annual backpack giveaway.
Highm clock multi-service centers also having a backpack event.
This one is a little unique.
It's a teacher's back to school for autistic students.
So this is the second time they've done a back to school event where they are providing resources for teachers in the community.
So this one is on Saturday August 8 from 9 to 11 30 at 38 in West View Quay.
And then I want to just give a little shout out to Council Member Castillo.
I saw you in Houston Business Journal 40 under 40.
Congratulations to you.
Yeah, he's a young man.
Congratulations to you.
Anybody that knows Mario knows this is a well deserved honor.
And thank you Steve and David for the work that you've done.
We'll miss you as well.
Y'all be kind to each other.
And make it a great day.
Thank you for mentioning the court ruling.
I can't say enough about director Horde.
We have been preparing for an adverse ruling and we've been in contact since the ruling came down.
We're working with our terror and his team.
I've been in public office and certainly in society long enough to know what it was like before an end of the B program.
The success that it's had, but the court ruling gave us the link the time we really was surprised it took so long to get it because it is such an important
part of city government.
What director Horde is done is provided an SBA program.
All the certified minorities under the MWB program are also certified as small business.
So I can assure you that that will still play a major role in our contracting.
So thank you for bringing that up.
And I agree everyone should get along.
In fact I guess how to thank everyone for playing a role yesterday of sitting and giving our speakers an opportunity to be heard.
These are difficult times, but to get it, we're going to get through it, and we have a lot of work left to do.
Last Mayer Protein Pack.
Thank you, Mayor. Since we are off next week, I do want to announce that the following week will be
our next public safety committee meeting. Tuesday, August 11th at 10 o'clock a.m., we will hear from
HPD about the most recent HPD quarterly immigration report. So please be sure to join us for that meeting.
Thank you, Mayor. And I also wanted to echo Mayor Perlten's
Cassas-Stateman on the NAWBE. It's very disappointing. We've had several conversations over the past
year. I do greatly appreciate Director Howard, which you just mentioned, Mayor, you know, in mind
conversations with her early on when after the disparity study was shared. It was how can we ensure
and if this ever came to fruition. And for her to be proactive about the SB program, I think it's
important. I definitely want to share with the larger community, small business community that
I'm committed to making sure that we continue to evaluate whatever legal options we have, but at the same
time, make sure that we continue as a city, the foster economic opportunities for small businesses,
make sure that there's fair opportunities as well with contracts. I think, you know, I've said
this plenty of times, small businesses employ a lot of our residents in our communities and in quite
frankly, that dollar circulating within our city helps us stay economically stable as well. And so it's
important to lift up small businesses, make sure that they continue to have the opportunities
with city contracts, so that way our residents can feel that positive impact as well.
With that, I just want to, you know, we cannot allow that this decision to slow down the work that we've
been doing to expand the opportunity to use small businesses. And I will remain committed with my
colleagues, you know, a definitely leaning into our Mayor Pro Tem, and you, Mayor, to ensure that we continue
to see this happen as well. Lastly, next Thursday, August 6, my office is partnering with the
Work Source solution Gulf Coast. We'll be hosting our job fair at Houston Community College in the
Northeast campus. It'll take place from 10 to noon, and we'll have various representatives from
city departments along with other workforce partners that will be available to provide information and
opportunities with jobs and careers. So I encourage anyone that's looking for employment to join us next
next Thursday, August 6. Thank you, Mayor. And let me follow your comments about thinking the Mayor
Pro Tem and your recognition of her work makes the diversity study so important at this time as we go
forward with our small business certification to be able to support that diversity study.
As strong as we all did, can have that in place to support the small business certification
puts this in a position to continue to make progress and seeing that everyone in our city is lifted up
together, but this diversity study took some real navigating to make certain all the parties
knew that we were including them. So thank you. Councilman Pollock.
Thank you, Mayor. Good morning to everyone. I too, I'm very disappointed that the ruling that came
down regarding the MWSBE program. When I first got on council, I didn't really know what my role
was going to be. What was I going to kind of focus on? And Jerry Davis told me about how Larry Green,
the late Larry Green was a strong voice on city council regarding the MWBE program, which started as the
MBE program and I had strong family ties to the inception of the program based on my father who
was a small business owner on the uniform company and fought really hard to get this program
instituted so that smaller minority businesses would have an opportunity to participate.
And my father was able to participate on some contracts as a uniform vendor with a fire department,
the police department and others. And like him, so many other small minority businesses around
the city have benefited from having the opportunity to participate in that program. And that program
was put in place for a reason. That program was put in place because there were business owners
who were not getting their fair opportunity at participation. And the city was putting out contracts,
but they weren't really able to bid or participate because they either did not have the resources,
the capacity, the relationships and many times it came down to race. And that's just the simple
reality of it all so that a program had to be put in place to make it fair. And then that the city would have
council members in a system that would hold vendors accountable. And so that's what I've tried to do as
I've been on council is look at each item and the MWBE provision to see if we're meeting our
goals and we're reaching our requirements. And if not, you know, trying to hold the city and those vendors
accountable. The judge who ruled on this was appointed by President Reagan. It was like 40 years ago.
And the issues that we are faced 40 years ago were still facing today. And it's interesting that
the arguments that are being made are saying that the program is discriminatory against those who
are shown on every disparity study that has come out that minorities are still not getting their fair
slice of the pie, especially black people. We go around the city and we promote the program.
Many black vendors certified. I want to give a huge shout out to OBO because our office is the one that
certifies for many other entities in the region. And specifically black people who were at the front
lines of creating the MBE program are certified. But our numbers in the disparity study show that
black vendors are still not getting much of the work. And progress still needs to be made. And as we're
trying to make progress, this ruling comes down. So I think that now puts us in a place where we have to
be creative in our approach in how to ensure that as the most diverse city in America,
we still find ways to give opportunity to the broad cross section of our community so that everyone
has an opportunity to participate. And we don't do anything that infringes upon that. And we can't let
outside influences that may have a different perspective than us and who have been around for
probably longer than they need to be, make decisions that impact our future in the city's future,
especially when it comes to business and economic development. And so I charged the administration
and this council to be thoughtful in the way we approach this, because we don't want the progress to be
lost, but this may give us an opportunity to come up with something even better. And so I hope that we
make that a priority. On a different note, I do want to thank my interns. Today this week is their last week.
They've done a tremendous job in assisting my office in many different ways, but specifically
this past weekend, we had a diaper drive and that was their core project that they executed
in an excellent way. And so I want to thank them for their service, thank them for their contributions.
This was an impressive group of summer interns that we had in our office. And I look forward to seeing
what they're able to accomplish in the future. Thank you. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
And I think we can all agree that Ms. Horde is certainly the right person and the right time in
that position. It's in a regular contact with plans if this really went away. It did to thank you
councilman Alcorn. Thank you. I appreciate this discussion. I too was disappointed. I mean,
this program has been around as long as I've been around. And it's been an effective way to
make sure we're spreading all the pieces of the pie around. And appreciate my colleagues that have
really worked hard on this. I remember Mayor Protem when you won the award. You won the M.W.B.E.
diversity champion award. And I went to that program and there's all the McGowan's there. I mean,
this was Ernie McGowan back in the early 80s. We were the first Texas city to have such a program.
And you know, I wasn't surprised in this climate that that was the decision. But yeah, hopefully
as has been said, we can turn this into an opportunity to be creative about making sure we are still
making sure that our city dollars are being spread to as many as many businesses as possible.
I did see your interns podcast last night. George was watching public session. I don't know why.
And I came home and it was still on. And there were your interns out there. And I was like,
what's this show? We listened to it for a while. So good job in turns. And I would like to introduce Nathan
Adler. Are you out there still? This is my summer intern. He's also in turning at the Children's Museum.
He's a rising senior at the King Kade School and placed soccer in tennis and chess and does a lot of
interesting things. So welcome, Nathan. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you.
I echo the sentiment of many on the ridiculous decision that came out of the court.
Judge Hitler is wrong in his reading of the law. And there are two very specific things. The city of
Houston could do right now to assure the community that we are committed to protecting minority businesses.
First, we could make a public commitment to appeal the decision. And second, the city attorney can make
a commitment to come back to council in 30 or 60 days with a specific recommendation of steps we
can take to maintain the program in the interim while we appeal the decision. Businesses around the
country and universities have taken steps to adapt to the Supreme Court's while I believe incorrect
decision while still empowering communities. The city of Houston can do the same. And we need the
guidance from our legal department to do so. So I urge the city attorney and I urge the administration
to come back to council with specific recommendations. What they believe will be legally
the stand legal scrutiny under the decision. I'll be at I think it's wrong, but there is a way to do it.
And I hope that the legal department will prioritize this to ensure that we are sending
message to minority businesses that we are going to protect them and fight for them regardless of the
climate that we have. The second item I want to speak to is what Mr. Salgado Sun brought up yesterday
when he spoke at council. He came to us and he had very specific demands of what we should do.
And I think everyone here echoes the sentiment that we want an independent investigation and wants
to honor the legacy of his father. And what he asked us to do was to end our cooperation with ICE. Now,
obviously, we have attempted to reduce it and those efforts are what they are. But what we know
now is that based on the transparency report, we have doubled the amount of times that we are calling
ICE. HPD has in the past three months. And that we are still holding people for up to two hours
while we wait for ICE to arrive on the scene. We received assurance is from the city attorney
that that wasn't going to happen. And that has proven to be false. So we have a choice as a city.
Are we going to stand by the representations we made as a public when we voted on that amendment or not?
I'm glad to hear that the HVD is coming to the public safety committee meeting and is going to explain
as a public what is going on. But I think we can all agree that holding someone for two hours on the side of the road
rather than solving crimes rather than keeping the stony and safe is unacceptable. And we all need
to do everything in our power to change that. Thank you. And I look forward to the disclosure of what
they were doing for those two hours. They were getting the scene of a very serious accident under control
under your proclamation which went to a reasonable amount of time instead of the 30 minute restriction
which quite frankly was being very successfully conducted. If you look at those circumstances of the two hours
they weren't dealing with ICE. The clock started when they made the scene. It was a serious accident and then
after they secured the site to care the passengers then they called ICE. So the register shows
like a two hour period but they were very limited amount of time with ICE. So I think we need to get
accurate portrayals of what the city is doing. We don't.
And, quite frankly, the proclamation in the ordinance that we passed here. 30 minutes.
Quite frankly, it was working. It was a tough decision to go to a reasonable time with a supervisor there.
Another lengthy involvement was the domestic situation when they got there.
Clock running, as soon as they made the scene, they had to secure the children.
There were numerous miners there. So then after they took care of the children, then, because of the war, they followed the law and our ordinance and contacted us.
So I look forward to full disclosure of that.
Six percent of the people are still released.
And so I know we all agree we need to get back to taking dangerous criminals off the street and leave the families along.
So let's continue this dialogue in a committee.
And I know for a fact that chief is anxious to discuss it.
He and our meeting would loo lack officials this afternoon.
So we're all in this together. It's a very challenging time.
And let's do it right.
Respectfully mayor. Those facts are incorrect.
The instances that you're referring to actually resulted in three to four hour weights.
Nine wasn't even including those.
The instances that I'm referring to were specifically described by the HPD report as a traffic stop.
The incidents that are responding to accidents are categorized differently.
So by HPD's own reporting, these are not accidents.
These are not domestic violence calls.
These are traffic stops.
And I will also add we learned through public reporting that in one of those instances.
The call was not on the perpetrator.
But on the person who called to report someone that was threatening their life.
The victim that called to say that my life is being threatened.
HPD called ice on them.
That is ridiculous.
It is far beyond the scope of what HPD should be doing.
And it needs to come to an end.
And I know when I hope in my heart that you are committed to that as well.
I'm sure you were given that information on that fact.
But no.
If you look at the data, it is traffic stops where they are holding people for nearly two hours.
Thank you.
But I think the point is that we don't know yet because the chief of police hasn't come before council.
It hasn't given us this update.
And so until we get that update from him and we hear the facts.
And I think that we may hear that on one of those traffic stops.
The reason why it took so long was because
the guy asked if he could have a family member come and pick up his tools.
He had a bunch of tools in his car and that is his livelihood.
And they waited a really long time for a family member to be able to come and pick up those tools.
So I think let's slow down a little bit and wait until we actually have information from the source.
Thank you.
And I'm sure we all agreed to inflame the situation.
It's a very tragic time.
And the city and we're going to get through this together.
But I agree with you.
Let's let the facts and we very transparent about what's been occurred.
Thank you.
Councilman Carter.
Thank you Mayor.
I just wanted to give a shout out to the good work that people are doing around the city.
Last Saturday I joined Councilmember Ramirez and Councilmember Davis at the Greater Southwest
Area for the Plaza America's 19th backpack.
Backpack give away health there and school supply give away.
They served over 5,000 and I know Mayor you've got the give away this Saturday and then August 8.
There's another give away.
You know we've got co-happed the expect 5,000 students to appear and to have all those resources in
a one stop shop is a wonderful asset for our community and the need is great.
So thank everyone.
I just want to thank everyone for the good work they're doing in the community.
Councilmember Erish Ross.
Thank you Mayor.
I first again want to give my condolences but just the strength of Mr. Salgado to come down and address
Council is something that was heart-wrenching and certainly want them to know the family and the community
to know that we are doing what we can with where we are and certainly we want everyone protected.
This is not an issue that is going to go away or has gone away and so we still have the interest
and the interest of the community along with working with the governmental entities that we have to try to stop these
for adversities and murders and moving on.
I want to recap our recent senior event at the sunny side health and multi-service center where we have the opportunity to recognize
and celebrate our seniors.
Our seniors are the foundation of our communities.
They have prayed for us, worked for us and raised families, built neighborhoods and helped shape the district D we know today.
It was an honor to spend time with them and recognize their contributions and remind them that they are loved, valued and never forgotten.
I want to thank Mrs. Clarey Sriman who next month will be 166 years old who allowed me to show for her to the event.
In the, got came out, locked her door, got on the car on her own, got out of the car on her own.
I mean, she's just amazing.
And then later that evening went to the Destiny's Child Review.
So I mean, she had more energy than I did that day.
But I want to thank her and the many seniors who participated who were over 90 years of age.
I want to thank NEC Duffield Dobbins and her Magnificent team, the Break Free Ministries, all the vendors and the food where you can tell on on this many meals was unbelievable.
Okay, all right, I see it, yes.
Welcome to the event, Central City Swipe Project Community Meeting.
I also want to remind residents about the upcoming Central City Swipe Project Community Meeting.
Central City Swipe Project Community Meeting will be held Thursday tomorrow, July 30th at 6 p.m. at the Sherry Flores.
This is Garden Pavilion at McGovern, Centennial Gardens at Hermit Park, 1500 Hermit Drive, Houston, Texas 7704.
Free parking is available in a lot of sea.
This meeting will be held in person and virtually through Microsoft Teams.
This meeting is an opportunity for residents to hear directly from the Houston Public Works and the District of the Office about the project.
Ask questions and receive important updates.
We encourage Central City residents to attend and be part of the conversation.
Also upcoming will be the World Youth Foundation back to school jam, which will be, which is happening this Saturday at the, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Also at the Sunnyside Health and North to Service Center, 44 10 rewrote 7705151.
This event will help students and families prepare for the upcoming school year.
The school supplies, resources, support services and community connection.
I want to thank the World Youth Foundation, the Department of Neighborhoods and all the partners working together to make sure.
Our young people start the school year with confidence and support.
Certainly, just somewhat of a good report, even though I'm, you know, a concern that anyone is homeless.
But a friend reached out to tell me that he is at the homeless center.
And he said it was a very nice facility and he said they have, you know, their own restaurants and showers.
Now, he is concerned that he came bring his own snacks in and hopefully we can work on that.
But he intends to use that for the purpose of which he was designed and that is to get on his feet.
So that he can move forward and be able to sustain himself after this situation moves forward.
Certainly, I also want to recognize my wonderful interns and their last days Friday.
And they were the ones that they came in and they worked.
They did not push, just push paper and answer phones.
They actually participated, worked directly with constituents with the director, the direction of my constituents director,
and all of my staff, CC and Corey worked extensively with them.
We were able to celebrate them on yesterday and we certainly wish them well as they all go back to school.
And so then on a sad note, I want to recognize Tucker to our director of communications as he prepares for his last day with the district the office.
Tucker has been an important part of our team.
Hope and tell the story of district D uplifting our residents, supporting our news letters, events,
recognitions and making sure the work of this office was communicated with care and professionalism.
Tucker is a proud, more house man, a proud capa and someone who has brought creativity, presence and heart to this office.
We are grateful for his service, his contributions and the role he has played in helping us highlight the people, projects and progress taking place across.
We celebrate you and we wish you continued success as you stepped into your next opportunity.
And that concludes what is going on.
A lot of people you said Tucker was related to me and just for the record, no nepotism.
I didn't know Tucker before he was hired, but certainly I know him now and I would be proud to be related to him in any capacity.
And so certainly this concludes what's going on in the district of destination.
Thank you.
Thank you Mayor, I want to start by giving my appreciation for the recommendation for the TML board to you and my colleagues.
And recognize Councilmember Alcorn's service on the TML board as she steps down.
It's a, a lot of work, it's a big organization and Houston, you know, plays a big part in TML.
She has done a phenomenal job of representing us and want to thank her for her service.
This past weekend I was able to participate in the first back to school community health fair put on by central Aslan on Harrisburg.
A few city departments were out there 311 Houston public library and a number of folks that were there to receive backpacks and health screenings and want to thank them for putting that event on.
It was a pretty hot afternoon, but people were still out there showing up and also the thrust CDC corporation hurting reached universally strengthened totally.
They had a ceremony where all the youth that participated.
I was able to go and and visit with them and recognize their achievements.
It's an outreach ministry committed to empowering youth and inspiring them to be productive members of society.
We we've worked with them on a back to school event a few weeks ago and now with their.
Their certificate recognition program that they had this past Saturday and independence heights appreciate all that they do in the community.
This coming Saturday I'll be partnering with the first ward community we're going to be out.
Cleaning Crocket Elementary with some landscape being power washing two trimming weeding starting at 830 a.m. as we help get that school ready for students.
I've done this in a few communities before back to school of excited to be out at Crocket 830 a.m. and there's still a need for volunteers if people would like to to show up and help out.
Today Mayor I sent a letter to you around the gas station moratorium 90 day pause requesting one I have since received some information around some state laws and regulations that.
I'm coming to play if Houston were to try and do something like that that was very enlightening to know but also appreciate the commitment from city legal year administration on looking at something that Houston can do.
I'm going to help protect Houston onions as we have seen a number of these facilities pop up very close proximity.
Residents and homes and the impact that it's having on communities and look forward to coming to some solution there because we are seeing them all over not just in my district and they are having a direct impact on quality of life.
And finally to folks that showed up yesterday you know we are coming up on the one year anniversary of evening public session that the first one was an august.
And we've had some robust attendance at these evening meetings I think that they have achieved the goal of expanding access for people to come.
And interact with and express their thoughts and opinions to their elected leaders and we are the closest to the people at city council we meet every week and they can come and talk to us.
They can't always do that with their senators and their congressional representatives their state representatives but they can do that with us and I think that it's important that we continue that.
I want to end my comments today by lending my voice to the call for the release of the last two witnesses that are still held in Ithaca city victor.
So I'll go out and I'll go out and I'll go out and I'll go out.
So that we can have the transparency, the accountability and the facts.
Thank you for your comments, and thank you for the night sessions. I really enjoy them.
That's at least a great opportunity to hear from the public.
Councillor Panser.
Thank you, Mayor. I want to start this week by stating it was confirmed by D.A. Shantir that this substance is found
in the Rinsosalgavadaho's van was not indeed drugs, but an electrolite mix for individuals doing hot work out in the Texas sun.
This is a dangerous precedent, though, being set by government officials making untrue claims.
And I want to challenge our media partners and also push back on ice to fact check and be honest and ensure that the information getting out is truly accurate.
This also speaks to ISIS credibility, and we have seen time and time again that they are willing to stretch and push information to fit their own narrative.
And frankly, we won't stand for that.
I still demand for ice to be held accountable and for a full and transparent investigation and the releasing of the other two individuals which surely help in that.
On a brighter note, I will be in Montrose this Saturday at 8 a.m.
I'm hoping to clean the wall bike lane with some amazing partners. We have bike Houston coming out the near-time Montrose supernabrahood.
Friends of the Boulevard and the North Montrose civic association.
Helping to clean our really really important infrastructure like bike lanes.
And then lastly, I want to congratulate again, Catherine and Marika Stia for being appointed to the Texas Municipal League Board of Directors.
That's a really impressive achievement, and we're really excited to have you represent Houston.
Thanks so much.
Thank you. Councilor.
Thank you.
I want to say thank you to Ellie Cunningham, the District G Summer Intern.
Thank you for spending your summer at City Hall.
You are an incredible worker and good luck as you return to Baylor in the fall.
Also, we have some construction going on out west around Ashford Parkway.
And I've been approached by more than one constituent to tell me how great the construction company has been out there has been working on this job.
I have to be in the way of deconstruction.
More than one resident has told me that they're courteous.
They clean up after themselves.
They are just loving the work out there.
So thank you.
JFT construction.
Thank you, Mayor.
Did a lot of things last week.
One of which was attending a supernabrahood meeting in the east and supernabrahood's 45 and 88 combined meeting.
Greater eastwood and Laundail waste side.
A number of folks spoke there, including colleague council member Salinas.
D.A. Sean Tears spoke to the group and updated the group on what's going on with the investigation.
And I just wanted to highlight, I know a number of people have called for an independent investigation.
And I want to make sure folks know that what D.A. Tears is doing is an independent investigation.
He's using his own staff investigators and lawyers to gather as much information as possible.
And the city is helping with that.
H.B.D. is providing what support it can.
I visited with chief D.A. yesterday and he talked about that.
The help that they're giving to D.A. Sean Tears.
D.A. Tears indicated that he was satisfied with the help that he's getting from H.B.D.
So they are working together and I know that in time they will get access to as much information as possible.
So that if they can present evidence to a grand jury to see if state law violations occurred, they will do that.
But slowly they are getting access to information, but it's a process.
And again, I know chief D.A. is doing what he can to help with that.
So I just wanted to make sure the public knows there is an independent investigation going on being conducted by D.A. Tears.
He will come to his own conclusions after gathering the facts that are available to him and may in the future be presenting that to a grand jury.
Last thing I wanted to mention is I wanted to give a shout out to Sally Alcorn doing her civic duty last week serving on a jury.
One of our criminal juries here in Harris County. She answered her jury summons and showed up and sat all week on a murder trial, which was her second murder trial, I understand.
And this is important because it is an important civic duty. A lot of folks ignore their jury summons.
I experienced that when I worked at the courthouse.
Many times there were times when they were trial set, but you couldn't start trial because they didn't get enough jurors to show up.
So kudos to you. Sally for showing up and doing your part. Thank you.
Thank you. And publicly at the congressional hearing.
Sean here. Remairs said that each day gets better with information due to the fact that the Texas Rangers are involved.
So we want to encourage that process to go forward in the council member.
Thank you so much for me to share.
I learned about the ruling on our program. I was deeply disappointed, but my first thought was about my first thought went to former council member Ernest McGowan.
And I was just imagining the day when the city celebrated this program and what it meant to the city for opportunity.
I was thinking of the stakeholders who advocated in support of this. And then I was also thinking about the commentary that I heard and witnessed during the horseshoe as we discussed this as a body.
And how disappointing some of the comments that were made in the city.
We both have diversity, but during that moment it was almost as if it were we were creating and us versus them tone in our city and we are better than the national climate.
So it's definitely disappointing.
Director Horde is her leadership is unmatched. And I think she has led, of course, with our Mayor Pro Tim, led us through this.
With the leadership and public communication and setting a standard on what we know as a city we get to do to continue to create that opportunity.
But yeah, I'm thinking about Ernest McGowan and those who were involved in this and what they set forth and how that's unraveling.
I also would like to acknowledge our district F in terms, Emin and Ila, can you stand up?
Eman said it's a Harvard y'all. So she is on her way out. We will not release her into her projects are done. So we have been, I'm extremely blessed with the the two young ladies who have joined us.
They have been active in Ali votes and so many different civic initiatives throughout the district. So them serving as interns.
They did not skip a beat. And I just want to thank you for choosing to serve with us this summer.
Ila will attend Ali Taylor High School as a rising senior and then we will surely see Eman soon as she moves to the East Coast to pursue her education. So thank you so much for that.
They've led a series of events and another one will have a brick distribution, the old Ali Pennington Library is officially demolished. I want to thank GSD for that.
I'm getting that building down. Many of you recall the new library has been active in open since 2023.
And this location will be dedicated to increased drainage detention in the area to protect surrounding neighborhoods from flooding. We have secured 170 commemorative bricks.
We have a 40 person wait list. So thank you GSD until the hot team for securing those. The distribution will be on Thursday tomorrow July 29 at 3 p.m.
At the neighborhood center. Want to encourage you to get there. This is a drive through event you should already have an email reminder in your inbox.
And so I'm listening to meet the plenty store plenty of stories from residents of how they fell in love with libraries reading community connections how they you know secured their first passport because of the library.
Where the library served as their babysitter because their parents had to work all of those stories is what makes our city so amazing and our public facilities so important in each community.
I do want to highlight that because of the heat advisory our annual fire canvassing event will be pushed back to August 4th during our annual summer of safety. We've had a series of house fires in Catalina Square Huntington Village and so that will be on August 4th from 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
We intentionally knocked doors and neighborhoods and remind individuals about smoke detectors and that Houston fire will install and provide at no cost to take advantage of this so we can make sure that you can keep your home safe and so we will have that happening.
I want to thank Houston fire for partnering with our office annually again.
I want to highlight and thank Houston public works. Thank you for moving expeditiously to complete the drainage project on Westwick Drive and Ashton Village.
You can sneeze on that street and it would flood and so I want to thank you for you could sneeze and it's the water to your knees on the sneeze.
And so thank you for moving the residents are deeply grateful even with weather delays you were able to get this done and there's more infrastructure projects that are scheduled to come.
Down the lines I want to thank you for your attention to that on we have about a dozen of so remaining gun locks it was a very successful gun lock distribution and so if you're interested in securing your gun lock.
This summer as we protect household and families from accessibility to guns please reach out to our office and we'll make sure that that is facilitated as well.
In addition to that in partnership with outdoor media and Houston swimways club we have a billboard promoting our swim event here we go.
Look this is me young it's not a eye this is a real photo let me say that first this is this is me thank you our swim event but just you know to bring to the point that of course we're encouraging people to use.
All of our city pools at no cost to you we have certified live guards Texas has already experienced 44 drownings in the state with nine being within Harris County most of those are happening at apartment complexes or private pools.
I want to encourage you to take advantage of our city pools where we have trained certified live guards there so you can enjoy swimming as you escape the heated advisory and all throughout the city.
This is a part of our annual summer of safety event and our theme around the swim event is that drowning is silent but prevention is loud.
So we are working with the Houston Parks Department to continue to advocate and inform families on how to make sure that they have access to lessons.
So check this out on West Timer and Highway 6 that's me that's not AI okay and then lastly.
I just want to for the residents we will have a special call news letter going out outlining all of our public works projects from capital improvement stormwater action.
Any metro a million projects to council district service funds we have around 20 projects that are delayed in the queue we've passed a couple of contracts at the at this body to move the backlog forward so we are moving in the right step.
But this special call email will provide you a detailed update of all of the projects so neighborhoods are informed and you know that we are working on your behalf.
I'll give us some time as additional contracts come to the body so we can make sure we continue to enhance public safety sidewalks panel replacements you name it all of that is in the queue.
With the priority and so I believe that concludes all of my comments.
Congratulations Councilmember Castillo you signed up for more free work.
Free work box lunches you know that's the name of the game and Councilmember Alcoen they never select me as a jurors I don't know why.
If they get her out of here.
They get her out of here and then lastly I forgot on August 1st 85d from 8 a.m. to 11 8 a.m. will host there back to school health screening and then you can leave a leave head to the Georgia Brown until 2 p.m.
where the mayor's hosting kids annual back to school at Georgia Brown so it's a wonderful opportunity from the west side to downtown to secure as many.
School supplies as possible and then on August 8 we're partnering with the gothic Christian fellowship for their annual back to school as well.
So Mayor hopefully we'll have some backpacks wink to distribute to our community as well. Thank you.
Thank you and there be plenty of backpacks. I want to give a shout out to the food bank who help.
Put the items in the backpack shell all furnished resources and not only is that backpack school but health fair I want to emphasize the opportunity.
For our district our constituents to get their dental screenings and even equally important as a measles vaccination.
There is incidents measles we haven't had a crisis but we don't want one so I have people young people to go be vaccinated for measles at Saturday morning George Brown with that anyone else have any up.
Councilman Castillo be careful who you meet on the municipality.
The mayor's program was present and missfully when I was a senator so we got to know each other and work and I just mentioned her.
If you'd tell me then that we'd be sitting next to each other in his hearts you I would have been surprised.
So thank you take full opportunity to network and.
Once you sit there all day without being recognized, he shattered me today. He's sharp young man. Long, thank you for being here, stand and be recognized.
Great, great part of Houston's future. We don't meet next week members who have met again on August 11th at 1.30. But that's it. Everyone be safe and let's go to work. Thank you.
Thank you.