Sep 19, 2024 Commissioners Court

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>> COMMISSIONERS COURT IS NOW IN ORDER. BECAUSE WE HAD A LONG DAY. AND THAT IS WHY I THOUGHT WE WOULD START. I HAVE TO TIP OUT TO SPEAK AT AN EVENT AT AROUND 12.20, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER GARCIA HAD TO GO SOMETHING AT 5:00 TODAY. WE WILL GET STARTED. I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES WILL UNDERSTAND. THE TIME IS 10:00 A.M., SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2024. THE MEETING OF HARRIS COUNTY COMMISIONERS COURT'S CALL TO ORDER. THIS WILL BE THE RUN OF SHOW TODAY. AFTER WE DO THE PLEDGE AND THE PRAYER WE WILL OPEN UP TO PUBLIC HEARING ON ALL TAX RATE AND BUDGET SPEAKERS ONLY. AND THEN WE WILL TAKE UP THE REMAINING SPEAKERS. AND THEN WE WILL DO RESOLUTIONS. AND ITEMS THAT MEMBERS CALL TO BE DONE OUT OF ORDER. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE WILL DO WILL BE RELATED TO THE BUDGETS.

LET'S DO THE PLEDGE AND THEN THE PRAYER. I THINK THIS PERSON

IS GIVING THE PRAYER. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA. I WOULD JUST SAYING WHAT A LONG DAY -- I WANTED TO START A LITTLE EARLY. WE WOULD DO THE PLEDGE AND THEN PRAYER.

>>I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

>> HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE, TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.

[Reverend Lindsay Kirkpatrick of Asbury United Methodist Church in Pasadena introduced by the Commissioner of Precinct 2.]

>> FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT INTRODUCTION OF THE DAY, COMMISSIONER GARCIA WILL INTRODUCE OUR PASTOR OF THE DAY. WE DELAYED AT THIS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE WERE

ALL PAYING ATTENTION. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ELLIS. GOOD MORNING, MY COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. TODAY I AM HONORED TO PRESENT REVEREND LINDSAY KIRKPATRICK OF ASBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH . IN PASADENA.

TO LEAD US IN OUR PRAYER. THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN, YET AGAIN.

I APPRECIATE YOU, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY. LET US PRAY.

GOD OF THE PEACEMAKERS, KING OF THE UNIVERSE, STILL OUR MINDS AND CENTER OUR SPIRITS NOW. THANK YOU THAT YOU CAUSED THE ARC OF THE MORAL UNIVERSE TO BEND TOWARD JUSTICE, AS MY LUTHER KING JUNIOR REMINDED US. YOU MADE US IN YOUR IMAGE, AND THAT INCLUDES THE INVITATION TO GOVERN AND STEWARD THIS WORLD WELL. WE PRAY THE DECISION MADE TODAY ARE JUST AND GOOD, AND THEY ALL POINT TO THE TRUE NORTH , AS JOHN WESLEY SAID, DOING ALL THE GOOD WE CAN, BY ALL THE MEANS THAT WE CAN AND ALL THE WAYS WE CAN, AND ALL THE PLACES WE CAN, AT ALL TIMES WE CAN, TO ALL THE PEOPLE WE CAN, AS LONG AS EVER WE CAN.

LET US BE LED BY YOU, AND NOT OURSELVES. BLESS OUR COUNTY JUDGE, COMMISSIONERS, ADVISERS, ADVOCATES WITH STRENGTH AND WISDOM. TO THOSE WHO LIVE WITHIN HARRIS COUNTY. MAKE US BOTH CLEAR EYED AND GRAYSVILLE. MOST OF ALL, WE PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE UNDER OUR CARE. FOR THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID, BRING ASSURANCE. FOR THOSE WHO GRIEVE, BRING COMFORT. FOR THOSE WHO STRUGGLE, GRANT PERSEVERING. AND REMIND US OF THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN, SO THAT WE CAN SEE EVERY PERSON WE ENCOUNTER AS OUR NEIGHBOR AND LOVE THEM AS OURSELVES. STRENGTH IN NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITIES AND CITIES TO BE PLACE OF OPPORTUNITY AND COMMUNITY. WE OFFER THIS TIME AS A MOMENT OF SERVICE TO THE ONE TRUE GOD,

[Public Hearings]

AMEN. >> REVEREND, THANK YOU. THAT

WAS A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER. >> COLLEAGUES, WE WILL TAKE UP SPEAK UP -- SPEAKER ITEMS -- THESE ITEMS EACH REQUIRE A SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARING TAKEN UP. PAGE 48, ITEM 372. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL UP THE SPEAKERS. I THINK YOU ALL ASKED ME TO START WITH THE ONES THAT NEED TRANSLATION SERVICES, SINCE WE PAY FOR TRANSLATION SERVICES. AS LONG AS THEY ARE

NEEDED. IS THAT OKAY? >> I THINK WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO JUST OPEN UP EACH HEARING ONE AT A TIME AND LET

PEOPLE COME SPEAK ON IT. >> FOR 372, REQUEST BY THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT -- DBA HARRIS HEALTH SYSTEM TO HOLD A

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HAVE A LIST. >> NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP FOR

THIS ITEM, COMMISSIONER. >> I WILL NOW CLOSE AND THAT PUBLIC HEARING. PAGE 48, 372 TO HOLD A DISCUSSION FOR APPROVAL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET FOR HARRIS HEALTH, HARRIS COUNTY TOLLROAD, AND HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, WHICH INCLUDES A TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS BUDGET OF $2,907,000 -- FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY GENERAL FIND AND A TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS BUDGET OF $274.1 MILLION FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY BLOOD CONTROL GENERAL FIND. NOW WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 373. ON PAGE 48. I WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER APPROVAL FOR THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2025 ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE HARRIS COUNTY TOLLROAD AND FLOOD DISTRICT. TIFFANY, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK?

>> YES, SIR. WE HAVE KIM ALL THE, REGINA JOHNSON, VENETIA ORTIZ . IF YOU ARE HERE PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE PODIUM. KARINA HERRERA. SARAH RICH. TERRY CHAN.

>> YES, JUST SAY YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. HOW MUCH TIME DID

SHE HAVE? >> ONE MINUTE.

>> GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS TERRY CHAN, I'M A RESIDENT OF PRECINCT ONE. THERE IS A LOT TO BE DISAPPOINTED AND FURIOUS ABOUT IN THIS BUDGET. ONCE AGAIN, DESPITE CONSISTENT COMMUNITY OUTREACH AGAINST IT, YOU WILL HAVE DECIDED TO INCREASE THE POLICING AND GEL BUDGET BY $38.5 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR, ADDING UP TO $1.6 BILLION, INSTEAD OF INVESTING IN PROGRAMS THAT ACTUALLY MAKE US SAFE, SUCH AS LANGUAGE ACCESS, HEART, CLIMATE RESILIENCE INITIATIVES, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. MISSED NIGHT HAS INCOMING AND PLEADING AND CRYING WITH YOU TO STOP SENDING PEOPLE TO OUTSOURCE JAILS AFTER HER BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY SON DIED IN LASALLE, AWAITING TRIAL. WHY IS THERE STILL TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET FOR JAIL OUTSOURCING? THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN JAILS ARE AWAITING TRIAL, AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE A DEAF SENTENCE. BY FINDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS THIS TO HAPPEN EVERY DEAF IS IN YOUR HANDS.

>> THANK YOU. >> I WANT TO ASK YOU ALL, WE HAVE 100 PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. WE WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL TO ALL OF THEM AND GIVE THEM THE TIME. WHETHER WE PACKED -- CLAPP OR POP OUR FINGERS, I WILL ASK TO BE RESPECTFUL AND DO NOT DO THAT.

>> CARETTA BROWN. ELAN DRAW -- NORMA GONZALES. SARAH NIGHT .

>> ANY OF YOUR SPEAKERS WORKING YOUR WAY DOWN, JUST WAVE. WE

WILL TRY TO ACCOMMODATE. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS.

-- I WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT EMIGRANT SURVIVORS EXPERIENCES OF VIOLENCE EXIST WITHIN THE LARGER CONSTITUTION OF VIOLENCE, LIKE ATTACK ON IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS, I WANT YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT WHAT JUSTICE MEANS FOR A SURVIVOR. A SURVIVOR THAT HAS STATUS, VERSUS A SURVIVOR THAT IS NOT HAS A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. THEREFORE, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE REPORTS A SURVIVOR SO LESS SAFE WHEN CONTACTING LAW ENFORCEMENT. TO FIGURE HOW MUCH WORK THAT IS FOR AN IMMIGRANT SURVIVOR. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT THIS A BUDGET AND HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE IT CAN MAKE WHEN YOU ALL INVEST IN COMMUNITIES. THAT MEANS INVESTING IN HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, AND STOPPING INVESTMENT INTO MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE SAID

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MULTIPLE TIMES. >> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST. IF YOU WANT TO SHOW YOUR IN SUPPORT OF SOMEONE, YOU CAN STAND, DO NOT BANG YOUR CHAIRS. OR IF YOU WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND UP -- EVERYBODY WHO SIGNED UP WILL BE RESPECTFUL TO THEM. WILL YOU HAVE SOMEONE CHECK AND SEE IF THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE BUDGET ITEM WHO MIGHT SLIP IN EARLIER? IF NOT, I BELIEVE IT OPENED. WE CANNOT WAIT ALL DAY. IF YOUR NAME WAS CALLED, JUST SAY WHO YOU ARE.

WE WILL TRY TO GET THEM IN IF WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THEM.

>> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS SARAH NIGHT. MY SON, JAELYN ANDERSON DIED IN THE SOUTH CORRECTIONAL FACILITY WHILE BEGGING FOR HELP DURING SEIZURES. ONLY TO BE GIVEN THE WRONG MEDICATION THAT LEADER KILLED HIM. FOR HOURS, HE PLEADED FOR HELP. HE WAS COMPLETELY DISMISSED, AND THE JOE HAS REFUSED TO BELIEVE THE SEVERITY THAT THE SEVERITY OF IT, AND CLAIMS HE WAS FAKING IT. THEY REFUSE TO GIVE HIM THE TIMELY MEDICAL SCREAMING -- SCREENING HEATER THERE. THERE WAS ONLY ONE DOCTOR FOR AN ENTIRE 100 UNIT MEN'S UNIT.

THOSE TROUBLING NUMBERS ALONE SHOW THE ODDS WERE NOT IN HIS FAVOR. ALTHOUGH WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE SOUTH MAY SEEM LIKE AN EXTREME CASE, HARRIS COUNTY IS NO BETTER THAN HOW MANY MOTHERS LOST THEIR LOVED ONES TO THE PREVENTABLE DEATHS CAUSED BY MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE. IS SO MANY WAYS, -- IS OPERATING IN THE SAME WAY WE KEEP COMING BEFORE YOU.

>> THANK YOU. >> ANY OTHER NAMES YOU HAVE CALLED? JAKE, GIVE ME SOME GUIDANCE. IF THERE IS SOMEONE ELSE ON THIS ITEM, DO I HAVE TO CLOSE IT OR LET THEM SPEAK

LATER? >> WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE.

>> FREDA -- YOUNG CAN -- >> THIS IS THE GROUP ANY KOREAN

INTERPRETATION. BEGAN -- >> WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT. WE

ARE PREPARED. >> IF THEY CAN COME ONE BY ONE AND HAVE IT INTERPRETED, WE WILL GO TO THE NEXT ONE.

>> YOU WILL SPEAK FOR YOUR ONE MINUTE. AND THEN YOU CAN INTERPRET IT. AND IT WILL GO TO THE NEXT ONE.

>>

>> I LIVE IN THE LAKEVIEW SENIOR APARTMENT IN PRECINCT

FOUR. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: THIS YEAR, WE HAVE ALREADY FACED TWO NATURAL DISASTERS DUE TO STORMS AND HURRICANES, YET THERE ARE NO MEASUREMENTS FOR SENIORS FROM EITHER DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT, OR HARRIS COUNTY. THE SITUATION WAS ESPECIALLY NIGHTMARISH FOR ELDERLY USING WHOPPERS WHEN THE ELEVATORS WERE OUT OF SERVICE DURING THE POWER OUTAGE.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: THE ONLY MESSAGE SENT TO MY APARTMENT WAS RESIDENTS SHOULD GET THEIR FAMILIES TO MAKE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS. WHAT IF YOUR PARENTS WERE IN THE SITUATION?

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: WHILE FRAGILE SENIORS WERE STRUGGLING WITHOUT FOOD, OR SUFFERING WITH YOU, FORTUNATELY, WE INSTALLED A

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WE CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WANT NEWS HEADLINES ABOUT SENIORS

EXPERIENCING SHOCK. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> >> TRANSLATOR: IT'S ON RESPONSIBLE TO NEGLECT THE HEALTH OF SENIORS. REMEMBER, THIS IS AN INVASION OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS. THANK YOU.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: I AM A MEMBER OF THE -- SENIOR TEAM, RESIDING IN

HARRIS COUNTY, DISTRICT 4. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: RECENTLY, POWER OUTAGES HAVE BECOME FREQUENT DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. DURING THE POWER OUTAGE, CAUSED BY HURRICANE BARRY -- MY NEIGHBOR EVACUATED TO HER NIECES HOUSE. HOWEVER, MANY PEOPLE HAD NOWHERE TO GO AND SUFFER GREATLY IN EXTREME HEAT. THOSE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES WERE ESPECIALLY TERRIFIED, FEARING

FOR THEIR LIVES. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: I URGE HARRIS COUNTY TO INSTALL SOLAR POWERED GENERATORS IN SENIOR HOUSES, AND LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTERS TO FULFILL THE OBLIGATION OF ENSURING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF RESIDENTS IN EMERGENCIES.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: POWER OUTAGES ARE A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, PARTICULARLY FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. IT IS AN URGENT ISSUE THAT CANNOT BE DELAYED, AS SOMEONE IN THE SENIOR DEPARTMENT -- APARTMENT OR NURSING FACILITY MAY DIE DUE TO BEING UNABLE TO USE LIFE SUSTAINING EQUIPMENT.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: PLEASE, REMEMBER PRIORITIZING THE HEALTH AND LIVES OF RESIDENTS IS YOUR DUTY. AND I STRONGLY REQUEST YOU TAKE ACTIVE MEASURES TO ADDRESS OUR DEMAND. THANK YOU.

>> TIFFANY, THERE WERE TWO OR THREE NAMES YOU MENTIONED EARLIER. THERE IS ONE ELECTED OFFICIAL I SEE, I WILL LET YOU CALL THE TWO OR THREE NAMES THAT WERE NOT IN THE ROOM

EARLIER. >> KIM OGG.

>> KATIE -- CARETTA BROWN. >> YOU WANT TO COME TOGETHER? HOW MANY ARE THERE ? COME ON UP.

>> PLEASE BE MINDFUL WE HAVE 108 PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. I WILL GIVE THIS COURTESY TO YOU.

>> GOOD MORNING, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS. WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT THIS HONORABLE COURT WILL BE VOTING ON. THE BUDGET WILL IMPACT THE OPERATION OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN A NEGATIVE WAY. THAT NEGATIVE IMPACT WILL BE FELT IN THE COURTS, IT WILL BE FELT AT THE JAIL, AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT WILL INCREASE THE RISK THAT AVERAGE CITIZENS HAVE THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET, TO HAVE THIS DELAY REINJECTED BACK INTO OUR SYSTEM. LET ME EXPLAIN. THE

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THIS EFFECTIVELY MEANS THAT 54 NEW EMPLOYEES WILL NOT BE FUNDED. AND WE JUST HIRED THEM. IT WILL ALSO MEAN THE LOSS OF OUR HOMICIDE DIVISION. YOU FUNDED OUR HOMICIDE DIVISION WITH -- ARBOR FUNDS. WE'VE SEEN THEM USE FOR MANY REASONS.

IN THIS INSTANCE, IT WAS FOR COVID. OUR BACKLOG GOT MUCH WORSE DURING COVID . BEST BET FOR THE VICTIMS, DEFENDANTS, AND THE WORST FOR THE COMMUNITY. IT ALSO COST YOU ALL

A LOT OF -- >> D.A., PEOPLE BEHIND YOUR POINT TO THE CLOCK. BECAUSE I WANT TO EXTEND THE COURTESY. I WANT TO ASK YOU TO WRAP UP. YOU CONTENTLY SUBMITTED TO US. BUT 108 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL.

>> AND I CERTAINLY DO TOO. I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT AND GRAVITY OF YOUR DECISION. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT. THE 54 EMPLOYEES WILL HAVE TO BE LET GO. ADDITIONALLY, THE HOMICIDE DIVISION, WHICH HE VOTED NOT TO FIND WITH THE GENERAL FUNDS, AND NOT TO REINVEST YOUR REMAINING FUNDS, THOSE ARE 18 OF OUR MOST TALENTED, COMMITTED EMPLOYEES. TWO ARE HERE WITH ME. JOHN JORDAN, AND SARAH SEELEY, A DIVISION CHIEF OF OUR HOMICIDE DIVISION WHICH TRIED MORE CAPITAL MURDERS OF POLICE OFFICERS AND IN THE -- AND SAID THAT THE BENTLEY'S -- ANYONE IN OUR OFFICE. THESE FOLKS ARE HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT THE LOSS OF THIS A DIVISION WILL MEAN.

INSTEAD OF 25 TO 40 CASES EACH YEAR, WE NOW HAVE BEEN COMPLETING 270+ HOMICIDES EACH YEAR. TO DEFINE AT THE OFFICE THROUGH THIS PSEUDO-MATH, OR ALTERNATIVE MATH, WILL YOU GIVE US $3.6 MILLION, AND ANOTHER SEVERAL MILLION FOR THE 25 ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES, BUT THEN TAKE AWAY MORE FUNDS, $6 MILLION -- I DO NOT THINK ANYONE IS FOOLED BY THAT MATH.

WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR REASONING. I AM ASKED FREQUENTLY, WHY WON'T THE COURT FIND PROSECUTORS? I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE PEOPLE OF HARRIS COUNTY WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT. I KNOW THAT YOU FUNDED COORDINATORS, BUT THERE ARE NO PROSECUTORS TO PROSECUTE THE CASE US. WE ARE ALL DONE. I RESPECT YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU SO MUCH

FOR THE TIME. >> LET'S HAVE A LITTLE ORDER.

THE OTHER THREE PEOPLE, DID YOU ALL SIGN UP TO SPEAK? WHAT IS

THE NAME? >> MY NAME IS DAVID MITCHUM.

>> MR. MITCHELL, I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL. IF I LET YOU TO SPEAK, I WOULD ASK YOU TO'S BEAK -- STICK TO YOUR MINUTE.

THERE IS A SPACE FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE. AS I AM ASKING OTHER PEOPLE NOT TO CLAP. NOT TO FINGER POP. BE RESPECTFUL.

HANDWAVING IS FINE. JUST TO BE RESPECTFUL.

>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. MY NAME IS DAVID MITCHUM. FIRST ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY OVER THE COURSE. THE BUDGET THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT, IN TERMS OF THE MONEY TO FIND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS A MORAL STATEMENT. IF YOU DEFINED US IN THIS SLEIGHT OF HAND METHOD THAT APPEARS TO US TO UNDERCUT OUR EFFORTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU WILL

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>> MY NAME IS JOHN JORDAN, I AM ON THE LIST. I'M A TRIAL BEARE CHIEF , I'VE BEEN A PROSECUTOR FOR 25 YEARS. THIS HOMICIDE DIVISION THAT WAS CREATED HAS DONE REMARKABLE WORK SO FAR. -- THE HOMICIDE DIVISION AND MYSELF WERE SUCCESSFUL IN A TRIAL AGAINST AJ ARMSTRONG. BEFORE THAT, HOMICIDE DIVISION MEMBER CHRIS CONDON AND I WERE SUCCESSFUL IN CONVICTING ANDRE JACKSON, THE PERSON WHO BRUTALLY SLAUGHTERED -- AND BEFORE THAT , AND BEFORE THE DIVISION WAS CREATED, SARAH SEELEY AND I TRIED THE DENNY'S CASE OF -- THOMPSON. THESE ARE HIGH-CALIBER LAWYERS. WE HAVE PERSONALLY RECRUITED THEM, ASKED THEM TO JOIN US, BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING THE MOST DIFFICULT CASES IN HARRIS COUNTY, AGAINST THE BEST DEFENSE LAWYERS. MANY OF THEM ASKED DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. IT CAME AT THE RIGHT TIME BECAUSE OF THE BACKLOG. BEFORE THAT --

>> YOUR TIME IS UP. >> THANK YOU, MR. JORDAN.

>> SARAH SEELEY. I AM THE DIVISION CHIEF OF OUR HOMICIDE DIVISION. WE WERE CREATED IN MAY, 2022 TO PRIORITIZE THE PROSECUTION OF VIOLENT CRIME. NONE MORE SERIOUS THAN CAPITAL MURDER AND MURDER, WHICH IS WHAT OUR DIVISION EXCLUSIVELY FOCUS ON. DUE TO COVID AND THE BACKLOG AND DEVASTATION TO THE COURTHOUSE, WE HAD OVER 400 CAPITAL MURDER CASES PENDING AND AWAITING TRIAL BEFORE 2022. THE YEAR BEFORE WE WERE CREATED, ONLY FOUR CAPITAL MURDER CASES WERE RESOLVED.

SINCE THAT TIME, OUR DIVISION HAS TRIED NUMEROUS CASES. WHEN I SPOKE LAST WEEK AT THIS MEETING, I TOLD YOU ABOUT OUR CLEARANCE RATES. WE TRIED OVER 45 CASES SINCE WHERE -- WE WERE CREATED.

CRIMES TO TRIAL. IT ALSO HELPS ALLEVIATE THE JAIL OVERCROWDING, MOST OF THOSE DEFENDANTS ARE IN JAIL AWAITING

TRIAL. >> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> THERE WERE A FEW OTHERS THAT SHE MENTIONED AS WELL. THANK

YOU. >> YOU JUST HEARD FROM HARRIS COUNTY'S FINEST PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS.

>> THERE WERE TWO OR THREE NAMES. I AM ONLY DOING THIS BECAUSE THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO COULD NOT GET IN.

>> GINA JOHNSON, KATIE -- CARETTA BROWN .

>> SEE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.

>> REGINA JOHNSON. GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY . TODAY I BRING THIRD-GENERATION HERE TO EXPERIENCE SPEAKING, PUBLIC SPEAKING. I RECENTLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN A MEETING WITH OUR KOREAN, ASIAN COMMUNITY. AND I AM HERE TO REPRESENT THEM. THEY HAVE SUPPORTED THE NORTH EAST , I LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST. AND I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE.

ONE OF THOSE ISSUES ARE LANGUAGE BARRIERS. IF THERE IS A NEED FOR EMERGENCIES, THEY HAVE ISSUES COMMUNICATING . I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER POSSIBLY HELPING THEM END -- IN THIS AREA. THERE ARE OTHER CONCERNS THAT THEY WILL

ALSO DISCUSS TODAY. >> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME SUB

PERIOD >> THANK YOU FOR THIS

OPPORTUNITY. >> COMMISSIONER. DID YOU WANT TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT AT THE CLOSE OF THE HEARINGS, BOTH FOR TAX RATE AND THE BUDGET, THE COURT IS GOING TO TAKE UP THE ACTUAL ITEMS FOR THE RATE AND BUDGET IN THE AFTERNOON.

SOMETIME AFTER 2:00. SO EVERYONE HERE IS AWARE.

>> THAT MEANS IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT A STATEMENT OR SOMETHING , IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY, YOU HAVE

TIME TO DO THAT. THANK YOU. >> MY NAME IS KATIE MURTHA --

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DECREASING THE HARM. THAT WE SEE. BUT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT THE GOAL IS TO FIND MORE FUNDING IN ORDER TO INVEST IN BOTH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES. COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT THE RALLY SHARE POLICE MAKE THEM FEEL LESS SAFE, WHY DOES THE MESSAGING CONTINUE? IT IS NOT A MESSAGING OF JOB. THE PRIORITY SHOULD BE TO SHIFT JOBS TO GO TO MAKE YOU FEEL SAFE, DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN RIGHT NOW TO REPAIR FOR THAT. IF FUNDING IS INCREASED IN ONE LINE ITEM UNDER LAW ENFORCEMENT, IT SHOULD BE DECREASED ELSEWHERE TO HOLD IT TO THE STATE MINIMUM SO WE ARE NOT HELD TO A HIGHER NUMBER IN THE FUTURE, AS LONG AS THESE LAWS CONTINUE. AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE JAIL, --

>> MY NAME IS CARETTA BROWN. I AM WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC SAFETY TABLE. I JUST WANT TO SAY YOUR OFFICE DOES NOT NEED ANY MORE FUNDING THAN WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE RECEIVED.

SECONDLY, I WANT TO SAY CURRENTLY THE PROSECUTORS UNDER YOU ARE ABUSING THEIR POWER IN THE COURTS AND ARE INTIMIDATING AND APPOINTED ATTORNEYS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS SO YOUR PROSECUTOR DO NOT NEED MORE FUNDING. WHAT WE NEED IS MORE FUNDING FOR DEFENSE AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS WHO KNOW THEIR CLIENTS AND KNOW WHAT THEIR CLIENTS NEED. WHICH IS WHERE THE BIGGER BUDGET SHOULD BE APPROPRIATED. LASTLY, WE NEED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO GIVE TRANSPARENCY ON THE BUDGET SO ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS CAN WORK WITH THE SHERIFF TO INCREASE

PUBLIC SAFETY, RESPONSIBLY. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: HELLO, MY NAME IS -- I AM THE MEMBER OF THE SENIOR TEAM AT -- RESIDING IN

DISTRICT FOR A. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: DUE TO THE FREQUENT POWER OUTAGES OF THE NATURAL DISASTERS IN MAY AND JULY, A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY WHO RUNS A RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF THEIR BUSINESS FOR A WEEK.

THE REFRIGERATOR AND FREEZER STOP WORKING, CAUSING THEM TO THROW AWAY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FOOD. ADDITIONALLY, THEY LOST POWER AT HOME AND HAD NOWHERE TO GO, AND DURING THE

HEAT FOR OVER A WEEK. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: WE ALSO STRUGGLE A DEAL DUE TO THE OUTAGE. AND WE WERE PARTICULARLY CHALLENGED TO FIND A PLACE TO CHARGE OUR ESSENTIAL PHONES DURING

EMERGENCIES. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: AS THE FORECAST INDICATE HURRICANES WILL BE MORE FREQUENT, IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO INSTALL GENERATORS IN COMMUNITY CENTERS , SENIOR APARTMENT AND NURSING FACILITIES TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF POWER OUTAGES AND ENSURE STABLE POWER OUTAGES IN

EMERGENCY. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: GENERATORS ARE ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT INJURED -- AND DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SAFETY OF ELDERLY DURING CRISIS. IGNORING SUCH IMPORTANT

NEEDS IS -- OF DUTIES. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: PLEASE, DO NOT TAKE OUR VALUABLE VOTES -- THANK YOU.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: HELLO, I AM A MEMBER OF THE -- SENIOR TEAM

RESIDING IN PRECINCT 4. >> LANGUAGE ]

>> TRANSLATOR: GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN ISSUE THAT AFFECTS ALL OF HUMANITY. DURING THE RECENT HURRICANE BARREL, MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE -- MY AREA EXPERIENCED MINIMAL DAMAGE, BUT MY DAUGHTER LIVES IN SPRING BRANCH SUFFERED FROM

[00:35:02]

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: I BELIEVE THE SITUATION IS NOT UNIQUE TO MY FAMILY. THOSE IN LOWER INCOME BRACKETS, ESPECIALLY SENIORS LIVING IN SENIOR APARTMENTS AND NURSING FACILITIES ARE LIKELY TO FACE EVEN GREATER CHALLENGES.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: TO PREPARE FOR FUTURE POWER OUTAGES TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF RESIDENTS, I THINK IT IS ESSENTIAL TO INSTALL ECO-FRIENDLY ENERGY GENERATORS IN COMMUNITY CENTERS, SENIOR APARTMENTS AND NURSING HOMES.

>>

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> TRANSLATOR: IGNORING THE URGENT NEEDS OF RESIDENTS IS NOT THE ATTITUDE OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS. YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT SUCH A PERSON IS UNWORTHY OF HOLDING THAT PETITION. THANK

YOU. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: HELLO MY NAME IS -- I WORK WITH THE SENIOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TEAM , AND LIVE IN

PRECINCT 3. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: WHAT HURRICANE BERYL HIT THIS JULY, WE OPERATED A COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE SPRING BRANCH AREA AS A COOLING CENTER FOR THREE DAYS, PROVIDING MANY PEOPLE WITH EDUCATION ON DISASTER RESPONSE AND SURVIVAL SKILLS. TO ALLEVIATE THE SUFFERINGS OF RESIDENTS, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO INSTALL ECO-FRIENDLY ENERGY GENERATORS AND COMMUNITY CENTERS IN SUCH AN AREA, AS WELL AS SENIOR APARTMENTS AND FACILITIES.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: THE PRIMARY DUTY OF THE COUNTY IS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY, PROPERTY A LIFE OF ITS RESIDENTS. IT IS WELL-KNOWN THAT ALL RESIDENTS PAY TAXES FOR THIS PURPOSE.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: PARTICULARLY, WHEN THE POWER OUTAGES OCCURRED DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABLE NATURAL DISASTERS, ECONOMIC LOSSES ARE ONE ISSUE. MANY RESIDENTS GO, ESPECIALLY THE RESIDENT DECIBEL SENIORS, SUFFER IMMENSE ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. WHERE AND HOW CAN THEY RECEIVE THE

COMPENSATION FOR THIS? >>

LANGUAGE ] >> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> TRANSLATOR: HAVE YOU SINCERELY TRY TO EMPATHIZE AND ASSIST US WITH THE ISSUES WE HAVE RAISED THROUGHOUT VARIOUS TESTIMONIES? WE ARE NOT JUST THE STATISTICS COUNTED BY BOTH.

WE ARE VALUABLE CITIZENS EXERCISING OUR RIGHTS WITHIN

THE COMMUNITY. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: I WORK WITH THE SENIOR TEAM AT --, I RESIDE IN PRECINCT 4.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: DURING THE LAST HURRICANE, I EXPERIENCED A POWER OUTAGE FOR A WEEK. LEADING TO THE SPOILAGE OF ALL MY FOOD -- WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING DOWN, I HAD NOWHERE TO GO. DUE TO THE LACK OF INFORMATION, I WAS UNABLE TO TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES, CAUSING ME A GREAT DEAL OF PAIN

AND HARDSHIP. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: I BELIEVE MANY RESIDENTS WERE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF LOW INCOME BACKGROUND, AS WELL AS RESIDENTS OF SENIOR APARTMENTS INPATIENT AND NURSING FACILITIES.

>>

[00:40:13]

>> TRANSLATOR: GIVEN THE POSITION OF MORE HURRICANES THIS YEAR, I THINK IT'S ESSENTIAL TO INSTALL ECO-FRIENDLY ENERGY GENERATORS AT LOCAL FACILITY CENTERS, SENIOR CENTERS AND LOCAL FACILITIES. THIS WOULD ENSURE THE GENERATORS COULD OPERATE DURING NATURAL DISASTERS, SAFEGUARDING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF RESIDENTS.

>>

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS A. >> TRANSLATOR: I'M DISAPPOINTED OUR DEMANDS HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. IN THE FUTURE, I URGE YOU TO ACTIVELY -- AND ENSURE OUR TAXES ARE USED EFFICIENTLY. I HONESTLY REQUEST THAT MEASURES BE TAKEN TO ALLOCATE THE FUNDS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A GENERATORS.

THANK YOU. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: I LIVE IN

PRECINCT 4. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: DURING THE STORM IN MAY, WE EXPERIENCED A POWER OUTAGE FOR NINE DAYS. AND DURING HURRICANE BERYL, WE FACED A FOUR-DAY POWER OUTAGE.

THIS RESULTED IN ECONOMIC LOSSES, I HAD TO THROW AWAY FOOD AND INGREDIENTS FOR MY REFRIGERATOR. I WAS HUNGRY BECAUSE I COULD NOT PREPARE MEALS. FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I CANNOT CHARGE MY PHONE, AND SUFFERED FROM THE HEAT.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: THE POWER WAS RESTORED IN MY APARTMENT FOR FOUR DAYS AFTER HURRICANE BERYL. BUT A FRIEND WHO LIVED IN SENIOR APARTMENTS STILL DO NOT HAVE THEIR ELECTRICITY RESTORED. SO THEY HAD TO STAY AT MY HOUSE FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

MOST RESIDENTS OF THAT APARTMENT ARE ELDERLY AND THEY STRUGGLED WITH THE HEAT AND LACK OF FOOD, AS THERE WAS NO

ALTERNATIVE FOR THEM. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: TO PREVENT SAFETY AND LIFE-THREATENING ISSUES CAUSED BY REPEATED POWER OUTAGES FROM NATURAL DISASTERS, I URGE YOU TO PRIORITIZE THE INSTALLATION OF ECO-FRIENDLY GENERATORS IN SENIOR APARTMENTS, NURSING HOMES AND LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTERS. THIS WILL HELP ELIMINATE THE FEAR OF ENDURING FURTHER OUTAGES.

>>

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> TRANSLATOR: YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE RESIDENCE DEMAND, OR YOU SHOULD CONSIDER STEPPING DOWN FROM

YOUR POSITION. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: HELLO -- I AM THE RECEPTIONIST AT -- RESIDING IN PRECINCT 3.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: I UNDERSTAND MANY HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES HAVE FACED INCONVENIENCES AND PROPERTY LOSSES DUE TO THE RECENT HURRICANE IN HOUSTON, AND PARTICULARLY, MANY ARE STILL SUFFERING FROM THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL STRESS CAUSED BY

POWER OUTAGES. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: DUE TO THE OUTAGES, SOME RESIDENTS WERE UNABLE TO COOK AT HOME. THEY WERE ABLE TO COME TO THE COOLING CENTER, WHERE THEY RECEIVE FOOD, BEVERAGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO CHARGE THEIR

PHONES, AMONG OTHER BENEFITS. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: COMMISSIONERS, THIS YEAR WITH CLIMATE CHANGES LEADING TO -- WE MUST SEEK

[00:45:18]

NURSING FACILITIES. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: CENTERS EXPOSED TO THESE HARSH CONDITIONS DESPERATELY NEEDED GENERATORS.

IF LIVES ARE LOST DUE TO THE HEAT, WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE? IF THIS DEMAND IS NOT MET, PLEASE KNOW THE FACE OF OUR VALUABLE VOTES WILL BE UNCERTAIN. THANK YOU.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: I AM SYLVIA CHUNG, LIVING AND PINE MOUNTAIN

YOUR APARTMENT IN DISTRICT 1. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: I AM A USER OF CPAP DEVICE. IF THE CPAP MACHINE, WHICH REQUIRES ELECTRICITY, STOPS FUNCTIONING, IT LEADS TO BREATHING DIFFICULTIES AND A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE I MAY NEED TO

RUSH TO A HOSPITAL. >>

LANGUAGE ] >> TRANSLATOR: DURING THE LAST TWO HURRICANES, THE POWER SUPPLY WAS CUT OFF, MAKING IT A -- IMPOSSIBLE TO USE THE MACHINE . WHICH CAUSED ME A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES. THE HUMIDITY MADE IT HARD FOR ME TO BREATHE, AND I FELL SEVERAL TIMES IN THE DARKNESS.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: MANY RESIDENTS IN SENIOR APARTMENTS, NOT JUST MYSELF, I LEFT IN CHALLENGING SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.

>>

>> TRANSLATOR: ESPECIALLY WITH MORE POWER OUTAGES EXPECTED DUE TO THE CLIMATE CHANGE, I BELIEVE IT IS ESSENTIAL TO INSTALL GENERATORS IN SENIOR APARTMENTS, NURSING HOMES AND COMMUNITY CENTERS WHERE RESIDENTS WITH MOBILITY OR COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES ARE CONCENTRATED.

>>

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> TRANSLATOR: IGNORING THESE NEEDS, WHICH ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE LIVES OF RESIDENTS IS AN AND COLLECT OF RESPONSIBILITY AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL. THEREFORE, I URGE YOU TO LISTEN MORE CLOSELY TO THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS, IN ORDER TO UPHOLD YOUR PETITION.

>> HI, MY NAME IS NORMA GONZALES. I WAS CALLED DOWN EARLIER. I AM HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY SAFETY BUDGET. AS A PRECINCT 2 RESIDENT, I'VE SEEN OUR COMMUNITY STRUGGLE. NATIONWIDE, TRAGIC POLICE OF VIOLENCE OVER MINOR -- HIGHLIGHTS THE URGENT NEED FOR REFORM. OUR CURRENT APPROACH IS NOT WORKING. HARRIS COUNTY INVEST NEARLY $2.7 BILLION IN JUSTICE AND SAFETY INITIATIVES, BUT MUCH OF IT GOES TOWARDS POLICING THAT CAN POLICING THE TERRORIZING CRIMINALIZES RATHER THAN ROOT CAUSES. I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND ECONOMIC INSTABILITY. I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT COMMUNITY SUPPORT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. CURRENTLY, WE ARE FEELING EACH OTHER AND PRIORITIZING THE WRONG THINGS.

IT IS TIME TO REALLOCATE THE FUNDS TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH.

RESPONSE TO CRISES WITHOUT VIOLENCE, REDUCE URBAN -- PROVIDE LANGUAGE ACCESS AND ENSURE FOOD SECURITY. --

>> TIME IS UP. >> HI, MY NAME IS -- I LIVE IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. I STRUGGLED SO MUCH TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I WOULD SAY. I DID NOT WANT YOU TO SEE ME AS A "CRIMINAL". THE TRUTH IS, MY MOM AND THREE SIBLINGS HAVE ALL BEEN INCARCERATED FOR SMALL TRAFFIC TICKETS. AND I WANTED TO BRING THIS UP BECAUSE IT IS MY STORY AND I REALIZE IT IS IMPORTANT.

I AM ALSO PART OF AN ORGANIZATION CALLED -- WHERE WE AS MIGRANTS SUPPORT EACH OTHER IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. MANY PEOPLE ARE AT RISK OF BEING DEPORTED IF THEY ARE INCARCERATED. I WANTED TO BRING THIS AND MANY OTHER STORIES,

[00:50:02]

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> GOOD MORNING. GLENDA LEWIS. I HAVE WORKED AT A DRUGSTORE IN EAST HOUSTON WHERE IT WAS ROBBED AT GUNPOINT BY MULTIPLE ROBBERS. I WAS ONCE A POLICE A DELIVERY DRIVER WORKING MY WAY THROUGH NIGHT SCHOOL WHEN I WAS ASSAULTED BY MULTIPLE ARMED GUNMEN. I SAY THAT TO SAY, THIS. FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE D IN DEMOCRAT STANDS FOR DIVISION OF THE PEOPLE. -- JUDGE HIDALGO I HOPE YOU HEAR THIS, BY REVERSING COURSE ON THIS REGRETTABLE DECISION TO DEFINED THE HARRIS COUNTY D.A.S OFFICE HOMICIDE DIVISION, I BELIEVE YOU WILL HELP WITH THE D IN DEMOCRAT --

>> CAN YOU STATE YOUR FULL NAME?

>> LEWIS COSTAS . >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS FREDA, I AM A MEMBER OF -- I AM HERE TO FIRMLY OPPOSE ANY FUNDING THAT WOULD IN FIND -- IT IS SIDE -- SAD -- THAT I SHOULD FEAR IMMIGRANTS TO ENGAGE IN ANY ACTIVITIES TO WORK AND EVEN THE HOSPITAL. SB4 IS A HARMFUL BILL THAT SEEKS TO DIVIDE AND CRIMINALIZE OUR COMMUNITIES. AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SAFEGUARD RIGHTS AND THE WELL-BEING OF ALL RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF SKIN COLOR OR IMMIGRATION STATUS. WOULD WE NEED OUR INVESTMENTS IN PROGRAMS TO STOP THE DISPLACEMENT OF LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS FROM THEIR HOMES. DUE TO CONSTANT HURRICANES AND STORMS. HOUSTON IS TIRED AND WE NEED YOU TO TAKE ACTION WHERE TRULY MATTERS. WE URGE YOU TO OPPOSE ANY FUNDING FOR SB4 WHICH DIVIDES OUR COMMUNITY AND INSTEAD PRIORITIZES SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.

>> IS THAT IT FOR SPEAKERS? >> JASMINE TELLES --

>> HOW MANY MORE DO YOU HAVE? ON THIS ITEM?

>> GIVE ME A MINUTE TO GIVE YOU AN EXACT NUMBER.

>> JUSTIN AYER NAME. >> MY NAME IS LOUISE -- I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 FUNNY FIVE -- 2025. YOU SAY YOU WANT TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY SAFER -- YET, YOU ARE ONCE AGAIN IRRESPONSIBLY INCREASING FUNDING FOR POLICE AND PRISONS, SOMETHING STUDY AFTER STUDY SHOWS INCREASES OF VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.

MEANWHILE, DESPITE POOR AIR QUALITY IN THE HARRIS COUNTY REGION, THE BUDGET FOR POLLUTION CONTROL IS BEING INCREASED BY A MEASLY 100 GRAND. NO DOUBT, LESS THAN THE SALARY OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM. IF WE TRULY WANT TO MAKE THE COUNTY SAFER FOR EVERYONE, FROM CHILDREN WHO HAVE NEVER KNOWN A DAY WITHOUT ASTHMA -- WE NEED TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR POLLUTION CONTROL. I ALSO URGE YOU TO FREEZE THE BUDGET FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND LOWER THE BUDGET FOR THE DJ'S OFFICE -- D.A.S OFFICE.

>> I KNOW JUDGE -- IS HERE. SHE HAS SPECIAL HEALTH CONDITION THAT SHE WILL TIE TO THE BUDGET. YOU CAN COME UP AND SPEAK NOW. SHE IS EXPECTED -- EXPECTING A LITTLE MONSOON.

>> SHE IS EXPECTING A LITTLE ONE SOON.

>> MY NAME IS -- I AM A COUNTY RELATIONS OFFICER -- IT'S MY HONOR TODAY TO RECOGNIZE AND PRESENT TO JUDGE LOZANO AN AWARD FOR IDENTIFYING A PROBLEM THAT IS COMMON TO ALL COUNTIES, BUT ALSO FOLLOWING UP WITH A SOLUTION. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE LEADERSHIP, COMMISSIONERS COURT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL OF HARRIS COUNTY FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND MEMBERSHIP IN THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. THE AWARD HELP IDENTIFY CHALLENGES, DEVELOP SOLUTIONS AND PRODUCE RESULTS.

WE LOOK FOR THOSE THINGS AND RECOGNIZING SOME A SPECIAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE EFFECTIVE. FIRST OF ALL, TODAY, WE ARE

[00:55:02]

OUTPACING THE SISTER COURT VIA HUNDRED 14%. ALSO, THE PROGRAM HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY FOR OTHER COUNTY A POSSIBLE GRANT FUNDING SOURCE SUCH AS THEY HAVE USED TO HELP WITH THE COUNTY'S BUDGET AND TO ELIMINATE THE USE FOR -- IDENTIFYING THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURT EVICTION DIVERSITY INITIATIVE AND IDENTIFYING FUNDING IN THAT WAY. THE PROGRAM CHECKS ALL OF THE BOXES FOR IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES, GULPING A SOLUTION AND DOCUMENTING RESULTS. -- CAN BE USED AS A MODEL FOR OTHER COUNTIES AND COUNTY SERVING COMMITTEES ACROSS THE STATE CONGRATULATIONS TO JUDGE LOZANO AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR PROGRAM WITH TEXAS COUNTIES.

APPLAUSE ]

>>> I HOPE I DIDN'T EMBARRASS YOU. HON.

HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, COLLEAGUES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH DEEP ATTITUDE I STAND BEFORE YOU ACCEPTING THIS BEST PRACTICE AWARD FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY. THIS RECOGNITION IS NOT MINE ALONE IT BELONGS TO EVERY PERSON WHO BELIEVES JUSTICE IS MORE THAN WORD , IT BELONGS TO EVERY TENANT AND LANDLORD WHO DARED TO SIT AT THE TABLE TOGETHER AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL WHO UNDERSTOOD BEHIND EACH CASE IS A HUMAN STORY. THIS PROGRAM IS MORE THAN PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS, IT'S ABOUT GIVING HOPE, OFFERING A SECOND CHANCE, CREATING PATHWAYS TO DIGNITY ABOUT PROVIDING ACCESS TO EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT , FINANCIAL COUNSELING AND LEGAL REPRESENTATION. OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN TURN LIVES AROUND, WHEN WE SERVE THOSE FACING THEIR DARKEST MOMENTS WE ARE DOING THE HIGHEST FORM OF PUBLIC SERVICE. AS ONE OF THE GREATEST THEOLOGIANS DR. KING ONCE SAID LIFE'S MOST PERSISTENT AND URGENT QUESTION IS WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR OTHERS? TODAY I'M PROUD TO SAY HARRIS COUNTY ANSWERED THAT CALL. I THINK OF THE SINGLE MOTHERS ON THE BRINK OF LOSING THEIR HOMES WHO THROUGH THE PROGRAM NOT ONLY KEPT A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS, BUT GAINED RESOURCES NEEDED TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET, WHO FEARED SHE CANNOT CARE FOR HER GRANDKIDS, BECAUSE OF THIS PROGRAM NOW HAS STABILITY AND STRENGTH TO PROVIDE FOR HER FAMILY. NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL VICTORIES, THESE ARE COMMUNITY TRIUMPHS. I ACCEPT THIS AWARD ON BEHALF OF ALL THOSE WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE THE CENTER FOR STATE COURTS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE OF TEXAS. MOST IMPORTANTLY THIS COMMISSIONERS COURT. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE EVICTION DIVERS AND FACILITATORS. ARE YOU IN THE ROOM, IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND AND JIMMY FROM JUDGE COURT . LET US NOT FORGET THE LANDLORDS WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS JOURNEY, THEY HAVE SHOWN US WHEN WE COME TOGETHER WE CAN PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FOR ALL. CREATE OUTCOMES THAT BENEFIT EVERYONE, OUTCOMES THAT SAVE TIME, MONEY AND PRESERVE DIGNITY. THE WORK DOES NOT STOP HERE WE ARE CALLED TO DO MORE SO LET US CHANGE OURSELVES TO EMBRACE THIS PROGRAM COUNTYWIDE . LET US MAKE JUSTICE MORE ACCESSIBLE, COMPASSIONATE AND TRANSFORMATIVE FOR EVERY PERSON IN HARRIS COUNTY, THANK YOU FOR THIS INCREDIBLE HONOR, LET THIS NOT BE A SYMBOL OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE BUT WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO CONTINUE TO DO, THANK YOU.

>> CONGRATULATIONS. >> THANK YOU TO MY MOM, SHE IS

[01:00:01]

HERE. >> I THINK YOU'RE MENTIONING A GRANDMA IN THE MAKING. JUDGE, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, THANK YOU TO STAFF AND JUDGE WELL. YOU WERE ALL PIONEERS IN THIS EFFORT. WE SAW WHAT THE PANDEMIC DID TO SO MANY FAMILIES AND YOU JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNITY. TO TIE INTO THE BUDGET, WE PROVIDED ARPA MONEY I THINK FOR GENERAL FUND AND COUPLED WITH THE GRANT YOU RECEIVED HAS HELPED YOU TO STAFF THE POSITION AND WE PUT IT IN THE BUDGET TO HELP YOU CONTINUE THIS WORK. THANK YOU, BUT I THINK THE DATA YOU GUYS ARE COLLECTING I DON'T THINK IT EXISTED MUCH PRIOR RIGHT? YOU ARE HELPING COLLECT IT AND WE WILL LEARN FROM IT AND IN CLOSING, I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED AS THE CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. AND WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU PRESENT THIS. SO HOPEFULLY YOU CAN ENCOURAGE OTHERS, SINCE THERE IS A NATIONAL FUNDING SOURCE MAY BE THERE ARE OTHER

POSSIBLE SOURCES OF ARPA. >> JUDGE, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND JUDGE FOR YOU ALL THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX BEING INNOVATIVE AND PROACTIVE, LOOKING AT THESE CASES HOLISTICALLY TO GET BETTER OUTCOMES FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN A WAY THAT HELPS TENANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. SO I HOPE THAT OTHER COURTS WILL FOLLOW SUIT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING TO SEE HOW WE CAN CONTINUE WITH CREATIVITY AND FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES BECAUSE AS SOMEBODY WHO IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THESE SORTS OF CASES WE NEED TO PUT PEOPLE ON PATHWAYS FORWARD AND LANDLORDS NEED THEIR UNITS BACK SO LET'S FIND THE WIN WIN. THANK YOU TO THE JUDGE AND ALL THE TEAM MEMBERS HERE TODAY AND TO THE

FUTURE. >> THANK YOU ALL, THAT'S A GREAT LUNCH IN COMMISSIONER GARCIA'S OFFICE THAT I DON'T THINK YOU WILL GET TO EAT. A COUPLE OF US HAVE TO TIP OUT A BIT SO WE WILL TAKE PICTURES LATER BUT YOU ARE WELCOME TO GO ENJOY THAT FOOD IN HIS NICE OFFICE AND OTHER FOLKS AT YOUR DELEGATION. THANK YOU, BACK TO THE SPEAKERS.

>>

>> GOOD MORNING I AM HERE REPRESENTING TEXAS RISING STUDENTS ORGANIZERS FROM PRECINCT 1 ON CAMPUS, WEEKS AGO I WAS CONTACTED BY A DESPERATE FAMILY MEMBER, HER COWORKER SUFFERED A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AT WORK AND LONG STORY SHORT POLICE WERE CALLED DURING THE CRISIS. RATHER THAN GET THE HELP NEEDED HER COWORKER WAS CATAPULTED INTO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. AS I GATHERED RESOURCES TO SHARE I COULD NOT HELP BUT THINK HOW THIS SITUATION WOULD'VE BEEN DIFFERENT IF THE PROGRAM WERE OFFERED IN HER DISTRICT. WE SUPPORT ALL EFFORTS TO FREEZE LAW ENFORCEMENT BUDGET FUNDING , INVESTMENTS IN HARRIS HEALTH PUBLIC CARDS AND SOCIAL SERVICES ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED AND LONG OVERDUE, TO KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE WE NEED TO INVEST IN RESOURCES TOWARD PEOPLE NOT PUNISHMENT. THANK YOU.

>> HI MY NAME IS MY COMMUNITY, DURING THE HURRICANE IT WAS TOO HARD AND I HAD TO GO PICK HER UP AND BRING HER TO THE COOLING CENTER. I WAS HEARTBROKEN WHEN I WATCHED A VERY SICK OLDER WOMAN AT THE COMPLEX BEING FANNED BY HER HUSBAND TO TRY TO COOL HER OFF.

MANY PEOPLE LEFT TO GO TO CHILDREN AND RELATIVES, BUT MOST PEOPLE CANNOT GO ANYWHERE AND STAYED . I AM SO PROUD BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO CROWD SOURCE AIR-CONDITIONERS TO CREATE A COMMON AREA WHERE PEOPLE COULD COOL OFF. BUT THE , THEY NEED A GENERATOR WE DO NOT RECEIVE ANY GOVERNMENT FUNDING. NOW OUR GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STEP UP TO HELP PEOPLE.

>> YES SIR. >> GOOD MORNING, IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I AM THE

[01:05:02]

>> DALE BOARD,

JOSEPH >> YES SIR ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE

INDIVIDUALS? >> WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS. STEPHEN WITH THINGS IN THIS BUDGET THAT THE PEOPLE FOUGHT FOR, IT DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS AND MEET THE COMMUNITY SAFETY BUDGET DEMANDS. THIS BUDGET EGREGIOUSLY USES $40 MILLION FROM ARPA TO ADDRESS PUBLIC HEALTH BY MOVING THOSE WHO ARE INCARCERATED FROM OUR JAILS TO OTHER STATES, THAT'S RIDICULOUS THAT IS PUNISHMENT. THIS BUDGET FULLY ARMS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO POTENTIALLY ENFORCE SB 4 IF IT WENT TO EFFECT THAT IS PUNISHMENT. THIS BUDGET HAS NO DISASTER RELIEF FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT QUALIFY FOR FEMA AND IT BECOMES FREQUENT AND THAT IS NOT PUBLIC HEALTH THAT IS PUNISHMENT.

SIMPLE QUESTION FOR THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME. RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU FEEL LESS SAFE WITH THIS BUDGET? THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE. YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO US.

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> HELLO MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER RIVERA MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY SAFETY BUDGET ADVOCATING FOR FREEZING LAW ENFORCEMENT NOT DEFUNDING, BUT FREEZING INCLUDING THE DA SINCE 2022.

LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNDING GROSS AS PROGRAMS LIKE EVICTION PROTECTION, LANGUAGE ACCESS, ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE AND MITIGATION AT TIMES BARELY INCREASE. THE HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WILL RECEIVE $22 MILLION THIS YEAR AS THE SHERIFF WILL RECEIVE OVER $700 MILLION. WE NEED TO STOP INVESTING PROGRAMS THAT ARE FAILING COMMUNITIES, JAILS DO NOT REHABILITATE INDIVIDUALS AND JILL SHOULD NOT BE THE LARGEST MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY PROVIDER. THESE PROGRAMS FAIL WHEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS DIE IN THE CUSTODY OF HARRIS COUNTY, PRIORITIES ARE TO REDIRECT AND MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING STATUS QUO . HARRIS COUNTY HAS MANY DEGREE PROGRAMS THAT PROTECT RESIDENTS BUT INSTEAD INVEST IN OVER POLICING, AND MASS INCARCERATION.

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> MORNING MY NAME IS MONIQUE JOSEPH THE HOLISTIC SERVICE DIRECTOR FROM RESTORING JUSTICE. WHEN PEOPLE HEAR RESTORING JUSTICE THEY ASK WHAT JUSTICE? THE SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN JUST. MY RESPONSE IS LIFTING AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE POOR AND MARGINALIZED WHILE HOLDING THOSE ACCOUNTABLE. IN LUKE 1137 JESUS IS INVITED TO EAT WITH THE PHARISEES AND HE PUTS THEM ON BLAST WITH SEVERAL STATEMENTS ABOUT THEIR PRIDE AND ABUSE OF POWER, IN VERSE 45 EXPERT IN THE LAW COMES UP AND SAYS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR MAKING US LOOK BAD. JESUS REPLIED AND YOUR EXPERTS CAME TO YOU BECAUSE YOU LOAD PEOPLE DOWN WITH THE BURDENS THEY CANNOT CARRY AND YOU YOURSELVES WILL NOT LIFT UP TO HELP THEM.

WE ARE DEMANDING YOUR BUDGET ENSURES ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR HOLISTIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH FOCUSED APPROACHES TO PUBLIC

SAFETY. >> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> DALE WARD,

[01:10:28]

>> GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS MY NAME IS ORGANIZER WITH UNITED WAY DREAMS ON BEHALF OF THE IMMIGRANT YOUTH AND COUNTIES IN HARRIS COUNTY. IT SHOULD NOT BE LEFT FOR US TO TAKE CARE OF US WE NEED INVESTMENT AND PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT EVERYONE IMPROVING EDUCATION HEALTHCARE AND PUBLIC SAFETY REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS. AS I ASK WE DO NOT INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND REDUCE FUNDING FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY. I URGE YOU TO OPPOSE FUNDING THAT COULD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT OF HARMFUL DEPORTATION, ALLOW -- LOT ALLOWING PROFILING UNDER SUSPICION OF BEING UNDOCUMENTED AND THE LAW THAT CURRENTLY CRIMINALIZES TRAVELING AND HOUSING ANYONE WITHOUT STATUS LIKE MOMS, DADS, GRANDPARENTS AND SIBLINGS. LET'S ALLOCATE MORE FUNDING TO HARRIS HEALTH FACILITIES WITH SEWAGE WATER AND CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE. THE SERVICE HAS PROVIDED CRITICAL CARE DESPITE NEVER GETTING THE FUNDING IT NEEDS.

THANK YOU.

>> MORNING MY NAME IS YEAR AND EIGHT MONTHS AGO. TO EXPRESS THE BAD MANAGEMENT OF THE MANDATORY BUYOUT PROGRAM. WE ARE HERE ONCE AGAIN IN HOPES YOU WILL RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE FIRST OF THREE INSTALLMENTS WOULD BE GIVEN TO US BY OCTOBER 15, 2024 AND NOW THEY HAVE CHANGED IT AGAIN SAYING THAT IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER. IT IS MY BELIEF THEY WANT TO DISCOURAGE US SO WE WALK AWAY FROM THE MONEY. WHY IS SUZY ELKINS REFUSING TO SIGN APPROVAL FOR A CHECK TO BE CUT? IS A REAL LEGAL NAME SUSAN ELKINS, WHO IS SHE ACCOUNTABLE TO? HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU WILL JOIN THE FIGHT. PLEASE DO AS IT HAS BEEN REPORTED YOU KNOW THE STRUGGLES OF MENTAL HEALTH, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO TAKE A BREAK.

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> PEOPLE PROTESTING NEED TO HIT THE STREETS.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS MY NAME IS OPPOSE FUNDING DIRECTED TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR DISTRICT ATTORNEY SUPPORTING ENFORCEMENT OF HARMFUL SB 4 DEPORTATION.

THIS LAW ALLOWS OFFICERS TO MAKE ARRESTS BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT STATUS LEADING TO RACIAL PROFILING AND INJUSTICE NOT ONLY HARMFUL BUT A MISUSE OF TAXPAYER MONEY. WE SHOULD INVEST IN EDUCATION, PUBLIC HEALTH, ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT LEADS TO ADDITIONAL FUNDING. SERVICES THAT PROTECT ALL RESIDENTS REGARDLESS OF RACE, ETHNICITY OR INCOME. I ASKED THE FUNDING FOR SHERIFF'S OFFICE NOT BE INCREASED AND FUNDING FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY REDUCED. MORE FUNDING SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE HEART PROGRAM WHICH WE PROVIDE THE SUPPORT THAT COMMUNITIES NEED IN TIMES OF CRISIS BY STREAMING SOCIAL SERVICES WE CAN TAKE THE CAUSE OF PRIME -- CRIME THANK YOU.

>> GOOD MORNING. I AM DALE WARD. I AM A REPUBLICAN. I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE YOU OKAY? I'M GOING TO HOLD MY HAND UP LIKE THIS. TO GOD. WE NEED TO GET BACK TO GOD AND GET BACK TOGETHER. YES WE HAVE SOME PROBLEMS. I WANT TO READ YOU ONE THING, IT'S GOOD TO PRAISE THE LORD AND MAKE MUSIC TO YOUR NAME. TO PROCLAIM YOUR LOVE IN THE MORNING AND YOUR FAITHFULNESS AT NIGHT. THIS IS A PRAYER THAT I TRY TO PRAY EVERY DAY, A PRAYER FOR THE PRESIDENT AND OUR NATION. FATHER IN JESUS NAME I GIVE THANKS FOR THE UNITED STATES AND ITS GOVERNMENT, I HOLD UP IN PRAYER BEFORE YOU , THE MEN AND WOMEN FOR A POSITION OF

AUTHORITY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

NAME ] BOTH USING THE SPANISH INTERPRETER.

[01:15:08]

>> NINE MORE SPEAKERS AFTER THESE TWO IF I'M RIGHT. ON THIS ITEM.

>> IS STELLA GARCIA MEMBER OF THE TLP.

LANGUAGE ] I AM HERE TODAY BECAUSE I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WANT TO INCREASE THE BUDGET OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS INSTEAD OF INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] THIS WEEK, ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF AND OTHER NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE IN THE AREA HAD A MEETING WITH THE BUYOUT PROGRAM, STAFF WITH THE PURPOSE OF FINDING AN ANSWER TO THE CONTENT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY LEFT THE MEETING WITHOUT CLEAR SOLUTIONS.

TO KNOW THAT THIS PROGRAM REFUSES TO GIVE A SINGLE MOTHER ENOUGH HELP TO GET ANOTHER HOME. WHILE YOU LOOK FOR A BIGGER BUDGET FOR POLICE OFFICERS.

GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] >> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP

>> I DON'T THINK INCREASING THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR IS THE SOLUTION. I HAVE TURNED TO THEM WHEN MY NEIGHBOR WAS SUFFERING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FROM HER HUSBAND AND ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS POLICE OFFICERS WHO CAME TO THE CALL MADE FUN OF

THE SITUATION. >> THANK YOU, WE WILL SUBMIT TO THE REST OF THE RECORD.

>> COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS LANGUAGE ] TODAY I COME TO TESTIFY.

LANGUAGE ] TO MAKE A CALL TO ALL OF YOU.

GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] MY FAMILY AND I WERE REALLY AFFECTED BY HURRICANE BERYL.

DAMAGE TO THIS DAY IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO REPAIR. FEMA DENIED ALL HELP.

OF WORK SINCE WE DO NOT HAVE ELECTRICITY FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] OKAY, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE FINANCIALLY I WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE AND JUST LIKE ME THERE WERE MANY FAMILIES LOSING THEIR HOMES SINCE THEY DO NOT HAVE MONEY TO PAY THEIR RENT OR UTILITY BILLS.

GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] I ASK YOU TO PLEASE PUT YOUR HAND ON YOUR HEART AND THIS BUDGET WILL VOTE ON TODAY BE USED TO CREATE ASSISTANT PROGRAMS TO PAY RENT AND UTILITIES FOR ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY THESE HURRICANES.

>> YOUR TIME IS UP. >> THANK YOU. WE WILL PUT THE

REST IN THE RECORD. >> I KNOW YOU CARE ABOUT SAFETY ON THE STREETS, BUT I DON'T THINK INCREASING THE BUDGET OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THE SOLUTION.

>> TYLER DORY,

[01:20:14]

>> GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS COURT I AM TYLER DORY I RESIDE INCREASING 4. I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY SAFETY BUDGET AND I'M HERE TO REITERATE WHAT ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE SAID. YOU NEED TO FREEZE THE POLICE BUDGET AND LOWER THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY BECAUSE YOUR OWN CAME IN TO DISRUPT THE COURT WHEN THESE PEOPLE WERE WAITING TO SPEAK TO SAY SHE SPOKE FOR THE PEOPLE WHEN CLEARLY EVERYONE IS IN A POSITION. PLEASE FREEZE THE POLICE BUDGET , GIVE THAT MONEY TO THE COMMUNITY IF USE OKAY AS YOU SAY YOU DO, THANK YOU.

>> HELLO MY NAME IS TWO WEEKS AGO WE HELD ANNUAL LEADERSHIP CLASS AND WE DO A POWER ANALYSIS WITH OUR MEMBERS. WHEN WE DO THE POWER ANALYSIS AND WE DESCRIBE WHAT POWER IS, WE AND MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THAT POWER IS WHERE THE MONEY AND THE FUNDS ARE. SO I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE PUT THE POWER BACK IN OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY ARE POWERFUL, BUT THEY CANNOT CLAIM POWER IF THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO THRIVE AND LIVE.

AND BE ABLE TO BE MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU CAN FEEL AS OF YOU GUYS LEAVE THEY HAVE THE POWER AND IF YOU CONTINUE TO GIVE THE FUNDS TO THE POLICE, IT WILL BE THE ONES HOLDING THE POWER AND WE KNOW WHAT THEY DO WITH THE POWER.

OPPRESS, HARASS AND COMPLETELY DO THE OPPOSITE OF PROTECTING AND SERVING US.

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>>

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> MY NAME IS TO SAY THAT IN 2019 AND 2021 I WAS ABUSED AND I WAS KICKED OUT FROM THE HOUSE WITH MY TWO MONTH OLD BABY AND SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON. WHEN I FILED THE REPORT TO THE POLICE AND WENT TO THE COURT , THEY TOLD ME AND PROMISED ME SUPPORT AND HELP AND THEY DID THE OPPOSITE. IT HAS BEEN TWO YEARS AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY SUPPORT. I'M ALSO HERE BECAUSE TWO MONTHS AGO I LOST MY FIVE MONTH PREGNANCY DUE TO LIVING IN AN APARTMENT THAT IS ABANDONED WITH NO RESOURCES AND I HAD AN ACCIDENT, WHEN I WENT TO THE COURT , I AM COMING HERE BECAUSE AT MY APARTMENT COMPLEX I AM BEING EVICTED AND WHEN I WENT TO THE COURT THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD TAKE THE SIDE OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEX. SO WE ARE DEMANDING MORE RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITIES AND PLEASE SUPPORT SINGLE MOTHERS LIKE MYSELF.

>>

>> HEY MY NAME IS TO THE COMMUNITY SAFETY BUDGET. MAYBE THE PRO-POLICE SPEAKERS ARE BEHIND ME IN ORDER, MAYBE THEY HAVE BEEN COMING TO DIFFERENT MEETINGS, MAYBE THERE'S A SPECIAL SESSION FOR THEM THAT IS NOT THIS ONE, BUT WHAT DOES PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND COMMENT SERVE IF NOT FOR A MEETING FOR YOU TO HEAR WHAT RESIDENTS CARE ABOUT AND SO FAR OUTSIDE THE PEOPLE WHO LITERALLY WORK FOR THESE AGENCIES THAT ARE ACTIVELY GETTING THE INCREASE IN FUNDING WE HAVE NOT HEARD OUTSIDE OF ONE PERSON THAT IS ACTIVELY SEEKING AND SEEING THEY'RE

[01:25:03]

>> COME ON UP SAY YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.

>> GOOD MORNING, GOOD AFTERNOON, DEFENSE. COMING TO YOU AS A ORGANIZER AND A HUMAN , MY WHOLE LIFE I WANTED TO SERVE PEOPLE AND I WANTED TO BE A POLICE OFFICER WHEN I WAS A KID EVEN AS A YOUNG ADULT JOINING THE MILITARY I WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO SERVE BUT THROW MY TIME AND EXPERIENCE IN LIFE AND SEEKING GOALS , LATER DECIDING THAT WAS NOT THE PATH I WANTED TO TAKE I REALIZED POLICING , THERE'S A LANE TO HELP PEOPLE IN THERE IS THE GOAL OF A LOT OF POLICING IS AFTER-THE-FACT. WE DO WITH SYSTEMS THAT KEEP OFFICERS THAT ARE GOOD WITH GOOD INTENTIONS FROM BEING ABLE TO DO A GOOD JOB AND I HAVE SEEN THE IMPACT WITH THE MOST IMPACT IS THAT GIVING FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES THEY NEED, ACCESS AND EDUCATION SO THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO TO SERVE THEIR FAMILIES. I AM ASKING THE COUNTY TO VOTE IN THE WAY THAT'S MOST IMPACTFUL THANK YOU.

>> HI I AM PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND I'M HERE TO THE MENU FREEZE THE POLICE BUDGET HAS A RESIDENT I SEE THE NEED IN MY COMMUNITY AND I KNOW WE NEED MORE PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES FOR AFTER SCHOOL I AM A MOTHER OF FOUR AND I TRIED TO START A LITTLE ORGANIZATION IN MY COMMUNITY. WE COULDN'T MAKE IT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS THAT DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE THE HELP, THEY ARE AFRAID OF THE POLICE, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN SCHOOL THEY DON'T GO TALK TO THE POLICE OR COUNSELORS, THEY KEEP IT TO THEMSELVES BECAUSE THERE'S USUALLY NO HELP. I THINK WE COULD'VE AVOIDED THESE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IF WE HAD MORE MENTAL HEALTH AND RESOURCES LIKE THAT FOR YOUNG KIDS. LIKE I SAID ME AS A MOTHER OF FOUR I KNOW IT'S

SOMETHING WE NEED. >> THANK YOU FOR COMING.

>> CAMERON ADAMS, GRACIE ISRAEL .

>> COME ON UP. WHOEVER IS FIRST.

>> HI GUYS MY NAME IS GRACIE. HERE TO DISCUSS THE HEART PROGRAM , COMMUNITY SAFETY BUDGET. WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE HEART PROGRAM SO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN HAVE A SAFER DISPATCH SERVICE TO CALL WHEN YOU HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. INSTEAD OF SENDING POORLY EDUCATED POLICE TO POTENTIALLY MURDER THEM. I WANT TO FREEZE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT BUDGET AND PUT THAT MONEY INTO MAINTAINING HEART AND EXPANDING IT. NOW, AWAITING TRIAL. HARRIS COUNTY SAYS IS BECAUSE THE JAIL IS OVERPOPULATED. WE DON'T HAVE AN OVERPOPULATION PROBLEM WE HAVE A OVER INCARCERATION PROBLEM. HE WAS AWAITING TRIAL AND THAT SHOULD NOT RESULT IN A DEATH SENTENCE. WE NEED CARE,

NOT CAGES. THANK YOU. >> HELLO EVERYONE MY NAME IS CAMERON AND I AM A RESIDENT AND VOTER FROM PRECINCT 1. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS DURING

[01:30:01]

WE HAVE SOCIAL WORKERS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO SPEND THEIR LIVES LEARNING TO HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS AND ARE WILLING TO WORK TO PROVIDE HOLISTIC SUPPORT TO NONVIOLENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS. I AM ASKING YOU TO HAVE.

>> THANK YOU. >> WE WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL.

LET EVERYBODY SPEAK, JUST SAY YOUR NAME.

>> GOOD MORNING MINIMUS LEADS. ESTIMATE COMES FROM AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY OR THE WOMAN EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE LEGAL STATUS ARE AFRAID TO CALL THE POLICE WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM I AM ASKING YOU ON BEHALF OF THESE COMMUNITIES DO NOT INCREASE THE BUDGET FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ESPECIALLY IN A COUNTY AND STATE WHEREAS BEFORE AN MAY BE ENFORCED ANY MINUTE AND THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND THOSE WHO LOOK LIKE THEY MAY BE HERE ILLEGALLY ARE IN DANGER RACIAL PROFILING. I ASK YOU TO INSTEAD INVEST IN PROGRAMS THAT HELP COMMUNITIES LIKE PUBLIC DEFENDER OFFICE, YOUTH PROGRAMS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, HEALTH PROGRAMS AND AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID THIS BUDGET HAS SOME GOOD THINGS BUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS NONMEDICAL BUDGET ALONE DWARFS PUBLIC HEALTH, HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT AND POLLUTION CONTROL COMBINED BY MORE THAN SIX TIMES IN A COUNTY HOUSING ONE OF THE CITIES WITH THE WORST AIR QUALITY PROBLEMS IN

THE UNITED STATES. >> THANK YOU , YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. AND JUDGE WILL SEE THIS LETTER I AM GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP TEXAS ADVOCATES FOR JUSTICE. IMPACTED THROUGH MY LATE FATHER AND MY NEPHEW FROM THE LEGAL SYSTEM.

ASKING YOU TO END JAIL OUTSOURCING BY SUPPORTING ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE COUNTIES IS OUTSOURCING PEOPLE TO DIFFERENT JAILS IN DIFFERENT PLACES AND THIS IS SUSTAINABLE AND ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO AN ARTICLE FROM LAST YEAR SAYS BY THE YEAR 2050, 26 YEARS FROM NOW MOST OF THE GULF COAST WILL BE UNDERWATER. WE CANNOT AFFORD THIS, WE NEED ELECTRICIANS AND PLUMBERS, ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, WE NEED ENGINEERS, WE NEED PEOPLE GOING , WE NEED TO INVEST IN OUR FUTURE THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING TO DO. I KNOW IT'S HARD, I'M NOT SITTING THERE LIVING THEIR LIVES, BUT I NEED YOU TO DO SOMETHING. I DECIDE TO DO THE JOB, TELL PEOPLE EVEN WHENEVER.

>> THANK YOU FOR COMING. NEXT SPEAKER.

>> THAT SHOULD BE IT FOR THIS ITEM.

>> OKAY I WILL NOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING NEXT ITEM IS PAGE 48, ITEM 374, REQUEST BY THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING FOR PROPOSED 2024 TAX RATE OF, .385 TONIGHT FOR HARRIS COUNTY. NEXT WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ITEM 374. ON PAGE 48 I KNOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED 2024 TAX RATE OF .38529 FOR HARRIS COUNTY. ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK

FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? >> THE ONLY SPEAKERS. THAT ARE SIGNED UP.

>> COME RIGHT ON UP. WHICHEVER ORDER, WHOEVER GETS TO THE MICROPHONE FIRST. SAY YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. YES. YES SIR.

>> I GUESS I AM UP. SORRY. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. DAVID HOYER PRECINCT 1. I AM HERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HUGE TAX INCREASE. PEOPLE OF HARRIS COUNTY ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH HOUSING COSTS. THIS 15% TAX INCREASE WILL WORSEN THAT STRUGGLE. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE HOMES AND LESS CRIME, I AM

[01:35:04]

>> THANK YOU, OR THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS HERE? OKAY, IS THAT

IT? >> YES OR.

>> I KNOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC AND. NEXT ITEM, 375 REQUESTED OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED 2024 TAX RATE OF .164 EIGHT , HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HARRIS HEALTH SYSTEM. I KNOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER PROPOSED TAX RATE OF .61438 HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT, ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS

ITEM? >> NO ONE IS SIGNED UP.

>> AND NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, NEXT ITEM PAGE 48, 376 FROM THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED 2024 TAX RATE OF .00615 FOR THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY. I KNOW THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER APPROVAL PROPOSED 2024 TAX RATE OF .00615, FOR THE PORT OF HOUSTON AUTHORITY. ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? I KNOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM.

NEXT ITEM PAGE 65 ITEM 242 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS.

>> 442? >> I'M SORRY. TIME FOR THAT BREAK BUT I WILL TRY TO KEEP GOING. PAGE 55, ITEM 442 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS REQUEST BY COUNTY CLERK FOR PUBLIC HEARING FOR APPROVAL RECORDS ARCHIVE PLAN FOR FY 2024-25 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2, 2024 AS REQUIRED BY STATE STATUTE. I NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER APPROVAL FOR THE RECORDS ARCHIVE PLAN FOR FY 2024- 2025. ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR OR

[Appearances before court]

AGAINST THIS ITEM? >> NO SIR.

>> I KNOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ALL REMAINING PUBLIC SPEAKERS , COLLEAGUES DO YOU WANT TO ALLOW THEM TO ADDRESS THE COURT? WOULD YOU BEGIN TO CALL UP REMAINING PUBLIC SPEAKERS? AFTER THAT WE WILL DO RESOLUTIONS. WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON. IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A BREAK I HAVE TO TIP OUT IN

ABOUT 15 OR 20 MINUTES. >> DO YOU WANT ME TO SAVE SPEAKERS FOR THE RESOLUTIONS UNTIL LATER? OR CALL THEM NOW?

>> LET'S DO THEM A. SOME OF YOU ON RESOLUTIONS IF YOU WANT TO GO TO ONE OF THE OFFICES YOU ARE WELCOME TO DO THAT . WILL TAKE THE OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS , I SAW SOME EARLIER I'M SURE COMMISSIONER GARCIA HAD TO ORDER MORE FOOD BY NOW IF YOU WANT TO GO UP. YOU CAN CALL UP THE REMAINING PUBLIC SPEAKERS.

>> CHRISTOPHER JENKINS ITEM 31 .

>> , NOT IN ANY ORDER. WHOEVER GETS TO THE MICROPHONE FIRST IF SHE CALLED YOUR NAME.

>> HI MY NAME IS WAS HIT ON MAY 24, 2024 BY A POLICE OFFICER IN PRECINCT 4.

ALL IN ALL I AM ASKING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY TO BE PROVIDED BY HARRIS COUNTY AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. I WANT TO SAY ON THE ACCIDENT I WAS LEFT WITH A PHONE NUMBER AND THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT. IN REGARDS TO FILING THE CLAIM AGAINST HARRIS COUNTY I DID RECEIVE DAMAGE AND I SUSTAINED AN INJURY AND I WAS UNCLEAR, AS FAR AS HOW I COULD FILE THE CLAIM WITH HARRIS COUNTY LEAVING THE ACCIDENT, LATER IT WAS FORWARDED WITH A CLAIM THAT HAD A INCORRECT ADDRESS AND A PHONE NUMBER THAT LEFT AN UNATTENDED VOICEMAIL. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED TO RECEIVE THOSE TWO THINGS AND I WAS TOLD TO WAIT 14 DAYS AND AFTER THAT TIME I WAS TOLD BY HARRIS COUNTY AFTER FINDING THE CORRECT NUMBER ONLINE THAT THEY NEVER RECEIVED MY CLAIM. I JUST ASK FOR HARRIS COUNTY TO ENFORCE POLICY.

>> THANK YOU, WE WILL GET SOMEONE TO FOLLOW UP.

>> OKAY BY EMAIL OR PHONE CALL?

>> WE'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER. >> THANK YOU.

>> CHRISTOPHER JENKINS,

>> IF SHE CALLED YOUR NAME COME ON UP. ANY PARTICULAR ORDER. IF

[01:40:08]

YOU ARE ONE OF THE NAMES. >> ADMITTING WHEN IT WAS ] VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION GROUP AND HERE TO DISCUSS ITEM 350 ON THE AGENDA THE ALLOCATION OF $800,000 TO THE ORGANIZATION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW WAS THE PROCESS OF SELECTION, THE METRICS USED TO DECIDE AND WHY THEY ARE RECEIVING THE MONEY AND HOW ORGANIZATIONS FOR LATINO ARTISTS CAN PARTICIPATE AND GET FUNDS FROM HARRIS COUNTY. MOST THE TIME LATINO ORGANIZATIONS GET FORGOTTEN.

ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO SET A MEETING WITH YOUR OFFICES TO SEE IF WE CAN GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO IN YOUR ORGANIZATIONS AND IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. PRETTY MUCH, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THIS PROCESS IS BECAUSE THERE'S NO INFORMATION. WE ORGANIZATIONS HOW WE CAN BENEFIT FROM THE COUNTY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU. >> GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.

CHRIS TO FOR JENKINS, REGIONAL ORGANIZATION HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM AGENDA 31. IT'S ABOUT, HOW WILL THEY LOOK BECAUSE JP AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE DA , TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT THEY HAVE HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED DIVERSION PROGRAMS AND HAVE RISK AVOIDANCE. THEY BACKLOG SINCE HURRICANE HARVEY , BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORGANIZATION , THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP AND IF YOU LOOK DOWN THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND COUNTY AUDITOR HAS RESOURCES TO SERVE THE PEOPLE. FILES ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY TO FILE PAPERWORK WITH COURTS AND SOME PROGRAMS HAVE NOT BEEN DEPLOYED OR DEVELOPED. DESERVE TO BE FULLY FUNCTIONAL. IN THE PAST WE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT RESIDENTS BEING ILLEGALLY EVICTED OR FALSELY INCARCERATED EXACERBATING HOMELESSNESS. WEAPON RISING LAW ENFORCEMENT.

I EMAILED THE REST. THANK YOU, HAVE A GOOD DAY.

>> GEORGE MORRISON.

>> COMMISSIONER I THINK ON ITEMS FOR 40 HE WILL TAKE THOSE SPEAKERS RELATED TO THE FIREWORKS ISSUE AFTER 2:00.

THANK YOU. >> SORRY.

>> OKAY, SARAH RAYMOND. DIANE BAILEY

>> HELLO I AM SARAH I LIVE IN PRECINCT 4 AND THEY TEACH WOMEN'S STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.

ABOLITIONIST SUPPORTING COMMUNITY SAFETY BUDGET AND A PEOPLE PROPOSAL WITH , FOCUSED ON FREEZING ENFORCEMENT FUNDING WHICH THE COURT HAS FAILED TO DO ONCE AGAIN. AS THE PEOPLE OF HARRIS COUNTY HAVE SEEN SINCE 2022 THE DEPARTMENT FUNDING HAS CONTINUED TO GROW BY 87% WITH NO OTHER DEPARTMENT RECEIVING AS MUCH FUNDING AS CONSISTENTLY AS THE SHERIFF'S 10 BADGES.

335 MILLION IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. ANYONE EVER SEEN THAT MUCH MONEY? YOU SEE IT IN THE DEPTHS OF JAIL ON PATROL IN SURVEILLANCE, THE MONEY IS NOWHERE NEAR FOR PROGRAMS THAT NOURISH A SAFE AND VIBRANT HARRIS COUNTY. FAMILIES ASKED FOR MONEY AND THE COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS HANDED PILES OF CASH INTO A VIOLENT, BLOODIED AND INFLATED SHERIFF AND DA BUDGET.

THANK YOU.

>> DEBORAH SMITH HERE TO SPEAK ON THE CONTRACT WITH HARRIS HEALTH AND HARRIS COUNTY JAIL. I HAVE SPOKEN ON THIS BEFORE PERTAINING TO LOSING MY DAUGHTER, A DIABETIC IN HARRIS COUNTY JAIL. I DON'T AGREE WITH GIVING THEM ANYTHING BUT THEY SHOULD'VE BEEN THE FIRST WHISTLEBLOWERS. IF THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT GET THE PATIENT, THEY HAVE DEGREES TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE. THEY DID NOT DO IT. THERE IS NO WAY ON THIS EARTH

[01:45:03]

>> MORNING MY NAME IS COUNTY JAIL JULY 1, 2023. HE CAME HERE IS A MENTALLY ILL PERSON. HE WAS MENTALLY ILL WHEN HE CAME HERE, DOCUMENTED AS MENTALLY ILL AND POLICE OFFICERS, I'M THINKING COMING TO AMERICA FROM A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, I'M FROM JAMAICA. I THOUGHT THEY HAVE RESOURCES HERE. I THOUGHT PEOPLE HERE CARED AND THERE WAS A SYSTEM BUT THERE IS NO SYSTEM. HOW CAN A MENTALLY ILL PERSON BE IN JAIL? NOT COMMITTING A CRIME AND DID NOT KNOW BEING MENTALLY ILL IS CRIMINALIZED OR I WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN HIM HERE. WHAT KIND OF SYSTEM CAN THERE BE WERE A MENTALLY ILL PERSON IS CRIMINALIZED? EVERYONE KNOWS MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE SPEAKS UP.

>> THANK YOU , YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> DUPREE CITIZENSHIP COORDINATOR WITH NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR AMERICANS. MULTI ETHNIC AND RACIAL COALITION OF 75 IMMIGRANT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ANCHORING ORGANIZATION OF NATURALIZE NOW HOUSTON MONSTER ONE YEAR AGO.

INITIATIVES WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PARTNERS TO REACH THE 300,000 ELIGIBLE NATURALIZED RESIDENT ACROSS HOUSTON . I'VE SEEN THE IMPACT OF OUR WORK WITH HARRIS COUNTY AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TODAY IN OUR FIRST YEAR WE HAVE REACHED OVER 80,000 RESIDENTS WITH CITIZENSHIP INFORMATION, OVER 200 WORKSHOPS AND HOSTED ONE OF THE LARGEST CEREMONIES IN JULY WITH 2500 NEW CITIZENS BEING SWORN IN. I APPLAUD AND THANK HARRIS COUNTY PARTNER FOR PROCLAIMING CITIZENSHIP DAY AND FOR SUPPORT AS WE ADVANCE IMMIGRANT EQUITY AND INCLUSION ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THANK YOU.

>> NAME ]

>> YES SIR. >> HELLO HONORABLE COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS TEXAS INSIDE PRECINCT 3. MY MATTER TODAY INVOLVES A CONSTANT ISSUE THAT ME AND MY FATHER EXPERIENCE EVERY TIME WE EITHER HAVE TO GET TO SPRING PARK AND RIDE ON 1960 OR HIM GETTING TO WORK AT THE INTERSECTION OF FM 1960. WE ALWAYS EXPERIENCE MAJOR TRAFFIC BACKUPS FROM THE INTERSECTION ALL THE WAY TO ALL BEEN WESTFIELD BECAUSE THE WAY THE LANES ARE SET, THE FURTHEST RIGHT LANE IS FOR RIGHT TURNS ON THE, THE MIDDLE IS FOR STRAIGHTAWAY AND RIGHT TURNS IN THE LEFT IS FOR LEFT TURNS. BEFORE, IT USED TO BE THE LEFT WAS STRAIGHT AND LEFT IN THE MIDDLE AND RIGHT LANES WERE FOR THE RIGHT TURNS. I WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST ASK IF THERE IS SOMEONE OR ANYONE I COULD TALK TO IN REGARDS TO THAT?

>> YES WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. APPRECIATE YOU COMING, VERY SPECIFIC, THAT'S GOOD.

>> I CAN TALK ON ANY SUBJECT HERE. I AM NOBODY , I WILL GO DOWN,

[01:50:01]

I BELIEVE IN THE POLICE AND FIRST RESPONDERS, BUT I BELIEVE IN MENTAL HEALTH. IF YOU HAVE EVER HAD A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE AND YOU TAKE PREDNISONE , IF YOU TAKE BENADRYL YOU'LL GO BACK INTO A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM. THEY MAKE SOLAR LIGHTS, QUIT PUTTING LIGHT POLES IN THE PARKS. THEY ALSO MAKE THIS PAINT THAT'S REALLY COOL, YOU PAINT THE STRIPES AND IT GLOWS AT NIGHT WOULDN'T THAT BE COOL? SO THE ROADS ARE SAFER, WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE IT IS NOT JUST AN OUTLINE AREA WITH TXDOT, IT IS IN KATIE . THERE ARE SIGNS THAT SAY CAUTION ON GREEN ARROW. WE NEED TO FIX THIS. SO LET'S GET

. >> WE GOT IT, THANK YOU. NEXT

SPEAKER. >> THANK YOU FOR FIXING

SOMETHING FOR ME. >> ROSALIND FRANCIS,

MICHAEL MITCHELL >> GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU GUYS THIS MORNING. I AM DR.

FRANCIS, AS A FOUNDER OF , OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE AND DESIGN A SUSTAINABLE ECO-FRIENDLY HIGH-TECH ROBOTICS A.I. ENERGY EFFICIENT HIGH-QUALITY CLEAN GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN. LOGISTICS AND MANUFACTURING FACILITY. THE GOAL IS TO INTRODUCE SUSTAINABLE OFF THE GRID ENERGY SOLUTIONS IN ADDITION CREATE AND DESIGN ECO-FRIENDLY AND PRACTICAL ENVIRONMENTS TO HELP MINIMIZE CARBON CONSUMPTION OF ENVIRONMENT IMPACT IN THE WORK CASE. THE INTEGRATED SYSTEMS WILL REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS APPLICABLE TO ADVANCED PACKAGING, CHIP DESIGN, ELECTRONIC DESIGN, AUTOMATED AND SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING. THE VISION IS TO BRING SAFE AND UNINTERRUPTED SUPPLY OF CRITICAL ITEMS FOR THE UNITED STATES UNLIKE

OVERSEAS MANUFACTURERS. >> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP

>> THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS COURT. I AM LIVE IN PRECINCT 1. I AM ONE OF THE COFOUNDERS OF POSITIVE WOMEN'S NETWORK CRATER HOUSTON AREA AND AM PART OF THE HOUSTON IN ACTION PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECT ALONG WITH OTHER NETWORKS ACROSS HARRIS COUNTY. AS A MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, GREAT-GRANDMOTHER I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF WOMEN LIVING IN HOUSTON AS A MOTHER. THE LAW PUT INTO PLACE ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS TO CHOOSE OR NOT TO CHOOSE ARE UNDER ATTACK.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IS NOT ABOUT ABORTION IT'S ABOUT THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN TO ACCESS HEALTH CARE. WE ARE DYING IN THE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE SET IN PLACE TO PROTECT WOMEN, BUT INSTEAD WANT TO CRIMINALIZE WOMEN THAT HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OR CAN'T AFFORD TO RAISE A CHILD DUE TO ECONOMIC INCOME. AND EVEN MISCARRIAGES, I AM ASKING A PART OF POSITIVE WOMEN'S NETWORK AND THE COMMISSIONERS COURT TO STAND UP FOR THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF WOMEN.

>> JESSICA LUNA,

>> ANY PARTICULAR ORDER. WHOEVER COMES FIRST.

>>, GOOD MORNING I AM SHUTTLE HI COMMISSIONER ADRIAN I WAS AN INTERN WITH THE CITY IN THE OFFICE 20 YEARS AGO. GOOD TO SEE YOU. I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE UPWARDS PROGRAM. I'M THE PROUD MOTHER OF THREE CHILDREN. VICTORIA WHO IS SIX IN THE FIRST GRADE READING AT A FOURTH GRADE LEVEL, VIVIAN IN KINDERGARTEN WHO IS ABLE TO READ AND ASHER WAS 11 A ASPIRING SCHOLAR AND I WANT TO THANK THE PROGRAM FOR INVESTING IN MY CHILDREN IN THE PARENTING JOURNEY. THEY NOT ONLY SUPPORTED ME AS A PARENT, THEY HAVE SUPPORTED MY FAMILY, THEY PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY PROVIDING BREEDING RESOURCES, BUT DIAPERS, EDUCATION, SPEECH THERAPY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE FUNDING TO PROGRAMS LIKE THIS. WE BENEFIT NOT ONLY EDUCATION, BUT ALSO KNOWING COMMUNITY SUPPORTS US BY

[01:55:01]

>> GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS NAME ] RESIDING FROM PRECINCT 3. SCHOOL YEARS HERE AND THE PERFECT TIME TO ENHANCE SAFE SCHOOLS COMMISSION WITH HIGH PRIORITY AS I DISCOVER THE SUPERINTENDENT IS A CURRENT MEMBER AS PARENTS WE ARE SCARED TO SEND CHILDREN TO SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENCE AND INAPPROPRIATE ADULT ACTIVITY.

THERE BEEN MANY INAPPROPRIATE CRIMES AND MANY GO HEADED. ONE OF NOTE IS SEX TRAFFICKING THAT WAS COVERED UP 14 MONTHS BY SCHOOL OFFICIALS. ALL OF THIS HAS PUT A MAJOR TOLL ON THE COMMUNITY AND WE NEED A REPORTING SYSTEM FOR THOSE TO NOT BE RETALIATED AGAINST. I BELIEVE ANYONE HAS BEEN AFFILIATED WITH ANY SITUATION COVER UP SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD, THIS ALLEVIATES ANXIETY, FEARS AND TRANSPARENCY ISSUES, SAFETY PROTOCOLS ARE CRUCIAL TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER WHICH COMES WITH TRUST AND WE AS A COMMUNITY HAVE NO TRUST DUE TO SERIOUS CRIMES, COVERUPS AND DISTRICT HANDLING'S AT THE VERY TOP ON DOWN.

>> GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS MY NAME IS LAUREN DOHERTY, I LIVE IN PRECINCT 3. QUITE SURPRISED WHEN I SAW THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS CHOSE TO SERVE ON THE SAFE SCHOOLS COMMISSION, THIS PAST APRIL A TEACHER WAS ARRESTED FOR TRAFFICKING HER OWN STUDENTS TO BE PART OF HER SON'S PROSTITUTION RING. WE NOW KNOW IN FEBRUARY 2023 ANOTHER TEACHER AT THE SAME SCHOOL MADE ALLEGATIONS TO CLIENT IST THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING AND WE KNOW AT NO POINT IN THOSE 14 MONTHS WAS THE ALLEGED TRAFFICKER PUT ON ADMINISTERED OF THE PENDING INTERNAL INVESTIGATION. OUR SUPERINTENDENT HAS GIVEN THE PUBLIC NO ANSWERS FOR HOW THIS FAILURE HAPPENED IN THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS DEMANDED NO ANSWERS, FOR A LEADER TO BE EMPOWERED BY THIS COURT TO ADVISE ON SAFETY BILLS IS A BETRAYAL TO THE VICTIMS. HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS COURSE INTO PROSTITUTION. THE TRAINING, FUNDING AND COOPERATION MEANS NOTHING IF SCHOOL LEADER PRIORITIES IS ALWAYS TO PROTECT THE DISTRICT.

MANY ISSUES ARE NOT POLICIES, THEY ARE CULTURE PROBLEMS.

>> THANK YOU.

>> GREETINGS COMMISSIONERS. I AM REV.

EVAN GRIFFIN LEE. AGAIN I COME TO YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, GOD, OUR SAVIOR. OUR MAKER AND CREATOR I COME TO YOU ONCE AGAIN ASKING YOU. BEGGING YOU. FOR ANSWERS. I AM FACING 1000 DAYS AND I HAVE NOT GOT ONE COMMENT, NO TRANSPARENCY, NO ACCOUNTABILITY FROM HARRIS COUNTY ABOUT MY SON'S DEMISE.

AND IT IS EMBARRASSING. I HAVE GONE TO THE TEXAS JAIL COMMISSION, TO OUR FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. I WROTE IT ONE MINUTE FOR YOU ALL AND HOPEFULLY IT CAN RESONATE TO EACH OF YOU AND I AM PRAYING THAT IT DOES NOT REACH YOUR ADDRESS OR A FAMILY MEMBER OF YOURS TO HAVE TO GO TO A CEMETERY TO VISIT WITH NO ANSWERS. THANK YOU AGAIN.

>> THINK YOU FOR COMING. >> TIFFANY, IS THAT IT?

>> YES THAT SHOULD BE ALL THE SPEAKERS.

>> NOW YOU WANT TO TAKE A BREAK OR GO TO RESOLUTIONS? OKAY I KNOW SOME FOLKS MAY WANT TO MAKE THEIR WAY DOWN . THE FIRST

[Departments]

FIRST STEP IS AWARENESS AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO COME UP. ANY PARTICULAR ORDER COME ON UP.

[02:00:15]

>> THANK YOU, MY NAME IS WAS BORN LIKE EVERYBODY THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS I WAS A UNWANTED CHILD. FIRST MEMORY EVER AS WORDS WERE I WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN I WISH YOU WERE DEAD, HOPE YOU DIE. YOU WILL BE NOTHING AND AMOUNT TO NOTHING BUT RUIN PEOPLE'S LIVES. IT WENT ON LIKE THAT BY THE PERSON WHO BROUGHT ME INTO THIS WORLD, I WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY HER BOYFRIEND MULTIPLE TIMES GOING FROM 5 TO 10. 1991 EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN I GREW UP. MY NEEDS , MY FIRST LOVE I WAS SEEKING LOVE FROM MY MOTHER, SHE DIED SHE NEVER GAVE ME NOTHING SO UNKNOWINGLY NOW I KNOW BUT THEN I DIDN'T THAT I WAS SEEKING WHAT SHE LEFT A VOID INSIDE ME. I GOT MARRIED 10 YEARS FOR THIS MAN WHO ABUSED ME AND MOLESTED ME. ALL FOR MY SON. AND I THANK GOD THAT I CONTACTED BECAUSE IF IT WAS NOT FOR THEM I WOULD'VE BEEN DEAD. THIS MONTH IS ONE YEAR THAT I CALLED AND I AM ALIVE BECAUSE OF THEM. I AM A WALKING SUICIDAL HUMAN BEING.

>> WE ARE GLAD YOU ARE HERE AND THINK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR

STORY. >> GOOD MORNING. WHEN YOUNG CEO FOR THE HARRIS CENTER OF MENTAL HEALTH AND OWN A THANK COMMISSIONERS COURT FOR SUPPORT OF MENTAL HEALTH. SPECIFICALLY MY APPRECIATION FOR THE RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING SEPTEMBER AS SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH, SUICIDE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AFFECTING THE COMMUNITY AT THE HARRISON WE ARE COMMITTED TO SAVING LIVES THROUGH CRISIS SERVICES.

AVAILABLE 24/7 TO ANYONE IN NEED WHEREVER THEY ARE. AS A REMINDER FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW STRUGGLING PLEASE REMEMBER HELP IS A CALL AWAY AT NINE AND EIGHT AT NINE AND 8-SUICIDE. I WANT TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR THE PROFESSIONALS ADVOCATES AND VOLUNTEERS AT THE HARRIS CENTER AND THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WHO WORK EVERY DAY TO REDUCE DEATH BY SUICIDE TOGETHER WE CAN TRANSFORM LIVES. THANK YOU

FOR THE TIME. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA.

>> I HAVE ONE AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ANDREA , HER JUST TO

PLEASE BRING US . >> ITEM 4.

>> THIS IS ITEM 4, YES. WE HAVE A UNIQUE YOUNG LADY FOLLOWING IN HER FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS HELPING OUR COMMUNITY. ANDREA ALEXIS WAS IN A POSITION NOT LONG AGO TO SAVE A LIFE AND WE RECOGNIZE HER SELFLESS EFFORTS TODAY. HER FAMILY AND MEMBERS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARE IN THE COURTROOM TODAY. IN SUPPORT OF THIS PARTICULAR RESOLUTION. I WANT TO THANK DEPUTY GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN AND THANK YOU TO THE OTHER RESPECTIVE LEADERS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT NOT ONLY OF THIS ITEM AND WHAT IT SPEAKS TO, BUT TO ANDREA AND HER INCREDIBLE JOURNEY AND STRENGTH AND TENACITY AND PERSEVERANCE. SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE TIME TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE AROUND US EACH DAY THAT MAY NEED HELP. ANDREA JUST LIKE MANY OTHERS, IS STILL GRIEVING THE DEATH OF HER FATHER, WHILE IN TREATMENT AND SEEKING HELP FOR HER SO SHE HEARD A NOISE FROM A NEARBY ROOM, RUSHED TOWARD IT AND FOUND A YOUNG TEENAGE GIRL UNRESPONSIVE IN A CRITICAL STATE. ANDREA ALSO HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO GIVE FIRST AID CPR, SAVING THIS YOUNG LIFE SO WE ALL NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES AND EVERYONE AROUND US THAT IF YOU NEED HELP, 988 IS AN IMPORTANT NUMBER TO REMEMBER. THE NATIONAL HOTLINE FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH WELL-BEING. SO ANDREA , I AM HONORED TO

[02:05:03]

YOU WOULD LIKE. >> HI I JUST WANT TO SHARE SOME AWARENESS ABOUT SUICIDE. LAST YEAR IN OCTOBER WE HAD THE REHABILITATION CENTER, I MET MANY PEOPLE WHO SHARED SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. WHEN I WAS THERE I WENT THROUGH TO MEDICUS BIRDS OF A GIRL TRYING TO END HER OWN LIFE, ME AND A STAFF MEMBER PERFORMED CPR AND SAVE HER LIFE. AS WE WERE PERFORMING CPR I TOLD MYSELF SHE HAS TO LIVE , THIS GIRL WAS 14 OR 15 YEARS OLD, SHE DID NOT HAVE A FULL EXPERIENCE OF LIFE. AFTER THIS IT CHANGED MY WHOLE VIEW OF SUICIDE. I NOTICED SUICIDE DOES NOT ONLY KILL YOU, BUT THE PEOPLE AROUND YOUR. AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT'S SOMEONE'S DAUGHTER AND SISTER SO PLEASE CHECK IN ON YOUR LOVED ONES EVEN IF THEY LOOK LIKE THE HAPPIEST PERSON ON EARTH. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING

THROUGH. >> AMEN. MAJOR, ANY WORDS?

>> SHE IS JUST AN INSPIRATION FOR WHAT HER FATHER STOOD FOR AND I AM VERY PROUD OF HER. PEOPLE LIKE YOU MAKE THE WORLD

BETTER. THANK YOU. >> DEPUTY

>> COMMISSIONER GARCIA I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SHE IS EXTRAORDINARY. SHE COMES FROM A VERY VERY GOOD SEED AND THAT IS WE ARE GOING TO PROTECT HER AND LOVE HER AND BE HERE FOR HER.

WE ARE VERY THANKFUL YOU ARE APPRECIATING THE COURAGEOUS ACT THAT SHE COMMITTED, THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. >> ANDREA, COMMISSIONER GARCIA THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS , I KNOW YOUR FATHER IS SMILING DOWN FROM HEAVEN WITH SO MUCH PRIDE AND SO MUCH LOVE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HEROISM, SAVING BATGIRL AND THANK YOU FOR INSPIRING US ALL BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYONE IN HERE HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY SOMEONE WE HAVE LOVED, A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER OR NEIGHBOR WHO HAS COMMITTED SUICIDE SO IT'S UP TO ALL OF US ABOUT SPREADING AWARENESS OF 988 AND DOING WHAT WE CAN TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU AND I

KNOW YOUR DAD IS SMILING DOWN. >> ANDREA, THANK YOU. I KNOW YOU ARE A LIVING LEGACY. EVERYTHING YOU DO LIKE THIS IS JUST A RECOGNITION OF YOUR DAD AND YOU. WELL DONE, YOU HAVE ENCOURAGED US THIS MORNING, THANK YOU.

>> ANDREA, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY. I'M SURE IT WILL INSPIRE MANY OTHERS WHO ARE WATCHING.

>> THANK YOU. STICK AROUND BECAUSE WE WANT TO TAKE A

PICTURE. >> THE NEXT ONE I HAVE IS

COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. ITEM 5. >> THIS IS FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER AWARENESS DAY, IT IS A BIG DEAL , THE TERM FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER DESCRIBED THE RANGE OF DISABILITIES THAT MAY AFFECT INDIVIDUAL EXPOSED TO ALCOHOL AND DURING PREGNANCY. I WON'T READ THE WHOLE RESOLUTION, WE HAVE SPEAKERS THAT WILL GIVE VOICE TO IT, BUT THE MISSION OF THE TEXAS NETWORK IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES FOR PARENTS , CAREGIVERS NAVIGATING THE JOURNEY OF FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER AND TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THIS DISABILITY WHEREAS INTERNATIONAL FAS AWARENESS DAY IS OBSERVED SEPTEMBER 9 EACH YEAR. WE KNOW RESOLVED SEPTEMBER 9 IN HARRIS COUNTY WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS FASD

[02:10:04]

>> YES WE HAVE SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME UP AND JOIN US.

>> >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP IN BRINGING AWARENESS. NAME IS COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S PRECINCT AND AM THE PARENT OF A CHILD WITH FASD AND A BOARD MEMBER OF THE FASD NETWORK. FASD STANDS FOR FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS WHICH IS A UMBRELLA TERM FOR A READY LIFELONG DISABILITIES CAUSED BY PRENATAL ALCOHOL EXPOSURE AS FAR TOO FEW ARE AWARE OF FASD , IT IS NOT RARE. ABOUT ONE IN 20 PEOPLE IN THE U.S. HAVE FASD ALTHOUGH MOST ART UNDERDIAGNOSED, IN TEXAS THERE IS NOT ADEQUATE DIAGNOSTIC CAPACITY TO ACCURATELY ASSESS THOSE WHO MAY HAVE FASD. WITHOUT A DIAGNOSIS PEOPLE DON'T GET SUPPORT THEY NEED SUCH AS QUALITY SPECIAL EDUCATION AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE. THEY ARE THEN AT HIGH RISK OF FACING ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES SUCH AS MENTAL HEALTH CRISES, INCARCERATION

AND STRUGGLES. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

>> I AM BRIONES PRECINCT. DURING MY CAREER AS A PEDIATRICIAN I SAW MANY CHILDREN WITH FASD CAUSING LEARNING BEHAVIOR, ORGAN AND SKELETAL PROBLEMS, RESEARCH SHOWS THERE'S NO GOOD TIME TO DRINK DURING PREGNANCY AND ALCOHOL INTAKE BY A PREGNANT MOTHER INTERFERES WITH THE BABY'S GROWTH FACTORS AND SO MIGRATION CAUSING EXCESSIVE CELL DEATH AND REDUCES FREE RADICALS AMONG OTHER EFFECTS. ALTHOUGH SPERM OVERTURN EVERY 76 DAYS, ALCOHOL AFFECTS DNA CAUSING FETAL PROBLEMS IF THE SPERM IMPREGNATES THE EGG. DUE TO MATERNAL HEALTH AND LIVER VARIANCE WITH EACH PREGNANCY THERE IS NO SAFE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL TO DRINK DURING PREGNANCY. THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT FASD 'S TO MAKE PARENTS AWARE OF THE INFORMATION I HAVE GIVEN AND TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT BEGINNING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SO PEOPLE WILL NOT TURN TO ALCOHOL DURING STRESS AND DEPRESSION.

>> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER SPEAKERS?

>> YES HI MY NAME IS AND TO SPEAK. I WANT YOU TO GO BACK AND THINK 20 TO 30 YEARS AGO WHERE WE WERE WITH AUTISM AND UNDERSTANDING IN EDUCATION , WITHIN HEALTHCARE, WITHIN SOCIETY WE HAD A LACK OF SUPPORT YEARS AGO, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH FASD.

PRENATAL ALCOHOL EXPOSURE EXISTS THREE TIMES MORE PREVALENT THAN AUTISM AND YET IN ALL AREAS OF SOCIETY, OF SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH PRENATAL ALCOHOL EXPOSURE WE'RE STILL NOT THERE. WE NEED MORE FUNDING, AWARENESS, MORE EDUCATION IN THE SECTORS IN MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, AS WELL AS SOCIETY WITH THE JOB SUPPORT. THEY DO NOT HAVE THAT AS IT EXISTS WITH TEXAS WORKFORCE AND OTHER AREAS SO WE NEED MORE RECOGNITION AND FUNDING TO GET THAT OUT FOR MORE DIAGNOSTICS AND BETTER SUPPORT FOR THE KIDS.

>> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU COMMISSIONER RAMSEY FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FOR IT. BRIONES YOU HAVE TWO

ITEMS, ITEMS SEVEN AND EIGHT. >> ITEM 7 RECOGNIZING SEPTEMBER AS DEAF AWARENESS MONTH. BEFORE I GET STARTED I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ROBERTS, HIS FATHER INTERPRETER AND DEAF COMMUNITY ADVOCATE.

SO MANY OF THESE RESOLUTIONS WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TODAY ARE ABOUT AWARENESS MAKING SURE AS A COMMUNITY WE DO OUR PART TO RAISE EDUCATION AND AWARENESS. TODAY WE HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, ALEX IS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR , HE WROTE THE SOUND OF VICTORY A YOUNG BOY'S JOURNEY THROUGH HEARING LOSS IN SPORTS. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK IT UP, THE SOUND OF

[02:15:04]

HIS THOUGHTS AND HIS JOURNEY. >> OKAY THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY. MY NAME IS ALEX I WAS BORN WITH HEARING LOSS THAT HAS PROGRESSED UNTIL I BECAME DEAF. I UNDERWENT MULTIPLE SURGERIES AND ULTIMATELY MORE COCHLEAR IMPLANTS ON BOTH SIDES OF MY EARS. I HAVE HAD TO WORK EXTRA HARD TO LEARN AND PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES THAT WE ALL TAKE FOR GRANTED. WITH THE HELP OF MY FAMILY AND MY FAITH I HAVE WORKED HARD, TO PARTICIPATE IN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS AND MY FAVORITE SPORTS. I HAVE ENJOYED BASEBALL, SOCCER, BASKETBALL, TAE KWON DO, FOOTBALL AND MY FAVORITE, LACROSSE. I WANTED TO SHARE MY STORY SO IT MAY INSPIRE YOUNG KIDS AND WITH AND WITHOUT HEARING LOSS TO STRIVE FOR SUCCESS, MY BOOK THE SOUND OF VICTORY IS A STEP IN THIS DIRECTION, THE WORK CONTINUES, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> PLEASE CONTINUE IF YOU WOULD LIKE.

>> THAT'S IT. >> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR COURAGE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP. AND HIS MOM,

] SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY TO BRING ATTENTION TO THIS DEAF COMMUNITY. THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN BORN DEAF MORE THAN 90% ARE BORN TO HEARING PARENTS, MANY HEARING PARENTS ARE CONFUSED AND NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT FROM AUDIOLOGISTS AND SPEECH THERAPISTS AS WELL AS THE SURGEON WHO DID MY SONS COCHLEAR IMPACT SURGERY, HE WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A HEARING WORLD. HE HAS TO WORK TWICE AS HARD TO HEAR AND LISTEN IN SCHOOL BUT IT HAS SHOWN RESOLVE TO PUSH THE BARRIERS TO MAKE THE BEST OF THE LIFE HE WAS GIVEN. HIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN TO REACH KIDS AND PARENTS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT BEING DEAF IS NOT A HINDRANCE, BUT ABILITY TO SEE THE WORLD IN A UNIQUE WAY, THROUGH HIS EXPENSE HE HOPES TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO EMBRACE THEIR DIFFERENCES AND THRIVE IN A WORLD THAT MAY NOT ALWAYS UNDERSTAND THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND RAISING AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING IN

THE COMMUNITY. >> THANK YOU.

>> COMMISSIONER BRIONES I WANT TO THANK YOU, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT, YOU FIND SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. TODAY IS AN OBVIOUS EXAMPLE. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU. YOUR OWN BOOK , THAT IS PRETTY COOL. SO,

CONGRATULATIONS. >> THAT'S AMAZING.

>> I WOULD LIKE A CODE OR HOW DO I BUY ONE, BUT I WANT AN AUTOGRAPH. AS I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE WORTH A LOT OF MONEY. I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND COMMISSIONER BRIONES , I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS WITH HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WE WERE STRIVING FOR A PAY DIFFERENTIAL . SO WE COULD PAY POLICE WHO WERE BILINGUAL IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES. THEN WE GOT INTO A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION ABOUT RECOGNIZING, JUST LIKE WE HAVE OUR TRANSLATOR, THAT SIGNING SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS A LANGUAGE.

[02:20:01]

COMMITMENT AND COURAGE AND BRAVERY. YOU JUST REALLY INSPIRE US ALL, SO CONGRATULATIONS AND GOD LESS

YOU. >> YES, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER GARCIA. ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALEX.

>> OKAY THANK YOU, DEBBIE. IT IS AN HONOR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TO THE FAMILY. AS WE RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT DEAF AWARENESS MONTH, I THINK ALL OF US NEED TO FOCUS ON NOT ONLY HEARING , THE LISTENING. IF WE LISTEN WITH OPEN MINDS AND OPEN HEARTS, I BELIEVE OUR COMMUNITY AND STATE AND COUNTRY WILL BE IN A BETTER PLACE. MY SECOND AND LAST RESOLUTION.

>> COMMISSIONER WE HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER FOR ITEM 7.

] >> OKAY THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> I WANT THAT BOOK. IT'S GOOD TO HONOR THE DEAF COMMUNITY.

I WANTED TO TELL YOU ALL JESUS LOOKED UP INTO HEAVEN AND SAID TO THEM, , OPEN UP . AND THEN THE MAN WAS ABLE TO HEAR. A FRIEND OF MINE WHO WORKS AT THE ST. JOSEPH CLUBHOUSE AND IS A MEMBER THERE HAS A CHILD WHO IS FOUR YEARS OLD AND HE HAS HEARING AND DISABILITY . HE HAS COCHLEAR IMPLANTS. AND , I FOUND OUT HARRIS COUNTY CORPORATION.

>> THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.

>> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JACOB.

>> NEXT ITEM. >> MY SECOND AND FINAL RESOLUTION IS ITEM 8. RECOGNIZING CHILDHOOD OBESITY AWARENESS MONTH AS WELL AS IN SEPTEMBER. THE BOTTOM LINE AND FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP OUR RESOLUTION GUEST. WE HAVE NAME ] VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS NATIONALLY FOR WRITER BITES . DR.

IN CHILD HEALTH POLICY AND I WOULD PLEASE LIKE TO INVITE NAME ] WHO ALSO WORKS AT BAKER INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY. WE WILL HEAR FROM THE EXPERTS MOMENTARILY. AS A MOM OF THREE AND A FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER AND IS A PROUD AMERICAN, THE BOTTOM LINE IS , WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS WHEN IT COMES TO CHILDHOOD OBESITY. ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES ARE OBESE AND WE ALL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO THE GREATEST DEGREE POSSIBLE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER'S WELLNESS AND BE PROACTIVE AND FOCUS ON PREVENTION. FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT WE KNOW THERE IS FOOD INSECURITY AND IT IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE TO EAT HEALTHY. IN MANY COMMUNITIES. SO HARRIS COUNTY WERE DOING OUR BEST TO DO MORE TO PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVE COMMON MARKET TEXAS WHO COMES TO BRING HEALTHY FOODS TO COMMUNITY CENTERS AND WE ARE OPEN TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL COLLABORATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO WANT TO PARTNER AND I WANT TO THANK THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, HEB, OTHERS WHO STEP UP TO TRY TO HELP IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR ALL, BUT ESPECIALLY YOUTH.

AS A COMMUNITY WE ALL NEED TO BE FRANK ABOUT THE FOOD INSECURITY PROBLEM THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO DELIVER MORE, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE BRINGING AWARENESS TO THIS CRITICAL ISSUE THAT WE BELIEVE PREVENTION IS WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON BECAUSE WE ARE ALL PAYING HIGHER HEALTH CARE COSTS AND GETTING WORSE OUTCOMES WITH NOT ONLY

[02:25:01]

>> THANK YOU, GOOD AFTERNOON I AM VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS FOR WRITER BITES, A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO IMPROVING HEALTH OF FAMILIES IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. HONOR TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS RESOLUTION ORGANIZING SEPTEMBER AS CHILDHOOD OBESITY AWARENESS MONTH. WE FOCUS ON GETTING FAMILIES ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCE AND VITAL NUTRITION EDUCATION HOPING TO MAKE HEALTHIER CHOICES. OUR APPROACH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FOOD BANK IS SUPPORTED BY RESEARCH FROM THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. DATA SHOWS PROGRAMS LEAD TO LASTING IMPROVEMENTS IN EATING HABITS SETTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON A PATH TO BETTER HEALTH. WE ARE SERVING 60 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ACROSS HARRIS COUNTY IMPACTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES. THANKS TO $1 MILLION OF ARPA FUNDING FROM THIS COURT WE EXPANDED THE REACH IN 2022 SERVING 5000 ADDITIONAL FAMILIES WITH REGULAR FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER AND THIS COURT FOR RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY WELLNESS IN THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTING RESOLUTIONS.

>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT BRIGHTER BITES DOES. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BRIONES MY NAME IS DR.

FROM THE BAKER INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY. IN CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION EIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT KEY FINDINGS FROM THE HEALTH INITIATIVE REPORT ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY, A COLLABORATION BETWEEN PRECINCT TO CHILDREN AT RISK. LATINO CHILDREN FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES REGARDING OBESITY AND NUTRITION ACCESS WITH A TEAM OF CHILDREN IN TEXAS HAVING TWICE THE RATE OF OBESITY COMPARED TO NON-HISPANIC WHITE CHILDREN AND ARE THE LEAST LIKELY POPULATION TO PARTAKE IN TEAM SPORTS FOR THE YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY. ACCORDING TO THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL UP TO 50% OF LATINO CHILDREN WILL DEVELOP TYPE II DIABETES IN THEIR LIFETIME . FOR EVERY 10 LATINO CHILDREN BORN FIVE COULD POSSIBLY DEVELOP TYPE II DIABETES. WE MUST USE A MULTIFACETED APPROACH INCLUDES NUTRITION, EDUCATION AND INVESTMENTS AND SAFE ACTIVITY

PROGRAMS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU, DR.

WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LOOK AT THE RESOURCES FROM HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH. HARRIS HEALTH HAS A FOOD PHARMACY PROGRAM WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND AND WE ALL HAVE NUMEROUS PARKS , COMMUNITY CENTERS WITH FREE CLASSES, WAYS TO GET ACTIVE SO WE INVITE YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BRIONES AND A VERY IMPORTANT ITEM. THANK YOU TO BRIGHTER BITES, YOU HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE PARTNERS TO ALL OF US. ALL RIGHT.

>> COMMISSIONER WE HAVE TWO MORE RESOLUTION SPEAKERS.

>> OKAY LET'S BRING THEM UP. >> THE FIRST IS ITEM 1.

>> THEY LEFT. >> THE LAST ONE IS BRIAN MURRAY SPEAKING ON ITEM 2 VIRTUALLY. GO AHEAD PLEASE.

>> GOOD MORNING MY NAME IS BRIAN MURRAY DEPUTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR FOR HARRIS COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS PROCLAMATION FOR PREPAREDNESS MONTH ON TODAY'S AGENDA. PREPAREDNESS IS A JOINT EFFORT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FIRST RESPONDERS IN THE COMMUNITY OF NONPROFIT PARTNERS. INFORMING THE FRONTLINE KEEPING HARRIS COUNTY SAFE. A TRUE TEAM EFFORT WE ARE ONE TEAM. IF WE HAVE LEARNED NOTHING ELSE EXCEPT PREPAREDNESS CANNOT BE SEASONAL. FOR ALL THE EFFORT WE PUT INTO TELLING RESIDENTS TO GET READY FOR HURRICANES IT'S WORTH NOTING SOME OF THE WORST DISASTERS LIKE COVID OR THE WINTER STORM WERE NOT TROPICAL.

AS FOR THIS YEAR WITH MAJOR DISASTERS UNDER OUR BELT WE HAVE A GOOD CASE OF DISASTER FATIGUE. SOME RESINS HAVE SUFFERED PROPERTY DAMAGE TWICE. THE EMOTIONAL PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL TOLL CAN BE UNIMAGINABLE AND WORTH NOTING SUPPLIES TO THOSE OF US CHARGED WITH RESPONDING TO DISASTERS BUT WE PERSIST. ALL THIS TO SAY WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT PREPAREDNESS NO MATTER THE DATE FOR HOW HARD THE CHALLENGE IS.

THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE?

>> THAT'S ALL. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WILL NOW TAKE ONE ITEM OUT OF ORDER WHICH IS ITEM 348 AND 3 TO 49 TO BE TAKEN OUT NOW AFTER ALL SPEAKERS AND RESOLUTIONS AND

[02:30:03]

PRECINCT PRECINCT 2. >> LET ME DO IT FOR YOU.

>> ALL OF OUR PARKS ARE PHENOMENAL AND I TAKE A GREAT DEGREE OF INSPIRATION FROM THE PARKS OF MY COLLEAGUES. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, PRECINCT 2 PARKS DEPARTMENT RECEIVES THE 2024 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY BEST PRACTICES AWARD FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY GROW TOWERS INITIATIVE. AND AGAIN, IS HERE TO PRESENT ON BEHALF OF TECH, BUT I WANT TO RECOGNIZE MY STAFF, MR. CHRIS SADLER AND WHO ELSE? YOU AND PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF AND CONGRATULATE THEM ALL FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE WORK. AND I WILL TELL YOU FOLKS IF YOU EVER WANT SOME HEALTHY EATING, MIKE AND CHRIS AND THESE GUYS AND I HAVE SOMETHING IN MY OFFICE THAT I'M NOT GOING TO SHARE WITH ANYBODY, IT'S A BIG WATERMELON WE HAVE GROWN TO THE GROW TOWERS. EVERY ONCE IN WHILE I GET TREATED TO JALAPENOS, OREGANO, TOMATOES, LETTUCE , WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU BROUGHT? BLUEBONNETS THAT'S RIGHT. WE ARE KEEPING TEXAS STRONG. I AM SO PROUD OF MY STAFF AND SO RITA.

>> THE TRUE GOAL OF ALL OFFICIALS AS TO BEST SERVE COMMUNITIES AND ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES I AM COUNTY RELATIONS OFFICER. IT IS COMING TO HARRIS COUNTY TO ACKNOWLEDGE TWO OF THE BASIC NECESSITIES AND THAT IS FOOD AND SHELTER AND WE SAW THE SHELTER PROGRAM THROUGH EVICTION DIVERSION IN THE JUDGE'S COURT AND TODAY WE SEE A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT. COMMISSIONER GARCIA PRECINCT INITIATED THE GROW TOWER PROJECT IN REALIZATION OF THINGS WE HEARD ABOUT IN THE PRIOR PRESENTATION. THAT IS RECOGNIZING SOCIAL MOBILITY , THE LOWEST LIFE EXPECTANCY , OBESITY AND THE EXISTENCE OF FOOD DESERTS. THIS PROJECT WAS CREATED TO TACKLE A PRESSING NEED FOR AFFORDABLE AND NUTRITIONAL FOOD AMONG CONSTITUENTS. WHO FACE CHALLENGES CREATED BY THOSE SCARCITIES. BY PROMOTING ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOODS COMMISSIONER GARCIA'S PROJECT IS NOT ONLY PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING THE WELL-BEING OF THESE CONSTITUENTS, BUT ALSO, BUILDING RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE PRECINCT. THIS PROJECT CHECKS THE BOXES AGAIN FOR MANY OF THE THINGS WE LOOK FOR IN A COUNTY BEST PRACTICE AWARD AND THAT IS IDENTIFYING A COMMON PROBLEM, REALIZING A SOLUTION, CREATING A RESULT THAT IS SCALABLE AND REPRODUCING OTHER COUNTIES. THE WHOLE LIMITATION AND STRATEGIC MEASURES THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DOCUMENT HELPS OTHER COUNTIES AS WELL TO FOLLOW A SIMILAR PROGRAM ON THEIR OWN LOCAL SCALE. I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND HIS STAFF ON THIS INNOVATIVE RECOGNITION AND ALSO FOR SHARING THIS AGAIN WITH HARRIS COUNTY SOLUTIONS AND

YOUR FELLOW TEXAS COUNTIES. >> WONDERFUL AND THANK YOU. ALL THE CREDIT GOES TO CHRIS. HIS TEAM. AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

>> THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, CHRIS SADLER. WE TOOK THIS IDEA A YEAR AGO WHEN SHE CAME TO US AND ASKED US TO LOOK INTO THE GROW TOWERS. WE HAVE LIMITED TWO TOWERS AND WE HAVE A TRIPLE DECK WHERE WE CAN GO FULL MATURE PRODUCE IN 30 DAYS AND RETAKEN HARVEST IT AND PUT IT OUTSIDE AND WE FEED SENIORS AND COMMUNITIES SO WE GROW RADISH, LETTUCE, TOMATOES, CUCUMBERS, WATERMELONS, BELL PEPPERS, JALAPENOS, WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. OVER THE SUMMER HARVESTING 50 POUNDS OF JALAPENOS. TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF LETTERS THAT WE GIVE TO CONSTITUENTS AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO EXPANDING IN THE FUTURE.

>> GOOD DEAL CONGRATULATIONS. MIKE , DO YOU WANT TO OFFER

YOURS? >> MIKE TRIM DIRECTOR PARKS AND RECREATION PRECINCT TO. THIS HAS BEEN A COOL PROJECT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON. I STUDIED AGRICULTURE AT MONTANA STATE

[02:35:03]

VERY MUCH. >> THERE YOU GO, ALL RIGHT.

GOOD JOB. I AM PROUD OF YOU GUYS AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING AND BEING INNOVATORS, DEDICATED TO THE COMMUNITY. I TELL YOU WHAT, THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BECOME AWARE OF THIS, THEY ARE OF , THEY ARE HUNGRY FOR MORE. SO CONGRATULATIONS.

>> WE ALSO BROUGHT YOU SOME PRODUCE AND FRESH EGGS.

>> THEY ARE GOING TO WANT MORE.

>> COMMISSIONER GARCIA, WELL DONE. I WILL TELL YOU LAST MONTH WE HARVESTED A PINEAPPLE AND SO WE WILL GET A LITTLE

GROW CHALLENGE GOING. >> COMMISSIONER, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. THIS IS FANTASTIC AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES.

YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION HOW YOU ARE BRINGING BEST PRACTICE TO HARRIS COUNTY IS REMARKABLE AND INSPIRING AND CHRIS ALREADY KNOWS, I TOLD MY TEAM PLEASE GO SEE THE TOWERS AND PLEASE FIND A WAY FOR US TO SPREAD THIS AMAZING IDEA INTO OTHER PRECINCTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING ON YOUR WONDERFUL EXAMPLES SO

CONGRATULATIONS. >> THANK YOU AND AGAIN JUST PROUD OF YOU GUYS AND THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING HARRIS COUNTY.

REGARDLESS OF THE PRECINCT AND INITIATIVE. YOU HAVE FOUND MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK WE ARE DOING HERE, TRYING TO EXPAND ON AND THE WAY WE'RE TRYING TO BE INNOVATIVE IN

SERVICE OF THE COMMUNITY. >> WE THANK YOU FOR SHARING THOSE. WHAT HAPPENS IN HARRIS COUNTY IS A PRECURSOR TO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE OTHER 253 COUNTIES. YOUR EXAMPLES AND FINDING SOLUTIONS AND FINDING BUDGETARY WAYS TO COMPASS THOUGH SOLUTIONS FOR OTHER COUNTIES IS REALLY WORTHWHILE

RECOGNITION. THANK YOU. >> WE WILL, THANK YOU AND LET'S SEE, NOW IT WILL TAKE PICTURES AND ORDER OF THE RESOLUTIONS WE ARE TAKING UP AND LET'S SEE. SO THE ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE CAN MAKE SURE TO ORGANIZE ALL SPEAKERS SO WE HAVE ALL THE PICTURES DONE IN THE PROPER ORDER.

>> COMMISSIONER? >> AND AFTER PHOTOS THE

>>> IT IS 2:04, COMMISSIONERS COURT IS BACK IN SESSION. WE CAN GO TO THE SPEAKERS ON ITEM 440. THE FIREWORKS ISSUE. IS

THAT RIGHT? >> YES THAT IS CORRECT.

>>

>> YOU ARE GOOD, CALL YOUR NAME IN ANY ORDER , SAY YOUR NAME

FOR THE RECORD. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, LIGHT OVER DARKNESS, IT IS HOPE OVER DESPAIR, KNOWLEDGE OVER IGNORANCE. IT IS HOMECOMING TO ALL, NOT ONLY HINDUS, BUT MANY FAITHS AND THIS IS HOMECOMING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. TRUTH , WHICH WE NEED. AND WE HAVE GUNS, WE HAVE LIQUOR SERVED ALL OVER, WE HAVE MANY OTHER THINGS AND DIWALI IS A GREAT TO CELEBRATE FIREWORKS AND SECURITY WISE I THINK IT IS FAR MORE HARMFUL FOR PEOPLE TO STORE HAVE FIREWORKS AT HOME WE HAVE 80,000 REGISTERED OR MORE THAN 1.5 HINDUS AND TOGETHER WE HAVE A GREAT POPULATION AND THAT IS EVEN MORE NOT SAFE FOR US. SO I REALLY REQUEST YOU. TO VOTE.

>> THANK YOU YOUR TIME IS UP CAN I GET YOUR NAME FOR THE

RECORD? >>

>> THANK YOU. >> GEORGE MORRISON, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS DIWALI FIREWORKS SEASON. AS

[02:40:05]

OKAY? NOT AN ISSUE OF SAFETY BECAUSE THE FIREWORKS USED ARE NOT LIKE THE FIREWORKS ON JULY 4 FOR NEW YEAR'S, THEIR GROUND BASED, NOT LOUD, THEY ARE BRIGHT, LIKE SPARKLERS. THEY ARE FOUNTAINS, THE OTHER PIECE TO THAT IS MY CLIENT TOP DOG FIREWORKS HAS WORKED WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL PUTTING OUT TV NEWS SPOTS ABOUT FIREWORKS SAFETY EVERY SEASON. THEY ALSO PRINT SAFETY ADVISORIES , COMMISSIONERS I URGE YOU.

PLEASE PASS THIS IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

>> COME ON UP. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE EACH.

>> MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CELEBRATE DIWALI WORLDWIDE AND I'VE BEEN CELEBRATING IN HARRIS COUNTY AND FORT BEND COUNTY WHEN WE HAVE FIREWORKS WHENEVER WE WANT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MY GRANDKIDS WHO LIVE IN HARRIS COUNTY BUY THE FIREWORKS INSTEAD OF BUYING EARLY WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IN MY OPINION, FIREWORKS IS NOT REALLY A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ANYBODY AS SHE SAID IT WILL CREATE MORE PROBLEM IF YOU BUY WAY IN ADVANCE, STORE AT HOMES FOR A LONG TIME, THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. >> PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.

>> I'M SORRY. >>

>> FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.

>> SAY YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.

>> CELEBRATION DEEP ROOTED IN TRADITION AND CULTURE CIVILIZING THE VICTORY OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS . FIREWORKS CREATE A SENSE OF JOY, EXCITEMENT AND CELEBRATION THAT BRINGS FAMILIES CLOSER, REINFORCES CULTURAL HERITAGE AND CREATES MEMORIES PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS. I GREW UP DOING FIREWORKS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING IT EVERY YEAR. IT'S IMPORTANT TO BALANCE CELEBRATION WITH SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY. EQUALLY CRUCIAL TO RECOGNIZE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE , FROM WHAT I HEAR THERE HAVE BEEN ARGUMENTS MADE REGARDING SAFETY AND THERE IS NOT REALLY VALUE BECAUSE THEN YOU SHOULD BAN FIREWORKS SO FOR OTHERS AS WELL AND NOBODY CAN ARGUE THAT DIWALI FIREWORKS WILL BE NEGLIGIBLE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAN IS DONE JULY 4 AND

CHRISTMAS. >> THANK YOU.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON. 36 YEAR RESIDENT OF HARRIS COUNTY. HERE TO ASK YOU A RHETORICAL QUESTION. CAN YOU IMAGINE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE? IMAGINE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT GIFTS. CAN YOU IMAGINE THANKSGIVING WITHOUT A TURKEY? THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN FEELING THE LAST 36 YEARS.

TRANSITS WITHOUT FIREWORKS. UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I DO, I DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO BRAZORIA COUNTY OR FORT BEND COUNTY OR SOME OTHER COUNTIES BUY THE FIREWORKS PUT THEM IN MY CAR, DRIVE ALL THE WAY HOME AND STORE THEM IN MY GARAGE UNTIL DIWALI DAY WHICH IS SIX MONTHS AWAY. THEN I TAKE THEM OUT. YOU TELL ME WHICH ONE IS SAFER, GOING TO THE FIREWORKS SHOP THE DAY BEFORE AND BUYING THEM AND FIRING THEM THE NEXT DAY OR BUYING MILES AWAY PUT THEM IN THE CAR TRANSPORT AND BRING THEM BACK THANK YOU.

>> ARE HAVING US OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY. I DO NOT TAKE SAFETY LIGHTLY, ALL I ASK FOR IS GIVE ME A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH MY KID THE WAY I

[02:45:04]

>> THAT AFTERNOON. I AM SIGNIFICANCE OF CELEBRATING DIWALI TO INDIAN FAMILIES THAT LIVE OUTSIDE OF INDIA. I MOVED TO THE UNITED STATES 10 YEARS AGO AND WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE WAS NEW AND UNFAMILIAR I STILL HAD THE MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD AND DIWALI. BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THIS FESTIVAL IN ALL ITS GLORY AND INTRODUCE CULTURE TO OUR CHILDREN AND FRIENDS AS A FREEDOM OF RESPONSIBILITY NEITHER ME NOR THE COMMUNITY TAKES LIGHTLY I HOPE THE COURT APPROVES THE BUDGET OF FIREWORKS TRUSTING WE WILL PROTECT THE SAFETY , AS WELL AS WE DO ON ANY OTHER DAY THAT WE LIVE IN OUR HOMES AND THE FESTIVAL BE CELEBRATED WITH

THE COMMUNITY HERE. THANK YOU. >> AMY RAMON

>> MY NAME IS AMY RAMON REPRESENTING HARRIS COUNTY FIRE CHIEF ASSOCIATION AND I LIKE TO THANK COMMISSIONER BRIONES OFFICE FOR DELAYING THE VOTE FROM LAST TIME TO AT LEAST ENTERTAIN BUT PUBLIC SAFETY HAD TO SAY. OUR CONCERN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HOLIDAY OF DIWALI. AS ONE PERSON MENTIONED WE WOULD LOVE TO ABOLISH FIREWORKS FOR BOTH FOURTH OF JULY AND FOR NEW YEAR'S. BECAUSE OF THIS SAFETY CONCERN.

FIREWORKS RELATED INJURIES IN TEXAS ARE SEVERE AND COMMON, 66% OF INJURIES REQUIRED EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT , SPARKLERS ARE BURNING AT OVER 2000 DEGREES AND THE MOST COMMON INDUSTRY -- INJURY IS AGES 5 TO 9, IF THIS WAS LIMITED TO DIWALI IT WOULD BE CONTROLLED BUT IT SELLS TO THE ENTIRE HARRIS COUNTY. SO WE ARE UNABLE. WE OFFER THE SUGGESTION OF COLORED POWDER TO BE THROWN IN THE AIR OR GLOW STICKS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU.

>> MY NAME IS HOUSTON AND I GREW UP IN HOUSTON, 50 YEARS I CAME AS A CHILD. IN MY FONDEST MEMORIES BACK HOME CELEBRATING DIWALI 'S FIREWORKS ALONG WITH SWEETS, GRAPEFRUIT, NEW OUTFITS, BLESSINGS FROM MY ELDERS AND I WANT GENERATIONS THAT ARE GROWING UP HERE INTO AMERICAN KIDS TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE. AS FAR AS SAFETY LISTENING , WE COULD BAN ALL FIREWORKS THEN, LET'S NOT JUST TARGET ONE COMMUNITY AND TAKE AWAY THEIR JOY OF CELEBRATING THEIR FESTIVAL THE WAY WE REMEMBER IT AND WE CHERISH IT GOING FORWARD GENERATIONS TO

COME. THANK YOU. >> MY SISTER, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

YOU TAKE CARE. GOOD AFTERNOON MY NAME IS GREATER HOUSTON IN THE ADVISORY , VICE CHAIRMAN AND THE ORGANIZATION HAS 40 TEMPLES AND INSTITUTIONS THAT IS THE ORGANIZATION . AS YOU HEARD , DIWALI FIRE IS KEY PARTS OF THE CELEBRATION. FOR OVER TWO DECADES WHITE HOUSE HAS DECLARED AND CELEBRATES DIWALI AND THIS COUNTRY, WE LOVE THIS COUNTRY AS IMMIGRANTS BECAUSE OF NOT JUST ACCEPTING BUT ENCOURAGING AND INTEGRATING IT SO WE WANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INTEGRATED. THIS IS A CELEBRATION. LIGHT IS VERY

[02:50:04]

>> REPRESENTATIVE MARIANNE PRESENT PEREZ SPEAKING

VIRTUALLY. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY. I AM CALLING IN SUPPORT OF ITEM 440 THE EXPANSION OF FIREWORKS SALES DURING THE DIWALI HOLIDAY. LET ME THANK COMMISSIONER BRIONES FOR BEING A CHAMPION ON THIS ISSUE, WHEN I WAS PROUD TO SUPPORT WHEN WE PASSED LEGISLATION IN THE TEXAS HOUSE IN 2023, THE BILL RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM BOTH SIDES WITH 92% MEMBERS VOTING YES ON THIS ISSUE. THAT CHILD SUPPORT IS REFLECTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HOLIDAY ACROSS OUR STATE. FROM MY DISTRICT IN EAST TERRACE ACROSS HARRIS AND ACROSS TEXAS THERE IS BROAD EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCORPORATE THE HOLIDAY INTO THE THREAT OF TEXAS CELEBRATION. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE VOICES OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNITY, MANY HAVE BEEN PART OF DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE WITH COURT OFFICES.

THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING WITH US IN THE HOUSE AND FOR DOING SO LOCALLY. TO GET I BELIEVE HARRIS COUNTY CAN IDENTIFY AN APPROACH THAT PROTECTS THE COMMUNITY WHILE LEADING A VALUES OF INCLUSION AND ENDEAVORS. THANK YOU FOR THE

TIME. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND

LEADERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE. >> NEXT IS BRIAN HARRIS, NAME IS RACQUEL MOORE. AS A MINORITY I REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE THE ABILITY AND FREEDOM TO CELEBRATE INDIVIDUAL CULTURES AND A BOY THAT'S WHAT MAKES HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY SO UNIQUE, THE DIVERSITY AMONG OUR COMMUNITY. CURRENTLY OUR COMMUNITY FACES CHALLENGES IN PROCURING AND ACCESSING FIREWORK DURING THE DIWALI SEASON. IT IS DISHEARTENING TO WITNESS FELLOW RESIDENTS WHO HAVE TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES TO OBTAIN FIREWORKS FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL CELEBRATIONS. THIS NOT ONLY POSE A SAFETY RISK THAT GOES AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF INCLUSIVENESS AND CELEBRATION THAT'S THE CORE OF AMERICA'S DIVERSE SOCIETY. I AM HERE TODAY TO SHOW SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE APPROVAL OF FIREWORKS SALES DURING THE DIWALI SEASON. NEXT MONTH IN OCTOBER AND FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON MY NAME IS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THE DIWALI FIREWORKS SEASON. I AM A LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN RESIDENT AND RAISE MY FAMILY IN CINCO RANCH. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE INDIAN FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND TAKE PART IN THE DIWALI CELEBRATION.

A SIGNIFICANT ASPECT OF THE CELEBRATION IS THE USE OF FIREWORKS AND THEIR SYMBOLISM, MANY OF MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WILL TRAVEL TO BUY FIREWORKS OR STORE THEM FOR MONTHS IN THEIR HOMES, ALLOWING SALES IN HARRIS COUNTY WOULD BE A POSITIVE STEP AND WOULD DEMONSTRATE HARRIS COUNTY STANDS BEHIND CULTURALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU.

>> HELLO MY NAME IS RADIO SHOW IN HARRIS AND FORT BEND AND ALL OF THE GREATER HOUSTON SINCE 1993. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN HOUSTON AND I'VE NEVER BEEN TO INDIA DURING DIWALI SO MY ONLY KNOWLEDGE OF DIWALI COMES FROM WHAT WE CELEBRATE HERE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, FIREWORKS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF IT NOT ONLY FROM THE 1400S, BUT SINCE THE TIME WHEN THE LORD WAS WELCOMED WITH FIREBRANDS MENTIONED IN THE ANCIENT TEXT. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OF OUR CULTURE. I HAVE HOSTED 15 FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS DIWALI CELEBRATIONS IN HOUSTON TO MY ORGANIZATION, THEY INCLUDE FIREWORKS ALL PERMITTED AND OUR COMMUNITY IS WELL AWARE OF SAFETY IN USING FIREWORKS AND IT IS AN EQUIVALENT OF CELEBRATING DIWALI TO HAVE FIREWORKS. THANK

YOU. >> GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS BRIAN HARRIS THE PRESIDENT OF THE HARRIS COUNTY FIRE CHIEF ASSOCIATION. I KNOW YOU ARE ALL

[02:55:04]

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR

TIME. >>

SEIFERT >> HON. COMMISSIONER I AM NAME ] HERE TO EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSAL TO ALLOW THE SALE OF FIREWORKS DURING DIWALI IN HARRIS COUNTY.

OR AS WE CALL IT. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BRIONES FOR LEADING THIS EFFORT. FIREWORKS ARE INTEGRAL TO THE CELEBRATION REPRESENTING THE DISPELLING OF DARKNESS AND TRIUMPH OF THE LIGHT. ALLOWING THE SALE OF FIREWORKS WILL ENABLE THE COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE THIS IMPORTANT FESTIVAL IN ITS TRUE SPIRIT FOSTERING A SENSE OF BELONGING AND INCLUSIVITY SHOWING THAT HARRIS COUNTY VALUES AND RESPECTS DIVERS CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF OUR RESIDENTS. MORE WHERE WE BELIEVE THE PROPOSAL CAN BE LIMITED WITH APPROPRIATE SAFETY MEASURES THAT ENSURE THE CELEBRATIONS ARE JOYOUS AND SAFE FOR EVERYONE. BY SUPPORTING THIS INITIATIVE WE ARE ONLY HONORING THE SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL TRADITION BUT ALSO PROMOTING UNITY AND UNDERSTANDING , THANK YOU FOR THE VOTE.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS COURT, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS. MY NAME IS ] AND I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT DIWALI BUT I WILL ACTUALLY TELL A STORY. MY MOTHER AND FATHER USED TO TAKE MY BROTHER AND I TO GO MEET WITH DIFFERENT FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS AND WE WOULD DO FIREWORKS FOR DIWALI. MUCH THE BIDDABLE PART AS A FIRST-GENERATION ASIAN AMERICAN WAS I FELT A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, A SENSE OF BELONGING, A SENSE OF MY CULTURE , I DO NOT GROW UP IN INDIA OR ASIA I GREW UP HERE BUT I ALWAYS FELT TIED TO MY COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DID FOR DIWALI. SO FOR COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS LIKE ME WHO GREW UP IN AMERICA BUT BEING FROM ASIAN DESCENDENTS GOES A LONG WAY, DIWALI IS CELEBRATED FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS BUT IT BRINGS ONE COMMON THEME TOGETHER. GOOD OVER EVIL, LIGHT OVER DARKNESS. I URGE YOU ALL TO LOOK INTO THAT AND HELP EVERYBODY IN HARRIS COUNTY.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. HARRIS COUNTY IS THE THIRD-LARGEST COUNTY FOR THE LARGEST COUNTY IN TEXAS, THE THIRD-LARGEST COUNTY IN THE COUNTRY WITH NEARLY 5 MILLION PEOPLE. ON INC. HARRIS COUNTY IF IT WAS A CITY IT WOULD BE THE FIFTH LARGEST CITY RIGHT BEHIND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.

LIKE CHIEF CHRISTIANSEN APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONERS COURT I WAS APPOINTED BY MY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS ALMOST A DECADE AGO AND I AM CHARGED WITH THE CARE OF 174,000 RESIDENTS ACROSS 62 MILES OF THIS COUNTY.

FIREWORKS ARE EXPLOSIVES AND I AM OPPOSED TO THE APPROVAL OF THE FIREWORKS SALES PERIOD. WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION KEEP IN MIND THE TOTALITY OF THE POPULATION YOU ARE CHARGED TO CARE FOR. THANK YOU.

SPOT I THINK THAT WAS SCOTT SEIFERT. I DID NOT HEAR HIM SAY

HIS NAME. >> I'M SORRY. SCOTT SEIFERT, FIRE CHIEF HARRIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT 7.

>> THANK YOU. I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS FOR THIS ITEM.

>> THANK YOU. I THINK WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS GO TO THE CONSENT AGENDA IF THAT'S OKAY. THERE ARE SOME CORRECTIONS. I WANT TO ASK YOU TO READ THE CORRECTIONS.

>> YES COMMISSIONER. SO, ITEM 11 I HAVE TO MAKE A CHANGE FROM TWO POSITIONS, TO ONE POSITION. ITEM 17 DISTRICT COURT HAS REQUESTED NO ACTION. ITEM 117, NO ACTION. ITEM 118, NO ACTION.

[03:00:09]

ITEM 170, NO ACTION. ITEM 185, NO ACTION. ITEM 186, NO ACTION.

ITEM TO 63, NO ACTION. ITEM TO 64, NO ACTION. ITEM 281, REMOVE THE WORD FOR THE FLOOD BOND PROGRAM, ITEM 282 REMOVE FOR THE FLOOD BOND PROGRAM. ITEM 310 , CHANGE FROM $2,105,487, TO $569,224. ITEM 422, NO ACTION.

>> OKAY DO WE NEED A MOTION WHERE THEY ARE JUST NOTED?

>> JUST NOTED IN THE RECORD. >> COLLEAGUES YOU HAVE THE CONSENT AGENDA IN FRONT OF YOU. WANT TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONS OR

DELETIONS? YES OR. >> I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEM 227 , 273 AND 424 FOR DISCUSSION.

>> MAKE NOTE OF IT. ANY OTHERS? COMMISSIONER RAMSEY? THANK YOU.

>> I AM FINE, I PULLED MY. >> MOVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

>> I'M SORRY, BEFORE YOU DO THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE ARE YOU GOING OVER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS TO SEE WHICH NEED

TO BE? >> THERE WAS NONE.

>> I HAD NONE. >> ALL APPOINTMENTS TO BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. AND THEN SHOULD GO AHEAD AND NAME THE ONES YOU WANT TO PULL FOR DISCUSSION BEFORE MOVING ON THE

CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS? >> IT WILL ADD TO IT.

>> GO-AHEAD FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD.

>> 11, 16, 19, 24, 25, 69, 177. 224 , 232, 259, 263, 264, 350, 356, 377, 378, 425, 429, 440, 446, 458, 459 AND AFTER THAT,

2027, 273 AND 424. GOT IT? >> YES AND MY APOLOGIES.

>> JUST WANTED TO VERIFY. ITEM 372 AND 373 WAS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET FOR HOSPITAL DISTRICT AND HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AND FLOOD CONTROL BUDGETS. WILL THOSE BE

CONSIDERED NO ACTION? >> CORRECT, NO ACTION ON

HEARINGS. AS WELL AS 442 >> THANK YOU, ANY OTHERS?

>> I DON'T NEED TO TO 63. >> 263 BACK ON THE CONSENT

AGENDA. NO ACTION. >> AS WELL AS ITEM TO 64.

REMOVE THEM FROM THE DISCUSSION LIST?

>> YES TO 63 AND 264. ANY OTHERS? COMMISSIONER GARCIA MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA.

>> SECOND. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED, ITEMS ARE PASSED NOW LET'S GO TO OTHER ITEMS. I GUESS WE WILL START WITH THE FIRST ONE PRECINCT 3 . PULLED THAT ONE. THAT IS ITEM 11.

>> LET'S JUST VOTE. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA MAKES EMOTION. COMMISSIONER BRIONES SECOND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALTHOUGH THE POSTCARDS ITEM PASSES. THE NEXT ONE IS , MOVING SO FAST I CAN'T FIND MY SHEET. 16.

>> ADDING THE POSITION. JUST NEED A VOTE.

>> MOVED AND SECOND ALL THOSE UNFAVORABLE AYE ALL THOSE OPPOSED VOTE NO. THREE AYES AND ONE NO THE ITEM PASSES. NEXT IS COMMISSIONER RAMSEY ITEM 4 , ITEM 19. WHAT IS IT, ITEM 19, YEAH. PURCHASING AGENT CORPORATION DBA.

[03:05:03]

>> LET'S JUST VOTE. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA MOTION, COMMISSIONER BRIONES SECOND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR VOTE AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED VOTE NO, THE ITEM PASSES. NEXT IS ITEM 24 COMMISSIONER RAMSEY DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY. SUMMARIZING STATUS OF THE COUNTY PARTICIPATION PUTTING ASSETS TO WORK THE INCUBATOR PROGRAM.

>> THE ONLY CHANGE TO THAT WOULD BE A MOTION THAT THE FINAL DECISION ON THE USE OF THESE ASSETS RESIDES WITH THE

PRECINCT COMMISSIONER. >> SO MOVED.

>> YES, THAT'S. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA MOVES APPROVAL WITH A CAVEAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT PRECINCT COMMISSIONER HAVE TO SIGN OFF.

>> I AGREE WITH THAT. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?

>> SO, WE ARE ADDING THE AMENDMENT THAT IT HAS TO BE

APPROVED THE COMMISSIONER? >> FROM THAT PRECINCT.

>> PACIFIC PARCEL. >> THE SPECIFIC PARCEL. ALL IS IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ITEM PASSES. NEXT IS ITEM 25 COMMISSIONERS RAMSEY AND COMMISSIONER BRIONES THE HOLIDAY PROPOSED HOLIDAY AND COMMISSIONER COURT MEETINGS.

>> SO THE REASON I PULLED THIS IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO ASK OCA TO WORK WITH THE FIVE OFFICES. I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER. NAMELY MOVING MOST OF THE MEETINGS FROM TUESDAY TO THURSDAY. I THINK ONE THAT WOULD HELP WITH TRANSPARENCY, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE A LONGER TIME TO LOOK KEEPING THE DEADLINES THE SAME. IT WOULD GIVE MORE TIME TO THE PUBLIC TO SEE THE AGENDA AND THE ITEMS, NUMBER TWO IT WOULD HELP ALL TEAM AND STAFF MEMBERS AND OURSELVES HAVE MORE TIME TO PREPARE.

THIRD, AND PROUD TO SIT ON THE BOARD, THOSE MEETINGS ARE TUESDAYS AND I INTEND ON BEING THERE EVERY SINGLE TIME TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE. SO BELIEVING IN EFFICIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY IN TRYING TO AVOID CONFLICT BECAUSE IT'S CRITICAL WE SHOW UP TO THE MEETINGS THAT WOULD BE MY ASK TO ASK OCA TO PLEASE CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE FIVE OFFICES TO LOOK AT THURSDAY'S. AND TO RETURN WITH THE UPDATED SCHEDULE OCTOBER 8,

2024. >> I PULLED THIS PRIMARILY THAT , ON THE BUSINESS COURT MEETINGS THAT WE HAD ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION NEGOTIATION NEW CONTRACTS AMENDMENT CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AWARD OR CHANGE ORDERS AS ALLOWED BUSINESS IN THE BUSINESS COURT SUBMISSIONS. AND

CHAIR, I WOULD. >> I WOULD SUPPORT BOTH REQUEST FROM MY COLLEAGUES. I WOULD ADD A THIRD CAVEAT. JUST FOR THOUGHT , THAT IS RIGHT NOW, THE SCHEDULE CONFLICTS WITH TACH CONFERENCES WHERE WE GET OUR HOURS SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE IT A STRONG LOOK OVER TO MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT CONFLICT WITH ANY OF THOSE RESPECTIVE CONFERENCES THAT WE

MAY BE PARTICIPATING IN. >> I COMPLETELY AGREE.

>> THIS IS THE SIX VERSION OF THIS BY THE WAY.

>> REMIND ME OF THE PUZZLE GAMES.

>> MY ONLY OTHER COMMENT RELATED TO THIS WE NEED TO GET THAT SET AS SOON AS WE CAN BECAUSE WE ARE ALL MAKING PLANS FOR THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR AND THOSE DATES OBVIOUSLY THE COURT DATES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.

>> COMMISSIONER FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE WE WOULD SUPPORT BOTH INITIATIVES FROM BOTH OFFICES I THINK WE HAVE ALL SEEN MOVING INTO THURSDAY KEEPING TODAY THE SAME MADE IT EASIER JUST TO PREPARE FOR THIS MEETING. IT WOULD BE A GREAT PROCESS FOR US AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE ON PUTTING AS MUCH AS WE CAN ON THE BUSINESS COURT AND THAT'S A GREAT ADDITION. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IT MAKES MORE SENSE. I KNOW LUCINDA HAS WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD GETTING THIS THING TOGETHER FOR EVERYONE SO WE WILL COME BACK WITH VERSION 7.

>> I WOULD ONLY MAKE THIS SUGGESTED THAT WE MAKE SURE TO ASK THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THEIR STAFF , IF THERE IS ANY REASON WHY TUESDAY'S WORK BETTER FOR THEM. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE COMPLEX , DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE ELECTION.

SOME OF US MAY WANT TO GO TO WASHINGTON THINGS HAPPEN, I

[03:10:03]

>> DO WE NEED A MOTION? >> I PREFER DIRECTION.

>> THE MOTION WOULD BE AND COLLEAGUES PLEASE ADD IF YOU WANT SPECIFICITY MOTION TO DIRECT OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO WORK WITH ALL FIVE COURT OFFICES TO MOVE COMMISSIONER COURT DAYS TO THURSDAY'S WHERE FEASIBLE CALENDAR YEAR 2025 AND RETURN TO COMMISSIONERS COURT WITH UPDATED DRAFT SCHEDULE FOR APPROVAL OCTOBER 8, 2024.

>> IS THERE A SECOND? >> WITH THE REVIEW OF OTHER OR RELATED ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS?

>> YES AND WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOUR CALENDAR AND SCHEDULING FOLKS TO TRY TO IDENTIFY EVERYTHING.

>> YES, THE ENGINEERING. >> YOU CHECK WITH THE STAFF AND PEOPLE HAVE TO DO THIS OKAY. MOTION MADE AND SECOND, MADE BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, ITEM PASSES. NEXT ONE HAVE IS ITEM 69, COMMISSIONER BRIONES HOUSTON PARKS BOARD.

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

[03:15:03]

>> MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR VOTE AYE, THE ITEM PASSES. NEXT ITEM IS 177 COMMISSIONERS GARCIA AND RAMSEY THE MOBILE HEALTH EXPANSION STRATEGY.

>> QUICKLY, I WOULD LIKE TO MODIFY THIS SLIGHTLY. I KNOW THERE IS MONIES SET UP TO GO TO PRECINCTS ONE, THREE AND FOUR RELATED TO HEALTH DISPARITIES AND SUCH. I WOULD RATHER, WHATEVER DOLLARS ARE BUDGETED TO GO TO PRECINCT 3 RELATED TO THIS ITEM I WOULD LIKE THE MONEY DIRECTED TO ANIMAL CONTROL . WE HAVE A BIT OF A CRISIS IN TERMS OF STRAYS IN THIS COUNTY. I WOULD RATHER THOSE DOLLARS BE SPENT ON THAT ISSUE RATHER THAN WHAT IS PROPOSED HERE.

>> COMMISSIONER YOU ARE SUGGESTING FOR PRECINCT 3 OR IN

GENERAL? >> JUST PRECINCT 3.

>> HOW MUCH IS THAT, 1 MILLION? DO YOU KNOW COMMISSIONER

RAMSEY? >> I BELIEVE 1.1. PER PRECINCT.

>> ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT? DEPARTMENT WITH ANY PROBLEMS?

YOU ALL CAN DO THAT. >> WE WILL BE HAPPY TO REVIEW.

>> YOU NEED YOUR CAMERA ON. >> I HAVE TRIED TO TURN IT ON.

LET ME TRY A DIFFERENT ONE, THERE WE GO. YES WE ARE HAPPY

TO DO THAT. >> I WAS TAKING ONE TIME WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL AND WE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MONEY TO THE ASTRODOME AND THEY SAID DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF STRAY DOGS CANNOT OF LOW-INCOME AND MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS SO I SAID OF THEIR STRAY DOGS HOW DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM? SONY SAID PRECINCT 3 IN ON.

>> HOUSTON HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE ACCORDING TO THE POSTAL WORKERS, THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO DELIVER MAIL IN AMERICA BECAUSE OF THE STRAY DOGS.

>> THAT TRIGGERED AND I REMEMBER WHEREVER IT WAS YEARS

AGO. COMMISSIONER GARCIA. >> FIRST , I SUPPORT THE FOCUS ON ANIMAL CONTROL BECAUSE I HAVE HAD A DOG MULLING DEATH IN THE PRECINCT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS GIVEN PROPER ATTENTION HOWEVER, I HAVE QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE EXCLUSION OF PRECINCT 2. FIRST, RELATED TO THIS ITEM, IT WAS APPROVED OCTOBER 10 OCTOBER 10, 2023 AS A SUPPLEMENTAL ITEM PRECINCT 1 AND AMENDED APRIL 23 OF 2024. THE AMENDMENT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE PRECINCT 2 HOLE. IN THE ORIGINAL MOTION EACH PRECINCT OTHER THAN TWO WOULD RECEIVE 1.1 MILLION ALONG WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW TO USE THE FUNDS. AT THE TIME THE COURT DETERMINED OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF ME THAT THE RESIDENTS OF PRECINCT 2 WILL RECEIVE ALLOTMENT OF FUNDING FOR THE MOBILE HEALTH POTS AS THEY WOULD RECEIVE NO RECOMMENDATIONS. APRIL 23 MOTION AMENDED TO HAVE THE PUBLIC, TO DIRECT THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS AND AN EFFORT TO MAKE PRECINCT 2 HOLE. PUBLIC HEALTH DECLINED TO IMPLEMENT THE DIRECTOR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND I WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR MEETING WITH STAFF. EARLIER THIS SUMMER TO GET THIS, DIRECTOR BARTON CAN YOU UPDATE THE COURT ON HOW THE DIRECTIVE WAS FINALLY AND IS FINALLY BEING AT THE -- IMPLANTED.

>> IN FISCAL YEAR 25 WE HAVE 1.1 MILLION FOR EACH PRECINCT TOTAL OF 4.4 MILLION MOBILE HEALTH, COMMISSIONER WE HAVE AN UPCOMING MEETING WITH YOU ON OCTOBER 3 AND WILL BE BRINGING OPTIONS TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION, SHOWING THEM WITH YOUR STAFF EARLIER THAT WEEK. TWO TO THE NEEDS OF PRECINCT 2 AND JUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION YOUR STAFF GUIDANCE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TRANSITIONING POTENTIALLY AWAY FROM OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TO THE PODS TO A DIFFERENT SET OF SERVICES. WE WILL BRING YOU OPTIONS ON OCTOBER 3.

>> THANK YOU. >> I AM AT A UNIQUE PLACE FOR

[03:20:02]

YOU. >> NOT TO LIVE THE POINT, BUT I HAVE SUCH RESPECT FOR MY COLLEAGUE I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL SO THAT EQUITY IS MORE THAN JUST A FOUR LETTER WORD. YOU AND I HAVE BOTH SAID IT MIGHT'VE BEEN A PHRASE I CAME UP WITH BUT I PROBABLY GOT IT FROM SOMEBODY , AT LEAST AROUND THIS TABLE I CAME UP WITH A, EQUITY MEANS WHENEVER I GET MORE, YOU AND I BOTH PRESENT AREAS IN TERMS OF HEALTH INDEXES . IF YOU RECALL WHAT HAPPENED IT WAS NOT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THAT BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION, IT WAS KIND OF STUMBLED ON, THIS IS WHERE SOME ITEM , YOU HAD A GOOD IDEA TO DO HEALTH PODS AND YOU BOUGHT THEM, AND THEN THE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY WOULD HOLD AND TAKE SOME OF THE UNSPENT FUNDS AND PAY FOR THE CONTINUED OPERATION. MONEY WAS SITTING THERE AND THEN AS A REPORT IT WAS COOKED INTO THE BUDGET SO IT WILL ALWAYS BE THERE AND THE REASON I RAISED SO MUCH ON IT WAS BECAUSE WHEN I GOT HERE A LOT OF THAT WAS GOING ON, BUT NOT SO MUCH FOR THE PRECINCT YOU REPRESENT NOW AND WHEN I REPRESENT AND THAT'S WHAT YOU KNOW IT REALLY

>>> ME WHEN IT CAME. SO MY RESPONSE WAS FINE GO GET ME ON THE OTHER PRECINCTS IF I HAVE TO COME THE CINEMA OR FIND A EQUITY INDEX, BUT WE ALL WITH ALL DUE RESPECT WE ARE PRETTY MUCH IN THE SAME BOAT AND NEITHER ONE OF US WANT TO BE THERE. WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF REPRESENTING THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST IN NEED. A LOT OF WHOM I GAVE TO YOU, BY THE WAY. I'M SURE YOU ARE GLAD, YOU ARE HONORED TO HAVE THEM AS I WAS BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DON'T BELABOR THE POINT BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO GET OUT OF HERE. I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK I'VE GOT AMNESIA. I KNOW I JOKE ABOUT GETTING OLDER

AND FORGETTING STUFF. >> I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE AMNESIA AND I'M NOT DEVELOPING IT SO I REMEMBER WELL, BUT ANYWAY I WON'T BELABOR THE POINT EITHER. SIMPLY TO SAY YOU KNOW, THOSE ISSUES WERE DEVELOPED OUT OF FOLLOWING THIS

HEALTH DISPARITY STUDY. >> THANK YOU. I WILL MOVE THE ITEM WITH THE AMENDMENT ADDED BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY WHICH ESSENTIALLY CALLS FOR THE 1.1 MILLION ALLOCATED TO HIS PRECINCT TO GO TO ANIMAL CONTROL FOR THE BENEFIT OF

PRECINCT 3. >> CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT THAT?

>> MOTION TO USE LOCATION OF PRECINCT 3 FOR INCREASED ANIMAL CONTROL STAFF AND AT THIS POINT STRAY ANIMALS DON'T KNOW WHAT PRECINCT THEY ARE IN SO IT NEEDS TO GO INTO , HAVE CONFIDENCE IN COREY AND THE JOB THEY'RE DOING. THEY NEED MORE RESOURCES, WE HAVE A REAL CRISIS. SPOT YOU WANT TO BENEFIT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN PRECINCT 3. 1.1 MILLION, FOR THE PRECINCT 3 TO USE TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE. SO YOUR GETTING A FEW STRAY DOGS FROM ONE, TWO AND FOUR.

>> STRAY DOGS. >> DID YOU GET THE MOTION?

[03:25:01]

ANY OPPOSED? >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO HONOR WHAT WAS PROMISED TO PRECINCT 2 AND I HOPE THAT CAN BE DONE EXPEDITIOUSLY. I KNOW THIS HAS

BEEN MANY MONTHS IN THE MAKING. >> COMMISSIONER I WANT TO ADD LOOK I'M GLAD THESE ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED, BUT AND I DO SUPPORT THE ISSUES OBVIOUSLY THE HIRING BUT NOT PART OF THE

PROGRAM. >> MOTION AND SECONDLY VOTED THE MOTION CARRIES 4-1. MOVE ON ITEM 224. SPOT ITEM 224 IS OPERABLE TO ACCEPT A LACTATION BOD FROM THE HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION. THIS IS THE FOURTH WE ARE PLACING IN COUNTY FACILITIES THANKS TO THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION, TEXAS BAR FOUNDATION AND AS SOMEONE WHO IS A MOM OF THREE WHO STRUGGLED TO BREAST-FEED AND PUMP ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC , I AM REALLY HAPPY THAT THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS ALONG WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE ENGINEERING TEAM, WE ARE INSTALLING THESE SO I LOOK FORWARD TO US GETTING MANY MORE PODS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH WONDERFUL NONPROFITS AND ORGANIZATIONS. WE ALL NEED TO BE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FIGHT FOR WORKING FAMILIES AND MAKE IT EASIER. WITH THAT I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AND I MOVE AS

PRESENTED. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED, MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THAT IS WONDERFUL.

I HAVE A NOTE TO TAKE ITEM FOR 40 OUT OF ORDER, SHOULD WE DO

THAT NOW? >> SURE.

>> 440 IS ON A PRESENTATION BY THE FIRE MARSHAL. IN TERMS OF DIWALI. YES SO WE CAN IMPROVE THAT. IS SOMEONE FROM FMO AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS THIS ONE? WE CAN ALSO COME BACK TO YOU GUYS AFTER HE ANOTHER ITEM OR TWO.

>> WAS A PRESENTATION IN ADDITION TO THE TESTIMONY?

>> I THINK SHE IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

>> SHE REALLY PRESENTED AT THE LAST MEETING.

>> MOTION ON 440? >> SO MOVED I WOULD LIKE TO

DISCUSS. >> BY THE WEIGHT ON THE PODS AND ONE THING TREVOR WENT TO MY TEAM MEMBERS WHO HAS BEEN ALL IN ON ALL THE EFFORTS, THANK YOU. 440, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HERE TODAY TO SHARE YOUR EXPENSES. I AM SO PROUD TO LIVE IN HARRIS COUNTY WHERE WE HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF ASIAN AMERICANS IN THE COUNTRY. I AM PROUD TO REPRESENT PRECINCT 4 WHICH HAS OUR GANDHI DISTRICT AND WHERE THE MOST INTERNATIONAL IN THIS NATION AND THE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE DIWALI IN A WAY YOU DESERVE THAT REFLECTS THE ESSENCE OF THE HOLIDAY WHICH IS THE TRIUMPH OF GOOD OVER EVIL AND LIGHT OVER DARKNESS I GO BACK , I AM PROUD WE ARE THE MOST DIVERSE, BUT TO ME THAT'S NOT ENOUGH WE HAVE TO BE THE MOST INCLUSIVE AND RESPECTFUL. SECOND I WANT TO HELP LOCAL BUSINESS. THEY CAN ALREADY USE THEM BUT IF YOU HAVE TO BUY SURROUNDING COUNTIES OR STORE THEM FOR MONTHS WHICH EXACERBATES RISK I WOULD RATHER KEEP THE BUSINESS LOCAL SO IT IS A WIN FOR THE INCLUSIVITY AND RESPECT FOR THESE WONDERFUL ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AND THOSE WHO CELEBRATE. IT IS A WIN FOR LOCAL BUSINESS AND TEAM AND I HAVE TAKEN DEEP DIVES AND I WANT TO THANK CHIEF CHRISTIANSEN, CHIEF REED, ESD'S, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. OUR ISD, LAW ENFORCEMENT, THIS WAS A GROUP EFFORT. AS I OFTEN GO BACK TO MY BOTH AND PARADIGM WE CAN DO BOTH. SO, I LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING THE MOTION TO PASS THIS AND AS PART OF IT, I WOULD LIKE DEEP PARTNERSHIP WITH VENDORS WHO WILL BE MAKING THIS POSSIBLE, NAMELY IN TWO WAYS. ONE IS DATA, DATA TRACKING SO WE CAN LEARN AND SEE THE SALES. ANY INCIDENTS AND WE NEED PARTNERSHIP ON THE CONTINUED PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS. I

[03:30:04]

THIS WOULD BE AN ANNUAL REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS AS WE LEARN FROM THE DATA. I AM EAGER TO SEE THIS BECOME REALITY ESPECIALLY IN TIME FOR THIS YEAR DIWALI. I KNOW WE CELEBRATED AND I WAS MOVED BY HOW MANY COMMUNITY GROUPS CAME TO THE TEAM TO SHARE EVERYONE FROM OTHERS. I WANT TO THANK DR.

LEADER.

OTHERS. I KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THIS, WE DO THIS FOR OTHER HOLIDAYS AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE , IN 2023 TEXAS PASSED THIS SO IT'S UP TO EACH COMMISSIONERS COURT TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE AND I BELIEVE IN THE MOST DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE COUNTY, HARRIS COUNTY NEEDS TO BE LEADING AND THE STATE OF TEXAS OPENED THIS DOOR . I WILL PROBABLY MAKE SEVERAL MOTIONS. I HAVE SOME VERY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, BUT CHIEFS, WE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT IMPORTANT AND I BELIEVE TOGETHER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SAFETY EDUCATION, WITH COLLABORATION AND MY DREAM ONE DAYS TO HAVE STORES RATHER THAN STANDS TO DO MORE ROBUST EDUCATION. I HAVE IDEAS FOR WHERE WE CAN GO BUT FOR TODAY'S PURPOSES THIS WILL BE A HUGE WIN FROM A RESPECT AND INCLUSIVITY PERSPECTIVE TO PASS AND I CAN READ SPECIFIC MOTIONS LATER. CHIEF CHRISTIANSEN I GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO YOU AND CHIEF REED AND ALL THE LEADERSHIPS OF THE ESD'S AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS BECAUSE YOU HAVE VENTURE PARTNERS TO SEE WHAT WOULD BE MOST WORKABLE WITH WHERE WE ARE NOW SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR

AMAZING LEADERSHIP. >> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

>> ALWAYS GOOD WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE YOU KNOW AND HAVE KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS. GOOD TO SEE MANY FOLKS I HAVE KNOWN MANY YEARS. I TRUST THEIR JUDGMENT AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THE INPUT WE'VE GOT FROM OUR CHIEFS. I KNOW YOU'VE GOT THE INTEREST OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AT HEART AS DO THE FOLKS WHO WANT TO CELEBRATE DIWALI. I REPRESENT 75% OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF HARRIS COUNTY. PROBABLY THE MOST IMPACTED BY WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO DO BECAUSE THEORETICALLY, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO POP FIRECRACKERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I DON'T KNOW EVERYBODY GOT THE MEMO IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY POP THEM , BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE OUR SHARE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA. IF YOU DON'T THINK SHOWING UP MATTERS, IT DOES . THE CHIEFS CAME AND MADE A GOOD POINT. WHAT I GOT OUT OF THE POINT IS YOU WOULD AS SOON NOT HAVE ANY FIREWORKS ANYTIME OF THE YEAR ANYWAY. THAT'S THE POINT. IF THAT IS THE POSITION, THEN WE REALLY NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT DOING AWAY WITH CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S AND JULY 4 IF IT IS OF THAT NATURE , THEN WE SHOULD NOT BE DOING IT AT ALL. BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO DO IT THERE HAS TO BE GOOD REASONS , I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THAT I GET THE PART ABOUT SCHOOL BEING IN PLAY, I APPRECIATE AND I WILL SUPPORT, THE MOTION IS RELATED TO TRACKING DATA, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE DO TRACK DATA, BUT FIRE MARSHAL, A QUICK QUESTION. DOES FORT BEND COUNTY, AND THEY

PASSED THIS? >> THANK YOU, GOOD AFTERNOON.

HARRIS COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL. NONE OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES. GALVESTON DOES NOT HAVE A COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL AND THEY DO SELL IT IN PARTS OF GALVESTON SPOT WE WOULD BE THE

FIRST IN THE AREA? >> THAT I AM AWARE OF.

>> OTHER COUNTIES HAVE NOW CONSIDERED?

>> I TALKED WITH FORT BEND, WALLER , I THINK BRAZORIA COUNTY MAY HAVE PASSED IT RECENTLY AND I CAN FIND THAT

OUT. >> AS FAR AS WE KNOW.

>> I HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS SINCE THIS CAME ABOUT.

>> SO THAT WAS THE POINT. IT IS AN ISSUE, OBVIOUSLY THE

[03:35:03]

WILL SUPPORT THE MOTION. >> I AM CURIOUS. ANY OTHER COUNTIES ANY OTHER URBAN COUNTIES IN THE STATE HAVE THEY

TAKEN ADVANTAGE? >> I HAVE A LIST OF THE COUNTIES WHO HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE AND THERE ARE EIGHT OF THEM. THE ONE THAT IS CLOSEST FOR US IS COLLIN COUNTY AND THE WILL HAVE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR. A LITTLE OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE, EVERYBODY ELSE UNDER 500,000 IN POPULATION. SO YOU HAVE GRAYSON COUNTY THE SHERMAN AREA, BOSS COUNTY THE WACO AREA, CALDWELL, SAN MARCUS AREA, WALKER HUNTSVILLE AREA, LIBERTY THE CLEVELAND AREA ROCKWALL AND

COLIN IN THE DALLAS AREA. >> HAPPY DIWALI.

>> THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR MOVING THIS ITEM FORWARD.

ANYTIME WE WORK TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING NEW, IT IS DIFFICULT.

WE ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH ON OUR PLATE AND IS ALWAYS CHALLENGING. IS A FORMER FIRST RESPONDER I GET IT. I APPRECIATE THE EMOTIONS BEING MADE ESPECIALLY WITH THE DATA TRACKING WHICH WILL HELP US TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE FORTIFIED TO HELP RESPOND TO THE NEEDS AND ISSUES. I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY. I WAS BEING LOBBIED BY A LAW FIRM ON THIS AND I SAID I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE SURE, I KNEW THIS WAS IMPORTANT BUT I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE SO WHETHER IT'S I THINK YOU TIME TO BE HERE AND TO REMIND US WE ARE THE MOST DIVERSE COUNTY IN THE COUNTRY , IN TEXAS AND IT'S GOT TO BE REFLECTIVE IN EVERYTHING WE DO

SO THANK YOU. >> WE HAVE 10 MINUTES. THEY WANT TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.

>> MOTION AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. THAT WASN'T IT. THAT WAS EXTENDING DISCUSSION.

>> HOPEFULLY WE HAVE THE SAME OUTCOME.

>> WE LOOK FORWARD, MAY I PLEASE SEE THE RESPONDERS IN THE COMMUNITY SO WE HAVE QUALITATIVE DATA AND QUANTITATIVE DATA AND WE WORK TOGETHER TO EDUCATE, CELEBRATE AND RESPECT SO WE WILL NEED ONGOING DEEP PARTNERSHIP. HERE ARE THE SIX PARTS TO THE MOTIONS ITEMS FOR 40, NUMBER ONE, MOTION TO AUTHORIZE SALE OF DIWALI FIREWORKS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND TRACK PUBLIC SAFETY DATA FOR THE NEXT YEAR RELATED TO THE 2024 DIWALI SEASON. AUTHORIZED 2024 DIWALI FIREWORKS SALE FROM OCTOBER 25 FROM OCTOBER 25, 2024 TO MIDNIGHT NOVEMBER 1, 2024 IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS OCCUPATIONS CODE CHAPTER 2154. ADOPT LANGUAGE AS PRESENTED BY THE HARRIS COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE 15 BACKUP DIRECT THE HARRIS COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE TO COLLABORATE WITH ENGINEERING AND UNIVERSAL SERVICES TO ESTABLISH AN ADDITIONAL SALE PERIOD OF PERMITS , CREATE A PERMIT FOR DIWALI. OUTLINE ASSOCIATED COST ALIGNED WITH THE ADOPTED FEE SCHEDULE AND PROVIDE ANY NECESSARY SUPPORT

[03:40:02]

>> WE HAVE THESE MOTIONS MY QUESTION CHIEF AND FOLKS DO YOU GUYS ENDORSE THIS INITIATIVE? I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY AND FIREWORKS IN GENERAL I WAS THERE WERE FEWER NOT MORE BECAUSE OF THE FIRES AND THE WAY IT MEANS SO MANY ANIMALS

SQUIRRELS BIRDS ET CETERA. >> YOU NEED TO REINTRODUCE?

>> NO. >> WHAT I WILL SAY , THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION. WE ARE EXCITED FOR THE CELEBRATION. MANY EVENTS ARE SCHEDULED WITH PERMANENT EVENTS I WILL SAY WE HAVE THE DATA THAT SHOWS WHAT FIREWORKS ARE CAPABLE OF. WHAT I AM EXCITED ABOUT IS WHEN I MET WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS WAS SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER IT WAS NOT THE USE BUT IT IS THE USE FIREWORKS DON'T CAUSE INJURY UNTIL THEY ARE USED. IF WE CAN WORK WITH THE VENDORS FOR SAFETY MESSAGING BECAUSE WE HAVE DATA FROM OTHER CONSUMER SAFETY PRODUCTS AND FDA WE WANT THE VENDORS TO WORK WITH US GETTING OUT THE MESSAGING BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE ALL THE POPULATION USING THEM. THIS WILL HELP US IN ALL SEASONS. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO TO CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY WHATEVER CELEBRATION THEY WANT

TO HAVE. >> I THINK OBVIOUSLY IT'S ODD TO CALL OUT. I SAW THE SEASONS WHERE FIREWORKS ARE ALLOWED AND IT'S LIKE MEMORIAL DAY, SENT HIS UNTIL DAY. WHY NOT DIWALI .

>> ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, AGEE DAY.

>> I DID NOT MAKE THAT. APRIL 21 SPOT THAT IS CORRECT, THOSE ARE THE DAYS ALLOWED CURRENTLY TO THE LAST LEGISLATIVE

SESSION. >> SO WHY NOT , WHY NOT THIS IMPORTANT HOLIDAY? BUT IT IS CONCERNING. I DON'T LIKE PEOPLE ARE DOING IT WE MIGHT AS WELL SET UP A BRICK-AND-MORTAR BECAUSE IT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THE CONVERSATION AROUND DRUGS.

PEOPLE ARE ALREADY DOING IT >> THEY DO HAVE YEAR-ROUND SALES IN STANDALONE BUILDINGS. WE TALK ABOUT THE VENDORS AND I WANT TO EXPRESS THIS. WE ARE TALKING WORKING WITH FIRE PROTECTION LAW ENFORCEMENT EMS IS ALSO WORKING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, POLICE CHIEF ASSOCIATION. HOUSTON FIRE CHIEF ASSOCIATION. WORKING WITH THOSE BECAUSE THAT MESSAGING AND CONSISTENCY AGAIN IS GOING TO HELP THE ROUTE EVERY SEASON.

>> I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ENOUGH PERSONNEL AND FUNDING TO REALLY SPREAD THAT MESSAGE MORE BROADLY.

>> I AM ASKING FOR THE VENDORS TO ASSIST US.

>> OKAY, OKAY. I THINK IF IT'S LIKE LET'S ADD MORE FIREWORKS IN GENERAL YOU KNOW BECAUSE THE ANIMALS, WE THINK THEY ARE CUTE AND THEN WE SEE THEM AFTER FIREWORKS AND THE PROBLEM WITH A DANGER I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT OUT BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT IS A MINORITY AND I DON'T WANT TO FEEL, YOU GET THE SHORT END OF THE STICK. SO I THINK I WILL ABSTAIN ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IF I COULD HAVE FEWER FIREWORKS IN GENERAL I WOULD , I THINK IT IS DANGEROUS AND MOST STATES DO NOT DO IT THIS WAY BUT IT WILL PASS ANYWAY BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE SUPPORT, I HAVE HEARD THEM TALK SO I'M TRYING TO BE CONSISTENT WITH MY SELF.

>> IF I MAY SAY SOMETHING. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT YOUR LIMITED AS A COURT BY THE LEGISLATURE IN THE WAY THE LAW IS WRITTEN.

[03:45:07]

LEGISLATURE. >> IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT WE FIND IN ONE YEAR. AND I THINK IF THE VENDORS CAN WORK WITH VARIOUS ANIMAL ORGANIZATIONS TO SEE BECAUSE THEY RECEIVE ALL OF THESE TERRIBLY HURT ANIMALS EVERY TIME AFTER THE FIREWORKS. OKAY ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND. YOU GUYS CAUGHT THEM? OKAY .

>> VERIFY MOTION AND SECONDED.

>> ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED ? I WILL ABSTAIN. PASSES WITH

FOUR AND ONE ABSTENTION. >> THANK YOU COLLEAGUES AND

THANK YOU COMMUNITY. >> OKAY, LET'S GO BACK TO THE TOP. 227, THANK YOU GUYS, GOOD RELATIONS. AT 227 FLAG BY

COMMISSIONER GARCIA. >> THANK YOU. I AM EXCITED TO SEE OUR REIMAGINING NAVIGATION BOULEVARD PROJECT MOVING FORWARD, THIS IS A KEY PART OF MY INITIATIVE AND ENVISIONS TRANSFERRING NAVIGATION BOULEVARD FROM LOCKWOOD TO SGT.

DRIVE INTO A MULTIMODAL MOBILITY CORRIDOR BY CONVERTING A WIDENED MEDIAN INTO A LINEAR PARK WITH THE BIKE TRAIL PEDESTRIAN AMENITIES AND ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE, THIS WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE BUFFALO BAYOU EAST MASTER PLAN AND IS PART OF THE TRI-PARTY AGREEMENT BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP AND CITY OF HOUSTON AT THE TIME, NO CONSTRUCTION FUNDING HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED, BUT BECAUSE OF THE HARD WORK OF THE EAST END DISTRICT AND HARRIS COUNTY ENGINEERING , THIS GRANT OF ALMOST 10 MILLION WAS SECURED FROM THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS ITEM WILL ALLOW US TO RECEIVE THE GRANT AND TAKE THE PROJECT ALL THE WAY TO THE FINISH LINE.

I WANT TO THANK ALL PARTNERS, THE MAYOR FOR HIS WORK ON THIS.

WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ON THIS AND I APPRECIATE HIS SUPPORT IN HELPING US MOVE FORWARD. SO THE PARTNERS ATTACH THIS INCLUDING THE HARRIS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL AND THE EASTON COMMUNITY OVERALL CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR BETTER AND SAFER INFRASTRUCTURE. I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THE DISTRICT AND I WANT TO THANK THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THEIR WORK IN COLLABORATION, THEY KNEW THE VALUE OF THIS PROJECT SO THIS ITEM HELPS TO MOVE IT ALONG AND SO I AM VERY EXCITED TO SEE $10 MILLION BEING INVESTED INTO PRECINCT 2 EAST END IN HOUSTON. MOVED AS PRESENTED.

>> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES. ALL IN FAVOR? THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

GREATNESS COMMISSIONER. NOW IS 232 FLAGGED BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

THAT IS ON ACCESS HARRIS COMMISSIONER.

>> THE ACCESS HARRIS PROGRAM, SOME BACKGROUND, 26.2 MILLION SPENT TODAY . I AM LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, BENEFICIARIES. 1200. THIS IS ONE ITEM AND WE ALL WANT TO BE SURE WE GET THE BIGGEST BANG WE CAN FOR THE DOLLARS THAT ARE INVESTED. THIS WILL BE ONE I WILL BE ASKING INTERIM INTERIM DIRECTOR ON TO MONITOR AND TRACK. WE JUST NEED

A VOTE. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES 4-1. THAT WAS 232. LET'S MOVE ON AUDITED CLAIMS 259 COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

>> ONE ITEM RELATED TO BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP . MOTION TO APPROVE ALL DISBURSEMENTS EXCEPT FOR THE BOSTON

CONSULTING GROUP. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER

[03:50:01]

>> MOTION BY ELLIS, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES ALL IN

FAVOR? >> TO PROVE BOSTON?

>> CORRECT ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES 4-1. NOW MOVING ON 273 FLAGGED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. WESTFIELD ESTATES.

>> THANK YOU I'M THRILLED TO SEE THE PROJECT LOOKING FORWARD. THIS PROJECT IS ANOTHER REVIVE AND THRIVE INITIATIVE ENVISIONING TRANSFORMING WESTFIELD ESTATES BY CONVERTING ALMOST 750 PROPERTIES FROM PRIVATE SEPTIC SYSTEMS TO PUBLIC SANITARY SEWER SYSTEMS. THIS MEANS RESIDENTS WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO MAINTAIN PRIVATE SEPTIC TANKS SYSTEMS . IT WILL FREE UP SPACE ON THEIR LOTS, IT WILL BE LESS SANITARY OLDER . ULTIMATELY IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH AND A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT, THIS PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO COST APPROXIMATELY 25 MILLION FUNDED THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING. I WANT TO THANK THE BIDEN/HARRIS ADMINISTRATION. STARTING EARLY 2025 AND TRANSFER SERVICES HAPPENING IN 2026. WE ARE WORKING HARD ON IDENTIFYING FUNDING ON PHASE 2 OF THE PROJECT WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE WESTFIELD AND WALDEN PLACE . I WOULDN'T THAN ALL PARTNERS INCLUDING HARRIS COUNTY ENGINEER, SUNBELT WATER SUPPLY DISTRICT . EAST OF THE MANAGEMENT AND THE WESTFIELD ESTATES COMMUNITY FOR CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR BETTER AND SAFER INFRASTRUCTURE. I WANT TO THANK MY IN-HOUSE ENGINEERS FOR THEIR COLLECTIVE WORK AND I WANT TO THANK COMMUNITY RELATIONS FOR WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THEY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND TO MAKE SURE THEIR ADVOCACY WAS HEARD TIME EXCITED TO MOVE ON THIS ITEM AS PRESENTED.

>> MOTION AND SECONDED THAT WAS 273 ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. 350 COMMISSIONER GARCIA. LATINO MUSEUM OF CULTURAL . MOTIONED AND SECONDED. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. 356 COMMISSIONER

RAMSEY PUBLIC HEALTH CONTRACT >> THIS , WE WELCOME OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR LEO BARTON. DON'T REALLY WANT TO GO INTO ANY DETAILS TODAY OTHER THAN I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE FORENSIC AUDIT OF THE HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH CONTRACT AND PROGRAMS. I THINK WE DO SOME AUDIT EVERY TIME WE CHANGE

DIRECTORS RIGHT? >> THAT'S CORRECT.

>> I WOULD ASK , I'M USING THE WORD CONFERENCE OF AND FORENSIC TO BE SURE IT'S NOT A BACK OF THE ENVELOPE GENERIC .

>> I DON'T KNOW IF THE AUDITOR POST IS ON BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING AND TALKING WITH HIM ABOUT MAKING SURE THEY COME IN WITH THE INTERNAL AUDIT TEAM AND THERE IS ON THE LINE. I WILL LET HIM SPEAK FOR WHAT THEY ARE PLANNING.

>> YES, WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH LEAH AND I HAVE COMMITTED RESOURCES AND WE WILL START SOME OF THE AUDIT PROCEDURES .

WE WILL BE DOING THAT CLOSE OUT AUDIT , THAT'S THE STATUTORY AUDIT THAT WE DO WHEN THE DEPARTMENT HEADS CHANGE. WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND GRANTS AND WE WILL CONSIDER OTHER AUDITS THAT ARE BEING DONE, SOME OF THE GRANTS ARE AUDITED BY THE EXTERNAL AUDITOR, DELOITTE SO WE WILL NOT BE TRYING TO DUPLICATE WHAT THEY ARE DOING, BUT YES WE ARE DEDICATED TO THIS. WE WILL BE WORKING WITH LEAH AND WE HAVE RESOURCES ALLOCATED.

>> I KNOW A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUR ARPA DOLLARS HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT DEPARTMENT AND I KNOW LEAH HAS BEEN INVOLVED SO I'M PROBABLY LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT OTHER THAN BEING SURE THAT WE CROSS OUR T'S AND ON OUR I'S . I DON'T NEED TO

[03:55:02]

CAN REPORT BACK TO THE COURT? >> WE NEED TO SCOPE IT OUT AND ONCE WE HAVE SCOPED IT OUT IT WILL BE EASIER FOR YOU TO SAY IT'S GOING TO TAKE SIX WEEKS OR WHATEVER. SO IF I CAN COME

BACK. >> THAT WOULD BE BETTER, TAKE YOUR TIME AND LOOK AT IT AND GIVE US A GOOD DATE SO WE ARE NOT FEELING LIKE WE ARE JUST PICKING A DATE AND RUSHING TOWARD IT. DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND GIVE US AN IDEA. THAT'S PERFECT, I DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING.

>> COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND THEN COMMISSIONER BRIONES.

>> THIS IS STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE? ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU DO WITH ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP ?

>> YES, WHENEVER THERE'S A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP WE HAVE MORE OR LESS A STANDARD PROGRAM AUDIT THAT WE DO, BUT IN THIS CASE WORKING WITH LEAH AND BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT OF, RELATIVE TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WE WILL BE DOING SOME EXTRA THINGS. SO THIS IS A MORE EXPANDED AUDIT THAN WE NORMALLY DO WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE IN A DEPARTMENT HEAD.

>> IS THAT WITHIN YOUR CURRENT BUDGET?

>> YES WE ARE OKAY BUDGET WISE. >> OKAY THANK YOU.

>> AUDITOR POST YOU MENTIONED BECAUSE OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE COME OUT WITH PUBLIC HEALTH , WHAT DO YOU MEAN I THOUGHT WE LEFT THE , THERE WASN'T ANYTHING NEFARIOUS TO THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS. THERE WAS SORT OF NOT IDEAL CLAUSES AND DUE DILIGENCE ON THE CONTRACTS SO WE AGREED WE NEED TO SEVER THE CONTRACT AND MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE. IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT CAME OUT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT?

>> WELL, WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO, THE DIMA CONTRACT WAS ONE THAT WE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH. ON THE AUDIT SIDE, TRYING AND THAT IS ONE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES, TO PROVE PAYMENTS JUST LIKE COMMISSIONERS COURT APPROVES PAYMENTS. AND THAT WAS A CONTRACT WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULTY TRYING TO GET THE INVOICES TO ALIGN WITH THE CONTRACT. SO THERE WAS CERTAINLY THAT . THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS A NUMBER OF GRANTS THAT ARE KIND OF COMPLICATED. WE HAVE LEAH WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH HER BUT WE WANT TO PLACE HER , WE WANT TO PLACE HER SO WHEN SHE TAKES OVER, AS SHE IS DOING, SHE IS COMFORTABLE THAT THERE ARE NO MORE UNDISCLOSED ISSUES , SO YES. WE ARE DOING MORE. IT'S A VERY LARGE DEPARTMENT, VERY COMPLICATED AND WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A GOOD THING FOR US AND A GOOD THING FOR LEAH TO GET HER OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT. HOPEFULLY WE WILL NOT FIND ANYTHING, BUT IF WE DO WE WILL BRING IT BACK.

>> I'M GLAD TO KNOW YOU DO THIS EVERY TIME THERE IS A DEPARTMENT CHANGE. I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A DEEPER ONE. WE ALL AGREE THE CONTRACT WITH DEMA WAS FLAWED AND WE PROCEEDED AT YOUR ADVICE IN TERMS OF WHAT TO PROVE AND

WHAT TO NOT APPROVE. >> LET ME SAY SOMETHING. WHAT IS STANDARD? IT IS NOT, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT NEVER CHANGES, FOR INSTANCE WHEN BARBIE ROBINSON TOOK OVER, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT A COUPLE YEARS AGO. SHE CALLED ON THE AUDITOR, NOT GO THROUGH COMMISSIONERS COURT, BUT SHE SAID I'M TAKING OVER A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, THINGS THAT I'M JUST NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND HOW THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING AND WE DID EXTENSIVE ADDITIONAL AUDIT STEPS , FOR HER BECAUSE SHE WANTED US TO DO THOSE AND WE HAVE DONE THOSE FOR OTHERS DEPARTMENT HEADS . SO WE DO HAVE A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF AUDIT WILL DO WITH THE DEPARTMENT CHANGING, BUT ANY DEPARTMENT

[04:00:06]

THINGS. >> I AM GLAD YOU GUYS DO THESE AND I APPRECIATE THAT IF THE DEPARTMENT HAD SAYS I WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NOTHING FISHY AND YOU'RE READY TO RESPOND. I THINK GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE FORMER DIRECTOR I AM AFRAID YOU KNOW THE NEED FOR MORE EXTENSIVE OR THE EXTRA AUDIT, YOU KNOW THIS WAS NOT PLACED BY A DEPARTMENT HEAD AND IT WILL BE SPUN AS THE DEPARTMENT HAD OTHER PROBLEMS THEREFORE NEEDS ADDITIONAL AUDIT SO I'M JUST AFRAID THIS IS GETTING CAUGHT UP IN THE MESSAGING , THAT'S ALL. I JUST WANTED TO VERIFY WITH YOU AND I AM GLAD YOU HAVE EXPLAINED THAT IT'S NOT, YEAH, SOMETIMES YOU DO AUDITS WHICH IS GREAT. THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS, AND WE CAN VISIT THIS SEPARATELY IS CIRCLING BACK ON THE AUDIT ABOUT WHETHER THE OTHER CONTRACTS HAVE SELECTION COMMITTEE, CONTRACT , CONFLICT OF INTEREST, THAT'S MORE NECESSARY FOR AN AUDIT THAN ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE REST OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHICH I MEAN I THINK IT'S FINE FOR IT TO BE DONE. THIS LIVES WITHIN THE CONTEXT. I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE THINGS ARE BEING IMPLEMENT IT THAT WE PROMISED TO THE PUBLIC. DOCUMENTATION, ALL OF THAT. AS YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONTRACTS THAT GO OUT WITHOUT ANY OF THAT WHICH IS BASIC. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, COMMISSIONER , COMMISSIONER

BRIONES? >> FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO FOR THE COUNTY. MY QUESTION WAS FOR DIRECTOR BARTON. THE LAST TIME WE MET THIS WEEK I REALLY APPRECIATED YOU GOING THROUGH, THERE IS SUCH NUMEROUS EFFORTS GOING ON CURRENTLY IN PUBLIC HEALTH, THE ROUTINE AUDIT DONE WITH A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP, THE RECERTIFICATION EFFORTS AND OTHER CORRESPONDING FEDERAL GRANT RELATED COMPLAINTS. CAN YOU VERY QUICKLY SUMMARIZE THE SCOPE AND THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT EFFORTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY?

>> SURE, HAPPY TO. WE HAVE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE WITHIN PUBLIC HEALTH. WE HAVE A COMPLIANCE TEAM IN MY OFFICE AND WE HAVE AN INTERNAL AUDIT TEAM EVEN WITHIN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT LOOKING AT THINGS. SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE IS MR. POST'S OFFICE AND WE WORK CLOSELY TO ASSESS EXPECTED RISK WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM EARLIER THIS WEEK ABOUT THE RISKS THAT WE ANTICIPATE FOR THIS YEAR AND FOR THE LONGER TERM. THIRD LINE OF DEFENSE IS THE EXTERNAL AUDIT THROUGH DELOITTE WHO HAS IDENTIFIED WHICH PROGRAMS THEY WANT TO DO DEEP DIVES ON THROUGH THE SINGLE AUDIT PROCESS. AND OF OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS WITH UPCOMING AUDITS WITH HRS A AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE RANGE OF AUDITS WE GO THROUGH.

FROM A PROGRAMMATIC PERSPECTIVE ONE ELEMENT I AM EXCITED ABOUT IS WE ARE GOING THROUGH A REACCREDITATION PROCESS WITH PUBLIC HEALTH ACCREDITATION AND COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT .

THE AGENDA IS PART OF THAT BUT THAT INCLUDES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND WE WILL BE LOOKING TO BOTH PROGRAMS AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT APPROACH AS PART OF

THAT. >> THANK YOU , DIRECTOR BARTON.

>> QUICK QUESTION. COMMISSIONER RAMSEY SAID HE WILL NOT BE A MOTION ON THIS? SO I AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING.

>> MOTION TO EXTEND THE TIME. >> I THOUGHT I HEARD IT.

>> I'M SORRY THAT'S FINE. COMMISSIONER RAMSEY PULLED THE

MOTION? OKAY. >> MOTION AND SECOND? EXTEND

THE TIME DID YOU MAKE IT? >> SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. ALL IN FAVOR ANY OF POST? MOTION CARRIED

[04:05:02]

UNANIMOUSLY. >> THIS IS RELATED TO A DEPARTMENT WHY IT WAS ON THE AGENDA. I'M WONDERING WHEN IT IS THE ELECTED OFFICIAL OFFICE I KNOW COUPLE OFFICES ARE CHANGING. IS IT TRADITIONAL TO GO DO THE AUDIT AND WOULD IT BE NECESSARY FOR US TO DO IT? IF WE WANT TO KNOW? WILL CHANGE DA AND THE TAX ASSESSOR. I DON'T KNOW WHICH PARTY WILL WIN BUT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO REVIEW THOSE OFFICES, AS WELL.

SOMETHING YOU DO IT NORMALLY OR YOU WAIT FOR THE PERSONNEL?

>> WHENEVER THERE IS A CHANGE IN ANY DEPARTMENT HEAD OR ELECTED OFFICIAL. BE THAT A CONSTABLE, THAT A DA OR SHERIFF OR COMMISSIONER. WHENEVER THERE IS A CHANGE, WE DO AND WE DO WHAT WE CALL THE CLOSEOUT AUDIT GOING TO A NUMBER OF STEPS. SO THAT IS ALWAYS DONE WHEN THERE'S A CHANGE.

>> GOING BE ON THE CLOSEOUT AUDIT SO ENSURE WITH THE ELECTIVE OFFICES WE GO BEYOND CLOSEOUT.

>> IF THERE'S INTEREST ON THE PART OF THE PERSON COMING INTO THE OFFICE, FOR US TO GO BEYOND AND LOOK AT CERTAIN THINGS THEN CERTAINLY WE WOULD DO THAT. DOES NOT MATTER ELECTED OFFICIAL OR A DEPARTMENT REPORTING TO DIANA.

>> WHAT IF ONE OF US WERE TO ASK YOU TO REVIEW TO DO MORE THAN A SMALL AUDIT OF OFFICE SINCE WE DO VOTE ON THE BUDGET I WANT TO KNOW. JUST THINKING BEFORE KNOW WHO WINS, I WANT TO

KNOW WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON. >> I AM ALWAYS OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS . ON AUDITS WE CAN DO AND WE WILL TRY TO WORK WITH YOU, THE DEPARTMENT HEAD TO COME UP WITH WHAT MAKES SENSE.

THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE HERE FOR.

>> I HAVE SOME IDEAS. >> THANK YOU IS TO POST AND COLLEAGUES LET'S MOVE ON 377 . 377 WHICH IS .

>> JUDGE WE DO NEED ACTION ON 372 AND 373.

>> BRIGHT, RIGHT. I WAS GETTING THERE. I WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT SLOWER. 372 AND 373 ON THE BUDGET. 72 I HAVE THE MOTION IF IT IS TO APPROVE THE FY 2025 BUDGET FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT HARRIS HEALTH AS PRESENTED. DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES ALL IN FAVOR, AND HE OPPOSED? I AM IN FAVOR MOTION CARRIES 4-1. NEXT IS 373 MOVED TO APPROVE FISCAL YEAR 2025 ANNUAL BUDGET HARRIS COUNTY, THE HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AND FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT. LET ME FINISH READING IT IS THAT OKAY? APPROVE FY 2025 ANNUAL BUDGET HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD, FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT INCLUDING A TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS BUDGET OF 2900 WHAT IS THAT? WE ARE IN THE BILLIONS? 2.907 BILLION ANYWAY, FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY GENERAL FUND AND TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS BUDGET FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL GENERAL FUND AS PRESENTED. COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

>> THIS IS , IS THIS SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE?

>> THIS IS. >> LET ME HAVE A COUPLE OF HAIL MARYS AND SEE WHERE THIS GOES. I WILL NOT TAKE THE COURT MUCH OF THE TIME. I LIKE THE TERM USED EARLIER, BAKED IN, BAKED INTO THE BUDGET IS A MOBILITY FUNDING SUMMARY. AND EACH PRECINCT GETS X NUMBER OF DOLLARS. WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION IN RECENT WEEKS ABOUT DEVELOPING TRUST WITH OUR VOTING PUBLIC, PARTICULARLY AS WE GET ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER, A VOTE ON AN INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE AND IT IS 100 MILLION, SOMETHING THAT COMES OUT IN THESE DISCUSSIONS IS ARE WE GOING TO BE FAIR IN HOW THE DOLLARS ARE INVESTED IN FLOOD

[04:10:03]

WOULD BE MY MOTION. >> COMMISSIONER YOUR NOTE WAS ON THE OTHER THING. COMMISSIONER GARCIA ON A SUBSTITUTE MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

>> FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND HELPING MOVE THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT. AND THE REQUEST YOU ARE MAKING IS REASONABLE AND I WILL SECOND YOUR MOTION.

>> JUDGE? >> YES, I WILL SECOND.

>> I WAS GOING TO SECOND. >> AT THE LEAST I MAY ADD I WOULD MAKE THE SAME ARGUMENTS BEFORE THIS COURT GOT HERE. AND I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT EQUITY DOES NOT JUST MEAN WHEN YOU GET MORE. , BUT FOR A VERY LONG TIME PRECINCT 2 WAS IN THE SAME BOAT, BUT THEY WERE TREATED BETTER WHEN COMMISSIONER GARCIA, YOUR PREDECESSOR ACTED A LITTLE NICER THAN I DID. I TELL FOLKS ALL THE TIME DURING SLAVERY I'M SURE THEY WOULD KILL ME I WOULD NOT MAKE IT SUCKING UP BUT I'M PROUD TO

VOTE FOR IT. >> I THOUGHT WE WERE ALREADY

CUT FOUR WAYS. >> SO, LAST YEAR AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION AROUND THE PROGRAM THERE WAS A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF MOBILITY FUNDING OR TRANSFERS TO THE PRECINCTS BUT IT WOULD BE BASED ON THE SAME FORMULA THAT THE 2022 BONDS WERE SO WE HAVE BEEN USING THAT FORMULA FOR THE ALLOCATION AND THIS WOULD CHANGE IT TO EVEN.

>> OKAY. >> I AM VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE

MOBILITY BEING FOUR WAYS. >> IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT NOT EVEN SPLIT? I REMEMBER BEFORE THE BOND WE TALKED ABOUT THE EVEN SPLIT THEN WE CAME BACK AND IT WAS SPLIT NOT EVENLY.

>> THIS WOULD BECOME EVEN. METRO WOULD BE EVEN IN THE 2022 BOND WOULD STILL BE , IT'S ABOUT 71% DIVIDED EVENLY AND THE BALANCE IS DIVIDED BY SBI. SO YOU WOULD NEED I DON'T

[04:15:06]

>> NOT ON THE BOND FUNDING BUT FOR THE BUDGET YOU CAN.

>> IF THE COURT WANTED TO TAKE IT BACK UP TO HAVE AN ITEM AT A DIFFERENT COURT. IT DOES FOLLOW THE SAME CALENDAR.

>> I SUGGEST YOU DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK.

>> MOTION AND SECOND , THAT WAS SUBSTITUTE MOTION DID YOU GUYS

CATCH IT? >> IF IT CAN BE REPEATED.

>> PASS THE AMENDMENT AND THEN PASS .

>> CORRECT BUT THEY NEED COMMISSIONER RAMSEY TO REPEAT .

>> THE MOBILITY FUNDS AT 2025. THE MOBILITY FUNDS TRANSFER FROM HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD BE EQUALLY SPLIT AMONGST THE PRECINCTS AND THE NUMBER BEING 60,500,000 EACH.

>> MOTION BY RAMSEY, SECONDED BY GARCIA, MOTION CARRIED

UNANIMOUSLY. ANOTHER MOTION? >> THANK YOU.

>> YOU ALL DID NOT HAVE TO DO THAT AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT.

SOMETIMES WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING AND LET ME SAY THIS, THE COOPERATION AMONGST THE PRECINCTS ON THE LAST THREE STORMS IS EXTRAORDINARY IN SPITE OF WHAT EVERYBODY SAYS UNABLE TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B.

>> THANK YOU, YES COMMISSIONER ELLIS.

>> WE HAD A DISCUSSION EARLIER WITH ISSUES RAISED IN PUBLIC TESTIMONY BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND I HAVE A SIMPLE MOTION TO DIRECT OMB TO WORK WITH THE DA OFFICE TO ASSIST ON BUDGETING PRIORITIES AND PROCESS TO ENSURE THERE ARE NO LAYOFFS IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BETWEEN OCTOBER AND THE END OF DECEMBER OF DECEMBER 2024.

>> IF YOU WOULD NOT MIND ADDING THE COUNTY AUDITOR.

>> AND THE COUNTY AUDITOR. >> I WILL SECOND.

>> MOTION BY ELLIS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES ALL IN FAVOR? ANY POST? I THINK IT IS A GREAT IDEA . MOTION CARRIES

4-1. >> I ALSO HAD A MOTION RELATED TO THE DA. AND OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET AND AT THE END AS THE DA OFFICE WENT THROUGH THE BUDGETING PROCESS IT WAS NOT DONE EXACTLY AS DEFINED , IN TERMS OF PROTOCOLS. THERE WAS NOT A CUT BUDGET SUBMITTED. I

THINK IT WAS 5%. >> THAT'S CORRECT. JUST TO BE CLEAR I HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS. THIS IS PEOPLE ARE SAYING IT'S MY POLICY. THIS IS THE COURT POLICY WE CAME HERE GOT IT APPROVED AND IF WE WANT TO KEEP

IT. >> MOTION TO EXTEND THE TIME.

>> MOTION AND SECOND ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIED

UNANIMOUSLY. >> WE FOLLOW THE PROTOCOL SET OUT AND IF THE COURT WANTS TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE COURT DISCRETION, BUT OMB FOLLOW POLICY HAS APPROVED BY COMMISSIONERS COURT.

>> WHAT I HEARD TODAY RELATED TO THE IMPACTS , I DON'T WANT TO IMPACT CRIMINAL JUSTICE. I KNOW THERE WILL BE A CHANGE AT THE DAS OFFICE AND THAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT IT WOULD APPEAR TO ME THAT THE $6 MILLION THAT THEY WERE PENALIZED , I WOULD MAKE THE MOTION THAT THE $6 MILLION BE , BE REINSTATED IN THEIR BUDGET SO AS WE DON'T GO THROUGH ANY FORCED LAYOFFS .

BUT WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE PREVIOUS MOTION WAS, THEY CANNOT OR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH ANY LAYOFFS. WHILE THERE IS GOING TO BE LAYOFFS IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING TO THE

BUDGET . >> THAT'S NOT HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS. IT'S NOT LIKE WHEN THEY GO OVER PAYROLL BUDGET FOR ONE PAY PERIOD WITHIN INSTITUTE LAYOFFS. THEY THEMSELVES WERE IN THE SITUATION TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THEY GAVE RAISES AND WE DEFAULTED AND SAID NO NEW REVENUE RATE THEY STARTED BUDGET BLOCKED UNTIL JANUARY WHEN MY OFFICE PUT ITEM ON THE

[04:20:01]

>> YOU HAVE A LOT OF FOR THAT ?

>> AND WE WILL RESTORE THE FUNDING IN JANUARY. THIS IS THE POLICY COURT SET OUT AND I THINK IT'S A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT COURT WOULD NOT FOLLOW THROUGH ON ITS OWN

RULES. >> COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND THEN

COMMISSIONER ELLIS. >> FIRST COMMISSIONER RAMSEY AND ELLIS THANK YOU FOR THINKING THROUGH THE ISSUE. I WAS GOING TO ASK EARLIER WHEN I WAS HEARING COMMENTS FROM THE DA AND THE OTHERS THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM WHAT I HEARD, THAT SHE IS AT RISK OF LAYING OFF HER MOST EXPERIENCED PEOPLE WAS THAT ABOUT THE GIST OF IT ? IN THE HOMICIDE DIVISION.

>> ONE NOTE. WHEN COMMISSIONERS COURT FUNDED POSITIONS THEY DID NOT FUND HOMICIDE UNIT THEY FUNDED POSITIONS. A CHOICE BY

THE DA. >> THAT IS GOING TO BE MY QUESTION. WE GAVE HER MONEY FOR THE NEW STAFF, BUT SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER TENURED PEOPLE GOT PUT INTO OUR ONE-TIME FUNDING. DID YOU DO THAT? DID THE HR DO THAT?

>> THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAD DISCRETION ON WHO TO PUT IN

WHICH POSITIONS . >> SO THAT OFFICE MADE THE DECISION . I DON'T GET THE IMPRESSION THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE PUT UNDER TEMPORARY FUNDING. THESE ARE AND I HAD NOT HEARD OF TENURED STAFF BEING PUT ON ARPA , I MEAN BECAUSE IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY , CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG DIDN'T WE GO THROUGH A REAL EXTENSIVE EFFORT TO HELP HER HIRE PEOPLE WITH EITHER CARES OR ARPA AND SHE WAS STRUGGLING BECAUSE PEOPLE KNEW THIS WAS TEMPORARY FUNDING AND WE GAVE THEM SOME LANGUAGE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME, THAT IT WAS BEING CLEARED, SO TEMPORARY FUNDING YOU KIND OF COME IN AT YOUR OWN RISK. NOT MOVING TENURED EMPLOYEES INTO TEMPORARY FUNDING.

>> THAT WAS YOUR MOTION, THAT WAS MY SECOND COURT IN HARRIS COUNTY . YOU GUARANTEE FUNDING FOR THREE YEARS SO AS TO NOT

RUN INTO THESE ISSUES. >> WE GO YEAR TO YEAR. SO I'M

SURPRISED . >> ONE THING TO ADD. THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SET UP AND THE AUDITOR CAN CHIME IN. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SPEND 100% OF THE BUDGET ON THE FIRST QUARTER AND IT'S NEITHER I NOR THE AUDITOR THAT WILL BE ASKING FOR LAYOFFS TO BRING THEM INTO BUDGET THEY DO START THE YEAR IN THE BUDGET

BLOCK SCENARIO. >> COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND THEN

COMMISSIONER BRIONES. >> IF WE PASS A POLICY SO WHEN THEIR TRANSITION AND OFFICEHOLDERS CANNOT JUST GO ON

A SPENDING SPREE, >> WE HAVE, THE COURT DID A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. THEY ARE ENFORCEABLE, WITH STATE LAW AND THERE IS COURT THEY ARE ENFORCEABLE, WITH STATE LAW AND THERE IS COURT, ODYSSEY THAT SAYS ANY SPENDING ABOVE I THINK $100,000 COMES BACK TO COURT AND HAS TO BE APPROVED.

>> THEY HAVE BEEN COMPLYING. TWO OR 3 QUARTS AGO THERE WAS A DONATION TO THE CHILDREN ASSESSMENT CENTER WITH A COUPLE RACES THAT CAME. THAT'S EVERYONE.

>> HOW MUCH IS IN THE ASSET FORFEITURE ACCOUNTS? I KNOW

IT'S A FEDERAL ACCOUNT. >> THE FEDERAL IS 500,000 LAST I CHECKED AND THE STATE IS 5.2 MILLION.

>> DO YOU KNOW IF ANY MONEY HAS GONE OUT, ANY CHECKS?

>> THAT WOULD'VE BEEN REQUIRED TO COME TO COURT, THE ONLY ONE I CAN THINK OF IS THE DONATION TO THE CHILDREN'S ASSESSMENT CENTER WHICH THE COURT PASSED ULTIMATELY.

>> SO ANYTHING GOING OUT WOULD HAVE TO COME THROUGH US? THERE ARE RUMORS SOMETHING ELSE WENT OUT.

[04:25:03]

>> I WOULD DEFER TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR, BUT NOTHING HAS COME

UP . >> SO THEY CANNOT WRITE A CHECK. THAT WOULD NOT BE LEGAL.

>> MIKE , HELP ME OUT HERE. >> YES, LET ME GET MY PICTURE BACK. YEAH, WE WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS. WHEN YOU ARE A LAME-DUCK AND YOU HAVE THIS RULE THAT SAYS THAT EXPENDITURES OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT NEED TO BE APPROVED, WE TRY TO ENFORCE THAT IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS BINDING AS COMMISSIONERS SET THAT LIMIT. I, LIKE DANIEL, AM NOT RECOLLECTING, BUT I CAN GO BACK AND SEE IF THERE WERE EXPENDITURES OVER THE LIMIT AND MAKE SURE THOSE WERE APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT.

THAT IS SOMETHING THE AUDITOR TRIES TO STAY ON TOP OF BECAUSE ALL DISBURSEMENTS COME THROUGH THE AUDITOR AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY ALL FOLLOW ALL THE RULES AND ARE PERFECTLY LEGAL.

>> IS SOMETHING TO GET OUT AND WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA COULD WE CLAW THAT BACK? SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE ASSET FORFEITURE ACCOUNTS EITHER FEDERAL OR THE STATE.

>> THE FEDERAL ONE , COMMISSIONERS COURT DOES NOT

HAVE PURVIEW OVER. >> THAT'S THE HALF-MILLION, BUT FOR THE 6 MILLION , THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME TO T■HIS

COURT? >> THAT'S CORRECT.

>> IF IT DID NOT COULD WE CLAW IT BACK?

>> THAT'S A QUESTION FOR THE COUNTY ATTORNEY.

>> I CAN ASK THIS QUESTION. DO WE HAVE , SINCE IT HAS ALREADY GONE OUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ALREADY GONE.

>> I THINK WE NEED TO RESEARCH. YOU ARE REFERRING TO AN AWARD OR DONATION TO CRIMESTOPPERS. I'M NOT PREPARED TO SPEAK TO IT BECAUSE I SAW FOR THE FIRST TIME EARLIER TODAY I DON'T KNOW MIKE IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT DID NOT COME THROUGH COMMISSIONERS COURT.

>> HOW MUCH WAS IT, THE RUMOR? 700,000 ?

>> AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW. >> CAN YOU LOOK INTO IT AND WE CAN CALL A SPECIAL MEETING OF WE NEED TO? OR LOOK AT IT WHEN

WE FINISH THE COURT? >> 751 OUT DID NOT COME TO THE COURT HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN IF WE PUT CONTROLS IN PLACE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO PAY THE SALARIES CORRECT.

>> I'M THINKING THEY CAN LOOK INTO IT.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BEFORE WE WIN TODAY IF THAT'S TRUE OR

NOT. >> LET ME CHECK AND I WILL GET SOMEBODY LOOKING AT IT NOW. MAYBE WE CAN GET AN ANSWER PRETTY QUICK. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.

>> THAT WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BRIONES AND COMMISSIONER

RAMSEY. >> THANK YOU, JUDGE. DIRECTOR RAMOS . TO CONFIRM CAN YOU PLEASE CONFIRM THAT THE CURRENT BUDGET ALLOCATION IS SUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN OPERATIONS THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. TO REITERATE ARE THEIR CURRENT OPEN VACANT FUNDED POSITIONS? SMOKE AS OF LAST FRIDAY THERE

WERE 37 FUNDED POSITIONS. >> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY.

>> SAME KINDS OF QUESTIONS, THE 29 POSITIONS.

>> MOVED TO EXTEND. >> I SECOND.

>> REFER TO HOMICIDE DETAIL, PARALEGAL POSITIONS I THINK THERE'S 29 POSITIONS TOTALING 3,789,000. ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT THAT'S FUNDED NOW AND WILL BE FUNDED AFTER OCTOBER 1?

>> THERE ARE TWO COMPONENTS. ONE IS THE ARPA FUNDING IS UNDER CONSIDERATION. THE FOCUS AREA TEAM AND EVENTUALLY WE GO TO AND IF SOMEBODY ON THE TEAM WANTS TO JUMP IN. I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH ALL THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS ON THE CARRYFORWARD FOR THAT. ON THE GENERAL FUND SITE THERE ARE 37 VACANCIES THOSE POSITIONS COULD GO INTO AND IT WOULD BE TIGHT AND THEY WOULD LIKELY BE BUDGET BLOCKED FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR AND WE COULD MAKE THE TRANSFER TOMORROW TO MOVE THOSE ARE PUT POSITIONS INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND I CAN ASSURE YOU NEITHER ME NOR THE AUDITOR WILL ASK FOR LAYOFFS

BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY. >> ARE WE OKAY TO VOTE ON THIS

[04:30:04]

>> THIS IS THE BUDGET STILL. >> I HAVE A COUPLE MORE. THESE MIGHT GO PRETTY QUICK. I MAKE A MOTION ALL CONSTABLE POSITIONS FILLED OVER ONE YEAR BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND NOT THE ADJUSTED BUDGET .

>> WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO COMMENT?

>> I KNOW YOU HAVE SET UP AN ADJUSTED BUDGET FOR POSITIONS

SUCH AS THE TOMBALL ISD. >> TO BE CLEAR THE REASONING IS THOSE CONTRACTS COME IN AND OUT ON A YEARLY BASIS. WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND BELIEVE THIS MEETS THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER OF SB 23 AND SO .

>> JOHN IS ON HE CAN SPEAK TO THIS SPECIFICALLY.

>> THAT WOULD BE A POLICY DECISION. IF YOU BUILD IT INTO THE BASE BUDGET THE COUNTY IS STILL ON THE HOOK IF THOSE GO

AWAY . >> THAT'S CORRECT.

>> I WOULD STILL MAKE THE MOTION. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY . MOTION DIES FOR LACK OF A SECOND.

>> MY NEXT ONE IS TO AMEND PROPOSED BUDGET AT $200,000 FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY FOR THE CHILDREN'S ASSESSMENT CENTER.

>> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY DO YOU HAVE MORE DETAILS ON THAT ONE?

>> THAT IS A SPECIFIC REQUEST THEY HAVE MADE IN TERMS OF

THAT. >> DID THEY PUT IT IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL OR WAS ANY SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST PART OF

THE BUDGET PROCESS? >> I CAN DO THE RESEARCH ON THAT ONE. ONE THING WE CAN DO IS WE ARE CURRENTLY SCRUBBING THE SECURITY BUDGET. COUNTYWIDE ADMINISTERED BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OFFICE , WE CAN COME BACK WITH SUGGESTIONS.

>> IF YOU CAN LOOK AT THE CHILDREN'S ASSESSMENT CENTER AND THE HARRIS CENTER, $500,000 WOULD BE A SPECIFIC NEED. AS YOU SCRUB THAT SECURITY BUDGET THOSE TWO IN PARTICULAR WOULD

BE IMPORTANT. >> UNDERSTOOD.

>> I WOULD NOT SECOND THE MOTION AT THIS TIME IF ONE WERE MADE, I DO SHARE CONCERNS BASED ON FEEDBACK SO AS YOU LOOK AT SECURITY AND TOTALITY THOSE OF BE TWO AREAS FROM THE EMPLOYEE STANDPOINT AT THE HARRIS CENTER THERE ARE RAISING CONCERNS AT THE CENTERS AND SOME OF THE REMOTE WORK THEY DO IN THE FIELD AND THE CHILDREN'S ASSESSMENT CENTER GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE VICTIMS THAT ARE BEING SEEN THERE. THOSE WOULD BE IF YOU CAN ADD TO THE COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS.

>> WE WILL PUT THOSE ON THE AGENDA EARLY IN THE NEXT FISCAL

YEAR. >> YES COMMISSIONER ELLIS.

>> I WANT TO SUGGEST TO MY COLLEAGUES , THIS PERSON ON THE BALLOT AND WILLING TO TAKE THE HEAT TO SAY WE NEED TO LOOK AT TRYING TO MAKE 8% THAT WE ARE PERMITTED. THAT ARGUMENT WAS NOT CONVINCING . IF WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND DECIDE TO CHANGE THE PROCESS AT THE 11TH HOUR I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LAUNDRY LIST OF THEM AND I SO MUCH RESPECT BOTH OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS WHAT THEY REPRESENT ONE IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE. THE CHILDREN'S ASSESSMENT CENTER.

AS PAINFUL AS IT IS FOR FEAR OF BEING RUDE TO PEOPLE I POINT OUT THE CHAMBER WAS FULL TODAY AND PEOPLE WITH THINGS THEY WANTED FUNDED. BUT IT WAS PRETTY EMPTY ON THE DAY WE WERE MAKING THE DECISION. HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE TO SPEND. IF WE START AMENDING AT THE 11TH HOUR I HAVE A LONG LAUNDRY LIST THAT I WOULD BRING UP AS WELL. AND I WOULD NOT WANT TO PUT ANY OF YOU IN A POSITION WHERE I AM KIND OF POSTURING BY RAISING AT THE TIME IT WOULD'VE BEEN DONE RESPECTFULLY WHEN WE DECIDE HOW

MUCH MONEY WE WOULD'VE >> JUST TO CONFIRM, DIRECTOR, THERE IS A PROCESS AND I HEAR YOU OVER AND OVER HAVE BEEN STATING THIS IS THE PROCESS. WE ALL VOTED ON THE PROCESS AND RESPECT THE PROCESS. SPEAKING OF PROCESSES, THERE IS --

[04:35:01]

>> AND OUR AS PART OF OUR QUARTERLY PROJECTIONS, WE ALSO BRING ANY SUPPLEMENTALS THAT MIGHT BE NECESSARY.

>> HAS THIS BEEN SUBMITTED? >> I BELIEVE THE CHILDREN ASSESSMENT CENTER -- I THINK THE HARRIS CENTER ONE CAME IN TOO LATE. TO BE CONSIDERED -- ON BOTH OF THOSE, WE WILL LOOK AT THE EXISTING SECURITY BUDGET AND --

>> I THINK THAT IT MAKES SENSE TO LOOK AT SECURITY. I DO I DO , I AM CONCERNED WITH THE FACT WE ARE ONLY GOING TO HAVE THIS 8% THIS YEAR. BECAUSE WHERE WILL WE GET MORE SECURITY BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR? ON THAT I HAVE TO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE COMMISSIONER ALICE AND IT'S GOING TO BE EASY FOR US TO SAY WE WANTED TO HAVE ENOUGH OF A BUDGET PERMANENTLY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, IS THERE A SECOND ON THESE

APPROPRIATIONS? >> THAT MOTION DOES , FOR A

LACK OF A SECOND. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY. GOING BACK TO THE BUDGET ITEM 373, SHOULD I READ

THE MOTION AGAIN? >> YOU ARE RIGHT BEFORE I THINK. I BELIEVE YOU JUST APPROVED THE BUDGET THIS TIME.

>> YOU WOULD HAVE TO REREAD, AS AMENDED .

>> I DON'T WANT TO READ IT AGAIN. WANT ME TO ASK -- GREAT.

IS THERE A MOTION ON THE BUDGET?

>> BUDGET AS AMENDED. >> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, AND SECONDED BY GARCIA, ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? I'M IN FAVOR , MOTION CARRIES 4-1. THEN WE GO TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS OR TAX RATE ITEM? WE ARE READY DID PUBLIC HEARING SO CHECK STRAIGHT ITEMS. SO, IT IS 377, 378, 379. CAN WE READ THEM

AGAIN? >> WE NEED TO DO THEM SEPARATELY AND I THINK WE JUST --

>> ON 377, THE MOTION IS THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF .38529 WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 9.53% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. THIS CONSISTS OF. 33454 FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS IN .05075 FOR DEBT SERVICE THIS IS THE COUNTY TAX RATE. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS .

SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ALL IN FAVOR?

>> ANY OPPOSED? I'M IN FAVOR, MOTION CARRIES 4-1. ON HARRIS HEALTH, THE MOTION IS IF THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF .16348 WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 13.90% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. THIS CONSISTS OF .16212 FOR RATE -- MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION AND .00136 FOR DEBT

SERVICE. >> MOVE, SECOND. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER -- ALL IN FAVOR ANY OPPOSED? I'M IN FAVOR, MOTION CARRIES-ONE.

>> FOR THE RECORD, THAT'S FOR 378?

>> 378, MOVING ONTO 379 THAT IS THE PORT, THE MOTION IS THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF .00615 WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 6.13% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. THIS IS FOR DEBT SERVICE.

>> MOVED. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER -- SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS. ALL IN FAVOR?

>> MS. -- AYE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, THAT IS THAT. THEN

WE MOVE ON TO 388 . >> IF I MAY, JUDGE. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL. I KNOW IT'S A LONG JOURNEY, LONG JOURNEY TO GET THROUGH THE BUDGET AND THAT REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE TRUST YOU PLACED IN ME AND REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS

WHO BOUGHT INTO THE PROCESS. >> DANIEL, THANK YOU AND I HAVE A RESOLUTION I WANT TO PRESENT TO YOU.

>> I GOT ONE TOO, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS -- YOU'VE BEEN A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. NOT ALWAYS -- NO BUDGET DIRECTOR IS EVER ENTIRELY WELCOMED. YOU HAVE TO SAY NO TO SOME THINGS. BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, IT HAS BEEN A VERY MARKED DIFFERENCE FROM PREVIOUS PRACTICES AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE . I DO HAVE SOME THINGS I WANT TO VISIT

[04:40:03]

>> REAL QUICK, LOOK AT ME. HERE I AM, 35 YEARS OLD.

>> GOALS. COMMISSIONER ELLIS, DIRECTOR, I ECHO MY COLLEAGUE'S SACRAMENT -- SENTIMENT . I KNOW THE COUNTLESS HOURS YOU SPENT FOR MONTHS , I LOVE THE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES AND THE DISCIPLINE THAT YOU BROUGHT, I LOVE HOW YOU ARE MOVING US INTO PERFORMANCE-BASED BUDGETING, AND PUSHING TIGHT PIS WHICH I WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE IN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO MAKE PROGRESS AND I PARTICULARLY THANK YOU FOR GOING INTO THE COMMUNITY FOR THE BUDGET TOWN HALLS. THAT WAS TREMENDOUS LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING ON IT, BUT YOUR TEAM JUST REPRESENT TO ME THE PROMISE AND WHAT IS BEST OF

HARRIS COUNTY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. FIVE REPLIES TO GO AS THE BUSH COMMUNITY CENTER FOR -- GETTING OUR RED CARDS AND GREEN CARDS. YOU MIGHT GET INTERESTING FIND IN TERMS OF TALKING TO THE BUDGET, I LIKE THE FACT YOU ALWAYS ANSWER THE PHONE. I ALWAYS DON'T LIKE THE ANSWER. Y'ALL ALWAYS ANSWER THE PHONE AND THE DODGERS OVER SEVEN GAMES FROM CLENCHING. THE ASTROS ARE SIX GAMES FROM CLENCHING. I JUST TEXT --

CHECKS THAT AT NOON. >> YOU GUYS DID A GOOD JOB, THANK YOU. OKAY. 388, THAT IS MY PRECINCT 4, THIS IS A TRANSMITTAL OF THE COMMITTEE HEALTH ASSESSMENT .

>> THANK YOU, JUDGE. DIRECTOR, CAN YOU PLEASE VERY BRIEFLY WALK US THROUGH SOME KEY FINDINGS AND THEN THE NEXT STEPS YOU STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS EARLIER ON ONE OF THE PRIOR ITEMS BUT IT'S REALLY ILLUMINATING TO TAKE A LOOK , THANK YOU FOR STEPPING IN AND FOR LEADERSHIP AND IMPROVEMENT

YOU ARE BRINGING. >> HAPPY TO, WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT WHICH WAS CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS, OUTSIDE STAKEHOLDERS, CREATED BY ANALYZING DATA AND TAKING COMMUNITY INPUT, WE'VE IDENTIFIED 10 ISSUED STATEMENTS THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE CRITICAL HEALTH DISPARITIES THAT EXIST, CRITICAL HEALTH ISSUES WE WANT TO WORK ON, THOSE ALIGNED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE HARRIS COUNTY STRATEGIC LAND, THE COUNTYWIDE PLAN SO WE ARE EXCITED THAT THESE REINFORCE EACH OTHER, OUR NEXT STEP WILL BE TO CREATE A COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN BASED ON THESE ISSUED STATEMENTS THEN WERE ALL THAT -- ROLL THAT INTO OUR PLAN. AGAIN, WE ARE READY HAVE HYPOTHESES AROUND WHAT THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN WILL CONTAIN , AN EMPHASIS ON HEALTH CARE ACCESS ON MENTAL HEALTH, CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND AGAIN, VERY CONSISTENT WITH THE COUNTYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO READ IT, THERE'S SOME GREAT MAPS.

REALLY GREAT ENGAGEMENT THAT WAS DONE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.

PLEASE USE IT TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH OF THE COUNTY AS WELL AS WHERE WE WANT TO GO. I WILL GIVE A SPECIAL RECOGNITION TO BRANDON MADDOX, WHO REALLY LET A GREAT PROCESS HERE IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER DIVISIONS AND OFFICES

WITHIN PUBLIC HEALTH. >> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. JUST A QUESTION ON THAT ONE IS WHERE WOULD THE BUDGET COME FROM FOR THAT?

>> THIS NEEDS TO DIRECT OUR ACTIVITIES WITHIN OUR EXISTING BUDGET AND WILL HELP INFORM OUR FUTURE BUDGET REQUEST . OUR GRANT SEEKING, THIS IS NOT SEPARATE FROM OUR ONGOING ACTIVITIES, THIS INFORMS ONGOING ACTIVITIES.

>> I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE DOING THAT, THANK YOU. IS THIS A TRANSMITTAL? LET'S SEE. YES, WE ACCEPT THE TRANSMITTAL. NEXT

[Emergency/Supplemental items]

>> THANK YOU, ON THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM, ZEBRA PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTAND THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF ELECTRONICS AND BATTERY RECYCLING WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S GENEROUS GRANT OF 4.86 MILLION AND NO REQUIRED MATCH FROM THE COUNTY, THIS PROGRAM OFFERS TREMENDOUS VALUE AT NO

[04:45:01]

IT JUST KIND OF REMINDS ME THAT I REMEMBER ONE BUDGET THAT I -- BUT WITH MAYOR WHITE OVER, AND I DID NOT GET TO GET IT INTO THIS ONE, DANIEL , BUT I THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH IT THROUGH EXISTING RESOURCES IF POSSIBLE, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF RECYCLING RECEPTACLES HERE IN THIS BUILDING, WE HAVE THEM FOR OUR RESPECTIVE OFFICES BUT NOT FOR EVERYONE ELSE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN AT LEAST START THERE WITH THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING AND THEN FOR US TO WORK WITH OUR RESPECTIVE PRE-STINKS -- PRECINCTS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ENHANCE THE, THE REASON I MENTION MAYOR WHITE BECAUSE ON A LONG, DRAWNOUT BUDGET, HE DID NOT WANT TO ACCEPT MY BUDGET AMENDMENT TO INCLUDE -- MY DAUGHTER HAD JUST COME BACK FROM CHINA, SHE WENT TO GO LEARN ABOUT RECYCLING EFFORTS IN CHINA. I PROMISED HER I WOULD MAKE A BUDGET MOTION AND THE MAYOR WAS LIKE BEING MAYOR WHITE . HE GOES -- HE MADE THE COMMENT HE DID NOT SEE THE NEED FOR. SINCE WE HAVE BEEN THERE ALL DAY, OUR TRASH CANS WERE FLOWING OVER WITH PLASTIC BOTTLES FROM ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF DRINKING WATER ALL DAY LONG. I SAID WELL, JUST LOOK AT THAT, MAYOR . SHE SUPPORTS THE COUNCILMEMBERS MOTION TO LOOK FOR RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES SO, ANYWAY, LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN

DO HERE. THANK YOU. >> COMMISSIONER? I MOVE ON TO

THE ITEM AS PRESENTED. >> COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR FLAGGING THIS WHEN I WAS READING, THIS WAS REALLY COOL AND I WANT TO THANK OUR OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR.

THIS IS BASICALLY $5 MILLION FROM THE EPA -- PARDON ME, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WHICH I THINK IS AMAZING. I AGREE, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BUT WE NEED TO BE CONTINUOUSLY LIVING IN TORAH VALUES IN ALL COUNTY BUILDINGS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE RECYCLING AND DOING OTHER EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THE ENVIRONMENT IS AS CLEAN AND SAFE , AND AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH MY GIRLS AT THE ZOO, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS AND APPRECIATE THE INITIATIVE AND PROACTIVE IS OF THE DIRECTOR AND THE TEAM. THANK YOU. I SECOND .

>> WE WILL BE LEANING IN ON RECYCLING WITH THE COUNTY ENGINEER AND BUILDING OPERATIONS AS WELL.

>> WHAT ABOUT FOR IN THE COMMUNITY, IS THAT A THING WE

[04:50:02]

CAN HELP WITH? >> DIRECTOR, I SEE YOU ARE ON, IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN WORK ON FOR RECYCLING AND THE

COMMUNITY? >> GOOD AFTERNOON, THIS IS LISA, DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY OCA, I THINK WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK AT THE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND ARE ACTUALLY WAITING CONFIRMATION FOR DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY TO SEE IF WE CAN USE SOME OF OUR EE CBG FUNDS, FOR OUR COMPOSTING PILOT AT THE LIBRARY. WE ARE TRYING LITTLE INTERVENTIONS HERE AND THERE AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO. CERTAINLY --

>> IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE ARE JUST SO BEHIND BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT CAN BE A FUNDING ISSUE. ON THE PIECE ABOUT THE BATTERY RECYCLING, WE HAD ALL THESE TRASH FIRES THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS SO I'M ASKING WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING, THE ISSUE IS THAT PEOPLE JUST THROW AWAY THEIR BATTERIES . IT'S REALLY NOT EASY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR BATTERIES, WE ALL KNOW WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO THROW THEM AWAY BUT WHERE DO YOU PUT THEM? ANYWAY, I THINK THAT PART OF THIS IS ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEE WHAT BEST PRACTICES ARE, I KNOW THIS IS WITH THE ZOO BUT MAYBE THERE IS ANOTHER INITIATIVE , SOMETHING WE CAN DO AROUND THE BATTERIES, I KNOW THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE IS WORKING ON SOMETHING RELATED TO THOSE TRASH FIRES, ULTIMATELY IT'S ABOUT US MAKING IT EASY FOR RESIDENTS TO

KNOW TO DO WITH THIS STUFF. >> PART OF THE GRANT FUNDING IS ACTUALLY LOOKING BEYOND THE CAMPAIGN EDUCATION -- IN ADDITION TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE ZOO, WE WILL HAVE MOBILE PODS THAT WILL BE MOVING AROUND TO EDUCATE THE BROADER COMMUNITY. WE DEFINITELY WANT TO DO THAT GREATER EDUCATION

FOR SURE. >> WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BRIONES. THAT IS FOR 24. ANYONE OPPOSED? I'M IN FAVOR MOTION CARRIED

UNANIMOUSLY. >> BEFORE WE GET TO THE NEXT ITEM, YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION RELATED TO CRIME STOPPERS. WE DO HAVE AN ANSWER, THAT'S ON THE OCTOBER COURT . OCTOBER 7TH

COURT SO IT'S COMING BEFORE. >> COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THAT WAS THE ONE YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, THE ASSET FORFEITURE?

>> IT'S THE 750,000 CRIME STOPPERS. I'M NOT SURE THE FUNDING SOURCE. I THINK WE WILL HAVE TO DETERMINE THAT.

>> IF IT IS ACID 400 MONEY, COULD THAT BE USED TO PAY THE SALARIES THAT THE D.A. WAS RAISING ISSUES ABOUT ?

>> MORE THAN PAY THOSE. >> YES. SHORT ANSWER.

>> I WOULD SUGGEST WHEN THAT ISSUE COMES UP AT LEAST FOR ME, I WANT TO MAKE SURE NONE OF THOSE GREAT ASSISTANT DISH -- DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S RELIEVED OF THEIR DUTIES . I WILL NOT BE

VOTING FOR IT. >> YEAH, ESPECIALLY SUCH LITTLE-KNOWN -- AMOUNT OF TIME LEFT. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR CIRCLING BACK . THANK YOU. SO, MOVING ON TO 425. DIRECTOR --

>> THIS IS ONE OF THE FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN OPTIONS THAT WE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY, ESSENTIALLY THIS ITEM, THESE FEES HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2015 DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, THE LABOR COST FOR COUNTY STAFF HAS GONE UP 25% I BELIEVE OUR NONLABOR COSTS HAVE GONE UP CLOSER TO 20%, WE MADE A RECOMMENDATION THAT FOUR OF THE ITEMS OR YOU DIRECTLY COMPETE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN PARTICULAR KIND OF THE PROCESS SERVING TO KEEP US FLAT AGAINST THE PRIVATE SECTOR, ALL THE OTHER ONES WERE WE DON'T HAVE A NATURAL COMPETITOR ON

THE LABOR COST. >> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY?

>> I UNDERSTAND IT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2015. I THINK THAT IT DOES, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO DO IT OVER TWO YEARS RATHER THAN DO IT ALL IN ONE YEAR, I THINK WHEN TALKING TO THE -- THEY WOULD , THAT WOULD BE THEIR PREFERENCE. RATHER THAN 25% INCREASE, 11% THIS YEAR, AND

THE REST OF THE NEXT YEAR. >> I THINK THE CONSTABLES AND I HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION, IT'S NOT THE COURT TO DECIDE.

>> THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION TO PROPOSE THE 2025 CONSTABLE SERVICE FEES TO REFLECT 11% INCREASE.

>> ALL RIGHT, THAT'S SUBSTITUTE MOTION, WE HAVE NOT MADE A MOTION ON THIS AT ALL. IS THERE A HECK INTO COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S MOTION? THAT MOTION DIES FOR LACK OF A SECOND, IS THERE A MOTION TO PROVE TO SET, AND ADOPT THE

[04:55:01]

COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, THIS IS ON -- HARRIS COUNTY DOWNTOWN

FACILITIES MASTER PLAN. >> I WAS NOT REAL SURE WHETHER THIS INCLUDED NE NINTH FLOOR MODIFICATIONS THAT WILL BE DONE WHEN THEY LOOK AT ALL OF THIS , IS THIS BUILDING OR ANY PART OF THIS BUILDING INCLUDED IN THAT PARTICULARLY SPECIFICALLY THE

NINTH FLOOR? >>> GOOD AFTERNOON, ] COMMISSIONER, YES WE WILL COMPREHENSIVELY LOOK AT ALL THE FACILITIES, THAT SPECIFIES NEEDS FOR DIFFERENT -- DEPARTMENTS ABOUT CONSULTING WITH -- PRODUCING A RECOMMENDATION. THAT INCLUDES THE BUILDING.

>> SO, THAT IS YET TO BE DETERMINED . THIS IS JUST HIRING THE CONSULTANT TO COME IN AND ASSESS, AND EVALUATE

WHAT THEY WILL DO? >> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> MAKE THE MOTION. >> COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, DR., WILL YOU BE ENGAGING THE PRECINCT OFFICE IS ABOUT THE

FUTURE? >> ABSOLUTELY. COMMISSIONER, WE WILL BE AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING MARCH 27TH OF THIS YEAR WHILE WE INVITED ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN DOWNTOWN INCLUDING THE DOWNTOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, CIVIL COURTS, COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, HR ARE IN ACCOUNTING -- PDO ALL OF THEM FOR A FIRST MEETING, WE ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED -- WITH EVERYBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT.

>> COMMISSIONER? WILL YOU BE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT SECURITY ISSUES? I KNOW MY OFFICE ON THE NINTH FLOOR, SOMEONE ON MY STAFF HAS HAVE -- HAD A MENTAL CHALLENGE GOT INTO MY OFFICE A

WEEK AGO. >> ABSOLUTELY, COMMISSIONER, SECURITY IS OUR TOP RARITY BECAUSE WE HAVE MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS IN DOWNTOWN FACILITIES.

>> THANK YOU. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA? SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. I MEANT TO MENTION ON THIS COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT, IT IS REALLY WELL DONE. IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH DOCUMENT, SO OBVIOUSLY, IT'S THE TEAM THAT HAS WORKED ON THIS, I DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK ON THIS THAT WILL HELP US MOVE FORWARD. ITEM 446

IS NEXT. >> I THINK WE NEEDED 442, I KNOW THERE WAS A HEARING, YOU JUST NEED TO APPROVE IT AS

PRESENTED. >> I WAS GOING TO GET TO PUBLIC HEARINGS AT THE END FOR THE RECORD.

>> WE DID HAVE A HEARING ALREADY.

>> WE NEED TO VOTE IS WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.

>> IS THERE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 442?

>> COMMISSIONER ELLIS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA.

>> APPROVED AS PRESENTED. ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. YOU DON'T EVEN GIVE ME A CHANCE TO SUCCEED ON THIS. OKAY. SO, 446 IS FLIGHT BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, THAT IS ON INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN HARRIS COUNTY AND THE HARRIS HEALTH?

>> I THINK IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT DIRECTOR RAMOS, I WAS LOOKING AT THIS AND IT APPEARS THAT THE BUDGET AMOUNT FOR THE NEW JAIL HOSPITAL LAST YEAR IS THE SAME AS THIS YEAR. THOSE NUMBERS HAVE NOT CHANGED, SO THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT A TRANSITION PLAN BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY SPENDING THIS YEAR ON THE JAIL, IT IS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.

>> GREAT QUESTION. THE -- WHAT COURT TOOK ACTION ON WAS IF YOU REMEMBER, OUR CONTRACT WITH THEM, WE PAY THEM IN QUARTERLY INSTALLMENTS AND SETTLE THE NEXT YEAR, THEIR COSTS FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 24 WAS $23 MILLION ABOVE WHAT WAS BUDGETED DURING THE YEARS SO WE HAVE TO HAVE PAID THIS OUT IN FISCAL YEAR 25, WHEN WE CAME TO THIS AGREEMENT, WE GROUP JUST REMOVE THAT $23 MILLION WHICH ALLOWS US TO GET TO BALANCE NEXT YEAR, THE ONLY THING YOU WILL SEE IN THE BUDGET WOULD BE THE NONELIGIBLE COSTS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH IS THE

[05:00:01]

>> IS THERE -- A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM OR 46? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ELLIS, ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? I'M IN FAVOR, MOTION CARRIES 4-1. LET'S MOVE ON TO 458 ,

COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S ITEM. >> THIS IS MEANT TO JUST SIMPLY HIGHLIGHT I KNOW -- THAT INTERIM DIRECTOR BARTON IS GOING THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT DETAILS BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT BECAUSE IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY AN ASSESSMENT THAT WE AT LEAST CONSIDER SEPARATING AT THE VETERINARY SERVICES FROM PUBLIC HEALTH. IT'S BEST PRACTICE IS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. I JUST DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT PARTICULARLY THAT THOUGHT, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE CRISIS IN THE ANIMAL CONTROL AREA. THIS IS JUST MEANT FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION MORE THAN ANYTHING. I WILL BE TALKING TO DIRECTOR BARTON , INTERIM DIRECTOR BARTON ON HER TIMING OF WHEN WE MIGHT LOOK AT THIS MORE SPECIFICALLY IN DETAIL. THIS IS MEANT TO JUST COMMUNICATE WITH THE COURT AND LET YOU KNOW THAT IT IS AT LEAST WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE WHAT POSSIBILITIES ARE THERE.

>> YES, AND DR. HANSEN WHO WAS THE DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS DIVISION IN OCA, HER TEAM HAVE BEEN DOING THE WORK ON THE BENCHMARKING AND DOING ALL THE RESEARCH, I BELIEVE THEY SEND YOU AN EMAIL TO ALL THE COURT OFFICES UPDATING THEM ON WHERE THEY ARE WITH THE RESEARCH AND WE ARE EXPECTING THAT SOON. I SEE THAT DIRECTOR JOHANSSON IS ON CAMERA DIRECTOR, CAN YOU JUST BRIEFED THE COURT ON WHEN YOU ARE EXPECTING THE FINAL RESULTS AND WHAT YOU'VE SEEN SO FAR WILL WORK? TWO MINUTES -- REAL QUICK .

>> I'M HAPPY TO DO THIS, CAN YOU HEAR ME?

>> GREAT, SO THERE ARE SORT OF COMMON ISSUES FOR THE JURISDICTIONS WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THAT HAS TO DO WITH BUDGET, SHELTER CAPACITY, AND RECRUITING STAFF. THAT WAS PROBABLY NOT ANTICIPATED BUT ALL THE SHELTERS ARE ABOUT CAPACITY AND THE BUDGET IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THE CAPACITY OF THE SHELTERS SURROUNDING, THAT IS BOTH WITHIN JURISDICTIONS IN TEXAS . AND OUTSIDE JURISDICTIONS, WE HAVE NOT TALKED TO, THERE'S THE CHALLENGE OF RECRUITING STAFF IN PARTICULAR, VETERINARIANS DUE TO A NATIONAL SHORTAGE OF VETERINARY FRENCH NATIONALS WITH RESPECT TO BEST PRACTICES AND STANDARDS, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND CONCLUSIVE BEST PRACTICES OR STANDARDS. OF THE JURISDICTIONS WE HAVE TALKED TO FOUR OF THE EIGHT HAVE STANDALONE DEPARTMENTS FOR VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH, THREE OF THE EIGHT HAVE VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH WITHIN PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISIONS. THAT INCLUDES LOS ANGELES COUNTY VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH BUT THEY DO NOT PROVIDE ANIMAL SERVICES . THEN THERE IS TRAVIS COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES, THE CONTRACT THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR ANIMAL CARE . THERE ARE SOME VARIATIONS AROUND WHETHER VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH IS WITHIN THE PUBLIC HEALTH

DEPARTMENT ARE NOT -- OR NOT. >> THANK YOU, DR. JOHANSSON.

>> WE EXPECT TO HAVE THE REPORT TO COURT AT THE END OF OCTOBER,

OCTOBER 29TH. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT

PRELIMINARY GLIMPSE. >> DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS CAPACITY ISSUE , HOW ARE FOLKS HANDLING THAT?

>> I THINK ONE OF THE EXAMPLES WE HAVE IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, YOU KNOW ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES IS THE ANNUAL LIVE RELEASE RATE THAT ALL SHELTERS ARE REPORTING. THAT IS AN IMPORTANT FOCUS BUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY MAINTAIN A LIVE RELEASE RATE OF 95%. WITH THAT, THEY ARE ALLOWED TO RESTRICT INTAKE TO MAINTAIN IT. THAT IS HOW THEY HAVE HANDLED CAPACITY AND YOU KNOW, THE MAINTAINING THE RELEASE STAYED AT THE SAME TIME.

>> THE REASON I ASKED THAT IS I DON'T KNOW WHOSE PURVIEW THIS FALLS UNDER, I DON'T KNOW IF COLLEAGUES ARE -- HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS. I THINK IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO GIVE THE SPAY AND

[05:05:06]

NEUTERED. >> YOU GUYS ALWAYS DO THIS, WE KNOW -- ALL MY COLLEAGUES KNOW THE AREAS OF TOWN WHERE THIS IS REALLY A BIG PROBLEM AND JUST BEING HYPER FOCUSED ON HAVING A CONSISTENT PRESENCE IN THOSE AREAS, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE'S A LOWERING OF BARRIERS IN TERMS OF CITY AND COUNTY FACILITIES BECAUSE THAT WAS ALWAYS AN ISSUE. IT IS THE CITY DOING THE SAME THING? THAT'S REALLY GOOD. THAT'S JUST GREAT. THANK YOU. I KNOW WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT

FOR A LONG TIME. >> WE FOUND EIGHT PUPPIES IN A DITCH YESTERDAY. THEY WERE BROUGHT BACK TO THE OFFICE, I THINK BY 5:00, THEY WERE ALL GONE. YEAH. ANYWAY, THANK YOU GUYS FOR WORKING ON THAT. ANYTHING ELSE, COMMISSIONER

RAMSEY? >> THAT WAS JUST A DISCUSSION ITEM. SO, NO ACTION. FOR ALL AND 59 COMMISSIONER RAMSEY ON RETIREE OR DEPENDENT HEALTH INSURANCE.

>> I HAD JUDGE NEWMAN DROP BY MY OFFICE, HIS FATHER OF COURSE WAS BILL. THE JUDGE WAS WITH HARRIS COUNTY FOR DECADES. HE HAD A PROBLEM WITH SOMEONE HACKING HIS BANK ACCOUNT. THEY HACKED IT AND BECAUSE THEY HACKED IT, AND THE BANK HAD ISSUES. HIS NORMAL PAYMENT ON HIS INSURANCE WAS NOT MADE. HE GETS A LETTER FROM HARRIS COUNTY THAT SAYS THAT'S ONE HERE ONE MORE, YOU LOSE, YOU ARE -- I THINK THAT'S PRETTY IN THIS DAY OF ALL THESE ACCOUNTS BEING HACKED RIGHT LEFT, I THINK MY MOTION IS TO DIRECT HUMAN RESOURCES TO REVISIT THE CURRENT POLICY ON RESTATEMENT OF RETIREE OR DEPENDENT HEALTH INSURANCE AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON NOVEMBER THE 12TH, 2020 OR COMMISSIONERS COURT

>> MOTION AND BY COMMISSIONER RAMSEY AND SECONDED BY GARCIA.

I WILL HURRY, ALL IN FAVOR? >> JANA SMITH-POST FOR -- AYE.

THE MOTION CONTINUES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING ELSE, WE GOT THROUGH PUBLIC HEARINGS AND APPROVE THE ITEMS. GONE THROUGH TWO DISCUSSION ITEMS, HEARD THE ANSWER ON THE FUNDS THAT COMMISSIONER ELLIS HAD QUESTIONS ON. ANYTHING ELSE COUNTY ATTORNEY?

>> THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. ALL OF THE FOLKS ,

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.