[1. CALL SESSION TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
WE'LL CALL THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2024 TO ORDER, START WITH ROLL CALL COUNCIL MEMBER THOMPSON.
[3.1. Discussion and possible action regarding appointment of Non-US Citizens to Boards and Commissions. (Peter Gordon)]
AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING APPOINTMENT OF NON-US CITIZENS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.SO I THOUGHT MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO IS WALKTHROUGH, UH, EVERYONE GOT A CHANCE TO READ THROUGH IT ALL, BUT WE HAD 27 PAGES OF, UM, AGENDA ITEMS OR A REPORT FROM LEGAL THAT KIND OF WALKED US THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, WHAT WE ALLOW, WHAT WE DON'T ALLOW, WHAT STATE ALLOWS WHAT WE DON'T.
SO I THOUGHT MAYBE I COULD JUST, IF, UH, DOTTY COULD GIVE US KIND OF A SUMMARY OF HER FINDINGS AND THEN I COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KIND OF WHAT MY ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS.
I WENT THROUGH IT IN THE SEPTEMBER 19TH MEETING SO I COULD REITERATE THAT AND GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN.
KIND OF WHAT MY, SO WE, SORRY.
COUNCILOR THORNTON'S HERE AT SIX O ABOVE.
SO WE SET OUT THREE QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER DURING THIS WORK WORK SESSION.
FIRST OF ALL, WHETHER THEY WANT A NON-US CITIZEN OR FOREIGN NATIONAL TO SERVE ON A CITY BOARD OR COMMISSION, WE PROVIDED DEFINITIONS OF WHAT A NON-US CITIZEN OR FOREIGN NATIONAL IS.
IN THE MEMO THAT WE PROVIDED TO COUNCIL, WE DID THE ANALYSIS OF STATE LAWS AND CITY ORDINANCES.
WE DIDN'T FIND ANY PRESS PROHIBITION IN STATE LAW THAT YOU COULD NOT PUT A US NON-US CITIZEN OR FOREIGN NATIONAL ON YOUR BOARD OF COMMISSION.
WE, WHAT WE DID FIND WAS SOME STATE LAWS HAD DIFFERENT CRITERIA.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE FEDERAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CA BOARD HAS TO HAVE, UH, SOMEBODY FROM THE ETJ.
SO WE SET OUT, UH, THE LAWS AND ORDINANCES THAT THE CITY'S ADOPTED.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT YOUR CURRENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, UH, HAVE AS A STATE LAW REQUIREMENT AND THEN AS A CITY ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT.
SO YOU COULD DECIDE LOOKING AT THOSE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, WHETHER OR NOT SERVICED BY A NON-US CITIZEN WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU WOULD WANNA CONSIDER.
SO THAT, AND THAT'S THE LAST QUESTION.
WHAT BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS ARE APPROPRIATE? SORRY, WHAT WAS THE SECOND QUESTION? WHAT FIRST ONE WAS WE WON A NON-US CITIZEN OR FOUR NATIONAL ON A BOARD.
WHAT WAS THE SECOND ONE? UH, THE SECOND ONE WE JUST ANALYZED THE STATE LAWS AND CITY ORDINANCES.
AND, AND SO THERE'S NO EXPRESS PROHIBITION IN STATE LAW, SO WE COULDN'T FIND ANY.
WHAT WAS THE THIRD ONE? THE THIRD ONE IS, UM, WHICH BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE? OKAY.
SO IF YOU DON'T, NUMBER ONE IS, NO, DON'T GO TO TWO OR THREE
SO, UM, KIND OF HOW WE GOT HERE, UM, HOW, HOW THIS KIND OF CAME ABOUT FOR ME IS, UH, I BROUGHT THIS UP WHERE I PUT IT ON THE AGENDA ITEM FOR THE SEPTEMBER 19TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND YOU REMEMBER WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT AND WE KIND OF WENT BACK AND FORTH ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROS AND CONS AND, YOU KNOW, LOT QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT CAME FROM AND ALL THAT.
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE DECIDED LET'S JUST DO A WORK SESSION TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH IT.
UM, FOR ME IT WAS KIND OF, KIND OF WHAT GENERATED THIS WAS TWOFOLD.
UM, ONE IS, I HAVE A NUMBER OF FRIENDS WHO LIVE WITHIN THIS HU CITY LIMITS WHO ARE NOT US CITIZENS, BUT WHO OWN HOMES WHO PAY PROPERTY TAXES.
UM, THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY PAY SALES TAXES 'CAUSE THEY SHOP HERE, THEY USE OUR PARKS, THEY USE OUR LIBRARY, THEY HAVE LIBRARY CARDS, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND SO THEY, THEY'RE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK AT LEAST ONE OF 'EM IS WORKING ON CITIZENSHIP PAPERS.
UM, BUT THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
I THINK ONE OF 'EM IS A PERMANENT
UM, SO THAT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE WAYS THAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SERVE, UH, IN ADDITIONAL WAYS IN THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT GENERATED IT WAS, UM, ROUGHLY 35 YEARS AGO, I WAS A FOREIGN NATIONAL.
I LIVED IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR TWO YEARS.
AND SO I WAS A MEMBER OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
I WENT OVER THERE, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE.
I, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
I WAS A, YOU KNOW, I THINK I WAS LIKE A VISA HOLDER.
I HAD A HAD A WORKING VISA OVER THERE.
UM, AND SO I KIND OF HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THEY'RE AT AND KIND OF THEIR BACKGROUND AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, COME TO COME TO ANOTHER COUNTRY AND SEE IF THEY WANNA LIVE HERE.
SOME OF 'EM, THEY WANNA LIVE HERE PERMANENTLY.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT STARTED IT.
AND SO AS FAR AS KIND OF ANSWERING, YOU KNOW, THOSE
[00:05:01]
QUESTIONS THAT, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY SENT OUT, KIND OF WHERE I'M AT AND WHAT I'M COMFORTABLE RECOMMENDING AND WHAT I WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IN FAVOR OF VOTING FOR, FOR REQUIREMENTS, UM, WOULD BE TO LIMIT IT TO ONLY THREE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.UH, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THE DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION AND BELONGING COMMISSION, THE LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD AND THE PARKS ADVISORY BOARD.
UM, THE REASON WHY I PICKED THOSE THREE IS 'CAUSE THOSE THREE ARE PURELY ADVISORY.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE ACTION WITHOUT ANY KIND OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION.
THEY CAN ADVISE THE COUNCIL, BUT THEY CAN'T TAKE ACTION ON THEIR OWN.
UM, THE OTHER REASON IS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE ONES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER THEY'RE A CITIZEN OR NOT USE OUR PARKS, THEY, THEY GO AND THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, USE OUR PARKS.
MOST OF THEM PROBABLY HAVE LIBRARY CARDS.
UM, AND THEN DIVERSITY, EQUITY INCLUSION.
I THINK THAT ONE'S, YOU KNOW, FOR ME IS KIND OF SELF-EXPLANATORY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE DIVERSE PEOPLE TO, TO, UH, PARTICIPATE HERE.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR CURRENT COHORT OF WHAT WORD CALLED HOW OF CITIZENS UNIVERSITY IS MADE UP OF A VERY DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I HAVEN'T ATTENDED ANY, BUT I SAW SOME WALKING IN AS WE WERE DOING SOME INTERVIEWS AND, AND, UH, SAW IT WAS A VERY DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE.
UM, AND SO THOSE THREE BOARDS ARE THE ONES THAT I, THAT I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE LIMITING IT TO AND NOT CONSIDERING ANY OTHERS.
UM, THE OTHER REQUIREMENT, UM, THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER IS THAT IT'S ONLY FOR, UH, WHAT WAS TERMED IN THE DOCUMENTATION WE GOT AS RESIDENT ALIEN OR KERMAN RESIDENT ALIEN.
UM, OFTENTIMES IT'S, IT'S CALLED GREEN GREENHEART, GREEN CARD HOLDERS.
AND SO IT'S PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE US GOVERNMENT TO LIVE HERE AND TO WORK HERE AND TO, YOU KNOW, BE A PART OF OUR SOCIETY.
UM, AND THEN THE THIRD ITEM THAT I HAD WAS, UH, I WAS GONNA RECOMMEND THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT WE LIMIT IT TO A MAXIMUM OF ONE INDIVIDUAL ON THE BOARD THAT WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, SO WE, SO I THINK THERE WAS SOME, YOU KNOW, WORRY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE A MAJORITY OF A BOARD THAT WOULD BE MADE UP OF NON-CITIZENS.
AND SO MY RECOMMENDATION, LIKE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF BOARDS THAT SAY OF THE SEVEN, FIVE HAVE TO BE, UM, RESIDENTS WITHIN THE ACTUAL CITY LIMITS.
AND WE ALLOW UP TO TWO IN THE ETJ OR ALLOW UP TO TWO IN THE HOW DO ISD BOUNDARIES.
AND SO MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THESE WAS, UM, IF WE DID IT TO HAVE A MAXIMUM OF ONE NON-CITIZEN, UH, THAT COULD SERVE ON EACH BOARD.
SO THAT'S KINDA WHERE I WAS AT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT STARTS A DISCUSSION STARTS, YOU KNOW, SOME THOUGHTS AS FAR AS, SO THE ONE ON YOUR LIST THAT GIVES ME A LITTLE BIT OF PAUSE AND I THINK NEEDS SOME DISCUSSION IS THE PARKS BOARD.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, WHILE IT'S NOT A BINDING DECISION, THEY MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT ACCEPTING DONATIONS OF PARK LAND.
THEY SHAPE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING IN, IN TERMS OF NEGOTIATING WHAT WE GET FROM THEM IN TERMS OF PARKS.
AND SO THAT SHAPES IT BEFORE IT EVEN COMES TO US.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A FINAL DECISION, IT'S STILL AFFECTING THE FINAL DECISION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
SO THAT TO ME IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER BOARDS THAT ARE REALLY MUCH MORE JUST ADVISORY IN NATURE.
BUT BUT IT'S STILL ADVISORY THOUGH, RIGHT? I MEAN, THEY, LIKE, THEY, DO THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ACTUALLY LIKE ACCEPT, LIKE TO, TO ACCEPT LAND WITHOUT THE CITY COUNCIL CONFIRMING THAT? OR IS THAT I, I DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY DID, BUT IT, NO, I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL HAS TO CONFIRM IT, BUT IT DOESN'T COME TO US UNTIL IT GOES THROUGH THERE.
SO IT GETS SHAPED BY WHAT THEY DO.
BUT ARE THEY MAKING LIKE COMMITMENTS? LIKE THEY SAID, YES.
WE'RE, WE GUARANTEE WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS LAND FROM YOU, THIS IS A DONE DEAL, OR WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND A COUNCIL THAT YEAH, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO, BUT IF THEY RECOMMEND ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WE DON'T SEE WHAT THEY DIDN'T RECOMMEND, WE SEE WHAT THEY RECOMMENDED, YOU KNOW, SO IT DOES SHAPE IT.
REASON I THINK IT BEARS DISCUSSION.
TO THAT POINT, THE PARKS ADVISORY BOARD HAS STARTED TO HAVE MORE NEGOTIATING POWER WITH, UM, DEVELOPERS WITH THE LAND, UM, YOU KNOW, ACCEPTING IT IN LIEU OF, OR PAYMENT IN LIEU OF, AND THEY HAVE, UM, THEIR ACTIVITY ON THAT HAS BEEN ON AN UPTICK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, I GUESS GIVEN THEM THAT AUTHORITY.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OBVIOUSLY FINAL APPROVAL THROUGH CITY COUNCIL.
BUT THERE HAS BEEN SOME, I GUESS MORE ACTIVITY.
UM, I WISH PERRY WAS HERE, PERRY'S ALWAYS HERE, BUT, UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME ACTIVITY IN NEGOTIATING THOSE, THOSE KIND OF THINGS WITH THE PARKS BOARD.
BUT THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, IS ONE VOTE REALLY THAT CONCERNING, OR DO YOU SAY IN THAT ONE CASE YOU MAY GET A NON-VOTING MEMBER ON THE PARKS BOARD? SO IT'S STILL ONE, BUT IT'S A NON-VOTING MEMBER.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S THE TWO WAYS TO LOOK AT IT.
EITHER YOU SAY ONE VOTE'S NOT THAT BIG, OR YOU SAY, OKAY, THEY'RE ON THE BOARD, BUT IT'S A NON-VOTING POSITION FOR JUST PARKS ONLY OR FOR ALL THREE.
WELL, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE OTHER, I MEAN, THAT'S THE OTHER PART TO ASK, RIGHT? IS IF YOU SAY IT'S ONE AND IT'S A NON-VOTING EXCEPT FOR, I MEAN, D AND I PROBABLY MAKES, UM, SENSE, BUT I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST, UM, I MEAN THAT'S THE OTHER IDEA.
YOU CAN SAY IT'S ONE AND A NON-VOTING MEMBER.
[00:10:01]
SO THAT WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD WRITE INPUT, BUT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE SAY IN THE FINAL VOTE.WHICH, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE VOTE.
SO THAT KIND OF, BUT IT ALLOWS YOU TO BE AT A SEAT AT THE TABLE, BUT YOU STILL DON'T HAVE, WHAT'S THAT CALLED? EX OFFICIO.
EX WOULD YOU WANT THAT ONLY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT RELATED TOPICS AND LET THEM VOTE ON EVERYTHING ELSE? I MEAN, THAT'D BE ONE WAY TO DO IT.
THAT, THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY A, BECAUSE I MEAN, WHO, WHO'S GONNA WANNA JOIN A BOARD BOARD THAT THEY CAN'T ACTUALLY VOTE ON? RIGHT.
BUT I I WAS JUST SAYING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A, SO I THINK THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THE PARKLAND ACCEPTANCE.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? I'M SORRY.
UM, IS IT THAT WE'RE HAVING THAT MUCH DIFFICULTY TRYING TO FIND PEOPLE WHO ARE US CITIZENS TO BE ON THESE BOARDS? IS THAT WHY THIS HAS COME UP? I, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M JUST, I DIDN'T SEE THE SEPTEMBER MEETING ACTUALLY.
UM, SO, SO TO ANSWER, WE HAD, WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WENT THROUGH THE CITIZENS UNIVERSITY, THE HU UNIVERSITY, AND LEARNED ABOUT ALL THE NORTH MISSION.
THEY'RE HERE ON A WORK VISA FOR A TECH COMPANY, RIGHT.
AND THEY'RE FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY.
THEIR CHILDREN ARE BORN HERE, THEY'RE US CITIZENS, BUT THEY'RE NOT.
BUT THEY DO HAVE THEIR, THEIR RESIDENT CARD AND THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS THEIR CITIZENSHIP.
AND THEY WERE LIKE, HEY, I'D LIKE TO SERVE ON THE PARKS BOARD 'CAUSE MY KIDS LIVE HERE.
THAT'S A LEGITIMATE PERSON THAT WANTS TO ENGAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND YEAH, UNTIL HERE RECENTLY, WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD FULL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, SORRY, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE PUBLIC COMMENT? YEAH, BUT HER QUESTION WAS WHAT LED TO THIS, WHICH THAT PUBLIC COMMENT WAS LAST MEETING, AND I THINK PETER ALREADY SAID THAT, BUT I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY THE ANSWER FOR, FOR ME IS NO, WE HAVE HAD GREAT INTEREST IN, FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, CITIZENS AND HAS HAD A RESIDENTS AND ETJ RESIDENTS TO SERVE ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, ACTUALLY, UM, MYSELF, MAYOR PRO TIM GORDON, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THORNTON, WE'RE ON THE, UM, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, NOMINATING COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR, UM, HOPEFULLY AFTER TONIGHT, WE WILL HAVE FULL ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, FULL.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, WE'RE PENDING ONE, UH, NOMINATION THIS EVENING, BUT THEN ALL OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WILL BE FULL HERE IN HU UM, WITH LIKE US, US CITIZENS VOTERS IN HU IN HU IN WILLIAMS COUNTY IN THE US.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF HOW WE GOT TO THIS PLACE, IF THAT WAS THE ISSUE.
THAT WAS MY QUESTION EXACTLY, IS, ARE ARE THERE NOT ENOUGH CITIZENS, UH, AVAILABLE TO SERVE ON THESE BOARDS? AND IF THERE ARE ENOUGH CITIZENS TO SERVE ON THESE BOARDS, THEN I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, A PERSON'S DESIRE TO SERVE, BUT THERE'S BOUND TO BE OTHER WAYS TO SERVE OTHER THAN ON A BOARD THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH CITIZENS TO SERVE.
SO I WAS MARRIED IN JAMAICA WHEN, AT THE AGE OF, I DON'T KNOW, 24 MAYBE.
AND THAT DOESN'T GIVE ME ANY, ANY MORE SPECIAL RIGHTS IN JAMAICA WHEN, WHEN WE GO BACK OCCASIONALLY I HAVE TO CHECK IN, I HAVE TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK.
THEY ACTUALLY CHARGE YOU TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY.
IT'S LIKE 25 OR 30 BUCKS IN ONE YEAR.
I ALMOST DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
I GO TO MEXICO REGULARLY, UM, I CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THERE.
I WISH ONE DAY I COULD RETIRE THERE.
UM, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH I'M ABLE TO DO BECAUSE I'M THERE.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY THAT IS HERE WORKING ON DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE HERE TEMPORARILY.
BUT SOME OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS ARE IS WE'RE SAYING, WELL, THESE ARE ADVISORY BOARDS.
BUT FREQUENTLY WE'VE HAD A BOARD COME UP AND SUGGEST SOMETHING.
AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I'VE TAKEN A DIFFERENT APPROACH AND DIDN'T AGREE WITH THE ADVICE, BUT COUNCIL HAS REGULARLY SAID, WELL, IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA TAKE THE ADVICE OF THIS BOARD, THEN WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE 'EM HERE? SO THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PARKS AND THEY KNOW ABOUT THE LIBRARY, WHATEVER.
AND I'M ALWAYS ARGUING THAT THE, THE PARKS BOARD IS ADAMANT AND PASSIONATE ABOUT PARKS.
THE LIBRARY'S PASSIONATE ABOUT THE LIBRARY.
WHEN THEY COME UP TO US AND THEY RECOMMEND BUILDING THE $200 MILLION LIBRARY, LET'S SAY, THEY DON'T KNOW ALL THE OTHER TUGS AND PULLS WE HAVE IN OUR BUDGET.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THEIR INPUT.
BUT AS A COUNCIL, WE SEEM TO ALWAYS FOLLOW WHATEVER THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OR BOARD IS ASKING.
AND SO WHAT SCARES ME IS WE DO THIS AND THEN WE SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS VOTE AGAINST 'EM AND NOT TAKE IT.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE HISTORICALLY IN THE FIVE YEARS OR SO I'VE BEEN ON HERE.
AND I THINK THERE'S WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED.
I THINK THERE'S WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD.
BUT I TALKED TO MY WIFE, SHE'LL GET MAD.
UM, HER AND I ARE POLAR OPPOSITES ON THINGS ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT SEEMS LIKE
[00:15:01]
AND THIS ISSUE.AND SO THEN I ASKED A MEMBER IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT HAS BEEN LONG TIME AND WE SHARE OPPOSITE OPINIONS.
AND I LOOKED FOR PEOPLE THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
AND MANY OF THEM WERE LIKE, NO, PEOPLE NEED TO BE RESPECTED.
THEY NEED TO BE TREATED EQUALLY.
BUT THERE'S CERTAIN RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES THAT COME WITH CITIZENSHIP.
AND THE CONCERN, EVEN FROM A PERSON, I WON'T EVEN SAY WHERE THEY WORK, THEIR VISAS EXPIRED.
AND THEY SAID, I AM WORKING ON MY CITIZENSHIP, BUT NO, I SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
AND THEIR ARGUMENT WAS, IS THAT WE ALL SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON THE TASK AT HAND, BEING A CITIZEN.
AND IF I HAVE ISSUES OR CONCERNS, THEY SAID, MIKE AND I HAD TO GET AHOLD OF YOU AND I'LL CALL YOU.
AND SO I LOOKED AT THAT AND I SAID, THAT'S INTERESTING 'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION, WHICH, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR VIEWPOINT.
SO I THINK THERE'S WAYS TO REPRESENT PEOPLE.
AND ANOTHER THING I'M AFRAID OF IS, I THINK IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE.
UH, WE MEET TODAY, WE SAY IT'S ONLY THREE BOARDS AND, UM, MAYBE ONLY ONE PERSON.
AND THEN NEXT YEAR IT'LL BE, WELL, UM, IT'S WORKED OUT PRETTY GOOD.
I MEAN, WHY NOT? LET'S BUMP IT TO TWO.
AND THEN, UM, BEFORE LONG, I'M GONNA HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS A VOTER GOING, HEY, I CAN'T GET ON THE BOARD OF COMMISSION.
WHY CAN'T I GET ON? I'M GONNA SAY, WELL, FORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE ANY OPENINGS RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, I THINK WE AS A COUNCIL SHOULD DO BETTER AT PROMOTING OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND NEEDS AND, UM, DOING THAT, UM, BEFORE WE, I WANNA SAY OPEN IT UP TO OTHER PEOPLE, BUT AGAIN, I THINK EVERYBODY'S IMPORTANT.
EVERYBODY'S VOICES SHOULD BE HEARD.
AND I THINK THERE'S AVENUES FOR THAT.
I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT, UM, IN MY MIND, THIS IS THE, I GUESS THIS IS A ROUTE, UH, TO ECHO THAT OPINION.
I, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY SOUND THINKING AND, AND SOME OF MY CONCERNS AS WELL.
I, I'M, I'M MARRIED TO, UH, AN IMMIGRANT.
I HAD WORKED VISA, I WAS PART OF THAT COMMUNITY, ALL THAT EXPERIENCE AS WELL BACK HERE IN HU TEXAS.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE ANY, ANY PRESSING NEED TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE GROUP OF US CITIZENS TO FIND BOARD MEMBERS.
RIGHT? UM, EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND IF THE, IF THIS PROPOSED POSITION WILL BE NON-VOTING, IT SEEMS AWFULLY LIKE AN ISSUE OF VIRTUE SIGNALING.
WE ALREADY HAVE A MUNICIPALITY WHOSE MOTTO IS, KEEP IT WEIRD.
I WOULD PROPOSE THAT HU'S MOTTO SHOULD BE, KEEP IT NORMAL.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PROPOSAL NOT GO FORWARD.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE POSITIONS STRICTLY FOR US CITIZENS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF US CITIZEN, UH, CITIES WHERE PERMANENT RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN ADVISORY BOARDS.
UH, SAN FRANCISCO, NEW YORK, CHICAGO.
IT'S WORKED OUT WELL FOR THEM.
CAN YOU PLEASE NOT INTERRUPT ME ONE TIME? I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU DID ENOUGH SPEAKING.
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, TACOMA PARK, MARYLAND, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND.
THERE'S ALREADY A PRECEDENT OUT THERE THAT HAS BEEN SET, WHICH SHOWS THAT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE PERMANENT RESIDENTS TO SERVE ONBOARDING COMMISSIONS, ESPECIALLY IF THEIR ADVISORY BOARD AND COMMISSION.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S ALL A MATTER OF, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE.
SO NOW WE HAVE TO SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL AND GET, YOU KNOW, PERMANENT RESIDENTS TO, UH, TO FILL UP, FILL THESE POSITIONS.
UM, I THINK THAT AS A CITY THAT DOES WELCOME EVERYONE, THAT WE SHOULD ALLOW PEOPLE WHO ARE PERMANENT RESIDENTS, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE.
UM, I WAS A PERMANENT RESIDENT UNTIL 2016.
I'M CURRENTLY A NATURALIZED CITIZEN.
I ALSO SERVE IN THE US FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
WHEN EVERYONE FLOODED DURING THE MEMORIAL DAY FLOODS, I PUT TOGETHER DINNERS FOR ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS WHOSE HOMES GOT FLOODED.
I FOUND THEM RESOURCES FOR THEIR APPLIANCES TO BE FIXED FOR FREE, UM, BY A LOCAL, UM, FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS HERE IN HURO.
I WAS RUNNING OUR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
I WAS RUNNING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH.
I WAS, UM, ASSISTING WHEN, UM, OFFICER CHRIS KELLY WAS MURDERED HERE IN HURO.
I WAS SENDING OUT WATER TO OUR TEXAS RANGERS BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY HOT AND THEY WERE IN UNIFORM.
I HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, POUNDING THE PAVEMENT, HURO FOR A LONG TIME TO EXTEND MY HAND TO MY NEIGHBOR'S, ONLY NEIGHBORS.
[00:20:16]
I HAVE THE SAME EDUCATION.I HAVE SERVED ON PTA BOARDS, I HAVE VOLUNTEERED IN SCHOOLS.
I HAVE, UH, DONE FUNDRAISERS FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY AND I HAVE LOVED IT.
WHETHER I WAS A US RESIDENT OR WHETHER I WAS A US CITIZEN, AND REALLY MY MORE OR LESS FERVENT FROM BEING A US CITIZEN TO BEING A US RESIDENT.
AND, UM, THE SLIPPERY SOAP, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A OUT OF CONTROL CAREENING, YOU KNOW, OUT OF CONTROL LOCK THAT'S JUST CHARGING DOWN THE SLIPPERY SLOPE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PUT MEASURES ON AND THAT WE CAN DECIDE AS A COMMUNITY LITTLE BY LITTLE AS WE GO ALONG.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST GOING TO HAPPEN TO US WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR CITIES, OUR CITIZENS, OUR, UM, INHABITANTS, YOU KNOW, CONSENT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, CONTROL LITTLE BY LITTLE.
AND SO AS A CITY THAT PRIDES ITSELF IN DIVERSITY, I THINK THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ALLOW THOSE WHO ARE TAXPAYERS, HOMEOWNERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, PARENTS, STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES, FACULTY, THOSE OF US WHO ARE EVEN, YOU KNOW, JUST SERVING IN OTHER WAYS IN OUR CHURCHES TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE ALSO ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND I DON'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
I, I APPLAUD YOUR SERVICE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU REALLY HAVE PROVED MY POINT.
YOU FOUND TREMENDOUS WONDERFUL WAYS TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY WAY BEFORE YOU WERE EVER ON A BOARD.
I DON'T APPRECIATE YOU REFERRING TO AMERICAN CITIZENS AS SCRAPING THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.
AND ALSO I WASN'T WELL, THAT THOSE WERE YOUR WORDS AND THE LIST.
NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT RESIDENCE.
THE LIST OF CITIES YOU READ OFF, MA'AM, IS KIND OF THE LIST OF CITIES THAT I WOULD SAY EXACTLY HUDDLED DOES NOT WANT TO FOLLOW.
HIGH, HIGH CRIME, RADICAL POLICIES.
UM, I MEAN, I THINK YOU, YOU, YOU SAID IT QUITE WELL AND I THANK YOU FOR PROVING MY POINT.
OKAY, SO LET ME JUMP IN HERE BECAUSE THAT WAS REALLY WRONG.
SO I AM A PROUD MEMBER OF THE DIVERSITY I, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING COMMISSION HERE IN HURO.
AND I'M ALSO ON THE HURO CITIZENS UNIVERSITY, WHERE ACTUALLY I'M REALLY PROUD THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE SLIDES OF HURO THAT YOU WILL EVER SEE.
I WELCOME MANY OF YOU 'CAUSE WE'RE REPUBLIC WHEN WE COME TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE OF HU ARE REPRESENTED ON THAT COMMITTEE.
THIS IS THE HOW CITIZENS UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE.
WE'VE GOT OLDER PEOPLE, YOUNGER PEOPLE, WOMEN, MEN, ALL COLORS, ALL ETHNICITIES, ALL SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUES.
I WAS SURPRISED, HONESTLY, BECAUSE WE ALL GET INTO OUR COMFORT BUBBLES, HOW DIVERSE OUR CITY ALREADY IS.
THAT PIECE OF COMMUNITY, THOSE PEOPLE THAT SERVE ON THERE, THEY COME BECAUSE THEY WANNA LEARN HOW OUR CITY WORKS.
THEY COME BECAUSE THEY WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN GIVE.
THEY COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
NOBODY IS AFRAID OF THEIR NEIGHBOR.
AND SO I HOPE YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF YOUR NEIGHBORS, BECAUSE WE ARE IN YOUR SCHOOLS.
BUT I COME FROM A REALLY SMALL TOWN.
AND WHAT'S BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS IS THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THAT COMMITTEE BRINGS IN A DIFFERENT, UH, LIVED EXPERIENCE.
THEY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
THEY ASK INTERESTING QUESTIONS.
THEY WANNA KNOW HOW THEY CAN GIVE.
WHY ARE WE GOING TO SAY AS A COMMITTEE AND LET'S SAY
I REALLY HOPE THAT WE ARE NOT MAKING DECISIONS AS A COMMUNITY, AS A DIVERSE COMMUNITY BASED ON FEAR OR FEELING LEFT OUT OR FEELING LIKE WE'RE LOSING SOME KIND OF POWER.
BECAUSE JUST THE OPPOSITE HAPPENS WHEN WE EMBRACE PEOPLE THAT COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND EDUCATIONS AND LIVED EXPERIENCES.
WE GET STRONGER AS A COMMUNITY.
WE LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AS A COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED IN HOWARD, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 2017, IT'S THAT THE REASON WE ARE SO PROUD AS HIPPO NATION IS BECAUSE SO MANY OF US COME FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES.
THAT IS A PLACE OF LOVE AND EXTENSION AND BELONGING AND REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAKE DECISIONS FROM A PLACE OF FEAR OR FEELING LIKE YOU'RE GONNA LOSE SOME KIND OF POWER BECAUSE THEY
[00:25:01]
PROMISE YOU, MY NEIGHBORS AND CITIZENS, JUST THE OPPOSITE HAPPENS WHEN WE EMBRACE PEOPLE THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM US.WE LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND IT DOES COME FROM A PLACE OF LOVE.
SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT REALLY HARD, WHAT ARE WE REALLY TALKING ABOUT HERE? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT NOT ALLOWING A PERSON, A NEIGHBOR, TO VOLUNTEER THEIR PRECIOUS TIME THAT THEY WANNA GIVE TO THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY? IT'S TOUGH.
HOW MANY OF YOU VOLUNTEER ON MULTIPLE COMMITTEES AND BOARDS? HOW MANY, WHAT KIND OF COMMITTEES AND BOARDS ARE YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU GIVE MORE THAN TWO HOURS.
IF YOU GIVE MORE THAN THREE HOURS.
IF YOU GIVE MORE THAN FOUR OR FIVE, SIX HOURS, MULTIPLE YEARS.
I'M A FULL-TIME WORKING PERSON.
AND ALL YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, I GIVE MY TIME BECAUSE I CARE.
AND YOU KNOW WHO I MEET WHEN I SHOW UP AND I CARE, I MEET OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM ME.
WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT I LEARNED FROM THEM AND THEY LEARNED FROM ME.
SO PLEASE, BEFORE YOU MAKE A DECISION OR TRY TO CORO OUR CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE A DECISION BASED ON FEAR OR HATRED OR MAKING SOMEBODY AN OTHER, CONSIDER WHAT YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT ARE, WHAT KIND OF VALUES ARE WE GONNA GIVE OUR KIDS? THIS IS WHY I BRING HER TO, IS I WANT HER TO SEE WHO OUR NEIGHBORS ARE, WHO OUR CITIZENS ARE.
WHAT DO WE REPRESENT? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY DO WE WANNA BE? SO WHAT I SAY IS, IF A PERSON LIVES HERE IN HU, THEY'RE A CITIZEN OF HU THEY PAY TAXES HERE.
MAYBE THEY'RE A PERMANENT RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN OUR SCHOOLS.
THEY'RE NOT COMMUNITY, THEY'RE OUR NEIGHBORS.
WHY WOULD WE NOT ALLOW THEM TO SERVE OTHER THAN IF YOUR DECISION IS BASED ON FEAR AND RACISM, THAT YOU NEED TO DO SOME SELF REFLECTION, HOPEFULLY FEEL DIFFERENTLY ABOUT IT AND MAYBE GIVE SOME MORE OF YOUR TIME.
'CAUSE NOBODY'S STOPPING YOU FROM GIVING YOUR TIME TO A MULTIPLE AMOUNT OF COMMITTEES, BOARDS, YOU KNOW, THE HUDDLE RESOURCE BOARD, YOUR SCHOOL PTA, COACH, A TEAM, DO LITERALLY DO SOMETHING AND GET OUT THERE AND MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR SO YOU'RE NOT SO AFRAID OF THEM ANYMORE.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND.
I HOPE THAT THAT'S WHAT DRIVES OUR DECISIONS.
AND HERE'S WHAT I'M, DO, HE HAD A COMMENT RIGHT OVER THERE.
OKAY, HERE'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO.
I'M GONNA BRING IT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, OKAY? BECAUSE I DO APPRECIATE YOUR ALL'S INPUT.
IN FACT, I THINK HOPEFULLY BEFORE WE DON'T MAKE A DECISION IN THIS FORUM, WE BRING IT OUT INTO THE PUBLIC SO WE CAN HAVE, UM, A MORE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION.
'CAUSE I DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING AND I, I, I HOPE WE DON'T GET INTO THIS.
PEOPLE ARE RACIST FOR FEELING ONE WAY AND ALL THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT DIVIDES US WHEN I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY SAY THEY'RE FEARFUL OF, UH, UH, SO-AND-SO BEING ON A BOARD, UM, ALL I'VE EVER HEARD IS, IS THAT FROM PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE CITIZENSHIP, THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON OUR CITIZENSHIP.
AND THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO SERVE, WHICH YOU GUYS HAVE CLEARLY SHOWN THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS.
SO I DON'T WANT US TO GET INTO, ESPECIALLY IN THIS MEETING, WHO'S RACIST FOR A CERTAIN WAY, WHO'S NOT.
BECAUSE IF WE WANNA BE ON A, YOU KNOW, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, BELONGING, THAT TYPE OF TALK IS WHAT I THINK IS DIVIDING US.
INSTEAD, WE OUGHT TO BE SAYING, NO, SIR, PLEASE DON'T TWIST MY WORDS.
BELONGING MEANS THAT WE ALL BELONG AND THAT WE DON'T SAY THAT.
OH, BECAUSE WHEN I WALKED IN, YOU WERE SAYING THAT IF WE FILL UP THE COMMITTEE WITH 1, 2, 3, 4 MORE PEOPLE, ALL OF A SUDDEN HERE'S SOMEBODY WHO'S A, WHO'S A CITIZEN AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A PLACE TO SEARCH.
THAT'S THE KIND OF LANGUAGE, SIR, THAT I WANT YOU TO BE MORE MINDFUL.
MAYBE YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF WHAT YOU SAID, BUT YOU SAID IT AND I HEARD YOU.
AND THAT'S THE KIND OF LANGUAGE THAT PLEASE DON'T WHETHER, BECAUSE THAT'S THE DIVISIVE, DIVISIVE LANGUAGE.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHERE ALL THERE'S ENOUGH PLACE AND THERE'S ENOUGH NEED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO SERVE.
SO THIS IS REALLY A WORK, A CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
I PROBABLY SHOULD LET THE FIRST PERSON TALK BECAUSE THEN WE GET ON, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOING AT IT.
AND THAT'S REALLY NOT WHAT THIS FORM IS FOR.
IT'S FOR US TO DISCUSS WHAT WE FEEL LIKE IS AN ISSUE.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOU FREQUENTLY DISAGREE WITH THINGS THAT I SAY, AND YOU HAVE A FORUM DOWN THERE TO DISCUSS IT RIGHT NOW, INTERRUPTING ME IS REALLY NOT THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
UM, BRIAN THOMPSON SAYING AT 6 29, I HAVE QUESTION THIS BACK.
I HAVE A QUESTION, WE'RE GONNA BRING IT BACK TO THE COUNSEL.
UM, SO I, I THINK, I GUESS TO USE OTHER PEOPLE'S WORDS, THE SLIPPERY SLOPE, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED ON A CONVOLUTED PATH BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY, INSTEAD OF SAYING WHETHER IT'S CITIZEN OR NON-CITIZEN IN WHICH GROUP OF PEOPLE WE WANT TO INCLUDE, WE'RE ALREADY, WE'RE ALREADY MAKING THE DECISION THAT WE DON'T WANT THEM BEING THE NON-CITIZEN GROUP.
OKAY? NOT TO SAY THAT IN A BAD WAY, BUT WE ALREADY WANT THEM TO NOT MAKE DECISIONS.
SO IT CLEARLY IS VIRTUE SIGNALING BY HAVING THEM ON THAT ADVISORY BOARD THAT HAS NO, HAS NO PLACE.
SO IT'S EITHER, FOR ME, IT'S EITHER ALL OR NOTHING, RIGHT? AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY WHETHER I AGREE OR DISAGREE BECAUSE I HAVEN'T TALKED ENOUGH TO THE PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THE MAYOR HAS A GOOD POINT.
WE NEED TO BRING IT TO THE PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION.
WE NEED TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE NEED TO HAVE, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME FEEDBACK THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY HERE TONIGHT.
[00:30:01]
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED OFF MESSED UP BECAUSE WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE LIMITING THESE PEOPLE? ARE WE JUST PUTTING ON PUTTING 'EM ON THERE TO MAKE US LOOK BETTER OR TO MAKE THEM FEEL BETTER? OR ARE WE PUTTING 'EM ON THERE BECAUSE WE VALUE WHAT THEIR OPINION AND WHAT THEY CAN OFFER THE CITY? SO TO ME IT'S, TO ME, IT'S NOT EVEN WORTH TALKING ABOUT AT THIS POINT.'CAUSE WE'VE ALREADY SCREWED UP.
SO I LOVE THE PASSION IN THE ROOM AND EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS SO FAR, UM, FOR LIKE BREAKING IT DOWN THO THOSE COMMENTS AND THE PASSION, THAT'S WHAT COMMUNITY'S ALL ABOUT IS COMMUNICATING, COMING TOGETHER, SHARING WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WHAT YOU VALUE.
AND SITTING DOWN, UM, ACTUALLY ON MONDAY I HAD COFFEE, UH, WITH SOMEONE AND UM, HE'S JUST LIKE, A CUP OF COFFEE CAN SOLVE SO MANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
AND WE SAT DOWN AND WE, WE HASHED THINGS OUT.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT COMMUNITY'S ABOUT IS COMING TOGETHER AND EXPRESSING YOUR OPINIONS AND, AND HAVING A CUP OF COFFEE OR MAYBE A COLD BEER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT COMING DOWN TO, UM, I GUESS ON, ON THIS, LIKE POLICY WISE, KIND OF FLIPPING THE HEAD ON IT FOR POLICY WISE, UM, I LIKE THAT THE MAYOR PRO TIM, HE WAS, HE'S VERY CLEAR WITH NON-CITIZEN.
THE, THESE ARE, UM, RESIDENT ALIENS.
I GUESS MAYBE THAT'S THE LEGAL TERM FOR IT, IS THAT THESE ARE GREEN CARD HOLDERS.
THESE ARE NOT UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
SO THAT THESE ARE TWO YEAR GREEN CARD CARD HOLDERS, TENURE YEAR GREEN CARD HOLDERS, THOSE PEOPLE DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT TO SEEK THE PATH TO CITIZEN US CITIZENSHIP OR, OR CONTINUE AS A GREEN CARD HOLDER.
AND THEY CAN DO SO FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE.
THEY'RE THE, THE WHERE THE LINE GETS DRAWN BETWEEN A, UH, GREEN CARD HOLDER, NON NON-CITIZEN RESIDENT ALIEN, WHATEVER LEGAL TERM YOU WANNA CALL THEM, AND A US RESIDENT OR US CITIZEN, THERE'S ONLY ONE DIFFERENCE.
THE NON NON-CITIZENS RESIDENT ALIENS, THOSE PEOPLE CANNOT VOTE.
YOU CAN LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, SHOP WHEREVER YOU'D LIKE.
YOU CAN SPEND, YOU CAN SPEND A TON OF MONEY ON A CAR.
YOU CAN BUY OR BUY JUST A BASIC CAR.
YOU CAN TAKE OUT STUDENT LOAN DEBT, YOU CAN TAKE OUT CREDIT CARD DEBT.
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING AS, AS A US CITIZEN CAN DO, RIGHT? THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WHERE THE LINE IS DRAWN IS THE VOTING POWER.
AND, AND AGAIN, ON THE POINTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER THORNTON BROUGHT UP IS, IS JUST THAT PICKING THE CERTAIN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, AVAILABLE FOR NON-CITIZENS TO, UM, SERVE ON, I THINK PICKING AND CHOOSING THAT BLURS THE LINES WITH THINGS.
AND THEN WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT VOTING POWER, BUT ADVISORY, UM, YOU KNOW, AUTHORITY TO, I JUST THINK IT'S BLURRING THINGS TOO MUCH.
WE JUST NEED TO STAY ON THE CLEAR AND NARROW PATH, STRAIGHTFORWARD AND, UM, NOT TRY TO GET TOO MANY EMOTIONS IN, INTO IT AND JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JUST NOT BLUR THE LINES WITH THIS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, SO FOR ME, I, I GUESS THE ANSWER, ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS, LEMME PULL THEM UP REAL QUICK.
UM, UM, ME PERSONALLY I, WITH THE CONVERSATION, THAT'S KIND OF, OR JUST WHERE I STAND RIGHT NOW.
UM, I DO NOT PREFER NON-CITIZENS TO SERVE ON ANY OF, ANY OF OUR BOARDS OF COMMISSIONS.
UM, WHETHER IT'S THE THREE THAT WERE SUGGESTED BY THE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, BECAUSE HE DOES THINK THAT THEY'RE PURELY, UM, ADVISORY.
I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, SOME OF THE COMMENTS IS THAT IT COULD THEN GO INTO OTHER BOARDS OF COMMISSIONS.
AND AS THE CITY ATTORNEY SAID THAT THERE ARE ACTUALLY NO, UM, LIMITATIONS IN STATE STATUTE ON THIS KIND OF ACTION.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE WOULD BE NO ANSWERS TO, UH, REST OF THEM.
'CAUSE WHICH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE APPROPRIATE.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT LIKE, LIKE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PORTERFIELD SAID, IT'S EITHER ALL OR NOTHING FOR ME.
THE LINE IS DRAWN AND SO I'M KIND OF A NOTHING.
BUT WERE YOU, WERE YOU SAYING YOU WERE AN ALL OR NOTHING? OR YOU'RE JUST NOTHING? YEAH, NO.
AND LIKE, I'M, I'M PROUD THAT LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PARKS, I MEAN THE PARKS, THE, UM, BOARDS AND COMMISSION, UH, NOMINATING COMMITTEE, WE, WE WORK HARD TO TAKE THOSE APPLICATIONS THAT RESIDENTS DO SEND IN AND WE, UH, REVIEW THE APPLICATION.
WE TAKE TIME TO SIT DOWN AND INTERVIEW WITH THEM.
SOMETIMES IT IS VIRTUAL, BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT IS IN PERSON AND WE TAKE THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW THEM, THEIR IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY.
SOMETIMES IT'S PEOPLE THAT ARE BRAND NEW.
SOMETIMES IT'S PEOPLE WHO'VE LIVED IN HU FOR 20 YEARS.
AND, UM, I'M PROUD THAT WHENEVER
[00:35:01]
I FIRST STARTED IN COUNCIL, UM, OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WERE SUPER THIN, BUT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ENDING THIS YEAR AND THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE ALMOST FULL OF, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, CITIZEN, US CITIZEN RESIDENTS OF HUDA.SO I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO TALK BOTH SIDES, YOU KNOW? AND SO THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, ON THE THING WE DID THE THREE COMMITTEES AND YOU DO HAVE THE ELECTED BOARD COUNCIL NOMINATING COMMITTEE WOULD EVEN PUT FORWARD IF THEY WERE EVEN A QUALIFIED PERSON TO BRING SOMETHING TO THAT BOARD AND COMMISSION.
AND THEN ALL IT TAKES A MAJORITY OF ACTUAL COUNSEL IN ACTION TO HAVE PUT THAT PERSON ON A BOARD.
SO THE, THE ACTUAL VOTING OF THE PERSON IS STILL CONTROLLED BY US CITIZENS ONLY A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR VOTING.
SO FOR SOME OF THE FEAR THING OF SLIPPERY SLOPE, HOW COULD IT EVER BE YOUR COUNCIL HAS TO BE REGISTERED TO VOTE.
I MEAN, THAT'S SET IN STATE LAW, SO THAT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE.
SO THE DECISION MAKERS ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE US CITIZENS PUTTING SOMEONE ON A, A BOARD OR COMMISSION AND IT WOULD BE A COUNCIL.
AND THEN IF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY COUNCIL, THEY, THAT'S WHERE THEY CAN COME AND VOTE THEM OUT OR WHATEVER, RIGHT? BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE ONLY REQUIREMENT WE REALLY HAVE BESIDES SHOWING THAT YOU HAVE LIKE A MAILING ADDRESS FOR LIVING INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF HUDU IS WE DO HAVE THE ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION THAT YOU HAVE TO BE A REGISTERED VOTER.
YOU CAN'T JUST LIVE IN HUDU AND BE ON A BOARDING COMMISSION.
YOU HAVE TO BE REGISTERED TO VOTE.
SO HOW DO WE ALLOW RESIDENT ALIENS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT? THEN HOW DO YOU THEN TURN AROUND TO ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE AND SAY, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A RE VOTER REGISTRATION CARD TO BE ON A BOARD COMMISSION, BUT YOU WHO ARE NOT EVEN A US ASSISTANT, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT THAT REQUIREMENT ON YOU.
AND IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT THEY CAN'T GET IT, BUT IT IS A REQUIREMENT.
SO I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, WE GO AND CHANGE A ORDINANCE TO A PROTECTION THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT WE SAY, HEY, EVEN BEING A US SYSTEM ISN'T ENOUGH.
BEING A TEXAS RESIDENT ISN'T ENOUGH.
BEING A OWNER IN HU LIVING IN APARTMENT OR, OR RENTING OR OWNING IN HU HAVING A UTILITY BILL TO PROVE YOU, YOU LIVE HERE, UH, ISN'T ENOUGH.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE REGISTERED TO VOTE HERE.
AND SO THAT KIND OF, FOR ME, THAT'S WHAT WE DON'T CHANGE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY EVER MADE IT TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE AT A STATE LEVEL SAID YOU COULD BE A RESIDENT ALIEN VOTE AT VOTER AT A LOCAL LEVEL, THEN AT THAT POINT THAT WOULD OPEN IT FOR ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS BECAUSE, BUT THEY THEN HAVE TO HIT MEET THAT STEP OF BEING REGISTERED TO VOTE.
SO UNTIL THE STATE MAKES THAT CHANGE, I DON'T THINK WE AS A CITY GO DOWN AND TRY TO CARVE OUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
BUT THAT'S, I I WOULD ADD THIS TO THE REGISTERED VOTER.
IF, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE IDEA WAS TO TAKE THE REGISTERED VOTER STATUS AWAY TO WHERE IT WOULD OPEN UP TO US CITIZENS LIVING IN IDAHO THAT AREN'T REGISTERED TO VOTE WOULD BE ABLE TO SERVE.
BUT I THINK WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL.
'CAUSE THEN HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHO ACTUALLY IS LIVING HERE AND WHO'S NOT? AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING PEOPLE COULD BE BUSINESS OWNERS.
SO ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE LIKE, WELL I WANNA SERVE ON A BOARD AND THEY MAY LIVE IN GEORGETOWN AND THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, YEAH, BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE A UTILITY BILL.
OKAY, THEY'LL SHOW UTILITY BILL BECAUSE THEY'LL HAVE UTILITY BELT.
WELL THEN NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA NEED A, A LEASE.
OKAY, I DROPPED UP A LEASE REAL QUICK.
OKAY, I'M HERE NOW I CAN SERVE ON THE BOARD.
AND SO THE ONE THING ABOUT THE REGISTERED VOTER, WHICH I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT, IS THERE IS CRIMINAL PENALTIES TO BEING A REGISTERED VOTER IN AN AREA YOU DON'T LIVE IT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS SOME SORT OF ABILITY, SOME KIND OF ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM.
AND IF YOU TAKE THAT AWAY TO WHAT COUNCILMAN PORTERFIELD SAID, YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST SAY, LOOK, ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY CAN CAN SERVE ON ANY BOARD AND SERVE ON COUNCIL.
'CAUSE WE ALREADY STRUGGLED WITH THIS ON THE COUNCIL LEVEL, UM, DEFINING WHO'S ACTUALLY, WHO'S ACTUALLY LIVING HERE, WHO'S NOT, WHO'S A CITIZEN, HOW DO WE PROVE IT IF WE CAN'T FIGURE THAT OUT ON A COUNCIL LEVEL? AND THERE'S BIG DISAGREEMENTS ON WHO LIVES IN THE CITY LIMITS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU OPEN IT UP TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING HERE OWNING A BUSINESS HERE.
AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT SOME OF THE BUSINESSES, IF IT'S, YOU JUST NEED TO BE A TAXPAYER.
AND SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SERVE ON A BOARD.
WELL, NO OFFENSE TO HOMEOWNERS, BUT THERE'S NOT A HOMEOWNER IN THIS CITY THAT PAYS AS MUCH TAXES AS THE BUSINESS DOES.
AND SO IF IT'S BECAUSE I PAY PROPERTY TAXES, I SHOULD GET TO GET ON A BOARD, THEN YOU MIGHT AS WELL LET THE BUSINESSES GO, LET THE, LET THE GUY WHO RUNS HOME DEPOT LET HIM SERVE ON A BOARD BECAUSE HE'S PAYING $50,000 A YEAR.
AND LIKE PORTERFIELD SAID IT TO ME, IT'S LIKE ALL OR NOTHING.
AND, AND TO LIKE, UM, WHAT COUNCILOR COLA SAID, THE LION'S THERE.
I HAVEN'T HEARD OF A GOOD REASON ACTUALLY WHY WE'RE HERE EVEN MAKING THIS DECISION.
UM, I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO SAID, HEY, WE SHOULD CHANGE IT.
BUT THEY, IN SAYING THAT, THEY TALKED ABOUT ALL THE WAYS THAT THEY SERVE THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS ADMIRABLE.
AND SO IT ALMOST, IT'S ALMOST LIKE IT WRECKED THEIR WHOLE ARGUMENT IN MY MIND IN TERMS OF THERE'S PLENTY
[00:40:01]
OF OPPORTUNITIES.WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ON A PARKS BOARD? IT CAN BE PTA, YOU CAN GO TO HUDDLES AS A UNIVERSITY.
UM, THE LIBRARY BOARD, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME OF THEM, UH, DO THEY HAVE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY? YEAH.
DON'T THEY SERVE ON, UH, FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, WHICH THEN HAS TAKEN GRANT MONEY? AND SO, I MEAN, ALL OF OUR BOARDS ARE KIND OF GETTING INTO MONEY AND GETTING INTO DECISIONS.
I I DON'T WANNA FEAR MONITORING 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S ABOUT, UH, RACE AND IT'S NOT ABOUT ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S NOT ABOUT LACK OF DIVERSITY OR PEOPLE AFRAID OF LOSING POWER.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, WELL, WE'RE NOT DONE WITH THE DISCUSSION.
I'D LIKE TO STILL DISCUSS SOME STUFF.
WHAT TIME AGAIN? SO, YEAH, SO FOR ME, I MEAN, I GUESS THE PART THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH IS
THEY'RE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEY'VE LIVED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR SOMETIMES FOR DECADES.
THEY, THEY USE THE PARKS, THEY USE THE LIBRARY.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY IN EVERY WAY EXCEPT THEY HAVEN'T TAKEN THE TEST TO BECOME A CITIZEN, RIGHT? THEY'RE HERE.
AND SO I GUESS I STRUGGLE WITH WHAT IS LIKE, WHAT IS THE DANGER OF HAVING THEM SIT ON A BOARD THAT IF THEY LOVE PARKS AND THEY LIVE IN, IN HU AND THEY LOVE GOING TO THE PARKS, FOR THEM TO HAVE A SAY IN WHAT OUR SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
I, I, I GUESS I JUST, I'M REALLY STRUGGLING WITH WHAT, WHAT THE FEAR IS.
WHY DON'T TO VOTE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS? 'CAUSE IF THEY'VE LIVED HERE FOR 20 YEARS, YOU COULD, I'M JUST, I JUST, I GUESS I'M JUST ASKING.
NO, I KNOW I'M GIVING YOU AN ANSWER.
LIKE YOU ASKED A QUESTION FOR ME, IT'S, WELL, WHY WOULDN'T YOU OPEN IT UP THAT YOU JUST HAVE TO LIVE HERE? BECAUSE TO VOTE IN OUR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, IT'S THE EXACT SAME ARGUMENT I COULD USE IS THIS.
THAT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE IS, HEY, I'VE BEEN HERE 20 YEARS, I PAY MY TAXES.
MY KIDS GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M NOT A CITIZEN, BUT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR WHO REPRESENTS ME.
AND SO THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAN FRANCISCO AND WE'RE SAYING, YEAH, TO ME THAT'S DIFFERENT.
TO ME, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ARGUMENT.
THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WELL, I, I KNOW TO YOU, BUT TO OTHERS OUT THERE, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M JUST, I'M I'M MAKING A POINT, RIGHT? I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH YOU, MAYOR.
THIS IS WHY I'M BRINGING IT UP.
THIS IS WHY I BROUGHT IT UP THAT THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CURRENTLY TODAY.
I I LOOK TO NOT BE INTERRUPTED.
AND SO, I MEAN, I, I KNOW THAT IT'S A DIVISIVE ISSUE.
I KNOW THAT IT'S ESPECIALLY NOW, ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK, RIGHT? I MEAN I, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF ANGST IN THIS, IN THIS NATION, UM, CURRENTLY NOW.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, I GET THE ARGUMENTS, I GET THE ARGUMENTS OF, OF SLIPPERY SLOPE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THIS IS, THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO DO THIS.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION.
THIS IS A HUNDRED PERCENT WHY I BROUGHT IT UP.
BECAUSE I WANTED TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION.
I WANTED TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY GIVE INPUT.
I WANTED TO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS GIVE INPUT AND TO, AND TO HEAR ALTERNATE IDEAS AND ALTERNATE CONCERNS.
THINGS THAT I HADN'T THOUGHT UP, I HADN'T BROUGHT UP.
THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, UM, IS TO, TO FIND OUT AND UNDERSTAND.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT ON THE INTERNET AND THROUGH EMAIL TODAY, THERE WAS A LOT OF MISINFORMATION UNFORTUNATELY THAT WAS PUT OUT ABOUT THIS MEETING AND ABOUT WHAT THE PROPOSALS WERE.
UM, FORTUNATELY FOR ME, I HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE REACH OUT TO ME SAYING, HEY, WELL HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
HELP ME UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT.
AND WHEN I WAS ABLE TO EXPLAIN AND CLARIFY IT, UM, EVERYONE I TALKED TO WAS, OH, THAT, OKAY, THAT MAKES SENSE.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM ANYMORE.
UM, BUT, BUT BEFORE THEY UNDERSTOOD THE FULL IMPORT OF WHAT THIS REALLY WAS ABOUT, THEY WERE CONCERNED.
AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT I TALKED TO TODAY, AND I TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE MY NAME WAS ALL OVER THE INTERNET.
UM, WHO I, WHO SAID, OH, OKAY, YEAH, NO, TOTALLY GET IT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, THIS ISN'T LIKE, LIKE A HILL.
BUT IT'S, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE FRIENDS, PERSONAL FRIENDS WHO WERE IN THIS SITUATION WHO WOULD, WHO WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SERVE.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE AS A COUNCIL DECIDE THAT NOW'S NOT THE RIGHT TIME OR NEVER IS THE RIGHT TIME AND WE DON'T WANNA DO IT, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M GONNA ACCEPT THAT.
UH, AS WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO COURT TILL I WOULD SAY THIS, WE CAN HAVE, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS, WE CAN HAVE THIS AS AN AGENDA ITEM ON THE 21ST.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DO NOT REQUEST FOR ACTION.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, THAT WE REQUIRE STILL VOTER REGISTRATION TO
[00:45:01]
BE ABLE TO SERVE ON A BOARD OF COMMISSION IN THE CITY OF OCK.ONLY DID TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE IF THAT PASSES IS DONE.
SO YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION BASICALLY KEEP IT IN STATUS QUO? CORRECT.
REAFFIRMING AND, AND WITH FIVE VOTE.
OKAY, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND.
OKAY, NOW WE CAN DISCUSS THIS.
YEAH, SO I GUESS I'M CONFUSED WHY THE BOOK'S NECESSARY IF WE'RE ALREADY
ANYWAY, I DON'T WANNA HAVE ANOTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT IT IN TWO WEEKS IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC AND HAVE A THOUSAND PEOPLE WHEN WE, WE ALREADY DISCUSSED IT TODAY.
AND IF THAT ONE FAILS, THEN WE THEN HAVE TO, AND IT'S GONNA COME BACK ON THE AGENDAS.
SO PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO ASSUME AND MAKE A VOTE IN A DECLARATION THAT, THAT IS GOING TO MAINTAIN.
THEN THAT MEANS WE DO NEED TO HAVE A, A FURTHER DISCUSSION AND HAVE MORE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THAT MEANS ENOUGH COUNCIL MEMBERS THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING.
SO HERE'S ANOTHER CLARIFICATION QUESTION.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE A REGISTERED VOTER WITHIN THE INCORPORATED CITY LIMITS? AS I UNDERSTOOD STATUS QUO AS WE HAVE
BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BE ON MY QUESTION.
'CAUSE CURRENTLY TODAY WE ALLOW ETJ MEMBERS OR HU ISD BOUNDARY MEMBERS, RIGHT? THEY STILL HAVE TO BE REGISTERED TO VOTE.
SO SO YOU'RE SAYING REGISTERED TO VOTE WITHIN THE STATE? NO, NO.
I'M SAYING HE'S, TELL ME IF I'M WRONG.
WE'RE REAFFIRMING THE CURRENT STATUS QUO.
IF, IF HIS MOTION, UH, MOTION PASSES, IT'LL BE NO CHANGE TO THE CURRENT.
THE ONLY WAY IT CHANGES IS IF SOMEONE AMENDS IT.
MY ONLY CONCERN IS, IS WHILE I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE MOTION, WE, WE TEND TO CIRCUMVENT THE PUBLIC PROCESS.
AND HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, WE MAY HAVE THIS OUT THERE AND THERE MAY BE A TON OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF A CHANGE.
I DON'T, BASED ON WHAT I KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT I DO, I I DO GET CONCERNED SOMETIMES WHEN IT'S LIKE, HEY, I WANT IT RIGHT NOW AND GET IT DONE.
I DON'T WANT TO GO OUT IN PUBLIC AND TALK ABOUT IT.
AND I'M KINDA LIKE, WELL WE DID HAVE A PUBLIC NOTICE.
NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT A WORK SESSION IS AND PEOPLE FOLLOW CITY COUNCILS, THEY START AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T MIND HAVING TO VOTE, BUT IT, IT IS KINDA LIKE WE'RE GETTING THESE, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE, SOMEONE OUT, THERE'S ASKING QUESTIONS ON OUR BUDGET AND WE'RE GETTING ANSWERS ON OUR BUDGET.
I'M LIKE, WE DIDN'T WANNA DEBATE THE BUDGET.
AND SO WE RUSHED THROUGH THAT AND NOW WE HAVE QUESTIONS.
AND NOW I FEEL LIKE ON THIS, UM, THERE'S 40,000 PEOPLE LIVING, THE UNITY IS STILL THERE TO HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM.
IT CAN STILL BE BROUGHT FORTH.
WE'RE NOT TABLING THIS DISCUSSION.
WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, CRUSHING THE IDEA OF WE'RE, THIS IS JUST, I GUESS, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE IT THE NEXT MEETING.
WE WANT TO HAVE A VOTE RIGHT THIS MINUTE AND GET OUT HERE.
WHICH AGAIN, I'M, I'M FINE WITH THE VOTE.
I JUST QUESTION, WE TEND TO RUSH TO A LOT OF THINGS AND I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO REALLY HEAR FROM PEOPLE HOW EVERYBODY FEELS.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW, WELL, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THIS IS, ARE THESE MEETINGS EVEN ABLE TO BE BROADCAST AND YEAH, IT IS LIVE NOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE RECORDED, BUT THEY ARE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? SO DOTIE IS THIS, I MEAN I GUESS I'M, IT'S NOT, WE'VE NEVER TAKEN A VOTE LIKE THIS IN A WORK SESSION BEFORE.
THE MOST WE'VE EVER DONE IS TAKEN ACTION TO PUT IT ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA.
NO, WE'VE DONE NO, NO, WE'VE DONE ACTION.
WE'VE CHANGED POLICY AND WORK SESSIONS BEFORE.
YEAH, WE'VE CHANGED IT SO WE COULD TAKE ACTION.
WE ACTUALLY CHANGED, I BELIEVE WE CHANGED OUR ORDINANCE, UH, THE, THE, UH, PROTOCOLS.
YEAH, WE CHANGED COUNCIL PROTOCOL ACTION.
THE MOTION IS TO REAFFIRM THE STATUS QUO BY RECORDED VOTE.
EVERYBODY AGREE WITH THE MOTION? YES.
FOR THE RECORD, I'M FINE WITH HOW THE STATUS QUO IS.
AND AYE THE MOTION PASSES FOUR TO THREE, TAKE 1, 2, 3, 4.
AND WE WILL ADJOURN AT 6:49 PM.