NO. 2014-0404-1 City Council Chamber, City Hall, Tuesday, May 13, 2014 A Regular Meeting of the Houston City Council was held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, 2014, with Mayor Annise Parker presiding with Council Members Brenda Stardig, Jerry Davis, Ellen R. Cohen, Dwight Boykins, Dave Martin, Richard Nguyen, Oliver Pennington, Edward Gonzalez, Robert Gallegos, Mike Laster, Larry V. Green, Stephen C. Costello, David W. Robinson, Michael Kubosh, C. O. “Brad” Bradford and Jack Christie, D.C.; Mr. Dave Feldman, City Attorney, Ms. Debra McAbee, Senior ACA, Section Chief, Mr. Harlan Heilman, Division Chief, Claims & Subrogation Division; and Ms. Marta Crinejo, Agenda Director and Ms. Stella Ortega, Agenda Office, present. At 1:38 p.m. Mayor Parker called the meeting to order and stated that the time period of 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. was designated for ceremonial proclamations and they would begin those proclamations with Council Member Stardig; that it was standing room only here, as well as across the street, they could stand but could not stand in front of the doors and there were folks from the Fire Department present to make sure that did not happen. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Cohen, Martin, Pennington, Gallegos, Green, Costello, Robinson and Christie absent. Council Member Stardig presented a proclamation to the Capstone Classical Academy, and Mayor Parker stated therefore, she, Annise D. Parker, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaimed May 17, 2014 as Capstone Classical Academy Graduation Day in Houston, Texas. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Martin, Pennington, Gallegos, Robinson and Christie absent. Representatives of Capstone Classical Academy thanked Mayor Parker and the City Council for the proclamation, and for recognizing their small school. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Martin, Pennington, Gallegos, Robinson and Christie absent. Council Member Green presented a proclamation to Ms. Sonia C. Williams, Principal of James Madison High School, and Mayor Parker stated therefore, she, Annise D. Parker, Mayor of the City of Houston, hereby proclaimed May 13, 2014 as Sonia C. Williams Day in Houston, Texas, and thanked her for educating the future leaders of Houston. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington, Gallegos and Christie absent. Ms. Williams thanked Mayor Parker and the City Council for the proclamation. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington, Gallegos and Christie absent. Council Member Bradford and Mayor Pro Tem Gonzalez congratulated Ms. Williams and thanked her for all she did for the City of Houston. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington, Gallegos and Christie absent. At 1:53 p.m. Mayor Parker recognized Council Member Cohen for the innovation and pledge of allegiance. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington, Green and Christie absent. Mayor Parker stated that for those in the audience who may not have been present before, they may have signed up for two or three minutes, because of the volume of speakers they had an automatic rule, everyone was assigned one minute, and that also meant that Council Members also had one minute for the response, they had a capacity crowd in the Chamber and as she stated earlier they may stand, but could not stand in the doorways, there was an Annex Chamber across the street where they could watch the proceedings on video monitors, if there was not sufficient capacity in the Annex Chamber they would ask folks to gather in the public plaza across the street, where they would try to keep people informed about NO. 2014-0044-1 5/13-14/14 Page 2 where they were on the progression of the speakers list, if they signed up to speak on a non- agenda item she would suggest that they go out and have a cup of coffee, or dinner perhaps, and come back in a few hours because they would not be taking up non-agenda items until all agenda speakers had been exhausted, also, if they spoke last week she would suggest the same thing because it was Council policy that those who had previously spoken within the last month were placed at the very end of the agenda, after the non-agenda speakers, so again she would suggest that they go and relax and free up a seat for someone who had not previously had an opportunity to speak, they would be calling four names at a time to give folks if they were scattered or across the street at the Annex Chamber or in the plaza to have an opportunity to make it across so they could speak, if they did not get in the Chamber fast enough they did keep the list active and if they would notify the front table, Department of Neighborhood, Citizens Assistance, and they would let them know and they would add them back to the list, and then she would request that after they had spoken that they vacate the Chamber so that they could allow other members of the public to come into the room or at least have an opportunity to sit down, that she trusted if they had placards or signs, that those were taken up before they came into the Chamber, it was against the rules of the body to have any signs, and once they formally began the Council meeting it was against the rules of the body to have boos, cheers, clapping or any other displays of audible disapproval or approval, they may however stand to support someone who was speaking or give the symbol of the deaf community of approval, waving hands symbolized applause, and they could certainly see it from the front of the room. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington and Christie absent. Mayor Parker stated that she was going to ask Ms. Russell to call the roll and begin the proceedings and then there would be some housekeeping motions, that she did not know whether they had any public officials in the Chamber, but as a courtesy it was also a policy of the body to move public officials to the beginning of the speakers list. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington and Christie absent. At 2:00 p.m. The City Secretary called the roll. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington and Christie absent. Council Members Bradford and Laster moved that the minutes of the previous meeting be adopted. All voting aye. Nays none. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington and Christie absent. MOTION ADOPTED. Council Member Gonzalez moved that the rules be suspended for the purpose of hearing from Ms. Velma Martinez, Mr. Even Michaelides and Ms. Laura Michaelides out of order, and to add Ms. Gracie Saenz to the speakers list, seconded by Council Member Green. All voting aye. Nays none. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington and Christie absent. MOTION 2014-0405 ADOPTED. Council Member Cohen moved that the rules be suspended for the purpose adding Constable Alan Rosen to the speakers list, and to hear from Mr. Lane Lewis, Mr. Peter Brown, Mr. Rob Todd, Ms. Cassandra Thomas, Ms. Janie Reyes and Mr. Neil Thomas out of order, seconded by Council Member Laster. All voting aye. Nays none. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington and Christie absent. MOTION 2014-0406 ADOPTED. Council Member Laster moved that the rules be suspended for the purpose adding Ms. Jolanda Jones and Mr. George Gibson to the speakers list, and to hear from Ms. Janis Schmees Burke, Ms. Alice Aanstoos, Mr. Scott Atlas and Ms. Anna Eastman out of order, seconded by Council Member Green. All voting aye. Nays none. Council Members Davis, Boykins, Pennington and Christie absent. MOTION 2014-0407 ADOPTED. Council Member Kubosh moved that the rules be suspended for the purpose of hearing NO. 2014-0044-1 5/13-14/14 Page 3 from Apostle Kendall Baker, Ms. Becky Riggle, Mr. Dave Welch, Pastor Max Miller, Mr. Reginald Lillie, Mr. Garrett Booth, Mr. Willie Davis, Mr. Steve Riggle, Bishop Anthony Williams, Mr. Titus Benny and Mr. Khanh Huynh out of order, seconded by Council Member Bradford. All voting aye. Nays none. Council Members Davis, Boykins and Pennington absent. MOTION 2014-0408 ADOPTED. Mayor Parker stated that they would need those names in writing. Council Members Davis, Boykins and Pennington absent. Mayor Parker stated that since this was a long list of speakers they were going to be in Council for a while, they would plan a brief recess at 5:00 p.m., but if Council needed a break in the Chamber to please let her know. Council Members Davis, Boykins and Pennington absent. Mayor Parker stated that they strongly urged them that once they had spoken to please vacate the Chamber so they could make room for those who had yet to speak. Council Members Davis, Boykins and Pennington absent. Mayor Parker recognized Council Member Stardig for a point of personal privilege, and Council Member Stardig stated that former Council Member Helena Brown was in the audience and she would like to recognize her, and Mayor Parker stated that she wanted to welcome Ms. Brown to the Chamber. Council Members Davis, Boykins and Pennington absent. Mayor Parker stated that she explained earlier that they may have signed up for 2 or 3 minutes of speak, however, the automatic rule was whenever they had 150 minutes worth of speakers that no one got more than one minute and that applied to Council Members in the aggregate as well, for each public speaker; that this would be the third big public discussion on the proposed Equal Rights Ordinance, and she wanted to thank everyone for the respect that had been shown to each other in the previous meetings and hoped they would continue that today. Council Members Davis, Boykins and Pennington absent.