[00:00:01] OKAY, IT IS TIME. 101I CALL TO ORDER THIS FORT BEND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT GENERAL [1. Call to Order.] MEETING. TODAY IS TUESDAY, MAY 27TH, 2025. IT IS ONE ON ONE, AS I MENTIONED. WELCOME TO OUR COURTROOM AND THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US VIA LIVE STREAM. PLEASE BE ADVISED WE HAVE THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM. ADDITIONALLY, THIS NOTICE OF COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING HAS BEEN POSTED ONLINE UNDER LEGAL NOTICES OF AT LEAST 72 HOURS PURSUANT TO TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 551. PLEASE STAND AS COMMISSIONER VINCENT MORALES LEAD US IN PRAYER, FOLLOWED BY INVOCATION TO OUR FLAGS. THANK YOU JUDGE. WELCOME EVERYONE TO COMMISSIONERS COURT TODAY. AND THOSE THAT ARE VIEWING I'M SURE THERE'S MANY OF THEM TODAY. WOULD YOU BOW YOUR HEAD, PLEASE? DEAR GOD, AS WE GATHER FOR THIS COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING TODAY, OUR HEARTS OVERFLOW WITH GRATITUDE FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY TO CONVEY AND SHARE OUR THOUGHTS, OUR INSIGHTS AND ASPIRATIONS. WE EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT APPRECIATION FOR THE EXPERIENCES, THE CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS THAT HAVE LED US TO THIS MOMENT. WE IMPLORE YOUR BLESSINGS UPON OUR GATHERING THAT IT MAY BE CHARACTERIZED BY OPEN, OPEN HEARTEDNESS, MUTUAL APPRECIATION, AND PROFOUND INSIGHT. MAY THE SEED OF GRATITUDE. SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING BLOSSOM INTO A FRUITFUL DIALOG LEADING US TO TRANSFORMATIVE OUTCOMES. AMEN. AMEN. YOU WILL JOIN ME IN HONORING OUR NATION'S FLAG AND THEN NOT THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS. 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. THANK YOU. YOU MAY BE SEATED. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE. [3. Approve minutes of special meetings held on May 5, 2025, May 6, 2025, May 7, 2025, and regular meeting held on May 13, 2025.] APPROVE MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING HELD ON MAY 5TH, 2025 AND MAY 6TH, 2025. MAY 7TH, 2025 AND REGULAR MEETING HELD ON MAY 13TH, 2025. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE. WE WILL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING THE AGENDA AND [4. Public Comments regarding the Agenda and Announcements.] ANNOUNCEMENTS. AND SO BEFORE I INVITE PUBLIC SPEAKERS, WE HAVE NUMEROUS PUBLIC SPEAKERS. AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK THIS PUBLIC HEARING, BASED ON THE ITEM THEY SIGNED UP, IS ABOUT ITEM FIVE A RIGHT, RIGHT. OLGA 5:05 A.M. AND FIVE B, FIVE B AND SO WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS JOHN, CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG. FIVE A IS BEING TABLED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. IS THAT TRUE? YES, SIR. COMMISSIONER I THINK THAT'S A VOTE OF THE COURT WHETHER WE DO THAT OR NOT. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S A VOTE OF THE COURT, WHETHER WE DO THAT OR NOT. OKAY. OKAY. SO I THINK RIGHT NOW I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE FROM THE PUBLIC ON BOTH ITEMS. OKAY. AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE. OKAY. SO THAT MEANS OKAY, NO ACTION. WE WILL INVITE PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND OLGA, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND CALL THEIR NAMES. AND ALSO UNDERSTAND THIS IS THREE MINUTES AND WE WILL SINCE THERE ARE NUMEROUS SPEAKERS, PLEASE STAY WITHIN THAT THREE MINUTE OR EVEN LESS. GREATLY APPRECIATED. AND JUDGE, WHO'S KEEPING A TIMER? WHO'S THE TIMER? YEAH. WHO IS? YEAH. PLEASE, PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE WE GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVERYBODY TO SPEAK. PLEASE DO THAT. AND THEN OF COURSE, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, AND WE WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE. YEAH. PLEASE CALL THEIR NAMES. JUDGE, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, ARE WE NOW ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEM FOUR OR ARE WE ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS FIVE, A AND B? OKAY, SO THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION. ARE WE GOING TO DO THE PUBLIC HEARING OR. SO IT'S THE AGENDA. ORDER IS SUCH THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT ANY OF THE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS AND THEN MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOLLOWS THOSE GENERAL, [00:05:01] THOSE SPECIFIC. SO FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE RECORD, WE ARE TAKING PUBLIC COMMENTS AS STATED. AGENDA ITEM FOUR. AND THEN WE'LL ROLL INTO A PUBLIC HEARING FOR AGENDA ITEMS A AND B, WHICH ALSO MAY INCLUDE PUBLIC COMMENT. CORRECT. SO DO WE NEED TO DO IT BOTH. NOT REALLY. WHAT I DO IS JUST GO THROUGH AND EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC THAT LET'S HAVE THEIR COMMENTS THAT IN REFERENCE TO FIVE A AND B BE HELD FOR THOSE ITEMS. OKAY. AND THEN RIGHT NOW, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT, AS COMMISSIONER MCCOY MENTIONED, ON ANY OF THE OTHER ITEMS, OTHER ITEMS. OKAY. SO LET'S GO WITH START WITH THE OTHER ITEM. THAT IS THAT. OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER SIGNUPS? YES, WE DO, BUT IT'S ALSO PERTAINING TO THE ACTION ITEMS ON THESE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS. YEAH. SO I THINK IT IS BETTER WE WILL GO TO SECTION TWO AND DO THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN LET PEOPLE SPEAK ON THAT ITEM. AND THAT IS MAYBE THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT. LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PUBLIC HEARING. [5. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 1:00 p.m.: Conduct Public Hearings and take all appropriate action on the following matters:] CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING AND TAKE ALL APPROPRIATE ACTION ON THE FOLLOWING MATTERS FIVE A ELECTION CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO BOUNDARIES OF FORT BEND COUNTY VOTING PRECINCT LINE. AND SO BEING SAID THAT AT THAT AT THIS TIME I WILL INVITE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS MATTER. AND NOW YOU NEED TO LET'S GET SOME CLARIFICATION. DID PEOPLE SIGN UP SPECIFICALLY FOR A5A AND SPECIFICALLY FOR FIVE B? SO JUST FOR THE MINUTES, THE VERY FIRST SPEAKER IS SIGNED IN FOR YOUR ACTION ITEMS PERTAINING TO FIVE A AND FIVE B. THAT'S THE VERY FIRST SPEAKER. OKAY. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS CAN WE DO THIS PUBLIC HEARING COMBINED BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO BOTH OF THEM. IF THE COURT DECIDES TO DO THIS IN A COMBINED MANNER, THEY COULD BE. I THINK THAT'D BE CONVENIENT FOR EVERYBODY TO TO ALLOW EITHER EITHER OR EITHER A OR B, AND IN SOME CASES PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING ON BOTH OF THEM. THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. SOME OF THEM ARE SPEAKING ON BOTH OF THEM. SO JUST TO CALL THEM IN ORDER. OKAY. JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. SO THAT MEANS WE ARE GOING TO CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING ON FIVE A AND B AND ON THE PUBLIC FORUM THEY HAVE INDICATED WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SPEAK ON. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO EXCUSE ME, IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS TOWARDS ANY OTHER ITEM? ONLY THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND THE ACTION RESPECT THE ACTION ITEMS RESPECTIVE TO THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS? NO OTHER ITEMS. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. AT THIS POINT, I WILL ASK YOU. OLGA, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND CALL THE NAMES. THE FIRST SPEAKER IS MISS PAMELA GASKIN, SPEAKING TO YOU ON AGENDA ITEM 22 B AND 26 B, WHICH ARE YOUR ACTION ITEMS FOR YOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS? GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM PAM GADSDEN. IS THE MIC ON? YEAH. MIKE GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. TRY NOW. THEY JUST TURNED IT ON. YOU CAN TRY NOW. MISS GASKIN COULD SPEAK. YOU COULD SPEAK. YOU'RE GOOD. OKAY. PLEASE GO AHEAD. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M PAM GASKIN. MY ADDRESS IS 3006 UNIVERSITY TEXAS. I DON'T THINK THE MIC IS ON. THERE YOU GO. TRY NOW. OKAY. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. AM I RECLAIMING MY TIME? YES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS PAM GASKIN. MY ADDRESS IS 3006 VILLA LANE, MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS. 77459. I AM A RESIDENT OF COMMISSIONER PRECINCT TWO. I HAVE LIVED IN FORT BEND COUNTY FOR 49 YEARS. TODAY I'D LIKE TO SPEAK FIRST OF ALL, I SUPPORT AGENDA ITEM 26 B AND I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR REGARDING 2022 B AND ALSO AGENDA ITEM FIVE. I GUESS NUMBER ONE, WHO DREW THESE MAPS AND WHO PAID FOR THEM? ARE THEY WAS TAXPAYER DOLLARS INVOLVED PERSONAL FUNDS OR CAMPAIGN FUNDS? TWO SINCE THIS HAS BEEN STATED THAT SOME VOTING PRECINCTS WERE OVER THE STATUTORY LIMIT OF 5000 RESIDENTS OR VOTERS. IS THERE A PROBLEM? DOES COMMISSIONERS COURT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS PLAN TO REBALANCE THE PRECINCTS? BECAUSE THAT, TO ME SEEMS TO BE THE APPROPRIATE WAY TO GO, AT NO COST AT ALL TO THE TAXPAYER. [00:10:03] THREE HAS THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, THE ENTIRE COURT CONSIDERED MR. ODOM'S PROPOSAL, OR IS TODAY THE FIRST TIME YOU WILL HEAR THAT PROPOSAL? FOUR WHY WERE THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY IN KATY, SUGAR LAND AND RICHMOND ON A HOLIDAY AND NO HEARING IN EAST FORT BEND COUNTY? THAT SEEMED TO ME TO BE DISINGENUOUS. AND FINALLY, I AGREE, COMMISSIONER MYERS, THAT THE PRECINCT THAT YOU LIVE IN VIVIAN SHOULD BE MOVED TO PRECINCT THREE, BUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REDISTRICTED TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE. A MIKE WENT OFF. I THINK IT'S ON NOW. IS IT ON? CAN YOU HEAR ME? SORRY. OKAY. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CYNTHIA GINYARD ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE A AND B, OKAY. TIMER. I NEED TO SEE IT, IF YOU DON'T MIND. GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, I AM HERE TO IMPLORE YOU TO VOTE FOR ADMINISTRATOR ODOM'S APP AND AGAINST COMMISSIONER THREES MAPS, AND I HAVE A CAVEAT FOR THAT. LATER ON WE HAD SOME PRECINCTS THAT WERE BELOW THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD. WE HAD SOME PRECINCTS THAT WERE OVER THE MAXIMUM THRESHOLD. AND MR. ODOM HAS FIXED THAT. HE KNOWS THIS COUNTY VERY WELL. HE'S OUR PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEE AND HE DID HIS JOB. HE ALSO ASSIGNED COMMISSIONER MYERS'S HOME PRECINCT, WHICH IS CURRENTLY 2009, BACK IN HIS AREA, TO 3009. AND I THINK WELL, OF THAT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. AND I APPLAUD YOU, MR. ODOM, FOR DOING THAT. NOW, THIS ISSUE OF TAKING CARE OF THE PRECINCTS WITH THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM THRESHOLDS CAME UP INTO MY KNOWLEDGE AROUND JANUARY, AND THEN IT MUSHROOMED SHREWD INTO COUNTYWIDE REDISTRICTING. THAT WAS NOT A PART OF IT. WELL, IT BECAME A BUM RUSH JOB, AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE RUSH AND DO THINGS, WE MAKE MISTAKES. THEREFORE, I SAY TO YOU, WE DO NOT NEED TO VOTE ON ANY OF COMMISSIONER MYERS MAPS. WE HAVE A, B, AND C. ONE THING I NOTICED ON MY WAY TO THE SOFA LAST NIGHT. COMMISSIONERS PRECINCT TWO IS NOT CONTIGUOUS, AND WE KNOW THAT THAT IS POLITICAL MAPPING. 101 ON ALL THREE MAPS. THIS AREA PRECINCT 3043, GOING UP WEST BELLFORT TOWARDS 59. MAKE A LEFT ON DAIRY ASHFORD. IT'S THE AREA THAT BLEEDS INTO THE ALIEF COMMUNITY. OKAY. IT'S ON YOUR LEFT. ON THE RIGHT IS PRECINCT 3022. THAT IS THE MEADOWS. BUT IF YOU WOULD SEE THIS GREEN RIGHT ANGLE HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR THE NICE COLORS. IT HELPS ME OUT GETTING OLD. CAN'T SEE ALL THAT, BUT THAT GREEN AREA SEPARATES COMMISSIONER TWO, WHERE THEY TRIED TO TAKE IT INTO MISSION BEND AREA. ALL DISTRICTS MUST BE CONTIGUOUS. I DON'T CARE IF IT'S COMMISSIONER HOUSE, SENATE OR CONGRESSIONAL. AND WE ALL KNOW THAT. THEREFORE, I AM SAYING TO YOU, I'M NOT. I'M NO LONGER ASKING YOU NOT TO VOTE ON THE PROPOSED MAPS FROM COMMISSIONER, BUT I AM STATING THAT BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF COMPLIANCE. COMPLIANT. HOW MANY? YOUR TIME IS UP, MA'AM. OKAY. OUT OF COMPLIANT COMPLIANCE. THANK YOU. MA'AM. OUR NEXT SPEAKER. I'M SORRY. COME ON. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JENNIFER CANTU. ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE A AND B. OKAY. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS. [00:15:06] GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JENNIFER CANTU. ADDRESS 527 JEFF DAVIS DRIVE, RICHMOND, TEXAS, 77 469. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF FIVE A AND AGAINST FIVE B. I STAND BEFORE YOU TO EXPRESS MY DEEP CONCERNS REGARDING THE PROPOSED MAPS BEING INTRODUCED BY COMMISSIONER ANDY MEYERS. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE MAPS ON THE VOTING RIGHTS OF OUR COMMUNITY. THE INTRODUCTION OF THESE MAPS AS THEY CURRENTLY STAND, APPEAR TO VIOLATE FEDERAL LAW REQUIREMENTS AIMED AT PROTECTING RIGHTS OF MINORITY VOTERS. SPECIFICALLY, THEY DILUTE THE VOTING POWER OF THE AAPI COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT AND VIBRANT PART OF OUR ELECTORATE. THIS DILUTION UNDERMINES THE PRINCIPLES OF FAIRNESS AND EQUITY IN REPRESENTATION, AND THREATENS THE FOUNDATIONAL TENET OF OUR DEMOCRACY THAT EVERY VOICE DESERVES TO BE HEARD. FURTHERMORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT REDISTRICTING IS NOT NEEDED CURRENTLY. OUR CURRENT DISTRICTS EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT THE DIVERSE POPULATIONS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEREFORE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT COULD DISENFRANCHIZE VOTERS ARE UNNECESSARY. IN SUMMARY, FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES THAT TEXAS VOTING PRECINCTS BE DRAWN TO ENSURE EQUAL REPRESENTATION, PROTECTION OF MINORITY VOTING RIGHTS, AND NO RACIAL GERRYMANDERING. IN ADDITION TO THESE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, TEXAS ALSO HAS ITS OWN STATE SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR REDISTRICTING, WHICH INCLUDE DISTRICTS MUST BE CONTIGUOUS, COMPACTNESS AND PRESERVATION OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. MOREOVER, I BELIEVE THESE MAPS UNNECESSARILY COMPACT OTHER COMMUNITIES, CREATING A LANDSCAPE THAT DOES NOT REFLECT THE TRUE DIVERSITY OF OUR POPULATION. THIS KIND OF GERRYMANDERING NOT ONLY DISENFRANCHIZED VOTERS, BUT ALSO FOSTERS DIVISION AMONG COMMUNITIES THAT SHOULD BE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY. I URGE THIS COURT TO RECONSIDER THE PROPOSED MAPS AND ENSURE THAT THEY UPHOLD THE PRINCIPLES OF FAIRNESS, EQUITY AND INCLUSIVITY AS MANDATED BY FEDERAL LAW. WE MUST STRIVE FOR A SYSTEM THAT EMPOWERS EVERY COMMUNITY TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL SAY IN OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS CRITICAL MATTER. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS EDWARD CAVEY ON AGENDA ITEM 22 B AND 26 B. GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. MR. JUDGE, MY NAME IS ED CAVEY. I LIVE AT 13311 CUTLER ROAD IN NEEDVILLE, TEXAS. 77461. REGARDING FIVE A, I DO SUPPORT THE MAP THAT WAS REDRAWN BY JOHN OLDHAM IN THE ELECTIONS OFFICE TO RESOLVE AN IMMEDIATE SENSE. THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD COVERED FROM MATT MORGAN'S LETTER OF THE 105,000 LIMITS FOR POPULATION REGARDING FIVE B, INSTEAD OF DISCUSSING THE MAPS THEMSELVES, OR THAT I WANT TO MAKE A PROPOSAL OR SOMETHING FOR YOU TO CONSIDER. THERE'S A GROWING WAVE AROUND THE COUNTRY OF STATES AND MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE ADOPTING SOMETHING. THE INITIALS ARE IRC INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COUNCILS OR COMMISSIONS? IN TEXAS WE HAVE AUSTIN AND FORT WORTH THAT ARE BOTH USING THAT PRINCIPLE AND GETTING GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER OTHER LOCATION, OTHER WATCHDOGS AS WELL AS TO ITS USE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT TAKES THE POLITICS OUT OF THE MATTER AND TAKES THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE POLITICIANS, RELIEVES YOU OF THE BURDEN AND PUTS IT ON A COMMISSION THAT THAT IS FORMED FOR THAT PURPOSE. THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD STUFF IN AUSTIN CITY CHARTER. YOU CAN READ PAGE AFTER PAGE DESCRIPTION OF THEIR IRC, HOW IT'S SET UP, HOW IT WORKS. IT'S JUST SOMETHING I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD CONSIDER, AND MAYBE EVEN PUT UP FOR A PUBLIC VOTE AT THE NEXT COUNTYWIDE ELECTION. AS THIS IS A LONG TERM THING, THIS IS A FOREVER THING. EVERY CENSUS YEAR, EVERY TIME WE RUN INTO A SITUATION WHERE WE NEED TO DO SOME TWEAKING OF, OF BASED ON GROWTH. YOU CAN JUST SAY, HEY, COMMISSIONER, TAKE CARE OF THIS, RIGHT? THERE'S A PROCESS, AND I JUST STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THAT, BECAUSE TO ME, IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW OUR COUNTY CAN SHOW. I MEAN, WE'RE THE MOST DIVERSE COUNTY IN PROBABLY THE MOST PURPLE COUNTY IN THE ENTIRE STATE OR MAYBE EVEN COUNTRY. AND WE HAVE A CHANCE TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO A LOT OF OTHER COUNTIES AND A LOT OF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OF HOW WE CAN TAKE A POLITICALLY RANCOROUS ISSUE LIKE THIS. LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS USUALLY HERE AT THESE MEETINGS. RIGHT. THIS IS A THIS IS A HOTBED ISSUE THAT IS GOING ON ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. [00:20:04] AND YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE POLITICAL ARENA AND YOU PUT IT INTO A GROUP THAT CAN HANDLE THIS IN A VERY SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY WITHOUT A WHOLE LOT OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE, BUT JUST FOLLOWING THE LAW AND FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES. SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING I WOULD STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CONSIDER FOR THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ELIZABETH WOOD ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE A AND B. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH WOOD. I LIVE AT 5638 WHISPER RIDGE DRIVE, SUGARLAND 77479. SO I'M GOING TO ADDRESS PRIMARILY YOU TODAY, MR. MYERS, BECAUSE YOU DREW THOSE MAPS, YOU ORGANIZED MEETINGS, AND YOU HELPED US ALL COME TOGETHER SO THAT WE COULD SEE THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WERE PUT BEFORE US. CAN YOU BRING THAT MIC A LITTLE BIT UP? IS IT SO THAT PEOPLE COULD HEAR A LITTLE BIT? YEAH. CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. AT YESTERDAY'S TOWN HALL MEETING, YOU STATED THAT FORT BEND WOULD LIKELY BE SUED BY THE STATE BECAUSE OF OUR CURRENT PRECINCT LINES. BECAUSE THEY BREAK STATE LAW. BUT YOU DID ACKNOWLEDGE YESTERDAY THAT THE MAP REDRAWN BY THE NONPARTISAN FORT BEND COUNTY ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS RESOLVED THESE CONCERNS. IN ADDITION, YOU RAISED THE CONCERN THAT THE CURRENT MAP BREAKS FEDERAL LAW BECAUSE IT WAS DRAWN BASED ON RACE AND THAT THIS IS ILLEGAL. BUT YOUR MAP IS SORT OF DOING THE SAME THING BY CLUSTERING AND DILUTING THE VOTES OF SPECIFIC POPULATIONS. IT JUST RESULTS IN A MAP THAT'S BETTER FOR YOUR PARTY. THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE IS THAT YOU PERSONALLY REDREW THOSE MAPS BECAUSE YOUR SPECIFIC PRECINCT MIGHT FLIP BLUE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE. THE NEW MAPS YOU PROPOSED PROPOSED CLEARLY REDRAW LINES TO KEEP THE PRECINCT RED. IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE YOU DREW THESE MAPS SO THAT YOU'D WIN REELECTION. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW UPSETTING THAT IS FOR ME. PLEASE VOTE FOR MAP NUMBER ONE, A MAP THAT WAS CREATED BY A NONPARTIZAN FORT BEND COUNTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR AND EMPLOYEE. A NONPARTISAN MAP THAT THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT SIMPSON ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE A AND B. ROBERT SIMPSON, ADDRESS 1437625 BELRIDGE. WE GOT IT. GOT IT. I PICKED IT UP. MIKE PICKED IT UP. OKAY. I DON'T WANT TO GO OVER EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE'S ALREADY SAID. WE ARE. I THINK WE GET A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE PEOPLE FEEL? AND NOW IT'S JUST UP TO US TO DECIDE WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE, OR WE'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO OURSELVES. LET ME START BY SAYING WE ARE TROUBLED, DISILLUSIONED, DISAPPOINTED AT THIS ATTEMPT AT DISENFRANCHISEMENT. AND LET ME BE CLEAR. THIS IS NOT ABOUT RED OR BLUE, BLACK OR WHITE, BUT SIMPLY RIGHT OR WRONG. AND THEN HOW DO WE AS A PEOPLE TRUST WHEN WE SEE ACCUSATIONS WITHOUT SUBSTANTIATION THAT WE KNOW ARE HEADING TO LITIGATION, AND YET WE SIT AND PRETEND THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT GOING ON, AND WE WE WANT TO ALLOW YOU TO DO THINGS THAT GO AGAINST THE VERY WILL OF THE PEOPLE. REDISTRICTING MAPS CAN BE A POSITIVE THING, BUT NOT AT THIS TIME. I DON'T EVEN THINK IT'S TIME FOR REDISTRICTING MAPS. OF COURSE. THE POPULATION AND GROWTH. BUT RIGHT NOW I WOULD VOTE ABSOLUTELY NO TO ANY ADJUSTMENTS OF THE MAP. THANK YOU. NEXT QUESTION JACOB LEE ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE A AND B. MY NAME IS JACOB LEE. I LIVE AT 627 ROYAL LAKES BOULEVARD, RICHMOND, TEXAS 77469. I'M A REPUBLICAN PRECINCT CHAIR FOR 2152 AND THE COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS. IN 1985, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE PASSED SECTION 42 06A OF THE ELECTION CODE, AND IT REQUIRES THAT COUNTIES WITH OVER 100,000 PEOPLE EACH VOTING PRECINCT MUST HAVE [00:25:04] AT LEAST 100 VOTERS AND NO MORE THAN 5000 VOTERS. FORT BEND COUNTY HAS BEEN VIOLATING THIS LAW FOR YEARS. DECADES IN FACT. THE PROPOSED MAP BEFORE YOU FIVET TODAY DOES NOT CORRECT THESE VIOLATIONS. WHY DOES IT MATTER? BECAUSE BALLOT PRIVACY IS BEING COMPROMISED. TAKE PRECINCT 4167. IT HAD TWO VOTERS IN IT FROM THE SAME HOUSEHOLD. THOSE BALLOTS WERE IDENTICAL. AND THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, AND THOSE VOTERS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE. THAT'S NOT SPECULATION. IT'S ALSO A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW. THERE ARE MULTIPLE PRECINCTS LIKE THIS WITH ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE VOTE ONE BY MAIL, ONE EARLY AND ONE IN PERSON. YOU CAN DETERMINE WHO VOTED AND HOW THEY VOTED. THIS DESTROYS TRUST. IT VIOLATES PRIVACY AND OPENS THE COUNTY TO LEGAL RISKS. THIS IS NOT A CLERICAL MISTAKE. IT'S SYSTEMIC FAILURE AND HAS GONE EITHER UNNOTICED OR BEEN IGNORED SINCE AT LEAST 2002. YOU CAN GO BACK AND FIND ALL OF THESE RECORDS, AND FRANKLY, WE'RE NOT SEEING ANYTHING FOR PLANNING OR GROWTH. FOR EXAMPLE, PRECINCT 1006 HAS OVER 18,500 VOTERS AS OF NOVEMBER. AS OF TODAY, IT'S CLOSE TO 20,000. SPLITTING IT INTO THREE PARTS WITH THE PROPOSED MAP THAT WAS PUT ONLINE, IT DOESN'T ACCOMMODATE FOR FUTURE GROWTH THERE, GROWING BY 200 VOTES A MONTH. ANOTHER ISSUE, PRECINCT 1150, COMBINES A CITY WITH A POPULATION OVER 10,000, A SECOND CITY WITH A POPULATION UNDER 10,000, AND AN UNINCORPORATED COUNTY LAND. AS I READ THE LAW, THAT'S NOT ALLOWED. THIS IS ALL IN THE MAPS THAT JOHN OLDHAM IS PRODUCING. IN 2021, THE PROCESS WAS BOTCHED. THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND EVEN OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL, THEY HAD FAILED TO FOLLOW THE LAW. WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. AND LET'S BE HONEST, THE ELECTION'S ADMINISTRATION HAS BUILT IN CONFLICT OF INTEREST. FOR EVERY TWO PRECINCTS THEY OPEN, THEY HAVE TO OPEN ANOTHER POLLING PLACE. THIS CREATES STRONG INCENTIVE TO DRAW FEWER PRECINCTS, EVEN IF IT VIOLATES THE LAW. THAT'S WHY CHAIRMAN BOB EBERLY OF THE FORT BEND GOP SENT YOU A LETTER YESTERDAY URGING THE COUNTY TO HIRE INDEPENDENT, OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL NOT TIED TO THE ELECTIONS OFFICE OR THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. I'M HERE TO REINFORCE THAT REQUEST. THIS ISSUE GOES TO THE CORE OF ELECTION INTEGRITY. IF YOU DON'T FIX THE PRECINCTS NOW, ACCORDING TO BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, YOU'RE BUILDING ON A BROKEN FOUNDATION, AND ANY PROPOSED COMMISSIONER COURT MAPS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED UNTIL THIS FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS CORRECTED. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. DO IT LEGALLY. DO IT NOW. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER, GREG BARNES, ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE A AND B. GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. MY NAME IS GREG BARNES. I LIVE AT 626 SAGUARO WAY. I'M A AN OLD FART IN THE OLD FART NEIGHBORHOOD. THE REASON I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY IS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. I MOVED OUT HERE ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, AND WHAT I SEE IS A CONTINUING PATTERN OF WASTEFUL SPENDING OF TAXPAYERS MONEY WHEN WE REDISTRICTED THE LAST TIME. I'M NOT SAYING IT WAS RIGHT OR IT WAS WRONG, BUT WE SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON MOVING CONSTABLE'S CARS AROUND AND NEW BUILDINGS AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, AND THERE WASN'T A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THAT. WHEN I LOOK AT NEW MAPS TODAY, I HAVE QUESTIONS. WE'RE CHANGING UP THE SIZE OF DISTRICTS AGAIN. WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE MOVING THINGS AROUND AGAIN. WHAT'S THAT GOING TO COST? I KNOW, COMMISSIONER, LAST NIGHT YOU SAID AT THE TOWN HALL THAT YOU FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO COST ANY MORE. I HOPE YOU'RE CORRECT. AS I UNDERSTAND IT. AS FAR AS FIVE GOES, THE THE CURRENT STRUCTURE DOES NOT MEET FEDERAL AND STATE GUIDELINES. I, AS A TAXPAYER, AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE FEDERAL OR THE STATE GOVERNMENT COMING TO OUR COUNTY SUING US. AND ONCE AGAIN, TAKING TAXPAYERS MONEY. MY MONEY? YOUR MONEY. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. IF THAT MEANS HIRING AN OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO DO IT CORRECTLY, THEN LET'S DO THAT. BUT AS IT'S DRAWN TODAY, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'LL PASS MUSTER. COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORT ON THE NEW MAPS. I KNOW A LOT OF THOUGHT AND A LOT OF TIME WENT INTO THAT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AS I SAID LAST NIGHT WHEN I SPOKE TO YOU, I BELIEVE THE RIGHT THING RIGHT NOW IS NOT TO RUSH INTO ANYTHING. AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOUR MAPS ARE RIGHT OR [00:30:01] WRONG AFTER REVIEWING THEM FOR TWO HOURS ON MEMORIAL DAY EVENING. I NEED TIME TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS. I NEED TIME TO DIG INTO IT AND SEE WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT'S NOT RIGHT. SO I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU, SIR, TO TABLE THAT. LET'S SEE IF IT'S VIABLE. YOU BELIEVE IT'S VIABLE? LET'S TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT IT. BUT NOT OVERNIGHT. SO I WOULD ASK YOU GENTLEMEN TO DO THE RIGHT THING. DOES IT MATTER TO WHETHER IT IS REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, RED OR BLUE, I DON'T CARE. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE TAXPAYERS MONEY, AND GOD KNOWS WE'RE SPENDING ENOUGH OF IT IN THIS COUNTY. AND WE NEED TO CUT BACK. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANNA LYKOUDIS ON FIVE. BE I BE OKAY. JUST THAT MICROPHONE. SORRY I HAD TO SIT SO FAR AWAY. OKAY. HI, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. COMMISSIONERS COUNTY JUDGE KP. GEORGE. MY NAME IS ANNA LAKUTIS. I LIVE AT 1010 WALKER SCHOOL ROAD, SUGARLAND, TEXAS. I AM A CONCERNED CITIZEN, AND I WAS QUITE SHOCKED TO SEE THAT THERE WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT OVER THE MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY TO HAVE AN IMPROMPTU AND VERY IMPORTANT MEETING ON THE REDISTRICTING OF OUR COUNTY. IT WAS DISAPPOINTING, BUT STILL WE HAD TO TAKE THE TIME. I DID LEARN SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS THAT WE HAVE TWO ISSUES GOING ON. WE HAVE THE FACT THAT THE PRECINCTS DO SOME PRECINCTS DO EXCEED THE 5000 PEOPLE LIMIT. AND THAT NEEDED ADJUSTMENT. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT FORT BEND COUNTY HAS HAD THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, MR. OLDHAM, CREATE A MAP THAT ADDRESSES THOSE ISSUES AND HAS USED TAXPAYER RESOURCES TO DO JUST THAT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ALTHOUGH COMMISSIONER MYERS CLAIMS THAT THAT MAP IS ILLEGAL, THE FORT BEND COUNTY ATTORNEY HAS NOT MADE OR HAS MADE A DETERMINATION ON THAT. BUT MR. MYERS DID NOT EXPLAIN IF THERE WAS ONE. SO WE HAVE A REAL ISSUE AS THE REPRESENTING THAT'S REQUIRED BY LAW AND A CONCOCTED ISSUE ABOUT REDISTRICTING OUR ENTIRE COUNTY TO REALIGN COUNTY COMMISSIONER LINES. AND WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT. IF MR. MYERS EXPLAINED TO US THAT HE DOES HAVE A CONCERN WITH THE 2021 COMMISSIONER LINES THAT WERE DRAWN AND HE HAS NOT FILED ANY SUIT. HE HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT EXCEPT TRY TO PASS THROUGH THESE MAPS, WHICH HIS ASSOCIATE LAST NIGHT CALLED THEM ANDY'S MAPS. I WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT MR. MYERS TOLD US THAT HE'S PERSONALLY PAID THE ATTORNEYS AND THE DEMOGRAPHERS WHO HAVE CREATED ANDY'S MAPS. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THERE WAS AN IGNORING ON. I JUST READ THE STATISTICS ON THE BOTTOM. THERE IS NO STATISTICS THAT LAYS OUT THE RACIAL OR ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE COMMUNITIES AFFECTED. AND THIS RACE BLINDNESS, WHICH COMMISSIONER MYERS CLAIMS IS LEGAL. I WOULD ARGUE IS ILLEGAL BECAUSE IT HAS ILLEGAL EFFECTS AND IT DILUTES THE VOTING POWER OF OUR AAPI COMMUNITY BY AT LEAST 14%. AND THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE. WHEN POLITICIANS TAKE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO MOVE AROUND COMMUNITIES TO FAVOR THEIR OWN POLITICAL AGENDAS, THAT IS NOT LEGAL. SO WE WANT TO BE CAREFUL AND WE WANT FAIR MAPS. I'M A DEMOCRAT. IT'S NOT A SURPRISE, BUT I WANT A FAIR MAP. MY REPUBLICAN NEIGHBORS WANT A FAIR MAP. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE PARTIZAN MAPS. WE WANT TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER, BECAUSE ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD VOTE ON THINGS THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE TAXPAYERS MONEY BEING WASTED EITHER. THAT IS A NONPARTISAN ISSUE. SO THANK YOU. I HOPE YOU REJECT ANDY'S MAPS. LINDA MIXON FIVE BE. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I LIVE AT 15911 OLIVER LANE PRECINCT FOUR. [00:35:03] I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE 2000 REDISTRICTING. SO THAT TELLS YOU HOW LONG I HAVE BEEN AROUND NOW. WE HAD A COMMISSION. WE MET, I DON'T KNOW, TEN TIMES. WE LOOKED AT ALL THE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT OPTIONS WE HAD. AND THAT WAS A VERY FAIR WAY TO LOOK AT IT. WE HAD TO DETERMINE WHETHER ANDY SHOULD BE PUT BACK IN HIS PRECINCT. HE WAS LIVING IN SUGAR CREEK AT THAT TIME. THE LATE ROB COOK, HE WAS IN PECAN GROVE, I BELIEVE, AND WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT HE GOT PUT BACK INTO HIS PRECINCT. SO WE HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT. I DO NOT, I CANNOT SAY HOW UPSET I WAS TO LEARN THAT ANDY WAS PUSHED OUT OF HIS PRECINCT. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THAT HAPPENED. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT FAIRNESS. AND TO THINK THAT HE WAS VOTED OUT OF HIS PRECINCT. THAT REALLY UPSET ME. AND SOMEONE SAID THAT ONLY ONCE. YOU KNOW, YOU ONLY HAD MEETINGS IN ONE PRECINCT. HE WAS THE ONLY COMMISSIONER WHO HAD MEETINGS. NO OTHER COMMISSIONER HAD MEETINGS. AND HE'S TRYING TO BE FAIR HERE, TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. HE'S HOLDING MEETINGS. HE'S GIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK OUT. HAS ANYBODY ELSE GIVEN YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE YOUR OPINION? NO OTHER COMMISSIONER, I. YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN MY COMMISSIONER. FIRST TIME? NEVER HEARD ANYTHING FROM HIM. NEVER GOTTEN AN EMAIL. NEVER SEEN HIM FIRST TIME. BUT I HAVE SEEN ANDY OUT AND ABOUT MANY TIMES. SO I THINK I'M THANKFUL TO GET TO BE HERE. THANKFUL TO GET TO VOICE MY OPINION. BUT I LIKE THE MAP. WHICH MAP WAS IT? A I THINK. BUT I DON'T WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF OUR DOLLARS EITHER. I'M ALL FOR SAVING MONEY. BUT, JACOB, WHAT? YOU SAID TO THINK THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE IN ONE PRECINCT AND THAT YOU CAN GO AND LOOK AND SEE HOW THEY VOTED, AND THAT THERE'S OVER 5000 IN OTHER PRECINCTS THAT THAT SHOULD NOT BE PASSED. YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE PRECINCTS THAT THAT THAT'S THAT BIG. AND I THINK YOU REALLY OUGHT TO REDRAW THE PRECINCT LINES AND THEN START VOTING. THEN REDO THE VOTING PRECINCTS. BECAUSE IF YOU DO IT THE OPPOSITE WAY, YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO REDRAW THE VOTING PRECINCTS AGAIN AFTER YOU REDRAW THE VOTING PRECINCT. I MEAN, AFTER YOU REDO THE REDRAW THE COMMISSION PRECINCTS, YOU'LL THEN HAVE TO REDRAW THE VOTING PRECINCTS AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I HOPE I DIDN'T MAKE YOU MAD. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JANICE BUKOWSKI ON FIVE A AND B. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JANICE BUKOWSKI. I LIVE AT 2215 BELFIELD COURT IN RICHMOND, TEXAS. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK AGAINST FIVE B REGARDING THE REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY COMMISSIONER MYERS. I HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS. I ATTENDED ONE OF THE HASTILY CALLED TOWN HALL MEETINGS YESTERDAY ON MEMORIAL DAY, AND THE PROCESS ITSELF RAISES QUESTIONS. WERE THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AFFORDED THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD TOWN HALLS? I DON'T THINK SO. COMMISSIONER MYERS ASSERTS THAT THE MAP SUBMITTED BY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR JOHN OLDHAM VIOLATES FEDERAL LAW, YET NO CLEAR EVIDENCE HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO SUPPORT THIS CLAIM. UPON REVIEWING THE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 4TH, 2021, MEETING OF THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, IT APPEARS THAT STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO JUDGE GEORGE BY COMMISSIONER MYERS MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. IF THIS IS A PRIMARY JUSTIFICATION FOR REDRAWING THE MAP, I BELIEVE IT IS NOT A SUFFICIENTLY VALID BASIS FOR SUCH ACTION. FURTHERMORE, GIVEN THE RAPID POPULATION GROWTH IN FORT BEND COUNTY, IT IS LIKELY THAT REDISTRICTING WILL BE NECESSARY AGAIN BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. PROCEEDING NOW WOULD RESULT IN UNNECESSARY EXPENDITURES AND DUPLICATE EFFORTS WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME IN SUPPORT OF FIVET. I SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE MAPS SUBMITTED BY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR JOHN OLDHAM. THIS PROPOSAL MAKES REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE EXISTING MAP WHILE [00:40:01] PRESERVING ITS OVERALL STRUCTURE AND MEANING MAINTAINING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. IMPORTANTLY, IT ALLOWS COMMISSIONER MYERS TO RETURN TO HIS RESIDENCE. IT'S A STRAIGHTFORWARD SOLUTION THAT COMPLIES WITH TEXAS STATE LAW REGARDING PRECINCT SIZE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTOPHER PINO ON FIVE B AND 22 B. HELLO, MY NAME IS CHRIS PINO. I AM HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST AGENDA ITEM ITEM FIVE B AND 22 B AND IN FAVOR OF FIVE A AND 26 B. IN SHORT, I AM CATEGORICALLY OPPOSED TO COMMISSIONER MEYERS'S RUSHED ATTEMPT TO RACIALLY GERRYMANDER FORT BEND COUNTY. FIRST, I WANT TO SPEAK ON THE MERITS OF THE MAPS PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER MYERS. I STUDY REDISTRICTING, AND I TOOK TIME TO EXTENSIVELY ANALYZE ALL THREE MAPS. I HAVE COME TO THE UNFORTUNATE CONCLUSION THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS AN OBVIOUS PARTIZAN GERRYMANDER AT FACE VALUE, WHICH IS LEGAL, I WILL DISCLAIM IT IS ALSO A FLAGRANT RACIAL GERRYMANDER IN VIOLATION OF THE 14TH AMENDMENT IN SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. SPECIFICALLY, THESE MAPS WOULD REDUCE PRECINCT THREE FROM ABOUT 50% ASIAN TO ONLY ONE THIRD WITH A WHITE VOTING MAJORITY. CONSIDER THIS YOUR NOTICE THAT IF YOU PROCEED WITH THESE MAPS, THERE WILL THERE WILL BE IMMEDIATE LEGAL ACTION THAT WILL PREVENT THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN TIME FOR THE 2020 ELECTIONS AND BEYOND. SECOND, I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE TOWN HALLS THAT COMMISSIONER MYERS HOSTED YESTERDAY. I CAME WITH AN OPEN MIND AND UNFORTUNATELY LEFT GRAVELY DISAPPOINTED. FIRST HE TOLD US THAT REDISTRICTING COULD COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THEN HE TOLD US POINT BLANK THAT HIS LAWYER FRIEND, TONY MCDONALD OF THE TEXAS SCORECARD, THE SAME GUY, MIND YOU, THAT HE TRIED TO EARMARK 30,000 TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO, IN CASE YOU FORGOT, HAS NOTIFIED HIM THAT THE CURRENT MAPS ARE ILLEGAL. WELL, GOLLY. WHAT HYPOTHETICALLY WOULD BE THE CASE IF MY LAWYER TOLD ME THAT COMMISSIONER MYERS IS A SKUNK? DOES THAT MEAN WE NEED TO MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH JUST BECAUSE THEY SAID SO? TO DISQUALIFY HIM FROM HOLDING OFFICE? NO. HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY HEARS THE PROBLEM HERE. IF YOU AND TONY ARE SO CONFIDENT THAT THE MAPS ARE ILLEGAL, THEN HAVE YOUR DAY IN COURT, BUT NOT IN COMMISSIONERS COURT. WHETHER YOU WERE ELECTED TO MOVE FORT BEND FORWARD OR TO BE THE TAXPAYERS BEST FRIEND. THIS DOES NEITHER OF THOSE THINGS. THIS MOVES US BACKWARDS. THIS WOULD WASTE MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS NO MATTER HOW YOU SPIN IT. SO I HOPE THE MEMBERS OF THIS BODY WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND VOTE DOWN THESE NEEDLESS AGENDA ITEMS AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON THE DAY TO DAY ISSUES THAT IMPACT FORT BEND COUNTY RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LORI MEREDITH ON 5B5B. GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TODAY. MY NAME IS LORI MEREDITH, 4906 CAMBRIDGE STREET, SUGARLAND. 77479. MY HUSBAND AND I MADE AN EFFORT TO MOVE TO FORT BEND COUNTY FROM OUR HOMETOWN OF HOUSTON. 25 YEARS AGO, BECAUSE WE FELT LIKE IT WAS A BETTER PLACE TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN. AND IT WAS. IT WAS A GREAT, GREAT SUGGESTION AND GLAD WE DID IT. HOWEVER, FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN OUR COUNTY HAVE BEEN CONCERNING TO ME. STARTING WITH THE 2021 REDISTRICTING THAT WENT ON. I LIKE MOST PEOPLE HERE. I FOUND OUT JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO ABOUT SOME OF THE DISPARITIES IN OUR PRECINCTS AND HOW SOME HAD HARDLY ANYONE IN THEM AND SOME HAD WAY TOO MANY. SO I KNEW THAT THIS ISSUE NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. AND SO WHAT I'M URGING THAT YOU ALL DO WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION IS DO WHAT IS FAIR FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY. I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT COUNCILOR COMMISSIONER MYERS HAS MADE TO COME UP WITH NOT ONE, BUT THREE DIFFERENT PROPOSALS. AND ON THOSE PROPOSALS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WOULD TRY TO BALANCE THE PRECINCTS SO THAT YES, WE WOULD HAVE ONE THAT'S A STRONG DEMOCRAT, ANOTHER THAT'S A STRONG REPUBLICAN, AND ONE THAT MAY LEAN DEMOCRAT AND ONE THAT LEANS REPUBLICAN. I THINK THAT IS FAIR. AND I'M JUST HOPING THAT FORT BEND COUNTY WILL BE KNOWN FOR HAVING HIGH MORALS, ETHICS AND VALUES, THAT WILL WE STAY OUT OF THE NEWS FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS AND GET IN THE NEWS FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, I APPRECIATE IT. [00:45:01] OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KENNETH OMORUYI ON FIVE BE. GOOD AFTERNOON. KENNETH ANAMARIE. 11102 SWALLOW CYCLE. SUGARLAND, TEXAS. 77478. 78. COMMISSIONERS. JUDGE. MY NAME IS KENNETH MURRAY, AND I STAND BEFORE YOU AS A PROUD FORT BEND COUNTY RESIDENT. I'M A FORMER CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE FOR THE TEXAS SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. TODAY WE ADDRESS AGENDA ITEM FIVE BE THE CRITICAL REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL. OUR VOTER COMMISSIONER, FOR INSTANCE. THIS ISN'T MERELY ADMINISTRATIVE WORK. IT'S ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES THAT DEFINES OUR CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC. REDISTRICTING DETERMINES WHO HAS A VOICE AND WHO GETS HEARD. THE EVIDENCE IS UNDENIABLE. CURRENTLY, ABOUT 38 VOTER PRECINCTS CURRENTLY VIOLATES POPULATION LIMITS. A DIRECT VIOLATION OF LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FAIR REPRESENTATION. OUR CURRENT BOUNDARIES GERRYMANDERS NEIGHBORHOODS DELIBERATELY DIVIDING COMMUNITIES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNIFIED. THE HUMAN COST BECAME CLEAR IN 2021, WHEN THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS REMOVED A SITTING COMMISSIONER FROM HIS HOME, HIS HOME DISTRICT, DURING A FAMILY CRISIS. THIS ISN'T JUST IMPRACTICAL. IT WAS PUNITIVE. AND DEMONSTRATED HOW POLITICAL MANEUVERING OVERRIDES BASIC HUMAN DECENCY. WE NEED A TRANSPARENT, COMMUNITY DRIVEN REDISTRICTING PROCESS THAT LISTENS TO RESIDENTS, NOT JUST POLITICAL INSIDERS. I URGE THIS COURT TO ADOPT A MAP FEATURING TWO COMPETITIVE PRECINCTS, PRESENT ONE LEANING DEMOCRATIC AND ONE LEANING REPUBLICAN. THIS ISN'T ABOUT PARTIZAN INTERESTS. IT'S ABOUT CREATING FAIR COMPETITION AND GENUINE REPRESENTATION. FAMILIES LIVING ON THE SAME STREET SHOULDN'T FIND THEMSELVES IN DIFFERENT POLITICAL UNIVERSE SIMPLY BECAUSE IT SERVES SOMEONE'S POLITICAL STRATEGY. THIS IS A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN FORT BEND COUNTY'S HISTORY. IF WE TRULY BELIEVE IN THE COUNTY'S MOTTO, WHICH IS EXCELLENCE IN ALL THINGS, THEN WE MUST START EXCELLENCE IN REPRESENTATION. EVERY RESIDENT DESERVES REPRESENTATION THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR VOICE AND THEIR VOTE, REGARDLESS OF ZIP CODE, ETHNICITY, INCOME LEVEL. THE PEOPLE OF FORT BEND COUNTY ARE WATCHING. AND WE DESERVE LEADERS THAT SHOULD STAND UP FOR DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES EVEN WHEN IT'S POLITICALLY INCONVENIENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT HEBERT ON 22 B AND 26 B. HELLO, I'M ROBERT HEBERT. I LIVE AT 602 HILLCREST DRIVE IN RICHMOND, TEXAS. FOR THE RECORD, THE LAST TIME I TALKED TO THE COURT FROM THIS PODIUM, ROY CORTEZ WAS COUNTY JUDGE. WELL, I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THE FORT BEND BUSINESS COALITION. AS REPRESENTATIVES OF BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT VOTERS SHOULD CHOOSE THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD NOT CHOOSE THEIR VOTERS. WE UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT PRECINCT MAP REQUIRE CHANGES BEFORE THE NEXT COMMISSIONER'S COURT ELECTION IN NOVEMBER OF 2026. THE PRACTICAL DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTING ANY SUCH CHANGES IN TIME FOR. IS THE TIME AND TIME FOR PARTY PRIMARIES AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO THERE'S NO REASON TO ACT ON EITHER OF THESE ITEMS 22 B OR 26 B AT THIS TIME. INSTEAD, WE ENCOURAGE THE COURT TO TABLE BOTH 22 B AND 26. 26 B AND TO CONSIDER A PROCESS SIMILAR TO THAT USED IN 2011, [00:50:02] ONE THAT ENGAGED THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO GUIDE THE REDISTRICTING EFFORT. AN OPEN, CONSIDERED AND MEASURED APPROACH TO REDISTRICTING IS WHAT IS CALLED FOR NOW. UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROCESS IS PROBABLY EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT AS THE ACTUAL MAP ITSELF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ALL ARE GOING THROUGH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROL WATER HOUR ON FIVE A AND FIVE B. HELLO, I'M CAROL WETTERAUER. YEAH. THANKS. AND I LIVE AT 3010 FERDON COURT IN KATY. 77450. WE ARE IN A TIME OF CHANGE AND CONFUSION. WE HAVE MANDATES COMING FROM STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS, JUST TO NAME A FEW. IMPORT TARIFFS, CAUSING MARKET INSTABILITY. VOUCHER BILLS WHICH LEAD TO DEFUNDING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SCHOOL CLOSURES. CONSPIRACY THEORIES WHICH CAUSE MISTRUST IN VACCINES, AND AN OUTBREAK OF MEASLES THAT WE'VE HAD RECENTLY. RAMPANT GERRYMANDERING IMPACTING VOTERS RIGHTS. LET'S TRY AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITY STABLE. PEOPLE NEED TO VOTE. INCONSISTENCIES. CONFUSIONS LEAD TO APATHY, ANGER AND FEAR. CHANGING OUR VOTERS DISTRICTS. I'M SORRY. DISTRICTS LEADS TO APATHY. ANGER AND FEAR. AND KEEP FOLKS AWAY FROM THE BALLOT BOX. WE ARE COMING UP TO ANOTHER ELECTION. LET'S FIX THE MISTAKE FROM OUR LOCAL REDISTRICTING INTO IN 2021 AND SUPPORT THE JOHN OLDHAM PROPOSAL. ITEM FIVE A WE SHOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED REDISTRICTING OF VOTER AND COMMISSIONERS PRECINCTS. ITEM FIVE B MAINTAINING THE CURRENT PRECINCTS ALLOWS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH CONSTITUENTS. THIS HELPS OUR LEADERS SERVE MORE EFFICIENTLY. ENGAGING LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES AND PRIORITIZING THEIR VOICES CAN HELP CREATE MORE JUST AND EFFECTIVE ELECTORAL MAPS. LET'S WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE 2030 CENSUS TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. LET'S NOT ADD TO OUR WORLD'S CURRENT DISRUPTION CURRENT CONFUSION, BUT BE PART OF CONTINUING FAIR AND JUST ELECTIONS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS APRYL JONES ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE B. GOOD AFTERNOON, ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES. MY NAME IS APRYL JONES. MY ADDRESS IS 8506 ROSE GARDEN DRIVE, HOUSTON, TEXAS. I'M A PRECINCT CHAIR OF 4066, ALSO THE FORT BEND COUNTY TREASURER FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. I'M ALSO AN ELECTED OFFICIAL ON THE MUD BOARD. I WANT TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO YOU, COMMISSIONER MYERS. YESTERDAY AT THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, I ASKED IF YOU WOULD TABLE THIS MATTER. I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU WOULD THINK STRONGLY AND DO THAT. SO I WOULD LIKE I WOULD I WANT TO HONOR YOU FOR COMING OUT. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE HOLIDAY. BUT I REALLY WANT YOU TO STRONGLY THINK ABOUT THAT, TO DO THE RIGHT THING. LET ME GO AHEAD AND READ MY STATEMENT TO YOU. I'VE LIVED IN FORT BEND COUNTY FOR OVER 30 YEARS. I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY OUT OF CONCERN TO ADDRESS THE SIGNIFICANT ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS AND COSTS BY OUR TAXPAYERS ON CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH REDISTRICTING. AGAIN WHY IS IT DEAD? WHY IS IT NOW THE DEADLINE? WHY IS THE DEADLINE NOW WITH ABSOLUTELY NO FORMAL OR ADVANCED NOTICE TO COMMUNITIES AFFECTED? FURTHER, CALLING A MEETING ON MEMORIAL DAY IS BLATANTLY INAPPROPRIATE AND DISRESPECTFUL, AS MOST PEOPLE ARE OUT OF TOWN OR ENJOYING THEIR FAMILIES. THE DEADLINE TO IMPLEMENT SUCH REDISTRICTING CHANGE CHANGES IN TIME. [00:55:04] HOLD ON. IMPLEMENT SUCH REDISTRICTING CHANGES IN TIME FOR PARTY PRIMARIES CAN BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF 2025. I SEE NO REASON THIS CRITICAL MATTER SHOULD BE RUSHED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. REDRAWING PRECINCTS IS COSTLY TO TAXPAYERS AND PRESENTS MANY CHALLENGES FOR OUR ELECTION OFFICIALS. THE TASK OF UPDATING MAPS AND MAINTAINING ACCURATE VOTER ROLLS AND PREPARING TRAINING MATERIALS REQUIRES A LOT OF TIME, MONEY, IMMENSE EFFORT, AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL FOR ACCURACY. I HAVE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND HOW THESE CHALLENGES CAN CREATE CONFUSION AND FRUSTRATION. FOR EXAMPLE, THE LAST REDISTRICTING IN 2021 WAS VERY CONFUSING. WITH NO ADVANCE NOTICE TO HOMEOWNERS. SOME HOMEOWNERS WEREN'T AWARE THEIR PRECINCTS HAD CHANGED, AND BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NO ADVANCE FORMAL WRITTEN NOTICE, IT IS PARAMOUNT THAT WE ENSURE A SMOOTH AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS DEVOID OF GERRYMANDERING AND OUR COMMUNITY FEELS CONFIDENT IN REDISTRICTING PROCESS. MOREOVER, THE FINANCIAL BURDENS AND IMPLICATIONS OF REDISTRICTING CANNOT BE OVERLOOKED. FUNDING IS REQUIRED FOR NEW MAPS NOTIFYING VOTERS OF CHANGES AND UPDATING SYSTEMS, NOT TO MENTION THE POTENTIAL NEED FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN THE PROCESS. THESE COSTS CAN STRAIN OUR BUDGET AND RESOURCES, DIVERTING, DIVERTING ATTENTION AND LABOR FROM OTHER PRESSING GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTIONS, AND DIRECTLY AFFECT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AS OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE COUNTING ON YOU TO MAKE COMMON SENSE DECISIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW THAT BALANCES THE NEED FOR FAIR REPRESENTATION IN ALL PRECINCTS. LET US WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT REDISTRICTING IS HANDLED THOUGHTFULLY, EFFICIENTLY, AND WITH FULL CONSIDERATION OF ITS IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY. THAT VOTES THAT VOTERS SHOULD SHOULD CHOOSE THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD NOT CHOOSE THEIR VOTERS. WE APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU DO FOR FORT BEND COUNTY AND FULL TRANSPARENCY APPARENTLY IN THIS PROCESS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JANET DAWSON ON FIVE B. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF REDRAWING OUR PRECINCT LINES FOR SEVERAL REASONS, WHICH I WILL STATE. ONE IS THE COST THAT WE WILL IN THE COMMISSIONERS WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER WITHIN THE ELECTION OFFICE, NEW VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS WILL NEED TO BE PRINTED. THAT WILL HAVE THE NEW DISTRICT ON THERE AND MAILED TO THE CONSTITUENTS. THIS IS NOT ONLY A COST OF MONEY, BUT ALSO A COST OF TIME AND EFFORT TO THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE ELECTION OFFICE. THEY ARE VERY BUSY. I'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE. THEY ARE VERY BUSY AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE COMING ELECTIONS IN 2025, THEY ARE ALREADY PREPARING FOR THAT. SO THAT IS A CONSIDERATION I THINK YOU NEED TO GIVE TO THE YOUR WORKERS IN THE ELECTION OFFICE. ANOTHER ONE IS THE CONFUSION THAT WILL BE THERE FOR THE NEW FOR THE VOTERS WHO ARE CHANGING DISTRICTS. ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT FORT BEND COUNTY HAS IS COUNTY WIDE VOTING. PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE WHEN THEY HAVE A LUNCH BREAK, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY GO FOR EARLY VOTING BECAUSE THE LINES ARE NOT THAT LONG, OR THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THEIR WAY TO WORK OR ON THEIR WAY HOME. THIS HAS AN IMPACT ON THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO CAN AND DO VOTE. I DO A LOT OF VOTER REGISTRATION, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK ME IS, WHERE DO I VOTE? AND I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO TELL THEM YOU CAN VOTE IN MANY DIFFERENT POLLING LOCATIONS IN FORT BEND COUNTY. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE GO TO THE ONE THAT IS CLOSEST TO YOU. IT'S VITAL TO THEM. AND THEN I WANT TO TALK ON A PERSONAL BASIS BECAUSE OF THE CONNECTIONS YOU COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS. YOU HAVE SPECIAL PROJECTS. YOU HAVE INITIATIVES GOING ON IN YOUR PRECINCT. YOU HAVE CONNECTIONS TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS THERE. PEOPLE ASK ME, WHAT ARE WHAT? HOW CAN I CALL THEM? I TELL THEM, YOU'RE THE CLOSER YOUR ELECTIONS ARE TO YOURSELF IN YOUR LOCAL, THE BETTER IMPACT YOU HAVE IN THE COUNTY IN [01:00:03] WHICH YOU LIVE. IF YOU HAVE A POTHOLE IN YOUR THE ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE, YOU CALL YOUR COMMISSIONER, YOU DON'T CALL WASHINGTON, D.C., YOU CALL YOUR COMMISSIONER BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT HE. AND MAYBE IN SOME POINT IN TIME SHE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THAT PROJECT DONE. BUT THE CONNECTION YOU HAVE WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS IS VITAL. I FORGOT TO GIVE YOU MY NAME AND ADDRESS. I'M SORRY. JANET DAWSON 431 MISS FLOWER DRIVE, RICHMOND, 77469. THANK YOU. MELISSA. MELISSA WILSON FIVE BE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MELISSA WILSON, 9307 MOUNT LOGAN, SIENA PRECINCT TWO CONSTITUENT. I AM ACTUALLY HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON FIVE AND FIVE B THAT WASN'T ANNOUNCED EARLIER. I'M ASKING THAT YOU ALL TABLE THE MAPS UNTIL A LATER DATE. ALL MAPS. THAT'S COMMISSIONER MYERS MAPS AND JOHN ODOM'S MAPS AS WELL. MAP AS WELL. IT DID NOT ALLOW FOR PROPER COMMUNITY FEEDBACK OR PROPER RESEARCH. LET ME TAKE YOU DOWN MEMORY LANE. BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2021, WE WERE IN COMMISSIONERS COURT IN WHICH SEVERAL MAPS WERE PRESENTED. OF ALL THESE MAPS, MANY OF THEM APPEARED AT THE LAST MINUTE. THEY WERE VOTED ON AND THEY DID TAKE RACE INTO CONSIDERATION, WHICH VIOLATES FEDERAL LAW. THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON WE'RE HERE. I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER MYERS FOR SPENDING HIS OWN MONEY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO THIS. I ATTENDED THE TOWN HALL IN SUGAR LAND LAST NIGHT, AND BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AGREED ALIKE THAT THIS IS A 5050 COUNTY. AND WITH THIS DIVERSITY, IT DOES REQUIRE FAIR, BALANCED, COMMISSIONER COURTS AND REPRESENTATIVES. THAT INCLUDES A22 TO REPUBLICANS, TWO DEMOCRATS. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION IN THAT DAY IN COMMISSIONERS COURT, THIS WAS A RUSH JOB, SO PEOPLE DID NOT EVEN HAVE A CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS EVEN GOING ON IN COURT THAT DAY BEFORE IT WAS VOTED ON. I'M ASKING THAT YOU ALLOW THE CONSTITUENTS, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU WORK FOR, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU REPRESENT, TO HAVE A SAY IN THIS. I IMPLORE COMMISSIONER MYERS FOR STARTING A CONVERSATION, AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS AN URGENCY FOR US TO DO THIS PRETTY QUICKLY BECAUSE NOVEMBER IS AROUND THE CORNER. I WANT TO MENTION THAT SIENNA IS IN PRECINCT TWO. I'M AGAINST BOTH MAPS BECAUSE SIENNA WOULD BE DISENFRANCHIZED IN THEIR VOTER BLOC, WHICH WOULD PUT SIENNA IN A 74% DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT WHEN WE VOTE PURPLE. SO ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT YOU TABLE THIS AGENDA ITEM. BOTH MAP. ALL FOUR MAPS. THE PROPOSED MAP FOR COMMISSIONER MYERS. JOHN ODOM'S MAP. BECAUSE THE WHOLE REASON WE'RE HERE TO BEGIN WITH IS BECAUSE THEY WERE UNFAIRLY DRAWN AND POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANTHONY. CAN'T HEAR YOU. SORRY. ANTHONY. LACSAMANA ON 22 B. OKAY. NEXT PERSON, PLEASE. OKAY. THE NEXT PERSON IS WILLIAM BENTON. YEAH. OH, IS HE ON THE OVERFLOW ROOM? OVERFLOW. GIVE THEM A CHANCE WHEN THEY COME BACK. OKAY. NEXT PERSON, WILLIAM BENTON. MAYOR. BENTON, ARE WE GOING? OKAY. YEAH. ANTHONY, PLEASE COME UP. AND JUST A SUGGESTION, AS IT SEEMS LIKE WE MIGHT BE GETTING INTO FOLKS IN OVERFLOW. MAYBE WE ANNOUNCED TWO AT A TIME. SO THE NEXT PERSON'S READY. GREETINGS, ALL. MY NAME IS ANTHONY LACSAMANA. I AM A CONSTITUENT OF COMMISSIONER MEYERS AT 3107 WINCHESTER WAY IN SUGAR LAND, TEXAS. AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THE INFORMATION YESTERDAY. COMMISSIONER MYERS I HAVE REVIEWED THE INFORMATION AND I COME OUT IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED FORT BEND COUNTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR'S MAPS. [01:05:06] COMMISSIONER MYERS EXPRESSED THE OPINION THAT THE PROPOSED MAPS MEET STATE REQUIREMENTS, BUT NOT FEDERAL VOTING RIGHTS ACT REQUIREMENTS. AT THE MEETING LAST NIGHT I MY FEELING IS THAT BREAKING OUT PRECINCT INTO POLITICALLY ALIGNED PRECINCTS WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS. LET ME STRIKE THAT. HE MENTIONED THAT BREAKING OUT PRECINCTS INTO POLITICALLY ALIGNED PRECINCTS WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR OUR COUNTY. HE ALSO FELT THAT HE WAS WRONGED BY BEING ZONED OUT OF HIS PRECINCT AND STATE GUIDELINES WEREN'T MET. I THINK THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR'S MAPS ADJUSTMENTS PROVIDE A FAIR REMEDY WITH MINOR DISRUPTION TO THE FORT BEND COMMUNITY. IT AVOIDS INEVITABLE, COSTLY LITIGATION THAT WILL ENSURE WILL DEFINITELY RESULT. REGARDING WHOLESALE CHANGES TO THE PRECINCT MAPS THE DISPLACEMENT TO CERTAIN COMMUNITIES HERE GUARANTEES. DEEP POCKET LITIGATION. AND IT ALSO PREPARES THE WAY FOR THE INEVITABLE EXPANSION OF FORT BEND. THAT WILL REACH THE MILESTONE MARK OF 1 MILLION SOULS VERY, VERY SOON. IN REGARDS TO THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT COMPLIANCE, REDISTRICTING MUST MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS. NO INTENTIONAL RACIAL DISCRIMINATION REVIEW. I REVIEWED THE MINUTES AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY. THEIR GOVERNMENT MUST HAVE A COMPELLING REASON FOR RACIAL CONSIDERATION. I THINK THAT WAS. THAT TOOK PLACE DURING YOUR INITIAL CONSIDERATION IN 2021. AND ELECTION SCHEMES CANNOT LIMIT A MINORITY GROUPS ABILITY TO ELECT A CANDIDATE OF CHOICE. IT AVOIDS THE DIVISION OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST AND MAINTAINS CONTIGUOUS DISTRICTS. ALL THESE REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET TO COMPLY WITH THE VOTER RIGHTS ACT. THIS PROPOSED MAP PRESERVED COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST. ADDRESS. COMMON POLITICAL INTERESTS MAY INCLUDE CULTURAL, RACIAL, ETHNIC, ETHNIC, AND SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS. ALLOWS FOR EXCEPTIONS DRAWN ON RACE BY AVOIDING AN INTENT TO DIMINISH VOTING POWER OF A COMMUNITY OF COLOR. I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE AAPI COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WILL STATISTICALLY TAKE PLACE. ADOPTION OF THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS MAP WOULD DISPEL THE CURRENT PERCEPTION OF POLITICAL PETTINESS NOT JUST IN LOCAL POLITICS, BUT HOW WE DEAL WITH IT IN FORT BEND COUNTY AND THE NATIONAL POLITICS, AND RIGHTFULLY RESTORES THE CONCERNS OF COMMISSIONER MYERS REGARDING HIS RESIDENCE AND COMPLIANCE WITH VOTING LAWS. AGAIN, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE MIGHT JUST BE GOING THROUGH THIS IN ANOTHER YEAR OR SO. WHEN WE REACH THAT MILLION PERSON MILESTONE HERE IN FORT BEND COUNTY, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL AND PARTICULARLY JUDGE HEBERT, FOR SHOWING UP HERE. ALSO. THANK YOU. SO OUR NEXT SPEAKERS WE HAVE TWO LEFT AND THAT'S WILLIAM BENTON. LAKSHMY RAMAKRISHNAN. I CAN'T HEAR YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? NO. MAYOR, PLEASE GO AHEAD. EXCUSE ME. WILLIAM BENTON, 1509 GEORGINA ROSENBERG. NOW Y'ALL KNOW WHERE TO TELL THEM TO THROW THE EGGS. LET ME JUST SAY I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH ANY OF WITH ANY OF MY REPRESENTATIVES. COMMISSIONER MORALES. COMMISSIONER MCCOY. BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO ME. VERY HELPFUL TO THE CITY OF ROSENBERG. SO, AS MR. PRESTIGE, JUDGE GEORGE COMMISSIONER MYERS, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US, AND WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COUNTY. OWNING ISSUES LIKE THIS ARE NEVER EASY. BUT LET ME JUST SAY FROM TIME TO TIME WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH ISSUES SIMILAR LIKE THIS IN ROSENBERG. THE CITY ANNEX. FOLKS NOW PETITIONED TO BE ANNEXED. THEY WANT TO BE, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT A LOT OF THEM WANT TO BE IN THE CITY. SOME PETITIONED TO GET OUT OF THE CITY. SO WE'RE DEALING WITH BOUNDARY CHANGES ALL THE TIME. BUT I SEE NO HARM IN LOOKING AT THESE MAPS. SEE IF THERE'S THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. CERTAINLY AS IT CONCERNS PRECINCT THREE. BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. DONE EVERY DAY. DONE EVERY DAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I'M NOT SUGGESTING TURN THE WHOLE COUNTY UPSIDE DOWN, BUT I SEE NO HARM IN LOOKING AT LOOKING AT THE MAPS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. CHRIS. LAKSHMY ME. RAMAKRISHNAN ON FIVE A AND FIVE B. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LAKSHMY RAMAKRISHNAN AND I LIVE IN TELFAIR IN SUGAR LAND PRECINCT 3135. THE 2020 CENSUS DATA SHOWED THAT US SHOWED US THAT BETWEEN 2010 [01:10:06] AND 2020, ALMOST ONE AND THREE NEW RESIDENTS TO FORT BEND COUNTY CAME FROM THE ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER, OR AAPI COMMUNITY, AND THAT SINCE THEN, THE AAPI COMMUNITY HAS BEEN THE FASTEST GROWING COMMUNITY IN FORT BEND COUNTY. ON THESE LAST DAYS OF AAPI HISTORY MONTH, IT IS IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE THE RAPID GROWTH AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE AAPI COMMUNITIES TO FORT BEND COUNTY. WE ARE HERE TO STAY, TO RAISE FAMILIES, TO RUN BUSINESSES, AND TO BUILD THIS COUNTY. ALONGSIDE ALL THE OTHER COMMUNITIES IN FORT BEND COUNTY, A LARGE NUMBER OF AAPI RESIDENTS RESIDE WITHIN WHAT IS NOW PRECINCT THREE. MANY OF THESE FOLKS HAVE THEIR ETHNIC ORIGINS IN SOUTH ASIA, THAT IS, INDIA, PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH AND SRI LANKA, AND THESE COMMUNITIES ARE HEAVILY LOCATED IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF TELFAIR, ALIANA, NEW TERRITORY, AND RIVERSTONE. EVEN THOUGH WE ARE DIVERSE, WE ARE CONNECTED IN MEANINGFUL WAYS. WE HAVE COMMON IMMIGRATION STORIES. WE ARE CONCENTRATED IN COMMON OCCUPATIONS. WE SHARE COMMON LINGUISTIC CHARACTERISTICS. WE HAVE COMMON CULTURAL INTERESTS, THINK FOOD, MUSIC, SPORT, AND WE SHOP IN THE SAME STORES. THESE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST WANT TO BE REPRESENTED BY COUNTY OFFICIALS WHO ARE RESPONSIVE TO US AND UNDERSTAND OUR COMMUNITIES, AND WE SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT CANDIDATES OF OUR CHOICE. WE ELECT YOU. YOU DO NOT GET TO CHOOSE WHO VOTES FOR YOU. I BELIEVE THAT THE THE MAPS PROPOSED HERE TODAY ARE ESPECIALLY THE FIVE B MAPS HAVE A TENDENCY TO DIVIDE AND DILUTE THE VOTING STRENGTH OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COMMUNITIES IN PRECINCT THREE, IN WAYS THAT ARE NOT PERMISSIBLE UNDER LAW. AND I SUPPORT THE MAP PROPOSED BY THE ELECTIONS OFFICE, WHICH MOST CLOSELY KEEPS THE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TOGETHER IN ALIANA NEW TERRITORY, TELFAIR AND RIVERSTONE, AND THAT THE ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS WILL BE WILL DIVIDE AND DISPERSE THOSE COMMUNITIES. THE OTHER THE PRECINCT THREE MAP THAT IS PROPOSED BY THE ELECTIONS OFFICE, ALSO IN TERMS OF ITS SHAPE, MAKES MORE SENSE. IT IS CONTIGUOUS. IT IS COMPACT, AND IT IS LARGELY OVERLAPS WITH THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND AND OTHER THE DISTRICTS WITHIN IT. I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE A PARTICULAR POINT ABOUT THE FIRST MAP OF THE THE ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS IN FIVE. BE THAT FIRST MAP ACTUALLY DIVIDES TELFAIR, AND SOME OF THE OTHER MAPS ALSO ARE DIVIDING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT REALLY I MEAN, I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IS WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO BE DIVIDING A COMMUNITY THAT HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED AS BEING TOGETHER. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND SO AT THIS TIME, YOU HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER ABOUT A DIFFERENT I DON'T HAVE IT. OKAY. I WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE. C CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING AND TAKE ALL APPROPRIATE ACTION ON THE FOLLOWING MATTERS. ITEM FIVE C ENGINEERING CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING ON THE REQUEST TO MODIFY THE FORT BEND COUNTY MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN, SPECIFICALLY BLUE RIDGE ROAD, HIRAM CLARKE ROAD, AND THE UNNAMED EAST WEST MAJOR THOROUGHFARE WITHIN THE EXTRATERRITORIAL TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF HOUSTON PRECINCT TWO. D ENGINEERING CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING FOR ACCEPTANCE OF TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN FOR SALISBURY BOULEVARD AT GRANT ESTATE DRIVE. REASON FOR DO WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THESE TWO PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS? SEEING NO ONE HAS COME FORWARD AND WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REQUEST TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, I WILL CLOSE THIS TWO PUBLIC HEARING FIVE C AND D, AND I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT FIVE C AND D ARE READY FOR ACTION. DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOVE APPROVAL FIVE C AND D AS PRESENTED. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING. NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM. [ CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS: (6-20) ] CONSENT AGENDA ITEM SIX THROUGH 20. I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY CHANGES TO. BEFORE WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION, I'D LIKE TO PULL ITEM 11 F FROM CONSIDERATION TODAY. OKAY, I MOVE FOR APPROVAL. PULL THAT MOVE. MOVE FOR APPROVAL. AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 11 F. OKAY, SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND WITH THAT EXCEPTION OR ITEM BEING PULLED. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION. YES. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THOSE [01:15:04] AGENDA ITEMS IS RENEWING A CONTRACT WITH LAMAR CISD AND OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAM. REALLY PROUD OF DOCTOR GAIL LOWE AND THE ENTIRE TEAM AT HHS. THIS IS GIVING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LAMAR ISD TRAINING ON A PUBLIC HEALTH AND ALLOWING THEM TO BE AMBASSADORS IN THEIR COMMUNITY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. THEY'RE GETTING PAID WHILE THEY DO IT. THEY'RE GETTING REAL WORLD TRAINING AND IN CERTIFICATIONS THAT THEY CAN TAKE IN TO THEIR PROFESSIONAL LIVES AFTER THEY LEAVE US. IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL. THEY JUST GRADUATED THEIR FIRST CLASS LAST MONTH, AND I'M REALLY PROUD THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE GREAT WORK IN THE FUTURE. OKAY. WITH THAT, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY. AT THIS TIME? OH, SO YOU YOU OPEN FIVE A AND B AS PUBLIC HEARINGS, BUT YOU DIDN'T CLOSE THEM. OKAY. SO SO WE WILL LET ME FINISH WITH THIS. AND SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. AND SO ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. AND I AM SORRY WE NEED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING OF FIVE A AND B AT THIS TIME. I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING ITEM FIVE A AND B, THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS. [21. COMMISSIONER, PCT. 2:] OKAY, NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO SECTION THREE. PRESENT TO THE COURT DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM, BEGINNING WITH AGENDA ITEM 21, PRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER PRECINCT TWO. MOVE. APPROVE. ITEM 21 AS PRESENTED. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON AGENDA ITEM 21. ANY DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER THIS COULD YOU BRIEFLY EXPLAIN WHAT IS OCCURRING? YES. SO THE PUBLIC CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON? YES, YES. THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THIS AGREEMENT IS THE ARPA REVENUE REPLACEMENT, WHICH WAS ARPA MONEY GRANTED TO COUNTY DURING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. AT THE END OF THAT SPEND PROCESS, WE WERE ABLE TO CONVERT SOME OF THAT MONEY FOR USE GENERAL FUND BY DECLARING ITS REVENUE REPLACEMENT, WHICH IN THEORY REIMBURSE THE COUNTY FOR BEFORE COUNTY TAX REVENUES LOST DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS THAT WE DEALT WITH BEFORE, AND THIS ONE IS ONE THAT HAS AN AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AND THERE'S A CHURCH THAT HAS THE PROPERTY, THE WHEREWITHAL TO MANAGE THIS EFFORT. AND THIS IS A DEAL WHERE WE'LL PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSTRUCTION, BUT NOT THE OPERATIONS, BUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS FACILITY. BASICALLY COTTAGES THAT WILL HOUSE THIS SPECIAL HARD TO PLACE POPULATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE PASTOR DID COME AND VISIT WITH ME, AND THE ONE THING I HAD RESERVATIONS ON WAS ISSUING MONEY, ALL THE MONEY AT ONE TIME. AND I UNDERSTAND, COMMISSIONER, AND THE RESOLUTION THAT IT IS ONLY GOING TO BE FUNDED UPON, ITEMS COMPLETE. GREAT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW I WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 22 A AND B, PRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER. PLEASE, CAN WE TAKE A. OKAY. I WILL START WITH COMMISSIONER. PRESENT AGENDA ITEM 20 2AI MOVE APPROVAL OF A SECOND AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW, I WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 20 2BI MOVE TO APPROVE PROPOSED CHANGES TO VOTING [22. COMMISSIONER, PCT. 3:] PRECINCTS BLINDS AS SUBMITTED TO ENSURE THAT THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE VOTERS IN EACH PRECINCT DOES NOT EXCEED 5000. AND THE. EXCUSE ME, I HAVE A MOTION THAT I HAVE A MOTION IN ACTION. COMMISSIONER. THAT IS TOTALLY DISRESPECTFUL. I HAVE THAT IS COMMISSIONER PRECINCT THREE, AGENDA ITEM. COUNTY ATTORNEY. DO I HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE AGENDA ITEM? THAT IS MY AGENDA ITEM. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY DISRESPECTFUL. AS PER OUR RULES AND PROCEDURES. NUMBER ONE, YOUR CLERK IS TAKING RECORDS AND MINUTES AND SHE NEEDS CLARITY. SO ONE PERSON AT A TIME. I THINK THIS IS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE ON YOUR PART. COMMISSIONER I REALLY DO. I REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE. IF THIS IF THIS IS THE PROCESS NOW, THEN I WILL TAKE THE SAME ACTION YOU DO. THERE IS AN ACTIVE MOTION IN PROCESS, IF I MAY FINISH, AND THEN THE FLOOR WOULD BE OPEN. ACTUALLY, ACTUALLY, NO, THAT IS NOT OKAY. LET ME HEAR. LET ONE PERSON AT A TIME OUR CUSTOMARILY HOW DOES HOW DOES THE COURT DO ITS MOTIONS WHEN [01:20:06] THE JUDGE SAYS MAY I HAVE A MOTION? IS IT CUSTOMARY THAT THIS COURT ALWAYS ALLOW THE PRECINCT COMMISSIONER TO MOVE ON THAT ACTION? BECAUSE I'M JUST GOING TO LET YOU KNOW. ANYONE CAN MAKE A MOTION ONCE THE JUDGE ASKS FOR A MOTION, ANY ONE OF YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION. SO YOU'RE NOW LOOKING AT WHAT YOU CUSTOMARILY DO. AND IF CUSTOM LENDS ITSELF TO THE COMMISSIONER BRINGING THE MOTION OR SOMEONE ELSE, THAT IS FOR YOU ALL TO DETERMINE BASED ON YOUR HISTORIC PRACTICE OF OPERATING. OKAY. AND I HOPE THAT'S CLEAR. I HOPE THAT'S CLEAR. AND I HAVE THE OPTION, ABSOLUTELY, AT ANY TIME OF WITHDRAWING ANY MOTION THAT I PUT ON THE AGENDA OR MODIFYING ANY MOTION I PUT ON THE AGENDA. AND COMMISSIONER MCCOY HAS NOT ALLOWED ME TO DO THAT, AND I CONSIDER THAT TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE. AND I'M NOT SURE WHY HE IS DOING THAT. I MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HIS OBJECTIVE IS. THERE IS A BROAD AGENDA ITEM ON THE AGENDA AS 22 B, AND I AM MAKING MY AGENDA MOTION AS IS ALLOWED PER AGENDA ITEM AS AS HAS BEEN STATED. IT IS A PRACTICE OF ALLOWING THE COMMISSIONER WHO HAS PUT THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TO CONTROL HIS OWN ITEM. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOU TO RESPECT MY RIGHTS TO DO SO. BY ALL MEANS, PLEASE GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. ALL RIGHT. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A CLARIFICATION OF WHY WE'RE HERE. YOU KNOW WHAT CONCERNS ME? I WILL WITHDRAW MY MOTION. BUT I DO BELIEVE YOU NEED TO MAKE A MOTION. OKAY. I'LL HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION. THE. THERE WERE CONCERNS THAT WERE FLAGGED THAT THE CURRENT REDISTRICTING MAP OF 2021 DID NOT MEET STATE STANDARDS STATUTES. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND I APPRECIATE JOHN'S EFFORTS ON THIS. I KNOW THIS IS VERY TIME CONSUMING, VERY FRUSTRATING. AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR STAFF WORKING ON THIS. BUT AS IT TURNED OUT, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THE MAP THAT WAS ADOPTED PROBABLY DOES NOT MEET FEDERAL LAWS EITHER. I HAVE PROVIDED A COPY OF MY ATTORNEY'S MEMO TO EACH MEMBER OF THE COURT THAT EXPLAINS THAT FEDERAL LAW DOES NOT ALLOW GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES TO USE RACE AS A PREDOMINANT FACTOR IN REDISTRICTING, AND THAT STATEMENTS MADE DURING THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WHEN REDISTRICTING MAP WAS BEING APPROVED, CLEARLY SHOWS THAT RACE WAS A FACTOR IN DRAWING A MAP THAT WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED. AND THIS POSES POTENTIAL SERIOUS LEGAL PROBLEMS FOR THE COUNTY. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE ALSO QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE REDISTRICTING MAP WAS EVER REVIEWED BY LEGAL COUNSEL OR AN EXPERT DEMOGRAPHER TO ENSURE THAT IT COMPLIED WITH ALL FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AT THIS MOMENT, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IS THAT OUR COUNTY PRECINCT MAPS PROBABLY SHOULD REFLECT FULLY COMPLY WITH BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW. I'VE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT IN MY EFFORTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPARENCY AND OFFERING MY CONSTITUENTS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD. THAT'S WHY MY OFFICE ORGANIZED A PUBLIC TOWN HALL MEETINGS YESTERDAY TO GET INPUT FROM OUR RESIDENTS. OVER 100 CONCERNED CITIZENS ATTENDED THREE MEETINGS, WITH THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY EXPRESSING APPRECIATION OF MY HOLDING THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND PROVIDING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR INPUT ON THE REDISTRICTING MATTERS. BASED ON THE INPUT THAT I RECEIVED OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS I HAVE DECIDED TO PULL AGENDA ITEM 22 B AND I AM GOING TO ASK IF I GET A SENSE FROM MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS IF THIS IS A PROCESS WE CAN CONTINUE. SINCE ACCORDING TO MORE THAN ONE LEGAL OPINION, OUR MAP UNDER DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL LAW. SO IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN CONTINUE THIS PROCESS? HAS A COURT RULED ANYTHING AFFIRMING WHAT YOU'RE CLAIMING ABOUT THESE MAPS? OKAY. LET ME. I WANTED TO ADD, I PULLED I PULLED THE ITEM. ALL I'M LOOKING FOR IS TO SEE IF THERE'S AN INTEREST IN CONTINUING THIS PROCESS OF FIXING THE PROBLEM. THAT'S ALL I'M LOOKING FOR. SO WE HAVE BEEN HEARING A LOT OF CONVERSATION. SOME OF OUR CONSTITUENTS SAID THIS IS THE BEST MAP WE CAN HAVE, AND SOME OF THEM SAID IT IS NOT. AND OF COURSE, REDISTRICTING IS A POLITICAL MATTER. WE ALL KNOW IT. AND THIS PARTICULAR MAP YOU ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT. UNFORTUNATELY, CAME FROM MY OFFICE. AND YOU ALL KNOW THAT. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY WHY WE NEED TO DO WHAT EITHER COMMISSIONER MYERS OR OTHERS ARE DOING ARE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE I WENT BACK AND CHECKED THE MINUTES OF THAT MEETING AND WHERE I MADE COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES SAYING THAT THIS MAP ADDRESSES [01:25:08] OUR RACIAL MAP. THIS IS MORE LIKE A. A MAP IS CREATED BASED ON OUR RACE. AND AND I SAID THIS THIS PARTICULAR MAYBE PRISON TWO IS MORE LIKE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN OPPORTUNITY MAP. AND PRISON THREE IS MORE LIKE AN ASIAN AMERICAN MAP OR SO ON AND SO FORTH, WHICH I SHOULDN'T HAVE NEVER DONE AND I WAS NEVER TOLD IT IS IT IS ILLEGAL OR FEDERALLY IT IS NOT LEGAL TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. ONE THING. AND AND THE SECOND THING IS, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE MINUTES, YOU WILL SEE THAT THE MAP I PRESENTED WAS NOT THE MAP APPROVED. YOU ALL KNOW IT. AND THIS PARTICULAR MAP WAS PRESENTED TO ME, AND I TRUSTED SOME PEOPLE IN MY OFFICE, AND THIS WAS PRESENTED TO ME THE DAY OF THAT VOTING. AND THAT MAP, THE CURRENT MAP YOU ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT, WAS NEVER REVIEWED BY OUTSIDE LEGAL CONSULTANT AND COUNTY HIRED REDISTRICTING CONSULTANT. THERE WAS NEVER REVIEWED BY THIS. THIS IS I'M TALKING ON THE RECORD HERE. AND SO I BELIEVE WE NEED TO CONTINUE THIS PROCESS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. AND HOPEFULLY, I HOPE WE ALL CAN COME TO THE CONSENSUS TO TABLE THIS ITEM. AND I WE HEARD FROM MANY PEOPLE SAYING THAT WE SHOULD INVOLVE MORE OF OUR PEOPLE INTO THIS CONVERSATION. AND I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO INVOLVE IN THAT CONVERSATION, AND I HOPE OUR COURT MEMBERS CAN AGREE ON IT, SO THAT WE COULD TABLE BOTH THIS ITEM SO THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ACTUAL PROCESS, WHAT IT LOOK LIKE. AND SO THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT TO YOU ALL OR, OR APPEAL TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS. SO I WILL STOP AT THIS POINT. SO IF YOU ARE WILLING TO DO THAT, WE WILL MOVE ON. YEAH. I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ABOUT ALL OF THIS. FIRST, I WANT TO APPLAUD AND THINK. EVERY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO CAME TO SPEAK TODAY, WHETHER YOU SPOKE FOR OR AGAINST THESE ITEMS, THE FACT THAT YOU TOOK TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY AFTER A HOLIDAY. SO SOME OF YOU AREN'T RETIRED AND YOU HAD TO TAKE ADDITIONAL TIME OFF OF WORK TO BE HERE. IT'S COMMENDABLE. IT'S IMPORTANT. I WISH MORE OF YOU CAME MORE OFTEN TO SPEAK ABOUT AGENDA ITEMS. YOU KNOW THE THE IMPACT OF YOUR VOICE IS TREMENDOUS. THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I'VE HELD OVER 26 TOWN HALL MEETINGS ACROSS THE PRECINCT TO HEAR FROM YOU SO YOU CAN TELL ME HOW TO DO MY JOB. I WANT TO REMIND FIRST, THIS IS A THIS THIS ARGUMENT ABOUT THESE MAPS HAVING BEEN DRAWN RACIALLY IS NEW. AND IF THAT WERE A CHALLENGE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I AM CURIOUS WHY WE ARE ONLY NOW HEARING ABOUT THIS. BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU WILL RECALL, WE'VE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION MONTHS AGO ABOUT REBALANCING VOTER PRECINCTS. BUT I WILL ALSO AND I ASKED A DELIBERATE QUESTION, BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT AN UNDERLYING INTENT WAS, WAS TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR FULL OUT REDISTRICTING IN FORT BEND COUNTY. I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR. WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF FULL ON REDISTRICTING EVERY TEN YEARS AFTER WE RECEIVE CENSUS DATA THAT TELLS US THAT WE NEED TO, THAT WE MIGHT HAVE SOME IMBALANCE IN COMMISSIONER OR JP PRECINCTS. WE DO THAT EVERY TEN YEARS BASED ON DATA THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WE HAVE NO SUCH DATA RIGHT NOW TELLING US THAT THERE IS WHERE POPULATION IS, WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, AND THAT IS NOT BASED ON NUMBER OF VOTERS. THAT IS BASED ON THE POPULATION OF PEOPLE, WHETHER YOU ARE A VOTER OR NOT. AND SO THAT DATA TELLS US HOW WE DIVIDE UP OUR COMMISSIONER PRECINCTS. THAT THAT DOESN'T EXIST. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS OUR VOTER DATA THAT'S KEPT BY OUR ELECTIONS OFFICE. AND SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE VOTING PRECINCTS THAT ARE WELL BEYOND THE STATUTORY LIMIT, AND THERE ARE THOSE THAT ARE WELL BELOW. WE'VE HAD SPEAKERS WHO'VE SPOKEN JUST ABOUT THAT, AND THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE UP AND WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO VIOLATE FEDERAL LAW IN THE SECRECY OF VOTING, PEOPLE HAVE SHOULD HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT WHEN THEY GO VOTE, THEY'RE VOTING AND THEY'RE VOTING WHO THEY VOTE FOR IS CONFIDENTIAL. BUT WHEN THAT NUMBER IS TOO FEW, IT PUTS THAT AT RISK. THAT'S A VERY VALID POINT. IT ALSO IS THE CASE THAT WHEN THERE ARE MORE VOTERS PACKED INTO A PRECINCT THAN IS STATUTORILY ALLOWED, AND THAT'S 5000 PEOPLE THAT INDEED THAT MIGHT HAVE IMPACT ON THE NUMBER OF POLLING LOCATIONS THAT ARE AFFORDED TO RESIDENTS. AND IT MIGHT ALSO HAVE IMPACT OVERALL ON PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO VOTE. NOW WE HAVE COUNTYWIDE VOTING HERE, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE BECAUSE SOME A [01:30:05] PERSON CAN VOTE ANYWHERE. AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE COUNTYWIDE VOTING. BUT WE DO HAVE COUNTYWIDE VOTING HERE, BUT IT IMPACTS THE NUMBER. THE OTHER THING IS, POLITICALLY, IT IMPACTS THE NUMBER OF PRECINCT CHAIRS THAT ARE THERE TO BE ON THE GROUND, POLITICAL PRECINCT CHAIRS FOR EACH PARTY THAT ARE ABLE TO BE THERE ON THE GROUND TO REMIND PEOPLE ABOUT VOTING AND HOW TO GAIN ACCESS TO IT. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND THAT'S WHAT JOHN OLDHAM, OUR ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, WAS INSTRUCTED TO DO, WHICH HE HAS PROVEN HE HAS THE CAPABILITIES TO DO, WHICH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS ENTIRE TIME. THE OTHER THING IS TO THAT POINT ABOUT PRECINCTS FOR VOTER PRECINCTS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ADMINISTRATIVE. IT'S DONE EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, AND THAT'S A ROUTINE THING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS. THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SOME BIG SHOW AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO SWOOP IN AND COMPLETELY REDRAW, REDRAW POLITICAL BOUNDARIES. AND SO WE HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION OF WINE. AND SO I TOOK SOME TIME OVER THE WEEKEND AFTER SEEING THAT COMMISSIONER MEYERS HAD PUT THESE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TO REFRESH MY MEMORY OF HOW WE GOT HERE AND EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID AND WHEN. AND THE FIRST THING THAT I HAVE TO POINT OUT, AND THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THE WE CALL IT A MISTAKE, BUT IT WAS VERY INTENTIONAL. THE POINT ABOUT COMMISSIONER MEYERS BEING DRAWN OUT OF HIS COMMISSIONER PRECINCT IN THE SESSION ON OCTOBER 26TH, 2021. COMMISSIONER MEYERS, IN DESCRIBING THE MAP THAT HE WAS PRESENTING, SAID THE ONLY ELECTED OFFICIAL I DREW OUT OF HIS EXISTING PRECINCT IS ME. SO EVERYBODY ELSE IS IN. HE ALSO SAID THAT OVER THE YEARS, ACCOMMODATIONS WERE MADE FOR HIM TO BE IN HIS PRECINCT WITH A TALE THAT CAME FROM KATIE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SUGAR LAND SO THAT HE COULD BE IN HIS HOME, BUT HE PRESENTED A MAP BECAUSE HE EXPRESSED HE HAD INTENTION OF MOVING. AND SO EVERYONE ELSE ON COMMISSIONERS COURT AT THAT TIME OPERATED UNDER THAT ASSUMPTION THAT COMMISSIONER MYERS WOULD BE RELOCATING HIMSELF AT SOME POINT IN TIME TO BE IN A NEW PRECINCT. THAT'S FACT. IT'S RIGHT THERE. YOU CAN GO BACK. IT'S AT MINUTE 27 IN 2705. ON THE PUBLIC SESSION HEARING HELD ON OCTOBER 26TH, 2021, IT'S RIGHT THERE. THE OTHER THING THAT WAS VERY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS IS THAT THE COUNTY JUDGE AT THAT TIME SAID THAT HIS INTENT WAS TO DRAW THREE DEMOCRATIC VOTER PRECINCTS, FULL STOP DEMOCRATIC COMMISSIONER PRECINCTS FULL STOP. THAT IS LEGALLY ALLOWED BY THE LAW BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT HAS UPHELD THAT THIS IS INDEED A POLITICAL PROCESS, AS EVERYONE UP HERE HAS SAID. AND IN THAT PROCESS, WE HAD PEOPLE WHO CAME. AND YOU CAN GO BACK AND WATCH THE MINUTES FROM THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, I IMPLORE YOU TO. WHO CAME AND SAID THAT THEY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT CRACKING AND PACKING? THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER HEARD OF THOSE TERMS, BECAUSE I'M NOT AN ELECTION. REDISTRICTING EXPERT HERE LIKE MOST FOLKS. AND IN RESPONSE TO THAT, I REMEMBER THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T CRACK AND PACK. AND SO THEN MOST MEMBERS OF THIS COURT THEN STARTED TO SPEAK TO HOW THE PROPOSALS THAT THEY WERE MAKING WOULD KEEP COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TOGETHER, SECONDARY TO THE POINT ABOUT POLITICAL. SO EVEN IN THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT YOU HELD YESTERDAY, COMMISSIONER MYERS, YOU SAID THAT RACE CAN BE CONSIDERED IN SOME INSTANCES, WHICH IS LAW, WHICH THIS ATTORNEY THAT YOU HAVE HIRED OUTSIDE OF THE AUTHORITY OF THIS COURT TO REVIEW EVEN AFFIRMS THAT, BUT THAT IT CANNOT BE THE PREDOMINANT FACTOR WHICH IT WAS NOT. PERIOD. IT WAS POLITICAL AND I BELIEVE FIRMLY IN EVERYTHING THAT EVERY RESIDENT CAME HERE AND SAID ABOUT. THEY SHOULD SELECT US, WE SHOULDN'T SELECT THEM. I AGREE, AND THE NEXT TIME THAT WE GET TO REDISTRICT, AND THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL AFTER WE HAVE DATA FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TELL US WHERE OUR POPULATION IS, THAT THEY SHOULD BE THE ONES DRIVING THE PROCESS. THEY SHOULD BE THE ONES INFORMING US ABOUT HOW THIS GOES. AND SO I WANT TO DRAW ON ONE LAST THING. PLEASE EXCUSE ME, PLEASE. I WANT TO DRAW ON ONE. I WANT TO DRAW ON ONE SECOND. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COMMISSIONER, PLEASE. RESPECT THE AUDIENCE. HERE'S RESPECT THIS COURT. AND YOU CANNOT DO THIS IN A COURT OF LAW. WOULD YOU DO THAT? PLEASE? RESPECT. LET'S ALL HAVE A LITTLE RESPECT. PLEASE GO AHEAD. AND I'M GOING TO BRING THIS PLANE IN FOR LANDING. AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO ADDRESS THIS. THE OTHER THING THAT IN REVIEWING THE TAPES THAT WAS MADE CLEAR WAS, [01:35:06] COMMISSIONER MYERS, YOU WERE VERY UPSET THAT IN THESE PROPOSALS PROPOSED BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COURT AND THE FINAL MAP THAT WAS EVENTUALLY ADOPTED, THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE MUCH UNDEVELOPED LAND. AND IF YOU LOOK AT EACH OF THE MAPS THAT YOU HAVE NOW PRESENTED, HASTILY PRESENTED TO THIS COURT, IT HAS MIRACULOUSLY ALL OF THIS UNDEVELOPED LAND. THAT REALLY DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE HOW YOU'VE REDRAWN THAT. AND SO I HAVE TO BE VERY CLEAR, WE CANNOT OPERATE AND TAKE TAXPAYERS THROUGH THIS EVERY TIME. THE THE NATURE OF THIS COURT SHIFTS JUST BECAUSE WE WANT MORE TOYS TO PLAY WITH. THIS IS REAL WORK ABOUT SERVING THE PEOPLE OF FORT BEND COUNTY. AND I WOULD ALSO IMPLORE EACH OF YOU TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A COURT OF LAW. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ASSERTIONS AND INSINUATIONS, BACK THAT UP WITH FACT AND DON'T TRY TO REWRITE HISTORY. NOW, AND THIS IS, THIS IS RIDICULOUS. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, HE HAS DONE HIS JOB AND THERE MAY BE SOME ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS HE NEEDS TO MAKE, BUT WE NEED TO RELY ON HIM TO DO WHAT EVERY TWO YEARS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO ANYWAY. GO AHEAD. REBALANCE THE VOTER PRECINCTS, LEAVE THE COMMISSIONER PRECINCTS RIGHT AS THEY ARE, AND I WILL GO AHEAD AND VOTE, ALONG WITH DRAWING YOU BACK INTO YOUR COMMISSIONER PRECINCT, BECAUSE THE PRINCIPLE OF REDISTRICTING IS THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN REDRAWN WHETHER YOU SAID YOU WERE MOVING OR NOT. IT IS WHERE YOU LIVED AT THAT TIME. I SUPPORT THAT, AND I WILL SUPPORT THAT IN A VOTE. BUT TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO DO A FULL SCALE REDISTRICTING AT THIS TIME, IT'S A WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. IT'S A WASTE OF OUR COUNTY RESOURCES, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE START PREPARING NOW FOR WHAT REDISTRICTING IN 2030 LOOKS LIKE. AND AND SO I'D LIKE TO, FIRST OF ALL, COMMISSIONER, I DID EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY I HAD DRAWN A MAP TO PUT ME IN IN KATY AND I'M, I'M, I'M TRULY SORRY THAT YOU BROUGHT IT UP BECAUSE IT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF EMOTIONAL FOR ME. I DREW MYSELF INTO KATY TO GRANT MY WIFE A DYING WISH. SHE WANTED TO MOVE UP TO KATY TO BE NEXT TO HER GRANDKIDS. SHE PASSED AWAY IN JANUARY OF 23 AFTER A VERY LONG ILLNESS. AND SO SHE ONE OF THE LAST FEW YEARS TO BE ABLE TO BE WITH HER GRANDKIDS. AND I HAD ARRANGED TO LEASE A HOME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY WERE IN. I WAS PREPARED TO MOVE UP THERE TO GRANT HER THAT WISH, US. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CAUGHT THE MAJORITY OF THIS COURT. REDISTRICT US OUT OF KATY. SO THAT MEANT THAT I WOULD EITHER YOU KNOW HAVE TO RESIGN TO MOVE TO KATY, IN WHICH I OFFERED TO DO. I OFFERED TO DO THAT FOR HER. AND SHE SAID, NO, SHE DIDN'T WANT ME TO. SO IT WAS THEN YOU REDISTRICT ME OUT OF MY HOME WHICH WAS VERY STRESSFUL TO HER. SHE DIDN'T OBVIOUSLY WANT TO MOVE OUT OF A HOME THAT SHE SHE HAD BEEN IN FOR 47 YEARS, WHERE SHE HAD RAISED HER CHILDREN AND WHERE SHE HAD LIKED TO SPEND HER LAST DAYS. SO YOU WERE AWARE OF THIS BECAUSE I TOLD YOU THIS STORY? AND YET YOU BRING IT UP IN PUBLIC OF THIS NATURE, WHICH I THINK WAS INAPPROPRIATE, IN MY OPINION. AND THAT'S CERTAINLY YOUR PRIVILEGE TO DO SO. IT'S MY IT'S MY TURN TO TALK IF I SAY COMMISSIONER. NO, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT I'M BEING INSENSITIVE. WELL. HOLD ON. I WILL SAY THAT'S A VERY HIM SPEAK. I WILL SAY THAT'S A VERY VALID POINT AND SOMETHING THIS COURT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENSITIVE TO AT THAT TIME. I WAS NOT ON THIS COURT, BUT WHAT I HAVE ARE THE FACTS OF THE MATTER OF WHAT WERE PRESENTED PUBLICLY, BECAUSE THE NARRATIVE HAS BEEN THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF INTENTION TO DO THAT. COMMISSIONER YOU HAD YOUR OPPORTUNITY, YOU'VE HAD YOUR I GAVE YOU YOUR OPPORTUNITY. AND FOR THE RECORD, ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY JUDGE AND HIS STAFF, WHEN COMMISSIONER MACQUARIE WAS A COUNTY JUDGE'S CHIEF OF STAFF, HE'S THE ONE THAT DREW THE MAP THAT WAS APPROVED. SO THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. ARE YOU AFFIRMING THAT THAT'S THE CASE? I JUDGE I'M REPEATING WHAT YOU HAVE A ROLE IN IT. DID I DRAW THAT MAP AND AND ABSOLUTE TO SHARE THAT? I HAVE AN EMAIL HERE FROM COMMISSIONER KEN DEMERCHANT IN WHICH HE HE PRESENTS THE MAP THAT IS WAS ULTIMATELY ADOPTED BY COMMISSIONERS COURT. HE HAD HIS OWN MAP, THE HISTORY OF WHEN THAT MAP WAS TAMPERED WITH, AND DONE. SO TO MAKE AN INSINUATION THAT I DREW SOMETHING. I WILL REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS STILL A CONSTITUTIONAL COURT, SUBJECT TO CONSEQUENCES OF PERJURY. SO I WANT US TO BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR ABOUT FACTS. OH, GO AHEAD AND THREATEN EVERYBODY. I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE THREATS. BUT YOU WILL NOT MAKE CLAIMS. I AM SIMPLY REPEATING WHAT DID NOT HAPPEN HAPPENED. YOU CAN ARGUE ALL YOU WANT AND JUDGE BECAUSE OF WHATEVER ALLIANCE THE TWO OF YOU HAVE MADE [01:40:04] TO START. HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON. DIFFERENT FACTS WILL NOT STAND. LET'S STOP. LET'S STOP THAT CONVERSATION. PLEASE CALM DOWN AND LET ME FINISH. I WAS TOLD THAT YOU HAD A KEY HAND IN DRAWING THIS MAP WHEN YOU WERE. WHEN THE COUNTY JUDGES, CHIEF OF STAFF. AND THAT IS NOT FACTUAL. OKAY, WELL, THEN FOR YOU TO GO TO TOWN HALL MEETINGS YESTERDAY AND SAY THAT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE. SO, SO HIS HIS STAFF, NOT JUST THE COUNTY JUDGE, BUT HIS STAFF INFORMED ME OF THAT. SO THAT'S THE REASON THAT I'VE SAID THE THINGS I SAID, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD. NOW AS FAR AS THE CURRENT MAP IS CONCERNED, YOU TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE SHOULD CHOOSE THEIR THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS, NOT THE ELECTED OFFICIALS CHOOSE THEIR. YOU KNOW, THEIR THEIR VOTERS. AND I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH THAT. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PARTICULAR MAP WAS DRAWN SPECIFICALLY TO DO THAT. YOU SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT YOU HAD IT'S PERMISSIBLE TO CREATE THREE DEMOCRAT COMMISSIONER PRECINCTS, WHICH IS TRUE. BUT IN THAT PROCESS YOU ARE SELECTING YOUR VOTERS. AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU DID. SO I HAVE WITHDRAWN MY, MY MAP, BUT I STILL CONTEND BASED ON THE LEGAL OPINION OF SEVERAL KNOWLEDGEABLE REDISTRICTING ATTORNEYS, INCLUDING TONY MCDONNELL, WHOSE MEMO YOU HAVE, BUT ALSO ALSO INCLUDED JOE NIXON, A FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE WHO'S ALSO AN EXPERT IN REDISTRICTING, THAT BASED ON ALL THE EVIDENCE THAT IS PRESENTED TO THEM WITH REGARD TO THE MAPS THEMSELVES, AS WELL AS THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE DURING THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT. WHEN WE WERE ADOPTING THESE MAPS, IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR. IT MAKES A PRETTY CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT THE MAPS WERE DRAWN ON THE BASIS OF RACE, WHICH IS IMPERMISSIBLE UNDER FEDERAL LAW. AND I WOULD ADD THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY HAS NOT OFFERED AN OPINION. JOE NIXON AND TONY MCDONALD DO NOT HAVE AN ATTORNEY CLIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU HAVE PAID FOR THESE SERVICES WITH YOUR PERSONAL FUNDS, I DO NOT SEE A MOTION WHERE THE COURT IS BEING ASKED TO ACCEPT THOSE SERVICES. I'VE WITHDRAWN MY MOTION. JUDGE, I COUNCIL I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE MAKING THE STATEMENT. PLEASE ALLOW ME TO SPEAK. I AM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. I WOULD INFORM ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO DISREGARD THIS ILLEGALLY OBTAINED LEGAL SERVICES UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE COUNTY GETS COMPETENT LEGAL SERVICES TO GUIDE IT THROUGH REDISTRICTING. RECALL, LAST TIME WE HAD BRAZIL AND DUNN AND ALLISON BASS MCGEE AND I WOULD ALSO BRING YOU TO THE ATTENTION ON OCTOBER 8TH, 2021, MR.. BOB BASS SAT IN THIS COURT ON A PUBLIC HEARING AND WARNED YOU ALL ABOUT DOING OFF DECADE REDISTRICTING. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU GO TO 39 MINUTE 39 AT 35, 39, 35, 39 MINUTES, 35 SECONDS IN THE PUBLIC AND EVERYONE ELSE CAN HEAR THE ADMONISHMENT FROM A WELL ESTABLISHED REDISTRICTING LAWYER WHO WARNED OF THESE ACTIONS. SO AGAIN, THE COURTS SHOULD NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ANY DOCUMENTS PREPARED BY TONY MCDONALD, ANY REFERENCES OR OPINIONS BY JOE NIXON. AND ALSO WE SHOULD BE WARNED ABOUT USING THE WORD ILLEGAL. NO COURT HAS DETERMINED THAT OUR MAPS ARE ILLEGAL. WE ARE USING THIS PHRASE LOOSELY AND ALSO TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE PUBLIC. THERE HAS BEEN NO FINDING OF ILLEGALITY IN THESE MAPS, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU'RE RELYING ON THE GALVESTON COUNTY CASE THAT CAME DOWN IN 2024, IT IS NOT IMPLICATED UNTIL WE REDISTRICT AGAIN AND AGAIN. YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE FOR MR. BOB BASS AS STATED ON OCTOBER 8TH, 2021, REGARDING HOW THIS SHOULD BE AFFECTED FORWARD. AND I WOULD NOT LIKE TO GO INTO ALL OF THE DETAILS OF THAT, BUT THAT CONVERSATION WAS MADE AN OPEN PUBLIC RECORD AND OPEN PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. THANK YOU. CAN I ASK, CAN I HAVE NOT OFFERED AN OPINION AND NO ONE SHOULD OFFER THE OPINION OR STATEMENT OR LEGALITY OF THESE MAPS IF IT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY MY OFFICE. THANK YOU. I TRIED TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND MAKE STATEMENTS THAT IT APPEARS THAT THEY DO NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL AND STATE LAW. I'VE TRIED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THAT APPEARS AND ILLEGAL ARE TWO DIFFERENT WORDS AND TWO DIFFERENT THINGS TO THE PUBLIC. I HAVE DONE THE BEST I CAN AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE DISCUSSIONS TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY. SO I'VE TRIED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT I REFER TO ATTORNEYS IN THEIR OPINIONS AND TRY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT I WAS CLEAR ON THE THING. AND AND IN ADDITION, COUNSELOR IF YOU RECALL, IN THE PROCESS WE WERE GOING THROUGH AND APPROVING THESE MAPS, YOU INTERRUPTED THE COURT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO GIVE THE COURT WRONG LEGAL ADVICE, SIR. OKAY. YOU DID. JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S WRONG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER. WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA. LET ME LET ME MAKE CLEAR OF SOMETHING. THE MOTION WAS MADE. SECOND WAS MADE. YOU INTERRUPTED AND SAID THE MOTION WAS AN AMENDMENT TO AN EXISTING [01:45:04] MOTION. AND YOU SAID AT THAT TIME WITH PARLIAMENTARIAN PROCEDURE. AND AGAIN, I AM HERE TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO THIS COURT. I WAS ELECTED TO DO SO. I'M NOT GOING TO FINISH MY STATEMENT BEFORE YOU INTERRUPT ME AGAIN. I'M RESPONDING TO YOUR STATEMENTS. I'M TRYING TO I'M TRYING TO MAKE MY POINT, AND YOU KEEP INTERRUPTING ME. FOLLOW UP. AND YOU MADE YOU MADE THE STATEMENT THAT THE MOTION TO AMEND THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH WHICH WAS TO APPROVE ONE COMMISSIONERS ONE MAP WAS INAPPROPRIATE. AND THAT'S INCORRECT. WE DON'T OPERATE UNDER ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, BUT STILL INCORRECT. THE ISSUE WAS REDISTRICTING MAPS. THE AMENDMENT WAS REDISTRICTING MAPS. THE AMENDMENT WAS GERMANE TO THE MAIN MOTION PERIOD. ANY PARLIAMENTARIAN CAN TELL YOU THAT. SO THAT IS HOW WE ENDED UP WITH WITH THE MAP THAT WE HAD, BECAUSE THERE WAS A THERE WAS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, A SECOND ON THE FLOOR, AND THEN NO, NO VOTE WAS HAD. SO I OKAY. COMMISSIONER, CAN I ASK YOU TO MENTION THAT DURING THAT TIME, COMMISSIONER DEMERCHANT SITTING IN THE SAME SPOT THAT DEXTER MCCOY IS STATED IN OPEN COURT THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND HIS OWN MAP. THAT'S WHAT TRIGGERED THE CONVERSATION AS TO WHAT MOTION NEED TO GO FORWARD. HE WAS CONFUSED HIMSELF. AND SO FOR THE COURT TO RELY ON A REPRESENTATION OF A COMMISSIONER WHO ADMITTEDLY ANNOUNCED HIS CONFUSION WOULD HAVE BEEN INAPPROPRIATE. MY PARLIAMENTARIAN PROCEDURE WAS CORRECT. AND FOUR YEARS LATER, THAT DISCUSSION IS OVER TODAY. PRESENTLY, REDISTRICTING AT THIS POINT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN INFORMED BY. BOB BASS IN OPEN COURT SHOULD NOT BE DONE UNLESS IT IS IN LINE WITH THE CENSUS DATA, BECAUSE OF THE NEED FOR CENSUS DATA TO DRIVE THE DECISIONS. AGAIN, THANK YOU. REFERRING TO OCTOBER 8TH, 2021. THANK YOU. YOUR POINT IS NOTED. AND CAN WE ALL AGREE ON TABLING THIS TO ITEMS? I WITHDRAW MY MOTION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COURT IS GOING TO DO WITH REGARD TO ADDRESSING THE ISSUES, THAT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE HAVE A MAP THAT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL COMMISSIONER. THAT'S FINE. SO CAN WE NEED MORE INFORMATION, MORE ENGAGEMENT IN THIS CONVERSATION? ARE WE ALL IN AGREEMENT WITH TABLING THESE TWO ITEMS? WELL, LET ME JUST I HAVEN'T SAID MUCH, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER MCCOY AND COMMISSIONER MYERS HAVE BOTH EXPRESSED THEMSELVES VERY WELL. BUT COMMISSIONER MYERS FOUGHT VIGOROUSLY FOR THE RIGHT TO HAVE THE FLOOR AND MAKE A MOTION. AND HE DID MAKE A MOTION. THEREFORE, I THINK THAT THE FLOOR WOULD BE OPEN FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO MAKE A MOTION IF HE'S WITHDRAWN IT. I WITHDRAW MY I WITHDRAW MY AGENDA ITEM. I WITHDRAW. HE'S GOING TO TABLE. HE'S WILLING TO TABLE. I WITHDRAW MY MY AGENDA ITEM. UNTIL WHAT TIME? FROM CONSIDERATION. I'M SORRY. INDEFINITELY. I'M WITHDRAWING IT. AT THIS POINT, IT'S ON THE AGENDA. I'M WITHDRAWING IT OFF THIS AGENDA. YEAH. AND WHEN DO YOU PLAN TO BRING IT BACK, OR DO YOU NOT PLAN TO BRING IT BACK? I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M. I'M WITH THE COUNTY JUDGE. I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT. I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION. THIS WAS A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME IN WHICH TO GET THIS. IN ORDER TO TRY TO GET TO A POINT I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE TAKING ACTION ON OLDHAM'S ITEM TODAY. AND SO I WAS TRYING TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT NOT ONLY DID WE NOT COMPLY WITH DIDN'T, DIDN'T APPEAR THAT WE COMPLIED WITH STATE LAW WITH REGARD TO THE VOTER. REGISTERED VOTERS PER PRECINCT, THAT IT APPEARED IN THE LEGAL OPINION OF OTHER ATTORNEYS THAT WE DID NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL LAW EITHER. SO I WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO BRING THIS TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION IN THE PROCESS TO DO SO, TO TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. SO I STILL DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. WELL, IT'S ONLY IT'S AN AGENDA ITEM. LATER ON THE AGENDA, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUE OF I'M TALKING ABOUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ITEM THAT ELECTIONS HAS ON THE AGENDA. BUT AT 22, BE IT DOES, IT DOES IT DOES ADDRESS THE STATE ISSUE. IT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW. IT ONLY AND ALSO NO VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW THAT WAS ADJUDICATED IN THE COURT AT ALL. IT HASN'T BEEN CHARGED, FORMALLY BROUGHT, OR ADJUDICATED, SO IT DOESN'T EXIST. AND I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER MCCARTY ON THIS THING. THAT'S IRRESPONSIBLE TO SAY THAT. IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE TO SAY THAT. THAT WE TOOK AN ILLEGAL ACTION. COMMISSIONERS COURT. I'VE BEEN A PART OF FOUR DIFFERENT REDISTRICTING PROCESSES FOR. AND IT'S NEVER BEEN EVEN AN ALLEGATION OF THAT KIND OF STUFF. OKAY. I THINK IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE ON YOUR PART TO PUT THAT OUT IN THE ATMOSPHERE. YOU CAN'T UNRING THAT BELL. HEY, ONE MORE TIME, WE'LL TALK. [01:50:03] I PEOPLE WANT US TO TAKE MORE TIME, AND I AGREE. SO ARE YOU. WHERE ARE WE GOING? YOU HAVE ANY ANY? ARE WE GOING TO TABLE OR WE CAN MOVE ON. RIGHT NOW, THE ITEM THAT WE'RE DEALING RIGHT NOW, COMMISSIONERS WITHDRAWN IT, AND WE NEED TO PROCEED WITH THE AGENDA. OKAY. SO NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO. NO, NO, NO FURTHER ACTION ON ANYTHING. AM I CORRECT? NO. NO ACTION ON THE ITEM THAT YOU PULLED THAT YOU HAVE PULLED INDEFINITELY. OKAY. I DIDN'T SAY I PULLED IT INDEFINITELY. I SAID I PULLED IT OFF OF THIS AGENDA ITEM. YEAH. SO THAT MEANS YOU CAN'T GIVE ME A DATE CERTAIN WHEN YOU BRING IT BACK? WELL, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN. YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE. INDEFINITE. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO. AND WE WILL TABLE 22 B, WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 22. WITHDRAWN. I WITHDREW THE ITEM. YOU WITHDREW THE ITEM? YEAH. SO FOR THE RECORD, THE ITEM 22 B IS BEING WITHDREW. AND MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 23. [23. AUDITOR:] I MOVE APPROVE ITEM 23 AS B, AS PRESENTED A, B AND C C AS SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 23, A, B AND C. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 24, PRESENTED BY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TO APPROVE [24. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:] ITEM 24 AS PRESENTED. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ITEM NUMBER 24. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 25. [25. COMMUNITY SUPERVISION & CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT: ] COMMUNITY SUPERVISION AND CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT. MOVE. APPROVE. ITEM 25 AS PRESENTED. SECOND, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM 25. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE HAVE AGENDA ITEM 26 A AND B PRESENTED BY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION. [26. ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION:] ITEM 26 A AS PRESENTED SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON AGENDA ITEM 26 A. AS PRESENTED. ANY DISCUSSION. HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 20 6BI MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM 26 B AS PRESENTED. I SECOND. I LIKE GO AHEAD. OKAY. I THINK THAT AS WE ARE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HASTILY MOVING FORWARD ON THE COMMISSIONER MYERS ITEM. I THINK THAT BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER AT THE LAST MINUTE TODAY THAT WE NEED TO HAVE OUR ELECTIONS OFFICER HAVE A HAVE MORE TIME TO EVALUATE THIS ITEM AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE. JOHN, CAN YOU COME UP? FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION. CAN YOU JUST KIND OF DESCRIBE WHAT WHAT YOU'VE DONE HERE? WHAT WE DID IS WE BEGAN BY LOOKING AT WHAT PRECINCTS COULD BE SPLIT AND COMBINED BASED UPON. WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT HERE IN WHICH TEXAS HAS CONFLICTING STATUTES ON ON PRECINCTS. ONE IS THAT THERE SHOULD NOT BE LARGER THAN 5000 OR FEWER THAN WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS. HOWEVER, WE ALSO CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN ONE CONGRESSIONAL, MORE THAN ONE STATE SENATE, MORE THAN ONE STATE HOUSE, NOR MORE THAN ONE HIGHER DISTRICT IN THE SAME PRECINCT. AND FOR THAT, THAT IS THE REASON WHY WE HAVE A ZERO VOTER PRECINCT. IT IS THE REASON WHY WE HAVE A ONE VOTER PRECINCT AND A THREE VOTER PRECINCT. AND THE PLAN I GAVE YOU THAT DOESN'T CHANGE BECAUSE THEY STILL ARE IN DIFFERENT. WE CAN'T COMBINE THEM. NOW, WE DID COMBINE, I THINK, 27 PRECINCTS DOWN TO 14 AND OTHER AND OR 13 DOWN IN SOME OTHER AREAS. YES, SIR. I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. WHY ARE YOU SAYING WE CANNOT COMBINE THEM? WELL, BECAUSE THE LAW PROHIBITS US FROM IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A DETENTION POND BY THE SUGAR LAND AIRPORT, THAT'S A PRECINCT, BECAUSE ONE BOUNDARY LINES ON ONE SIDE OF IT AND ONE'S ON ANOTHER. WE HAVE THERE'S BASICALLY, I WOULD CALL IT A FLOWER POT. THERE IS A LITTLE TRIANGLE IN DIRECTLY NORTH ACROSS WESTPARK TOLLWAY FROM BUSH HIGH SCHOOL THAT IS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. SO IT'S A I'M NOT EVEN SURE WE HAVE A I THINK WE DO HAVE A VOTER REGISTERED THERE, [01:55:01] BUT IT'S IT HAS TO BE UNIQUE. AND ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO DEMAGOGUE THAT IS DOING JUST EXACTLY THAT. THAT'S WHAT THE LAW IS. WE CAN'T CHANGE THAT. BELIEVE ME, I DON'T LIKE THAT. I THINK IT'S A. BUT IF WE DON'T LIKE IT, THAT'S SOMETHING THE LEGISLATURE WOULD HAVE TO FIX, EITHER BY CHANGING WHAT THE LAW SAYS OR BY GIVING US BETTER MAPS WHEN THEY DRAW THESE LINES THAT THE LINE, YOU KNOW, A SENATE LINE ISN'T A BLOCK AWAY FROM A STATE SENATOR FROM A STATE, I'M SORRY, A HIGHER DISTRICT LINE. SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO ENVIRONMENT WE HAVE TO OPERATE IN. NOW THE THE NUMBERS I GAVE YOU TODAY, AND I WISH I COULD HAVE GOTTEN THEM TO YOU SOONER, BUT THE HISTORY ON THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE BEGAN THIS PROCESS. WE WERE GOING TO YOU GUYS WERE GOING TO CONTRACT THAT OUT. THEN ON APRIL 22ND, YOU CHANGED AND SAID, WE WANT YOU TO DO IT, WHICH IS FINE. AND I WAS ORIGINALLY THINKING WE'D GET THIS DONE BY THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE, BUT I THINK THE ENVIRONMENT WAS SUCH THAT EVERYBODY WANTED TO DO IT SOONER. SO WE RUSHED THIS THROUGH. I SPENT OVER 30 HOURS THIS WEEKEND PLAYING WITH NUMBERS. MY WIFE'S REALLY MAD AT ME. BUT BOTTOM LINE IS WE GAVE YOU A PLAN HERE AT THE LAST MINUTE THAT EVERY ONE OF THESE PRECINCTS ARE NOW BELOW 5000 IN TERMS OF ACTIVE VOTERS. WE STILL HAVE SOME THAT ARE BELOW WHAT ONE SECTION OF THE CODE SAYS IS A MINIMUM, BUT IS ALSO COMPLIANT WITH ANOTHER SECTION OF THE CODE THAT SAYS WE CANNOT HAVE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS IN THE SAME VOTING PRECINCT. SO YOU CAN DO WITH THAT WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO. I MEAN, YOU COULD PASS IT. YOU COULD ASK US TO REVIEW IT. WE COULD TAKE MORE TIME TO REVIEW IT. IT'S WHATEVER. YOU KNOW, I'D REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT TO BEGIN WITH. AND IT IS WHAT IT IS. AND, JOHN, FOR FOR YOUR PART, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT THIS IS THIS IS NOT MALICE ON ANYBODY'S PART. THIS IS JUST CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WE'RE PUT IN. I UNDERSTAND THAT COMPLETELY. OKAY. AND AND EVEN IF WE DELAYED THIS THING A MONTH, TWO MONTHS, THREE MONTHS, THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND WOULD WILL BE THE SAME. OH, IT'S. NO, IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO CHANGE BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IF YOU PASS THIS AND WHAT THE CODE SAYS IS THAT A PRECINCT CHANGES ARE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST. WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE AND TAKEN A PRECINCT AND BROKEN IT DOWN TO A 10,000 VOTER PRECINCT AND OR 7000 VOTER PRECINCT, AND BROKEN IT DOWN TO 3500 VOTERS IN TWO IN JUNE. AND BY JANUARY THEY WERE BOTH OVER 7000. SO THIS IS GOING TO YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE DO IS GOING TO CHANGE. IT'S GOING TO BE THE NUMBERS WILL BE SKEWED BY JANUARY. SO IT'S IT'S A IT SEEMS TO BE A RESPONSIBLE THING FOR US TO DO TO SEE HOW WELL IT'S COMPLIANT. AND WE CAN SOLVE MORE COMPLIANCE RIGHT NOW. YEAH. AND BUT IT DOESN'T. IT DOES TO MY MIND. IT DOESN'T HELP WITH THE ELECTION PROCESS. PEOPLE CAN VOTE ANYWHERE. AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR TEN YEARS AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT. IT DOESN'T REALLY AFFECT TURNOUT. THERE'S NO DATA ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY THAT SHOWS THAT THIS AFFECTS TURNOUT. BUT IT BUT IT IS CONVENIENT TO VOTERS. I MENTIONED WHEN WE DID CANVASING. THAT OUR THREE THE THREE POLLING LOCATIONS IN THE COUNTY THAT GET THE GREATEST NUMBER OF OR THE MOST DIVERSE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, MEASURED BY HOW MANY PRECINCTS THOSE VOTERS LIVE IN ARE CINCO RANCH, STAFFORD CITY HALL, AND MEADOWS PLACE CITY HALL, EVERY ONE OF THEM. YOU COULD BASICALLY SPIT AND HIT THE HARRIS COUNTY LINE. SO THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMUTING THAT ARE GOING THERE TO VOTE. YOU'RE NOT COMING FROM NEEDVILLE JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GO TO MEADOWS PLACE TO VOTE. YOU'RE STOPPING THERE TO VOTE, EITHER COMING TO OR FROM. SO THAT'S A CONVENIENCE AND IT'S AN ASSET TO OUR VOTERS. AND, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT THAT AND HAVE ALWAYS SUPPORTED THAT. SO SO YEAH, I MEAN, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS SO PART OF IT IS A PRODUCT OF BEING A FAST GROWING COUNTY. ABSOLUTELY IS. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE KEEPING TRACK OF VOTER DATA. AND THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE MORE REGISTERED VOTERS MOVING TO SOME AREAS THAN OTHERS. AND TO COMMISSIONER PRESTIGIOUS QUESTION YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST, HAVE WE SEEN THAT THAT SAME INSTANCE WHERE YOU'VE DONE THE WORK OF DIVIDING VOTER PRECINCTS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SIX, EIGHT, TEN MONTHS LATER, A PRECINCT HAS OVER THE 5000 THRESHOLD. FOUR MONTHS LATER. YEAH. SO, SO SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS, THIS IS GOING TO BE A FLUID THING. BUT STATUTORILY, EVERY YEAR WE'RE SUPPOSED TO REVIEW IT EVERY TWO YEARS, RIGHT? TAKE AN ACTION. THAT'S THAT TIME STAMP IN TIME AND THEN COME BACK IN ANOTHER TWO YEARS TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COURT, RIGHT? OKAY. AND SO THAT THANK YOU FOR HELPING US UNDERSTAND THAT THE OTHER PART IS ON THE I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY. THERE ARE STILL SOME VOTER PRECINCTS THAT HAVE FEWER THAN 100 HUNDRED VOTERS. [02:00:05] WE HAVE AT LEAST THREE THAT I'M AWARE OF. ONE HAS ZERO, ONE HAS ONE, AND ONE HAS, I BELIEVE THREE. AND FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU, THAT IS AT THIS POINT THERE IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL. THERE IS NO WAY FOR US TO MANEUVER TO GET THAT COMBINED BECAUSE OF A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT THAT A VOTER PRECINCT CANNOT BE IN MULTIPLE HOUSE DISTRICTS OR JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, EDUCATION DISTRICT, STATE SENATE, STATE REP, AND CONGRESSIONAL. OKAY. AND SO BECAUSE OF THOSE MAPS, IT PRECLUDES REGARDLESS OF EVEN IF WE CHANGE COMMISSIONER PRECINCT LINES, WE STILL WOULD BE CHALLENGED TO CONFORM TO THAT. CORRECT. IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR YOUR COMMISSIONER PRECINCT LINES, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE SOME PARTICULARLY IN THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY. IT'S NOT SO BAD IN COMMISSIONER HIS HIS PRECINCT BUT IT'S IT'S THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE COUNTY. IT'S BAD. WE HAVE ONE PRECINCT THAT IS IN ONE CONGRESSIONAL, AND THE ONE BESIDE IT'S IN A. YOU KNOW, THEY MAY BOTH BE IN THE SAME CONGRESSIONAL, BUT ONE'S IN ONE HOUSE DISTRICT, ONE'S IN ONE ANOTHER HOUSE DISTRICT. AND THE LINES ARE JUST THEY'RE NOT COTERMINOUS. THEY'RE JUMP ALL AROUND. SO THAT LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO TO REDUCE SOME OF THOSE. BUT WE WERE ABLE TO TO GET RID OF AT LEAST ON SOME NUMBER OF THEM BY COMBINING SOME OF THE SMALLER ONES. BUT THOSE ARE BECAUSE THEY WERE CONTIGUOUS PRECINCTS, ADJACENT PRECINCTS THAT HAD THE SAME CONGRESSIONAL, SAME SAME HOUSE, SAME DISTRICT. BUT IF THEY DON'T, WE'RE STUCK WITH THEM. SO IF THIS PROPOSAL IS APPROVED, IT'LL SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT CAN BE SOLVED. IT WILL IT WILL MAKE US. IT'LL SOLVE ONE. AND IT'LL SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT CAN BE SOLVED. THE ONES WHERE THERE'S A CONFLICT AND THE STATUTE CANNOT BE SOLVED UNLESS THERE'S SOME CHANGE. RIGHT. OKAY. I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. ONE OF THE SPEAKER MENTIONED THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PRECINCTS. MORE THAN 5000 IN THIS NEW ARRANGED MEANT WHATEVER YOU MADE. YEAH, WELL THERE NONE THERE'S NONE MORE THAN 5000. NOW. NOW AGAIN, WE WERE LOOKING I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA A WEEK AGO, AND IT WAS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS. AND WHAT WE HAD TO DO IS KIND OF LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AND THINK, OKAY, WHERE CAN WE DRAW REASONABLE LINES THAT FOLLOW NATURAL BOUNDARIES, ROADWAYS, WHATEVER. YOU DON'T WANT TO DRAW THEM TO SOMEBODY'S YARD. SO YOU LOOK AT THIS AND YOU THINK, WELL THIS WILL PROBABLY GET IT. SO AND AGAIN LET ME COMPLIMENT ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE NEVER DONE WHAT WE DID WITHOUT THEIR HELP. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DREW ACTUALLY CREATED THESE MAPS AND FILES FOR US. BUT WE GIVE THEM WHAT WE WANT TO DO. THEY GIVE US A MAP BACK AT THE POINT THEY GIVE US A MAP BACK. WE THEN HAVE TO DETERMINE, IS THAT THE RIGHT NUMBER OF VOTERS, OR IS IT IN EXCESS OF 5000? AND THE ONLY WAY, THE WAY WE HAD TO DO THAT IS BY COMPARING THE ADDRESS POINT OR THE STREET RANGES THAT THEY GAVE US AGAINST OUR VOTER REGISTRATION DATABASE, AND WE'RE DOING IT ONE AT A TIME. WE COMBINED OVER WE LOOKED MANUALLY, LOOKED AT OVER 20,000 ADDRESS STREET GUIDELINES. AND I WAS DOING WE WERE DOING THAT THIS WEEKEND. WE WERE DOING IT I WAS DOING IT TILL 1130 LAST NIGHT. AND THIS MORNING I SENT FIVE MORE CHANGES TO ENGINEERING. AND THEY IMMEDIATELY FIXED THOSE PROBLEMS BECAUSE WE GAVE THEM SOME SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW TO DO IT. SO THEY'VE WE COULD HAVE NEVER DONE THIS WITHOUT THEIR ASSISTANCE. BUT WE'VE GOT THE MAP THAT I GAVE YOU. WE BELIEVE TO HAVE EVERY PRECINCT THERE TO HAVE LESS THAN 5000 ACTIVE VOTERS. NOW WE DON'T THERE'S STILL 5 OR 6 THAT WE HAVEN'T GIVEN YOU WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE. BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET THE. THE STREET RANGES FROM ENGINEERING UNTIL ABOUT 11:00 TODAY. BUT HOW WOULD YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS COURT DECIDED TO APPROVE THIS AGENDA ITEM OR SHOULD IT BE TABLED? THAT'S STRICTLY. THAT'S UP TO YOU. NO, NO. DO YOU FEEL. I DON'T THINK WE CAN MAKE ANY OTHER CHANGES THAT WILL IMPROVE UPON IT. BUT THERE'S ONE THING THAT WAS POINTED OUT LIKE 4106 HAD OVER 7500 STILL IN IT. OKAY. NO. NOT NOW. OKAY. NOT NOT NOT NOT THE MAP WE GAVE YOU. WE SPLIT UP A NUMBER OF THINGS THIS MORNING. THIS. WHICH MAP? THANK YOU. THE LAST SHEET I GAVE YOU GAVE US. KIND OF TOLD YOU WHAT WE DID AT THE LAST MINUTE. THE MAP I GAVE YOU, WE BELIEVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING BELOW 5000 ACTIVE VOTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS MORNING WE REDIVIDED PRECINCT 106 ALONG TAMARIND PARKWAY, [02:05:02] CREATING TWO PRECINCTS. WE DIVIDED PRECINCT ONE 109 ALONG FULSHEAR BEND DRIVE, CREATING ANOTHER NEW PRECINCT. WE MOVED TERRITORY IN PRECINCT 1050 EAST OF JAMES DRIVE OVER TO AN ADJACENT PRECINCT, WHICH LOWERED TEN 1050 AND THE OTHER ONE WAS SMALL. WE DIVIDED 2119 NORTH SOUTH ALONG SIENNA PARKWAY, CREATING ANOTHER A THIRD PRECINCT IN THAT AREA. AND WE REDREW THE COMPLETELY REDRAW THAT DREW THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN 40. FOUR 4005 AND 4006 WHICH WE DREW A MAP, BUT NOT THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THERE'S ONLY 15 VOTERS AND HALF THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THAT PRECINCT. SO THAT DIDN'T HELP THE IMBALANCE IN. 4150. WE. CHANGED THE REDREW THE EASTERN EDGE AND MOVED IT TO PRECINCT. 4152 ALONG WITH THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF 4113 AND FINALLY IN 4137, WHICH HAD 5800 VOTERS, WE DIVIDED IT NORTH, SOUTH ALONG WEST BELLFORT, CREATING A NEW PRECINCT. SO IT'S OUR FEELING THAT EVERY ONE OF THESE ARE NOW BELOW 5000. JOHN. YEAH? YOU FINISHED? OKAY. THIS IS MY QUESTION TO YOU. YOU MENTIONED IT IS REPRESENTING. RIGHT? RIGHT. BUT YOU ARE MOVING PRECINCT FROM ONE PERSON TO THE OTHER. AT LEAST YOU WON. THAT IS ESSENTIALLY REDISTRICTING IN THE CASE OF PRECINCT 2000, NOT COMMISSIONERS PRECINCT COMMISSION. YEAH, NO COMMISSIONER PRECINCT. WELL, ACTUALLY, I'M SAYING YOU'RE RIGHT. JUDGE. YEAH, BECAUSE ALMOST EVERY MEMBER OF THE COURT HAD ASKED US, WHEN YOU DO THIS, WOULD YOU MOVE PRECINCT 209 BACK TO PRECINCT THREE? SO THAT MAP DOES THAT? IT'S YOUR CHOICE. SO THIS IS ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE THAT WAS NOT AN ACTION TAKEN BY THIS COURT, IS IT? IT WAS NOT. IT WAS NOT. IT WAS NOT AN ACTION TAKEN BY THIS COURT. AND IT WAS EVERY I MEAN, I CALLED JOHN AND ASKED HIM TO DO IT. OKAY. SEEMS LIKE MR. MORALES HAD THE SAME IDEA. I WILL TELL YOU THAT. SO DID OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COURT THAT I DID MENTION TO YOU ABOUT. IF YOU WERE GOING TO DO THIS, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE 2009 MOVE BACK TO 3009, AND THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME THAT I SUPPORTED THAT. AND AND WAS VOTED DOWN PREVIOUSLY AND SO. BUT BUT JOHN, HERE'S WHAT MY FEELING IS RIGHT NOW. I JUST THINK THAT WE PRESSURED YOU TO GET THIS DONE. AND WE APOLOGIZE TO YOUR WIFE AND TO YOU. BUT I REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT YOU NEED TO JUST TAKE SOME TIME TO MAKE SURE BEFORE I VOTE ON THIS MAP. AND THAT'S THAT'S FINE. THAT'S YOUR CHOICE. BUT AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE 2009, THAT ALSO THAT ALSO HELPS EASE THE IMBALANCE. PRECINCT THREE IS OUR SMALLEST PRECINCT IN TERMS OF POPULATION. AND I'M NOT SURE AT THIS POINT IF 2 OR 1 IS THE LARGEST. BUT IT DOES MOVE ABOUT 4500 VOTERS FROM OUR SMALLEST, FROM ONE OF OUR LARGER PRECINCTS TO THE VERY SMALLEST. SO THAT THAT IS NOT THE QUESTION, THOUGH. I MEAN, IT IS AN EASY ONE AND I DON'T HAVE ANY DISAGREEMENT. AND I WAS JUST SAYING THAT IS ESSENTIALLY CALLED REDISTRICTING. WELL, I THINK NOT REPRESENTING WELL, I THINK I LEARNED THAT THERE'S IT'S ALLOWABLE TO DO MINIMAL CHANGES AS IN THE COURSE OF THE PROCESS, YOU NOTICE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED MINIMAL. A MINIMAL CHANGE MAP IS ALLOWABLE BY PROCEDURE. AND THAT IS WHAT JOHN HAS DONE, A MAJOR REDISTRICTING IMPACTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VOTERS, THAT IS REDISTRICTING SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE RULES OF REDISTRICTING. IN TERMS OF WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS FOR PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS AND ALL THAT? THAT IS A SEPARATE PROCEDURE. WHAT JOHN HAS DONE IS MORE OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE ONE AND HAS A DE MINIMIS IMPACT ON THE OVERALL VIABILITY OF COMMISSIONER PRECINCTS. THE THING THAT I WILL THE THING THAT I WILL SAY YOU KNOW, I AM EAGER FOR THIS TO GET DONE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO DO AND FOCUS ON IN THIS COUNTY. THAT IS NOT THIS. WE HAVE MADE A CIRCUS OF SOMETHING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ADMINISTRATIVE AND ROUTINE. WE ARE. WE HAVE BUDGETARY ISSUES TO CONCERN OURSELVES WITH, AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES CAN EVEN GET A COST OF [02:10:03] LIVING ADJUSTMENT THIS YEAR. BUT WE'RE PROLONGED BY HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, WHICH IS NOT YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THIS AGAIN IN FIVE YEARS FROM NOW. BUT TO COMMISSIONER MORALES'S POINT, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS ANY HARM IN YOU GOING BACK AND TAKING ANOTHER TWO WEEKS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR DATA IS RIGHT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TO US IS INDEED WHAT YOU BELIEVE IT IS. BECAUSE IF YOU JUST FINISHED MAKING, YOU KNOW, DOING ALL THAT AT 11:00, YOU MIGHT NEED TO CHECK YOUR WORK. I WOULD THERE'S GOING TO BE THINGS THAT WE MAY HAVE SOME NUMBERS. WE'RE NOT HUGE NUMBERS, BUT WE MAY BE 40 OR 50 OFF HERE AND THERE. BUT IT'S STILL I HAVE NO I IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME. IT'S YOUR DECISION. YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT. I GOT A GOOD MOTION. AND THE PART THAT DID THE COURT AUTHORIZE THE ADMINISTRATOR TO COME BACK WITH THESE NUMBERS? I KNOW IT'S IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF YOUR BUSINESS. YOU DO IT ALL THE TIME, BUT I DON'T THINK. NO, NO NO, NO. WELL, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. I THINK BEING IN COMPLIANCE TO THE EXTENT WE CAN FOR PRECINCTS OVER 5000, WE NEED TO TAKE AN ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THEM TO DO THAT. COMMISSIONER ALL RESPECT. DUE ALL RESPECT, I DON'T FEEL LIKE BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO CEMENT THAT WHATEVER THAT CONVERSATION, I GET IT. I WANTED TO GET IT. AND ALSO, I HEARD WE HAVE OTHER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT. ABSOLUTELY WE DO. I'M TRYING TO GET A WIN RIGHT NOW. SO THE POINT IS, ALL I AM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT, JOHN, YOU SAID COURT MEMBERS TOLD YOU TO DO THIS, AND THE SAME COURT MEMBER SAYING, GO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO, BRING IT BACK. AND AND I DON'T THINK THERE IS A COURT ACTION THAT'S JUST ONE PERSON SAYING THIS, AND OTHERS COULD DECIDE WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO DO, AND I'M HAPPY WITH THAT. I'M NOT SUPPORTING. I'M NOT SUPPORTING SOMETHING I'M NOT SUPPORTING. WE'RE THIS CLOSE TO GETTING A FIVE. YEAH, I GET A41 VOTE. COMMISSIONER OKAY, ALL RIGHT, I GET IT, I GET IT ALL RIGHT, AND THERE IS NO NEED FOR IT AND NO PROBLEM. THERE IS NO OTHER QUESTION. JOHN. THANK YOU FOR BEING. DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, I'VE HAD ALL I THINK I'VE SPOKEN MY PIECE SEVERAL TIMES HERE TODAY, SO I'M JUST GOING TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT AT THIS POINT. I SIMPLY WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE PROCESS IS APPROPRIATE AND, AND ESSENTIALLY SOLVES THE ISSUE THAT IS IN FRONT OF US THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION. AND, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH CORRECTING ANYTHING THAT'S INCORRECT. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. PERIOD. NOW, I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT HE'S PRESENTED, BECAUSE TO ME, I DON'T SEE HOW YOU GET ANY CLOSER THAN WE ARE AT THE MOMENT. I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AN OPINION OF MINE. BUT SO I, YOU KNOW, WELL AND ALL DUE RESPECT, JOHN, I HEARD LAST MINUTE, LAST MINUTE A FEW TIMES THERE WAS AND THAT'S MY CONCERN. AND MY CONCERN IS THAT YOU WERE PRESSURED INTO GETTING THIS DONE TODAY. AND I'M PROBABLY PART OF THAT PROBLEM. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I YOU WERE NICE ABOUT IT. I DO WANT TO THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK ENGINEERING, BUT I DO THINK YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND JUST MAKE SURE, AS COMMISSIONER MYERS JUST SAID, THAT WE ARE TOTALLY IN COMPLIANCE AND THAT WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY OR LEFT OFF OR LEFT OUT ANY. ANYONE. I I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE IT BROUGHT BACK AND US, ALL OF US BEING ABLE TO HAVE TIME TO HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS AHEAD OF TIME. JUDGE, I MADE A MOTION. I'LL WITHDRAW IT. YEAH. THANK YOU. AND WITH THAT WITH THE APPROVAL OF COURT, MEMBERS AND I WILL EITHER HOLD THIS ITEM OR TABLE. THIS MOTION. HE WITHDREW HIS MOTION. SO THERE'S NO MOTION. SO IT FAILS FOR LACK OF A MOTION. NO ACTION ON THIS. MOVE ON TO. THANK YOU, JOHN, BUT BUT TO BE CLEAR, FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL, WE'RE ASKING HIM TO BRING IT BACK IN TWO WEEKS, ONCE HE'S HAD A CHANCE TO GET THOSE NUMBERS IRONED OUT. RIGHT, RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 27 A THROUGH N PRESENTED BY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT APPROVAL [27. ENGINEERING:] A THROUGH M TO SEVEN A THROUGH M. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON 27 EIGHT THROUGH N. ANY DISCUSSION. HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 28 A THROUGH E PRESENTED BY FACILITIES MANAGEMENT [28. FACILITIES MANAGEMENT & PLANNING:] AND PLANNING. MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF AGENDA ITEM 28 A THROUGH E AS PRESENTED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 28 A THROUGH. WE JUST DID THAT. OH, SORRY. AGENDA ITEM 29 A THROUGH F PRESENTED BY GRANTS ADMINISTRATION. [29. GRANTS ADMINISTRATION:] [02:15:03] APPROVAL OF 29 A THROUGH F AS PRESENTED. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM NUMBER 29 A THROUGH F. ANY DISCUSSION. JUST WANT TO COMMEND OUR JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENT OR JUVENILE DETENTION DEPARTMENT ON 29 D. THIS IS 20 ALMOST $23,000 TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND THERAPY FOR REFERRED JUVENILES. REALLY GREAT. THANK YOU ALL FOR GOING AFTER THAT FUNDING. AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO HELP A LOT OF KIDS. IS THAT D OR E THAT'S I SEE IT AS D D D AS IN DOG. I HEARD E OH, SORRY. YEAH D YEAH YEAH D YEAH, DEFINITELY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 30 A AND B PRESENTED BY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES [30. HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES:] DEPARTMENT. MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF AGENDA ITEM A AND B AS PRESENTED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON AGENDA ITEM 30 A AND B. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 31 PRESENTED BY HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY [31. HOMELAND SECURITY & EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT:] MANAGEMENT. MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF AGENDA ITEM 31 AS PRESENTED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON AGENDA ITEM 31. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 32 A, B AND C PRESENTED BY IT INFORMATION [32. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:] TECHNOLOGY. MOVE APPROVAL OF ITEM 32, A, B, AND C AS PRESENTED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 33, PRESENTED BY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. [33. PARKS & RECREATION:] 33 IS PRESENTED. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING. NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 34 FROM PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE. [34. PUBLIC DEFENDER:] MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF AGENDA. ITEM 34 IS PRESENTED. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. AND NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 35 A THROUGH V FROM PURCHASING DEPARTMENT. [35. PURCHASING:] MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF AGENDA ITEM 35 A THROUGH V AS PRESENTED. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON AGENDA ITEM 35 A THROUGH V. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 36, PRESENTED BY FORT BEND COUNTY SHERIFF'S [36. SHERIFF'S OFFICE:] DEPARTMENT. MOVE. APPROVAL OF ITEM 36 AS PRESENTED. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM 36. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 37 A, B, C, [37. TAX ASSESSOR/COLLECTOR:] AND D PRESENTED BY TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR MOVE APPROVAL OF ITEMS 37, A, B, C AND D AS PRESENTED. SECOND, AND WE HAVE A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 37, A, B, C, AND D PRESENTED BY TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING. NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW I WILL PRESENT IT TO THE COURT. [38. Approve Bills.] [39. Ratify the release of time-sensitive disbursements made on May 22, 2025.] [40. Authorize County auditor to pay and release the time-sensitive disbursements on June 5, 2025, to be ratified by Commissioners Court on June 10, 2025.] AGENDA ITEM 38 3940, PRESENTED BY AUDITOR'S DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? CORRECT. PLEASE GO AHEAD. ALONG WITH THE TIME SENSITIVE BILLS TOTALING 21,637,001, 92 AND 31 SUBMIT FOR COURT APPROVAL BILLS TOTALING 20,794,738 AND 24, WHICH INCLUDES ROUTINE DISBURSEMENTS OF 09,970,420 AND SIX. MOVE FOR APPROVAL FOR 38, 39 AND 42ND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM 38, 39 AND 40. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY AT THIS TIME. [41. Meet in Closed Session to deliberate the following matters as authorized by the Texas Government Code:] MOVE ON. OLGA, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND READ THE CLOSED SESSION. ITEM 41, MEET IN CLOSED SESSION TO DELIBERATE THE FOLLOWING MATTERS AS AUTHORIZED BY THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE A SECTION 551.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY BEGINNING WITH NUMBER ONE. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT TWO CAUSE NUMBER 25 KV DASH 076792 FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS VERSUS DOROTHY E SORRELLS, AKA DOROTHY E SORRELLS, AKA DOROTHY WOOD SORRELLS, ET AL. EVERGREEN STREET SEGMENT TWO, PROJECT NUMBER 20123X PARCEL 101 PRECINCT TWO THREE LOCATION ONE. VIOLATIONS OF THE REGULATIONS FOR FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT FOR THE COUNTY OF FORT BEND, TEXAS FOR LOCATION TWO. VIOLATION OF THE REGULATIONS FOR FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT FOR THE COUNTY FOR THE COUNTY OF FORT BEND, TEXAS. AND COURT, IF I MAY IN THE ENTRANCE OF YOUR TIME, [02:20:08] I'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT AGENDA ITEMS FIVE THROUGH 13 ALL RELATE TO READING ROAD INTERSECTIONS. PROJECT NUMBER 2019. EACH ITEM CORRESPONDS TO ITS RESPECTIVE PARCEL NUMBER AS LISTED IN YOUR AGENDAS. WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I WILL REFRAIN FROM READING EACH ITEM INDIVIDUALLY UNLESS THERE ARE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS. AND THAT'S AGENDA ITEMS FIVE THROUGH 13. OKAY. MOVE ON. THANK YOU. B SECTION 551.072 DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL PROPERTY. PROPERTY ADJACENT TO COUNTY PARK LOCATED AT IN FRESNO C SECTION 551.072. PERSONNEL MATTERS ONE TOLL ROAD. SENIOR MANAGEMENT POSITION TWO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY D SECTION 551.089 DELIBERATION REGARDING SECURITY DEVICES OR SECURITY AUDITS ONE. LIBRARY TWO PROVISION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES TO SUPPORT COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES. NOW FINISH. OKAY. WE WILL MOVE ON AT THIS TIME. FORT BEND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL STAND IN RECESS AS WE TURN OUR ATTENTION TO FORT BEND COUNTY DRAINAGE DISTRICT. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING AND I WILL MOVE ON NOW TO DRAINAGE DISTRICT. AGENDA TIME 322 I CALL TO ORDER FORT BEND COUNTY DRAINAGE DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING. TODAY IS TUESDAY, MAY 27TH, 2025. AND AND NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM TWO PRESENTED BY DRAINAGE DISTRICT. MOVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. SECOND, AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. AGENDA. DRAINAGE DISTRICT. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE. I PRESENTED TO YOU ALL. ITEM THREE, ITEM THREE. THAT'S KATIE HILL. KATIE HOLLOW DAM. I THINK IT'S IN. YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE COUNTY ASSISTANT DISTRICT AGENDA. I'M AHEAD OF YOU ALL, AND I SHOULD BE BEHIND. ALRIGHT, LET ME GO INSTEAD. IS THAT A MOTION? IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY. YEAH. IS THAT A MOTION? WAIT. ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND. ITEM THREE. APPROVAL. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM THREE. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. AND NOW, ITEM NUMBER FOUR. APPROVAL OF FOUR IS PRESENTED. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? I JUST WANT TO THANK OUR MARK VOGLER FOR SHEPHERDING THIS. THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST PROJECTS THAT I GOT TO WORK ON WHEN I CAME INTO THIS SEAT. WE HAD FOLKS. IN FACT, I CAMPAIGNED ON THIS ISSUE. WE HAD FOLKS OUT IN WEST IN THE COUNTY WHO, AFTER A DECENT RAIN EVENT, EXPERIENCED SOME LEVEL OF FLOODING. THESE ARE FOLKS IN RURAL AREAS YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH THEIR CATTLE BEING LOST, THEIR CROPS BEING LOST. AND WE HAD NO PLAN. AND SO I'M REALLY THANKFUL THAT HE SHEPHERDED THIS. HE FOUND A CONSULTANT TO HELP US TO SEE WHAT THE NEED IS. AND NOW WE HAVE THE CHALLENGE OF FIGURING OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT AND PAY FOR IT. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, MARK, AND TO YOUR TEAM. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. WE WILL MOVE ON WITH THAT, ASSUMING NO OTHER COMMENT. ANY ASSUMING THERE IS NO OTHER COMMENT. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY WITH THAT. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? ADJOURNED. WITH NO OBJECTION. THIS FORT BEND COUNTY DRAINAGE DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO COUNTY ASSISTANT DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR. IT IS TIME. 325. I CALL TO ORDER FORT BEND COUNTY ASSISTANT DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING. TODAY IS TUESDAY, MAY 27TH, 2021. MAY 25TH. AND MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM TWO APPROVAL OF MINUTES. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON AGENDA ITEM TWO. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW I PRESENT TO THE AGENDA ITEM THREE. APPROVE. ITEM THREE AS PRESENTED. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING. NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR. ITEM FOUR AS PRESENTED. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW I WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE. APPROVE. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS PRESENTED SECOND. AND ANY DISCUSSION. NONE. EXCUSE ME. I GOT A WE DO. NO. I'M SORRY. WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC SPEAKER. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S STILL HERE. IF WE CAN CALL HIS NAME, IT IS FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE UNDER THIS MEETING. SO HIS NAME IS RODRIGO CARRION. OKAY. I DON'T SEE CARRION. [02:25:02] ARE YOU HERE? YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS? WANTED TO MAKE SURE. HE'S GONE. I DON'T THINK HE'S HERE. OKAY. IS HE? IT LOOKS. NO, IT LOOKS LIKE HE SLEPT. SO WITH THAT, ASSUMING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NOW I WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM SIX. ITEM SIX IS PRESENTED. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY WITH THAT. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOVE. WE ADJOURN WITH NO OBJECTION. THIS COUNTY, ASSISTANT DISTRICT NUMBER FOUR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL STAND IN RECESS FOR CLOSED SESSION. AND I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT WE HAVE TO SIGN. WE ARE ON RECESS. THANK YOU. OKAY. 513. IT'S 513. 514. [42. Reconvene Open Session and consider taking action on the following matters:] AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE ARE BACK IN OPEN SESSION. 42 RECONVENE, OPEN SESSION AND CONSIDER TAKING ACTION ON THE FOLLOWING MATTERS. A SECTION 551.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY ONE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. THERE IS NO ACTION. IT WAS ONLY FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES. TWO CAUSE NUMBER 25 CSV 076792 FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS VERSUS DOROTHY E SORRELLS, AKA DOROTHY E SORRELLS, AKA DOROTHY WOOD SORRELLS, ET AL. EVERGREEN STREET SEGMENT TWO, PROJECT NUMBER 20123X PARCEL 101 PRECINCT TWO. I MOVE THAT IN CV 25 CV 076792 FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS VERSUS DOROTHY E SORRELLS, AKA DOROTHY E SORRELLS, AKA DOROTHY WOODS SORRELLS, ET AL. EVERGREEN STREET SEGMENT TWO, PROJECT 20123X PARCEL 101, PRECINCT TWO, RIDGE SMITH, LAWSON COUNTY ATTORNEY OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS. BE AUTHORIZED TO INCUR LITIGATION EXPENSES FOR ANY ALL COSTS OF PRETRIAL TRIAL APPEAL AND INCIDENTAL COSTS, INCLUDING POTENTIAL INTERIM AD LITEM FEES. CITATION BY PUBLICATION FEES AND OTHER EXPENSES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $15,000. IN NO SENSE AND MOBILITY BONDS BE DESIGNATED AS A FUNDING SOURCE OF THE VIOLATION OF THE FORT BEND COUNTY REGULATIONS FOR FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT. I FURTHER MOVE, PURSUANT TO THE TEXAS CIVIL PRACTICE AND REMEDIES CODE, SECTION 6.0 01C TO APPROVE THE EXEMPTION OF THE FORT BEND COUNTY ATTORNEY FROM FILING A BOND TO TAKE OUT AN EXTRAORDINARY RIGHT IN THIS CASE, AND THAT COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO INCUR LITIGATION EXPENSES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5,000. SECOND, HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THAT ITEM. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT. ITEM FIVE THROUGH 13. WE WILL TAKE IT IN ONE BLOCK. I MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO ACCEPT. AND THE UNCONDITIONAL WRITTEN OFFER OF THE LANDOWNER'S COUNSEL DATED MAY 22ND, 2025, ON BEHALF OF LANDOWNERS. MICHAEL. NIKOLAYEVKA. NIKOLAEVKA. GLORIA. MALINKA TO SELL THE COUNTY. ALL THE LANDOWNERS DIRECT AND INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN THE PARCEL OF LAND INVOLVING THE READING ROAD INTERSECTIONS. PROJECT NUMBER 20109, PRECINCT TWO, PARCEL NINE. IN LIEU OF CONDEMNATION AND IN SATISFACTION OF ALL DAMAGES, IF ANY. I MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO EXCHANGE THE PURCHASE FUNDS SET FORTH IN THE WRITTEN ORDER FOR APPROPRIATE DEEDS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO INVEST THE FEE. SIMPLE TITLE TO SUCH TO TO SUCH PARCEL IN THE COUNTY, AND EXECUTE AND DELIVER ANY AND ALL ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS, PLEADINGS AND OR RELATED INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE SUCH PURCHASE THAT THE COUNTY CLERK BE AUTHORIZED TO RECORD SAID DOCUMENTS AT NO COST. AND FINALLY, THAT BONDS BE THE FUNDING AGENT DESIGNATED FOR THIS PROJECT. SECOND, AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THIS ITEM. HEY, JUST WANT TO KEEP READING. JUST KEEP READING. THERE'S A BUNCH OF THEM. ALL OF IT. IT'S A WHOLE SLEW OF THEM HERE. SO UNTIL 13. YEAH. LET ME KEEP READING. OKAY. THIS NEXT. THIS IS 41. REGARDING THE SAME PARCEL. PARCEL 19, PRECINCT TWO. THE SAME PROJECT? YES. OKAY. THIS IS ITEM 41, A SIX, AND THEY'RE LABELED LAURA. SO WHEN I GIVE THEM TO YOU. OKAY, I MOVE THAT IN 2507 65644 BEING COUNTY, TEXAS VERSUS JEFFREY R, SINGER SANDRA G. SINGER O'CONNOR AND ASSOCIATES, ET AL. READING ROAD PROJECT NUMBER 20109. PARCEL 13, PRECINCT TWO BRIDGET SMITH, LAWSON COUNTY ATTORNEY, [02:30:02] FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS BE AUTHORIZED TO COUNTERSIGN ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY. THE CONDITIONAL RULE 11 AGREEMENT, NEGOTIATED IN DOCUMENT AND DOCUMENTED BETWEEN LEGAL COUNSEL ON MAY 22ND, 2025 AND TO RESOLVE THE SUIT AND FUND THE THE AND CLOSE THE ACQUISITION FOR THE AMOUNT SET FORTH IN SUCH CONDITIONAL RULE 11 AGREEMENT AND THAT BONDS BE DESIGNATED AS A FUNDING SOURCE. ITEM 41 A-7. I MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO ACCEPT THE UNCONDITIONAL WRITTEN OFFER OF LANDOWNERS COUNSEL DATED MAY 22ND, 2025, ON BEHALF OF THE LANDOWNERS EDWARD TALCOTT AND D TALCOTT, TO SELL THE COUNTY. ALL THE LANDOWNERS DIRECT AND INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTERESTS IN THE FOLLOWING PARCEL OF LAND INVOLVED IN THE READING ROAD INTERSECTION PROJECT 20109 PRECINCT TWO, PARCEL 14. IN LIEU OF CONDEMNATION AND SATISFACTION OF ALL REMAINDER DAMAGES, IF ANY. I FURTHER MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO EXCHANGE THE PURCHASE FUNDS SET FORTH IN THE WRITTEN OFFER FOR APPROPRIATE DEEDS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO INVEST THE FEE SIMPLE TO SUCH PARCEL IN THE COUNTY AND TO EXECUTE AND DELIVER ANY ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS, PLEADINGS AND RELATED INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE SUCH PURCHASE AND DEBT. THE COUNTY CLERK BE AUTHORIZED TO RECORD SAID DOCUMENTS AT NO COST. AND FINALLY, THAT MOBILITY BONDS BE FUNDING AGENT DESIGNATED FOR THIS PROJECT. ITEM 41 A NUMBER EIGHT I MOVE THAT IN 2507 63534 BE COUNTY, TEXAS VERSUS YING WANG, RYAN, QUINN QIAO, ET AL. THE RAILROAD PROJECT NUMBER 20109, PARCEL 19, INCREASING TO BRIDGET SMITH, LAWSON COUNTY ATTORNEY, FORT BEND COUNTY, BE AUTHORIZED TO COUNTERSIGN ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY THE CONDITIONAL RULE 11 AGREEMENT NEGOTIATED AND DOCUMENTED BETWEEN LEGAL COUNSEL ON MAY 22ND, 2025, AND TO RESOLVE THE SUIT AND FUND AND CLOSE THE ACQUISITION FOR THE AMOUNT SET FORTH IN SUCH CONDITIONAL RULE 11 AGREEMENT THAT MOBILITY BONDS BE DESIGNATED AS A FUNDING SOURCE. THIS IS 40 1A9. I MOVE THAT IN 2507 63544 COUNTY TEXAS VERSUS NO. DEL BOSQUE MINERVA DEL BOSQUE AT ALL. READING ROOM PROJECT NUMBER 20109 PARCEL 20, PRECINCT TWO. COUNTY ATTORNEY OF FORT BEND COUNTY BE AUTHORIZED TO COUNTERSIGN ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY THE CONDITIONAL RULE 11 AGREEMENT NEGOTIATED AND DOCUMENTED BETWEEN LEGAL COUNSEL. ON MAY 22ND, 2025, AND TO RESOLVE THE SUIT AND FUND AND CLOSE THE ACQUISITION FOR THE AMOUNT SET FORTH IN SUCH CONDITIONAL RULE 11 AGREEMENT THAT MOBILITY BONDS BE DESIGNATED AS FUNDING SOURCE. ITEM ONE A TEN I MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO ACCEPT THE UNCONDITIONAL WRITTEN OFFER OF THE LANDOWNERS COUNSEL DATED MAY 22ND, 2025 ON BEHALF OF THE LANDOWNERS. DONALD STRUCK OFF. BRENDA STRUCK OFF TO SELL THE COUNTY. ALL THE LANDOWNERS DIRECT AND INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN THE PARCEL OF LAND INVOLVED IN READING ROAD INTERSECTIONS. PROJECT NUMBER 20109, PRECINCT TWO, SPECIFICALLY PARCEL 14, IN LIEU OF THE CONDEMNATION AND SATISFACTION OF ALL REMAINING DAMAGES, IF ANY. FURTHERMORE, THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO EXCHANGE TO PURCHASE FUNDS SET FORTH IN THE WRITTEN OFFER FOR APPROPRIATE DEEDS AND OTHER NECESSARY INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO VEST THE FEE SIMPLE TITLE TO SUCH PARCEL IN THE COUNTY, AND TO EXECUTE AND DELIVER ANY AND ALL ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS, PLEADINGS, AND OR RELATED INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE SUCH PURCHASE, AND THAT COUNTY CLERK BE AUTHORIZED TO RECORD SAID DEED AT NO COST. AND FINALLY, WHEN BILLY BONDS BE FUNDING ACCOUNT DESIGNEE FOR THIS PROJECT. 41. A11 I MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO ACCEPT THE UNCONDITIONAL WRITTEN OFFER OF THE LANDLORD'S COUNSEL, DATED MAY 22ND, 2025 ON BEHALF OF THE LANDOWNERS, GARY B HAYES AND TONY HAYES, TO SELL TO THE COUNTY ALL THE LANDOWNERS IN DIRECT AND INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN THE FOLLOWING PARCELS OF LAND INVOLVED IN READING ROAD INTERSECTIONS. PROJECT TWO 109. PRECINCT TWO. PARCEL 28. IN LIEU OF CONDEMNATION AND SATISFACTION OF ALL REMAINING DAMAGES, IF ANY. I FURTHER MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO EXCHANGE THE PURCHASE FUNDS SET FORTH IN THE WRITTEN OFFER FOR APPROPRIATE DEEDS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO INVEST THE FEE SIMPLE TITLE TO SUCH PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY, AND TO EXECUTE AND DELIVER ANY ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS, PLEADINGS AND OTHER RELATED INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE SUCH PURCHASE UNDER THE COUNTY CLERK. BE AUTHORIZED TO RECORD SAID DEEDED NO COST, AND FINALLY THAT MOBILITY BONDS BE FUNDING ACCOUNTED FOR THIS PROJECT. THIS NEXT ONE IS ITEM 41, A 12. I MOVE THAT FORT BEND COUNTY BE AUTHORIZED TO ACCEPT THE UNCONDITIONAL WRITTEN OFFER OF THE LAND OWNERS COUNCIL DATED MAY 22ND, 2025 ON BEHALF OF THE LANDOWNERS, MOHAMMED IN QATAR AND ADIBA AT CAR TO SELL THE COUNTY ALL THE LAND. DIRECT AND INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTERESTS IN THE FOLLOWING PARCELS OF LAND INVOLVED IN READING ROAD INTERSECTIONS. PROJECT NUMBER 20109. PRECINCT TWO, SPECIFICALLY PARCEL 30. IN LIEU OF THE CONDEMNATION AND THE SATISFACTION OF ALL REMAINING DAMAGES, IF ANY. I FURTHER MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO EXCHANGE THE PURCHASE FUNDS SET FORTH IN THE WRITTEN OFFER FOR DEEDS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO INVEST THE FEE SIMPLE TITLE TO SUCH PARCEL IN THE COUNTY AND TO EXECUTE DELIVERY ANY ALL [02:35:04] ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS, PLEADINGS AND OR RELATED INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO SUCH PURCHASE THAT THE COUNTY CLERK BE AUTHORIZED TO RECORD SAID DOCUMENTS AT NO COST. AND FINALLY, THAT MOBILITY BONDS BE FUNDING ACCOUNT DESIGNATED FOR THIS PROJECT. THIS IS ITEM 41 A I MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO ACCEPT THE UNCONDITIONAL WRITTEN OFFER OF THE LANDOWNER'S COUNSEL DATED MAY 22ND, 2025, ON BEHALF OF LANDOWNERS TY HART AND CINDY HARDIN. PAUL ROWELL AND JOAN ROWELL TO SELL THE COUNTY ALL THE OWNERSHIP, DIRECT AND INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN THE FOLLOWING PLOTS OF LAND INVOLVED IN READING ROAD INTERSECTIONS. PROJECT NUMBER 20109. PRECINCT TWO, SPECIFICALLY PARCEL 36, IN LIEU OF CONDEMNATION AND SATISFACTION OF ALL REMAINDER REMAINDER DAMAGES, IF ANY FURTHER, WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BE AUTHORIZED TO EXCHANGE TO PURCHASE FUNDS SET FORTH IN THE WRITTEN OFFER FOR APPROPRIATE PROPERTY DEEDS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO VEST THE FEE SIMPLE TITLE TO SUCH PARCEL IN THE COUNTY, AND TO EXECUTE AND DELIVER ANY AND ALL SUCH DOCUMENTS, PLEADINGS AND OR RELATED INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE SUCH PURCHASE, AND THE COUNTY CLERK BE AUTHORIZED TO RECORD THAT INTEREST AT NO COST. AND FINALLY, AND REALLY, FINALLY, THAT MOBILITY BONDS BE THE FUNDING ACCOUNT DESIGNATED FOR THIS PROJECT. SECOND. SECOND. SECOND. SECOND. I SECOND IT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM FROM FIVE THROUGH 13. YEAH. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. B? B SECTION 551.072. DELIBERATION REGARDING REAL PROPERTY. PROPERTY ADJACENT TO COUNTY PARK, LOCATED IN FRESNO. I MOVE THAT THE COUNTY AUTHORIZE AN APPRAISAL ON ATTRACTIVE LAND IN FRESNO FOR EXPANSION OF A COUNTY PARK AND AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATIONS OF AN EARNEST MONEY AGREEMENT, IF APPROPRIATE, WHICH INCLUDES VARIOUS TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR PROMPT ACQUISITION AND JOINT LAND USE TO BE APPROVED BY COMMISSIONERS. COURT FUNDING. TIPPING FEES. DO YOU HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THIS ITEM? ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. SEE SECTION 551.07 FOR PERSONNEL MATTERS. ONE TOLL ROAD SENIOR MANAGEMENT POSITION. AND WHO DO WE TAKE ALL APPROPRIATE ACTION ON REQUEST TO RECLASSIFY VACANT POSITIONS AS PRESENTED EFFECTIVE MAY 27TH, 2025. FUND TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY POSITION NUMBER (404) 201-0002. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FORT BEND COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY FROM GRADE 1 TO 12 TO GRADE 115 SECOND POSITION OR TWO OF THEM. POSITION TWO I MEAN 4201. DASH 003. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FORT BEND COUNTY AUTHORITY FROM GRADE 112 TO GRADE 115. SECOND. AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THIS ITEM. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. TWO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. NO ACTION. IT WAS ONLY FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES. SECTION 551.089 DELIBERATION REGARDING SECURITY DEVICES OR SECURITY AUDITS ONE LIBRARY. AND IT WAS ONLY. IT WAS ALSO ONLY FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES. NO ACTION TO PROVISION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES TO SUPPORT COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES. AND THAT WAS ALSO FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES. THERE WAS THERE IS NO ACTION WITH THAT. DO I MOTION TO ADJOURN WITH NO OBJECTION. FORT BEND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT IS NOW ADJOURNED. IT IS 529. THANK YOU. MR.. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.