This city is in bad shape. Good evening and welcome to the city council public comment meeting. Before Mayor Parker calls the meeting to order, we ask that you please be seated and silence all all electronic devices. When your name is called, please come forward to the center podium. The countdown clock is displayed on the chamber monitor and will indicate how much time is remaining. A bell will sound when you have 30 seconds left. When your time has ended, the bell will sound again. Before you begin your comments, please state your name. Thank you. Hello. Good evening. Welcome to Fort City Council. I'll call us to order. And I believe that Pastor Chris Nettles is going to deliver our prayer tonight. Is that correct? I don't think Chanty's here. Please rise for the invocation and remain standing for the pledges of allegiance. All right, let us bow. Gracious and most eternal God, we thank you for the opportunity to assemble in this place of government to govern your business in the city of Forward. We ask your special blessing upon all these elected officials, the city staff and our city as a whole. Bless us as we conduct the business for the city of for and bless all our citizens in the mighty name of Jesus we pray. Amen. >> Allegiance to the flag of United States of America. >> The republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Pledge allegiance to thee. The first item on today's agenda is consideration of the minutes for the August 5th, August 12th, August 19th, and August 26th council meetings. I've got a motion and a second. Council, any other discussion? Please vote. You've got Flores. Yes. Beck, yes. And BLock, yes. Thank you. Motion carries. Next will be public comments. Thank you. Our first speaker is Caroline James, followed by Rajie Gupta. Good afternoon, Mayor Parker and council members. I'm deeply grateful for the chance to be with you here tonight to celebrate the success of of literacy roundup. Thank you for making this happen for our kids. I'd like to thank Council Member Beck and Council Member Martinez and Mayor Parker for personally visiting us this summer at Literacy Roundup. Council Member Peoples, I'm sorry that our schedules didn't collide, but we will make sure it happens next summer. I want to thank and congratulate Eric Lopez and Monnique Hill and their teams at the community centers and Javier Rodriguez with the library for their tireless and innovative efforts to make Literacy Roundup a success. I'd also like to acknowledge the role of Go Beyond Grades and the Sid Richardson Foundation in this public private partnership. As Brent Beasley shared with you last month at this very podium, only 43% of third graders in 12 Fort Worth school districts are reading on grade level. 57% of our kids, your constituents, are not reading on grade level. What does that mean for our city? What does that mean for those children? Dyslexia is one piece of the puzzle. How many of the 57% are not reading because they are dyslexic? Many. And I know firsthand that we have proven interventions for students with dyslexia. With Literacy Roundup, the city and its partners identified children at risk for dyslexia and provided them with targeted support so they could read. Last spring and summer, your Literacy Roundup team screened around 400 children for dyslexia. We met with their parents, shared results, and provided coaching. At one meeting, a mother confided, "Is it too late? I dropped out of school. I think I'm dyslexic. Words are just a sea of letters to me on the page." Multiple parents said, "I don't know how to help my child. Can you help me help them?" The answer is yes, we can. And with this initiative, you, the city of Fort Worth, is helping one child at a time. Your literacy roundup team members are supporting these students and their families through referrals and testing by personally meeting with parents and teachers at their schools, helping them navigate next steps, including referrals and services. This innovative public private partnership started small in six community centers and two libraries. With the lessons learned by all partners, Literacy Roundup is prepared to expand and serve more children at more sites around the city next year. In honor of your commitment to literacy, your partners have purchased children's books and are donating them to the Southwest Regional Library and East Regional Library, the libraries that hosted dyslexia screenings last spring. Each book has a dedication and our appreciation inside. Javier Rodriguez is here to receive the books on behalf of the library and Andrew and George have books and t-shirts for each of you. >> Oh, that's awesome. Thank you, >> Mayor Parker. George picked yours especially. >> Can't wait. [Applause] >> And then these are >> come on through buddy. Thank you for being here tonight. It's good to see you. You can't read. [Applause] [Applause] Our [Applause] next speaker is Rajiv Gupta followed by Kim Medford. Mr. Gupta is still here. You're okay. Okay. Thank you very much. Our next speaker is Kim Medford followed by Philip Keno. I'm a little nervous. >> Don't be at all. >> Hello, Mayor Parker and all the council members. Um, I'm Kim. This is my son, Noah. >> He is in sixth grade at morning uh middle school. Uh, we started our journey. He's our fourth child. Um, first child went right through school, no problems. Two boys. I had they had dyslexia. So I knew as he was coming up we had an issue. I had a feeling he had the same problems. So we were in actually in private school, prek, kindergarten, first grade, second grade. They told us co he's a little slower than everyone else. He's a boy. It'll pick up. Let's repeat second grade. So we repeated second grade into second grade. They said we just don't have the resources here to help Noah. So, of course, we live off close to Camp Buouie. Our elementary school is Com Elementary, third grade. He started met with the teachers the first week. This is my concern. Noah's Noah can't do sounds. He's twisting letters. Other two children are dyslexic. I believe he's dyslexic also. Well, it's been co it's third grade. Boys are slower. He'll pick up. We'll see how things go. Let's write out the year. We wrote out the year. no better. Fourth grade, his first testing, he was at the 13% all the lowest. I said, I'm concerned about that. Set up a meeting with the school in October. Requested testing. Same thing. He's a boy. We'll move him closer to the teacher. This thing starts at home. You need to work harder at home. We did that. No improvement. I'm a nurse. I'm not a teacher. I would get frustrated also with him. Uh, end of fourth grade, still no results. Fifth grade, ask again. We need testing. This time he scored 2%. So, it was worse than the first time. Uh, Noah's very prideful. He understands that he's behind all of his classmates. Um, I did have a meeting, signed consent, thought we were going to get tested. We only got approved for small groups. for Noah that never occurred. Christmas comes around. Most kids want an Xbox. They want all these things. Noah just said, "You know, does do you think Santa has any control over reading? Can he help me out with that?" So, we go through the rest of the school year, no help. And for Noah's birthday, he made a wish. And my kids were like, "Mom, you're so pushy. You always want to know everybody's wish." So, I said, "Noah, just tell me your wish. What do you wish for?" He said, "I just wish I could read. I just wish I could read." He didn't even want to do a summer vacation because we're paying for private school right now. Private tutoring. $50 half hour twice a week, $100 a week. So, Carolyn, thank God for this literacy roundup. They tested Noah and she's helping me get on the school. We got with the school the first week. I came up with the same barriers. So, >> thank you, Miss Medford, for being here. >> Thank you, Noah. >> Good to see you, buddy. >> Hey, Noah. >> Our next speaker is Philip Cano, followed by Rebecca McGomery. Try this middle one. Yes, sir. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor Parker and city council members. My name I'm a me well my name is Philip Connell. I live in the Como community district 6. I'm a I am a parent of kids with dyslexia. As a parent of kids with dyslexia, finding out early is critical. The that kind of touched me earlier. The kids suffer when they can't read. We know how to serve with dyslexia, but we had to find them. literacy roundup was excellent because it found kids over the summer and your program that's already in place. Thank you, Mayor Parker and council members. Thank you'all for recognizing that you had a part to play in this. The school the the school needs our help as a dad of three kids with dyslexia. It's just too important. I just want to tell you thank you'all so much. And we need more programs like this to help our kids. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. [Applause] >> Our next speaker is Rebecca Montgomery followed by Bob Willoughby. Good afternoon, mayor and council members. My name is Rebecca McGomery and I'm a proud Rotary Club of Fort Worth volunteer with the Fort Worth Literacy Roundup. On behalf of our team, I want to begin by sincerely thanking each of you for your continued support of this vital initiative. Your commitment to literacy is helping us shine a light on an issue that too often remains hidden, as you've been hearing. yet affects so many in our community. Yesterday, we recognized National Literacy Day, a day to celebrate reading and learning. But for those, as you've heard, who struggle to read, it's also a reminder of the challenges they face every day and how urgently they need our collective support. As a pediatric nurse, I've witnessed firsthand how difficult it can be for families navigating the education system when their children face learning challenges. And just last week, I attended an AR meeting that underscored how critical this work truly is. In that meeting, five highly trained educational professionals explained the students screenings fell all within normal range. For a fifth grader, fifth grader, remember that. Yet both parents who have watched him struggle year after year pleaded for more help. They shared his notebook filled with misspelled basic words and letters written backwards. Remember, this is a fifth grader. His reading and writing are closer to a second or third grade level. The heartbreaking reality is he knows it and he tries to hide it. >> He avoids reading aloud and keeps his work out of sight from others. Imagine the weight of that burden on a child and ask yourself, what if this were your child? We cannot allow children to slip through the cracks like this. We know our teachers are overextended and that's why the literacy roundup is here to step in one child at a time to provide the encouragement, tools, and hope that every student deserves. When a child learns to read with confidence, it impacts far beyond the classroom, their family, their future, and our entire community. Thank you, mayor and council members for prioritizing our youth and investing in the future of Fort Worth. >> Our next speaker is Bob Willoughby, followed by Joshua Galbreth. All right, play the video. It is written, "This resolution severely limits public comment and makes it significantly more difficult for citizens to band together and to be heard." Considering the events over the past months, it is difficult for me to view this resolution as anything other than an attempt at silencing those who feel as though this mayor and council are failing to adequately perform their duties. That video is from when Bessie Price was in office. But what Betsy Price was doing was reducing the uh 3minut public presentation to 2 minutes when they choose to. So anyway, that's what Bessie Price was doing. And you can see how this guy was upset about just cutting the minute off. And that's very important. That's back when we had some uh this is what we need more people. If I had a 100 people like Kim down here, you wouldn't have a chance. So, but uh that's what she's doing. And then along comes Maddie Parker and she just takes away the whole presentation just right off the agenda. So, it's coming up October. Uh the second council, the last council meeting, it' be a daytime meeting. It's got to be on the agenda again. But it doesn't matter when it comes up. Doesn't matter if it's on the agenda or the day after, whatever. What matters is when we come down here and demand you to put it back on there because you robbed us. That is robbing the people. You took an oath to serve and you took away. That's robbing. That's taken away. We You should put it back. >> Take my time to get those comments. Uh I'm going to bite my tongue on a few of them first. Uh but Bob, tonight um you're right. Taking away the citizen presentation of speaking uh is harmful. George >> Bishop, thank you. >> Off by these people. These people, the mayor works for our city. It's been elected by us, but we're run off by these people. The mayor does not. Look at there. You got it. I got it. >> All right, Charles. I want to ask you a question Charles. >> Not right now, Bob. >> Tonight's Well, you don't ask questions anytime, Charles. You won't take questions anytime. Not now or anytime, Charles. That's all. Tonight is supposed to be a public comment meeting. You know, that's what we're supposed to have tonight, Charles, when we speak. We don't have that tonight. Y'all cancelled it. >> You think that's right, Charles? Yes or no? >> That's a great >> Yeah, that clip with Charles there. Um the uh public presentation. They took us off the uh what I'm talking about off the agenda here. Supposed to gave us two a month. Well, the mayor and council, they walk over half of them. They pulled a corn on one. They were doing another event right over top of that one there. But does Charles care? >> He don't care. He can't speak out. >> The whole thing didn't edit it. Thank you. >> They usually edit it. >> Our next speaker is Joshua Galbreth followed by Joan Vermeier. Thank you, Mayor Parker and city council members. My name is Joshua Galbreth and I am a local Fort Worth builder and developer and I am here to support the SB840 uh the new law that's come down. I know there's a lot of uh different opinions about that, but as somebody who does this for a living, I just wanted to come down here and maybe hedge anybody that's against it. Um, I've been here a few times working on different zoning uh cases and it just takes a very long time to get stuff through. So, I definitely see this as an opportunity for some of the local and small builders and developers to get back here into Fort Worth and work on some of those infill lots that are just setting and nothing happening. So, quick, brief, fast, and thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Mr. Galbworth. Our next speaker is Joan Vir followed by Eric Cra. Good evening. My name is Joan Vermeier. Um, and I came this evening to take a moment to commend this city council and may Mayor Maddie Parker for your leadership and unwavering commitment to Fort Worth's future. Your decision to challenge the Fort Worth ISD to reverse its downward trajectory was bold, necessary, and long overdue. Just over a year ago, all of you along with a group of 40, I believe, signed a letter calling on the school board to adopt a clear, actionable turnaround strategy. One that ensures students are not left behind and that our city can grow and succeed as we work together. Fort Worth is clearly a city on the rise. I'm a fairly new uh resident of Fort Worth, but I've I've watched it grow in population, in reputation, and in opportunity. Businesses are moving here and new families are coming in and planting roots. Yet, for far too long, the quality of public education has failed to keep pace. This is not just a school district problem. It's a community problem. It's for all of us. Your insistence that educational outcomes must reflect the excellence and the promise of Fort Worth is exactly the kind of leadership we need. You've reminded us that economic development is hollow if we fail to invest in the next generation and also that our city needs schools if we're going to advance economic development. We cannot claim progress while so many of our students are still being left behind. I'm appalled by the stories I've just heard. So I urge you to keep the pressure on. This summer I read an article in the Fort Worth rep report about literacy roundup and which was launched by the Sid Richardson Foundation in direct response to your challenge. I was inspired to get involved and I've seen how firsthand how the families I have gotten in touch with are embracing the help and how the schools are starting to respond. My my neighborhood school is KOMO as well as some of the families here and I've seen some encouraging signs. They they are engaged at least with me and the parents that I'm working with. So, I'm seeing some momentum. These are seeds of change. So, tonight I applaud your leadership, not just for calling out the crisis, but for refusing to accept mediocrity and demanding accountability. So, to the educators and families and community partners who are here tonight, this is our moment. We need to accept this challenge with urgency, with innovation, and with unity. Because Fort Worth's future won't be defined solely by what be we build, but by who we raise. [Applause] Our next speaker is Eric Creel, followed by Trice Dorsy Holland. And Eric, we did receive your packet. Mayor Council, good evening. My name is Eric Cryle and I'm here tonight to introduce myself. I'm a candidate for the Taran Appraisal District Board of Directors. I was nominated by the conservation districts in the county that participate in TAD. Their special nominating period ended on August 14th. You may or may not recognize my name as I was one of the 14 candidates last year seeking an appointment. And as they say, if you don't succeed the first time, keep trying. So, here I am. I'm not going to tell you anything about the appraisal district that Councilman Bllelock can't. But you have a packet in front of you that I prepared regarding Fort Worth's residential values. The two biggest takeaways, Fort Worth lost about two billion in residential market value and two, new home construction is a significant factor in the tax ro. Furthermore, the average market home in Fort Worth is down about 11,000. Property values are declining across the county and that's with a freeze in place. So, the talk of the appraisal district in the last year has been the reappraisal plan. So, let me address it. I understand TAD's desire to provide tax relief to citizens. It's something all cities and schools should strive to achieve through efficiency and sound planning. However, tax relief is not TAD's responsibility. That's done through the tax rate. What TAD did with the freeze was to insert itself into the city's budget. But the budget is between the city and its taxpayers, not the city and TAD. TAD does not set a tax rate. They are simply there to value the property fairly and equitably. One property, one value. Much of Tarant County has declined in property value and many homeowners have not seen a corresponding reduction in value because the freeze basically locked home values at the top of the market for the next three years unless the homeowner protested. I understand when values go down, hard decisions must be made when it comes to the tax rate, but that's what you signed up to do to set the tax rate. TAD's role is to make it easier for you during your budget process and yearly appraisals would ensure the most accurate data to achieve that outcome. Now to talk briefly about the conservation districts. There are six of them. The largest being the Tarant Regional Water District. Up until this year, Mr. Bobbit could not find records for any of them previously participating in the appointment process. In fact, when I started speaking to them, they were unaware they could even engage in the process. So, starting in February, I set out with the goal to get them involved. My thoughts were one, it brings greater transparency to the district when everyone is active, and two, as elected officials, if you can vote, then I believe you should. Look, I understand you guys, Fort Worth, you're at the top of the food chain in this process with 281 votes. And until a few moments ago, I've only ever had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with one of you, but I'm asking for your consideration this fall when the times comes to vote. I believe it's imperative to get TAD back to being apolitical taxpayer focused but in service of the entities. Included in the package copy of my resume. Appreciate your time. Thank you. >> Thank you Eric. Next speaker is Trice Dorsy Hollands followed by Adrienne Smith. Hello. very happy today to see so many pe people here for such an important matter. Hello mayor and council members. My name is Tre Dorsey Holland. I am the founder and director of parent shield of Fort Worth, a group that has been boots on the ground for the past three years, fighting hard for our children, specifically for equity and literacy for our kids. In addition to parent shield, I'm also a lifelong resident of city council district 8 and the mother of two daughters who are growing up in our city. have a sophomore and a first grader. I'm a strong believer in our public education system and I'm a strong believer in the city of Fort Worth. I stand here today with a message that I don't think will ever change. Literacy is freedom and literacy is a civil right. And with 57% of our children not reading on grade level, that confirms the important of this message. Mayor Mayor Parker, I really appreciate you. I appreciate your boldness when it comes to speaking up and doing what's right for our children. Thank you for always being open to connect with us, hearing from our parents, and I pray that that continues in the future. The same goes for the council members as well. Um, I'm here today, however, to show my support for Fort Worth Literacy Roundup for two reasons. While many people stand here today and talk about the letter that many of us wrote, I go back even further and remember on May 16th, 2023, we met with you at Bradley Community Center for a roundt. Um, and that's important for two reasons. We asked you two questions. One, would you ensure that literacy was a priority in our city? And you said yes. And I feel like you've done that. So, thank you. The other thing that we asked you was would you put some resources and support behind literacy. You did that. So, thank you. My only ask today because I do feel like there was a missed opportunity is that we don't forget to serve the families that were on the east side. There was no clinics or services or dyslexia screenings set up for those kids and they need it too. So just while we're continuing to put this in place in next year, don't forget about those kids that are most vulnerable as well that need this support as well. That's my only ask. Thank you. >> Adrian will be followed by Fantasy Reynolds because I believe Lucy Fischer is not speaking. Adrien Smith. Can you turn a turn the image please? Adrien Smith, District 6. I am one with the people. When is the transparency and accountability coming? Thomas Tolenasi September 6, 2022. So this past Saturday marked the three years since Thomas last spoke at city hall. It would have been the old city hall, not this facility. And um last Sunday, this past Sunday marked three years since his passing. So I'm giving voice to Thomas tonight. Thomas Tolenasi was a champion for everything right and a champion against everything wrong. He dedicated his life, time and purpose towards the cause of greater transparency and accountability from those chosen from those chosen as representation to we the people. He was unselfish in every aspect of the word and did everything with great precision and consideration. He was our David who stood consistently against the Goliaths that make up our various governmental bodies. Tarant County Commissioners Court, Fort Worth City Council, Tarant Appraisal District, Tarant Regional Water District, Regional Water District, Fort Worth Independent School District. He spoke boldly without hesitation or second guessing himself. The time for giving voice to the issues that govern our livelihoods couldn't be wasted on emotional outburst or anyone seeking to minimize the importance of what was being spoken. You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire. Once the flames begin to catch, the wind will blow it higher. These words were shared uh given to me by uh a friend I'm align with Mr. Manuel Mata. These words were inspired from Mr. George Charles child who is not here someone else who I'm aligned with. Uh just wanted to say all praises to the most high God for the life legacy and activism of Thomas Tolkenasi. And in closing, Mayor Park, I'm still waiting for remote speaking to be returned. Councilwoman Martinez, People's Beck, Hill Hall, Council Member Nettles Crane Flores Bllock Laurle. We need remote speak and return to these chambers. Thank you. >> Our next speaker is Fantasy Reynolds followed by Saya Say. Good evening, Mayor Parker, members of city council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight and thank you for your noble service. My name is Fantasy Reynolds. I am a community volunteer with a passion for children and education. My husband Donald and I live in Ridgely Hills and have for the past 30 years. Tonight, I'm here to talk about literacy. I want to begin by thanking each of you for listening. It was about this same time last year when a group of us came to you and asked for you to step up and meet this crisis of illiteracy in the city of Fort Worth head on as our most important municipal challenge. Mayor, you and the council did just that by taking the bold step of going in front of the Fort Worth ISD school board, imploring them to make literacy a top priority for our city and for our children. You went a step further and I want to thank you. You and your team, you thought creatively along with partners here in the city and formed the literacy roundup, a homegrown city of Fort Worth public private initiative. You partnered with Go Beyond Grades and the Sid Richardson Foundation. You utilized six community centers and two libraries where Camp Fort Worth was being held as sites to conduct free literacy dyslexia screenings. and you empowered parents with the resources they so desperately need to support their child. As a mom of students with dyslexia, I can tell you what early intervention can mean for a child. You can never start too soon. You have to before the feelings of low self-esteem be become embedded in their psyches. These children don't struggle with will. It's skill. And so early screenings are a first step in the right direction. I want to take it a step further. We had six community centers in the children's there served roughly 400 students. But we need this for every child in the city of Fort Worth. I was a parent with my daughter in Fort Worth ISD back in 2005. They would not screen her until third grade. That's too late. Guess what? In 20 years, they're still doing the same thing. They need the city of Fort Worth's help. So, as I end, I want to say thank you again for the public partnership and for us to keep going. Again, this issue of literacy and illiteracy must be on the lips of every single person in this room and in our city if you say you care about Fort Worth's future. >> Thank you. Say Michael Cohen. Just go after Mr. Cohen if you don't mind. You're fine. Good. Take a seat. the de the dei department was a two plus million dollar burden on the taxpayer per year. When I heard we were eliminating this burden, I was relieved knowing this burden was being removed. Well, that that feel-good moment didn't last long. As a part of this reorganization, I see economic development will receive one authorized employee position and nearly a million5 from from the from the taxpayer. I'll remind you it is not the DEA DEI department we are reallocating money from. It is the taxpayer that is being burdened here. Financial Management Services will receive two authorized employee positions at $213,000 plus PL placed on the taxpayers's shoulders. Again, human resources will will receive 12 employees uh and nearly a million3 placed in in the lap of the taxpayer as as the as his responsibility, his or her responsibility. Most DEI employees will be transferred to this department. Th this raises questions about the continuation of DE DEI policies within city government. Is that the case here? Where is the tax savings? I am asking my city leaders here to find positions needed to be filled for the defunct DEI department other than utilizing two plus million dollars in tax funds that came from the DEI department. The taxpayer if we have to downsize do it. This is a realworld action that happens every day. It shouldn't be any different in this situation. In my summation, this this ideology DEI is comparable to race laws of NA Nazi Germany. Merit and American exceptionalism should always be our goal. Lastly, pertaining to the budget meeting being given to the uh to everybody in Fort Worth, homeowners uh will receive a $36 tax savings uh per year. This is laughable and insulting. Thank you. >> Our next speaker is SA followed by Emanuel Mata. >> Mayor and Council. Good evening. Uh did you get my hand out? Okay. Uh I'm the candidate for TAD board of directors. As you know, TAD's appointment is uh the nomination period is September to October 14. Since January of 2025, I have attended all the TADs entity meeting. That's a closed- dooror meeting, not the regular tadboard meeting. And represented Collville, uh, city of Collville, Crowley, Banbrook, Halam City, Richland Hills Grapeine Hasslet Hazel Lakeside, White Settlement, Grand Prairie, uh, Forward ISD, Arlington ISD, and Everman ISD. I am the only candidate who has appraisal review board experience since July of 2024. TAD uh appraisal district board of directors are responsible to appoint ARB members uh going onward. My vision for the uh TAD is to adopt and follow taxes property tax code and not only have uniform and equal appraisals but uniform and equal treatment to all entities and taxpayers. The accuracy of uh our tax role and integrity is very important and it should be timely. Uh, city of forward this time has 281 votes. That is 14.05% stake on tadboard. I would appreciate your nomination and your votes to represent you as as a city of forward on at the appraisal district and uh going onward if I get votes I will represent whoever vote for me and not vote for me because once you sit there you will represent everyone. This time five cities have zero votes and one school district has zero vote. uh probably no one has enough votes to put their city council or school board trustee on tad board. uh the entities have to shake hands with each other and uh I would really appreciate and it's it's just my recommendation for if you nominate any anyone before nomination do a background check of the candidate from your city attorney's office. That is very important because a lot of times uh people don't know who to nominate and who not to nominate. Uh thank you for your time and uh hope to get nomination from forward. Thank you. >> Our next speaker is Manuel Mada followed by Karolina Rodriguez. >> My name is uh Manuel Mata and I live in district 2. And uh I just want to read to y'all. Uh Texas Penal Code section 39.01 is official misconduct. A public servant commits an offense if with intent to obtain a benefit for himself or to harm another. He intentionally or knowingly commits an act relating to his office or employment that constitutes an off unauthorized exercise of his official power. Commits an act under color of his office or employment that exceeds his official power. Refrains from performing a duty that is imposed on him by law or that is clearly inherent in the nature of his office or employment. violates a law relating to his office or employment or takes or misapplies anything of value belonging to the government they h that may have come into his custody or possession by virtue of his employment. Now their policy 73.00 00 professional misconduct on B, WX, Y, and Z. No officer shall arrest any person or search any premises or persons except with a warrant of arrest, a search warrant, or where such arrest or search is authorized without a warrant. By law, no officers shall falsely arrest, imprison, or cause any malicious prosecution to be instituted against initiated against any person. All officers shall protect the rights of any person held in custody. No officer shall verbally abuse or use excessive force against any such person, nor allow another officer or individual to do so. Officers are required to protect the rights of all persons and are prohibited from engaging in any form of de discrimination, oppression or favoritism. Now, I've been arrested again, right, for filming and it was interfering where I was over 60 feet away from where they're conducting their investigation. This is the second time I've been arrested 60 feet away from a a investigation. Now, I came last week and explained to y'all about policies. Here's one, and it specifically states that that's illegal, their own policy, and I read to you the penal code for uh official misconduct. There's one right under it called official oppression. Please focus on your outofhand police officers that don't understand their own policies. Our next speaker is Carolina Rodriguez, followed by D. Jackson. My name is Carolina and I'm glad to be alive standing here in front of you. So, the police and the DA's office and the jail people and even most of y'all hate being filmed. Why is that? Is it because you have something to hide? Is it because we expose what you don't want public the public to see? We're exposing these out of control tyrants, but we are the bad guys. We're the ones that are considered the criminals. And I just don't understand why officers with violent records are protected and then reinstated. We are not a threat. We are the evidence. For those who don't know, I was filming in the entertainment district and I was there for about 45 minutes just watching them tow cars and some of you heard um some of you heard about it, some of you didn't, but I was just filming the cars and then Officer Krueger came out of his vehicle, walked up to me interfering with what I was doing, which was filming. And he said, "Carolina, go across the street. We're busy." And I said, "Why? I don't have to go across the street. You guys aren't even doing anything." He said, "I'm not going to tell you again. If if I have to tell you again, I'm going to arrest you." I said, "Okay, but tell me why first." And he said, "That's it. You're under arrest." So I turned around to take the arrest. He broke my built my arm out of the socket and threw me face down onto the ground, breaking both my eye sockets, cutting my lip, knocking me unconscious. And then after I was unconscious and trying to put the handcuffs on me, he was telling me to stop resisting when I was unconscious, you know. Okay, the newspaper said I was asked several times to go across the street. That was not true. That didn't happen. So some of you heard that I was found guilty of interfering with public duties. And here's why. Lloyd Wetszel, who is the district attorney, argued that we could not put the officer Krueger up on the witness stand because that wouldn't be fair to the state. He argued that if this trial was about me not following orders, well, then we were going to probably turn it into an excessive force case and that wouldn't be fair to him. Well, how fair was that to me that I couldn't face my accuser? How fair was that that we couldn't show the the jury the video? How fair was it that we couldn't point out that he was fired from from Irving Police Department for excessive force? How fair was it that we couldn't put tell the jury that he was on the Brady list? How fair was it that we couldn't show that he didn't he was breaking every policy in the world by um arresting me, you know, not using he used excessive force? He uh he didn't do any kind of deescalation. He didn't give me he was didn't give me reasonable time to go across the street. He just threw me face first on the ground. I still have ringing in my ears. I have headaches all the time, but but I'm the criminal. So now he's reinstated and they because they investigated themselves and they found no wrongdoing. And the committee on excessive force says the move he used on me was taught at the academy. And that that alone should terrorize should like scare everybody. That move's taught at the academy. You break somebody's arm and throw them face first in the ground. That's the first thing you do. That should ter that should terrify everybody here. Then the police union applauded the reinstatement calling it common sense. But how much common sense is there in allowing an officer with a history of violence, not just here, but in other police departments, have a badge and a gun? So, I'm demanding that this council launch an independent investigation into Officer Krueger's conduct and the policies that allowed him to return. I'm calling for a public hearing with full transparency and his disciplinary record and everything that >> D. Jackson followed by James Smith. >> Demand. >> D. Jackson. >> Thanks, Mr. Rodriguez. Thank you for your time. Is Miss Jackson here? No. Is James Smith here? No. David Martinez? I believe I saw David. David will be followed by Alexander Montalvo. Oh man. Um, bear with me. This is probably one of the hardest times I've had to come up here to speak. uh especially the topic it's about um as you well know that I've been trying to uh get things done over there in Carter Park neighborhood uh I started the neighborhood association a couple years ago uh and I started the uh Carter Park Elementary uh PTA um I got involved um after the pandemic um I was disabled um so no longer work um but I'm okay so I'm like you know I want to give back to my community that's what it started off as um I started helping out and there's a reason why I'm saying the things that I'm doing, not trying to moan my own horns, not that not want to do that, but um it's important about what I'm about to say after this. Um I give out I've given out over 100 bikes. I've uh donated uh uh I've donated money. I've donated toys to events, the community center for the kids. I've donated a lot of things and uh you know I donated a thou over a thousand books that I bought from u very good buys that donates to a charity for women and children abused a bad women and abused children and uh I've been a proponent for children for a long time ever since I've been coming over here but um recently at the election I decided because I had stepped down because of my illness uh but I'm better now and so I I ran for president and at the neighborood association meeting August 20th, a police officer took over the neighborhood association meeting, did not allow me to speak or anyone else to speak. Um, when I asked who was going to verify these these residents are actually residents of our neighborhood, he said the president who was running against me and her sister would be the one to uh verify who's the resident to speak or to um not to speak but to vote. And then I asked I said, "Well, who gives you the authority?" He said, "Well, your NPO um told me to be up here and that we're going to have no talking. You're going to vote and leave and that was it." And I said, "Well, that is not working. That's not a bylaws." I said, "And then how did you know that there was going to be a secret ballot?" Cuz I didn't know. Nobody knew. Uh the president that showed up, she had preprinted ballots and everything. And so I was like, "Well, how did you know that?" And I said, "We never do this." And actually this uh city uh city employee Olga Nolan, she was there. Uh I asked her, "Was this can this happen?" She's like, "Well, it's the violence." But anyways, so the officer uh did that and then recently today I wasn't going to do nothing but today I found out from community center employee said that uh officer it was officer Dunn that was there and it was officer uh Beninger that no binger that had told him that there was going to be uh violence at the meeting and that's why that was done. Now I want to know who told him there was going to be violence because that's terrorism when you have political violence and there were children there and nobody was warned. Mr. Martinez, our next speaker is Alexander Montalvo followed by Tammy Pierce. So yesterday, the Supreme Court decided to continue this attack on the rights of Americans and the rights of people that have protection under our constitution. He now ICE is now permitted that if you're pure Latino, which what does that mean? Our Latino community is from white to brown to black. But if you appear to be Latino, if you speak Spanish in the presence of ICE or community members to call ICE on you, and if you appear to also have a low-wage job, you can be seized by our government now. and we will check potentially if you're a citizen, but even then that may not matter as we've seen for from folks already. This is a continuation from this federal government on its war on Latino community members. from the president and his withdrawal attacks starting 10 years ago when he launched his first campaign to Congress passing funding for ICE to exceed military budgets of entire countries. They're going to continue to do things that are going to deeply impact our community here in Fort Worth. And I'm here today to continue to ask the question of what will city council do about that? What will our Latino leaders in positions of power do about it? This is not going to be easy. This is going to be very, very hard. The DEI fight was just one example of an executive order trying to pressure you to get rid of things that help diverse community members. There's no doubt there's going to be more. We live in Texas. Our state legislature has been actively against our community with SP4 and so many other measures. I am here to ask what is this city council gonna do? And I've criticized our Latino leaders specifically because it is our community that needs to stand up and fight against what is happening. And we need support from our allies in the black community and others. We have to stand up to fight. So, Carlos Janette, if you'all want to have a one-on-one to talk about this, I'm available. Balls in your court. >> Our next speaker is Tammy Pierce. [Applause] >> Good evening, Mayor and Council. Um, the last time I was here, I was here to criticize the city of Fort Worth. I'm here to say thank you. Thank you so much for the city of Fort Worth funding the Fred Rouse Memorial. And it's amazing how stories is beautiful. Well, it's a horrific story. Let me say that. But after the whole situation with DEI, for the council to come together and put the funding together for a memorial is beautiful. And I also want to thank Mr. J. Chopper as well and your staff. Being an elected official is hard, right? And especially at the council level because you are right in front of us directly versus a a state legislature or a congressman or a governor. So, you take a lot of criticism, but very seldom do people come down here and say thank you and give you praise. Randall Howard is going to be the general contractor on that project, which is going to give black contractors an opportunity. And I can't say how much that warms my heart with him being such a model citizen and the legacy of Randall Howard in the city of Fort Worth and all the wonderful things his father did a lot of times for free and Randall still does that to help a lot of the churches in the southern sector. So projects like this will help build capacity. And in closing, I I I won't need my whole three minutes, but I took the time last time to criticize and I want to take the time to come down here and say thank you. And Mayor Parker, thank you to you because I know that you set the agenda. So, anything that needs to be voted upon with the city of Fort Worth, it has to come across your desk. And I want to tell you thank you again for that as well. Greta Scott King, who is such a iconic person in civil rights movement, she was always so quiet all the time. And there's that picture that resonates in my mind, and we've all seen it where she has a black hat on and she has a veil over her face, and you see that one tear that rolls down her cheek. I've always wondered, what was she thinking? But in watching a documentary about Ketta Scott King, everything that she signed, she signed Kretta Scott King continue. And what I say to the city of Fort Worth with all the bipartisanship and all the race, I'm very tired of that. And I hope that as a council and as a city, we can move past that and continue. And God bless you all. Thank you. >> Amen. and council. That is a conclusion of our speakers this evening. Meeting is adjourned.