Mayor Parker calls the meeting to order. We ask that you please be seated and silence all electronic devices. Council meetings are conducted for the official business to receive input from residents. Individuals attending the meeting shall observe rules of decorum and shall not engage in disorderly conduct that interferes with the ability of others to observe or participate in the meeting without disruption or fear of intimidation. Speakers who engage in any conduct or encourage such such conduct that interferes with the meeting, including loud or prolong prolong yelling or other noise creating acts which make it difficult for the city council to conduct or continue with the meeting will have their mic muted and will be removed from the chambers. For those of you who have requested to speak, when your name is called, please come forward to the center podium. The countdown clock is displayed on the left monitor and will indicate how much time is remaining. The bell will sound when you have 30 seconds left. Before you begin your comments, please state your name. Thank you. Thank you, Janette. We'll call our November 4th public comment meeting to order. >> Tonight's invocation will be by Pastor Steven Bandolino from Seven City Church. Please rise for the invocation and remain standing for the pledges of allegiance. >> Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come to you this evening in the matchless and powerful name of Jesus Christ. This evening, we begin by giving you thanks. Thank you for your unfailing love. Thank you for your grace and your mercy. Thank you that you invite us to call on your name and to present our requests to you this evening. We pray for Mayor Parker, our council men and women, our city manager, and their staff. We ask that you fill them with the wisdom and knowledge of God. We ask that you bless their families as we enter this season of thanksgiving. We ask that you give each one strength in hardships, hope in times of despair, that you would empower them by your Holy Spirit to lead courageously as they serve our city. As our city council meets this evening, give them the mind of Christ as they make decisions. May your kingdom come and your will be done. And may our city flourish as they submit their leadership to your lordship. We thank you for each of them and we welcome your presence here tonight in Jesus name. Amen. Allegiance flag to the standy for all indivisible. Mayor and Council, our first item will be consideration and approval of the minutes from the September 16th, 23rd, and 30th meetings and October 14th council meetings. Got a motion and a second, council. Any other discussion? Not, please vote. >> Yeah, we'll change that. It would be council member back as a second. Council member Martinez, are you online? >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Thank you, May. Thank you. Motion carries. Mayor, that concludes all of the action items. >> Thank you, Janette. Our first speaker is Anthony Michael Moore, followed by Ernie Moran. Good afternoon. Good evening, um, fellow council and honorable mayor. My name is Anthony Moore. Um, today I just want to talk about mental illness versus mental health condition. I was able to do that last meeting and just kind of want to expand it today. Honorable Mayor Parker, awesome servants, city council, men and women, police officers, a great civic leader, social activist preacher husband father and a man. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has an office message from the country's precious history, life's blueprint. Find it on Google or YouTube back in the 60s. Mayor Parker, Councilman City, my brain was built with a blueprint. Your brain was built with the blueprint, mayor, honorably. And then council and police department, your brains are built with blueprint, too. Uh me having to live conditioner, my blueprint is to share a bit of, you know, like I did last week, just the perplexity, the grandeur, and then the unknown of this situation. My bipolar along with my peers and my colleagues. I was fortunate this last week to go down to the Texas conference for NAMI. Uh we have ours here over there on course street, but it was a great time to be with the triumph. Just to give you example, the mental health condition is not mental illnesses. Uh signifying like something that's broke versus something that could be conditioned or maintenance. Our conditions synergistically meet at the neurons, access points, brave waves, brain waves, neurological chemistries, and neuropathways. Council citizens, Mayor Parker, my title is mental health versus mental illness. Um, I like to say it that way because I solicited city for Worth. Um, it's only I'm only one example of one brain and our 8.5 people on the earth of a billion people on the earth. My B, excuse me, my bipolar diagnosis doesn't define me nor who I am, God created me to speak and he didn't make a mistake. Funny thing, the more as like my last name is Anthony Moore grows authenticity. I feed, nurture, steward my brain, then the more I live out who I am as Anthony Moore and like ourselves too. The more all of our brains become like my hero and all of our heroes, whether it's Dr. Martin Luther King or other people, um, as I mentioned King's one of mine as speaker, we all got a blueprint, something in life to work on. Distinguished Honorable Mayor Parker, God bless you. Thank you for another opportunity. I'm really appreciative that I can share this uh situation that's been near and dear to me for the last 26 years. Our brains in a condition of bipolar and purpose. Uh sharing my blueprint as an example. Mental health is not a mental illness but a blueprint. God bless you. Our next speaker is Ernie Moran followed by Alyssa Stutter. [clears throat] [clears throat] >> I want to acknowledge that we are on land seated and shared by Takani, Kikapu, Jimano, Switch and Comanche Nations. So, here we are again. That in itself is as ridiculous as it is true because in a regular timeline, you, Mayor Parker, would have resigned when the police report about the casket incident was released, proving that you lied in your statement following your comments from that seat. However, since we don't live in a regular timeline anymore, that's not the case. But here's what I know. I know that your statement exposes you to litigation. My First Amendment law class at TCU with the great Tom Williams taught me all about liel. As to whether anything comes of it, that is for Miss Jones and her attorneys to decide. So, while you attempted to try her in the media, you might well be tried in civil court. I know that while you made it a point to comment on a council woman's single social media post, you have remained remarkably silent while a county party chair posts one racist comment after another or threat of violence after threat of violence. The disparity is as extreme as it is consistent. I know that while you might plan to serve out your term this term and possibly another one, we the voters of Fort Worth will be the final arbittors of your future. And it might well be your political career that is in need of a casket. Finally, know this. No matter how much you attempt to cater to the Christian nationalist and try to fill this room with their congregation, no matter how much you try to twist things and paint yourself as a victim, no intimidation tactic is going to keep us from our task of protecting one another on this side. So while you and your ilk traffic and hatred and some perverted interpretation of Christ's love, my Catholic upbringing and Jesuit education will have me continuing to do work in the name of social justice. Also, I just want to address something else. My friend Ken Shimamoto has been up here to speak several times in the past few years, and you have yet to get his name right. And it's really not difficult. Shimamoto. It is a pattern of consonants and vowels. I can't tell if you're doing a bit since you've aligned yourself with people who trade in cruelty for fun, or if you're really struggling with it, but can put on the uniform and served his country. Put some respect on the man's name and say it right. Do better. I say peace be to you if you're willing to fight for it. Our next speaker is Alyssa Stutter, followed by Orlando Corvalo. Good evening, mayor and city council members. My name is Alyssa Stutter and I live in district 11. Um I'm the director of Go Beyond Grades Tarant County and I'd like to provide an update tonight on the progress of our work. Um, thanks to the support of city services like public libraries, community organizations in the city and some of your offices um here tonight that have signed on as our partners, Tarant County has a significant significant gap between parents perceptions of their children's academic performance and their proficiency. Despite 96% of parents believing their child reads at grade level, only 52% met that standard last spring 2024. Additionally, 86% of parents report relying on report card grades to understand their child's progress. With only 52% of students in the city and the county reading at grade level and only 43% on track in math, many of our students risk falling short of their potential and the potential to earn a living wage. In response to this, last spring 2024, over 80 community partners led by Fort Worth Education Partnership in collaboration with the national nonprofit Learning Heroes launched the Go Beyond Grades campaign to close the perception gap in Taran County. Our goal was to raise awareness among families about their children's academic performance, access, and understanding of student data, and to provide tools to them to help them engage with teachers. We placed billboards, ran a robust social media campaign, and hosted partner events, which engaged over a thousand families. The campaign resulted in a 12% reduction in the parent perception gap, one of the largest seen across the nation, bringing the number of parents who believe their child is on grade level down from 96% to 84% as of this past summer. Research shows that when parents and teachers work together, equipped with clear grade level information, it leads to better student outcomes. Building on this evidence and the community's momentum around this initiative, we've moved from raising awareness to taking action this year. This past August, we began piloting a parent education course with five local nonprofits and one leadership academy network school. The course helps bring the the course helps parents log into their school portals, understand test scores, and prepare for conversations with teachers. It also provides practical strategies at home for supporting their students. So far, nearly 300 parents have engaged with the course content. Participants from 15 different school districts have uh partaken with a majority from Fort Worth ISD and we're already seeing positive outcomes. Looking ahead, we're refining the course based on participant feedback and translating all materials into Spanish by the end of this year. By summer 2026, we aim to expand our reach using the insights we've gathered to create a con comprehensive go beyond grades toolkit for broader use across the community. Thank you for your time tonight and your continued support in helping close this critical education gap. >> Our next speaker is Arlando Carvalo. Orlando will be followed by Chris Wood, >> Mayor Parker, City Manager Chop, and members of the Fort Worth City Council. I'm Orlando Carvalo, the chair of the board of trustees for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Thank you for this opportunity to address you regarding the tremendous capability and benefits the museum's new Jane and John Justin Foundation Omni Digital Dome Theater is bringing to the Fort Worth community. In 2022, a capital campaign was undertaken to raise the funds required to embark on a greatly needed renovation to the original 40-year-old Omnitheater. The objectives of the renovation were three-fold. Bring the theater into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Replace the original IMAX projection system with a state-of-the-art digital LED dome. And modernize the theater with a completely new interior and exterior makeover. Thanks to a $5 million grant from the city of Fort Worth, unanimously approved by the city council, together with a $3 million grant from Taran County and various other grants from many foundations and donors, the museum was able to move ahead with the renovation, completing the project in December of 2024. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the reopening of the new Omni Theater, we wanted to highlight for you the accomplishments we have already realized over the course of 2025. These accomplishments begin with already hosting over 19,000 field trip students just this past spring, including 10,000 students from title one schools. We expect these numbers to grow significantly in the current full school year. We have developed innovative collaborations with our many community partners. For example, both the Van Klyurn and the Fort Worth Symphony Symphony have each had a three-piece orchestra perform live in the Omni Theater to a backdrop of space imagery on the dome. We are also partnering with Colonial Charities, A Wish with Wings, and the Fort Chamber of Commerce on hosting select events. In September, we partnered with Visit Fort Worth to host the global conference for the Giant Screen uh Cinema Association. We hosted content producers from around the world who came to our great city to experience the Omni Theater firsthand. In a word, the attending producers were aruck by our first of its kind Omni Theater. Finally, we have developed a new program in the Omni Theater called Live from the Omni. This program works with local artists to provide a mini Las Vegas fear experience to showcase local Fort Worth talent. Today we have featured artists Jacob Fur, Lena Lee, Cutthroat Finches, and Driving Slow Motion, the last two of which sold out the 270 seat Fort Worth Omni Theater. In closing, I believe you would agree with that the success of the Omni Theater is critical not only for the continued sustainability of our science and history museum, but more importantly for the role that it plays in the Fort Worth community. Thank you. Our >> next speaker is Carol. I'm sorry, Chris Wood. Is Miss Wood present? Hi, Miss Wood. Carol Click. And then Wesley Kirk. >> [snorts] >> I'm Chris Wood from District 6. Fort Worth is helping develop Panther Island into a waterfront district with residential commercial and recreational spaces. Historically, there have been many issues blocking the development of Panther Island. I know the biggest force hindering this development. In October 2021, my stalker entered my life. I was shocked by how nice his place was. He lived in a $ 1.5 million mansion owned by the mob that overlooked the Trinity River, specifically what is to be the South Island of the Panther Island development. I noticed his lack of neighbors. Only empty lots or buildings that the drug cartel owned surrounded his residents. The reason? Organized crime groups do not like neighbors that can be nosy. Plus, law enforcement poses as neighbors to gather evidence against the mafia. As an Uber driver, I would pass near my stalker's house at various times, day and night. I noticed nefarious activity that my stalker wanted to keep under wraps. When I learned about the rep the problems regarding Panther Island, I knew the organized crime groups that operate nearby were throwing a monkey wrench in its development. The success of its completion would result in lots of people close by noticing their illicit activities. They had set up shop there and it would be expensive to move and impossible to replicate the exact benefits of this location such as a large amount of real estate, proximity to businesses that launder their drug money, and a large homeless population to use as cheap labor. To help advancement of Panther Island, please be aware of neighboring criminal groups obstructing progress. Career criminals hide themselves well, but they can be beat. The fact that I'm standing here, even though I am one of their targets, is testament to the fact that they can be overcome. All it takes is perseverance, hard work, creativity, courage, and knocking on every possible door to get the desired result. Stand tall. Our next speaker is Carol Click, followed by Wesley Kirk. >> Good evening, Mayor and Council. Thank you so much for letting me be here. Um, I'm Carol Closek, chief executive officer of Center for Transforming Lives, and I'm here to give you an update on our Riverside facility. Um, Center for Transforming Lives, for those who don't know us, is a new is an oral is a organization um, founded originally as a YW.CA and now operates under the new name. So, people can tell us can tell the difference between us and the Y. Um we serve primarily single mothers with young children and um but we had outgrown our old facility um downtown and needed a new place and what was perfect was the old McGomery Ward department store um at the intersection of Riverside and Barry in Councilman Nettle's district. Um we opened our facility in May um in part thanks to the city um with their gift of $3 million in ARPA funds and um we now have uh many services happening in the building including our flagship um child development center. We have clinical counseling. All of our homeless services staff. Our um child and family services staff work out of there. Um but we also have our economic mobility work which includes Riverside co-working um which today despite opening just in June has um nearly 100 members um most of whom have come out of our small business program. Um we're very excited to be doing what we're doing where we are. Um the facility is truly beautiful. It is um use it's designed using um trauma-informed design principles. It's built to support community So, it's not unusual at all for us to have um large groups of community members, small groups of community members who are using it as a third place to gather. Um uh it has also allowed us to expand services. Um we've added a donation and distribution center, free drop-in healthc care for parents who are on-site receiving services. Um we have mobile health um services and our partners are Abide, Texas Health Resources and Fort Worth Health um all of which are providing free or lowcost health care to the community. Um and then Monday um we started providing rent and utility assistance. So this beautiful space is really um creating change and um and very welcoming to all who enter. So um thank you so much for your support, your support and helping to make this possible for so many individuals and families. >> Our next speaker is Wesley Kirk, followed by James Mardle. Hello, I'm Wesley Kirk with Support Fort Worth Art. In 2023, many of you heard hours of speeches by community members speaking passionately and unanimously about the urgent need for the city of Fort Worth to preserve the community arts center as a vital resource for the city. Mattie Parker, you promised that you would not approve anything that did not maintain the building as a community arts space. Last year we saw later that year we saw pitiful presentations from developers about how they would redevelop the building and they were both rejected because they did not meet the needs of the arts community nor the needs of the city. Y'all said that you would restart the redevelopment process and I spoke with several of you about the need for that process to put the wants and needs of the art community at the forefront in order for it to be successful. And yet since then we have not seen a single bit of progress towards that effort. In fact, in 2024, Arts Fort Worth fell victim to the inevitable result of the city underfunding and undersupporting the building and had to end their management of the community arts center, or else risk jeopardizing the entire organization and Fort Worth's arts ecosystem, which then put the ownership of the building back into the hands of the city of Fort Worth. This entire year, the arts community has waited patiently. First you said that we had to wait for to hire a new city manager. Jay Chapoa is here now. Then you said you had to hire a new head of economic [clears throat] development. Jessica Rogers is here now. Then something amazing happened. TCU was set to take over the building while their new theaters and galleries were being built on campus. Entire departments that were being displaced could find a home in a space that has acted as an incubator and a crucial hub of creativity. a large local institution with money to handle repairs and take care of the building while the redevelopment process finally got underway. It was the perfect solution. But last week, I learned that the city's property management department backed out of the deal. A deal that would have been an enormous boon to the city of Fort Worth and to TCU. I cannot fathom a reason why this could be considering it had been in talks for months and months and ended so abruptly. We cannot keep letting the city neglect the community arts center and Fort Worth's arts community as a whole. We cannot wait any longer. I urge you all to talk with property management and give TCU a temporary home for the arts. I urge you to finally restart the redevelopment process of the community arts center. I urge you to get it right this time by centering the arts community and support the arts that make Fort Worth such a vibrant city. It is time to support Fort Worth art. >> [applause] >> James McAdle followed by Caroline James. Is James here? Caroline James followed by Xavier Sanchez. >> It'll get pulled up. You can start. Okay. Good evening, Mayor Parker and council members. Over [clears throat] 200 residents of Fort Worth attended the film Left Behind last night at the Modern. It was a Monday night and the movie was about dyslexia. Our community has rallied around the issue of literacy and specifically dyslexia. The city's pioneering literacy roundup was a terrific success. Literacy Roundup has identified and is supporting students in our city schools who have dyslexia. And importantly, it's putting dyslexia in the spotlight. Last night, the audience participated in a brief dyslexia experience where they got to feel the anxiety that a student with dyslexia feels every day. When all eyes are on you, waiting for you to read, and all you can see on the page are moving letters. Letters that don't seem to make sense. I want to share the film's trailer with you here tonight. >> And then we finish. gone. >> Don't >> don't hear >> have >> have to came >> come. Mhm. >> My son, he cannot read. [music] He cannot write. >> I was told there is not a program in the public school system that's going to teach your dyslexic kid reading and writing. >> The teachers just gave us homework and said do it and just gave up. >> And I was like, how is this possible? In a city like New [music] York, in a school system that is over 70% children of color, the fact that a major portion of them are just never going to read is [music] offensive to me. All of us have kids struggling with this. >> If I don't help him, I know what lies ahead in this country for him. >> Just can't do it. 60 to 80% of incarcerated youth [music] have reading and writing disabilities. >> You should have had to learn to read when you locked up. >> I'm part of a team that is trying to build the first ever dyslexia school. What I need is a green light. [laughter] >> It's not a secret what will support them. The research is there. >> We know that it works. >> The people are patting us on the head and, you know, saying good job, but no one's giving us the green light. >> We have to make our own noise. >> Education means emancipation. >> Neurode divergence matter. The answer to cancer might be in a dyslexic brain. This can be revolutionary for the entire country if we do this right. >> Left behind is a powerful example of advocacy and possibility. Please continue to make literacy and dyslexia a priority for Fort Worth. And please make time to see the movie. It's terrific. Thank you. [applause] >> Our next speaker is Xavier Sanchez. Um Xavier be followed by Rose Bradshaw. >> Good evening, Mayor Parker, members of the city council. My name is Javi or Xavier uh Javi Sanchez and I have the honor of serving as the chief academic officer at New Heights. I'm here tonight to share a glimpse of what can happen when a great idea and leaders from our city come together to create possibilities for our students and families. At New Heights, we believe that every student has a right to a livable working wage and education is the path to attain that goal. Through strategic implementation of recent changes in state law, we were able to partner with Fort Worth to create a high school for adults 18 to 50. To help them attain their diploma and a careersbased certification, our partnership with TCC and Forward ISD, amongst others, have been key to our success. This past year, we opened our first campus here in our stop six community, welcoming many students not only into high school, but onto a college campus. We reached a peak enrollment of nearly 800 students. And we proudly share that in less than one year, our students showed over two years of growth on their MAP scores and 100% passing rate on STAR. Our students have also started earning college credits while still in high school working towards certifications and high demand careers and most importantly investing in their own future. We also go beyond academics. We're committed to the whole person supporting students at every level with mental health care, child care, transportation, food, career counseling, and more. Just a few days ago, we celebrated the grand opening of our second New Heights campus in the McCart and Seminary area. We're expecting enrollment to reach similar capacities as word spreads. But none of this happens in isolation. It happens because Fort Worth has been working for years to create the conditions for a school like ours to exist and thrive. The mayor's council on workforce and education taran through and through T3 and advocacy from educational partners has been integral. Thank you mayor Parker Councilman Nettles Councilwoman Beck and our ford superintendent Karen Molar Karen Molinar amongst others. This happens because our philanthropic partners have invested not just dollars but belief in innovation in equity and in our students. The Rainwater Foundation, the Sid Richardson Foundation, the Community Foundation of Texas, and Fort Worth Education Partnership have said yes to empowering our adult learners and help them fulfill their potential. And of course, this happens because we have an amazing team of educators and various community organizations that stood beside us to educate, elevate, and empower our students and families. At New Heights, we look forward to continuing the work with transparency, collaboration, and a deep sense of responsibility to the families we serve. Thank you for allowing me to share today. [applause] Rose Bradshaw will be followed by Rudolph Taylor. Good evening, council members. Thank you for your service to our community and for this opportunity to address you today. As president of North Texas Community Foundation, I'm honored to represent a network of dedicated individuals and organizations committed to strengthening our community through strategic investment, collaboration, and service. Our mission is rooted in the belief that through strate that our that thriving communities are built on access to opportunity. Over the past year, we worked closely with local nonprofits, civic leaders, and residents to identify pressing needs and mobilize resources toward impactful solutions. From economic mobility to neighborhood revitalizations, our efforts reflect a deep commitment to sustainability and long-term progress. We've been proud to partner with our mayor and our city council and on the city's Fort Worth maternal health strategy, land conservation, and now community development with our city manager, specifically on the historic southside and his historic north sides. I want to bring to your attention today a a growing crisis affecting thousands of families across our city. Access to healthy, reliable food. We've been listening closely to our nonprofit partners and learning about the critical needs facing our community, especially among families who are struggling to put food on the table. According to our friend Julie Butner at the Tarant Area Food Bank, by the end of November, up to 350,000 families in our region could lose access to SNAP, supplemental nutrition assistance program, commonly known as food stamps. This loss translates into an average of $350 per family per month or nearly two million per day in lost benefits. It's not just a devastating blow to our neighbors. It's also going to be a hit to local retailers and the broader economy where those benefits are spent. Tarant area food bank is already under enormous strain. This summer they experienced a $5 million reduction in federal grant funding. Despite these challenges, they're doing everything they can, escalating the spending of an entire annual food purchase budget of $5 million within just three months. At the foundation, we're mobilizing our fund holders and offering matching grants to key organizations on the front lines, including Tarant Food Bank, Community Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, Arlington Charities, and Center of Hope. These donations will help in the short term, but they're not a long-term solution. We are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure Fort Worth families don't go hungry. But we can't do it alone. We urge city council to join us in addressing this urgent issue, whether through emergency funding, public policy advocacy, or strategic partnerships. And last but not least, I just want to say we recognize the vital role that city government plays in shaping the future of our community. And that's why I am here today to reaffirm our partnership and express our readiness to collaborate on initiatives that align with our shared goals. Thank you. >> Our next speaker is Rudolph Taylor. Rudolph will be followed by Efine Kerrion. >> We're going to each try to talk real fast. I'm Mrs. Rudolph Taylor. Regina Taylor. I'm executive director of community food bank in the Riverside community. I have [clears throat] with me food door supervisor Andrew Walker, our vice chair, board of directors, and my husband that signed us up, Rudolph Taylor. We want to make sure the city know what we are doing. Community Food Bank is an intricate part of the city. No matter what happens, if we change our time, we have to notify 211 and we have to notify the T because we have people coming from all over the city to us. Community food banks function 80% as a food pantry. Food pantries feed families directly and that's what we do at our back door. We function as a food bank. We give our free surplus to smaller pantries and to organizations. We're special because we have Walmart the same way that Terran Area Food Bank does in North Texas. Those are Feeding America. Unlike them, we've never receive USDA because we're not part of Feeding America because we are independent and we are very entrenched in the community. We specialize in giving fresh and frozen meats, produce, and dairy. 6,000 square foot freezer. We're using 6,000 square foot cooler. People can go to any large or small pantry, get bread, bread, beans, and rice. But we give out three meats to every box. We give out dairy. We give out a lot. We have great collaborations. We feed our clients four-legged loved ones. We get pet food, cat food, dog food, sometime bird. Because of our great collaborations, we're also in a position to give out washers, dryers, stoves. Uh when Chris Nettles was our representative, he's been out and participated and given some wonderful things away. Our clients are at or below the federal poverty guideline. They're also the ones that are getting food stamps that may not get any. And the number is growing. Janette has been out. She's my current representatives and she's been out and she's supported our fundraisers. She's toured our facility. And mayor, thank you for having good representatives, council people that will go out in the community and help us. We give out clothes. I can stand and tell you so much that we do. We supplement everybody's income, but there is a crisis going on. Judy's at the front line of the crisis. 80% of what we do are families coming to our food door. We take care of the homeless, too. But Judy is telling us a big influx of people that are coming. Food door supervisor. Judy. >> My name is Judy Gutierrez and I work at Community Food Bank. I am a supervisor there. Every day I see clients, new clients. We were first I was seeing 40 40 new clients, 30, you know, now I'm seeing 90 100 new clients. Our lines are getting very long. Uh, one line that I attend to is seniors. We have a lot of new seniors who a lot of benefits have been taken away already. Um, and they're saying that they're not they're not sure if they're going to have a a dinner the next day, the next night. And I've seen a lot of new families in the line. Um, a lot of moms saying that they're not sure if they're going to have enough food for their kids because SNAP benefits have been cut off. I also have spoken to a lady who said, um, I do not know how I'm going to do it. Um, she says, I I can't afford groceries. And I told her, don't worry, we're here to help you. You just come and see us if you don't have enough food and we will help you. I have spoken to a veteran who said, "I've never been through this and look at me. I'm here now." And I'm like, "Don't worry. We we're a family. We're going to be here to help you." And um I've I've even spoken to a man who lost his job and it was his first time going to a food bank and he started crying when we helped him because he said it was his first time and he didn't even know how to do this or how to go to a food bank. So, thank you for listening to me. >> Judy, I see our clients. I go out every day, but Judy see them all day that our pantries open. So, she gets the brunt of everything. Rudy, did you want to talk about our needs? We asked Andrew Walker to come. He's our vice chair of board of directors because I want the mayor and the council people to know we're supported by a strong board of directors. We're blessed to have foundations like Sid Richards, Rainwater, Aean Carter, Morris Foundation. We're blessed to have that support, but we want to make sure the city know what we're doing because we don't turn anybody away. Save him some time. >> Thank you, Rose. Thank you for being here today. Thank you for all the support you give all the food banks in Fort Worth. The hunger train is really getting bigger and bigger every day. If there's one thing I want you to understand is we're not in this by ourself. We could use your assistance. East side, north side, west side, Fort Worth, they're coming to our door and they're hungry. We could use your help. Thank you, Dr. Andrew. >> 10 seconds. That's the le least I've ever been given. The um I would just say I've been on the board at the community food bank for eight years and the one thing that Regina said that's so important is they're they're in the neighborhood, they're in the community, they are at essential. >> Thank you, Andrew. [applause] >> Our next speaker is Efron Kerrion followed by Whitney Wood Wararez. >> All righty. So, uh, first I just want to apologize to anyone who had to be here because Pete Garren told you to be. Uh, if you didn't want to be here, but it was for your work. Also apologize for those who may not aware why you're invited to start speaking at public comments. Um, well, it's because the people have been speaking. But since the Fort Worth establishment decided to show up to these public comments, we can kind of talk about why we keep showing up. Uh, here's the problem with the Fort Worth establishment. Um, recently, Mayor Parker, you were on a podcast and you talked about how you just finished a book, performative outrage and how there's so much money behind it. Um, but the only money I see in this room the last couple p public comments is the money behind you. Um, I think you and Pete could actually write the book performative good. I think that would be a good book you could you could focus on next. But um what I want to do also talk about to the people who do matter on this dis the the people who I believe can make some change here is the Fort Worth establishment and the Fort Worth has to stop and what it starts with is simple things like the chili cookoff downtown right it was the Fort Worth fire association the 440s chili cookoff seems like a good event some of you were there looked like a good time but on that October 25th the same day you decided to go to the chili cookoff they endorsed Leah Wamsggon's for senior for state senate district 9. The Fort Worth firefighters association selected her and endorsed her. Let me tell you about Lee. She is the chief communication officer of Patriot Mobile, which Patriot Mobile has spent six figures, hundreds of thousands of dollars into schoolboard races. All right, this is schoolboard races that push to book bands. and our firefighters association and union thought that's who's best to represent us. And I find it interesting another book recommendation mayor is uh the novel uh Fahrenheit 451. It's supposed to be about dystopian where firefighters burn books so that people don't have knowledge and power. Um it feels like without the accountability from anyone on this dis that is what our firefighters of Fort Worth decided to do by endorsing the bookb lady. When we talk about the Fort Worth way, it's eating chili, having a good time, acting like it's everything's okay, but in the back room they're ripping our faces apart. So when are we going to start building that power? So this is to the people who matter on this dis. Clearly Allen Bllelock got the picture being here isn't going to work anymore for him and he's pumped. He got the Nate Scats line endorsement. We got to start understanding what we're asking you because this is people power and no one's getting paid besides the people here by Maddie to speak on her behalf. Our next speaker is Whitney Wood Roresz followed by Bob Willoughby. Is Miss Wararez here? Bob Willoughby will be followed by Adam Powell. >> Which one? I go to the middle. >> The time already started on I know this other one had a sentence out before it started. Thank you. Okay. Uh start the video. This is the one you wouldn't play at a council meeting because you said it was off track. Let's play it. Let's see if it was off track. >> You brief Eddie about me, didn't you? I'm pretty sure. >> Well, let's start off right here. I want you to look at this meeting. Uh it's a public meeting at a uh center. The speaker is over to the right there uh from channel 4 or whatever. And I'm talking to her. I got my hand. I'm up front. I got my my right arm. You can see it there. And I'm just talking and making a point. I'm sitting down, not jumping all around or yelling. No one's, you know, no one's acting. But now, if you look over to the right, there's Gina Bibbons. Her hand just came up. She's over by the speaker and she's looking at me. Now she raises her other hand. Here comes the police officer from the back of the room and grabs me right there. And then instead of taking me out towards the back of the room, she takes me around front. And if you notice, here comes officer board. He grabs the other side of me and walks out as if we need two or three officers. Oh man, that was just terrible. Well, this what came from. They wrote this bogus report right here and it says I was disrupted over Gina Bibbons when she wasn't even speaking. This is a lie. It's a piece of garbage that needs to be rewritten and I want it rewritten. >> I removed from that room in there. What did I say? What did I remove from that room in there for? What did I say? What did I do? Who did I hit? Who did I hurt? Can you answer that question? >> It's a disruption of a public proceeding and it's a criminal trespass. You want you escorted out off the property. >> Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You say disruption. >> What was I doing to use that word? >> Did you see me do something wrong? >> Did you see me doing something wrong, sir? >> Disruption, sir. >> I'm asking you, sir. Did you see me? >> Okay. I I can't I'm not going to go I'm not >> You did not see me. >> I'm not going to do anything back and forth. >> Here's Chief Neil No. >> He won't take a question. I was going to talk about this. Who you go to and you got a problem, you should go to the police chiefs or talk about that. That's >> But instead, he goes out. He does this two or three times. He'll not take any questions. He runs away. Now, that's not the way a police chief should be. >> Throw that up on there. And what this is not to our new police chief, um Eddie, if you don't have a meeting with me, which y'all said you would and you had and I knew you wouldn't. If he doesn't have a meeting with me near future, I'm Mattie, I'm taking you off my car as a two-faced liar. Everybody knows that. No sense showing it anymore for a year. And we're putting Chief uh Eddie on the car as a coward. Fort Worth police officer a coward. That's what he is. We can't Where's my They didn't even put it up there, did they? You see how they treat me? You're a terrible person. >> Our next speaker is Adam Powell, followed by Jeremy Pope. All right. Good evening. Good evening. Uh my name is Adam Powell. I have the honor and privilege of serving as the president and CEO at United Way of Taran County. And I was um fortunate enough to to fall into this role about 10 months ago. And the question that I've been asked the most over the last 10 months is what is United Way going to do next? And I always cringe when someone askked me personally kind of what my vision is because I believe your vision for an organization uh is not the leaders, it's the people, right? it's the city, it's the residents, it's the institutions, it's the foundations, etc. Uh so we spent a decent amount of time over the last 10 months uh talking to all of these stakeholders to really trying to figure out what our direction for it will be. And last month, I'm excited to announce uh that our board approved our strategic plan. And I will run through really quickly the five pillars of that strategic plan so that again the city, the council, and everyone has an idea of how United Way will be moving forward. So the first thing is really about uh leadership development. Uh so developing our internal staff to make sure that we've got the best the brightest minds uh working at United Way of Taran County really working to solve these these complex problems and challenges that we've got all across the county. Uh the second thing is and many of you know this we have invested millions of dollars uh in the nonprofit community over the last several years and that is something we want to continue to do and really do at a higher level. Right? And for us to do that, that means we need to have a more robust funding model. Uh not only targeting local foundations and individuals corporations etc. but also looking at statewide and national organizations and how we bring them uh to Fort Worth uh to be a part of this ecosystem. And the third thing is really around brand awareness. So again, making sure that we've got a brand that is as ubiquitous as possible that folks all across the county uh specifically here in Fort Worth understand and know uh the work that we're leading. And the last two things are about impact. And it's kind of a bifurcated approach. So think first from a capacity building perspective really leaning heavily into research, data and innovation, right? So producing high quality localized which is a really important word here, localized research, uh understanding data and then using that to really spurn innovation. Uh one of the things about working in problem solving in 2025 is that we've got all these tools that exist uh from artificial intelligence to virtual reality and the list of those things uh goes on and on that we did not have a decade ago or 20 30 years ago. So really figuring out how we deploy those things across the broader ecosystem to really help solve uh complex problems. And the last thing is in addition to the capacity building piece, we really want to have a an impact in direct service. So, we've identified four areas that we'll be um hyperfocused on. It's education and learning, community health, financial security, and community resiliency. And we're going to invest a lot of time, energy, and effort in each of those. And also integrating innovation into those uh direct service programs that we stand up as well. And if you don't remember any of this, the biggest thing to remember is we're 103 years old. And although the faces might be different uh different vision, different path forward, we're the same organization that is committed with the same passion to serving this community. Thank you. Our >> next speaker is Jeremy Pope followed by Sabrina Ball. >> Good evening. My name is Jeremy Pope and I am a resident of District 5. I noticed there was no announcement this evening about the presence of another faith community offering prayer over the city in these proceedings. And given that Fort Worth is a multiffaith city, I had assumed the mayor would be inviting a variety of faith communities to participate. Particularly after the attention given to Mercy Cultures presence at the last public comment meeting. As a local faith leader, I have contact information for several Fort Worth city uh faith leaders. So, mayor, if your office um needs any of those numbers, you're welcome to reach out to me. It's often said that we never really leave grade school regardless of age. Nowhere does that ring truer than in these chambers. We have a sitting mayor, also a respected member of the State Bar of Texas, who publicly made an accusation, lying by claiming to have proof of the accusation. When citizens requested an apology, we were met with silence and a statement of regret only for possibly negatively impacting the city's image, not for the harm caused. When the police report was finally released, fully exonerating the accused, that silence deepened. It seems that you, Mayor Parker, are hoping the public will simply forget. Your silence is your shame. We deserve better. Mayor Parker, please do better. I know by your own admission that you feel this type of meeting nothing more than performative. Your privilege and ignorance about the way that representative government works is showing. I wonder how you expect to represent a million people if you make it more difficult to hear from those people. Thank you to the members of the this council for making clear where each of you stands in 2025. Your words and actions often misalign are often misaligned. Hopefully this year has shown you that the people of Fort Worth are paying attention. I wish I wish each of you a peaceful and joyous holiday season and may you have the 2026 that you voted for. >> Our next speaker is Sabrina Ball followed by Larry Off. This weekend, I attended the area marching band contest where local public schools shared the hard work of the past five months with families and judges. This is a massive undertaking for the kids, the admin, and the families who support them. Sadly, many of those volunteer parents from Fort Worth ISD don't know what is coming. They don't know that their kids will be discouraged from reading books, even penalized in favor of more testing. In Houston, not only did they close libraries and actually throw away books that taxpayers paid for, they continue to punish teachers for letting kids read novels and story books. Teachers cannot have story time. They don't know that specialty programs will likely end because the state will drop anything that brings joy and opportunity in favor of scripted lessons and daily tests. They don't know that their kids will be held back from harder classes so the district can appear as if it is improving. Our kids will not be given the opportunity to strive for more. They don't know that 504s will not be honored and special education will suffer even more. They don't know that good teachers will be silenced and AI will write the lessons. They don't know that this is already happening in Fort Worth ISTD in an attempt to appease the people in charge. The very people who have been failing us for decades. They don't know that the unelected board of managers only answer to Abbott and Morath, not taxpayers. They don't know that their kids are being used by MAGA Republicans, some on this council, for profit. They don't know that the schools they are trying to save will close. That kids will be forced to go to charters with same ratings as Fort Worth ISTD or worse where the rich can make a profit and kids kids lack the opportunity to even participate in something like marching band or their high-erforming school will be turned into a charter and the programs and services that made the school great will end. We public school parents fund raise relentlessly to ensure our kids have opportunities. We have to fund raise for things like paper, decent curriculum, books, art supplies, even building maintenance because the GOP has chosen to starve our school districts. We make sure teachers feel appreciated and schools are supported during testing period after testing period. Instead of sporting the kids who need help, instead of focusing the funding on those kids, you chose this system of failure. And you ch you chose this takeover that will punish our kids while your kids get education served on a silver platter. And now you'll even get coupons to give them more. I came here today to say I see you. I see the billionaires funding you. I see your plan. And I see your motivation. I can only hope that other parents see it too in time to save this generation of kids from your greed. >> Our next speaker is Larry Off. Larry will be followed by Daniel Martinez Salavar. Is Larry here? There he is. Daniel Martinez Salavar followed by Jared Howard with a group. Mayor and councel, good evening and thank you for your time. I'm Larry Oth uh with Game On Arena Sports in Fort Worth and also on the board of directors for the Fort Worth Sports Commission. I want to share with you an update related to the FIFA World Cup to our region, I believe. There we go. Thank you. Uh, as you know, DFW will host nine games, more than any other region from mid June to mid July. I'll talk to you about the legacy strategy in a minute. That's a lot of potential visitors. As a former general manager of the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, I know that we have the best hospitality package in the state of Texas. Thank you. First, I want to remind you the overall strategy to attract visitors, media, and corporations here in 2026 when they're in a region for the World Cup. We're already working on with a national and international media with more marketing programs to come to next year. Second, this is a community effort. Even though Fort Worth is not hosting a game, we know that many visitors will seek out our entertainment districts while they're here. There's also a coalition of tourism partners working to get the message out. And we're working on our Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce to bring business home to our city. Also, there's a strong chance that TCU will host a base camp for our practices uh for their fields, I'm sorry, which will bring even more visibility to Fort Worth. Third, we're not waiting for 2026. On Friday, December 5th this year, Fort Worth will host the DFW regional draw party when we find out the countries will be matched up for the games next year. Next month, the party in Fort Worth. Mark your calendars on Friday, December 5th. from 11:00 to 2:00 at Billy Bobs. We'll have media coverage, music, and if you don't know much about soccer, we'll give you uh information you need to enjoy the World Cup. Finally, I'm especially grateful to serve on the Legacy Project Task Force for North Texas organizing committee. They have brought together coaches, clubs, schools, players, and nonprofits for the mission, how do we leave a legacy after the World Cup is over? Our legacy committee is working with local soccer and social development partners to map out activities and areas of need. We're working on donating soccer balls and equipments to area children in need and increase their access to sports. We're identifying areas around DFW where we can build a soccer pitch or field. These will not solve our long-term needs for a soccer complex, but we'll expose many more children to the number one sport in the world. Our committee is looking forward to hosting um and working with corporate partners, employees to work as volunteers across the DFW region. We're making sure these programs understand our existing soccer clubs and their needs. Thank you guys for your time. >> Our next speaker is Daniel Martinez Salavar, followed by Jared Howard. >> Hello. Uh I'm a high school student at Northside High School and I was kind of concerned about the fences I've been uh putting up the about the school, you know, those really tall fences that and I was kind of concerned about that because it looks like it looks really bad and I feel like it brings down a little bit of the like I was it looks like the community is really bad literally like I was I was kind of curious if y control any of that. Yeah. >> And that'll be >> Thank you very much. We appreciate you. >> [applause] >> Jared H Howard on behalf of a group. >> Good evening, Mayor, Council, Mr. Chopper, and staff. My name is Jared Howard. I stand to represent a group of about 25 stakeholders here uh to give you an update on the upcoming and forthcoming National Junth Museum coming to the historic Southside. I figured the best way to do that would be with images that have not been seen by anybody else. So, I'll invite you and the audience to turn to the screen and take a look at what's coming to the historic Southside. Next slide. Do I have it? This is the frontal elevation. If you were standing on Rosedale looking uh north, this is the final elevation of the National Junth Museum. So, this is what you'll actually see in about two years on the site, the current site where the uh historic where the Southside Community uh Southside Community Center currently sits. This is an aerial view looking to the north and to the west. You can see that the top of the building is copper. That is by design because when we first sat with the people of the Southside Neighborhood Association, they told us they wanted something that fit within the v the context of the neighborhood and that is the result of our architect's work. Let's take a look at some of the exterior. Uh we'd really like some green space is what Miss Sherry Williams told us about three years ago. So we are delivering green space. This is walking into the museum from the front entrance. You'll see that there is a journey that you'll experience before you even get into the museum that narrates the Junth story in a very significant way. We are building an experience, not just a museum. Here is the east side of the building, which is what we're calling Emancipation Plaza. That is a food hall where five local food vendors will hone their craft for a local community, local community and beyond. Right now, the only neighborhood in the ne the only restaurant in the neighborhood where people that live in the neighborhood can sit down and have a meal on a Sunday afternoon is a Jack in the Box. That dynamic is going to change with the National Junth Museum. This is the Journey Garden which is on the east side of the building. And that is a theater which I'll show you images about in just a minute. And this is the I can't read it. What's that say at top? Too small for me. Whatever it is, it's uh some emancipation garden. I think this is looking into the business in knowledge garden. There you go. Thank you, Councilman Nettles. Uh my eyes are bad at my age. Uh you're looking into the business incubator, which we which is where we will teach and train entre entrepreneurs. This is an aerial view of the courtyard of the building. Again, green space at the center of the building. And if you look, the uh carve out of the Junth star represent is represented in the roof line there. It's more than a museum. And what I'll show you for the next couple minutes is the interior of the building. This is the frontal elevation. As if we were to take the front cover off. I'll give you a more detailed perspective of what's on the inside of the building here. This is the lobby area. As you will go up the stairs, you will see the exhibition where which is where we will narrate the Junth story because most Americans don't know the appropriate Junth story. And on the bottom level is where the programs will be housed which is what we'll talk about right now. This is looking out into the courtyard from the there it is. This is looking into the courtyard from the exhibition of the Junth Museum. This is an a view from the food hall in the center. You'll see in the morning it'll be a barista with a local coffee vendor and then in the evenings it'll be a cocktail bar with uh screen so you can come and watch a game or whatever's happening on TV. Another view of the food hall with those five vending spaces that I mentioned a couple of minutes ago. This is the 250 seat theater. The image on the left is looking from the stage outward. The image on the right is looking on from the audience to the stage. As you'll notice at the top, you'll see a window in an area where you can see people maneuvering through the building. That is the exhibition space. And so it is bu built to be communal by design. So everything feeds everything else. We're really excited about that component. Another view of the theater with the windows open up top. This is the business incubator again which is where we will teach entrepreneurs to be successful entrepreneurs and where we will make people who are currently employees who will make them to be entrepreneurs. really excited about the impact of that to the to the extent that this building, this project will result in about $20 million of the annual impact, economic impact of the city of Fort Worth. This is what we're calling the red box space. This is a place where you can hold private events, elections, voting, polling locations. It can be used for whatever reason we think is appropriate. 71%. What does that represent? I'm glad you asked. That represents the the amount of money that we've raised toward our $70 million goal. We are at $51 million. About a week and a half ago, we were made aware of about another $1.25 million. And so, we anticipate reaching and surpassing the $70 million goal in 2026. And let me say thank you to Mayor Parker and the members of this council for their support in our pursuit of the $10 million appropriation that we received from this state's legislature in the most recent session. We're really excited about that. The the nation's epicenter of Junth programs. What does that mean? That is Freedom Vibes. In 2025, this year, we presented the inaugural version of Freedom Vibes, which caused about 6,000 people to converge on downtown Fort Worth over a 3-day period. In 2026, it will be a week-long festival brought with several events, including three concerts, uh, a choir celebration, workshops, entrepreneurship workshops, culinary workshops, uh, voter education workshops. It'll be a 7-day period of 7-day event that will cause about 20,000 people to converge on the city of Fort Worth in the central city. So, really excited about that. And I think that's my last slide. But, by the way, uh it'll be sponsored by our friends at Fidelity Investment. So, I'm really grateful for that partnership. And this is a little bit of a recap of what you'll see. That's my presentation. And I wanted to say thank you for your support and your continued support. Stay tuned for more information from the National Junth Museum. [applause] Our next speaker is Amara Barrera followed by Mindia Woodier. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Somora. Uh recently I voted I bought a piece of land and it belongs to district five and I just found out at the moment that I wanted to pull out the permits to start building on it that there is no sewer or either water lines that can you know cross or go onto the property and I just wondering to know if someone of you guys can help me to um succeed my dream to build a house on And that's going to be all for me. Thank you. >> Of course. I know I don't council member Peoples, I believe your staff is here, too. And Maria can also help coordinate as needed. >> Okay. >> Great. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Mindia Whittier will be followed by Payton Abrams. I have slides. Mayor Parker publicly claimed that evidence in a police report attributed a 2022 protest involving a casket to Patrice Jones. Next slide. According to this email from one of the people recruited by Pete Garin to defend you at last month's public meeting, your campaign to convict her in the court of public opinion worked. Notice how she refers to Patrice as quote the offender. Although your words placed Patrice at the scene of the crime, the police report did not. Next slide. What the official report actually says is that none of the persons involved have the same physical features as Jones, and it is virtually impossible to say she committed the offense necessary for a search warrant. When a reporter contacted your office for comment, your staff sought to get the story put on hold for time to release other alleged evidence from Homeland Security. Given the history of government officials and agents of the state fabricating evidence that criminalizes black folks to keep them in their place, this attempt to buy some time was a chilling request. Next slide. You misrepresented the contents of an official government document to the public. When reporters asked if you regretted it, you said no. You only regret bad publicity. Next slide. You also said you didn't press charges in 2022 so the city could heal from the murder of a Tatiana Jefferson. In truth, you didn't press charges because you couldn't. You're an attorney. You know that. The perspective your claim reveals is compelling. You think not pressing baseless charges against a black woman is what racial healing looks like. What healing really looks like is addressing the racial disparities that cause the 76104 zip code to have the lowest life expectancy in our state. It looks like fulfilling the race and culture task force's recommendation to create a community police oversight board. And it looks like refusing to accept a meet and confer agreement with the Fort Worth police that retains the provision which directly contributed to Atatiana Jefferson's murder, but you voted to adopt. That is the pathway to racial healing. Instead, you take blood money from the police officers association and you launch a smear campaign against a black woman who holds you to account. I believe you can do better. So, I'm going to leave you with a saying. A hit dog hollers. Our next speaker is Payton Abrams. No, >> if you don't mind hand it to the city secretary's office, that'd be perfect. Thank you. And Mr. Abrams will be followed by Shimodia Krenshaw. >> Hello, my name is Payton Abrams. I'm an unaccompanied minor escort at the DFW airport. We work primarily with children flying by themselves between the ages of 8 to 14. We do both domestic and international arrivals and departures. I stand before you today to call for your help in assisting contracted airport workers at DFW to receive a living wage. We need to st establish a standard We have airport workers that are making as little as $10 an hour plus tips. And not everybody tips, by the way. And how can you live on that? There's absolutely no benefits. We also use the term in the industry for unaccompanied minor. I'll be using it. The airline charges $150 each way for a fee for unaccompanied miners for our service. Uh give you some numbers to listen to. We in the summer put We had two of us to put we each had four eightums on a flight. When we got to the gate, there were 10 originating. So, we put all 18 of them on that flight. American made $2,700 on that one leg and we were paid $14 an hour each. Do you see the disparity there? We are losing a lot of experienced workers due to these poverty wages. causes us to lose experienced workers. And we know it takes time to build experience that is needed and the skill at the airport to ensure the safety and security of our flying public and especially for our children when they're flying alone. I am sure that you know every child is different and we have to adjust to that child as they come off that flight. We want to make sure we have enough experienced staff to take care of these unaccompanied miners that the parents are paying for. This means that you need to pay the DFW airport workers fairly like the city workers of Fort Worth in Dallas. For you know that DFW is the second largest airport in America and we take care of it. Fact. The CEO of DFW airport, Chris McLaclin, has reported that DFW is the third busiest airport in the world. Fact. He said that DFW has an annual economic income of $24 billion from visitor spending. Fact, the airport is undergoing a $4 billion expansion to keep up with growth. We service from the curb to the cabin and I believe we deserve better. Thank you. [applause] >> Our next speaker is Shimodia Krenshaw. >> Um, Esther and I believe we're going to give six minutes because we're going to have a translator at the same time. Good evening, Mayor Parker. and council members. My name is Esther Aila. I'm a baggage service agent at DFW airport and I live right here in district 5. I love my job. I take the responsibility of getting people's belongings back to them very seriously. I like being the person passengers can turn to and I love the looks of relief I get when passengers get their bags after a long awaited journey. But the truth is I don't earn enough to live with dignity. I'm currently in recovery from a brain tumor and sometimes I have to choose between taking the medication I need to survive and paying for groceries. I don't get paid sick leave. I don't get benefits. I don't get paid enough to survive. That makes it difficult to stay in this job. And I'm not the only one. When workers leave the airport for higher paying jobs somewhere else. It only increases the work for the rest of us. It can lead to more problems and more uncertainty. It means I have more passengers coming to me for help with their bags and I can't get to any one of them as quickly as I would like to. It means baggage areas get more hectic and people become more worried. for personal. If we want to stay a worldclass airport, we need to provide a world-class service. My goal is for every customer to say they came in and out of the airport with no hassle. That they could easily find their bags no matter how far they traveled or how many flights they were on. But for with that, we need more staff. And for more staff, we need higher pay. Other cities recognize it. Miami airport pays their workers at least $21 an hour. Denver pays almost $19 an hour. But here in DFW, we make as little as $10 an hour. Don't let DFW airport get left behind. Make sure workers are paid the wages that they deserve. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Tata Utafi Tivat. No. Okay. Thank you, Jade Chang. Good evening, mayor and council members. My name is Jay Chen. I'm a flight attendant and a representative of the association professional flight attendant who represents the flight attendant and American Airlines. I'm here to stand in solidarity with the airport service worker who are the people make travel possible. From cabin cleaners, wheelchair attendants, baggage handlers, security officers, and custodians. Each of them is essential to maintain a clean, safe, and accessible airport for all passengers. I would like you to imagine your loved ones who need assistance when traveling by themselves. From the time of check-in, they're assisted by the wheelchair attendant to the gate and board the flight. DFW is a major connecting hub and often passenger will need assistant traveling from gate to gate. When the passenger arrives at the destination, it is these attendant who helped them off the airplane and exit exit the terminal to reunite with their loved ones. You will not have a clean cabin without the cleaners. They not only clean, but they also ensure the cabin is free from any weapons and other hazards. You won't receive assistance with your baggage without the bag baggage service handlers. If you're sending your kids across the country by themselves, it is the airport escort agent who accompany your children safely from gate to gate. All these jobs are critical to the safety and comfort of all travelers. The airport service worker deserve a livable wage. The cost of living has risen drastically. For them to earn $10 to $15 an hour plus pay for their uniforms, their own parking and high health insurance costs out of their own pocket is inhumane. They came to work to take care of the passenger and the operation. They deserve to be taken care of by their employer. The low pay also creates a high turnover and low staffing which directly impacts the operation. I cannot tell you how many times I have to wait on the airplane with a passenger who needs assistance because the wheelchair attendance is under staff. I urge all council members to call the DFW airport board to set a livable wage standard for all the airport service workers. They deserve the respect for their hard work and should not have to live in poverty. Thank you. [applause] Robert Smith will be followed by Dica Patterson. Robert Smith present. No Derkica Patterson. Oh, I'm sorry, Robert. Thank you. Come on down, please. Madame Mayor, distinguished members of the council, I'm a member of an organization within the Fort Police Department called PAC, Police and Clergy Coalition. We are a combination of two soon to be former units that had the same mission. MAC, Ministers Against Crime, founded in the late 1980s, and Kappa, Clergy and Police All Alliance, which began in the early 2000s. While we are part of the police department and are a unit within the department, we are not officers. The best way to describe our role is that we serve in a very similar way as chaplain, but we are not necessarily chaplain as defined. Though some of our members are, we are actually a spiritual or faith-based volunteer unit within the department with a mission to to serve our officers and the citizens of this great city in any way we can. We accomplish this goal in many different ways, but there are two primary ways that we serve. The first is that we do writeouts with our amazing patrol division. This not only gives us the opportunity to develop relationship with our officers and serve them on a personal and professional level, but it also affords us the opportunity to serve the community at large as we [clears throat] answer calls with the officers. The other primary way we serve is that we have an on call list that our dispatchers at the call center have in case we need in case there's a need for a pack member arises and none are on duty with patrol. The majority of these calls are deceased person calls um where we go and primarily serve the the families of the deceased person. But in the more um tragic calls, we we also can serve the officers. Um while our organization is all-inclusive and designed to have members of every religion and belief system, unfortunately at the moment, Protestant Christians make up the vast majority of the volunteers that are active in our roles. And what I mean by active is they actually come and do the write outs or uh respond to the calls or attend our meetings. Um while it is my great honor to serve people of all faiths, I feel that I'm woefully inadequate to properly serve our Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and other religious members of our department and the community. It is my hope that we have more participation from these other faith communities in our next ministers police academy coming in 2026. We are under the umbrella of CodeBlue in the police department. So you can find us in the website menu in the get involved tab under kappa and MAC links. Thank you madame mayor and distinguished council members for your time today and everything you do for our city. Derkica Patterson followed by Robert Kaine. Okay. Good evening. My name is Dererica Patterson and I'm a resident of District 6. I want to address the city's ongoing neglect of Whitfield Park and the lack of accountability from parks and recreation department. The current schedule that miraculously appeared after outrage at a few public comment meetings delays construction until 2027, almost 10 years after residents first began requesting something as basic as lighting. Lighting is not an improvement. It's a safety necessity. The city acknowledged that requests go back to at least 2023, though it's confirmed to be well before then. And yet, we're told to wait another 2.5 years just to see the first phase begin. I was told that there are three there are quote 310 parks awaiting improvements and some of them have nothing. Well, I know about that because ours is one. I was also told told that per our quote per our park dedication policy, neighborhood park unit fees can be used for adjacent neighborhood park units. I'm glad they said that. We have another city park that is located less than a mile away that also has no lights, a few park benches, and a retention pond. I was also told that quote, "In order for parks and recreation department to provide sufficient improvements to our park system, it is necessary to allow these units to accumulate funding over time so that there is a sufficient amount of funding. Now that we have a sufficient funding amount, $361, I'm $361,594, we will bundle this site with several others and solicit engineering contracts. Meanwhile, that's less than 1% of the 34 million allocated to Trinity Trails and related park upgrades for comfortability. So, I'm asking for clarity. How much of that less than 1% actually came from the city and how much of it was paid for by fees by the developer tied to our community nearly a decade ago? Families in District 6 shouldn't have to beg for the bare minimum. We also need to address the oversaturation of vape shops, liquor stores, and low value retailing filling our corridors. They don't build community or attract families. What's the plan to encourage balanced quality development and limit these zoning patterns? Lastly, I'd like to know how the city is working with the Tarant County homeless coalition to address the unhoused population migrating to Southwest Fort Worth. The uh the Walmart on Mart and Alt Mesa has essentially become a shelter and it's time for structured compassionate coordination. Most of the land up for sale in our area is zoned for multifamily housing, but there is no multifamily resources. Stop the concentration of overpopulation that the state complains is unfair illegal districtricting when clearly we have no choice. >> Our next speaker is Robert Kaine followed by Donnell Ballard. >> Honorable mayor, honorable manager, members of the council, good evening. I'm Robert Kaine. I'm a resident of uh district six and uh my lovely and talented wife and I are have been homeowners for three and a half years now there now. I came to Fort Worth nearly eight years ago on parole. Currently under consideration by the council by the city are residency restrictions for uh registrants. I'm on the registry. Had these restrictions been in place, I could not have come to Fort Worth and thrived as I have. When I came to Fort Worth, I lived a year in a uh ministry house with a bunch of people that all had to register, most of whom have gone on to become productive members of this community. They mo most of them are in management now. I could find jobs with these people now. And these people would not have gotten that opportunity with this kind of restriction. Now, this morning I found out that if 1,000 ft perimeters are put around all of the child safety zones, 51% of Fort Worth will be inaccessible. They will essentially be banned from living here. If the,500 perimeters about 74% red zone can't live here. Oh, thousand 2,000 ft about 91% of Fort Worth would be we would be banished. Now, I realize I'm grandfathered in. I've been off parole for four years. I'm here to speak for the future residents of Fort Worth who would benefit from this city's uh peace and safety and prosperity. These people are very unlikely to reaffend. And I know that's a countercultural statement. Common wisdom has it that registrants are all going to do it again with somebody to somebody or something like that. But the fact is nine out of 10 don't reaffend. Better than nine out of 10 don't reaffend. Look it up, folks. has become established. Now, we're talking about people who are not likely to harm again. Very unlikely. And the ones that I've known, they've become established citizens in this county and in this city. And I speak on their future on the behalf of the future residents that could come here and benefit. I wish while you're under consideration of uh the res residency restrictions that you please have mercy. This is not backed up by uh mere rumor as is the high reoffense rate or you know the fright the propaganda that has essentially gone out against this group of people. And I wish for you to all please carefully consider residency restrictions in the light of truth and facts and not in scares. Thank you for your time. Our next speaker is Danell Ballard followed by Manuel Mada. Mr. Ballard here. No, Emanuel Mada. Mr. Ma here. Eddie Delgado. Lucy Fischer. Adrienne Smith. Lucy. Okay. Lucy Fischer. Well, Fischer, excuse me, will be followed by Adrienne Smith. Good evening. My name is Lucy Fiser and I am from uh district 7. Uh I am here to speak about project 103122 Hatch Road Water and Sewer uh initiative by the city of Fort Worth. I was here on September 9th uh to bring up all the problems that we've had with this project. They dug up our road. They dug up patch road starting on April 3rd. The month of April, every other day they broke a water line. Every other day for two to five hours we were out with without water. Leaks were made. People were out money. We had excessive water bills. I have an elderly couple that lives on dis that lives on social security at the corner. They got a water bill that they spent 20,000 gallons of water in a month. They're on social security. They make less than $40,000 a year. We have talked to project managers. We have talked to developers. I have spoke with the city of Fort Worth water department head Chris Harter. I spoke to him at that meeting is why I didn't speak. He assured me if I got him the receipts that he would get us reimbured by the developer. That was eight weeks ago. So I'm here today. We've still not been paid. We have half a road. There's so much more I could go into. My main complaint is I've got people who are out money that live paycheck to paycheck. And because the city in their contract with the developer states that any damage done is the developer's responsibility, we cannot get these people paid back. They're out $200 and something dollars. I'm out $265. There's another lady that's out $500 and something dollars and we can't seem to get a check. I did get an email back from Chris Harter yesterday stating that he had spoke to the developer, got him all of the paperwork, all of the receipts, and he thought that he had discussed that with us last week. I also heard a rumor that checks went out last month. The fact of the matter is we have been passed around the merrygoround and passed around the merry-goround and passed around the merrygoround. We are tired. We are upset. We have been put out. I have been without a road to my house for seven months. This road is less than a tenth of a mile. There are only six properties on this road. Every one of us has been affected and nobody has been considerate of us other than the people that are working on the ground. I would really like for somebody to get back with me and let me know who I need to talk to to get our reimbursements for the elderly that live on this street that cannot afford a 235 bill above what they normally pay. I don't know who I need to talk to, but these people need to be paid back. We didn't ask for this project. We didn't ask for our stuff to be broke. And that's just the highlight of it. Y'all would not believe the stuff that has happened in the last seven months. It has been the worst project ever. The developer has not done what he probably needed to do. And apparently the managers don't know. >> Thank you, Lucy. >> Thank you, >> Jay. Do you want to assign someone to meet with Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Council member Hill. >> Sorry. There you go. >> One more time. Help me. Okay, Miss Fischer, I do have an update from Chris Harter. He's going to get in touch with you. Um, he has been in touch with the developer and he said that they will give you an update and that should happen tomorrow. So, I've been in the loop on this. I got an email this afternoon at 4:30 with an update. >> We've waited eight weeks. That's why I'm here. >> We'll make sure that Sammy reaches it out to you tomorrow. >> Our next speaker is Adrien Smith. Will be followed by James Smith. >> Adrien Smith, District 6. I and one with the people. The one thing to be understood about the hiring of Jay Chapel as city manager, the Fort Worth way continues. What do I mean by the Fort Worth way? One might ask. Bullying, extortion, retaliation, character and reputation assassinate. As assassination, these acts come from individuals and institutions which holds hold the strings of our local government. Advantage stirs. Sadly, no one is exempt from the influence and continued misguided behavior of said individuals and institutions. Anyone who seeks to hold a position of authority must not go against the structure that's been unless they're ready for the same structure to come down on them. Former Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis, let me say thank you for your service and leadership to our city. Although the headlines say resigned, those of us intelligent enough to read between the lines know you were forced out. This behavior is all too familiar. Former Fort Police Chief Joel Fisher. Anyone? He's a millionaire by the way. Fort Worth PO Fort Worth Police Chief Joe Fischer local local 440 which is the Fort Worth Firefighters Association and Fort Worth Police Officer Association are the biggest threat to our local government. Both organizations hold influence over certain elected individuals and decisions necessary for our city. The playbook which governs these organizations is all too familiar. also find something wrong with those selected as leadership. Cozy up with the city manager for support of fault, disparage the character of said individual via the meeting and boom, another life ruined. If you ask me, they are a bunch of cowards who only who only accomplishment in life is seeing the enjoyment of others fall. Well, I hope they're watching as well as listening. No, no one fears you and your days of having unchecked rule over over this city will ultimately fall. In closing, Mayor Parker, don't think for once your position is safe and protected. They will come for your they will come for you whenever it's decided that doing what's morally right is more important than upholding wrong. Mark my words. In closing, J Chaffa, you are not a Ma boss. It's still free Palestine. Restore remote speaking to all council meetings. Restore public comment to all council agendas. Money is not the problem. $333,626,188 spent on this facility. Mary, you sit on the DFW airport board. See to that the people get a fair living wage. >> James Smith will be followed by Karolina Rodriguez. Is Mr. Smith present? No. Carolina Rodriguez. Carolina will be followed by Da Jackson. Hello. Hello. Hello. We who speak at these meetings know nothing's going to change. But the reason we keep coming back is so that at least we get it on record. So my name is Carolina. I'm not a cop hater. I'm a cop watcher. I'm not the bad guy. I'm someone who believes in accountability, truth, and transparency. So um on August 22nd, Chief Garcia said, according to the Fort Worth report, you will be treated with dignity and respect by your police department. We will work to earn and maintain your trust every single day. Well, I don't know if he's here or not, but good luck with that because that's what the last one said, too. So, um, as long as the meet and confer agreement is in effect, there's no way that he can ever treat us with respect and dignity because the Fort City Council gave the police union the power to discipline any of their police officers. So, Chief Garcia can't fire anyone. He can't discipline anyone. He can't suspend anyone. He can't do any kind of house cleaning. He can't fix the culture over there because the the the uh the union's there. The union's there. And they have to do whatever the union says because that's what the the city council did. They gave the police union the power to do all of that. And I wonder if that could be because they were all endorsed by the police union. H maybe that's so but there's no way Chief Garcia can guarantee citizens will be treated fairly because Manuel Garcia was arrested a few weeks ago again for interference with police duties when he was over two football fields away from where someone was being arrested. He goes to court for that this month. And of course the district attorney Bill Sorz he was endorsed by the by the police union too. So during this same speech, Garcia said that police are obligated to report undocumented arresties to ICE. But here's an example of how shady Fort Worth police are. Allegedly written on the paperwork, an arrestee by a Fort Worth police officer was on his way back to Mexico. So this man was flagged as undocumented because he was flagg because he was flagged as undocumented. He sat in a Taran County jail for over six months waiting for ICE. And what happens if you don't pay your car note for six months, your rent for six months, your mortgage for six months, your dog's gone out of your house, all your stuff's put onto the curb, um you lose your job, and um all this, the reason I'm telling you about this guy that was uh flagged as undocumented is because in his property, in his possession, was his driver's license, his social security card, and his birth certificate. because he wasn't an undocumented citizen. He was a US citizen born here and the cop knew that because all that paperwork isn't wasn't his property and he lost everything because of this officer who was retaliating against him probably because he was a smartass during the arrest. >> Our next speaker is D. Jackson. D will be followed by Alexander Montalvo. Da Jackson. No, Alexander Montalvo. So, this is the second meeting we've had where organizations have been asked to come to give reports during a general public comment meeting. And we saw an email where Pete Garren has been one of the folks helping suggest, most likely that suggestion coming from the mayor or from our city manager or anybody else from the fourth establishment to try to bring to light good work that they want to have highlighted within the city. And there is some real good work that is happening. And so kudos to those who are trying to make that happen. But the problem is is that we live in a city where no philanthropy or nonprofit effort is going to solve the systemic issues that are happening. When we look at just food, SNAP benefits are not going to be made available to families this month. May not be made available for a second month. How are those families going to feed themselves? And what is causing that impact to those families? Well, we have an extremist federal government that wants to play politics because they want money to go into the pockets of billionaires versus food going to children. Now, it's not just our federal government. It's our state government as well. Over the course of the summer, Abbott, who Maddie you've supported in previous election cycles, also chose not to have funding and resources for food programs during the summer for kids. So, we see one issue around food of how our federal government and our state government is hurting kids. And yes, there are great local nonprofits trying to fill the gaps, but they by their own word said it is getting worse and worse and worse. So when community members come to the city council to talk about what does leadership look like? What does accountability look like? It is the question of how are we actually going to solve these type of issues in our communities. We just heard from workers getting poverty wages asking for your support. And we can go back to when city employees were wanting raises. Right now, the livable wage in Tarant County is $23 an hour for a single person with no children. Imagine the families who have children that they're trying to feed, trying to support. We are not building sustainability for people in this city. We're not building affordability. The bond only has $5 million to affordable housing and has hundreds of millions of dollars to other things. We are not addressing these problems. And that's why people are coming to you, Maddie, and coming to the city council. And you can make your PR moves to try to say this is just about partisan politics and this is just noise, but this is the people standing up and saying they want more. Council, that's the conclusion of our public comment speakers this evening. [cheering] Our meeting is adjourned.