 that will indicate how much time is remaining. When you have 30 seconds left, a bell will sound and you should complete your comments. Before you begin your comments, please state your name. Thank you. Welcome to your Four City Council meeting. I will call us to order. Tonight's invocation will be by Council Member Williams. Please rise for the invocation and remain standing for the pledges of allegiance. So we pray. Most gracious God. We first say thank you. Thank you for love, which surpasses all understanding. Thank you for another day that was not guaranteed. And most of all, thank you for the gift of forgiveness, salvation, and redemption. God, as we meet tonight, I ask a special prayer blessings of our city, our mayor and council, our city leadership and employees, our first responders, our residents and visitors. I ask that you help us all to clean the justice, to love mercy, and to serve each day with a spirit of humility and goodwill. God, help us to never forget our neighbors in need. Help us to be advocates for the poor, to provide food for the hungry, housing for the homeless, humanity for the marginalized, and hope for the downtrodden. God, we also pray a special prayer protection over our children, that you will keep them safe from harm's way and danger, and that you will help us to be a strong support system to help them grow and thrive as a community. As we engage in tonight's meeting, we're so grateful for the opportunity to connect with our neighbors in love and kindness, and for the opportunity to be peacemakers in the pressing matters that our residents and city face. Teach us to live with the deep consciousness of our fellow neighbor and to love one another in a way that is pleasing in your sight. Help us to be a light to the people and a beacon of hope for the world. Have your way in these things and so much more. It is in your name, we pray, trust, and place our hope. Amen. Our first item of action will be approval of the minutes from the April 4th Work Session and Public Comment Meeting. Got a motion? Motion and a second. Any other discussion, Council? Please vote. Got two, yes, that's on the screen. I bet that's you who goes for the last one. And motion carries. Mayor, that concludes all of the items. It's now public comments. Thank you. Our first speaker is Payton Jackson. Is Ms. Jackson here? I don't see her. Bob Willoughby will be followed by Adrian Smith. Just played the video. Did a terrible job in there, right? But maybe you can make it out. Turn this. Now, right here, we want to stop. You notice right here, Gina raises up her arm with a camera in it, right here. Now, she's not filming. This woman's filming. Gina's not filming. Also, the only two things Gina can be doing right now is either sending a command. This is a signal. This is a command for the police to come in now and do their thing. This is not because of something happening. This is using the police personally as her own force. So, but that's what I say she's doing right here now. And according to law, I guess they could say, well, she's just stretching her arm. She just raised her arm to stretch her arm, that's all. And that might be possible. Maybe she's got a crap in that arm, most raise it up here with a camera in it, stretch her arm. But ironically, it is at the same time, here comes officer Howard. You cannot reach this Sergeant Howard on the East Division. She has her phone just ring, no recording. And you cannot make any contact with her. And I only got one, I had to go to the internal affairs. I talked to her and I have a recording of her. And she's just, I'm not pleased with her at all, not at all, okay? But watch what happens here as we go on. Now, whoa, right there. What she actually does here, she does actually a little bit of a tap. Not much, just a little bit of a tap. Now this would be okay with me, I'm fine right here, okay? Oh, I forgot to mention one thing too, let's bring this up right now. Let's see if we can go back, just a shot here. Now, I don't see the officer coming in back here while Gina had her phone up. Look in this room and see if anybody's looking back to signal this officer. I wanna know how this officer get her signal to come up here and do this from the back of the room when Officer Z boards right over here and he's at the front of the room and can see everything, he's not doing anything. So I would really like to know who's signer if Gina Bibbins with her phone up did not signal this officer to come up. Who did, I don't see any heads looking back for an officer. You don't see anybody making any motions calling for a warrant. You don't see anything of it, but here she comes and what she does, okay tap and then grab right there. Tap and grab. All she had to do, the tap was fine with me, I had no problem, I have no complaints. At this point I have no complaints to hear. All she had to do is say, Mr. Willoughby, when you come outside, we need to speak to you. Okay, she didn't do that, they grabbed me and took me on out. Also, that's my question. I wanna talk to that officer. Can we not talk to the police anymore? I wanna talk to Sergeant Hire, okay? Anything wrong with that? They're a public servant. Let's see if it happens. This is a comment, they don't have to do anything here, okay, if this was a Q&A, we could get answers. Here, they just go home and forget us, thank you. Our next speaker is Adrian Smith followed by Jim DeLong. Adrian Smith, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable and I say, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Alrighty, the individual I don't need to speak to tonight, he's not here, but he's listening, he's watching. Councilman Nettles, if you're listening, sir, I'm gonna give you an address to consider. 4-2-2-5 Miller Avenue, 4-2-2-5 Miller Avenue. This particular business is known as Joe's, but most people consider it as FINA. Now, this particular business is where the most recent violent crime deaths occurred within the last two weeks. The reason I bring this particular address up, Mr. Nettles, now, is because of the fact that this has been an ongoing matter at this particular location, you're just so having to be the council member who's serving this district, so I don't put all the onus on you, however, we do have an opportunity as a city to do something about this particular business. It operates in a 24-hour capacity. So I would propose as a citizen one who's concerned about the crime rate that hasn't gone down as some would state it has, I would ask that this council and yourself look into possibly regulating this particular business's operating hours. And if that doesn't work, we can close it down all together, because there have been numerous deaths that have occurred at this one location for years upon years. And I stood here to say, enough is enough. Now, before I take my seat, I had an opportunity to go down to the commissioners' court today. And I want you council members to listen real closely to what I'm about to say. There was transparency, there was openness, there was a sense of togetherness in that space. I truly think they get it. I truly think they get it. I don't know what it's going to take for you all to open up your minds, your hearts, get back on a humble level, humble playing field where the rest of us are. But the commissioners' court, it serves as an example. So as I take my seat, I thank you all and you'll see me again. Our next speaker is Jim DeLong, followed by Yevgeny Vorodnikov. He can correct me when he comes up here. Mr. DeLong. Good evening, I'm Jim DeLong. And before I start, back in 1988, there I went through some traumatic events. And it was during that time, I made a decision. I wanna be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. And I think that's an important decision for people to look at themselves and the mayor and saying, what side of the coin are you on? Are you on the side of the coin of solutions or problems? I've titled this a bullet too. Last time I talked about when someone gets shot and there's a bullet in, you don't patch up the wound, sterilize it. If you don't get out the bullet, the person get infected and they can die. And I associated that to the race problems we have, the problems we have and social problems we have in our country, the crime problems. And so tonight I wanna talk about what the bullet is. The bullet is man's compulsion to dominate. You have Alexander the Great wanna dominate the world. The Roman Empire wanted to dominate the world. Hitler wanted to dominate the world. The McCoys and the Hatfields, they're few, they wanted to dominate one another. Today, Russia invades the Ukraine, they wanna dominate. Radical Islamists against Israel and the US they wanna dominate. China's expansion to dominate the world. And today in Africa there's genocide from one tribe against another, wanting to wipe out a group of people. And the list goes on and on and on. Those who are dominate motivated, they promote hate, division, anger, strife and major on retribution. They inflame their own egos, pride and arrogance and are opposed to reconciliation and forgiveness. Do we wanna solve the problems? Last time I talked that up to this point over $20 trillion were spent on the Civil Rights Act and we still have as much racism today as back then. I did some math. Here's what 20, guess $20 trillion, you can't wrap your head around that. $20 trillion would give every resident in this city $20 million. About a million people that live in this city they would get $20 million. That's a lot of money to put effort against the wound and not the bullet. So I encourage you, have courage, go after the bullet. Let's extract the bullet in our society and in our city. Thank you. I'm gonna go back to Ms. Jackson since she just arrived and then we'll be followed by Mr. Veronica. Thank you, Parker. I was stuck in traffic. Good afternoon, council. How do you decipher the difference between criticize and attack? Because I quote, the public has the right to criticize policies, procedures, programs and services of the city or of the actions or omissions of the city council. You see, that was the beginning of section 5.4.3 that you referenced when you falsely accused me of being vulgar. But the real question is, was it considered an attack before it went viral or just after? And if it's not the latter, why did it take you 55 calendar days to address an aggressive and violent action? Because that is how you define the word attack. I didn't curse, I didn't yell, I didn't threaten you. In fact, the only thing that was violent was the history. But the sad part about all of this, you tried to silence someone that wasn't even speaking. Honestly, I wasn't going to come back until you told a control freak that she couldn't have control over her words, her delivery, her stance. Parker, I will not be portrayed as a bully or silence because you can't handle your history. Proverbs 28-1, even though I ran you off, I didn't make you run. I made you uncomfortable. Because, and I quote, you can't just wash it off, right? No, Parker, you can't. But I brought you soap and a rag. I spoke on reparations. You have the power to right a wrong. But that's naive to think because you are a direct reflection of our police department. You are a direct reflection of Carolyn Bryant. You are a direct reflection of the terms white virgility and fascism. But the next time you try to discredit or defame my name, I will bring forth said evidence you claimed that I did not have. And shout out to the media for suppressing current events during an election cycle, but claim to be journalism that the community can depend on. And thank you for moving your sign from about that KKK building. Tone deaf. Tone deaf is the politest way that I can describe. Ms. Jackson, that's the conclusion of your time. You. And let me assure you, I need no soap or washcloth. I'm the mayor of the city and we're gonna leave decorum in this chamber. I really appreciate your opinions, but what I don't appreciate is falsehoods on social media that have caused death threats to me and my family. We're gonna be done and I appreciate you coming this evening. Nothing you've said here is truthful at all. Thank you very much, Ms. Jackson. Thank you, Ms. Jackson. Thank you, Ms. Jackson. Gentlemen, let's just let her go. She's fine. She's gonna leave. Mr. Rotnikov is our next speaker. We followed by Tony Abbs. Good evening, city council. My name is Yevgeny Vorotnikov. I'm here to represent a church of Christ, DFW. We are a Slavic based church here in Fort Worth and we encounter a lot of Russian and Ukrainian refugees here in Fort Worth because of the war in Ukraine. So we're just trying to see if there is any way that we can assist the city or maybe specifically find programs for such individuals that come in regards to housing. Again, we're trying to find individuals that we can help and we are encountering a lot of individuals that we're trying to help and sponsor to come here. So yeah, so I just came here to ask see if there's any way that we can assist or you can assist. Absolutely, there's a variety of resources. What I might do if Valerie or Jessica and I are meeting and getting all the information and then we'll follow up with you directly, both that are city resources, some faith-based resources and nonprofits. I think everybody on this dais probably has someone they'd wanna make sure you're in contact with. Okay, thank you. Yeah, I also spoke with the assistant city manager. Okay. Oh, Fernando maybe did. Okay, thank you Fernando. Appreciate it. I appreciate it, thank you. Of course, thank you for coming this evening. Our next speaker is Tony Abbs, followed by James Smith. It's Tony here. We'll come back if he comes in. James Smith, followed by Malik Austin. Good afternoon council, my name is James Smith. I live in district eight. This morning I consoled a mother who lost her son about a week or so ago. His name was Brandon Lapata. I spoke here a few weeks ago about the narrative and the importance of having a truthful narrative. This family didn't have a truthful narrative. And it wasn't until they went to the Bob Bolan complex this morning and had a news conference that they got some answers, if not all the answers. But it shouldn't have taken them to have to go to Bob Bolan. Someone in the police department or someone in the city should have went to them and explained to them how and why they lost their son. They mentioned a Tatiana and the support that a Tatiana had. They didn't have that support, so I'm here. And I will be standing behind them with them as they seek accountability for their son. While I was at the Bob Bolan, I realized or I learned that the Forest Police Department is celebrating their sesquintennial, 150 years. In the poster inside the Bob Bolan complex, I guess it's a picture, I guess it's a 150 year old picture of what the police department looked like back then. I would have rather seen a picture of the Forest Police Department as a diverse police department, an inclusive police department, the evolvement of the history on their poster. And not to negate the original police, if that's who they are. Why not have a second poster of the diverse police department? Not much to ask. Truth, transparency, accountability, is what the citizens of Fort Worth are looking for in the police department. Thank you. Our next speaker is Malik Austin, followed by Maria Lena Tillman. Good evening, Mayor Parker. Fort Worth is on the uptick. I know y'all young and your young constituents barely came into this world, 87, 88. You didn't know Fort Worth murder work, but I do. The young man who got slaughtered at that Joe's Fiena Mart, that Mr. Smith spoke of, I knew that chair, know his whole family. We from Highland Hills, we was born, he was born there, raised there. The people who raised him, we all lived on the same street. As privileged as we were, we still got issues. You took the oath to office, Mayor Parker, 355 square miles of Fort Worth. I'm not here to chastise you because you don't know. Your constituents don't know. I'm here to help. I can't call out nobody if you don't know. The youth violence program is moving too slow, but our children are moving rapidly fast. North side, east side, south side, but my neighborhood, I write though. Well, I grew up at it because I take care of it. And I'm asking you to do the same thing as you took your oath to office to take care of the city. And as young folks, if you don't know, ask for help, I know this city. I've been your age, but you ain't been mine. I've been your age, but you haven't been mine. I was here at the worst part of this city, and Mayor is right there on your doorsteps. So what I'm trying to tell you, this youth violence program, you gotta be fast, you gotta be quick. I've been on some, reach out to your constituents, your business people, and put some recreational events together for these kids because they have nothing to do. We had a lot to do in the 80s when I was coming through. And so you have to take that same sit down, have town halls, ask people what do they need? Disparity is not a solution. Pollution is not a solution. 19% of your kids in the four of ISD can only read on the third grade level. That is a socialistic problem. And Mayor, I'm really, I'm trying to help because I ain't finna live through that no more. I'm serious, I'm serious young brother. I see it, I've stopped some of it. So I'm here, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Austin. Our next speaker is Maria Lena Tillman, followed by Manuel Mada. Good evening, thank you Ms. Parker for pronouncing my name right today. I'd like to start off by commending Pastor Nettles for staying on top of his community and just really taking care of his district. I'm here on behalf of the Tenants Association. There are over, let me clarify, the Waterview Tenants Association. There are over 80 tenants in this residence that are living poorly in spite of the excess rent that they're paying to live well. I can guarantee you that this is happening across the city and if not statewide. We are being cheated out of our money, we are being cheated out of the benefits of ownership with Tri-County Electric, that's in Keller, and we are being denied the use of COVID-19 economic relief programs by one source communications. When every single one of you on this panel accepted a position on this council, you also accepted the mantle of responsibility. For the wellbeing of every single resident in Fort Worth. This position requires each and every one of you to advocate on a local level, a regional level, and a national level. The destruction that's coming to the city of Fort Worth will be a direct result of your inaction, your ignorance, and your poor management. We all know that democracy was designed to be a double-edged sword and the same right that you have to enforce any laws or rights on any private individual, we also have the right to impose that on you as an entity. What will it look like for the spouse of your beloved military to come against the city of Fort Worth for willful negligence of the residents of Fort Worth? I wanna know how many neighborhoods have you guys walked in, walked through, and knocked doors on in the last two years? How often are you engaging with the judges of Fort Worth since you all work in proximity with them? And how often does our congresswoman and our congressmen attend these meetings? Are they too important to check in on us? How often are you guys who are in charge of advocating for us? How often are you guys writing to our governor? You guys are sitting in your positions, letting your bellies get fat from the spoils of the greedy businessmen in Fort Worth. I need you guys and the residents here to get up and start advocating for us. That's why you guys are here. Please get up and do the work. I will not let down. I will walk these streets and I will collect signatures and I myself will come against you. Our next speaker is Manuel Mata followed by Carolina Rodriguez. My name is Manuel Mata. I live in district nine and I too was at the Bob Bolin Center this morning. And I don't know if y'all ever had to watch a kid have a asthma attack. I don't know if any of y'all understand what that's like. Right? This mother experienced that exact thing, but instead of hell, he got the opposite. And my issue with this situation is an off-duty officer. And I read somewhere that Fort Worth are, I think third in Texas, if I'm not mistaken, the nation of paid officers being up there somewhere. So why do they need an off-duty job where they don't have the comprehension to understand the difference between an asthma attack and somebody fighting them back? He's not here to come and explain it, right? I had to watch a family not understand what happened because no one reached out to them, no one said anything. And when they got their answers, they were told a body camera fell off during the incident and the uniform security guard put it in her back pocket. Okay? And 18 minutes, off-duty officer and another one stood, put their knees on his neck. And the other one on his back for 18 minutes, he was yelling, help, help. You know how they helped him? He didn't leave town center mall. What they call right now, La Gran Plaza. They didn't get a call from no one here in any office. They got a call from the medical examiners 24 hours later advising them that their child was not here anymore. These are issues, these are problems. Y'all can sit here and deny them all y'all want to. Y'all can say that you got some of the best police officers on your division, South, Central, A and B. But what's happening in these communities is proving what you're saying is wrong. It's not even closed. And I've heard people say, why don't y'all walk these communities that y'all say y'all represent? Cause then y'all would understand what they were saying where they have to go get. Right now, you're on channel 11, channel five, channel 23 spectrum for what happened at town center mall. They have no answers. They still didn't get the ones they needed today. And like they said, they're not alone. Our next speaker is Carolina Rodriguez followed by Cody Warden. Just want to read a quote to you. It says, we are taking in a data-driven, intelligent-led approach to go after specific people who commit violent crimes. That statement was made by our chief of police. And I thought for a minute when I first read it that it was by someone that was a fascist or maybe Hitler, didn't they do the same thing? Didn't they go after specific people that weren't fitting into their mode? The head of the gang, the bullies or the gang unit, he says, we have a strategic plan in place to get the people committing the crimes. How do they know what a crime's gonna, I mean, how do they even know if a crime's gonna happen? I mean, how do they know? They don't know when a violent crime's gonna happen. Most of violent crimes are just done for the moment. Out of maybe passion. So what I wanted to point out here is that they're trying to twist it back onto the people, that it's not their fault that this is going on, it's not their fault that that kid died at the Grand Plaza. None of this is their fault, it's always on the people, the other people, the people who they think are gonna be committing violent crimes. So if you look at the crime rate, you can manipulate those numbers pretty well. They're going up or down, we don't know. But there's other, the numbers, these numbers I'm fixing to tell you can be manipulated too. And it's the monthly crime reports that they sent to us here. How many excessive force, how many suspects was excessive force used on each month? Does anybody know? I don't know. 200, they have 200 excessive force cases a month. Well, if you add that into the crime rate, who's committing more crimes? The people for worth or the police? Do you know which race was used? Where they put the force onto the most? The blacks, of course. And who committed the excessive force? The whites. And where are all the black officers? Why did they run them off? Or why did they run away? I don't know. But the point of the story is, is they're gonna try to twist this whole narrative around about Brandon Zapata. He was a real-life kid. He had some kind of mental breakdown. And not one and a half miles away was five women sitting in these little cars. What's the name of that unit? The CRT response team. Why didn't they call them? A mile and a half away. That's all I got to say. Council, that's the conclusion of our speakers this evening. Meeting adjourned.