[Project Brays Ribbon Cutting]
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE WHAT IS REALLY AN HISTORIC EVENT, AS HARRIS COUNTY STRIVES TO MAKE OUR REGION MORE RESILIENT, MORE RESILIENT AGAINST MAJOR FLOODING EVENTS.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
AND BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR DIGNITARIES AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY.
AND PLEASE HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE UNTIL I'M FINISHED, AS WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS TO RECOGNIZE.
UM, FIRST, LET ME RECOGNIZE OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS, COMMISSIONER JACK KAGEL.
I ALSO HAVE, ONCE YOU RECOGNIZE CITY OF HOUSTON, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION, CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER, AND I ALSO HAVE RACHEL RODRIGUEZ HERE ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL OF CONGRESSMAN GREEN'S OFFICE.
AND THEN WE HAVE SEVERAL CITY OF HOUSTON COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, AND COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING AND ACKNOWLEDGING ALL OF THE DIGNITARIES THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
WE ALSO HAVE THE COUNTY JUDGE LENA HIGA, WHO IS ON HER WAY AND WILL BE HERE SHORTLY.
SO I AM HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY TO RECOGNIZE WHAT IS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, THE FACT THAT WE ARE FINISHING THE BRAZE BAYOU FEDERAL FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION PROJECT.
THIS IS A PROJECT ALSO KNOWN AS PROJECT BRAZE BY MANY OF YOU.
AND IT IS THE LARGEST, IT IS THE LARGEST FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION PROGRAM EVER UNDERTAKEN BY THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE DOES NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT A LOT OF HARD WORK AND A SIGNIFICANT COMMITMENT TO PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, ONE OF OUR MOST LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIPS, AND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FOR THIS PROJECT IS OUR WORK AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES CORE OF ENGINEERS.
OUR WORK TOGETHER IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN OUR TWO AGENCIES COLLABORATE, WHEN WE CAN ACHIEVE A SHARED VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT WE BOTH SERVE.
AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU, COLONEL VALE, TO YOU AND YOUR LEADERSHIP AT THE CORE FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP ON THIS PROJECT.
I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE SUPPORT OF OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, AND COUNTLESS OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO ARE HERE TODAY, RAISE BAYOU CROSSES MANY JURISDICTIONS, BEL AIR WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, SOUTH SIDE PLACE, MISSOURI CITY, AND THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE'S COMMITMENT TO MOVING THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS WERE ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE BRIDGES ALONG BRAS BAYOU, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS TAKING THE LEAD ON CONSTRUCTION OF THE CALHOUN BRIDGE, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER AND HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR FUNDING THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES AND THE SIDEWALK ENHANCEMENTS OVER THE BRIDGES THAT ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND TO THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIPS TO MAKE THOSE ENHANCEMENTS HAPPEN.
WHILE WE KNOW THE RISK OF FLOODING CAN NEVER BE FULLY ELIMINATED, PROJECT BRAISE HAS IMPROVED THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE BRAISE BAYOU WATERSHED AND PROTECTED NUMEROUS BUSINESSES BY REDUCING THE RISK OF FLOODING BY CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS IN STORM WATER DETENTION BASINS.
SO, AS WE CELEBRATE THE SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF THE DISTRICT, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK OF THE PREVIOUS LEADERSHIP AND MANY OTHERS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY.
UM, THANK YOU TO YOU AND TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN.
I ALSO WANNA THANK JUDGE LENA HIDALGO, COMMISSIONERS RODNEY ELLIS, COMMISSIONER
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KAGEL, COMMISSIONER GARCIA AND COMMISSIONER RAMSEY FOR TRUSTING ME AND OUR TEAM TO BUILD ON YOUR PHENOMENAL WORK.SO AT THIS TIME, LET ME INVITE COLONEL TIMOTHY VALE WITH THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO THE PODIUM TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
SO I HAVE A VERY SAFE SPEECH HERE THAT MY STAFF WROTE FOR ME, AND I'M JUST GONNA PUT THAT AWAY AND DO WHAT I
SO RIGHT NOW, BEING OUT HERE AFTER 35 YEARS OF EFFORT IS JUST A TREMENDOUS HUMBLING EXPERIENCE.
AND I'M LOOKING ACROSS AT AN AUDIENCE OF PEOPLE THAT LARGELY CREATED A DEGREE OF SOPHISTICATION IN A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES ARMY IN A FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT THAT HAS NO PEER NATIONWIDE.
I'VE DELIVERED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN SIX DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN 10 DIFFERENT STATES, AND THERE'S NO MORE SOPHISTICATED PARTNER FOR THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS THAN THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
AND THAT SOPHISTICATION DIDN'T COME EASY.
IT CAME THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR AND PERSEVERANCE, UH, FROM THE LIKES OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, STEVE FITZGERALD, UH, THE PREVIOUS COMMISSIONERS OF, OF THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
AND AS A LIFELONG, YOU KNOW, HOUSTONIAN, MYSELF, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE GROWN, GROWN UP WITH THE NAMES OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AS TITANS, KIND OF IN, IN THE ENGINEERING COMMUNITY, UH, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO ART STORY.
AND IT'S JUST A PROUD MOMENT TO BE PART OF THAT CONTINUED, UH, PARTNERSHIP.
AND WHAT WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE THAT PARTNERSHIP.
SO EVERYBODY THAT'S SPEAKING TODAY BETWEEN THE COMMISSIONER, ZALES, COMMISSIONER KEGEL, UH, JUDGE ALGO, UH, CONGRESSMAN FLETCHER, UH, AND THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, ALONG WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD ON THE SOPHISTICATION THAT THOSE LEADERS THAT CAME BEFORE US KIND OF BUILT FOR US.
AND THAT NEXT DEGREE, THAT NEXT GENERATION OF SOPHISTICATION IS REALLY ABOUT RECOGNIZING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHALLENGES.
SEE, WE HAVE UNIQUE CHALLENGES, UH, GOING FORWARD THAT WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO SOLVE.
TOGETHER AT THE CITY WITH STEVE COSTELLO AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MAYOR TURNER, UH, AT THE COUNTY LEVEL WITH THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT AND THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE JUDGE AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND WITH THE ARMY, WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND START RECOGNIZING THAT FLOOD RISK CHALLENGES ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY, UH, IN THE MULTIPLE WATERSHEDS ACROSS THE THE COUNTY, AREN'T GONNA BE SOLVED EASY.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE SOLVED THROUGH COORDINATION, PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION.
AND IT'S GONNA BE BUILT ON THE TRUST AND THE CONFIDENCE AND THE SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY OF PROJECTS LIKE PROJECT BRAS THAT'S GONNA GIVE US THE CONFIDENCE TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND WITH THAT CONFIDENCE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA START TO RESOLVE SOME OF THE REAL EQUITY CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPING FLOOD RISK SOLUTIONS FOR HARRIS COUNTY.
AND THOSE EQUITY CHALLENGES REALLY TAKE US TO THE NEXT LEVEL TO UNDERSTAND THAT SOLVING THE CHALLENGES OF FLOODING ISN'T ABOUT JUST MEASURING THE IMPACTS TO STRUCTURES ALONE.
IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN STRUCTURES.
IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF COMMUNITIES THAT ARE PART OF ECONOMIES THAT ULTIMATELY NEED A DEGREE OF RESILIENCE.
AND WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO ARTICULATE THAT TO SENIOR LEADERS AND START INVESTING IN TRUE SOLUTIONS THAT PROVIDE EQUITABLE FLOOD RISK REDUCTION ACROSS THE WHOLE OF THE COUNTY.
AND I'M JUST VERY, VERY PROUD THAT HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT IS LEADING NATIONAL EFFORTS IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING NEW WAYS TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS ANALYSIS THAT ARE GONNA BE COMPELLING FOR THESE NEXT GENERATION CHALLENGES AND THESE NEXT GENERATION SOLUTIONS.
AND IT'S VERY HUMBLING FOR ME TO BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, CONGRESSWOMAN FLETCHER CO, UH, COMMISSIONER KAGEL, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, UH, JUDGE ALGO, MAYOR TURNER, TO BE PART OF THAT SOLUTION SET GOING FORWARD.
SO IT'S ONLY APT, UH, TO TAKE THE SUCCESS OF THE FINAL CONCLUSION IN DELIVERING A PROJECT OVER THREE DECADES TO USE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD.
AND WE, WE ARE EXCITED TO BE PART OF THAT.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND, AND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY IT IS.
AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S SYMBOLIC OF THE INCREDIBLE ANNOUNCEMENT WE HAVE TODAY.
IT'S A DAY OF CELEBRATION, A DAY OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND A DAY OF PARTNERSHIP.
AND SO I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF OUR PARTNERS IN THIS EFFORT.
I, I SEE OUR CITY LEADERS HERE, OUR MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER, EVAN SHABAZZ, UH, COMMISSIONER KAGEL, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, UH, I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES.
AH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, WELCOME.
AND OF COURSE, OUR DIRECTOR, PETERSON COLONEL, THANK YOU, REPRESENTING THE ARMY CORPS AND CONGRESSWOMAN SO MUCH OF THESE FUNDS, UH, OUR FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THAT.
WE'RE JUST A FEW DAYS FROM THE START OF HURRICANE SEASON, AND THEY'RE ALREADY SAYING IT'S, UH, GONNA BE A MONSTER HURRICANE
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SEASON.BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, WE ALWAYS PREPARE US A, IT IS A MONSTER HURRICANE SEASON BECAUSE ALL IT TAKES IS ONE HURRICANE, ONE RAIN EVENT, UH, ONE FLOOD EVENT, AND ONE WIND EVENT.
AND IT CAN HAVE IMPACTS ON OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PREPARE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT FLOODING? AND THE ANSWER IS A LOT.
AND TODAY WE ARE SHOWING SOME OF THE HUGE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING IN TERMS OF PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY FROM FLOOD CONTROL.
THIS BRACE BAYOU PROJECT IS MASSIVE.
TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, THE WATERSHED IMPACTS 767,000 PEOPLE.
IT DRAINS AREAS FROM HOUSTON, MISSOURI CITIES, UM, BEL AIR WEST UNIVERSITY, AND, AND SO MANY MORE AREAS OVER A HUNDRED MILES LONG.
THE IMPACT TO THESE FOLKS IS IMPROVED FLOOD INSURANCE RATES, REDUCED FLOODING AMONG MAJOR TRAFFIC ROUTES, FOR EXAMPLE, 2 88, UH, PROTECTION OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE THE MEDICAL CENTER, REDUCTION IN THE DEPTH OF FLOODING BY ABOUT TWO FEET.
AND WITHIN THAT, SO THESE ARE THE IMPACTS TO THE 700,000 PLUS PEOPLE.
BUT SPECIFICALLY, THERE ARE OVER 15,000 STRUCTURES THAT ARE GONNA BE LIFTED UP THAT ARE NOW LIFTED UP OF THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN BY THE MANY, MANY PIECES OF THIS PROJECT THAT IS NOW COMPLETE.
SO IT'S A MASSIVE PROJECT, AND JUST AS MASSIVE IS OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT TODAY, WE ARE CUTTING THE RIBBON ON THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, THE LARGEST PROJECT THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT HAS EVER UNDERTAKEN.
AND IT'S PART OF AN AGGRESSIVE PUSH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SHIFT THE PARADIGM WHEN IT COMES TO FLOOD CONTROL, THAT WE AGGRESSIVELY PUSH FAST FLIGHT CONTROL PROJECTS IN A WAY THAT THAT IS EFFECTIVE AND AMBITIOUS.
HALF OF THE FUNDING CAME FROM HARRIS COUNTY.
HALF OF THE FUNDING CAME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
IT'S A BIG, BIG CHUNK OF CHANGE.
AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THE BENEFITS OF THIS PROJECT.
IF YOU GUYS WILL REMEMBER TROPICAL STORM BETA, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS AGO, RIGHT OVER THE MEYER AREA.
AND WE HAD ALREADY DONE, UH, SEVERAL OF THE, OF THE, THE PIECES, THE DIFFERENT, UH, SUB-PROJECTS WITHIN THIS LARGER BRAISE BAYOU INITIATIVE.
THE NEIGHBORS IN THAT AREA TOLD US WITH CONFIDENCE, IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THE PROGRESS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE ON BRAISED BAYOU, SURELY THEY WOULD'VE FLOODED.
AND THAT WAS ECHOED BY OUR EXPERTS THAT ALREADY WE HAVE SEEN THIS PROJECT CHANGE LIVES AND PREVENT FLOODING, AND WE'RE GONNA SEE EVEN MORE OF THAT.
SO LET ME CAVEAT ALL OF THIS BY SAYING WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T SOLVE FLOODING IN HARRIS COUNTY OVERNIGHT.
THE FLOOD CHALLENGES WE HAVE, IN PART, IT'S ABOUT WHERE WE ARE.
WE'RE 50 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL, BUT PARTLY ALSO HAS BEEN A LACK OF, OF AGGRESSIVE FOCUS ON HOW WE TRULY TACKLE THIS ISSUE.
AND, AND WE MANAGE IT AND WE CONTROL IT.
AND SO, SO MANY YEARS WHERE THE INVESTMENT WASN'T AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH, SO MANY YEARS WHERE THE REGULATIONS WERE NOT AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH, YOU CAN'T TURN BACK ALL OF THAT IN JUST A FEW MONTHS OR JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT AS WE SEE TODAY, THERE IS MEANINGFUL PROGRESS TAKING PLACE, AND WE ARE PUSHING AGGRESSIVELY TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO WE'RE NOT HERE TO DECLARE VICTORY OVER FLOODING, BUT IT IS WORTH HIGHLIGHTING.
WE ARE LEADING THE WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT HARRIS COUNTY IS SAFE FROM FUTURE DISASTERS.
WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE WORST FIRST STRATEGY.
THIS PROJECT IS DONE, AND IT IS DONE FIRST BECAUSE IT'S HUGE IMPACTS ON THE AREAS, OTHER AREAS, CASHMERE GUARDING, HUNTING, BAYOU HAULS BY YOU, GREENS BAYOU THAT HAVE LONG BEEN FORGOTTEN.
WE ARE FOC WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE AREAS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO THE PROJECT THAT CAN MOST BE HELPED BY THE PROJECT.
WE ARE DARING HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH DEVELOPERS TO SAY, IF WE CONTINUE GROWING IN A WAY THAT IS NOT SMART, AT SOME POINT, WE'RE ALL OUT OF BUSINESS.
AND SO WE IMPLEMENTED THE MOST STRINGENT DETENTION REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE LAW, AND THE CITY HAS IMPLEMENTED THEM TOO, AND WORKING TO GET OTHER CITIES TO IMPLEMENT THEM AS WELL.
AND SO BEYOND THIS PROJECT, COUNTY MITIGATION EFFORTS ARE MOVING FORWARD FASTER, ARE MOVING FORWARD MORE AGGRESSIVELY, WHETHER IT'S RAISING BRIDGES TO SAFER LEVELS, WHETHER IT'S CARVING OUT MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER AND DETENTION BASINS, YOU NAME IT.
ALL OF THIS WE'RE WORKING ON TOGETHER AND WE'RE WORKING ON AGGRESSIVELY.
WE'RE BUYING OUT HOMES THAT ARE DEEP IN THE FLOOD PLAIN THAT WE KNOW WILL ALWAYS FLOOD, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT WE DO.
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WE CREATED THIS FRAMEWORK FOR POST-DISASTER RECOVERY THAT'S FOCUSED ON THE WORST HIT, NOT JUST THE HOMES WITH THE HIGHEST VALUE.AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO STRONGLY SUPPORT A PLAN FOR THE IKE D**E.
AND I KNOW OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS ARE, ARE HAND IN HAND WITH US ON THAT.
I WANNA NOTE, OVER 57% OF PEOPLE SERVED BY THIS PROJECT ARE LOW TO MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS.
AND SO FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN HARRIS COUNTY, THE THREAT OF A HUNDRED YEAR STORM, THE THREAT OF A 500 YEAR STORM HAS BECOME ALL TOO REAL.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT, AND WE'VE LIVED THAT, AND WE'RE WORKING DAY AND NIGHT TO PROTECT THIS COMMUNITY FROM THAT THREAT.
AND SLOWLY WITH PROJECTS LIKE THIS ONE, THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
WE WILL CONTINUE DOING OUR PART.
AND I SEE SO MANY DEDICATED LEADERS HERE, LONGTIME LEADERS OF OUR FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, UM, OF OUR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.
AND I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THEM, TO THANK OUR FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT STAFF, TO THANK THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD DAY AND NIGHT TO GET THESE PROJECTS DONE.
I SEE OUR FORMER DIRECTOR, UH, POP IS HERE, UH, MATT ZIV.
UM, ALAN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND, AND SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE WORKING WITH US HAND IN HAND.
UH, COMMUNITY FOCUSED, COMMUNITY INFORMED SOLUTION TO FLOODING IN HARRIS COUNTY.
LET ME REPEAT VERY BRIEFLY, UM, IN SPANISH, AND THEN WE'LL HAND IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
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WE HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL, UH, LEADERS HERE.AND, AND I'M GONNA START WITH COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
WE'RE GONNA, UH, UH, GO THROUGH THE COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEN, UM, THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND, AND FINALLY, UH, CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS, STARTING WITH MAYOR TURNER.
SO FOR JUST FOR THE RUN OF SHOW.
YES, ROGER, LOOKING BETTER TODAY.
OKAY, I'M GONNA SET MY POINT UP.
LOOK, LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
I'VE GOTTA MAKE IT TO A, A, A HEARING AND, UH, SO I WANT TO GET THERE.
UM, BUT LOOK, THIS IS A WONDERFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, SO LET ME JUST START OFF BY THANKING OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, UH, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH, UH, EASY TO WORK WITH.
UH, LET ME THANK THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FOR ALL THAT GOOD MONEY.
SO I, I, I CONS, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER.
AND I, I SAW, I SAW HIS PRESS STATEMENT, $90 MILLION.
UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON, LEE, SYLVIA GARCIA, ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
SO LET ME THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT GOOD FEDERAL DOLLARS, UH, TO THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY JUDGE.
UH, COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS.
AND MAN, YOU'RE JUST LOOKING GOOD.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE WORKING ON, UH, PROJECT BRAIDS OR NOT, BUT, UH, YOU LOOKING GOOD? UH, COMMISSIONER KAGEL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
AND THEN LOOK, LEMME JUST SAVE THIS, THIS PROJECT WILL BENEFIT DISTRICT D COUNCIL MEMBER KAREN EVAN CHABA.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
DISTRICT F COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, DISTRICT I, DISTRICT C, DISTRICT K, AND DISTRICT J, AS WELL AS THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
IT DEMONSTRATES A TRUE COLLABORATION WITH ALL OF OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.
SO IT TAKES ALL OF US TOGETHER.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, 32 BRIDGES HAVE BEEN IMPROVED.
IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE TO FOUR DETENTION BASINS, WHICH WILL HOLD 3.5 BILLION GALLONS OF STORM WATER.
IT'S A MAJOR PROJECT, JUDGE, I AGREE WITH YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
AND, UH, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
NOT DONE, BUT WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS.
AND HAVING SAID THAT, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
UH, I DID TELL COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN AZZ, I LOVE THESE TREES.
WE ARE GONNA COME OUT AND PICK SOME OF 'EM UP AND TAKE 'EM OUT IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE I LIVE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW,
THANK, THANK THE WEATHER'S SO NICE.
UH, BUT, BUT SERIOUSLY, UH, I DID SEE, UH, BETH THERE FROM PARKS BOARD.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE RECOGNIZE YOU FROM GREAT WORK THAT YOU DO.
I THINK THAT, UH, UH, YOU REPEATED YOUR COMMENTS IN SPANISH BECAUSE I'M A CYCLIST.
WE BOTH LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WHEN I RIDE THIS BY YOU MORE THAN REALLY ANY OTHER, I GET A SENSE OF THE DIVERSITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPEAK IT.
I'M IC SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPEAK AND HOST ALL SORTS OF LANGUAGES WHEN YOU WALK OR, OR, OR RUN ALONG A CYCLE ALONG THIS BY YOU.
UH, I WANT TO THANK THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS FOR THE WORK THAT THEY PUT ON THIS.
IT WAS DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY THIS PROJECT.
JUST GIVE YOU SOME, A SENSE OF HOW LONG THIS HAS TAKEN.
TWITTER HADN'T BEEN INVENTED WHEN THIS PROJECT STARTED.
DISCOVERY DISCOVERY GREEN WAS A PARKING LOT.
AND HOUSTON SUPER BOWL MADE HEADLINES FOR OF ALL THINGS A DANG WARD ROPE MALFUNCTION.
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CONGRESSWOMAN, IS THAT COST BENEFIT RATIO.RUSS POPPY, THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING IT TO ME.
I GOT IT ABOUT THE THIRD TIME, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU GET IT.
AS OPPOSED TO DEALING WITH DRAINAGE PROJECTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT FLOOD THE MOST, THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE, PEOPLE CAN'T GET OUT.
WE USE SOMETHING CALLED A COST BENEFIT RATIO.
SO THAT MEANS IF YOU NOW LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE THE ONE I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO LIVE IN, NOW YOU ARE HIGHER UP ON THE LIST.
EVEN IF YOU FLOOD LESS THAN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LIKE THE ONE I CAME OUT OF THAT FLOODS EVERY TIME.
THE ONLY REASON SAM'S BAYOU WAS DONE BACK WHEN IT WAS CALLED CHOCOLATE BAYOU, YOU COULD CATCH THE IMPLICATION, IS BECAUSE IT HAD FEDERAL EARMARKS.
AND OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS WERE JUST, AND WE WERE ALL SO EMBARRASSED.
I WAS A KID SO EMBARRASSED AFTER CARLA.
IT WAS JUST SO BAD FOR SO LONG THEY DID A EARMARK.
BUT THANKS TO YOUR CREATIVE MANEUVERING AND AND INTERESTING INTERPRETATIONS, WE MANAGED TO MAKE IT THROUGH THAT HURDLE FOR THIS PROJECT.
CONGRESS PEOPLE, UH, ONE IS HERE REPRESENTING HER COLLEAGUES.
I KNOW CONGRESSMAN GREEN IS LISTENING AS WELL.
IT IS AN IMPORTANT PROJECT AS THEY SAID.
I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU A SENSE OF HOW THE WINGSPAN OF THIS THING, HOUSTON, MISSOURI CITY, STAFFORD, BEL AIR WESTVIEW, SOUTH SIDE PLACE AND MEADOWS PLACE.
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GIVE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, I DON'T QUITE GET IT, BUT IMAGINE SPANNING TWO COUNTIES AND SEVEN CITIES.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT PROJECT AND WE NEED TO ALL BE COMMITTED TO DOING AS MUCH AS WE CAN WHILE EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, TO REALLY CHANGE THAT COST BENEFIT RATIO STRATEGY THAT IS THROUGHOUT FEDERAL LEGISLATION.
SO, LOOK, I'M, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
YOU WON'T GET MY KEYNOTE, UH, CACTUS TODAY BECAUSE I, I'VE GOT TO GO TO A NEW ORLEANS FOR A WEDDING FOR MY GODSON.
AND I KNOW HOW THESE THINGS WORK.
IF YOU TAKE TOO LONG TO GET TO THE WEDDING, YOU'LL BE THERE FOR A DIVORCE.
SO I'M GONNA SLIP OUT AS WELL.
HAVE A GREAT DAY AND THANK YOU.
I AM A LITTLE TALLER THAN MY COLLEAGUES.
WHAT A BLESSING TO BE HERE TODAY.
AND ONE OF THE THEMES THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS PARTNER SHIPS.
I'D JUST LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT WORD FOR A MINUTE.
OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS FOR HELPING US WITH THE FUNDING.
THANK YOU TO THE CITY FOR COOPERATING WITH US AS WE PARTNER IN FIXING THOSE BRIDGES.
AND THANK YOU JUDGE, FIXING THOSE BRIDGES AND WORKING TOGETHER.
THANK YOU BETH, FOR ALLOWING THESE WORKS WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO KEEP US OUT OF THE FLOOD WATERS.
ALSO BE BEAUTIFUL PLACES THAT OUR COMMUNITIES CAN GATHER AND ENJOY DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
A SHIP LIFTS YOU OUT OF THE WATER.
A SHIP ALSO ALLOWS YOU TO PROSPER AND HAVE YOUR COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO DO BETTER.
AND THESE PARTNER SHIPS, AS WAS SPOKEN ON, THEY DIDN'T COME OUT OF JUST NOWHERE THEY BEGAN YEARS AGO WITH THE VISION OF SOMEONE LIKE THIS MAN OVER HERE, WHICH IS MIKE TALBOT.
WHEN FLOOD CONTROL WAS NOT SOMETHING WE THOUGHT OF.
'CAUSE WE WERE IN A DRY SEASON.
NOBODY CARES ABOUT FLOODS WHEN IT AIN'T FLOODING.
YOU CARE ABOUT IT WHEN THE WATER'S AT YOUR DOOR.
BUT HE BEGAN SHEPHERDING US TOWARDS DIRECTIONS.
I WANT TO THANK RUSS POPPY, WHO ABLY LED US THROUGH THAT BOND WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM.
BECAUSE WITH THE FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP, THEY PUT IN MONEY IF WE PUT IN MONEY, BUT WE HAD A HARD TIME PUTTING OUR MONEY IN.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOND ALLOWED US TO DO WAS TO FRONT END LOAD THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTION SO THAT WE COULD ALL TOGETHER MOVE FORWARD FASTER.
AND SO THANK YOU RUSS, FOR LEADING US THROUGH THAT BOND.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
AND THANK YOU DR. PETERSON, FOR STANDING HERE TODAY WHERE WE GET TO BASICALLY PLANT THE FLAG AS WE RISE ABOVE THE TIDE WITH THE PARKS, WITH THE CITIES, WITH THE COUNTY, WITH THE FEDS WORKING TOGETHER IN OUR SHIPS OF SAFETY, OUR SHIPS OF HOPE, AND OUR S***S OF PROSPERITY.
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A BLESSING TO BE HERE TODAY.WELL, GOOD MORNING, UM, GOOD MORNING.
AND, UH, I AM SO GLAD TO BE WITH ALL OF YOU HERE THIS MORNING.
AND, UH, HAVE JUST ENJOYED LISTENING TO OUR PARTNERS ACROSS THIS COMMUNITY, UH, TALKING ABOUT WHAT THIS, THIS MOMENT, THIS CELEBRATION TODAY, UH, REPRESENTS.
AND, UM, I WON'T SPEAK TOO LONG EITHER 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE ALL EXCITED TO CUT THAT RIBBON.
BUT I DO WANNA SAY, UM, I'M SO PROUD TO REPRESENT THIS COMMUNITY IN CONGRESS AND THIS MORNING SHOWS US WHY, BECAUSE THIS COMMUNITY WORKS TOGETHER SO WELL.
AND THIS IDEA THAT WE ARE ALL PARTNERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR DECADES IS WHAT HAS MADE THIS MORNING POSSIBLE.
AND SO I'M REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL.
I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, COLONEL VALE'S COMMENTS.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS WHEN I GO TO WASHINGTON IS I TELL EVERYBODY THERE THAT WE ARE ONTO SOMETHING IN HOUSTON.
THAT THE WAY THAT WE WORK, THE WAY WE WORK TOGETHER, I REALLY THINK IS SPECIAL.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING THIS MORNING IN THIS INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTY WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, ALL OF THE AFFECTED CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY, THE COUNTY, UH, PRECINCTS, AND SO MANY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AFFECTED BY THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND WE HAVE INCREDIBLE PARTNERS IN THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
AND I REALLY WANNA TAKE A MINUTE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT SINCE THE 1980S TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
EVERYBODY AT HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL EVERYONE IN THE COUNTY, ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I SEE THEM HERE WITH US TODAY, WHO'VE BEEN ADVOCATING, WHO'VE BEEN FIGHTING, WHO'VE BEEN THINKING CREATIVELY AND CONSTRUCTIVELY ABOUT HOW WE TACKLE ONE OF OUR MOST CHALLENGING PROBLEMS. AND I DO WANNA TAKE A MOMENT BEFORE HE RETIRES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO COMPLETION BY AN EXTRAORDINARY PARTNER IN COLONEL VALE.
AND WE'RE SO SAD THAT HE WILL BE LEAVING THE GALVESTON DISTRICT SOON, BUT HE WILL NOT BE LEAVING US, UM, A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN WHO HAS SHEPHERDED THIS PROJECT TO ITS END.
UM, BECAUSE HE DOES THINK CREATIVELY, HE DOES UNDERSTAND AND GET THE CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF US AND WORKS CONSTANTLY TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN OVERCOME THOSE CHALLENGES.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS A VERY HOUSTON THING.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO PROUD TO REPRESENT THIS COMMUNITY AS I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES ARE WHO CAN'T BE WITH US HERE TODAY IN PERSON.
UM, BUT THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FOR OUR AREA HAS WORKED FOR A LONG TIME, SINCE LONG BEFORE I WAS ELECTED, UM, TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THE FEDERAL SHARE, THAT WE'RE PARTICIPATING AND BRINGING THOSE FUNDS HERE OF THIS $480 MILLION PROJECT THAT WILL IMPACT AND TOUCH SO MUCH OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IN PARTICULAR, THE SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WHICH INCLUDES SO MANY OF THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND THE, UM, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCTS THAT ARE TOUCHED THAT WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY HEARD OF.
UM, THESE ARE HUGELY IMPORTANT ISSUES TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION HAS WORKED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THESE FUNDS AND THAT WE PARTNERED WITH THE ARMY CORPS AND THAT WE ADDRESSED SOME OF THE BIG HURDLES IN OUR WAY.
AND WE JUST, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A BETTER EXAMPLE IN CONGRESS THAN OF PROJECTS LIKE THIS WHERE WE ALL COME TOGETHER, WHERE WE IDENTIFY WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE AND WHERE WE THINK CREATIVELY TO ADDRESS THEM AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY GET WHAT THEY DESERVE AND WHAT THEY NEED.
AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT.
IT'S A HUGE MILESTONE HITTING THIS COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT.
BUT AS THE JUDGE SAID SO ELOQUENTLY, THERE'S STILL SO MUCH WORK TO DO.
AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT THE PROJECTS WE HAVE IN THE WORKS WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL, WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PROJECTS LIKE THE BUFFALO BIO AND TRIBUTARIES RESILIENCY STUDY, AND THE WORK THAT THAT WILL REPRESENT IN TERMS OF FLOOD REDUCTION ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA, ACROSS THE REGION, UH, THAT THE COASTAL, UH, STUDY PROJECT, UH, WHICH SHOULD BE AUTHORIZED IN THIS YEAR'S WORD, A UM, I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL SEE THAT MOVING FORWARD.
BUT TO GET THE MONEY TO GET IT DONE TAKES A LOT OF WORK AND COLLABORATION.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CELEBRATING THIS MORNING, IS THAT COLLABORATION, THAT WORKING TOGETHER, THAT COMING TOGETHER FOR A COMMON PURPOSE.
AND I REALLY BELIEVE, AND I'M SO PROUD TO GO BACK TO WASHINGTON AND TELL PEOPLE THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE TO BRING US TO THIS MOMENT TODAY.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM OUR ERUDITE AND ELOQUENT FRIEND, UH, THROUGH THE BOX,
[00:35:02]
CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN, FORMER JUDGE AL GREENWELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER KAGEL FOR THAT WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION.
UH, JUST TO BE SURE THAT I'M HEARING YOU, WOULD YOU KINDLY GIVE COMMISSIONER KAGEL A BIG EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION FOR ME? SURE.
UH, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE PARTNERS AND, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THE PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR A WHILE NOW, NEARLY 20 YEARS I THINK.
AND, UH, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHEN ALL OF THE PARTNERS HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH.
UH, WE ARE VERY PROUD TO HAVE DELIVERED FUNDS TO THIS PROJECT.
UH, THROUGH MY OFFICE, WE BROUGHT IN MORE THAN $90 MILLION FOR FLOOD CONTROL IN THIS AREA.
BUT THE MESSAGE HERE TODAY REALLY IS ONE OF, WE CAN STILL DO BIG THINGS IN TEXAS.
WE DEVELOPED A SHIP CHANNEL AND BECAUSE WE DEVELOPED A SHIP CHANNEL, WE HAVE MITIGATED FLOODING ACROSS THE LENGTH BREADTH OF THE AREA.
BUT THE VALUES RAISED, THEY ALL FLOW INTO THE SHIP CHANNEL AND THEY NEEDED THE WIDENING, THE 21 MILES OF IT.
UH, WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BRIDGES ARE REPLACED.
WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THE MONEY AND TO GET THIS JOB DONE.
SOME $480 BILLION, ALMOST A HALF, HALF TRILLION DOLLARS IN THIS PROJECT, FOUR $80 MILLION, ALMOST A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN THIS PROJECT.
WITH THIS KIND OF MONEY COMING IN.
WE CAN GET THESE KINDS OF THINGS DONE.
AND I THINK THAT ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO'VE COLLABORATED TOGETHER, I'M NOT THERE WITH YOU, BUT I CAN SURE HEAR YOU IF YOU'LL GIVE OURSELVES A BIG HAND FOR WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND FINALLY, THIS JUDGE HIDALGO, I THINK HE SPOKE SO WELL.
SO DID THE MAYOR, SO DID COMMISSIONER ELLIS, UH, COMMISSIONER KEGEL.
AND OF COURSE, I'M SAD TO SEE THE, UH, THE COLONEL LEAVING US, BUT, UH, HE WON'T BE FAR.
BUT, UM, I, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS, Y'ALL SPOKE WELL, BUT, UH, THE COUNTY JUDGE SAID SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, ELABORATE ON.
SHE SAID THAT THIS, UH, THIS PROJECT WAS DONE, BUT THERE IS NO SILVER BULLET.
THERE IS NO ONE SILVER BULLET.
WE'VE GOTTA DO MANY THINGS TO MITIGATE BLOOD CONTROL IN THIS AREA, BUT THERE IS A SILVER SOLUTION.
AND THAT SILVER SOLUTION WILL BE THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE BRING BACK TO MAKE THESE OPPORTUNITIES BECOME A REALITY.
I AM PROUD OF THE DELEGATION THAT WE HAVE OF MS. GARCIA IS A HARDWORKING CONGRESSPERSON.
CONGRESSWOMAN JACKSON LEE, CONGRESSWOMAN FLETCHER.
WE PLAN TO BRING YOUR DOLLARS BLACK BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY SO THAT OUR DOLLARS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO AND THE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE TRUST THAT YOU ARE, UH, FOR THIS MONEY.
UH, JUDGE, MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, CITY COUNCIL PERSONS, YOU'RE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR DOLLARS.
NO SILVER BULLET, BUT THE SILVER SOLUTION IS GONNA BE BROUGHT BACK SO THAT WE CAN GET THE JOB DONE.
GOD BLESS YOU, GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
WHAT A, WHAT A TREAT TO HAVE THE CONGRESSMAN WE'LL HEAR FROM FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN.
AND I FIRST HAVE TO SAY, WHEN I SAW YOU WALK UP, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SONG THAT SAYS YOU WALK LIKE THE BOSS.
UH, SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT'S ME, BUT I CERTAINLY SAW YOU WALK UP AND YOU WALK LIKE THE BOSS.
AND I AM VERY, VERY, UH, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOUR STELLAR AND STEADY LEADERSHIP.
I AM A COUNCIL MEMBER, CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT D, WHAT I CALL THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
AND CERTAINLY THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I REFER TO MY DISTRICT IN THAT MANNER.
I HAVE THE AWESOME, AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE TWO WONDERFUL CONGRESS PEOPLE, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE OF THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WHO IS NOT WITH US HERE TODAY.
SHE'S HERE IN SPIRIT ALWAYS BECAUSE SHE'S EVERYWHERE.
IF YOU KNOW THAT CONGRESS, MY CONGRESSWOMAN, AND CERTAINLY THE CONGRESSMAN THAT YOU JUST HEARD FROM AL GREEN, WHO ALSO IS OVER SOME OF THE AREAS THAT I REPRESENT.
AND SO I'M SO VERY THANKFUL FOR HIM AND THEM, AND CERTAINLY I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
IT, IT SPEAKS TO HOW IMPORTANT WORKING TOGETHER IS BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ALONE.
AND SO THIS FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT IS CERTAINLY GOING TO BENEFIT MY ENTIRE DISTRICT D AND I WANTED COUNCIL, UH, CON COMMISSIONER ELLIS TO HEAR SOME ACCOLADES THAT I WANT TO SPEAK FOR HIM.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS BEING TAPED,
[00:40:01]
YOU KNOW, WE PLAY A LOT, BUT I WANT HIM TO SINCERELY KNOW THAT I THANK HIM FOR HIS PARTNERSHIP IN THIS DISTRICT.IF YOU HAVE GONE IN FRONT OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND GONE DOWN CLEBURNE, YOU SEE THE WORK OF THE COMMISSIONER.
IF YOU HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE FROM 45 TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, YOU SEE THE WORK OF THE COMMISSIONER ON YESTERDAY.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL OCCASION AT THE TOM BASS PARK WHERE THERE WAS A DEDICATION OF AN ART PIECE FOR GEORGE FLOYD AND I, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY WAS TRYING TO GET IT IN THIRD WARD, THIRD WARD, GEORGE FLOYD.
BUT AS I REFLECTED, I REALIZED THAT GEORGE FLOYD IS A PART OF THE WORLD AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY SIT THERE AND REFLECT SO THAT WE CAN DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
AND SO, I KNOW THE MAYOR JOKED ABOUT TAKING THE TREES, BUT I WAS GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT WE MAY HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING HERE BECAUSE IT'S SO, SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE HERE BECAUSE IT'S SO COOL.
I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T PROMISE THAT AT ALL TIMES, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD PLACE TO MEET.
THANK YOU DOREEN, FOR BEING HERE.
THE HERMAN PARK CONSERVANCY AND ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE COME OUT TO PARTNER AND CERTAINLY THE, THE COMMISSIONER SPOKE ABOUT THE DIVERSITY AND THE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, AND I APPRECIATE THE JUDGE ALSO TRANSLATING, YOU KNOW, BUT ONE THING THAT WE CAN SEE IN COMMON, WE CAN SEE THE NEEDS AND THE BEAUTY OF THIS WONDERFUL PROJECT.
THE, THE AESTHETICS AND CERTAINLY THE NEED.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT THESE ARE TIMES THAT PARTNERSHIPS ARE SO VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THE DIVISIONS, WITH ALL THE DIVISION, ALL OF THE DIVISIONS, WE HAVE TO STOP BEING DIVISIVE AND BE DECISIVE ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE BECAUSE THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHO THIS IS FOR.
AND I WILL BE SO GLAD WHEN WE CAN STOP THE FLOODING, BUT OF COURSE THAT COMES FROM GOD.
BUT HE ALSO GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND CERTAINLY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME OUT TO CELEBRATE THIS RIBBON CUTTING.
AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
UM, I'M VERY PROUD TO BE HERE WITH OUR COUNTY AND OUR CITY AND OUR FEDERAL LEADERSHIP TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENT.
AND SO NOW WE'RE GONNA WALK OVER HERE BETWEEN THESE LOVELY TREES AND, UM, RECOGNIZE THIS MOMENTUMS OCCASION.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR JOINING US TODAY.