* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. LET'S GET STARTED. CAN, [00:00:01] CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME [Press Conference: "Mayor Turner Tours Beamer Apartments Storm Damage"] OKAY? WELL, A STORM CAME THROUGH ON, ON YESTERDAY AND, UH, THE DAMAGE IS JUST ALL THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST AREA. UM, LEMME JUST START OFF BY, JUST BY SAYING THAT, UH, UH, I HAVE TALKED TO THE MAYOR OF DEER PARK, TALKED TO THE MAYOR OF PASADENA AND OFFERED TO THEM, UH, WHATEVER SUPPORT THE CITY OF HOUSTON CAN PROVIDE WHATEVER THAT THEY NEED, UH, JUST TO LET US KNOW. AND WE WILL, WE WILL PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE, UH, THAT WE CAN AND WE CAN TO THEM. UH, CITY OF HOUSTON HAS BEEN IN, WELL, SEVEN FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. SO, UH, UH, WE WANT TO BE AS HELPFUL, UH, TO OUR CITIES, OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES AS AS POSSIBLE. UH, I WILL SAY TO YOU THAT THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ALSO REACHED OUT. UH, JULIA RODRIGUEZ, WHO'S OVER THE WHITE HOUSE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, UH, REACHED OUT, UH, THIS MORNING, KIND OF WANTED TO GET AN ASSESSMENT OF, OF, UH, WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH IN THE REGION. UH, TOLD HER ABOUT THE IMPACT ON, ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, AS WELL AS DEER PARK AND PASADENA. AND THEY MAY HAVE ALREADY REACHED OUT TO THEM ALREADY. UM, AND AS I'VE SAID TO CHIEF UNI, UH, WITH THE, UH, THE CHIEF OF THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, ONE OF, UM, UH, REACHED OUT TO THE FEMA AND FEMA HAS REACHED OUT. I THINK, UH, UH, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, AT LEAST WANT TO WANT TO GET THEM ON THE GROUND TO JUST TAKE THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT. I KNOW THERE'S A CERTAIN DAMAGE THRESHOLD THAT WE ALL HAVE TO REACH, UH, BUT, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE DISPLACED ALREADY AND THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE THAT WE SEE, YOU KNOW, I SIMPLY WANT TO GET FEMA ACTIVATED ALREADY AND FOR WHATEVER SYSTEMS THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE, ESPECIALLY TO FAMILIES WHO'VE BEEN, WHO'VE BEEN DISPLACED. UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WITH ALL OF THE DAMAGE, THE PROPERTY DAMAGE THAT WE ARE WITNESSING, JUST LIKE AT THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX, UM, NO ONE, NO ONE WAS KILLED, AND VERY FEW INJURIES, UH, A FEW PEOPLE HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED FOR ANY MEDICAL CARE OR TREATMENT. THAT'S A BLESSING IN AND OF IT IN AND OF ITSELF, AS YOU ALL CAN SEE, UH, THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX HAS BEEN DESTROYED. UH, AND THE VERY FACT THAT, UH, THE TORNADO, FOR EXAMPLE, CAME THROUGH, UH, WHAT ABOUT, LET'S SAY BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR, AND NO, NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. IT IS JUST, IT'S JUST MIRACULOUS. WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL. YEAH, LOOK, GOD, LOOK, GOD IS GOOD. AND, UH, BUT IT'S NOTHING SHORT OF BEING MIRACULOUS. UH, ALL OF THE PEOPLE AT THIS POINT, UH, ARE OUT OF THIS FACILITY. IT IS JUST NOT HABITABLE. UM, CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK THE, THE, THE MANAGEMENT AND THE OWNER OF THIS FACILITY FOR ACTING VERY QUICKLY. WANT TO THANK, UH, THE CITY'S TEAM, POLICE AND FIRE, AND OTHERS WHO, WHO WERE HERE LAST NIGHT, UH, UH, TO ASSIST IN GETTING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, OUT OR NOT ALLOWING MANY PEOPLE TO COME BACK IN. UM, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, PROVIDING SECURITY TO THESE UNITS BECAUSE PEOPLE HAD TO LEAVE. UM, BUT MOST OF THEIR POSSESSIONS ARE STILL INSIDE. SO, UH, UH, WE'LL BE PROVIDING ADDED SECURITY FOR, FOR, FOR THESE FACILITIES, FOR THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE, UH, THAT THEIR, THAT THEIR STUFF IS BEING PROTECTED. AND THEN, UH, FOR THOSE WHO ARE COMING IN, UM, GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE THERE ARE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND WE DON'T WANT ANYONE, UH, INJURED TO TRY TO COME BACK AND COLLECT. SO, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO DO THAT ON A, ON A CASE BY CASE, UH, BASIS. IN TERMS OF DEBRIS REMOVAL, YOU KNOW, UH, SOLID WASTE IS HERE. DIRECTOR WIL FALK. I KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE IN KINGWOOD, UH, IN THAT GULF PALMS AREA, THERE'S SOME DEBRIS THAT WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT, MAKING ASSESSMENTS. AND DISTRICT D COUNCIL MEMBER CAROL, CAROLYN, EVAN SHABA IS HERE. SAGEMONT AREA, UH, UH, KIRKLAND, UH, THOSE ARE AREAS WHERE WE WILL MAKE, WHERE WE'RE MAKING ASSESSMENTS ALL OVER IN TERMS OF DEBRIS REMOVAL. AND THEN WE'LL TRY TO MOVE VERY QUICKLY IN ADDRESSING, IN ADDRESSING THAT SITUATION. UM, AS YOU KNOW, LAST NIGHT, WE, UH, THE ACT, WE ACTIVATED THAT EMERGENCY SHELTER, UH, IN THE, UH, UH, DEER PARK, PASADENA AREA, AND SOME OF THE FAMILIES INDIVIDUALS, ABOUT 25, ABOUT ABOUT 50 WERE TAKEN OVER THERE. BUT MOST OF THE PEOPLE, UH, SOUGHT SHELTERS SOMEPLACE ELSE, EITHER WITH FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS, UH, ON THEIR OWN. BUT EVENTUALLY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO NEED ASSISTANCE, AND THAT'S WHY I WANT PEOPLE ON THE GROUND TO DO AN ASSESSMENT. BUT LET ME STOP JUST RIGHT HERE, BECAUSE FIRST, LET ME BRING UP, LET ME BRING UP CHRIS BUTLER, UH, BECAUSE, UH, [00:05:01] HIS TEAM HAS BEEN OUT HERE KIND OF DOING A STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT AND HE CAN SPEAK TO THIS PARTICULAR FACILITY. SO, CHRIS, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ON SITE. WE HAVE, UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OWNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE ALL BEEN RELOCATED. WE'RE NOW IN THE MODE OF DOING DEBRIS CLEANUP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OWNERS. WE WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE OWNERS THAT THEY CALL OUR STRUCTURAL DEPARTMENT TO REQUEST A STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT OF THE PROPERTIES. RIGHT NOW, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THE DEBRIS, HELP THEM WITH THE DEBRIS CLEANUP, WE SECURE THE PROPERTIES, AND THEN GET READY FOR THAT DAMAGE ASSESSMENT SO THAT WE CAN DETERMINE WHAT REPAIRS NEEDED TO DO SO THAT PEOPLE CAN RETURN TO THEIR HOMES. THANK. AND LEMME JUST QUICKLY ADD, THERE ARE ABOUT TWO APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT WE ARE CONCERNED WITH. THIS ONE, I THINK THERE ARE ABOUT 324 UNITS OR SO. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER ONE ON, UM, I REMEMBER GONNA SAY DEN LIN CURLING. YES, SIR. OKAY. KIRKLAND. AND I THINK THERE ARE ABOUT 40 UNITS THAT WE, THAT WE ARE ASSESSING AS WELL. NOW, IN TERMS OF POLICE AND FIRE, THEY WERE ON THE, THEY WERE OUT HERE LAST NIGHT, SO LET ME FIRST BRING UP CHIEF PENA, UH, FOR HIS TEAM. THEY WERE OUT HERE MAKING, MAKING THEIR OWN ASSESSMENTS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I'D LIKE TO FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THE, UH, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT POLICE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS METRO DID LAST NIGHT TO QUICKLY RESPOND TO THIS, THIS AREA. IT WAS A WIDE AREA THAT WE WERE, UH, LOOKING AT. WE HAD, UH, NEARLY 200 FIREFIGHTERS THAT, UH, CONVERGED OUT HERE TO QUICKLY DO AN ASSESSMENT AND, UH, AND A PRIMARY SEARCH OF THESE, OF THESE FACILITIES. AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THERE WERE OVER 300, UH, UNITS THAT NEEDED TO BE SEARCHED LAST NIGHT. WE DID COMPLETE OUR PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY SEARCH LAST NIGHT. WE WILL BE OUT AGAIN TODAY TO CONDUCT A, A THIRD SEARCH TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THAT WE DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING. UH, VISIBILITY WAS BAD LAST NIGHT, BUT, UH, JUST WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT, UH, THAT THIS INCIDENT DIDN'T OCCUR AT A DIFFERENT TIME OF DAY. IF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED AT NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE WERE IN THEIR HOMES, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A, A DIFFERENT RESULT. SO, UM, VERY FORTUNATE, AND AGAIN, KUDOS TO THE SCHOOL. YOU SEE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, THE, THE TORNADO HIT AROUND, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR, AROUND TWO 30, THE SCHOOL LETS OUT. SO THEY WERE VERY, UH, PROACTIVE, I THINK, IN, UH, IN ENSURING THAT NONE OF THE CHILDREN WERE, WERE HURT. AND VERY FORTUNATELY THAT, UH, WE ONLY HAD FOUR PEOPLE THAT WE TRANSPORTED WITH MINOR INJURIES YESTERDAY. AND, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, HERE REMAINING TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS, UH, FOR RECOVERY. SO, THANK YOU. THANK CHIEF OPINION CHIEF CENTER. THANK YOU. HPD. THANK YOU. JUST WANNA SAY HELLO TO EVERYBODY AND, UH, MAYOR, HIT IT. WE'RE BLESSED IN, IN THE CITY TODAY, AND, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DESTRUCTION AND, UH, WE WALKED THROUGH WITH THE, UH, NEWS TEAMS JUST FOR NO MAJOR INJURIES, NO DEATHS. UH, I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE GRATEFUL. BUT, UH, I WAS ONCE IN A, IN A FAMILY THAT LIVED FROM CHECK TO CHECK, AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME PEOPLE HERE THAT'S LIVING THAT WAY, SO I JUST WANT TO, THE MESSAGE TO THEM AND THEIR LOVED ONES. OKAY. BECAUSE WHEN YOU LEAVE OUT, YOUR BELONGINGS ARE STILL IN THERE, BUT IT'S STRUCTURALLY UNSAFE, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH EVERYBODY. IF YOU GOT MEDICINE AND IT'S TRULY A, AN EMERGENCY, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET YOU IN. BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU SO YOU CAN HAVE SOME SENSE OF SECURITY AND A LITTLE BIT OF EASE OF THE STRESS. UH, WE'RE GONNA BE OUT HERE THROUGHOUT THE BUILDINGS ARE SECURE. NOBODY'S GONNA GO IN AND, AND TAMPER WITH ANYTHING. OKAY? WE'RE GONNA DO THAT ORDERLY WITH THE OWNERS, AND THEY'VE BEEN GREAT. I WANT TO ALSO THANK ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS VOLUNTEERS. THERE IS AN INFORMATION CENTER THAT'S AT THE, UH, GOSPEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. CHURCH IS JUST IN THIS BLOCK. UH, WE ASK THAT DON'T COME OVER ON THE PROPERTY TOO MUCH. WE HAVE THE DESK, THE INFORMATION DESK SET UP OVER THERE, METRO, THANK 'EM. I THINK SOME BUSES SHOULD BE ARRIVING HERE SHORTLY. UH, WE'LL ACCOMMODATE. BUT, UH, JUST REST ASSURED, WE'RE GONNA BE OUT HERE TO CONTROL TRAFFIC AND, UH, WE WILL NOT HAVE ANYBODY TAMPERING WITH PROPERTY OUT HERE. THANK Y'ALL. AND I, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THEIR POSSESSION, SOME, UH, IN THESE UNITS AND THEY WANT GET TO IT, MANY OF THEIR CARS WERE DAMAGED. SO WE WANT TO, WE JUST WANTED TO ASSURE PEOPLE THAT, LOOK, WE ARE HERE TO WORK WITH YOU. WE ARE SENSITIVE TO THAT. UH, IF YOUR TRANSPORTATION WAS AFFECTED, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I'LL BE TALKING TO METRO AND SO WE, ANYBODY WHO'S TRANSPORTATION WAS AFFECTED, WANNA MET, TALK TO METRO ABOUT PROVIDING JUST FREE TRANSPORTATION TO THEM ON METRO TRANSIT SO THAT THEY WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING FROM POINT A TO POINT B. SO WE'LL DO THAT. LEMME NOW CALL UP CHIEF, UH, BUNI FROM THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. GREAT. UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR AUTHORIZING ALL THE, UH, CITY RESOURCES THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE, UH, LAST NIGHT. SPECIAL THANKS FOR THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. CHIEF PINA ALREADY COVERED IT. THEY DID THEIR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SEARCHES UNDER SOME PRETTY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT [00:10:01] WAS FULFILLING, UH, RESOURCE REQUESTS THAT WERE NEEDED AT AT, AT THE SCENE. UM, UH, HPD DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB, PUBLIC WORK, SOLID WASTE METRO, AND SPECIAL THANKS TO THE RED CROSS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. AND I DO WANT TO THANK THE RED CROSS AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY WERE, WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH THEM LAST NIGHT AND THEY RESPONDED LAST NIGHT. SO, AND I, THEY WERE RESPONDING ALL OVER THE AREA FROM DEER PARK TO PASADENA, HOUSTON. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM. UM, AND THEN LET ME BRING UP THE, UH, THE APARTMENT OWNER. MS. STA, I THINK IT'S SISTER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO, TO ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS HERE AT BE POLICE, NOT JUST HERE, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND PASADENA AND DEER PARK AND OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. BUT I REALLY WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR BEING HERE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TORNADO HIT. THEY HAD BOOTS ON THE GROUND. AND THIS, THIS PROPERTY WAS IN GOOD HANDS SINCE THE MOMENT THEY, THEY STEPPED IN. WE HAD MOUNTED PATROL. WE HAVE HPD WHO KEPT, UH, A GOOD WATCH AROUND THE PROPERTY ALL NIGHT LAST NIGHT. THEY'VE BEEN HERE SINCE, UM, EARLY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. AND, YOU KNOW, I DEFINITELY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN COOPERATING AND UNDERSTANDING AND, AND BEEN VERY PATIENT THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH. IT'S TERRIBLE. I MEAN, THIS STORM THAT HIT NOT JUST HERE AT BEAMER PLACE, BUT AROUND OUR CITY, HAS BEEN REALLY TERRIFYING. SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE THROUGH THROUGHOUT UNTIL, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE PROPERTY REBUILT AT SOME POINT. UM, WE HAVE COMMITTED TO THAT. WE'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES, UM, TO MAKE SURE OUR FIRST, UH, RESPONSIBILITY IS SAFETY AND WE'RE FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF THE CITY AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THE AUTHORITIES TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS SAFE. SO, THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR, YOUR BEING HERE AND UNDERSTANDING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THEN LEMME JUST SAY IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE, THIS COMPLEX, UH, ALL OF THE AFFECTED AREAS IN THE CITY WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. SO, UM, THERE'S DEBRIS OUT THERE, SO DIRECTED FOOT WE OFF IF YOU'RE JUST COMING TO TELL US HOW WE ASSESS IT. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. UH, JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, OUR SOLID WASTE TEAM MEMBERS THAT ARE OUT ASSESSING THE AREA. NOW, NOW THAT DAYLIGHT IS HERE, WE'RE ABLE TO GET A CLEARER PICTURE OF THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT LIES AHEAD OF US. WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL BE HANDLING ALL OF THAT, THE REMOVAL OF ALL OF THAT MATERIAL BY OURSELVES, OR IF WE WILL BRING IN SOME OF OUR CONTRACTORS THAT THE MAYOR HAS AUTHORIZED US TO USE. SO WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION AS THE DAY ROLLS ON OUR TEAM IS OUT THERE. NOW, I EXPECT AN UPDATE FROM OUR TEAM WITHIN THE NEXT 10 TO 15 MINUTES OF, UH, WHAT WE'LL START. BUT I DO WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED, UH, ASSESSING THE AREA AND WE'LL, WE'LL START SOME REMOVAL IN SOME AREAS AS EARLY AS TODAY. THANK YOU. YO, WE WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE SOME TIME AND FOR EXAMPLE, TO TAKE WHATEVER PICTURES THEY NEED FOR THEIR OWN INSURANCE PURPOSES. UM, AND THEN WE WILL MOVE VERY QUICKLY ON THE DEBRIS REMOVAL. LET ME JUST SAY, UH, THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO ON THIS. UM, WE'VE BEEN AT IT BEFORE, SO WE KNOW WHAT WE SHOULD DO NEED TO DO AND HOW QUICKLY TO DO IT. AND SO WE'LL MOVE VERY, VERY QUICKLY. BUT WE, LET ME JUST REMIND PEOPLE, UH, MAKE SURE YOU, YOU TAKE PICTURES AND, UH, WHATEVER YOU NEED SO THAT, UH, FOR YOUR OWN INSURANCE PURPOSES OR, UH, FOR FEMA DOWN DOWN THE ROAD. NOW LET ME, UH, WE IN THE, WE ARE IN DISTRICT D, UH, WHICH IS, WAS IMPACTED. SO LET CALL 'EM ON THE COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCILMAN CAROLYN. MS. SHA BOSS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I CERTAINLY KNOW THAT WE CANNOT CONTROL ACTS OF GOD, BUT WE MUST STAY PREPARED AND WE MUST STAY VIGILANT. I WANT TO THANK THE FIRST RESPONDERS. I ALSO WANNA THANK RESIDENTS THAT I'M SURE STEPPED IN TO HELP OTHERS BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY WERE ABLE TO GET THERE MUCH FASTER. MY OFFICE ALWAYS HAS AN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOUR TIMES SUCH AS THIS. SO PLEASE, WHEN YOU HEAR OF THESE EVENTS, PLEASE COME SO THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CAN, UH, GET THROUGH THESE EVENTS VERY SAFELY. AND SO THANK YOU TO ALL THAT ARE STANDING HERE AND WE STAY READY TO SUPPORT AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND THEN BEFORE I JUST, SHOULD I STOP TAKING ANY QUESTIONS AGAIN? UH, THE DAMAGE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS MINIMUM, YOU CAN SAY IN COMPARISON, UH, TO OTHER REGIONS. SO WE STAND READY TO ASSIST, UH, PASADENA DEER PARK AND WHATEVER THEY NEED THAT THEY THINK THE CITY CAN, CAN OFFER SUPPORT. SO I I I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE, EMPHASIZE THAT WE ARE ALL IN THIS, IN THIS TOGETHER. HAVING SAID THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO ANYONE? I I SPOKE TO SOME PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE WHO SAY THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY GUIDANCE YET ON WHERE THEY CAN STAY. FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NOWHERE TO STAY [00:15:01] TONIGHT, WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO AND HOW IS THE CITY HELPING THEM? WELL, I KNOW THE EMERGENCY SHELTER IS, IS STILL, IS STILL OPEN AND WE ARE PROVIDING, IF THEY NEED TRANSPORTATION THERE, WE ARE PROVIDING THAT TRANSPORTATION. SO WE ARE, WE ARE DOING THAT AS WE LOOK TO WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WILL, SHOULD, WILL BE, IS THERE A NUMBER THEY CAN CALL HOW TO SERVE THE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW? I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS, UH, THE INFORMATION CENTER AT THE CHURCH AND ALSO A COMMAND POST, UH, JUST ACROSS THE STREET IN THE PARKING LOT AT THE SCHOOL. IF YOU COME OVER THERE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE OUT HERE THROUGHOUT, UH, WHATEVER ASSISTANCE ANYBODY NEEDS, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS STILL DEVELOPING, UH, AND WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW, BUT WE CERTAINLY, UH, HAVE THE HELP THAT THEY, THAT THEY NEED. SO, UH, INFORMATION CENTER AT THE CHURCH OR, UM, THE COMMAND CENTER POST OVER THERE. OKAY. MAYOR, A MESSAGE FOR A LOT OF THE PEOPLE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, WHO, UM, THEIR LEGAL STATUS MIGHT SCARE THEM TO REACH OUT FOR HELP. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE? YEAH, LEMME MAKE VERY CLEAR, WE'RE NOT EVEN CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR LEGAL STATUS IF YOU WERE LIVING IN THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX AS YOU'VE RESIDE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. SO LET ME, LET ME SAY IN THE STRONGEST TERMS THAT I CAN DO NOT ALLOW YOUR LEGAL STATUS TO KEEP YOU FROM SEEKING HELP. OKAY? WE ARE HERE FROM, FOR YOU, UH, IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, I'M YOUR MAYOR, YOUR SPANISH SPEAKING, I'M , YOU KNOW, BUT I'M YOUR, I'M YOUR MAYOR. YOU, THIS IS YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS YOUR SOLID WA SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. UH, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, UH, AND YOUR FAMILY, YOUR CHILDREN ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF. SO THAT IS NOT, THAT IS NOT A QUESTION. NOBODY'S GONNA BE ASKING ABOUT YOUR LEGAL STATUS. NOW, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU SPOKE TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND YOU ALSO SPOKE TO FEMA, UH, THE PEOPLE WHOSE HOUSES, I MEAN, YOU JUST SAW SOME OF THOSE APARTMENTS. THERE'S, EVERYTHING'S GONE. DO YOU THINK THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO STEP IN TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE? WELL, THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I, I WANT FEMA AT LISA ON THE GROUND BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TOTALLY DISPLACED AND THEY CAN BE IN THE SHELTER FOR RIGHT NOW. BUT THE, THE QUESTION IS, WHERE DO WE GO NEXT? AND IF YOU'RE LIVING FROM PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE THE CREDIT CARD OR WHATEVER, THAT YOU CAN GO INTO A HOTEL. UH, OR YOU MAY NOT HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS WHERE YOU CAN STAY. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE ON PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, LIKE RIGHT NOW TO SEE WHAT SORT OF HELP THEY CAN PROVIDE PEOPLE SO THAT IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO, THEY KNOW WHERE THEY CAN BE IN THE NEXT WEEK, TWO TO THREE WEEKS FROM NOW, AND THE SHELTER'S GONNA STAY OPEN UNTIL THESE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO FIND A PLACE TO STAY. WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THAT. I, I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT ANSWER RIGHT NOW. I WILL HAVE THAT IN IN A FEW HOURS. WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT. UH, SO THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL, SO WE CAN LET PEOPLE KNOW JUST HOW LONG THE SHELTER WILL STAY OPEN. BUT, UH, I HAVEN'T BEEN IN THIS SITUATION FOR A WHILE, YOU KNOW, AFTER A FEW DAYS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHERE AM I GOING? OKAY, SO THE SHELTER IS ONLY A TEMPORARY STATE. UH, BUT WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO ASSESS WHAT IS, WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE BEYOND, BEYOND THAT. YOU HAVE ANIMALS THAT ARE INSIDE THE APARTMENTS. HOW CAN WE GET THEM OUT? I HAVE A SICK CAT. YOU HAVE AND I STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IN. RIGHT? IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T JUST COME, COME BACK AND TALK WITH US AND WE WON'T. WE WELL, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF YOU. I KNOW. WE'LL GET OUT. I MEAN, I'M SORRY, BUT I GOT A SICK CAT. I UNDERSTAND. I'M, I'M WITH YOU. I GET NO WATER, NO FOOD, WE DON'T TAKE CARE ALL Y'ALL RIGHT AWAY. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. JUST STAND RIGHT THERE AND JUST HOLD RIGHT THERE AND WE'LL TAKE CARE. DEPOSIT ON YOUR APARTMENTS. WHAT ABOUT THE HOLD ON, DEPOSIT. COMING BACK, WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE OWNER ON OUR DEPOSIT. WAIT, HOLD ON. WAIT A MINUTE. WAIT. WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU. OKAY? EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE, WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU. SO THE ORDER IS HERE AND I'M SURE SHE CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, UH, FOR YOU, OKAY? YES, MA'AM. I HEARD I WAS GONNA ASK WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR MANAGEMENT, BUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE LEASES RIGHT NOW FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED? OKAY. SO, RIGHT. IF THE, THE APARTMENT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT HABITABLE, RIGHT? THEN THOSE LEASES WILL BE TERMINATED IMMEDIATELY AND IF THEY HAVE A DEPOSIT, THOSE WILL BE REFUNDED. YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, LET ME, LET ME ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS WHO ARE HERE, HAVE CONCERNS. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE HERE TO ASSIST, OKAY? SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE FOR, FOR YOU, OKAY? THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANTED TO COME OUT AND SEE IT FOR MYSELF. OKAY? SO WE ARE HERE FOR, FOR YOU. WE KNOW THESE ARE TOUGH TIMES A LOT. I KNOW WE KNOW YOU GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS, A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UH, AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. OKAY? UH, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE TO ASSIST YOU IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. WE'RE NOT HERE TO, TO COME LOOK AT YOU AND THEN LEAVE YOU. OKAY? WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT. ALRIGHT? THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. LET ME THANK THE MEDIA. THERE ARE ALL OF YOU FOR THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING. OKAY? LEMME [00:20:01] THANK EVERYBODY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.