* 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. [00:00:21] WELCOME TO CITY [City Pulse] PULSE. I'M TRAVIS LEMONS HERE TO SHARE SOME RECENT HIGHLIGHTS OF MARI SYLVESTER TURNER SPREADING POSITIVITY AT A PARK, OPENING HOUSTON AND THE UNITED NATIONS ARE PRESERVING A PIECE OF HISTORY, AND WE'LL HEAR FROM MICHAEL HECKMAN, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HOUSTON. FIRST, BEFORE WE GET TO ALL OF THAT, WE TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE LOCAL ART GALLERY, WINTER STREET STUDIOS, WHERE A FIRE BROKE OUT ON JANUARY 22ND. OVER 100 ARTISTS WERE AFFECTED, BEING NO STRANGER TO DISASTER. HERE'S HOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS HELPING THESE ARTISTS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET. I WANT TO SAY TO EACH AND EVERY ARTIST AFFECTED AND IMPACTED BY THE FIRE HERE AT WINTER STREET STUDIO, THAT I AM SO, SO SORRY, UH, FOR WHAT HAPPENED. IN FACT, WHEN I HEARD ABOUT IT AND THEN CERTIFY ON TV, IT WAS, UM, FOUND MYSELF IN A STATE OF DISBELIEF. IT IS WITH AN OPEN HEART THAT I AM HERE TODAY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS CONTRIBUTING $250,000 TO THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND FOR ARTISTS AFFECTED BY THE WINTER STREET STUDIO TRAGEDY. I WANT TO ISSUE A CHALLENGE TO ALL OF US, AND I WANT US TO COLLECTIVELY MATCH THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION TO SUPPORT THESE ARTISTS. WHEN THE BOMB WENT OFF, IT EXPLODED THE DOOR OUT, AND SO IT WAS PULLING OXYGEN FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THE FIRE WAS FEEDING DOWN THE CORRIDOR. SO MUCH HAS BEEN LOST IN TERMS OF WORK PRODUCT, IN TERMS OF EQUIPMENT, IN TERMS OF STUDIO SPACE. WHILE THIS $250,000 DONATION IS GOING TO GO A LONG WAY, THAT THERE IS STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE AND MORE SUPPORT REQUIRED. AND SO WE HOPE THAT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO BE GENEROUS AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT AND, AND HELP US HELP THE ARTS COMMUNITY BE RESILIENT. THERE'S NO OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS A PROGRAM LIKE THE ONE AT HAA, THE DISASTER SERVICES PROGRAM AND YOUR DONATION TO THIS FUND HELPS US BE A BETTER CITY AND HELPS US SUSTAIN THIS WORK. THE ARTISTS AFFECTED BY THIS DISASTER, UH, THEY PRODUCE THEIR LIVELIHOOD HERE. SO WE ARE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENTREPRENEURS, NOT JUST CREATIVES THAT ARE OPERATING A, A, A HOBBY SPACE OR SOMETHING THAT, THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THEIR PASTIME. THIS IS HOW THEY PAID THEIR BILLS AND PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE. SO EVERY DONATION REALLY COUNTS TO ALL THE ARTISTS WHO ARE THE VICTIMS OF THIS TRAGIC FIRE IN WINTER STREET STUDIO. THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. UH, YOU WILL GET BACK ON YOUR FEET. I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. YOU WILL, WILL HAVE YOUR CREATIVE SPACE AGAIN TO GET BACK TO YOUR LIVELIHOOD BECAUSE ARTISTS ARE VITAL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND I AM PROUD TO SAY HOUSTON HAS SOME OF THE WORLD'S FINEST ARTISTS LIVING RIGHT HERE AMONGST US. SO HOUSTON IS HERE FOR YOU AND AS YOU HAVE BEEN FOR THIS CITY, MAYOR TURNER AND HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, CHANCELLOR CESAR MALDONADO RECENTLY SIGNED A NEW THREE-YEAR EMS TRAINING AGREEMENT AT HCCS NORTHEAST COLLEGE. THE AGREEMENT WILL FURTHER THE CURRENT FOCUS ON RESILIENCY TRAINING. UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON PARTNERED WITH A CCA NEW RESILIENCE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE AND OPERATION TRAINING FACILITY. SO I'M VERY MUCH EXCITED TOO ABOUT THAT CHANCELLOR MAD NADO. AND WE SIGNED THAT MOU CREATING A PATH FOR A CC. TODAY WE ANNOUNCE THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT. WE'RE GONNA TRAIN AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN IN THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN, AND WE ASK THE CITY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE. AND TODAY WE ARE TAKING ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT STEP THROUGH A COLLABORATION THAT ALIGNS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ACCS RESILIENT STRATEGIES BY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL TRAINING OPTIONS TO MEET OUR PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS. ESTABLISHES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A CC TO ADD TRAINING CAPACITY FOR OUR EMT CERTIFICATION NEEDS. UH, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED 350 RECRUITS PER YEAR. UH, THIS PARTNERSHIP INCLUDES CAPACITY TO TRAIN EMT AND PARAMEDIC APPLICANTS BROADEN THE POOL OF QUALIFIED APPLICANTS AND INCREASES THE PIPELINE OF CERTIFIED EMTS TO BE ABLE TO BRING, UH, THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE ONLINE AS AN ADDITIONAL TRAINING RESOURCE FOR THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. IS IS SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICAL FOR OUR, NOT ONLY OUR SURVIVAL, BUT RESILIENCE. SO TOGETHER THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HCC, UH, WE ARE [00:05:01] BUILDING A STRONGER GROUP OF FIRST RESPONDERS WHICH BENEFIT NOT ONLY THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO ALL HOUSTONIANS 2.3 MILLION, WHO ONE DAY MAY HAVE TO CALL 9 1 1 FOR AN EMERGENCY FOR THEMSELVES OR A LOVED ONE UNITED TO CONFRONT THE CRISIS OF GUN VIOLENCE. HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS SPOKE THESE WORDS AT A GUN BUYBACK EVENT WHERE MANY RESIDENTS CAME OUT TO SAFELY GET RID OF THEIR FIREARMS. THE TURNOUT FOR TODAY'S GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM IS ANOTHER REMINDER THAT PEOPLE WANT A SAFE PLACE TO GET RID OF THEIR FIREARMS. NO QUESTION WAS ASKED. THERE'S SOME WHO WOULD SAY WHEN THE LINES ALONG. THAT'S A PROBLEM IN SOME WAYS, WHEN THE LINES ALONG, THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE IT MEANS MORE PEOPLE WANNA BRING THESE GUNS IN. EVERYONE STANDING HERE IS A CRIME FIGHTER. WE'VE UNITED TO CONFRONT THE CRISIS OF GUN VIOLENCE. WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN WITH TAKING EVERY ACTION CONCEIVABLE THAT WE CAN THINK OF. EARLIER THIS MONTH, WE STOOD IN FRONT OF THE STOP THE GUN VIOLENCE MURAL AT WORTHING EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL. AND TODAY WE ARE TAKING ANOTHER GIANT LEAP TO STOP THE VIOLENCE AND STOP ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING. BUT I AM NOT GOING TO STOP FIGHTING UNTIL GUNS ARE OUT OF THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS WHO WANT TO DO US HARM. GUN BUYBACKS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO SAFELY REMOVE UNWANTED GUNS FROM THEIR HOMES AND MAKE THEIR COMMUNITY SAFER. THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TODAY WILL CERTAINLY GET A COUPON VOUCHER, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THEY ARE HELPING US BY TAKING GUNS AWAY FROM THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING STOLEN OR MISUSED. THE CITY COUNTY PARTNERSHIP IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO REMOVING UNWANTED FIREARMS AND MAKING OUR COMMUNITY SAFER. NEXT ON CITY PULSE, A NEW PARK THAT DOGS AND COFFEE LOVERS WILL ENJOY. I'LL EXPLAIN AFTER THE BREAK. INVASIVE SPECIES LIKE GIANT SALVINIA AND ZEBRA MUSSELS CAN TRAVEL FROM LAKE TO LAKE ON YOUR BOAT. SO CLEAN EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN IN THE WATER AND I MEAN EVERYTHING. THANKS FOR HELPING TO PROTECT THE LAKES YOU LOVE. I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE SO SAD. YOU'VE GOT A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD. YOU GOTTA STOP WITH THAT DEPRESSION STUFF. THAT'S A WHITE PEOPLE THING. YOU ALRIGHT? IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT'S COMING COMPLETELY. DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT IT? YOU CAN TALK TO ME IF YOU'RE FEELING SAD WHENEVER YOU NEED TO TALK. I'M HERE. OKAY. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'VE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION? IT'S THE FEELING YOU GET IN YOUR GUT. THE ONE THAT TELLS YOU WHAT'S RIGHT OR WRONG. IT'S THE VOICE INSIDE YOU THAT SAYS, I'M BUZZED BETTER LEAVE THE CAR WHEN IT'S TIME TO GO. BUZZ DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WATCHING CITY PULSE SINCE THE START OF THE YEAR. YOU KNOW, WE TEASED AN INTERVIEW WITH HOUSTON FIRST, MICHAEL HECKMAN IN OUR PREVIOUS EPISODE. WE'LL WAIT NO LONGER. HE SAT DOWN WITH GARRETT HODDLE OF THE PODCAST ARCHITECTS TO TALK ABOUT HOUSTON FIRST ROLE AFTER THE PANDEMIC. WE ARE TALKING WITH MICHAEL HECKMAN, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE HOUSTON CORPORATION. MR. HECKMAN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AND THE HOUSTON CORPORATION? I KNOW THAT'S A BROAD QUESTION. YEAH. BUT FOR THE PERSON SITTING AT HOME, IT MAY SOUND A LITTLE WONKY. YEAH, SURE. SO, I I I TRY TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS I CAN. SO HOUSTON FIRST IS ORGANIZED AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION SET ASIDE FROM THE CITY, BUT REALLY WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MARKETING THE CITY FOR VISITORS, TOURISTS, MAJOR EVENTS, UM, CONVENTIONS, TV AND FILM PROJECTS. WE ALSO RUN, UH, FACILITIES THAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD KNOW, LIKE THE GEORGE R, BROWN CONVENTION CENTER, JONES HALL, MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, WORTHHAM CENTER. UH, WE ALSO OWN THE HILTON AMERICA'S HOTELS. WE HAVE A REALLY BROAD SET OF RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT, BUT BOILING IT DOWN INTO SOMETHING REAL SIMPLE, WHICH IS TO SELL MARKET AND PROMOTE HOUSTON, UH, THE ECONOMY OF HOUSTON. RIGHT. AND ONE THING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU FIRST CAME IN HERE WAS, UH, WHAT, WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE AGENDA TODAY, GOING FROM ZOOM MEETINGS TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS. THE PANDEMIC CHANGED EVERYTHING. HOW HAS YOUR CORPORATION AIDED IN, SAY, THE ECONOMIC, UH, RECOVERY AND AND DEVELOPMENT HERE IN THE CITY AS RECENTLY? REALLY IT WAS TO GET PEOPLE BACK MOVING AGAIN. ONCE, ONCE THE, THE AUTHORITIES AND THE GOVERNMENT SAID THAT, THAT PEOPLE COULD MOVE AROUND AGAIN AND START GATHERING AGAIN. UH, BECAUSE THE, THE, THE PANDEMIC REALLY DID HAVE, HAVE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON WHAT WE DO. WE'RE ABOUT PEOPLE GATHERING, TRAVELING, HOTEL STAYS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BUT REALLY, UH, THE, THE VISITOR ECONOMY FOR HOUSTON IS A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR, UM, ENTERPRISE FOR, FOR THIS CITY. IT EMPLOYS THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, NOT NOT ONLY AT HOTELS, BUT AT RESTAURANTS, THE WHOLE HOSPITALITY COMMUNITY AS [00:10:01] A WHOLE. AND SO OUR JOB AT HOUSTON FIRST IS TO CREATE VALUE, IS TO BRING PEOPLE HERE, HAVE THAT RIPPLE EFFECT THROUGHOUT THE ECONOMY, UH, UH, OF, OF CREATING ECONOMIC IMPACT, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UH, UH, AN EVEN HEALTHIER ECONOMY THAN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY. AND AS WE RECOVERED FROM, FROM THE PANDEMIC, THAT TOOK, THAT TOOK A LOT OF HARD WORK AND A LOT OF, UH, EXECUTING AGAINST SOME STRATEGIES THAT WE NEVER REALLY THOUGHT WE'D HAVE TO EMPLOY BEFORE, BUT THEN DID TO COME OUT OF THE, COME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC. THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING. DO YOU HAVE A RECENT PROJECT THAT HOUSTON FIRST MAYBE PARTICIPATED OR YOU FIND INTERESTING OR SAID, HEY, THIS HAD A BIG IMPACT THAT YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT? OR MAYBE THAT HELPS CONVEY WHAT YOU GUYS DO TO THE PERSON SITTING ON THE COUCH? SURE. SO I I I'M NOT SURE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD THINK THAT INTUITIVELY KNOW THAT THIS IS HOW IT WORKS, BUT, UM, UH, I THINK PEOPLE PROBABLY KNOW THE SHOW TOP CHEF, RIGHT? IT'S AN EMMY AWARD WINNING SHOW. UM, THEY FILMED THEIR 19TH SEASON HERE, UH, IN HOUSTON, AND WE WERE INVOLVED IN HELPING RECRUIT AND GET IT HERE AND THEN ULTIMATELY HELP THEM MOVE AROUND THE DESTINATION, UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WENT TO BUILD THEIR STORYLINE AND ARCHITECTURE. AND REALLY THAT BECAME FOR US, UH, UH, REALLY 16 EPISODES OF A COMMERCIAL FOR, FOR HOUSTON AS A DESTINATION. YOU'LL HEAR MORE FROM HECKMAN ON A FUTURE EPISODE OF CITY PULSE, OR YOU CAN VISIT HTVS YOUTUBE PAGE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW. NOW FROM HOUSTON, FIRST TO HOUSTON HISTORY, THE UNITED NATIONS CULTURAL AGENCY, UNESCO HAS HONORED SEVERAL AFRICAN AMERICAN LANDMARKS IN HOUSTON AS PART OF ITS SLAVE ROUTE PROJECT. THE SLAVE ROUTE PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING HISTORY AND TELLING THE PAINFUL TRUTH ABOUT THE DARK PATH OF SLAVERY AND HOW IT HAS AFFECTED AND IMPACTED THE WORLD. EMANCIPATION PARK, OLIVE WOOD CEMETERY, FREEMAN'S TOWN, ANTIOCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, UH, TWO RUTHERFORD, BH JAKES MUSEUM PROPERTIES, THE REVEREND NED PULLUM AND EMMETT EDDIE PULLUM HOUSE AND THE WORKMAN'S CO COTTAGE BARBERSHOP BEAUTY SHOP MUSEUM, AND THE MIDDLE PASSAGE PORT OF GALVESTON, TEXAS HAVE ALL RECEIVED LETTERS DESIGNATING THEM BY UNESCO AS SITES OF MEMORY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SLAVE ROUTE PROJECT. THIS IS A PROUD MOMENT FOR NOT JUST AFRICAN AMERICANS. THIS IS A PROUD MOMENT FOR ALL OF US, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE GOT HERE. WE ARE HERE NOW. MAYOR TURNER'S PROUD OF THIS PRESTIGIOUS HISTORIC DESIGNATION. YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE HE LIKES? VERSATILITY. A NEW PARK IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON CATERS TO ALL AGES AND DOGS TOO. WELCOME TO THE BEAUTIFUL NEW TREMBLEY PARK DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS PARK, IT FULFILLS THAT MISSION OF HAVING A PARK WITHIN 0.5 MILES OF WHERE PEOPLE LIVE. THIS PARK PROVIDES ENDLESS ACTIVITIES WITH ITS MULTI-SERVICE AMENITIES FOR ALL RESIDENTS, OFFICE WORKERS AND VISITORS, BOTH TREMBLEY PARK AND TWO SUITES. VISUAL APPEAL AND TRANQUILITY ARE CAR STOPPING ATTRACTION. I HAVE SOME HOT DOGS HERE. TREMBLEY MEANS THREE TIMES AS MUCH, AND IN THIS CASE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THREE TIMES AS MUCH FUN TODAY. SO WE HAVE SOME DOG TREATS. WE ALSO HAVE SOME CAPPUCCINOS. DISCOVERY GREEN, AS YOU KNOW, LIKE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. BUT IT'S NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE TWO BLOCKS OR A BLOCK AWAY TO WALK TO. SO IT'S WONDERFUL. AND THEN THE ADDITION OF TOOT SWEET. IT'S GONNA BE AMAZING. I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PARK BEING OPEN. IT'LL BE A GREAT PLACE TO COME. GRAB A BITE, GET A SNACK, GET A COFFEE, BRING THE DOGS TO A NICE DOG PARK. I LOVE THIS. I LOVE THE COOL GAMES, THE SET, SUPER COOL, SUPER LIKE JUNGLE GYM, LIKE SUPER FUN PARKS OF THE LIVING ROOM, UH, TO ALL OF OUR, IN MANY WAYS, TO ALL OF OUR HOMES, THE DESTINATION SPOTS, AND WE NEED MORE PARKS AND THEN NOT JUST MORE PARKS, BUT YOU WANT VERY NICE PARKS. THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF CITY PULSE. I'LL BE BACK WITH MORE INTERESTING STORIES. NOT TO SAY THE STORIES ON THIS SHOW WEREN'T INTERESTING, IT'S, OH, NEVERMIND. UNTIL NEXT TIME, BE KIND AND DO BETTER. * 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.