* 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. [Press Conference: "Northpark Drive Overpass Groundbreaking] [00:00:24] THE NORTH PARK DRIVE EXPANSION GROUNDBREAKING. WE'VE ONLY BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, 20 YEARS, BUT IT'S REALLY SINCE 2015. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE OF THIS, BUT THIS ORIGINALLY STARTED AS A PROJECT TO EXPAND KINGWOOD DRIVE. AND KINGWOOD AT THE TIME WAS RATED AS THE SECOND MOST CONGESTED AND, UM, STREET THAT HAD SIGNIFICANT REPAIR WORK THAT NEEDED. I THINK THE TWO THINGS THEY USED, IT WAS, UH, CONGESTED AND CONSTRUCTION NEEDS. AND WE SLOWLY REALIZED AS WE STARTED DOING, AS THE TOURIST BOARD STARTED DOING THE RESEARCH, THAT THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND KINGWOOD DRIVE WOULD BE MET WITH SOME RESISTANCE BECAUSE OF THE GREAT BEAUTY OF THE TREES AND THE CANOPY THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE MOVE FROM 59 69 ON INTO THE LIVABLE FOREST. SO AT THAT TIME, UH, MAYOR TURNER HAD JUST TAKEN OFFICE AND WE SAID, WHAT IF, WHAT IF WE TOOK THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FROM THE CITY AND MOVE IT FROM KINGWOOD DRIVE OVER TO NORTH PARK? THE REASON WHY NORTH PARK, IT WAS THE FIFTH MOST CONGESTED AND DANGEROUS STREET IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THE REASON WHY IT WORKED, IN MY OPINION, UH, PRETTY WELL, WAS AS YOU SEE, WE DON'T HAVE TREES AND WE DON'T HAVE A CANOPY OF BEAUTY THAT WELCOMES US TO A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE AN UGLY DRAINAGE DITCH. SO WHEN THIS PROJECT HAS FINISHED, YOU'LL HAVE A NICE CANOPY OF TREES AND THERE'LL BE A WARM WELCOMING INTO THE LIVABLE FOREST THAT THE NORTH PARK TRIBE DRIVE PROJECT IS GONNA GIVE US, AND THAT WE AND THE PEOPLE IN KINGWOOD TRULY DESERVE. UM, COMMISSIONER MATT, UM, GRAY, RAISE YOUR HAND. MATT. MATT'S BEEN ON DUTY SINCE WHAT, NOVEMBER. AND, UM, AND HE'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNER FOR US TO WORK WITH. WE'RE STANDING IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND WE'RE DOING A PROJECT IN CITY OF HOUSTON, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO GET THROUGH WAS HOW DO WE ALLOCATE RESOURCES THAT ARE PAID FOR BY TAX DOLLARS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR A PROJECT THAT IS ACTUALLY IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. SO WHEN MATT CAME ON BOARD, HE WAS A, A GREAT PARTNER FOR US IN MAKING SURE HE WAS A GUY THAT ALWAYS STOOD UP AND SAYS, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN VERSUS HOW DO WE KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING? SO OUR INDEBTEDNESS GOES TO MATT GRAY AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, THAT HE WORKS WITH. BUT GETTING BACK TO THE SUBJECT OF THAT, WE HAD TO GO THROUGH MAYOR TURNER. AND MAYOR TURNER WAS THE ONE THAT MADE THE DECISION BECAUSE THE BENEFIT OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE PEOPLE IN KINGWOOD. SO THE ALLOCATIONS OF FUNDS WAS EASY TO MANEUVER FROM KINGWOOD OVER TO NORTH PARK. SO, UM, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT, UH, MADE THIS PROJECT HAPPEN. FIRST OF ALL IS MAYOR SYLVETA TURNER, WHO'S BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL. IF YOU SAW THE PRESS RELEASE THAT WAS RELEASED FROM THE CITY, THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IN KINGWOOD IN OVER 20 YEARS. THE LAST ONE WAS THE BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS KINGWOOD TO ATAS CASITA OVER WESTLAKE HOUSTON PARKWAY. BUT WE HAVE TWO OF MY COHORTS ON CITY COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON, WHO HEADS UP OUR TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. DAVID'S BEEN, DAVID AND SALLY HAVE BOTH BEEN WITH THIS PROJECTS FROM DAY ONE. DAVID IS A COUNCIL MEMBER. SALLY WAS THE FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF OF COUNCIL MEMBER STEVEN COSTELLO. AND, UH, VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US MOVE THIS FORWARD. JEFF NIELSEN, WITH THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE. HE IS THE, UH, I GUESS THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE INTERIM CHAIRMAN. AND, UH, AS WE SAY INTERIM CHAIRMAN, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY THAT STAN SARON HAS GIVEN US TODAY. I, I MEAN, THIS PROJECT WOULDN'T HAVE GONE ANYWHERE WITHOUT STAN, DEFINITELY, AND, UH, I CAN FEEL HIM AND I CAN FEEL HIS PRESENCE HERE TODAY. HE WAS NOT ONLY A WONDERFUL MAN AND A BRILLIANT ENGINEER, BUT HE WAS A GENTLEMAN THAT HAD DRIVE AND DETERMINATION. AND BECAUSE OF HIM, WE'RE STANDING HERE TODAY, TOM BROAD WITH THE TAX INCREMENTS REINVESTMENT ZONE, BILLY BEATTY WITH THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, ALSO THE CFO FOR HUMBLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, DR. MARTIN BESSEL DUA TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, AND ANDY ENSS, UH, PERSONAL SURGEON , PHIL PHILIP IVY, TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE. MIKE VOES. MIKE IS WITH HNTB. HNTB HAS BEEN ON THIS WITH US FOR, UH, [00:05:01] THE ENTIRE WAY. AND THIS JOURNEY STARTED WITH HNTB AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE FINISHED. SO AS I EXIT STAGE RIGHT IN LITERALLY EIGHT MONTHS FROM NOW, IF YOU HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRAFFIC, DON'T CALL ME. CALL MIKE . AND THEN I INTRODUCED, UH, COMMISSIONER GRAY, BUT ALSO ANDY ICKEN. UH, ANDY ICKEN IS THE CHIEF, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS HERE, UM, KNOW HOW FAR WE'VE COME WITH THIS PROJECT. WE HAVE SOME FOLKS FROM CHARLES CUNNINGHAM'S OFFICE, CYNTHIA CALBERT FROM CHARLES'S OFFICE, AND, UH, CASEY CHRISMAN FROM THE HOUSTON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, FORMERLY WITH DAN PUBERTY'S OFFICE. SO I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO THE MAYOR IN JUST A MINUTE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE MAYOR CHARGES WITH DOING WHEN WE CAME TO HIM WITH THIS PROJECT, THE COST HAS ESCALATED TREMENDOUSLY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF MATERIALS, BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED DURING HURRICANE HARVEY, QUITE FRANKLY. SO WE, WE BECAME AN ISLAND. WE COULDN'T GET PEOPLE OUT, WE COULDN'T GET RED CROSS IN HERE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE MAYOR CHARGED US WITH DOING AS WE'RE GONNA DO A ROAD THAT IS AN EVACUATION ROAD, AND THE EVACUATION PROJECT THAT PROVIDES TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SAFETY. YOU KNOW, OUR BIGGEST CONCERN IS ALWAYS, HOW DO YOU GET FIRE TRUCKS FROM THIS SIDE OF WESTLAKE HOUSTON? WELL, SORRY, 59 ACROSS THE WAY TO LONE STAR, TO THE HOSPITAL THAT'S OVER THERE, MAYOR, CHARGE US WITH RAISING THE ELEVATION OF THE ROAD OUTSIDE OF THE FLOODPLAIN. MAKES PERFECT SENSE, BECAUSE PEOPLE KNOW DURING HURRICANE HARVEY, WE COULDN'T GET ANYWHERE IN KINGWOOD. WE COULDN'T GET PEOPLE OUT, WE COULDN'T GET PEOPLE IN. SO THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT FOR US TO DO. SO NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE OVERPASS THAT'S GONNA FLY OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS, OUR BIGGEST CONCERN WAS WHAT IF, WHAT IF THERE'S A MAJOR FIRE AT LONE STAR? WHAT IF THERE WAS A MAJOR FIRE AT THE HOSPITAL? HOW DO WE GET STATION 1 0 1? HOW DO WE GET ANY EMERGENCY VEHICLES FROM THIS AREA ACROSS THE WAY TO SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES? WE COULDN'T DO IT IF THERE WAS A TRAIN GOING DOWN THE TRACK. MY BIGGEST FEAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN WE HAVE A NORTH SOUTH TRACK. ONE OF THESE DAYS, HOPEFULLY LONG FROM NOW, THERE'LL BE A SOUTH NORTH TRACK THAT RUNS PARALLEL TO THIS ONE, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT THE RAILROADS RUN THE UNITED STATES. SO A GREAT PARTNER FOR US IN THIS MAYOR TURNER. AND MAYOR, YOU'VE BEEN VERY GOOD TO THIS AREA, VERY GOOD POST HARVEY. THIS AREA COULD HAVE TAKEN TWO DIRECTIONS. WE COULD HAVE GONE DOWN THE DIRECTION OF, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE GOT A TOUGH, TOUGH BLOW THAT WAS DEALT TO US, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA LIVE WITH IT. OR WE COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. WE TOOK THE SECOND PATH, AND WITH YOUR HELP WITH THE PURCHASING OF LAND, $7 MILLION IN THE ELM GROVE AREA, AND THE FOLKS THAT FLOODED IN THAT AREA WITH ALL THE REINVESTMENT PROJECTS, WITH THE DREDGING, WITH YOUR COMMITMENT NOW TO THE GATE PROJECT, UM, THE PHONE CALL THAT YOU MADE THAT NOBODY ELSE KNOWS, BUT I IN YOUR OFFICE THAT DAY WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE THAT PROJECT WASN'T GETTING ANY TRACTION, AND YOUR INFLUENCE WITH THE HOUSE AND WITH THE FOLKS THAT RUN AROUND THAT BODY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. YOU HAVE EIGHT MONTHS TO GET MANY, MANY PROJECTS DONE AS WELL, BUT, UM, WE, THE PEOPLE OF THE LAKE HOUSTON AREA APPRECIATE YOU AND WE, THE PEOPLE OF KINGWOOD, APPRECIATE YOU WHEN WE ONE DAY GET ALL THESE CARS MOVING IN AND OUT OF THIS AREA. SO THANK YOU, SIR. THANKS. LET ME, LET ME START OFF BY, BY THANKING, UH, THE MAYOR PRO TIM. UH, HE'S BEEN VERY GRACIOUS IN HIS COMMENTS, UH, THIS MORNING, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT HE'S, AS YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL ON THIS PROJECT PROJECT, UH, FROM DAY ONE, HE MENTIONED, UH, 2015, MY NOTES SAY 2012, UH, BUT HE'S BEEN, HE'S BEEN BIRD DOGGING THIS PROJECT FROM DAY ONE. UM, MUCH OF WHAT YOU, WHAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE OUT HERE IS BECAUSE OF HIS LEADERSHIP, UH, HIS ATTENTION, HIS FOCUS, UH, HIS COMMITMENT, UH, TO THIS ENTIRE AREA, TO HIS DISTRICT. SO IF YOU WILL JOIN ME AND THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE MARTIN. HE MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE, UM, EIGHT MONTHS LEFT. UM, IT'S EIGHT AND A HALF MONTHS. THANK YOU, MAYOR . UH, EVERY DAY MATTERS. EVERY DAY COUNTS. UH, SO EIGHT AND A HALF MONTHS. UM, AND, UH, I WOULD SAY TO YOU, THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS A [00:10:01] WHOLE, UH, MYSELF, THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AREA, ALONG WITH YOUR OWN COUNCIL MEMBER, MAYOR PROTO, DAVE MARTIN. SO I WANT TO, I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AGAIN AND THANK, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVE ROBINSON, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, UH, FOR THEIR COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO THIS PROJECT, IF YOU ARE JOINING, THANKING THEM AS WELL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK LOOK, I, I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TODAY. UH, TO THE, TO THE, TO THE TURS BOARD, TO ALL OF THE MEMBERS, TO THE COMMISSIONER. UH, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU ALL. I CAN REMEMBER SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UH, AT THE TOWN HALL MEETING THAT WE HAD, WE DISCUSSED THIS PROJECT AND THE EXPANSION OF THE TIMELINE FOR, FOR THE TURS IN ORDER TO, TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE. SO I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE TURS BOARD FOR THEIR COMMITMENT AND FOR THEIR DE DEDICATION. UH, WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON THIS, UH, I GUESS YOU CAN SAY MOMENTOUS MOMENT, UH, FOR OVER A DECADE. THE NORTH PARK DRIVE EXPANSION PROJECT IS A TREMENDOUS FEAT, UH, AS THE FIRST, AS DAVE INDICATED, THE FIRST MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IN DISTRICT E SINCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WESTLAKE HOUSTON BRIDGE BETWEEN KINGWOOD AND ATCA CEDAR, WHICH WAS COMPLETED OVER 20 YEARS AGO. AND MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN HARRISBURG OFF THIS PROJECT, HE HAS BEEN IN MY OFFICE MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES, UH, ON THIS PROJECT, UH, COMMITTED TO MAKING IT HAPPEN. UH, AND I KNOW TODAY, UH, HE IS VERY, VERY PROUD PERSONALLY, AS WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THIS AREA, FOR SEEING THIS PROJECT REALLY MOVING FORWARD. UM, AND I'M SURE YOU'LL BE HEARING A LOT MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT IN THE VERY, IN THE NEAR FUTURE. UH, I COULD NOT AGREE MORE WITH MAYOR PRO TIMM MARTIN. UH, HIS REMARKS ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROJECT, THIS IMPROVES ROADWAY, UH, WITH ABOVE GRADE RAILROAD CROSSING, WILL NOT ONLY SERVE AS AN EVACUATION ROUTE, BUT WILL EASE THE GROWING TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN OUR AREA AS MORE AND MORE FAMILIES FIND, UH, OUR WAY TO OUR GREAT CITY. UH, TODAY, I HAVE A PEN ON THIS, AND, AND THE, AND THE FOCUS IS ON RESILIENCE. AND YOU CAN EITHER BILL, UH, BACKWARDS OR BILL FOR YESTERDAY AND YOU FAIL. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT WE, WE SPEND OUR MONEY WISELY AND BILL TO THE FUTURE. QUITE FRANKLY, IT MADE A LOT OF SENSE, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMISSIONER, UH, FOR THE CITY TO BE UTILIZING THESE DOLLARS, UH, RIGHT HERE FOR THE BENEFIT OF SO MANY HOUSTONIANS AND QUITE FRANKLY, SO MANY IN THE REGION. UH, THIS IS A TRUE COLLABORATION AND GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE PHENOMENAL WORK, UH, THE LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS ACCOMPLISHING FOR ITS COMMUNITY. AND THANK YOU TO THE LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, UH, FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING KINGWOOD AND TO YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER. AND AGAIN, I WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE, ESPECIALLY TO THE PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESSES OUT HERE IN KINGWOOD. UH, WHEN IT DOES COME, STORMS REMIND US, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE IN CASE PEOPLE NEED TO EVACUATE. IT NEEDS TO BE HERE IN CASE THE RAILROADS ARE COMING. AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES NEED TO GET TO A CERTAIN PLACE. THERE NEEDS TO BE, UH, SUCH A INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN, EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN GET WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. AND THIS PROJECT, I THINK, IS A PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE. I'M GLAD THAT IT'S HAPPENING, EVEN THOUGH, UM, I WON'T BE MAYOR WHEN IT'S BUILT. UM, UM, MAYBE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WILL STILL BE AROUND IN SOME CAPACITY. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME OUT HERE THIS MORNING. SAID THERE. THANK YOU. YOU'RE A GOOD MAN. THANK YOU. I FORGET TO, UH, FORGOT TO, UH, RECOGNIZE A COUPLE PEOPLE. UH, MY PARTNER IN CRIME AND ALL THIS. JESSICA BEAMER. YEAH, SO, AND DUSTIN HODGES, MY DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, BUT ALSO, UH, THE BULLDOG, RIN KAO, UH, WITH CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW'S OFFICE. UH, RIN HAS BEEN WITH US THICK AND THIN, AND, UH, HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER FOR US TO WORK IN. SO, KARIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR US EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND MARK ARNOLD, WHO GUIDES US AS OUR ATTORNEY ON THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE. AS I VENTURE OFF INTO SUBJECTS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA, MARK THROWS THAT FISH LINE OUT AND TRIES TO REEL ME IN A LITTLE BIT. SO, UH, MARK DOES A GREAT JOB DAY IN, IN DAY OUT. AND NOW, UM, PHILIP NIELSEN, THE INTERIM, CEO, JEFF, JEFF, WHAT'D I SAY? PHILIP IVY. PHILIP IVY, JEFFREY NIELSEN. SO WE HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, PHILIP WAS DOING IT FIRST AFTER STAN PASSED AWAY, AND THEN JEFF JUMPED UP AND VOLUNTEERED. BUT, UH, [00:15:01] JEFF NIELSEN, THE INTERIM CEO OF THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. SO JEFF, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR REFERENCE. THANK YOU, SIR. I'LL KEEP MY REMARKS BRIEF JUST BECAUSE THE MAYOR AND, UH, AND, UH, MAYOR PRO TE PRETTY MUCH COVERED ALL THE IMPORTANT POINTS. UM, AS THE INTERIM CHAIR FOR THE TOURS BOARD, I JUST WANT TO REALLY THANK ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS FOR THEIR HARD WORK OF PATIENCE ON, ON THIS PROJECT. UH, AND, AND, AND ALSO KIND OF RECOGNIZE ALL THE, ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD A HAND IN THIS TOO. 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT IS A MAJOR PROJECT. IT WAS A BIG UNDERTAKING. AND IT'S NOT JUST CONSTRUCTION. THERE WAS FINANCE, THERE WAS THE, YOU KNOW, MARK ARNOLD WITH THE, THE LEGAL ASPECTS. THERE WAS A, A PURCHASING OF, OF A RIGHT OF WAY THAT HAD TO BE DONE. PERSONALLY. I WORKED ON THE PROJECT FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS. SEVERAL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WERE HERE BEFORE ME AND WERE WORKING ON IT BEFORE THAT. UM, AND IT'S, WHEN I FIRST SAW THE PROJECT, I WASN'T SURE THAT I'D BE AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO SEE IT HAPPEN, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE WORKING WITH FIVE DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TEXDOT, AND THEN, UH, SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD, ALL OF WHICH HAVE THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, ISSUES WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM. BUT WHEN YOU PUT 'EM ALL TOGETHER, IT'S A, IT'S A DAUNTING TASK. AND TO BE, AT THIS POINT NOW AS EARLY AS WE ARE, UH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT AND A GREAT REFLECTION UPON NOT JUST THE TOURS BOARD, BUT MAYOR TURNER, MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN, FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK ON THIS AND EVERYBODY THAT HAD A HAND IN IT. SO, THANK YOU ALL TO, TO, TO EVERYBODY THAT DID THE BEHIND THE SCENES WORK TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. UM, AND THEN I ALSO WANNA REFLECT OR, OR GO BACK ON, UH, WHAT, UH, MAYOR PROTA MARTIN HAD SAID ABOUT STAN SARM. AND I DON'T THINK ENOUGH CREDIT COULD BE GIVEN TO SIT, UH, TO STAN. I KNOW HE WANTED TO BE HERE FOR THIS, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, HE'S NOT WITH US ANY LONGER, BUT HIS HARD WORK, UH, AND WORKING WITH, UM, RALPH DELEON, UH, THOSE TWO PUT IN MORE WORK ON THIS BEHIND THE SCENES THAN I THINK PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY ELSE. SO I WANTED TO GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT. I I TRULY, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT STAN IS LOOKING DOWN, SMILING, AND SEEING THIS PROJECT, UH, GETTING READY TO START OFF. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE, TO THE DAY WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY CUTTING THE RIBBON TO OPEN UP THE ROAD TO TRAFFIC. SO, MAYOR PRO TEMP, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DEBORAH. THANK YOU, JEFF. LET'S, UH, LET'S GO DO SOME GROUNDBREAKING AND LEMME ME MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING. YOU KNOW, EVERY THURSDAY, EVERY THURSDAY I MEET WITH THE MAYOR AT NINE O'CLOCK, AND IT'S A DONUT THURSDAY. EVERY THURSDAY WE FORCE A MAYOR TO HAVE A DONUT. SO MAYOR, WE GOT TWO DOZEN DONUTS FOR YOU TODAY TO HONOR THIS, AND I HOPE YOU EAT EVERY DAMN ONE OF 'EM. . SO, WHERE'D YOU GET THE DONUTS? YEAH, WE GOT 'EM FROM DUNKING DONUTS. DDE, DDE. NOT, NOT MY, UH, MY USUAL, BUT ANYWAY, LET'S DO THIS. THANKS. EVERY THANKS EVERYONE. AND, AND BOB, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU'VE BEEN A STALWORTH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. CHRIS, SAME THING WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, IT'S PEOPLE THAT, UH, LIKE BOB AND CHRIS THAT KEEP US GOING AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THE RIGHT THING. SO I WANTED TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU BOTH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE WORK TO DO. AND IF, UH, MR. FLICKINGER COMES BEHIND ME AND FINISHES UP WHAT WE STARTED, THAT'S GREAT. BUT WE NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMITTED TO KEEP THIS GOING BECAUSE THE VERY LIVELIHOOD OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS PREDICATED UPON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, THE GATES PROJECTS, CONTINUOUS DREDGING, AND DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE PRESENTLY DOING TODAY. SO LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THANK YOU. * 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.