[00:00:01]
QUALITY OF LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY[Quality of Life & Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on April 26, 2023. ]
AND HOMELAND SECURITY JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING.I'M ROBERT GALLEGOS, CHAIR OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE.
IT'S NOW 2 0 6, AND I'M PLEASED TO CALL TODAY'S MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, LET ME START BY RECOGNIZING MY COLLEAGUES JOINING US TODAY, UH, BEGINNING WITH MY FELLOW CO-CHAIR, UH, UH, ABBY CAYMAN, UH, WHO CHAIRS THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, AMY PECK, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, COUNCIL MEMBER VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON.
UH, WE NOW ALSO HAVE STAFF FROM, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE MARTIN.
UH, WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER LATIA PLUMMER AND STAFF FROM SALLY ALCORN.
OH, AND WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, STAFF.
OH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE STAFF FROM EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE VIRTUAL.
AND WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS CIRO'S OFFICE AS WELL.
CHAIR CAYMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO OFFER A FEW OPENING REMARKS? UM, CHAIR, I'LL RESERVE MY COMMENTS BEFORE, UH, THE B-Y-O-B-Y-O-B PRESENTATION.
A REMINDER FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF EACH PRESENTATION.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZED, REMEMBER TO UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONE.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR THREE MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS HAVE ENDED.
NOW SWITCHING TO THE MEETING AGENDA, UH, TODAY THE JOINT COMMITTEE WILL RECEIVE TWO UPDATES FROM THE SADA WASTE DEPARTMENT ON MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL RECYCLING, AS WELL AS THE RUBICON PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
WE WILL ALSO HEAR FROM HPD AND A RA ON A PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO REGULATE BI BYOB ESTABLISHMENTS.
NOW LET ME INVITE OUR FIRST PRESENTER, UH, SOLID WASTE DIRECTOR, MARK OCK, TO JOIN US FOR THE FIRST PRESENTATION AS HE, AS HE MAKES HIS WAY UP.
LET ME JUST NOTE THAT DIVERTING WASTE BY CAPTURING MORE MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL RECYCLING IS CRITICAL TO OUR FUTURE HOUSTON.
CURRENTLY, HOUSTON CURRENTLY GENERATES 4.3 MILLION TONS OF WASTE, AND THAT NUMBER WILL INCREASE TO 5.4 MILLION TONS IN 2040 AT CURRENT RATES.
AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THIS WASTE, ABOUT 80%, COMES FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR AND MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.
AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR, OF THIS WASTE, ABOUT 80%, COMES FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
THESE CHALLENGES WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE LONG RANGE PLAN, AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SHARE CAYMAN FOR HER BUDGET AMENDMENT TO HELP DEVELOP AN ADVANCED SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR.
WE'RE READY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
IF YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AS WELL AS ANY MEMBERS OF YOUR TEAM JOINING YOU TODAY.
I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS THE, UH, DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, AND I'M ALSO JOINED BY OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, MS. VERONICA LAMA.
ALRIGHT, SO HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS MORNING OR THIS MORNING TRYING TO REWIND THE DAY FOR YOU ALL.
SO, UH, THIS AFTERNOON TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE, UM, WITH THE RRIC COMMITTEE AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF, UH, RECYCLING AND MULTIFAMILY HOMES, AS WELL AS GIVE YOU JUST A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR RUBICON ROUTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND JUST AS A RECAP FOR, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT CHARGE IS BASICALLY COORDINATING AND, AND THE, UH, SAFE AND EFFICIENT COLLECTION OF SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLABLE MATERIALS THROUGHOUT THE, THE CITY, THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, WHETHER WE DIRECTLY PROVIDE THAT SERVICE OR WHETHER WE, THAT SERVICE IS SPONSORED BY US OR CONTRACTED OUT, UH, THAT INCLUDES GARBAGE RECYCLING, UH, JUNK WASTE, HEAVY WASTE.
AND, UH, OF COURSE, WE ALSO HAVE SOME OF THE OTHER SUPPORT PROGRAMS, UH, THE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES AND VARIOUS EVENTS THAT WE HAVE AROUND THAT, THAT WILL OCCUR IN THE CITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE BOPA EVENT, UM, OTHER, OTHER, UH, UH, FACTORS SUCH AS THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT PROJECTS AND THE LITTER ABATEMENT PROJECTS AND WHATNOT.
SO, UH, JUST A LITTLE BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR DEPARTMENT AND OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
[00:05:01]
UM, MANY OF Y'ALL ARE, OR MANY FOLKS ARE AWARE THAT WE DO HAVE A LONG RANGE PLAN THAT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR ALL TO SEE ON OUR WEBSITE.UH, ENCOURAGE, ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO GO THERE AND TAKE A LOOK TO SEE, UH, SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, UH, TO ADVANCE SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, NOW, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS TO SEE IF WE CAN DEVELOP AN ORDINANCE OR AT LEAST GET SOMETHING UNDER CONSIDERATION THAT CAN HELP US ACHIEVE SOME OF THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES LISTED IN THAT LONG RANGE PLAN.
SO PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL, IT LOOKS LIKE, AND, AND THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, WE HAD, UH, THE RESOURCE RECOVERY AND IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE, UH, THAT MAYOR TURNER SUPPORTED THE DEPARTMENT ON.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT COMMITTEE WAS TO, UH, BASICALLY ASSEMBLE A, A CROSS SECTION OF, UH, BUSINESSES AND, AND FOLKS IN THE WASTE INDUSTRIES TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO IMPROVE RECYCLING AND COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY SECTOR OF THE MARKET.
HERE, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE THE PURPOSE OF IT LISTED OUT.
THEY REALLY FOCUSED ON, UH, REDUCING THE, THE AMOUNT OF WASTE THAT THAT'S BEING GENERATED FROM SEVERAL BUSINESSES AND, AND INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
BUT THIS RRIC COMMITTEE ALSO GAVE US A CHANCE TO EXCHANGE, EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND IDENTIFY CERTAIN TRENDS THAT EXIST AND THEN ACTUALLY MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS.
SO, YES, AT, AT TIMES WE WERE ALL IN THERE JUST TALKING TRASH AMONGST EACH OTHER, UH, AND, AND, UH, BUT MOST OF ALL SEE IF WE CAN DEVELOP SPECIFIC PROGRAM POLICIES AND THEN IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME FORWARD.
SO SOME OF THE PARTNERS THAT EXISTED, UH, THAT REALLY HELPED US OUT IN THIS, PROUD TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, MANY OF 'EM ARE LISTED HERE ON THE SCREEN, BUT IT WAS REALLY A, A GREAT KIND OF MEETING SOME OF THE NEW PLAYERS TO THE MARKET AS WELL AS GETTING THE, UH, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SOME OF THE EXISTING FOLKS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL TO HOUSTON.
AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU HAVE EXXON MOBIL, CHEVRON PHILLIPS, OUR CURRENT, UH, RECYCLING PROCESSOR, FCC, UH, WAS A PART OF THAT.
UH, MOONSHOT REALLY GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE AND LOOK AT THE BENEFITS OF ADDING SOME SORT OF ORGANIC COMPOSTING PROGRAM, UH, TO OUR LOCAL OR TO OUR CURRENT OPERATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT REPUBLIC.
SO, THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS WHO'VE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL, UH, IN THIS, UH, COMMITTEE.
AND WHAT THE OTHER WONDERFUL THING ABOUT IT, WE'LL COVER IT LATER ON DURING THE SLIDE, IS THAT THIS, THIS GROUP WANTS TO CONTINUE TO STAY ASSEMBLED SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MEET AND EXCHANGE IDEAS, AT LEAST ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, HOUSTON'S COMMERCIAL SECTOR AND MULTIFAMILY SECTOR.
SO, JUST A FEW INTERESTING STATS.
YOU KNOW, I ESTIMATED ABOUT FIVE OR 512 BILLION, UH, PER YEAR AS FAR AS THE VALUE IS CONCERNED.
UH, CITY EMPLOYMENT, ABOUT 300, 3.6 MILLION PEOPLE.
BUT SOME OF THE KEY INSTITUTIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, THE UNIVERSITIES, THE RICE UNIVERSITIES, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, AND THOSE INSTITUTIONS OF THAT NATURE ALL REPRESENT MAJOR VENUES ALONG WITH THE SPORTS VENUES AND, AND THE TWO MAJOR AIRPORTS.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO ACTUALLY DEVELOP OR IMPLEMENT AND REALLY, UM, UH, BRING FORTH NEW, UH, STREAMS TO PRODUCE RECYCLING AND, AND INCREASE THE WASTE DIVERSION THAT'S GOING TO OUR CURRENT LANDFILLS.
THIS SLIDE KIND OF ILLUSTRATES, UH, MORE ABOUT WHAT I JUST SPOKE ABOUT.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SOURCE OF WASTE THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MAJORITY OF IT IS COMING FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR AND ABOUT 18% FROM THE SINGLE FAMILY, UH, SECTOR SEGMENT OF THE, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE 15%, UH, ILLUSTRATED HERE ON THE SLIDE FOR MULTIFAMILY UNITS.
I CAN TELL YOU EACH YEAR THAT NUMBER IS GONNA INCREASE, AND WE'RE SEEING THE MULTIFAMILY SECTOR, UH, REALLY STARTING TO GROW AND DEVELOP AT A, AT A RECORD PACE.
SO NOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, IT'D BE NICE TO KIND OF GET OUT IN FRONT OF THIS BEFORE IT GETS TOO FAR DOWN THE ROAD, UM, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO REALLY CAPTURE SOME OF THE RECYCLABLE MATERIALS THAT ARE BEING GENERATED FROM A MANY OF THESE LOCATIONS.
AND AGAIN, KIND OF HELP IMPROVE, UH, OR REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE THAT'S GOING INTO OUR LANDFILLS.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE VALUE OF, OF, UH, TAPPING INTO THE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY SECTOR YOU HERE, UH, WHAT WE DID WAS WE OUTLINED AN AREA ABOUT 2.5 ACRES OF A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
[00:10:01]
ESTIMATE THAT IT WOULD GENERATE ABOUT 16 TONS OF RECYCLING PER YEAR.YOU KNOW, HOWEVER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VALUE FOR THE COMMERCIAL, THE SAME FOOTPRINT FOR THE COMMERCIAL SPACE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE, WHERE THE AMOUNT OF MATERIALS WILL INCREASE EXPONENTIALLY.
RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE UP TO UPWARDS TO ABOUT A THOUSAND TO 2000 TONS A YEAR.
SO THOSE ARE SEGMENTS OF THE MARKET WHERE WE SEE THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE GOING INTO OUR LANDFILL.
UM, IS THIS YOURS OR YOU GOT ANOTHER? NO, THIS ISN'T IT, IS IT? NO, YOU'RE GETTING CLOSE.
SO, UH, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, MANY ARE FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THE PROGRAM FUNDINGS THAT WE HAVE, OR AS FAR AS CHALLENGES ARE CONCERNED IN PLACE.
SO, UH, THIS, THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY WE ARE AS, AS MAYOR TURNER OFTEN SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE ONLY CITY OF THIS SIZE, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT A, A FEE STRUCTURE IN PLACE.
UM, SO AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO ADDRESSING THAT, UH, RIGHT SIZE IN THE DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN COME UP WITH ALL THE GREAT IDEAS THAT WE, WE CAN AND, AND HAVE THE GREATEST INTENTIONS, BUT UNTIL WE INVEST IN OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES AND EQUIPMENT, WE REALLY CAN'T GET THAT, YOU KNOW, ACCOMPLISHED THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AS PLANNED.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING TO STEP UP OUR, UH, ENFORCEMENT OF ILLEGAL DUMPING AND THANKS TO MAYOR TURNER, THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON PROGRAM, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT ELEMENT OF OUR PLANS ARE, ARE MATERIALIZING AS WE SPEAK.
UM, AND THEN THE MULTIFAMILY WASTE MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL PRACTICES THAT I JUST GAVE YOU AN ILLUSTRATION OF REPRESENTS ANOTHER CHALLENGE AS WELL AS, UH, DISASTER RESPONSE TO ONCOMING EVENTS.
AND THEN LONG TERM DISPOSAL CAPACITY, MEANING THE, THE WHERE, WHERE WILL WE BE TAKING OUR WASTE? HOW WILL WE PROCESS OUR WASTE, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
SO, OH, THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THERE,
SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE, UH, WE RANKED THE MAJOR CHALLENGES FACING THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, AND WE JUST, YOU KNOW, KINDA RANKED THEM FROM THE MOST CHALLENGING TO THE LEAST CHALLENGES.
AND KIND OF LIKE I JUST MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE INSUFFICIENT FUNDING IS, IS GOING TO ALWAYS KIND OF BE AT THE TOP UNTIL WE, WE CONTINUE, AS WE CONTINUE TO ADDRESS IT, WE HOPE THAT'S GONNA DROP DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN THE ILLEGAL DUMPING AND, UH, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE RELIABLE SERVICE AS SCHEDULED TO OUR RESIDENTS OF SOME OF THE TOP THREE.
ALRIGHT, UM, AGAIN, JUST, UM, A, A FEW MORE ILLUSTRATIONS TO KIND OF BACK OUR POINT.
THE RRIC KINDA LOOKED AT THESE AND, UH, THESE CHALLENGES AND, AND THIS IS JUST KIND OF HOW THEY RANKED THEM, UH, AND, AND THE AMOUNT OF FOLKS THAT, THAT REALLY WANTED TO GIVE WEIGHT TO SOME OF THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, MS. LAMA, AND AS WE'VE HEARD FROM DIRECTOR WILL FALK, IS WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO PRESERVE THE LANDFILL SPACE AND, UM, SECURING A NEW LANDFILL, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THE SLIDE, IS THAT IT WOULD TAKE 10 TO 15 YEARS JUST TO SECURE ONE.
UH, THE, CURRENTLY IN OUR REGION, WE HAVE 12 LANDFILLS, MSW LANDFILLS, UH, THE BY YEAR 2040, IT'S, WE'RE EXPECTED TO HAVE ONLY FIVE FUNCTIONAL, UM, BY 2040.
SO IT'S, UH, IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO, UH, EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO PRESERVE THE LANDFILL AND THEN TO SECURE IT.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE, UH, SOMETHING ON THE TOP OF, OF OUR LIST AS WE'RE MONITORING.
UM, WE HAVE TWO MAJOR LANDFILLS THAT THE DEPARTMENT USES, UH, PRETTY HEAVILY.
UH, BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A, UH, A FUTURE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMPONENT OF US REALLY TRYING TO GET THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS, AS MUCH AS WE CAN DIVERTED AND THEN LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, RIGHT, SECURING A NEW SPACE, WHICH WILL BE VERY CHALLENGING.
AND, UH, AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT, UH, REMEMBER, AS THOSE, THE LANDFILL SPACE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO USE SOME OF THOSE 12 LANDFILLS BEGINS TO DECLINE THAT ACCELERATE THE, THE USE OF THE EXISTING LANDFILLS, THEREBY DECREASING THEIR LIFE, PROJECTED LIFE EXPECTANCY.
SO, JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD THAT SOLID WASTE HAS, UH, SEVERAL GOALS, RIGHT? THAT WE'RE, UM, UH, GOT AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST AND HOPING TO ACHIEVE, WHICH IS FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE ONE OF THE FEW MAJOR CITIES, UH, IN THE US THAT DOES NOT HAVE A FEE STRUCTURE IN PLACE.
UM, OF COURSE, DELIVER QUALITY SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS, UM, BE RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENTALLY AND, UH, DO, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT SEVERAL WASTE, UH, REDUCTION IN RECOVERY, UH, PROCESSES, UH, OUT TO ALL RESIDENTS OF THE CITY.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A LONG-TERM DISPOSAL CAPACITY, RIGHT? SO, AS WE MENTIONED IN, IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, IS OUR, UH, DECLINING, UM, YOU KNOW, AVAILABILITY OF, OF LANDFILL SPACE.
UH, OF COURSE, THE MAYOR HAS NOW IMPLEMENTED AND PROVIDED, UH, SOME SUPPORT TO THIS DEPARTMENT
[00:15:01]
FOR, UM, ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, UH, BRINGING IN AS MUCH AS WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES TO ASSIST IN, UM, HELPING US DIVERT WASTE AS WELL AS COLLECTION, UM, BEING MORE TIMELY AND, UM, AND DELIVERING A, A GOOD QUALITY SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON.UM, YOU KNOW, BIG GOAL OF THE RRIC WAS TO DEVELOP SOME, UH, POLICY TO BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY HELP THE DEPARTMENT, UH, IMPLEMENT A STRUCTURE FOR EDUCATING THE PUBLIC, UH, AS MUCH AS WE CAN, UH, PUT OUT THE, YOU KNOW, WASTE DIVERSION AND, UM, EDUCATION ON LOCATIONS, RIGHT, TO REDUCE ILLEGAL DUMPING.
UM, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC EDUCATION IS, IS AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST, UH, MARKET DEVELOPMENT AS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MARKET CHANGES FOR RECYCLING AS, UH, NEW, UH, PROCESSING FACILITIES COME INTO THE AREA, RIGHT? BEING AWARE AND BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE FACILITIES IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, INFRASTRUCTURE, AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW, IN DECEMBER, WE VOTED TO, UH, BRING IN AN ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS THE GMER, UH, FACILITY THAT WASTE MANAGEMENT LEASED FOR 30 YEARS, RIGHT? SO WE ARE NOW OWNERS OF THAT AND, UH, WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, INVESTMENTS FROM CITY COUNCIL AND, AND THE CITY TO, UM, TO BRING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND HELP ASSIST WITH, UM, WITH THE, THE RECYCLING SERVICES AND, UH, SERVICE DELIVERY TO THE, TO THE RESIDENTS, UM, REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS WHERE IT'S GONNA NEED, UH, POLICY TO, TO ASSIST AND, AND, UH, HELP IMPLEMENT IN THE FUTURE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THOSE, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE AS INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS AND, AND DEVELOPMENTS COME TO PLAY.
UM, OF COURSE WE CAN'T SAY THAT ENOUGH, COUNCIL MEMBERS
SO, UM, AND THEN, UH, JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, MANDATORY MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING IS A PART OF, UH, YOU KNOW, POLICY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, CITY OF FORT WORTH, RIGHT? SO WE ARE, AS ONE OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN THE TEXAS, WE ARE KIND OF BEHIND THE CURVE.
SO JUST, UH, ALL THESE WERE HIGHLIGHTED IN ILLUSTRATED IN OUR RIC STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
UM, SO WE, UM, BROUGHT 'EM HERE TODAY.
ALRIGHT, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, NOT ONLY ARE THOSE THREE CITIES, THOSE ARE JUST THREE CITIES THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE IN TEXAS.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO SEEING SIMILAR TRENDS HAPPEN IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THROUGHOUT THE NATION AS WELL.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, AMONGST THE RRIC, THEY ACTUALLY KIND OF TOOK A, A, UH, SURVEY OF SORTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO KNOW WHO WOULD SUPPORT THE, THE MONTHLY RESIDENTIAL FEE AND, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH, UH, WOULD THESE PARTICIPANTS BE WILLING TO, TO SUPPORT OR HELP DEVELOP A FEE-BASED STRUCTURE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND HERE YOU SEE THE RESULTS OF IT.
IT WAS OVERWHELMINGLY, UH, A LOT OF SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, FOR DEVELOPING ONLY A, A FEW OPPOSED AND SOME REMAIN NEUTRAL.
UH, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO ASKED THEM HOW THEY FELT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AN ENVIRONMENTAL FEE SO THAT THE RESIDENTIAL, UH, FOLKS ON THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR WOULD NOT HAVE TO, TO FOOT THE ENTIRE, UH, UH, EXPENSE OF THE PROGRAM.
AND, UH, A MAJORITY OF THEM SUPPORTED HAVING SOME SORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FEE, WHICH IS ALSO MENTIONED IN OUR LONG RANGE PLAN AS WELL.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE SUPPORT FOR THAT WAS, WAS, UH, IN THE MAJORITY AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THAT RESULTED FROM THAT WAS TO IMPLEMENT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS.
AGAIN, YOU KIND OF HEAR THE RECURRING THEME THAT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP RESOUNDING THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION AND THEN, UM, MAYBE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLABORATE WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS A LITTLE BIT MORE OFTEN.
UH, DEPUTY ZAM AND I WERE ACTUALLY AT WASTE MANAGEMENT EARLIER TODAY TOURING THEIR FACILITY, AND WE NOTICED THAT THEY HAD A DROP OFF LOCATION FOR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, AND I, I SEE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR US TO PARTNER WITH THEM SO THAT WE CAN ALSO JUST BY WAY OF EDUCATION AND ADVERTISE AND LET RESIDENTS KNOW IN THAT AREA OF TOWN, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO GO TO ONE OF OUR DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES.
HERE'S AN ALTERNATE LOCATION THAT CAN HELP MEET YOUR NEEDS FOR RECYCLING AS WELL, UM, AND THEN IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF OUTLETS.
UM, WE HAVE SOME CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW WITH OUR WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM, AND, AND DEPUTY LIZAMA SPOKE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO DEVELOP THE GAS MILL LOCATION.
THE, JUST THE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF THAT FACILITY ALONE WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL TO THE SUCCESS OF SUPPORTING OUR RECYCLING PROGRAM, WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM IN THE LONG RUN FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I JUST NEED TO GO ON RECORD AND SAYING THAT IF WE'RE, UH, PICKING UP, UH, OUT IN, IN ALE AND WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE THAT WE CAN, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE, WE LOSE THAT MOMENTUM WHEN WE HAVE TO TRAVEL, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 35, 60 MILES ROUND TRIP TO ONE FACILITY TO GET BACK.
SO AGAIN, BRINGING, UH, INVESTING IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
[00:20:01]
NOT ONLY THAT, WE ALSO GOTTA LOOK AT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE SUITABLE TRANSFER STATIONS AND ADEQUATE TRANSFER STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT CAN SUPPORT, UH, OUR OPERATION, WHICH ALSO MEANS ACCOMMODATING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OVER THE LAST 10 TO 20 YEARS.SO, UM, AND ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS, AGAIN, INCREASE COMMERCIAL RECYCLING, REALLY START, YOU KNOW, AMPING UP THE, THE CREATING THE SYNERGY AND REALLY START GETTING OUT TO, TO KIND OF PUSH THE BENEFITS OF COMMERCIAL RECYCLING.
IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF EDUCATION, UH, AND, AND REALLY GETTING FOLKS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF IT.
AND THEN THE, THE BIGGEST ONE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS IMPROVING OUR OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ALL, UH, PICK UP YOUR, YOUR PHONES AND YOU GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I REALLY WANT SOLID WASTE TO BE THE FIRST THING THAT YOU SEE.
YOU KNOW, MAYOR TURNER'S ALWAYS CHALLENGING ME.
I NEED TO SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE.
I NEED TO SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE.
SO WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO KIND OF IMPROVING OUR OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS, UH, AND, AND TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH SOME OF OUR, UH, BROTHER AND SISTER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE QUESTIONS ON ABSOLUTELY ON THE FIRST PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'LL START OFF WITH THE RUBICON.
CAYMAN, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE CHAIR CAYMAN.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, DIRECTOR, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UH, YOU SPECIFICALLY HAVE COME INTO THIS, UM, WITHIN ONLY A FEW YEARS.
AND THE CHANGES AND THE PARADIGM SHIFT THAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, IS NOT, NOT ONLY NOTICEABLE, BUT SIGNIFICANT AND CRITICAL.
UH, WE'RE ALREADY GETTING, UH, SEEING IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMS OF THE TIMING.
I KNOW WE STILL HAVE OUR CHALLENGES, BUT TRASH IS BEING PICKED UP ON TIME, RIGHT? UH, RECYCLING IS BEING PICKED UP MORE FREQUENTLY ON TIME, HEAVY TRASH THIS MONTH.
AND MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT RECEIVE IT, UH, WAS PICKED UP ON TIME, RIGHT? SO, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING IN ILLEGAL DUMPING, I FIRST AND FOREMOST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT, RIGHT? UM, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO, UM, THANK YOU FOR TAKING SO SERIOUSLY THE, UH, NOT JUST MY BUDGET AMENDMENT.
'CAUSE WHAT MY AMENDMENT DID IS IT CODIFIED WHAT THE MAYOR AND OTHERS HAD PUT INTO, UM, THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND THE RESILIENT HOUSTON PLAN.
UM, GOING BACK, I MEAN, OUR CHAIR SAID IT, I THINK, AND THE NUMBER THAT STOOD OUT WAS MORE THAN 80% OF, UM, OUR, OUR WASTE RIGHT NOW IS MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL, RIGHT? AND IF WE ARE NOT DIVERTING AWAY FROM OUR LANDFILLS, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXTEND THE LIFE CYCLE OF THOSE.
AND THE COST OF THAT, UM, FROM WHERE I'M SEEING IS, UH, INSURMOUNTABLE RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE, WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS THAT.
BUT THROUGH THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, THE COLLABORATION WITH THE WORKING GROUP, AND YOU KNOW, MS. LAIMA, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU, UH, FOR ALL OF THAT WITH THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT, WHAT'S COMING BEFORE US IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, UM, HOW QUICKLY DO YOU SEE US ABLE TO MOVE TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING? UH, WE HAVE, IN ADDITION TO THE LIFECYCLE CONCERNS OF OUR LANDFILLS, WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTS THAT ARE ASKING FOR ACCESS TO RECYCLING.
RIGHT? AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT, UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT THOSE PICKUPS WOULD NOT FALL ON THE CITY, PER SE.
IT'S UP TO APARTMENTS TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE, JUST LIKE THEY PROVIDE TRASH SERVICE.
BUT I, I'M NERVOUS ABOUT THE TIMELINE RIGHT NOW.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT? YEAH, IT IS.
AND WHERE WE ARE, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, CONSIDERING THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE, IT IS A BIT AGGRESSIVE TO, TO SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE THINK WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE A MANDATORY PROGRAM IN PLACES, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY.
UH, HOWEVER, WE ARE ADDRESSING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT NOW THAT WE'LL NEED TO DO SOME WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE, UH, FULLY UNDERSTANDS THERE'LL BE A PERIOD OF, UH, VETTING AND OPINIONS THAT WE'LL NEED TO SEEK.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, OUR COUNTERPARTS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE RECOGNIZED EARLIER DURING THE PRES OR PRESENTATION THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT WE'LL RELY HEAVILY ON AS WELL.
SO THIS WON'T BE ANYTHING NEW, UM, TO TEXAS, RIGHT.
BUT IT'LL BE NEW TO THE, TO THIS AREA, TO HOUSTON, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.
SO, IF I WERE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PROJECT A GOOD TIMELINE, ONE THAT GIVES EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ABSORB WHAT'S GOING ON, GET PROPER FEEDBACK, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WORKS WELL FOR HOUSTON,
[00:25:01]
UH, I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY NEED AT LEAST ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SIX TO 12 MONTHS RIGHT NOW, RIGHT.AND, UM, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE, RIGHT, IT'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
IN BRINGING BUSINESS ALONG MM-HMM
UM, AND I KNOW I'M OUT OF TIME.
I JUST AGAIN, WANNA RECOGNIZE AND THANK YOU ALL.
WE DO NEED OUR COLLEAGUE SUPPORT OF THIS.
UM, BUT, AND OF COURSE, MAYOR TURNER, IT'S DEPENDENT UPON AS WELL MM-HMM
BUT WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE THAT WE'RE GENERATING.
WE, IT'S, THERE'S NO OPTION OTHER THAN TO DEAL WITH THAT NOW.
AND, UH, I, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR A RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE HOUSTON TO DO SO.
THANK YOU FIR FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, VISITORS IN THE CHAMBER HERE, UH, FROM, UH, THE CITY OF TAIPEI, TAIWAN.
UH, I UNDERSTAND MAYOR COCO, THANK, THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND, AND VISITORS THAT ARE HERE, UH, TAIPEI IS THE OLDEST SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP HERE, UH, WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UH, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS WOULD NOT LET US LEAVE CHAMBERS WITHOUT RETURNING FOR THIS COMMITTEE MEETING.
BUT, UM, I WANNA, UM, GO BACK TO TWO POINTS THAT YOU MADE.
ONE ABOUT THE, UH, FEE-BASED STRUCTURE MM-HMM
RESIDENTIAL, AND THEN SECONDLY ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE LOCATION INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU INTIMATED.
SO AT ONE POINT IN TIME, DISTRICT F HAD THE SECOND LARGEST MULTIFAMILY STOCK IN THE CITY.
AS WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN AFFORDABILITY, THAT SPREAD THROUGHOUT.
SO, UM, IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE, UH, LANDLORDS OR THE OWNERS WERE RESISTANT TO THE FEE.
UM, BUT WERE 90% OR SO IN FAVOR OF THE RESIDENTIAL FEE.
NOT NECESSARILY HAVE, I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
MY CONCERN IS MORE WITH, UH, THE ADDITIONAL FEES WE'RE GONNA PUT ON INDIVIDUALS IN LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, AND HOW THIS CAN'T BE A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY MM-HMM
BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, UH, UH, PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHERE, UH, LANDLORDS HAVE NOT BEEN RESPONSIBLE.
AND, UM, YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED WITH US AND SOLID AND DON AND OTHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRASH AND THE RECYCLE, IT'S OFF THAT PROPERTY SO THEY CAN HAVE QUALITY OF LIFE.
SOME TYPE OF MEASURABLE QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT, THE FEEDBACK, JUST MORE DETAILS AROUND THAT FEE STRUCTURE, AND THEN ALSO THE ALTERNATIVE LOCATION.
I RECENTLY RECEIVED AN EMAIL, UH, FROM, UH, AND I GET THIS FROM MY NEIGHBORS ALL THE TIME.
THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, TOSS THEIR OWN STUFF AT TIMES.
BUT THE ACCESS TO IT, IT'S DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE DISTRICT AND NOT HAVING THOSE LOCATIONS.
AND SO WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THOSE, I GUESS INTERM INTERMEDIARY MM-HMM
OR THOSE TRANSFER LOCATIONS, OR WHEN CAN WE LOOK AT SEEING THAT ONLINE? OKAY.
YEAH, THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS.
SO THE, THE, UM, AS FAR AS THE, THE LOCATIONS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO OFFER THE RESIDENTS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, TO ADDRESS THE LONG LINES IN THE QUEING, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE MORE OF A LONG RANGE, UH, PROJECT.
AND BY LONG RANGE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TWO TO FIVE YEARS, UH, BEEN DISCUSSING WITH MAYOR TURNER, OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND SOME OF THE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE LAND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS OF SOME PLACES.
MAYBE WE NEED TO, UH, CONSIDER ACQUIRING PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THEN, ACCORDING TO THE LONG RANGE PLAN, REMEMBER THERE WAS ALSO, UH, THE EXPECTATION TO DEVELOP MORE, UH, OF THESE DROP OFF SITES.
NOW, UH, I'M CURRENTLY EXPLORING SOME OPPORTUNITIES, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, WE RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT IT'S GONNA BE MORE OF A LONG RANGE PLAN, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE? RIGHT.
SO TO ME, ANY LITTLE WIN IS GONNA BE INSTRUMENTAL.
SO, UH, CURRENTLY EXPLORING THE OPPORTUNITIES OF WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR LOCAL LANDFILLS TO SEE IF WE CAN DEVELOP MORE DROP OFF LOCATIONS IN THOSE AREAS.
UH, SO NOW THAT WOULD TAKE US AT LEAST FROM SIX THAT WE HAVE NOW TO EIGHT.
YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IT MAY NOT BE WHERE WE WANTED TO TO BE, BUT BY DEVELOPING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER DURING THE PRESENTATION, WE, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER TO, TO INCREASE THOSE.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION, I'M SORRY, THE FIRST, WHICH WAS THE FIRST, THE SECOND QUESTION WAS MORE ABOUT THE FEE.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, MAY I HAVE A ADDITIONAL TIME FOR HIM TO RESPOND TO THAT? THE, ABOUT THE FEE-BASED STRUCTURE FOR RESIDENTS? YES.
AND, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS BECOMING A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY MM-HMM
BETWEEN TENANT AND THEN LANDLORD.
SO, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN HOUSTON, THE QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT, THAT MAY HAVE THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, HOW WOULD THEY BE? I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA
[00:30:01]
HAVE TO LOOK AT.I THINK WE GOTTA MODEL SOME, UH, CONSIDER SOME OF THE OTHER MODELS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF PEOPLE HAVE CHALLENGES, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, TO, TO APPLY FOR THE ASSISTANCE THAT MAY BE NEEDED.
OR MAYBE WE OFFER, UH, IN SOME WHERE YOU'RE DEALING WITH FIXED INCOMES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, MAYBE THERE CAN BE A SLIGHT SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE WAYS TO NAVIGATE AROUND THAT, BUT ULTIMATELY, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNER MAY, MAY HAVE TO BEAR SOME OF THAT EXPENSE.
UM, SO AGAIN, I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF INCREASING THE ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, BECAUSE HERE IN HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS BIGGER AND SO ARE THE EXPECTATIONS.
AND, UH, PEOPLE HAVE GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS THAT I'VE RECEIVED WHERE PEOPLE ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY WANT A CREDIT ON THEIR SOLID WASTE BILL.
AND I'M LIKE,
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY ON THERE.
SO, SO YEAH, WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THAT.
BUT THERE ARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT, THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR.
ONCE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, KIND OF GET THAT THOUGHT PROCESS GOING.
AND JUST, MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT OFTENTIMES WE PUT THE BURDEN ON THE RESIDENT TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES MM-HMM
AND IF WE'RE IN A POSITION TO DESIGN A PROGRAM WITH THEM, THEM IN MIND MM-HMM
THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO FACILITATE THE 65, 60 8-YEAR-OLD SENIOR.
SO IF WE CAN JUST BE REALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THAT.
AND THAT, THAT DESIGN OF THAT FEE STRUCTURE, I'M SENSITIVE TO THAT, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, VICE MAYOR PEM, CASSICK TATUM.
UH, CHAIR, MY QUESTION IS ALSO STEMMING AROUND THAT FEE STRUCTURE, UM, BECAUSE WE TALK A LOT ABOUT PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOMES, QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK EVERYBODY'S ON A FIXED INCOME.
WHEN YOU WORK A JOB, YOU GET A FIXED CHECK,
UM, AND, AND I REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS, AS I PAY MY OWN BILLS MM-HMM
UH, I KNOW HOW MUCH MY BILLS ARE, AND I KNOW HOW MUCH MY EXPENSES ARE.
AND RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO CUT OUT THE CABLE, YOU HAVE TO CUT OUT SOME THINGS TO, TO MAKE YOUR EXPENSES WORK.
UM, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS SOME DISCUSSION AROUND PAYING WHAT YOU USE.
I KNOW FORT WORTH HAS SMALL CANS, MEDIUM CANS MM-HMM
I, I DON'T GENERATE A LOT OF TRASH.
UM, I WOULDN'T WANNA PAY THE SAME FEE AS A SIX PERSON FAMILY WHO'S GENERATING WAY MORE TRASH THAN I WOULD GENERATE.
UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, LEVELS OF, OF PAYMENT OR, OR FEE STRUCTURE BASED ON WHAT YOU DISPOSE OF? UH, YEAH.
I MEAN THERE, THERE, I BELIEVE, UM, THAT MAY BE, UM, A MENTION OF THAT IN OUR LONG RANGE PLAN AS WELL.
UH, BUT YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PAY ASYOU THROW SYSTEM WHERE BASICALLY, AGAIN, YOU INCREASE THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE DISPOSAL ON THE RESIDENT.
SO, AND, AND IF THOSE SYSTEMS FUNCTION PROPERLY, THEN WHAT WE'LL SEE IS AN INCREASE IN RECYCLING BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL BE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DON'T NEED A LARGE TRASH CAN, THEN THEY DON'T, THEY SHOULDN'T PAY THAT LARGE THE SAME RATE, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY WHO, WHO, WHO GENERATES THAT LEVEL OF WASTE.
AND, UH, ALSO, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT INCREASES THE CONSCIENTIOUSNESS AND THE FOCUS ON RECYCLING.
SO HOW CAN I KEEP THAT VOLUME DOWN IN THIS CONTAINER? AND, UH, AND WE'LL SEE THAT RECYCLING INCREASE IS WHAT TRADITIONALLY IS SEEN THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY.
IS THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION? ABSOLUTELY.
WE, WE COULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S, UH, THE VARIABLE RATE SYSTEM IS, IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES HAVE SEEN SUCCESS WITH.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION IS, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, HAD ON OUR AGENDA THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE GSMA FACILITY.
UM, THAT'S, THAT FACILITY WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE FOR THE PUBLIC.
THAT IS A TRANSFER FACILITY, IF I'M CORRECT.
SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING COMING ONLINE FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE, THAT'S ONLY FOR SOLID WASTE FOR THE SYSTEM TO USE AS A TRANSFER SYSTEM TO HELP EXPEDITE THE PROCESS.
BUT HOWEVER, AS WE GET IN MORE INTO DEVELOPING THAT AND, AND LOOKING AT THE USES OF THAT FACILITY, WE ARE SEEING OPPORTUNITIES AGAIN TO CREATE A, JUST CARVE OUT A LITTLE SECTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT KEEPS THE GENERAL PUBLIC AWAY FROM THE LARGE SCALE OPERATION AND OFFER THAT OPPORTUNITY AGAIN.
SO THAT'S KINDA LIKE SOME OF THOSE SMALL WINS THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS WE WORK TO ADDRESS THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
SO WE, WE ARE SEEING THAT AS WE GET DEEPER INTO DEVELOPING THAT AND BRINGING THAT TO REALITY.
AND, AND HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE BEFORE THAT FACILITY IS ONLINE? ONLINE WE ARE, WE'RE HOPING, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON A BID RIGHT NOW TO, FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED, WHICH IS PRIMARILY HAULING, YOU KNOW, AND JUST WORKING OUTTA THAT FACILITY.
[00:35:01]
SO, UM, UH, WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING BY MAY, BUT IT'S LOOKING LIKE WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS ON THAT RIGHT NOW.THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR DEDICATED WORK.
UM, DIRECTOR IN REGARDS TO THE MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING, UM, I, I, I GUESS IT'S STILL TOO EARLY, BUT, UH, JUST IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING WHEN WILL THE CITY NO LONGER PICK UP THE RECYCLING, LET'S SAY IF IT'S A FOURPLEX, FIVEPLEX 10 PLEX, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEN IT WOULD BE THE LANDLORD OR THE, THE PROPERTY OWNER TO HIRE A PRIVATE COMPANY TO DO THE RECYCLING.
WHAT IS IT EIGHT, IS IT EIGHT UNITS? DO YOU MEAN THE, THE, THE NUMBER OF UNITS AND WHAT'S THAT THRESHOLD IS EIGHT UNITS? YES.
SO EIGHT UNITS AND ABOVE EIGHT, EIGHT OR MORE UNITS THAN THE, THE LANDLORD OR THE PROPERTY OWNER WILL HAVE TO DO THEIR OWN RECYCLING WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONSIDERED NON-RESIDENTIAL, WHICH WE OFFER THAT SERVICE, YOU KNOW, SO THEY'RE CONSIDERED NON-RESIDENTIAL.
UH, SO THEY WOULD DEFAULT INTO ANOTHER CATEGORY, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO, TO EITHER SEEK OUR SERVICES, THE NON-RESIDENTIAL SERVICE FEE, OR EXPLORE THE PRIVATE MARKET.
AND, AND, AND THEN ALSO, UH, I KNOW WHEN WE HAD THE PRE, UH, UH, UH, REVIEW OR MEETING THAT WE HAD A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO MM-HMM
YOU HAD MENTIONED, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, MCCARTY, ATIA AND BLUE RIDGE.
SO, SO THOSE ARE THE THREE LANDFILLS THAT THE CITY USES, RIGHT? CORRECT.
THE MAJOR LANDS, THE 12 THAT'S LISTED ON SLIDE 12, THOSE ARE FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT THEY'RE USING AS WELL? YEAH.
THROUGHOUT THE REGION, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THIS REGION.
SO SOME MAY BE IN THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, OR OUTSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON LIMITS.
CAN YOU JUST ELABORATE A LITTLE MORE, A LITTLE BIT IN REGARDS TO LIKE, UH, AGAIN, THE IMPORTANCE OF TRYING TO GET RECYCLING FOR MULTIFAMILY DUE TO THE FACT, LIKE MCCARTY, I BELIEVE YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THAT HAS A LIFESPAN MAYBE OF 10 YEARS.
AND THEN BY THAT TIME, THAT'S GONNA BE IT.
AND, AND AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT THAT GREAT OF OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THAT LANDFILL SPACE, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY CAN GO TO THE NORTH, SOUTH, EAST OR WEST AND SAY, WE WANT TO PERMIT, THEY SHOULD SPEND TOO MUCH DEVELOPMENT OVER THE YEARS.
SO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE, ARE REALLY SHRINKING AND DECLINING.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN ONE LANDFILL CLOSES, THAT PUTS ADDITIONAL STRESS OR ADDITIONAL THROUGHPUT ON THE EXISTING LANDFILLS, WHICH THOSE EXISTING LANDFILLS MAY SAY, HEY, YEAH, WE HAVE ANOTHER 25 OR 30 YEARS.
HOWEVER, NOW YOU JUST INCREASE YOUR VOLUME BY A THIRD.
SO NOW YOUR LIFE EXPECTANCY DECREASES EXPONENTIALLY FASTER THAN, THAN YOU ORIGINALLY HAD DESIGNED FOR.
UH, SO AS THAT PROCESS REPEATS ITSELF, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AND, AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO SLOW DOWN THAT GROWTH RATE OR THE THROUGHPUT AT THE LANDFILLS BY WASTE DIVERSION, COMPOSTING, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, UM, WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO EXTENDING THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THOSE.
AND THEN REMEMBER, IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN JUST GO OUT TOMORROW AND SAY, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA PLANT OUR FLAG HERE AND BUILD A NEW LANDFILL HERE.
THERE'S A LONG PERMITTING PROCESS THAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT THAT USUALLY SPANS OVER SEVERAL YEARS.
WE, WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FROM, UH, CHAIR CAYMAN.
SORRY, VERY QUICKLY, JUST TO PIGGYBACK CHAIR ON YOUR POINT, AND, UM, DIRECTOR, YOU HAD ALSO SAID THIS, UH, WHEN SPEAKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
YOU TOUCHED ON, UH, THE EVER DECREASING LIFECYCLE STRAIN OR LIFESPAN STRAIN OF THE LANDFILLS.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT FROM A SERVICE PERSPECTIVE, THE TIME THAT IT WILL TAKE IF WE HAVE TO GO FARTHER OUT.
UM, AND THE IMPEDIMENTS THEY ARE TO BETTER SERVICE.
I DON'T THINK YOU ALSO TOUCHED ON THOUGH, THE WEAR AND TEAR YES.
ASPECT FOR OUR, OUR VEHICLES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT.
CAN YOU JUST TOUCH ON THAT? BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF MM-HMM
THE LANDFILLS, BUT THERE'S EVEN MORE COST TO THAT.
SO WHAT THIS DOES IS IT, IT NEGATES ALL THE COMPLIMENTS THAT YOU GAVE US EARLIER, RIGHT? SO YEAH, THINGS ARE RUNNING ON TIME NOW.
UH, THE, THE RECYCLING SERVICES COMING ON, THOSE, THOSE LITTLE STRIDES THAT WE'RE GAINING RIGHT NOW IN THE OPERATIONS, ONCE YOU DECREASE THE NUMBER OF OUTLETS THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO DEPOSIT THAT MATERIAL, THAT, THAT, UH, ADDS ADDITIONAL STRESS TO OUR, OUR, UH, OPERATIONS.
SO IF THEY'RE PROVIDING SERVICE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY'VE ONLY SERVICED HALF OF IT, NORMALLY, THAT TRUCK WOULD BE OFF OF ROUTE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, MAYBE AN HOUR AT BEST.
HOWEVER, THEY HAVE A QUICK IN AND OUT, UH, POINT TO, TO GO TO AND GET BACK TO THAT ROUTE.
HOWEVER, ONCE THAT, THAT LOCATION GOES AWAY, NOW THEY'RE GONNA TRAVEL FURTHER.
SO NOW WE'RE INCURRING ADDITIONAL MILES, ADDITIONAL OPERATING EXPENSES, ADDITIONAL HOURS, AND IT JUST CONTINUES TO, TO KIND OF LANDSLIDE AND GAIN MOMENTUM FROM THERE.
YOU KNOW, BASED ON ALL OF THAT, YOU
[00:40:01]
KNOW, RECYCLING AND EXPANDING RECYCLING, UM, IS NOT JUST A BASIC NECESSITY, BUT A FISCAL NECESSITY ABSOLUTELY.THAT WE AS A CITY HAVE TO CATCH UP ON.
I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO NOT JUST LOOK AT THE DOLLARS AND, AND CENTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LOOK AT THE AVOIDANCE, UH, FACTORS AND THE VALUE IN THAT.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE, UH, FIRST PRESENTATION.
NOW WE'RE READY FOR THE SECOND PRESENTATION.
SECOND PRESENTATION WILL BE BRIEF, I PROMISE YOU.
SO I REMEMBER, UH, WHAT GOOD ADVICE SOMEBODY TOLD ME ABOUT THE FIVE BS SAID BE BRIEF, BROTHER, BE BRIEF.
SO, UH, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL, THE, THE, THE CITY AND THE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN WORKING HARD TO, TO, UH, IMPLEMENT A ROUTE, UH, A RELIABLE ROUTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
AND THEY SELECTED, I BELIEVE THEY MADE A GOOD CHOICE IN RUBICON.
AND WE'VE BEEN USING THIS, UH, ROUTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR ABOUT THE PAST ONE AND A HALF YEARS.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S A SIMPLE INSTALL AND IT, IT YIELDS A LOT OF FAVORABLE RESULTS FOR US.
SO, TO DATE, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DIGITIZE ABOUT OVER A THOUSAND ROUTES, YOU KNOW, WITHIN OUR, UH, OPERATIONS.
UM, THE, THE BEST PART I LOVE ABOUT IT IS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF DOCUMENT, YOU KNOW, OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE AND ANY CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WHILE WE'RE OUTPERFORMING THOSE SERVICES.
UM, IT GIVES US A CHANCE TO ALSO, UM, BECOME MORE ROUTE MANAGERS, RIGHT? SO NOW WE CAN LOOK AT OUR, AT OUR ROUTES, WE CAN SEE WHERE WE CAN POSSIBLY GAIN EFFICIENCIES AT.
AND WE'VE ONLY, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY WE ONLY APPLIED THAT TO OUR CURBSIDE COLLECTION ROUTES, THE, THE GARBAGE, THE WEEKLY RECYCLING.
UM, BUT IT WAS WORKING SO WELL THAT WE SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND INTO HEAVY TRASH.
AND NOW, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO THAT THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, WE'LL BE IMPLEMENTING THIS THE SAME DEVICE ON OUR HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION VEHICLES.
SO THEY'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE PHOTOS AND, AND DOCUMENT THEIR EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAVE THROUGHOUT THE WORKDAY.
BUT NOW WE WANT TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND WE WANNA LOOK AT INTEGRATING THAT INTO A FUTURE WORK ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
SO, OF COURSE, WE CAN'T DO ALL OF THIS WITHOUT HITS TEAM.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AND, AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO.
ULTIMATELY, UH, UTOPIA FOR ME WOULD BE, UM, WHEN OUR DRIVERS ARE, ARE OUR FOLKS GO OUT AND THEY SERVICE A LOCATION THAT ONCE THEY'RE THERE AND THEY HIT COMPLETE, THAT THAT CLOSES OUT THE ENTIRE SERVICE ORDER AND THE CUSTOMER OR THE RESIDENT GETS AN UPDATE INSTANTLY ON WHAT WE DID, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S ALL WELL DOCUMENTED.
SO WE'VE BEEN HAVING SUCH SUCCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE IDC AWARDS, THE SMART CITIES NORTH AMERICA.
UM, UH, ONE OF OUR OTHER, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTORS, ELVIA KEONE WILL BE JOINING RUBICON A LITTLE BIT LATER ON, I BELIEVE IN NEW YORK, UH, TO GIVE A PRESENTATION ON OUR EXPERIENCE AND SOME OF THE SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE ENJOYED SINCE, UH, IMPLEMENTING RUBICON.
SO THEY'VE BEEN A, A WONDERFUL PARTNER TO WORK WITH.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, AGAIN, DYNAMIC ROUTE OPTIMIZATION, UH, WHICH IS GONNA BE THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK IN THE SOLID WASTE INDUSTRY.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT HELPS US IDENTIFY THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO COLLECT ROUTES.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT ONLY A CHANGE FOR, FOR, AGAIN, HOW WE PROVIDE SERVICE, BUT THEN ALSO WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THE, THE USERS OF THE SYSTEM.
SO WE'VE INVESTED A LOT INTO OUR LEADERSHIP, UH, TO HELP THEM ADOPT THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM AND, AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF IT.
ALSO, WE'VE NOTICED, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BOOST IN THE, THE PRODUCTIVITY AND AND COLLECTION, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WHEN THINGS BECOME MORE TRANSPARENT, YOU KNOW, AND THE LIGHT'S ON AND PEOPLE CAN SEE HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE, THINGS TEND TO RUN A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AND, UH, AND, AND AGAIN, IT'S HELPING US REASSESS OUR RESOURCES.
BUT THE ILLUSTRATIONS THAT YOU SEE UP HERE, YOU KNOW, THE, LIKE THE DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE MAP UP TOP, THE ONE THING THAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY FROM THE MAP UP TOP IS THAT YOU'LL SEE AN ARRAY OF COLORS, UH, ALL OVER THE MAP, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN, UH, DURING, IN THE CENTER OF THAT MAP, YOU'LL SEE MULTIPLE COLORS IN THERE.
SO WHEN I FIRST SAW THAT, THIS WAS WHAT WE SAW WHEN WE FIRST TURNED THE SYSTEM ON, AND WE WENT LIVE, AND I TOLD THE TEAM, IT LOOKS LIKE A BAG OF SKITTLES THREW UP ON THE, ON THE MAP, RIGHT? ALL THESE WONDERFUL COLORS AND RAINBOW OF COLORS.
HOWEVER, ONCE WE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEADERS STARTED GETTING IN AND THEY STARTED REALIZING THOSE INEFFICIENCIES AND THEY STARTED TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THE GRAPH AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHART AT THE BOTTOM.
YOU'LL NOTICE WHERE THOSE COLORS ARE MORE SEGMENTED, YOU KNOW, AND THAT REPRESENTS, THAT MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TWO AND THREE TRUCKS GOING DOWN THE SAME STREET TRYING TO PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICE.
UH, IT, IT, IT'S, UH, IT GIVES THE, THE SUPERVISORS AND THE LEADERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, HEY, LET'S, LET'S KEEP THIS TRUCK IN THIS AREA, THIS ONE IN THIS AREA.
AND, UH, MOST OF ALL THE RESIDENTS, UH, DON'T EXPERIENCE ANY SORT
[00:45:01]
OF DELAYS IN SERVICE.HELP MINIMIZE THAT, THAT IMPACT ON, ON THE DELAYS IN SERVICE.
ALRIGHT, SO I MENTIONED EARLIER MY FAVORITE PART IS THE DOCUMENTATION PIECE.
SO HOW MANY TIMES DO WE GET CALLS WHERE PEOPLE SAY, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T PICK ME UP AND I HAD IT OUT AT THE CURB OR THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT, THAT THE, UH, THE, UH, DRIVERS HAVE TO ENCOUNTER.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TWO CARTS THERE AND YOU PARK A CAR RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CHALLENGE OR IT'S ON A POLE.
AND, AND THESE ARE SOME LIGHT EXAMPLES, RIGHT? UH, WHEN YOU TALK TO, TO SOME OF OUR COUNTERPARTS IN THE THREE ONE ONE CALL CENTER, BECAUSE THE BEAUTY OF THIS IS THAT AS THE DRIVER TAKES THESE PHOTOS, IT GETS UPLOADED INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND AS THE CALL CENTER, UH, UH, PERSONNEL IS INTERACTING WITH THE RESIDENT, THEY CAN SAY, OH, WOW.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE HERE THEY TRIED TO, BUT THEY COULDN'T GET IT BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS REASONS.
BUT MY, MY FAVORITE, UH, EXPERIENCE FROM THE THREE ONE ONE CALL CENTER WAS FROM A CALL TAKER WHO TOLD ME THAT, UH, SHE HAD A DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, WITH THE RESIDENT SAID THEY DIDN'T PICK IT UP.
AND WHEN SHE PULLED UP THE LOCATION, UH, SHE NOT ONLY SAW THE, THE CONTAINER THAT WAS STILL FULL, BUT SHE SAW WHY THE DRIVER DIDN'T PICK IT UP BECAUSE THEY HAD A DEAD CAT LAYING ON TOP OF IT.
YOU KNOW? SO AGAIN, THAT, AND USING THE TELEMATICS TO IMPROVE THAT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN WHAT GOES ON IN THE FIELD AND WHAT OUR FOLKS CAN SEE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE HAS PAID OFF, UH, GREAT DIVIDENDS FOR US.
SO, UM, AGAIN, JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES FOR YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS? WE, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM, UH, VICE MAYOR PER KIG TATUM.
DIRECTOR WILL FALK, I THINK THIS IS, UH, A TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT.
AND MY QUESTION IS, UH, DOES RUBICON ALLOW US TO TRACK HISTORY? BECAUSE WHAT I FIND, UM, WITH A LOT OF CONTRACTORS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS WE HAVE A LOT OF CONTRACTOR MATERIALS DURING HEAVY WASTE, UM, JUNK WASTE PICKUP.
AND, AND YOU CAN JUST DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND YOU KNOW, THESE, UM, TRUCKS THAT ARE IN THE DRIVEWAY MM-HMM
BECAUSE THESE ARE CONTRACTORS.
UM, BUT EVERY MONTH THEY ARE CONSISTENTLY PUTTING OUT MORE THAN THE EIGHT CUBIC FEET.
AND THEY'RE UTILIZING OUR HEAVY TRASH PICKUP AS A WAY TO DISPOSE OF THEIR CONTRACT MATERIALS WHILE ALSO CHARGING, I'M SURE THEIR CLIENTS TO DISPOSE OF THOSE MATERIALS.
DOES THIS PROCESS ALLOW US TO TRACK LIKE THIS HOUSE EVERY MONTH WE PICK UP MM-HMM
THIS SAME TYPE OF MATERIAL SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME TYPE OF ADJUSTMENTS, ADJUSTMENTS ON IT? YES.
UM, NOW ARE WE DOING THAT TO THAT DEGREE, RIGHT? AT THIS MOMENT? NO, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING IT ON THE HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION TEAM NOW.
UM, BUT I WANT TO PUT ON THE RECORD MM-HMM
THAT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THAT.
UM, I CAN DRIVE TO SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS, AND I KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT PUT UP FENCES FOR A LIVING.
I KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, DO BATHROOM REMODELS FOR A LIVING.
BECAUSE EI MEAN, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE SO MANY TOILETS IN A THREE BEDROOM, TWO BATH HOUSE.
UM, BUT EVERY MONTH THERE IS THAT CONTRACT TO MATERIAL IN FRONT OF THAT HOUSE.
IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE, AND IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON FOR US TO DISPOSE OF CONTRACTING MATERIAL.
THE OTHER QUESTION IS, DO DO WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE ROUTES? WE RIGHT NOW DON'T BELIEVE SO.
YEAH, I, I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE PROGRAM, I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME MORE TRANSPARENT WITH IT.
AND BY THAT I MEAN BEING ABLE TO DISPLAY WHAT YOU SAW ON OUR WEBPAGE SO THAT FOLKS CAN GET REAL TIME INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF A PARTICULAR ROUTE SO THAT, THAT TECHNOLOGY'S OUT THERE.
AGAIN, WE'LL WORK WITH OUR HITS TEAM TO SEE IF WE CAN BRING SOME OF THAT FORWARD.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I THINK ALL THIS TECHNOLOGY IS GREAT.
DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN NEEDED FOR A LONG TIME, AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF, UM, BEING ABLE TO CLOSE OUT THINGS IN REAL TIME AS THEY GET TO, UM, DIFFERENT STOPS.
AND WOULD EVEN LOVE TO SEE THAT GO EVEN FARTHER TOO, WHERE, UM, WE CAN ACTUALLY SHOW IN REAL TIME KIND OF WHERE THE TRUCKS ARE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAME TO YOUR HOUSE AND MAYBE MISSED YOUR STREET OR MISSED YOUR HOUSE, OR IF THEY STILL ARE COMING, BECAUSE THERE'S STILL A LOT OF CONFUSION WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE SIDE OF THE STREET IS PICKED UP AND THE OTHER SIDE ISN'T, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THEY'RE COMING BACK, COMING BACK OR THEY JUST MISSED YOU OR NOT.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THE, UM, DIGI DIGITIZED ROUTES AND THAT WE'RE ADDING HEAVY TRASH.
ONCE WE ADD HEAVY TRASH, THAT WILL THAT COMPLETE ALL OF THE ROUTES TO DIGITIZE THAT? OR THERE'S STILL MORE THAT WE NEED TO ADD? NO, THAT, AS FAR
[00:50:01]
AS THE ROUTES THAT WE RUN, THAT WOULD COVER ALL OF OUR, OUR, UH, WEEKLY ROUTES, YOU KNOW, THAT WE RUN.UH, I AM, UH, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY DOUBT ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY MM-HMM
BUT THIS JUST PROVES HOW WE INVEST IN THESE THINGS.
AND, UM, THE SUCCESSES THAT COME FROM THAT.
MY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE EFFICIENCY, BECAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT DUPLICATION AND CORRECT EFFORT.
UM, UM, HOW MUCH WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE SAVED YOUR DEPARTMENT? I WOULD SAY ALMOST IN OVERTIME, BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW MM-HMM
STREAMLINED THAT THE ROUTES, THE, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE TRUCKS ON THE SAME STREET AND CORRECT.
THEN OVERALL, IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO REALLY THE EFFORT AND THE EFFICIENCY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN OVERALL WHAT WE'RE SAVING TAXPAYERS BY THIS ABSOLUTELY.
IT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, HAVE WE DECREASED THE OVERTIME EXPENSES? YES.
AND IT'S SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO, TO CAPTURE THOSE, THOSE WINS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE.
BUT, BUT IF I WAS, IF I WAS GONNA CORRELATE THIS TO, UM, JUST TO, LET'S SAY RESIDENTIAL AND RECYCLING COLLECTION ALONE, RIGHT? I THINK WITH, WITH THIS AND THE, AND SOME OF THE OTHER THOUGHT PROCESSES THAT, THAT THE TEAM HAS BROUGHT FORWARD, I WOULD SAY YOU'RE LOOKING AT AT LEAST FIVE TO SIX, 700,000, RIGHT? UH, IT IS, IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK THAT, YEAH, THIS TECHNOLOGY CAME IN AND INSTANTLY IT TOOK THE MINDSET OF SOME OF OUR LEADERS TOO TO, TO CONSIDER SOME DIFFERENT APPROACHES AS WELL.
SO WHEN YOU COMBINE THOSE TWO TOGETHER, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE START SEEING THE SAVINGS AT CHAIR, CHAIR CAYMAN, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON VICE MAYOR PROTO CASTEX, TATUM'S QUESTION ABOUT ACCESS, AND I APPRECIATE THE PERSPECTIVE OF TRANSPARENCY WITH ALL OF THIS ALWAYS PARAMOUNT FOR ANYTHING RELATED TO GOVERNMENT.
UM, ONE OF THE ALSO THINGS THAT I WANNA EMPHASIZE WITH THAT ACCESS IS THE EFFICIENCY, UM, COMPONENT.
AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE RECEIVE LOTS OF CALLS AND INQUIRIES, RIGHT? AND IT, MY UNDERSTANDING, I'M LOOKING OVER AT MY DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES RIGHT NOW, UM, WHEN WE GET AN INQUIRY LIKE THAT, WE THEN HAVE TO EMAIL THE DEPARTMENT TO SAY, HEY, WAS THIS MISSED? IS THERE A DELAY? WHAT'S THE STATUS? AND THEN ON BOTH ENDS, BOTH COUNSEL AND THE DEPARTMENT, I THINK THAT THERE'S A STRAIN WHEN WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT BACK AND FORTH, RIGHT? AND IT'S JUST A TIME SUCK AND A RESOURCE SUCK.
SO I WOULD, UM, WHATEVER WE CAN DO AS IT RELATES TO RUBICON, JUST FROM A COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE OF EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THE COMPONENTS, RIGHT? THAT THE ROUTE ASSESSMENTS OR WHAT VISUALS WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
WE'LL CERTAINLY KEEP THAT, KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
CAN THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS ON THE RUBICON, UH, PRESENTATION? THANK YOU, DIRECTOR.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
THANK, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TRANSFER OVER TO CHAIR CAYMAN PUBLIC SAFETY SO SHE CAN INTRODUCE THE ITEM AND THE PRESENTERS.
UM, AT, AT THIS TIME THE CHAIR CALLS, UH, I BELIEVE CATHERINE BRUNING AND, UH, CHIEF GARCIA UP.
AM I MISSING ANYONE ELSE THAT'S GONNA BE PRESENTING? I'M SORRY.
AND I KNOW WE'RE HAVING A PRESENTATION ON BYOB, UM, WHICH Y'ALL ARE ABOUT TO LAY OUT.
UH, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, INCLUDING NOT JUST A RA AND HPD, BUT LEGAL FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD SO QUICKLY, UH, AS WE, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE, UH, ALONG WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES THAT ARE QUITE FRANKLY IN POINT BLANK OUT SECURITY RISK, A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK.
SO AGAIN, UM, THANK YOU ALL AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATION.
LET'S, UM, PULL UP AN EXTRA, DO YOU WANNA COME SEE WHERE CITY ATTORNEY CHAIR, YOU GOT THE HIGH CHAIR, YOU'RE IN THE HOT SEAT.
AND IF YOU ALL WANNA INTRODUCE ANYONE ELSE THAT YOU'RE WITH, UM, PLEASE DO SO.
I'M A DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN A RA AND WITH ME, I HAVE, UH, CHIEF GARCIA AND HE'LL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ON HIS BACKGROUND.
AND SERGEANT SIMON, WHO IS THE DRT LIAISON, UM, COORDINATOR
[00:55:01]
FOR THE FULL CITY.SO WE WORK WITH SERGEANT SIMON ON A LOT OF OUR PERMITS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM LEGAL HERE, UH, BEHIND US.
SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AND WE'LL START THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S, THIS IS A PROPOSED ORDINANCE ON THE BRING, BRING YOUR BYOB.
I KNOW THAT WHEN I HEAR B-Y-O-B-I THINK BRING YOUR OWN BEER, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY MEANS BRING YOUR OWN BOTTLE SO THAT WAY WE GET OUR HARD LIQUORS INCLUDED AS WELL.
THE OVERALL PURPOSE OF THIS ORDINANCE IS TO ESTABLISH REGULATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE NOT LICENSED OR PERMITTED BY TABC.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME THAT EXIST AND RUN A NICE BUSINESS AND DO WELL.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE EXPECTING THEM TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
AND THEN WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PROBLEMS OUT THERE AND ARE HOPING TO USE THIS, AS I SAID, BYOB.
UM, IT'S, IT, IT'S TO PROVIDE US ANOTHER TOOL.
IT'S TO PROVIDE HPD ANOTHER TOOL IN THEIR TOOLKIT WHEN THEY'RE HAVING TO ADDRESS CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT ARISES FROM THESE TYPES OF ESTABLISHMENTS THAT BASICALLY ARE A THREAT TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THEIR, THEIR, UH, CITIZENS.
AND SO I'M GONNA LET CHIEF GARCIA, SO GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M ASSISTANT CHIEF OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT OVER SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, UH, THAT INCLUDES VICE NARCOTICS, GANGS, MAJOR OFFENDERS, AND AUTO THEFT.
UH, SO I'D LIKE THE DIRECTOR SAID, UH, THIS ORDINANCE, A PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS PRIMARILY A SAFETY CONSIDERATION.
UH, IT'S, IT, IT'S, IT'S RELATED TO P PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, IT'S INTENDED TO PROTECT, UH, OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR BUSINESSES, OUR ROADWAYS, UM, AND IT IT'S A PRIMARY, A SAFETY CONSIDERATION.
UM, SO IF YOU NEXT, IF YOU, IF YOU'LL SWITCH TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IN DETERMINING THE NUMBER OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS WE HAVE, UH, IN THE LOCATIONS OF WHERE THESE ESTABLISHMENTS ARE, UH, THERE, THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES THAT WE HAVE, AND WE, WE, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME ISSUES THAT WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY WE HAVE.
IN ADDITION, WE DON'T KNOW THE ONES THAT WE HAVE, WHERE ARE THEY OR THE LOCATIONS OF, OF WHERE THEY AT.
SOMETIMES THEY POP UP ONE WEEKEND AND THEY'RE GONE THE NEXT.
SO THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IN CONSIDERATION OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS.
UH, BUT ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS THE STATS THAT WE KEEP HERE IN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT RE GO RE UH, RELATED TO OUR RMS. IT IS A ISSUE THAT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IF AN INCIDENT OCCURS IN OUR RMS SYSTEM, IT WILL CAPTURE THE LOCATION OF WHERE THAT INCIDENT OCCURRED.
IF THAT INCIDENT ORIGINATED AT A CLUB OR A, OR A NIGHTCLUB OF THIS, OF THIS TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT, IF IT ORIGINATED AT THE CLUB AND THEN IT WENT TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION, WE ARE GONNA CAPTURE THAT LOCATION WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.
AND MOST OF THE TIMES, OFTENTIMES WE WILL MISS THE LOCATION OF WHERE THAT BAR OR NIGHTCLUB IS LOCATED.
SO THAT'S THE ISSUE THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UH, WHEN WE'RE NOT CAPTURING, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXACT, UH, NUMBERS OR WHERE THE LOCATIONS ARE OF THESE CLUBS.
SO IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THE FIRST SLIDE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, THIS IS FROM NOVEMBER THE FIRST, 2022 TO APRIL 18TH, 2023.
UH, A LITTLE LESS THAN SIX MONTHS.
UH, I WANNA SHOW THIS, THIS SLIDE IS BECAUSE THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I JUST GOT THROUGH SAYING.
THIS ARE EXACT LOCATIONS OF BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PULL AND DRILL DOWN IN OUR RMS SYSTEM AS HAVING, UH, VIOLENT INCIDENTS AT THESE INDIVIDUAL LOCATIONS.
SO, IF YOU'LL LOOK AT MURDER, WE HAD A TOTAL OF NINE MURDERS AT THESE LOCATIONS WITHIN A LESS THAN A SIX MONTH PERIOD, AND FOUR OF THOSE WERE OCCURRED AFTER 4:00 AM THAT'S A LITTLE BIT, UH, THAT'S LIKE 44% OF THOSE MURDERS ARE HAPPENING AFTER 2:00 AM.
IN TERMS OF ROBBERIES, THERE'S 32 TOTAL ROBBERIES.
UH, 13 OF THOSE 42 OR 32 OCCURRED AFTER 2:00 AM AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, A TOTAL OF ONE HUNDRED AND THREE THIRTY SIX OF THOSE OCCURRED AFTER 2:00 AM ABOUT A 30, PROBABLY 35%, UH, UH, THAT WE SEE IN THOSE, IN THOSE CLUBS OR IN THOSE LOCATIONS.
UH, IN TERMS OF AFTER BEING, UH, AFTER OCCURRING AT 2:00 AM UH, I PUT IT THIS IN THERE IS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE KNOW.
WE HAVE, LIKE I SAID, DRILLED THAT INFORMATION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE KNOW.
SO THAT INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE FACT THAT WE KNOW THIS IS OCCURRING, AND WE KNOW THAT'S THOSE NUMBERS ARE GONNA BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, WE'RE JUST NOT CAPTURING THOSE NUMBERS IN OUR RMS SYSTEM.
[01:00:01]
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, UH, SLIDE, UH, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THE, THE, THE, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE INDICATED LOCATIONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET EXACT, UH, LOCATIONS OF THOSE BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS.WHAT I ALSO DID ALSO IS WE DOWN THE ACTIVITY AROUND A 250 FEET RADIUS OF THESE BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT IS OCCURRING? WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY AROUND THESE LOCATIONS? AND MAYBE GIVE US A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY OCCURRING AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
UH, SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE BLUE, UH, BARS, UH, THE BLUE BARS ARE DIVIDED, UH, BETWEEN CALLS FOR SERVICE.
AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS ON YOUR, ON YOUR, ON YOUR POWERPOINT, ON YOUR SLIDE, BUT THERE'S 2,705 TOTAL CALLS, UH, FROM JANUARY 14TH, 2023 TO MARCH 23RD, 2023.
SO ABOUT PROBABLY THREE MONTH, MAYBE A LITTLE LESS THAN THREE MONTH PERIOD.
UM, AGAIN, 250 FEET AROUND OR FROM A BAR CLUB OR AN S UH, SEXUAL ORIGINATED BUSINESS.
IF YOU LOOK AT, AGAIN, ON THE BLUE CHART OR ON THE BLUE GRAPH AT NINE O'CLOCK, 10 O'CLOCK, 11 O'CLOCK, WE SEE THE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
UM, THEY'RE PRETTY CONSISTENT.
UH, AT NINE O'CLOCK, THERE'S 400 CALLS.
AT 10 O'CLOCK, THERE'S 4 16, 11 O'CLOCK, 3 75.
YOU WOULD IMAGINE THAT WHEN THE BARS GET CLOSE TO CLOSING TIME AT 2:00 AM UH, OR THREE OR EVEN FOUR, EVEN FIVE, EVEN 6:00 AM THAT THE ACTIVITY AT THESE LOCATIONS IN AND AROUND THE AREA OF THESE BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS WOULD DIMINISH.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, THE, THE BLUE, THE BLUE BLOCKS, UH, THEY'RE IN FACT HOLDING STEADY.
SO AT 3:00 AM THEY'RE STILL 188 INCIDENTS AT 4:00 AM THERE'S STILL 158 INCIDENTS AT 5:00 AM AND AT 6:00 AM IN THE MORNING, THERE'S STILL 131 INCIDENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING, UH, IN AND AROUND THESE, THESE, THESE BARS AND, AND, AND NIGHTCLUBS.
IF YOU WANT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, AT THE ORANGE, UM, UH, GRAPH, THOSE ARE INCIDENTS.
THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 73 INCIDENTS THAT ARE AROUND THE 250 FEET RADIUS AROUND THESE BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS.
UH, THAT'S ALSO DIVIDED INTO TIMEFRAMES.
UM, AT NINE O'CLOCK, THERE'S FIVE, I'LL GO TO 2, 2, 2 AM 2:00 AM IS GONNA BE THE HIGH POINT.
THERE'S 15 OF THOSE INCIDENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING AT 2:00 AM AND YOU WOULD, I GUESS YOU COULD ASSUME THAT THAT WOULD BE A HIGH POINT BECAUSE THE CLUB SHOULD BE FLOODING OUT ABOUT THAT TIME.
UH, THE CUSTOMERS AND THE PATRONS ARE LEAVING THE AREAS, LEAVING THE, LEAVING THE LOCATIONS, SO THAT, THAT, UH, THAT NUMBER SEEMS TO BE, UH, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE IT'S GONNA PEAK.
AND, AND, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT MIDNIGHT MIDNIGHT'S AT SEVEN, THERE'S SEVEN INCIDENTS AT MIDNIGHT.
IF YOU LOOK AT 4:00 AM THERE'S SEVEN INCIDENTS ALSO AT MIDNIGHT.
SO THAT GIVES US A PICTURE, TELLS US A STORY THAT THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON AND IT'S JUST AS BUSY AT MIDNIGHT AS IT IS AT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
SO THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME ISSUES GOING ON OVER THERE IN THAT GENERAL VICINITY OF WHERE THAT BAR OR NIGHTCLUB IS INCLUDED, WHERE IT'S LOCATED.
UH, AND, AND IT'S JUST, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, IT'S GONNA BE HARD FOR US TO DRILL DOWN EXACTLY WHAT IS OCCURRING.
BUT BASED ON THE STATS AND, AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GATHER FROM OUR, UH, RMS SYSTEM, IT APPEARS TO BE THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE DRIVING FACTOR OF WHAT IS OCCURRING AT, AT THESE LOCATIONS.
SO I GET ASKED A LOT ABOUT, WELL, WHERE, WHERE IS THIS OCCURRING ON THE WEST SIDE? WHERE, WHERE, WHERE EXACTLY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT IT? I MEAN, I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE'S A LOT OF BARS AND CLUBS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW OF THE ONES THAT WE DO KNOW, AND THAT WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE, LOCATE IT THROUGH OUR SYSTEMS. UH, I PROVIDED YOU A HEAT MAP, BASICALLY, THAT GIVES YOU THE DARKER OF THE, UH, THE COLOR OF THE, OF THE, OF THE COLOR, OF THE, OF THE LOCATION.
THAT'S WHERE THESE ARE OCCURRING.
BUT TO ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS, IT'S OCCURRING ALL OVER THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, SOME MAY HAVE MORE IN TERMS OF INCIDENTS OR CALLS FOR SERVICE, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT'S HAPPENING ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, SO THAT, THAT'LL GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UH, OF WHAT EXACTLY, UM, ESTIMATE OR, OR, OR A PICTURE OF, OF WHAT, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, CITYWIDE.
UH, SO AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE, AS THE DIRECTOR SAID, UH, THIS IS PRIMARILY A PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, DRIVEN ORDINANCE.
UH, AND AGAIN, UM, HAPPY TO BE HERE AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE ORDINANCE.
WE'VE HIT ON IT IN SOME PLACES, BUT I JUST WANNA GO THROUGH THE THINGS WE WERE REALLY LOOKING AT.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A REGULATORY
[01:05:01]
LOOPHOLE WITH THESE BYOBS.THEY'RE NOT REGULATED BY TABC, AND THEY'RE NOT REGULATED BY US.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BRING, UM, SOME REGULATION IN IT.
UM, ALSO HITS THE BUSINESSES THAT WE KNOW HAVE HIGH CRIME ACTIVITY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 7:00 AM IT ESTABLISHES RULES FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT WILL ALLOW THE PATRONS TO BRING THEIR OWN ALCOHOL AND CONSUME IT ON THEIR PREMISES.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO RULES.
IT INSTITUTES SAFETY MEASURES BECAUSE HPD WILL REVIEW A SECURITY PLAN.
IT WILL BE A REQUIRED PART OF IT, AND THEY WILL ALSO GO OUT AND DO AN INSPECTION PRIOR TO THE PERMIT BEING ISSUED.
THE BIG THING IS IT ALLOWS HPD TO ENTER THE PRIMA PREMISES AND ISSUE CITATIONS.
IT GIVES THE CITY A BROADER AUTHORITY TO TAKE OTHER MEASURES AS NECESSARY.
IF WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A LOCATION THAT IS HAVING CITATIONS WRITTEN TO THEM, MULTIPLE CITATIONS IN VIOLATION OF OUR ORDINANCE, IT WILL GIVE THE CITY ATTORNEY THE ABILITY TO SUE TO ENJOIN THE B ENJOYING THE BUSINESS AS A PUBLIC NUISANCE.
RIGHT NOW, WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A CITY ORDINANCE THAT THEY'RE VIOLATING.
SO THAT IS ONE OF THE BIG PARTS OF THIS ORDINANCE.
NOW, THE REQ GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.
YOU'VE SEEN, Y'ALL HAVE SEEN ME UP HERE ON A VARIETY OF PERMITS OVER THE YEARS.
UM, A LOT OF THIS IS PRETTY STANDARD YOU'RE USED TO SEEING.
WE'RE GONNA REQUIRE FINGERPRINT AND CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS BY THE FBI AND DPS.
WE ARE GONNA REQUIRE THAT THEY HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY AND IF THEY'VE DONE ANY BUILD OUT IN THEIR BUILDING, THAT IT IS DONE ACCORDING TO BUILDING CODE.
IT'S NOT BEEN DONE WITHOUT THE CORRECT PERMITTING PERMITS BEING PULLED.
WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR SCALE DRAWINGS OF THE PREMISE TO INCLUDE A SITE PLAN, A FLOOR PLAN, AND A DESIGNATION OF THE AREAS FOR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION.
AND THEN THE SECURITY PLAN NEEDS TO MEET OR EXCEED THE MINIMUM STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE ORDINANCE.
AND IT'LL BE SUBJECT TO INSPECTION AND APPROVING APPROVAL BY A POLICE OFFICIAL.
IT WILL BE THE DRT OFFICERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE GOING OUT AND DOING THAT.
AND SERGEANT SIMON WILL SPEAK TO THAT IN JUST A MINUTE.
SOME OF THE OTHER CRIME UH, REQUIREMENTS.
SOME OF THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS ARE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A SIGN AT THEIR ENTRANCE THAT CAN BE SEEN FROM 25 FEET AWAY.
THEY HAVE TO BE IN FOUR INCH LETTERS, BLOCK LETTERS, FOUR INCH HIGH BLOCK LETTERS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, IS HELPFUL FOR HPD.
WE HAVE THE SAME REQUIREMENT ON OUR GAME ROOM ORDINANCE, AND IT HAS PROVEN HELPFUL FOR THEM IN THAT ORDINANCE.
WE'RE GONNA REQUIRE AN OPERATOR TO BE ON THE PREMISES AT ALL TIMES.
BASICALLY, YOU NEED A MANAGER ALL TIME THERE.
THE PERSON THAT'S OPERATING THE CLUB NEEDS TO BE THERE AT ALL TIMES.
THE MINIMUM AGE TO EVEN ENTER THE PREMISES WILL BE 18.
THE DOORS HAVE TO REMAIN UNLOCKED AND UNOBSTRUCTED DURING OPERATING HOURS.
THAT IS ONE WAY THAT A LOT OF THESE PLACES CAN KEEP HPD OUT IS THEY LOCK THE DOORS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PASSWORD OR SOMETHING COOL TO GET IN.
AND THEN A TRESPASS AFFIDAVIT NEEDS TO BE POSTED AT ALL TIMES IN A CONSPICUOUS PLACE THAT THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
NEXT PAGE, THERE ARE GONNA BE SPECIFIC PARKING LOT RESTRICTIONS.
THE FIRST WILL BE NO LOITERING.
YOU KNOW, YOU GET OUT IN THE PARKING LOT, YOU'RE, YOU'VE BEEN IN THE CLUB, YOU'RE OUT, YOU COME OUT, YOU'RE GONNA HANG OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
NO, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE ALLOWED.
NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN THE PARKING LOT.
BASICALLY, YOU CAN TAKE YOUR BEVERAGE BOTTLE, CAN WHATEVER YOU'RE TAKING IN TO THE BAR, YOU CAN TAKE THE STUFF BACK OUT AND PUT IN YOUR CAR, BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA DRINK IT IN THE PARKING LOT.
UM, AND THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE SIGNAGE STA STATING THAT THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE PRO PROHIBITED IN THE PARKING LOT.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS.
SALE OF ALCOHOL WILL BE PROHIBITED.
SERVICE OF ALCOHOL WILL BE PROHIBITED.
SALE AND CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL BY THE OWNER OPERATOR WILL BE PROHIBITED.
THE PERMIT IS GONNA BE AN ANNUAL PERMIT.
IT'S NON-TRANSFERABLE, AND IT'LL HAVE TO BE POSTED, AND IT'S A PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT.
SO, UM, SINCE IT IS A RENEWAL PERMIT, THERE WILL BE AN HPD WILL DO AN INSPECTION ANNUALLY ON THESE LOCATIONS.
AND AS I SAID, SERGEANT SIMON WILL SPEAK TO THAT.
[01:10:02]
SERGEANT SIMON.UH, MAY THE RECORD REFLECT THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SITTING UP HERE, SO, UH, THIS IS PRETTY NICE.
UM, EVEN THOUGH CITY ATTORNEY, THAT'S NOT THE RESPONSIBILITIES I'M ON.
SO, UH, JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, MY NAME IS MATTHEW SIMON.
I WORK WITH, UH, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF LARRY SATTERWHITE.
UH, I EXPLAIN IT TO THE COMMUNITY AS TYPICALLY THE UNIFORMED OPERATIONS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, IF Y'ALL NEED ANYTHING, LET US KNOW.
UH, AS, UH, YOU PROBABLY SEE MY BOSS AND MYSELF, WE WORK A LOT, BUT A RA AND LEGAL, THEY CAME TO US AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO PUT A CLAUSE IN THAT REQUIRES A FIELD INSPECTION OF THESE BYOBS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING PLACE LATER AT NIGHT BECAUSE BY BS OPERATE LATE AT NIGHT.
AND THEREFORE WE NEED A, UH, GROUP OF OFFICERS THAT WORK AT ALL TIMES AND DAYS AND NIGHTS.
AND WHAT BETTER THAN LARRY SATAY AND MYSELF.
UM, IN THAT REGARD, WE'RE GOING TO BE PERFORMING A, UH, UH, SECURITY PLAN REQUIREMENT TO THE ITEMS, UH, MRS. BRUNING MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE GONNA CHECK THOSE.
BUT THE ONES THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FINDS VERY CRITICAL, UH, TO PUBLIC SAFETY IS HAND WAND AND WALKTHROUGH METAL DETECTORS.
UM, DO YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU WORK A HAND WAND? DOES YOUR METAL DETECTOR WORK? UM, GO AHEAD, OFFICER, WALK THROUGH IT.
YOU'RE GONNA SET IT OFF, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER OFFICER WITHOUT ANY METAL SET IT OFF, EXCUSE ME, WALK THROUGH AND NOT SET IT OFF.
LIGHTING ON THE EXTERIOR, UH, PORTIONS OF THE PREMISE.
UM, IT'S DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN 0.7 FOOT CANDLES TO THE AVERAGE PERSON.
UM, WE HAVE A LIGHT METER, OR MY OFFICE HAS A LIGHT METER IF WE NEED TO MEASURE IT, BUT WE ALL KNOW WHAT A COMPLETELY, UH, VOID PARKING LOT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK INTO IT.
THE GOAL IS THERE TO PREVENT THAT.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THE LIGHTING DOES NOT IMPACT, UH, THE NEIGHBORS.
I WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, OKAY, I CHOOSE TO LIVE HERE.
IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO GO TO SLEEP AND THE LIGHTING IS GOING INSIDE HOUSES.
THAT IS GOING TO, THAT'S CLASSICALLY, I'M JUST GONNA HAVE TO GET OUT THERE ON FOOT AND WALK AROUND, TALK TO THE NEIGHBORS.
UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY, UH, WHEN PEOPLE SEE ME, UH, WALKING AROUND, THEY DON'T THINK ANYTHING'S WRONG.
AND I HAVE TO TELL 'EM, HEY, I'M JUST DOING AN INSPECTION JUST FOR BUSINESS NEXT DOOR.
BUT, UH, THE GOAL THERE IS TO ENSURE, YES, WE DON'T WANT A-B-Y-O-B ESTABLISHMENT PROVIDING THE LIGHTS, BUT THEN UNDULY AFFECTING SOMEBODY ELSE.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, MINIMUM OF ONE SECURITY OFFICER PER 100 PATRONS.
WE'RE GOING TO TIE THAT TO THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
AS MRS. BRUNEY, UH, MENTIONED EARLIER AND SECURITY VIDEO SYSTEM, THIS ALSO CORRELATES TO THE CONVENIENCE STORE ORDINANCE AND THE, UH, RECENTLY PASSED EXTERIOR CONVENIENCE STORE ORDINANCE.
ARE WE PUTTING IT, UH, WERE WE PUTTING EXTERIOR? OKAY.
AND SAME, WE COULD LIST ALL OF THEM, BUT IT'S THE SAME IDEOLOGY.
30 DAYS, ALWAYS RECORDING A LOW LIGHT CAPABILITIES, ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
IF MY OFFICERS RESPOND AND I'VE INVESTIGATED ONE RECENTLY, THERE'S AN ASSAULT.
OH, I DON'T HAVE THE PASSWORD.
I I'M NOT, I DON'T NEED TO BE CHASING PEOPLE DOWN FOR A PASSWORD.
SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THIS.
AND, UM, UH, ALL THE AREAS INSIDE IN, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE PREMISE, EXCLUDING THE RESTROOMS. AGAIN, UM, SIMILAR TO THE CONVENIENCE STORE ORDINANCE.
WE RECORD WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE.
NOT NECESSARILY THE RESTROOMS, NOT NECESSARILY THE BROOM CLOSET.
OKAY? BUT THE SAME THING HERE AT BYOB ESTABLISHMENT.
I WANNA KNOW WHAT'S TAKING PLACE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE FOR THE MOST PART WHERE PEOPLE, EH, DON'T REALLY HAVE A LARGE EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY.
ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO WE WILL PERFORM THAT, UH, WE WILL PERFORM THAT COMPLIANCE INSPECTION ANNUALLY.
THERE'S A FEE INCLUDED WITH THE PERMIT.
UH, IT'D BE PROVIDED, ACTUALLY.
SO WHEN WE MEET WITH PE, WHEN WE MEET WITH BUSINESS OWNERS AND WE TALK TO THEM, AND WE'RE TELLING THEM, AND IF YOU REALLY BREAK IT DOWN, THERE'S 12 CRITERIA IN THAT ORDINANCE THAT IS GONNA BE APPLICABLE IN THE FIELD.
THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME EDUCATION.
WE'RE GONNA TALK TO THEM, LET 'EM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
OBVIOUSLY, IF WE SEE NO CONCERTED EFFORT TO IMPROVE YOUR PROPERTY OR NEGATE CRIME, THE, THE, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ENFORCEMENT EXISTS.
UH, WE HAVE TO CURE THEM IN 60 DAYS AND ADVISE, UH, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BABY SIDE.
HERE IS THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE, THEY CANNOT BE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE.
THEY, UM, UH, LOCATION THAT DOESN'T COMPLY WITH THE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS CAN'T BE PERMITTED.
BUT WE, WE ALWAYS PUT THAT IN, UM, APPLICANT OPERATOR OR OWNER HAD HAD A PERMIT REVOKED WITHIN THE PRECEDING 12 MONTH PERIOD.
[01:15:01]
TO WHAT WE HAVE IN THE NOISE ORDINANCE.UM, THE NEXT IS THE APPLICANT HAD A-T-A-B-C PERMIT CANCELED OR SUSPENDED WITHIN A PROCEEDING 12 MONTH PERIOD, CANCELED OR SUSPENDED.
PEOPLE COME IN AND VOLUNTARILY CANCEL AND SUSPEND THEIR PERMITS.
SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ARE THE ONES THAT ARE INVOLUNTARILY SUSPENDED AND CANCELED.
BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE NOT WANTING TO HAVE HAPPEN IS HAVE A LOCATION THAT HAS A-T-A-B-C PERMIT AND THEY GET SUSPENDED.
WELL, IF YOU'RE GETTING SUSPENDED FOR YOUR PERMIT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE VIOLATING A LOT OF TABC RULES.
SO WE DON'T WANT YOU TO TURN AROUND AND COME AND OPEN AS A-B-Y-O-B.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER REQUIREMENT.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK, DO THE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK WITH THE CRIMINAL OFFENSES, FRAUD, VIOLENT, UH, CRIME, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU MADE A MISTAKE 20 YEARS AGO AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE GOING ON YOUR RECORD, YOU'LL STILL BE QUALIFIED EVEN THOUGH IT'S ON YOUR RECORD, BECAUSE WE LOOK AT THE MOST PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS.
THE OTHER IS, UH, AND, AND THAT'S FOR LIKE DENIAL.
THIS IS FOR REV REVOKING, A PERMIT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED.
A PERMIT CAN BE REVOKED IF AN OWNER OPERATOR EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN CONVICTED FOR VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE ON TWO OR MORE OCCASIONS WITHIN THE PRECEDING 24 MONTH PERIOD, PROCEEDING THE DATE OF THE APPLICATION.
WE'VE GOT THIS SET UP SO THAT WHEN HPD GOES IN AND WRITES THE CITATION, THEY'RE WRITING THE CITATION.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ADDRESS, IT CAN BE ANYONE THAT GETS THE CITATION TO HAVE THIS TAKE PLACE.
IT ISN'T JUST SPECIFICALLY THE APPLICANT, SPECIFICALLY THE OWNER.
I MEAN, AN EMPLOYEE CAN BE GET THE CITATION AS WELL.
UH, WE CAN REVOKE IF WE ISSUE IT IN THERE, THE OWNER NO LONGER QUALIFIES FOR A PERMIT.
UM, THEY FAIL TO COMPLY WITH ANY PROVISION IN THE ORDINANCE.
THIS IS ALSO SIMILAR TO WHAT WE JUST DID LAST YEAR IN THE NOISE ORDINANCE.
AND THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO REVOKE IF THERE ARE VIOLATING ANY PORTION OF THE ORDINANCE.
AND THEN, UM, A WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF REVOCATION.
THEY HAVE 10 DAYS, 10 BUSINESS DAYS TO APPEAL IT FOR A HEARING.
THAT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A RANGE AND WE'RE STILL HAMMERING OUT THE FINAL NUMBERS, BUT IT WILL BE BETWEEN $397 AND $550.
THAT IS TO ISSUE THE PERMIT AND FOR HPD TO CONDUCT THE INSPECTION.
SO WE'VE GOT THEM COMBINED INTO ONE FEE RATHER THAN SPLITTING THEM OUT, BECAUSE IT, IT, MY STAFF WILL BE DOING IT AND IT WILL REQUIRE US TO TOUCH IT ONCE INSTEAD OF TWICE.
UM, AND IT GETS, AS I SAID, IT GETS THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND THE HPD COST.
ANY QUESTIONS? YOU ALL VERY MUCH, UH, FIRST IN THE QUEUE, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
UM, I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS, UH, DRAFT ORDINANCE LANGUAGE, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING SURE THIS WAS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, ONE, THE, THE HEAT MAP, IF THAT CAN BE, UM, BROKEN DOWN INTO BY DISTRICTS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION ON THE 131 INCIDENTS YOU MENTIONED ARE THO ARE THOSE 9 1 1 CALLS OR NON-EMERGENCY? THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE DIRECTING FOLKS TO CALL NON-EMERGENCY MM-HMM
AS WHAT'S BEEN REQUESTED OF US.
AND SO JUST FROM A I I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CAPTURED CORRECTLY IN HOW Y'ALL ARE, ARE CAPTURING THIS DATA.
NUMBER THREE, ARE YOU INCLUDING POKER STRIP CLUBS AND OR JUST TRADITIONAL BYOB POPUPS? JUST ALL BYOBS.
NOW, THERE ARE SOME SBS THAT ARE B YBS AND THEY ARE INCLUDED.
'CAUSE I HAVE SOME POKER CLUBS THAT ARE ALSO, IF IT'S, IF IT'S BYOB AND THEY HAVE ALCOHOL AND YOU'RE ALLOWED TO BRING IT AND CONSUME IT ON THE PREMISES AFTER MIDNIGHT, IT WOULD BE CAPTURED THAT WAY.
SO THIS LANGUAGE GIVES CITY LEGAL THE ABILITY TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CHAPTER 1 32.
IS IT 1 32, 1 24 25, EXCUSE ME.
SO HOW PROBABLE, HOW PROBABLE IS THAT? AND WILL CITY LEGAL BE MOTIVATED TO GET THAT DONE? YOU KNOW, I, I CAN'T ANSWER BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA,
[01:20:01]
I JUST DON'T WANNA SAY, I'LL BE HONEST WITH THE BOOKS, I'LL HONEST WITH, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A REALLY GOOD GRASP OF HOW MANY THE THERE ARE OUT THERE.
SO WE'LL HAVE A BETTER ANSWER FOR THAT AFTER WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PASS THE REGULATIONS AND HPD CAN GO OUT AND START WRITING CITATIONS.
I'M, I'M, I'M SPEAKING FOR Y'ALL, BUT YES, THEY WILL BE INTERESTED.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS I'M COMMUNICATING, 'CAUSE I SHARED THIS WITH RESIDENTS LAST WEEK TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING AND SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS BECAUSE IT IS A HUGE ISSUE.
I JUST WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE INFORMED ON WHAT THE PROCESS IS FOR THE CITY, BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ALREADY BELIEVE THAT WE CAN INTERVENE AT THAT.
AND WE ARE OVEREXTENDING MIDWEST, HPD AT THIS POINT, WE'RE OVEREXTENDED.
SO NUMBER FIVE, UM, THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS ABOUT CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY FLOOR PLAN.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE THOUGHTFUL RIGHT.
WHAT WE HAVE IN MIDWEST, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT A LANDLORD MAY OWN A COMMERCIAL SHOPPING CENTER AND THEY'RE JUST LOOKING FOR CASH MONEY.
UM, AND WE HAVE TO THEN TRACK THE LANDLORD DOWN AND THEN CONVINCE THEM TO EVICT OUT.
AND SO MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TRACKING DOWN AND CLOSING, UM, YOU KNOW, WEST TIMER FOND IN RICHMOND.
NONE OF THIS EVEN APPLIES TO THEM.
AND THEN MY, MY OTHER ISSUE WITH THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, HOW MANY DO WE ALREADY HAVE ON FILE THAT ARE EXPIRED ANYWAY, THAT'S, WE, WE HAVE, I I DON'T WORK WITH CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCIES OTHER THAN TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ONE.
BUT IF THEY DO WANNA COME IN AND APPLY AND THEY DON'T HAVE ONE, WE DO TURN IT OVER TO THE OCCUPANCY GROUP IN PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THEN MY LAST ONE, MS. UH, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA, THIS SPECIAL TEAM, HPD WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
AND WILL WE NO LONGER RELY ON DRT TO ADDRESS THIS? Y'ALL CAN ANSWER THAT
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, THE PREVIOUS, AS YOU PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, I THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IS THE CONVENIENCE STORE ORDINANCE.
IF YOU HAVE A CONVENIENCE STORE, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
AND I GO AND I INTRODUCE MYSELF, HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON, BUDDY? ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITION OF A CONVENIENCE STORE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU ARE, YOU NEED TO REGISTER, YOU NEED TO PERFORM THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA.
IF YOU, I'M GONNA CHECK BACK IN A WEEK.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW.
HOWEVER, IF YOU ELECT NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE DO AS POLICE OFFICERS? WE ISSUE TICKETS.
SAME THING HERE WITH THE BYOB.
IF YOU HAVE A LOCATION, IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS AND YOU ELECT TO ALLOW PEOPLE INSIDE AND CONSUME ALCOHOL, HEY BUDDY, OUR RECORDS AND MY RESEARCH FIELD RESEARCH INDICATES THAT YOU ARE A-B-Y-O-B ESTABLISHMENT.
AND I NEED YOU TO, EXCUSE ME, I NEED YOU TO MEET THIS CRITERIA AND YES, WE CAN.
A WE'RE GONNA PERFORM THIS INITIAL INSPECTION.
THESE ARE THE PROBLEMS WE SEE.
I'M GONNA BE BACK IN TWO WEEKS.
WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THIS TOGETHER.
AND IF, YOU KNOW, AFTER 60 DAYS, WHICH IS TWO MONTHS, THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME CITATIONS COMING.
AND WE CAN WORK IT UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND TO LEGAL, UM, THE TEAM, I GUESS YOU'D CALL IT A TEAM.
IT'S GONNA, I'M GONNA HANDPICK THE OFFICERS.
AND AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE LATE AT NIGHT, AND WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING SPECIFICALLY WITH THE COMPLIANT.
WITH THE NORMAL, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THEM.
BUT THE MORE NON-COMPLIANT BUSINESSES, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO RATCHET UP OUR ENFORCEMENTS.
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHO THE TEAM IS.
IS IT DRT OR IS IT THE SPECIAL TEAM? WHEN IT, WHEN IT SPECIALTY
I'M LIKE, LISTEN, I LEFT CITY COUNCIL, I NEED YOU.
I'M GONNA BE CALLED THE SPECIAL TEAM
'CAUSE WE, WE DEDICATE THEIR TIME, AND I DO OVERTIME SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS DRT MM-HMM.
THE CLUBS POP UP AT 2:00 AM THEY'RE FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM PROMOTING COME AT 2:00 AM SO WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT PROCESSES, I'M THINKING ABOUT MY LOCAL BUDGET.
I'M THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIES.
AND SO IF THIS WAS GONNA BE A NEW PROCESS AND WE'VE CONDITIONED RESIDENTS TO CONTACT DRT MM-HMM
ITERATION, THEN I WANT TO, IT WOULD BE LIKE, HEY, I'M A CONSTITUENT.
I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE A-B-Y-O-B ESTABL ESTABLISHMENT HAS OPENED UP IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT WHO ARE THEY SAYING THAT TO YOU? T THE DRT? NO, THE DRT.
I THINK THAT INFORMATION WILL ALSO COME ONLINE AND Y'ALL CAN PROVIDE THAT AT THE MOMENT, THOUGH, AT THE MOMENT THOUGH, BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE IS SO NEW, I'M GOING TO HANDLE THEM PERSONALLY.
BUT AS IT DEVELOPS, THEN YES, I CAN PASS IT OFF TO THE NORTHWEST, OR EXCUSE ME, MIDWEST ERT AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN TERMS OF A, A DELINEATION OF WHO DO WE WORK WITH, RIGHT.
AND WHO ARE WE HELPING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR? AND THAT, AGAIN, WHEN WE GET THE RED LINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THIS ACTUALLY GETS IMPLEMENTED, IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD JUST ASK HPD TO GET BACK TO US ON MM-HMM.
AS TO HERE'S HOW AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE NEED YOU TO CONTACT THIS, THIS NUMBER.
I WOULD PREFER IN, IN IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM, WHILE THE ORDINANCE IS BRAND NEW, SIX TO NINE MONTHS, YOU CONTACT, WE ALL KNOW MY, MY SUPERVISOR, MY PARTNER EXECUTIVE SAYS CHIEF LARRY SATELLITE, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER.
AND ONCE WE GET THE KINGS IRON OUT, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ENCOUNTERING.
[01:25:01]
THIS IS, HEY, IF WE PUSH THIS OUT, CITYWIDE OTHER DRTS, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA ENCOUNTER.THIS IS HOW WE RESOLVE IT THEN.
SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION DIRECTLY, SHORT TERM, UH, PATROL OPERATIONS OFFICE, LONG TERM, IT WILL BE PUSHED TO THE DIVISIONAL DRTS.
SO FOR THE RECORD, I'M CONTACTING CHIEF SATTERWHITE.
AND, AND I WILL BE RECEIVING
UH, NEXT IN QUEUE, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD TO BE FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PECK.
AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK ALL THREE OF YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, I'VE BEEN ANTICIPATING THIS, UH, PROPOSAL COMING FORWARD FOR A WHILE, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR WORK ON IT.
I REPRESENT DISTRICT J AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND THE RICHMOND STRIP AND SOME OF OUR AREAS, THIS AND THAT, AND OTHERS.
UH, BASED ON THE MAP, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S A HOT SPOT.
MY THING IS ABOUT, UH, ENFORCEMENT AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE IN THE ORDINANCE THAT WILL ENSURE THAT, UH, THESE TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE AND CAUSE A PUBLIC NUISANCE.
SO I KNOW THAT, UM, IF A LOCATION IS IDENTIFIED AS BYLB AND DOES NOT HAVE A PERMIT, YOUR FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION IS TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE A CITATION QUESTION IS, WHAT ABOUT THE ALCOHOL THAT IS THERE ON THE PREMISES? DOES THAT GET DISCARDED? HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT ONCE YOU ALL WRITE THE TICKET AND LEAVE THE LOCATION, THAT IT'S JUST NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL? HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT, UM, THE CITATION DOESN'T JUST GET BUILT INTO, UM, COST OF DOING BUSINESS? AND THE CHAPTER 1 25 IS A LONG PROCESS, AND WE ALREADY DEAL WITH THAT WITH PUBLIC NUISANCE WHEN IT COMES TO PLACES THAT MAY HAVE A, A LIQUOR LICENSE.
AND THAT TAKES A YEAR OR TWO WITH OUR COURT SYSTEM TO EVEN FIGHT.
SO OUR BIGGEST THING IS, WE KNOW THAT THESE B WILD BS POP UP BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
THEY ARE TRYING TO USE LOOPHOLES AND BE BAD ACTORS.
SO WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS THESE ESTABLISHMENTS SHUT DOWN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND ALL THE GOOD ACTORS, ALL THE NIGHTCLUBS AND BARS THAT ARE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY, THEY WANT THESE PLACES SHUT DOWN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AS WELL, BECAUSE THEIR COMPETITION WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE SAME REGULATION.
SO I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL KIND OF WHAT CAN BRING US ASSURANCE THAT THIS PERMIT WILL SHUT DOWN ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE, UM, NOT PERMITTED SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THESE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS WE HAVE ARE NO LONGER GONNA BE A NUISANCE ON A, A WEEKLY BASIS FOR US.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THESE, THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, THE ONES THAT WE'RE, UH, CONCENTRATING ON, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE WORRIED ABOUT THIS, ABOUT THIS PERMIT.
UH, SO THAT'S NOT THAT THAT'S THE ONES WE WANT TO BE CONCENTRATED ON.
UH, IN REALITY, THIS, THIS ORDINANCE IS ANOTHER, UM, I WOULD DESCRIBE ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX, UH, TO GO AFTER AND TO TARGET THESE TYPES OF ESTABLISHMENTS BEING THE FIRST STEP IN.
AND AS YOU KNOW, UH, A LONG PROCESS IN TRYING TO GET THESE PLACES, UH, SHUT DOWN.
UH, WHAT WE FIND, UH, WHAT WE HAVE FOUND WITH THESE ESTABLISHMENTS IS LIKE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ALSO IS THAT THEY OPEN FOR A WEEKEND, UH, TWO WEEKENDS, THEY ADVERTISE ON SHOW SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THEN THEY'RE GONE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT WHEN I TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES, THAT IT'S HARD FOR US TO PINPOINT THE ACTUAL NUMBER AND THE LOCATIONS BECAUSE THEY, UH, THEY, THEY DO THAT ACTIVITY.
UH, SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, WHAT IS THE ASSURANCE THAT'S GONNA BE OUR FIRST STEP THAT ALLOWS US TO GO INSIDE THE ESTABLISHMENT AND THEN LOOK FOR OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN TAKE, UH, UH, IN, IN REGARDS TO WHAT THE, CAN YOU DE, CAN YOU, UM, DISCARD OF THE ALCOHOL THAT IS THERE ON SITE AT THE TIME OF THE, UH, THE CITATION? I MEAN, BECAUSE WITHOUT THE ALCOHOL, THEN THE PARTY'S OVER THAT.
UH, SO I, I, THE PRACTICE IN THE PAST WITH TABC HAS BEEN TO DISCARD THE ALCOHOL.
IT IS NOW THE PRESENT, UH, UH, PROCESS OF TABC, THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO BE DISCARDED.
UH, SO THAT'S A PROCESS WE'RE HAVING TO, TO TO WORK WITH TABC WITH THE AGENCY TO SEE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THAT PROCESS IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
UH, BUT NOW, NO, WE DO NOT, WE DO NOT DISCARD.
WELL, SINCE WE'RE THE ONE THAT'S STARTING THIS PROCESS WITH BYOB, WILL WE BE ABLE TO THEN SET THE PRECEDENCE OF DISCARDING? YEAH.
THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT AND WE'LL WAIT AND SEE.
WE'LL, ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM, I'M SORRY, CATHERINE, DID YOU WANNA I WAS GONNA SAY COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'LL GO BACK AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
[01:30:01]
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.WHEN WE HAD SPOKEN EARLIER, I HAD ALSO HAD QUESTIONS AND COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, WE'LL GET TO IN JUST A SECOND, BUT ON ENFORCEMENT, UM, BECAUSE THE, YOU KNOW, IF THE VIOLATION ACCORDING TO PAGE 33, UM, OR SLIDE 33, IF THE VIOLATION ISN'T CURED WITHIN 60 DAYS, THE ESTABLISHMENT MAY BE CITED.
BUT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS, AND AS WE'VE SEEN WITH PREVIOUS ITERATIONS WITH THE SOUND ORDINANCE, RIGHT, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT REASONS WHY WE NEEDED TO UP THOSE PENALTIES, UM, WAS TO MAKE IT SO THAT IT CANNOT BE INCLUDED IS THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
SO I KNOW I ALSO HAD HAD SOME QUESTIONS, AND I KNOW YOU'LL GET BACK TO US AND WHEN WE, IT COMES BEFORE COUNSEL AS TO, YOU KNOW, ARE THESE RECURRING CITATIONS AND PENALTIES THAT CAN KEEP TACKING ON WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO TO MAKE IT HURT, SO TO SPEAK, WHEN YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES? SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UH, NEXT IN QUEUE IS COUNCIL MEMBER PECK.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU SAID THAT THIS WAS FOR COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS.
IS THAT GOING TO BE JUST THE TRADITIONAL DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS FOR THE CITY? THAT WE'RE NOT ADDING ANY NEW PARAMETERS THERE.
UM, AND THEN YOU SAID IT ALLOWS HPD TO ENTER THE PREMISE AND ISSUE CITATIONS.
WILL THIS ALLOW HPD TO JUST ISSUE CITATIONS AS RELATED TO THIS ORDINANCE OR NOW ENTER THE PREMISES AND CITATIONS ON ANYTHING? ONCE HPV GOES IN THE DOOR, THEY CAN CITE FOR ANYTHING THEY SEE.
BUT THIS ALLOWS, GIVES US THE ABILITY TO GET THEM IN THE DOOR.
AND THEN, UM, MY FINAL QUESTION IS THE METAL DETECTOR.
I'M JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THAT, WHY WE'RE PUTTING THAT IN THERE.
AND DOES IT ALSO REQUIRE SOMEONE TO STAND BY THIS METAL DETECTOR AND, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERY PERSON COMING IN AND WHAT ARE WE TESTING FOR? AND PART OF WOULD HAPPEN? PART OF THE REASON FOR THE WAND OR THE METAL DETECTOR IS WHEN YOU GO INTO AN ESTABLISHMENT THAT SERVES ALCOHOL, THEY HAVE A SIGN UP THAT TELLS YOU, IS THIS WITH A BLUE SIGN OR WITH A RED SIGN? THE RED SIGN MEANS THEY SELL MORE THAN 50% ALCOHOL.
THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IF YOU'RE LICENSED TO CARRY ON WHERE YOU CAN CARRY YOUR GUN.
BUT IT ALSO IS A PATRON LETS YOU KNOW KIND OF WHAT'S THERE AND THAT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE GUNS IN.
AND THERE'S NOTHING WITH THAT LIKE THAT FOR A-B-Y-O-B, THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO DO ANY OF THAT.
SO THIS WAS JUST ANOTHER SECURITY MEASURE THAT IS RECOMMENDED WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO PUT IN PLACE TO BASICALLY HELP THE PATRONS OUT.
SO WE'RE REQUIRING THE METAL DETECTOR, BUT NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRING SOMEONE TO STAND AT THE METAL DETECTOR AND SEE IF IT GOES OFF.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD SOMEONE DO IF IT DID GO OFF? UH, THAT WAS THE ASSUMPTION THAT WAS BEING MADE, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GET IT IN THE ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY.
AND THERE WILL BE A SECURITY OFFICER REQUIREMENT.
SO I'M ASSUMING THAT CAN BE ONE OF THE MM-HMM
I'M JUST MAKING AN ASSUMPTION, BUT MM-HMM
UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE.
UM, THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT FOR CITATIONS IS THAT IS $500.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO USE FOR THE NOISE ORDINANCE TO GO UP TO 2000.
PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT PART OF THAT, THAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT ON PUBLIC HEALTH THAT IT WAS, THAT NOISE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
SO 500 IS AS HIGH AS WE'RE ALLOWED TO GO.
AND THEN ALSO WITH EXISTING BUSINESSES, HOW IS THIS WORKING? WE, UM, TALKED WITH A COUPLE OF ATTORNEYS THAT ACTUALLY REPRESENT SEVERAL OF THE SOBS AND B IBS THAT WE KNOW ARE IN TOWN.
AND, AND WE'LL GIVE 'EM AN OPPORTUNITY TO RAMP UP AND COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC TIME BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA MAKE THIS EFFECTIVE ONCE IT'S PASSED VERSUS HAVING A, A RAMP UP TIMEFRAME.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ATTORNEYS THAT REPRESENT A LOT OF THESE CLUBS.
JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, UM, YOU SAID, BECAUSE WITH THE SOUND ORDINANCE THERE WERE HEALTH CONCERNS, WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT FINE TO 2000, BUT BECAUSE IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN, WE CAN ONLY DO 500.
IS THAT STATE LAW? IT, IT'S THE, IT'S STATE LAW.
STATE LAW ALLOWS SPECIFIC REASONS THAT WE CAN GO UP OVER $500.
UM, OTHERWISE, IF IT'S NOT ONE OF THE SPECIFIC REASONS, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY PUBLIC SAFETY ISN'T OKAY.
AND ARE TO COUNCILOR POLLARD, I SEE HIM SAYING, CAN WE GIVE MULTIPLE CITATIONS
[01:35:01]
THE SAME NIGHT? IF THEY, I'M ASSUMING YOU THINK IF THERE'S LIKE, THEY DON'T COMPLY A FEW HOURS LATER, YOU YES.THAT WOULD NOT BE UNREASONABLE.
I, ARE YOU ALLUDING TO THE NOISE ORDINANCE WHERE IT'S STIPULATED THAT WE CAN ISSUE CITATIONS? IS IT EVERY HOUR, I BELIEVE, OR EVERY QUARTER OF AN HOUR? YES.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S SPECIFICALLY CODIFIED IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT YES, IT WOULD NOT BE UNREASONABLE.
YOU'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO, YOU KNOW, TURN OFF THE OVEN, TELL THE CREW WHAT'S GOING ON.
HEY GUYS, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE CAME OUT AND YET YOU'RE STILL GOING OUT HERE.
UM, AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT PUBLIC SAFETY RISKS UNDER STATE LAW, WE CAN ONLY DO A $500 FINE FOR WHICH SEEMS, UH, ANTITHETICAL TO WHAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE CONTINUES TO, UM, ADVOCATE FOR IN EMPHASIZING PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO I, I HOPE THAT OUR, OUR, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS WILL TAKE THAT UP, UH, WITH OUR STATE OFFICIALS.
UM, CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO, I MEAN, OF COURSE I COMING UP, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO AFTER HOUR CLUBS.
WE DIDN'T CALL 'EM BY BS, IT WAS JUST THEY ALLOWED YOU TO BRING YOUR OWN ALCOHOL.
SO ARE WE TARGETING, SO IT SEEMED LIKE WE'RE TARGETING AFTER HOURS.
SO WE ARE TARGETING AFTER HOURS.
SO I'M JUST KI UH, PEOPLE WHO ALLOW PEOPLE TO BRING B YBS THEIR OWN LIQUOR INTO THE ESTABLISHMENT.
SO HOW DO, HOW DO THIS IMPACT, LIKE BANQUET HALLS ARE LIKE, WE HAVE TRAIL RIDES WHERE PEOPLE, THEY POP UP AND, YOU KNOW, FOLKS BRING THEIR OWN ALCOHOL.
SO ARE THEY IMPACTED BY THIS? THE TRAIL RIDES ARE NOT A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT, SO WE'LL BE OKAY THERE.
UM, THE BANQUET HALLS ARE, MAJORITY OF THE BANQUET HALLS ACTUALLY SERVE WITH TABC LICENSING.
UM, OR THEY USE A CATERER WHO HAS THE TABC LICENSING.
SO YOU, WE DON'T TEND TO GET COMPLAINTS FROM MAJOR, UH, THE BANQUET HALLS ON BYOB SITUATIONS.
SO THERE'S REALLY, IT, YOU'RE GOING AFTER CLUBS THAT ARE OPEN AFTER HOURS, NOT ALL THE AFTER MIDNIGHT INDIVIDUALS EXACTLY.
AND SO, GOING BACK TO THE WHOLE LICENSE AND THE CRITERIA TO GET A LICENSE, ONE OF THE THINGS, OF COURSE, CRIMINAL RECORDS, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG MEN THAT, AND WOMEN THAT OPEN, YOU KNOW, WANT TO OPEN CLUBS AND THEY ALLOW, THEY PROBABLY DO BYB, SO BECAUSE THEY GOT A CRIMINAL RECORD.
AND SO THIS IS GONNA PREVENT, UM, INDIVIDUALS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS FROM OPENING, IT WILL PREVENT THEM FROM OPENING, UM, IF THEY HAVE THE RECORD, HAVE THE GUILTY ON THEIR, UM, BACKGROUND IN THE PRIOR FIVE YEARS.
UH, AS I SAID, IF YOU MESSED UP 10 YEARS AGO AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE, WE DON'T TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
BUT THE FBI REQUIRES US TO NOTE HOW FAR WE'RE GONNA GO BACK.
WE CAN'T JUST GO BACK THE WHOLE, THEIR WHOLE LIFE.
SO BASICALLY WE WANNA MONITOR WHOEVER IS ALLOWING PEOPLE TO COME IN WITH THEIR OWN ALCOHOL.
WE JUST WANT FOLKS TO BUY ALCOHOL FROM THE ESTABLISHMENTS, BASICALLY.
NO, WE WANT THEM TO BRING IT IN BECAUSE TECHNICALLY THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SELL ALCOHOL.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A-T-A-B-C PERMIT, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SELL ALCOHOL.
I'M, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION BECAUSE, UH, IN DEALING WITH THE CURRENT NOISE ORDINANCE, WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE TICKETING OFFICER, UH, BECAUSE HE'S ON THE NIGHT SHIFT, HE CANNOT MAKE THE COURT DATE IN THE MORNING FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.
HE MAY HAVE OVERSLEPT ALL OF THAT BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT A COUPLE OF HOURS.
SO I WANNA SEE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN COORDINATE THESE TICKETS WITH NIGHT COURT, UH, FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURTS BECAUSE, UM, IF THE TICKETING OFFICER CAN'T BE THERE, THEN YOU CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY, UH, INFRACTIONS.
AND SO, UH, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT WITH THE NOISE ORDINANCE AS WELL.
BUT CERTAINLY WE DON'T WANT THE TICKETS BEING WRITTEN AND THEN THEY COME TO, NOT BECAUSE THE OFFICER CAN'T BE THERE BECAUSE OF VARIOUS REASONS, BUT A NIGHT COURT, I THINK WOULD MORE OR LESS, UH, RESOLVE THE ABILITY OF THE TICKETING OFFICER TO BE PRESENT.
I COUNCIL MEMBER, I DON'T KNOW THE COURT SCHEDULES.
I WILL HAVE TO GET BACK WITH MUNICIPAL COURTS AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
NO, I'M, I'M SURE YOU DON'T KNOW THE COURT SCHEDULES
[01:40:01]
PER SE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY DO HAVE NIGHT COURTS.AND SO IF WE WANT TO HAVE SOME REAL TEETH AND FOR THESE OFFICERS TO BE PRESENT, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE IT AS CONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO BE THERE.
BECAUSE IF THEY WORK NIGHT SHIFTS AND THEY GET OFF SEVEN IN THE MORNING, COURT STARTS AT NINE, YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO HANG OUT FOR TWO ADDITIONAL HOURS AT LEAST MM-HMM
SO IF WE CAN AT THE VERY BEGINNING, COORDINATE WITH THE NIGHT COURTS THAT THEY WILL BE THE ONES WHO WILL HEAR THESE CASES, THEN I THINK THAT COULD ALLEVIATE, UM, THE OFFICERS NOT BEING THERE, WHICH OF COURSE COULD END UP AT SOME POINT THAT THE CASE IS THROWN OUT BECAUSE THE OFFICER COULDN'T BE THERE.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND COORDINATE.
NOT JUST SIT HERE TODAY AND SAY, OH, YEAH, WELL, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BUT COORDINATED WITH THE NIGHT COURTS MM-HMM
TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO, UH, SET THESE CASES IN THE EVENINGS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL REACH OUT TO JUDGE MARSHALL TOMORROW AND TALK WITH HER ABOUT THIS AND SEE IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO.
AND I WILL RESPOND TO YOU AFTER WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, CHAIR GALLEGOS.
THANK YOU, UH, IN, IN REGARDS TO THE $500 FINE FOR VIOLATORS.
UH, IF YOU CAN CLARIFY, UH, IN REGARDS TO PERMIT REQUIREMENTS AND SECURITY PLAN REQUIREMENTS, UH, JUST LOOKING, LOOKING OVER THIS BRIEFLY.
YOU, YOU HAVE ABOUT 10 OR SO THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MEET MM-HMM
SO LET'S SAY I'M THE PERSON THAT'S PROVIDING THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, B-B-Y-O-B EVENT PARTY, WHAT HAVE YOU, HPD SHOWS UP AND ARE THEY GONNA BE GOING AND SEEING ALL THESE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS AND SECURITY PLAN REQUIREMENTS? AND IF, IF, IF, IF I VIOLATING FIVE OF 'EM, IS IT $500 FINE FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE FIVE THAT I VIOLATED, OR IS IT JUST A $500 FINE PERIOD? UH, AND THE FIELD OPERATION IS GOING TO BE SIMILAR TO, WE'RE NOT GONNA, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY STRUCTURED APPROACH, SIMILAR TO HOW WE DO MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTS, CONVENIENCE STORES, COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES, THE, WHEN WE GO AND WHETHER WE'RE DOING THE INITIAL SECURITY ASSESSMENT OR AN IMPROMPTU ONE, THERE IS GONNA BE A CHECKLIST SPECIFICALLY DELINEATING THE, UH, CRITERIA IN THE, UH, BYOB ORDINANCES AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT FIRE, UH, FIRE AND PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES.
UH, WE'LL USUALLY BREAK IT DOWN TO THE TOP 20, AND WE GO IN THERE AND INSPECT THE BUSINESS.
NOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, AND LEGAL, YOU MAY, MAY BE ABLE TO INTERJECT, BUT THE WAY I READ THE ORDINANCE IS FOR EACH CLAUSE YOU VIOLATE, THAT IS A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT INFRACTION.
IS THAT OKAY? SO, SO I'M GETTING A NOD, I'M GETTING A NOD FROM LEGAL THAT'S GOOD.
SO IF I'M VIOLATING THREE OF, OF, OF THESE, THEN I'M GONNA BE FINE.
$1,500, CORRECT? UH, UP TO $1,500.
UM, IT'S GONNA GO THROUGH THE MISS COURT SYSTEM WITH THE PROSECUTOR AND THE TRIAL AND ALL THAT, THAT GOES WITH IT.
BUT YES, YOU CAN BE YEAH, I, YEAH, REASON WHY IT'S CONCERNING, BECAUSE MANY OF THESE, UH, UH, UH, PROPRIETORS, I GUESS IF YOU WANNA CALL 'EM THAT, UH, ARE, ARE HAVING THESE EVENTS MAYBE FOR ONE NIGHT, LIKE YOU STATED EARLIER.
SO IF I'M REQUIRED TO PAY THREE 50 OR $500 FOR A PERMIT MM-HMM
BUT YET I'M ONLY GONNA HAVE IT FOR ONE NIGHT, WELL, HECK, I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND PAY THIS $500 FINE AND I'M OUTTA HERE, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT DAY.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE WE COVERING THAT FOR THOSE THAT ARE HAVING THESE EVENTS JUST FOR ONE NIGHT? I MEAN, I'D RATHER JUST PAY ME MY $500 FINE, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA BE CHARGING, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THESE VIOLATIONS, NOT HAVING A CAMERA OUT IN THE PARKING LOT FOR NOT HAVING A SECURITY GUARD, DA DA DA DA, THEN IT'S NOT WORTH FOR ME TO HAVE THAT PARTY JUST FOR THAT ONE NIGHT BECAUSE I'M GONNA PAY UP A LOT OF MONEY.
UM, IN THAT REGARD, AS CHIEF GARCIA WAS MENTIONING, OUR PROBLEMS ARE THESE REPEAT LOCATIONS EVERY WEEKEND.
UH, I, I WOULD ARGUE THE STATISTICS ON HOW OFTEN WE'RE RUNNING INTO A SINGULAR EPISODE OF SOMEBODY THROWING THIS MASSIVE BYOB, WHICH IS POPPING UP ON THE RADAR.
UM, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN YES, WE'LL NEED TO ADDRESS IT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S OUR REPEAT PROBLEM OFFENDERS THAT ARE CAUSING ALL THAT CRIME THAT WE'RE SEEING.
IS IT, AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE, AS, AS COUNSEL SAYING, AND I THINK Y'ALL ARE GETTING IT, COUNCIL MEMBER OR CHAIR TO YOUR POINT, IS AS MUCH IN TERMS OF THE TOOLS THAT WE CAN GIVE FOR ENFORCEMENT FOR HPD, FOR LEGAL
[01:45:02]
TO BE ABLE TO REIGN THIS IN, BECAUSE AGAIN, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE, WE'RE ALL WANTING TO ADDRESS A SPECIFIC PROBLEM, WHICH IS AFTER HOURS ESTABLISHMENTS DOING B-B-Y-O-B TO CIRCUMVENT THE RULES AND CREATING A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK.SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM US IS THE ASK OF, QUITE FRANKLY, LEGAL TO SEE HOW FAR CAN WE GO WITH THIS WHILE RECOGNIZING DUE PROCESS, THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING BUSINESS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT HOW TOUGH CAN WE MAKE THIS IF YOU'RE A VIOLATOR AND A REPEAT OFFENDER AND A PROBLEM ESTABLISHMENT? YEAH.
AND, AND, AND, AND THE OTHER ISSUE THAT I KNOW THAT MY OFFICE HAS SOMETIMES IS THAT WE GET CALLS FROM RESIDENTS THAT SAY, OH, THERE WAS THIS PARTY IN THIS HOUSE.
SO IT'S AN AIRBNB BASICALLY, THAT THEY'RE RENTING OUT THE HOUSE AND THEY'RE HAVING A PARTY HERE.
NO, AIRBNB IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAD AN RNA MEETING ABOUT A MONTH AGO RELATED TO SHORT TERM RENTALS, AND THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS BEING HELD ABOUT THEM RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING HAMMERED OUT AT THIS POINT IN, IN THIS FOR OKAY.
IT WON'T BE IN THIS, IT'LL BE IN ANOTHER.
UM, WE HAVE THREE MORE IN QUEUE, AND THEN I THINK WE'RE DONE.
UH, VI VICE CHAIR, KNOX'S OFFICE.
JUST A QUICK QUESTION, UM, ON YOUR PRESENTATION ON PAGE SIX, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HOURS MIDNIGHT TO SEVEN, AND THEN Y'ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT AFTER HOURS.
SO WHAT, WHAT HOURS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AFTER TWO, AFTER MIDNIGHT? AFTER WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY IF YOU ARE IN A-B-Y-O-B SITUATION, YOU DO NOT HAVE A-T-A-B-C PERMIT.
THERE IS A-T-A-B-C PERMIT THAT ALLOWSS YOU TO STAY OPEN LATE HOURS TILL 2:00 AM OKAY.
BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY TABC PERMITS, WE'RE STARTING RIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATISTICS THAT THE CHIEF HAS SHOWN, YOU CAN SEE THAT'S WHEN THE PROBLEMS START HAPPENING WITH THE VIOLENT CRIME.
AND QUESTION, HAVE Y'ALL REACHED OUT TO THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OR ANY OF THOSE FOLKS? I SPOKE THAT THEIR FEARS, SO THEY DON'T THINK THEY'RE INADVERTENTLY GOING TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THIS.
I SPOKE WITH THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.
UM, THEY DO NOT THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE CAUGHT UP IN THIS, BUT THEY'RE WAITING TO SEE IF ANY CHANGES GET MADE TO IT PRIOR TO GOING TO COUNCIL.
BUT RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO, BUT THEY'RE NOT READY TO SUPPORT IT JUST YET UNTIL THEY GET AFTER THIS MEETING.
AND WE HAD MORE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, AND THEN MY TURN.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING THE QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, I THINK WHAT WE, ESPECIALLY AS DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO, UH, ITERATE TO YOU ALL AND STRESS TO YOU ALL, IS WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT'S STRONG ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU TEETH TO ENFORCE AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN.
ALL RIGHT? AND SOMETHING, UH, THAT WON'T HAVE US GOING THROUGH THE SAME 1 25 CHAPTER 1 25 PROCESS.
UM, BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT WAY.
WE KNOW THAT THE ISSUE IS PLACES THAT ARE SERVING ALCOHOL MOST OF THE TIMES AFTER HOURS.
THE ALCOHOL IS THE, IS THE, IS THE, IS WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON.
IF WE CAN DISCARD THE ALCOHOL, OKAY? IF WE CAN DISCARD THE ALCOHOL, THAT'S THE MAIN THING THAT SHUTS DOWN THE ESTABLISHMENT.
OKAY? IF THE OFFICER HAS TO BE THERE TO SEE THEM DISCARD THE ALCOHOL IN SOME TYPE OF WAY THAT NEEDS TO BE THERE.
UH, AND THEN AS IT PERTAINS TO THE NOISE ORDINANCE AND HOW IT'S REFLECTED HERE, IF THE NOISE ORDINANCE SAYS THAT I CAN GIVE YOU THE CITATION EVERY QUARTER OF AN HOUR OR WHATEVER IT IS, THIS ONE NEEDS TO SAY THE SAME, THE OFFICER CAN STAY THERE, GIVE THEM THE WARNING, 15 MINUTES LATER, NOT DONE ANOTHER ONE, 15 MINUTES LATER, BOOM, ANOTHER ONE, RIGHT? WE WANT IT TO BE AS HARD HITTING AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO, SINCE WE ARE THE ONES THAT GET TO CREATE IT, RIGHT? WHEREVER STATE LAW DOESN'T PRECLUDE US FROM DOING SOMETHING, LET'S JUST THROW IT IN THERE.
ALRIGHT? LET THE COURT SYSTEM FIGURE IT OUT DOWN THE LINE, BUT LET'S JUST THROW IT IN THERE AND BE AS CREATIVE AS WE CAN.
UH, BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH AN ISSUE THAT'S, THAT IS STARTING TO REALLY PERMEATE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING HURT AND THE CONSTITUENTS ARE COMPLAINING, AND, AND NOW IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH TO TRY TO ADDRESS IT.
UH, FIRST, I, I NEGLECTED TO RECOGNIZE CHAIR GALLEGOS FOR ALLOWING US TO, UH, HAVE THIS JOINT COMMITTEE TOGETHER BECAUSE THIS WAS SUCH AN URGENT ITEM.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR STAFF, UH, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE ALL THE WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS THUS FAR.
[01:50:01]
THAT, UH, WE'RE CREATING THE TOOL.WE'RE NOT SAYING DON'T OPERATE A BUSINESS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
WE'RE SAYING YOU HAVE TO COME INTO THE REGULATORY SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS SAFE AND THAT YOU'RE OPERATING A LEGITIMATE BUSINESS AND YOU'RE NOT DRAINING, I'LL SAY HPD RESOURCES TO THAT.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WE HAVE A PERMIT FEE AND THEN WE HAVE THE FINES.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE BURDEN IS GONNA FALL ON A RA AND HPD, ESPECIALLY DRT FOR NOW.
UM, IS THE FEE, THE PERMIT, APPLICATION FEE SUFFICIENT TO COVER THE RESOURCE COST? THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO GO INTO THIS RECOGNIZING TOO, WE HAVE A RESOURCE DRAIN ON CALLS FOR SERVICE RIGHT NOW.
SO THERE'S A BALANCE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERING WHAT THIS IS GONNA TAKE FROM THE CITY SIDE ON PERMIT FEES AND INSPECTION FEES TIED WITH THE PERMIT.
WE ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO RECOVER THE COST TO ISSUE THE PERMIT AND DO THE INSPECTION.
THIS DOES INCLUDE ALL THOSE COSTS.
IT IT INCLUDES THE COST OF MY EMPLOYEES TO ISSUE THE PERMIT, AND IT INCLUDES THE TIME FOR HPD TO GO OUT, WALK AROUND THE ESTABLISHMENT, UH, TO GET THERE, GET BACK.
AND SO IT, IT DOES INCLUDE THAT COST.
WE ARE UNFORTUNATELY NOT ABLE TO RECOVER ANY, UH, ENFORCEMENT COSTS.
AND WE'RE, BUT WE ARE SERGEANT SEEING SOME OF THOSE COSTS ALREADY BY HAVING TO GO OUT AND RESPOND WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO ENFORCE.
THE, UH, THERE IS A COST INCURRED FOR HAVING MY OFFICERS, UH, GO TO THE ESTABLISHMENT, PERFORM THE, UH, SECURITY ASSESSMENT AND THE CRITERIA SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THAT ORDINANCE AND ANY OTHER BLARING ISSUE.
EXAMPLE, THOSE NOT SPECIFICALLY STATED, IF YOU'RE BLOCKING A FIRE EXIT, WE'RE GONNA FIX THAT.
OKAY? UH, IF WE DON'T HAVE A CERTIFICATE OFF OCCUPANCY, WE'RE GONNA FIX THAT.
UH, BUT YES, THERE, THERE IS A COST INCURRED FOR US HAVING TO GO OUT THERE.
AND, AND I JUST WANNA BE SENSITIVE TO THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SITTING HERE SAYING WE NEED TO DO X, Y, Z, BUT IT'S YOU ALL THAT HAVE TO GO AND IMPLEMENT THAT AND KEEP UP WITH THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT THE STRAIN ALREADY ON THE DEPARTMENTS IS VERY REAL.
SO I JUST, I WANNA RECOGNIZE AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
AND SERGEANT SIMON PROVIDED US ALL THE INFORMATION TO CALCULATE THE COST WITH.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A LATE NIGHT DELIVERY FEE
AGAIN, 'CAUSE DISTRICT C AND DISTRICT F FOR THOSE BIG MAPS, WE'D LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE LOCATIONS TO THE LOCATIONS.
WE KNOW THAT, UH, WHETHER CATHERINE, IT'S THE APPLICATIONS OR THE ENFORCEMENT SIMILAR TO WHAT THE SOUND ORDINANCE, AND I KNOW WE'RE GIVING, UH, JORDAN FLASHBACK ANXIETY RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST IS SOMEONE APPLIES FOR THE PERMIT AND, UH, BUT REALLY IT'S SOMEONE ELSE OPERATING IT, OR WHEN YOU GET A CITATION, IT'S TO AN INDIVIDUAL, IT'S NOT TIED TO THAT PROPERTY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, WITH BOTH OF THOSE, BOTH THE PERMITTING AND THE ENFORCEMENT, TYING IT TO A LOCATION AS WELL AS THE INDIVIDUALS.
SOME HOP AROUND, BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVE STRAW INDIVIDUALS.
WE HAVE DONE THAT WITHIN THE PARAMETERS.
AND WE'VE DONE IT LIKE WE DID IT IN THE SOUND ORDINANCE.
SO IF WE GO OUT AND DO, UH, CITATIONS, IF AN EMPLOYEE GETS CITED, IF AN OWNER GETS CITED, APPLICANT MANAGER, ANYBODY ON SITE THAT GETS CITED, THAT SITE WILL COUNT TOWARDS THAT ADDRESSES CITATIONS AND POSSIBLE REVOCATIONS.
OKAY? AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOT RESTRICTING BUSINESS.
WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION WE'RE WORKING WITHIN WITH BUSINESS PARTNERS ON THIS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, I WANNA POINT OUT THE REAL ISSUES.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY, WELL, WHY ARE YOU REQUIRING, UH, WITH THE SECURITY PLAN WHEN WE DON'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE THAT FOR OTHERS? BUT I'LL SAY ONE EXAMPLE IN DISTRICT C WHERE LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, WHO'S BEEN INVESTIGATING ONE OF THE LOCATIONS WAS LITERALLY LOCKED OUT OF A, UH, PROPERTY THAT WAS OPERATING LIKE THIS, AND THEY LOCKED ALL OF THE PATRONS IN FOR 45 MINUTES SO THAT HPD COULD NOT COME IN.
UH, AND LITTLE DID THEY KNOW, I THINK THERE WERE SOME, UH, INVESTIGATORS INSIDE THAT THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, THESE ARE REAL SITUATIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
[01:55:01]
ISN'T MADE UP, SO TO SPEAK, THAT YOU, UM, AS YOU KNOW, OVER DRT OR YOU CHIEF OVER YOUR ENTIRE DIVISION ARE SEEING THE REAL NEED FOR THESE STEPS THAT WE ARE TAKING IN THE SAFETY PROTOCOL AND PLANNING.AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL.
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT, I KNOW LEGAL AND THANK YOU TO LEGAL.
UM, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THIS COMING? UM, WE'RE ANTICIPATING IT BEING ON THE MAY 17TH AGENDA.
UH, WITH THAT, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
UM, NEXT WE'LL MOVE INTO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS WE'RE REQUIRED TO SIGN UP THROUGH A FORM BY 5:00 PM TUESDAY, APRIL 25TH.
WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IN PERSON.
UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER AND EACH PERSON WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS CHRIS WOOD, MR. WOOD, AND BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS, IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST STATING WHAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE RELATED TO.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THE RRIC REPORT, UM, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
FIRST TODAY, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND MR. AL, AND DISTINGUISHED GUEST, MY NAME IS CHRIS WOOD, ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF MOONSHOT COMPOST.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BRIEFLY TODAY.
MOONSHOT WAS PROUD TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE R-R-R-I-C.
THERE IS MUCH WORK TO BE DONE, AND THIS REPORT CLEARLY PROVIDES MEANINGFUL DIRECTION.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO FOCUS ON FOOD WASTE THROUGH THREE QUESTIONS.
WHY FOOD WASTE? 30 TO 40% OF ALL FOOD PRODUCED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION IS WASTED.
22% OF EVERY LANDFILL IS FOOD WASTE.
WITH EVERYTHING WE HEARD TODAY ABOUT DECLINING LANDFILL CAPACITY, WE CAN'T SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS AROUND DIVERSION WITHOUT INCLUDING FOOD WASTE.
SPECIFICALLY, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED AT MOONSHOT? WE WEIGH EVERYTHING WE COLLECT.
SO WE KNOW THAT MOONSHOT RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS HAVE DIVERTED NEARLY 3 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD WASTE IN HOUSTON, EVEN THOUGH 90% OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE RESIDENTIAL.
THAT TOTALS ONLY 10% OF THE WEIGHT WE COLLECT, OR 10% OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE COMMERCIAL.
HOW CAN YOU HELP USE FEES AND MANDATES THOUGHTFULLY TO FOCUS ON COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES? AS WE HEARD EARLIER, THAT'S 50% OF THE WASTE STREAM.
RESIDENTIAL CURBSIDE IS HARD AND COMPLICATED.
LET'S START WITH THE BUSINESSES.
WE HAVE OVER 50 COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES, DOZENS OF THEM THAT ARE, WE'RE WORKING WITH NOW, METHODIST HOSPITAL, RICE UNIVERSITY, DOZENS OF, UH, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, PROPERTY MANAGERS LIKE HEIN, CBRE, AND BROOKFIELD.
WE JUST NEED YOUR HELP WITH, UH, FEES AND MANDATES.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING HARD WITH MR. WILLOX TEAM AT SOLID WASTE TO HELP THE CITY MEET ITS GOALS FOR THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND RESILIENCY PLAN.
WE DO BELIEVE THOSE GOALS ARE STILL ATTAINABLE, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR HELP.
UH, AND I THINK WE HAVE, YEAH, YEAH, WE, WE HAVE A STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S TRAVELING THIS WEEK, BUT I'LL DEFINITELY PASS ALONG YOUR COMMENTS AND JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING IN YOUR PARTICIPATION ON THE COMMITTEE.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH SOLID WASTE ON A COMPOSTING GRANT THROUGH THE EPA, SO OKAY.
IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT.
THE NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE IS, UH, MIKE CARLTON.
THE THIRD AND FINAL SPEAKER IS LAURA GALLIER.
THAT CONCLUDES, UH, THANK YOU.
THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC COMMON PORTION OF TODAY'S MEETING.
FOR ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WATCHING, YOU MAY SEND QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BY EMAILING MY OFFICE AT DISTRICT I@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
THAT'S DISTRICT I@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDINGS.
SEE NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING TODAY.
THIS MEETING IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.