[FY 2024 Budget Workshop: Houston Public Works]
[00:00:28]
WOW.WE WILL NOW BEGIN WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, CAROL ELLINGER, ICK AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SAMIR SLANKY TO PROVIDE THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET DIRECTOR HADLEY.
THEY HAVE YOUR WHOLE, YOUR WHOLE NAME.
NO LAST EVEN ON THE PRESENTATION.
I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THAT, UH, GOOD, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
UM, I PRACTICED FOR SO LONG WITH MY MAIDEN NAME.
UM, JUST, UM, ALTHOUGH I'VE BEEN MARRIED LONG ENOUGH NOW THAT I GUESS I COULD PROBABLY, HEY, KEEP THROWING IT OUT THERE.
NO, WE WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, FOR COMING FORWARD FOR THE PRESENTATION AND TO YOUR ENTIRE STAFF FOR, FOR BEING HERE AS WELL.
AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL ARRIVING JUST IN TIME.
SO, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
UH, IT'S OUR PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY, UH, TO PRESENT, UH, THE PROPOSED, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
I'M JOINED AT THE DAIS, UH, BY SAMIR SOLANKI, WHO'S OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
I'M ALSO JOINED BY, UM, OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM AND A, A LARGE NUMBER OF SAMIR'S STAFF IN OUR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES WHO HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PULL THIS TOGETHER.
SO, MOST, MOST OF THIS, THIS GROUP OVER HERE IS, UH, IS HERE TO SUPPORT US AND ALSO TO HELP US ANSWER QUESTIONS IF WE NEED TO.
UH, SO LET'S JUMP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LIKE TO REMIND OURSELVES ABOUT WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO IS OUR PURPOSE.
UH, TOGETHER WE CREATE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR HOUSTON TO THRIVE.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, WHETHER IT BE THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE OWN, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN, OR IT'D BE THE PRIVATE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE STRUCTURES THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, THE BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, IS REALLY, UH, THAT, THAT FOUNDATION THROUGH WHICH THE COMMUNITY LIVES WORKS IN PLACE.
AND SO WE DO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE, THAT IT IS BUILT FOR THE PURPOSE IN WHICH IT'S INTENDED, AND THAT'S TO SUPPORT HOUSTONIANS, BUT NOT JUST SUPPORT HOUSTONIANS TO TRULY ALLOW THEM TO THRIVE.
UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT NOT EVERY PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE IS AT THAT POINT TODAY, UH, BUT THAT IS OUR GOAL.
IN EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND AND EVERY ACTION THAT WE TAKE, UH, WE HAVE FIVE TO THRIVE VALUES THAT WE DEFINE AS BEHAVIORS THAT WE EXPECT OF EACH OTHER, UH, AS WE INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, STARTING WITH OURSELVES AND MOVING ALL THE WAY THROUGH HOW WE INTERACT WITH, UM, OUR COLLEAGUES, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
WE FIND SOLUTIONS INSTEAD OF EXCUSES THROUGH COMMUNICATION THAT IS CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT THROUGH INTEGRITY.
AND THROUGH TEAMWORK, WE WORK TOGETHER.
AND SO WE REALLY LIKE TO, UH, REMIND OURSELVES OF THAT.
UM, AND, AND I TELL YOU ALL THAT IN THE SENSE THAT IF YOU SEE ANY OF US, INCLUDING ME, THAT ARE NOT DEMONSTRATING THOSE VALUES, CALL US ON IT.
UM, BECAUSE WE, UH, WE, WE STRIVE TO LIVE UP TO THOSE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, A LARGE EXECUTIVE TEAM, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A, A VERY LARGE DEPARTMENT, BUT THIS TEAM CONSISTS OF, OF THESE CAPABLE PEOPLE, MOST OF WHO ARE IN THE ROOM HERE WITH ME.
AND AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION, THE APPENDIX IS A RATHER LONG AND EXTENSIVE LIST OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD LOVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR DEPARTMENT'S ACCOMPLISHED, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY SPEND MORE THAN THE ENTIRE HOUR.
AND WE ARE HERE ABOUT THE BUDGETS, SO THOSE ARE AT THE BACK.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE AT THE BACK, UM, UH, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS, UM, BREAKOUT OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, COMPOSITION OF OUR DEPARTMENT AS WE GO THROUGH IT.
UH, LET'S GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, AS FAR AS DELIVERING SERVICES, UH, WHAT THE PUBLIC SEES AND, AND WHAT YOU SEE OVER HERE AT CITY COUNCIL IS, IS PRIMARILY OUR FIVE OPERATIONAL SERVICE LINES, CAPITAL PROJECTS WHERE WE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT AND DELIVER NEW, NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, EXPANDED INFRASTRUCTURE, REPLACEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE, CUSTOMER ACCOUNT SERVICES, UH, WHERE WE, UH, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE, THE BILLING AND COLLECTION OF OUR WATER AND WASTEWATER BILLING SYSTEM, THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER, WHERE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE, UH, THE INSPECTION, THE, THE PLAN REVIEW, AND
[00:05:01]
THE INSPECTION OF BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE STRUCTURES BUILT THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HOUSTON WATER, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, PROVIDING SAFE DRINKING WATER AND COLLECTING AND TREATING WASTEWATER TO RETURN IT CLEAN TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE OPERATIONS, MAKING SURE THAT THE, UH, THE STREETS AROUND TOWN ARE, UM, THE PROVIDING EV PROVIDING EVERY USER SAFE TRANSPORT, UH, AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS, UH, AS WE KNOW THAT THOSE STORMS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO COME OUR WAY.SO NOW THAT, UH, WE, UH, WE HAVE KIND OF AN OVERVIEW, I'M REALLY GONNA HAND THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THIS OVER TO SAMIR, BUT I ALSO WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT UN UNLIKE MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, WE HAVE MULTIPLE FUNDS IN MULTIPLE AREAS.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THIS FIRST AS AN OUTCOME BASED BUDGET, AND THEN WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA ALSO HAVE A SUMMARY BY FUND, UH, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE IT BOTH WAYS.
I'M THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND CAROL'S RIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING.
UM, KEEP IN MIND THAT, UH, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF DETAIL TO GO OVER.
SO I WILL TRY TO DO MY BEST AND BE VERY MINDFUL AND RESPECTFUL OF EVERYBODY'S TIME AS WELL.
SO LET'S, WHILE ALSO TALKING SLOW ENOUGH THAT EVERYBODY CAN UNDERSTAND US.
AND OF COURSE, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE AFTERWARDS.
OR YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO US THROUGH THE SHAREPOINT SIDE AS WELL.
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO HERE'S A BREAKDOWN OF THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE IN MAYOR TURNER'S STRATEGIC GUIDANCE THAT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS ADDRESS, AS WELL AS THE MAYOR'S INITIATIVES.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ALIGNED WITH ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, SUCH AS STREET REHABILITATION, POTHOLE INITIATIVE, STORMWATER ACTION, TEAM VISION, ZERO CONSENT DECREE BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD, AND TO PROMOTE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS A BREAKDOWN OF OUR DEPARTMENT, WHOLE DEPARTMENT BUDGET PERCENTAGE BY PRIORITY.
THE NOTE THAT THE OTHER CATEGORY INCLUDES DEBT SERVICE AND INTERFUND TRANSFERS FOR THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT FUNDS WITHIN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS THAT SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE.
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE EXPENDITURE THAT'S BY PROGRAM.
UM, AND THAT THIS IS, AGAIN, BASED ON ALL OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, OUTCOME BASED BUDGET PROGRAMS. AND WE'RE GONNA COVER THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL INTO THE NEXT SLIDES.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUMP INTO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THE FIRST ONE IS THE ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT SERVICE FUNDS OUR INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR RUNNING THE DEPARTMENT SUCH AS IT FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT.
REAL ESTATE SERVICES AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT VEHICLES AND OTHER CAPITAL ITEMS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM FOR FISCAL 24, BUT WILL BE ALLOCATED TO THE PROPER PROGRAMS IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGER, UH, PART, PART OF ONE OF THE BIGGER ONES, PART OF HOUSTON WATER IS THE DRINKING WATER OPERATION.
THIS PROGRAM FUNDS THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF DRINKING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE HOUSTON AREA.
LAST YEAR, THE SYSTEM PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED OVER 167 BILLION GALLONS OF SAFE DRINKING WATER.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, SOME OF THE PRIORITY PERFORMANCES ARE LISTED UNDER THE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
AND THE NEXT ONE IS THE WASTEWATER OPERATIONS, WHICH THIS PROGRAM FUNDS THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
LAST YEAR, THE SYSTEM TREATED OVER 91 BILLION GALLONS OF WASTEWATER.
THE FISCAL 24 BUDGET INCLUDES ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO PERFORM CONSENT DECREE RELATED ACTIVITIES TO MEET OUR ANNUAL GOALS AS REQUIRED UNDER THE EPA MANDATES.
THEN WE HAVE OUR METERING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATIONS.
THIS PROGRAM FUNDS METERING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATIONS RELATED TO WATER BILLS.
THE PROGRAM CURRENTLY HANDLES BILLING AND COLLECTION FOR OVER 488,800 WATER AND WASTEWATER ACCOUNTS, AND THAT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT.
WE MOVE ON TO OUR TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE OPERATIONS.
THIS PROGRAM FUNDS THE BUILD HOUSTON FOUR PROGRAM AND MAINTENANCE OF THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE.
LAST YEAR, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS REPAIRED OVER 68,000 POTHOLES, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE OTHER PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE AS WELL.
OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, IT FUNDS PROJECT
[00:10:01]
DELIVERY FOR LARGE CIP PROJECTS.THE TOTAL CIP FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IS $7.1 BILLION FOR ALL OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
THAT INCLUDES 2.2 BILLION OF STREET AND DRAINAGE AND 4.9 BILLION FOR WATER AND SEWER.
MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THEN WE HAVE OUR COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN REVIEW.
THIS PROGRAM FUNDS THE PLAN REVIEW SECTION AT HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER.
YOU CAN SEE THE PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OUR PERFORM PERFORMANCE MEASURES ON THE BOTTOM AS WELL.
THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THIS IS STILL PART OF THE BUILDING INSPECTION, WHICH WE'LL GO OVER BY FUND, UH, HERE SHORTLY.
THIS IS THE COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL AND RIGHT OF WAY INSPECTIONS, AND THIS PROGRAM FUNDS A BUILDING INSPECTION SECTION OF THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER.
LAST YEAR, OVER 750,000 INSPECTIONS WERE CONDUCTED BY THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER.
LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THIS PROGRAM FUNDS THE MAYOR'S MOPD, IS WHAT WE CALL IT.
IT SERVES THE PRIMARY AS THE PRIMARY ADVOCATE FOR NEEDS AND RIGHTS OF RESIDENTS AND VISITORS WITH DISABILITIES.
THE MOPD PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES FUNDING FOR THE A DA TRANSITION PLAN.
AND THIS IS THE HOUSTON TRANSFER.
THIS PROGRAM FUNDS THE MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP OF THE HOUSTON TRANSFER CENTER THAT PROVIDES COORDINATED INNOVATIVE TRANSPORTATION AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO THE REGION.
THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM BETWEEN THE CITY, HARRIS COUNTY METRO, AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
HERE'S A VERY INTERESTING FACT THAT I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE TRANS STAR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER IS DESIGNED BY THE SAME ENGINEER THAT DESIGNED THE ORIGINAL NASA MISSION CONTROL ROOM.
THEN WE HAVE OUR DEBT SERVICE AND INTERFUND TRANSFERS.
THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES THE PAYMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED DEBT TRANSFERS TO CIP TO FUND PROJECTS, AND INCLUDES INTERFUND TRANSFERS.
I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE D-D-S-R-F FUNDS, THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL FUND FUNDS ARE NOT ISSUING ANY NEW DEBT, ONLY PAYING OFF OLD INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED DEBT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND THIS IS A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE REVENUE BY VARIOUS DIFFERENT PROGRAM.
YOU MIGHT NOTICE THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES REVENUES ARE DECREASING FROM FISCAL 23 AND SHIFTING TO DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER OPERATIONS.
THIS IS DUE TO AN INTERNAL REPORTING CHANGE WE MADE TO SPLIT THE DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER REVENUES TO SEPARATE COST CENTERS.
IT'S MORE OF JUST AN INTERNAL ACCOUNTING CHANGE.
THAT'S WHY IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT WONKY.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER FROM THE OBB AND PUT GO INTO THE DETAILS OF EACH OF THE FUNDS, WHICH YOU WILL BE MORE FAMILIAR WITH.
AND THIS IS THE QUICK BUDGET SUMMARY OVERALL FOR REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.
AS CAROL HAD MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS CONSISTS OF SEVERAL FUNDS, AND THIS SLIDE SUMMARIZES THE CHANGES IN REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FROM FISCAL 23 FOR EACH OF THESE FUNDS.
NOW, IT'LL TAKE WAY TOO MUCH TIME TO CALL OUT EACH OF THESE NUMBERS HERE, BUT WE WILL COVER ALL OF THIS IN DETAIL IN THE UPCOMING SLIDES.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THE VARIANCES ARE FROM THE FISCAL 23 CURRENT BUDGET.
BECAUSE THIS IS A ROLL-UP SLIDE.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE IN MILLIONS ON THIS SHEET OR ON THIS SLIDE.
ONCE WE GET TO EACH FUND, WE WILL BE TALKING IN THOUSANDS.
WE WILL BEGIN BY DISCUSSING THE GENERAL FUND.
THIS IS A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE REVENUE PORTION.
A SMALL AMOUNT IS BROUGHT IN FROM THE RECOVERIES AND REFUNDS, AND THE MAJORITY IS FROM SALE OF CAPITAL ASSETS.
THEN WE HAVE THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES BY CATEGORY.
THIS IS A FURTHER BREAKDOWN OF THESE EXPENDITURES.
THE GENERAL FUND'S LARGEST EXPENSE CONSISTS OF RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS, WHICH INCLUDES SUCH THINGS AS ELECTRICITY SERVICE, CHARGEBACKS FOR FUEL IT ACCOUNTS, AND OTHER SMALL THINGS.
THEN WE MOVE ON TO THE PROJECT COST RECOVERY, WHICH IS FUND 1001.
THIS FUND HOUSES PERSONNEL WHO WORK ON CIP PROJECTS SUCH AS PROJECT MANAGERS, ENGINEERS, AND OTHER TECHNICAL ROLE ROLES THAT WORK ON THE CIP.
THE PROJECT COST RECOVERY FUND SUPPORTS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING HERE, AS I'D MENTIONED, OUR PERSONNEL AND OTHER OM COSTS.
REVENUES AND EXPENSES ARE INCREASING FROM 55.7 MILLION TO 60 MILLION FOR A $4.3 MILLION INCREASE.
$3.7 MILLION IS DUE TO AN INCREASE IN HOPE AND BENEFIT
[00:15:01]
COST FOR PERSONNEL.AND THE REMAINING INCREASES ARE IN MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES, RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS, AND IN COMPUTER SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE.
LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
NOW WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND, WHICH IS ALSO THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER.
THE PERMITTING CENTER HANDLES THE CITY'S PLAN REVIEWS, BUILDING INSPECTIONS, CODE ENFORCEMENT, FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT, AND THE CITY'S CHIEF ENGINEER BUILDING INSPECTION FUND.
REVENUES ARE INCREASING FROM 91.5 MILLION TO 98.3 MILLION FOR A 6.8 MILLION INCREASE DUE TO MORE THAN ANTICIPATED PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AND AN ANNUAL CPI ADJUSTMENT OF 2.66%.
THE EXPENDITURES PORTIONS ARE IN EXPENDITURES ARE INCREASING FROM 103 MILLION TO 1 0 8 0.3 MILLION DUE TO THE INCREASE IN PERSONNEL COSTS, CREDIT CARD SERVICES, BUILDING RENOVATION, AND CAPITAL VEHICLE COSTS.
I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE EXPENDITURES ARE HIGHER THAN REVENUES, WHICH MEANS THIS FUND IS UTILIZING FUND BALANCE TO MEET EXPENDITURES.
NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE, WHICH CONTI CONSISTS OF FUNDS 23 0 2 23 10, 23 11, AND 2312.
NOW FUNDS 23, 10, 11, AND 12 COMPRISED THE BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD PROGRAM.
THESE FUNDS WERE PREVIOUSLY HELD JUST IN ONE FUND, WHICH IS 2310, BUT WERE SPLIT INTO THREE SEPARATE FUNDS IN FISCAL YEAR 2021.
THE PRIMARY CHANGES RELATE TO THE FOLLOWING FUNDS.
THE DRAINAGE CHARGE FUND 23 TON REVENUES ARE INCREASING BY 9.3 MILLION DUE TO THE PROJECTIONS BASED ON REVENUE TRENDS AND A HIGHER AMOUNT OF INTEREST EARNED COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 23.
THE AVALOR TAX FUND, WHICH IS 2311, REVENUES ARE INCREASING BY 47.1 MILLION DUE TO $47 MILLION IN ANTICIPATED ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUES PROJECTED TO TRANSFER IN FROM THE GENERAL FUND AS 100,000 HIGHER PROJECTED AMOUNT OF INTEREST EARNED COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 23 METRO AT ALL 2312.
REVENUES ARE INCREASING BY 4.1 MILLION, MAINLY DUE TO A 6 MILLION INCREASE IN ANTICIPATED REVENUES FROM METRO FOR THE GENERAL MOBILITY PROGRAM AND OFFSET BY MOBIL MOBILITY PERMIT MOVING TO HPC BY 2.0 MILLION.
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, THE STORM STORMWATER FUND IS INCREASING BY 2.5 MILLION DUE TO THE 1.3 MILLION.
INCREASING PERSONAL COSTS, $2 MILLION INCREASE IN CAPITAL VEHICLES OFFSET BY 380,000, DECREASE IN DISCRETIONARY DEBT, 230,000 DECREASE IN COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND 160,000 DECREASE IN BUILDING MAINTENANCE.
THE TOTAL DDSR OF GROUP, WHICH IS THE 10 11 12, IS INCREASING BY 33.3 MILLION DUE TO A 23.1 MILLION INCREASE, PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY ADDITIONAL TRANSFERS IN CIP FOR STREET AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, 5.7 MILLION INCREASE IN SERVICES AND CHARGES 5.8 MILLION IN PERSONNEL OFFSET BY 900,000, DECREASE IN SUPPLIES AND $400,000 DECREASE IN CAPITAL EQUIPMENT.
I'D LIKE TO POINT SOMETHING OUT THAT THE INCREASE IN REVENUES THAT YOU SAW IN THE LAST SLIDE HAS ALREADY BEEN PLANNED FOR AND INCORPORATED INTO THE FISCAL 24 EXPENDITURE BUDGET.
THE INCREASE AT VOL TAX REVENUE IN 2311 WILL BE MAINLY GOING TOWARDS STREET REHAB PROGRAM CONTRACTS.
THEN THE HOUSTON TRANS STAR GO.
REVENUES ARE INCREASING DUE TO A HIGHER CONTRIBUTION FROM METRO AND THE EXPENDITURES REMAIN FLAT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
FINALLY, WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE LARGEST FUND GROUP WITHIN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
THE REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE FUND 8,300 IS BUDGETED TO INCREASE MAINLY DUE TO WATER AND SEWER RATE INCREASES, WHICH INCLUDES THE AUTOMATIC RATE ADJUSTMENT AS WELL AS THE COST OF SERVICE STUDY ADJUSTMENTS AS WELL.
THE INCREASE ALSO INCLUDES A 7.1 MILLION INCREASE DUE TO HIGHER INTEREST, UH, REVENUE AND 4.3 MILLION HIGHER OTHER OPERATING REVENUE AND 1.7 MILLION HIGHER NON-OPERATING REVENUE.
THEN WE LOOK AT FUND 83 0 1, WHICH IS BUDGETED TO INCREASE BY 31.8 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER SYSTEM DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2024.
THEN FUND 83 0 5 IS A COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND DOESN'T TYPICALLY GENERATE REVENUE.
THEN THE EXPENDITURE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE THE FUND'S 8,300 IS BUDGETED TO
[00:20:01]
INCREASE BY 153.3 MILLION, WHICH INCLUDES A 116.8 MILLION INCREASE IN O AND M COSTS, MAINLY DUE TO INFLATIONARY INCREASES AND ADDITIONAL PLANNED REPAIRS FOR DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER FACILITIES.THIS ALSO INCLUDES A $37 MILLION INCREASE IN DEBT SERVICE TRANSFERS FUND 83 0 1 IS BUDGETED TO INCREASE BY 31.8 MILLION AS WE HAD MENTIONED DUE TO HIGHER SYSTEM DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS.
AND THEN FUND 83 0 5 IS BUDGETED TO INCREASE BY 13.6 MILLION, WHICH IS DUE TO 33.9 MILLION IN CAPITAL EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING NEW AND ROLLOVERS, WHICH IS OFFSET BY A 20.8 MILLION DECREASE IN THE PAYGO.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE TO GET AN OVERVIEW OF THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM.
IF WE LOOKED AT FISCAL YEAR 23, WE WERE GOING TO BE IN A DEFICIT OF ABOUT $110 MILLION WITH THE RATE INCREASES THAT HAS PROPPED ITS BACK UP TO BE ABLE TO DO THE VERY MUCH NEEDED, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE WORK THAT IS RELATED TO THE UTILITY.
SO THIS GIVES A BETTER OVERVIEW OF THE REVENUES, THE EXPENDITURES, AS WELL AS THE NET OPERATING OR SOLU OR DEFICIT OVER HERE.
THAT DOES CONCLUDE OUR PRESENTATION AND WE ARE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM AND STAFF, UH, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY PUT FORTH AND, UM, PUTTING TOGETHER THIS INFORMATION FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL YOUR HARD WORK, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, JUST A GENERAL INSIGHT FROM BOTH OF YOU ALL, WHERE DO YOU SEE THE NEED FOR YOUR GREATEST IMPROVEMENT? UH, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AS IT RELATES TO, UM, INCREASED WATER BILLS, UH, SOME OF THE WATER MAIN LEAKS, UM, GENERAL CONTRACTING OUT TO PRIVATE VENDORS FOR EXPEDITED UH, SERVICES, UM, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AROUND THE CITY.
WE'LL, WE WILL START OFF WITH THE WATER WASTEWATER SYSTEM AND, UH, THE, THE WATER MAIN BREAKS THIS YEAR CERTAINLY HIGHLIGHTED AN AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS EXACERBATED BY THE DROUGHT.
UH, AND IT REALLY IS NOT THE WAY THAT, UH, WE WANT TO SPEND THE, THE MONEY THAT'S IN THE UTILITY, UH, BASICALLY PUTTING BANDAIDS ON THE PIPES.
WE WANT TO ACTUALLY BE IN THE, THE BUSINESS OF LONG-TERM REPLACEMENT AND UPGRADES OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO WE'RE AT ONE OF THOSE POINTS WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE AGED INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S IN THE GROUND AND THAT WE'VE INHERITED, BUT WE'RE HAVING TO PLAN FORWARD TO NOT STAY IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM TYPE OF RESPONSE TO TRY AND MOVE FORWARD, UH, TO DO THOSE REPLACEMENTS, TO DO THOSE UPGRADES, UH, SO THAT, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, FUTURE, UH, YEARS WHEN WE HAVE THE, THE SHIFTING SOIL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE, THAT WE MINIMIZE THOSE BREAKS.
UH, THE, THE, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT WE DO IN-HOUSE AND WHAT WE DO WITH OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS.
OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF STAFF TO HAVE EVERYBODY BUSY, UM, ON THE SLOWEST DAY.
UM, AND TO HAVE CONTRACTORS LINED UP IN PLACE TO HAVE EVERYTHING COVERED ON THE BUSIEST DAY.
UH, THIS YEAR, THE, THE WATER MAIN BREAKS CHALLENGED US QUITE A BIT.
UH, WE HAD, UH, CAPACITY ISSUES WITH BEING ABLE TO GET ENOUGH CONTRACTORS.
UH, WE HAD ISSUES WITH BEING ABLE TO GET ENOUGH PARTS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT IS THAT MANY OF THE PARTS THAT ARE UNDERGROUND, IF THEY'VE BEEN THERE 50, 60 YEARS, THEY'RE NOT THE NORMAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT ARE SITTING ON A SHELF SOMEWHERE.
AND SO FINDING A CLAMP OR A PATCH OR A VALVE OR A PIECE TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON A A 50-YEAR-OLD PIECE OF CAST IRON PIPE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S READILY AVAILABLE.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST, UH, UH, GOING DOWN TO THE HARDWARE STORE AND GETTING A, A PIECE OF PVC TO PUT PUT IN AND REPLACE IT.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT, THAT WE FACED THIS YEAR.
I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT STAFF IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
BUT I REALLY THINK THAT WHERE WE, UM, ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SOME, SOME DRASTIC IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE COMING, COMING MONTHS, YEARS AND EVEN DOWN TO THE DAYS AND HOURS, IS THAT THAT COMMUNICATION PIECE, UH, I KNOW IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, WHEN WE'RE TELLING YOU WHEN WE THINK SOMETHING'S GONNA BE DONE AND IT'S NOT, AND WE'RE COMING BACK AND CHANGING THAT, THAT DEADLINE AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA WORK VERY HARD, UH, TO, TO UP OUR GAME ON THAT COMMUNICATION SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING GOOD INFORMATION, THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING IN A WAY THE PUBLIC WANTS TO GET IT, THAT, THAT YOU WANT TO HELP US GET IT TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT, THAT THE COMMUNICATION, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAGICALLY FIX THE INFRASTRUCTURE OVERNIGHT, UH, BUT WE NEED TO BE CLEAR, UM, AND RELIABLE.
EVEN AS IT RELATES TO THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET FROM A CAPACITY STANDPOINT, UH,
[00:25:01]
THERE'S BEEN MORE DOLLARS ALLOCATED FOR, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND, UH, FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS WITH THE INCREASED, UH, FUNDING, UH, FROM A CAPACITY STANDPOINT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT CAN, UH, YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS THE CAPACITY TO, UH, FULFILL? OR IS THAT SOMETHING TO WHERE YOU'VE LEARNED FROM THIS PAST YEAR THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UH, BE CREATIVE WITH OUTSIDE, UH, CONTRACTORS AS WELL? AND HOW HAS THIS YEAR PREPARED YOU FOR THE INCREASED FUNDING THAT YOU'RE GETTING FOR NEXT, FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR? SO THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT THE INCREASED FUNDING IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN IN THE PROJECTIONS SINCE RENEW HOUSTON, REBUILD HOUSTON, BUILT HOUSTON FORWARD WAS ADOPTED, UH, BECAUSE THE, THE PAY DOWN SCHEDULE WAS PART OF THAT ORIGINAL ADOPTION.
SO WE HAD BEEN ANTICIPATING THIS $47 MILLION INCREASE THIS YEAR FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE CIP, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, IF YOU LOOK AT SWAT AND LDP, THOSE WERE ALREADY ANTICIPATING THAT FUNDING INCREASE THAT YOU SEE, THIS ISN'T NEW MONEY THAT SHOWED UP THIS YEAR, IT'S MONEY THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE PROJECTIONS AND MONEY THAT'S ALREADY BEEN IN THE PROGRAM.
UH, AND SO ABSOLUTELY WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE RESOURCES.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE MORE CONTRACTS COME TO CITY COUNCIL TO DELIVER THOSE PROJECTS.
UH, PART OF BEING READY FOR THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS HAVING THE DESIGNS READY TO GO, HAVING THE THINGS ON THE LISTS, UH, READY TO IMPLEMENT AS SOON AS THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE TO US AND ABLE TO GO IN THE GROUND.
FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE IS COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN.
THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR.
UM, ON THE, ON THE QUESTION OF PROCUREMENT, UM, DESCRIBE TO ME THE PROCUREMENTS YOU, YOU DO, UH, THAT ARE OUTSIDE.
WHEN FINANCE CAME, THEY SAID THEY WERE REALLY TRYING TO SHORTEN THEIR PROCUREMENT TIMES.
AND WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY IS THERE'S LONG TIMES, NOT REALLY LONG TIMES FROM CONTRACT AWARD TO CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
WHAT INITIATIVES OR EFFORTS IS THIS HANDLE? IS THIS HANDLED IN ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES OR HOW, HOW IS THE PROCUREMENT HANDLED? SO I, WE, WE DO, UM, PROCUREMENT, UH, COUPLE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROCUREMENT.
SO, UM, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SIDE, THAT IS ACTUALLY RUN THROUGH OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS GROUP.
UM, AND THE DESIGN SIDE IS A QUALIFICATIONS BASED SELECTION, AND IT IS THE ONE THAT HAS THE LONGEST LEAD TIME FROM SELECTION TO CONTRACT.
AND IT'S BECAUSE ONCE YOU'VE SELECTED, THEN YOU NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT, THEN YOU EXECUTE THE CONTRACT ON THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE YOU'RE PUTTING OUT FOR BID, THE ACTUAL PRODUCT YOU WANT CONSTRUCTED.
AND SO FROM, FROM CONSTRUCTION AWARD, FROM FROM THE CONSTRUCTION NOTIFICATION WHERE WE OPEN THE BIDS TO THE ACTUAL CONTRACT, UH, OUR GOAL IS TO GET THAT DOWN TO, TO CLOSER TO TWO MONTHS.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ROUTINELY ABOUT THREE MONTHS NOW FROM BID TO AWARD ON THAT.
BUT THE, THE ENGINEERING DESIGN, UH, THOSE ARE STILL SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR IN MOST CASES.
AND ON THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE, ARE I, I THINK THERE ARE SOME ON THE LONGER SIDE, UH, THAT ARE OUT THERE TOO.
I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO KIND OF BRING THAT INTO THE TWO MONTH PERIOD? SO THE, THE ONES THAT, THAT HAVE EXTENDED LONGER, UM, TYPICALLY WE'VE HAD, UH, SOME OUTSIDE, UM, INFLUENCE THAT, THAT IMPACTED US, WHETHER IT BE, UM, LAND ACQUISITION THAT WASN'T QUITE COMPLETE OR A PERMITTING THROUGH ANOTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE ALL THOSE, ALL OF THOSE LOCKED DOWN BEFORE WE GO OUT TO BID SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THOSE DELAYS.
ON METERING, I THINK IT'S PAGE 11 OF THE PRESENTATION METERING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATIONS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE ALL BEEN HEARING ABOUT, UM, THINGS GOING ON WITH THIS, WITH THE, WITH THE METERS AND THE ESTIMATIONS AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, I, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON THAT.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I THINK THAT A PERFORMANCE MEASURE, SINCE THIS IS OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING, I'M REALLY FOCUSING ON, ON THE OUTCOMES AND THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
I THINK RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, ANSWER THE CALL IN FIVE MINUTES, WHICH IS GREAT, WE WANNA ANSWER THE CALL IN FIVE MINUTES, BUT LIKE THE PROCESS BY WHICH SOME, UH, A CUSTOMER CAN REALLY RESOLVE AN ISSUE.
I MEAN, WHAT IS THAT TIME, TIME LENGTH, WHETHER IT'S IN THE CUSTOMER'S FAVOR OR NOT? I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I HEAR MORE, UH, A LOT OF, SO IF THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE CONSIDERED AS A MEASURE, I'LL, I'LL GO BACK IN.
NO, AND, AND I DO WANT TO, UH, CLARIFY THAT WE, WE COULD PROBABLY WORD THIS BETTER.
I WILL GO BACK TO OUR COMMITMENT TO COMMUNICATION.
THE, THE ANSWER WITHIN FIVE MINUTES MEANS THAT THE ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE CALLED US ABOUT, THAT WE HAVE NOT ONLY ANSWERED THE PHONE, THAT WE HAVE ADDRESSED THEIR ISSUE WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OR LESS.
THAT IS ACTUALLY THAT, THAT MEASURABLE GOAL.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT IF IT GOES BEYOND THAT FIVE MINUTES AND WE START GETTING INTO ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THEN THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE TALKING A A MUCH LONGER TIME PERIOD.
I'LL GO BACK IN NEXT IN THE QUEUE IS COUNCIL
[00:30:01]
MEMBER AMY PECK.AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE EXPENDITURE BY PROGRAM.
SO THERE'S THE DRINKING WATER OPERATIONS, WASTEWATER OPERATIONS, AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR ALL OF THE CONSENT DECREE, UM, PROJECTS IS, ARE THOSE PROJECTS WITHIN THE WASTEWATER OPERATIONS SEPARATE FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT LINE ITEM? SO IS MARY, YOU WANNA ADDRESS THIS? THIS IS THE OPERATIONS BUDGET AND NOT THE ACTUAL CAPITAL BUDGET.
AND THERE ARE PARTS OF THE BUDGET THAT ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE TRANSFERS THAT GO INTO THE CIP PORTION AS WELL.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE CONSENT DECREE SPECIFICALLY RELATES TO THE WASTEWATER PER, UH, UM, WASTEWATER AREA WITHIN THAT HOUSTON WATER SERVICE LINE.
SO THAT FUNDING IS SEPARATE FROM THE LINE ITEM OF THE CAPITAL.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING ON ITEM SEVEN, IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE LAST LINE VERSUS DEBT SERVICE AND INTER FRONT TRANSFERS, AND THE WAY A LOT OF THIS, THESE THINGS ARE FUNDED ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE OF THE CONSENT DECREE.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSE AS WELL AS DEBT FINANCING AND CASH FINANCING FOR THE LARGER CIP.
SO YOU, YOU CAN SEE ON THE WASTEWATER OPERATIONS, IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT THAT PORTION OF IT, THAT'S THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SIDE.
BUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLIP SIDE IS UNDER THE DEBT SURFACE AND INTERNAL TRANSFERS THAT DEALS WITH THE LARGER CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, SLIDE NUMBER 13, UM, IT SHOWS THE PERCENTAGE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS COMPLETED ON SCHEDULE.
IS THAT FOR PROJECTS THAT, UM, HAVE GONE TO COUNCIL AND THERE'S, UM, A TIMELINE FOR THIS PROJECT? OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, UM, LIKE FLOODING MITIGATION PROJECTS THAT WERE ON THE CIP LIST THAT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED? SO THIS IS, UH, PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED CONSTRUCTION AND THE DELIVERY.
AND I, AND I KNOW IN PARTICULAR COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ONE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW, THAT, THAT IT IS, IS PAST, ITS ITS TIMELINE.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT HAS BEEN AWARDED AND DELIVERING THAT WITH THE INTENT OF THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULE AS IT WAS AWARDED BY CITY COUNCIL.
COUNCIL MEMBER AMY, I MEAN, ABBY CAYMAN, IT'S ONLY THE FIRST ONE THIS MONTH.
SO, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, DIRECTOR TO YOU AND THE ENTIRE TEAM.
UH, OUR RESIDENTS ENGAGE WITH THIS DEPARTMENT IN PARTICULAR, UH, AT A VERY, VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL.
AND I, I RECOGNIZE THAT AND APPRECIATE THAT.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, OUTDATED INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, I MEAN WEST ALABAMA, WESTLAND'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF, I THINK Y'ALL HAVE UNCOVERED MORE THAN JUST, UM, 50-YEAR-OLD PIPES.
LET'S JUST SAY THERE'S PIPES THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW EXISTED THAT ARE UNDER THERE.
YOU SEE WOODEN PIPES IN DISTRICT C THAT WE'RE UNCOVERING.
SO TO THAT, I SAY MY APPRECIATION, UM, ON SLIDE 16 RELATED TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, UH, FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THAT PROGRAM, UM, UNDER THE, UH, PERFORMANCE MEASURES, THERE'S THE NUMBER OF PAR SIDEWALK REPAIR APPLICANTS REVIEWED AND PROCESSED.
UM, THAT NUMBER IS ONLY ABOUT 90 IN THE EIGHTIES TO NINETIES.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE TOTAL BUDGET THAT'S EXPENDED.
AND I, I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT A LOT OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING BEYOND WHAT APPLICANTS ARE SUBMITTING.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE, THE, THE MONEY THAT YOU SEE HERE FOR THE BUDGET IS PRIMARILY THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
UM, IS, IS THE STAFFING FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UH, AND, AND SOME OF THE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAMS THAT THEY RUN.
THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR THE SIDEWALKS ARE ACTUALLY CARRIED IN THE PUBLIC WORKS CIP BUDGET.
THEY'VE HISTORICALLY BEEN THERE.
AND EVEN WHEN MOPD CAME UNDER THE PUBLIC WORKS UMBRELLA, WE DON'T SEPARATE THAT MONEY OUT.
IT'S IN PART OF THE SAFE SIDEWALKS, THE RIGHT PE, THE, SO IT'S IN THE, THE SIDEWALK CIP PORTION.
AND THE ONLY REASON I ASK THAT IS WE GET A LOT OF, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THIS NUMBER BECAUSE WE SUBMIT ON OUR OWN FROM RESIDENTS A LOT OF APPLICATIONS, AND WE GET FEEDBACK OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO FUNDING AVAILABLE AT THIS, AT THIS MOMENT FOR IT.
SO I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION ON THAT AND I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, I, I'M PIGGYBACKING ON COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S LINE OF QUESTIONING AS WELL ABOUT OBB.
UM, AND IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO SEE WHAT SOME OF Y'ALL SUSTAINABILITY OR RESILIENCY, UM, OBJECTIVES ARE UNDER OUTCOME-BASED BUDGETING.
UH, YOU ALL ARE DOING A LOT OF INNOVATIVE STUFF RIGHT NOW, UH, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE KINDA WHAT THOSE MEASURABLES MAY BE AND IF I COULD BE PLACED BACK INTO QUEUE.
UH, REAL QUICK, WHEN WE JUMP TO, UM, PAGE 23, UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SPEAK OF THE SALE OF CAPITAL ASSETS, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE CAPITAL ASSETS THAT WE'RE SELLING? SO USUALLY THIS IS, UH, NOT UNNECESSARY OR SURPLUS
[00:35:01]
STREET RIGHT OF WAY.UM, ANYTHING THAT IS A, A LARGER PARCEL THAT IS ONE OF, IN ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, GSD SURPLUS IS THAT.
UH, BUT ANYTHING WHERE WE HAVE EXCESS RIGHT OF WAY, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, STREETS THAT WERE NEVER BUILT, UH, OR, OR STREETS THAT WE'RE ASKED TO ABANDON BY DEVELOPERS, THAT IS THE, UM, THE LANDS AND THE STREETS THE EXCESS RIGHT OF WAY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, THANK YOU.
AND THANK, THANK YOU DIRECTOR HADDOCK, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, IN DISTRICT B, ONE OF THE MAIN PRIORITIES IS, YOU KNOW, SWAT PROJECTS AND FLOODING, UM, HAS BEEN ON THE TOP OF OUR LIST.
AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS FUNDING, UM, WHAT IS AT, WHAT IS THE FUNDING FOR, UM, SWAT PROJECTS AS WELL AS, UM, THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PO PROJECTS.
IS THERE ANY FUNDING FOR DITCH MAINTENANCE? UM, AND THEN CAN YOU COMPARE THE SWAT PROJECTS, THE FUNDING THIS YEAR TO THE FUNDING THIS CURRENT YEAR? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? SO, UM, AND, AND SAMIR HAS SOME NOTES HERE.
UH, WE HAVE $20 MILLION OF PUBLIC WORKS, UH, BASED FUNDING THAT IS PROPOSED TO GO INTO SWAT, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH HARRIS COUNTY, UH, WHERE WE HAVE $20 MILLION THAT, UH, IS COMING TOWARDS US, AND WE ARE ASKING THEM TO, TO REPEAT THAT AGAIN NEXT YEAR FOR THE, UH, THE, THE SWAP PROJECTS.
AS FAR AS THE LOCAL DRAINAGE, UM, YOU'RE PULLING THE NOTES UP THERE.
YOU DON'T HAVE THE LOCAL DRAINAGE THERE.
UH, THE LOCAL DRAINAGE IS, IS ALSO, UM, AND I'LL TURN, LOOK AT THE TEAM HERE REAL QUICK.
VERONICA'S GONNA GONNA COME CORRECT ME ON THAT ONE.
UM, AND SO WHILE SHE'S COMING UP, UH, I WILL ALSO SAY THAT, UM, ON, ON THE, THE OPEN DITCH MAINTENANCE, UH, WE DO, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY DO A, A, A SIMILAR AMOUNT OF OPEN DITCH MAINTENANCE THAT WE BEEN DOING HISTORICALLY.
IT'S, IT'S DIRECTED DIFFERENTLY.
IT'S DIRECTED, UH, THROUGH KIND OF 3 1 1 PRIORITIZATION WHERE IT, IT, WE, WE'VE DONE OUR RESEARCH AND ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, IT USED TO BE KIND OF A, A SCHEDULE WHERE WE WENT FROM AREA TO AREA.
UM, BUT, UH, IT, THE, THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE ACROSS THE BOARD ON STREETS AND DRAINAGE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE IS THAT THE, UH, CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT WAS PASSED LIMITS OUR O AND M BUDGET TO 25% OF THE TOTAL REVENUES.
AND WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN AT THAT, THAT 24, 23, 24 0.8%.
AND SO IT'S A, IT'S A STRUGGLE, BUT VERONICA, PLEASE.
UH, FOR THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM.
SO THAT IS STAYING LEVEL THIS YEAR.
HOWEVER, UH, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE HAVE STREET REHAB, UH, WHERE THE STREET AND THE DRAINAGE IS SO CONNECTED, UM, THAT THERE IS A INTERNAL TRANSFER ON THE CIP SIDE, UH, FROM THE MAYOR STREET REHAB PROGRAM TO OUR LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO DO, UH, MORE OF THE PROJECT.
SO TALTON AND YOUR, UM, UH, DISTRICT IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE IT WAS A DRAINAGE PROJECT, BUT WE ALSO ADDRESS SIDEWALKS AND OTHER THINGS AS PART OF THAT PART.
SO WE HAVE, WE DO THAT INTERNALLY ON THE CIP SIDE.
SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE FUNDING, LIKE WITH, WITHIN THIS BUDGET, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A, RIGHT, THERE WAS A LOT OF EFFORT LAST YEAR, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS BUDGET? SO THE FUNDING FOR LDP, FOR LDP IS THE STILL THE SAME? IT'S THE SAME, CORRECT.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY NOT INCREASING? CORRECT.
BECAUSE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT WAS GONNA INCREASE IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET.
L-D-L-D-P IS THE SAME MM-HMM
BUT WITH THE MAYOR STREET REHAB, WE DO HAVE OUR, OUR LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM.
THE PEOPLE, UH, ARE DOING SOME ADDITIONAL WORK UNDER THE MAYOR STREET REHAB INITIATIVE.
SO TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON WAS, UH, PUTTING FORTH, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE SWAT DOLLARS, AND IT COMES TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT RELATES TO FLOOD MITIGATION, HOW ARE WE, UM, ENSURING THAT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MAY HAVE INCREASED NEEDS ARE PRIORITIZED OVER AREAS THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF NEED? SO FOR THE LOCAL, SO FOR SWAT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, SO WE, THAT'S A PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU ALL.
YOU ALL PROVIDE US DIFFERENT AREAS TO EXAMINE, UH, WE LOOK AT THOSE AND WE MAY PROVIDE YOU RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON OTHER THINGS.
SO THAT IS A COUNCIL DRIVEN PROCESS FOR THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM.
SO THAT IS A US DRIVEN PROCESS.
AND SO WITH THAT IS WE TRY TO LOOK, WE LOOK AT WORSE FIRST IN THAT CASE.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES WE TRY TO DO THINGS WITH OUR IN-HOUSE CREWS FIRST.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND THE ABILITY OF OUR IN-HOUSE CREWS.
AND SO THEN THEY WILL REFER THAT OVER TO THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM.
AND THEN HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU CHARACTERIZE WORST FIRST? 'CAUSE IN EVERYBODY'S AREA, THEY BELIEVE THEIR, THEIR PROJECT IS THE WORST.
[00:40:01]
HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU CHARACTERIZE WORST FIRST? SO IT'S A FEW THINGS.UM, SO ONE, WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLOODINGS.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL SEND US 3 1 1 REQUESTS FOR FLOODING, BUT IT'S IN THE GUTTER.
THE STREET IS PASSABLE, SO WE CAN WE, IS IT WORSE OR NOT, YOU KNOW, SO WE TRY TO LOOK AT, UM, ONE OUR MODELS TO SEE, YOU KNOW, JUST WHERE, WHERE WATER IS ACCUMULATING.
UM, HOUSTON'S PRETTY FLAT, SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TOO MANY LOW POINTS.
UH, WE TRY TO FOCUS ON FIXING THE BIGGER PICTURE.
SO WITH EVEN A LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM, WE FOCUS ON LIKE EVEN THE OUTFALLS, UM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THAT CAN HAVE BENEFIT A BIGGER GROUP.
UM, AND THEN AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON THE STORM WATER MASTER PLAN.
SO WE DO HOPE BY EARLY 2024, WE WILL HAVE THE ENTIRE CITY MODELED, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE BETTER DATA ON WORSE VERSE.
IS THERE ANY STRATEGY TO FOCUS ON THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE OPEN DITCHES MORE SO THAN THE CURB AND GUTTER, UH, COMMUNITIES AS A CRITERIA FOR WORSE FIRST? YEAH.
SO MOST OF THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM, UH, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, WE HAVE IT ALL SCHEDULED OUT, IS GONNA BE IN THE OPEN DITCH AREAS.
UM, AND REALLY IT'S THE STREETS THAT ARE SHEET FLOW THAT ARE GIVING US SOME OF THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST HEADACHES IN THE OPEN DITCH AREAS.
UM, THE DITCHES FUNCTION PRETTY WELL.
UH, EVEN IN THIS RAIN WE HAD OVER THE LAST THREE DAYS, IT WAS ACTUALLY THE CLOSED SYSTEMS WHERE WE HAD IMPASSABLE ROADS.
UM, SO THE LOT OF THAT LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM IS GONNA BE FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE OPEN DITCH AREAS, FIXING THE OUTFALLS, UM, AND THEN THE SHEET FLOW STREETS.
AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR HADDOCK FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
YOU HAVE A EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY HARD JOB.
UM, LOOKING AT SLIDE 14, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, OH, WAIT, NO, LET'S SEE.
UM, WHEN IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CONCRETE PANEL REPLACEMENTS, IT LOOKS LIKE IN FY 22, THE ACTUAL REPLACEMENTS, OR 910, AND THE TARGET FOR 2023 WAS SIX 50, AND THE ESTIMATE FOR 2023 WAS 3 25.
UH, HELP US UNDERSTAND WHY THAT NUMBER, UM, WENT DOWN SO MUCH.
UH, WE, UH, HAD A BUDGET AND THEN WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE COST OF MATERIALS, UH, THAT WAS NOT ORIGINALLY PLANNED IN THE BUDGET.
AND SO WE HAVE, UM, DELIVERED ALL THAT.
WE HAD BUDGET TO DELIVER, BUT WE SAW OVER A 30% INCREASE IN, UH, BOTH THE COSTS OF ASPHALT AND CONCRETE.
UH, I KNOW YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT CONCRETE PANEL REPLACEMENTS.
UM, WE ALSO HAD, UH, A, A LITTLE BIT OF DELAY IN, IN GETTING, UM, CONTRACTS EXECUTED AND GETTING BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
UH, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING IN OUR CONTROL, UH, WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UH, AND THEN FOR OUR INTERNAL CREWS, UH, WE HAD A NUMBER OF, UH, SIGNIFICANT PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT BECAUSE OF THE PAN PANDEMIC SUPPLY CHAIN, UH, THAT WERE OUT OF SERVICE FOR MONTHS, UH, IF NOT THE BETTER PART OF THE YEAR.
UH, WE HAD OUR, OUR ASPHALT PAVING MACHINE, UM, DOWN, UH, WE, WE ENDED UP BUYING A NEW ONE.
UM, AND EVEN THE NEW ONE WE'VE HAD DOWN GETTING PARTS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALL AWARE THAT OUR STRIPING MACHINE, THAT, THAT WE HAD IT, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T GET THE PARTS TO GET IT REPAIRED.
AND THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT ARE UNFORTUNATE, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE REAL.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND THE EQUIPMENT DOESN'T PERFORM.
AND WHEN WE REACH INTO, UM, WORKING WITH, UM, FLEET AND WORKING WITH, UM, FINANCE, WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT RENTING EQUIPMENT.
AND IN SOME CASES, THAT EQUIPMENT WASN'T EVEN AVAILABLE.
UH, WE DID RENT, UM, DIFFERENT TYPES OF EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, UH, BUT SOME OF THE SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE RENTAL MARKET, AND IT, IT IMPACTS OUR DELIVERY.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMBER WHO WILL BE ASKING A QUESTION VIRTUALLY, AND THERE'S A, A LAG IN THE DELAY, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR.
AND THANK YOU, UM, DIRECTOR HADDOCK FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GONNA ASK, UM, ONE NOW AND I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE IF I NEED TO.
YOU MENTIONED THE $47 MILLION, UM, THAT A LOT OF US BELIEVED WAS ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
YOU SAID THAT MONEY WAS ALREADY EARMARKED, UM, IT WAS KIND OF PLANNED ON YEARS PRIOR.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ARE THOSE PROJECTS, UM, IS THAT MONEY GONNA GO SPECIFICALLY TO SHOVEL READY PROJECTS OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR,
[00:45:01]
UM, NEW PROJECTS, OBVIOUSLY THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF OUR DISTRICT MEMBERS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO FUND PROJECTS, UM, THAT ARE MORE NECESSARY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES? SO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS A FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK THAT IS BASED ON THE PROJECTED AVAILABLE REVENUE.AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S CIP AND THE CIP THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, $47 MILLION WAS IN THAT OUTLOOK FOR FUNDING THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION THIS COMING YEAR.
AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WORKING WITH, UM, YOUR OFFICES THROUGH PREVIOUS YEARS, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHEN, UH, PROJECTS WOULD HAVE BEEN, UM, DEVELOPED AND SCOPED AND, AND PUT IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO BE READY TO USE THAT MONEY.
UM, I DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASES, UH, THROUGH A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE HAVE NOT ADDED ANYWHERE NEAR AS MANY, UM, PROJECTS TO THE CIP AS WE MAY HAVE 10 YEARS AGO OR 15 YEARS AGO, WHENEVER YEAR WE WERE BRINGING NEW PROJECTS IN.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING THEM IN THE ORDER THEY'RE IN AND WE'RE DELIVERING THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE.
UH, BUT THIS WAS IN THE BOTTOM LINE ANNUAL TARGETS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR, FOR THE LAST FIVE TOWARDS, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR NEW PROJECTS IN THIS BUDGET? AND IF SO, HOW MUCH IS IT? SO THERE IS NOT NEW MONEY IN THIS BUDGET FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UH, THAT IS BEYOND WHAT WAS ALREADY ANTICIPATED ON THE STREET AND STORM SIDE.
THERE IS FUNDING ON THE WATER AND WASTEWATER SIDE, UH, THAT, UH, IS NEW THIS YEAR.
THAT WAS NOT IN LAST YEAR'S PROJECTIONS BECAUSE OF THE RATE INCREASE.
AND HOW MUCH IS THAT TOTAL AMOUNT? EXCUSE ME.
THE TOTAL AMOUNT FOR THE WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITY HAS BE ABOUT 300 BILLION WITH THE RATE INCREASES, BUT THAT IS BOTH OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AND CAPITAL.
UM, THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE WENT UP ABOUT 40% OF THAT.
SO IT'S OVER, OVER, IT'S MAYBE 150 MILLION FOR NEW PROJECTS, AND IT'S PROBABLY 120 MILLION OR SO FOR ADDITIONAL CLEANING TV OPERATIONS EXPENSES, THINGS THAT WERE REQUIRED TO DO AS PART OF THE CONSENT DECREE.
AND I'LL SEND A, A, A WRITTEN QUESTION ON THAT JUST FOR WORK FOR ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION CHAIR, DO YOU WANT ME TO GET BACK IN LINE OR CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? NO, THAT WE HAVE A LONG LINE, UH, BUT WE WILL OKAY.
UM, THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION.
GOING, GOING BACK TO THE WATER METERS.
AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN IN THE NEWS FOR SOME TIME.
UM, AND WHEN I MET WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE'S LIKE 500,000 METERS WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, AND UH, WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE WATER METERS THAT ARE BEING CHANGED OUT, IT'S THE MONITOR THAT'S CONNECTED TO THE WATER METER, UH, AND THAT THEY, UH, MONITOR THAT'S CONNECTED TO THE WATER METER.
THEIR LIFESPAN IS ABOUT 10 YEARS OR SO.
UH, AND WE'RE OVER THAT TIMEFRAME.
UM, SO I, UH, UH, WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THAT, UH, THAT THERE'S A PLAN THAT THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS WATER DEPARTMENT HAS WHERE THEY'RE GOING, IT'S A FIVE YEAR PLAN WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO REPLACE A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THESE MONITORS PER YEAR FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UH, SO IN THIS BUDGET, I'M ASSUMING ALL THAT'S BEEN PAID FOR.
UH, AND, AND, AND, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUE REGARDING C AND THEY WEREN'T COMING IN LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE CAME IN, SO THEREFORE WE'RE BEHIND.
UM, SO WITH, WITH ALL THAT SAID, UH, I, I, I, I KNOW YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT WE'RE, OUR PUBLIC WORKS IS, UH, GETTING, UM, UH, I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD SAID, $45 MILLION.
UH, I GUESS IT'S FROM THE, UH, NOW THAT THE, UH, UH, REBUILT HOUSTON, UH, OR BUILD, UH, HOUSTON FORD IS, IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN REGARDS TO THE MONIES, UH, AND THE BONDS ARE BEING PAID OFF AND, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO I, I SAY ALL THAT BECAUSE I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE'S THREE WAYS TO READ A METER.
UH, IT'S THE, THERE'S AN ANTENNA THAT ACTUALLY GOES, THAT READS THE METERS, AND THEN YOU HAVE A VEHICLE DRIVING AROUND THAT READS THE METERS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ACTUALLY GO ANDRE THE METERS, UM, SPEAKING WITH ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT GOES OUT AND SPEAK AND READS THE METER.
I MEAN, HE WAS TELLING ME THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HE SHOWED ME A LIST OF ADDRESSES THAT HE'S RESPONSIBLE TO GO READ.
[00:50:01]
THIS IS WHAT I GET EVERY DAY.UH, SO IS THEIR FUNDING TO HOPEFULLY HIRE MORE INDIVIDUAL METER READERS, UH, SO THEY CAN GO AND, AND, AND ACTUALLY READ THE METERS CORRECTLY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE IS NOT CHARGED MORE THAN WHAT THEY SHOULD BE CHARGED.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTION, WHICH IS YES, WE ARE, WE DO HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE, UH, TO, TO, TO BUILD UP TO THE CAPACITY THAT WE NEED, UH, TO DO THE METER READING.
UM, BUT THE, THE GOAL LONG TERM IS NOT TO NEED TO READ THOSE MANUALLY.
THE GOAL IS TO REPLACE THE ONE, THE WAIT, WE CALL 'EM END POINTS, OR WE CALL THE METER READING DEVICES.
SO YOU'VE GOT THE METER ITSELF, WHICH IS MECHANICAL, AND AS THE WATER GOES THROUGH IT, IT SPINS THE WHEEL, WHICH ACTUALLY TURNS THE, THE DIALS.
THEN YOU'VE GOT THE PIECE THAT SITS ON IT THAT ACTUALLY READS THE METER AND TRANSMITS THAT TO US.
AND SO, UH, YOU'RE CORRECT, SOME OF THEM ARE TRANSMITTED CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH A FIXED NETWORK ON TOWERS.
SOME OF THEM WE GET ONCE A MONTH WHEN THE VAN DRIVES BY AND PICKS UP THE READING.
AND SOME OF THEM WE DO MANUALLY.
UH, OUR GOAL IS TO REPLACE THE, THE, THE METER READING DEVICES THAT ARE NOT FUNCTIONING ANYMORE, UH, SUCH THAT, UH, WE REDUCE THAT NUMBER OF MANUAL READS BACK DOWN TO THE, NEAR THE STAFFING LEVEL THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
TEMPORARILY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO INCREASE THAT.
WE'LL PROBABLY USE OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS TO INCREASE THAT CAPACITY, AS WELL AS REDIRECTING SOME PEOPLE INTERNALLY, UM, TO, TO COVER THINGS THAT THEY DON'T DO ON A NORMAL BASIS.
SO I'M, I'M SORRY, YOU SAID YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO REACH OUT TO CONTRACTORS TO ACTUALLY GO AND REPLACE THESE, UH, METER READER DEVICES OR TO ACTUALLY GO OUT AND PERSONALLY READ THE METERS? BOTH.
SO, SO WE EXPECT TO HAVE CONTRACTORS TO DO BOTH OF THOSE FUNCTIONS.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE, WE, WE ARE ALREADY UNDER CONTRACT.
Y'ALL ALREADY APPROVED A CONTRACT TO REPLACE THESE ENDPOINTS, THE METER READING DEVICES.
UM, AND SO THAT CONTRACT IS ONGOING.
UH, BUT, AND THEY HAVE SOME METER READING IN THAT SAME CONTRACT.
UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE LOOKING AT OTHER CONTRACTS TO BRING ON, UH, ADDITIONAL METER READING RESOURCES UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS BACKLOG, UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS, THIS CURRENT CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE OF THE DEVICES FAILING FASTER THAN WE CAN REPLACE THEM.
GOING BACK TO, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION AND, UH, ONE OF TWO THINGS RELATED TO THAT.
FIRSTLY, YOUR TEAM HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB OF WHEN THEY'RE ALREADY IN ONE AREA, GETTING ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT MAY BE NEEDED DONE IN THAT AREA SO THAT RESIDENTS AREN'T HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE THE HEADACHE, BUT IT'S ALSO MORE FISCALLY AND EFFICIENT, UH, EFFICIENTLY SOUND.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, ENGAGE HOUSTON IS A GREAT PLATFORM.
DISTRICT C HAS THE HIGHEST USE OF THAT PLATFORM, BUT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE EVERYTHING.
AND SO SOMETIMES IT'S HARD FOR US TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON OR TO COMMUNICATE TO RESIDENTS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT ARE TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR DRAINAGE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEY'RE VERY PLUGGED IN AND EDUCATED.
BUT THERE'S SO MANY SMALLER PROJECTS THAT MAY BE HAPPENING, INCLUDING WHETHER IT'S CDSF, UM, YOU KNOW, SWAP MAY BE IN THERE.
BUT AGAIN, EVEN TS PROJECTS, IS THERE AN EFFORT OR A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN CONSOLIDATE OR GEO MAP ALL OF THAT INTO ONE PLATFORM? AND DO WE KNOW WHAT THE COST OF THAT IS? SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS YES, AND, UH, WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS ALL OF OUR PROJECTS BEING IN, IN A PLACE THAT, THAT YOU CAN ACCESS.
WE WE'RE NOT YET TO ONE MAP, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO ONE PLACE.
UM, BUT EVEN BEYOND THAT, UH, IT COULD BE HARRIS COUNTY, IT COULD BE METRO, IT COULD BE A PRIVATE UTILITY.
UH, AND SO, UH, THERE ACTUALLY IS A, A PARTNERSHIP THAT STARTED UP, UH, SOME, SOME STAFFING HAS CHANGED AT HARRIS COUNTY, BUT THERE WAS A GOAL AT HARRIS COUNTY TO ACTUALLY CREATE THE ONE THAT INCLUDED THE PRIVATE UTILITIES AND THE PRIVATE ENTITIES AS WELL.
AND SO I WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN THAT.
UM, I, I CANNOT BEGIN TO GUESS WHAT THAT MIGHT COST.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S LOTS OF IDEAS OUT THERE.
DO WE RE UH, SOME CITIES REQUIRE THAT EVERY PRIVATE UTILITY HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIAL TOKEN THAT THEY THROW IN EVERY HOLE THAT THEY DIG.
RIGHT? AND THAT WAY YOU KNOW WHO TO COME BACK TO.
UH, THERE, THERE'S SOME REALLY CREATIVE IDEAS OUT THERE.
AND AGAIN, AS SOON AS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT, AT LEAST FROM A PUBLIC WORK SIDE, GETTING ALL OF IT IN ONE PLACE.
LASTLY, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK, UM, ONE ABOUT DROUGHT AND FLOODING AND ALL OF THAT DEALS WITH EXTREME WEATHER, WHICH FALLS TO YOU ALL WHEN IT COMES TO FLOODING.
WE ARE ALSO AT A TIME WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE, UM, INCREASED DENSITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ALL OF THAT, AND MOVING BACK TOWARDS THE CITY.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO BE INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHEN IS THE LAST TIME WE'VE DONE
[00:55:01]
IN, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S REGIONALLY, UM, WHETHER IT'S BY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD STUDIES OF BASED ON THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE SEEING AND THE PREDICTED DEVELOPMENT, THE CAPACITY, THE DRAINAGE CAPACITY.SO THE, THE WATERSHED, UH, MASTER PLAN THAT VERONICA MENTIONED EARLIER IN HER ANSWER IS ACTUALLY THAT LOOK, AND IT, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT IS NOT A SHORT TERM STUDY, BUT IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE DO PLAN TO HAVE THE, THE RESULTS OF THAT IN FISCAL YEAR 2024.
BUT IT IS TO LOOK DOWN AT THAT GRANULAR LEVEL, UM, WORKING WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON WHAT WE, WE EXPECT MIGHT, COULD BE, YOU KNOW, MAXIMUM BUILD OUTS AND DENSITY, LOOKING TO THAT LEVEL WHERE IT CAN GUIDE US TO EVEN LOOK AT ANSWERS BLOCK BY BLOCK LONG TERM.
FY 24, IS THAT A NOD? SORRY, VERONICA.
THE FIRST PHASE WILL BE AVAILABLE.
THE FIRST PHASE WILL BE AVAILABLE FISCAL YEAR 2024.
SHE, SHE WAS TRYING TO GET OUT AND NOT SPEAKING.
I'M SORRY, SHE'S TRYING TO HIDE BACK THERE.
SO OUT OF THE 57, 40 7 MILLION INCREASE IN TRANSFERS TO D-D-S-R-F TO SUPPORT STREETS AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS, I JUST NEED CLARITY HOW MUCH OF THAT IS GOING, UM, IS BEING ALLOCATED FOR DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
UH, WE WILL GET YOU THAT ANSWER.
UM, I, I KNOW THAT IT, IT WENT INTO THE CIP, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PULL THAT BACK OUT.
I SHOULD HAVE HAD THAT ANSWER WALKING IN.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I THINK THIS PROBABLY GOES TO VERONICA.
UM, FOR CLARIFICATION, IS THERE A CONSISTENT CHECKLIST OF WHAT CLEARLY DEFINES WORST FIRST? SO, UH, AND VERONICA'S COMING UP, BUT I, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WE, WE STARTED WITH STRUCTURAL FLOODING, UM, UNDER CAPACITY DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPACTS TO, UM, SCHOOLS.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO, SO, UH, THERE, THERE, THERE IS A LIST THAT WE WORKED DOWN IN GOING THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
AND I'LL ALSO ADD, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THE COMPLETE COMMUNITY ACTION PLANS, AND SO WE DO GO THROUGH THERE TO IDENTIFY WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THE DIFFERENT COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
UM, 'CAUSE MANY OF THEM TALKED ABOUT NOT EVERY COMPLETE COMMUNITY HAS FLOODING ISSUES, BUT FOR THE ONES THAT DO, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE TO PRIORITIZE THAT.
I, I, I, I'LL SEND A MESSAGE ON SHAREPOINT, BUT I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE DETAIL.
YES, WE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
WELL, THANK YOU BOTH, ALL THREE OF YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION
UM, AND, AND YOU MAY BE, UH, DISMISSED.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER REAL QUICK BEFORE WE STEP AWAY, UM, UH, NEXT WEEK IS, UH, NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK.
AND SO, UH, YOU GAVE US A, A PROCLAMATION ON TUESDAY.
UH, WE HAVE A, A SMALL, UH, PACKAGE BACK BEHIND CHAMBERS FOR EACH OF YOUR OFFICES, UH, IN HONOR OF NATIONAL PUBLIC'S WORKS WEEK.
AND SO WE ASK THAT YOU MAKE SURE AND GRAB YOURS.
AND FOR THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT AREN'T HERE, IF YOU, UH, WOULD MAKE SURE IT GETS TO THEM, UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD LOVE TO, UH, HAVE YOU HELP CELEBRATE US UM, AS WE CELEBRATE Y'ALL, THANK YOU,
WE WILL NOW JUMP INTO THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS COMMENT PERIOD, PUBLIC SPEAKERS, WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, UH, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
WE'RE USING THE LIST OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO SIGNED UP BY 3:00 PM YESTERDAY.
UH, BASED ON COMMITTEE RULES, WHEN WE HAVE MORE THAN 10 SPEAKERS, YOUR TIME WILL BE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE.
THE FIRST NAME IS STEPHANIE VALDEZ, HERE, THE COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, EQUITY AND RESILIENCE.
I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THE IMPORTANT ISSUE OF DRAINAGE JUSTICE IN ITS CORRELATION WITH PUBLIC WORKS AS WE APPROACH THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET FOR 2024.
SO, WHILE RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EFFECTIVE DRAINAGE TO SYSTEMS FOR OUR COMMUNITY'S RESILIENCE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, I WOULD LIKE TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE CITY'S PLANNED ALLOCATION OF FUNDS TOWARDS ADDRESSING DRAINAGE DISPARITIES, IMPROVING PUBLIC WORKS INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU HAVE INCREASED INVESTMENT ON SWAP PROJECTS, BUT ARE STILL LACKING ON LDP FUNDINGS.
[01:00:01]
FOR INCREASING RISK OF CLIMATE DISASTERS AND FLOODING? I DIDN'T, CAN YOU REPEAT THE LAST PART OF THE QUESTION? QUESTION THE QUESTION, YEAH.SO, UM, YOU HAVE INCREASED INVESTMENT ON SWAP PROJECTS, BUT YOU HAVE YET TO INCREASE MORE LDPS.
BUT WITH THIS DECISION, ARE YOU ACCOUNTING FOR THE INCREASE OF CLIMATE DISASTERS THAT WE WILL BE FACING? THAT IS A QUESTION THAT WE WOULD HAVE YOU SUBMIT ON SHAREPOINT, SO WE CAN GET THE DEPARTMENT TO GIVE YOU A CLEAR ANSWER.
HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON, SABA BLANDING, UM, DISTRICT, I, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS ON PAGE 14.
ON PAGE 14, THE TARGETS FOR PERCENT OF REVIEWS COMPLETED WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN THE ACTUALS, YET THE BUDGET IS NOT INCREASING BY MUCH.
IS THIS AN ISSUE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE WELL AWARE OF? AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT ALLOCATING SUFFICIENT RESOURCES.
COULD WE CREATE MORE REVENUE FOR THE CITY BY INVESTING IN REDUCING THIS BACKLOG? AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN HOUSTON LANDING ON TUESDAY ABOUT DISTRICT J AND THE LONGTIME LACK OF SAFE CROSSING OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS AT WISDOM HIGH SCHOOL.
PAGE 62 SHOWS 37 SIDEWALK PROJECTS COMPLETED.
AND WE APPRECIATE PUBLIC WORKS, BUT WE KNOW THE NEED FOR SAFETY DEMANDS MORE.
HOW CAN WE BETTER PRIORITIZE STREET SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS, ESPECIALLY OUR STUDENTS, AND COMPLETE MORE SIDEWALK PROJECTS NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN ALSO, JUST THANKS SO MUCH TO PUBLIC WORKS FOR ALL YOU DO.
SO REGARDING THE, UH, SIDEWALK PROGRAMS, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL WAYS IN WHICH TO DO THAT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THROUGH OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, WE PUT DOLLARS OUT TOWARDS THAT.
THERE'S THE SAFE SIDEWALKS PROGRAM THAT DOES THAT.
BUT OUR OFFICE SPECIFICALLY, UH, GOES OUTSIDE OF JUST THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND WORKS WITH OUR LOCAL TURS.
AND SO, UM, AROUND WISDOM HIGH SCHOOL IS A PRIORITY AREA FOR US, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
UM, ENSURE THAT YOU REACH OUT TO YOUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL TO PUT FORTH YOUR DIRECT QUESTIONS TO PUBLIC WORKS REGARDING PAGE 14 OF THE, UH, BUDGET PRESENTATION SO WE CAN GET THAT ANSWER FOR YOU.
HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER RIVERA.
I WORK WITH THE TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT.
AND, UH, I JUST WANNA THANK PUBLIC WORKS AND DR.
AND I'M REALLY HERE TO SUPPORT NAC AND THEIR EFFORTS TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM, AS WELL AS INCREASE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC WORKS STAFF AND MAINTENANCE.
AS WE JUST HEARD THE DIRECTOR, UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
IT SEEMS LIKE THEY NEED SOME EXTRA MONEY TO CATCH UP WITH THEIR MAINTENANCE AND STAFFING, SO LET'S SUPPORT THEM.
SO MY QUESTION IS, UH, THE MAYOR HAS SAID THAT, THAT HE'S GOING TO CHANGE, UH, DITCH MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITY BACK TO THE CITY INSTEAD OF THE RESIDENTS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
BUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN THE BUDGET IN ORDER FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO EFFECTIVELY TAKE ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY? AGAIN, WE WILL GET A ANSWER FROM YOU.
UH, MAKE SURE THAT YOU SEND THAT QUESTION TO YOUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND MY QUESTION IS SIMILAR IN LINE TO THE QUESTIONING OF COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN ON OUTCOMES BASED BUDGETING IN LOOKING AT THE PRESENTATION THAT PUBLIC WORKS PUT TOGETHER, AND THANK YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT AND THE STAFF FOR STICKING AROUND TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT ARE UNDER DRAINAGE, UH, EXCUSE ME, TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE OPERATIONS, THEY DESCRIBE GUTTER SWEPT, ASPHALT, ASPHALT REPAIRED, CONCRETE PANEL REPLACEMENT, POTHOLES REPAIRED, BUT NOWHERE IN HERE IS THERE ANY PERFORMANCE MEASURE OR METRIC ON WHETHER OR NOT DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS ARE OCCURRING ACROSS THE CITY.
AND MUCH LESS WHETHER OR NOT THOSE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS ARE EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED BY THE DISTRICTS.
SO COUNCIL MEMBERS OR FOR THE DEPARTMENT, WHAT MEASURES ARE GONNA BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ACT ACCURATELY REFLECT THAT
[01:05:01]
PRIORITY THAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE CITIZENS COUNCIL MEMBER? ALCORN, THANK YOU.AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
AND I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR OF OUTCOME-BASED BUDGETING, SO EVERYBODY'S GETTING THE HANG OF IT.
I THINK THAT THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, LIKE ON TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE OPERATIONS, THERE'S REALLY NO DRAINAGE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ON, UM, PERMITTING, UM, PLAN REVIEW AND, AND INSPECTIONS, OR ESPECIALLY ON PLAN REVIEW.
IT'S JUST ABOUT RESIDENTIAL PERMITS.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE A TOTAL NUMBER AND THEN ABOUT RESIDENTIAL, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE COMMERCIAL ONES.
SO I THINK, UH, A GOOD STRONG LOOK FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
I'M NOT JUST, I, I KNOW THERE'S SO MUCH WORK INVOLVED IN GOING AND DOING THE BUDGET, BUT NOT JUST USING THE SAME MEASURES WE'VE USED, BUT USED REALLY MEANINGFUL MEASURES THAT THE, THAT THE, THE CITIZENS CAN TIE TO, YOU KNOW, MONEY BEING SPENT TO MEET THOSE OUTCOMES.
SO I JUST APPRECIATE YOUR PICKING UP ON THAT, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET BETTER AT THIS AS WE GO ALONG.
COULD I RESPOND REALLY QUICKLY? SURE.
UM, I JUST WANNA ECHO THAT AND JUST MENTION THAT IF WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BIG GAP OR GOAL THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS AND IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THE OUTCOMES, THEN WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE MEETING IT.
AND MORE THAN LIKELY WE WON'T BE MEETING IT.
AND DIRECTOR HATTIE, DID YOU HAVE CLARIFICATION ON THE DITCH MAINTENANCE? I, I DO.
UH, SO, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO BE, UM, CLEAR ON IS THAT, UM, THE, THE PUBLIC WORKS DOES ACTUALLY PROVIDE, UM, MAINTENANCE OF THE DITCHES FROM A REHABILITATION, FROM REMOVING SILT, FROM RESTORING FLOW LINES, UH, FROM, FROM ACTIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, UH, LARGER THAN, UM, CLEANING UP LITTER, UM, AND, AND, AND MOWING.
BUT WE DO ACTUALLY PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MAINTENANCE, BOTH IN FUNDING AND IN STAFFING AND IN RESOURCES THAT WE PROVIDE EVERY YEAR.
AND SO, UH, ABSOLUTELY, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE DEVELOPED A REALLY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AND, AND DEFINITELY WANNA CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP AND THAT DISCUSSION.
BUT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE FOR THE PEOPLE LISTENING IN THE PUBLIC, UH, THAT, THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT DOES GO INTO, AND WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING INTERNALLY ABOUT FINDING A DIFFERENT WORD FOR WHAT WE DO.
UH, BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T PROVIDE MAINTENANCE, WE'RE LIKE, WELL, YEAH, WE DO, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A DA DISCONNECT IN THE DEFINITION OF MAINTENANCE.
UM, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, UH, WE DO REMOVE SILT, WE MAKE SURE DITCHES FLOW, WE MAKE SURE CULVERTS ARE CLEARED.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE DO THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE IN GOOD OPERATIONAL ORDER.
UH, WE JUST DON'T COME THROUGH AND MOW DITCHES ON A, ON A REGULAR BASIS JUST AS WE DON'T MOW, UM, THE, THE BESIDE THE, THE SIDEWALKS AS WELL.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR ALICE LOU.
UM, I'M FROM THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AS WELL.
UM, THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS TODAY IN PUBLIC WORKS.
SO AS WE'VE HEARD THE 47 MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT'S EXPECTED THIS YEAR, OR GOING TOWARDS DRAINS THIS YEAR HAS BEEN EXPECTED FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
SO IT CAN'T, CAN'T BE DESCRIBED AS A WIN TO THE ADVOCACY WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING.
UM, AND IT, IT'S MONEY THAT'S GOING TOWARDS PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN A LONG QUEUE, UM, WITHIN THE CIP.
UM, WE BELIEVE THAT PROJECTS AREN'T DECIDED ON A WORSE FIRST BASIS.
AND WE'VE LOOKED AT THE RUBRIC CURRENTLY USED FOR THE CIP, IT DOESN'T PRIORITIZE, IT DOESN'T CONSIDER SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX, ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE ISSUES OR OPEN THE ISSUES OF OPEN DITCH DRAINAGE.
UM, AND, UH, THE CIP IS, ALTHOUGH WE TALKED ABOUT THE SWOT AND LDPA LOT, THE CIP IS THE BIGGEST POT OF MONEY.
AND WHAT WE WANNA KNOW IS WHAT WORK CAN BE DONE TO RECONSIDER THE, UM, ORDER OF PROJECTS AND WHAT PROJECTS THAT MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENT I THINK HAS A LOT OF VALIDITY TO IT.
UH, YOU CAN WORK WITH, UH, YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER ON POSSIBLY AN AMENDMENT, AND THAT'S ONE WAY IN WHICH YOU CAN, UH, PUT FORTH MORE PROPOSED DOLLARS FOR THAT SQUAD PROJECTS.
UH, CAN I, THAT WASN'T REALLY MY QUESTION.
CAN I ASK THE END AGAIN? SURE.
UM, THE, THE QUESTION I HAVE IS WITHIN THE CIP, HOW THE PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS CAN BE RECONSIDERED, THE ORDER OF PROJECTS.
YOU CAN GO THROUGH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE FOR THAT PARTICULAR AREA OF THE CITY AND WORK WITH THEM TO PRIORITIZE WHAT PROJECTS YOU THINK SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
AND THEN THEY'LL WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO SEE IF THAT IS A POSSIBILITY.
SO WE'VE BEEN TOLD IT'S NOT A POSSIBILITY, UH, AND
[01:10:01]
TO MY UNDERSTANDING, IT IS A POSSIBILITY, UM, BECAUSE MY OFFICE SPECIFICALLY HAS WORKED TO TRY TO, UM, REPOSITION CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE ON OUR LIST.SO LET ME GET A DIRECT ANSWER FOR YOU AND NOT SPEAK FOR PUBLIC WORK.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SEND THAT TO YOUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THEY WILL SUBMIT THE SHAREPOINT AND WE'LL GET YOU A RESPONSE.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, SORRY, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS WITHIN DISTRICT B, TALKING ABOUT PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ANIL KAUR, FOLLOWED BY REBECCA TO BE FOLLOWED BY REBECCA SILL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CHIEF OF STAFFS AND PUBLIC WORKS.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WANT TO ECHO PUBLIC WORKS PRESENCE IN THE ROOM AND STAYING AROUND, UM, TO HEAR, COMMENT, UM, THERE WERE, UH, DEFINITELY OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE NOT STAYED BEFORE.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR STICKING AROUND.
I HAD A COUPLE COMMENTS BEFORE MY QUESTION.
UM, ON SLIDE 11, UH, IT SAYS IN THE WATER METER, UH, GAUGE, IT SAYS THERE WAS ABOUT LIKE A 99% ACCURACY RATE IN THE BILLING.
UM, AND WITH ALL THE WEATHER STORMS THAT WE'VE SEEN BETWEEN HURRICANE, BETWEEN WINTER STORM URI, AND THEN THIS PAST WINTER STORM AND THE FREEZE, UM, I THINK THAT'S, UH, THAT NUMBER NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED ALONG WITH THE, UM, THE INACCURACY OF SOME OF THE METERS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, ALREADY TALKED ABOUT.
MY MAIN QUESTION THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS, UM, WE'VE SET A BIG ISSUE WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS IS NOT HAVING ENOUGH CAPACITY ON THE FRONT LINE, UH, FOR WORKERS WHO CARRY OUT MAINTENANCE SWAT LDP PROJECTS.
UM, IN OUR MEETINGS WITH PUBLIC WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DRAINAGE, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT A HUNDRED OUT OF 700 TOTAL POSITIONS FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS ARE CURRENTLY VACANT.
SO FIRST QUESTION IS, ARE THESE VACANCIES ALREADY FULLY FUNDED? AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WITH RECRUITMENT EFFORTS AND HOW MUCH MONEY PUBLIC WORKS IS CURRENTLY SPENDING ON RECRUITMENT? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
AND SUBMIT IT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND WE'LL GET IT UPLOADED TO SHAREPOINT TO GET YOU A RESPONSE.
COULD I RESPOND TO THAT? SURE.
IS, IS THERE A WAY THAT DIRECTOR HADDOCK OR SOMEONE ELSE IN THE ROOM FROM PUBLIC WORKS COULD RESPOND TO THAT? NOT AT THIS TIME, NO.
IT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT IF YOU SUBMIT IT ON TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS SO WE CAN GET YOU A DETAILED ANSWER, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE TIME LIMITED ON, ON THE RESPONSES WE CAN GIVE TODAY.
I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS JACKSON AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR THEIR QUESTIONS.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, JUST TO SAY OUT LOUD WHAT YOUR QUESTIONS ARE POINTING TOWARDS, IT SEEMS THAT DESPITE WHAT MAYOR TURNER SAID LAST WEEK, THERE IS ACTUALLY NOT AN ADDITIONAL $20 MILLION THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TOWARDS SWAT IN THE MAYOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET.
DIRECTOR DAVIS DID SAY THEY'RE EXPECTING $20 MILLION FROM THE COUNTY THIS YEAR, BUT THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GUARANTEED EITHER.
JUST TO SET THE BASELINE, LAST YEAR THERE WAS A BASE 20 MILLION, A 20 MILLION MATCH FOR COUNTY AND 20 MILLION FROM GENERAL FUND.
SO IN OUR UNDERSTANDING, THIS MEANS THAT WITH NO AMENDMENTS, SWAT FUNDING IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE DECREASING FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, WHAT I WANT TO ASK NOW IS, UH, I WANT TO ASK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PARTICULARLY, UM, DUSTIN, I SEE YOU'RE HERE STANDING IN FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN.
UM, IS THERE A PLAN TO ACTUALLY PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT, UM, TO MAKE THIS 20 MILLION INCREASE IN SWAT FUNDING PERMANENT AND GUARANTEED? UM, I KNOW THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE WORKING OVER THE NEXT WEEK, WEEK FOR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT THEY WILL BRING FORTH TO THE BUDGET.
AND IF YOU WANNA WORK WITH, UH, INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THAT, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO THEIR OFFICES DIRECTLY.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, UM, THANK YOU.
AND YES, THERE IS A PLAN TO SUBMIT A BUDGET AMENDMENT IF, LIKE RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET JUST LIKE YOU GUYS ARE MM-HMM
AND SO WE WANTED TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT WAS IN THE BUDGET.
IF IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, THEN WE WILL, I WILL, ALONG WITH, UM, UM, UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM MARTIN, WE WILL SUBMIT A BUDGET AMENDMENT ON THAT.
THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT ON RECORD, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, AND IF IT'S OKAY, I WANTED TO ASK ONE MORE QUESTION.
I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND, UH, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF DRAINAGE FOR ALLOCATING LDP BASED ON WORST FIRST.
UM, WE THINK THAT THIS IS REALLY THE PROGRAM THAT, UH, BEST ADDRESSES
[01:15:01]
NEED COMPARING TO COMPARED TO SWAT AND COMPARED TO THE GENERAL CIP.UM, AND I WANTED TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION AGAIN.
IF ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD BE INCREASING FUNDING TO, UH, LDP? WE'LL, I'M SURE WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THAT OVER THE NEXT WEEK AND WE WILL GET BACK WITH YOU.
RIA TIINA, T HARENA COUNCIL MEMBER.
IS IT, IS IT OKAY, ONE THING I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO NOTE THAT, UM, ENGAGE HOUSTON HAS ALL OF THE INFORMATION ON THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS AS WELL.
UM, AND, UH, IF YOU LOOK OUT THERE, UH, A SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY OF OUR LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS ARE IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF HOUSTON.
UM, THEY'RE ALMOST ALL IN OPEN DITCH AREAS AS, AS VERONICA SAID EARLIER, BUT ENGAGE HOUSTON HAS A REALLY GOOD DETAIL OF ALL THOSE LOCAL DR.
LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS, THE, THE ONGOING AND THE UPCOMING AND THE COMPLETED.
THANK YOU DIRECTOR, BRENDA T HARENA.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE A VALOREM DRAINAGE TAX, UM, AND I JUST WANNA KNOW LIKE HOW YOU ALL FEEL ABOUT THAT MONEY, LIKE GOING SUPPOSEDLY TOWARDS DRAINAGE, BUT IT GOES TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS INSTEAD.
LIKE WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT LIKE THE EQUATIONS, UM, AND LIKE THE NUMBERS AND IN CITY RECORDS AND D-D-S-R-F FUNDS AND THE PROPERTY TAX RATE AND DEBT PAYMENTS, UH, AND INFORMATION THAT THE CITY MAKES AVAILABLE, UH, ON THE, ON THEIR WEBSITES.
AND WE STILL, UH, COME UP WITH THAT NUMBER.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION, UH, FROM, FROM ANYONE EITHER PUBLIC WORKS OR, OR COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
AND I JUST, UM, RAISED THAT QUESTION EARLIER TO DIRECTOR HADDOCK AND SHE SAID THAT SHE WILL GET THAT BREAKDOWN TO ME ON HOW THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE ALLOCATED THAT FIT 47, UM, MILLION DOLLARS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? MM-HMM
SO ONCE, ONCE, I'M GONNA SUBMIT THE QUESTION BECAUSE WE SUPPOSED TO SUBMIT, SUBMIT QUESTIONS ON THE, UM, SHAREPOINT AND THEN THEY WILL GET BACK WITH US.
SO ONCE I GET THAT INFORMATION, I WILL SHARE IT WITH YOU, OKAY? OKAY.
AND AS BEN IS COMING, JUST TO REITERATE TO THE AUDIENCE, UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL GET VERY DETAILED RESPONSES AND THAT'S WHY, UM, WE ARE DIRECTING YOU AFTER YOU SPEAK, TO ENSURE THAT YOU REACH OUT TO YOUR, AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO UPLOAD THOSE QUESTIONS ONTO SHAREPOINT SO THAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN HAVE THE ABILITY, UH, TO GIVE YOU A PROPER RESPONSE.
ONE, WHAT IS THE, UH, IMPROVEMENT RATE ON THE RESPONSE TIME FOR, UH, 3, 1, 1 AND TWO? I'VE MAJORITY SPOKEN WITH EVERY ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
A FEW I'VE TRIED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH, BUT, BUT I'VE MET WITH THE MAJORITY OF YOU.
ALL OF YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE FLOODING ISSUES.
SO HOW ABOUT Y'ALL GIVE $200,000 ANNUALLY TO PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE IT'LL RELIEVE THE PRESSURE OFF OF THE CIP THEN Y'ALL CAN GET THE MAJORITY OF THESE PROJECTS WORKED ON.
LIKE SHE JUST SAID, Y'ALL HAVE A FIVE YEAR WAIT, MAN, HOW ABOUT Y'ALL WORK TOGETHER AND DON'T WORK WITH THE MAYOR AND Y'ALL DISCUSS IT AMONGST YOURSELVES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, THANK YOU.
AND I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR.
UM, AT LEAST FROM COUNCIL, UH, WE HAVE $500,000 EACH.
THAT IS METRO FUNDED DOLLARS THAT WE, AT LEAST I ALONE, IT GOES DIRECTLY TO PUBLIC WORKS FOR PROJECTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
ON TOP OF THAT, THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT WE WORK WITH THE GENERAL FUND, UM, DISCRETIONARY FUNDS THAT WE HAVE, AGAIN, ANOTHER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS THAT EACH OF OUR OFFICES HAVE IN SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS, WE ARE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH PUBLIC WORK.
SO I, I WILL ONLY SPEAK FOR MY OFFICE, WHICH IS DISTRICT C.
WE ARE HEAVILY ENGAGED, INCLUDING, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, JOINT EFFORTS ON STREET REHAB.
SO PUBLIC WORKS IS GOING IN AND DOING A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE AND AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE WE HAVE CONTRACTORS THERE, I'M SAYING, HEY, IF I GIVE YOU SOME DISCRETIONARY FUNDS, CAN WE GO AHEAD INTO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT INTERSECT THAT AND GET SOME OF THOSE EITHER DITCH AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS OR OVERLAYS DONE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO THERE'S EVERY SINGLE DAY, UH, FROM ALL OF THE DISTRICT
[01:20:01]
OFFICES FUNDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH PUBLIC WORKS, AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF WORKING WITH US ON THAT.SO I JUST, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAR.
THERE IS AT LEAST COMING FROM EVERY OFFICE, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN PUBLIC WORKS FUNDED PROJECTS.
MA'AM, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE FUNNY.
DISTRICT C LOOKS NOTHING LIKE DISTRICT B AND WE HAVE MAJOR FLOODING JUST FROM A SLIGHT RAIN.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL $200,000 ANNUALLY FROM EACH DISTRICT TO BE GIVEN THE PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE IT CAN RELIEVE SOME OF YOUR SIDEWALK ISSUES THAT YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
BECAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE THEM, THINK ABOUT IT FROM EACH ONE OF THE DISTRICTS.
IT WOULD BE MORE MONEY TO DO MORE THINGS AGAIN.
ALL I'M RESPONDING TO IS YOU SAID, CAN COUNCIL OFFICES WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS? AND I'M SAYING WE DO WHAT THAT FUNDING, BUT I WILL SAY Y'ALL HAVE BEEN UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING IN ADVOCATING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND I WANNA GIVE HUGE PROPS TO THAT BECAUSE I SIT NEXT TO MY COLLEAGUE AND IT IS AN AREA THAT HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, UNDER INVESTED IN FOR DECADES.
AND I ALSO REPRESENT, YOU'RE REFERRING TO CERTAIN AREAS OF THE DISTRICT, BUT WE ALL HAVE AREAS IN OUR DISTRICTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, I REPRESENT AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN THE HARDEST HIT BY FLOODING OF MULTIPLE FLOODS, INCLUDING MINOR RAINS.
AND BECAUSE OF INCREASED DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS WHY I ASKED THE DIRECTOR THIS QUESTION, BECAUSE OF INCREASED DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE SEEING THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, THERE IS EVEN MORE FLOODING THAT'S OCCURRING.
SO WE ALL HAVE THIS ISSUE AND WE ALL HAVE TO PITCH IN TOGETHER, WHICH I HEAR YOU SAYING, BUT YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT EACH DISTRICT CAN DO.
IT'S NOT FOR JUST FOR DISTRICT B, BUT AS A CITY OF HOUSTON AS A WHOLE, Y'ALL HAVE A YARD OVER THERE OFF OF THE HARDY TOW ROAD AND CROSS TIMBERS WITH MATERIALS JUST SITTING THERE RUSTING AND ROTTING WHEN Y'ALL CAN BE USING THEM AND UTILIZING THEM.
THANK YOU, SIR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT IS DIANA DAVILA FOR DIANA DALI.
UM, MY QUESTION IS SPECIFICALLY FOR, UM, MS. CAROL HADDOCK AND VERONICA DAVIS.
UM, LAST, UM, THE LAST TIME WE MET, YOU MENTIONED EXPERIENCING DELAYS WITH THE FLEET PRO PROCUREMENT PROCESS THAT SLOWED DOWN BEING ABLE TO OBTAIN NECESSARY MACHINERY.
AND I, THIS IS KIND OF TWO QUESTIONS HERE.
UM, CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THESE DELAYS? UH, IS THE DELAY BECAUSE OF PAPERWORK AND COMPLIANCE OR BECAUSE OF SOFTWARE OR STAFFING WITHIN THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT? AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE ALL THE MACHINERY YOU NEED FOR DITCH MAINTENANCE? UH, SINCE THIS IS THE LAST SPEAKER, I'M, I'M GONNA ALLOW DIRECTOR, COULD YOU COME UP AND, AND SPEAK TO THAT REALLY QUICK SINCE YOU'RE HERE? SO THE, THE ANSWER TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION IS NEITHER OF THOSE TWO SCENARIOS.
THE ANSWER IS, IS THAT WE HAD SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES WITH PARTS AND WE HAD SOLI SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES WITH EQUIPMENT.
WE HAD THE MONEY, WE HAD THE FUNDING, WE HAD THE PAPERWORK, WE HAD EVERYTHING WE NEEDED.
UM, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WERE WORKING TOGETHER VERY WELL.
WE LITERALLY COULD NOT RECEIVE THE PARTS FOR REPAIRS.
WE COULD NOT RECEIVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAD ORDERED.
AND IS THAT BECAUSE OF LIKE THE NATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN? UM, THE, THE INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN.
WITH COVID AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, AND SO NOW THAT COVID IS UM, KIND OF THROUGH, I SUPPOSE, UH, PRESIDENT BIDEN DID, OR THE CDC DID SAY THAT IT WAS, UM, NOW DECLARED NOT A NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
UM, SO NOW IS THAT THE SAME DELAY OR WE STILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT SUPPLY CHAIN, UM, DELAYS ON, ON EQUIPMENT AND ON PARTS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, WE CAN, WE CAN RESPOND TO THAT.
WE CAN WORK WITH GARY, UH, DIRECTOR GLASSCOCK ON FLEET.
UM, BUT UM, BECAUSE THE MEDICAL PANDEMIC IS OVER DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE, THE LONG-TERM REPERCUSSIONS OF SUPPLY CHAIN AND EVERYTHING CATCHING BACK UP HAS CAUGHT BACK UP ON OUR SIDE.
UH, WE, WE STRUGGLE TO KEEP THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE IN OUR FLEET OPERATIONAL ON A DAILY BASIS.
[01:25:01]
VERONICA, YOU LAST TIME I CHECKED, WE PROBABLY HAD 20% OF OUR FLEET DOWN AT ANY GIVEN POINT.UM, AND THAT'S NOT THROUGH LACK OF EFFORT ON FLEET, THAT'S NOT THROUGH PAPERWORK, THAT'S NOT THROUGH EMPLOYEES BEING INEFFICIENT.
THAT IS LITERALLY THROUGH WAITING FOR THE PARTS TO COME IN TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM THE REPAIRS.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ALL THE MACHINERY YOU NEED FOR DITCH MAINTENANCE? I KNOW YOU SAID THAT 20% IS NOT IN USE, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF UM, IF YOU DID HAVE, IF YOU WOULD SUBMIT THAT QUESTION, GIVE ONE SENTENCE, WHICH IS WE HAVE SUFFICIENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE CREWS, PERSONNEL AND EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, WE, IF ALL OUR EQUIPMENT WAS WORKING, WE HAVE SUFFICIENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE CREWS THAT WE HAVE AND THAT IS FOR DITCH MAINTENANCE.
IF YOU SUBMIT THAT QUESTION SO WE CAN HAVE MORE TIME TO ENSURE THAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN LOOK INTO IT AND GIVE YOU A ADEQUATE RESPONSE, UH, SEND THAT OVER TO YOUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER WILL UPLOAD IT AND GET YOU THE FEEDBACK YOU DESERVE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR TIME.
WE'RE GONNA RECESS FOR A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND THEN WE WILL START WITH THE HOUSTON INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SERVICES BUDGET PRESENTATION.