[FY 2024 Budget Workshop: Parks & Recreation]
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JUST A QUICK, WE ARE JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE.AMY PECK, TARSHA JACKSON, MARI ANN HUFFMAN, AND SALLY ALCORN, AND STAFF FROM DISTRICT C, DISTRICT F, DISTRICT H, DISTRICT K AT LARGE, ONE AT LARGE TWO, AND AT LARGE FOUR.
SO, COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUST A REMINDER, SUBMIT ANY DEPARTMENT WORKSHOP QUESTIONS IN A WORD DOCUMENT AND UPLOADED TO SHAREPOINT DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO PROVIDE RESPONSES.
WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR PRESENTATION DEPARTMENT RESPONSES WILL BE UPLOADED TO SHAREPOINT.
SO DIRECTOR KENNETH ALLEN WILL NOW PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION.
AND MA'AM, GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU ALL.
IT'S A PLEASURE AND ACTUALLY A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE TODAY AND TO SERVE AS THE, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND BEFORE I GET STARTED, I KNOW DIRECTOR FRANCIS IS A PRETTY TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW.
I COULD TELL YOU, I, I CAN'T SING AND I BARELY GOT RHYTHM, BUT I KNOW HOW TO BEG
BUT
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, HOUSTON, THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE NATION, MOST DIVERSE CITY.
UM, WE HAVE 40,000 SQUARE MILES OF TERRITORY THAT WE OPERATE AND MAINTAIN WITHIN A 640 MILE RADIUS.
WITH THIS BUDGET, WE WILL OPERATE AND PROGRAM OVER 60 COMMUNITY CENTERS, 38 POOLS, 300, I'M SORRY, YEAH, 383 PARKS, 229 PLAYGROUNDS.
A LOT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURE PROJECTS ALONG WITH THAT.
SO WE'RE IN FULL OPERATIONS, UH, AND I WANT TO THANK THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND STAFF THAT YOU DON'T SEE ALL THE TIME.
STAFF THAT ARE WORKING DAY TO DAY IN THE SUN.
I WANT TO THANK THEM BEFORE I GET STARTED FOR THEIR DAY-TO-DAY EFFORT AND THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING TO, UH, MAINTAIN AND KEEP UP WITH OUR, WITH OUR INVENTORY AND WITH OUR PROJECTS.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, MY EXECUTIVE TEAM THAT'S HERE WITH ME TODAY.
UH, WITHOUT THEM, I SIMPLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS JOB.
UM, I'VE KNOWN THIS EXECUTIVE TEAM FOR A MULTIPLE NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THEY'RE TRULY THE BACKBONE OF HOW WE OPERATE AND HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO.
STARTING WITH CHERYL JOHNSON, OUR EXECUTIVE, UH, CEO, OR CFO, I'M SORRY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OUR MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE TEAM.
AND WE HAVE CHRISTOPHER CARROLL, OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR, UM, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT.
WE ALSO HAVE DEBORAH LATHAN HERE, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY CENTER OPERATIONS.
AND, UH, ALONG WITH RECREATION AND WELLNESS, WE HAVE JASON HARSH, OUR DIVISION MANAGER OF GOLF OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE CHRIS, UM, TINA ORTIZ, OUR SENIOR DIVISION MANAGER OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, GRANTS, EVENTS AND VOLUNTEERS.
WE HAVE ES, ESTELLA ESPINOSA, OUR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AND OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER OFFICER.
WE HAVE ERICA MADISON AND MIMI RASMUS, ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATORS, MARTHA ESCALANTE, OUR COUNCIL LIAISON AND LEGISLATIVE LIAISON.
AND WE ALSO HAVE LISA JOHNSON, WHO I DON'T THINK IS HERE, BUT SHE'S OUR, UH, LIAISON WITH GSD AND PROJECT MANAGER AND MYSELF.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR STRATEGIC GUIDANCE ALIGNMENT, WE HAVE OVER 65% OF PARK AND RECREATION PROGRAMMING INVESTMENTS, UM, OR IN CAT OR CATEGORIZE IN THE MAYOR'S COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE, EXCUSE ME, 18% IN SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, 11% ANOTHER, WHICH INCLUDES A ZOO, UH, CONTRACT, AND 3% IN BOTH PUBLIC SAFETY AND RESILIENT HOUSTON.
UM, THIS YEAR WE HAVE OVER 16 PROGRAMS THAT IMPACT OUR BUDGET AND OPERATIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
I WANNA START BY SAYING, WITH THESE 16 PROGRAMS, 3%, THERE'S AN INCREASE, UH, HOPE INCREASE.
SO, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT FROM THE START.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT OUR ADAPTIVE SPORTS AND, UH, RECREATION PROGRAM, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, AQUATIC CENTER OPERATIONS, COMMUNITY CENTER OPERATIONS, OUR EXECUTIVE OVERSIGHT FACILITIES, MAINTENANCE,
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GOLF OPERATIONS, UH, GROUNDS MAINTENANCE, LAKE HOUSTON WILDERNESS PARK, UM, HOUSTON, UM, OUR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TEAM, OUR, UH, PARK DEVELOPMENT AND RENOVATIONS, PARK SAFETY AND SECURITY, UH, TENNIS OPERATIONS, URBAN FORESTRY AND DEBT SERVICES, AND INTER FUND TRANSFERS.WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL 16 PROGRAMS, WE HAVE A TOTAL INCREASE OF 5% AND TWO NOTABLES.
WITH THIS INCREASE, WE HAVE OUR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE WITH A 19% INCREASE, UM, DUE TO DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND COST OF SUPPLIES AND, AND, AND MATERIALS THAT HAVE GONE UP.
AND THEN WITH GOLF OPERATIONS, WE HAVE A 19% INCREASE IN REVENUE DUE TO THE POPULARITY OF GOLF.
UM, AND PEOPLE ACTUALLY PLAN AND INCREASE INTEREST IN GOLF, UM, ACROSS THE CITY.
NOT JUST PUBLIC COURSES, BUT PRIVATE COURSES THAT ARE MAINTAINED ON OUR, ON OUR PROPERTY AS WELL.
THAT WOULD BE SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN.
UM, BREAKING DOWN THE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS, LOOKING AT ADAPTIVE SPORTS AND RECREATION, IT RESIDES IN THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES PRIORITY WITH NINE FTES.
THIS IS FOR THE OPERATION OF OUR WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, WHERE WE PROVIDE PROGRAMS, UH, FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, ALL TYPES OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE ACTIVE AND PASSIVE.
UH, SPORTS, UH, SOCIALIZATION THERE.
OPERATION OF THE, OF THE CENTER ITSELF, THERE'S AN INDOOR, UH, NATATORIUM FOR AQUATIC, UH, PROGRAMMING AND OPPORTUNITIES YEAR ROUND.
WE HAVE A TRAIL, A BEAT BASEBALL FIELD, AND THEN WE HAVE AN, AN URBAN GUARDING GARDEN, AS WELL AS A, UH, PLAY PLAYGROUND WITHOUT LIMITS, HIGHLY USED.
OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURE, UH, FOR FY 20, UH, FOUR, IS TO REACH OVER 25,000 PARTICIPANTS.
THIS IS IN THE SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PRIORITY WITH OVER 22, UM, FTES.
UM, IT'S BASICALLY PROVIDES, UM, FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR AND OVERSIGHT FOR ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, UM, FROM THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE.
UM, SOME SIGNIFICANT BUDGET, UH, ITEMS TO, TO REALLY THINK ABOUT IS OUR INTER FUND CHARGE INCREASES, UH, UTILITY COST INCREASES, FLEET CHARGES, AND HR CHARGEBACKS.
UM, THIS IS IN THE COMPLETE COMMUNITY'S PRIORITY WITH OVER 47 FTES.
THAT'S, UH, FULL-TIME, PART-TIME AND SEASONAL.
UM, THIS IS FOR THE OPERATION OF OUR 38 AQUATIC CENTERS FOR THE PROGRAMMING OF THOSE CENTERS.
IN TERMS OF CERTIFICATIONS FOR LIFEGUARDS, LEARN TO SWIM, LIFEGUARD DEVELOPMENT, AND OPEN SWIM OPPORTUNITIES.
OUR GOAL IS TO REACH OVER 145,000 PARTICIPANTS, UH, THROUGH OUR OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND AQUATICS.
AND OF COURSE, WE WANNA OPEN 38 POOLS.
UH, I COULD TELL YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT LATER ON WHERE WE ARE.
IF THERE'S, UH, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE LOOK GOING INTO AQUATIC SEASON IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY CENTER OPERATIONS AND THAT PROGRAM, WE HAVE OVER 182 FTES, UH, PART-TIME, FULL-TIME, AND SEASONAL.
IT'S IN THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES PRIORITY, AND THIS IS FOR THE OPERATION OF ALL 60 OF OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS WITH VARIOUS PASSIVE AND ACTIVE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
OUR, OUR CORE PROGRAM, UM, FOR COMMUNITY CENTERS ARE OUR AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, OUR SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, AND OUR AFTERSCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM, ALONG WITH PLENTY OF HOST, UM, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE THROUGH THE, UH, COMMUNITY CENTERS.
IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, UM, ONE BIG ONE WITH, WITH ALL THESE PROGRAMS COMBINED, WE WANNA REACH OVER 300,000 PEOPLE, UM, THROUGHOUT FY UH, 24.
EXECUTIVE OVERSIGHT, YOU KNOW, SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.
IT'S IN THAT PRIORITY WITH OVER 13 FTES.
UM, THIS IS EVERYTHING THAT THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE OVERSEE IN TERMS OF ALL PARKWAYS, ESPLANADES, TRAILS, PLAYGROUNDS, RECREATION BUILDINGS, UH, IMPROVEMENTS ON PARK PROPERTY, THE COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS, AND JUST COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE.
UM, SOME, UH, PERFORMANCE MEASURES INCLUDE, WE WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, TO DO MORE.
WE WANT TO, WE WANNA REACH OVER 30,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERSHIPS, WHICH IS HUGE.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL GRANT PROJECTS THAT WE MANAGE ANNUALLY, UM,
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WHICH IS 18 PLUS.IT'S 99 FTES, UH, WITH THIS PROGRAM, AND IT'S IN A COMPLETE COMMUNITY'S PRIORITY.
UH, IT COORDINATES AND MONITORS, UH, PARK PLANNING, EXPANSIONS, UH, CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE RENOVATIONS, AND OF PARK FACILITIES AND INSPECTS ALL EXISTING AMENITIES, REVIEWS AND ASSIGNED WORK ORDERS THAT ARE EXECUTED.
AND THEN, UM, IT ALSO, UH, MAINTAINS AN INTERNAL CARPENTRY, UH, LIGHT CONSTRUCTION POOL, PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL, AND PLAYGROUND IN INSPECTION AND GRAFFITI ABATEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, SOME SIGNIFICANT BUDGET ITEMS WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS THE ALLOWANCE OF OUR BALL FIELD LIGHTS AND REPAIR, UH, PROJECTS, WHICH ARE, WHICH HAVE INCREASED OVER THE YEARS, AND AN INCREASE IN DEFERRED MAINTENANCE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, SUPPLIES AND, AND JUST REPAIRING AND AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITH PARKS.
UM, PERFORMANCE MEASURES INCLUDE, UM, 20,000 COMPLETED WORK ORDERS FOR FY 24.
UM, WE WANT TO DO OVER 900 INSPECTIONS.
AND THEN WE WANT TO IMPROVE SITES OUTSIDE OF OUR 50 50 AND LOVE OUR PARKS PROGRAM, AT LEAST 12, UH, MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AS WELL AS TACKLE EMERGENCIES THAT COME UP FROM THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
UM, GOLF OPERATIONS, UH, IT'S IN THE COMPLETE COMMUNITY'S PRIORITY.
WE HAVE OVER 66 FTES FULL-TIME, PART-TIME, AND SEASONAL.
UH, AND THIS IS FOR THE OPERATION OF ALL GOLF COURSES, UH, WHETHER IT'S PRIVATE OR WHETHER IT'S MUNICIPALLY RUN.
OUR, OUR CROWN, UH, JEWEL, AS WELL AS SHARPSTOWN.
BOTH HAVE DEFINITELY INCREASED IN PLAY, BUT FOR THE OPERATION MAINTENANCE, UH, AND PROGRAMMING OF THOSE COURSES THAT WE MAINTAIN.
AND THEN FOR GUS WORTHHAM AND, UH, HERMAN AND, UH, FM, UH, FIRST T AT LAW PARK, JUST FOR THE OVERSIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE SOME, SOME VERY GOOD MEASURES, UH, FOR GOLF BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED PLAY.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT BUDGET ITEMS. THE ONE BUDGET ITEM, SIGNIFICANT ITEM I, I HAVE TO MENTION IS KEEPING MEMORIAL PARK TO PGA STANDARD FOR THE HOUSTON OPEN, UH, WHICH WILL BE IN 24 THIS YEAR.
IT'S DEFINITELY, UH, SOME INCREASED STANDARDS AND MAIN MAINTENANCE THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN IF WE'RE GONNA KEEP THAT DESIGNATION OVER YEARS TO COME.
SO, AND IF YOU ALSO LOOK AT OUR DRIVING RANGE, AND THIS IS FOR SHARPSTOWN AND MEMORIAL, THE NET THAT WE HAVE AT SHARPSTOWN.
AND THEN THE, UH, 86 BASE STATIONS THAT WE HAVE AT MEMORIAL.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT 2 MILLION IN REVENUE, OVER 300,000, UH, DRIVING RANGE USERS, AND OVER 100,000 ROUNDS OF GOLF, UH, WITH PRODUCING ABOUT, UH, 3.4 MILLION IN GOLF, GROUND REVENUE, NOT INCLUDING CONCESSIONS AND OTHER, AND OTHER STREAMS OF REVENUE IN GOLF.
IT RESIDES IN A COMPLETE, IN THE, UH, COMPLETE COMMUNITY'S PRIORITY WITH OVER 242 FTES, PART-TIME, UH, FULL-TIME AND SEASONAL BY FAR, OUR BIGGEST DIVISION.
UM, WE HAVE MULTIPLE AREAS THAT FALL UNDER THIS DIVISION AND PROGRAM, BUT IT'S BASICALLY FOR THE DAILY MAINTENANCE OF ALL OF OUR PARKLAND, ADES, ALL OF OUR GREEN SPACES AND OUR URBAN FOREST.
UH, A COUPLE OF SIGNIFICANT BUDGET ITEMS INCLUDE THE, UH, ANNOUNCING AND UNVEILING OF B ROCKET VENTURE PARK FOR THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, SOME PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WE HAVE LISTED.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT, THERE'S, THERE'S ONE I HAVE TO PULL OUT AND KIND OF FOCUS ON, UM, BECAUSE OF STAFFING BUDGET, OTHER ISSUES WE HAVE BEEN, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS ON A 21 TO 24 MOWING DAY CYCLE, UH, WITH THIS BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE HAVE THE TARGET OF A 16 DAY MOWING CYCLE, WHICH IS COLOSSAL AND HUGE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT OVER THE YEARS MOVING, MOVING TO THIS.
SO I WANNA, I JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA SHOOT FOR.
AND THE OTHER STATISTICS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, OUR MORN CYCLE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ESPLANADES AND MORN, WE'RE, WE'RE AT 30 IRRIGATION REPAIRS.
UH, 2000 AND GROUND INSPECTIONS OVER 624.
IT'S IN THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES PRIORITY WITH OVER 14 FTES.
UH, THIS IS VERY UNIQUE, A UNIQUE SPACE.
UH, IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN THERE, I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU GUYS GET SOME PEACE AND RELAXATION
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AT LAKE HOUSTON WILDERNESS PARK, 5,000 ACRES OF BASIC NATURE, NATURE PRESERVE, UM, WHERE WE OPERATE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 363 DAYS A YEAR.AND WE HAVE ALL KIND OF PASSIVE AND ACTIVE TYPE RECREATIONAL OUTDOOR PURSUITS, UH, WHERE YOU CAN GET IN TUNE AND IN TOUCH WITH, WITH WILDLIFE.
UM, SOME TARGETS, UH, PERFORMANCE WISE FOR LAKE HOUSTON WILDERNESS PARK, UH, OUR, OUR LOG CABINS, UH, LAKESIDE CABINS, AND DINING HALL RESERVATIONS.
AND THEN, UM, WE WANNA BRING IN ABOUT $220,000 IN REVENUE.
UH, AND THEN WE WE'RE GONNA TOUCH OVER 85,000 PEOPLE, UH, THROUGHOUT FY UM, 2024.
OUR NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, WE HAVE EIGHT FTES.
UM, IT'S UNDER THE RESILIENT HOUSTON PRIORITY.
UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PRESERVING HOUSTON AND OUR, AND OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE HABITAT OF BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS, THIS DIVISION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING JUST THAT.
UM, IT'S VERY UNIQUE IN TERMS OF ALL THE RIPARIAN PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND JUST PRESERVING HOUSTON FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COME.
VERY, VERY PROUD OF, UH, THIS DIVISION UNDER OUR GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT, UM, OVERSIGHT.
AND SOME OF OUR, ONE OF OUR MAJOR TARGETED PERFORMANCE MEASURES IS TO DO OVER 10,000 IN TERMS OF, UH, PROPAGATED PLANT.
UH, AND THEN WE WANT TO RESTORE OVER 51 ACRES, UH, OF LAND, BACK TO ITS NAT NATURAL HABITAT.
PARK DEVELOPMENT AND RENOVATIONS, UH, IN THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES PRIORITY.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS PART OF MAYOR TURNER'S LOVE OUR PARKS, COMPLETE COMPUTER COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE AND UPGRADES IN OUR PLAYGROUNDS ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, OUR TARGETED NUMBER OF PROJECTS TO COMPLETE FOR FY 2024 IS SEVEN PARK RENOVATIONS.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF MOMENTUM, UH, AND WE HAVE SOME TARGETED DATES, BUT ALL SEVEN WILL BE DONE.
UM, AND FY 2024 WITH, UH, WITH THREE DONE BEFORE DECEMBER, UH, 20 BY DECEMBER BY THE END OF DECEMBER 23.
YOU LOOK AT PARK SAFETY AND SECURITY, WE HAVE OVER 47 FTES.
UM, AND IT'S IN A PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITY.
THIS IS REALLY FOR SECURITY OPERATIONS AND DISPATCH FOR ALL CITY AMENITIES.
UH, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 24 HOURS A DAY.
UM, THESE GENTLEMEN AND LADIES ARE THE EYES AND THE EARS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO DO, FROM A PERFORMANCE STANDPOINT, OVER 500,000 MILES AND HOURS PROTECTING THE CITY'S ASSETS.
UM, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ONE SAFE HOUSTON, THE 15 ADDITIONAL, UH, RANGERS THAT WE, THAT WE ACQUIRED THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
SO THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT WE DO FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, YEAR TO YEAR TO YEAR.
UH, SIGNIFICANT BUDGET ITEMS INCLUDE THE, UH, PAY INCREASES FOR RANGERS, UM, SO THAT WE COULD RETAIN, UM, STAFF THAT WE HAVE AND RECRUIT ADDITIONAL STAFF.
UM, IT'S IN A COMPLETE COMMUNITIES PRIORITY WITH OVER 23 FTES.
UH, IT'S BASICALLY, IT'S FOR THE, UM, DIVISION OVERSIGHT AND OPERATION OF THE, OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
JOE, UH, LEE AND JOE JAMEL SKATE PARK, UH, FIVE DISC GOLF, UH, COURSES, UM, OUR CITYWIDE SOCCER PROGRAM AND ALL OF OUR ADULT YOUTH, UH, SENIOR, UH, ATHLETIC LEAGUES AND PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE GOING, UH, PERFORM PERFORMANCE MEASURES INCLUDE, UM, OUR ADULT INTERNAL LEAGUES.
WE WANT TO REACH OVER 68,000 PARTICIPANTS.
UH, WE WANNA BRING IN OVER A 259,000 IN LEAGUE REVENUE.
UM, AT JAMEL SCAPE PARK, OUR GOAL IS TO REACH 17,000 PARTICIPANTS.
AND THEN FOR PRIVATE LEAGUE RENTALS OF, OF FIELDS AND SPACES OVER 2000.
AND THEN THROUGH OUR SOCCER FOR SUCCESS PROGRAM, WE WANT TO REACH, UH, 46,000, UH, PARTICIPANTS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, COMPLETE, UH, COMMUNITIES, UH, PRIORITY, UM, 36 FTES WITH, UH, FULL-TIME, PART-TIME AND SEASONALS WORKING.
UM, THIS IS FOR THE OPERATION OF OUR THREE MAIN TENNIS FACILITIES, HOMER FORD, MCGREGOR, AND LEE LA CLARE.
UH, ALONG WITH THE PROGRAMMING OF THOSE
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FACILITIES, WE HAVE OVER 205 TENNIS COURTS ACROSS THE CITY, AND IT'S ALSO FOR PROGRAMMING AND MANY OF THOSE, UH, TENNIS COURTS.UM, A LOT OF 'EM IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
SO, WITH THIS PROGRAM, IN TERMS OF RENTAL OF COURTS, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TARGETED TO REACH OVER 54,000 RENTALS.
IN TERMS OF COURTS, UH, WE WANNA BRING IN 369,000 IN REVENUE.
AND WITH OUR PROGRAMMING WITH PARTNERS, REACH OVER 30,000, UH, PARTICIPANTS.
UM, IT'S IN THE RESILIENT HOUSTON PRIORITY WITH OVER 13 FTES.
YOU KNOW, OUR TREE CANOPY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS THAT A CITY COULD HAVE, ESPECIALLY OUR SIZE.
WELL, THIS DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLANNING PRUNING, UH, AND WHEN NECESSARY, REMOVE REMOVAL OF TREES.
UM, COUPLE OF PERFORMANCE TARGETS.
YOU KNOW, WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM YOU LOOK AT, OUR GOAL IS TO PLANT OVER 50,000 TREES INTERNALLY IN PARKS.
WE HAVE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT ARE OUT THERE, THE NRG INITIATIVE, WITH THE GOAL OF PLANTING OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND TREES.
OF COURSE, WE'LL WORK WITH PARTNERS TO DO THAT.
UH, WE HAVE ARBOR DAY, ARBOR DAY, AND THEN WE HAVE SLUMBER J AND OTHER PARTNERS.
BUT INTERNALLY, WE WANNA PLANT 50,000 TREES.
UM, PRUNING, UM, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT TRIMMING AND, AND PRUNING, 4,000 IS OUR COUNT BASED ON OUR CURRENT, UM, RESOURCES, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAINLY EMERGENCIES FOR THAT.
DEBT SERVICES AND INTER FUND TRANSFERS.
UM, THIS PROGRAM BASICALLY INCLUDES THE, UH, DEBT SERVICES AND, AND PAY AND PAYMENT.
UM, ONE PROGRAM I WANT TO INCLUDE WITHIN THIS IS THE PAYMENT TO THE ZOO AT, UM, 12.7 MILLION.
AND THEN SOME SIGNIFICANT BUDGET ITEMS. WITH THAT IS THE, UH, UTILITIES FROM THE ZOO, AS WELL AS TRANSFERS AND, AND CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THAT'S IN OUR SOUND MANAGEMENT PRIORITY.
SHIFTING GEARS A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT EXPENSES BY FUND, UH, WE HAVE OUR GENERAL FUND, 1000, UM, OUR REVENUE FUND, 2100, OUR GOLF SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, 2104, AND OUR MAINTENANCE RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT 2105 GREENWAY BIOS, UH, 20 20 21 0 6.
YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE EXPENDITURES BY FUND.
AND WE HAVE AN INCREASE OF 5% WITH, WITH ALL THOSE FUNDS.
UM, I WANNA DO A, A, A SPECIAL NOTE FOR OUR 2105 MAINTENANCE, RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT.
UM, AGING FACILITIES, INCREASE REPAIR COSTS.
WE HAVE A 50% CHANGE IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURE IN, IN THAT PARTICULAR FUND.
AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT PERSONNEL VERSUS NON-PERSONNEL, OUR GENERAL FUND, UM, PROPOSED BUDGET IS OVER $91 MILLION.
51, 50 3% OF THAT IS PERSONNEL 47.
AND OTHER A PARKS SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
PROPOSED BUDGET IS OVER 4 MILLION WITH 28% IN PERSONNEL AND 72%.
AND OTHER A GOLF SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
PROPOSED BUDGET IS, UH, 8.7 MILLION WITH 56% IN PERSONNEL AND 44%.
UM, AND OTHER OUR MAINTENANCE RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT FUND.
UH, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET IS 4.9 MILLION WITH 40, I'M SORRY, WITH 24% IN PERSONNEL, 76%.
AND, UM, AND OTHER, AND OUR GREENWAY BIOS 2020 FUND, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET IS 1.2 MILLION WITH 80, UH, 81% PERSONNEL, AND 19% ANOTHER, YOU TAKE REVENUES BY PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, OF THE 16 PROGRAMS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE A 19% CHANGE IN INCREASE IN REVENUE.
AND THERE'S THREE AREAS THAT I, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT, THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO.
OUR FACILITY MAINTENANCE, THERE'S A 131% INCREASE, UM, IN REVENUE AND DUE IN LARGE PART, UM, FROM ADDITIONAL REVENUE CONTRIBUTIONS, CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR GENERAL FUND FOR PROJECTS LIKE ROOFING, THE HVAC UNITS, BALL FIELD LIGHTS, UM, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
AGAIN, UH, WE NEED ADDITIONAL MONIES TO TAKE CARE OF OUR ASSETS.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT LAKE HOUSTON WILDERNESS PARK, THERE'S A 38% DECREASE IN REVENUE
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DUE IN LARGE, LARGE PART, TO A PIPELINE EASEMENT PAYMENT THAT WE RECEIVED IN 23 THAT WE WON'T RECEIVE IN 24.AND THEN, UH, WITH RECREATION AND FITNESS, WE HAVE A 13% CHANGE BECAUSE OF INCREASE IN PARTICIPATION IN FIELD RENTALS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF EXPLANATORY, BUT I, I WANNA GO TO ACTUALLY PAGE 28, WHICH IS A REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS WITH OUR PROPOSED FY 24 BUDGET COMPARED TO OUR FY 23 ESTIMATE.
UM, OUR GOLF REVENUE FUND, UH, WE'LL MAKE ABOUT 289,000 MORE THAN WE DID PREVIOUS YEAR.
UM, GOLF IS VERY POPULAR RIGHT NOW.
UM, MOST OF OUR TEE TIMES ARE BOOKED.
UM, OUR DRIVING RANGES ARE USED HEAVILY, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF LESSONS HAPPENING ON, ON OUR, ON OUR COURSES.
AND OUR PARTNERS ARE CONTRIBUTING THE ASTROS AND THE CONCESSIONS THAT WE GET FROM PRIVATE PRIVATIZED COURSES.
UM, BUT I, I MIGHT ADD TO THAT.
SO, SO OUR EXPENSES, UM, AND OUR MAINTENANCE RENEWAL REPLACEMENT, UH, FUND, WE HAVE A TWO POINT, UH, 7 MILLION.
AND I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE INCREASE, UM, DUE TO ALLOCATIONS FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE ASTROS AS WELL, UM, FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PARK PROJECTS.
AND THEN, UH, BUFFALO BIO GREENWAY 2020 AS A 27 K INCREASED PROJECTED DUE TO, UH, PLANNED REOPENING.
AND THAT SEGMENT OF, UM, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT IN TERMS OF WIDENING WHITE OAK BIO.
UM, THAT'S GONNA TAKE ABOUT 18 MONTHS CONSTRUCTION WISE.
THAT CONCLUDES, UH, A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR FY UH, 24 PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO, UH, THANK YOU ALL AGAIN.
I CAN'T DO A DANCE, BUT I CAN BEG CERTAINLY, UH, WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER THIS BUDGET.
UM, AND SOME, UM, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
FIRST QUESTION WILL COME FROM COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR ALL YOU DO.
UH, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEDICATION FUND, THAT'S NOT PART OF THIS BUDGET.
'CAUSE THAT'S AN O THIS IS THE OPERATING BUDGET, THAT'S MORE OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
BUT WHERE WOULD I FIND THOSE NUMBERS FOR EACH PARK SECTOR? WE COULD, WE COULD PROVIDE THAT OKAY.
IN TERMS OF ALL THE 21 PARK SECTORS.
21 PARK SECTORS, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO GET A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE.
UM, AND I'LL, AND I'LL PUT THIS IN WRITING.
ON, ON THE REC, UH, AND SOME OF THE, UH, FINANCIAL DATA ON THE REC AND WELLNESS SECTION, I SEE AN INCREASE FROM ABOUT 800,000 TO 1.6 MILLION IN TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.
UM, WHAT COULD, WHAT IS THAT ATTRIBUTED TO? YEAH, AND IT, IT LOOKS, IT, AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH JUST HIRING, RIGHT? NOT JUST FOR LIFEGUARDS, BUT STAFF ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND SO UNTIL WE CAN GET, UM, EMPLOYEES PROCESS, UH, CONTRACT, YOU'RE JUST BROKEN UP ON THE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.
TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES IS A WEIGHT WESTERN.
ON THE, ON THE MRR FUND, I'VE, I'VE BEEN ASKED ABOUT THE, THE PRO SHOPS AT LELA CLEAR AND HOMER FORD AND MEMORIAL, AND THEIR NEED FOR KIND OF UPGRADES.
AND SOME OF THAT MIGHT BE A CAPITAL EXPENSE, BUT IS ANY OF THE, ARE ANY OF THE MRRS FUNDS, UM, EXPECTED TO BE USED ON THOSE PRO SHOPS? UM, PRIMARILY FOR EMO EMERGENCIES.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, LIKE HVAC UNITS, THERE'S ANY ELECTRICAL OR PLUMBING ISSUES, BUT WE DO HAVE A PLAN, A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR TENNIS OPERATIONS.
FOR ALL, ALL THREE TENNIS CENTERS.
I, I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT.
AND HOLD ON, I THINK THERE WAS ONE MORE.
OH, ON THE URBAN, UM, PARK RANGERS, THE SAFETY AND SECURITY, YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 15 ADDITIONAL URBAN PARK RANGERS.
WHY, WHY AREN'T THEY NOT INCORPORATED IN THE BUDGET? SEPARATE BUDGET? IT'S JUST A WHOLE OPERATING AS A WHOLE SEPARATE ONE.
BUT IS IT BECAUSE IT'S ARPA FUNDED? YES.
WE MANAGE 'EM THE SAME WAY, THOUGH.
AND YOU MENTIONED AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, THE NUMBER OF ACRES, AND I MISSED IT.
WE, WE MAINTAIN AND, AND, UH, AND STEWARD.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT JOB.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANNA, UH, RECOGNIZE YOUR ENTIRE TEAM AND THANK YOU ALL.
I KNOW DISTRICT C PARTNERS VERY, VERY HEAVILY WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, YOUR, MY FAVORITE PROGRAM IN THE ENTIRE CITY IS THE AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS, RIGHT.
[00:30:01]
A VERY SAFE SPACE, UH, WHERE OUR CHILDREN CAN THRIVE.AND I'M, SO I'M REALLY APPRECIATE THE TARGETED NUMBERS, RIGHT? GETTING ABOVE 70,000, BOTH FOR OUR YOUTH AND OUR SENIORS, I THINK IS A, A REALLY EXTRAORDINARY GOAL, UH, FOR OUR CITY.
UH, WHETHER IT'S, I JUST, Y'ALL DIDN'T INCLUDE IT.
SO I WANNA SPOTLIGHT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TENNIS AND THE INNOVATION THAT YOU'RE DOING, I HAVE TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALSO DRIVING FORWARD ON PICKLEBALL COURTS.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA GET A PLUGIN FOR THAT AND EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION.
UM, BUT Y'ALL ARE ALSO PARTNERING WITH OUR OFFICES TO DO AIR MONITORS.
UH, SO THAT, THAT ARE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE SO THAT FAMILIES CAN SEE WHAT THEIR AIR QUALITY IS.
UH, THE PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENTS, I KNOW THOSE HAVE BEEN VERY SLOW MM-HMM
UH, COMING ONLINE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
ARE WE, UH, FIRST QUESTION IS, ARE WE MOVING CLOSER TO WHAT THOSE PROJECTED TIMELINES ARE, OR ARE WE STILL SEEING SIGNIFICANT DELAYS? UH, WE'RE MOVING CLOSER.
A LOT OF IT WAS SUPPLY CHAIN IN TERMS OF GETTING THE EQUIPMENT AND THE, AND THE, AND THE PARTS THAT ARE NEEDED, BUT STARTING TO LEVEL OUT.
WE JUST PULLED ABOUT SEVEN PLAYGROUNDS THAT WE DEEMED THAT NEEDED TO COME OUT 'CAUSE THEY WERE PAST THEIR USEFUL LIFE.
UH, OVERALL, WE'RE TARGETING, UH, ABOUT 42 PLAYGROUNDS THAT WE WANNA REPLACE FROM DIFFERENT INITIATIVES AND DIFFERENT FO FUNDING SOURCES.
SO, UH, WE'RE MOVING FULL STEAM AHEAD WITH GSD ON REPLACING THOSE PLAYGROUNDS.
AND I KNOW THE TC JESTER PARK WAS ONE THAT JUST CAME ONLINE, THAT THE COMMUNITY IS ABSOLUTELY LOVING.
UM, THE, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED GOLF, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THOSE REVENUES.
I, I WANNA EXPRESS, UH, AND CHAIR, I THINK YOU'LL AGREE WITH ME.
UH, MEMORIAL PARKS GOLF COURSE IS LOOKING, UH, GREAT AND DOING A LOT, A LOT BETTER.
SO I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
UH, THE, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT FORESTRY AND THE TREES MM-HMM
DO WE KNOW HOW MANY TREES CITY OF HOUSTON LOST AND WHAT THE COST OF THAT IS? THAT'S SOMETHING I HAVE TO, I'LL LOOK FOR.
I KNOW AT, AT MEMORIAL PARK, WE LOST 33% OF OUR TREES DURING THE DROUGHT.
UH, I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR FORESTRY DEPARTMENT TO GET THE FIGURES THAT YOU NEED.
WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO SUBMIT THAT ONLINE.
AND AGAIN, THANKS TO YOU DIRECTOR.
MARTHA DOES A GREAT JOB, THE ENTIRE TEAM, AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
SO, DIRECTOR GOV DOVETAILING ON MEMORIAL PARK, UM, ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, I TOOK MY DAUGHTER OUT TO MEMORIAL PARK TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE $25 HAMBURGERS Y'ALL SERVE OVER THERE,
GOOD HAMBURGERS, BUT EXPENSIVE.
AND I RAN INTO THE LADY SITTING ON YOUR RIGHT, MS. JOHNSON.
WHO WAS OUT THERE PREPARING FOR THE BUDGET.
SO WE GOT INTO A SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION BECAUSE THE PGA TOUR IS MOVING, UM, THE TOURNAMENT DATES, WHICH IS GREAT, PHENOMENAL FROM NOVEMBER TO MARCH.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT GRASS DOESN'T GROW IN HOUSTON, TEXAS IN MARCH.
SO YOU'LL BE OBLIGATED BY THE PGA TOUR TO SEED THE ENTIRE GOLF COURSE.
I'VE HEARD NUMBERS ANYWHERE FROM 500,000 TO A MILLION DOLLARS THAT IT'S GONNA COST YOU EXTRA TO PREPARE FOR THE 24 PGA HOUSTON OPEN.
WHERE YOU GONNA GET THAT MONEY? IT'S $833,000.
UH, IT'LL BE ABOUT 700,000 IN ANNUAL COSTS IF WE'RE GONNA GET THAT COURSE TO WHERE IT NEED TO BE FOR THE TOURNAMENT.
UM, BAR, BAR,
SO
A FEE INCREASE, UM, OR A PARTNER THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE.
UM, I WOULD HATE TO DEPEND ON EVERY YEAR A PARTNER CONTRIBUTING, YOU KNOW, A GREAT PARTNERS IN THE ASTROS INVESTED OVER $34 MILLION IN THAT COURSE.
UM, AND THEY'RE HELPING IN OTHER AREAS.
I HATE TO KEEP GOING BACK TO THEM AS AN OBLIGATION.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT, SIR.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND THE REASON WHY IT'S DOING SO WELL IS MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THIS BECAUSE OF OUR PAY SCALES.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HIRE A PGA AGRONOMIST TO RUN THE SUPERINTENDENT OF MEMORIAL PARK.
SO ASTROS FOUNDATION, AGAIN, STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AND THEY'RE PAYING FOR THIS YOUNG MAN WHO CAME IN FROM NORTH CAROLINA, AND HE AND HIS DOG ARE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB RUNNING AROUND OUT THERE IN THE COURSES IN GOOD SHAPE, LIKE IT'S NEVER BEEN BEFORE.
BUT YOU HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES TO PREPARE FOR THIS.
I STARTED GOOGLING, UH, PUBLICLY
[00:35:01]
OWNED GOLF COURSES THAT HAVE PGA TOURNAMENT GOLF.ONE OF 'EM IS TORRY PINES IN SAN DIEGO.
AND I LOOKED AT THEIR BUDGET AND I LOOKED AT THEIR GREEN FEES, AND I LOOKED AT YOUR AVERAGE ON PAGE 13, YOUR AVERAGE GOLF ROUND REVENUE DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF ROUNDS IN A YEAR.
AND I'M A SENIOR, AND EVERY SENIOR I TALK OUT TO OUT AT THAT GOLF COURSE SAYS IT'S THE MOST RIDICULOUS PRICE IN THE WORLD.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN THAT GOLF COURSE TO KEEP IT UP AND TO KEEP IT IN GREAT SHAPE.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY GAVE US A $34 MILLION.
THEY BEING IN ASTROS FOUNDATION GIFT ALONG WITH THE KINDERS.
AND YOU GO OUT TO MEMORIAL PARK.
THE GOLF COURSE NEEDS TO BE KEPT UP.
YOU ARE CHALLENGED BECAUSE THE RATES ARE TOO LOW.
ANY GOLFER WILL TELL YOU THAT THE RATES ARE WAY TOO LOW.
YOU ARE CHALLENGED BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY REVENUE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA BE DEMANDED BY THE PGA TOUR TO INVEST IN A GOLF TOURNAMENT THAT'S GONNA BE OUT THERE IN MARCH.
AND THEN I LOOK AT YOUR DRIVING RANGE REVENUE IN 23, YOU HAD 202,000 USERS, AND THE REVENUE YOU BROUGHT IN WAS 2.2 MILLION.
YOU'RE PROJECTED TO HAVE 300,000 AND THE REVENUE DROPS TO $2 MILLION.
WE HAVE TO HELP YOU LOOK AT THE RATES AND PUT BENCHMARKING DATA TOGETHER TO LOOK AT THE RATES AT MEMORIAL AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO CREATE MORE REVENUE.
BECAUSE THE DAYS OF YOU TAKING THE REVENUE FROM MEMORIAL PARK AND FEEDING THEM TO OTHER GOLF COURSES GONE.
YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN THE PROPERTY.
WE HAVE A FIVE STAR PROPERTY THAT IF WE DON'T WATCH IT, IS GONNA GO STRAIGHT DOWN THE TUBES.
YOU'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB, AND MS. JOHNSON AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS WHEN I WAS OUT THERE.
THERE'S JUST, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO OPERATE THAT GOLF COURSE.
AND I LOOK AT THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, AND EVERYBODY'S ALWAYS, OVER THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, GUILTY AS CHARGED, UH, WE'VE TAKEN THE MONEY FROM MEMORIAL AND SPREAD IT INTO OTHER AREAS MM-HMM
AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE REAL ANSWER IS.
SO ANY COMMENT ON THAT LONG DISSERTATION I JUST MADE? YEAH.
I THINK FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT, ALL OF OUR FEES NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.
WE HADN'T CHANGED FEES SINCE 1994, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COST.
WHEN IS THAT? HADN'T CHANGED FEES SINCE 1994.
HOW ABOUT YOUR GAS COSTS? HOW ABOUT YOUR CHEMICAL COSTS? RIGHT.
EVERYBODY COMPLAINS WHEN WE HAVE ITEMS ON CHEMICALS.
GOLF COURSES REQUIRE FERTILIZATION.
GOLF COURSE REQUIRES CERTAIN CHEMICALS.
I'M SURE THAT HADN'T GONE DOWN SINCE 1994.
BUT EVERYTHING ELSE 1994, BUT 2004 IS STILL WAY TOO LONG.
AND THAT'S ALL OVER EVERY PARK IN THE CITY.
YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE THERE.
WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT TO HELP YOU.
BECAUSE THE PARKS, EVERYBODY LOVES PARKS.
WE HAVE GREAT PARKS IN THE CITY, AND, UH, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
COUNCIL MEMBER, ROBERT A, WE ARE JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT, GO.
SORRY, ROBERT, HOW YOU DOING, SIR? THANK, THANK YOU.
I WAS AT A, UH, REPAR PARK THIS MORNING.
SO, UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE, UH, ANSWERED ANY OF THESE MY, MY QUESTIONS, BUT AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES.
IF YOU HAVE, UM, IN, IN, IN REGARDS TO MASON PARK, I, THE COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, OF COURSE HAS BEEN CLOSED AND IT'S BEEN CLOSED FOR SOME TIME NOW.
I HAVE THE COMMUNITY ALWAYS ASKING, YOU KNOW, WHEN IS IT GONNA OPEN? WHEN IS IT GONNA OPEN? I KNOW IT'S A ROOF ISSUE IS THE MAIN ISSUE.
AND I KNOW IT'S GOT THE OLD SPANISH STYLE ROOF.
UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD, THAT THAT'S WHY IT'S BEING DELAYED.
UH, ANY UPDATES ON THAT TO SEE IF THAT CAN OPEN ANYTIME SOON? YEAH.
LOOKING AT, UH, 2005 IN TERMS OF THE REOPENING MM-HMM
UM, AFTER, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION AND, AND PERMITTING WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY.
I THINK THE DESIGN IS OVER WITH, BECAUSE THE ENTIRE THING HAD TO BE REDESIGNED BECAUSE OF THE SPECIAL SPECIALTY ROOF AND THE WEIGHT.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YEAH, AS COMPLETION, COMPLETING THE ROOF AND REOPENING THE CENTER.
SO WE'RE GONNA STILL WAIT A WHOLE YEAR.
AND, AND, AND, UH, I KNOW, UH, I HAD BRIEFLY MENTIONED THIS TO THE MAYOR OR VIA TEXT.
UM, I KNOW THAT GALENA PARK, UH, IT WAS ON THE NEWS THAT THEY STARTED DOING THIS AGAIN.
I WAS WONDERING IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THIS, THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT CAN DO.
UM, I KNOW BACK WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I WAS A KID, THERE WERE SIRENS AT, AT SOME OF THE PARKS, AND THE SIRENS WOULD GO OFF AROUND NOON.
[00:40:01]
WHAT WE WERE TOLD WAY BACK WHEN WAS BECAUSE OF THE COLD WAR AND WHAT HAVE YOU AND REGARDS TO NUCLEAR YOU BOMBS AND ALL THAT.LIKE THAT WAS REALLY GONNA HELP.
BUT, UH, I, I KNOW THAT GALENA PARK HAS INSTALLED THEM AGAIN, UH, AT THEIR PARKS.
UH, IS THERE ANY WAY WHERE WE CAN DO THAT? FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE AT HARTMAN PARK, AT DAYS OF OLIVE PARK, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE REFINERIES THAT ARE NEARBY IN CASE THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, THE SIRENS CAN GO OFF.
OF COURSE, YOU HAVE A LOT OF SENIORS.
OF COURSE YOU HAVE, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT IF YOU'RE ON THAT LIST, THEY WILL CALL YOU.
UH, MY CONCERN IS THAT IF YOU'RE A SENIOR, OR IF YOU'RE SOMEONE THAT YOU LEAVE YOUR PHONE IN ANOTHER ROOM AND YOU'RE SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU DON'T HEAR THAT CALL.
UH, SO YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT IF THERE'S A SIREN THAT TAKE, THAT MAY GET BE PUT BACK INTO THE KEY.
SO, SO, SO I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION IS IF THERE'S A WAY TO, TO TO, TO FOLLOW GALENA PARK'S LEAD.
I KNOW THAT THEY DID THIS RIGHT AFTER THE TORNADO HIT, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO.
UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR CERTAIN COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST END, UH, WHERE WE HAVE THE REFINERIES, WE HAVE A LOT OF RAIL TRAFFIC.
UH, GOD FORBID THERE'S A DERAILMENT AND THE CHEMICALS AND WHAT HAVE YOU MM-HMM
UH, SO, UH, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT? THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CONSIDER.
AT ONE POINT WE HAD NOTIFICATIONS AT OUR GOLF COURSES ABOUT LIGHTNING.
SO ALONG THAT SAME, UM, THOUGHT PROCESS, WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT IT, ESPECIALLY PARKS NEAR REFINERIES MM-HMM.
ARE, ARE WHAT'S CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS MATERIAL.
UH, PLEASE PUT ME BACK IN THE QUEUE.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CASTEX.
DIRECTOR ALLEN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I DO HAVE TWO QUESTIONS TO ASK ON BEHALF OF VICE MAYOR PRO, TIM CASTEX TATUM.
THE FIRST IS IN, UH, REGARDS TO THE MECHANICAL REPAIR FOR WESTBURY POOL.
UM, THE RECENT ESTIMATE, REPAIR ESTIMATE THAT WE RECEIVED IS FROM 700,000 TO $900,000.
UM, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO REPAIR THE REPO TO REPAIR THE POOL UP TO 900, SPENDING UP TO $900,000? OR SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT INSTALLING A NEW POOL? WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT A NEW POOL.
I MEAN, WE HAVE MULTIPLE POOLS AND MULTIPLE AREAS THAT ARE PASSED A LIFE EXPECTANCY.
THE FILTRATION SYSTEMS AND PUMP SYSTEMS, UH, YOU CAN REPAIR 'EM SO MANY TIMES BEFORE IT'S UNUSABLE.
UH, AND WE HAVE A FEW POOLS THAT'LL BE DOWN AS A RESULT.
UM, I, I WOULD SAY A COMPLETE, UH, POOL REPLACEMENT WOULD, WOULD BE THE ROUTE TO GO IF WE HAD THE FUNDING TO DO SO.
AN AVERAGE, UM, POOL COST IS GONNA BE UP NEAR FOR A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT, SEVEN TO $9 MILLION, UH, WHICH IS A MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECT, UM, WESTBURY FOR US TO REPAIR.
IT COULD SAVE US A FEW MORE YEARS OF OPERATION, UM, WITHOUT JUST CLOSING IT, NOT DOING ANYTHING.
BUT WE NEED TO DO, UM, A COMPLETE ASSESSMENT OF THOSE AGENT FACILITIES AND WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO MAINTAIN THEM.
CAN WE LOOK AT THE COST OF LOWERING THE DAYS TO, UM, MAINTAIN THE ESPLANADES CUTTING THE ESPLANADES? UM, 32 DAYS IS A LONG TIME.
AND THEN AESTHETICS OF THE AREAS, UM, IS A CONCERN.
WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT THE COST, UH, OF LOWERING THAT, THOUGH WE HAVE SEVERAL PARTNERS THAT ADOPT ESPLANADES THAT'S HELPING US, OR THAT CYCLE WOULD EVEN BE LONGER.
UM, WHICH DEFINITELY HELPS US, UH, WOULD LOVE TO HIRE CREWS TO MAINTAIN OUR ESPLANADES SO WE CAN FOCUS ON OUR PARKS, UH, PRIMARILY.
AND, UM, I THINK IF WE, IF WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, AND I HAVE OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR OF, UH, GREEN SPACE HERE WITH ME, AND I THINK HE'LL CONCUR.
THIS IS CHRIS CARROLL, THAT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ESPLANADES AS MUCH, WE COULD PROBABLY GET OUR MORNING CYCLES DOWN TO 10 DAYS INSTEAD OF THE, UH, 16 THAT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANN HUFFMAN.
I'VE BEEN ALSO GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT ESPLANADES.
AND MY QUESTION IS, HOW OFTEN ARE WE, I KNOW WE HAVE THE ADOPT AN ESPLANADE PROGRAM.
UM, BUT I'LL HAVE PEOPLE CALL IN AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ADOPTED IT AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINING IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS TERRIBLE ALL THE TIME.
HOW OFTEN DO Y'ALL REEVALUATE WHEN SOMEBODY ADOPTS AN ESPLANADE? UM, UNTIL THE CITY DECIDES TO, YOU KNOW, RETAKE IT BACK OVER BECAUSE MAYBE IT'S NOT BEING MAINTAINED.
[00:45:01]
AT 30, AT 30 DAYS UNTIL WE CAN GET THERE.EVEN IF THEY'RE DOING IT ONCE A MONTH, IT'S ABOUT THE SAME RATE THAT WE WOULD DO IT.
SO IT'S A CONSTANT MONITORING, YOU KNOW, IF WE SEE SOMETHING THAT'S A HAZARD, LIKE OVERGROWN, UH, WEEDS AND, AND SHRUB AND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, DRIVERS CAN'T SEE IT AND IMPEDES THE, UH, ROADWAYS.
UM, WE CONSIDER THAT A HAZARD IN AN EMERGENCY, BUT IT'S JUST ONGOING, YOU KNOW, BACK AND FORTH.
SOME GROUPS ARE, ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS.
UM, WE JUST HAVE TO CATCH 'EM AND, AND TAKE ACTION.
BUT EVEN IF WE TAKE IT BACK, IT'S ONCE EVERY, YOU KNOW, 30 DAYS.
BUT RIGHT NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER, TARSHA JACKSON, THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR ALLEN AND, UM, FOR YOUR TEAM FOR THIS AMAZING WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SPECIFICALLY IN MY DISTRICT.
I KNOW WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME, UM, TOGETHER.
AND SO, UM, JUST THANK YOU FOR MAKING SURE OUR PARKS ARE UPKEEP.
UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, BUT I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE TOUGHLEY PARK, THE POOL MM-HMM
UM, WHAT IS THE STATUS ON THAT? THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE AGING, UH, POOLS THAT NEED SIGNIFICANT WORK.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA OPEN.
NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA OPEN THIS SUMMER.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY I DON'T THINK I, BECAUSE OF THE REPAIR COSTS AND EXTENSIVE WORK THAT NEED TO BE DONE, OUR GOAL IS TO GET US BACK UP AND RUNNING, UH, NEXT POOL SEASON.
SO, SO, SO YOU SAY IT'S THE REPAIR COSTS.
SO IT, THE, THE COSTS OR THE RESOURCES YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE POOLS ARE REPAIRED.
IS IT IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET? NO, IT'S NOT IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, NOR IS IT IN THE OUR CRP UH, FORECAST.
UM, THESE ARE EMERGENCIES THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COME UP THAT'S NOT FACTORED IN OUR BUDGET.
UM, I THINK WE, WE DO HAVE A PLAN TO ADDRESS IT, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE US NOT JUST THIS PART OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT NEXT FISCAL YEAR TO GET TO IT IN TIME.
WE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET TO IT IN TIME OF THIS POOL SEASON.
SO IF WE KNOW THAT IT'S A NEED, WHY ISN'T IT FACTORED IN THIS BUDGET? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? WE KNOW WE NEED IT.
SO LIKE RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FOR WHAT WE NEED.
SO WHY ISN'T IT IN THIS BUDGET? BECAUSE OF ALL THE OTHER PENDING ISSUES AND, AND AGING INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE, IT'S HARD TO TAKE CARE EVERYTHING.
UM, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO EVERYTHING.
SO WE HAVE TO KIND OF PLAN IT OUT, UM, CALCULATE IT, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR POOLS THAT WON'T OPEN THIS SUMMER BECAUSE OF MECHANICAL ISSUES.
UM, AND THEY, AND THEY NEED MAJOR REPAIRS UP UNTIL THE TUNE OF 700 TO ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS IN SOME, IN SOME CASES.
SO I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ARPA DOLLARS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THE DOLLARS ARE BEING ALLOCATED AND THE ARPA DOLLARS ARE TO BUILD CAPACITY AND TO, YOU KNOW, FIX, GET US AHEAD OF THE GAME.
UM, SO ARE WE USING ANY OF THOSE OPERA DOLLARS TO REPAIR THESE POOLS OR, UM, FACILITIES THAT NEED REPAIRING? I DON'T THINK WE'RE USING ANY OPERA DOLLARS.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO OPERA DOLLARS.
UM, AND THEN SOME, UM, SOME PARK DEDICATION FUNDS THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN USE.
YOU REMEMBER WHERE THE PARK DES DEDICATION FUNDS IT, IT'S MORE NEW AND ONLY 5% FOR DESIGN AND ALL THE OTHER STIPULATIONS THAT COME ALONG WITH IT.
SO IF IT'S NOT REALLY CIP, IT'S, IT'S HARD FOR US TO GET TO IT UNLESS THERE'S A PARTNER OR SOME OTHER FUNDING SOURCE WE CAN DRAW FROM.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES IF THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN ASKED, BUT WHAT IS THIS? THE CUTTING SCHEDULE FOR CUTTING GRASS AT THE PARKS.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY ON A, UH, 16 DAY SCHEDULE FOR, FOR MOWING PARKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO 16 DAYS, BUT IT'S 32 DAYS FOR ESPLANADES.
31 30, 31 DAYS FOR ESPLANADES.
HAVE WE, UH, REACHED OUT TO MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY OF THE ADES THAT WE ARE CUTTING ARE WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF A MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
I KNOW THAT THE EAST END MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, AND OF COURSE I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THEM, BUT HOPEFULLY THERE IS A PARTNERSHIP HERE, UH, WHERE, WHERE THE, THE EAST END MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THEY DO HAVE A CREW AND THEY GO OUT AND THEY MOW THEY EDGE, UH, THE CITY RIGHT OF WAYS ON THE MAJOR THOROUGH AFFAIRS WITHIN THEIR DISTRICT.
HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO THEM TO SEE, HEY, CAN YOU COME IN AND DO IT EVERY 15 DAY OR, OR THE, YOU KNOW, FIRST 15 DAYS AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK 15 DAYS LATER AND WE'LL DO IT.
WE DO HAVE SOME WORKING, UM, PARTNERSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AND EVEN, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
[00:50:01]
BUT NOT ENOUGH.WE, WE NEED TO DO MORE WORK IN THAT AREA BECAUSE IT, IT, IT HELPS, UH, IN TERMS OF OFF-CYCLE MOWING MM-HMM
WE WELCOME THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IF ANYBODY HAVE ANY CONTACTS THAT WE CAN, UM, UH, CALL AND, UH, AND WORK WITH.
I'LL, NEXT TIME I SPEAK WITH EAST END MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, I'LL ASK TO SEE IF THAT MIGHT BE, UH, SOMETHING THAT, THAT THEY, THEY MAY LOOK AT, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE 50 50 PARKS.
ARE WE TRYING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF, UH, CORPORATE SPONSORS? ARE WE STAYING WITH THE SAME 50? UH, AND, AND, AND HOW IS THAT PROGRAM GOING? I MEAN, ARE THEY PROGRAM CURRENTLY WE'RE ON TARGET TO COMPLETE, UH, 23 PARKS BY THE END OF, UH, DECEMBER 23.
UM, WE HAVE PROJECTED DATES AND MONTHS OF COMPLETIONS, UH, EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN ORDERED AND, AND IS IN MOST OF THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT IS ALREADY, UH, ON TRACK, UH, WORKING AGGRESSIVELY WITH PARK, PARK, PARK BOARD TO COMPLETE THOSE 23.
AND OF COURSE, UM, THEIR MISSION IS TO, UH, GET CORPORATE SPONSORS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, A AFTER WE'RE DONE WITH THAT, UH, IT'S SUCH A HEAVY FOCUS RIGHT NOW.
IT IS HARD TO GO MORE DOWN THE LINE, BUT PART OF THEIR MISSION IS TO RAISE, RAISE MONEY SO THAT WE CAN EXTEND THAT EFFORT PAST THE, UH, 22 PARK THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ON TARGET.
UH, PLEASE PUT ME IN THE QUEUE, APPLICANT.
UM, DIRECTOR REALLY QUICKLY 'CAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO AROUND THE HORSESHOE IN ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, THEIR NEEDS, AND I KNOW THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS, UH, DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN GIVEN THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THAT THE CITY IS UNDER.
UM, DO YOU HAVE, AND IF YOU SAID THIS PREVIOUSLY, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, I MEAN, OUR CITY IN TERMS OF SQUARE MILEAGE, UH, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, I LOOK AT IT SIMILARLY FOR YOU ALL, WHETHER IT'S OUR AC, YOU KNOW, OUR ESPLANADES, OUR PARK ACREAGE, ALL OF THAT YOU HAVE TO COVER FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, 650 PLUS SQUARE MILES.
SO, DO YOU HAVE A CALCULATION? DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT HAVE A CALCULATION OF WHAT ACREAGE TOTAL THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS TO COVER? 40,000.
AND GIVEN THAT NUMBER, UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO SAY, AND AGAIN, WE CAN SUBMIT THIS QUESTION, UM, WHAT YOUR LARGEST UNMET NEED IS RIGHT NOW? I CAN GET THAT PRETTY, I CAN GET THAT TO YOU PRETTY QUICK.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN LINE WITH WHAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE SEEING.
IS THAT MOST URGENT? I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WITH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY GET TO SO MANY REPAIRS AT ONCE, AND THERE'S GONNA BE A TIMELINE FOR THAT.
BUT IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO, UM, YEAH, WE WANNA BE AWARE OF THAT.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, JUST WITH GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT, UH, PERSONNEL RESOURCES, THE MORE CREWS YOU HAVE, THE QUICKER YOU CAN GET TO THINGS.
AND THEN WITH TREES IN TERMS OF, UM, TRIMMING AND REMOVAL, UM, THERE'S SOME DEFINITE GAPS THERE, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH ADDING ADDITIONAL TRADES, UM, BUT, UH, PERSONNEL COSTS FOR CREWS, UM, AND OUR, UH, TREE CANOPY AND, AND PROTECTING THAT.
BUT WE CAN GET YOU SOME HARD NUMBERS ON THAT PRETTY QUICK.
WE'LL, WE'LL SUBMIT THAT AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS.
UM, I KNOW THERE WAS A DIRECTOR.
HOW MANY MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES DOES THE CITY HAVE? UH, WE HAVE FIVE.
UM, UM, WE OPERATE TWO, BUT WE OWN, WE OWN FIVE IN TERMS OF THE LAND.
WE HAVE MEMORIAL SHARPSTOWN, GUS WORTHHAM, UH, HERMAN, AND THE FIRST T UH, FACILITY OUT AT FM LAW PARK.
BECAUSE I KNOW WAY BACK REGARDING THE, THE, UH, DEBATE OF GUS WORTHHAM, UH, GOING TO THE HOUSTON, UH, OR, OR, OR FOR BEING, TAKING OVER ADMINISTERED MM-HMM
UH, BY THE HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATION.
I KNOW BACK THEN THEY HAD PRESENTED IT TO MAYOR PARKER, UH, THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, ADMINISTER, UH, MAINTAIN, UH, THE MUNICIPAL CITY GOLF COURSES.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WAS NOT, UH, AGREED UPON.
BASICALLY, AGREEMENT WAS, OKAY, HERE'S GUS WORTHHAM, UH, YOU KNOW, RAISE THE MONEY TO REFURBISH GUS WORTHHAM, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PROVE TO US THAT, THAT, THAT YOU CAN DO THIS.
UH, AND, AND OF COURSE, THE HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATIONS, UM, UH, GOAL WAS TO MAINTAIN, UH, AND, AND ADMINISTER,
[00:55:01]
UH, THE HOUSTON, UH, CITY MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES.UH, UM, SPEAKING WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATION NOT TOO LONG AGO, UH, THEY ARE STILL INTERESTED, UH, IN, IN DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I UNDERSTAND IN SAN ANTONIO, THEY HAVE A SIMILAR PROGRAM.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MAYBE THE CITY OF HOUSTON CAN LOOK AT, UH, FOR THE HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATION TO ADMINISTER AND MAINTAIN THESE GOLF COURSES, UH, THE GREEN SPACES, JUST LIKE GUS WORTHHAM IS STILL THE CITY ASSET.
UH, BUT IT'S JUST MAINTAINED, UH, BY THE HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATION AND THEY'RE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
UH, THERE'S INDIVIDUALS COMING FROM KINGWOOD AND THE WOODLANDS AND OTHER AREAS TO PLAY AT GUS WOODHAM GOLF COURSE.
'CAUSE THEY REALLY ENJOY THE GREEN SPACE THERE.
UM, SO I'M HOPING THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE OR THE ADMINISTRATION CAN LOOK AT, UH, WHERE THE HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION WILL ADMINISTER AND MAINTAIN OUR MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES.
UH, AND THAT WAY ALLEVIATES, UH, THAT REVENUE SOURCE THAT YOU ARE PUTTING IN THERE, UH, AND HOPEFULLY USING, UH, TO CUT THE ADES OR, OR, UH, CUT, CUT THE PARKS EVERY EIGHT DAYS OR, OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UH, SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I AGREE WITH YOU.
I'M ONE OF THOSE KINGWOOD GOLFERS THAT PLAYED AT GUS WORTHHAM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND IT'S IN EXCELLENT SHAPE, AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD'S OFFICE, THANK YOU, CHAIR AND DIRECTOR.
ON BEHALF OF COUNCILMAN POLLARD, I WANNA PUBLICLY THANK YOU AND YOUR OFFICE FOR ALWAYS BEING OPEN TO SOME OF OUR CREATIVE IDEAS.
AND, UH, ONE OF THOSE GOES TO, UM, AGAIN, THE ESPLANADES, UH, WE WANT TO EXPLORE FURTHER WITH YOU AND, AND MR. CARROLL ABOUT USING MORE LOCAL FAUNA FOR THOSE ESPLANADES.
SO WE DON'T NEED AS MUCH OF THE MAINTENANCE, SO WE REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AS WELL AS REDUCING YOUR DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS TO HAVE TO COME OUT THERE AS OFTEN.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT.
I KNOW AT LEAST IN DISTRICT J MOST OF THEM ARE WITHIN A MANAGER DISTRICT, BUT IT STILL REQUIRES YOUR DEPARTMENT'S APPROVAL.
SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO, UH, LOOK INTO THAT.
UH, BUT MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, UH, HOW DO YOU, HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE BEST UTILIZATION OF, UH, THE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE ON DOLLARS WITHIN, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICTS? I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE CLOSE TO CONSTITUENTS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEIR NEEDS AND JUST THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR ONE, IDENTIFYING PROJECTS AND AREAS AND WORKING WITH AS A, AS A TEAM, WORKING WITH EACH OTHER TO, UM, TO ACCOMPLISH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT YOU GUYS THINK NEED TO GET ACCOMPLISHED IN YOUR DISTRICT.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, FROM A PHY PHILOSOPHICAL STANDPOINT AND A INDUS INDUSTRY STANDPOINT, WE WANNA MAINTAIN GREAT FACILITIES.
WE WANNA KEEP THE GRASS CUT, UH, WE WANNA MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH YOU GUYS HAS, HAS BEEN GREAT IDENTIFYING SPECIFIC AREAS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO, THE COMMUNITY WILL TELL YOU, UH, SPECIFICALLY WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS ON THAT.
JUST DEFER, UM, MAINTENANCE COSTS FROM A BUILDING STANDPOINT AND THEN, UH, MOWING AND, AND PICKING UP LIT AROUND, AROUND EVERYBODY'S DISTRICT.
THANKS AGAIN, DIRECTOR, WE APPRECIATE YOU STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABBAT'S OFFICE.
BUT GOOD MORNING, UH, DIRECTOR ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL EVAN SHABBAT.
SHE WANTS TO THANK YOU AND YOUR VERY TALENTED TEAM FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR DISTRICT.
ONE IS CONCERNING POOL READINESS FOR DISTRICT D UH, FOR THE 2023 SEASON, AND ALSO THE STATUS OF LIFEGUARD AND, UH, EXT EXTENDING THE QUANTITY OF LIFEGUARDS YOU MAY HAVE.
WE ARE, I MEAN, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU ALL THAT WE STILL NEED LIFEGUARDS.
WE NEED A TOTAL OF, UH, EIGHT.
UH, WE'RE ABLE TO PHASE IN A, A SLOW OPENING OF OUR POOLS.
WE'LL OPEN TWICE WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR WITH 12 OPENING, UH, THIS WEEKEND AND ANOTHER 12 OPENING THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND ON A ROTATING SCHEDULE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE BETTER THIS YEAR, UH, AT THIS TIME THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR, BUT WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET.
UM, WE DO HAVE A LIST THAT'S GOING TO EVERYBODY OF WHAT POOLS AND WHAT SCHEDULES THEY'RE GONNA BE ON TODAY.
UM, WE'RE CONTINUING TO PROCESS AND, AND CERTIFY GUARDS AND, UH, AQUATIC PERSONNEL AS THEY COME IN.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL, YOU KNOW, ONBOARD 'EM AND GET 'EM ASSIGNED.
UM, BUT LOOK, THERE'S GONNA BE AN ALTERNATING SCHEDULE LIKE LAST YEAR.
EACH POOL OPEN THREE DAYS A WEEK.
UM, BUT WE'LL REACH 24 COMMUNITIES THIS
[01:00:01]
YEAR AS OPPOSED TO ONLY 12 LAST YEAR.COUNCIL LADY CONTINUES TO EXTEND SUPPORT FOR TRAINING OF THOSE LIFEGUARDS.
MY LAST QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH PARK SECURITY AND SAFETY.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE NUMBER OF PARK RANGERS THAT YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO GET THIS YEAR WILL, UH, BE SUFFICIENT? AND ALSO THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY SPECIFICALLY? UH, EMERGENCY CALL BOXES, NEAR POOLS, WE CAN ALWAYS USE ADDITIONAL, UM, RANGERS FOR SECURITY AND, AND MONITORING AS WELL AS TECHNOLOGY.
UH, I BELIEVE THROUGH ONE SAFE HOUSTON, WE'RE GONNA GET 22 CAMERAS PLACED IN OUR MOST HIGH CRIME AREA.
AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE WE HAVE PARKS.
SO BETWEEN CAMERAS, ADDITIONAL FOOT SOLDIERS, UM, OUR CALL BOXES, THOSE ARE ALWAYS AND LIGHTING, SECURITY LIGHTING ALWAYS TO ENHANCE SECURITY, UM, IN OUR PARKS AND AROUND OUR PARKS.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX OFFICE.
UM, QUICK QUESTION REGARDING THE METERS AT MEMORIAL PARK, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT MONEY WENT TOWARDS AT THE PARK? UM, THE METERS, THE PARKING METERS AND THE REVENUE COLLECTED? YES, SIR.
UH, STRAIGHT BACK INTO MEMORIAL PARK IN TERMS OF, UH, MAINTAINING AND, AND PROJECTS THAT'S GOING TO THE MEMORIAL PARK CONSERVANCY, UH, TO HELP STEWARD THE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE MAINTENANCE THAT MONEY'S GOING TO THE CONSERVANCY.
NOT TOWARDS THE GOLF COURSE, OR NOT TO THE GOLF COURSE, NO.
SO THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE EIGHT PUBLIC SPEAKERS, BUT MY LAST COMMENTS WILL BE ON LAST WEDNESDAY WE STARTED THIS OFF AND WE HAD A FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
AND WE SEE THAT IN 2026 WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE THAT FACES US.
AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF REVENUE AND EXPENSE REDUCTION.
SO I'M GONNA PUT A BUDGET AMENDMENT TOGETHER FOR AN ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF REVENUE FOR MEMORIAL PARK AND RAISING THE GREEN FEES.
I LOOKED AT DALLAS WHILE WE WERE SITTING HERE AND THEIR GREEN FEES.
OH, BY THE WAY, IF YOU WANNA PLAY AT THOSE PLACES, YOU HAVE A BOOKING FEE TO BOOK A TEE TIME OF $31.
MS. JOHNSON'S SHAKING HER HEAD YES.
OH, BY THE WAY, YOU ALSO HAVE A SERVICE FEE OF $43.
SO BEFORE YOU TEE UP A GOLF BALL, YOU PAID $80, $15 FOR A SENIOR TO PLAY AT MEMORIAL.
BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD, UH, WHAT IS WE NEED TO DO AND INVEST BACK IN OUR PROPERTY, 'CAUSE MEMORIAL PARK IS A PHENOMENAL, PHENOMENAL PARK.
THE LAND BRIDGE, THE JOGGING SPACE, IT'S EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS FIVE STAR WORLD CLASS AND WE NEED TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
J JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA PLACE A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, IS IT JUST FOR MEMORIAL PARK AND NOT THE OTHER MUNICIPAL CITY GOLF COURSES? UM, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK WE WILL, UM, HAVE TO LOOK.
REASON WHY I ASK IS IN REGARDS TO YOU GUYS WAR THEM AND THAT, THAT THAT WAS THE WHOLE ISSUE THERE WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE GET A NICE, BEAUTIFUL GOLF COURSE IN THE EAST END, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING THE, THE FEES TO GO UP TO THE POINT WHERE RESIDENTS IN THE EAST END CANNOT PLAY AT THAT GOLF COURSE.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT I WOULD TOTALLY BE AGAINST MY ORIGINAL, UH, POINT WAS TO DO IT AT MEMORIAL PARK.
SO YOU INVEST BACK IN THAT PROPERTY.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO JOIN ME IN, IN SOMETHING ON A YES, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO.
YOU KNOW, JUST TO POINT A NOTE, UH, GUS WORTHHAM IN THEIR CONTRACT HAS A RANGE THAT THEY CAN GO UP OVER, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, UH, JUST TO KEEP UP WITH, UH, INFLATION AND, AND ESCALATION AND COST.
EVERY, EVERY BUSINESS OWNER HAS GOTTA HAVE THAT AND NO DIFFERENT THAN US OPERATING THE MUNICIPAL COURSES IF WE'RE GONNA KEEP 'EM NICE.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME RANGE TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION AND COST.
WE HAVE, UH, EIGHT SPEAKERS, MR. DOUG SMITH.
ALMOST EXCEEDED OUR TIME, SO THANK YOU.
AND, AND WE HAVE ONE MINUTE FOR EACH SPEAKER, SO THANK YOU.
IT'LL BE FILED BY SABA BLENDING.
WELL, I HAD SOME GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS, BUT SINCE I ONLY HAVE ONE MINUTE,
I HAVE TO SHARE THE BAD NEWS WITH YOU.
AND THAT IS, UH, THE, UH, NEW COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, IN AI LEAF, WHICH YOU ARE ALL VERY WELL AWARE OF, UH, IS A CROWN JEWEL, AS HE SAID.
THE MAYOR PUT IT ON THE FRONT OF THE BUDGET BOOK THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE.
UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT LIVING UP TO ITS
[01:05:01]
FULL CAPACITY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN OPEN FOR SIX MONTHS AND PARKS HAS STILL NOT COME UP WITH A WAY TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS TO HAVE THE PUBLIC SCHEDULE MEETINGS IN THE BUILDING.THE ONLY MEETING I'M AWARE OF THAT'S OCCURRING IS THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING.
AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE I THINK THEY WERE FEAR OF BARBARA, BARBARA QUATRO AND THE HELL THEY'D HAVE TO PAY IF THEY DIDN'T LET US HAVE OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING THERE.
BUT IF SOMEBODY COULD PLEASE, UH, IN THE ADMINISTRATION, IF THEY'RE LISTENING TO THIS, GET SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THAT.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE IN MY MIND.
THEY HAVE 60 COMMUNITY CENTERS.
THEY MUST HAVE SCHEDULING PROGRAMS FOR THOSE COMMUNITY CENTERS.
WE NEED TO GET A SCHEDULING PROGRAM IN PLACE SOON.
I MEAN, NOW IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO.
UM, AND I WOULD ADVISE YOU, WE WE DO THIS IN, IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER THAT WE HAVE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE DISTRICT.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE ONE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE DISTRICT.
WE DON'T HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER IN CLEAR LAKE.
BUT WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
I'M SURE THAT, THAT SHE'LL PUT SOMETHING FOR AN EXAMPLE.
A A RP HAS WANTED TO MEET THERE SINCE THE, UH, CENTER OPEN AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO.
SO WHATEVER CAN BE DONE, PLEASE DO IT.
DOUG SABA BLENDING TO BE FOLLOWED BY WHY LEFT ROGERS
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE PARK.
EVERY FAMILY I KNOW IN HOUSTON LOVES THE PARKS.
AND I JUST WANNA SHOUT OUT THE STAFF AT LEE AND JAMEL IS AMAZING.
AND THE GIRLS SKATE PARK DAY THEY DID ON APRIL 29TH WAS AMAZING.
UM, GIRLS GOT ONE-ON-ONE DIRECTION FROM AN OLYMPIC SKATEBOARDER.
UM, WE KNOW THERE'S MOUNTAINS OF EVIDENCE THAT KIDS BEING INVOLVED IN SPORTS REDUCES THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME, IN DRUGS.
THE PARKS PROGRAM, YOUR OFFERINGS ARE AMAZING.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING AS A CITY TO PUT MORE DOLLARS INTO THIS, WHICH DIRECTLY IMPACTS PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUST IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE FOR KIDS IN HOUSTON? TOTALLY AGREE.
WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB IN HAVING MORE OP OPTIONS FOR KIDS, ESPECIALLY AS WE MOVE INTO SUMMER MONTHS.
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARKS.
UM, SO, UM, OF COURSE WE KNOW PARKS PROMOTE, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AND THINGS.
AND SO THERE IS A PARK IN OSC SOUTH UNION.
IT'S THE MOST UTILIZED PARK IN THE COMMUNITY.
YET IT'S IN NEED OF A LOT OF UPGRADES BECAUSE MCGREGOR PARK ACTUALLY FALLS OUTSIDE OF OUR BOUNDARIES.
ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO, I MEAN, IT'S A ASSET.
THERE'S TENNIS COURTS, THERE'S A LOT OF GREEN SPACE, THERE'S A JOGGING TRAIL, IT'S JUST IN NEED OF A LOT OF THE UPDATES.
IS THERE ANY PLAN TO, UH, ALLOCATE MONEY TO DO THAT? SO THE NAME OF IT IS SCALES PARK.
ZALI SCALES PARK A QUARTER SCALES PARK IN SPRING HILL.
SO WHOSE COUNCIL DISTRICT WOULD THAT BE? DISTRICT D GIVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHA A CALL OR TALK WITH MR. WILLIAMS. HE, HE'S ALWAYS DOES A GOOD JOB WITH CONSTITUENT SERVICES.
SO THAT'S NOT A THING THAT, THAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THE OVERALL BUDGET FOR THE CITY OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE GO THROUGH THE DISTRICT FIRST AND THEN WE YOU CAN, YOU'RE INVITED TO THE PUBLIC HEARING ON 30, ON MAY 31ST AND EXPRESS THAT, UH, POINT OF VIEW.
BUT I, I THINK THE BEST THING TO DO IS WORK WITH THE, THE COUNCIL DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY HAVE DISCRETIONARY, DISCRETIONARY DOLLARS THAT THEY CAN USE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
UM, I HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES, BUT IN ONE MINUTE, LET ME JUST REFER YOU TO THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES PLAN THAT COUNCIL APPROVED BACK IN 2017.
UH, THERE IS AN ITEM THAT SAYS WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING WITH PARKS DEPARTMENT TO REPURPOSE VACANT LOTS AS MANY PARKS, PLAZAS OR URBAN GARDENS, PARTICULARLY ADJACENT TO SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
AND H PART IS LISTED AS THE LEAD ON THAT.
WE REACHED OUT TO DIRECTOR BUGS IN COLUMBIA COMMUNITIES THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO ABOUT HOW DO WE GO ABOUT THIS? WE'VE IDENTIFIED VACANT LOTS.
WE'VE EVEN ACTIVATED SOME OF THEM OURSELVES AS RESIDENTS, LIKE THE THIRD WARD CHESS PARK, WHICH APART FROM EMANCIPATION PARK, IS PROBABLY THE MOST USED PARK IN THIRD WARD.
AND IT'S RUN COMPLETELY BY RESIDENTS.
[01:10:01]
AND DIRECTOR BUG SAID THE PARKS WILL BE PUTTING TOGETHER GUIDELINES ON HOW TO CONVERT VACANT LOTS.WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THOSE GUIDELINES.
FOUR YEARS LATER, WE'VE TRIED TO FORM FRIENDS OF GROUPS.
UH, TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE SUBMITTED A FRIENDS OF APPLICATION, UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT SAID, OH, ACTUALLY WE'RE REVISING OUR FRIENDS OF GUIDELINES.
SO I WILL PERSONALLY SEND A NOTE TO SHANNON BUGS AND I'LL ASK THAT QUESTION.
SO THE VACANT LOTS OWNED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO OWNS THE VACANT LOTS BECAUSE IN A STATE THAT HAS THE MOST RESTRICTIVE AS WE MOVE INTO PLANNING PROPERTY RIGHTS, UH, IN THE UNITED STATES, IT'S HARD JUST TO, TO SAY, WELL, WE'RE GONNA, WELL, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE ON CHRONICLE LAST MONTH THAT THE CITY OWNS THOUSANDS OF VACANT LOTS THAT DOESN'T MAINTAIN.
AND WE'LL EMAIL, WE'LL POSE THAT OR POST IT TO YOUR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT I WILL SEND A NOTE TO SHANNON BUGS.
COUNCIL STAFF AND H PART DIRECTORS.
UM, MY NAME IS KIMBERLY PHIPPS NICHOL AND I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C AND SECTOR 14, PARK SECTOR 14.
UM, I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE FRIENDS OF COLUMBIA TAP, WHICH WE JUST HEARD IS A LOOSE GROUP.
UM, UNTIL WE CAN GET SOME RULES, UH, AROUND HOW WE CAN, UM, PUT THAT TOGETHER.
I KNOW THIS MAY NOT SOUND LIKE A BUDGET ITEM, BUT WE ARE REQUESTING HPRD AND HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND CITY TO REALLY LOOK AT THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AND CONSIDER HAVING COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL BE A PART OF THE BEYOND THE BAYOU INITIATIVE AND BE, UM, MOVE THE, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO HOUSTON UH, PARKS BOARD BECAUSE THIS BECOMES A BUDGET ISSUE WHEN WE CAN PULL THE TRAIL INTO THE, BEYOND THE BAYOU INITIATIVE BECAUSE IT OPENS UP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING.
ALSO HAVING RULES SO THAT WE CAN CREATE A QUALITY FRIENDS OF GROUP, AGAIN, OPENS UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO WORK WITH OTHER GROUPS.
SO THAT'S COLUMBIA, COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL AND THAT IS IN THIRD WARD AS WELL AS SOME OTHER GROUPS.
YEAH, NO, I JUST, I I THANK YOU FOR COMING.
AS A DISTRICT C RESIDENT, I KNOW WE HAVE SO MANY RESIDENTS INVOLVED AND ENGAGED ALL OVER THE CITY IN OUR GREEN SPACES.
IT IS A, IT'S A DISTRICT D MATTER.
SO I'M IT IS RESPECT I LIFT UP YES.
AND IT IS THE DISTRICT, UM, THAT IT RESIDES IN THAT I KNOW YOU ALL ARE WORKING WITH, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
I WOULD DEFINITELY LOVE TO HAVE SOME OF OUR EXCESS FUNDS THOUGH.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
THANK YOU MAYOR TIM, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
UM, IT, IT ALSO, THE COLUMBIA TAP ALSO GOES INTO WITHIN DISTRICT.
UH, SO MAYBE REACHING OUT TO MY OFFICE AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, I'D LOVE TO SIT DOWN WITH Y'ALL AND AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH REGARDING THIS.
THAT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT MR. JAMES, UH, AND FOR TALKING ABOUT THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH, UH, UM, OUR COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AT PETIT AND AS, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY, WE WILL WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FURTHER.
AND AS MS. SIMMONS WALKS UP, JUST A REMINDER, I, I POST QUESTIONS TO SHAREPOINT AS WELL AND ASK THE DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS 'EM.
SO EVERY ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, I JOT DOWN ON MY LIST AND I POST THEM MYSELF.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS IT.
UM, I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF THE THIRD WARD AND DISTRICT D UM, I JUST WANT TO REMIND COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, UM, ACCORDING TO A HEAT SURVEY THAT WAS DONE OF THE CITY THIRD WARD IS ABOUT 17 DEGREES WARMER THAN RIVER OAKS AREA, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND WE NEED TREES AND WE NEED OTHER MEASURES TO GUARD AGAINST HEAT.
UM, AND UM, WE ALSO ARE LACKING PARKS.
WE ALSO NEED ABOUT 19 ACRES OF PARKS TO BRING US UP TO LEVEL WITH OTHER AREAS IN TOWN.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA MENTION, IF I CAN GET THIS, THAT LOCAL RESIDENTS AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN FACING SEVERAL ISSUES REGARDING PARK RESERVATIONS AND PERMITTING.
THEY'VE OBSERVED DISPARITIES IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS BETWEEN SMALL COMMUNITY EVENTS AND PRIVATE PARTIES.
WHILE PRIVATE PARTIES SUCH AS FAMILY REUNIONS ARE BIRTHDAY PARTIES WITH UP TO 200 ATTENDEES ONLY REQUIRED AN $89 PARK DEPARTMENT FEE AND PERMIT.
UM, UH, ANYTHING OTHER, IF THEY'RE ARRANGING, FOR EXAMPLE, A SCRIMMAGE, THEY HAVE TO GET UM, LOTS OF DIFFERENT PERMITS AND UH, THESE CAN COLLECT PARTICULARLY COST.
[01:15:01]
FOUR CAME IN.WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE PARK AGAIN? ARE THEY AREA THAT YOU IDENTIFIED? THIRD WOOD.
'CAUSE THIS PAST WEEKEND WE HAD HOW MANY TREES THAT WAS DONATED.
TWO 200 TREES WERE DONATED TO US BY TREES FOR HOUSTON AND WE WENT OUT THERE AND PLANTED THEM WHEREABOUTS? CLEAR LAKE EL DORADO BOULEVARD.
AND I'D SAY JUST CALL 'EM AND THEY'LL GET THE TREES TO YOU.
WE ORGANIZE A COMMUNITY, UH, PLANNING.
AND HOW MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE? 40.
AND WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION AGAIN? TREES FOR HOUSTON.
UM, SO FIRST I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO EARL HENDERSON PARK.
I WAS WALKING MY DOG THERE ON MONDAY AND LOOKING AT THE REPAIRS AND PAINTING DONE THERE THROUGH COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVES.
SO THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR THAT FUNDING AND OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS SO IMPORTANT AND I HOPE WE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE HER FUNDING NEXT YEAR.
I HAVE A FRIEND WHO GREW UP IN HOUSTON ON A VERY LOW INCOME AND TALKS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR HER TO HAVE MEMORIAL PARK NEARBY TO HAVE SPACES WHERE PARENTS DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO GIVE THEIR KIDS QUALITY TIME.
AND LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING THEY DO THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
THESE ARE THE INVESTMENTS THAT KEEP US AND OUR CHILDREN SAFE AND HEALTHY.
AND IT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I CHOSE TO LIVE WHERE I WAS, IS THAT THERE WAS A WALKABLE PARK NEARBY.
UM, MARTIN LUTHER KING SAID, BUDGETS ARE MORAL DOCUMENTS.
AND I HOPE OUR BUDGET NEXT YEAR REFLECTS MORE CLOSELY THE NEEDS AND WANTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I HOPE WE CONTINUE TO REIMAGINE PUBLIC SAFETY AS SOMETHING WE CAN ADDRESS THROUGH ALL OF THESE OTHER DEPARTMENT BUDGETS AND NOT JUST SEE PUBLIC SAFETY AS POLICE RESPONDING TO A NUMBER OF CALLS.
I BELIEVE THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO CONTINUE ENGAGING WITH ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS IN MAKING THIS PROCESS AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING RETURNING THE VIRTUAL OPTION.
SHOUT OUT TO EARL HENDERSON PARK.
AND THE LAST IS MS. JILL ELLE.
SO I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT DIANA JUST SAID.
I THINK IT'S JUST CRUCIAL AND I LOVE THE MARTIN LUTHER KING QUOTE AND UH, I'D LIKE TO SAY TO DIRECTOR ALLEN, I AM ALL FORGIVING HIM MORE MONEY FOR HIS BUDGET.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS UP TO A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH WERE TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF TAKING THOSE FUNDS FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PUTTING THEM WHERE THEY CAN HELP CITIZENS AND ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH SAY OFF THE STREETS AND BE IN, UM, BE IN THOSE PROGRAMS. LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I NOTICED IN THE BUDGET WAS THE YOUTH TENNIS PARTICIPANTS.
THE FISCAL YEAR 23 TARGET WAS 56,000 PARTICIPANTS, BUT WE ONLY GOT 22, A LITTLE OVER 22,000.
AND THEN THIS YEAR THE, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE 30,000 PARTICIPANTS.
AND I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'D BE GREAT FOR THE KIDS.
AND THEN REALLY QUICKLY, WHAT POLLARD HAD SAID, UM, ARE WE LOOKING AT REPLANTING THE GREEN SPACES IN ESPLANADES WITH DROUGHT RESISTANCE, NATIVE PLANT MATERIALS TO ELIMINATE MOWING AND WATERING? I KNOW THERE WAS A BIG ON NPR, THEY TALKED ABOUT NO MO MAY, YOU KNOW, GETTING AWAY FROM PLANTING GRASS AND HAVING TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE EXPENSES AROUND THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE OUR FUNDS GO TO.
WE HAVE NO OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
WE'LL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE, UH, RECESS TO TRANSITION TO PLANNING IN DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP.
I'VE SEEN MS. WALLACE BROWN AND MR. FIELDS ARE HERE ALREADY READY TO GO AND GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.