[2024 Budget Workshop: Solid Waste Management]
[00:00:19]
OR OF THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR PRESENTATION DEPARTMENT RESPONSES WILL ALSO BE UPLOADED TO SHAREPOINT.
I NOW WANNA WELCOME DIRECTOR MARK WILL FALK, WHO WILL NOW PROVIDE THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
PROPOSED BUDGET DIRECTOR TO FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU, AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, I, I'M ALSO JOINED BY OUR DEPARTMENT, CFO, OR DEPUTY, OR I ALWAYS CALL HER DEPUTY, BUT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, WEALTHY WHITE.
UH, SHE'LL BE ASSISTING ME TODAY, UH, BUT BEFORE I GET STARTED WITH THE PRESENTATION, I HAVE TO CONTINUE.
SHE HEAR ME DO IT ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, BUT I GOTTA MAKE SURE I PUBLICIZE AND, AND THANK THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, THE ONES THAT COME IN AND WHEN IT'S DARK, AND SOMETIMES LEAVE WHEN IT'S DARK, JUST TO DO THEIR PART, TO KEEP THE CITY CLEAN.
SO THANKS TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE, UH, WHO WHO'VE DONE THEIR PART FOR THE CITY.
UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
JUST WANTED TO, AGAIN, PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR BUDGET.
UM, HIGHLIGHT SOME POINTS THAT WE'LL BE, UH, EXCITED TO TACKLE THIS SEASON.
SO, UH, AS WE GO INTO THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR, AGAIN, JUST A GLIMPSE AT OUR ORG CHART.
UH, WE, NOTHING MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE THE LAST, UH, YEAR.
STILL HAVE THE DIRECTOR, UH, FOUR, UH, DEPUTIES, TWO OVER NORTH AND SOUTH OPERATIONS, ONE OVER ADMINISTRATION, AND THEN ONE THAT JUST FOCUSES ON OUR FINANCES THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.
AND OF COURSE, EACH SERVICE CENTER IN EACH QUAD HAS ITS OWN DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TO ENSURE SERVICES ARE DELIVERED AS SCHEDULED.
ALRIGHT, UH, JUST A ANOTHER QUICK DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW.
UH, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE FORWARD FACING, UH, ELEMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE ONCE A WEEK, UH, SOLID WASTE COLLECTION, UH, THE ONCE EVERY OTHER WEEK RECYCLING COLLECTION, THE, THE HEAVY TREE WASTE AND THE ALTERNATING JUNK MONTH COLLECTION.
BUT ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR, UH, HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS THROUGHOUT, AS WELL AS THE LITTER ABATEMENT AS WELL.
SO, AND OF COURSE, OUR DROP OFF CENTERS IS ANOTHER CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE DEPARTMENT.
ALRIGHT, JUST A FEW DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS.
I KNOW EVERYONE'S BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT THAT LATELY.
UH, WE'VE SEEN EVERYTHING TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THE ILLEGAL DUMPING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN OCCURRING, THE NUMBER OF ILLEGAL DUMP SITES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON, ON WHERE OUR DUMPING IS OCCURRING AT RIGHT NOW, AND, AND HOW THINGS ARE ARE, UH, AS FAR AS THE TIME THAT IT TAKES TO MANAGE THOSE SITES AND CLEAN THEM UP AND ABATE 'EM.
I'LL GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH US HERE.
UH, WOULD BE PIE CHART DEPARTMENT DEMOGRAPHICS.
JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT DEMOGRAPHICS TO, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 400 EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE 4 7 4 SLOTS FOR 4 75 RIGHT NOW.
A MAJORITY OF THOSE WILL BE IN THE OPERATIONS, BUT AGAIN, TO ME, THE MOST IMPRESSIVE STAT ON THIS PIE CHART CONTINUES TO BE THE DIVERSITY, UH, WITH THE NUMBER OF FEMALES THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE JOINING THE INDUSTRY AS WELL.
AND THEY'RE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB AT IT AS WELL.
UM, SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENT PLANS AND GOALS, AGAIN, SINCE MY ARRIVAL, MY GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO KIND OF REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCY ON THE GENERAL FUND AND, AND DEVELOP, RUN A DEPARTMENT THAT'S GONNA BE A, A LITTLE BIT MORE FINANCIALLY STABLE ON ITS OWN.
UM, WE ALWAYS ARE GONNA STRIVE TO IMPROVE THAT QUALITY OF SERVICE, AND WE SEE SOME ELEMENTS OF THAT OCCURRING RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN OUR COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE'LL ALWAYS DO THAT THROUGH WAYS OF RECYCLING, WASTE REDUCTION, UH, AS WELL AS HOUSEHOLD AND HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS.
UM, AGAIN, WASTE REDUCTION, DIVERTING WASTE FROM THE LANDFILLS.
WE NEED TO WORK ON OUR DISPOSAL CAPACITY.
WHERE WILL THE CITY OF HOUSTON DUMP THEIR WASTE OVER THE NEXT, UH, ONCE THE NEXT 20 YEARS ARE UP? WORK ON THAT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE, UM, THE, UH, IMMEDIATE INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS, WHICH IS ONE CLEAN HOUSTON.
ALRIGHT, SO A COUPLE OF, UM, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT.
AND WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS JUST KIND OF SHOW YOU SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE AND, AND GIVE YOU A QUICK ILLUSTRATION OF HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE CHALLENGES.
UM, THE PROGRAM FUNDING OF COURSE, IS ALWAYS GONNA BE THERE.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING TO REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCY ON THE GENERAL FUND, UH, BY EXPLORING AND IMPLEMENTING OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE NEW REVENUE STREAMS. AND THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT, WE MADE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH THE CART REVENUE FUND.
[00:05:01]
ENFORCEMENT OF ILLEGAL DUMPING, UH, MAYOR TURNER SUPPORTED US AS PART OF THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON INITIATIVE TO, UH, BRING ON CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT WILL BE HOUSED IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.AND, UM, WE'RE HOPING TO, TO GAIN MORE COMPLIANCE AND EDUCATE OUR RESIDENTS OUT IN THE FIELD TO, IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT'S OCCURRING.
UM, THE OTHER WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO ADDRESS THAT IS BY RIGHTSIZING THE LABOR FORCE.
UH, AGAIN, ANOTHER STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
MAYOR TURNER, UH, INCREASE THE SIGNING BONUS THIS YEAR FROM 3000 TO 5,000, AND WE'RE SEEING A PRETTY GOOD RESPONSE TO THAT.
WE'VE ALSO, UH, WE'RE ON THE VERGE OF STARTING UP OUR FIRST CDL TRAINING PROGRAM TOO, MEANING THAT IF, EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CDL, YOU COME IN, YOU JOIN THE DEPARTMENT, WE'LL TRAIN YOU UP IN SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS, AND THEN, UH, YOU JUST GO DOWN TO THE DRIVER'S LICENSE OFFICE, SMILE, GET YOUR BEST SMILE ON, AND YOU WALK OUT WITH A CDL.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UH, UH, ADDRESS OUR MULTIFAMILY WASTE CHALLENGES, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE A PART OF THE RECYCLING PROGRAM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY, UH, ARE PRACTICING THE BEST DISPOSAL, UH, UH, PRACTICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
AND THEN, UM, AGAIN, THE WAY WE KIND OF ADDRESS THAT CHALLENGE WOULD BE TO, UM, PROVIDE SOME OF OUR CURBSIDE WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAMS THAT YOU CURRENTLY SEE.
MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE IN THE MULTIFAMILY SECTORS AS WELL.
UH, AND AGAIN, UH, ALWAYS GONNA BE READY FOR DISASTER RESPONSE.
TEAMS PROUD TO SAY THAT WE JUST HELD OUR FIRST TABLETOP EXERCISE FOR THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, UH, YESTERDAY, AND WE HAD TREMENDOUS SUPPORT.
SOME, SOME OF OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS OUT THERE AS WELL.
UH, THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A CHALLENGE.
AND THEN THE LONG TERM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE LONG TERM DISPOSAL CAPACITY, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO ADDRESS THAT NEED.
SOME OF THE STRATEGIC GUIDANCE ALIGNMENTS, UM, THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON, THAT BASICALLY ALIGNED TO SOME OF THE MAYOR'S INITIATIVES AND SOME OF ITS PRIORITIES ARE KIND OF ILLUSTRATED ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, OF COURSE, YOU'LL SEE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES IS WHERE WE TEND TO FOCUS HARDEST WITH, UH, CONTAINER LEASE, THE HEAVY TRASH RESIDENTIAL, UH, COLLECTION PROGRAM, ILLEGAL DUMPING AND, AND WHATNOT.
THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, BIGGEST TAKEAWAY YOU'LL SEE ON HERE IS JUST A, A BRIEF ILLUSTRATION OF OUR, OUR 24 PROPOSED BUDGET, BUT YOU'LL SEE SOMEWHAT OF A 70% DECREASE IN THAT SLIDE HIGHLIGHTED FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING.
THAT'S A DIRECT IMPACT OF THE ARPA SUPPORT THAT WE'RE GETTING AND, AND YOU ALL SEE THE BENEFITS OF THAT AS WELL.
THAT'S BASICALLY WHERE ALL OF THIS WILL BE MANAGED AND HOUSED AT.
REALLY WANNA BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CONTAINER LEASE FUND.
YOU ALL SUPPORTED US WITH THAT INITIATIVE EARLIER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND WE'RE SEEING A POSITIVE, UH, RESPONSE TO THAT.
AND NOW OUR GOAL WILL BE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DELIVERING THOSE CONTAINERS AND RESPONDED TO OUR RESIDENTS NEEDS AS EFFICIENTLY AS WE CAN BE.
SO RIGHT NOW, AT THE TIME WE WERE PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, OUR AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME TO DELIVER CONTAINER WAS 15 DAYS.
WE REALLY WANT TO GET THAT DOWN TO FIVE TO SEVEN.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, HERE WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO SEE AN IMPROVEMENT WITH OUR OWN TIME RECYCLING RATE.
I REALLY DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE, UH, YOU KNOW, RUNNING, UH, MAKEUP COLLECTION DAYS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK ON A CONSISTENT BASIS.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT OUR PROGRAM, MAKE SURE WE RIGHT SIZE THE PROGRAM SO WE CAN HAVE ENOUGH EMPLOYEES AND EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT RECYCLING RUNNING ON ITS SCHEDULED TIME.
UH, ENVIRONMENTAL MAINTENANCE.
UH, PEOPLE MAY NOT BE AWARE, BUT A LOT OF THE VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE THAT YOU SEE ON THE STREETS RELY A LOT, UH, RELY HEAVILY ON, UH, HYDRAULICS.
AND SOMETIMES THOSE HYDRAULIC HOSES FAIL AND WE END UP WITH SPILLS ON THE STREET.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A, A, AN ADEQUATE RESPONSE TIME TO MITIGATE THOSE HAZARDS BEFORE THEY CAUSE FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
SO OUR GOAL WILL BE ABLE TO, WILL BE TO CUT THAT RESPONSE TIME DOWN FROM 60 MINUTES TO ABOUT 45 MINUTES.
PROBABLY THE
IF WE DON'T RUN THAT HEAVY TRASH ON TIME, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TEND TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK LIKE THE TRASH HAS SET THE CURB.
SO, AGAIN, THANKS TO THE, THE INFUSION OF ARPA AND THEN ALSO SOME OF THE OTHER AVAILABLE RESOURCES THAT MAYOR TURNER'S MADE AVAILABLE FOR US, WE'RE SEEING, UH, POSITIVE RESPONSES IN OUR HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION PROGRAM.
PROUD TO REPORT THAT IT'S RUNNING ON TIME.
IN FACT, I CAUGHT A RESIDENT TODAY.
HE JUST PUT IT OUT LATE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S A STEP, MEANS WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
HE'S USED TO US COMING A COUPLE OF DAYS LATE, SO WE CAUGHT HIM.
I OFTEN USE THOSE TWO, UH, INTERCHANGEABLY.
UH, I OFTEN USE THOSE TWO INTERCHANGEABLY, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UH, WE'RE SEEING OUR ILLEGAL DUMPING,
[00:10:01]
UH, THE RESPONSE TIMES WHERE SOMETIMES WHEN I BELIEVE WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED, THEY WERE HOVERING AROUND 45 DAYS FOR US TO RESPOND TO THOSE.AGAIN, THE INFUSION OF RESOURCES, UH, EMPLOYEES EQUIPMENT.
UH, WE'VE GOT NOW GOTTEN OUR RESPONSE TIME DOWN TO ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF DAYS, WHICH IS VERY IMPRESSIVE FOR A CITY OF THIS SIZE.
SPEAKING OF ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WHOLE INITIATIVE WAS THE COMBAT LEGAL DUMPING.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE IS WHAT I'VE BEEN MENTIONING THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION WAS THAT NOW A LOT OF THOSE CURBSIDE SERVICES ARE FUNCTIONING THE WAY THEY ARE DESIGNED TO FUNCTION, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT SOME INNOVATIVE IDEAS.
UH, SOME OF THEM MAY WORK, SOME OF THEM MAY NOT.
BUT ONE THING I CAN GUARANTEE IS THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO, WE HAD OUR LANDFILL DUMP DAY, FIRST LANDFILL DUMP DAY WAS, COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WE KNOW WHERE OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE.
SO WE'VE LISTENED TO THE RESIDENTS AND FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITIES AND WE'LL LOOK FOR, WE'LL CONTINUE TO OFFER THAT.
UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, WE'VE INCREASED THE ILLEGAL DUMPING SURVEILLANCE OF ILLEGAL DUMP SITES, THE ONES THAT ARE PRETTY CHRONIC AND THAT, THAT ARE CRITICAL IN SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SINCE WE'VE BEEN DEPLOYING CAMERAS AND WORKING WITH OUR OTHER PARTNERS WITH HPD IN THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, UH, NOT ONLY ARE WE SEEING A A TREMENDOUS RESPONSE, WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT, THAT THOSE SITES ACCUMULATE DEBRIS.
BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE RESIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD EXPRESSING THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. SO, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT, LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THOSE FOLKS ON.
THEY ARE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF STUDYING TO TAKE THEIR EXAMS. SO WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, SEVEN TO 10, UH, INDIVIDUALS RIGHT NOW, AND I'M PULLING FOR ALL SEVEN TO 10 PASS.
AND THE MINUTE THAT THEY PASS, THE NEXT DAY THEY WILL BE OUT ENFORCING THE CODE.
SO, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, RESIDENTIAL DROP OFF COLLECTION.
ANOTHER, UH, CRITICAL POINT, UH, OF THE DEPARTMENT, CRITICAL FEATURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
THEN WE'RE GONNA THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AS TIME GOES ON.
WHAT WE'RE NOTICING WITH OUR RESIDENTIAL DROP OFF UNITS IS THAT WE BASICALLY, UH, OUTGROWN THE, THE CAPACITY HAS BEEN OUTGROWN BY THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND THAT'S A GOOD THING, RIGHT? SO NOW WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, UH, SOME OF THE LONGER TERM SOLUTIONS ON WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO EXPAND SOME OF THOSE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES.
BUT WHILE THAT'S GOING ON, WE'RE GOING TO AGAIN, IMPLEMENT SOME OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKINGS.
UH, SOMETHING THAT WILL FOCUS ON REDUCING THE LINES AND THE LONG WAIT TIMES AT SOME OF THESE RESIDENTIAL DROP OFF LOCATIONS.
OFTEN I WILL GO OUT ON THE WEEKENDS AND I'LL SEE LONG LINES AND, UH, I'LL SEE A PICKUP TRUCK WITH A TRAILER PICKUP TRUCK WITH A TRAILER, AND THEN A HONDA C RV.
I NEED TO GET THAT HONDA CRV OUT OF THE LINE.
IT'S NOT WORTH THEM WAITING THAT TIME.
UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, JUST AN ILLUSTRATION OF WHAT I, I JUST SPOKE ABOUT.
WE REALLY WANNA REDUCE THE, THE SIZE OF THOSE LINES.
WE WANT THAT TO BE AN EXPERIENCE THAT THEY COME IN, DROP WHAT THEY NEED TO DROP OFF, AND THEN CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR DAY.
SO AGAIN, LOOK FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT SOME OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING AND APPROACHES TOWARDS REDUCING THOSE SLIDES.
ALRIGHT, UH, RESIDENTIAL WASTE COLLECTION.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO INCREASING THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL ROUTES.
UH, THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, THE CITY IS GROWING, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT ADDRESSES, UH, THE EXPANSION OF THE CITY OF, UH, THE CITY OF TAMPA, HAD A FLASHBACK, MY APOLOGIES.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE GROWTH OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WE, UH, THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY INCURRING RIGHT NOW, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER THAT ON TIME SERVICE FOR GARBAGE AND RECYCLING COLLECTION AS WELL AS YARD WASTE.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, SPONSORSHIPS, UH, SOME OF Y'ALL HAVING ENCOUNTERED FOLKS THAT HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SPONSORSHIPS AS WELL.
UH, SO OUR, OUR GOAL WILL BE, UM, I KNOW ON HERE IT SAYS THAT WE WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER, PARTICIPATE IN THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMS BY 5%.
IT COULD, WE COULD EITHER INCREASE OR DECREASE.
IF WE INCREASE, UH, THAT'S FINE.
BUT IF WE DECREASE, WE GOTTA HAVE THE RESOURCES IN PLACE.
AND RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING ARE FOLKS WHO WANT TO COME AND ALLOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND PROVIDE THAT TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
AND WE'RE NOT SAYING WE CAN'T, BUT WE HAVE TO BUILD THOSE RESOURCES UP FIRST.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA DECREASE THAT NUMBER BY 5%, WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, YARD WASTE COLLECTION, ANOTHER FORWARD FACING FUN FEATURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE WANT TO IMPROVE THAT COVERAGE AT LEAST BY 50%, AND WE THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THERE WITH THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF EMPLOYEES EQUIPMENT, AND THEN TRAINING FOLKS TO GET THEIR CDL LICENSES.
UH, BE HONEST, I WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE THEIR DEBT SERVICE A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
UH, BUT AS, AS FAR AS RIGHT NOW, IT'S HOLDING STEADY WHERE IT IS.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, JUST WANTED TO AGAIN, GIVE YOU
[00:15:01]
ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION, UH, AND A VIEW OF OUR CURRENT BUDGET.I THINK THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY THAT I REALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE CONTAINER LEASE FUND, WHICH IS THE BOTTOM LINE OF THAT CHART.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IT'S IN THE POSITIVE 2%.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD ILLUSTRATION OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DEVELOP, UH, REVENUE STREAMS TO HELP REDUCE THE STRAIN ON THE CITY.
UM, AGAIN, JUST A, A FEATURE OF OUR PERSONNEL VERSUS NON PERSONNEL EXPENSES.
YOU COULD SEE AS FAR AS THE GENERAL FUND GOES, WE'RE ABOUT 42% OF THAT, THE RECYCLING FUND AT 11%.
AND THEN, UM, OUR PERSONNEL FOR CONTAINER LEASE FUND AT ABOUT 25%, AND I BELIEVE THE 25% IS ONE OF THE MORE EFFICIENT FEATURES OF THAT, THAT SLIDE FOR THE CONTAINER LEASE FUND.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT SLIDE, IT AGAIN, JUST, UH, OUR PROPOSED REVENUES BY PROGRAM, AGAIN, ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM SMALL IN THERE MIDWAY THROUGH, YOU'LL SEE A CONTAINER LEASE LINE IN THERE SHOWING 4%.
AGAIN, THAT'S A REFLECTION OF US SETTING THAT CONTAINER, UM, LEASE FUND UP AND, AND YOUR SUPPORT WITH THE COUNCIL.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT NEXT SLIDE.
JUST ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT OUR CURRENT REVENUES BY, UH, BY FUNDS, SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO OUR, UH, WE REALLY WANNA LOOK FORWARD TO IMPROVING OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT.
UH, IN OTHER WORDS, OUR CARTS AND, AND HOW WE DELIVER THOSE CARTS TO OUR RESIDENTS.
IF YOU CALL UP AND YOU, YOU'RE MAKING A REQUEST, UM, WE WE'RE RECOGNIZING SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE CONTROL AND MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU HAVE AN EXTRA CART, THAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR THAT EXTRA CART.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING AN AUDIT RIGHT NOW TO DETERMINE WHAT OUR EFFICIENCY IS AND THAT, THAT BUSINESS LINE OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO AGAIN, WE LOOK FORWARD TO IMPROVING THE ASSET MANAGEMENT AND IMPROVING OUR RESOURCE RECOVERY IN THE FUTURE FOR 24.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, DIRECTOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THAT WAS A REALLY THOROUGH PRESENTATION AND I WANNA GIVE PROPS TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE EFFORT THAT WENT TOWARDS PUTTING THE PRESENTATION TOGETHER.
AND JUST, UH, A GENERAL COMMENT, ESPECIALLY FROM MY OFFICE, UM, SINCE YOU'VE COME ON BOARD, UM, YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN, UH, EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE.
THANK, UM, AND I'VE SEEN A SHIFT IN EVEN THE ATTITUDES OF OUR CONSTITUENTS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, THE SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL PUBLICLY FOR THAT.
UM, IN DISTRICT J ALONE, WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, UM, THE CLEANING OF OUR UNDERPASSES ON THE 59 CORRIDOR, WE ROUTINELY SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE.
UM, I APPRECIATED THE, THE CONSTITUENTS, UH, APPRECIATE IT.
UH, WITH INITIATIVES THAT SOME OF OUR COUNCIL OFFICES HAVE WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT, UM, DELIVERING SERVICES TO THE CONSTITUENTS, OUR OFFICE IS DOING THE PRIVATE TRASH PICKUP.
THANK YOU FOR BEING FLEXIBLE WITH US AND ENSURING THAT, UM, THOSE IDEAS ARE MET, UH, WITH VERY RECEPTIVE FEEDBACK.
UH, BUT A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ENSURE THAT IF WE SPEND OUR TIME TRAINING THEM FOR THE CDLS MM-HMM
THAT THEY REMAIN EMPLOYEES WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON? YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WE JUST HAD THIS DISCUSSION LAST WEEK IF, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THEY HAVE TO BE A CITY EMPLOYEE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN GO AND TRAIN FOLKS OFF THE STREET AND BRING THEM IN.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR LEGAL TEAM, UH, RIGHT NOW TO ADDRESS THAT.
BUT THE GOAL THAT WE'VE IRONED OUT RIGHT NOW IS THAT IF THEY COME THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MAKING A TWO TO THREE YEAR COMMITMENT TO STAY WITH THE ORGANIZATION.
HOW DO, HOW DO WE, ARE THEY SIGNING A, A, A CONTRACT THAT THEY YES.
WILL AGREE TO BE HERE FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YES.
UH, WHAT WE'RE DEVELOPING RIGHT NOW, AND AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING WITH LEGAL TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING THE PROPER PROTOCOL, IS TO HAVE SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT IN PLACE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND BY SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT, THAT IT'S, IT'S A COMMITMENT AND THAT THEY WILL BE WITH THIS DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, FOR A DURATION OF TIME.
AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO STAMP OR CLAMP DOWN WHAT THAT DURATION IS.
AND SAME THING FOR THE $5,000 SIGN IN BONUS.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE POLICY TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST, UM, UTILIZING THAT INCENTIVE TO GET THE PAY MM-HMM
BUT WE HAVE THEM UNDER CONTRACT OR WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, AS A, AS A QUARTER IS ACHIEVED AND THOSE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE ACHIEVED THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE BEGINNING OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT, THEN IT'S PAID OUT ACCORDINGLY NOW.
SO BASICALLY IT'S, IT'S OVER A YEAR.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR AT LEAST A YEAR COMMITMENT ON THAT.
[00:20:01]
THE GROUND RUNNING IN YOUR TIME SINCE BEING HERE AND THE FLEXIBILITY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD SPOKE ABOUT.UM, YOU HAVE BEEN, YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY RESPONSIVE, THANK YOU TO OUR OFFICES, UM, AND TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, AND I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT I RECENTLY WAS OUT AT LUNCH IN THE DISTRICT MM-HMM
AND THERE WAS A, A SOLID WASTE CREW HAVING LUNCH AS WELL.
AND I WENT OVER TO PERSONALLY THANK THEM AND I ASKED THEM HOW MANY YEARS THEY'D BEEN HERE.
MANY OF THEM HAD BEEN HERE FOR QUITE, QUITE A LONG TIME.
AND I THANK THEM BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU'RE JUST, YOU'RE DOING YOUR EXERCISES RIGHT FOR HURRICANE SEASON.
UM, OUR SOLID WASTE WORKERS ARE ON THE FRONT LINES MM-HMM
THEY ARE GETTING INTO THOSE TRUCKS TO HELP RESIDENTS.
UM, SAME THING WITH OUR OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS.
SO, AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE MAJORITY OF THEM CORRECT.
AND THEY'RE GETTING, UH, I THINK TWO 15 MINUTE BREAKS AND A 30 MINUTE LUNCH BREAK.
UH, SO I, I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE HOW HARD THE WORK IS, UM, AND HOW JUST COMMITTED TO THE CITY OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES ARE.
UH, WITH THAT, A FEW GENERAL TOPICS ON PAGE 22 MM-HMM
OR SLIDE 22, UM, THERE'S A NEGATIVE PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN TERMS OF RECYCLING SPECIFICALLY, IT'S GOING DOWN 4%.
UM, AND THEN ON PAGE 24, WE'RE SEEING A NEGATIVE 55% CHANGE IN MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE.
UH, IS IT THAT WE'RE GETTING MORE REVENUE, I GET THAT THE EXPENDITURE IS GOING DOWN FOR RECYCLING, BUT IS THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GENERATING MORE REVENUE FROM IT, OR CAN YOU, CAN YOU DISCUSS, BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THE HOPE IS TO EXPAND RECYCLING SERVICES, WHICH MAY NOT BE A COST TO THE CITY THE WAY THAT WE DESIGN IT, BUT CAN YOU JUST TALK TO THAT, THAT BUDGETARY SHIFT? CORRECT.
SO BASICALLY WHAT YOU SEE HAPPENING IN, IN RECYCLING, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, IS THAT IT'S BEING SPREAD OUT OVER A LARGER PORTION, YOU KNOW, OF THE AREA.
UM, I ACTUALLY SEE THE RECYCLING INCREASING, YOU KNOW, IN CERTAIN AREAS AND, AND IN CERTAIN BUSINESS LINES OF THE DEPARTMENT.
AND OF COURSE WE ARE, UH, PILOTING, YOU KNOW, UH, INCREASING THE RECYCLING AT SOME OF OUR DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES AT THIS TIME.
BUT, UH, AS FAR AS THE, THE, THE DECREASE IN FUNDING THAT, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS PROBABLY THAT SPREAD OUT OVER A LARGER AREA NOW.
SO ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN ADD TO MOTION TO OR, AND THE COMMOD, OH, I'M SORRY.
YEAH, THE, UH, AD BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT, WHICH IS THE COMMODITIES MARKET.
IT'S, IT'S NOTHING THAT YOU CAN HANG YOUR HAT ON, YOU KNOW, IT, IT EBBS AND FLOWS AND ONE, ONE QUARTER, IT MAY BE UP TWO QUARTERS LATER, IT MAY BE DOWN, AND THEN VICE VERSA.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THERE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO BE PUT THAT IN BACK INTO QUEUE, BUT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO RECYCLING.
I KNOW WE, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE EXTENSION OF MULTIFAMILY, RIGHT? IF WE COULD GET IT A AN EX DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE ON THAT? AND I'M SURE ONE OF US IS GONNA ASK ABOUT LIFECYCLE OR LIFELINE TIMELINE WITH OUR LANDFILLS.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS THE MULTIFAMILY, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON RECYCLING COALITION ON THAT, THE HRC.
UM, AGAIN, WE, WE ARE SEEING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND AND INCLUDE THOSE MULTIFAMILY UNITS AS PART OF THE PROGRAM.
SO WE ACTUALLY WANT TO BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE, UH, ACTUALLY APPROACH THOSE MULTIFAMILY UNITS, THOSE, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS AND WHATNOT.
BUT THEN ALSO, WE ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO ESTABLISHING DROP OFF POINTS.
WE'RE USING OUR EXISTING DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES RIGHT NOW, WHICH WE'RE SEEING A, A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN.
BUT THE NEXT STEP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND EVEN MORE COMMON AREAS THAT WE CAN LOCATE, UM, EITHER, UM, EQUIPMENT THAT WILL ALLOW THOSE FOLKS TO RECYCLE, BUT THEN ALSO PAIRING THEM UP WITH A CONTRACTOR THAT CAN HELP US PROVIDE THAT SERVICE AS WELL.
SO ALL OF THAT IS PART OF THE WORK PLAN.
I EXPECT TO SEE, UH, A LOT MORE ADVANCEMENTS, UH, THAT WE'RE SEEING.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE ADVANCEMENTS THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, I EXPECT TO CONTINUE IN 24.
THIS QUESTION IS COMING VIRTUALLY FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
UM, PLEASE GIVE THE STATUS OF THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT AND HPDS COLLABORATION WITH THE CLEANUP INITIATIVE WITH ARPA FUNDS.
IT IS, IT'S TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I JUST DID A NEWS INTERVIEW BEFORE WE CAME IN, UH, BEFORE COMING HERE TO THIS MEETING.
AND, UH, WE ARE SEEING, UH, AGAIN, A DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT TAKES US TO RESPOND TO ILLEGAL DUMPING.
UM, AGAIN, WHEN I ARRIVED, I BELIEVE THAT TIME WAS UP AROUND 45 OR 40 PLUS DAYS.
NOW WE'RE SEEING A RESPONSE TIME OF AROUND, UH, SEVEN AND A HALF DAYS.
UH, AND AGAIN, THAT'S JUST NOT JUST A REFLECTION OF SOLID WASTE THAT IT, THAT A
[00:25:01]
LARGE PART OF OUR COMMITMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING, BUT THEN ALSO THOSE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH HPD, UH, AND, AND THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE AND THE OTHER AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.UH, WE ALSO ALSO NEED TO MENTION OUR PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON WITH THE, UH, DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR HARRIS COUNTY CLEAN AND GREEN PROGRAMS AND WHATNOT.
SO EVERYTHING IS TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE A POSITIVE RESPONSE.
WELL, SHE MENTIONS THAT HER CONSTITUENTS, UH, CONTINUE TO ASK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY LIKE THE PROGRAM.
SO, WANTED TO GIVE THAT FEEDBACK.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE MONEY FOR THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS? SURE.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, I DIDN'T SEE THE LINE ITEM IN IT.
THE, THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS WILL CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY BEING FUNDED THROUGH, UH, THE GENERAL FUND, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR OWN, THROUGH OUR BUDGET.
UM, WE'LL RELY ON, UM, ARPA IF IT IS AVAILABLE, BUT WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE ON WITH THAT.
I THINK IT'S JUST TOO INTEGRAL.
IT'S TOO MUCH OF A CRITICAL COMPONENT THAT THE CITY NEEDS, SO THAT WE CAN PRESERVE THOSE AREAS AND, AND BE ABLE TO WORK, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS TO KEEP THOSE AREAS CLEAN.
UM, AND THEN YOU MENTIONED CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
CAN YOU PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS ABOUT THAT AND MM-HMM
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM DAWN INSPECTORS RIGHT.
AND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR? ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE'LL BE FOCUSING STRICTLY ON SOLID WASTE.
SO THOSE VIOLATORS, AS YOU RIDE THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND YOU'RE LIKE, WOW, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY'S TEARING DOWN A HOUSE AND THEY'RE PUTTING IT INTO MEDIAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING STRAIGHT TO THAT PROPERTY OWNER, AND OUR GOAL WILL BE TO GAIN THE COMPLIANCE THAT WE NEED AT THE LOWEST LEVEL POSSIBLE.
UH, BUT HOWEVER, IF WE'RE NOT GONNA GAIN THAT COMPLIANCE, THEN WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT SOME CORRECTIVE MEASURES, WHETHER THAT BE BY FINING OR ANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, MEASURES THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE AVAILABLE THROUGH SOME OF THE EXISTING ORDINANCES AND CODES THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS NOW.
AND YOU SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE TWO INSPECTORS? TWO.
NO, YOU MEAN IN OUR DEPARTMENT? YES.
OH, NO, WE WE'RE LOOKING AT, I THINK WE'RE STARTING OUT WITH 6 0 6.
UH, UH, MAYOR TURNER APPROVED US FOR SIX, FIVE OR SIX.
AND WILL THEY WORK AT LIKE, IN DIFFERENT SECTORS OR JUST AS NEEDED? YEAH, NO, THEY, THEY WILL WORK IN THOSE SECTORS WHERE THE NEEDS ARE.
AND, AND AGAIN, SOMETIMES WE BECOME A COMPLAINT DRIVEN DEPARTMENT, MEANING WE DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM UNTIL WE SAY SOMETHING.
SO, OR SOMEONE MENTIONS IT TO US.
SO AS YOU BRING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION, THEN WE START CONCENTRATING OUR EFFORTS OVER THERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR WORK AND WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A VERY UNDERFUNDED DEPARTMENT.
UM, CAN YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ROUTES? YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ROUTES, ADDING ROUTES MM-HMM
SO WE'VE, UM, NOW I, I WILL HAVE TO SAY THIS, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE SEEN MAYOR TURNER CONTINUOUSLY INVEST IN THE PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THERE.
YOU KNOW, IT IS, I THINK A LOT OF THIS OCCURRED PRIOR TO HIS ARRIVAL, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING SOME MOVEMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW WITH THE GROWTH OF THE CITY IS THAT IN THE INDUSTRY, YOUR AVERAGE ROUTE SIZE SHOULD HOVER MAYBE BETWEEN SEVEN AND 900 HOMES PER ROUTE.
WE'RE SEEING SOME ROUTES THAT HAVE AS MANY AS 1300, YOU KNOW, HOMES PER ROUTE.
NOW, THAT'S NOT ONLY A, A PROBLEM FOR THE EMPLOYEE, BUT IT'S ALSO A PROBLEM FOR OUR OTHER ONE HALF OF THE OTHER GREATEST ASSETS THAT WE NEED.
AND THAT'S THE EQUIPMENT, BECAUSE NOW WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET THAT EQUIPMENT IN SO THAT IT CAN GET ITS PROPER REST AND MAINTENANCE THAT IT NEEDS.
SO WE'RE EMBARKING ON AN OBJECTIVE RIGHT NOW TO RIGHT SIZE OUR ROUTES.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO DESIGN OUR ROUTES BASED ON A SEVEN TO 900 HOMES PER ROUTE CAPACITY.
AND THEN ONCE WE DETERMINE, UH, HOW MANY MORE ROUTES WE HAVE VERSUS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, AND THEN WE WILL LOOK AT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES TO COMPLIMENT THAT.
AND, UM, I KNOW WE'RE DOING THE $5,000, UM, SIGNING BONUS MM-HMM
BUT WHAT ABOUT LIKE, LONGEVITY PAY? AREN'T A LOT OF THE EMPLOYEES PRETTY LONG TERM EMPLOYEES? I MEAN, YES.
UM, I MEAN, ARE THE RAISES THAT THEY GET COMMENSURATE WITH, I MEAN, ARE THEY LOOKING AT THESE NEW GUYS GOING, WAIT, I I NEED MORE MONEY TOO? UM, YEAH.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS BECAUSE WE WANNA RETAIN YEAH.
AND, UM, ONE THING THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS TYING IN A PERFORMANCE OR DEVELOPING AN INCENTIVE, BRINGING THAT BACK.
I BELIEVE THE DEPARTMENT HAD IT BEFORE, UH, COVID AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, THE, THE FALLOUT THAT HAPPENED WITH THAT CAUSED THAT TO PAUSE FOR A MINUTE.
SO WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THAT BACK ON IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND WHAT IS KIND OF THE AVERAGE, I KNOW WITH ALL THE OVERTIME, I MEAN, HOW, HOW MANY HOURS ARE, ARE YOUR DRIVERS AND, AND PEOPLE WHO WORK ON THE TRUCK? YEAH.
SO WHAT'S THE AVERAGE HOURS? YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY STARTING TO SEE THE AVERAGE HOURS DECREASE.
BUT IT, IT IS NOT WHERE WE WANT IT, YOU KNOW,
[00:30:01]
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING IT DECREASE JUST BY IMPROVING SOME OF THE EFFICIENCIES IN THE DEPARTMENT.SO, SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IT WAS THEN? I WOULD SAY WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY 50, 55 PLUS RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST IN 55 HOURS A WEEK, YEAH.
WHEN I ARRIVED, WE HAD SOME FOLKS THAT WERE WORKING SEVEN DAY WORK WEEKS AT THAT TIME, SO IT WAS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, BUT WE ARE SEEING IT TREND DOWNWARD NOW, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED.
UM, NOW WE SEE ON SLIDE 19 WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT THE MEASURES, UH, IT TALKS ABOUT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS IN THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM BY 5% OR GREATER MM-HMM
BUT THEN IF WE LOOK AT SLIDE EIGHT, WE SEE THAT THE EXPENDITURES, UH, ARE BEING REDUCED FOR THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.
SO HOW, HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE, UM, GROWING THAT PROGRAM? GROWING THE PROGRAM? MM-HMM
IS THIS WHAT WE WERE SPEAKING ABOUT EARLIER? YEAH.
YOU WANT TO, I'M GONNA LET AD WHITE ANSWER THAT ONE FOR YOU AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE WAY THAT BUDGET LOOKS.
SO OUR INTENT IS TO ATTRACT ASSOCIATIONS OR, UM, CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS BY LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THERE IS A, A $6 REBATE FOR, UH, EACH UNIT EVERY MONTH.
AND THIS WOULD HELP US IN, YOU KNOW, OUR COST OF SERVICES, RIGHT? RIGHT.
NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE WORK CREWS TO EXPAND.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING MORE ASSOCIATIONS INTO THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.
AND SO, WILL YOU BE REACHING OUT TO HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS INDIVIDUALLY? WELL, THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS, YES.
THROUGH OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION IN THE DEPARTMENT, WE WANT TO DO THAT OUTREACH AND LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.
AND, AND ONE THING THAT PROBABLY DIDN'T COME THROUGH IN THIS PRESENTATION IS OUR COMMITMENT TO INCREASING OUR OUTREACH.
UM, ONE OF THE, THE ITEMS OF THE FEATURES OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT THE MAYOR, AS WELL AS MYSELF HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF, IS WE NEED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT PROGRAMS WE ACTUALLY HAVE AVAILABLE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT YOU'LL SEE MORE ON THAT AS WE, AS THE YEAR GOES ON.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HOAS, THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS ARE REIMBURSED MM-HMM
AND, UM, THERE'S BEEN KIND OF A DELAY IN THE REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS FOR SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I WAS TALKING TO MY STAFF TODAY, THEY SAID THEY'RE, THEY HAVE ONE HOA THAT IS WAITING ON REIMBURSEMENT FROM MAY OF 2022.
IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, ALMOST A YEAR MM-HMM
UM, SO ARE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT? YOU KNOW, WE WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE A SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM MM-HMM
BUT WE WANNA ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE GETTING PAID AT A TIMELY MANNER.
IN SOME RESPECTS, IT, IT WAS A RESOURCE ISSUE, UH, MEANING THAT THE PERSON WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, HAD SOME OTHER PERSONAL ISSUES TO ADDRESS.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO SEEING WHERE SOME NEIGHBORHOODS ARE NOT NECESSARILY RENEWING AS THE AGREEMENT STATES OR AS THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO.
AND WHEN THEY DON'T RENEW, IT KIND OF FALLS OFF OF OUR RADAR.
SO THERE'S SOME PROTOCOL THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THAT.
NOW, I HAVE ONE TODAY THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING, UH, THEY FELL IN THAT PARTICULAR SCENARIO THAT I MENTIONED, AND THE TEAM ASKED, I SAID, WELL, DO YOU WANT THEM TO GO BACK THROUGH THE RENEWAL PROCESS? MY ANSWER IS NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT THERE'S A, THEY'RE IN ENOUGH STRESS AS IT IS.
LET'S JUST EDUCATE THEM, INFORM THEM OF WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUST ACT LIKE THEY WERE ON THE PROGRAM YESTERDAY, AND THEN KICK IN THE REIMBURSEMENT THAT, THAT WE ALWAYS AGREED TO.
AND SO, HOW LONG SHOULD HOAS EXPECT FOR REIMBURSEMENT? I THINK WE WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THEY SUBMIT, YOU KNOW, GIVE US TIME TO GET IT THROUGH OUR SYSTEM AND, AND PROCESS THE PAYMENT.
SO I'M STARTING TO SEE THAT INCREASE IN OUR RESPONSE TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU, UM, DIRECTOR AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR ALL THE, THE AMAZING WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, NOT JUST ALL THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS CLEAN, BUT DISTRICT B
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S A MAJOR RIGHT.
ILLEGAL DUMPING IS A BIG, UM, PROBLEM WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT, UM, IMPROVING THE, UM, RESPONSE, THE, UM, THE, THE, THE DEPOSITORY TIME.
AS FOLKS ARE STANDING IN LINE, YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT MM-HMM
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE CONSTITUENTS, THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE RESPONSIVE TIME AND MY OFFICE HAVE RECOGNIZED IT AS WELL.
SO JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING, UM, UNDER THE EXPENDITURES.
I NOTICED THAT THE LEGAL DUMPING AND RESIDENTIAL WASTE COLLECTION MM-HMM
THOSE NUMBER NUMBERS HAVE DECREASED.
I KNOW THE ONE SAFE, ONE CLEAN HOUSTON IS,
[00:35:01]
IS AN INITIATIVE MM-HMMBUT WHAT ARE WE DOING TO KIND OF LIKE, ARE, ARE, ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES IN THE BUDGET TO KIND MAINTAIN SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE? I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON IN THE FUTURE.
UH, AND ONE THING I DON'T WANT TO DO IS GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT, MEANING THAT WE, WE, WE SEE A, A LOT OF THE SUCCESSES AND THEN THINK THAT WE HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED.
THIS IS, THIS IS GIVING US TIME TO DEVELOP THOSE SOLUTIONS.
SO WHAT WE WILL BE PREPARING OVER THE NEXT YEAR ARE SOLUTIONS THAT WILL ALLOW THAT PROGRAM TO BE A LOT MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN WHAT WE SEE IT.
THE WAY WE SEE IT IS RIGHT NOW, WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE ARPA IN PLACE.
HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR ARPA, I THINK THE CONDITIONS WOULD BE A LOT WORSE.
BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE IT IN PLACE AND WE SEE, UH, I THINK WE HAVE WHAT OUR ANSWER IS, NOW WE NEED TO WORK ON DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION FOR THAT.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO, UM, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED TRASH FEE.
UM, SOME FOLKS ARE AGAINST IT.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I SUPPORT IT BECAUSE I THINK HAVING THE TRASH FEE IS GONNA HELP US INCREASE THE FREQUENCY OF TRASH PICKUP.
RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE ONLY GET TRASH PICKED UP ONCE A WEEK.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING TO HELP IMPROVE THAT? ARE, ARE YOU CONSIDERING YEAH.
UM, PROPOSING THE TRASH? OH, YEAH.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, YOU KNOW, IN MY MIND IT'S ALWAYS BEING CONSIDERED.
SO I'M GONNA BE MEETING WITH YOU ALL AND, AND KIND OF DISCUSSING THAT IN DEPTH A LITTLE BIT MORE MM-HMM
UM, I, I AT LEAST WANNA START WORKING ON THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THAT BECAUSE NOW WE'RE KIND OF GETTING READY TO CHANGE ADMINISTRATION.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE, UH, HAS THE SAME LEVEL OF INFORMATION AND THE SAME TYPE OF INFORMATION AS WE, UM, CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT.
MY, MY CONCERN IS THAT, AGAIN, WE TAKE AWAY CERTAIN FUNDING ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, ARE WE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS LEVEL OF SERVICE? IT'S GONNA BE CHALLENGING.
SO WE HAVE TO DEVELOP A MORE SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM.
AND THEN ONE MORE THING, AND I KNOW SOMEONE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD OKAY.
I'LL GO BACK AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT'S COMING INTO THE COMMUNITIES MM-HMM
I MEAN, A LOT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION, AND SO WITH CONSTRUCTION COMES MORE PEOPLE MM-HMM
AND SO IS YOUR OFFICE CONSIDERING SOME TYPE OF IMPACT FEE FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION TO HELP COVER SOME OF THE, THE, UM, TRASH COSTS FOR THOSE AREAS? YEAH.
YOU, YOU'VE BEEN EAVESDROPPING, SEE THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
NO, BUT, UM, MAYOR TURNER AND I HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT AND WE'RE, WE'VE ACTUALLY FORMED A COMMITTEE MM-HMM
UH, WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL AS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO WHERE WE ARE LOOKING INTO DEVELOPING AN ORDINANCE THAT, UM, RESTRICTS FOLKS FROM PLACING DEBRIS ON THE GROUND.
UH, REQUIRING THAT MATERIAL TO BE CONTAINERIZED, WHETHER IT BE IN A ROLL OFF OR WHETHER IT BE IN A DUMPSTER OR SOMETHING, BUT IT CANNOT SIT ON THE GROUND.
I THINK THAT'S A, A MAJOR ISSUE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I, I HOPE TO MAYBE CONSIDER ANOTHER REVENUE STREAM.
WE HAVE THOSE RESOURCES ROLL OFFS.
WE CAN HELP PEOPLE AND MAYBE PROVIDE AN AFFORDABLE SOLUTION, UH, BECAUSE SOME OF THE PRIVATE COMPANIES WILL CHARGE UP TO $900 FOR ONE ROLL OFF BOX.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT ENCOURAGES SOME BUILDERS ON A TIGHT BUDGET TO DO? SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN DEVELOP A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS US TO COVER OUR COSTS, RIGHT.
BUT PROVIDE THAT SERVICE AT A REASONABLE RATE TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING.
SO LOOK FOR, YOU KNOW, AN ORDINANCE PROPOSAL COMING UP SOON.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
THANK YOU, UM, DIRECTOR FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, ACCORDING TO THIS, YOUR BUDGET'S BEEN REDUCED BY A LITTLE OVER 3 MILLION Y YES.
UM, WE'RE SEEING SOMEWHAT OF AN, AN INCREASE IN SOME AREAS, BUT OVERALL 3 MILLION.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, UM, SHOWS RIGHT HERE, IT'S AN INITIATIVE OF $17.8 MILLION MM-HMM
WHICH AGAIN, AS YOU STATED, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN WORKING REALLY WELL.
BUT, UM, IT, IT'S BEING FUNDED BY ARPA FUNDING.
UM, THERE ARE SOME INITIATIVES IN THAT OR SOME FEATURES OF THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON INITIATIVE THAT ARE ACTUALLY BEING FUNDED THROUGH OUR BUDGET.
UH, THE CAMERAS, THE MOBILE CAMERAS THAT YOU SEE OUT WHERE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR THOSE, UM, PRIOR TO, UH, SECURING AN ADDITIONAL CONTRACTOR, UH, WE WERE ACTUALLY UTILIZING THE SERVICES OF SOME LOCAL HAULERS LOCAL, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES HERE IN THE CITY TO PRO SUPPLEMENT PROVIDE THAT SUPPLEMENTAL BULK WASTE COLLECTION.
SO SOME OF THE FEATURES OF THAT PROGRAM ARE ACTUALLY BEING FUNDED THROUGH OUR BUDGET, THROUGH THE SOLID WASTE BUDGET OR THE GENERAL FUND, WWW, WHICH I GUESS CONCERNS ME BECAUSE IF YOU HAD A REDUCTION OF A LITTLE OVER $3 MILLION MM-HMM
AND NOW YOU'VE GOT THIS NEW PROGRAM, ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING SOME OF IT'S BEING FUNDED BY YOUR BUDGET MM-HMM
WHICH AS YOU KNOW, YOU WERE ALREADY HAVING ISSUES IN REGARDS TO PROVIDING SERVICE.
UH, SO I GUESS IN TIME THAT'S, I MEAN, IT'S GREAT NOW, BUT IT, FOR ME, IT SOUNDS LIKE IN TIME'S GONNA IMPACT Y'ALL.
[00:40:01]
UM, AND, AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S WHY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN REGARDS TO WHEN YOU STARTED OFF BY STATING, YOU KNOW, REDUCED DE DEPENDENCY ON THE GENERAL FUND MM-HMMPOSSIBLY WITH A GARBAGE FEE, RIGHT.
AS YOU STATED, UH, WE'RE THE ONLY MAJOR CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, OR YOU STATED THIS IN THE PAST MM-HMM
THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING, UH, RIGHT.
IN REGARDS TO RELATED TO A GARBAGE FEE.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, HERE IN REGARDS TO CONTAINER LEASES, WHICH IS WHAT, ONE 14 A MONTH I BELIEVE FOR THE TRASH CAN.
14, UH, JUST RECENTLY INCREASED TO A DOLLAR 20.
UM, I KNOW THAT I'VE, UH, SUBMITTED A BUDGET AMENDMENT ALSO IN THE PAST TO, UM, TRY TO CHARGE FOR THOSE THAT ARE BUILDING BRAND NEW HOMES, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, AND WE HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND DELIVER THE TRASH.
CAN WE HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND DELIVER THE RECYCLING BIN MM-HMM
UH, BUT YET WE'RE EATING THE COST, BUT WE'RE BEING, WHEN I SUBMIT THE AMENDMENT, WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE THIS LEASE THAT WE'RE CHARGING AT THAT TIME, A DOLLAR 14.
THAT'S, UH, THAT, THAT'S PAYING FOR THAT.
WELL, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU READ THIS, BECAUSE THE WORDING HERE SAYS, UH, ROLLING STOCK AND PERSONNEL TO SUPPORT DELIVERIES IN THE FOUR SOLID WASTE OPERATIONS QUADRANTS.
WELL, I MEAN, THE, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT I'M REFERRING TO HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING A LEASE BECAUSE IT'S A, A BRAND NEW HOME.
IT'S BRAND NEW HOME, IT'S A BRAND NEW DEVELOPMENT, SO THEY HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING A LEASE.
SO THEREFORE WE'RE, WE'RE GOING OUT THERE AND DELIVERING THE TRASH CANS, WE'RE GOING OUT THERE AND DELIVERING THE RECYCLING BINS, AND WE'RE EATING THE COST, BUT WE'RE BEING TOLD, WELL, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S INCLUDED IN THIS LEASE.
WELL, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING A LEASE TO BEGIN WITH.
UH, SO THEREFORE, MY, MY, I'M GONNA SUBMIT MY BUDGET AMENDMENT AGAIN, ASKING TO CHARGE FOR THAT DELIVERY COST.
SO THAT WAY, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO EAT THAT COST.
UH, SO, SO, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M GONNA SUBMIT ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANY DIFFERENT RESULTS ON IT.
UM, IN, IN, IN REGARDS TO THE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES, UH, I REALLY AGREE WHAT YOU'RE STATING HERE, UH, IN REGARDS TO MAYBE REDESIGNING THE DEPOSITORY MM-HMM
UM, I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT MANY TIMES WHERE I'M THERE DELIVER OR, UH, WANTING TO SOME, UH, WASTE TO THE DEPOSITORY.
AND I SEE INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH IN THEIR PICKUP TRUCK.
WE'LL PUT YOU BACK IN THE QUEUE.
WE'LL PUT YOU BACK IN THE QUEUE.
UH, THE NEXT QUESTION IS COMING VIRTUALLY FROM, UM, CHAIR DAVE MARTIN.
LOTS OF SPONSORSHIP NEIGHBORHOODS ARE ON THE BRINK OF REVERTING BACK TO CITY OF HOUSTON COLLECTION DUE TO RISING PRIVATE COLLECTION COST.
AND THE REIMBURSEMENT FEE ISN'T ENOUGH.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE CURRENT PER HOUSEHOLD REIMBURSEMENT FEE FOR TRASH SPONSORSHIPS? AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE FEE WAS INCREASED? OKAY, GOOD QUESTION.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU THE LAST TIME IT WAS INCREASED.
IT, THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE, UH, FOR A LONG TIME.
AND I THINK IT, IT SUPERSEDES, UH, THE LONGEVITY OF A LOT OF FOLKS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT, THAT KIND OF TELLS YOU THAT IT'S A LITTLE BEHIND.
UM, AND I'M SURE HIS OFFICE WILL REACH OUT TO GET SOME SPECIFICS ON THAT.
HAPPY TO HAVE ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS.
UH, DIRECTOR, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN COMPLAINTS DECREASE MM-HMM
UH, AT LEAST IN DISTRICT C, WE'RE SEEING LESS COMPLAINTS INCREASING.
THE TIMELINESS OF, YOU KNOW, STANDARD PICKUP.
Y'ALL ARE INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY.
UM, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT AS A BASIC CITY SERVICE.
DOES THE, DOES Y'ALL'S BUDGET PROJECT OR INCLUDE THE ISSUES THAT WE MAY HAVE WITH, UM, OUR, OUR TRASH PICKUP FLEET AND OUR RECYCLING FLEET? SO WE KNOW THAT, AGAIN, FLEET WAS BEFORE US.
PREVIOUSLY THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF ISSUES MM-HMM.
WITH REPAIRS, UH, LIFE, END OF LIFE CYCLE WEAR AND TEAR.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THOSE LIFE CYCLES SPEED UP MM-HMM.
BECAUSE OF SO MANY DISASTERS, RIGHT.
WHERE WE NEEDED DEBRIS PICKUP, BUT IS THAT INCLUDED, OR WHAT PROJECTIONS DO WE HAVE THERE? YEAH.
IT'S INCLUDED IN OUR OPERATING CAPITAL.
UM, AND, AND I THINK WHAT WE ARE FEELING THE MOST IS THE IMPACT OF COVID AND THE IMPACT THAT COVID HAS HAD ON SUPPLY CHAINS.
MANY OF THE VENDORS THAT I SPEAK WITH IN IONS TO EQUIPMENT EXPLAIN TO ME THAT THEY MAY HAVE A TRUCK THAT'S THREE-FOURTHS COMPLETE AND THEY JUST CAN'T RELEASE THAT TRUCK BECAUSE IT'S WAITING ON CERTAIN SAFETY FEATURES OR CERTAIN PROGRAM FEATURES OF
[00:45:01]
THE TRUCK THAT JUST AREN'T AVAILABLE DUE TO SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.UH, BUT DIRECT TO GLASS, GLASSCOCK AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT GAIN ITS MOMENTUM.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THOSE GEARS TURN.
AND, UH, WE'RE, WE, WE'RE SPEAKING WITH VENDORS WHO ARE FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT SOME DELIVERY DATES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER COST PROJECTION, I MENTIONED IT PREVIOUSLY.
UH, WHEN I CONTINUE TO PUSH AND ADVOCATE FOR MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING MM-HMM
AND THE, UH, GROWTH OR DIVERSION RATE IMPROVEMENTS WITH RECYCLING THAT WE HAVE, A LOT OF THAT IS TIED DIRECTLY TO THE LIFE CYCLE OF OUR LANDFILLS.
WHICH ARE, UM, COMING UP ON END OF LIFE.
DO WE, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US IF YOU HAVE OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, AND I'M HAPPY TO SUBMIT IT AS A QUESTION, SOME OF THOSE COSTS, SO WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR LANDFILLS AND WHAT THOSE LIFE CYCLES CURRENTLY ARE, WHEN WE EXPECT THEM TO BE AT END OF LIFE MM-HMM
AND WHAT IT WILL COST US TO PUT INTO EFFECT BASICALLY THE CREATION OF NEW LANDFILLS.
SO AS FAR AS THE EXISTING LIFECYCLE OF OUR CURRENT LANDFILL, THE MAIN ONES THAT WE USE, SUCH AS MCCARTY, ROAD LANDFILL, UM, I'M THINKING THAT THEY HAVE IT AT 10 TO 15 YEARS LIFECYCLE LEFT, WHICH IS NOT VERY LONG AT ALL.
UH, SOME OF THOSE FOLKS WHO RUN THOSE LANDFILLS, WE'LL TELL YOU, OH, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
WE HAVE ANOTHER LANDFILL YOU CAN USE.
BUT AGAIN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, YOU KNOW, LOGISTICS IS THE KEY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE COMMODITY THAT WE MOVE HAPPENS TO BE GARBAGE.
UH, WHEN WE START PUTTING THAT TYPE OF STRESS AND THAT INCREASED FLOW ON THE OTHER LANDFILLS, THEN THAT SPEEDS UP THEIR LIFE LIFECYCLE AS WELL.
SO THE FACT THAT THERE MAY BE ANOTHER LANDFILL IN THIS REGION THAT WE CAN USE IS NOT THE ANSWER.
SO WE HAVE TO START NOW, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, WE HAVE SOME OTHER CITIES, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WHO ARE IN THE SAME SCENARIO, UH, SAME SITUATION.
AND NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY BETWEEN, UH, UH, HOUSTON, AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO, WE'RE DISCUSSING REGIONAL LANDFILL EFFORTS THAT MAY COME INTO PLAY.
AND IT TAKES, I MEAN, AT LEAST A DECADE TO CREATE DECADE, ANOTHER LANDFILL.
SO WE'RE NOW GETTING ON BORROWED TIME PERMIT.
AND CAN WE, AS THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE AND THE NEED FOR A NEW LANDFILL MM-HMM
AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO DO AND IS TRYING TO DO IN GOOD FAITH, RIGHT.
CAN WE SUSTAIN THOSE OPERATIONS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAMS? UH, NO.
IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE EXTREMELY CHALLENGING.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE THAT BALL AND CHAIN AROUND, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S, UH, UH, GENERAL FUND.
AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION NOW WHERE WE CAN, WE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SUSTAINING.
AGAIN, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY TRANSPARENT.
ALLOW THOSE REVENUES TO COME IN, SUPPORT THE PROGRAM, AND FOLKS CAN ALWAYS SEE HOW THAT, THAT IS FUNCTIONING.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX'S OFFICE.
Y'ALL ARE ESSENTIAL IN MY BOOK.
UM, QUESTION, THE SPONSORSHIP IS $6 PER MONTH PER HOUSEHOLD.
WHAT DOES IT COST THE CITY TO PICK UP GARBAGE? SO, OH, GOOD QUESTION.
WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE ON THE NORTH OF THE $20, UH, PER HOUSEHOLD.
SO YOU WANNA ENCOURAGE NEIGHBORHOODS, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE TO GET ON A SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT CORRECT.
AS TO SAVE THE CITY MONEY, CORRECT.
AND, UM, HOW LONG DOES THE PROCESS TAKE TO FROM START TO FINISH TO ACTUALLY APPLY FOR SPONSORSHIP AND ACTUALLY START UP? WHAT'S A TARGET? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE 30 DAYS.
UH, PAYMENT WOULD BE 30 DAYS AGAIN, TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION, GET IT THROUGH, GET IT APPROVED 30 DAYS.
AND LASTLY, HOW MANY NET NEW TRUCKS, UH, IS THE DEPARTMENT PLANNING TO TAKE DELIVERY ON THIS YEAR? UM, THIS YEAR WE HOPE TO, WELL, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME THAT ARE READY TO COME IN.
NOW THEY'RE AT, AT OUR LOCAL DEALERS.
THEY'RE JUST GETTING THE FINISH AND TOUCHES PUT ON THEM.
SO WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE ABOUT, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WAS 16 OR 18.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN THE FLEET? HOW MANY APPROXIMATELY, UH, A NUMBER OF TRUCKS WE HAVE IN THE FLEET.
AND I USED TO KNOW THIS BY HEART, IT ESCAPES ME 'CAUSE I JUST RAN A CALCULATION ON IT THE OTHER DAY.
I KNOW THAT OVER THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, WE'VE REPLACED ABOUT 60% OR 70% OF THAT FLEET.
NOW I CAN GET BACK WITH YOU ON THE EXACT NUMBER.
THAT'S, SO WE'RE HOPING TO TAKE ON 16 NEW TRUCKS.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DRIVERS FOR THE TRUCKS.
GOING BACK TO, UH, MY QUESTION, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE, UH, THE DROP OFF COLLECTION SITES, UH, IT, IT SHOWS HERE THAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO IDENTIFY SMALLER LOADS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES.
SO ARE YOU GOING TO DEDICATE, I GUESS, A CERTAIN AREA ON THE DROP OFF SITES? SO THOSE THAT HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT, LET'S SAY, UH, WHEN I'VE GONE OUT THERE, I'VE SEEN INDIVIDUALS AND, AND I'M GONNA USE THE SCENARIO THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU
[00:50:01]
KNOW, IT, IT'S SUMMER, IT'S HOT.YOU'RE SITTING THERE, YOU'RE SWEATING, UM, YOU KNOW, AND YOU ARE JUST PATIENTLY WAITING.
UH, AND YOU'VE GOT SOMEONE THERE THAT MAY HAVE A COUCH MM-HMM
FOR EXAMPLE, OR MAYBE FIVE GARBAGE BAGS OR SOMETHING.
UH, BUT YET THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND THEY'RE JUST SITTING THERE AND WAITING.
AND THEN YOU HAVE OTHERS THAT HAVE QUITE A BIT OF STUFF AND THEY'RE HAVING TO WAIT TO MAKE SURE THOSE GET UNLOADED.
SO THEREFORE THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT JUST HAVE SMALL AMOUNT, THEY CAN GO TO ANOTHER LOCATION THERE.
JUST A ANOTHER, UH, LOCATION RIGHT THERE ON THE SAME PROPERTY.
UM, AND MAYBE WE'LL JUST HAVE A ROLL OFF BOX THAT'S OPEN AGAIN, YOU CAN TOSS IT IN AND LEAVE.
UM, DON'T BE SURPRISED IF YOU SEE ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS DRIVING A LINE WITH A GOLF CART WITH A LITTLE TRAILER BEHIND IT, YOU KNOW, AND JUST SAY, HEY, THROW IT ON HERE, AND SO WE CAN MANEUVER QUICKLY THROUGH THE LINE.
DON'T BE SURPRISED IF YOU HAPPEN TO SEE A LARGER REAR LOADING, UH, REAR END LOADING GARBAGE TRUCK OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, THAT WHERE YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH BACK UP AND, AND TOSS THE STUFF IN SAFELY.
YOU KNOW, SAFETY IS ALWAYS GONNA BE THE KEY AND, UH, WE'LL CRUSH IT UP AND THEN GET YOU OUTTA LINE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS WE ARE, AS THE YOUNG FOLKS DO, WAITING ON THE LATEST NEW AIR JORDANS TO DROP, I DON'T WANT A BIG LINE OUTSIDE THE, THE, UH, FACILITIES LIKE THAT.
AND I, I THINK PEOPLE HAVE MUCH BETTER THINGS TO DO WITH THEIR TIME.
AND, AND, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, THAT'S GREAT.
UH, I, I KNOW THAT, UH, MY STAFF IS, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY FOLLOWED UP, BUT I KNOW THAT WE DID REQUEST, UH, A COST, UH, THERE AT THE, UH, CENTRAL DEPOSITORY MM-HMM
UH, TO SEE WHY WE CAN DO, TO ADD MAYBE A COUPLE OF MORE CONTAINERS ON THE SITE THAT'S NOT BEING UTILIZED MM-HMM
UH, JUST SO THAT WAY WE CAN GET THE VEHICLES TO MOVE IT, MOVE IN AND OUT QUICKER.
UH, SO, SO WE'RE, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO SEE IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
UH, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IF I HAVE SOME DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO HELP WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IN REGARDS TO IDS, I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S INDIVIDUALS AS YOU KNOW, THAT MAY BE, CAN I BE PUT IT? OKAY.
I, I, I KNOW AS YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY GO OUT THERE, UH, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET RID OF THEIR TRASH HERE AT THESE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES.
UH, BUT THEY MAY BE UNDOCUMENTED AND THEREFORE THEY DON'T HAVE A FORM OF ID.
UM, SO, SO IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT, UM, OTHER THAN A ID PICTURE ID PER SE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW OF A, THE UTILITY BILL MM-HMM
WITH MAYBE A, A PAY STUB SHOWING THEIR NAME WITH THE UTILITY BILL.
AND, AND THE ADDRESS OF THE UTILITY BILL.
UH, SOMETHING JUST SO THAT WAY THOSE THAT MAY NOT HAVE AN I A FORM OF ID CAN STILL UTILIZE, UH, THE DEPOSITORY AND, AND NOT GO AND JUST DUMP IT, YOU KNOW, AT A VACANT LOT OR, OR, OR SOMETHING.
UH, IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, NOW GOING TO THE, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT, UM, INCREASE OF CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, HOW MANY DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOR SOLID WASTE? WE DON'T HAVE ANY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PERIOD.
BUT, BUT YOU'RE LOOKING AT GETTING MAYBE SIX CODE ENFORCEMENT.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON INITIATIVE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
UM, NOW ARE THESE, SO THESE CODE ENFORCEMENTS WOULD JUST BE DEDICATED TO SOLID WASTE? CORRECT.
AND WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE, WILL THEY ALSO BE, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, UM, UH, THE, UH, HEAVY TRASH OR TREE WASTE THAT'S BEING TAKEN OUT EARLY? UH, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, AND IT JUST SITS THERE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND, AND TO TELL THE HOMEOWNER, OKAY, YOU'RE IN VIOLATION.
YOUR, YOUR TRASH DAY IS SUCH AND SUCH, THEREFORE YOU, YOU, YOU SHOULDN'T BE TAKING THIS OUT THAT EARLY.
THAT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY WILL DO.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, THE GOAL, ONE THIRD OF THEIR GOAL WILL BE TO EDUCATE MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO GAIN THE COMPLIANCE THAT WE NEED.
AND, UH, HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS ARE Y'ALL SERVING? UH, WHAT HAVE WE HAD THIS DEBATE TODAY? WHAT DID WE SAY? 3 97? MORE THAN 3 93.
IT'S LIKE ME TRYING TO GET INTO THE SAME PAIR OF JEANS I WORE WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
I MEAN, AND THEN THAT'S WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, A CITY KEEPS GROWING THERE, THERE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, 645 PLUS SQUARE MILES AND RIGHT.
BUT YET Y'ALL ARE DOING THE, A GREAT JOB WITH THE RESOURCES YOU DO HAVE.
UH, BUT IT OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED MORE RESOURCES.
STAFF FROM CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU AND YOUR STAFF ARE DOING.
DISTRICT D DOES APPRECIATE IT.
MY QUESTION IS, IN REFERENCE TO THE NUMBER OF DEPOSITORIES YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE CONSIDERING ADDING, UH,
[00:55:01]
DISTRICT D IS EXPERIENCING EXPONENTIAL GROWTH, RIGHT.PUTTING MORE, UH, STRESS ON THE EXISTING, UH, SITE, ESPECIALLY THE SITE ON SUNBEAM AT JUTLAND.
DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY PLANS NEAR OR FAR IN ADDING DEPOSITORY SITES AROUND THE CITY? YES.
UM, A ACTUALLY MY PROPOSAL HAS BEEN TO EXPAND THE EXISTING DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES, UH, AND INCREASE THE CAPACITY.
UH, AND SO IN OTHER WORDS, RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU VISIT THOSE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES, MAYBE ONLY ONE OR TWO CARS CAN DUMP IN A, A DUMPSTER AT A TIME, BUT MAYBE INCREASING THAT CAPACITY.
SO MAYBE WE USE DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT ALTOGETHER, UH, AN 18 WHEELER.
SO NOW WE CAN FACILITATE SIX OR SEVEN CARS DUMPING IN AND OFFLOADING AT ONE TIME.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF DOING SOME EVALUATIONS AND STUDIES RIGHT NOW, JUST OF THE GEOGRAPHY IN THAT AREA.
UH, LAND ACQUISITION MAY COME INTO PLAY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT CERTAIN AT THE MOMENT, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO EXPAND THAT FOOTPRINT JUST TO KEEP UP WITH IT.
UM, IT'S EASY FOR ME TO SIT BEFORE YOU AND SAY, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA GO OUT AND BUILD A NEW DEPOSITORY.
HOWEVER, JUST IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF THE, THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY I RUN INTO, NOT IN MY BACKYARD.
SO, SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO FIND THAT RIGHT MIX AND, AND THAT RIGHT LOCATION THAT CAN, THAT CAN SERVE THAT COMMUNITY.
BUT YES, WE, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
WELL, DIRECTOR, THANK YOU AGAIN AND TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED, UH, POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE CONSTITUENTS REGARDING THE SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE.
WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO, WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
WE'RE USING THE LIST OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO SIGNED UP BY 3:00 PM YESTERDAY.
THE FIRST SPEAKER IS MR. DOUG SMITH.
I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF THESE PRESENTATIONS AND THAT ONE THAT IS FINISHED WAS PROBABLY THE MOST THOROUGH AND POSITIVE ONES I'VE SEEN IN A VERY LONG TIME.
BUT WHAT I CAME HERE TODAY WAS TO TALK ABOUT A SMELLY PROBLEM.
UH, I GO BY THE WEST PARK TRANSFER STATION ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND SOMETIMES THE, UH, ONE ON BELTWAY EIGHT NORTH OF I 10.
AND THE SMELL CAN BE OVERWHELMING, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY, BECAUSE THEY'RE DEALING WITH A VERY SMELLY PROJECT, UH, PRODUCT.
UH, BUT I ALSO LIVE CLOSE TO THE WEST SIDE, UH, SOLID WASTE TREATMENT PLANT, WHICH CAN ALSO BE A VERY SMELLY PROBLEM.
AND THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF AIR FRESHENER WITH THAT PROCESS THAT KEEPS THE SMELL PLEASANT.
AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO, WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TODAY IS TO CONSIDER DOING A PILOT PROGRAM ON THE TWO, UH, TRANSFER STATIONS THAT I MENTIONED.
DO AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET, UH, FIND OUT FROM PUBLIC WORKS, WHAT SYSTEM THEY HAVE AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS, AND SEE IF YOU COULD JUST IMPROVE WHAT IS A VERY, UH, BAD PROBLEM.
IF YOU WANNA SUBMIT THAT QUESTION OVER TO MY OFFICE OR YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE, LET, LET US LOOK INTO SEEING WHAT THAT PROCESS IS FIRST AND TRY TO PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
A COUPLE THINGS I WANT TO LIFT THAT I WAS GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT.
I, I REALLY WANT TO, UM, EMPHASIZE THE QUESTION THAT, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS ASKED ABOUT THE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES AND NOT, NOT REQUESTING ID AND, AND HAVING ALTERNATIVE FORMS. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND, AND THEN ALSO I, I APPRECIATE THE POINT ABOUT LONGEVITY, UH, PAY, AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S QUESTION ABOUT ROUTES.
WE ARE, I'M LOOKING, I WAS LOOKING BACK AT THE 2021 BUDGET ADOPTION FISCAL YEAR 20 21, 3 YEARS AGO TO RECAP FROM THEN THERE WERE 26 YARD RACE ROUTES.
WHEN WE NEED 40 THIS YEAR, WE'RE STILL AT 26, BUT WE'RE TARGETING 39, UH, 2020.
WE WERE AT 91 TRASH ROUTES AND WE NEED 1 0 9 THIS YEAR WE'RE AT 89, SO WE, I THINK WE LOST TWO.
BUT TARGETING ONE 11, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE TARGETS.
[01:00:01]
ALLOCATED APPROPRIATE RESOURCES TO GET THERE, OR SIMPLY TO MEASURE OUR PROGRESS AGAINST THE CITY'S ACTUAL NEED? UH, AND THEN LIKE ALONG THE SAME LINES, I REMEMBER BACK IN 2021, WE HEARD THAT WE WERE ABOUT 40 MILLION AWAY FROM RIGHT SIZING SOLID WASTE.LIKE HAS ONE CLEAN HOUSTON OR ANY OTHER INITIATIVE HAS THREE YEARS, BROUGHT US CLOSER TO RIGHT SIZING OUR SOLID WASTE OPERATIONS IN TERMS OF EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL.
LIKE WHERE ARE WE IN TERMS OF RIGHT SIZING, SOLID WASTE, COUNCIL MEMBER, ALCORN, JASON, ALL GREAT QUESTIONS.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARD TO THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, I'M, I'M WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEPARTMENTS ARE GIVEN A TARGET OR THEY KNOW ABOUT WHAT THEIR TARGET IS.
BUT, BUT WHAT WOULD BE GREAT TO, AND A LOT OF TIMES THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND I'M GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT THIS THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET, IS ARE JUST, UM, KIND OF STATS, RIGHT? JUST KIND OF STATS, NOT LIKE, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING FOR ME TO SEE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE GOAL, WHAT'S THE ULTIMATE GOAL? AND, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CAN'T MEET THAT GOAL BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF, UH, FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, RIGHT? SO I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT'S, THAT'S BOTHERSOME.
I SOMETIMES WANNA LOOK AT MORE THAN JUST, OKAY, WE DID 2000, WE'RE GONNA DO 2010, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE REALLY NEED TO DO AND, AND WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET THERE? UM, I DO THINK ONE SAFE HOUSTON, OR ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, UM, IS, IS HELPING, UM, US MEET THOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE ADDITIONAL GOALS THAT TO RIGHT SIZE.
I MEAN, THAT'S, I MEAN, WITHOUT THAT, WE'D STILL BE WRONG, WRONG, WRONG SIZED.
BUT, BUT, UH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY HELPING US GO IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, YOU HEARD THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FEE.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I KNOW IT'S NOT THE MOST POPULAR THING IN THE WORLD, DOUG SMITH, WE UNDERSTAND.
UH, BUT THE LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS DEPARTMENT WITHOUT YOU HEARD THE DIRECTOR SAY WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF, OF RESOURCES FROM THE GENERAL FUND, UH, DOES NOT STAND MM-HMM
UM, PEOPLE LIKE, UH, ME THAT WOULDN'T REALLY SEE OTHER, UH, THINGS TO GET TO ADDRESS A LANDFILL PROBLEM.
LIKE, UH, COMPOSTING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T WE TRY TO HAVE LESS TRASH? YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT FILLING UP THE LANDFILL.
LET'S ALL DIVERT FROM THE LANDFILL.
WE CAN'T REALLY GET A, A FULLBLOWN COMPOSTING PROGRAM IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM WITHOUT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR GRANT MONEY, WHICH I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF, UM, TO HELP IN THAT EFFORT.
BUT ALL GOOD QUESTIONS AND, AND, UM, AND I DON'T WANNA SAY I LIKE IT, RIGHT? LIKE I, IT, IT'S A GOOD THING TO SAY THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT WE NEED IN TERMS OF ROUTES AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.
SO I REALLY, REALLY LIKE THAT.
I JUST WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IN TERMS OF THAT 40 MILLION THAT WE NEEDED, LIKE HAS THIS, ARE WE, ARE WE DOWN TO 35? ARE WE UP TO 48? RIGHT? WHERE, WHERE ARE WE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE NEED AND, AND WILL THE FEE, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND I THINK AS OUTCOME-BASED BUDGETING PROGRESSES, WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE OF THAT.
WE'RE GONNA SEE THESE MEASURES EVOLVE AND WE WILL, UH, IF YOU WANNA SUBMIT THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION OVER, UH, TO YOUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, UH, WE WILL UPLOAD IT TO SHAREPOINT SO THE DEPARTMENT CAN GIVE YOU A DIRECT ANSWER.
I'M GONNA SEND IT TO YOU, BUT I ALSO SEND IT TO COUNCILMAN ALCORN.
WHAT YOU SAY? YOU SAID SENT IT TO, I'M GONNA SEND IT TO YOU.
WITHAL ROGERS DE WITHAL LEAVE.
PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME AND I PRONOUNCED HER NAME CORRECTLY.
THAT COMPLETES THE UM, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT BUDGET WORKSHOP.
WE WILL NOW ADJOURN AND TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK WHILE SETTING UP FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURTS BUDGET WORKSHOP.