[Quality of Life Committee]
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GOOD AFTERNOON.WELCOME TO THE, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE MEETING.
I'M COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS, CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
IT'S NOW TWO 11, AND I'M PLEASED TO CALL TODAY'S MEETING TO ORDER.
LET ME START BY RECOGNIZING MY COLLEAGUES JOINING US TODAY, UH, BEGINNING WITH VICE-CHAIR ABBY CAYMANS JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
UH, HERE IN THE CHAMBER, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK.
UH, WE HAVE STAFF MEMBERS JOINING US FROM MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE STAFF MEMBERS JOINING US FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE STAFF JOINING US FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON'S OFFICE, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE.
IF I MISSED ANYONE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
VICE CHAIR CAYMAN, ARE YOU, ARE YOU ABLE, IF YOU'D PREFER OR LIKE TO MAKE SOME OPENING REMARKS? UH, NO.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATION, BUT I THINK Y'ALL NEED TO GO TO LIVE MODE, UM, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, JUST TO, IT'S STILL SHOWING ON TEAMS PRE-LIVE.
I UNDERSTAND AT THE MOMENT WE CAN'T GO TO THE, THE, THE MODE.
UM, UH, BUT, UH, THERE, WE'RE HOPING TO DO THAT SOON THOUGH,
WELL, VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATION.
A REMINDER FOR COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF EACH PRESENTATION.
WHEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZED, REMEMBER TO UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONE.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR THREE MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS HAVE ENDED.
NOW SWITCHING TO THE MEETING AGENDA TODAY, THE COMMITTEE WILL RECEIVE UPDATES FROM THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT ON PROPOSED BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
NOW, LET ME INVITE OUR FIRST PRESENTER, UH, SOLID WASTE DIRECTOR.
UH, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AS WELL AS YOUR STAFF.
AND WHEN YOU'RE READY, PLEASE GET STARTED.
UH, MARK AL, UH, DIRECTOR FOR THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, CITY OF HOUSTON.
I'M ALSO JOINED BY OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, MS. VERONICA LAMA.
SO HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY AND JUST KIND OF GIVE EVERYONE AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENTS, UH, THAT WERE, UH, PERTAINING TO THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE GET INTO IT, ALWAYS LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE OF OUR MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES.
AND OF COURSE, OUR MISSION, UH, THAT WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT IS TO PROVIDE THE CITY WITH INTEGRATED MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, UH, UH, ECONOMIC, I'M SORRY, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, SUSTAINABILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND ALL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, YOU KNOW, OUR VISION, WE, WE THINK THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING EVERYONE TO ADOPT IT, TO EMBRACE IT, AND THAT IS TO PRESERVE THE CLEANLINESS OF OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE PROVISION OF EFFICIENT, RELIABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
UH, MOST NOTABLY TO CREATE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON.
AND AGAIN, THESE WERE ALL DEVELOPED BY OUR STAFF WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE KIND OF FOCUSED ON FAIRNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY, CUSTOMER SERVICE, TEAMWORK, AND SAFETY.
AND AS OUR EMPLOYEES EXHIBIT THOSE VALUES, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS THEY OCCUR.
SO DURING THE FY 24 BUDGET, UH, DISCUSSION, THERE WERE THREE BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT WERE REFERRED BY MAYOR TURNER.
UH, ONE WAS TO EVALUATE THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM, AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS, UH, MENTIONED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, UH, 1403, UH, DEVELOP A LOOK INTO DEVELOPING A, A ONE-TIME NEW DEVELOPMENT CONTAINER FEE.
AND THEN, UH, THE THIRD AMENDMENT REQUEST WAS TO INCREASE THE FUNDING FOR THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO WE TOOK A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE FIRST AMENDMENT, UH, RECOMMENDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
AND THAT WAS TO TRANSFER $773,000 FROM THE CONTAINER LEASE FUND, UH, OVER TO THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.
AND FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR, THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM BASICALLY, UM, ALLOWS THE CITY TO REIMBURSE ANY RESIDENTS WHO ARE NOT RECEIVING SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES DIRECTLY FROM OUR DEPARTMENT TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $6 PER MONTH, UH, PER HOUSEHOLD IF THEY HAVE TO GO OUT AND CONTRACT, UH, SOLID WASTE SERVICES
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WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY.SO WE, WE TOOK A DEEPER LOOK INTO THAT.
WE STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH AND, UH, I WILL TELL YOU UPFRONT, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK TO DO IN THAT AREA.
WHAT, WHAT I WAS ABLE TO UNCOVER IS THAT THIS WAS FIRST INITIATED IN, IN 1995 AND, AND IN 1995, THE, THE AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT IS THE SAME AS IT IS TODAY.
SO IT WAS $6, THEN IT'S $6 TODAY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'LL, WE WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE, UM, TO, TO SEE WHAT IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE FOR THAT PROGRAM TO FUNCTION ACCORDINGLY.
AND SO, UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO UPDATE AND WE'LL, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, UM, THE CONTAINER LEASE FUND.
AND, UH, AS WE MOVE ON AND, AND ADDRESS THE AMENDMENT, THE CONTAINER LEASE FUND, I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THAT CONTAINER LEASE PROGRAM.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE EMPLOYEES.
THAT INCLUDES THE EQUIPMENT, THAT INCLUDES THE INVENTORY AND THE SUPPLIES THAT WE HAVE TO ORDER ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO, TO KEEP THAT PROGRAM SOLVENT.
UH, AND NOW WITH, UH, MORE EMPHASIS BEING PLACED ON ACCOUNTABILITY, WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO EXPLORE THE OPPORTUNITIES OF, UH, GETTING SOME SORT OF INVENTORY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN THAT ALLOWS US TO GET BETTER CONTROL OF WHERE OUR CARTS ARE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND THEN BE ABLE TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, UH, OR, OR AT LEAST BE ABLE TO HOLD RESIDENTS ACCOUNTABLE ACCORDINGLY.
UH, SO THAT, THAT'S FIRST THING.
SO RIGHT NOW, IF WE WERE TO, TO SHIFT FUNDING FROM THE CONTAINER LEASE FUND OVER TO, UH, THE, UH, SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM, IT WOULD HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT.
IT, IT WOULD DEFINITELY ADVERSELY IMPACT, UH, THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, MEANING THAT, UH, ABOUT 20%, 25% OF THAT WOULD AFFECT SOME OF THE STAFFING, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, SUPPLIES AND THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO RUN THAT PROGRAM.
SO THERE WAS ALSO A RECOMMENDATION TO CONSIDER A 5% EXPANSION.
IN OTHER WORDS, HOW WOULD THAT IMPACT US FROM AN OPERATIONAL BUDGET PERSPECTIVE? THE, UH, THERE'S SOMEBODY NOT ON MUTE.
UM, I THINK I WOULD POP TWO, HONESTLY, A THOUSAND PERCENT.
HOPEFULLY THEY'LL FIGURE THAT OUT.
SO, UM, BUT, BUT TO CONSIDER ALSO A 5% EXPANSION, YOU KNOW, SO, AND THAT'S BASED ON THE GROWTH RATE OF THE CITY AND, AND HOW WE SEE THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRING ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, WE, WE DID A JUST QUICK AND DIRTY EVALUATION OF THAT AND, AND CAME UP WITH ABOUT A, RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD IMPACT US BY ABOUT $168,000 A MONTH.
AND THAT'S AT THE CURRENT RATE OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE, UH, SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.
SO, SO AT THIS TIME, AS IT RELATES TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE, WE DON'T THINK THAT'S THE, THE, THE MOST PRUDENT USE OF, OF THE FUNDING IN THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
AND WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM TO SEE, UH, WHAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, HOW SHOULD THIS PROGRAM THAT WAS INITIATED IN 1995 FUNCTION IN 2023 AND BEYOND? MORE TO COME.
ALRIGHT, THE SECOND AMENDMENT 1403, UH, OF COURSE BY COUNCIL MEMBER GLADOS, UH, IS TO, UH, CONSIDER, UH, A FEE FOR ALL NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WHEN IT, AS IT RELATES TO DELIVERING, DELIVERING A NEW CONTAINER.
AND WE'RE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING HOMES THAT WEREN'T THERE YESTERDAY, BUT THEY ARE HERE TODAY.
YOU KNOW, IN OTHER WORDS, A A NEWLY BUILT HOME NOW THAT IS COMING INTO OUR SYSTEM, AND NOW THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SERVICING THAT PARTICULAR HOME.
UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE IS AN EXPENSE INVOLVED WITH DELIVERING A CONTAINER TO SOMEONE'S HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, IT NORMALLY TAKES EMPLOYEES.
THERE'S SOME ADMINISTRATIVE COMPONENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE ORDERS OR SERVICE REQUESTS GET TO THE SERVICE CENTER AND FOR, FOR PROPER ACTION.
UH, SO YOU KNOW THAT THE, UH, WHAT WE CAME UP WITH BASICALLY WAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT, THAT OF A, OF A RATE THAT ALL CURRENTLY EXISTS ON THE BOOKS OF ROUGHLY $25, OR WHAT WAS IT? 26, 20 16, 26, 20 20 $6 AND 20 20 CENTS, UH, TO COVER THAT CHARGE.
UH, SO WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS OUR REVENUE AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDS THE PURPOSE OF THAT NEW CHARGE.
WE DON'T WANT TO, UH, CREATE A PERCEPTION OF DOUBLE DIPPING.
THERE IS A DOLLAR AND 20 CENT CONTAINER LEASE FEE THAT'S APPLIED TO EACH RESIDENT THAT WE SERVICE.
UH, HOWEVER, THIS PARTICULAR FEE, UH, WOULD NOT COVER, UH, IT DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH THAT.
IT MAINLY ACCOMMODATES THE GROWTH AND EXPANSION THAT WILL OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO, UM, WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, AS I
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MENTIONED BEFORE, WORKING WITH OUR, OUR COUNTERPARTS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND LEGAL, BUT THE ANNUAL ESTIMATE, UH, FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THAT WOULD BE PLUS $163,000 IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING.AND THAT'S BASED ON THE NUMBER OF HOMES THAT COME ONLINE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
UM, THE, THE LAST AMENDMENT, OF COURSE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE ONE THAT'S, UH, THAT PEOPLE IN HOUSTON ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED ABOUT.
AND THAT IS INCREASING THE FUNDING TO THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, PRIMARILY MOVING FROM A GENERAL FUND TO AN ENTERPRISE FUND DEPARTMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PURPOSE WAS TO BASICALLY TRY TO RIGHT SIZE THE DEPARTMENT.
WE UNDERSTAND, UH, I THINK EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS UNDERFUNDED.
UH, AND, AND DESPITE THOSE CHALLENGES, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO PUT FORTH ITS BEST EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ACCORDINGLY.
UH, BUT WE SEE THE BENEFITS OF MOVING FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO AN ENTERPRISE FUND, UH, AS BEING, AS REDUCING THE STRESS ON THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN ALSO IT WOULD ALLOW US TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CAPITAL NEEDS, UH, AS WELL AS THE QUALITY OF SERVICE THAT WE DELIVER TO OUR RESIDENTS ON, ON AN AN OR ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO WE, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS ALSO A RECOMMENDATION THAT CAN BE FOUND ON IN OUR LONG RANGE PLAN ONLINE.
AND, UH, WE BASICALLY SEE THAT IF WE WERE TO, YOU KNOW, ADOPT THESE ANYWHERE FROM THE RANGE OF 20 TO $30, THAT IT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT, NOT ONLY ON THE DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO ON THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND AS WELL.
AND THE OTHER SERVICES, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DEPEND ON THE GENERAL FUND FOR THEIR OPERATING NEEDS, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR A WHILE, UH, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS THE ONLY CITY THAT DIDN'T CHARGE FOR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, BUT YOU CAN, AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE ILLUSTRATION THAT'S IN THERE, THE CITY OF DENVER CITY COUNCIL JUST RECENTLY, UM, APPROVED, UH, AS OF JANUARY, 2023, A RATE FOR THE SOLID WASTE PROGRAM.
UH, THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS RATE THAT THE CITY OF DENVER HAS APPROVED IS THAT IT ALSO MAKES ACCOMMODATIONS FOR, UH, ANYONE WHO MAY BE HAVING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES OR THOSE WHO ARE ON FIXED INCOME, THE ELDERLY, THE HANDICAP ACCORDINGLY.
UH, SO THE, UH, OF COURSE WE WOULD LOVE TO ADOPT THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IT'S JUST AS EASY AS SNAP IN OUR FINGERS, BUT OF COURSE WE HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR ADMINISTRATION, UM, TO, TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, PUSH TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
SO, ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? UH, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK IN THE QUEUE.
I'M SORRY, I, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T, I'M SO EAGER TO GET TO THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
UH, OMITTED A SLIDE IN THERE, WHICH IS BASICALLY A, A SLIDE THAT HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMPARED TO OUR COUNTERPARTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, WE HAVE THE LARGEST POPULATION, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE, UH, BUT AS YOU LOOK AT THE, THE, THE ANNUAL BUDGET, UH, THINGS START TO GO DOWN FROM THERE.
SO, UH, AND YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER, UH, FEATURE IN THERE THAT'S GLARINGLY EVIDENT IS THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE THE ONLY ONE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT DOES NOT HAVE A FEE TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.
SO, UM, AS WELL AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL FEE AS WELL.
SO, AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
UH, JUST WANT TO TALK A FEW, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS.
SO SOME OF THE, UH, ITEMS THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT IN HERE, OF COURSE, IT'S GONNA REQUIRE US TO WORK WITH SOME CONSULTANTS AND SOME OF OUR OTHER COUNT OUR PROFESSIONALS IN THE INDUSTRY.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE AGAIN, TO EVALUATE THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UH, FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE CAN CONSIDER MULTIPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
WE CAN CONSIDER TRYING TO RIGHT SIZE THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM AS FAR AS THE FEE REIMBURSEMENT WE COULD CONSIDER, UH, MAYBE DEVELOPING, UH, SEGMENTS OR REGIONS FOR PRIVATE CONTRACTORS TO WORK WITHIN.
BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UH, TO, TO CONSIDER FOR ENHANCEMENT OF THAT PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO RESEARCH OUR, UH, OUR SOLID WASTE FEE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FEE BECAUSE I, I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT IN THERE THAT THE CITY CAN BENEFIT FROM.
OF COURSE, WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR ADMINISTRATION TO DO SO, AND, UH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE THING THAT, UH, I DO TIP MY HAT TO IS SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE TIP OUR HAT TO, BUT I WOULD DEFINITELY WANNA RECOGNIZE MAYOR TURNER FOR SUPPORTING THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH ALL OF ITS CHALLENGES AND TRYING TO REDUCE THE VACANCY RATE.
UH, WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED, THERE WAS A $3,000, YOU KNOW, SIGN ON BONUS FOR ALL DRIVERS WHO ARE INTERESTED.
AND SINCE THEN, THAT'S INCREASED TO $5,000 AND WE'VE SEEN A TREMENDOUS RESPONSE IN THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS RECEIVED FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
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SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.ALSO, UH, UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION, WE'LL BE RECEIVING ABOUT 60 NEW TRUCKS BY THE, BY DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
AND THOSE VEHICLES ARE STARTING TO TRICKLE IN NOW.
IN FACT, WE HAVE OUR FIRST 10, UH, THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND, AND BEING INCORPORATED INTO OUR OPERATION.
AND, AND, UH, MORE WILL BE COMING, UH, IN THE REMAINING MONTHS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE SUCCESS UNDER ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, UH, THAT EVERYONE IS SEEING.
SO I THINK ONE, CLEAN HOUSTON IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF, OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE, UH, PUT THE ATTENTION WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, UH, AS WELL AS THE FUNDING.
AND NOW I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IN THE FUTURE, UH, DEFINITELY FOR THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION IS FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM SUSTAINABLE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN ENJOY THAT RELIEF AND, AND BUILD THOSE AESTHETICS BACK UP IN THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.
AND I PROMISE YOU THIS TIME, THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE,
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAD TWO BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT WEREN'T NECESSARILY REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE, BUT THE MAYOR SAID THAT HE WOULD DISCUSS WITH YOU MM-HMM
SO I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WERE UPDATES ON THOSE.
UM, THE FIRST WAS TO LET CUSTOMERS KNOW IN REAL TIME WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO THE DEPOSITORIES, WHAT THE WAIT TIME IS MM-HMM
AND THE OTHER IS THE BIODEGRADABLE YARD WASTE BAGS TO SEE IF THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS THAN JUST THE ONES WITH THE CITY SEAL ON IT.
THOSE ARE A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE.
AND, AND, UM, UH, UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THOSE, THE BIODEGRADABLE BAGS.
I'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN WITH OUR PROCESSOR ON THAT HAD A, HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
THEIR CONCERN IS, IS GOING TO BE, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE AS CONCERNED WITH, UH, THAT PARTICULAR BAG, BUT ANY OTHER BAG TO MAKE SURE THAT IT MEETS THOSE SPECS.
UH, THOSE BAGS ARE DESIGNED TO COMPOST, YOU KNOW, AND, AND BREAK DOWN RATHER QUICKLY.
AND THEY HAVE A CERTAIN SPEC THAT THEY, THEY, UH, REQUIRE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS THAT THROUGH THEIR FACILITY.
SO IF, IF WE CAN, WE CAN ALWAYS CONSIDER IT IF WE CAN FIND A, A SIMILAR BAG.
UH, BUT SOME OF THE ONES THAT YOU MAY SEE IN THE HOME DEPOTS THAT SAY BIODEGRADABLE ON THEM MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO DECOMPOSE AND COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THEIR OPERATION.
UH, THAT'S BEEN THE MAIN HOLD UP ON THAT.
AND THEN THE, UH, REAL TIME DEPOSITORY, WE'RE GETTING THERE.
WE HAVE MADE SOME ADVANCEMENTS, UH, IN THAT SECTOR, FOR INSTANCE, WE'RE ABLE TO, WE'RE ABLE NOW, TODAY WE'RE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHO'S VISITING, WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM, AND WE HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO DETERMINE WHEN OUR PEAK TIMES OCCUR.
SO IN THE FUTURE, WE'LL BE PUBLISHING THAT ONLINE AND, AND IT'LL BE STATIC FOR RIGHT NOW, BUT IN THE FUTURE IT WILL BE MORE LIVE.
AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS EVEN GETTING SOME SORT OF A CAMERA THAT CAN BE FIXED ON THERE SO PEOPLE CAN LOG ON AND SEE THAT INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE, BUT, UH, SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE DRAWN BACK THUS FAR INDICATES THAT ABOUT 30% OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THOSE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES ACTUALLY COME FROM THE COUNTY IN CERTAIN AREAS.
UM, WE, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO TURN THEM AWAY, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT A HABIT.
UM, UH, BUT THAT, THAT'S SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE FINDING OUT NOW.
AND ALSO AS IT RELATES TO THE DEPOSITORIES, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ADJUSTING THE ID REQUIREMENTS AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN FOR THE BIODEGRADABLE BAGS, I KNOW THAT THE CITY HAS LOOKED INTO THIS MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, BUT MM-HMM
UM, INSTEAD OF USING A BAG AT ALL TO PUT IN A BIN INSTEAD OF A BAG, HAS THAT BEEN LOOKED AT AGAIN IN THE RECENTLY? YEAH, THAT, THAT'S ALWAYS AN OPTION.
SO, UH, IN OTHER WORDS, A, A BIN THAT ONE CAN BE EMPTIED AND THEN RETURNED TO THE CURBSIDE.
AND, AND EACH RESIDENT CURRENTLY HAS THAT OPTION RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO.
BUT, UM, BUT, UH, AS FAR AS US PROVIDING THAT BIN TO THE, TO THE RESIDENT, I DON'T THINK THAT'S IN THE IMMEDIATE PLANS FOR RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE IN ADDRESS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
UM, I, I KNOW WE SAY THIS A LOT, BUT TO THE ENTIRE, UH, SOLID WASTE TEAM, THANK Y'ALL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY THROUGHOUT THE HEAT, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING.
I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY AND INCLUDING WORKING THROUGH LABOR DAY.
UM, SO OUR APPRECIATION THERE, UH, GREAT PRESENTATION.
ONE QUESTION AS IT RELATES TO COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AMENDMENTS, ARE WE LOOKING AT EITHER WAY, CREATING A SPECIAL FUND THAT IS DESIGNATED SPECIFICALLY FOR SOLID WASTE, UM, SO THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE PROTECTED? ONE MORE TIME.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
UM, SO ARE WE LOOKING AT CREATING A SPECIAL FUND? LET'S SAY THERE ARE ADDITIONAL FEES THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED OR,
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UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT'S JUST BINS, ET CETERA, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID WITH BINS.ARE WE LOOKING AT A SPECIAL, UH, DESIGNATED FUND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY GOING TO SOLID WASTE SERVICES? YES.
IF, UM, AND, AND AGAIN, A LOT OF THIS REQUIRES, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT THE GOAL WOULD BE THAT IF WE WERE TO CREATE THAT ENTERPRISE FUND, THAT IT WOULD BE FOR THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY.
AND, AND ONLY, UH, I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE, UM, UH, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE CITY'S HAD TO NAVIGATE THROUGH, THERE ARE SOME, UH, DELAYED PROJECTS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, TRANSFER STATIONS THAT, THAT NEED TO BE UPDATED SO THAT THEY CAN ACCOMMODATE THE, THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, SO A LOT OF THOSE AREAS WOULD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN, IN PROVIDING FUNDING, YOU KNOW, CREATING THAT ENTERPRISE FUND FOR THE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, UH, I, I'M SURE YOU KNOW WHAT'S COMING IN MY QUESTION.
UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 22, WE PASSED A BUDGET AMENDMENT NUMBER 8.01 TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS CURRENTLY, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NEARLY, IF NOT MORE THAN HALF OF RESIDENTS NOW LIVE IN MULTIFAMILY, BUT DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO RECYCLING.
UH, YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE BEEN DOING SOME REALLY GREAT WORK, UH, THROUGH STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, UH, TO GET THAT PROCESS GOING FOR CONSIDERATION.
THE AMENDMENT CALLS FOR US TO, UH, TAKE IT UP AT COUNCIL BY JANUARY, BY THIS JANUARY.
UH, WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT? OH, GOOD.
I MEANT TO MENTION THAT EARLIER FOR RECOGNIZING THE MEN AND WOMEN MADE THE SACRIFICE TO COME WORK ON LABOR DAY.
SO, UM, AS WE GET MORE EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO, TO DEVELOP A MORE SOLID HOLIDAY, UH, SCHEDULE.
BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET OUR MEN AND WOMEN SOME RELIEF ON SUNDAYS.
AND SO WE, WE FLIPPED THE SCHEDULE AROUND THIS YEAR TO TRY TO GET THEM A DAY OFF THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
UH, AS, AS IT RELATES TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING, UH, SHE WASN'T EXPECTING ME TO, BUT I'M GONNA PASS THAT OVER TO VERONICA BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN DOING SOME, SOME GOOD WORK WITH, UM, SOME OF OUR PARTNERS OUT THERE, THE EXXON MOBIL'S ALLIANCE TO END PLASTIC WASTE, THE HRC, BUT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DISCUSSED THE OTHER DAY? SURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WE HAVE, I BELIEVE WE FINISHED THAT IN EARLY THIS YEAR, I'LL SAY JANUARY, THE 10 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS.
THESE MEETINGS WERE SPECIFICALLY, UH, TO ADVANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, RECYCLING IN OTHER SECTORS OF THE CITY.
AS YOU MENTIONED ALREADY, THERE'S MORE THAN HALF OF OUR RESIDENTS LIVING IN MULTIFAMILY UNITS NOW.
UM, CURRENTLY THEY CAN TAKE MATERIAL TO THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD DROP OFFS.
AS YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY TIGHT.
UM, I GUESS YOU CAN SAY THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING TO THOSE DEPOSITORIES, SO WE'D LOVE TO HAVE IT AT THEIR, UM, ACTUAL RESIDENCE RIGHT AT THE MULTIFAMILY, UH, FACILITY.
SO PART OF THIS ENGAGEMENT TEAM, UH, DID DEVELOP A REPORT.
IT'S CURRENTLY WITH, UH, THE MAYOR AND THEIR REVIEWING IT AS WELL.
WE WERE HOPING TO, UM, KICK THAT BACK OFF, UM, TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
AND REALLY JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR PARTNERS DUE TO THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT PARTNERS WILLING TO BRING ON A PILOT PROGRAM, RIGHT.
WILLING TO, UH, ENGAGE FURTHER WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO HELP MAKE THIS SUCCESSFUL.
UH, SO DUE TO THAT, WE'VE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST MEETING WITH THEM AND READY TO KICK THIS OFF TO A MORE PUBLIC, UH, YOU KNOW, SESSION OF, UM, OF MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN, UH, CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS THE, UH, MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING POLICY.
AND, AND JUST TO, TO ADD TO THAT, I, I ENVISION US ACTUALLY, UH, OFFERING SOME FORM OF MULTI OR RECYCLING A MULTIFAMILY, UM, UH, HOUSING UNITS PRIOR TO THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, THE REASON THAT I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WE, UH, THE, THE MAYOR APPROVED US TO ADD SOME EQUIPMENT TO OUR ARSENAL, WHICH WILL BE NEEDED, FOR INSTANCE, UH, ROLL OFF CONTAINERS, UH, THAT YOU MAY SEE OUT AT SOME OF OUR DEPOSITORY SITES, KINGWOOD AND, AND CLEAR LAKE AND WHATNOT THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO COLLECT RECYCLABLE MATERIALS.
UH, WE JUST RECEIVED AN ORDER OF THAT THE OTHER DAY.
I BELIEVE WE RECEIVED 34 34 CONTAINERS.
AND WITH THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE FORGED WITH THE HOUSTON RECYCLING COALITION, THE ALLIANCE TO END PLASTIC WASTE, UM, THESE FOLKS ARE, ARE, ARE READY TO INVEST IN THESE PROGRAMS SUPPORTED.
[00:25:01]
WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT OUR EYE ON A COUPLE OF MULTIFAMILY UNITS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND NOW OUR NEXT STEP IS TO ENGAGE THAT PROPERTY, THOSE PROPERTY MANAGERS, AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET THIS PILOT PROGRAM GOING.BUT I BELIEVE WE'RE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
SO DIRECTOR TO BOTH OF YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, DIRECTOR, I THINK WHAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE DONE, UM, WORLD CLASS, TOP-NOTCH.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE INNOVATION, CREATIVITY, AND JUST, UH, RIGOR THAT Y'ALL ARE BRINGING, UH, TO SERVICE DESPITE ALL OF THE CHALLENGES.
I TOO WANT TO THANK YOU AND, UH, YOUR STAFF AND, UH, ALL THE EMPLOYEES, UH, WITH SOLID WASTE FOR AN OUTSTANDING JOB THAT Y'ALL DO EVERY WEEK.
I KNOW WE GET SOME CALLS EVERY NOW AND THEN IN A DISTRICT I OFFICE WHERE SOMEONE'S UPSET THAT THEIR TRASH WASN'T PICKED UP THE DAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PICKED UP.
UH, BUT AGAIN, I MEAN THE, THE, UH, CHART THAT YOU'VE SHOWN US, UH, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS ON A WEEKLY BASIS IS ALMOST 400,000 HOUSEHOLDS THAT YOU'RE PICKING UP THE TRASH SERVICING ALMOST SIX, A LITTLE OVER 640 SQUARE MILES MM-HMM
UH, AND THAT'S MORE THAN ANY OF THE OTHER MAJOR CITIES OF SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS, FORT WORTH, OR AUSTIN HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
BUT YET THESE OTHER CITIES HAVE A MONTHLY GARBAGE FEE.
UH, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOESN'T MM-HMM
UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PAST ADMINISTRATIONS, UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T KEEP UP WITH BUYING THE EQUIPMENT ON A TIMELY MANNER MM-HMM
UH, AND THEREFORE NOW MANY OF OUR TRUCKS ARE BREAKING DOWN.
UH, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE LIFESPAN OF A GARBAGE TRUCK? YEAH, CERTAINLY.
UH, AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF A GARBAGE TRUCK IS GONNA RUN BETWEEN FIVE AND SEVEN YEARS.
AND THAT'S BASED ON, UH, THE AMOUNT OF MAINTENANCE THAT'S REQUIRED FROM, UH, THAT'S GONNA, THAT TRUCK IS GONNA REQUIRE AFTER ABOUT, EH, MAYBE THREE YEARS.
UH, MOST MECHANICS WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY SEE THE, THE COST START TO PEAK AROUND THAT THIRD YEAR MARK.
SO THEREFORE IT'S TIME TO AT LEAST START CONSIDERING TO REPLACE THAT VEHICLE.
UM, BUT, UH, AGAIN, WITH A LOT OF MOVING COMPONENTS, JUST WORKING IN A RUGGEDIZED ENVIRONMENT ON A CONTINUOUS DAILY BASIS, UH, AVERAGE LIFESPAN IS ABOUT FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS.
AND WE ARE, I THINK THE, THE THING TO ADD TO THAT TOO IS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE, UH, THAT NUMBER COME DOWN, YOU KNOW, UNDER MAYOR TURNER'S ADMINISTRATION.
SO, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME VEHICLES IN OUR FLEET THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 12, 13 YEARS OLD.
AND, UM, SO NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT NUMBER DECLINE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND, AND YOUR CURRENT BUDGET, I RECALL CORRECTLY, FOR THIS YEAR, IT WAS 103 MILLION.
UH, BUT YET I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY BE AT 130 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, MY MOTTO, THE ONLY THING WE TURN DOWN IS OUR COLLAR, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO THERE, UH, BUT WITH THE COMPETING DEMANDS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE THAT DOLLAR STRETCH.
YOU KNOW, FOR THIS, YOU, YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THE, THE, THE WORK THAT'S OUT THERE IN THE CITY IS SHOWING US RIGHT NOW MM-HMM
SO, SO, SO AGAIN, I MEAN, Y'ALL ARE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB, UH, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, YOUR BUDGET SHOULD EVEN BE MORE
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THROUGH OUR, UM, LACK OF RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY, UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GIVE THE 130 MILLION, BUT MM-HMM
HOPEFULLY SOMETHING LIKE THAT CAN, CAN HAPPEN.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE CITY OF DENVER, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE IT BREAK BROKEN DOWN TO A 35 GALLON TRASH CAN, A 65 GALLON TRASH CAN, AND A 95 GALLON TRASH CAN.
AND IT, IT'LL BE UP TO THE HOUSEHOLD WHICH SIZE? UH, IT, IT, WE GO THIS ROUTE MM-HMM
IT'LL BE UP TO THE HOUSEHOLD WHICH SIZE THEY WOULD PREFER.
UH, AND OF COURSE IT'LL BE, UH, LESS EXPENSIVE ON THE SMALLER CANS MM-HMM
UH, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, IT'LL ENCOURAGE RECYCLING, UH, FOR OUR CITY OF HOUSTON AS WELL.
AND, AND, AND, AND, UM, THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, OF COURSE, IS, UH, BEING PAID FOR WITH OUR P ARPA FUNDS AT THE MOMENT, WHICH THAT'S GONNA BE RUNNING OUT BY, BY, BY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, 2025, I BELIEVE.
SO, SO THEREFORE, IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME OTHER, UH, UH, REVENUE SOURCES, UH, FOR ONE CLEAN HOUSTON.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM IN REGARDS TO, YOU DON'T SEE AS MANY, UH, ILLEGAL DUMP SITES.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND YOU DON'T SEE AS MANY TIRES THAT ARE BEING THROWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD MM-HMM
UH, SO, SO THAT'S A GOOD PROGRAM AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M
[00:30:01]
HOPING THAT WE CAN CONTINUE.UH, BUT TO DO THAT, OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA NEED THE, UH, RESOURCES TO, TO GET THAT DONE.
UH, BUT, UH, UH, SO AGAIN, I, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE DO GO WITH THE GARBAGE FEE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WILL BE TARGETING, UH, ILLEGAL DUMPING.
WE WILL ALSO BE TARGETING TIRES THAT ARE THROWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
AND, AND, AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THOSE SITES ARE IN NEIGHBORHOODS OF COLOR, RIGHT.
UH, SO IT'S, UH, IT, IT, IT'S A CATCH 22.
IF, IF, IF, IF YOU NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ILLEGAL DUMPING, IT HAS TIRES THROWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
UH, IT'S LIKE THE BROKEN GLASS THEORY.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF, IF THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT SEES THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF, GUESS WHAT? THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT'S GONNA CONTINUE COMING INTO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS GOOD, IT'S KEPT UP GOOD, UH, TO TRY TO PREVENT THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT FROM COMING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT TO DO THAT, OF COURSE, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO BETTER IN REGARDS TO THE RESOURCES FOR SOLID WASTE.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO.
THERE'S NO OTHER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UH, WE'LL NOW MOVE TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF TODAY'S MEETING.
UH, BUT I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UH, YOU HAD TILL 5:00 PM SEPTEMBER 12TH, UH, TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK.
UH, UH, SO THEREFORE, FOR ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WATCHING, YOU MAY SEND QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BY EMAILING MY OFFICE AT DISTRICT I@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
THAT'S DISTRICT I@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
SEEING NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'LL MOVE TO ADJOURN.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING TODAY, UH, TODAY.
THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.