* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Houston City Hall Wellness Center Ribbon Cutting] [00:00:23] AND BEFORE I CAN EVEN GET STARTED, LEMME JUST SAY THAT THE, THE ALARM IS INTENTIONAL. THAT'S NOT A FIRE ALARM. UM, BUT IN WORKING WITH FEMA, WE PUT THIS ALARM IN THAT IF THE WATER AS IT DRAINS, IF IT REACHES A CERTAIN LEVEL, RIGHT, THE ALARM GOES OFF, JUST TO ALERT US TO REALLY TAKE WHATEVER PRECAUTIONARY MARRIAGE MEASURES WE'D NEED TO TAKE. SO THAT ALARM IS POST HARVEY AND IS, UH, IS A, UH, ONE OF THE MITIGATION STEPS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME, UH, TO KIND OF ASSESS THE SITUATION, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WEATHER REPORTS, MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO START, UH, MOVING THINGS AROUND OR DISMANTLING THE TABLE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE BIG CONFERENCE ROOM. UM, BUT TO GIVE US PLENTY OF TIME TO DO WHATEVER, TO TAKE WHATEVER STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE. SO THAT ALARM IS A GOOD THING. GIVE IT UP FOR THE ALARM. YOU KNOW, , LOOK, I I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE 'CAUSE WE KIND OF DID THE TOUR AND KINDA WALK THROUGH A LOT OF THAT STUFF, SO I DON'T WANNA BE REDUNDANT. I DO WANT TO, UH, THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING PRESENT HERE. UH, I CERTAINLY WANT TO START OFF BY THANKING GENERAL SERVICES, UH, GHD, CJ MESSIAH, AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM FOR, FOR THEIR WORK. SO GIVE IT UP, GIVE IT UP TO GHD. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE ARCHITECTS AND THE CONTRACTORS, UH, AND, UH, THE ARCHITECTS CONTRACTORS ARE HERE WITH US TODAY. UH, THIS HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY PROJECT. I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT'S NOT BEEN AN EASY PROJECT. AND, AND THAT'S AS OF A FEW, UH, FEW MONTHS AGO IF YOU CAME THROUGH HERE. I MEAN, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH, UH, YOU KNEW THAT WE WERE STILL IN THE, IN THE HARBOR RECOVERY PHASE. UH, BUT THE ARCHITECTS AND THE CONTRACTORS HAVE BEEN, UH, RELENTLESS IN WORKING TO GET US BACK INTO THIS SPACE. AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. AND I KNOW CJ WOULD DO MORE SO, SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO THE ARCHITECTS AND THE GENERAL CONTRACTORS. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO WORK DOWN HERE, OUR SECURITY GUARDS AND JANITORS. AND BECAUSE THROUGH THE HEAT, THROUGH THE COLD, YOU NAME IT, THROUGH THE DUST, THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTIONS, UH, 24 7, THEY WERE DOWN HERE HELPING, UH, PEOPLE SAY, NOW KIND OF NAVIGATE THROUGH. SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK, THANK THE WORKERS, UM, FOR KIND OF WORKING UNDER SOME VERY DIFFICULT, UNATTRACTIVE, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES. SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO THEM AS WELL TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO ESPECIALLY EVENTS IN PARTICULAR FOR HELPING, UH, TO PULL ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER. UH, THEY'RE ALWAYS ON THE SPOT. SO SUSAN CHRISTIAN AND HER TEAM REALLY WANT TO THANK THEM TO ALL OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE JUST, THIS HAS BEEN A HANDS-ON SORT OF DEAL. UH, WANNA THANK THEM. I GIVE MY CHIEF OF STAFF, LET ME THANK YOU. UH, BUT EVERYONE WHO'S JUST BEEN VERY, VERY, VERY PATIENT AND I WANNA THANK THE MEDIA FOR BEING HERE TO KIND OF COVER, UH, THIS PARTICULAR EVENT. THIS IS NOT, UH, UM, SOME OTHER LOCATION AND NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE CITY. I MEAN, THIS IS CITY SPACE. UH, UM, WE LOST ALL OF THIS. THE WATER WAS ALL IN HERE EVERYWHERE. UM, WE HAD OUR PROCUREMENT OFFICE DOWN HERE, AND I MEAN, A LOT OF THINGS GOT LOST, DESTROYED, AND WE HAD TO KIND OF RESHUFFLE AND THEN DEPARTMENTS KIND OF WENT EVERYWHERE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK THE EMPLOYEES AND THE DEPARTMENTS FOR BEING VERY PATIENT AND RESILIENT AND PULLING THINGS TOGETHER AND MAKING THINGS WORK. SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF ALL OF YOU. UH, THE CITY NAVIGATED WITH FE THE FEMA PROCESS AND RECEIVED APPROVAL IN 2017 TO BEGIN RENOVATING AND RESTORING CITY HALL. THIS MULTI-USE SPACE NOW HOLDS CONFERENCE ROOMS, TRAINING FACILITIES, A 3 1 1 SERVICE CENTER, A GATHERING SPOT, A WELLNESS CENTER, AND MORE, ALL DESIGNED WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND. AND I DO WANNA REEMPHASIZE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THE WELLNESS CENTER AND THE EQUIPMENT IS NOT COMING AT THE CITY TAXPAYER'S EXPENSE, UH, SEEN AND DONATED ALL OF THAT. SO PLEASE GIVE [00:05:01] IT UP TO STAND ONE MORE TIME. IN FACT, IN MY CONVERSATION WITH JANE CHEEKS WITH HR, WE WAS WONDERING HOW WE COULD WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN. WHERE'S JANE? THERE'S JANE . AND, UH, JANE SAID, WELL, LET ME REACH OUT TO, UH, TO, TO CIGNA AND HAD A CONVERSATION, THEN CAME BACK AND SAID, MAYOR, UH, THIS IS ONE EXPENSE, UH, WE WILL NOT HAVE TO INCUR. UH, THEY ARE GOING TO DONATE ALL OF THIS. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING VERY APPRECIATIVE OF OUR, UH, EMPLOYEES AND MAKING IT AND MAKING IT HAPPEN. SO THANK YOU ALSO VERY MUCH. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCILS COUNCIL MEMBER MCC COLLEGE CIS. WE STARTED OUT TOGETHER EIGHT YEARS AGO, AND I SAID TO COUNCILMAN MCC CI A FEW MOMENTS AGO, UH, WE WILL LEAVE THE CITY IN A FEW MONTHS, UH, BUT INSTEAD OF RETURNING THE BASEMENT BACK THE WAY IT WAS USED TO BE IS THE NEW IMPROVE, MUCH MORE RESILIENT, UH, SPACE, UH, FOR, FOR THE NEXT, FOR THE NEXT SET OF EMPLOYEES. UM, WE'VE ALSO BLENDED THE OLD WITH THE NEW AND PRESERVE HISTORY BY RESTORING MANY OF THE HISTORIC FINISHING YOU SEE AROUND US. AND WHILE THIS BASEMENT IS BEAUTIFUL, IT'S BEAUTIFUL, IT GOES FAR BEYOND AESTHETICS. THE LED LIGHTING AND OCCUPANCY SENSORS REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION WHILE THE REMOVAL OF WALLS, WHEN THE REPROGRAMMING OF THE BASEMENT HAS ALLOWED US TO INTRODUCE NATURAL LIGHT INTO SOME PREVIOUSLY DIMMED SPACE. OUR FURNISH, FURNISHINGS AND FURNISHINGS PRIORITIZE SUSTAINABILITY AND COMFORT SOURCE FROM PROVIDERS DEDICATED TO MINIMIZING THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT. AND ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE ALSO ENHANCED OUR QUALITY BY REPLACING TWO AIR HANDLING UNITS WITH MORE EFFICIENT USE FOR HEALTHIER AND MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT ENVIRONMENT. UH, AS YOU WALK AROUND, YOU'LL ALSO SEE THAT THAT WALLS ARE ADORN WITH 18 STARTING ARTWORKS BY LENS BASED ARTISTS LIKE MARK SHIN, SED MOIN, NANCY NEWBERRY, AND DAVID REINFELD, SHOWCASING THE ESSENCE OF HOUSTON. AND INTERESTING FACT, THE 49 PORTRAITS OF FORMER MAYORS YOU SEE ALONG THIS HALLWAY WERE RESCUED BY A DEDICATED CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEE AND CJ'S OFFICE DURING HURRICANE HARVEY AND HAVE BEEN CONSERVED. UH, THEY DID NOT SAVE, UH, MY PAINTING . UM, SO IT IS NOT ON THE WALL. UH, AND I IT HADN'T BEEN DONE YET. UH, BEFORE HARVEY, THE BASEMENT HOUSED OUR STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT DIVISION EMPLOYEES WHO WERE LEFT WITHOUT A WORKPLACE. AND TODAY WE PROVIDED SPACE FOR CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES THAT WON'T JEOPARDIZE THEIR WORKSPACES. IN THE EVENT OF FUTURE FLOODS, UH, THE ANNEX RAMP SLIDING FLOOR FLOOR GATE IS EIGHT FEET FIVE INCHES WIDE, AND SEVEN FEET 10 AND ONE HALF INCHES HIGH. THE TRANQUILITY HINGE FLOOD DOOR IS SEVEN FEET, FIVE INCHES WIDE AND SEVEN FEET FIVE INCHES HIGH. SO THE INSTALLATION OF TWO MASSIVE STORM DOORS OR A TESTAMENT TO OUR DEDICATION TO ENSURING THE SAFETY AND CONTINUITY OF ESSENTIAL CITY SERVICES. AND FINALLY, AND SPEAKING OF CITY SERVICES, THE BASEMENT NOW HAS A THREE 11 CENTER THAT WILL, AS YOU SAW, THAT WILL HOUSE 10 AGENTS, ONE SUPERVISOR AND A MANAGER WHO WILL NOT ONLY TAKE CALLS, BUT ALSO OFFER WALK IN SERVICES MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 8:00 AM TO 5:00 PM AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HOUSTON 3 1 1. CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO WALK IN AND CREATE A CASE OR RECEIVE AN UPDATE TO AN EXISTING SERVICE REQUEST. AND I THINK PEOPLE WHO WILL FIND THAT ATTRACTIVE, UM, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING, UH, THEY CAN SIMPLY COME TO CITY HALL TO THE BASEMENT TO 3 1 1 AND MAKE A CALL. AND WE WANNA THANK THEM, UH, FOR THAT. UH, THIS LOCATION IS PART OF THREE ONE ONE'S, UH, CONTINUITY OF OPERATION PLAN AND WILL SERVE AS A SECONDARY LOCATION IN THE EVENT THE MAIN CALLS CENTER FAILS. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALINA HORNE, WHO JUST SHOWED UP. , DON'T MAKE ME, DON'T MAKE ME , HE CRACK IT UP THE INSIDE JOKE Y'ALL COUNCIL BE, CALL IT THIS NARROWS, UH, BETTER KNOWN AS LENA HORNE HAS, HAS ARRIVED. SHA SHA SHA, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABA, SHE GET ME CONFUSED, PLAYING ALL THESE DIFFERENT ROLES. BE NEGLECTED. I'LL BE DENIED. SHE WOULD BE SINGING, SHE'LL BE SINGING LATER ON IN THE CITY HALL BASEMENT. . SO LOOK, LOOK, LET, LET ME, LET ME STOP. I CAN GO ON ON YOU. YOU, YOU ALL HAVE SEEN MEDIA, YOU ALL HAVE SEEN IT FOR YOURSELF. SO I DON'T HAVE TO KIND OF REPEAT EVERYTHING, BUT [00:10:01] I DO, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T CALL ON CJ, UH, TO MAKE SOME, TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS, UH, AS WELL BECAUSE HE'S BEEN THE LEADER ON THIS PROJECT, HE AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM. SO CJ, WHY DON'T YOU COME FORWARD? SO I'M NOT GONNA MAKE A LOT OF COMMENTS 'CAUSE THE MAYOR SAID IT ALL. BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MAYOR'S, GOOD FRIENDS, JIMMY LEE SOLOMON, I USED TO WORK FOR HIM, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. AND HE TOLD ME, IF YOU EVER SPEAK WITH MAYOR TURNER, REMEMBER THE FIVE BS OF SPEAKING BE BRIEF, BROTHER, BE BRIEF. SO I PROMISE YOU I'M GONNA BE BRIEF. I JUST NEED TO THANK SOME PEOPLE. FIRST, I GOTTA THANK GOD FOR THIS AMEN. FOR GIVING ME THE STRENGTH EVERY MORNING TO WAKE UP AND COME DEAL WITH THIS FOR SIX YEARS AND 21 DAYS. BUT WHO'S COUNTING? WOW. I WANT TO THANK RDLR ARCHITECTS. ELISE HERMAN, WHERE ARE YOU ELISE? I KNOW YOU'RE DANIEL ORTIZ AND JENNIFER DERRO. ARE YOU HERE? JENNIFER? THERE SHE IS. WAY IN THE BACK. DUNHILL CONSTRUCTION. I'M GONNA TRY IT. I'M GONNA TRY IT. AARON AND ABRAHAM HICK . YOU DID THAT. ALL RIGHT. UH, LEO DEFOREST, J VAN KESSEL AND MATTHEW FINO MATTHEW'S THE YOUNG GUY IN THE LITTLE GREEN SHIRT THERE. LOOKS LIKE HE'S ABOUT 18 YEARS OLD, BUT HE IS, HE WAS THE ONE THAT KEPT THE SUBCONTRACTORS IN LINE. MATTHEW, APPRECIATE YOU AND I, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT OUR GSD TEAM. RICHARD VALA, OUR, MY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, WE HAD TWO TEAMS ON THIS. MOST OF YOU KNOW, WE HAD A PROJECT GOING WITH ANOTHER CONTRACTOR THAT FAILED. BUT WITH DOING THAT PART OF THE CONTRACT, KURT CALVIN CURTIS. IS CALVIN HERE? CALVIN CURTIS WAS THE DIVISION MANAGER THAT SAW IT. AND CRYSTAL NICHOLSON CRYSTAL WAS THE PROJECT MANAGER. THE CONTRACTOR WAS SO BAD IT AFFECTED CRYSTAL'S HEALTH. I'M, I'M SERIOUS. SHE GOT SICK AND SHE LEFT THE CITY. I NO, I'M JUST, I'M BEING HONEST. I'M BEING HONEST. AND THEN TWO NEW PEOPLE HAD TO COME IN AND THAT WAS TRINA REDWINE, CHARLES, I CALL HER MY LITTLE PIT BULL . SHE'S THE SENIOR DIVISION MANAGER. AND BRIAN KS, WHERE ARE YOU? BRIAN? BRIAN AND TRINA TOOK THIS TO WHAT YOU SEE TODAY. THERE'S ONE PERSON THAT'S NOT HERE, WHO WAS MY SOUNDING BOARD EVERY MORNING, YOUR SERGEANT, MARLIN ROBERTS. I WOULD SEE MARLIN IN THE MORNING BEFORE ANYBODY WOULD GET HERE. AND I'D GO IN HIS OFFICE AND CLOSE THE DOOR AND I'D JUST LET LOOSE AND HE WOULD CALM ME DOWN AND I'D GO TO WORK. BUT IF YOU SEE HIM, TELL HIM I SAID THANK YOU. . LAST BUT NOT LEAST, SUPERMAN AND WONDER WOMAN. Y'ALL KNOW HIM AS MAYOR TURNER AND CHIEF HUNTER. WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT AND THEM ACCEPTING THE VISION THAT JANE HAD, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE. SO MAYOR, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JIMMY LEE LOOKS DOWN ON YOU AND SAYS, WELL DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, LET'S CUT THIS. COME ON COUNCIL MEMBERS, COME ON. HR, ANSWER A QUESTION. I'LL JUST RUSHING. YES. Y'ALL NEED TO SWEAT. DON'T NEED TO HOLD SECOND. PROBABLY EASIER. ROTATE. CHECK, CHECK. 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2. MIC. YES, I GOT 'EM. ABRAHAM AND AARON. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. Y'ALL WANNA GET SOME OF THESE CONTRACTORS AND ARCHITECTS BEHIND US, BUT WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, LET ME ASK, I LET ME ASK YOU WHATEVER QUESTIONS. I JUST, RIGHT. IT'S BEEN, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. HOLD ON. . ONE SECOND FOR A MOMENT. ONE SECOND. ONE SECOND. IT HAS BEEN, IT HAS BEEN SIX YEARS AND 21 DAYS AND 21 DAYS. UH, IT HAS REQUIRED A LOT OF PATIENCE, UH, WORKING, UH, WITH FEMA, HOLD ON BACK, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. WORKING, WORKING THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS WITH FEMA. UM, TO GET [00:15:01] IT ALL, TO GET IT ALL DONE. UM, NUMBER ONE, RELOCATING. THAT'S THE FIRST PART. 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO MOVE PEOPLE OUT. AND, UM, THIS WATER WAS WAY UP HIGH. SO THIS WATER FLOODED EVERY, EVERYTHING. SO IT HAS, IT HAS TAKEN, IT HAS TAKEN A MINUTE. AND THEN TO HAVE TO GO. AND THEN YOU HAVE TO DECIDE, ARE WE BUILDING BACK THE WAY IT WAS? ARE WE BUILDING DIFFERENTLY? WHAT YOU SEE HERE NOW IN LARGE PART IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT USED TO BE DOWN HERE. UH, WHAT WE PUT DOWN HERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN QUICKLY TRANSITION IF WE FACE SOMETHING SIMILAR SO WE DON'T HAVE TO LOSE A WHOLE LOT. UH, IT HAS TAKEN, IT HAS TAKEN A GREAT OF TIME. AND THEN I WILL SAY, UH, TO THE CONTRACTORS THAT WE HAVE ON BOARD, TO THEIR CREDIT, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE INITIAL CONTRACTORS DIDN'T WORK OUT. AND JUST WHO DO YOU SEE NOW ARE THE ONES WHO CAME IN AND CLEANED UP FROM WHAT WAS DONE? AND THEY WERE LASER FOCUSED IN GETTING IT DONE. SO THEY HAVE COME IN AND IN RECORD TIME, GOTTEN THIS PROJECT COMPLETED AND, UH, QUITE FRANKLY PUT IT IN THE SHAPE THAT, THIS IS ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION ABOUT WHAT DO YOU HAVE HER? YEAH. WHAT, FROM FUTURE ADMINISTRATORS, ADMINISTRATIONS, AND MAYORS, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED? WELL, WHAT WHAT, WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IS THAT, YEAH, YOU HAVE TO BE VERY, UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE JOB TO GET IT DONE. SOMEBODY HAS TO TAKE THE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN IT. IN THIS CASE, GHT TOOK THE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN IT. UH, YOU CAN'T BUILD BACK. 'CAUSE IF YOU BUILD BACK, YOU BUILD BACK FOR FAILURE. SO THAT WON'T WORK. YOU HAVE TO BUILD FORWARD. UH, YOU HAVE TO BUILD IN SUCH A WAY THAT'S GONNA BE MUCH MORE RESILIENT. YOU HAVE TO ANTICIPATE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST AND THEN SOME, AND THEN BUILD ACCORDINGLY. SO WE HAVE PUT INTO PLACE A BASEMENT THAT QUITE FRANKLY, IF WE GOT A, A STORM WORSE THAN WE GOT IN HURRICANE HARVEY, WE, WE PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN QUICKLY KIND OF, UM, REMOBILIZE, UH, UH, DISASSEMBLE, FOR EXAMPLE, A LOT OF THE KEY, UH, FURNITURE, FURNITURE THAT'S HERE, PUT IN SOMEPLACE ELSE. AND THEN, UH, AND WE PUT IN THESE, I CALL 'EM SUBMARINE DOORS AND OTHERS THAT WOULD HELP TO HOLD BACK THE WATER. UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'VE GOT AN ALARM SYSTEM THAT'S IN PLACE. SO WHEN THE WATER REACHES A CERTAIN LEVEL, UH, IN TERMS OF DRAINAGE, IT GIVES US TIME TO COME DOWN HERE AND, AND GET READY AND, AND, UH, AND PREPARE ACCORDINGLY. SO, UH, TO THE NEXT MAYOR, UH, THIS BUILDING NOW IS IN MUCH BETTER. THIS SUBMARINE IS BETTER THAN THE SUBMARINE WE HAD BEFORE. OKAY. UH, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS PROJECT THAT WE CAN USE ON PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY CITY RELATED. UH, SO, AND THEN WE, AND THEN WE KNOW, UH, A LOT MORE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE CAN CALL ON TO GET THE WORK DONE. THAT'S THE KEY. IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO GET THE RIGHT, UH, TO GET THE JOB DONE. OKAY. READY FOR THE RIBBON? OKAY. ALRIGHT MAYOR. AND IF WE CAN HAVE, UH, THERE WE GO. I'LL DO A QUICK COUNTDOWN. WE'RE GONNA START WITH, I'M NOT GONNA GET OKAY. STARTING. EVERYBODY LOOK UP AND SMILE BEFORE YOU CUT. THREE, TWO, AND ONE. YAY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.