[Press Conference: "Houston Parks Billboard Campaign"]
[00:00:19]
I AM KENNETH ALLEN, AND I HAVE THE PLEASURE AND THE HONOR OF SERVING AS A HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR.THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY.
TODAY IS A GREAT DAY TO UPLIFT HOUSTON PARKS.
TODAY WE'RE ANNOUNCING AN UNVEILING, A NEW BILL BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN, FOCUSING ON CITY OF HOUSTON PARKS.
THE CAMPAIGN TARGETS TWO IMPORTANT CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE THROUGHOUT OUR PARK SYSTEM ONE LITTER, TWO CRIME.
WE HAVE A YEAR LONG BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN THAT'S MADE POSSIBLE BY A GENEROUS DONATION FROM CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR HOUSTON.
AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THE GENEROUS SUPPORT IN HELPING KEEP OUR PARK SAFE AND CLEAN WITH THIS CAMPAIGN AND JOINING US.
JOINING US IN THIS CAMPAIGN IS HOUSTON AREA REALTORS, HAR, AND THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE 100 PLUS BILLBOARD SIGNS ARE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND YOU WILL SEE THEM PLASTERED THROUGHOUT OUR GREAT CITY.
THE GOAL OF THE CAMPAIGN IS SPECIFICALLY TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, TO GET THEM INVOLVED.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
THAT'S THE MESSAGE OF THIS CAMPAIGN, TO KEEP OUR PARKS SAFE AND CLEAN.
AND REMEMBER, PARKS ARE FOR EVERYONE, SO IT TAKES EVERYONE TO HELP US KEEP 'EM SAFE AND TO MAINTAIN THEM.
WE HAVE A NUMBER ONE SUPPORTER OF PARKS UP HERE, AND IT'S NOT ME.
OF COURSE I SUPPORT 'EM, THAT'S MY JOB, BUT IT'S OUR HONORABLE MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER, NUMBER ONE SUPPORTER IN HOUSTON.
I'D LIKE TO CALL HIM TO THE PODIUM.
MEL, LET ME THANK, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, KENNETH ALLEN, AND GOOD TO BE WITH EVERYONE, UH, THIS MORNING.
UH, LOOK, WHEN CITIZENS ARE ASKED ABOUT THEIR BIGGEST CONCERNS, UH, WITH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, CRIME AND LITTER ARE ALMOST ALWAYS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
THE KEY PARK SAFE AND CLEAN BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN WILL GENERATE MILLIONS OF MARKET IMPRESSIONS ACROSS HOUSTON ON SURFACE STREETS AND FREEWAYS TARGETING THOSE TWO HOT BUTTON ISSUES I WANT TO OFFER.
MY THANKS TO CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOORS, LEE, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, UH, HOUSTON, FOR THIS VALUABLE DONATION OF BILLBOARD SPACE ACROSS THE CITY.
THE IMPACT OF THIS WILL BE ENORMOUS.
I WANNA THANK CHIEF NER, UH, WHO WILL BE ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES RELATED TO CRIME IN OUR PARKS.
GIVE IT UP TO THE BEST POLICE CHIEF IN THE COUNTRY.
UH, BUT I INITIALLY, I WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT LITTER IN OUR PARKS AND GREEN SPACES IN HOUSTON.
OVER 66,000 BAGS OF TRASH AND LITTER ARE COLLECTED EACH YEAR BY THE H PARK GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT TEAM, THAT 66,000 BAGS OF TRASH.
AND CURRENTLY THE H PARK GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT TEAM IS ON A THREE DAY CYCLE TO LOOK FOR LITTLE REMOVAL IN OUR PARK.
YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT THE H PARK GREEN SPACE TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PICKING UP LITTER IN OUR PARKS, WHICH MEANS THAT TASK, THAT TASK, TAKES AWAY TIME THAT COULD BE SPENT ON MOWING GRASS AND HELPING BEAUTIFY HOUSTON'S 382 PARKS TO HELP THEM.
I HAVE APPROVED 11 PARKS MAINTENANCE AID POSITIONS FOR H PARK THAT IS EXPECTED TO LOWER THE THREE DAY CYCLE FOR LITTER REMOVAL TO TWO DAYS.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE TEAM, GO TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S CAREER PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
FIGHTING LITTER IS ONE OF THE MOST EASILY PREVENTABLE ISSUES OUT THERE.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS THROW YOUR GARBAGE IN THE MANY TRASH CANS THAT ARE STATIONED AT ALL OF OUR CITY OF HOUSTON PARKS.
ELIMINATING LITTER CAN HAVE HEALTH BENEFITS ALONG WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY BENEFITS AS WELL.
CLEAN PARTS CAN LIVE SPIRITS AND MAKE ANY PARK VISIT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE.
LASTLY, I'M ASKING ALL HOUSTONIANS TO HEED THE WORDS OF THESE BILLBOARDS.
SO A BIG THANK YOU AGAIN TO CLEAR CH CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOORS HOUSTON FOR THIS IMPACTFUL DONATION.
AND ALSO A BIG THANK YOU TO THE HOUSTON AREA OF REALTORS.
GIVE IT UP TO H-I-A-H-A-R-M FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT
[00:05:01]
OF HOUSTON'S NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS.NOW LET'S ALL DO OUR PARKS, OUR PARK TO KEEP Y'ALL HOUSTON PARKS CLEAN.
NEXT UP IS MY TWIN CHIEF OF POLICE, TROY FINNER.
SO WE DID ATTEND A HIGH, THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL WHERE WE PLAYED ON THE SAME FOOTBALL TEAM.
SO IF WE LOOK ALIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M A LITTLE BIT TALLER THAN HE IS THOUGH, SO LOOK, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
IT SPEAKS TO THE BEAUTY OF OUR CITY, AND EVERY KID IN OUR CITY SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND GOING TO HIS OR HER NEIGHBORHOOD PART AND FEEL SAFE AND FEEL LOVED.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, MAYOR, JUST DON'T LIKE TAKING A LOT OF CREDIT.
GOT TWO MORE MONTHS AND I WANNA MAKE SURE HE GETS THE CREDIT THAT HE DESERVES.
YEAH, IT STARTED OVER A YEAR AGO WHEN EVERYBODY THOUGHT THE SKY WAS FALLING INTO HOUSTON, AND WE BOTH STOOD AND SAID, SLOW DOWN.
BUT A PART OF THAT ONE SAFE HOUSTON, UH, OVER A MILLION DOLLARS FUNDED PARK RANGERS.
AND I WANT TO THANK THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET A LOT OF CREDIT.
I DON'T, UH,
UM, KEEPING OUR PARKS SAFE AND THIS INITIATIVE.
THANK Y'ALL FOR SUPPORTING THIS BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL SEE THE WARNING SIGNS AND NOTIFICATION WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR CITY.
LITERALLY STAY AWAY FROM OUR PARKS WHEN YOU WANT TO COMMIT CRIME, BECAUSE THE COLLECTIVE TEAM OF HOUSTON IS JOINED TOGETHER.
I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE A FEW PEOPLE AGAIN, UH, KATHY TREVINO, CHAIRPERSON OF HOUSTON AREA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
LEAF DI BELLA, I'M SORRY, VICE PRESIDENT OF CLEAR CHANNEL.
AND MY GREAT FRIEND THAT HAS SUPPORTED PUBLIC SAFETY SO MANY YEARS, MATT BURRIS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THE CEO BOB DELL, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
BUT LOOK, THE PRIMARY FOCUS WILL BE ON HAVING SAFE AND CLEAN PARTS.
AND TAKE IT AS A WARNING WHEN YOU SEE THESE SIGNS, UH, PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME IN AND DO BAD IN OUR PARTS, UH, WE WILL, OKAY, YOU AND WE WILL ARREST YOU.
UM, ANOTHER INITIATIVE THAT WE HADN'T TALKED ABOUT ARE CAMERAS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CAMERAS OUT IN OUR PARTS, AND THE MAYOR AND I WILL BE SPEAKING AGAIN IN A FEW WEEKS BEFORE IT GETS OUTTA HERE ABOUT EYES OVER HOUSTON.
WE'RE GONNA PUT CAMERAS ALL OVER OUR CITY AND WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH INDIVIDUALS IN OUR CITY BECAUSE I WANT IT ALL OVER OUR CITY, AND IT'S AN ALWAYS AN EYE ON YOU.
SO TODAY, IT'S ALWAYS AN EYE OVER YOU IN OUR BEAUTIFUL PARK.
SO KEEP 'EM CLEAN AND, AND LET'S MOVE IT FORWARD.
THE CHIEF MENTIONED SEVERAL PEOPLE AND IT DOES TAKE A MULTIPLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, AND PARTNERSHIPS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN GETTING DONE WHAT NEED TO GET DONE.
SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY, UH, THAT WAS MENTIONED, THAT'S PARTNERING WITH US, NOT JUST WITH THIS INITIATIVE, BUT MULTIPLE INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
OUR MAYOR HAD THE VISION TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER INTERNAL IN, IN TERMS OF ONE DEPARTMENT HEAD TO THE NEXT, TO EXTERNAL, PUBLIC, AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
SO THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A GREAT HOUSTON.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'D LIKE TO BRING ONE OF THOSE PARTNERS UP TO THE, UH, MIKE, AND THAT'S KATHY TREVINO, CHAIR OF THE HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS FOR A FEW WORDS.
I'M KATHY TREVINO, THE 2023 CHAIR FOR THE HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS.
HAR HAS A LONG HISTORY OF WORKING WITH THE MAYOR, HPD AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ON A WIDE VARIETY OF INITIATIVES THAT HAVE IMPROVED THE CITY IN WHICH WE LIVE.
NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE WHERE THERE IS LITTER OR CRIME IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WE ARE PROUD TO PARTNER ON THIS PROJECT TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT WE WILL NEED TO HAVE PARK PRIDE.
PARKS ARE TRANSFORMATIONAL, PARTICULARLY IN YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES.
THEY PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, BUILD A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY, AND MAKE OUR CITY A MORE BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW REASONS WHY HAR WANTED TO BE A PART OF THIS INITIATIVE.
WE APPLAUD OUR MAYOR TURNER, CHIEF THINNER AND HPD DIRECTOR ALLEN AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS VEA AND CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR FOR TACKLING
[00:10:01]
THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.ON BEHALF OF OUR 51,000 MEMBERS, WE JOIN WITH OUR PARTNERS TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO KEEP THE PARKS SAFE AND CLEAN.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO RECOGNIZE TWO IMPORTANT PARTNERS THAT I GET A CALL FROM, FROM TIME TO TIME, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS AND THAT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT ON ALL PROJECTS.
SO I'D ALSO LIKE TO CALL UP LEE VELA, VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS HOUSTON, CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW PROUD WE ARE TO BE A PART OF THIS INITIATIVE, TO KEEP OUR PARKS BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN AND SAFE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO A LOT OF PUBLIC SERVICE, UH, CAMPAIGNS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, UH, AND IS PART OF OUR, WHAT OUR PUBLIC, UH, BENEFIT IS FOR OUR INDUSTRY.
BUT NOTHING IS MUCH IS AS IMPORTANT AS KEEPING OUR PARKS SAFE AND OUR PARKS CLEAN.
UH, SO WE ARE VERY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS.
UH, AND THANK YOU HAR, UH, BRINGING US INTO THIS, UH, BOB HILL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING.
AND MATT, UM, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UH, WE ARE, UH, WE ARE, WE'RE, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF OVER A HUNDRED BILLBOARDS THAT WILL BE DISPLAYED IN HOUSTON BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THIS YEAR.
THIS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
SO, UH, IT'S AN ONGOING PROJECT FOR US, AN ONGOING MESSAGE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT TODAY, IT'S ABOUT TOMORROW, AND IT'S ABOUT WHAT WE DO FOR OUR CITY TO KEEP IT BEAUTIFUL.
AND MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE INITIATIVES THAT YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR TENURE, UH, HERE AT CITY HALL.
AND I KNOW THAT HOUSTON IS A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE.
UM, THIS WILL GENERATE OVER 260 MILLION MARKET IMPRESSIONS IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS ALONE.
SO I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU ARE.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE THIS MESSAGE
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET THE, UH, UNVEILING DONE.
SO IF WE CAN SPLIT YOU GUYS ON EACH END.
YEAH, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THIS ONE FIRST.
LET'S SPLIT ON THE END, AND THEN WILL EVERYBODY GRAB CORNER THERE? YEP.
WE'RE GONNA PULL STRAIGHT DOWN ON THREE.
ALL READY? ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
YOU GUYS FOLLOW OFF REAL QUICK.
RICHARD, YOU HAVE YOUR SHOT? YES, MA'AM.
AND WE'LL POST FOR SOME PICTURES AFTER THIS TOO.
THIS SAME POSITIONS JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE.
IT'S, IT'S ALREADY, IT'S, IT WANTS TO COME OUT.
AND UH, AND AGAIN, WE ARE PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS INITIATIVE TO UH, HELP US KEEP OUR PARKS CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL.
RICHARD, YOU GOOD TO GO? RICHARD, TELL ME WHEN EVERYBODY SMILE.
WILL THERE BE A Q AND A HOLD ON, ON THIS, ON THIS, YEAH.
[00:17:47]
QUESTION.YEAH, JUST, OKAY, WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
REAL QUICKLY, WAS THERE ANYTHING GOING ON IN PARKS THAT LED UP? WAS THERE ANYTHING GOING ON, MAYOR IN THE PARKS THAT LED UP TO THIS? OR WAS THIS JUST AN OVERALL RAISE AWARENESS? I WAS LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF MY NOTES.
THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, ISSUES AT PARKS, CRIMES THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT PARKS.
PEOPLE SAID, HEY, WE'VE CALLED THE POLICE, YOU KNOW, TO SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING PART AFTER THEY'VE SAID SOMETHING PRIOR TO THESE CRIMES, NOTHING HAD HAPPENED.
IS THIS A, A CHANGE? AND, AND WHAT KIND OF, WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT THIS? UH, YOU, MY CHIEF LET CHIEF HANDLE THAT AND I, I'LL LET THE MAYOR LET THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR LET ME GO TALK MONEY.
UH, LOOK, IT'S THE OVERALL PLAN, A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND NOT SO MUCH THAT SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING, UM, IN OUR WAY AND, AND, AND, AND IN POLICING.
UH, DEFINITELY THERE'S BEEN SOME INCIDENTS AND, AND PARKS ALL OVER THE CITY, BUT AS YOU SEE CRIME GOING DOWN, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR THE CITIZENS TO KNOW, IT'S THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
ONE SAFE HOUSTON AND A FEW OTHER INITIATIVES THAT'S DRIVING CRIME DOWN.
SO, UH, IF YOU'LL SEE IT IN THE PARKS, UM, JUST AS WE MOVE TO UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, WE MOVE TO STRIP CENTERS, WE MOVE TO DISTRICTS.
AND ONE THING ABOUT THIS ADMINISTRATION, IT IS RESULT DRIVEN.
AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME RESULTS FROM THIS.
LEMME JUST SAY THAT THE APPROACH TO KEEPING OUR CITY SAFE AND HEALTHY IS TO UTILIZE A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
AND IT'S ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE AND NOT WAITING UNTIL YOU SEE A, A LOT OF INCIDENTS OCCURRING IN OUR PARKS AND THEN WE ARE RESPONDING.
AND THEN IT'S ALSO, UH, MATCHING THE PERCEPTIONS.
I DON'T CARE HOW, UH, WHAT, WHAT NUMBERS WE PUT OUT.
IF PEOPLE DON'T FEEL SAFE, UH, THEN YOU, YOU STILL HAVE A PROBLEM.
AND WE HAVE 382 NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS THAT'S NOT COUNTING THE SIGNATURE PARKS.
AND IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS ARE SAFE, THEN THE COMMUNITIES THEMSELVES FEEL SAFE.
SO THIS IS ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE, BEING HOLISTIC
[00:20:01]
AND ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN KEEPING OUR PARKS SAFE AND CLEAN.NOW WE HAVE, WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME PICKING UP OTHER PEOPLE'S TRASH.
OKAY, WELL THAT'S PREVENTABLE AND WE WANNA SPEND MORE TIME ON MOWING THE, THE LAWNS, UM, MOWING THE GRASS, UH, DOING OTHER THINGS.
UH, BUT EVERYONE WHO'S WALKING IN OUR, UH, PARKS PICNICKING IT IN OUR PARKS, THEY CAN CLEAN UP THEMSELVES AND, AND UTILIZE THE TRASH CANS OR THE BAGS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND PUT THEIR OWN LITTER IN THE PARKS.
AND LEMME JUST GIVE YOU AN, AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT I KNOW WORKS.
WHEN WE WERE SEEKING OUT TO BRING IN, UH, UH, IN ONE OF OUR PARKS TO START THE URBAN YOUTH BASEBALL ACADEMY, UH, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SAID THAT THEY, WE NEEDED THE SUPPORT OF OUR LOCAL BASEBALL TEAM, ASTROS.
AND AT THE TIME, DRAYTON MCLEAN WAS THE OWNER AND HE HADN'T DECIDED.
AND WE HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE AND DRAYTON SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S ON THEIR BEST BEHAVIOR WHEN YOU HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE.
SO WHAT HE DID, HE PICKED HIS OWN DAY, DROVE HIS OWN VEHICLE, WENT TO ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, UH, ON HIS OWN AND JUST WALKED THE PARK.
WHAT CONVINCED HIM TO JOIN WITH THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ACADEMY IS THAT WHILE HE WAS WALKING AROUND THE PARK, THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE JOGGING.
THEY STOPPED, THEY SAW SOME LID ON THE GROUND, THEY STOPPED, PICKED IT UP AND PUT IT BACK AND PUT IT IN THE TRASH CAN.
HE THEN CALLED AND SAID, I'M CONVINCED BECAUSE AS LONG AS PEOPLE TAKE OWNERSHIP IN THEIR PARKS, THEN I'M WILLING TO JOIN WITH THEM IN ENHANCING THE PARK.
SO WHAT WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO DO, TAKE OWNERSHIP ON YOUR OWN PARK, PICK UP YOUR OWN TRASH, OKAY? AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT TO JOIN FORCES WITH POLICE AND OTHERS TO MAKING SURE THAT THE PARK THAT YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND WITH YOUR KIDS, THAT THEY ARE SAFE.
AND IF YOU FEEL SAFE, THEN YOU'LL BE A HAPPY CAMPER AND WE'LL ALL BE HAPPY AND IT'LL BE A HAPPY CITY.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, BEING PROACTIVE AND BEING HOLISTIC.