[Press Conference: "South Lockwood Paving and Drainage Project Groundbreaking"]
[00:00:10]
UH, WELCOME TO LOCKWOOD ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DECEMBER MORNING WITH A GORGEOUS SKY, GORGEOUS WEATHER.
UH, I WANNA WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THIS MORNING'S GROUNDBREAKING, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IS, IS PROUD TO BRING MORE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY.
UH, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WILL, UH, NOT ONLY BRING, UH, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE IMMEDIATE, BUT ALSO, UH, COORDINATES AND WORKS WITH OTHER, UH, ENTITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, INCLUDING METRO WHO WILL BE DOING ADDITIONAL WORK IN THIS AREA.
UH, THE MAYOR'S GOT ALL OF MY TALKING NOTES ON THE EXCITING THINGS ABOUT THE PROJECT, SO HE CAN GET CREDIT FOR ALL THAT.
UH, BUT I DEFINITELY WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS IS, UH, UM, LONG ANTICIPATED, MUCH NEEDED, AND, UH, IS VERY, UH, VERY EXCITED TO BE STARTING THE DELIVERY OF THIS TODAY.
UH, SO IT BRINGS ME GREAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, UH, TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT, UH, TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THE, UH, COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN PROMISED IN THE PAST, AND, UH, HOW WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER THAT, UH, EVEN AFTER HE HAS LEFT US, UH, UH, TO GO ON TO THE NEXT PHASE OF HIS LIFE.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO DELIVER THAT, UH, THAT, THAT COMMITMENT THAT HE IS MAKING TODAY.
LOOK, UH, I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND, UH, MY COMMENTS ARE GONNA BE VERY, VERY BRIEF.
I'M EXCITED THAT THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER 31ST, 1159 OF THIS YEAR.
LOOK, I WISH, UM, WELL LOOK, GOOD MORNING AND THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
AND OF COURSE, JOINED BY DIRECTOR CAROL HADDOCK AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CIIS OF DISTRICT H AND I KNOW SHE'S EXCITED AND, UM, BOTH OF US, UH, WILL BE LEAVING AT THE SAME TIME.
WE ARE KICKING OFF SOME IMPORTANT DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS FOR AN AREA, UH, THAT HAS BEEN WAITING YEARS, UH, FOR THIS IMPORTANT UPGRADE.
AND IN KEEPING WITH OUR PROMISE THAT WE HAVE MADE, UM, THEN WE CAN WE'LL PROVIDE IMPORTANT MITIGATION PROJECTS.
PRETTY MUCH WE'RE MAKING THAT ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY TO IMPROVE OUR CITY STREETS AND TRANSPORTATION SAFETY FOR ALL OF OUR USERS.
THE $9 MILLION SOUTH LOCK WOOD PAVING AND DRAINAGE PROJECT IS THE FIRST PART OF A MUCH LARGER PROJECT.
HOW MUCH IS THE BIGGER PROJECT, KAREN? IT'S TENS OF MILLIONS.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE FIRST PART OF THAT.
AND THIS SECTION COMES FROM SUBURBAN STREET, IS THAT CHRIST STREET PRICE, C-R-I-T-E-S.
UM, INCLUDES, UH, NEW BIKE LANES AND SIDEWALKS TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY FOR DISTRICT EIGHT.
AND I KNOW THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR THAT FOR A LONG, FOR A LONG TIME.
MORE THAN 30 NEW STREETLIGHTS NOW WILL BE ADDED TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES WILL LOVE THAT.
AND SO I WANNA THANK BOTH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, AND I WANT GIVE HER A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT, UH, BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN PRETTY MUCH HANDS ON WITH THINGS IN DISTRICT H IF SHE BELIEVES IT, SHE FIGHTS FOR IT AND SHE STANDS UP GROUND.
AND, UM, AND I WANT TO GIVE HER A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT.
AND THEN I WANNA THANK DIRECTOR HADDOCK AND ALL OF PUBLIC WORKS, UH, FOR BEING STEADFAST AND FOR LEAST MOVING FORWARD ON THIS PART OF THE PROJECT INSTEAD OF DELAYING AND WAITING, UH, FOR SOME FUTURE DATE.
SO GIVE 'EM, GIVE THEM BOTH A STRONG HAND.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
AND, UH, I WAS REMISS IN, IN INTRODUCING THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHEN I STARTED MY REMARKS, BUT, UH, I KNEW THAT I WOULD BE INTRODUCING HER IN A MINUTE.
AND SO IT HAS BEEN, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO, UH, BRING UP THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THIS DISTRICT FOR AT LEAST TWO MORE WEEKS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS, UH, SHE HAS BEEN A STEADFAST ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THIS DISTRICT.
UM, AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE DO NOT JUST WORK, BUT THAT WE DO WORK THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND THAT, THAT MEETS THE COMMUNITY'S, UM, DESIRES FOR BUILDING THIS COMMUNITY STRONG.
AND SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, WELCOME.
WELL, THIS IS VERY EXCITING THAT WE ARE GETTING TO HAVE THIS GROUNDBREAKING TODAY, THE BEGINNING OF A MUCH BIGGER PROJECT THAT WILL MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT.
UM, IT WILL HELP WITH, WITH, UH, THE, THE FLOODS WE'VE EXPERIENCED.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, UM, TO BE HERE TODAY AND, AND, UM, AND TO MAKE GOOD ON A, A, A COMMITMENT THAT WAS MADE TO THE COMMUNITY LONG AGO.
YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR PROJECTS THIS SIZE TO COME TOGETHER AND IT TAKES SO MANY PEOPLE ON SO MANY LEVELS, YOU KNOW, TO
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BE USHERING IT THROUGH.SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S HAD A HAND IN THAT.
AND A BIG THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY TOO FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT.
THERE IS A MEETING, CAROL, MAYBE YOU CAN SHARE THE DETAILS WITH A VIRTUAL MEETING THIS WEEK THAT, UM, THAT PEOPLE CAN, UM, LOG IN AND, AND, AND HEAR THE PRESENTATION AND ALSO HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT IT IS, UH, JUST SUCH AN HONOR TO HAVE GOTTEN TO BE PART OF THIS.
YOU KNOW, LIKE THE MAYOR, I'M, I'M LEAVING IN TWO WEEKS AND, UM, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ADVOCATE AND, AND AND, AND SEE THAT THINGS HAPPEN THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
SO I AM GOING TO ASK THE PROJECT MANAGER OR CHERYL TO COME UP AND GIVE THE DETAILS ON THE PUBLIC MEETING, UM, BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT BEING AIRED RIGHT NOW SO THAT EVERYBODY THAT WATCHES THIS OR WATCHES IT IN TAPE HAS THE DETAILS ON THE, THE PUBLIC MEETING.
CHERYL, THIS IS CHERYL HARRIS.
SHE'S, UH, HEADS OF THE GROUP THAT INCLUDES OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FOR ALL PRO, ALL PROJECTS.
YES, WE DO HAVE A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING.
IT'S, UH, AT FIVE 30 TOMORROW.
AND YOU CAN TUNE IN@ENGAGEHOUSTON.COM, DOT COM, DOT ORG, EXCUSE ME.
IT GETS HOUSTON.ORG AND THERE'S A LIVE BUTTON WHERE YOU CAN SELECT LIVE AND YOU CAN GET RIGHT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
THAT PAGE ALSO WILL HOLD DETAILS OF THE PROJECT SCHEDULES, PLANS AND OTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME OUT AND ENJOY US AND ASK QUESTIONS REAL TIME WITH THE PROJECT TEAM ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL PROJECT.
AND WITH THAT, WE ARE HERE TO, UH, BREAK SOME GROUND.
YEAH, LET ME THANK THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT FOR ALLOWING US TO USE THEIR PARKING LOT, GIVE IT UP TO THEM.
THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
WE'LL DO ONE, TWO, LIFT ON THREE.