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IN MY DAMN NOTES, I DON'T HAVE NOTES.THAT'S JUST THE NAMES OF THE FIREFIGHTERS IF YOU NEED 'EM, THAT WERE HURT.
ANY QUESTIONS, MAYOR, ORIGINALLY TODAY WE WERE TOLD YOU WERE GONNA UNVEIL A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS HIGH WATER BILLS.
WHY THE POSTPONEMENT OF THAT? JUST, UH, IT'S SO INVOLVED THAT WE WANNA DO IT RIGHT, INSTEAD OF THE TIMELESS, UH, TRYING TO MEET A DEADLINE.
WE, WE REALLY WANT TO, UH, BE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT, SCRUB IT, MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE DON'T START DOWN A PATH THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO ADJUST.
IT'S TOO IMPORTANT AND IT'S BEEN REPORTED BY Y'ALL AND IT'S, I KNOW HOW CONCERNING IT IS.
HOUSTONIANS, I HAVE FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND OTHERS.
A FAMILY MEMBER, YOU KNOW, THEY GO AHEAD AND DRAW DOWN ON YOUR BANK ACCOUNT WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE CITY.
ONE OF THE PLANS WILL HAVE A IN-SERVICE AVAILABILITY, WE'RE REALLY GONNA TRY TO MAKE IT USER-FRIENDLY.
THE OUTRAGEOUS BILLS WILL BE PROACTIVELY DISMISSED.
UH, IT'S NOT A PAUSE, IT'S NOT A RETREAT, IF ANYTHING, A MORE AGGRESSIVE WAY OF DOING IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
ERIC, COULD WE GET AN AMNESTY PLAN FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THESE OUTRAGEOUS BILLS? LIVING 2000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSES OWE 20 GRAND.
YOU CAN CALL IT AN AMNESTY IF YOU WANT TO.
WHEN, WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COMPUTER RUN, IS OUR DESIRE TO NOTIFY FOLKS THAT, UH, DISREGARD WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND DO A FAIR AVERAGE AMOUNT IN YOUR PREVIOUS MONTHS.
SO IT'S NOT A, NOT A WITHDRAWAL, IT'S NOT A SLOWING DOWN.
IT'S A MORE DELIBERATE, TRANSPARENT WAY OF DEALING WITH THE ISSUE.
THE, UH, PREVIOUS MONTH'S EFFORT CREATED SOME CONFUSION.
THERE WON'T BE FEES IN MY PROPOSAL.
SO IT'S GOING TO REALLY GET PUBLIC WORKS TO, UH, BE VERY RESPONSIVE TO THE PUBLIC.
SOUNDS LIKE IT GOES FARTHER THAN WHAT THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION PASSED JUST BEFORE YOU TOOK OFFICE.
ALL I'D SAY IS SOMETHING I'M GONNA PROPOSE, AND I'M NOT GONNA DRAW A COMPARISON OTHER THAN IT IS STILL A TOP CONCERN OF HOUSTONIANS.
AND IF THEY HAVE LEAKS, WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT.
WE'RE GONNA REMEMBER AND DEMONSTRATE WHO WE WORK FOR.
MAYOR YESTERDAY, COUNSEL AND YOURSELF HEARD TESTIMONY ABOUT THE 800 MIDDLE STREET APPLICATIONS TO HOUSTON H UH, TO THE HUD HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, CLAIMING THAT RADIO TOWER WAS ONLY 300 FEET AND POSE.
NO, NO DANGER IN A FALL ZONE, YOU FIND OUT IT'S 900 FEET AND IF IT FELL, IT COULD FALL RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, UH, THIS, THIS PROPOSED ONGOING CONSTRUCTION OF THIS, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING PROJECT.
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION? I MEAN, YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
WELL, OBVIOUSLY ANYONE THAT'S FAMILIAR WITH THE SITE AND THE, UH, PROCESS THAT GOT IT TO WHERE IT IS TODAY IS, IS, WOULD, WOULD BE SEVERELY DISAPPOINTED, UPSET.
I UNDERSTAND IT'S BEING NAMED A GREG GOGAN FACILITY NOW,
UH, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN WORKING WITH LEGAL TO SEE IF WE COULD PUT A HALT TO IT.
UH, ACTUALLY TALKED TO TCQ THIS MORNING TO GET AN UPDATE ON THEIR REVIEW OF THE ADJOINING PROPERTY THAT IS HAZARDOUS.
UH, THE TOWER IS JUST ONE MORE COMPONENT OF SOME POOR, UH, DECISION MAKING BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND I THINK YOU'LL BE SEEING SOME LEADERSHIP CHANGES THERE AS SOON AS I GET OUTTA HERE.
MAYOR, ONE MORE ON THE WATER BILLS.
DO YOU HAVE A NEW TIMELINE FOR WHEN YOU MAY UNVEIL THAT PLAN? WE'RE GONNA SEE WHERE WE ARE, UH, TOMORROW, FRIDAY.
WE'RE, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S A VERY SERIOUS MATTER, BUT IT DESERVES A GOOD VETTING AND TO DO IT RIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, UH, I'M VERY ANXIOUS TO GET IT DONE.
AND YOU MENTIONED, UH, QUITE A BIT, THE FIFTH WARD CANCER CLUSTERS AND YOUR EXPERIENCE TALKING TO RESIDENTS.
IS IT STILL THE PLAN NEXT WEEK TO VOTE ON THE, THE CONTRACT WITH THE HOUSTON LAND BANK AND, SORRY, BRING IT BACK FOR COUNCIL AS WE COMMITTED? UH, IT'LL BE OBVIOUSLY UP TO COUNCIL HOW THEY CHOOSE TO GO FORWARD.
I THINK IT'S A, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSTON, UH, TO MAKE A STATEMENT THAT WE TAKE IT AS A MOST SERIOUS ISSUE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO CLARIFY SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND, UH, GO FORWARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUDGET PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION BUDGETED TO 5 MILLION, 2 MILLION OF WHICH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED, WHICH WILL ACTUALLY BE THE VOTE BEFORE COUNCIL FOR
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THE FACILITATION AND THE MANAGEMENT OF RELOCATIONS INFORMATION SHARING.AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THERE'S SOME GUARDRAILS AND THAT MONEY WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
BUT WE ALL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE CONTACT WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THE STAKEHOLDERS WOULD BE ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
I MEET WITH EPA FRIDAY, UH, I ASK FOR TECQ TO REVIEW THEIR STATUS.
UH, THIS MORNING WHEN I HAD MY CONVERSATION WITH THE STATE AGENCY, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE MEETING WITH COUNTY STATE, AND, UH, I MENTIONED THE EPA, BUT UNION PACIFIC, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THEY'RE TALKING TO OUR LAWYERS, BUT THEY NEED TO QUIT TALKING AND COME UP WITH A PLAN TO CLEAN UP THE SITE.
UH, I'VE MET WITH OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND, UH, STEVE WILLIAMS BRIEFED ME VERY THOROUGHLY YESTERDAY.
THERE ARE SERIOUS MEDICAL ISSUES, DIOXINS BEING FOUND IN THE ATTIC OF SOME OF THE RESIDENTS, BUT THEY'RE CONFUSED BECAUSE THEY SEE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THEY SEE GOVERNMENT IMPROVING THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WANNA HAVE A VERY TRANSPARENT AND COMPLETE PRESENTATION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON HAD A COMMUNITY MEETING.
I APPLAUD THAT OTHER MEMBERS WERE PRESENT AND PARTICIPATED.
WE'VE GOTTA GET THERE AND, UH, TRY TO COME UP WITH A REAL PLAN AND NOT JUST A STATEMENT OR, UH, WE NEED MORE THAN STATEMENTS AND WE NEED A REAL LONG TERM, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM PLANS.
MARY, YOU MENTIONED DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA LAST TIME.
YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT ADMINISTRATIVE PAUSE OR PAUSE ON PERMITTING WAS IN THE AREA THAT YOU WERE, LOOK INTO IT AND GIVE BACK TO ME.
DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT PAUSE IS GOING TO LAST FOR THE PAUSE PERMITTING? WELL, FIRST OF OFF, THERE'S NO PAUSE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
THE PAUSE WAS PUBLIC WORKS ISSUING PERMITS, AND THEY'RE STILL UNDER THAT PAUSE.
AND WE'RE RESEARCHING IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HOW LONG THAT COULD BE.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD LIKEN THE CANCER CLUSTER TO BE A PERMANENT, UH, PREVENTION OF ISSUING PERMITS.
BUT LEGAL'S NOT SURE YOU CAN DO IT UNDER PROPERTY RIGHTS LAWS AT THE, FROM THE STATE LEVEL.
SO THERE AGAIN, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO.
UH, GLO HAS PAUSED THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THERE AGAIN, THEY'VE GOT SOME RESTRAINTS TOO, BASED ON STATE LAWS.
SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING I'VE BEEN HANDLING LONG TERM.
BUT, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, I'VE ROLLED UP MY SLEEVES.
I TOOK A VERY DIVERSE TEAM OF, UH, OF MY, UH, STAFF AND SPENT MOST OF SATURDAY AFTERNOON THERE.
UH, PEOPLE RECOGNIZED ME AT STOP SIGNS, FLAGGED US DOWN.
WE GOT OUT AND TALKED TO 'EM AND GAINED VALUABLE INFORMATION.
WE'RE GOING TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE NEED A, A REAL PLAN AND NOT JUST, I MEAN, I THINK OUR VOTE IN THE 5 MILLION SOMEWHAT, SOME OF IT BEING USED FOR, UH, INFORMATION PURPOSES IS A STATEMENT, BUT IT'S NOT THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
WE KNOW FROM EARLY INFORMATION, THERE'S 42 PIECES OF PROPERTY FAMILIES IN THE CLUSTER.
UH, IT WOULD BE PROBABLY AROUND 40 MILLION TO RELOCATE THEM.
THE CITY'S PUT UP 5 MILLION, HAS A LIST OF 10.
I THINK MAYBE NOW THEY, OUR, OUR, UH, STAFF SAY THERE MAY BE 11.
COUPLE OF 'EM HAVE SOME, UH, IMMIGRATION ISSUES.
ONE'S ALREADY MOVED OUT, SO I'M NOT SURE.
WE'VE GOT MANY MORE THAN FIVE READY TO BE RELOCATED.
PART OF IT IS BECAUSE OF THE MISINFORMATION.
THEY TRULY BELIEVE THAT THEIR LAND'S GONNA BE WORTH MORE NEXT YEAR THAN IT IS TODAY.
SO WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THAT KIND OF PUBLIC SENTIMENT FROM THE HOMEOWNERS, YOU'VE GOT A REAL CHALLENGE ON YOUR HAND TO GET 'EM TO RELOCATE.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE'S A PAUSE IN PLACE, BUT YOU'RE NOT SURE HOW LONG THAT CAN HOLD FOR LEGALLY, SO YOU'RE NOT SURE HOW MUCH LONGER IT CAN CONTINUE? COURSE, YES.
YOU MENTIONED, I MEAN, WE, WE, WE WOULD EXTEND THE PAUSE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE HAVE LEGAL RESTRAINTS THAT, UH, LEGAL IS REVIEWING.
YOU MENTIONED YOU FELT LIKE THE EPA WAS DRIVING THEIR FEET.
CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT? WELL, I THINK IS, IS AS, UH, LARGE AND POWERFUL AS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS, AND AS FOCUS AS EPA SHOULD BE, YOU DON'T NEED 18 MONTHS TO DO A STUDY.
SO YOU HAD ABOUT A MONTH AND ALL.
THAT'S MY, I THINK, AND THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE COMMUNICATING FRIDAY.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO WASTE ON THIS PROJECT.
AND A DPA, YOU KNOW, THEY WENT OUT THERE AND HAD THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE LAST FALL AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH FROM 'EM SINCE.
MAYOR, YOU'VE HAD ABOUT A MONTH NOW TO GET UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CITY'S FINANCES.
HAVE, UH, CAN YOU GIVE US ANY INDICATION WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE, WHETHER THE WELL, OBVIOUSLY GOING FORWARD, WE KNOW WE WILL HAVE CHALLENGES.
I MEAN, ANYONE THAT'S LOOKED AT THE, UH, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL PICTURE KNOWS THAT WE'RE PAYING OUR
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BILLS TODAY.BUT IF WE GO FORWARD WITH THE, UH, EXPENDITURES COMPARED TO THE REVENUE, WE'VE GOT SOME REAL CHALLENGES.
THAT'S REASON ONE, WE, UH, NEED TO BE VERY DILIGENT.
WE NEED TO BE EFFECTIVE AND, AND, UH, BUT RESPONSIBLE, WE HAVE GREAT NEEDS IN THE CITY.
I COULD GO THROUGH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE HAVE A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE, BUT THERE ARE SOME QUALITY LIFE ISSUES THAT ARE BEING AFFECTED BY SOME, UH, INADEQUACIES BY SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENTS IN TERMS OF RESOURCES.
SO WE'RE MEETING WITH DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, YOU KNOW, I COULD START DRILLING DOWN ON 'EM.
I COULD JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WITH THEIR LARGE INVENTORY OF PARKS AND ESPLANADES HAVE TO SHUTTLE THEIR WORKERS OUT 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A SHORTAGE OF VEHICLES.
HOUSTON, WE GOT SOME CHALLENGES.
SO THAT'S, I KNEW THAT WHEN I RAN, AND THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE GONNA WORK CLOSE WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS TO MAKE SURE EVERY DOLLAR IS USED WISELY.
AND CERTAINLY PUBLIC SAFETY WILL CONTINUE TO BE MY HIGHEST PRIORITY.
I WAS, I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE ENFORCEMENT, UH, PLAN THAT CHIEF NER CAME OUT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT IT LATER TODAY.
BUT WE NEED THE COLLABORATION OF, OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, WE'VE GOT TO REDUCE THE AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS, PEOPLE IGNORING SPEED LIMITS AND RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS IT.
IT'S DANGEROUS ON OUR STREETS QUITE OFTEN FROM TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS.
YOU MENTIONED THAT SAFER ROADWAYS INITIATIVE.
YOU MENTIONED THAT SAFER ROADWAYS INITIATIVE.
UM, YOU SAID TWO PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED LAST NIGHT UNDERNEATH THAT INITIATIVE.
WHAT WERE THEY ARRESTED FOR? CHIEF FINN'S GONNA BRIEF EVERYONE THIS AFTERNOON, SO I JUST KNOW THEY HAD WARRANTS AND WERE TAKING IT.
I THINK YOU, WE, WE WOULD, WOULD BE SHOCKED SOMETIMES IF WE KNEW SOME OF THE ELEMENTS THAT ARE TRAVELING DOWN OUR STREETS, FUGITIVES, UH, THAT A BROKEN BOND FUGITIVES THAT ARE WANTED.
UH, AND BECAUSE OF LACK OF RESOURCES AND SOME OF THE COURT BACKLOG, UH, WE NEED TO GET DANGEROUS, REPEAT, VIOLENT OFFENDERS OFF THE STREET.
AND IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST DANGEROUS POPULATION THAT POLICE OFFICERS HAVE TO ENCOUNTER.
'CAUSE MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN IN THE SYSTEM LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT IF THEY'RE APPREHENDED, THEY WILL PROBABLY BE KEPT.
IT'S THE REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDERS THAT I'M MOST CONCERNED ABOUT.
MAYOR ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, YOU TALKED ABOUT AN AGGRESSIVE RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN FOR HPD.
ARE YOU FORMULATING THAT NOW, GREG? WE'RE MEETING REGULARLY WITH THE, UH, RECRUITERS.
THEY'VE ACTUALLY SENT A GROUP TO NEW YORK.
NEW YORK DID AWAY WITH THEIR CADET CLASSES AS A BUDGETARY MATTER LAST MONTH.
I UNDERSTAND NOW THEY'VE REALLY INSTITUTED IT, BUT WE'RE, UH, DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
I WAS AT A, OUR LARGE, OUR THIRD LARGEST CADET CLASS TWO WEEKS AGO, 76 OUTSTANDING YOUNG CADETS.
UH, SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, TRYING TO BE INNOVATIVE LATERAL HIRINGS, UH, AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO HAVE TURMOIL, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A PATHWAY FOR EITHER AUSTIN, SEATTLE OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WILLING TO TRANSFER TDCJ, UH, YEAH, ATTENTION OFFICERS AS WELL.
O OBVIOUSLY I'VE, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THEIR 15,000 CORRECTION OFFICERS.
UH, THEY'RE SHORT, QUITE FRANKLY.
I THINK THEY HAVE SOME SECURITY CONCERNS.
SOME OF THE ESCAPES HAVE BEEN, UH, WE BELIEVE DUE TO SHORTAGE OF THEIR STAFF.
SO WE WERE VERY SENSITIVE TO THE SAFETY OF OUR CORRECTIONAL WORK WORKERS, THE PRISON INMATES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT IF ANY CORRECTION OFFICER WOULD LIKE TO RELOCATE, UH, IF THEY'RE QUALIFIED, UH, WE'D CERTAINLY BE INTERESTED IN, WE WANT PEOPLE, AND, AND I'VE TALKED TO THE CADETS ABOUT THIS.
HISTORICALLY, HPD OFFICERS WERE OUR BEST RECRUITERS AS WELL AS OVER IN FIRE.
BUT IN RECENT YEARS, BECAUSE OF CERTAINLY IN FIRE, 'CAUSE OF A LACK OF A CONTRACT, IT'S HARD TO RECRUIT PEOPLE IN HPD JUST BECAUSE OF THE MORALE BEING, UH, LOW.
BUT I UNDERSTAND FROM GOOD SOURCES, IT'S IMPROVED SINCE I WAS ELECTED FIRE AND POLICE.
AND I THINK IT WILL ONLY GET BETTER.
WE NEED THOSE FIRST RESPONDERS TO RECOMMEND TO THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS, HEY, YOU REALLY DO WANNA WORK FOR HOUSTON.
AND OF COURSE, WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THEY RECEIVE THE HEALTHCARE AND BENEFITS THAT THEY DESERVE.
WITH THAT, I'VE GOTTA GO TO WORK.