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FIFTH WARD, THE RELOCATION PLAN.WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS OVER THE NEXT FEW
[Press Conference: “Mayor Whitmire Answers Media Questions"]
WEEKS? NEXT STEPS ARE TO LET THE EPA DO THEIR JOB, UNION PACIFIC DO THIS JOB THAT CAME FROM THE REQUEST OF THE EPA REGIONAL DIRECTOR, MS. DR.SO, UH, I THINK THE, WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
UH, I THINK WE EXPOSED, UH, WHY THE PUBLIC HAS CONFUSED THE RESIDENTS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BACKGROUND.
IT WAS ON THE FIRST AGENDA THAT I DEALT WITH.
I DID NOT PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
IT WAS PLACED ON THERE BY THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION.
SO THE FIRST DAY THAT I WAS PREPARING FOR COUNCIL MEETING, IT WAS THERE.
AND SO IN DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE, I WAS ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU WANT TWO OF THE 5 MILLION THAT'S SUPPOSED TO RELOCATE FOLKS? YOU WANT 2 MILLION OF THAT TO GO TO FACILITATORS TO HELP PEOPLE RELOCATE.
SO I ASKED THE QUESTION, HOW MANY HAD AGREED TO RELOCATE? WHAT WAS THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH? THERE'S ABOUT 42 FAMILIES LIVING IN THE CLUSTER COSTS 40 MILLION TO RELOCATE WITH THE NUMBERS I WAS GIVEN.
SO WHEN I ASKED HER, WHERE ARE WE, THEY SAID, WELL, THERE'S 10 FAMILIES THAT HAVE AGREED TO RELOCATE.
WHY ARE WE USING ABOUT 200,000 PER FAMILY THAT HAS AGREED TO RELO TO, UH, RELOCATE? I, THERE WAS NO ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS.
SO I CAME DOWN, DID WHAT I THOUGHT A RESPONSIBLE PERSON WOULD DO, AND SAID, LET'S ALL STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THIS FOR A MONTH.
IT HAD BEEN PASSED IN LATE DECEMBER.
MOST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DID NOT HAVE THE DETAILS.
UH, SO AFTER SOME DISCUSSION, THEY SAID, YES, YOU GET A MONTH.
AND WE'VE REALLY BEEN WORKING HARD, A WHOLE, UH, GROUP OF US, UH, INCLUDING MYSELF VISITING THE SITE.
AND I FOUND A LOT OF MISINFORMATION HAD BEEN GIVEN TO THE WORST THING GOVERNMENT CAN DO, OR THIS CITY GOVERNMENT CAN DO, IS TO NOT BE TRANSPARENT WITH THE RESIDENTS OR HOUSTONIANS THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH.
UH, WHEN I WAS OUT THERE TWO SATURDAYS AGO, UH, PEOPLE WERE CONFUSED.
THEY WERE ASKING ME WHY THEY'RE GETTING MIXED MESSAGES.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, ACTIVISTS AND OTHERS THERE, TRIAL LAWYERS SAYING THAT THIS IS A LAND PLAY.
THEY POINT TO THE FACT THAT THE CITY IS IMPROVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN FIFTH WARD IN THE CLUSTER AREA.
I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY WHEN I WAS THERE, UH, THE ROADS HAD JUST BEEN OVERLAID EIGHT MILES.
UH, METRO'S IMPROVING THEIR BUS LOCATIONS, SHELTERS, A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOING ON THERE IN COMMERCE.
A LOT OF NEW HOMES, HOME BUILDERS ARE PUTTING SIGNS OUT OFFERING TO BUILD CUSTARD HOME CUSTOM HOMES.
SO WE TALKED TO ALL THE PARTIES.
THE COUNTY ATTORNEYS SAID HIS LAWSUIT COULDN'T GO FORWARD UNTIL AFTER THE, UH, EPA COMPLETED THEIR STUDY.
NANCE, EPA SAID, THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS WITH UNION PACIFIC.
IF THEY DETERMINE UNION PACIFIC WAS A CAUSE OF THE PLUME, THEY WOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE HELP WITH, UH, REALLY CLEANING IT UP, WHICH I PERSONALLY THINK IS THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION.
SO, UH, WE PREPARED THE, UH, REPORT TO COUNCIL DAY.
I THINK Y'ALL GOT TO SEE, UH, THE COLLABORATION OF COUNCIL.
I THINK THEY, THEY CERTAINLY ARE EXPRESSING ME.
THEY LIKE THE, THE, UH, TRANSPARENCY OF IT, THE, THE, THE INVOLVEMENT THAT I HAVE ALLOWED, WHICH I THINK SHOULD BE THE MODEL GOING FORWARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE 10 PEOPLE THAT, UH, WERE AGREEING BE TO RELOCATE, THAT WAS THE LAST AUGUST.
SO I JUST THINK IT IS WRONG TO RUSH, RUSH ON SOMETHING THAT IS THIS IMPORTANT.
I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE, UH, REPORT WE ISSUED TODAY, AND IT WAS THOROUGH AND TRANSPARENT, AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP WORKING.
WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THE EPA, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, UNION PACIFIC, THE COMMUNITY, THE
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ADVISORY GROUP.AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TRYING TO HOLD ANYBODY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHERE IT WAS WHEN I ACCEPTED IT, EXCEPT I DO THINK YOU CAN'T FOOL PEOPLE AND TELL 'EM THAT YOU'RE GONNA RELOCATE 'EM WHEN YOU'RE ONLY CONTRIBUTING FIVE, ACTUALLY JUST 3 MILLION TOWARD THE RELOCATION WHEN IT TAKES 40.
AND OF COURSE, I READ THE HEADLINES LIKE, YOU, UH, RESIDENTS IN CANCER CLUSTER ARE GONNA BE RELOCATED.
UH, THAT WAS NOT REALLY TOTALLY ACCURATE.
SO WE, I'M, I'M PLEASED WITH THE WORK WE DID, AND, UH, WE'LL STAY ON TOP OF IT.
WELL, SPEAKING OF IMMIGRATION, UM, AS YOU KNOW, AS BEFORE WENT INTO EFFECT, THE SECOND PART GOES INTO EFFECT ON MARCH.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS CAUSING A LOT OF FEAR AMONG HISPANICS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE SURE.
I THINK NEARLY ANYONE THAT'S, UH, CERTAINLY ATTENDED LAW SCHOOL, BUT I DON'T EVEN THINK YOU HAVE TO BE AN ATTORNEY TO KNOW IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
THE BORDER BELONGS TO THE US GOVERNMENT, AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE THE COURT'S RULE THAT BEFORE THE MARCH IMPLEMENTATION, IT WAS WRONG.
COULDN'T, IT COULDN'T BE CARRIED OUT IF IT, IF THE STATE WANTED TO.
UH, THERE'S JUST NO PLANS FOR IT.
THERE'S NO PLACE TO, TO, UH, PLACE INDIVIDUALS.
THERE'S NO WAY TO DISTINGUISH WHO'S DOCUMENTED, WHO'S UNDOCUMENTED.
SO IT'S LARGELY JUST UNFORTUNATELY, EXTREME POLITICS.
AND, UH, I'VE SPOKEN AGAINST IT AS A SENATOR.
UH, WE OUGHT TO LEAVE IMMIGRATION TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT HAVE YOU SPOKEN IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE, WHAT'S HPD GONNA DO? WHAT HPD IS NOT ENFORCING IMMIGRATION LAWS, PERIOD.
WHAT'S YOUR MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PROBABLY HERE? PEOPLE IS, I'M SORRY THAT THEY HAVE TO ENDURE SUCH DIVISIVE MEASURES.
AND I WOULD TELL THEM THAT ONE, UM, IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT'LL HAPPEN AROUND THE STATE AND IT WON'T HAPPEN IN HOUSTON.
IT'S A FEDERAL ISSUE, AND, UH, I'M SORRY THAT THEY FEEL ANXIETY.
BUT, UH, IT'LL BE STRUCK DOWN BY THE COURTS.
IT'S IN THE COURTS ALREADY LAWSUITS HAVE BEEN FILED AND, UH, YOU SAW THE SUPREME COURT, UH, RULE JUST RECENTLY THAT THE GOVERNOR'S BARRIER IS, UH, UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
THE BORDER AND OUR BOUNDARIES BELONG TO THE US GOVERNMENT.
MARY, THERE'S ANOTHER TALK RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE HOUSTON AVENUE PROJECT, AND I KNOW THE HOUSTON AVENUE PROJECT.
I KNOW THAT LIKE, AS MAYOR, ESPECIALLY IN A REALLY LARGE CITY LIKE HOUSTON, YOU'RE INHERITING A LOT AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT YOU'RE LEARNING ABOUT.
BUT I WAS CURIOUS IF THERE ARE ANY PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY THAT YOU HAVE EITHER POST OR PUT FOOT OVER.
I OBSERVE THINGS THAT WORK BETTER THAN OTHERS.
UH, THE DISCUSSION THIS WEEK FOCUSED ON HOUSTON AVENUE AFTER IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, REALLY THE FIRST DAY I WAS IN OFFICE BY HPD TELLING ME IT WAS UNSAFE.
THEY WORK IN THAT AREA, UH, A LOT.
UH, SO I PAID ATTENTION TO IT.
OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS, EMS FIRE CANNOT STATION SIX ON, ON WASHINGTON, CANNOT TURN RIGHT TO GET UP ON 45 SOUTH.
UH, YOU HEARD PASTOR YESTERDAY SAID THAT THEY HAD AN EMERGENCY AT THE CHURCH.
THEY COULDN'T GET A AMBULANCE IN THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE DON'T LISTEN TO THE FACTS.
AND THEN I DO WHAT I THINK IS BEST.
UH, THE, THE BUSINESSES, CHURCHES ALONG THERE CANNOT FUNCTION.
UH, THE LUTHERAN CHURCH HAS BEEN THERE A HUNDRED YEARS.
THEY COULD NOT USE THEIR PROPERTY, PROBABLY HAVE TAKEN A PROPERTY.
IF YOU JUST REALLY WANNA BE A SIMPLE EXPLANATION.
I SUPPORT PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK WALKS.
I GOT IN THE MAYOR'S RACE, PARTLY OUT OF FRUSTRATION OVER BLOSSOM IN WESTCOTT, WHICH HAS BECOME THE MAIN ENTRANCE.
IT'S THE MAIN ENTRANCE INTO MEMORIAL PARK FROM RICE MILITARY AND FROM ALLEN PARKWAY.
YOU CAN'T CROSS IT WITHOUT ENDANGER IN YOUR LIFE.
IT WAS AN ISSUE TO ME AS A RESIDENT THREE YEARS AGO.
UH, FINALLY WE GOT A SMALL PIECEMEAL WALK THERE THAT IS STILL DANGEROUS.
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I STILL TRAVEL IT DAILY.I SUPPORT PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS.
THIS ORIGINALLY THE HOUSTON AVENUE, WASHINGTON CORRIDOR WAS GONNA BE A PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK.
I BELIEVE THE DI THE ROAD DI PEOPLE GOT CONTROL OF IT.
THEY REDUCED IT FROM THREE LANES TO TWO LANES.
THEY HAD TO EAT UP THE SPACE WITH SOME LEFT TURN BIG CHUNKS OF CONCRETE.
LISTEN, I WANT QUALITY OF LIFE.
I WANT SAFETY FOR HOUSTONIANS.
IN TALKING TO, UH, ENGINEERS, THEY SAID THE CITY DIDN'T EVEN LISTEN TO THEM, THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE ORIGINAL PROJECT.
I RAN ON PUBLIC SAFETY, INCLUDING PEDESTRIANS WALKING ACROSS THE STREET.
SO YOU'LL SEE ULTIMATELY A REALLY WELL DESIGNED, THOUGHT OUT PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK.
WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE THINKING ABOUT ALSO IS THE MUNICIPAL COURTS.
YOU KNOW, YOU OUGHT TO GO AND LOOK AT THE, THE COURT ROOMS THAT ARE STILL BOARDED UP, MEANING FROM HARVEY, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO HOLD COURT TO 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, WHICH MEANS THAT CITIZENS HAVE TO CROSS HOUSTON AVENUE AT NIGHT.
WHY DON'T WE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S CAUSING PART OF THE DANGER TO THE PEDESTRIANS? IT'S A DYSFUNCTIONING LOCATION OF MUNICIPAL COURTS.
HPOU AND THEIR CADET MEMBERS HAVE TO CROSS HOUSTON AVENUE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UH, THERE'S OTHER SITES ACROSS TOWN, BUT I'M NOT FOCUSED ON THEM OR NOT.
MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO RESPOND, AND IT'S BEEN POLITICIZED BY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, SOME OF MY POLITICAL ENEMIES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES WITH THE TERRITORY.
I, IT'S NOT GOING DETER ME FROM DOING THE RIGHT THING.
THE FIRST DAY IT WAS COMPLETED, METRO STUCK A BUS ON HIGH CENTER.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF Y'ALL GREW UP IN THE COUNTRY, BUT I DID.
HIGH CENTER MEANS THE GROUND IS LIT.
YOU GET HIGH CENTER, YOU'RE ON TOP OF THE GROUND.
THE ESPLANADE, WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO.
THE RIDERS OF THE BUS HAD TO SIT THERE, MISS SCHOOL, MISS WORK, WHILE THEY BROUGHT IN A WRECKER AND LIFTED THEM OFF.
NOBODY WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YESTERDAY.
FIRE TRUCKS CAN'T GET ON 45 SOUTH.
THE, UH, OFFICER SUPPLY OFFICE THERE ON, UH, WASHINGTON CANNOT FUNCTION.
SO I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH MY DECISION TO DO THE RESPONSIBLE THING.
IT'S BEEN POLITICIZED BY GROUPS THAT, UH, KIND OF CAPTURED IT FROM THE OUTSET.
UH, YESTERDAY, FOUR OF THE CONTRACTORS INVOLVED IN THAT EMERGENCY CONTRACTING PROCESS OVER THE SUMMER.
UH, THEY WERE CALLED IN TO FIX THE WATER LEAKS.
UH, THEY CLAIM THEY HAVEN'T BEEN PAID IN FULL.
THEY'RE TANGLED UP IN THAT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS INVESTIGATION SENT US AN ANONYMOUS LETTER SAYING THAT IF THE CITY DOESN'T PAY THEM BY THE 16TH, THEY'RE GOING TO BEGIN REPOSSESSION.
MEANING THEY'RE THREATENING TO DIG STUFF UP OUT OF THE GROUND.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THEM? MY RESPONSE TO THEM IS, I'M SORRY.
IT WAS, UH, A SCANDAL THAT, THAT DRUG THEM INTO IT.
IF THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTORS AND HAVE COMPLETED THE WORK, THEY SHOULD BE PAID, SHOULD BE PAID PROMPTLY.
UH, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IS REVIEWING IT.
AND, UH, I THINK THE WORK BEING DONE TO DISCOVERY, DID THEY COMPLETE THEIR JOB, IS WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO GO FORWARD.
AND JUST CIRCLING BACK TO THE CANCER CLUSTER, THE FACT THAT ALL THIS DEVELOPMENT WAS HAPPENING, THAT COUNCIL SAYS THEY WERE NOT AWARE.
IN FACT, THEY WERE BEING TOLD THAT IT WASN'T HAPPENING.
I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DON'T WANNA PLAY THE BLAME GAME, BUT WHAT'S BEING DONE TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? DO WHAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN, THAT WE'RE NOT PUTTING GLO HOMES OR NEW ROADS IN A CANCER CLUSTER? WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
I'VE ASKED THE GLO AND IT SHOWS AGAIN, MY ABILITY TO, TO WORK WITH AUSTIN AND, AND WORK ACROSS, UH, THE AISLE.
GLO HAS ALREADY COMPLETED THREE HOMES.
THEY HAVE 18 PLANNED, AND WE'VE ASKED THEM TO PAUSE AND THEY HAVE PAUSED.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE AGAIN, IT JUST WASN'T VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT OR PRESENTED WHEN IT WAS ON THAT FIRST COUNCIL AGENDA THAT I INHERITED.
YEAH, JUST, I MEAN, THIS OBVIOUSLY ISN'T THE ONLY INDUSTRIAL CONTAMINATION SITE IN THE CITY.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE TO PREVENT THIS MOVING FORWARD? OR WAS IT JUST A TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS FUMBLE? WELL, YOU KNOW, THE CHRIS OAK PLANT'S BEEN THERE ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS.
SO, UH, I'VE BEEN MAYOR A MONTH.
UH, THERE ARE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
THE SAN JA CENTER RIVER, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON, BUT IT'S A SUPER SITE THAT, UH, EPA IS, UH, ACTUALLY A SOON RESPONSIBILITY AND GOING WELL, THAT'S A LIE TOO.
THEY WANT TO, THEY'RE WORKING WITH CHAMPION PAPER, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE ON THE SCENE.
MAYOR, LAST WEEK, UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NEW WATER BILL PLAN THAT YOU WERE FORMULATING
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STILL.YOU SAID YOU WERE IRONING OUT SOME DETAILS.
ANY TIMELINE, UH, THIS WEEK ON WHEN THAT MAY RELEASE? NO.
THAT THE TIMELINE IS WHATEVER IT TAKES TO DO IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE AGAIN, YOU CAN'T HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE AND ROLL OUT SOMETHING LIKE IT WAS DONE IN DECEMBER AND SAY WE'VE, UH, WE'VE CORRECTED THE WATER BUILDING AND IT HASN'T BEEN CORRECTED.
THERE'S STILL OUTRAGEOUS WATER BILLS.
WE'VE INSTRUCTED PUBLIC WORKS AND THE WATER DEPARTMENT TO LET RESIDENTS THAT GET THESE EXORBITANT BILLS TO NOT PANIC.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO PAY IT.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF COMING UP WITH A PROCESS WHERE WE'LL LET YOU KNOW.
WE'LL BE PROACTIVE AND LET YOU KNOW THAT BILL IS NOT THE REAL DEAL.
WE'LL HAVE FACE TO FACE IN SERVICE EMPLOYEES TO HELP YOU REMEDY IT.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DEALING WITH WATER METERS AND THE COMPUTER AND THE SENSORS.
SO WHEN I ROLL IT OUT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, IT OUGHT TO ONCE AND FOR ALL, GIVE PEOPLE RELIEF FOR THEIR EXORBITANT, UNREALISTIC WATER BILLS.
AND WE'LL GO BACK AND AVERAGE THE THREE MONTHS LAST YEAR TO COME UP WITH WHAT IS A FAIR AMOUNT, WHICH THEY WOULD, WHICH THEY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED INSTEAD OF THE CRAZY EXORBITANT ONES.
SO, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE PLAN FOR DPS 400 OFFICERS THAT YOU WEREN'T PLANNING TO BRING IN TO GET MORE SECURITY HERE FOR THE CITY.
HOW IS THAT PLAN GOING AND, UH, WITH THE SB FOUR THING, DO YOU AFRAID, ARE YOU AFRAID THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE AFRAID THAT THIS, THIS AGENCY BELONGS TO THE STATES? WELL, IF, IF PEOPLE WANNA POLITICIZE IT, YOU CAN SCARE PEOPLE ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.
THERE'S NOTHING MAGIC ABOUT, UH, THE DPS COMING HERE.
THEY WORKED SUNDAY BEFORE, LAST HAND IN HAND WITH HPD WITH NO INCIDENT DEALING WITH, UH, IMMIGRATION.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND, UH, CHIEF FINNER WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH EIGHT AGENCIES.
DPS WAS PART OF THE OPERATION.
UH, THEY ARRESTED TWO VIOLENT OFFENDERS WITH WARRANTS.
THEY ISSUED A COUPLE HUNDRED TICKETS GETTING BACK TO HOUSTON AVENUE.
THE REAL SOLUTION TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IS TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
SO WE GOT TO HAVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ON OUR FREEWAY WAYS AND ROADS.
UH, CHIEF NER IS IN CHARGE OF RECRUITING AND USING OTHER AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE DPS, SO NO ONE HAS ANYTHING TO, TO FEAR.
UH, THE DPS WORKING HERE WILL BE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF CHIEF FINNER, WHO I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT MODEL AND IT'S GONNA WORK WELL.
IS IT PERFECT? NO, BUT, UH, IT'S GONNA PROVIDE THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT'S GONNA DEAL WITH ROAD RAGE.
IT'S GONNA DEAL WITH SPEEDING, RUNNING RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS.
WE NEED BETTER TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UH, THROUGHOUT HOUSTON.
MAYOR, HAVE YOU ALREADY TALKED ABOUT PUBLICLY THE FUTURE PLANS OF THE SOUTHEAST WATER PLANT NOW THAT THE CITY HAS DECIDED TO MAINTAIN OPERATION OF IT, WE DISCUSSED THAT THIS MORNING.
WE'RE GONNA DO A WALKTHROUGH AND LOOK AT THE, UH, CONDITION OF THE SOUTHEAST WATER PLANT.
UH, WE DO NOT WANT ANY SURPRISES.
UH, LIKE YOU, LIKE YOU READ, LIKE I DID, UH, THE, UH, DISMISSAL OR NO LONGER DISCUSSING PRIVATIZATION WAS NOT ON MY CLOCK.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE INHERITED.
BUT WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GUARANTEE THAT THERE IS A SAFE, RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS AND WASTEWATER AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SOME REAL CHALLENGES WITH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT ONLY STREETS, BUT ALSO WATER AND DRAINAGE.
BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UH, IN THE HORSESHOE.
IT SEEMS TO BE THEY'RE ENERGIZED.
THEY'RE APPRECIATING MY, UH, TRANSPARENCY AND INCLUSION.
I, I BROUGHT THAT TO CITY HALL FROM MANY YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE.
I JUST KNOW IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, UM, OUR CONSTITUENTS WILL BENEFIT.
IN THIS INSTANCE, WE ALL REPRESENT THE SAME PEOPLE.
SO I LISTEN TO DISTRICT AND AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT AND I WANT TO ASSIST THEM IN REPRESENTING THEIR DISTRICT.
DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T HAVE MY OWN IDEAS ABOUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS, BUT ANYWAY, I'M PRETTY PLEASED THAT, WHAT IS IT, A MONTH AND A WEEK.
UM, IT'S A BIG JOB, BUT EXPERIENCE COUNTS AND, UM, I BROUGHT A LOT OF IT TO THE TABLE.
MAYOR, IF I COULD FOLLOW UP ON LIKE A QUESTION SHE HAD EARLIER.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T KEEP UP WITH EVERY SINGLE TRAFFIC PROJECT GOING ON AROUND TOWN, BUT IT APPEARS TXDOT IS PLANNING TO CLOSE THE EXIT TO MCGREGOR
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AND THEN TAKE THAT STREET DOWN TO ONE LANE AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADER TOMORROW.BELL IS ASKING TDOT TO DELAY THIS PROJECT UNTIL AFTER RODEO AND SPRING BREAK TO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC CONCERNS.
I DON'T KNOW, ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS OR HAVE AN OPINION? YOU KNOW, I TRY TO KEEP UP WITH TOMORROW BELL, BUT IT'S KIND OF A CHALLENGE.
UH, I WILL CHECK ON THAT PROJECT.
TXDOT, UH, HAS THEIR TIMETABLE AS WELL, BUT THEY KNOW HOW I STRONGLY, I FEEL ABOUT USING SOME COMMON SENSE WHEN THEY'RE GOING ABOUT CLOSING.
UH, THOROUGHFARES, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, IF YOU RESTRAINT, IF YOU RESTRAIN THEM DURING THE RODEO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT EVENT, BUT I'LL CHECK WITH 'EM.
I HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH TDOT.
DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH THEM EITHER, BY THE WAY.
THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, STAYING AROUND.
APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GREAT CITY BY THE WAY, AND GREAT PEOPLE, PARTIAL AND, AND GREAT AND GREAT PEOPLE.
WE JUST HAVE SOME, UH, SOME DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE ATTENDED TO.