* 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. GOOD MORNING. [00:00:02] MORNING, MAN. GOOD MORNING, [Mayor’s Press Conference] SIR. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEETING. UH, A LOT OF GOOD DIALOGUE. I APPLAUD COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT AND, UH, HOW WE'RE GONNA GO FORWARD. GOOD QUESTIONS, GOOD ANSWERS. AND, UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. MAYOR ONE, PULL UP ON THE ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, THE WATER BILL VOTE. UM, ARE YOU STILL PLANNING TO DO A LARGER ? SURE. WE'RE GONNA ROLL OUT AND, AND A LOT OF IT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED AS WE TALK, UH, IN SERVICE CONTACT, UH, DOING OUR BEST TO, UH, PREVENT THE OUTRAGEOUS BILLS FROM GOING OUT. THAT'S THE COMPONENT THAT STILL IS BEING REFINED. JUST THAT FOLKS WOULD NOT GET THAT BILL YOU SAW US ADDRESS TODAY, THAT YOU DON'T, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET FIRED IF YOU ASSIST SOMEBODY WITH A USER FRIENDLY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. SO, YES, WE'RE GONNA ROLL OUT. WE, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO OBTAIN THE SENSORS. UM, AND ALL THAT SUPPLY IS BEING DEALT WITH AS WE TALK. SO YES, IT'S A, IT'S A PRIORITY, BUT I EMPHASIZE IT'S GOTTEN A LOT BETTER. SO, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ROLLED OUT? YOU MENTIONED THAT A MINUTE AGO THAT SOME THINGS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY. WELL, UH, FIRST OF ALL, PUBLIC WORKS KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS, AND IT'S USER FRIENDLY. WE TALK TO PEOPLE, WE RESOLVE IT. YOU'VE SEEN A COUPLE INSTANCES IN COUNCIL MEETINGS. WE DO THAT ON A DAILY BASIS. NOW LET'S TALK, LET'S RESOLVE YOUR BILLING. THE LADY FROM KINGWOOD HAD A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS BILL THAT WAS RESOLVED BEFORE SHE LEFT THE BUILDING. IT'S THE USER FRIENDLY. LET'S GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. LET'S DO A FAIR AND ACCURATE BILLING. AND PART OF IT IS JUST MY INSTRUCTION TO PUBLIC WORKS. YOU KNOW, IT'S AMAZING, UH, WHEN YOU EMPHASIZE AND IMPROVE THE, EMPHASIZE YOUR SERVICE ORIENTED IN THE MORALE. UH, I'M SEEING IT THROUGHOUT MOST OF OUR DEPARTMENTS. NEW LEADERSHIP, NEW ENERGY, NEW FOCUS. WE'RE HERE TO SERVE. WE WORK AT THE PLEASURE OF THE, THE, THE CITIZENS. SO, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE SENSORS ON THE WATER METERS ARE BROKEN. ABOUT 20% OF 'EM, MAYBE AS MANY AS A HUNDRED THOUSAND. UH, THAT'S ALL BEING ORDERED. BUT I THINK QUITE FRANKLY, AND, AND ONE THING I'VE NOTICED THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT IS A CHANGE IN ATTITUDE. YOU KNOW, WHEN I GOT HERE AND, AND AMY AND OTHERS DOCUMENTED IT SO WELL, CONFRONTATION BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND THEIR CITY GOVERNMENT, THAT'S GOING AWAY. MY CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW, AND ONE WE'RE ADDRESSING IS A CHANGING CULTURE. A CULTURE OF CANDO. YOU SAW SOME OF IT THIS MORNING, NOT KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. THE WATER BUILDING HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR SOME TIME. THERE WAS A PIECEMEAL DEALING ON THE BACK END OF IT IN DECEMBER OR NOVEMBER ACTUALLY, YOU HAD TO PAY A FEE. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT YOU, IF YOU, YOU HAD TO PAY A FEE TO LOCK DOWN YOUR METER SO YOU COULD PROTECT THE YOURSELF FROM AN OUTRAGEOUS BILL ATTITUDE, CULTURE CHANGE. AND WE WILL ROLL OUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH I'M TALKING PARTS OF IT NOW, WHERE YOU WON'T GET THAT OUTRAGEOUS BILL IN THE FRONT END. WE'VE GOT A COMPUTER RUN WE'RE TRYING TO TEST THAT WILL BLOCK THOSE BILLS FROM GOING OUT. AND QUITE FRANKLY, I'M DISAPPOINTED WE HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE IT, BUT IT WAS NOT QUITE READY. AND I DON'T WANNA DO IT IF IT'S NOT CORRECT. IS THERE A LAUNCH DATE, MAYOR TO ROLL OUT THE INSIDE? NO. WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S READY, IT'LL BE READY. IT'LL BE LAUNCHED WHEN IT'S READY. ALL SYSTEMS GO. THAT'LL BE SOMETHING I THINK WE BORROWED FROM NASA. MAYBE MAYOR, YOU AND I ARE OLD ENOUGH. UH, REMEMBER ANN RICHARDS SAY, YEAH, GET DOWN TO THE LICK LAW. REMEMBER THAT YOU DID IT TODAY. IN TERMS OF THE CITY'S FINANCES, YOU SAID ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WE'RE BROKE. SURE. HOW DO WE FIX THAT? HOW DO YOU FIND NEW REVENUE OTHER THAN GOING TO, YOU HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT. YOU CAN'T FIX SOMETHING UNTIL YOU ADMIT THAT IT'S BROKEN. AND THAT'S BEEN, IN MY JUDGMENT, PART OF THE PROBLEM IN CITY GOVERNMENT FOR A LONG TIME. I'M GONNA TELL IT LIKE IT IS. I'M CONFIDENT THAT HOUSTONIANS UNDERSTAND THAT. IN FACT, I THINK THE HOUSTONIAN, QUITE FRANKLY ARE SOMETIME AHEAD OF THE POLITICIANS. YOU GO DOWN OUR STREETS, THEY KNOW THAT SOME ARE VERY PASSABLE. THEY SEE THE BROKEN WATER MAINTENANCE, THEY SEE THE OUTRAGEOUS BUILDINGS. I COULD GO [00:05:01] ON AND ON. A LOT OF THAT IS FOR LACK OF RESOURCES. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MESS OVER AT HPD. THE COATING SAYS UNDERSTAFFED. THAT'S NOT THE CITY HOUSTONIANS WANT TO LIVE IN. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE RESPONSE TIME FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS APPARATUSES HAVE, HAS INCREASED. WE HAVE INCIDENTS WHERE SOMEONE HAVING A HEART ATTACK, THE RESPONSE TIME WAS TOO LONG. SO LET'S BE TRANSPARENT. AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE SAID TODAY, WHAT IF WE DON'T FUND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS? WE CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND CERTAINLY ALL OF OUR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ARE IMPORTANT TO ME AND HPD AND HPOU MEMBERS FOR CERTAIN. SO WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS ALL OF IT. WE'LL LEAVE IT IN THE HANDS OF, OF HOUSTONIANS. BUT I WANT THE COLLABORATION OF ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. SOME OF THEM HAVE EXCELLENT IDEAS. UH, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I HAVEN'T USED IT 'CAUSE I WAS TRYING TO BE ON BE NICE THIS MORNING, BUT I HAD A TOUGH OLD LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR THAT WOULD TACKLE MAJOR ISSUES. AND HE WOULD COME UP WITH A PLAN OR HAVE SENATORS COME UP WITH A PLAN. AND THE QUESTION WAS, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS PLAN, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN? AND MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD TIME AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO SAY THAT I'VE ROLLED OUT A PLAN BASED ON THE BEST EVIDENCE THAT I COULD OBTAIN. MELISSA ARTURO, THE NEGOTIATORS, THE JUDGE IS GONNA APPROVE IT. WE HAD HUGE EXPOSURE. WE STILL DO. IF WE DID NOT COMPLETE THIS MISSION TO BACK PAY, DALLAS JUST WAS CHARGED WITH SEVERAL HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR THEIR FIREFIGHTERS BACK PAY. THE COURTS CAN LOOK AT THE AGREEMENTS AND THE BREAKDOWN. WE'RE NOT RECRUITING FIRE CADETS AND THE NUMBERS THAT WE NEED, WE'RE NOT RETAINING THEM. AND IT'S A LIFE AND DEATH MATTER. AND I RAN ON PUBLIC SAFETY, NOT ONLY POLICE PROTECTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT FIRE EMS. SO WE'RE A GREAT CITY. WE HAVE, I I SPOKE AT THE OPENING OF SIERRA THIS WEEK. WE GOT NEARLY 10,000 PEOPLE. GUESTS JUST AT THAT ONE CONFERENCE, TOOK OVER THE ENTIRE HILTON HOTEL IN THE GEORGE BROWN. THEY EXPECT GOOD PUBLIC SAFETY WHILE THEY'RE HERE. WE, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ATTRACT PEOPLE AND LET 'EM KNOW THEY'RE SAFE AND PROTECTED WHILE THEY'RE IN HOUSTON. FIRE PROTECTION EMS ARE ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES. SO HOW DO WE PAY FOR IT? WE PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER. WE LOOK AT ALL THE POSSIBILITIES WE LEVEL WITH THE PUBLIC, AND I THINK THEY'LL RESPOND VERY POSITIVE. THEY WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU USE THE MONEY FOR WHAT YOU ASK FOR AND YOU DON'T WASTE IT. CUT OUT, UH, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND WASTE. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M ALL ABOUT. I MENTIONED METRO'S. WHO METRO'S PENNY OF THE SALES TAX A GARBAGE FEE. WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT EVERYTHING. ARE THEY ON THE TABLE? EVERYTHING, GREG, EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW. UH, SOME DON'T LIKE TO SAY THAT THEY'VE KICKED THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. I'VE WATCHED THE PREVIOUS MAYOR CHUCKLE WHEN HE SAYS THE FIRE CONTRACT IS SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROBLEM. PREVIOUS MAYOR SAID TRASH PICKUP IS NOT SUSTAINABLE WITHOUT ADDITIONAL FUND. BUT THAT'S THE NEXT MAYOR'S PROBLEM. I KNEW THAT WHEN I RAN, IN FACT, I WAS DRAFTED BY HOUSTONIANS TO RUN AND BE TRANSPARENT. MY PHONE WAS BURNING UP THIS MORNING. NOT FOR MY FRIENDS OR SUPPORTERS FROM REGULAR HOUSTONIANS SAYING FOR THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE IS TACKLING TOUGH ISSUES. THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I RAN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND I'M GONNA DO IT EACH AND EVERY DAY. MAYOR, IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING INCREASING FEES AND WHATNOT TO, TO COME UP WITH THIS REVENUE, WHY NOT HAVE A VOTE FOR THE PUBLIC INSTEAD OF JUST COUNSEL TO PONY UP ALL THIS MONEY? WHICH MONEY IS YOU TALKING ABOUT? THE $650 MILLION. BECAUSE IT'S AVAILABLE. IT'S A TOOL THAT'S BEEN USED BEFORE. AND, UH, IT IT GETS US WHERE WE NEED TO BE QUICKER AND IN CERTAIN, I'M NOT GONNA PLAY GAMES WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES. I'M NOT GONNA PLAY POLITICS WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES. SO WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SETTLE WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS AND PROTECT HOUSTONIANS. THIS WAS A CLEAR PATHWAY TO GET OUTTA THE COURTS. YOU KNOW, ARTURO DID A FINE JOB THIS MORNING, BUT HE COULD HAVE WALKED US THROUGH GOING ALL THE WAY TO SUPREME COURT. GREAT CITIES DO NOT SUE THEIR FIRST RESPONDERS AND STAY ON THE FRONT PAGE. OUR MORALE. YOU WANNA KNOW WHY GOING THIS ROUTE TO [00:10:01] BUILD MORALE AND GET 'EM WORKING AND RECRUITING PEOPLE AND RETAIN 'EM. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE CONSIDERING RETIRING, WATCHING THIS ISSUE IN THE FIRE STATIONS. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES SPEND THE KIND OF TIME IN THE FIRE STATION. I DO. I'VE SPENT THANKSGIVING EVENING THERE FROM SEVEN TO 11, AND I TALKED TO THESE YOUNG OFFICERS AND I TALKED TO THEIR CAPTAINS. WHAT'S GOING ON OUT HERE? THEY'RE LEAVING. I WENT TO THE CADET. I ME REFERENCED IT THIS MORNING. 31 PEOPLE WERE SPEAKING, ONE GOT HIS IMMIGRATION PAPERS THAT MORNING. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A FASCINATING SHOW OF HOW INTERESTED WE ARE IN RECRUITING PEOPLE. I GOT TO MEET HIM. HE GOT HIS IMMIGRATION RESIDENCY PAPER THAT MORNING, AND HE'S BEEN THROUGH OUR CADET CLASS. I APPLAUD HIM FOR BEING THERE IN THAT CLASS. BUT THAT'S THE SELECTION PROCESS. AND THEN THEY GET CERTIFIED AND THEY LEAVE HERE. AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, ASKING ABOUT THE 10% START UP INCREASE, THAT'S JUST TO GET US COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS. AND WE'RE STILL NOT THERE. MAYOR, UH, YOUR INDEPENDENT PANEL IS MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY FOR HPD INVESTIGATION. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE PROMISED WOULD PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY. YET WHEN PEOPLE TRIED TO REACH OUT TO SPEAK TO THESE PANEL MEMBERS, WERE TOLD THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WAS ASKING THEM NOT TO SPEAK TO JOURNALISTS. I SAW YOUR REPORT LAST NIGHT, LEFT OUT THE SENSITIVITY TO THE VICTIMS. THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT POLICE RECORDS, BUT WE DON'T WANNA ASK THEM ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANNA ASK, BUT YOU WANNA KNOW WHY IT'S NOT GONNA BE DONE IN PUBLIC OR TALKED TO REPORTERS BECAUSE THE SENSITIVITY OF THE SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS, THE COMPLAINANTS, THE WITNESSES, IT'S POLICE REVIEW. BUT SHOULDN'T YOU TRUST THEM TO NOT SPEAK ABOUT THAT IF THAT'S A CONCERN? NO, I, I TRUST THEM TOTALLY. AND THAT'S THE REASON I'M ASKING THEM TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS. DON'T RESPOND IN REAL TIME TO INQUIRIES ABOUT THEIR REVIEW PROCESS. IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD TO BE CAUTIOUS. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULTS, WE'RE ALSO HEARING FROM THE UNION THAT THEY'RE ASKING THAT FINNER V RECUSED FROM THIS INVESTIGATION. DO YOU SEE ANY SORT OF ISSUE WITH THIS THAT THE UNION HAS BROUGHT UP? I DON'T SEE, I THINK, UH, I SAW THAT I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT IT'S BEING HANDLED PROPERLY. I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN, UH, THE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION, BUT I ALSO JUST PUT FIVE SETS OF EYES TO REVIEW IT. PEOPLE ARE SO IMMINENTLY QUALIFIED. SO NO, I'M VERY PLEASED THAT THE, THAT THE PATH IS GOING. UH, I'VE ASKED THEM TO DO IT AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS PROPERLY. HPD AND THE CHIEF, I'VE BEEN OVER TO THEIR LOCATION. THEY'RE WORKING HARD AND, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO ALLOW 'EM TO DO THEIR JOB. MAYOR INTERNAL REVIEW IS A, IS A, IS A REGULAR PRACTICE. MAYOR, THIS COMMITTEE WORKS OBVIOUSLY ON THE TIMELINE OF THE INVESTIGATION BEING DONE BY HPD. HAVE YOU PROVIDED ANY KIND OF TIMELINE SPECIFICALLY THAT CHIEF FINNER IN GETTING THIS RESOLVED TO GET THIS PROPERLY ADDRESSED? MARIO, THE CHALLENGE IS DO IT RIGHT. ACCURATE. CORRECT. AND THAT'LL BE THE GUIDELINE. AND OBVIOUSLY MY PANEL WILL ALLOW ME, KEEP ME BRIEFED IF I NEED TO SAY IT'S NOT BEING DONE AS QUICK AND ACCURATE AND PROPER AS IT SHOULD. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS DELICATE. UH, IT NEEDS TO BE THOROUGH, HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, PREVENT IT FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. AND, UH, AND THEY'RE DOING THAT. YOU, IN THE PAPERWORK PROVIDED TO US FROM SAY WHAT IN THIS PAPERWORK PROVIDED TO US BY YOUR OFFICE, UH, WITH REGARDS TO, OH, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M ASKING THE DIRECTIVES THAT YOU HAVE. YES. UM, IT, IT INDICATES CONDUCTS CONDUCT INTERVIEWS AS NECESSARY. SURE. DOES THAT MEAN CHIEF FINNER CAN BE INTERVIEWED BY THIS PANEL? IT SAYS INTERVIEWS AS APPROPRIATE. AND CERTAINLY I WOULD, I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO TALK TO CHIEF FINNER AND I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO. THEY COULD BE LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDER EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AND THEY WILL REPORT BACK TO ME. IS THE, IS WORK GONNA BE ACCURATE, ACCOUNTABLE AND WHAT'S THE PREVENTION? SURE. THEY'LL TALK TO FINN. AND IF THE PANEL WANTS TO, JUST SO I'M CLEAR ON THIS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO TALK TO OTHER CHIEFS, RIGHT? AND THERE'S, I'M GONNA GET TO THAT. YOU KNOW, THERE'S FOUR CHIEFS THAT HAVE, UH, BEEN OVER THERE SINCE THIS CODE WAS, AND YOU'RE KIND OF LEADING ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION THERE, BECAUSE THE, THE O THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT SOME OF THESE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT CHIEFS, ALL THAT WILL BE, HAVE LEFT THE DEPARTMENT. UNDERSTAND. SO WHAT REQUIREMENT IS THERE? IS THERE? WE ASKED HIM FOR A FORMER CHIEF TO SPEAK WITH YOUR PANEL. WELL, I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE A LAW THAT'S GONNA MAKE 'EM DO IT. UH, THEY'RE ALL GOOD PUBLIC SERVANTS. [00:15:01] I THINK THEY WOULD LIKE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY AND ALSO HOW DO WE PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE. BUT I SAW TAPE WHERE MCCLELLAN WAS BEFORE COUNSEL IN 2014 AND DIS DISCUSSED IT. Y'ALL NEED TO REPORT THAT. 2014, THE CHIEF OF POLICE, EVEN IN A PRIOR ADMINISTRATION, THE LAST ONE SAID THERE'S I THINK 20,000 SUSPENDED CASES. I DON'T WANNA DO Y'ALL'S WORK FOR YOU, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD ITEM. AND IN FACT, I HAD SOMEONE TEXT ME AND SAID, HOW'D IT GO FROM 20,000 2014 TO OVER 200,000? NOW IT'S A PRETTY GOOD, PRETTY GOOD STORY FOR Y'ALL IN 2016. IT WAS IN 2014. IT WASN'T SEXUAL ASSAULTS THAT WERE ALLOWED IN THAT, IN THE SUSPENSION CASE. I WASN'T HERE. NO. AND I'M, I'M, I'M PROVIDING YOU THE CONTEXT OF THAT. BUT HOW DID IT GROW SOMEONE AND I THINK HOUSTONIANS ARE WONDERING HOW DOES A CHIEF NOT TAKE ACTION WHEN, DON'T SAY FOUR CHIEFS, LET'S SAY FOUR CHIEFS IN THIS FOUR CHIEFS, MARIO, BUT THE CURRENT CHIEF, AND THERE'S ONE DID IT IN PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGE TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL THAT WE'RE USING THIS CODE AND IT'S 20,000. SO DON'T ASK ME WHERE EVERYBODY'S BEEN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. WE'RE TRYING, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT TWO MONTHS AGO. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT AS YOU INDICATE THIS, I THINK WHAT HOUSTONIANS AND WHAT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IS HEARING FROM THEIR VIEWERS, AND YOU ARE HEARING THIS AS WELL. SURE. HOUSTONIAN TOO. THROW ME IN THE MIX. IS THAT, IS THAT ABSOLUTELY. IS THAT YOU HAD A CHIEF IN 2021 WHO WAS TOLD OF THIS AND THAT'S AND DID NOT TAKE ACTION IN TWO 20. NO, HE WASN'T TOLD ABOUT IT, BUT HE DISCOVERED IT IN A UNRELATED DISCUSSION WITH HIS COMMAND STAFF AND WAS SHOCKED LIKE ALL OF US AND INSTRUCTED THEM TO QUIT USING IT. WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT? AND THAT'S PART OF THE INVESTIGATION. WHAT BECAME OF HIS GENERAL ORDERS TO STOP IT. NOW WE'RE LEARNING TODAY THAT IF THEY TAKE IT OFF THEIR DATA, THE DAMN THING MIGHT CRASH. WHY HE DID THAT LAST WEEK. WHY DON'T SOMEBODY THAT WORRIES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES OF PUBLIC SAFETY, TALK ABOUT WE GOT AN OUTDATED COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT WE CAN'T EVEN TAKE A CODE THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET RID OF IT OFF THE SYSTEM OR THE WHOLE THING MIGHT CRASH. MAYOR, YOU HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS. SURE. THERE ARE FATHERS OUT THERE WHO HAVE DAUGHTERS WHO ARE VICTIMS HERE. WHAT DO YOU TELL THOSE FATHERS? I'M SORRY. I'M SHOCKED. SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO HOLD THE PARTIES ACCOUNTABLE AND WE'RE GONNA PREVENT IT. ABSOLUTELY. PREVENT IT FROM GOING FORWARD. I HAVE PUT THE BEST PANEL THAT I COULD ESTABLISH TO REVIEW IT SO THOSE FAMILIES AND VICTIMS AND FATHERS AND MOTHERS WILL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. AND IF IT'S NOT TOO LATE, WE'RE GONNA INVESTIGATE YOUR CASE. AND TO THOSE FATHERS AND MOTHERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS MM-HMM . AND THOSE VICTIMS PARDONS, WHO ARE STILL SEEING SOME OF THE SAME PEOPLE STILL IN CHARGE HERE, SIR. AND THEY'RE NOW STILL LEADING THIS DEPARTMENT, CONSIDERING WHAT WE HAVE SEEN. MEMORIAL, OBVIOUSLY , OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THE THE PEOPLE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO WE'RE BEING PRAISED. THEY HAVE DISTINGUISHED CAREERS AND RECORDS. TWO MONTHS AGO WE NEVER KNEW ABOUT THIS MAYOR. I KNOW WE DID, BUT WE STILL GOT THE PERSON WITH THE SAME DNA SAME EXPERIENCE AND SAME COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE. BUT THAT DNA LOOKS MUCH DIFFERENT NOW, SIR. NO, NO. THEIR DNA DOES NOT CHANGE YOU. YOU KNOW THAT AS WELL AS ANYONE, THE LEADERSHIP THAT'S LOOKING INTO THIS HAVE A RECORD. THEY WERE APPOINTED BY PRIOR ADMINISTRATIONS. THEY'VE BEEN RETAINED BY ME. 'CAUSE I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN, WELL, I'VE RID THE STREETS, WRITTEN THE STREETS OF HOUSTON WITH THEM. SO THIS IS A NEW INQUIRY. YOU'RE RIGHT. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. IN FACT, YOU COULD ALMOST SAY EARLY INTO IT, PEOPLE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. WE'LL DOCUMENT WHAT HAPPENED. WE'LL DOCUMENT. AND I THINK PEOPLE WILL BE, WE'VE ALREADY HAD TWO CHIEFS, UH, RELOCATED. THERE'S OTHER ADDITIONAL RANK AND FILE COMING UP TO RESPONSIBILITY. IN FACT, I THINK THERE'LL BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TONIGHT, UH, OF TWO ADDITIONAL CHIEFS. NEW SET OF EYES. BUT EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. I'M GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. IT'S TOO BAD YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY. THE BOTTOM LINE IS PEOPLE HAVE A JOB TO DO. WE NEED TO ALLOW 'EM TO WORK. I'M JUST GONNA LEAVE HERE IN A MINUTE AND GO TO THE MEETING OF THE PANEL THAT'S GOT SOME OF THE BEST INVESTIGATIVE MINDS IN OUR RANGER, THE WOMEN'S CENTER, [00:20:01] CEOI CAN GO ON AND ON. SO LET'S LET THE PROCESS WORK. YOU KNOW, I LISTEN TO HOUSTONIANS LIKE YOU DO, AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. WE'RE ALL SHOCKED, BUT WE CAN'T UNDO THE PASS. WE CAN CERTAINLY HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE AND THEN PREVENT IT IN THE FUTURE. MR. MAYOR, YOU MENTIONED THE PANEL. YEAH. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU SAY IT'S INDEPENDENT. HAVE A MEMBER STANDING RIGHT HERE BEHIND YOU. UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED TO SINCE YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT, VERY INDEPENDENT, CLEARLY UNDER A CITY SALARY. WE TALKED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERTS. THAT'S A CYNICAL, THAT'S SUCH A CYNICAL VIEW. CRIMINOLOGIST. YESTERDAY YOU HAD ACTIVISTS OUT HERE YESTERDAY. THEY, THEY ALL WORRY THAT THIS PANEL IS TOO SMALL, IT'S TOO CONNECTED AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE PEOPLE? I SAY, HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE. YOU COULDN'T FIND A BETTER PANEL. IT'S THE SIZE BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE. THIS IS NOT ABOUT SHOWBIZ, IT'S NOT ABOUT POLITICS. THIS IS GETTING TO A BOTTOM OF A VERY SERIOUS MATTER THAT MARIO JUST ARTICULATED. WHO'S CONCERNED? ALL OF US ARE CONCERNED. I INHERITED IT, BUT WHAT I'M GONNA FIX IT AND I'LL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. SO THE PANEL WAS WELL THOUGHT OUT. I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T ADD ON OR SUBTRACT TO IT ONE BIT. THIS IS NOT AN EASY JOB, BUT I'M COMMITTED TO IT. EXPERIENCE MATTERS. IT'S NOT MY FIRST CRISIS IN GOVERNMENT THAT I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH. NOT MY FIRST FINANCIAL CHALLENGE. IN 2 20 11, THE STATE WAS RUNNING HUGE DEFICITS. WE DID A 10% CUT ACROSS. I DIDN'T LIKE A 10% CUT ACROSS THEN. AND I DON'T LIKE A 5% CUT NOW. BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS. AND THE FOLKS PUT ME IN THIS POSITION TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS AND I'M GONNA DO MY JOB. BUT IF YOU TALK ABOUT GOING AFTER FORMER CHEESE OR TRYING TO TALK TO HIM, I DIDN'T. NO, NO, NO. STOP. DON'T, DON'T PUT WORDS. I'VE NEVER SAID GO AFTER ANYBODY. I'M SORRY. WELL, THAT WORDS MATTER. WELL, I'M NOT GOING AFTER ANYONE. I'M ASKING FOR EVERYONE TO COOPERATE IN A VERY SERIOUS INVESTIGATION. YOU HAVE THE POWER SUBPOENA POWER FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. I DON'T OFFICE, I DON'T POWER TO GIVE SUBPOENA POWER TO THOSE FOLKS. WHY NOT MAKE THIS A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION? GET, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S NO CRIME BEEN ALLEGED. AND YOU NEED TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS WITH YOUR WORDS. YOU KNOW, I TRIED TO GET THE FBI INVOLVED. I WAS TURNED DOWN. 'CAUSE THEY SAID THERE'S NO ALLEGED CRIME. TALK TO THE DA'S OFFICE. THERE HAS NOT BEEN ONE MENTION OF AN ALLEGED CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OR CRIME. NO PROBABLE CAUSE. NOBODY'S EVEN ALLEGED IT. EVEN YOUR ACTIVIST FRIENDS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT'S A CIVIL MATTER. IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER. AND THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE GONNA APPROACH IT. UNTIL SOMEONE, IF YOU KNOW OF A CRIME THAT, THAT YOU WANT TO ALLEGE, GO FOR IT. BUT THAT'S NOT THE NATURE OF THIS INVESTIGATION. WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE A POLICE DEPARTMENT THE BEST IT CAN BE AND HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS. AND WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT CHIEF FINNER AND HIS TEAM'S ALREADY GONE THROUGH, IT'S SIGNIFICANT. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO. WE'VE GOT THE FORMER CEO OF THE WOMEN'S CENTER FOUGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING. HER WHOLE LEGISLATIVE CAREER SAT HERE AS A MAYOR OF PROTE, EXCELLENT CHOICE. A TEXAS RANGER, THE BEST INVESTIGATIVE BODY IN THE WORLD THERE, THE POLICE OVERSIGHT MEMBER. SO LET'S GET ON WITH OUR WORK, BUT PLEASE USE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY. WORDS MATTER. AND YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO TO MAINTAIN THEIR REPUTATION. WELL, UNTIL WE FIND DIFFERENT MAYOR, I KNOW YOU SAID THE COMMITTEE WAS BEGINNING TO, UM, COLLECT INFORMATION OVER, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY SINCE THEY'VE BEEN TOLD ABOUT THIS. BUT COULD YOU UPDATE US A LITTLE BIT ON THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROGRESS THAT THEY'VE MADE SO FAR? THEY JUST HAVE BEEN GATHERING THE DATA AND REVIEWING IT. SO THAT'S, IT'S JUST THAT, THAT'S THAT SIMPLE. WHEN, WHEN I CONTACTED THEM LAST WEEK AND UH, THEY, THEY, THEY H HPDS WORKING WITH 'EM, THEY'LL LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S EVER BREAKDOWN. BUT YOU GOTTA REMEMBER, CHRISTINE NOVAK IS ON THE POLICE OVERSIGHT. SHE'S, SHE'S MADE A, SHE'S RECOGNIZED AS A NO NONSENSE. LET'S HOLD POLICE PEOPLE. SHE DID IT IN NEW YORK FOR, SHE CAME BACK HOME. SHE'S HOLDING LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR, THEIR DATA, THEIR BEST PRACTICES. SHE REVIEWS THEIR CONDUCT IN THEIR CASES ON A ROUTINE BASIS IN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE AND THROUGH THE POLICE OVERSIGHT. SO IT'S JUST WHAT IT IS. THEY'RE COLLECTING THE DATA. IT'S, IT IS TO MAKE SURE AND TO [00:25:01] VALIDATE THE HPD WORK LETTER MAYOR. YEAH. ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HEARD OUT THERE FROM THE UNION IS THAT SURE IS THAT CHIEF NER WHO'S OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN SAY THEY COULD TALK TO ANYBODY AND WE ALL KNOW THAT HE'S AT THE CENTER OF THIS COULD BE PROVIDING OR HANDING DOWN DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AGAINST SOME OFFICERS DURING THE COURSE OF THIS INVESTIG, YOU KNOW, A MONTH AGO THEY WERE PRAISING CHIEF NER TO ME AS A MAN OF THE HIGHEST INTEGRITY OF HOUSTONIAN. AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING THAT WOULD CHANGE, SHOULD CHANGE THEIR MIND. YOU KNOW, I'M VERY CLOSE TO HPLU. I KNOW THAT, SIR. AND I UNDERSTAND, AND I KNOW YOU SAID A MONTH AGO, MARK, BUT A MONTH AGO PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS CHIEF FIT. I KNOW, BUT IT'S THE SAME DNA, IT'S THE SAME PERSON THAT SOMEONE WOULD QUESTION HIS BEST PRACTICES. NOW I HAVEN'T SEEN REASON TO DO THAT. THAT'S THE PER BASIS OF THE INVESTIGATION. LET IT GO FORWARD. SO SHOULD THERE BE DISCIPLINARY ACTION DONE BY THIS CASE? IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU FIND DURING THE COURSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU FIND. YOU KNOW, LET, LET'S COME OUT AND DIAGNOSE THE ILLNESS BEFORE WE PRESCRIBE THE MEDICINE. I MEAN, Y'ALL , WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB. AND HOUSTONIANS RECOGNIZE IT. I'VE TALKED TO HOUSTONIANS. I GO TO RESTAURANTS, I GO TO CHURCH. I HAVE FAMILY. DON'T THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HOUSTONIAN IS THINKING. I AM A HOUSTONIAN, GREW UP HERE, HIGH SCHOOL, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, U OF H, 10 YEARS IN LEGISLATURE, 40 IN THE SENATE. AND YOU THINK, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO HAVE THE PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY. THEY ARE FOLLOWING THIS AND WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH IT TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. MAYOR ON SENATE BILL FOUR, I KNOW IT'S BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH, UM, IF IT IS ALLOWED TO STAND, HAVE YOU HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS? I'M NOT GONNA SPECULATE AS LONG AS IT'S IN THE COURT. HAVE YOU HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH HPD ABOUT HOW IT WOULD BE ENFORCED? I'M NOT GONNA SPECULATE AS LONG AS IT'S IN THE COURT. IT'D BE WRONG TO DO THAT. YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO BED AND IT'S IN PLAY. YOU GET UP THE NEXT MORNING, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEEN HELD BACK. SO LET'S SEE WHAT THE LEGAL, UH, STATUS OF THAT IS. I'M GONNA GO DOWNSTAIRS. I, UH, PROBABLY RELUCTANTLY ASKED Y'ALL IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN ME. WE'RE RELUCTANTLY GO WITH YOU. RIGHT. UH, REAL FAST. BUT WE'RE NOT GOING, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ASKING THE QUESTIONS. I I AND IT'S HARD BECAUSE ON A LIGHT NOTE IS THE DEAL. IS THE DEAL A DEAL? SURE. ON A LIGHT NOTE, ON A LIGHT NOTE, LIGHT NOTE FOR THE SPORTS FANS OUT THERE, DID YOU FILL OUT YOUR MARCH MADNESS BRACKET AND WHERE DO YOU HAVE U OF H GOING? I DON'T HAVE TIME TO FILL OUT A MARCH MADNESS. I DO STILL ENJOY READING THE SPORTS PAGE. I DO FOLLOW U OF H VERY CLOSELY. U OF H GAVE ME MY OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO GET A GOOD EDUCATION. I WAS GOING TO U OF H WHEN I RAN FOR OFFICE THE FIRST TIME. NEEDED MORE TIME ON A PAPER. AND DR. MURRAY, WHO I THINK IS A REAL ICON IN OUR COMMUNITY, SHOWED ME A LEGISLATIVE MAP. SO I'M VERY MUCH A COUGAR. UH, INJURIES OBVIOUSLY WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE, BUT, UH, I TELL YOU WHERE I'LL BE FRIDAY NIGHT, I'LL BE IN FRONT OF A TV. I DON'T AMAZING WHEN I SAW HOW LATE THEY, THEY START. BUT UH, I'LL BE THERE. IS THAT A LIGHT NOTE? THAT'S PRETTY SERIOUS BUSINESS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. FOR COUGAR. YEAH. THANK Y'ALL. SIR. Y'ALL GO TO WORK. * 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.