* 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. [Press Conference: “Water Bill Relief Plan”] [00:00:19] I KNOW HOUSTONIANS ARE TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT OUTRAGEOUS WATER BILLS. UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF OUR FRIENDS HERE TODAY THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA MAKE A CAREER OUT OF REPORTING THIS SUBJECT. SORRY, AMY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND, GO BACK TO CRIME OR SOMETHING. UH, WHEN I WAS ELECTED TO FIX THINGS, PUBLIC SAFETY WAS HOUSTON'S NUMBER ONE CONCERN, WHICH I SHARED WITH THEM. NUMBER TWO WAS CITY SERVICES, OUTRAGEOUS WATER BILLS, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AT CITY HALL. SO HAVING BEEN HERE 94 DAYS, WE'VE TACKLED MANY SUBJECTS. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO, BUT THE FRUSTRATION OF HOUSTONIANS BEFORE I GOT HERE WAS, WHERE DO WE TURN? NO ONE WILL LISTEN TO US WHEN WE GET WATER BILLS IN THE VALUE IN CHARGE OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. I HAD NEIGHBORS, I HAD RELATIVES, AND THAT'S WHAT MOTIVATED ME TO RUN FOR OFFICE. SO AFTER 94 DAYS WITH A TEAM THAT'S WORKED LONG HOURS, WE'RE READY TO DISCUSS OUR PROPOSAL TODAY. IT WON'T BE PERFECT, UH, BUT WE BELIEVE IT IS A SOLID PLAN THAT WILL ADDRESS FAIR AND ACCURATE BILLING, SET USAGE BILLING FOR SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS. WE'RE GOING TO ACCELERATE FIXING THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 125,000 BROKEN REMOTE DEVICES, WHICH SENDS THE SIGNAL TO THE CITY FOR AN ACCURATE AND FAIR BILLING. THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A VERY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT FOR HOUSTONIANS TO CONTACT CITY HALL. I REMIND CITY EMPLOYEES REGULARLY. WE WORK FOR THE PUBLIC. I'VE BEEN A PUBLIC OFFICIAL MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE. I KNOW WHO I WORK FOR. WE'RE CREATING A CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT IN CITY HALL WHERE YOU'LL GET A RESPONSE IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT IS BROKEN. THE WATER SYSTEM HAS BEEN BROKEN. THE WATER BILLING HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR YEARS. IT WAS TWEAKED LAST NOVEMBER, MOSTLY WITH HOW TO ADDRESS THE OUTRAGEOUS BILLING. NOTHING TO DISCUSS, NOTHING DISCUSS THE ROOT CAUSE. ACTUALLY, ONE ELEMENT WAS IF YOU WANT TO LOCK AND PROTECT YOUR METER'S INTEGRITY, YOU HAD TO PAY $150 FEE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS A PRESS REPORTED, WHERE DO YOU TURN IN YOUR COMPLAINT? WHO WILL ASSIST YOU IN OUTRAGEOUS BILLING? WELL, IT'S A NEW DAY. WE'VE WORKED HARD. THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 125,000 BROKEN WATER SENSORS BEFORE I GOT HERE. THE CITY WAS ON A FIVE YEAR PLAN TO REPLACE. THAT HAS BEEN MOVED UP TILL NEXT JANUARY. WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FIX IT ON THE FRONT END WITH FIXED USE BILLING. IF YOU'RE A FAMILY THAT'S BEEN IN SERVICE FOR LESS THAN A YEAR, WE'RE GONNA USE AN AVERAGE OF 3000 GALLONS, WHICH IS THE AVERAGE IN HOUSTON FOR A SINGLE RESIDENCE FAMILY OF THREE. IF YOU'VE BEEN ON LONGER, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE AVERAGE THREE MONTHS, EXCLUDING THE DROUGHT AND THE FREEZE, AND COME UP WITH A FAIR AND ACCURATE BILLING. THE DESIRE IS THOUGH, TO GO FORWARD WHERE WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS. WE WILL HAVE A DASHBOARD THAT YOU CAN MONITOR THE CITY'S RESULTS BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, SEE WHAT PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING, AND I WANNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. AND IF THIS PLAN IS NOT A HUGE IMPROVEMENT AND GETS WATER BILLING OFF THE NEWS, THEN THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKING FOR WORK. THAT'S HOW DEAD SERIOUS I AM. BUT I'M CONFIDENT BECAUSE WE HAVE SCREENED THIS, WE'VE PRACTICED IT. THERE WILL BE ISSUES. I'M CERTAIN WHEN IT'S ROLLED OUT, BUT WE DID IT APRIL 1ST. YOUR NEW BILLING, YOUR SET BILLING AND CORRECT BILLING WILL BE ON YOUR MAY WATER BILL. [00:05:01] WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE SUPPLIERS TO MAKE CERTAIN AND MONITOR THAT THE SUPPLIES GET HERE TO REPLACE THE SENSORS. THERE'S 340,000 SINGLE FAMILY USERS, BILLINGS, 125,000 FOLKS. ALMOST A THIRD OF 'EM HAVE BROKEN SENSORS. IT'S BEEN THIS WAY FOR YEARS. KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. FRUSTRATION WAS THE THEME OF THE FOLKS WHO GOT FIVE, $10,000 WATER BUILDING. AND HERE'S A PROBLEM. WHAT IF YOU'VE GOT A DRAFT WITH YOUR BANK ON YOUR WATER BILL, SUCH AS A RELATIVE OF MINE HAS? HOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT? SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE IN-PERSON SERVICE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A USER-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT IN PUBLIC WORKS. I'M GONNA BE HERE AND WE'RE GONNA HOLD NOT ONLY CITY GOVERNMENT, BUT THE MAYOR AND OTHERS ACCOUNTABLE. WITH THAT, I'LL ANSWER QUESTIONS. UH, TRYING TO THINK ANY HIGH POINTS THAT I COULD, UH, MENTION THIS MORNING. I CAN EMPHASIZE THAT ELECTIONS MATTER. AND, UM, THAT'S A SIMPLE ANSWER FOR WHY THIS HASN'T BEEN DONE IN THE PAST. IT'S BEEN TWEAKED, IT'S BEEN TALKED JUST LAST WEEK. WE TOOK OFF THE BOOKS AN ORDINANCE WHERE YOU COULD GET FIRED IF YOU'RE A CITY EMPLOYEE, YOU TRIED TO ASSIST SOMEONE AND READJUST THEIR WATER BILL. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? THAT'S THE ENVIRONMENT THAT I INHERITED. IF YOU'RE A CITY EMPLOYEE AND YOU SEE AN OUTRAGEOUS BILL AND YOU WANT TO ADJUST IT BASED ON INPUT FROM THE CI CITIZEN, YOU COULD BE FIRED. THAT WAS TAKEN OFF THE BOOKS. WITH THAT, I, UH, THINK I'VE HIT THE HIGH POINTS. IT'S, IT'S THE SET BILLING, FIXED BILLING, REPAIR THE SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY, AND THEN HAVE A USER FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT TO RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS. BUT THAT'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF A MOTHER, RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON A CASE, THIS MOTHER, SHE LIVES BY HERSELF. SHE HAS OUTSTANDING BALANCE OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS. SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY THAT ANYMORE. NO, MA'AM. NO, SHE WILL NOT. IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE PAYMENT OF ANY OUTRAGEOUS BILLS. WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT. LIKE I DID IN COUNCIL. I HAD A LADY FROM KINGWOOD, KINGWOOD, NO ONE HAD LISTENED TO IT. WE ADJUSTED IT WHILE SHE WAS IN CITY HALL. NO, IN FACT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. TELL EVERYONE YOU GET AN OUTRAGEOUS BILL THIS MONTH. IGNORE IT. CALL THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND PUBLIC WORKS. I I WANT CHECKS AND BALANCES AND IF THAT DON'T WORK, CALL THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. YOU CALL ME. YEAH. MY QUESTIONS ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE MORE TECHNICAL, I'M AFRAID. THAT'S, THAT'S REASON I WAS GONNA SAVE YOU THE LAST, BUT GO AHEAD, . I I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU ALL I CAN AND, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, LET ME THINK THE PRESS HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE NOT ONLY ON THIS ISSUE, BUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND EVERYTHING WE'RE DEALING WITH. I AM COMMITTED TO BEING TRANSPARENT AND, UH, USER FRIENDLY WHEN IT COMES TO PRESS. I THINK Y'ALL ARE GREAT ALLIES, CERTAINLY TO THE PUBLIC AND CERTAINLY TO MY ADMINISTRATION. SO GIMME YOUR BEST SHOT. UM, WE TALKED ABOUT A COMPUTER PROGRAM THAT WOULD FLAG EXORBITANT BILLS. IS THAT PART OF THE PROCESS? YOU KNOW, THAT WAS AN EARLY DISCUSSION. IT'S ONE THAT I THOUGHT, UH, WAS VIABLE. AND IF YOU RECALL, THREE WEEKS AGO WE WERE GONNA ROLL SOMETHING OUT. UH, WE WORKED WITH OUR VENDOR, OUR IT DEPARTMENT, AND, UH, IT JUST WASN'T RELIABLE. SOME WERE SLIPPING THROUGH THE SYSTEM. SO WE CAME UP WORKING WITH THE TEAM OF HAVING A FIXED USE AND, UH, THAT GOT RID OF THE OUTRAGEOUS AND IT'S MUCH MORE ACCURATE THAN, UH, WAITING FOR A COMPUTER TO PULL DOWN A HORRIFIC BILL. SO THEN MY QUESTION IS, YOU SAID ABOUT 340,000 SINGLE FAMILY CUSTOMERS THAT WILL, THIS WILL APPLY TO BEGINNING WITH THEIR MAY BILLS. THEY'LL HAVE THIS, UM, FIXED PRICE BASED ON THEIR HISTORICAL USAGE, AVERAGE OF THEIR USAGE. UH, SO SO EVEN IF YOUR SENSOR IS NOT BROKEN RIGHT NOW, ALL OF THOSE SINGLE FAMILY. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE ON THAT FIXED RATE THAT WE EXCLUDE THE, THE FREEZES IN THE DROUGHTS, THOSE THAT ARE WORKING, UH, CAROL, THEY DON'T GO TO THE FIX RATE. THEY, THEY DO FOR THE FIRST. SO WE'RE, SO THAT WE CAN CONFIRM THAT IT IS WORKING OKAY. AND THEN MOVE THEM BACK TO THE ACTUAL BUILDING. SO, SO EVERYONE, [00:10:01] EVERYONE IN THE CITY WILL BE TREATED EQUALLY FAIR AND CORRECT TO GO TO THE FIX AND AS CAROL JUST SAID, UH, TO TEST THE SYSTEM FOR THOSE THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING. AND THAT GETS YOU BACK TO THE DASHBOARD. WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT AREAS OF THE CITY STILL HAVE CHALLENGES. SO EVERYONE FROM THE BEGINNING THROUGH JANUARY, WILL IT TAKE YOU A COUPLE MONTHS TO DETERMINE WHO'S ARE WORKING AND WHO'S OR NOT. WHAT DO YOU, HOW LONG WILL EVERYONE BE ON THE FIXED BILLING? YEAH, LET ME YIELD TO TECH TO CARE OF OUR DIRECTOR. SO THE, THE, THE OVERALL PLAN IS AS OF, UM, BILLING STARTING AFTER APRIL 1ST, WE'RE GOING TO THIS SET USAGE. SO THE, THE PLAN TO BRING PEOPLE BACK INTO ACTUAL BILLING, IT DEPENDS ON WHEN THEY HAVE A WORKING REMOTE READ DEVICE. SO THE ONES THAT ARE WORKING, UH, WE ARE GOING TO USE A 30 DAY WINDOW, AND THIS WILL BE FOR EVERYBODY. WHEN YOU HAVE A WORKING DEVICE, WE'RE GONNA USE A 30 DAY WINDOW FOR US TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THE BILLING SYSTEM. AT THE END OF THOSE 30 DAYS, WE WILL SEND YOU A NOTIFICATION THAT WE'VE CONFIRMED YOUR REMOTE READ DEVICE IS WORKING, AND 60 DAYS LATER WE WILL PUT YOU BACK ON ACTUAL BILLING. BUT WE'RE GONNA USE THAT 60 DAYS TO HELP. UM, YOU GET AN ONLINE PROFILE TO LEARN HOW TO SEE THE WATER YOU'RE USING, THE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UM, AND SEE WHAT YOUR BILL WILL LOOK LIKE AT THE END OF THOSE 60 DAYS, UH, SO THAT THERE AREN'T SURPRISES AFTER THAT. UM, AND SO WE WILL NOT MOVE ANYBODY BACK INTO GETTING A BILL BASED ON ACTUAL, UNLESS WE HAVE THAT FIRST STEP OF YOU HAVE A REMOTE READ DEVICE THAT IS WORKING, COMMUNICATING CONSISTENTLY AND VERIFIABLY. SO MY OTHER QUESTION, I DID ASK THE MAYOR THIS, UM, A LITTLE BIT AGO, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU GUYS ARE ON THE SAME PAGE. SO WE HAVE ABOUT 500,000 WATER METERS IN THE CITY OF, OF HOUSTON. YOU ALREADY STARTED REPLACING THESE SENSORS AS FAR BACK AS 2020 BECAUSE YOU SAID ALL THESE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE MORE ARE DYING EVERY SINGLE DAY. THEY'RE AT THE END OF THEIR LIFE. SO WE'VE ONLY REPLACED ABOUT 85,000 RIGHT NOW. THIS WILL TAKE CARE OF 125,000 THAT ARE DEAD, THAT ARE NOT WORKING. THAT LEAVES 290,000 SENSORS AFTER THAT. SO COME JANUARY, WHEN YOU'VE DONE 125,000, YOU STILL HAVE ALMOST 300,000 TO REPLACE. THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO WE HAVE THE CONTRACT IN PLACE, UH, FOR THE SENT THE REMOTE READ DEVICES, UM, AND, AND FOR THE, THE REGISTERS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO GO WITH THAT. AND WE WILL CONTINUE BEYOND THIS ON A MORE SYSTEMATIC, UM, REPLACEMENT BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA. AND FOR ANY THAT FAIL DURING THAT TIME, WE WILL HAVE A, A A 90 DAY MAXIMUM WINDOW THAT WE GO OUT AND REPLACE ANYONE THAT FAILS AFTER WE GET ALL OF THE CURRENT FAILED ONES, UM, REPLACED. SO, SO IT'LL BE SYSTEMATIC AND IT WILL BE REACTIVE AS NEW ONES FAIL. OKAY. SO YOU'VE IDENTIFIED NOW WHICH ONES ARE NOT WORKING. THAT'S CORRECT. AND I YOU MENTIONED THAT COUNSEL BEFORE THAT THOSE ARE NOT IN ANY ONE AREA. THOSE ARE ALL OVER THE CITY. THEY'RE ALL OVER THE CITY. UH, IF AND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GO, UH, LOG INTO THE DASHBOARD AFTER THIS, YOU WILL SEE THAT THEY'RE SPREAD ACROSS, UM, COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND I WILL SAY FAIRLY EVENLY. THERE ARE TWO COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT ARE LOWER THAN THE OTHERS BECAUSE THEY'RE PREDOMINANTLY MULTIFAMILY VERSUS SINGLE FAMILY. SO THEY HAVE LOWER NUMBERS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE LESS METERS IN THOSE DISTRICTS. WE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND I HAVEN'T DONE IT SINCE. HEY, BY THE WAY, WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE. OKAY. , , UH, WE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF, UH, PEOPLE, UH, RENTERS IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES, UM, THAT THEY ARE NOT THE WATER CUSTOMER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT WHEN THEIR LANDLORD GETS THIS BILL AS A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, IT'S IMPACTING, I MEAN, WHAT, LIKE 50% OF HOUSTON ARE RENTERS? HOW ARE WE HELPING THOSE PEOPLE? SO ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE DECIDED TO MOVE THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO THIS FIXED USAGE WAS BECAUSE WE HAD THE 125,000 THAT, THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GO OUT AND MANUALLY READ. UH, WHEN YOU TAKE THOSE OUT, THERE'S ABOUT 105,000 THAT ARE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL. SO THERE'S ABOUT 20,000 IN ALL THE OTHER CUSTOMER CLASSES. SO WE HAVE RESOURCES TO GO READ THOSE ON A MONTHLY BASIS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THOSE CUSTOMERS DIRECTLY SO THAT WE'RE NOT ESTIMATING SO THAT WE KNOW THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME, UH, IF THEY'RE A RETAIL CUSTOMER, A DIRECT CUSTOMER WITH THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX, THE SMALL DUPLEX, UM, TO WORK WITH US WITH ALL THE ORDINANCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. UH, THE ONE, THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE IN NOVEMBER ALLOWED US TO FIX ON THE BACKEND, BUT THEY DIDN'T ADDRESS US NOT SENDING OUT HIGH BILLS. UH, SO WE NEED TO FIX THOSE REMOTE READ DEVICES AS WELL. AND WE NOW HAVE A LOT MORE TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX TO WORK WITH THOSE CUSTOMERS TO, TO REDUCE THOSE BILLS. UH, PARTICULARLY IF IT'S LEAK, PARTICULARLY IF IT'S [00:15:01] AN AN UNEX UNEXPECTED WATER USE. UM, UM, THE MAYOR'S MADE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE TOOLS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ADDRESS AND REDUCE THOSE BILLS. OKAY. THANK YOU CAROL. GOOD JOB. ANYONE ELSE, YOUR HONOR? YEAH. UM, I GUESS THAT'S ME. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. I THINK THAT'S ME. SORRY TOM, IAN. NO, GO AHEAD. I'M JUST HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF IN ME RESIDENTS WATER USERS. UH, THIS HAS BEEN SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL OF COURSE BEFORE YOU GOT HERE. SOONER OR LATER SOMEBODY'S GONNA GO TALK TO A LAWYER. IS THE CITY READY TO HANDLE LEGAL ACTION? ESPECIALLY IF THIS GETS MOVED UP TO . I'LL JUST SAY I WE'LL CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE GET THERE. I HAD NOT ANTICIPATED LEGAL ACTION, BUT WE HAVE A FINE CITY ATTORNEY AND I'M CERTAIN YOU CAN FIND A PLAINTIFF LAWYER TO TAKE ACTION BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY OF Y'ALL IN THIS ROOM TODAY. PROBABLY. YOU KNOW, IT'S, I I THINK THIS USER FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT. IF SOMEONE HAS AN OUTRAGEOUS WATER BILL AND THEY WANT TO ADDRESS IT, WE'VE DONE IT ALREADY. ACTUALLY. I'VE GOT INVOLVED IN COUNCIL MEETINGS AND SAY, WOULD YOU WORK MY STAFF WITH PUBLIC WORKS? AND WE'RE NOT GONNA HOLD PEOPLE UP. WE WON'T ACCURATE FAIR WATER BILLS. SO IF SOMEONE'S PAID ONE, THE, THE, THE DRAW ON THE BANK I MENTIONED A WHILE AGO, LET'S ADDRESS IT AND WE WILL. WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO, UH, TO SERVE. AND I, I MEAN THAT AS SINCERELY AS I CAN. SO IF THERE'S AN ATTORNEY THAT HAS A CONCERN, I'M CERTAIN THEY'LL SPEAK TO ARTURO AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AND WE'LL WORK IT OUT. THANK YOU SIR. MAYOR, HOW, HOW MUCH IS THIS PLAN GONNA COST? BEG PARDON? HOW MUCH IS THE PLAN? WHAT WOULD COST? I THINK I SAW 36 MILLION. WHAT'D YOU, WHAT FIGURED ON, SO IT'S, IT'S JUST UNDER 35 MILLION IN DIRECT COSTS. MM-HMM . THAT WE'RE OVER FIVE YEARS THAT ARE BEING ACCELERATED TO ONE YEAR. MM-HMM . UH, SO IT'S THE SAME COST WHETHER WE DO IT QUICKLY OR AHEAD OF TIME. YEAH. 35, 30 6 MILLION. GOT IT. AND I KNOW WE SAW A USE OF NINE DIFFERENT REFORMS UNDER RETURN ADMINISTRATION. ARE ANY OF THOSE REFORMS THAT WE SAW IN DECEMBER GOING TO BE REVERSED UNDER YOUR PLAN? I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU. I MAYBE I'M NOT GOING TO ASK CAROL TO REVISIT THAT. AND, AND IT'S REALLY NOT NECESSARY TO GO BACK. THE PROBLEM IS, WHEN I GOT IN OFFICE, THIS PROBLEM EXISTED. WE MADE IT A A PRIORITY. WE'VE LONG WORKED LONG HOURS, AND WE ARE LAYING OUT A PROPOSAL THAT WE BELIEVE IS FAIR AND ACCURATE GOING FORWARD. WE ACCELERATED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SENSORS. IT'S JUST A MATTER, YOU, YOU CAN'T FIX SOMETHING IN GOVERNMENT IF YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. AND I JUST DON'T BELIEVE THIS HAS RECEIVED THE, THE PRIORITY IN PREVIOUS YEARS, PREVIOUS MONTHS THAT WE'RE GIVING IT. NOW WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO MAKE THIS WORK. IF WE HAVE TO TWEAK IT AS IT STARTS BEING IMPLEMENTED, WE'LL BE OPEN-MINDED TO THAT. BUT WE'RE GONNA LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS. YOU'RE, I I WAS, IT'S BEING A LIGHT MOMENT, BUT I'M REALLY SERIOUS THIS, WE'RE ALL TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THIS. AND I DO UNDERSTAND SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB OF BRINGING THIS TO THE FOREFRONT TO THE FRONT. AND, UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. WE'RE, WE'RE PUTTING THE RESOURCES, THE STAFFING, THE FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT THAT JUST HASN'T BEEN ON DISPLAY BEFORE BECAUSE ELECTIONS MATTER. MAYOR, THIS ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF BILLING. YEAH. THERE'S ALSO THE ISSUE OF THE COST OF WATER, WHICH HAS BEEN GOING UP AND THERE ARE SCHEDULED INCREASES. UH, PEOPLE FEEL SOME STICKER SHOCK THERE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME RELIEF? WELL, GREG, I KNOW WHO YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO. HE'S ON YOUR SHOW. UH, YOU KNOW, I'M COST CONSCIENCE. THERE WERE OTHER AGREEMENTS MADE IN THE CONSENT DECREE BEFORE I GOT HERE, AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO NOT HAVE HAD THAT IMPLEMENTATION APRIL ONE THAT WAS SET IN MOTION BY PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION. BUT WHEN YOU WEIGH IT, IT IS AN AGREEMENT WITH EPA FOR WASTEWATER. WE DO HAVE A BROKEN INFRASTRUCTURE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT OUR WATER SUPPLY. AND SO TO NOT IMPLEMENT THAT THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS CONTEMPLATED, WOULD MAKE IT EVEN A GREATER HARDSHIP A YEAR FROM NOW. SO, YOU KNOW, GOVERNING SOMETIME IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST SAYING, DO AWAY WITH SOMETHING. YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. SO I TOOK A PLEDGE TO BE RESPONSIBLE, TRANSPARENT, AND I'M DOING IT RIGHT NOW. IT'S EASY TO SAY, LET'S DON'T IMPLEMENT THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT THERE WOULD BE A PENALTY. UH, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA [00:20:02] PLAY GAMES OR RISK OUR WATER SUPPLY OR THE WASTEWATER. WE WERE RELEASING SEWAGE INTO OUR STREAMS RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WE HAVE A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY TO HOUSTONIANS THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THEY EXPECT. WE'RE A GREAT CITY WITH GREAT PEOPLE, BUT AS YOU KNOW, MUCH OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS JUST NOT KEPT UP WITH OUR GROWTH. I'LL BE DISCUSSING THAT WITH HOUSTONIANS IN THE COMING MONTHS. WE, WE HAVE A GREAT CITY, BUT WE'VE GOTTA PROTECT IT, MAINTAIN IT, AND BE PREPARED FOR THE TREMENDOUS GROWTH THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING. IT HASN'T BEEN DONE IN THE PAST. I RAN FOR OFFICE TO FIX THINGS. MAYOR, THERE WERE TWO THINGS WITH THAT VOTE FOR THE WATER RATE INCREASE OVER FIVE YEARS. AND ONE WAS EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER ON THE MOST OF THEM TOLD ME THAT THE REASON THEY VOTED IN FAVOR OF IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE, THEY TOLD, OH, WE'RE IN THE RUNNING FOR THIS, THESE FEDERAL FUNDS, THESE INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS. AND WHEN IF WE GET THOSE, WE COULD USE THAT MONEY TO REVERSE THIS, THESE RATE INCREASES. AND I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ASKED IN COUNCIL, WHERE DID THAT MONEY GO? OR DID WE GET ANY OF IT? OR CAN WE USE ANY OF THAT FOR THAT? IT'S, IT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY KNOW IT WELL, SOME THAT HAVE BEEN HERE. YOU GOT, YOU GOT WHAT? SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AS LONG AS I HAVE, THEY INHERITED, UH, THE CHALLENGES THAT I DID. SO, YOU KNOW, IN ALL DUE RESPECT, UH, WE COULD HAVE HAD THIS TRANSPARENCY AND DISCUSSION MONTHS AGO. SO, UH, NO ONE LIKES THE COST TO GO UP. IT WAS A AGREEMENT BASED ON CRITICAL NEEDS. YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT WHO IN THE PAST HAS TALKED ABOUT THE SEWAGE GOING INTO OUR STREAMS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I AM THIS MORNING. AND THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE COMMITTED TO FIXING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. I'LL TELL YOU ANOTHER ONE I WORRY ABOUT. I SIT AROUND, KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT. WHAT WOULD BE SOME OF THE WORST CASE SCENARIOS IS ANYBODY KEPT UP WITH JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI MONTHS WITHOUT FUNCTIONING WATER SUPPLY. WE HAVE SOME WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, NOT THE TREATMENT WATER TREATMENT PLANTS ON THE FRONT END THAT ARE BEING HELD TOGETHER WITH BAIN WIRE AND, AND TAPE. YOU KNOW, WE DID GO TWO MONTHS LAST YEAR WITHOUT TWO DAYS LAST YEAR WITHOUT WATER. AND SO WE'RE COMMITTED AND THE TEAM OF BEING VERY TRANSPARENT, TELLING HOUSTONIANS HOW GREAT OUR CITY IS. BUT YOU KNOW, I GET A CALL AT FIVE IN THE MORNING, THERE'S A MAIN, A MAJOR WATER MAIN BROKEN IN THE MED CENTER ON FANNING. CAN WE GO FORWARD WITH OPERATIONS THAT DAY? SO, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA PUT A FACE ON THE CHALLENGES HOUSTON FACES. AND WE HADN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND FIRST RESPONDERS, BUT IT STARTS THERE. IF YOU'RE NOT SAFE, IF YOU CAN'T EXPECT AN AMBULANCE TO PICK YOU UP WITH A HEART ATTACK WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK, WE'RE IN A HECK OF A MESS. AND WE GOT AMBULANCES RUNNING FROM RICHMOND AND IN HIGHWAY 59 ALL THE WAY TO KINGWOOD. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT ONE. BUT WE'RE GONNA BE TRANSPARENT PARKS, I GOT A PARKS DIRECTOR SAYS HE HAS TO SHUTTLE WORKERS TO THE WORK SITE BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE VEHICLES. NOT TO MENTION SOLID WASTE. THEY'RE WORKING 18 HOUR DAYS, SIX DAYS A WEEK AND WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I GOT HOME THE OTHER EVENING TO SIX 30 AND MY NEIGHBORS ARE HIGH FIVING ME BECAUSE OUR RECYCLING AND OUR GARBAGE GOT PICKED UP THE SAME DAY. SO THERE'S BEEN A TRANSFORMATION. THERE'S BEEN A GENERATION OF IMPROVED MORALE AND TRANSPARENCY SINCE I GOT HERE. AND IT'S ONLY GONNA GET BETTER BY JANUARY. LET'S SAY WE'RE DONE WITH THIS. WE GET THE 125,000 SENSORS IN. WE STILL ONLY HAVE 290,000 TO GO. BUT IF DURING THE TIME YOU'RE REPLACING THOSE SENSORS AND PEOPLE ARE ON THIS FIXED RATE USING THEIR AVERAGE USAGE, THEN YOU GET THE SENSOR IN AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE READ IS READING THAT THEY USED WAY MORE THAN THAT FIXED RATE. 'CAUSE YOU'LL SEE THE, ARE THEY NOW GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THE AMOUNT THAT THEY USED OVER THAT WHOLE TIME? OR HOW ARE YOU GONNA DO THAT? 'CAUSE THEN, THEN WHAT WILL YOU START THEIR METER READS AT WHAT, HOW CAN YOU JUST, WHAT YOU CAN'T START THEIR METER OVER. SO WE WILL TAKE THAT FINAL READ AND WE WILL COMPARE IT. UM, AND IF YOU USED MORE, THE REASON WE'RE USING AN AVERAGE FOR YOUR ACCOUNT IS BECAUSE THAT AVERAGE OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR SHOULD BALANCE OUT. BUT IF YOU USED MORE, WE ARE NOT GONNA GO BACK BUILD UP. WE WILL START WITH THE READ WHEN WE BRING YOU BACK ON, AND YOU'LL START THERE AS BASICALLY A ZERO AND YOU'LL MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE. IF WE TAKE THAT READ AND WE DETERMINE THAT WE, THAT YOUR FIXED USE THAT WE BILL YOU IS MORE THAN YOU ACTUALLY USED, THEN WE'RE GOING TO CREDIT THAT BACK TO YOU IN, IN THAT, THAT BILL CYCLE THAT YOU'LL GET AFTER THAT. SO YOU'LL START WITH A CREDIT AND THEN YOU'LL [00:25:01] MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR ACTUAL USAGE. OKAY? UM, AND WHERE CAN PEOPLE GO FOR THIS CUSTOMER SERVICE IN PERSON? WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE THE NUMBER ON YOUR BILL AND WE'RE GONNA TEST IT. I TOLD SOMEONE IN THE OFFICE THIS MORNING, WE WERE GOING OVER THE DETAILS THIS, AND I SAID, WHO IN THE HECK HAS TRIED THIS NUMBER? SO MY EMPLOYEES WILL BE WALKING THROUGH THE PROCESS. I'VE LEARNED THAT AS A STATE SENATOR. YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING ABOUT A MORE USER FRIENDLY PRISON SYSTEM FOR THE FAMILIES. AND THEY GET TO TELLING ME WHEN I ASK HOW DO, HOW DOES A FAMILY KNOW THE HOURS THAT THEY CAN VISIT A LOVED ONE? OH, WE GOT 800 NUMBER. IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE YOU PROBABLY, BUT I ASKED THE PRISON DIRECTOR TRY THE NUMBER AND THEY GET A VOICEMAIL, THEY GET PUT ON HOLD. SO THAT'S WHERE EXPERIENCE COUNTS. MY CAROL, ELIJAH, CHRIS, ALL OF US, MY FAMILY WILL BE WALKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. SO THERE'S NOT LIKE SEVERAL ADDRESSES. WE'RE GONNA GIVE THAT OUT, GIVE OUT. IT'LL BE, WE, WE'VE GOT A PHONE NUMBER FOR, FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. AND IF YOU NEED TO COME IN AND VISIT WITH A PERSON, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, GETTING BACK TO THAT CHALLENGE OF OUR RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS IS SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED. THEY HAVE A LOT OF UNFILLED VACANCIES. IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO GET FOLKS IN OUR CURRENT, UH, ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES GO TO WORK FOR THE CITY. THEY WORK LONG HOURS, THEY DON'T GET PAID WHAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR GETS. YOU KNOW, I'M STILL PIECING TOGETHER A TEAM. UH, IT'S A CHALLENGE AND I'LL JUST SPEAK TO THE ENTIRE ENVIRONMENT I'M RUNNING INTO. WE HAVEN'T PATTED CITY EMPLOYEES ON THE BACK ENOUGH. AND I'M TALKING ABOUT MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES AND PUBLIC WORDS AND SANITATION. I SHAKE HANDS WITH THE HOUSEKEEPERS AROUND HERE AND THEY CAN'T BELIEVE IT. I DON'T PROMISE YOU I, ON THE WAY TO MY CAR, THERE'S ONE GENTLEMAN, I, WE BUMP FISTS EVERY EVENING, BUT JUST LITTLE HOUSEKEEPERS, I GO UP AND SHAKE THEIR HANDS AND THEY, THEY'RE TAKEN BACK. SO WE NEED TO THANK OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. THEY'RE NOT COMPENSATED WELL AND THEY WORK HARD, BUT, UM, I'VE SEEN A, I'VE SEEN A MORALE IMPROVEMENT SINCE I GOT HERE. WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? IT'S GONNA GET BETTER. THINK ABOUT IF, IF IF YOU'RE A CITY EMPLOYEE IN THIS BUILDING IN THE ANNEX AND YOU WANT TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE OR JUST SOMETHING TO EAT, WHAT DO YOU DO? I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WHEN WE, I FIRST GOT HERE ONE DAY, I WASN'T DRINKING COFFEE BACK IN THOSE DAYS, BACK IN THOSE DAYS, NINE, FOUR DAYS AGO. BUT THAT MORNING I SAID I'D LIKE A CUP OF COFFEE, I GOTTA GO, I GOTTA GO UNDERGROUND OVER TO THE SHELL, WHICH I GO TO LUNCH SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. SO ANYWAY, THE TUNNEL SHOULDN'T BE THE WAY YOU TREAT YOUR CITY EMPLOYEES. BUT I KNOW YOU CAN DO A STORY ON THAT, CAROL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS CHANGED. YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES THAT ONCE THE SUPPLY CHAIN EASED, YOU TOLD COUNCIL MEMBER PECK IN A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, OH, WE HAVE ALL THE DEVICES. THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM. AND SHE SAID, WELL THEN IS IT THE LABOR? LIKE WHY IS IT GONNA TAKE UNTIL 2030 TO PUT ALL THESE IN? AND YOU SAID IT'S JUST, YEAH. THEN YOU SAID IT WAS THE LABOR. SO HOW ARE WE SPEEDING IT UP BUT PAYING THE SAME BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW MAYOR. IT IS JUST THAT SIMPLE. I'M NOT GONNA LET CAROL GET INTO DEBATE WITH YOU WHAT WAS SAID BEFORE I GOT HERE. OKAY. I RAN FOR MAYOR 'CAUSE WE HAD SOME BROKEN SYSTEMS. SO IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING I'M GOING TO ENGAGE WHERE WE GO BACK AND REVIEW WHAT SOMEONE SAID OR DIDN'T DO. THEY, SHE HAD A DIFFERENT BOSS THEN MAKE, WE'RE NOT GONNA HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT SHE SAID. I'M TELLING YOU, YOU HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT SHE'S DOING TODAY. AND THAT'S ONLY FAIR. AND UH, I THINK MOST OF US REALIZE THAT MAYOR FOR THIS FAMILY AND, AND THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SAYING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THING WHEN THEY INTERVIEWED YOU OR YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO IN PREVIOUS MONTHS AND YEARS VERSUS TODAY, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUSLY THEY WANTED TO SEND STUFF TO COMMITTEE. I'VE SEEN THE VIDEO IN THE LAST 24 HOURS WHERE THEY ARGUED, MAYOR, SEND IT TO COMMITTEE SO WE CAN HAVE SOME INPUT. ALL OF A SUDDEN YESTERDAY THERE WAS A DIFFERENT POSITION. I RESPECT THAT. BUT LET'S BE FAIR. YES MA'AM. OKAY. FOR THOSE PARTY THAT I USED TO PAY, PAY FOR EXAMPLE, 60, $80 A MONTH FOR THEIR WATER BILLS AND NOW HOW MUCH? 60 OR $80. OH, AND NOW THEY PAYING FOR MONTH MAYBE 300, $400. THEY'RE GONNA BE CREDIT FOR THAT. YES, THAT'S WHAT WE JUST SAID. WE'RE GONNA REVIEW ANY OUTRAGEOUS WATER BILL. THAT'S [00:30:01] WHY WE'RE HERE TO MAKE IT FAIR AND ACCURATE. AND IF YOU HAVE ONE THAT WAS BROKEN AND OUTRAGEOUS, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE THEY CAN REVIEW IT. AND AS CAROL JUST SAID, YOU'LL GET A CREDIT MAYOR, UH, GIVEN THE FISCAL CHALLENGES. YEAH. AND, UH, THE , SURE. LOTS OF CHATTER ABOUT A GARBAGE FEE. HAVE YOU DUG DEEPER INTO IT? WHAT'S YOUR TAKE? WE NEED REVENUE. IS THAT A GOOD PLACE TO FIND? I THINK WE PUT EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE. YOU KNOW, PREVIOUS MAYOR SAID IT WASN'T SUSTAINABLE, AND I WOULD BE AT HOME OR AT THE OFFICE LISTENING TO THAT AND I'D SAY FIX IT. BUT AS SO MUCH THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY WAS KICKED DOWN THE ROAD, TO ME, I THINK PARTLY INTENTIONAL, UH, CERTAINLY THAT'S ON THE TABLE. ALL MAJOR CITIES HAVE THAT. BUT FIRST, GREG, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE EFFICIENCIES. WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW PUBLIC SANITATION CAN DO A BETTER JOB. UH, IT'S BEEN IMPROVED IN THE LAST 94 DAYS. IT'S NOT JUST MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS GREAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY KNOW WHERE I LIVE OR NOT. IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER. BUT GARDEN OAKS, OAK FOREST, IN FACT, ACROSS THE CITY IS BETTER. SO, SO WE'VE GOT TO, BEFORE I ASK THE PUBLIC TO SPEND ANY MORE MONEY, NEW REVENUE, YOU NAME THE SOURCE. WE'VE GOT TO DO OUR AUDITS, OUR DUE DILIGENCE. UH, I HAVE BEEN PLEASED IN MY MEETINGS, I WAS SUPPOSED WITH, WITH THE SANITATION DIRECTOR, I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO LAST WEEK AT SIX IN THE MORNING TO TALK TO HIS EMPLOYEES. UH, THE PRESIDENT CAME INTO TOWN. SO I COULDN'T DO THAT. FELT I NEEDED TO BE THERE TO, TO WELCOME THE PRESIDENT IN MY OFFICIAL CAPACITY. SO, YOU KNOW, GARBAGE FEE, OTHER ITEMS WE'RE GONNA PAY OUR BILLS. AND, AND WHEN I SAID WE WERE BROKE THE OTHER DAY, I MEANT IT BROKE TO ME IS WHEN YOU ARE NOT PAYING YOUR BILLS AND YOU DON'T BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY OR YOU'RE USING FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ONGOING COSTS. SO REMEMBER DURING THE CAMPAIGN, I WAS DRILLED ON THE FINANCIAL PICTURE OF THE CITY. I SAID IT THEN, AND I'LL SAY IT TODAY UNTIL YOU GET DOWN HERE, YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THE TRUE PICTURE. I THINK THERE'S BEEN WASTE, THERE'S CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT WASTE. WHEN THEY WERE GIVING CONTRACTS TO FOLKS TO FIX THE WATER MAINS AND ONE OF YOU WOULD SHOW UP AT THE CONTRACTOR'S STATED ADDRESS, AND IT WAS AN APARTMENT THAT'S ALL BEING INVESTIGATED. SO I'M TRYING TO BE AS PHYSICAL RESPONSIBLE AS I COULD BE, BUT I'M TRANSPARENT. I WILL TELL THE TRUTH. WE NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS PEOPLE ARE REACHING OUT TO HELP YOU. TOM RAMSEY, THE COMMISSIONER, SAID IN HIS PRECINCT, HE'LL BUILD, HE'LL MEET US HALFWAY ON BUILDING ROADS. 50 50 BRIANIS IS GETTING INTO THE CITY PARKS IN HER PRECINCT. PEOPLE WANNA WORK WITH JOHN WHITMER. WE'RE GONNA GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM THE STATE. AND I THINK NEXT WEEK YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE LAND COMMISSIONER REVISIT THE HARVEY FUNDS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A CHALLENGE. I'M UP TO IT. IT'S LONG DAYS HARD WORK. I LIKE, I GO FROM ONE MEETING TO THE NEXT AND NONE OF 'EM ARE EASY ISSUES. SO, UH, BACK TO YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, GAR FEES CERTAINLY, YEAH, I WAS, IT'S, IT'S, IT IS ON THE TABLE AND QUITE FRANKLY, MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY WE NEED TO DO IT. I WAS SURPRISED AT THE SHEER NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT TAKE THE CITY SUBSIDY. YEAH. AND CONTRACT WITH A PRIVATE HAULER. ARE YOU CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE SLAP ON A SLAP ON A, A GARBAGE FEED, THAT THERE'LL BE AN EXODUS OF THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO, TO PRIVATE CARRIERS. WE'LL CROSS THAT PATH. WHEN WE GET THERE, WE'RE GONNA BE FAIR AND TRANSPARENT. HOUSTONIANS ARE SMART. THEY WANT A GREAT CITY. THEY WANT RELIABLE GARBAGE PICKUP. UH, SOME OF THOSE PRIVATE SERVICES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PICKS IT UP TWICE A WEEK, GOES TO THE BACK DOOR. YOU KNOW, ANOTHER THING, JUST WHILE WE'RE SITTING HERE VISITING, I CONCERN ABOUT THEY'RE BECOMING TWO HOUSTONS THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS. YOU KNOW, I CAN'T, DENVER HARBOR CAN'T GET SIDEWALKS. OTHER AREAS OF TOWN ARE TEARING UP PERFECTLY GOOD THREE FOOT SIDEWALKS TO PUT IN 10 FOOT SIDEWALKS. SO WE GOT TO REMIND EVERYONE, CERTAINLY ALL OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY, WATER BILLING, OR INFRASTRUCTURE CITY SERVICES, IT'S, WE CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER AND WE WILL DO BETTER. AND TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, MAJOR IS [00:35:01] THE CITY WORKING ON A PLAN TO PREVENT ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IN THIS SHORT TERM RENTALS. YESTERDAY WE HAD A CASE WHERE FDI WAS INVOLVED, TALKED ABOUT THIS AT BREAKFAST THIS MORNING, I WAS AT THE HOUSTON REALTY BREAKFAST. THEY DO A GREAT H DAY IN, IN HOUSTON. UH, IT'S A VIABLE BUSINESS TO SHORT TERM RENTAL AND CONSCIENTIOUS REGULATED RENTALS. WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE, BUT THESE MULTI-UNIT FACILITIES ARE OPERATING LIKE HOTELS. ONE NIGHT STAYS, IT'S A PARTY SCENE. WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THAT. AND YOU KNOW, WE MAY END UP IN THE COURTHOUSE OVER THAT, BUT MY COMMITMENT IS PUBLIC SAFETY AND PROPERTY RIGHTS AND, UH, HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. YOU JUST CAN'T COME BACK OFF OF WESTHEIMER RICHMOND AND GETTING THE EDGE OF TANGLEWOOD AND PARTY ALL NIGHT. NOT TO MENTION THE MUSEUM DISTRICT OR DENVER HARBOR OR ANYWHERE IN TOWN. IT'S BEEN IGNORED. I WOULD SUGGEST PROBABLY SOME SPECIAL INTERESTS WAS PLAYING A ROLE IN NOT ALLOWING THE CITY TO REGULATE THAT I'M NOT INVOLVED IN SPECIAL INTERESTS OR CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. I HAVE FRIENDS THAT DO THE AIR AND B AND AND THEY PUT VERY TIGHT RESTRICTIONS. YOU KNOW, NO PARTYING, NO ALCOHOL, NO DRUGS. THEY DON'T GET QUITE AS MUCH BUSINESS RIGHT OFF OF HOUSTON AVENUE, BUT IT'S SAFE FOR THE COMMUNITY. WHERE ARE WE ON AUDITING THE ACCOUNTS AT THE WATER DEPARTMENT? FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE DONE STORIES WHERE SOME HOMEOWNERS HAVEN'T BEEN CHARGED FOR WATER IN TWO OR THREE YEARS. THIS WILL INVOLVE THE PROPER MONITORING OF THOSE ACCOUNTS. THOSE ARE BRAND NEW HOMES. THEY HAVE THOSE SERVICE HOUSES. NO. IF, IF YOU'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS OR BEEN IN SERVICE FOR UP TO THREE YEARS, WE'RE REVIEWING IT. BUT I GUESS SO I'M SAYING HOW DOES THE CITY NOT, THEY'RE PAYING A BILL, THEY'RE ONLY PAYING THEIR BASE FEES. WELL, OBVIOUSLY IN TERMS OF AUDITING THE ENTIRE CITY, IT'S A, IT'S A PROJECT IN PROGRESS. IT IS. OR, OR IT'S GOING TO BE IN PROGRESS OR WE'VE ALREADY STARTED. WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HUDDLE AND ADDRESS THAT CONCERN. I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT'S NOT IN INVOLVED IN THIS. BUT GETTING BACK TO THAT FAIRNESS AND BEING CORRECT, IF, UH, IF WE NEED TO DO AN AUDIT, WE WILL. I HAVE, UH, I MEAN, THINK ABOUT SO MUCH OF THE CITY'S WORKING, SO LET'S FOCUS ON THE BROKEN PART, THEN WE'LL GO BACK AND REVIEW AND SEE IF AN AUDIT REVEALS THAT WE'VE MISSED SOMETHING. BUT IT'S NOT, IT WASN'T OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. WE'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE OUTRAGEOUS WITH BILLS. STOP THOSE BILLINGS FROM GOING OUT, FIX A PROBLEM. AND IF YOU STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR WATER BILL, WE'LL SIT DOWN WITH YOU. WE'LL GET TO A CITYWIDE AUDIT. YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, WE'RE GONNA DO A CITYWIDE AUDIT OF MOST DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR SERVICES. RIGHT. WE'VE GOT A MEETING THIS AFTERNOON TO START TALKING TO THE, THE, UH, ON THAT PLAN. YESTERDAY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN MENTIONED, UM, WITH SOME PROPOSALS OR SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE UP FOR THE BUDGET SHORTFALL AND THAT ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE FINANCE DIRECTOR WAS LEASING FROM THE WATER UTILITY, BASICALLY PAYING, TAKING MONEY FROM THE WATER UTILITY FOR THE PIPES AND STUFF THAT RUN UNDERGROUND ON THE CITY'S RIGHT OF WAY. FRANCHISE FEE. YEAH. TAKING IT FROM THIS COMBINED UTILITIES FUND. IT IS STILL HUGE BECAUSE OF INCREASED WATER RATES. EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE AND I'LL BE VISITING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WITH OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND, UH, WE'LL ADDRESS THAT. HOW WILL THE PLAN APPLY TO BUSINESSES? HUH? HOW WILL THE PLAN APPLY TO BUSINESSES? THE BUSINESSES, UH, MOST OF THE SENSORS ARE WORKING, I'VE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS. WE HAVE OVER 500,000 CONNECTIONS. UH, MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS HAVE COME AND THE BROKEN SENSORS HAVE COME FROM THE RESIDENCES. SO, CAROL, YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING ON HOW WE TREAT, UH, THE BUSINESSES? IT'S JUST HASN'T CROSSED. MY DESK IS OUR HIGHEST, UH, BROKEN MODEL. SO, SO THE BIG DEAL WITH THE BUSINESSES IS BECAUSE WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE READING THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GO READ EVERY BUSINESS, EVERY INDUSTRIAL, WE, WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT. SO THERE WON'T BE ESTIMATIONS. SO THAT, THAT WILL BE, THAT WILL BE RESOLVED BY REDIRECTING OUR RESOURCES. THAT'D BE GOOD. ANYTHING ELSE? I GOTTA GO TO WORK. I HAVE NO QUESTION. OKAY. WE'RE IN REAL ESTATE SERVICES AND I, MY NAME, MY NUMBER IS ON A SIGN AROUND THE CITY AND I GET CALLED CONTINUOUSLY CHEWING ME OUT BECAUSE THE WATER BILL'S HIGH. THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY YOU'VE BEEN INCONVENIENCED, BUT SO [00:40:01] WE, UH, THIS IS KIND OF A JOINT EFFORT. IS THIS, I AND AMY ARE TRYING TO ROLL SOMETHING OUT THIS MORNING. . SO, SO MAYOR, CAN WE MENTION THE WEBSITE IN THE QR CODE? YEAH. CAROL CAROL'S MORE FOCUSED ON RESPONDING TO YOU THAN I AM. SO, SO, UH, WE, WE ARE CREATING A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR PEOPLE TO START FROM@IMPROVEWATERBILLS.ORG. UM, AND THERE'S A QR CODE UP HERE ON THIS THAT, UH, AND WE WILL BE, WE HAVE SOME HANDOUTS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE, UM, THAT ARE BOTH OF THESE WITH THE, THE QR CODE AND THE WEBSITE IMPROVE WATER BILLS.ORG. FROM THAT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET TO THE, UH, WHERE YOU CAN SET UP ACCOUNT PROFILES. YOU'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO SEE THE DASHBOARD OF OUR PROGRESS. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GO IN AND THERE'S A TAB AT THE TOP THAT YOU CAN GO TO YOUR ACCOUNT. YOU CAN TYPE IN YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER AND YOU CAN SEE WHETHER OR NOT YOUR REMOTE READ DEVICE IS CURRENTLY FUNCTIONING, WHETHER IT'S TRANSMITTING TO US. GOOD JOB. SO THAT'LL BE UP THERE AS WELL. SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK IT FOR YOU AT YOUR ADDRESS, UM, WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A FUNCTIONING REMOTE READ DEVICE. VERY GOOD. THANK Y'ALL. IF ALL ELSE FAIL, CALL ME, MA'AM. OKAY, . THANK Y'ALL. HAVE A GOOD DAY. * 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.