* 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. [00:00:22] THAT PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN OUR OPERATIONS. I'M STARTING THIS OFF BECAUSE I CAN KEEP MY INTRODUCTION SHORT. I DON'T NEED A LONG INTRODUCTION. I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYONE THAT DURING MY CAMPAIGN, IF NOT THE FIRST, CERTAINLY THE SECOND BEHIND PUBLIC SAFETY WAS INFRASTRUCTURE. PEOPLE COMPLAIN AND KNOW WE CAN DO BETTER WITH OUR STREETS AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. I'M HERE THIS MORNING TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THIS IS THE NEW BEGINNING. WE'RE NOT GONNA TOLERATE BROKEN INFRASTRUCTURE, WHETHER IT'S OUR ROADS AND STREETS OR OUR DRAINAGE. WE'RE GONNA FIX HOUSTON. THAT'S WHAT THE PUBLIC EXPECTS AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO RECEIVE. SO I'M HERE THIS MORNING. I COULD BE AT A HUNDRED PLACES AS MAYOR OF HOUSTON THIS MORNING. I'M WHERE I WANT TO BE AND WHERE I NEED TO BE TO THANK THE METRO BOARD. ITS STAFF, OUR PUBLIC WORKS. EACH OF YOU THAT ARE HERE, THE WORKERS THAT ARE BEHIND ME THAT ARE, I HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE REPAIRS AND CONSTRUCTIONS. WESTHEIMER, ONE OF OUR MOST HEAVILY TRAVELED. CERTAINLY THE 82 BUS LINE IS ONE OF OUR HEAVIEST, IF NOT OUR HEAVIEST IS GETTING OUR ATTENTION. I CAME DOWN KIRBY FROM DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, BETWEEN SAN PHILIPPI AND WESTHEIMER IS IN BAD SHAPE. I ACTUALLY TOLD THE STAFF, REMIND ME TO MENTION THIS TO METRO. WHAT WE'RE HAVING IN THIS NEW BEGINNING IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN METRO AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY. TOM RAMSEY, OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, SAID, I WILL SPLIT THE COST OF FIXING THE STREETS AND ROADS IN MY PRECINCT WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THAT'S WHAT OUR CAMPAIGN THOUGH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FALLING THROUGH ON. I NEED YOUR HELP. I NEED THE PRESS TO LET HOUSTONIANS KNOW THIS IS A NEW BEGINNING, A PARTNERSHIP. IT'S COST EFFECTIVE. WE'RE GONNA HAVE BUS SHELTERS ALL THE WAY BETWEEN WEST LOOP AND DOWNTOWN. WE'RE GONNA HAVE SIDEWALKS, PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS. IT IS A NEW BEGINNING OF FIXING HOUSTON'S INFRASTRUCTURE. WITH THAT SAID, I COULDN'T BE MORE PLEASED WITH KATHY HAN, PASTOR PRESTON, ELIZABETH BROCK, FIRST HISPANIC, LATINO, LATINA, FUTURE OF HOUSTON. WE'RE SO PROUD TO HAVE THAT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, WHO PROUDLY REPRESENTS HER DISTRICT. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, AND I'M GONNA CLOSE 'CAUSE I'M GETTING WORKED UP. WE'RE LISTENING TO THE RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON. THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. I SAID IT DURING THE CAMPAIGN. METRO NEEDS TO LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS. THE CITY NEEDS TO LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS. IT'S ON DEMONSTRATION THIS MORNING. THIS IS A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT OF HOW WE LISTEN TO HOUSTONIANS. THEY WANT TO FIX THEIR STREETS AND DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY WANT PUBLIC SAFETY. I'M HERE TODAY TO DECLARE THIS IS A NEW BEGINNING. LET'S GO TO WORK AT THIS TIME. ELIZABETH BROCK, LONG TIME PUBLIC SERVANT, WORKING IN MY SENATE OFFICE, LEARNING THAT WE LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC AND WE USE OUR FUNDS IN A VERY EFFICIENT, COST EFFECTIVE WAY. ELIZABETH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND I'LL YIELD TO YOU AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU GENTLEMEN. EVERY ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR YOUR REMARKS. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US FOR THE CELEBRATION AND THIS MUCH NEEDED COLLABORATION THAT PRIORITIZES THE PUBLIC'S BEST INTEREST. WE'RE HERE TODAY TO KICK OFF THIS PROJECT THAT WILL REPAIR THE HAZARDOUS STREETS AND IMPROVE BUS SHELTERS AND SIDEWALKS ALONG WESTHEIMER ROAD. THE CONSTRUCTION THAT BEGAN IN APRIL WILL ENHANCE OUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE BY REPAIRING THE LANES ON A SIX MILE STRETCH FROM WEST ON WESTHEIMER. FROM SIX 10 LOOP TO DOWNTOWN, WE'LL HAVE 50 NEW BUS STOPS AND SIDEWALKS AND CURB RAMPS. WE'LL IMPROVE 17 HIGH RIDERSHIP ROUTES AND AS PART OF METRO'S BOOST, WHICH INCLUDES IMPROVEMENTS OF MORE THAN 19 MILES ALONG WESTHEIMER ROUTE. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ALSO RECOGNIZE OUR COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PARTNERS THAT ARE PRESENT IN ATTENDANCE TODAY. SO WE'LL START WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MARY HUFFMAN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UH, FREDDY GUERRERA AND LUIS RO FROM, [00:05:01] UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONER LESLIE BRIAN'S OFFICE. SPENCER GUTIERREZ WITH COUNCIL MEMBER LIZZIE FLETCHER'S OFFICE. PEYTON ARCHIE WITH CONGRESSMAN, UM, WESLEY HUNT'S OFFICE. I'D LIKE TO ALSO RECOGNIZE OUR BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE PRESENT. UH, JUDGE HAN AND PASTOR PRE UH, PRESTON ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, OUR PRESIDENT OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS UNION. MARTY LANGTON, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THE METRO BOARD AND I ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE MAYOR ON HIS ONGOING PROMISE TO MAKE HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY TODAY HIGHLIGHTS MAYOR WHITMEYER AND METRO'S COMMITMENT TO BEING A MORE USEFUL MOBILITY SYSTEM AND OUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO BE THE METRO THAT CUSTOMERS CHOOSE TO USE. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF OUR JOINT WORK OF DELIVERING A SAFER, CLEANER, AND MORE ACCESSIBLE SERVICE. WE ARE COMMITTED BOTH TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND TO THEIR COMMUNITY THAT INTERACTS WITH THE BUSES ON THEIR DAILY COMMUTES. WE ARE COMMITTED TO TAKING A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO FIXING OTHER THIS AND OTHER PROJECTS OUR OR YOU SEE, THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS FOR METRO TO PUT A BANDAID ON THE BUS LANE AND HAVE THE CITY COME BACK A SECOND TIME AND FIX, UH, FIX THIS PROJECT. OUR REVISED PLAN ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR A SECOND DISRUPTIVE PROJECT. WE ACCELERATE THE SAFETY OF THIS COLOR CORRIDOR AND WE ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR REPAVING ADDITIONAL LANES AT A LATER TIME. OR SIMPLY PUT, WE WILL NOW IMPROVE THIS BUSY STREET FOR THE LONG TERM WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF DISRUPTION TO COMMUTERS CAUSED BY CONSTRUCTION AND WITH LESS TAXPAYER DOLLARS. ONCE AGAIN, METRO IS COMMITTED TO INCREASING RIDERSHIP BY PROVIDING A SAFER, CLEANER AND MORE RELIABLE AND ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT PEOPLE CHOOSE TO USE. AND WE ARE EXCITED TO GET TO WORK ON THIS PROGRAM. AND AS WE STAND HERE TODAY, OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE GROWING AND EVOLVING AND SO SHOULD METRO. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING WITH YOU OUR EXCITING NEW PLANS TO MEET CUSTOMERS NEEDS WHERE THEY ARE AND TO DIVERSIFY OUR SERVICES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY. WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN DELIVERING A METRO NOW PLAN AND NEW INITIATIVES TO MEET OUR CUSTOMERS WHERE THEY ARE. SO STAY TUNED FOR MORE. THANK YOU. NOW WE'RE GONNA DO OUR YEAH, YEAH. OVER HERE. SERVICE TO SERVICE. OKAY. YOU CALL IT MICRO TRANSIT. THERE'S JUST A LOT OF NEW EXCITING THINGS. WE'RE, UH, VISITING OUR STUDY OFF THE TABLE. EVERYTHING'S ALWAYS ON THE TABLE IN MY OFFICE. SO EVEN YOU SOMETHING CALLED VISION ZERO. DOES THAT MEAN RE-ENVISIONED? NO. VISION ZERO IS AN ONGOING PROJECT. WE DON'T HAVE A 2030 GOAL. IT'S 2024. WE GOTTA GET AWAY FROM SPIN. WE GOTTA GET AWAY FROM SPIN. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD CALL THAT. WE NEED COMMON SENSE IF I GET OUT HERE AND TALK TO RESIDENTS. FOR THESE WORKERS, THEY'RE LESS FOCUSED ON 2030 THAN THEY ARE 2024. VISION ZERO IS AN ONGOING TODAY PURPOSE. MAYOR, UM, TALK A THE CHALLENGE WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE CHALLENGES. SURE. FINANCES, UM, METRO IS THE BEGINNING OF METRO IN TS ARE BEING REEXAMINED, UH, IN TERMS OF THEIR EFFECT. AND THAT'S . WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT COUNTY I MENTIONED TOM RAMSEY BRIANIS IS, IS SUCH A PARTNER IN HER PRECINCT AS WELL AS ADRIAN GARCIA. SO CITY COUNTY COOPERATION IS BETTER THAN EVER THE STATE. THROUGH MY BACKGROUND OF WORKING WITH STATE LEADERSHIPS, THE BIPARTISANSHIP WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. DEMONSTRATED BY THE LAND COMMISSIONER. BEING AT COUNCIL THREE WEEKS AGO, DON BUCKINGHAM WAS BEING CRITICIZED BY CITY OFFICIALS [00:10:01] UNTIL I HAD HER COME TO COUNCIL. JOHNNY MATA, ONE OF OUR GREATEST CIVIC LEADERS, SAID IT'S HISTORIC. DIDN'T GET A LOT OF COVERAGE 'CAUSE IT'S NOT THE SCENARIO THAT SOME PEOPLE IN TOWN WANT TO DISPLAY. WE HAVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO YES, WE HAVE CHALLENGES, WE HAVE VERY GREAT CHALLENGES ON HOW TO FINANCE SOME OF OUR NEGLECTED SERVICES. I RAN ON MAKING THINGS BETTER, FIX THINGS. IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO ADDRESS AND NEGLECT THESE STREETS, THE BROKEN WATER MAINS. SO YES, IT'S EXPENSIVE. WE'RE REVIEWING ALL OPTIONS IN TERMS OF FUNDING, BUT I PROMISE YOU WE'RE NOT GOING TO WASTE ANY MONEY. THERE'S NOT GONNA BE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. WE'RE NOT GONNA DEAL WITH SPEND. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REAL TIME FIXING PROBLEMS. WE WILL LEAVE HERE AND GO TO THE NEXT PROJECT. AND I JUST MENTIONED ONE. YOU KNOW ABOUT DRIVING THE STREETS OF HOUSTON, WHICH I STILL DO. DON'T TELL MY SECURITY, BUT I STILL, I STILL ACCESS HOUSTONIANS THROUGH MY PARTICIPATION OF GOING OUT IN PUBLIC. PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW LEADERSHIP. THEY WANT THINGS TO BE DONE IN A COMMON SENSE APPROACH. THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE WORKED IN THE PAST. THIS IS A NEW APPROACH. LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC AND WE WILL DEAL WITH THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES. WE HAVE TO, AND WE MUST, AND LET'S NOT FORGET PUBLIC SAFETY. IF WE DON'T HAVE A SAFE HOUSTON, NOTHING ELSE. WE TALK ABOUT MATTERS. YES, THERE'S BEEN IMPROVEMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT PEOPLE ARE STILL CONCERNED WHEN THEY LEAVE THIS STORE AND GO TO THE CAR AND PARKING LOT. WE'RE GONNA CORRECT THAT. WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH HPD, WE'VE GOT CHALLENGES, BUT THAT'S WHERE EXPERIENCE MATTERS AND I'LL BE GLAD TO YIELD TO THE EXCITING, PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT I'VE MADE IN THE FOUR MONTHS I'VE BEEN AT CITY HALL. YOU WANNA ADDRESS THE EXPENSES, CHILD. SO I UNDERSCORE WHAT THE MAYOR HAS SAID, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT THIS BEING METRO'S MONEY OR CITY'S MONEY. WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IT AS THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY AND HOW CAN WE USE THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY TO ADDRESS OUR NEEDS. AND INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT WAYS TO INCREASE TAXES OR INCREASE FEES, LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE TODAY. WE NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE WITH THE DOLLARS WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US. YOU HAD A LITTLE TIME TO GET UNDER THE HOOD, SO TO SPEAK. UH, IS THERE AN AREA, UH, FOR, FOR CHANGE, CONSTRUCTIVE CHANGE AT METRO? ABSOLUTELY. AND, AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, SO YOU, YOU TALKED A LOT TODAY ABOUT IT'S A NEW DIRECTION. YEAH. UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, UH, ALSO TALKED ABOUT HAPPENING IN METRO. METRO. I'M CURIOUS FOR YOU, MAYOR, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS KIND OF THE ROLE OF METRO IN THE CITY? HOUSTON METRO'S PRIMARY PURPOSE, AN AGENDA SHOULD BE TRANSPORTATION. MOBILITY. OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE A LOT OF RELATED ISSUES SUCH AS PUBLIC SAFETY, JOBS, AFFORDABILITY, WALKABILITY, METRO IS A SUPER AGENCY. I WAS THERE WHEN IT WAS CREATED. TIMES HAVE CHANGED. NOW IT'S NOT JUST BUSES NOW IT'S OTHER OPTIONS. WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT MICRO TRANSIT WHERE, I'LL GIVE YOU A REAL EXAMPLE. I LEAVE HOLCOMB BACK DURING DECEMBER, FINISH WATCHING A BALL GAME WITH SOME FRIENDS IN WEST U GO TO HOLCOMB TO GO TO SIX 10 TO GO HOME AT 10 30 AT NIGHT. THERE'S A GENTLEMAN ON A CORNER ON HOLCOMB ALL BY HIMSELF WAITING FOR A BUS. NO SHELTER. I MIGHT ADD COLE STANDING THERE. I WAS JUST THINKING, I WISH I COULD PICK HIM UP AND TAKE HIM HOME. I'VE DONE SUCH, I DON'T NECESSARILY ADVISE IT, BUT I FELT I HAD EMPATHY FOR HIM. STANDING ON A DARK CORNER WAITING FOR A BUS THAT QUITE FRANKLY IS NOT RELIABLE. I GO TO THE WEST LOOP, I GET OFF AT MEMORIAL TO GO TO MY HOME. HERE COMES A METRO BUS EMPTY AS IT CAN BE AT 10 45. SOMEWHERE OR ANOTHER. WE GOTTA GET SMARTER AND USE TECHNOLOGY. WHAT IF METRO COULD TAKE THAT GENTLEMAN ON HILLCROFT, ON HOLCOMB HOME INSTEAD OF RUNNING A DIESEL EMPTY BUS AT 10 45? WE GOTTA BE SMART. I WANT METRO TO USE TECHNOLOGY, LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS, SAVE MONEY. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. IN FACT, I'M EXCITED TO BE WITH Y'ALL THIS MORNING TO SEE THE LEADERSHIP THAT I'VE PUT IN PLACE. PROBABLY THE BEST APPOINTMENTS I'VE MADE. AND KATHY HANH FIRST VIETNAMESE APPOINTEE, FORMER MUNICIPAL JUDGE, LISTENS TO THE COMMUNITY, HAS INPUT AT METRO. THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS TO CELEBRATE TODAY. ABSOLUTELY. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE NEW APPOINTMENTS AND HOW EXCITED YOU'RE ABOUT THEM, WHAT WERE THOSE CONVERSATIONS LIKE WITH YOUR APPOINTEES BEFORE KIND OF YOU APPOINTED THEM AND WHAT, [00:15:01] WHAT DID THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN IN PUBLIC OFFICE 50 YEARS. I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH SOME GREAT CIVIC LEADERS. I DIDN'T HAVE TO HESITATE TO ASK. I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HAVE TO VISIT WITH REVEREND PRESTON, YALE STREET BAPTIST CHURCH WHERE I'VE ATTENDED. I PRAYED WITH HIM. I KNOW WHERE HIS HEART IS. HE LISTENS TO THE PUBLIC. KATHY HAHN AMAZING IMMIGRANT STORY OF COMING HERE AS A REFUGEE, PUTTING HERSELF THROUGH LAW SCHOOL WITH YOUNG BABIES. I KNOW WHERE HER HEART AND PASSION IS PUBLIC SERVICE. ELIZABETH BROCK WORKED IN MY SENATE OFFICE TO AND FROM HOUSTON, STARTS A FAMILY, ENTERS GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AT U OF HTSU. I KNOW WHERE HER HEART, I KNOW. DID YOU HEAR THE ANSWER TO HER QUESTIONS? SHE WAS WELL, WELL GROOMED, WELL PREPARED. EXPERIENCED FOR THIS JOB. SO, YOU KNOW, HOLD US ALL ACCOUNTABLE. THE PUBLIC'S EXCITED THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY. LOOK AT THESE STREETS. I'M TELLING YOU, PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. TOP TWO ISSUES. THE FINANCES, GREG, WE'RE GONNA LET THE TURS IN MY OFFICE JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO WE'RE SHORT OF MONEY. I'VE SEEN THE CONDITIONS OF THE FIRE STATIONS IN KINGWOOD ALL WEEKEND. ANYBODY THAT'S BEEN GOVERNED AND ALLOWS THOSE FIRE STATIONS TO LOOK LIKE THEY DO, THEY SLEEP ON THE FLOOR. THEY WERE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT FACILITIES. THE CITY TOOK 'EM OVER AND DIDN'T PUT DORMITORIES THERE. I WAS SO SHOCKED THAT WE WOULD'VE FIRST RESPONDERS SAVING OUR LIVES AND WE TREAT 'EM LIKE THAT. SO WHAT WE DID TWO DAYS AGO, WE SAT DOWN LOOKING AT OUR FIRE STATIONS THAT ARE IN TERRIBLE CONDITION. WHAT TURS ARE THEY IN? THE TURS ARE GONNA FIX THE FIRE STATIONS. THEY'RE GONNA HELP US WITH ROADS AND DRAINAGE. AND I MIGHT JUST ADD, IT'S A HECK OF A NOTE. THE FIRST RESPONDERS THAT I SERVED WITH THIS WEEKEND SAVING LIVES. AND THEN ON MONDAY WE GOT PUBLIC OFFICIALS CRITICIZING THEIR BENEFITS. SHAME ON ANYONE THAT WOULD BRING UP AND ATTACK NEGOTIATIONS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ON THE DAY AFTER THEY SAVED LIVES. ANYWAY, YOU GOT ME FIRED UP. ANYONE ELSE? I'VE GOTTA GO TO WORK. THANK Y'ALL. LET'S GO TO WORK. ALL OF US. THANK Y'ALL. * 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.