* 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. [00:00:18] TO BE AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER DEALING WITH, UH, HURRICANE PREPARATION AND DEALING WITH THE HEAVY RANGE WE'RE GONNA GET IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. AND I GET A CALL TO COME TO HPD HEADQUARTERS THAT THEY'VE GOT A TERRIBLE CASE THAT THEY WERE WORKING. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE TO REMEMBER AS HOUSTON IS THAT THESE FIREMEN AND POLICEMEN ARE HUMAN BEINGS. I WITNESSED, UH, POLICE OFFICERS YESTERDAY, HOMICIDE DETECTIVES GRIEVE OVER A CASE THAT THEY WERE WORKING THE MURDER OF A 12-YEAR-OLD LITTLE GIRL. AND THE DETAILS WILL BE COMING OUT SHORTLY. BUT, UH, I WATCHED THESE OFFICERS WORK SO AGGRESSIVELY TO TRY TO FOLLOW LEADS. YOU KNOW, AT ONE TIME THEY WERE LOOKING AT MAYBE TEENAGERS, 12, 13-YEAR-OLD BOYFRIENDS. THEY SOON REALIZED THIS WAS NOT A TEENAGER CRIME, BUT, UM, ADULTS WERE PROBABLY INVOLVED. AND THEN SURE ENOUGH, THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THEY FOUND OUT THAT AT MIDNIGHT SHE WAS ENCOUNTERING ADULT. SO THEN YOU MOVE AND DO YOUR JOB. TODAY I'M IN THE FIREHOUSES. UH, THEY DIDN'T THINK ANYBODY CARED FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS, SO TO PUT A FACE ON IT, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, WE JUST HAVE TO THANK THEM EACH AND EVERY DAY. THIS VOTE TODAY WAS A SHOW OF SUPPORT AND APPRECIATION FOR FIREFIGHTERS PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON. UH, I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE VOTE. UH, OBVIOUSLY IT WILL BE CHALLENGING TO PAY FOR IT. NO ONE DISPUTES THAT, BUT, UH, WE CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO, AND IT IS A REASONABLE SETTLEMENT. UH, AFTER ALL THE ADVICE AND LISTENING TO EXPERTS AND OUTSIDE COUNSEL LISTENING TO THE JUDGE, THE JUDGE WAS READY FOR THIS TO BE SETTLED. AND, UH, I'M VERY PLEASED TO BE THE MAYOR OF A GREAT CITY TODAY. UH, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE WEATHER OVERNIGHT. UH, TOMORROW'S THE CITY HOLIDAY. I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO TELL THE STORY OF EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. IT OUGHT TO BE TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE GOTTA REMIND OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HOW FAR WE'VE COME AND ALSO REALIZE WE HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO. WITH THAT SAID, UH, I'LL SEE WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND. MAYOR CONTROLLER HOLLAND SAID LAST WEEK, WHO, UM, CONTROLLER HOLLAND SAID THAT YOUR DECISION LAST WEEK TO, UM, MOVE AHEAD WITH A BOND ISSUANCE WITHOUT THE CONTROLLER'S APPROVAL WAS IMPROPER AND WENT AGAINST THE CITY'S FINANCIAL POLICY. I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU HAD A RESPONSE TO THAT. WELL, OBVIOUSLY HE'S ENTITLED TO HIS OPINION. I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE VOTE TODAY. UM, IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING, SO I'M READY TO MOVE ON. SIR, YOU HAD A UNANIMOUS VOTE THIS MORNING. YES, SIR. BUT YOU MENTIONED THE CHALLENGES OF FINDING WAYS TO PAY FOR THIS. SURE. YOU ALLUDED TO HAVING SOME IDEAS, BUT TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF PAYING FOR THIS. IT'S A BIG BILL IN A CITY THAT'S GOT A LOT OF BIG BILLS ALREADY. WELL, LIKE I'LL REMIND FOLKS, IF WE NEVER HEARD OF FIREFIGHTER SETTLEMENT OR BACK BENEFITS, NEVER HEARD OF IT. WE WERE IN A DILEMMA. WE'VE PAID OUR BILLS THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH ONE TIME FEDERAL FUNDING. IN FACT, THE FIREFIGHTERS PAY RAISE CAME FROM ONE TIME VERY IRRESPONSIBLE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT DID THAT KNEW THAT THEY WERE JUST DIGGING A DEEPER HOLE. I'VE WATCHED PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS SELL OFF CITY PROPERTY. I'VE SEEN THEM MOVE PAYMENT OF MATTERS THAT WERE DUE INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND I RAN AND COMMITTED TO NOT PLAY GAMES, BUT TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT, NOT KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. SO WHEN I GOT HERE, THE FIRST NUMBERS I SAW ON JANUARY 1ST WAS $160 MILLION SHORTFALL. SO WE KNEW WE HAD A CHALLENGE, BUT WE ALSO KNEW WE HAD A COURT LAWSUIT THAT WAS GONNA GIVE ADDITIONAL DEBT. SO WE WENT TO WORK AND WE WERE MINDFUL OF THAT IN EVERY NEGOTIATING SESSION. I DREW THE LINE. MARTY DIDN'T LIKE IT. WE HAD HEARD A BILLION DOLLARS [00:05:01] BY THE PARTNERSHIP. THEY WERE BRIEFING THE HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, PROBABLY THE MOST CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS GROUP IN TOWN WERE TELLING THEIR DIRECTORS THAT THE CITY WAS GONNA BE OUT A BILLION DOLLARS ON BACK BENEFITS. THAT'S NOT MY NUMBER. IT'S THE FOLKS THAT RUN THE CORPORATE COMMUNITY WITH THEIR EXPERTS AND ACCOUNTANTS. SO WE WERE LOOKING AT EXPOSURE OF A BILLION PLUS IF WE WENT TO COURT AND IF WE SETTLED, SOME HAD IT AS HIGH AS A BILLION DOLLARS, WE NEGOTIATED, WALKED AWAY FROM THE TABLE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND SETTLED AT SIX 50. IT'S NOT JUST FINANCIAL, IT'S WORKING CONDITIONS, IT'S PROMOTIONS. YOU, EVERYTHING WAS ON THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION. UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THE FOLKS REVIEWING IT, INCLUDING THE CONTROLLER, WANTED TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THOSE POLICY ISSUES. IT'S A FINANCIAL ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE. DO WE HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT? AND WE DID. AND GOING FORWARD, THERE WILL BE A CHALLENGE TO NOT ONLY PAY THE FIREFIGHTER SETTLEMENT, BUT THE OTHER INCURRED EXPENSES. UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING IF YOU WANNA GO BACK AND LOOK AT PUBLIC WORKS OR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, IT WOULD BE A LARGE NUMBER GOING FORWARD FIVE YEARS. YES, IT'S EXPENSIVE TO RUN A LARGE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR HPD, BUT WE HAVE, UH, RESOURCES. WE'RE, WE'RE EXAMINING CAREFULLY. UH, I I'M NOT READY TO ROLL 'EM OUT. OBVIOUSLY IT DOESN'T INCLUDE AT THIS STAGE, FEES AND TAXES. I REALLY MEANT WHAT I SAID. I THINK TODAY, UH, REITERATED, I'M NOT GONNA ASK FOR MORE REVENUE UNTIL I CAN TELL THE PUBLIC THAT WE'VE CUT OUT WASTE DUPLICATION. YOU KNOW, TWO WEEKS AGO WE INDICTED SOME VENDORS AND CITY EMPLOYEES FOR STEALING $80 MILLION. AND THEN IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, YOU WANT TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. SO I WANNA LOOK AT FOLKS WITH A STRAIGHT FACE NEXT FALL AND SAY, WE'VE CUT OUT TO WASTE DUPLICATION. WE'RE HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. IF THEY STOLE, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS LATER IN THE WEEK THAT'LL SHOCK YOU. SO I'M GONNA BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WHAT WE PASS TODAY, I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR IT, AND THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE MY PARTNERS. WE'RE LOOKING TO THE STATE FOR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN HOW WE GOVERN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WE'RE PARTNERING WITH OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO SHARE THE COST OF SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE RIGHT TIME. WE'RE GONNA ROLL OUT, UH, BOND ISSUES MAY GO ABOVE THE REVENUE CAP FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. ALL EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE. BUT UNTIL I CAN DO EVERYTHING I CAN, WORKING WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS TO SEE THAT WE'VE RUN THE MOST EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT WE CAN. BUT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE BROKEN WATER MAINS, THE STREET CONDITION. I'VE GOT FOLKS THAT HAVE SAID, SOME FOLKS THAT WORK IN CITY HALL SAY, WELL, THE, THE BAD STREETS ARE NOT A BAD THING BECAUSE IT SLOWS DOWN THE CARS. YOU KNOW, I'M DEALING WITH SOME PRETTY UNREALISTIC, UH, EXPECTATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO REALLY SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS. SO WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET. WE'RE WE'RE OPENING THE WINDOWS AND THE DOORS OF CITY HALL, UM, TRANSPARENCY. AND SEE, THE PROBLEM IS YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIX SOMETHING UNTIL YOU ADMIT IT'S A PROBLEM. AND WHEN YOU HAVE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS, THE ONE I'VE FOLLOWED SAYING, OH, WE GOT A SURPLUS. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A SURPLUS, YOU'RE NOT PAYING YOUR BILLS. SO ANYWAY, I'M PRETTY EXCITED, MOTIVATED TO, UH, CONTINUE WORKING ON A MULTITUDE OF ISSUES. MAYOR, I I THINK IT'S BEEN PRETTY CLEAR FROM YOUR COMMENTS THAT HOUSTONIANS SHOULD EXPECT NEW TAXES, NEW FEES AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. IS THERE A TIMELINE TO WHEN THOSE PROPOSALS WILL COME OUT? I KNOW YOU SAID YOU HAVE WORK TO DO, BUT WHAT, WHEN SHOULD THEY EXPECT THESE TO ACTUALLY GET ROLLED OUT? SPECIFIC PROPOSALS THERE, THERE'S NOT A TIMETABLE, OBVIOUSLY. UH, WE JUST PASSED THE BUDGET, SO YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A YEAR BEFORE WE HAVE TO START OVER. BUT, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON IT AS WE TALK. I MEAN, I'M MEETING WITH THE COMMISSIONERS. UH, I DIDN'T ANNOUNCE IT IN MY MAYOR'S REPORT. I SNUCK OFF TO AUSTIN LAST THURSDAY WITH TXDOT AND TOURED A HOMELESS TINY HOMES. THEY CALL IT TDOT'S GONNA HELP US ADDRESS THE HOMELESS ISSUE SHELTERS. SO BECAUSE OF MY ADMINISTRATION, THERE ARE A LOT OF CONNECTIONS, A LOT OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT, UH, DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE I GOT HERE. STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE COUNTY DIDN'T EVEN TALK STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION DID [00:10:01] NOT TALK. WE'VE GOT THE LAND COMMISSIONER WILLING TO LOOK AT HARVEY FUNDING. TDOT'S GONNA HELP US WITH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. WE'RE GONNA MEET, THERE'S GONNA BE FRIDAY AND SOMEONE HAS TO TRAVEL NEXT WEEK WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS DOWNTOWN. HOW CAN WE CLEAN UP DOWNTOWN HOUSTON INFRASTRUCTURE, SIDEWALKS, CROSSWALKS, FLOWERS. IT'S AMAZING HOW WE'RE GONNA COME TOGETHER WITH CENTRAL HOUSTON, HOUSTON FIRST, THE STATE, THE COUNTY, AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE DOWNTOWN MORE APPEALING. THE GEORGE BROWN IS IN THE PROCESS OF ENLARGING ITS FOOTPRINT. IT, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS TO BE EXCITED ABOUT. WE HAD TO GET THE FIREFIGHTER SETTLEMENT BEHIND US. WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT NOW HOW TO IMPROVE RECRUITMENT FOR HPD AND THE FIREFIGHTERS. I STILL MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY MY HIGHEST PRIORITY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE CHALLENGES IN THAT REGARD. AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AROUND 900 PEOPLE CHARGED WITH MURDER WHO HAVEN'T BEEN TO COURT YET, BUT THEY'RE OUT ON THE STREETS OF HOUSTON. SEE, WHAT'S AMAZING IS WE HAVE A SMALL NUMBER OF BAD ACTORS CREATING HAVOC FOR 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, I CAN DEBATE WITH THE DA WHAT THE REAL NUMBER IS. I THINK IT'S ABOUT 2000 PEOPLE THAT ARE REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDERS. THE POLICE AND THE COLLABORATION THEY'VE USED WITH OTHER AGENCIES HAVE ARRESTED OVER 400 PEOPLE. FELONY WARRANTS WERE SERVED SINCE JANUARY. HALF OF THEM ARE BACK OUT ON THE STREETS. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MORALE OF THE FIRST RESPONDERS. CAN YOU IMAGINE PUTTING YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE TO, TO ARREST OR REPEAT MURDERER, VIOLENT OFFENDER. AND THEN THEY, THEY SEE HIM BACK OUT ON THE STREETS. THAT'S GOTTA STOP. AND I'M GONNA SPEAK OUT ABOUT IT. IN FACT, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DON'T LIST THE 10 MOST DANGEROUS FUGITIVES OUT THERE. GET THE PUBLIC ENGAGED, GET EMPLOYERS ENGAGED, WHOEVER'S AROUND SOMEONE THAT IS IN CHARGE WITH MURDER AND THEY'VE JUMPED BOND, WE NEED, WE NEED TO POINT THEM OUT AND ARREST THEM AND KEEP 'EM. JUST, JUST BUT BACK TO YOUR SETTLEMENT, YOUR, YOUR PROPOSAL. WE'RE WORKING ON IT DAILY, YOU KNOW, WHO WAS IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE IN THE NEXT YEAR? IS THAT KINDA WHAT I'M HEARING? NO, NO. THE LEGISLATURE MEETS IN JANUARY. WE'LL BE READY BY THEN. MAYBE THAT'S, THAT'S A THRESHOLD. IT'LL TAKE SOME LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT FOR WHAT I'M GONNA ROLL OUT. AND THEY'RE READY. YOU, YOU, YOU REMEMBER WHERE I WAS THIS TIME LAST YEAR? I WAS SITTING ON FINANCE IN THE SENATE. THE LEADERSHIP IN AUSTIN REALIZES THAT HOW HOUSTON GOES IS HOW THE REST OF THE STATE WILL GO. WE HAVE THE PORT THAT THEY SHIP ALL OF THEIR COTTON OUT OF FROM WEST TEXAS. WE GOT THE MED CENTER WHERE THEY BRING THEIR SICK SPACE PORT. I CAN GO ON AND ON. PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT HELPING THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SINCE I TOOK OFFICE IN JANUARY, I RAN ON THE ABILITY TO GET THE STATE INVOLVED IN SOME OF OUR SOLUTIONS AND THE COUNTY AND THE FEDS. BUT WE'RE GONNA BE REASONABLE. WE'RE GONNA BE USING COMMON SENSE. YOU KNOW, I, I MENTIONED DAY 700,000 PEOPLE A DAY COME INTO HOUSTON WORK. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT DOES TO OUR MOBILITY? YOU KNOW, IT'S A CHALLENGE. PUBLIC SAFETY. WE WANT THOSE 700,000 TO COME WORK, BUT THEY NEED TO FEEL SAFE. AND THE KENNER REPORT JUST TWO WEEKS AGO SAID, IT IS STILL THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE. NOT AS HIGH AS IT WAS AT ONE TIME, BUT IT'S STILL, PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED. PEOPLE HAVE CHANGED THEIR LIFESTYLE BECAUSE THEY'RE CONCERNED OVER PUBLIC SAFETY. AND I BET IF I GOT EACH OF YOU TO TO ADMIT IT, YOU'D SAY SO TOO. AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS HORRENDOUS CRIME LAST YESTERDAY THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT 12 YEAR OLDS BEING RAPED AND MURDERED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. HORRIBLE. AND IT MOTIVATES ME TO COME TO WORK AND DO THE BEST I CAN EVERY DAY. I HAD A GOOD ELECTED POSITION. I WAS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN AUSTIN PAST THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT THAT'S EXPANDING CENTRAL HOUSTON. I COULD GO ON AND ON. I CHOSE HERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND WE'RE DOING IT EVIDENCE BY TODAY. EVERYTHING I'M DOING, I CAMPAIGNED THEM. AND IT'S REFRESHING TO SEE, KEEP SOME, SEE SOMEONE, KEEP THEIR CAMPAIGN COMMITMENTS. ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, I GOTTA GO TO WORK. 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.