[Service Delivery Committee on June 26, 2024.]
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IT'S WEDNESDAY, JUNE OF 26, 20 24, AND THE TIME IS 2 0 3.
I'M COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, CHAIR OF THE SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE, AND I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
TODAY WE'LL BE JOINED BY TODAY.
WE ARE JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK IN CHAMBERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IN CHAMBERS.
HEY, CASTEK TATUM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTIL, UM, STAFF FROM CASTILLO'S OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, CAYMAN STAFF, AND THEN VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ.
UM, THIS MEETING HAS BEEN HELD IN HYBRID MODE IN PERSON AND IN VIRTUALLY, AND IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO CHAIR.
AS PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COMMITTEE IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE CHAMBER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 51 0.127 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. SO TODAY WE WILL GET UPDATES ON TRASH COLLECTION FROM SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, ILLEGAL DUMPING FROM CONSTABLE ALLEN ROSEN'S OFFICE, AND THE QUALITY REPORT FROM THE HOUSTON CLEAN CITY COMMISSION.
AND SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UM, VICE CHAIR IF YOU HAVE ANY, UM, COMMENTS.
YOU GOOD? NO, I THINK, UH, WE SET ENOUGH THIS MORNING, SO NO, NO MORE COMMENTS RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY STAFF FROM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS OFFICE.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP, UM, PRESENTATION ON GARBAGE RECYCLING BULK AND TREE WASTE COLLECTION BY DIRECTOR MARK AL, SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
UH, HERE TO HIT DATE, JUST TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
I'M, YOU WANNA RAISE JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE, UH, VERONICA LAMA.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, PLEASED TODAY, HONORED TO BE HERE AND, AND TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, JUST A GENERAL UPDATE OF WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON, UH, AT THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND START THE PRESENTATION.
I'M TRYING TO RESPECT VERONICA, THOUGH.
IF WE CAN GO TO THE FIRST SLIDE, ADVANCE THE SLIDE, PLEASE.
WHO'S DRIVING FOR US? NEXT SLIDE.
SO, AGAIN, JUST A, A LITTLE BIT OF OUR, OUR ABOUT OUR MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES THAT WE ALWAYS KIND OF HAVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THEY TOOK THE SLIDE FROM ME AGAIN.
SO, EVERYBODY'S PRETTY MUCH FAMILIAR WITH THE FORWARD FACING SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, UH, CURBSIDE GARBAGE, UH, YARD WASTE RECYCLING.
UH, THERE'S ALSO SOME SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT AS FORWARD FACING, BUT IS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN KEEPING THE CITY CLEAN.
AND THAT INCLUDES OUR LITTER ABATEMENT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, WHERE WE PARTNER UP WITH SMART SCAPING TO ADDRESS, UH, LITTERS ON THE RIGHT OF WAYS, THOROUGH AFFAIRS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AS WELL AS HOMELESS, UH, ABATEMENT CLEANUP, WHERE WE HAVE A SUPERVISOR AND THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ABOUT 10 EMPLOYEES, UH, WHO GO THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND, AND BASICALLY MITIGATING DEBRIS FROM HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
ALRIGHT, SO EVERYONE'S FAMILIAR WITH OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.
UH, I THINK SINCE THE LAST TIME WE'VE MADE THIS PRESENTATION, WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDED A CHIEF OF STAFF THAT MANY OF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
MR. MARK ANDERSON COMING ON, DOING A WONDERFUL JOB, UH, THUS FAR.
GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
ALWAYS KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS I'M HERE, OUR MAIN GOAL IS GONNA BE TO
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GAIN AND ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.AND THAT IS GOING TO REALLY REST AROUND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY.
UH, TRYING TO MAKE THE, THE DEPARTMENT MORE RESILIENT SO THAT IT CAN, UH, NOT ONLY ADJUST TO THE CHANGE OF CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT ALWAYS BE, UH, UH, PREPARED TO ADDRESS ANY OF THE NEEDS THAT MAY POP UP, UH, AS TIME GOES ON.
AND AS WE, WE CONTINUE TO DELIVER OUR SERVICES, UH, WE, YOU, THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION, YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO SEE ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE CONSTANTLY ENCOUNTER AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO KIND OF MITIGATE THOSE.
BUT ULTIMATELY, WE HAVE TO ACHIEVE MORE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY, UH, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT WE NEED TO.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, AS FAR AS BULK WASTE GOES, I KNOW THAT'S ALWAYS ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF FOLKS, AND, UM, JUST PROVIDED A COUPLE OF STATS SO THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE WHAT, UH, WHAT IT'S BEEN LIKE FOR US.
YOU KINDA SEE WHAT OUR, OUR ANNUAL TRENDS HAVE BEEN FOR GARBAGE, UH, REGULAR GARBAGE COLLECTION.
I THINK WE COLLECT ABOUT FOUR, OVER 400,000 TONS OF GARBAGE EACH YEAR.
AND THEN FOR OUR BULK WASTE COLLECTION, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT EACH YEAR, IF THERE'S ANY TAKEAWAY FROM THAT, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, UH, THAT NUMBER CONTINUES TO INCREASE YEAR AFTER YEAR.
THIS YEAR MAY BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN SOME AREAS OF THE YEAR, SOME MONTHS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND THAT'S PRI THAT'S GONNA BE BECAUSE OF THE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS, THE RATIO STORM THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY ADDRESSING RIGHT NOW.
SO, SOME OF THOSE TRENDS AND PATTERNS MAY BE ADJUSTED BY SOME OF THE NATURAL EVENTS THAT, THAT WE'VE HAD TO ENCOUNTER.
ALRIGHT, OUR TREE AND YARD WASTE, UH, TONNAGE PROGRAM, HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE'VE MADE SOME ENHANCEMENTS TO THAT PROGRAM.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, I THINK ONE OF THE, THE MAIN CONCERNS THAT I WOULD GET, AND WE, WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO.
I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE EVERYTHING IS SOLVED, BUT, UH, ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD GET, OR COMPLAINTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD, WOULD GET IS THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GO OUT AND PURCHASE A, UH, A SPECIALLY DESIGNED BAG, UH, IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE YARD WASTE CURBSIDE YARD WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAM.
UH, WE GOT A LOT OF, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT THE COST OF THOSE BAGS AND, AND, UH, AND THE, TO ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE, WE WEREN'T, WE WERE NOT ALWAYS TIMELY IN PROVIDING THAT COLLECTION SERVICE.
SO WHAT DID THAT EQUATE TO? THAT EQUATE IT TO A BIODEGRADABLE BAG THAT WAS DOING WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO, WHICH IS DECOMPOSE AT A FAST RATE.
AND THEN IF WE CAN'T PROVIDE THE COLLECTION SERVICE IN THE TIME THAT WE PRESCRIBED, NOW WE'VE GOT A MESS ON OUR HANDS.
THE HOUSEHOLD, THE, THE HOMEOWNER IS UPSET BECAUSE NOW THEY GOT A BROKEN BAG OUT THERE, THE SERVICE PERSONNEL, THEY'RE COMING AROUND TRYING TO SERVICE THE BAG, THEY'RE PICKING IT UP, IT'S RIPPING AND FALLING APART.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE KIND OF LOWERED THOSE REQUIREMENTS AND WE'VE, UH, ALSO MET WITH THE, AND CONSULTED WITH THE COMPOSTING COUNCIL, UH, TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF BAGS COULD BE ACCEPTED.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE D 64 HUNDREDS ARE THE WAY TO GO.
SO WE'VE BASICALLY LOWERED THAT REQUIREMENT NOW, AND WE'VE GOTTEN SOME PRETTY GOOD FEEDBACK ON THAT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF THAT AS WELL.
WE'VE ALSO ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL VEHICLES TO THE FLEET IN HOPES OF ACTUALLY, UH, KIND OF TRYING TO ACHIEVE THAT ON TIME SERVICE RATE.
STILL NOT SATISFIED TO WHERE IT IS.
UH, AND TO LET YOU LET YOU ALL KNOW, WE ONLY AVERAGE ABOUT EIGHT ROUTES PER SERVICE CENTER FOR YARD WASTE WHEN THAT, THAT NUMBER NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
AND THAT'S GONNA DELVE BACK TO THAT FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
SO, AND THEN WE STILL REMAIN UNDERSTAFFED.
AND WHEN YOU TAKE THOSE TWO AND YOU PUT 'EM TOGETHER, THAT'S GONNA CONTRIBUTE TO SOME OF THE INCONSISTENT SERVICE THAT FOLKS ARE EXPERIENCING.
SO AGAIN, YOU KIND OF SEE THE CYCLICAL PATTERN ON THE METRIC HERE OF YARD WASTE.
YOU SEE HOW THINGS TEND TO JUST KIND OF BOUNCE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UH, ODDLY ENOUGH, YOU'LL SEE WHERE THIS YEAR'S TRENDS AND SOME, UH, MONTHS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR MAY BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN IT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UH, THAT COULD BE BECAUSE OF A PERSONNEL ISSUE.
IT COULD BE BECAUSE OF OUR INABILITY TO JUST BE ABLE TO RESPOND IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO SOME OF THAT ENDS UP MAKING ITS WAY INTO OUR GARBAGE CONTAINER.
SO, UM, SO WE'LL AGAIN, WE'RE, OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO ALWAYS, UH, IMPROVE UPON WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
AND WE'LL KEEP STRIVING FOR THAT.
THIS IS ONE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS TALKED ABOUT A LOT.
CERTAINLY, UH, APPRECIATE HIS SUPPORT.
BUT WE'VE SEEN SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CITYWIDE RECYCLING PROGRAM AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING, HOW DID YOU DO IT? YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A MAGIC HAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S A COMBINATION OF THINGS.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF US, UH, WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH OUR HR TEAM.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF US LOWERING OUR VACANCY RATE.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF GETTING NEW VEHICLES IN, UH, THAT, THAT HAD BEEN IMPACTED
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BY THE COVID, UH, AND, AND THE, UH, PRODUCTION LINE INTERFERENCES THAT WE HAVE WITH THAT.SO THAT NOW THAT WE, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THE CITY KIND OF, UH, UH, TILLED AND, AND FERTILIZED THE, THE GROUNDS, UH, MAYBE IN 20 21, 20 22.
NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE ALL OF THAT BLOSSOMING AND COME TOGETHER ALL AT ONE TIME.
SO NOW THAT MEANS THAT WE, WE'VE GOT AN ABUNDANCE OF OUR TWO GREATEST ASSETS, UH, ONE FIRST BEING EMPLOYEES, THE SECOND BEING EQUIPMENT.
AND WHAT THAT HAS EQUATED TO IS ABOUT A 30% IMPROVEMENT IN OUR ON TIME SERVICE DELIVERY RATE.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS.
WE'RE, WE'RE CERTAINLY HAPPY ABOUT IT, BUT WE'RE NOT SATISFIED.
UH, WE STILL HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE TO COME IN ON WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS IN ORDER TO FINISH, UH, DELIVERING AND PROVIDING SERVICES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED EITHER ON MONDAY, TUESDAY, OR THURSDAY, FRIDAY.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO, UH, DIVERSIFIED SOME OF THE, THE MATERIALS THAT WE'RE COLLECTING IN OUR CITYWIDE RECYCLING PROGRAM.
UH, YOU'LL START HEARING MORE AND MORE INFORMATION OUT IN THE MEDIA ABOUT SOME OF THE PLASTICS THAT WE'RE ACCEPTING RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND THESE ARE GONNA BE THE HARD TO RECYCLE PLASTICS THANKS TO THE ADVANCEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGIES AND SOME OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE CREATED WITH OUR PARTNERS OUT THERE.
UH, THE EXXON MOBILS, THE LIONELL, THE CELLS, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO SOME INTERESTING THINGS WITH THESE, UH, WITH THESE HARD TO RECYCLE PLASTICS.
AND, AND WE'RE STARTING TO FIND A HOME FOR THOSE RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE OUR PROGRAM A TREMENDOUS BOOST, AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE, UH, WE DIDN'T DO TOO FAIR, TOO WELL LAST YEAR, BUT I, I HAVE, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'LL DO BETTER THIS YEAR IN TRYING TO GET SOME MORE GRANT SUPPORT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UH, SO THIS YEAR WE'LL BE EMPLOYING, UH, SOME ASSISTANCE FROM SOME OF OUR CONSULTANTS TO HELP US ACHIEVE SOME OF THESE, UH, SOME OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
HOWEVER, I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND, AGAIN, THIS IS NO TIME TO CELEBRATE, UM, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH WE ONLY RUN 39 ROUTES FOR THE CITY, THAT NUMBER NEEDS TO BE CLOSER TO ABOUT 45 TO 48 ROUTES IN ORDER TO GET THAT SERVICE ON TIME.
AND THERE'S SOME BENEFITS THAT COME ALONG WITH THAT, RIGHT? WE RUN ON TIME THAT'S LESS OVERTIME THAT THAT'S, UH, THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO PAY OUT.
SO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, CONTINUING TO IMPROVE UPON THAT WITH ALL OF THE SUPPORT OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OUR, AND OUR TEAM MEMBERS.
SO I TALKED ABOUT THE EXPANDED, UH, RECYCLING PRO, OR THE EXPANDED ITEMS THAT WE'RE ACCEPTING IN THE RECYCLING PROGRAM.
UH, PROUD TO, UH, JOIN CYCLICS, UH, DALE BASSELL AND EXXON IN THE 10 TO 90 PROGRAM.
AND THE WHOLE POINT OF 10 TO 90 IS TO, UM, INCREASE THAT NUMBER OF RE UH, THE AMOUNT OF RECYCLING THAT WE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF PLASTICS THAT WE RECYCLE FROM 10% TO 90%.
AND WE THINK WE HAVE A GOOD WAY TO GET THERE IN THIS HOUSTON AREA.
AND, UH, WHAT BETTER WAY TO START, OR, AND THIS IS, UH, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE NATION, AND WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL THAT THIS WILL SPREAD OUT.
WE KNOW IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING IN OTHER COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO KIND OF BRING THAT PROGRAM HERE.
AND REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE COMPOST EXPANSIONS THAT WE HAVE AS WELL.
UH, MATTER OF FACT, I THINK I'M GONNA LET, UH, VERONICA, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, VERONICA LIZAMA SPEAK ON THAT.
I'VE AFFECTIONATELY DUBBED HER THE COMPOST QUEEN SO SHE CAN TELL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, ADVANCEMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING THERE.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO IS RUBBING OFF ON ME
SO, UH, THIS SLIDE JUST EXPANDING UPON, UH, COMPOSTING IN THE PAST.
WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, PUMPKIN RECYCLING, RIGHT? THAT'S FOR COMPOSTING, WHICH HAS, UH, BEEN LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE.
SO WE'VE CONTINUED THAT PROGRAM ANNUALLY.
UM, BUT THERE WAS SOME SUCCESSES THIS YEAR ALONE.
UH, WE DID HAVE A SIX WEEK PILOT PROGRAM, UH, WHICH DID ALLOW US TO, UH, GO TO MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, UH, TO COLLECT FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE AND, UH, BE ABLE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON, UH, COMPOSTING AND FOOD WASTE.
WE HAD 262 PARTICIPANTS IN SUCH A SHORT TIME PERIOD.
SO WE WERE REALLY EXCITED TO, TO GET THAT MOMENTUM GOING.
AND WE ARE REALLY HOPING TO, UH, GET SOME, UH, GRANTS IN THE FUTURE TO CONTINUE THESE PROGRAMS AS WE'VE RECEIVED, UH, GREAT RESPONSE, UH, EVERY TIME WE'VE DONE THESE PILOTS, UH, FROM PUMPKIN COMPOSTING TO THE FOOD WASTE DROP OFF.
UM, SO WE, WE DO WANNA CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS AND WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR GRANTS TO CONTINUE.
AND I THINK, UH, PART OF THE, THE GREATEST PART OF THAT PARTICIPATION CAME ON THE LAST DAY.
I THINK WHEN SOMEBODY GIFTED US WITH, WHAT WAS IT, 900 POUNDS OF LARD? YEAH.
IT'S LIKE, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO US, RIGHT?
IT WAS WAGYU BEEF LARD THOUGH.
UM, SO OUR, OUR RECYCLING TONNAGE, YOU KNOW, I JUST REALLY LOVE, UH, THE NEXT TWO METRICS THAT I'M ABOUT TO SHOW BECAUSE IT, IT, IT DESCRIBES TO YOU HOW
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MUCH WE ACTUALLY COLLECT VERSUS HOW MUCH ACTUALLY GETS RECYCLED.YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME, IS IT TRUE THEY DON'T RECYCLE EVERYTHING YOU PICK UP? YES, IT'S TRUE.
THERE IS A PROCESS THAT IT HAS TO GO THROUGH.
BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING, THE BLUE LINE REPRESENTS THE, THE TONNAGE THAT WE COLLECT AND THE, UH, ORANGE, IT REPRESENTS WHAT'S ACTUALLY RECYCLED.
UH, BUT AGAIN, BY KIND OF EXPLORING SOME OF THESE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE ADVANCEMENTS OF TECHNOLOGY, WE'RE HOPING IN THE FUTURE THAT THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINES WILL, WILL KIND OF GLOAT, UH, BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EQUAL IN THE FUTURE.
SO AGAIN, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT AS IT STANDS ABOUT 56% IS, UH, WHAT WE'RE HOVERING AT.
AND THEN, UH, OF COURSE, IF WE'RE NOT SENDING THAT MUCH, UH, WE'RE NOT RECYCLING EVERYTHING THAT WE COLLECT.
SO THESE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT BEEN POSSIBLE, SOMEBODY SOUNDS GOOD.
WE, THE FUTURE BLUE LINES THAT AGAIN, YOU CAN KIND SEE THAT AS SIX IS, UH, WHAT WE'RE COVERING.
AND THEN, UH, OF COURSE, IF WE'RE NOT SENDING THAT MUCH, UH, WE'RE NOT, OKAY, I CAN KEEP GOING, BLOCK THAT OUT.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, YOU SEE HOW MUCH IT COSTS.
IS IT WITH THE MICS OR WITHOUT? WITHOUT.
YEAH, WE'LL LEAVE IT ON, EVEN THOUGH SOMEBODY JUST TURNED ME BACK ON.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL GIVE THIS ANOTHER SHOT.
SO, UH, PROCESSING COSTS FOR RECYCLING VERSUS, UH, AGAIN, THE REVENUE THAT WE ACTUALLY, UH, GENERATE, YOU KNOW, FROM THE SALE OF MATERIAL, IT'S ALWAYS GONNA COST A LITTLE BIT MORE.
YOU SEE, IT'S ABOUT 6 MILLION A PROCESS.
WE GET BACK ABOUT 4 MILLION IF I'M LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT.
YET, 4 MILLION IN OUR ANNUAL REVENUE.
HOWEVER, DON'T JUST LOOK AT THAT NUMBER AS A, UH, PROGRAM LOSS.
UH, THERE ARE ALSO SOME AVOIDED COSTS IN THERE, UH, FOR INSTANCE, THAT'S LESS MATERIAL THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO THE LANDFILL.
AND, UH, LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE'S CALLING YOU.
SO, SO THAT'S LESS MATERIAL THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO THE LANDFILL.
UM, SO THERE IS, UH, SOME, SOME BENEFITS AS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO, UH, THAT PROGRAM RECYCLING PROGRAM.
WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL LET, UH, MY COLLEAGUE TAKE IT FROM HERE TO THIS SLIDE.
UH, IT TALKS ABOUT OUR STORM DEBRIS.
AS EVERYONE KNOWS THIS EFFORT, I STARTED ABOUT 34 DAYS AGO AND WE'RE, UH, COLLECTED AT 1.6 MILLION CUBIC YARDS ACROSS THE CITY, UH, EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT, UH, TWO AND A HALF LEVELS, UH, INTO THE RELIANCE STADIUM.
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE PICTURE.
UH, THE FIRST PASS WILL BE COMPLETED JUNE 30TH.
UH, THAT'S TO ALLOW, UH, ALSO THAT THAT'LL BE COMPLETED FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
UH, SECOND PASS WOULD START ON JULY 8TH, GIVING OUR CONTRACTORS A BREAK FROM WORKING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK ON STORM DEBRIS, UH, INCLUDING OUR STAFF.
AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE METRICS BELOW, UH, OF WHERE WE WERE.
UM, WE'RE PROJECTED TO, TO, UH, GO.
IN ADDITION, THE AVERAGE TRUCKS PER DAY THAT ARE OUT THERE WORKING, UH, AGAIN, 183 TRUCKS ARE OUT WORKING.
WE'VE GOT ABOUT 46.4 CUBIC YARDS BEING COLLECTED, UH, AV ON AVERAGE, UH, PER, UH, PER LOAD.
SO, UH, THIS JUST SHOWS YOU OUR, UH, THE, UH, GRAPHIC SHOWS YOU WHERE WE'VE COVERED SO FAR.
YOU'LL SEE THE YELLOW SHOWING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST PASS THAT'S IN PROGRESS.
THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE AT TODAY.
UH, AND WE EXPECT THAT TO BE COMPLETED BY JUNE 30TH, WHERE WE'VE COVERED THE ENTIRE CITY ON STORM DEBRIS COLLECTIONS, BUT THEY'LL BE COMING RIGHT BACK FOR SECOND PASS STARTING JULY 8TH.
UH, WE DO EXPECT THIS, THE CONCLUSION OF THIS EFFORT, UH, TO BE ABOUT 30 ADDITIONAL DAYS FROM JULY 8TH.
UH, SO WE ARE, UH, ADVISING RESIDENTS.
UH, YOU'LL SEE A, A PRESS RELEASE THAT WENT OUT JUST TODAY, UH, LETTING RESIDENTS KNOW THAT, UH, THESE, THESE TWO DATES ARE IN PROGRESS AND WE DO EXPECT TO COMPLETE, UH, 30 DAYS FROM JULY 8TH.
AND I DO WANT TO, UH, RECOGNIZE THE, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
YOU SEE THE STATS THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE, THAT'S MERELY, UH, THAT'S ALL INCLUSIVE OF THE CONTRACTORS THAT WE HAVE ON BOARD.
THAT'S ABOUT EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 200 ADDITIONAL UNITS THAT WE HAVE ON THE STREETS.
AND, UH, BUT BEFORE THE CONTRACTORS ACTUALLY GOT DUG IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOLKS WERE OUT THERE GIVING IT THEIR BEST TO, TO TRY TO GIVE RELIEF.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FAMILY THAT HAD THE UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE OF LOSING A LOVED ONE THAT HAD THE TREE FALL ON 'EM, YOU KNOW, OUR TEAM WAS ABLE TO, TO RESPOND, UH, QUICKLY AND DILIGENTLY TO THAT AND, AND GIVE THEM SOME RELIEF SO THAT OUT OF ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH, THAT WAS ONE THAT THEY
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DIDN'T.UH, ILLEGAL DUMPING EFFORTS, AS YOU KNOW, IS, UH, CONTINUED TO BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, YOU'LL SEE HERE IN THIS GRAPHIC, WHICH IS LIVE ON OUR, UH, ONE CLEAN HOUSTON WEBSITE, UH, SHOWING THE COLLECTIONS AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UH, THE BLUE WHERE IT REPRESENTS, UH, THE CALLS THAT COME IN FROM 3 1 1, UH, THESE ARE, UH, WHAT WE CALL REACTIVE, UM, COLLECTIONS THAT, UH, WE HAVE A DEDICATED CREW GOING OUT TO COLLECT, BUT THEN YOU'LL SEE THE PURPLE, WHICH, UH, INDICATES THE PROACTIVE, UH, IN OTHER WORDS, AS, AS, UH, TRUCKS ARE GOING OUT TO COLLECT ILLEGAL DUMP SPOTS, IF THEY FIND OTHER AREAS, WHICH MANY TIMES THEY DO, THESE ARE THE MORE PROACTIVE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT, UH, DEPICTED IN PURPLE.
UH, WE ARE ABOUT AN AVERAGE OF EIGHT TO 10 DAYS IN RESPONDING TO ILLEGAL DUMPING AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
AND SO THAT IS, UH, THIS KIND OF SHOWS YOU WHERE WE ARE.
IT IS STILL ALL OVER THE CITIES AND ALL OVER THE CITY, AND DEDICATED OF COURSE, IN THAT Y SHAPE PATTERN IN, IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS SUCH AS DISTRICT B AND AND D, AND OF COURSE, IN THE SOUTH AS WELL.
AND YOU'LL SEE, UH, A LITTLE BLIP ON THERE THAT, THAT SHOWS ABOUT 81 DAYS TO CLOSE.
THAT WAS, UH, I THINK THAT WAS ME PUTTING IN, UH, THE DIRECTIVE TO DO A MASS CLOSEOUT BECAUSE, UH, DURING MY, A CURSORY REVIEW OF SOME OF THE, UH, PAST DUE SERVICE REQUESTS THAT WE HAD, THEY WENT BACK AS FAR AS 2020 OR 2021.
SO IF THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED SERVICE AT LEAST 20 TIMES BY THEN, THEN THERE'S SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE ABOUT THOSE LOCATIONS.
SO, ALRIGHT, UH, ON DEMAND HEAVY TRASH.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND MORE EFFICIENT WAYS TO DELIVER, UH, THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE SCHEDULED TO PROVIDE.
AND NOW WHAT WE, UH, AS FAR AS OUR HEAVY TRASH PROGRAM GOES, EVERYONE'S FAMILIAR THAT ON THE EVEN MONTHS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, WE'LL SEND BIG TRACTOR TRAILERS, 18 WHEELERS UP AND DOWN THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS OF EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND THEN, UH, WE'LL COME BACK AGAIN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS, AND WE'LL DO THE SAME THING FOR, UH, HEAVY TREE WASTE.
THAT'S A LOT OF, UH, EQUIPMENT, THAT'S A LOT OF FUEL THAT'S BEING USED, A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT'S GOING OUT.
AND SOME OF OUR STATS THAT, THAT WE BRING BACK INDICATES THAT IF YOU HAVE A HOME WITH, UH, BLOCK WITH ABOUT 50 HOMES ON IT, AT TIMES, MAYBE ONLY FIVE TO 10% OF THE PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY PLACE DEBRIS OUT.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER COLLEAGUES THROUGHOUT THE NATION AND REALLY KIND OF NETWORKING WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES TO EXPLORE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONSIDER AN ON DEMAND HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION PROGRAM THAT IS A PROGRAM THAT, THAT PUTS A LITTLE BIT MORE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND BASICALLY LETTING, UH, HAVING THEM, REQUIRING THEM TO GIVE US A CALL TO LET US KNOW THAT THEY HAVE DEBRIS OUT.
AND THEN WE WILL SCHEDULE THAT WORK.
UH, AND FOR, IF WE GET IT ON MONDAY, WE'LL SCHEDULE IT COME OUT THEORETICALLY ON TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY AND PERFORM THE SERVICES, REMOVAL SERVICES THAT ARE REQUIRED.
UM, EACH RESIDENT, IF WE CAN GET THIS PROGRAM GOING, OUR THOUGHT IS TO HAVE EACH RESIDENT, OR GIVE EACH RESIDENT THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE THAT SERVICE UP TO SIX TIMES PER YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S AWFULLY BENEVOLENT.
UM, BUT, UH, AND THEN IF ANYTHING, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FROM THE SAME RESIDENT AT THAT LOCATION MORE THAN THAT, THEN WE, WE PROBABLY REALLY SHOULD CONSIDER HAVING SOME SORT OF FEE OR SOMETHING TO COVER THE COST OF SENDING EMPLOYEES AND EQUIPMENT OUT THERE TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OUR EYE ON THE SOUTHWEST QUADRANT.
UH, WE CHOSE THE SOUTHWEST QUADRANT BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MORE RESPONSIVE AREAS AND I THINK IT'LL GIVE US, IT'S, IT'S NOT TOO BIG AND NOT TOO SMALL.
AND, UH, IF WE CAN GET IT RIGHT HERE, THEN WE'LL DISCUSS TRYING TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE, THE REST OF THE CITY.
ALRIGHT, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU KNOW, UH, I WANT TO THANK THE WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION AGAIN, UH, FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT REQUESTS THIS YEAR.
UH, THE, THE KEY TO, SINCE HOUSTON IS ABOUT 670 PLUS SQUARE MILES, THE KEY TO ANY SORT OF SUCCESS THAT THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT IS ABLE TO ENJOY AS FAR AS SERVICE DELIVERY IS CONCERNED IS THE ABILITY OF OUR VEHICLES TO GET IN AND OUT OF A, OF A, UH, DROP OFF POINT OR A DISPOSAL SITE AND THEN BACK TO THE ROUTE IN A TIMELY FASHION.
SO, WITH THE CITY BEING AS LARGE AS IT IS, AND WE KIND OF EXPERIENCE THIS RIGHT NOW WITH OUR RECYCLING, IF WE HAVE A, UH, A ROUTE THAT'S DOWN IN ALE AND THEY HAVE TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT TO JUST DROP ONE LOAD OF RECYCLING AND THEN TRAVEL ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN TO ALE, THE ODDS OF THEM FINISHING THAT ROUTE THAT DAY ARE GONNA BE SLIM TO NONE.
SO, TRANSFER STATIONS ARE GONNA BE ESSENTIAL, AND HAVING THEM STRATEGICALLY LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY ARE GONNA BE ESSENTIAL AS FAR AS HAVING THE CITY DELIVER THAT, THAT TIMELY SERVICE THAT WE'RE STRIVING TO GET.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION IS MADE AVAILABLE FOR US TO, UH, NOT ONLY BUILD
[00:25:01]
A, A NEW TRANSFER STATION IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT, BUT OUR OTHER TRANSFER STATION THAT WE HAD, EXCUSE ME, IN THE, UH, NORTHWEST QUADRANT WAS PAST ITS PRIME.AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT AND, UH, THERE IS NO BUILDER THAT WAS WILLING TO GO UP AND REPAIR IT.
SO NOW THE FACILITY SITS CONDEMNED.
SO I THINK WE'RE ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 13 OR $14 MILLION TO GET THAT FACILITY REPAIRED.
UH, SO THIS YEAR WE'LL BE KIND OF GETTING THAT FACILITY BACK ONLINE AND, AND REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THAT BACK IN OPERATION.
SO AGAIN, WE'VE HAD INCREASED VEHICLE CAPACITY THAT IS MAKING A A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE.
AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU PAIR THAT WITH THE LOWER VACANCY RATE, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE WHAT LIFE COULD BE LIKE IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT IF WE'RE PROPERLY RIGHT SIZED AND, AND, AND THE FINANCES ARE CORRECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, A A LOT OF THIS, YOU HEARD ME TALK EARLIER ABOUT TRYING TO BUILD AND IMPROVE OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR, UH, OUR ASPIRATIONS TO DEVELOP THE ON DEMAND HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION PROGRAM.
BUT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITIES AND, AND THE RESIDENTS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
BEYOND THAT, I'VE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME PARTICIPATING IN SOME OF THE WEEKEND ACTIVITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT HAVE, UH, COME ABOUT, WHETHER IT BE, UH, WITH, UH, SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES OR OTHER SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE, KEEP HOUSTON BEAUTIFUL, UH, UNDERSTAND, WE'LL HEAR FROM THEM LATER ON AS WELL.
BUT, UH, JUST A GREAT TIME JUST MEETING FOLKS, UM, AND, AND JUST GETTING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITIES, HEARING WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE.
A AS WELL AS, UH, GOING THAT EXTRA MILE TO HELP BEAUTIFY AND, AND IMPROVE THE AESTHETICS IN THOSE, THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE WITH OUR CLEANUPS, OUR BOPA AND, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IT TAKES TO KIND OF KEEP THESE MATERIALS EITHER, UH, OUT OF SOMEONE'S, UH, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE DEAD END OF SOMEBODY'S, UH, UH, STREET OR OUT OF THE DITCHES OR, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE PROPERLY DISPOSED OF.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DOWNLOAD THE HDX COLLECTIONS APP.
AS I MOVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, I GET A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS ON THE APP, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT IT PROVIDES, UH, THE MESSAGING THAT IT PROVIDES.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANT TO, UH, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DOWNLOAD AND, AND GET THE USERSHIP UP.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYONE MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR WILL FALK FOR, UM, THE PRESENTATION.
REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE DOING AND YOUR DEPARTMENT IS DOING TO MAKE SURE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS STAY CLEAN.
UM, SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT BI MEAN, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH YOU.
YOU'VE BEEN TENTATIVE TO OUR NEEDS.
YOU SHOW UP TO MEETINGS, AND SO, UM, OF COURSE THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS GET, GET BETTER, YOU KNOW? THAT'S RIGHT.
AND SO I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO, UM, THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WHEN DO YOU EXPECT THE EAST TRANSFER? THE EAST HOUSTON, THE TRANSFER CENTER THAT WE BROKE AROUND MM-HMM
UM, AND HE, WHEN DOES, WHEN IS THAT, UH, WHEN DID WE SAY QUARTER SCHEDULED BE OPEN? MARCH, 2025.
YEAH, THEY, THEY ACTUALLY, IF YOU DRIVE BY THERE, THEY GOT SOME OF THE WALLS GOING UP AND IT'S REALLY STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN LIKE, AS FAR AS LIKE THE BAGS MM-HMM.
THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, FOR THE TREES, THE RESIDENTS, DO THEY CONTACT 3 1 1 2, UM, REQUEST BAGS? UH, NO, YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO TO THE, UH, HOME DEPOT STORE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
THE ONLY REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE IS THAT, THAT, THAT THE QUALITY OF IT IS THE D 6,400 COMPOSTABLE BAG.
BECAUSE I HAD A CONSTITUENT REACH OUT ASKING FOR A BAG, AND SO I GUESS SHE CAN'T PROBABLY AFFORD IT, SO WE FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HELP HER OUT.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW WE GOT THE BAG, SO, BUT THANK YOU, UM, FOR THAT.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFF'S OFFICE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GONNA TURN OVER QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FIRST AND THEN FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEK TATUM.
THANKS FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON COMPOSTING.
YOU GOT THE GRANT WRITER IN NOW REMEMBER IN THE BUDGET I ASKED YOU IF YOU HAD MONEY FOR THE GRANT WRITER? YEAH.
SHARPENING THE PENCIL, GETTING THAT NEXT SET OF GRANT MONEY.
ALSO EXCITED ABOUT THE ON DEMAND HEAVY TRASH.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT MM-HMM
YESTERDAY, I, I WAS GIVEN A PRESENTATION AND I'VE BEEN AT CITY HALL A LONG TIME, SO I REMEMBER WHEN THIS GROUP WON THE BLOOMBERG AWARD MM-HMM
FOR THE ONE BID FOR ALL THING.
I WAS GIVEN A WHOLE DOG AND PONY SHOW ABOUT IT, THROWING EVERYBODY, THROW ALL YOUR STUFF.
THEY DO IT IN SOME TOWN IN CALIFORNIA AND THEY DO IT IN DIFFERENT PLACES OR WHATEVER, THROW EVERYTHING IN ONE BIN AND THEY'RE GONNA BUILD SOME HUGE, UH, PLACE DOWN KIND OF IN THE BEAUMONT AREA MM-HMM
UH, TO DO ALL THE SORTING SORTS.
IT ALL OUT RECYCLES IT, COMPOST PUTS THE ORGANIC WASTE INTO COMPOSTING, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY SOUNDED LIKE WE'RE GONNA PAY YOU TO DO
[00:30:01]
IT.I MEAN, YOU WERE GONNA PAY YOU FOR YOUR TRASH.
AND IT'S LIKE, SOUNDS TOO GOOD BE TRUE.
SO, UH, AND I REMEMBER WHEN IT CAME UP, AND I REMEMBER WHEN IT WON THE MONEY, WE GOT A MILLION DOLLAR GRANT, ONE BID FOR ALL.
IT WAS BACK WHEN ANISE PARKER WAS HERE AND REMEMBER SOME OF YOU REMEMBER.
AND, UM, AND THEN IT KIND OF JUST WENT AWAY.
AND I REMEMBER THERE BEING SOME NEGATIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT IT.
I CAN'T RE REALLY REMEMBER WHAT ALL THAT INVOLVED, BUT CAN YOU JUST TALK TO ME? I KNOW THEY'RE TALKING TO COUNCIL MEMBERS RIGHT NOW MM-HMM
THEY'VE MET WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND, UH, THEY HAVE A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE LIST OF EXECUTIVES THAT ARE KIND OF ON THEIR TEAM.
IT'S LIKE THE FORMER HEAD ENGINEER FROM PROCTOR AND GAMBLE.
IT'S LIKE ALL THESE, YOU KNOW, MUCKETY MUCKS.
OH, THAT'S, SO, IT'S KIND OF CONFUSING BECAUSE I MEAN, HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, NOBODY RECYCLES, RIGHT.
IF THERE WAS A WAY TO THROW IT ALL IN ONE BIN AND MM-HMM
AND SOMEBODY PAY US A BUNCH OF MONEY FOR IT, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT? BUT, BUT THEN WHY ISN'T EVERYBODY DOING THAT OR WHATEVER, I GUESS IS MY QUESTION.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ONE BIN FOR ALL AND WHAT'S HAPPENING ABOUT AS MUCH AS YOU DO THE, UH, THE, AND I I THINK THE, THE, THE QUESTION THAT YOU MENTIONED AT THE END, WHICH IS, UH, WHY ISN'T EVERYONE DOING IT IS WHAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY EXPLORE.
I DON'T, ME PERSONALLY LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEM AS IS, I THINK WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON GETTING THE BASICS, YOU KNOW? I UNDERSTAND.
IT'S JUST, IT WAS LIKE A ZERO WASTE THING.
BUT ANYWAY, IF, IF I COULD GET MORE THAN JUST, UM, THEIR PRESENTATION ABOUT IT, IF I COULD GET, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT IT AND I CAN DO MY OWN RESEARCH TOO.
BUT IF, TO THE EXTENT, VERONICA, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING FROM BACK IN THE DAY WHEN WE WERE REALLY EXPLORING THAT, UM, I'D BE INTERESTED IN RE IN REVIEWING THAT.
UM, UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS WHEN ARE WE GETTING THE, UM, BURNS AND MCDONALD INFORMATION? YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY ENGAGING THEM, UH, BURNS AND MCDONALD'S.
UH, WE ACTUALLY MEET WITH THEM NEXT WEEK, BUT, UH, IT'LL PROBABLY BE ABOUT SIX MONTHS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE FIVE, FOUR TO SIX MONTHS BEFORE WE HAVE INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE TO SHARE.
RIGHT NOW THEY'RE IN THE INFORMATION GATHERING STAGE, SO THEY NEED TO, THEY PUT A LIST OF DEMAND ON US THAT WE'RE LIKE, WE DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN PROVIDE THIS, YOU KNOW, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS QUITE A, A HEFTY LIST, UH, THAT THEY'RE DOING.
BUT I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO HOW IN DEPTH, YOU KNOW, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, STUDY WILL BE.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE OUR KICKOFF MEETING WITH THEM, UH, IN A WEEK OR SO.
AND, AND THEN WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE UPDATES AS AS TIME GOES.
I THINK THAT'D BE GREAT CHAIR TO GET KIND OF UPDATES, UM, PERIODICALLY ABOUT THE PROGRESS ON, ON THAT ABSOLUTELY.
AND I, AND YOU KNOW, REGARDING THE ONE BEND FOR ALL, I DO THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF IT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT'S SCALABLE, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN DIVING HEADFIRST OR ALL THE WAY IN.
SO MAYBE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A WAY TO ENTERTAIN, UH, A PORTION OF IT RATHER THAN JUST HAVING THE WHOLE ENTIRE CITY SWITCH AND GO ONE BEND FOR ALL, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL GET, YEAH, I MEAN, THEY HAD VIDEOS, I MEAN, OF, OF WHERE IT'S IN OPERATION AND OTHER PLACES.
IT DID LOOK KIND OF AMAZING, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT TO YEAH.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE OURSELVES.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW ABOUT THE ON DEMAND HEAVY TRASH.
UM, I KNOW THAT YOU SAID SOUTHWEST WOULD BE THE PILOT PROGRAM.
DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE, UM, FOR THE PROGRAM? UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO GET STARTED MAYBE AROUND SEPTEMBER OR AUGUST, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE SOME, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE INFORMATION TO COMMUNICATE AND SHARE ABOUT THAT.
UM, LOOK, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I'M, I'M, I'M VERY COMMITTED TO IS COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY THROUGH IT AND UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERYBODY MIGHT NOT RECEIVE COMMUNICATION IN THE SAME FORMAT.
SO MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIVERSE FOR OUR AUDIENCE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TARGET AND THAT, THAT WE WANT TO GET THE MESSAGE TO AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN AREA, UH, MAYBE WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVING IN AND OUT, HIGH TRANSIT POPULATION.
WELL, I THINK THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO HAVE, UM, A MASS COMMUNICATION EFFORT IF WE WANT THE PILOT PROGRAM TO WORK.
I MEAN, I'M TALKING PRESS CONFERENCE, BILLBOARDS.
MEDIA KITS, GRASSROOTS, DOOR TO DOOR, EVERYTHING KNOCK ON THE DOORS TO MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.
BUT I'M, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW THE, THE WORKINGS OF IT, AND YOU SAID THE UP TO SIX TIMES PER YEAR, AND THEN POTENTIALLY ANYTHING AFTER THAT.
SO DOES THAT INCLUDE TREE AND JUNK WASTE? YES, IT WOULD INCLUDE TREE AND JUNK WASTE.
SO IT WOULD BE SIX TREE WASTE TIMES AND NO SIX JUNK WASTE.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF TREE AND JUNK WASTE.
SIX TIMES THROUGHOUT THE CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THEN ANYTHING ADDITIONAL, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ASSESS A, A FEE.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE.
YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF WORK, AND AGAIN, THIS IS STILL IN DEVELOPMENT AND KINDA LETTING Y'ALL IN THE LOCKER ROOM A LITTLE BIT.
[00:35:01]
UM, BUT THE, THE GOAL IS TO CON GET BETTER CONTROL OF THOSE EXPENSES, YOU KNOW, AND RIGHT NOW, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT SENDING A TRACTOR TRAILER, TWO OR THREE TRACTOR TRAILERS DOWN THE STREET, AND THERE'S ONLY TWO HOMES ON THE BLOCK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN UTILIZE OUR RESOURCES MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN THAT.UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I WANT TO JUST KIND OF PUT ON THE RADAR IS, YOU KNOW, I, I BET EVERY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER CAN TELL YOU THE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE PUTTING WASTE CONTRACTOR WASTE OUT EVERY MONTH.
UM, IS THAT WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLE DON'T START ILLEGALLY DUMPING RIGHT AFTER THE SIX TIMES.
UM, BECAUSE I, I, I WOULD WANT, IF WE GOING TO, IF WE'RE GONNA DO A PILOT TO ALSO INCLUDE SOME CAMERAS MM-HMM
IN THE PILOT, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE, UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE CONTRACTORS WHO ARE PUTTING HEAVY TRASH OUT EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
UM, AND IF THEY ONLY HAVE PICKUPS SIX TIMES A MONTH, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO PAY, THEY'RE PUTTING IT OUT SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY AT THE LANDFILL.
SO WE, WE WANNA BE COGNIZANT OF NOT INCREASING THE ILLEGAL DUMPING IN THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT AS WELL.
SO I, I HOPE THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL PUT SOME KIND OF PARAMETERS IN PLACE TO SAFEGUARD HAPPY TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOUR TEAM.
UM, WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, CONSTABLE ROSEN'S OFFICE AND, AND OTHER PLAYERS, SO THAT WHILE WE DO THE PILOT, WE ALSO DON'T ENCOURAGE, UM, FOLKS TO DUMP ILLEGALLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY.
BUT I, I LIKE THE IDEA AND I THINK THAT, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE GETTING THEIR, THEIR TRASH PICKED UP EVERY MONTH MM-HMM
I, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE WITH, UH, OUR DAD IN THAT AREA, MR. LESTER POWERS.
AND, UH, WE, WE GOT A PRETTY GOOD SCOPE ON WHERE SOME OF THOSE FOLKS, I MEAN, WHEN YOU'VE GOT FIVE TOILETS OUT EVERY MONTH,
THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN, UH, DIRECTOR.
AND, UH, AS YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT DISTRICT I, FOR SOME TIME HAS BEEN WANTING TO DISCUSS AND BRING TO THE TABLE.
AND THANKFULLY, BEING IN THIS SEAT NOW, I, I CAN, YOU KNOW, EVEN ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION A BIT MORE.
UH, MAJORITY OF MY, UH, MY BUDGET AMENDMENT WERE, WE'RE FOCUSED ON SOLID WASTE, UM, THROUGHOUT SEVERAL YEARS.
YOU KNOW, WE HEAR THAT BASIC SERVICES AND THEN SOLID WASTE IS REALLY AT THE TOP OF THAT, THAT, UH, THAT CONVERSATION WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, JUST PROVIDING JUST REGULAR BASIC SERVICES.
AND SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE ON DEMAND.
UM, I, I DID HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT AS WELL AS TO THE ROLLOUT.
UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT'S A MORE RESPONSIVE AREA, SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE, UM, WHAT THE CONVERSATION IS LIKE WHERE YOU HAVE, YOU MIGHT HAVE LANGUAGE BARRIERS, YOU MIGHT HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE RENTERS AND NOT, NOT, MAYBE NOT BE VESTED AS MUCH.
UM, AND SO, UM, AS YOU CONTINUE TO ROLL OUT THIS PILOT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN THE SOUTHWEST, I'D LOVE IT TO BE IN HOBBY AREA AS WELL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY BEST PRACTICES COMING OUT OF THIS.
UM, AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT, UH, WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT POSSIBLY SIX, SIX PICKUPS A YEAR, BUT I WOULD EVEN CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES, THE ADMINISTRATION TO JUST LOOK AT A FEE OVERALL MM-HMM
UM, WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT SIZING DEPARTMENTS, I THINK RIGHT.
SOLID WASTE IS PROBABLY AT THE TOP, TOP OF THE LIST.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THAT FEE JUST FOR PICKING UP? AND I THINK WE GOT A NUMBER, I THINK PER MONTH IS ABOUT 1.9 MILLION THAT WE SPEND, UH, FOR PICKING UP, UH, HEAVY, HEAVY TRASH MM-HMM
UM, AND IF WE WERE ABLE TO JUST REDUCE THAT BY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS, BUT THEN EVEN MORE SO HAVE BEING ABLE TO HAVE A, A FEE FOR THAT.
I CAN, I CAN SEE HOW IT'D BE MORE BENEFICIAL TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING BASIC SERVICES TO FOLKS.
UM, I GUESS, UH, JUST TO KINDA SPEAK TO, TO, UH, THE ON DEMAND, UM, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD BE AN IDEAL COST FOR THAT SERVICE? OH, WE HAVEN'T MADE IT THAT FAR YET.
YOU MEAN FOR THE, THE EXPENSE TO THE CITY? JUST FOR YEAH.
WHAT, FOR THE PILOT, IF WE DECIDED TO SAY, HEY, WE WANNA DO THIS AND LET'S, LET'S CHARGE, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THAT COST? OH, AND I, AND I WANT TO HAVE THIS, START HAVING THIS CONVERSATION NOW, SO THAT WAY, UM, AND I'VE, I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH SEVERAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALREADY, RIGHT.
UH, BUT I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE KITCHEN TABLE CONVERSATION.
WHAT IS THE COST AND WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE RECEIVING? YEAH.
AND IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT, IT WOULD BE A BIT PREMATURE FOR ME TO THROW A NUMBER OUT, LIKE AN EXACT NUMBER, AN ESTIMATE.
BUT I, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS OUR COUNTERPARTS IN THE INDUSTRIES, THE WASTE MANAGEMENT, THE, THE, THE OTHER PLAYERS, THE REPUBLICS, THEY NORMALLY HAVE A RATE BASED ON A CUBIC YARD.
SO IT, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE LIKE A $8 OR $9 PER CUBIC
[00:40:01]
YARD WITH THE FOUR CUBIC YARD MINIMUM.UH, AND AGAIN, THE REASON THAT THAT'S IN PLACE IS SO THAT THEY CAN COVER THEIR EXPENSES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING THE SERVICE.
UH, OUR, OUR NUMBERS ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT GO INTO BUILDING THAT UP.
AND, AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT THAT BURNS AND MCDONALD, UH, STUDY WILL HELP US EVALUATE.
AND, AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, YOU SAID FIVE TO 10% ACTUALLY PLACE OUT, PLACE OUT, SET OUT RATE IN SOME AREAS? YEAH, THERE'S, THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, THAT PARTICIPATE A LITTLE BIT HEAVIER, WHERE YOU MAY SEE A 25, 30% AT TIMES.
UH, WE KIND OF KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MORE REPEAT AREAS THAT WE DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, AMONGST THIS, UH, DURING THIS SESSION.
UH, AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO GET IN AND, AND IMPROVE OUR EDUCATION AT.
AND, AND THE ONE THING THAT, UH, A FORMER DIRECTOR, UH, FOR SOLID WASTE USED TO MENTION IS THAT WE HAVE A MENU OF SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE THROUGH SOLID WASTE.
UH, AT WHAT POINT DO YOU THINK WE, AS WE HAD CONTINUED TO, UM, ADD TO THAT MENU MM-HMM
DID WE, WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED PROBABLY, OR STARTED REALLY TALKING ABOUT CHARGING A FEE, A HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION.
WHEN DID HEAVY TRASH BEGIN? AH, I DON'T KNOW.
I WAS PROBABLY IN HIGH SCHOOL OR MIDDLE.
I THINK IT WAS LIKE IN THE EIGHTIES, IF I'M MISTAKEN.
UM, IT'S BEEN IN, IT IS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR A WHILE.
IT'S, UH, HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION IS LIKE MONEY.
YOU CAN NEVER GIVE ANYBODY ENOUGH OF IT.
AND I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, I'VE SEEN SOME MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE, UH, ATTEMPTED TO DO THAT.
AND I, I WILL SAY HOUSTON IS FARING WELL, BUT SOME MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE SMALLER, THEY END UP FOLDING AND END UP TURNING THE SERVICE OVER TO A PRIVATE COMPANY.
AND THE PRIVATE COMPANY DOES NOT PROVIDE THAT SERVICE AT ALL.
SO, AND I GUESS THE, THE REASON WHY I REALLY WANNA, AND I'M GLAD THERE'S SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE HORSESHOE AND HOPEFULLY FOLKS THAT ARE LISTENING AS WELL, UH, TO MAKE THIS A COMMON CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
UH, WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SAYS, I ALREADY PAY MY TAXES, I SHOULD ALREADY HAVE THESE SERVICES.
BUT REALLY PUTTING SOME REAL CONTEXT BEHIND IT AND MAKING IT COMFORTABLE.
I KNOW IT'S, NOBODY WANTS TO CHARGE A FEE, NOBODY WANTS TO RAISE TAXES.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOR SERVICES TO ACTUALLY KEEP UP WITH POPULATION MM-HMM
UM, YOU KNOW, I MADE THE EXAMPLE THAT WE JUST, UM, WE PURCHASED 35,000 NEW REFUSE CARS IN JANUARY.
17,000 OF THOSE WERE SPECIFICALLY FOR NEW RESIDENTS.
THAT'S NEW HOMES THAT WE'RE PICKING UP.
SO, UM, I, I ENCOURAGE, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY CONVERSATION TO HAVE TO WITH CONSTITUENTS, BUT IT'S A REAL CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
AND IF WE CAN RIGHT SIZE THE, THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, THEN IT'S A LOT EASIER TO RIGHT SIZE SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN JUST THE LAST ONE, UM, ON, ON SLIDE 13, UM, AND JUST, JUST FOR CLARIFICATIONS, SO WE HAVE NOT WHERE IT'S ALL GREEN MM-HMM
FIRST PASS COMPLETED HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED YET UNTIL JUNE 30TH, CORRECT? CORRECT.
WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF ABOUT WHERE I PREDICTED WE WOULD BE.
UM, I KNOW IT SAYS 34, 35 DAYS ON THERE.
WE'VE HAD SOME DAYS THAT WE'VE HAD TO STOP DUE TO LIGHTNING, YOU KNOW.
BUT YEAH, THE GREEN REPRESENTS WHERE THE FIRST PASS HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
SO THEY, SO THEN I CAN SAY THAT CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT GARDEN VILLAS, ANDOVER, SOUTHEAST AIRLINE, EAST LAWNDALE HAS NOT BEEN, FIRST PASS HAS NOT BEEN DONE.
THEY'RE FINISHING UP IN KIND OF LIKE THAT SOUTHEAST AND QUADRANT WHERE THE LINES WENT DIPPED DOWN IN THAT AREA.
UH, SO WE APPRECIATE OUR HELP.
UH, I STOPPED BY, UM, I THINK, WHAT WAS IT, UH, THAT WE HAD A PHONE CALL, SALLY.
UM, I WAS RIDING MY BIKE MM-HMM
AND I WAS JUST IN WITH THIS STOPPED BY ESSENTIAL DEPOSITORY.
UM, THEY DON'T HAVE AC IN THERE WHERE THE, WHERE YOU DROP OFF MM-HMM
UM, LET ME KNOW WHAT I CAN DO TO HELP.
UM, IT'S A SMALL, MAYBE THREE BY THREE OR RIGHT WHERE THEY, THEY GET THERE TO CHECK FOLKS IN.
UM, IT, I, I HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT WERE THERE.
I APPRECIATE WHAT SOLID WASTE IS DOING.
AND THE STAFF, UM, THEY DEFINITELY ARE UNSUNG HEROES AS WELL.
UM, AND SO JUST WHATEVER I CAN DO TO HELP CDSF DOLLARS, LET ME KNOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, YOU KNOW, AND I ECHO HIM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT THE TRASH FEE.
UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE THE ONLY CITY IN THE UNITED STATES THAT DON'T HAVE A TRACE TRASH FEE.
AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY GROWING AND SO, UM, ADDING SERVICES, YEAH.
AT SOME POINT I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE PEOPLE GONNA HAVE TO PAY THE TRASH.
AND I THINK YOU GOT SOME INSTANCES WHERE WE SEE THIS WORKING ALREADY.
EVEN HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE CONTAINER LEASE FEE IN PLACE, WE DO NOT HAVE TO COME TO THE COUNCIL AND ASK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOUR OR $5 MILLION TO PURCHASE THAT, BECAUSE THAT FEE IS COVERING THAT EXPENSE ALONG WITH THE EMPLOYEES AND THE RESOURCES REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE STORM DEBRIS COLLECTION MM-HMM
SO THE FIRST PASS, UM, BY JUNE 30TH, DOES THAT INCLUDE ALL THE DIFFERENT PILES OF TRASH? BECAUSE I KNOW IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS,
[00:45:01]
YOU KNOW, THEY JUST PICKED UP THE YARD WASTE AND THEN THEY WERE GONNA COME BACK FOR LIKE, THE FENCE MATERIAL AND ALL OF THAT.I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT HAPPENED IN ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
YEAH, IT'S FOCUSED ON PRIMARILY THE VEGETATIVE DEBRIS.
AND, UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CONTRACTORS ON THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MIXED DEBRIS.
THE, THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS, UH, WE, WE WANT TO TRY TO REMAIN AS FEMA COMPLIANT, YOU KNOW, ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE COLLECTING THAT MISCELLANEOUS DEBRIS THAT IT IS IN THE TRACK OF THAT, THAT PATH.
IF NOT, THEN WE WANT IT OUR HEAVY TRASH TEAMS TO COLLECT THAT.
SO WHAT IS THE TIMELINE THEN FOR THE MIXED DEBRIS? MIXED DEBRIS SHOULD STILL BE BEING COLLECTED ALONG IN THE FIRST OR SECOND PASS AS WELL.
NOW, WE RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT WHEN WE WENT THROUGH ON THE FIRST PASS, PEOPLE WERE STILL CUTTING UP TREES, UH, REPLACING FENCES AND ALL OF THAT.
SO NOW WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE, IS THAT WORK THAT'S COMPLETE NOW.
UH, SO THAT WILL BE COLLECTED IN THE SECOND PASS.
SO AS THESE PASSES CONTINUE, I THINK COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITIES WILL BE IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE NOW THE PILES ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPREAD OUT.
BEFORE IT WAS AWFULLY DENSE, BUT NOW THEY'RE GONNA BE SPREAD OUT.
SO WE'RE REALLY GONNA HAVE TO RELY ON FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITIES ABOUT WHERE WE'RE SEEING THESE PILES AT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, THE, AS AS WE PROMISE.
AND THEN FOR THE SECOND PASS, UM, THAT IS GOING TO START ON JULY 8TH? YES.
WILL THERE BE MAPS ONLINE FOR THE SECOND PASS SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THE TRUCKS ARE GOING TO BE JUST WORRIED THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE, THEY'LL COME FOR THE SECOND PASS DOWN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN SOMEONE FIRST IS ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, FIRST CLEAR OUT SOME TREES AND THEN WE'RE IN A SITUATION LATER WHERE, YOU KNOW, I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THAT.
WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO COMMUNICATE.
I, I, I HAD SOMETHING READY, BUT I, I JUST WASN'T TOO COMFORTABLE WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR PREDICTIONS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE MATERIAL WAS SO DENSE.
AND IF I TELL YOU THAT WE'RE GONNA BE THERE IN TWO OR THREE DAYS AND THEN WE DON'T DELIVER, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL BACKLASH ON THAT.
UH, BUT I, I, I'M, I'M PUTTING TOGETHER SOMETHING NOW THAT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, INFORMATIVE AND I, I THINK, UH, ONCE WE PUSH IT OUT, FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE WE'VE BEEN, AND THEN IF THEY HAVE CONCERNS, THEN THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND ELEVATE THOSE CONCERNS BY PLACING A PHONE CALL OR CALLING THREE ONE ONE.
AND THEN JUST COUNCIL MEMBERS, I KNOW BOTH OF YOU ASKED, UH, THE GREEN IS WHERE WE'VE COMPLETED.
JUST, I KIND OF SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE SAYING THAT, BUT JUST TO BE SURE, THE GREEN IS WHERE WE'VE COMPLETED TO DATE.
THE YELLOW IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY, UH, TO COMPLETE BY JUNE 30TH.
AND THANK YOU MARK AND VERONICA FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR HARD WORK.
CAN I JUST SAY THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE I TALK TO THINK IT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL FEE? THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M HEARING.
IN FACT, I WAS JUST TALKING TO THE SOUTH HOUSTON CONCERNED CITIZENS COALITION THE OTHER NIGHT MM-HMM
AND THEY WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT ALL THE FEES THAT ARE LISTED ON THEIR, ON THEIR BILL MM-HMM
AND WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE HECK THOSE WERE ALL ABOUT.
AND THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, TALK ABOUT A GARBAGE FEE.
AND, AND, AND THEY DON'T WANT ONE.
SO ANYWAY, JUST WANNA PASS THAT ALONG.
SO I HEAR, I HEAR SOMETIMES, UH, FOLKS TALKING ABOUT HOUSTON'S GROWING AND I'M NOT CONTESTING THAT Y'ALL ARE PICKING UP NEW HOUSES TO ADD TO YOUR ROUTES MM-HMM
BUT COULD YOU SEND ME IN INFORMATION ON THAT? I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THOSE ARE CUSTOMERS WHO ARE DITCHING THEIR PRIVATE SERVICE AND MOVING OVER TO, TO THE CITY SERVICE MM-HMM
OR PEOPLE MOVING IN, OR, OR WHAT, BECAUSE EVERYTHING I'VE HEARD FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES IS THAT THE CITY ITSELF IS ACTUALLY NOT GROWING.
THAT ALL THE GROWTH IS COMING FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, FORT BEND COUNTY, WALLER COUNTY, AND SO FORTH.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE THAT WITH ME.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT FOLKS SAY THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, OUR NUMBERS AND THE TONNAGE THAT WE'RE PICKING UP CONTINUES TO INCREASE YEAR AFTER YEAR.
YOU KNOW, AND I UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE MAY FEEL ABOUT PAYING A FEE, BUT I CHALLENGE ANYONE, ANYONE TO UH, TRY TO GET THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE FROM A PRIVATE COMPANY, MEANING DEAD ANIMAL COLLECTION, APPLIANCE COLLECTION, UH, BULK WASTE, TREE WASTE, YARD WASTE RECYCLING.
THAT IS A, THAT'S, MOST MUNICIPALITIES DON'T PROVIDE THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE AND THEY CHARGE A FEE.
I THINK WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THERE ARE REAL NUMBERS TO THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
AND JUST AS YOU WOULD CHARGE A UTILITY, A FEE FOR WATER, STORM WATER, SEWAGE, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THE SAME THING SHOULD APPLY FOR SOLID WASTE.
SO WE'VE GOTTA CHANGE THAT MIND OF THINKING.
NOW, IF WE DON'T, IT'S OKAY IF WE DON'T, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION YEAR IN ON YEAR IN OVER YEAR, AND PEOPLE WILL
[00:50:01]
WONDER WHY THE SERVICE ISN'T AT THE LEVEL THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOULD BE AT.AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, THE POINTS YOU'RE MAKING AND LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THIS CONVERSATION GOING FORWARD.
UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS OFFICE.
UH, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR WILL FALK.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR VERONICA FOR THE WORK.
AND I DON'T WANT TO, UM, RESTATE WHAT MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, KAS TATUM STATED AROUND ABOUT THE ON DEMAND HEAVY TRASH, WE'RE EXCITED AND SUPPORTED, ESPECIALLY TO BE IN THE SOUTHWEST AREA.
AND WE, WE WANNA WORK WITH Y'ALL, UH, UH, AS WE APPROACH GETTING CLOSER TO THESE DATES.
SO PLEASE SHARE ANY RELEVANT INFORMATION.
WILL DO, UH, REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, AS, AS MAYOR PRO TEM STATED ABOUT THE MESSAGING BEHIND IT.
AND MAKING SURE THAT CONSTITUENTS UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND, AND, AND, AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE TRYING TO OFFER THIS PROGRAM.
SO, UM, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT ANY KIND OF MESSAGING THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE TO OUR OFFICE SO THAT WE CAN GET IT OUT THERE AS WELL, UH, WOULD BE GREAT.
AND, UH, ONE LAST THING THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER WANTED ME TO, TO, UH, REMIND YOU FROM THE LAST TIME WE HAD OUR MEETING IS THAT SHE'S STILL WAITING FOR HER RIDE ALONG HER RIDE ALONG.
I STILL GOT MY CDL I'M GONNA SWING BY AND PICK HER UP.
LET LET US KNOW WHEN WE CAN SCHEDULE THAT.
AND WE'LL GET THAT ON THE CALENDAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW Y'ALL BEEN BUSY, UH, UH, UM, BUT WHENEVER THE WEATHER'S NICE.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT HEAR SWEATING OUT THERE.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ME DRIVING 'CAUSE WE'LL BE MOVING LIKE TEDDY DE TUR.
SO, UH, BUT, BUT NO, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT, UH, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO LAUNCHING THIS PILOT.
I, I, I'M COMMITTED TO ACTUALLY IN SOME AREAS THAT NEED IT.
WE KNOW SOME AREAS WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE RESPONSIVE AND RECEPTIVE.
AND, AND TO THOSE WHERE THAT, THAT CHALLENGE MAY EXIST, UH, I'M COMMITTED AND MY TEAM AND I ARE TO GETTING OUT AND KNOCKING ON DOORS AND, AND WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
UH, WE REALLY WANT TO LET THEM KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, UH, VERY COURTEOUS AND, AND INVITING TO THEM, YOU KNOW, AND EDUCATING THEM ALONG THE WAY.
SO WE DON'T WILL THERE, WILL THERE BE ANY KIND OF, UH, COMMUNITY MEETING AHEAD OF TIME? WE'LL MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF THAT.
ANYTHING THAT IT TAKES TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, UM, IN CHAMBERS.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
UM, AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK YOU HAVE DONE.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK, UH, BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT WE'VE HAD IS, UM, OR ONE OF THE BIGGEST ASKS WE'VE HAD IS TIMELINES.
WHETHER AND WHEN THESE TRASH DEBRIS ARE GONNA GET PICKED UP OR TREE DEBRIS IS GONNA GET PICKED UP.
UM, AND THEN YOU MENTIONED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT AND HAVING COMMUNICATION WITH THE RESIDENTS, UH, ON MAY 31ST, YOU DID RELEASE THESE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, LAUNCHES THE HOUSTON STORM DEBRIS COLLECTIONS PROGRESS TRACKER.
UM, AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, WE WEREN'T HAVING OR HAVING THE ABILITY TO ACCESS IT.
RIGHT? WHEN YOU SAY YOU HAVE SOMETHING PLANNED, IS THAT WHAT THE PLAN IS? IS THAT THE TRACKER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? YES, IT'S, UH, BUT IT'S, IT, IT'S NOT AS, UH, PREDICTIVE.
SO WE DON'T, I, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT A GOOD DEED TO GO, YOU KNOW, PUNISHED.
UM, MEANING THAT WE, IT'S, IT'S EVERY INTENTION'S TO COMMUNICATE THE RIGHT INFORMATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE ALONG IT GOES AWRY.
SO, UH, WHAT I'M PROPOSING TO RELEASE IS A, A MAP THAT JUST SIMPLY SHOWS WHERE OUR PROGRESS IS AND WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING.
AND THEN THAT WAY, UH, UH, FOLKS CAN HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE.
AND IF, IF WE FALL IN ONE OF THE ZONES THAT WE'VE ALREADY CLOSED OUT, THEN FOLKS SHOULD RAISE THE FLAG AND BRING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND THEN, UM, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, UH, WHEN THE RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR TIMELINES, AND I KIND OF HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH SOLID WASTE, UM, THE RESPONSE I GET FROM THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT IS THAT WE'RE JUST BEHIND.
UM, IS THERE A BETTER WAY WE CAN COMMUNICATE THAT WITHOUT JUST RELAYING TO US WE'RE BEHIND AND THEN LEAVING IT AS BE? YEAH.
SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, COMING OUTTA THE DEPARTMENT, IT SHOULDN'T BE, WE'RE JUST BEHIND.
YOU KNOW, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, YOU WE'RE, WE'RE BEHIND AND WE, WE HAVE ENOUGH, UM, UH, UH, ENOUGH DEPTH, UH, AND AWARENESS OF OUR TERRAIN TO KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE US, FOR US TO GET TO A CERTAIN POINT.
SO WHAT I'VE DIRECTED OUR TEAM TO DO IS DON'T JUST SAY WE'RE BEHIND, BUT THEN ALSO GIVE 'EM WHAT YOUR BEST ESTIMATE IS ON HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE US TO RESPOND AND, AND SATISFY THAT REQUEST.
UM, AND BEFORE I LEAVE, I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHAT MIGHT BE MAKE IT EASIER FOR FOLKS TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION IS GIVE, AND Y PROBABLY HAVE DONE THIS ALREADY WITH SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, BUT, UH, IF YOU CAN SHARE JUST COMPARATIVE, YOU KNOW, OTHER LARGE
[00:55:01]
CITIES MM-HMMWHAT IS THEIR MENU? WHAT DO THEY CHARGE? UM, IF THEY DON'T CHARGE STATE OF TEXAS, ALL WE NEED TO PICK UP IS A BLACK TRASH CAN, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THEN ANY NEIGHBORING MUNICIPALITIES, UM, I HAVE A FRATERNITY BROTHER OF MINE TALKS ABOUT HOW PARADIGM GETS PICKED UP TWICE AND SO ON.
WHAT IS IT? HE'S LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.
UH, BUT THEY GOT WAY BETTER SERVICE FOR SURE.
AND SO I THINK HAVING THOSE, THOSE, UH, THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL, UH, SO THAT WE CAN SPEAK A BIT MORE TRUTH TO WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING WITHOUT FEAR OF JUST, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY AT THE END OF THE DAY, RIGHT.
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RIGHT SIZING THIS DEPARTMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MARTINEZ AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR WILL FALK.
I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION FOR YOU.
SO I KNOW I'VE HEARD THAT WE'RE OUT OF MONEY WITH, FOR THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON.
UM, SO WHAT ARE WE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, ONE CLEAN HOUSTON.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE AGREEMENT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE INVESTIGATION? OKAY.
HOW ARE WE? YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.
SO, REMEMBER, A LOT OF THAT WAS FUNDED.
UM, IT WAS STARTED THROUGH GRANT PROGRAM, UH, GRANT FUNDING.
AND THE IDEA TO WAS THAT IT WOULD GIVE US TIME TO GET OUR RESOURCES IN PLACE.
SO, AS I MENTIONED DURING THE PRESENTATION, WE GOT AN INFLUX OF NEW EQUIPMENT.
UM, ONE OF THOSE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT INCLUDED A SELF LOADER WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAVE, YOU MAY SEE IT RIDING THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SOMETIMES WHERE IT'S, UH, BASICALLY A ONE MAN OPERATING TRUCK AND THEY CAN LOAD THEMSELVES UP AND THEY CAN ALSO LOAD UP THE OTHER TRACTOR TRAILERS TOO.
SO WE'VE USED SOME OF THAT FUNDING TO INFUSE SOME OF THAT CAPITAL INTO OUR OPERATION.
UH, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT LEFT.
I'M GONNA TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GET A FEW MORE BEFORE THAT PERIOD CLOSES OUT.
BUT NOW WE'RE TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE SELF-SUSTAINING IN THAT SPACE, JUST IN THAT PARTICULAR SPACE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT'S KEEPING THE PROGRAM GOING.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT 12 DAY OR EIGHT TO 10 DAY RESPONSE TIME ON THERE.
BUT I, AGAIN, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH.
I REALLY WANT TO GET TO A THREE TO FIVE DAY MM-HMM
AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE EQUIPMENT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PLUS UP THE NUMBER OF, UH, FULL-TIME RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE'RE KIND OF EXPERIENCING THAT RIGHT NOW.
A LOT OF YOU ALL ARE GETTING CALLS FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT DELAYED HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION.
THAT IS THE REASON AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE I SAID, PART OF MY SERMON HAS ALWAYS BEEN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS GROWN, BUT WE HAVE NOT.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO PROVIDE AS IF WE HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN GROWING ACCOUNT ACCORDINGLY.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, UM, ON ILLEGAL DUMPING.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, IT TAKES A WHOLE CITY, NOT JUST THE CITY, BUT IT TAKES THE COUNTY, IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE TO TRY TO HELP TACKLE THIS ISSUE.
AND SO OUR NEXT PRESENTER, UM, WILL BE IS CONSTABLE ALLEN ROSEN'S OFFICE.
UM, LIEUTENANT RANDY SCALES IS GONNA SHARE AN UPDATE ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO TACKLE ILLEGAL DUMPING.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION.
HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, UH, PROBABLY BEFORE COVID.
UM, UH, SOME NEW FACES, SOME PEOPLE THAT I'VE SEEN AS THEY WERE COUNCIL, THERE WERE STAFF, AND NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, WORKING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON SINCE 2011.
SO WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR GOING ON 13 YEARS.
UH, WE FIRST STARTED OUT WITH, UH, COUPLE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS MEETINGS, UM, UH, WHERE WE JUST, UM, HAD ROUND TABLES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE ALL CAN DO AS A CITY AND A COUNTY TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT ILLEGAL DUMPING STOPS, ESPECIALLY, UH, MAKING PEOPLE THAT ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT.
CONTRACTORS, PEOPLE WHO JUST, YOU KNOW, DO SIDE JOBS.
UH, THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE A TRUCK.
THEY GO TO SOMEBODY'S HOUSE, THEY CLEAN IT UP, THEY TAKE IT, THEY DUMP IT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND HERE WE ARE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR SAYING, YOUR STUFF'S ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
WE'RE GONNA CHARGE YOU WITH THE CRIME.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE WAY THE LAW WORKS.
IT'S YOUR TRASH TO, IT MAKES IT TO THE PROPER LOCATION.
SO OF COURSE, NO ONE WOULD KNOW WHO THEY HIRED TO COME AND DO THIS TYPE OF STUFF.
SO SINCE THEN, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED WITH, UH, THE ORIGINAL MOU WITH THE, WITH THE CITY WAS DISTRICT D, DISTRICT D, DISTRICT I, DISTRICT H.
IHK CAN'T REMEMBER THE OTHER TWO.
THERE WAS FIVE OF 'EM, B, DH, KI, THAT'S THE FIVE, THE ORIGINAL, THAT WAS FOR $250,000.
AND THAT WAS TO START UP A CAMERA PROGRAM ON OUR OWN, BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CATCH THESE FOLKS AND MAKE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR DUMPING THIS TRASH, THE, AND, AND TAKE THEM AND PUT THEM AND MAKE THEM RESPONSIBLE.
[01:00:01]
UM, WE STARTED OUT WITH, UH, $50,000 FOR EACH DISTRICT, UH, $250,000.UH, WE WOULD BUY THOSE CAMERAS FOR THOSE SPECIFIC DISTRICTS.
IT WAS NOT FOR THE WHOLE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT WAS JUST FOR THOSE DISTRICTS.
AND EACH DISTRICT'S GOT TWO CAMERAS FOR EACH DI EACH, UH, EACH SITE OF, OF ILLEGAL DUMPING.
SO, UH, OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, UH, WE STARTED BEING SUCCESSFUL.
WE STARTED CATCHING FOLKS, COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE SAYING, ASKING, CAN WE DO MORE? WE, WE, WE TOOK MORE MONEY.
WE, WE PUT THAT MONEY INTO, UM, UH, TO MORE CAMERAS, BUT WE NEVER GOT STAFFING.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE CAN HAVE 3000 CAMERAS IN THE CITY, BUT IF I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFFING, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T WORK THE CASES.
UM, EVEN THE CA THE, THE PEOPLE WE'VE GOT NOW, WE STILL, I STILL HAVE THE COUNTY THAT I DEAL WITH.
UM, WE, WE DO STUFF FOR A CENTER POINT, CENTER POINT.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH FLOOD CONTROL TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR, THEIR RIGHT OF WAYS THAT ARE IN Y'ALL, IN YOUR DISTRICTS WHERE THE BIG POWER LINES ARE AT.
AND PEOPLE ARE TAKING THE TRASH DUMP THERE.
THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEANING THAT UP, AND THEY GET FINED BY THE CITY.
SO THEY'VE CAME, CAME TO US AND, AND ASKED US IF WE COULD DO STUFF FOR THEM.
UM, AGAIN, THE, WE HAVE CAMERAS FOR, FOR FLOOD CONTROL.
AND NOW WE'VE EVEN STARTED DOING OTHER THINGS OUTSIDE JUST OF ILLEGAL DUMPING, WHERE WE'RE GOING AFTER SOME OF THE, THE, THE SALVAGE YARD THAT ARE, THAT ARE COMMITTING, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS TO THE COMMUNITIES.
SO, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT OUR FINGERS OUT AND ABOUT EVERYWHERE.
UM, BUT LET'S GO BACK REAL QUICK.
THE, UM, THE FIRST AGREEMENT THAT WE HAD WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS THREE YEARS.
UM, THE FIRST MOU AFTER THE TH AFTER THE THIRD YEAR, UH, CONSTABLE ROSEN WAS, WAS BOUND TO DETERMINED TO KEEP THIS, THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO SINCE THEN, AFTER THE THREE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN CONTINUALLY, UH, GOING OUT, PUTTING CAMERAS UP IN THOSE HOTSPOTS AND TRYING TO CATCH THOSE AND THEN MAKE THOSE RESPONSIBLE.
UM, CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UM, AGAIN, WE'VE HAD, UH, A DISTRICT H AT ONE POINT INCREASED IT TO 12 CAMERAS.
UM, UH, AT THE TIME, UH, THE, THE VERY BEGINNING WE HAD 50.
UM, NOW WE'RE HERE AND, AND HOW WE GOT HERE AND HOW CONSTABLE ROSEN HAS, HAS CONTINUED TO, TO BE A PART OF THIS ILLEGAL DUMPING INITIATIVE.
UM, OF COURSE, WE'VE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH THE DOJ COME IN WITH THE COMPLAINT.
UM, UM, ONE CLEAN HOUSTON WAS FORMED.
UM, WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH, UH, THE, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF SOLID WASTE WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND, UH, THEY ASKED WHAT WE COULD DO AND BRING TO THE TABLE TO, TO, TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THIS, THIS ISSUES.
AND WE CAME BACK AND, AND, AND, UH, WE ASKED, BASICALLY ASKED FOR SIX NEW INVESTIGATORS.
UH, WE HAD 75 CAMERAS THAT HAVE BEEN, THAT ARE 10 YEARS OLD.
UM, WE'RE HAVING, STARTING TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THEM.
THESE CAMERAS RUN 24 7, 365, AND IT'S BEEN DOING THAT FOR 10 YEARS.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY AT THE END OF THE, THE LIFE OF THESE CAMERAS.
PLUS THERE'S NEW TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE THAT IS EVEN BETTER THAN IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO.
AND IF THESE CAMERAS WORK THE WAY THAT WE HOPE THAT THEY WORK, THEN WE WILL BE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN, IN MAKING PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
UM, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE AGE OF, OF FOLKS IS, IS 50 YEARS OLD.
WE DON'T SEE A LOT OF YOUNG FOLKS DOING IT.
MORE OF THE OLD FOLKS, OLDER FOLKS THAT ARE DOING THIS.
I MEAN, I'VE HAD PEOPLE, I'VE HAD TO FILE CHARGES ON PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THEIR EIGHTIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE GRANDPARENTS AND, AND PARENTS OF THAT AGE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE GOTTA DO.
UM, A MAJORITY IS IN THE AFTERNOON FROM THREE O'CLOCK TO NINE O'CLOCK, UM, SPREAD EVENLY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, UM, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, THE AVERAGE WEIGHT THAT THAT'S BEING DUMPED IS, UH, 75 POUNDS.
AND, AND THE, TO GO BACK TO THESE, THE, THE REASON FOR THESE CAMERAS, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE CAMERAS OUT THERE IN, IN THE COMMUNITIES, UM, IS BECAUSE 99% OF THE WASTE THAT'S BEING DUMPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THERE'S NO TRACEABLE EVIDENCE TO WHO SAY, WHO'S DOING THIS.
WE, WE RUN THE PLATES, WE FIND THE PEOPLE, AND WE, AND WE, WE MAKE 'EM RESPONSIBLE.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S FURNITURE, TIRES, WOOD, DEBRIS, UM, AND THEN WHEN YOU ADD A STORM TO IT, LIKE WE HAD, IT'S EVEN, IT'S EVEN MORE CHALLENGING.
UM, WHY DO PEOPLE DUMP? UM, I HEAR EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN OF WHY THEY DID WHAT THEY DID.
THE CITY DIDN'T COME AND PICK MY STUFF UP.
I DON'T WANT IT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.
[01:05:01]
IT DOWN ON THE BLOCK.I KNOW THAT THEY CAN LOCK NEXT DOOR.
I'VE SEEN KIDS JUMPING OUTTA CARS WITH THEIR PARENTS THROWING STUFF ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
I'VE SEEN 'EM WALK STUFF FROM DOWN THE STREET TO THE, TO THE, TO, TO, DOWN TO A VACANT LOT.
IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO HAVE PARENTS THAT, THAT, THAT ARE TEACHING THEIR KIDS TO DO THIS.
THIS IS WHY WE BEEN DEALING THIS WITH THIS FOR 50 YEARS.
I HEAR THIS IS WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE.
THIS IS WHERE THEY, CITY OF HOUSTON TOLD ME TO PUT IT, YOU KNOW, TAKE IT DOWN HERE.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE LOCATIONS THAT YOU SEE IN THESE AREAS, THEY, THEY, THEIR CLAIM IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY TOLD ME TO PUT IT THERE.
THIS IS A BETTER PLACE FOR IT TO PICK UP.
BUT IN THE LONG RUN, WE'RE STILL GONNA FILE, WE'RE STILL GONNA FILE CHARGES ON YOU.
WE DON'T WANNA DO IT ON EVERYBODY, BUT, BUT, BUT WE TRY TO EDUCATE ALONG WITH THAT IS TOO.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE, ARE LAZY.
THEY JUST DON'T, WE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS THE SERVICES.
AND IT TAKES JUST A LITTLE BIT TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH.
UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT GO TO, TO SUNBEAM, UH, TO KIRKPATRICK, AND THEY GET TURNED AWAY FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND THEY GO RIGHT OUT THERE ON KIRKPATRICK OR RIGHT THERE ON SUN BEAM OR JUTTING, AND THEY GO WITH THERE AND THEY DUMP.
SO, AND THOSE ARE SOME OTHER CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE COME UP WITH, IS, IS SUCH AS JUTTING, JULIN HAS, I KNOW IT'S IN YOUR DISTRICT.
JULIN IS THE OVERGROWTH OF THE TREES.
THE CANOPY HAS GOTTEN SO BAD TO WHERE WE CAN'T PUT CAMERAS OUT.
SO WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE.
I KNOW THE CHANNEL TWO NEWS WAS OUT AND, AND, UH, UH, DID A NEW STORY ON IT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
I'VE GOTTEN WITH, UH, THE DIRECTOR, WILFORK AND, AND, AND, UH, THE, UH, UH, MAYOR'S OFFICE TO TRY TO GET THOSE TREES CUT BACK SO WE CAN GO BACK OUT THERE AND START WORKING IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, BUT WE, A LOT OF CHALLENGES THAT WE RUN INTO WHEN WE TRY TO GET AROUND THEM.
IF ANYBODY HAS EVER DEALT WITH ME, I ALWAYS GO OUT AND I TRY TO DO WHAT I CAN TO, TO GET THIS, THIS DONE.
UM, THIS IS SOME OF THE PENALTIES AND FINES WITH THE STATE.
I KNOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS, UM, UH, INCREASED THEIR FINDING, UM, JUST ON A CLASS C UH, ILLEGAL DUMPING AND JUST A FIVE POUND GARBAGE BAG TO $4,000.
I, I WOULD LOVE FOR THE, FOR THE STATE TO INCREASE THAT AS WELL.
UM, I'VE WORKED WITH THE, THE DA'S OFFICE, UM, IN THEIR PLEADINGS NOW, IF YOU CAUGHT ILLEGAL DUMPING EVEN ON THE FIRST TIME IN THE PLEADING, NOW, UM, IF YOU DUMP A SECOND TIME AND THEN WE CATCH YOU, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO SEIZE YOUR VEHICLE.
AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT A JUDGE IS GONNA ALLOW US TO DO THAT.
BUT WE HAVE GOT THE LAW CHANGED TO WHERE WE CAN DO THAT.
NOW, ANOTHER, ANOTHER LAW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN CHANGED, WE WORKED WITH THE DA'S OFFICE ON IS THE ATTEMPT.
IN THE PAST, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE THESE PEOPLE WHO GO OUT AND GET THESE TIRES.
WE HAD A BIG TIRE PERSON WHO WAS JUST GOING AND GRABBING TIRES, GETTING PAID TO GO DUMP THEM.
AND HE WAS JUST TAKING 'EM ON THE, THEN DUMPING 'EM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS.
AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH MORE HE'S DONE.
UM, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO TRY AND DO SOME PROACTIVE STUFF AGAINST THOSE TIRE SHOPS THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD ALLOW THIS TO PAY SOMEBODY TO DO THIS.
BUT WE COULDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT.
WE HAD TO GO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE ACT.
AND SO NOW WE'VE GOT THAT CHANGED, SO WE CAN DO SOME MORE PROACTIVE ON THAT.
'CAUSE WE, WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE A LEGAL DUMPING IS BAD, BUT THE TIRES, WHEN IT COMES TO TIRES, WE DON'T HAVE A FEE.
THEY, IF YOU GO TO A MOM AND POP SHOP, YOU SAY, I WANT MY TIRES BACK.
I DON'T WANNA PAY THAT $5 FEE.
AND THEY GO RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER AND THEY DUMP 'EM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
SO, UM, I'M, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON DOING THAT PROACTIVE.
UH, GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THIS IS SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, UM, WHERE WE'VE WORKED IT AND, AND GOT IT ACTUALLY CLEANED UP.
AND THERE'S ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, GREEN GRASS THERE BEFORE IT WAS JUST DEAD FROM AND, AND FROM THE CLAWS PICKING UP ALL THE TRASH ALL THE TIME.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE, SOME OTHER LOCATIONS THAT WE'VE DONE.
THE NEXT ONE, WE ALSO DO HAVE DOOR HANGERS THAT WE, THAT WE TAKE OUT ON, ON, ON OCCASION TO HELP TO, TO EDUCATE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, ESPECIALLY IF WE SEE IT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT'S IN, IN FRONT OF PEOPLE'S HOMES.
UM, UH, ANOTHER BIG CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS, IS PEOPLE PUT THEIR TRASH OUT TOO EARLY.
AND, UM, WHEN THEY PUT IT OUT EARLY, PEOPLE COME ALONG AND THEY THINK THAT'S A SPOT WHERE THEY CAN ADD TO IT.
WHEN IT GETS ADDED TO IT, THEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SOLID WASTE, WHICH THEY'VE GOTTEN BETTER AT, WON'T PICK IT UP BECAUSE IT'S CO-MINGLED.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT'S CO-MINGLED,
[01:10:01]
THEY GET MAD, THEY TAKE IT AND THEY GO DUMP IT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.AND SO WE SEE A LOT OF THAT NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SOME OF THE DEPOSITS, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
UM, WE WORK WELL WITH SOLID WASTE AGAIN.
UM, EVEN WHEN, UH, DIRECTOR HAYES WAS HERE, UH, WE WORKED WELL WITH THEM.
I'VE FORGED A NEW, NEW CONTACT NOW.
UH, WE'RE ALWAYS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE, THIS IS A, THIS, THIS, THE, THE, THE PROGRAM NOW IS A TWO YEAR PROGRAM, UH, PILOT PROGRAM.
I'M HOPING THAT AFTER THE TWO YEARS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
I KNOW THAT CONSTABLE ROSEN IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
WE HAVEN'T GONE ANYWHERE IN 10 YEARS, AND WE DON'T PLAN TO GO ANYWHERE IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
SO AS LONG AS I'M HERE, UM, WE WILL DO WHAT WE CAN TO ASSIST Y'ALL WITH CATCHING THESE FOLKS.
SO, IF, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, LIEUTENANT SCALES.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO.
UM, QUESTION ABOUT THE COST OF THE NEW CAMERAS THAT YOU, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT IS THE COST FOR EACH ONE? AN AVERAGE CAMERA COSTS ABOUT $6,000.
SO WE DO TWO, TWO CAMERAS PER SITE.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE, UH, LICENSE PLATES ON THE FRONT OF THE BACK.
AND THAT'S, AND THEN, AND THAT'S THE BEST, BEST, UH, UH, WAY THAT WE CAN CATCH THEM.
MAYOR PRO TEM, CASTEX STATE, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP, UM, FROM CONSTABLE ROSEN'S OFFICE.
UM, HOW DO YOU RETRIEVE THE FOOTAGE FROM THOSE CAMERAS? OUR CAMERAS, WE HAVE ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR FOOTAGE IS SAVED ON SERVERS AT OUR OFFICE.
WE, WE, WE CONTINUE, AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A COST THAT CONSTABLE ROSEN PICKS UP.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR THAT, THAT HE'S, THAT HE'S OUT OF POCKET PAYING FOR, FOR THIS TYPE OF STUFF.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE SAVE THOSE, WE SAVE THOSE VIDEOS, WE PUT THE CASE FILE TOGETHER, WE SEND IT TO THE DA AND THEY PUT IT ON THEIR SERVERS.
BUT I ALWAYS HOLD A COPY OF THOSE AT OUR OFFICE.
SO, HAVE, HAVE YOU USED ANY OF THOSE, UM, COPIES OR ANY OF THAT FOOTAGE? UM, FOR ANY BILLBOARDS, ANY PUBLIC SHAMING? WE HAVE NOT YET.
UM, WE DO, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF WARRANTS.
WE TRY TO DO A WARRANT RUN EVERY YEAR TO PICK THOSE FOLKS UP.
WE HAVE SHOWN SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CATCH PEOPLE AND GIVEN IT TO, TO, UM, UH, CRIME STOPPERS.
SO WE, THAT WAY WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE MONEY FOR TURNING THOSE FOLKS IN.
AND SO WE'VE NOT BEEN VERY SUCCESS SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT.
UM, YOU WOULD THINK THAT, THAT IT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SUCCESSFUL ON THAT.
WE HAVEN'T DONE IT IN A WHILE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO RETRY ONCE WE GET THESE NEW CAMERAS IN.
SO THE NEW CAM, LET ME GO BACK REAL QUICK.
THE NEW CAMERAS THAT, THAT WE'VE PURCHASED WITH THIS, WITH THIS MONEY AS IS, WE'VE, WE'VE JUST, AS I WAS WALKING IN HERE, I GOT A TEXT THAT IT'S GOING TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, ON THE NEXT COMMISSIONER'S COURT, WHICH IS NEXT TUESDAY.
AND ONCE THAT'S APPROVED, THEN, THEN WE CAN START PURCHASING THE BRAND NEW CAMERAS.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THOSE OUT BY AUGUST BECAUSE WE BUILD THOSE, WE BUILD THOSE IN-HOUSE TO SAVE MONEY.
AND SO HOW DO WE DETERMINE TO, UM, WORK WITH, UH, YOUR OFFICE TO SEE WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY LOCATE SOME OF THOSE, THOSE CAMERAS? OR WILL YOU, YOUR OFFICE, DETERMINE WHERE THOSE CAMERAS WILL BE LOCATED? SO IF, IF THERE'S A LOCATION THAT, THAT, THAT YOUR OFFICE OR ANY CONSTITUENT WOULD LIKE TO WORK, THEY CAN CONTACT US AND WE WILL GO BOOT IT OUT.
THE ONLY THING WE WE ASK IS THAT WE DON'T TELL YOU WHERE THEY ARE CURRENTLY.
BECAUSE THE, AND PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
WELL, ONE, IT'LL STOP TWO, YOU KNOW, THE CHANCES OF A CAMERA GETTING SHOT IS, IS IN DAMAGE, AND THEN WE CAN'T REPLACE IT.
WELL, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE IN SUPPORT OF US, UM, UTILIZING CRIME STOPPERS AND PUTTING THOSE PICTURES OUT.
AND THEN THE OTHER PART OF MY, UM, COMMENT IS IF WE COULD GET AN UPDATE ON HOW MANY CITATIONS, HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY WENT TO COURT, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED? DID THEY GET PUT IN JAIL? DID THEY GET A FINE? UM, SO WE CAN ADVERTISE THAT IN OUR, IN OUR DISTRICT NEWSLETTERS BECAUSE, UH, THE, THE GAME CAMERAS THAT WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE POST THE PICTURES OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE CATCH DUMPING.
THE NEIGHBORS KNOW WHO THEY ARE, UH, AND THEY DO.
AND WE JUST NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE, REALIZE THAT THERE ARE CAMERAS, AND WE REALLY DON'T WANT YOU DUMPING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE IT COSTS US MONEY.
UM, IT, IT, IT JUST BRINGS DOWN THE VALUE OF, OF EVERYONE'S PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT MOST OF THE ILLEGAL DUMPING IS HAPPENING THREE TO FIVE MILES FROM WHERE YOU ACTUALLY LIVE.
IT IS, IT'S SO THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE COMPANIES THAT
[01:15:01]
ARE DUMPING THE CONTRACT MATERIAL.I MEAN, WE, WE'VE CAUGHT PEOPLE THROWING A BAG OF TRASH IN A, IN A DEAD END.
AND, AND YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS IN THAT RED ALTIMA? YES.
YOU'D BE AMAZED TO WATCH A VIDEO.
AND I, AND AGAIN, I ENCOURAGE ANYBODY, YOUR STAFF, YOU ALL TO COME TO OUR OFFICE, REACH OUT TO CONSTABLE ROSEN, COME OVER TO THE OFFICE, COME SEE IT, COME SEE THE DISPATCH.
WE HAVE ALL THE CAMERAS UP IN THE, IN DISPATCH, UH, WHERE THEY, THEY MONITOR IT AS AS WELL.
ANYBODY REACH OUT TO CONSTABLE ROSEN, WE COME OVER AND SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS' OFFICE.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE OUT THERE WITH THE CAMERAS.
I KNOW MY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS EXPRESSED, UH, PREVIOUSLY INTEREST IN, IN ACQUIRING SOME CAMERAS, UH, IN THE PAST.
AND MY QUESTION IS, CAN YOUR, YOUR DEPARTMENT OR MAYBE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENTS, UH, SHARE ANY INFORMATION ON ANY HOT SPOTS IN THE AREA OR SPECIFIC DISTRICTS WHERE WE, WE MIGHT HAVE SOME REPORTED ILLEGAL DUMPING? UM, NOT AT THIS TIME.
SO WE REALLY CONCENTRATED IN THOSE, THOSE CERTAIN DISTRICTS.
UM, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS, NOW THIS IS, THIS IS CITYWIDE.
SO I'M STILL LEARNING WHO'S WHO IN WHAT DISTRICT.
UM, UM, WE, WE, WE HAVE BEEN ASKED BY ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, UM, WHEN YOU ASK ABOUT REPORTING, WE ARE REPORTING VIA ZIP CODES.
SO THIS, YOU KNOW, I WANNA GO BACK TO HPD ALSO HAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL UNIT.
THEY'RE NOT AS BIG AS WE ARE AT THIS MOMENT.
THEY'RE TRYING TO GET BACK TO, TO NORM, YOU KNOW, BIG, UH, LARGER STAFFING.
UM, UM, AND THEY DO CAMERAS AS WELL.
AND THEY'VE ASKED IF WE COULD DO THE SAME REPORTING THE WAY THEY REPORTED THAT.
SO ONE CLEAN HOUSTON EVERY QUARTER, AND I THINK WE'RE IN THE SECOND QUARTER.
UM, WE'LL GET STATS FROM THERE, BUT I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO SHARE ANY STATS WITH EACH ONE.
BUT AGAIN, I'M, I'M, I'M LEARNING NEW FACES.
AND, AND WHAT DISTRICT IS WHAT NOW THAT WE'VE, THAT, THAT WE ARE, AND WE COULD DEFINITELY SEND OUT OUR ZIP CODES, UH, PER DISTRICT.
AND, AND I'M PRETTY SURE EVERY COUNCIL OFFICE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION.
AND I, AND I WANNA GO BACK TO NOW THESE SIX, THESE SIX INVESTIGATORS THAT WE'VE HIRED, THEY ARE STRICTLY MEANT TO BE, TO WORK THESE ILLEGAL DUMPINGS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
OF COURSE, Y'ALL KNOW THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.
BUT, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN DEALT WITH.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE'VE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING ABOUT A HUNDRED INVESTIGATIONS A MONTH.
WE'RE FILING ABOUT 50 CHARGES A MONTH.
I'LL HAVE, UH, THE NEWS, UH, QUARTER ENDS THIS MONTH, AND THEY SHOULD HAVE, UH, IN 10 DAYS I'LL HAVE THEIR, OUR, OUR STATS OVER TO THEM.
AND THESE CAMERAS ARE MOBILE, CORRECT? YEAH, THEY ARE MOBILE.
WE ARE CERTIFIED TO, THROUGH, UM, OSHA TO, WE GO OUT AND HANG OUR OWN CAMERAS.
WE GO TO LOCATIONS WHERE THEY'RE AT.
WE BUILD THESE CAMERAS, WE FIX THESE CAMERAS.
I HAVE TWO DEDICATED PEOPLE THAT THAT'S ALL THEY DO.
UM, AND OF COURSE IT'S ELECTRONICS.
WE'VE HAD OUR CHALLENGES, UH, EVERY DAY.
AND SO WE'VE HAD TO FULL-TIME TAKE TWO STAFF MEMBERS NOW TO AND DEDICATE TO KEEP THOSE MOVED AROUND AS FAST AS WE CAN.
I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED IT.
KATE, CAN YOU JUST REPEAT IT ONE MORE TIME? WHAT'S THE COST PER CAMERA? IT'S ABOUT $6,000 A CAMERA.
AND THESE ARE THE NEWER, NEWER, UPDATED CAMERAS.
AND THERE'S OTHER STUFF THAT WE PUT ON 'EM, UM, THAT ALLOW US TO SEE AT NIGHT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE A NORMAL CAMERA.
LIKE THIS WOULD COST ABOUT 12 TO $13,000.
WE CUT THAT COST IN HALF BY DOING IT OURSELVES.
YES, THANK YOU AGAIN, LIEUTENANT SCALES.
THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
THE FINAL PRESENTATION TODAY WILL BE A QUARTERLY REPORT ABOUT E-WASTE FROM THE HOUSTON CLEAN, OR YEAH, THE HOUSTON CLEAN CITY COMMISSION.
IF YOU COULD JUST STEP, UM, IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MICROPHONE.
HOW ABOUT THIS ONE? THAT WILL WORK.
AND I GUESS, CAN YOU GUYS SEE SLIDES ON YOUR SCREEN OR ARE THEY COMING UP? YES, THEY'RE COMING UP.
WELL, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE HOUSTON CLEAN CITY COMMISSION, UM, IS DIRECTED TO VIA ORDINANCE TO DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, ONE OF THEM IS TO BRING ABOUT A LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENT IN, UH, CITIZEN TRASH HANDLING HABITS, UM, AND SUBMIT A QUARTERLY REPORT TO, UH, THE MAYOR CITY COUNCIL.
UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON THIS, I WANNA SHOUT OUT TO DIRECTOR WILLOCK, WHO IS A MEMBER OF OUR COMMISSION AND A MEMBER OF THE REPORTS COMMITTEE THAT, UH, PRODUCED THIS REPORT.
SO WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER.
I ALSO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UM, JASON SMITH WHO JUST LEFT, UH, THE PART THAT'S NOT WRITTEN HERE, THAT'S PART OF OUR MANDATE IS, UH, WITH REGARDS TO LITTER.
AND THAT IS BEING LED BY THE EFFORTS OF HIS COMMITTEE, WHICH
[01:20:01]
SPOKE TO COUNCIL YESTERDAY.UM, FOR A LITTLE BACKGROUND, UH, THE REASON THAT WE'RE DOING REPORTING NOW WHEN YOU WILL NOT HAVE SEEN ME PREVIOUSLY IN A SIMILAR FORM REPORTING ON ANYTHING, IS BECAUSE IN 2022, WE COMPLETED A STUDY WHICH CONCLUDED SOMETHING SURPRISING.
AND THAT IS THAT THE TRASH HANDLING HABIT THAT WOULD HAVE THE MOST BENEFIT, UH, HABIT CHANGE THAT WOULD HAVE THE MOST BENEFIT TO OUR CITY OVER THE LONG TERM IS GETTING BETTER AT GETTING, UH, RESOURCES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING WASTED TO RECYCLING FACILITIES IN A MANNER WHERE THOSE RECYCLING FACILITIES CAN USE THEM.
LIKE THAT IS A QUESTION THAT I THINK COULD LEGITIMATELY BE ASKED OF, LIKE THE ONE BIN FOR ALL.
HOW MUCH QUALITY DEGRADATION IN THE RESOURCE ARE WE GONNA TAKE AS A RESULT OF THAT, UM, COLLECTION PROGRAM? JUST GOING BACK TO SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID EARLIER.
UM, SO ANYHOW, WHAT WE'VE DECIDED TO DO WITH THAT IN MIND, KNOWING THAT THE OBJECTIVE TO IS TO TAKE SOME OF THIS, UH, MATERIAL THAT IS CAUSING, UH, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS FOR US NOW AND TURNING INTO A RESOURCE IS A QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ON A MATERIAL SPECIFIC BASIS.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS EVERY QUARTER WE'RE GONNA WRITE ABOUT CARDBOARD, OR WE'RE GONNA WRITE ABOUT E-WASTE, OR WE'RE GONNA WRITE ABOUT SCRAP TIRES, OR WE'RE GONNA WRITE ABOUT YARD WASTE.
THIS IS OUR THIRD REPORT, UM, IN THIS SERIES.
AND THE, THE CLEAN CITY PLAN, WHICH THIS COMMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO DIRECT AND OVERSEE, IS THE AGGREGATE OF ALL THESE REPORTS.
THAT'S HOW THIS STRUCTURE IS BEING SET UP.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, THIS QUARTER'S REPORT IS ABOUT E-WASTE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND THAT'S A PICTURE OF E-WASTE, YOU KNOW, THAT LOOKS LIKE JUST A PILE OF ELECTRONICS.
UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.
UM, THIS IS A VERY SMALL FRACTION OF THE AMOUNT OF TRASH THAT'S PRODUCED.
UM, BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT FRACTION BECAUSE OF TWO REASONS.
FIRST, IT CONTAINS A LOT OF, UH, PRECIOUS METALS.
AND SO IT, IT'S EVENTUALLY HIGH VALUE STREAM, BUT ALSO IT CONTAINS A LOT OF, OF TOXIC METAL HEAVY METALS.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK, UH, IN A, IF YOU WERE ABLE TO LOOK INSIDE OF A DUMP, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE UP VERY MUCH OF THE VOLUME, BUT OVER HALF OF THE, OF THE HEAVY METALS THAT ARE IN A DUMP ARE COMING FROM E-WASTE.
UM, IT'S LOGISTICALLY AND OPERATIONALLY COMPLEX.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT HOW IT'S COLLECTED, IT'S NOT REALLY HANDLED BY A FACILITY.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS IS COMPLICATED AND DEPENDS ON THE MATERIAL STREAM OF THE FACILITY.
SO SOME FACILITIES ARE JUST A COLLECTION POINT, AND THEY'LL TAKE IT, AND THEN THEY'LL SHIP IT OVER TO, UH, A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER DIFFERENT FACILITIES WHO MAY HAVE ALSO FACILITIES DOWNSTREAM OF THAT.
SO THERE'S JUST A STRING OF FACILITY CHANGE, ALL OF WHICH TOGETHER MAKE UP THE E-WASTE RECYCLING STREAM.
AND THE CONCERN THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT THIS WASTE STREAM IS THAT THIS PARTICULAR WASTE STREAM HAS A TENDENCY TO MAKE ITS WAY OVERSEAS, RIGHT? AND THEN AFTER THAT, IT'S, IT'S VERY HARD TO KNOW IF IT'S BEING RESPONSIBLY HANDLED.
UM, SOME THINGS, SOME E-WASTE STREAMS LIKE COMPUTERS AND CELL PHONES HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, DATA PRIVACY CONCERNS, UH, WHICH WOULD BE A, A CONCERN FOR CITIZENS.
AND, UM, IT'S NOT A VERY TRANSPARENT WASTE STREAM.
THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY DON'T ALL EXACTLY SAY THE SAME THING.
SO IF YOU'RE A CERTIFIED, UH, E-WASTE CYCLER, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THE SAME THING FROM CERTIFICATION TO CERTIFICATION.
UM, UM, THE TWO MOST WIDELY ACCEPTED ONES ARE R TWO AND E STEWARDS.
THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM IS OUR R TWO ALLOWS LEGAL EXPORT.
SO WE STILL HAVE STUFF GOING OVERSEAS AND E STEWARDS LIKE COMES DOWN WITH A HAMMER ON, ON, UH, EXPORT.
AND SO IT GENERALLY ENSURES THAT THE WASTE STREAM IS AT, IS HANDLED WITHIN THIS COUNTRY IF THEY HAVE THAT CERTIFICATION.
UM, THERE IS A TEXAS LAW ON THE BOOKS, UH, ABOUT E-WASTE.
IT REQUIRES, UM, THAT MANUFACTURERS OF TVS AND COMPUTERS BE PROVIDED WITH FREE COLLECTION, REUSE, AND RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES IN PRACTICE.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY HANDLING A, A LARGE FRACTION OF, OF THE WASTE STREAM, BUT THERE IS, THERE IS A LAW ON THE BOOKS THERE.
IF WE HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE OFFERING RIGHT NOW IN TERMS
[01:25:01]
OF CITY SERVICES FOR E-WASTE SPECIFICALLY, UM, IT'S ACCEPTED AT WEST PARK COMPUTE, UH, RECYCLING CENTER, AND THEN, UH, THE TWO ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CENTERS.AND THERE ARE MONTHLY EVENTS, UH, FOR COLLECTION AT KINGWOOD AND AT CLEAR LAKE.
UM, SOMETHING ELSE WORTH KNOWING IS THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT FIRST, THAT IT'S TECHNICALLY POSSIBLE TO HANDLE THIS WASTE DOMESTICALLY.
THERE'S NO TECHNICAL CHALLENGES.
THE REASON THAT THINGS TEND TO BE EXPORT IS ARE, ARE MORE OF AN ECONOMIC DRIVER RATHER THAN, OH, WE DON'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO DO IT HERE, KIND OF QUESTION.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A FACILITY HERE, UH, THAT IS LIKELY TO HAVE THE GEOGRAPHICALLY SHORTEST, UM, E-WASTE RECYCLING PATHS.
SO THE FEWEST FACILITIES THAT GOES, SO THEIR FACILITY, AND THEN THEY HAVE A SERIES OF DOWNSTREAM FACILITIES AFTER THAT.
AND SO THEIR DAISY CHAIN OF FACILITIES IS, IS THE SHORTEST.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S COMPUS CYCLE, UH, LOCATED OVER ON, ON KEMP WOOD.
SO WE CAN BE PROUD THAT WE HAVE AN INDUSTRY LEADING PROCESS HERE IN, IN OUR AREA.
UM, MOST OF THE MATERIAL THAT GETS RECYCLED IS COMMERCIAL AND NOT RESIDENTIAL.
AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SEE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN RECYCLING THAT, THAT THE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO HANDLE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL RECYCLING ARE, UH, MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE ON A PER VOLUME BASIS THAN, THAN IT IS FOR, FOR RESIDENTIAL.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE, THE BE THAT'S BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS, BECAUSE THAT ALSO MEANS THAT IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR WHERE CAN WE MAKE THE MOST DIFFERENCE BY MAKING SOMETHING BETTER, IT PROBABLY SITS WITH RESIDENTIAL.
UM, THIS INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED IN A, IN A TWO PAGE REPORT, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE AS WE RELEASE REPORTS TO, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION IN THAT FORMAT.
UM, BUT THE NEXT SECTION OF THAT REPORT IS RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO, UH, THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHICH IS TO PROMOTE ADDITIONAL THIRD PARTY OPTIONS.
SO, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S SOME LAWS ON THE BOOKS AND, AND MANUFACTURERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE SOMEWHAT ACTIVE, UH, IN THIS SPACE.
AND HOW THAT HAS MATERIALIZED IS THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SOLUTIONS THAT ARE GENERALLY AVAILABLE TO CITIZENS FREE.
UM, AND AT A, AT A FACILITY THAT WOULD BE WITHIN EASY DRIVING DISTANCE FOR MOST, UM, THOSE PARTICULAR PROGRAMS, WHICH IN THIS CASE ARE THE DELL CONNECT PROGRAM THAT RUNS THROUGH GOODWILL, UM, AND BEST BUYS PROGRAMS, UH, I THINK, UH, MERITS SOME SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, PROMOTION ON, ON A WEBSITE BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SERVE MANY.
AND, UM, WHERE, WHERE I WOULD ASK FOR COUNCIL'S HELP IS WE ARE OFTEN HESITANT TO PROMOTE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A THIRD PARTY OPTION, UH, ON A CITY WEBSITE.
WE DON'T, AND THERE ARE DISCLAIMERS AND WAYS TO DO THAT, BUT I WOULD ASK THAT SOMEHOW THE, THE, THE HELP BE MADE AVAILABLE SO THAT WE CAN DO THE COMMON SENSE THING OF DIRECTING OUR CITIZENS TO USE SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE, ARE AVAILABLE TO MANY, UM, TO GET RID OF STUFF THAT IS WASTE TO THEM IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY, UH, AND, AND IN A COST EFFECTIVE MANNER AS WELL.
UM, THEY, IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TO PROMOTE THE OTHER MANUFACTURER OPS OPTIONS THAT ARE PUBLICLY SHARED ON THE TCE Q'S WEBSITE, BUT I HAVE TO, UH, I HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW, AND YOU FEEL FREE TO CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF.
IT'S, IT'S NOT THE MOST USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITE.
IF, IF I WAS, YOU KNOW, A REGULAR PERSON AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK CHECK INTO WHERE CAN I GET RID OF MY COMPUTER, UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT WEBSITE WOULD BE A GREAT WAY FOR ME TO FIGURE THAT OUT, A WAY THAT WOULD MAKE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE EXECUTING ONE OF THOSE SOLUTIONS.
SO IF WE WANNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT THAT INFORMATION IS THERE, I THINK WE'D HAVE TO REORGANIZE IT BEFORE, UH, SHARING IT THROUGH CITY CHANNELS.
UM, A SECOND RECOMMENDATION IS TO, UH, INCREASE THE CITY LED E-WASTE COLLECTION.
AND IF YOU READ THROUGH THE DETAILS OF, OF WHAT WE'VE WRITTEN WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION, UH, WE'VE RECOMMENDED MAYBE A, AN UNCONVENTIONAL WAY TO DO THIS.
E-WASTE IS A LITTLE BIT SPECIAL 'CAUSE PEOPLE SAVE UP THEIR E-WASTE IN LITTLE PILES IN THEIR HOMES.
SO IT ACCUMULATES, IT'S NOT LIKE DRINKS BOTTLES, RIGHT WHERE YOU DRINK IT, YOU GET RID OF IT, LIKE E-WASTE SITS THERE SO YOU, IT CAN SIT IN PEOPLE'S
[01:30:01]
HOMES AND THEY'RE HAPPY TO DISPOSE OF IT ON A MUCH MORE INFREQUENT BASIS.AND SO THAT MAKES IT A PERFECT WASTE STREAM TO TARGET WITH ONE OFF COLLECTION EVENTS.
UM, I, IN, IN A PRE, WE JUST WENT OVER WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE TO DROP OFF, UM, DIFFERENT E-WASTE TO THE CITY PRESENTLY.
UH, IT'S RECOMMENDED THAT, UM, A MONTHLY ROTATION BE SET UP THAT WOULD SERVE EACH DISTRICT NOT BEING SERVED BY WEST PARK, THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CENTERS, KINGWOOD AND SO ON, BE ROTATED THROUGH THE CITY.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF COUNCIL COULD HELP ARRANGE, BECAUSE THAT IS A, THAT IS A, THAT IS A SERVICE THAT CAN BE CONTRACTED.
IT, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE, UM, OVERSEEN, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND IT WOULD HELP SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.
UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK IN MORE DETAILS ABOUT THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WOULD MAKE A GOOD SITE FOR DROP OFF, LIKE WE AMPLE PARKING AND AVAILABLE FORKLIFT, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
BUT IT WOULD BE A GREAT, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY, REALLY BUMP THE NUMBERS, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT FRACTION OF E-WASTE WE'RE COLLECTING.
UM, OUR NEXT SLIDE, UH, TVS ARE A PARTICULAR PROBLEM AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THEY SHOW UP FREQUENTLY IN THE HEAVY WASTE STREAM, UH, BECAUSE, UH, AND, AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THAT IT ACTUALLY WITH MANY, MANY TIMES COSTS MONEY TO GET RID OF A TV, WHEREAS YOU CAN GET IT PICKED UP FOR FREE IF YOU JUST LEAVE IT OUT IN YOUR, IN YOUR WAIST.
SO THAT LEADS TO VERY LOGICAL CITIZEN BEHAVIOR OF EVERYONE LEAVING 'EM OUT.
AND IN ALL HONESTY, THE MAJORITY OF THE, OF THE HEAVY METALS THAT ARE ACCUMULATING IN LANDFILLS ARE COMING FROM TVS.
THERE RE THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE, UH, SOME HELP THROUGH THAT STATE LAW TO HELP CITIZENS BE ABLE TO MAIL BACK THEIR TV FOR FREE.
BUT AGAIN, THE INFORMATION IS VERY HARD TO FIND.
SO THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION TO IMPLEMENT, BUT IT IS A RECOMMENDATION TO EXPLORE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD A 3 1 1 SERVICE THAT MIGHT DO SOMETHING LIKE IF A CON, IF SOME, IF A CITIZEN HAS A TV THAT THEY NEED TO GET RID OF, IS THERE A WAY THAT THE BOX TO SHIP THE TV BACK TO THE PLACE THAT WILL ACCEPT IT CAN BE REQUESTED ON THEIR BEHALF.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, BUT LONG TERM, UH, IT MIGHT OFFER A WAFER FOR THE CITY TO BETTER LEVERAGE THE SERVICES THAT THESE MANUFACTURERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDING.
UM, THE LAST RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE WITH RESPECT TO E-WASTE IS, IS MORE GENERAL.
UM, OUR PREVIOUS REPORT WAS ON YARD WASTE.
AND IN THAT REPORT, UM, BECAUSE UH, THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT YARD WASTE COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITY, WE RECOMMENDED DESIGNATING A FOCAL POINT TO MONITOR PROGRESS AND TO, TO TRACK AND, AND REPORT THAT PROGRESS IN THIS REPORT.
WE'RE RECOMMEND WE'RE EXPANDING THAT RECOMMENDATION AND SAYING, ALRIGHT, IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THERE WAS A FOCAL POINT, UM, DESIGNATED WITHIN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT TO TRACK ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, THAT THIS COMMISSION IS PUTTING FORWARD AND WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN EXPLORED, IMPLEMENTED, DISCARDED, UM, JUST SO THAT WE CAN KEEP TRACK OF HOW, HOW THINGS ARE GOING, UM, THAT THAT WOULD HELP PULL THIS REPORT SERIES INTO MORE OF A LIVING PLAN, A A CLEAN CITY PLAN THAT THAT, THAT THIS COMMISSION IS WORKING TO DEVELOP.
UM, SO AGAIN, UH, AND UH, JUST A, AN OPPORTUNITY THAT CAME UP AS I WAS LISTENING TO, TO PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS, THAT SORT OF FUNCTIONALITY WHERE WE'RE, WHERE WE'RE TRACKING PROGRESS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, HAVING, HAVING SUPPORT FOR THAT, FOR THAT KIND OF ROLE COULD ALSO HELP WHEN THE DEPARTMENT IS HIT WITH INFORMATION REQUESTS SUCH AS IT'S GONNA BE NEEDED TO PULL TOGETHER THIS BURNS AND MCDONALD'S REPORT.
SO A, A VERY, A TRACKING AND IMPROVEMENT TRACKING RECOMMENDATION TRACKING FOCAL POINT COULD BE A, A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT CHANGES THAT WE MAKE RESULT IN ACTUAL CHANGES IN SERVICE QUALITY, IN COST SAVINGS IN WHAT WE'RE ALL HOPING TO ACHIEVE.
UM, SO I AM HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THESE SLIDES.
I HAD, UM, JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT, THAT JASON HAD HOPED THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY SINCE HE HAD TO LEAVE FOR ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT.
[01:35:01]
OUR FORMAL REPORT.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ELKHORN, THANK YOU SARAH, THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK YOU'VE DONE HERE.
AND, UM, DIRECTOR AND VERONICA, THEY, THEY, SHE JUST TALKED ABOUT HAVING A PERSON DESIGNATED TO BE LIKE, TO TRACK ALL THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE BEING ADOPTED TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY CAN BE IN REPORTING TO COUNSEL.
UH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE SOMEBODY IN YOUR DEPARTMENT.
SO IS THAT A DOABLE THING? YES.
DO WE KNOW WHO THAT IS YET? IT, UH, NOT YET.
WELL LET US KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE THAT, THAT PERSON.
'CAUSE I, I REALLY THINK THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
I DON'T WANT Y'ALL TO DO ALL THIS WORK AND WE DON'T END UP, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD WITH IT ON THE, UH, THE PRIVATE, THE, SO AT THE GOODWILL AND THE, AND THE UH, BEST BUY.
CAN YOU GO TO ANY ONE OF 'EM AND DROP OFF STUFF? I, I MEAN I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT.
LIKE I, I'D TAKE STUFF TO, I WOULD TAKE STUFF OVER THERE.
THERE'S ONE CLOSE TO MY HOUSE, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S GOODWILLS EVERYWHERE AND THERE'S, WELL WE DO TAKE SOME STUFF TO GOODWILL I GUESS, BUT BEST BUY TOO.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, WE DID THE SAME THING WITH COMPOSTING.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT DO IT.
WE PUT 'EM UP ON THE WEBSITE, NO PROBLEM.
I MEAN, I THINK WE CHECKED WITH THE LEGAL AND STUFF.
I MEAN WE, WE AND WE DID A PRETTY THOROUGH, EXHAUSTED, SO WE WEREN'T LIKE FAVORING ONE COMPANY.
WE JUST THREW EVERY COMPANY WE'D EVER HEARD OF UP ON THE WEBSITE.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY PROBLEM WITH PUTTING BEST BUY AND GOODWILL ON THE WEBSITE TO SAY DROP OFF YOUR E-WASTE HERE RIGHT UNDER WHERE YOU CAN DROP IT OFF FOR THE CITY.
'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE LIKE, I DON'T WANNA DRIVE OVER THERE.
I'M GONNA GO TO BEST BUY OR WHATEVER.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, A GREAT RECOMMENDATION AND UM, AND YOU KNOW, ALL OF 'EM ARE GREAT.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS, I ALWAYS HEAR LIKE ON POPOFF, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT E IS ALWAYS LIKE ELECTRONIC WASTE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT LIKE DO THE ELECTRONIC WASTE UP AND, AND, AND MARTHA CASTEX STADIUM DOES IT, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT DISTRICT E IT'S LIKE EVERY MONTH THAT THAT WAS THE ONLY THING DAVE MARTIN WOULD EVER SAY AT POPOFF WAS THERE'S A E WASTING.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, IT'D BE GREAT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE MORE OF THIS.
I ALWAYS WONDER WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THE CORDS AND ALL THE STUFF AT MY HOUSE.
SO, SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS AND, AND I AND, AND DIRECTOR AS SOON AS WE GET THAT PERSON, UM, DESIGNATED IT SHOULD BE KIND OF A REGULAR THING.
WHEN YOU GUYS COME TO DO A QUARTERLY REPORT, WE SHOULD GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE ON ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
'CAUSE YOU'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD ONES ON, ON SCRAP TIRES AND STUFF TOO.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK ON THIS.
AND ALSO, I, I DIDN'T, I, WE DO WORK VERY CLOSELY, UH, WITH EM AND IF, IF THAT DID NOT COME ACROSS IN WHAT I WAS SAYING, I DID NOT.
I MEAN, IT JUST SAID ONE OF THE THINGS WAS TO HAVE A PERSON DESIGNATED AND I THINK AS COUNCIL WE JUST WANNA KNOW WHO THAT IS SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU SO WE CAN BUG THEM.
ALRIGHT, THERE ARE NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IF I CAN JUST MENTION, UH, JASON'S, UH, COMMENTS.
UH, HE WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT UM, THERE'S AN UPCOMING FALL SWEEP, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE STRUCTURED SIMILARLY TO THE SPRING SWEEP.
UM, AND HE WANTED TO MENTION THAT THE MAYORS PROUD PARTNERSHIP AWARDS WILL BE COMING UP IN A FEW MONTHS.
SO KEEP YOUR EYE OUT FOR PEOPLE THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO RECOMMEND FOR AN AWARD.
IT'LL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE KEY HOUSTON BEAUTIFUL WEBSITE.
UM, AND THAT WAS WHAT HE WANTED ME TO SAY.
THERE ARE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
WAS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WANTED TO SPEAK? NO, UH,
SO THE NEXT SERVICE DELIVERY COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE ON AUGUST 28TH AND WE STAND ADJOURNED.