* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] 24 ITEM ONE, AUTOMATION NATION, INC. FOR LOW VOLTAGE VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVES FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM TWO, APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $60,000 AND OH CENTS FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF FUEL DELIVERY SERVICES FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AWARDED TO MOFFITT HOLDINGS LLC. ITEM THREE, RESOLUTION SUPPORTING CERTIFICATION OF A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR THE SALE FOR THE SITE LOCATED AT 18 INDUSTRIAL BOULEVARD, SUGARLAND, TEXAS. ITEM FOUR, RESOLUTION ADOPTING RECOMMENDATION OF CITY ATTORNEY TO ASSIGN ACCOUNTS OVERLAPPING WITH AMBLE, CLEAR CREEK, SPRING BRANCH, PASADENA, A LEAVE GALENA PARK, KLEIN, FORT BEND, AND ALDEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THOSE ACCOUNTS LOCATED IN MULTIPLE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. COLLECTIVELY, PURDUE ASSIGNED ACCOUNTS TO PURDUE, BRANDON, FIELDER, COLLINS, AND MOTT, LLP AND GREENBERG TRIAL RIG LLP FUNCTIONING AS A JOINT VENTURE AND TO ASSIGN TO LINEBERGER, GOGGIN, BLAIR AND SAMPSON LLP. ITEM FIVE ON APPROV, AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ACCESS CARE OF COASTAL TEXAS INC. ITEM SIX, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE MONTROSE CENTER. ITEM SEVEN, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BREAD OF LIFE INC. ITEM EIGHT, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $34,483,676 AND NO CENTS OUT OF AIRPORT SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED 2011 CONSTRUCTION FUND AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ZEL PHELPS CONSTRUCTION CODE ITEM NINE, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,291,523 AND NO CENTS OUT OF AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT FUND AWARDING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO HARPER BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION, LLC ITEM 10. ORDINANCE DECLARING SURPLUS AND AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY CONSISTING OF THE FOLLOWING PARCELS. ONE, APPROXIMATELY 5.89 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT 46 0 5 WILMINGTON STREET AND 93 14 CULIN BOULEVARD, HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS 7 7 0 5 1 AND IDENTIFIED AS PARCELS Q 75 0 0 3 P 99 0 0 1, AND PART OF PARCEL Q 75 0 0 2, APPROXIMATELY 1001 0.248 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT 84 18 AND 90 84 22 JENSEN DRIVE, HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS 7 7 0 9 3 AND IDENTIFIED AS PARCEL P 99 0 0 2 AND THREE APPROXIMATELY 0.64 ACRE OF LAND LOCATED AT 71 31 CULLEN BOULEVARD, HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS 7 7 0 2 1 AND IDENTIFIED AS PORT OF PARCEL P 7 7 0 0 1 APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING REAL ESTATE MARKETING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS AND WOMAC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT REALTORS AND INCORPORATED ITEM 11 ORDINANCE, THE APPROPRIATING $748,038 AND 45 CENTS OF GENERAL IMPROVEMENT, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUNDS OUT OF TASK ORDER AND DRY WATER CONTRACTING PROGRAM APPROPRIATING $748,038 AND 45 CENTS OF GENERAL IMPROVEMENT, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUNDS, AWARDING CONTRACT TO ARREST CON CORPORATION. ITEM 12, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 19 7 39 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT FOR VALVE ASSESSMENT, REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, AND TESTING SERVICES BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HYDRO MAX U-S-A-L-L-C. ITEM 13, ORDINANCE SUBMITTING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 19 2 69 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ITSA HOLDINGS, INC. DBA ROOTS BLOWERS, LLC FORMERLY HOLDING ROOTS LLC FOR BLOWER REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT SERVICES FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM 14, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE. ITEM 15, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH GEOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF HOUSTON ADVANCED RESEARCH CENTER. ITEM 16 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 2.45 ACRES OF LAND TO FORT BEND MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 23 ITEM 17. ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 2.6 ACRES OF LAND TO FORT BEND MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 23 ITEM 18. ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 3 3 6 0.9 3 47 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL DISTRICT NUMBER 5 7 8 ITEM 19. ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 35.802 ACRES OF ATLANTA INVERNESS FOREST IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE FINDING, DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC [00:05:01] CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF A 20 FOOT WIDE WATERLINE EASEMENT. A 100 SQUARE FOOT FIRE HYDRANT EASEMENT AND A 200 SQUARE FOOT 500 EASEMENT IS ALL SITUATED IN THE GEORGE BELLOW SURVEY. ABSTRACT NUMBER THREE, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS ABANDONING THE EASEMENT TO MEMORIAL CITY MALL LP END OF CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA. MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY ITEM 21, SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR THE FIFTH AMENDED PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 14, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOURTH WARD ZONE HEARING DATE, 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, JULY 24TH, 2024. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE WEEK JULY 10TH, 2024. STATE TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR CURRENT CITY SECRETARY, WHICH IS ME, PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSING. FANTABULOUS DAY CHAIR [RECONVENE] RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS FOR THE INVOCATION. PASTOR DAVIS INVOCATION. INVOCATION. I'M GOOD AT THAT, AT LEAST LET'S PRAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE DO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS DAY AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE PEACE THAT WE HAVE AFTER GOING THROUGH SUCH A DEVASTATING STORM. WE ASK YOU NOW TO GIVE US GOOD GUIDANCE AND LEADERSHIP IN REGARDS TO THESE ISSUES AND THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN HURT AND AFFECTED AND EVEN LIVES LOST. WE PRAY FOR THE FAMILY OF ALL OF THOSE IN THIS OUR CITY. AND THEN WE ASK OF YOU TO GIVE US THE DIRECTION BY WHICH WAY WE GO TO BETTER SUSTAIN OUR CITY. PRAY THAT WE HAVE DECENCY AND AN ORDER AMONG OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ALL OF US WILL HAVE THE MINDSET FOR THE FURTHERING OF THIS GREAT CITY. WE'D BE SO KIND AND CAREFUL TO GIVE YOU THE PRAISE AND HONOR IN JESUS CHRIST'S NAME, WE PRAY. THANK YOU, SIR. SOUNDS JULEE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND REPUBLIC, WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE OF LIBERTY. JUSTICE MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR WHITMEYER. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCILOR JACKSON WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MC CAYMAN. PRESENT, COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ. HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL HUFFMAN PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. HERE. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. HERE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. HERE. COUNCIL DAVIS. HERE. COUNCILMAN CARTER. COUNCILMAN WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. PEC MOVES. CUT FOR SECONDS. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES [MAYOR'S REPORT] MAYOR'S REPORT AND I'M GONNA SHARE SOME OF MY TIME WITH EACH OF YOU THAT WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A REPORT ON YOUR, UH, DISTRICT STATUS AND OR A CITYWIDE PERSPECTIVE FOR THE CITYWIDE COUNCIL MEMBERS. BUT FIRST I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS A FEW MATTERS. OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW ABOUT 48 HOURS AGO, WE WERE HIT WITH THE DIRTY SIDE OF A, OF A DIRTY HURRICANE CALLED BURL, WHICH WAS VERY UNPREDICTABLE FROM THE FIRST NOTICE WHEN IT WAS IN THE GULF, ACTUALLY EVEN BEFORE WHEN IT WAS IN THE ATLANTIC, UM, GOING INTO LAST WEEKEND, WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO SOUTH TEXAS AND, UH, NORTHERN MEXICO. IT TURNED AND, UH, A LOT OF DISCUSSION THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY FRIDAY ABOUT THE CONCERN THAT IT WAS HEADED TOWARD OUR REGION. UH, BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER THOUGH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR MOMENTS OF SILENCE. WE LOST THREE LIVES DURING BUR, UM, ONE IN THE COUNTY FROM A FALLEN TREE IN THE SPRING AREA. ANOTHER PERSON IN SOUTHEAST HOUSTON FROM A FIRE, WHICH INDICATIONS ARE IT WAS RELATED TO THE STORM. I'M NOT DISCLOSING THOSE TWO INDIVIDUALS NAME OUTTA PRIVACY CONCERNS IN, IN CONTACTING NEXT OF KEN, BUT ONE INDIVIDUAL WAS IDENTIFIED. UM, ONE OF THE TOUGHEST THINGS I'VE WITNESSED AS AN ADULT IS WATCHING, UH, HPD RETRIEVE THE BODY OF ONE OF THEIR [00:10:01] CIVIL EMPLOYEES. UM, SECURITY OFFICER RUSSELL RICHARDSON WAS COMING TO WORK AS A TIER ONE EMPLOYEE TWO DAYS AGO DURING THE STORM, AND, UH, EXITED 45 THERE AT HOUSTON AVENUE AND WAS SWEPT AWAY. MY WATER COULDN'T, COULDN'T GET OUT OF HIS VEHICLE. AND MONDAY AFTERNOON I WATCHED, UH, HBD OFFICERS RETRIEVED THIS BODY OF SOMEONE THAT THEY CONSIDERED A CLOSE FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE. UH, THE THE FACE OF THOSE, UH, COLLEAGUES WILL, WILL BE ON MY MIND FOREVER. UH, HE WAS DOING HIS JOB LIKE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND CITY EMPLOYEES THAT WENT TO WORK DURING THE STORM. UM, HIS BODY WAS RETRIEVED ABOUT TWO O'CLOCK MONDAY AFTERNOON, AND I'LL ADDRESS LATER THE THE NEED FOR BARRIERS THAT WORK ACROSS OUR CITY IN THESE LOW WATER AREAS. BUT AT THIS TIME, LET'S, UH, LET'S JUST PAUSE FOR A MOMENT OF RESPECT FOR THESE THREE INDIVIDUALS. AMEN. LET ME THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR BEING IN CONTACT WITH YOUR DISTRICTS. UH, I KNOW MANY OF YOU WERE IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER, MANY HOURS. I'M NOT SURE COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN EVER LEFT, BUT, UH, MOST OF YOU, UH, WERE INVOLVED AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER AND CERTAINLY BACK IN YOUR DISTRICTS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK HOUSTONIANS THAT LISTENED TO OUR REQUEST TO STAY OFF THE ROADS, CARE FOR THEM, THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR FRIENDS, THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG US, THEIR, THEIR PETS, THE SENIORS. SO HOUSTONIANS RESPONDED, UH, I WOULD ASK THEM TO CONTINUE TO STAY OFF THE STREETS. WE HAVE ABOUT 1400 TRAFFIC LIGHTS THAT STILL NEED SERVICE, EITHER LOSS OF ENERGY OR WIND DAMAGE, AND THEY'RE NOT OPERATING. SO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ALSO, FOR LACK OF, OF ELECTRICITY ARE DARK AND DANGEROUS. THE ROADS WITHOUT IN THESE INTERSECTIONS, WITHOUT LIGHTS ARE DANGEROUS. SO PLEASE, AFTER DARK STAY AT HOME, HELP OUR FIRST RESPONDERS HELP YOU BY, UM, LIMITING YOUR TRAVEL. AND, UM, I KNOW WE, WE ALL SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATIONS AND CONCERNS. UH, I'VE HEARD A COUPLE OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND SERVICE AGENCIES SAY, JUST BE PATIENT . I'M NOT GONNA USE THOSE WORDS. I KNOW IT'S HARD TO BE PATIENT WHEN YOU'VE GOT HOUSEHOLD NEEDS AND, AND LOVED ONES THAT DO NOT HAVE ENERGY AND CANNOT GO TO WORK AND SCHOOL AND HAVE A NORMAL LIFE. BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. UM, I ROUTINELY SAY ACROSS THIS CITY THAT WE HAVE A GREAT CITY WITH GREAT PEOPLE, WHICH WE PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE TODAY. A GREAT CITY. PEOPLE MOVING HERE AT LARGE NUMBERS, GREAT PEOPLE, BUT ALSO SAY WE HAVE CHALLENGES. LIKE MOST MAJOR CITIES DURING A CRISIS, OUR CHALLENGES ARE EXPOSED. HAVING STARTING FRIDAY, PREPARING FOR THIS STORM AND BEING IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER, IT JUST JUMPS OUT AT ME AS THE MAYOR THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HPD OFFICERS, ABOUT 2000 SHORT, ABOUT 500 POLICE OFFICERS SHORT. THEY'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK. THEY HAVE FAMILY CONCERNS AS WELL, BUT LIKE MR. RICHARDSON, THEY GO TO WORK. I WAS ON THE STREETS WITH THE, UH, POLICE CHIEF. WE THOUGHT SUNDAY NIGHT IT WOULD GET HERE AT 10. THEN WE MOVED IT TO 12, AND AT TWO O'CLOCK, THE CHIEF AND I WERE ROLLING ACROSS HOUSTON, MAKING CALLS AT TWO. AT AT TWO. WHEN WE WENT HOME, I SAID, BOY, THEY STILL MISJUDGING THE DIRECTION AND TIMING OF THE STORM. THEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE ALL MORNING. BARELY COULD MAKE IT. I PERSONALLY COULD BARELY MAKE IT BACK TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER AT SEVEN O'CLOCK. I CAN'T GO AND SAY ENOUGH ABOUT OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. TOM MUNOZ SLEPT AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER ALL WEEKEND AND STILL [00:15:01] STAYING THERE. UH, OUR DISPATCHERS WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK, DIDN'T GO HOME. PUBLIC WORKS WAS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO KEEP OUR LIGHTS AND SAFE STREETS SAFE. HELPED EVERY DIRECTOR WAS IN THE COMMAND CENTER, NERVOUS CENTER. I REFER TO IT AS GIVING DAILY REPORTS SOMETIME TWICE A DAY. CENTER POINT. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH THEM EVERY FOUR HOURS. 2.3 MILLION OUTAGES IN OUR REGION. 700,000, UH, HOUSTONIANS. EVERYONE WAS DOING EVERYTHING THEY COULD. AND I WANT TO THANK THE CITY EMPLOYEES. I WANT TO THANK HOUSTONIANS. I WANT TO THANK, I COULD SPEND MY WHOLE MAYOR'S TIME THANKING PEOPLE THAT ROSE THE OCCASION LIKE ONLY HOUSTONIANS CAN. WE WERE UNITED. WE'RE UNITED THIS MORNING. I WOULD OFFER TO THE PUBLIC, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN. WE'RE ESTABLISHING COOLING CENTERS, PICKUP SITES FOR WATER AND ICE. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PUSH CENTER POINT. WE'RE GETTING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM AROUND THE STATE. AT ONE TIME, UH, YESTERDAY, ONLY 4% OF OUR AMBULANCES WERE AVAILABLE FOR CALLS. THEY WERE ALL UTILIZED, BACKED UP AT SOME OF OUR HOSPITALS BECAUSE OPERATIONS THAT WERE SCHEDULED IN THE LAST 40 HOUR WERE POSTPONED. SO THOSE INDIVIDUALS, I WENT TO SEE OFFICER GARCIA THAT WAS SHOT IN THE LEG DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY WHEN I HEARD YESTERDAY MORNING AT EIGHT, THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A ROOM YET AT MEMORIAL HERMANN IN THE MED CENTER. I GOT ON THE PHONE, BUT WHEN I GOT THERE, I FOUND OUT A LOT OF FOLKS DIDN'T HAVE A ROOM YET. THEY CALL HIM SMILEY. AND IT IS A GOOD, GOOD NICKNAME. HE WAS IN GREAT SPIRITS. HIS COLLEAGUES WERE THERE. HOPEFULLY HE'LL GO HOME TODAY. SO I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW WE RESPONDED. NOW, BACK TO THAT EXPOSURE OF OUR VULNERABILITIES. IT WAS SUCH A REMINDER OF WHY I RAN FOR OFFICE, THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY THAT WE GOT. NINE FIRE STATIONS CLOSED BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE POWER. AND NO GENERATORS, NO ONE'S EVER DISCUSSED THAT PUBLICLY. YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIX IT UNTIL YOU DISCUSS IT PUBLICLY. NINE FIRE STATIONS HAD TO BE MERGED IN OTHER LOCATIONS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE GENERATORS. THEY LOSE POWER. THEY CAN'T MAKE CALLS. ACTUALLY, IT'S NOW 10 THAT WE DISCOVERED THIS IN THE MORNING. ANOTHER ONE, THE GEORGE BROWN HAS NO GENERATORS. WE HAD 1500 STUDENTS, FFA STUDENTS HERE FOR A CONVENTION MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THEY GOT HERE OVER THE WEEKEND, BUT COULDN'T HAVE THEIR CONVENTION ACROSS THE STREET 'CAUSE IT HAS NO POWER AND NO BACKUP GENERATORS. WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY WERE USING THE ARC? MONEY? PUBLIC SAFETY GENERATORS, MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS DO NOT HAVE GENERATORS. THERE'S 12 OF 'EM. SUNNYSIDE HAS A GENERATOR. ALE IS BEING EQUIPPED WITH A GENERATOR AS WE TALK, BUT THE OTHERS THAT WE WANT TO USE FOR CHILLING, COOLING CENTERS, NO POWER, NO GENERATORS. AND THIS IS A GREAT CITY, BUT SOMEBODY HAS BEEN NEGLIGENT IN TAKING CARE OF CITY SERVICES AND PROPER USE OF RESOURCES. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TALK ABOUT 200 SHORTAGE OF 2000 HPD OFFICERS, 500 FIREFIGHTERS. WE'VE MOBILIZED CHIEF SATELLITE, MOBILIZED HPD YESTERDAY, ALL HANDS ON DECK. TWO SHIFTS TO 12, THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENTS AT WORK. WE'RE SEEKING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. WE'RE GETTING 40 DPS OFFICERS PER SHIFT. WE'LL BE RECEIVING MORE AND IT'LL BE ANNOUNCED VERY SHORTLY THAT OTHER GREAT CITIES AROUND THIS STATE, DALLAS-FORT WORTH, SAN ANTONIO, AUSTIN, ARE SENDING US OFFICERS. I WANT HOUSTONIANS TO KNOW WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP THEM SAFE, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER. I DON'T, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA PLAY THE BLAME GAME GOING BACKWARDS, BUT I KNOW WHY I RAN FOR OFFICE TO FIX HOUSTON SERVICES AND I'M GONNA ASK EVERYONE TO JOIN ME GOING FORWARD. [00:20:01] WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE ADDITIONAL STORMS AND OTHER CRISES. WE'VE GOT TO GEAR UP FOR IT, BE READY, HAVE OUR FACILITIES IN GREAT CONDITION, HAVE GREAT SUFFICIENT PERSONNEL, BUT IT'S JUST NEGLIGENT. WHEN I LOOK AROUND AND I'M IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER AND WE'RE UNDER-RESOURCED, UNDERSTAFFED, BUT WE ACCOMPLISHED OUR MISSION BY EVERYONE WORKING LITERALLY, LITERALLY AROUND THE CLOCK AND SLEEPING IN THEIR HEADQUARTERS. ELECTRICITY OBVIOUSLY IS KEY. WE ARE ALL SHARING THE FRUSTRATION OF HOUSTONIANS IN OUR REGION FOR LACK OF POWER. WE WILL HEAR FROM A CENTER POINT REPRESENTATIVE IN A MOMENT, IN A MOMENT FOR A STATUS REPORT. BUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO COMING OUT OF THIS STORM IS GET PREPARED FOR THE NEXT ONE. BE VERY TRANSPARENT. USE OUR RESOURCES WISELY. SEEK ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. AND LET ME JUST PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AND SAY THANK YOU TO OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. GARCIA BRIANIS AND RAMSEY WE'RE IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER SHARING THEIR RESOURCES. WE HAD CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP THERE. WE HAD THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, WHILE THE STATE OF TEXAS WAS IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER REPRESENTED BY NIM KIDD AND THE STATE EMERGENCY CENTER AND THE ACTING GOVERNOR PATRICK. WE PICKED UP 25 AMBULANCES FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THEY'RE SENDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. THEY'RE GONNA PAY FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AT THE STATE LEVEL. THE WHITE HOUSE WILL SIGN THE DECLARATION. TODAY, THE PRESIDENT CALLED ME DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY. IT IS ALL HANDS ON DECK FROM THE CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO THAT COLLABORATION IN MY 50 PLUS YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE HAS NEVER BEEN WITNESSED OR USED TO THAT DEGREE. SO THAT'S GONNA MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I COULD GO ON AND ON. I'M, I'M FRUSTRATED, BUT I'M ALSO MOTIVATED FOR ALL OF US TO DO A BETTER JOB. AND WE WILL, WE'RE GONNA BE VERY TRANSPARENT. NO ONE HAS TOLD HOUSTONIANS IN RECENT YEARS THE TRUE STATUS OF THE LACK OF CITY RESOURCES IN PREPARATION. BUT WE HAVE A GREAT CITY AND GREAT PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE CHALLENGES. GEORGE BROWN DOESN'T HAVE ENERGY. YESTERDAY WE GOT 1500 STUDENTS IN THE MARRIOTT AND THE HILTON. BUT WE GOT A BALL GAME GOING ON DOWN THE STREET. TWO BLOCKS. WE GOTTA GET OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT FOLKS. AMEN. WE SIT HERE AND HEAR ABOUT HOTSPOTS AND REQUEST ABOUT ONE CITIZEN AFTER ANOTHER FOR BETTER PUBLIC SAFETY. WE DO OUR BEST IN NORMAL TIMES, AND THEN WE HAVE A CRISIS AND IT COMES HOME. WE'RE POLICE OFFICERS SHORT. WE'RE FIREFIGHTERS, WE'RE AMBULANCE. SHORT PUBLIC WORKS. WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK AFTER ELECTRICITY. DEBRIS IS ONE OF OUR HIGHEST CONCERNS. WE'VE OUTSOURCED SO MUCH OF OUR WORK. ACTUALLY, I WAS TALKING TO TDCJ YESTERDAY, COULD THEY SEND US SOME TRUSTEES TO HELP US? I WENT THROUGH HERMAN PARK ON THE WAY TO THE MED CENTER. LOOKS LIKE A WAR ZONE. WE BACKED OFF FROM THAT PROPOSAL BECAUSE I WANT TO DO IT IN DURING NORMAL TIMES AND SEE HOW WE CAN HELP SOMEBODY BE REHABILITATED, HELP GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE, ANOTHER DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER DAY. IT JUST SHOWS THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO GET THIS COMMUNITY BACK ON NORMAL FOOTING. AT THIS TIME, I WANNA CALL UP TOM MUNOZ, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY CENTER. IF YOU HAVEN'T MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER DURING CRISIS, YOU NEED TO BE THERE. THEY STARTED FRIDAY PREPARING FOR THE WORST CIRCUMSTANCES. THE DISPATCH CENTER THERE, WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK, UNDERSTAFFED. THE BUILDING. NEEDS RENOVATING. THANK GOD PEOPLE ARE SMART ENOUGH TO HAVE GENERATORS THERE, BUT WE COULD BARELY GET IN THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE OF HIGH WATER, BECAUSE THE DRAINAGE IS SO BAD. BUT ANYWAY, TOM, I'LL YIELD TO YOU TO GIVE US A STATUS REPORT. UH, I'VE GOT A LIST OF THE ICE AND WATER DISTRIBUTION. I'LL QUICKLY RUN THROUGH ACRES. HOME MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, NORTHEAST MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, SOUTHWEST MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, THE DEER HARBOR. I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT CAN HEAR MY VOICE. WE ARE [00:25:01] VERY COMMITTED TO EQUALITY IN THIS CITY. EVERY COMMUNITY IS GONNA GET THE SAME SERVICE THAT THE OTHER COMMUNITIES GET. EVERY HOUSTONIAN IS IMPORTANT. NO ONE WILL BE LEFT OUT. THESE MULTI-SERVICES, IT'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE OF LACK OF GENERATORS, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING WATER AND ICE OUT, OUT IN THE PARKING LOT. WE'RE GONNA OPEN COOLING CENTERS AT THE SOUTHWEST MULTI-SERVICE CENTER ACRES HOME, BECAUSE ENERGY'S BEEN RESTORED. SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER HAS BEEN RESTORED. ACTUALLY, IT HAS THE ONLY GENERATOR AMONG OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND WEST GRAY WILL BE OPEN FONDE. WE'RE GONNA OPEN FONDE AND ENCOURAGE CITY EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE CHALLENGES TO GO ABOUT FONDE AND PICK UP WATER AND ICE AS THEY COMMUTE BACK AND FORTH. I CAN'T THANK FOLKS ENOUGH. SO MANY LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITIES HAVE COOPERATED, BUT I AM FRUSTRATED. I CAN GET ANGRY WHEN I SEE THE NEGLECT THAT SOME OF THE CITY SERVICES HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO REALIZE. I RODE AROUND THE HELICOPTER YESTERDAY. HPDL HELICOPTER WAS SATTER WHITE. I DIDN'T NEED TO GET IN THE HELICOPTER BECAUSE I'D BEEN ON THE GROUND. BUT THE HELICOPTER WILL ALLOW YOU TO SEE HOW VAST OUR CITY IS. 600 SQUARE MILES. WE STILL HAD FLOODING IN SOME AREAS. WE'VE GOT TO, IN CLOSING, MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, LIFE SAFETY. AND WE'VE GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB OF BARRICADING THE STREETS. I KNOW WE PUT UP LIGHTS. IT'S NOT WORKING. WE NEED RAILROAD TYPE CROSSINGS AT ALLEN PARKWAY AND WALL SHEPHERD AND MEMORIAL HOUSTON AVENUE. I'M CERTAIN YOU COULD LIST OTHERS. THERE'S 49 THAT WE WANT TO IDENTIFY. WE'VE GOT TO PROTECT CITIZENS DURING THESE FLOODING CIRCUMSTANCES. TOM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK AND IF YOU'LL GIVE US A, UH, REVIEW OF THE EMERGENCY CENTER OPERATION AND WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR SUPPORT. COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU, UM, FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THIS GREAT CITY. SO, JUST TO GIVE YOU THE PERSPECTIVE AND, AND AN IDEA OF WHAT THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS STORM WAS, TODAY'S BEEN THE FIRST DAY I'VE BEEN OUT SINCE SUNDAY. AND I, I, UM, WAS SHOCKED AT WHAT WE SAW. SO OUR PREPARATION STARTED WHEN WE STARTED SEEING THE STORM DEVELOPING IN ATLANTIC JUNE 28TH, JULY 2ND. IT BECAME A CAT FIVE HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN. JULY 2ND IS WHEN OUR FLEET MANAGEMENT STARTED THE PROCESS ALREADY TO ENSURE THAT OUR VEHICLES WERE TOPPED OFF. WE STARTED GETTING OUR PLANS. WE'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR THIS AND WE CONTINUE TO PLAN FOR THAT. UM, WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETINGS JULY 5TH TO START GETTING EVERYTHING READY. AS THE MAYOR SAID, UH, WE WERE NOT ANTICIPATING HOWEVER WE'RE PREPARING. IT DID TURN, BUT WE WERE ALREADY READY FOR THE POSTURE UPON LANDFALL. IT BECAME A TROPICAL STORM. AND WE DID HAVE SOME DEVASTATIONS ON APPROXIMATELY 2.1 MILLION PEOPLE WITH ELECTRICITY. TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT MEANS, IT'S BIGGER THAN IKE IN MY UNDERSTANDING. WE SET HISTORY, OR THAT WAS A HISTORICAL OUTAGE IN OUR, IN OUR CITY. THE DEVASTATION IMPACTED 121 COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE, THE STATE. AND IT ALSO HAD SOME IN HUGE IMPACTS ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WHEN A HOSPITAL GOES INTO INTERNAL DISASTER MODE, MEANS THEY HAVE SOME COMMUNICATION ISSUES, FAILURES WITH ELECTRICITY. DERECHO HAD APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO SIX HOSPITALS. THIS STORM IMPACTED 29 HOSPITALS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. 19 HOUSTON PROPER HOSPITALS. THAT MEANS THEY DID NOT HAVE THE COMMUNICATION THAT WAS NEEDED. ELECTRICAL ISSUES, SO WAS SOME DEVASTATION AT THAT POINT. THIS IS OFFICIALLY OUR, AND IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE TIMELINE, THIS IS OUR SECOND FULL DAY OF OPERATIONS THAT WE'VE STARTED. AND WITHIN 24 HOURS OF IMPACT, WE'VE HAD OUR EOC ACTIVATED SINCE SUNDAY FOR 24 HOUR PERIOD, STILL CONTINUING. WE WENT FROM A LEVEL THREE TO A LEVEL ONE, WHICH WHAT THAT MEANS IN OUR, IN THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WORLD, WE HAD TO UTILIZE THE STATE FEDERAL ASSETS THAT ARE NEEDED. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, [00:30:01] AT THE NRG, WE DO HAVE A REGIONAL STAGING AREA THAT'S STAGED BY TEEM, UH, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THAT ALLOWS THE REGIONS TO GO ASK FOR REQUESTS, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS SOME OF THE ASSETS THAT THEY'RE GONNA NEED TO HELP THEIR AREAS. AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, WE REQUESTED TWO AMBULANCE STRIKE TEAMS, WHICH LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS THIS MORNING AT FIVE IN THE MORNING, THEY'RE STARTING TO MAKE AN IMPACT DUE TO THAT HELP. UM, WE'VE ALSO SET UP A MEDICAL SHELTER, REGIONAL MEDICAL SHELTER FOR THE REGION, AS THE MAYOR SAID, LOOKING AT THE HOSPITALS THAT ARE INUNDATED THERE, THERE WAS THAT BACKLOG, BACKLOG OF PATIENTS, PEOPLE COULD NOT BE, UH, LET OUTTA THE HOSPITALS. SO NOW WE'RE HAVING TO GET THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND BE ABLE TO SU SUPPORT THEM WITH THE MEDICAL SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED. WE'VE ALSO, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, THOSE SIX UH, POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION. WE'VE GOT 13 TRAILERS WITH WATER AND ICE THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING JUST DURING THIS. PRIOR TO STANDING UP HERE, I GOT THE CONFIRMATION THAT THEY'RE ALREADY IN ROUTE. THEY SHOULD BE HERE BY THE TIME THAT WE'VE SET, WHICH IS GONNA BE 12 O'CLOCK AND START DISTRIBUTION AT ONE O'CLOCK. WE'VE ALSO STARTED THE STEER PROCESS. THE MAYOR MENTIONED VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. OUR TEAMS HAVE BEEN WORKING, GETTING THOSE LISTS TOGETHER. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THERE'S 33,856 STEER REGISTRANTS. THAT IS THE MEDICALLY FRAGILE THAT NEEDS THAT, THAT EXTRA HELP TO GET OUTTA HARM'S WAY. WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE TWO ROUNDS OF CALLS, NOW WE'RE WORKING WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER STRIKE TEAMS. FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT DO NOT PICK UP ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT, WE ARE NOT PHYSICALLY KNOCKING ON THEIR DOOR TO ENSURE THEIR SAFETY AND THEIR WELLBEING. IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THAT STARTED WITHIN THE FIRST 24 HOURS. WE'VE ALSO ESTABLISHED THE SIX PODS OF MAYOR MENTIONED AS OF THIS MORNING AT SEVEN O'CLOCK, WE HAD 27 COOLING CENTERS. THE HARD PART WAS THAT HISTORICALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE HEAT PLAN, UH, ACTIVATION PLAN WE HAD LAST YEAR WITH NO ELECTRICAL IMPACT DURING THE STORM OR DURING THE HEAT WAVES. WE WERE AVERAGING 58 58 COOLING CENTERS PER DAY. THAT WAS A COLLABORATION WITH THE YMCAS, THE, UH, OBVIOUSLY OUR CITY FACILITIES. SO, BUT AS OF THIS MORNING, WE HAD 27. BUT JUST SITTING HERE, DUE TO THE FACT THAT ELECTRICITY'S STARTING TO COME UP, WE WERE ABLE TO ADD FIVE MORE YMCAS FOR A TOTAL OF 32. SINCE YESTERDAY, WE'VE HAD 935 RESIDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE COOLING CENTERS. UM, WE'VE ALSO HAVE TWO SHELTERS THAT ARE BEING RUN BY, UM, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. AND THOSE ARE TAKING PLACE AT THE BAKER RIPLEY SHARPSTOWN RIP IN THE AND NAVIGATION STREET. WHAT WE DID DO THE FIRST NIGHT AFTER WE WERE ABLE TO, WHICH WAS MONDAY, TUESDAY TIMEFRAME, IS WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MEDICALLY FRAGILE. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 18 TO 19 HOURS, WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN UTILIZE FONDE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT MAYOR ON THAT, TO UTILIZE THAT FACILITY FOR THE MEDICALLY FRAGILE THAT CAN THAT, THAT WE HAD SOME MEDICAL STAFF THAT COULD HELP THAT. JUST IN THE EVENT TO GET THOSE AND, UM, TO GIVE YOU THE, AND WITHIN 24 HOURS OF STARTING TO DO THE ESTIMATES THAT ARE NEEDED TO SUBMIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND TO FEMA, TO WHICH IS THE, SETS UP THE CATEGORIES OF SUPPORT THAT WILL GET UNDER FEMA. WE WERE ABLE TO THE CITY IN ITSELF, JUST CATEGORY A AND B, WHICH IS DEBRIS REMOVAL OR DEBRIS MANAGEMENT, ALONG WITH THE, THE PREPARATION THAT'S NEEDED BY FIRST RESPONDERS AND EVERYONE ELSE OF THE CITY PUBLIC WORKS. ALL THE, ALL THE, THE TIME THAT'S SPENT TO PREPARE AND TO RESPOND TO THIS DISASTER. WITHIN 24 HOURS, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO ESTIMATE $75 MILLION WORTH OF DAMAGE. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? THE THRESHOLD IN THE STATE IS 53.1 MILLION. THE COUNTY IS 21.4. WITH THAT SAID, ON THE FIRST 24 HOURS, WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT ESTIMATE. AND WHAT THAT MEANS [00:35:01] IS ALREADY DUE TO THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION GIVEN BY THE WHITE HOUSE, THE MONIES THAT WE SPENT ALREADY FOR THIS, IT ALLOWS US TO GET 75% OF THAT. THE MONEY SPENT. ONCE IT'S OFFICIAL, ALL THE CATEGORIES WILL BE OPEN, WHICH ALLOWS EXTRA SUPPORT FOR THE RESIDENTS. WE SAW THIS APPROXIMATELY SEVEN WEEKS AGO WITH DERECHO. IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME PROCESS. SO THOSE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE HAVE. MAYOR, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I A HUGE GRATITUDE, AS YOU MENTIONED, TO OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, OUR CITY, UH, STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS THE NGOS, UH, THAT WE CANNOT WORK WITHOUT THEM. THE COMMUNITY LIFELINES THAT WE HAVE. ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE WITH THEM. OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF TAKING CARE OF THE VULNERABLE, BUT THE REST OF THE RESIDENTS, THE MAYOR MENTIONED THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VULNERABLE, THE, WE'VE HAD THE ASSISTED LIVING SITES WE'RE ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH THEM AS OF LAST, THE LAST STORM. WE GOT A LIST OF THEM. AND ONE THING THAT I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THAT WE ARE MAKING THOSE CHECKS AND THERE IS THAT ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADDRESS LATER. BUT FOR US, THE MAIN THING RIGHT NOW IS MAKE SURE THAT IF WE LOOK AT THE, THE PLAN THAT WE HAD BEFORE, IT IS NOW TO START IDENTIFYING. THE TEAMS ARE AWARE OF THAT. THEY'RE AWARE THAT THIS IS THE DAY WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA START SEEING MORE RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK. WE HAVE ABOUT 70 PEOPLE OUT THERE ALONG WITH STRIKE TEAMS AT OUR EOC THAT HAVE BEEN SPENDING THE NIGHT TO ENSURE THAT ONCE THESE, THESE CALLS START COMING IN, WE'RE READY TO SUPPORT THAT. UH, WITH THAT, I'LL YIELD TO YOU TO ANY QUESTIONS, MR. MAYOR? THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, CHIEF MUNOZ, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA ECHO WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT, UM, ALL OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE STOOD UP ONCE AGAIN, LEAVING THEIR HOMES AND THEIR FAMILIES, UM, WITH NO POWER TO SERVE AND PROTECT AND HELP OTHERS. UH, AND OF COURSE, MAYOR, THAT'S OUR, OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES, BUT ALL THE WAY TO SOLID WASTE AND OTHERS. OTHERS, UM, AS IT RELATES TO ONE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT'S NOT ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT. UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE CRITICAL TO PUBLIC SAFETY IS OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS. ABSOLUTELY. AND I APPRECIATE YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ME AND GSD OUR OFFICE IS FUNDING, UM, NEW, UH, REST AREAS DURING THE DAY, BREAK ROOMS FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES. UH, HOWEVER, WHEN THEY'RE ON OVERTIME, WHEN THEY'RE STAYING OVERNIGHT, JUST AS YOU ARE. UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE NEEDS AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING? UH, AGAIN, OEM IS RIGHT ACROSS THE HALL. 9 1 1 IS A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, BUT YOU OVERSEE THE ENTIRE BUILDING TO A CERTAIN EXPECT RESPECT. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS ARE DEALING WITH AND WHAT IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE UPON? THANK YOU. AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT. SINCE, UH, APPOINTED AS THE ACTING, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT I STARTED LOOKING AT IS THAT SUPPORT MECHANISM. IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID OUR CALL CENTERS, OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS, OUR COMMUNICATION CAPTAINS, THEY ARE THE LIFELINE TO THE CITY. THEY, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ALWAYS ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES. AND THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZ RECOGNIZING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER. IS THERE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT? YES. WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT, THAT THOSE FACILITIES ARE NOT MEANT FOR OVERNIGHT STAY. RIGHT. BUT YET WE STILL SEE THEM. I, YOU KNOW, I'VE SPENT THE NIGHT. THAT'S FINE. YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB THAT THAT COMES WITH THE TERRITORY. I'D LIKE TO DO MORE FOR THE, FOR THE NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I WALK THE FLOORS, I SEE THEM. THEY'RE AS, YOU KNOW, 12 HOUR SHIFTS, SOMETIMES ADDITIONAL AS WE'VE SEEN 'EM WITH THESE DISASTERS. AND SO, YES, THANK YOU FOR THE QUIET ROOM THAT YOU'VE SUPPORTED. IT ALLOWS THEM, AND YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT EVERY CALL THEY GET IT. IT'S, IT'S A BAD CALL. IT IS. AND IMAGINE TAKING THOSE 12 HOURS A DAY AND, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE HARD PART. SO YES, IT CONDITIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN UPON MY FIRST WEEK THERE, STARTED SITTING DOWN ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WHAT IS, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO GOING FORWARD WITH THAT? THAT IS ONE OF THE PREP WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM. UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, I KNOW FOR US, WE STARTED TAKING, INCLUDING THEM IN OUR, OUR MEAL PLANS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WHICH INCREASES. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IF WE EXPECT THEM TO, TO BE HANDLING THOSE PHONES 12 HOURS A DAY, YOU KNOW, SPENDING THE NIGHT SO WE COULD [00:40:01] GET READY THAT WE'RE CALLED IN SUNDAY NIGHT TO GET READY FOR THIS, FOR THIS EVENT. RIGHT. RIGHT. AND I, I THINK WHAT I'M REFERENCING, MAYOR, IS, UH, THANKS TO CHIEF MUNOZ, THEY'RE NOW GETTING HOT MEALS. PRIOR TO THAT, I BELIEVE, UM, THEY WERE GETTING JUST MRE PACKS OR HAVING TO BRING IN, OR THEY BRING THEIR OWN, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, YES. MM-HMM . COTS THAT NEED TO BE PROVIDED AND BETTING FOR THEM, THINGS LIKE THAT. JUST THE BASIC NECESSITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF EVERYONE. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT. AND WE CAN TALK OFFLINE OR AT A DIFFERENT TIME ABOUT THE BUDGETARY, UH, NEEDS THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE FOR EVERYONE THAT IS ON CALL, UM, AROUND THE CLOCK LIKE THAT. THANK YOU. UH, Y'ALL HAVE ALSO, AND I WANNA THANK YOU, BEN ASSISTING, WE WENT TO, UH, WE FLAGGED ONE OF THE FIRST INDEPENDENT, I USE QUOTATION MARKS, INDEPENDENT LIVING FACILITIES THAT IS NOT INDEPENDENT. UM, AND THAT WAS DURING THE DERECHO AND THE CONDITIONS WERE ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. I'M REFERRING TO THE HEIGHTS HOUSE AND HEIGHTS TOWER AND RESIDENTS HAD FLAGGED THAT FOR US. UH, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING. AND WE HAD WORKED TOGETHER AND CHIEF PENA WAS THERE, UH, TO ACTUALLY BRING IN ADDITIONAL COOLERS, UH, FOR THOSE SITES THROUGH OEM SO THAT SENIORS COULD ACTUALLY COOL OFF IN THE HEAT WHEN YOU ALL, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, HAD REACHED BACK OUT AFTER THE INCIDENT. THEY HAD SAID THEY WERE STILL USING THEM AND HAD KEPT THEM. HOWEVER, IN REACHING OUT TO RESIDENTS DURING THIS STORM, THEY AGAIN, DO NOT HAVE POWER. AND THOSE COOLERS ARE NOT BEING USED. WE HAVE STAFF ON THEIR WAY RIGHT NOW TO CHECK ON THAT, MAYOR. BUT I'M SOUNDING THE ALARM AGAIN, AS YOU KNOW, CHIEF, AND I KNOW YOU'RE ALIGNED WITH THIS MAYOR, BUT WHEN YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, WE LIVE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, WE KNOW THAT DISASTERS HAPPEN. THEY MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE CHARGED FOR CARING FOR, AND THAT THEY HAVE THESE COOLERS THAT THE CITY PROVIDED FOR THEM AND ARE NOT USING THEM IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. SO I, IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK TO SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO, UM, BECAUSE OEM NEEDS TO BE FOCUSING ON THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND RESOURCE AFTER RESOURCES. NOW HAVING TO GO TO CHECK ON HUNDREDS OF LOCATIONS LIKE THIS. UH, AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE STEPPING UP. YES. I, I HIGHLY AGREE WITH THAT. UM, IT IS, IT IS INFURIATING AT TIMES TO, TO SEE THAT. AND THE REASON I TAKE IT SO PERSONAL IS THAT DURING MY ACTIVATIONS WITHIN THE COAST GUARD AND, AND, AND MY LAST ONE IS A COMMANDER IN PUERTO RICO, I, UM, IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO WALK IN THOSE SITUATIONS, RIGHT? AND SO I TAKE IT PERSONAL, UM, THAT I'VE TOLD OUR TEAM THAT THOSE ARE PREVENTABLE AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE VULNERABLE GO THERE FOR A REASON WITH EXPECTATIONS. AND THE LAST STORM THAT WE HAD, H-H-F-D-H-P-D, OUR STEER PROCESS, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. BUT THERE IS THAT TIME THAT'S GOT, AND I'VE TOLD THEM THAT NOT UNDER OUR WATCH, NOT UNDER MY WATCH. WE WILL NOT BE BREAKING A DOOR DOWN FIVE DAYS LATER AND FIND SOMEONE DECEASED BECAUSE OF A FACILITY THAT DOES NOT PROMISE WHAT THEY SAY MOVING FORWARD. I KNOW WE HAVE THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE MAYOR. I'VE BEEN TALKING TO CHRIS NEWPORT, STEVEN DAVID, GETTING LEGISLATION INVOLVED. THAT IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC. I TALKED TO A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION ON THE WAY UP HERE TO GET SOME NUMBERS, AND IT IS INFURIATING TO HEAR THAT THEIR FIRST STOP IS GONNA BE AN ASSISTED LIVING HOME TO SET UP FOOD FOR THAT PROCESS. YOU AND I MADE A CALL WHEN, WHEN WE SAY, WHAT IS YOUR MEAL PLAN? WHAT IS YOUR HURRICANE PLAN? WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD NOT BE HERE. AND WE ARE GOING TO BE DEPENDENT ON THE VOLUNTEERS TO FEED THOSE THAT WE'RE TAKEN CARE OF. IT IS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE. IT CANNOT BE. I'M LOOKING AT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, INDEPENDENCE HALL OUT THERE. ALL OF US, ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WERE OUT THERE DEALING WITH THIS. WE'RE GONNA DO IT AGAIN. I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT THE TOP PRIORITY OBJECTIVES FOR THIS MORNING ARE THAT TO START IDENTIFYING. WE, THE PROACTIVE APPROACH WE'VE TAKEN IS HAVE 'EM ON OUR GIS MAPPING SYSTEMS. WE'RE STARTING TO CONTACT THOSE INDIVIDUAL AREAS, WORKING WITH CENTERPOINT TO TARGET THOSE. SEE WHAT IS THE TIMELINE THAT, THAT INDICATES A LOT WHAT WE [00:45:01] CAN DO. BUT YES, COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS DEFINITELY HOT IN OUR AGENDA TO ENSURE THAT THAT IS PREVENTABLE. AND YES, WE WILL, WE HAVE TO SUPPORT, AND I AND I UNDER, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE READY TO, BUT THEN AGAIN, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT TRANSPARENCY WITH THEM AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. GOOD MORNING, SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE, UH, CHIEF, THANK YOU AND, UH, YOUR ENTIRE STAFF, ALL OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES FOR WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR EFFORTS. UM, KIND OF JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE TIMELINE. AGAIN, YOU WERE BROKE DOWN THAT, UH, SINCE YOU JUNE 28TH, YOU ALL START TO KNOW ABOUT THE STORM. UH, JULY 2ND, YOU STARTED TO PLAN, UH, JULY 5TH. YOU'RE ANTICIPATING, UH, THE STORM COME. WHAT COORDINATION WAS, UH, DONE THROUGH THE CITY AND WITH CENTER POINT, SOME OF OUR OUTSIDE ENTITIES IN THAT PREPARATION, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE MANY OF THE THINGS I HEAR ON THE NEWS ARE MORE REACTIONARY THAN HAVING THINGS PREPARED. PEOPLE READY TO GO. AS SOON AS THE RAIN AND THE WIND STOPPED, WE HAD BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND WE WERE GOING, ALL THE CREWS WERE READY, THE RESCUE WAS READY. UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT SETUPS WERE READY TO GO. UM, WHAT, WHAT PREPARATION DID WE HAVE BEFOREHAND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESPONSE TIMES WOULD BE AS FAST AS THEY COULD? AND WHAT COORDINATION DID WE HAVE WITH CENTER POINT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE AND UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNICATION AND THE RESPONSE FROM THEM TO GET THE POWER RESTORED. SO THE COORDINATION WITH US COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT INTERNALLY WITHIN OUR CITY'S DEPARTMENTS, WE START THE PROCESS OF, LIKE I MENTIONED, MAKING SURE ALL OUR, THERE'S A CHECKLIST THAT WE FOLLOW, RIGHT? OUR VEHICLES ARE TOPPED OFF, OUR STATIONS ARE SECURED, OUR MEMBERS ARE SECURED. AND AS FAR AS MONITORING THE SITUATION, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE HURRICANE SEASON, WHEN WE START LOOKING AT STORMS THAT ARE BREWING, THAT ARE POTENTIALS, WE, WE MONITOR THAT WITH A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AS IT GETS INTO OUR AREAS, THAT'S WHEN THE IT, IT STARTS INTENSIFYING INTERNALLY FOR US. NOW, THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO HAVE THE PERIMETERS OF WHEN IT'S SAFE, RIGHT? IF YOU LOOK AT THE STORM THAT WE HAD THE IMPACT, WE STILL HAD 80 MILE AN HOUR, 65 MILE WINDS, A LOT OF FLOODING. SO OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE LIMITED TO WHAT THEY CAN DO. HOWEVER, WHEN IT'S SAFE TO DO SO, H-F-D-H-P-D PUBLIC WORKS, EVERYBODY'S DOING THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TO SEE THAT. AND THE THING IS, WHEN YOU HAVE A STORM OF THIS MAGNITUDE, WE, THERE'S DOWN POWER LINES DEBRIS THAT'S PREVENTING FOR THE FIRST RESPONDERS. SO THAT IS THE FIRST OBJECTIVE IS TO CLEAR THAT. DO WE TALK TO CENTER POINT AB? ABSOLUTELY. NOW, THE THING IS TO BE, TO BE ABLE TO PREDICT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I CAN'T SPEAK ON CENTER POINT'S BEHALF, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT ONCE THAT IMPACT COMES IN AND WE HAVE, AND WE GET A GOOD PICTURE OF WHAT THE DEVASTATION IS, WE'RE DOING LIFE SAFETY, WHICH IS THE FIRST THAT WE START DOING. WE HAVE TO STABILIZE THE INCIDENT. MEANING IS IT SAFE TO GO OUT? IS ARE THERE STILL THE FLOODING? DO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION HOMES WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE SAFETY FACTOR? AND AT WHAT POINTS? WE ALL HAVE PERIMETERS. FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS THEIR PERIMETERS OF WHAT, WHAT CONDITION, WIND CONDITIONS, THEY CAN GO OUT. THE OTHER THING THAT WAS DIFFERENT IS THAT FIRE STATIONS WERE IMPACTED. SO PUTTING ALL THAT IN PERSPECTIVE. AND THEN THE SITES THAT WE'VE ALREADY PRE-IDENTIFIED AS THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, WE HAVE THOSE ALREADY. HOWEVER, THE FIRST THINGS WE GOTTA DO IS ENSURE, OKAY, DO WE HAVE ELECTRICITY? AS THE MAYOR HAS MENTIONED, A LOT OF 'EM DID NOT. THE FIRST NIGHT WHEN WE DID OUR, HERE'S OUR LIST, LET'S START LOOKING. WE WERE NOTICING REAL QUICK THAT THOSE AREAS, MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS THAT WE HAD ALREADY PREDIS PRE-EXISTED, WERE PRE-EXISTED, WERE PRE-DESIGNATED, DID NOT HAVE THE MINIMUM INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS ELECTRICITY FOR THAT. HOWEVER, ONCE THEY START GEARING UP WITH ELECTRICITY, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT. DID THIS CATCH US OFF GUARD AT ALL? IS THIS WORSE THAN WHAT WE ANTICIPATED? AND DID WE, DID WE PLAN FOR THE WORST? AND, AND TO SAY PLAN FOR THE WORST? DID IT CATCHES OFF GUARD? I CAN TELL YOU THAT, THAT NIGHT PRIOR, WE HAD OUR PEOPLE THERE, [00:50:01] WE WERE ALREADY ACTIVATED, FULL ACTIVATION, COMPRISED OF PD, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS, SOLID WASTE. OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING INFORMED AIRPORT SYSTEMS. WE'RE HAVING OUR CALLS WITH ALL OUR DIRECTORS. HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN. WE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS SAY IS MOST PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE CHECKLIST? WE HAVE 22,000 EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE TAKEN CARE OF, THAT THOSE MESSAGES ARE GOING OUT TO THEM. SO THAT'S A HINDRANCE SOMETIMES WHO'S IMPACTED, WHO'S NOT? WHO CAN COME IN, WHO CAN'T? BUT INTERNALLY, WE WERE ALREADY THERE ONCE THERE WAS THAT LANDFALL, WE HAD OUR FIRST RESPONDERS DOING THEIR PLANS, WE WERE DOING OUR PLANS, SETTING EVERYTHING UP. WE HAD TO IDENTIFY WHAT IS THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT. AND IF YOU RECALL, ON MONDAY, WE WERE STILL HAVING THOSE BAD CONDITIONS TO FIVE O'CLOCK, SEVEN O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING AND CONTINUE TO DO. BUT THE, THE ANSWER TO YOU IS WE WERE PREPARED. WE WERE LOOKING, WE'RE ALWAYS IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, AVERAGING THREE CALLS A DAY WITH THEM, SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING. WE'RE HAVING CALLS 1130 AT NIGHT. WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE CONDITIONS TOLD US, THE SHIFTING, WE ALREADY HAD OUR PEOPLE IN PLACE AS FAR AS READY TO RESPOND. OUR DEPARTMENT HAS TO DO THEIR THING, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS? AND LIKE I SAID, THIS IS OUR SECOND FULL DAY OF OPERATION THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO DO THAT. BUT YES, SIR, WE WERE THERE. THANK YOU. YOU COULD PUT ME BACK IN THE QUEUE. MAYOR, YOU UH, TOM, NOT BE FAIR. WOULD IT NOT BE FAIR TO SAY SUNDAY EVENING AROUND FIVE? WE WERE SO PREPARED, WE WERE SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR THE STORM. ABSOLUTELY. IN FACT, AT FIVE O'CLOCK WE PUBLICLY SAID IT WOULD BE THERE AT 10, THEN WE PUSHED IT BACK TO 12, AND THEN AT TWO O'CLOCK, THE CHIEF SATTERWHITE AND I WERE SO READY THAT WE HIT THE STREETS AND STARTED MAKING CALLS. SO WE WERE SO PREPARED, AND WE'LL HEAR FROM CENTER POINT IN A MOMENT, BUT CERTAINLY FROM A CITY PERSPECTIVE, ALL HANDS ON DECK SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AND I THOUGHT WE'D SCARED THE STORM AWAY, QUITE FRANKLY, BECAUSE WE WERE SO PREPARED. , BUT NO, WHEN I WENT IN AT TWO O'CLOCK MONDAY MORNING, NOT A, NOT ANYTHING BUT A SPRINKLE. EXACTLY. AND I HAD TOLD PEOPLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON, WHEN YOU GO TO BED TONIGHT, THE CONDITIONS WHEN YOU GO TO BED, IT'LL BE A NEW ENVIRONMENT, A NEW WORLD WHEN YOU WAKE UP MONDAY MORNING. AND THAT WAS VERY ACCURATE. SO, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR STAFF BECAUSE THEY SLEEP, THEY EAT, THEY GET OFF IN A CORNER AND TALK TO THEIR FAMILY. BUT, UH, I DON'T KNOW OF A HUMAN, I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER THING WE COULD HAVE DONE TO BE BETTER PREPARED. AND THAT IS CITYWIDE IN COVERING EVERY DEPARTMENT. I SEE RANDY BACK WITH PUBLIC WORKS, SOLID WASTE HEALTH PARKS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU WERE, YOU'RE STEADY. AND I KNOW WHEN WE GET THROUGH THIS CRISIS, YOU'LL IMMEDIATELY START GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT ONE. YEAH, MAYOR AM I MAY, AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RECOGNITION TO, TO THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP THE LIGHTS ON AT CITY HALL AND AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER. YEAH. IF I MIGHT ADD, PART OF OUR PREPARATION IS HAVING THE EXERCISES, TABLETOP EXERCISES THAT WE, WE CONTINUOUSLY LOOK WHAT IS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO THAT WE CAN DO. SO WE, THAT'S PART OF OUR, OUR BATTLE RHYTHM TO HAVE THOSE, SIR. UH, SO WE TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY. AND LIKE I SAY, CIVIL SERVICE IS A VERY SERIOUS BUSINESS FOR US, AND WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUS. ALSO, YOU'RE CONSTANT, UH, CONTACT IN EMERGENCY CENTER WITH THE RED CROSS, SALVATION ARMY FOOD BANK, OUR FAITH COMMUNITY. NOTHING GOES UNTOUCHED WHEN IT GETS READY FOR, UM, PREPARATION. EVAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU MAYOR AND, UH, STEVEN DAVID, AND FOR ALL THE UPDATES AND JOSH AND OEM, UM, I HAVE A CONCERN. CERTAINLY, I'M, I'M TOLD THAT THERE IS A BACKUP GENERATOR AT SUNNYSIDE, YET THE POWER WENT OUT. AND SO THAT'S A CONCERN TO ME. BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A NEW BUILDING. THAT AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM GOES OUT QUITE FREQUENTLY. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE, UM, THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. AND THERE WAS NO STORM ON ANOTHER OCCASION, AND I, UH, GOT THEM TO COME AND GET THE AIR CONDITIONING WORKING. AND SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING [00:55:01] WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM ITSELF. AND SO IT'S NOT GONNA DO ANY GOOD TO TO SAY IT'S A COOLING SYSTEM AND THERE'S NOTHING COOL THERE. AND SO, UH, IF, IF WE COULD MAYBE LOOK AT THAT, MAYBE GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE CONTRACT MAYOR TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED TO DO TO COME AND GET IN COMPLIANCE, UH, REGARDING THE AIR CONDITIONING. AND CERTAINLY, UH, I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, STEVEN DAVID YESTERDAY. I AM SO CONCERNED ABOUT, AS WE ALL ARE ABOUT THE ASSISTED LIVING SITUATIONS AND THE SENIOR, UM, RESIDENCES. I, I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AN ORDINANCE OR SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES THESE PARTICULAR FACILITIES TO HAVE BACKUP GENERATORS. THE CITY CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH. AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOOPHOLES THAT ARE BEING USED SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO COMPLY. BUT WE NEED TO SERIOUSLY LOOK AT THIS BECAUSE IT REALLY BREAKS MY HEART WHEN PEOPLE ARE CALLING ME. AND I'M, I'M TELLING YOU, MY, MY, MY CELL PHONE MUST BE EVERYWHERE, BUT ON THE BATHROOM WALL, UH, 'CAUSE I'M TELLING YOU PEOPLE CALL ME, IT'S ON THERE TOO, OKAY? AND I DO ANSWER IT, AND, BUT I'M SERIOUS. IT'S LIKE, BUT IT BREAKS MY HEART TO HEAR, UH, MY, MY PARENTS ARE IN THIS FACILITY, YET THESE FACILITIES ARE GETTING PAID. SOME OF THEM ARE GETTING PAID BIG MONEY. AND YOU WANNA SIT THERE AND TELL YOUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENCES THAT IT'S THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY. THE CITY NEEDS TO DO THIS. WELL, I THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO PUT AN ORDINANCE FORWARD TO REQUIRE THESE PARTICULAR ESTABLISHMENTS. AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA BE REDUNDANT. UH, AND, AND I HAVE REPEATEDLY ASKED PEOPLE, FORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I, I DO HAVE A GENERAC. AND WHEN THAT POWER WENT OFF WITHIN SECONDS THAT GENERAC CAME ON. BUT I KNOW THAT'S PRICEY. BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER WAYS. PLEASE LOOK AT SOME OTHER WAYS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOUR, YOUR HOME POWER. THESE STORMS ARE GETTING WORSE. THEY ARE COMING MORE FREQUENTLY, AND WE ARE DEFENSELESS WHEN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT HOLDING UP AS WELL AS THE CENTER POINT AND CENTER POINT. YOU ALL NEED TO GO AND CUT THESE BRANCHES. THAT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS CERTAINLY ON YOUR RADAR TO NOT WAIT TILL A STORM. BECAUSE ACTUALLY I HAD ASKED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO FOR THEM TO COME OUT AND CUT SOME BRANCHES, DIDN'T MAKE IT THERE, AND THE LINE BROKE. AND SO I'M JUST SAYING, UM, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE. AND YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY IS, YOU KNOW, OVERWHELMED, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CERTAINLY DO SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE DEFENSE. UH, BUT I THINK THAT WE DID AS THE BEST THAT WE COULD. MAYOR, I WANNA INDICATE THAT AS WELL. AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO. BUT PLEASE, PLEASE, LET'S LOOK AT THIS, THIS ORDINANCE AS WELL AS THE SUNNYSIDE AND, AND, AND JUST GET IT OUT. AND, AND EVEN ONE LAST, ONE LAST POINT. MAYBE SOME OF THE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES CAN, I, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE CENTER POINT PERSON. HE SAID HE'S BEEN THERE 35 YEARS. HE IS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF INCENTIVE OR SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES CAN PUT FORWARD TO HELP PEOPLE TO BE ABLE, JUST LIKE THEY DID WITH THE SOLAR, SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO HELP PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THESE GENERATORS. UH, BECAUSE WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF MOTHER NATURE AND WE ALL WANT THINGS TO BE BETTER, BUT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY SUFFERING. AND ONE, INSTEAD. IT WAS ONE MORE THING, I GUESS I'M LIKE A PREACHER THIS MORNING. UH, ONE, ONE MORE POINT. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ASK THE CITIZENS TO PREPARE, WE ARE NOT JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, PLEASE, AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, PREPARE YOUR CANNED GOODS, YOUR WATER SO THAT YOU'RE NOT STANDING IN A LONG LINE AT THE GROCERY STORE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT OR WAITING ON THESE WATER DISTRIBUTIONS FOR US TO COME AND BRING THEM. AND WE, AND WE DO HAVE ONE, AND I'LL ANNOUNCE THAT LATER. BUT CERTAINLY YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY TO PREPARE FOR THESE STORMS AND NOT JUST LET IT BLOW OVER AND SAY, OH, WELL, WHATEVER. AND THEN LEAVE YOURSELF AT THE MERCY OF MOTHER NATURE AND THE CITY. SO THANK YOU. SO I'M A LITTLE PASSIONATE AS WE ALL ARE. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT COMPASSION. APPRECIATE YOU VICE MAYOR PRO PECK, AND LET ME, UH, THANK YOU FOR SPENDING CONSIDERABLE TIME IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER. YOU DID A FINE JOB FOR YOUR DISTRICT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCIL. AND I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE GENERATORS. UM, BUT ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT NOT EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT HAS MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, LIKE IN DISTRICT A. SO WE, UM, HAVE BEEN TRYING [01:00:01] TO PURCHASE GENERATORS IN THREE LOCATIONS IN DISTRICT A FOR YEARS AND HAVE HIT SO MANY ROADBLOCKS. BUT THANK YOU MAYOR FOR GREEN LIGHTING US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT PLAN. UM, AND THEN AFTER WE GET THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, WE NEED TO WORK ON A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS FAR AS EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT HAVING PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO SO THAT IN EVERY STORM WE'RE NOT SCRAMBLING TRYING TO FIND A LOCATION FOR A COOLING CENTER OR FOR ICE DISTRIBUTION. YOU KNOW, H-P-D-H-F-D, THE EMERGENCY CENTER, ALL HAVE PLANS THAT THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, PRESS A BUTTON. IT, IT GOES INTO PLACE. THEY'VE SPENT YEARS WORKING ON THIS. BUT FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, AS FAR AS GETTING PEOPLE RESOURCES, WE DON'T HAVE THAT. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A BETTER PLAN MOVING FORWARD FOR THESE KINDS OF THINGS. UM, AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THE ADDITIONAL AMBULANCES. ALSO, I ALSO VISITED OFFICER GARCIA IN THE HOSPITAL AND WAS REALLY SURPRISED THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE A ROOM AND HE WAS IN THE HALLWAY. I MEAN, FOR OUR POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY NOT TO HAVE A ROOM. THAT WAS JUST AWFUL. UM, SO, UM, CHIEF MUNOZ, WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR THOSE AMBULANCES AS FAR AS, UM, HOW WE CAN, HOW WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THAT AND HOW WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITALS OUT OF THE HOSPITALS QUICKLY. SO THEY'RE USING THAT AS STRIKE TEAMS, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO THE EMS GROUP THIS MORNING IN, IN HOUSTON, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND SET TRACK. SO THEY HAVE THOSE. SO WHAT WAS HAPPENING IS THEY WERE BACKING UP, RIGHT? AND SO THEY'RE USING THEM TO EITHER GET 'EM OUT AND PUT 'EM INTO ANOTHER AREA OF REFUGE FOR SAFETY INSTEAD OF JUST THEM PILING UP. THAT'S BEEN A HUGE HELP THIS MORNING. THIS MORNING I STARTED GETTING THE REPORTS, I'M GONNA REVIEW THOSE AGAIN, BUT OUR EMS SIDE OF THE HOUSE FOR HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT SET TRACK, THE STATE HAS BOUGHT IN THE STRIKE TEAMS AS WELL, DOING PHENOMENAL JOB. WHAT THEY'RE ALSO DOING IS, SINCE THEY HAVE ALL THESE PATIENTS THAT NEED CARE, THEY'RE BRING IN EXTRA PEOPLE TO START TAKING CARE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, WE'RE LINED UP, AS YOU SAW AT THAT HOSPITAL. UM, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING, TRYING TO SUPPORT THAT MECHANISM THAT THEY HAVE. AND THE OTHER ISSUE IS, I MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, 29 OF THOSE 29 HOSPITALS IS OUR INTERNAL DISASTER. SO EVERYTHING FROM CHECKING PEOPLE IN TO CHECKING PEOPLE OUT, EITHER COMMUNICATIONS ISSUES, INTERNET ISSUES DUE TO ELECTRICITY ISSUES, GENERATOR ISSUES, HAS CREATED SOME PROBLEMS WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO PROCESS THEM OUT. SO THEY BRING IN THAT SURGE SUPPORT AND THEY'RE GETTING SOME MORE THIS, THIS AFTERNOON FROM MY UNDERSTANDING AND MORE AS THROUGH THE DAYS. SO THAT'S BEEN A HUGE LIFT THAT THE, THE STRUGGLE HAS BEEN THAT, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, 121 COUNTIES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. AND SO OUR REGION IS, YOU KNOW, THE 13 AREAS ARE ALSO IMPACTED. SO THE, THE RESOURCES LIKE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GETTING IN FRONT OF THE LINE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET 'EM AS WELL. BUT THAT, THAT MEDICAL SUPPORT HAS BEEN A HUGE HELP. AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, THANKS TO THE MAYOR AND, AND, AND TUGGING THE GOVERNOR AND AND M KID AND SO FORTH, WE HAD ALREADY STARTED THAT STAR REQUEST. IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF SENDING IT IN AND WE GOT THAT TAKEN CARE OF RIGHT AWAY. SO, AND I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT AS OF YESTERDAY, AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE SENDING OUT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, I THINK THE BIG QUESTION IS WHERE ARE THE AREAS, RIGHT? AND COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, THANK YOU. 'CAUSE UTILIZING THOSE IDEAS, UTILIZING OUR TEAMS, THE TALENTED TEAM THAT WE HAVE, WE'VE ESTABLISHED A MAPPING WHERE IF YOU PUT YOUR ADDRESS, IT'LL TELL YOU HERE'S THE NEAREST COOLING CENTERS AND DISTRIBUTION SITES. SO WE'RE GONNA BE PASSING THAT OFF TO YOU TODAY. SO WE COULD HAVE THAT. THANK YOU. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMPASSION. I APPRECIATE YOU. COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE DEFINITELY TOUGH TIMES FOR EVERYONE. UH, AS COUNCILMAN SHABAZ MENTIONED, WE'RE ALL GETTING TEXT MESSAGES AND CALLS FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT STILL NO LIGHT. UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THE COOLING CENTERS? AND I, AND I REALLY WANNA STRESS THAT AT THIS TIME, UH, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES. AND AT SOME POINT, THE STATE'S RESPONSIBILITY AND SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, SPECIFICALLY LIFE SAFETY, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, WE REALLY NEED TO START TAPPING INTO THEIR SURPLUS THAT THEY HAVE. UM, WHETHER IT'S HELPING REESTABLISH WHAT, WHAT OUR GRID LOOKS LIKE IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH CENTER POINT, WHATEVER INCENTIVES ARE NEEDED TO HELP, UH, BUILD THAT UP. UM, IN ADDITION TO, OF COURSE, THE GENERATORS AT SOME OF THESE DIFFERENT HOUSING FACILITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVEN THROUGH THE CITY, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE A TAX INCENTIVE TO, YOU KNOW, TWO TO THREE YEAR TAXES CENTER TO START, UM, REALLY REESTABLISHING, UH, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE HOUSING, THOSE APARTMENTS TO HAVE SOME GENERATORS, UH, TO START GETTING FOLKS BACK ONLINE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAKE, MAKE, MAKE MAKING SURE THAT, UH, WE CAN HELP, UH, AT THE DIFFERENT, UM, MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS AS WELL. UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A MAP, THE SOUTHEAST PART OF HOUSTON ALONG 45, SO DISTRICT E AND DISTRICT I, WE'RE LACKING A LOT OF THAT, THOSE RESOURCES AS WELL AS, AS COUNCIL MEMBER PE HAS MENTIONED. UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR [01:05:01] FAITH COMMUNITY THAT ARE ABLE TO HELP OUT, BUT WITHOUT THE CITY PROVIDING SOME OF THAT, THAT SUPPORT, I THINK FINDING THAT THAT FUNDING AT THE STATE LEVEL IS IMPORTANT. UM, YOU KNOW, AND I, I CAN'T STRESS, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILOR SHABA MENTIONED AS WELL, WHICH I MENTIONED AFTER THE, THE STORM WAS, UH, WE REALLY NEED CENTER POINT TO DO SOME, YOU KNOW, PREPARING AS WELL. YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY KNOW HURRICANE SEASON HAPPENS. AND SO SEVERAL OF US, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS ARE GOING OUT AND TRIMMING TREES AROUND THEIR HOME, MAKING SURE THAT THINGS ARE, ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T SEE, UH, FURTHER DAMAGE. AND SO THE, THOSE, UH, THOSE TREE LIMBS ARE REALLY, IS WHAT'S CAUSING A LOT OF THE, THE POWER TO STAY OFF. I JUST RECEIVED A TEXT, UH, THIS HUGE TREE, TREE LIMB ON A, ON A POWER LINE WHERE, YOU KNOW, BUT FOR, YOU KNOW, THAT TREE LIMB, THEY PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN HAVING POWER AROUND THAT, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO, UM, PRE, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME, SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, THOSE, THOSE AREAS BEING ADDRESSED PRIOR TO STORMS IS IMPORTANT. WE NEED TO TRIM AROUND BACKYARDS, POWER LINES. AND SO I REALLY WANNA STRESS THIS CENTER POINT. UM, THE MORE THAT WE CAN DO A LOT OF THIS, THIS, UH, THIS WORK ON THE FRONT END, IT'D BE VERY HELPFUL. UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE STILL CAN MAINTAIN POWER. UM, AND, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS AS WE START, START LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THESE NEXT, YOU KNOW, THESE NEXT STORMS COMING UP, UH, THE FAITH COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT TO US. UM, REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE, UH, FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, SUPPORT LOOKS LIKE. UM, RIGHT NOW, LIKE I SAID, IN THE HOBBY AREA, IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF HOUSTON, ALONG 45, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT MUCH GOING ON. AND BECAUSE THEY'RE SO CLOSE TO PASADENA, TO SOUTH HOUSTON, SOME OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS SOMETIMES GET FORGOTTEN AS WELL. AND SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE LEANING ON, ON YOU AS WELL, CHIEF, TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN WORK ON THOSE LOCALIZED, UM, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS AS WELL. NOW, THANK YOU FOR THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER. I'LL TELL YOU THAT WE DO HAVE OUR MASS CARE COORDINATORS AS WE SPEAK RIGHT NOW, WORKING DILIGENTLY. THE OTHER ONE, YOU MENTIONED GRANTS, RIGHT? OR, OR FUNDING THE FEDERAL GRANT PROCESS. YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME THEY OPEN UP, WE START THE PROCESS. AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'VE TALKED TO A COUPLE OF, OF, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL GET IT, WE'LL APPLY IT, AND THEN IT'S IN THE HOLDING PATTERN. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH HARD. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A GRANT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN REVIEWED, EVERYTHING ELSE. NOW IT'S GOTTA GO THROUGH THE NEXT STEP AND NEXT STEP FOR TWO YEARS NOW. AND I ACTUALLY JUST YESTERDAY I MADE A, A CALL, A HEATED CALL WITH AN INDIVIDUAL THAT SAID IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKING A YEAR IN TECHNICAL REVIEW. THAT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO EXPEDITE. WE DO HAVE THE MITIGATION PROCESS, THE MITIGATION GRANTS TO COME AVAILABLE, THAT WE'RE GONNA START INVESTING AND ARE ALREADY DOING IT, AND JUST GETTING THAT, THAT PROCESS GOING SO WE COULD GET MORE OF THAT FEDERAL FUNDING, ESPECIALLY TIMES LIKE THIS THAT I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE OPENING UP SOME MORE POCKETS. THANK YOU, CHIEF. AND, AND WE LEAN ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POST STORMS. MM-HMM . WE NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, PROACTIVE WITH, EVEN WITH THE STATE, YOU KNOW, AND HOW THEY PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND PRIVATE INDUSTRIES REALLY STEPPING UP TOO. SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, HUFFMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR PROACTIVENESS, UM, AT OEM AND ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS. I ESPECIALLY WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND RANDY MACKEY, BECAUSE ON SUNDAY NIGHT, UM, I HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT ME. PUBLIC WORKS HAD BEEN OUT THERE A FEW WEEKS BEFORE, HAD FOUND A BLOCKAGE IN ONE OF THE STORM SEWERS AND HAD UNBLOCKED IT. UM, HOWEVER, WHEN WE GOT SOME RAIN ON SUNDAY, THE STREETS FILLED UP AGAIN AND THE NEIGHBORS WERE WORRIED WITH, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE BUREAU COMING. SO IT WAS SUNDAY NIGHT, PUBLIC WORKS, WAS OUT THERE, FOUND ANOTHER BLOCKAGE, UM, DISLODGED IT. AND THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD IS SO GRATEFUL. AND THAT IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH MORE DEVASTATION, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FLOODING THAT CHANGES PEOPLE'S LIVES. AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU, RANDY. COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR THESE ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS TO HAVE LIKE AN EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN? SIR, MY UNDERSTANDING, WE'VE DONE A NURSING HOMES DO HAVE THEM, HAVE TO HAVE THEM, AND TALKING TO SETRAC AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT'S A REGULATION. SO THE ANSWER I'VE BEEN TOLD IS NO, BUT WE'RE STILL GONNA DO A DEEP DIVE ON THAT BECAUSE, UH, FROM WHAT I'M SEEING, THE PLANS AREN'T THERE. WHEN, WHEN WE ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN, MEAL PLAN? AND THEY SAY, WE, WE, UH, DEPEND ON VOLUNTEERS. THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER WE'RE LOOKING FOR. SO THE ANSWER I'VE BEEN TOLD IS NO. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, THERE'S DIFFERENT LEVELS, ASSISTED LIVING, SENIOR LIVING. SO THEY, THEY PLAY WITH THE WORD SOMETIMES, UH, AS THE REQUIREMENTS. AND I THINK ONCE WE DO THAT, THE, THE ELDERLY HAVE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. LIKE NURSING HOMES, THEY DO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT, THEY HAVE TO BE BLESSED, AND THEY HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE GENERATORS YOU MENTIONED HAVE TO BE THERE. SO ALL THESE AREAS OF PREREQUISITES. BUT RIGHT NOW, I'M BEING TOLD NO, SIR. SO, AND, [01:10:01] AND MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO, OR MAYBE THAT'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING FROM THE STATE, BUT I WOULD THINK AT A MINIMUM, HAVING THESE PEOPLE ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND PUT SOMETHING DOWN ON PAPER TO THINK ABOUT WHAT DO YOU DO? UM, I WAS ASKED TO VISIT, UH, AN ASSISTED LIVING CENTER, UH, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND WENT OUT THERE AND THEY WERE SUFFERING FROM THE SAME THING EVERYBODY ELSE WAS WITH NO ELECTRICITY. THE PROBLEM IS IT'S A THREE STORY FACILITY. THEY HAVE PEOPLE ON THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS WHO ARE IN WALKERS AND WHEELCHAIRS. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT PRESENTS A HUGE PROBLEM FOR THOSE PEOPLE. SO, UH, I, I THINK AT A MINIMUM, IF WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE FORCE THEM TO ACTUALLY PUT DOWN ON PAPER WHAT THEIR PLAN IS TO DO IF THEY LOSE POWER AND, UH, MAYBE EVEN GET THEM TO THINKING, TO DOING SOMETHING LIKE HAVING BACKUP GENERATORS AND THAT TYPE OF THING. WELL, OBVIOUSLY, EVEN IN NORMAL TIMES, THERE'S A LOT OF NEGLECT. IN FACT, WHEN WE WENT TO, UH, INDEPENDENCE HALL DURING DIRETO THAT SUNDAY AFTERNOON, WE GOT WORD THAT THERE WERE SENIORS THAT HAD HAD NO WATER OR SERVICES SINCE THURSDAY. WE GOT THERE. AND THE FRONT DOOR, UH, FIRST THE MANAGEMENT HAD LEFT, UH, WHICH OUGHT TO BE CRIMINAL, UH, NEGLECT. THE OWNERS OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T CARE. BUT WHAT IS SO STRIKING WAS THAT IT HAD ALREADY BEEN RED TAGGED FOR DEFICIENCIES. AND WE MADE OUR CALLS WITH TOM AND COUNCILMAN CAME, AND A GROUP OF US WENT THERE. UH, HORRIBLE CONDITIONS. NOW HERE'S THE CHALLENGE. WHERE YOU GONNA PUT 'EM? WHERE YOU GONNA PUT 'EM IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE LIVING? BUT, AND OBVIOUSLY WHATEVER THEY, THEY, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL TYPE OF INSPECTION TEAMS AT HPD, THEY RED TAG FOLKS, BUT ARE YOU GONNA TAKE 'EM OUT OF THIS HORRIBLE CONDITION TO THE STREETS? ARE WE GOING TO GEAR UP AND HAVE REPLACEMENTS FOR 'EM? IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE. AND OBVIOUSLY IF WE REQUIRE THEM TO HAVE STANDBY GENERATORS, THAT'S A COST TO BE PASSED ON AS WELL. SO IT'S ALL A BALANCING ACT. NO, THE STATE LEADERSHIP WAS, WAS IN OUR LAST BRIEFING YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AT, UH, THREE 30. AND THEY WERE LISTENING AND, UH, THEY SAID THEY WOULD SHARE THE COST. NOW THERE'S HUGE DEMANDS. FIRST, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE JUST ASKED ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WAS I ANGRY? YEAH, I'M ANGRY THIS MORNING ABOUT THE NEGLECT OF CITY FACILITIES. YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY POLICE AND FIRE, CJ, WE'LL GET MESSIAH OVER HERE AFTER THIS CRISIS. AND HE'LL TELL YOU THERE'S 300, 300 CITY FACILITIES, MOST OF WHOM NEED ROOFS AND MAINTENANCE. SO, YEAH, I'M, I'M, I'M ANGRY THIS MORNING ABOUT THE NEGLECT THAT WE ALLOW FIRE STATIONS TO HAVE TO BE CLOSED. 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A BACKUP GENERATOR. SO TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THOSE THAT ARE INSPECTED, UH, HOUSING THE MOST VULNERABLE, THE STATE SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT GOES IN AND LICENSE THEM, THEN WE'VE GOTTA HAVE FOLLOW UP AND HAVE ENFORCEMENT. AND CERTAINLY WITH THE WEATHER CONDITIONS BECOMING MORE OFTEN AND INTENSE, WE'VE GOTTA BE PREPARED. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO BRING UP. I, I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHEN, WHEN COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABA WAS TALKING ABOUT BACKUP GENERATORS, AS YOU ARE, I SAID, THAT STATE SEAL AT STATE SEAL, THE CITY SEAL ON YOUR SHIRT, WE PROBABLY OUGHT TO REPLACE THAT LOCOMOTIVE WITH A GENERATOR AS A REMINDER GOING FORWARD, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE GENERATION BECAUSE THE STORMS ARE GETTING MORE INTENSE. THE RED SHOW WAS SUDDEN AND INTENSE. WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PREPARE FOR IT. THIS WHEN WE SAW IT COMING AND, UM, GOT AS PREPARED AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE. UH, AND, AND REALLY, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT ON FRIDAY, AND I HADN'T EVEN BRAGGED ABOUT THE JULY 4TH CELEBRATION THAT WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THURSDAY NIGHT. BUT FRIDAY WE THOUGHT THE STORM WAS GOING TO MEXICO. AND IN SOUTH TEXAS, WE CAN ONLY PREPARE FOR WHAT THE NATIONAL SERVICE CENTER TELLS US ABOUT. AND THEY WERE WRONG. AND TWO O'CLOCK MONDAY MORNING, WE WERE ALSO GEARED UP. THE CHIEF AND I HIT THE STREETS BECAUSE WE WERE IMPATIENT. WE WERE READY TO GO TO WORK PREPARED FOR THE STORM. AND WHEN WE HAD MORE TIME, BUT I'M GONNA TAKE A MINUTE. AND AT TWO, 2:00 AM WE MADE A CALL AT BUFFALO SPEEDWAY IN 59, A BREAK IN TO TWO RESIDENTS WERE HORRIFIED BY A HOMELESS PERSON. HPD MADE THE CALL, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANNA CELEBRATE. THESE YOUNG OFFICERS PUT THIS HOMELESS PERSON IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE POLICE CAR HANDCUFFED AND IT PREPARE BECAME APPARENT HE WAS HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH EPISODE. I WATCHED A YOUNG OFFICER GO TO THE CONVENIENCE STORE NEXT DOOR AND GET BOTTLED [01:15:01] WATER. THE GENTLEMAN, THE HOMELESS, WAS HANDCUFFED WITH HIS HANDS BEHIND THE BACK AND GIVE HIM WATER IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE POLICE CAR. UH, I WAS, I WAS STANDING THERE WITNESSING THIS. THEY SAW IT WAS MENTAL HEALTH. HOUSTON FIRE CAME ASSISTED AND TOOK THE PERSON TO A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY. OF COURSE, OUR CRITICS SAID, YOU KNOW, WHITMEYER ARREST IN THE HOMELESS. NO, THAT WAS AN INTERVENTION AND WAS VERY HUMANELY HANDLED. SO THESE ARE THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT. BUT BACK TO YOUR PROPOSAL, YES, I THINK WE NEED TO GO DISTRICT BY DISTRICT CITYWIDE, PRIORITIZE THE FACILITIES, CERTAINLY STARTING WITH OUR MULTI SERVICES, OUR FIRE AND POLICE, AND THEN GET TO THE INDEPENDENT ASSISTANCE LIVING FACILITIES, THE MOST VULNERABLE. SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. AND YES, I'M ANGRY THAT THE LEVEL OF NEGLECT IS AT THE, AT THIS STAGE, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO. THE GOOD NEWS IS WE MONITORED THE RIVERS. SAN JACINTA AND KINGWOOD DID NOT GET HIT AS HARD AS WE ANTICIPATED BECAUSE BURL WENT INTO EAST TEXAS, LIVINGSTON COUNTY, POLK COUNTY HIT TYLER PRETTY HARD. AND ALL THAT WATER FLOWS SOUTH. SO ANYWAY, YES, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO KNOW IF I'M ANGRY, YEAH, I'M VERY DISTURBED. BUT WHAT BECAME APPARENT DURING THIS STORM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. YEAH, THANK YOU AMER AND BOTH YOU AND THE CHIEF FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND GOING TO DO. I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE THE POINT OF IT THAT, YOU KNOW, IN RECENT SEVERAL, UH, WEEKS BACK WHEN WE HAD THE PREVIOUS STORM, I BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE ABOUT GENERATORS. I BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE ABOUT EXPOSING, HAVING SOME OF THE CONVENIENCE STORES IN OUR IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY WITH ACCESS TO GENERATORS. I TALKED ABOUT A MANDATORY ORDINANCE ON HAVING PEOPLE TO HAVE THOSE GENERATORS. THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT NOW, ONE POINT 27 COOLING CENTERS. MOST OF US WHO EXPERIENCED THIS AS I DID AS OTHERS, AND STILL HAVE NO POWER, IF THESE FACILITIES WOULD'VE HAD THESE GENERATORS, THE 27 COOLING CENTERS, A LOT OF PEOPLE COULDN'T EVEN GET TO THE COOLING CENTERS BECAUSE THEY, A LOT OF THE PLACES DIDN'T HAVE GAS AND PEOPLE LINED UP. UH, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER EFFECTIVE WAY IN ORDER TO GET PEOPLE TO BE MORE MOBILE. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S AN EASY DEAL. THAT'S AN EASY DEAL. THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN HAVE SOME MOBILITY. HOUSTON'S A LARGE CITY, YOU GOT 27 COOLING CENTERS. HOW THEY GONNA GET THERE? ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT NEED TO GET THERE. THAT'S ONE WAY OF DOING IT. NOT ONLY THE, THE GENERATORS FOR THE CONVENIENCE STORES IS AN ISSUE FOR ALSO TO PROVIDE ICE, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE WATER. THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE. LAST ONE OTHER THING I WANNA MAKE MENTION OF IS THAT PREVIOUSLY DURING KATRINA, THAT WAS A COLLABORATION WITH NONPROFIT FAITH-BASED CHURCHES. THE COOLING CENTERS OF 27. YOU CAN'T EVEN, YOU COULD 10 TIMES THAT IN CHURCHES AND COMMUNITIES. WE COULD CREATE A DIRECTORY LIST CHIEF OF, OF THOSE CHURCHES AND PASTORS WHO ARE WILLING TO OPEN THEIR FACILITIES JUST LIKE THEY DID DURING KATRINA. WE WAS PART OF THAT EXERCISE. WE WERE THERE TO HELP THEM. THOSE PEOPLE HOUSED PEOPLE. THEY BEDDED PEOPLE. THEY DID ALL OF THOSE THINGS IN ORDER TO HELP THAT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER PLAN IN ORDER TO ADD TO THE EXERCISE OF EMERGENCY IMPACT. I THINK THAT NOT ONLY THE CITY, BUT THE STATE SHOULD MERIT, SHOULD TAKE, HAVE A, A, A STAKE IN THIS SITUATION. THE DOLLARS AND THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE. UM, ONE PARTICULAR AREA, CLEAR LAKE, NOW PEOPLE TALK ABOUT MULTIPURPOSE CENTER, CLEAR LAKE DOESN'T HAVE ONE. SO, SO THERE ARE CITIZEN THERE TOO. THERE ARE TAXPAYERS THAT LIVE THERE AS WELL. AND THEN, SO TO EXERCISE THE FACT, WE NEED TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE CAN COVER. THERE ARE NO PERFECT PLANS, BUT THERE CAN BE SOME PERFECT, YOU KNOW, PREPARATION. SO MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THE FACT, UH, OF YOUR MOTIVATION, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF YOUR, YOUR FRUSTRATION, BUT YOUR MOTIVATION TO GET STUFF DONE THAT HAD NOT BEEN DONE. AND I'M JUST SAYING THERE MAY BE NO PERFECT PLAN. I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT MINE IS, BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS, IF YOU'VE GOT MORE ACCESS GIVEN TO PEOPLE, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO TO THESE SERVICE STATION WHERE THERE'S GAS PEOPLE ARE IRRITATED, PEOPLE GOT VERY VIOLENT. UH, I WAS TALKING [01:20:01] TO SOME OF THE POLICE OFFICERS, THERE WERE REPORTS OF THAT BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANT GAS, BUT IF THE PUMPS ARE DOWN, YOU GOT CHAOS AT THE PLACE. 'CAUSE THEY, THEY GO TO ONE STATION, THE PUMPS DON'T WORK, THEN THEY TRY TO GO TO THE NEXT ONE. NOW YOU GOT ANOTHER ISSUE GOING ON. SO THERE ARE MANY PLANS, UH, UH, MARY AND I LIKE TO OFFER THAT BECAUSE I'VE TALKED TO MANY PASTORS. I'VE GOT MANY PHONE CALLS ABOUT WHAT TO DO, AND THEY'RE READY TO OFFER THEIR FACILITIES. THEY'RE READY TO OFFER THEM. AND I THINK THEY COULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO ADD FOR PROVIDING FOOD. UH, I HAVE ONE TO DO TODAY, AND I'LL MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT LATER. UH, SERVING FOOD. SO, UH, JUST ONE MORE CHIEF TO ADD TO THE VERY LIST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST WANTED TO, I, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T MENTION EARLIER, BUT ALL THOSE SITES THAT WE'VE LISTED, COOLING CENTERS THANKS TO A RA AND AND, AND DIRECTOR PAEZ, THEY HAVE THE ZTRIP ACCOUNT THAT COULD BE UTILIZED TO ANY OF THESE CENTERS. AND ONCE METRO'S AVAILABLE, DO YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS SOME LIMITATIONS 'CAUSE OF, OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE SURE. THEY ALSO OFFER THAT. SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY. YES. BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT INTERFAITH MINISTRY GROUP. OH, ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. I'LL BE TALKING TO YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DAVIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. IT STARTS WITH TRANSPARENCY. YES. YOU CAN'T FIX SOMETHING IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. SO WE'VE GOTTA ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR DIRECTORS TO BE AS FORTHCOMING AS THEY CAN BE. LIKE, CJ TELLING ME 300 FACILITIES IN THE CITY, MOST NEED REPAIR. WE NEED A FIRE CHIEF AND OTHER DIRECTORS TO TELL US I'M NOT READY FOR AN EMERGENCY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE BACKUP GENERATORS IN A CRITICAL NEED FACILITY. AND WE CAN'T GO AROUND HERE AND SAY, WE GOT $400 MILLION SURPLUS WHEN WE HAVE CRITICAL NEEDS. AND WE ALL KNOW WE NEVER HAD A SURPLUS. WE HAD A A SHORTFALL. SO IT STARTS WITH BEING TRANSPARENT, LETTING HOUSTONIANS KNOW BEFORE THEY FIND OUT DURING A STORM THAT THERE'S NOT ADEQUATE RESOURCES AND WE'RE GONNA GET THERE. THAT'S WHY ALL OF US CHOSE TO BE PUBLIC SERVANTS. BUT IT STARTS WITH TRANSPARENCY AND IDENTIFYING. AND I DON'T NEED, QUITE FRANKLY, THE CHRONICLE TO TELL ME TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL DRAINAGE FUNDING. I AGREE. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THE PUBLIC'S NOT GONNA SUPPORT US IF THEY'RE READING ABOUT $80 MILLION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY WITH WATER CONTRACTS FOR COMPANIES THAT DIDN'T EXIST, OR A MANAGEMENT DISTRICT THAT IS MISUSING MONEY. SPEAKING OF MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, SO MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE DESCRIBING, WE CAN PARTNER WITH TS AND MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS INSTEAD OF FIXING AND USING IT FOR RESOURCES OR SERVICES THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT USING. MEMORIAL CITY'S GONNA USE THEIR MONIES, MEMORIAL CITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO BUILD A FIRE STATION IN GESNER AND I 10. THAT OUGHT TO BE THE MODEL, RIGHT? WE NEED TO BREAK DOWN. I'VE GOT MY STAFF, MARLENE AND OTHERS IDENTIFYING AREAS OF THE CITY THAT NEED FIRE STATIONS WITH REPAIRS, BUILDING NEW ONES, LIBRARIES. I CAN GO ON AND ON. WE JUST, WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. WE, IT STARTS WITH TRANSPARENCY AND, AND ONE OF THE MORE TRANSPARENT COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH THEIR BUDGET COMMITTEE IS COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, CHIEF, YOU, UH, YOU SAID THAT THERE WE'D BE GETTING LISTS THAT WE COULD CALL, UH, FOR THE STEER PROGRAM, CALLING THE PEOPLE I KNOW WHAT MY STAFF'S READY. UM, WHEN THOSE LISTS ARE READY, WHEN WILL WE BE STARTING THOSE CALLS? YEAH, WE'LL BE CALLING YOU TODAY, COUNCILMAN. OKAY. OKAY, GREAT. SO WE CAN START MAKING THOSE CALLS OUR TEAM'S READY TO THE MOST VULNER. SO THAT'S THE SECOND PHASE OF CALLING THOSE INDIVIDUALS. OKAY. AFTER THE TWO. SO WE'LL BE SENDING THAT TO TODAY. YES, MA'AM. TODAY. TODAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. AND ALSO, UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER FLICK ANDER'S POINT. I KNOW WE DO, WE DON'T REGULATE BASICALLY THE PLACES THAT GIVE OUT MEDICINE, THAT'S ALLSTATE. BUT WE DO REGULATE BOARDING HOMES AND LODGING FACILITIES, GROUP HOMES, AND WE PERMIT THOSE. AND, AND THAT CAN BE SOMETHING WE LOOK AT, UM, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HAVING A, A PLAN IN AN EMERGENCY. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD, COULD POSSIBLY REGULATE. THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, CHIEF, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE TIMELINE. I WANT TO GIVE EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK SO I CAN HEAR SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE VARIOUS AREAS OF THE CITY. BUT WE RECEIVED A EMAIL FRIDAY EVENING FROM OEM. WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT HOW IT'S LOOKING LIKE THE TRACK WILL HIT LANDFALL NEAR SERGEANT TEXAS. IT GOES ON TO SAY, UH, THE TRACK SHOULD TARGET MATAGORDA MATAGORDA, OR EVEN NORTH TOWARDS GALVESTON. [01:25:02] UM, IT ALL GOES ON TO SAY THAT THE EOC IS ACTIVATED VIRTUALLY, AND WE ARE PREPARED TO OCCUPY THE EOC SHOULD THE SITUATION WARRANT AN IN-PERSON ACTIVATION. MM-HMM . CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT WOULD WARRANT AN IN-PERSON ACTIVATION AND WHY WASN'T IT AN IN-PERSON ACTIVATION ON THAT TIME? SO, SARAH, WHAT WE HAVE IS WHEN WE DO THE VIRTUAL, WE'RE STILL TALKING AMONGST OURSELVES, RIGHT? WE'RE LOOKING AT SAVING THE, THE, THE HUMAN RESOURCE POWER. ONCE WE START SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT THE, THE COMFORT ZONE'S NOT THERE FOR US, THAT'S WHEN WE MAKE THE DECISION. LET'S GET IN PERSON, START GETTING EVERYBODY TOGETHER SO WE COULD BE IN PERSON. HOWEVER, THE VIRTUAL, WE'RE STILL TALKING TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, WE'RE STILL GETTING OUR PLANS TOGETHER. ONCE WE COME IN TOGETHER, THAT'S WHEN WE START GETTING THE BIGGER PICTURE WITH ALL OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO SEE WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE, WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THE EVENT. IT, IT DOES IMPACT US. SO WE COULD BE BOOTS ON THE GROUND ONCE IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. SO ON FRIDAY EVENING, DID WE BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD, UH, BE INLAND TO HARRIS COUNTY? NO, SIR, WE DID NOT. WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WAS WE WERE GONNA GET SOME RAIN. THAT'S WHAT WE WERE BEING TOLD. BUT THEN WHEN WE STARTED SEEING THAT, WE WERE TOLD IT'S MOVING MORE EAST TOWARDS US, WE'RE STILL GONNA GET SOME IMPACT. THAT'S WHEN WE DECIDED LET'S START GEARING UP IN THE EVENT IT COMES IN FURTHER, WHICH WE WERE ALREADY THERE. AND WHAT, WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY GEARING UP? SO WHAT I DO, GETTING IN PERSON, EVERYBODY GETTING IN PERSON TO THE ELC, OUR STAKEHOLDERS, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS, POLICE DEPARTMENTS, OUR CITY, OUR STAKEHOLDER, OUR STATE STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS TEEM, STARTING TO GET ON THE PHONE WITH THEM. WHAT IS THEIR POSTURE? SO START MAKING THE COORDINATED CALLS. AND EARLIER YOU, YOU MENTIONED, AND THE MAYOR MENTIONED THAT WE WERE AT FULL ACTIVATION WITH, UH, H-P-D-H-F-D PUBLIC WORKS. WHAT DOES FULL ACTIVATION MEAN? SO SIR, ONCE WE, WE GO INTO THAT LEVEL, THAT MEANS THAT NOW WE'RE STARTING TO GET OUR PLANS TOGETHER, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING. BUT ONCE WE'RE ALL INSIDE THE BUILDING, WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. SO IT'S REALLY THE PROCESS OF HOW WE'RE GONNA COMMUNICATE NOW, RIGHT? WE HAVE OUR RESOURCES. WHEN I START DOING OUR SITUATION REPORTS, WE'RE ABLE TO SET UP TOGETHER AND START DOING OUR OBJECTIVES MEETING. YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY NOTICED, HEY, THIS MIGHT BE HAPPENING. WHAT ARE THE FIRST OBJECTIVES? WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT WHAT ARE, AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR, OUR PRIVATE STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS METRO. SO WE START GETTING OUR PLANS TOGETHER, SEEING WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN. IF IT DOES, WE, AGAIN, ALL THE TEAM PLAYERS ARE IN THE BUILDING. SO WE CAN START MAKING THAT DECISION PROCESS, INCLUDING OUR JOINT INFORMATION CENTER THAT'S GONNA BE SENDING OUT INFORMATION. WE HAVE THAT WITH A JOINT GROUP OF, YOU KNOW, LET BY BRENT TAYLOR. SO IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK AS, AS AM MAYOR SAID TO START THAT PROCESS. VERSELY VERSUS GOING TO VIRTUAL ROUTE. AND SO I KNOW IN THE PAST WHEN WE, WHEN WE KNOW THAT A STORM IS COMING, UH, A FULL ACTIVATION ALSO INCLUDES ENSURING THAT THE CAPACITY IN THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IS AT AS FULL AS CAN BE FROM A PERSONNEL STANDPOINT. THAT WE'RE BLOCKING OFF CERTAIN STREETS, THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PROPER PRECAUTIONS, UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF, OF STORM DAMAGE. ALL THAT WAS DONE PRIOR TO THE STORM, SIR. AND, AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT WITH THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PUBLIC WORKS ALREADY MAKING SURE THAT, HEY, WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE GONNA BE FLOODED IN? AND I KNOW RANDY'S IN THE HOUSE, UH, DIRECTOR OF ACHI. SO WE START LOOKING AT WHAT IS IT, WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE GONNA BE IMPACTED? OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T TELL UNTIL AFTER OR DURING THE STORM WHAT AREAS. BUT AFTER IS WHEN WE GET A CLEAR INDICATION OF WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT IS GONNA HAVE TO BE TAKING PLACE, SUCH AS WATER RESCUES, WE START SEEING THE WORK VOLUME BY BEING IN THE EOC, WE'RE ABLE TO SEE, WE HAVE OUR DISPATCHERS, OUR H-F-D-H-P-D DISPATCHERS, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC WORKS DISPATCHERS. WE, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES. WE HAVE ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GONNA START SUPPORTING AND DOING THE LIFE SAFETY RESPONSE. SO WITH THAT SAID, ONCE WE GET ALL THE SITUATIONS, WHAT IS OCCURRING? WHAT IS THE CALL VOLUME? FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WERE AVERAGING THE EIGHT FIRE DEPARTMENT ALONE WAS AVERAGING 800 CALLS PER HOUR. AND SO THAT IS USUALLY IT'S ABOUT 200. SO THOSE INCREASE QUITE A BIT. WE LOOK AT THE CALL VOLUME, WHERE'S THE AREAS, THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAVE TO KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE TO GET THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING OUTSIDE AND WHAT IS THAT OCCURRING. SO WE HAVE TO GET ALL THAT INFORMATION. BUT HAVING EVERYONE IN THE ROOM, IT MAKES IT EASIER TO KNOW HOW TO, TO, UH, RESPOND TO THAT SCENARIO. AND THE, AND THE COORDINATION WITH CENTER POINT, WHICH IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE MOST FRUSTRATED ABOUT, I KNOW I'M FRUSTRATED ABOUT IT. UM, IS THEIR RESPONSE, WHAT COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, IF, IF YOU, IF YOU ALL DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT THE STORM WOULD HIT LIKE IT DID A DAY OR TWO BEFORE, WHAT CONVERSATION WAS WITH THEM [01:30:01] TO BE PREPARED FOR, TO HAVE RAPID RESPONSE AFTERWARDS? WERE THEY REACTIONARY? SO SIR, WE STARTED TALKING TO CENTER POINT. WE GET THE POINT OF CONTACTS, WE GET THOSE ALREADY. ONCE THE STORM ENDED CENTER POINT WAS, WAS IN OUR BUILDING WITHIN ABOUT THREE HOURS AFTER IT ENDED, OBVIOUSLY 'CAUSE OF SAFETY ISSUES, WE START LOOKING AT WHAT THEY HAVE, RIGHT? WHERE'S THAT AREA OF IMPACT? BECAUSE THAT IS OUR, BEFORE WHEN WE HAD THE OUTAGE TRACKER, WE WERE ABLE TO SEE, BUT NOW OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH THAT. WE START GOING TO PLAN B WITH OUR GIS. SO GIVE US THE NUMBERS, WHAT ARE THE AREAS? 'CAUSE THAT IN ITSELF, YOU MIGHT HAVE AN AREA THAT'S GOT A THOUSAND OUT, BUT YOU GOT ANOTHER AREA THAT'S GOT 45,000 OUT. WE KNOW WHERE TO START FOCUSING RESOURCES, WE KNOW WHERE THE AREA OF IMPACT IS. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVING THEM NEXT TO US, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GIVE 'EM THE ADDRESSES. WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT IMPACTED, THEY'RE ABLE TO FEED THAT. BUT WERE THEY, BUT, BUT WERE THEY SET UP BEFOREHAND OR WERE THEY COMING IN AFTER THE FACT? TOM, UH, LET ME SUGGEST THE CENTER POINT REPRESENTATIVE AB BEAT NEXT. OKAY, GREAT. THEN LET, LET MOVE ON TO, UH, MY, MY LAST POINT MAYOR. UM, THE RAINY DAY FUND, I KNOW YOU'RE SITTING WITH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS AROUND THE STATE, THE CITY CAN ONLY PAY FOR SO MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. WE ONLY HAVE A FEW WAYS WE CAN, WE BRING IN MONEY AS, AS YOU KNOW, PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAXES, FINES, FEES, THAT, THAT IT, IT ONLY CAN GO AND STRETCH. SO, SO FAR THE, THE STATE IS SITTING ON, AS, YOU KNOW, AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF RAINY DAY. IT RAINS HERE YEARLY, BUT WE'RE NOT GETTING THE SUPPORT FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, FOR IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE. THEY COME DOWN, THEY MAKE THE PRESS CONFERENCE, THEY SPEAK ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, AND THEN, AND THEN THEY LEAVE AND GO BACK TO AUSTIN WHEN THEY'RE IN AUSTIN DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT'S COMING UP. I THINK A HIGH PRIORITY NEEDS TO BE WITH THESE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS, SPECIFICALLY HOUSTON, WHO GETS HIT WITH THESE STORMS EVERY YEAR, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES A YEAR. AND WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED A RAINY DAY FUND THAT SEEMS NEVER TO BE USED FOR A RAINY DAY. AND WE NEED MORE SUPPORT FROM OUR OUTSIDE PARTNERS, NOT JUST THE CITY. WE ONLY CAN DO, BUT SO MUCH, BUT FROM THE STATE LEVEL, WHO HAS MUCH MORE RESOURCES AND FUNDING THAN WE DO. AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THIS FOR A LONG TIME, BUT NOW THAT YOU'RE IN THIS SEAT AND HAVE THESE RELATIONSHIPS, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WILL HELP THE CITY OF HOUSTON MORE THAN ANYTHING. OR THE DOLLARS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, IMPROVE MAINTENANCE AND THE THINGS THAT WE NEED THAT WE CAN'T REALISTICALLY AFFORD ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SOME EXCELLENT POINTS. AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE A DIFFERENCE. YOU KNOW, IT STARTED WITH THE LAND COMMISSIONER APPEARED FOR COUNCIL, WHICH MANY SAID WAS HISTORIC TO HAVE A STATEWIDE PUBLIC OFFICIAL COME WORK WITH THE CITY. UNFORTUNATELY, PRIOR TO MY ADMINISTRATION, THE CITY WAS NOT TALKING TO THE STATE. AND I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST NEITHER DOES THE COUNTY. THE FIRST STEP IN COLLABORATION IS HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WHERE YOU RESPECT EACH OTHER AND YOU TALK. UH, IT WAS VERY PROFOUND YESTERDAY TO SEE THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE EMERGENCY CENTER SITTING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH OUR EMERGENCY CENTER DIRECTOR. AND IMMEDIATELY WE GOT 25 AMBULANCES AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, IN FACT, WILLING TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DURING THESE DARKED OUT AREAS, UH, IN PERIOD. SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE A MAJOR DIFFERENCE. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. UH, I'D SUGGEST STRONGLY THAT WE PROPOSE AN URBAN INITIATIVE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE DO A GREAT JOB FOR RURAL TEXAS. WE HAVE THE BEST FOREIGN MARKET ROAD SYSTEM IN THE NATION. WE HELP WEST TEXAS WITH BRUSH CONTROL, WATER SUPPLIES. IT'S TIME TO TURN SOME OF THAT ATTENTION TO OUR MAJOR CITIES. AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT FORTHCOMING. I'M PARTNERING WITH THE MAYOR OF DALLAS, AUSTIN SANTON, AUSTIN BEING A FORMER SENATE COLLEAGUE, I THINK THE STATE COULD GET INVOLVED IN THE HOMELESS ISSUE FOR CERTAIN, BECAUSE THEY CONTRIBUTE TO IT. WHEN THEY RELEASE INMATES FROM HUNTSVILLE, THEY COME THROUGH, UH, HOUSTON, UH, BECAME, BECOME HOMELESS. UH, WHEN THEY SERVE ALL, THEY RETURN BACK TO HOUSTON IF THEY, IF THEY CONSIDER THIS HOME. SO I CAN GO ON AND ON THE PARTNERSHIP, WHAT TOM WAS MENTIONING, AS WE PREPARED, WE ALL STARTED TALKING TO OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. FRIDAY, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT OUR PARTNERS AT THE COUNTY, AT THE STATE. [01:35:01] UH, WE'RE IN CONSTANT TOUCH WITH THE STATE, UH, EMERGENCY CENTER. YES, IT'S A RAINY DAY FUND. IT'S RAINING HERE. AND WE WILL BE ADDRESSING THAT. AND YOU ASKED ME WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO PAY FROM FOR SOME OF OUR EARLIER COMMITMENTS, AND I SAID, WE HAVE PLANS AND YOU'LL SEE THE STATE GET INVOLVED IN SOME OF OUR OTHER COMMITMENTS AS WELL. BUT, UH, WE NEED TO HAVE A GROWNUP DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES AND WHERE WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR 'EM. AND, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST IF YOU'D ASKED ME THREE MONTHS AGO ABOUT RESOURCE, I'D SAID EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE UNTIL WE STARTED SEEING CITY CONTRACTORS INDICTED FOR STEALING. NOW THE PUBLIC EXPECTS US TO CLEAN UP OUR BUSINESS BEFORE WE ASK FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. I WILL NOT HESITATE TO ASK FOR WHATEVER REASONABLE RESOURCES WE NEED IN WHATEVER FORM WE WANT TO ALL COME TOGETHER. COUNCILMAN ALCORN HAS DONE A GREAT JOB HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. WE HEARD IT IN THE BUDGET. EVERYONE WAS OFFERING AMENDMENTS. WE HAVE GREAT NEEDS. THEY'VE BEEN NEGLECTED. AND THAT'S WHAT WE OUGHT TO ALL BE UPSET ABOUT, IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T EMPHASIZED THE NEED IN PRIOR YEARS. SO LET'S GO TO WORK. COUNCILOR KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I, I AGREE. WE HAVE BEEN PLAGUED BY DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FOR DECADES, AND MANY OF US HAVE BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM. UM, AND THE RESOURCES ARE FINITE. UM, THE FUNDING HASN'T BEEN THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WANT, I SAW DIRECTOR MESSIAH. UM, I THOUGHT HE WAS IN THE ROOM. I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE HIM RIGHT NOW. OKAY. YOU KNOW, HE HAS BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM AND DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, I FORGET WHICH BUDGET SEASON IT WAS, BUT, UH, PRESENTED A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ADD A FEW ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS JUST TO KEEP US LEVELED, RECOGNIZING THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT'S NEEDED. UH, CHIEF PENA HAS BEEN DISCUSSING THIS FOR YEARS IN SUBMITTING REQUESTS. AND AGAIN, THE BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS WE HAVE TO ADDRESS, WE JUST HAVE TO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING IN IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHAT WE SAW WITH THIS STORM, AND SO MUCH MORE IS NEEDED. BUT WHAT WE SAW WITH THE STORM WAS THAT THE DRAINAGE THAT WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING IN IS WORKING. BUT AGAIN, WE NEED SO MUCH MORE. AND, UH, MARY YOU REFERENCED IT. WE, YOU KNOW, GOT, WE GOT SCREWED WITH HARVEY RELIEF FUNDS NOT COMING TO THE CITY, UH, THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO COME HERE, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO FLOOD MITIGATION. UH, WE HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING FOR MORE INVESTMENT. AND IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE FROM PUBLIC WORKS A LIST OF WHAT DRAINAGE PROJECTS ARE IN QUEUE AND WHAT THE STATUS OF THOSE IS. I'M NOT ASKING FOR THAT IMMEDIATELY, BUT IF AT SOME POINT, AND MAYBE IT COMES TO THE RESILIENCY COMMITTEE OR SOMEWHERE, UM, I'D REALLY LIKE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE AND WHAT THE STATUS OF THOSE ARE. WE DID JUST PASS THE CIP, BUT THERE'S SHORT, SMALLER, UH, BETTER BANG FOR OUR BUCK PROJECTS THAT I'D LIKE TO REVIEW. UH, BUT RIGHT NOW, MAYOR, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR GENERATORS, AND I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT THE REASON WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT GENERATORS IS BECAUSE OUR ELECTRICITY IS SO UNRELIABLE. AND GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE FREEZE, I'M ASKING WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ON A STATE LEVEL TO IMPROVE AND HARDEN AND INCENTIVIZE THE HARDENING OF OUR GRID AND OF OUR ELECTRIC AND POWER INFRASTRUCTURE. AND I, I THINK YOU JUST SAID THAT CENTER POINT IS UP NEXT. AND I KNOW TOM HAS BEEN STANDING A VERY LONG TIME, SO I'M HOPING WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH CENTER POINT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO FOR REDUNDANCY, BUT WE'RE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE THE POWER IS SO UNRELIABLE. AND I THINK THAT'S AT THE, FOR FOREMOST OF EVERYBODY'S MINDS IN HOUSTON RIGHT NOW. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK DURING THE STORM THERE WAS SUFFICIENT ENERGY AVAILABLE. THE TRANSMISSION LINES AND THE LINES TO THE RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES HAD BEEN DESTROYED. SO WE WILL VISIT THAT. UH, GETTING BACK TO RESOURCES TO ADDRESS COUNCILMAN POLLARD'S, UH, INTEREST IN THE STATE, WHICH I TOTALLY AGREE WITH. UH, WE HA NEED TO EDUCATE HOUSTONIANS THAT WE'RE UNDER A MORE SEVERE REVENUE CAP THAN ANY OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE. UH, OTHER CITIES LIKE AUSTIN, SANTON OWN UTILITIES, AND THEY HAVE A RELIABLE STREAM OF REVENUE FROM SOME UTILITIES THAT THEY OWN AND RUN [01:40:01] THOSE QUASI BUSINESSES. UH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT, BUT THE SEVERE REVENUE CAP, WHICH WE DID TO OURSELF AND, UH, NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED IN PUBLIC, AND WE'LL DO THAT. BUT LET'S GET THROUGH THIS CRISIS. TOM, UH, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ? YES, JUST BRIEFLY. UM, YEAH, WE CAN BLAME CENTER POINT ALL WE WANT AND, AND I'M SURE, UH, THE GENTLEMAN IS GOING TO HEAR ABOUT IT SHORTLY. BUT EVEN IF CENTERPOINT WERE PERFORMING BRILLIANTLY, WE WOULD STILL NEED TO HAVE BACKUP GENERATORS AVAILABLE AT OUR LIFT STATIONS, AT OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS. AND WE DON'T HAVE THEM BECAUSE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, UNFORTUNATELY. SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL RECTIFY THAT GOING FORWARD. BUT BACKUP GENERATORS SHOULD BE PART OF THE PLAN REGARDLESS OF HOW CENTERPOINT PERFORMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TOM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, RANDY, THANK YOU, SIR. WOULD YOU COME FORWARD? I I JUST SEE THE NEED FOR YOU TO DESCRIBE THE STATUS OF OUR WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEM. I THINK IT IS A HIGH PRIORITY. WE'LL GET TO CENTERPOINT IN A MOMENT, BUT, UH, THE INFO THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING IN THE EMERGENCY CENTER AND YOUR MONITORING OF OUR WATER SUPPLY, BUT PARTICULARLY THE EQUALLY SERIOUS MATTER ABOUT OUR WASTEWATER AND WHAT'S THE STATUS OF YOUR PUMP STATIONS IN TERMS OF THE NEGLECT THAT, UH, QUITE FRANKLY WE INHERITED. YEAH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT, EXCUSE ME, FUNERAL, PARTICULARLY AS IT INVOLVES A CONSENT DECREE. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING. UH, WE MAKE A REALLY BIG DEAL ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE UNDER THIS EPA CONSENT DECREE. UH, IT IS MULTI-BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN WORK AND EFFORT THAT MUST BE PROGRAMMED, UH, OVER MORE THAN A DECADE OF TIME. BUT WHEN WE COME TO A MAJOR EVENT LIKE THIS, ONE OF THE BIGGEST IMPACTS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR SYSTEM IS GONNA BE TO OUR WASTEWATER SYSTEM. WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THAT THERE'S, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE ISSUED A COUPLE OF PRESS RELEASES FOR UNFORTUNATE SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS THAT WERE IN EXCESS OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND GALLONS. AND THE REALITY IS, IS THAT THERE IS NO WATER OR WASTEWATER SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY THAT IS LARGER THAN THE SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE HAVE MORE THAN 6,000 MILES OF SANITARY SEWER LINES THAT ARE NOT PRESSURIZED, BUT REQUIRE A COMPLEX SYSTEM OF, OF, OF LIFT, UH, STATIONS IN ORDER TO GET OUR WASTE TO MOVE FROM ONE SIDE OF THE CITY TO THE OTHER. WE HAVE OVER, UH, ALMOST 400 LIFT STATIONS CITYWIDE. IT'S ABSOLUTELY UNHEARD OF. WE HAVE 38 WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS. IT'S UNHEARD OF. DALLAS HAS, I THINK FOUR. UM, AND AS OF TODAY, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THE CURRENT NUMBERS THAT I GOT FROM OUR TEAM JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO OF, OF OUR, UH, 378 LIFT STATIONS, 178 OF THEM HAVE NO POWER RIGHT NOW. UH, WE'RE AT A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE A FEW GENERATORS THAT WE CAN ROTATE AROUND FROM STATION TO STATION TO TEMPORARILY PUMP DOWN OUR WATER SUPPLY AND WASTEWATER DOES NOT HAVE BACKUP GENERATORS SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY SERVICES. THE, THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM, THAT IS CERTAINLY TRUE, MAYOR. UM, AND I'M ARRESTING THAT ONE RIGHT NOW IS THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM. THAT'S 178 OF OUR 378 LIFT STATIONS. UM, OF, OF OUR 38 WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS RIGHT NOW. 12 OF THEM ARE RUNNING ON PARTIAL POWER. AND THAT PARTIAL POWER REALLY ONLY OPERATES THE LIFT STATION PORTION OF THE PLANT. UH, SEVEN OF THEM HAVE NO POWER AT ALL. NOW, THIS IS AN IMPROVEMENT FROM YESTERDAY. YESTERDAY WE, WE WERE AT 25 OF THOSE PLANTS THAT WERE EITHER PARTIAL OR COMPLETELY DOWN. AND SO, SO WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS. UM, I WILL SAY THIS, UH, WE'RE OKAY RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES, RIGHT? AND I SAY WE'RE OKAY IN, IN TERMS OF MEANING THAT WE'RE NOT COMPLETELY, YOU KNOW, DEAD IN THE WATER WHEN IT COMES TO THIS. BUT IT'S AN OPERATIONAL CHALLENGE WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS. NOW, ON THE DRINKING WATER SIDE, I DO WANNA SAY THIS, THE CITY'S DRINKING WATER SUPPLY IS SAFE. IT IS SECURE, IT IS GOOD. WE ARE OPERATING WITHIN REGULATORY THRESHOLDS. HOWEVER, WE HAVE THOSE SAME PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES. WE HAVE MORE BACKUP GENERATION SUPPLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE PLANTS. UM, THEY ARE PROBABLY AMONG THE MOST CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE CITY HAS. BUT WE ARE IN SOME OF OUR REPU STATIONS OPERATING ON BACKUP GENERATOR. POWER ACRES HOMES, FOR INSTANCE, IS ONE OF THOSE. WE'VE BEEN WORKING DIRECTLY WITH EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP AT CENTERPOINT TODAY, IN FACT, LEADERSHIP IN THE C-SUITE AT CENTER POINT TO PRIORITIZE GETTING ACRES HOMES BACK UP AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. UH, WE KNOW THIS, WE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED PRETTY DECENT WEATHER THE DAY OF THE EVENT IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS. IT STARTED GETTING MUCH HOTTER YESTERDAY. AND IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND WE'LL SEE THE NEEDS OF HOUSTONIANS CHANGE [01:45:01] IN TERMS OF THEIR WATER CONSUMPTION. SO WHILE WE'RE DOING OKAY RIGHT NOW, IF WE AREN'T ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OPERATING AT FULL POWER, WE'LL START TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE NERVOUS ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO OPERATE AT THE LEVELS THAT WE EXPECT OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO DO SO. UM, NOW IF I CAN, MAYOR, LEMME TALK ABOUT THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS FOR JUST A MOMENT TOO. UH, AGAIN, SAME PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES WE HAVE WITH OUR, OUR WATER DISTRIBUTION IS THE SAME ISSUES WE'RE GONNA HAVE FROM A POWER PERSPECTIVE AMONGST OUR TRAFFIC LIGHTS. UM, OUR TEAMS YESTERDAY COMBINED WITH, UH, INSPECTORS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS, ESPECIALLY BIG THANKS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS FOR LENDING ALL OF THEIR INSPECTORS TO US TO HELP DO THIS. WE WENT OUT TO INSPECT OUR 2,500 SIGNALED INTERSECTIONS ACROSS THE CITY. WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ABOUT 98% OF THEM IN DOING DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS. WE'RE STILL COMPILING ALL OF THAT DATA BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF IT, BUT AS OF THIS MORNING, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS I CAN CONFIRM TO YOU THAT, UM, OF THOSE 2,500 SIGNALED INTERSECTIONS, WE KNOW FOR SURE 515 OF THEM HAVE NO POWER AT ALL. UH, 75 OF THEM ARE FLASHING. THERE'S AT LEAST 53 WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THAT COULD BE A TURNED MASK ARM THAT COULD BE MISSING SIGNAL HEADS, IT COULD BE ALL SORTS OF THINGS. BUT WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE, COUNCIL MEMBER, CAYMAN'S BEEN, UM, RAISING THE ALARM ABOUT THE FACT THAT NOT ONLY DO THE LIGHTS NOT WORK, BUT WE'RE MISSING STREET SIGNS, RIGHT? THAT COULD INCLUDE STOP SIGNS AND INTERSECTIONS AND SO ON. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US TO DO, BUT I WANNA ALSO MAKE SURE THAT I HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT, UH, OUR TEAMS ARE RESPONDING AS ADMIRABLY AS YOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE. UH, THE STORMWATER TEAMS HAVE BEEN OUT THERE IN WAITERS WITH RAKES TRYING TO CLEAR DEBRIS DRAINS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD GET THE STORM WATER TO FLOW IN AREAS WHERE THERE COULD STILL BE SOME HIGH WATER IMPACTS. UM, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I'D POINT OUT. SOME OF OUR, OUR STORM WATER SYSTEMS ALSO RELY ON PUMPS THAT DON'T HAVE POWER RIGHT NOW IN ORDER TO GET THE WATER TO GO OUT OF CERTAIN AREAS. SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. UM, I WANNA, I WANNA EMPHASIZE BEFORE I FINISH ABOUT THE PREPARATION THAT GOES INTO THIS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T DO IS WE DON'T WAIT FOR AN EVENT TO COME AND THEN WE RESPOND TO IT. UM, AS A DEPARTMENT AND IN COM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WE DRILL FOR THESE TYPES OF EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE HOLD TABLETOP EXERCISES TO KNOW HOW WE WILL RESPOND. WE HAVE COMPLEX SERIES OF STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BEFORE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, SO THAT WHEN THE EVENT HAPPENS AND IT'S OVER, WE CAN RESPOND IMMEDIATELY. AND THEN WE ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WE ENGAGE WITH OUR PARTNERS IN INDUSTRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, ARE ABLE TO ACCESS ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO GET THE JOB DONE. WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN JUST 48 HOURS IS, IS INCREDIBLE, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO AND WE'RE NOT SATISFIED. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO IMPROVE. THERE IS ALWAYS A LESSON TO BE LEARNED. THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY TO IMPROVE. WE TAKE CAREFUL NOTE OF THAT AND WE'RE UP TO THE TASK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, COUNCILLOR HUFFMAN, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UM, RANDY FOR EVERYTHING THAT, THAT YOU'VE DONE. I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT THESE TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND I KNOW THAT, UM, ON THE WAY TO WORK THIS MORNING, I SAW AN ACCIDENT AT AN INTERSECTION WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE LIGHTS WEREN'T EVEN BLINKING. THEY WERE JUST OUT. AND SO IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD COORDINATE WITH HPD. I KNOW HPD IS BUSY, BUT TO DO SOME TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AT SOME OF THESE REALLY BUSY INTERSECTIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS RIGHT NOW. CERTAINLY. AND, AND LET ME TELL YOU TOO, WE WE'RE, WE'RE CALLING ON AND WE'RE RECEIVING THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR FRIENDS AT TDOT TO HELP US WITH THIS THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE DAY. GENERATORS WILL BE STAGED AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS AT SOME OF THESE INTERSECTIONS THAT ARE DARK RIGHT NOW. UM, WE'RE GONNA HIGHLIGHT, FIRST AND FOREMOST THE MOST VULNERABLE INTERSECTIONS RIGHT THERE OFF OF THE STATE RIGHT OF WAY. THAT'S WHERE YOU FIND ALMOST ALWAYS THE BUSIEST OF THE TRAFFIC IS COMING OFF OF OUR, OF OUR FREEWAYS AND OUR FEEDER ROADS. BUT WE'RE GONNA BE CONTINUING TO STAGE THAT THROUGHOUT AND THEN AS WE GET THROUGH THE STATE RIGHT OF WAY, WE'LL WORK ON THE CITY RIGHT OF WAY AS WELL. THANK YOU, RANDY. AND, UH, WHEN WE GET THROUGH THIS CRISIS DURING NORMAL TIMES, YOU NEED TO PRIORITIZE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT PUBLIC WORKS, UH, OPERATES SO WE CAN, UH, BE BETTER PREPARED. ABSOLUTELY. CERTAINLY ON, UH, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. YEP. YOU WASTEWATER WATER BEING OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. UH, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TEAM. UH, AND, AND PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR RANK AND FILE THAT'S OUT THERE, MANY DURING THE STORM, UH, PROVIDING PUBLIC SERVICE. THANK YOU. I THINK, UH, WE'VE ALL EMPHASIZED NOTHING'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN, UH, ENERGY, UH, ELECTRICITY. BRAD, TWO TON. JOHN, WOULD YOU COME AND GIVE US A STATUS REPORT? OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN DISCUSS THE PREPARATION [01:50:01] AND, UH, WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHERE WE'RE GOING FORWARD FROM CENTER POINT STANDPOINT. THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE HERE AT CENTER POINT ENERGY. WE DO RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE WHEN OUR COMMUNITY IS WITHOUT POWER, AND IT IS OUR PURPOSE TO BE ABLE TO ENABLE ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS QUALITY OF LIFE NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO WE TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ARE COMMITTED TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE LIGHTS ON AS QUICKLY AND AS SWIFTLY AND SAFELY AS PAUL AS POSSIBLE. AND WHAT I CAN SHARE WITH YOU WITH THAT COMMITMENT STARTS WITH PREPARATION. IT IS IMPERATIVE TO UNDERSTAND WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PREPARATION. WE START IN APRIL, WE ARE ABLE TO EXECUTE OUR TABLETOP EXERCISES. WE WORK AND SECURE OUR, OUR LOGISTICS, OUR THIRD PARTY VENDORS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ABLE TO RESPOND. WE'RE MAY, UH, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, WE CAN GET THE NECESSARY MATERIALS, THE, UH, PIPELINES TO BE ABLE TO GET THE INVENTORY NECESSARY TO BE DELIVERED AND RESPONDED, UH, APPROPRIATELY. COMING IN, UH, RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE, WE BEGIN OUR IN THE FIELD EXERCISES WHERE WE DO HANDS-ON TRAINING WITH OUR EMPLOYEES SO THEY KNOW NOT ONLY WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, BUT THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED TO BE, WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, AND HOW THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. SO THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE CONSTANTLY WATCHING THE WEATHER. WE WERE WATCHING THIS STORM AS IT SOON AS IT ENTERED THE GULF. AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT ALL REPORTS WERE INDICATING THAT IT WAS NOT GONNA COME HERE, WE WERE DOING EVERYTHING TO TRY TO PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME. WE ACTUALLY START WITH OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN 72 HOURS AHEAD OF TIME. THEN WE HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT WE START MOVING 36 HOURS, THEN WITHIN 24 HOURS WORTH OF THAT. AND THAT INCLUDES MAKING SURE ALL OF OUR RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE. WE MAKE SURE ALL OUR THIRD PARTY VENDORS ARE PREPARED. WE MAKE SURE THAT WE START GATHERING, UH, ALL THE MATERIALS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND. AND THEN WE START EVALUATING WHAT OUR RESOURCES ARE GONNA BE IN ADDITION TO WHAT IS NECESSARY PRIOR TO THAT STORM. SO I CAN TELL YOU BEFORE THE STORM EVER CAME 24 HOURS, I WAS PERSONALLY AT THE OFFICE OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WITH THEIR BRIEFINGS BEFORE THE STORM CAME, EXPLAINING EXACTLY WHAT OUR PREPARE PREPARATION WAS, HOW WE WERE PREPARED, EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE DOING, RESPONDING AND INCLUDING THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THAT WE ALREADY HAD IN ROUTE TO OUR REGION. NOW KEEP IN MIND, TYPICALLY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE INDUSTRY RESPONSE, THE WEATHER IS UNPREDICTABLE. IT'S HARD TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY RESOURCES YOU NEED. AND SO THE WAY THAT'S USUALLY GENERATED IS THAT ONCE THE STORM GOES THROUGH, YOU ASSESS THE DAMAGE, YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE, AND THEN YOU GO OUT AND YOU ASK FOR THAT SUPPORT WITH MUTUAL ASSISTANCE. SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT MUNICIPALITIES, OTHER UTILITIES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO COME AND RESPOND. WE WERE PROACTIVE IN THE SENSE OF DOING THAT EVEN BEFORE THE STORM CAME. AND WE'RE ASKING THEM IF THEY COULD SEND US, STOP DOING EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING REGARDING WHAT ISSUES THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON IN YOUR TERRITORY, YOUR REGION, IF YOU COULD COME HERE SOON AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. NOW UNDERSTAND THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY RODE OUT THE STORM WHILE THEY WERE HERE. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT PART OF THE REASON WHY WE ARE SO GOOD AT THE WORK THAT WE DO ON RESTORING THE ENERGY THAT WE WE DO IS NOT ONLY BECAUSE THE WORK WE'VE DONE HERE, BUT WE SEND OUR CREWS AND MUTUAL ASSISTANCE, UH, DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE CREWS ARE DOING HERE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE'VE SENT OUR CREWS TO FLORIDA, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, EVEN DURING HURRICANE SANDY UP IN NEW YORK. WE WERE THERE. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT IS, IS IMPERATIVE TO NOT ONLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO BE ABLE TO DO THE RESTORATION EFFORT, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO REALIZE WHEN WE SHOW UP, IT'S USUALLY TYPICALLY DAY TWO, SOMETIMES DAY THREE. SO ON A, IF YOU LOOK AT A STORM THAT ROLLS EARLY IN THE MORNING, DAY ZERO IS WHEN THE STORM HITS. WE HAVE TO GO OUT WITH ALL OUR RESOURCES, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, START ASSESSING WHAT WE HAVE. WHILE THAT'S TAKEN PLACE, WE BEGIN MOBILIZING OUR, UH, UH, STAGING SITES AND LOOKING FOR OUR CREWS TO RESPOND ON DAY ONE SO THEY COULD BE BOOTS ON THE GROUND DAY TWO. SO I WANNA PUT THAT IN COMPARATIVE TO THIS STORM HERE. [01:55:01] ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD SPECIFICALLY IS THAT THIS STORM DIDN'T COMPLETELY LEAVE OUR TERRITORY UNTIL 3:00 PM. ONCE THAT STORM ROLLED THROUGH, WE DEPLOYED OUR RESOURCES, THE OUTSIDE CREWS THAT WERE COMING IN. WE DO NOT ASK THEM TO RIDE OUT THE STORM. JUST AS I HAD MENTIONED, WHEN WE RESPOND TO OTHER STORMS IN OTHER AREAS, IT IS NOT SAFE TO BRING IN DIFF ADDITIONAL CREWS TO RIDE OUT DURING A STORM. PEOPLE EVACUATE DURING HURRICANES. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE FACILITIES. THESE ARE THOUSANDS OF FIELD RESOURCES THAT ARE SITTING IN NOTHING BUT A TRUCK. WE CANNOT ASK THEM TO RIDE OUT A STORM, WHICH IS A HURRICANE AS WE'VE SEEN TREES ARE FALLING ON HOMES, BUILDINGS ARE BEING DAMAGED. WHAT WE ASK IS YOU GET HERE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE WHEN THAT STORM GOES THROUGH, IMMEDIATELY RESPOND. AND THAT GIVES US THE TIME NECESSARY TO SET UP OUR STAGING FACILITIES. SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS SPECIFIC STORM, 2.26 MILLION CUSTOMERS CENTER POINT HAS BEEN PROVIDING ELECTRICITY TO THIS COMMUNITY FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. WE HAVE NEVER SEEN AN INCIDENT TO THIS MAGNITUDE. THIS IS THE LARGEST OUTAGE IN OUR HISTORY. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'VE COMMITTED WITHIN 48 HOURS TO GET 50% OF OUR CUSTOMERS BACK ON. WE ON TAR, WE ARE ON TARGET TO DO THAT. AND HELP GIVE YOU AN ANOTHER IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS OUR PREPARATION EFFORTS. SEPTEMBER 21, HURRICANE NICHOLAS, WE WERE ABLE TO GO THROUGH AND AND OBSERVE THAT HURRICANE THAT HIT US DIRECTLY. 700 APPROXIMATELY PLUS CUSTOMERS WERE WITHOUT POWER DURING THAT STORM. THAT TOOK US FIVE DAYS TO GET THEM BACK ON. WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THIS STORM, WE HAD 750,000 CUSTOMERS BACK ON WITHIN 24 HOURS. WE COULD NOT DO THAT IF WE WERE NOT PREPARED. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I OBSERVED, AND I'VE BEEN WITH CENTERPOINT EN ENERGY FOR 26 YEARS NOW. I'VE WORKED IN THIS REGION, SOUTHEAST TEXAS, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI. I'VE RESPONDED TO QUITE A FEW NUMBER OF HURRICANES AND NOT JUST OURS, BUT OTHER UTILITIES AS WELL. AND I CAN TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF WORK TO SET UP AND PREPARE IS MONUMENTAL. AND IN LOOKING AT WHAT IT TAKES TO SET UP A STAGING SITE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THESE THOUSANDS OF CREWS COME IN AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE FACILITIES, THE FOOD, THE CATERING, EVERYTHING NECESSARY THAT TAKES PLACE. AND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS, FIRST OF ALL, A PARKING LOT FOR HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES. WE'RE BUILDING CIRCUS SIZE TENTS FOR A MESS HALL TO SERVE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN ONE SITTING. YOU GOT TENTS, YOU GOT TABLES. WE HAVE TO HAVE COMPLETE INFRASTRUCTURE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OFFICES, DESKS, COMPUTERS, PRINTERS, COPIERS. WE HAVE TO SET UP COMMUNICATIONS, GET THE WIFI UP, WE'RE SETTING UP RADIO TOWERS. WE GOT BACKUP GENERATION TRYING TO SUPPORT ALL OF THESE THINGS. WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF POLES. WE HAVE TO HAVE AN EFFICIENT LAY DOWN YARD WITH 50 FOOT, 60 FOOT PLUS POLES SO THAT OUR CREWS, WHEN THEY'RE ABLE TO ROLL OUT, CAN GET THE THE TOOLS NECESSARY. WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO MANAGE THE INVENTORY, TO MANAGE THE WORKLOAD, TO TRAIN, TO BE ABLE TO GET THESE CREWS ACCLIMATED TO OUR FACILITIES, UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR SAFETY PROTOCOLS ARE. AND SO FOR US TO DO THAT TAKES TIME. AGAIN, I CANNOT REITERATE AND MY 26 YEARS EXPERIENCE TO HAVE EIGHT STAGING SITES SET UP AND WITHIN 14 HOURS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. IT IS INCREDIBLE TO REALIZE THAT AFTER THE STORM LEFT AT 3:00 PM ALL OF OUR BOOTS WERE OUT ON THE GROUND. OUR RESTORATION PROCESS BEGAN. ALL OF THAT WAS IN PROCESS. AND BY 5:00 AM AFTER THE CREWS WERE ARRIVING THE, THE EVENING OF THE, THE NIGHT OF THE STORM, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE COMPLETE STAGING SITES UP AND READY FOR THEM TO GET ALL THE MATERIALS THEY NEED. THEY WERE FED, THEY WERE GIVEN WORK, AND THEY WERE DISPATCHED OUT ON THE FIELD. AND THAT IS HOW WE WERE ABLE TO, AS WE COMMITTED TO THE MAYOR, TO GET 50% OF OUR CUSTOMERS ON WITHIN 48 HOURS. TO US, THAT BENCHMARK IS 3:00 PM TODAY, AND WE'RE ALMOST THERE NOW. AS FAR AS THE GETTING AN IDEA OF WHAT THE, UM, [02:00:01] OUTLOOK AS FAR AS THE DAMAGE, WE'RE STILL DOING ASSESSMENTS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. WE CAN GIVE YOU AN EXACT IDEA OF WHAT OUR CIRCUITS THAT ARE OUT. WE CAN GIVE YOU THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE OUT, BUT WE CAN'T TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY HOW MUCH THOSE CIRCUITS ARE DAMAGED. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO DO THAT, UNFORTUNATELY. AND THAT'S BOOTS ON THE GROUND. TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT CENTER POINT ENERGY, WE'RE 5,000 SQUARE MILES AND 56,000 MILES OF CIRCUITS THAT HAVE TO BE WALKED. SO IF YOU CAN IMAGINE STARTING FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, WE HAVE RESOURCES WALKING EVERY CIRCUIT THAT WE HAVE TO VERIFY WHAT WE HAVE AND WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION COMPLETE HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF TODAY. ONCE WE GET THAT INFORMATION, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ASSESS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE AND BE ABLE TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS THE TIMEFRAME. BUT UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW EXACTLY AND WE CAN'T GIVE YOU A CONFIRMATION ON WHAT IT IS BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO VERIFY THAT. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE THAT'S BEING DONE, WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF LINE RESOURCES OUT GETTING THE POWER BACK ON, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO CONTINUE DOING THAT. UH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND UH, TO ALL OF THE CENTER POINT AND EMPLOYEES AND VENDORS, UH, FOR YOUR EFFORTS. UM, YOU STARTED OFF BY SAYING THAT COMMITMENT STARTS WITH PREPARATION. CORRECT. AND TO BE PREPARED FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T ANTICIPATE IS DIFFICULT. AGREED. BUT IN THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA, WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED EVEN WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WE DON'T ANTICIPATE. AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, IF WE WERE TO ANTICIPATE WHAT THE AMOUNT OF OUTAGE THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED AND THE DEVASTATION THAT HAS OCCURRED, WOULD THERE HAVE BEEN MORE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FROM A CENTER POINT PERSPECTIVE, UH, BEFOREHAND? WOULD CREWS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE MOBILIZED QUICKER? AND IS THERE ANY PLAN TO HAVE MORE INTERNAL OR ONSITE WITHIN THE CITY CREWS TRAINED AND PREPARED SINCE THESE STORMS ARE OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY AND UM, THE OUTAGES ARE STARTING TO BE MUCH GREATER THAN HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST? YES. SO THERE'S QUITE A FEW THERE. UM, AS FAR AS OUR RESPONSE AND PREPARATION, WE WERE FULLY PREPARED. WE WERE PROACTIVE IN THAT PREPARATION. AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S A GAMBLE. YOU DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE WEATHER'S GONNA FOR. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE HAD HURRICANE NICHOLAS, WE KNEW THAT WAS GONNA BE A DIRECT HIT, BUT IT WAS NOT AS IMPACTFUL AS THIS STORM WAS. BUT BE REGARDLESS OF THAT, WE WENT AHEAD AND CALLED RESOURCES ANYWAY. EVEN KNOWING WITH THE RISK THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD A DIRECT HIT, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. WE MADE THE CALL TO GO AHEAD AND GET RESOURCES. NOW AGAIN, IT IS BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME, BUT PART OF OUR PREPARATION PROCESS IS TO CONTINUE MONITOR. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADAPT, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVISE, AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO REACT. AND SO WE CALLED IN WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE A GOOD AMOUNT OF RESOURCES, BUT AS THE STORM WAS GOING THROUGH AND WE'RE REALIZING THAT IT'S HITTING US MORE DIRECTLY, WE CALLED MORE. AND AFTER OUR BOOTS ARE ON THE GROUND, WE'RE GETTING REPORTS OF THE DAMAGE THAT WE'RE SEEING. I THINK WE GOT AN ADDITIONAL 2000. NOW THE QUESTION WAS DID WE GET ENOUGH ON THE FIRST CALL? WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS THAT THE SECOND CALL THAT WE HAD, THOSE FOLKS WERE ALREADY COMING IN THE SAME DAY. IT'S NOT GOING TO GET YOU ANY QUICKER RESULTS WITH THE 10,000 SECURED RESOURCES THAT WE HAD. AND THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THEY DON'T, ALL CAN'T ALL NECESSARY. IF YOU'RE DRIVING HERE FROM MASSACHUSETTS FROM EXAMPLE, IT TAKES TIME TO GET HERE. UM, SO YEAH, WE DID SECURE THE RESOURCES. WE DID FEEL THAT WE NEED TO SECURE MORE. BUT AGAIN, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IS AN EFFORT TO BE PROACTIVE AND AN EFFORT TO TRY TO GET THE RESTORATION EFFORTS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO GOING FORWARD FROM A CENTER POINT STANDPOINT WHEN IT COMES TO MOBILIZING CREWS TO HAVE MORE LOCAL CREWS IN PREPARATION? BECAUSE IF WE, IF, IF WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO DRIVE FROM MASSACHUSETTS AND THEN GET HERE AND THEN GO TO THE TENT, EAT AND THEN GET OUT THERE, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME. AND THESE STORMS ARE HAPPENING, HAPPENING MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY. AND THE CALLS AND THE EMAILS THAT WE GET IN OUR OFFICES IS SURE, YOU'RE GETTING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR OFFICES ARE GETTING THE SAME. [02:05:02] THESE ARE HEARTBREAKING CALLS FROM SENIORS, THOSE WITH LITTLE MEANS WITH KIDS, WITH ELDERLY PARENTS, AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE POWER IS NOT BEING RESTORED. AND THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE OR A LEARNING, UH, LESSON FROM HOW FREQUENTLY AND HARD THESE STORMS ARE HITTING US TO BE ABLE TO REACT AND RESPOND QUICKER AND NOT HAVE TO RELY ON PEOPLE COMING FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. BECAUSE IF WE, IF WE STAY THAT ROUTE, THEN LIVES WILL BE LOST. OUR ECONOMY GOES DOWN. AND AS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA, WHICH IS THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS TO HAVE QUICKER AND FASTER RESPONSE TIMES, UH, AND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TAKE TO THE STATE TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS NEEDED FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE CANNOT HAVE THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IMPACTED IN THIS WAY ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. AND SO, ARE THERE THINGS THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT NOW TO SAY, BASED ON WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED, WE HAVE TO KIND OF CHANGE OUR MODEL IN ANY WAY? YES. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. UM, WE A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE. UM, THE WORLD IS DIFFERENT. AS COUNCIL MEMBER SHABBAT HAS MENTIONED, THE STORMS ARE MORE FREQUENT, THEY'RE MORE SEVERE. AND OUR PARADIGM ON HOW WE LOOK AT THINGS HAS TO CHANGE. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I WOULD SAY THAT OUR LEGISLATORS HAVE FELT THAT WAY. WHEN THEY PASSED SOME LEGISLATION ON OUR RESILIENCY THIS PAST SUMMER, THE TEXAS PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION PASSED A RULING ASKING THE UTILITY COMPANIES TO EVALUATE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO ADDRESS THE VERY ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE ASKED. SO THIS PAST APRIL, WE'VE DONE A ROBUST STUDY IN WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND WE FILED A RESILIENCY PLAN BEFORE THE TEXAS PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO FEEL ARE NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE THAT PUNCH. WE CAN NEVER, UH, COMPLETELY WITHSTAND A HURRICANE WITHOUT AN OUTAGE. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT DOING DIFFERENTLY. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, YOU MENTIONED THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PART OF THAT PROGRAM AS TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO GO AND INVEST IN MORE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, SPECIFICALLY FOR RESILIENCY. THAT CHANGE IN THAT PARADIGM IS BECAUSE THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN IS ALWAYS BASED ON A RELIABILITY RESPONSE, BUT NOT A RESILIENCY PIECE. AND WE RECOGNIZE WITH THE CHANGING CLIMATE, THE AMOUNT OF STORMS THAT WE'VE HAD THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE CHANGED OUR ENGINEERING DESIGN STANDARDS. WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT TO MAKE OUR SYSTEM MORE RESILIENT. BUT WITH THOSE 56,000 MILES OF CIRCUITS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE HAVE TENS OF DECADES OLD FACILITIES THAT NEED TO BE UPGRADED THAT AREN'T TO THESE NEW WIND STANDARDS. THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO MODERNIZE OUR GRID. I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. SOME OF THE INTELLIGENT GRID THINGS THAT WE HAD, WE OBSERVED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE 175,000 CUSTOMERS WITH THIS STORM JUST BECAUSE OF THE MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT IN PLACE SO FAR. WE NEED MORE OF THAT. SO YES, WE AGREE, WE SUPPORT, AND WE WOULD ASK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, FOR OUR RESILIENCY FILING THAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT THAT IS THE BEST THING. I USE THE ANALOGY OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY. THE OLD PARADIGM THAT WE LIVED IN WAS THE RELIABILITY WITH YOUR CAR, YOU WANT IT TO BE RELIABLE. THAT RELIABILITY MEANS THAT WHEN YOU'RE TAKING YOUR KIDS TO THE SOCCER GAME OR YOU'RE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE, THAT CAR IS ALWAYS THERE. IT'S AVAILABLE. AND THAT'S THE WORLD THAT WE LIVED IN. NOW WE HAVE TO START TALKING ABOUT THE RESILIENCY. AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS THINGS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY EQUATE TO THE RELIABILITY PIECE, BUT MEANS THAT YOU CAN RECOVER FROM AN INCIDENT LIKE AIRBAGS, SEAT BELTS, THE THINGS THAT HELP YOU WALK AWAY BETTER FROM A COLLISION. YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PREVENT THE COLLISION, BUT YOU CAN MAKE IT SAFER FOR EVERYBODY MOVING FORWARD. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. SO YES, WE HAVE OUR BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION, OUR RESILIENCY FILING TO DO EXACTLY THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY. MM-HMM . COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. AND I, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA THANK YOU AND JAKE FOR WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR OFFICES AS WE ARE ESCALATING, UH, CRITICAL LOCATIONS WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, CRITICAL SERVICES, ET CETERA. Y'ALL HAVE BEEN IN OEM, UH, WORKING WITH US, AND I KNOW THAT THOSE HOURS HAVE BEEN VERY LONG. AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK OF LINE CREWS, UH, THAT ARE COMING IN. THOSE ARE, [02:10:01] IT'S BRUTAL HEAT. OUR RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING IT. DURING THE DERECHO, I WAS OUT, YOU KNOW, HANDING OUT WATERS TO THANK THEM. SO I THINK FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS, WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR, UM, WORK RIGHT NOW TO RESTORE POWER. AND MY QUESTIONS ARE NOT, YOU'RE IN THE HOT SEAT RIGHT NOW. UNDERSTOOD. SO MY QUESTIONS NOT DIRECTED TO, TO YOU SPECIFICALLY, BUT TO THE ENTITY CENTER POINT THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON FOR HOUSTONIANS. UM, FIRST THE HOTLINE, UH, THAT RESIDENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO CALL. I'VE BEEN GETTING REPORTS THAT THAT HAS BEEN CRASHING OR DOWN. AND WE'VE HAD SEVERAL RESIDENTS REACHING OUT WITH SPARKED, UH, LIVE WIRES. UM, I SAW PICTURES, I DON'T, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO VERIFY IT. ONE RESIDENT'S TREE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO GO OUT TO PUT THOSE FIRES OUT, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET CENTERPOINT OUT. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN WE LEARN OF IT, I HAVE DIRECT COMMUNICATION. BUT CAN YOU GIVE US A STATUS ON WHETHER OR NOT CENTERPOINT'S CALL LINES ARE WORKING? TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THEY ARE WORKING. I KNOW THAT THEY ARE INUNDATED WITH A LOT OF CALLS BECAUSE THIS HAS COMPLETELY COVERED OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM FOR THE HEATER, THE GREATER METRO AREA. UH, I AM, I'M NOT AWARE OF THEM ACTUALLY CRASHING. I CAN GO AND CONFIRM AND SEE IF I CAN LEARN MORE, BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE STILL TAKING THOSE CALLS AND WE'RE ASKING EVERYBODY WHEN YOU SEE THOSE DOWN POWER LINES TO CALL 7 1 3 2 0 7 2 2 2 2. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE ON HOW MUCH THE DERECHO COST FROM CENTERPOINT'S PERSPECTIVE? UM, I BELIEVE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR AS FOLLOWING UP ON THE INVOICES, BUT, UM, IT IS IN THE, UH, EXCEEDING THE MANY, MANY MILLIONS. OKAY. YEAH. AND DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE? I MEAN, JUST IN THESE FEW DAYS OF HOW MUCH THIS DISASTER IS COSTING? NOT UNTIL WE GET AN A COMPLETE IDEA OF WHAT OUR ASSESSMENTS ARE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE WAY THAT IT WORKS IS WE HAVE TO PUT EYES ON, UH, EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE. AND GOING BACK TO THAT AUTO ANALOGY, WHEN YOU GET INTO A VEHICLE ACCIDENT, SOME THINGS MIGHT LOOK LIKE IT MIGHT BE A QUICK FIX, BUT UNTIL YOU TAKE IT TO MECHANIC AND HE LOOKS UNDER THE HOOD, YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW. AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THAT, UH, MECHANIC LOOK AT EVERYTHING, SO TO SPEAK, BY THE END OF TODAY, AND THEN WE'LL GET AN IDEA. GREAT. AND, AND THOSE COSTS, I'M ASSUMING, ARE PASSED ON TO CONSUMERS, SO THE EVERYDAY RESIDENTS, OR HOW IS THAT, HOW THE, HOW DOES THAT COST STRUCTURE WORK? YEAH, THAT IS TYPICALLY HOW THAT WORKS. UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS. UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST IS SECURITIZE BONDS TO GO AND REQUEST, UH, THAT WAY WE HAVE THE FUNDS NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO STAY UP AND OPERATING. AND THEN THAT, UH, BOND IS PASSED ON AS A LINE ITEM BILL FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS. AND THE REASON I'M ASKING THAT IS WE TALK LOT ABOUT, OH, IT'LL COST TOO MUCH TO BURY LINES OR THERE'S, IT'S A COST, BUT AT WHAT POINT DO WE GET TO THE PLACE WHERE THE COST OF EVERY TIME THE POWER IS GOING OUT AND A RESIDENT HAS TO THROW OUT THEIR GROCERIES OR BUY A GENERATOR, ALL OF THOSE COSTS, AND WE'RE THIS, IT'S HOT OUT, RIGHT? THIS IS NOW A LIFE SAFETY CONCERN. UH, SO WHEN WE SAY EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET THE LIGHTS BACK ON, IN MY OPINION, AND RESPECTFULLY THEY SHOULD BE ON, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAD A HURRICANE, BUT THIS WAS A CATEGORY ONE. IKE WAS FI CLOSE TO 16. IT'S BEEN 15 YEARS SINCE IKE. WE KNOW THAT THIS, THE SEVERE WEATHER, THE EXTREME WEATHER DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL. IT'S HAPPENING. AND WE'VE KNOWN FOR SOME TIME MM-HMM . SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOW SUBMITTING CENTERPOINT'S, SUBMITTING RESILIENCY PLANS, BUT GOING EVEN BACK TO THE DERECHO WHEN A POLE WAS DOWN THAT WAS REPLACED MM-HMM . BUT WAS THERE AN ASSESSMENT DONE OF WHICH POLES HAD BEEN WEAKENED FROM THE WIND? AND WAS THERE AN ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THOSE POLES? SO SPECIFICALLY TO THAT QUESTION, WE HAVE A POLE INSPECTION PROGRAM WHERE WE GO AND WE DO THAT ANNUALLY. PART OF OUR RESILIENCY PROGRAM IS TO INCREASE THAT EVEN MORE. BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ANOTHER QUESTION THAT SHE HAD REGARDING THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH A STORM. AND WITH THE RESILIENCY PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE, IT'S, I BELIEVE, OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, $2.2 BILLION. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE TO HER POINT WAS THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY. WHEN YOU HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST PORTS IN THE COUNTRY, HOW THAT AFFECTS THE COMMUNITY, THE, THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD THAT WE HAVE HERE LOCALLY, HOW ALL OF THOSE [02:15:01] THINGS ARE IMPACTED, HOW THAT DRIVES THE SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL AND THAT THE INVESTMENT ACTUALLY WILL PAY FOR ITSELF. WE WERE RECOMMENDING TO DO THINGS SUCH AS, UH, MANUFACTURED POLES, WHICH ARE STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE. BUT THE GOAL IS, IF WE HAVE MORE OF THOSE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS REHABBING OUR FACILITIES INSTEAD OF REBUILDING. AND SO IF THOSE POLES STAY UP, WE CAN PUT WIRE UP REALLY, REALLY FAST. BUT WHEN WE HAVE STORMS SUCH AS THIS WITH THE TREES COMPLETELY COMING DOWN FROM THE GROUND, TAKING OUT OUR LINES AND OUR POLES, THAT'S WHERE ALL THE TIME COMES IN TO DO THE RESTORATION WORK. AND SO OUR GOAL AND WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE WAS HOW YOU CAN LOOK AT THE THINGS SUCH AS STRATEGIC UNDERGROUNDING, WHETHER THE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO, UH, REPLACE OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, IDENTIFYING THE CRITICAL CIRCUITS WHERE ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS ARE ABOUT OUR NECESSITIES ARE TO MAKE THOSE CIRCUITS MORE RESILIENT. HOW CAN WE HELP WITH THE MODERNIZATION TO MAKE IT MORE QUICK AND EFFICIENT? ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL PAY FOR ITSELF. AND, AND I AGREE WITH THE ECONOMIC IMPACT. WE HAVE BUSINESSES THAT CAN'T OPERATE RIGHT NOW, THOSE THAT'S FAMILIES THAT NEED TO PAY THEIR OWN BILLS. UM, BUT YOU REFERENCED EARLIER LEGISLATION AND WORKING AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT CENTER POINT AND OTHERS PUSHED LEGISLATION TO TAKE AWAY THE ABILITY AND THE POWER OF LOCALITIES TO REGULATE UTILITIES. IS CENTERPOINT NOW WILLING TO GO BACK TO THE TABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT LOCALITIES CAN HA IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL, BUT THAT WE AS HOUSTON CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A SAY IN HOW WE REGULATE AND HARDEN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE? WELL, THE WAY THAT, UM, I, I BELIEVE THAT WE SEE IT IS THAT WE STILL HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY REGARDLESS OF JURISDICTION. AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO WORK WITH THE CITY REGARDLESS OF THE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION OR NOT. WE FEEL THAT ON BEHALF OF THE RATE PAYERS, THERE ARE EFFICIENCIES THAT TO BE, TO BE GAINED WHEN EVERYTHING GOES BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION. AND IT'S NOT AN ISSUE ABOUT WHAT RIGHTS THE CITY HAS ABOUT REGULATING, BECAUSE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE CITY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVENE AND DO EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED NECESSARILY TO MAKE THEIR POINT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY TAKE ORIGINAL JURISDICTION. SO IT'S REALLY NOT AN ISSUE OF THAT PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE SEE EXACTLY THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE HAVING BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE COLLABORATION WE HAVE WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. AND THAT CAN NEVER GO AWAY FOR US TO BE EFFECTIVE. WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE APPRECIATE IT AND WE FULLY SUPPORT THAT. I UNDERSTAND, BUT AGAIN, WE GOTTA, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW CENTERPOINT STOOD UP RESOURCES BEFORE THE STORM MM-HMM . BUT WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN IN THIS PLACE TO BEGIN WITH, WITH A CATEGORY ONE, SEEING THE WIDESPREAD OUTAGES THAT WE ARE, OR IT, IT COULD HAVE BEEN, UH, LIKE WE'RE PAST THE TIME OF SAYING THAT THIS WASN'T PREDICTABLE. UH, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING TODAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT MAYOR, WE ARE HAVING FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT CENTER POINT IS DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN AND HOW LONG THAT'S GOING TO TAKE. UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'VE LOST THREE INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE STORM, BUT WITH THIS HEAT, THAT NUMBER CAN RISE. AND, UH, WE HAVE SEEN THIS TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN NOW, SO, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO MORE CONVERSATIONS. BUT FOR HOUSTONIANS THAT ARE SITTING IN THEIR HOMES RIGHT NOW, UH, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. UNDERSTOOD. AND I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND, AND SHARE EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ON OUR RESILIENCY FILING SO YOU CAN HAVE A, AT LEAST AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAT AS WELL. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND TALKING ABOUT THAT RESILIENCY PIECE, UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE CENTER POINT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT THE TREE TRIMMING AROUND THE POWER LINES. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS PROBLEM IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S WAY TOO BIG TO REPORT EVERY SINGLE, YOU KNOW, INSTANCE. BUT IS THERE AN AGGRESSIVE TREE TRIMMING INITIATIVE, UM, THAT CENTERPOINT'S DOING IS, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CENTERPOINT CAN COMMIT TO? WELL, WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON OUR EXISTING TREE TRIMMING PROCESS THAT WE HAVE. UM, AND IT IS BASED ON RELIABILITY PROGRAM, ON HOW CIRCUITS ARE PERFORMING. BUT THAT IS A DAY TO DAY BLUE SKY TYPE. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO MOVING FORWARD IS LOOK AT IT FROM A RESILIENCY PERSPECTIVE, WHICH WOULD GIVE US A MORE RE UH, UH, MORE ROBUST AND AGGRESSIVE TREE TRIMMING APPROACH. WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE KNOW WHERE THESE CRITICAL [02:20:01] CUSTOMERS ARE THAT YOU ARE, UH, WORKING WITH US TO GET THE, THE POWER RESTORED QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GO AND PUT THOSE ON A, ON A THREE YEAR CYCLE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE CONSTANTLY MAINTAINED BECAUSE WE WANT TO IDENTIFY THE, WHAT WE REFER TO AS, UM, RELAY FREE, UH, CIRCUITS WHERE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE THE MODERNIZATION AND SWITCHING NECESSARY TO GET THOSE. SO YES, WE, WE DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT, ESPECIALLY FROM THE RESILIENCY PERSPECTIVE, TO DO SOMETHING MORE ROBUST THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW. THANK YOU. AND, UM, HAS CENTERPOINT, HAVE THEY PERMANENTLY REMOVED THE OUTAGE TRACKER MAP FROM THE WEBSITE, OR WILL THAT COME BACK AT SOME POINT? SO UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES DURING DERECHO. UM, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WAS, UH, BASICALLY CAPACITY RESTRAINTS FROM ALL THE PEOPLE GAINING ACCESS. WHAT WE HAD NOT ANTICIPATED WAS THE NUMBER OF ROBOTS AND THIRD PARTY COMPANIES, UM, BASICALLY JUST SETTING CONSTANT PINGS TO OUR FACILITY, AND IT CAUSED OUR OUTAGE TRACKER TO CRASH. UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH, UH, OUR IT DEPARTMENTS TO TRY TO REHABILITATE IT. UH, WE HAD SOME, UH, I THOUGHT WHAT WAS GONNA BE OPTIMISTIC RESULTS FROM IT, AND WHEN THEY WEREN'T WORKING, WE HAD OTHER OPTIONS TO TRY TO, TO RESOLVE IT. UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THEM WERE ABLE TO WORK. AND, UH, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DEEM WAS THAT OUR OUTAGE TRACKER, BECAUSE HOW IT HAD CRASHED WAS UNSALVAGEABLE. SO EVEN PRIOR TO THE STORM, WE'D WORKED WITH ANOTHER THIRD PARTY TO BUILD A CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM TO HAVE ONE, HOPEFULLY BEFORE WE SEE ANY HURRICANES, WHICH WE HAVE COME AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT UP AND RUNNING BY THE END OF THIS MONTH. IT'S EXTREMELY UNFORTUNATE THE TIMING THAT WE'VE HAD, THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED SOMETHING WHEN WE DON'T HAVE IT OUT. AND WE ARE EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED OURSELVES THAT WE DON'T HAVE IT. WE KNOW THE FRUSTRATION, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO TRY TO GET THE INFORMATION AS BEST AS WE CAN. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT AS AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE OR PROBABLY AS IT SHOULD BE, BUT WE ARE TRYING, WE SOLICIT FEEDBACK FOR ANY WAY THAT WE CAN TO HELP GET THE MESSAGE OUT. AND WE SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT WE'RE HAVING TO GO THROUGH WITHOUT NOT HAVING THAT OUTAGE TRACKER. AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CONSTITUENTS WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING ON OUR END IS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S HARD TO, YOU KNOW, SPEAK WITH A LIVE PERSON. AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE BUSY TO SPEAK WITH A LIVE PERSON OVER THE PHONE. UM, OR EVEN DIFFICULT JUST TO REPORT AN OUTAGE. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CENTERPOINT'S WORKING ON? WE ARE. UM, AND AGAIN, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY FEELS COMFORTABLE, CALL THOSE LINES AND I CAN VERIFY IF WE WERE HAVING SOME ISSUES, UM, AND, AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND OUT. BUT I, I APOLOGIZE IF, IF THAT'S THE SUM OF THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU'RE HEARING. UM, ALSO, UM, I HAD A CONSTITUENT REACH OUT YESTERDAY THAT SAID THEY HAD GOTTEN AN ALERT ON THEIR PHONE THAT THEIR POWER HAD BEEN RESTORED, AND IN FACT THEIR POWER HADN'T BEEN RESTORED. IT WAS KIND OF THE SAME SITUATION DURING RECHO. THEY'D GOTTEN AN ALERT SAYING IT WAS RESTORED, IT WASN'T WHAT HAPPENS. I KNOW THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY RE-REPORT THAT THEY DON'T HAVE POWER. UM, BUT THEIR CONCERN WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR SO LONG DURING DRAG SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE IT SHOWS, I GUESS ON YOUR END, THAT POWER'S RESTORED, THEN THEY GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST. AND SO, UM, SO WHAT HAPPENS IF, YOU KNOW, THEY GET AN ALERT SAYING POWER'S BEEN RESTORED, BUT IT'S NOT, THEY REPORT IT. DO THEY GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST? HOW DOES THAT YEAH, THERE'S NO BOTTOM OF THE LIST, SO TO SPEAK. OKAY. AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC PROCESS ON A RESTORATION EFFORT, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID DURING THE DIRECT SHOW. WELL, FIRST WE HAVE TO START WITH OUR SUBSTATIONS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL THE POWER'S COMING FROM. AND THEN, AS I USE THE ANALOGY BEFORE WITH THAT EXTENSION CORD, WE HAVE TO MAKE THE REPAIRS AS THEY GO DOWN. UNFORTUNATELY, AT TIMES WHEN WE ARE RESTORING SOME OF THE SECTIONS OF THE LINE, THERE COULD BE OTHER THINGS LIKE TREES ON BRANCHES AND OTHER AREAS WHERE THE FUSES DIDN'T GO OFF THE FIRST TIME SO THAT IT CAN HAVE TEMPORARY POWER. BUT THERE ARE ALSO TIMES WHEN WE HAVE NEW OUTAGES THAT ARE CREATED BECAUSE BRANCHES THAT WERE JUST DANGLING READY TO FALL, THAT WERE DAMAGED FROM THE STORM FINALLY DO FALL. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS IT GOES INTO OUR QUEUE WHERE WE RECOGNIZE IT RIGHT AWAY, AND WE TRY TO ADDRESS IT WITH, YOU KNOW, IS IT A CIRCUIT OUTAGE? WE TRY TO MAKE ALL OF OUR CIRCUITS BACK UP, WHICH IS OUR BACKBONE, THEN WE ADDRESS OUR LATERALS, AND THEN WE ADDRESS OUR FUSES. BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS IF I GET ONE CIRCUIT BACK UP AND RUNNING, WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS RESTORED, I, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR ME TO WORK ON JUST A LATERAL THAT HAS A COUPLE HUNDRED CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON IT, UNFORTUNATELY. AND OF THOSE THAT, UM, ARE ON LATERALS, IT'S, IT, AGAIN, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THEY HAVE TO WAIT, BUT WE WANT TO BE [02:25:01] ABLE TO GET THAT WHOLE CIRCUIT UP AND RUNNING, THEN WE CAN REACH THOSE LATERALS. AND THEN ONCE THOSE LATERALS ARE ON, THEN YOU'LL FIND TRANSFORMERS, WHICH IS THREE TO FIVE CUSTOMERS PER TRANSFORMER THAT COULD BE EFFECTIVE. SO THAT LINE COULD BE ENERGIZED, BUT THEIR TRANSFORMER COULD BE OUT. WE'RE NOT GONNA START ADDRESSING THE TRANSFORMERS UNTIL WE GET THE CIRCUITS ON, THE LATERALS ON. THEN WE FOCUS ON THE TRANSFORMERS. AND SO I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE IS NO LIST, BUT ARE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES, DO THEY GET HIGHER PRIORITY, UM, OR IS IT THE SAME SORT OF THING? YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE GOTTA DO THE CIRCUIT AND THE LATERALS. AND SO WHAT WE DO AS PART OF OUR PREPARATION PROCESS, WE WORK WITH A CITY TO RECOGNIZE ALL CRITICAL CUSTOMERS. AND WHILE WE, PART OF THE REASON WHY WE HAVE SOMEBODY WITH OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS SO WHEN THOSE ARE BROUGHT UP THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE OF, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ESCALATED. WE ADDRESS THEM ACCORDINGLY. WE DO HAVE A LIST OF A LOT, UM, BUT THAT LIST IS EXACTLY DEPENDENT UPON WHAT WE GET FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, AND WE TRY TO REVIEW THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS PRIOR TO HURRICANE SEASON TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE, WE HAVE ON OUR DATABASE AND WE CAN RESPOND THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN. BECAUSE CURRENTLY IN DISTRICT G, THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO OF, UM, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES THAT DON'T HAVE POWER, THE BUCKINGHAM AND EAGLES TRACE. SO JUST MM-HMM . PUTTING THAT ON YOUR RADAR. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. AND WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN, AND PART OF IT IS JUST A DIRECT REFLECTION TO THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE PRIOR UPSTREAM OF THEM. AND I WILL SHARE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN EVERY AREA, UH, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. WE DON'T SEGREGATE BETWEEN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ANOTHER, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT, BECAUSE WHEN WE DO IT FROM A SEQUENCE, THESE CIRCUITS GO THROUGH SEVERAL COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST ONE. SO WE COULD BE SPECIFICALLY WORKING TO RESTORE YOUR POWER, BUT WE MIGHT NOT BE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE COULD BE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET YOUR POWER BACK ON, BUT YOU MIGHT NOT SEE THE TRUCKS. BUT PLEASE REST ASSURE WE ARE THERE TRYING TO GET IT BACK ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, BRAD, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND SHARING SOME MORE INFORMATION. UM, I REALLY WANT TO KIND OF DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT. MM-HMM . YOU, YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT PRIORITY AREAS, BUT, UM, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA WHERE YOU DON'T MAINTAIN AS MUCH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE FOLKS AREN'T CALLING YOU ALL OR IT'S JUST TOO MUCH WORK, BUT HOW, HOW ARE Y'ALL GONNA START PRIORITIZING RESIDENTIAL AREAS SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT? UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LOT OF THESE, YOU KNOW, WHERE Y'ALL NOT ABLE TO GO IN, INTO NEIGHBORHOODS AND FIX OR GET, GET POWER BACK ON BECAUSE THESE TREE LIMBS ARE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS. UM, AND SO I JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. YEAH. SO CURRENTLY THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS, IT'S BASED ON PERFORMANCE. YOU KNOW, THOSE CIRCUITS ARE PERFORMING. UM, WE PRIORITIZE THEM BASED ON TREE ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE AND THAT DETERMINES THEIR TRIM CYCLE. AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WHEN WE CAN IDENTIFY CIRCUITS THAT HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF CRITICAL CUSTOMERS, WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT BASED ON PERFORMANCE ANYMORE. WE WANT TO IDENTIFY THOSE SPECIFIC CIRCUITS AND WE WANT TO PUT 'EM ON A CONSTANT TRIM, MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALWAYS TRIMMED. WE FEEL LIKE WE COULD DO THAT ON A THREE YEAR CYCLE. WE'LL STILL INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF, UM, TRIMMING THAT WE DO IN THE RESIDE RESIDENTIAL AREAS BECAUSE THAT MONEY THAT WE WOULD DO BEFORE THAT WOULD, UM, UH, FOR THE ADDITIONAL TRIMMING WOULD BE ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING. AND SO THAT WOULD INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF TRIMMING THAT WE HAVE IN THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL. AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IF I WERE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND SAY, HEY, I NEED YOU TO COME AND TRIM MY TREE. IS THAT PART OF THAT, THAT CYCLE? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT HAVE YES, THAT'S, WE, WE DO THAT, UH, REGULARLY. WE DO IT A FEW WAYS. UH, WHEN CUSTOMERS COME OUT, WE ALWAYS ASK OUR CUSTOMERS TO NOTIFY IF YOU FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TREE ISSUES, WE SEND PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT IT, AND WE DO THE TRIMMING, BUT WE DO IT SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT LOCATION. AND THAT'S DIFFERENT. WE CALL THAT REACTIVE TREE TRIMMING. AND THAT IS PART OF OUR PROGRAM THAT WE DO. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. THAT'LL NEVER CHANGE. WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY IS A PROACTIVE CYCLE TRIMMING THAT WE DO, WHICH IS IN ADDITION TO THAT. AND, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED, SO IF YOU CAN JUST RUN THROUGH THE TIMELINE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UH, YOU BEGAN BOOTS ON THE GROUND TODAY. UM, I'M SORRY, BOOTS ON THE GROUND TODAY. THAT'S, I TOOK A LITTLE NOTE WHEN YOU SAID THAT. I'M NOT SURE. AGAIN, I MIGHT BE CONFUSED ON, YOU KNOW, THE TIMELINE, BUT SURE. UM, AND CONSTABLE POLLER WAS MENTIONING, YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, WHEN IS RESPONSE KICKING IN UNDERSTANDING THAT, AS YOU KNOW, CAME AND MENTIONED, IT'S, IT'S, UH, CATEGORY ONE. SHOULD FOLKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN HERE, UH, THIS WEEKEND, FRIDAY STAGING AT LEAST, UH, PREPARING, UM, [02:30:01] WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT TIMELINE, WHAT DID THAT TIMELINE LOOK LIKE COMING IN? YEAH, SO WE DID HAVE RESOURCES ON THE WAY PRIOR TO THE STORM. UM, AS I HAD SHARED BEFORE, I WAS ACTUALLY WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SUNDAY, GOING THROUGH THEIR PREPARATION CALL, DEFINING ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE ON PREPARATION. OUR BOOTS ON THE GROUND STARTED AS SOON AS THE STORM CLEARED. OUR SYSTEM, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 3:00 PM UH, THOSE ARE INTERNAL RESOURCES. UM, THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING TO BEGIN OUR SPECIFIED, UH, RESTORATION PROCESS WHILE THAT'S TAKEN PLACE. OUR LOGISTIC FOLKS ARE GOING OUT TO STAGING SITES, GETTING EVERYTHING READY FOR THE MUTUAL ASSISTANCE CREWS. THOSE THAT WERE ON THEIR WAY. THEY RIDE OUT THE STORM SAFELY IN A PLACE THAT IS GONNA BE OUTSIDE OF THE STORM SO THAT, THAT THEY CAN COME IN AND, AND RESPOND AS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. WE WOULD NEVER ASK THESE, UH, THIRD PARTY UTILITIES, CONTRACTORS, MUNICIPALITIES, TO RIDE OUT THE STORM 'CAUSE IT'S NOT SAFE. WE ASK YOU TO GET AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOU CAN RESPOND AS EFFICIENTLY AS AS PRACTICAL. AND THEN WE GO FROM THERE. AND AS I HAD SHARED IN MY 26 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SEE A STAGING SITE FOR THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF LINEMEN UP AND READY WITHIN 14 HOURS. I MEAN, IF I WAS GONNA PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FREEDOM OF, UH, OVER TEXAS THAT WE JUST OBSERVED, YOU LOOK AT ALL THE PREPARATION NECESSARY TO PUT THAT EVENT, WHICH I WAS THERE BY THE WAY. YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB. IMAGINE GETTING A PHONE CALL THAT SAYS BY THREE O'CLOCK, YOU GOTTA HAVE THAT UP AND RUNNING DOORS OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC BY 5:00 AM AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID. WE HAD EIGHT STAGING SITES UP, AND AS OF 5:00 AM THIS MORNING, WE HAVE EIGHT MORE. IT'S TOTAL OF 16 STAGING SITES. WE HAVE SECURED 12,000 FIELD RESOURCES TO, TO DO THE NECESSARY WORK. WE NEED TO, AND AGAIN, WHAT I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE IS OVER A MILLION CUSTOMERS RESTORED WITHIN 48 HOURS. TO ME, I THINK THAT'S A MONUMENTAL NUMBER RIGHT THERE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO. 'CAUSE AS I MENTIONED, NICHOLAS, THAT WAS 700,000 PLUS CUSTOMERS. THAT WAS FIVE DAYS. AND, AND I'LL JUST END WITH THIS. YOU MENTIONED LEGISLATION AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR'S ALREADY ON IT AS WELL. BUT, UM, WE REALLY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON WHAT THE STATE CAN DO, RIGHT. TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY CAN, CAN BE A PRIORITY HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY BARELY IN JULY AND WE'RE GONNA SEE MORE STORMS FOR SURE. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. MAYOR PRO, VICE MAYOR PROAM PECK. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, MY QUESTIONS WERE MOSTLY ANSWERED. THEY WERE RELATED TO THE PHONE NUMBER AND THE POWER ALERT, UM, SERVICE. BUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S POINT ABOUT, UM, PEOPLE GETTING MESSAGES THAT THEIR POWER WAS ON WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY OFF. WE HAD KIND OF THE OPPOSITE PROBLEM LAST NIGHT IN SPRING BRANCH THAT, UM, WE HAD ANOTHER STORM ROLL THROUGH AND MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO FINALLY GOT POWER BACK YESTERDAY, UM, LOST THEIR POWER FROM THAT STORM. AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NOBODY GOT ANY KIND OF ALERTS. UM, THAT WAS THE FRUSTRATION THAT I KEPT HEARING FROM, UM, CERTAINLY EVERYONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT ALL THROUGHOUT SPRING BRANCH, I KEPT GETTING, UM, COMMENTS OF, DO THEY EVEN KNOW THAT OUR POWER IS OUT? AND I THINK THAT'S HALF OF THE FRUSTRATION THERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DON'T GET THAT, WE SIGN UP FOR THESE ALERTS AND WE DON'T GET THOSE ALERTS, AND THERE'S KIND OF A PANIC THERE OF DO THEY EVEN KNOW THAT OUR POWER IS OFF? AND SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO, UM, MENTION THAT BECAUSE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO FIX THINGS IN THE FUTURE, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT POWER ALERT SERVICE IS WORKING, SO THAT AT LEAST PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THEIR POWER GOES OFF, THAT CENTERPOINT IS AWARE. AND I, I THINK THAT PEOPLE AT LEAST ARE, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT HAPPY THAT THE POWER'S OUT, BUT THEY'RE HAPPY AT LEAST THAT CENTERPOINT KNOWS ABOUT IT AND THAT THEY'RE ON, YOU KNOW, TRACK TO GETTING IT FIXED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. I, I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK. I WILL TAKE THAT BACK AND I WILL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE AGREE WITH THAT. WE WERE HOPING OUR POWER ALERT SERVICE WOULD BE HELPFUL WITH THE LACK OF OUR OUTAGE TRACKER, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR OPPORTUNITIES. IT IS COMPLICATED WHEN YOU HAVE A SCALE OUTAGE AS WE DO WITH THINGS BEING ON, THINGS BEING OFF, WE'RE STILL GONNA OCCUR AS STORMS COME THROUGH WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS RESTORATION EFFORT THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SOME OUTAGES, POTENTIALLY THINGS STILL HAPPEN, CARS STILL RUN INTO POLES. IT'S, IT'S A PART OF IT. AND I WILL TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, . COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION. JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS I WANT TO ASK, PARTICULARLY ON THE QUESTION OF PREPARATION MM-HMM . THAT YOU SPOKE OF. AND, UH, YOU HAVE, UH, 56,000 MILES OF, OF, YOU KNOW, UH, CIRCUITS. CIRCUITS, RIGHT? SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU ALSO MENTIONED [02:35:01] THAT THE COST YOU ARE WORKING ON MODERNIZING THE GRIDS MM-HMM . CORRECT. THAT'S GONNA BE A COST. MM-HMM . AND I THINK YOU QUOTED SOME 2 BILLION MM-HMM . RIGHT? IN THAT, RIGHT. SO THAT WOULD GO TO THE CUSTOMER. CORRECT. CORRECT. SO AS COUNCIL, WE, WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE IN REGARDS TO PRICE INCREASES AND OTHER THINGS FROM CENTERPOINT. MM-HMM . RIGHT? SO BEING THAT THE CITIZENS IS YOUR CUSTOMER, THEY, WHICH MEAN WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF OR CONSIDER THIS ON THEIR BEHALF. AND SO IN PREPARATION TO ASSURE THE CUSTOMER, BECAUSE THE FRUSTRATION IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY MANY OF THE COUNCILMEN ASK ABOUT PREPARATION, THE RESPONSE TO CALLS. SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE SETUP NOW FROM A TECHNOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE? YOU HAVE GRIDS ALL OVER THE CITY, CORRECT? MM-HMM . SO DO YOU HAVE A RESPO? DO YOU HAVE A TEAM THAT'S THAT'S DESIGNATED TO A CERTAIN AREA BASED UPON WHERE THE GRIDS ARE? IS THAT HOW CENTERPOINT'S SET UP EVEN BEFORE THE ASK OF VENDORS COMING IN? DO YOU HAVE A TEAM BY LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY? UM, WELL, WE HAVE SERVICE CENTERS THAT ARE STRATEGICALLY LOCATED TO RESPOND, UM, AS NECESSARY. AND WE HAVE OUR STAGING SITES DISPERSED THROUGHOUT SO THAT WHEN WE HAVE OUR EXTERNAL RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN, WE COULD MAXIMIZE THE COVERAGE AND WORK AS QUICK, QUICKLY, AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. NOW, AS FAR AS MODERNIZING THE GRID, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY STARTED DOING THAT. UM, IT'S SEVERAL YEARS NOW WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY GONE BACK AND STARTED DOING HARDENING OF OUR FACILITIES. UH, WE'VE BEEN REPORTING TO THE TEXAS PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION, OUR STORM HARDENING PROGRAM. UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT TAKES TIME. AND WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S TENS OF DECADES OLD THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IF WE WANT TO MAKE THIS MORE RESILIENT. 'CAUSE WE NEED TO GET THERE SOONER THAN LATER. UH, WE'VE DONE SOME OF THOSE THINGS TO DO THE MODERNIZATION. WE WANT TO DO MORE. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT AND HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS. AND WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, THEIR OUTSIDE COUNCIL ABOUT THE RESILIENCY PLAN, WHY WE THINK IT'S NECESSARY, WHAT THE COSTS ARE GONNA BE, WHY IT'S A BENEFIT TO THE RATE PAYERS. WE UNDERSTAND THE COST. THAT'S A SHOW ASSOCIATED WITH IT UPFRONT. BUT WHEN YOU SEE THESE EVENTS LIKE WE HAVE, I THINK I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY THE THIRD ONE IN TWO MONTHS, THEY, THOSE INVESTMENTS ACTUALLY DO PAY FOR THEMSELVES. SO IS THAT TO MEAN THEN THAT YOU, THOSE AREAS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO THAT IS NOT ADEQUATE? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION. IN OTHER WORDS, THOSE AREAS THAT YOU SPOKE OF, SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED RIGHT NOW IS NOT ADEQUATE TO MEET THE NEED. IS THAT, SO WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT WE BUILT FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, AND WE STARTED THE INTELLIGENT GRID PROGRAM IN 2010 ISH. AND SO FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND, AND HAVE THAT DISPERSED ACROSS OUR 5,000 SQUARE FOOT TERRITORY, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO MAKE OUR SYSTEM MORE MODERN AS POSSIBLE. THERE ARE OTHER THINGS TO MAXIMIZE THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOME SUBSTATION UPGRADES, WHICH WE CALL DIGITAL SUBSTATIONS, TO ALLOW US TO HAVE MORE FUNCTIONALITY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE INTELLIGENT GRID DECISIONS AND RESPONSES. UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO SLOWLY OVER TIME. THIS RESILIENCY PROGRAM WHERE WE RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS OF THAT INVESTMENT AND HOW WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ALL OVER THE RESPONSE TIME. YEAH. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THANK YOU, BRAD. UM, MOST PEOPLE JUST WANNA KNOW WHEN THEIR POWER'S GONNA BE BACK ON. UM, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY HOUSTON CUSTOMERS ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER? AND DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATED NUMBER ON THAT? YES. SO IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS, UH, A MOVING TARGET. SURE. BUT I BELIEVE AS OF AROUND 9:00 AM THIS MORNING, IT WAS 560,000 CUSTOMERS, 560,000. AND, UH, WITH, WITH THE LACK OF THE OUTAGE TRACKER KIND OF, AND KNOWING WHEN IT'S GONNA COME, I MEAN, IS THERE, LIKE, ARE YOU GUYS SAYING BY X EVERYBODY SHOULD BE RESTORED? AND I KNOW YOU'RE, IT'S SCARY TO SAY THAT, BUT WELL, THE, THE ISSUE REALLY IS TO GET AN ACTUAL IDEA OF WHAT WE HAVE. SURE. UM, AND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY PHYSICALLY WALKING THE ENTIRE CIRCUIT. RIGHT. AND AS THERE'S DEBRIS ON THE GROUND, UH, THAT'S GONNA SLOW THEM DOWN. A LOT OF OUR CIRCUITS ARE IN BACKYARDS WHERE THEY'RE BLOCKED BY [02:40:01] FENCES. AND SO THAT TAKES TIME. AND SO FOR US TO HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE AS TO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE NEED TO HAVE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IN. AND WE UNDERSTAND. IT'S FRUSTRATING. IT'S JUST AS FRUSTRATING FOR US. 'CAUSE WE WANT TO GET AN IDEA EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED. BUT UNTIL WE HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION, IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO JUST SAY. RIGHT. AND SO, IS THERE A TIMEFRAME BY WHICH YOU'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT CALL? WE'RE HOPING BY THE END OF TONIGHT, BY THE END OF TONIGHT, YOU'LL HAVE THE ASSESSMENTS DONE. SO THEN, UH, RESIDENTS STILL WITHOUT POWER CAN FIND OUT LIKE, IT'S GONNA BE X NUMBER OF DAYS AT THE, AT THE LATEST WE'LL PROBABLY DO IT FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OKAY. OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. OKAY. AND THEN TRY TO START WORKING SOMETHING, UH, WITH OUR IT FOLKS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO DEMONSTRATE IT ON A MORE LOCALIZED LEVEL, THE BEST THAT WE CAN. OKAY. GREAT. AND, AND I CAN'T REITERATE ENOUGH WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED, THE LI THE DOWNLINES NUMBERS. I MEAN, PEOPLE WAITED FOR HOURS AND IT, IT BECAME, IT WAS DANGEROUS. AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT NEEDS TO REALLY BE IMPROVED. BUT THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND TAKING HARD QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, I'M ONE OF THOSE 560,000 HOUSTON RESIDENTS WITHOUT POWER GOING ON 54 HOURS NOW. SO I'M NOT A HAPPY CAMPER, ESPECIALLY SINCE I WENT THROUGH THIS FOUR OR FIVE DAYS JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO WITH DICHO. AND, UM, I DON'T FAULT YOU GUYS FOR NOT ASKING THOUSANDS OF WORKERS TO COME INTO HOUSTON BEFORE THE STORM HIT. RIDE IT OUT, RIDE OUT THE HURRICANE WITH US. SO YOU'D BE SO THEY'D BE READY TO GO, UH, WHEN THE STORM LEFT. I KNOW THESE THINGS ARE INHERENTLY UNPREDICTABLE. MM-HMM . ALTHOUGH WE THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE UNDERSTAND 'EM NOW. WE REALLY DON'T. UM, I DON'T FAULT YOU GUYS FOR THE OUTAGE TRACKER. 'CAUSE THE OUTAGE TRACKER ISN'T GONNA HELP ME GET MY POWER RESTORED. RIGHT. SO, UM, I'M LOOKING FOR CENTER POINT TO START DOING THINGS THAT WILL PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, WHICH I, I KNOW IS NECESSARY MM-HMM . SINCE ALL OF OUR LINES ARE ABOVE GROUND. BUT EVEN THAT'S NOT A CURE, SO TO SPEAK. UM, I'VE GOT ONE TREE DOWN IN MY BACKYARD THAT DIDN'T, UH, WASN'T CONTACTING THE POWER LINES BEFORE, BUT IT FELL IN SUCH A WAY THAT NOW ONE OF THE BRANCHES IS ON THE POWER LINE AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL CENTERPOINT COMES OUT AND GETS IT OFF THE LINE. AND I'M SURE THAT'S THE CASE WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHER, UH, HOUSTONIANS. AND SO, SEEING AS HOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN IN THE POWER BUSINESS FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, AND I KNOW THERE ARE SOME OBSTACLES TO IT, BUT I'M WONDERING WHY CENTERPOINT, CENTERPOINT HASN'T STARTED DECADES AGO. THE PROCESS OF BURYING, BURYING UNDERGROUND AS MANY OF THESE POWER LINES AS WE COULD SO THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE 2 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER. WELL, ACTUALLY OUR STANDARD FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR DECADES. THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SERVING HOUSTON FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, WE HAVE FACILITIES, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE EASEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ABOVE GROUND FOR A LONG, LONG TIME TIME. AND TO GO BACK AND TRY TO PUT THOSE FACILITIES UNDERGROUND IN SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD WHERE EVERYTHING'S BEEN BUILT UP, THEY HAVE THEIR POOLS, THEY HAVE THEIR, THEIR LANDSCAPING. IT'S, IT'S MONUMENTAL AS FAR AS WHAT THE COSTS ARE. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THOUGH, FOR WIND, THAT UNDERGROUNDING FACILITIES DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING. BECAUSE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE HAVE FLOODING ISSUES AND WE HAD ISSUES WITH OUR UNDERGROUND, OUR MAJOR UNDERGROUND FACILITIES, THE CIRCUITS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE DEEMED TO BE THE MOST RELIABLE, WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH THIS STORM. SO IT'S NOT A CATCHALL. WE DO AGREE THAT STRATEGICALLY THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO UNDERGROUND AND WE'VE DONE THE ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE COSTS ARE, AND WE CAN SHOW YOU ABOUT WHAT MAKES SENSE AND WHY IT MAKES SENSE TO WHERE TO DO IT, WHERE IT COULD HELP SAVE BENEFITS FOR THE RATE PAYER AND, AND THAT INVESTMENT. BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC WITH IT. MM-HMM . WE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, UM, UH, HOW AND WHERE THAT MAKES SENSE. THE BEST WAY TO MAKE IT AS EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE. AND AGAIN, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT HURRICANE PROOF, BUT WE CAN DO THINGS MAYBE INSTEAD OF A THREE WEEK PROCESS, WE CAN GET IT DOWN TO 15 DAYS, THAT KIND OF THING. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO, TO, TO GET THE RESTORATION EFFORT, UH, AS DONE QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WELL, I THINK WE SHOULD PURSUE IT ON THE, IN THOSE AREAS WHERE IT IS FEASIBLE. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE AREAS WHERE YOU, YOU CAN'T DO IT MM-HMM . UH, BUT TO THE EXTENT WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TREES FALLING ON POWER LINES BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET RID OF THE TREES, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD COMPLETELY CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THE CITY. MM-HMM . UM, YOU HAVE 50, 60 FOOT TALL TREES, THEY'RE GONNA FALL ON SOME POWER LINES. THERE'S JUST NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. [02:45:01] BUT IF, IF THE LINES AS MANY OF 'EM AS WE COULD WERE BELOW GROUND, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP. AND SO I HOPE CENTERPOINT GETS SERIOUS ABOUT, ABOUT DOING THAT IN THE FUTURE. WE ARE. AND TO THAT POINT, ALL OF OUR NEW CONSTRUCTION, UH, IS UNDERGROUND FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL. AND SO TO THAT POINT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR DECADES. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR EVANS SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHEN YOU MAKE THE MOTION TO HAVE THIS MEETING EXTENDED PAST NOON, WE NEED TO VOTE THAT DOWN. BUT AT ANY RATE, , WE LET, LET ME MOVE FORWARD. I WANT TO READ A TEXT THAT I GOT AT 8 47 LAST NIGHT. IT SAYS AT SEVEN 30, I CONTACTED CENTER POINT AND MY SISTER'S NEIGHBOR CONTACTED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, LOOSE WIRE AND SPARKS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND LEFT HER HOME IS BURNING TO THE GROUND RIGHT NOW, AND NOW THERE ARE FOUR TRUCKS. HOW SHOULD THAT HAVE BEEN HANDLED? IF YOU COULD SEND ME THAT ADDRESS, I'LL LOOK INTO IT. I WON'T, I WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY THE FULL DETAIL OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AND, AND I'LL DO THAT. YEAH. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I'M SORRY FOR HEARING THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. I GOT THE SAME TEXT ABOUT THE TIME YOU DID. AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET THE REST OF THE INFORMATION. UH, I JUST FEEL LIKE BECAUSE THEY ARE SAYING CENTER POINT DIDN'T RESPOND, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DIDN'T RESPOND, AND THERE'S MULTIPLE PARTIES INVOLVED. SO WE'RE TRYING TO GATHER THE DATA TO SEE WHAT TRULY MOTION, MA'AM, THE MOTION THE BAD NEWS. OH LORD. YES. COULD, COULD WE VOTE THAT DOWN SECOND ? SO WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. WE'RE THE ONLY ONE IN HOUSTON THAT HAS TO ASK PERMISSION TO KEEP WORKING ON IMPORTANT MATTERS THAT THE MOTIONS BEEN MADE IN SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR OF ALLOWING US TO WORK PAST NOON. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED SHABAZZ VOTES INCLUDE YOU TOO. BRAD. CAN I SAY NAY? NO, I'M JUST KIDDING. EVAN SHABB. EVAN SHABAZZ VOTES. NO, NO. IT'S IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. WELL, THANK YOU BRAD, FOR BEING HERE. AND, UM, I KNOW YOU'VE GOT YOUR HANDS FULL AND WE, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL YOU'RE DOING. AND I, AS MANY HAVE SAID, EVERYBODY JUST WANTS THEIR POWER ON UP IN KINGWOOD. WE'VE GOT A SIGNIFICANT, UH, WE'VE GOT TREES EVERY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE SITUATION THIS MORNING AS I CAME UP KINGWOOD DRIVE, I THOUGHT, OKAY, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN THE REST OF THE TREES THAT ARE JUST TEETERING START TO FALL MM-HMM . AND THAT, I MEAN, THE IMMEDIATE SITUATION IS, IS CERTAINLY DIRE AT BEST IN SOME AREAS. BUT MY CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S A, THERE'S A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME OUT THERE THAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN. AND IT'S ABOUT TO START BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, IT'S, IT'S A DANGEROUS SITUATION. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WILL YOUR CREWS BE, WILL THEY CONTINUE TO NOT JUST CLEAN UP THE DOWN TREES, BUT ALSO THOSE THAT ARE LEANING AND, AND JUST SWIFT CLEANUPS? WELL, TYPICALLY WHAT OUR RESPONSE IS, SO WE HAVE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT CREWS THAT GO OUT AND IF THEY SEE SOMETHING THAT THEY RECOGNIZE AS A POTENTIAL HAZARD, WE HAVE TO GET WITH A HOMEOWNER AND TRY TO COORDINATE THAT. SOMETIMES IT'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT BE HOME, BUT WE TRY NOT TO DO THAT WITHOUT LETTING THEM DIRECTLY INVOLVED. BUT IF WE GUARANTEE OR DEEM THAT IT'S A NECESSARY HAZARD THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE JUST GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. BUT OUR PREFERENCE IS TO TRY TO COORDINATE WITH A HOMEOWNER, LET 'EM KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT SO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE JUST NOT TRYING TO DESTROY THEIR YARD. WELL, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO, AND I DON'T THINK THEY'VE MADE IT UP THAT WAY YET, BUT I'M SURE THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY. THE OTHER THING IS I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU, UH, AND WE'LL REACH OUT TO, UH, PRESENT YOUR RESILIENCY PLAN AT THE RESILIENCE COMMITTEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND, AND LET'S, YOU KNOW, INVITE PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND LISTEN AND, AND PROVIDE SOME INPUT AND JUST FEEDBACK. SO WE, I APPRECIATE BE BACK IN TOUCH ACTUALLY. COUNCILOR CADEN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE WE ALSO HAVE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, NICK REPRESENTING COMCAST. AND I KNOW WE HAD SOME WIDESPREAD OUTAGES LAST NIGHT, BUT Y'ALL GOT THINGS UP AND RUNNING, UH, VERY QUICKLY THROUGH NATIONAL. SO THANK Y'ALL. AND VERIZON MAYOR, UM, IS WAIVING, UH, DATA USAGE FOR ALL CUSTOMERS FROM THE EIGHTH THROUGH THE 17TH. UM, SO I, I WANNA ASK FOR CENTER POINT. ARE Y'ALL CONSIDERING ANY, UH, DISCOUNT OR SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW? UM, WELL BASICALLY THE WAY THAT WE [02:50:01] OPERATE IS THAT IT'S BASICALLY THE, THE USAGE ON THE METER AND OBVIOUSLY CUSTOMERS AREN'T USING ANY ELECTRICITY WHEN THEY'RE OUT. UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT WHAT PROGRAMS WE HAVE TO WORK WITH CUSTOMERS IF THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO, UM, U UTILIZE THEIR FUNDS TO DO HOME REPAIRS, FENCE REPAIRS, ROOF REPAIRS, THOSE KIND OF THINGS. WE CAN CERTAINLY GET WITH OUR FOLKS, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP WITH THOSE PROGRAMS TO REACH OUT, WHETHER IT'S LAW HEAP OR OTHER PROGRAMS TO HELP WITH UTILITY BILLS. THAT, THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC. AND THEN, UM, JUST GOING BACK TO WHAT I HAD ASKED ABOUT WITH IKE, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S THE MOST COMPARABLE WIND EVENT THAT WE CAN COMPARE THIS TO. UM, AND MY QUESTION'S ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN IMPROVED AND YOU CONTINUE, YOU ARE REFERENCING THE RESILIENCY PLAN, WHICH CORRECT. THAT'S GREAT. LET'S DO IT. BUT MOST, MY UNDERSTANDING IS MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THAT COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THE DCRF THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR YEARS. DCRF IS THE DISTRIBUTION ON COST RECOVERY FACTOR. UH, AND I'M, I'M READING MY NOTES 'CAUSE I WANNA GET THIS RIGHT. I BELIEVE IT'S AN EXPEDITED RATE MECHANISM THAT ALLOWS UTILITIES TO RECOVER COSTS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IN A SHORT TERM OUTSIDE OF A REGULAR RATE CASE. SO IT WAS CREATED TO INCENTIVIZE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, UM, NOT HAVING TO HAVE Y'ALL WAIT TO RECOVER ON THAT INVESTMENT. SO WAS ANY OF THAT, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? WE'LL STILL CONTINUE TO UTILIZE THAT VEHICLE, THE RESILIENCY PROGRAM THAT WE'RE ASKING TO DO? WE'LL, WE'LL STILL UTILIZE THAT VEHICLE, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO HAS TO HAVE A PRUDENCY REVIEW. AND WE HAVE BEEN MAKING RESILIENCY UPGRADES FOR SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS NOW. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECOVER THAT EITHER THROUGH A RATE BASED PROCEEDING OR A-D-C-R-F. BUT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO IT AT A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LEVEL IN WHICH WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, WE WANT TO DO IT FROM A RESILIENCY PERSPECTIVE, WHICH HISTORICALLY WE'VE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO DO. AND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, WE NEEDED LEGISLATION TO, TO SUPPORT THAT. AND THAT ACTUALLY WE GOT THAT LEGISLATION LAST SUMMER AND THEN THAT ALLOWED THE TEXAS PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION, WHO ALSO AGREES THAT THERE'S A NEED TO DO THIS, TO PROVIDE A RULE FOR THE UTILITIES TO PUT THESE RESILIENCY PROGRAMS TOGETHER. SO REALLY IN A SENSE, WE, WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THE RESILIENCY PROGRAM. WE HELPED WITH THE LEGISLATION TO GET THAT APPROVED AND, AND FORTUNATELY THAT WAS ABLE TO HAPPEN AND THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DO IT AT A GREATER SCALE, WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, BRAD, FOR BEING HERE. I THINK GOING FORWARD, COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY IS ESSENTIAL. IT'S SOMETIMES A LACK OF INFORMATION, UH, CAUSES SO MUCH FRUSTRATION. SO THANK YOU. BE SAFE AND, UH, WE'LL TALK TO YOU SOON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNSEL MEMBERS. NOW WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC SESSION, CARTER COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, PER MATTER PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, JUST WANTED TO IN INVITE A, A FRIEND OF YOURS AND CERTAINLY A, A FRIEND AND MENTOR OF MINE, UH, GLORIA. TERRY, ARE YOU, DID YOU RETURN GLORIA WITH THE TEXAS COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOLENCE? UM, MAYOR, WHEN, WHEN YOU WERE IN AUSTIN, YOU, YOU CERTAINLY WORKED A LOT TO, UH, TO HELP, UH, FURTHER THE EFFORTS AND FUNDING AND JUST WANTED TO SAY HELLO TO, TO GLORIA HERE TODAY. WE'RE TALKING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND HERE SHE IS. YOU AS WELL, SIR. UM, JUST A GIVE US A, GIVE US A, HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP, BOTH AT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE WHERE YOU HELPED US PASS MANY, UH, A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT EXPANDED PROTECTIONS AND SAFETY FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. UM, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, YOUR OWN TWILA CARTER IS THE BOARD CHAIR OF THE TEXAS COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOLENCE LENDING HER EXPERTISE, PERSPECTIVE, AND INFLUENCE TO, TO FURTHER ADVANCE OUR WORK. IT'S ALSO NOT AN ACCIDENT THAT I'M HERE TODAY. THE TEXAS COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOLENCE WAS HERE AND INTEGRAL AS A PART OF RESPONSE TO HURRICANE HARVEY. WE HAVE OVER 16 AGENCIES HERE IN THE GREATER REGION. AND, UM, I'M HERE TODAY AND YESTERDAY TO HELP A NUMBER OF, OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS WHO WERE EITHER WITHOUT POWER OR RUNNING AT A MINIMUM ON GENERATORS AND HELPING AT LEAST THREE ORGANIZATIONS EVACUATE THEIR CLIENTS TO, UM, OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO MR. MUNOZ IN THE ELEVATOR. UM, WHEN HE FINISHED HIS REPORT, UH, HE HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO, UM, UM, A FEDERAL, UM, TASK FORCE [02:55:01] WITH FEMA AND SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS A DISASTER RESPONSE WHEN IT COMES TO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE. SO IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, UM, MEETING WE'RE GONNA MEET NEXT WEEK, UM, SO THAT HOW DO WE EACH ALIGN OUR EFFORTS SO THAT WE'RE NOT WORKING IN INDIVIDUAL VACUUMS. UM, I I ALSO WANNA, UM, JUST MENTION TO ALL OF YOU, I'VE SAT HERE ALL MORNING TO LISTEN TO YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE REPORTS AND TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR CONCERN, YOUR FRUSTRATIONS, AND YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, ARE ALL MERITED AT THIS TIME. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU DO. UM, TWILA THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE. UH, WE MISS YOU AT THE LEGISLATURE, SIR. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO IN YOUR TEAM. UM, FAMILY VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO BE A SERIOUS MATTER AND, UH, CERTAINLY HAS BEEN ONE OF MY HIGHEST PRIORITIES FOR YEARS WORKING WITH TWILA AND OTHER CONTACTS. UH, IT'S A TOP PRIORITY AS WE REVIEW THE SUSPENDED CASES THAT HPD HAS REVEALED. SO JUST REALIZED, UH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A FULL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE FAMILY VIOLENCE ADV THANK ADVOCATES, UH, STATEWIDE. SO THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. AND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS STORM, WE WILL, UH, MONITOR THOSE FACILITIES. UM, AND THE, UM, JUST TO, UM, AS I, AS I FINISH UP MY REMARKS TO FOLKS IN THIS ROOM AND TO THE FOLKS IN THE DIOCESE, UM, IT IS WELL RESEARCHED AND WELL DOCUMENTED THAT FAMILY VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABUSE INCREASE ON THE HEELS OF AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO CLEARLY OUTLINE THAT AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY. UM, THE SAME HAPPENED AFTER COVID D IT, AND IT IS THE STRESSORS ON AN UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIP THAT ACCELERATE, UM, AN INCREASE IN SEVERITY OF VIOLENCE. SO, THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO MADAM [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] SECRETARY. YOU WANT TO CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER COUNCILLOR HUFFMAN? I'D LIKE TO, UM, MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADD ANDREW WARD TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN A SECOND. SECOND, ALL MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. PASSES. GENEVA, COLBERT, GENEVA CULBERT, JACKIE MAHORN IVORY, MAHORN JR. DON TR, MICHAEL WATKINS, KENDRA WALKER, TIFFANY SCALES. NEIL GS, STEVE WILLIAMS, ANDREW WARD, MARIAN WRIGHT. HI. UM, FIRST I WANNA SAY I'M VERY HAPPY THAT MS. CAYMAN MADE IT TO THE HEIGHTS TOWER IN THE HEIGHTS HOUSE TO KIND OF SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ CAME OUT WITH A PROJECT THAT WE WORK ON EVERY YEAR BEFORE HE WAS EVEN ACTUALLY, UM, INAUGURAL, I MEAN CONFIRMED OR WHATEVER, ONCE HE WAS ELECTED. MS. CAYMAN, NEXT YEAR, I HOPE YOU CAN COME OUT WITH, IS WE DO THE SHOEBOX CHRISTMAS GIFTS THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR. AND WE HAD 700 THIS YEAR THAT WE DID. SO WE INVITE YOU NEXT YEAR AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE THERE. UM, SO ANYWAY, THAT WAS JUST THIS LITTLE SIDE THING, BUT, UM, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE SO MUCH GOING ON ON ALL OF Y'ALL PLATES THAT Y'ALL ARE LIKE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. I DON'T EVEN WANNA HEAR ABOUT THIS, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN CHAPTER 42, WHEN THEY JUST VOTED AND DID ALL OF THAT WITH CITY COUNCIL, THERE WAS A LETTER THAT WENT OUT BY THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, AND I THINK Y'ALL ALL REMEMBER THE ONES OF Y'ALL THAT WERE HERE BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO RESCIND IT MINUTES BEFORE COUNCIL VOTED ON IT. THE REASON THAT THEY HAD TO RESCIND IT IS BECAUSE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE NEVER VOTED ON IT. THEY NEVER SPOKE ABOUT IT, THEY NEVER DID ANYTHING. IT WAS JUST THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE PRESIDENT THAT [03:00:01] WENT AHEAD AND SENT OUT A LETTER. UM, CHERYL O'BRIEN WAS HER NAME AND THAT'S WHAT SHE DID. WELL, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO REDO THE RULES FOR THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, SO THE FUTURE, THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. THEY CAN'T DO IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING IN THEIR BYLAWS THAT PREVENT JUST THE THREE, UM, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM DOING THAT. BUT THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRYING TO VOTE THAT OUT RIGHT NOW. SO, CAN I JUST FINISH REAL QUICK? YEAH. BE BRIEF. WE'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME. I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE. BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL CAN DO, PLEASE WATCH THE NEXT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE MEETING, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, AND MAKE YOURSELVES AWARE. SO WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING FROM THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE SAYING THE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS IT, PAY EXTRA ATTENTION TO WHO ACTUALLY HAS SENT THAT TO Y'ALL. VERY GOOD, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT, DEVON MOORE. GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S WORKING ON TIRELESSLY ON THE GROUND FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO CENTER POINT. HOWEVER, WE NEED TO STOP HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND REAL SOLUTIONS. WE LIVE NEXT TO DOWNTOWN, YET WE HAVEN'T HAD POWER FOR THREE DAYS. I JUST HAD TO THROW AWAY ALL MY GROCERIES. I ASKED GENERAC FOR, UM, A QUOTE. THEY WANTED ME TO PAY $20,000 TO GET A GENERATOR. HOW CAN SOMEONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AFFORD THAT? THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, KELLY VILLAGE RIGHT NOW HAS NO POWER. JUST LAST NIGHT, LION VILLAGE, I SAW FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVE TO TAKE OUT A CITIZEN TO 'CAUSE OF HEAT EXHAUSTION. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE, WE KNOW THAT HOUSTON AVENUE, HOGAN, JENSEN, WHY CAN'T THEY ALREADY BE BLOCKED OFF BEFORE THE STORM? KNOWING THAT THERE WILL BE CARS THAT WILL BE GOING INTO WATER, PEOPLE CAN BE MESSED UP. HOUSTONIANS HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. WHAT IMMEDIATE STATEMENTS ARE BEING TAKEN TO RESTORE POWER TO THOSE STILL AFFECTED, LIKE ME AND MR. MAREZ? WHAT MEASURES ARE BEING PUT IN PLACE TO PREVENT PRICE GOUGING DURING THE CRISIS? RIGHT NOW, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MAY I PLEASE HAVE MORE TIME? ALRIGHT. GAS WAS $2 AND 75 CENTS BEFORE THE STORM. NOW IT'S GONE OVER TO 3 0 9, 3 45. THEIR PRICE GOUGING GEN US NEEDING GENERATORS. THEY'RE PRICE GOUGING QUOTING ANOTHER AFFLUENT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 12,000 AND ME FOR 20,000. IT SHOULD NOT BE. WHEN SHE TALKED ABOUT MISS, UM, CAYMAN ABOUT POLL ASSESSMENT, IT TOOK ME FIVE MONTHS TO GET THE POLLS FIXED. REMEMBER, IT WAS LEANING INTO A CHURCH IN DAYCARE. IT JUST GOT FIXED. IF IT WOULDN'T HAVE GOT FIXED, THAT WOULD'VE HAD MORE POWERS DOWN. THEN ALSO, LASTLY, I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS KNOWN TO BE UNDER RESOURCED. I'M IN A BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW. OUTSIDE MY HOUSE IS 90 DEGREES. MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, ELDERLY, THEY ALL HAVE TO BE OUTSIDE ON THE PORCH NEEDING RESOURCES. THERE'S NO POWER YET. WE LOOK TO DOWNTOWN AND SEE POWER. BUT YET CENTER POINT, IT SOUNDED GOOD, BUT THERE'S NEVER NO TRUCKS OVER THERE. YOU GO TO, I DROVE AROUND. YOU GO TO RAILROADS, THEY HAVE LIGHTS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE POWER. AND THEN WHAT'S HE GONNA SAY? HE SAID, DAY ZERO. HE HAS THE REVENUE. I'M A SHAREHOLDER. THE REASON CENTER POINT IS NOT DOING WELL IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T TAKE CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS. THIS WAS JUST A CATEGORY ONE. WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF THIS WAS CATEGORY THREE FOUR? AND FOR HIM TO SAY THAT HE CAN'T HAVE PRE-STAGE. SOME OF US ARE VETERANS. I WAS ON A GLOBAL RESPONSE FORCE. IF WE COULD DO IT IN THE MILITARY, WHY CAN'T A BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION BE ABLE TO DO IT? THANK YOU YOU FOR YOUR TIME. Y'ALL APPRECIATE IT. VERY GOOD. BE SAFE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. MAYOR, VERY QUICKLY, UM, YOU MENTIONED PRICE GOUGING. SO I WANNA GET THIS INFORMATION OUT. THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, UM, HAS BEEN SHARING THIS INFORMATION. THERE ARE WAYS TO REPORT PRICE GOUGING. YOU CAN EITHER EMAIL CONSUMER HELP@HARRISCOUNTYTX.GOV OR TEXT 3 4 6 3 5 4 7 4 5 9 AND THEY WILL INVESTIGATE IT. UM, I ALSO, IN, IN TERMS OF THE BARRICADES THAT HAVE GONE UP, MAY I BELIEVE YOU SAID IT AT A PRESS CONFERENCE, I COULD BE MISTAKEN. A LOT OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS ARE PRE-POSITIONED WITH BARRICADES. UH, I BELIEVE DURING THE STORM, SOME OF THAT KNOCKED OVER AND THE MAYOR HAS BEEN DISCUSSING HOW TO HAVE MORE PERMANENT, UM, FIXTURES THAT GO DOWN. THAT CAN BE MORE, UH, FLOOD AND WIND RESILIENT. SO THOSE HAVE BEEN PRE-POSITIONED IN THE PAST WHERE IT'S KNOWN TO FLOOD. BUT AGAIN, YOU RAISE VERY VALID CONCERNS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. GOD BLESS YOU. YEAH, YOU TOO. THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. IS ANYONE PRESENT? WE OVERLOOKED [03:05:01] AN F . ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO CONSENT [CONSENT AGENDA] AGREEMENT. CONSENT AGREEMENT. CONSENT AGENDA, UNDER THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION TO B CATEGORY. ITEM TWO HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM NUMBER ONE NEEDS A MOTION. SECOND MOVED COUNCIL HAS MADE IN SECOND IN FAVOR OF THOSE OPPOSED NO MOTION PASSES UNDER THE RESOLUTION CATEGORY. ITEMS THREE AND FOUR HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY, ALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 9, 10, 14, AND 20. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 9, 10, 14, AND 20. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES I [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] REMOVE FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM NUMBER TWO NEEDS A MOTION. P MOVES SECOND. MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES, I THINK. I'M SORRY. UH, VICE MAYOR PRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, UM, THE EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDER ITEMS. NOW ON THE AGENDA, THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST ONES TO SHOW THE DATE OF THE COMPANY THAT THEY WERE ESTABLISHED, IF THAT WAS THE BUDGET AMENDMENT WE HAD, UM, IF THEY WERE ESTABLISHED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF, UM, US DOING A CONTRACT WITH THEM. AND SO THIS IS NOW ON THE AGENDA AND IT SHOWS THAT THEY, UM, HAVE REGISTERED WITH THE CITY ON MAY 21ST OF THIS YEAR. BUT THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ESTABLISHED SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2013. SO, UM, IN LOOKING THROUGH THAT, UM, IT HELPS US KIND OF VET THESE COMPANIES THAT ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NEW TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WORKING WITH THEM, THEY ARE NOT A NEW COMPANY AND THEY'RE AN ESTABLISHED COMPANY. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP WITH SOME OF THOSE, UM, ISSUES WHERE COMPANIES JUST KIND OF FORM TO TAKE ON SOME OF THESE EMERGENCY ITEMS. SO, THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY. ITEM THREE IS RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE TAG. ITEM NUMBER THREE IS TAGGED BY RAMIREZ. ITEM FOUR IS A RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. TAG TAG. JOIN MULTIPLE TAGS ON FOUR. EVAN SHABAZZ CARTER, EVAN SHABAZZ, CARTER DAVIS. WE HAVE A ROLL CALL. GO AHEAD. NEXT. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. ITEM NINE IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCILOR. EVAN SHABAZZ. COUNCILOR SHABAZZ. EVAN SHABAZZ. OH, OKAY. THAT WAS ON THE TAG. I'M SORRY. OKAY. ON NINE TAG. ON NINE ON NINE. COUNCILOR DAVIS TAGS NUMBER NINE. COUNCILOR DAVIS. TAG ITEM NINE. ITEM 10 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE TAG. OKAY. ITEM TENS TAGGED. COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. UH, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ. ITEM 14 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE TAG CAYMAN TAG TAG. . WE ALL MIGHT AS WELL GET INVOLVED. LET'S, LET'S START OVER HERE. I'M HAPPY TO TAG IT, BUT I HEARD THAT. WHO'S TAGGING? MARTINEZ TAG CASTILLO TAGS AND CAYMAN. CASTILLO. CAYMAN, MARTINEZ, CASTILLO CASTILLO CAYMAN, CASTILLO MARTINEZ. IS THIS ABLE TO BE TAGGED SINCE IT WAS ON THE AGENDA PREVIOUSLY? IT'S BEEN LISTED AS A NEW ITEM, SO YES, IT'S, I UNDERSTAND IT'S A NEW ITEM. IT WAS IN NEVADA. OKAY. UH, TAG. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO, RAMIREZ? I'M NOT TAGGING THEM. I'M WONDERING, I'M WONDERING IF THE TAGGING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL ALLOW DISCUSSION. SURE. TAG. YES, I WILL. I WILL. YOU'RE TAGGING THIS ITEM AS WELL? YES. ARE YOU RELEASING FOR DISCUSSION? NO. NO. COUNCIL MARTINEZ IS NOT. ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY. MOTION PASSES. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. ALRIGHT, ITEM [NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS] 21 IS A MOTION TO SET A HEARING DATE. THE MOTION SET. 21. [03:10:02] READ THE MOTION. YES, MA'AM. ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED READ THE MOTION TO SET A HEARING. CAYMAN MOVES. SO I'M MAKE A MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, VICE MAYOR PRO. PECK MOVES SECOND. HIS SECOND MOTION MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY YES. THOSE OPPOSED NAY PASSES. DATE SET. NOW WE POP OFF. START WITH CARTER, UH, COUNCILOR [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] CARTER ON POPOFF. YOU'RE FIRST. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SORRY, I WAS A LITTLE DISTRACTED. WANTED TO JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SHANIE ENERGY, WHO I'M JUST WORKING ON. THEY DONATED 22 PALLETS OF WATER, UM, JUST A BIT AGO. AND WE'RE DROPPING SOME OF THOSE AT PUBLIC WORKS. AND THE OTHER AT HPD. UM, REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, TO REITERATE EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, UH, KIND OF ON SHORT FUSES DUE TO THE STORM. BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, PATIENCE IS IMPORTANT OUT THERE. UM, YOU KNOW, OUT IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS, IT'S, IT'S A DISASTER AREA. THEY ORIGINALLY HAD DECIDED, HAD ESTIMATED 200 TREES WERE DOWN AROUND THE KINGWOOD AREA, GOLF COURSES, BUT NOW THEY SAID THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST REPORTED OVER 600. SO YOU CAN IMAGINE. SO JUST BE PATIENT, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYBODY OUT THERE, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING JUST IN HANDLING IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHARAZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, ONE OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAD, UH, WAS A DISTRIBUTION EVENT THAT'S ALREADY TAKEN PLACE THIS MORNING AT THE SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UH, BUT THERE IS ONE THAT IS GOING ON NOW AT THE THIRD WARD MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. UH, 36 11 IN THE STREET. SO IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF WATER, PLEASE COME BY. UH, I GOT IT. I, IT'S FROM NOON TO TWO. UM, ALSO ON THE SATURDAY, WE WILL HAVE A CHAINSAW TRAINING AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER SO THAT, UH, GROUPS CAN GET PREPARED ON HOW THEY CAN REMOVE THE DEBRIS IN THE AREA. THAT'S GONNA BE THIS SATURDAY FROM EIGHT TO 1:00 PM WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND LEARN HOW TO USE THESE TOOLS SO THAT YOU DO NOT PUT YOUR OWN LIFE IN DANGER. AND THAT IS ALSO GONNA BE AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. COUNCILOR CASTILLO. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO, UH, START JUST BY THANKING ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND CITY EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE, UH, CONTINUED TO DO A PHENOMENAL JOB, UH, RESPONDING TO THE STORM. UM, WE DO HAVE SOME RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR FOLKS IN DISTRICT H WHO ARE IN NEED. UH, THERE WILL BE A DRIVE THROUGH WATER ICE DISTRIBUTION TODAY AT THE DENVER HARBOR MULTI-SERVICE CENTER FROM ONE TO 5:00 PM AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COOLING CENTERS ALSO OPEN THE MOODY PARK COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE MD ANDERSON YMCA. UM, IF FOLKS ARE IN NEED OF TRANSPORTATION TO COOLING CENTERS, CALL 3 1 1 ZTRIP IS AVAILABLE. UM, WE HAD TWO EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR THIS WEEK THAT ARE BEING RESCHEDULED. UM, THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS TOWN HALL AND OUR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP, UM, IS BEING RESCHEDULED. SO STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHEN THOSE WILL BE OCCURRING. AND THEN ALSO ON FRIDAY AT HCC FELIX FRAGA, WE WILL BE DOING A RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION AS WELL, STARTING AT 10:00 AM. UM, SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO POST, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT RESOURCES. UH, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS WHO ARE STILL ENCOUNTERING ISSUES TO REACH OUT TO THE DISTRICT H OFFICE, DISTRICT H@HOUSTONTX.GOV. UM, SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, RESOURCES, UM, AND ASSISTANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. UH, COUNCILOR DAVIS. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, AND CERTAINLY TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN THE, UH, PERSPECTIVE OF ADDRESSING SOME OF OUR SERIOUS CONDITIONS IN THE CITY OVER THE STORM. AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE MORE TO DO, UH, IN REACHING OUT TO OTHERS. JUST WANTED TO LAST MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. THE NEW MOUNT CALVARY MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, 6 0 5 1 VASSAR ROAD, UH, 7 7 0 3 3 UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PASTOR RONALD SMITH, AND ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE UNION BAPTIST ASSOCIATION, WILL BE DISTRIBUTING 1500 MEALS TODAY, UH, STARTING AT 4:00 PM FOR ALL THOSE CITIZENS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, IN NEED OF MEALS AND, UH, [03:15:01] AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. AND WE'RE GRATEFUL TO PASTOR SMITH AND HIS LEADERSHIP. AND OF COURSE, HE WILL BE A PART OF OUR MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD GROUP THAT WE ARE FORM, UH, FORMING. UH, AND SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE HIS EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE CITY. AND THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE LOOKING TO COME ON BOARD WITH IT. THANK YOU. GOOD. COUNCILMAN GER? YES. UH, I'M GONNA CALL AN AUDIBLE HERE. INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT THE REMARKS I HAD PREPARED FOR POPOFF, WANTED TO TALK TO ITEM 14 ON TODAY'S AGENDA. I THINK THIS IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IT. WE'VE HEARD MULTIPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS TALK ABOUT HOW WE HAVE FINITE RESOURCES. WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW WE HAVE NEEDS FOR GENERATORS, WHETHER IT BE, UH, AT THE HEATING AND COOLING CENTERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. IN FACT, UH, CONSTABLE WOMAN JACKSON PRESENTED THAT AS PART OF OUR CIP DISCUSSION. AND, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME WE SPEND MONEY ON AN ITEM, THOSE FUNDS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO SPEND ON SOMETHING ELSE. AND I THINK WE'VE REALLY GOTTA LOOK AT PULLING BACK ON THIS $25 MILLION FOR THE ARTS SO THAT WE CAN SPEND MONEY ON ITEMS LIKE GENERATORS AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS. THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO PROMOTE THE ARTS OTHER THAN SPENDING TAXPAYER MONEY. WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, FARES DOWN HERE, UH, DOWNTOWN. IN FACT, UH, GALVESTON HAS A COUPLE ON THE STRAND EVERY YEAR. UH, WE GO TO THAT SOMETIME I KIND OF CRINGE 'CAUSE MY WIFE ENDS UP WALKING AWAY WITH A PIECE OF ART THAT I'M BUYING. BUT, UH, THERE'S OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO. UH, CERTAINLY WE COULD DISPLAY ART AT THE AIRPORT AND HAVE IT FOR SALE AND HAVE THE ARTISTS MAKE MONEY OFF OF IT. UH, I JUST THINK THAT THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE SPENT DIFFERENTLY. I'M SURE IF WE DID A POLL IN COUNCILMAN'S JACKSON'S DISTRICT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE HAVING A GENERATOR AT HER COMMUNITY CENTER. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE RESIDENTS BACK THEN WOULD'VE SAID THEY WANT A GENERATOR. AND MY GUESS IS, IF YOU DID THAT SAME POLL TODAY, IT'D BE UNANIMOUS THAT THEY WANTED A GENERATOR. WE NEED TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE SAYING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MY HEART IS WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE THREE INDIVIDUALS THAT LOST THEIR LIVES, INCLUDING OUR HPD FAMILY, UH, WITH THE LOSS OF RUSSELL RICHARDSON, AND OF COURSE WITH HIS FAMILY AS WELL. UH, BUT AGAIN, AS THE LIGHTS REMAIN OFF, TEMPERATURES ARE RISING, AND MY CONCERN IS ADDITIONAL LOSS OF LIFE. UM, IN THE AFTERMATH OF THIS STORM, UH, I'M REMINDING ALL RESIDENTS AND PLEADING WITH THEM TO PLEASE, PLEASE STAY HYDRATED. I APPRECIATE MAYOR, THAT WE'RE STANDING UP, UH, MORE DISTRIBUTION SITES WITH ICE AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOCATION FOR CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES. UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M, I'M SURE THIS IS HAPPENING, BUT THAT OUR CONTRACTORS ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THE SITE. SO OUR SECURITY PERSONNEL AND OTHERS THAT ARE CONTRACTORS HERE, UH, REMINDER TO KEEP GENERATORS AWAY FROM HOMES. WE'VE ALREADY SEEN COUNTLESS CALLS, UM, FROM CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. UH, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY CITY EMPLOYEES AND RESIDENTS THAT ARE HELPING. UM, IN TRUE HOUSTON FORM, UH, I CONTINUE TO SAY WE ARE TRIED. WE ARE TESTED, BUT WE ARE ALWAYS HOUSTON STRONG. THE, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, MY STAFF, UH, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK, EVEN AS WATERS ROSE VERY CLOSELY TO SOME OF THEIR OWN HOMES, THEY WERE, UH, COORDINATING ASSISTANCE FOR OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. UH, OUR OFFICE CONTINUES TO SEND UPDATES REGULARLY REGARDING RECOVERY, INCLUDING RESOURCES. THERE IS ALSO NOW A LIVE, UH, RESOURCE GUIDE ON OUR WEBSITE. AND YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO ALSO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS THAT WE ARE SENDING OUT. THOSE RESOURCES INCLUDE WHAT GROCERY STORES ARE OPEN COOLING CENTERS, AND MUCH MORE. WE HAVE DONE OUR FIRST ROUND OF SITE VISITS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, UH, PERSONALLY MAKING NOTE AND REPORTING TO 3 1 1 AND CENTER POINT, WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN ASSISTING RESIDENTS. UH, AND WE ARE ALSO WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO RESPOND TO EMAILS AND VOICEMAILS, UH, AND WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS TO ESCALATE CASES AND WITH CENTER POINT. UH, I DO WANNA THANK PERSONALLY, UH, SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS. UH, ONE GRATEFUL TO THE HOUSTON TOOL BANK FOR THEIR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP, ESPECIALLY MARLEY AND JOHN CROWDSOURCE RESCUE. MATT AND VICTOR, UH, MAYOR VICTOR'S, ANGELA'S, UH, BLANCHARD'S SON. AND WE ACTUALLY TOGETHER SET UP A GENERATOR FOR ONE OF OUR SENIOR CENTERS, UH, IN FOURTH WARD, FRIEDMANS TOWN, AND THEN PUBLIC WORKS WITH THE HELP OF BRIAN MASON, JASON CUMMINGS, UH, AND ROY. RUDY AND TOMMY, WHO ACTUALLY DELIVERED GAS CANS THEMSELVES. UH, ONCE PASTOR, UH, JOHNSON AND FIRST LADY JOHNSON, UH, [03:20:01] HAD HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED, UH, FOR TWO OF THOSE SENIOR CENTERS. SO EVERYONE IS WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY TO KEEP EYES AND EARS OPEN. I DID WANNA, UH, PUT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. MEMORIAL PARK CONTINUES TO ASK RESIDENTS TO NOT UTILIZE THE PARK AT THIS TIME. IT IS NOT SAFE. THERE IS STILL A LOT OF DEBRIS DOWN. THEY ARE WORKING, UH, DILIGENTLY TO REMOVE THAT, BUT THEY ARE WARNING OF THE HAZARDS, UH, IN THE PARK AND WANT EVERYONE TO BE AWARE OF THAT. IN DISTRICT C. UH, ON A LIGHTER NOTE, I I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, BUT WE ARE SEEING THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE INVESTED IN, IN THE CITY, IN THE COUNTY WITH THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT. THEY ARE WORKING AND THEY ARE IMPROVING. WE SAW PROJECT BRAZE HOLD, UH, WE WERE HOLDING OUR BREATH IN A FEW MORE HOURS. WE COULD HAVE SEEN SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO HOMES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ELEVATED. BUT WITH THE HELP OF CONGRESSWOMAN FLETCHER AND THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, EVEN THOUGH MEYER GROVE DETENTION ISN'T FINISHED, THAT DETENTION HELPED. UH, AND RIGHT DOWN THE STREET WE HAD FUNDED A SWAT DRAINAGE PROJECT FOR BEACH NUT. EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NOT COMPLETED, THAT HELPED. UH, BUT I CONTINUE TO REITERATE THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING TO GET MORE INFRASTRUCTURE, MORE DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND MORE INVESTMENTS INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, TO PROTECT THEM. THIS WAS ONLY A CATEGORY ONE, WE'RE ONLY ON THE B OF HURRICANE SEASON. THIS HIT THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY. UH, AND IT'S ONLY GONNA GET HOTTER AND THE STORM STRONGER. SO WE NEED TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON AND, UH, WE CANNOT BE COMPLACENT MOVING FORWARD TO GET WHAT WE NEED FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THESE TRAFFIC LIGHTS BEING OUT, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE SOME HELP FROM HPD AND TXDOT WITH, UM, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AT THESE INTERSECTIONS TO MAKE THEM SAFER. BUT I WANNA REMIND EVERY RESIDENT, UM, TO STOP AT THESE LIGHTS, WHETHER LIGHTS ARE BLINKING OR NOT. UM, I SEEN MANY PEOPLE JUST GO RIGHT THROUGH THESE LIGHTS THAT HAVE NO POWER, AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE AWARE THAT YOU NEED TO STOP. YOU NEED TO LOOK, EVEN IF YOU THINK IT MAY BE CLEAR. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT, HOW WE HAVE ACCIDENTS. UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICTS, THEY ARE OUR EYES AND EARS. WE ALL HAVE VERY BIG DISTRICTS AND WE CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE. SO IF YOU SEE STOP SIGNS THAT ARE DOWN, OR IF YOU SEE, UM, SIGNS THAT ARE MISSING, UM, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR COUNCIL OFFICES AND LET US KNOW SO THAT WAY WE CAN PUT IN A REQUEST TO HAVE THOSE FIXED, ESPECIALLY ONES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE SERIOUS, DANGEROUS CONCERNS. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. UH, TO FOLLOW YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UM, WE'RE FINALIZING THE AGREEMENT WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE STATE. WE'LL HAVE OVER A HUNDRED ADDITIONAL OFFICERS THIS AFTERNOON, ADDITIONAL DPS WORKING WITH THE STATE EMERGENCY CENTER. THEY'RE PAYING FOR THE COST OF THESE ADDITIONAL OFFICERS, BUT HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP WITH TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AND ALSO PATROL, WORKING WITH HPD IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DARKED OUT DUE TO LACK OF POWER. SO WE'RE FULLY AWARE OF IT AND DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, AND IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY MONUMENTAL THAT, UH, POLICE CHIEFS AROUND THE STATE ARE CALLING OFFERING FOR ASSISTANCE. I THINK THAT WILL ONLY GROW COUNCILOR RAMIREZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND TO TAG ONTO THAT, I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO, UM, THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS YOU'VE MADE OVER THE YEARS AND RELATIONSHIPS YOU'VE DEVELOPED, THAT WE'VE GOT A HUNDRED OFFICERS COMING TO HELP HERE IN HOUSTON, AND APPARENTLY WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. UM, YESTERDAY IT WAS ANNOUNCED BY, UH, THE GENTLEMAN FROM AUSTIN WITH STATE EMERGENCY THAT THEY'RE SENDING 25 AMBULANCES IN. AND IT JUST SPEAKS TO THE LACK OF RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. UH, HERE IN HOUSTON. WE'VE HEARD EXTENSIVELY ABOUT, UH, HOW WE NEED MORE GENERATORS AT, AT OUR LIFT STATIONS, OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, 10 FIRE STATIONS THAT DON'T HAVE GENERATORS. UH, JUST THE BASICS THAT A CITY SHOULD HAVE. WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE. AND SO IT SPEAKS TO WHAT OUR PRIORITIES SHOULD BE. AND WITH REGARD TO ITEM NUMBER 14, WHICH WAS TAGGED, UM, I, I AM ALL FOR THE ARTS AND I SUPPORT ART, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO PRIORITIES, IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE OUR PRIORITIES ARE A BIT SKEWED, FRANKLY. AND, UM, MAYOR, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, YOU MADE THE COMMENT DURING THE MEETING THAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO START TAKING A LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT SOME OF THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. UH, MEANING ARE THEY COST EFFECTIVE? CAN WE AFFORD THEM? AND WHEN I LOOK AT ITEM 14, WHICH IS A RENEWAL OF A CONTRACT THAT ORIGINALLY [03:25:01] WAS FIVE YEARS, 18 MILLION, NOW IT'S FIVE YEARS, 25 MILLION. DO WE KNOW WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE GONNA BE IN A YEAR OR TWO YEARS, OR THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE? ARE WE GONNA BE LAYING EMPLOYEES OFF? AND, UM, I JUST THINK, UH, THAT STAFF COULD COME WITH US OR TO US WITH A BETTER CONTRACT. I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE NEED TO GET PAID AND, AND THAT'S FINE. I DON'T THINK IT TAKES A FIVE YEAR, $25 MILLION CONTRACT TO, UM, TO, TO DO THAT. AND SO I'M ASKING AGAIN THAT, UH, STAFF COME AT US WITH A MORE REASONABLE CONTRACT THAN A 30% INCREASE ON SPENDING DURING A TIME OF SEVERE FINANCIAL NEED. I ALSO WANT TO ADD, MAYOR, THAT I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERN THAT OUR CITY ORDINANCE THAT MANDATES 1.75% SPENDING ON, UH, CIVIC ART IN OUR, IN OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF STATE LAW. TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 4 4 4 0.029, WHICH DEALS WITH EXPENDITURES FOR FINE ARTS PROJECT, UH, ON CERTAIN PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, LIMITS THE AMOUNT THAT CAN BE SPENT TO 1% OF THE COST OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. AND I'VE ASKED, UH, CITY ATTORNEY FOR, UH, AN EXPLANATION OF HOW WE RECONCILE OUR CITY ORDINANCE WITH THE STATE LAW, WHICH WOULD SEEM TO TRUMP, UH, CITY ORDINANCES TO THE CONTRARY, BUT BE THAT AS MAYOR, MAYOR, MAYOR, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER YET, BUT I WOULD STRONGLY URGE YOU BEFORE, UH, NEXT WEEK TO, UH, CONSIDER PULLING THIS BACK AND ASKING STAFF TO COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONTRACT. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. IT'S, IT'S UNDER REVIEW. I CAN ASSURE YOU. UH, VICE MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS, FLICKINGER AND RAMIREZ. UM, ART IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE GENERATORS IN DISTRICT A. WE'RE HAVING TO USE OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO PAY FOR GENERATORS, UM, FOR THESE DISASTERS. WE HAVE A POLICE STATION THAT IS IN COMPLETE DIS DISREPAIR AND NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REDONE. WE HAVE A FIRE STATION, UM, AT GESNER AND I 10 THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE PAID FOR BY THE, UH, MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE TURS. WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT NEEDS, AND I THINK THAT IF IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PUBLIC SAFETY OR INFRASTRUCTURE OR QUALITY OF LIFE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE PAYING FOR AT THIS TIME. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TOO MANY NEEDS. AND SO I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT WE NEED TO RETHINK NOT JUST THIS ORDINANCE, BUT ANYTHING THAT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON THAT DOESN'T FALL INTO THOSE REALLY IMPORTANT NECESSARY CATEGORIES. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. COUNCILMAN CAMAN? UH, YOU'RE ON MY BOARD. DID YOU WANNA BE RECOGNIZED? YEAH. YES, SIR. BE I FORGOT TO ASK THIS OF YOU EARLIER. UM, BE WITH SO MUCH TALK OF GENERATORS. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM OUR, UH, CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION IS THAT FEMA HAD GENERATORS ON STANDBY AND WE'RE WAITING FOR THE FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARATION. I'M AGAIN GRATEFUL TO THE PRESIDENT AND ALL INVOLVED FOR GETTING US THAT DECLARATION. BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE IT, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE STATUS IS OF THOSE GENERATORS? BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO BE A HUGE SUPPORT, IMMEDIATE IN THE IMMEDIATE NEED. IT'S IN THE PIPELINE. UH, OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION ARE ASSISTING US. AL GREEN WAS WITH US YESTERDAY. THE PRESIDENT AND I SPOKE TODAY'S WEDNESDAY MUST HAVE BEEN, UH, MONDAY AFTERNOON. AND, UH, BY THE TIME WE GOT OFF THE PHONE, HE'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH HOUSTON NEEDING, UH, GENERATORS AND WAS MAKING THAT A PRIORITY WITH THE FEMA DIRECTORS. SO, UH, LIKE I SAID, IT'S, IT'S A SHAME. WE HAVE TO GET IN A CRISIS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE CITY HAS NOT PROVIDED GENERATORS FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES. AND I COULD GET ON A TEAR AGAIN ABOUT CONVENTION VISITORS GOT HERE OVER THE WEEKEND AND WERE IN OUR HOTELS, BUT COULDN'T HAVE A CONVENTION BECAUSE GEORGE BROWN DOES NOT HAVE GENERATORS AND A BLOCK AWAY. WE WERE HAVING A BALL GAME LAST NIGHT. UH, BUT OUR CONVENTION WERE STUCK IN OUR HOTELS. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. DIDN'T GET LIKE THIS, UH, OVERNIGHT, BUT THAT'S WHY I AND COUNCIL MEMBERS RUN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND I THINK EVERYTHING'S UNDER REVIEW. WE HAVE A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE. WE, WE KNEW WE HAD CHALLENGES, BUT THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY EXPOSED DURING A CRISIS, WHETHER IT'S ENERGY, DEBRIS PICKUP, PUBLIC SAFETY, [03:30:01] UH, BUT EXPERIENCE MATTERS AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO FORWARD. BUT THANK YOU. THE GENERATORS ARE ON EVERY ONE OF EVERYONE'S PRIORITY LISTS, INCLUDING OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATIONS. UH, THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND OUR FRIENDS AT THE COUNTY ARE HELPING. I WISH THEY WOULD DO MORE THE MULTI THE WEST GRAY. AS YOU KNOW, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF, UH, REPAIRS. UH, I WANNA DO A SHOUT OUT TO COMMISSIONER BRIONES, WHO'S CERTAINLY PARTNERING WITH US. GARCIA AND RAMSEY ARE, UH, WE'RE IN THE EMERGENCY CENTERS OFFERING ALL THE ASSISTANCE THEY COULD PROVIDE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ, SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, FOR COMING TOGETHER IN THE TIME OF NEED. UH, MY OFFICE IS PARTNERING WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, CONGRESSWOMAN GARCIA, SENATOR ALVARADO, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, REPRESENTATIVE, MORALES REPRESENTATIVE, UH, WALLY AND CONSTABLE TINO. WE'RE HOSTING A DISTRIBUTION, UH, TOMORROW AT THE HCC SOUTHEAST. IT'S OFF OF RUSTIC IN 45 AT 10:00 AM UNTIL SUPPLIES LAST, WE'LL HAVE WATER AND FOOD. UH, WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, HEB AND WALMART. WE ARE PROVIDING THE SUPPLIES. UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THESE TYPES OF ISSUES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, UM, AND WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO STAY PREPARED. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL, MAYOR, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT ALL HANDS ARE ON DECK, UM, DURING THIS TIME. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST NEED TO GET, GET READY TO CONTINUE WORKING. THANK YOU, SIR. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. I ALSO WANT TO, UM, ANNOUNCE THAT IN DISTRICT J WE WILL BE HAVING A FOOD DISTRIBUTION, A FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION TODAY, 2:00 PM UH, AT THE HIGHER DIMENSION CHURCH LOCATED AT 9,800 CLUB CREEK DRIVE. I WANT TO THANK PASTOR JOHNSON AND ALL THE LEADERSHIP THERE, UH, FOR PROVIDING THE FREE MEALS. UM, A LOT'S BEEN DISCUSSED TODAY ABOUT RESOURCES, FUNDING. UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IT'S NOT A PLACE THAT WE CAN DO EVERYTHING BY OURSELVES AS QUICKLY AS WE WOULD WANT. OVER 60% OF OUR BUDGET. UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE GENERAL FUND IS PERSONNEL, RIGHT? UM, IT PAYS FOR SALARY, THEN YOU HAVE THE REMAINING TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING ELSE. I LOOKED ONLINE JUST NOW. THE STATE HAS $27 BILLION BILLION IN THE RAINY DAY FUND. IT'S SITTING THERE. OUR TAX DOLLARS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, GO INTO A RAINY DAY FUND WHERE WE CONSISTENTLY SEE RAIN IN OUR CITY. CAUSE MASSIVE DESTRUCTION AND INCONVENIENCE, FRUSTRATION. BUT YET WE'RE TRYING TO NICKEL AND DIME AND FIND WAYS HERE AT THE CITY OR, OR SPEAK ABOUT WHAT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION OR ART OR ANYTHING ELSE. WHEN THE STATE HAS $27 BILLION OF OUR MONEY, WE NEED SOME OF THAT MONEY TO GO TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE, DISASTER RECOVERY, BETTER ROADS BETTER, BETTER, UH, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PLANS, PUBLIC SAFETY, HOUSING, HELPING WITH THE HOMELESS. THAT'S WHAT THE MONEY IS THERE FOR. IT'S A RAINY DAY IN HOUSTON EVERY YEAR. SO WE SHOULDN'T GO BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS HERE AND ASK FOR MORE DOLLARS OR MORE FINES, MORE FEES WITHOUT THE STATE PUTTING UP THE MONEY THAT WE'VE ALREADY CONTRIBUTED TO. WE DON'T NEED ALL OF IT. WE COULD SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE ELSE 'CAUSE I'M SURE THEY HAVE NEEDS AS WELL. BUT A PORTION OF THAT RAINY DAY MONEY NEEDS TO START PAYING FOR THE RAINY DAYS THAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING, UH, MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY. AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE NEWS AND I HEAR THE GENTLEMAN FROM CENTERPOINT, ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE ARE WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN, BUT THESE ARE ANTIQUATED WAYS OF GOING ABOUT DISASTER RECOVERY. IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE RELYING ON SETTING UP TENTS AND PEOPLE TRAVELING FROM MASSACHUSETTS ABOUT A CAR, COME ON. THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE. WE HAVE TO HAVE BOOTS ON THE GROUND HERE READY TO BE MOBILIZED. MAYBE SOME PART-TIME WORKERS THAT WE CAN TRAIN HERE THAT LIVE HERE LOCALLY, THAT KNOW WHEN IT'S A STORM, COMING THERE ALREADY GEARING UP AND PREPARING READY TO GO. I SHOULD NOT BE RECEIVING PHONE CALLS FROM 80-YEAR-OLD SENIORS IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES WITH NO ELECTRICITY, WHO ARE FAINTING, WHO ARE, UH, WORRIED. WE'RE THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA. WE'RE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD WITH NO ENERGY. SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE. SO WE ALL HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I'M NOT PUTTING BLAME ON ANY ONE PERSON, BUT WHEN THE STATE IS AS POWERFUL [03:35:01] AND FINANCIALLY STABLE AS WE ARE, 27 BILLION, WE NEED SOME HELP. AND I'M ASKING FOR THEM TO HELP US. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION, MAYOR IN THE NEXT, UH, UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UH, AND COMING OUT OF THERE WITH SOME SIGNIFICANT AND MEANINGFUL, UM, LEGISLATION THAT SPEAKS TO HOW WE CAN BE MORE RESILIENT AS A CITY. UM, BECAUSE THERE SHOULD BE NO ISSUE WITH US BEING ABLE TO SHOW THAT THAT MONEY IS NECESSARY FOR US TO HAVE A STRONGER AND MORE RESILIENT CITY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ALCORN. I'LL PASS HOUSE. UH, HAVE MATTERS TO BRING FORCE. IF NOT, UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR A PRODUCTIVE SESSION. BE SAFE AND, UH, LET'S GO TO WORK. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.