[Quality of Life Committee]
[00:00:15]
LEON RAMIREZ.IT IS NOW 2:02 PM I'M THE CHAIR OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, AND I'M GONNA CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
IT APPEARS WE DO NOT OFFICIALLY HAVE A QUORUM, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND PROCEED THIS SORT OF AS AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING.
WE DO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ANNE HUFFMAN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN.
IT IS NOW 2:02 PM I'M THE CHAIR OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE, AND I'M GONNA CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
IT APPEARS WE DO NOT OFFICIALLY HAVE A QUORUM, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND PROCEED, UH, SORT OF AS AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING.
WE DO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANN HUFFMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCO.
WE'RE, UH, ALSO REPRESENTED BY STAFF.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN.
UM, IF YOU HAVE JOINED THE MEETING ONLINE, PLEASE MUTE YOUR COMPUTER AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL, UH, SOLVE THE ISSUES WE'VE JUST HEARD.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO'S OFFICE.
WE ALSO HAVE STAFF FROM AMY PECK'S OFFICE.
UM, ALAN ROMAN IS HERE, AND FROM, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM'S OFFICE.
OH, I'LL TRY THIS AGAIN AS WELL.
UM, IF YOU HAVE JOINED THE MEETING ONLINE, PLEASE MUTE YOUR COMPUTER AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL, UH, SOLVE THE ISSUES WE'VE JUST HEARD.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO'S OFFICE.
WE ALSO HAVE STAFF FROM AMY PECK'S OFFICE.
UM, ALAN ROMAN IS HERE, AND FROM, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE PURITA, UH, CHAVIS HERE AS WELL.
[00:06:12]
SORRY.I APOLOGIZE FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING ON IT BACK THERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY THIS AGAIN AND SEE, UH, IF WE CAN MAKE SOME PROGRESS.
WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ.
I ALSO WANTED TO REC RECOGNIZE MY OWN STAFF MEMBERS.
WE HAVE GLORIA RODRIGUEZ MANNING THE DESK BY THE DOOR, UH, AS WELL AS JOHN MOSS, WHO'S SEATED TO MY RIGHT.
I COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT, ALRIGHT.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING ON IT BACK THERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY THIS AGAIN AND SEE, UH, IF WE CAN MAKE SOME PROGRESS.
WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ.
ALSO WANTED TO REC RECOGNIZE MY OWN STAFF MEMBERS.
WE HAVE GLORIA RODRIGUEZ MANNING THE DESK BY THE DOOR, AS WELL AS JOHN MOSS, WHO'S SEATED TO MY RIGHT.
I COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT, YES, I AM.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S POSSIBLE.
I'M GONNA PRETEND I'M, UH, MAYOR PROAM CASTEX TATUM, AND, UH, CHAIR THIS MEETING.
BUT, UM, AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DIFFICULTIES.
WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY ALSO, UH, STAFF, UM, ISAAC FROM COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS'S OFFICE, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TRY TO PROCEED.
AND, UM, WE LOOK AT A LOT OF ISSUES HERE AT THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE.
AND THE TWO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT TODAY, WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED UPON, AT LEAST NOT THIS YEAR.
THE FIRST WILL BE, UM, PRESENTATION REGARDING THE MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION.
AND WE'LL HEAR FROM CHRIS CASSANDRA WALKER WITH THE CITY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, CASSANDRA, YOU CAN PROCEED WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
MY NAME IS CASSANDRA WALKER, AND I AM AN ADMINISTRATION MANAGER IN HOUSTON, PUBLIC WORKS.
[00:10:09]
TOGETHER, WE CREATE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR HOUSTON TO THRIVE IS HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS PURPOSE.WE HAVE FIVE TO THRIVE VALUES.
THESE VALUES ARE RESPECT, OWNERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, INTEGRITY, AND TEAMWORK.
I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE VALUE OF COMMUNICATION AND HOW WE AIM TO CONVEY EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION USING THE FOLLOWING PRESENTATION TO COUNSEL AND RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I WILL BEGIN BY DEFINING WHAT A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION IS.
A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION IS AN OFFICIAL DESIGNATION THAT CERTIFIES THAT A PROPERTY'S GROUNDWATER IS CONTAMINATED AND WILL NOT BE USED AS POTABLE WATER NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.
POTABLE WATER MEANS WATER USED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, SUCH AS FOR DRINKING, SHOWERING, BATHING, COOKING PURPOSES, OR FOR CROP IRRIGATION.
THE DEED RESTRICTION IS VOLUNTARY AND CAN BE USED AS A TOOL FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPAIRMENTS TO GROUNDWATER AND ALLOW REINVESTMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY, WHILE ALSO ADDRESSING PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS.
THE DESIGNATION IS ADMINISTERED BY TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TCEQ, BUT IT REQUIRES OUR LOCAL SUPPORT ARTICLES.
13 OF CHAPTER 47 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES PROVIDES THE CITY'S PROCESS TO EITHER SUPPORT OR NOT SUPPORT A PARTY'S MSD APPLICATION TO THE STATE.
THIS CROSS SECTION GRAPHIC DEPICTS WHAT AN MSD IS.
HOUSTON HAS SHALLOW CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER SCATTERED ACROSS THE CITY.
THIS SOURCE EVENTUALLY SEEPS THROUGH THE SOIL INTO THE SHALLOW GROUNDWATER ZONE AND CREATES A CONTAMINANT PLUME.
ONCE THE SOURCE IS NO LONGER ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONTAMINATION, WHICH IS THE PLUME, EITHER FROM THE SOURCE BEING REMOVED OR FROM THE OPERATION CEASING FROM THE PROPERTY, IT BEGINS TO RETRACT.
RETRACTING MEANS IT WILL BEGIN TO REDUCE.
TO DEFINE THE AREA OF THE PLUME, THE OWNER INSTALLS A NUMBER OF SAMPLING WELLS.
THE MSD PROGRAM ADDRESSES WATER THAT IS TYPICALLY 20 TO 60 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE.
THIS GROUNDWATER IS NOT USED FOR DRINKING WATER.
WATER WELLS DESIGNATED FOR DRINKING WATER ARE MUCH DEEPER.
UM, LET ME, LET ME INTERRUPT YOU HERE.
I, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOTTEN AHEAD ON THE PRESENTATION.
SO I'M LOOKING AT A SLIDE THAT SAYS MSD.
NUMBER SEVEN, IT SHOULD BE, IT SHOULD BE INTERACTIVE.
IT SHOULD BE SHOWING THE PROGRESSION OF THE PLUME, AND THEN ALSO SHOWING THE WELLS THAT ARE DUG AND WHERE WE SHOULD BE NOW.
ARE YOU ABLE TO SEE THAT SLIDE? SLIDE NUMBER FOUR.
FOUR IS THE PROGRESSIVE SLIDE.
SO THERE ARE EIGHT PROGRESSIONS IN SLIDE NUMBER FOUR, PROGRESSION.
ONE, UM, JUST SHOWS THE GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION PROGRESSION.
TWO, UM, SHOWS HOW THE SOURCE IS EVENTUALLY SEEPING.
THE SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION IS EVENTUALLY SEEPING, UM, INTO THE GROUND.
UM, PROGRESSION NUMBER THREE IS WHERE THE SOURCE IS NO LONGER ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTING, AND THE PLUME BEGINS TO RETRACT, UH, PROGRESSION NUMBER FOUR IS WHERE THE PLUME, UM, THE OWNER INSTALLS THE WELLS FOR THE SAMPLING PROGRESSION.
NUMBER FIVE SHOULD BE THAT THE 20 TO 60 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE IS WHERE GROUNDWATER IS PROGRESSION.
NUMBER SIX IS WHERE WATER WELLS ARE DESIGNATED FOR DRINKING WATER ARE MUCH DEEPER.
PROGRESSION NUMBER SEVEN IS GENERALLY 600 FEET OR MORE.
SO BASICALLY WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS WATER WELLS DESIGNATED FOR DRINKING WATER ARE USUALLY MUCH DEEPER THAN SURFACE WATER,
[00:15:01]
AND THAT IS GENERALLY 600 FEET OR MORE.WHEREAS, UH, THE WATER THAT WE ADDRESS IS AT 20 TO 60 FEET BELOW SURFACE.
SO IT'S ABOUT 10 TIMES DEEPER THAN THE ACTUAL SHALLOW GROUNDWATER.
SO, UM, WHEN WE HAVE WELLS DUG FOR MSDS, THEY'RE SO FAR BENEATH THE SURFACE WHERE THE CONTAMINATION SHOULD NOT BE EVEN ANYWHERE CLOSE BY OR HAVE EVEN, UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GROUNDWATER FLOW THAT IS UNDER THE SURFACE, THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER LAYER OF SOIL, THEN YOU HAVE A CONFINING CLAY LAYER, AND THE WELLS THAT ARE DUG ARE AT THE, AT THE LEVEL BENEATH THE CONFINING CLAY LAYER.
THAT'S WHERE THE WELLS ARE DUG FOR, UM, DRINKING WATER.
SO THEY'RE NEVER, UH, DUG FOR.
THEY SHOULDN'T BE, UM, IN THE SHALLOW GROUND WATER SECTION WHERE THE CONTAMINATION IS.
UM, AND THE FINAL PROGRESSION, UM, IS THE EIGHTH PROGRESSION, WHICH IS QUARTERLY SAMPLING EVENTS HELP DETERMINE IF THE GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION IS DECREASING OR STABLE.
ONCE WE RECEIVE AN APPLICATION, WE REQUIRE AS, UM, A PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS THAT QUARTERLY SAMPLES BE DONE OF THE IDENTIFIED CONTAMINATION.
SO ONCE THEY DO THE ASSESSMENT AND THEY DO THE EXAMINATION, WE REQUIRE THEM TO DO A MINIMAL OF TWO PER YEAR.
BUT OPTIMALLY IT'S FOUR SAMPLES, ONE EVERY THREE MONTHS OVER THE COURSE OF THE ENTIRE APPLICATION PERIOD.
SO NORMALLY IT TAKES ABOUT TWO YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE.
THE APPLICATION THAT WE HAVE ON FILE NOW, IT'S TAKEN ABOUT TWO YEARS.
SO THERE'S ANYWHERE BETWEEN FOUR UP TO EIGHT SAMPLES.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE PRESENT THESE MSD APPLICATIONS TO THE COMMITTEE IS IF THEY HAVE SHOWN A CONSISTENT, UH, DECREASING AMOUNT OF ATTENUATION FOR THE SAMPLES.
IF WE SHOW AN INCREASE, WE DO NOT BRING IT TO THE COMMITTEE AT ALL, UM, FOR APPROVAL.
SO THEY HAVE TO SHOW A CONSISTENT ATTEN, A CONSISTENCY AND DECREASING OF CONTAMINANTS, OR WE WON'T, WE WON'T APPROVE THE APPLICATION FOR PRESENTATION.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, WHICH, UH, NO, LET ME FINISH THIS ONE UP.
DURING THE MSD PROCESS, THE APPLICANT IS ALSO REQUIRED TO VERIFY THAT IF THERE IS A STATE REGULATED PUBLIC WA DRINKING WATER AVAILABLE TO THE SITE.
BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR APPLICANT IS WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA, THEY HAD TO GET ASSURANCE FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS THAT WE WILL PROVIDE PUBLIC DRINKING WATER TO THAT SITE ONCE IT HAS BEEN PURCHASED OR ONCE IT IS REACTIVATED AS, UM, A SITE WHERE PEOPLE WILL COME IN AND WANT TO DRINK WATER OR USE WATER FOR POTABLE USE, UM, THE OWNER CAN NOW COMFORTABLY PURSUE REDEVELOPING THE SITE WHILE ENSURING THE PUBLIC THAT CONTAMINATED WATER WILL NEVER BE USED AS DRINKING WATER.
AND SO THE NEXT SLIDE, MY SINCERE APOLOGIES ABOUT THE PROGRESSION NOT SHOWING UP ON YOU GUYS' SCREEN.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT HAPPENED.
UM, NEXT SLIDE WILL BE SLIDE FIVE.
AND, UM, IT'S REGARDING THE PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION.
UH, THE PROPERTY IS 1 7 3 3 WORK ROAD, WIRT ROAD.
THE APPLICATION IS TO CONSIDER AN MSD FOR THE SITE LOCATED AT 1 7 3 3 WORK ROAD.
THE PROPERTY WAS DEVELOPED IN THE MID 1960S AS A DRY CLEANER UNDER VARIOUS NAMES THROUGH 2020.
THE FORMER COBBS SPECIALTY CLEANERS IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
THE SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION HAS BEEN REMOVED AND CONCENTRATION HAS DECREASED WITH ONGOING A POTENTIATION.
FURTHER FUTURE ANTICIPATED USE IS UNKNOWN.
PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE SITE ARE A MIX OF COMMERCIAL, SINGLE AND MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
THE SITE HAS BEEN ENROLLED IN A VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM, WHICH IS A VCP WITH TCEQ SINCE 2019.
SO THEY HAVE VOLUNTEER, HAVE VOLUNTEERED, UM, TO BE IN A PROGRAM FOR CLEANUP OF THE SITE.
SITE GROUNDWATER IS CONTAMINATED WITH
[00:20:01]
CHLORINATED SOLVENTS FROM ONSITE DRY CLEANING ACTIVITIES AND PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FROM AN OFFSITE GASOLINE FILLING STATION.GROUNDWATER CONTAMINANTS INCLUDE TRICHLOROETHYLENE CYST, ONE TWO DI ETHYLENE ETHANE TRANS ONE TWO CHLOR ETHANE VINYL CHLORIDE, BENZENE ETHYL BENZENE.
THIS SLIDE DISPLAYS A GROUNDWATER CONTAMINANT PLUME COMPARISON, 2019 IS ENCIRCLED IN GREEN, AND 2023 ARE THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED AREAS.
THIS DEMONSTRATES THAT THE PLUME IS STABLE OR DECLINING.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN 2019, THAT ENTIRE AREA THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED GREEN, THAT WAS A CONTAMINATED AREA AS OF 2023, WE'RE SHOWING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A DECLINE IN THE CONTAMINATION.
AND YOU SEE THOSE TWO AREAS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.
ON JULY 1ST, 2024, WRITTEN NOTICES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH WERE MAILED TO PROPERTY OWNERS AND REGISTERED CIVIC GROUPS WITHIN A HALF MILE OF THE SITE, AND TO WATER WELL OWNERS AND OPERATORS WITHIN FIVE MILES OF THE SITE.
OUR DEPARTMENT HOSTED A VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING ON AUGUST 5TH, 2024, BASED UPON THE INFORMATION SUPPLIED IN THE APPLICATION INPUT FROM VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS AND INPUT AT THE PUBLIC MEETING.
MY DIRECTOR HAS REQUESTED THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
DEPENDING UPON THE OUTCOME OF TODAY'S HEARING, THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS WILL REQUEST THAT COUNSEL TAKE ACTION TO ADOPT ORDINANCES TO SUPPORT THIS MSD APPLICATION.
THE ORDINANCE WAS ORDINANCES WILL INCLUDE ALL ELEMENTS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW AND ARTICLE 13 OF CHAPTER 47 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES.
THE APPLICANTS ARE PRESENT TODAY AS REQUIRED BY THE ORDINANCE AND STAFF, ALONG WITH THE APPLICANTS ARE AVAILABLE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS NOW, PLEASE LET ME INTRODUCE CARLY CHERRY.
SHE'S THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT WITH PHASE ENGINEERING.
SHE'S THE, UH, PERSON WHO CONDUCTED THE ASSESSMENTS FOR THE SITE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROPERTY SINCE 2019, SO I CAN ANSWER ANY, UH, TECHNICAL QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO TO SOME QUESTIONS.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN IS IN THE QUEUE.
CASSANDRA DID A GREAT JOB ON YOUR FIRST PRESENTATION, AND I LIKED THE PROGRESSION OF SLIDES.
JUST WITH NEXT SLIDE, IT'S KIND OF, YOU WERE SAYING NEXT SLIDE.
AND I THINK WE WERE JUMPING TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
INSTEAD OF THE PROGRESSION OF THE SLIDE, IT SAID THE PROGRESSION.
I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THESE AND I HAVEN'T HEARD IT EXPLAINED IN THAT DEPTH.
SO YOU DID A GREAT JOB ON, ON EXPLAINING THE, THE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND HOW THE DEPTH OF THE WELLS AND ALL THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE IT WAS IN YOUR PUBLIC MEETING.
WAS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO THIS, UM, MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION? NO.
NO, WE HAD QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT NO ONE WHO DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE DONE, OR NO ONE WHO HAD ANY, ANY NEGATIVE, YEAH.
THE, THE GENERAL QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN WAS PRIMARILY IT'S GROUNDWATER.
THE ONLY SOIL IMPACT IS LIMITED TO THE SOIL TO GROUNDWATER INTERFACE.
THERE'S NO SURFACE SOIL IMPACT.
UM, WE'VE, WE INVESTIGATED ALL OF THE EXPOSURE PATHWAYS, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S KEY WITH GETTING CLOSURE FROM THE STATE.
SO WE HAVE A GROUNDWATER RELEASE TO GROUNDWATER, LIMITED SOIL IMPACT WHERE THE GROUNDWATER'S MIXING WITH THE SOIL.
UM, WE HAVE EVALUATED THE INHALATION PATHWAY SO PEOPLE, IF THERE WERE VAPORS GOING INTO ANY STRUCTURES, THERE IS NO CONCERN WITH THAT.
THERE'S NO CONTAMINATED SOIL THAT NEEDS TO BE HAULED OFF.
AND THE, THE QUESTIONS REALLY WERE CONCERNED WITH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE TOXIC SOIL? OH, THERE IS NO TOXIC SOIL.
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE APARTMENTS OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO, UH, INDICATION THAT THERE'S ANYTHING MIGRATING OFFSITE.
AND THERE'S NO WORRY THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE BREATHING ANYTHING IN, IN THEIR APARTMENTS NEARBY.
AND WHAT WE DO, A LOT OF DRY CLEANERS, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF DRY CLEANERS THAT ARE BEING REDEVELOPED.
WHAT, WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHEMICALS THAT ARE IT? IT'S THOSE CHLORINATED SOLVENT.
SO WHEN SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT TETRA CHLORO, WELL, ACTUALLY WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TET TRICHLOROETHYLENE TRICHLOROETHYLENE AND THE DAUGHTER PRODUCT.
SO THERE'S CYST ONE, TWO, DICHLORINE TRANS, ONE CHLORINE VINYL CHLORIDE IS THE ULTIMATE, UH, DAUGHTER PRODUCT.
BUT THOSE TYPES OF CHEMICALS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THINGS LIKE GASOLINE.
GASOLINE BREAKS DOWN FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UM, CHLORINATED SOLVENTS ARE VERY PERSISTENT AND THEY'RE HEAVY.
UH, SO THEY JUST SINK AND THEY'LL SIT THERE.
[00:25:01]
BUT THE GOOD NEWS WITH THIS SLIDE IS YOU SAW WITH THE SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE 2019 PLUME VERSUS 2023.IT IS, IT IS DEGRADING AND ATTENUATING.
AND THE ONGOING, UM, MONITORING, IS THAT PART OF WHAT WE DID A COUPLE YEARS AGO OR LAST YEAR WHEN WE PUT MORE, UM, INTO THE ORDINANCE ABOUT, UH, CONTINUAL TESTING THAT MAY BE, I KNOW THE STATE REQUIRE, SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE TCQ AND THEY REQUIRE CONTINUED MONITORING.
I THINK THAT IT WAS WE ADDITIONAL A YEAR.
SO TWO AGO, IT WAS PROBABLY A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHERE WE, WE REQUIRED ADDITIONAL MONITORING, UM, AT THESE SITES.
AND I'M, I'M SORRY, WOULD YOU, UH, INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD? UH, MY NAME IS CARLY CHERRY AND I AM THE REMEDIATION PROJECT DIRECTOR.
I'M A TOXICOLOGIST WITH PHASE ENGINEERING IN HOUSTON, OR AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING FIRM.
UM, UH, CARLY, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, WHO'S GOT, UH, SOME QUESTIONS, UH, JUST, UH, INQUIRING OF HOW, HOW, HOW DOES THE CONTAMINATION INITIALLY, UH, GET, GET INTO THE SOIL AND WATER? WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, APPARENTLY BASED ON WHAT WE WERE FINDING IN 2019, AND OVER TIME, IT'S A HISTORICAL RELEASE.
YOU KNOW, THE PROPERTY STARTED OUT AS A DRY CLEANER IN THE MID SIXTIES AND CONTINUED ON, UH, DURING MS. COBB'S TIME, THEY DID NOT USE CHLORINATED SOLVENTS.
SO THIS WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED PRIOR TO 1980.
UM, BUT SPILLS, FLOOR DRAINS, UM, PRIOR TO THE, THE 1980S WHEN SUPERFUND, IF YOU'VE HEARD OF THAT, OR RCLA, THOSE ARE THE EPA REGULATIONS.
THERE WAS NO EDUCATION ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE CHEMICALS.
PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HEARD OF LOVE CANAL AND, AND THE RIVERS IN OHIO LIGHTING ON FIRE THERE, PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO MANAGE WASTE.
UH, SO THEY PROBABLY POURED THINGS DOWN THE DRAIN, POURED THINGS IN THE SINK.
THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SPILLS INTO THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, MOST LIKELY DRAINS WITH THE LACK OF THE SURFACE SOIL IMPACT.
THEN IT GETS INTO THE, YOU KNOW, PLUMBING AND PIPES AND SINKS DOWN INTO THE GROUNDWATER.
THESE SOLVENTS ARE, LIKE I SAID, ARE HEAVY SO THAT THEY'RE VERY DENSE AND THEY SINK.
AND CURRENTLY THERE'S, UH, UM, EDUCATION AND, AND PROCESSES THAT, RIGHT.
SO NOW, I MEAN, CIR IS A, IS HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL, BUT THERE'S A, UM, REGULATION CALLED CRA, THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION RECOVERY ACT.
AND THAT REGULATES ALL WASTE MANAGEMENT.
THESE FACILITIES ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT THEIR, WHAT THEY GENERATE AND HOW THEY DISPOSE OF IT TO THE STATE.
SO IT'S VERY HIGHLY REGULATED NOW.
AND THAT'S SINCE THE MID 1980S.
UM, JUST, I'VE GOT JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
IS, IS YOUR WORK ON THIS DONE OR WILL YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME, SOME INVOLVEMENT IN THIS PROPERTY? WE WILL WORK ON IT UNTIL THE TCEQ GRANTS, WHAT'S CALLED A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.
SO BY PUTTING THIS USE RESTRICTION IN PLACE, WE ARE CLOSING OFF THE ONLY POTENTIAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY.
THERE'S NO SOIL EXPOSURE, THERE'S NO INHALATION EXPOSURE.
THE SITE IS ON MUNICIPAL WATER, BUT THE WAY IT WORKS, UH, IN THE STATE IS, UNLESS SOMEONE PUTS A USE RESTRICTION RESTRICTING THE USE OF GROUNDWATER, ANY GROUNDWATER COULD THEORETICALLY BE CONSUMED.
UM, IT'S NOT CONSUMED AT THIS DEPTH IN THIS AREA, BUT YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY PUT A FORMAL USE RESTRICTION TO ELIMINATE THAT POTENTIAL EXPOSURE.
SO BY PUTTING THE MSD IN PLACE, THEN THE, THE STATE SEES THAT THE MS. COBB, THE APPLICANT, HAS RESTRICTED THAT POTENTIAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY, AND THAT CLOSES OUT ANY POTENTIAL CONCERNS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH WITH THE SITE.
AND AT THAT POINT, THEY'LL ISSUE A CLOSURE CERTIFICATE TO HER.
AND, UM, I KNOW THE GRAPHIC SHOWED THAT WATER WELLS ARE DUG DEEPER THAN THE LEVEL THAT THIS, UH, GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION EXISTS.
CAN YOU TELL US WHETHER THE WATER WELLS IN WITHIN THE, UH, RADIUS, I THINK IT WAS A FIVE FIVE MILE RADIUS ARE REQUIRED TO, TO TEST? UH, YEAH, AND THERE AREN'T, I THINK THE CLOSEST WATER, WELL, I DON'T HAVE MY, UM, PRESENTATION, BUT IT WAS, UH, TO THE NORTHWEST.
I BELIEVE IT WASN'T ANYWHERE NEAR I, AND I DON'T RECALL THE DEPTH OF THAT ONE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT PART OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVE DRILLING TO THIS, THE DEEPER GROUNDWATER BEARING UNIT.
SO WE HAVE FIVE WELLS ON SITE.
THEY'RE TWO OFFSITE, FIVE ON SITE, UH, RADIUS, I THINK IT WAS A FIVE FIVE MILE RADIUS ARE REQUIRED TO, TO TEST T.
UH, AND THERE AREN'T, I THINK THE CLOSEST WATER, WELL, I DON'T HAVE MY, UM, PRESENTATION, BUT IT WAS, UH, TO THE NORTHWEST.
I BELIEVE IT WASN'T ANYWHERE NEAR.
AND I DON'T RECALL THE DEPTH OF THAT ONE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT PART OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVE DRILLING TO THIS, THE DEEPER GROUNDWATER BEARING UNIT.
SO WE HAVE FIVE WELLS ON SITE.
THEY'RE TWO OFFSITE, FIVE ON SITE.
[00:30:01]
CONTINUE? UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THE, UM, THERE IS, WE DID INVESTIGATE THE DEEPER GROUNDWATER.
UM, THE, WELL, THE WELLS WERE, THE CONTAMINATION IS ALL AT ABOUT 30 FEET AND WE WENT DOWN TO 70 FEET.
AND THAT, THAT AQUIFER IS NOT IMPACTED.
SO THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR, FOR YOU GUYS AT THIS TIME, I BELIEVE.
UNLESS YOU HAD ANYTHING MORE, UH, CASSANDRA? UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THE, UM, THERE IS, WE DID INVESTIGATE THE DEEPER GROUNDWATER, UM, THE, WHAT THE WELLS WHERE THE CONTAMINATION IS.
ABOUT MICHAEL CONNOLLY, UM, LEGAL COUNSEL.
THE LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE OWNER WOULD LIKE TO SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS, SO MR. AND, UH, ALLOW HIM TO COMMENT.
SO, MR. CONLEY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. RAMIREZ.
UM, I'LL BE, UH, SHORT AND DIRECT.
THERE ARE THREE COMPELLING REASONS FOR THE MSD TO BE APPROVED IN THIS INSTANCE.
THE FIRST, OF COURSE, IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY.
AND AS MS. CHERRY HAS JUST EXPLAINED, ANY CONTAMINATION IS CONTAINED ON THAT PROPERTY.
IT DOESN'T GO OFF SITE AND IT'S DEGRADING.
THE SECOND COMPELLING REASON TO APPROVE THE MSD IS THAT THE TCEQ WITH WHOM WE'VE WORKED, HAS INDICATED IF THE MSD IS APPROVED, THEY WILL ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AND THIS REMEDIATION PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETE.
UH, THE THIRD COMPELLING REASON IS THE WAY IN WHICH COBB INTERESTS AND MRS. COBB HAVE HANDLED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THIS.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT SOME CON CONSIDERATION TO PROVE BE GIVEN IS THAT TO AN ACTION THAT TQ WITH WHOM WE'VE WORKED AS INDICATED, IF THE M MSS D IS APPROVED, THEY WILL ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AND THIS REMEDIATION PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETE.
UH, THE THIRD COMPELLING REASON IS THE WAY IN WHICH COB INTERESTS.
GLAD TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I THINK EVERYONE CAN HEAR ME.
SO I WANT TO DEAL WITH THE THIRD ISSUE, BECAUSE I THINK IT HAS SIGNIFICANCE IN, IN RECOGNIZING GOOD CITIZEN BEHAVIOR AND ENCOURAGING FUTURE RESIDENTS TO FOLLOW THE SAME PATTERN OF GOOD, UH, CITIZEN BEHAVIOR.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE SOME OF THE, HIS STORY BEHIND THIS WHOLE PROJECT.
'CAUSE MS. COBB HAS DEALT WITH THIS NOW, SINCE 2017, IT'S BEEN SEVEN YEARS SHE'S BEEN DEALING WITH THIS PROJECT.
THE COBBS BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY IN 1989 TO START A DRY CLEANING BUSINESS.
AT THE TIME THEY BOUGHT IT, THEY HAD AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY DONE TO TELL THEM WHETHER THERE WAS ANY CONTAMINATION ON THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT STUDY INDICATED THERE WAS NONE.
NOW, IT, I THINK EVERYONE PROBABLY UNDERSTANDS THAT IN 1989, THE TECHNOLOGY WHICH EXISTED AND THE SAMPLING METHODS WHICH WERE USED MAY NOT BE AS SOPHISTICATED AS THEY ARE TODAY.
BUT NONETHELESS, THEY RECEIVED A REPORT WHICH SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CONTAMINATION ON THE PROPERTY.
THEY THEN PROCEEDED TO OPERATE THEIR BUSINESS.
AND WE ALSO NOW KNOW THROUGH MS. CHERRY'S GOOD WORK THAT THE DRY CLEANING OPERATIONS AT THAT LOCATION BEGAN BACK IN 1965.
SO THERE'S 25 YEARS OF DRY CLEANING HISTORY BEFORE THE COBBS BOUGHT THE PROPERTY.
THEY BUY THE PROPERTY IN 1989, UM, AND OPERATED THE SITE THERE UNTIL 2015.
AT THAT TIME, MR. COBB BECAME SERIOUSLY ILL, AND THEY HAD TO DISCONTINUE THEIR BUSINESS.
UH, SO THE COBBS DECIDED THAT THEY NEEDED TO SELL THEIR BUSINESS AND SELL THE PROPERTY.
UM, INTERESTINGLY, THE TCEQ BEGAN AT LEAST AS EARLY AS 1996,
[00:35:02]
REQUIRING DRY CLEANERS TO DO ANNUAL REGISTRATION.IT MAY HAVE BEEN BEFORE THEN, BUT THE EARLIEST FORM I'VE SEEN IN THE TCEQ FILE IS 1996 ON ALL THOSE ANNUAL REGISTRATIONS.
FROM 1996 TO THE, TO THE DAY THEY STOPPED OPERATING THEIR BUSINESS, THE COBS SAID, WE DON'T USE CHLORINATED SOLVENTS AS A CLEANING AGENT.
WE USE PETROLEUM BASED PRODUCTS.
AND THAT BECAUSE OF THAT, WAS BECAUSE OF THE GROWING CONCERN THAT EXISTED IN THE DRY CLEANING INDUSTRY ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL DIFFICULTIES THAT AROSE FROM USING CHLORINATED SOLVENTS.
SO THEY ALWAYS USED PETROLEUM BASED PRODUCTS.
THEN, UM, IN 2015, WHEN THE COBBS COULDN'T OPERATE THE BUSINESS DUE TO MR. COBB'S HEALTH, THEY SOLD THE BUSINESS TO A MINORITY BASED VENTURE GROUP WHO WANTED TO START A DRY CLEANING OPERATION.
THE, THE GROUP DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT CAPITAL TO BUY THE PROPERTY AT THAT TIME, SO THEY LEASED THE PROPERTY WITH AN OPTION TO PURCHASE IT.
AT A LATER DATE, THEY BEGAN OPERATING THE BUSINESS.
AND MRS. COBB THEN INVESTED THE NEXT SIX TO NINE MONTHS CARING FOR HER HUSBAND AND WORKING WITH THE MINORITY BASED GROUP THAT BOUGHT THE BUSINESS TO TEACH THEM HOW TO RUN THE BUSINESS, INCLUDING WHAT NOT TO USE IN THE WAY OF DRY CLEANING AGENTS.
SO WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THAT GROUP FOLLOWED THE EXAMPLE OF MR. AND MRS. COBB IN USING PETROLEUM BASED CLEANING AGENTS RATHER THAN CHLORINATED SOLVENTS.
SO THEY BOUGHT THE BUSINESS IN 2015.
IN 2017, THE MINORITY BUSINESS VENTURE DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO BUY THE PROPERTY, AND THEY WENT TO A BANK.
AND THE BANK, OF COURSE, AS THEY ALL DO, SAID WE NEED AN ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT.
THE BANK THEN HIRED PHASE ENGINEERING, MS. CHERRY'S FIRM TO DO A PHASE ONE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY.
THAT PHASE ONE STUDY REVEALED THE FACT THAT THERE HAD BEEN 25 YEARS OF DRY CLEANER OPERATIONS FROM 1965 TO 1989 BEFORE THE COBBS EVER BOUGHT THE PROPERTY.
AND BASED ON THE FACT THAT THERE WERE HISTORICAL DRY CLEANING OPERATIONS, PHASE ENGINEERING SAID, WE THINK WE OUGHT TO DO A PHASE TWO STUDY, WHICH REQUIRED ACTUAL SAMPLING OF GROUND, OF SURFACE SOIL AND GROUNDWATER.
SO THAT PHASE TWO STUDY IS WHAT THEN REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF THE CHLORINATED SOLVENT CONTAMINANTS.
INTERESTINGLY, IT ALSO REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF GASOLINE CONTAMINANTS THAT WERE FROM A CORNER FILLING STATION THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN REMEDIATION REMEDIATED, AND THE REMEDIATION CLOSED BY THE TCEQ.
BUT THOSE CONTAMINANTS HAD REMAINED ON THE COBB'S PROPERTY.
UH, THERE WERE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF ADDITIONAL GNASHING OF TEETH AND DECISION MAKING AS TO WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
AND IN 2019, THE MINORITY BUSINESS GROUP SUED COBB INTEREST AND SUED MS. COBB AND THE ESTATE OF HER DECEASED HUSBAND BECAUSE THEY FELT THEY HAD BEEN TRICKED INTO BUYING THE PROPERTY, UH, WHEN THE COBBS DIDN'T TELL 'EM ABOUT CONTAMINATION THAT THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT.
SO THAT LITIGATION IS SOMETHING THAT MRS. COBB HAD TO DEAL WITH IT, IT WAS ULTIMATELY RESOLVED, BUT IT REQUIRED A SUBSTANTIAL EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS.
UH, AND THE RESOLUTION OF THAT CASE AMOUNTING TO APPROXIMATELY $250,000 IN LITIGATION COSTS.
AND THE RESOLUTION OF THAT MATTER, AND IT WAS RESOLVED, ALSO RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF ABOUT $60,000 IN LOST RENT, WHICH WAS PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE RESOLUTION.
IN ADDITION, MS. COBB HAS SPENT ABOUT $300,000 ON THE REMEDIATION PROJECT ITSELF.
NOW, THAT'S SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR AT ALL WITH THE DRY, THE TCEQ, THEY HAVE A DRY CLEANER REMEDIATION PROGRAM.
THEY ACTUALLY TAX DRY CLEANERS TO COME UP WITH A FUND THAT THEY CAN THEN USE TO CLEAN UP CHLORINATED SOLVENTS AT DRY CLEANER SITES.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE COB INTEREST HAD NEVER USED CHLORINATED SOLVENTS, THEY WERE PRECLUDED FROM JOINING THE DRY CLEANER REMEDIATION PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PROGRAM BY WHICH THE STATE PAYS FOR THE REMEDIATION.
SO, IN EFFECT, THE TCEQ SAID, EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE GOT CHLORINATED SOLVENTS ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU DIDN'T PUT 'EM THERE, SO YOU HAVE TO PAY TO CLEAN THEM UP YOURSELF.
SO MS. COBB AND COBB INTEREST THEN SPENT APPROXIMATELY $300,000
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CLEANING UP THAT PROPERTY.NOW, THE COBBS DID NOT BEGIN THIS EXERCISE BEING INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY.
SO THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THEM.
UM, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T CAUSE THIS CONDITION, THEY WERE DEEMED TO BE LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
SO THEY LIVED UP TO THEIR EXPECTA THE EXPECTATIONS THAT THE STATE HAD FOR THEM AS CITIZENS AND DID THE RIGHT THING.
AND SO THEY HAVE SEEN THIS THING ALL THE WAY THROUGH USING THEIR OWN FUNDS TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS THAT THE TCEQ HAS SET FOR THEM.
AND THE TCEQ IS NOW SAYING, WITH THE MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION, WE WILL ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.
AND YOUR WORK TO REMEDIATE THIS PROJECT IS DONE BECAUSE THE TCEQ, AND WE'VE PROVIDED THAT, UH, UH, IN OUR MATERIAL THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED TO CASSANDRA, UH, SO THE, THE, THE TCEQ AND IS IN ESSENCE IS SAYING, WE ARE SATISFIED THAT THE REMEDIATION AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THE GOAL OF PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH.
ONCE YOU GET THAT DESIGNATION THAT NO DRINKING WATER WELLS CAN BE PUT ON THAT PROPERTY.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE SOME RECOGNITION THAT ENCOURAGES BY, BY APPROVING THIS DESIGNATION, ENCOURAGING GOOD CITIZEN BEHAVIOR AND RECOGNITION OF DOING WHAT'S RIGHT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AT SUBSTANTIAL PERSONAL COST, IS ANOTHER COMPELLING REASON FOR YOU TO GRANT OR APPROVE THIS MSD.
I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
MAY I ASK, UH, WHAT PLANS FOR CERTAINLY, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS MRS. COBB HAD TO DO IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THESE THINGS IS SHE HAD TO SELL HER HOUSE IN HOUSTON, AND SHE NOW LIVES IN MISSOURI.
UH, IT'S NO SECRET SHE WANTS TO SELL THE PROPERTY.
SHE CAN'T SELL THE PROPERTY UNTIL THERE IS A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION FROM THE TCEQ.
AND SO THAT IS OUR GOAL TO ACCOMPLISH THE CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.
AND THEN ANY POTENTIAL BUYER WILL KNOW THAT THAT PROPERTY HAS BEEN DEEMED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY TO BE SATISFACTORILY REMEDIATED.
NOW, THAT MAY IMPACT THE PRICE, AND SHE MAY NOT GET FOR THE PROPERTY WHAT SHE WOULD OTHERWISE GET FOR THE PROPERTY.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS HER INTENTION, SINCE SHE'S NOW LIVING IN MISSOURI, HER INTENTION IS TO SELL THE PROPERTY.
ALRIGHT? SHE'S TRYING TO GET IT IN A CONDITION THAT IT'S SALEABLE.
THAT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, AND IN CONSULTING WITH REAL ESTATE AGENTS, THEY SAY, UH, THERE MAY BE SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO BUY IT, BUT THE LIST OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO BUY A PROPERTY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION IS VERY SHORT.
AND SOMEBODY IN OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY WITHOUT BEATED IN.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, MR. EZ.
UH, THAT, THAT'S A PERFECTLY VALID QUESTION.
UM, MS. COBB, HAVE YOU HAD ANY DISCUSSION WITHIN THE AGENTS OR CARLY? NO, I WAS GONNA SAY IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THAT THERE'S A LIMITATION IN THE PROPERTY USE.
IT'S MORE ABOUT A LENDER BEING COMFORTABLE AND PROVIDING A LOAN AGAINST THE PROPERTY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A CLOSURE LETTER FROM THE STATE.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE ON THE, OR IF THERE WERE EVER AN ISSUE, THEN COULD BE LESS HOLDING.
I HAVE TO PAY, NEED TO PAY TO GET THIS PROPERLY CLOSED.
SO IT'S NOT A USE RESTRICTION.
IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO LIMITATIONS ON WHAT THE PROPERTY CAN BE USED FOR.
IT'S REALLY JUST, UM, A COMFORT WITH LENDING ON PROPERTY.
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THANK YOU.MAY WE BE EXCUSED, MR. CHAIRMAN? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE AND, UM, YOU'RE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO USE THAT MICROPHONE.
LET'S MAKE SURE OUR PRESENTATION IS UP.
UH, THI THIS IS MELISSA SHELTON, DR. MELISSA SHELTON, I SHOULD SAY.
UH, SHE'S THE ACCREDITATION COORDINATOR FOR THE HOUSTON HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS, THIS AFTERNOON, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2024 THROUGH 2028.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ACCREDITED SINCE, UH, 2014, AND WE'RE RE SCHEDULED FOR OUR RE-ACCREDITATION IN 20, UH, 26.
WE WERE ACTUALLY, WE'VE BEEN RE-ACCREDITED, UH, ONCE SINCE OUR INITIAL ACCREDITATION.
UH, THIS REALLY IS, UH, A REQUIREMENT FOR OUR ACCREDITATION PROCESS.
UH, THE STRATEGIC PLAN SERVES AS OUR ROADMAP AND FOCUSES ON SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
BUT I REALLY WANNA UNDERSCORE THAT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN DOES NOT ENCOMPASS ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE UNDERTAKE IN THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SELECTED STRATEGIES THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON AND ALIGNS OUR MISSION VALUES AND, AND, AND VISION WITH THE SIX STRATEGIC PRIORITIES DESIGNED TO, UH, PROTECT HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELLBEING OF HOUSTONIANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY LIVE.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A, A, AN OUTLINE OF, OF THE CONTENT OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE IS ACTUALLY OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.
YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THIS, IF YOU ATTENDED OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR BUDGET PRE PRESENTATION.
PRETTY MUCH IT OUTLINES ALL OF THE DIVISIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THE NEXT, AT THE NEXT SLIDE, WE WILL START WITH THE, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN ITSELF.
BUT BEFORE I GO INTO, UM, THE, THE, UH, GOALS AND, UH, SMART OBJECTIVES, I WANT TO, UH, REALLY GIVE YOU AN OUTLINE OF, OF WHAT'S REQUIRED AND PUT THIS STRATEGIC PLAN IN CONTEXT.
SO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHAT YOU SEE THERE.
THE, THE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACCREDITATION BOARD STANDARDS AND MEASURES FOR RE-ACCREDITATION REQUIRES A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT, UH, BE CONDUCTED USING RELEVANT DATA, DATA, DATA SOURCES.
UH, THESE, UH, EFFORTS ALL ARE CRUCIAL AND INFORMING THE UPDATE UPDATES OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHICH IS ANOTHER REQUIREMENT OF FAB, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY FEEDS INTO THE REVISION AND UPDATING OF OUR OWN HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
A STRATEGIC PLAN, BASICALLY, WE HAVE TO DO A COMMUNITY HEALTH HEALTH ASSESSMENT, UH, THAT LEADS TO A BROAD COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
AND THE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY SELECTS WHICH AREAS WITHIN THE C COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT WE WOULD BE, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR AS AN, AS AN ORGANIZATION.
UH, HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS PARTNERED WITH SEVERAL EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP THE COMMUNITY HEALTH, UH, ASSESSMENT AND ASSISTED IN DISSEMINATING THE SURVEY TO COMMUNITY RESIDENTS THROUGH THE HOUSTON AREA.
OVER 500 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS DIRECTLY RECEIVED THE ONLINE SURVEY, AND SOME EXAMPLES OF THE PARTNER AGENCIES THAT PARTICIPATED INCLUDED A AVENUE THREE 63RD WARD, COMMUNITY FUND MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER, HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE, ARAB AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, CULTURE OF HEALTH.
ADVANCING TOGETHER CAN DO HOUSTON MENTAL HEALTH, AMERICA, U OF H, HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE, AND U HOUSTON INC.
ADDITIONALLY, WE DISSEMINATED A SURVEY THROUGH CITIZENS THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SUBSCRIPTION BASED INFORMATION SHARE SHARING EMAIL LISTSERV, WHICH HAS OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND MEMBERS.
UH, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN CHIP PARTNERS INCLUDE THE NETWORK OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, THE IMMUNIZATION COALITION
[00:50:01]
OF GREATER HOUSTON, AND THE AIRLINES.AND THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'RE EXPERTS, SO SHOULD BE THE LEADS IN ALL THESE AREAS.
AND SO WHAT WE DO IS PARTNER WITH AREA WITH, UH, AGENCIES AND INTERESTS THAT ARE ALREADY INVOLVED IN THE AREAS.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO HAVE A SITE CALLED HOUSTON STATE OF HEALTH, WHICH IS A SOURCE OF POPULATION DATA AND COMMUNITY HEALTH INFORMATION FOR HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY AND TEXAS.
THE SITE IS FOR PLANNERS, POLICY MAKERS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO USE AS A TOOL FOR COMMUNITY ASSESSMENTS, STRATEGIC PLANNING, GRANT WRITING, AND IDENTIFYING BEST PRACTICES FOR IMPROVEMENT, COLLABORATION, AND ADVOCACY.
THIS IS OUR CON, OUR OUR ADDED VALUE FOR THE COMMUNITY, HOPEFULLY, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING FOR GRANTS, BECAUSE WE HOPE THAT BY SUPPLYING THEM WITH SUFFICIENT DATA, THEY'RE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR GRANT APPLICATIONS.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE, UH, BASICALLY THE OUTLINE OF, OF OUR PROCESS, REALLY ASSESSMENT, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH IS RESULTING IN A, A STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH IS REALLY AN, A ROADMAP FOR INFORMED DECISION MAKING, UH, RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE PURSUIT OF TOWN BY TIME BOUND, MEASURABLE STRATEGIES AND, AND PRIORITIES.
AND I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN, THAT THIS IS NOT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, JUST THINGS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE, WE WERE ASKED IS, UH, HOW DOES THIS ALIGN, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH THE MAYOR'S, UH, PRIORITIES AND OTHER OBJECTIVES.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, UH, UNDER THE PRIORITY OF PUBLIC SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL REENTERING, YOUTH VIOLENCE FALLS UNDER THAT UNDER QUALITY OF LIFE, CHRONIC DISEASE, HEALTH, EDUCATION, WELLNESS, CERTAINLY ON, UH, MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, FAMILY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
UH, THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S KEY INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT THE MAYOR'S PRIORITIES CERTAINLY INCLUDE ENHANCED DISEASE SURVEILLANCE, ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT, OUR DATA MODERNIZATION IN INITIATIVES, AND OUR RE-ACCREDITATION, ALONG WITH OUR PROGRAMS RELATED TO, UH, QUALITY ASSURANCE AND PROGRAM OF INTEGRATION AND EFFECTIVENESS.
THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE OUR MISSION, OUR VALUES, AND OUR, OUR VISION, WHICH YOU'VE CERTAINLY SEEN IN ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD.
THE NEXT SLIDE STARTS WITH, UH, STRATEGIC PRIORITY ONE, OPTIMIZE AGENCY INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH INVOLVES FUNDING, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT.
THE STRATEGIC GOAL, ENHANCED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, UH, WHICH FOCUSES ON FUNDING SPACE, EQUIPMENT, SYSTEMS, AND WORKFORCE FOR EFFICIENT IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS. THESE OBJECTIVES AIM TO STRENGTHEN AND MONITOR GRANT COMPLIANCE AND KEY CITY OF HOUSTON ADMINISTRATIVE AND FISCAL POLICIES BY IMPLEMENTING AMONG OTHER THINGS INTERNAL AUDIT.
IN ADDITION TO DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A FISCAL STRATEGY, STABILIZING CORE ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCES.
ACTUALLY, ONE OF MY GOALS OVER THE YEARS HAVE BEEN TO REALLY LESSEN THE AMOUNT OF, UH, ACTIV TIME THAT OUR STAFF ACTUALLY SPENDS ON ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES SO THAT THEY CAN REALLY, UH, FOCUS ON, UH, KEY PRO PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.
BUT BEING IN A BUREAUCRACY LIKE THIS, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR, UH, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, UH, ENCOMPASS A, A SIGNIFICANT PART OF, OF OUR TIME.
UH, THE NEXT, UH, STRATEGIC GOAL, ENSURE CULTURAL EXCELLENCE ACROSS ALL PROGRAMS. AND ITS AIM TO ACTUALLY REDUCE THE ATTRITION RATES AND IMPROVE EMPLOYEE RETENTION TO ENSURE A SKILLED AND EFFECTIVE WORKFORCE.
I DON'T REALLY WANNA WHINE A LOT, BUT THE REALITY IS, IS WORKING AS A, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, CERTAINLY BEING, UH, IN AN ENVIRONMENT WITH THE LARGEST MEDICAL CENTER, UH, IN THE WORLD, REALLY, UH, COMPETING FOR EMPLOYEES IS A CHALLENGE.
NOT ONLY, UM, SALARY, WHICH IS A, A, A, A MAJOR ISSUE, UH, BUT JUST THE, THE AMOUNT OF AVAILABILITY OF TIME THAT CITY EMPLOYEES ACTUALLY, UH, HAVE TO DEVOTE TO, TO, TO THEIR JOBS.
UH, AND I THINK THE LAST TWO DAYS IS ACTUALLY AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I WAS ON THE PHONE YESTERDAY WITH OUR STAFF IN PREPARATION FOR MAY OR MAY NOT OCCUR, AND THE MEETING I HAVE AT FOUR O'CLOCK THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE WITH MY EXECUTIVE TEAM, UH, ENSURING THAT WE ARE SHOVEL READY JUST IN CASE.
UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER WEATHER EXPERIENCE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
PRIOR STRATEGIC PRIORITY TO ENSURE ACCESS TO
[00:55:01]
HEALTH, EXCUSE ME, ACCESS TO CARE AND RESOURCES, UH, BASICALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE HIGH HEALTH COSTS, LACK OF INSURANCE BARRIERS, LACK OF INFORMATION, AND LOPSIDED DELIVERY SYSTEM.UH, AND THAT SMART OBJECTIVE AIMED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS REFERRED TO OUR CLIENT ACCESS AND CARE COORDINATION PROGRAM, BASICALLY CONNECTING THEM TO A PAYER SOURCE, SOCIAL SERVICES, AND ESTABLISHED AND SUSTAINED COLLABORATIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE IN HOUSTON.
THIS WAS AN ISSUE A COUPLE OF DECADES AGO WHEN I ARRIVED IN HOUSTON.
IT IS STILL ONE NOW, AND IT'S PROBABLY EVEN MORE COMPLEX, EVEN THOUGH THE A ACCESS TO PRIMARY, UH, OUR CAPACITY FOR PRIMARY CARE, UH, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OVERALL HAS INCREASED.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, STRATEGIC PRIORITY THREE, UH, IMPROVE FOUNDATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH FUNCTIONS.
UH, THIS IS KEY TO WHAT WE DO.
PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, UH, FOOD SAFETY, IMMUNIZATIONS, CHILD HEALTH, CHRONIC DISEASE, DIABETES, AND, UH, OBESITY.
ACTUALLY, THE ISSUE THAT Y'ALL WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT WAS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ITSELF, AND GAVE ME FLASHBACKS ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF LEAKY UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, STRATEGIC PRIORITY THREE, ALSO PROVIDE COMMUNITY-BASED CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION AND SELF-MONITORING.
THIS AIMS TO BOOST PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS AND COLLABORATE WITH MU MULTI-SECTORIAL PARTNERS TO IMPLEMENT POLICY SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES, WHICH WE'RE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN.
AND 3.2, STRENGTHEN AND IMPROVE STRATEGIES TO REDUCE INCIDENCE OF COMMUNICABLE AND NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASE.
IT AIMS TO INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, UH, THE VACCINE FOR CHILDREN PROVIDERS, THE PERCENTAGE OF CONFIRMED TB CLIENTS WHO COMPLETE TREATMENT AND LINKAGE TO CARE FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED HIV, UH, CASES.
THIS IS CORE TO WHAT WE DO AS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, IMPROVE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE FOUNDATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, PREVENT FOODBORNE ILLNESS AND PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND STRATEGIC GOAL NUMBER 3.4, MONITOR AND EVALUATE PROGRAMS. ADDRESS THE, THE, THE GOALS TO REDUCE RE-INSPECTION RATES AT BRICK AND MORTAR ESTABLISHMENT, AND TO INITIATE AND EVALUATE CLIENT-FACING PROGRAMS. BASICALLY, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON RE-INSPECTIONS OF, UH, UH, OF FOOD ESTABLISHMENT.
AND BASICALLY WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, DEVELOP THE CAPACITY WITHIN THE FOLKS THAT WE SERVE TO ACTUALLY COMPLY ON THE FIRST VISIT.
THAT WOULDN'T REQUIRE A, A SECOND VISIT.
UH, AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO EVALUATE OUR CLIENT FACING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING OUR CLINICAL PROGRAMS, STRATEGIC PRIORITY FOUR, MENTAL HEALTH, WHICH IS MY FIRST PROFESSION, UH, IN RESPONSE TO THE LACK OF AWARENESS REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH AND THE STIGMA AND LACK OF RESOURCES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UH, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT WE'VE WRESTLED WITH THIS ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES, UH, UH, INTERNALLY BECAUSE, UH, OUR CLIENT FACING PROGRAMS ENCOUNTER FOLKS THAT HAVE, UH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
AND WE WERE, HAVE BEEN PRESSED TO BE DRAWN INTO THAT BUSINESS.
BUT THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION, UH, THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT LINKAGE.
AND SO OUR ROLE REALLY TO IN INCREASE THE, THE, THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS IN OUR HEALTH CENTERS AND PROGRAMS, UH, INCREASE THE, THE, THE PARTICIPANTS' AWARENESS, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO SCHOOL.
WE SERVE AS A LINKAGE TO CARE FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, NOT NECESSARILY A PROVIDER OF SERVICES.
WE DO THE FRONT END, WHICH WOULD BE INITIAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SCREENING, STRATEGIC PRIORITY FIVE, PREPARING CURRENT AND EMERGENT THREATS RELATED TO ALL HAZARDS, PREPAREDNESS AND INCLUDING COMMUNICABLE DISEASE RESPONSE, CYBERSECURITY, DATA SECURITY, AND MASS COMMUNICATION.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, PREPARE FOR CURRENT EMERGENCY.
THE SMART OBJECTIVES AIM TO STRENGTHEN THE ABILITY TO RESPOND TO DIVERSE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES AND DISEASES BY ENHANCING SURVEILLANCE, PREPARING THIS EPIDEMIOLOGY AND LABORATORY CAPACITY.
REMEMBER, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 17.
WE ARE A REFERENCE LAB FOR THE 17 SURROUNDING COUNTIES, NOT JUST HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY AS AS IT RELATES TO OUR LABORATORY CAPACITY.
UM, BASICALLY WE'RE GONNA DO THIS THROUGH TABLETOP EXERCISES AND DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A COMMUNICATION PLAN TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS, UH, DURING EMERGENCY EVENTS.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT GIVEN THE NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WE'VE HAD, WE STILL RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE TO ENGAGE IN A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE.
PRIORITY SIX, CHAMPION HEALTH AND
[01:00:01]
SOCIAL EQUITY.UH, BASICALLY THIS IS RELATED TO, UH, THE, THE PROCESS FOR RESOURCE DISTRI DISTRIBUTION, EXCUSE ME, AND STRUCTURES BOTH, BOTH, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL.
AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THE SMART OBJECTIVES TRANSFORM OUR ORGANIZATION BY APPLYING A HEALTH EQUITY LENS TO ALL ASPECTS OF OUR WORK.
IT AIMS TO INTEGRATE THE EQUITY LENS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS AND DATA COLLECTION ACROSS ALL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, FOLLOWING GUIDELINES BY THE CENTER FOR MEDICAID, UH, AND FOR CENTER FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES, UH, CMS, UH, BY ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THOSE GUIDELINES, OUR HOPE IS TO ACTUALLY, UH, EN ENSURE THAT WE'RE BETTER POSITIONED, UH, FOR BILLING PRACTICES TOO, NOT, BUT ALSO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIVERSITY OF OF HOUSTON, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, CULTURALLY COMPETENT, UH, AS, AS WE DELIVER SERVICES, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, OUR, OUR CLINICAL SERVICES, OUR OUTREACH SERVICES, AND, AND SERVICES RELATED TO THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING.
EVERY ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT I MENTIONED ACTUALLY REQUIRE THAT WE HAVE SOME, SOME DEPTH AND CULTURAL COMPETENCE AS IT RELATES TO THE RECIPIENTS OF, OF, OF THOSE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
THAT INCLUDES OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AS, AS IT IS.
AND I'M OPEN FOR ANY FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. WE DO HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE.
UH, DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I THINK FOR ME, JUST, WHICH ASK IT A QUICK QUESTION.
HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DO WE BUDGET OUT OF, OUT OF THE CITY GENERAL FUND FOR YOUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT? WELL, YOUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET SAYS YOU BUDGET ABOUT A LITTLE, ABOUT, I'M ROUNDING IT OFF ABOUT 55 MILLION, BUT STEPHEN WILLIAMS SAYS THAT YOUR NET INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH IS ONLY IN THE MIDDLE OF 30 MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
MY OVERALL BUDGET IS AROUND, UH, OVER 160 MILLION.
BUT YOUR, THE CITY'S OVERALL INVESTMENT NET INVESTMENT IS ONLY 30, SO MILLION OF 160 PLUS MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.
AND THE REASON THAT I GO DOWN TO 30 SOMETHING IS BECAUSE WE EARNED THE REST OF IT OURSELVES.
UH, HOW MUCH GOES TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH, SPECIFICALLY MENTAL HEALTH? YES.
I, I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT NUMBER.
AND THE REASON THAT I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME ACTIVITIES THAT, UH, DO SOME FUN FRONT END WORK RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH.
BUT A LOT OF OUR ACTIVITIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO TREATMENT, OTHER THAN EDUCATION AND MAYBE SOME INITIAL SCREENING, UH, WE ACTUALLY REFER TO PARTNERS FOR THAT.
FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN, UH, AS IT RELATES TO OUR, OUR, OUR OWN STAFF, UH, UH, WE'VE EXPERIENCED A, A, A NUMBER OF, UH, A TRAGEDIES WITH WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO GO OUT AND, AND PURCHASE THE, THE, THE, THOSE SERVICES.
AND SO WE WILL BRING PARTNERS TO THE TABLE, UH, AS, AS IT APPRO AS IT IS APPROPRIATE TO LINK WITH, UM, A, A SPECIFIC PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT WHERE WE SEE THAT THERE IS A NEED.
AND, AND I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING HOW THE CITY WORKS, RIGHT? WHEN FOLKS PAY THEIR TAX BILL, THEY THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WATER, WASTEWATER, TRASH, PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, BUT WHEN WE START DEALING A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEBT INTO THE MENTAL HEALTH WHEN IT COMES TO UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS, FOLKS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF, UH, TDCJ, UH, THERE'S VERY LITTLE MONEY THAT, THAT WE GIVE AS TAXPAYERS TO SUPPORT THOSE PROGRAMS. AND, AND I'M ASKING BECAUSE WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT'S ABOUT TO COME, UH, COME UP IN JANUARY, AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN PARTNER WITH SOME OF OUR STATE LEGISLATORS TO START SEEING HOW WE CAN DRAW SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAMMING THAT YOU HAVE OUT OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO REENTRY AND MENTAL HEALTH.
UH, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS SPECIFICALLY IN DISTRICT.
I, UH, WHEN IT COMES ABOUT, UH, THE HARRISBURG CORRIDOR MM-HMM
UM, WHERE THE NEW GREYHOUND LOCATION IS, UM, WE'RE GETTING T-C-T-D-C-J DROPPED OFF.
UM, AND WE HAVE A GROWING UNSHELTERED POPULATION.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS I'M HAVING WITH COMMUNITY IS THAT WE'RE NOT HERE TO VILIFY THEM.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE START WORKING WITH, UH, PROGRAMS AND PARTNERS TO LEVERAGE DOLLARS TO COME BACK TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO, UH, PLEASE UTILIZE MY OFFICE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
UH, DIRECTOR, WE WANT TO BE, UH, PARTNERS WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO SEE HOW WE CAN DRAW THESE DOLLARS DOWN TO, TO THE CITY.
YES, WE DO GET SOME TDCJ BUNS, AND WE ACTUALLY HAD BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS AT ONE POINT, AND I DON'T HAVE A RECENT UPDATE WITH THEM RE REGARDING THOSE DROP-OFFS.
SO OO OVER THE YEARS, THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE A, A REALLY STRUCTURED PROGRAM IF, IF, IF IT'S REALLY NOT GONNA HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON, ON, ON THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S TWO PARTNERS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE ANNA HERNANDEZ AND STATE SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS WITH ME.
UH, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED.
[01:05:01]
THEN OF COURSE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE HOUSING AND, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AND DRUG ABUSE, UH, UM, UM, SUPPORT THAT THOSE FOLKS NEED AS WELL.MY STAFF AND I ARE OPEN TO ACTUALLY TALKING TO THEM IF THEY'RE WILLING TO SUPPORT A PROGRAM, AND WE WOULD CERTAINLY WANT TO BE INVOLVED.
LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO DRAFT SOME BILLS TO HELP YOU, UH, TALK TO THEM A BIT MORE ABOUT THESE, UH, PROGRAMS. OKAY, THANK YOU.
I SEE NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU, DIRECTOR.
UM, WILLIAM, SO IF WE COULD GO TO SLIDE NUMBER SIX, COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT.
AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED A WEBSITE THERE, WWW.HOUSTONSTATEOFHEALTH.COM.
SO CAN WE FIND THE DATA FROM THE ASSESSMENT ON THIS WEBSITE? YES, YOU CAN ACTUALLY JUST GO TO THAT WEBSITE.
WHAT IT IS, I'LL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
UH, WE, UH, HAVE A, A, A VENDOR WHO HAS HELPED US ASSEMBLE A NUMBER OF, UH, OF, OF DATABASES THAT HAVE DATA THAT'S SPECIFIC FOR, FOR HOUSTON.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY, UH, DO SEARCHES ON, IN THAT DATABASE.
FOR INSTANCE, I CAN PUT MY ZIP CODE IN AND MIGHT ASK ABOUT A SPECIFIC ISSUE, AND WE'RE ABLE TO PUT UP INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL, UH, TO PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING FOR GRANTS.
SO WANTING TO KNOW SPECIFICS ABOUT, UH, A, A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.
AND CAN YOU TELL US WHAT PERIOD OF TIME IS COVERED BY THIS ASSESSMENT? WELL, THIS PARTICULAR WEBSITE IS, IS, IS, IS LIVING, IT'S ALIVE AS THE DATABASES, UH, INCREASE.
I MEAN, I, AS THE DATABASE, EXCUSE ME, AS THE DATABASES CHANGE IT, IT'S, IT'S LIVE.
AND DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
WELL, THAT PART OF IT, SO, BUT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT, UH, ACTUALLY IT'S, IT'S BEEN DONE, BUT WE HAVEN'T RIDDEN, RIDDEN IT UP TOTALLY YET.
BUT IT, IT, IT, IT COVERS, UH, FROM THE, THE, THE LAST TIME THAT WE, WE, WE DID ONE, TWO, WHATEVER THE, THE CURRENT PERIOD IS THE ONLY THING IT, IT'S DATED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, OF THE WEBSITE ITSELF.
BECAUSE IF YOU DO A SURVEY, THE SURVEY ONLY COVERS, I MEANT YOUR RESPONSES ARE GIVEN, ARE AT A CERTAIN DATE AND TIME, YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN TO, TO HAVE IT UPDATED.
HOW, HOW FAR DO YOU KNOW? SO GENERALLY, WHEN YOU DO A COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT, YOU, YOU'RE RIGHT, WE HAVE TO GET INFORMATION FROM OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THERE'S A SURVEY IN REFERENCE TO THAT FOR THE HOUSTON STATE OF HEALTH.
WHAT IT IS THAT YOU CAN, UM, IDENTIFY YOUR COMMUNITY IS LISTED BY COMMUNITY.
IT ALSO HAS THE MBK COMMUNITIES IN THERE IN REFERENCE TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN THAT, UH, RESPECTIVE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S A CHRONIC DISEASE, HYPERTENSION AND SO FORTH.
SO AS, I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF DATA, SOMETIME DATA CAN BE DELAYED.
SO IT, IT DEPENDS ON THE DATA SOURCE THAT WE'RE PULLING FROM.
SO IT MIGHT BE DELAYED ONE OR TWO YEARS AND SO FORTH IN REGARDS TO THAT, IF THAT'S, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
NOW, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WE ARE, WE'VE, UM, COMPLETED THE ASSESSMENT TOOL ITSELF WITH THE PARTNERS, UM, BACK IN 2023.
AND SO IT TAKES A PROCESS WHEN YOU'RE PULLING A HUNDRED DIFFERENT TYPE OF DATA SOURCES, THE SURVEY, THE PARTNERS THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH, 'CAUSE IT'S A STEERING COMMITTEE.
THIS IS REQUIRED FOR PART OF OUR ACCREDITATION TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S VALIDATED AND SO FORTH TO SEE WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
THE CHA, WHICH WE CALL THE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT, IS WHAT IT IS THAT THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY ITSELF SEES AT STAKE.
THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF IDENTIFIED OUR SIX PRIORITY AREAS, BECAUSE IT HAS TO ALIGN WITH THE, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON.
NOW IF WE COULD TURN TO SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN.
UM, AND SO YOU'VE GOT, UH, ASSESSMENT, RATIONALE, JUSTIFICATION, FEEDBACK BY PARTNER AGENCIES AND SURVEY.
THIS IS INFORMATION THAT, THAT WE HAVE REQUESTED.
UH, WOULD, WOULD YOU MIND SHARING THAT WITH US, UH, VIA EMAIL? OKAY.
AND ALSO, UM, CAN YOU, UH, SEND US ALSO A LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THAT? YES.
I GAVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE PLAN.
SO WE COULD GIVE THEM THE RAW DATA.
UH, TURNING TO SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT, KEY INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT MAYOR'S PRIORITIES.
CAN, CAN YOU TELL US, UH, HOW MUCH OF THIS IS A CARRYOVER FROM THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION? AND HOW MUCH OF THIS IS, IS NEW? UH, UNDER MAYOR WHITMEYER,
[01:10:01]
ALL OF THIS, UH, ALL OF THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE BEEN RUNNING, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN RUNNING, UH, PROBABLY LAST TWO ADMINISTRATIONS, NOT WITH JUST THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION.UM, AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, YOU MENTIONED REENTRY.
UH, WHEN, WHEN MY TWO PREVIOUS BOSSES, MY CURRENT AND MY PREVIOUS BOSS WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING US RESOURCES, UH, FOR, FOR REENTRY AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UH, WE STARTED THAT, UH, PROBABLY DOING SOME ASPECTS OF THAT.
MBK, DOING THE, THE PARKER ADMINISTRATION CHRONIC DISEASE.
UH, SOME OF THAT, I THINK WE EVEN MIGHT'VE STARTED DOING, DOING THE, THE WHITE ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE, UH, UH, I, I THINK WE REINSTITUTED, UH, THE, UH, HEALTH EDUCATION, YEAH.
SO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I MEANT THERE ARE REALLY LIKE CORE PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS. YES.
IT'S, IT'S NOT, I MEAN, IF, IF, IF I GOT A NEW BOSS TOMORROW, A NUMBER OF THESE THINGS WILL CONTINUE.
SO THEY DIDN'T LIKE START THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.
THEY, THEY'VE BEEN HERE, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, THE, I'M JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, EVERYTHING THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT, MAYBE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE, I KEEP DOING THAT, EXCUSE ME.
I DID IT WHEN I WAS IN ARIZONA AND THE EIGHTIES, AND I DID IT IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND THAT WAS WHAT, LATE NINETIES, EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.
SO THOSE ARE CORE PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS. OF COURSE, A LOT OF THIS IS FUNDAMENTAL IN, IN THAT SECTION OF THE SLIDE, DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL.
I MEAN, IT'S, THAT'S PUBLIC HEALTH, RIGHT? UH, CHRONIC DISEASE, HEALTH EDUCATION.
THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL FUNDAMENTAL.
BUT WHAT I WAS ASKING ABOUT IS BELOW THAT KEY INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT THE MAYOR'S PRIORITIES.
FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE BULLET POINTS THERE IS DID ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT.
WE, WE, THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNIT, UH, DURING COVID, UH, HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE TOO LONG OF AN ANSWER.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT WE, WE HAD LIKE AN EPIDEMIOLOGY UNIT.
THESE ARE OUR DISEASE INVESTIGATORS, BUT WE FOUND THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE MORE OF AN OPERATIONAL ARM IN RESPONSE TO WHAT WE SAW.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE DECIDED, I DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THAT EMERGENCY RE RE RESPONSE UNIT.
AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THE DATA WITH AN EYE TOWARD ACTION AND RESPONDING TO THE DATA.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WE STARTED WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE DURING COVID.
UH, WE ARE EXPANDING THAT, UH, TO, TO INFLUENZA LIKE ILLNESSES AND SOME OTHER CONDITIONS.
UH, WE WOULD BE IN A POSITION NOW TO HAVE MORE OF A RESPONSE TODAY THAN WE WOULD HAVE SAY A FEW, FEW, FEW, FEW YEARS AGO.
BECAUSE WE, WE WERE BUILDING THAT IN INTO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE WHOLE ISSUE AROUND DATA MODERNIZATION, UH, FRANKLY, WE RECEIVE FUNDS FROM CDC REGARDING DATA MOD MODERNIZATION.
AND THE REASON THAT CDC IS GIVING US MORE MONEY FOR DATA MODERNIZATION IS BECAUSE DURING COVID, THEY FOUND OUT THAT A LOT OF THE SYSTEMS THAT HEALTH DEPARTMENTS WERE USING WERE JUST NOT ADEQUATE AND TO ENSURE A, A, A TIMELY RESPONSE.
AND SO IF YOU WERE TALKING TO MY COLLEAGUES, WHETHER THEY'RE IN THE STATE OR, UH, IN BIG CITIES HEALTH COALITION, THEY ALL HAVE DATA MODERNIZATION INITIATIVES THAT ARE GOING ON.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, A COUPLE OF WEEK, UH, MONTHS AGO, I SPOKE TO, UH, A, A, A GROUP IN, IN SAN DIEGO OF HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AND DATA MODERNIZATION WAS ONE OF THE, THE KEY KEY PRODUCTS.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WE FOUND THAT'S LISTED UNDER THAT, THE IQ PROGRAM, WHICH I DON'T LIKE THE ACRONYM, BUT IT, IT IS, UH, UH, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE ACTUALLY HAD AND IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, IS OUR ORGANIZATION IS LARGE AND DIVERSE.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF STAFF TURNOVER.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IS, UH, UH, MORE, UH, WE NEED TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT INTEGRATING ACROSS PROGRAMS. WE ALSO NEED TO CONTINUE TO E EMPHASIZE, UH, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND, AND EFFECTIVENESS.
AND REMEMBER, WE ALSO HAVE CLINICAL OPERATIONS AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF GRAY AREAS IN TERMS OF HOW WE NEED TO GO ABOUT DOING BUSINESS IN TERMS OF, UH, WE NEED TO HAVE PROTOCOLS AND STUFF IN PLACE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE UNITS THAT WE'VE CREATED TO HELP ENSURE THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING THE STANDARDS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE IN.
[01:15:01]
UH, WHILE, WHILE YOU WE'RE ON THIS SUBJECT, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IS OBVIOUSLY, UH, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE THERE IN PUBLIC HEALTH.AND A NUMBER OF US RECENTLY RECEIVED A TOUR PUT ON BY THE PORT OF HOUSTON REGARDING, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED PROJECT 11, WHERE YOU HAVE SOME DREDGE SPOILS THAT ARE BEING PLACED INTO YEAH.
INTO LOCATIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY IN THE CITY.
UH, HAS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TAKEN A POSITION ON THAT PROJECT? WE SURE HAVE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU'VE MENTIONED IN THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, WE, UH, ACTUALLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE, UH, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UH, AND EPA, UH, RE RE REGARDING THAT.
UM, AND WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO SOME FOLLOW UP WITH, WITH EPA RELATIVE TO THAT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IT'S JUST COMPOUNDING ISSUES THAT ALREADY EXIST WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT IS THE POSITION? UH, WE, WE THINK THAT THEY NEED TO REALLY COME UP WITH A, A, A DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE OR SOMETHING TO MITIGATE THAT SITUATION.
UH, SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE DREDGE SPOILS SHOULD NOT BE PLACED IN THAT LOCATION? IF THAT, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE OUR PREFERENCE, YES.
UM, I'VE GOT SOME MORE, BUT I'M GONNA DEFER TO A COUPLE, UH, THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE.
AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, I WAS GONNA BRING UP THIS INTERLOCAL WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT, I WASN'T REALLY, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY PART OF GERMANE, BUT YOU TALKED ABOUT DATA MODERN MODERNIZATION.
SO JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THE DATA THERE HAS BEEN ANY MOVEMENT ON A DATA SHARING MECHANISM WITH THE COUNTY.
WE WERE WORKING ON A DATA SHARING AGREEMENT.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, UH, UH, AND THAT'S ANOTHER COMPLEX ISSUE WITHIN THE PUBLIC HEALTH WHEELHOUSE IN TERMS OF IF WE OWN THE DATA, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE SHARE IT, IT'S STAYING WITHIN CERTAIN PER PARAMETERS.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD ISSUES WITH THAT.
BUT ONE OF MY ASSISTANT DIRECTORS ACTUALLY IS WORKING WITH, THEY, WE, WE HAVE A DRAFT.
UH, THAT WE HAVEN'T, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE SENT IT OVER OR NOT, BUT I KNOW WE WERE TO SEND IT OVER TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE WILLING TO, TO SIGN IT.
AND, AND ACTUALLY I WAS AT A, A, A COUNTY RELATED EVENT THIS MORNING, UH, UH, UH, TALKING TO STAFF AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO START TO LOOK AT WHAT WE COULD WORK TOGETHER.
WE WERE AT THAT, THAT GROUNDBREAKING FOR RIVERSIDE.
TO, TO THE EXTENT WE CAN, UM, YOU CAN FOLLOW UP ABOUT THE, THE DATA SHARING MECHANISM.
I'LL ASK MY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT FOUR O'CLOCK.
HE'S THE ONE THAT WAS RESPONSED FOR ROGER.
WE ALSO HAVE STAFF FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE.
AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I DO LIKE TO SEE THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH IS ON YOUR GUYS' RADAR.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED BY A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT I SEE ON THERE THAT Y'ALL WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MENTAL HEALTH CASES YOU'RE SEEING IN THE CENTERS.
CAN YOU GUYS TELL ME WHAT Y'ALL, Y'ALL'S PROCESS IS THE NUMBER OF, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE LAST PART OF WHAT YOU SAID.
UM, YOU GUYS WANTED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS Y'ALL ARE SEEING IN THE HEALTH CENTERS FOR REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH.
CAN YOU GUYS TELL ME WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU HAVE A CLIENT THAT COMES IN NEEDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES? IT DEPENDS ON, ON, ON, ON, ON, ON THE SPECIFIC NEED.
I MEAN, BASICALLY WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, CLINICIANS THAT CAN DO AN ASSESSMENT.
UM, AND WHAT WE DO IS LITERALLY REFER IF IT'S, IF YOU NEED SOMETHING OTHER THAN A SHORT TERM INTERVENTION, UH, WE, WE REFER OUT.
AND THE REASON THAT I, I, THAT WAS MY FIRST PROFESSION.
I MEANT, I, I USED TO BE A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN LONG, LONG TIME AGO, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DIDN'T DUPLICATE SERVICES.
UH, HARRIS CENTER IS ACTUALLY THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT, THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
AND SO THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE COULD PARTNER WITH THEM OR SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, AGENCIES THAT ARE IN THAT BUSINESS, WE DO, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE STAY TRUE, EXCUSE ME, TO OUR, OUR CORE MISSION.
AND IS THERE ANY, UM, PLANS IN THE FUTURE TO HAVE A DIVISION WITHIN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DIRECTLY RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH? UH, IF I WOULD SAY NO, AND THE REASON IS FOR THE REASON THAT I GAVE, I DON'T, IT.
I, I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF MISSION CREEP.
UH, UH, WHAT I'VE TOLD MY FOLKS IS WE CAN DO INITIAL ASSESSMENTS, YOU CAN DO SHORT TERM INTERVENTION.
THAT'S NOT HEAVILY CLINICAL, BUT WHEN IT GETS PAST A CERTAIN POINT, YOU, WE NEED TO PASS IT ON.
AND WE DO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH, WITH HARRIS CENTER.
NOW WE DO HAVE THINGS LIKE, UH,
[01:20:01]
PEER UH, COUNSELING OR WHATEVER, BUT THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE CORE UHLIN CLINICAL SERVICES.I, I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S OUR ROLE TO DO THAT, BUT CERTAINLY TO BE AWARE OF IT.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, I, I WOULD BE ATTRACTED TO IT BECAUSE I LIKE THAT, BUT I, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD REALLY GET INTO THAT CORE BUSINESS.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, SABRINA, ON THAT TOPIC, UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. AND IF WE GO TO SLIDE 18, SO INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS SEEN, AND THIS IS MENTAL HEALTH CLIENTS SEEN IN HEALTH CENTERS.
UM, WHAT'S THE CURRENT LEVEL? WELL, ALL OF OUR CLIENTS COME TO US FOR OTHER REASONS, NOT NECESSARILY MENTAL HEALTH.
WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS IS THAT WHEN THEY PRESENT, UH, FOR INSTANCE, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
I MIGHT HAVE A TV, UH, AN EMPLOYEE IN, IN, IN TV THAT'S DOING DIRECT OBSERVED THERAPY IN, IN, IN A HOME.
AND THAT PERSON MIGHT HAVE SOME BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES.
IT WOULD BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY TO CONNECT THAT PERSON WITH A TREATMENT OR THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF INTERVENTION.
IT WOULDN'T BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE THAT DIRECT MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION FOR THAT PERSON.
UH, AND ACTUALLY A FEW YEARS AGO, BECAUSE THE PROGRAMS WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE EXTENT OF WHICH SOME OF THEIR CLIENTELE WERE EXPERIENCING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES, WE, WE, WE DID PUT IN A A, SOME RESOURCES, I SET ASIDE SOME RESOURCES.
SO THERE WOULD BE, UH, MORE OF A, A HARD, UH, REFERRAL RATHER THAN JUST TELLING PEOPLE TO GO OVER THERE AND WENT.
WHEN, WHEN WE RUN UPON SPECIFIC CASES WHERE THERE NEEDS TO BE, UH, MORE INVOLVED IN INTERVENTION, WE, WE WOULD DO A HARD HANDOFF.
WE WOULD LITERALLY CALL HARRIS CENTER OR ANOTHER AGENCY TO COME IN AND DO THE INTERVENTION.
SO, SO, UH, AGAIN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING, UM, HOW DID YOU PUT IT, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS SEEN? SO, SO WHAT IS THE GOAL? WHAT'S THE CURRENT LEVEL AND WHAT ARE WE SHOOTING FOR WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INCREASING? SO, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHEN THE STAFF WAS WORKING ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, UM, THE CRITERIA FOR INCREASING THE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OR FOR AWARENESS.
SO HOW WE HAVE TO DO THAT IS WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT IS OUR BASELINE? SO IS IT THE NUMBER OF THE HEALTH CENTERS AND THE HHC PROGRAMS, THE SCREENING TOOLS TO REALLY, TO ASSESS WHAT NUMBER WE, THEY'RE TRYING TO REACH FOR THAT.
SO IT'S BASICALLY YOU'RE TRYING TO GET IN YOUR BASELINE NUMBER.
AND THEN ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IS TO, UM, HAVE A COMPILED SCREENING TOOL THAT'S WITH THE HEALTH CENTERS AND WITH OUR HHD PROGRAMS. OKAY.
UH, SO YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE BASELINE IS.
AND DO WE KNOW WHAT THE BASELINE IS? WE WOULDN'T KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW.
NO, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT NUMBER.
AND BASICALLY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING AN ASSESSMENT TO SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, AND I'M JUST GONNA THROW THIS NUMBER OUT.
UH, I KNOW THAT INITIALLY, LIKE IN OUR WIC PROGRAM, UH, THERE WAS A TOOL THAT WE USED TO, UH, ASSESS THE, THE NEED FOR, UH, UH, AN INTERVENTION RELATED TO DEPRESSION.
AND SO THERE WAS DEPRESSION SCREENING.
AND I KNOW, I KNOW I'M IN THE BALLPARK, BUT I'M NOT EXACT.
I KNOW THERE WAS LIKE A CLOSE TO A THIRD OF THE, THE, THE WOMEN THAT CAME IN OUR WIC PROGRAM ACTUALLY NEEDED SOME INTERVENTION RELATED TO THAT.
UH, BUT THAT WAS BASED ON OUR DOING A, A, A A SURVEY USING A TOOL TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT WAS.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT, BUT I'M, I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, ASKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BASELINE AND, AND WHERE ARE WE GOING FROM THAT.
UH, BUT LET, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU'VE GOT, UH, OBJECTIVE 4 1 1, INCREASED MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS ACTIVITIES FOR SCHOOL AGE POPULATIONS.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? WHAT KINDS OF ACTIVITIES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT FOR SCHOOL AGE POPULATIONS? BASICALLY, IT'S JUST AWARENESS.
I MEAN, UH, BUT, BUT HOW, HOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? WELL, FOR, FOR THOSE PROGRAMS THAT DIRECTLY INTERACT WITH SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND, AND A LOT OF THAT WILL BE IN OUR, IN OUR PROGRAMS WHERE WE SUBCONTRACT, FOR INSTANCE, WE SUBCONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY,
[01:25:01]
UH, THROUGH MBK FOR WRAPAROUND SERVICES.UH, I DID A PRESENTATION WITH THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARN, UH, UH, SOCIAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE, UH, URBAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM HERE.
THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY, UH, I IMPART THAT INTERVENTION URBAN SCHOLARS.
SO THAT, THAT'S A MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS.
I'M SAYING THAT WOULD BE THE AVENUE WHERE WE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO CHILDREN ON CAMPUS.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT HISD IS ALREADY DOING? MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN? PROBABLY NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY, SO WE WOULD ONLY DO THAT IN THE PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE, WE'RE RUNNING OR WE HAVE, HAVE, UH, SOME CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENT WITH.
WE COULDN'T JUST DO IT FOR THE BROADER POPULATION.
AND CAN I ADD SOMETHING TO THAT? SURE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS ALSO DISCUSSED IS REALLY DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY PROFILE AND PRIORITY ZIP CODE.
SO YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY WHERE THOSE NEED PARTICULAR NEEDS ARE IN REFERENCE TO THAT.
AND HOW DO WE DO THAT BY, UM, LOOKING AT VARIOUS, UM, DATA SOURCES, DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY'RE GETTING THE DATA SOURCES FROM.
SO YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF, UM, THE DATA IN REGARDS TO, UM, DEVELOPING A, A PARTICULAR PROFILE.
SO LET'S JUST SAY THERE'S 50 ZIP CODES.
YOU, YOU IDENTIFIED INDICATORS SUCH AS, UM, THE AGE GROUP OF THE CHILDREN, BUT, UM, BEHAVIOR THAT THEY'RE EXHIBITING AND SO FORTH.
I'M JUST USING THIS FOR AN EXAMPLE.
AND THAT'S REALLY WORKING WITH PARTNERS.
'CAUSE AGAIN, LIKE, UM, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS WAS STATING, WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE, BUT WE DO KNOW, UM, IT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, CHALLENGES IN REFERENCE TO THAT.
SO YOU WOULD IDENTIFY THOSE PARTICULAR INDICATORS AND YOU DEVELOP A PROFILE IN REGARDS TO THAT.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF OUR ACTIVITIES THAT WE WANTED TO, UM, FOCUS ON TO REALLY HELP WITH INCREASING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND EDUCATION.
AND DO, DO YOU BELIEVE YOU GOT THE STAFF TO DO ALL THIS? I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF GOALS IN THIS DOCUMENT.
BUT THE WAY THAT THIS IS WRITTEN, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO SCALE IT RELATIVE TO THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE.
THAT'S WHY I SAID, WHEN YOU ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT, UH, HISD, IT'S LIKE WE COULD DO A ONLY TO A CERTAIN CAPACITY BASED ON THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE ALREADY RUNNING.
YOU KNOW, UM, I'VE BEEN WRITING NOTES ON MY, MY PRINTOUT.
UM, THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS A LOT OF GOALS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
OBJECTIVES ALL OVER THE PLACE.
BUT I'M NOT FINDING ANYTHING REALLY THAT TELLS US HOW WE'RE GONNA MEET THOSE GOALS.
LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, SLIDE 11, UM, ACHIEVE AN 80% COMPLIANCE RATE.
NOW, IT DOESN'T SAY WHAT THE CURRENT RATE IS, BUT HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THAT? THIS IS FOR, UH, STRENGTH AND OVERALL GRANT COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING BY IMPLEMENTING AT LEAST TWO INTERNAL GRANT AUDITS ANNUALLY.
HOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THAT? BASICALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS WE MENTIONED WITH THAT IS JUST DOING AUDITS, INTERNAL AUDITS.
WHAT? WITH, WHAT? WITH GRANT? GRANT DELIVERABLES MM-HMM
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE WE'RE MOSTLY GRANT FUNDED, WE'RE AUDITED ANYHOW BY THOSE FUNDING AGENCIES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE STILL ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDS IS TO ENSURE THAT WE MEET GRANT DELIVERABLES.
AND IF WE DON'T, THERE HAS TO BE A VERY GOOD EXPLANATION FOR WHY WE, WE WE'RE NOT MEETING THEM.
AND OFTENTIMES THE, THE, THE BARRIERS ARE ALSO KNOWN TO THE FUNDERS TOO, BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T BE JUST HOUSTON EXPERIENCING THE SAME BARRIER.
IT WOULD BE OTHER JURISDICTIONS TOO.
UH, THIS DOCUMENT DOESN'T STAND ALONE IN, UH, IN EVERY ONE OF THE PROGRAMS, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A WORK PLAN THAT IS SPECIFIC TO THESE OBJECTIVES.
CAN CAN YOU SHARE THAT WITH US? UH, CAN YOU SHARE THE WORK PLAN? WE CAN.
THE ONES THAT ARE DEVELOPED, REMEMBER, WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, THAT THIS, WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS IS TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE CONTENT ITSELF.
UM, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW, FOR ME, IT WOULD HELP TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK IF I KNEW HOW YOU INTENDED TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS.
THAT FOR ME TO, TO MYSELF, THAT IS A LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT WOULD BE ACTUALLY DOWN IN, IN, IN THE PROGRAMS THEMSELVES.
[01:30:01]
AND WHAT I LOOK AT IS WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING IT.UH, FOR INSTANCE, UH, SAY AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH UNIT, IT'S NOT IN THIS PLAN, BUT ONE OF THE GOALS THAT I KNOW WE HAVE IN STANDARDS IS THAT OUR INSPECTORS ARE SUPPOSED TO GET EIGHT ESTABLISHMENTS A DAY.
UH, AND IF THEY'RE NOT MEETING THAT, THEN MY PROGRAM PERSON HAS TO TELL ME EXACTLY HOW THEY'RE GONNA DO IT.
THEY'RE NOT QUITE DOING THAT NOW, BUT I KNOW WHY.
I MEAN, IT HAS TO DO WITH STAFFING LEVELS AND SOME OTHER STUFF, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT GETS DOWN TO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.
WELL, I, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, IN TAKING A LOOK AT THAT, AND IF ALSO YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU SAY, UH, INCREASING BY 5% OR 2%, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE AT NOW? AND, AND WHERE DO YOU WANNA, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE AT? BUT I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION ON SLIDE 11 BY I, AND IT'S SUBJECTIVE, 1.1 0.3 FAR.
BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2028, UH, DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A FISCAL STRATEGY, AND THEN GOING TO THE END HERE BY INCREASING GRANT FUNDS ALLOCATED TO ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFING BY 7%.
SO WE'RE IN, IN, ARE WE INCREASING THE ADMINISTRATIVE PORTION OF IT? BECAUSE WE'RE MAJORITY GRANT FUNDED.
UH, GRANTS GIVE US MONEY TO DO THE, FOR THE MOST PART, THE PROGRAM PART, INDIRECT FUNDS, FOR THE MOST PART, GO DOWNTOWN.
BUT THERE'S SOME ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE, IT, IT, IT STRESSES THAT ADMINISTRATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF.
BUT THAT STRATEGY TALKS ABOUT IS MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A SUFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF GRANT FUNDS TO COVER THE ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH, WITH THAT GRANT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO GET MORE GRANTS TO COVER THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OR MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE APPROPRIATE PERCENTAGE OF THE GRANTS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE TO COVER THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE'VE GOT A, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A NEW GRANT, THEY'RE GONNA BE REQUIREMENTS FOR IT FOR HR, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT ARE HIRED OR WHATEVER.
WELL, THAT MEANS, THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE RESOURCES AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THOSE FOUNDATIONAL AREAS TO SUPPORT THAT GRANT.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THE GRANTS ARE ACTUALLY COVERING THAT COST.
UM, I'M GONNA BRING IT TO A CLOSE HERE AS FAR AS MY QUESTIONS, BUT I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE IN AREAS WHERE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OPERATES, THAT WE ALSO ARE MINDFUL OF WHAT OTHER AGENCIES ARE DOING, INCLUDING IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR.
MAYBE WE CAN WORK WITH THEM, UH, TO REDUCE DUPLICATION AND SO FORTH WHERE IT EXISTS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? WELL, I'VE HEARD THAT WORD DUPLICATION FOR DECADES.
UM, I THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK REAL SPECIFICALLY TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT IT, IT ACTUALLY EXISTS.
I GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF, AND ON THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE, I PRETTY MUCH CAME UP AND SAID, I DON'T WANT TO DUPLICATE THE EFFORTS OF HARRIS CENTER.
NUMBER ONE, THEY'RE TAX SUPPORTED AND HOLD NINE YARDS.
BUT OFTENTIMES WE WILL SAY THAT THINKING THAT WE'LL LOOK AT A SERVICE AND THINK THAT IT IS THE SAME.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS I STRESS WITH OUR FOLKS IS IDENTIFYING THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY IN ANY GIVEN, UH, SITUATION.
WE'RE NOT, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, WE DON'T PROVIDE PRIMARY CARE.
UH, BUT WE DO PROVIDE IMMUNIZATIONS.
WE DO PROVIDE, UH, FAMILY PLANNING.
WE DO PROVIDE DENTAL SERVICES.
UH, WE DO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, STD UH, SCREENING AND, AND, AND TREATMENT HIV TESTING.
UH, BUT WE DO THAT AS A SAFETY NET PROVIDER.
UH, WE, WE, IF THERE ARE OTHER ENTITIES THAT COME UP AND OR DEVELOP THE CAPACITY AND THERE'S NO BARRIERS TO THEM ACCESSING SERVICES, THAT WOULD BE FINE.
I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU A REAL CONCRETE EXAMPLE.
FAMILY PLANNER, UH, IF FAMILY PLANNING IS MORE AFFORDABLE AND, AND IN OUR CLINICS THAN IT WOULD BE EVEN IN AN FQHC, UH, I WAS LOOKING AT NOT PROVIDING THAT SERVICE AT ONE OF OUR CLINICS ONE TIME, UH, BECAUSE WE WERE HOUSING IN FQHC AND THE STAFF WERE RAISED.
HE SAYS, STEVEN, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THIS A LITTLE CLOSER.
WELL, I ASKED THEM TO PRESENT ME WITH FACTS.
AND, AND THE REAL, THE REALITY IS, IS THAT, I'M SORRY, UH,
[01:35:03]
IS THAT, UH, THE COSTS WERE ACTUALLY PROHIBITED.UH, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THAT NONPROFIT AGENCIES DEAL, I MEANT EVERYBODY DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE FROM 75 TO A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS PER, PER VISIT FOR THAT.
AND SO, BECAUSE WE HAVE GRANT FUNDS THAT HELP SUPPORT THAT, WE NEED TO BE AVAILABLE AS A SAFETY NET PROVIDER, YOU DON'T SEE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY KNOCKING DOWN OUR DOORS TO COME IN.
HE, HE REALLY DON'T BECAUSE WE'RE THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S SOME, SOME LEVEL OF STIGMA AS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE CADILLAC SERVICES, BUT WE NEED TO BE THERE FOR FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
DIRECTOR WILLIAMS AND DR. SHELTON.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE, AND I DON'T SEE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, LEFT TO COMMENT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD AT THIS TIME, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE MEETING.
BUT THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND ADJOURN.
THE TIME IS 3 43 30 8:00 PM OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE IS MONDAY, OCTOBER THE SEVENTH AT 2:00 PM SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.