[00:00:19]
THIS WAS A LITTLE MORE THAN I EXPECTED TO BE ATTENDING IT.
SO IT'S, UH, GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY.
UH, THANKS FOR EVERYBODY THAT, UH, HELPED SET THIS UP.
UM, JULIE PAYNE HAS BROUGHT SOME SNACKS, AND THANK YOU, JULIE.
MY WIFE HAS HELPED JULIE AS WELL.
SO THANKS TO EVERYBODY THAT'S, THAT'S DONE THIS.
UH, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF TABLES ACROSS THE, THE BUILDING AND THAT HAS GOT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY AT IT.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF BOARDS BACK IN THE BACK THAT IS ALL DEALING WITH THE NORTH PARK PROJECT.
AND, UH, TOM BROAD WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT THE NORTH PARK PROJECT LATER ON.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE, WE ACTUALLY POURED CONCRETE THIS WEEK FOR THE ROAD.
UM, IT'S, UH, STILL A LONG WAYS OFF FROM BEING COMPLETE, BUT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, GETTING THINGS DONE, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY BEFORE LONG, WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL LANES ON NORTH PARK, WHICH WILL ALSO HELP EASE THE CONGESTION ON KINGWOOD WHEN MORE PEOPLE TAKE NORTH PARK.
I KNOW THAT WAS A PROJECT THAT DAVE MARTIN WORKED ON FOR PROBABLY ABOUT A DECADE.
INITIALLY, IT WAS TO EXPAND KINGWOOD DRIVE, AND A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF CUTTING DOWN TREES.
SO WE ENDED UP WITH NORTH PARK AND GONNA INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF NORTH PARK BY 50%.
THE, UM, OVERPASS WILL GO OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO ALWAYS USE THAT AS AN EXIT ROUTE.
AND, UH, I'LL LET TO SPEAK THAT A LITTLE MORE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE, RECOGNIZE CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW GOT US QUITE A BIT OF FUNDING FOR THAT.
UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
WANNA INTRODUCE MY STAFF? DUSTIN HODGES IS HERE.
HE'S THE CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, DAMARI PEREZ, WHO IS ACTUALLY MY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE NORTH SECTOR MANAGER, UH, TAKING CARE OF KINGWOOD IS, UH, ACTUALLY AT A CONFERENCE TODAY.
IT WAS AN ALL DAY EVENT THAT SHE'S STILL AT.
UH, SLOAN SWEENEY TAKES CARE OF THE SOUTH SECTOR, WHICH IS CLEAR LAKE.
I THINK MOST EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT OUR DISTRICT IS, UM, VERY UNUSUAL.
UH, THEY BASICALLY PUT ALL THE UPSET PEOPLE WHO GOT ANNEXED TOGETHER SO THAT WE ONLY HAD ONE SEAT.
AND, UH, TWILA SAID TO HECK WITH THAT, I'M GONNA HAVE TWO.
SO TWILA CARTER'S HERE AS WELL.
DID, UH, DUSTIN, DID JOHN MAKE IT HERE YET? AH, THERE HE IS.
THE JOHN BRANCH, WHO'S, UH, MY COMMUNITY OUTREACH SPECIALIST.
AND, UM, MOHAMMAD BAN, WHO'S AN INTERN.
UH, I WANNA THANK RHONDA SOLDER WITH THE MAYOR'S CITIZENS ASSISTANCE OFFICE FOR HER WORK IN ORGANIZING THIS TONIGHT.
UH, SOME OF YOU ALSO PROBABLY NOTICED, UH, THERE'S A DISTRICT EBOOT, RIGHT? AS YOU WALK IN, UH, YOU'RE ABLE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER.
WE TRY AND COMMUNICATE QUITE A FEW ITEMS, SO IF YOU WOULD PLEASE GET SIGNED UP FOR THAT SO WE CAN GET SOME INFORMATION TO YOU.
UH, AND THE PURPOSE TONIGHT IS REALLY TO GO OVER ALL OF THE ONGOING PROJECTS AND FUTURE PROJECTS FOR DISTRICT D.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND OUT, I MEAN, A YEAR AGO, IF YOU'D ASKED ME, FRED, DO YOU HAVE A PRETTY GOOD GRASP OF WHAT THE CITY DOES? I WOULD'VE TOLD YOU YES, I REALLY THINK SO.
AND IT BECAME VERY APPARENT THAT I DID NOT AFTER JANUARY.
AND A LOT OF THE STUFF I LEARNED, I THINK, UH, IS ALSO PROBABLY STUFF THAT YOU WOULD LEARN AS WELL.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT THE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS HERE.
WE WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME STUFF THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYBODY MAY NOT BE AWARE OF.
I, I THINK WHEN YOU GET THAT INFORMATION, IT HELPS OUT QUITE A BIT.
UH, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DISSEMINATE THAT AS MUCH AS I CAN, UH, FOR THE LAST NINE MONTHS, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE, WE'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN A COUPLE OF GROUPS ON A TOUR OF THE DAM AT LAKE HOUSTON, AND I KNOW WHEN I FIRST SAW THE LAKE HOUSTON DAM, I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED.
IT WASN'T QUITE WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE.
UH, THE, THE GATES THERE ONLY ALLOW US TO RELEASE 10,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND.
THERE'S TWO GATES THAT RELEASE, 4,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND, AND THERE'S TWO OTHER GATES, UH, ACTUALLY FLASH BOARDS THEY'RE CALLED THAT ONLY DO A THOUSAND EACH.
UH, THE REST OF THE WATER, WHEN WE HAVE A LARGE EVENT LIKE WE DID THIS LAST MAY, GOES OVER THE SPILLWAY.
AND THE SPILLWAY IS ESSENTIALLY A LONG CONCRETE AREA, UH, THAT IS LOWER THAN THE TOP OF THE DAM, BUT YET HIGHER THAN THE NORMAL POOL LEVEL.
AND WHEN THE LAKE RISES, IT GOES OVER THE SPILLWAY.
[00:05:01]
THERE WAS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WATER GOING OVER THAT.UH, I THINK, UH, BOB HACKS PROBABLY POSTED SOME PICTURES OF IT BEFORE.
IT'S, IT'S QUITE A SIGHT TO SEE IF, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT GO OVER IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH, IN ORDER FOR IT TO GET TO THAT POINT, THE WATER HAD TO COME UP QUITE A BIT, WHICH CAUSES US PROBLEMS HERE IN, IN KINGWOOD AND HUFFMAN AND, AND FLOODING.
UM, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER, BACK IN 2017, A STORM WATER ACTION TEAM, UH, DAVE MARTIN HAD CONTRIBUTED I THINK ABOUT $10 MILLION TO THAT IN DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
AND IT'S CALLED SWAT FOR SHORT.
WE'VE GOT SOME PROJECTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
UH, THERE'S ONE, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE STARTING HERE SHORTLY AT CHESTNUT RIDGE IN ST.
ANDREW'S, OVER IN FOREST COVE, UH, REPLACING CULVERTS AND DITCHES, THAT TYPE OF THING.
UH, WE'VE, UH, UPSIZED SOME SEWER LINES IN KINGWOOD PLACE VILLAGE.
SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING THAT THE CITY'S DOING.
UM, WE'VE SPENT, I THINK, ABOUT $20 MILLION IN THE AREA OF CITY FUNDS.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UM, WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED, UH, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, AND WE GET A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF DISCRETION OVER TO SPEND.
AND THEN THERE'S A HALF MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR THAT COMES TO DO ACTUALLY ROAD WORK.
THAT'S MONEY FOR METRO THAT HAS TO BE USED FOR ROADS.
UH, THE TYPE OF MONEY WE SPEND ON OUR MONEY THAT IS AT OUR DISCRETION IS, UH, HPD GETS QUITE A BIT OF IT.
WE SPENT, UH, $143,000 WITH HPD, WITH CRIME SU UH, SUPPRESSION INITIATIVES, HOLIDAY OVERTIME, LAKE PATROL, UH, WE ACTUALLY PURCHASED EQUIPMENT AS WELL.
UH, WE, UH, BOUGHT THE LAKE PATROL, UH, A NEW JET SKI.
UH, THEY HAD ONE OF THEIR JET SKIS DIE.
AND ALTHOUGH THAT MAY SEEM, UH, A BIT EXTRAVAGANT, UM, DUSTIN AND I WERE ACTUALLY ON THE RIVER DURING THE MAY EVENT.
UM, WHEN WE GOT BACK TO, UH, THE LAKE PATROL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE, THE LAKE, THERE WAS ONE OF THE OFFICERS TAKING OFF IN A JET SKI AND ACTUALLY WENT AND DID A RESCUE WITH IT.
UH, SO IT GIVES 'EM A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED THAT THEY CAN GET TO PEOPLE OUT THERE AND, AND ACTUALLY RESCUE 'EM.
SO IT'S NOT AS EXTRAVAGANT AS IT SEEMS. WE'VE SPENT $75,000 ON DEAD END DANGEROUS TREE REMOVAL IN THE MEDIANS.
UH, THAT SEEMS TO BE A CONSTANT ISSUE.
THERE'S, UH, A BEETLE INFESTATION THAT IS, IS HURTING THE PINE TREES.
WE'VE ALSO GONE THROUGH THE DROUGHT, UH, SO THE TREES WEREN'T NEARLY AS RESILIENT AS WHAT THEY TYPICALLY ARE.
WE'VE STILL GOT SOME MORE TREES TO REMOVE.
WE SPENT, UH, $60,000 ON THE MONTHLY ELECTRONIC RECYCLING.
SO THE ELECTRONIC RECYCLING AT THE PARK AND RIDE, THAT HAPPENS EVERY MONTH, I GUESS, ACTUALLY THAT WAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE GOT ELECTRONICS YOU NEED TO RECYCLE, PLEASE BRING 'EM, BRING 'EM UP THERE AS WELL.
UH, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE PRESENTATIONS, UH, WANTED TO, UH, RECOGNIZE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE HERE.
UH, JULIAN RAMIREZ IS HERE FROM AT LARGE POSITION ONE.
WILLIE DAVIS IS ACTUALLY, WILLIE'S NOT HERE, TWILA CARTER, WHO IS ALSO FROM KINGWOOD, AND TWILA WILL BE SPEAKING AS WELL.
UM, DAN HUBERTY, AND I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYBODY KNOWS DAN HUBERTY WAS, WE GOT DAN HUBERTY APPOINTED TO THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY BOARD.
UM, THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY BOARD WILL ACTUALLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADDITIONAL GATES AT LAKE HOUSTON.
UH, REALLY THINK DAN IS, IS A GREAT ADDITION, UH, TO THAT.
UM, DAN'S BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME.
DAN ALSO LIVES ON THE LAKE, SO OBVIOUSLY HE WANTS TO SEE EVERYTHING GET DONE WITH THE DAMS JUST AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO I THINK DAN WILL BE A, A HUGE ASSET TO THAT.
NOW, DAN MAY MAKE IT HERE TONIGHT.
HIS PLANE WAS DELAYED, SO NOT SURE IF HE'LL BE HERE BEFORE WE END OR NOT, NOT, BUT, UH, SO THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON WITH CWA.
UM, OH, MIKE GRABOWSKI, ROBERT'S, SCARFO, MIKE, ROBERT, WHERE Y'ALL AT? HEY, MIKE, NICE TO SEE YOU.
UH, THE TS BOARD IS, SEVERAL MEMBERS ARE HERE TONIGHT.
TOM BROAD, WHO'S THE CHAIRMAN IS, IS HERE.
UH, CASEY CHRISMAN, WHO IS RECENTLY APPOINTED, ALONG WITH AMY BERTRAND AND, UH, BILLY BEATTY.
RALPH DA ALLEN, WHO IS THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE TOURS.
SO, UH, THE FIRST ONE PERSON WE'VE GOT UP IS STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES CUNNINGHAM.
SO CHARLES, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND COME ON UP.
FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE.
IT IS, UH, TRULY A PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
AND THEY TOLD ME FIVE MINUTES, I'M LOOKING AROUND
[00:10:01]
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THE MISTAKE THAT I ALWAYS MAKE AND NOT INTRODUCE THE BOSS OF THE HOUSE.SO, STELLA CUNNINGHAM, THERE SHE IS OVER THERE,
SHE, SHE'S BLESSED ME WITH, WITH FOUR, FOUR KIDS, YOU KNOW, THREE GIRLS, ONE BOY.
AND THEY HAVE BLESSED US WITH NINE GRANDCHILDREN.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS TRULY INDEED A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, FRED ASKED, AND, AND LEMME JUST BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
WE ARE ALL HERE BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT THIS PLACE WE CALL HOME.
WE CARE ABOUT THIS PLACE WE CALL THE LIVABLE FOREST.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, FORGED AN EFFORT TO WORK NOT ONLY WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, BUT AT THE STATE LEVEL AND AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, AND THEN OF COURSE AT THE CITY LEVEL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR AREA.
BUT I WANTED TO KIND OF START OUT WITH SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE GOING ON AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT AFFECT US.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, OUR DISTRICT HAS SEEN ITS FAIR SHARE OF, UH, WEATHER DISASTERS.
AND FRED KIND OF MENTIONED THE GATES.
THAT'S WHY I FOUGHT HARD TO GET $50 MILLION TO GO TOWARD THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE LAKE HOUSTON SPILLWAY DOWN.
THAT $50 MILLION ALSO GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET AN EXTRA $50 MILLION FROM FEMA IN THE, IN THE MATCH.
SO THAT WAS A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE GOT TO GO TOWARD THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE GATES AT THE LAKE HOUSTON DAM.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I WAS PROUD OF THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON, WE WORKED HARD FOR WHAT WE CALL HISTORIC LEGISLATION, 18 BILLION IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
AND I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THAT PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.
UH, YOU HEARD SOME OF THE NEWS TODAY, UH, IN THE PAST FEW DAYS THAT, UH, THE COUNTY IS GONNA RAISE TAXES.
UH, I KNOW I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH MAYOR WHITMEYER, UH, HE'S NOT FOR RAISING TAXES.
AND SO I'VE ENCOURAGED AND URGED HIM THAT WHATEVER I CAN DO ON THE STATE LEVEL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRY TO DO THAT SO THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO RAISE TAXES.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER, ANOTHER PRIORITY OF MINES TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE DO NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THIS HUGE TAX INCREASE THAT HARRIS COUNTY IS TALKING ABOUT.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT CRIME, UH, WHAT I DID AT THE LAST, IN THE LAST SESSION.
UM, HISTORIC, HISTORIC BORDER FUNDING, UH, INCREASED PENALTIES FOR FENTANYL TRAFFICKERS, UH, REMOVING ROGUE, UH, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.
UH, THESE ARE JUST A FEW THINGS, AND I WANT TO KIND OF TOUCH ON THAT.
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ARE ONE THING, BUT THE REAL ISSUE WE HAVE IS THE JUDGES IN HARRIS COUNTY.
AND THAT IS THE REAL ISSUE THAT WE HAVE.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN AN EXAMPLE.
THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN THAT LIVED OVER IN THE, UH, EAGLE SPRINGS AREA A WHILE BACK, JUST HAD A BIRTHDAY LATE AUGUST, AND HAD VISITED HIS MOTHER, AND LEFT HIS MOTHER AND WAS GOING TO GET SOME DINNER FOR HIS FAMILY AND THEN GO, GO HOME.
WELL, ON THE WAY OF RETRIEVING HIS DINNER AND COMING HOME, HE WAS ATTACKED, SHOT AND KILLED.
THAT YOUNG MAN HAPPENED TO BE A CONSTABLE.
THAT YOUNG MAN'S NAME WAS, UH, OMAR
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, AT LEAST NAME PART OF THE HIGHWAY AFTER HIM.
BUT WHAT REALLY UPSET ME WAS THE FACT THAT ALTHOUGH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT DID THEIR JOB AND WAS ABLE TO CATCH THE PERPETRATORS WHO WERE OUT ALREADY ON FELONY MURDER BOND, THE WAY WE CAUGHT 'EM WAS BECAUSE ONE OF 'EM STILL HAD THEIR ANKLE BRACELET ON.
ONCE THE JUDGES FOUND OUT ABOUT THAT, THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS ABLE TO TRACK WHERE THEY WERE AT, THE JUDGES PUT IN THIS LITTLE RULE CALLED JUST JUDICIAL YEAH.
JUDICIAL REVIEW THAT PREVENTS THE DA FROM REVIEWING THESE RECORDS.
SO NOW, IN MY OPINION, YOU CARE MORE ABOUT FELON THAN YOU CARE ABOUT THE AVERAGE CITIZEN ON THE STREET.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO ATTACK THAT AREA HARD AND HEAVY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AT LEAST MAKE SURE THESE JUDGES DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
WE HAVE A BILL THAT WE CALL FELONY ON BOND.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THAT ARE ON BOND ACTUALLY SERVE THEIR TIME.
AND IF THE JUDGES LET 'EM OUT, THEN THEY'RE GONNA BE IN TROUBLE.
I DON'T, I WON'T SAY THEY'RE GOING TO DO TIME,
[00:15:01]
BUT THEY'LL BE IN TROUBLE.UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES WE GOT HERE, WE ALL KNOW THAT THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION HAS TURNED A BLIND EYE TO THE BORDER, FORCING TEXAS TO PASS HISTORIC FUNDING TO SECURE THE BORDER, FINISH THE WALL, AND PASSING LAWS TO FIGHT HUMAN SMUGGLING.
YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE WE HAVE GOING RIGHT NOW IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
THERE ARE AT LEAST SEVEN, 5,000 KIDS, CHILDREN THAT ARE BEING HUMAN TRAFFICKED HERE IN TEXAS.
IT'S ENOUGH TO FEEL, UH, RELIANT STADIUM.
THESE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT AND ADDRESSING, BUT AS I GET READY TO TAKE MY SEAT AND I'LL BE HERE TO ANSWER SOME MORE QUESTIONS, I, I WANT TO JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT'S BEEN HELPING ME HERE IN KINGWOOD AND, AND, AND WORKING WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, TO ADDRESS OUR ISSUES OF FLOOD MITIGATION AND TRYING TO WORK WITH MOTHER NATURE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SIX COUNTIES THAT HAVE RUNOFF THAT COMES INTO OUR, OUR COUNTY SIX.
AND I HAVE VISITED WITH MOST OF THOSE COUNTY JUDGES TO TRY TO JUST SAY, LOOK, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP EACH OTHER? AND WE'RE HAVING SOME GOOD, UH, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATION RIGHT NOW WITH, WITH, WITH MOST OF THEM.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS AND I DON'T SEE, UH, YEAH, I DON'T SEE HIM HERE.
WE, WE'VE GOT A GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS HERE THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? YOU KNOW, BEN'S BRANCH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON BEN'S BRANCH.
BEN'S BRANCH HAD 31 TREES THAT HAD FALLEN IN THERE.
AND OF COURSE, UH, I DON'T SEE OUR COMMISSIONER HERE, BUT HE'S BEEN WORKING TO CLEAN THAT UP.
YOU KNOW, ALL THIS DEBRIS ACTS AS ANOTHER DAM.
AND SO THE WATER JUST KIND OF DISPERSES ALL OUT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR AREA.
BUT WE ARE PUTTING IN THE EFFORT, TEXAS, UH, IN 2019, SOMEBODY, IF, IF YOU CAN, UH, CORRECT ME HERE, UH, PUT A PLAN TOGETHER, PUT A COMMITTEE TOGETHER.
AND I THINK WE HAD SOME FOLKS, AND TOM, YOU MIGHT KNOW THIS, WE HAD SOME FOLKS THAT, FOR THE FLOOD, THE FLOOD WATER, THE TEXAS FLOOD PLAN, WELL, THE ONLY ISSUE I HAVE WITH THIS PLAN AND, UH, THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMING UP THAT WILL BE REVIEWED BY US, I'M ALREADY REVIEWING IT.
THE ONLY THING THAT KIND OF CONCERNED ME ABOUT IT WAS THAT TEXAS HAS 30 MILLION PEOPLE IN TEXAS.
THE PLAN IDENTIFIED 5.5 MILLION PEOPLE FOR FLOODING.
WELL, MY ONLY ISSUE WITH THAT IS HARRIS COUNTY ALONE HAS 4.7.
AND SO THEY REALLY ONLY DID IDENTIFIED 1.7 MILLION HERE.
AND SO, FOR THE TUNE OF, I THINK THE PLAN SAYS $54 BILLION, UH, WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT MONEY COMING THIS WAY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 1.7 THAT ARE AFFECTED.
AND SO I'M GOING TO END, END, END WITH IT RIGHT THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT FLOOD CONTROL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING BETTER WITH OUR CONTINUED TAXES.
CRIME, PUBLIC SAFETY IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE HERE.
AND OF COURSE, I WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR ON THE BORDER.
YOU KNOW, NOBODY CARED AS LONG AS IT WAS JUST TEXAS HAVING THE BORDER PROBLEM.
BUT AS SOON AS THE GOVERNOR STARTED SENDING FOLKS EVERYWHERE, BOY DID I HEAR PEOPLE YELL.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT IT'S AN ISSUE.
AND THE SO-CALLED BORDER CZAR TRIED TO PUT THE BLAME ON THE HOMELAND SECURITY GUY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE WANT YOU TO DO? YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO DO YOUR JOB.
YOU HIRED, YOU HIRED FRED FLICKINGER TO DO A JOB.
YOU SENT ME TO TO TO TEXAS TO DO A JOB.
AND THE JOB IS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR DISTRICT AND VOTE OUR DISTRICT.
SO I'M GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I WANTED TO SAY, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, WHERE WAS THE TABLE AT IN THE BACK? 'CAUSE I'VE GOT MY CARDS BACK THERE FOR THE OFFICE NUMBER AND EVERYTHING.
ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, UH, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CALL AND ASK.
AND SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT UP, WE'LL HAVE COUNCILWOMAN TWILA CARTER.
[00:20:01]
EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM KNOWS IT, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE GOING UP TO THE POLLS WEREN'T AWARE.IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU HAVE ONE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, AND YOU ACTUALLY HAVE FIVE AT LARGE THAT REPRESENT YOU.
AND TWILA IS THE FIRST EVER AT LARGE COUNCIL PERSON FROM KINGWOOD.
SO WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE TWO FROM KINGWOOD.
SO THAT'S A NICE THING FOR US.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, I SAY FROM KINGWOOD FOR KINGWOOD, IF YOU WERE OUT HERE AT ALL DURING THE CAMPAIGN, YOU HEARD ME SAY THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
AND I SAY THAT WHY? BECAUSE I'M GONNA JUST DO MY USUAL SHOW OF HANDS.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS, KEEP YOUR HAND UP.
IF 20 YEARS, 30 YEARS, 40 YEARS, LET'S GO 50.
WE GOT SOMEBODY BACK HERE AND SOMEBODY BACK THERE.
SO I SAY THAT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN THIS, I SAY THE WAY A CROW FLIES BECAUSE I'M TEXAN AND I GET TO SAY THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THE WAY A CROW FLIES, I'VE BEEN IN THIS IMMEDIATE AREA, HUMBLE AREA, RIGHT OFF 59 FOR 51 YEARS.
AND I WATCHED THIS COMMUNITY BEING DEVELOPED.
I KNEW I WANTED TO LIVE THERE, THERE, HERE, AS AN ADULT, I RAISED MY KIDS HERE.
I'VE SEEN WHAT THIS COMMUNITY WAS, AND I SEE WHAT THIS COMMUNITY IS.
EVERY MORNING WHEN I DRIVE INTO DOWNTOWN, WHICH I'VE DONE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, IN A WHOLE NOTHER WORLD, I DRIVE ALONG POST BARREL AND I DUCK.
I'M ACTUALLY FLINCHING IN THE CAR.
WHY? BECAUSE WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO.
I WANTED TO, I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT, NUMBER ONE FOR COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, WHO HAS BEEN EVER SO GRACIOUS TO ALLOW ME TO WALK HAND IN HAND RIGHTS IN STEP WITH HIM IN SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY.
WHY? BECAUSE IT'S MY COMMUNITY.
IF, IF YOU REACH OUT TO ME, ODDS ARE YOU GET SENT STRAIGHT TO FRED COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL RESPOND ON THE BACK END.
BUT HE IS YOUR GO-TO, AND HE IS WORKING FOR YOU AS I AM HERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SAY BEFORE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE AND NOW, BEFORE AND AFTER, BEFORE, AS WE ALL KNOW IT, IT WAS BEFORE HARVEY, RIGHT? AND NOW, NOW WE'RE POST-VIRAL.
WE STOOD HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY CENTER, PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST, WELL, NO, THE FIRST TIME I WAS EVER IN THE COMMUNITY AS A COOLING CENTER DURING BARREL, WE WERE ABLE TO STAND THIS PLACE UP AS A COOLING CENTER TO PROVIDE ICE, TO PROVIDE WATER.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER, MAYBE I WAS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF TOUCH BECAUSE I WAS AT THAT TIME, FOCUSED ON OTHER COMMUNITIES DURING DISASTER.
BUT AT THAT TIME, FOR THIS COMMUNITY, WE WORKED TOGETHER TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WERE AWARE THAT YOU HAD RESOURCES.
BUT ALSO TOO, THAT WE WERE HERE.
YOU KNOW, DAVE MARTIN DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
AND EVERY STEP HE MADE IN EVERY BIT OF PROGRESS FOR THIS COMMUNITY THAT HE MADE WAS HE WAS FIGHTING THE FORGOTTEN, THE FORGOTTEN STEPCHILD KIND OF THEORY THAT WE ARE, WE'VE ALL FELT FOR YEARS, AND I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I FELT, RIGHT? OUR TAX DOLLARS GO DOWNTOWN.
BUT WE ARE STANDING ON THE VERY, VERY EDGE MAKING SURE THAT OUR MAYOR, WHO YOU ELECTED, AND WE WORKED HARD TO GET HIM ELECTED.
AND HIS, HIS, HIS CONSTANT COMMENT IS, I WON'T FORGET KINGWOOD.
AND HE ALSO IS WORKING FOR KINGWOOD.
BUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, ON MY PRIORITIES, I LOOK AT, I LOOK AT PUBLIC SAFETY, HOMELESS.
SOMEBODY ASKED ME ABOUT A HOMELESS, HOMELESS ISSUE.
I PARTICIPATED IN THE PIT COUNT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
THE FIRST STOP I MADE WAS WITH MY FRIENDS AT HPD OVER HERE AT THE SUBSTATION TO ASK HOW MANY HOMELESS ARE IN KINGWOOD? AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HOMELESS, STEP RIGHT OVER THERE, OVER THERE, AND THEY CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY WHO'S HERE.
I CAN TOO, BECAUSE I'M FAMILIAR.
BUT THEY CAN TELL YOU THE EXACT NUMBERS.
THEY CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE WOMAN BACK HERE.
THEY CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE MAN UP THERE.
THEY'VE GOT, THEY'VE GOT THEIR FINGERS ON THE PULSE.
WE LOOK AT OUR CONCERNS ABOUT FLOODING.
YEAH, WE, WE SHOULD ALL BE CONCERNED BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU READ EVERY DAY.
WHERE'S BOB ECK? OH, BOB'S RIGHT THERE ON THE FRONT ROAD.
YOU READ BOB'S REPORTS AND THE NUMBERS, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
[00:25:01]
NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT THE SOLUTION IS.WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT OUR STATE REP WHO'S WORKING HARD FOR YOU, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR COMMISSIONERS, THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
BECAUSE FRIENDS, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, THERE'S NOT ONE SINGLE FIX.
IT'S NOT THE GATES, IT'S NOT LAKE CONROE.
IT'S A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF.
I WILL SHOUT OUT, WHERE'S JOAN RADO? I SAW JOAN SOMEWHERE.
SO A WHILE BACK, FRED AND I ARE HAVING A CONVERSATION AND I SAID, FRED, WE'VE GOT TO CONNECT TO THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THIS COMMUNITY, WHICH IS HOW DO WE IMPACT THE, THE TRAILS ASSOCIATIONS, THE SERVICE ASSOCIATIONS, THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS.
AND EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY IN THIS ROOM HAS A VOICE WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE TRAILS THAT NEED TO BE CLEANED UP, CLEANED OUT.
50 YEARS AGO, THE MASTER PLAN COMMUNITY OF THE LIVABLE FOREST MAY NO LONGER WORK WITH TODAY'S SITUATION.
THE KUDZU FRED, WE LEARNED ABOUT KUDZU, RIGHT? IS TAKEN OVER OUT HERE.
SO YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION, SHALL WE CLEAN OUT THE UNDERBRUSH ON THE MEDIANS? I DON'T KNOW.
I'M IN FAVOR OF KIND OF WORKING ON THAT.
I THINK PROBABLY EVERYONE IN THE ROOM CAN SEE THE END RESULT.
YEAH, RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHILE YOU USE YOUR VOICES WITH EVERYBODY ON THIS FRONT ROW, USE YOUR VOICES, WITH YOUR SERVICE ASSOCIATIONS, WITH YOUR MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, WITH THE TRAILS ASSOCIATIONS.
LET YOUR VOICE AND YOUR DOLLARS MATTER, BECAUSE IT DOES, IT MATTERS TO ME.
YOUR HOME VALUES THE ABILITY FOR OUR REALTORS TO, TO BRING NEW, NEW, UH, RESIDENTS IN.
IF YOU'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO THE HOME, WHICH I'M NOT, BUT WHEN I GET READY TO SELL MY HOME, I WANT MY HOME TO HAVE A VALUE BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS VALUE.
WHAT I WANT TO SEE FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS 50 YEARS AGO THAT I WANTED TO BE HERE.
AND SO A FEW YEARS FROM NOW, I WANT OTHERS TO WANT TO BE HERE TO RAISE THEIR FAMILIES.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOU IN THE ROOM.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE FROM KINGWOOD, FOR KINGWOOD, AND TO WORK ALONGSIDE OF YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, FRED FLICKINGER.
WHILE IT REMINDED ME OF A COUPLE THINGS, UH, THAT, UH, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UH, ONE WHERE WE TALK ABOUT GETTING MONEY SPENT IN, IN OUR AREA.
UM, BEFORE HURRICANE BARRELL HIT, I HAD BEEN FIGHTING TO REDUCE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA TO SPEND $25 MILLION ON ART OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UM, MY ATTITUDE WAS THAT THIS WAS A NEED THAT WE HAVE OUT HERE FOR ALL SORTS OF STUFF.
THE ART'S A WANT AND, AND WE NEED TO TRY AND SPEND OUR MONEY ON NEEDS VERSUS WANTS.
UM, GOT IT TO WHERE IT WENT BACK TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO TRY AND RE REWORK IT.
UH, WE WERE DEFINITELY ON THE MINORITY IN THAT HURRICANE BARRELL HAPPENED.
A LOT OF THE LIFT STATIONS, OR NONE OF THE LIFT STATIONS HAD POWER.
SO THEY'RE HAVING TO TAKE MOBILE GENERATORS AROUND TO EACH LIFT STATION.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU END UP WITH RAW SEWAGE COMING UP OUT OF THE MANHOLES.
SO I HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON FACEBOOK WHO WERE QUITE IRATE ABOUT THIS.
AND, AND I SAID, HEY, WHY DON'T YOU COME DOWN TO CITY HALL AND TALK DURING PUBLIC SESSION, AND YOU CAN TELL 'EM THAT YOU WANT MONEY FOR GENERATORS AT THE LIFT STATIONS RATHER THAN MONEY FOR ART.
QUITE A FEW PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
I GET A CALL FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE MONDAY MORNING SAYING, FRED, WOULD YOU TAKE 20 MILLION INSTEAD OF 25? AND I SAID, NO, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH OF A CUT.
AND THEY SAID, OKAY, WOULD YOU TAKE 15 OR ACTUALLY, I SAID, CAN YOU GET IT DOWN TO 15? AND HE SAID, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, SO ABOUT A HALF HOUR LATER, HE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID, FRED, WE'LL DO 15.
NOW, I WOULD'VE PREFERRED ZERO.
OKAY? 'CAUSE I, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BE SPENDING MONEY ON THAT STUFF WHEN WE'VE GOT NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME BEFORE I HUNG UP WAS THAT YOU DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF FILLING UP THE SPEAKERS LIST.
SO IT WAS PEOPLE HERE THAT CAME OR, OR SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
AND A NUMBER OF YOU CAME TO SPEAK.
AND, AND A NUMBER OF YOU ARE HERE TONIGHT.
[00:30:01]
UH, JULIE PAYNE'S HERE.FORGIVE ME, I KNOW I'M FORGETTING A FEW OF 'EM, BUT ACTUALLY CAME IN, IN FACT, JULIE SPOKE ABOUT, UH, MEAT AND TATERS, UH, AND HOW WE NEED MEAT AND TATERS.
WE DON'T NEED ALL THE DESSERTS.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY AND DO A LITTLE MORE OF IS WHEN I SEE SOMETHING THAT I THINK THE COMMUNITY DOES NOT WANT, AND WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON STUFF WE DON'T WANT, WE'RE GONNA PUT IT OUT.
PLEASE SIGN UP TO SPEAK TUESDAY.
ANYONE CAN COME AND SPEAK AT PUBLIC SESSION.
UH, IF IT'S AN AGENDA ITEM, YOU GET TO SPEAK LONGER OR AS LONG AS THERE'S WHAT NOT OVER 120 MINUTES.
IS THAT RIGHT? TWILA? UM, AND A LOT OF TIMES THERE IS, AND, AND I KNOW IT'S A PAIN, IT'S A LONG WAYS DOWNTOWN, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF OUTNUMBERED IN WHAT WE THINK AT CITY HALL.
UH, IN, IN FACT, WHEN THEY REDUCED THE ART FROM 25 MILLION TO 15 MILLION, THERE WAS A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE NOT HAPPY AT ALL, AND THEY LET IT BE KNOWN DURING SESSION.
UM, SO UNLESS YOUR VOICE COMES DOWN THERE TO SPEAK, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO GET WHAT WE GOT.
SO PLEASE GET ENGAGED, COME DOWN.
SO ENOUGH OF THAT, UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AT ARENA PUBLIC WORKS.
THE NEXT ONE WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE DAN HUBERTY.
DAN, UH, IS CATCHING A PLANE FROM AUSTIN.
I'M NOT SURE IF HE'S GONNA MAKE IT BEFORE THE THING'S OVER.
SO WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS JUST IN CASE DAN IS HERE TO SPEAK.
AND WITH THAT IS YOUR NAME NOT UP HERE.
ANYWAY, CATARINA, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN.
HOW ARE YOU DOING? UM, TONIGHT I'M GONNA BRIEFLY TOUCH ON, UM, THE STATUS OF, SORRY, THE NEXT ONE.
OH, UH, THE STATUS OF THE SAND TRAP PROJECT, OF WHICH THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS PARTNERED WITH SGRA, WHICH IS THE SAN JACINTO RIVER WATER AUTHORITY, AND ALSO THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, H-C-F-C-D, UM, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, UH, PARTNERED WITH SGRA, UM, IN TASK NUMBER ONE.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY, UM, ENSUING WITH TASK NUMBER TWO, AND I WILL TOUCH BRIEFLY UPON THIS PROJECT.
UM, SO JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT FOR THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR.
UM, SAN JACINTO RIVER, UH, AUTHORITY, UM, THEY RECEIVED, UM, THEY RECEIVED THE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE SEDIMENT WITHOUT ROYALTY OR STATE PERMITS THROUGH HOUSE BILL 1824.
SGRA IS THE LEAD AGENCY ON THIS PROJECT.
THE GOAL IS TO PLAN, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT ONE OR MORE SAND TRAPS WITHIN THE SANTO, THE SAN JACINTO RIVER, UM, OF WHICH, UH, CURRENTLY, LIKE I SAID, WE, THEY HAVE COMPLETED TASK ONE AND WE ARE WORKING ON TASK TWO.
THE SGRA, UM, COMPLETED A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STUDY IN 2022.
THIS DEVELOPED CONCEPTS FOR IN CHANNEL AND OUT OF CHANNEL TRAPS.
IT IDENTIFIED THE MOST FEASIBLE LOCATION FOR THESE TRAPS, AND IT CONSIDERED PROXIMATE SO, AND IT CONSIDERED PROXIMITY TO AGGREGATE PRODUCTION OPERATIONS.
THE REPORT AND PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THIS TASK CAN BE FOUND AS SRAS WEBSITE.
UM, WE HAVE IT LISTED HERE, UM, WHICH IS WWW.SG.NET FLOOD MANAGEMENT SLASH FLOOD MANAGEMENT DASH PROJECT SLASH SAND TRAP.
UM, THE, THAT'S QUITE A MOUTHFUL.
UM, THE H-C-F-C-D AND CITY OF HOUSTON ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THESE PRELIMINARY DESIGN EFFORTS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, UH, THE PROJECT KICKED OFF, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR PHASE, UM, KICKED OFF IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING COMPLETION OF TASK TWO BY THE SECOND QUARTER, BY THE END OF THE SECOND QUARTER, 2022, I MEAN, SORRY, 2025.
UH, THIS WILL INCLUDE, UH, THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN EFFORTS, INCLUDING THE VALUATION SELECTION AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF ONE TO TWO SAND TRAPS ALONG THE WEST FORK OF THE SGRA, SORRY, SJR.
THE MAJOR TASKS, AS I MENTIONED, WILL BE COMPLETE THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF THESE TWO SAND TRAPS, PERFORM HIGH LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION, PERFORM STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH MEETINGS, RECOMMEND FINAL DESIGN OF THESE ONE OR TWO TRAPS.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, THE DETAILED SCOPE
[00:35:01]
IS ON SJ A'S WEBSITE.SO ONE OF THE MAIN CHALLENGES THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP, UM, AS THIS PROJECT HAS KICKED OFF TE TWO, LIKE I SAID JUST RECENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN, UM, A SIGNIFICANT DESIGN CHALLENGE THAT WE'VE RECENTLY ENCOUNTERED DUE TO BARREL.
UM, THE WEST FORK OF THE SAN JACINTO RIVER HAS ACTUALLY REROUTED THROUGH SOME OF THE EXISTING PONDS AND PITS THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED AND CONSIDERED FOUR OUT OF CHANNEL TRAPS.
THE REROUTING HAS CAUSED THE RIVER TO BYPASS ONE OF THE IN-CHANNEL TRAPS THAT WE WERE ALSO UNDER CONSIDERATION.
AND AS SUCH, UM, THE PROJECT PARTNERS AND THE CONSULTANTS THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS TASK ARE ACTUALLY, UM, CURRENTLY EXAMINING WHERE WE GO FROM HERE AND WHAT, WHAT PATH WOULD BE BEST, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA HAND OVER THE PRESENTATION BRIEFLY TO DAVID WARDLOW.
UM, AND HE WILL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SALT REMOVAL FROM HARVEY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS DAVID WARDLOW.
I WORK ON THE FINANCE SIDE OF THINGS FOR PUBLIC WORKS, AND ONE OF THE JOYOUS RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MY TEAM IS TO OVERSEE DISASTER GRANT MANAGEMENT.
UH, SO ONE OF THE PRODUCTS OR PROJECTS YOU ARE I KNOW VERY FAMILIAR WITH, 'CAUSE YOU'VE HEARD FROM STEVE COSTELLO A NUMBER OF TIMES ABOUT THIS WORK, UM, IS THE, UH, THE CONTINUED DREDGING IN THE MOUTH BAR AREA THAT WE HAVE ABOUT TO BEGIN NOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS TAKEN QUITE SOME TIME, BUT WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR NOW IN PLACE, UH, THAT WAS APPROVED BACK IN, I BELIEVE, DECEMBER OR JANUARY TIME PERIOD.
UM, THEY HAVE RECEIVED THEIR PERMITS, UM, AND ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF MOBILIZATION NOW.
SO THIS IS ROUGHLY A $34 MILLION CONTRACT IN VALUE TO REMOVE, UM, APPROXIMATELY 583,000 CUBIC YARDS OF DEBRIS OF SILT MATERIAL.
THAT IS LITERALLY THE DEPOSIT SIZE THAT GETS US TO PRE HARVEY CONDITIONS FOR THIS AREA.
UM, I'LL NOTE THAT THERE IS AN ALLOWANCE FOR OVER DREDGE.
SO YOU MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, WE'VE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL STORMS. AGAIN, THE INTENT IS TO GET BACK TO THAT PRE HARVEY CONDITION FOR THIS AREA OF THE MOUTH BAR.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE GENERAL EXPECTATION OF THINGS.
THEY SHOULD BEGIN THE HYDRAULIC DREDGING ACTIVITY THIS DECEMBER, AND IT'LL TAKE THEM ROUGHLY A YEAR TO COMPLETE THAT ACTIVITY.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO, I THINK WE'LL BE AROUND AFTERWARDS, SO WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, UH, AND GO FROM THERE.
SO, COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I PROBABLY DIDN'T EXPLAIN THIS REAL WELL IN THE BEGINNING, I APOLOGIZE.
THERE'S GONNA BE A Q AND A SESSION AFTERWARDS, SO EVERYBODY WILL BE HERE TO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, AND I WANT TO TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THINGS REAL QUICK WITH WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT ARE FLOODING ISSUES.
THERE'S REALLY THREE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS TO THEM.
UH, ONE IS THE DAM THAT EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF.
THAT'S KIND OF THE BIG TICKET ITEM THAT EVERYBODY SEES.
UH, BUT ALMOST AS IMPORTANT IS THE SEDIMENT THAT COMES DOWN IN THE RIVER 24 7, 365.
AND THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITH THE SAND MINERS WITH ARE UPSTREAM OF US, AND HOW RESPONSIBLE THEY ARE IN ENSURING THAT THEIR SEDIMENT DOES NOT FLOW INTO THE RIVER.
UH, THE OTHER ISSUE IS THE RUNOFF THAT WE HAVE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY THAT STATE REP CUNNINGHAM ALLUDED TO EARLIER.
UH, I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO TELL ANYBODY UP HERE ABOUT THE GROWTH THAT HAS HAPPENED.
AS YOU GO UP 59 NORTH TOWARDS THE GRAND PARKWAY.
I MEAN, IT'S EXPLODED UP THERE.
ALL THOSE ROOFS, ALL THOSE STREETS CREATE RUNOFF.
THAT RUNOFF COMES DOWN TO KINGWOOD, THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT THROUGH BEN'S BRANCH.
UM, BEN'S BRANCH WAS DESIGNED BY FRIENDSWOOD DEVELOPMENT TO FLOW COMPLETELY INTO THE DIVERSION DITCH.
AND ALL OF THE FLOW WAS SUPPOSED TO GO THROUGH THE DIVERSION DITCH INTO SAN JATO RIVER WITHOUT GOING THROUGH KINGWOOD.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WE HAVE A RAIN EVENT AND THERE'S LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER AT A HIGHER VELOCITY, UH, THE WATER IS NOT ABLE TO MAKE THAT RIGHT HAND TURN AT THE DIVERSION DITCH, AND IT JUST BLOWS STRAIGHT THROUGH IT AND GOES THROUGH KINGWOOD.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR FLOODING, UH, AROUND NORTH PARK RIGHT THERE, NORTH PARK AND WOODSTREAM GOING ON TO KIDS IN ACTION, ST.
MARTHA'S CHURCH, ALL THAT STUFF, RIGHT DOWN BEN'S BRANCH.
SO THERE'S REALLY THREE ISSUES WE'VE GOTTA BE WORKING ON.
AGAIN, I KNOW THE DAM IS THE ONE EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT, EVERYBODY SEES, BUT WE'VE GOTTA DO JUST AS MUCH WITH THE, UH, RUNOFF COMING FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND ALSO WITH THE SETTLEMENT COMING DOWN SAN CENTER RIVER.
[00:40:01]
CUNNINGHAM IS GONNA BE WORKING ON THOSE.YOU KNOW, I TALKED ABOUT SHOWING UP AT CITY COUNCIL AND TALKING WHEN REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM GETS A BILL, HE NEEDS SOME HELP AS WELL.
WE NEED TO GO UP TO AUSTIN AND, AND TELL HIM THAT, YES, THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR US AND WE NEED TO GET IT FIXED.
SO, OKAY, UH, MOVING ON FOR THERE WE HAVE, UH, DIRECTOR MARK WILLOCK FROM HOUSTON.
MARK HAWK, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON, SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, HONORED TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S, UH, MAINLY ON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE POST STORM CLEANUP, RIGHT? UH, FOR A WHILE WE WERE TRENDING PRETTY HEAVY IN THE NEWS.
IT'S LIKE, UH, COULDN'T EVEN, UH, GET TO MY, MY CORE BUSINESS MATTERS WITHOUT HEARING, UH, HEY, YOU GOT TIME FOR AN INTERVIEW.
HEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO COME, THEY WANT TO DO THIS.
AND IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, I REALLY SHOULD HAVE GOT A AGENT FOR THIS.
SO, BUT, UH, BUT BEFORE I GET IN INTO IT, UH, JUST WANNA DO A QUICK SURVEY BECAUSE NOVEMBER WILL MAKE THREE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN HOUSTON.
WITH HOUSTON BEING THE FOURTH LARGEST COUNTY.
UH, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF OUR FOURTH LARGEST CITY.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE CITIES THAT YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT, YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH GET FAMILIAR WITH IT IN SIX MONTHS, BUT IT TAKES ABOUT A GOOD YEAR AND A HALF TO GET INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH IT AND, AND LONGER.
SO JUST WANT TO DO A QUICK SURVEY.
UH, HOW MANY PEOPLE, UH, IN THE ROOM RECEIVE CITY OF HOUSTON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, GARBAGE RECYCLING, HEAVY TRASH PICKUP, SHOW OF HANDS.
OKAY, HOW MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE ROOM RECEIVE PRIVATE SERVICE FROM A WASTE MANAGEMENT REPUBLIC AND WHATNOT? OKAY, NICE, NICE.
SO I'M GOING TO SPEAK ON YOUR BEHALF.
FOR THOSE WHO DO RECEIVE SERVICES FROM THE PRIVATE HAULERS, YOU PROBABLY RECEIVE THAT SERVICE BECAUSE YOU EXPECT THAT SERVICE TO BE ON TIME.
YOU EXPECT THEM TO COME ON WHATEVER PRESCRIBED DAY THAT YOU HAVE, RIGHT? AND YOU PAY A PREMIUM FOR THAT SERVICE.
THE SAME THING HAS TO START EXISTING FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, WE CAN'T PROVIDE TIMELY SERVICES BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING.
WE DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM THAT IS BUILT TO SERVICE THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
LET ME HELP YOU PUT IT IN BETTER PERSPECTIVE.
BASED ON THE RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS, CITY OF HOUSTON HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY, BUT THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THAT DEPARTMENT HAS REMAINED AT ABOUT 400 TO 435, WHERE THAT NUMBER SHOULD EASILY BE TODAY BY TODAY'S STANDARDS 550.
SO I SAY ALL OF THAT BECAUSE IF WE WANT TO ROBUST SYSTEM, IF I WANT TO TAKE THE NUMBER OF HANDS THAT WENT UP THAT RECEIVED CITY SERVICES AND INCREASE THEM, WE AS A CITY GOTTA START OFFERING A BETTER PRODUCT.
ONE THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, DESIRE TO HAVE.
NOW, LET'S TAKE IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
I'M ORIGINALLY FROM THE CITY OF TAMPA.
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THAT SYSTEM UP OVER 20 YEARS.
WHEN I LEFT THE CITY OF TAMPA, OUR RAINY DAY FUNDS, OR OUR RESERVES WERE HOVERING AROUND $40 MILLION.
WHEN I GOT TO CITY OF HOUSTON,
NOW, HELP YOU PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE AGAIN, CITY OF HOUSTON IS FOUR TIMES LARGER THAN THE CITY OF TAMPA.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN I SAY OUR RESERVES ARE AT $25 MILLION? THAT MEANS IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A RAINY DAY WHERE THINGS GET OUT OF HAND, YOU KNOW, A STORM COMES THROUGH, NOT THREE, BUT ONE, ONE STORM COMES THROUGH RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
WE GOT $25 MILLION TO BRING IN CONTRACTORS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE THAT TIMELY SERVICE AND BRING NORMALCY BACK TO THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AVERAGE COST OF, TO BRING IN ONE CONTRACTOR OFF A BARREL ALONE, WELL, LET'S JUST SAY BARREL AND, UH, AND REIO ALONE, $30 MILLION, $35 MILLION.
WE HAD THREE IN THERE, PLUS ALL OF OUR SERVICES.
SO WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO TONIGHT IS HELP SET THE EXPECTATIONS, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT, HEY, YOU KNOW, NO ONE'S COME HERE YET, AND, AND, AND THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER, IT'S BECAUSE WE GOTTA START INVESTING IN THE SOLID WASTE APARTMENT.
[00:45:01]
KNOW IT'S NOT.I THINK THE TRUCKS ARE, I THINK THE TRUCKS ARE HOT.
I THINK I CAN GO PICK UP CHICKS AND IF I WAS STILL SINGLE, RIGHT?
BUT IT'S ONE OF THOSE SYSTEMS THAT ONCE WE GET IT UP AND GOING, WE GO BENEATH THE RADAR AND WE MOVE FROM A 70 OR 80%, UH, SATISFACTION, SERVICE RATING TO A 99.9%, WHICH I KNOW WE CAN GET TO.
HOW MANY PEOPLE RECEIVE STORM DEBRIS COLLECTION SERVICES FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON? WHOLE ROOM GOES UP.
WE EVEN WENT OUTSIDE OF OUR GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE GOT STORM DEBRIS COLLECTION AT ONE POINT.
THANKS TO COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER, WE HAD ABOUT 25 OR 30 TRUCKS UP HERE.
I MEAN, IT LOOKED LIKE ALMOST EVERY BLOCK.
AND I WOULD LOOK AT THE, THE WORK AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND I WOULD SAY, OKAY, I KNOW THEY'RE GONNA COMPLETE THIS SECTION TODAY.
AND THERE ARE ONLY THREE STREETS IN TO 10, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF DEBRIS THAT WAS OUT THERE.
HELP PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, WHEN THE KINGWOOD FLOODS CAME, AND THIS IS ALL IN 50 DAYS, RIGHT? UH, KINGWOOD FLOODS HAPPENED AROUND MAY 16TH.
WE HAD THAT UNDER CONTROL, ABOUT 1200 CUBIC YARDS, NO BIGGIE.
THE RATIO CAME, YOU KNOW, AND NOW WE'RE AT 1.7 MILLION CUBIC YARDS.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.
BARRELL CAME AND DUMPED ANOTHER 3 MILLION YARDS ON THAT.
SO THAT'S ALL FROM WHAT MAY 16TH THROUGH BASICALLY THE JULY 4TH WEEKEND THAT WE GOT HIT.
I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S RESILIENT.
YOU KNOW, DAY ONE, DAY TWO PEOPLE HAD DEBRIS OUT AT THE CURVE TRYING TO GET NORMALCY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE ISSUE WITH, UH, CENTER POINT.
I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE, AND IT'S GONNA SOUND IRONIC.
I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS HAPPY, RIGHT? 'CAUSE ALL THE ATTENTION WAS ON CENTER POINT
I'M THE ONE THAT WAS SAD WHEN THE POWER GOT RESTORED, RIGHT? BECAUSE ALL OF THAT WAS COMING OVER TO WILL FALK.
SO, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR GREAT MAYOR, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER BOY, WE HAD SOME GOOD CONVERSATIONS, MAN.
I THOUGHT I'D GO IN AND SAY, MAYOR, WE'VE BEEN PICKING UP A MILLION CUBIC YARDS.
HE WANTED TO HEAR, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO INCREASE? WHAT ARE WE DOING TO IMPROVE? SO AGAIN, A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE WE HAVE TO BE A COMPLAINT DRIVEN DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF OUR NUMBERS, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PROPERLY SIZED.
IT DOESN'T KEEP US FROM STRIVING TO DELIVER OUTSTANDING SERVICE.
BUT SOMETIMES WITH THE CITY OF 670 SQUARE MILES, WE DON'T KNOW.
WE DON'T KNOW IT'S AN ISSUE UNTIL YOU PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR REACHING OUT TO US, YOU KNOW, BUT WITH THIS BEING MY FIRST STORM, FIRST RODEO, UH, IN HOUSTON, I'VE DEALT WITH PLENTY OF STORMS. I'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION FOR AFTER ACTION REPORTS, RIGHT? SO FOR INSTANCE, UH, WHAT WE'LL WORK ON ON THE OFF SEASON IS GETTING AROUND TO EACH ONE OF THESE GATED COMMUNITIES AND SEE IF WE CAN GET PRE-POSITIONED AGREEMENTS ALREADY SIGNED.
JUST PUT IT IN OUR BOOKS AND LET FEMA KNOW THAT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
SO IF WE GET HIT WITH ANOTHER STORM, THERE'S NO QUESTION, THERE'S NO WAITING.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES, WE'RE GONNA BE READY TO SERVICE THEM.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, SINCE WE'VE REALLY DRAINED OUR ACCOUNTS WITH THIS LIKE $120 MILLION TO CLEAN UP THESE STORMS, WE'VE GOTTA WORK ON BUILDING THAT RESERVE BACK UP.
HOW WE DO IT? WELL, I'M LOOKING AT THE CITY TO SEE HOW WE GONNA DO IT.
BUT I SAY ALL OF THAT TO SAY THAT WE GOTTA GET TO A POINT WHERE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT CAN BECOME SOLVENT, WHERE IT CAN STAND ON ITS OWN, WHERE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO RELY ON THE GENERAL FUND.
AND I WOULD RATHER THAT A HUNDRED PLUS MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND THIS YEAR, WE'RE ONLY BUDGETED FOR ABOUT 99 TO A HUNDRED MILLION.
I GUARANTEE YOU, WE'LL SPEND ABOUT 130.
I WOULD RATHER THAT MONEY GO TO PUT MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BUILD UP THE PARKS AND LET THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT BE A TRUE UTILITY AND BECOME THE ENTERPRISE FUND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE.
ALL RIGHT? SO THANK YOU AGAIN.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYONE MAY HAVE.
JUST TO ADD TO A COUPLE OF COMMENTS OF WHAT HE SAID, UM, WE GOT A LARGE NUMBER OF TRUCKS TO PICK UP THE DEBRIS IN KINGWOOD.
I KNOW WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE TREATED LIKE THE REDHEADED STEPCHILD A LOT OF TIMES, AND A LOT OF TIMES WE ARE.
UM, BUT WHEN IT CAME TO THE NUMBER OF RESOURCES ACTUALLY PICKING UP THE DEBRIS, WE HAD MORE RESOURCES OUT HERE THAN ANYBODY ELSE DID IN THE CITY.
UM, I HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AND EMAILS WITH THE DIRECTOR.
I WOULD LOVE TO THINK THAT I WAS THE ONE THAT GOT THAT DONE.
TRUTH WAS, IT WAS THE MAYOR, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER.
IT REALLY DOES WANT TO TAKE CARE OF KINGWOOD.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S 'CAUSE HE GOT 91% OF THE VOTE IN KINGWOOD ON
[00:50:01]
ELECTION DAYUM, THAT MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT, BUT HE WANTS TO TAKE CARE OF KINGWOOD.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S A LOT OF COMPETING INTEREST, BUT HE'S DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO, TO DO TAKE CARE OF US.
UH, AND ALSO AS LONG AS IT TOOK TO GET EVERYTHING PICKED UP, WE HAD EMPTY TRUCKS.
AND I'M SURE Y'ALL SAW 'EM WITH THE, THE TRUCK WITH THE, THE PICKER WITH THE TRAILER BEHIND EMPTY TRUCKS GO INTO HOUSES.
THEY WOULD FILL UP AT THE HOUSE AND STILL HAD NOT COMPLETED PICKUP OF THAT ONE HOUSE.
I MEAN, WE HAD, I THINK, TRAIL WOOD, FOREST COVE AND FOSTER'S MILL PROBABLY GOT HIT THE WORST.
I DROVE THROUGH THERE A NUMBER OF TIMES AND IT WAS AMAZING THE SIZE OF THESE TREES AND THE NUMBER OF THE TREES THAT CAME DOWN.
SO I THINK THE DIRECTOR DID A GREAT JOB WITH, WITH GETTING THE STUFF PICKED UP.
UM, WISH WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO DO IT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE DID.
UH, WITH THAT, TOM BROAD IS GONNA COME UP AND SPEAK ABOUT THE TOURS AND EVERYTHING GOING ON AT THE TOURS WITH THE ROAD PROJECT.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, THAT WAS THE SEXIEST SOUND I EVER HEARD WHEN THAT SOLID WASTE, UH, TRUCK CAME INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD,
UH, IT ISN'T OFTEN THAT YOU GET ASSISTANCE FROM THE NEW POLICE CHIEF.
I TOLD HIM I MAY HAVE TROUBLE GETTING UP AFTER SITTING.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE.
I AM, UH, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I AM TOM BROAD.
I AM A RESIDENT OF KINGWOOD 30 YEARS.
IT'S ONLY GONNA BE HERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT I LOVED MEMORIAL HERMAN AND I ENDED UP RETIRING HERE.
AND, AND, UH, NOW AFTER 30 YEARS, TRULY A RESIDENT OF KINGWOOD AND I AM NOW NEWLY APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE LAKE HOUSTON TOURS, THE TAX INCREMENT REASSESSMENT ZONE.
WE'RE HERE TO TALK, UH, THIS EVENING ABOUT THE NORTH PARK PROJECT.
I'M SURE THAT Y'ALL HAVE SEEN, UH, OR DRIVEN THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING ON.
WOULD YOU BELIEVE WE ALSO HAVE A PHASE TWO.
WE REFER TO IT AS THE OVERPASS PROJECT.
IT STRETCHES FROM INTERSTATE 69 TO RUSSELL PALMER.
AND AS I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, IT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AS OF TODAY.
WE ARE APPROXIMATELY 428 DAYS INTO CONSTRUCTION.
A NUMBER OF, UH, CONSTRUCTION DAYS IS 937 DAYS.
SO I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE WE STILL HAVE ABOUT 500 DAYS TO GO.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER 500 DAYS TO GO BEFORE PHASE ONE IS COMPLETED.
IF ALL GOES WELL, WE SHOULD BE DONE WITH PHASE ONE BY 2026, AND WE SHOULD START ON PHASE TWO IN 2028.
NOW, PROJECTS OF THIS SIZE ALWAYS COUNTER DELAYS, FLOODS, HURRICANES, WE EVEN HAVE FREEZING WEATHER.
SO WE HAVE BUILT CONTINGENCIES INTO ALL OF THIS, INTO OUR SCHEDULE AND FOR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MOTHER NATURE THROWS AT US.
SO WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL TOGETHER, TURS THE TAX INCREMENT REASSESSMENTS THOUGH, AND HAS SPENT APPROXIMATELY $77 MILLION ON PHASE ONE, AND 15 MILLION OF THAT HAS COME FROM THE CITY.
THANK YOU TO DAVE AND TO MAYOR TURNER ORIGINALLY FOR, FOR PUSHING THAT FOR US AND FOR MAYOR WHITMEYER AND FRED, FOR, FOR HELPING US GET THAT $15 MILLION FROM THE CITY.
NOW PHASE TWO IS CURRENTLY IN SCHEMATIC DESIGN AND IT WILL STRETCH FROM RUSSELL PALMER TO EAST OF WOODLAND HILLS.
AND THE TOTAL COST FOR THAT IS ABOUT $75 MILLION.
NOW, THE TOURS BOARD, WE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ALMOST THREE YEARS WITH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AND WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE A $43 MILLION GRANT FOR THE PROJECT.
THAT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE PHASE TWO IS GONNA SAVE LIVES.
[00:55:01]
THAT WILL ALLOW KINGWOOD RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ALONG MILLS BRANCH AND IN THE ROYAL BROOKS, UH, DEVELOPMENT.THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I LIVE IN MILLS BRANCH
IT WILL ALLOW THE MILLS BRANCH AREA AND ROYAL BROOK TO EVACUATE, TO EVACUATE DURING HIGH WATER EVENTS.
SO IF WE DID NOT BUILD PHASE TWO, EVERYONE AT THE BACK OF KINGWOOD WOULD BE, WOULD BE CUT OFF.
SO PLEASE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO WALK AROUND TO THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
WE'VE GOT, UH, ASK QUESTIONS AND LET US HELP YOU IN, UH, DEVELOPING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROJECT.
NOW, ALSO TO HELP YOU HAVE, WE HAVE A WEBSITE YOU CAN GOOGLE LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THAT WEBSITE, OUR WEBSITE.
WE'VE GOT CONSTRUCTION PLANS, VIDEOS, DRAINAGE STUDIES, AND WE HAVE SOME REALLY, REALLY COOL DRONE VIDEOS THAT ARE JUST AMAZING TO WATCH.
EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE DOING IS ACCESSIBLE TO YOU ON THAT WEBSITE.
IT'S THE LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
AND OF COURSE, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO ATTEND OUR BOARD MEETINGS.
I SHOULDN'T LET YOU KNOW THAT FRED ALWAYS ATTENDS THEM.
SO IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO TALK TO FRED.
WE MEET HERE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH 8:00 AM YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR BOARD MEETINGS AGAIN ON THE WEBSITE.
NOW, ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING.
HOPE YOU'LL GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
THE TOURIST BOARD, BY THE WAY, WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS.
OUR, UH, REWARD IS, UH, STARBUCKS, DANISH ONCE A MONTH.
UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF THE TOURIST BOARD MEMBERS HERE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE ALL OF THEM.
UM, I AM THE CHAIRMAN, TOM BROAD.
WE ALSO HAVE ON THE BOARD BILLY BEATTY WITH HUMBLE ISD BILLY SHAKE.
YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE HIM 'CAUSE HE'S CUT HIS BEARD.
WE'VE GOT PHILIP IVY, DR. MARTIN BASAL DOA, CASEY CHRISTMAN.
WE HAVE WORKED HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF HOURS MAKING REALLY IMPORTANT THIS REALLY IMPORTANT PROJECT COME TO LIFE.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, ON THE NORTH PARK, AND I DID MENTION BEFORE, I WANNA MAKE SURE I MENTION IT NOW OR MENTION IT AGAIN.
UH, CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW GOT US A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY IN ORDER TO BUILD THAT AND BASICALLY TO BUILD IT AS AN EMERGENCY EXIT OUTTA KINGWOOD.
UH, IT'S GONNA GO OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A TRAIN BEING STOPPED TO CROSS, UH, NORTH PARK.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE A REALLY BENEFIT ONCE, ONCE WE ACTUALLY GET IT DONE.
NOW THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE NO NORTH PARK FOR I BELIEVE, THREE DAYS.
UM, IS THAT THE CORRECT? AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE A FINAL DAY TO GOT BACKED UP.
UH, BUT PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON IT FOR THAT.
AND THAT HAS GOT TO DO WITH ACTUALLY DOING THE RAILROAD CROSSING.
UH, SO THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO AVOID IT.
IT'S GONNA BE SHUT DOWN FOR THREE DAYS.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE MAKING SOME DIFFERENT PLANS OTHER THAN GOING OUT ON NORTH PARK FOR THOSE THREE DAYS.
SO, AND OBVIOUSLY WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING THIS TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WANTED TO BRING UP OUR NEW CHIEF OF POLICE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UH, THE MAYOR JUST APPOINTED YOU ABOUT A MONTH AGO NOW.
IS THAT RIGHT? SO ANYWAY, CHIEF DIAZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR ALL PARTICIPATING.
I, I REALLY ENJOY COMING AND VISITING WITH THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THAT'S, UH, WHERE WE GET THE, UH, THE, THE COMPLAINTS, THE QUIPS, THE QUOTES, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO PROVIDE SERVICE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THREE THINGS THAT ARE A PRIORITY FOR ME AS, AS I'M STEPPING INTO THIS ROLE IS, IS RECRUITING STAFF FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'VE HAD SOME TREMENDOUS SUCCESS RECENTLY.
WE HAVE 176 CADETS INSIDE OUR ACADEMY NOW, UH, WE HAVE, UH, 73 OF THOSE WILL GRADUATE ON NOVEMBER 7TH.
AND FROM THAT NUMBER, THE GOOD MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, HAS ASKED ME TO PUT SOME MORE STAFF HERE IN THE KINGWOOD OFFICE.
[01:00:01]
WE'LL PROBABLY DO IT IN TWO PHASES.UH, THE FIRST CLASS COMES IN AND THEN BY FEBRUARY WE'LL HAVE SOME DIFFERENT NUMBERS.
AND WE GET THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU HAVE FROM STAFFING SURVEYS THAT WE DO BASED ON CRIME TRENDS.
MOST OF THE HOT MAPS THAT WE HAVE INDICATE ONLY ALONG THE 69 CORRIDOR, AND WE FOCUS ON, ON ALL OF THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I, I, I CAN'T, UH, DO THIS JOB WITHOUT THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE HERE THAT, THAT REALLY DO THE HARD WORK.
I'M JUST A GUY AT 1200, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT THIS, THIS BUSINESS IS GETTING, IS GETTING TOUGHER.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD AN INCIDENT WHERE, UH, ONE OF OUR, ONE OF OUR TROOPS WAS, WAS ACTUALLY SHOT A FEW DAYS AGO IN THE SPRING BRANCH AREA.
SO I'LL, I'LL SHARE WITH YOU THAT, UH, THIS IS A GUY WHO'S BEEN ON NINE YEARS.
HE'S RIDING WITH SOMEONE IN HIS CADET CLASS AND, UH, GOT UP NORMAL, GOT A COUPLE OF KIDS, UH, WIFE, WIFE HOMESCHOOLS CAME TO WORK AND ANSWERED A CALL.
SO, UNDERSTAND THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY APPARATUS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS, IS REALLY FUNCTIONING.
SO A, A NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET ACTUALLY DIALED 9 1 1 BECAUSE SHE SAW THREE YOUNG PEOPLE, OR WHAT SHE THOUGHT WERE YOUNG PEOPLE GO TO THE DOOR AND THEY RUSHED INTO THE, INTO THE HOME.
SHE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THOSE PEOPLE THERE.
SO THESE BAD GUYS GO IN THERE AND THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY TIE A, THEY TIE A LADY AND SHE HAD A 3-YEAR-OLD AND A 1-YEAR-OLD IN THE HOUSE.
SO OUR 9 1 1 OPERATOR GETS THE CALL.
THAT CALL IS TAKEN GIVEN TO THE POLICE PATROL.
SO IT'S, IT'S SUCH A FLUID AND A DYNAMIC EVENT.
SO SHE HAS TO STAY ON THE, SHE HAS TO STAY ON THE LINE WITH, WITH THE BAT, WITH, WITH, WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS TO GET TO THE RIGHT LOCATION.
OFFICERS WENT IN THERE KNOWING THERE WAS BAD GUYS IN THE HOUSE.
SO EVERY SINGLE DAY THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS, IS GIVING YOU THEIR A GAME.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS.
SO THEY WENT IN, THEY EXCHANGED GUNFIRE, GOT SHOT IN THE THIGH.
UH, HIS WIFE HAD HIM DOING DISHES.
SO HE, HE, HE'S IN A GOOD SPOT.
SO REALLY, I I, I, I SAY IT LIGHTLY, BUT, UH, HE'S IN A VERY GOOD SPOT.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, LIKE, LIKE, UH, MOST CITY DEPARTMENTS WE'RE SHORTHANDED.
THERE'S MORE PEOPLE, I THINK THERE WAS MORE PEOPLE IN 2000, 2001 AT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT THAN THERE IS NOW.
UH, I KNOW COUNCIL HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB, UH, FILLING THOSE, FILLING, FILLING OUR NEEDS.
I DON'T COME TO CITY COUNCIL WITH WANTS, RIGHT? I COME WITH NEEDS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE.
SO WE'RE GETTING SOME DYNAMIC PEOPLE INTO THIS, INTO THE NEXT GENERATION OF POLICE OFFICERS.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMUNITY FOR ALL OF HOUSTON, THAT, THAT WE ARE MEETING THE NEXT GENERATION, THE NEXT CHALLENGES THAT THIS CITY'S GONNA HAVE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS ON THE HORIZON.
WE GOT 30 DAYS OF SUPER BOWL COMING WITH THE WORLD CUP, SO WE'RE TRYING TO FILL THE RANKS AS FAST AS WE CAN.
BUT AGAIN, UM, I, I, I HAVE TWO MINUTES, BUT THOSE ARE MY CONCERNS.
RECRUITING, RETENTION, AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.
AND I KNOW, UH, THE GOOD MAYOR IS, IS FOCUSED ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY APPARATUS, AND WE'RE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
SO IF YOU HAVE GRANDKIDS, NEPHEWS, NIECES, POLICE, SEND THEM OUR WAY.
AND WE'D LOVE TO HAVE SOME GREAT KIDS FROM KINGWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.
RIGHT? SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'LL BE AROUND FOR SOME QUESTIONS.
IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU WANT HARD STATISTICS, OUR, OUR KINGWOOD TEAM IS HERE WITH THE RAW DATA.
THEY CAN GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION.
NEXT UP, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SERGEANT SWANNI.
I'M SURE I BUTCHERED THAT NAME.
HE'S GONNA BE COMING UP THIS YEAR.
WE JUST STARTED A CRIME SUPPRESSION UNIT IN KINGWOOD.
UH, HE'S GONNA TELL YOU WHAT THEY DO.
I'M SERGEANT SOLANI WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M THE SUPERVISOR OVER THE KINGWOOD DIVISION CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM.
WE'VE BEEN OPERATING OUT HERE IN KINGWOOD FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF OR THREE MONTHS NOW, AS THE CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM, UH, WAS ASKED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER TO COME OUT HERE TONIGHT.
UM, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE ENDED UP AT THIS POINT, I'M GONNA START BY TELLING YOU A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF.
SO I'VE BEEN ON THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR SEVEN YEARS NOW.
I SPENT THE MAJORITY OF MY CAREER WORKING EXTREMELY BUSY SECTIONS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MAINLY NORTH, NORTHEAST, SOUTHEAST.
MY LAST ASSIGNMENT PRIOR TO COMING TO KINGWOOD WAS AT SOUTHEAST, WHICH FOR ANY OF YOU THAT KNOW, THE CITY OF HOUSTON SOUTHEAST IS ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT SECTIONS
[01:05:01]
OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS, STABBINGS, KILLINGS, VIOLENT CRIME IN GENERAL.
UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I TRULY ENJOYED WORKING OUT THERE.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT'S BEEN A GO-GETTER, HIGHLY MOTIVATED, WANTED TO GO OUT AND DO INVESTIGATIONS, FILE WARRANTS, PUT PEOPLE IN JAIL THAT NEED TO BE PUT IN JAIL.
AND SO, IF YOU HAD ASKED ME A COUPLE YEARS AGO IF I WANTED TO COME OUT HERE AND WORK IN KINGWOOD, MY ANSWER PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN NO.
AND THE REASON BEING IS THE MAJORITY OF THE OFFICERS AND THE SERGEANTS THAT COME OUT HERE, THE HONEST TRUTH IS THEY COME OUT HERE TO SLOW THINGS DOWN.
'CAUSE WE GENERALLY DON'T HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF CRIME THAT THE REST OF THE CITY HAS.
NOW THAT BEING SAID, UM, I'VE BEEN SEEING SOME THINGS OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THAT ARE CONCERNING TO ME.
AND I'M NOT SAYING CONCERNING TO ME AS A SERGEANT WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT I'M SAYING CONCERNING TO ME AS A RESIDENT OF KINGWOOD, JUST LIKE THE MAJORITY OF YOU IN THIS ROOM, I AM A RESIDENT OF KINGWOOD.
I'VE LIVED OUT HERE FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW.
AND IF WE LOOK AT KINGWOOD GEOGRAPHICALLY, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU GO TO THE NORTH, THE SOUTH, THE EAST, OR THE WEST OF KINGWOOD, YOU'RE GONNA END UP IN AN AREA THAT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER CRIME THAN WE DO.
UM, AND A LOT OF THESE AREAS ARE GETTING A LOT WORSE, AND SOME OF THAT'S STARTING TO BLEED OVER INTO OUR AREA.
UH, GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS, IF YOU LOOK AT ATASCOCITA JUST SOUTH OF US, 10 OR 15 YEARS AGO, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ATASCOCITA WAS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE TOP PLACES IN THE NATION TO RETIRE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU IT'S NO LONGER ON THAT LIST ANYMORE.
UM, SO I AM GONNA GO OVER SOME CRIME STATS TO START.
UH, IF WE LOOK AT THE CRIME STATS IN 2024 VERSUS 2023, HERE IN KINGWOOD, YEAR TO DATE, AUTO THEFTS HAVE BEEN UP 13.5%.
BURGLARY OF MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT TO MOTOR VEHICLE ARE UP 3.2%.
BURGLARY OF A BUILDING IS UP 57.9%.
BURGLARY OF A HABITATION IS UP 21.4%.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS ARE UP 28.3%.
KIDNAPPING IS UP 100%, MURDER IS UP 100%.
NOW, YOU DO HAVE TO TAKE THAT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.
WE ONLY HAD ONE OR TWO INCIDENTS OF EACH OF THOSE.
UM, BUT THAT'S QUITE A LOT COMPARED TO LAST YEAR WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY.
UH, SEXUAL ASSAULTS ARE UP 41.7%.
OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME HERE IN KINGWOOD IS UP 22.6%.
NOW, THE MAIN REASON WHY I'M HERE TODAY IS TO TALK ABOUT THE CRIME, THE CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM THAT WE HAVE IN KINGWOOD.
UM, WE'VE BEEN OPERATING OUT HERE FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW.
UH, WE'VE BEEN DOING SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS, UM, FOR ME TO BETTER EXPLAIN TO YOU HOW IT IS THAT WE OPERATE.
OUR OVERALL GOAL IS TO SUPPRESS CRIME OR REDUCE CRIME HERE IN KINGWOOD.
UH, THE WAY IN WHICH WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, FOR ME TO BETTER EXPLAIN THAT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND START WITH THE BASICS.
SO, WHEN A CRIME OCCURS OUT HERE IN KINGWOOD, AND A RESIDENT PICKS UP THE PHONE AND CALLS THE POLICE, THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS IS THAT A PATROL OFFICER IS DISPATCHED OUT TO THEIR LOCATION.
NOW, SOMETIMES RESIDENTS ARE PICKING UP THE PHONE AND CALLING WHILE THAT CRIME IS IN PROGRESS.
AND SO OFFICERS ARE ABLE TO GET OUT THERE, THEY'RE ABLE TO CATCH THE SUSPECT WHILE THEY'RE IN THE PRO PROCESS OF COMMITTING THAT CRIME, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE 'EM TO JAIL AND RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AS IT'S HAPPENING.
HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF TIMES THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT THE SITUATION.
THE REALITY OF IT IS, IS THAT OFFICERS ARE BEING CALLED BY RESIDENTS TO, TO RESPOND TO CALLS FOR CRIMES THAT HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED.
AND SO THEY'RE GETTING ON SCENE.
AND ONCE THEY GET OUT THERE, A LOT OF TIMES THESE RESIDENTS DON'T KNOW WHO COMMITTED THE CRIME.
THEY DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF INFORMATION.
AND SO THESE PATROL OFFICERS, THE BEST THING THEY CAN DO IS GATHER AS MUCH INFORMATION AS THEY CAN AND COMPLETE AN INCIDENT REPORT.
NOW, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT INCIDENT REPORT IS IT'S SUPPOSED TO GET ASSIGNED TO AN INVESTIGATOR FOR A FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION.
THE THING ABOUT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS, IS THAT WE'RE A VERY LARGE DEPARTMENT.
WE OPERATE AND COVER A VERY LARGE AREA, AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS AND OUR INVESTIGATORS ARE LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN AT 1200 TRAVIS AT OUR POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
NOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT LOGICALLY, FOR AN INVESTIGATOR IN DOWNTOWN TO TRY TO INVESTIGATE A CRIME OUT HERE IN KINGWOOD, IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT BECAUSE THESE INVESTIGATORS, THEY, THEY'VE GOT A BIG AREA TO COVER.
AND THAT INVESTIGATOR IN DOWNTOWN MAY OR MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE KINGWOOD AREA.
THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THE CRIMINALS THAT OPERATE OUT HERE.
AND IT'S AT NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
IT'S JUST THEY GOT A VERY LARGE AREA TO COVER.
AND SO, PART OF WHAT WE DO WITH THE CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM IS I HAVE SIX OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO ME.
TWO OF THESE OFFICERS ARE INVESTIGATORS.
THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL INVESTIGATORS.
THEY'RE PROBABLY TWO OF THE BEST INVESTIGATORS ON THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THAT'S OFFICER WILLIAMSON.
UH, BOTH OF THEM COULD HAVE VERY EASILY GONE AND WORKED AT OTHER INVESTIGATIVE DIVISIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BUT THEY CHOSE TO BE OUT HERE IN KINGWOOD BECAUSE THEY'RE ALSO KINGWOOD RESIDENTS.
AND SO WHAT THEY DO IS, EVERY SINGLE DAY, WE GET A LIST OF ALL THE CRIMES OUT HERE IN KINGWOOD, AND WE READ THROUGH THAT LIST.
WE GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE REPORT THAT IS, THAT IS FILED HERE IN KINGWOOD OF A CRIME.
AND WE DO THAT FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
THE FIRST REASON BEING, WE WANNA STAY ON TOP OF CRIME TRENDS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE.
THE SECOND REASON WHY WE DO THIS IS BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IT'S
[01:10:01]
THE SAME SUSPECTS COMMITTING CRIMES OVER AND OVER AGAIN.AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S A BUNCH OF CRIMES THAT ARE OCCURRING OUT HERE THAT HAVE THE SAME ELEMENTS, AND WE'RE ABLE TO CONNECT THEM TOGETHER AND LINK 'EM TOGETHER BACK TO THE SAME SUSPECT THAT WE'RE DOING THAT.
NOW, THE THIRD REASON WHY WE READ THROUGH EVERY SINGLE REPORT IS BECAUSE WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE THOSE REPORTS AND WE ASSIGN THEM TO OUR LOCAL INVESTIGATORS OUT HERE THAT ARE PART OF OUR CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM.
AND WHAT THOSE INVESTIGATORS DO IS THEY GO OUT AND THEY START TO CONDUCT THAT FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATION FROM RIGHT HERE IN KINGWOOD.
AND THEY'LL GO OUT, THEY'LL START BY TALKING TO THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINANT, GATHERING INFORMATION FROM THEM.
THEY'LL GO OUT, THEY'LL LOCATE WITNESSES, THEY'LL TALK TO THOSE WITNESSES, GET STATEMENTS FROM THEM.
THEY'LL GO OUT, THEY'LL TRY TO FIND EVIDENCE SOMETIMES IN THE FORM OF SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, MAYBE FROM A LOCAL BUSINESS, MAYBE FROM A, FROM A RESIDENCE'S HOUSE, A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, MAYBE FROM A RING CAMERA.
THEY'LL GO OUT SOMETIMES AND THEY'LL GET DNA EVIDENCE OR FINGERPRINT EVIDENCE.
THEY WILL USE EVERY SINGLE INVESTIGATIVE TOOL AVAILABLE TO THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PUT THESE CASES TOGETHER.
ONCE THEY HAVE THESE CASES PUT TOGETHER, WHAT THEY'LL DO IS THEY'LL PACKAGE 'EM UP REAL NICE.
THEY'LL TAKE 'EM TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THEY'LL PRESENT THE FACTS OF THEIR INVESTIGATION, AND THEY'LL GET CHARGES ACCEPTED AGAINST THESE SUSPECTS COMMITTING THESE CRIMES OUT HERE IN KINGWOOD.
ONCE THEY DO THAT, THEY'LL FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE PROCESS OF FILING WHAT IS KNOWN AS A TWO B WARRANT, WHICH IS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THEY'RE FILING AN ARREST WARRANT.
ONCE THAT ARREST WARRANT IS FILED FOR THAT SUSPECT'S ARREST, THEY WILL TAKE THAT WARRANT AND THEY'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR TWO WARRANT OFFICERS.
WE HAVE TWO WARRANT OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO OUR CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM OUT HERE.
THEIR SOLE PURPOSE IS TO TRACK THESE SUSPECTS DOWN.
THEY WILL DRIVE AROUND KINGWOOD.
THEY'LL FOLLOW THESE SUSPECTS AROUND, THEY'LL FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY LIVE, THEY'LL FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY WORK, THEY'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT ROUTES THEY TAKE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THEY'LL PUT ALL THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER, THEY'LL BRING IT BACK TO ME.
WE'LL PUT TOGETHER WHAT'S CALLED A TACTICAL OPERATION PLAN.
BASICALLY A PLAN ON HOW WE'RE GONNA GO GET THESE SUSPECTS OFF THE STREET.
AND WE'RE MAINLY FOCUSED ON VIOLENT CRIME AND FELONY CRIME, THE MORE SERIOUS OFFENSES.
AND ONCE WE HAVE THAT TACTICAL OPERATION PLAN IN PLACE, WE'LL GO OUT AND WE WILL SOMETIMES GO TO THEIR RESIDENCE, AND WE'LL TAKE OUR ENTIRE CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM OUT THERE.
SOMETIMES WE'LL GRAB ADDITIONAL OFFICERS IF WE HAVE TO.
WE'LL SURROUND THEIR RESIDENCE IN, WE'LL TRY TO GET 'EM TO COME OUT.
SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WANT TO COME OUT.
WE'LL FORCE ENTRY INTO THEIR HOUSE, WE'LL KICK THEIR DOOR IN, GO IN, PUT 'EM IN HANDCUFFS AND TAKE 'EM TO JAIL.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES OVER THE PAST MONTH WE'VE GONE INTO HOUSES AND WOKEN SUSPECTS UP OUT OF BED, TAKING 'EM TO JAIL.
SOMETIMES WE FOLLOW THESE SUSPECTS AROUND IN KINGWOOD.
AS THEY'RE DRIVING AROUND, WE PULL 'EM OVER ON A TRAFFIC STOP, TAKE 'EM TO JAIL THAT WAY, OTHER TIMES WE GO TO THEIR PLACE OF WORK AND WE ARREST THEM WHILE THEY'RE AT WORK.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TAKING THIS EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE APPROACH TO POLICING BECAUSE ALMOST ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM OUT HERE IN KINGWOOD, OUR RESIDENTS OUT HERE, AND WE ALL TRULY CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE LAST THING THAT WE WANNA SEE HAPPEN IS THAT KINGWOOD TURNS INTO A LOT OF THE OTHER PLACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO I'M GONNA GO OVER SOME OF THE STATS OF WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS.
JULY, 2024 WAS OUR FIRST MONTH OPERATING HERE IN KINGWOOD, OFFICIALLY AS A CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM.
WE MADE 35 FELONY WARRANT ARRESTS.
WE FILED SIX NEW FELONY CHARGES AND ONE NEW MISDEMEANOR CHARGE.
WE SEIZED 679 GRAMS OF MARIJUANA, 6.47 GRAMS OF MUSHROOMS. AND WE RECOVERED ONE GUN.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS ALL KINGWOOD CASES.
WE'RE NOT GOING OUTSIDE OF KINGWOOD.
WE'RE NOT PICKING UP CASES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA.
EVERYTHING THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HAS A NEXUS BACK TO KINGWOOD.
THE SECOND FULL MONTH THAT WE HAD HERE IN KINGWOOD WAS IN AUGUST.
AND IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST, WE INVESTIGATED 119 CASES.
WE MADE 54 WARRANT ARRESTS, INCLUDING 41 FELONY WARRANTS, NINE MISDEMEANOR WARRANTS, AND THREE SEX WARRANTS.
WE ALSO FILED NINE NEW FELONY CHARGES AND THREE NEW MISDEMEANOR CHARGES.
NOW THIS, THIS AGGRESSIVE APPROACH TO POLICING, UH, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO SEE THE RESULT OF THAT.
UH, I HAD SOME STATS PULLED FROM OUR CRIME ANALYST.
I WENT OVER SOME OF THOSE STATS LAST WEEK ACTUALLY, DURING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING.
BUT I'M GONNA GO OVER THEM AGAIN.
AND THESE ARE OUR STATS FOR THE LAST 28 DAYS.
UM, AND THIS IS COMPARING THE LAST 28 DAYS IN 2024 TO THE SAME TIME PERIOD IN 2023, BURGLARY OF HABITATION IS DOWN 28.6%.
WE HAVE HAD NO INCIDENTS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, KIDNAPPING, OR MURDER.
SO IN THE LA IN THE SAME 28 DAY PERIOD IN 2023, WE HAD THREE ROBBERIES.
NOW IN THE LAST 28, 28 DAYS, AND 2024, WE'VE HAD ZERO ROBBERIES.
VIOLENT CRIME HERE IN KINGWOOD IN THE LAST 28 DAYS IS DOWN 14.3%.
SO A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WORKING.
UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND LIKE I SAID, ALL OF US HAVE A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM AND PASSION FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE WE ALL CARE ABOUT KINGWOOD.
[01:15:01]
UH, WE ALL LIVE OUT HERE.UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WANTED TO, UH, THANK COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME OUT HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY.
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK HIM BECAUSE HE'S BEEN A HUGE SUPPORT TO OUR UNIT.
HE'S PROVIDED US WITH OVERTIME FUNDS THAT ALLOW US TO INVESTIGATE CASES AND RUN WARRANTS AFTER HOURS AFTER OUR SHIFT.
HE'S ALSO BEEN MAKING A LOT OF PHONE CALLS TO TRY TO GET US ADDITIONAL OFFICERS ON OUR SQUAD.
'CAUSE CURRENTLY WE HAVE, UH, FOUR OFFICERS TO OUR CRIME SUPPRESSION TEAM.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE SIX OFFICERS TOTAL, BUT TWO OF THEM ARE PART OF WHAT'S CALLED THE DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TEAM.
AND WE ALL OPERATE OUTTA THE SAME UNIT, UH, SAME OFFICE.
SO WE KIND OF HELP EACH OTHER OUT.
UM, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY THANKFUL TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER FOR, UH, BEING A SUPPORT TO US.
ALSO OUT HERE, UH, COMMANDER SMITH IS IS HERE FROM THE KINGWOOD DIVISION AS WELL.
UH, OFFICER SAVAGE, IS HE STILL HERE? AH, OKAY.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO MISS YOU, AND I COULDN'T SEE YOU.
SO, UH, OFFICER SAVAGE LIVES IN THE AREA AS WELL.
I THINK MOST OF YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH HIM.
HE'S BEEN, UH, ON PATROL HERE FOREVER.
OFFICER SAVAGE ALSO DEALS WITH THE HOMELESS.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD, I, I THINK, A BIT OF AN UPTICK IN THE HOMELESS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO IS CALLED A CIVILITY ORDINANCE.
I KNOW THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT DEALS WITH THE HOMELESS, BUT IT ACTUALLY DOES.
UM, WE'VE PASSED A COUPLE OF THOSE IN COUNCIL THIS YEAR FOR AREAS OF TOWN THAT I WOULD'VE EQUATED WITH THE HOMELESSNESS.
I NEVER WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD'VE HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH KINGWOOD.
WASN'T EXACTLY ON MY BINGO CARD FOR THIS YEAR, BUT, UH, IT APPEARS WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO KIND OF DEAL WITH THAT A LITTLE BETTER AS WELL.
UH, LAKE PATROL IS, IS ALSO OUT HERE.
AND, UH, OFFICER OR LIEUTENANT MEDINA AS WELL.
UM, SPEAKING OF LAKE PATROL, DURING THE MAY RAIN EVENT, MY CHIEF OF STAFF, DUSTIN AND I WENT OUT WITH LAKE PATROL, AND THEY TOOK US ON THE LAKE, ON THE RIVER.
WE WANTED TO SEE THE EXTENT OF THE FLOODING.
UH, ACTUALLY, THEY ENDED UP RESCUING A GUY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SAN JACINTO RIVER IN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NORTH, I GUESS NORTH HUMBLE OVER THERE.
AND IT, IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING TO SEE THIS, THEIR MOBILE HOMES, CARS, THINGS THAT ALL COULD BE MOVED THAT WEREN'T MOVED.
AND HERE THEY ARE FLOODED, AND THIS GUY'S IN FOUR OR FIVE FEET OF WATER IN HIS MOBILE HOME.
AND WE'RE HAVING TO, AND ACTUALLY IT WASN'T REALLY A MOTOR HOME, IT WAS MORE OF A FIFTH WHEEL.
SO HE SAID, WELL, IT WASN'T THIS BAD LAST TIME.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE REALLY PUT INTO POSITIONS THAT WE SHOULDN'T PUT 'EM INTO.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, I THINK WE ALWAYS LOOK AT THE POLICE OFFICERS WHEN WE THINK THERE'S ISSUES WITH CRIME.
AND WE, WE WANT TO ASSIGN THE BLAME TO THEM FOR CRIME.
UH, REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM SPOKE ABOUT IT EARLIER.
UH, THERE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH A NUMBER OF JUDGES.
UH, KIM OG INVITED ME TO SPEND A DAY IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HERE ABOUT A MONTH AGO, UH, MYSELF AND DAMARI PEREZ DID THAT.
AND SHE'S PUTTING TOGETHER A SCORECARD ON THE JUDGES.
THERE ARE ABOUT A HALF DOZEN JUDGES WHO ARE WAY OUTTA LINE WITH THE REST OF THE JUDGES IN DISMISSING CASES, SAYING, OH, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE IN THEIR LACK OF HOLDING TRIALS AND THE LOW BONDS THEY SELL.
OKAY? SO IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE JUDGES, IT'S UP TO US TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND ALSO, GOING BACK TO WHAT REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM SAID, THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO GET A WARRANT TO GET THE INFORMATION ON THAT ANKLE MONITOR.
THE JUDGE WOULDN'T GIVE IT UP.
AND WHAT THEY BASICALLY WERE DOING IN THEIR INVESTIGATION IS THEY SAID, OKAY, WE KNOW HE WAS SHOT HERE AT THIS TIME.
WE WANNA KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY BAD GUYS ON AN ANKLE MONITOR AT THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME.
AND, AND AGAIN, THE JUDGE DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE IT UP.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA GET OUT THERE AND VOTE IN NOVEMBER.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE VOTING FOR JUDGES.
IF YOU SAY, OH, I DON'T KNOW WHO TO VOTE FOR.
UM, LOCAL FOX HAS A, UH, SEGMENT ON EVERY TUESDAY, I BELIEVE, BREAKING BOND, ANY OF YOU FAMILIAR WITH IT? OKAY.
WHERE THEY TALK ABOUT THE BONDS THAT GIVE, THE JUDGES HAVE GIVEN WHAT CRIME STOPPERS ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THIS.
GO LOOK IT UP AND SEE ABOUT DOING SOMETHING WITH IT.
UM, CONGRESS OR CITY COUNCILMAN JULIAN RAMIREZ IS HERE.
I WANTED TO GIVE HIM A, A MINUTE TO SPEAK AS, AS WELL.
AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM.
[01:20:01]
IN THE SAME DAY AS TWILA AND FRED.AND, UH, I LOVE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ON CITY COUNCIL.
IT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM.
IT'S NOT AN EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.
I WOULD NOT BE SITTING ON CITY COUNCIL.
BUT I WANNA TALK ABOUT TWO THINGS.
UH, ONE IS PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I'M GLAD WE HAD CHIEF DIAZ HERE.
AND, UH, I HAVE TROUBLE GETTING USED TO SEEING HIM WITHOUT A A HAT.
UH, HE SPENT A LOT OF YEARS IN THE TEXAS RANGERS, AND THAT'S WHERE I GOT TO KNOW HIM, UH, WHEN I, WHEN I WORKED AT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO, BUT HE'S, HE'S DOING A GREAT JOB IN MAKING A GREAT START IN PICKING A GREAT COMMAND STAFF.
AND SO WE COULDN'T HAVE A BETTER CHIEF IN, IN MY OPINION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID THIS YEAR ON PUBLIC SAFETY IS WE ADDED A, AN ADDITIONAL POLICE CADET CLASS AT THE ACADEMY.
NORMALLY, WE'D HAVE FIVE IN A FISCAL YEAR.
THIS YEAR, I PROPOSED A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ADD, TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL CLASS.
AND THAT PASSED WITH THE MAYOR'S SUPPORT.
AND, AND THANKFULLY WITH TWILA AND FRED'S SUPPORT AS WELL.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? BECAUSE FOUR, OUTTA TWO, OUTTA THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE ACTUALLY LOST MORE POLICE OFFICERS THROUGH ATTRITION THAN WE HAVE GAINED THROUGH THE ACADEMY.
THAT'S NOT A RECIPE FOR PUTTING MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS.
AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT AN ADDITIONAL CLASS IS NECESSARY TO STOP THAT TREND, TO GET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, AND, UH, GET ON THE ROAD TO PUTTING MORE POLICE, POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREET, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED.
AND FRED, YOU TOOK THE WORDS OUTTA MY MOUTH WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT JUDICIAL ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS MATTER, AND IT MATTERS WHO SITS ON YOUR CRIMINAL COURT BENCHES, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE JUDGES THAT ARE GONNA RELEASE DEFENDANTS ON LOW BAIL, VIOLENT OFFENDERS ON LOW BAIL, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LESS SAFE COMMUNITY.
AND THIS IS RELATED TO, UH, THE POLICE OFFICER NUMBER SITUATION, BECAUSE WE LOSE A LOT OF POLICE OFFICERS WHO JUST GET SO TIRED OF BRINGING OFFENDERS IN THE FRONT DOOR AND THEN SEEING JUDGES RELEASE 'EM OUT THE BACK DOOR A FEW HOURS LATER.
AND SO, PLEASE, JUDICIAL ELECTIONS MATTER.
PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THESE JUDICIAL POSITIONS AND VOTE FOR THE JUDGES THAT VALUE THE SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT MATTERS.
AND THAT WILL DO A, A LOT, I THINK, TO HELP US RETAIN POLICE OFFICERS.
UM, THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS, I WANNA REITERATE THAT YOU HAVE THE MAYOR'S EAR.
HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT THE LAST TWO JULY 4TH PARADES, HE'S BEEN HERE IN KINGWOOD, HE HAS, HE KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT KINGWOOD IS TO HIS SUCCESS.
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH, CITY COUNCIL IS GONNA SET A TAX RATE.
AND THAT TAX RATE IS GONNA DETERMINE IN PART, ALONG WITH PROPERTY VALUATIONS, UH, WHAT YOUR TAX BILL IS GONNA LOOK LIKE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND SO IF YOU DON'T WANNA SEE A TAX INCREASE, THEN YOU NEED TO LET THE MAYOR'S OFFICE KNOW THAT, BECAUSE COUNCIL IS GONNA BE DEBATING WHERE TO SET THAT TAX RATE.
AND I LOVE YOU, DIRECTOR WILLOCK, UH, OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
THE FOLKS WHO WORK IN THAT DEPARTMENT WORK SO HARD.
THEY WORK 12 HOUR DAYS OR EVEN LONGER.
I DID, I DID A RIDE ALONG, NOT REALLY A RIDE ALONG.
I FOLLOWED ALONG WITH THEM ONE DAY AND I SAW HOW HARD THEY WORK.
UM, BUT WHAT IS BEING CONSIDERED IS A GARBAGE FEE TO BE ADDED ON.
AND IF YOU DON'T WANNA SEE A GARBAGE FEE, OR IF YOU DO WANNA SEE A GARBAGE FEE, AGAIN, I WOULD ASK YOU TO WEIGH IN ON THAT AND LET THE MAYOR'S OFFICE KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW THAT NOT A WHOLE LOT OF YOU IN THIS ROOM HAVE YOUR GARBAGE PICKED UP BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
MINE IS, MINE IS PICKED UP BY THE CITY, AND I KNOW THEY WORK HARD, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TRUCKS.
THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DRIVERS.
AND SO, UH, LOTS OF TIMES THINGS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SO ANYWAY, PLEASE WEIGH IN ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT ARE GONNA BE DECIDED IN SHORT ORDER.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE YOU.
AND THANK YOU, UH, FRED, FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I DON'T THINK HE NEEDS MUCH OF AN INTRODUCTION.
I THINK DAN DAN'S, UH, PRETTY WELL KNOWN BY EVERYBODY HERE.
AND THANK YOU, DAN, FOR FLYING IN FROM AUSTIN
[01:25:01]
AND, UH, BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS THE DAM.WE WERE ABLE TO GET DAN APPOINTED TO THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY.
I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN ABOUT A MONTH NOW.
UH, TRULY BELIEVE THAT DAN IS ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THIS JOB AND IS GONNA BE ABLE TO REALLY ENSURE THAT WE KEEP ON TRACK FOR THE ADDITIONAL GATES OF THE DAM.
I BROUGHT WITH ME, UH, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, DAVID WARDLOW, WHO'S ALSO GONNA BE HERE, TALKING ABOUT SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, LET ME JUST START OUT BY, UH, THANKING, UH, FRED AND THE MAYOR FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY ON THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I RETIRED FROM POLITICAL OFFICE, UM, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT TO RETIRE FROM SERVICE OR VOLUNTEERING AND DOING SOME THINGS.
AND THIS HAS, UH, BEEN A PASSION OF MINE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HELP OF, OF SENATOR WHITMEYER, NOW, MAYOR WHITMEYER, AND, AND CERTAINLY LAST SESSION, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM, WE, WE SECURED AN ADDITIONAL $50 MILLION FOR THE FINAL COMPLETION OR THE FINAL PHASE.
WHAT WOULD BE DONE, UH, TO BUILD OUT OUR, OUR GATES.
AND FOR JUST A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON FOR EVERYBODY I KNOW ALL, YOU PROBABLY HAVE LIVED THROUGH IT, MANY LIKE I DID, AND LIVING ON THE LAKES STILL, AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING PANIC ATTACKS, AND WE SEE THE WATER RISING AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ABOUT THAT.
AND PTSD THAT WE HAD THIS PAST YEAR, RIGHT? MULTIPLE OCCASIONS OF HAVING THAT HAPPEN TO US.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN 17, THE GOVERNOR SAID, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS, WE'RE GONNA FIX IT.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT GO FORWARD.
UH, FAST FORWARD IN 2019, WE GOT SECURED $30 MILLION.
WE HAD SOME MATCHING FUNDS THAT CAME WITH FEMA, UH, IF YOU RECALL, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THAT DID THE INITIAL DREDGING AND, AND, AND, AND DID THE MOUTH BAR IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
2021, WE GOT ANOTHER $50 MILLION.
UM, AND FOR THOSE OF, YOU KNOW, BOB ACK WRITES GREAT STORIES.
HE'S GOT MORE OF THE HISTORY AND REMEMBERS MORE OF WHAT WE DID THAN, THAN MOST OF US HERE.
BUT BOB'S GOT A GREAT BLOG THAT YOU SHOULD GO TO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, THAT TALKS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS STUFF, OF WHERE IT'S AT.
THIS WAS THE START OF THE PHASE OF IDENTIFYING WHERE THE GATES WERE.
AND IF ANY OF THOSE ENGINEERS THAT ARE HERE, AND I SEE MY FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, CASEY CHRISMAN HERE, KNOWS THAT WE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS AT T DM AND CITY OF HOUSTON AND A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PLACES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE MAKE IT ALL WORK, RIGHT? AND WHAT WE FIGURED OUT WAS, IS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY, UH, AFTER 2021, WE FIGURED OUT THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE THE GATE SYSTEM AND HOW THE GATES ARE DONE, UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS JUST SO YOU KNOW, FROM AN UPDATE PERSPECTIVE, HOW THE GATE SYSTEM WORKS, HOW THE GATE SYSTEMS WORKS, AND WHERE AND WHERE IT GOES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A POINTER THERE, BUT THIS IS THE CURRENT DAM SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
IT'S A 75 ISH YEAR OLD SYSTEM, VERY UNIQUE IN A DESIGN BECAUSE IT'S HELD IN PLACE BY WEIGHTS, THE WATER WEIGHTS HOLD THE DAM IN PLACE.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IT'S NOT A, IT'S, IT'S A SPILLWAY SYSTEM.
IT'S NOT A GATE SYSTEM THAT CAN GO UP AND DOWN WHILE IT'S, WE HAVE MAINTENANCE GATES.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DID, OR WE TRIED TO DO OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, THAT THE, THE CITY COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN DID, UH, THAT EXECUTED WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND NOW COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FLICKINGER AND, AND, AND CARTER AND OTHERS, AND, AND, AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL GET INVOLVED WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GATES DON'T GET FLOODED.
THE REALITY IS WHAT WE FIGURED OUT IS THAT, THAT THAT WAS A PROBLEM.
SO WHEN WE GOT THE ADDITIONAL MONEY, UH, THAT WAS APPROPRIATED BY THE LEGISLATURE THIS PAST YEAR, THE $50 MILLION THAT, THAT, UH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM AND SENATOR CREIGHTON, UH, MADE SURE THAT THE AREA GOT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THAT GAVE US THE GREEN LIGHT TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THE DESIGN THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
AND SO, OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT REPLACING THE FIVE GATE SYSTEM.
NOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE HERE AND WERE FLOODED, HOW MANY OF YOU WERE FLOODED, UH, DURING HARVEY? YEAH, AND PART OF THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE MO MAJORITY OF IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE RELEASE OF THE WATER FROM THE SAN CENTER RIVER, AND WE COULDN'T GET THE WATER OUT IN TIME.
NOW, PART OF IT WAS WE, WE DIDN'T GET THE WATER OUT EARLY ENOUGH.
UM, WE DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD A STORM SITTING OVER US.
THERE WAS A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF AREAS AND A LOT OF RIVER FRONTS THAT ARE NOT CONTROLLABLE, BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR SYSTEM MODERATELY.
RIGHT NOW, THE GOAL AND THE END GOAL OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO IS TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A SYSTEM THAT'S GONNA CREATE A FLOW OF WATER THAT IS GONNA BE ABLE TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE, THAT CAN BE COMING INTO THE LAKE AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
TWO REASONS, TWO REASONS WE WANT TO DO THAT.
NUMBER ONE, UM, IS THAT WHEN WE RELEASE WATER, NOW, WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH TCEQ RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT WE ARE NOT BEING PENALIZED FOR LETTING WATER OUT.
WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE WATER SUPPLY IN LAKE HOUSTON.
LAKE HOUSTON IS JUST NOT A PRETTY POND OF WATER TO LOOK AT.
THIS IS THE WATER SUPPLY FOR OVER 5 MILLION PEOPLE IN OUR REGION.
AND WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE TRINITY, UH, RIVER BASIN PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED, UM, YOU KNOW, BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER ARE COMING IN AND, AND, AND MONITORING THROUGH THEIR SYSTEM, THE
[01:30:01]
COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY OF WHICH I'M A BOARD MEMBER OF NOW, HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISTRIBUTING THAT WATER UNDER AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.SO WE PROVIDE WATER, UH, OUR AUTHORITY PROVIDES WATER.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, UH, FOR PROBABLY 20% OF THE POPULATION, UM, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, NEARLY 20% OF THE POPULATION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AS YOU, AS YOU, AS YOU LOOK AT THAT, UH, OR 10% RATHER, EXCUSE ME, 15% MY MATH'S A LITTLE OFF I WAS FLYING TODAY.
UM, SO OF, ANYWAYS, PART OF THIS AS WE GO FORWARD IS, SO AS, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, I WANT YOU TO, I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE HAD TO DO AND WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHY WE'RE IN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN.
BECAUSE ORIGINALLY WE WERE THINKING ABOUT PUTTING GATES ACROSS WHEN STEVEN COSTELLO WAS THERE, AND STEVEN WAS BIZARRE OF, OF WATER.
AND HE'D BEEN HERE MANY TIMES, YOU'VE SEEN 'EM BEFORE.
WE WERE KIND OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE END, THE PROPER, THE APPROPRIATE ENGINEERING WOULD BE.
SHOULD IT GO IN FRONT OF THOSE GATES? WOULD YOU HAVE TO TAKE 'EM OUT? WHAT HAPPENS? AND WITH A 70-YEAR-OLD SYSTEM, IT'S VERY GONNA BE VERY COMPLEX TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SO THE END RESULT WAS, IS THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT IN 11 NUT RETAINER GATES IN THIS EMBANKMENT AREA RIGHT HERE.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU WERE TO FLY OVER.
IF YOU'RE COMING OVER AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE LAKE, IF YOU EVER LOOK OUT THE AIRPLANE OR IF YOU'RE EVER ON THE LAKE, AND YOU'LL SEE IT, IF YOU'RE FACING THE GATE SYSTEM, YOU'LL SEE THE GATES THAT ARE THERE.
IT'S GONNA BE THE LEFT OF THAT.
SO THERE'S A BIG EMBANKMENT THAT'S UP THERE, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT'S GONNA GO.
THIS IS GONNA BE THE FLOW WAY THAT'S GONNA BE THERE AND THE SPILLWAY THAT'S THERE.
AND SO THIS IS THE INDICATIVE SPILLWAY STRUCTURE THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
NOW, DAVID'S MORE OF THE ENGINEER THAN I AM, AND HE CAN ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS.
BUT I WANNA, I WANNA LAY THIS OUT INTO PERSPECTIVE THAT THIS IS THE BEST SOLUTION BASED UPON THE ECONOMICS THAT WE HAVE.
THIS IS NOT THE FINAL SOLUTION.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO ULTIMATELY STOP US FROM HAVING TO GO.
REMEMBER I SAID THESE GATES ARE 75 YEARS OLD.
WE HAVE INSTANCES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WHERE DAMS HAVE FAILED.
WE ARE GETTING AHEAD OF THAT, AND WE ARE GOING TO GO INTO THE NEXT PHASE TO BE ABLE TO PLAN THAT.
THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE DONE LEGISLATIVELY.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FUND THAT.
UM, AND CERTAINLY WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM AND SENATOR CREIGHTON, UH, UH, GOVERNOR PATRICK, GOVERNOR ABBOTT, AND OTHERS THAT HAVE BEEN UNBELIEVABLY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, OVER THE YEARS TO BE ABLE TO GET THESE THINGS DONE.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO RELY ON THEM AGAIN.
SO CHARLES, WE'RE GONNA BE COMING BACK ASKING FOR MORE MONEY.
UM, SO, SO WHERE ARE WE? SO LET'S TALK PROCESS FOR A SECOND.
LAST WEEK, THE CITY, UH, UH, SIGNED OFF ON WHAT THEY CALL AN ILA, WHICH IS THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT HAS BEEN SIGNED, WHICH GIVES US THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY, THE AUTHORITY, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH THE DAM.
WE HAVE ALREADY HIRED THE ENGINEERS.
UM, THEY DID THE INITIAL DESIGN.
YOU SEE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GO AND GET A DESIGN DONE AND GET IT APPROVED.
AND WE WENT THROUGH FEMA TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
ONE OF THE DELAYS WAS, WAS RESOURCES.
'CAUSE THE GATE WAS MORE EXPENSIVE.
AND THEN THE SECOND IS WHAT THEY CALL A COST BETTER BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
AND YOU HAVE TO HIT A CERTAIN THRESHOLD TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE, TO GET FEMA FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND WITH THIS LAST $50 MILLION THAT THE, THAT, UH, THAT, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM GOT AND, AND THE ADDITIONAL COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE AS A RESULT OF THAT, THE WORK THAT STEVEN COSTELLO AND DAVE MARTIN DID.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THE WORK THAT OUR CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE DONE THAT ACTUALLY VOTED FOR THAT IN PAST THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND SO LET ME JUST WALK YOU THROUGH THAT REALLY QUICK.
SO THE PLAN IS BY THE END OF 25, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO BE DONE WITH DESIGN.
WE DO NOT HAVE, WE DON'T, THERE IS NO OPTION.
DESIGN HAS TO BE DONE BY THE END OF 25.
UM, SO THAT IS WHAT WE CONTROL.
WE HAVE ALREADY AUTHORIZED OUR, UH, SELECTED ENGINEER TO GET TO WORK.
THEY ALREADY HAVE PRELIMINARY DESIGNS.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE PUSHING VERY, VERY HARD.
UH, AND I'VE ALREADY TOLD THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT, YOU KNOW, I WANT, UH, BY, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY TWO WEEK UPDATES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING, UH, ONCE A MONTH, BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT ON A TWO WEEK BASIS, JUST SO WE CAN SAY THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION.
IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANY ISSUES UGLY, WE'D LIKE TO KNOW NOW BECAUSE IT COULD JEOPARDIZE OUR, OUR FEMA FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
THEN IN, UH, MAY, BY MAY OF 26 FA, PHASE ONE HAS TO HAVE AN APPROVAL DEADLINE.
THAT IS THE PART OF THE PROCESS WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER.
UM, SO, UH, WE NEED OUR, OUR CONGRESSMAN, WHO'S BEEN WONDERFUL.
CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW HAS BEEN WONDERFUL IN MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FUNDING AS WELL ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
HE'S BEEN, HE'S BEEN DILIGENT ABOUT THAT.
IN FACT, HE DID A, UH, A TOUR OF THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY OF THE DAM, AND HIS TEAM DID, I THINK IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 6TH, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, AND WAS DOWN THERE AND WAS ASKING QUESTIONS.
SO EVERYBODY IS PULLING TOGETHER ON THIS, ON THIS POINT.
ONCE THAT DONE, THEN WE WILL GO FORWARD AND WE'LL HAVE THE SELECTED, UH, CONSTRUCTION CREW TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UH, AND THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, WE'LL START IN 27, EXPECT TO
[01:35:01]
BE IN 29.WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET DONE SOONER THAN THAT.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE THE PROCESS.
UM, WE HAD SOME VERY GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS PEOPLE.
THEY'RE, THEY'VE GOT, UM, YOU KNOW, GREAT METEOROLOGISTS THAT THEY RELY UPON TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME ANALYSIS OF FIGURING OUT WHERE WE'RE AT, TO MAYBE TO, TO STAY WITHIN THE FLOWS OF WHERE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO BE FROM A, FROM A LAKE LEVELING PERSPECTIVE.
WE GET DAILY UPDATES FROM THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY ON WHERE OUR, WHERE OUR, UM, UM, OUR LEVELS AT AND THE LAKE LEVELS ARE AT.
BUT, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, AND THIS IS WHAT I TOLD DA UH, DON RIPLEY, WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHO'S A WONDERFUL GUY.
I'VE BEEN THERE, HAS TONS OF EXPERIENCE.
I SAID, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB.
WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING.
WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT WE LET PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THIS IS AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, AND THE COMMUNITIES ARE RELYING ON THIS PROJECT GETTING DONE ON TIME, ON BUDGET, UM, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING LIVES AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO WHAT DOES IT COST? WELL, UM, SO BLACK AND VEATCH, WHO WAS HIRED IN 2022, CAME UP WITH A COST ESTIMATE, UH, OF BETWEEN A HUNDRED, 300, $250 MILLION.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE RIGHT IN A BALLPARK, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE REAL CLOSE, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT
THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM, BY THE WAY.
UM, BUT WE GOT THE BENEFIT COST ANALYSIS DONE IN 20, UH, 23, AND ULTIMATELY IT CAME IN AT ABOUT $127 MILLION.
SO WHEN YOU ADD ALL THE FUNDING SOURCES TOGETHER, AND SO THIS IS WHERE THAT CAME, THIS IS WHERE THIS CAME UP, UM, IS THAT WE DID THE GRANT PHASE ONE OF $11.7 MILLION.
THE LEGISLATURE, UH, THE 87 SESSION GAVE US $30 MILLION.
THE 88TH, UH, LEGISLATURE, UH, $50 MILLION.
IT WAS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM'S, UH, GROUP HARRIS COUNTY'S GIVEN US $20 MILLION.
AND $20 MILLION FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON GIVES US $155 MILLION.
IN ADDITION, WE THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, UH, TACK ON, ON SENATE BILL SEVEN, SENATE BILL SEVEN WAS A WATER PLAN THAT SENATOR CREIGHTON WAS INVOLVED IN, AND SPEAKER PHELAN WERE INVOLVED IN CREATING, UM, THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO ACCESS SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND I INCIDENTALLY, UH, ON THE WAY HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, DOES ANYBODY WORK FOR UNITED HERE?
I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THEY WERE AWFUL TODAY.
UM, BUT IT PRE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH CHAIRMAN PERRY, CHARLES PERRY OUT OF LUBBOCK, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE WATER FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
IN FACT IS ONE OF THE PREEMINENT, UH, MINES AROUND WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN OUR STATE.
WE SPENT ABOUT 30 MINUTES TALKING ABOUT WHERE I WAS GOING, WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT I'M DOING NOW.
UH, HE AND I GOT ELECTED TOGETHER NOW 16 YEARS AGO.
UH, BUT WE HAD REALLY GREAT CONVERSATIONS.
I WANT YOU TO COME, AND I TOLD THIS TO DAVID IS COME UP AND, AND YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, WHOEVER ELSE WANTS TO COME, HE WANTS TO SIT DOWN WITH US AND TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? HOW DO WE NEED TO GO FORWARD? BECAUSE WATER IS A HUGE PROBLEM.
WE DON'T REALIZE THAT IT IS, BUT IT IS.
YOU DON'T REALIZE IT'S A PROBLEM UNTIL YOU DON'T HAVE IT.
JUST ASK, UH, GUADALUPE COUNTY, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN SEGUIN WHEN THEY LOST THEIR DAM, HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM THAT CAN BECOME.
SO WE'RE ON THE FOREFRONT OF MAKING SURE THAT WE GO FORWARD AND DO THAT.
SO WITH THAT, DAVID, I THINK YOU HAVE SOME SLIDES THAT YOU WANT TO TALK.
HE WAS, I JUST TOLD HIM TO STAND UP HERE WITH ME IN CASE I COULDN'T ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR NOT.
SO
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO, TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE, UH, FOCUSED PAYING ATTENTION DRIVING THIS PROJECT AND GETTING THIS PROJECT DONE.
UH, IT'S NOT IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE WANTED, BUT IT'S NOT ANYBODY'S FAULT OTHER THAN JUST PROCESS THAT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GET TO WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
AND SO WE'RE VERY, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF WONDERFUL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR STATE LEGISLATORS AND EVERYBODY ELSE TO HELP US GET THAT DONE.
YEAH, JUST LET EVERYBODY KNOW.
UM, DAN CONTACTED ME AFTER I GOT ELECTED OR AFTER SWORN IN AND SAID, I'D LIKE TO SERVE ON THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY.
AND THAT'S ALL I NEEDED TO HEAR.
I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE MAYOR AND SAYS, MAYOR GOT GOT A GUY.
REALLY NEED TO GET SOMEBODY ON THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY, WHO IS FROM OUR AREA, WHO WILL ADVOCATE FOR US.
I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT DAN WILL DO ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING HE CAN DO TO GET IT DONE.
UH, WITH THAT, WE WILL WRAP IT UP WITH QUESTIONS.
IF YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION, COME ON UP TO THE MIC, UH, SPEAK YOUR NAME AND WE'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES AND GO FROM THERE.
THE FIRST THING I DIDN'T KNOW, THERE'S TWO MICS.
I'VE ASKED COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S OFFICE TO SEND SOMEONE TO, UH, EXPLAIN TO THE RESIDENTS WHAT'S GOING ON WITH EDGEWATER PARK.
LET 'EM KNOW HOW IT'S GONE FROM TWO PHASES TO
[01:40:01]
THREE PHASES, WHAT EACH PHASE PHASE WE WILL DETAIL AND ABOUT, UH, THE TIMELINE FOR THE, UH, PSYCHOPATH.AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS IF CHIEF DIAZ COULD EXPLAIN TO THE RESIDENTS THE NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES THEY COVER, THE LARGE RANGE IS NOT, IT DOESN'T JUST STOP AT THE RIVER.
SO RESIDENTS MIGHT BE SURPRISED.
ARE ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE STATION OUT HERE? YES.
AND THE NUMBER OF MILES CHIEF, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT OR WOULD ONE OF YOUR PEOPLE BE BETTER? THANK YOU.
UM, COMMANDER, ARE YOU ABLE TO ANSWER THAT? IS I DO KNOW THAT COMMANDER ELISA SMITH OVER KINGWOOD.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE CITY OF KINGWOOD, IF YOU INCLUDE LAKE HOUSTON, WHICH WERE PARTNERS WITH LAKE PATROL AND WE WORKED TOGETHER DURING DISASTERS, IF YOU INCLUDE THAT, THE CITY OF KINGWOOD GEOGRAPHICALLY IS LARGER THAN THE CITY OF MIAMI.
SO WHILE WE HAVE THE LOWEST CRIME IN THE HOUSTON AREA, WE ARE THE GEOGRAPHICALLY THE LARGEST AREA.
IN ADDITION, WE ARE LIKE AN ISLAND BECAUSE WE ARE COMPLETELY ISOLATED FROM ALL THE OTHER DISTRICTS.
LIKE WE DO NOT TOUCH THE AIRPORT AND WE DO NOT TOUCH NORTHEAST, WHICH ARE THE NEAREST DIVISIONS TO US.
SO IT'S A GEOGRAPHIC CHALLENGE BECAUSE OF LAKE HOUSTON AND THE WEST SAN JACK.
AND THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF MAIN THOROUGH FED FAIRS IN AND OUT OF KINGWOOD.
SO IT IS A CHALLENGE FOR OUR STATION.
JUST KIND OF DOVETAIL ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THEY HAVE TO COVER HUFFMAN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE IN ORDER TO GET DOWN THERE.
THEY'VE GOTTA GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 1960, GO ACROSS THE LAKE, THEN UP TO HUFFMAN.
AND YOU ALSO GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SUMMER WOOD, UH, SO DOWN TO BELTWAY EIGHT AND WESTLAKE HOUSTON.
SO IT'S, IT'S A LARGE FOOTPRINT, WHICH DOES MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT.
SO, UM, I'M TONY LANSING KINGWOOD RESIDENT.
UM, I WAS SENT BY ABOUT 130 OF MY, UH, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO MAKE COMMENTS, HAVE A LONG LIST OF THINGS THEY WANTED TO COVER.
GOOD NEWS IS MOST OF IT WAS COVERED TONIGHT WITH TWO EXCEPTIONS.
FRED, YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S MORE THAN THE GATES.
RETENTION IS THE SAND, IT'S THE SAND MINES AND ALL THOSE ISSUES.
THE THIRD ISSUE IS A REGIONAL GOVERNANCE MODEL.
REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM MENTIONED AS SIX COUNTIES IN THE WATERSHED.
UH, BOB COUNTED ACCURATELY, 109 AGENCIES, GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES HAVE RISK MITIGATION OVERSIGHT.
THERE'S NO WAY TO COORDINATE ALL THAT.
IT'S NO WAY TO TO TO MAKE THAT WORK UNLESS THERE'S SOME SORT OF REGIONAL AUTHORITY THAT'S NOT YOUR JOB.
I UNDERSTAND THAT'S REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM'S AREA, BUT THAT'S THE THIRD THING WE NEED TO MENTION.
UM, AND THEN SOMETHING FOR DAN.
THERE'S THREE WORDS, DAN, YOU KNOW, THIS EXPEDITE, EXPEDITE, EXPEDITE.
OH, I FORGOT THE FOURTH WORD IS OVER.
'CAUSE IN THE ABSENCE OF INFORMATION THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, RUMORS AND HEARSAY HAVE JUST BEEN RAMPANT.
EVERYTHING FROM ALL THE FUNDING GOT PULLED OFF IN DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
THE, THE DAMS, THE GATES ARE NEVER COMING.
UM, AND ALL THE KNOCK ON EFFECT TO, YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE SENSE OF WELLBEING IN THE KINGWOOD AREA.
AND THAT HAS IMPACTS EVERYWHERE.
SO, UH, PEOPLE ASKED FOR A, UH, WEBSITE.
THE CWA HAS A WEBSITE WHERE THINGS LIKE STATUS, ACTIVITY, SCHEDULE IS POSTED.
PEOPLE CAN GO TO THAT AND SEE IT, AND THERE'S NO RUMOR MONITORING GOING ON.
THANKS FOR EVERYBODY'S TIME TONIGHT.
WELL, AND TO, TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT BEING OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE RUNOFF COMING FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THE SANAL RIVER BASIN IS MUCH LONGER LARGER THAN THAT.
IN FACT, THE EVENT WE HAD IN MAY, IT, IT WASN'T EVEN JUST NORTH OF US THAT GOT REALLY HAMMERED WITH THE RAIN.
A LOT OF THIS WAS NORTH OF LAKE CONROE.
IT ALL RAN OFF INTO LAKE CONROE.
LAKE CONROE HAD TO RELEASE, I THINK THEY GOT UP TO 70,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND.
UH, THIS WAS PURELY A SAN JA CENTER, RIVER LAKE CONROE EVENT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD IT ON THE EAST SIDE, WHICH WE GOT BEAT UP WITH AS WELL.
AND IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, EVEN A RAIN EVENT HERE.
UM, STATE REP DENNIS PAUL AND SENATOR, UH, PAUL BENTON COURT INTRODUCED LEGISLATION LAST SESSION TO MAKE FLOOD CONTROL A REGIONAL GOVERNANCE RATHER THAN A COUNTY GOVERNANCE.
UM, AGAIN, SOMETHING I THINK WE ALL NEED TO GET BEHIND.
UH, PART OF THE ISSUE IS, AND IF YOU'VE, UH,
[01:45:01]
FOLLOWED BOB RE HACK'S INFORMATION, A LOT OF THE FLOOD DOLLARS THAT WE VOTED FOR THE BOND AND EVERYTHING ON ARE NOT BEING SPENT NECESSARILY ON THE PLACES THAT HAVE THE WORST FLOODING.UM, THEY SEE KINGWOOD AS TOO AFFLUENT TO BE SPENDING MONEY UP HERE.
SO A REGIONAL AUTHORITY WOULD DO US A LOT OF BENEFIT.
IT DIDN'T GET IT, MAYBE IT GOT MENTIONED, BUT I KNOW CHARLES JUST JUST GOT NOMINATED TO THE, TO THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, RIGHT? NOT YET.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE ELECTION FIRST, THE CANDIDATE, SO WE DON'T WANNA GET AHEAD OF IT YET.
BUT YOU KNOW, FROM THAT, THAT THAT BODY THINGS LIKE REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT GETS DISCUSSED.
SO YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMEBODY FROM MY AREA LOOKING AFTER, IS THERE NO, AND IT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT THAT HE WANTS TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE, SO.
DARRELL PALMER, UH, PRECINCT 6 35 CHAIRMAN.
UM, ONE THING AND, AND IT'S, IT KIND OF PIGGYBACKS OFF WHAT THE GENTLEMAN SAID ABOUT THE BOND THAT WE ALL VOTED FOR IN 2018.
TWO AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS FOR FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BUT 20 MILLION IS ALL WE CAN GET OUT OF IT FOR THE, THE DAM PROJECT.
UH, AND LIKE I SAID, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, A LOT OF IT'S BEEN FUNNELED OFF FOR EQUITY PROJECTS.
AND WHY ISN'T, UH, HARRIS COUNTY REPRESENTED HERE TONIGHT? UH, THEY ACTUALLY HAD SESSION TONIGHT OR TODAY, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT LASTED.
AND IT'S AN UNUSUAL DAY FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY HAVE ONE.
SO, AND I TALKED TO COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, HE WANTED TO BE HERE.
UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY DARRELL PART OF THIS IS THE RESULT OF THE LAST ELECTION THAT WE HAD, UH, THAT WE, WE LOST ON THAT AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF BEATING A DEAD HORSE, BUT ELECTIONS DO MATTER.
I THINK WE'RE GETTING SHORTCHANGED MOVING IT TO A REGIONAL AUTHORITY WOULD TAKE CARE OF THOSE ISSUES.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT DONE STATE LEGISLATIVELY AND AND WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY JUDGE AND OR A COUPLE OF HENCHMEN WANT TO DO.
UH, THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY ALL OF US PRECINCT CHAIRS ARE BASICALLY BEGGING EVERYBODY IN KINGWOOD TELL YOUR RESIDENTS, TELL YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBORS FRIENDS, EVERYBODY VOTE WE NEED TO VOTE THIS THIS TIME.
IT KIND OF MORE ON THAT COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, IF YOU LOOK AT HIS BUDGET VERSUS THE AMOUNT OF UNINCORPORATED AREA OF HARRIS COUNTY THAT HE HAS, HE IS REALLY GETTING SHORTCHANGED AND HE'S TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST HE CAN OUT OF IT.
AND IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR HIM.
DIANE LANSDON, KINGWOOD RESIDENT AND MEMBER OF LAKE HOUSTON AREA FLOOD PREVENTION INITIATIVE, OUR GROUP HAS BEEN, UH, FORMED SINCE, UH, 20 17 20 18.
AND WE HAVE HEARD OVER AND OVER AT TOWN HALL MEETINGS, DIFFERENT DATES IN THE FUTURE WHEN THE GATES WERE GONNA BE BUILT.
AND IT'S BEEN PUSHED FURTHER AND FURTHER AND FURTHER INTO THE FUTURE.
NOW YOU'RE SAYING FROM THIS TIME FORWARD, IT'S GONNA BE FIVE YEARS UNTIL THOSE GATES ARE COMPLETED IN 2029.
DAN, I CAN TOUCH BASE WITH THAT.
UM, I WENT AND WATCHED DAN PUBERTY'S LAST TOWN HALL HERE A FEW DAYS AGO.
'CAUSE I, I WANTED DAVE DAVE'S, I'M SORRY, DAVE MARTIN'S RIGHT LAST TOWN HALL AND, UH, WATCHED COSTELLO SPEAK AND I WAS KIND OF CRINGING, UH, IN THAT HE PROMISED THAT HE, YOU KNOW, OR SAID THAT THE, IT WOULD BE COMPLETED BY MAY OF 2026.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT GONNA BE HAPPENING.
SO TO YOUR POINT, YES, YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN A, A LATER DATE.
UM, ALSO AWARE, I HAD SOME MEETINGS WITH CWA HERE JUST RECENTLY TALKING ABOUT THIS SAME SUBJECT AND UH, WAS TOLD, AND THIS IS, I WAS UNAWARE OF TOLD THAT, UH, MAYOR TURNER INITIALLY PROMISED THAT WE'D HAVE GATES BY 2023.
UM, THAT'S THE NUMBER I REMEMBER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE TOLD IN THE PAST.
UM, I HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS LEADING UP TO THIS, TRYING TO ABSOLUTELY HAMMER OUT WHEN THE DAY WAS GONNA BE.
'CAUSE IF I'M GONNA DELIVER BAD NEWS, I WANT IT TO BE UPFRONT, TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON, TELL YOU THE TRUTH AS I SEE IT.
AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, WHAT I KNOW, I THINK WITH A LOT OF IT NOW, THE 2023 DATE, THEY WERE INITIALLY GOING TO BUILD ON THE CONCRETE STRUCTURE.
AND, AND THAT THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT ENDED UP IT DIDN'T WORK BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE DAM.
[01:50:01]
KNOW, THIS LAST PLAN WE GOT, THERE WAS SEVERAL GO AROUNDS IN ORDER TO GET THE BENEFIT COST RATIO THEY NEEDED THAT DAN SPOKE TO BEFORE.I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM IS, AND I I ASKED THIS IN OUR MEETING MONDAY.
IN FACT, BOB ACK WAS IN ON IT, AND I SAID, HAS THIS EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE? HAVE WE EVER TAKEN A DAM THAT'S 75 YEARS OLD AND ADDED GATES TO IT? AND NOBODY COULD COME UP WITH AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE HAD.
SO I THINK PART OF THE ISSUE IS, I MEAN, THEY'RE REALLY TREADING ON NEW TERRITORY.
I MEAN, YOU CAN GO IN AND YOU CAN REPLACE GATES ON AN EXISTING DAM THAT HAS AN EXISTING GATE, AND THAT'S QUITE A BIT OF WORK, BUT IT'S MUCH MORE DOABLE.
BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT CUTTING INTO THE EARTH AND EMBANKMENT AND ADDING ANOTHER GATE OR ANOTHER 11 GATES.
AND I, I THINK IT WAS JUST MORE THAN WHAT ANYBODY ANTICIPATED THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I KNOW THIS ISN'T GOOD NEWS.
UH, I MEAN, NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR THAT, HEY, IT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER FIVE YEARS.
UM, BUT WE ARE GIVING YOU TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY, WHAT WE THINK THE DATE'S GONNA BE, AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP IT UP.
AND I, I'M SORRY THAT IT, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T HAPPEN BEFORE, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET IT DONE, LIKE WE SAID.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT ANY OF THESE PHASES CAN BE EXPEDITED, SPEEDED UP, INCENTIVIZED IN SOME WAY WITH THE CONTRACTORS OR THE ARCHITECTS? I THOUGHT THE PLANS WERE ALREADY IN PLACE.
THERE WERE PRELIMINARY PLANS, AND DAN, YOU MAY WANNA SPEAK TO THIS TOO.
THEY HAVE TO GET TO A CERTAIN POINT AND THEN GO TO FEMA TO GET THE APPROVAL.
AND THOSE ARE ALL PRELIMINARY, AND THEN THEY COME BACK AND DO THE FINAL ENGINEERING.
I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED ON THE DATE THEY GAVE ME FOR THE FINAL ENGINEERING.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WE HAD THE MEETINGS, UH, WITH, WITH CIWA AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND PUBLIC WORKS AND, AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT'S WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO COMPLETE THE ENGINEERING.
UM, BUT THEY'RE TELLING US THIS IS THE DATES WE HAVE TO HAVE.
SO, UH, AND THERE IS GONNA BE WORK DONE, UH, SIMULTANEOUSLY.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE GATES THEMSELVES, UH, THERE'S A VERY SMALL UNIVERSE OF COMPANIES THAT ACTUALLY BUILD GATES.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE IN LINE WITH WHOEVER ELSE IS ALREADY THERE.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE DONE PRETTY EARLY BEFORE THE ENGINEERING IS COMPLETED.
THE GATES ARE GONNA BE ORDERED AS SOON AS THEY'RE ABLE TO.
THERE'S A POINT WHERE THEY GET A CERTAIN APPROVAL THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO, TO ORDER THE GATES.
AND AS SOON AS THAT'S DONE, THEY'RE GONNA BE ORDERING THEM.
SO THEY'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING SIMULTANEOUSLY THAT THEY POSSIBLY CAN AND, AND THEY'RE TELLING US THIS IS THE BEST DATE THEY GOT.
COULD YOU HAVE A SECTION IN YOUR NEWSLETTER THAT YOU PUT OUT WITH HOW WE'RE DOING ON THE TIMELINE OF THE GATES WITH YOUR, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TRANSPARENCY, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE DISSEMINATED.
AND, AND WE HAD IN OUR LAST NEWSLETTER, WE TALKED ABOUT THE ILA THAT WE JUST DONE AND HOW THERE SOME ALLOWED US TO, TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE THE ENGINEERING FIRM.
UH, BUT YEAH, WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT AND, AND TRY AND GIVE YOU BETTER INFORMATION ON THE GATES.
MY NAME'S SARAH KENNEDY, KINGWOOD, RESIDENT AND RESIDENT.
AND I THINK PROBABLY MAJORITY OF US ARE HERE BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF OUR CITY.
I KNOW WE HAVE BIG ISSUES THAT CAN'T BE RESOLVED QUICKLY, LIKE WATER MM-HMM
BUT I DO THINK WE COULD MOW AN EDGE AND BLOW OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO I'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE UM, WE'VE BEEN HERE A LITTLE OVER FIVE YEARS AND I LOVE KINGWOOD.
I'M INVOLVED IN KINGWOOD, I'M INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL.
I TEACH AT THE COUNTRY CLUB FITNESS CLASSES.
I KNOW PEOPLE, I KNOW SO MANY FACES HERE AND I'M GLAD PEOPLE CAME OUT.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE IN YOUR OFFICE A LOT.
PROBABLY OBNO OBNOXIOUS, BUT I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO BARK LOUD TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
SO I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T MOW AT LEAST EVERY OTHER WEEK AND EDGE.
THEY'RE HALF EDGING, HALF MOWING, NOT BLOWING.
THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR PEOPLE SAY, I'M SCARED TO DRIVE DOWN KINGWOOD DRIVE.
ARE YOU NOT WORRIED? I LIVE IN KINGWOOD LAKES WHERE IT'S THE WORST.
IT FEELS LIKE YOU PULL OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S NOT SAFE TO TURN RIGHT OR LEFT.
AND I, AND I, YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO HOA ABOUT IT.
WHEN IS SOMEDAY GONNA HAPPEN? DO ONE OF US HAVE TO GET IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT? WELL, WE ARE, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
UM, AND IN FACT, TWILA AND I MET WITH, UH, JOAN RADO, UH, HERE PROBABLY, WHAT ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, JOAN? FOUR WEEKS AGO MAYBE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IS THE CITY HAS A PROGRAM OF COMMUNITY MATCHING GRANTS.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'LL BE FUNDED OUTTA MY OFFICE WHERE THE CITY WILL MATCH FOR A NONPROFIT TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO BEAUTIFY THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR TAKE CARE OF AN ISSUE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, MATCH 'EM DOLLAR TO DOLLAR, UP
[01:55:01]
TO $5,000.UH, WE MET WITH THE, UH, HOAS, WITH THE TRAILS ASSOCIATIONS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE EIGHT OF THEM.
WHO HAVE PUT IN FOR THIS MONEY.
UH, AND IT'S BASICALLY GOING TO BE TO BEAUTIFY THE MEDIANS, TAKE CARE OF THE UNDERBRUSH AND THE MEDIANS, ALL THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
BUT IS $5,000 GONNA GO ANYWHERE? WELL, ACTUALLY IT'S 10,000 FOR EACH ONE.
BUT I MEAN, THEY'RE ALSO NO, IT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT THEN AGAIN, WE DIDN'T GET HERE OVERNIGHT.
IT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE RESOLVED.
IN FACT, YOU KNOW, KUDZU VINES AND THE MEDIANS WERE NOT ON MY BINGO CARD A YEAR AGO.
UM, SO I MEAN, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON IT.
UH, WE'VE, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN SOME GROUPS TOGETHER.
THERE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERING, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE AS WELL.
SO THAT WILL HELP STRETCH THE DOLLARS.
SO, BUT NO, THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF WORK TO, I DON'T, AND YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A TREE, UH, I LIVE OVER IN SAND CREEK, GO OUT OF WILLOW TERRACE AND KINGWOOD DRIVE EVERY DAY THERE IS A VERY LARGE TREE THAT IS UPROOTED, THAT IS LEANING UP AGAINST ANOTHER TREE THAT'S PREVENTING IT FROM COMING DOWN ON THE ROAD.
I'VE GOTTEN WITH THE PARKS DIRECTOR 'CAUSE THEY TAKE CARE OF THE MEDIANS.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA GET SOMEBODY OUT THERE.
PARKS IS VERY BEHIND BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT SOME OF THESE SAME ISSUES ALL OVER THE CITY WITH THE HURRICANE.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I'M FINDING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING'S OKAY AND THEN THE NEXT DAY YOU SEE A TREE THAT'S KIND OF COME DOWN.
AND WE SAW A LOT OF THAT WITH SOME OF THE POWER ISSUES WE HAD AFTER THE HURRICANE.
THEY'D GET POWER RESTORED, THEY'D HAVE ANOTHER TREE COME DOWN, KNOCKED DOWN THE LINES.
SO, I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, BUT WE ARE GONNA BE WORKING ON THE PROGRAM.
I MEAN, KIND OF SIMILAR TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE CRIME SUPPRESSION.
I MEAN, I HADN'T BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
UM, WANTED TO COMMUNICATE ALL OF THAT TONIGHT AND MAKE SURE YOU GOT, YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND, AND WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON IT.
I THINK WE JUST ALL WANT A TIMELINE.
YOU'RE WORKING AND I KNOW WE KNOW EACH OTHER FROM THE CLUBS.
SO IT'S JUST LIKE, I SO, SO TO UNDERSTAND, LIKE VERY CLEAR.
AND IF FRED SAID THIS, I, I DIDN'T HEAR IT, BUT, SO THE ESPLANADES MM-HMM
THE SIDE AREAS ARE MAINTAINED BY, IS IT HOA? SO, SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
THE PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM WITH WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE MM-HMM
PRO OF WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF IS THAT YOU'VE GOT THE TRAILS, THE H HOAS AND THE CITY MM-HMM
IF WE ALL DON'T MOW AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH THEY DON'T.
AND I COME IN WITH THE HOA AND I'M MOWING ON MONDAY, AND THE CITY'S MOWING ON THURSDAY.
AND THE TRAILS ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT SECTIONS.
AND SO THERE HAS TO BE A COORDINATED EFFORT.
IS D PRICE HERE? I SAW HER EARLIER.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON WHERE IS SHE? DEE, ARE YOU HERE? I THINK SHE MIGHT HAVE GONE.
SO WE, WE HAVE, SHE'S HERE WHERE, SO NOW WE HAVE DISCUSSED COLLECTIVE MEETING WITH THE TRAILS, THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, BECAUSE THIS IS A DISCUSSION THERE.
AND THEN WITH THE CITY, BECAUSE AS FRED, I MEAN, HE'S DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN, BUT WE DON'T OWN, THE CITY DOESN'T OWN THE ENTIRE MAINTENANCE.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.
AND SO THERE HAS TO BE A COORDINATED EFFORT.
AND THAT'S, WE TALKED TO JOAN, WE MET, WE, AND THAT'S WHAT I SAID EARLIER.
WE ALL PAY THE MAINTENANCE FEES.
WE PAY OUR DUES, WE DO IT, BUT WE ALSO, WE HAVE THAT AREA WITH THE CITY, BUT IT HAS TO BE A COORDINATED EFFORT.
SO WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GIVEN, LIKE HOW OFTEN DO THEY MOW THE MEDIANS? BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE ONCE A MONTH.
NOW THE ISSUE GETS TO BE IN THE SUMMER.
WE GET A LARGE AMOUNT OF RAIN.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MY OFFICE JUST GOT DONE, AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS BACK WHEN DAVE MARTIN WAS CITY COUNCIL.
THEY WERE MOWING TWICE A MONTH.
WELL, WHAT THEY WERE DOING IS THEY JUST GOT IT TO WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO USE OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT MOWING.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT AS WELL.
AND NO, I MEAN, I, I AGREE WITH YOU.
THE MEDIANS DON'T LOOK LIKE THE WAY WE WANT 'EM TO.
I MEAN, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE A SAD COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE THE RED.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT OBVIOUSLY IS THE FACT THAT WE JUST HAD A HURRICANE.
AND THERE'S STILL A LOT OF STUFF DOWN WITH THAT.
BUT TO BE TOTALLY FAIR, I WAS EMAILING YOUR OFFICE BEFORE THE HURRICANE EVEN HIT NO.
AND IT, AND I FELT LIKE WE WERE MAKING SOME STEPS AND THEN BERYL HAPPENED.
SO YES, I JUST, AND OBVIOUSLY BERYL DID QUITE A BIT.
I MEAN, THERE'S STILL THE FENCES ALONG KINGWOOD DRIVE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, GONE.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UH, ANOTHER ISSUE, WE'VE GOT SOME OF THESE VERY LARGE TREES THAT ARE DANGEROUS OR ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO WE'RE SENDING LETTERS TO PROPERTY OWNERS, LETTING THEM KNOW, HEY, YOU'VE GOT A TREE.
IT MAY FALL ON KINGWOOD DRIVE.
YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
UH, BUT WE JUST CAN'T GO IN AND CUT OFF THE TREES THAT ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
[02:00:01]
MY LAST THING, AND I PROMISE I'LL BE THE NEXT, HOLD ON.I'VE WAITED TOO LONG FOR THIS MEETING.
WE SAID WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
WE ARE WE DOING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT HOMELESS PEOPLE ON TRAILS WHERE OUR BABIES ARE WALKING TO AND FROM SCHOOL.
ON THE, ON THE TRAILS THAT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY.
AND THEY'RE ABLE TO, THE POLICE ARE ABLE TO REMOVE THEM.
SO IF YOU'VE, YOU SEE 'EM ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, CONTACT THE POLICE, UH, YOU MAY WANNA GO TALK TO OFFICER SAVAGE AND YEAH.
THEY ARE ABLE TO, TO REMOVE THEM IF THEY'RE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, IT'S CONSIDERABLY MORE DIFFICULT.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT AGAINST THE LAW TO ACTUALLY BE HOMELESS.
SO IS IT AGAINST THE LAW TO BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, I ASSUME.
AND NOT BEING DEALT WITH, I ASSUME.
'CAUSE WE'VE CALLED AND BEEN TOLD NOTHING CAN BE DONE.
I ASSUME PUBLIC INTOXICATION IS, AGAIN, I, I'LL GET WITH, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO BE WORRIED ABOUT THOSE ISSUES, BUT I ASSUME THAT STILL IS.
UM, AND WE'LL GET WITH, WE'LL GET WITH HP HERE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
HI, AUDRA DEAVER, KINGWOOD RESIDENT, UM, HARRIS COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY PRECINCT 4 59 CHAIR.
MY QUESTION, I, I APPRECIATE HER VALID CONCERN ABOUT ALL THE ISSUES HERE IN KINGWOOD.
UH, BUT SHE DID MAKE A GOOD POINT.
SO RIGHT NOW I FEEL LIKE I'M BARKING ON SPENDING AND I'M APPRECIATE YOU HAVING THIS TOWN MEETING HERE AND ALSO TALKING ABOUT COMMON SENSE EXPENSES.
MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, AND I, FORGIVE ME, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE I READ IT, BUT I WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC WHAT BONUS VACATION TIME IS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
ACTUALLY, I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE BONUS SICK DAYS.
THE EMPLOYEES, UH, AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IF THEY WORK FULL-TIME FOR A YEAR, THEY EARN EIGHT SICK DAYS.
AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THE CITY WILL MATCH WHATEVER SICK DAYS THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF THEY WORK THE WHOLE YEAR, THEY GET EIGHT SICK DAYS FOR THE YEAR.
THEY DON'T TAKE ANY, THE CITY WILL GIVE THEM ANOTHER EIGHT AND THEY ROLL ALL 16 OVER TO NEXT YEAR.
UH, WHAT THIS DOES IS IT CAUSES US TO END UP, 'CAUSE THESE DAYS CONTINUE TO ACCUMULATE AND IT CAUSES US TO PAY SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT, UH, TERMINATION PAY THEY CALL IT, WHERE THERE'S SOME VERY LARGE CHECKS THAT GOES OUT TO THE EMPLOYEES THAT IT'S FOR THEIR SICK DAYS AND THEIR VACATION DAYS.
THEY HAVEN'T TAKEN, UH, A LOT OF TIMES THESE CHECKS EXCEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, DURING THE BUDGET SESSION, I HAD AN AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE THIS.
UM, THEY SENT IT BACK TO COMMITTEE, SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO VOTE ON IT.
UH, WE RECENTLY HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT WITH THE HR DIRECTOR.
UH, SHE HAD SOME ISSUES AS WELL.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS IT DOES IS IT INCENTIVIZES THE EMPLOYEES TO COME TO WORK WHEN THEY'RE SICK.
AND THE HR DIRECTOR IS SAYING, WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.
IF THEY'RE SICK YET, THEY'RE SHOWING UP.
AND THIS IS PART OF THE PROBLEM.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE WITH THIS.
AND AGAIN, WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT COMING DOWN TO CITY HALL ON TUESDAY AND, AND, UH, SPEAKING.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL SHOULD COME DOWN AND, AND SPEAK ABOUT.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT AFFECTS YOU THE MOST.
SO IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN GOING TO CITY HALL, YOUR HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UM, AND THEN YOUR HOA OR YOUR TRAIL ASSOCIATIONS, YOUR MUD, YOUR MUD DISTRICTS, UH, JUST LET YOUR PRECINCT CHAIR KNOW AND WE CAN GET A FIELD TRIP TOGETHER.
WE WENT TO THE ONE OF YOUR, UM, COUNCIL MEETINGS AND I SUGGEST EVERYBODY TRY IT OUT.
UM, JUST GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
CAN YOU ASK PEOPLE TO PLEASE BE QUIET AS THAT? YEAH, IT IS.
IT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO HEAR SOME OF THEM, SO IF Y'ALL COULD KEEP IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
I'M BUILDING, I'M TRYING TO MAKE KINGWOOD BEAUTIFUL WITH GROWING BEAUTY FOR ASHES WITH OUR HOLOCAUST GARDEN OF HOPE.
AND I KNOW THAT IT DID FLOOD AND IT HAS FLOOD A FEW TIMES.
I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW WHO'S BEEN ROOTING FOR US AND BUILDING IT AND DONATING AND HELPING, UH, THAT AREA.
THE, THE WATER RISES AND IT FALLS.
IT DOESN'T PUSH ANYTHING DOWN.
ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL EXHIBITS WE'RE BUILDING.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH TEXAS A AND M WITH OVER A HUNDRED SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT TEXAS THAT ARE GONNA BE TAUGHT ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST THROUGH OUR KINGWOOD GARDEN.
SO IT'S GONNA BE BRINGING PEOPLE TO HERE, OUR AREA, UM, HELPING WITH OUR BUSINESSES.
AND I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE DOING SOMETHING GOOD.
SCOTT MURRAY, UH, KINGWOOD RESIDENT.
UH, EVERY TIME I CALL WITH A QUESTION ABOUT THE CREEKS BEING OVERGROWN, THE WATER NOT FLOWING.
[02:05:01]
DISTRICT.CALL THE COUNTY CALL, CALL THE COUNTY.
AND EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY HAS TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, BUT ALL I'VE BEEN DOING MY JOB 30 YEARS.
I KNOW WHAT, UH, PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE IS.
AND IF YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THOSE DAMS ARE 75 YEARS OLD, MY QUESTION AND EVERYBODY ELSE'S QUESTION, WHERE'S THE MONEY ALL THESE YEARS THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THIS STUFF? WELL, THAT'S TRUE.
'CAUSE I'M A LITTLE TIRED OF THE MONTHLY CHECKS TO, TO PEOPLE FOR INCOME.
I'M A LITTLE TIRED OF THE BACK PADDING WITH THE POLITICIANS.
THE ONLY GROUP IN HERE TONIGHT OUTTA ALL YOU GUYS THAT SAID ANYTHING IRRELEVANT WAS THAT GROUP RIGHT OVER THERE.
THEY'RE, THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING.
YOU GUYS ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING.
I MOVED HERE BECAUSE I WANTED A BETTER COMMUNITY.
BUT IF I, ALLS I KEEP HEARING IS A HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS HERE, $200 BILLION THERE.
Y'ALL ARE COMING AFTER ME FOR THAT MONEY AND EVERYBODY ELSE SITTING HERE.
AND THE ONE THING YOU GUYS ARE NEGLECTING TO SEE WHILE YOU GET PAID OUT SICK DAYS, PAID OUT VACATION DAYS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE A PENSION ANYMORE.
ACTUALLY, I, I DON'T GET PAID SICK DAYS.
I DON'T GET PAID VACATION DAYS.
I ALSO HAD ALL COMMENT, HOLD ON, LET ME FINISH.
I ALSO HAD A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO LET THE ELECTED OFFICIALS OPT OUT OF THE PENSION PLAN SO WE WOULDN'T GET A PENSION EITHER.
UH, NOW LOOK, BUT DO YOU SEE HOW I'M, HOW I'M SITTING HERE GOING, HOW IS ANY OF THIS FAIR WHEN YOU GUYS HAVE HAD ALL THIS MONEY FOR DECADES? OKAY.
AND DECADES? WELL, REMEMBER I GOT THERE IN JANUARY.
I KNOW, BUT QUESTIONS STILL COULD BE ASKED ON YOUR PART.
AND HERE, AND LEMME GO BACK TO THE FIRST POINT YOU WERE MAKING.
IF YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR DITCHES, I'M NOT SURE WHAT MUD DISTRICT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
'CAUSE KINGWOOD DOESN'T HAVE ANY MUD DISTRICTS.
THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY TELLS ME.
WELL, THERE'S THE HOA TOLD US THAT TOO.
THERE'S, THERE'S NO MUD DISTRICTS IN, IN KINGWOOD.
THE OPEN DITCHES ARE CONTROLLED BY THE COUNTY, THE THINGS THAT ARE COVERED LIKE YOUR SEWERS AND UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGES, THAT IS THE CITY.
NOW WE'VE GOT WORK WE NEED TO DO AS WELL, BUT HOPEFULLY KIND OF DEFINING THAT FOR YOU A LITTLE BETTER WILL, WILL HELP OUT.
BUT THERE'S, THERE'S NO MUD DISTRICTS IN KINGWOOD THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING.
WE USED TO HAVE MUD DISTRICTS BEFORE THE CITY ANNEX US.
AND THOSE, THOSE HAVE GONE AWAY BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND, AND THE LAST THING, UM, WHERE'S THE ACCOUNTABILITY? THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MONEY, TAX MONEY OVER THE DECADES, AND I KNOW YOU'VE JUST BEEN THERE.
BUT I MEAN, THESE ARE QUESTIONS AND, AND I ALSO, I ALSO THINK MAYOR WHITMEYER YEAH.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN ON THE NEWS, THEY'VE ACTUALLY CHARGED SOME PEOPLE WITH THEFT.
UH, SO I, I DO THINK HE'S TRYING TO BRING ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND AGAIN, HE JUST GOT THERE IN JANUARY AS WELL.
SO I, I DO THINK PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS IT.
AND PLEASE COME ON DOWN CITY HALL ON TUESDAY AND, AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
I'M PART OF THAT BLUE COLLAR CLASS THAT THIS IS A VERY RARE OCCASION THAT I COULD COME TO.
BUT WHEN I CAN, WHEN I DO COME, I STAND BACK AND I GET FRUSTRATED.
'CAUSE IT'S A LOT OF BACK PAT ON Y'ALL'S PART OF, HEY, WE'RE DOING THIS AND WE'RE GONNA SPEND A HUNDRED BILLION HERE AND 200 BILLION HERE.
AND WELL, WELL ACTUALLY, I'VE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME APOLOGIZING FOR THE WAY THE MEDIUMS LOOK.
AND APOLOGIZING FOR, FOR THE DANCE.
AND WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THOSE.
SO I KNOW I I'M NOT LOOKING TO, YOU KNOW, SUGARCOAT ANYTHING.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME PROBLEMS. I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT WE CAN TO ADDRESS IT.
HI, MY NAME'S GUS FERRIS KINGWOOD RESIDENT FOR 30 YEARS.
AND I THINK YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB.
I THINK EVERYBODY HERE TONIGHT HAS, HAS REALLY DONE YEOMAN'S WORK TO GET THIS PLACE CLEANED UP AND IN BETTER SHAPE.
I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH THESE, THE, THE, THE OVERGROWTH AND THE, UH, ESPLANADES AND THE SIDES OF THE ROADS.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE PAY ATTENTION TO BIG THINGS, WE MS. LITTLE THINGS THAT ALSO NEED TO BE DONE.
SO AS I DRIVE INTO KINGWOOD ON KINGWOOD DRIVE, BEFORE I GET TO 4 94, I PASS A STAGNANT POND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD.
WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THE AERATORS WORKING IN THAT THING AGAIN, WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTA GET THE POWER RESTORED AND THAT IS PART OF THE 4 94 REBUILD.
AND, AND 'CAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING GOING ON FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS NOW.
I USED TO MAKE THE JOKE THAT PEOPLE WERE GONNA RETIRE ON THAT PROJECT.
WELL, YOU ELIZA PAUL ACTUALLY, MY FAMILY USED TO GO DOWN THERE AND BATHE
SO YEAH, NO, AND IT'S, IT'S STILL A PROBLEM.
AND AND WE NEED TO GET IT FINISHED UP.
[02:10:01]
NOW.IN FACT, THEY'VE DONE A BUNCH OF STUFF.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
I ASSUME THEY'RE PUTTING SOME KINDA LANDSCAPING WITH IT 'CAUSE I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
BUT THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR YEARS.
AND YES, IT'S TAKEN WAY TOO LONG AND IT'S WHY, AND THAT ONE IS A STATE ISSUE, SO YOU'LL HAVE TO BEAT UP ON REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM ABOUT THAT ONE.
BUT AGAIN, THANK ALL Y'ALL FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU DO.
HI, MY NAME IS KENNY ANN CARRO.
I'M A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF KINGWOOD FOR 39 YEARS NOW.
AND, UH, I LIVE IN HUNTER'S RIDGE AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IN OUR AREA IS THIS CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH ELECTRICITY.
WE HAVE A CONTINUAL FAILURES ALWAYS ALL THE TIME.
WE HAVE 'EM ALL THROUGHOUT KINGWOOD.
AND I KNOW THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS TOLD CENTERPOINT THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO COME THROUGH AND CLEAN ALL THESE UH, UH, TREE LINES AND CLEAN ALL THESE POWER LINES.
THEY'VE NOT DONE IT AT ALL SINCE BARREL.
THEY PROBABLY HAVEN'T DONE IT IN, IN 10 YEARS.
A GOOD JOB CENTER, THE OTHER COMPANY, WHICH WAS HLMP, USED TO COME IN EVERY FIVE YEARS AND CLEAN EVERY ONE OF THOSE POWER LINE RIGHT.
THEY WOULD EVEN TELL US WHEN THEY WERE GONNA DO IT.
AND NOW IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WE WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUALLY HAVING POWER OUTAGES, WE'RE CONTINUALLY, AND THEY'RE NOT CLEANED.
YOU COULD WALK DOWN THE GREEN BELTS AND SEE THE POWER LINES THAT ARE IN THERE AND THEY'RE JUST NOT CLEANED UP.
SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA DO TO GET CENTER POINT OFF DEAD CENTER TO GET THIS JOB STRAIGHT AND GET IT CLEANED UP.
I HEARD SOMETHING DURING THE COURSE OF ALL OF THIS, UH, THIS HURRICANE PROBLEM THAT KINGWOOD IS THE REDHEADED STEPCHILD OF CENTER POINT.
SUBDIVISION SHOULD BE LIKE THAT IN THE WHOLE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO THAT'S MY QUE THAT'S ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN ABOUT THE REDHEADED STEPCHILD.
YOUR POINT ABOUT KINGWOOD HAVING A LOT OF, UH, ELECTRICAL OUTAGES FAILURES IS SPOT ON.
UH, DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW THE CHRONICLE ARTICLE THAT I THINK WAS A MONTH OR TWO BEFORE THE HURRICANE, AND IT ALLUDED TO THE FACT, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS HAS GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HURRICANE, ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT YES, WE HAVE MORE OUTAGES OUT HERE.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN TWILA AND I MET WITH CENTER POINT, WE ACTUALLY WALKED SOME OF THE TRAILS TO THE TOUR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY ALSO GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM CUTTING TOO MUCH, UH, BACK ON THE, ON THE TRAILS.
AND ALL OF OUR POWER LINES ARE RUN THROUGH THE TRAILS.
SO, YOU KNOW, PLEASE TALK TO YOUR TRAILS ASSOCIATIONS AS WELL BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE PUSHING BACK SAYING, NO, YOU'RE CUTTING TOO MUCH.
UH, SO WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE WANT CUT AND HOW MUCH WE DON'T BECAUSE YEAH, THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IS A PROBLEM WITHOUT A DOUBT.
SO AS FAR AS TELLING CENTER WHAT TO DO, UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
WE WE'RE NOT OVER CENTER POINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A CONTACT AT CENTER POINT WHEN SOMEBODY HAS A PROBLEM, I CAN CONTACT HIM WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, HE DOES SOMETHING TO FIX IT OR NOT.
UH, CENTER POINT'S REGULATED BY THE STATE.
UH, SO, AND, AND EVEN I THINK YOU PROBABLY SAW THE GOVERNOR THAT WAS SCREAMING AT CENTER POINT.
IT'S OBVIOUS THAT HE DOESN'T CONTROL 'EM EITHER.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION AUTHORITY THAT THEY'VE GOTTA GET.
THEY CAN CERTAINLY GET BEAT UP THERE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, CENTER POINT YEAH.
AND I WISH I HAD A GREAT ANSWER FOR YOU.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CONTROL AND YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE'LL SPEAK WITH THEM.
WE'LL TRY AND DID YOU, DID YOU ATTEND THE, UH, TOWN HALL THEY HAD MONDAY? NO, I WAS NOT ABLE TO.
AND YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HERE GETTING A LOT OF TOUGH QUESTIONS.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET 'EM TO WHERE THEY CAN.
WELL, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE GUYS AND GALS THAT LIVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, THEY SEE, THEY SEE ALL THE GROWTH ON ALL THE TELEPHONE POLES, THEY SEE ALL THE GROWTH ON ALL THE POWER LINES.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE CLEANED OFF AND THEY'RE NOT DOING IT.
THEY'VE GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB IN THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
WELL, I HOPE THAT YOU'LL HELP US.
NOT JUST IN HUNTER'S RIDGE, BUT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF KINGWOOD.
NOW MY OTHER QUESTION IS, IS THIS, UM, IS THERE ANY INDICATION AS TO WHEN THE WATER COMPANY IS GONNA START DECREASING SOME OF OUR WATER COSTS? UM, WE HAVE A, I MEAN, I'LL JUST SHARE THIS WITH YOU BROTHER.
I'M GONNA SHARE THIS WITH YOU BECAUSE WHEN I MOVED HERE, IT WAS NOT UNDER THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND OUR WATER BILL WAS THROUGH A MUD DISTRICT AND WE PAID 35 BUCKS A MONTH FOR WATER.
AND RIGHT NOW THAT'S ABOUT FOUR TIMES.
IT IS ABOUT FIVE TIMES GREATER THAN THAT.
SO I'M SPEAKING FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND MYSELF ALONG THE WAY.
NO, AND AND I'VE GOT AN ANSWER FOR YOU.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA LIKE IT, BUT I'VE GOT AN ANSWER.
[02:15:02]
INCREASE SCHEDULE, I THINK TWO YEARS AGO OR THREE YEARS AGO.THAT INCREASED YOUR RATES EVERY YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS.
SO YOUR RATES ARE NOT GOING DOWN.
I WISH I COULD TELL YOU THEY WERE.
IN FACT, THEY'RE GONNA GO UP A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WELL.
PART OF THE ISSUE WITH THAT IS THE CITY IS UNDER A CONSENT DECREE.
UH, THE WATER SYSTEM IN HOUSTON HAD A TON OF LEAKS.
THE SEWAGE SYSTEM HAD A TON OF LEAKS.
WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF EPA REGULATIONS FOR DECADES.
THE CITY REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM.
UH, THE COST OF THAT I THINK INITIALLY WAS ABOUT $5 BILLION.
IT HAS ESCALATED SINCE COVID, UH, WITH INFLATION AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE IN THIS FOR A WHILE.
I WISH I HAD BETTER NEWS FOR YOU ON THAT.
WELL, I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
I'VE GOT THE SAME WATER BILL YOU DO.
WELL IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T SAY SOMETHING THEN, THEN WE'RE ALL NOT DOING A GOOD JOB.
SO, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
I HOPE THAT YOU CAN HELP US WITH SOME OF THESE THINGS AS TIME GOES ON.
THESE MEN AND WOMEN OVER HERE ON THE RIGHT, THEY NEED TO BE GIVEN THE GREATEST APPLAUSE EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR PUTTING THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE FOR EVERY ONE OF US.
I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
EVERYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP THOSE GUYS.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH JOB AND THEY'RE TAKING IT.
HI, JILL ALCO, UH, KINGWOOD RESIDENT.
JUST PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT HE SAID, I HAVE A FRIEND WHOSE WATER BILL WAS $2,600 ONE MONTH.
LIKE HOW DO YOU GET TO THE PEOPLE TO SAY LIKE, THIS ISN'T RIGHT.
YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT EVERYBODY IS PAYING $1,500 WATER BILLS AND THOUSAND DOLLARS WATER BILLS.
LIKE WHO ARE, WHO ARE THE PEOPLE WE NEED TO TALK TO? IF IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO ESCALATE, PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA LIVE HERE VERY LONG.
WELL, AND IT, THAT ISN'T KINGWOOD.
UM, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT A 2,600 MONTH BILL.
NO, AND I'M NOT SAYING IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
WE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THE METERS AND READING THEM.
THEY WENT TO A SET USAGE, UH, UH, BILLING FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS.
IS THAT, IS IT YOUR BILL IS, ARE YOU ON THE SET USAGE OR WAS THIS BEFORE, OR I'M SORRY, RIGHT BEFORE THE NEW MAYOR, MAYOR WAS ELECTED.
I STILL DIDN'T KNOW RIGHT BEFORE THE NEW MAYOR WAS ELECTED.
THERE WAS, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF ISSUES WITH THE ACTUAL METERS READING CORRECTLY.
THE, THEY HAVE REMOTE METER READERS.
IT'S SENDS THE INFORMATION ELECTRONICALLY FOR THE BILL.
AND WHAT THE CITY WAS TRYING TO DO WAS TRYING TO GET BY AND READ ALL THE METERS.
UM, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PERSONNEL TO ACTUALLY SWAP OUT THE METERS THAT WERE NOT, OR THAT WERE DEFECTIVE.
WHAT THEY DID IS THEY WENT TO A, A FLAT RATE FOR EVERYBODY FOR THEIR, THEIR WATER BILL.
ALL THE PEOPLE THAT USED TO MEET READ METERS, THEY INSTEAD ASSIGN THEM TO ACTUALLY REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE METERS.
SO AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY GOTTEN ONE, YOU'RE GONNA GET ONE.
AND IT'S A LETTER THAT'S GONNA SAY THAT YOU'RE GONNA GO BACK TO THE METER USAGE AND YOU KNOW, UNLESS SHE'S GOT SOME REALLY OUTTA WHACK USAGE, THERE'S NO WAY SHE SHOULD GET ANOTHER $2,600 BILL.
UM, IS KINGWOOD CONSIDERED A EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION? NO, WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE CITY.
THAT'S THE EJS ARE NOT IN THE CITY.
SO WE ARE, SO SENATE BILL 2038 HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US.
UM, IS THAT THE ANNEXATION BILL? YES.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY PASSED BECAUSE OF KINGWOOD AND IT WAS DAN HUBERTY THAT ACTUALLY GOT THAT PASSED.
UM, THE PEOPLE WERE SO UPSET HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT ANNEXED DIDN'T HAVE ANY SAY IN IT THAT THEY ACTUALLY GOT STATE LEGISLATION THAT STOPPED IT.
IS THERE A PATHWAY OUT THE, THERE IS, ALTHOUGH I, I DON'T THINK LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S ACTUALLY DOABLE.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE MEETING ON THAT AND, AND DISCUSSING IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD RUMORS OF THAT AND YOU KNOW, IT, I, LOOK, I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY.
I THINK WE, WE HAD A BETTER PLACE FOR THE CITY, ANN NEXUS.
THIS IS SO, YOU KNOW, I I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY DOABLE, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, YES, THERE, THERE IS A PATH, SO, OKAY.
CATHERINE SABIAN, I WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE VERY UGLY GREEN BOXES EVERYWHERE THAT XFINITY AND COMCAST IS PUTTING IN, AS WELL AS ALL THE UGLY WIRING, UH, BEHIND FIRST PRE AS WELL.
I I I GOT YOUR PICTURES THE OTHER DAY.
AND HAVE YOU BEEN HERE THE WHOLE TIME OR?
[02:20:01]
YES.I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SAY YOUR NAME.
'CAUSE I, I GO, OH, I'M GONNA BUTCHER IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU SENT ME PICTURES THE OTHER DAY, SO HOPEFULLY YOU, THE REST OF YOU HERE STILL SEE IT.
THERE WAS SOME CONTRACTORS THAT APPARENTLY HAD BEEN WORKING FOR ONE OF THE UTILITY COMPANIES AND THEY JUST LEFT IT A MESS.
I MEAN, JUST AN ABSOLUTE MESS.
AND THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY ONE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF, UH, DATED EQUIPMENT THAT HAS BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME.
THE BOXES AND EVERYTHING THAT LOOK AWFUL AND NEED MAINTENANCE.
I THINK TO ACTUALLY DETERMINE WHO THAT STUFF BELONGS TO AND TO GET THAT FIXED.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT.
AND ACTUALLY, IT WASN'T JUST THAT, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF BOXES THAT NEED MAINTENANCE AND NEED REPAIRS AND, AND I'M KIND OF CURIOUS IF SOME OF THIS STUFF ISN'T EVEN OBSOLETE AND NOBODY'S EVEN USING ANYMORE.
I MEAN, WITH THE CHANGE FROM MM-HMM
FROM, UH, LANDLINES TO CELLULAR.
MY GUESS IS SOME OF IT DOESN'T EVEN EXIST ANYMORE.
WELL, BUT SOME OF THE BOXES, LIKE MY NEIGHBOR'S FRONT YARD WERE JUST PUT IN WITHIN THE LAST YEAR.
AND, AND THAT IS THROUGH, THEY SHOULD BE UNDERGROUND.
UM, THOSE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO UNDERGROUND.
UH, WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WE, SOME LANDSCAPING.
I THOUGHT IT WAS IN YOUR YARD AT FIRST.
UM, AND WHEN IT WAS IN THE NEIGHBORS, I'M LIKE, WELL, I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE NEIGHBOR.
UH, SO WE COULD PROBABLY STILL GET THAT DONE WITH SOME OF THEM.
AND YOU KNOW, I REALLY HADN'T NOTICED 'EM UNTIL YOU MENTIONED IT AND THEN DRIVING AROUND.
UH, I WENT INTO THE BARRINGTON DURING THE MAY RAIN EVENT TO SEE HOW THEY DID.
THERE WAS A BUNCH OF 'EM IN THE BARRINGTON.
YEAH, THEY'RE THEY'RE EVERYWHERE BECAUSE TAIS BURIED THEIRS.
COMCAST XFINITY IS NOT BEARING 'EM.
NO, AND AND I, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS.
I KNOW TAUS WENT A DIFFERENT ROUTE ALSO WITH THE EASEMENTS AND HOW THEY DID THAN WHAT, UH, COMCAST DID.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS PART OF IT.
AND I, I SPOKE TO THE COMCAST REPRESENTATIVE.
THE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE CALLED AMPLIFIERS.
AND APPARENTLY THEY HAVE TO BE THERE AND COMCAST HAS THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT WE CAN PROBABLY GET SOMETHING DONE WITH SOME LANDSCAPING AND SOME SPECIFIC ONES.
YOU KNOW, HAVE YOUR NEIGHBOR THAT'S ACTUALLY IN HER YARD HAVE HER, SHE HAS HAVE HER GET AHOLD OF ME AND OKAY.
YOU KNOW, I, I CAN TALK WITH HER AND, AND SEE WHAT I CAN, I CAN DO FOR THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, AND ON THOSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY VOTED ON OR WHEN THEY VOTED ON IT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, I MEAN THEY WORKED ON THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEY JUST FINISHED UP I THINK APRIL OR MAY.
SO THIS WAS DONE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
AND FROM SEEING WHAT I'VE SEEN AT CITY COUNCIL AND THE ITEMS WE VOTE ON, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY KNEW WHAT THOSE LOOKED LIKE.
UM, 'CAUSE YEAH, THAT'S KIND OF UNSIGHTLY.
NO, AND ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN YOUR YARD.
IF IT'S ONE THING, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, ON THE GREEN BELT OR YEAH, NO, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, SO.
I'M ROBERT PRICE AND I WANNA THANK YOU TONIGHT FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND HAVING THE LEADERSHIP HERE, THE DEPARTMENTS AND EVERYBODY TO COME OUT HERE TONIGHT TO DO.
BUT WE HAD MORE PEOPLE SHOW UP.
I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS AT FIRST, SO,
SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR SHOWING UP.