[Government Operations Committee on November 6, 2024.]
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AND EVERYONE, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF THAT ARE HERE.
DISTRICT G, DISTRICT H, DISTRICT K AT LARGE.
ONE STAFF IS HERE, AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IS PRESENT AS WELL.
AND THEN, OH, MY, MY VICE CHAIR IS HERE AND I WOULD LIKE TO YIELD TO HIM FOR ANY COMMENTS THAT HE'D LIKE TO MAKE.
AND MR. JAY IS ALSO HERE AS WELL.
IN THIS MEETING, THERE ARE GONNA BE THREE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, WE'LL HAVE ONE PRESENTATION FROM MY IT DEPARTMENT, ONE FROM PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND THEN ONE FROM PUBLIC WORKS.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH IT DEPARTMENTS PRESENTATION IT PROFESSIONAL AND CONSULTING SERVICES FOR HOUSTON'S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO YIELD TO DIRECTOR LISA KENT FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST REQUEST FOR YOU TO PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AS CHAIR MENTIONED, I'M LISA KENT.
I'M THE CITY'S CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER AND DIRECTOR OF IT, AND I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF, UM, NEXT TO ME, JOINING ME IS BURKE CRAWFORD, WHO IS DEPUTY CIO FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES DIVISION.
AND THIS PRESENTATION IS SPECIFIC TO A COLLECTION OF IT CONSULTING AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS, WHICH RESULTED FROM AN RFP.
AND SO I'M GOING TO HAND THE MIC OVER TO MR. CRAWFORD AND LET HIM WALK YOU THROUGH IT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND STAFF MEMBERS.
OF COURSE, IF WE CAN MOVE TO THE SECOND CHART, WE'LL BEGIN TO DIG INTO THE DETAILS.
SO WE'RE HERE TODAY AS DIRECTOR KENT MENTIONED TO TALK ABOUT THE IT PROFESSIONAL AND CONSULTING SERVICES RFP THAT WE DID, UH, WITH THE CITY.
AND WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION FOR A MULTI-VENDOR AWARD FOR THIS CONTRACT.
FOR THIS RFP, THERE'S THREE COMPANIES THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.
ONE BEING BAWAN CYBER TECH, INC.
SECOND BEING CST CORPORATION, AND THIRD BEING NET SYNC NETWORK SOLUTIONS.
SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PURPOSE AND, AND WHY WE'RE HERE AND WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.
SO FROM A HITS PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE, UH, A DIVISION THAT I MANAGE THAT COVERS ENTERPRISE INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES, WHICH ARE, UH, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, VOICE SERVICES, TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES, NETWORK SERVICES, DATA CENTER SERVICES, UH, CALL CENTER SERVICES, END USER SERVICES, UH, DATA CENTER SERVICES.
I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I'VE SAID THAT ALREADY.
UM, UH, AND SERVICE DESK AS SOME EXAMPLES INCLUDING, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS.
SO THIS, THIS, UH, RFP, THE MULTI-VENDOR AWARD IS PROPOSED TO HELP US STRENGTHEN OUR SERVICES ACROSS THE CITY.
ALLOWS US TO IMPLEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS US TO IMPROVE OUR RESILIENCY, UH, IMPROVE OUR REDUNDANCY, WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
IMPROVE OUR RESPONSE TIMES WHEN THERE ARE ISSUES AND, AND JUMP ON THEM QUICKLY, BRING SERVICE BACK AS THE MAIN INTENT WHEN THERE ARE ISSUES IS THAT WE MAXIMIZE THE END USER EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY AND OUR SYSTEM UPTIME WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
AND TO HELP US MAINTAIN OUR OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE.
THIS ALSO GIVES US ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY TO PROVIDE ON-CALL SERVICES AND OTHER SERVICES WITH THIRD PARTY VENDORS TO EXTEND OUR TEAMS TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND MORE, MORE EFFECTIVE ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO NOW I'D LIKE TO JUMP TO THE PROCUREMENT SECTION WHERE WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE RFP PROCESS THAT WAS FOLLOWED AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF, OF SUBMISSIONS WE RECEIVED AND TAKE YOU THROUGH THAT.
AND I'LL GO THROUGH THAT IN MORE DETAIL AS WELL.
SO AN RFP WAS ISSUED, AS I MENTIONED, FOR IT, PROFESSIONAL AND CONSULTING SERVICES WITH A FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE CITY RECEIVED 23 PROPOSALS, UH, WHICH WAS A LOT OF MATERIAL AND A LOT OF CONTENT TO GO THROUGH.
AND THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE INCLUDED MEMBERS FROM HITS, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, AND THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE HAD A CONTINGENT OF, OF DEPARTMENTS REPRESENTATIVES ACROSS THE BOARD TO HELP US MAKE THE RIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY.
SO THE TEAM WENT THROUGH ALL THE MATERIALS FOR THE 23 AND RECOMMENDED DOWN SELECTING TO THREE OF THEM THAT WERE, WE BELIEVE WERE THE BEST THREE TO POTENTIALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH.
SO WE THEN WORKED THROUGH WITH EACH OF THOSE TO MAKE SURE THEY MET THE TECHNICAL CRITERIA, WHICH THEY DID.
THEY HAD TO PROVIDE ORAL PRESENTATIONS TO THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, AND THEY HAD TO SUBMIT THEIR BEST AND FINAL OFFER,
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WHICH WAS THE CITY'S WAY OF SAYING, PLEASE SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS TO GIVE US THE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE.SO THEN AS A RESULT OF ALL THOSE COMPLETION OF ACTIONS, THE COMMITTEE SAT DOWN AND DID RECOMMEND THESE FINAL THREE VENDORS THAT I'VE MENTIONED TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD AS RECOMMENDATION FOR AWARD FOR THIS CONTRACT AS PART OF THIS RFP.
SO FROM A CONTRACT PERSPECTIVE, THIS COMES TO PROPOSING PROJECTED SPEND $30,558,507 AND 50 CENTS.
THE CONTRACT TERM IS A THREE YEAR TERM WITH TWO ONE YEAR OPTIONAL TERMS, WHICH COULD BE A POTENTIAL FIVE YEAR TERM.
THE MWBE GOAL OF THE RFP INCLUDED 18.64% IS THE TARGET.
TWO OF THE COMPANIES THAT SUBMITTED SUBMITTED THAT TARGET, ONE BEING CST CORPORATION AND THE OTHER BEING NETSY NETWORK SOLUTIONS.
THE THIRD COMPANY, BA CYBER TECH INC INCREASE THEIR MDB WB PROJECTION TO 20%.
AND THERE'S MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS THAT WOULD BE USING THIS, THESE CONTRACTS, WHICH IS WHY WE INCLUDED A LOT OF SEVERAL OF THEM IN THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE.
THEY INCLUDE HITS WHAT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, HOUSING AND, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
SO IF WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT CHART, WE'LL BEGIN TO DIG INTO A LITTLE MORE OF THE DETAILS OF WHAT IS THIS RFP AND WHAT DOES IT, WHAT DOES IT INCLUDE? SO THE, THE CHART HERE COVERS A LOT OF THE, BUT NOT ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE PERSPECTIVE.
IF WE START AT THE TOP, HELPING PEOPLE WITH THEIR DEVICES, SUPPORTING THEM FOR ANY ISSUES THEY MAY HAVE, UH, ACTIVE DIRECTORY AND IDENTITY MANAGEMENT, THAT'S THE, THE, THE AUTHORIZATION AND ACCESS SYSTEM THAT WE USE TO PROTECT WHO CAN GET INTO THE SYSTEMS AND, AND, AND, UH, INTO THE CITY NETWORK.
IP MANAGEMENT, THOSE ARE, THAT'S HOW WE MANAGE OUR IP ADDRESSES FOR OUR NETWORK CITYWIDE.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE DATA CENTER SERVICES SUCH AS STORAGE SERVICES, SERVER SERVICES, AND THEN NETWORK SERVICES ENCOMPASSES PART OF WHAT'S INSIDE OF A DATA CENTER, BUT ALSO THE NETWORK CONNECTIVITY THEN TELE AND TO GIVE US NETWORK AND INTE TELEPHONY SERVICES AT ALL 350 PLUS MORE OF OUR SITES THAT WE SUPPORT AROUND THE CITY.
UH, AND THEN HELP DESK SERVICES.
SO WHEN THERE THERE'S ISSUES, WE END USERS AND EMPLOYEES CAN CALL OUR HELP DESK AND WE WILL EXPEDITE RESOLUTION OF THEIR ISSUES.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME PROACTIVE TOOLS THAT WE USE MANAGEMENT TOOLS TO CONFIGURE THE ENVIRONMENT TO MAKE SURE IT'S OPTIMIZED.
WE HAVE MONITORING TOOLS THAT WE USE TO ALERT US AS PROACTIVELY AS POSSIBLE THAT SHOULD AN ISSUE BE COMING, THAT WE CAN PROACTIVELY ADDRESS IT BEFORE IT BECOMES AN ISSUE.
OR IF IT BECOMES AN ISSUE, WE CAN QUICKLY JUMP ON IT TO RESOLVE IT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, OUR GOAL FROM A, FROM A HITS PERSPECTIVE IS TO MAXIMIZE END USER PRODUCTIVITY AND TO MAXIMIZE THE UPTIME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE CITIZENS.
SO NOW WE WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS FROM A SCOPE OF WORK PERSPECTIVE.
SO IT'S THINGS SUCH AS BASIC SUPPORT OF OUR DEVICES FROM A NETWORK AND, AND SERVER AND DATA CENTER PERSPECTIVE.
IT INCLUDES THINGS SUCH AS SERVICE OPERATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE EVENT MANAGEMENT, INCIDENT MANAGEMENT, CHANGE MANAGEMENT, PROBLEM MANAGEMENT.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN A NUTSHELL? IT'S WHENEVER WE HAVE A PROBLEM, WE VERY QUICKLY JUMP ON IT.
AND WE HAVE THREE TARGETS EVERY SINGLE TIME.
WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT DID WE DO TO FIX IT? AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN, WHICH IS PART OF OUR ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS PROCESS.
WE HAVE A SERVICE TRANSITION PROCESS THAT THAT'S INCLUDED IN HERE, WHICH INCLUDES SERVICE VALIDATION, CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT, RELEASE MANAGEMENT, THE 30 AREAS AROUND SERVICE DESIGN, WHERE WE DO SERVICE LEVEL MANAGEMENT.
WE DO AVAILABILITY MANAGEMENT AND CAPACITY MANAGEMENT.
THE MAIN INTENT THERE IS WHEN WE DESIGN SYSTEMS AND DEPLOY THEM, THAT WE'RE MAKING THE MOST OPTIMAL USE OF THE FUNDS WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE USING TO PURCHASE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IT'S, WE'RE MAXIMIZING IT IN THE LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, GETTING BETTER EVERY SINGLE DAY.
CONTINUAL SERVICE IMPROVEMENT, FOCUSING ON SERVICE EVALUATION AND PROCESS EVALUATION.
SO IN SUMMARY, THAT'S THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE RFP WHERE THESE THREE COMPANIES WE BELIEVE WILL HELP US BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN PROVIDING IT INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES TO THE CITY.
IF WE MOVE TO THE NEXT CHART, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE R THE RFP EVALUATION PROCESS A BIT.
UM, AND ON THIS CHART WE COVER WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE RFP THAT WAS MANAGED BY THE, THE STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT DIVISION FOR, FOR US.
AND I'LL COVER THE, THE THIS IN AT A HIGH LEVEL AND I'LL COME BACK AND GIVE IT SOME, SOME DEFINITIONS TO GIVE IT SOME CONTEXT.
SO FROM AN EVALUATION CRITERIA PERSPECTIVE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE ONES.
THERE'S RESPONSIVE, AND THE POINTS FOR THAT ARE MANAGED BY THE STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT DIVISION OR PASS FAIL.
THERE'S RESPONSIBLE, WHICH IS PASS FAIL, THERE'S FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE PROPOSER, WHICH IS PASS FAIL.
AND THEN QUALITY OF THE PROPOSED MWBE PARTICIPATION IS PASS FAIL.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE ONES THAT, THAT, UH, SPD HELPS MANAGE FOR US.
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THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE HELPS COORDINATE THE REST WITH SPD, OF COURSE, FIRST SECTION.AND THESE TOTAL POINTS UP TO SET UP TO 100 POINTS.
AND THAT'S HOW WE GRADE ALL THE 23.
UM, SUBMITTERS 75 ARE TECHNICAL COMPETENCE AND 25 ARE PRICE PROPOSAL.
AND I'LL COVER A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THOSE IN DEPTH AND WHAT THESE ALL MEAN TO US.
'CAUSE IT'S A VERY HIGH LEVEL TERMS HERE.
SO FROM, FROM A DEFINITION PERSPECTIVE, RESPONSIVE MEANS THAT THE VENDOR RESPONDS IN A TIMELY MANNER WITH ALL THE MATERIAL THAT'S NEEDED FOR THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE INPUT AND MAKE THE BEST RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY OFFICIALS FOR HOW TO PROCEED WITH THE RFP.
AND, AND, AND SELECTING THE VENDORS RESPONSIBLE IS AN INTERESTING ONE, AND IT'S TWOFOLD.
SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO ACTUALLY COVER THE DEFINITION AND THEN, AND THEN JUST MAKE SURE THE, THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE HERE.
SO RESPONSIBLE ACCORDING TO SPD IS A BUSINESS ENTITY OR INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS THE INTEGRITY AND RELIABILITY AS WELL AS THE FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL CAPACITY TO PERFORM THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SOLICITATION AND SUBSEQUENT CONTRACT WILL BE DEEMED RESPONSIBLE.
THIS ASSESSMENT WILL INCLUDE A REVIEW OF ALL ASSESS REFERENCES ON ANY PROJECTS PERFORMED BY A BUSINESS ENTITY OR INDIVIDUAL, WHETHER PROVIDED BY THE BUSINESS ENTITY OR INDIVIDUAL, OR KNOWN BY THE CITY.
SO WHY DID I, WHY DID I TAKE YOU THROUGH THAT? THERE'S TWO PIECES TO THAT.
IT'S THE RFP THAT'S SUBMITTED WITH THE, THE COMPANY'S CURRENT PROPOSAL FOR HOW THEY'RE GONNA MEET THE CITY'S NEEDS.
BUT THERE'S ALSO THE REVIEW OF PAST PERFORMANCE FOR HOW THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST, SO WE CAN HAVE A REAL CLEAR, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF WHETHER THESE VENDORS ARE VIABLE OR NOT.
SO A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO EXPLAINS THE DEFINITION OF RESPONSIBLE, WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT TO US FOR THIS ONE.
NOW, THE, UM, FINANCIAL STABILITY IS REALLY SIMPLE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE LAST TWO YEARS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
IT'S, UH, UH, THE, THE MOST CURRENT QUARTER OPERATION STATEMENTS TO MAKE SURE THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE COMPANY'S THERE.
THEY ALSO MUST PROVIDE A FULL DISCLOSURE OF ANY EVENTS OR LIABILITIES THAT COULD AFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO, FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, TO TO, TO PERFORM THE CONTRACT FOR THE CITY.
SO THAT COVERS THE, THE FINANCIAL STABILITY SIDE.
THE, THE MWBE PIECE IS REALLY THE VENDOR'S ABILITY TO, TO PROVIDE A PERCENTAGE OF MWBE GOALS THAT ALIGNS WITH THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT AND THE CAPABILITIES HEREIN.
UM, SO FROM A TECHNICAL COMPETENCE PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE 75 POINTS, UH, 40 POINTS FOCUSING ON QUALIFIED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF THE FIRM, THEIR CURRENT EXPERIENCE, WHAT THEY BROUGHT TOGETHER, AND HOW THEY CAN, WE BELIEVE THEY CAN HELP MEET THE CITY'S NEEDS.
THERE'S 20 POINTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE FOCUSING AT THE RESUMES OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE CONTRACT, THEIR SKILLS, THEIR EDUCATION, THEIR TRAINING, AND THEIR ABILITY TO DO THE JOB.
AND THEN THERE'S 15 POINTS FOR METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH, WHICH IS THEIR BEST PRACTICES, UNIQUE SKILL SETS, SPECIALIZATION THAT THEY COULD BRING TO THE, TO THE CITY.
SO THAT'S THE FIFTH TO 75 POINTS.
PRICE PROPOSAL, 25 POINTS, UH, WHICH IS TWOFOLD.
IT'S THE INITIAL SUBMISSION OF PRICING, AND THEN THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER, WHICH IS THEIR BEST PRICING THAT CAME BACK.
SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT CHART, WE'LL THEN COME THROUGH AND TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIALS.
SO THAT COVERS THE, THE HOW WE GOT TO THE POINT OF RECOMMENDING THREE VENDORS.
SO, UH, THIS CHART, I'M GONNA TAKE YOU FROM THE UPPER LEFT QUADRANT AROUND AND CLOCKWISE.
SO THE OVERALL PROJECTED SPEND, AS I MENTIONED, $30,558,507 AND 50 CENTS.
NOW I WANT TO TAKE THROUGH THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT 30 MILLION, WHAT'S THE FUNDING TYPES? SO THE FIRST FUNDING TYPE WE'LL TALK ABOUT IS REVOLVING FUNDS, AND THAT'S $20,204,507 AND 50 CENTS GENERAL FUND, $85,000 GRANT FUNDS, $659,000.
AND THEN A, A GROUPING OF ENTERPRISE FUNDS, REVENUE FUNDS, AND OTHER VARIOUS FUNDS COME TO 9,610,000, WHICH THAT, WHICH BRINGS THE TOTAL, AGAIN, TO THE 30.558 MILLION THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING.
SO NOW I JUST WANNA BRING IT ALL TOGETHER WITH ONE TABLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHART, WHICH TAKES US THROUGH WHICH DEPARTMENT, WHAT'S THE TYPE OF FUNDS, AND THEN HOW THE DEPARTMENTS ARE PROJECTING TO SPEND IT THROUGHOUT THE CONTRACT.
SO, HITS, WHICH IS A REVOLVING FUND, IS PROPOSING SPENDING $2 MILLION IN, IN FY 25, AND THEN IN THE OUTLYING FOUR YEARS, $18,204,507 AND 50 CENTS FOR A TOTAL OF $20,204,507 AND 50 CENTS.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S A GRANT FUND AND, UH, TYPE, THEY'RE NOT PROJECTING ANY SPEND IN FY 25, BUT THEY ARE PROJECTING 508,850 IN THE OUTLYING YEARS, WHICH IS THEIR TOTAL SPEND PROJECTED.
THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS A GENERAL FUND, NOT PROPOSING ANY IN FY 25, BUT IN THE OUTLYING YEARS, $85,000, WHICH IS THEIR TOTAL.
THE NEXT GROUPING PUBLIC WORKS, YOU CAN SEE A BUNCH HERE.
SO THESE ARE VARIOUS FUNDS, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
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FUND, STORM WATER FUND, DEDICATED DRAINAGE FUND, AND COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM FUNDS.THEY'RE JUST A SMALL SUBSET OF ONES THEY'RE, THEY'RE USING HERE.
PUBLIC WORKS IS, IS PROJECTING SPENDING $750,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 25, AND THEN 5 MILLION IN THE OUTLYING YEARS TO GET TO THE TOTAL OF FIVE POINT 505,000,007 50,000.
THE AIRPORT SYSTEM IS, IS ENTERPRISE REVENUE FUND.
THEY'RE PROJECTING SPENDING 150,000 IN FY 25, AND THEN IN THE OUTLYING YEARS, $3,710,000 TO BRING THEIR TOTAL TO 3,860,000 IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, WHICH IS GRANT FUNDED, NOT PROJECTING ANY SPEND THIS, ANY SPEND THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT $150,150 IN THE OUTLYING YEARS, WHICH IS THEIR TOTAL.
SO BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER IN THE FINAL PIECE, WE PROJECT SPEND CITYWIDE AND FY 25 OF 2,900,000.
AND THEN IN THE OUTLYING YEARS, $27,658,507 AND 50 CENTS, WHICH ALL CALCULATES UP TO THE TOTAL AMOUNT WE'RE, WE'RE REQUESTING APPROVAL FOR HERE FOR A PROJECTED SPEND OF $30,558,507 AND 50 CENTS.
SO THAT BRINGS AN END TO THE, THE, THE CONTENT OF THE PRESENTATION.
WE'D LIKE TO MOVE IT TO THE Q AND A SECTION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT VICE MAYOR PRO TEM PECK IS HERE.
UM, WE'VE GOT STAFF FROM DISTRICT I, DISTRICT B AND DISTRICT C.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THAT JUST MEANS YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB,
WE APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TODAY.
OKAY, NEXT, WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
THEY WILL BE PRESENTING THE MOWING RESPONSIBILITIES.
DR. ALLEN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CHIEF AND STAFF.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO.
UH, IT'S A HUGE DIVISION THAT OPERATES OUR GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT TEAM, UM, GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT.
WE HAVE WELL OVER, WELL JUST UNDER 300 EMPLOYEES.
I KNOW OUR FOCUS TODAY IS ON MOWING ACTIVITIES AS WITH A, WITH A FOCUS ON ESPLANADES, BUT IT'S A, IT'S THE LARGEST DIVISION IN OUR DEPARTMENT, AND IT TAKES, TAKES MASSIVE COORDINATION FOR MULTIPLE PEOPLE TO GET THINGS DONE AND TO WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT 150 DEVELOPED PARKS THAT WE MAINTAIN ACROSS THIS CITY, JUST UNDER 40,000 ACRES OF LAND IN A 300, IN A 640 SQUARE MILE RADIUS, IT'S MASSIVE.
AND WHEN WE HAVE STORMS, DISASTERS, AND WE COME TO A GREATER CAUSE TO AID THIS CITY AND MAKE CITIZENS AND PROPERTY SAFE, IT JUST ADDS TO OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
SO IN TODAY, YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR SCHEDULES, HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO, AND WHEN WE GET OFF.
AND, UH, IT'S A TREMENDOUS EFFORT TO GET BACK ON.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL ABOUT 10% OUT FROM RECOVERY FROM DICHO AS, AS WELL AS BARREL.
UM, BUT WE'RE WORKING DILIGENT, WE'RE WORKING HARD, AND IT TAKES A MASSIVE EFFORT.
SO I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY BEFORE WE GET INTO THE PRESENTATION, TO THANK THE DAY-TO-DAY EFFORTS OF ALL THE STAFF THAT'S IN THE STREETS, IN THE PARKS, WORKING DILIGENTLY TO MAKE OUR CITY LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE BEAUTIFUL.
UH, I HAVE TWO TEAM MEMBERS HERE WITH ME THAT'S AN INTEGRAL PART OF ACCOMPLISHING THE THINGS THAT WE ACCOMPLISH.
I HAVE ONE, CHARLOTTE LUSK, UM, OUR, EXCUSE ME, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
WE, WE ARE GOING THROUGH SOME TRANSITION, UH, WITH THIS DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT.
AND CHARLOTTE, ALONG WITH ERIC SPUR, JOHN, WHO'S HERE WITH US, ALSO HAVE STEPPED UP AND CARRIED ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD.
NOW, CHARLOTTE IS HANDLING RIGHT NOW IN THIS TRANSITION, NATURAL RESOURCES FLEET, ADMINISTRATIVE O ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS OVERALL FOR THE DIVISION RESEARCH GRANT, EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH.
AND ALONG WITH COMPLIANCE, ERIC, HE'S MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUND HANDLING THE MOWING OF OVER JUST UNDER 40,000 ACRES.
UM, OUR FORESTRY DEPARTMENT, UM, DE LITTERING OF OUR PARKS, LAKE HOUSTON WILDERNESS PARK, AND ALSO HANDLING ESPLANADES AS WELL AS MOTE SERVICE CENTERS AND LIBRARIES.
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SO THAT'S, THAT'S A HUGE INVENTORY AND IT, AND IT JUST SPEAKS TO THEIR WILLINGNESS TO, TO HELP WHEREVER NEEDED.SO I'M GONNA CALL THEM UP TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT, UM, MOWING AND UPDATES, UM, AND WITH A, WITH A FOCUS ON ESP AGES.
AS DIRECTOR, ALAN MENTIONED, I AM CHARLOTTE LUSK AND THANK HIM FOR THAT INTRODUCTION.
AND I ALSO WANNA THANK HIM FOR HIS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE DURING THIS TRANSITION AND, AND, UH, GIVING US HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AND, UH, ALLOWING US TO STEP UP.
AND AS HE MENTIONED, I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY ADMINISTRATION FOR GREEN SPACE MANAGEMENT.
I JOINED THE CITY OF HOUSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, IN JUNE, 2006, UM, A LITTLE OVER 18 YEARS AGO.
AND I'M PROUD TO BE A TRANSPLANT.
I'M FROM DALLAS, BUT, UH, REALLY ENJOY HOUSTON AND ENJOY BEING A CITY EMPLOYEE.
UM, MY COLLEAGUE AND ERIC, ERIC AND I ARE PLEASED TO REPRESENT A TEAM OF, UH, BRAIN SPACE MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES, HARDWORKING PEOPLE, AND WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY THE ROLE THAT WE HAVE IN, UH, PROVIDING SAFE, WELL, WELL-MAINTAINED PARKS AND GREEN SPACES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND SO, UH, WE JUST ARE PLEASED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU, PRESENT TO YOU, UM, WHAT WE DO, HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO.
AND I'LL START WITH, UM, TALKING ABOUT ESPLANADES.
UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, OTHER CITY AGENCIES ARE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE OF ESPLANADES.
SO HOW DO WE GET HERE? UM, OR ORDINANCE, UH, CITY ORDINANCE HAS GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTAINING ESPLANADES TO THE PARKS DIRECTOR IN ADDITION TO OTHER ASSETS, YOU KNOW, PARKS OBVIOUSLY, BUT OTHER ASSETS INCLUDING ESPLANADES, UM, REST THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN, CONTROL MANAGE THOSE, UH, BELONGS TO THE PARKS DIRECTOR BY CITY ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER DOCUMENT THAT WE KNOW OF THAT EXPLICITLY, UH, GIVES THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PARKS DIRECTOR OTHER THAN THAT SECTION OF CITY ORDINANCE.
AND IT'S NOT JUST ESPLANADES THAT RUN THROUGH PARKS OR, YOU KNOW, LAND THAT RUNS THROUGH PARKS, BUT IT'S ESPLANADES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE INVENTORY, THE ESPLANADE INVENTORY.
THERE ARE 1,550 ACRES OF MAINTAINED ESPLANADES THAT OUR CREWS MAINTAIN IN HOUSE, AND ALSO 950 ACRES OF ESPLANADES THAT ARE ADOPTED OUT TO OTHER ENTITIES SUCH AS, UM, HOAS CIVIC ORGANIZATION, TURS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
AND THEY BASICALLY, BY, UH, ADOPTION AGREEMENT, UM, ARE GIVEN THE, UM, AUTHORITY TO BEAUTIFY THOSE AREAS AND TO MAINTAIN THEM.
UH, WE ALSO ARE MAINTENANCE INVENTORY COVERS 800 LINEAR MILES.
UM, THAT'S A LOT OF TRAVELING THAT OUR CREWS HAVE TO COVER TO MAINTAIN ESPLANADES AND 7,000, UH, INDIVIDUAL ISLANDS OF ESPLANADES.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF, UM, HOPPING ON AND ALL OUR EQUIPMENT, IT, IT, IT, UM, CAUSES US TO RUN OUT, RUN THROUGH EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, UH, QUICKLY.
WE, UH, EXCEED THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT, UM, BECAUSE OF THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE DO AND THE CONDITIONS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK IN.
UM, THE SIZE OF THE SM EIGHT ISLANDS CAN RANGE FROM, UM, 0.1 ACRES TO REALLY LARGE ESPLANADES LIKE, UH, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER PARKWAYS, BUT THOSE ARE ALSO PART OF OUR ESSMAN EIGHT INVENTORY.
THAT WOULD BE LIKE YOUR WILL, CLAYTON PARKWAY, TC JESTER, WATONGA.
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ARE SOME OF THE LARGER ESPLANADE AREAS THAT WE DO.AND, UH, JUST TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, UH, OUR STANDARDS AND OUR PRACTICES.
UH, WE MOW ESPLANADES, UH, ON THE AVERAGE OF, WE MOWED THE LETTER ON THE AVERAGE OF EVERY 30 DAYS.
WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IT MORE FREQUENTLY, ABSOLUTELY WE WOULD, BUT WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO, TO MAINTAIN THOSE AREAS, UH, UM, WE DO IT ON 30 DAY CYCLE EVERY 30 DAYS.
ALSO, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL A BERMUDA RELEASE PROGRAM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE LARGE TRUCKS WITH LARGE CAPACITY, UM, TANKS, AND WE BROADCAST, UH, CHEMICALS ON THE ESPLANADES.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA KILL THE TURF ON THE ESPLANADES, BUT IT, IT'S TO HELP SLOW THE GROWTH AND TO KILL THE WEEDS.
SO WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT AS WELL.
AND ALSO, ANOTHER ONE OF OUR MAINTENANCE PRACTICES FOR ESPEN IS LINEAR FORESTS.
THOSE ARE SPACES, GOOD SPACES TO PLANT TREES, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF BENEFITS AND GOOD REASONS TO PLANT TREES.
IT HELPS TO, UH, CONTROL THE EROSION.
IT HELPS TO PROVIDE, UH, STORAGE FOR WATER, UM, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THE ROADWAYS IN CASE OF, YOU KNOW, SOME FLOODING OR HEAVY RAIN EVENTS.
AND TREES ALSO ARE A PART OF, UM, MITIGATING HEAT IN AREAS.
AND SO, UH, WHERE THERE'S FUNDING AND SPONSORSHIPS, THAT'S ANOTHER ASPECT OF OUR MAINTENANCE PRACTICES FOR ESPLANADES, OUR LINEAR FOREST.
AND WITH THAT, UM, I'M GOING TO PASS THE MIC OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE ERIC SPUR, AND HE CAN INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, OUR MAINTENANCE PRACTICES.
I'M ASSISTING WITH, UH, ALL THE CREWS, THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
A COUPLE OF ITEMS I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT CHARLOTTE WENT OVER WAS, UH, SHE MENTIONED TREES ON ADES AS WELL AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE HAD, UM, VERY CHALLENGING SUMMER, SO WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE TREES ON THE ADES AS WELL, AS WELL, AS SHE MENTIONED, THERE'S 1,550 ACRES OF MAINTAINED ESPLANADES THAT WE MAINTAIN.
BESIDES QUITE A FEW THAT ARE ADOPTED.
SOME OF THOSE ARE VERY SMALL, SOME VERY NARROW.
CREW OF TWO OR THREE TAKES ALL DAY TO MOW WEST MONTGOMERY, 2.3 ACRES, TAKES 'EM ALL DAY.
YOU CAN ONLY GET TWO ACRES DONE, JUST HOW NARROW THEY ARE.
KEEP HOPPING ON AND OFF THE ESPLANADES, ALL THE CURB LINE EDGING, TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EDGING AND TRIMMING AS WELL.
JUST A COUPLE POINTS I WANTED TO MENTION BEFORE I MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
OKAY, SO THIS, UH, SLIDE JUST DEMONSTRATES, UH, TYPICAL LOADING AND UNLOADING.
BASICALLY A CREW ARRIVES AT THE SITE.
UM, THIS PICTURE'S JUST A TYPICAL SETUP OF OUR CREW, CABS, TRUCK AND TRAILER WITH A COUPLE MOWERS, TRIMMERS, BLOWERS, ET CETERA.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO UNLOAD.
WE HAVE, UH, AN ISSUE WITH, WITH THEFTS, SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP TRIMMERS AND SO FORTH, CHAINED UP ON THE BACK OF TRUCKS AS WELL.
BUT, UM, UNLOADING, GETTING EVERYTHING READY TO GO, THEN WE HAVE TO REMOVE ALL THE TRASH.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T INSTRUCT OUR CREWS TO RUN OVER ANY TRASH.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PICK IT ALL UP BEFORE THEY, UH, MOW.
AS YOU, UH, CAN IMAGINE, ESPLANADES A A LINEAR LANDSCAPE.
SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES ABOUT MOWING AND PICKING UP TRASH IN THESE AREAS ARE YOU KEEP, YOU HAVE TO KEEP MOVING THE TRUCK DOWN THE ROAD.
YOU CAN'T JUST PARK AT A PARK MOW A FIVE OR 10 ACRE PARK.
IT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WE HAVE.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP FIGURING IT OUT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE TWO MAN CREW MANY TIMES, HOW TO MOVE, KEEP MOVING THE TRUCK DOWN THE STREET AS YOU KEEP MOWING.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE INEFFICIENCIES WITH ESPLANADES.
UM, OF COURSE, AFTER WE PICK UP THE TRASH, WE MOW TRIM AROUND STATIONARY OBJECTS, EDGES, YOU KNOW, EDGING, BLOWING CLIPPINGS AWAY FROM STORM DRAINS, ET CETERA.
AND WE GOTTA THROW ALL THE TRASH IN THE TRUCK AND TRAILER AND HAUL IT AWAY.
MANY TIMES ESPLANADES ARE USED AS, UH, STAGING SITES FOR, UH, HEAVY TRASH DAY OR ILLEGAL DUMPING ISSUES AS WELL.
PEOPLE PILE COUCHES, TIRES, ALL THOSE THINGS ON ADES AS WELL.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES.
ONCE WE GET THOSE ITEMS, YOU CAN SEE OUR TRUCK AND TRAILERS CAN'T HOLD A WHOLE LOT AFTER YOU HAVE A COUPLE MOWERS IN THERE.
SO SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO GO BACK AND FORTH TO THE DUMPSTER FACILITIES.
AS DIRECTOR ALLEN SAID, WE, WE DO MANY DIFFERENT ACREAGE TYPES IN THIS, UH, PIE CHART HERE.
IT'S JUST INDICATING THE BREAKDOWN BY ACRE, UM,
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PARKS, 54% ESPLANADES, 41% OF ACTUAL MAINTAIN GROUNDS, UM, LIBRARIES, 1%.WE DO HEALTH DEPARTMENT MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS.
WE DO A LOT OF SPECIALTY ITEMS SUCH AS BALL FIELDS AND FORESTRY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, THE 1% FOR LIBRARIES.
WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER 20 LIBRARIES, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME ISSUES JUST CAME UP YESTERDAY WHERE WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE TO LAY SOME NEW SOD AT ONE AND WORK ON, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE IRRIGATION AT THOSE SITES AS WELL.
SO WHETHER IT BE A PARK OR A LIBRARY, SOME ARE MORE INTENSE, THE MAINTENANCE LEVELS OF, UH, HOW LONG IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN EACH SITE.
UH, THE SAME STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THE MAINTENANCE CREWS FOR ROUTINE WORK MUST ALSO PERFORM NON-ROUTINE, NON-ROUTINE WORK AND SMALL NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT GROUP ON A VARIETY OF GRANT FUNDED CONSERVATION PROJECTS.
SO WE ALSO DEAL WITH THE NATURAL AREAS, NATURE PRESERVES, PONDS, LAKES, AND UNDEVELOPED PARKLAND.
SO IN A NUTSHELL, WE DON'T JUST DO PARKS, WE DO QUITE OTHER LANDSCAPING AS WELL HERE.
SO, NEXT SLIDE, MOWING OPERATIONS OVERVIEW.
OUR ESTIMATED ANNUAL OPERATING COST IS 5.65 MILLION.
OUR STAFFING DEDICATED FOR ESPLANADES IS 15 CREWS.
EACH GEOGRAPHIC MAINTENANCE DISTRICT HAS AT LEAST ONE DEDICATED ESPLANADE CREW.
UH, DISTRICTS THAT HAVE LARGER ESPLANADE INVENTORIES HAVE TWO ESPLANADE CREWS.
UM, IN THE SUMMERTIME, WE DO GET SEASONAL LABORERS, HOPEFULLY, TYPICALLY ONE, ONE PER CREW TO HELP OUT DURING THE PEAK MOWING SEASON.
TYPICALLY, UM, VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, OUR TYPICAL EQUIPMENT CREW, CABS, TRAILERS, PICKUP TRUCKS, RIDING MOWERS, TRACTORS, HERBICIDE, TANKER TRUCKS, CURB DRESSERS, SMALLER EQUIPMENT, STRING TRIMMERS, BACKPACK BLOWERS, POLE SAWS, STICK EDGERS, ET CETERA.
UH, SMALL MATERIALS INCLUDE, UH, TRASH BAGS, DE LITTERING PICKS, FUEL HERBICIDES, AND, UH, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
SOME OF OUR ESPLANADE MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES, OUR INVENTORY GROWS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ADD NEW UNITS WHERE THEY DID NOT PREVIOUSLY EXIST.
THIS, THIS HAPPENS EVERY YEAR, BASICALLY A, A ROAD IS WIDENED.
TYPICALLY WHEN THEY'RE HANDED OVER TO US, IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT TO GET 'EM IN SHAPE AS WELL.
SOMETIME AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION, THEY'RE LEFT IN A LITTLE BIT OF ROUGH SHAPE WITH MAYBE CONCRETE, BIG CHUNKS OF DIRT.
UM, HIGH TURNOVER IN STAFFING.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR POSITIONS ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY LABOR INTENSIVE.
UM, AND THAT THAT LEADS TO HIGH TURNOVER AT TIMES.
UM, SAFETY TRAFFIC CAN BE A SERIOUS, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGE ESPECIALLY ON, UH, HIGH PACED ROADS.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST SUMMER THAT, THAT TURNED US UPSIDE DOWN BASICALLY.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF TREES IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO TAKE CARE OF.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, ESPLANADES DID, UH, DID SUFFER BECAUSE OF THE STORMS THIS PAST SUMMER.
AGING EQUIPMENT, AND THAT'S ONE THAT'S REALLY CHALLENGING FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER SAW IT OUT AT, UH, GREENWOOD A WHILE BACK.
UM, WE HAVE SOME OLD HEAVY EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE USING TO DO A LOT OF THESE FORESTRY TASKS.
UH, DUE TO LOW BUDGETS, WE HAVEN'T HAD THE MONEY TO REPLACE, UH, LARGER, MORE EXPENSIVE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.
UM, SO THAT CAN BE CHALLENGING.
WE'RE WORKING OUT HOW TO RENT EQUIPMENT AND SO FORTH TO, TO PUT A BANDAID ON THAT FOR NOW.
UM, BROKEN WINDSHIELDS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF TRIMMING AND EVEN MOWING THAT SOMETIMES THROWS ROCKS OFF THE ESPLANADES.
AND THAT, UH, SOMETIMES UNFORTUNATELY BREAKS CAR WINDOWS AND BUSINESS WINDOWS SO FORTH.
UM, EXCESSIVE LITTER, ESPECIALLY IN CONCENTRATED RETAIL AREAS.
YOU KNOW, YOU MAY NOT ALWAYS NOTICE, BUT IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE THROW A LOT OF TRASH OUT 'EM ON THE MEDIAN AND WE'RE THE ONES THAT PICKED THAT UP.
SO, IRRIGATION LINES, WATER USE REPAIRS SOMETIMES, UH, THE ADOPTED ONES, UM, HAVE IRRIGATION OR SOME OTHER ONES HAVE IRRIGATION.
YOU RUN INTO LEAKS AND SO FORTH.
SOME ARE USED AS A, YOU KNOW, HEAVY TRASH DAY SITE AND THAT CAN REALLY INTERRUPT THE LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE THERE.
ALL THE HOPPING ON AND OFF CURBS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALL ESPLANADES OUT THERE THAT DON'T ADD UP TO MANY ACRES.
A LOT OF TRIANGLES AND CIRCLES AS WE CALL 'EM IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
THE OF CUL-DE-SAC STREET, THE LITTLE CIRCLE IN THE MIDDLE.
BUT BESIDES THAT NARROW ESPLANADE, SAY LIKE FULTON OR WEST MONTGOMERY, YOU'RE JUST NARROW.
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HOPPING ON AND OFF WITH THAT MOWER ALL THE TIME.AND THAT PUTS A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON THE EQUIPMENT.
UM, AND THEN HIGH PRIORITY REQUEST TO TRIM TREES BACK THAT, THAT BLOCK TRAFFIC LINE OF SIGHT.
WHILE WE LIKE TREES ON OUR ESPLANADES TO MAKE IT A GREENER CITY, THEY, THEY DO GET IN THE WAY FOR LINE OF SIGHT ISSUES SOMETIMES.
SO WE HAVE TO TRIM THINGS BACK.
THAT CONCLUDES, UH, OUR PRESENTATIONS.
DO YOU HAVE, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? I'D LIKE TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE SOME STUDENTS IN THE BACKGROUND AND I WANTED TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THEM, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH Y'ALL.
UM, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE TED IRVIN FROM HTV IS HERE.
WE'VE GOT HR DIRECT, UM, REPRESENTATIVE SHARON MALVO, AND WE HAVE SENIORS FROM AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY'RE A PART OF THE HR DEPARTMENT'S HOUSTON PATHFINDERS PROGRAM.
ALRIGHT, SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE VICE MAYOR PRO PECK WITH A QUESTION.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, A FEW YEARS AGO I HAD A BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT, UM, AIMED TO LOOK AT MOWING FOR BOTH, UM, PARKS AND FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO SEE HOW WE CAN COMBINE SERVICES TO SAVE MONEY.
I KNOW IT WAS KIND OF LOOKED INTO A LITTLE BIT.
DO YOU KNOW THE STATUS OF THAT? NO, NO.
IT WOULD, UM, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
UM, THE CURRENT, UM, CITYWIDE STUDY, UM, CONCERNING DEPARTMENTS, IT'S GOT SOME, UM, SOME IDEAS.
SO WE, WE AWAIT THAT UNVEILING OF THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY, UH, IN TERMS OF MERGING, IN TERMS OF SHARING RESOURCES.
SO, BUT NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE CURRENTLY.
WE'RE HOPING TO AT, TO GAIN SOME GROUND ON THAT AFTER THE STUDY IS RELEASED.
UM, YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT IN ADDITION TO MOWING, UM, YOU ALSO DE LITTER EVERY 30 DAYS.
AND IN THE PAST WHEN WE'VE ASKED ABOUT, UM, LITTER IN ESPLANADES, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD THAT IT JUST GETS MOWED OVER UNLESS IT'S SOMETHING REALLY BIG.
SO IS THAT A POLICY CHANGE OR IS THAT, IS THIS SOMETHING NEW? IT IS NOT A POLICY CHANGE.
IF YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING, PLEASE REPORT IT BECAUSE IT IS A FIRM STANDARD FOR US THAT OUR CREW MEMBERS ARE NOT TO MOW OVER LITTER ON THE ESPLANADES.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO REMOVE THE LITTER, PICK UP THE LITTER, UM, AND BAG THE LITTER AND GET IT OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE THE MOWERS AND THE TRACTORS ROLL.
WE'LL START REPORTING IT THEN TO YOUR OFFICE.
'CAUSE WE SEE THAT ALL THE TIME.
IT SHOULDN'T BE, I, I KNOW THE RESOURCES ARE STRAINED AND SOME MAY GET IN A HURRY, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE.
UM, AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO WEEDS AND ESPLANADES, UM, HOW IS THAT BEING HANDLED? BECAUSE WE'VE REPORTED THAT SEVERAL TIMES AND IT, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN A GREAT ANSWER AS FAR AS WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR THE WEEDS.
ARE YOU GUYS JUST MOWING OVER IT OR HOW IS THAT BEING HANDLED? I THINK WE BOTH ANSWERED.
UM, WE BROADCAST, UH, MS MSMA, IT'S A HERBICIDE.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO KILL THE WEEDS, PARTICULARLY, UH, BA HAY GRASS.
IT, IT SHOOTS UP REALLY FAST AND MAKES IT LOOK LIKE WE HAVEN'T MOWED IN A WHILE AND SO FORTH.
BUT, UH, BUDGETS AND STAFFING ISSUES, THEY DON'T GET SPRAYED AS OFTEN AS THEY SHOULD, OF COURSE.
UM, SO TYPICALLY WE ALWAYS JUST MOW THE WEEDS AS WELL IN BETWEEN.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, CERTAIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WERE LOOKING AT HELPING, UM, TO MOW CERTAIN ESPLANADES, UM, OR PARK AREAS.
HAS, HAS THAT PROGRAM STARTED YET? IT HASN'T STARTED YET.
UM, SOME YEARS AGO THAT DID HAPPEN IN, UH, IT WAS A DISTRICT E UH, IN AND IN KINGWOOD WHEN WE STARTED A, A PILOT PROJECT SOME YEARS AGO WITH A CONTRACTOR WITH SOME, UM, FUNDING.
I'M NOT, THAT WAS NOT SUPPLEMENTED, THAT WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH NO, IT, IT'S A PILOT WITH THE COUNTY, BUT WHEN I STARTED IN OH SIX, RIGHT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS CHARLOTTE DID, UM, KINGWOOD AND THE NORTHEAST MEDIANS ESPLANADES IN TOWN HAD BEEN PRIVATIZED OUT.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, THE, THE LOWEST BIDDER WAS PICKED AND, UH, THEY DIDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH AND DO A VERY GOOD JOB.
SO THAT CONTRACT HAD TO BE TERMINATED.
AND I, I THINK THEY, THEY BID LOW NOT SEEING THE EARLY CHALLENGES OF IT BEING A LINEAR LANDSCAPE WITH A LOT OF LITTER AND SO FORTH.
WE, UM, WE RECENTLY ENTERED INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMISSIONER FOR, UH, S TO POTENTIALLY MOW ALL THE ESP AND PARTS IN HER PRECINCT.
UH, WE HADN'T, UH, SOLIDIFIED THAT JUST YET, BUT THERE'S BEEN SOME INSTANCES WITH THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WE'VE, UH, WE'VE
[00:40:01]
BEEN ABLE TO OFFSET SOME OF THE MOWING THAT THEY'RE TAKING A PART OF.WE HAVE SEVERAL ARRANGEMENTS, ARRANGEMENTS WITH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WHETHER IT'S OPERATION, UH, WHETHER IT'S IMPROVEMENT CAPITAL ALONG WITH MOORE.
WE HOPE, WE HOPE TO STRENGTHEN THIS WITH ALL COMMISSIONERS MOVING FORWARD.
WE, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, BURN BAYLEN IS ONE OF 'EM.
UH, IN TERMS OF MAINTAINING AND MORE MOWING THE PARKS, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE SAVING AT SOME POINT ONCE THAT REALLY GETS FINALIZED.
UH, WE COULD TELL YOU HOW MUCH MONEY WE SAVE BY ACREAGE BECAUSE EACH ACRE COST US WHAT MS. LUSK, UH, 3,600 ON, ON THE AVERAGE OPERATING, UH, AVERAGE OPERATING COST PER ACRE FOR SM A IS LIKE $3,600.
SO AN ACRE SAVED IS A, A DOLLAR SAVED IS A DOLLAR EARNED.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WHILE MOWING MIGHT SEEM LIKE AN, A MUNDANE TOPIC TO BE, UH, TALKING ABOUT, IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY.
IT'S REALLY WHAT PEOPLE SEE WHEN THEY DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD.
I WAS RECENTLY IN THE HOUSTON PART OF FORT BEND COUNTY AND SOMEBODY SAID, GOSH, IN FORT BEND COUNTY, YOU KNOW, ON THE HOUSTON SIDE, THE THE ESPLANADES ARE OVERGROWN.
THERE'S THE WEEDS AND EVERYTHING.
YOU GO CROSS OVER TO THE MISSOURI CITY SIDE AND IT'S ALL PRISTINE AND NICE.
I THINK, UH, UH, UH, IT'S MY, IT'S MY TAKE THAT A LOT OF THAT IS RESOURCES.
UM, YOU, YOU SAID TODAY THAT, THAT IT'S ABOUT A, UM, WHAT WAS YOUR NUMBER? UM, ON AVERAGE COST? SIX $5 MILLION.
I THINK IN JUNE WHEN I ASKED, YOU SAID 6 MILLION SOMETHING DOLLARS, HAS IT GONE DOWN SINCE JUNE? OR, OR, UM, IS THAT JUST FOR ESPLANADES? BECAUSE WHEN I WAS ASKING IN JUNE ABOUT THIS, IT WAS 6.75 MILLION, UM, JUST FOR ESPLANADES ANNUALLY.
AND TODAY YOU'RE SAYING FIVE, 5 MILLION.
WE HAD TO EXTEND OUR, OUR TARGET AT THAT TIME.
WE WERE HOPING TO DO IT LIKE EVERY 21 DAYS.
YOU ALSO GAVE ME A NUMBER THAT, TO GET DOWN TO 15 DAYS IN THE GROWING SEASON WOULD COST ABOUT 4.25 MILLION MORE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY WISE.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT NOT MOWING OVER THE GRA OVER THE TRASH, AND THAT'S YOUR STANDARD.
ARE THERE WRITTEN AND STANDARDS AND TRAINING STANDARDS THAT YOUR CREWS GO THROUGH TO, TO FULLY UNDERSTAND? I MEAN, I'VE, WE'VE HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT HEAVIER TRASH, LIKE TIRES AND THINGS BEING LEFT IN THERE.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM YOUR PRESENTATION, THOSE ARE TO BE TAKEN AWAY.
UM, HOW MUCH SPOT CHECKING IS DONE, HOW MUCH QUALITY CONTROL IS DONE AFTER CREWS GO OUT? I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE SHORT, ARE SHORT STAFFED.
UM, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET AN IDEA OF LIKE, HOW PEOPLE ARE TRAINED, HOW PEOPLE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR, FOR THE STANDARDS THAT YOU'VE OUTLINED AND, AND IS THERE, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR QUALITY CONTROL PROCESS? THERE IS TRAINING.
WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL BOOTCAMP FOR NEW HIRES, AND THEY HAVE, IT'S A COMBINATION OF LIKE CLASSROOM TYPE WHERE THEY, UH, PRESENTED THE INFORMATION AND THEN THEY GO OUT IN TEAMS MM-HMM
WITH, UM, SEASONED SUPERINTENDENTS AND GET TRAINED BY SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN DOING IT A WHILE.
AND THEN WHAT ABOUT ON THE BACK END? UM, WHAT KIND OF QUALITY CONTROL? IS IT JUST PEOPLE CALLING AND SAYING, HEY, THIS ONE LOOKS BAD, OR, OR ARE YOU GUYS PROACTIVELY GOING AND LOOKING? SUPERINTENDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INSPECTING THE AREAS.
WE JUST HIRED A NEW INSPECTOR WHOSE JOB IS TO GET ON THE GROUND.
AND, UM, HE'S TO FOLLOW THE SCHEDULES OF COMPLETED WORK AND GO OUT AND SEE IF IT'S COMPLETED, YOU KNOW, AS CLOSE TO THE COMPLETION DATE AS POSSIBLE.
WE USED TO HAVE MORE AND, AND HOPEFULLY AT SOME POINT, WE'LL, OKAY.
UM, WELL, THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND EVEN THE CREWS THAT ARE GOING OUT AND DRIVING PAST, I MEAN, IF SOME PEOPLE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE NEED SOME KIND OF SUPERVISORY ROLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE BEING DONE RIGHT.
UM, ON THE ADOPT AND ESPLANADE PROGRAM, HOW AGGRESSIVELY ARE WE MARKETING, UM, THAT, AND ARE WE ASKING BUSINESSES TO ADOPT? IS IT, I KNOW HOAS HAVE TYPICALLY BEEN THE ONES ADOPTING, BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF STRIP CENTERS AND OFFICE PARKS AND, AND I'M SURE THAT PEOPLE WANNA PRESENT A NICE WAY OF GETTING TO THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS, MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ADOPTING.
HA HAS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY KIND OF MARKETING TO COMMERCIAL THERE? THERE HAS NOT AS AGGRESSIVELY IN THE PAST.
WE HAVE A PART-TIME PERSON THAT IS THE ADOPTION COORDINATOR, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE PART-TIME PERSON IN OUR WHOLE BIG CITY.
WELL THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT.
WE'RE TRYING TO NOT JUST, UM, DO A BETTER JOB OF, OF HOW EVERYTHING LOOKS, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, GET SOME HELP WITH THE MONEY SIDE OF THIS.
[00:45:01]
NOT GRIPING AT YOU GUYS.UM, I KNOW YOU ARE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.
UM, IT'S ON US TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THE RESOURCES AND WE'RE ACTIVELY OUT THERE, UM, GETTING, UM, WE'VE HAVE GOT A VERY GENEROUS CITY I THINK THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS.
AND, AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT, THAT THAT, THAT THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT WAS JUST THIS PAST YEAR.
I THINK YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER MAYBE DID IT ON THE PUBLIC WORKS SIDE BECAUSE WE KNOW PUBLIC WORKS IS DOING BACK OF CURB ON MAJOR THOROUGHFARES, UM, TO THE EXTENT DIRECTOR ALLEN THAT WE CAN, UM, COMBINE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GOING OUT, YOU'VE GOT A MOWER, YOU'VE GOT A CREW, THERE'S A BACK OF CURVE PLACE THAT LOOKS TERRIBLE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
IT'LL TAKE YOU AN EXTRA, YOU KNOW, 30.
I MEAN, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE.
UM, BUT IT, IT SURE MAKE, WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ME IF, IF, IF WE COULD WORK TOGETHER WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND, UH, AT LEAST KNOW WHERE EACH OTHER ARE GONNA BE EACH DAY AND OR, YOU KNOW, SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE WORKED OUT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL ON THE 7,000, UH, ESPLANADES YOU OR ISLANDS, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE ONES THAT ARE ADOPTED? YES.
THANK YOU VICE CHAIR FLICKINGER.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S FLEXIBILITY AND I MEAN, WE'VE GOT A PARK CLEANUP NEXT SATURDAY AND THE FLEXIBILITY IN ACTUALLY DOING MEDIAN OUT IN KINGWOOD, UH, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PARKS IN DISTRICT E SO THIS REALLY WORKS WELL FOR US AND APPRECIATE ALL THAT.
IN YOUR TURNOVER, YOU TALKED ABOUT HIGH, UH, HIGH TURNOVER.
WHAT KIND OF PERCENTAGE IS THE TURNOVER, DO YOU KNOW, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS? I DON'T HAVE THAT FIGURE AND IT, BUT IT, IT VARIES BY, UH, JOB CLASS.
IT'S MORE FREQUENT IN THE SEMI-SKILLED LABOR BECAUSE, UM, A LOT OF OUR SEMI-SKILLED LABORERS, THIS IS LIKE A, A STEPPING STONE FOR THEM.
AND THEY CAN GO INTO AFTER, YOU KNOW, ON THE JOB TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE, THEY CAN GO INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR EVEN IN SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER PAY RATE.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO REPLACE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE? IT TAKES ABOUT, UH, 45 DAYS.
DO WE, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGING CHALLENGES.
YEARS AGO, WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE TEMPS THROUGH A TEMP AGENCY.
SO IF WE LOST A, A KEY POSITION DURING, SAY, JULY PEAK MOWING SEASON, AND IT TAKES 45 TO 65 DAYS SOMETIMES TO REFILL A POSITION, YOU, YOU MISS 'EM FOR TWO MONTHS.
THERE WE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HIRE TEMPS 'CAUSE OF SOME CONTRACT ISSUES IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
SO WE HAD TO START HIRING SEASONAL LABORERS, WHICH ARE CITY EMPLOYEES.
THEY'RE JUST NOT FULL TIME, BUT THE, THE TIME LAPSED IN THAT IS EXTENSIVE.
SO WE WOULD CALL A TEMP AGENCY BEFORE AND, HEY, CAN YOU SEND US ANOTHER SEMI-SKILLED LABORER TYPE POSITION? IT WAS, IT WAS MUCH QUICKER.
DO YOU KNOW, DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHY WE WENT AWAY FROM THAT? UH, PRIMARILY COST.
YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH A TEMP AGENCY, THERE'S AN UPCHARGE.
AND WHEN YOU DO SEVERAL, THEN IT EATS INTO YOUR BUDGET REAL QUICK.
SO IT'S A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT JUMPING THE CURBS, BEING HARD ON THE EQUIPMENT.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO DO SOMETHING TO KIND OF HAVE AN ENTRANCE INTO THE ESPLANADE, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE REPLACING CURBS, THAT TYPE OF THING? I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD MEET ALL THE CODES OR WHATEVER, BUT I WOULD THINK IF THAT'S POSSIBLE AND WE'RE HAVING TO REPLACE A CURB ANYWAY, MAYBE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT TO WHERE THEY COULD ENTER AND EXIT RATHER THAN HAVING TO JUMP THE CURB.
WE COULD HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERS.
UH, THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
UM, AND LAST THING I JUST KIND OF WANT TO RE REITERATE WHAT COUNCILMAN ALCORN AND PECK BOW SAID.
I THINK THERE'S SOME EFFICIENCIES TO BE HAD BY MOVING THE MOWING THAT WE DO FROM PUBLIC WORKS INTO PARKS, BECAUSE I BELIEVE PARKS PROBABLY DOES ABOUT 95% OF IT ALREADY.
OBVIOUSLY, SOME DOLLARS WOULD HAVE TO BE ALLOCATED DIFFERENTLY IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT ADDITIONAL WORK, BUT I, I THINK THAT WE CAN GET SOME ECONOMIES OF SCALE THROUGH THERE WITH, WITH PARKS NOT DOING IT RATHER THAN, I MEAN, WITH PUBLIC WORKS NOT DOING IT RATHER THAN, THAN Y'ALL.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OH, ONE OTHER THING WE LOOKED AT, UH, IN FACT, TALKED WITH VENITA AND DUSTIN WE MET TODAY.
UM, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME MONEY IN OUR, UH, COUNCIL FUNDS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
IF THERE'S SOME EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD REALLY HELP Y'ALL, LET US KNOW.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A TON OF MONEY, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME, SO WE CAN MAYBE SEE ABOUT DOING SOMETHING FOR Y'ALL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER, POPPY, OR I'M
[00:50:01]
GONNA HAVE ONE COME UP AND, AND HAVE YOU COME MAKE YOUR COMMENTS JUST BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT THE SPECIFIC ISSUE AND THEN WE'LL BRING OUR FINAL PRESENTATION UP IF THAT'S OKAY.THANK YOU, UH, VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TO YOU.
UH, MY NAME'S BOBBY ORR AND, UM, I AM COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE OWNER, INVESTOR DEVELOPER.
UM, AND, UM, I DON'T MEAN TO BE A NUISANCE, BUT, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS THERE ARE.
UM, AND I KNOW THEY HAVE A HARD JOB AND I KNOW THE LABOR MARKET'S TOUGH.
UH, I WILL TAKE EXCEPTION TO SOME OF THE THINGS MR. SPURGEON SAID.
I HAVE, UM, BEEN SENDING TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S OFFICE, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN EMAILS AND PICTURES OF WHAT I SEE GOING ON MOSTLY IN DISTRICT G, WHICH IS WHERE I LIVE.
UM, I HAVE SENT THEM PICTURES OF, UH, TRAFFIC SIGNS THAT HAVE LAID IN THE MEDIAN AND BEEN CUT AROUND THREE OR FOUR TIMES.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, UH, BUS PRACTICES ARE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE CULTURE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POOR MANAGEMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S LACK OF RESOURCES.
UM, I SENT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN A PICTURE OF SOME BOX SPRINGS THAT WERE SITTING ON IN THE MEDIAN ON TC JUST, OR JUST, UH, SOUTH OF I 10.
AND WERE CUT AROUND FOR MANY, MANY TIMES.
MR. PER SPURGEON, UH, MENTIONED A BUNCH OF EQUIPMENT.
I, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING USED, BUT ZERO TURN MOWERS, UH, AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF SAN FELIPE AND VOS.
UH, SOMEBODY WAS KIND ENOUGH TO GET A STREET SWEEPER OUT THERE.
UH, I THOUGHT THERE WAS A STREET, STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE.
AND APPARENTLY, COME TO FIND OUT THERE ISN'T ONE.
THERE'S A CONTRACTOR THAT SWEEPS THE STREET WHEN HE DECIDES IT NEEDS TO BE SWEPT.
AND, AND, AND, AND LET ME, AGAIN, IT MAY BE RESOURCE CONSTRAINED.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO RAISE THE BAR IN WHAT IS ABOUT TO BE THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAVE A STANDARD.
YOU CAN LOOK AT HARRIS COUNTY, YOU CAN LOOK AT MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS AND WHAT THEY DO, IT CAN BE DONE.
UM, I THINK LAST YEAR WE PAID $2.2 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAXES ON ALL OUR PROPERTIES.
I, I'D LIKE A NICER CITY AND A, AND I, AND I'D LIKE TO DRIVE AND, AND, AND FEEL LIKE THE CITY'S BEING WELL TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, I'M TIRED OF SENDING EMAILS TO SALLY AND JULIAN.
I'M TIRED OF SENDING PICTURES.
I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO GET THESE PEOPLE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED, IF THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
UM, AND OR, UH, GET BETTER OVERSIGHT.
UM, I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALQUAN ALLUDED TO A, UH, ADOPT A PRECINCT PROGRAM.
I THINK COMMERCIAL OWNERS WOULD WELCOME THAT, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE MARKETED PROPERLY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
OUR FINAL PRESENTATION WILL BE FROM HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UM, WHO WILL PRESENT, UM, ON THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MICHAEL WILSON.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, MY NAME IS MICHAEL WILSON.
I'M A DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, FOR STORMWATER OPERATIONS WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE SERVICE LINE.
UH, I WANNA START, UH, WITH KIN TO YOU ABOUT, UH, OUR, UH, PAST PRACTICES, UM, THAT WE HAD WITH VISITATION MANAGEMENT.
UH, IT DID, OH, CHANGE THE, UH, SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, OUR PAST PRACTICES, UH, WE HAD TWO SEPARATE TEAMS, ONE ON OUR STREET SIDE AND ONE ON OUR STORM SIDE.
THEY BOTH HAD ABOUT 20, UH, STAFF MEMBERS EACH, UH, WHO WERE, UH, MOWING THE RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH IS BEHIND THE CURB.
UH, THE OTHER SECTION WAS MOWING THE DRAINAGE, UH, CHANNELS.
SOME OF THE, UH, THE, SORRY, I MADE ME NERVOUS.
UH, SOME OF THE DRAINAGE CHANNELS, ALSO THE DETENTION PONDS AND THE, UH, DRAINAGE EASEMENTS.
UH, SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE HAD, UH, WAS DIFFICULT COORDINATION OF RESOURCES, UH, SOME SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERSTAFFED, UH, DEVIATION OF PRIORITIES.
UH, THERE WERE, UH, SOME CYCLES ADDED FOR SOME DISTRICTS AND SOME
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DISTRICTS DIDN'T RECEIVE CERTAIN CYCLES.UH, AND THEN WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE HAD AS FAR AS OUR ASSETS, UH, AND ASSET MANAGEMENT.
UH, SO TODAY'S PRACTICE, UH, HAVE CLEARLY DEFINED OBJECTIVES.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO MERGE THOSE PARTICULAR GROUPS, UH, WHERE WE DO THE CITIES RIGHT AWAY, WHICH ARE THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES.
UH, WE OFF ROAD CHANNELS AND DRAINAGE EASEMENTS, UH, AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURES.
UH, WE ALSO DO, UH, HERBICIDE SPRAYING, WHICH AGAIN, NOT TO KILL THE GRASS, BUT TO MINIMIZE THE GROWTH.
UH, WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO PUT THE TEAMS TOGETHER.
LIKE WE SAID, UH, NOW THERE'S LIKE 53 POSITIONS OF OUR EXISTING STAFF.
UH, WE HAVE A CENTRALIZED OPERATION, WHICH IS AT 8,002 AIRLINE, WHICH IS ON OUR NORTHEAST SECTION.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE HAD A PILOT PROJECT WITH OUR GOATS, UH, DOING SOME OF OUR DETENTION PONDS AND INACCESSIBLE CHANNELS.
UH, WE ALSO THANK, THANK THE COMMITTEE AND THANK THE, UH, COUNCIL FOR APPROVING, UH, FUNDS FOR THIS FY 25, UH, YEAR FOR CONTRACT SUPPORT.
UH, AND IT'S STILL IN PROGRESS RIGHT NOW.
UH, THIS ALSO SHOWS, UH, HOW WE STRUCTURED, UH, OUR OPERATION INTO GREEN ZONES.
UH, THEY DID PROVIDE US TO HAVE NO REAL POLITICAL BOUNDARIES, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THESE AREAS, UH, HAD ENOUGH ACREAGE IN THEM FOR US TO, UH, DO A SUITABLE WORK.
UH, THERE WAS PROPORTIONAL SERVICE CITYWIDE.
UH, WE DID NOT HAVE, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, A LOT OF OUR ASSETS KIND OF CATEGORIZED.
SO WE DID USE, UH, DATA COLLECTION FROM AI, UH, WHICH WAS ABLE TO KIND OF TELL US EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD, UH, WHETHER IT'S ON THE RIGHT OF WAY AND THE, UH, OFFROAD CHANNELS AS WELL.
UH, WE HAVE A TRANSPARENT OPERATION WITH OUR GREEN ZONE MAP.
UH, IS PUBLIC, PUBLIC PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE ON OUR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORK SITE.
UH, AND OUR NEXT PHASE IS TO HAVE A DYNAMIC MAP.
AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? JUST MEAN HAVE A LIVE STATUS TO SHOW, UH, WHERE WE'VE BEEN, UH, WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME.
UM, AND AS YOU SEE IN THE MAP, IT'S KIND OF BROKEN DOWN INTO OUR GREEN ZONES THAT KIND OF, AND THE NEXT VERSION OF THIS WILL SHOW WHERE IT HAS MEDIUM VEGETATION, LOW VEGETATION, OR VERY LOW VEGETATION, UH, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UH, THIS IS A MAP JUST KIND OF SHOWING, UH, WHAT THE AI WAS ABLE TO GIVE US, UH, TO SHOW THE DYNAMIC, UH, AREAS WHERE, UH, HOW MANY ACRES WE HAD IN EACH, UH, PARTICULAR ASSET.
OUR DETENTION PONDS, WHICH YOU SEE IS ABOUT 126 ACRES.
A DRAINAGE EASEMENT WAS ABOUT 810 ACRES.
UH, ALL FOUR CHANNELS OF 335 ACRES.
STORM SEWER EA WAS 186 ACRE ACRES, EXCUSE ME.
AND IN OUR STREETS ABOUT 914 ACRES, UH, WITH A GRAND TOTAL OF ABOUT 2300 ACRES.
UH, BUT WE'RE DOING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE STARTED OFF IN FY 22, UH, JUST DOING ABOUT ONE CYCLE A YEAR.
UH, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING ENOUGH.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT FREQUENCY, UH, IN FY 23, UH, WHERE WE HAD SEVEN, UH, GREEN ZONES THAT WERE ABLE TO GET A SECOND PASS.
AND THEN IN FY 24, WE INCREASED THAT TO EIGHT GREEN ZONES THAT HAD AN ADDITIONAL PASS.
UH, NOW THIS IS INCLUDED WITH, UH, STILL DOING THOSE, UH, MAYOR REQUESTS AND, AND SPECIALIZED COUNSEL REQUESTS, UH, WHERE YOU HAVE TO KIND OF GO BACK INTO AREAS.
UH, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR ZONES.
SO, UH, WE ARE, UH, TRYING TO, UH, FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.
UM, WE, WE ALSO ARE INCLUDING A REMOTE CONTROL MOWER.
UH, THE ACQUISITION IS IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
THESE ARE MORE THAT YOU CAN SEND, UH, SOME OF OUR SEMI-SKILLED LABORERS OUT TO, UH, AND THESE WOULD JUST REMOTE CONTROL AND CAN CUT THOSE HARD TO GET PLACES AND THOSE CHALLENGING AREAS.
WE ALSO, AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CONTRACT SUPPORT.
AGAIN, THAT'S $500,000 THAT WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR, AND WE ARE STILL WORKING ON PUTTING THAT CONTRACT TOGETHER.
UH, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO PARKS AND REC WHO HELPED US KIND OF, UH, STRATEGIZE AND, AND PRIORITIZE THAT CONTRACT AND WHAT TO PUT IN PLACE.
UH, AND SO WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR HELPING US WITH THAT.
UH, AGAIN, MORE COLLABORATION WITH H HOUSTON PARKS AND REC.
UM, AGAIN, WE'VE HAD SOME JOINT FUNDING AND ESTABLISHED CONTRACTS, UH, LIKE WITH MORE IN OUR COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL.
UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME GREEN STORM WATER
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TRAINING AND MAINTENANCE, UH, ALONG OUR BIOSWELLS ALONG ALAMEDA.UH, AND THERE'S ALSO BEEN A VEGETATIVE DEBRIS REMOVAL PROJECT, UH, MORE RECENTLY WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER AND ASSIST WITH, UH, REMOVING THOSE TREE DEBRIS, UH, WITH THE LAST DIRECTION IN HURRICANE.
UH, AND SO, UH, THAT'S MY PRESENTATION.
WE ARE A VERY SMALL GROUP, AGAIN, 53, UH, STAFF MEMBERS, BUT WE'RE VERY IMPACTFUL AND WE'RE PROUD TO SERVE THIS CITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, VICE MAYOR PRO TE PECK.
THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND FIRST I WANNA GIVE A HUGE THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP.
UM, WITH THE MOWING SITUATION AT THE INWOOD FOREST, UM, DETENTION BASED IN PROJECT THAT WAS 226 ACRES OF A FORMER GOLF COURSE THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE DAY WAS NO LONGER BEING MOWED BY THE ENTITY THAT WAS MOWING IT.
SO YOU'VE REALLY STEPPED IN AND SAVED THE DAY THERE.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO DRAINAGE EASEMENTS, UM, WHERE, UM, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT HAS SOME RESPONSIBILITIES THERE.
I KNOW IN DISTRICT A I THINK WE HAVE IT PRETTY MUCH FIGURED OUT, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT EASEMENTS, IF IT'S HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL OR THE CITY.
UM, BUT CITYWIDE, UM, HAS THAT BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR ALL OF THE EASEMENTS? I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY HAS A PRETTY GOOD MOWING SCHEDULE, UM, ON THEIR WEBSITE, BUT THERE STILL SEEMS TO BE SOME CONFUSION ON WHO MAINTAINS WHAT.
WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF TRYING TO IDENTIFY AND SEPARATE THOSE.
I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME WHERE THERE'S NOT A CLEAR, UH, LINE OR WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR REAL ESTATE AND OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE PETS AND IDENTIFY AS THEY, AS THEY COME ALONG.
'CAUSE SOME OF 'EM WE JUST DON'T KNOW UNTIL SOMEONE SAYS, HEY, WHAT ABOUT THIS AREA? UH, SO WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND ALSO, UH, LIKE I SAID, REAL ESTATE TO KINDA IDENTIFY THOSE.
BUT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A LOT, UH, AND SO WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE FLOOD CONTROL IS AS WELL.
SO IF SOMEONE CONTACTS THE CITY AND ASKS FOR SOMETHING TO BE MAINTAINED, BUT IT'S NOT THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY, IS YOUR DEPARTMENT REFERRING IT TO HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT? YEAH, SO TWO WAYS.
SO WE ASK THEM TO CONTACT, I'M SORRY, TWO WAYS WE ASK THEM TO CONTACT FLOOD CONTROL, BUT MOST OF THE TIME WE SEND AN EMAIL TO FLOOD CONTROL OR CREATE A REQUEST FOR FLOOD CONTROL AS WELL.
UH, I DO HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS WITH FLOOD CONTROL, UH, AND WE TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF CONTROVERSIAL OR MAYBE BELONG TO THEM, MIGHT BELONG TO US OR FUNDING ISSUES.
AND SO WE WORK THOSE THINGS OUT THROUGH OUR, THROUGH OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS.
UM, SO 914 ACRES OF ROADSIDE VAC A CURVE ON, ON THOROUGH AFFAIRS.
THAT'S, YEAH, I MEAN, I'M SAYING IT AGAIN JUST LIKE PART, GET YOU SOME PUBLIC WORKS MONEY 'CAUSE Y'ALL ARE AN ENTERPRISE FUND.
GET THAT OVER TO PARKS OR, OR HOWEVER WE CAN COORDINATE THAT.
I REALLY, I REALLY THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA.
UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM AND I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THAT TOO.
I REALLY THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, TAKE, TAKE 914 ACRES OFF YOUR PLATE.
YOU HAVE OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS HELPING YOUR, HELPING YOUR 53 PEOPLE, RIGHT? NOT AT THIS TIME.
AND PARKS, I I MEANT TO ASK THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS NOW OR NOT? SORRY, I'M MIXING THE PRESENTATIONS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MOWING MAN.
LET'S JUST, MAYBE WE CAN WORK OUT THIS DEAL RIGHT HERE.
UM, WE HAVE CONTRACTORS THAT, UM, SUPPLEMENT PARKS.
NOT PARKS, NOT ESPLANADES, BUT OVER, BUT IN THE PARKS.
SO NOBODY, AND YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE ANYBODY HELPING WITH ANY OF IT? NOT, NOT AT THIS TIME.
WELL, WE DO HAVE ONE CONTRACTOR THAT, UH, DOES THE SMALL LITTER PICKUP BEFORE WE GO MOW.
AND IN CASE WE MOW OVER SOME DEBRIS, UH, THAT WE COULDN'T SEE, THEY COME BACK IN AND PICK UP THAT DEBRIS AS WELL.
SO WE DO HAVE, WE NEED THAT SMALL, THAT, THAT GUY TO GO OVER AND DO THE ESPLANADE TOO, SO Y'ALL DON'T HAVE TO MESS WITH THAT.
AND, UM, SEE ALL THIS COORDINATION THAT COULD BE GOING ON.
UH, AND UM, DO YOU EDGE BACK OF CURB? YES, MA'AM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, I'M SORRY IF I VICE CHAIR, FLICK AND CHAIR, YOU'VE GOT 52 EMPLOYEES, IS THAT RIGHT? FOR THE MOWING? DEDICATED TO MOWING, 50 53 PERSONNEL? YES.
AND, AND AGAIN, THIS INCLUDING THE SUPERVISORY STAFF AS, AS WELL AS THE FIELD STAFF.
AND, AND FORGIVE ME, I KIND OF WANNA GO BACK TO PARKS TOO.
HOW MANY DID Y'ALL HAVE THAT ARE DEDICATED TO MOWING? 15 CREW.
HOW MANY'S ON A CREW? CREW? THREE PEOPLE.
SO 45 WITH THE SEASONAL POSITION.
OKAY, SO ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT, AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, MORE OR LESS?
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YES.HOW MANY ACRES ARE THE RETENTION PONDS? I GUESS ACTUALLY IT'D BE DETENTION PONDS, WOULDN'T IT? YEAH, THEY'RE BOTH, BUT WE HAVE SOME, MOST OF 'EM ARE DETENTION PONDS.
UH, THE DETENTION PONDS ARE AROUND 126 ACRES.
SO ACTUALLY A PRETTY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF WHAT IS THAT? A COUPLE OF DETENTION PONDS? I WOULDN'T THINK THERE'D BE VERY MANY FOR 126 ACRES.
WELL, IT'S SOME 'CAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE AN ACRE.
UM, OKAY, SO YOU'VE GOT SOME SMALL ONES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WELL, THAT CONCLUDES THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING.
THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER THE FOURTH AT 2:00 PM THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.