* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Press Conference: "Kashmere Gardens Generator Announcement"] [00:00:18] UH, WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICES. IT'S THE REASON I RAN FOR MAYOR IS TO FIX, UH, BROKEN SYSTEMS. AND ONE THAT BECAME SO GLARING DURING OUR STORMS WAS THAT THE RESILIENCY OF SOME OF OUR LOCATIONS THAT PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY REFERRED TO. UH, NO ONE, CERTAINLY IN MY ADMINISTRATION, COULD IMAGINE THINGS THAT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION HAD DESIGNATED AS A HUB FOR THE CITIZENS OF CASHMERE IN NORTHEAST, THAT YOU COULD GO DURING A WINTER FREEZE LOOKING FOR HEAT, AIR CONDITIONING IN THE SUMMER, A REFUGE, UH, LOCATION, A A PLACE OF SAFETY AND WARRANT AND AIR CONDITIONING, MEDICAL DESIGNATED HUB. PROBLEM IS THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENERGY. YOU SEND PEOPLE THERE TO CHARGE THEIR PHONES, GOT THEIR, AND NO BACKUP SYSTEM. WELL, TODAY IS AN EXCITING TIME FOR THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE OUR NEW MODEL. WE DON'T SEND FOLKS TO LOCATIONS THAT DON'T HAVE REDUNDANCY, DO NOT HAVE BACKUP ENERGY. AND I'M HERE TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER CARTER, MY ADMINISTRATION, AND ANGELA BLANCHARD. SO MANY FOLKS, CIVIC LEADERS THAT PLAYED A ROLE. CASHMERE HAS BEEN NEGLECTED FOR TOO LONG, PARTICULARLY WHEN THERE WAS SPIN COMING OUTTA THIS BUILDING THAT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. WELL, IT'S NOT OKAY. WE'RE HERE TO ANNOUNCE A AGREEMENT WITH THE CHANTED ROCK BUSINESS PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. THEY'RE GOING TO DO AMAZING THINGS THERE. BUT LET ME JUST YIELD AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, WHO LET ME EMPHASIZE SOMETHING AT LARGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER GOING TO A SPECIFIC DISTRICT, TARSHA JACKSON'S DISTRICT, WHO PARTICIPATED AND MADE THINGS HAPPEN IN, IN ANOTHER AT LARGE IN COUNCILMAN CARTER. THIS IS THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK, COLLABORATION AMONG ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO GET THINGS DONE. SO LET ME YIELD AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING. TODAY I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, WHO IS THE DISTRICT B COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, FOR THIS AREA, MR. KEITH DOWNEY, UM, HUEY WILSON, MR. EDA STEVENS AND SANDRA EDWARDS, WHO ARE HERE TODAY. UM, MR. DOWNEY AND MS. HUEY WILSON ARE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE, BUT THEY WERE AN INTEGRAL PART OF DESIGNATING CASHMERE GARDENS AS A TRUE RESILIENCY HUB. A CASHMERE GARDENS COMMUNITY HAS CONTINUOUSLY, UM, STRUGGLED IN MANY WAYS TIME AND TIME. AND AGAIN, THEY'VE RAISED THEIR VOICES AND SHARED THEIR STORIES AND DEMANDED THAT RESOURCES BEING PLACED THERE. UH, THEIR DETERMINATION HAS BROUGHT US TO THIS MOMENT, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO STATE THAT CASHIER GARDENS COMMUNITY HAS A 20% LOWER LIFE EXPECTANCY RATE THAN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY IN HARRIS COUNTY. AND THAT THIS, THIS PARTICULAR COMMUNITY HAS, UM, EXPERIENCED EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, REPEATED POWER OUTAGES, FAMILIES HAVE ENDURED UNBEARABLE HEAT FREEZING AND COLD AND LACK OF RESOURCES. THESE CONDITIONS ARE UNACCEPTABLE IN THE CITY LIKE OURS. BUT TODAY, ONE STEP CLOSER TO CASHMERE GARDENS AS BEING A TRUE RESILIENCY HUB WITH THE NEW GENERATOR THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY SENIORS AND THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO DURING DISASTER. I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR, MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. AFTER THE LAST ROUND OF DEVASTATING STORMS, HE PROMISED TO ESTONIANS THAT THEY WILL PRIORITIZE THEIR SAFETY AND THEIR WELLBEING. AND TODAY IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE CJ MESSIAH, WHO WAS ON THE GROUND LEVEL OF THIS. HE IS A DIRECTOR OF GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. HE WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THIS WAS POSSIBLE. LOOKING AT CASHMERE GARDEN'S MULTI FIRST SERVICE CENTER AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO EXECUTE [00:05:01] WAS IN PLACE. I REALLY WANT TO THANK, UM, DIRECTOR MESSIAH FOR BEING THERE, AND ALSO DIRECTOR BLANCHARD. UH, SHE IS THE NEW CHIEF RESILIENCY OFFICER. SHE IS MY GIRL, . I CALLED HER AND I TOLD HER WHAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN. THEY TOLD US TWO YEARS. SHE SAID NO. AND SHE REALLY PUT TOGETHER A TEAM AT EVERYONE AT THE TABLE AND FIGURED OUT NOT, THIS IS NOT WHEN THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN, IT'S GONNA, HOW IT'S GONNA HAPPEN NOW. AND SHE MADE IT HAPPEN. SO I'M SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO HER. UM, I WANT TO ALSO, IF WITH WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST GIVE A SMALL STATEMENT OF, FROM MR. DOWNEY. HE HAS BEEN, HE IS THE FATHER OF KAME GARDENS AND, UM, AND I, HE WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE. HE'S ACTUALLY OUTTA TOWN. BUT WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST READ A SHORT STATEMENT THAT HE MADE. STORMS ARE A PART OF OUR LIVES FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR LIVES, AND WE MUST BE PREPARED FOR THOSE STORMS WHEN THEY TAKE PLACE IN UNDERSERVED AREAS. UNDER INVESTED COMMUNITIES, THESE STORMS HAPPEN ON A DAILY BASIS IN THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE. THAT IS WHY THE NEED OF RESILIENCE HUB AND THE PERMANENT GENERATOR IS NOT ONLY NECESSARY, BUT IS APPARENT, AND THAT TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, RESIDENTS NEED PROTECTION, SAFETY, SECURITY, AND THEY KNOW WHEN, AND THEY NEED SOMEWHERE TO GO. WHEN WE LOSE ELECTRICITY, IF THE WEATHER IS TOO COLD OR THE WEATHER IS TOO HOT, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS REASSURANCE THAT THEY HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THEY NEED AN ADDRESS, AND THEY DO. NOW IT'S CASHIER GARDENS RESILIENCY HUB. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CHAIR OF THE, OF THE RESILIENCE COMMITTEE, UM, TYLER CARTER, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER. PERFECT. WELL, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH BEING SAID, BUT I TELL YOU IT'S A GREAT DAY IN HOUSTON TO ACTUALLY STAND HERE WITH THE MAYOR, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE NEW DIRECTOR FOR RESILIENCY AND RECOVERY TO REALLY SEE THINGS GETTING DONE. YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'VE HEARD WE'RE GONNA GET THINGS DONE, WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO, AS THE MAYOR SAYS. BUT I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A TEAM WORKING TOGETHER TO GET IT DONE. BUT IT STARTS WITH THE RESIDENTS, WITH THE COMMUNITY. AND, UH, MS. STEVENSON, SOMEBODY SAID, OH, YOU KNOW MY NAME. AND I SAID, HOW COULD I NOT? YOU SHOW UP EVERY WEEK AND YOU TELL US WHAT YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR NEIGHBORS AND YOUR COMMUNITY DOES. SO IT TAKES FIGHTING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT NOT FIGHTING, SPEAKING UP AND HAVING SOMEONE ON THE OTHER END TO LISTEN. SO, CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, BUT ALSO MAYOR YOUR WORK. UH, IT'S CONTAGIOUS. SO WE THANK YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO GOING OUT TO CASHMERE, UH, WHEN THE GENERATOR'S INSTALLED AND UP AND RUNNING. THANKS A LOT. YES, THANK YOU. I, I'M, I'M GONNA, THE FIRST THING I WANT TO DO IS THANK MAYOR WHITMEYER AND ALL OF CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE I LOOK AT THIS AS A WONDERFUL PROGRESSIVE STEP FOR A MAJOR CITY TO SEEK GREEN ENERGY TO, TO MOVE US FORWARD. UM, I, I KNOW THAT THROUGH THESE MANY DISASTERS THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER, UH, VERY RECENTLY, THAT IT HAS BASICALLY MADE, MADE EVERYONE AWARE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SOURCE OF POWER DURING DISASTERS. AND MYSELF AS WELL AS, UH, KEITH AND HUEY AND MANY IN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR, WE HAVE, WE ARE TIRED OF SCRAMBLING, TRYING TO FIND SOURCES OF POWER, TRYING TO FIND PLACES FOR WARMING, FOR FIND, TRYING TO FIND PLACES FOR COOLING. AND I'M TELLING YOU, THIS GENERATOR, A PERMANENT GENERATOR IS WHAT WE NEED. WE WANT THIS TO BE THE BEGINNING AT CASHIER GARDENS MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. IT IS, WE ARE ONE OF THEIR BORDER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THAT CENTER CAN SERVICE AT THIS TIME, ALL THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. AND THEN WE WANT THEM TO LOOK AT THE OTHER COMMUNITY CENTERS SO THAT THEY CAN SET UP THE SAME TYPE OF, UH, POWER. UH, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE GRASSROOTS PEOPLE. WE'RE USED TO HEARING MS. STEVENSON, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO CHARGE MY PHONE OR, UH, ALL OF MY FOOD IS GONE. WELL, NOW WE CAN GO TO THE CASHIER GARDENS MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND GET THAT DONE. I CAN GET MY FRIENDS THAT'S TRYING TO DRIVE OUT OF, OFF OF TIDWELL LOOKING FOR A POWER. THEY CAN GO TO THE KMA GARDENS MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO BE TAKING A LEAD, REALLY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THANK YOU ANGELA. OKAY. ALRIGHT. YOU MIGHT THINK TO YOURSELF, THIS SEEMS LIKE A VERY BIG DEAL ABOUT A GENERATOR, BUT THIS KIND OF LEADERSHIP FOCUSED ON A NEIGHBORHOOD IS THE WAY WE ARE GOING [00:10:01] TO GET THE REST OF THE WORK DONE AS WELL. THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE A CITYWIDE POWER PROTECTION INITIATIVE. THAT INITIATIVE IS SEEKING SOLUTIONS FOR CASHMERE, FOR FIRE STATIONS, FOR CRITICAL ASPECTS OF THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE. THOSE ELEMENTS OF WHAT WE PROVIDE THAT YOU ALL WANNA TAKE FOR GRANTED, COME HELL, WIND OR HIGH WATER. THAT'S OUR FOCUS SOLUTIONS PROVIDERS, NOT A TINKER TOY SET THAT WE HAVE TO ASSEMBLE. NOT A GENERATOR THAT WE HAVE TO PROCURE IN 14 STEPS, BUT PROVIDERS LIKE ENCHANTED ROCK, WHO COME WITH A SOLUTION THAT IS DEPENDABLE, THEY'RE TEXAS BASED, THEY HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY. MAINTENANCE IS A PART OF THE PLAN. IT'S A PART OF WHAT WE'RE BUYING. AND THEY'RE FOCUSED ON COMMUNITIES THE WAY WE ARE BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THEY DO BUSINESS. SO THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE, THOSE COMPANIES WITH THESE KINDS OF SOLUTIONS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. AND HERE'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, AND THIS STEVEN SPOKE OF. IT IS A SHARED SENSE OF URGENCY. WE ARE NOT DOING THIS AT A PACE IN THE PAST THAT REFLECTED HOW SIGNIFICANT IT IS. WE ARE ALSO NOT LOOKING FOR TEMPORARY FIXES TO PERMANENT PROBLEMS. HOUSTON IS VULNERABLE. THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE VULNERABLE. THAT'S PERMANENT. WE ARE NOT STANDING IT UP EACH TIME AS IF WE DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS GONNA BE ANOTHER STORM. AND THE MAYOR'S GIVEN US THE LICENSE TO WORK AT THIS WITH THE RU WITH THE APPROPRIATE SENSE OF URGENCY, SOLVE WHAT PROBLEMS, ANYTHING THAT COMES IN FRONT OF US TO MOVE TOWARD HAVING A RESILIENCY HUB IN ALL VULNERABLE NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS WILL TAKE TIME AND PARTNERSHIP IN ALL OF YOU. THE CITY OWNS A PART OF THE RESPONSIBILITY. THE CITY AT LARGE OWNS IT WITH US. NOW, HOW DID THIS ONE COME ABOUT? IT'S A PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND PHILANTHROPIC EFFORT BECAUSE THE FUNDS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOUGHT FOR WERE ENOUGH TO PROCURE THE GENERATOR. WE NEEDED ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO MAKE THE SITE READY. SHELL PROVIDED THOSE. SO, AND EVERY DIRECTOR OF MAJOR CITY DEPARTMENTS WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS SMOOTH SO THAT WE HAVE A GENERATOR INSTALLED IN OPERABLE IN 12 MONTHS. I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT WE'VE ALSO REPAIRED THE SOLAR PANELS AT CASHMERE AND THEY WORK. SO, SO WE ARE, THAT'S WHAT RESILIENCY LOOKS LIKE. NOW, I WANNA SAY ONE FINAL THING ABOUT RESILIENCY. AND I'VE NOTICED SINCE I GOT IN THIS ROLE THAT VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING YOU LIKE, YOU THINK IT'S RESILIENCY. IF YOU THINK TREES ARE GREAT, YOU THINK THAT'S RESILIENT. IF YOU THINK ROOFTOP GARDENS ARE GREAT, YOU THINK THAT'S RESILIENT. SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY MAY NOT FEEL GLAMOROUS TO YOU, BUT THE VERY FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF RESILIENCE IS POWER PROTECTION. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE SAFETY, AND WE NEED IT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR FIRE, FOR POLICE, AND WE NEED IT FOR CASHMERE AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE CASHMERE. SO THANK YOU. TODAY WE'LL BE ISSUING A BROAD INVITATION TO COMPANIES WITH THESE SOLUTIONS TO COME FORWARD. TELL US WHAT THEY ARE, BECAUSE WE WANT QUICK SOLUTIONS. WE WANNA BUILD FOR GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND LET ME JUST, UH, TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT HOW FORTUNATE I AM TO HAVE ANGELA BLANCHARD ON MY TEAM. HOUSTON BENEFITS EACH AND EVERY DAY. UH, BLANCHARD DOES, ANGELA DOESN'T TALK ABOUT HERSELF ENOUGH, BUT SHE BUILT THE PREMIER SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WOULD RIPLEY, UH, BAKER RIPLEY. SO FOR HER TO BE A PART OF CITY GOVERNMENT IS A BLESSING FOR THE, UH, RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON. AND AN INDICATION, A LIVING EXAMPLE OF WHY WE'RE SUCH A GREAT CITY. NOT TO MENTION THE CIVIC AND NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT, MS. STEVENS AND THE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TARSIA JACKSON WHO COULDN'T BE HERE WE'RE, UH, WE'RE REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE. AND, UH, YOU CAN'T FIX SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T KNOW THAT IS BROKEN. SO WHEN WE GOT HERE, I GOT HERE, THERE WAS SO MUCH SPIN, SO MUCH SPIN. CASHMERE'S A HUB, THEY PUT IT ON MY DESK. THEY FAILED TO TELL ME THAT IT HAD NO RESILIENCY. AND I COULD GO ACROSS THE CITY WITH THE EXPERIENCE THAT I'VE HAD AS MAYOR OF DEALING WITH SPIN SUNNYSIDE SOLAR FORM. PROBLEM IS THEY DIDN'T HELP THE DEVELOPER GET ANY FINANCING. THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CUSTOMER FOR THE SOLAR ENERGY. WE'RE GOING AND [00:15:01] BACKTRACKING AND FIXING EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT IS BROKEN. DIDN'T GET THIS WAY OVERNIGHT. IT'LL TAKE TIME TO FIX. BUT THIS IS AN INDICATION OF THE SUCCESS WE'RE HAVING AND HOW PREPARED WE WERE AND WILL BE FOR THE NEXT STORMS ARE WINTER FREEZE. YES, MAYOR, I KNOW THE PLAN FOR THE CASHMAN GARDENS RESILIENCY HUB WAS INITIALLY TO HAVE NON-PROFITS COME AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO RESIDENTS WHO NEED THEM. I KNOW OBVIOUSLY THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE FIRST THING THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, BUT DOES THE CITY HAVE ANY PLANS TO MAKE THOSE RESOURCES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDED BY THOSE NONPROFITS COME TO LIFE? WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH NONPROFITS, OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WE JUST WANT TO GET IT DONE. AND DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE GENERATOR'S GOING TO BE INSTALLED? YES. WHY? THEY WERE NOT. WHEN IT'S, WHEN BE INSTALLED WITHIN, WE'VE GOT A SCHEDULE. WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, GETTING REALLY, QUITE FRANKLY, NOW THAT WE'VE SENT OUT THE MESSAGE, WE'RE GETTING A LARGE NUMBER. AND I'LL LET ANGELA SPEAK SPECIFICALLY 'CAUSE SHE WORKS WITH, BUT WE'VE GOT CORPORATE HOUSTON THAT WILL TELL YOU THEY WERE NEVER ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PAST. WE HAVE TREMENDOUS GOODWILL IN CORPORATE HOUSTON THAT ARE COMING FORWARD. I CAN, I CAN GIVE YOU A LAUNDRY LIST OF THE CORPORATIONS AND THE NONPROFITS AND THE FOUNDATIONS. IT'S JUST AMAZING THE LOVE AND GOODWILL IN THIS CITY. BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE A PLAN AND YOU GOTTA HAVE SOME ACTION. IT'S, THEY, THEY GET TIRED OF HEARING THE SAME OLD THING WITHOUT THE RESULTS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY TODAY. SO, UH, THE GOAL IS, AND WE'RE ON TARGET, IS TO GET ALL THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS WITH GENERATORS AND RESILIENCY. NOT TO MENTION ALL THE FIRST RESPONDERS LOCATION. YOU KNOW, IT WAS SHOCKING TO ME, THAT DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM I LEARNED THAT OUR FIRE STATIONS, 10 OF 'EM DIDN'T HAVE GENERATORS. IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. WE WENT TO WORK ON IT. YOU CAN'T FIX SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE KIND OF HIDDEN FROM YOU AND SPUN IT LIKE EVERYTHING'S FINE. LIKE ONE SAFE HOUSTON, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CRIME PROBLEMS, IS WHAT WE WERE TOLD. NO, I RAN FOR MAYOR TO FIX THOSE THINGS. DO YOU WANNA SPEAK ANGELA ABOUT, UH, ANY TIMETABLE AND UH, AND LIKE SHE JUST MENTIONED, WE DON'T HAVE PATIENTS AROUND HERE. MY ADMINISTRATION IS, IS WE'RE ON TARGET. WE SPOT SOMETHING AND WE GO TO WORK ON IT. THAT'S RIGHT. GO AHEAD. WELL, ANDREW, I WANTED TO ASK YOU, CAN YOU PUT A PRICE TAG ON THE INVESTMENT ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT? WHEN I SAY PRICE TAG, HOW MUCH IS THE INVESTMENT TO GET THIS GENERATOR UP AND RUNNING? YEAH, . UM, ACTUALLY, UH, WE CAN, IT'S A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOUGHT FOR TO HAVE IN THE BUDGET. AND WE CAN GIVE IT TO YOU TO THE PENNY IF YOU'D LIKE IN A MINUTE. WOULD THAT BE OKAY? BROWN WOULD BE GREAT. IT'S AROUND $900,000. UM, SO I WANNA ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT RESILIENCE HUBS. THIS IS A, THE PROGRAM OF A RESILIENCE HUB IS A CONCEPT AND AN IDEA BEING IMPLEMENTED IN CITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD IN FULL RECOGNITION THAT WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN UPHEAVAL AND STORMS OF ALL KINDS ARE THE NORM. SO RESILIENCE HUBS ARE MEANT TO BE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN YES, GO FOR REFUGE POWER, THEIR PHONE, ET CETERA. BUT A RESILIENCE HUB IS MEANT TO OPERATE LIKE THAT ALL YEAR ROUND. FUNDAMENTALLY THOUGH, YOU CAN'T DO THE REST OF THE PROGRAMMING. YOU CAN'T PROVIDE THE REST OF WHAT'S MEANT TO GO IN THERE IF YOU CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT THE POWER WILL BE ON. SO AGAIN, BEAR WITH US AS WE START WITH THE FUNDAMENTALS. WE BUILD THE FOUNDATION OF THE THINGS WE MUST RELY UPON AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE PROGRAMMING AND THE OTHER SPECIAL EFFORTS THAT WILL NEED TO GO INTO EACH OF THESE FACILITIES. UM, ENCHANTED ROCKS CONTRACTS SPEAKS TO UNDER 12 MONTHS THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. UM, I DON'T WANNA BE HERE. I THINK WE WANNA, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER PROMISED TO FOLLOW CHAMPAGNE AT THE I DON'T DRINK SO WE CAN THE BOTTLE. WE WE'LL LET YOU CHRISTEN IT . I MEAN, WE WE'RE GONNA CHRISTEN IT. UM, SO YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT I MEANT ABOUT WE DON'T NEED A TINKER TOY SET OF DO IT YOURSELF. LENGTHY PROCUREMENT. WE NEED THE CORPORATE SECTOR AS THE MAYOR SPOKE TO IN HIS WILLINGNESS TO PARTNER WITH INDUSTRY THAT HAS THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND BEST OF ALL, THE MOST EFFICIENT PROCESS DELIVERY. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. URGENCY. THEY HAVE IT, THEY CAN DO IT. AND WORKING WITH THEM IS OUR GOAL. SO WE, WE CAN MOVE WITH THE RIGHT LEVEL OF EXPEDIENCY. LET ME, UH, PAUSE FOR A MOMENT BEFORE IT GETS ANY [00:20:01] MORE DIFFICULT TO LET OUR SPANISH SPEAKING RESIDENTS KNOW. ANNA IN MY OFFICE. WOULD YOU MAKE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR, UH, OUR SPANISH SPEAKING FRIENDS? YES, SIR. ENO BLANC GARDENS, ENCHANTED ROCK. VERY GOOD. ANNA, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM. KEEPING IN MIND THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF CASHMERE GARDENS, CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW THIS RESILIENCY HUB, UH, WOULD SYMBOLIZE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FOR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES? , IT DEMONSTRATES THAT, THAT, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S COMMITTED TO EACH AND EVERY COMMUNITY. THERE'S OTHERS THAT WE COULD FOCUS ON, NOT TODAY, BUT TO THE GOFTON AREA. I COULD GO ACROSS THE CITY, SUNNYSIDE ACRES, HOME, THE HEIGHTS. I MEAN, WE HAVE A VERY GREAT CITY, UH, VERY DIVERSE, A LOT OF NEGLECT, I WOULD SAY PRETTY MUCH CITYWIDE. AND, UH, WE HAVE GREAT PLANS OF, UH, ATTACKING ILLEGAL, DUMPING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. I COULD GO ON AND ON. WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT THAT'S THE REASON I RAN FOR MAYOR. IF THINGS WERE WORKING SMOOTH, I'D BE IN THE STATE SENATE. IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE. I LEFT A RESPONSIBLE, UH, CHALLENGING JOB ON THE REQUEST. I WOULD READ THE REQUEST OF HOUSTONIANS, PUT AN EXCELLENT TEAM TOGETHER, WORKING WITH OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIALS, AND, UH, WE'LL LEAVE THIS PRESS CONFERENCE AND GO RIGHT IN THERE AND GO TO WORK ON THE HOMELESS, UH, PLAN THAT WE'RE GONNA ROLL OUT TOMORROW. UH, SO WE, WE'VE GOT OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US, BUT TODAY, AS CASHMERE'S TODAY, IT'S BEEN NEGLECTED FOR MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD. SOME LONGER THAN ME, BUT, UH, I GREW UP IN HOUSTON, CASHMERE TRINITY GARDENS. I CAN NAME OTHER AREAS THAT JUST NEED SPECIAL ATTENTION AND WE'RE GIVING IT TO 'EM. UH, SO WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF GENERATING YEAH, ANGELA AND THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND? 12 MONTHS. 12 MONTHS IS THE COMMIT THE TIME. NEXT YEAR WE WILL BE CELEBRATING AN OPERABLE NATURAL GAS, PERMANENT WHOLE BUILDING. SURE. GENERATOR FOR CASHMERE GARDEN MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND WHAT'S EXCITING, THE SURPLUS ENERGY THAT IT PROVIDES WILL BE PUT ON THE GRID IN ERCOT. WE USE IT AND WE'LL ACTUALLY GET SOME, SOME REVENUE STREAM FROM IT. SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A BIG DEAL AND I KNOW SOMETIME PEOPLE ARE HESITANT ABOUT TALKING ABOUT HOW SUCCESSFUL WE ARE, BUT THIS IS ONE WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT FOR YEARS AND GENERATIONS TO COME. IT'S A MODEL. UM, AND JUST, UH, ONE FOLLOW UP. IS THERE LIKE A CONCRETE PLAN OF LIKE [00:25:01] WHICH RESILIENCY HUB YOU'LL BE MOVING ON TO NEXT? BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S MULTIPLE, RIGHT? THERE'S NOT JUST THE ONE IN CASHIER GARDENS, BUT WHAT'S, WHAT'S NEXT, RIGHT. AND LIKE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT'S CONCRETE FOR WHAT'S NEXT? ANGELA, WHAT'S NEXT ON YOUR LIST? I, WE HAVE A WORKING LIST OF, UH, DO YOU MIND, DO YOU MIND DOING THE MIC? YEAH. WE HAVE A WORKING LIST. A LOT OF IT'S CONSIDERATION ON THE WHAT WE CAN DO THE QUICKEST, THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE, AND, UH, WHICH ER, WHICH MULTI SERVICE CENTER SAR SERVICE, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE, COMMON SENSE WILL DIRECT US. WHICH, WHICH WAY WE GO. UH, JUST ANOTHER FOLLOW UP QUESTION ABOUT THE TIMELINE. I KNOW THIS IS OBVIOUSLY REALLY BIG NEWS FOR CASHIER GARDENS, BUT AT THIS POINT, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT INSTALLING SOMETHING LIKE THIS A YEAR OUT, YOU'RE NOW SUBJECTING RESIDENTS TO ANOTHER WINTER FREE SEASON AND THEN ALMOST ENTIRELY ANOTHER HURRICANE SEASON. SO WHAT'S THE REPEAT FOR RESIDENTS IN THE 12 MONTH WAITING PERIOD? THE REPRIEVE WERE THERE PROVIDING SERVICE MAKING PLANS AND FIXING THE PROBLEM. ULTIMATELY THE GOAL IS, IS TO FIX THE ENTIRE CITY HAS BEEN SAID REPEATEDLY. OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, FACILITIES, AND TO GO ACROSS THE CITY PROVIDING GENERATORS. AND, UH, IT'S NOT A, NOT A TIME TO BE NEGATIVE, QUITE FRANKLY. THIS IS A TIME TO CELEBRATE THE COMING TOGETHER OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, NONPROFITS, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEIR COLLEAGUES AND, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF RESILIENCY. NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE. SO WE CAN BE VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE ASPIRATIONS. YOU CAN, DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR YOU. WANT ME TO CALL THE PERSON THAT IT MATTERS TO MOST TO, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS MODEL AND RUN ACROSS THE CITY. SO IT'S NOT A TIME TO BE PESSIMISTIC OR NEGATIVE, BUT TO CELEBRATE THE GREATNESS OF OUR CITY AND THE CAN-DO ATTITUDE OF MY ADMINISTRATION. PERSONAL. I DON'T THINK IT'S A MATTER OF NEGATIVITY, MAYOR. IT'S BEG PARDON? I DON'T THINK IT'S A MATTER OF NEGATIVITY. IT'S A MATTER OF TIMELINE. LIKE THE NO, I'M NOT GONNA DEBATE YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING YOUR JOB AND WE'RE DOING OURS AND WE'RE DOING OURS REAL GOOD. UM, I CAN GO AHEAD. TALK ABOUT THE OTHER OPTIONS FOR RESIDENTS AND THE WAIVER. GO AHEAD. YEAH. SO, UM, PART OF, UM, PART OF WHAT WE'VE DONE AT THE MAYOR'S DIRECTION IS LOOK ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY FOR EVERY AVAILABLE ASSET. THAT COULD BE A PLACE OF REFUGE, COULD BE A WARMING CENTER, COULD BE A COOLING CENTER, ET CETERA. AND AN ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN GOING ON OF THOSE FACILITIES BOTH FROM THE STANDPOINT OF POWER PROTECTION, BUT ALSO THEIR SUITABILITY AND WILL THEY BE SAFE. SO YES, WE WILL FACE OTHER DISRUPTIONS BEFORE WE HAVE GENERATORS INSTALLED IN THE TWO DOZEN OR MORE PLACES. WE KNOW WE NEED THEM. THAT'S A FACT. WE'VE ALREADY BEEN LIVING WITHOUT THOSE AND WE'VE BEEN DOING WORKAROUNDS. WHAT WE ARE MOVING TOWARD IS MORE RELIABLE AND GUARANTEED PLACES THAT WE CAN PUBLISH AND KNOW THAT AND TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN COUNT ON. AND THE MAYOR'S RIGHT TODAY WE FOCUS ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IT IS A PARADIGM FOR HOW WE'LL GET THE REST DONE. AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL NEED TO HELP US WITH THAT. THE TEMPTATION ALWAYS IS TO SAY, WHAT ABOUT MORE? WELL, WE WON'T EVER BE SATISFIED. THIS MAYOR WON'T BE SATISFIED. AND REALLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO URGE US ON. UH, WE GET A LOT OF THAT ENCOURAGEMENT HERE. UM, WE WILL, WE WILL NEED THE PRIVATE SECTOR. WE WILL NEED THE PHILANTHROPIC SECTOR AND WE ALWAYS WILL RELY ON LEADERS LIKE MRS. STEVENSON. SO YEAH. MAYOR, I'M GONNA SWITCH TO SOMETHING ELSE. YEAH, FINE. AMID AN FBI INVESTIGATION AND UNDER EXTREMELY HEAVY PRESSURE, DAVID NORTHERN IS NO LONGER LEADING USED IN HOUSING AUTHORITY. YOUR REACTION TO THAT AND WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IN TERMS OF THE NEXT LEADER? UH, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR HOPE IN TERMS OF, UH, THE TYPE OF LEADERSHIP THAT WILL, UH, WELL COME AND SUCCESS? I, I SUPPORT THE BOARD'S ACTION, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A NEW BOARD. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WAS REPLACE THE PREVIOUS BOARD THAT HAD APPROVED MIDDLE STREET THAT LACKED IN TRANSPARENCY, [00:30:02] UH, WAS AWARE OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. SO IT'S A CLEAN SLATE WHEN THIS BOARD WENT IN AND I ASKED THEM TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE AND FOLLOW THE FACTS. I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK TO ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY STILL FACES MAJOR CHALLENGES. WE'VE GOT $130 MILLION INVESTMENT OF TAXPAYERS MONIES BADLY NEEDED HOUSING THAT CAN'T BE USED BECAUSE CONTAMINATED SOIL, NOT ONLY AROUND IT, BUT APPEARS NOW MAYBE UNDERNEATH THAT FACILITY. SO I HAVE ASKED THE BOARD TO DO A SEARCH FOR SOMEONE THAT WILL BE TRANSPARENT, SOMEONE THAT IS ON OUR MISSION OF PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DOING AWAY WITH CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, UM, STRONGLY OF THE OPINION. IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN BUILT. WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BUILT EXCEPT FOR CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. SO I'M PLEASED. UH, IN FACT, I THOUGHT MR. NORTHERN SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED SOONER, BUT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION'S BOARD RIGHT BEFORE I WAS SWORN IN, SIGNED HIM TO AN EXTENDED EIGHT YEAR CONTRACT, PRETTY MUCH ENSURING THAT HE WAS GONNA BE PROTECTED IF HE HAD KEEP MAKING THE, THE DECISIONS THAT HE HAD MADE FOR THESE SPECIAL INTERESTS. SO THANK YOU GREG. I CAN NAME OTHERS THAT HAVE HELPED DEVELOP THAT ISSUE. I DON'T THINK WE'VE HEARD THE LAST OF IT, BUT IT IS A TRAGEDY. THE TRAGEDY IS WASTE OF DOLLARS, LOSS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND EVEN NOW A CHALLENGE. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE FACILITY? SO ALL I CAN SAY IS STAY TUNED. YOUR, UM, I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE ORDINANCE CHANGE TODAY TO, UH, MAKE MA THE HEAD OF PUBLIC WORKS. YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS GOING BE A NEW CITY ENGINEER COMING IN FROM BUFFALO. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT NEW HIRE? WHAT TO TELL ABOUT HIM? YEAH, HE GETS RAVE REVIEWS AS A PROFESSIONAL, MAKES THINGS HAPPEN AND UH, WILL BE A GREAT PARTNER TO MR. UH, MACKA. AND UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HIM BEING ON THE GROUND HERE. WHAT'S THAT MAN'S NAME? WHAT'S HIS NAME? YES. I DON'T KNOW TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. AND WHAT HAPPENS TO RICHARD SMITH IN THIS SITUATION? HE'LL STILL BE ON OUR TEAM. DO YOU KNOW IN WHAT POSITION? NO, THAT'S UP TO THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. WHAT'S THE NEW GUY'S NAME? I DON'T KNOW. I HAVEN'T MET HIM. OKAY. I WAS NOT ON THE SEARCH. I LEFT THAT UP TO, UH, THE SEARCH TEAM. OKAY. AND, UM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON THIS TOO. MY UNDERSTANDING WITH, UM, WHEN CONTRACTS COME THROUGH FOR PROJECTS, THE CITY ENGINEER HAS TO SIGN OFF ON THEM, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IF THE CITY ENGINEER IS NOT IN THE POSITION TO SIGN OFF ON 'EM, THE DEPARTMENT HEAD HAS TO SIGN OFF ON 'EM INSTEAD. SEEING AS THE NEW CONFIGURATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT, UM, DOESN'T REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT HEAD TO BE AN ENGINEER AND RANDY'S NOT A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER. WHAT IS THE WORK AROUND IN THAT SITUATION? IF THE CITY ENGINEERS NOT THE ENGINEER WILL DO THE ENGINEERING WORK AND RANDY WILL HANDLE THE ADMINISTRATION AND I'LL GET YOU THAT GENTLEMAN'S NAME. I HAVEN'T MET HIM. WHAT'S HIS NAME? IOR. YEAH. WE, WE HAVE NOT BROUGHT HIM ON CAMPUS YET. I LOOK FORWARD. MAYOR, DO YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE USE OF THE PFC MODEL IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WE SEE THAT COUNCIL WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST EVEN RECENTLY HAS APPROVED A COUPLE MORE PROJECTS IN TERMS OF THE EFFICACY OF ACTUALLY GETTING HOUSING TO PEOPLE, UH, WHO NEED IT THE MOST. I MEAN, SOME OF THOSE, THOSE UNITS, EVEN WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE ARE NOT THAT FAR OFF OF MARKET RATE. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE SOLVING THE PROBLEM. I THINK WE HAVE TO REVIEW THE WHOLE CONCEPT AND, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS SO IMPORTANT. OUR PUBLIC HOUSING IS SO IMPORTANT. I JUST SAW NEWS LAST NIGHT WHERE, UH, ALLEN PARKWAY COURTS WERE LIVING IN VERY POOR CONDITIONS. YOU KNOW, I COULD REACH A CONCLUSION THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS SO BUSY MAKING DEALS THAT THEY FORGOT THEIR CORE MISSION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MAKING CERTAIN THAT THOSE RESIDENTS IN NEED OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING WERE, UM, WERE PROVIDED FOR. AND THAT THE DEVELOPERS WERE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR MAKING THE COMMITMENTS THEY MADE OF A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF UNITS BEING AFFORDABLE. AND, UH, NO ONE'S HOLDING 'EM FAR. THE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS [00:35:02] A BED OF SPECIAL INTEREST AS BEST I CAN DETERMINE. AND THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD EXTEND NORTHERN'S CONTRACT JUST AS I WAS SWORN IN, I THINK THEY KNEW THEY HAD REASON TO BE CONCERNED AND THEY, THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY LENGTH OF A CONTRACT. DID YOU SAY EIGHT YEARS? WELL, IN, IN THE SEVERANCE REQUIRED LIKE A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLAR BUYOUT. THAT'S ONE REASON. UH, THEY DIDN'T RUSH TO AS QUICK AS I WOULD HAVE TO LET HIM OUT. I LISTENED TO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION ABOUT THE ENGINEER, I DELEGATE STUFF AROUND HERE. I PUT A GOOD TEAM IN PLACE AND THEN THEY GO AND PRODUCE AND THEN I HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, MAYOR, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WITH THE PLEASANT HILL C OJ, OJ MCCOY? AMY, THANK YOU. DID YOU KNOW HIS NAME OR YOU JUST ASKED ME OUT OF CURIOSITY? OH NO, NO. I DIDN'T KNOW HIS NAME. I WAS ASKING OJ M-C-F-O-Y FROM BUFFALO. IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION 'CAUSE BUFFALO REALLY, REALLY WANTED TO KEEP HIM. BUT WE, UH, STRONGLY PURSUED HIM. MAYOR, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES ARE CALLING FOR A FORENSIC AUDIT OF THE PLEASANT HILL. CDC. WILL THAT HAPPEN? THE FORENSIC ORDER? WHAT OF THE PLEASANT HILL? CDC? SO PASTOR, HE SPOKE YESTERDAY AT THE . YOU KNOW, THERE AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHY Y'ALL DON'T EMPHASIZE IT ENOUGH. THAT HAPPENED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. IN FACT, ABOUT HALF THE COUNCIL SITTING THERE PARTICIPATED IN GIVING HIM THREE, $3 MILLION. UH, THERE AGAIN, I CAN'T FIX SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT. THE CITIZENS BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION. WE REACTED PROMPTLY. WE WENT TO THE SITE DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS. AND I WOULD THINK ALL OPTIONS ARE OPEN. WE CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE LIVING IN THOSE CONDITIONS. AND OF COURSE, THE GOOD PASTOR SAID IT WAS ABOUT ECONOMICS, I THINK IS WHAT HE SAID. YESTERDAY'S MORE. WELL IN MY WORLD, ECONOMICS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND WELFARE. SO WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO TO REVIEW THAT PROJECT AND OTHERS THAT ARE REPORTED TO US AS BEING A DANGER. I APPLAUD COUNCILMAN DAVIS. REBECCA WILLIAMS WITH MY STAFF. WENT AFTER THAT AFTERNOON, APPLAUD MS. ASHLEY AND THOSE THAT BROUGHT IT TO HER ATTENTION. THAT HAPPENED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S NOW MY WATCH TO FIX. AND, UH, WE WILL AGGRESSIVELY DO AUDITS, REVIEWS, ACCOUNTABILITY, WHATEVER IT TAKES PLACE. YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE ARE SENIORS, THEY'RE VULNERABLE AND, UH, UNACCEPTABLE. SOME RESIDENTS ARE LIVING IN UNITS WITH BLACK MOLD, BUT WE'RE TOLD THERE WERE ISSUES RELOCATING THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE THROUGH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. UM, I KNOW YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT RELOCATION, THAT WAS SOMETHING YOU TOUCHED ON LAST WEEK. IS THERE A PLAN FOR THOSE RESIDENTS? WELL, ACTUALLY I HAD A PERSONAL CONVERSATION WITH THE PASTOR ABOUT RELOCATION BEFORE HE WAS HERE YESTERDAY. DID HE HAVE, UH, THE CAPACITY TO MOVE THOSE RESIDENTS? I WAS ASSURED THEY WERE. SO THERE AGAIN, WE GOTTA GO BACK AND VERIFY WHAT THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS ARE AND WHERE THOSE PEOPLE ARE. HE DECLARED YESTERDAY THAT THEY WERE NOT LIVING IN THOSE CONDITIONS. UH, REBECCA WILLIAMS ON MY STAFF, UH, DISPUTED SOME OF THAT INFORMATION. SO IT'S A, IT'S AN ONGOING, UH, PROCESS TO REVIEW THESE. UH, I THINK IT'S SYMBOLIC OF OTHER ISSUES. LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHO DID THE STORY LAST NIGHT ON, ON UH, ALLEN PARKWAY, BUT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT CUNY HOMES. CERTAINLY WE'VE HEARD ABOUT CUNY HOMES AND NEEDING AIR CONDITIONERS ARE GETTING THEM. SOME PEOPLE IN CHICAGO WERE BILLING MUCH MORE THAN THEY WERE DELIVERING. SO THERE'S OBVIOUSLY OPEN INVESTIGATION BY OTHER AGENCIES AND, UH, I'M DEALING THE BEST I CAN WITH THE RESIDENTS NEEDS. YES, SIR. WILD CARD QUESTION. MAYOR, YOU READY? YOU CAN'T HELP US WITH THE GRASSY KNOLL OR UFOS, BUT CAN YOU TELL US, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH OF OUR RECYCLED MATERIAL THAT WE HAUL OUT TO THE CURB ACTUALLY GETS RECYCLED? AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT. UH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING I'VE READ. IT IS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD BE. AND IT'S, UH, PREVIOUS FOLKS HERE, I KNOW THEY GET TIRED OF HEARING IT, BUT IT'S THE TRUTH. UH, CERTAINLY AGREED WITH A SPANISH COMPANY A, A DEAL THAT DOES NOT REPRESENT MY JUDGMENT. THE BEST INTEREST OF HOUSTONIANS, CERTAINLY WHERE THEY AGREED [00:40:01] TO HAVE TO HAUL THE, THE RECYCLING ITEMS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT HAS TO GET DONE. UH, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS. I GOT A GREAT TEAM IN PLACE. HOUSTON'S A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF NEGLECT, UH, KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. A LOT OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, A LOT OF WASTE, AND I THINK, UH, CORRUPTION. SO WE'RE OUT TO FIX IT. MAYOR, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE, UM, AUDIT OF THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT? WHAT'S, WHAT WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE AUDIT OF THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT? IT, IT'S ONGOING, UH, ALONG WITH OTHER AUDITS. WHAT, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE ERNST AND YOUNG AUDIT OF CITY DEPARTMENTS? WE HAVE BEEN GETTING OUR INTERNAL BRIEFINGS ALL WEEK, AND I HOPE TO ROLL IT OUT TWO WEEKS. TWO WEEKS. I, I'M VERY HESITANT TO GIVE TIMETABLES 'CAUSE Y'ALL DON'T REALIZE SOMETIME, UH, YOU GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU WANT TO, UH, WANT TO USE. SO, BUT YOU'RE HOPING TO RELEASE AT LEAST THE ? OH YEAH. ANYTHING, ANYTHING I DO IS IS BELONGS TO Y'ALL. BELONGS TO THE PUBLIC. YEAH. THE AUDITS ARE DONE FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION, TRANSPARENCY, AND IT'S GONNA BE VERY REVEALING. WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, 40% OF OUR SUPERVISORS SUPERVISED THREE OR LESS PEOPLE. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN DONE AROUND HERE FOR YEARS AND YEARS, BECAUSE OFTEN IT WAS SELF-SERVING. SO WE'RE CHANGING THE MODEL, UH, DISRUPTING SOME PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT WAS IN OFFICE WHEN I WAS RUNNING, THEY DIDN'T WANT ME TO GET ELECTED. SOME PEOPLE WERE DOING REAL WELL UNDER PREVIOUS OPERATIONS AND THEY KNEW IF I GOT HERE, BASED ON MY HISTORY OF PUBLIC SERVICE, WE WERE GONNA SHAKE THINGS UP. WHEN I GO ACROSS HOUSTON, PEOPLE COME UP TO ME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, SAID, KEEP IT UP. KEEP SHAKING THEM UP. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT DESCRIPTION, BUT FIXING THINGS IS WHAT I CAMPAIGNED ON. AND, UH, IT'S GETTING DONE. NOT, NOT AS FAST AS I'D LIKE, BUT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF, LOT OF BUREAUCRACY. MAYOR, DO YOU THINK CORRUPTION DELAYS ALL THE HELP THAT PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SOCIAL CASHIER GARDENS AND OTHER LOCATIONS, UM, WHERE I MEAN THAT THE CORRUPTION, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LETTING THE AGENCIES, WE, WE, WE RUN ACROSS THE INFORMATION. YOU KNOW, I, I SHARE WITH ANYONE THAT, THAT HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REVIEW THINGS. YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OVER THE, UH, THE CONFERENCE THAT WAS HELD HERE BY PEOPLE THAT DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE. ALL WE CAN DO IS REVEAL THINGS, UH, TO INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, CERTAINLY UNDER MY AUTHORITY. AND THEN THERE'S OTHER AGENCIES REVIEWING THINGS ACROSS HOUSTON AND, UH, GETTING BACK TO NEGLECTED COMMUNITIES, TO OUR SPANISH SPEAKING EAST END. DENVER HARBOR HAS VERY FEW SIDEWALKS. OUR CAMPAIGN ON SLOWING DOWN 10 FOOT SIDEWALKS UNTIL PEOPLE HAVE THREE FOOT SIDEWALKS. SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE THAT'S BENEFITING NEGLECTED AREAS AND PARTICULARLY, UH, DENVER HARBOR. I TOOK A FAMILY HOME FROM JASON'S DELI LAST MONTH, TWO MONTHS AGO, NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, NORTH SHEPHERD, JASON DELI. THEY WANTED A PHOTO, WHICH I DID, AND I GOT TO MEET THIS FAMILY. THEY'RE FROM DENVER HARBOR. I SAID, WELL, WHY YOU COME HERE? JASON'S DELI AT WESTHEIMER AND SHEPHERD. AND THEY SAID, WE DON'T HAVE A JASON'S DELI IN DENVER HARBOR. I SAID, WELL, HOW DO YOU GET HERE? THEY HAD ALREADY TOLD ME THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN AUTOMOBILE. I SAID, HOW DO YOU GET HERE? AND THEY SAID, WE TAKE TWO BUSES, NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. SO AS WE VISITED, I SAID, WOULD YOU LET ME TAKE YOU HOME? THEY SAID, REALLY? I SAID, YEAH, I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH SECURITY. IT WAS A SUNDAY EVENING WITHOUT SECURITY. AND, UM, I HAD A FRIEND WITH ME, SO I SAID, SURE, LET ME FINISH MY SANDWICH. SO WE GOT ON 59 HEADED TO WACO STREET. THEY SHOWED ME THEIR BUS STOP. THEN THEY SHOWED ME 11 BLOCKS. THEY WALKED TO CATCH TO THE WACO LINES AVENUE BUS. WE GOT TO THEIR FAMILY HOUSE AND AN OLDER SIBLING WANTED TO TAKE A PICTURE. WE DID THAT. AND SHE SAID, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A BUS STOP FOUR BLOCKS FROM HERE, BUT IT'S TOO DANGEROUS. [00:45:02] SO THAT'S A REAL PICTURE OF SOME WORK WE HAVE TO DO. WE HAVE TO MAKE METRO SAFE, CLEAN, CONVENIENT, MACRO TRANSITS. WE NEED A SYSTEM THAT'LL TAKE 'EM TO THE BUS STOP. SO ANYWAY, UM, A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT PLEASANT HILL. HMM. UM, SO IT WAS ALL REPORTS SHOW THAT THE, UH, THE BILLING WAS ALREADY BUILT ON TOXIC LAND. SO THIS FIX UP WILL TAKE SOME TIME. WILL PASTOR CLEMENTS BE GIVEN MORE FUNDS TO, UH, OVERSEE THE PROJECT OR WILL, UH, WILL YOU TAKE MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN? YOU KNOW, THE FINANCE FINANCES ARE A REAL CHALLENGE. UH, THEY'VE GOT $130 MILLION INVESTMENT WITH OUTSTANDING BONDS AT MIDDLE STREET. SO THERE AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T HEARD THE END OF IT. IT, UH, BUT WE'VE GOT A GOOD, GOOD BOARD. YOU KNOW, LER, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY RESIGNED OVER THE MIDDLE STREET PROJECT, WALKED OUT, AND SO I KNEW WHEN I WANTED TO REPLACE THE PREVIOUS BOARD THAT LER WAS GONNA BE MY CHAIRMAN. HE'S, HE'S BEYOND APPROACH. HE'S, HE'S STRAIGHT SHOOTER. HE'S SMART, AND I'M REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HIM. I GOTTA GO TO WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DOES THIS BELONG. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.