[Resilience Committee on March 6, 2025.]
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GOOD MORNING.SORRY FOR THE COUPLE MINUTE DELAY.
JUST LITERALLY RAN OVER FROM THE HOUSTON FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, OVER AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO WELCOME TO THE RESILIENCE COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, THIS WEEK, THIS MONTH.
UM, LIKE TO WELCOME ALL THE, UH, STAFF OF MEMBERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE'VE GOT, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, AMY PECK, ALSO REPRESENTATION FROM DISTRICT H AT LARGE, FOUR AT LARGE.
AND THEN, UH, GOING AROUND THE ROOM, WE'VE GOT, UH, AT LARGE, UH, HERE WE GOT CBI NEED MY CHECKLIST HERE.
B, C AT LARGE ONE AND, UH, AT LARGE ONE.
AND YOU ARE FF WE GOT 'EM ALL.
SORRY, I WASN'T HERE TO DO MY OWN ROLE RIGHT HERE.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE ME MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, UH, UH, VICE CHAIR ABBY CAYMAN IS OUT ILL TODAY.
SO, UM, WE, UH, ARE CARRYING THE TORCH WITHOUT HER.
SO THIS MONTH OUR PRESENTATION IS FROM THE, UH, CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE MAYOR, CHRIS NEWPORT.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE WINTER STORM ENZO, WHICH, WHO KNEW THEY NAMED STORMS. NOWADAYS, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF NAMED STORMS, BUT THE AFTER ACTION REPORT.
SO I'D LIKE TO WELCOME CHRIS, UM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.
UM, MAY I SAY BRIEFLY THAT IT'S GOOD TO BE SPEAKING INTO A MICROPHONE ON, ON HOME GROUND, UM, FRIENDLIER CONFINES, ALTHOUGH THE CAPITOL WAS WELCOMING YESTERDAY.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL THIS MORNING.
UM, SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DISCUSS AND PRESENT, UM, TO Y'ALL THIS, THIS MORNING, PLEASE UNDERSTAND AS A WHILE THERE IS GOOD CONTENT THAT IS THE OUTPUT OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT DELIBERATE STEPS THAT WE'VE TAKEN TO UNDERSTAND, UM, THE, THE OBJECTIVES THAT MET OUR EXPECTATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO REFINE HOW WE APPROACH FULFILLING THE, THE OBJECTIVES IN FUTURE EVENTS.
UH, WE STILL HAVE SOME FORMAL PREPARATION AND, AND PACKAGING OF A FORMAL REPORT THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED OUT TO DEPARTMENTS AROUND, UH, I SUPPOSE WE CAN FORMALLY CALL IT WINTER STORM ENZO OR THE HOUSTON SNOW DAY.
UM, WHATEVER WE MIGHT REFER TO IT AS COLLECTIVELY, BUT I THINK HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SEE, UM, THAT WE HAVE TAKEN DELIBERATE STEPS TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED WITH PREPARING FOR EXECUTING, AND THEN RECOVERING FROM THE ACTIVATIONS, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THE LAST TWO, UH, WINTER WEATHER EVENTS THAT WE HAD.
BUT MOST OF THE INFORMATION HERE WILL BE ABOUT WINTER STORM ENZO.
SO IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE'RE GONNA, UM, THE CONTENTS, THESE ARE THE, THE OVERVIEW OF WHAT I'LL BE DISCUSSING TODAY AND THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN I'LL ASK US TO DWELL ON THIS FOR A MOMENT.
MADAM CHAIR, IF, AND, AND VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, IF, IF YOU WOULD INDULGE ME FOR A MOMENT, I'VE, I INVITED SEVERAL PEOPLE HERE TODAY AND, AND IT CERTAINLY IS NOT EVERYONE, BUT I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AND RECOGNIZE THE FOLKS THAT, UM, LED, LED TO WHAT I, WHAT I, I FEEL WAS THE MAYOR FEELS, WAS HOPEFULLY Y'ALL FEEL WAS A SUCCESSFUL AND LIFESAVING ACTIVATION, UM, THAT THE CITY PROVIDED TO ITS RESIDENTS DURING WINTER STORM ENZO.
AND, UH, A BRIEF ADMISSION, I'M GONNA ATTEMPT TO DO THIS THIS TIME WITHOUT, UH, WITHOUT GETTING EMOTIONAL.
I WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL MEETING THAT GOAL THE LAST TIME I THANKED THESE INDIVIDUALS FOR, FOR WHAT THEY DID.
BUT, UH, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ALL OF WHOM SO, UH, ALLOWED US ALONG WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE NASTIEST, UH, DRESSED INDIVIDUAL IN CHAMBERS HERE.
UH, WE HAVE DIRECTOR ALLEN, BUT WE HAVE PRINCE COLLINS SITTING NEXT TO HIM.
PARKS AND HEALTH, UH, ALLOWED US TO OPEN
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10 WARMING CENTERS.THERE WERE MORE THAN THAT AVAILABLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT 10 CITY FACILITIES THAT AS THE, THE SLIDE THAT'S ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW, WELCOME MORE THAN 1300 FOLKS.
UM, THEY, LIKE Y'ALL RECEIVED TEXTS AND PICTURES OVER, OVER THEIR PHONE ABOUT THEIR KIDS ENJOYING THE SNOW, THEIR GRANDKIDS, THEIR FRIENDS, UM, THEY WERE WORKING OVERNIGHT, MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS WERE SAFE.
UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE OEM OF COURSE, UH, THE TEAM THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE, THE CITYWIDE RESPONSE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, UH, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, UH, OUR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
DIRECTOR NICHOLS IS HERE, UM, 9 1 1 AGENTS, 3 1 1 AGENTS THAT THAT PROVIDED HUNDREDS OF, OF TRANSPORTS TO WARMING CENTERS.
BARK PROVIDED KENNELS TO ALL OF THE WARMING CENTERS SO THAT, UH, SO THAT PETS COULD BE WELCOMED OUT OF THE COLD, ALONG WITH THEIR OWNERS, UH, THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK, FOOD NOT BOMBS, MAYOR'S OFFICE OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE.
UM, ENZO WAS TRULY A CITYWIDE, A REGIONWIDE ACTIVATION AND, UM, SALUTE.
I, I SAY WHEN, WHEN YOU GET EMOTIONAL, IT'S, IT'S GRATITUDE AND PRIDE.
UM, IT'S A INSPIRATIONAL PLACE TO COME TO WORK.
Y'ALL GET OUTTA HERE SO I CAN SPEAK CLEARLY.
UM, TWO EVENTS THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
MOST OF THE CONTENT'S GONNA FOCUS ON ON WINTER STORM.
ENZO, UH, WINTER STORM ENZO, UH, AS Y'ALL KNOW, WAS A CITYWIDE ACTIVATION.
UH, THERE WERE BROAD IMPACTS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
WE DID NOT HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH THOSE IMPACTS FOR, FOR AN EXTENDED DURATION OF TIME, BUT WE DID EXPERIENCE TRANSPORTATION, UH, IMPACTS ON OUR ROADS, ON OUR FREEWAYS AT OUR AIRPORTS.
UM, WE ACTIVATED A NUMBER OF HEALTH AND SAFETY FACILITIES FOR WARMING CENTERS.
UM, UM, IT REQUIRED PARTNERSHIP WITH A NUMBER OF, OF DEPARTMENTS, BUT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AGENCIES BEYOND THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROPER.
AND THE INITIAL COST ESTIMATES THAT WE'VE, UH, WE'VE GATHERED FROM DEPARTMENTS IS THAT ACTIVATION INCURRED EXPENSES OF TOTAL EXPENSES, INCLUDING ENTERPRISE FUNDS OF ABOUT 6.5 MILLION, UH, 6.1 MILLION TO THE GENERAL FUND.
THE BULK OF THAT, UM, AND I HAVE MORE DETAIL I CAN GET INTO IF, IF YOU'D LIKE, UH, LATER IN THE Q AND A, BUT THE BULK OF THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH OVERTIME FOR POLICE AND FIRE, BECAUSE WE ACTIVATED EVERYONE, GIVEN THE UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS, WE ASKED FOLKS TO COME IN EARLY.
WE HAD MULTIPLE SHIFTS, UM, ON STANDBY, UM, SO THAT WE COULD GIVE FOLKS A BREAK, UM, AS THEY WERE MANAGING THROUGH THE ACTIVATION.
VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION COMPARED TO THE, THE, UH, THE VERY COLD CONDITIONS THAT, THAT WE MANAGED THROUGH IN FEBRUARY.
THAT WAS LARGELY, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY ACTIVATION FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
UM, AND THE EXPENSES YOU CAN EXPECT ARE STILL GATHERING THOSE, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY LESS, UH, BECAUSE IT DID NOT INVOLVE THE SAME INTENSITY OF RESOURCES REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE.
UM, SLIDE IS TITLED PREPARATIONS AND PLANNING.
I THINK THIS ALSO GETS TO ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE DID WELL LEADING INTO TROPICAL STORM, ENZO TROPICAL STORM, UH, WINTER STORM ENZO.
UM, WE BEGAN PREPARATIONS FOR WINTER WEATHER ACTIVATIONS, UM, LATE FALL OF LAST YEAR.
UM, WE, AN ADVANTAGE THAT WE HAD FOR ENZO IS WE HAD A RATHER CLEAR FORECAST PICTURE FOR WHAT WE WERE MOST LIKELY TO BE FACING FOR A MULTIPLE DAY EVENT.
UH, WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT ACTIVATED EARLY, BEGAN COMMUNICATING EARLY REGARDING WHAT THE, THE TIER RESPONSE LEVEL AND, UH, NORMAL WORKSTATION REPORTING WAS GOING TO BE.
THAT GAVE EVERYONE KIND OF A CLEAR TARGET THAT WE WERE SHOOTING AT SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GOT INTO THE EVENT ITSELF.
AND AS DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, THIS INVOLVED WARMING CENTER ACTIVATION, ROADWAY PREPARATION, AND THEN RECOVERY.
A LOT OF PROACTIVE AS WELL AS REACTIVE, BUT VERY SOLID COMMUNICATION WITH PARTNERS SUCH AS TXDOT, UM, WHO
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WAS CRITICAL FOR US AND REALLY STEPPED UP FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.UM, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CRITICAL FACILITIES, PRIMARILY AROUND ENSURING THAT OUR BACKUP POWER GENERATION WAS, WAS ON STANDBY IN A WAY THAT WE COULD HAVE CONFIDENCE ABOUT, UM, AND REFINEMENT AND THEN IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTINUITY OF OPERATION PLANS.
UM, AS, AS YOU JUST SAW, THE PRIMARY STRENGTH WAS OUR PEOPLE IN, IN THE RESPONSE, UM, THOSE THAT I JUST RECOGNIZED, BUT IN PARTICULAR, WE HAD MORE THAN 1300 PEOPLE AT PEAK ACROSS THE 10 CITY OF HOUSTON ACTIVATED WARMING CENTERS.
UH, THEY WERE MET WITH COMPASSION.
THE STAFF THAT WERE LEADING THOSE CENTERS REMAINED FLEXIBLE.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, OF CONSTRAINTS THAT I THINK Y'ALL REMEMBER US WORKING THROUGH, FOR EXAMPLE, FOOD DELIVERY.
UM, WE HAVE CONSTRAINTS THAT I KNOW Y'ALL, Y'ALL RECOGNIZE, AND THE STAFF PROACTIVELY, IN MOST CASES, REACTIVELY IN SOME, BUT STILL WITH TIGHT WINDOWS, CAME UP WITH CREATIVE AND FLEXIBLE WAYS TO ACCOMMODATE THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS SO THAT WE COULD PROVIDE A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WERE STAYING WITH US, WHILE CONTINUING TO RECOGNIZE THE CONSTRAINTS ON THINGS LIKE FOOD SERVICE, UH, FOR MASS CARE TYPE OF ACTIVATIONS.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT WENT RATHER WELL.
WE, WE GENERALLY GOT, UH, I KNOW Y'ALL WERE AROUND THE WARMING CENTERS.
WE WERE RECEIVING GOOD FEEDBACK AND, AND THANKS FROM THOSE THAT WERE STAYING WITH US DURING THAT TIME.
UM, I THINK THE, WE MAINTAINED GOOD VISIBILITY INTO CALLS FOR SERVICE INTO, UH, THE CENSUS AT EACH OF OUR WARMING CENTERS.
UH, AND I THINK WE DID A, IN ENZO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE REACTIVE THAN IN THE FEBRUARY, UM, ACTIVATION.
BUT WE DID A, A GOOD JOB OF MAINTAINING SURVEILLANCE ON WHERE WE WERE REGARDING POPULATIONS THAT WERE IN EACH FACILITY AND SEEKING TO BALANCE, UH, BALANCE THOSE, POP THOSE POPULATIONS AS WE WERE APPROACHING CAPACITY OR AS WE SAW EMERGING CONCENTRATIONS OF FOLKS LIKE FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN.
UM, WE DID WELL WITH, UH, WITH OUR PARTNERS AT HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, THE, EACH OF THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICES REALLY STEPPED UP, UH, PRECINCT FOR IN, IN PARTICULAR ALLOWING US TO MEET, UM, MEET THE NEED FOR A WARMING CENTER IN THE NORTHWEST AREA OF THE CITY AND PROACTIVELY OPENING UP BAYLAND, UM, AND THEN HAVING THE LINCOLN COMMUNITY CENTER AVAILABLE AS WELL.
AND THE PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT WAS GOING OUT, I THINK WAS, WAS GENERALLY WELL DONE.
AND I'D HIGHLIGHT, UM, POTENTIALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THAT BESIDES HOUSTONIANS RESPECTING.
AND, UM, THE MAYOR'S REQUEST FOR EVERYBODY TO, TO LAY LOW, ENJOY THE WEATHER WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
HOUSTON REALLY HELPED US, UH, AVOID ANY UNNECESSARY DEATHS OR REAL SERIOUS INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS AND CARBON MONOXIDE.
THEN THE DAY AFTER THE, WHEN THE SNOW HAD MELTED, AND THAT EVENING WE HAD A LOT OF ICE, ESPECIALLY ON OUR ELEVATED FREEWAYS.
WE BEGAN TO SEE IN THE EOCA NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS START TO, UM, START TO OCCUR.
AND OUT OF THE JIC TOOK SOME QUICK FOCUSED ACTIVITY WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE MEDIA AS WELL AS AUTOMATED MESSAGING AND SOCIAL TO REITERATE THAT WE WERE STILL IN A CHALLENGING TIME AND WE SAW HOUSTON RESPOND.
THINGS REALLY TAILED OFF, UM, ON, ON THE ROADWAYS AFTER THAT COMMUNICATION WENT OUT.
I MENTIONED THIS, THIS EARLIER, BUT WORTH HIGHLIGHTING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH METRO, UM, PROVIDING, UH, MOBILE WARMING CENTERS AS AVAILABLE, BUT HELPING, UH, MOVE PEOPLE AROUND, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DEMOBILIZATION OF THE WARMING CENTERS, ESPECIALLY AT, UM, AT FONDE AND AT WEST GRAY.
BUT THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THE DEMOBILIZATION OF EVERY WARMING CENTER, THE HARRIS CENTER, UM, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO HELPING US RESPOND AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO THOSE THAT, THAT DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF, UH, MENTAL HEALTH CIRCUMSTANCES EVERY DAY.
ALWAYS A CRITICAL PARTNER, BUT STEPPED UP THE BEACON AS WELL.
SALVATION ARMY, AMERICAN RED CROSS OUTREACH IN THE BARRIO, THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS.
UM, I MENTIONED FOOD NOT BOMBS EARLIER.
JUST EXCEPTIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, FROM OUR AGENCY PARTNERS THAT WE TYPICALLY RELY ON, BUT REALLY STEPPED UP TO ALLOW US TO SHOW.
WELL, NEXT SLIDE, UH, CHALLENGES.
SO THERE ARE NO FREE LUNCHES IN THIS, AND WHENEVER WE
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ACTIVATE A CITY FACILITY, A MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AS A, UM, AS A WARMING CENTER THAT NECESSARILY INVOLVES INTERRUPTING THE, THE NORMAL PROGRAMMING THAT GOES ON.AND WE OFFER A BROAD RANGE OF PROGRAMMING, AS Y'ALL KNOW AT OUR, AT OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
SO, TYPICALLY SCHEDULED MEALS FOR SENIORS FOR BREAKFAST, UH, VACCINATIONS, IMMUNIZATIONS THAT ARE OFFERED, OTHER ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
FONDE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO PLAY PLAY BASKETBALL AND, AND VOLLEYBALL ON THEIR TYPICAL SCHEDULE.
UM, SO ALL OF THOSE TRADES ARE MADE WHENEVER WE MAKE THE DECISION CORRECTLY, UM, TO ACTIVATE FOR THE, FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
BUT WE REMAIN COGNIZANT OF THAT AS WELL AS THERE IS A FINANCIAL COST WHENEVER WE ACTIVATE.
AND IT IS, UM, IT IS NOT INSIGNIFICANT.
UM, AS BEYOND THAT, THE, THE TYPICAL DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE USED TO DOING EVERY SINGLE DAY, UM, TYPICALLY GET DEPRIORITIZED, PARTICULARLY WITH FOLKS IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WHO MOVED TO WARMING CENTER OPERATIONS AWAY FROM THEIR, THEIR, UH, THEIR TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
RECOMMENDATIONS COMING OUT OF THE, THE FORMAL AND INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD ABOUT WHAT WORKED WELL, UH, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO WE HAVE TO IMPROVE AND WHAT SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT INVESTING IN.
UM, WE HAVE, WE REACHED CAPACITY AT SEVERAL, SEVERAL OF OUR FACILITIES DURING ENZO.
UM, WE DID NOT HAVE THAT, THAT SAME, THE SAME INTENSITY IN AS MANY FACILITIES IN THE FEBRUARY WINTER STORM ACTIVATION.
UM, BUT WE ARE EVALUATING LARGER FACILITIES SO THAT WE CAN CONSOLIDATE THE WARMING CENTERS LOGISTICALLY.
IT IS WE, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY AND WE'VE PROVEN THE ABILITY TO EXECUTE ON, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE IN THE CITY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE IN HARRIS COUNTY, WE CAN MAKE TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE TO FOLKS THAT EXPRESS A NEED OR A DESIRE, UH, TO GO TO ONE OF OUR FACILITIES OR A COUNTY FACILITY OPERATED BY A PARTNER.
UM, THERE ARE LOGISTICAL, UM, THESE ARE INTENSE LOGISTICAL OPERATIONS, WHICH I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND.
UM, SO BEING ABLE TO CONSOLIDATE, UM, THESE OPERATIONS SIMPLIFIES OPERATIONAL PLANNING, UM, CAN PROVIDE A BETTER EXPERIENCE DUE TO THAT.
AND WE CAN PROVIDE A BROADER RANGE OF SERVICES, ALL LS L WHEN THERE ARE FEWER FACILITIES VERSUS WHEN THERE ARE, THERE ARE MORE.
UM, BUT THAT'S A, THAT'S AN EVALUATION, UH, STEP.
ONE OF THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE MADE IN THE FEBRUARY ACTIVATION VERSUS THE, UH, NZO ACTIVATION WAS DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN FACILITIES FOR FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN, FOR INSTANCE.
UH, WE WERE MAKING THOSE ADJUSTMENTS ON THE FLY DURING NZO IN FEBRUARY.
WE WENT AHEAD AND DESIGNATED NORTHEAST IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA, IF YOU'VE GOT A FAMILY WITH SMALL CHILDREN'S, THAT'S GONNA BE THE SPOT THAT WE'RE GONNA STAFF UP, UH, TO MEET THAT NEED.
AS WELL AS, UM, PLAN FOUR SUPPLIES AND SERVICES THERE AS WELL.
WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE, UH, THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR PARTNERS.
TYPICALLY MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THOSE THAT WE'RE SUCCESSFULLY UTILIZED WITH, ESPECIALLY WITH HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCTS.
EACH OF THESE EVENTS EXPOSES WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE THE FULL SCOPE OF SUPPORT SERVICES THAT WE WOULD WANT TO PROVIDE EACH OTHER, UM, THAT ALLOWS FOR FLOW OF FUNDS AND UTILIZATION OF CONTRACTS, ET CETERA.
UH, ONCE WE'RE IN THE, THE OPERATIONAL PERIOD, THERE REMAINS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ENGAGE, UM, A BROADER RANGE OF BOTH NONPROFITS AS WELL AS OTHER GO GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
UM, AN EXAMPLE IS IN, IN ENZO.
UM, WE WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE HAD A MORE COORDINATED, UH, PRESENCE WITH OUR PARTNERS FROM THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, ESPECIALLY AT FONDE AND WEST GRAY.
UM, THAT, JUST VIEWING THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, PARTICULARLY WITH THE, UM, THE MAYOR'S, UM, INITIATIVE TO END STREET HOMELESSNESS.
THE MORE TOUCH POINTS WE HAVE WITH, UH, WITH THE FOLKS COULD, THAT COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE MAKING INCREASINGLY AVAILABLE.
THE MORE WE KNOW ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE, THE BETTER WE CAN TAILOR TARGETED INTERVENTIONS.
OR FOR THOSE THAT NEED MULTIPLE TOUCH POINTS OVER TIME, WE CAN GAIN MORE INSIGHT INTO THAT.
UH, WE DID SEE, UH, WE DID SEE THAT, UM, THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT, THAT, UH, WE RECOGNIZED WE COULD HAVE TAKEN BETTER ADVANTAGE OF IN ENZO.
UH, WE DID MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT IN, IN FEBRUARY, AND WE, AND WE SAW SOME
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BENEFIT FROM THAT.UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS WE HAD, WE HAD WONDERFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EXECUTIVE TEAM AT THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I THINK IT REMAINS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENGAGE THERE.
THERE ARE CERTAINLY MORE THAN, UH, MORE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAN JUST HISD.
SO THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO PROACTIVELY ENGAGE THEM LIKE WE DID WITH HISD ON A, ON A BROADER BASIS.
WE CONTINUE, UM, TO LOOK AT THE SECURITY MEASURES THAT, THAT WERE INITIALLY PLANNED FOR, THAT WERE MODIFIED, THAT ULTIMATELY PROVED OUT TO WORK WELL, AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH PROCEDURES TO DOCUMENT THE REFINED PERSPECTIVE THAT WE'RE GETTING OUT OF THIS A A R INTO THE GO FORWARD OPERATIONAL PLANS, UM, AND THE FLEXIBILITY THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, WORKING WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE MUST OPERATE UNDER PER STATE LAW, ESPECIALLY AROUND FOOD SERVICE AND FOOD PROVISION, UM, DOCUMENTING THOSE.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT IS, UM, I THINK FEBRUARY WENT RATHER WELL.
UM, ENZO WENT WELL, BUT THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE REACTIVE IN THE INITIAL HOURS OF THAT, OF THAT EVENT.
SO DOCUMENTING THAT INTO OUR PLANNING AND ACTIVATION MODELS IS, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE TARGETING SPECIFICALLY.
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY AT THE CENTERS, UH, LIKE FONDE, UH, LIKE WEST GRAY, THAT ARE MOST CONVENIENT TO THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE EITHER EXPERIENCING STREET HOMELESSNESS OR SUFFER FROM MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.
UM, EQUIPPING OUR FOLKS WITH MORE SKILLS AROUND, UM, HOW TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS AT A HIGH LEVEL WITHOUT GOING BEYOND THEIR CAPABILITIES.
UM, HOW TO, HOW TO HANDLE THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES AND INTERACTIONS IN THE MOST CONSTRUCTIVE AND SAFE WAY FOR THEMSELVES, AS WELL AS FOR THE, THE RESIDENTS THAT WE'RE HOSTING IN OUR WARMING CENTERS.
UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE OBTAINED, AND, UM, ANGELA BLANCHARD HAS, HAS DESCRIBED THIS TO YOU, BUT EACH OF THESE ACTIVATIONS HAS ALLOWED US TO ENSURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE CLEAREST PICTURE AROUND BACKUP POWER GENERATION AND MAKE ANY REFINEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED, UH, GOOD STEPS.
AND I, I, I THINK COMING OUT OF THE FEBRUARY EVENT, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE REACHED A POINT WHERE WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE THE COMPLETE INVENTORY, THE COMPLETE PRIORITY IN THE RIGHT ORDER FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL AS FOR FACILITIES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY WELCOME, WELCOME GUESTS IN THESE, UM, IN THESE TYPE OF WEATHER SITUATIONS.
UM, CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE CARE OPTIONS FOR FOLKS WITH MEDICAL NEEDS.
UH, THIS COULD BE, UM, FOLKS THAT RELY ON O2 TANKS, UH, THOSE WITH DIALYSIS NEEDS, UM, AS WELL AS LESS INTENSIVE, LESS, UH, LESS CRITICAL TYPE OF MEDICAL SUPPORT, LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE EITHER GOOD ONSITE CARE, UH, THAT CAN TRIAGE THOSE NEEDS.
UM, WORKING WITH SETRAC, HOW WE CAN SUPPORT LOGISTICAL NEEDS OR RESUPPLY NEEDS, AS WELL AS WITH THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, CONTINUING TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO AVOID, UM, FOLKS BEING SENT FROM MEDICAL FACILITIES IN, UM, LESS THAN IDEAL PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES TO A WARMING CENTER, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS RECEIVE THE MEDICAL CARE ON SITE THAT MAY EMERGE.
AND CONTINUING TO CLARIFY THE GUIDELINES FOR WHEN AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS, WE'RE GONNA FULLY ACTIVATE OUR STEER REGISTRY.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE DIRECTLY SUPPORTED IN PAST ACTIVATIONS, AND THAT IS IMMENSELY HELPFUL, UM, TO US AS PART OF THE ACTIVATION.
Y'ALL RECOGNIZE, UH, THIS IS A HIGHLY REGULATED AREA OF INCIDENT RESPONSE FOR EVERYONE ACROSS THE STATE.
HOUSTON REMAINS IN A LEADING POSITION, UM, RELATIVE TO OTHER COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE THIS RESPONSIBILITY.
WE CONTINUE TO UPDATE AND REFINE BOTH THE OUTREACH PROCESS AS WELL AS WE'RE ADDING HUNDREDS OF FOLKS EVERY SINGLE ACTIVATION WE'RE UPDATING THE SET.
UM, WE ARE ALSO MINDFUL, AS YOU ALL KNOW BETTER THAN I DO, HAVING LEANED INTO THIS WORK PERSONALLY, THIS IS A NON-CONSEQUENTIAL INVESTMENT OF EFFORT IN MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS ARE, ARE CONTACTED AND THAT WE GET POSITIVE RESPONSES.
SO FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN ENSURING THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEIR PERSONAL, UH, HEALTHCARE SITUATION IS, AND IF THEY HAVE ANY UNMET NEEDS THAT WE MIGHT ADDRESS, UM, WITH DOING THAT AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE IN A WAY THAT
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IS CONVENIENT FOR THEM AND IS CONVENIENT FOR US, IS SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE, THAT'S A TARGET THAT, THAT WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE PURSUING.UM, SO IT'S, IT'S A BIG TOPIC COMING OUT OF, UM, COMING OUT OF THIS, THESE TWO LATEST ACTIVATIONS.
UM, MENTIONED WE'RE, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A FAIR BIT IN TERMS OF, UM, FORMAL INTERACTIONS WITH OUR TEAMS ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE TO IMPROVE AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING AND DOCUMENTING WHAT WORKED WELL THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO SOLIDIFY INTO THE PLANS.
AND I MENTIONED THAT THERE WILL BE A FORMAL REPORT, UH, THAT'LL BE ISSUED LATER THIS WEEK.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL BE IMPLEMENTING A, AS PART OF OUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE QUARTERLY, UH, QUARTERLY CHECK-INS WITH THE VARIOUS TEAMS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING EACH OTHER'S EXPECTATIONS.
AND I'M GONNA TOUCH ON, UM, CAN WE GET ADVANCE TO THE NEXT, JUST TO, TO EXPOSE A BIT OF SOME OF THE TOOLING THAT WE USE AND INTELLIGENCE.
DO YOU HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE? YEAH.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE USE, THIS IS MOSTLY USED IN PLANNING AND IN MESSAGING PURPOSES, BUT THESE ARE THE 10, UH, CITY OPERATED WARMING CENTERS THAT WERE ACTIVATED DURING ENZO.
THE NEXT SLIDE DEPICTS THE 12 CITY OPERATED WARMING CENTERS OPERATED, UH, DURING THE FEBRUARY, UH, WINTER WEATHER EVENT.
AND THE FOLLOWING TWO SLIDES REPRESENT THE, WE TRACK THE POPULATIONS, THE TEAMS, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TEAMS, AND THE, THE PARKS TEAMS WILL DO A, WHAT, WHAT THEY CALL A, A COT COUNT.
UM, GENERALLY EVERY ONE OR TWO HOURS IT BACKS OFF IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN VISIBILITY INTO, INTO THE POPULATIONS, AND ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO CAPACITY, UM, AT EACH OF OUR FACILITIES.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THOSE OF YOU THAT MEANT MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN TO THE EOC, YOU'VE SEEN THIS, UM, UP ON THE SCREENS, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS VERY NEAR REAL TIME INFORMATION THAT WE, THAT WE CONTINUE, UM, TO RELY ON THROUGHOUT THE OPERATIONAL PERIOD ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, HOW MANY TRANSPORTS WE'VE DONE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE THIS, BUT THIS IS EXCEPTIONALLY, EXCEPTIONALLY USEFUL.
A BIT OF, UM, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TOOLING THAT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED, THAT REMAINS HELPFUL.
AND, AND WHAT IT REFLECTS WHEN WE MADE DURING ENZO, WE MADE AN ADJUSTMENT EARLY, AND MADAM CHAIR, I'LL, I'LL STOP AFTER THIS.
THIS LAST POINT, ONE OF THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE MADE, UM, BRIAN, I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY HOURS IT WAS INTO THE OPERATIONAL PERIOD, WHEREVER YOU ARE.
UM, BUT WE MADE AN ADJUSTMENT.
WE ASKED THE PARKS AND HEALTH TEAMS WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THEY COULD MAKE AN UPWARD ADJUSTMENT TO THE FACILITY CAPACITY SAFELY OR NOT.
THE ANSWER WAS YES FOR EACH OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE ASKED ABOUT, WHICH WAS, UM, FOND AND WEST GRAY, MOST, MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, POINT BEING AS, AS I MAKE, MAKE THAT OBSERVATION, SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU, WITH THIS SLIDE UP, UH, WE THEN GO INTO THE, TO THE DASHBOARD, TO THE APPLICATION UPDATED, AND, AND WE SEE THE NUMBER MOVE FROM 200 TO TWO 50.
RIGHT? SO, UM, BROADLY SPEAKING, I THINK WE FEEL THAT THE ACTIVATIONS WENT WELL.
WE THINK THAT IT, IT CERTAINLY MET, IT MET A NEED, CONFIDENT THAT LIVES WERE SAVED BECAUSE OF, UH, THE CITY ACTIVATING THESE WARMING CENTERS.
UH, THERE ARE AND WILL ALWAYS BE, UH, MORE STEPS THAT WE CAN TAKE, UH, TO IMPROVE HOW WE DO THIS, TO IMPROVE HOW PERSUASIVE WE CAN BE, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THAT ARE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, THAT, THAT CAN, UM, IMPUGN THEIR ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS IN THE MOMENT THAT ARE BEST FOR THEIR PERSONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY.
SADLY, MAKING WARMING CENTERS AVAILABLE DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERYONE THAT TRULY NEEDS IT WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
Y'ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT IN YOUR DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH THESE PEOPLE.
UM, UH, WE DID LOSE THERE, THERE WERE FOLKS THAT, THAT PASSED AWAY DURING THIS EVENT.
IT WAS, UH, IT WAS NOT FOR LACK OF, UM, OF MAKING RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND MAKING TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE AND MAKING DIRECT ASKS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO PLEASE CONSIDER, UH, GOING TO A WARMER AND DRIER PLACE.
UM, BUT THAT WORK WILL NEVER GO AWAY, UH, OF COURSE.
SO CONTINUALLY EVALUATING HOW WE CAN MAKE FOR THE ELEMENTS OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND THE PLANNING AND OPERATIONAL EFFORTS, THE ELEMENTS OF THOSE THAT WE CAN CONTROL BEING AS EFFECTIVE AS WE CAN, SO WE'LL,
[00:30:01]
WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE ROOM TO IMPROVE.UM, AND WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE FOCUSED ON THAT IN AS HUMBLE WAY AS POSSIBLE.
THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE REALIZE THE, UH, DIFFICULTY IN SETTING UP A SMALL CITY ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO REALLY PROVIDE THAT FOR THE NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
I THINK THE DASHBOARD IS GREAT BECAUSE I, I, LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, IT GIVES YOU THE ABILITY, AS YOU SAY ON THE COT COUNT TO ASSESS MORE DIRE NEEDS IN IN THIS POPULATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, DURING THESE TIMES WE GET SO MANY EMAILS AND SUCH, AND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WANT TO WAVE THE MAGIC WAND AND WAND AND GET EVERYONE INTO, INTO A SAFE PLACE.
BUT LIKE YOU SAY THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT ARE OUT THERE, IT'S NOT THAT EASY.
SO YOU ALL DID A GREAT JOB, UM, AND, AND JUST BE, I SAY, IN RESPONDING, NOT REACTING BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO RESPOND WHEN YOU REACT.
IT DOESN'T GO SO WELL SOMETIMES.
SO I THINK THE RESPONSE WAS GREAT.
UM, JUST, I KNOW WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF, UH, WE'VE GOT A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE, BUT ALSO A COUPLE OF STAFF MEMBERS.
BUT, UM, WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST, UH, I GUESS OVERALL, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE REALLY THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE? UM, THE, WHAT I, WHAT I JUST SAID, WE, WE CAN MAKE FACILITIES AVAILABLE.
WE CAN PROVIDE WARM ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FOLKS.
UM, WE CAN DO THAT ACROSS THE CITY.
WE CAN, WE CAN PROVIDE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS TO MOVE SOMEONE FROM EXPOSED CONDITIONS TO SHELTERED CONDITIONS, BREAKING THROUGH EFFECTIVELY WHATEVER IS, IS HAPPENING, UH, WITH A GIVEN INDIVIDUAL TO CONVINCE THEM THAT YOU CAN TRUST THE OFFER THAT WE'RE MAKING AND IT'S IN YOUR BEST INTEREST.
AND, AND HAVING THEM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
THAT'S, UM, THOSE ARE, THAT'S, THAT'S THE BIGGEST LIFE SAVING, UM, LIFE AND DEATH STAKES TYPE OF SITUATION THAT THAT WILL, THAT WILL BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE.
UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THAT WE MAKE, BUT, BUT CANDIDLY, THE, WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT TEAM THAT HAS REPS AND MUSCLE MEMORY DOING THIS, AND A DESIRE AND A WILLINGNESS TO IMPROVE AND BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE.
UM, SO WE IDENTIFY WAYS TO GET BETTER FROM INSTANCE, TO INSTANCE.
AND, AND WE'RE THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE FOLKS COMMITTED AND FOLLOW THROUGH ON MAKING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
NAOMI'S TEAM, FOR INSTANCE, I THINK ONE OF, ONE OF THE SMALL THINGS, BUT, BUT AN IMPROVEMENT THAT MATTERS A LOT, I THINK FOUND THAT, UM, REFINED A BIT.
THE APPROACH TO THE COT SURVEYS THAT WERE DONE ON A REGULAR BASIS IN FEBRUARY COMPARED TO, TO JANUARY.
THEY'RE STILL CONDUCTED IN JANUARY, BUT I THINK MADE SOME, SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THOSE THAT HELPED US GAIN BETTER INTELLIGENCE THAT WE CAN SHARE ABOUT SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, BOTH TO ENSURE THEY HAVE A BETTER, MORE STABLE, SAY, AS WELL AS IDENTIFY WAYS THAT WE OR OTHER NONPROFIT PARTNERS COULD FOLLOW UP AFTERWARDS.
UM, SO IT, WE'RE GONNA STAY MINDFUL OF THOSE, STAY VIGILANT ON LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES, BUT NOTHING, THOSE, THOSE CHALLENGES JUST DON'T COMPARE IN TERMS OF WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR PEOPLE COMPARED TO, UM, BEING AS PERSUASIVE AND EFFECTIVE AS WE CAN BE IN ESTABLISHING TRUST WITH FOLKS, UH, TO HAVE THEM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OFFER, UH, TO BE SAFE.
AND, UH, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT YOU ALL WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, UM, IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A BODY REMEMBER TO REITERATE THAT CHALLENGE, UM, BECAUSE IT'S ALL, IT'S EASY AT TIMES FOR OTHERS TO BECOME CRITICAL OF WHAT'S NOT HAPPENING WHEN THEY DON'T KNOW THE, THE, THE CHALLENGE.
I, I KNOW I PREACH THAT SERMON QUITE OFTEN, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU JUST CAN'T DO WHAT YOU CAN'T DO.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND CERTAINLY YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, COUNCIL, WELL, VICE MAYOR PRO TE PECK, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND, UM, CHRIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
FIRST, I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE BECAUSE, UM, THIS IS HARD WORK TO DO AND, UM, EVERY TIME YOU HAVE TO ACTIVATE IN ANY OF THESE SITUATIONS, UM, EVERYONE'S GETTING BETTER AND BETTER EACH TIME AT DEALING WITH THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND I THINK IN ALL THE TIME THAT I'VE WORKED AT THE CITY, UM, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN AS CONFIDENT AS I AM NOW FOR THE CITY TO DEAL WITH THESE DISASTERS.
I MEAN, EVERYONE IN LEADERSHIP FROM YOUR OFFICE TO, UM, OEM AND H-P-D-H-F-D,
[00:35:01]
I MEAN PUBLIC WORKS, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS, I REALLY THINK THAT EVERYONE IS VERY FOCUSED ON GETTING THIS RIGHT, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT.SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
UM, I KNOW WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK TO DO ON, UM, THE WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, GETTING, UM, OFFICIAL CITY OF HOUSTON THAT'S RIGHT.
WARMING CENTERS AND ALL OF THAT.
UM, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE TWO, UM, GENERATORS, WHICH I JUST HAVE TO SAY OUT LOUD EVERY TIME,
UM, BUT I'D BE SURPRISED IF YOU DIDN'T.
UM, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATED THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES THAT WE'VE HAD TO ACTIVATE, UM, THAT HAS BEEN SO CRUCIAL WORKING WITH THE YMCA AND ALL DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY HAD PLACES TO SEND PEOPLE THIS TIME.
THE ONLY CONCERN I HAD WAS THAT, UM, THE WEBSITE ON OEM THAT LISTS THE, UM, THE DIFFERENT PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO, IT WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO ON THE WEBSITE, IT JUST SHOWED THE OVERNIGHT SHELTERS AND YOU KIND OF HAD TO GO AT THE BOTTOM AND CLICK ON A FEW THINGS TO GET TO ALL OF THE OTHER PARTNERSHIP ONES.
AND SO I HAD TO WALK SEVERAL PEOPLE THROUGH THAT PROCESS A FEW TIMES TO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO CLICK HERE.
SO MAYBE JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT SAYS RIGHT WHEN YOU OPEN THE WEBSITE, CLICK HERE FOR OTHER LOCATIONS MIGHT BE HELPFUL, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK EVERYONE SAW THE REST OF THOSE WHEN THEY WENT ON THE WEBSITE.
BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE.
IF, IF I MAY, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, THERE, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN WE HAVE WEATHER LIKE THIS, THAT THERE ARE CRITICAL JOBS THAT EVERYONE PERFORMS. BUT, UH, IT'S IN THESE WEATHER EVENTS.
UM, FROM THE MAYOR'S PERSPECTIVE, FROM EVERYONE THAT'S SITTING BEFORE YOU RIGHT NOW, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME FOR US TO SHOW UP.
UM, WE DO NOT EXPECT THAT WE WILL BE PERFECT, BUT OUR EXPECTATION THAT SHARED BY THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE IN HERE AND REMAIN HERE IS THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE PROGRESS EVERY TIME.
UM, SO IT'S, UH, I THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT FOCUS.
THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING IT ON HOW, UM, HOW MUCH EMPHASIS IT REQUIRES AND HOW MUCH COMMITMENT IT REQUIRES, UM, TO JUST BE EXCELLENT AT IT.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THE SUPPORT THAT, THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED IN EACH ONE OF THESE INSTANCES FROM, UH, FROM AGENCIES THAT CANDIDLY COULD MAIL IT IN AND DO NOT NEED TO LEAN IN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH US, HAS BEEN GAME CHANGING.
WE MADE ONE CALL, UH, TO TDO AND TO TDOT ONE CALL ABOUT, UH, GETTING A CLEAR PATH FOR AMBULANCES INTO THE TMC DONE.
WE HAD SO MANY RESOURCES HERE FROM TDOT WORKING ON DOING THE BEST THEY CAN, GIVEN OUR UNFAMILIARITY WITH WHATEVER THAT STUFF IS CALLED THAT ISN'T RAIN, UM, TO, TO CLEAR, TO CLEAR OUR HIGHWAYS AND MAKE 'EM AS SAFE AS THEY CAN.
AND WE'RE SENDING MORE THE, THE, THE EVENING AFTER THE SNOW, THE, THE SNOW FELL, IT MELTED THAT EVENING AND, AND TURNED INTO ICE.
THEY WERE SENDING MORE RESOURCES OUR WAY, DOZENS OF, OF PIECES OF GEAR THAT WERE COMING IN HERE TO HELP US.
SO, UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT AND WE RELY ON A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS TO DO IT WELL, AND WE NEED TO KEEP IMPROVING AND WE WILL.
STAFF MEMBER FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMBER'S OFFICE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP TRANSPARENCY.
JUST AS VICE MAYOR PRO TEM SAID, WE ALSO BELIEVE, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE MORE SO NOW THAN EVER THAT WITH EACH EPISODE, WE WILL IMPROVE.
UH, YOU SEE US AS PARTNERS AND NOT, YOU KNOW, BLOCKING US OUT WITH, YOU KNOW, NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION.
YOU, UH, THERE'S CLEAR COMMUNICATION WITH, UM, WARMING CENTERS.
THERE'S CLEAR COMMUNICATION ON, UM, UPDATES FROM, UM, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF, UH, DAVID ABOUT, UM, EVENTS THAT ARE COMING UP.
UM, EVERY TIME THERE'S A WEATHER ON THE HORIZON THAT COULD BE EXTREME, WE GET AN EMAIL.
SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THAT.
UM, GOING BACK TO YOUR, UH, POINT ABOUT OUR HOUSELESS COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEMBER, PLUMMERS BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY HAS HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS DURING THOSE WEATHER EPISODES WITH THE HOUSELESS COMMUNITY AND HAS FOUND THE SAME ISSUE.
IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO GO TO A WARMING
[00:40:01]
CENTER WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT SHE'S TRIED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.SHE'S GONE OUT THERE, SHE'S, UH, TOLD THEM WHAT THIS WEATHER COULD DO POTENTIALLY TO THEM MM-HMM
SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT WE CAN DO IF THERE IS A STATE LAW OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING LOCALLY THAT WE CAN HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH, UM, SOME SORT OF MENTAL CASE EPISODE, IF WE CAN HELP THEM TO GET THEM TO THOSE CENTERS.
'CAUSE IT'S LIFE THREATENING FOR THEM AS WELL.
THE, THE, UH, THE MAYOR HAS HAD DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH STATE LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR NICHOLS, UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE.
OTHERS HAVE HAD DIRECT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE NEED.
AND, AND THERE ARE, UH, WAYNE YOUNG AT THE HARRIS CENTER, UH, FOLKS RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE CURRENTLY MM-HMM
TO BE ABLE TO INTERVENE IN WAYS THAT CAN BE EFFECTIVE FOR FOLKS THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, DON'T HAVE RATIONAL DECISION MAKING AVAILABLE TO THEM AT THAT MOMENT.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE TOOLS THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO HELP MORE, UM, AVAILABLE IN STATE LAW.
AND UNTIL WE DO, WE WILL, WE WILL EXPERIENCE THAT AS A CONSTRAINT AND IT WILL HOLD US BACK.
AND IT IS A, IT IS A, IT IS A NUANCED ISSUE.
UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT HAVING MORE CAPACITY IN SITUATIONS LIKE WE EXPERIENCED IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY TO BE ABLE TO, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EMERGENCY DETENTION ORDERS, TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE PEOPLE FROM UNSAFE CONDITIONS INTO SAFE ONES, NOT ONLY REMOVES THAT PERSONAL RISK THAT IS EXIGENT IN THAT MOMENT, BUT ALSO ALLOWS US TO POTENTIALLY PUT FOLKS ON A PATH THROUGH, UM, THROUGH COUNSELING INTERVENTIONS, THROUGH POTENTIAL MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN, CAN HELP MAKE OTHER FUTURE INTERVENTIONS MORE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
CERTAINLY IF IT WAS EASY, WE WOULDN'T HAVE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS AND GOOD WEATHER.
A STEPH FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE.
UM, AS, UH, CHAIR MENTIONED, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S, UNFORTUNATELY UNDER THE WEATHER DAY, SO SHE COULDN'T BE HERE.
BUT WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING Y'ALL DO.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AS YOU MENTIONED, WE GREATLY APPRECIATED THE WORK OF CITY STAFF, ESPECIALLY THOSE AT WEST GRAY WHO SET UP A CRITICAL RESOURCE FOR SO MANY.
I KNOW THE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS ON SITE FOR A LOT OF THE WEATHER MM-HMM
EVENTS, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL.
ONE QUESTION, UH, I HAD IN TERMS IN REFERENCE TO THE IMPROVEMENT PLAN, I THINK IT WAS ON SLIDE LIKE 11.
UH, JUST I KNOW THAT, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING ON THIS.
UH, HOW IS FEEDBACK BEING GATHERED FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS BOTH FOLLOWING ACTIVATIONS AND WEATHER EVENTS IN THE SHORT TERM, AS WELL AS JUST LONG TERM, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING SEEN? YEAH, I MAY ASK YOU TO GET MY BACK ON THIS TO MAKE SURE I GIVE A CONCLUSIVE ANSWER, BUT I, I MENTIONED THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH SEVERAL STEPS ALREADY, UM, TO DO THAT.
UH, WE HELD AN EVENT THAT I MENTIONED MY APPARENTLY REPEATED INCAPACITY TO NOT GET EMOTIONAL WHILE TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS, BUT, UH, WE HAD A, UM, WE HAD A BIT OF A, A WORKSHOP THAT INVOLVED ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RESPONSE AT THE, AT THE EOC.
UM, THAT WAS A MORE, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT I WOULD, WOULD DO WITH FORMER CLIENTS WHEN I WAS A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT ASKING FOR FEEDBACK SOLICITING FOLKS.
UH, THERE HAVE BEEN AS WELL FORMAL LIKE SURVEYS, GIVE US WRITTEN RESPONSES, MAKE SELECTIONS, PRIORITIZE, THAT TYPE OF THING.
UM, SO WHAT AM I LEAVING OUT OF THAT? YEAH, SO THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, SEVERAL ROUNDS OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED, UM, BESIDES, YOU KNOW, INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS THAT, THAT WE HAVE ALL THE TIME THAT I HAVE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, THE DEPARTMENT OF DIRECTORS, THEIR EXECUTIVE TEAMS. SO IT'S A MIX OF FORMAL STRUCTURED FEEDBACK AS WELL AS INFORMAL, MORE CONVERSATIONAL TYPE OF FEEDBACK.
UH, STEPH FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
AND I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SO FEEL FREE TO CUT ME OFF OR PUT ME BACK IN THE QUEUE IF YOU NEED TO.
UM, SO FIRST QUESTION IS SLIDE THREE, GENERAL FUND HIT OF 6.1 MILLION.
WAS ANY OF THAT PREVIOUSLY BUDGETED FOR IN OVERTIME OR, UH, NOT SPECIFICALLY.
EACH, EACH DEPARTMENT HAS AN ALLOCATION IN THE BUDGET OF OVERTIME THAT IS ESTIMATED BASED ON PAST
[00:45:01]
ACTIVATIONS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.BUT NO, THIS WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY BUDGETED FOR.
AND SO WHERE DID YOU FIND IT, OR WAS IT WITHIN EACH DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET? UH, THEY'VE CONSUMED PARTS OF THEIR OVERTIME EXPENDITURE BUDGET.
UM, WE, YOU WILL SEE THE IMPACT OF THIS WHEN WE PRESENT THE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ORDINANCE IN APRIL.
THE RECONCILIATIONS OF MOVEMENTS BETWEEN ACCOUNTS FROM GENERAL GOVERNMENT, FOR INSTANCE, OVER TO, UH, TO OVERTIME ACCOUNTS, PARTICULARLY IN, IN POLICE AND FIRE.
AND SO WOULD WE EXPECT FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR PROPOSALS THAT THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN, IN BUDGETED FOR DISASTER RELATED WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET OF, OF THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR? YEAH, WE, WE DO OUR BEST TO, TO RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE LIVED THROUGH EVENTS ON WHAT FREQUENCY, SO WE SHOULD PROJECT WHAT WE EXPECT TO HAPPEN IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
SO ON, UM, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, ANY DATA ON PERCENT UPTAKE IN A NEXT, A SERVICE REFERRAL OR RIGHT WHEN WE, WHEN SERVICE PROFESSIONALS WERE ENGAGING PEOPLE EXPERIENCING IT? NO, NOT, I, I DON'T HAVE THAT, UM, AVAILABLE.
UM, THE COALITION THE COALITION DOES, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU GENERALLY, THERE WERE, THERE WERE VERY FEW PEOPLE THAT WERE UNKNOWN TO THE, THE SERVICE AGENCY CONTINUUM OF CARE.
THERE WERE A FEW, UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO, TO CREATE ENTRIES FOR THOSE FOLKS AND UNDERSTAND A BIT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, BUT I'D NEED TO COME BACK TO YOU, LEAH, ON, ON WHAT POTENTIAL, UM, CONVERSIONS WERE.
NEXT QUESTION, UM, SLIDE EIGHT, ENGAGE A BROADER RANGE OF NON-PROFIT AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN, IN UPDATE OF MASS CARE RELATED PLANS.
CAN YOU, UM, EDUCATE ME, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF ANGELA BLANCHARD'S SHOP VERSUS THE ROLE OF OEM? I DON'T QUITE, YEAH.
VERY, VERY BROADLY SPEAKING, YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, AND THIS IS, THIS IS LESS REQUIRED IN, IN SITUATIONS LIKE WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING TODAY, BUT FIRST OF ALL, UM, WE HAVE THE WONDERFUL CIRCUMSTANCES TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WORKING FOR AND LEADING THE CITY.
AND WE HAVE, UH, A WORLD RENOWNED PERSON IN THE FORM OF, OF ANGELA THAT'S FOCUSED ON RECOVERY EFFORTS THAT ALSO KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT RESPONSE.
BUT BROADLY SPEAKING, IN TERMS OF FORMAL SCOPE, OEMS RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING CITYWIDE PREPARATION FOR AND RESPONSE TO A GIVEN THREAT OR DISASTER OR SOMETHING MORE LIKE WHAT WE EXPERIENCED IN ACTIVATION FOR A RESPONSE TO, UH, A GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCE IN THE CITY.
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE IS FOCUSED ON, AND ESPECIALLY WITH EVENTS LIKE THE RETRO AND BARREL, THIS IS FAR MORE RELEVANT, BUT THERE IS A HANDOFF, THERE'S A PIVOT POINT MOVING FROM IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THE EVENT TO RECOVERY FROM PLANNING FOR THAT HANDOFF, UH, MARSHALING THE RESOURCES FROM GOVERNMENT, NONPROFIT AND, UH, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO SUPPORT THE, THAT RECOVERY HANDS-ON CASE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, UNDERSTANDING WHO'S BEEN CLEARED BY WHOM, WHAT NEXT STEPS ARE REQUIRED.
UM, THAT'S THE PRIMARY, UM, DISTINCTION I THINK I WOULD MAKE BEYOND THE RESILIENCE PART OF, OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE BEING FOCUSED ON, AGAIN, AND, AND OEM PLAYS A CRITICAL, UH, A CRITICAL ROLE IN THIS AS WELL.
THINKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE BACKUP POWER SUPPLY AND THE TYPES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES THAT WE PROACTIVELY POSITION IN ANTICIPATION OF EVENTS.
SO THERE'S, THERE IS, THEY ARE NECESSARILY AND INTENTIONALLY COMPLIMENTARY IN NATURE WITH SOME, UH, WITH SOME DISTINCT RESPONSIBILITIES DEPENDING ON THE PHASE OF, OF THE EVENT THAT WE'RE IN.
AND, UM, WHAT ABOUT, OUR OFFICE HAS TALKED ABOUT DATA SHARE AGREEMENTS WITH SOME OF THE SERVICE PROVIDERS, RIGHT? SO IF SOMEBODY COMES UP TO A FOOD DISTRIBUTION OR A WARMING CENTER AND THEY CONSENT TO SHARE THEIR CONTACT INFO WITH THAT ORGANIZATION, THE CITY MAKING SOME AGREEMENTS SO THAT THE CITY CAN ALSO YEAH, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN ONGOING OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
ANY SUPPORT YOU WANT FROM US, WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE FROM THAT POINT.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION IS ON SLIDE 15.
SO THIS IS THE ONE WITH THE TREND LINES OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, POPULATIONS BY CENTER.
SO LOOKING AT THEM, RIGHT? SOME
[00:50:01]
OF THEM ARE IN HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF PEOPLE WITH HOMELESSNESS AREAS.AND IN THE NOT NEIGHBORHOODS WONDERING, DO WE HAVE A SENSE OR ANY DATA? IS IT JUST THAT PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO HEAT THEIR HOMES OR THEIR HOMES ARE CRAPPY STOCK? AND SO, SO, UM, CONTINUE, DON'T LET ME INTERRUPT.
JUST WONDERING, COULD THERE BE DIFFERENT REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE COMING FOR, FOR WARMING CENTERS? SO I'M, I'M GONNA INVITE ANYBODY TO COME UP AND FILL IN ANYTHING THAT I, THAT I DON'T CAPTURE APPROPRIATELY.
BUT I THINK, I THINK WHAT WE FOUND, PARTICULARLY WITH ENZO, WAS THERE, THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF NERVOUSNESS ACROSS THE CITY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UH, POWER AT THEIR HOMES WAS GOING TO TO BE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE EVENT.
SO THERE WERE, THERE WERE A BROAD NUMBER OF FOLKS ACROSS THE CITY THAT DECIDED, I'M NOT GONNA CHANCE IT.
I KNOW THAT THIS FACILITY IS AVAILABLE TO ME.
UM, FONDE, WEST GRAY, UM, A PORTION OF MOODY WAS, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS, BUT GENERALLY THAT WAS FOLKS THAT WERE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, THAT TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THOSE FACILITIES.
CAN I KEEP GOING OR YOU WANT ME TO ABOUT TWO, TWO MORE.
UM, SO SPEAKING OF POWER, RIGHT? WE GOT MAYBE LUCKY OR MAYBE THE GRID HELD AND IT'S GONNA HOLD, BUT THE GRID HELD THIS TIME, RIGHT? IF THE GRID HADN'T HELD, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION.
AND SO SOMETHING THAT WE HAD TALKED WITH OEM ABOUT IN THE FALL WAS NEEDING POTENTIALLY MORE, UM, POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION SITES THAT THAT COULD BE ACTIVATED.
WE DIDN'T NEED THEM THIS TIME, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND SO WONDERING, IS THAT STILL THE CASE THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO PREPARE MORE SITES? UH, AND THIS IS A PRACTICAL QUESTION IN THAT COUNCIL COULD HELP RECRUIT CHURCHES OR, OR OTHER SITES TO IF THEY FIT CRITERIA.
UM, AND, AND DELIBERATE PLANNING.
ASK MASON AGAIN TO INTERVENE IF I MISSPEAK ON THIS, BUT DELIBERATE PLANNING, AND THIS WAS OUTREACH WITH Y'ALL SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, ANY PREFERENCES THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN YOUR DIFFERENT AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT MIGHT BE BEST SUITED FOR WHICH PURPOSE, UH, WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
SO E ESPECIALLY LEADING INTO HURRICANE SEASON, WE SHOULD SEE A RATHER WELL-DEFINED, REFINED, UH, PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
UM, SO A LOT OF THE COMMS WERE, WERE GREAT, RIGHT? THE STAY INSIDE DURING THE SNOWSTORM MM-HMM
THAT WAS VERY CLEAR AND GREAT.
UM, WE'VE WONDERED HOW WIDE THE AWARENESS IS OF THINGS LIKE Z TRIPS, FOR EXAMPLE.
ANY CONSIDERATION TO DO LIKE A SURVEY, SOME KIND OF AWARENESS OF, I DUNNO HOW YOU'D FRAME IT TO NOT PLANT A MEMORY THAT WASN'T THERE, BUT TO TEST HOW WIDELY OUR RESIDENTS KNOW OF, OF DIFFERENT AVAILABILITY SERVICES.
YEAH, WE'D ABSOLUTELY CONSIDER THAT.
I THINK THAT THAT'S A CONCERN.
IT'S WHY YOU SEE US ALWAYS MAKING THE MAYOR ALWAYS MENTIONS IT IN HIS TALKING POINTS.
ZTRIP, EXPLICITLY, I THINK OUR MEDIA PARTNERS HAVE DONE A DECENT, UH, A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF REITERATING THAT.
IT'S LIKE ZTRIP HAS BECOME A VERB ALMOST, UM, DURING THESE ACTIVATIONS.
BUT IT IS, IT IS A HIGHLY HELPFUL CAPABILITY THAT WE HAVE.
AND THAT WE'VE, WE, WE DON'T JUST STOP AT THE CITY LIMITS WITH THAT ANYMORE, AND WE DON'T REALLY MAKE Z TRIPS AVAILABLE TO CITY FACILITIES.
YOU CAN GO TO, UH, A SHELTER IN AN UNINCORPORATED AREA UTILIZING ZTRIP.
WE NEED TO, IT'S A, IT'S A HECK OF A TOOL THAT WE HAVE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EXPENSE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, IT IS NOT A, A KEY DRIVER OF THE TOTAL EVENT EXPENSE.
UM, SO TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT AS BROADLY AS WE CAN AND MAKING SURE THAT MOST FOLKS ARE AWARE OF IT ONGOING, UM, ONGOING OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
I JUST SIDE NOTE, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU CONNECT WITH ANGELA BLANCHARD AND BE, OR HAVE YOU ATTENDED PART OF THOSE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS? YEAH.
'CAUSE A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION IS RELEVANT TO THAT DISCUSSION.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER REMA, UH, MARTINEZ'S OFFICE FOR WHAT YOU DID DURING THESE TWO OTHER INCIDENTS.
UH, WE, UH, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, WE WERE OUT THERE WITH HIM, HIS STAFF.
UH, AND THE MAGNOLIA MULTICENTER THIS YEAR PROBABLY HAD A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAT THEY WERE HELPING OUT DUE TO THE FACT OF THE HOMELESSNESS SITUATION THAT WE'RE NOW SEEING THERE IN THAT AREA DUE TO THE GREYHOUND STATION RELOCATION.
BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP THAT WE WERE GETTING A LOT OF CALLS ON WAS THE POLICY TO OPENING UP THE WARMING CENTERS.
IS THAT GOING TO CHANGE? IT'S STAYING THE SAME.
COULD YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL? WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DELIBERATELY REVIEWING THE, THE POLICY THAT'S BEEN EXISTENCE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OUR INTERPRETATION
[00:55:01]
OF, OF THAT.AND WE, WE INTERPRET EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT THAT IS A, THAT IS A FLOOR.
UM, AS FAR AS THE ADMINISTRATION IS CONCERNED.
WE ACTIVATED IN FEBRUARY, DESPITE NOT, NOT CROSSING THE THRESHOLDS ANTICIPATED IN THAT POLICY BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS LIKE DR.
PER, WHAT'S THE RISK LOOK LIKE? WHAT'S THE RISK OF HYPOTHERMIA, UM, ET CETERA.
SO WE TAKE IT, UM, WE, WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT IT, UM, WITH A MIND TO POLICY WORDS ON A PAGE, DO NOT OVERRIDE OUR ABILITY TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS, GIVEN THE BEST INFORMATION FROM THE, THAT WE HAVE FROM THE VERY TALENTED INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK HERE.
UM, IF WE WERE TO REVISE A GIVEN POLICY AND CIRCUMSTANCES DEMANDED THAT THE RISK PROFILE TO HOUSTONIANS REQUIRED A DIFFERENT RESPONSE THAN WHAT INK ON PAPER SAID WE SHOULD DO, WE WILL RESPOND AS EFFECTIVELY AS WE CAN TO THE RISK THAT'S CONFRONTING US.
UM, AND, BUT THAT, THAT SAID, YES, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT THE POLICY.
UM, SO AT, UH, THIS TIME WE HAD NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP AND, UM, ANY SIGNED UP TODAY WHO ARE ONSITE AND DIDN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP FOR QUESTIONS? NO.
WELL, THANK YOU, CHRIS, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
IT WAS VERY THOROUGH, AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE OUT THERE, UH, FOR YOUR PART.
LET'S GIVE THEM UN CROSS AND, AND GOOD INFORMATION FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE ARE, UM, OUT THERE AND, AND CAN MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS TO POSSIBLE OR FOR POSSIBLE COLLABORATIONS, BECAUSE COLLABORATION IS KEY.
AND LIKE YOU SAY, ONE PHONE CALL AND YOU JUST ASK AND IT GETS DONE.
BUT THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, PRESENTING TODAY.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU DO NEXT.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT TEMP FATE.
YEAH, LET'S NOT, WELL, WE'VE GOT A WAYS WE'VE GOTTA, YOU KNOW, LET'S ENJOY SPRING FOR NOW.
HOW ABOUT THAT? UM, WITH THAT, OUR NEXT MEETING IS APRIL 3RD, AND WITH THAT NOTE, WE STAND ADJOURN.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, CHRIS.