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ALCORN CHAIR OF THE BUDGET[Budget and Fiscal Affairs on June 3, 2025.]
AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.WE HAVE A BUSY SCHEDULE TODAY, AND HAPPY TO WELCOME MY VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO, ALSO, COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER.
COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM AMY PECK, MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX.
TATUM, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRED FLICKINGER.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS.
ALSO STAFF FROM DISTRICT G COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
AND I THINK THAT'S EVERYBODY HERE AT THE TIME.
AND WE WILL GET STARTED WITH THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT WITH WILL JONES SUBSTITUTING FOR, FOR CHRIS HOLLINS, DEPUTY CITY CONTROLLER.
AND, UM, AND MELISSA DEBOWSKI, FINANCE DIRECTOR, WILL THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
UM, MADAM CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, UM, TODAY I'M HERE TO PRESENT, UH, THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING IN APRIL.
SO IN THE GENERAL FUND, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 354 MILLION OR 13.7% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
UH, FOR FY 25, THIS IS 26.8 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
THE DIFFERE IS DUE TO A LOWER REVENUE PROJECTION THAN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 159.7 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES, UM, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
SO MOVING ON TO THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR REVENUE PROJECTION BY 17.3 MILLION FROM THE MARCH REPORT TO REFLECT HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED SALES TAX RECEIPT.
SO I DO WANNA SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON, ON OUR SALES TAX PROJECTION.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE GONE UP FROM EIGHT 86 MILLION TO NINE OH 3 MILLION.
AS A REMINDER, WHEN WE RAN OUR MODELS LAST YEAR, UH, WE RAN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
OUR CONSERVATIVE, UH, SCENARIO WAS EIGHT 86 MILLION, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAD INITIALLY.
UM, AND NOW WE'RE COMING UP TO OUR, UH, 903 MILLION, WHICH IS IN BETWEEN OUR BASE, WHICH WAS 920 MILLION.
UH, SO WE'RE STILL WITHIN THAT RANGE, UM, GOING UP TO NINE OH 3 MILLION.
SO MARCH SALES TAX RECEIPTS CAME IN ABOUT 7.3% HIGHER, UH, THAN THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR.
WE SHOULD BE GETTING THE APRIL RECEIPT SOON.
UH, SO IN ORDER TO HIT OUR 9 0 3, THE, THE REMAINING THREE MONTHS WOULD HAVE TO COME IN ROUGHLY FLAT.
SO WE'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT IN RAISING OUR PROJECTION TO THE 9 0 3.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WE DECIDED TO RAISE IT IS BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE BEST, UH, PROJECTION GOING INTO FY 26.
UH, SO NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR TRANSFER REPORT FOR 26, UM, OUR SALES TAX ACTUALLY DECREASED 1%, UH, FROM THE NINE OH THREES TO 8 91.
AND SO YOU MAY BE ASKING, WELL, WHY WOULD YOU RAISE YOUR SALES TAX PROJECTION JUST TO DROP IT IN FY 26? UM, AND SO THE REALITY IS THAT WE'RE OPERATING STILL IN A VERY VOLATILE ECONOMY.
SO THE GLOBAL TARIFF DYNAMIC CONTINUES TO CREATE UNCERTAINTY.
WHILE INFLATION MAY BE EASING, UM, CONSUMER CONFIDENCE STILL REMAINS SHAKY.
UM, AND ON TOP OF THAT, YOU KNOW, MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES REMAIN HIGH.
SO A LOT OF HOUSEHOLD DOLLARS ARE STILL GOING TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, PAYING THESE HIGH INTEREST RATES.
UH, AND SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY AWARE OF THE VOLATILITY THAT STILL EXISTS IN IN OUR ECONOMY.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER WE HAVE THE $26 MILLION, UM, AUDIT, UH, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WAITING, WORKING WITH THE STATE.
UM, DIRECTOR DUB MAY HAVE MORE ON THAT, THAT WE'LL HAVE TO PAY THAT BACK OVER THE NEXT THREE AND A HALF YEARS OR SO, AND THAT IMPACT
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IS ROUGHLY $7 MILLION PER YEAR.SO WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOUNT FOR, FOR ALL OF THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, GIVEN ALL THESE FACTORS IS CRITICAL THAT WE TAKE A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO OUR PROJECTIONS.
AND WHILE ALL, UH, RECOGNIZE THE ECONOMIC, UH, WELL, LET ME SAY THIS, UH, WE ALL ARE AWARE THAT THE WORLD CUP IS COMING, UH, TO HOUSTON, AND WE KNOW, UH, HOW WE KNOW THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT CAN HAVE.
UM, IT IS A BEST PRACTICE THAT WE NEVER TRY AND BUILD INTO OUR SALES TAX PROJECTION, WHAT WE THINK WE MAY RECEIVE FROM THE, UH, YOU KNOW, AN EVENT SUCH AS THE WORLD CUP.
IT'S SIMILAR TO, YOU KNOW, BUILDING IN LIKE A ONE-TIME LAND SALE.
IT, IT'S A ONE-TIME BOOM TO THE ECONOMY, AND WE DON'T WANT TO TRY AND USE THAT TO FUND RECURRING, UH, EXPENDITURES.
UM, SO, BUT WHAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR, UM, OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES, IT STATES THAT ANY EXCESS REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE ABOVE THE ADOPTED BUDGET SHOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE FUND BALANCE.
UM, WE, WE, WE ALL ARE AWARE TOO THAT WE JUST ENTERED HURRICANE SEASON.
UM, AND SO WE SHOULD ALL BE THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO BEEF UP OUR, UH, BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND.
UM, RIGHT NOW I THINK IT'S SITTING AT 14 MILLION, AND I KNOW THERE'S A PLAN TO REPAY THAT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT ANY EXCESS REVENUE THAT'S FLOWING INTO THE CITY, UH, THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND SHOULD BE AT THE TOP OF OUR MINDS.
UM, AND EVEN I JUST READ A STORY THIS MORNING WHERE THE HEAD OF FEMA, UH, MADE A COMMENT THAT, UH, HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE US HAD A HURRICANE SEASON, UM, JOKING OR NOT, UH, THAT SHOULD MAKE US ALL WORRIED.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, ASSISTING US IN OUR MOST CHALLENGING TIMES.
AND NOW IT'S NOT THE TIME TO JOKE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NOT KNOWING WE ARE IN A HURRICANE SEASON.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST SAID ALL THAT JUST TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE ALL ARE BEING PREPARED THAT YES, WE KNOW WE HAVE CHALLENGES, UH, WITH THE ECONOMY.
YES, WE KNOW HOUSTON IS GONNA BENEFIT FROM THE WORLD CUP, BUT WE NEED TO BE VERY, UH, VERY CAREFUL IN TRYING TO ANTICIPATE IT.
YOU KNOW, HOW, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE MAY BE GETTING AND HOW, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALLOCATE THAT AND LET THAT FLOW TO FUND BALANCE.
WE STILL, WE, WE KNOW WE STILL HAVE TO DRAW DOWN, I THINK NOW OVER 60, 62 MILLION, UH, FROM FUND BALANCE.
SO, UH, THERE'S STILL SOME THINGS WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH BEFORE WE START, YOU KNOW, MAKING PLANS ON HOW TO SPEND THAT MONEY.
UH, OKAY, SO THAT WAS THE REVENUE.
SO MOVING ON TO GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES, UH, WE'VE REDUCED OUR EXPENDITURES BY 92 MILLION FROM LAST MONTH'S REPORT, UH, FOR A LOWER CAPTURED REVENUE TRANSFER TO DEDICATED DRAINAGE STREET AND RENEWAL FUND.
THIS CHANGE STEMS FROM THE DRAINAGE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT THAT WAS APPROVED THIS PAST FRIDAY BY THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.
UM, SO YOU'LL ALSO SEE A CORRESPONDING DECREASE IN REVENUE REFLECTED IN, IN THE D-D-S-D-D-S-R-F VALOREM FUND.
UM, AND SO WE ARE PROJECTING NO CHANGES IN THE OTHER ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
UH, SO MOVING ON TO OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS.
UH, THE CITY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING DEBT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEBT AND VARIABLE RATE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH THE RATING AGENCY'S GUIDANCE OF 25% FROM TIMES IN TIME.
THE CITY ENTERPRISE CREDITS HAVE EXCEEDED THIS, THIS THRESHOLD ON AN INTERIM BASIS AS THEY HAVE UNDERTAKEN LARGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ON MAJOR EXPANSIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. JONES.
I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, AND COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ IS ONLINE AND HER STAFF MEMBER IS HERE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER STAFF IS ALSO ONLINE.
THIS IS THE 10 PLUS TWO FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING APRIL 30TH, 2025.
FISCAL YEAR 25 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON 10 MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND TWO MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS 68.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH.
TOUCHING ON SALES TAX PERFORMANCE.
THE SALES TAX RECEIPTS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH EARNED, UH, WERE 84, UH, 85.4 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 5.8 MILLION OR 7.3% HIGHER THAN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
AND 1.2 MILLION OR ABOUT 1.5% HIGHER THAN BUDGETED TO MEET THE CURRENT ESTIMATE FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF 893 MILLION.
THE REMAINING PERIODS NEED TO COME IN ABOUT 4.6% BELOW THE PRIOR YEAR.
UH, SO AS, UM, DEPUTY CONTROLLER JONES MENTIONED, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND, UH, MOST LIKELY ADJUST OUR, UH, SALES TAX ESTIMATE UPWARDS IN THE COMING MONTHS.
MOVING OVER TO THE EXPENDITURE SIDE FOR THE GENERAL FUND, THE EXPENDITURE PROJECTION IS 61.2 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH.
WE'RE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE TO BE 380.8 MILLION, WHICH REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE PRIOR MONTH AND REPRESENTS 14.7% OF EXPENDITURES
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LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.THAT FUND BALANCE IS 186 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT, UH, MAKING ANY CHANGES IN THE ENTERPRISE SPECIAL REVENUE OR, OR OTHER FUNDS EITHER IN THIS REPORT.
I DO WANNA ALSO WELCOME STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON'S OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
FIRST UP, UH, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
UM, DIRECTOR FIRST TO YOU, YOU SAID WE HAVE 186 MILLION ABOVE THE 7.5 IN FUND BALANCE.
SO OVERALL, TOTAL, JUST, WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? 300, SORRY, 380 MILLION FOR? THAT'S FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND, UM, WE HAD A CONVERSATION EARLIER, UH, 'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS, UH, BOTH ON THE MAYOR SIDE AND THE CONTROLLER SIDE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THE POTENTIAL FOR TAX INCREASES IN THE FUTURE.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE TIMING WITH ASSESSED VALUES AND WHEN THOSE COME IN, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHEN THE, SO WE'RE DOING ESTIMATES, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ESTIMATE AND WHEN THOSE AS ASSESSED VALUES COME IN MM-HMM
SO TYPICALLY, AND I GUESS THIS KIND OF GOES INTO THE FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, BUT, UM, TYPICALLY FOR THE, AT THE TIME WE PROPOSE AND ADOPT A BUDGET, WE USE THE, UM, PROP ONE, CAPPED AMOUNT OF REVENUE.
UM, WE DON'T YET KNOW WHAT THE STATE CAPPED AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX IS GOING TO BE UNTIL WE RECEIVE THE ROLE INFORMATION FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS, WHICH COMES BY LAW.
IT HAS TO COME BY THE END OF JULY.
UH, SO WE SET OUR BUDGET BASED ON OUR PROPOSITION ONE LIMITATION, UM, AND THEN WHEN WE RECEIVE THE INFORMATION FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS, UM, AS WE SAW LAST YEAR WHEN WE STARTED CALCULATING THE TAX RATE, WE MAY HAVE TO ADJUST OUR TAX RATE.
IF WE HAVE HIGH ASSESSED VALUE GROWTH, WE MAY HAVE TO ADJUST THE TAX RATE DOWN.
IF WE HAVE LOW ASSESSED VALUE GROWTH, IT COULD BE THAT, AS YOU SAW WITH LAST YEAR, WOULD'VE NECESSITATED AN INCREASE IN THE PROPERTY TAX RATE TO HIT THE PROP ONE CAPPED AMOUNT.
SO WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT ONCE WE GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS AT THE END OF JULY.
SO THERE'S A CHANCE AFTER WE PASS THE BUDGET, IT COULD, WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE UP OR DOWN, UM, ON THE TAX RATE.
AND DOES THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT? YEAH, SO, UH, WELL, I DO AGREE THAT WE, WE WON'T HAVE THE FINAL ROLE UNTIL, YOU KNOW, JULY.
UM, LOOKING AT THE PRELIMINARY ROLE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY A, I WANNA SAY ABOUT A 1.9%, UH, INCREASE.
UH, AND WHEN YOU LOOK BACK A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE WERE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE DIGITS.
AND SO THE ISSUE WE HAD THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR WAS THAT THE GROWTH WAS ONLY ABOUT ONE ONE TO 2%.
AND SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR, UH, THE REVENUE CAP, WE WOULD'VE HAD TO INCREASE, YOU KNOW, THE TAX RATE TO REACH THAT.
AND SO AS A RESULT, WE LOST LIKE 46 MILLION.
AND SO LOOKING AT THE PRELIMINARY, AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE FINAL, SO WE WILL KNOW FOR SURE.
UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S REASONABLE TO SAY UNLESS THERE'S A BIG CHANGE IN THE FINAL ROLE THAT WE MAY BE LOOKING AT A SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE OUR REVENUE CAP, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE TO RAISE THE TAX RATE TO REACH THAT CAP.
UM, AND AGAIN, EVEN WITH, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE DID THE PROPOSED BUDGET AFTER THE RED LINES, UH, THAT THE CAP AMOUNT INCREASED BY ANOTHER 40 MILLION.
SO IF WE WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, 5.7% INCREASE WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO NOW ABOUT 8.9%, UH, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, THE POPULATION CAME IN, I THINK HIGHER THAN ANYONE EXPECTED.
SO THAT INCREASED OUR, OUR OUR REVENUE CAP.
SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IT IN COMPARISON TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE FACED LAST YEAR, IT IS REASONABLE TO THINK THAT THERE'S A, A, A STRONG POSSIBILITY WE MAY HAVE TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE IN ORDER TO, TO MEET THAT BIG OF A, A JUMP LOOKING AT AN 8.9% GROWTH.
AND I'M ALMOST OUT OF TIME, BUT GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
YEAH, JUST ON A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, WHEN THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS GIVE US A PRELIMINARY VIEW OF WHAT THEY THINK THE APPRAISED VALUE WILL BE, UM, LAST YEAR WHEN THEY GAVE US THE PRELIMINARY VIEW, THEY SAID WE WERE GONNA HAVE ABOUT A 0% GROWTH.
WHEN THE ROLE ACTUALLY CAME, THE GROWTH WAS CLOSER TO 3%.
SO I THINK THEY TRY TO BE CONSERVATIVE WHAT THEY TELL US IN THE SPRING.
SO NOW THEY'RE TELLING US, WELL, WE ASSUME YOUR GROWTH IS GONNA BE AROUND 2%.
SO I THINK IT'S, I DON'T WANNA ASSUME MUCH, BUT I THINK IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE THEIR PATTERN OF BEING CONSERVATIVE ON THAT PROJECTION.
AND I MEAN, THIS IS A MUCH BROADER CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK, THINK IT DOES BEG THE QUESTION.
'CAUSE WE'RE KIND OF, WE'RE GUESSING AT CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT THE TIMING OF WHEN OUR FISCAL YEAR, UH, STARTS COMPARED TO WHEN WE ACTUALLY GET THOSE
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NUMBERS.AND I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION FOR THE FUTURE, UH, REALLY QUICKLY.
AND I, I WANNA WELCOME BACK HOME.
OUR ENTIRE GR TEAM, UH, FROM AUSTIN.
UH, JOSH, THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE TEAM.
AGAIN, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE, YOU'RE SITTING UPRIGHT AT THE MOMENT.
UM, THERE WAS A BILL THAT PASSED YESTERDAY, UM, RELATED TO DISTRICT JUDGES PAY INCREASES AND
UM, I HAVE INQUIRED WITH LEGAL, BUT IS IF THERE IS A DETERMINATION, UM, ABOUT THAT PAY, DOES THAT SHIFT FY 26 PROJECTIONS AT ALL? AND AGAIN, I, I DON'T THINK CITY LEGAL IS HERE, BUT I ASKED THAT BECAUSE THIS JUST HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
UH, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE, AWARE OF ANY ADDITIONAL IMPLICATIONS, UH, HEADING INTO FY 26, I WOULD HAVE TO CONSULT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
WHILE WE'RE SPEAKING OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE, COULD BOTH OF YOU GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON HOUSE BILL 26 88 HAVING TO DO WITH THE DROP PROGRAM AND HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT THE CITY'S FINANCES? MM-HMM
DO YOU WANNA, WELL, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE MUCH, 'CAUSE I, I'M, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI ON THAT, TRYING TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT I UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT.
I'M, I'M WAITING TO SEE, UM, THE ACTUARIAL REPORT, UH, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE CHANGES MEAN, UH, TO THE, THE OUTSTANDING LIABILITY.
UM, READING THE BILL, JUST, IT IS DIFFICULT TO, TO DECIPHER, YOU KNOW, IF WE CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THIS AGE OR THIS THING, WHAT, WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO TO THE, UM, TO THE OUTSTANDING LIABILITY.
SO, UM, I, I KNOW, UH, IN MY CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI, OUR ACTUARIES, WERE RUNNING THAT ANALYSIS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I AM WITH IT.
DIRECTOR, ANYTHING TO ADD? SURE.
UM, SO THE VERSION OF THE BUILD, THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT FOR BOTH POLICE AND FIRE WOULD EXPAND DROP ELIGIBILITY FOR, UM, POLICE OFFICERS HIRED AFTER 2004 AND FIREFIGHTERS HAVE HIRED AFTER 2017.
SO THOSE ARE THE GROUPS, UM, IN POLICE AND FIRE THAT DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ACCESS TO DROP.
UH, THE DROP THAT THEY WILL HAVE ACCESS TO UNDER THIS LEGISLATION IS NOT THE DROP OF OLD, NOT THE PRE 2017 PENSION REFORM DROP.
UM, IT IS THE SAME VERSION OF DROP THAT WAS CHANGED AND, UM, UH, MADE MORE AFFORDABLE, UH, BASED ON THE REFORMS IN 2017.
SO THE, THE BILL ALSO DOESN'T TOUCH THE CORRIDOR, THE COST CORRIDOR MECHANISM, WHICH IS THE, I WOULD SAY THE KEY COMPONENT OF THE PENSION REFORM LEGISLATION, UH, WHICH IS THE, IT'S THE, THE COST CORRIDOR MECHANISM BASICALLY SETS LIMITATIONS ON HOW MUCH THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION RATE, UH, CAN, UH, HAS TO STAY WITHIN THIS CORRIDOR SO THAT EVEN IF THERE ARE INVESTMENT LOSSES OR, UM, CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS DON'T EXACTLY, UH, REALITY DOESN'T EXACTLY MATCH ASSUMPTIONS, THE CORRIDOR STILL FUNCTIONS TO CONTROL THE CITY'S COST.
UM, SO THAT'S STILL PART OF STATE LAW THAT'S NOT CHANGING WITH THIS BILL.
UM, AND SO, UM, OUR CITY ACTUARY, YOU KNOW, THINGS MOVED QUICKLY AT THE LEGISLATURE.
OUR CITY ACTUARY, UM, HAD BEEN, OF COURSE WE HAD BEEN AS WELL TRACKING THE LEGISLATION AS IT, AS IT MOVED THROUGH AND CHANGED THE LEGISLATION CHANGED QUITE A BIT, UM, FOR BOTH THE POLICE AND THE FIRE PLAN, UH, THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO THE ACTUARY IS WORKING ON FINALIZING THE REPORT, COSTING IT OUT.
UH, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE, AND I TALKED TO THE ACTUARY JUST THIS MORNING AS WELL, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, EITHER AN INCREASED UNFUNDED LIABILITY FOR THE CITY, NOR DO WE EXPECT AN INCREASED BUDGETARY IMPACT TO THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE CORRIDOR MECHANISM WORKS.
AND ACTUALLY THE WAY THE DROP PROGRAM IS NOW, UM, IT'S ACTUARILY NEUTRAL.
UM, BASICALLY THE WAY IT WORKS NOW IS THAT WHEN AN EMPLOYEE ELECTS TO ENTER, DROP UPON THEIR ELIGIBILITY AGE, UM, OR YEARS OF SERVICE, SORRY, UM, ONCE THEY ELECT DROP, THE PENSION CHECK THAT THEY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IS WHAT GOES INTO THE DROP ACCOUNT.
SO THE MEMBER'S CONTRIBUTIONS DON'T GO INTO THE DROP ACCOUNT, IT GOES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PLAN.
THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE MEMBER DOES NOT GO INTO THEIR DROP ACCOUNT.
IT GOES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PLAN.
SO WHAT THE DROP ACCOUNT DOES IS BASICALLY TAKES WHATEVER THEIR PENSION CHECK WOULD'VE BEEN, PUTS IT INTO THEIR DROP ACCOUNT, THE PENSION SYSTEM INVESTS, IT HAS INTEREST EARNINGS, AND THE INDIVIDUAL DROP ACCOUNTS GET TO KEEP 65% OF THOSE INVESTMENT EARNINGS.
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TO KEEP 35% OF THE INTEREST EARNINGS.SO THAT'S WHY FROM FROM THAT INTEREST EARNINGS OR INVESTMENT EARNINGS, YOU SAID BOTH? WELL, I GUESS IT'S BOTH.
INVESTMENT EARNINGS, BASICALLY.
UM, SO WHEN THE PENSION PLAN THEN GETS THOSE, UM, THOSE INTEREST EARNINGS OR THOSE INVESTMENT EARNINGS, UM, THE PENSION PLAN ITSELF IS KEEPING 35% OF THE INVESTMENT EARNINGS.
THEY CALL IT THE DROP INTEREST CREDIT RATE.
UM, SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT, THAT'S WHY THE DROP AS REFORMED IN THE 2017 REFORMS IS A COST NEUTRAL PLAN.
DID THE DROP REFORMS IN 2017 DO THAT COST SHARE THING AS WELL? YES.
THAT MIRRORS THAT, WHAT WAS DONE.
THE 65% DROP INTEREST CREDIT RATE WAS PART OF THE 2017 REFORM.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IF YOU'RE OPENING IT UP AGAIN, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD IMPACT THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY, BUT I'D HAVE TO, I GUESS YOU, YOU'LL, THAT'LL ALL BE BORNE OUT IN WHAT THE ACTUARY COMES UP WITH.
YOU'LL SEE THE ACTUARIAL REPORT.
SO AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT, AND I, LIKE I SAID, I TALKED TO HIM AGAIN TODAY.
UM, THE ACTUARIES, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY RUN EVERYTHING THROUGH THEIR SOFTWARE.
THEY, THEY CHECK IT, THEY HAVE ANOTHER INDEPENDENT CHECK OF IT.
AND SO THEY'RE IN THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
SO ONCE IT'S FINALIZED, WE'LL ABSOLUTELY SHARE IT.
WELL, EVERYBODY MUST BE ANTICIPATING BIG BUDGET DAY TOMORROW, SO, 'CAUSE I SEE, I KNOW OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, OH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT WORD SALES TAX FOR THE MOST RECENT MONTH WAS UP QUITE A BIT.
ANY SPECIAL EVENT THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THAT OR, UM, IT WAS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH EARNED.
WE DO, YOU KNOW, WE DO FREQUENTLY SEE A PRETTY, UM, A HIGH MONTH IN MARCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO, OH, WE DO HAVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT, WHICH I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND HANDLE.
FIRST UP IS DOMINIC MAZO HERE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
I'M IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER STARTING START THE CLOCK.
ABBY, YOU SPREAD UP SOMETHING.
I THINK THE HORSESHOE HAS TO LOOK AT MOST FINANCIAL OR MOST PLACES THAT HAVE A FISCAL YEAR USUALLY HAVE THEIR FISCAL YEAR STARTING ON THE OCTOBER ONE.
SOME OTHERS, LIKE, UH, HOUSTON, GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL IS, IS SIMILAR TO, TO THE REGULAR CALENDAR.
AND I THINK WITH THAT GOING FORWARD, IF YOU WOULD START EVEN IN OCTOBER OR NEW YEAR'S, IS THAT AGAIN, UH, NOT ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A BUDGET BASED ON THE PREVIOUS YEAR IS, IS THERE, UH, METRO AND TWO, I'M GONNA, I WISH CHRIS WAS HERE, HE WAS A METRO DIRECTOR AND MAYBE THIS IS, MAYBE HE CAN HELP DIRECT COUNSELING.
AND IF YOU WANT TO MOVE THE START OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR TO OCTOBER METRO STARTS ON OCTOBER THE FIRST AND SIX MONTHS OUT, USUALLY THE FIRST FINANCIAL COMMITTEE MEETING OF METRO, THEY ARE ALREADY PLANNING THE BUDGET.
THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE BUDGET PROCESSES SIX MONTHS OUT.
AND I THINK IF THE CITY WOULD GO TO IT, MAYBE AN OCTOBER DATE, UH, UH, YOU, AGAIN, YOU COULD START IT RIGHT AFTER EASTER TO START THE PROCESSES OF, OF THE BUDGET.
AND I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE IT'S LESS RUSHED, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU GOT THE BUDGET TOMORROW AND IF IT GETS TABLED IT'S NEXT WEEK AND THEN ALL, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALMOST JUTTING AGAINST JULY THE FIRST.
SO I REALLY THINK, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
MAYBE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A CHANGE THE CHARTER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S IN, IN THE, IN THE CITY CHARTER, BUT MAYBE HAVE A FINANCIAL ONE QUARTER WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S BY ITSELF AND THEN THE CITY STARTS ITS BUDGET ON OCTOBER THE FIRST, AND THEN YOU'D BE ALIGNED WITH MO WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND SECOND OF ALL, I'M STILL GOING TO, STILL GONNA SAY, WELL, I'VE SAID I, I THINK THIS GROUP NEEDS TO LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY YOU HAVE POOLED CARS.
I THINK YOU MIGHT WANT CONSIDER IT POOLED BICYCLES AND TRICYCLES.
MAYBE THERE'S SOME PLACES, YOU KNOW, IF THE WEATHER ISN'T SO HOT AND YOU GOTTA GO OVER TO THE PERMIT CENTER, UH, YOU CAN SAY A BICYCLE OR A UH, UH, A BIKE AND TWO POOLED CUE CARTS.
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I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS IN, IN DOWNTOWN OR, OR THAT YOU COULD CONCEIVABLY STAFF COULD USE METRO TO GET TO.AND WITH METRO, IF YOU RIDE 50 50 RIDES, YOU GET 10 FREE.
SO IT'S LESS THAN A DOLLAR 25 A RIGHT.
AND MAYBE WITH WORKING WITH THE, UH, BOARD, MAYBE THE CITY CAN EVEN GET A REDUCED RATE FOR THAT.
I KNOW METRO'S ON FOR PEOPLE COMING TO WORK, THEY COULD GET A DISCOUNT.
BUT I THINK AS PART OF THIS BEING, UH, YOU KNOW, FINANCIALLY CONSERVATIVE AND PROMOTING TRANSIT IS TO PROMOTE C CARS AS PART OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS.
ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
I DO THINK IT'S IN THE CHARTER OUR YEAR.
I THINK WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT BEFORE AND THERE'S SOME COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
WE DO PROVIDE METRO PASSES, BUT, UM, ALWAYS GOOD, INTERESTING IDEAS.
NEXT I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE MOER.
THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT IS FELA MCCLASKEY AND SHE IS VIRTUAL.
WE DON'T SEE HER ONLINE, SO WE WILL MOVE AHEAD TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THIS IS THE BUDGET SURVEY FINDINGS, THE YEAR 2 CENTS BUDGET SURVEY FINDINGS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 44TH KINDER HOUSTON AREA SURVEY AND COLLEAGUES.
I AM SO DELIGHTED TO WELCOME KINDER INSTITUTE, HOUSTON POPULATION RESEARCH CENTER DIRECTOR DANIEL POTTER, THAT'S QUITE A TITLE AND KINDER RESEARCH ANALYST.
ARE Y'ALL RELATED?
I READ IT AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, MAYBE THEY'RE MARRIED.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE DONE THIS, UM, THIS BUDGET SURVEY FOR FIVE YEARS AND IT WAS GETTING PRETTY STALE.
SO I CALLED THE KINDER INSTITUTE WHO ARE THE, YOU KNOW, GURUS OF ALL THINGS SURVEY.
AND THEY SO GENEROUSLY OFFERED TO DO THIS, YOU KNOW, PRO BONO FOR THE CITY TO, TO MAKE THIS SURVEY A LOT BETTER.
AND WE FED THEM LOTS OF IDEAS AND THEY MADE IT INTO THE REAL SCIENTIFIC SURVEY WAY.
IT WASN'T SCIENTIFICALLY DISTRIBUTED OR POLLED.
I'LL BE CAREFUL TO SAY IT WAS BASICALLY WHOEVER PICKED IT UP OR WHATEVER MEETING I WAS WHERE I WAS OR, AND, AND DISTRIBUTED IT.
BUT THEY DID GET ABOUT 1200 RESPONSES AND I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR IMPROVING THE SURVEY.
I HAD A GREAT TIME READING THROUGH THE COMMENTS, UM, THAT WHEN PEOPLE RELIEVED COMMENTS, THERE WERE SOME GREAT IDEAS IN THERE AND, AND ALSO JUST FOR, JUST FOR MAKING IT MORE PROFESSIONAL AND, AND PUTTING SO MUCH TIME INTO IT, THEY WOULD SEND ME UPDATES ON IT IN A NICE POWERPOINT LIKE THIS.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
TO SHARE ABOUT, UH, AS, UH, WAS MENTIONED, THE RESULTS OF THE YOUR 2 CENT BUDGET SURVEY AS WELL AS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE KINDER INSTITUTE'S 44TH ANNUAL KINDER HOUSTON AREA SURVEY.
UM, REALLY QUICK OVERVIEW, THE KINDER INSTITUTE IS A RESEARCH CENTER AT RICE UNIVERSITY WHERE WE ARE LOOKING TO IMPROVE LIVES THROUGH DATA, RESEARCH, ENGAGEMENT, AND ACTION.
I WAS, WHO DO I SIGNAL FOR SLIDE CHANGES? AWESOME.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A VISION OF INCLUSIVE PROSPERITY.
HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE MOST PROSPEROUS AREAS IN THE COUNTRY, BUT THAT PROSPERITY IS NOT SHARED BY ALL.
HOW DO WE HAVE A FUTURE HOUSTON THAT CONTINUES TO CELEBRATE IN ITS PROSPERITY BUT ALSO SHARING IT WITH OTHERS? NEXT SLIDE.
UH, AT THE KIDDER INSTITUTE, WE WORK, WE DO THAT WORK THROUGH FIVE DIFFERENT RESEARCH CENTERS FOCUSED ON POPULATION EDUCATION, HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS, ECONOMIC MOBILITY, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
THE REASON WE DO THIS THROUGH FIVE FOR RESEARCH CENTERS IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SYSTEMIC STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES THAT OUR CITY FACES.
YOU CANNOT DO THAT STUDYING ONE THING AT A TIME.
YOU NEED TO DO THAT STUDYING MULTIPLE THINGS AT A TIME.
AND THAT IS WHERE THAT CROSS-CUTTING ARROW COMES IN HANDY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE OUR RESEARCH IS CUTTING ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS SO THAT WE'RE TA TACKLING SOME OF THOSE SYSTEMIC AND STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES.
AND SO, UH, FOR THIS, MY COLLEAGUE LAUREN DAWSON WILL BE SHARING OUT ABOUT THE YOUR 2 CENTS BUDGET SURVEY, AND THEN I WILL BE GOING OVER THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SURVEY.
SO AS MENTIONED, WE RECEIVED ABOUT 1200 RESPONSES TO THE SURVEY.
THE SURVEY WAS IN THE FIELD BETWEEN ABOUT APRIL 16TH AND MAY 30TH.
UM, IT WAS A CONVENIENT SAMPLE OF CITY RESIDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS OPEN ACCESS SURVEY, AND IT FOCUSED ON PREFERENCES FOR CITY SPENDING IN THREE PRIMARY AREAS.
SO THE FIRST BUCKET WAS MAJOR CITY PROVIDED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
SECOND WAS, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, AND THE THIRD WAS CITY FUNDED COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
AND THEN RESIDENTS WERE ALSO ASKED ABOUT THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT, UH, INCREASED TAXES AND OR FEES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE DIFFERENT CITY SERVICES.
SO WE'RE FIRST GONNA LOOK AT THOSE MAJOR
[00:30:01]
CITY PROVIDED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.WE ASKED ABOUT, UH, 13 CATEGORIES OF SERVICES, EVERYTHING FROM ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS AND ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO, UH, POLICE AND FIRE AND, UH, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND THEY WERE ASKED WHETHER THEY WANTED TO INCREASE SPENDING, UH, KEEP SPENDING THE SAME OR DECREASE SPENDING FOR EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, SO THE TOP FIVE CITY PROVIDED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT RECEIVED THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR INCREASED SPENDING WERE INFRASTRUCTURE ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD ENFORCEMENT, AND HOUSTON POLICE.
UH, THOSE FIRST TWO, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS WERE THE ONLY TWO CATEGORIES THAT RECEIVED A MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR INCREASED SPENDING.
UM, ABOUT NINE IN 10 RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WANTED MORE SPENDING ON INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ABOUT SIX IN 10 WANTED MORE SPENDING ON, UM, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
SO, UM, FOR CITY PROVIDED PROGRAMS AND, UM, SERVICES, WHICH WAS THE, UH, NEXT CATEGORY THAT WE ASKED ABOUT, UM, WE GAVE PEOPLE, I BELIEVE IT WAS NINE CATEGORIES, AND, UM, ASKED IF THEY WANTED TO INCREASE SPENDING, DECREASE SPENDING, KEEP IT THE SAME.
UM, THE CATEGORIES WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR DECREASED SPENDING WERE HOUSING, ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND LIBRARY SERVICES, SORRY, IT WAS STILL 13, NOT NINE.
UM, BUT WITH THOSE THREE CATEGORIES, NONE OF THEM, UM, HAD MORE PEOPLE WHO SAID, I WANNA SPEND LESS ON THIS THAN THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO SAID, I WANNA SPEND MORE.
YEAH, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
AS CO COLLEAGUES, IT'S STILL PEOPLE, IT'S WANTING PEOPLE, PEOPLE WANT TO SPEND MORE AND OR THE SPEND THE SAME ON THESE CATEGORIES.
IT WAS JUST A HIGHER, THAT LIGHT BLUE CATEGORY, IT WAS JUST A HIGHER PERCENTAGE THAN OTHER SERVICES OF PEOPLE THAT SAID LESS SPENDING.
SO THE LARGEST, UH, PERCENT OF, FOR ANY OF THE CATEGORIES, THE LARGEST PERCENT THAT SAID, I WANNA SPEND LESS ON THIS, IT WAS HOUSING, BUT IT WAS ONLY 23%.
SO I WANNA SPEND LESS STILL A LOWER.
COMPARED TO WAY LOWER PERCENTAGE, 38% ACTUALLY SAID, I WANNA SPEND MORE ON HOUSING.
UM, SO NEARLY FOUR IN 10, UH, RESPONDENTS SAID THAT THE CITY SHOULD SPEND MORE ON HOUSING.
ANOTHER ONE IN FOUR SAID, UM, THAT THE CITY SHOULD SPEND LESS ON LIBRARY SERVICES.
IT WAS SIMILAR, UM, BUT STILL MORE PEOPLE SAID, ACTUALLY, SPEND MORE ON THIS THAN SPEND LESS.
UM, SO FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, UH, WE ASKED ABOUT NINE CATEGORIES, AND FOR THIS ONE, WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM THE OPTION OF SPEND LESS.
WE BASICALLY PRESENTED IT AS IF THE CITY WERE TO SPEND MORE ON PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, OUT OF THESE NINE CATEGORIES, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO DO? SPEND THE SAME, SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE, OR SPEND A LOT MORE.
UM, SO THAT'S EVERYTHING FROM CRIME BASED OR, UH, COMMUNITY BASED CRIME PREVENTION, EMS SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH, CRISIS INTERVENTION, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, ET CETERA.
SO OF THOSE NINE, THERE WERE FIVE SERVICE CATEGORIES THAT RECEIVED MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR INCREASED SPENDING RATHER THAN KEEPING SPENDING THE SAME.
UM, SO POLICE, PATROL AND POLICE INVESTIGATIONS FOR BOTH OF THOSE.
UM, ABOUT SEVEN IN 10 RESPONDENTS SAID, SPEND EITHER A LITTLE BIT MORE OR A LOT MORE.
UM, AND THEN SAME FOR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS INTERVENTION, ABOUT SEVEN IN 10 SAID SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE OR A LOT MORE.
UM, FOR, UH, THE FIRST TWO, IT WAS ABOUT FOUR IN 10, WANTED IT TO BE A LOT MORE.
AND THEN FOR MENTAL HEALTH, UH, CRISIS INTERVENTION, IT WAS ABOUT THREE IN 10.
UM, SO THAT LAST CATEGORY THAT WE ASKED ABOUT WAS CITY FUNDED, UH, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
SO THIS IS THINGS LIKE ARTS AND CULTURE, BIKE LANES, UH, WALKING TRAILS, YOUTH AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. AND THEY WERE ASKED SIMILAR TO THAT FIRST BUCKET OF QUESTIONS, UH, WHETHER THEY, THEY WANTED TO SEE THE CITY SPEND MORE, SPEND THE SAME OR SPEND LESS IN THE NE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THERE WERE EIGHT CATEGORIES, GO AHEAD.
UM, SO WITH THIS ONE ABOUT, UH, FIVE IN 10 RESPONDENTS WANT THE CITY TO SPEND MORE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION SERVICES AND ALSO ON SIDEWALKS.
SO THOSE WERE THE TWO BIGGEST CATEGORIES.
UM, AND THEN ABOUT FOUR IN 10, WANNA SEE THE CITY SPEND MORE ON YOUTH AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, UH, AND ON WALKING TRAILS.
SO THOSE WERE THE FOUR CATEGORIES THAT HAD THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF, UH, SUPPORT FOR INCREASED SPENDING.
AND THE NEXT, AND THEN LASTLY, WE ASKED ABOUT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD SUPPORT INCREASING FEES OR TAXES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE SERVICES, UM, FOR INCREASING TAXES AND FEES TO IMPROVE ESSENTIAL CITY SERVICES.
UM, AND THAT WAS 46% WHO SAID YES OUTRIGHT.
AND ANOTHER 21% SAID YES ONLY FOR SPECIFIC SERVICES.
[00:35:01]
ABOUT A GARBAGE FEE.UM, AND SO FOR RESIDENTS WHO THAT, UH, GARBAGE FEE WOULD APPLY TO AMONG THOSE RESIDENTS, UM, 66% SAID THAT THEY WOULD SUPPORT, UH, AT LEAST A $10 A FEE FEE OR MORE UP, UP TO A $10 FEE OR MORE.
UM, AND THAT WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO A $40 A MONTH FEE, AND THERE WAS 7% WHO SUPPORTED THAT ONE.
THAT'S SUCH GREAT INFORMATION FOR US TO HAVE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, LAUREN, YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
YOU WERE IN CONTACT WITH US ALL THE TIME.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH THIS HELPS ME AND ALL OF US AROUND THE, THE HORSESHOE TO, TO GET A, A SAMPLING.
I, UM, WELL, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE.
I KNOW MANY OF US WERE AT THE LUNCHEON WHERE WE HAVE HEARD THE BIG KINDER INSTITUTE, INSTITUTE HOUSTON AREA SURVEY, WHICH IS SUCH A TREAT EVERY YEAR.
I LEARNED SO MUCH AT THAT LUNCHEON AND THROUGH YOUR REPORT.
SO DAN, THANKS FOR ALL YOUR GOOD WORK ON THAT.
AND WE ARE OBVIOUSLY GIVING YOU MORE INFORMATION THAN YOU CAN DIGEST RIGHT NOW, BUT PART OF THIS IS, LET'S GIVE IT TO YOU.
YOU HAVE THE SLIDE, YOU CAN PICK 'EM UP LATER IF YOU'RE SO INCLINED.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR FOLLOW UP.
SO WITH THIS YEAR'S 44TH ANNUAL KINDER HOUSTON AREA SURVEY NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THIS IS THE LONGEST RUNNING SURVEY OF ITS KIND IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
THIS IS ALSO THIS YEAR, THE LARGEST ADMINISTRATION WE HAVE EVER DONE OF THIS SURVEY.
WE HEARD FROM OVER 9,800 RESPONDENTS ACROSS THREE DIFFERENT COUNTIES, FORT BEND, HARRIS, AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES, NEARLY 5,000 RESIDENTS IN HARRIS COUNTY ALONE, 2,500 IN FORT BEND, AND THEN 2300 DOWN IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THIS YEAR'S SURVEY THAT WE WANTED TO CALL ATTENTION TO WAS HOUSTON.
AND UNLIKE MOST OTHER MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE COUNTRY, IS GROWING.
WE HAVE ADDED 1.5 MILLION RESIDENTS SINCE 2010.
THE ONLY OTHER MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREA EVEN COMING CLOSE TO KEEPING UP WITH US, IT'S DALLAS, UM,
UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT WHERE SOME OF THAT GROWTH IS HAPPENING IN THE HOUSTON AREA, YOU DO SEE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT STORY.
YOU SEE FORT BEND AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY BURSTING AT THE SEAMS. UM, YOU ALSO NOTE THAT HARRIS COUNTY CONTINUES TO ADD PEOPLE OVER AND OVER.
NOW HOUSTON HAS GROWN SINCE 2010, BUT FOR ABOUT THE PAST DECADE IT'S BEEN RELATIVELY PLATEAUED, UM, IN ITS SIZE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS TO ADD HERE, SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THAT SLIDE HERE WITH ME HERE, BUT I'LL JUST THROW OUT THERE.
EVEN THOUGH OUR POPULATION HAS REMAINED STABLE, OUR NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS HAS GROWN YEAR OVER YEAR FOR ABOUT THE PAST 15 YEARS.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT HOUSTON HAS NOT STAGNANT IN ITS POPULATION, IT IS EVOLVING IN ITS POPULATION.
UM, AND SO THE QUESTION WE WANTED TO ASK PEOPLE, WHY HOUSTON, WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THIS AREA? WHY CALL THIS PLACE HOME? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT BOILED DOWN INTO THREE BUCKETS.
THE PEOPLE, THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND THE ACTIVITIES.
THE NUMBER ONE REASON GIVEN BY RESIDENTS IN FORT BEND AND HARRIS COUNTY WAS DIVERSITY.
AND THAT'S NOT RICE UNIVERSITY OR THE KINDER INSTITUTE USING ITS OWN LANGUAGE CALLED DIVERSITY.
THAT IS THE LANGUAGE RESIDENTS WERE USING WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT DO THEY LOVE ABOUT THE HOUSTON AREA.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE JOBS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING.
YES, IT HAS BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE.
PEOPLE ALSO RECOGNIZE YOU CAN STILL AFFORD THINGS HERE IN HOUSTON IN A WAY YOU CANNOT AFFORD ELSEWHERE.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO ACTIVITIES, WE DO HAVE A BUNCH GOING ON.
THE RODEO WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, AND WE WOULD ALSO BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T MENTION THE FOOD OPTIONS IN THIS AREA AS WELL.
UM, WE WERE ASKING PEOPLE TO RATE WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THINGS.
AND AGAIN, HERE WE SEE THIS ECHOING THE CULTURE, THE LARGE SCALE EVENT, SMALL SCALE EVENTS, PARKS AND GREEN SPACE, HIGHER EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WERE WRITTEN AS GOOD, VERY GOOD OR EXCELLENT.
UM, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR DIVERSITY, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE THAT IMMIGRANTS PLAY IN THAT.
AND WE ASKED RESIDENTS POINT BLANK, DO YOU BELIEVE IMMIGRANTS ARE CONTRIBUTING MORE OR TAKING MORE AWAY FROM THE AMERICAN ECONOMY? OVERWHELMINGLY, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SAID THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING MORE, AND THIS IS NOT RELATED TO THE DOCUMENTATION STATUS OF INDIVIDUALS.
WHEN ASKED EXPLICITLY ABOUT UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS, STILL OVER 60% OF RESIDENTS REPORTED SAYING THAT THEY ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT CONTRIBUTE MORE TO OUR ECONOMY AND THAT HOUSTON WOULD BE WORSE OFF IF THERE WERE TO, UH, BE, UH, THE SORT OF MASS DEPORTATION TAKING PLACE.
UM, AND THAT IT WOULD, UH, THAT IMMIGRANTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO, UM, WITH THE, UH, ANY SORT OF UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUES, UH, THAT EXIST HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
UH, IMMIGRANTS ARE NOT A THREAT.
THEY ARE AN ASSET AND A RESOURCE RESOURCE TO THE HOUSTON AREA AND OUR RESIDENTS RECOGNIZE IT.
UM, WHEN WE DO LOOK AT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT HOUSTON AREA FACES, PERHAPS NOT SURPRISINGLY, WE SEE THINGS LIKE PUBLIC, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, AIR AND WATER QUALITY, AS WELL AS PUBLIC SAFETY AS BEING THE THINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE, UH, WERE RAISING UP AND THEY WERE RATING AS POOR OR FAIR IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
UH, WHEN WE ASK FOLKS ABOUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, CRIME AND SAFETY, ONCE AGAIN, ROSE TO THE TOP.
THIS IS THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR.
THIS WAS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE LISTED BY HARRIS COUNTY, UH, HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY RESIDENTS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS TO CALL OUT HERE IS THIS SORT OF BUCKS
[00:40:01]
THE TREND.AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT CRIME DATA, CRIME RATES ARE DROPPING YEAR OVER YEAR IN THE HOUSTON AREA, BUT THIS ALSO REFLECTS SOME OF THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND HOW PEOPLE FEEL SAFE IN OUR AREA.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS TO ALSO CALL OUT IS THAT WHILE WE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN SOME OF THE GOOD STORIES AND THE GOOD WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE WERE EXPERIENCING LIFE HERE IN HOUSTON, THAT EXPERIENCE DIFFERED BY PEOPLE'S ECONOMIC STATUS.
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY CREATES VERY DIFFERENT LIVED EXPERIENCES FOR HOUSTON AREA RESIDENTS.
THOSE LIVED EXPERIENCES HAVE TO DO WITH QUALITY OF LIFE.
THEY HAVE TO DO WITH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY ALSO HAVE TO DO WITH THE ABILITY TO, UH, FACE FINANCIAL VULNERABILITIES AND TO FEEL FINANCIALLY SECURE.
WHEN WE WERE ASKING PEOPLE IF YOU WERE TO FACE A $400 UNEXPECTED EXPENSE, AND THAT'S A FLAT TIRE ON THE WAY TO WORK SOME DAYS, UM, WHEN YOU ARE TALKING WITH FOLKS THAT ARE MAKING LESS THAN $25,000, SEVEN IN 10 OF THEM ARE SAYING THEY DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY FOR THAT KIND OF AN EXPENSE.
AND SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOLKS THAT ARE LIVING VERY MUCH ON A RAZOR THIN LINE BETWEEN BEING ABLE TO MAKE THINGS WORK AND NOT MAKE THINGS WORK.
UM, AND IN WITH THAT IN MIND, WE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS, WE'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION YEAR OVER YEAR FOR MANY, MANY YEARS NOW, UM, WHAT DO PEOPLE WANNA SEE DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE OF ECONOMIC INEQUALITY? AND THE THING THAT WAS SO IMPRESSIVE, THIS, IN THIS YEAR'S RESULTS WERE THAT WE SAW AN UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR TAKING ACTION TO ADDRESS ISSUES BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR TO CLOSE THAT ECONOMIC GAP, UH, OVER 80% OF RESIDENTS SUPPORTING THE GOVERNMENT, DOING SOMETHING TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC INEQUALITY.
UH, EVEN HIGHER SUPPORT FOR FROM INDIVIDUALS, UH, 1D NC OF THE GOVERNMENT.
MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S SOMEONE WHO WANTS A JOB, THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO FIND THAT JOB.
THERE IS A MANDATE FROM THE PUBLIC RIGHT NOW TO ATTACK AND ADDRESS ECONOMIC INEQUALITY.
AND SO IN SUMMARY, UH, WE HAVE OUR FIRST, UH, SUMMARY, UH, BULLET FROM OUR, UH, YEAR 2 CENTS SURVEY.
SO THE FUNDING PRIORITY PRIORITIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE BUDGET SURVEY RESPONDENTS WERE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR SPENDING MORE ON POLICE SERVICES AND ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
AND ABOUT TWO AND THREE RESIDENTS ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE IN TAXES AND FEES IN ORDER TO SEE IMPROVED SERVICES.
AND THESE ARE RESIDENTS THAT BELONG TO THE HOUSTON AREA, WHICH IS GROWING IN A WAY THAT IS UNPARALLELED, UNPARALLELED BY MOST OTHER MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE NATION.
RESIDENTS LOVE THE PEOPLE, THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE HERE THROUGHOUT THE HOUSTON AREA.
WE DO HAVE OUR CHALLENGES AND THAT IS NOTHING NEW TO YOU ALL.
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE ON THE TOP OF ALL OF OUR LISTS.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS BOTH A LOCAL AND AN ISSUE THAT STRETCHES BEYOND JUST THE HOUSTON AREA AND RESIDENTS WANNA SEE SOMETHING DONE TO ADDRESS IT AND ELIMINATE IT.
THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK OF THE KINDER INSTITUTE.
THIS SURVEY INFORMATION IS SO HELPFUL FOR US.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT WAS A BIG CONGRATULATIONS, UH, TO YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE'VE SEEN THE GENESIS OF THE YEAR TWO SINCE SURVEY.
MY LITTLE DOC I CREATED HAS, HAS, YOU KNOW, TRANSFORMED.
IT, IT, NO, IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY SPECIAL.
AND IT AGAIN ALLOWS RESIDENTS AND OTHER AVENUE TO ACCESS THE CITY.
SO HUGE PROPS TO YOU AND ALSO TO KINDER.
A FEW YEARS AGO WE PARTNERED, UH, I HAD A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO DO A TAX EQUITY STUDY BETWEEN THE CITY AND, UH, THE COUNTY.
AND YOU ALL WERE THE ONES THAT CARRIED THAT TO FRUITION.
UH, THE FINDINGS IN THIS TO ME ARE NOT A SURPRISE, BUT IT'S SO HELPFUL TO HAVE THE NUMBERS TO BACK IT UP.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD, UH, AND IT REMINDS ME WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, I RAN INTO DR.
KLEINBERG, HE WAS BACK IN TOWN, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, THE PROPHETIC CITY AND ALL THAT.
WE HAVE TO OFFER THE FACT THAT RESIDENTS ARE WILLING TO PAY AN UN WHETHER IT'S AN INCREASED TAXES, BUT ALSO THE DESIRE FOR THESE TYPES OF SERVICES, MANY SERVICES THAT WE AS A CITY ARE HONESTLY BEING FORCED TO CUT RIGHT NOW.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW WE COMMUNICATE WHAT TAXPAYER DOLLARS GO FOR? SO IT'S VERY EASY TO SAY IN, ARE DIFFICULT TO SAY, OH, WE HAVE TO INCREASE TAXES X PERCENT.
BUT WHEN PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND, OH, THIS IS PAYING FOR EMS RESPONSE, THIS IS GONNA PREVENT THE $400, UH, FLAT TIRE, ALL OF THOSE SERVICES, HOW DO Y'ALL SUGGEST WE COMMUNICATE THAT OR GET THAT MESSAGE ACROSS? YEAH, THERE IS A LOT OF MISPERCEPTION THAT IS OUT THERE, UH, WHERE PEOPLE REALLY SOMETIMES HAVE A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT DO, WHAT DO CITY BUDGETS GO TO.
UH, WE DID A SURVEY A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
WE WERE ASKING PEOPLE, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK WE ARE SPENDING ON POLICE, FIRE DEPARTMENT PARKS AND GREEN SPACE? UH, I THINK GARBAGE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANOTHER ONE OF THEM.
AND, AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF FOLKS REALLY JUST WERE NOT SURE, UM,
[00:45:01]
OR WERE INCORRECT IN THEIR APPROXIMATION OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.AND SO I THINK IT SPEAKS TO, WE HAVE OUR IDEAS OF WHAT OUR BUDGET IS GOING TOWARDS, BUT WE'RE NOT HEARING DIRECTLY.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE HEARD CONSISTENTLY THROUGH OUR RESEARCH IS, IF YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU'RE GONNA COLLECT THIS ADDITIONAL DOLLAR AND IT'S GONNA GO OVER INTO THIS POT OF MONEY TO HELP WITH, AGAIN, FILL IN THE BLANK, WHAT IS THE SERVICE? WHAT IS THE PROGRAMMING? MOST PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE ON BOARD WITH THAT.
I THINK IT'S A LOT OF THE BLACK BOX THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE FEEL IS HAPPENING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE BUDGETS AND WHERE THINGS ARE BEING SPENT.
UM, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE NEWS STORIES THAT COME OUT THAT MIGHT SHOW SOME INEFFICIENT USE OF FUNDS ARE AN UNDERFUNDING OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. AND SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MAKING SURE THAT THAT TRANSPARENCY IS THERE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO TALKED, AND I SEE OUR FRIENDS FROM TOP ARE HERE, UM, AND I KNOW THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB ADVOCATING FOR THAT EQUITY COMPONENT, RIGHT? THAT WE HAVE FAMILIES, I THINK YOU FRAMED IT AS THAT ARE LIVING ON RAZOR THIN MARGINS.
RIGHT NOW, ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS THE, OUR SOCIAL SAFETY NETS AND OUR SUPPORT SYSTEM.
AS WE'RE HAVING TO REDUCE THAT, WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE DEMAND ON THE SYSTEM BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL CUTS THAT WE'RE SEEING BECAUSE OF THE LOSS IN DOLLARS, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS, IF NOT BILLIONS, TO OUR NONPROFITS.
SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE TO KEEP FAMILIES SAFE AND SO THAT THEY AREN'T FALLING INTO THE, UM, DOWNWARD SPIRAL WHERE THEY CAN'T GET BACK UP? WE, WE ARE GONNA LEARN SOME VERY HARD LESSONS AGAIN, UM, AS A, AS A SOCIETY, AS A COUNTRY, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, AND, UH, THERE IS AN APPETITE FOR SLIDING SCALES, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT FOR THOSE THAT EARN MORE, THEY ARE IN A POSITION TO PAY MORE AND CAN BE ASKED TO PAY MORE.
UM, I JUST THINK UNFORTUNATELY, UH, MAKING UP SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES IN SERVICES AND FUNDING THAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING WOULD BE COMING FROM FEDERAL SOURCES, UM, LEAVES US IN A VERY PRECARIOUS, UH, SITUATION.
SO PROUD THAT RICE IS IN DISTRICT C THANK COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR THIS VERY INTERESTING, UH, INFORMATION.
HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, YOUR 2 CENTS SURVEY.
UH, YOU, YOU POLL SPECIFICALLY OR YOU ANALYZE THE RESULTS SPECIFICALLY, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.
SO WE COULD GO TO SLIDE NINE, UH, AND YOU BREAK IT DOWN ACCORDING TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BULLET POINTS.
AND YOU'VE, IN THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK YOU BREAK IT, BREAK IT DOWN FOR FIVE OF THOSE SPECIFIC, UH, BULLET POINTS.
UH, ONE OF THE ONES NOT SHOWN IS NOISE ABATEMENT.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAD THE NUMBERS FOR WHAT THE RESPONDENT SAID ABOUT NOISE ABATEMENT.
I MADE SURE NOISE ABATEMENT WAS ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
UH, SO THERE WAS, UM, ABOUT 42% SAID, I'M SORRY, UH, THE, THE ACOUSTICS IN HERE ARE NOT GOOD.
IF YOU COULD REPEAT THAT AND SPEAK UP A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO ABOUT 42% SAID TO SPEND EITHER A LITTLE BIT MORE OR A LOT MORE ON NOISE ABATEMENT AND 46% SAID SPEND THE SAME.
AND IF WE COULD DO THE SAME THING UNDER THE CITY FUNDED COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES CATEGORY FOR, UH, THE BULLET POINT FOR BIKE LANES, UM, BIKE LANES, IT WAS 21% SAID SPEND ABOUT THE SAME 26% SPEND MORE, 51% SPEND LESS, 2% UNSURE.
SO 21 SAID MORE, 21 SAID ABOUT THE SAME, SAME.
AND WHAT WERE THE OTHER CATEGORIES? UH, 51% SAID SPENDLESS AND 2% WERE UNSURE.
AND WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER ONLINE.
JUST A QUESTION CONCERNING THE 1200, UH, SURVEY THAT YOU, YOU SPENT, UH, OF COURSE YOU ALSO INDICATED YOU DID OTHER COUNTIES, THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES OF HOUSTON HARRIS, RIGHT.
HOW DID YOU BREAK IT DOWN OR WHEN YOU WAS, UM, IT WAS AN OPEN SURVEY AS IT STATED.
SO YOU WERE GETTING RESPONSIVE FROM PEOPLE PARTICULARLY NOT KNOWING WHAT PART OF THE CITY THEY LIVED IN.
FOR I, FOR THE BUDGET SURVEY, UH, THE 1200 WERE JUST IN, UM, JUST CITY OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS.
SO THEY WERE ASKED TO CONFIRM THAT THEY WERE RESIDENTS AND THEN WE ALSO COLLECTED THEIR ZIP CODE.
SO YOU, WAS IT ONE IN PART, YOU KNOW, WAS IT A BREAKDOWN IN PARTICULAR? WHAT AREA? WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY? WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT ANALYSIS
[00:50:01]
YET.SO, SO YEAH, A NUMBER OF, NUMBER OF ZIP CODES THAT RESPONDED, THAT'D BE GREAT.
YOU, YOU SAY YOU DON'T HAVE THAT YET? YEAH, THEY, AND BECAUSE WE CLOSED THE SURVEY FRIDAY, YESTERDAY.
WELL THAT SOME ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS THAT WOULD BE A VERY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, PIECE OF EVIDENCE BECAUSE THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WHO IS RESPONDING IN REGARDS TO WHAT PARTICULAR ISSUE, BECAUSE YOU USE THE SURVEY TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE DIVIDE BETWEEN INCOME LEVELS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT WHETHER YOU INCREASE TAXES OR PEOPLE WILLING TO SPEND MORE, A LOT OF THAT SOMETIME, DEPENDING UPON WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHO IT IS THAT'S DOING THE RESPONSE.
SO I, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, WHAT YOU PRESENTED AND TELL ROSE I SAID HELLO,
I MEAN, SO IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET SURVEY THAT WAS OPEN TO ANY HOUSTON CITY RESIDENT WITH REGARDS TO OUR KINDER HOUSTON AREA SURVEY, THAT IS A SCIENTIFICALLY DRAWN SAMPLE OF RESIDENTS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO ECHO THE SENTIMENT THAT WE KNOW THAT'S REPRESENTING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE AREA.
AND WE CAN ABSOLUTELY FOLLOW UP ON THE 1200 TO HELP, UH, PROVIDE SOME INSIGHTS ABOUT WHAT PART OF THE CITY WE WERE HEARING FROM WITH THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YEAH, JUST TO KIND OF PICK UP ON THE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS OF THE RESPONDENTS, I WOULD THINK IF YOU COULD EVEN MAYBE GIVE THE SURVEY TOTALS BY AREAS OF TOWN AS WELL.
I MEAN, UH, IN LOOKING AT IT, AND I THINK I KNOW SOMEWHAT WHAT MY RESIDENTS ARE, ARE LOOKING FOR.
I, I THINK MAYBE A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH HOW MANY SERVICES PEOPLE THINK THEY GET FROM THE CITY AS IT IS.
AND, AND THE ONES THAT FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T GET ANYTHING, PROBABLY AREN'T WILLING TO PAY MORE BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET ANYTHING ANYWAY.
UH, SO I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT AND GOT A QUESTION ON, UH, THE HIGH NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD AN UNEXPECTED EXPENSE.
I THINK IT'S A BIT OF A CONFLICT WITH THOSE SAME PEOPLE SAYING, OH, RAISE MY TAXES.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT OR, UH, COULD YOU ASK THAT ONE MORE TIME? WELL, THE, THERE'S A HIGH NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY CAN'T AFFORD AN UNEXPECTED EXPENSE MM-HMM
WE ALSO HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SAYS, YES, I'D BE WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR SERVICES.
AND IT SEEMS TO BE IN CONFLICT.
SO PART OF IT IS A REFLECTION OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RENTER STATUS AND HOMEOWNER STATUS WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT INCREASING THE PROPERTY TAXES.
WHILE THOSE PROPERTY TAXES ARE OFTENTIMES TRICKLED DOWN TO RENTERS, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTLY GOING TO RENTERS.
UH, AND SO OUR QUESTIONS ARE OFTEN ASKED ABOUT HOMEOWNER PROPERTY INSURANCE, NOT NECESSARILY, I'M SORRY, PROPERTY TAXES.
UM, AND ADDITIONALLY, I THINK IT'S A REFLECTION THAT WHILE PEOPLE, UH, MAY NOT HAVE A BUNCH OF MONEY LAYING AROUND, THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO BUDGET THEIR RESOURCES AND ABLE TO PAY FOR THE EXPENSES THAT THEY HAVE TO THEM.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO A TESTIMONY TO PEOPLE LOOKING FOR MORE AND BETTER FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
I, I CAN SEE THE PROPERTY TAXES FOR RENTERS BEING A HIDDEN COST, THEY'RE NOT VISIBLY SEEING.
FIRST, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.
UM, BY THE WAY, I DID NOT SUBMIT THE TRASH FEE QUESTION, JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR
UM, BUT, UH, FOR THIS, UH, FOR THE SURVEY, HOW DOES THAT, UH, HOW DO THE RESPONSE ALIGN WITH THE RESIDENT, UM, POPULATION? YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIKE VOTING AGE AND, YOU KNOW, DEMOGRAPHICS FOR THE BUDGET SURVEY? YES.
WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THEIR SPECIFIC AGE.
UM, SO WE ARE GONNA LOOK AT THAT.
UM, NOW THAT WE HAVE CLOSED THE SURVEY, UH, LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN BY THOSE AGE CATEGORIES.
UM, BUT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DON'T KNOW YET.
UM, UH, IT, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW BECAUSE I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE, RIGHT? UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT SERVICES, WHAT, WHAT THE BUDGET GOES TO, I TRY TO HAVE THOSE VERY TRANSPARENT CONVERSATIONS TO COMMUNITY ALL THE TIME AT CIVIC CLUBS.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE 66%, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHO WON WAS 66% AROUND THE HORSESHOE, BUT THAT'S, UM, SO WINNING ELECTION, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WHEN IT GOES TO AN ELECTION, I GUESS IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE THAT KIND OF UNDERSTANDING.
UM, I GUESS SOMEBODY WON 68 NEXT TO ME.
UH, BUT, UH, BUT, UH, WHAT TO THAT, UH, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY GOOD NUMBER TO, TO KIND OF SHOWCASE AND, AND JUST FROM MY, UH, ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCES WITH COMMUNITY, THEY'RE ALL SUPPORTIVE OF SOMETHING OF THAT, OF, OF THIS, UH, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S GONNA GO A SPECIFIC SERVICE.
SO IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, UH, TO SEE HOW IT ALIGNS WITH, YOU KNOW, VOTING AGE AS WELL.
AND I'LL, AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT, UM, GUYS THAT
[00:55:01]
THIS CLOSED ON FRIDAY AND THEY'RE HERE ON TUESDAY, AND ALSO THEY'RE DOING IT FOR FREE FREE.SO, UM, SO WE'RE NO PRESSURE, BUT, BUT I THINK WHAT YOU'RE HEARING IS PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN KIND OF THE GEOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN AND ALSO KIND OF MAYBE AN AGE BREAKDOWN, UH, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE INCREASES IN TAX FEE QUESTIONS THAT, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND AGAIN, THIS WAS NOT, YOU KNOW, THEIR REAL LIFE KINDER STUDY IS SCIENTIFICALLY DISTRIBUTED, SO THEY GET A CROSS SECTION.
MINE IS LIKE, WHOEVER, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER PICKS IT UP, WHOEVER ENGAGES.
SO IT'S NOT EXACTLY APPLES TO APPLES THERE.
I, I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH AND YOUR WORK IS INCREDIBLE AND SO PROFESSIONAL AND REALLY ADDS A LOT OF COLOR TO WHAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING TOMORROW AT OUR BUDGET MEETING.
AND, UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU KINDER INSTITUTE AND BOTH YOU TOO.
AND WE HAVE A FEW, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
WE'LL START WITH JACK BALINSKI.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, JACK BACK AGAIN.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THE SURVEY WAS REALLY GREAT, BUT I'M GUESSING ABOUT HALF THE POPULATION DOESN'T USE SOLID WASTE.
THEY EITHER HAVE HOA OR THEY LIVE IN APARTMENTS, SO THAT DOESN'T AFFECT THEM LAST WEEK.
UM, THE APP SAYS THE TRASH WAS GONNA BE PICKED UP ON MONDAY.
THE WEBSITE SAYS IT COULD BE PICKED UP ON MONDAY.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA THEY SENT OUT WAS TUESDAY.
IN FACT, SOMEBODY ON SOCIAL MEDIA TRUSTED ME MORE THAN THE APP.
UM, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN RECYCLED.
RECYCLING WAS MUST PICKED UP LAST TUESDAY.
I PUT IN OVER 33 1 ONES WALKING THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I PROBABLY COULD HAVE CONTINUED MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND GOTTEN MORE.
AND THE ONLY RESPONSE I GOT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED.
WHY DIDN'T THEY PUT OUT, HEY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SKIP THIS CYCLE.
WHY ISN'T THAT PUT PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC? BECAUSE THEY SAY, KEEP THE TRASH CANS OUT THERE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE WORLD CUP HERE NEXT YEAR, AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA DRIVE AROUND AND SEEING TRASH CANS ALL OVER THE CITY FOR A WEEK.
AND WE'RE GONNA PUT LESS MONEY INTO SOLID WASTE NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU ALL JUST DID THE SUFFICIENCY STUDY, WHICH I THINK WAS A GREAT IDEA, BUT DID IT DO IT FOR POLICE AND FIRE WHERE 60% OF OUR FUNDS GO TO GO TO A PIP MEETING? AND YOU SEE ABOUT 20 POLICE OFFICERS STANDING AROUND AND I UNDER, MAYBE THAT'S ALSO FOR EDUCATION FOR THE PO.
I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT HAVE WE DONE EFFICIENCY ON POLICE AND FIRE? YOU KNOW, I USED TO USUALLY WALK IN THE MORNING IN MIDTOWN GOING TO THE Y WHEN THE WEATHER'S NICE, BUT NOW THAT I'M WORK, BE ABLE TO WALK MORE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING, THOSE PEOPLE SPEED UP AND DOWN THOSE STREETS RIDICULOUSLY HIGH SPEEDS.
I DON'T SEE ANY TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT OUT THERE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE GAVE SOME OF THIS RESPONSIBILITY TO, UH, METRO POLICE.
THERE'S ONLY 350 OFFICERS IN METRO POLICE.
ARE WE GETTING OUR BANG FOR THE BUCK FROM POLICE AND FIRE? SO, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, YOU SAID THAT YOU WANTED TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE DEALING, DEALING WITH APARTMENTS, YET WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA TAKE MORE MONEY OUTTA LEGAL ON THIS BUDGET THAT'S GONNA BE HERE, UH, UH, TOMORROW.
SO WE'RE JUST NOT DOING WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO.
AND I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH CHOICE.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU PASSED THE BUDGET INCREASE FOR POLICE AND FIRE, WERE YOU ALL ASSURED YOU HAD THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT? I DON'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE'RE CUTTING THE OTHER SERVICES THAT MEAN A LOT TO US THAT LIVE HERE.
AND, AND THE ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY DID CO DID DO THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS TOO.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'LL BE INVOLVED IN SOME OF THE, THE GOVERNANCE, UM, AND THE, THE PURCHASING AND THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES WORK AS WELL.
THEY WERE PART OF THE STUDY, YOU KNOW, AND I GET, UH, FROM THE MAYOR'S ASSISTANCE OFFICE, A MONTHLY REPORT FROM 3 1 1 OF WHAT HAPPENS IN MY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AS PRESIDENT.
UH, AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU TOOK THE CLASS ON 3 1 1.
SO I THINK YOU ALL PROBABLY SHOULD GET THAT REPORT FOR YOUR DISTRICT AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I JUST WANTED TO THANK JACK.
UH, HE'S NOT THE FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD LEADER IN DISTRICT C AND IN OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAS HAD TO GO AROUND AND DO THEIR OWN KINDA TRASH SURVEYS.
SO I KNOW YOU WALKING AROUND IN THE HEAT TO DO THAT FOR OTHER RESIDENTS.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.
[01:00:04]
HELLO.MY NOTES ARE A LITTLE SCATTERED, SO I'M GONNA BE JUMPING AROUND SOME POINTS JUST FROM THE SURVEY I WAS TAKING NOTES.
UM, ANGELA DAVIS SAYS, RADICAL IS GRASPING THINGS AT THE ROOT.
AND HOUSTON'S ROOTS REALLY NEED TO BE NOURISHED WITH VITAL FUNDING FOR COMMUNITIES AND FOR PROGRAMS FOR SERVICES AND RESOURCES.
I LOVE TAKING THE METRO EVERYWHERE.
I REFUSE TO COMMIT TO THE CAR CULTURE THAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND SO I ENCOURAGE CITY COUNCIL TO THINK ABOUT REALLY LEANING INTO INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC TRANSIT FUNDING.
AND THE SURVEY ALSO HAS SHOWN HOW HOUSTON EMBRACES AND WELCOMES UNDOCUMENTED, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS.
AND YET HPD IS COMPLIANT AND COOPERATING WITH ICE.
AND THAT'S PRETTY HORRIBLE TO SEE.
AND THE LAST THING I JUST WANNA SAY IS THAT THE POOR ARE HUNGRY.
PEOPLE ARE LIVING AND STRUGGLING HERE IN HOUSTON.
YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE SOME OF YOU MAY NOT SEE IT BECAUSE MAYBE YOU LIVE IN NICE NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT YOU NEED TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE OTHERWISE THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT TO EAT.
I MEAN, FELA MCCLASKEY, I BELIEVE ONLINE, NOT ONLINE.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, DISASTER RECOVERY, 24 DISCUSSION.
I WELCOME HOUSING DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR MIKE NICHOLS, AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR DEREK SELL.
WHAT ARE YOU?
STEVEN DAVID, ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF, ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US MADAM CHAIRWOMAN.
WE HAVE A, UH, IMPORTANT DISCUSSION TODAY.
AND, UH, I DO WANT TO REMIND THE GROUP THAT THIS IS THE TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO WE WELCOME PUBLIC COMMENT AS WE DEVELOP THIS PROPOSAL.
I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH, UH, MY PARTNER, STEPHEN DAVID, WHO HELPED WORK ON THIS AND HELP WORK WITH HUD.
GOING WAY BACK TO BEGIN THE PRESENTATION, THEN I'LL TAKE OVER AND THEN DEREK SELLAGE WILL COME UP WITH SOME DETAIL CHAIR, VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE ALL OF Y'ALL.
UH, WHAT I WANTED TO DO BEFORE MIKE AND DEREK, UH, HOP INTO THE PRESENTATION ITSELF IS, UM, GIVE YOU SORT OF A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS STARTING, UH, JANUARY OF LAST YEAR WHEN THE WHITTIER ADMINISTRATION BEGAN.
UM, THE SORT OF OBSERVATIONS THAT WE MADE, UH, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD EARLY ON AND THE CAUTIONARY TALE THAT WAS TOLD TO US BY, UH, TWO PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, THEIR AGENCIES UNDERNEATH THEM.
UH, SO WHEN WE CAME IN, UH, WHEN WE CAME IN JANUARY, UH, JANUARY OF 24, UH, WITHIN WEEK ONE, I MEAN, THIS IS NO JOKE, THIS I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY DAY THREE, WE HAD A EFFECTIVELY A MEDIATED, WE MEDIATED A PHONE CALL BETWEEN THE GLO AND CITY OF HOUSTON HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AND, UH, THE BIG TOPICS OF CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD WERE THAT, UM, THE GLO AND HUD HAD INDICATED THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS GOING TO OWE ROUGHLY AN ADDITIONAL $90 MILLION FOR THE INAPPROPRIATE, WHAT THEY CHARACTERIZE AS INAPPROPRIATE ACTIONS, UH, AROUND REIMBURSING FAMILIES FOR RELOCATION EXPENSES, UH, DUE TO THE PURCHASE OF THREE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
UH, WHAT THEY CHARACTERIZED AS DISPLACING 900 FAMILIES, ROUGHLY 1500 PEOPLE.
UM, AND, UH, THAT WAS FOR THE PURPOSES OF BUILDING SINGLE FAMILY COMMUNITIES.
UH, WHILE THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT DISPUTED THIS, THE THREAT OF OWING THE MONEY AND HAVING PROGRAM DOLLARS, UH, BEING PULLED BACK WAS EXCEPTIONALLY REAL.
UH, AND SO THAT'S, UH, AGAIN, AS WE MET WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, THAT WAS ROUGHLY WEEKS TWO AND THREE.
UM, AND THEN GOING ON THROUGH THE REST OF THE YEAR, UM, PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE TEAM SHARED, UH, SHARED THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE QUICKNESS WITH WHICH THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS ABLE TO SPEND DISASTER MONEY.
UH, GOING BACK TO DR 17, HURRICANE HARVEY, DR 21 WINTER STORM URI.
UM, AND THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT SORT OF THE MOUNTING AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS JUST NOT BEING SPENT.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, MARCH OF 24, UH, ALL OF Y'ALL WERE HERE FOR THIS.
MAYOR WHITMEYER APPOINTED MIKE, UM, AS THE DIRECTOR.
AND IN EFFECT, ONE OF THE, THE FIRST MANDATES THAT THE MAYOR GAVE MIKE, WAS FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON, UNDERSTAND WHY WE OWE $90 MILLION OR WHY GLO THINKS WE DO, AND WE NEED TO IMPROVE THESE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND IT'S NO, UH, SURPRISE TO ANY OF Y'ALL, RIGHT? MAYOR WHITMEYER CAME WITH 50 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT THE STATE LEDGE, AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE GLO WAS, WE WANT TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVE THIS RELATIONSHIP.
AND I, I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF Y'ALL WANTED THAT AS WELL.
UM, FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL THAT, UH, SERVED YOUR FIRST TERM, UH, IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, I THINK IT WAS CARE, IT COULD BE BEST CHARACTERIZED AS TUMULTUOUS.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND GLO, Y'ALL ARE, WELL, WHAT Y'ALL ARE MORE AWARE OF.
UM, THE, THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, I WAS PART OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.
AND FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS,
[01:05:01]
UM, I WAS AROUND FOR HURRICANE HARVEY.AND I REMEMBER, UM, THE CHALLENGES ACTUALLY NEGOTIATED WITH THE GLO TEAM AT THE TIME UNDER GEORGE P. BUSH, UM, AND SORT OF GOT RED IN THE FACE SCREAMING ABOUT HOW YOU'RE TRYING TO GIVE US NO MONEY AND WE HAVE ALL THE DAMAGE, RIGHT? SO THOSE RELATIONSHIPS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED.
UM, WE ARE, UH, WE WORK GREATLY WITH, UH, THE COM WITH COMMISSIONER BUCKINGHAM, WITH DR.
AND, UH, WE ATTRIBUTE THAT DIRECTLY TO THE, THE FACT THAT MIKE CAME IN AND TOOK DRASTIC CHANGES TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHERE, WHY WE WERE, UH, WHY WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO OWE THIS MONEY.
AND TO THAT POINT, THE, UH, THE TURNAROUND THAT OCCURRED HAS ALLOWED THEM TO, UH, TO SAY, NO, YOU DON'T OWE THE MONEY.
YOU JUST NEED TO REPROGRAM IT AND PUT IT BACK IN.
AND MIKE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT LATER.
UH, THAT LED OVER TO APRIL OF 24.
SO IF YOU REMEMBER, WE OWED THAT $90 MILLION IN APRIL OF 24.
UM, GLO GAVE US THAT EXTINCTION ONCE WE APPOINTED DIRECTOR NICHOLS.
UM, AND THEN MAY 2ND, UH, HEAVY RAINS.
THIS WAS THE START OF A SERIES OF, OF DISASTERS MAY 2ND HEAVY RAINS, UH, COMING DOWN FROM THE NORTH CAUSED THE EAST AND WEST FORK OF THE SAN JACINTO RIVER TO FLOOD.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE SAW KINGWOOD FLOODING EVENTS OCCUR.
UM, IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE, THE BEST WAKE UP CALLS FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO LIVE THERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER.
UH, BUT THE REST OF THE CITY WAS ABLE TO SEE THAT THERE WERE SOME PRETTY CHA PRETTY BIG CHALLENGES WITH REGARD TO THE FLOODING IN KINGWOOD.
UM, MAY 16TH, THE DIRECT SHOW COMES THROUGH HOUSTON, RIGHT? THIS IS 120 MILE AN HOUR STRAIGHT LINE WIND THAT WENT ACROSS, UH, DISTRICT A CIE IN SOME, SOME INSTANCES DOWN SOUTH.
AND THEN IT EXITED THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WHILE WE SAW LOCALIZED DAMAGE, WE SAW REGIONAL POWER OUTAGES BECAUSE IT CRIPPLED A WHOLE BUNCH OF TRANSMISSION LINES.
AND SO WE HAD ABOUT SEVEN TO 10 DAYS OF NO POWER.
UM, AND WHAT THAT MADE US REALIZE WAS THAT, UH OH, NOT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY, UM, SERVICES THAT ARE RESILIENT WITH REGARD TO POWER IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, WHAT WE ALSO SAW WAS ABOUT 2 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF TREE DEBRIS, UM, THAT HAD FALLEN.
AND SO WE BEGAN THE PICKUP PROCESS THERE.
BUT THE CHALLENGE AROUND THAT PICKUP PROCESS WAS THAT WE, UH, WE RECOGNIZED THAT THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT HAD NOT, UH, DONE THE THINGS THAT THEY COULD HAVE DONE IN PREPARATION FOR EVENTS LIKE THIS.
UH, THE THE BEST EXAMPLE IS THAT THE TCEQ GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY.
THEY HAVE HEAVILY REGULATE THE, UH, THE MULCHING OF WOOD AND TREES.
UM, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE, UH, PREIS SUED PERMITS FOR DEBRIS, LOCATIONS, DEBRIS DROP OFF LOCATIONS, AND, UH, THAT EXPIRES EVERY 90 DAYS.
AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO BACK TO 'EM AND RE-UP IT.
AND THEY SAY, YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
UH, CITY OF HOUSTON, AS Y'ALL WELL KNOW, UH, SITS ON A TON OF PROPERTY.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANT LAND ACROSS THE CITY THAT WE OWN.
UM, WE COULD HAVE MADE ANY OF THOSE AHEAD OF TIME, BUT WE DIDN'T.
AND WHAT THAT CAUSED, WHAT THAT CREATED WAS A SITUATION IN WHICH WE HAD TO SCRAMBLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE TCQ WITH DEBRIS ACTIVELY ON THE GROUND.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE WERE DOING IS WE WERE FILLING UP THE TRUCKS OF THESE COMMERCIAL COMPANIES THAT WE WERE PAYING, AND THEY WERE SITTING WHILE THEY WAIT, WHILE WE WAITED TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE TCEQ TO DROP OFF THE DEBRIS THERE.
SO THEN, UH, AS WE BEGIN TO GET THE BALL ROLLING ON DEBRIS PICKUP, JULY 8TH COMES AND HURRICANE BARREL MAKES LAND, UH, MAKES LANDFALL.
UM, A LOT OF Y'ALL, UH, WE WERE OBVIOUSLY COMMUNICATING WITH A LOT OF Y'ALL DURING, UH, DICHO AND BARREL.
A LOT OF Y'ALL CAME UP TO THE EMERGENCY CENTER.
THE THING THAT I WANTED TO REMIND Y'ALL ABOUT WAS SORT OF THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS THAT OCCURRED.
IT MAKES LANDFALL AND WE SEE WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES ACROSS THE, THE RE NOT JUST THE CITY, THE REGION.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE TWO AND A HALF MILLION CUSTOMERS THAT DIDN'T HAVE POWER, AND THE LAST CUSTOMERS HAD THEIR POWER TURNED ON ABOUT 14 DAYS AFTER LANDFALL.
UH, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO, TO REMEMBER HERE WITH HURRICANE BARRELL WAS THAT, UH, IT WASN'T JUST RESIDENTS WHO DIDN'T HAVE POWER, IT WAS ALSO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE HAD WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, UH, LIFT STATIONS, FIRE STATIONS, POLICE STATIONS, MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS.
WE HAD SCENARIOS IN WHICH WE WERE, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, NOT TO TALK WASTE UP HERE, BUT CITY OF HOUSTON'S WASTE TREATMENT IS A BACTERIAL PROCESS.
UM, BUT IT REQUIRES POWER TO MAKE THAT, UH, HAPPEN.
SO WHAT WE COULDN'T DO, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE FULL POWER AT OUR FACILITIES, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE FULL GENERATORS, FULL FACILITY GENERATORS INSTALLED, UH, WAS THAT WE HAD TO MOVE TO JUST CHLORINATING THE WASTE AND PUSHING IT DOWN THE LINE.
UH, WE HAD SPOT GENERATORS THAT WE WERE TAKING TO THE LIFT STATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE HAPPENING.
THE ACRES HOME RE PUMP STATION IN DISTRICT B, UH, PRESSURIZES WATER FOR 5 MILLION CUSTOMERS, NOT JUST THE 2.3 THAT ARE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE 440,000 RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
WE ARE A REGIONAL WATER SUPPLIER.
THERE WAS ONE GENERATOR THAT KEPT THAT REPU STATION FLOWING, AND WE WHITE KNUCKLED THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE ONE BELT BROKEN BELT AWAY ON THAT GENERATOR FROM HAVING TO BOIL WATER FOR 5 MILLION PEOPLE, RIGHT? THIS WAS A VERY, VERY REAL THING.
FIRE STATIONS COULDN'T OPEN THEIR BAYS BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD WE'VE GOT GENERATORS AT ALL OF OUR FIRE STATIONS.
WELL, IT TURNS OUT THEY'RE GENERATORS.
THE POWER EXIT SIGNS, GENERATORS THAT PUT EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO OPEN THE BAY DOORS, UH, IN AN AUTOMATIC WAY.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS REMINDED OF, UM, THERE WAS A CASCADING
[01:10:01]
SERIES OF EVENTS, UM, THAT OCCURRED, UH, BECAUSE EVERYONE HAD, UH, A LOSS OF POWER.UH, THERE WERE CERTAIN FACILITIES THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER BOTH, UH, CRITICAL, UH, I THINK FOR EVERYONE HERE, BUT ALSO A HALLMARK OF WHY HOUSTON'S AMAZING.
OUR MEDICAL CENTER, UH, MEDICAL CENTER.
UH, MOST OF OUR HOSPITALS HAD FULL BACKUP POWER THE ENTIRE TIME OUR TELECOM SERVICES DID NOT.
IN FACT, WE LOST, I DON'T THINK IF, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, BUT WE HAD REALLY SPOTTY CELL SERVICE.
EVERYBODY DID FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
THAT ACTUALLY CREATED A LOT OF ISSUES FOR US COMMUNICATING TO THE RESIDENTS OF WHERE THEY CAN GO AND WHAT THEY CAN DO, AND WHERE THEY CAN GET ICE AND WATER.
AS IT STARTED HEATING UP AFTER THE, UH, THE STORM PASSED THROUGH.
AND, UH, WHAT OCCURRED WAS THAT BECAUSE THE HOSPITALS DID NOT HAVE TELECOMMUNICATION, IT MEANS THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE CLOUD SERVICES IN WHICH THEIR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS WERE HOSTED.
AND SO WHAT WE SAW WAS AN INABILITY FOR THE HOSPITALS AS THEY SCRAMBLED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO PEN AND PAPER.
THEY HAD WORKED SO HARD TO GET INTO A DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT.
THEY HAD NOT, UH, THEY'D LOST THE CHOPS FOR PEN AND PAPER.
WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DROP OFF PATIENTS AT THE HOSPITAL.
SO AS SOMEONE WAS GOING INTO POTENTIALLY HEAT STROKE, BECAUSE THEY'RE SITTING IN THEIR UN-AIR CONDITIONED HOME BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE POWER AND THEY'RE OVERHEATING, THEY'RE STUCK IN AN AMBULANCE.
AND WE HAD AMBULANCES AT ONE POINT, AND THIS IS THE THING I WAS REMINDED OF.
AT ONE POINT, WE HAD ZERO AMBULANCES AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WERE, MOST OF THEM WERE SITTING IN HOSPITALS.
AND SO THAT'S WHEN THE STATE OF TEXAS STEPPED IN AND WE PUT IN A STAR REQUEST TO TET EM.
AND WE HAD 30 AMBULANCES SENT DOWN.
WE HAD A HUNDRED POLICE OFFICERS SENT DOWN, AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE PEOPLE OUT OF OUR AMBULANCES, PUT THEM IN STATE OF TEXAS AMBULANCES, AND THEN GO BACK OUT INTO, INTO THE FIELD.
BUT THERE WAS A SIX TO EIGHT HOUR WINDOW IN WHICH WE HAD ZERO AMBULANCES AVAILABLE.
WE, WE WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE COULD TRANSPORT PEOPLE ON FIRE TRUCKS.
THAT IS A REAL CONVERSATION WE HAD TO HAVE ALL BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE POWER.
AND SO THE, THE THING THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT OCCUR.
WE, WE SAW DARING RESCUES ON TV.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL REMEMBER THE, THE, THE LADDER TRUCK THAT EXTENDED AND PULLED, PLUCKED SOMEONE OUT OF A FLOODED WATER WITHIN A CAR.
UM, RUS RUSSELL RICHARDSON, THE INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER IN PUBLIC WORKS WHILE TRYING TO GET INTO WORK, WENT INTO FLOODED WATERS UNKNOWINGLY AND UNFORTUNATELY DROWNED.
AND THEN WE BEGAN OUR DEBRIS CLEANUP.
AND SO ALL OF THESE THINGS, UM, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BIDEN ADMIN WHO SPOKE WITH US ON A DAILY BASIS ABOUT, WHAT DO YOU NEED? WHERE CAN WE GO? THEY SAID AT THE END OF THAT, THAT TO, WE'RE GONNA PULL IN KINGWOOD, WE'RE GONNA PULL IN DICHO, AND WE'RE GONNA PULL IN BARREL, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO A, AN ASK FOR YOU BASED ON ALL THREE OF THOSE.
WE'RE GONNA COMBINE THE DAMAGE FOR ALL THREE, BECAUSE IT WAS THAT BIG OF A, A BIG OF A DEAL.
WE WEREN'T MEETING THE, WE WEREN'T MEETING THRESHOLDS THAT WE WANTED TO MEET, AND THEY WERE COLLABORATIVE WITH US ON THAT.
AND SO IN OCTOBER OF 24, LED BY JOSH SANDERS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ASSESSED WHAT OUR NEEDS WERE.
OUR NEEDS WERE PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLES, HIGH WATER RESCUE VEHICLES, GENERATORS, BEING ABLE TO, TO SERVE HOUSTONIANS.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THE INABILITY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THERE WAS AN INABILITY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND.
AND THIS WAS A THING THAT WE, WE SAW AS WE CAME INTO THIS ADMINISTRATION.
WE SAID, WE HEARD THERE WERE RESILIENCE HUBS.
IT TURNS OUT THERE WEREN'T RESILIENCE HUBS.
THERE WERE PLACES THAT HAD RAIN BARRELS AND SOLAR PANELS THAT DIDN'T POWER ANYTHING.
WE HEARD FROM HOUSTONIAN SAYING, I NEED ICE, I NEED WATER, I NEED FOOD, I NEED CHARGING STATIONS.
AND WE COULDN'T PROVIDE THOSE CHARGING STATIONS BECAUSE NONE OF OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS HAD GENERAT.
ONE OF OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS HAD GENER GENERATOR POWER, UM, WHICH IS SUNNYSIDE, BY THE WAY.
AND THEN THE, THE LAST CHALLENGE THAT I THINK I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS WE WERE CONSISTENTLY ADVISED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU ASK FOR, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A TRACK RECORD IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SPEND THE MONEY.
AND MIKE IS GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS.
WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY AMAZING PROGRAMS THAT ARE GEARED DIRECTLY TOWARDS HOUSING THAT ARE GOING TO BE USING UP THE REMAINDER OF HARVEY MONEY THAT IS STILL UNSPENT AND THE REMAINDER OF, UH, WINTER STORM YURI MONEY THAT IS STILL UNSPENT FOUR YEARS LATER.
AND SO THE, THE THING THAT WE WERE ADVISED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WAS, BE DILIGENT WHAT YOU ASKED FOR.
WE WANNA SEE MONEY MOVE QUICKLY, AND WE WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PUT WINS ON THE SCOREBOARD.
UM, AND SO JOSH AND MAYOR WHITMEYER LED, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND JOSH LED THE ASK FOR 305 MILLION.
THEY CAME BACK IN CONGRESS, SAID 315.
AND TO, TO SORT OF PUT IT IN CONTEXT OF WHAT THE AREA RECEIVED, THERE WAS AN ASK THAT WENT OUT BY THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR 500 MILLION.
THERE WAS AN ASK BY HARRIS COUNTY THAT WENT OUT FOR ABOUT 600 MILLION.
THEY GOT 65, AND THEIR 65 MILLION IS GOING ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO PUT IT TOWARDS.
UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TOOK THE ADVICE FROM WAS ASK FOR THE THING THAT YOU CAN MOVE QUICKLY.
AND SO IN OCTOBER OF 24, WE SENT THAT LETTER OVER TO CONGRESS.
UM, IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF 25, WE BEGAN GETTING TO KNOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
UM, THEY WERE, THEY CAME INTO OFFICE.
UM, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE COULD SPEND THE MONEY, UM, SORT OF STOPPED IN LATE NOVEMBER, EARLY DECEMBER WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AS THEY BEGAN THE TRANSITION OUT PROCESS.
AND SO OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION, WHO AGAIN REMINDED US THAT, UH, THERE
[01:15:01]
IS, UH, I, I DUNNO HOW FAMILIAR Y'ALL ARE WITH THE TRANSITIONS, BUT USUALLY STAFF BELOW THE THIRD LEVEL STAYS THE SAME.SO THE SAME PEOPLE IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WERE ADVISING US, SPEND YOUR MONEY QUICKLY, DO THINGS THAT YOU CAN PUT THAT MONEY TOWARDS.
AND SO WE BEGAN THE CURSORY CONVERSATIONS IN JANUARY WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION.
AND THEN IN FEBRUARY OF 25, JOSH AND I WENT UP AND MET WITH SECRETARY TURNER ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR, UH, IN DC WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT MAYOR WHIT MEYER'S VISION.
BUT WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCES DURING NA UH, THE NATURAL DISASTERS.
UH, EVERYTHING THAT I JUST REMINDED Y'ALL OF, OF THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE SAW, THE, THE TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT OF NOT HAVING POWER AND HOW IT PULLS NOT HAVING POWER PULLED PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLES OUT OF SERVICE.
AND REC MADE US REALIZE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.
AND WE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT THAT THE MAYOR'S LA LASER FOCUSED ON ENSURING THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF HOUSTON CAN RESPOND DURING A DISASTER.
THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN THE FEELING OF SAYING, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH AMBULANCES TO RESPOND TO 9 1 1 CALLS FOR SERVICE.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF Y'ALL WANT THAT FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE DID WAS THIS PLAN AND THIS EXPECTATION IS WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS SET, UH, BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IS THAT THE PROCESS IS ONE IN WHICH WE CAN PUT FORWARD A PLAN BASED ON THE OPERATIONAL REALITIES I JUST WALKED Y'ALL THROUGH.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE EXPECTED TO GATHER FEEDBACK.
THIS IS THE, THE HIGHLIGHTING OF A PLAN.
THIS IS THE, THE START OF A PLAN.
AND SO THE POINT HERE IS WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD A SET OF IDEAS.
WE PRE-VETTED IT WITH HUD, WE PRE-VETTED IT WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, AND WE EXPECT FEEDBACK.
THE WHOLE POINT OVER THE NEXT MONTH IS FOR THE PUBLIC TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'D LIKE YOU TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON.
SO ONE, THE THING THAT I WANTED TO MAKE, JUST SAY, MOST IMPORTANTLY, AND I'LL WRAP THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS
IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CONVERSATION.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT THEY ARE LOCKED OUT OF HAVING THIS, BUT WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.
AND THIS PLAN AND WHAT DIRECTOR NICHOLS IS GONNA WALK THROUGH, WHAT DEREK IS GONNA WALK THROUGH IS THE START.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL Y'ALL'S TIME.
THANKS FOR LETTING ME TALK AT Y'ALL AND RAMBLING.
UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING Y'ALL'S FEEDBACK.
UH, DIRECTOR, DEPUTY DIRECTOR SELLERS CAN COME JOIN ME AND CORRECT ME AS I'M NEEDED.
FIRST, I WANNA START OFF WITH TWO IMPORTANT FACTS.
SOME GOOD NEWS, WHICH IS, AS STEVEN SAID, WE ASKED FOR 305 MILLION.
WE GOT THREE 14, AND IT'S COMING DIRECTLY TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NOT GOING THROUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS OR OTHER ENTITIES.
UH, THE SECOND ITEM IS JUST A REMINDER THAT THESE DOLLARS DON'T COME IN A CHECK.
WE DON'T, MELISSA DOESN'T GET ANY DOLLARS.
SHE, WE GET A RIGHT TO SPEND THE MONEY AND THEN ASK FOR REIMBURSEMENT IF WE DO EVERYTHING PERFECTLY.
SO THAT'S JUST TWO THINGS TO BEGIN.
I'M GONNA START ON PAGE NINE JUST TO MAKE, MAKE SURE WE CLARIFY 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES, INCLUDING WITH THE PUBLIC.
UM, UH, PAGE NINE GIVES IT JUST A BASIC DISASTER RECOVERY PHASES.
IN THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE, IT GOES TO OUR HHFD, UH, AND RED CROSS AND GROUPS LIKE THAT.
SHORT TERM FEMA COMES IN, DOES DIRECT ALLOCATIONS TO, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE HURT, UM, OR DIRECT ALLOCATIONS TO THE CITY IF NEEDED.
THEN THERE'S LONG TERM RECOVERY, WHICH IS WHAT THIS C-D-B-G-D-R DISASTER RELIEF MONEY IS.
AND THAT INCLUDES LONG-TERM RECOVERY AND MITIGATION IN BUILDING RESILIENCE.
WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S STRATEGIC BALANCED APPROACH TO DISASTER RECOVERY, WHILE THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY CONTINUES TO ADVANCE HOUSING RECOVERY AND ACCESS THROUGH OTHER TARGETED PROGRAMS. NOW, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND CITY LEADERSHIP ARE FOCUSED ON INVESTMENTS THAT COULD ADDRESS THE MOST WIDESPREAD AND MOST URGENT.
THAT'S THE KEY IMPACTS FROM HURRICANE BARREL, THE REIO AND THE KINGWOOD FLOODS, SUCH AS POWER OUTAGES, EXTREME HEAT, DEBRIS, REMOVAL, AND ACCESS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES.
UH, THE EXAMPLES OF THE CRITICAL INVESTMENTS THAT ARE IN THIS PLAN ARE BACKUP POWER FOR WATER SYSTEMS, FIRE STATIONS, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER UPGRADES, SO PEOPLE HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO SHELTER EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION IMPROVEMENTS, PUBLIC SERVICES, PARTICULARLY ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, ALL OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE FOCUS PROJECTS WILL SHIELD RESIDENTS FROM FUTURE DISASTER IMPACT.
FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE THE MOST, OFTEN THE MOST RESTRICTIVE.
TO SPEND PRIORITIZING THESE FUNDS.
FIRST ENSURES WE TACKLE HIGH NEED AREAS WITH THE GREATEST FLEXIBILITY.
AND I'M GONNA JUST WALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT.
THE ALLOCATION BACKGROUNDS ON PAGE 10 OF 31, WHERE IT, WHERE WE, WHERE WE DISCUSSED THE CHALLENGES THAT INFORMED THE CITY'S APPROACH.
[01:20:01]
THE FUNDS TO THE CITY, AS I SAID, WHICH ARE VERY IMPORTANT.PAGE 11, UH, ON JANUARY 16TH, THIS IS THE TIMETABLE.
HUD ANNOUNCED THE CDBG GRANT AND THEN THE FUNDING WAS AVAILABLE FOLLOWING A PRESIDENTIAL DE.
THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE AFTER A PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTER THROUGH CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING THAT GOES THROUGH HUD.
ALLOCATION WAS THE, UM, AMOUNT WAS $314 MILLION.
UH, 273,000 WAS TO, FOR HUD'S UNDETERMINED UNMET NEED.
AND 15% IS A MITIGATION SET ASIDE.
UM, HUD DEFINES MITIGATION AS ACTIVITIES THAT INCREASE RESILIENCE TO DISASTERS AND REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE LONG-TERM RISK OF LOSS OF LIFE INJURY DAMAGE AND LOSS OF PROPERTY AND SUFFERING AND HARDSHIP BY LESSENING THE IMPACT OF FUTURE DISASTERS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GRANT REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE ON PAGE 13, INCLUDING THE FUNDING MUST BE SPENT IN THE MOST IMPACTED AND DISTRESSED AREAS, WHICH THE, IS THE WHOLE CITY OF HOUSTON.
A MINIMUM OF 70% MUST BE SPENT IN LOW AND MODERN INCOME PERSONS FUNDING MUST ADDRESS, ADDRESS, DIRECT OR INDIRECT IMPACT FROM THE DISASTER.
AND THEN THERE'S A LIST OF ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.
UM, I NEXT WANT YOU, WE'RE GONNA SKIP TO PAGE 20, AND THEN DEREK WILL COME BACK TO PAGE 14 FOR THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION.
PAGE 20 IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO THE PROPOSED BUDGET, AS YOU SEE, UH, THE LARGEST PART IS IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC FACILITIES.
THAT'S THE POWER GENERATION RESILIENCE PROGRAM.
AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S A NEED THERE AND THERE'S AGREEMENT ON THAT.
UH, THE SECOND LARGEST AMOUNT IS THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAMS. AND DEREK WILL GO THROUGH THAT.
BUT AS STEVEN SAID, THE ISSUES AROUND AMBULANCES, UH, HIGH WATER VEHICLES AND OTHER ITEMS, INCLUDING POLICE CARS, ARE, UM, WE'RE SHORTAGE DURING THIS TIME AND WE NEED TO FIX THAT.
UH, THE THIRD LARGEST IS THE, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE FOR, UM, EXCUSE ME, THIRD LARGEST IS THE PUBLIC SERVICES AND HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS. AGAIN, THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT THOSE PROGRAMS ARE IN.
THE GOOD NEWS FOR THIS IS THAT THIS WOULD BE A SIX YEAR EXPENDITURE AND GIVE US SOME RAMP UP IN THE NEED ON HOMELESSNESS.
UM, THE PROPOSAL IS TO USE THIS FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND SHELTER AND SERVICES.
THAT'S THE DEBRIS REPOSITORIES THAT WE DISCUSSED.
AND, UM, OTHER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
UM, 8 MILLION IS FOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND DEBRIS REMOVAL, WHICH WE THINK IS ONGOING NECESSARY TO PROTECT OUR STREETS AND PARKS AS WE GO ON.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, AND THERE HAS BEEN QUESTIONS, UH, TO ME AND TO OTHERS ABOUT HOUSING, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE THIS IN THE SCOPE OF HOW WE'RE SPENDING ALL OF OUR DOLLARS TODAY.
AT THE SAME TIME, UH, THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
FROM 2008 TO 2021, THE CITY PRIORITIZED HOUSING FROM, WITH DISASTER RECOVERY DOLLARS, INVESTING NEARLY $775 MILLION WITH OVER 80% AWARDED DIRECTED TO HOUSING RELATED PROGRAMS. AGAIN, THAT WHAT WE'RE IN, WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF WORKING THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS. UM, AND RIGHT NOW, I WILL GIVE YOU, EXCUSE ME, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW ON HOUSING, AS WE SAID, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HCD CONTINUES TO INVEST IN HOUSING SOLUTION.
THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF INITIAL ALLOCATIONS, AND WE WILL GIVE THIS OUT, UM, LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, THE FIRST ONE I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS IS 19,800,000 FOR HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. THAT'S MONIES THAT WE REALLOCATE IT THROUGH HARVEY DISASTER 17 TO MOVE DIRECTLY TO HOMEOWNERS HERE IN HOUSTON.
THE SECOND MAJOR ITEM IS $40 MILLION FOR HOMEOWNER REPAIRS, AND THAT'S FUNDED THROUGH DR 21, WHICH AGAIN BEGINS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS OF GETTING DOLLARS DIRECTLY TO HOMEOWNERS.
UH, THE THIRD IS INITIAL ALLOCATIONS THROUGH C-V-D-D-C-D-B-G AND TURS OF $8.5 MILLION FOR HOME BUYER ASSISTANT
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PROGRAMS. UH, THE FOURTH IS A HOME REPAIR PROGRAM THROUGH CDBG AND TURS OF AN INITIAL INVESTMENT OF 37 MILLION.AND LASTLY IS A AFFORDABLE HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THROUGH HER, THROUGH TURS, WHICH IS $19 MILLION.
UH, THE SEVER, THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION AND LEVERAGE TO PRIORITIZE HOUSING NEEDS AS IT MAKES DECISIONS ON HOW TO USE THIS VERY LIMITED FEDERAL FUNDING.
I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO DEPUTY SELLERS.
AND IF I HAVE, YOU HAVE TO CORRECT SOMETHING, PLEASE DO LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO.
SO WELL, ALRIGHT, LET, SO LET'S GO TO SLIDE 15 THERE AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS SO THAT WE GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF.
OKAY, SO IT'S, LET'S GO TO THIS KEY DATE SLIDE.
THEY'RE VERY SMALL PAGE NUMBERS AND THEY'RE IN THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE SLIDE.
AGAIN, APOLOGIZE FOR THE SIZE AND, AND DIRECTOR, WAS THERE A SLIDE THAT TALKED, YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT SOME INVESTMENTS IN HOUSING FROM CDBG AND TURS? I DO NOT HAVE THAT.
THAT WILL BE SENT TO YOU BEFORE THE AFTERNOON'S OVER.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
WE, WE ACTUALLY, WE THANK YOU TO THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO.
WE RECEIVED THAT BEFORE THE AFTERNOON, SO, GREAT.
SO HUD PRESCRIBES A PROCESS FOR US TO, THAT WE MUST UNDERGO IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THESE FUNDS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AS, UH, MIKE WAS SAYING, THIS IS A DIRECT ALLOCATION.
SO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
UH, WHAT WE HAVE ON THE SCREEN HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY DATES ASSOCIATED WITH IT, INCLUDING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FUNDING THAT HAPPENED, UH, THROUGH THE FEDERAL REGISTER IN JANUARY.
UH, WE DID REQUEST AN EXTENSION ON THIS AT THAT TIME.
WE HAD A TURNOVER ADMINISTRATIONS.
HUD TOOK DOWN MANY OF THEIR SITES, INCLUDING A LOT OF THEIR GUIDANCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PLANS.
THEY ALSO WENT, UNDERWENT A PROCESS TO UPDATE THE UNIVERSAL NOTICE, WHICH WAS SOMETHING BRAND NEW ASSOCIATED WITH THESE DISASTERS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD SOME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THEM.
SO WE SIT HERE TODAY ON JUNE 3RD WITH BUDGET FISCAL AFFAIRS.
WE HAVE, UH, TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION THAT ARE HAPPENING NEXT WEEK.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO CITY COUNCIL WITH THIS ITEM ON JUNE 25TH.
'CAUSE OUR DEADLINE TO SUBMIT ON THE CURRENT TIMELINE IS JULY 20TH.
AND WE KNOW WE HAVE A DEAD WEEK, THE WEEK OF JULY 4TH.
UH, WE EXPECT HUD TO TAKE ABOUT 45 DAYS FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
AND IF THEY DO APPROVE IT, UH, WE'LL HAVE SIX YEARS UPON EXECUTION OF THE GRANT AGREEMENT TO SPEND THESE FUNDS.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE GRANT LIFECYCLE, UH, THERE ARE THREE PHASES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN PHASE ONE, WHICH IS THE ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT PIECE.
AND THIS IS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, BUT WE CAN'T NEGLECT THAT.
THERE ARE TWO OTHER PHASES THAT ARE COMING BEHIND THIS, INCLUDING PHASE TWO, THAT IS THE FINANCIAL CERTIFICATION AND OVERSIGHT OF FUNDS.
SO WE'LL HAVE 45 DAYS TO CERTIFY, UH, FINANCIAL CONTROLS AND PROCUREMENT PROCESSES AND PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE PROCEDURES TO HUD.
AND THEN AS WE WALK INTO PHASE THREE, THIS IS WHERE HUD'S GONNA WANNA SEE ALL OF OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES OVERSEEING ALL THESE PROGRAMS. AND WE HAVE A YEAR TO GET THOSE TO HUD, UH, AFTER, UH, THE DATE OF THE, UH, UNI OF THE ALLOCATION NOTICE, WHICH WAS JANUARY.
SO THE ACTION PLAN RIGHT NOW IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
THIS GIVES YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE ELEMENTS THAT YOU'LL SEE AS YOU GO THROUGH IT.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED PAGES OF INFORMATION RELATED TO THE STORM, SOME OF WHICH WE'VE COVERED TODAY.
THERE'S AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT GETS YOU THE HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
HUD REQUIRES THAT WE DO AN UNMET NEEDS ASSESSMENT ASSOCIATED WITH HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AND THE IMPACTS FROM THE STORMS. UH, THERE IS A MITIGATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT WE INCLUDE IN THAT.
IT'S A PRETTY HEFTY SECTION OF THE DOCUMENT ITSELF.
UH, THEN WE GO INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND USES OF THE FUNDS WITH SOME PROGRAM DETAILS.
AND THEN FINALLY AT THE BACK END OF THE DOCUMENT, WE TALK ABOUT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, WHAT WE DID WITH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AROUND THESE ITEMS, AND THEN ALSO PERFORMANCE REPORTING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO.
SO I KNOW MIKE JUST WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET SIDE OF THINGS, BUT JUST, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION TO KEEP IN MIND.
THERE ARE SOME CAPS THAT HUD PUTS ON THIS FUNDING.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, ADMINISTRATION CAN BE NO MORE THAN 5% OF THE TOTAL ALLOCATION.
UH, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE BECAUSE IN OUR REGULAR FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVE ANNUALLY, A GRANT LIKE HOME IS 10% A GRANT.
LIKE OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, THAT'S 20%.
THIS IS A MUCH LOWER NUMBER, 5%.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, UH, IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE IN THE PAST, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT, SAY OUR DR 17 FUNDING THROUGH THE GLO WHERE THEY ONLY GAVE US A PARTIAL OF THAT.
UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND.
AND, AND I KNOW TJ AND HER TEAM DOES A GREAT JOB OF TRACKING THAT INFORMATION AND
[01:30:01]
PROVIDING IT TO US ALONG THE WAY SO THAT WE CAN STAY WITHIN THOSE PARAMETERS.WE'VE ONLY GOT A NOMINAL AMOUNT IN THE BUDGET.
IT'S REALLY TO COVER THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE PROCESS WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, THIS PLAN.
AND THEN PUBLIC SERVICES CAN BE NO MORE THAN 15%.
WE WILL BE SEEKING A WAIVER FROM HUD TO INCREASE THAT PERCENTAGE THOUGH.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE WAS THE, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET SLIDE.
SO I'LL, WE'LL SKIP THROUGH THAT AND WE'LL GO INTO SOME OF THESE PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS.
I KNOW YOU HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS FROM MIKE JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO.
UH, SOME OF THIS EVEN FROM STEVEN, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE BACKGROUND OF THE STORMS ITSELF AND HOW WE GOT HERE.
UH, PLANNING'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, AND SO IS ADMIN, UH, WITH THAT 5% CAP.
UH, THIS IS LOOKING AT, UH, THE GENERAL LEGAL SERVICES AND, UH, ACCOUNTING SERVICES, AUDIT SERVICES THAT WE HAVE HERE AT THE CITY, COVERING SOME OF THOSE COSTS AND GENERAL OVERSIGHT OF THE, UH, OF THE GRANT ITSELF AS WE GO INTO THE POWER GENERATION RESILIENCE PROGRAM.
THIS IS THE, UH, THE PROGRAM THAT IS ASSISTING WITH PROVIDING POWER GENERATION TO CRITICAL CITY ASSETS.
UH, WE WANNA ENSURE THE CONTINUITY OF CRITICAL PUBLIC SAFETY FUNCTION AND SERVICES DURING THESE TYPES OF EVENTS MOVING FORWARD AS THEY HAD A MAJOR IMPACT FOR THE CITY ON ITS DRINKING AND WASTEWATER OPERATIONS DURING THE LAST ONE THROUGH, UH, NOT HAVING AVAILABILITY OF MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS TO SERVE AS A PLACE OF REFUGE OR SUPPORT DURING IT.
AND THEN CHALLENGES TO FLEET POLICE AND FIRE STATIONS THROUGHOUT.
UM, WE HAVE THIS BUDGETED RIGHT NOW AT OVER $150 MILLION AS WE GO INTO THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE PURCHASE OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLES, INCLUDING HIGH WATER VEHICLES, INCLUDES, UM, UH, AMBULANCES AND, UH, MAY INCLUDE POLICE VEHICLES.
SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WHAT WE'LL LOOK AT IS THE FEMA PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LOCAL COST SHARE.
SO FEMA ASSISTS THE CITY BY 75% OF THE COST TO DAMAGES TO CITY OWNED FACILITIES THROUGH ITS FEMA PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO PUT IN 25% OF THAT COST AS MATCH, AND IT'S ONLY AVAILABLE FOR CERTAIN CATEGORIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, CATEGORY A, WHICH WAS DEBRIS REMOVAL.
OUR FUNDS COULDN'T ASSIST WITH THAT EFFORT.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THE STATE OF TEXAS PICKED THAT UP ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN OTHER CATEGORIES WHERE THAT CAN BE AVAILABLE.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S ESTIMATED THAT THAT NUMBER'S AROUND $8 MILLION.
HOWEVER, WE WOULD HAVE TO REVIEW THE LIST TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S CDBG ELIGIBLE.
IT'S A DIFFERENT, IT'S ANOTHER LEVEL THAT WE'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH, BUT WE'RE BUDGETING THIS ONE AT $8.8 MILLION FOR HOMELESS SERVICES PROGRAM.
THIS IS AT 41 MILLION OR 15% OF THE GRANT ITSELF.
UM, LAST YEAR, 2024 POINT IN TIME COUNT HAD 3,280 VI 3,280 INDIVIDUALS FACING HOMELESSNESS WITH 1100 UNSHELTERED.
RIGHT NOW, WE DO NOT HAVE THE 2025 POINT IN TIME COUNT, BUT IT'S IMMINENT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT WENT UP FROM 2023 TO 2024.
IT WOULDN'T BE SURPRISING TO SEE IT GO UP TO 2025.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR THIS FUNDING, IT'S PROVIDES SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDING OUTREACH, SHELTER, UM, UH, OPERATIONS SERVICES.
AND AS MIKE SAID, OVER THE COURSE OF SIX YEARS, KIND OF BE STRETCHED OUT ANNUALLY TO ASSIST IN THOSE TYPES OF EFFORTS.
THE DEBRIS REPOSITORY AND ACQUISITION, UH, DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, WE HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH DEBRIS AS A RESULT OF BOTH OF THESE STORMS. UH, STEVEN WALKED THROUGH SOME OF THOSE, UH, ELEMENTS, INCLUDING THE, THE AMOUNT, THE, UH, NUMBERS AND THE IMPACTS THAT IT HAS, UH, MANAGING THAT PROCESS, UH, NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY.
UM, SO THIS IS A WAY TO, UH, DO SO.
THIS IS TO, UH, PURCHASE, UH, DEBRIS REPOSITORY SITES THAT COULD BE USED AS STAGING AREAS PERMANENTLY, UH, TO BE ASSIST IN ASSISTANCE FOR FUTURE STORMS. AND THEN TIED TOGETHER WITH THAT IS THE NEXT PROGRAM, WHICH IS VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND DEBRIS REMOVAL, WHICH LOOKS AT THE PREVENTATIVE AND, AND, UH, MEASURES THAT CAN BE TAKEN NOW TO GO AHEAD AND CUT BACK ON THE TREES AND OTHER, UH, DEBRIS THAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED TO REDUCE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS DURING FUTURE STORMS. BOTH OF THOSE ARE PART OF THE MITIGATION SET ASIDE THAT CAME APART, UH, CAME AS A PART OF THE, THE GRANITE ITSELF.
SO I THINK MIKE WALKED THROUGH THE ALLOCATION CONSIDERATIONS, UH, WHEN HE WAS SPEAKING ON HIS.
AND, UH, ALSO THE NEXT SLIDE AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT ALIGNED WITH SOME OF THE, THE POINTS THAT HE BROUGHT UP JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
AS WAS, UH, MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS OUR PROCESS TO RECEIVE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON, UH, THE PLAN THAT HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER.
UM, I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH A COUPLE OF THE WAYS THAT THAT FEEDBACK CAN BE RECEIVED.
FIRST UP, WE HAVE A RESIDENT SURVEY AND AN AGENCY SURVEY THAT'S AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.
[01:35:01]
UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS FOR RESIDENTS IMPACTS FROM THE STORM, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND RESOURCES THAT THEY MAY HAVE USED TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.AND THEN OF COURSE, HOW DO THEY THINK THE FUNDING SHOULD BE ALLOCATED.
AND THEN SIMILAR IN THE AGENCY SURVEY, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TYPE OF ORGANIZATION WHO THEY MAY SERVE, AND THEN LOOKING AT IMPACTS TO THAT ORGANIZATION ITSELF, MAYBE TO THEIR PHYSICAL FACILITIES OR TO THEIR PROGRAMMING AS A RESULT OF THE STORM.
AND THEN THE CLIENTELE THAT THEY SERVE, WHAT ARE THOSE NEEDS THAT MAY BE STILL ONGOING AS A RESULT? AND LOOKING AT HOW THEY THINK WE SHOULD BE BUDGETING TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
AS I STATED EARLIER, WE DO HAVE TWO VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS COMING UP NEXT WEEK, AND WE WANT YOU TO ATTEND.
PLEASE ATTEND TUESDAY, JUNE 10TH FROM 11 TO ONE, AND WILL BE THE FIRST ONE.
THURSDAY, JUNE 12TH FROM THREE TO FIVE WILL BE THE SECOND ONE.
THE AGENDA'S GONNA INCLUDE, UH, INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE ELEMENTS WE MENTIONED TODAY.
UH, THERE IS A PUBLIC HEARING PORTION, AS WE ALWAYS DO, AS PART OF THESE.
AND THERE'S ALSO GONNA BE A QUESTION AND ANSWER SEGMENT THAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE IN THIS, THIS GRANT AND HUD'S RULES REQUIRE THAT WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND SO THESE ARE THE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
AS ALWAYS, WE ALSO LOOK TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED.
WE CAN TAKE THEM BY, BY MAIL, UH, FROM MAY 23RD.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE POSTED OUR DRAFT ACTION PLAN THROUGH JUNE 22ND, UH, BY MAIL, IT'S HCD, ATTENTION PLANNING AND GRANTS MANAGEMENT AT 2100 TRAVIS NINTH FLOOR, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 0 2 BY EMAIL AT HCD PLANNING@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
AND OF COURSE, BY VOICEMAIL AT 8 3 2 3 9 4 5400.
THE FULL DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, YOU CAN GO TO HOUSTON TX.GOV/HCD RECOVERY.
YOU CAN ALSO FIND LINKS TO THOSE SURVEYS AS WELL.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MIKE.
AS, AS YOU GET READY TO THINK THROUGH YOUR QUESTION, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH A FEW THOUGHTS.
AGAIN, THIS PLAN IS BASED ON A SENSE OF URGENCY, BOTH IN THE SENSE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND WHAT CAN BE DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, THE SECOND THING IS, UM, WE'VE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO DECREASE THE RISK THAT WE WON'T BE FULLY REIMBURSED.
AND THAT'S PARTLY BY DESIGNING THE PROGRAM CORRECTLY AND BY HAVING OUR TEAM UP TO SNUFF FOR THAT.
AS I SAID, WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT ARE KICKING OFF.
AND IF WE PUT THIS ONE IN THE QUEUE, IT MAY BE MUCH LONGER BEFORE IT COMES FORWARD.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN, UH, SOME QUESTIONS TO ME AND SOME DISAPPOINTMENT THAT WHEN YOU SAY, WELL, HOW MANY, UH, AMBULANCES, HOW MANY, UH, OF GENERATORS, WE WANT TO BE AS GENERAL AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE MORE GENERAL WE ARE IN OUR DESCRIPTION THAT HUD WILL ACCEPT, THE MORE FLEXIBILITY YOU WILL HAVE WHEN WE APPROVE THESE DOLLARS.
AND IF WE HARDEN UP THE EXACT AMOUNTS AND EXACT NUMBERS, IT, IT LOSES FLEXIBILITY.
AND JUST REMEMBER, THIS IS ALL COMING BACK TO COUNSEL ON EACH ITEM FOR APPROVAL.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR THINGS I'D LIKE TO REMARK TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
CA COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE TEAM.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION.
UM, AS STEVEN YOU POINTED OUT, WE STARTED WITH A $316 MILLION DIRECT ALLOCATION, AND I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE, GETTING A DIRECT ALLOCATION TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS CRITICAL.
IN THE PAST, WE'VE GOTTEN COMPLETELY SCREWED DURING HARVEY GOING THROUGH OTHER ENTITIES AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND I, I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
SO MY APPRECIATION, I THINK CREDIT GOES TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND THEN WORKING TO CONTINUE THAT LEGACY THROUGH THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.
UM, ON THE BUDGET ITEM RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC RESILIENCY, SPECIFICALLY THE BACKUP GENERATORS.
I'M ASSUMING SOME OF THOSE ARE GONNA GO, THE, THE IDEA IS TO GO TO SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS OR RESILIENCY HUBS, UH, THAT SERVE AS OUR, WHETHER IT'S NOT A FORMAL SHELTER, BUT WARMING CENTERS, COOLING CENTERS, UH, COME ON IN.
BUT I LOVE YOU BRIEF SO THAT I DON'T LOSE ALL MY TIME.
UH, SO ANGELA BLANCHARD HAS BEEN LEADING THE, UH, THE POWER PROTECTION INITIATIVE ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR OVER THE PAST, GOT 10 MONTHS NOW.
UM, CASHMERE WAS THE FIRST ONE, UH, Y'ALL APPROVED THAT.
UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS A $900,000 EXPENDITURE.
[01:40:01]
OCTOBER.THE PLAN, INCLUDING IN THIS, IS TO HAVE ALL 13 MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS POWERED.
AND THAT, OF COURSE, Y'ALL KNOW I'M GONNA BRING UP WEST GRAY.
WE NEED THAT BACKUP GENERATION.
BUT THERE ARE CRITICAL FACILITY NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT THAT BUILDING CAN STAND UP, UM, IN A DISASTER.
IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST, UH, CENTER OF REFUGE IN THE ENTIRE CITY, THE WAY IT'S DESIGNED.
WE CAN'T EVEN DO FOOD AND MEAL DISTRIBUTIONS BECAUSE OF HOW THE PARKING LOT IS.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS PLAN TO FURTHER HARDEN OR ENSURE THAT THOSE COMMUNITY CENTERS AND HUBS ARE RESILIENT IN THAT DEFINITION? SO THIS PLAN ALLOCATES, UH, FUNDING FOR POWER GENERATION.
UH, WEST GRACE, SPECIFICALLY OVER THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS, I BELIEVE WILL HAVE $12 MILLION OF EXPENDITURES GOING TO DRIVING DOWN THE FCI ON A SCALE OF ZERO TO 100.
THEIR FCI IS, UH, HOVERS AROUND TO 60 TO 62 POINTS, WHICH IS CONSIDERED ON THE, IT'S ONE OF THE WORST.
BUT IT'S ALSO CONSIDERED TO THE POINT OF THERE'S NO REASON TO INVEST MORE MONEY INTO IT.
WE SHOULD JUST DO A TOTAL REPLACEMENT.
YEAH, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT DOWN TO AN FCI SCORE OF ABOUT 20 WITH THE REPAIRS THAT WE'RE DOING OVER THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS.
BUT NOTHING IN THIS, AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESILIENCY PLANS, NOTHING YET IN THIS INCLUDES THAT.
AND THEN, UH, TWO OTHER THINGS REGARDING PUBLIC COMMENT.
I KNOW WE HAVE A QUICK TURNAROUND AND THAT'S FEDERALLY ORDERED, SO TO SPEAK, BUT HAVING TWO NEXT WEEK, BOTH WITHIN WORKING HOURS, NOT ONE THAT I SAW, THAT'S AFTER HOURS.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO CHANGE ONE OF THOSE TIMES TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE AFTER THEY GET OFF WORK? CAN COULD WE CHANGE IT? WE COULD LOOK AT, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE AN ADDITIONAL THIRD.
Y'ALL, Y'ALL CAN GET BACK TO US ON THAT.
WE, BUT DEREK, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU.
COULD WE LEGALLY CHANGE IT IN SECOND? YOU KNOW, WOULD WE JUST ADD A THIRD? YEAH.
AND AGAIN, I RECOGNIZE STAFF STAFFING IS SHORT, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THAT HAVE BEEN MOST DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THESE STORMS THAT HAVE TO BE AT WORK DURING THESE TIMES.
UH, AND THEN I'LL PUT YOU BACK IN COUNCIL.
WE GOTTA LOOK, WELL, I'M SURE IT'S GONNA COME UP, BUT WE'RE RELATED TO, UM, ANY, CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY, 'CAUSE CHAIR, YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION, HOME REPAIRS, WHAT IS THE PLAN? 'CAUSE I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE RELATED TO HOME REPAIRS AND WHY ISN'T IT INCLUDED? IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THE, THE DECISION ON HOME REPAIRS WAS, AS I LOOKED AT, AS I LOOKED AT IT AND, AND THE TEAM LOOKED AT IT, OVERALL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UM, $40 MILLION GOING OUT IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS ON DR 21 HOME REPAIRS.
THAT WILL NOT COVER EVERYBODY, EVEN FROM D 21.
THE THOUGHT WAS WE NEEDED TO USE THIS MONEY MOST URGENTLY, AND WE'LL LOOK AT OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT WILL CONTINUE OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
BUT IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE, IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION.
RIGHT? BUT DR 21 IS ONLY FOR DR 21 FOR 20 FOLKS, 20, 21 DAMAGES.
BUT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE.
UH, IT MAY BE, NO, NOT AFTERNOON YET, BUT THANK YOU ALL BOTH FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ALL, UH, SOME QUESTIONS, UH, ALL AT ONCE, NOT TO TAKE UP MY TIME, AND THEN YOU CAN ANSWER THEM.
UM, CAN YOU ALL DISCUSS WITH THE BODY, UM, ANY WAIVERS THAT YOU MAY HAVE TO PUT FORWARD, UH, BASED ON THIS PROGRAM? WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF THE WAIVERS? WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE WAIVERS? UM, THAT'S ONE THING.
TWO, YOU SAY, UH, THAT YOU HAVE SIX YEARS TO SPEND THE MONEY, UH, BUT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR QUICK WINS.
WHY, WHY ARE WE LOOKING FOR QUICK WINS INSTEAD OF JUST SUBSTANTIAL AND SIGNIFICANT WINS? UM, YOU SAID YOU'VE IDENTIFIED SHORTAGES AND THAT'S WHY YOU'VE COME UP WITH SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE, UH, CHOSEN TO ALLOCATE DOLLARS TO.
UM, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH IDENTIFYING JUST THOSE SHORTAGES? SINCE WE HAVE SO MANY SHORTAGES AROUND THE CITY, AS IT AS IT RELATES TO INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, RESILIENCY, RESILIENCY NEEDS, DISASTER RECOVERY NEEDS, AND SPECIFICALLY, UH, AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED, THE MOST UNMET NEED THAT WAS IDENTIFIED WAS HOUSING.
UH, YOU SAY THAT IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY TO DO A HOUSING PROGRAM.
WELL, THAT'S WHY WE'RE, WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY COMING IN IF WE, IF WE DON'T USE THE, IF WE DON'T USE THE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN WE DO GET THESE LARGE TRANCHES OF MONEY FOR THE LARGEST UNMET NEED.
WHEN, WHEN WILL WE EVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO DO SO? UH, LASTLY, WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOMELESSNESS OR LIKE THE HIGH WATER VEHICLES AND POLICE VEHICLES, THOSE WILL ALSO BE ONGOING EXPENSES.
WHEN YOU BRING IN THESE TYPE OF VEHICLES OR THESE TYPE OF PROGRAMS, WILL THE MONEY THAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO GET ALLOCATED FOR THESE ITEMS ALSO SUSTAIN THOSE PROGRAMS OR ITEMS IN THE OUT YEARS? SO THE
[01:45:01]
HOMELESS PROGRAM, I THINK YOU ALL MENTIONED IT WOULD COST LIKE 70 MILLION.IS THAT 70 MILLION PERIOD OR JUST 70 MILLION FOR THIS FIRST YEAR? AND IF WE'RE PUTTING 40 MILLION TOWARDS IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO NEXT YEAR WHEN THERE'S NO, NO MORE MONEY? SAME THING WITH THE VEHICLES.
WE BRING IN ALL THESE NEW VEHICLES, AMBULANCES, HIGH WATER VEHICLES, POLICE VEHICLES, BUT THE MAINTENANCE, UH, THE GAS, EVERYTHING THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING A VEHICLE, ARE THOSE COSTS ALSO, UH, CONSIDERED WITHIN THIS OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE FROM THE GENERAL FUND GOING FORWARD? THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS.
UH, SO WITH REGARD TO THE WAIVERS, YES, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET WAIVERS FOR PARTICULAR ITEMS. DEREK AND MIKE AND TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH, UH, HUD'S STAFF OVER THE PAST HANDFUL OF MONTHS.
UM, AS WE WALK THROUGH HE AND THE PRESENTATION, WHAT HE AL UH, ALLUDED TO WAS THAT, UM, AT SOME POINT AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, UH, UNIVERSAL NOTICE, UH, WAS PULLED DOWN FROM, FROM THE INTERNET.
AND THIS WAS, UH, POINT OF TIME WAS LIKE JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, AND IT WAS WHEN WE WERE STARTING TO SORT OF GET THE BALL ROLLING AT AND AS WE HAD CONVERSATIONS, SO WHAT, UH, WE, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS HUD, UM, WHAT THEY INDICATED WAS THAT CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE RULES.
UM, THIS PLAN IS REPRESENTATIVE OF ONE THAT TAKES THE GUIDANCE THAT THEY GAVE US, UM, ON THE ABILITY TO SPEND THE MONEY QUICKLY AND SPEND IT ON, UH, ITEMS THAT CAN BE PUT WINS ON THE BOARD QUICKLY.
UM, AND IN A SCENARIO IN WHICH A, A WAIVER IS NEEDED, UM, THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH US ON IT.
NOW THE, THE POINT HERE, AND THIS IS WHAT I THINK YOU WERE ASKED, MAYBE I WAS, I THINK YOU'RE ASKING, UM, IS WHAT TYPE OF WAIVERS WOULD WE NEED? SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, A MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, MOST OF OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, I BELIEVE ARE IN WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AREA.
UM, BUT A LOT OF OUR LIFT STATIONS ARE NOT.
AND SO THE CONVERSATION AROUND LIFT STATIONS WITH GENERATORS IS THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT INSIDE, PHYSICALLY INSIDE OF A LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AREA, IT SERVES LOW TO MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS IN HOUSTON.
THAT IS THE TYPE OF THING THAT WE'D BE LOOKING AT GETTING A WAIVER FOR, UH, FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THE, UH, THE SECOND THING THAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, THE SECOND THING THAT I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS IS THE CONVERSATION AROUND, UM, BEING ABLE TO, TO GET THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR, UH, GET THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR QUICKLY.
UM, YES, THIS IS A SIX YEAR TIMELINE.
UM, WHAT I'LL SAY, AND MAYBE THIS IS WHERE DEREK IS GONNA LIKE THROW A SHOE AT ME, HOPEFULLY IT'S ALSO A SIX YEAR COMPLIANCE PERIOD.
AND SO WHILE WE, WE WILL BE FRONTLOADING THE EXPENDITURES TO PAY FOR THE ITEMS QUICKLY, GENERATOR, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THERE ARE YEARLY CHECKS THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS TO DO FOR SIX YEARS, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
FIVE YEARS AFTER COMPLETION, FIVE YEARS AFTER COMPLETION.
AND SO THAT IS ALSO PART OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COST THAT GOES INTO, IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY'RE SO CONCERNED ABOUT A 5% CAP BECAUSE EVEN BEYOND THE, THE MONEY BEING SPENT, THEY STILL HAVE TO EAT COST AND GOING OUT AND VALIDATING THAT THESE THINGS ARE STILL BEING USED.
AND THEN FINALLY, TO YOUR POINT, UH, NO, IT DOES NOT COVER THE M AND O, UM, UH, FOR THE VEHICLES THAT ARE PURCHASED.
UH, BUT AS YOU, AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE, RIGHT, THE, THE LARGEST COST THAT WE INCUR IS THE CAPEX ON THIS STUFF, RIGHT? AN AMBULANCE IS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 250 TO $300,000.
UM, I COULD TELL YOU JUST BECAUSE THESE ARE THINGS THAT FLOAT AROUND IN MY HEAD, THE AVERAGE COST TO TAR, UH, TURN ON A, UH, TO TURN ON A FIRE TRUCK, UH, AND THIS IS SPREAD OUT WITH GAS AND OIL AND MAINTENANCE OVER THE LIFE OF IT IS ABOUT 400 BUCKS EACH TIME YOU TURN IT ON.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ABSOLUTELY ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE ABSORBED INTO THE, THE GENERAL FUND.
THE LARGE BIGGEST COST IS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE PAYING FOR, WHICH IS THE CAPEX.
I'D LIKE TO ADD A FEW OTHER ITEMS TO THAT.
ONE IS, UH, THE BIGGEST ITEM IN HERE, AS YOU KNOW, IS GENERATORS.
AND SHOUT OUT TO ANGELA BLANCHARD.
SHE'S PUTTING TOGETHER THE PROPOSALS FOR THIS.
THOSE GENERATORS WILL INCLUDE MAINTENANCE ON THAT MM-HMM
RATHER THAN HAVE THE CITY MAINTAIN IT.
WE'LL HAVE THAT AS PART OF THE PROCESS.
THAT'S $70 MILLION FOR THE FIRST YEAR.
UH, WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO HAVE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR THIS, AND THIS $6 MILLION WILL PROBABLY BE, UH, PART OF THAT, UH, AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD.
THAT'S PART OF THE WORKING ISSUE.
THE LAST IS, UH, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME PERSONALLY, IS DOING A PROGRAM, DOING PROGRAMS LIKE THIS LOWERS THE RISK TO THE CITY FOR HAVING TO PAY FOR THIS DIRECTLY, NOT OUTTA REIMBURSEMENTS, UH, AND HAVING TO REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND AGAIN, I LOOK AT THIS AS THE TOTAL PACKAGE.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT DR 21, THE LAST YEARS OF DISASTER RELIEF, WHAT'S LEFT OF DR.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU PUT IN ON THIS.
UM, IT'S EXCITING TO GET THIS MUCH MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HELP US, UH, RECOVER.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE STORMS, I THINK, UH, REVEALED,
[01:50:01]
UM, SOME BIG PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD, UH, THAT WERE NOT OF OUR OWN MAKING THAT WE INHERITED.AND SO I UNDERSTAND, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD, GOOD THINGS IN HERE TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM GOING FORWARD.
THAT SAID, TON OF UNMET NEEDS.
I THINK IN THE, UH, ACTION PLAN, HUD IDENTIFIED $493 MILLION OF UNMET NEED AS A RESULT JUST OF THE TWO STORMS. UM, 46% OF WHICH WAS IN HOUSING.
AND AS WAS ALLUDED TO BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD.
UM, WE'RE GONNA SPEND ZERO OF THESE DOLLARS ON HOUSING NOW.
UM, DIRECTOR, YOU MENTIONED A FEW PROGRAMS WHERE WE COULD, UH, FIND SOME MONEY TO SPEND ON HOUSING NINE 19 MILLION FOR HOME HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE.
EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION FOR ASSISTANCE.
BUT WHAT ABOUT, UH, THOSE FOLKS WHO HAD ROOF DAMAGE IN, IN THE TWO STORMS LAST YEAR? YOU DRIVE AROUND DISTRICT B IN DISTRICT DA LOT OF BLUE TARPS AND, UH, WE ALL KNOW, UM, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THAT, UH, STILL TO BE, UH, HELPED TAKEN CARE OF.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT, UH, THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE, HAVE, STILL HAVE THOSE NEEDS? AND, AND DEREK CAN CORRECT ME ON THIS, MY UNDERSTANDING THE UNMET NEED COMES FROM FEMA, AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT FEMA DID DURING WITH THEIR DOLLARS, WITH THEIR DIRECT ALLOCATION TO HOMEOWNERS, IS FIX EMERGENCY SITUATIONS LIKE ROOFS OR PLUMBING THAT ARE, UH, SINGLE TO HELP PEOPLE LIVE IN THEIR HOMES.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS SOME OF THE USES FOR THE FEMA PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PIECE OF IT.
BUT THERE, WHAT THE FEMA SIDE DOES IS IT STABILIZES THE HOME.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE AREN'T ADDITIONAL NEEDS FOR THE LONG TERM FOR THAT HOME ITSELF.
SO IT MAKES SURE THAT THERE'S RUNNING WATER, THEY HAVE A, AN OPERATIONAL KITCHEN, UM, AND CAN ASSIST WITH THINGS LIKE PATCHING A ROOF, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA NECESSARILY MEAN IT'S A ROOF REPLACEMENT.
SO, I GUESS QUESTION REMAINS, CAN WE ALLOCATE SOME OF THIS, AT LEAST SOME OF THIS TO HELPING, UH, REPAIR THE ROOFS LONG TERM COUNCIL OVER? THE ANSWER IS YES, WE CAN.
UH, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH, UH, TWO FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIONS AND MULTIPLE ITERATIONS OF THE AGENCIES THAT REPORT TO THEM IS THAT THEY POINTED TO THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT NEXT MONTH OR WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, MIKE AND TEAM ARE GONNA BE BRINGING FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, THE FORM AND THE PLAN FOR DOING HOME REPAIRS FOR YURI FOUR YEARS LATER.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S POINT OF GETTING DIRECT ALLOCATION VERSUS FUNDING THAT FLOWS THROUGH A DIFFERENT DIFFERENT AGENCY IS, IS INTO IT.
BUT THE RISKIEST THING TO DO IS TO PUT THIS VERY RESTRICTIVE MONEY, UM, TOWARDS, UH, PROGRAMMING THAT HAS, UH, EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG REGULATIONS.
AND AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE, UH, WE ARE A GOVERNMENT.
AND WHEN WE SHOW UP TO REPAIR YOUR ROOF, IF WE SPOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS, THEY HAVE TO BE REPAIRED AS WELL.
AND SO THE COSTS SNOWBALL GREATLY.
AND SO WHILE SOMEONE SAYS, I JUST NEED A ROOF, IF WE WALK IN THERE WITH OUR CODE INSPECTORS AND WITH OUR PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO DO THE WORK, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FIX EVERY OTHER THING WE OBSERVE TO, TO HAVE DONE, WHICH IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE FINDING DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES TO CONTINUE PROGRAMMING LIKE THIS.
IT'S WHY WE'VE GOT PARTNERS LIKE THE, THE GREATER HOUSTON DISASTER ALLIANCE AND WHY WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH NONPROFITS ACROSS THE REGION, BECAUSE THEIR MONEY IS EASIER TO SPEND ON HOMES.
UM, FEMA THROUGH IA CAN GIVE YOU CASH.
AND SO THAT'S THE THING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS HERE, IS WE'RE TRYING TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT THE, THE FOLKS WHO ARE REG GOING TO REGULATE THE, THE SPEND OF THIS MONEY ARE ADVISING US ON.
AND THEN THE NEED, OBVIOUSLY THAT WE'RE HEARING ABOUT.
AND SO THE, THE VIEW THAT WE ARE TAKING ON THIS IS MORE HOLISTIC.
WE, WHEN MAYOR WHITMEYER CAME IN, THERE WAS NO QUESTION, I THINK TO ANYBODY HERE THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF CHALLENGES AROUND THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UM, WHAT WE FOUND WAS A WHOLE HOST OF, OF ISSUES.
THEY ARE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILDER.
THEY ALSO DO PROGRAMMING THAT HELPS TO, TO REVITALIZE THINGS AND, AND BE ABLE TO PUT STUFF WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS.
AND WITH MONEY LIKE CDBG, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, WE DO PUT MONEY TOWARDS HOUSING, BUT THIS PARTICULAR DISASTER FUNDING IS GONNA GO TOWARDS THINGS THAT MAKE SURE THAT HOUSTON CAN CON CONTINUE TO DELIVER SERVICES DURING A CATASTROPHIC DISASTER LIKE WE SAW WITH BERYL.
UM, JUST TO CLARIFY FOR THIS BODY, THE, UH, 41 MILLION FOR HOUSING, UM, IS THERE A PLAN TO USE THAT FOR SOME, UH, UH, TRANSITIONAL AND, AND TEMPORARY, UH, SUPPORT UNTIL WE HAVE THOSE CLEAR FOR WHETHER IT'S HUD VASH OR THE HCV, UM, ELIGIBLE? BECAUSE, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT TAKES SOMETIMES A WHILE.
SO THE, THE 41 MILLION FOR HOMELESSNESS
[01:55:01]
WILL, AGAIN, THE, THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT THIS TIME, WHICH IS NOT A HARD BUDGET, WE WANT IT AS GENERAL AS POSSIBLE, DOES HAVE DOLLARS FOR SHELTER.AND, UH, THAT'S THOSE, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST.
SO IT DOES HAVE DOLLARS FOR SHELTER, BUT AGAIN, THAT HAS TO COME BACK TO THIS BODY FOR APPROVAL.
UH, I THINK AS WE START TO LOOK AT THE, UH, ENCAMPMENTS AND, AND REALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE, THIS IS ESSENTIAL.
UM, THE, BECAUSE THAT IS THE MISSING PIECE, I THINK IS THE, UH, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.
SO THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER ON THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ITEM.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE ABOUT REPLENISHING VEGETATION THAT WAS LOST IN OUR STORMS? I DON'T THINK RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT AN ELEMENT OF THE, OF THE ACTION OF THE PROGRAM.
SO IT IS TRIMMING AND MAINTAINING CURRENT VEGETATION.
ANYTHING ELSE BEYOND THAT? AND, AND AGAIN, INCLUDING, INCLUDING OUR PIKE PARKS AND BIKEWAYS WOULD BE PART OF THAT TOO.
AND OF COURSE, WORKING WITH CENTERPOINT AS THEY HANDLE THEIRS AND OTHER UTILITY COMPANIES.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR EFFORTS AS WELL.
IT DOESN'T TAKE, OR IN ADDITION TO TAKE OVER, IN ADDITION TO.
UM, AND THEN ON, ON THE HOMELESSNESS ITEM, CAN YOU EXPAND MORE ON WHAT THE SERVICES, UH, AND ACTIVITIES ARE GONNA BE THAT, THAT ARE BUILT INTO THIS? I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESILIENCY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEBRIS REMOVAL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT ARE THE SPECIFICS THAT ARE, THAT ARE BUILT INTO THIS, THE ACTIVITIES, THE PROGRAM, SERVICE DELIVERIES, WHAT, WHAT WE'VE DONE THUS FAR.
AND, AND AS I'VE SAID, I WANT IT AS GENERAL AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT DEPENDS WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE COMING FROM AND YOU'LL GET TO APPROVE IT.
WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE THUS FAR BUDGETED ARE FOR SHELTER, UM, UM, SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND SOME PERMANENT HOUSING.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE THREE ITEMS, BUT IT'S VERY GENERAL.
AND WHEN, WHEN DO WE GET MORE OF THAT INFORMATION? UH, THE TWO TIMES WHEN YOU'LL GET MORE ON THE HOMELESSNESS AS WE BUILD OUT THE HOMELESSNESS PLAN AND WE KNOW WHAT ARE THE DOLLARS WE HAVE AND HOW WE CAN SPEND THEM, WHETHER THEY'RE PLANNING THEIR COC DOLLARS, WHETHER THEY'RE STATE MENTAL HEALTH DOLLARS, ALL OF THAT, AS YOU KNOW, IS HOW WE BRAID FUNDING TO GET INDIVIDUALS HOUSED, EITHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY ON HOMELESSNESS.
AS THESE PLANS COME, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT THESE PLANS ARE ON THE GENERATORS.
THEY'LL, YOU'LL SEE A GENERATOR PLAN, UH, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT EXACT TIMING AND SCHEDULES.
AND THEN ON, UH, PREVIOUS DOLLARS FOR PREVIOUS DISASTERS THAT ARE STILL BEING SPENT DOWN, ARE WE SPENDING ANY OF THAT MONEY ON HOME REPAIR? SO AS WAS MENTIONED, UH, THE, FOR THE YURI, UH, WINTER STORM YURI, THAT HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY OF, UH, 2021.
WE RECEIVED A GRANT AGREEMENT ON THAT AWARD.
WE DIDN'T GET THAT UNTIL JULY OF 2024.
AND EVEN THEN, WE, HUD DIDN'T PROVIDE THE DATA WE NEEDED TO KICK OFF OUR PROGRAMS THAT THOSE PROGRAMS WILL BE KICKING OFF TOWARDS THE END OF THE MONTH.
THERE'S SOME ITEMS COMING FROM SBD TO, TO APPROVE THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS ON IT.
IT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE LAST ELEMENTS THAT WE NEED.
UH, THAT ALSO HAS A REIMBURSEMENT ASPECT OF UP TO $10,000 FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE STORM.
UH, WE HAVE A REGULAR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM THAT, UH, WE'RE OPERATING.
WE ARE, WE HAVE A LIST THAT'S SET AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT LIST RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND OUR ENTITLEMENT BUDGET TO FINISH OUT THAT LIST THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW IN PROGRESS, THERE'S 45 HOMES BEING ASSISTED THROUGH THAT PIECE.
SO OF THE $50 MILLION WE RECEIVED IN DR 21, OVER 40 MILLION IS GOING TO HOME REPAIR.
UH, ABOUT 5 MILLION GENERATORS.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, LIKE ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAD MENTIONED, I'M SO GLAD THAT WE GOT A DIRECT ALLOCATION.
I THINK IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER FOR US TO SPEND THE MONEY THE WAY THAT WE NEED TO.
UM, AND THIS IS NOT MAYBE AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW A BIT BETTER OF HOW WE MADE THE DETERMINATION OF, UM, OF WHAT AREAS WE WERE GONNA TACKLE FIRST.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET THAT INFORMATION AT SOME POINT.
ALSO, WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY, SO A GOOD THING, A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, ABLE TO BE SPENT WITHIN THE CITY, UM,
[02:00:01]
BASED ON THE DRAINAGE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UM, UM, SPEND AND THIS MONEY AS WELL.UM, WHERE ARE WE WITH CAPACITY AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ALL SMALL AND LARGE BUSINESSES ARE A PART OF THIS PROCESS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MOVE THIS MONEY AND MOVE AND SHOVEL READY, PRO SHOVEL READY, UM, PROJECTS FIRST.
AND THEN THE FINAL QUESTION I HAVE IS, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL MANY PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAT HAVE NOT RECOVERED FROM HARVEY, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY DEVASTATED AND UNFORTUNATE.
UM, WHAT CAN YOU, WHAT, WHAT CAN YOU SAY, UM, REGARDING THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE STILL STUCK, UM, NOT BEING ABLE TO GET ASSISTANCE FROM A STORM THAT HAPPENED, UM, ALMOST A DECADE AGO? THANK YOU, COUNCILOR, FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
UH, WHAT I'LL DO IS I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND ANSWER THE, UH, THE MIDDLE QUESTION FIRST, AND THEN I'LL ASK, UH, MIKE AND TEAM TO ANSWER THE LAST QUESTION.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE.
THE, THE THING THAT IS, UH, CRITICAL ABOUT, UM, THE WAY IN WHICH WE'RE PLANNING, THE WAY THAT ANGELA HAS BEEN PLANNING FOR THE PURCHASING OF THE GENERATORS AND THE INSTALLATION OF THE GENERATORS IS WE, SHE WORKED DIRECTLY WITH DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, UM, TO UNDERSTAND WHICH ARE OUR CRITICAL DEPLOYMENT FACILITIES.
WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED FIRE STATIONS ACROSS THE CITY.
WE CAN'T PUT GENERATORS IN ALL OF THEM.
WHICH ONES ARE OUR TOP FACILITIES FOR DEPLOYMENT PURPOSES? SAME THING WITH POLICE STATIONS, SAME THING WITH MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS, ALTHOUGH WE PICKED ALL OF THEM.
UM, BUT THERE ARE, WE ASKED PUBLIC WORKS TO IDENTIFY LIFT STATIONS THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THINGS STILL FLOW? UM, WHAT ANGELA DID WAS, WAS KIND OF A BRILLIANT MOVE, IS IN PLANNING WHILE THEY WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WAIVERS AND COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THIS IS TO YOUR POINT ABOUT QUESTION ABOUT WAIVERS.
WHILE WE WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WAIVERS, WE WENT AHEAD AND DID A, UH, PROCESS IN WHICH WE PUT AN RFP OUT FOR GENERATORS, UH, THAT FOLLOWED STATE, UH, PROCUREMENT LAWS.
AND THEN WE PUT A, UH, RFP OUT FOR GENERATORS THAT FOLLOWED FEDERAL PROCUREMENT LAWS.
AS YOU'LL KNOW, FEDERAL PROCUREMENT IS AN EX A VERY RESTRICTIVE PROCESS.
IT'S A VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS THAT REQUIRES A TON OF DUE DILIGENCE AND ADD IN, IN NU SOME INSTANCES, 12 TO 18 MONTHS FOR THE PURCHASES OF DOING IT.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND SO BY DOING THOSE TWO THINGS, WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO COVER ALL OF OUR BASES IN THE EVENT IN WHICH WE HAVE TO FOLLOW FEDERAL PROCUREMENT LAWS.
BUT COUNCIL MEMBER REP, POLLARD, TO YOUR POINT, WE ARE ASKING, WE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR THINGS LIKE WAIVERS ON THIS.
COULD WE FOLLOW STATE PROCUREMENT LAW INSTEAD OF FEDERAL? DO YOU HAVE FAITH IN THE WAY THE STATE OF TEXAS REQUIRES US TO DO OUR PROCUREMENT? SO THO IN THOSE WAYS, THAT'S EXACTLY COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER HOW WE WANT TO GET THESE THINGS OFF THE GROUND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AGAIN, AND THIS IS A, A THING THAT EVERYBODY, WE THANK EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL FOR APPROVING.
UM, WE WANNA MOVE AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS WE WERE ABLE TO DO WITH, UH, CASHMERE, WHERE WE'RE EXPECTING, AGAIN, AN OCTOBER 25, UH, LAUNCH OF THE FULL FACILITY GENERATOR TO MAKE IT A TRUE RESILIENCE HUB.
AND THEN I THINK THERE WAS A THIRD QUESTION.
YEAH, CAN'T, WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS THE THIRD QUESTION, DR.
PLUMMER? UM, OH, WELL, THE, THE LAST THIRD QUESTION WAS THE HARVEY, THE HARVEY QUESTION REGARD REGARDING PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL HAVING A REALLY ROUGH TIME AND HAVE A RECOVERY FULLY FROM, FROM HARVEY REPAIRS AND REBUILDS.
AGAIN, WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE DOLLARS, UM, AND MAKE SURE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
ON YOUR QUESTION ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES, WE OF COURSE, FOLLOW ALL THE CITY AND AND FEDERAL RULES ON, UH, MWBE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND, AND MANAGE THAT COUNT.
UM, LOOK, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, 315 $60 MILLION IS NOTHING TO SNEEZE OVER.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE DO NEED.
UM, AND I DO APPRECIATE HOW WE'RE TAKING THESE DOLLARS, UH, THIS GO AROUND.
UH, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS.
HAVE Y'ALL BEEN ABLE TO TAKE STOCK ON, ON THE HOMES THAT WERE DAMAGED DURING DERECHO AND BARROW? UM, AND TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU KNOW, OR DO Y'ALL KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS ANY OF THEIR ISSUES WITH THEIR INSURANCE, OR ARE THEY STILL LEANING INTO, UH, POSSIBLY FEDERAL DOLLARS? AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, UH, KNOWING THAT WE'RE NOT FOCUSING AS MUCH ON HOUSING HERE, HOW MANY OF THOSE HOMES ARE D 21 THAT GOT DAMAGED AGAIN, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF? SO WHAT WE HAVE IS THE, THE FEMA PUBLIC AS, UH, INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE LIST.
THAT'S DATA THAT, THAT WE WERE PROVIDED.
AND SO WE GET TO SEE SOME OF THE IMPACT FROM THE STORMS. WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS HOW MANY HAD THEIR CONCERNS RESOLVED, THAT INFORMATION'S NOT INCLUDED, MUCH LESS THE SOURCES THEY MAY HAVE USED TO RESOLVE THOSE CONCERNS.
AT THIS TIME, WE HAVEN'T DONE A CROSS SECTION BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
WE KIND OF GOT THOSE, THE DATA SETS FOR BOTH AROUND THE SAME TIME.
AND THIS, OF COURSE, GETTING THIS PLAN OUT IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD RECOMMENDATION TO SEE WHERE THE OVERLAP MAY BE.
[02:05:01]
HOW MANY PEOPLE KIND OF WERE IMPACTED BY BOTH, AT LEAST BY RAISING THEIR HAND AND SAYING THEY WERE IMPACTED BY BOTH.SO, SO, UH, I I DEFINITELY WANNA JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT, RIGHT, THE HOUSING ASPECT, UH, AND HOW WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HELP ADDRESS, UM, ESPECIALLY THE HOMES THAT SAW THE MOST DAMAGE, UM, HOW WE CAN BE HELPFUL.
UH, AGAIN, I DO WANT TO JUST DEFINITELY GET KUDOS.
I THINK POWER GENERATION IS IMPORTANT.
UM, IF I COULD HAVE MY COMMUNITY CENTERS, 'CAUSE I ONLY HAVE ONE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, BUT IF I CAN HAVE NATE PARK COMMUNITY CENTERS, LIBRARIES OPEN, UM, THEN WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO SEE WHERE WE CAN FIND SOME HELP FOR RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE DISTRICT.
I DO ALSO WANNA, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC FACILITY DOLLARS, THE 56.5 MILLION, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT EMERGENCY VEHICLES, UM, I THINK THE VEGETATION DEBRIS REMOVAL VEHICLE EQUIPMENT FALLS UNDER THE MITIGATION PUBLIC SERVICE, WHICH IS 8.2.
I REALLY, I THINK, AT LEAST FROM MY EXPERIENCE THIS PAST YEAR, UH, THE DEBRIS REMOVAL WAS PRIORITY.
UH, MY, I GET THE AMBULANCES, UH, I, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING WITHOUT AMBULANCE FOR SIX HOURS, THAT, THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDRESS.
BUT IF THOSE AMBULANCE CAN'T MOVE THROUGH, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE THERE'S TREES DOWN, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN INCREASE THE NUMBER OF, UH, SOLID WASTE VEHICLES.
I'VE SHARED THAT WITH YOU ALL.
UM, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, I'M SURE THAT DIRECTOR WOULD APPRECIATE AS WELL, BECAUSE POST HARVEY OR HARVEY IS ACTUALLY, I FEEL LIKE IT'S WAS THAT CRITICAL POINT WHERE OUR HEAVY TRASH VEHICLES REALLY TOOK A HIT.
THEY'RE RUNNING 24 7, UM, AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECOUP THAT ASPECT OF, OF, OF A BASIC SERVICE NOW BECAUSE OF IT.
UH, BUT I, I'D LOVE TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UM, INCLUDE MORE DOLLARS FOR, UH, VEGETATION DEBRIS REMOVAL, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT.
UM, NOT AS MUCH TO THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES, UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES, BUT IF YOU CAN'T GET AROUND TOWN, UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
I I LOVE YOUR QUESTION THE WAY YOU SAID IT, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING TODAY, AND WHAT'S GONNA BE ASKED OF YOU ON THE 25TH IS, UH, AND WHAT, WHAT I AM ASKING FOR IS GIVE YOU AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AS POSSIBLE SO WE CAN DO THINGS AS WE COME UP.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M LEARNING ABOUT MORE RECENTLY IS THAT THERE ALREADY THAT SOME ADDITIONAL POLICE VEHICLE VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN BOUGHT, MAYBE THAT REDUCES SOME OF THE NUMBERS.
ALL THAT IS ABSOLUTELY IN PLAY IN, IN GIVING THIS FLEXIBILITY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR PRIORITIES.
A BIG PICTURE, UH, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN IS, UH, WE HAD $650 MILLION FROM HARVEY TO SPEND.
UH, THE ORIGINAL NUMBER WAS 1,000,000,003.
YES, IT WAS SMALLER ISSUES, BUT SMALLER NUMBER.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS.
I LIKE THIS PLAN BECAUSE IT MAKES HARD DECISIONS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESENTERS.
I REALLY JUST WANNA SHARE WITH THE BODY AND THOSE THAT ARE, THAT ARE WATCHING AND LISTENING.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF I WANT TO CRY OR LAUGH AT THIS PROPOSAL BECAUSE WHAT I'M WITNESSING IS OUR CITY, UH, BREAK A PROMISE AROUND HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY.
AND I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO SOME COMMENTARY THAT WAS MENTIONED AROUND DR 21.
WE JUST RECEIVED THE DOLLARS IN 2024.
SO THE, THE DELAY HAS, IS NOT INCUMBENT UPON THE CITY.
THAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND I'M ALSO CURIOUS WHY THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION WOULD CAUTION US WITH INVESTING IN HOUSING REPAIR WHEN THE ORIGINAL ALLOCATION WAS 20 MILLION AND THEY ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 30 FOR $50 MILLION, WHICH SPEAKS TO THE CONFIDENCE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THIS CITY.
UM, I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THIS FALSE EQUIVALENCY OF, LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER HERE WITH HOUSING.
LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THERE.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO INVEST IN IT HERE.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THIS BODY WOULD CHALLENGE IF WE OFFERED THAT FOR POLICE.
COULD WE SAY THAT WE INVESTED ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS IN POLICE, SO WE DON'T NEED TO DO IT AGAIN.
IN FIVE YEARS, WE OFFERED A BILLION TO FIRE.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT AGAIN.
AND I THINK WHEN IT'S TIME FOR HOUSING, UH, THAT IS ALWAYS UP FOR NEGOTIATION.
AND I HAVE A, A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I, I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO, IN THE MIDST OF JUNE, WHICH IS HOME OWNERSHIP MONTH AND ALSO HURRICANE MONTH, UH, THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO THE CITY, TO THOSE WHO, UM, EXPERIENCED DAMAGE DUR DURING BARREL AND DURING DERECHO, THAT THEIR PAIN IS NOT OUR PRIORITY.
UH, NATURAL DISASTERS COME WITH A BURDEN AND A BLESSING.
UH, THE BURDEN IS THE RECOVERY.
THE BLESSING IS THE FUNDING WE RECEIVE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO
[02:10:01]
TRANSFORMATIONAL THINGS.17 AND I SAW BILL KELLY SITTING IN THE BACK, WHO HE'S GONE.
BUT, UM, HIS WORK AROUND THAT DR.
17 AND MAKING SURE HOUSTON RECEIVED THE RIGHT ALLOCATION FROM GLO IS WORTH NOTING.
UM, AND THE PREVIOUS TURNER ADMINISTRATION, IT'S NOTING BECAUSE UP TO 11,000 UNITS OF AFFORDABILITY WERE DEVELOPED IN THIS CITY, WITHOUT THOSE FUNDS, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT.
SO THIS ADMINISTRATION IS WILLING TO TELL A STORY.
UM, BUT I WANNA OFFER AN, AN ALTERNATIVE STORY.
I HAVE, UH, PRINTED OUT A COUPLE OF ARTICLES IN 2024.
WE TALK ABOUT, UH, AFFORDABILITY IN THE CITY, HOME AFFORDABILITY IN HOUSTON.
AND HARRIS COUNTY SEES SHARP DECLINE.
THIS IS IN 2024, ON THE BACKSIDE OF IT, ANOTHER REPUTABLE SOURCE, NATIONAL REPORT.
HOUSTON METRO IS SECOND WORST FOR PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS IN 2024, RIGHT BEFORE BARREL.
SO FOR US TO SIT HERE AND SAY, AND TELL ANOTHER STORY ABOUT THE DATA, WHEN WE KNOW THAT AFFORDABILITY IS SLIPPING THROUGH OUR HANDS, I AM, IT IS NO SECRET THAT I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF ALLOCATING $0 OF HOUSING AND $0 OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, MANY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND MICRO BUSINESSES THROUGH THREE TO FOUR, UM, UH, EMPLOYEES WORKING THEIR BUSINESS SHUT DOWN.
WE TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY IN THE FOOD, AND OOH, YOU HAVE ALL THE GREAT FOOD, BUT THESE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT POWER OUR ECONOMY ARE MISSING OUT ON OPPORTUNITIES TO STABILIZE THEMSELVES.
AND I THINK IT'S UNFAIR, AND I THINK WE'RE NOT IN INTEGRITY WITH WHAT WE'RE SAYING IN THIS CITY.
MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS BEEN ON RECORD SAYING HE WANTS TO MAKE HOUSTON THE MOST AFFORDABLE CITY.
THEN WHY WOULD THE ADMINISTRATION OFFER SOMETHING COUNTER TO HIS WORD? SO EITHER SOMEBODY'S LYING OR SOMEONE'S NOT TELLING THE TRUTH.
LASTLY, LET ME SAY THAT THIS PROPOSAL IS SHORTSIGHTED BECAUSE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WITH THE CONTROLLER'S REPORT.
IT'S POLITICALLY SHORTSIGHTED.
WE'RE GONNA COME TO TAXPAYERS IN AUGUST HOUSTONIANS AND SAY, WE NEED MORE MONEY FROM YOU.
THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO VOTE.
THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO PAY TAXES ALREADY, BUT YET THEY HAVE A BLUE TARP ON THEIR HOME.
AND WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO THEM AND SAY, BUT GIVE US SOME MORE OF YOUR MONEY.
BUT WHEN WE GET THEIR MONEY BACK IN TERMS OF A FEDERAL ALLOCATION, WE SAY WE HAVE A DIFFERENT PRIORITY.
SO I, I AM NOT IN SUPPORT OF THIS PLAN.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT OWES THIS BODY AN ITEMIZATION OF THE WAIVERS, UM, WHAT YOU PLAN ON SPENDING SO THEY CAN ARTICULATE FOR THEMSELVES.
UM, AND THEN I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER POLISH'S POINT, UH, CDBG DOLLARS ARE NOT ALLOWABLE FOR OPERATIONAL MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT.
THAT'S NOT AN ALLOWABLE EXPENSE.
SO TO SAY THAT, OH, THE CITY WON'T ENCUMBER THAT, THAT'S FALSE.
AND SO I THINK, UH, BEFORE THIS DOCUMENT CAN COME, BEFORE THIS BODY, AND WE CAN HAVE ACTUALLY REAL CLEAR AND HONEST DEBATE ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD IN DISASTER, THIS BODY DESERVES FULL TRANSPARENCY, REAL INFORMATION, UM, TO, TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
I THINK OF PEOPLE LIKE, I KNOW THERE WAS A COMMENT SHE WAS TALKING TO, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE KINDER STUDY, AND SHE SAID, MAYBE Y'ALL ALL STAY IN FANCY HOUSES.
AND I LIKE SMIRKED BECAUSE I LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF A, A CENSUS TRACK, UM, THAT MEETS ALL OF THESE REQUIREMENTS.
AND PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT HAD SIX ROOF LEAKS IN THEIR HOME, PEOPLE LIKE MY FATHER, WHEN THE, THE ROOF FELL IN ON HIS HOME, UH, WE ARE LEFT OUT OF THIS, UH, MY INSURANCE COMPANY LEFT MY WHOLE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER BARREL.
THEY LEFT ME, THEY DROPPED ME.
NOT ONLY THAT I WAS PAYING, I HAD THE WRONG POLICY FOR A YEAR AND WAS PAYING MORE ON MY MORTGAGE BECAUSE OF THEIR OVERSIGHT.
AND SO I, THE, TO LISTEN TO THIS AND TO KNOW THAT, UM, CITY GOVERNMENT, PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO WORK EVERY DAY AND TRUSTING US TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES, TO ADVOCATE FOR ME, ARE CHOOSING TO DO DIFFERENTLY.
UM, I'M GRATEFUL TO THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE RALLYING AROUND THIS.
AND, AND LET ME ALSO SAY THAT I AM NOT AGAINST THE PROPOSAL IN TOTALITY.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME VERY MEANINGFUL THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN.
BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA MISS AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO INVEST IN AFFORDABILITY, INVENTORY AND STABILITY IN OUR CITY.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED TO DO TO PURCHASE THAT FIRST HOME, TO KEEP THAT HOME.
AND THEN NOW MAY ACTUALLY HAVE THE QUESTION OF, DO I LEAVE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD? DO I LEAVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF THESE DISASTERS AND I'M TIRED OF BEING TOLD NO WHEN MY FEDERAL TAX DOLLAR RETURNS UNTO ME.
SO FOR THAT, IN THIS FORM, I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS, UH, PROPOSAL.
[02:15:01]
AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, MADAM CHAIR, UM, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REAL DEBATE.COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UH, HARD TO FOLLOW THAT.
UH, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS TO, TO GO BACK TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, THAT HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTISE IN THIS REALM REGARDING PUBLIC COMMENT.
IS THERE GONNA BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL COMMENT OR DISCUSSION OR DEBATE ON THIS PRIOR TO VOTE? OR IS THIS, THIS ONE HEARING ON THIS? MY UNDERSTANDING, THIS IS THE HEARING ON THIS, THAT IT WOULD GO TO COUNCIL ON THE 25TH.
AND ONCE, SO IS THIS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK TO SEE IF CHANGES CAN BE INCLUDED, UH, PRIOR TO THAT VOTE OR IN WRITING? 'CAUSE WE'RE, AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT AND YOUR COMMENTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
AND AGAIN, I, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD US ON THE CONCERNS AROUND HOUSING, UH, ALLOCATIONS FOR REPAIRS.
AND I HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, AND I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THE ADMINISTRATION AS A WHOLE, NOT YOU DIRECTOR.
I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOESN'T WANNA BITE OFF MORE THAN IT CAN CHEW IN TERMS OF HOUSING REPAIR PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, ARE THERE WAYS TO DO ALLOCATIONS TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS? UH, AND I DON'T WANNA SHARE BIAS OR PREFERENCE.
THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE, BUT GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-I-O, UH, IS I BELIEVE STANDING UP A HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
OR THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD TAKE THAT ON WITH FUNDING MADE AVAILABLE BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE REPAIRS IF IT'S NOT BEST FOR US AS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY TO GO IN.
UM, AND THEN REGARDING, CAN YOU EXPLAIN, JUST VERY QUICKLY, I'M NOT OPPOSED NECESSARILY TO THE MAYOR'S HOMELESSNESS PLAN, AND I KNOW WE NEED DOLLARS FOR THAT, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE TIE IN? BECAUSE FOR ME, ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS HOW DO WE PREVENT FOLKS FROM ENDING UP IN HOMELESSNESS? SO IF WE'RE NOT, UH, USING DOLLARS TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES, IN THEIR APARTMENTS, UH, WE'RE CREATING A BIGGER ISSUE.
SO I'LL SPEAK ON THE OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION FIRST.
ON THE HOME REPAIR SIDE, IT IS ALLOWABLE TO DO THAT WITH CDBG FUNDING TO CHOOSE OR SELECT, UH, SUBRECIPIENTS THROUGH A NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY, SAY, TO DO THAT ACTIVITY.
UH, THE CITY DID AT A POINT IN TIME WHEN I STARTED HERE 20 YEARS AGO, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT HUD HAD JUST DONE A MONITORING OF THE CITY.
THEY WERE DOING THOSE PROGRAMS, AND IT RESULTED IN ABOUT 40 FINDINGS, UM, PRIMARILY RELATED TO THOSE PROGRAMS. UH, THE OVERSIGHT, UH, IT TAKES A LOT OF OVERSIGHT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO DO THE INCOME ELIGIBILITY AND DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
THEY HAVE TO DO WRITE-UPS ON THE HOME THEMSELVES AND ENSURE THEY'RE ADEQUATELY, UH, DOING THAT TYPE OF WORK TO DOCUMENT IT.
THEY HAVE OVERSIGHT OF INSPECTIONS, SO IT'S INSPECTION TEAMS AND CONTRACTORS.
AND IT'S A LOT TO PUT ON SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT IN A FEDERALLY COMPLIANT WAY.
UH, THE, THE WAY WE'VE DONE THAT SINCE THEN IS TO UTILIZE NON-FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THAT PURPOSE.
UH, YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO THESE FUNDS, AGAIN, WHEN I SAID THEY'RE EXPENSIVE TO USE, UM, GENERALLY MANY OF THE HOMES THAT WE DEAL WITH HAVE TO BE REBUILT AT THE TUNE OF THREE, $270,000, $240,000.
SO THESE ARE BIG NUMBERS, WHICH MEANS NOT MANY PEOPLE GET HELP.
THE OTHER FUNDS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, WE COULD USE THAT IN THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE THINKING OF.
UH, YOUR, YOUR OTHER QUESTION WAS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS.
AND I'M, I TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.
WE MADE A DECISION AS A, AS A COMMUNITY IN 2012 TO MAKE SURE THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE WERE HOUSED FIRST.
AND THAT MEANS, AND WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS.
ALMOST 30,000 PEOPLE HOUSED SINCE 2012 WITH AN 85% SUCCESS RATE.
WE'VE HAD OTHER PROGRAMS DURING COVID, WE HAD A HUGE RENT PROGRAM.
IT, IT COST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS, AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON WHERE YOU CAN IMPACT PEOPLE AND ISSUES.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING.
AND MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE MAYOR HAS ME HERE AS A BUSINESSMAN.
I KNOW MY LIFE IS, YOU HAD TO MAKE DECISIONS IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND THE DECISION THAT YOU MADE IS A COMMUNITY, IS TO WORK ON THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE FIRST GET YOU ON THE EVICTION ISSUE.
IF YOU WANNA TAKE PART OF THE MONEY THAT WE DO ON HOMELESSNESS AND DO IT TO EVICTION, YOU'RE GONNA HOUSE HALF AS MANY PEOPLE.
AND I WASN'T SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO EVICTION.
I HAVE HOMES THAT STILL HAVE TREES DOWN IMPACTING THE SIDE OF THEIR HOUSE RIGHT NOW.
UH, WHEN THEY BECOME UNLIVABLE,
[02:20:02]
THEY CAN END UP IN HOMELESSNESS.I, I THINK THE MONEY ALLOCATED TO HOMELESSNESS IS, IS A GOOD, IS ONE OF THE POSITIVES ABOUT THIS PLAN.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION THOUGH.
UH, IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR QUICK WINS, AS YOU'D MENTIONED BEFORE, I NOTICED THE FUNDING FOR THE HOMELESSNESS IS A SIX YEAR SPEND DOWN, IF I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SPEND MORE OF THE HOMELESSNESS DOLLARS, UH, IN YEAR ONE OR IN THE FIRST PART OF THE, THE PROGRAM? ABSOLUTELY.
AND, AND SO WHY, WHY WAS, UH, SIX YEARS, UH, SELECTED? THE, THE PROGRAM ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE THIS TIME PERIOD TO GET THINGS DONE.
AND THAT ONE BUDGET WAS A SIX YEAR BUDGET.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THE GENERATORS ARE MUCH SHORTER BUDGET.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT WAS THE REASON.
AND WE WANT TO, AND AGAIN, SUSTAINABILITY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, UH, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ AND TO THE MAYOR.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN HOMELESSNESS IS A SUSTAINABLE PROGRAM, NOT A PROGRAM THAT BURNS OUT IN A YEAR OR TWO.
LAST, LAST TOPIC, UH, WOULD BE IN, IN PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS WE HAD, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM, UH, GIVING US SOME MORE DETAILS ON, ON WHERE GENERATORS MIGHT BE LOCATED, MIGHT BE PLACED, UM, HOW MANY WE MIGHT HAVE, SAME WITH REGARD TO VEHICLES.
UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF HOW MANY AMBULANCES DO WE THINK WE'D BE ABLE TO OBTAIN AND SO FORTH.
SO ANY, ANY FURTHER DETAILS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED TO COUNCIL MEMBERS I THINK MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THAT REGARD.
JUST TO MAKE SURE I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, UH, QUESTIONS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES, UH, O AND M COSTS ON THE BACKEND AND CAPEX YOU WANT TO BREAK OUT OF THOSE RIGHT.
AND, AND GEN GENERATORS AS AS WELL? OKAY.
WELL, FOR GENERATORS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A SIMPLER CONVERSATION.
THE, UH, THE O AND M WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE COST OF THE GENERATORS.
SO THE EXPECTATION, UH, AND I'M GOING TO FEEL THE WRATH, ANGELA, IF I GET THIS WRONG, BUT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO DO 20 TO 25 YEAR DEALS ON THIS WHERE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FOR THE GENERATOR IS GOING TO BE INCLUDED FOR THE LIFE OF THE GENERATOR.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A SURPRISE, BUT, UH, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE IS THE LOVE LANGUAGE OF THE CITY, AND THESE ARE CRITICAL ASSETS THAT WE JUST CAN'T, UH, EXPECT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ON.
UM, I'M STILL LOST ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN HOMELESSNESS AND THIS PLAN.
UM, THE WEATHER IS, IS PERFECT OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW, WE STILL FACE HOMELESSNESS, RIGHT? SO THE STORM DIDN'T CAUSE HOMELESSNESS AND THE STORM OUTSIDE OF MAYBE SOME SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES, DIDN'T MAKE MORE PEOPLE HOMELESS.
SO HOMELESSNESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE, RIGHT? THE MAYOR CAME OUT WITH HIS HOMELESS INITIATIVE SOMETIME LAST YEAR AND PUT THE $70 MILLION PRICE TAG ON THE FIRST YEAR.
HE ALSO SAID, WE'LL HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR IT.
NOW WE HAVE A COUPLE STORMS, WE GET SOME FEDERAL MONEY, WE CAN TAKE SOME MONEY FROM THIS AND THEN PUT IT TOWARDS THE HOMELESS INITIATIVES.
SO IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT MONEY WAS REALLY, THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THIS DOES NOT SEEM LIKE IT WOULD TIE DIRECTLY TO HOMELESSNESS.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE USING MONEY FROM THIS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE MONEY FOR THE HOMELESSNESS, RIGHT? BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF THIS, THESE STORMS OR NOT, WE STILL WERE FACED WITH THE HOMELESS ISSUE.
SO MY POINT IS, IT SEEMS AS IF ONCE WE GET THESE DOLLARS, THEY ARE BASED ON DAMAGES FROM THE EVENT, DAMAGES FROM THE STORM.
SO WE SHOULD BE SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS ON FIXING THE DAMAGES.
SAME THING AS WE TALK ABOUT IN HG, THEY SURVEY OUR AREA.
HOUSTON IS KNOWN FOR GETTING MOST OF THE DAMAGE, BUT THEN THE DAMAGE MONEY DOESN'T COME TO HOUSTON.
SO I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE ARE ALLOCATING DOLLARS THROUGH THIS PLAN, THAT THERE IS A CLEAR NEXUS BETWEEN THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE STORM, AND THEN THE ALLOCATION OF DOLLARS FOR WHATEVER ITEMS WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD.
AND IT SEEMS AS IF WITH HOMELESSNESS, WE'RE TRYING TO PLUG A HOLE IN OUR HOMELESSNESS ISSUE BY USING SOME OF THESE DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THAT PLAN WHEN THE, WHEN THE STORM DIDN'T ACTUALLY CAUSE THE HOMELESSNESS.
UM, UH, IF I CAN HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTARIES, UH,
[02:25:01]
YOU, YOU GOT HALFWAY THERE, YOU HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A MISINTERPRETATION.SO THERE IS A, IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS THAT THERE MUST BE DIRECT OR INDIRECT IMPACT, UM, FROM THE STORM AND DAMAGES.
UH, SPECIFICALLY I BELIEVE IN THE CONTEXT OF TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, UH, IS ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN, UH, JUSTIFY THE, THE ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES, UH, INCLUDE PLANNING, ADMIN, HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SERVICES, ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION, AND MITIGATION, ALL OF WHICH FALL WITHIN THAT.
THE, THE, THE POINT THAT I WOULD MAKE, UM, AND THIS IS EXCELLENT FEEDBACK, RIGHT? THIS IS, WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING THIS FEEDBACK.
AGAIN, THIS IS A STARTING POINT.
UM, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATED, UH, WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS HAD TO SAY, UM, THE, WE ARE TAKING HER FEEDBACK.
UM, THE, THE THING THAT I WOULD ARGUE IS THAT, UM, HOMELESSNESS IS BOTH AN INDIRECT AND A DIRECT IMPACT.
UM, HAD DIRECT IMPACT ON THE ABILITY TO, TO PROVIDE SERVICES, RIGHT? LOOK NO FURTHER THAN, UH, WARMING, OR EXCUSE ME, COOLING CENTERS.
UM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD, IF WE WOULD'VE HAD COOLING CENTERS, UM, WE WOULD'VE SEEN HOMELESS POPULATION GO, UH, WITHIN THOSE COOLING CENTERS AND WE WOULD'VE BEEN SERVING THEM.
UM, POLICE AND FIRE HAVE TO SERVE THEM AS WELL, RIGHT? THEY'RE PART OF THE TRANSPORT NETWORK.
WE HAVE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAMS THAT DIRECTLY, UH, COMMUNICATE AND INTERACT.
WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF, OF APPARATUS AND INFRASTRUCTURE BUREAUCRACY THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED, UM, TO, TO INTERACT AND, AND INTEGRATE WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
AND IT BECOMES AN EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH RISK, RIGHT? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE KNOW IS THAT, UH, IF SOMEONE IS IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THEY CAN CALL 9 1 1.
THAT IS NOT THE CASE FOR EVERY HOMELESS PERSON.
AND SO THERE IS A VERY HIGH RISK FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE DURING DISASTERS, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE THE FIRST ONES THAT ARE FORGOTTEN.
UM, AND SO TO YOUR POINT, I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A DIRECT TIE IN.
UH, I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR BELIEVES THAT.
I KNOW THAT MIKE BELIEVES THAT, THAT THERE'S A DIRECT TIE IN TO, UH, HOMELESSNESS AND DISASTERS IN OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE GET THE APPROPRIATE FOLKS.
I MEAN, IF YOU GO, YOU, YOU KNOW THIS, RIGHT? YOU GO TO ANY PORTION OF HOUSTON AND YOU HAVE A, A CONVERSATION WITH THESE 3000 FOLKS WHO ARE, UH, SORT OF THE, THE LAST REMAINING GROUP OF PEOPLE, UM, WHO ARE HOMELESS, A THOUSAND OF WHICH, OR A LITTLE OVER A THOUSAND OF WHICH ARE UNSHELTERED HOMELESS, RIGHT? THE DIFFERENCE AND THE DISTINCTION THAT, UH, MIKE MADE EARLIER IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS, BUT KNOW HOW TO GET TO SHELTERS AND KNOW HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE SHELTERS.
AND THEN THERE ARE A THOUSAND THAT JUST DON'T.
AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MOST HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS THAT WE, WE OPERATE WITH.
AND THOSE ARE THE, THE CORE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS.
AND SO I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, I DISAGREE WITH IT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAME INTO YOUR POINT EARLIER.
UH, THE, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE COUNCIL PRESENTATION, BUT AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH US.
WE'RE GOING TO, AND COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, WE ARE GONNA BE GIVING DETAIL BEHIND THIS TO Y'ALL.
UM, AND WE'LL BE HAVING THAT, THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC ONCE WE DO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UM, WE NOW HAVE SOME VERY PATIENT PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO ARE GOING TO ADDRESS US.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND FOR BEING WILLING TO SIT THROUGH THIS ENTIRE MEETING.
WE'LL START WITH ZOE MIDDLETON.
I'M THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF JUST CLIMATE RESILIENCE FOR THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS.
MY WORK TOUCHES ON THE INTERSECTION OF THE HOUSING AND CLIMATE CRISES.
UM, THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH MONEY FOR DISASTER RECOVERY, RIGHT? YOU SAW THAT WHERE THE FEMA VERIFIED LOSS NUMBER WAS WAY BIGGER THAN THE DR APPROPRIATION THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET.
UM, AND I WOULD URGE YOU NOT TO BE DISTRACTED BY DISCUSSION OF DR 17 OR D DR 21.
YOU HAVE A $315 MILLION OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE WE'VE STRUGGLED TO DO SOMETHING IN THE PAST DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULDN'T TRY TO DO IT BETTER IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S ACTUALLY ALL THE MORE REASON, YOU KNOW, BARREL WAS THE EARLIEST CATEGORY FIVE TO EVER MAKE LANDFALL.
UM, EXTREME, LIKE EXTREME WEATHER IS INCREASINGLY FREQUENT, AND WE OUGHT TO GET IT RIGHT.
UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO, A COUPLE OF US CAME BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL TO SHARE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW WE THOUGHT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION SHOULD GO.
HAVING TWO VIRTUAL MEETINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WAS NOT PART OF THE
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAME TO YOU ALL BEFORE THE ADMINISTRATION RELEASED A NEW GUIDANCE THAT ROLLED BACK COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND EQUITY STANDARDS.
UM, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO YOURSELVES AND TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT IN THE DRAFT PLAN.
IT REALLY DOES HINGE ON THE ABILITY TO GET THOSE WAIVERS, THOSE CONCESSIONS, UM, FROM HUD.
BUT TODAY I WANNA FOCUS ON WHAT MOST OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON, WHICH IS THAT THERE IS $0 GOING TO HOME REPAIR NEW BUILDS OR SUPPORT FOR TENANTS IN
[02:30:01]
THIS PLAN.UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU HAVE TO TAKE BOTH A BROAD AND A LONG VIEW OF EVERY DECISION AND EVERY DOLLAR THAT COMES BEFORE THIS BODY.
AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THE LEVEL OF SCRUTINY THAT I'VE HEARD TODAY.
UM, AND THE BROAD VIEW IS PRETTY SIMPLE EVERYWHERE, ALL AROUND US, THE FEDERAL DISASTER APPARATUS, THE FORECASTING, THE RESPONSE, THE RECOVERY IS IN FREE FALL.
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR HOUSING, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FEW ALLOWABLE USES OF C-D-B-G-D-R IS BEING SLASHED.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A WOMAN WHO LIVED DOWN THE STREET FROM ME WHO DIED ABOUT 10 DAYS INTO BARREL WITH NO POWER.
AND AFTER URI PEOPLE DIED IN THEIR HOMES, HOUSING SAVES LIVES.
AND THIS DRAFT PLAN'S REFUSAL TO INVEST IN OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE, HOUSTONIANS AND THEIR HOMES IS GONNA HAVE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS RIPPLE EFFECTS.
THAT COULD BE POPULATION LOSS, IT COULD BE POST-DISASTER SPECULATION, COULD BE A LOSS OF GENERATIONAL WEALTH.
AND THE RELATIONSHIP, I HEARD SOME OF Y'ALL TALK ABOUT INSURANCE.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSURANCE AND THE DRAFT PLAN IS PRETTY UNCLEAR.
BUT IN ALABAMA AND IN LOUISIANA, FORTIFIED ROOF INVESTMENTS USING THE FORTIFIED ROOF PROGRAM, INSURERS HAVE SAID THAT THAT WILL ATTRACT THEM AND KEEP THEM IN, UM, IN THOSE GEOGRAPHIES.
SO I THINK THE SAME COULD BE TRUE.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S A MATTER TO VISIT WITH TDI AND THE LEGISLATURE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE LOST ON THIS ADMINISTRATION, BUT I HOPE IT'S NOT LOST TO YOU ALL, THAT YOU CANNOT PASS DOWN A CITY OWNED BUILDING TO YOUR CHILDREN.
OKAY? DR. POTTER TALKED ABOUT THE MANDATE.
Y'ALL HAVE TO TACKLE ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, AND C-D-B-G-D-R GIVES YOU JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
WITHOUT INVESTING IN HOME REPAIR, YOU ARE GOING TO SACRIFICE THE CITY'S BONDING ABILITY AND THE TAX BASE WILL EVENTUALLY ERODE.
OKAY, ZOE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR YOUR YEARS AND YEARS OF ADVOCACY.
YEAH, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO MEET WITH Y'ALL AS WELL.
IF YOU WANNA MEET WITH US, IN ADDITION TO, TO STEVEN AND MIKE.
FELA MCCLASKEY ONLINE, FELA, MCCLASKEY, NOT SEEING HER.
I'M THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR TEXAS HOUSERS.
FIRSTLY, I TURN YOUR ATTENTION BACK TO THE LETTER THAT WAS DELIVERED TO YOU ON MARCH 3RD, AND CURRENTLY SIGNED BY OVER 40 ORGANIZATIONS THAT OUTLINES THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAMS. AND I'M HAPPY TO PUT THAT IN YOUR DISTRICT INBOX BY THE END OF THE DAY.
SECONDLY, AS WE'VE HEARD, PER HOUSING GUIDELINES, THE C-D-B-G-D-R ALLOCATIONS ARE BASED ON UNMET NEED OF SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES, WHICH ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO RECOVER WITHOUT ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE THAT IS DIRECTLY FROM THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE.
AND THE ACTION PLAN MUST SHOW A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PROPOSED PROGRAMS AND THE UNMET NEED IN MITIGATION NEEDS, AS YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ALSO ASKING, ACCORDING TO THE ACTION PLAN, THE LARGEST UNMET NEED WITH OVER $229 MILLION WAS HOUSING REPAIR, RECONSTRUCTION, AND PERSONAL PROPERTY LOSS.
AN ECONOMIC UNMET NEED CALCULATED BY SBA DATA IS OVER $186 MILLION.
THE ACTION PLAN ONLY IDENTIFIES SEVEN POINT $65 MILLION IN UNMET NEED FOR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGES.
AND THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT THE USUAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE THINK ABOUT DURING HURRICANES, WHICH IS STREET DRAINAGE.
THERE IS NO MONEY FOR GRAY INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS PLAN.
THIS IS ONLY ABOUT ELECTRONIC, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE UNMET NEED.
BUT IF WE LOOK BACK AT 2021, CENTER POINT PURCHASED 20 MOBILE GENERATORS FOR WINTER STORM.
YURI SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO BE USED FOR POWER OUTAGES IN THE CITY WITH 32 MEGAWATTS.
THESE GENERATORS ARE REPORTED TO BE LARGE ENOUGH TO POWER ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE GENERATORS WERE UNUSABLE DURING LAST YEAR'S DISASTERS.
AND NOW THOSE GENERATORS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO DEAL WITH THEIR FAILING POWER PLANT.
WHY SHOULD THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE OF PRIVATE CORPORATIONS? AND WHY SHOULD LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS BE PENALIZED FOR A PROFITING A PROFITING COMPANY'S SHORTFALLS? THIRDLY, AS DIRECTOR NICHOLS OUTLINED IN HIS PRESENTATION HERE ON MAY 14TH, THE CITY'S GENERAL BUDGET FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ONLY COVERS 25% OF HIS TIME.
THE REMAINING, UH, 207 EMPLOYEES ARE MOSTLY FUNDED THROUGH FEDERAL FUNDING.
AND ACCORDING TO THE MAY PRESENTATION, THE C-D-P-G-D-R 24 FUNDING IS OVER
[02:35:01]
80% OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET.SO THE ACTION PLAN STATES THAT $70 MILLION IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT LEVELS OF PUBLIC SERVICES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND RECOGNIZES THAT COVID AND FEDERAL FUNDINGS ARE SET TO EXPIRE AND ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND RESOURCES ARE NEEDING.
IF THE MAJORITY OF THIS FUNDING IS GOING TOWARDS POLICE, PURCHASING, NATURAL GAS, GENERATORS, VEHICLES, HOMELESSNESS, AND PUBLIC SAFETY CONTRACTS AND VEGETATION MAINTENANCE, I FEAR THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL NOT HAVE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING TO MAINTAIN ITS LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT APPROPRIATE TO MANAGE THE CI COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. AND LASTLY, IF THE GLO RELATIONSHIP HAD BEEN REPAIRED, WHY IS THERE STILL A PENDING DISCRIMINATION CLAIM FOR THE CITY BEING DENIED MITIGATION FUNDING THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR THEM, WHICH WOULD IMPROVE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE? THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, IF YOU WANT TO USE ANY MORE OF MY TIME TO, UH, MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, YOU CAN HAVE IT.
UM, I DO THINK THAT HOUSING IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND I THINK THAT COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON DISASTER RECOVERY, BECAUSE MANY OF THEM WERE BORN OUT OF HURRICANE HARVEY, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR MORE THAN SIX, EIGHT YEARS, AND A LOT OF THE TOP MEMBERS THAT I'VE MET HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE HURRICANE IKE.
WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THESE HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE ACTUALLY ASSISTING PEOPLE, AND WE SEE SOME DEFICIENCIES AS WELL IN, IN THESE HOUSING PROGRAMS. WE WOULD LOVE TO BETTER THESE PROGRAMS. I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT THE 21 MONEY IS BARELY COMING ONLINE.
THAT'S FOUR YEARS AFTER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH BLUE TARPS ON THEIR HOMES.
SO WHILE YES, HOUSING IS VERY IMPORTANT AND WE NEED TO CARE ABOUT THESE HOUSING PROGRAMS, WE NEED TO INVEST IN THE WAYS THAT WILL SUPPORT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE.
SIT YOUR CHAIR OR YOU WANNA SIT IN THIS CHAIR? CHAIR.
UM, I'M A COMMUNITY LEADER WITH THE TEXAS ORGANIZATION, UH, ORGANIZED, EXCUSE ME, ORGANIZING PROJECT FROM I LIVE IN MIDTOWN.
I'M HERE TO RAISE CONCERN ABOUT THE CURRENT ACTION PLAN FOR THE NEARLY 300, $3,000,150 AND DISASTER RECOVERY DOLLARS.
I WAS, IN FACT, BY HURRICANE BUR I EXPERIENCED, UM, LIGHT OUTAGE.
I EXPERIENCED MY, UH, INSULIN GOING BAD.
EVERYBODY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD EXPERIENCED SOME TYPE OF LOSS.
THE, WITH THE LIGHTS BEING OUT, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, STORES WAS CLOSED.
I JUST GOT OUT OF A COMA, SO IT IT, YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
UM, THE CITY'S PLAN INCLUDE IN OBJECTIVE OR ENSURING THE ABILITY OF PUBLIC FACILITIES SUCH AS COMMUNITY MULTIPURPOSE CENTERS AND OR LIBRARIES TO SERVE AS COOLING HEATING CENTERS, UH, SHELTERS AND OR DISTRIBUTION POINT, EXCUSE ME, UH, DOING OR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A DISASTER.
[02:40:01]
IS A GOOD IDEA.AND WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE 12 MULTIPURPOSE CENTERS AND ADDITIONAL LIBRARIES ARE PRIORITIZED IN, EXCUSE ME, RECEIVED GENERATORS, SPURS, SO THAT THEY CAN BE USED TO INCREASE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PERCENT FOR THE LONG TERM.
WHAT IS GUARANTEE OF PROGRESS TO ENSURE THAT THE MULTI PURPOSE CENTERS ARE THE FIRST TO RECEIVE A GENERATOR.
I WAS AT THE MEETING SATURDAY, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT HELPING THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
I'M 70 YEARS OLD AND HOUSTON USED TO BE A CITY OF LOVE, BUT NOW THEY, UH, THE YMCA'S ALL CLOSED BECAUSE OF, UH, FINANCIAL STABILITY.
SO I'M HERE BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CITY DO A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S LOOKING BAD FOR US.
THANK YOU, MA'AM, VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
BEVERLY VENERABLE ONLINE, LUCINDA DAVIS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT.
I'M HERE TO RAISE CONCERN ABOUT THE CITY 315 MILLION DISASTER RECOVERY ACTION PLAN BECAUSE IT DOES NOT REFLECT THE URGENT NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE NOR MRS. RAY'S.
AFTER HURRICANE, BURL AND DERECHO, I LOST POWER.
MY DISABLED MOTHER OVERHEATED AND WE HAD TO CALL FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE THREE TIMES, COOLING CENTERS, WASN'T WORKING.
SELF SERVICE FAILED MY FLOOR BUCKLED MY LANDLORD DELAYED REPAIRS WHILE WAITING ON FEMA AND INSURANCE.
I HAD TO TAKE HIM TO COURT TO GET EVERYTHING FIXED.
BECAUSE OF THAT, HE REFUSED TO WORK WITH ME.
RIGHT AFTER I GOT SCAMMED ONLY FOR A MONTH'S WORTH OF RENT, I LOST MY HOUSING.
NOW I LIVE WITH MY DAUGHTER AND SOME APARTMENTS IN GREENS POINT WHERE THERE IS A RETENTION POND FILLED WITH DAILY TRASH.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT? WHO'S PAYING ATTENTION THROUGH ALL OF THAT? I'M STANDING, STILL STAYING.
I DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL BECAUSE I KNOW MANY OTHERS ARE HURTING, MAYBE EVEN WAY WORSER.
AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS DAILY WITH PEOPLE FACING HOMELESSNESS, INCARCERATION, POVERTY, I SEE THE HARM OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BEING IGNORED.
AND WHEN POLICE DON'T SHOW UP, IT'S NOT TO HELP US.
WHEN THE MAYOR SAYS ENFORCEMENT WORKS IN RIVER OAKS, WE HAVE TO ASK, WHY DOESN'T IT WORK FOR PEOPLE LIKE US? THESE FUNDS ARE MEANT TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE HIT HARDEST, NOT PLUG IN BUDGET HOLDS OR REWARD AGENCIES THAT DON'T SERVE US.
TALK TO EXPERTS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, LISTEN TO THOSE WHO LIVE THIS EVERY DAY.
THIS IS ONE SHORT, THIS IS ONE SHOT TO BUILD SOMETHING BETTER.
THANK YOU MS. DAVIS VERY MUCH.
[02:45:02]
HI, MY NAME IS MARIA EDRA.I'M A COMMUNITY LEADER WITH THE TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT, AND I LIVE IN FIFTH WARD.
I'M HERE TO, I'M HERE TO SHARE MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE ACTUAL PLAN OF ACTION, UM, THAT INVOLVES THE $350 MILLION, UH, THAT ARE DESTINED TO RECOVER RELIEF.
UM, I WAS IMPACTED REALLY HARD BY HURRICANE VERO.
I LOST POWER FOR MANY DAYS, AND DANIEL DETENTION IN ONION, DISASTROUS.
I SUFFERED DAMAGES ON MY ROOF FLOODING, AND ALSO I LOST SOME OF MY FURNITURE.
MY HOUSE WAS ON FIRE BECAUSE THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A POWER CABLE THAT FELL ON THE ROOF.
MY HOUSE WILL NOT SURVIVE ANOTHER HURRICANE.
MY HOUSE IS ABOUT TO FALL DOWN.
TOR THE PURPOSE OF THE, OF THE DOLLARS THAT ARE DESTINED TO RELIEVE OF DISASTERS.
IT SHOULD BE ONLY TO SUPPORT PROJECTS, UM, OF REBUILDING SPECIFICALLY THOSE IN THOSE AREAS WITH LESS RESOURCES.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE COMMUNITIES ARE SILENCED AND ARE BUILT TO BE STRONGER COMMUNITIES THAT CAN, UM, THAT CAN, THAT CAN SURVIVE MORE, UM, FUTURE DISASTERS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER ON THE C-D-B-G-D-R PLAN? I BELIEVE WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH TEAMS, SO I APOLOGIZE TO ANYONE.
SO ANYONE ONLINE OR IN THE CHAMBER THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS BODY ABOUT THIS MATTER, PLEASE DO SO NOW.
WE'LL, AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONSIDERING THE BUDGET AT TOMORROW'S COUNCIL MEETING AND MONDAY, JUNE 9TH AT 10:00 AM THERE'LL BE A SPECIAL CALLED BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS MEETING TO REVIEW THE PROPOSED FY 26 TO FY 30 CIP.
NEXT WEEK, JUNE 9TH, MONDAY, JUNE 9TH, 10:00 AM UNLESS THESE, I, I'LL MAKE SURE AND CORRECT THAT IF THAT'S NOT RIGHT WITH AN EMAIL, BUT THAT'S WHAT I HAVE IN MY NOTES.
THERE IS SOME LUNCH COMING IN THE BACK.