* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:18] WELCOME TO CITY PULSE. I'M TRAVIS LEMONS BACK AGAIN AT HDV STUDIOS TO HIGHLIGHT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND CITY DEPARTMENTS. LATER ON IN THE SHOW, WE WILL HAVE A PAIR OF STORIES WITH CORPORATE AND CIVIC PARTNERS WORKING TOGETHER AND HELPING KIDS GET BACK TO SCHOOL. WE BEGIN THE SHOW WITH MAYOR WHITMEYER AND THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. DELAYS IN MIS RECYCLING PICKUPS HAVE BEEN MAJOR COMPLAINTS TO THE THREE ONE ONE CALL CENTER TO IMPROVE PICKUPS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS PUTTING NEW TRUCKS INTO ACTION, BEGINNING WITH NINE OF THE 31 TRUCKS PURCHASED LAST MONTH. THE PURPOSE IN ME BEING HERE IS TO SHOW OFF NINE OF THE FIRST 31 NEW TRUCKS THAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THAT WE COULD PURCHASE SOLID WASTE RECYCLING, GARBAGE PICKUP, QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES IS ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES. THIS IS A GREAT, GREAT DAY FOR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THESE NINE NEW TRUCKS, THIS IS ALMOST LIKE CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST FOR US, THESE NEW TRUCKS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING OF A PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR SOLID WASTE. AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WE MAY COME BACK TO THE PUBLIC AND SAY WE NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S ABOUT EFFICIENCY AND A MODEL THAT ADDRESSES HOUSTONIANS CONCERNS. WE WON'T REST UNTIL WE HAVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT HOUSTONIANS NOT ONLY EXPECT AND WILL GET WHILE THE CITY'S NEWEST RECYCLING TRUCKS ARE HITTING THE STREETS. HOUSTON POLICE AND HOUSTON FIRE ARE BREAKING GROUND ON A FIRST OF ITS KIND FACILITY THAT WILL SERVE AS A HOME BASE FOR H HPDS NORTH BELT DIVISION. WHILE PROVIDING SERVICES FOR HFD STATION 84, WE SAW THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE EFFICIENT COLLABORATION BETWEEN POLICE AND FIRE. YOU KNOW, UH, THREE WEEKS AGO WE OPENED A FACILITY WITH PUBLIC WORKS IN HPD DOWN ON WASHINGTON. WE'RE GETTING MORE BANG FOR THE DOLLAR, BUT NOT ONLY THAT, WE'RE SERVICING OUR COMMUNITIES. IT MARKS A TOTAL COMMITMENT FOR MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER AND THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL POLICE SERVICES TO THIS PART OF THE CITY. IT'S A GROWING PART OF THE CITY, SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO BUILDING A SAFER FUTURE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. THE CONSTRUCTION GUYS WILL COME IN HERE AND DO ALL THE HARD WORK, BUT THEY TRULY ARE LAYING A FOUNDATION FOR A STRONGER AND SAFER TOMORROW. TODAY'S GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY, UH, REPRESENT MORES THAN BRICKS AND MORTAR. IT SYMBOLIZES OUR UNITED FRONT AS FIRST RESPONDERS. OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND MEDICS CONTINUES TO WORK SIDE BY SIDE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ON MEDIC CALLS, ACCIDENT SCENES AND DURING CRITICAL SITUATIONS. BUT THIS RIGHT HERE STRENGTHENS OUR BOND. WE'LL BE WORKING NEXT TO EACH OTHER. WE HAVE A STATION RIGHT NEXT TO US THAT'S GONNA INCREASE SAFETY, GONNA INCREASE OBVIOUSLY RESPONSE, WORKING WITH HPD AND OUR MEMBERS, AND IT'S AT UNITED FRONT THAT MAKES THIS CITY SAFE. WE'VE GOT A TEAM IN PLACE THAT IS ADDRESSING PUBLIC SAFETY. ARE WE WHERE WE WANT TO BE? NO. BUT THE MORALES AT AN ALL TIME HIGH IN POLICE AND FIRE RECRUITING IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. YES, WE ARE ADDRESSING HOUSTON'S CONCERNS AND I'M PROUD TO BE HERE. A SMALL PROPERTY WITH BIG AMBITIONS. THE HERMAN PARK PUBLIC GOLF COURSE IS ABOUT TO GET A MUCH NEEDED RENOVATION THANKS TO THE ASTROS GOLF FOUNDATION, THE HERMAN PARK CONSERVANCY AND HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION. IN THIS PIECE, GILLES KIBBY, PRESIDENT OF THE ASTROS GOLF FOUNDATION HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THE PUBLIC WILL GET TO ENJOY IN 2026. HERMAN PARK GOLF COURSE WAS OPENED IN 1923. [00:05:01] IT WAS LAST RENOVATED IN 1999, BUT NOW THANKS TO A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE ASTROS GOLF FOUNDATION, THE HERMAN PARK CONSERVANCY, AND HOUSTON PARKS AND REC. IT'S ABOUT TO BE REVAMPED AND REIMAGINED. IT'S GONNA BE UNIQUE AND, AND I LOVE THAT. YOU KNOW, MEMORIAL PARK IS A BIG GOLF COURSE BUILT FOR A PGA TOUR EVENT. THIS IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. THIS IS A REALLY SMALL PIECE OF PROPERTY AND, AND WE HAVE TO GET REALLY CREATIVE OUT HERE. THE ASTROS GOLF FOUNDATION, WITH THE TOTAL SUPPORT OF ASTROS OWNER, JIM CRANE, ALONG WITH THE HERMAN PARK CONSERVANCY, ARE RAISING $30 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT. SO THE GOLF COURSE AND THE PARK AROUND IT CAN BE TOTALLY TRANSFORMED. JIM HAS ALWAYS BEEN OF THE MINDSET THAT IF WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING, WE'RE GONNA DO IT FIRST CLASS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. AND WE TOOK A LOOK AT THIS AND THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A MAJOR PROJECT. A SMALL PROJECT ISN'T GONNA DO WHAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE. GOODBYE. EVERYBODY WAS ALIGNED. WE STARTED WORKING ON DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS BETTER, THAT JUST NOT, NOT JUST IMPROVE THE GOLF COURSE, BUT IMPROVE THE PARK, IMPROVE THE TRAIL. THE TRAIL AROUND THIS GOLF COURSE IS GOING TO BE BEAUTIFIED. IT'S GONNA BE IMPROVED, IT'S GONNA BE AMAZING. THE NEW 18 HOLE COURSE WILL FEATURE A TRADITIONAL NINE HOLES AND THEN NINE HOLES THAT ARE ALL PAR THREES. THE PAR THREES WILL HAVE LIGHTS. HERMAN PARK ALREADY HAS A DRIVING RANGE, BUT WITH EVERYTHING BEING REVAMPED AND RESTRUCTURED AROUND THE GOLF COURSE, THAT MEANS THE DRIVING RANGE WILL BE CHANGED TOO. IT'LL BE MOVED A BIT, BUT THE BIG THING IS INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT SETUP, THIS WILL BE A DOUBLE DECKER DRIVING RANGE HERE AT HERMAN PARK. SO THE NEW DRIVING RANGE WILL BE TWO STORIES VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE OVER AT MEMORIAL PARK. WE'RE MAKING THIS WHOLE PLACE BETTER. IT'S A BIG PROJECT AND WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT IT. IF APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL, THE PLAN IS TO CLOSE THE COURSE AT THE END OF AUGUST AND REOPEN IN OCTOBER OF 2026. THE SOON TO BE REVAMPED. HERMAN PARK GOLF COURSE IS JUST ONE MORE REASON WHY WE LIKE TO SAY HOUSTON PARKS AND REC, WHERE YOU BELONG. COMING UP NEXT, WE GET KIDS READY TO START A NEW SCHOOL YEAR WITH THE HELP OF CITY LEADERS AND A FORMER HOUSTON ROCKET. STAY TUNED. DUSK IS THE BEST TIME TO WATCH THE BATS TAKE FLIGHT FROM THEIR WA BRIDGE HOME IN HOUSTON. WE FEED OFF INSPIRATION. EVERYTHING WE DO SEE AND FEEL IS CONNECTED. A SMATTERING OF INGREDIENTS, THOSE DASHES AND PINCHES OF INDIVIDUALITY THAT CREATE SOMETHING EXTRA. AND WHEN YOU TAKE ALL THOSE EXPERIENCES AND COMBINE THEM, YOU CAN HELP. BUT TO GET SOMETHING FRESH AND NEW AND EXCITING, GUESS YOU COULD SAY OUR SECRET INGREDIENT IS TOGETHER BECAUSE TOGETHER MAKES IT AMAZING. I'M EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT LAST YEAR WE HAD AN ALL TIME HIGH OF 54 MILLION PEOPLE TRAVELED TO HOUSTON, A REVENUE OF $11 BILLION TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, CREATING 121,000 JOBS. THANK YOU TO OUR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS. MEXICO LED THE WAY IN VISITORS TO OUR GREAT CITY. THIS COULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE PROPER LEADERSHIP AT THE CITY AND CERTAINLY HOUSTON FIRST. HOUSTON FIRST IS MAKING CERTAIN THAT THEY FEEL SAFE AND WANT TO COME BACK TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I'M EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT PEOPLE HAVE MANY REASONS TO COME TO HOUSTON AND ENJOY OUR HOSPITALITY, OUR PARKS, OUR ENTERTAINMENT VENUES, INCLUDING OUR SPORTS VENUE. PEOPLE WANT TO VISIT NASA. IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO HOUSTON. THE HOUSTON ZOO, OUR FRIENDLY PEOPLE, AND ALSO THE MED CENTER. THE BEST IS YET TO COME WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE GEORGE BROWN ADDITIONAL RETAIL STORES AND POSSIBLY EVEN AN ADDITIONAL CONVENTION HOTEL. I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT HOUSTON'S FUTURE. WE'RE DEFINITELY ON THE RIGHT PATH. LET'S CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT OUR SUCCESSES. ACTUALLY BRAG A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT A GREAT CITY HOUSTON IS AND CERTAINLY WE'RE ATTRACTING PEOPLE. AND THANK YOU HOUSTON FIRST AND YOUR GREAT TEAM THAT MAKES THIS POSSIBLE. LET'S GO TO WORK. SAM HOUSTON PARK IS PICTURESQUE WITH WADDLING DUCKS AND NINE FROZEN IN TIME HISTORIC BUILDINGS. HEY HOUSTON. PREPARATION LEADS TO CELEBRATION. PREPARE FOR YOUR NEXT FLIGHT BY SECURING HASSLE-FREE PARKING [00:10:01] RESERVE AND GUARANTEE VALET PARKING@FLYTOHOUSTON.COM SLASH PARKING. TRAVEL SMARTER PARK SMARTER ST. ARNOLD TEXAS'S, OLDEST CRAFT BREWERY. SHIPPED THEIR FIRST KEG OF BEER IN 1994. SHAKE UP YOUR EVERYDAY AND COME EXPLORE DOWNTOWN. FROM NEW ART INSTALLATIONS TO FAMILY FUN, SWEAT SESSIONS AND MOVIE NIGHTS. WE'RE KEEPING HOUSTON INSPIRED AND ENTERTAINED. JOIN US. WE ARE DOWNTOWN. THE KENNEDY BAKERY BUILDING IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST HAUNTS IN HOUSTON. WELCOME BACK. THIS YEAR'S MAYOR'S BACK TO SCHOOL AND HEALTH FAIR WAS A ROUSING SUCCESS PRESENTED BY SHE THE EVENT FEATURED COUNCIL MEMBERS ONSITE HEALTH SCREENS BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND INCLUDED PLENTY OF ACTIVITIES TO HELP KIDS PREPARE FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR. SO TODAY IS A GREAT DAY. WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO JOIN THE MAYOR'S BACK TO SCHOOL AND HEALTH FAIR, PRESENTED BY SHELL. WE'RE HERE TO HELP SUPPORT THE MAYOR'S BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT SPONSORED BY SHELL, HOUSTON FOOD BANK. SEVERAL PARTNERS THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FILL BACKPACKS. UH, FOR KIDS TODAY WE HAVE 20,000 BACKPACKS TO HAND OUT FILLED WITH SCHOOL SUPPLIES, HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS KIDS, AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES. OUR HOPE IS TO HELP OUR STUDENTS THRIVE AND HAVE A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEAR. SO I'M GETTING HERE LIKE FOR THE BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND THE BACKPACKS AND I CAN'T WAIT TO BE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. WE ALSO KNOW THAT IN ORDER FOR KIDS TO EXCEL IN SCHOOL, THEY NEED GOOD NUTRITION. THIS IS WHY THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK HAS PROGRAMS SUCH AS BACKPACK BUDDY TO HELP REMOVE HUNGER AS AN OBSTACLE TO LEARNING. YEAH, WE'RE HERE TO DO SOME VISION SCREENINGS FOR THE KIDS HERE AND ALSO THE PARENTS. SO RIGHT NOW I'M AT THE DIABETES TABLE WHERE WE SCREEN PEOPLE BLOOD SUGAR. IT'S FULFILLING TO HELP THE UNDERSERVED AND JUST TO DO COMMON GOOD. TODAY WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERY CHILD IN HOUSTON HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WALK INTO THEIR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. FEELING CONFIDENT, PREPARED, AND SUPPORTED. TODAY IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES. IT'S ABOUT READINESS. FINALLY, THE HOUSTON ROCKETS AND RELIANT ENERGY TEAM WITH HOUSTON PARKS FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL BASH A LITTLE FELLOWSHIP FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND A FORMER ROCKET. THE FRANCHISE STEVE FRANCIS DELIVERS A HUGE ASSIST AT MOODY COMMUNITY CENTER IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON. WHAT SCHOOL ARE YOU GOING TO? THIS SAILOR WELCOME RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM BACKPACKS. OKAY. WE ARE HERE AT MOODY COMMUNITY CENTER ON ON FULTON. WE ARE SERVING A THOUSAND FAMILIES, GIVING OUT A THOUSAND BACKPACKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSTON ROCKETS HAVING AN AMAZING TIME SERVING FAMILIES, A LITTLE FOOD, A LITTLE FELLOWSHIP, LEAVING WITH A BACKPACK FULL OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES, KLUT COUNTY'S BACKPACK ALONE. I JUST KNOW WHAT THAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FEELS LIKE, BUT YOU HAVE A FULL BACKPACK AND SOMETIMES THEY GIVE YOU THAT MOTIVATION TO WANT TO GO INTO SCHOOL AND LEARN. SO, UM, IT'S BEEN A HOT SUMMER. I KNOW A LOT OF KIDS ARE ANXIOUS TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL, SO WITH A BOOST FROM THE ROCKETS AND RELIANT ENERGY, I THINK THIS CAN HELP OUT A LOT. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. RELIANT IN THE ROCKETS ARE HOSTING THE THIRD ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL BASH. THERE'S HAIRCUTS, THERE'S HEALTH SCREENINGS, THERE'S EYE SCREENINGS, THERE'S INFLATABLES, WE'VE GOT CLUTCH, WE'VE GOT THE POWER DANCERS. IT'S A REALLY FUN, UH, EVENT FOR FAMILIES TO GET EXCITED AND PREPARED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. HAVING THE HOUSTON ROCKETS HERE IS EXTREMELY SPECIAL FOR US. WE LOVE THEM AND WE THINK THEY LOVE US, SO WE WILL HAVE THEM TO CONTINUOUSLY COME BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR. THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING. THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EPISODE OF CITY PULSE FOR HTV HOUSTON TELEVISION, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THIS IS TRAVIS LEMONS. UNTIL NEXT TIME FOR THE KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL, HAVE FUN AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND FOR THE PARENTS, DON'T LOSE YOUR COOL IN THE SCHOOL DROP OFF LANE. AND AS ALWAYS, REMEMBER THAT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER AND KINDNESS IS FREE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.