[District E Town Hall: Kingwood on September 30, 2025.]
[00:00:19]
WANNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, TRY AND GET STARTED SO IT DOESN'T RUN TERRIBLY LATE.
UH, THERE'S QUITE A BIT WE'RE LOOKING TO COVER THIS EVENING.
IN FACT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I TALKED ABOUT WITH MY STAFF HERE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE UPDATES ON THE GATES FOR THE LAKE HOUSTON DAM AND ALSO NORTH PARK, WE'VE GOT QUITE A BIT MORE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE NORMAL.
SO WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA SEE ABOUT DOING THIS, UH, IN SIX MONTHS FROM NOW, AND GIVE ANOTHER UPDATE SPECIFICALLY ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT WE'LL SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
THEY'LL GIVE PRESENTATIONS ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW WE'LL GO BACK AND JUST HIT THE DAM, JUST HIT, UH, NORTH PARK AND LET EVERYBODY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH IT.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE EVERY, EVERYBODY COMING OUT.
UH, ALSO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THEY'VE GOT TABLES ALL AROUND.
IF YOU WANNA GET UP AND GO ASK THEM SOME QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO.
UM, THERE'S SO RESOURCES HERE AND, AND THEY'RE JUST FOR YOU.
SO WE'VE, UH, ALSO COLLECTED QUESTIONS OVER THE, THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS PEOPLE HAVE SUBMITTED ONLINE.
AND WE'LL BE ANSWERING QUITE A FEW OF THOSE.
IF YOU WANT TO PUT IN ANOTHER QUESTION.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME FORMS IN THE TABLE BACK THERE.
YOU CAN GO ON THE ONLINE SUBMIT ANOTHER QUESTION, AND, UH, WE WILL ANSWER, YOU KNOW, AS MANY QUESTIONS AS WE CAN.
WE'VE GOT TIME FOR, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG EVERYBODY WANTS TO STAY.
UH, I WANNA INTRODUCE MY STAFF.
DUSTIN HODGES IS MY CHIEF OF STAFF.
DAMARI PEREZ IS MY DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF.
UM, BOTH OF THEM CAME FROM DAVE MARTIN'S OFFICE.
I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO HIRE THEM.
AND IN FACT, DAVE'S HERE SOMEWHERE, ISN'T HE? OR IS DAVE STILL HERE, OR IS HE OUT? OH, I THOUGHT HE WAS ELECTIONEERING IN THE BACK IN THE PARKING LOT OR SOMETHING.
UH, SO I WAS LUCKY TO HIRE THEM.
WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE HIRED JESSICA BEAMER AS WELL, BUT SHE MOVED ON TO DO OTHER THINGS.
UH, SLOAN SWEENEY IS THE SOUTH SECTOR MANAGER.
YARI RAMIREZ IS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.
IS SHE HERE? SHE'S JUST STEPPED UP.
TALIA LEWIS IS A CLERK IN THE OFFICE.
JOHN BRANCH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH SPECIALIST.
AND WE JUST BROUGHT ON ADRIAN GARCIA, WHO IS OUR INTERN IN THE OFFICE.
HE CAME THROUGH TO US THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON PROGRAM.
UH, AND WE'VE, UH, JUST BROUGHT HIM ON.
AND ALSO WE'RE JUST IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING ANNIE COOK.
WAS ANNIE STILL HERE? THERE SHE IS IN THE BACK.
UH, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL HERE, GRADUATED FROM A AND M.
AND, UH, WE'RE JUST IN THE PROCESS OF BRINGING HER ON BOARD AS WELL, UH, ALSO, AND SHE'S BACK THERE BY OUR BOOTH FOR THE DISTRICT.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, PLEASE DO SO.
UH, WE DON'T BOMB YOUR INBOX WITH YOUR EMAIL.
WE SEND OUT THE NEWSLETTER ONCE A MONTH.
UH, HOPEFULLY KEEP EVERYBODY UPDATED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO SIGN UP FOR THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
UH, WE'VE GOT A, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE I WANT TO INTRODUCE.
THE FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, JULIAN RAMIREZ, WHO IS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE POSITION ONE TWILA CARTER, OUR OWN RESIDENT AT LARGE POSITION THREE.
SALLY ALCORN, A LONG TIME FRIEND AT LARGE POSITION FIVE.
UH, FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAN HUBERTY IS HERE, AND HE'LL BE GIVEN AN UPDATE ON THE GATES STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES CUNNINGHAM.
AND WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF BOARD MEMBERS FORM THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, THE TOURS BOARD, CASEY CHRISMAN AND AMY BERTRAN.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE CHARLES BLAINE HERE WHO WILL BE MODERATING THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION AT THE END OF THE EVENING WITH ME AND, UH, CHARLES CUNNINGHAM.
I, THE MAIN PURPOSE TONIGHT IS TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY GET EVERYBODY INFORMED AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, WANTED TO MAKE SURE, I THINK EVERYBODY HAS SEEN THE, THE DWIGHT BOYKINS FOR CITY COUNCIL POSITION.
[00:05:01]
HAS VACATED HER POSITION AS SHE'S RUNNING FOR COUNTY JUDGE.SO THERE IS AN ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, SO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, GET OUT THERE AND GO VOTE FOR THAT.
UH, THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER, UH, PEOPLE RUNNING FOR THAT OFFICE.
MARTINA DIXON IS RUNNING FOR THAT POSITION AS WELL.
UH, ALSO, SONYA RIVERA IS ALSO RUNNING FOR THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO GET TO KNOW ALL THE CANDIDATES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UH, WHOEVER IT IS THAT WINS THAT ELECTION, I'LL BE WORKING WITH.
SO I'M NOT REAL INTERESTED IN PICKING A SIDE, BUT PLEASE GET TO KNOW THE CANDIDATES, MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
IT IS GONNA BE A VERY LOW VOTER TURNOUT IN NOVEMBER.
UH, REALLY THE ONLY THING GOING ON OTHER THAN THIS VACATED CITY COUNCIL POSITION IS, UH, FILLING THE SEAT, UH, FROM SYLVESTER TURNER PASSING AWAY.
AND THAT IS THE ONLY THING GOING ON IN THE CITY.
SO YOUR VOTE IS GONNA MATTER MORE THAN IT EVER DOES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT A ELECTION, UH, YOU KNOW, PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO GET INVOLVED WITH THAT.
UH, YOU CAN CERTAINLY SIGN UP TO WORK THE ELECTION.
UH, WHEN YOU GO UP TO VOTE AND YOU SEE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE WORKING THE ELECTION, THEY ALWAYS NEED ADDITIONAL HELP WITH THAT.
UH, IN FACT, TRACY CHILLA, I BELIEVE IS HERE TONIGHT.
SHE CAN SIGN YOU UP TO WORK THE ELECTION IF, IF YOU'D VOLUNTEER FOR THAT, AND THAT WELL VOLUNTEER, THEY ACTUALLY PAY YOU AS WELL.
UH, IT ISN'T, UH, A KING'S RANSOM OR ANYTHING, BUT PLEASE HELP OUT WHATEVER YOU CAN.
IT, IT REALLY HELPS ALL OF US.
UM, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT I'M A LOT MORE OPTIMISTIC THAN WHAT I WAS LAST YEAR.
WE HAD JUST GOT DONE DEALING WITH HURRICANE BARREL AND WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH THE AFTER EFFECTS FROM IT.
UM, WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WE'VE GOT, UH, QUITE A FEW POSITIVE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE GOING ON.
I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA BE POLLYANNISH AND SAY EVERYTHING'S FANTASTIC, BUT I DO THINK WE'VE MADE IMPROVEMENTS IN A NUMBER OF AREAS.
UH, THE CITY COMMISSIONED A, UH, STUDY BY ERNST AND YOUNG THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY GEARED TOWARDS FINDING EFFICIENCIES AND PLACES WHERE THE CITY WAS SPENDING MONEY, THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE SPENDING MONEY.
UH, IT WAS FROM THAT, THAT WE ACTUALLY DID THE LAYOFFS WITH, UH, NO, NOT LAYOFFS.
I GUESS EARLY RETIREMENT WAS MORE ACCURATE, UH, WITH, I THINK A THOUSAND EMPLOYEES ENDED UP TAKING IT.
UH, SO THE CITY'S A LITTLE LEANER THAN WHAT IT WAS BEFORE, AND THAT IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFETIME I CAN REMEMBER AN EFFORT TO REALLY REDUCE EXPENSES THAT WASN'T CAUSED BY A DRASTIC SHORTFALL IN REVENUE WHERE THEY HAD TO JUST LAY PEOPLE OFF.
I REMEMBER MAYOR PARKER, I THINK, LAID OFF ABOUT A THOUSAND EMPLOYEES ONE YEAR THAT REALLY WASN'T AN EFFORT TO, TO, YOU KNOW, UH, IMPROVE AND FIND EFFICIENCIES.
THAT WAS SIMPLY THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
WE'RE WHACKING A THOUSAND PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY DID WAS IT POINTED OUT SOME CALL CENTERS WHERE WE HAD MULTIPLE CALL CENTERS, AND THEY'VE COMBINED THOSE CALL CENTERS.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THEY'VE DONE TO, TO TRY AND IMPROVE THE OPERATING, UH, BUDGET OF THE CITY.
AND IN FACT, UH, THE BUDGET AT THE END OF THE YEAR TURNED OUT A LITTLE BETTER THAN WHAT WAS EXPECTED.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND THE, AND THE YEAR, FISCAL YEAR STARTS JULY ONE, UH, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE, UH, HAD TO USE LESS OF THE MONEY THAT WE HAD BUILT UP DURING COVID FROM ALL THE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
SO IT, IT'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UH, LIKE I SAID, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE STILL GOT ABSOLUTE CHALLENGES WITHOUT A DOUBT, UH, BUT WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS TRYING TO GET IT BETTER.
THEY'VE, UH, ALSO OVERHAULED THE PERMITTING CENTER.
UH, I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM BUILDERS THAT SAY THE PERMITTING PROCESS HAS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY.
THEY ALL SAY, STILL GOT A WAYS TO GO, BUT IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT IT WAS.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S PART OF THE CHANGES THE MAYOR IS, IS LOOKING TO MAKE.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THE MAYOR'S BEEN ABLE TO DO IS HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET A LOT OF FUNDING FROM THE STATE AS WELL TO HELP US OUT.
UH, HAD AN OVER $900 MILLION STRICTLY DEALING WITH WATER, AND WE TOOK A TOUR OF THE LYNCHBURG PUMP STATION, UH, WHICH IS DOWN OFF OF, UH, ITAN BY THE LYNCHBURG FERRY.
AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THAT PLACE WAS ABOUT BEFORE I WENT DOWN THERE.
THEY ACTUALLY PUMP A BILLION GALLONS OF WATER A DAY, AND WE NEEDED SOME MONEY TO, UH, REDO THE PUMPS IN THERE.
THERE'S ACTUALLY THREE LINES THAT THEY RUN, AND THEY GOT THE MONEY FROM THE STATE TO REDO, UH, ONE OF THE LINES.
I THINK IT WAS $50 MILLION A LOAN JUST FOR THE PUMPS FOR THAT.
UH, SO THEY, THEY'VE REALLY BEEN ABLE TO GET QUITE A BIT OF MONEY FROM THAT.
UH, WE JUST APPROVED FUNDING TO WORK ON THE KINGWOOD, UH, CENTRAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
I THINK THAT WAS $17 MILLION WE JUST APPROVED IN CITY COUNCIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
AND THAT IS WORK THAT, UH, HAS ESSENTIALLY KIND OF, UH, BEEN NEEDED TO BE DONE SINCE HARVEY.
UH, THAT WHOLE AREA FLOODED VERY BADLY.
[00:10:01]
WE ARE FINALLY, UH, PUTTING THE MONEY TOWARDS THAT.UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID THE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTRACT, DID THE FIREFIGHTER CONTRACT.
AFTER DOING THOSE CONTRACTS, WE NOW HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF THE LARGEST CADET CLASSES THAT WE'VE EVER HAD.
UH, WHEREAS BEFORE, WE WERE LOSING A LOT OF FIREFIGHTERS AND, AND POLICE OFFICERS, UH, TO OTHER AGENCIES.
AND IN FACT, UH, I HAD BREAKFAST WITH, UH, SEVERAL POLICE OFFICERS THE DAY AFTER THAT CONTRACT WAS APPROVED.
AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD HAD NUMEROUS, UH, OF THEIR FELLOW OFFICERS THAT HAD PUT IN TO GO TO DPS AND HAD RESCINDED THEIR OFFER AFTER THEY GOT THE RAISE.
UH, SO IT'S, IT IS MADE A, A BIG DIFFERENCE WITH, WITH BOTH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER GOOD THINGS IS THE CRIME STATISTICS.
UH, THE CRIME STATISTICS HAVE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE LAST YEAR.
UH, THERE IS A BIT OF A CAVEAT WITH THAT.
UM, THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING ALL THE CRIMES REPORTED FROM THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY ARE KIND OF CONCERNED IF THEY MAKE A REPORT WHAT HAPPENS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU CAN REALLY TELL WITH THE CRIME STATISTICS IS THE NUMBER OF MURDERS.
UH, THE MURDERS ABSOLUTELY GET REPORTED BECAUSE THERE'S A BODY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE NUMBERS ARE TRUE, AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AS WELL.
SO THAT, THAT TENDS TO LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S A PRETTY GOOD THING.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY THOSE TRENDS WILL, WILL CONTINUE, CONTINUE.
UH, WE ALSO GOT A NEW MODULAR BUILDING AT 1 0 1, AND THAT WAS YEARS IN THE MAKING AS WELL.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU WERE AWARE, BUT THE CONDITIONS THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE LIVING IN, IN THAT MODULAR BUILDING WERE WERE JUST ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WENT OUT AND TOURED THAT FACILITY, UH, ACTUALLY BEFORE THE ELECTION, AND, AND I WAS QUITE SHOCKED AS TO WHAT I FOUND.
THE MAYOR WENT OUT THERE, HE SAW THE SAME THING.
SO WE GOT A NEW MODULAR BUILDING THAT IS A TEMPORARY FIX.
WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING A PERMANENT BUILDING, A NEW PERMANENT BUILDING THAT IS GONNA BE, UH, BETWEEN THE DIVERSION DITCH AND, UH, 4 94 UP TOWARDS THE FRONT OF KINGWOOD.
AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA USE THAT TO COMBINE, UH, STATION 1 0 1 AND 1 0 4.
UM, THE, UM, OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, UH, WAS NOT READILY WILLING TO SELL IT, SO THEY STARTED IMMINENT DOMAIN PROCESS.
I THINK NOW HE'S, UH, A LITTLE MORE WILLING KNOWING THAT THE CITY'S SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING THAT PROPERTY AND BUILDING THAT STATION.
IT'LL STILL BE SEVERAL YEARS, BUT AT LEAST WE FINALLY, WE FINALLY GOT IT GOING.
UM, THE MEDIANS, UH, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR AFTER BARREL, WE HEARD A LOT OF, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MEDIANS AND, UH, THE NEED TO, TO, YOU KNOW, CLEAN THOSE UP.
ONE OF THE THINGS IN THE EARLY RETIREMENTS THAT WE DID, THE, UH, NUMBER OF DAYS BETWEEN MOWING WAS GOING TO INCREASE TO 45 DAYS.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAD LAID, OR A LOT OF 'EM HAD TAKEN THE EARLY RETIREMENTS, UH, MY OFFICE PUT FORTH SOME BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
UH, DUSTIN, IN FACT, WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT FOUND THE FUNDING SOURCE WITH SALLY'S AND TWILA AND JULIAN'S AND WILLIE'S ASSISTANCE.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT PASSED.
SO WE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING PUT IN THERE TO KEEP IT BACK AT THE 28 DAYS.
AND I KNOW, UH, WHEN IT RAINS AND IT'S WARM, 28 DAYS ISN'T OFTEN ENOUGH, BUT IT, IT'S CERTAINLY BETTER THAN, THAN WHAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN AT 45 DAYS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE AS WELL.
UH, WE, WE ALSO HAVE A, ANOTHER MEDIAN MADNESS EVENT, AND THAT IS COMING UP.
DUSTIN, WHAT DAY IS THAT? OCTOBER 18TH.
UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO ONE, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF FUN.
UH, IT'S COME OUT THERE FOR A MORNING AND, AND HELP US CLEAN THAT UP.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A NUMBER OF THE TRAILS ASSOCIATIONS WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANTS, UH, MATCHING GRANTS.
UH, THE CITY MATCHES UP TO $5,000 THAT, UH, AN ORGANIZATION WILL SPEND.
AND THAT IS GONNA BE WITH THE TRAIL WOOD, UH, OR NO, IS IT BEAR BRANCH TRAILS ASSOCIATION AND WITH, UH, HUNTERS RIDGE ON NORTH PARK.
SO PLEASE COME ON OUT, HELP US.
UH, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU OUT THERE, GET TO MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR AND, UH, SPEND, UH, A FEW HOURS HELPING OUT WITH IT.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THAT'S GOING ON IS, UH, WE'VE GOT SOMETHING CALLED SWAT WAS A STORM WATER ACTION TEAM, UH, WHERE WE GO AND THE CITY FINDS, UH, PLACES THAT, UH, NEED TO HAVE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
THERE WAS ONE, UH, RECENTLY AT, UH, CHESTNUT RIDGE, UH, IN OVER IN SAND CREEK.
IN FACT, I THINK THAT'S STILL GOING ON.
UH, AND I BELIEVE COUNCILMAN MARTIN ACTUALLY STARTED THAT.
UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD THING AS WELL.
UH, SOMETHING ELSE, OUR CVSF FUNDS, THAT'S THE, I GET, MY OFFICE IS ALLOWED TO SPEND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SPENT THE MONEY ON ARE THE POLAR POLARIS VEHICLE THAT'S OUTSIDE, I THINK MOST OF Y'ALL SAW BEFORE YOU CAME IN.
UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, IS SPENT THE MONEY FOR THE POLICE.
IN FACT, WE SPENT $143,000 ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
[00:15:01]
WE'RE WHERE MOST OF THAT MONEY GOES TO.UH, IT ALSO PAYS FOR THE, UH, UH, MOWING AND EDGING THAT WE DO ADDITIONALLY.
UH, ALSO THE, UH, RECYCLING, THE MONTHLY RECYCLING LAMENTS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE METRO MONEY.
WE GET A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN METRO MONEY.
AND, UH, THAT PAYS FOR PANEL REPLACEMENTS AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST FOR KINGWOOD, BUT THAT'S THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
UH, SO WE'VE GOT GOING ON IN CLEAR LAKE, FREEWAY, MANOR, NORTH SHORE, KINGWOOD, ALL OF IT.
UH, I WISH WE'D HAD A LOT MORE OF THAT, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE GOT, UH, SO FAR.
SO WITH THAT, KINDA WANNA MOVE ON TO THE PRESENTATIONS.
AND, AND ACTUALLY BEFORE THAT, IT WAS GONNA HAVE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS GIVE A REAL QUICK UPDATE THAT ARE HERE, UH, I'S GONNA START OFF WITH, UH, CHARLES CUNNINGHAM.
AND YOU WANNA COME ON UP, CHARLES, AND GIVE US A LITTLE UPDATE.
AND I WANT TO SAY GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, GIVING ALL PRAISES TO MY LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, WHO'S AHEAD OF MY LIFE.
I WANT TO FIRST SAY THANK YOU, AND IT'S, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE YOU.
THE SECOND THANK YOU IS TO MY LOVELY WIFE WHO ALLOWS ME TO DO THIS, WHO'S IN THE BACK, BACK THERE, STELLA.
UH, AND THEN, UH, I'M GONNA SAY SOME THANK YOUS THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND START IT OFF WITH THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER CARTER.
THESE WERE SOME OF THE PEOPLE.
'CAUSE I'M GOING, THEY, THEY TOLD ME TWO MINUTES.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE A REAL, LIKE TWO MINUTE HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT HAPPENED AT THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
I'LL SKIP A SPECIAL SESSION, BUT JUST KIND OF GIVE EVERYBODY A LITTLE HIGHLIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WE ENDED THE, UH, SESSION, UH, PASSING THE BALANCE BUDGET.
UH, THAT BUDGET WAS ABOUT $338 BILLION.
UH, OUT OF THAT 15% OF THAT WENT TO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, AND THAT TOTALED $51 BILLION NOW.
WE DID ABOUT 40 BILLION THIS TIME.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE, OUT OF THE 17, UH, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT ARE ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER, TWO OF THEM ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY TO ME, UH, SINCE I'M OVER 65.
UH, AND HOPEFULLY TO YOU, I MEAN, BUT IT'S THE APPRAISAL.
SO, UH, IF YOU'RE A SENIOR OVER 65 AND DISABLED, IT'S GOING FROM 10,000 TO 60,000.
UH, EVERYBODY ELSE WITH THE SCHOOL TAXES IS GOING FROM A HUNDRED K TO 140.
AND SO FOR 65 FOLKS, THAT'S $240,000, UH, IN RELIEF.
AND SO, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU WILL GET OUT, VOTE YES.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND JUST, UH, CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO.
NOW, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION IS, LET'S JUST GET RID OF PROPERTY TAX.
SO I'M GONNA TELL YOU AS A POLITICIAN, NO, I AGREE WITH YOU.
BUT, UH, IF, IF YOU HEAR ME SAY THAT, THEN YOUR NEXT QUESTION SHOULD BE, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA REPLACE IT WITH? AND SO, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THE RELIEF.
UH, AND, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT TIME.
NOW, THERE WAS SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, AND I WANT TO MENTION A FEW OF THEM, AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THEM.
UH, ONE OF MY MAJOR PRO PRIORITIES, UH, ACTUALLY IS A, UH, IS, IS KIND OF A, A HANDOVER FROM THE PREVIOUS, UH, STATE REP.
AND THAT WAS STATE REP DAN HUBERTY, AND WE'LL GET TO THAT ONE IN A SECOND.
BUT ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER DAVE MARTIN, MAYOR PRO, TIM MARTIN, HAS HE STILL IN THE BUILDING? HAS HE LEFT? IGI GUESS HE'S AL HE ALREADY LEFT AND STUFF.
BUT WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE WINS FOR DISTRICT 1 27.
AND THAT FIRST WIN WAS WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, AND THAT WAS THE, UH, I WAS ABLE TO AUTHOR AND CREATE A LAKE USE AND DREDGING AND MAINTENANCE DISTRICT FOR OUR AREA.
THAT WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF REPRESENTATIVE HUBERTY.
AND, AND, AND HE CAN TELL YOU WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GET LEGISLATION PASSED, YOU KNOW, BE CAREFUL OF THE GUYS WHO SMILE IN YOUR FACE AND STAB YOU IN THE BACK
SO, UH, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT PASSED, AND NOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND, AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT.
BUT WHAT I WANNA LET YOU KNOW IS WHAT THAT DOES, THAT PUTS US HERE IN KINGWOOD, UH, STARTING TO BE IN CONTROL OF OUR DESTINY OF FLOODING.
YOU KNOW, OUR MODEL HERE IN KINGWOOD IS THE LIVABLE FOREST, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO MAKE IT A LIVABLE FOREST.
AND THAT DREDGING BILL IS GOING TO DO THAT FOR US.
UH, IN ADDITION TO GETTING THAT BILL DAMN CLAP.
IN ADDITION TO GETTING THAT BILL, I WAS ABLE TO SECURE $50 MILLION
[00:20:02]
TO GO ALONG WITH HELP, TO HELP PAY FOR THE, UH, FLOODGATES.IN 2023, I WAS ABLE TO SECURE 50 MILLION PLUS A 50 MILLION MATCH FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND SO, AND I THINK AT THAT SAME YEAR, UH, REPRESENTATIVE MARTIN WAS ABLE TO SECURE 30 MILLION FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
AND SO AS WE CONTINUE TO GET, GET THESE MONIES AND STUFF, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, MOVING AS AS DELIBERATELY AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR AREA IS GOING TO BE SAFE.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, OUR KINGWOOD DIVERSION DITCH, I WAS ABLE TO SECURE 5 MILLION FOR THE DIVERSION DITCH FOR OUR AREA, THAT THAT DITCH NEEDS SOME WORK.
AND SO, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE THAT MONEY.
UH, ALSO JUST FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES, UH, WE HAVE THE DILLON SKATE PARK WAS ABLE TO SECURE A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT, FOR THE, FOR SOME RENOVATIONS THAT THAT'S MUCH NEEDED.
SO, SO WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR OUR KIDS TO GO, TO, GO BY AND GO TO.
UH, I CO-AUTHORED SOME LEGISLATION.
WHAT REALLY HELPED ME GET INTO THIS RACE AS I WAS, UH, SLEEPING ON A SUNDAY.
DECEMBER 13TH, FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, I HEAR A BIG BANG.
I'M UPSTAIRS SLEEPING WITH THE WIFE.
SHE'S FIGHTING TO GET TO THE PHONE.
AND I REACH UNDER MY PILLOW AND I GRAB MY SECOND WIFE AND I HEAD DOWNSTAIRS,
AND THEN LO AND BEHOLD, I SEE A CHEVY PICKUP THAT IS JUST DRIVEN THROUGH MY, UH, LIVING ROOM.
AND I HAD, YOU KNOW, I TELL EVERYBODY ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE GOAL WAS TO RETIRE.
AND I HAD THIS 1949 WILLER PIANO THAT I WAS GOING TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY.
LUCKILY, THAT HELPED STOP THE TRUCK FROM GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE KITCHEN.
YEAH, I MISSED THAT PIANO, BUT THAT WAS IT.
BUT THE STORY WAS THIS, AFTER DOING SOME INVESTIGATION, FOUND OUT THAT, UH, AND IT WAS, IT WAS A GANG.
IT WAS TWO GUYS IN THE OTHER CAR WAITING OUTSIDE AS THEY GOT IN THE CAR.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, LIKE I TOLD EVERYBODY, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I SHOT MY GUN, MAYBE ONCE, TWICE, I DON'T KNOW.
UH, ALL I REMEMBER WAS WHEN THE POLICE GOT THERE, HE SAID, PUT THE GUN DOWN, MR. CUNNINGHAM
BUT UPON INVESTIGATION, THOSE, BECAUSE WE GOTTEN, UH, FINGERPRINTS AND THINGS OF THIS NATURE, THOSE WERE REPEAT OFFENDERS OUT ON BOND.
AND THAT REALLY JUST GOT MY JUICES FLOWING.
WE HAVE A DOCTOR HERE, UH, IN OUR AREA, MARK ANDERSON, UH, WHEN I WAS RUNNING, HE, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO A BILL.
WE CALLED IT THE MINIMUM BOND ACT, AND THE FELONY ON BOND ACT NEVER COULD GET IT PASSED.
YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES, DAN, I NEEDED YOU, YOU KNOW, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, SO YOU NEEDED TO GET A HUNDRED.
UH, BUT LO AND BEHOLD, THAT WASN'T 23.
BUT SOME OF THAT LANGUAGE WAS USED BY SENATOR HUFFMAN TILL NOW WE HAVE A BILL THAT'S GOING TO ADDRESS THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T REALLY NEED TO BE ON BOND.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TOUCHED ME ABOUT, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT ON BOND WAS A OFFICER THAT LIVED IN OUR, IN OUR AREA, DOWN IN THE, IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF, OF DISTRICT 1 27.
UH, OFFICER, UH, OMAR
AND TO TOP IT OFF, ONE OF THE PERPETRATORS HAD A, A BRACELET LA MONITOR ON.
AND SO, UH, IN WORKING WITH, UH, THEN DA KIM OGG, UH, AND I FORGET THE NAME OF THE BILL, BUT BECAUSE WE COULD NOT GET THAT INFORMATION FROM THE JUDGES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BILL NOW THAT THEY HAVE TO GIVE UP THAT INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN TRACK WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE ON THESE MONITORS.
SO ANYWAY, YES, THAT'S COACH FOSTER THAT LEGISLATION.
AND LASTLY, 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW I'M OVER TWO MINUTES, BUT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UH, OUR GOOD FRIENDS OVER AT HARRIS COUNTY.
UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS WE FOUND OUT, I SAY WE, ME AND SOME OTHER LEGISLATORS, UH, MANO DELA, UH, LACEY HALL, UH, DR.
TOM SSON, THAT, UH, THE TOLL ROAD HAD A SURPLUS.
NOW WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE REAL NUMBER IS.
YOU KNOW, SOME SAID IT WAS 200 MILLION, SOME SAID 300 MILLION, YOU KNOW, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WERE TRYING TO MAYBE TAX US FOR PROGRAMS THAT WERE GOING TO EXPIRE.
AND SO THAT CAUSED US TO GO AHEAD AND START ASKING SOME QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WELL, WHY DO YOU WANNA TAX US WHEN YOU'RE SITTING ON A SURPLUS? YOU SEE WHAT THE STATE OF TEXAS IS DOING WITH OUR SURPLUS? WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE IT BACK TO OUR PEOPLE.
AND SO WE KEPT ON INQUIRING, INQUIRING.
[00:25:01]
THAT OUR PRECINCT, WHERE WE, MOST OF US LIVE IN PRECINCT THREE, YOU KNOW, LARGEST PRECINCT, UH, IS TOTALLY UNDERFUNDED IN WAYS OF ROADS AND, AND REPAIR.AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO WORK OUT A DEAL, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE, AS WE SAY, SOME BALANCE IN THAT FUNDING MECHANISM.
'CAUSE WE WORKED WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, FRED WITH THE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE MAYOR SAYS, HEY, OUR FOLKS USE THOSE ROADS TOO.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED, WE NEED TO GET SOME OF THAT MONEY.
SO ANYWAY, WE ENDED UP WORKING OUTTA JAIL.
UH, WE WILL BE FOLLOWING IT BACK UP BECAUSE I ALWAYS LEARN, UH, INSPECT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU EXPECT.
AND SO WE WILL BE FOLLOWING BACK UP WITH 'EM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING WHAT WE AGREED TO.
AND I REALLY WANNA LEAVE FOR OUR SIT DOWN.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS, ESPECIALLY ABOUT WATER.
UH, SB SEVEN WAS A WATER BILL THAT WE PASSED THAT'S GOING TO FUND THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD WITH PROJECTS.
AND I THINK, UH, IN OUR AREA, WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND PLENTY OF PROJECTS.
BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT I HAVE FOR NOW.
JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A REAL, JUST QUICK HIGHLIGHT OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED.
AND I WANTED TO END ONCE AGAIN WITH A THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND FRED, I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU SO YOU CAN BRING UP THE NEXT PERSON.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, THANK, THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
AND, UM, BEFORE I HAVE THE NEXT SPEAKER COME UP, I HAVE A TERRIBLE OMISSION I MADE.
I NEED TO THANK MY WIFE, LESLIE, FOR ALL THE HELP SHE'S BEEN, MAKE SURE I, I'M SAFE AT HOME TONIGHT.
SO, SO, UH, UP NEXT WE'VE GOT, UH, CITY COUNCIL RESIDENT TWILA OR KINGWOOD, RESIDENT CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TWILA CARTER.
I AM TRYING TO SEE WHAT, WHAT'S THAT PICTURE OF? WHERE'D Y'ALL GET THAT?
YOU DIDN'T GET THAT OFF FACEBOOK
ANYWAY, THAT APPEARS TO BE OUR FORMER DA.
AM I RIGHT ON THAT? ANYWAY, GOOD EVENING, NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS AND CHURCH FAMILY.
FRED, HOW'D YOU LIKE THAT?
UM, I JUST GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON AS IT AFFECTS OUR COMMUNITY.
CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY INVOLVED ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS.
UM, PROUD TO SAY FRIDAY, WE'RE KICKING THAT OFF IN AUSTIN FOR A STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN.
AND YOU THINK, HOW IS THAT RELEVANT TO US? IT'S RELEVANT TO EVERYONE BECAUSE 70% OF ALL CALLS MADE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT IN HARRIS COUNTY ARE FAMILY VIOLENCE RELATED, 70%.
SO IT TAKES A LOT OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, MY OTHER PROBABLY BIGGEST PRIORITY IS ON, I'M WORKING ON THE HOMELESSNESS.
UM, I GET CALLS, COMMENTS ABOUT KINGWOOD, THAT YOU SEE HOMELESS PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT INDIVIDUALS OUT HERE.
I CONFIRMED WITH HPD LAST WEEK BECAUSE I KNOW OF ABOUT HALF DOZEN.
WE FLUCTUATE BETWEEN FIVE AND 10.
SO THE WORK WE'RE DOING DOWNTOWN TO ADDRESS THE STREET HOMELESSNESS HAS NOT IMPACTED OUR COMMUNITY OUT HERE.
THE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU ARE SEEING ARE KNOWN TO HPD.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN VIOLATING THE LAW.
THERE'S, UH, ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT WE KNOW OF.
I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF THE OFFICERS, UH, WAS PICKED UP FOR AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT IN GALVESTON.
BUT THEY DO MONITOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OUT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE DO SEE A FAIR AMOUNT OF PANHANDLING.
IF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE CITY GOVERNMENT, THE PAST PROBABLY MONTH SIX WEEKS, WE PASSED AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL ALLOW HPD TO ADDRESS THE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON THE MEDIANS.
A MEDIAN THAT'S LESS THAN, UH, THREE FEET WIDE.
SO UP HERE AT KINGWOOD DRIVE AND, AND LAKE HOUSTON PARKWAY, NOW THERE'S AN ARM TO ADDRESS THAT AND HAVE THE INDIVIDUALS MOVE ON AND OFF THE MEDIANS.
YOU SEE INDIVIDUALS OVER HERE AT HEB WITH SMALL CHILDREN THAT ALSO IS AGAINST THE LAW.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY ARE MONITORING THOSE, UM, INDIVIDUALS OUT HERE.
HPD IS A HPD DOES A GREAT JOB.
CERTAINLY MANY IN THE ROOM REACH OUT WITH CONSTITUENT, UH, ISSUES.
I USUALLY SAY, DUSTIN, WE'RE GOT GOT YOUR BACK ON THIS ONE.
CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE.
WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK THROUGH THOSE AND HAPPY TO HELP, UH, WORK ON CERTAINLY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER ON ANYTHING THAT WE CAN, THEY'RE GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND MY OFFICE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AND, AND TRY TO GET AN ANSWER, SOLVE ANYTHING WE CAN.
UM, THANK YOU FRED, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I'M GONNA SAY GIVE FRED A ROUND OF APPLAUSE BECAUSE I THINK HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB.
AND I THINK, UH, THE COUNCIL IN GENERAL IS WORKING WELL TOGETHER, UH, FOR THE CITY, ACROSS THE CITY, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, MAYOR'S
[00:30:01]
NOT HERE, BUT HAVE TO GIVE, UH, REGARDS TO THE MAYOR TOO, BECAUSE I THINK HE'S DOING A GOOD JOB FOR KINGWOOD BECAUSE KINGWOOD ELECTED HIM.AND WE WON'T FORGET, HE WON'T FORGET US, AND WE WON'T LET HIM FORGET THAT.
TWA JUST SAID SOMETHING THAT REMINDED ME.
UM, MAKE SURE IF YOU SEE AN ISSUE THAT THE CITY'S RESPONSIBLE FOR, CALL 3 1 1, MAKE A REPORT.
EVERYTHING IS PRETTY MUCH DRIVEN BY THAT.
AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, UH, THEY'LL GIVE YOU REPORT NUMBER.
YOU CAN CALL OUR OFFICE, EMAIL OUR OFFICE.
IT'S MUCH EASIER FOR US TO HAVE THAT AND, AND BE ABLE TO, TO ASSIST YOU WITH THAT.
UM, NEXT UP I'VE GOT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE FIVE SALLY ALCORN.
I HAVE A PITCHFORK IN MY HAND IN THAT PICTURE,
I CHAIR THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH MEANS I DON'T SLEEP A LOT AT NIGHT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SOME SERIOUS ISSUES.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT MAYOR WHO'S DONE A LOT OF PROACTIVE THINGS.
THE ERNST AND YOUNG REPORT COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER MENTIONED, IT'S LOOKING AT GOVERNANCE.
WE HAD MANAGERS, LOT OF MANAGERS, 40% OF OUR MANAGERS ONLY OVERSEEING LIKE THREE PEOPLE.
SO WE'RE DOING A WHOLE RESTRUCTURING THERE.
WE DID THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENTS, A THOUSAND PLUS PEOPLE THAT SAVED THE CITY CITYWIDE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN THE TAX SUPPORTED GENERAL FUND.
YOUR SALES AND PROPERTY TAX REVENUE SAVED OVER $30 MILLION.
WE ARE NOW LOOKING, ERNST AND YOUNG IS STILL ON BOARD, LOOKING ACROSS THE BOARD AT SPENDING OUR CONTRACT SPENDING AND NON-CONTRACT SPENDING, LOOKING AT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE USING THE SAME VENDOR, BUT TWO DIFFERENT CONTRACTS.
WE'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN RENEGOTIATE.
A LOT OF THESE THINGS, PROCURE OUR GOODS AND SERVICES MORE SMARTLY, MORE STRATEGICALLY.
AND THEY'RE EXPECTING THIS YEAR THAT WE'LL SAVE ABOUT $16 MILLION JUST DOING THAT.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, WE ARE STILL STARING DOWN A $226 MILLION DEFICIT IN YES, NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
THE POLICE AND FIRE CONTRACTS THAT WERE MENTIONED ARE GREAT.
THEY'RE ALLOWING US TO, TO RE ATTRACT AND RETAIN PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS, WHICH WE NEED.
BUT THEY ARE CROWDING OUT OTHER SERVICES, CROWDING OUT.
PARKS, PARKS, BUDGET WENT DOWN, LIBRARY BUDGET WENT DOWN, TRASH BUDGET WENT DOWN.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT OUR, OUR BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION, OUR SPENDING AND OUR REVENUES.
THE MAYOR'S BEEN GREAT ABOUT GETTING MONEY FROM THE STATE, FROM METRO.
WE'RE LOOKING UNDER EVERY ROCK.
BUT, UH, I SEE THOSE NUMBERS EVERY MONTH.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE CITY AND PE AND, AND COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HOW WE, THEY CAN WORK MORE TOGETHER.
WE DO A LOT OF DUPLICATIVE SERVICES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REALLY WORK MORE WITH THE COUNTY TO TRY TO SAVE MONEY ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.
BUT GREAT BEING HERE IN KINGWOOD, MAN, Y'ALL COME OUT IN KINGWOOD AND I LOVE THAT.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE ONE JULIAN RAMIREZ.
MY GOSH, I THINK MY MOUTH IS OPEN IN THAT PICTURE.
IT'S GREAT TO BE IN KINGWOOD AGAIN.
UM, I ALWAYS, ALWAYS LOVE COMING OUT HERE.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME OUT HERE DURING THE CAMPAIGN AND, UH, JUST APPRECIATE THE, THE LARGE CROWDS THAT COME OUT HERE.
YOU'VE GOT A GREAT DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER IN, UH, FRED FLICKINGER.
I LOVE SUPPORTING HIM AND I WORK WITH HIM EVERY CHANCE I GET, UH, TO SUPPORT ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO YOU.
I DO WANNA SECOND EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT THE JOB OUR MAYOR'S DOING.
I THINK HE'S DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.
WE'VE GOT SOME SERIOUS FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AS, UH, SALLY ALLUDED TO, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON 'EM AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WORKING ON THEM.
I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THE MAYOR, BUT I, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA ADOPT A TAX RATE, UH, VERY SOON.
COULD BE AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK, MAYBE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
AND, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS MAYOR'S NOT GONNA ASK FOR, UH, A NEW HIGHER TAX RATE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO KEEP IT WHERE IT IS AND, AND, UH, TIGHTEN OUR BELTS AND CONTINUE DOING THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, UNLIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE CAN'T PRINT MONEY WHEN WE HAVE A DEFICIT.
WE HAVE TO MAKE IT BALANCE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AND HE'S BEEN VERY CREATIVE IN DOING THAT.
UM, SOME THINGS I'M MOST PROUD OF THIS YEAR IS WE GAVE OUR POLICE OFFICERS A RAISE, WHICH IS GONNA RESULT IN FEWER OFFICERS RETIRING.
THEY'RE GONNA STAY LONGER AND MORE
[00:35:01]
OFFICERS WANTING TO JOIN THE FORCE.THIS WILL TRANSLATE INTO A LARGER POLICE FORCE, UH, MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS PATROLLING AND HOPEFULLY SHORTER RESPONSE TIMES, WHICH WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON CRIME.
SOME ISSUES THAT, THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON PERSONALLY IS WHEN WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET, I, I OFFERED, UH, A FEW AMENDMENTS, TWO OF WHICH GOT PASSED, ONE OF WHICH ADDED TWO ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS.
ONE TO FOCUS, UH, EXCLUSIVELY ON ISSUES THAT THAT STEM FROM HUMAN TRAFFICKING, RIGHT? SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES, MASSAGE PARLORS AND THE LIKE.
THAT PASSED WITH THE SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES.
VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY, UH, FRONTS FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, MASSAGE PARLORS, FOOT REFLEXOLOGY PLACES, AND, AND THE LIKE.
WE HAVE MORE OF THOSE THAN WE HAVE MCDONALD'S IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND WE NEED TO TRY TO CHANGE THAT.
UH, ANOTHER AMENDMENT THAT, THAT I OFFERED THAT GOT PASSED WOULD, WOULD INCREASE ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS ON, ON THE TYPE OF QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT AFFECT SO MUCH OF THE CITY AS AN AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER.
I REPRESENT NOT JUST DISTRICT D, BUT ALL 11 DISTRICTS, 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S A PROBLEM CITYWIDE.
ONE THING I'M GONNA LET YOU KNOW ABOUT IS AN INITIATIVE THAT I'VE STARTED WITH MY CHIEF OF STAFF, LEAH AL, WHO'S HERE IN THE BACK.
AND THAT IS CALLED BRINGING HOUSTON TOGETHER.
AND WE REALLY CAME UP WITH THIS LAST YEAR IN THE WAKE OF THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.
WHEN THAT HAPPENED, WE SAID, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
AND WE, WE STARTED THIS INITIATIVE TO BRING PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL, POLITICAL SPECTRUM TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT DIFFICULT ISSUES.
A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE HAD OUR FIRST EVENT AT THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM IN HOUSTON, SMALL GROUP DINNER AFFAIR, WHERE PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE SPECTRUM GATHERED AT EACH TABLE IN FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS AND TALKED ABOUT THEIR VIEWPOINTS ON IMMIGRATION.
'CAUSE IF WE CAN'T TALK CIVILLY TO EACH OTHER, WE HAVE NO HOPE OF COMING TO SOLUTIONS.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE COMING UP IN NOVEMBER.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE, BRINGING HOUSTON TOGETHER.COM.
AND I DON'T HAVE TO TELL EVERYBODY THAT WE, WE JUST SAW ANOTHER IN INCIDENT OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN THE ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK.
AND WE'RE PAST THE POINT OF SAYING, EN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
WE NEED TO DO MORE AS A NATION AND WE WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
LAST THING I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH IS VERY HAPPY TO SAY THAT, UH, I ENDED THE YEAR, THE FISCAL YEAR, MY OWN BUDGET.
UH, WE HAD A LARGE SURPLUS OF SURPLUS OF MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE STARTED OUT WITH ABOUT $580,000 TO RUN OUR OFFICE BUDGETS.
NOW THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS GET A LARGE, THEY GET A SEPARATE PILE OF MONEY TO WORK ON THINGS LIKE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, BUT I ENDED UP WITH A LARGE SURPLUS.
SO WHAT, WHAT DID I DO WITH IT? WELL, UH, WE BOUGHT $45,000 WORTH OF MEALS READY TO EAT FOR OUR, UH, OEM DEPARTMENT.
UH, SOME OF IT WENT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR, FOR COMPUTERS.
SOME OF IT WENT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ADD SPEAKERS TO SOME DRONES THAT THEY USE AND SENSITIVE OPERATIONS.
AND, UH, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR MONEY.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE CITY AND, UH, KEEP LETTING US KNOW WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU.
WANTED TO DOVETAIL REAL QUICK ON SOMETHING JULIAN SAID ABOUT THE TAX RATE.
UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS LOVE TO TELL YOU HOW THEY LOWER YOUR TAX RATE, IGNORING THE FACT THAT YOUR TAX BILL IS A MULTIPLICATION PROBLEM.
ONE IS THE TAX RATE AND THE OTHER IS YOUR APPRAISAL.
AND IT'S HOW THOSE TWO FACTORS DO AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE CHECK YOU WRITE OUT THIS YEAR IS LARGER THAN THE CHECK YOU WROTE OUT LAST YEAR.
UM, THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS TO, WHAT HAPPENS WITH TAXES IS, AS AN AGGREGATE, OBVIOUSLY CAN'T LOOK AT EVERY INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF LAST YEAR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROPERTY TAXPAYERS ACTUALLY GOT A REDUCTION IN THE PROPERTY TAXES.
NOW, THE REASON MOST OF YOU DON'T KNOW IT IS BECAUSE THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, THE APPRAISALS WENT UP ON THOSE, THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES GOT HAMMERED.
UH, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ARE VALUED A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
IT'S BASED UPON THE REVENUE THEY CAN GENERATE WITH COVID AND WORK FROM HOME OFFICE SPACE DEMAND DECREASED PRECIPITOUSLY.
AND THE LEASES THAT ROLLED OVER OBVIOUSLY GENERATED SIGNIFICANTLY LESS REVENUE THAN WHAT THEY DID PRE COVID.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY VALUATIONS DROPPED A LOT.
UM, BUT IF YOU TAKE ALL THE PROPERTIES FROM THE YEAR BEFORE AND TAKE ALL THE PROPERTIES THAT YEAR, YOUR TAXES ACTUALLY REDUCED BY A VERY SMALL AMOUNT.
NOW, THE PROBLEM ALSO WITH YOUR PROPERTY TAXES IS YOU GET THE STATEMENT,
[00:40:01]
THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF ENTITIES ON THERE.UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS OVER HALF OF YOUR BILL.
I MEAN, I THINK WHAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR PROPERTY TAXES IS GOING UP BY WHAT WE VOTED ON A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, AND THAT'S THE RATE OF INFLATION PLUS GROWTH.
I MEAN, THE RATE OF INFLATION ESSENTIALLY GIVES, YOU KNOW, THE CITY THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY NEXT YEAR AS IT HAD LAST YEAR.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY, UH, WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING, UH, THAT'LL COME OUT OF THAT AND, AND WE'LL ALL GET TO SEE.
NOW, I THINK ACTUALLY THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GROWTH AND THERE WAS SOME INFLATION.
SO I, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH, BUT, UH, I'M SURE YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET A TAX CUT LIKE YOU DID THE YEAR BEFORE.
SO ANYWAY, UM, THE NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE IS COUNCILMAN WILLIE DAVIS.
IT IS GOOD TO BE HERE WITH YOU AND, UM, CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK YOU FRED, FOR THE INVITE TO COME AND SHARE.
I'M NOT GOING TO DRAW A LITHY SPEECH ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT'S DONE.
OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE COVERED A LOT OF AREAS ABOUT THE CITY, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE YOU AT LARGE POSITION TOO.
I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR UNTO YOU.
UH, WE'VE DONE QUITE A FEW THINGS, BUT I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT MANY OF YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY WAS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT EVERYBODY DROVE DURING, UH, THE CAMPAIGN YEARS IS COMING INTO OFFICE, WHICH WAS ONE OF MY BIG ISSUES WAS CRIME AND DEALING WITH CRIME.
AND THANK GOD THE CRIME IS DOWN AND IT IS GOING DOWN, BUT THERE'S A, A HIDDEN SECRET.
AND WE DID THE STATS ON IT OUT OF MY OFFICE, THIS TEENAGE CRIME I KEPT UP WITH THE IDEA OF THE TEENAGE CRIME THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT HERE IN KINGWOOD.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DO.
FRED HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN STAYING ON TOP OF THE ACTIONS THAT'S GOING ON IN DISTRICT E, BUT TEENAGE CRIME IS OUT OF CONTROL.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF CRIME GOING DOWN, THE CRIME NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN, BUT THE NUMBER OF THE PEOPLE WHO COMMIT THE CRIMES ARE THE TEENAGERS.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON.
SO WE CREATED AN INITIATIVE THAT WE ARE STARTING AND PUT WORKING WITH THE POLICE AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE CALLED PPP POLICE, PASTOR AND PEOPLE.
WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO GIVE MORE INFORMATION TO YOU ABOUT THAT BECAUSE HERE'S THE DEAL, WHEN WE REDUCE THOSE CRIME NUMBER, IT MAKES EVERYBODY SAFE, SAFE TO MOVE ABOUT IN YOUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND, UH, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO DO ALL WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
'CAUSE HOUSTON IS A GREAT CITY.
REAL QUICK, IF WE CAN GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL THE CITY COUNCILMEN, KING WOOD'S.
A LONG WAYS OUT HERE FOR EVERYBODY EXCEPT FOR TWILA.
ALL THE AT LARGE CAME OUT HERE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LETICIA PLUMMER, WHO, LIKE I SAID, IS RUNNING FOR COUNTY JUDGE.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GREAT THAT THEY, THEY ALL SHOWED UP.
UM, NEXT UP, THE FIRST PRESENTATION IS GONNA BE THE ONE PROBABLY EVERYBODY'S HERE FOR, UH, IT'S ABOUT THE DAM LAKE HOUSTON COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY.
SO DAN HUBERTY AND COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY.
WHAT CLICKER? THE CLICKER YOU GOT WHAT? OH, IS THAT THE FIRST ONE? YEAH.
WELL, HELL DON'T GIMME THE TECHNOLOGY.
SHE'S LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE? SO, UM, YEAH, IT'S, SOMEBODY ELSE NEEDS TO DO THAT BECAUSE I, THAT'S NOT MY THING.
UM, SO, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE, UH, AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR BEING HERE.
I MEAN, WHAT A TRUE PRO BUNCH OF PROFESSIONALS THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UM, I HONESTLY, SINCE I REALLY GOT OUT OF POLITICS, I DON'T WATCH A LOT OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER MEETINGS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT, UH, I DO GET FROM TIME TO TIME TO WATCH THE WORK YOU DO.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN.
UM, AND UH, THE FACT THAT THEY APPOINT ME, I NEED TO SUCKED UP TO 'EM AS WELL.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I DO THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, WHAT I WANTED TO START WITH TONIGHT IS, IS THAT I HAVE, UH, FROM THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOON TO BE RETIRING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DON RIPLEY'S HERE, OUR OPERATIONS MANAGER, DAVID MILLER'S HERE, AND THEN OUR CHIEF ENGINEER, GREG INGERS IS HERE.
AND SO GREG IS GONNA BE HERE HELPING ME A LITTLE BIT WITH THE PRESENTATION 'CAUSE I WANT HIM TO TALK ABOUT THE TECHNICAL ASPECT OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
BUT I WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK IN TIME IF WE CAN.
AND WE GO BACK IN A TIME MACHINE AND GO BACK AND THINK ABOUT, UM, 2017.
[00:45:02]
UM, AND, AND I HAD A GOOD REMI REMINDER OF THAT TODAY.'CAUSE I WAS IN UMBLE IDS, UH, UH, EXECUTIVE OFFICES TODAY, MEETING WITH ROGER BROWN ABOUT A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME THINGS AND ALL THROUGHOUT THE FIFTH FLOOR ARE PICTURES OF THE FLOOD.
AND IT REMINDED ME OF HOW BAD THE FLOOD WAS.
I DIDN'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT HOW LONG AGO THAT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO THAT WE HAD THAT FLOOD AND, AND, AND ABOUT THIS TIME EIGHT YEARS AGO, RIGHT? THAT WE WERE ALL RECOVERING AND GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
BUT I WATCHED THE AMOUNT OF HOMES THAT WERE JUST COMPLETELY COVERED IN WATER, RIGHT? AND THE HEB PARKING LOT, YOU, YOU KNOW, COVERED IN WATER AND EVERYTHING'S COVERING WATER.
AND SO PART OF THE MISSION AT THAT POINT IN TIME WAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE STOP THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN, PART OF IT WAS THE DREDGING PROGRAM, RIGHT? AND SO WE, WE HAD SOME EMERGENCY MONEY THAT CAME INTO IT, AND THEN WE GOT A DREDGING OPERATION GOING, UH, IN TWO THOU FROM 2019.
WE GOT MONEY TO START THE DREDGING OPERATION AND FACILITATE THAT, AND WE GOT ADDITIONAL MONEY IN 2021.
AND CHARLES HAS CONTINUED ON WITH THAT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WITH THE ADVENT OF GETTING THE DREDGING PROGRAM, UH, DONE, OR, UH, DREDGING DISTRICT DONE SUPER IMPORTANT IN COORDINATION WITH THE CITY.
THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE THING FOR US LONG TERM BECAUSE, AND YOU DIDN'T SAY THIS, BUT THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE MATERIAL WE HAVE IN LAKE HOUSTON WILL HELP BUILD THE I D**E AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO MONETIZE THAT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE PROPER USE OF, OF THE WAKE AND, AND, AND THE CONTINUATION OF WHAT WE'RE HAPPENING.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE BOB THAT DO A GREAT JOB WITH HIS REDUCED FLOODING.COM, THAT GIVES US PICTURES AND SHOWS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH ALL THE SAND SILTATION AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO WHEN I RETIRED FROM LEGISLATURE, WASN'T SURE, YOU KNOW, I WAS BUSY.
I'M DOING SOME OTHER THINGS AND SPENT MOST OF MY TIME IN AUSTIN.
BUT, BUT I TALKED TO THE, THE MAYOR WHEN THE MAYOR GOT ELECTED, AND HE AND I HAD A LONG CONVERSATION.
HE WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT KINGWOOD.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE SAID, HE SAID, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SERVE ON THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY BOARD? AND I SAID, YES.
YOU KNOW, LET ME KNOW WHEN AND WHEN AN OPENING BECAME AVAILABLE.
UM, HIS TEAM REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, WOULD YOU DO IT? AND I TALKED TO FRED AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, AND HE REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU DO THAT? AND I SAID, YES, BUT ONE THING IS, IS THAT WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRESSING FORWARD AND PUSHING THE GATES FORWARD AND PUTTING THAT PROCESS IN PLACE.
AND SO THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS ASKED EARLY ON IS THAT, WHY DID IT TAKE EIGHT YEARS TO GET TO WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY? AND THERE'S AN ANSWER TO THAT.
AND THE ANSWER IS, IS THAT THE ORIGINAL THESIS OF THE GATES REALLY DIDN'T COME TO FRUITION UNTIL ABOUT 20 20, 20 21.
AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT WE WERE GONNA TRY TO PUSH THE GATES, BUT THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE REMEDIATE? HOW DO WE GET THE DEBRIS OUT? HOW DO WE DREDGE AND HOW DO WE GO FORWARD? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED DURING THAT INITIAL PERIOD OF TIME WHEN WE WERE DOING THE ENGINEERING, OR WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING AT IT AND DOING THE ENGINEERING, IS THEY FIGURED OUT, 'CAUSE THE ORIGINAL PLAN FOR THOSE OF, SOME OF US REMEMBER BOB, RIGHT? WE WERE GONNA ADD GATES TO THE CURRENT STRUCTURE, THE CURRENT DAM.
THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO.
THERE ISN'T A CONTRACTOR IN THE WORLD THAT WOULD'VE TAKEN THAT JOB BECAUSE THE DAM IS OVER 70 AT THIS TIME.
AT THE TIME, AT THAT TIME IT WAS PROBABLY 65 YEARS OLD.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE DAM WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE ABILITY TO ADD THOSE GATES TO IT AT THAT TIME.
WE DID GO AND WE DID THE ENGINEERING, WE DID THE ANALYSIS, WE WENT THROUGH IT, WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, AND GREG WAS INVOLVED IN THAT.
UH, AND DON AND THE TEAM WAS INVOLVED IN THAT.
AND THEY MADE AN ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION AT THAT TIME.
AND THAT'S WHEN DAVE MARTIN WAS THERE AND STEVEN COSTELLO AND SYLVESTER TURNER, AND THEY WERE ALL INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.
AND THEY MADE A DECISION THAT THEY HAD TO PIVOT BECAUSE PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS, IS THAT IT WASN'T FISCALLY AND FEASIBLE.
IT WASN'T REALLY FEASIBLE, IT WASN'T GONNA GET DONE BECAUSE IF YOU DRILL INTO THE GATE, THE WAY THE GATE THE DAM IS STRUCTURED IS THE HYDRO, THE OF, OF THE DAM.
IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT.
SO FAST FORWARD, UM, TO, TO WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THAT TIME.
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, THEY HAD TO GO BACK THROUGH AND DO A REDESIGN, AND THEY HAD TO GO BACK AND FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA HAVE GREG TALK ABOUT HERE IN A SECOND.
BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT FROM THAT PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THEY DECIDED WHERE IT WAS AT, AND AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CORPS OF ENGINEER INVOLVED.
THEY HAVE TO APPROVE IT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE FEMA INVOLVED, THEY HAVE TO APPROVE IT.
UM, THE STATE'S INVOLVED WITH TD THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE ISSUE RELATED TO WHAT'S HAPPENING ON LAKE HOUSTON ITSELF, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE DOWNSTREAM WHEN YOU GO DOWN TO SAN JA CENTER RIVER AND WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF THAT AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT WHAT THE ULTIMATE GOAL WAS, THE GOAL WAS, IS TO PROVIDE A PROJECT THAT WAS GONNA BE MEANINGFUL.
'CAUSE THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS JUST GONNA BE FIVE GATES THAT WAS GONNA BE ADDED TO THE CURRENT TAINER GATES THAT WERE GONNA BE ON THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM TO THE, TO THE, TO TO THE RIGHT OF THE CURRENT GATE SYSTEM OF THE MAINTENANCE GATES THAT EXIST.
AND DUE TO THE LACK OF THE IN EAST, NOT FEASIBILITY OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, WE PIVOTED OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE WHERE THE, WHERE THE, UM, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT KIND OF THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE, OF WHERE THE GATE SYSTEM IS AND GONNA PUT IT IN 11 GATE SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT GREG TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT RIGHT THERE.
BUT IT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT, UM, DURING THAT WHOLE PERIOD OF TIME, THERE'S, AND THERE'S A WHOLE LAYOUT OF PLAN,
[00:50:01]
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE, AND YOU KNOW, FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT THE TIMING IS OF WHERE IT'S AT.BUT FROM, FROM START TO FINISH, YOU KNOW, THE SIZE OF THIS PROJECT, THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT, AND WHERE WE'RE GOING FORWARD AS MOVING AS FAST AS IT'S HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY GOT A NOTICE TO PROCEED.
THE FIRST MONTH I WAS PUT ON THE BOARD, THIS WAS JUST BY HAPPENSTANCE, BUT THE FIRST MONTH THAT, THAT, THAT I WAS ON THE BOARD IN AUGUST OF 2024, I VOTED ON THE PROCESS OF MOVING, MOVING THIS FORWARD TO DESIGN AND, AND THE INITIAL DESIGN PHASE.
AND SO WE ARE INITIAL DESIGN, AND THAT'S WHERE I WANNA BRING GREG UP HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND THEN I'LL COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE, OF THE SPECIFICS OF OUR TIMEFRAME AND WHAT WE EX EXPECT AND WHERE WE THINK WE CAN MAYBE SAVE SOME TIME AND MOVE THE BALL FORWARD.
BUT GREG, THANK YOU, UH, DAN, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, UH, BEING HERE AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON, ON WHERE WE ARE WITH SOME VERY IMPORTANT PROJECTS TO THE DAN THAT WE KNOW ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A COMMUNITY.
THERE'S ACTUALLY THREE ONGOING PROJECTS THAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, PROVIDE THE UPDATE, UH, TODAY, THE LAKE HOUSTON DAM SPILLWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
THAT'S THE ADDITIONAL GATES PROJECT.
WE ALSO HAVE A, UH, PROJECT FOR FILLING OF VOIDS AND DOING CONCRETE REPAIRS ON THAT 71-YEAR-OLD CONCRETE, UH, DAM SPILLWAY.
AND THEN THE THIRD PROJECT IS LOOKING IN A PROACTIVE WAY TO THE FUTURE AS THIS DAM, UH, REACHES THE END OF ITS SERVICE LIFE, WHAT ARE THE CONCEPTS AND OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO EITHER DOING A ROBUST REHABILITATION OF THE DAM OR DOING A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE DAM? AND THIS IS A PROJECT THAT'S, UH, F FURTHER OUT.
BUT FIRST I WANT TO, UH, TOUCH ON THE, UH, PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE, ON THE, THE GATES PROJECT THAT WE KNOW IS IM, IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE, THE MESSAGE THAT I WANT TO PROVIDE TO YOU IS THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON DELIVERING THIS PROJECT, UM, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM AND, AND, UH, DAN MENTIONED THE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN SECURED TO DO THIS PROJECT, AND WE'RE LEVERAGING THE, THOSE FUNDS TO, UH, WORK DILIGENTLY TO DELIVER THIS PROJECT.
SO WHERE WE ARE NOW IS, UM, WE, IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, WE COMPLETED THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
UM, AND, AND THAT INVOLVED QUITE A BIT OF, UH, FIELD WORK, ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENTS, GEOTECH ANALYSIS, STRUCTURAL, UH, TESTING OF THE EMBANKMENT, AND, UM, WHAT THE, THE CONCEPT THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED IS A, AN 11 GATE, UH, RADIO GATE, TANER GATE TYPE OF STRUCTURE THAT IS GONNA BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE EASTERN EMBANKMENT.
SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, TOP RIGHT, THAT'S A PLANNED VIEW OF THE, OF THE, UH, GATE, GATE STRUCTURE BEING, UM, LOCATED IN THAT EASTERN, UH, EMBANKMENT EAST OF THE EXISTING, UH, DAM GATES AND THAT, AND THE, UH, SPILLWAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE ALSO, UM, THIS, UH, PA PASSED THE GATES, A STEALING BASIN THAT RETURNS FLOWS BACK INTO THE SAN JACINTO RIVER TO FLOW SOUTH.
AND THEN, UM, ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, YOU SEE A RENDERING OF WHAT THAT STRUCTURE'S GONNA GONNA LOOK LIKE, LOOKING FROM THE DOWNSTREAM END LOOKING UPSTREAM.
AND THOSE ARE THOSE 11, UH, RADIAL GATES.
THEY'RE SIZED ABOUT 20 FEET BY 22 FEET IN, IN, UM, DIMENSIONS.
AND WITH THOSE 11 GATES, UM, THIS STRUCTURE WILL PASS UP TO 78,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND.
THE EXISTING GATES THAT ARE ON THE DAM NOW PASS ABOUT 10,000 CFS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE COMPARISON, UH, THERE.
SO WHERE ARE WE? UM, I MENTIONED WE COMPLETED THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND THE, AND THE 15% DESIGN THAT WAS COMPLETED IN AUGUST.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT WE CALL THE DETAILED DESIGN.
SO TAKING THAT CONCEPT, CARRYING IT FORWARD TO THE 30%, 60%, 90% FINAL DESIGN THAT CAN THEN BE PACKAGED, UM, SUBMITTED FOR PERMITTING.
AND THERE IS AN EXTENSIVE, UH, PERMITTING ASPECT TO THIS PROJECT.
UH, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, TCEQ, UH, FEMA AND TDO ALL HAVE TO, UH, REVIEW THESE PLANS AND PROVIDE, UH, THE REQUISITE PERMITTING AND THEN FROM THAT POINT WOULD MOVE FORWARD INTO, UH, CONSTRUCTION.
SO HERE'S, HERE'S A TIMELINE OF, OF WHERE WE
[00:55:01]
ARE, AS I MENTIONED.UM, NOTICE, NOTICE PROCEED IN AUGUST.
WE COMPLETED PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING THIS LAST AUGUST.
WE'LL MOVE INTO, WE'RE MOVING INTO DETAILED DESIGN ALREADY.
THE, UH, 30% IS DUE, UH, BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THEN, UH, 60% MAY OF NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN THE A HUNDRED PERCENT COMPLETED BY THE END OF 2026.
AND AT THAT POINT WE'LL SUBMIT THOSE PLANS FOR PERMITTING.
AND THEN, UH, THAT'S ABOUT AN 18 MONTH PROCESS.
AND THEN FOLLOWING APPROVAL OF THE PERMITS, WE WILL GO INTO CONSTRUCTION.
AND THAT'S ABOUT A TWO AND A HALF YEAR PROCESS TO, UH, BUILD THIS STRUCTURE OUT ON THAT EASTERN EMBANKMENT.
SO 20 31, 20 30 IS THAT SCENARIO THEN? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THE COST WILL GO UP BETWEEN NOW AND 2030 AFTER BUILD IT? THAT THAT'S BEEN A PROBLEM, AN ONGOING PROBLEM? IT, IT IS BEING, UH, CONSIDERED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FUNDING THAT IS, IS AVAILABLE AND, UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A REQUIREMENT FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO, UM, GO TO THE LEGISLATURE, GO TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO, UH, SECURE THAT, UH,
WE WERE TALKING THE COUNTY TOO.
THERE'S SEVERAL COUNTIES THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED.
LET ME, LET ME, LET ME STEP IN REAL QUICK.
UM, YES, ALL TO ALL WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, IS ACCURATE.
WE, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A PLAN THAT WE PRESENTED AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, UH, WITH REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM AND, AND CERTAINLY WHOEVER OUR NEW SENATOR WILL BE, UH, AND THE VARIOUS APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRS.
WE, WE, WE HAVE BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF BY TE, UH, BY TEXAS WATER WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UM, COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY HAS, WE'VE SECURED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING.
THIS IS ON THE PRIORITY, IT'S ON THE, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
UM, THAT'S WHY WE PROCEEDED WITH THE DESIGN BUILD, UH, PLANS TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED THROUGH THIS.
AS I EXPLAINED TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, LIEUTENANT GUY, I HAD A VERY LONG CONVERSATION WITH LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PATRICK, AND I SAID, I, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY CAME DOWN AND DURING THE FLOODING, AND HE AND I HAD A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
I SAID, GOVERNOR, I SAID, UM, I SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT THE COASTAL WATER THEORY PROVIDES WATER FOR OVER 7 MILLION PEOPLE, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I SAID, WHEN YOU PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, OR THE POPULATION OF THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE HERE, IT'S ABOUT 2%, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY 2% OF THE POPULATION OF THE COUNTRY.
UM, THIS IS A CRITICAL FUNCTION OF THE GATE.
SO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THAT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH, UH, REPRESENT, OR CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW HAS BEEN INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN THIS AND HELPED US WITH THE FEMA FUNDING AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
UM, SO FROM SOME, WE'RE WORKING EVERY ANGLE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, I ASSURE YOU, WE, WE, WE, WE KNOW FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF HOW WE ISSUED THE PLANS AND WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT, BUT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS SIGNIFICANT AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THIS, WE'RE ALSO DOING A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM ON THE DAM ITSELF.
WE JUST RELEASED ANOTHER, UH, $10 MILLION GRANT THAT WE GOT FROM, UH, FEMA, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AND, YOU KNOW, THROUGH CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW'S OFFICE, UM, FOR HELPING US WITH THAT.
UM, WHICH IS GONNA BE ABLE TO DO SOME INITIAL REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE DONE TO THE DAM AS WELL.
SO YOU HAVE A INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, NOW GOING ON 71 YEARS OLD THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN MAINTAINED, BUT IS NOT MEETING THE NEEDS OF WHERE WE'RE AT AS A COMMUNITY TODAY.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THIS PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THIS PROJECT.
WRONG WAY, NOT THE WRONG WAY TO DO THE PROJECT.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT IT'S A LONG WAY.
I'M, WE'RE, WE'RE TELLING YOU WE'RE, WE'RE THE, THE, THE REALITY IS, IS THAT THE WAY THAT THE DESIGN WORKS AND HOW WE'RE GETTING IT DONE, AND HOW QUICKLY THAT IT'S MOVING, UM, THIS IS HOW LONG IT TAKES TO BE ABLE TO DO A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE AND SCOPE.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY THAT IT WORKS.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE THESE GUYS ARE, I, I ASSURE YOU, THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO WITH THAT, UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO DO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE OTHER PRESENTATIONS AND THIS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE, IF YOU WANT QUESTIONS OR NOT WANT QUESTIONS OR YOU WANT US TO PROCEED ON, WE CAN WAIT TILL LATER.
UM, YEAH, WE'LL WAIT TILL LATER.
SO, BUT I THINK WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IS THAT, THAT WE, WE ARE ON TOP OF IT, THAT THE TEAM IS, IS HARD AT WORK ON THIS.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT, UH, ENGINEERING TEAM.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT DESIGN TEAM.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WILL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND GET A GREAT CONTRACTOR THAT'LL COME OUT AND GET THIS DONE.
AND OUR HOPE IS TO EXCEED THE EXPECTATIONS ON THE DELIVERY DATES.
UM, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, BUT I
[01:00:01]
WILL TELL YOU THAT I KNOW, 'CAUSE I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER.I'VE BEEN IN THE ROOMS WITH HIM.
THEY HAVE CONTINUED ON WITH THE WORK THEY HAVE DONE ON MONITORING OF, IT IS A PRIORITY OF MONITORING.
AND DUSTIN, I KNOW HIS TEAM WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE FLOODS AND THINGS ARE HAPPENING OF PRE-RELEASEES, AND THAT, THAT PROGRAM HAS BEEN WORKING HIGHLY EFFECTIVELY, UH, AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
BUT THIS IS THE WAY TO SOLVE THE LONG TERM PROBLEM OF THAT.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS GONNA BE THE SOLUTION AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD.
UM, AND WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE STATE, OUR, OUR FEDERAL COUNTERPARTS AND, AND THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS DONE.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL BE AROUND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
JUST TO REITERATE WHAT, WHAT DAN WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE FUNDING.
UH, IN FACT, UH, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A WEEK AFTER JULY 4TH, MAYBE TWO WEEKS, UH, DAN STATE, REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM, COUNCILWOMAN, TWA CARTER, MYSELF, UH, ALL MET WITH THE MAYOR, HIS CHIEF OF STAFF, HIS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, HIS GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS PERSON TO DISCUSS SPECIFICALLY FUNDING FOR THE DAM.
UH, IN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DAN MENTIONED, I THINK IS AN ABSOLUTE KEY.
THIS IS THE DRINKING WATER FOR A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF HOUSTON.
OKAY? UH, NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF Y'ALL HAVE WATCHED, BUT DRINKING WATER IS A HUGE ISSUE IN THE STATE.
THERE'S LOTS OF MONEY THAT'S BEING FUNDED INTO IT, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE DAM BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE DONE.
AND THEY, THEY FULLY REALIZE IT HAS TO BE DONE.
UH, YOU, YOU CAN'T LEAVE THE CITY WITHOUT DRINKING WATER THERE.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT'LL HAPPEN.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET FUNDING FOR IT, IT'S GONNA GET DONE.
UH, IT'S NOT GONNA GET DONE NEARLY AS FAST AS ANY OF US WOULD LIKE.
UH, I, I THINK, UH, INITIALLY AFTER, UH, HARVEY, THERE WAS PROBABLY SOME EXPECTATIONS SET, UH, THAT, THAT WERE UNREALISTIC.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING THAT ANY OF US CAN DO ABOUT THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
BUT, UH, I, I AM CONFIDENT WITH THE TIMELINE WE'VE GOT NOW AND THAT IT'LL BE KEPT AND WE'LL GET THIS DONE FOR YOU.
UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE, UH, LET ME MAKE SURE I GET THIS RIGHT, UH, FROM PUBLIC WORKS, JOSEPH AND SAM, IS THAT RIGHT? JOSEPH, SAM AND RYAN PEARLMAN.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR HAVING US TODAY.
I'M WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS ALSO WITH ME TODAY.
WE HAVE MR. JOSEPH, SAM, AND MR. CHRIS SANDOVAL.
UH, OUR TABLE IS RIGHT HERE IN THE BACK, SO IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, Y'ALL CAN PLEASE COME VISIT US.
BUT TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME NEW PROJECTS HAPPENING IN THE KINGWOOD AREA.
FIRST PROJECT WE HAVE, AND THIS PROJECT IS IN, UH, THE DESIGN PHASE.
PRELIMINARY DESIGN PHASE IS THE KINGWOOD DIVERSION CHANNEL, WALNUT LANE BRIDGE, AND KINGWOOD DRIVE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT.
THIS, UH, PROJECT CURRENTLY IS, UH, GONNA COST 6 MILLION.
AND, UM, THE CONSTRUCTION START DATE IS TO BE DETERMINED STILL, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE IN THESE LITTLE RED BOXES, THESE ARE WHERE THE BRIDGES ARE, AND THESE WILL BE, UH, ARE PLANNING TO BE REPLACED.
OUR NEXT PROJECT IS THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE REPLACEMENT OVER THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT CHANNELS.
AND THIS IS AT 43 0 3 KINGWOOD DRIVE.
IT'S NEAR THERE, THE RETAIL RENOVATION AND, UM, 43 60 KINGWOOD DRIVE, WHICH IS THE FORMER FORD RUTGERS RESTAURANT.
SO THIS BRIDGE REHAB REPLACEMENT IS GONNA CALL 66 MILLION.
AND, UH, THE DESIGN WILL BE COMPLETED BY SPRING OF 2026.
AND, UH, CONSTRUCTION IS ANTICIPATED TO START IN SUMMER OF 2026.
NOW, THIS PROJECT, THE CHESTNUT RIDGE ROADSIDE DITCH IMPROVEMENTS IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
THIS IS A DRAINAGE PROJECT, AND THE COST IS 1.3 MILLION.
NOW, THIS STARTED IN SUMMER OF 2024, AND IT'S ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETE IN WINTER OF 2025.
OUR NEXT PROJECT IS OUR SAND CREEK VILLAGE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS DRAINAGE PROJECT COSTS 1.5 MILLION.
UH, IT STARTED IN SPRING OF 2025, AND IT'S ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETED IN FALL OF 2025.
[01:05:03]
ALL RIGHT, SO TO OUR, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY, WHICH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED EARLIER, Y'ALL GETTING A BIG TIME UPGRADE AS THE, UH, PLANT FILTER AND BAR SCREENS WILL BE REPLACED.THIS PROJECT IS INSIDE THE GATE, SO IT'LL BE NO IMPACT TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE COST IS $12 MILLION IN THE START, UH, IS SUMMER OF 2025, WHICH IS ALREADY STARTED, AND IT'LL BE COMPLETE BY WINTER OF 2027.
WE HAVE ANOTHER WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY UPGRADE HERE.
THE KINGWOOD CENTRAL AND FOREST COVE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IS GETTING A NEW, UH, UV SYSTEM.
SO THE UV SYSTEM WILL BE GETTING REPLACED THERE.
THIS PROJECT'S GONNA COST 5.9 MILLION, AND, UH, SUMMER OF 2025 IS THE START.
SO IT STARTED ALREADY, AND THE COMPLETION WILL BE WINTER OF 2027 AS WELL.
AND ALSO, FOR ANY MORE, FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT ENGAGE HOUSTON.ORG, UH, WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FIND A LOT MORE INFORMATION ON PROJECTS IN AND AROUND YOUR AREA.
AND OF COURSE, LIKE THE COUNCIL MEMBER SAID EARLIER, PLEASE, UH, IF YOU SEE ANY ISSUES THAT'S CITY RELATED, PLEASE, UH, CALL 3 1 1.
SO, UH, THEY CAN DOCUMENT IT AND THEN YOU CAN, UH, GO TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICES TO, UH, GET THEM TO LOOK INTO IT.
SO, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ENGAGE HOUSTON.ORG, Y'ALL CAN VISIT US OR SEND QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO ENGAGE@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
COUNCIL MEMBER, A LITTLE TALLER.
UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MATT BARRETT WITH THE SAN JATO RIVER AUTHORITY.
ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT.
UH, I MANAGE THE FLOOD MANAGEMENT DIVISION AT SAN JACINTO RIVER AUTHORITY.
I WANNA GIVE YOU A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE DO, AND THEN SOME PROJECTS WE HAVE, UH, ONGOING.
THIS IS A MAP OF THE UPPER SAN JACINTO RIVER BASIN.
THIS IS THE ENTIRE 3000 SQUARE MILE AREA, UH, THAT FLOWS INTO LAKE HOUSTON DURING A STORM EVENT.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, S-J-R-A-O OWNS AND OPERATES LAKE CONROE DAM.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NORTHERN PART OF THE MAP, THE PINK AREA, THAT IS THE LAKE CONROE WATERSHED, IT'S ROUGHLY 15% OF THAT OVERALL BASIN, A RELATIVELY SMALL PORTION OF WHAT FLOWS DOWNSTREAM INTO LAKE HOUSTON.
IT'S ALSO THE ONLY CONTROL STRUCTURE UPSTREAM OF LAKE HOUSTON, UH, THAT'S ABLE TO MITIGATE STORM FLOWS DURING STORM EVENT.
SO OUR FLOOD MANAGEMENT DIVISION WAS CREATED IN 2018 WITH THE GOAL OF DEVELOPING FLOOD MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ENTITIES, AND IDENTIFYING FUNDING AND PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES SO WE COULD FACILITATE PROJECTS.
UH, OUR FLOOD MANAGEMENT DIVISION DOES NOT HAVE ANY DEDICATED REVENUE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY TAXING AUTHORITY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY CUSTOMERS THAT PAY FOR FLOOD MANAGEMENT, SO WE RELY HEAVILY ON GRANTS AND PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS.
WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL PARTNERING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WITH CITY OF HUMBLE, AND WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS.
ONE OF THE FIRST PROJECTS WE ENGAGED IN WAS THE SAN JACINTO MASTER DRAINAGE PLAN.
THIS WAS A FLOOD STUDY OF THE ENTIRE UPPER BASIN THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
ULTIMATELY RECOMMENDED 16 LARGE SCALE FLOOD PROJECTS ACROSS THE BASIN, INCLUDING TWO FLOOD DETENTION RESERVOIRS IN THE SPRING CREEK WATERSHED, WHICH YOU SEE CIRCLED THERE.
UH, IN GREEN, WE ARE JUST ABOUT WRAPPED UP ON A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THOSE TWO RESERVOIRS.
THESE WOULD BE WHAT WE CALL DRY BOTTOM DETENTION RESERVOIRS.
ON A SUNNY DAY, THEY WOULD BE DRY, NOT LIKE LAKE CONROE, LAKE HOUSTON, THAT ARE ALWAYS FULL OF WATER.
WHEN A RAINSTORM WERE TO OCCUR, THEY WOULD FILL UP AND THEN SLOWLY DRAIN OUT, MUCH LIKE A BATHTUB.
UH, AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT, SOME PRETTY ROBUST FLOOD BENEFITS ARE PREDICTED AT THOSE RESERVOIRS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IF WE WERE TO BUILD ONE OF THE RESERVOIRS ON WALNUT CREEK AND THEN A HUNDRED YEAR STORM WERE TO OCCUR, WE PREDICT THERE'D BE 200 HOMES THAT WOULD'VE FLOODED PREVIOUSLY THAT WOULD NO LONGER FLOOD IN THAT A HUNDRED YEAR STORM.
UH, SO THAT'S A GOOD PROJECT, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO MOVE THAT FORWARD, FIND SOME FUNDING AND SOME PARTNERS TO PUSH THAT INTO DESIGN AND HOPEFULLY CONSTRUCTION.
THE NEXT PROJECTS ARE SAND TRAP PILOT PROJECT.
UH, AS I'M SURE MANY OF YOU'RE AWARE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SEDIMENT THAT'S COME DOWNSTREAM INTO LAKE HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, MAYBE SOME OF THE MORE RECENT STORMS. 2024.
UH, THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INSTALL ONE OR TWO, WHAT WE CALL SAND TRAPS JUST UPSTREAM OF THE LAKE THAT WOULD CAPTURE THAT SEDIMENT BEFORE IT MAKES ITS WAY INTO LAKE HOUSTON.
[01:10:01]
GOAL IS TO WORK WITH AN A PO OR A SAND MINER TO BE THE ONES THAT WOULD EMPTY OUT THAT TRAP ONCE IT FILLS UP WITH SAND.THAT SAND MINER WOULD BE SUBJECT TO TCQ BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT WOULD, UH, ENSURE THERE WERE NO NEGATIVE IMPACTS DOWNSTREAM FROM THE OPERATION OF THOSE SAND TRAPS.
AND I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO DETAIL ON THE TYPES OF SAND TRAPS DUE TO OUR TIME CRUNCH HERE, UH, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THOSE WOULD LOOK LIKE AND HOW THEY'D WORK, PLEASE VISIT US.
OUR TABLE HERE IN THE FRONT, UH, RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROOM.
ANOTHER STUDY WE HAVE ONGOING, UH, RELATED TO SEDIMENTATION IS A REGIONAL SEDIMENTATION STUDY.
THIS IS AT A MUCH LARGER SCALE.
WE'RE LOOKING AGAIN AT THAT ENTIRE UPPER SAN JACINTO RIVER BASIN WITH THE GOALS OF DETERMINING WHERE DOES THE SEDIMENT COME FROM, WHAT CAUSES IT TO, TO RUN OFF AND GO DOWNSTREAM, AND WHERE DOES IT END UP.
ULTIMATELY, WE WANNA DEVELOP A REGIONAL SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WILL RECOMMEND PROJECTS STRATEGIES, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT CAN HELP MITIGATE THE FLOW OF SEDIMENT DOWNSTREAM AND, AND ULTIMATELY MITIGATE FLOOD ISSUES THAT ARE CAUSED BY THAT SEDIMENTATION
UH, THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE THE MOST EFFICIENT AND SAFE OPERATION OF THE TWO RESERVOIRS IN SERIES, BOTH FOR WATER SUPPLY AND FLOOD MANAGEMENT PURPOSES.
UH, AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY CRITICAL, UH, WITH THE UPCOMING INSTALLATION OF THE NEW GATES AT THE LAKE HOUSTON DAM.
UH, THERE ARE FOUR PRIMARY TASKS THAT ARE PART OF THIS STUDY.
ONE IS DEVELOPING AN INFLOW FORECAST TOOL FOR LAKE HOUSTON.
UH, WE'LL BE SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAKE HOUSTON GATE OPERATIONS PLAN.
UH, WE'LL BE EVALUATING PRE-RELEASEES, BOTH AT LAKE CONROE AND AT LAKE HOUSTON.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'LL BE A VERY ROBUST, UH, STAKEHOLDER AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
WE WILL HAVE THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS AS PART OF THAT PROJECT.
I CAN IMAGINE A LOT OF, YOU'RE PROBABLY, UH, INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE PUT ON A NOTIFICATION LIST FOR THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
AGAIN, PLEASE VISIT OUR TABLE.
WE'LL GET YOUR NAME AND YOUR EMAIL AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOTIFIED OF WHEN THOSE MEETINGS ARE GONNA OCCUR.
AND THEN A FEW FINAL THINGS TO WRAP UP.
ES JA IS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE REGIONAL FLOOD PLANNING PROCESS.
THE BIG TAKEAWAY ON THE REGIONAL FLOOD PLAN IS THAT FOR AN ENTITY, A CITY, A COUNTY, ET CETERA, TO GET STATE GRANT FUNDS FOR A FLOOD PROJECT, THAT PROJECT HAS TO BE IN THE REGIONAL FLOOD PLAN.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO WORK WITH YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IF YOU'VE IDENTIFIED PROJECTS, TO GET THOSE SENT TO THE REGIONAL FLOOD PLANNING GROUP SO THEY CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE REGIONAL FLOOD PLAN.
AND FINALLY, JUST WANTED TO HIT ON THE FACT THAT SGA IS ALSO HEAVILY INVOLVED, UH, IN FLOOD EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS. UH, WE HAVE FOLKS ON STAFF WHO ARE EXPERTS AT THE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE, UH, OF THESE FLOOD GAUGES.
UH, WE'VE INSTALLED GAUGES IN OUR, UH, WATERSHED FOR OUR OPERATIONS.
WE'VE INSTALLED GAUGES FOR OTHER ENTITIES TO SUPPORT THEM AND THEIR, AND THEIR, UH, PUBLIC.
UH, AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT TO MAINTAIN A REGIONAL NETWORK, UH, FLOAT EARLY WARNING GAUGES.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO ADD MORE GAUGES TO THAT NETWORK TO HAVE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE BASIN.
AND I'VE GOT A COUPLE WEBSITES THERE AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT, UH, THAT YOU CAN GO TO, TO GET INFORMATION, LIVE INFORMATION FROM THOSE GAUGES.
THE FIRST ONE IS SJA SPECIFIC GAUGES IN OUR SYSTEM.
THE BOTTOM WILL TAKE YOU TO A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, LOOK AT THE ENTIRE REGION AND ALL THE FLOOD INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
PLEASE VISIT US IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, NEXT UP IS THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, AND JIM SESAC, AND I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY'S AWARE.
JIM'S ACTUALLY A KINGWOOD RESIDENT.
ALL RIGHT, GREAT TO, GREAT TO BE HERE WITH EVERYBODY.
I WANNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE AIRPORT SYSTEM.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM DOES FROM A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE FOR HOUSTON.
UM, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ROUGHLY 200,000 JOBS IN THE REGION, AND WE ARE ABOUT $40 BILLION IN ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT.
UM, GREAT FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE.
WE ALSO PROVIDE ABOUT, UH, $2.4 BILLION IN STATE AND LOCAL TAXES.
BUT THE KEY THING FOR THE AIRPORT SYSTEM IS WE TAKE NO MONEY FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO FOR THEIR GENERAL FUND, UM, THAT IS, WE, WE TAKE NONE.
ALL THE AIRPORT IS RUN AS BY THE MONEY THAT WE CHARGE, UM, AND WE EARN AT THE AIRPORT.
SO THE, THE CONCESSIONS, THE PARKING FEES, THE LANDING FEES THAT THE AIRLINES PLAYS, THE RENT, DOES THE AIRLINES PLAY THAT FUNDS THE AIRPORT.
AND WE BASICALLY ARE, UH, WE TAKE NO TAX MONEY FROM THE CI CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, ONLY ANYBODY THAT USES THE AIRPORT SYSTEM ITSELF.
UM, AGAIN, HAVING A PRETTY GOOD SUCCESSFUL, UH, YEAR SO FAR WITH OUR KIND OF MAIN PURPOSE, WHICH IS TO GENERATE THE FLIGHTS NONSTOP THAT YOU NEED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GET WHERE YOU WANT AND ROBUST TO ALSO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ECONOMY GROWS OUT HERE FROM A, FROM A, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS THE DESTIN DESTINATIONS THAT IT NEEDS.
SO WE'RE AT OVER 188 MARKETS NOW THAT WE SERVE NONSTOP.
UH, SO THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING.
I ACTUALLY, MY SON'S IN MONTANA, UH, AND, AND WE, WE DON'T, WE HAVE A NONSTOP FLIGHT THERE ON SATURDAYS, BUT NOT DURING THE REGULAR WEEK.
AND THEN I HAD TO BOUNCE THROUGH DALLAS AND I GOT STUCK IN DALLAS.
SO, UH, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO GROW THIS NUMBER.
[01:15:01]
THING, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, A LOT OF GROWTH RIGHT NOW ON THE LATIN AMERICAN MEXICAN MARKET.WE'VE ADDED A BUNCH OF NEW DESTINATIONS THIS YEAR.
AND THEN IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN GOING TO TOKYO, WE NOW HAVE THREE AIRLINES GOING TO TOKYO.
SO WE'VE GOT UNITED, WE'VE GOT A NA AND WE NOW HAVE ZIP AIR.
AND ZIP AIR IS A DISCOUNT, UM, INTERNATIONAL CARRIER.
SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET TICKETS OF $400 TO TOKYO, UM, ON ZIP AIR.
SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO KEEP, KEEP IN IN YOUR MIND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN GOING TO TOKYO FOR A LITTLE BIT.
UM, FROM A CONSTRUCTION STANDPOINT, WE'RE, WE'RE PROUD THAT WE'RE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO FINISHING THE INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL.
AND SO THAT PROJECT, UM, IF WE LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED, UM, WE REDID THE EXISTING TERMINAL D UH, THEN WE ADDED THE SIX NEW GATES THAT ARE OUT THERE IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THAT FACILITY.
THE ARCHITECTS DID A REALLY GREAT JOB.
WE'VE ADDED THE TWO ADDITIONAL PARKING DESKS ON THE TOP OF THE PARKING GARAGE.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING THE INTERNATIONAL, YOU KNOW, TICKETING HALL ESSENTIALLY.
AND SO WE'VE GOT, UH, A LOT OF WORK THAT WE'RE WORKING ON OVER THERE, BUT IT'S REALLY COMING TOGETHER.
AND IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO THE END ON THAT.
UM, THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS IT GAVE US MORE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.
AND THAT MORE INFRASTRUCTURE GAVE US A LOT OF RELIEF AND A LOT OF CHANGES THAT I THINK HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY'S NOTICING THEM.
SO WE DID THE SUMMER TRAFFIC NUMBERS, AND I KNOW TRAFFIC WAS A, A BIG CONCERN AT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM WHEN WE WERE DOING THIS PROJECT.
UH, BUT WE ARE PROUD TO SAY THAT THIS SUMMER WE REDUCED SEVERE TRAFFIC AT THE AIRPORT BY 100%.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SEVERE TRAFFIC.
UM, HEAVY TRAFFIC WAS DOWN 98% ON THE ROADWAYS.
AND SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US.
AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, FROM OUR PARKING GARAGE SYSTEM, THAT WAS ANOTHER COMPLAINT THAT WE WOULD GET.
AND SO IF YOU WENT IN THERE AND PARKED, IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO PUT THE BARCODE AGAINST THE, THE SCANNERS AND THEY DIDN'T WORK AND ALL THAT.
WELL, WE REPLACED THAT ENTIRE SYSTEM.
AND NOW OUR FANCY NEW SYSTEM COMES WITH THE LICENSE PLATE REC RECOGNITION.
AND SO I WOULD RECOMMEND, 'CAUSE WE, OUR, OUR GARAGE IS PARTICULARLY CD GARAGE CAN'T GET FULL.
SO YOU CAN GO ON OUR WEBSITE AND YOU CAN REGISTER AND RESERVE YOUR PARKING.
SO YOU KNOW, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE IT, YOU CAN PULL RIGHT UP THERE, IT READS YOUR LICENSE PLATE NOW.
SO YOU JUST BASICALLY PULL UP, GATE GOES UP, YOU PARK, AND THEN WHEN YOU LEAVE, IT JUST READS YOUR LICENSE PLATE GATE GOES UP, AND THAT JUST SENDS YOU A BILL TO YOUR CREDIT CARD.
IF YOU RESERVE YOUR PARKING ONLINE AT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, YOU ALSO GET A 20% DISCOUNT.
IF YOU WANNA RESERVE THAT, YOU GET THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE CON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU GOTTA SPOT, AND THEN ALSO YOU GET THAT NICE DISCOUNT.
AND THAT, AGAIN, THAT, THAT, THAT APPLIES UL ULTIMATELY TO ALSO OUR ECONOMY LOTS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY THE GARAGES FILL UP AND THEN THE ECONOMY LOTS WILL FILL UP WHEN WE GET TO THE HOLIDAYS.
UH, BUT THE OTHER THING IS, IS WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION OF THE GARAGE BECAUSE WE HAD THE NEW SYSTEM, RIGHT? AND THEN THE TRAFFIC WAS SOLVED.
SO WE DIDN'T GET PEOPLE TRAPPED IN THE GARAGE ANYMORE.
SO YOU USED TO HAVE THAT TIME WHEN WE HAD THE BAD TRAFFIC, YOU WOULD PARK, YOU WOULD COME BACK FROM YOUR FLIGHT AND YOU'RE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, I JUST NEED TO GET OUTTA HERE.
AND THEN YOU WOULD GET STUCK IN THE GARAGE FROM A PARK, UH, FROM A TRAFFIC PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT, AND WE'VE SEEN THAT WITH OUR SCORES.
SO WHEN WE, WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR PARKING AT THE AIRPORT, WE ALSO SEND YOU A POST PARKING SURVEY, AND SO WE CAN GET A LOT OF DATA ON HOW THE PEOPLE ARE FEELING ABOUT THE PARKING SITUATION.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT'S HAPPENING TOO, PARKING GARAGE, UM, IT'S NOT SIGNED VERY WELL.
AND SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW THAT ACTUALLY KICKED OFF THIS MONTH.
WE'RE GONNA REDO ALL THE SIGNS IN THE GARAGE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT PARKING EXPERIENCE IS REALLY GOOD FOR YOU.
UM, AGAIN, THAT TRAFFIC REALLY WAS A, A, A HAMSTRING OF THE, OF THE AIRPORT, AND IT WAS A BAD CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
THERE'S NO, NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
BUT WE, AGAIN, WENT WITH THE ACTIVE LOADING.
UM, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT THE NEW CURBS.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE INTERNET NEW, UH, BUILDING, IT'S GOT, UM, EIGHT, EIGHT CURB LANES ON THE BOTTOM AND 11 ON THE UPSTAIRS.
SO WE GOT A LOT OF, UH, UH, UPGRADED THERE, UPGRADED THE SIGNAGE, UH, AND THEN WE WORKED A LOT MORE WITH HP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP THE TRAFFIC, UH, FLOWING ALONG WITH OUR FOLKS.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE NEW INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL, WE HAVE OPENED IT FOR UNITED'S TERMINAL E OPERATION.
SO IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU'RE FLYING UNITED, UH, EITHER WHETHER YOU'RE GOING OUTTA C OR B OR A OR, OR, OR E YOU CAN USE THIS FACILITY.
THE BAGGAGE IS ALL GONNA GO TO THE SAME SPOT.
UH, BUT THIS IS THE NEW FACILITY HERE.
UH, THE FOREIGN FLAG AIRLINES WILL MOVE INTO THE BUILDING SOMETIME IN THE FIRST PART OF NEXT YEAR.
SO YOU'LL SEE SOMETIME BEFORE THANKSGIVING, THE WALLS WILL COME DOWN THERE AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL START TO LOOK AT IT AND IT'LL LOOK BRAND NEW.
UH, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THE BAGGAGE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE BAGGAGE SYSTEM COMPLETE, AND THEN WE NEED, WE NEED TO BURN IT IN, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT CONTINUES, THAT IT FUNCTIONS.
AND THEN WE'VE GOTTA GET IT CERTIFIED BY THE TSA.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET THE, THAT CERTIFIED BY THE TSA EVERY, WE CAN MOVE THE FOREIGN FLAGS ACROSS THE STREET, AND EVERYBODY WILL BE IN THE, THE NEW BUILDING OVER HERE.
BUT THE NEW BUILDING IS MUCH NICER, AND IT COMES WITH OUR NEW 17 LANE TSA CHECKPOINT.
UM, SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU.
UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TERMINAL C RIGHT NOW, IT'S TWO TERMINALS IN ONE.
AND SO THE TERMINAL C CHECKPOINT LINES CAN GET A LITTLE, UM, LITTLE CRAZY IN THERE.
UH, TERMINAL E WHENEVER I GO IN THERE, IT'S USUALLY NOTHING.
SO JUST MAKE SURE YOU'RE, UM, MAKING, UH, MAKING YOURSELF AVAILABLE.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE TSA WAIT TIMES, YOU CAN CHECK OUR WEBSITE OR OUR APP.
IT GIVES YOU THE ACTIVE, WHAT THE TSA
[01:20:01]
WAIT TIMES ARE AT THE AIRPORT.UH, BUT THIS NEW FACILITY, THE NEW 17 LANES, UH, IT'S, WE GOT THE MOST ADVANCED TSA EQUIPMENT IN THERE TOO.
SO IT, IT, IT, UH, RUNS PRETTY SMOOTH IN THERE.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, ULTIMATELY THE RESTROOMS AT THE AIRPORT, UH, I CAN ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH EVERYBODY THAT COMPLAINS THAT THE RESTROOMS IN THE AIRPORT ARE NOT UP TO STANDARDS.
UH, BUT WE ARE REPLACING THEM ALL.
SO WE'VE GOT $30 MILLION OF RESTROOM RE REDOS DONE.
UM, WE'VE GOT TERMINAL D IS STARTED AND TERMINAL A FOR THE AIRPORT SYSTEM.
WE, WE RUN THE RESTROOMS IN A AND D, AND THEN UNITED AIRLINES RUNS THE RESTROOMS IN B, C, AND E AS PART OF THE FUNDING FOR TERMINAL B PROJECT THAT THEY'RE DOING.
WE PUT IN THERE THAT UNITED HAS TO REPLACE ALL THE BATHROOMS IN THEIR TERMINALS.
SO IN THE NEXT TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS, ALL THE RESTROOMS AT IAH ARE GONNA BE REPLACED, AND HOBBY IS ALL IN THAT, THAT, UM, SAME SITUATION WHERE THEY'LL ALL BE REPLACED.
SO, UM, WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE, UH, MUCH BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FROM A RESTROOM PERSPECTIVE AT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, UH, AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TERMINAL B IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THAT'S THE, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ORIGINAL 1969 TERMINAL USED TO BE THERE WITH THE, WITH THOSE OLD FLIGHT STATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR, WE'VE BASICALLY BUILT OUT THAT NICE NEW COMPLEX.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A, AN IDEA OF WHAT'S COMING FOR YOU WITH THAT, UM, THE OLD CIRCULAR FLIGHT STATIONS COULD DO ABOUT 400 PASSENGERS PER BANK.
THIS NEW FLIGHT, THE NEW CONCOURSES THAT THEY'RE BUILDING OUT, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE ABOUT 22 GATES, AND THAT'S GONNA GET US UP TO ABOUT 4,000 PASSENGERS PER BANK.
SO WE WILL SEE A STEP CHANGE IN UNITED, UM, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITY AT THE AIRPORT.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS GONNA ALSO BRING US, I THINK, A LOT MORE DESTINATIONS.
SO WE'LL SEE A, A IN 2027, WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY SEE A BIG GROWTH IN OUR DESTINATIONS THAT WE'RE SERVED BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, IT COMES WITH A 50,000 SQUARE FOOT LOUNGE.
SO IF YOU'RE ON THE, IF YOU'RE IN THE UNITED LOUNGE, YOU'LL GET THE WORLD'S BIGGEST UNITED LOUNGE.
WE'LL BE AT THE AIRPORT, UM, THERE.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN'T FORGET HOBBY.
SO I KNOW SOME, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A TRIP TO GO DOWN, UH, TO HOBBY HERE, BUT SOMETIMES YOU DO TAKE A, A TRIP DOWN TO HOBBY, AND WE'RE REDOING HOBBY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S A MUCH, UH, BETTER EXPERIENCE.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'RE PUTTING IN THE CANOPY THAT WAS GONNA TAKE YOU FROM THE GARAGE IN THERE, UH, INTO THE TERMINAL, UM, THAT GOT BLOWN AWAY IN A HURRICANE, BUT NOW WE'VE GOT SOME BETTER ENGINEERS, AND WE'RE GONNA PUT A NICER LOOKING DESIGN UP HERE.
UM, IMPORTANTLY ON THE ONE, ON THE, IF YOU WILL, AT THE, THE, UH, THE DRAWING ON THE RIGHT, UH, TOP RIGHT.
UM, THE BAGGAGE CLAIM AT HOBBY IS KIND OF LOW AND DARK AND DINGY DOWN THERE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THERE'S NO NATURAL LIGHT, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, WE'RE HAVING THE ABILITY TO POP UP SOME SKYLIGHTS IN THERE.
UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, WE'RE ADDING, INSTEAD OF FOUR BAGGAGE CLAIMS, WE'LL HAVE SIX NOW.
AND SO IT'LL BE A MUCH BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR THE CUSTOMER WHEN THEY COME IN HERE, BECAUSE YOU'LL HAVE THE BAGGAGE CLAIMS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE ACTUALLY, YOUR BAGS ARE GONNA COME OUT, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA GET ALL THIS NATURAL LIGHT THAT COMES IN HERE, SO IT'S GONNA LOOK MUCH BETTER.
AND THEN ON THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE ADDING A SEVEN GATE EXPANSION AT HOBBY ALSO.
UM, IT'S GONNA COME WITH AN ADDITIONAL, UH, INTERNATIONAL GATE TOO THERE.
UH, BUT AGAIN, A CONTINUATION OF THE GROWTH AT HOBBY.
SO AGAIN, IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT EXPERIENCE AT BOTH AIRPORTS, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND I WILL YIELD MY TIME NOW TO, TO LET, UH, THE SOLIDS FOLKS, UH, HAVE THEIR DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT GOING ON AT THE AIRPORT WITH ALL THE CONSTRUCTION, AND I THINK THE DIRECTOR HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.
UP NEXT IS SOLID WASTE, AND THE NEW DIRECTOR THERE, LARRY HASSAN.
NOW THAT'S A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW AFTER THE AIRPORT CAME AND GAVE THEIR WONDERFUL UPDATES.
HI EVERYONE, I AM LARRY ASSASSIN, DIRECTOR OF SOLID WASTE.
UH, I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU A FEW UPDATES ON WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SOLID WASTE.
UH, I WANNA FIRST THANK COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER FLICKINGER AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, I HAVE, I, I THINK I'M THE FAVORITE DIRECTOR IN ALL OF THE CITY THAT'S JUST IN MY MIND AND NOBODY ELSE'S MIND.
UH, I'VE BEEN ON THE NEWS, UH, FOR THE LAST FOUR MONTHS, AND I'VE ONLY BEEN IN THE JOB FOR FIVE MONTHS,
UM, I KNEW I WAS FAMOUS BECAUSE I'M ORIGINALLY FROM LOUISIANA AND I DO HAVE A 93-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER WHO DOES NOT WATCH THE NEWS IN HOUSTON.
BUT SOMEHOW, SOME WAY SOMEONE TIPPED HER OFF THAT HER GRANDSON WAS ON THE NEWS AND SHE GAVE ME A CALL.
AND IT WAS ACTUALLY MY DAD WHO TOLD MY 93-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER, YOUR SON, YOUR GRANDSON IS NOT DOING HIS JOB.
[01:25:01]
ON IN THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SOLID WASTE? I WAS VERY FORTUNATE.THE REASON WHY I BELIEVE I'M THE FAVORITE DIRECTOR OF ALL THE CITY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKER, MAYOR WHITMAN, THE REST OF THESE BEAUTIFUL COUNCIL MEMBERS GAVE ME A EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND THE REST OF THE DIRECTORS DIDN'T GET ONE.
SO I STATED THAT I WAS THE FAVORITE DIRECTOR.
UH, WE WAS FORTUNATE AND BLESSED IN THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT TO RECEIVE NINE NEW VEHICLES ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO TO HELP WITH OUR, UH, RECYCLING ON TIME COLLECTION.
IT'S ONE THING THAT MAYOR WEAR MINE IS COUNCIL CHALLENGED ME TO DO, WAS TO COME IN AND RENDER A SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS THAT THEY DESERVE.
AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE ARE MY STAFF, UH, IS PRIDE, PRIDE ITSELF ON, AND THAT'S TRYING TO GET ON TIME COLLECTION.
THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS LOOK AT NEW INNOVATIVE EFFICIENCIES, THE WAY THAT WE CAN PICK TRASH FROM RECYCLING UP HEAVY TRASH AND ALSO CAN DELIVER.
IF YOU DIDN'T WATCH THE NEWS THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE WERE HIT AGAIN WITH THIS, UH, THE LACK OF BEING ABLE TO GET OUR RESOURCES OUT IN A TIMELY MANNER AS FAR AS CANS.
WE, UH, DEVELOPED A PROGRAM, UH, CALLED THE
WE GAVE THE, THE RESIDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THREE OF OUR SERVICE CENTERS TO PICK UP CANS IF THEY WANT IT.
I KNOW THE BIG CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE NOW THAT I KNOW I'M GONNA GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF, 'CAUSE WE HAVE MY RIGHT HAND, AND MR. DESMOND ALLEN OVER AT THE TABLE IS HEAVY TRASH.
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HEAVY TRASH? WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT FIVE MONTHS INTO THE JOB.
UH, THIS IS THE NEW WAVE THAT I'M ON AND TRY TO GET HEAVY TRASH COLLECTED.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL PILOT PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO KICK OFF IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU, GIVING YOU MORE UPDATES.
BUT ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO IS DO EVERYTHING WE CAN POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TRASH SITTING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND I THINK THAT THE NEW PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GONNA COME UP AND LOOK TO INITIATE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THAT THE RESIDENTS WILL BE VERY PROUD OF.
UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE AROUND.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE OUR OWN CASEY CHRISMAN.
AFTER LEAVING DAN, NOW SHE'S ON THE TURS BOARD AND HAS DONE A GREAT JOB.
I SERVE AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
UM, AND WE ARE THE SPONSOR OF THE NORTH DRIVE NORTH PARK DRIVE PROJECT.
I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER FOR HAVING US OUT HERE TODAY AND TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR BEING OUT HERE IN KINGWOOD.
WE LOVE IT WHEN Y'ALL COME TO VISIT US.
UM, AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION OF PHASE ONE IS WELL UNDERWAY.
WE'RE ABOUT 45% COMPLETE ON THAT PROJECT, WHICH HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE FIRST HIGH WATER EVACUATION ROUTE.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN WE'RE GONNA BEGIN CONSTRUCTION ON THE BRIDGE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT CONSISTS OF SIX LANES OF IMPERVIOUS, UH, CONCRETE SURFACE.
SO, AND NOT UNTIL WE COMPLETE THE ACTUAL DRAINAGE PROJECT THERE ON NORTH PARK DRIVE, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF THE, UM, BOXES AND PIPES THAT WILL BE INSTALLED THERE.
ONCE THAT IS COMPLETE, WE CAN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING THE BRIDGE, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, ALL OF THE BRIDGE COLUMNS ABOUT A HUNDRED FEET DEEP.
SO EVEN WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS, IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING, BUT I PROMISE YOU IT'S ALL THERE HAPPENING UNDERGROUND.
UM, AND THEN QUICKLY AFTER THAT, THE WALLS WILL BE, WILL GO UP.
UM, AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING THE BEGINNING OF THAT IN DECEMBER.
UH, PHASE TWO IS IN THE PROGRAMMING STAGE AND, UH, WELL UNDERWAY.
TXDOT HAS APPROVED OUR ROAD SCHEMATICS, UM, EARLIER THIS SPRING, AND THE ENGINEERS HAVE NOW STARTED ON THE 30% DE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PLANS.
OUR ASPIRATIONAL GOAL IS TO BEGIN ACQUIRING RIGHT OF WAY IN 2026 AND 2027 AND BE READY FOR TDOT TO BID THE FULL PROJECT IN LATE 2028.
UM, FINALLY, WE PLAN TO BUILD A REGIONAL DETENTION BASIN AS PART OF THE NORTH PARK DRIVE PROJECT.
THIS WILL BE DONE IN TWO STAGES.
STAGE ONE WILL CONSIST OF A DETENTION BASIN AROUND 45 ACRE FEET IN SIZE, AND WILL BE DESIGNED IN 2026 AND CONSTRUCTED BY THE END OF 2027.
STAGE TWO WILL CONSIST OF A DETENTION BASIN, APPROXIMATELY 55 ACRE FEET IN SIZE, AND IS PROGRAMMED TO BE CONSTRUCTED ABOUT THE SAME TIME PHASE TIME, PHASE TWO CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY AND COMPLETED IN 2028.
WHILE WE ARE CONSTRUCTING THE TWO BASINS SEPARATELY, IT WILL LOOK AND FUNCTION AS ONE LARGE BASIN WHEN IT'S ALL COMPLETE TO HELP WITH FLOODING IN THE AREA.
THAT'S A VERY QUICK BRIEF UPDATE SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT I WOULD DIRECT YOU TO THE LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WEBSITE, LAKE HOUSTON RA.COM.
UM, THERE YOU CAN FIND COPIES OF ALL THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS AND THE SCHEMATICS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A THREE WEEK LOOK AHEAD, WHICH, UM, ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS SCHEDULE THAT'S UPDATED EVERY FRIDAY AS WELL.
OUR BOARD MEETS HERE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER ON THE SECOND THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
[01:30:01]
TO THE PUBLIC.WE WELCOME YOU TO JOIN US AND ATTEND.
UM, I HAD A COUPLE BOARD MEMBERS HERE THIS EVENING, BUT I THINK THEY'VE HAD TO, TO SCOOT OUT.
BUT I WANNA THANK TOM BROAD, BILL BEATIE, KIM BRU, TORI, PHILLIP IVY, MARTIN BEZEL, AND AMY BERTRAND, UM, FOR SERVING THE BOARD AS WELL, UM, HERE AND HELPING US, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE IN KINGWOOD.
THAT'S ALL REALLY WANNA THANK OUR TOURS BOARD.
THESE ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS, OUR NEIGHBORS TO SERVE ON THIS AND SPEND THEIR TIME, UH, DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO HELP WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF NORTH PARK.
SO JUST THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO TO EVERYBODY THERE.
UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GONNA BE HPD CAPTAIN CRAIG BELLAMY AND SERGEANT SANI.
UM, JUST WANNA SAY, FIRST THANK YOU TO THE COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT.
HAVING THIS KIND OF SUPPORT IS OF TREMENDOUS VALUE.
UM, TO HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE I'VE MET SINCE I'VE BEEN OUT HERE FOR ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS, UM, IS, HAS BEEN REALLY, UM, ENLIGHTENING TO ME.
IT'S GOOD PEOPLE WANTING TO HELP AND SUPPORT US, WHICH WE REALLY NEED.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF Y'ALL FOR COMING OUT TO, TO DO THAT AND TO SUPPORT US.
UM, WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB.
LIKE THE COUNCILMAN MENTIONED THAT THE STATS ARE DOWN, UM, YEAR TO DATE, ESPECIALLY WITH VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, KINGWOOD, UH, IS A SPECIAL PLACE AND OUR OFFICERS REALLY, REALLY DO ENJOY, UM, SERVING THE RESIDENTS HERE.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AFTERWARDS, UH, WE WILL BE AROUND TO, UH, TO TALK TO YOU.
AND ANY CONCERNS? I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING THE HOMELESS ISSUE.
I CAN TELL YOU WE HAVE A VERY SMALL NUMBER THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED.
UM, A LOT OF THE, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ENCOUNTER FOR PANHANDLING ARE BEING OUT IN THE ROADWAYS, ACTUALLY HAVE HOME ADDRESSES AND RESIDENCES.
THEY'RE JUST OUT THERE TRYING TO MAKE SOME MONEY.
SO WE, WE DO HAVE SOME TOOLS AND ORDINANCES THAT WE WILL USE AND WILL CONTINUE TO USE TO, UH, TRY TO LIMIT THOSE ACTIVITIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S, IT IS DANGEROUS OR, UH, INDIVIDUALS ARE GETTING A LITTLE BIT, UH, TOO PUSHY OR VIOLENT.
UM, AGAIN, WE WILL BE AROUND AFTERWARDS FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE RUNNING ABOUT, UH, 40 MINUTES BEHIND, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF YOU WANNA SAY OR NOT, BUT WE ARE GONNA HAVE A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION, UH, AND RIGHT BEFORE WE DO THAT, AND THIS IS GONNA BE A SURPRISE TO HIM.
YOU KNOW, I, I TALKED FOR A SECOND ABOUT THE MEMBERS OF THE TOURS BOARD AND HOW MUCH THEY DO.
UH, SOMEBODY I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT DOES A LOT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
BOB ACK, YOU WANNA COME UP HERE? I DON'T THINK I REALLY NEED TO TELL EVERYBODY WHAT BOB DOES.
I THINK EVERYBODY ALREADY KNOWS THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, BOB HAS BEEN A HUGE HELP TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND WITH THAT, WHEREAS BOB ACK OF KINGWOOD HAS DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AS A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR FLOOD AWARENESS, MITIGATION AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE, DOCUMENTING LOCAL CONDITIONS AND SOLUTIONS WITH CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND POLICYMAKERS ALIKE.
AND WHEREAS THROUGH HIS WIDELY READ BLOG REDUCE FLOODING, WHICH FEATURES REPORTING PHOTOGRAPHY DATA, VISUAL VISUALIZATION, AND PLAIN LANGUAGE EXPLANATIONS OF COMPLEX WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, BOB ACK HAS EQUIPPED HOUSTONIANS WITH THE TOOLS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT PREPAREDNESS, RECOVERY AND LONG-TERM PLANNING.
AND WHEREAS BOB RE HACK HAS COLLABORATED CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH NEIGHBORS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, NONPROFIT GROUPS, ENGINEERS AND LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATE AGENCIES TO ADVANCE DREDGING, DRAINAGE, WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND OTHER RISK REDUCTION EFFORTS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT THE LAKE HOUSTON AREA AND WHERE HAS BEYOND HIS TECHNICAL FOCUS, BOB RE HACK EXEMPLIFIES THE SPIRIT OF PUBLIC SERVICE BY SHOWING UP, LISTENING AND COMMUNICATING RESPECTFULLY, THEREBY FOSTERING TRUST BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND GOVERNMENT AND HELPING UNITE DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS AROUND PRACTICAL, MEASURABLE RESULTS.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS BOB RE HACK FOR HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SAFETY, RESILIENCE, AND WELLBEING OF THE LAKE HOUSTON AREA AND THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY, AND EXTENDS GRATITUDE FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE AND STEADFAST ADVOCACY.
THEREFORE, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025 AS BOB
[01:35:01]
RE HACK DAY.SO MUCH SAFETY, I DUNNO WHAT TO SAY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO
YOU ARE ALL WHY I DO THIS EVERY DAY.
I GET UP IN THE MORNING AND SAY, WHAT AM I GONNA WRITE ABOUT TODAY? AND I THINK ABOUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AND HOW YOU WERE AFFECTED BY HURRICANE HARVEY AND ALL THE FLOODS SINCE.
AND TOGETHER WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
FRED SAID WE'RE 40 MINUTES LATE.
WE'RE ONLY 40 MINUTES LATE 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION HERE TONIGHT.
SO, UM, FOR THOSE WHO KNOW ME, I'M CHARLES BLAINE.
I'VE BEEN FRIENDS WITH FRED FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, BEEN FRIENDS WITH CHARLES, UH, MORE RECENTLY, BUT WE SHARE A NAME.
SO I THINK WE'RE KINDRED SPIRITS NONETHELESS.
UM, AND WE'RE EXCITED TONIGHT TO TAKE SOME Q AND A.
UM, THESE QUESTIONS WERE SUBMITTED BY YOUR NEIGHBORS.
SOME OF YOU PROBABLY SUBMITTED THEM YOURSELF.
I HOPE YOU'RE STILL HERE TO HEAR THEM.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THESE AND, AND HOPE TO GET YOU GUYS SOME GOOD INFORMATION AND THEN NOT GET YOU GUYS OUTTA HERE PRETTY, PRETTY QUICKLY.
ALL RIGHT, SO TO FOLLOW, HPDS, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE INCREASE IN CRIME AND HOW DO WE, HOW DO YOU FEEL WE NEED TO NAVIGATE THIS PROBLEM? YOU KNOW, CHARLES TOUCHED ON IT EARLIER WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT REPEAT OFFENDERS.
UM, WE'VE GOT SOME REAL ISSUES WITH SOME OF THE JUDGES, UH, IN THE COUNTY.
UH, I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A COUPLE TIMES DOWN AT CITY HALL.
NOW, I'LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE.
UM, WE HAD A PERSON, AUSTIN COLLETTE, WHO WAS ON PROBATION FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY AND WHILE HE WAS ON PROBATION IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, CAME DOWN TO HARRIS COUNTY WHEN DOING A DRUG DEAL, MURDERED THE OTHER PERSON HE WAS DOING THE DEAL WITH.
HE ACTUALLY ENDED UP PLEADING GUILTY TO MURDER LAST DECEMBER.
JUDGE HILLARY YOUNGER DECIDED THAT RATHER THAN TAKING HIM AND INCARCERATING HIM AFTER HE PLED GUILTY, LET HIM STAY OUT ON BOND.
THREE MONTHS LATER HE MURDERED HIS GIRLFRIEND AND COMMITTED SUICIDE.
AND IT WAS A SWAT SITUATION NO LESS.
AND WE HAVE GOT A NUMBER OF JUDGES THAT ARE DOING THIS KIND OF STUFF.
I'VE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME AT CRIME STOPPERS.
UM, IT'S KIND OF SAD GOING THERE, BUT NONETHELESS I THINK IT'S NECESSARY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE JUDGES ARE ELECTED, OKAY, WE CAN BE MAD AT THE JUDGES ALL WE WANT.
WE ELECTED THESE PEOPLE, WE CAN VOTE 'EM OUT.
UH, WE'VE GOT AN ELECTION COMING UP A YEAR FROM UH, NOVEMBER.
A NUMBER OF 'EM ARE GONNA BE UP FOR ELECTION.
IN FACT, JUDGE YOUNGER WILL BE UP AS WELL.
AND IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I KNOW IN SPEAKING WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THEM AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY TALK ABOUT, YEAH, I KNOW THESE GUYS AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY SAY IS AFTER YOU ARREST 'EM THE FIRST TIME, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT 'EM.
'CAUSE THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE THEIR FIRST NAME BASIS AND, YOU KNOW, THEY ALLOW YOU TO CUFF 'EM A LITTLE EASIER AND TAKE 'EM IN.
UH, SO I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT HPD TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
I THINK A LOT OF THIS PROBLEM LIES ELSEWHERE AND IT'S GONNA BE UP TO US TO FIX ADD TO THAT.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THE, UH, IT CAME TO ME, YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING YOUNG SO I FORGET THINGS SOMETIMES,
[01:40:01]
BUT IT IS CALLED, UH, JUDICIAL REVIEW.THAT WAS THE PROCESS THAT JUDGES USE NOT TO RELEASE INFORMATION, UH, TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO THAT IS WHERE THE CORRECTION HAS BEEN MADE, THAT THAT INFORMATION COULD BE RELEASED, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE OUT WITH ANKLE MONITORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THAT WE COULDN'T GET THE INFORMATION.
AND SO NOW, AND THE JUDGES WOULD SIT ON THAT AND WOULD NOT LET YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A BALANCING THING HERE.
LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, THE ATTORNEYS NEED TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE JUDGES NEED TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
AND BEFORE WE SHIFT TO THAT, I JUST WANNA ADD TOO THAT I KNOW IT'S A LOT, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE OFTEN TO, TO RATE JUDGES AND DETERMINE HOW THIS IS A GOOD JUDGE OR A BAD JUDGE.
AND THERE ARE GROUPS OUT THERE.
UM, ONE THAT I, I THINK IS, IS SAFE TO MENTION THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH IS TEXAS CRIME VICTIMS UNITED.
UM, AND IT'S RUN BY PAUL CASTRO, WHOSE SON WAS MURDERED AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY THRUST THAT FAMILY INTO, UM, INTO VICTIMHOOD AND HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE FIRSTHAND.
AND SO I THINK THEY'RE A GREAT GROUP AT LEAST TO START.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS, ENGAGING IN POLITICS IS THE NEXT STEP AFTER REGISTERING TO VOTE, BESIDES A MONETARY CONTRIBUTION TO A CANDIDATE, WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR VOLUNTEERS TO REMAIN POLITICALLY ENGAGED AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL? JOHN, TO GO FIRST.
OKAY, I'LL TAKE, OH, I GUESS I'LL TAKE THAT ONE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND THAT THIS, THIS IS TO GET INVOLVED.
WE HAVE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT INCLUDES EVEN FROM AN HOA LEVEL LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD, CITY COUNCIL.
UH, IT'S, IT'S WHAT'S GOING ON AND UNDERSTAND THE, UH, INNER WORKINGS OF, OF GOVERNMENT AT, AT ALL THOSE LEVELS.
AND SO THAT IS THE FIRST START REGISTER, YES, VOTE YES.
BUT THE WHOLE THING IS GETTING, GETTING THERE AND MAKING YOUR VOICES BE HEARD AND, AND, AND KNOWN VOLLEY BAT.
I'D LIKE TO ADD, SIMPLY SHOW UP, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE SHOWING UP TO THIS, SHOWING UP TO YOUR HOA MEETING, OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED TO GO VOTE, BUT NOT ONLY GO VOTE, YOU NEED TO GET SOME NEIGHBORS, OTHER EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS GO WITH YOU.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DO IS, UH, WE'LL TYPICALLY MAKE AN EVENT.
WE WILL GO, THEY'LL VOTE EARLY, THERE'LL BE ABOUT 10 OF US AND WE'LL GO OUT TO DINNER AFTERWARDS.
UH, YOU'VE, YOU'VE GOTTA SHOW UP.
YOU'VE GOTTA GET OTHERS TO SHOW UP.
UM, I KNOW OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR POLITICAL PERSUASION IS DEFINITELY OUTNUMBERED.
UM, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, SHOWING UP, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY IT CITY HALL, THEY HAD, UH, THE, UH, UH, EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING OR THE DISASTER FUNDING RATHER, THAT WE SPENT, UH, THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO SPEND $0 ON INDIVIDUAL HOME REPAIRS AND MULTIFAMILY HOME REPAIRS.
WE PROBABLY HAD A HUNDRED SPEAKERS OVER ABOUT THREE WEEKS COME UP AND DEMAND MONEY BE SPENT ON HOME REPAIR, MULTI-FAMILY HOME REPAIR.
AND WE ENDED UP WITH A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS BEING SPENT THERE.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU GOTTA SHOW UP AND FILL OUT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S BUDGET SURVEY THAT YOU WOULD HAVE EVERY YEAR.
WHAT ACTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE POOR WATER QUALITY THAT HAS PERSISTED FOR YEARS IN KINGWOOD? ACTUALLY, KINGWOOD HAS GOT A LITTLE BETTER WATER QUALITY THAN MOST OF THE REST OF THE CITY.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS KINGWOOD IS ON WELL WATER, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FEW, IF NOT MAYBE THE ONLY LOCATION IN THE CITY THAT IS ACTUALLY ON WELL WATER RATHER THAN HAVING TREATED WATER.
NOW WHAT DOES HAPPEN IS IT'S, IT'S HEAVY IN MINERALS AND IF WE HAVE A SPIKE IN PRESSURE OR A DECREASE IN PRESSURE BECAUSE OF, OF SOME ISSUE, UH, THAT WILL KNOCK THOSE MINERALS LOOSE IN PIPES AND, AND YOU'LL GET A CLOUDY WATER.
AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT GONNA TELL YOU TO GO DRINK THE CLOUDY WATER, BUT THE WATER ITSELF IS, IS ACTUALLY A BETTER QUALITY IN HOUSTON BECAUSE IT'S WELL WATER.
AND IN FACT, SOME OF THAT'S GONNA BE GOING AWAY.
UH, THE SUBSIDENCE DISTRICT IS WANTING TO MOVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE OFF OF WELL WATER.
UM, AND I THINK KEY WOOD'S GONNA LOSE SOME OF THAT, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE'LL PROBABLY RETAIN QUITE A BIT AS WELL.
UH, SO LIKE I SAID IN THE END, THE WATER'S DIESEL QUALITY.
NEXT UP IS WHAT IS BEING DONE BY CENTER POINT ENERGY TO IMPROVE POWER INFRASTRUCTURE, SPECIFICALLY IN SOUTH WOODLAND HILLS VILLAGE AND TRAIL WOOD VILLAGE.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU CAN ADD TO THAT ABOUT, UM, WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE IN TERMS OF GENERATORS.
AND SO I THINK JUST ADDED CONTEXT TOO, I'M GONNA CHARLES START OFF WITH THAT ONE.
WELL, I WAS GONNA POINT TO CENTER POINT, BUT I SEE THEY ALREADY LEFT
THE LEGISLATOR HAS ACTED ON THAT.
'CAUSE WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ACTUALLY PUT MONEY INTO GRID INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER POINT HAS, UH, STARTED THE PROCESS OF,
[01:45:01]
UH, UH, INCREASING THEIR, THEIR, THEIR GRID, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH MODERNIZATION.AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, IT WAS BAD THAT FOR PEOPLE TO FIND OUT WHERE OUR SERVICE WAS AT TO GO TO THE, I BELIEVE THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE WHATABURGER WEBSITE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WAS, I WAS THERE AT THE MEETING WITH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, THE GOVERNOR, UH, AND AND CENTER POINT EXECUTIVES WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
AND IT WAS KIND OF MIND BOGGLING TO, UH, SEE, UH, THE LEVEL OF, UH, NEED THAT WAS NEEDED.
YOU KNOW, IN KINGWOOD WE WE'RE KNOWN FOR OUR TREES AND STUFF.
AND SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS TREES, BUT IT'S HOW YOU MANAGE YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THIS IS JUST COMING FROM ME, CHARLES CUNNINGHAM.
NOT NOBODY ELSE, BUT IT'S REAL BAD WHEN YOU DECIDE NOT TO PULL MAINTENANCE AND YOU JUST WAIT FOR THE NEXT STORM TO FIX IT.
BUT NOW THAT HAS BEEN TURNED AROUND.
AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AND LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE GOING TO BE THINGS AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY WHAT WE'VE DONE AT THE STATE LEVEL, INVESTING IN GRID INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, THAT HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON OUR NUCLEAR, UH, SIDE OF IT, OUR GAS FACILITIES.
AND SO WE WILL MOVE FORWARD AND I FEEL, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT, UH, WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO HAVE A STRONG, UH, GRID.
AND I, I MENTIONED THE DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDING.
WE GOT, UH, THIS COMMUNITY CENTER IS GOING TO GET STANDBY GENERATOR.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF OUR LIFT STATIONS, UH, IN KINGWOOD THAT ARE GET GONNA GET STANDBY GENERATORS AS WELL, UH, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO WHEN WE ARE OUT OF POWER WITH A WEAK, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, SEWAGE FOUNTAINS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
SO WE ARE GETTING SOME OF THAT AND THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE HELP.
AND LET ME JUST ADD ONE, ADD ONE OTHER THING.
WHEN WE LOOK AT, AT, AT REALLY THE UNITED STATES, UH, TEXAS IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION.
UH, EVERYBODY REMEMBERS HEARING ABOUT Y 2K.
WE WERE FITTING TO LOSE EVERYTHING.
TEXAS IS THE ONLY STATE THAT WE CAN DISCONNECT FROM THE NATIONAL GRID.
WE HAVE AN OPEN SWITCH ON THE, UH, UH, NORTHEAST, AND WE HAVE AN OPEN SWITCH DOWN SOUTH.
ACTUALLY WE CAN ACTUALLY CONNECT TO, UH, MEXICO WITH OUR GRID.
BUT WE HAVE THAT CAPABILITY WHERE WE CAN DISCONNECT.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE ACTUALLY IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
IN A 2017 STUDY, FOREST COVE WAS PINPOINTED FOR FLOODING PROBLEMS DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF THE WALNUT STREET BRIDGES CONCRETE BASE.
AND WITH THE NORTH PARK CONSTRUCTION COMING ALONG, AN INCREASE IN POPULATION DENSITY FLOODING IS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR FOREST COVE.
WHEN WILL CONSTRUCTION BEGIN TO ALLEVIATE FLOODING IN FOREST COVE? UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTORS OR SPOKE ABOUT THAT EARLIER, UH, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, REPLACING OF THE WALNUT LANE BRIDGE.
UH, THE WALNUT LANE BRIDGE IS A BIT OF A CONSTRICTION POINT FOR THE DIVERSION DITCH.
SO WHEN THAT GETS REPLACED, UH, THAT WILL MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE AND JUST, UH, GIVE, UH, CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW CREDIT, HE'S THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY GOT US MONEY FOR THAT, SO WE'RE GONNA GET THAT PASSED.
SHOULD THE GROWTH OF KINGWOOD AND CLEAR LAKE REQUIRE TWO SEPARATE SEATS ON CITY COUNCIL? DO YOU WANNA GIVE UP HALF OF YOUR DAY AND WHICH HALF? I JUST KIDDING.
UM, DISTRICT E OUR DISTRICT HAS THE NORTHERN MOST SOUTHERNMOST AND EASTERNMOST POINTS IN THE CITY.
UH, THERE'S NO REASON IT'S LIKE THAT OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT ALL THE UPSET PEOPLE IN TWO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AFFECTING TWO DIFFERENT CITY COUNCIL RACES.
UH, SO IT ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE THAT WAY.
AND THIS IS KIND OF THE MIRROR IMAGE OF WHAT EVERYBODY ON ONE SIDE OF THE POLITICAL AISLE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, THE STATE.
UM, IT'S GERRYMANDERED TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE IN POWER NO DIFFERENTLY THAN WHAT AUSTIN DID.
UM, I, AND ACTUALLY THE GERRYMANDERING, I THINK LOOKS MUCH WORSE IN DISTRICT E THAN WHAT IT DOES FOR WHAT AUSTIN DID.
SO YES, WE SHOULD BE TWO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
HPD TALKED ABOUT THAT, AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT THE HOMELESS ISSUE IS A GROWING PROBLEM IN HOUSTON.
I THINK IT'S BEEN, I MEAN, IN KINGWOOD I THINK IT'S BEEN PRETTY STEADY.
UM, I THINK IT'S TREY THAT USED TO STAY UP AT THAT, UH, LITTLE STRIP CENTER AND I DON'T SEE HIM UP THERE ANYMORE.
THE STRIP CENTER I THINK WAS SOLD.
AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING TOO, IS THE PROPERTY OWN OWNER, WHEREVER A HOMELESS PERSON IS AT, HAS TO ACTUALLY SAY THEY WANT HIM GONE OR HER GONE.
[01:50:01]
'CAUSE IF THEY'RE OKAY WITH IT, THERE'S NOTHING ANYBODY CAN DO.UH, IN FACT, WE'VE KIND OF RUN INTO THIS AS A PROBLEM WITH SOME SQUATTER HOMES THAT I'VE GOT IN, UH, FREEWAY MANNER.
UH, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS OLDER.
THE, UH, AGE OF THE CITIZENS IS, IS OLDER AND TYPICALLY THE HOUSE IS PAID OFF.
AND IF THE OWNER OF THE HOME DOESN'T HAVE A WILL OR STRONG FAMILY CONNECTIONS, WE END UP SOMETIMES WITH SQUATTERS IN THERE AND THE SQUATTERS WILL SAY, THE OWNER TOLD ME I COULD STAY HERE.
AND THERE'S REALLY NOTHING THE CITY CAN DO IN ORDER TO EVICT THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET AN RES PASS AFFIDAVIT.
SO IT'S, IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH.
LIKE I SAID, I, I DON'T THINK KING WOOD'S GOT NEARLY THAT MUCH OF A PROBLEM WITH IT.
AND, AND SOMETHING ELSE THAT HE MENTIONED.
UM, PLEASE DON'T GIVE THE PEOPLE PANHANDLING ON THE CORNERS MONEY.
ALL THAT DOES IS ATTRACT MORE.
LOOK, IF YOU WANNA BE CHARITABLE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU CAN GIVE MONEY TO THAT WILL REALLY HELP THESE PEOPLE RATHER THAN PEOPLE PAN HANDLING ON THE CORNERS.
AND I'M GONNA ADD A LITTLE BIT FRED, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN FLICKERS NOW, WE, WE, UH, WE REALLY WORK WELL TOGETHER.
UH, FRED HAS, HAS COME UP TO AUSTIN.
HE HAS TESTIFIED, UH, WE LOOK, UH, AT FUTURE PRIORITIES.
AND THAT'S ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT.
UH, WE WERE ALSO LOOKING AT THE, UH, UH, THE MORTGAGE FRAUD, THOSE THAT ARE KIND OF TAKING OVER YOUR HOMES WITH MORTGAGE.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET A BILL PASSED TO PREVENT THAT.
WE HAD, UH, THAT I KNOW OF ONE PERSON IN KINGWOOD WHO WAS A VICTIM.
AND SO, UH, BUT ANYWAY, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS, AND THAT'S WHY I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, WORKING WITH FRED.
UH, AND I'M GONNA, YOU KNOW, HOLD YOUR SCRIPT.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE ONE EPISODE.
I HAD THREE BILLS THAT I WAS INTRODUCING, UH, IN COMMITTEE.
AND ONE WAS OUR DREDGING BILL.
THE OTHER WAS THE BILL ON OUR MINERS.
AND I THINK THE OTHER ONE WAS THE WATER DIVERSION, UH, BILL THAT WE HAD.
AND FRED WAS, UH, ONE OF MY KEY, UH, SPEAKERS ON THOSE BILLS.
UH, I WANT TO THANK BOB REHACK FOR HIS INFORMATION.
ALONG WITH THAT, I THOUGHT I SAW BILL MCCABE IN HERE.
BILL, IS HE ALREADY GONE? BILL IS GONE.
CHRIS BLOCK, UH, KINGWOOD WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN PROVIDING THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEEDED.
UH, HE ONLY, HE ONLY P****D OFF HALF THE COMMITTEE
UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THAT THOUGH, BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LET 'EM KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE CARE, UH, HERE IN KINGWOOD AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING, YOU KNOW, 1532, OUR DREDGING BILL WHEN IT FIRST CAME TO THE FLOOR, YOU KNOW, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES KIND OF KILLED THE BILL.
BUT, BUT LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, REGROUP, GET IT BACK IN, LOCAL CONSENT CALENDARS, GET IT BACK OUT TO THE FLOOR.
ANYWAY, IT WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND OF COURSE, WE HAD EVERYBODY AND, AND, AND I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE PHONE WITH, WITH, UH, WITH BOB AND BILL, JUST TRYING TO GET FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND, ARE YOU TRYING TO DROWN US? YOU KNOW, THAT, I MEAN, THAT WAS, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ASKING THAT QUESTION.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY CAME UP WITH ALL KIND OF THINGS.
WELL, IT'S A TAXING BILL WHERE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I ALWAYS ASK PEOPLE WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT A BILL, I SAID, HAVE YOU READ THE BILL BEFORE I EVEN START ANSWERING? HAVE YOU READ IT? AND THAT WAS IT.
THERE WAS NOTHING IN THERE ABOUT TAXING.
UH, BUT BECAUSE OF FRED BACK HERE WITH THE, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, TWILA JUMPED IN.
AND SO WE ALL, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT GROUND SUPPORT BECAUSE WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT? THE NORTH HOUSTON WATER AUTHORITY.
I'M TRYING TO THINK WHO THEY WERE.
YOU KNOW, THEY WENT AND GOT THEIR LOBBYISTS.
I MEAN, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T KNOW THE THE BILL WAS GONNA PASS UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE.
AND I, YOU KNOW, AND HE'S NOT HERE, BUT I WANT TO GIVE SENATOR BRANDON CREIGHTON REAL BIG THANK YOU.
UH, IF YOU CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AS HE'S PRESENTING THE BILL, UH, HE, HE DID, HE DID A FABULOUS JOB.
THE BILL PASSED THE SENATE 31, OH, ALL SENATORS VOTED FOR IT.
UH, I HAD A LITTLE, LITTLE PROBLEM ON MY SIDE.
I HAD 19 OF MY REPUBLICANS THAT VOTED, NO, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S OKAY.
AND I THINK YOU HEARD, UH, MY, UH, FORMER GUY HERE, DAN, DAN, DAN, TY, TALK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT WE CAN DO NOW AND HOW THAT BILL, THAT DREDGING DISTRICT IS GOING TO FUND ITSELF.
AND THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, BECAUSE WE WON'T BE RAISING TAXES.
BUT NONE OF THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT YOU.
[01:55:01]
AND OF COURSE, NONE OF THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT FRED COMING UP THERE, YOU KNOW, TAKING TIME OUT AND, AND FIGHTING THE BATTLE.AND OF COURSE, TWI YOUR SUPPORT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT PLUGIN BEFORE WE GET AWAY.
AND, AND KIND OF MY COMMENTS EARLIER ABOUT SHOWING UP.
CLEAR LAKE ACTUALLY HAS TWO DAYS THAT THEY SPEND UP AT THE CAPITOL IN AUSTIN.
THEY HAVE ONE FOR CLEAR LAKE, AND THEY HAVE ONE FOR SPACE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DAY FOR KINGWOOD, THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION WHERE WE GO UP THERE, WE SPEAK, I HOPE ALL Y'ALL WILL JOIN US.
IF IT'S JUST ME AND MY STAFF, WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE IT.
WE NEED TO GET EVERYBODY UP THERE.
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU SHOW UP AND YOU SPEAK TO THESE COMMITTEES AND LET 'EM KNOW THAT THIS IS LEGISLATION THAT WE NEED.
WELL, FRED'S NOT TELLING YOU EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON A FLOOD MITIGATION PLAN.
AND SO YOU, YOU HEARD, HEARD MR. HUBERTY TALK ABOUT THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO AS WE DO THAT, THAT'S WHY IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOT ONLY SHOW UP, BUT ALSO SHOW OUT.
SO WE'LL GIVE IT BACK TO YOU,
UM, AND, AND I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT, 'CAUSE I, I, I'M GONNA KIND OF TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PROVISION, KIND OF REFERENCE WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, BECAUSE THE COLLABORATION THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DISPLAYED, ESPECIALLY, UM, IN LIEU OF, UM, THE COUNTY AT TIMES, I THINK IS REFRESHING FOR PEOPLE TO SEE.
AND, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, AT THE START OF THIS, THIS TERM FOR COUNCIL AND FOR THIS MAYOR, WE SAW MORE INCREASED COLLABORATION WHEN IT CAME FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, STATE LEVEL LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING AT THE CITY LEVEL.
UM, AND THERE'S SO MANY OTHER AREAS.
CAN YOU GUYS SPEAK TO ANY OTHER AREAS THAT YOU TWO ARE, ARE AWARE OF THAT YOU MAY SOON BE WORKING ON OR THAT HAVE COME ABOUT THAT PEOPLE JUST AREN'T AWARE OF PUBLICLY? UM, WHERE YOU GUYS HAVE WORKED TOGETHER OR HAVE BROUGHT THE TWO ENTITIES TOGETHER? WELL, I HAVEN'T TALKED MUCH WITH CHARLES ABOUT THIS, BUT, UH, HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS TODAY.
AND, UH, WE'RE REALLY GONNA BE LOOKING AT DOING A DIVERSION DITCH FOR THE, UH, OR DIVERSION CHANNEL FOR THE DIVERSION DITCH TO GIVE US ADDITIONAL, UH, OUTFLOW GOING INTO SAN JACINTO RIVER VERSUS ALL GOING THROUGH THE DIVERSION DITCH.
UM, THE, THE CITY, UH, IS GONNA BE SUPPORTING THAT.
UH, WE THINK WE'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO REALLY DO SOMETHING THERE THAT WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IF WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN TO THE LAST TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, AND, UH, FIRST AND LAST IS WHAT IS BEING DONE TO REMEDY THE SEVERAL DISASTROUS CAR CRASHES ON THE BRIDGE OF WESTLAKE, HOUSTON PARKWAY, KINGS RIVER, AND MAGNOLIA COVE TO PROTECT CONSTITUENTS FROM THE EXTREME SPEEDING AND DRAG RACING? WE'VE SEEN, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT WORKED.
UH, WITH HPD I'VE SINCE LEARNED.
I JUST KIND OF ASSUMED AFTER WE HAD THAT FATALITY ACCIDENT THAT THEY WOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE OUT THERE.
THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT HAS KIND OF CHANGED.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A LOT OF TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT OUT THERE, BUT IT TOOK SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE WE GOT 'EM OUT THERE.
THEY'RE GONNA BE OUT THERE AGAIN.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'VE DONE IS, UH, THROUGH MY COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, WE'VE, UH, PURCHASED SOME, UH, RADAR AND I GUESS RADAR COMBINATION LASER.
I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, BETWEEN THAT, AND WE'RE ALSO PAYING FOR SOME OVERTIME.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ON THAT WESTLAKE HOUSTON BRIDGE.
WE ALSO ARE HAVING, UH, THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY LOOK TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO TO TRY AND HAVE PEOPLE OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT RATHER THAN JUST ENFORCEMENT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY GONNA BE DOING MORE ON THAT.
AND LAST ONE, WHY DOES HFD AND EMS REQUIRE A PATIENT TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL, WHICH MOST OF THE TIME IS HCA KINGWOOD, WHY CAN'T THEY GO FURTHER DOWN 59, 600 MEMORIAL HERMANN NORTHEAST, EVEN WHEN REQUESTED? THERE'S QUITE A BIT THAT GOES INTO THAT.
UM, A LOT OF IT, THEY'RE DIRECTED ON WHERE TO GO TO BASED UPON THE SERVICES AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME.
UH, DIFFERENT ISSUES LIKE THAT.
IN FACT, UH, I THINK MOST PEOPLE KNOW I HAD A STROKE HERE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND, UH, MY WIFE WANTED US TO GO DOWNTOWN AND THE PARAMEDIC SAID, NO, YOU NEED TO GO TO HCA, YOU NEED TO GO THERE RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE THEY'VE ACTUALLY GOT THE MEDICATION THAT'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S A LOT MORE THAN, I JUST PREFER TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
UH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE FACTORS AND, AND THEY'RE MAKING THE DECISION THAT'S TRULY SHOULD BE IN, IN YOUR BEST INTEREST.
THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE CUNNINGHAM.
AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR PARTICIPATING TONIGHT IN STAYING ROOM.