[Press Conference: "New Recycling Trucks" on October 14, 2025.]
[00:00:18]
I AM EXCITED THIS MORNING 'CAUSE YOU'RE WITNESSING A BOLD INITIATIVE NEVER CARRIED OUT BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE WILL HAVE 50 NEW SOLID WASTE TRUCKS ON THE STREETS OF HOUSTON, RECYCLING TRUCKS, REAR END GRABLER TO PICK UP ILLEGAL DUMPING.
THERE'S 20 ON DISPLAY THIS MORNING.
10 ARE ON THEIR WAY FROM THE MANUFACTURER.
SO I AM HERE TO THANK THESE HARDWORKING, SOLID WASTE EMPLOYEES.
THE DIRECTOR THAT'S BEEN ON THE JOB JUST A SHORT FOUR MONTHS.
SEE, YOU CAN'T FIX SOMETHING UNTIL YOU IDENTIFY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR KEPT TELLING ME THINGS WERE OKAY.
AS I WOULD DRIVE ACROSS HOUSTON, I KNEW THINGS WERE NOT OKAY.
WE'VE GOT TO AND WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT CERTAINLY OUR GARBAGE PICKUP STARTS AT THE TOP WITH A NEW DIRECTOR, HASSEN, OUR FLEET MANAGER, MR. GLASSCOCK.
THE COLLABORATION OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR WORKERS AND STAFF ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
AND THAT'S THE REASON HOUSTONIANS AT SIX O'CLOCK THIS MORNING ARE TO BE EXCITED THAT THESE HARD WORKING PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE OUT DOING THEIR JOB.
SO HOUSTONIANS CAN GO ABOUT THEIR WORK AND SCHOOL.
THE MISSION IS UNAC ACCOMPLISHED, BUT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BREAK DOWN UP THE ROAD.
WHEN I WAS HERE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO FOR THE ROLLING OUT OF OTHER VEHICLES, SOME OF THE OLDER USED VEHICLES THAT PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS BOUGHT WERE BREAKING DOWN ON SIX 10.
I WITNESSED WHAT THESE WORKERS GO THROUGH ON A DAILY BASIS.
I NEED COUNCIL MEMBERS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
WE HAVE SPENT VALUABLE TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON THESE NEW ASSETS.
SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE THIS MORNING.
WE HAVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON, COUNCIL TOMORROW WE WILL LEAVE HERE AND GO TO OTHER CHALLENGES.
BUT THIS MORNING, THE SOLID WASTE RECYCLING GARBAGE PICKUP.
WE'RE ALSO CONTRACTING WITH OUTSIDE VENDORS TO HELP US WITH PICK UP HEAVY TRASH.
HEAVY TRASH IS STILL A CHALLENGE, BUT WE'RE GONNA GO ACROSS HOUSTON, DO SOME SWEEPS AND MAKE HOUSTON EVEN A GREATER CITY THAN THE ONE WE WOKE UP IN THIS MORNING.
THERE'S 2.3 MILLION HOUSTONIANS WHEN WE WOKE UP THIS MORNING.
700,000 PEOPLE WILL COME TO OUR CITY TODAY TO WORK AND ATTEND EVENTS.
WE HAVE A MAJOR TASK OF PROVIDING THESE SERVICES, BUT THAT'S WHAT LEADERSHIP IS ALL ABOUT.
WE UNDERSTAND WE LIVE IN HOUSTON.
I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES OF OF ATTEMPTING TO PICK UP ALL THE GARBAGE ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S WHY I GOT A NEW DIRECTOR.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY WORK HARDER IN THEIR FLEET DIRECTOR, MR. GLASSCOCK.
THESE WORKERS RIGHT HERE THOUGH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE HOUSTONIANS AND RESIDENTS THAT GET UP AND COME OUT HERE EVERY MORNING TO ALLOW US TO ENJOY THIS GREAT CITY.
I'M GONNA WATCH THE SEND OFF OF THESE.
BEAUTIFUL, HEY, WE DIDN'T TAKE TIME TO PAINT 'EM AND WE SAVED $3,000 BY PER TRUCK WITH NOT PAINT THEM.