[Super Neighborhood Alliance Meeting on January 12, 2026.]
[00:00:15]
AMY, IF YOU ARE IN AGREEMENT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UM, OPEN IT UP.IT, I MEAN, IT'S ONE MINUTE TILL, BUT I DON'T WANT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE'S TIME.
WELL, I'M GONNA START THE ROLL CALL SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE.
I'M GONNA CALL ANYBODY THAT, UH, HAS BEEN AT THE LAST FOUR MEETINGS SINCE, UH, SEPTEMBER 26TH PER OUR BYLAWS.
SO, UM, IF I DON'T, IF I SKIP YOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME IN THE CHAT OR LET ME KNOW WHEN WE GET TO THE END OF THE ROLL CALL.
MARIE CARLISLE, PRESIDENT, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
KEVIN'S SAYING HE'S HERE, HE JUST CAN'T GET HIS MIC TO WORK.
GREG SURGERY, SCATTER MEMORIAL.
SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVE, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
JEFF BAKERS PRESIDENT, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22.
CHERYL O'BRIEN, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 36.
CINDY CHAPMAN, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 30.
SHAKI, VICE PRESIDENT, SUPER NEIGHBOR.
VICKY MOORE, PRESIDENT P FOR 49 AND 50.
KATHY, I, I JUST SAW IN THE CHAT.
UH, I, I GOT YOU ON SUPER NEIGHBOR.
RICKY HERE, PRESIDENT WITH SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 63.
SUPER NEIGHBOR, 66, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 67.
UH, TAMARA ALEXANDER FOR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 68.
UH, LINDSAY, I'VE GOT YOU AND I RECOGNIZE SUPER NEIGHBORED 45 IS HERE.
WE HAVE YET TO BE INFORMED ABOUT YOUR STATUS AS ACTIVE OR INACTIVE, BUT I WILL MARK YOU PRESENT.
ANY OTHER SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I MISSED GOING THROUGH ROAD CALL? REALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD 47.
UM, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 45 IS ACTIVE.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'LL ALSO CHECK THE CHAT AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THE MEETING, IF YOU, UH, SHOW UP LATE.
[00:05:01]
VERY MUCH, AMY.AND MOVING RIGHT ALONG INTO OUR AGENDA, UM, WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST, ACTUALLY TWO SPECIAL GUESTS TODAY.
ARE YOU GUYS ON THE CALL? DO WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM YOUNG SOCIETY OF HOUSTON? ONE MORE CALL.
UM, WHAT THAT DISCUSSION WAS, UM, AS MANY OF YOU ALL KNOW, THE PARADE HAS BEEN COMBINED AND THERE IS ONE PARADE.
UM, IT'S THE MLK UNITY PARADE, AND THIS IS THE FLYER FOR THAT.
THEY'RE ASKING THAT ALL SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENTS OR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE.
CAN EVERYONE SEE MY SCREEN? YES.
LET ME ASK ONE MORE TIME, DO WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM A YOUNG SOCIETY OF HOUSTON? OKAY.
SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND STOP SHARING.
I'LL COME BACK, UM, TO THIS JUST IN CASE THEY COME INTO THE MEETING, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I'LL GO AHEAD AND DROP IT IN THE CHAT.
IT'S GOING TO BE THE LINK, UM, TO PARTICIPATE AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE SOMEONE PRESENT.
GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR AGENDA.
WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM SOLID WAYS.
DIRECTOR, ARE YOU THERE? HELLO? HELLO.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK UPDATES.
UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITE.
UM, I'VE BEEN HERE A SHORT SEVEN, SEVEN MONTHS, ALMOST RUNNING MY EIGHTH MONTH.
AND IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL RIDE SO FAR.
VERY CHALLENGING, UH, IN OUR NEW ROLE AS DIRECTOR OF SOLID WASTE IN THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WE LIVE.
WE'VE CAME A LONG WAY FROM, UH, COMING IN AND, UH, I REMEMBER COMING TO SPEAK TO SUPER NEIGHBOR 22, I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT THE, UH, WHAT I CALL THE CHRISTMAS TREE OF GREEN CANS THAT WERE ALIGNED IN OUR CITY.
UM, AND FOR BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS, WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO, UH, BASICALLY, UH, SERVICE OUR CITIZENS TO THE LEVEL THAT CITY COUNCIL AND ALSO MAYOR WHITMEYER CHALLENGES TO DO FROM THE DAY WE WALKED IN.
UM, I CAN SUCCESSFULLY SAY THAT WE'RE AT A 98% COMPLETION RATE ON TRASH AND ABOUT A 89% TO 90% SUCCESS RATE ON RECYCLING, WITH RECYCLING BEING ABOUT A HALF A DAY TO A DAY DEPENDS ON WHAT SIDE OF THE CITY.
UM, UH, CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR WHITMEYER, UH, GOT US THOSE NEW 50 TRUCKS.
I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ALL 50 OF THEM YET, AND I'M ANTICIPATING ABOUT 12 MORE.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TO THAT MARK OF ON TIME COLLECTION.
UM, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S A DAILY THING THAT WE'RE STRIVING FOR.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND JUMP RIGHT INTO THE BIG HEAVY, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, WHICH IS THIS HEAVY TRASH ORDEAL THAT I'VE TAKEN ON.
UM, IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT I'VE EVER FACED, UM, SIMPLY BECAUSE, UM, IT'S BEEN A PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR ABOUT 15 PLUS YEARS.
UM, I COMPLETELY DISAGREED WITH HOW IT WAS SET UP, UM, AS FAR AS HOW WE TRACK IT.
SO LET ME GIVE EVERYBODY SOME INSIGHT.
WE ARE APPROXIMATELY LIKE THREE WEEKS TO, IN SOME AREAS, TWO MONTHS BEHIND ON HEAVY TRASH PICKUP, SIMPLY BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT HAS BEEN, UH, PUSHED OUT TO THE PUBLIC THAT I ONLY HAVE 21 CREWS THAT I CAN DEPLOY ON A DAILY BASIS IN THE CITY, OUR SIZE, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE.
'CAUSE WE, WE CAN OPERATE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT THAN WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.
UH, THE MAYOR HAS CALLED ME DIRECTLY AND TOLD ME TO FIX THE PROBLEM, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS BROUGHT IN TO DO.
SO, I'M, I'M, I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE YOU'LL BE THE FIRST PEOPLE TO HEAR.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR THE PAST MONTH AND A HALF, BUT WE HAVE FINALLY FOUND A, A WORK ORDER SYSTEM IN WHICH IT IS.
UM, IT IS, IT IS GONNA BE AN ON DEMAND PROGRAM
[00:10:01]
AND, UH, WHAT, WHAT ON DEMAND PROGRAM IS GONNA BE, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS GOING BEHIND THE SCENES, EDUCATING ALL OF OUR PEOPLE INTERNALLY, AND WE'LL COME OUT WITH A, A MAJOR MEDIA BLAST ON HOW IT, HOW, HOW IT'LL WORK.UM, ONE THING WE HAVE TO DO IS WE'RE, WE'RE GOING IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, AND IT'S TAKEN US A LOT LONGER TO COMPLETE NEIGHBORHOODS SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT A LOT OF ENFORCEMENT AND IT IS A LOT OF COMMERCIAL TRASH THAT WE'RE PICKING UP.
UM, THE EIGHT CUBIC YARDS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, UH, FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT ONCE WE GET THERE, WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY STAFF FOR, IT'S TO PICK UP EIGHT CUBIC YARDS OF RESIDENTIAL TRASH IN A LOT OF AREAS.
IT'S COMMERCIAL, UM, TRASH THAT WE'RE PICKING UP, AND IT'S TAKING US A LOT LONGER TO COLLECT.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM IN WHICH THE ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE CAN FALL ON US.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE ALSO HOLD THOSE RESIDENTS THAT ARE ABUSING THE SYSTEM, UM, TO KIND OF GIVE THEM, UH, SOME INSIGHT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT THE RIGHT WAY, BUT WE NEED THE HELP OF THE RESIDENTS AS WELL.
AND WE'RE ALSO ADVOCATING FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO USE OUR DEPOSITORIES, OUR SIX DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT COULD HELP OUT WITH ELIMINATE SOME OF THE TRASH BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER IN THIS SITUATION.
THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT THE MAYOR HAS INHERITED.
SOME CITY COUNCIL HAS INHERITED SOMETHING I INHERITED.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING OUR VERY BEST TO, UH, MITIGATE THE PROBLEM OF, OF THIS HEAVY TRASH SITUATION.
SO HOW THE HEAVY TRASH PROGRAM WOULD WORK, UM, A RESIDENT WOULD CALL IN AND YOU WOULD GET A LIVE REPRESENTATIVE, NOT JUST FROM 3 1 1.
WE'VE HIRED STAFF OVER THE PAST MONTH AND A HALF THAT WILL CALL AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOU SO THAT YOU WON'T HAVE HEAVY TRASH SITTING IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
UH, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROGRAM THAT I RAN ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO WITH THE MAYOR TURNER POTHOLE INITIATIVE, UH, AND ALSO, UH, MAYOR PARKER'S, UH, SKIN PATCH IN WHICH WE REPAIRED OVER 4,000 SKIN PATCHES, WHICH WERE A ROAD REPAIRS WITHIN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS.
AND IT ACTUALLY GIVES US AN ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE TO SEE, TO HOLD OUR DRIVERS AND OUR WORKERS ACCOUNTABLE, BUT ALSO GET A REALISTIC DATE FOR RESIDENTS TO NOT LEAVE THEIR TRASH IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES, ESPECIALLY DURING HOLIDAYS, BIRTHDAYS, FAMILY GATHERINGS, WHEN YOU NEED THE TRASH ACTUALLY PICKED UP, WE CAN ACTUALLY MONITOR NOW.
RIGHT NOW I'M OPERATING IN THE, IN THE DARK, BASICALLY BECAUSE WE'RE USING MAPS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED.
UM, THERE'S NO WAY FOR ME TO TRACK IT.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE ANYTHING INTERNALLY TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AS WELL.
SO WE'RE GONNA KICK OFF, UM, THIS PROGRAM, HOPEFULLY, UM, IN ABOUT THREE TO FOUR WEEKS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
IS THERE GONNA BE CHALLENGES? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I, BUT I'M VERY CONFIDENT IN WHAT WE PUT IN PLAY AND EXPERIENCE THAT WE'VE HAD WITH DEALING WITH THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND, UH, FROM OUR OPERATIONAL LOGISTICS STANDPOINT, I FEEL LIKE WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WORKING SOLID WAYS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT THEY RECEIVED THE CREDIT THAT THEY DESERVE.
THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO, TO PICK UP THIS TRASH IN THESE RECYCLING CANS IN THE TURNAROUND TIME IN ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF TO SIX MONTHS, BECAUSE THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE IN THE LAST 15 PLUS YEARS.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING AND WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH THE, OUR ENTIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE ABOUT 328 EMPLOYEES.
SO I THINK THAT THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE FOR YEARS HAVE, UH, OVER THIS PAST SIX TO SEVEN MONTHS HAVE BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF PHENOMENAL.
AND, UH, THEY'RE WORKING, THEY'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO DO WHAT THE MAYOR HAS CHALLENGED US TO DO, AND THAT'S TO SERVE OUR CITIZENS THE WAY THAT THEY DESERVE TO BE SERVED.
AND THAT'S GETTING THE TRASH UP WHEN WE SAY WE'RE GONNA PICK IT UP.
UH, THAT'S JUST A QUICK SPIEL.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT WANT TO BE ASKED, SO I AM READY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
WELL, THE FIRST HAND THAT I SAW UP, BUT I THINK HE PUT IT DOWN, WAS JACK.
SO I WANNA BE SURE THAT WE GET TO JACK.
[00:15:01]
ARE YOU THERE? YES.DIRECTOR, I HAVE TO THANK YOU FOR GETTING THE GREEN AND BLACK PRETTY MUCH UP TO DATE, AT LEAST IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
CHANGING TO AN ON-DEMAND SYSTEM IS GONNA TAKE AN AWFUL LOT OF EDUCATION.
I MEAN, IF I PUT OUT MY TRASH AND CALL UP, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IF MY NEIGHBOR SEES MY TRASH OUT THERE, MY HEAVY TRASH.
AND WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH YARD WASTE? AND DID THE BUDGET CUT LAST YEAR HURT IN GETTING HEAVY TRASH PICKED UP? UH, QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. VALINSKI FOR THAT.
WE'RE GONNA DUPLICATE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ON, UH, HEAVY TRASH TO DO THE SAME THING.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY A 18% SET OUT RATE AND YARD WASTE.
IT IS HEAVY IN SOME AREAS AND SOME AREAS DON'T PARTICIPATE, UH, A LOT WITH THE YARD WASTE PICKUP.
THE, THE WHOLE PROBLEM THAT I'M, I'VE DISCOVERED SINCE I, I'VE BEEN, UH, IN MY POSITION IS THAT WITHOUT ANY SOLID DATA, WE DON'T, I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HEAVY TRASH IS, WHERE THE YARD WASTE IS.
SO WE'RE BASICALLY SENDING DRIVERS OUT TO RIDE A ROUTE AND HOPE THAT SOME AREAS PICK UP TRASH FROM ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE ON OUR SIDE.
I'M NOT SAYING EVERY EMPLOYEE IS A MODEL EMPLOYEE AND EVERY CITIZEN IS NOT A MODEL CITIZEN.
SO IT'S A ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE.
IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME ED, UH, EDUCATIONAL PIECE.
UH, BUT ONCE IT GETS OUT, IT SEEMS IT IS A VERY SEAMLESS PROCESS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.
AND ALSO IT WILL GIVE YOU THAT, THAT, THAT SENSE, UH, OF KNOWING WHEN WE WILL BE THERE.
UH, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THE WEBSITE SAYS IT'S DELAYED.
AND THE REASON WHY IT WAS DELAYED, BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST GOT THERE, NO ONE INSTRUCTED ME, UH, OR, OR TOLD ME THAT WE HAD ONE MONTH OF TREE WASTE MONTH AND THE OTHER MONTH WAS HEAVY, WAS BULK WASTE MONTH.
SO WHAT, I HAD A LEADER WHAT, WHO, UM, YEAH.
OH, I THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE WAS TALKING TO ME.
UM, YEAH, THE, THE, THE HEAVY, THE BULK WASTE MONTH AND TREE WASTE MONTH.
WELL, WE GOT BEHIND IN BULK WAYS AND IT WAS AT THE END OF THE MONTH AND IT ROLLED INTO THE TREE WASTE MONTH.
WE ROLLED RIGHT BY YOUR HOME BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE TREE WASTE OUT.
INSTEAD OF GRABBING THE BULK WASTE SINCE WE WERE THERE, WE JUST PASSED IT UP.
SO IT, IT, IT'S JUST A LOT ABOUT THE, UM, THE, THE WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA OPERATE MOVING FORWARD.
IT'LL, IT'LL MAKE MORE SENSE AS FAR AS ROUTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR, FOR, FOR EVERYONE.
YOU GOT ANOTHER QUESTION, MR. VALINSKI? ABOUT MLK? I SEEN THAT COME ACROSS, I'M SORRY, MISS TO PICK UP TRASH ON MONDAY.
WE, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO, TO TAKE OFF RIGHT NOW, SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT PUSHING FORWARD.
UM, I OWE MY STAFF, I DID COME TO 'EM AND ASK THEM WOULD THEY BE SO KIND TO GIVE UP A HOLIDAY, UM, SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO KEEP, TO GET THE TRASH UP AND THEY, IT, IT WAS, IT WAS NO HESITATION.
SO THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES OF THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT, THAT WORK IN OUR DEPARTMENT, THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE UP A, A HOLIDAY TO COME IN AND DO A JOB.
AND I, THERE'S THAT WAS NOT, HI, THIS IS DONNA.
THEY, THEY, THEY VOLUNTEERED FOR IT.
THE NEXT QUESTION THAT WE HAVE IS GONNA BE FROM CHERYL.
ACTUALLY, KATHLEEN WAS AHEAD OF ME ON LIST.
I DON'T WANNA JUMP YOU KATHLEEN, I'M BEING QUIET.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THIS CHANGE.
SO I, SORRY, I WAS A LITTLE BIT LATE SO I MISSED YOUR, UH, SUMMARY IS WE'RE GOING TO THE, FOR HEAVY TRASH PEOPLE NEED TO CALL IN TO COME PICK IT UP AND YES, MA'AM IS JUST LIKE A ONE, A FLYER THAT YOU CAN SEND TO US THAT WE CAN EDUCATE PEOPLE WITH 'CAUSE ABSOLUTELY.
I AGREE WITH JACK THAT IT, THIS IS A, THIS IS A BIG CHANGE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD CHANGE, BUT, UM, IT, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA DEFINITELY GIVE INSTRUCTIONS NOW.
IT, IT, IT, IT WILL GO OUT TO, UH, ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THEY'RE GONNA SEND OUT TO ALL SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE'RE GONNA SEND OUT ALL LITERATURE AND IT'S LIKE MAYBE A MONTH AND A MONTH AND A HALF AWAY BEFORE WE KICK IT OFF.
SO IT'LL BE PLENTY ENOUGH TIME FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE THE QUESTIONS, WHATEVER THEY NEED TO ASK.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO EDUCATE ANYBODY WHO CALLS IN AND IT WON'T JUST TO BE THE 3 1 1.
IT'LL BE, YOU'LL ACTUALLY GET A CHANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME
[00:20:01]
TO CALL OUR DEPARTMENT AND SPEAK TO A LIVE AGENT TO IF, IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS.WE WILL GET THE EDUCATIONAL PIECES OUT TO, TO EVERYONE.
SO WHEN IS IT TO BE IMPLEMENTED? I'M IMPLEMENTING IT RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE START, WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, A PILOT PROGRAM IN THE BEGINNING OF ABOUT SECOND WEEK OF FEBRUARY, SO ABOUT A MONTH AWAY.
UM, I, I ALSO WAS WONDERING HOW WE WERE GONNA GET THIS INFORMATION OUT, BUT, UM, DIRECTOR, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THE TRASH, BOTH THE HEAVY WASTE, THE DUMPING OF, OF SOLID WASTE, UH, TREE WASTE JUNK WASTE IN THAT HAS GONE INTO THE MEDIANS ALONG THE BAYOU, UH, THAT'S NOT IN FRONT OF SOMEBODY'S HOUSE.
UM, HOW IS THAT GOING TO BE COLLECTED? DO WE NEED TO CALL THAT IN OR IS, ARE, ARE CREWS DRIVING AROUND FORMER ROUTES AND SEEING WHAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE? THAT'S BEEN, PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN FRUSTRATED AND THEY'VE MOVED IT INTO MEDIANS? YES, MA'AM.
SO WHAT, WHAT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IS WE HAD A, I HAD A CALL WITH A CONSTITUENT ON LAST THURSDAY.
UM, SHE CALLED ME AND WAS WITNESSING ILLEGAL DUMPING.
THERE'S NO WAY POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN HAVE EYES ON EVERY PART OF THE CITY.
SO AGAIN, IT'S LIKE A JOINT EFFORT.
SHE CALLED ME AND I WAS LIKE, MA'AM, IF YOU'RE ON THE PHONE WITH ME, THAT CALL SHOULD HAVE WENT TO HPD, YOU'RE WATCHING ILLEGAL DUMPING, I GOTTA PICK IT UP.
BUT IF YOU'RE WATCHING IT, GRAB A LICENSE PLATE, GRAB YOUR PHONE AND SEE IF YOU CAN CAPTURE IT.
BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE PROSECUTED.
DO WE RIDE AROUND AND LOOK FOR IT? YES.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 300 PEOPLE IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
70% OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE PICKING UP YOUR GREEN CANS AND BLACK CANS.
SO MY RESOURCES ARE VERY LIMITED AS FAR AS MONITORING WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I, I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ANYTHING YOU JUST SAID.
AND, BUT THIS IS NOT, I'M NOT WITNESSING PEOPLE DOING THIS.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOTTEN SO FRUSTRATED AND HAD SO MANY MONTHS WORTH OF STUFF STACKED UP IN THEIR YARDS THAT ONE DAY YOU DRIVE BY, IT'S GONE, BUT SUDDENLY STUFF IS IN THE MEDIAN.
BUT I DIDN'T SEE 'EM PUT IT IN THE MEDIAN.
I CAN'T PROVE THEY PUT IT IN THE MEDIAN.
HOW DO WE GET IT OUT OF THE MEDIAN? YES, MA'AM.
WELL, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A, THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO THEN, MA'AM, IS HAVE TO CALL 3 1 1 AND WE HAVE TO SCHEDULE TO COME AND PICK IT UP.
UM, SO WE CAN, WE, WE JUST HAVE TO DO THE CLEANUP OF WHEN THAT, WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
AND, AND AGAIN, WE WANT ALL RESIDENTS, WHAT WHAT, WHAT THE MAYOR HAS CHALLENGED ME WITH IS, FOR ONE, WE GOTTA PICK IT UP.
TWO, WE GOTTA DO A EDUCATIONAL PIECE OF PIECE.
UM, WHAT WE CAN DO, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA GO TO FOUR TIMES CURBSIDE PICKUP AND THE OTHER TWO, WE ARE ASKING RESIDENTS TO TAKE IT TO THE DE DEPOSITORIES.
SO WHEN YOU CALL AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, YOU LET US KNOW IF IT'S BULK WASTE OR TREE WASTE SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT TYPE OF VEHICLES, WHAT TYPE OF CREW TO SEND TO COLLECT WHAT YOU HAVE.
BECAUSE WE'RE DOING A, A BUNCH OF REDUNDANT WORK BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE.
I MIGHT HAVE A CREW THAT IS PREPARED TO PICK UP A BUNCH OF TREES AND IT'S A, IT'S A BIG PILE OF, OF BULK AND HEAVY TRASH.
AND IT'S LIKE, NOW I GOTTA SWITCH CREWS TO GO OUT THERE.
SO IT, IT'S JUST A WAY THAT WE CAN OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY AND WE COULD COVER MORE GROUND THAT WAY IF WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND THEN ALSO WE CAN LET THAT CUSTOMER KNOW LIKE, HEY, YOU HAD, YOU GOT, YOU DONE PUT OUT THREE PILES IN A MONTH AND A HALF.
'CAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT AS SOON AS WE PICK IT UP, IT'S RIGHT BACK DOWN THE NEXT WEEK.
AND I'M LIKE, HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU REMODEL YOUR HOME OR HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I, I THINK IT'S, I I, I GOT A RUNNING JOKE, UH, WITH A COUNCILMAN.
I'M LIKE, I WENT TO, WE, WE'VE GONE TO THIS CERTAIN RESIDENCE THREE TIMES IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS AND IT'S LIKE, THE HOME IS LIKE 1800 SQUARE FEET AND EVERY TIME WE GO THERE, IT'S LIKE FIVE TOILETS, THREE BATHTUBS, SHEET ROCK PILE TO LIKE EIGHT FEET IN THE AIR.
AND I'M LIKE, THAT, THAT COULDN'T HAVE COME OUTTA YOUR HOME.
SO WE HAVE TO DO AN INSPECTION.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES.
[00:25:01]
I, I'M, I'M 99% SURE WE'RE PICKING UP SOMEONE WHO'S A CARPENTER OR YEAH.AS A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY YEAH.
THAT'S DUMPING IN FRONT OF THEIR HOME AND THEY'RE JUST LIKE, OH, THE CITY DIDN'T COME, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A WAY OF TRACKING IT RIGHT NOW.
SO WE HOPING WITH THIS ENFORCEMENT, THIS GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING IT RIGHT, LIKE IN, IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS PICKING UP A LOT OF COMMERCIAL TRASH THAT THEY DON'T WANNA PAY TO GO TO THE LANDFILL.
AND WE'RE MISSING OUT ON GOOD RESIDENTS THAT ARE JUST TRYING TO GET THEIR STUFF PICKED UP BEFORE A HOLIDAY, AFTER A REMODEL, AFTER RENTERS LEAVE THE RIGHT WAY.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, MA.
SO WE HAVE A YES MA'AM SYSTEM IN OUR, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE WE ACTUALLY WOULD GO WRITING AROUND COLLECTING 3 1 1 REQUESTS AND WE COULD EASILY GRAB 40, 50 REQUESTS IN ONE RIDE AROUND.
AND SOMETIMES THOSE REQUESTS WOULD SIT FOR THREE OR FOUR WEEKS EASILY.
UM, AND I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS THAT GONNA BE THE ESTIMATED TIMEFRAME FOR WHEN THESE WOULD BE ADDRESSED? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I'VE BEEN THE ONLY PERSON IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY THAT HAD ONE DAY TO DO SOMETHING.
UH, I KIND OF THINK THAT'S HOW I GOT THIS JOB.
UH, SO WE HAD, I HAD A DATA FILL A POTHOLE, BUT, UM, WE'RE GONNA WORK.
THE TIMEFRAME THAT I HAVE IN MY HEAD THAT I'M SHOOTING FOR IS A THREE DAY WINDOW FROM THE TIME YOU MAKE YOU AN APPOINTMENT.
I, I HOPE TO GET IT TODAY THAT, THAT'S VERY BOLD, BUT I ALSO MADE THAT BOLD STATEMENT WITH GETTING THESE GREEN CANS UP WITHOUT ANY NEW EQUIPMENT.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU SHOOT FOR THE MOON IF YOU LAND ON THE STARS, BUT ONE THING WE WANNA DO IS NOT KEEP YOUR TRASH OUT THERE FOR A WEEK.
SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A REALISTIC TIME BECAUSE WE, WE'VE HAD, UM, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE JUST PERPETUALLY HAVE GARBAGE, UM, FOR FOUR AND FIVE MONTHS.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY MY NEXT QUESTION IS DO YOU HAVE YOUR COMMUNICATION PLAN READY? BECAUSE YES, IT KIND OF COMES BACK TO WHAT JACK WAS SAYING.
OUR NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TREES THEY CAN POSSIBLY TAKE DOWN.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MORE TOILETS THEY CAN POSSIBLY BRING OUT.
UM, THEY JUST CONSTANTLY HAVE STUFF OUT THERE AND I DON'T, I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND IT, BUT IT'S JUST ALWAYS OUT THERE.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR COMMUNICATION PLAN.
WE HAVE A COMMUNICATION PLAN WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND ALSO MY COMMUNICATIONS TEAM THAT WE'RE GONNA LET EVERY RESIDENT KNOW WE'RE GONNA GO LIVE ON THE NEWS.
EVERY SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLET, A PAMPHLET, FLYERS, ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO GO OUT AND WE'RE GONNA DO AN EDUCATIONAL PIECE IN WHICH IF A RESIDENT HAS, WHEN WHEN WE CALL, WHEN THEY CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO GET A CALL BACK FROM, FROM ONE OF OUR INTERNAL, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS.
AND EACH RESIDENT THAT CALLS MAKES AN APPOINTMENT OR GET THE FULL SPEECH OF, HEY, THIS IS YOUR FIRST SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT.
YOU HAVE THREE MORE THAT WE CAN COME BY AND PICK UP.
BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE FACING IS THAT AS SOON AS WE PICK IT UP, I'M LIKE, GOODNESS.
IT'S LIKE EVERY OTHER WEEK SOMEBODY HAS A BULK OF HEAVY TRASH IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES.
SO LIKE, SO IT'S NOT LIKE I CAN JUST GO DOWN THE STREET AND REPORT MY ENTIRE STREET.
LIKE PEOPLE HAVE TO REDO THEIR OWN.
SO THEN, SO THEN THAT COMES BACK TO SOMETHING CHERYL WAS TALKING ABOUT.
I HAVE A LOT OF EMPTY LOTS WITH JUST A BUNCH OF GARBAGE ON IT.
SO DO I JUST REPORT A 3 1 1? YES, YOU HAVE TO.
IF IF YOU SAY YOU HAVE A, A LOT OF EMPTY LOTS, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF EMPTY LOTS WHICH IS GARBAGE ALL OVER THEM.
AND THEY'RE NOT ANY, THEY'RE NOT REGISTERED ANYMORE.
I MEAN, I'M SURE THEY ARE, BUT THE REGISTER, I MEAN, THE OWNERS ARE NOT CALLING IT IN.
SO WHAT WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN YOU REPORT THAT, WE HAVE A TEAM THAT WOULD INVESTIGATE THAT THE OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY, 'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL IN LIKE, HEY, I HAVE MY, MY YARD IS CLEAN.
DRIVING DOWN TO MY PROPERTY VALUE.
THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH THE LOT.
IT'S ILLEGAL DUMPING GOING ON THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH THAT OWNER BECAUSE WE CAN'T GO ON THEIR LOT BECAUSE THAT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO WE HAVE TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND GOING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND GET IN CONTACT WITH THE OWNER, UM, SO THAT THEY, THEY, THEY CAN KNOW AND THEY HAVE THE SAME, JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIVE HERE, THEY GOT THE SAME RULES.
AND AFTER THAT IT'LL BE AN ENFORCEMENT ON FEES AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, OVER THE FULL-TIME PICKUP LIMIT.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, WE HAD A SITUATION WHERE, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO GET SOME PICKUP BEFORE
[00:30:01]
A MAJOR HOME TOUR EVENT IN EASTWOOD, UH, WHICH DIDN'T HAPPEN.SO RESIDENTS, UH, TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO RENT A U-HAUL TRUCK TO PICK UP AS MUCH AS THEY COULD AND TAKE IT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD DEPOSITORY.
UM, WERE WHAT THEY WERE SENT AWAY MULTIPLE TIMES, UM, SENT ACROSS TOWN TWICE AND THEN WERE CHARGED $600 IN ORDER TO DEPOSIT THE TRASH EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE RESIDENTS AND JUST DEPOSITING TRASH.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT THE RULES ARE ABOUT THAT, BUT THIS WAS JUST RESIDENTS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND TRYING TO PICK UP FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD EVENT.
UM, I I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT, BUT THAT WAS JUST A VERY, PEOPLE DON'T WANNA TAKE IT TO THE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES NOW, UM, UH, LET ME FIRST AND FOREMOST APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT HAPPENED.
UH, I WAS NOT, I, THAT'S THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF IT.
DO YOU, DO YOU KNOW WHEN THIS HAPPENED? AND WHAT I TOLD, I HAVE, THIS HAPPENED IN MIDDLE OF ALMOST THE LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER.
I HAVE SHARED THIS WITH MY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I HAVE SHARED THIS WITH NUMEROUS PEOPLE.
THEY WERE CHARGED, I THINK THEY WERE CHARGED $80 A MATTRESS.
IT WAS LIKE AN OUTRAGEOUS SITUATION.
WHO, WHO, WHO DID THEY, THEY PAY SOMEONE.
THEY PAID SOMEBODY AT OUR DEPOSITORY.
THEY WERE SENT TO MULTIPLE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES AND TURNED AWAY.
AND THEY SAID THIS IS NOT LIKE FIND THIS IS IN A CON.
YEAH, I CAN, I CAN FIND OUT THE DETAILS AND SEND IT TO YOU.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DO, MA'AM, BUT THAT WAS JUST WHAT HAPPENED.
I NEED, I NEED THAT INFORMATION.
IF, IF YOU COULD, THAT THAT ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT HAPPEN.
SO IF YOU CAN FIND ANY INFORMATION WHERE THEY WENT TO ANY, ANY INFORMATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
LINDSAY DID THAT, DID THAT ANSWER? YEP.
UM, ON YOUR CAN EXCHANGE, UH, PROGRAM.
UM, AND WAS WHEN I, ON YOUR WEBSITE, IT SAYS, I THINK TO, UH, CALL 3 1 1 AND GET A NUMBER ASSIGNED AND THEN TAKE THAT NUMBER ALONG WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME INFORMATION ABOUT ME BEING A RESIDENT TO ONE OF THE EXCHANGE CENTERS.
AND SO, UH, I HAPPEN TO MENTION TO 3 1 1 THAT I WANTED TO EXCHANGE A GREEN CAN.
AND YOU SAID WE'RE NOT DOING THAT YET.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT, DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE THAT IN THE FUTURE? YES, SIR.
WHAT HAPPENED? UM, I'M, I'M, I, I, I CAN'T WIN THE LOTTERY, BUT IT'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME, MR. MIKE, THAT I, I EVEN, I CAN'T BELIEVE, UM, THREE MONTHS AGO, UM, THEY PLACED AN ORDER, UH, FOR 4,000 GREEN CANS TO COME IN.
UH, BEAUTIFUL SOUL GAVE 37 YEARS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SHE WAS IN CHARGE OF OUR, UH, ORDERING OF PRETTY MUCH ALL OF OUR MATERIAL S WASTE.
AND SHE RETIRED AT THE END OF OCTOBER.
SO SHE SAID, DIRECTOR, I PLACED AN ORDER FOR GREEN CANS.
THE TRUCK COMES IN, MR. MIKE, BEAUTIFUL GREEN CANS LINED UP.
THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS ABOUT THE GREEN CANS, THEY DIDN'T SEND ANY COMPONENTS TO PUT THE LIDS OR THE WHEELS ON THE GREEN CANS.
OH,
THAT ORDER, WHAT I TOLD YOU IN THE, IN THE, THE, THE AT, AT THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, THAT WAS THE FIRST ORDER.
I WAS LIKE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN'T HAPPEN TWICE.
AND SURE ENOUGH, THEY DELIVERED ALL THESE CANS AND WE WERE LIKE, WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS TO PUTTING THEM TOGETHER? AND THE GUY SAID, YOU DIDN'T ORDER 'EM.
AND I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THIS SOUNDS CRAZY, I'M NOT MAKING AN EXCUSE, BUT I WAS LIKE, THE LADY WHO ORDERED 'EM JUST RETIRED.
WE COME TO FIND OUT WE WERE AT OUR THRESHOLD FOR THE, THE CONTRACT HAD EXPIRED.
AND TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, WE'RE TRYING TO GET PAST, THEY, THEY ACCIDENTALLY CHARGED US FREIGHT AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO CHARGE US FREIGHT.
SO WE'RE DISPUTING THAT THEY CHARGED US FREIGHT TO TAKE OFF THE FREIGHT AND GIVE US THOSE PIECES.
'CAUSE THAT IT, IT WOULD BE A PERFECT, IT'S THE AMOUNT THAT WE NEED TO GET THOSE PIECES.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I COULDN'T GIVE, UH, GREEN CANS OUT.
SO MR. MIKE, I CAN GET YOU A GREEN CAN NOW, BUT THAT, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
I HAVE SEVERAL CANS WITH NO NOTHING TO PUT 'EM TOGETHER WITH, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET 'EM.
'CAUSE WE JUST GOT A NEW CONTRACT PUT IN PLACE.
SO WE SHOULD BE FINE IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS WITH A TOTALLY DIFFERENT VENDOR.
I, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE READY TO DO THAT, TO UPDATE YOUR SOLID
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WASTE WEBSITE AND MAKE SURE THAT YES, SIR, PEOPLE CAN EXCHANGE BOTH TYPES OF CARTS, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.SOME OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED, BUT, UH, I WANTED TO KNOW, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE PILOT PROGRAM.
DO YOU KNOW WHICH COMMUNITY, UH, THIS PILOT PROGRAM WILL BEGIN? YES, MA'AM.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD IT.
NOBODY ELSE HAS HEARD THAT I WAS GONNA PILOT IT IN CAA IN TWO COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
BUT WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN IS, IS THAT PEOPLE FEEL LIKE, I PICKED TWO COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
I ACTUALLY HAD A LADY THAT I HAD NO ID I'VE NEVER MET IN, IN MY LIFE.
AND, UH, SHE, HER, HER, HER BLACK CAN WAS SOMEHOW NOT PICKED UP.
UM, AND SHE SAID, I DIDN'T, I, I DON'T LIKE HER BECAUSE WHERE SHE LIVES, AND I, AND I DON'T KNOW THIS LADY FOR NOTHING.
I SAID, I, I LOVE GOD AND GOD LOVES EVERYBODY.
I WAS LIKE, MA'AM, WE, WE DIDN'T MISS YOUR CAN ON PURPOSE.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I'VE HAD TO TACKLE THE RECYCLING CHALLENGES AND THE TRASH CHALLENGES HEAD ON.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE THIS CHALLENGE HEAD ON AND WE'RE GONNA GO CITYWIDE.
UM, AND THEN YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT FOUR.
YOU GUYS PICKING UP FROM ONE ADDRESS FOUR TIMES.
IS IT FOUR TIMES A MONTH? NO, MA'AM.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR COMING ON.
I APPLAUD YOUR INITIATIVE AND I, I'M HOPEFUL.
UH, I'M IN THE EAST HOUSTON
FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT ON OUR ESPLANADES ON NORTHWEST SIDE, WE HAVE DONE A DILIGENT EFFORT TO NOT HAVE PEOPLE PLACE TRASH IN THOSE ESPLANADES BECAUSE IF WE, ONE OF OUR BLACK CAPTAINS SEE SOMETHING, WE TAKE CARE OF IT SO PEOPLE WON'T GET THE NOTION IT IS TOLERABLE.
THAT SAID, WE WOULD DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO YOU IF THERE'S A UPTICK OR A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR WHEN WE SWITCH TO THIS NEW PROGRAM, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT YES, MA'AM.
WE HAVE A LOT OF EMPTY LOTS, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, AREAS WHERE I CAN FORESEE SOMEONE BEING O UH, COMPLIANT AND CALLING IN THEIR ON DEMAND TRASH PICKUP.
AND YOU GUYS COME OUT AND SOMEONE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND PUT THINGS ON TOP OF IT OR EVERYTHING.
I JUST WANNA KNOW, WHAT MECHANISM DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE TO ANTICIPATE WHEN SOMEONE IS ABUSIVE TO TRASH? BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING BEHIND STILL FOR TRASH, THAT PEOPLE PUT ON TOP OF OTHERS TRASH BECAUSE IT'S OUT THERE.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS, I KNOW A QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU MEASURE LIKE EIGHT CUBIC YARDS OF WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING? SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS, IS ALMOST, UH, THE MECHANISM IS, IS LIKE THE FIRST TIME THAT WE COME OUT, WHAT WE'VE, WE'RE WE'RE GONNA DO THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE, IS WE, WE TAKE PICTURES AND WE HAVE AN INSPECTOR TO COME OUT AND LOOK AND SEE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE ARE POLICING THE PILES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE INSPECTORS, WE ALSO HAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE GONNA HELP US WHEN THIS INITIATIVE KICKOFF TO GET US INFORMATION BACK.
AND WE'RE GONNA SIMPLY RELY ON THE RESIDENTS, UM, TO ASSIST US IN CLEANING UP OUR CITY.
I THINK EVERYBODY HAS HAD THE SAME, UM, FRUSTRATIONS.
WE ALL WANT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE CLEAN, FREE OF TRASH, FREE OF DEBRIS, AND THAT WE ARE ASKING OUR RESIDENTS TO ASSIST US IN HELPING US BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS NEW INITIATIVE THAT THE MAYOR HAS CHALLENGED US TO DO.
SO WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE INSPECTORS TO GO OUT ON OUR END, BUT IT, IT IS NO DOUBT THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED THE HELP OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY LEADERS, UH, LIKE YOU ALL TO ASSIST US WITH MONITORING AND, UM, GIVING US INPUT ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY SEEING BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONES THAT ARE LEADERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
JUST LIKE IN MY COMMUNITY, LIKE THE YOUNG LADY STATED, I KNOW A PERSON THAT FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KEEPS COMING OUT OF THEIR HOME EVERY TWO WEEKS.
[00:40:01]
I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOMETHING ALWAYS OUTSIDE.AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT WHEN THEY CALL IN AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, WE CAN HAVE THOSE DISCUSSION ABOUT, HEY, WE NOTICED THAT YOUR PILE IS PILING UP.
I THINK SOMEONE IS ADDING TRASH ON TOP OF IT.
AND SEE IF YOU CAN, UH, HELP US POLICE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA DEFINITELY NEED ALL THE HELP THAT WE CAN GET AND, AND, AND, UH, IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM.
UH, I'M JUST ASKING IF YOU CAN GET ON BOARD WITH THE COLLABORATION WE HAVE, UH, UH, ING IS A SOCIAL PROBLEM PROBLEM, AND LITERALLY YES, MA'AM.
IS, IS A GATEWAY TO ILLEGAL DUMPING.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU ALL AT SOME POINT, TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT LITTERING IS STILL ON THE BOOKS.
IT'S A 500 FINE FIRST TIME OFFENSE.
AND IF YOU ALL COULD ASK THE MAYOR TO EMPLOY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO START ENFORCING THAT, THAT IS ALREADY, BECAUSE EVEN WITH THE ESPLANADES BEING MOWED, THEY HAVE TO COME OUT A DAY BEFORE JUST TO DE LITTER THE ESPLANADES.
SO IF WE DO YOUR CAMPAIGN, A MEDIA BLAST, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME.
UNLESS YOU THINK IT'S CONFUSING THAT WE CAN JUST TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THIS BECAUSE WE DESERVE A CLEAN CITY.
IT'S A HEALTH RELATED ISSUE AS WELL.
AND WE CAN TELL PEOPLE TO STOP LITTERING.
IT HAPPENED IN THE SEVENTIES AND THE EIGHTIES AND PEOPLE WERE TICKETING IT AND THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE SHERRY, AND AFTER SHERRY WE'LL HAVE RICKY AND THEN KEITH.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, UM, FROM, UH, YES, MA'AM.
AND THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO TACKLE THIS BIG PROBLEM.
I, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, THAT PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY.
AND YOU KNOW, ME BEING A BOARD MEMBER WITH A MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
IF YOU EVER SEE A, A MATTRESS OR LIMBS AND AN ESPLANADE, PLEASE CONTACT THEM.
THEY CAN HAVE THEM PICKED UP REALLY QUICKLY IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
SO PLEASE START LOOKING TO SEE WHERE YOUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS ARE AND MAKE SURE, BECAUSE IT'S, WHILE THIS NEW PROGRAM IS TAKING EFFECT, AND WHILE THIS LOVELY GENTLEMAN IS WORKING HIS TAIL OFF TO GET US INTO A GREAT PLACE, WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE PARTNERSHIPS WORKING.
SO PLEASE CONTACT YOUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS TO HELP.
UM, BECAUSE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, INTERNATIONAL, EAST END, BRAYS OAKS, FIVE CORNERS, I MEAN, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
THERE'S 86 MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS IN THIS CITY.
FIND YOURS AND SEE IF, YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIMES THEY HAVE A LINK ON THEIR WEBPAGE, YOU KNOW, TO PICK UP.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU PIN THE LOCATION THAT THERE'S A MATTRESS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ESPLANADE, THEY CAN GO OUT THERE THAT SAME DAY AND PICK IT UP.
SO JUST EMPOWER YOURSELF, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF HELP AS THESE NEW TRANSITIONS ARE TAKING PLACE.
I'M JUST BEGGING YOU BECAUSE IF IT STAYS OUT THERE, PEOPLE ARE GONNA KEEP DUMPING ON TOP OF IT OVER AND OVER.
SO IT'S A MASSIVE MESS AND THEN IT NEVER GETS PICKED UP.
SO I, I APPLAUD THE GREAT WORK THAT'S GOING ON, UM, WITH, WITH THE CITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO DO, TO WORK ON THIS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO EMPOWER OURSELVES AND GET OUT THERE AND KNOW WHAT WE, WHAT OUR CAPABILITIES ARE AND WHAT WE CAN USE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY PSA FOR NOW.
UH, WHEN YOU SAID FOUR TIMES, IS THAT LIKE FOUR TOTAL FOR THE YEAR? SO, OR IS IT LIKE FOUR TRASH AND FOUR YARD WASTE? UH, NO, FOUR, FOUR TIMES A YEAR.
UH, IS THAT THE DISCRETION OF THE RESIDENT? HOW THEY WANT TO USE IT? OKAY.
AND SO CAN YOU HAVE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME, JUST HAVE IT AT DIFFERENT, UH, LIKE JUST DIFFERENT PILES? JUST SAY YOU HAVE BOTH OR IS IT YOU CAN ONLY DO ONE.
WE, WE PREFER IF YOU COULD DO ONE, UM, AT LEAST TRY TO SPACE IT OUT AT LEAST, UH, A TWO WEEK TIMEFRAME.
AGAIN, I WISH I HAD THE AMOUNT OF CREWS THAT I COULD DO THAT, BUT I ONLY HAVE 20 CREWS FOR THE ENTIRE CITY AND I DON'T WANNA OVERLOAD THE SYSTEM.
I, SO YEAH, SO WE WOULD LIKE JUST, IT, IT, IT, ONE, IT SEEMS LIKE, YES SIR, IT MAY BE BEST TO HAVE LIKE NEIGHBORS KIND OF LIKE GET A, LIKE A, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU GET YOUR NEIGHBORS AND SAY, GUESS WHAT, ANYBODY GOT SOME HEAVY TRASH, I WANT TO MAKE AN ORDER, OR, YOU KNOW, PUT UP A REQUEST AND EVERYONE JUST PUTS THEIR TRASH OUT OF THAT ONE ADDRESS.
THAT WOULD PROBABLY EIGHT CUBIC FEET THOUGH, REMEMBER? RIGHT.
I MEAN, BUT, BUT MOST PEOPLE, WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR HEAVY TRASH, WHEN WE HAVE OUR HEAVY TRASH, 'CAUSE I LIVE IN A CUL-DE-SAC, WHEN WE START PUTTING OUT, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE ONE BIG PILE AND SOMEBODY, MAYBE SOMEONE HAS A DISHWASHER OR MAYBE SOMEONE HAS SOME, IT'S NOT LIKE, IT'S
[00:45:01]
NOT LIKE SOME OF THIS OTHER STUFF YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT LIKE FIVE TOILETS AND EVERY TIME IT'S ALWAYS FIVE TOILETS OR WHATEVER, IT'S NONE OF THE STUFF LIKE THAT.IT'S ALWAYS LIKE ONESIE, TWOSIE TYPE OF STUFF THAT PEOPLE JUST SO DO.
SO MR. RICKEY, ONE THING THAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE KIND OF WANT TO CAPTURE IT FROM A DATA STANDPOINT.
UM, THAT HELPS OUT WITH BUDGET, THAT HELPS OUT WITH SO MUCH.
SO IF WE, UH, IF EVERYBODY DID IT ALONE, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE BUILDING A NEW DATABASE AND PROFILING IT FOR EVERYONE THAT CALLS IN, WE CAN GET TO KNOW.
AND WE WE'RE, WE'RE CREATING HEAT MAPS ON WHO CALLS IN AT CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR TO SEE IF IT'S A PATTERN.
SO WE PREFER THAT EVERYONE CALL IN INDIVIDUALLY SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT DATA, ESPECIALLY WHILE WE KICK OFF THIS NEW, UH, PROGRAM, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING MAKES A HUNDRED PERCENT COMPLETE SENSE.
BUT FOR, FOR US TO GET IT STARTED, THIS IS THE DATA THAT I NEED TO BUILD A, A PROGRAM AND TO BUILD ON, UH, THE FUTURE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT AS WELL.
DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN THIS MEETING.
UM, THE ONE CONCERN I'VE ALWAYS HAD IS, UH, A COUPLE OF CONCERNS.
I DON'T I HAVE YET TO PUT OUT MY TRASH WITH A TAPE MEASURE.
THAT BEING SAID, UM, THE, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND A CUBIC YARDS NOW, THAT FOUR PAGE BROCHURE PAMPHLET THAT CAME OUT FROM SOLID WASTE IN THE PAST, WHAT I I, EVERY TIME ONCE I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT, I PROMOTED THE HECK OUT OF IT.
COME TO FIND OUT, MANY DEPARTMENTS DID NOT KNOW IT EXISTED.
MANY RESIDENTS DIDN'T KNOW IT EXISTED.
TRASH FAX IS WHAT IT WAS CALLED.
IF YOU KNOW, UH, SINCE YOU'RE THERE, I, I
UM, AND THE FACT IS THAT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED THAT THE CITY HAS NEVER TOLD PEOPLE THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF PUTTING OUT THEIR, THEIR FACT.
AND SO THAT EDUCATION PIECE IS VITAL NOW.
UH, I'M THE SUPER PRESIDENT FOR CASH, MY GARDEN.
SO I HAVE WITNESSED A GUY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY PUTTING OUT ILLEGAL DUMPING IN THE MEDIAN.
AND I ASKED HIM, I SAID, WHY ARE YOU PUTTING THIS THERE? THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
THEY TOLD, THEY TOLD ME TO PUT IT.
I SAID, WHO ARE THEY? THE CITY? I SAID, NO, THEY DID NOT.
UH, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA GO BACK AND FORTH WITH HIM BECAUSE I, I CARE ABOUT MY LIFE.
BUT THE FACT IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE EDUCATION PIECE IS GONNA BE CRUCIAL OF LETTING PEOPLE KNOW.
BUT THERE'S ALSO, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WHEN, AND, AND I KNOW YOU, THE CITY THING OF DON'T MAKE WORK FOR YOUR COWORKERS, BUT WHEN PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE CITY SEE POSITIVE ILLEGAL DUMPING, CAN THEY ALSO DO A 3 1 1 REQUESTS? YES, SIR.
BECAUSE WE ALL PASS THINGS ON OUR WAY TO WHATEVER.
AND I THINK THAT MORE HANDS ON DECK.
UH, ALSO LAST QUESTION, UH, WITH THE HOT TEAMS OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICTS, ARE YOU TEAMING UP WITH THOSE HOT TEAMS TO HELP YOU PICK UP SOME OF THIS HEAVY DUTY TRASH AND, UM, YES, SIR.
WHAT'S UP,
AND I ACTUALLY, IT, IT'S, IT'S A WEIRD DYNAMIC.
ONE THING, LIKE I TOLD OTHER SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22, UM, I'M SORRY IF I MISQUOTED THE NUMBER OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD I SPOKE TO.
I, I'M VERY HONEST AND TRANSPARENT.
UH, THE HOT TEAM ORDEAL AND THE WAY THAT IT'S SET UP, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
UH, THEY PAY FOR 'EM, THEY RUN 'EM OUTTA MY SERVICE CENTER, BUT WE HAVE NO JURISDICTION OVER 'EM.
SO ONE THING THAT I SAY TO 'EM, LIKE THEY SHOW UP AT OUR SERVICE CENTER BECAUSE I DID, I I, I ACTUALLY GO TO MY SERVICE CENTERS AND UM, YEAH, I'M THERE AT SIX IN THE MORNING 'CAUSE I WANNA SEE WHAT WE CAN DO, HOW WE CAN BETTER, HOW WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT.
AND IT WAS A GROUP OF GENTLEMEN SITTING AT A TABLE AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? THEY WERE LIKE, MY SUPERVISORS JUST TOLD ME, AH, THEY'RE PART OF THE HIGH TEAM.
SO YES, WE HAVE HIGH TEAMS, BUT WE DON'T GIVE THEM INSTRUCTIONS THAT THEY ARE AT OUR SERVICE CENTERS.
SO EACH HOT TEAM IS PAID THROUGH THE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUND, AND THEY GET THEIR INSTRUCTIONS FROM WHOEVER RUNS THAT PARTICULAR COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO WHATEVER THEY DO, THEY DON'T GET INSTRUCTIONS FROM ME, THEY GET INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE
[00:50:01]
COUNCIL DISTRICT.SO WE DO WORK IN AND TOGETHER.
LAST, THE LAST THING I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, I DON'T MEAN TO TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME.
I WAS ON A TASK FORCE FOR AL ROSEN FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING AND UM, THIS WAS ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND HE USED, UH, GRASSROOTS LEADERS, UH, AND SOME MINISTERS TO FORM A TASK FORCE TO HELP, UH, WITH ILLEGAL DUMPING.
AND HE PUT OUT CAMERAS AS WELL.
AND HE ALSO WENT AROUND FINDING THOSE THAT HE WAS ABLE TO CATCH.
ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT TEAMING UP WITH, UH, SOME OF THE COUNCIL COUNCIL YEAH.
UH, IT'S, IT'S ONE, ALL, ALL OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS ARE GREAT.
UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM COUNCIL DISTRICT IS VERY, VERY, VERY ACTIVE.
I SPEAK WITH THEM LIKE ON A DAILY BASIS AND ALSO OTHER COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
I MEAN, ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GREAT.
I'M JUST THINKING OF ONE THAT I HAD REAL INTERACTION WITH, WITH OVER THE LAST MONTH.
ONE THING THAT WE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING IS EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD.
WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAN UP OUR CITY.
I EVEN CAME UP WITH IDEAS LIKE THOSE CAMERAS THAT YOU PUT OUT THERE, WHAT HAPPENS IS IF THOSE ILLEGAL DUMPERS SEE A FLASHING LIGHT, ANYTHING THAT COULD SHOW THEM BEING RECORDED, THEY LEAVE.
AND I WAS TALKING TO MY TEAM ABOUT, I WAS LIKE, YO, WHAT IF WE GET SOME, SOME LIKE DUMMY FLASHING LIGHTS SOMEWHERE AND PUT UP IN AREAS, THEN WE CAN JUST MOVE THEM AROUND.
UM, SO, UM, WE CAN SCARE PEOPLE AWAY, RIGHT.
FROM THE ACTUAL, AND LIKE I SAY, AL ROSE HAD FUNDING, AL ROSE HAD FUNDING FOR CAMERAS, AND ALSO HE HAS A MONITORING SYSTEM AT HIS OFFICE THAT HE'S ABLE TO MONITOR QUITE A FEW OF THESE CAMERAS THAT HAVE BEEN MOUNTED WHEREVER.
SO OUR LAST TWO, WE HAVE HAROLD AND THEN PAULETTA.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I, I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, FOR TAKING ON THIS JOB AS IT'S CRITICAL TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON BECAUSE WE NEED OUR TRICHE TO BE CARRIED AWAY.
UH, THE FIRST QUESTION I WANNA ASK IS, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A LIMIT OF FOUR TIMES A YEAR.
I, I AM CERTAIN ALMOST THAT YOU MUST BE TALKING ABOUT LARGE TRASH LIKE COUCHES AND YES, SIR.
YOU WERE NOT TALKING ABOUT YARD TRASH.
I WAS WORRIED THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT YARD TRASH, UH, FOUR TIMES A YEAR AS WELL.
SO WHAT I WANNA CONFIRM, JUST SO EVERYBODY'S CLEAR, IS THAT YOU'RE STILL GOING TO KEEP THE, THE ONGOING SYSTEM WHERE YOU'RE PICKING UP GARBAGE EVERY WEEK AND RECYCLING EVERY OTHER WEEK.
OKAY, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SAY THAT, SO I WAS JUST WANTED TO BE SURE.
SO, UM, I IT WILL BE, YOU'LL BE ALL THE CITIZENS WILL BE VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU'LL, IF YOU CAN GET TO PICKING UP THE, THE YARD TRASH.
SO, SO ON YARD TRASH, PLEASE CLARIFY.
YOUR, YOUR PLAN FOR YARD TRASH, ARE THEY, IS THAT, DO WE HAVE TO CALL 3 1 1 FOR YARD TRASH? NO, SIR, NOT YET.
UM, WE JUST IMPLEMENTED A WORK ORDER SYSTEM WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT AND WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE KINKS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE LAST, LAST MONTH AND A HALF, IN WHICH IT IS ONLY DESIGNED FOR HEAVY TRASH ON DEMAND.
NOW, MY FUTURE PLANS ARE, LIKE I STATED EARLIER, MR. HARRELL, I WANT TO HAVE A WORK ORDER SYSTEM IN WHICH RESIDENTS CALL IN A TICKET FOR YARD WASTE.
WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS I HAVE DRIVERS RIDING MAPS IN AREAS.
'CAUSE THE PLACEMENT RATE IS SO LOW WHEN IT COMES TO YARD WASTE IN A CITY THIS SIZE, I SPEND MORE TIME RIDING THAN WE DO PICKING UP YARD WASTE.
SO I, I NEED TO KNOW, KNOW WHERE IT IS.
SO YES, YOU WOULD PUT IN A TICKET FOR YARD WASTE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO COME AND PICK IT UP.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STARTING THIS NEW PLAN, I BELIEVE MID-FEBRUARY.
DOES THAT SOUND TRUE? AND YES SIR.
THAT'S FOR HEAVY TRASH AND TREE WASTE.
SO, SO THE YARD TRASH, UH, THE YARD TRASH IS THE ONE THAT'S THE MOST MYSTERIOUS RIGHT NOW.
WE NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S COMING.
SO WE'VE GONE, HONESTLY, WE'VE GONE TO PUTTING OUR, OUR YARD TRASH IN OUR GARBAGE CAN BECAUSE THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO GET IT PICKED UP.
UH, BUT, UM, AND SO WHAT IS THE, UM, EXPECTATION FOR, UH, YARD WASTE? UH, DO WE JUST, UH, UH, PUT IT ON THE CURB
[00:55:01]
OR, AND, AND WAIT OR WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE ON, ON THE, THE BEST ADVICE? OH, I DON'T, YOU DID SAY YOU DIDN'T SAY WOULD BE, WE'D HAVE TO FILE A 3 1 1 FOR THE YARD TRASH.THAT, THAT HELPS ME OUT THE MOST RIGHT NOW.
IS TO CALL IN AND TELL THEM YOU HAVE 3 1 1 IF YOU HAVE YARD WASTE, BECAUSE CURRENTLY THE SYSTEM THAT THEY'RE, THAT WE ARE ON IS THE SYSTEM THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN IN PLAY, WHICH IS PROBABLY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS BEHIND.
BECAUSE WHEN I GOT THERE, THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD SUSPENDED IT BEFORE I GOT THERE.
THEY SUSPENDED YARD WASTE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
SO NOW WE'RE BACK ON IT, UH, AS OF TWO WEEKS AGO.
IN SOME AREAS WE'RE PICKING UP ON WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS, BUT THEY'RE RIDING THE MAPS.
SO I BELIEVE, I I AGREE WITH YOU, THAT WOULD WASTE A LOT OF TIME IF THEY HAD TO RIDE THE WHOLE CITY TO LOOK FOR YARD, UH, WASTE.
UH, AND IF YOU WANT US TO DO 3 1 1, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I'M THINKING, I'M JUST MAKING THIS UP, BUT IT SEEMS LI LIKE A, INSTEAD OF A PHONE CALL AND THEN WHAT I THINK YOU SAID IF YOU'D MAKE A PHONE CALL, THEY, THEY'RE GONNA CALL BACK AND CONFIRM IT, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A TEXT MIGHT, MIGHT BE SHORTER OR SIMPLER, SOMETHING SIMPLER THAN A TWO PHONE CALLS.
I'M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M PERFECTLY SUPPORTIVE OF WHATEVER YOUR SYSTEM IS.
WE WANNA MAKE IT HELP, WE WANT IT TO WORK AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE.
AND IF YOU'LL, IF YOU CAN JUST CLARIFY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT NOW, BUT AS, AS IT STARTS TO ROLL OUT, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO TAKE THE INFORMATION YOU GIVE US AND SHARE IT.
OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I'M SORRY.
FIRST OF ALL, I, I, I WANT TO THANK THE ALLIANCE FOR HAVING MR. HASIM.
I HOPE I'M NOT MISPRONOUNCING YOUR NAME HAS TO MAKE HASSAN ALL RIGHT.
TO MAKE PRESENTATION, UH, CUTTING TO THE CHASE.
UM, MY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS OST SOUTH UNION.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE SUPER BUSY.
DO YOU HAVE A STAFF OF OUTREACH PERSONNEL THAT CAN COME AND ATTEND OUR YES MA'AM.
AND HOW DOES ONE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO SECURE THAT SPEAKER? IN OTHER WORDS, IS THERE A PHONE NUMBER WE CAN CALL? YES, MA'AM.
UM, I CAN GIVE YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S ON THE CALL RIGHT NOW.
UH, IS MS. MEGAN CHE, MEGAN, UH, WOULD YOU SPELL HER LAST NAME? R-I-C-H-E-R-I-C-H-E.
SHE IS, SHE IS, UH, OUR COORDINATOR OF OUR OUTREACH GROUP.
MEGAN, ARE YOU ON THE CALL? OKAY.
SO SHE'S COORDINATOR OF THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT'S OUTREACH GROUP? YES, MA'AM.
AND HER NUMBER, SIR? UH, GIMME ONE SECOND.
LET ME, UH, LET ME REACH OUT TO A TEAM MEMBER TO GET IT.
I CAN GET IT TO YOU RIGHT BEFORE WE GET OFF A CALL.
I'M JUST WAITING FOR HER TO UPDATE ME.
I CAN GIVE YOU, UH, AN EMAIL ADDRESS.
IT'S M-E-G-A-N DOT RIH E@HOUSTONTX.GOV AT HOUSTON? HOUSTON CX? NO, HOUSTON, TX.
AND SO WE CAN SUBMIT OUR REQUEST TO HER TO HAVE A SPEAKER? YES, MA'AM.
HI, THIS IS LINA, YOU HAVE'S ASSISTANCE OFFICE.
I DO THE TELEPHONE NUMBER, WHAT IS IT? IT'S 8 3 2 8 3 2.
AND THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT FOR HAVING MR. HASSEN OUT TO SPEAK TO US.
[01:00:01]
INFORMATION, VERY GRATEFUL.OKAY, AMY, YOU'RE CLOSING US OUT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
WHILE THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT WE COULD PUT OUR YARD WASTE IN A NORMAL TRASH CAN, IF IT WAS LABELED YARD WASTE AND THEY ALL WOULD PICK IT UP, OF COURSE WE'RE NOT PICKING IT UP RIGHT NOW.
SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO PUT IT IN A NORMAL TRASH CAN, LABELED YARD WASTE COMPLIANT WITH THE CITY'S PROCEDURES? OR ARE Y'ALL SCRAPPING THAT WHOLE PROGRAM SO WE DON'T HAVE TO USE THOSE BAGS? YES, MA'AM.
I'M, I'M LOOKING AT SCRAPPING THAT WHOLE PROGRAM, MS. AMY.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE JUST TRYING, WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS FIND HOW TO DO IT EFFECTIVELY AND DO IT RIGHT.
UH, I ROLLED AROUND THE SCENE, THE GREEN BAGS THAT EVERYBODY'S USING, THE BIODEGRADABLE AND IF YOU LEAVE THEM THERE AND IT RAINS ON THEM ONE TIME AND YOU GO TO PICK 'EM UP, THEY'RE GONNA BURST EVERYWHERE.
AND I, AND I, AND I TOLD MY CREWS, WE GOT, WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO GET RAKES 'CAUSE IT'S OUR FAULT.
YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN, WHAT WE TRYING TO DO IS STAY AWAY FROM ANYTHING GOING INSIDE THOSE CANS.
UM, BUT I, I'M, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO YOU, YOU HAVE TO GET IT OFF THE GROUND.
SO I'M GOING TO SAY YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DO IT UNTIL I FIGURE IT OUT AND GO AND GIVE A, A, A, A NEW DIRECTION.
UM, SO YES, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DO IT UNTIL I FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN A BETTER WAY.
MR. HARRELL HAD A QUESTION AGAIN.
'CAUSE HE WAS TOO, I WAS JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU CREDIT.
GOOD TO ALL RIGHT GUYS, THANK Y'ALL SO VERY MUCH.
UM, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR FOR BEING HERE.
THIS HAS BEEN LONG TIME COMING, SO WE DEFINITELY NEEDED TO GIVE YOU THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS FROM OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS.
NOW WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO GO BACK AND REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ACTUALLY IN ACRE HOMES, WE HAVE OUR MEETING ON THURSDAY.
SO THIS IS PERFECT TIMING FOR ME AND I'M SURE MANY OTHER PEOPLE WILL HAVE A MEETING HERE COMING SOON AS WELL.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING RIGHT ALONG AS FAR AS VOTERS UPDATES, GUYS, AND I KNOW I LOOK, I KNOW IT WAS LAST MINUTE ADD TO THE AGENDA, BUT I'M SURE NO ONE'S COMPLAINING ABOUT ADDING THE DIRECTOR TO THE AGENDA.
UM, AND THEN, SO NOW WE HAVE VOTERS UPDATE.
THE ONLY VOTERS UPDATE THAT I AM AWARE OF IS JANUARY 21ST.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT IS GOING TO BE CD 18.
UM, AM I MISSING ANYTHING? ANY OTHER VOTING UPDATES? JANUARY 20TH IS WHEN THE EARLY VOTING STARTS, BUT I THINK THE ACTUAL DATE IS JANUARY 31ST.
I, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE 21ST THAT IT STARTED, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I COULD NOT, UM, REMEMBER WHICH DATE, JACK? YES, THERE'S GONNA BE A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR DISTRICT C.
THAT ELECTION WILL BE ON THE 4TH OF APRIL AND PROBABLY A RUNOFF AND NEAR TOWN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WILL THEN ASKING OTHER SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE DISTRICT.
WE'RE HA WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE A, UM, A CANDIDATE FORM FOR THE RUNOFF BECAUSE THERE'LL PROBABLY BE SO MANY CANDIDATES FOR THE ACTUAL ELECTION.
WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE RUNOFF WILL BE, BUT IT WILL DEFINITELY BE AFTER THE 4TH OF APRIL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, JACK.
IF NOTHING ELSE, I WILL PASS THE VIRTUAL MIC ON OVER TO OUR NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR, CHERYL.
UM, AS PRESENTED IN THE EMAIL NOTICE THAT WAS SENT OUT ON DECEMBER THE 14TH OF 2025, WHICH IS 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS MEETING TONIGHT.
WE'LL, WE'RE HOLDING ELECTIONS TONIGHT FOR CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND SECRETARY OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE AND THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE PRESENTS THE FOLLOWING SLATE, LETICIA GRANT FOR CHAIR AND AMY DAVIS, UH, AMY DEN, EXCUSE ME, AMY, AMY DEN FOR SECRETARY AS OF 6:30 PM NO ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY EMAIL.
UM, BUT THE FLOOR IS NOW OPEN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL NOMINEES.
UH, UM, HUEY, I SEE YOUR N HAND IS UP.
MY HAND IS UP ON THE PREVIOUS THING.
UH, OH, EARLY VOTING IS, IS JANUARY 21ST AS PER, AS PER THE HARRIS VOTES WEBSITE.
[01:05:01]
SO I'M TERRIBLY SORRY.I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THAT IN.
KEY, UM, WITH THE DOMINATION, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE CHERYL O'BRIEN FOR VICE CHAIR OF THE ALLIANCE FOR THIS YEAR, 26.
I JUST HAVE A POINT OF INFORMATION OF HIS, UH, THIS WILL BE AMY'S THIRD ELECTION CONSECUTIVELY.
AMY WAS ORIGINALLY CAME IN AS CHAIR AS SECRETARY TO FULFILL THE REMAINING TERM FOR A SECRETARY WHO RESIGNED AND THEN WAS ELECTED TO A TERM ON HER OWN.
AND SO THIS IS HER SECOND ELECTION AS, UM, FOR A FULL TERM AS SECRETARY.
SHE VOLUNTEERED TO FILL IN FOR THE REMAINING MONTHS LEFT ON THE PRIOR SECRETARY WHO RESIGNED.
AND, AND THAT ONE WAS AN ELECTION.
I SAID, YEAH, I I'M JUST SORRY I SAID THAT.
SO THIS IS HER THIRD, THIS IS HER THIRD ELECTION.
AND SO IF SHE SERVES OUT HER FULL TERM, THEN THAT WILL BE MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS, CORRECT? WE HAD A QUESTION.
I HEARD SOMEBODY ELSE START TO, I APOL I APOLOGIZE.
I WAS JUST CLARIFYING THAT IN MOST ORGANIZATIONS, THE, IT'S ONLY A FULL TERM THAT COUNTS.
SO SHE SERVED TWO TERMS IS WHAT YOU DESCRIBED.
ROL IT, I'M SORRY, BUT THAT, THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO THIS ORGANIZATION AND IT DOESN'T APPLY TO LIKE CITY COUNCIL, LOOK AT THE PRESIDENT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR BYLAWS AND HOW THAT WORKS.
SO THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF WEIRD THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, BUT IT SAYS NO MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS. THAT'S WHY IT WAS RAISED IN THE ISSUE.
AND IF SHE SERVES OUT HER COMPLETE TERM THIS TIME, IT WOULD BE MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS. WE, WE DID GO, GO AHEAD, SARAH.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE SAYING THAT SHE, SHE COMPLETED SOMEONE ELSE'S TERM, WHICH MEANS THAT WAS NOT A FULL TERM, AND THEN SHE HAS SERVED ONE FULL TERM ALREADY AND THIS WOULD THEN BE HER SECOND FULL TERM.
WE, WE DO NOT, WE DO NOT DISAGREE ON THE FACTS.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT THE BYLAWS SAY, WHAT THE MOU SAYS IS YOU CAN'T SERVE MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS, WHICH IF SHE SERVES OUT HER FULL TERM, THAT WOULD MEAN IT WOULD BE MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS. THAT'S, SO YOU'RE SAYING THE WORD FOOL IS MISSING.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THE THE WORD FOOL IS MISSING.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING.
BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING I'M NOT TERMS, I'M NOT SAYING THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING IT SAYS YOU CAN'T SERVE MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS AND, AND I COULD SEE SOMEBODY'S YEAH.
SERVING FOR FOUR YEARS AND SECRETARY IS A TWO YEAR TERM.
RICK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION.
GREG, DO YOU HAVE A NOMINATION FOR SECRETARY? NO, I DON'T.
I'M JUST, THIS WAS A POINT OF INFORMATION, THAT'S WHY I RAISED IT.
I GUESS CHERYL IS NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT WE ASKED SEVERAL PEOPLE AND WERE SAID THAT IT'S, UM, AMBIGUOUS AND VAGUE AND, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT WE SPOKE WITH IN THE CITY, UM, DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
I, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T, I GUESS WE COULD BRING IT UP TO THE ALLIANCE MEMBERS.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE PEOPLE, UH, NAOMI HAVE TWO HANDS.
YEAH, NAOMI, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN.
UM, WE CAN SIT HERE AND WE CAN DEBATE FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING WHAT THE BYLAWS ACTUALLY SAY, BUT LET'S BE REALISTIC.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO IS EVEN WILLING TO THINK ABOUT SERVING AS SECRETARY? A QUESTION, TIME CONSUMING JOB IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER ELSE SOMEBODY HAS GOING ON? AND IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY ELSE AND OUR OPTIONS ARE NO
[01:10:01]
SECRETARY OR AMY WHO HAS DONE FRANKLY AN OUTSTANDING JOB.UH, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT MODIFYING THE BYLAWS.
BUT DO WE REALLY WANT TO SAY, SORRY, AMY, YOU'RE EXCLUDED EVEN THOUGH IT MEANS WE WON'T HAVE A SECRETARY.
SO THAT'S MY THOUGHT ON, ON THE TOPIC.
I SERVE, UM, MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND THAT STATEMENT MEANS FULL TERMS AND THAT IS PROBABLY WHY THE CITY DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING.
UM, ANY OBJECTIONS TO IT? UM, IT IS, AND I DON'T KNOW ANY ORGANIZATION WHERE IT DOES NOT MEAN WHEN THEY USE THE WORD CONSECUTIVE, WHERE IT DOES NOT MEAN FULL TERMS. SO, CHERYL, I'LL ALLOW YOU TO CONCLUDE AND UM, THEN SOMEONE CAN MAKE A MOTION.
OH, MY HAND IS STILL UP, PLEASE.
OH, WE THOUGHT IT WAS UP FROM THE LAST TIME YOU SPOKE.
PLEASE GO AHEAD SO THAT WE CAN MOVE, I THINK.
AND LETITIA AND HAROLD, I UNDERSTAND YOU MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, BUT TRUST ME, THIS IS AN AREA I PRACTICE IN ALL THE TIME.
SO UNLESS SOMEBODY IS, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO IN THE CITY.
CHERYL ACTUALLY SAID IT WASN'T A PROBLEM.
I I'M NOT GONNA GO DIG THROUGH MY NOTES RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T HAVE ALL, NO, I HAVE MADE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, GREG, YOU CAN SEND IT, YOU CAN SEND THAT OVER IN WRITING.
UM, KATHY, KATHY, EASTER INFORMATION.
I'M JUST TRYING, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AND IF, AND IF AMY, IF SHE'S, YOU KNOW, I, I, I'LL STEP UP IF YOU NEED TO.
'CAUSE I TRIED TO STEP UP BEFORE, BUT I'M NOT TRYING TO DO THAT.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE A LEGAL OPINION THAT SAYS SHE CAN DO IT, I'M JUST RAISING A POINT OF INFORMATION ABOUT IT.
THAT'S THE RECENT CATHERINE, YOU HAVE A, YOUR HAND RAISED? YES.
CAN WE JUST, CATHERINE, MOVE FORWARD, CAN WE MOVE FORWARD AND TAKE A VOTE ON THIS? BECAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY HERE WITH THE EXCEPTION PERHAPS OF GREG FEELS THAT THIS IS A, IS A, UH, VALID AND RIGHTEOUS MOVE.
YEAH, YOU CAN SAY THAT ALL YOU WANT, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT PRACTICING LAW IN THIS AREA IS SOMEBODY FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND NEIGHBORHOODS, COULD YOU PLEASE STEP IN AND, WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T ASSIST.
CHERYL, I DON'T THINK WE NEED THAT.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION AS NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR.
I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE KATHLEEN.
YEAH, I MOVED FORWARD WITH, UM, AMY'S NOMINATION FOLLOWING KATHY EASTERLY.
AND THEN WE HAD, UM, UH, KEITH, UM, NOMINATED ME FOR VICE CHAIR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FROM THE FLOOR? FLOOR? HEARING NONE.
KATHLEEN, IS YOUR HAND STILL UP FROM PREVIOUS? NO, SORRY.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF WHAT CHERYL? THE SLATE OF THE SLATE OF THE SLATE THAT I JUST YEAH.
UM, I'M SEEING, I'M, I'M CATCHING THE, THE NUMBERS HERE.
CHERYL, ARE YOU OPPOSING? NO, I'M NOT.
AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T GET MY, I CANNOT GET MY HAND TO LOWER.
I'M UNABLE TO LOWER MY HAND EITHER.
WE, WE ARE DOWN TO THE ONE HAND THAT WE ALL ANTICIPATED, WHICH IS GREG'S
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE, TO OUR SYSTEM.
AND I VOTED FOR, THIS IS JACKIE.
Y'ALL ALL LOOK VERY PRETTY FROZEN, BUT YOU'RE, NOW I'M BACK.
UM, SO I, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
SO I, I, MY SYSTEM FROZE AS I WAS COUNTING THE YESES, BUT IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE MOTION HAS PASSED AND THE SLATE HAS BEEN SELECT HAS BEEN VOTED IN.
I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
TURNING IT BACK OVER TO ME AS THE CHAIR AGAIN.
UM, AND ACTUALLY THIS OFFICIALLY
[01:15:01]
IS MY FIRST ELECTED TERM BECAUSE PRIOR TO THIS POINT I WAS FILLING IN TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOTED.DO WE HAVE ANY OLD BUSINESS? OLD BUSINESS? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, YOU HIT THE BIG ONE WITH, UH, WITH SOLID WASTE, WHICH IT COMING UP EVERY MEETING, SO WE TOOK CARE OF THAT.
YEAH, YOU'RE WELCOME, KATHLEEN.
KATHLEEN'S BRINGING UP SOMETHING.
I HESITATE TO BRING THIS UP AT THE LAST MINUTE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THE, UM, HERMAN PARK POTENTIAL CONDEMNATION OF LAND.
AND I HOPE YOU ALL PAY ATTENTION TO THAT AND MAKE WHATEVER YOUR OPINION IS, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SUBMIT THAT OPINION.
UM, HERMAN PARK CONSERVANCY HAS A LINK ON THEIR WEBSITE TO SUBMIT COMMENTS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOUR THOUGHTS ARE AS WELL AS HARRIS HEALTH.
SO I HOPE THAT PEOPLE SPEAK UP ON THAT ISSUE.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA MAKE THIS ONE LAST CALL.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE FROM THE HOUSTON YOUNG SOCIETY? OKAY, THEN.
UM, I POSTED THE LINK IN THE CHAT.
UM, WE WERE EXPECTING TO HEAR FROM THEM TO DETERMINE WHAT THEY WERE SEEKING OUR INVOLVEMENT FOR, BUT I HAVE, UM, I EVEN SENT THEM A TEXT, SO WE DID DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
GUYS, WE ARE AT THE END OF OUR MEETING, WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF INFORMATION TO PONDER OVER, SO I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN AND TO WATCH THE TEXANS GAME.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW, HOW ARE THEY DOING? IT'S THREE ZERO PITTSBURGH, BUT TEXANS HAVE THE BALL.
IT'S STILL BEFORE EIGHT O'CLOCK.
I WILL GET AN EMAIL OUT TO YOU WITH THOSE MINUTES, SO JUST STAY TUNED FOR THOSE AND I WILL SEE YOU GUYS NEXT MONTH.
IT'S A, IT'S SUPPOSED TO, YOU DIDN'T TAKE A FORMAL VOTE? YEAH, FOR THE FORMAL VOTE ELECTIONS? YES, WE DID.
OH, I THINK THE PEOPLE ARE VOTING WITH THEIR FEET.
THEY'RE VOTING WITH THEIR FEET.
ALL ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
I'LL KNOW IF YOU OPPOSE IF YOU'RE HERE WHEN EVERYONE HAS ELSE HAS HUNG UP.