* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:17] GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. TODAY MARKS AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AS WE ANNOUNCE THAT THE ABATEMENT PROCESS TO TEAR DOWN THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX IS FINALLY BEGINNING, THIS MARKS THE FIRST PHASE IN TRANSFORMING A LONG VACANT APARTMENT COMPLEX INTO SOMETHING THAT WILL DIRECTLY SERVE AND PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS. FOR TOO LONG, THIS PROPERTY HAS SAT UNUSED, CREATING SAFETY CONCERNS, ATTRACTING ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE FLOODING CHALLENGES IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT CHANGES. TODAY. THE ABATEMENT PROCESS IS EXPECTED TO LAST THREE TO SIX MONTHS, AND THE DEMOLITION WILL BEGIN AS WELL. ONCE THE DEMOLITION IS COMPLETE, THIS SITE WILL BECOME A PLACE OF PURPOSE, EXPANDED FLOODING MITIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE TO BETTER PROTECT NEARBY HOMES AND BUSINESSES AND THE FUTURE HOME OF A NEW POLICE STATION AND A NEW FIRE STATION. THESE INVESTMENTS MEAN FASTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIMES, IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY AND GREATER RESILIENCE DURING SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS. THIS PROJECT REFLECTS WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN THE CITY LISTENS TO RESIDENTS AND ACTS WITH INTENTION. IT'S ABOUT RESTORING CONFIDENCE, IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE, AND MAKING SURE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE KEEPS PACE WITH THE NEEDS OF OUR GROWING COMMUNITY. I WANT TO THANK MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR THIS PROJECT. SOMETHING CAME UP AT THE LAST MINUTE AND HE WAS UNABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT I KNOW THAT THIS PROJECT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HIM AS WELL. HE AUTHORIZED IT AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN. I CANNOT BEGIN TO SAY HOW CRUCIAL IT IS TO HAVE A MAYOR LISTEN TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND ACT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK HER 17 FOR PURCHASING THIS PROPERTY. THEY UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, AND WE CANNOT HAVE DONE THIS PROJECT WITHOUT THEIR PARTNERSHIP. I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, GWEN TILLSON, WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE. UM, FORMER DISTRICT, A COUNCIL MEMBER, BRENDA STAR WHO STARTED THIS PROJECT, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD STAKEHOLDERS WHO HELPED MOVE THIS FORWARD. TODAY IS NOT JUST ABOUT TEARING SOMETHING DOWN, IT'S ABOUT BUILDING A SAFER, STRONGER FUTURE FOR THIS AREA. AND I'M EXCITED FOR WHAT'S TO COME UP NEXT. WE HAVE STEVEN DAVID FROM, UM, MAYOR WHITMEYER OFFICE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS STEVEN DAVID. I'M MAYOR WHITMEYER, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. AND UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT TODAY IS, UH, THE COLLABORATION THAT IT TOOK TO GET HERE AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THIS IS A WIN ON MULTIPLE FRONTS. UM, ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS THAT MAYOR WHITMEYER MADE DURING, UH, THE CAMPAIGN SAYING THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER MADE ON HER CAMPAIGN WAS A COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, TO FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS, TO INCREASING STORM WATER CAPACITY IN THE COMMUNITY INTO ADDRESSING BLIGHTED PROPERTIES. SO IT WAS A SURPRISE TO US WHEN SHE TALKED TO US ABOUT A, A PROJECT THAT HAD YET TO BE APPROVED THAT, UH, ADDED POLICE AND FIRE STATION THAT ADDRESSED STORMWATER DETENTION. THAT, AND ADDRESSED A BLIGHTED PROPERTY AND IT WAS KIND OF A TURNKEY OPERATION. SO THE OBVIOUS ANSWER WAS YES. UM, IN OUR FIRST MEETING WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH FOR DECADES, WHICH IS ON BOTH THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF I 10, UH, FLOODING AND, AND CHALLENGES DURING RAIN EVENTS. AND SO PROJECTS LIKE THIS ARE IMPORTANT FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO IDENTIFIED, AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO MAYOR WHITMEYER IS THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SORT OF TEAR DOWN SILOS WITHIN AND WITHOUT OF THE CITY. UH, THE IMPORTANT THING, UH, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SAY IS THATT 17 OBVIOUSLY WAS A CLOSE PARTNER HERE, BUT ALSO WE HAVE COLLABORATION WITH HARRIS COUNTY AS WELL DURING THIS, UH, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF I 10 AND PROJECTS TO BE ANNOUNCED. SO, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO THANK EVERYBODY TO BE HERE. ON BEHALF OF MAYOR WHITMEYER, I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER STAR, AS WELL AS EVERYBODY THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO HERE SPEAK. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, STEVEN. UP NEXT WE HAVE, UM, TOUR 17 PRESIDENT ANN GIVENS. YAY. YAY ANN. YAY ANN. WELL, IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO COME IN AFTER YOUR THUNDER'S BEEN STOLEN. . SO, GOOD MORNING. I'M ANN GIVENS. I AM THE BOARD CHAIR OF TURF 17. I WANNA BEGIN WITH SAYING THANK YOU TO MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR HIS CONFIDENCE IN UMT 17 BY ALLOWING US TO, UH, UNDERTAKE THIS PROJECT. IT'S BEEN, AS WE SAID, UM, ON OUR AGENDA FOR A LONG TIME, AND WE'RE FINALLY HERE TO GET IT STARTED, I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER PECK AND HER STAFF FOR EVERYTHING THEY DO FOR DISTRICT A, ESPECIALLY THEIR HELP WITH TUR R 17. AND I ALSO WANNA THANK THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TUR R 17 FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE DUTIES OF OUR APPOINTMENT. THIS PROJECT IS EVIDENCE OF THAT COMMITMENT. THIS PROJECT DID NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. EXCUSE ME. IT'S LONG BEEN ON THE TERRA 17 RADAR. [00:05:01] AND THE BOARD'S FOCUS ON PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE IMPROVED DRAINAGE, MOBILITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES WITHIN ITS BOUNDARIES. BY READING THE COMMUNITY OF THIS DANGEROUS EXISTING STRUCTURE, THE WESTVIEW DETENTION BA BASIN WILL PROVIDE A HUNDRED ACRE FEET OF D WATER DETENTION. AND OVER A THOUSAND HOMES, WE'LL SEE A REDUCTION IN FLOOD UH, RISK. I WANNA PERSONALLY THANK MUHAMMAD ALI AND DEREK ST. JOHN, THE ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS TOTER 17. WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND COMMITMENT TO DO THINGS RIGHT, WE WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU GUYS, REALLY, SERIOUSLY. FINALLY, I'M ASKING THE COMMUNITY AND BUSINESSES IN THIS AREA FOR THEIR PATIENTS. AS I SAID, THIS PROJECT DID NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL YEARS TO FINISH, AND IT WILL BE WELL WORTH IT IN THE LONG RUN. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. NEXT WE WILL, WE WILL HEAR FROM OUR FORMER DISTRICT A COUNCIL MEMBER, BRENDA SIG. YAY. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. I REALLY APPRECIATE TODAY'S EFFORTS AND FOR EVERYONE THAT'S COMING OUT TO HEAR, THIS IS A GREAT DAY IN DISTRICT A. THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR. THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ASKING FOR. THE COMMUNITY CARES ENOUGH THAT THEY HAVE REACHED OUT TO THET 17, ASKING FOR THEM TO HELP US WITH THIS SITUATION THAT WE'VE BEEN BLIGHTED WITH THIS COM, THIS PROPERTY, HOW MANY FIRES? CHIEF OVER FIVE FIRES, AT LEAST IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, JUST POP UP FIRES. IT'S BEEN A DRAIN ON OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. IT'S BEEN A DRAIN ON OUR, OUR POLICE. THEY, THEY'VE HAD TO MAKE HOW MANY CALLS HERE, CALLS FOR SERVICE. THIS IS, THIS IS COSTING THE TAXPAYERS MONEY. SO THE INVESTMENT THAT THE TURS AND THE CITY IS MAKING TODAY IS GOING TO BE RECOVERED JUST IN THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SAFER COMMUNITY FOR OUR, FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, FOR OUR SCHOOLS. NOT TO MENTION THAT THE, THE, UH, THE LADDER TRUCKS THAT ARE BE ADDED THAT WE'VE NEEDED IN THIS AREA, IN THE MEMORIAL CITY AREA, THE BUILDINGS, THE HIGH RISES, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON HERE THAT WE NEED IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO, AGAIN, WITHOUT THE POLITICAL WILL, BECAUSE THIS WAS TABLED, I'M GOING TO BE QUITE FRANK, THIS WAS TABLED BY THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION. THIS MAYOR HAD THE POLITICAL WILL ALONG WITH THIS COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE GUMPTION, I'LL SAY, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND THE TURF 17, A GROUP OF VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS MADE A BIG DECISION TO ACQUIRE THIS PROPERTY FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND MAKE IT MAKE A CHANGE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, WEST HOUSTON, AND SPRING BRANCH. AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS, EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE BOARD CHAIR, ANNE GIVENS AND HER TEAM ON THIS TURS, ALONG WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK, ALONG WITH THIS MAYOR, NOT TO MENTION THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT DID THE ENFORCEMENT SHOUT OUT FOR RUDY AND HIS GANG. 'CAUSE I'M TELLING YOU, THAT'S THE BEST GANG WE'VE GOT AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON ENFORCEMENT ON THESE BLIGHTED APARTMENTS. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AGAIN AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. CHIEF DIAZ, CHIEF MUNOZ, THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. DID EITHER OF YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? YEAH, YEAH. I, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS A GREAT DAY. I WILL TELL YOU THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, EVERYONE BEHIND ME, MERRILL WHITMEYER AS FIRST RESPONDERS, THIS WAS ALWAYS A CONCERN FOR US. FIRE STATION RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, AS YOU SEE AROUND YOU, THESE ARE AREAS THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE ALWAYS PUT IN HARM'S WAY AS WELL AS OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. BUT WHAT STARTED OFF AS A DISCUSSION WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT SITTING WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN AT THIS DISTRICT, WHAT WAS ALWAYS SAID, YEAH, WE'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE IN A SHORT TIME, IT'S BECOMING REALITY ON BEHALF OF THE HFD FAMILY OF EVERYONE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, WE THANK YOU. 'CAUSE THIS WAS A HUGE AREA OF CONCERN. SO MUCH SO THAT EVERYBODY KNEW THE ADDRESS SAFETY WARNINGS GOING INTO THESE BUILDINGS. WHAT'S INSIDE THE RISK VERSUS THE BENEFIT. WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU. I SERIOUSLY, THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR THE VISION AS HE CAME OUT SAYING PUBLIC SAFETY. AND WE'RE GLAD THAT THIS HAPPENED TODAY. IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR US. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. WELL, EVERYTHING'S BEEN SAID SO FAR THAT, THAT I WAS GONNA SAY, BUT I JUST, IT'S JUST A BIG DEAL. THIS IS GOOD GOVERNMENT AT WORK. THIS IS HAVING THE FORESIGHT [00:10:01] TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DELIVERING TO THE COMMUNITY WHAT IT NEEDS. RIGHT. AND YOU CAN LOOK AROUND, NO ONE HAS TO DESCRIBE IT. THIS, THIS PLACE IS TERRIBLE. AND IT PUTS PEOPLE IN HARM'S WAY. OUR PARTNERS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE ARE CONSTANTLY HERE TRYING TO ASK PEOPLE NOT TO LIVE IN THESE OLD APARTMENTS CAUSING FIRE. SO IT IS, UH, A BLYTHE ON THE COMMUNITY. SO WE LOOK FORWARD, IT'LL TAKE A FEW YEARS TO BUILD IT, BUT THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN FIRE AND POLICE TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY SAFER SO IT CAN BE A, A FOCAL POINT FOR THE COMMUNITY AS IT GROWS INTO A SAFER COMMUNITY AND A MORE VIBRANT COMMUNITY. BECAUSE IT'LL BE A PLACE OF REFUGE DURING STORMS. IT'LL BE A PLACE OF SAFETY DURING ALL THE EVENTS THAT WE CAN, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE OTHER FLOODS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OTHER STORMS, IT'S ET CETERA. BUT THIS PLACE WILL BE HERE TO DELIVER SERVICES IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT THE DELAY, WITHOUT HAVING TO COME FROM CENTRAL. IT'LL BE A BIG FACILITY. THE PARTNERSHIP WILL BE, UH, READY TO WORK. AND I CAN'T THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS 'CAUSE IT IS TOUGH, TOUGH DECISIONS WERE MADE. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF TREASURE, A LOT OF INVESTMENT IN THIS THAT THE CITY WILL GO THROUGH. SO WE'RE HERE TO ONE, THANK OUR PARTNERS WITH THE MEDIA FOR SHARING THIS EXPERIENCE FOR US. 'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING SPECTACULAR AND SOMETHING MOVING FORWARD THAT WE CAN COMBINE RESOURCES AND HAVE FIRE AND POLICE IN ONE LOCATION SO THAT WE CAN BETTER SERVE THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. OH, THANK YOU, . HI, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS GWEN TILL BELL AND I'M THE CHIEF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR MAYOR WHITMEYER OFFICE. UM, THIS IS AN EXCITING DAY TO BE IN HOUSTON AND SPECIFICALLY TO BE AT THIS LOCATION. OFTENTIMES WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE THINK INDUSTRY, WE THINK ENERGY. WE THINK MANUFACTURING, WE THINK HEALTHCARE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. BUT WE CAN'T HAVE A GOOD STRONG ECONOMY IF WE DON'T HAVE GOOD, STRONG COMMUNITIES. GOOD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INTENTIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BEGINS AT THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS OUR COMMUNITIES. AND I THINK THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT COMMUNITIES COMING TOGETHER WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS IN COLLABORATION. I HAVE BEEN SERVING IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR 12 YEARS, AND IT'S, IT, IT'S NOTHING LIKE BEING PRESENT TO SEE THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN YOUR OFFICE EVERY DAY REALLY COME TO FRUITION. WE ARE GOING TO BE INVESTING MORE THAN 137 MILLION ON THIS PROJECT. AND IT TOOK THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THE FIRE POLICEMEN AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE STANDING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. AND WHEN WE PRESENTED IT TO MAYOR WHITMEYER, HE WAS ON BOARD INSTANTLY. WHEN I PRESENTED THIS TO THE BOARD CHAIR AND TO THE BOARD MEMBERS, THEY GOT ON BOARD IMMEDIATELY. THAT'S HOW GOOD COLLABORATION WORKED. AND AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK SAID, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BREAK SOMETHING DOWN OR TEAR SOMETHING DOWN IN ORDER TO RAISE THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND HIGHLIGHTING THIS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, PROJECT IN OUR COMMUNITY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM. I HAVE A QUESTION. YES. UM, IF THIS PROPERTY WAS, UH, I THINK TOUCHED ON IT FOR SO MANY YEARS, WHY DID WE DECIDE TO DO THIS NOW? YEAH, THIS WAS A PROBLEM FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. UM, AND UNTIL, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF IT, THE EXACT YEAR, UM, PEOPLE WERE LIVING HERE. AND THEN WHEN THE PROPERTY BECAME VACANT, IT BECAME MUCH EASIER TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY. UM, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ONE TO MOVE OUT OF THE COMMUNITY. IT ALSO TOOK MAYOR WHITMEYER, UM, COMING INTO OFFICE AND SAYING THAT THIS IS A PRIORITY, LET'S GET THIS DONE. ALSO, THE PROPERTY OWNER BEFORE YOU GUYS TOOK OVER, WHO WAS THAT PROPERTY OWNER AND DID IT HAVE ANY CLIENTS BEFORE THAT? UM, YES, THERE WERE CITATIONS ISSUED, UM, CONSTANTLY, UM, AT THIS PROPERTY BY BOTH HPD AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, HABITABILITY CONCERNS, UM, CRIME CONCERNS. SO LOTS OF ISSUES ON THIS COMPLEX YES. THAN DECLINED. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT TIME? THAT'S THE FIRST I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT. SO IF, IF THAT WAS THE CASE, UM, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE, WE HAVE NOT HEARD THAT. SO IF THAT OFFER WAS MADE, IT DEFINITELY WAS NOT TO MY OFFICE. YES. YOU TALK LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL ABOUT THE TIMELINE. YOU MENTIONED A THREE TO SIX MONTHS OF MORE DETAIL THAT START WHEN THIS PLACE ACTUALLY GET PLANS. UM, WHEN COULD WE MAYBE SEE THIS NEW FIRE STATION ? YEAH. SO, UM, IN THREE TO SIX MONTHS, BOTH THE ABATEMENT PROCESS AND THE DEMOLITION SHOULD, UM, BE DONE. SO THE ABATEMENT [00:15:01] IS STARTING TODAY. UM, AND WE WILL, UM, THREE TO SIX MONTHS. THIS PROPERTY WILL, UM, NO LONGER BE HERE. AND WE ARE IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW ON THE PLANS FOR THE, UM, FLOODING MITIGATION AND POLICE STATION AND FIRE STATION. SO WE DON'T HAVE THE TIMELINE ON THOSE ASPECTS JUST YET, BUT IT IS ALL IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW. AMY, SERVICE, HOW MANY TIMES YOU POPULATION, CAN WE KINDA TALK ABOUT THAT BIT DETAIL? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. UM, SO THIS PROPERTY, UM, HAD MULTIPLE FIRES STARTING, UM, THE FIRE STATION RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET ON GESNER. THEY WERE COMING OUT HERE JUST CONSTANTLY. UM, THERE WERE SOME SMALLER FIRES, BIGGER FIRES. IT TOOK A LOT OF RESOURCES TO HAVE OUR FIREFIGHTERS COMING OVER HERE ALL OF THE TIME. UM, ALSO OUR, UM, POLICE OFFICERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE NORTHWEST DIVISION FOR BEING OUT HERE. UM, CONSISTENTLY, THERE ARE MANY UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE LIVING HERE. UM, WE WORKED WITH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, WITH THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS OF MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO, UM, COMPASSIONATELY MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF THIS COMPLEX AND GET SERVICES THAT THEY NEEDED. SO IT NOT ONLY, UM, YOU KNOW, FLOODING MITIGATION OBVIOUSLY IS A HUGE COMPONENT OF THIS, BUT ALSO, UM, THE RESOURCES THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND THEIR, AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAD TO DEAL WITH EVERY DAY FOR THIS BLIGHTED, UM, COMPLEX AS WELL. I DID WANNA ASK . UM, GOOD MORNING, SIR. UH, HOW DID THESE PROPERTIES AFFECT YOUR TEAM? I KNOW THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF FIRES, ESPECIALLY BUILDINGS LIKE THIS. HOW DOES THIS BECOME A, YOU KNOW, SAFETY HISTORY? WELL, DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR ALONE, WE'VE RESPONDED TO SIX FIRES HERE, FOUR ACTUAL WORKING FIRES AS YOU CAN SEE. BUT EVERY TIME OUR MEMBERS GO INTO THESE BUILDINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, THAT PO CONSIDERING THE STRUCTURE OF HOW IT'S ALREADY DAMAGED AS IT IS, THERE'S ALWAYS THAT FEAR OF COLLAPSE, PEOPLE GOING IN THERE. SO AT THIS POINT, IT WAS A HUGE, HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IN THIS AREA, YOU KNOW, ALSO EMS RUNS. SO WHEN OUR MEMBERS THAT GO IN THERE, IT WAS VERY COMMON TO FIND THOSE NEEDLES THAT PEOPLE WERE USING THE DRUGS FOR AND EVERYTHING. SO NOT ONLY WAS IT A FIRE HAZARD, IT WAS ALSO A SAFE, A HEALTH HAZARD AS WELL THAT WOULD DEFINITELY, UH, IMPACT OUR MEMBERS, WHICH WAS A HUGE WORRY FOR ME. AND NOW IT'S A GOOD DAY TO FEEL A LITTLE BETTER. BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, BETWEEN 2019 AND 2025, WE MADE 75 RUNS HERE. THAT WITH EITHER A FIRE ALARM CALL, NOT INCLUDING THE EMS. SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE GET CONTINUOUSLY. SO THAT'S QUITE A NUMBER FOR ONE ADDRESS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FIRE MOUNT. ANYTHING ELSE? CHIEF DIAZ, MAY I ASK REAL QUESTION? SURE. I PROMISE I'LL BE QUIET. THAT'S OKAY. THAT THE, YES. UM, WE HEARD FROM THE HOP STANDPOINT, HOW MANY CALLS DO YOU RECEIVE ON THIS LOCATION AND WHAT ARE YOUR SAFETY? WHERE ARE CONCERNS YOU? WELL, THE CONCERNS IS THAT THERE'S PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING HERE THAT WE ARE NOT KEEPING UP WITH. AND ALSO MOST OF THE TIME THE POLICE GET HERE BEFORE THE FIRE, RIGHT? SO IT, IT, IT ALL WORKS TOGETHER. SO THEIR CALLS FOR SERVICE ARE GONNA BE PROBABLY MIRRORED. WE WILL GET YOU THE EXACT NUMBERS. SO I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU A, A CAPTAIN CHANEY WILL GIVE YOU THE NUMBERS FOR THE CALLS FOR SERVICE. BUT YOU CAN LOOK AROUND, I MEAN, THE PEOPLE CAN HIDE IN HERE. UH, THERE, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF LEAST ILLICIT ACTIVITY HAPPENING HERE, DRUG USAGE. AND UNFORTUNATELY OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION TENDS TO COME AND GRAVITATE TO THESE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, UM, BEING KEPT UP WITH. AND IT'S AN EASY PLACE, UH, TO HIDE, UH, TO SEEK SOME SORT OF SHELTER FROM, FROM WEATHER, ET CETERA. SO FOR US IT'S A, IT'S A CONSTANT TRYING TO IMPROVE EACH COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND THIS IS JUST A, A GREAT EXAMPLE. LIKE I SAID EARLIER, POSITIVE, GREAT GOVERNMENT DOING THE RIGHT THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY. IT'LL TAKE A LITTLE BIT, BUT GOV GOVERNMENT SOMETIMES IS SLOW. SO KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE TO GET US TO THIS POINT. AND WE'RE SO FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT THIS, UH, BECOMES A, A FOCAL POINT AND HOPEFULLY A PATTERN FOR US AS, AS THE CITY PUBLIC SAFETY MOVING FORWARD WHERE WE CAN COMBINE [00:20:01] RESOURCES. BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT RESOURCES FOR ME. IT'S ABOUT EFFICIENCY, EFFICIENCY, EFFICIENCY. HOW ARE WE DOING BETTER? AS, AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT? I KNOW THE FIRE CHIEF FEELS THE SAME WAY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DELIVERING RESOURCES WHEN YOU CALL SOMEONE SHOWS UP AND THAT THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT IS HERE AND THEN THE RIGHT NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS ARE HERE. WE'VE GOT PLANS ONCE THIS IS BUILT. UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND I HAD VISITED OUR NORTHWEST STATION AND IT'S AN OLD STATION. AND, UH, WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND HE HAD THE IDEA, WHY DON'T WE JUST COMBINE THEM? SO WE VISITED WITH THE OFFICERS THERE AND, AND, AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT NOW. IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A DUAL FUNCTION, A DUAL PURPOSE, UH, FACILITY. AND FOR ME IT'S ABOUT, UH, A, A PLACE OF SANCTUARY FOR THE COMMUNITY. NOT, NOT ONE OF OF BLIGHT LIKE THIS IS AROUND US. SO THE THREE TO SIX MONTHS IS PROBABLY TOO LONG FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE. MM-HMM . BUT THEY'RE WORKING ON IT. RIGHT. KNOW THAT GOVERNMENT IS WORKING TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY AND THE THOUSAND HOMES THAT IT'LL POTENTIALLY SAVE FROM SOME SORT OF FLOODING IS, IS A BIG DEAL. RIGHT. THE WE'RE THIS COMMUNITY SUFFERS FLOODING JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE, THE CITY. SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THANK YOU. RICKY. THE SECURITY THAT'S ON THE PROPERTY, HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN HERE? HAVE THEY HELPED? UH, AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST A DETERRENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEONE'S COMMITTED AND THEY'RE NOT HERE ALL THE TIME, I THINK THE TIER PAYS FOR THE TIER ACTUALLY PAYS FOR THE SEAL TEAM SECURITY SINCE DECEMBER. SINCE DECEMBER, RIGHT. SO IT'S JUST, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN, ONCE IT'S GONE, WE CAN, UH, FOCUS ON, ON PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY AND IT'LL NOT BE A CALL FOR SERVICE HERE WHERE WE CAN CALL ELSEWHERE. YES, MA'AM. WHAT PEOPLE BACK. THANK YOU. ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM. KNOW HOW, WHEN DID PEOPLE STOP LIVING HERE? I, I CAN LOOK AT IT. PROBABLY 10, 12 YEARS AGO, RIGHT? NO, IT HASN'T BEEN THAT LONG. THAT NOT FELL OFF? NO, IT'S ONLY BEEN LIKE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. I ACTUALLY LIVE, I LIVED JUST IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD. OKAY. I WOULD, I STARTED OUT AS A CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENT. I STARTED OUT DECADES AGO AS THE DISTRICT A APARTMENT TASK FORCE. SO I'VE GOT A HISTORY ON THIS PROPERTY. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, I'M SORRY, THE COUNCIL MEMBER, I MADE SURE I GOT PERMISSION. UM, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I, WHEN I WENT TO VOLUNTEER AT THE LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECENTLY, A LITTLE BOY WANTED TO TALK TO ME AND HE WANTED TO TELL ME THAT HE WAS ONE OF THE CHILDREN THAT CALLED IN ONE OF THE FIRES HERE. HE LIVED IN THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR. AND THEN HE WANTED TO CONFIDE IN ME TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE ON THAT, ANOTHER PROPERTY, I WON'T CALL OUT A PROPERTY, WAS FAILING. WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT SEWAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE UNDER THE GROUND, THERE'S A TO, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LIFE CYCLE OF APARTMENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY. BECAUSE [00:25:01] IF YOU REMEMBER THE HOUSING BOOM, I'M A NATIVE OF SPRING BRANCH, THE HOUSING BOOM, WE HAD A LOT OF POPUP APARTMENTS, A LOT OF UNSKILLED LABOR HELPING IN JUMPING IN AND HELPING BUILD A LOT OF THESE APARTMENTS. AND THEIR LIFECYCLE IS NOT AS LONG AS WE'D LIKE IT TO BE. AND ESPECIALLY WITH DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. SO WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN, THEY WANNA TELL YOU THAT THEY HAD TO CALL IN BECAUSE OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR PARENTS ARE, MAY NOT BE WILLING TO, THEY CALLED IT IN. THEY WERE BRAVE. I'M PROUD OF THAT LITTLE BOY THAT TOLD ME THAT HE CALLED IN THIS FIRE BECAUSE HE COULD HAVE SAVED LIVES. HE PROBABLY DID. SO THAT LITTLE BOY, I'VE TRACKED HIM DOWN. IT'S BEEN A COUPLE YEARS SINCE HE CALLED THE FIRST ONE IN AND HE'S GONE TO JUNIOR HIGH. SO I'VE ALREADY MADE CONTACT WITH THE LOCAL SCHOOL. HE WILL BE AT OUR DEMOLITION PARTY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE HERE ON THE PROPERTY. SO I'M ASKING THE MEDIA TO STICK WITH US THROUGH THIS STORY 'CAUSE IT WILL BE A STORY. PLEASE STICK WITH US. 'CAUSE I WANNA HAVE THAT LITTLE BOY HERE TO SHOW HOW BRAVE HE WAS. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THE FIREFIGHTERS KNOW THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE. AND OUR HOUSTON POLICE CHIEFS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET TO MEET HIM AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, WITH DEMOLITION, I'LL, I'LL, THIS IS GONNA BE THE CHAIR'S, UH, POSITION ON THAT. I'LL LET HER TAKE THE LEAD. AS I UM, MENTIONED, WE HAVE TWO ENGINEERS WHO ARE CONSULTANTS TOT 17. AND WHEN I SAY THEY CROSS THE T'S AND DOT THE I'S THAT'S PUTTING IT MILDLY. THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING THROUGH THIS. AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I THINK LADY OVER HERE, WE HOPE TO HAVE THIS COMPLETED. THE STATIONS BUILT DETENTION IN BY 2030. NOW THAT SEEMS LIKE A LIFETIME TO ME AT MY AGE. TRUST ME. THAT IS, COULD BE A LIFETIME, BUT IT TAKES TIME TO BUILD SOMETHING AND TO BUILD IT. RIGHT? AND THE ENGINEERS WILL GO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY, NOT PERSONALLY, BUT WE'LL PUT OUT FLYERS. WE'LL HAVE POLICE OFFICERS WORKING THE CONSTRUCTION SITE AND TAKING CARE OF THE TRAFFIC. IT'S GONNA BE CRAZY HERE WITH THE TRAFFIC, WITH THE TRUCKS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND IT WILL BE DISRUPTIVE. AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE COMMUNITY FOR PATIENCE AND TOLERANCE, BECAUSE IT IS GONNA BE A DIFFICULT PROCESS. BUT IN THE END, LOOK AROUND YOU RIGHT NOW, IT HAS TO BE BETTER. EVEN IF WE JUST CLEARED THIS TO FLAT GROUND, IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN WHAT'S HERE RIGHT NOW. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT REALLY ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN. AND WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN TUR 17, WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AT LEAST CUMBERSOME PROCESS AS POSSIBLE FOR THE COMMUNITY. COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE INVESTMENT AMOUNT ONE MORE TIME AND WHERE'S THAT MONEY COMING FROM? 37? WELL, LET'S HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE MORE THAN 137 . UM, UH, THE MONEY CAME PRIMARILY, IT CAME FROM, UM, THE TAX INCREMENT. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT A TURS IS, IT'S A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE. IN OTHER WORDS, OUR ORGANIZA OR OUR GROUP, THE TS HAS THE TAX INCREMENT AND WE UTILIZE THAT MONEY AND WE GAIN MONEY NOT FROM PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, NOT FROM PRIVATE HOMES, BUT FROM COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES AND WHATEVER. WHEN THIS TS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2019, 2019, THE TS WAS ESTABLISHED 29 19 9. 1919, EXCUSE ME. 19. YEAH. 1999. OKAY. I'M SORRY. THAT'S SO WE WERE THERE FOR THE FIGHT . YES, WE WERE, WE WERE, WE WERE WHEN IT WAS ESTABLISHED. THE TAX BASE WAS ESTABLISHED AT THAT POINT. AND NOW EVERY YEAR FROM THAT POINT, NOT, DON'T ASK ME WHAT IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LEVEL OF TAX BASE WAS. TODAY, WE GET THE ANYTHING OVER THAT AMOUNT TO SUBSIDIZE THE TURS AND OUR DEVELOPMENT, OUR PROJECTS. AND THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM. AND, UM, WE ALSO HAVE A GENTLEMAN THAT, OR A GROUP THAT WORKS WITH US TO, UH, GARNER, UM, FEDERAL FUNDS AND GRANTS. AND SO PRIMARILY THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM. AND I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS EARLIER, [00:30:01] BUT WHAT DATE DID THE CITY OFFICIALLY PURCHASE OR TAKE OVER THIS PROPERTY? WHEN DO WE TAKE OVER THIS PROPERTY MOVING APPROXIMATELY? IT WAS SOMEWHERE LATE LAST YEAR. MAYBE MARCH, APRIL ABOUT, YEAH, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE. SEPTEMBER. SEPTEMBER. THANK YOU. IT, IT WAS PURCHASED, UH, THE FINAL, I WROTE THE CHECK IN FE UH, SEPTEMBER . SO, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, FLOODING MITIGATION. UH, COULD YOU FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC ON THE FLOODING CONCERN, THAT TYPE OF FLOODING CONCERNS, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE HAVE MANY OF AREAS THAT COULD COME ACROSS FLOODING, BUT HOW MAJOR WAS IT HERE? WELL, IT WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT WE CONSIDERED DOING THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. AND, UM, AS I SAID, IT'S GONNA HOLD, THIS PARTICULAR DETENTION BASIN WILL HOLD A HUNDRED ACRE FEET OF DETENTION. NOW, WHAT IS A HUNDRED ACRE FEET OF DETENTION? HOW LONG'S A PIECE OF STRING, RIGHT? IF YOU THINK OF IT AND KNOW THE DETENTION BASIN BEHIND THE COSTCO AND LOWE'S OVER, RIGHT OVER IN SPRING BRANCH, THAT'S 44 ACRE FEET. THE WAY IT EXISTS RIGHT NOW, WE'RE EXPANDING IT TO, UH, BE WHAT, 88 FEET? 88 ACRE FEET. SO IT, IT, IT HOLDS AN AWFUL LOT. I DON'T KNOW HOW, WAIT, DERRICK, HOW MANY FOOTBALL FIELDS? ABOUT ONE FOOTBALL FIELD PER ACRE FOOT. OKAY. 100 FOOTBALL FIELDS. OKAY. SO ON A HUNDRED ACRE FEET OF DETENTION THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE HERE, WE'LL HAVE 10 FOOTBALL FIELDS, 100 FOOTBALL FIELDS UNDERGROUND. ALL OF IT WILL BE UNDERGROUND. AND, UM, THE, THE FLOODING WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT IT AFFECTED THE THOUSAND. A THOUSAND HOUSES WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO FACE THAT PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY YOU NEVER KNOW. BUT THAT'S WHAT OUR INTENTIONS ARE. AND UM, SO, AND IF YOU'VE EVER HAD YOUR HOUSE FLOODED, JUST THE IDEA THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, IS SIGNIFICANT. BUT WE ARE ALSO THE NORTH, WE'RE ALSO THE, IT ALL RUNS TOWARDS BY END. WELL, AND THAT'S TRUE. WE, WHERE WE ARE, THE WATER FLOWS SOUTH AND THEN OUT TO DETAINING IT TO THE GULF, WE ARE GONNA DETAIN THE WATER HERE. AND IT'S A PROCESS, BELIEVE ME, , IT'S A BIG, BIG PROCESS. YEAH. THE WATER WILL BE TIMED AND, AND LET OUT AND THEN IT WILL FLOW SOUTH. AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE FREEWAY HAS THEIR OWN ISSUES AS FAR AS FLOODING IS CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY TAKE ALL OF THIS WATER THAT COMES EVEN FURTHER NORTH THAN WE ARE AND PUSHES IT SOUTH. AND SO, UM, WITHOUT A WHOLE LOT OF GETTING ENGINEERS UP HERE AND HAVING THEM GIVE YOU VERY DETAILED EXPLANATION, HOLDING THE WATER HERE WILL PREVENT FLOODING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OR HELP MITIGATE THE FLOODING ON THE SOUTH SIDE. AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE A DOMINO EFFECT. UH, ONE MORE QUESTION. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX. HOW MANY BUILDINGS DOES IT HAVE OR HOW MANY APARTMENTS? I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT. LIKE, UH, THE SIZE OF THIS AREA OF DRAW WAS THAT, UH, S WAS THE SIZE OF THIS LOCATION OR THIS, WHAT WAS THE DIMENSIONS ON THIS PROPERTY? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT, UM, IT WAS, I THOUGHT IT WAS, WELL WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU. UM, BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, TO ADD, UM, THAT MUCH FLOODING MITIGATION AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY ASPECTS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR THE COMMUNITY. UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FLOODING MITIGATION, WE LOOK FOR ANY OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE. AND I KNOW THAT, UM, THE ENGINEERS HAVE, UM, LOOKED AT ALL OF THE AREAS AND FOUND THIS TO BE THE HOSPITAL SITE FOR FLOODING MITIGATION FOR THIS AREA. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST ONE QUICK YES. STILL ASK HER TO SAY THE DEMOLITION IS ABOUT 2 MILLION. UM, THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED. I THINK THAT WE ARE WE A LITTLE $2 MILLION FOR THE DEMOLITION? OKAY. YES. $2 MILLION. YES. YES. AND THE ORIGINAL CHARGES BY THE CHURCH, THE PROPERTY WAS 19 OR A LITTLE LESS THAN 19 MILLION. IT WAS 18.6, RIGHT? IS THAT CORRECT? YES. $18.6 MILLION. YES. THANK YOU AGAIN, EVERYONE FOR COMING. UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. ALSO, THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MARIANNE HUFFMAN'S OFFICE FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. WE SHARE, UM, TOUR 17 BOUNDARIES WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. SO WE APPRECIATE HER SUPPORT AS WELL. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.