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I AM TRAVIS LEMONS.AND I'M REBECCA WILLIAMS. AND YOU ARE WATCHING CITY PULSE, HTV HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AT WORK IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
COMING UP ON THE PROGRAM, I HAVE AN UPLIFTING STORY ABOUT ILLEGAL DUMPING AND WE JOINED PARKS AND RECREATION AS VOLUNTEERS HELP CLEAN UP TRANQUILITY PARK.
BUT FIRST, SOME HEADLINES FROM HOUSTON CITY HALL.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECENTLY WEATHERED TWO ARCTIC BLASTS WITHOUT ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS. MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER ASKED DEPARTMENTS TO OPEN 12 WARMING CENTERS TO HELP PEOPLE SEEKING REFUGE FROM THE COLD WEATHER.
THE CITY ALSO PARTNERED WITH CENTER POINT ENERGY TO ENSURE THAT EVERY WARMING CENTER HAD A GENERATOR ON SITE.
SPEAKING OF EXTREME WEATHER, FIVE YEARS AFTER WINTER STORM URI, CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY APPROVED AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE MORE MONEY TO HELP HOMEOWNERS WHO NEED HELP WITH REPAIRS OR REBUILDING.
AFTER THE STORM, A LITTLE MORE THAN 33 MILLION IN FEDERAL DOLLARS WAS ALLOCATED TO THE WINTER STORM SINGLE FAMILY HOME REPAIR PROGRAM WITH SIX APPROVED VENDORS MARKET CALENDARS.
FLEET WEEK HOUSTON IS BACK ON TRACK.
MAYOR WHITMEYER AND THE US NAVY ANNOUNCED FLEET WEEK WILL TAKE PLACE FROM APRIL 15TH THROUGH THE 22ND.
YOU MIGHT RECALL IT WAS RESCHEDULED IN NOVEMBER OF 2025 BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.
THE CITY'S INAUGURAL FLEET WEEK WILL BRING MULTIPLE US NAVY VESSELS AND MORE THAN 1000 SAILORS, MARINES AND COAST GUARD MEMBERS STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS.
YOU CAN KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ON THE WEBSITE, FLEET WEEK QSEN.COM AND THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT IS INITIATING A NEW METHOD FOR COLLECTING HEAVY TRASH AT FEBRUARY'S BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEETING.
SOLID WASTE DIRECTOR LARRY HESSON, SAID INSTEAD OF SCHEDULED COLLECTION DAYS, RESIDENTS WOULD REQUEST HEAVY TRASH PICKUPS THEMSELVES BY CALLING 3 1 1.
SOLID WASTE WOULD THEN CALL OR EMAIL THE RESIDENT WITH AN APPOINTMENT FOR PICKUP.
EACH ADDRESS MAY REQUEST UP TO FOUR COLLECTIONS PER CALENDAR YEAR.
THE NEW PROCESS FOR HEAVY TRASH COLLECTION WILL START ON MARCH 2ND.
HOUSTON WILL HOST THE WORLD'S LARGEST YOUTH ROBOTICS COMMUNITY FIRST THROUGH 2034.
AND IF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WITH MAYOR WHITMEYER IS ANY INDICATION, THE ANNUAL COMPETITION AND STEM EDUCATION WILL CONTINUE TO GROW IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT IS AMAZING TO THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE 50,000 PLUS SOME OF THE SMARTEST YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE WORLD IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
EVERYONE NEEDS TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT THAT, THE DIVERSITY WHICH ALL OF OUR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS WILL FIND HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE ARE A GLOBAL ROBOTICS COMMUNITY THAT PREPARES YOUNG PEOPLE FOR CAREERS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH.
THIS IS THE EXACTLY THE TYPE OF MEGA EVENT THAT WE ENVISION GROWING HERE AND HAVING A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO HOUSTON WITH THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE GEORGE R. BROWN, IT MEANS THAT HOUSTON'S ON THE RIGHT PATH.
WE'VE BEEN DISCOVERED ACROSS THIS GREAT COUNTRY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
MAYOR WHITMEYER WELCOMES NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SECOND WARD.
THE POINT AT BAYOU BIN INCLUDES 400 APARTMENT HOMES AND HTV WAS THERE TO TAKE A TOUR AND MEET SOME FUTURE RESIDENTS.
THIS IS ABOUT A MOTHER WORKING MORE THAN ONE JOB MAKING 18, $20,000, AND HER CHILDREN ARE GONNA HAVE PROGRAMS. EDUCATIONAL HEALTHCARE.
TODAY WE ARE EXCITED BECAUSE WE ARE ANNOUNCING THE OPENING OF THE POINT OF BAYOU BEND.
STARTING NEXT WEEK, LEASING AND OCCUPANCY WILL COMMENCE HERE.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP THIS BEAUTIFUL COMPLEX THAT HOUSES 400 AFFORDABLE APARTMENT HOMES HERE IN HOUSTON.
SECOND WARD, I'M HERE TO LOOK AT MY NEW APARTMENTS THAT I PLAN ON MOVING IN
I WENT ON A TOUR LAST THURSDAY, FELL IN LOVE, AND I TOLD 'EM I'M GONNA BE ONE OF THE FIRST ONES TO MOVE IN.
THEY GAVE THIS TO ME FOR THE OPENING OF THESE APARTMENTS HERE, AND, UH, IT'S THE KEY TO IT.
IT'S LIKE A KEY FROM THEM TO ME, AND THAT'S THE KEY TO MY HEART RIGHT HERE THOUGH, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
FIRST, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I WANT TO THANK MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR HIS LEADERSHIP.
HIS EFFORTS HAVE BEEN CRITICAL IN STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE
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AT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND IN RESTORING PUBLIC TRUST.THERE WAS A HISTORIC PUBLIC HOUSING, UH, COMMUNITY HERE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT UNFORTUNATELY GOT TORN DOWN WHEN THE HIGHWAY EXPANSION CAME.
AND SO, SO SEVERAL HUNDRED FAMILIES LOST THEIR HOMES AND WERE DISPLACED FROM THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IT WAS CRITICAL UPON US AND UPON HOUSTON TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FAMILIES HAD HAD SAFE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING BACK IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY WERE DISPLACED FROM.
AND SO WE'RE EXCITED TODAY TO OPEN THIS UP AND START TO WELCOME SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES HOME.
SOMEDAY WE'RE GONNA BE JUDGED.
WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE? AND THOSE THAT ARE HELPING US MEET THE STANDARDS FOR RESIDENCE IS HERE.
YOU'RE MEETING, YOU'RE MEETING YOUR CALLING.
NOW IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER INSTALLMENT OF THE FIX-IT FILES.
TODAY WE ARE SPOTLIGHTING THE WIT MOBILE.
THE GLENWOOD FOURS COMMUNITY CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENT PJ JONES CAME TO COUNCIL TO PRESENT MAYOR WHITMEYER WITH THE KEYS TO THIS THEME VEHICLE CREATED TO HELP TACKLE ILLEGAL DUMPING.
IN HONOR OF THE MAYOR'S PASSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, MAYOR WHITMEYER CAME OUT TO SEE THIS FIRSTHAND AND SUPPORTED THE UPGRADES TO KEEP THIS COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD.
HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE FIX IT FILES.
I'M REBECCA WILLIAMS, AND I AM HERE WITH THE ONE AND ONLY PJ JONES.
IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE AREA OF FIFTH WARD, THIS NAME RINGS LOUD.
SO, MR. PJ, TELL US ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU CAME TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, WE WAS INSPIRED JUST ABOUT, UH, THE DRIVE OF WHAT HIS INITIATIVE WAS, WAS HE WAS PUSHING PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE HAD A PATROL CAR THAT WAS ACTUALLY SPONSORED TO US AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
AND SO WITH THAT PATROL CAR, IT MOBILIZES, IT GOES AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
IT SERVICES, IT LOOKS AT ILLEGAL DUMPING IT TRACKS.
ITS MORE BRINGING THAT VISIBILITY.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO EXTEND MY HEARTFELT INVITATION TO MAYOR WHITMEYER AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS TO VISIT GLENWOOD FOREST FOR OUR TOUR OF OUR COMMUNITY AND SEE FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT OF OUR PATROL CALL AFFECTIONATELY NAMED THE WHIT MOBILE.
ONCE WE LEFT COUNCIL, HE KEPT HIS WORDS WHEN WE WAS TAKING A PICTURE AND THE COMMUNITY WAS OUT THERE, HE LOOKED AT THE WIND MOBILE AND THE MAYOR SAID, I BELIEVE I LOOK BETTER THAN THAT, AND I'M BETTER THAN THAT.
WE ARE JUST SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS UPGRADE AND IT LOOKS NICE FOR A PERSON WHO DOESN'T KNOW THE VALUE OR DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF COMING TO CITY COUNCIL, TALK TO THEM ABOUT HOW VALUABLE THAT IS OR HOW VALUABLE THAT TOOL IS TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.
I ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO COME WITH A MINDSET OF TEAM, RIGHT? COME WITH A MINDSET OF CHANGE.
IF THERE WAS ANY, UM, WORDS THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO SAY DIRECTLY TO HIM, AND ESPECIALLY AS A RECIPIENT, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? FIRST OF ALL, MAYOR, THANK YOU.
NUMBER ONE, I WOULD TELL 'EM TO KEEP GOING.
WE BACK YOU, WE HAVE YOUR BACK.
WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO PROTECTING COMMUNITIES AND THE RESIDENTS HERE IN HOUSTON, WE'RE ALWAYS FOR THEM.
ANOTHER COMMUNITY, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HAS GONE IN, ANSWERED THE CALL AND FIXED IT.
IT'S REBECCA WILLIAMS HERE ON THE FIT TWO FILES.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, THAT WAS SUCH A GREAT ADDITION TO THE FIX IT FILES.
WATCHING THE STORY, I THINK THE ONLY THING MISSING ON THE WHIT MOBILE WAS THE SLOGAN.
WHEN CITY POST RETURNS WE TAKE TO THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN FOR THE CITY'S LARGEST SINGLE DAY SPORTING EVENT, THE CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON BACK AFTER THIS, HOUSTON'S POWER OF TOGETHER TAKES YOUR EVENT FURTHER.
MEETING IN HOUSTON IS A RICHER EXPERIENCE.
LEADING UP TO THE FIRST MLK UNITY PARADE, PARKS AND RECREATION AND VOLUNTEERS PITCHED IN AND GOT TO WORK TO BEAUTIFY TRANQUILITY PARK.
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GUYS.THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT THIS CHILLY MORNING AND HELPING US BEAUTIFY THIS PARK THIS WEEKEND.
THE MLK EVENT IS GONNA BE HERE IN TRANQUILITY PARK.
WE GOTTA GET DIRTY
THEY GIVE BACK SO MUCH IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES ALL YEAR LONG.
TODAY, WE'RE OUT HERE AND THEY'RE DOING THEIR THING.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE CLEANING, THEY'RE BEAUTIFYING, THEY'RE MULCHING, THEY'RE PLANTING, AND IT'S, IT'S JUST AN HONOR TO BE OUT HERE WITH THEM.
AND WE DON'T WANT IT SITTING ABOVE THE SOIL.
WE WANT IT SITTING JUST AT THE SAME LEVEL.
OH, I GET A SENSE OF SATISFACTION.
MAYBE I'LL DRIVE BY ONE DAY AND LOOK OVER AND SEE THE BEAUTIFUL PLANTS BLOOMING.
TO ME, IT'S A CHANCE TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE TIME WITH MY COWORKERS AND PEERS AND GIVE BACK TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THE WEATHER'S WARMING UP AND WE'RE OUT HERE DOING GREAT WORK.
PLUS WITH THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT 359, I BELIEVE, 58, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF AREA FOR OUR CREWS TO HANDLE BY THEMSELVES.
SO WHEN WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT WANT TO COME HELP US, UM, IT'S EXTREMELY APPRECIATED.
WHENEVER YOU PLAN 'EM, YOU WANT TO KIND OF COMPACT THE SOIL ALONG.
WHEN YOU GET PEOPLE OUT, THEY'RE REALLY EAGER TO HELP.
THEY'RE CURIOUS TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND JUST BEING OUT HERE AND IT, IT'S GREAT.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN DIFFERENT THINGS.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS THAT YOU WORK WITH OR YOU KNOW, ANYTHING.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE HELPING WITH A LOT.
HELP GET SOME OF THOSE ROOTS KIND OF POKING OUT.
WE'D JUST LIKE TO THANK ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND ALL THE STAFF FROM CAREER AND RECOVERY WHO CAME OUT TODAY.
IT'S BEEN AMAZING TO SEE THE BEAUTIFICATION OF FITY PARK.
WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE EVERYBODY OUT, COME OUT THIS UPCOMING MONDAY FOR THE PARADE AND WE JUST LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE.
FROM THE SUPER BOWL TO THE FINAL FOUR IN THE UPCOMING FIFA WORLD CUP, HOUSTON HAS A TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESSFUL MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS EVERY JANUARY, THE CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON DRAWS THOUSANDS OF ATHLETES AND SPECTATORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD.
LET'S CHECK OUT THE SITES AND THE RUNNER REACTIONS AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER.
I AM OUT HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT MY BOYFRIEND.
HE IS DOING THE HALF MARATHON.
HE'S VERY NERVOUS A BIT, BUT HE IS ALSO EXCITED TO BE DOING THIS NEW ACCOMPLISHMENT.
I ADMIRE THE HARD WORK THAT HE'S ALWAYS DOING OR TRYING NEW THINGS TO DO, SO I'M VERY IMPRESSED.
IT'S REALLY NICE TO WORK, UH, AS A TEAM WITH PEOPLE AND GET THE SUPPORT FROM, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE ELITE RUNNERS AND SUB ELITE RUNNERS.
I THINK IT'S FUN TO COME DOWN HERE IN JANUARY AND THE WEATHER'S REALLY GOOD.
PEOPLE REALLY EXCITED TO RUN AND THE COURSE IS JUST REALLY GOOD.
THEY REALLY, UM, GOT ME GOING AND JUST REALLY GOOD SUPPORT THE WHOLE WAY DOWN.
THIS IS MY 10TH ANNIVERSARY FOR NOW.
RUNNING FROM 5K TO THE HALF MARATHON TO THE FULL MARATHON.
WE GOT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
30,000 PEOPLE, AND YOU ARE LOOKING AT OVER, UH, FIVE TO SIX COUNTRIES COMING IN TO RUN THIS, UH, HOUSTON MARATHON.
I HAVEN'T RUN A BIG MARATHON IN A LONG TIME BECAUSE I WAS OUTTA SHAPE FOR QUITE A WHILE AND IT'S NOT WORTH IT.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE FIT, IT'S NICE TO HAVE ALL THE PIECES TO RUN WITH AND THE CROWD SUPPORT THE WHOLE WAY IS JUST ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THAN THE SMALL RACES.
THE COURSE SETTLE A LOT OF PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY THROUGHOUT, UM, WHICH IS ALWAYS NICE TO HEAR THE CHEERS AND, AND SEE PEOPLE CHEERING FOR, FOR LOCALS AND FRIENDS AND FAMILY ALONG THE WAY.
UM, THE CROWD CAN SUPPORT, AS YOU CAN TELL HERE IS JUST AMAZING.
YOU HAVE SOMEONE CHEERING YOU ALONG THE WHOLE TIME.
ALWAYS GOOD TO COME BACK AND SEE ALL YOU GUYS AND, UH, ALWAYS GREAT TO COME RUN THIS, UH, REALLY FAST RACE.
OKAY, REBECCA, THAT DOES IT FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF CITY PULSE.
I'M REBECCA WILLIAMS AND THANKS FOR WATCHING FOR HDV HOUSTON TELEVISION, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION.
OUR PARTNERS WITH SPECTRUM FUSION AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THIS IS TRAVIS LEMON REMINDING YOU WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER AND KINDNESS IS FREE.