* 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. [TAG Houston Region: State of Mobility 2026] [00:00:13] FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHO I AM, MY NAME IS CHRISTINA GAL AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THIS PHENOMENAL ORGANIZATION. TAG HOUSTON. I'M OVERWHELMED AT SEEING SO MANY PEOPLE, SO MANY FRIENDS, AND SO MANY, UH, MEMBERS. WERE SO EXCITED. WELCOME TO THE 2026 STATE OF MOBILITY. THE STATE OF MOBILITY IS OUR ANNUAL LUNCHEON. MANY OF YOU HAVE ATTENDED BEFORE. IT'S PHENOMENAL MOMENT. IT'S A MOMENT WHEN WE GET TO HEAR FROM THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON, HIS VISION FOR OUR CITY AND THE REGION. WE'RE HONORED TO WELCOME MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR HIS THIRD ADDRESS, AND THANK HIM SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT'S EXTRA SPECIAL 'CAUSE WE HAVE A, A, A GUEST WHO WE'RE GONNA HONOR LATER, A LONGTIME FRIEND OF TRANSPORTATION, SENATOR ROBERT NICHOLS, AND YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM SHORTLY. THANK YOU AGAIN, SENATOR. SO WE ALL KNOW THAT THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR CARRIES EXTRAORDINARY RESPONSIBILITY. WE'VE GOT SEVERAL MAYORS HERE, MAYOR COLE, MAYOR JOHNSON, MAYOR BECHTEL, FORMER MAYOR BECHTEL, A LOT OF MAYORS HERE. AND FOR MAYOR WHITMEYER AS THE HOUSTON CHIEF EXECUTIVE. THE MAYOR WHEEL'S SIGNIFICANT POWER AND INFLUENCE NOT ONLY WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS, BUT ACROSS THE FULL LANDSCAPE OF THE LOCAL, THE COUNTY, STATE, AND EVEN OUR FEDERAL. FOR TAG, THAT LEADERSHIP EXTENDS ACROSS A SEVEN COUNTY REGION AND WE'RE BOUND TOGETHER BY ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS IN THE COUNTRY. TODAY, MAYOR WHITMEYER WILL ISSUE, WILL ADDRESS ISSUES THAT DEFINE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. INFRASTRUCTURE, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, PUBLIC SAFETY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MANY, MANY THINGS. AND EACH OF THESE ISSUES IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER IS TIED TO TRANSPORTATION. BECAUSE AS I THINK ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM FEEL AND KNOW, TRANSPORTATION IS AT THE CORE OF OUR LIVES. AND IT IS DEFINITELY AT THE CORE OF TAG'S MISSION. WE NEED EVERYONE TO LISTEN TODAY CLOSELY. WHAT TO THE MAYOR'S GONNA SHARE AND SAY? AND IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE KNOWLEDGE MATTERS AND THAT'S TAG'S JOB. WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO GET EVERYONE EDUCATED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND OUR LEADERS' VISIONS AND PRIORITIES. 'CAUSE IT EQUIPS US TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AS A COALITION. ONE THAT SPEAKS AS ONE UNIFIED VOICE TO SHAPE PUBLIC OPINION, OPINION AND INFLUENCE POLICY. AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT. SO THAT WE CAN SECURE RESOURCES FOR OUR REGION. GUYS, WE KNOW THAT A UNIFIED VOICE IS, IS NOT JUST A TALKING POINT, NOT JUST NOT FOR TAG. IT ISN'T. IT'S TAG'S CONSTANT THEME AND STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO YOU AS MEMBERS, OUR SPEAKERS, AND FOR EVERY EVENT. THE CONTENT, OUR CONVERSATIONS THAT ALL OF YOU'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW WHILE I'M SPEAKING A UNITED GULF COAST REGION IS HOW WE COMPETE. IT'S, IT'S HOW WE STAND BEFORE OUR LEGISLATORS IN AUSTIN, MANY OF WHOM ARE HERE TODAY. AND IT'S HOW WE ENSURE THAT HOUSTON IN OUR SEVEN COUNTY REGION RECEIVE OUR FAIR SHARE OF FUNDING. WE'RE NOT GONNA SEED GROUND TO DALLAS OR ANYONE ELSE. WE'RE GONNA WIN AND WE'RE GONNA WIN BIG IN TRANSPORTATION. SO NOW THAT I'VE CALLED TO ARMS, A QUICK GONNA, AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE A SHORT BREAK, BUT I DO WANNA TAKE CARE OF SOME VERY IMPORTANT THANK YOUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA THANK THE TAG BOARD AND IF THEY COULD STAND VERY QUICKLY AND WAIVE, THANK YOU TO THESE PHENOMENAL INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU WHO SPEND HOURS AND HOURS WITH ME AND ALL, AND, AND WITH THE THE TEAM. I ALSO WANNA THANK THE TAG STAFF. IT'S A VERY SMALL STAFF AND I JUST WANNA HUG AND LOVE ON 'EM BECAUSE IT'S WITH EVENTS UP TO 500 AND ONLY THREE FOLKS. IT'S A LOT TO PUT ON. AND TO OUR VOLUNTEERS, I ESPECIALLY WANNA THANK OUR NEWEST MEMBER, PAIGE CHUKA, WHO'S NOW THE EVENT AND, AND, UH, OPERATIONS COORDINATOR. SO THANK THEM AND THEY'RE SO HARD AT WORK. I ALSO WANNA THANK OUR SPONSORS WHO ARE PAYING, UH, GREAT MONEY FOR US TO ENJOY OURSELVES HERE AS WELL AS HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE FOR PLATINUM AZER, HNTB AND WSB AS IN BOY AND BEAR WITH ME OF SEVERAL GOLD SPONSORS. AURORA TECHNICAL ENERGY CORRIDOR, HAGGERTY, HAR, HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING, KUO ENGINEERING, RRP, ENGINEERING AND [00:05:01] STRATEGIC PUBLIC AFFAIRS. LET'S GIVE THEM ALL A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. WE ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE MOBILITY PARTNER, MOBILITY CHAMPIONS. THERE ARE SO MANY OF YOU. AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK AT THE SLIDES. YOU WILL SEE THEIR NAME, UNFORTUNATELY THERE, I I, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME. IF I GET A CHANCE, I'LL ANNOUNCE 'EM LATER. BUT I DID WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU, OUR MOBILITY PARTNERS AND CHAMPIONS, ALL OF THE ENGINEER GROUPS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR US. AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING TAG TO CONTINUE TO GROW. AS I MENTIONED, WHILE YOU'RE EATING, IF YOU COULD TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK AT THE SLIDES. WE HAVE SEVERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. WE HAVE OUR NEXT COMING EVENTS COMING UP. IT'S GONNA BE A BUSY SUMMER FOR US AND FOR ALL OF YOU. AND WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING READY FOR THE FALL AND ROUNDING UP TO GO TO THE LEGISLATURE ON YOUR TABLE IS SOME INFORMATION FROM HGAC, OUR PARTNERS FROM THE COMMUTE SOLUTIONS TEAM. AND IT'S IN PREPARATION OF FIFA. SO MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THAT HOME WITH YOU AND I'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN A MINUTE. THERE'LL BE A TEST TEST AFTER LUNCH WITH THAT, PLEASE ENJOY YOUR MEAL. WE'LL BE BACK IN A FEW MINUTES TO FINISH THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, LUNCH TAG IS HONORED TO PARTNER WITH HJAC, ALONG WITH OUR OTHER MOBILITY COALITION MEMBERS AND WE'RE THRILLED TO BE WITH THEM. BUT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF AND WE'RE PROUD TO SUPPORT IS THE COMMUTE SOLUTIONS DIVISION AND THEIR, SPECIFICALLY THEIR FIFA PROGRAM FOR LIFTOFF CAMPAIGN. IT'S TO HELP US PREPARE FOR THE BLESSING THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO RECEIVE, WHICH IS BEING A PART IN A HOST CITY OF THE FIFA, THE FIFA, UH, COMPETITION AND GAMES. SO PLEASE, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO TAKE THE FLYERS THAT ARE ON YOUR TABLE. MANY OF YOU ARE EMPLOYERS, BUT, AND ALL OF US ARE CITIZENS. WE JUST WANNA DO OUR PART TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL READY AND MAKING GREAT DECISIONS ON TRANSPORTATION. AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE HGAC TEAM, ESPECIALLY THE CHAIRMAN, BROCK AND METRO WHO'VE ALSO BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF IT. THANK YOU. IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT, GREAT SERIES AND I'M PROUD TO SHOW HOUSTON OFF. NOW COMES, THE PART THAT'S ALWAYS TENUOUS IS TO ANNOUNCE ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND PLEASE BEAR WITH ME IF I AM. I'VE GOT MY LITTLE PHONETIC PRONUNCIATION, SO WE'LL GET IT ALL RIGHT. BUT WE'LL JUST DO THE BEST WE CAN AND, UH, EXCITED TO IT. SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND AND WE COULD ASK YOU TO HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE. FIRST, LET'S START WITH TECH STOCK COMMISSIONER STEVE ALVIS, STATE SENATOR ALVARADO, CAROL ALVARADO, OUR HONOREE STATE SENATOR ROBERT NICHOLS. STATE REPRESENTATIVE MAN DELA STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES, STATE REPRESENTATIVE PENNY MORALES SHAW STATE REPRESENTATIVE DENNIS PAUL. STATE REPRESENTATIVE MARYANNE BETIS, STATE REPRESENTATIVE ARMANDO WALLY, STATE REPRESENTATIVE LAUREN SIMMONS. AND OUR COUNTY JUDGE HAN. JUDGE TREY DHAN FROM WALLER COUNTY. AGAIN, FROM WALLER COUNTY, OR MY DEAR FRIEND, COUNTY COMMISSIONER JUSTIN BECKENDORF, ANOTHER DEAR FRIEND, COUNTY COMMISSIONER GRADY PRESTIGE FROM FORT BEND COUNTY. WOW, ALL WALLER'S HERE. I'M EXCITED. WA UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONER KENDRICK JONES. FROM WALLER COUNTY FROM FORT BEND COUNTY. ANDY MYERS, COUNTY COMMISSIONER. COUNTY COMMISSIONER JAY RIDGE FROM BRAZORIA. COMMISSIONER MICHAEL. BE BECKTEL, FORMER MAYOR. POOR COMMISSIONER ROLAND GARCIA, FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONER STEVE RADDICK. MAYOR CHARLES JOHNSON, CITY OF BAYTOWN. MAYOR KEVIN COLES, CITY OF PARA LAND HONOR, HONORABLE MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, CITY COUNCILWOMAN SALLY ALCORN, CITY, COUN CITY COUNCILMAN SALLY ALCORN, CITY OF HOUSTON CITY. COUNCILWOMAN TWILA CARDO, CITY OF HOUSTON. CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS, CITY OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER JULIAN RAMIREZ, CITY OF HOUSTON. AND AND OUR AWESOME DIRECTORS, DIRECTOR OF THE AIRPORT. JIM ESK, TXDOT ENGINEER, HEAD ENGINEER GLENN ALBRITTON. ALSO FROM TDOT, ALL THE WAY FROM DALLAS. DON FRANKS, DIRECTOR OF THE RAIL DIVISION. OUR DEAR FRIEND, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, RANDY MCKEY, CITY OF HOUSTON, MY LONGTIME FRIEND AND, UH, CITY OF, CITY OF HOUSTON, CITY ATTORNEY ARTURO MICHEL. WE'RE ALSO HONORED TO HAVE THE HONORABLE ANDREA HAN, TRUSTEE OF THE HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. ANOTHER DEAR FRIEND, ELIZABETH BROCK, CHAIRWOMAN OF METRO CITY COUN AND ALSO CITY COUNCILWOMAN. MARY NAN HUFFMAN, CITY OF HOUSTON [00:10:01] CITY. COUNCILWOMAN TARSHA JACKSON, CITY OF HOUSTON. MY DEAR FRIEND FOR THE UNION PACIFIC, UH, TOUR DAYS. ALSO EXCITED TO HAVE DR. LARA MUDO FROM THE HISPANIC CHAMBER AND ALSO EXCITED TO BE GET, HAVE A SPECIAL, ANOTHER SPECIAL GUEST FROM DOWN THE ROAD. I 10 I 10 MY HOMETOWN. VIC BOYER, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF SAMCO, WHICH IS TAG IN SAN ANTONIO. THAT'S IT FOR RIGHT NOW. LET'S GIVE HIM ALL A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. US. IF I MISSED ANYONE, WE WILL. I WILL COME BACK SHORTLY AND INTRODUCE AGAIN. THANK YOU GUYS. IF YOU CAN INDULGE ME FOR A FEW, FEW SECONDS, THIS IS THE PART THAT'S A GOOD PART. THIS IS OUR POLICY PART AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE TAG CO-CHAIR OF THE BOARD AND TAG LEGISLATIVE CHAIR DARREN WILLER TO COME TO THE MIC. HE'S GONNA SHARE A FEW MINUTES ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. SO DARREN, CAN YOU COME UP AND JOIN US? DARREN'S, DARREN'S ONE OF OUR AGGIES. THERE YOU GO, . ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. HELLO EVERYBODY AGAIN. UH, DARREN WILLER, A BOARD MEMBER AND CHAIR OF THE LEGISLATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE. AND I WANT, UH, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T COME HERE TO HEAR ME SPEAK, AND I'VE BEEN GETTING, GOT 10 MINUTES OF MATERIAL TO DO IN THREE MINUTES. SO EVERYBODY HANG ON TIGHT. UM, SO LEGISLATIVE POLLS POLICY COMMITTEE IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE, THE CORE COMMITTEES OF TAG WHERE WE REALLY GENERATE, UM, OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA EACH, EACH UM, SESSION, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT 'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU, TO OUR, AND I'LL GET YOU THROUGH TO, UH, TO OUR MEMBERS REAL QUICK, BUT REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE LISTENING TO YOU AND TAKING THOSE TO AUSTIN AND TRYING TO BRING BACK, UH, FUNDING WHERE ADVOCACY FOR FUNDING IS REALLY, UM, WHAT WE DO. AND WE WORK WITH OUR, OUR SISTER, UM, ADVOCACY GROUPS TO, TO BRING THOSE THINGS BACK AND TRY TO BRING AS MUCH, UH, TRANSPORTATION FUNDING BACK AS POSSIBLE. SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE IS OUR, IS OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, THE CO-CHAIR, TODD THURBER AND, UH, AND JIM WEBB, ALONG WITH OUR, OUR PAST CHAIR, MUSTAFA TO ME, WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY, BUT, UM, UH, JEFF COLLINS, DR. CAROL LEWIS, UH, VICTORIA, UH, TAPA GSKI, TOM ELLISON, BRAD HUMPHREY, THOSE, UH, BOARD MEMBERS. THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER MEMBERS ON THERE INCLUDING, UM, ELIZA PAUL, FORMER, UH, DISTRICT ENGINEER WHO'S HELPING TO GUIDE US IN POLICY. SO, VERY POWERFUL GROUP. WHAT OUR MISSION IS, IS REALLY COLLABORATE AND ENGAGE WITH THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL, UH, LEGISLATORS, AGENCIES AND FELLOW ADVOCACY GROUPS, UM, AND, AND FOR TRANSPORTATION LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES EACH SESSION. AND SO WE DO FOUR CORE, UH, AREAS THAT, THAT OUR TEAM CAN, CAN WORK WITH THE OTHER, UH, GROUPS ON, INCLUDING THE FUNDING REVIEW, AGENDA DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, UM, ENGAGEMENT, AND THEN TRACKING AND ADVOCACY. SO YOU SEE, YOU'VE SEEN THIS FLIPPING AROUND ON, ON THE SCREEN, UH, AS YOU'RE COMING IN, BUT THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAVE FIVE OF 'EM. AGAIN, WE TOOK FIVE TO THE LAST SESSION, BUT, BUT THESE ARE, SOME ARE THE SAME AND SOME ARE MORE EXPANDED. AND, UH, THE SUMMARY OF THESE ARE ON THE RIGHT THERE, REALLY EXISTING TRANSPORTATION FUNDING SOURCES. WE WANNA EXPAND THOSE, YOU KNOW, PROP ONE AND SEVEN. WE WANNA EXPAND, UH, RAIL CROSSING FUNDING THAT WAS, UH, SENATE BILL 1555 WAS PASSED. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT. UH, UH, AND THE DEDICATED PORTS FREIGHT CONNECTIVITY FUNDING IS SOMETHING NEW. IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT WITH PORT HOUSTON AND OTHER PORTS IN THE REGION. WE REALLY NEED TO, AND, AND, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DEDICATING FUNDING TO TRY TO CONNECT THOSE PORTS TO THE HEART OF THE REST OF THE SYSTEM, PROTECTING TOLL BONDING RESERVES. UM, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MONEY AND RESERVE TO CONTINUE TO BOND, UH, DO TOLL PROJECTS. AND NUMBER FIVE, GETTING TOLLING BACK ON THE, ON THE, UH, AS A FUNDING OPTION. I WAS TALKING TO SENATOR NICHOLS, UH, AND I WAS A YOUNG ENGINEER BACK IN THE, IN THE GREER BUILDING 2003, WORKING ON THE HOUSE BILL 35 88. AND FOLLOWING HIM AROUND THE STATE, UH, PITCHING THAT, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST, MOST INCREDIBLE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO INCREASE OUR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. WE NEED TO GET THAT BACK ON. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE GOT SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT. SO, SO OUR SESSION, WE, IN PART OF OUR COMMITTEE, WE TOOK THE, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND, AND BULLET DOWN INTO THE, UH, THE HOUSE SENATE AND, AND THE, UH, THE SHARED PRIORITIES. AND REALLY JUST LOOKING AT THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE HOW THOSE ALIGN WITH OUR, OUR CIRCLES OF WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE. AND THE, THE ORANGE ONE WITH, UH, TECH GOVERNANCE AND PROJECT DELIVERY. WE HAVE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS AND HOW WE'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH THAT. AND SO ONE OF OUR CULMINATING, UH, EVENTS NEXT YEAR THAT YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT IS THE GREEN LIGHT. HOUSTON, THAT'S OUR, OUR CONVERGE ON AUSTIN DAY. THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, I DON'T WANNA GET THE DATE WRONG, I'LL LET CHRISTINA CORRECT ME, BUT IT'S REALLY A CHANCE WHERE WE GO VISIT WITH YOU. WE DO ALL THE FRONT, FRONT END WORK NOW, AND WE GO SIT DOWN WITH YOU IN AUSTIN ON GREEN LIGHT. SO GET ENGAGED. WE NEED, YOU NEED YOUR HELP. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, SEEING YOU AT THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS. AND, [00:15:01] UH, ONE WE'RE GONNA HAVE AFTER THIS. CHRISTINA, COME ON UP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DARREN. AND TO THE ALL LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE THAT, UH, THERE'S MANY, MANY OF YOU HERE. I CAN'T RECOGNIZE EVERYONE THAT HAVE PUT HARD WORK AND IT'S JUST BEGINNING, UH, WILL BE, IT'LL BE THE SESSION BEFORE WE KNOW IT. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ORGANIZING TOGETHER. AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY, UH, COUNTERPARTS, ALL THE COALITION GROUPS, I 69, TRAN 36 A, ALL OF US WORKING HARD TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. SO NEXT ON THE PROGRAM, I'M GONNA SPEED THROUGH THIS. I'D LIKE TO INVITE, UM, OUR CO-CHAIRS, OUR BOARD CHAIRS OF TAG, WHICH WOULD BE JIM RUSS AND GREG REYES TO COME JOIN ME AS WE GET READY TO PRESENT A AWARD. YOUR HONOREE, MAYOR WHITMAR, YOU WOULD JOIN US AS WELL. HOWDY, EVERYBODY. GOTTA READJUST HERE A LITTLE BIT. UH, UH, JIM RUS, UH, UH, PROUD MEMBER OF, UH, A TAG MAYOR, UH, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH AS A, AS A LAST OF A VERY FEW OF THE NATIVE HOUSTONIANS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR FIXING THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON YOUR BUDGET. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, LEARNING MORE. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH Y'ALL HERE TODAY. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR COMING HERE. WE'RE NOT ONLY PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION GROWTH, BUT CELEBRATING OUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE REGION. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE THE RESULT OF HARD WORK, DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND STRONG PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN INDUSTRIES, NONPROFITS, AND GOVERNMENT. OUR SUCCESS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE COMMITTED PUBLIC SERVANTS, REPRESENTATIVES WHO PURSUE POLICIES THAT PRIORITIZE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OF MILLIONS OF TEXANS. AS AN INFRA, AS AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROFESSIONAL, IT IS A GREAT HONOR TO INTRODUCE ONE SUCH LEADER AS OUR HONOREE TODAY, TEXAS STATE SENATOR ROBERT NICHOLS. SENATOR NICHOLS HAS BEEN IN PUBLIC SERVICE FOR OVER 35 YEARS. IN 1985, AFTER TWO TERMS ON CITY COUNCIL, HE BECAME THE MAYOR OF HIS HOMETOWN, JACKSONVILLE, TEXAS. AS MAYOR, HE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY IN CITY GOVERNMENT. IN UNDER A DECADE, HIS COMMITMENT WOULD EARN HIM AN APPOINTMENT TO THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION BY GOVERNOR BUSH IN 1997, AND AGAIN BY GOVERNOR PERRY. IN 2003, HE SERVED AS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER FOR EIGHT YEARS, WHERE HE WOULD BUILD UP ROBUST HIGHWAY SYSTEMS, IMPLEMENT COUNTLESS TXDOT PROJECTS, AND BALANCED URBAN AND RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE STATE. SINCE 2007, SENATOR NICHOLS HAS REPRESENTED TEXAS STATE SENATE DISTRICT THREE SERVING CONSTITUENTS AND 18 COUNTIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS FROM BEAUMONT TO ATHENS. HIS NINE SESSIONS IN THE STATE SENATE HAVE BEEN MARKED WITH COUNTLESS LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES, COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS, AND ENDLESS ADVOCACY. ON BEHALF OF TEXAS BUSINESS OWNERS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROFESSIONALS, HE HAS DEMONSTRATED AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO BUILDING UP TEXAS INFRASTRUCTURE. IN THE PAST 19 YEARS, HE HAS BROUGHT FORWARD NUMEROUS PROPOSALS IN THE TEXAS SENATE THAT HAVE PRODUCED TRANSPORTATION REVENUE, DECREASED TRANSPORTATION DEBT, STREAMLINED INFRASTRUCTURE, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPROVED FUNDING MECHANISMS FOR MOBILITY PROJECTS ACROSS THE STATE. SENATOR NICHOLS IS CURRENTLY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE, TEXAS SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS SERVING ON FIVE OTHER SENATE COMMITTEES. HIS LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN DECORATED BY AN ABUNDANCE OF RECOGNITION, INCLUDING TOP LEGISLATOR FROM THE TEXAS INSIDER CHAMPION OF FREE ENTERPRISE FROM THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS, AND A TOP 10 BUSINESS BEST LEGISLATOR AT THE 85TH AND THE 88TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION BY TEXAS MONTHLY. TODAY, ON BEHALF OF THE TAG BOARD MEMBERS AND OUR MEMBERSHIP AND ALL TEXANS IMPACTED BY HIS TIRELESS EFFORTS, HIS HARD WORK, AND HIS INNATE ABILITY TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX FOR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS, WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT SENATOR NICHOLS WITH THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT [00:20:01] AWARD FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR HIS RELENTLESS ADVOCACY TOWARDS TEXAS TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY TO ACCOMMODATE THE EXPANSIVE GROWTH ACROSS THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS. WE THANK YOU SENATOR NICHOLS FOR YOUR TREASURED PARTNERSHIP IN THE TEXAS SENATE WITH TEXAS, WITH TRANSPORTATION MINDED PROFESSIONAL LIKE US. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A CONTINUED SUCCESS WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE. SENATOR NICHOLS, OH, YOU GONNA COME DOWN? COME BACK. ALRIGHT. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, IT'S A REAL HONOR TO BE HERE AGAIN, VISITING WITH ALL Y'ALL. AND CERTAINLY A GREAT HONOR TO, UH, GET RECOGNITION LIKE THIS FROM SUCH A MAJOR REGION OF THE STATE AND THE TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATES AROUND THE STATE. THE, UH, I GOT MIXED UP. I THOUGHT I WAS SPEAKING AFTER THE MAYOR, BUT I, I'VE ENJOYED WHAT I'VE DONE IN JANUARY. I WILL HAVE WORKED FOR THE STATE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, UH, FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS, PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON TRANSPORTATION. THAT'S A LONG TIME TO BE WORKING ON TRANSPORTATION. WE'LL GET IT RIGHT ONE OF THESE DAYS. , UH, THE, UH, AND I'VE ENJOYED WORKING, UH, WITH SOME OF THE OTHER SENATE MEMBERS IN PARTICULAR, UM, CAROL ALVARADO SITTING OVER THERE. WE WORKED ON A NUMBER OF THINGS TOGETHER AND SENATOR WHITMEYER, NOW MOST HONORABLE MAYOR WHITMEYER, UH, HE AND I WERE TALKING WHEN HE CAME IN EARLIER ABOUT WHEN DO WE FIRST MEET? WELL, UH, WHEN THEN GOVERNOR BUSH WAS, UH, THE GOVERNOR, HE APPOINTED ME TO THE TECH STOCK COMMISSION IN 97. AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER ALVIS IS HERE AND IT'S, IT'S A BIG RESPONSIBILITY. UM, AND UM, SO FIRST THING I HAD TO DO IS GET CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE. AND, UH, THERE'S 31 SENATORS OVER THERE, SO I HAD TO RUN ALL OVER THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND MEET 'EM ALL. AND SOME WOULD JUST SHAKE YOUR HAND. SOME REALLY WOULD SPEND A LOT OF TIME, SOME WOULD BE MORE LIKE AN INQUISITION. AND, UH, IT WAS WONDERFUL WORKING WITH SENATOR WHITMEYER, UH, I GUESS I'M GONNA HAVE TO CALL YOU MAYOR FROM NOW. UH, BUT WHEN WE, IT'S INTERESTING 'CAUSE HE GOT THE CORNER SEAT AND DESK ON THE SENATE FLOOR AND THE WHOLE TIME I'VE KNOWN HIM, HE IS ALWAYS SAT IN THAT SAME CORNER. AND SO WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, MY VERY FIRST YEAR TO PICK A DESK AND A LOCATION, 'CAUSE IT GOES BY SENIORITY, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET CATTYCORNER. I MEAN, I WAS RIGHT THERE. I COULD REACH OVER AND TOUCH HIS DESK. AND SO WE HAD SAT NEXT TOGETHER AND WORKED ON THINGS TOGETHER FOR 20 YEARS ON IN THE SENATE. UM, AND HE, I WILL TELL YOU A LITTLE ATTENTION DEFICIT SOMETIMES YOU SIT IN A MEETING VERY LONG AND HE'S GONNA START WIGGLING AND THEN HE'S GONNA STAND UP AND HE'S GONNA MOVE AROUND. THEN HE IS GONNA START TALKING, EVEN IF IT'S TALKING TO HIMSELF AND I CAN HEAR EVERYTHING HE SAYS. AND SO THERE WERE NO SECRETS IN THE SENATE IF YOU WERE SITTING CLOSE TO, UH, SENATOR WHITMEYER. BUT, UH, SO IT'S BEEN A LOT OF FUN. AND, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THE OTHER THING I LEARNED IN MY VERY LAST NIGHT ON THE SENATE FLOOR, UH, TALKING, AND THEY WANT YOU TO SAY A FEW COMMENTS. THE THING I WAS TRYING TO REMIND AND POINT OUT TO THE NEW MEMBERS IN THE TEXAS SENATE WAS THAT NOBODY GETS ANYTHING OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE DONE BY THEMSELF. IF YOU THINK THIS IS GONNA BE YOUR BABY, YOU ARE LOST ON DAY ONE. AND I, I LEARNED THAT A LONG TIME AGO FROM MY CITY COUNCIL DAYS. AND MAYOR, YOU'VE GOT TO BUILD A CONSENSUS. YOU'VE GOTTA EDUCATE PEOPLE, YOU'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE YOU'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND DOES IT BENEFIT EVERYBODY? IF IT DOES [00:25:01] AND THEY DISAGREE, WELL THEN THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND AND DON'T SEE WHAT YOU SEE. AND THEN AS YOU TALK TO THEM, UM, IT SHOULD ALL START WORKING OUT OR YOU MAY BE WRONG. AND THE THING THAT I NOTICED EARLY ON, WELL, LIKE ON THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME, COMMISSIONER, THERE WERE JUST THREE OF US. THE LAW WAS THAT ONE OF THOSE THREE MEMBERS HAD TO BE RURAL. NOW THE URBANS, WHEN YOU'RE LIVING A SMALL TOWN IN EAST TEXAS OR WEST TEXAS, YOU DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S EVER GONNA CALL YOU TO BE ON THE TECH STOCK COMMISSION. BUT, UH, BUSH WANTED TO APPOINT A, HIS FIRST APPOINTEE WAS FROM DALLAS. THE SECOND ONE WAS GONNA LIVE IN RIVER OAKS. AND, BUT YOU HAD TO GET CONFIRMED BY THE TEXAS SENATE, WHICH WAS DOMINATED AT THE TIME BY RURAL MORE SENIOR MEMBERS. AND THEY SAID, NO, GOVERNOR, YOU KNOW, IT, IT ALL SAYS IT HAS TO BE RURAL AND HE'S NOT RURAL. AND THEY SAID, WELL, NEXT TIME. SO THE NEXT TIME THAT'S WHEN THEY WAS GONNA APPOINT SOMEBODY FROM RIVER OAKS, JOHNNY JOHNSON, GREAT GUY. I WORKED WITH HIM. AND SO THE SENATE PUT THEIR FOOT DOWN AND SAID, NO, IT'S GOT TO BE RURAL. AND THEN, UM, LONG STORY SHORT, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. UH, I GOT THE APPOINTMENT FROM BUSH AND IT WAS A TRUE RURAL APPOINTEE. 15,000, 15,000 PEOPLE WAY OUT IN THE COUNTRY. UM, AND THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE, I DON'T CARE IF THEY'RE HERE OR NOT, WAS SO MAD ABOUT IT, THE EDITORIAL PAGE WAS THIS BIG, AND THE VERY CAPTAIN AT THE TOP IN BIG, BOLD LETTERS WAS ALL SHUCKS A RURAL COMMISSIONER. AND THEN THE ARTICLE SAID, ISN'T IT A SHAME THAT ROBERT NICHOLS FROM JACKSONVILLE, TEXAS? AND THEN IT WENT INTO ALL THAT. AND I KEPT THAT ARTICLE AND I LAMINATED THAT ARTICLE. , UH, ABOUT 10, 15 YEARS LATER, THERE WAS SOME REAL HOT TRANSPORTATION ISSUES COMING UP. AND HOUSTON CHRONICLE WITH ME TO COME DOWN THERE, UH, DOWN HERE AND, UH, TALK TO 'EM ABOUT THE ISSUE. AND I SAID, I'LL HA BE HAPPY TO, AND THEY HAD THE BIG CONFERENCE TABLE JUST FULL OF REPORTERS AND DIGNITARIES AND STUFF. AND THEY, I SAID, BEFORE ANYBODY SAYS SOMETHING, I WANNA SHOW YOU SOMETHING. I TOOK THAT LAMINATED SHEET OUT AND I SLID IT DOWN THE TABLE AND THEY LOOKED AT IT AND THEY ALL LOOKED AT EACH OTHER. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS FIXING TO DO NEXT. BUT THE SECOND THING I DID IS I ALSO HAD A COPY OF MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE LAMINATED. I SLID IT DOWN THE TABLE AND IT SAYS, ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL, HOUSTON, TEXAS. SO I WAS BORN HERE AND UH, WE LIVED OVER IN THE PASADENA AREA, UH, NEXT TO THE SHIP CHANNEL AND THE WASHBURN TUNNEL. BUT, SO I KIND OF GREW UP EARLY, EARLY PART OF MY LIFE HERE. AND I HAVE SO MANY RELATIVES DOWN HERE. WE'RE HERE ALL THE TIME. BUT THE KINDA STUFF THAT I LIKE TO WORK ON, UM, IS NONPARTISAN. TRANSPORTATION IS SO IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY. I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE THAT FARMER IN THE PANHANDLE OR RAISING COWS THERE OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING. TRANSPORTATION'S IMPORTANT. AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW PEOPLE WHO ADVOCATE FOR TRANSPORTATION LIKE YOURSELF, THAT NO MATTER WHAT KINDA IDEAS YOU MIGHT HAVE, IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD FOR EVERYBODY. IF IT'S JUST GOOD FOR ONE PART OF THE STATE OR ONE TYPE OF INDUSTRY, YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE A HARD TIME SELLING IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO, IS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SELL IT. AND WHAT I SAW EARLY ON, UH, I'M GONNA BRAG ON THE TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATES HERE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE AS WELL, THAT WHEN IN 1997 WHEN I WENT TO THE LEGISLATURE, ALL I WAS FOCUSED ON WAS WORKING WITH MEMBERS, HAD FILED BILLS THAT REALLY SCREWED UP TRANSPORTATION, TRYING TO PLEAD WITH THEM SAYING, HEY, IS THIS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, LEE? WERE YOU TRYING TO DO THIS? AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS. AND UM, I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT CREATING LEGISLATION. I WAS THINKING ABOUT JUST SOLVING THAT IMMEDIATE PROBLEM IN FRONT OF US, BUT ALSO NOTICED THAT WE WERE OUTTA MONEY. TXDOT WAS OUTTA MONEY. NOW IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET, IT SHOWED WE HAD BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY. AND IF YOU DID MAINTENANCE, WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, MOST PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT MAINTENANCE AND PRESERVATION OF THE SYSTEM. IT'S A BIG SYSTEM AND IT'S GETTING OLDER AND OLDER. AND IF WE HAVE NO BUSINESS BILLING ANYTHING NEW, IF WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE'VE GOT. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY WERE ROBBING THE, UH, MAINTENANCE BUDGET TO BILL RHODES. AND UM, I STARTED WAVING THE FLAG. 'CAUSE I LEARNED BY THE FOLLOWING YEAR 99 TO GO AND ACTUALLY TELL THE STORY [00:30:01] TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEES IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. SAME THING FOR SENATE FINANCE. AND THEY WOULD LISTEN AND, BUT THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW ALL THAT WORKS. AND THEY DON'T REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, THAT. BUT MOST OF YOU IN THIS ROOM PROBABLY ARE NOT AWARE. I KNOW THERE'S A FEW HERE 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN MY FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, STEVEN ALBRIGHT OVER THERE SOMEWHERE. UM, BUT THE, BY 2003, THE COST TO MAINTAIN AND PRESERVE THE SYSTEM, JUST THE COST OF MAINTAIN AND PRESERVE HAD EXCEEDED THE ENTIRE TECH STOCK BUDGET. SO NOT ONLY DID WE NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM, WE HAD $0 TO BUILD ANYTHING NEW. NOW THAT'S WHERE WE WERE 23 YEARS AGO AND WE'RE WAVING THAT FLAG. BUT THE PROBLEM WAS WE HAD PEOPLE FROM HOUSTON, WE HAD PEOPLE FROM DALLAS FORT WORTH, WE HAD PEOPLE FROM AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO. EVERYBODY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A FUNDING PROBLEM, BUT EVERYBODY IN STATE WAS GOING TO THE LEGISLATURE WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS, DIFFERENT IDEAS. I SAW IT, THERE'D BE A HUNDRED DIFFERENT BILLS FILED FOR, UM, FUNDING. BUT, UM, AND NEW IDEAS, BUT THEY WEREN'T WORKING TOGETHER. AND I, I KNEW THAT, UM, SOME OF YOU WORKED TOGETHER. I KNOW THE COUNTIES WORKED COLLECTIVELY IN THE URBAN COUNTY ASSOCIATION. WE HAD ASSOCIATIONS THAT WORKED, BUT THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF UNIFORMITY. AND I KNOW AS A COMMISSIONER, ONE OF THE THINGS I DID EARLY ON WAS CALL SOME OF THE LEADERS IN SOME OF THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS. SOME OF 'EM WERE BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS. SOME OF 'EM WERE LIKE A GR GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP 'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE TAG BACK IN THOSE DAYS. UH, SAME THING. DALLAS SALT AND SAN ANTONIO, BUT THE RURAL. AND I GET 'EM IN A ROOM AND I EXPLAIN TO 'EM, WE CAN'T ALL COME DOWN HERE. WE NEED MONEY DESPERATELY, BUT WE CAN'T ALL COME DOWN HERE WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS. WE NEED TO PICK ONE OR TWO THINGS, FOCUS ON THOSE. WE NEED TO REALLY GET OUR STORY DOWN SO WE'RE ALL TELLING THE SAME STORY. AND I, I'VE GOT AN ERASABLE BOARD PUT IT ON THERE. I'D LISTED ABOUT 20 OR 25 OF THE TOP ISSUES THAT WOULD HELP. AND I ASKED EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TO TAKE A A RELATABLE MAGIC MARKER AND PUT LIKE TWO HASH MARKS. I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT WERE IN THAT INITIAL MEETING. AND BY THE TIME EVERYBODY WENT UP AND PUT TWO MARKS ON A LIST OF 25, YOU COULD SEE REAL QUICK WHERE THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, COORDINATION. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON. THEN WE TOOK THAT DOWN, NARROWED IT DOWN ABOUT FIVE. I SAID, PLEASE TAKE THIS BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY. SO IF YOU CAN SUPPORT IT, UH, WE'LL MEET AGAIN IN 30 DAYS AND THEN WE'LL NARROW THAT DOWN TO TWO OR THREE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE FOCUSED ON. EVERYBODY IN THE STATE, ALL AREAS OF THE STATE, ALL THE INDUSTRIES THAT WANTED TO, AND EVERYBODY WAS PUSHING IN THE SAME WAY. AND THAT KIND OF BUILT AND GREW SUCCESS, BUILT SUCCESS. THEN WE HAD LEGISLATORS WHO WERE SAYING, HEY, THIS IS GREAT. THEY SAW IT WAS SUCCESSFUL. YOU'VE GOTTA COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS TO HELP US DO SOMETHING ELSE. AND UH, WE KIND OF WORKED FOR THAT. AND BY THE TIME WE HIT LIKE PROPOSITION ONE AND PROPOSITION SEVEN, UH, THOSE ARE SOME BIG PUSHES. IT PRETTY MUCH HAD IT REALLY REFINED DOWN. UH, TAG WAS RUNNING WIDE OPEN WITH SUCCESS STORIES. SO WERE OTHER TRANSPORTATION GROUPS IN THE STATE AND WE GOT SOME REALLY BIG THINGS DONE. SO, UH, I I, WHEN YOU'RE PATTING ME ON THE BACK, PLEASE REMEMBER TO PAT YOURSELVES ON THE BACK 'CAUSE WITHOUT GROUPS LIKE TAG IT WON'T WORK. UH, I'M NOT GONNA BE HERE. I'LL HAVE A PHONE. I'VE GOT A PHONE SO I'LL STILL ANSWER THE PHONE. BUT Y'ALL HAVE GOT TO COLLECTIVELY WORK TOWARD SOME OF THESE THINGS AND, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES. I KNOW AT SOME POINT, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT AT THE TABLE LOOKING FORWARD, WE'RE IN A NON TOLD ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE WORKED HARD BACK IN 20 2001 TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION SO THAT WE COULD, 'CAUSE THE LEGISLATURE WAS ASKING US, SHOW US HOW TO LEVERAGE OUR MONEY. WELL, WE FIGURED OUT IF YOU CAN TOLL IT INSTEAD OF GETTING, YOU CAN HAVE ONE TAX SUPPORTED FREEWAY, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE FOUR OR FIVE FREEWAYS THAT OPERATE OFF THE TOLLS? THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE IT. WE PUT CHARTS TOGETHER, RAN ALL OVER THE STATE AND THEY BELIEVED IT TOOK SIX YEARS, BUT WE FINALLY PASSED IT. AND THEN WE BUILT $45 BILLION OF TOLL PROJECTS IN THE NEXT 15 YEARS. UH, SOME AREAS OF THE STATE KIND OF WENT, UH, TOES ON STEROIDS. I THINK YOU MIGHT KNOW WHERE THAT IS. UM, SOME OF YOU MAY LIVE THERE. UH, BUT ANYWAY, [00:35:01] THEN IT GOT INTO THE POLITICS. AND SO THE LEADERSHIP SAID, LET'S KIND OF SLOW IT DOWN, BUT NOBODY CHANGED ANY LAWS. SO THOSE LAWS ARE STILL ON THE, ON THE BOOK. SO IF THEY START GETTING TO THE POINT IN THE FUTURE WHERE YOU'RE CHOKING ON FINANCES, YOU CAN BRING THAT BACK UP. WELL, WE COULD ALWAYS BUILD IT THIS WAY AND I STILL THINK IT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO IT. UH, OR WE COULD GO AFTER THE OBVIOUS PROP SEVEN, WE ONLY TOOK 35% THE VEHICLE SALES TAX AT THE TIME. I WAS TRYING TO GET 50%. UH, I GOT SOME OTHER STUFF IN INSTEAD, LIKE TWO AND A HALF BILLION A YEAR, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY GOOD. AND BUT THAT 65% STILL LAYING ON THE TABLE. SO I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU GO AFTER THAT. IT'S WHEN THE TIMING IS RIGHT, WHEN LEADERSHIP'S READY AND Y'ALL CAN ALL AGREE ON IT 'CAUSE IT LIFTS ALL SHIPS. UM, MAYBE GETTING A HOOK , THEY'VE PROBABLY GOT A SCHEDULE. I DON'T GET TO TALK TO THIS PEOPLE VERY OFTEN, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY LOVED WHAT I'M DOING AND THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR THE RECOGNITION. UM, PEOPLE SAY, WELL WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WHEN YOU RETIRE? FOLKS? I RETIRED IN 1996, SOLD ALL THE BUSINESSES I WAS THROUGH. I CAN GO FISHING, I CAN GO HUNTING. UH, INSTEAD I WORKED ON THIS STUFF FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. THAT IS WHAT I DID IN MY TRANS MY RETIREMENT. AND SO I'LL FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO WORK ON. ALRIGHT, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. I'LL GO THAT SENATOR, THANK YOU. AND, AND YOU'LL BE GOING TOO FAR AND QUICK SERVICE NOW THAT WE'RE HAVING A POLICY WORKING MEETING RIGHT AFTER THIS FROM 1 32 30 IN THE CONCOURSE B RIGHT OUTSIDE. SO SENATOR, COME FINISH SHOWING US THESE STORIES AND WE'LL HELP US SOLVE THE PROBLEMS FOR THE NEXT SESSION. BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR CO-CHAIR TO INTRODUCE OUR, OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER, I WANNA MAKE SURE I RECOGNIZE TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, CITY OF HOUSTON, AND TIFFANY THOMAS. LET, THANK YOU JOAQUIN. THANK YOU TIFFANY. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GREG REYES, OUR CO-CHAIR TO INTRODUCE OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER. I JUST TELL YOU, THEY DON'T MAKE 'EM LIKE THAT ANYMORE. SENATOR, APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH AND YOUR LEADERSHIP, WE'RE SURELY GONNA MISS YOU. I KNOW YOU'RE ONLY GONNA BE A PHONE CALL AWAY, WHICH I GET REAL EXCITED ABOUT. UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. CONGRATULATIONS, SENATOR. WELL DESERVED, UH, IT'S, IT'S BEYOND, UH, BEYOND WHAT WE COULD DO TO HONOR YOU, UH, FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE. UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR ATTENDANCE, YOUR SUPPORT. IF YOU'RE NOT A MEMBER, BECOME A MEMBER. WE WANT YOU TO BE A MEMBER OF TAG. UM, I GET THE HONOR. WE WERE JUST, WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHEN I FIRST MET THIS MAN, AND IT WAS IN 1973 AND, UH, I WAS A TEENAGER AND HE WOULD JUST GOTTEN ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE. UH, AND WE'D NEVER REALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO. I THINK I WAS WHAT? WELL, NO, WE WON'T TALK ABOUT HOW OLD I WAS AND HOW OLD YOU WERE, BUT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSE IN AGE. UM, OF COURSE OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER IS, IS, UH, UH, NONE OTHER THAN MAYOR WHITMEYER. UH, AND I WANT TO, I WANNA TAKE A PERSONAL PRIVILEGE BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S SO MUCH DEMAND ON HIS TIME AND WHAT HE DOES AND HOW HE DOES IT. AND I THINK HE'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKING PUBLIC OFFICIALS, NO OFFENSE, BUT I, HE IS ONE OF THOSE. UH, BUT I WANNA TAKE A PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT I AM SUPPORTING MY MAYOR FOR REELECTION IN THIS NEXT ELECTION. AND DON'T FORGET THAT BECAUSE IT'S A BIG CITY. HE COVERS IT. I DON'T KNOW HOW HE DOES IT, BUT HE DOES. BUT I APPRECIATE WHAT HE DOES AND HIS LEADERSHIP, UM, AND NOT JUST FOR, HE'S DONE THIS FOR 50 PLUS YEARS. NOT NOT JUST FOR THIS CITY AND FOR THIS COUNTY, BUT FOR THIS STATE AS WELL. UH, YOU KNOW, HE, HE'S OUR 63RD MAYOR. UH, HE WAS ELECTED IN 2024. AND HOPEFULLY, UH, IF WE HAVE SOME TIME, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A FEW, UM, UH, Q AND A, UH, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR, FOR, FOR Y'ALL TO, TO ASK THE MAYOR. BUT, UH, PLEASE HELP ME AND WELCOMING THE HARDEST WORKING MAYOR IN THIS COUNTRY. MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU JOB. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. PLEASE. I COULD LISTEN TO ROBERT NICHOLS ALL DAY LONG. IN FACT, I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA GET TO . [00:40:02] DAMN ROBERT. NO, ROBERT NICHOLS HAS DONE SO MUCH TO MAKE THIS GREAT CITY AND STATE THE GREATNESS THAT IT IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE THAT HAVE EVER SERVED IN THE STATE SENATE. AND ROBERT DID GET TO HEAR MOST OF MY EDITORIAL COMMENTS AS YOU, HE JUST DID. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK CHRISTINA AND MUSTAFA FOR CREATING AN ENTITY THAT IS REALLY IMPACTING THE STATE AND CERTAINLY OUR REGION. UH, THANK YOU JIM RUSH FOR THAT NICE INTRODUCTION. EARLIER I STAND BEFORE Y'ALL. VERY PROUD MAYOR. VERY PROUD MAYOR BECAUSE DAILY I SEE THAT HOUSTON IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO OVER ALL THE PROJECTS AND THE AREAS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, BUT I'VE GOT 24 DIRECTORS THAT THEY'RE THE HARDEST WORKING PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT YOU'LL EVER MEET. I CHOSE THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE PUBLIC SERVANTS, PASSIONATE, HONEST, AND ARE CAN-DO PEOPLE. I SEE IT DAILY. OBVIOUSLY I RAN TO MAKE OUR CITY A SAFER CITY. AND I COULD SPEAK DURING THE LUNCH AND QUANTIFY AND TALK ABOUT THE MORALE OF OUR POLICE AND OUR FIRE. I'VE ACTUALLY HAD SOME OF YOU COME UP AT A SCREENING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAY, MY WIFE KNEW THAT I WAS GONNA BE WITH YOU TODAY. AND SHE'S CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY. I CAN ALMOST CHECK THAT BOX. 5,400 POLICE OFFICERS. WE'VE ADDED 800 SINCE I GOT ELECTED. 5,400 THE MOST IN HOUSTON'S HISTORY. WE'VE HAD 800 NEW CADETS SINCE I WAS SWORN IN. FIREFIGHTERS, VERY SIMILAR DEMONSTRATION. 600 MORE FIREFIGHTERS. WE WERE DANGEROUSLY LOW WHEN I WAS SWORN IN. SO I WON'T BELABOR THE POINT, ALTHOUGH I'M PROUD OF OUR POLICE. CHIEF DIAZ, WHO WAS A TEXAS RANGER, MET HIM IN AUSTIN. SEE, EXPERIENCE AND RELATIONSHIPS MATTER WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING A CITY SUCH AS ROBERT NICHOLS AND I BEING CLOSE FRIENDS AND STEVE ALVIS A HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER. NOW WE'RE NONPARTISAN WHEN WE WANT TO GET THINGS DONE. SO WE'VE JUST ABOUT BEEN CONSCIENTIOUS AND I CAN SAY PUBLIC SAFETY IS ABOUT DEFINITELY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. NOW LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER INFRASTRUCTURE IS BUMPING UP A PUBLIC CONCERN IN OUR CITY. IN FACT, WHEN HOUSTONIANS ASKED ME TO LEAVE AUSTIN TO COME RUN FOR MAYOR AND FIX HOUSTON PUBLIC SAFETY, THEN STREETS AND DRAINAGE, WE HAD 1900 BROKEN WATER MAINS WATERLINES WHEN I WAS SWORN IN. IT'S DOWN TO A HUNDRED NOW. SO I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THE INFRASTRUCTURE. I GREW UP IN HOUSTON. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN YOU COULD TRAVEL DOWN THE STREETS. SO INFRASTRUCTURE IS RIGHT UP THERE NEAR THE TOP. AND I WOULD GUESS I SPEND PROBABLY MORE TIME ON THAT THAN ANYTHING. AND I WANT EVERYONE HERE TO KNOW WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY JOINED OUR EFFORTS, YOU SHOULD. AND WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND I'M GONNA DEMONSTRATE IT IN A MOMENT. BUT THANK YOU RANDY MICA, A CAN-DO PERSON, LONG HOURS OPEN DOOR POLICY. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'M SO PROUD THAT I SEE THE RESULTS OF HARD WORK, COMPETENT, HONEST PEOPLE ON A DAILY BASIS. I COULD TELL YOU ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT. GONNA DO A MAJOR ADOPTION CENTER FOR BART BECAUSE OF CONCERN ABOUT THE LOCATION. BUT LET'S GET BACK TO INFRASTRUCTURE. I KNOW WHY YOU'RE HERE TODAY. I KNOW SO MANY OF YOU, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE MAYOR. I'VE NEVER WORKED HARDER IN MY LIFE. 18 HOUR DAYS, OFTEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION TO LEAVE AUSTIN LONGEST SERVING SENATOR, [00:45:01] CHAIR OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE BACK TO PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS. BUT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, PRAYED ABOUT IT, AND YES, I'M AT THE RIGHT PLACE. I DON'T REGRET ONE DAY LEAVING AUSTIN BECAUSE I SEE WE'RE FIXING HOUSTON ON A REGULAR BASIS. THOUSAND MILES OF ROAD IMPROVEMENT THIS YEAR. THAT WAS A COMMITMENT. WE'RE AT 750 MILES. WE'LL WE'LL SURPASS A THOUSAND BY THE END OF THE YEAR. $500 MILLION SPENT ON DRAINAGE AND ROADS ALL TIME HIGH. THE LIFT STATION FOR OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT ON EAST SIDE, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS. AND THANK YOU TO THE STATE OF TEXAS. SEE, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA START PREACHING HERE IN A MINUTE. WE HAVE TO WORK WITH ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU AUSTIN. THANK YOU. OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THANK YOU TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN ON THE EAST SIDE, VERY FRAGILE. WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT IS IF YOU GET A CALL THAT YOUR MAJOR WATER SUPPLY, THE PUMPS ARE DOWN, 60% OF HOUSTON'S WATER COMES OUTTA THAT EAST SIDE WATER PLANT. ALL THE REFINERIES AND CHEMICAL PLANTS ALONG THE SHIP CHANNEL GET THEIR WATER FROM CITY OF HOUSTON. ELI LILLY'S BUILDING A HUGE MANUFACTURER ON BELTWAY EIGHT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA. I REMINDED THEIR CEO, YOU KNOW WHERE YOU GET YOUR WATER? WE CAN'T TAKE A CHANCE ON THIS GREAT CITY'S WATER SUPPLY. SO WE'VE UNDERTAKEN TO REPLACE IT. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE TALKING TO WASHINGTON. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONVINCE THEM THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS. A LOT OF TEXAN SERVING IN THE ADMINISTRATION. OUR EAST SIDE WATER PLANT IS A HOMELAND SECURITY CONCERN. 90% OF OUR NATION'S JET FUEL, DOMESTIC AND MILITARY COMES FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS AND THEY UNDERSTAND IT AND ARE ASSISTING US. WE WILL ALWAYS PROBABLY BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THE AIRPORT BECAUSE WE'RE EXPANDING SO MUCH. 4G, SOMEONE HAD CALLED AND SAID WE CAN'T GET OUTTA THE PARKING GARAGE BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION. JIM, I APOLOGIZE FOR TALKING LIKE THAT. , 120 BLOCKS OF DOWNTOWN HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. AND LET ME ALSO EMPHASIZE SOMETHING. IT'S NONSENSE TO SAY WE'RE MAKING ALL THESE IMPROVEMENTS FOR FIFA. YES, WE'RE PREPARED FOR FIFA. I'M IN REGULAR MEETINGS ABOUT OUR SAFETY, TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING FOR OUR GUESTS. I STOPPED THE MEETINGS. I SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, Y'ALL REMEMBER OUR FIRST COMMITMENT IS TO HOUSTONIANS. I DON'T WANNA SEE ANYTHING DONE IN PREPARATION FOR FIFA THAT WE'RE NOT TAKEN TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS CLEANING UP CENTRAL HOUSTON AND WE'RE PROUD OF FIFA. FIFA TELLS ME WE'RE THE MOST PREPARED CITY IN THE NATION. THEY CALL US THE GROWNUP CITY WITH NO NONSENSE. I RAN TO FIX HOUSTON AND PUT A TEAM IN PLACE THAT CAN DO IT. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WASTE. I'M WILLING TO GIVE EIGHT YEARS OF THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE TO HOUSTONIANS BECAUSE YES, I LOVE THE SENATE, BUT I LOVE HOUSTON MORE. WE WORK HARD. WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. THE COLLABORATION, I CAN DEMONSTRATE. YOU KNOW, TOM RAMSEY CALLS ME AFTER I WAS ELECTED AND SAID WHITMEYER, I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS WHEN HE WAS MAYOR OF SPRING VALLEY AND HE WAS IN PRISON MINISTRIES. HE SAID, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, MY ROADS INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I'LL SPLIT IT 50 50 TO REPAIR THIS. THAT'S UNHEARD OF. BRIANIS IS DOING THE SAME WITH PARKS AND, AND COMMISSIONER GARCIA IS A PARTNER. IT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE. IT'S THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE THAT WE OWE. SEE, WE ALL REPRESENT THE SAME PEOPLE. AND THAT WAS UNHEARD OF BEFORE I GOT THERE. WE WERE SUFFERING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSTON GOVERNMENT AND CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. THEY WERE PARTISAN. THEY CAMPAIGNED AGAINST EACH OTHER. AND THEN WHEN THE JOB TIME TO GET THE JOB DONE, THEY COULDN'T TALK. SAME. PROBABLY GOT CERTAINLY IN THE COUNTY JUDGE'S [00:50:01] OFFICE. SEE, BEING THE MAYOR IS NONPARTISAN. AND I'VE GOT COLLEAGUES THAT CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD ROBERT NICHOLS AND I NOT BE FRIENDS? WHY WOULDN'T I AT LEAST CONTINUE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOVERNOR THAT I HAD WHEN I WAS SERVING IN AUSTIN? IT'S WORKING, WORKING NOW. I DON'T AGREE WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE AISLE. I DIDN'T IN AUSTIN AND I STILL DON'T. WE HAVE DISAGREEMENTS, BUT WE'VE GOTTA SIT DOWN AS BOB BULLOCK, THE TOUGH LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR USED TO TELL US, ROBERT, LEAVE YOUR POLITICS OUT IN THE HALL. PEOPLE WANT US TO BE PRAGMATIC, NOT PARTISAN. SO I'M APPEALING TO Y'ALL TODAY. IF YOU'RE NOT ON BOARD, GET ON BOARD. HOUSTON'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. WE'VE BEEN DISCOVERED NOT ONLY BY PEOPLE ACROSS THIS STATE AND NATION, BUT EVEN INTERNATIONALLY. WE ARE SUCH A DIVERSE BUT UNIFIED CITY. THERE'S NO LIMIT. I COULD GO IN AND TALK ABOUT OUR GREAT PORT COMMISSION AND I HAD TO REMIND COLLEAGUES WHEN I WENT IN AUSTIN FROM LUBBOCK, OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE THAT SAID, WELL, HOUSTON CAN TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. SO WE SUFFER FROM BEING SO LARGE. SEE, AUSTIN THINKS WE'RE SELF-SUSTAINING, THAT WE'RE INDEPENDENT OF, OF NEEDING HELP. I WOULD REMIND THEM, YOU'RE COTTON IN LUBBOCK THAT YOU GROW, COMES THROUGH OUR PORT SHIPPING AROUND THE WORLD. AND THEN I WOULD GET CALLS FROM MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT THEIR CONSTITUENTS THAT NEEDED TO GET IN MD ANDERSON. AND THAT'S WHERE I LEARNED EARLY IN MY CAREER. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE'RE SO MUCH STRONGER TOGETHER THAN WE ARE INDIVIDUALLY. BUT I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT, AND THAT'S THE REASON I'M WILLING TO WORK SO HARD. HOUSTON IS WHERE IT'S HAPPENING. WE'RE GETTING CALLS AND RECOGNITION ACROSS THE NATION. MOST OF THE MAJOR CITIES ARE IN TMO, NOT HOUSTON. LOOK AT THE PROGRESS. WE'RE MAKING MAYORS AROUND TEXAS. CALL ME. MY FRIEND KIRK WATSON IN AUSTIN SAID, HOW DO YOU DO IT? WHITMEYER, HE FOOLISHLY HAD A ELECTION ON RAISING THE PROPERTY TAXES 20%. KIRK, YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT, WENT DOWN 63% AGAINST IT. I KNOW HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES. WE HAVEN'T RAISED PROPERTY TAXES AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR EFFICIENCIES. COLLABORATION. AND LET ME ALSO SAY THE SMARTEST THING I'VE DONE BEEN BANGER TWO AND A HALF YEARS WAS TO GET AN ERNST AND YOUNG FORENSIC AUDIT. SEE, I RAN, I'VE WORKED WITH NINE MAYORS. BOB LANIER GOT 500 MILLION FROM METRO FOR POLICE OVERTIME, OTHER MAYORS FIRED PEOPLE SOLD CITY PROPERTY. WE'VE HAD A FINANCIAL CHALLENGE AS LONG AS YOU CAN REMEMBER AND WE STILL DO, EXCEPT I INTRODUCED A PROPOSAL THIS WEEK WILL GIVE US THE FOUNDATION FOR FINANCIAL SECURITY GOING FORWARD. SO ON COLLABORATION AND GETTING RESOURCES. IT'S WORKING. AND I WANT TO TELL OUR FRIENDS FROM WALLER COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. SO I COULD TALK OUT ALL AFTERNOON. I NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK. BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO JOIN A TEAM CALLED THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND OTHER CITIES ARE CALLING, AS I MENTIONED. HOW ARE YOU DOING IT? WE'RE DOING IT AS ERNS AND YOUNG PATHWAY SHOW. YOU DO IT THROUGH COLLABORATION. WHEN I GOT THERE, AFTER RUNNING ON CLEANING UP CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, DUPLICATION, CORRUPTION, WE SOON LEARNED WHEN WE GOT THERE, CHRIS NEWPORT SITTING RIGHT HERE WAS MY CHIEF OF STAFF. WE NEEDED PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE. SO WE DID THAT STUDY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. AND I WOULD URGE YOU TO CONSIDER IT IN YOUR INSTITUTIONS [00:55:01] OR BUSINESSES, WHICH I'M CERTAIN YOU DO. THEY SAID WE HAD MORE EMPLOYEES PER CAPITA THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THE NATION. THEY ALSO TOLD US THAT 40% OF OUR SUPERVISORS SUPERVISE THREE OR FEWER PEOPLE. THAT'S THE OLD MODEL. YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T GIVE SOMEBODY A RAISE, YOU JUST MAKE 'EM A SUPERVISOR, EVEN IF THEY'RE SUPERVISING THREE PEOPLE. SO WE'VE COME A LONG WAYS, BUT WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED. I HAD TO MAKE SOME BOLD DECISIONS. I FOUND AND WAS TOLD AFTER I'D BEEN THERE TWO MONTHS, THAT 260,000 HPD CASES HAD BEEN SUSPENDED AND NEVER REVIEWED. CHIEF NER AT THE TIME WAS A FRIEND, COLLEAGUE. BUT I HAD TO GO OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT AND MAKE A BOLD MOVE. THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, GOOD FRIENDS ON THE SPORTS AUTHORITY HAD BECOME COMPLACENT. SO MOST OF THE SPORTS TEAMS IN TOWN SAID YOU NEED SOME NEW BLOOD. SO I REPLACED THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. YOU CAN'T BELIEVE THE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND THE CONTRACTS TO PEOPLE THAT WERE DOING NO WORKS. THEY HAD THE CONNECTIONS, REPLACED THE ENTIRE HOUSING AUTHORITY. MIDTOWN TURS FOLKS, WE DON'T. WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY WHEN WE GOT FINANCIAL CHALLENGES TO WASTE $1 AND CERTAINLY HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE THAT ARE CORRUPT. MIDTOWN TURS. AND THE LAST 20 YEARS ACCUMULATED 400 PIECES OF PROPERTY, $450 MILLION AND WE'RE STILL WRESTLING AS A CITY. WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH 400 LOTS BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND THE MID CENTER? BOUGHT AND CONTROLLED BY MIDTOWN TURS, GIVING CONTRACTS TO PEOPLE THAT DID NOTHING. MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS, NO RECORD, NO ACCOUNTABILITY. THE CEO PLED GUILTY AND IS WAITING TO BE SENTENCED. SO LET ME JUST REACH OUT 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN A LONG LUNCHEON. SAY THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES. I SEE QALA CARTER AND THERE'S OTHERS HERE, MARTINEZ. I'VE SPOKEN TO HIM. I CAN GO ON AND ON. IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. I JUST HAPPEN TO BE HONORED IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE MY CONTACTS. SITTING NEXT TO A HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER IN AUSTIN, STEVE ALVIS, WHO HAS BECOME A DEAR FRIEND. TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE DURING THE STORM TO THE STATE EMERGENCY CENTER AND SAY DURING BARREL POWER WAS OUT. I'VE GOT HPD IN ALL THE DARK COMMUNITIES, BUT WE STILL NEED HELP. AND THEY SEND YOU 200 DPS OFFICERS. AMBULANCES WERE BACKED UP. THE MED CENTER WAS NOT ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LEAVE AFTER AN OPERATION TO GO HOME WHERE THERE WAS NO POWER. SO AMBULANCES COULDN'T GET INTO MEMORIAL HERMANN 'CAUSE THE HALLS WERE FULL OF PEOPLE THAT WERE SCHEDULED TO BE RELEASED. I CALLED AUSTIN, THEY SEND US 25 AMBULANCES FROM AROUND THE STATE. SO WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I WANNA THANK TDO. I SEE MS. PAUL TXDOT HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER PARTNER TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAN IT IS NOW. THANK YOU. SO AS YOU READ IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS ABOUT OUR FINANCIAL PROPOSAL, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT IT WAS CREATIVE. OTHER CITIES ARE DOING IT, ARE MAKING ONE OF THEIR SERVICES, OUR SOLID WASTE OR UTILITY. THEN WE CAN CHARGE FOLKS FOR THEIR SERVICE. IT'S A GREAT DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP THAT'S BEING MODELED AROUND THIS NATION. I WON'T EVEN GO INTO THE CHALLENGES THAT LA CHICAGO, NEW YORK HAS US. I DON'T GET A LOT OF JOY POINTING OUT TO OTHER FOLKS SERIOUS PROBLEMS. BUT I AM DAMN PROUD OF THE JOB MY TEAM'S DOING AND I WANT TO THANK HOUSTONIANS. I TRAVEL ACROSS THE CITY OFTEN BY MYSELF. DON'T TELL SECURITY, BUT I LIKE TO GO EAT, TALK TO PEOPLE. THEY COME UP. THEY'RE SO NICE. AND IT'S A GREAT BAROMETER. I WANT TO THANK HOUSTONIANS FOR BEING SO NICE. IT GIVES ME THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD. I WANT TO THANK OUR LEGISLATOR. I SEE ARMANDO WALLY, WE HAD THE BEST LEGISLATIVE SESSION WE'VE EVER HAD. [01:00:02] THAT A HUNDRED MILLION FOR A LIFT STATION, MILLIONS FOR CITY PARKS. THAT'S THE WAY GOVERNMENT SHOULD OPERATE. SO LET ME CLOSE BY URGING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, BECAUSE YOU ALL WORK IN THIS ENVIRONMENT EXCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN THE COLLABORATION OF ALL THE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. LEAVE POLITICS OUT IN THE HALL. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR PARTY AFFILIATION IS. IF YOU WANT TO HELP ME FIX HOUSTON AND I CATCH FLACK FOR GOING TO A REPUBLICAN RECEPTION, HE HAPPENS TO BE IN CHARGE OF A SUBCOMMITTEE THAT WE NEED MONEY FROM. AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE DID THAT ROUTINELY IN AUSTIN. YOU THINK ALL THESE DEMOCRATIC STATE REPS DON'T GO TO THE REPUBLICAN SPEAKER'S RECEPTION. THEY DAMN SURE BETTER. ANYWAY, . ANYWAY, I WANNA THANK Y'ALL. I'M FIRED UP. LET'S KEEP ON WORKING. LET'S GIVE THE MAYOR AROUND STANDING OVATION. WELL DESERVED, MAYOR, THANK YOU. AND, AND TAG IS WITH YOU. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. IT HAS BEEN A LONG BUT SUBSTANTIAL PROGRAM AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR YOUR SUPPORT. TWO WEEK ANNOUNCEMENTS. I WANNA SHOUT OUT A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WORKING TOGETHER, STRATEGIC PUBLIC AFFAIRS, THE PILOTS, UH, BAAB AND PORT ECONOMIC ALLIANCE, RECENTLY INVITED TAG TO JOIN Y'ALL. THANK YOU FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP FOR WALLER COUNTY INVITING US FOR THE PARTNERSHIP. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAKE SURE TO JOIN US AT ONE 30 IN OUR POLICY ROOM. APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. WE'LL SEE YOU VERY SOON. THANK YOU AGAIN. IF I COULD HAVE THE BOARD MEMBERS, SENATOR NICHOLS, BOARD MEMBERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, PLEASE JOIN US FOR A PICTURE UP FRONT. THANK YOU MR. CITY ATTORNEY , IF I COULD HAVE THE BOARD TAG BOARD MEMBERS, SENATOR NICHOLS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, PLEASE JOIN US. * 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.