[Service Delivery Committee on June 24, 2026.]
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HEY, JUNE THE 24TH, AND THE TIME IS 2:00 PM I'M COUNCIL MEMBER HARSHA JACKSON, CHAIR OF THE SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE, AND I CALLED THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, TODAY WE WILL BE, TODAY WE ARE JOINED BY FIGHT VICE CHAIR CM RAMIREZ RAMIREZ, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, AND CHAMBERS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK DID JUST, OH, MAYOR PRO, TIM VICE MAYOR PRO, TIM, MS. PECK, THAT JUST CAME IN.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE.
UM, WE JUST RECENTLY BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER S VALLEY ALCORN.
WE HAVE STAFF BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEK TATUM, UM, THOMAS.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.
AND ONLINE WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER JOE ELLA.
SO THIS MEETING HAS BEEN HELD IN HYBRID MODE IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY, AND IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, THE CHAIR, AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COMMITTEE IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN CHAMBERS, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 51 DASH 12 SEVEN OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT TO BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. AND TODAY WE WILL BE HEARING PRESENTATIONS FROM MR. CHRIS BUTLER AND MR. FABIO CAP.
FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
AND WE WILL BE DISCUSSING A HOT TOPIC DITCH R ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM.
SO REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, SO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACT, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK OR ASK A QUESTION, UM, IF YOU'RE IN CHAMBERS, CLICK RES, UM, REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU ARE ADJOURNING JOINING VIRTUALLY TYPE REQUEST TO SPEAK IN THE CHAT POD AND YOU WOULD BE RECOGNIZED IN ORDER.
AND WHEN YOU ARE RECOGNIZED, PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONE AND ENSURE YOUR CAMERA IS ON.
YOU WILL BE ADVISED WHEN YOU, WHEN YOUR 10 MIN TWO MINUTES HAVE, UM, EXPIRED AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ATTEND.
VIRTUALLY USE THE CHAT POD IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY TYPE OF PROBLEMS. UM, WHEN WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT, IF YOU DIDN'T GET ON THE LIST BEFORE THE DEADLINE, YOU AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE GO TO THE SIGN IN SHEET AT THE FRONT TABLE OVER THERE AND ADD YOUR NAME TO SPEAK.
AND SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO YOU, I WANNA RECOGNIZE WE HAVE, UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S OFFICE JUST JOINED US.
I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
I'M JOINED TODAY WITH THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION DRAINAGE OPERATIONS, MR. FABIO CAPPIELLO.
AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT ON THE DITCH REESTABLISHES PROGRAM.
IF YOU LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT HAS ROAD ROADSIDE DITCHES, YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT THESE ARE.
THESE ARE A COST EFFECTIVE, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY OF CONVEYING WATER FROM THE STREET AND FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY INTO A DITCH TO CONVEY THAT TO A, UH, EITHER A STORM SEWER, A RESERVOIR, A CREEK, OR BAYOU.
SO THESE ARE WAYS TO GET WATER FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY ONTO A DIFFERENT SYSTEM TO GET OUT EVENTUALLY TO A BAYOU CREEK OR RESERVOIR.
SO THE DITCHES ARE MAINTAINED.
AND HERE'S A, A HUGE MISCONCEPTION WITH MAJORITY OF CONSTITUENTS WHO LIVE IN OPEN DITCH NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE OPEN DITCHES ARE REALLY THE PROPERTY AND THE MAINTENANCE IS FOR THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER, WHETHER IT'S COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL.
AND SO WHEN WE SAY MAINTENANCE, THAT IS CUTTING GRASS AND LIGHT DEBRIS REMOVAL.
IF THERE IS ILLEGAL DUMPING, THEN YES, YOU CAN CALL US AND WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE COME PICK UP, PICK THAT UP.
WE HAVE BETTER COORDINATION NOW, NOW THAT SOLID WASTE HAS JOINED HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUT AND ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES WITH ILLEGAL DUMPING.
BUT IT IS THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, PROPERTY, AND THEY ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN IT BY COMPLETING REGULARLY SCHEDULED DEBRIS, REMOVAL, LIGHT DEBRIS REMOVAL, AND ALSO MAINTAINING GRASS AND SHRUB.
ALSO, WE NOTICE IN SOME CASES IS WHERE INDIVIDUALS MAY BE DOWNSTREAM, WILL INSTALL THEIR OWN CULVERT, MAYBE SOME DECORATIVE ROCKS,
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LANDSCAPING, ANY OF THOSE THINGS IN THE DITCHES, BECAUSE IT MAKES, IT MAY MAKE THEIR PROPERTY LOOK NICE, BUT IT IMPEDES THE FLOW OF WATER, SO, WHICH IS KIND OF DISRUPTIVE TO THE DITCH.SO WE ASK THE HOMEOWNERS, MAINTAIN THE DITCHES, KEEPING THEM CLEAR OF ANY DEBRIS AND ANY TYPE OF LANDSCAPING.
SO THE DITCH REESTABLISHED PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM WE DO RERATING DITCHES, CLEARING VEGETATION AND DEBRIS, REESTABLISHING THE FLOW LINES, FLUSHING AND REPAIRING CULVERTS, AND REMOVING HEAVY DEBRIS AND OBSTRUCTIONS.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME WHERE WE SEE STANDING WATER IN THE COVERT OR IN A DITCH IS BECAUSE EITHER A COVERT WAS SET AT THE WRONG HEIGHT DOWNSTREAM, SOMEWHERE THERE'S TRASH THAT'S NOT ALLOWING THE WATER TO FLOW PROPERLY.
SO DURING THIS DITCH REESTABLISH PROGRAM, WE'RE GONNA GO OUT, WE'LL ASSESS ALL OF THE DITCHES, WE'LL CLEAN LIGHT DEBRIS OR HEAVY DEBRIS DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CASE IS, REGRADE, AND IN SOME CASES, MAYBE RESET CULVERTS.
SO WE DO THIS THROUGH A ROADSIDE DITCH CONDITION ASSESSMENT, AND WE RATE THESE FROM ONE BEING GOOD, TWO MODERATE TO THREE POOR, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT CAPACITY AND CONVEYANCE.
DOES THE DITCH FLOW FREELY? WE'RE LOOKING AT STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS, UH, NO DEBRIS, BULK BUILD UP AT THE INLET OR OUTLET.
IS THERE TREES OR IS THERE HEAVY GRASS AND WEEDS IN THE CULVERT OR IN THE DITCH ITSELF? AND LOOKING AT THE INTEGRITY.
SO BASED ON THOSE THREE COURSES, WE SET AN EXAMPLE.
THIS PARTICULAR DITCH GIVES A GRADE, AND THEN THAT'S HOW WE PRIORITIZE, WHICH ACTUALLY DITCHES WE'RE GOING TO DO AND WHEN WE'RE GONNA DO IT BASED ON THE CONDITION ASSESSMENT.
NOW I'M GONNA HAND THE PRESENTATION OVER TO MR. KALO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBER STAFF, UM, US AT, UH, TRANSPORTATION, S OPERATION.
WE, WE IN THE, UH, BUSINESS TO MANAGE STORMWATER HOUSTON, WHICH IS A VERY CRITICAL, UH, TASK FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE DO THAT TO SEVERAL PROJECT.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE LIKE THE DITCH ESTABLISHMENT.
YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH SWAT, WE HAVE LDP, WE DO, UH, ROAD REHABILITATION, WHICH MANY TIMES, YOU KNOW, ALSO IMPROVE THE, THE FLOW OF WATER BECAUSE IT USED THEM.
THE, THE ROADS, OUR WAY TO CONVEY WATER BACK THROUGH BAYOU, UH, WHEN YOU OVERFLOWS OUR SYSTEM.
AND, AND ALSO WE HAVE THE BIGGER CAPITAL PROJECT.
SO TODAY HERE, WE, WE GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE DIGITAL ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM, UH, THAT HAS BEING, UH, IMPLEMENTED COUPLE YEARS AGO.
SO WE YEAR THREE OF A FIVE YEAR PROGRAM CYCLE, UH, MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
IT SAYS A LOT OF GREAT THINGS.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE OTHER YEARS AHEAD IS GONNA SAY.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE STARTED FISCAL 24 YEAR, ALL REMEMBER THAT.
UH, GREAT MOVEMENT TO, TO, YOU KNOW, UH, IDENTIFY SOME FUNDING FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, MANY PARTS OF TOWN ARE, UH, HEAVILY, UM, DEPENDING OF OPEN DITCH SYSTEM TO KEEP WATER AWAY FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY.
AND, UH, SO WE HAD A GREAT GOAL.
UH, IF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO FISCAL 24, THERE WAS A GOAL TO, UH, INSPECT, UH, 1500 MILES OF OPEN DITCHES.
THE GOAL WAS DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE ALWAYS OUTPERFORMED ALL THESE THREE YEARS IN A ROW.
AND, UH, WE HAVE DONE, DO WE DONE THIS GREATLY.
THANKS TO, UM, BOTH INHOUSE AND CONTRACTING WORK.
WE HAVE SOME FOLKS HERE, UH, THAT WE, MANY AND WOMEN THAT DEDICATE THE TIME TO, FOR THIS PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS SUCCESSFUL.
UH, THE GOAL FOR 27 AND 28, AGAIN IS 500 MILES, UH, BOTH RESPECTED IN THE REESTABLISHMENT.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, AGAIN, UH, THE, THE, THE IS IS A PROGRAM.
UH, ALL DITCH IS GONNA BE READDRESSED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UH, NEEDLESS TO SAY, UH, IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS BETWEEN, UH, AN INSPECTION CYCLE OR A OR REESTABLISHMENT CYCLE, UH, WE HAVE OTHER WAYS TO ADDRESS THIS.
UH, YOU, YOU, YOU GUYS ARE, UM, TAKING FEEDBACK FROM THE HOMEOWNERS AND THE PROPERTY OWNERS, SO YOU GUYS HAVE BETTER EYES ON, ON THE CONDITION.
UM, ON THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SOMETHING THAT WE LIKE TO REMIND FOLKS, UM, DITCHES ARE MEANT TO CARRY WATER.
SO DITCHES ARE MEANT TO, UH, MOVE WATER.
AND SOMETIMES THERE IS STANDING WATER.
NOT EVERY TIME THAT IS STANDING WATER ON A DITCH.
THAT MEANS IS IT NEED TO BE ESTABLISHED.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE WATER THERE INSIDE OF PROPERTY.
UH, THE WATER SOMETIMES MOVE SLOW BECAUSE IT DEPEND ON WHAT TYPE OF WEATHER PATTERN WE HAVE.
THIS WATER FROM THE DITCH NEED TO MOVE INTO A CREEK, NEED TO MOVE INTO A BAYOU.
IF THAT IS FULL, THE WATER CAN MOVE AS FAST AS IT WILL BE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE DESIRE, UH, NEEDLESS TO SAY, IF THERE IS WATER THERE FOR MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, 48 HOURS, IF, 'CAUSE THE WATER EITHER GOES TOWARD THE CREEK OR NEED
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TO BE ABSORBED BY, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT LAYERS OF, YOU KNOW, UNDERGROUND.IF IN CASE THE WATER STAYS THERE FOR LONGER THAN 48 HOURS, YOU KNOW, THE 3 0 1 SYSTEM IS, IS ABLE TO, UH, TAKE THEIR INTAKE AND, AND OUR MAINTENANCE FOLKS WILL INVESTIGATE AND DETERMINE IF THERE IS A BIGGER ISSUE THERE.
UH, STORMS DO A LOT OF STUFF WHEN, WHEN STORM COME, WATER COMES AND SO IS DEBRIS.
SO WE MIGHT HAVE A BLOCKAGES OF CULVERTS, SO SOMETIMES THE FOLKS HAVE TO GO THERE AND REMOVE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, BUT SO STANDING WATER CAN, CAN OCCUR, UH, IS NOT NECESSARILY A TRIGGER FOR ESTABLISHMENT.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN A TOPIC OF INTEREST FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR A WHILE.
AND THERE IS THE WAY TO HOW TO COMMUNICATE THIS TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MAKE 'EM AWARE OF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE OR, YOU KNOW, OR THE EFFORTS, RIGHT? UM, WE HAVE WORKED ON CREATING A DASHBOARD THAT WAS FACING, UH, PUBLIC FACING, EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
THERE IS A WEBPAGE ON THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS WEBSITE, UH, WHERE THERE ARE REALLY A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATIONS.
IT'S TAKING US LONGER THAN WE REALLY WISH IT COULD TAKE.
UH, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU HERE, UH, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT ON MAKE SURE THAT ALL INFORMATION ARE THERE RIGHT NOW, OUR PARTIAL INFORMATION.
UM, BUT WE WORK IN ACTIVELY TO, TO, TO PUT ALL THESE TOGETHER, ALL THE INSPECTION, THE IN-HOUSE AND CONTRACTING EFFORTS.
UM, BUT THAT IS GONNA BE, THAT IS THE TOOL THAT IS GONNA HELP EVERYBODY TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF, UH, THE ASSESSMENT.
SO THE CONDITION OF THE, THE, THE D TWO, WHEN IS BEING, YOU KNOW, UH, INSPECTED AND WHEN THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE AND, UH, AND SO ON.
SO NOW, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS A LITTLE BIT OF SOME CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT? SO DITCHES, OPEN DITCHES ARE A SYSTEM.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE, UH, EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE INSPECTION REPORT COMING BACK AND THERE ARE THREE CATEGORIES, OR YOU SAW THE GREEN, THE ORANGE, AND THE RED, THAT IS THE GOOD, THAT IS THE MODERATE, AND THERE IS THE POOR CONDITION.
UH, WE CAN'T JUST ADDRESS THE ONE IN POOR CONDITION SOMETIMES WHEN WE DO A DIGITAL ESTABLISHMENT, BUT WE ADDRESS EVEN SOME THAT ARE MODERATE, UH, BECAUSE IT HAS TO WORK AS A FLOW, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T JUST SPOT IMPROVEMENT AND THEN WE JUST MOVE THE PROBLEM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AS A SYSTEM.
THIS IS JUST A REMINDER OF WHY THIS IS EVERYBODY INTEREST.
I KNOW PUBLIC WORKS IS IN CHARGE TO MAINTAIN THIS INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT AS HOMEOWNER, WE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO SOME THINGS.
UH, ILLEGAL DUMPING, IT SHOWS A PICTURE THERE, HOW DEVASTATING THE RESULTS OF CAN BE FOR, FOR MOVING WATER.
CLEARLY, IT'S, IT'S CREATED A DAM PRETTY MUCH.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF, IF WATER KEEP FLOWING? UH, WE HAVE UNFORTUNATELY SOME, UM, INSTANCES WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF DECORATIVE WORK DONE IN THE DITCH.
SO WE, I HAVE WITNESSED PERSONALLY SOMETHING LOOK LIKE A SWIM POOL OR A COI POND.
UH, WHAT THAT DOES IS THE, IT IT, IT WORKS AS A BLOCKAGE FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
UH, AND SOMETIMES DURING DEVELOPMENT, WE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, YOU CAN SEE ON THE PICTURES ON THE RIGHT, UH, THERE IS A DESIRE TO CREATE ON STREET PARKING.
WHAT IT DOES IS YOU JUST LIMIT GREATLY THE CAPACITY OF THE SYSTEM TO MOVE WATER.
AND WHAT THEY CAUSES IS THE WATER TO BACK SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM.
UM, NEXT, THAT IS THE FINAL, UH, SLIDE.
I REALLY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE NEAR, UM, MADAM CHAIR, MAYOR.
SO BACK ON THE, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE WITH THE LEGAL DUMPING, THAT REALLY IS A ISSUE AND IT'S REALLY IN SOME OF OUR LOWER INCOME MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
OUR THIRD WARD SET OF GAS, TRINITY, HOUSTON GARDEN, FIFTH WARD, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DO REMODELING JOBS ELSEWHERE, AND THEN THEY COME INTO THESE PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS AND DUMP.
SO WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE CONSTITUENTS, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
IF YOU CAN GET A LICENSE PLATE NUMBER.
ACTUALLY HAD ONE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHERE SOMEBODY TOOK A PICTURE OF THE LICENSE PLATE AND SENT IT TO ME.
AND SO WE ARE, WE'RE GOING TO AGGRESSIVELY TARGET OR GO AFTER THAT A PERPETRATOR.
BUT WE HAVE TO ALSO UNDERSTAND EVERY TIME WE TAKE STAFF OFF OF A ROUTINE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT TO GO DO SOME LEGAL DUMPING, DO SOME EMERGENCY STUFF THAT DELAYS OTHER PROJECTS.
WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OF SOME OF THE HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN OF TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE OPERATION THAT'S SITTING BEHIND US.
UH, I SAID, WE BROUGHT OUR OWN CROWD HERE, BUT THESE ARE OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
SO WE WERE JUST PREPARED THAT IF THERE WERE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, THAT WE COULD GO TO THE RIGHT, TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE ACTUALLY OUT THERE EVERY DAY, AND WE CAN GET THE RIGHT ANSWERS.
SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRES PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, BRINGING THE TEAM, THE EXPERT SITS OUT DOING THAT WORK.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE D DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM FOR DISTRICT B HAS BEEN A MAJOR PRIORITY SINCE WE LAUNCHED IT.
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A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE STATUS, YOU KNOW, THE ASSESSMENT AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT, UM, THE ACTUAL DITCH, THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT WORK, UM, WHAT THE SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE.I KNOW WE HAVE THE DASHBOARD REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW IS IT UPDATED? IS IT UPDATED REGULARLY? IS IT UPDATED RIGHT NOW OR IS IT JUST, UM, IT'S JUST STARTING OFF AND YOU WILL ADD INFORMATION TO IT.
UM, THAT'S ONE QUESTION I HAVE.
AND ANOTHER QUESTION IS IN REGARDS TO 3 1 1, WE KNOW THAT THE DITCHES IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD WATER.
THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE, THAT DITCHES, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE FOR, TO HOLD WATER.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE STANDING WATER, YOU MENTIONED 40 HOURS.
UM, SO HOW MANY, HOW LONG SHOULD THAT WATER BE STANDING THERE BEFORE WE ARE CONCERNED WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, RAISE CONCERNS OR HAVE THE CONSTITUENTS CALL 3 1 1, JUST TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THE FEW QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
MADAME CHERYL, I'LL TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS RIGHT AWAY.
SO, UH, LET'S START FOR THE LAST ONE THAT YOU SAID.
SO, BEST IN BEST INDUSTRY STANDARDS, ABOUT 48 HOURS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE NEED TO GIVE SOME TIME OF THE WATER TO RECEDE.
I DON'T KNOW, LAST WEEK OR UH, 10 DAYS AGO WHERE ALL WE HELD A BIG RAIN EVENT USED TO BAYOU HERE, YOU KNOW, REALLY FULL, IT DIDN'T RAIN DOWNTOWN AT ALL.
ALL THE WATER WAS CONVEYED FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF THE STATE COMING DOWN AND TRY TO SPILL IN THE GULF.
UM, SO AGAIN, UH, 48 HOURS USUALLY IS THE TIME AFTER A STORM PASSES, RIGHT? SO IF YOU HAVE A FEW DAYS OF RAIN, OF COURSE WE DON'T EXPECT THE WATER TO DISSIPATE.
BUT ONCE THERE ARE A SYSTEM, A WEATHER SYSTEM COMES AND THEN IT CLEARS UP 48 HOURS.
WE ARE, YOU KNOW, I THINK A GOOD TRIGGER FOR US TO CHECK WHY, BECAUSE THERE IS OTHER THINGS.
WE HAVE, AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, PERSONALLY IN THE FIELD, INVESTIGATED ANOTHER LOCATION AND WE FOUND THAT THERE IS A WATER LEAK.
SO IT WAS NOT ASSOCIATED TO RAINFALL AT ALL.
IT WAS JUST A WATER LEAK SOMEWHERE, AND IT WAS JUST GOING ALL OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, FEELING THESE, THESE, THESE THINGS.
OR AGAIN, WE FOUND THERE WAS AGAIN, THE BIGGER PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL DUMP BECAUSE OTHER THINGS THAT AGAIN, WOULD'VE CAUSED BIGGER PROBLEM LATER ON.
UM, I THINK IS IS THE BEST PRACTICE FOR THAT.
UM, AGAIN, 3 1 1 IS, YOU KNOW, 24 7.
WE ALWAYS, IN OPERATION, WE ALWAYS MONITOR THAT.
WE HAVE FOLKS THAT, UH, ON DISPATCH 24 7.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, DON'T, DON'T WAIT 48 HOURS.
IT ALSO DEPENDS ON WHAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE OUT THERE.
UM, SECOND, UH, THE FIRST QUESTION THAT YOU HAD, WHICH WAS ABOUT THE DASHBOARD.
UM, THE DASHBOARD, IT IS, IT IS NOT, UH, AUTOMATIC, RIGHT? IT'S A MANUAL EFFORT.
SO WE ISSUE WORK ORDERS TO A CONTRACTOR OR INHOUSE CREW.
SO WE, WE IDENTIFY THE LOCATION TO, TO WORK ON, WE ASSIGN WORK ORDER.
ONCE IT IS COMPLETED, THEN THE DASHBOARD IS BEING, YOU KNOW, IS BEING UPDATED.
CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, THERE IS ONLY PARTIAL INFORMATION.
SO IT, IT IS LIVE, IT'S EXISTING.
SO IF YOU HAVE A LAPTOP, YOU CAN GO ON THE WEBSITE.
RIGHT NOW ON THE WEBPAGE, THE DASHBOARD SHOWS NUMBERS OF, UH, UH, OPEN DITCHES THAT HAVE BEEN INSPECTED.
WHAT ARE THE CONDITION, UM, SHOWS WHAT, UH, WORK ORDERS IS BEEN ISSUED.
WE ARE MISSING INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOUSE.
SO WE WORKING TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE IT DOWN.
UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, I LIKE TO PUSH THINGS FORWARD ONCE THEY'RE COMPLETE.
UH, OUR INFORMATION NEVER REALLY HELP ANYBODY.
UM, IN THIS CASE, WE, WE KEEP IT UP BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO WORK ON SOME, UH, UH, TECHNOLOGY TYPE OF, UH, UH, TASKS THAT WE TRY TO, UH, REALLY LEARN HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
BUT AGAIN, IS, IS, IS IS A MANUAL EFFORT NOW, UH, MAKE IT AUTOMATIC.
IT CAN BE A SECOND STEP, UH, FOR THE IN-HOUSE CREWS.
IT CAN BE DONE BECAUSE WE HAVE A WORK SYSTEM.
WE COULD LOOK WAY TO INTEGRATE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUE TO CONTRACTORS.
I, I, I FORESEE THAT STILL BEING A MANUAL, UM, UPDATE.
WE WILL NOT TRY TO UPDATE EVERY SIX MONTHS AFTER WE GET A WORK ORDER.
SO I KNOW THAT WAS THE NEXT QUESTION.
SO, UM, UM, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS CHAIR? YES.
AND WE HAVE A FEW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN Q.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO, UM, VIRTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER PANZA, YOU CAN UNMUTE.
UH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION FOLKS.
I JUST, UM, POSTED MY QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ 'EM.
UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS ISSUE.
JUST REAL QUICK ON, ON WHAT WE JUST DISCUSSED, AFTER THE 48 HOUR REVIEW, IF A DITCH IS NOT UP TO STANDARD, HOW IS QUALITY CONTROL BEING DONE FOR INSPECTIONS AND, AND COMPLETION OF PROJECTS AFTER, YOU KNOW, AFTER IT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED, IS KIND OF STILL NOT UP TO STANDARD? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE QUESTION.
SO EVEN IF THERE IS WATER AFTER 48 HOURS, THAT DON'T MEANS THAT IS A REESTABLISHMENT TO BE DONE.
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UH, IT REALLY THAT WE WILL INVESTIGATE AND FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF THAT.AGAIN, IT COULD BE AN OBSTRUCTION DUE TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF THE COVERS.
SO IT MIGHT BE JUST READJUST SOME COVERS ALONG THE LINE.
THE, THE, THE WATER COULD BE STANDING THERE BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING IS BLOCKING WATER COMPLETELY AS TIRES, UH, BIG TREE LIMBS OR OTHER TYPE OF OBJECT, THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE DRAIN.
UH, IF THERE IS A BIGGER ISSUE, THEN WE'LL ADDRESS DEPENDING OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS AGAIN, WE HAVE THE INSPECTION LEASE.
SO WE WORKING ON THE PRIORITY LIST BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WORDS COME FIRST.
UH, BUT AGAIN, BECAUSE WE LOOK AT IT AS A SYSTEM, SOMETIMES WE FIND OPPORTUNITIES, UH, THANKS TO ALSO YOUR FEEDBACK THEIS, TO IDENTIFY THERE IS, UH, A, A NEED TO PRIORITIZE OTHER AREAS.
AGAIN, OPEN DITCHES IS A SYSTEM, SO IT'S, DO A SPOT IMPROVEMENT IS NOT, MIGHT NOT HELP AT ALL.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS, OH, HE GOT ANOTHER ONE.
UM, HOW OFTEN ARE DITCHES INSPECTED AND ASSESSED FOR MAINTENANCE? AND THEN ONCE A DITCH IS REESTABLISHED, WILL IT BE ANOTHER FIVE, FOUR YEARS ON THE CYCLE UNTIL THE DITCH IS, IS REASSESSED? YES.
THAT'S MY FIRST THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT'S CURRENTLY, UH, FUNDED AND PREPARED.
UM, NOW, UH, FIVE YEAR CYCLE IS FOR BOTH INSPECTIONS.
SO IT'S 500 MILES INSPECTION AND 500 MILES OF REESTABLISHMENT.
UM, WHY I WANT TO GO BACK AND, AND, AND, UH, AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, ASK AGAIN IN THE INVOLVEMENT, THE ABILITY TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH US, NOT EVERY DITCH IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS THE SAME, UH, SUFFER THE SAME LEVEL OF PRESSURE FROM THE SYSTEM.
SO THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE THERE ARE REASONS WHY WE MIGHT HAVE TO COME BACK BEFORE THE FIVE YEAR CYCLE.
AGAIN, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN.
COULD BE A, A NEW DEVELOPMENT COMING, COMING IN.
UH, THAT COULD BE, UH, THE, THE OUTFALL THAT IS BEING, UH, IMPACTED.
SO IT MIGHT NOT BE A DITCH ESTABLISHMENT THAT WE HAVE TO DO THERE, BUT WE MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK AT A BIGGER PROJECT LIKE A LDP.
WE MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK AT A, A SWAT.
UH, SO, UM, THE GOAL IS ALWAYS TO BRING IT BACK TO STAFF.
UH, OUR ENGINEERS WILL INVESTIGATE, UH, AND THEY WILL DETERMINE WHAT PLAN OF ACTION IS, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE FIND.
WE FIND ALL SORTS OF RE, YOU KNOW, OF THINGS THAT COULD, UH, OBSTRUCT WATER.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE VICE MAYOR PROTEIN PECK.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF ROADSIDE DITCHES, UM, THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, ARE ANY OF THOSE CITY OWNED DITCHES OR ARE WE ONLY TALKING ABOUT, UM, DITCHES WHERE THERE'S AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER? THEY'RE ALL DITCHES.
SO THEY, THEY, THEY'RE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY, THAT THERE, THERE ARE CHANNELS THAT ARE BY, THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS.
THOSE ARE THE ROADSIDE DITCHES NEXT, YOU KNOW, NEXT TO PROPERTY LINES.
SO WE, WE ARE STILL RESPONSIVE STILL RIGHT AWAY, OR, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I SAY THAT THE, THE GOAL FOR THE COMMITTEE IS TO KEEP, MAKE SURE, AGAIN, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR CEO, UH, WE, WE ARE GONNA FIELD QUITE OFTEN AND MANY TIMES WE SEE FOLKS CUTTING GRASS AND START BLOWING THINGS INTO THE DITCH.
IT'S NOT GONNA DO A FAVOR TO THE HOMEOWNER.
SO I KNOW THAT A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE PROBABLY WAY TO HIDE THE CLIP, THE, THE, THE, THE CLIPPING OF THE GRASS, BUT MM-HMM
THERE ARE SOME THINGS AGAIN THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE, TO BE UNDERSTANDING.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THE USE IN PUBLIC WORKS.
WE MANAGE THE ADOPT A DRAIN PROGRAM.
UH, THAT IS A GREAT PROGRAM TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT NOT TO DO WITH A DRAIN.
UH, WE HAVE NOW, UH, SENSITIVE MATERIAL TO EDUCATION ON HOW TO TREAT THE OPEN DITCHES WELL.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE WEBPAGE FOR DIGITAL ESTABLISHMENT WILL SERVE BOTH WAYS.
ONE HAS AN INFORMATION ON THE EFFORTS BEING DONE FROM THE CITY, AND ALSO A WAY TO EDUCATE, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE COMMUNITY AND MAKING SENSITIVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS OUT THERE IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE, HOW TO TREAT THIS, THIS RIGHT AWAY, AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO SOME THINGS OR NOT TO DO SOME OTHER THINGS.
SO THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, IT'S ONLY, UM, THE ROADSIDE DITCHES, ANY OF THE CITY DITCHES, UM, THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINED 100% BY THE CITY GETTING REESTABLISHED.
THIS PROGRAM IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON OPEN DITCHES THAT ARE ADJACENT TO PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UM, WHEN YOU DO THE EVALUATION AND YOU FIND THAT, UM, IT DOESN'T NEED A FULL REHABILITATION PROGRAM, BUT MAYBE THERE'S ILLEGAL DUMPING OR, UM, DEBRIS THAT'S JUST CAUSING IT TO GET CLOGGED, UM, WHAT IS THE PROCESS THERE? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING HAS CHANGED RECENTLY WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DO THAT EVALUATION AND FIND THAT THERE IS SOMETHING CLOGGING IT, MAYBE IT'S A TIRE AND THEN SOLID WASTE WON'T GO GET IT BECAUSE THERE'S WATER IN THE DITCH AND THEN PUBLIC WORKS WON'T ADDRESS IT BECAUSE IT'S A SOLID WASTE
[00:25:01]
ISSUE.AND WE'VE GOTTEN IN THAT LOOP ON SOME OF THESE DITCHES WHERE NO ONE'S HANDLING IT NOW.
WELL, AND, AND THANKS TO, TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVING THE BUDGET AND CONSOLIDATING SOLID WASTE INTO PUBLIC WORK.
SO WE NO LONGER WILL HAVE THAT ISSUE.
SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER.
SO, UH, IF WE'RE GOING OUT TO ASSESS SOME ILLEGAL DUMPING, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FABIO'S TEAM IS RIGHT BEHIND HIM SO WE CAN DO THE, THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT.
WE DON'T WANT TO CLEAN UP, 'CAUSE WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE.
WE CLEAN UP SOMETHING AND WE WAIT TOO LONG AND THEN SOMEBODY SAYS, OH, I CAN GO DUMP AGAIN.
'CAUSE I KNOW THE CITY WILL PICK IT UP.
SO WE WANT TO GET OUT THERE AND WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER WITH SOLID WASTE AND CLEAN THE DITCH AND REESTABLISH IT WITHIN A SHORT SPAN OF TIME.
AND MY FINAL QUESTION, UM, FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE ADDRESSED FOR A WHILE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT A, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE FOCUSED ON SOME OTHER AREAS RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE'VE OFFERED TO USE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS FOR SOME OF THESE DITCHES THAT REALLY DO NEED TO BE ADDRESSED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND WE USED TO BE ABLE TO USE SERVICE FUNDS FOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT CDSF DOES NOT PERFORM DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH IS NEWS TO US.
UM, AND SO HAS SOMETHING CHANGED THAT NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE CAN'T USE IT FOR A REHABILITATION PROGRAM LIKE THIS? NOT TO OUR KNOWLEDGE.
WAS THAT A RULING FROM LEGAL? 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT, IT WAS FROM PUBLIC WORKS.
I MEAN, JUST I THINK THIS WEEK OR LAST, I MEAN, THIS WAS VERY RECENT, SO, AND WE REALIZED THAT RESOURCES AND FUNDING THAT COULD ALL BE ISSUES.
BUT WHEN WE'RE OFFERING TO, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET SOME OF THESE DITCHES IN DISTRICT A GOING TOO, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD USE SERVICE FUNDS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE, UM, ISSUES WHERE THERE'S ACTUAL STRUCTURAL FLOODING DUE TO THE DITCHES.
UH, COUNCIL MAYOR, ROB, WE'D GLAD TO KNOW, UH, EXACTLY WHAT EXAMPLE YOU'RE USING.
I WOULD LIKE TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER.
UM, SOMETIMES IT JUST, UH, MAYBE WE UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION WRONG AND SOMETIMES WE PROVIDE THE WRONG ANSWER.
BUT I WOULD BE GLAD TO LOOK PARTICULARLY INTO THE INSTANCE AND THEN PROVIDE AN ANSWER THAT, UH, ON ENCOMPASSING.
AND I, I CONCUR WITH, UH, WITH FABIO.
UH, WE DO HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
WE HAVE A LOT OF DITCHES TO ESTABLISH.
SO IF, UM, THE COUNCIL DISTRICT WOULD LIKE TO USE YOUR CDSF TO ASSIST US, WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
UM, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S OFFICE.
DOES THE CITY LIKE ACTIVELY DO EDUCATION ON OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE DITCHES? BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S AN NEIGHBORHOOD IN DISTRICT G AND PUBLIC WORKS WENT OUT THERE BECAUSE I GUESS ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS MIGHT, YOU KNOW, HAD REPORTED IT TO 3 1 1 PUBLIC WORKS WENT OUT AND ISSUED THEM ALL SORTS OF CITATIONS FOR OBSTRUCTIONS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW IF PUBLIC WORKS WAS ACTIVELY DOING THE EDUCATION BEFORE WE JUST JUMPED STRAIGHT TO ISSUING VIOLATIONS FOR THESE FOLKS.
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES IN OUR DISTRICT IT'S MOSTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, ENCROACHMENTS OF LIKE ROCKS IN THE DITCH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THESE FOLKS JUST DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE COMMON SENSE, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW.
UM, AND SO JUST CURIOUS IF Y'ALL ARE ENGAGING IN THAT WE ARE DATE, I'M AWARE OF WHEN WE DO TOWN HALLS, IF A CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBER HAS A TOWN HALL OR IF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, WE'VE GONE TO NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
AND WHEN WE'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, WE DO MENTION THESE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, UH, DON'T PUT, UH, GREASE IN YOUR DRAINS, YOU KNOW, DON'T PUT THINGS IN THE STORM SEWER.
UH, YOU NEED A BUILDING PERMIT FOR ANY VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION.
AND WE TRY TO EXPLAIN TO RESIDENTS HOW TO MAKE THEIR COMMUNITIES SAFER AND MORE RESILIENT.
UM, WE COULD PROBABLY DO A BETTER JOB PUTTING MORE INFORMATION ONLINE, SENDING OUT NEWS E LETTERS.
SO WE'D DEFINITELY BE LOOKING TO THAT.
AND I WAS THINKING MORE IN TERMS OF LIKE, IF SOMEBODY'S DRIVING AROUND THE CITY AND, YOU KNOW, THEY SEE A DITCH WITH AN OBSTRUCTION AND JUST HANGING SOMETHING ON THE DOOR SAYING, HEY, YOU HAVE AN OBSTRUCT, UH, YOU KNOW, OBSTRUCTION, YOU PROBABLY SHOULD GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF.
SO, SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF ACTIVE ENFORCEMENT.
UH, MOST OF OUR ENFORCEMENT IS COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
OR IT'S, YOU KNOW, AN INSPECTOR'S OUT DOING ANOTHER INSPECTION UP THE STREET AND AS HE'S DRIVING BY, HE IS LIKE, OH, THERE'S SOMETHING OBSTRUCTING THE DITCH.
UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A DEDICATED TEAM THAT DRIVES THE CITY LOOKING FOR DEBRIS IN THE DITCHES.
NO, AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, THAT QUESTION.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE EDUCATE THE CONSTITUENTS ON WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AND WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO DITCHES, BECAUSE, BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T KNOW.
AND, AND SOME FOLKS FEEL THAT IT'S THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO COME IN AND JUST TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING TO CUT AND TO, YOU KNOW, CLEANING IT UP.
BUT THE RESIDENTS HAVE STILL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO DITCHES.
AND SO, UM, CREATING A WAY, UH, UH, EDUCATIONAL, UM, PROCESS TO WHERE FOLKS CAN GET THAT INFORMATION.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY DON'T GO TO THE CIVIC
[00:30:01]
CLUB MEETINGS.EVERYBODY DON'T GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW, SO HOW ARE WE PUTTING THINGS IN OUR, THE WATER BILL? YOU KNOW, JUST THE DOS AND THE DOS AND DO NOT WHAT YOU DO NOT DO, UM, WITH THE, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE DITCHES.
SO I JUST, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
NEXT, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ.
UM, WHAT DOES THE CITY DO ABOUT, UH, UNPERMITTED WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE THAT OBSTRUCT SOME OF THESE DITCHES? IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU HAD A PHOTOGRAPH OF SOME UNPERMITTED WORK.
SO WHEN YOU FIND OUT THAT A HOMEOWNER HAS HAD SOME WORK DONE, NO PERMIT WAS OBTAINED, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT THAT? SO RIGHT NOW, WE CURRENTLY GIVE NOTICE ASKING THE RESIDENT TO REMOVE THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY FROM THE CITY'S RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH IS THE DITCH.
UH, WE ASK THEM FIRST TO REMOVE IT.
IF THEY DON'T REMOVE IT IN CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, IT'S USUALLY TWO WEEKS.
UH, IF THEY SAY, LOOK, I NEED A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO REMOVE IT, WE'LL SAY, OKAY, WE'LL BE BACK IN ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.
IF IT'S STILL NOT REMOVED, THEN WE CAN START ISSUING CITATIONS.
AND THAT'S THROUGH OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT GROUP IN THE HU HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER.
UH, AFTER SO MANY CITATIONS, THEN WE TURN THOSE OVER, UH, TO THE COURT, AND THEN IT'S REALLY OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
BUT WE CANNOT GO INTO PRIVATE PROPERTY, REMOVE SOMEONE'S THING.
SO ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS ISSUE CITATIONS FIRST, GIVE NOTIFICATION OF A VIOLATION, THEN START WITH THE CITATIONS.
ARE THE SITUATIONS WHERE IT GETS SO SERIOUS OR IT'S NOT ADDRESSED AND IT GOES OVER TO LEGAL FOR THEM TO DO ANY, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? TO DATE, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE DITCHES THAT HAVE CAUSED US TO GO DIRECTLY TO LEGAL.
UH, IF, IF IN A CASE WE HAVE REPETITIVE FLOODING AND IT'S THE CAUSE OF A UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM THING THAT WE'VE ALREADY TRIED TO ADDRESS, THEN WE CAN SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON HOW DO WE BEST, UH, MEDIATE OR REMEDIATE THE ISSUE.
BUT TO DATE, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY CASES WHERE WE'VE HAD TO GO TO LEGAL.
AND CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA HOW MUCH OF THE WORK IN CLEARING THE DITCHES IS CONTRACTED OUT AND HOW MUCH IS DONE BY THE CITY? UH, ROUGHLY, UM, 75% IS DONE BY CONTRACTING IN 25% IN OUNCE.
UH, SHOULD BE THE RIGHT NUMBER.
AND, AND WHEN A DITCH IS, UH, IS CLEANED OUT, AND, UM, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHANNEL IS NOW LOWER THAN THE CULVERT.
SO WATER IS GONNA COLLECT THERE.
UH, WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT SITUATION WHERE IT'S, IT'S NOT DONE QUITE RIGHT.
SO THE MAINTAINING, UH, POSITIVE FLOW LINE IS ACTUALLY IMPERATIVE.
TO MOVE THE WATER FROM POINT A TO POINT B, UH, UNINTERRUPTED IN FLOW.
IT, IT HAPPENS THAT THE, THE DITCH IS BEING RECREATED WHERE THE, THE, THE BOTTOM OF THE DITCH IS LOWER THAN THAT IS BECAUSE SOME WATER GET DISSIPATED THROUGH THE, THE GROUND ITSELF.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABSORBED SOME, SO YOU DON'T WANNA MOVE EVERYTHING TO THE, TO THE BAYOU.
YOU DON'T WANNA OVERLOAD THE BAYOU FOR EVERY LITTLE WATER.
YOU WANNA LET DOWN THE GROUND TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE WATER.
SO IT'S, IT IS ACTUALLY DONE BY THE SCIENCE.
SO IT'S, IT IS, THERE IS A, A LEVEL OF FLEXIBILITY THERE THAT YOU WANT THE UNDERGROUND, UH, TO ABSORB IT, TO DISSIPATE THE WATER BACK TO THE WATER TABLES.
AND IS THERE A GENERAL RULE ON WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DITCHES ALONG HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY? MOST OF THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS ARE UNDER PARK.
UM, OR SOME PARK BOARD, YOU KNOW, UH, JURISDICTION.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS.
WE ONLY HAVE THE, THE COLUMBIA TOP TRAIL.
SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, THOSE THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH SOMETIMES EVEN WITH THE INTER INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION.
BUT, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC, THEN AGAIN, WE CAN LOOK EXACTLY THAT.
BUT MOSTLY MOST OF THE TRAILS I CAN BIKE, THEY ARE FAR WITHIN, UH, THE, THE OVERVIEW OF, YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR ALLEN.
AND LET ME JUST ADD MY VOICE TO THE EDUCATION PIECE.
I MEAN, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, I WAS A DITCH MAINTENANCE CREW, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I HAD TO MOW THE LAWN AND WE, WE HAD LONG DITCHES THAT, THAT I TOOK CARE OF.
SO, UH, IT'S, IT, UH, RESIDENTS NEED TO KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FIRST AND FOREMOST TO TAKE CARE OF THE DITCH.
AND, UM, ANYTHING WE CAN DO, LIKE PUTTING INSERTS IN, IN WITH THE WATER BILLS, I GET MINE VIA EMAIL, SO I DON'T GET IT, UH, GET IT IN THE MAIL.
BUT, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, WOULD BE, WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SO, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, VICE CHAIR, UH, EDUCATION IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
ACTUALLY SHOW A LOT OF RESULTS.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, ADOPT THE DREAM PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THAT IT, THERE IS ALSO MAYBE THE ABILITY TO LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. SO, YOU KNOW, BESIDES THE INSERT, WE, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS, SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS THAT WE CAN WORK ON, PUSH SOME OF THOSE,
[00:35:01]
YOU KNOW, UH, THOSE INFORMATION OUT.UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD, SOLID EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, UH, FRAMEWORK, UH, ABOUT THIS.
WE DON'T WANNA OVERWHELM FOLKS WITH THE, A LOT OF INFORMATION AT ONCE.
STRATEGIZE WHAT TO TELL THEM FIRST, THEN, UH, SECOND.
AND, AND WE DEFINITELY VIEW THIS AS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
WE ARE NOT HERE TO BLAME ANYONE.
WE, WE WANT YOU TO, WE MAKE SURE YOU MAINTAIN YOUR DITCH, OR IF SOMEBODY HAS ILLEGALLY DUMPED SOMETHING IN YOUR DITCH, LET US KNOW SO WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.
BUT WE, WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS RESULTS OF SOMEBODY'S ACTIONS OR INACTION NEGATIVELY IMPACT YOUR PROPERTY.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
AND I'M SO GLAD WE'RE DOING THIS PROACTIVELY.
I MEAN, FOREVER, WE WERE JUST REACTIVE ON THE DITCHES AND JUST HAD THAT FIVE YEAR CYCLE AND WE WERE NEVER GETTING TO 'EM.
SO THIS IS A GREAT INVESTMENT.
I, I WANTED TO ASK YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ ASKED YOU ABOUT HOW MUCH WAS CONTRACTED OUT.
DO WE HAVE DEDICATED STAFF OR DO WE HAVE STAFF THAT DO OTHER THINGS THAT ALSO DO THIS? AND IF, IF, IF IT'S DEDICATED, HOW MANY FTES ACCOMPLISH THIS? SO WE, WE HAVE, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
SO WE, WE HAVE THE, WE HAVE DEDICATED STAFF FOR THAT.
SO IT WAS PART OF THE FISCAL 24, YEAR ONE WAS TO, UH, IDENTIFY FUNDING TO, UH, FUND SOME FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT WAS BROUGHT.
SO WE HAVE FOLKS THAT DO THAT AS, AS THEIR FULL-TIME JOB, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UH, HOW MANY FTS RIGHT NOW? I DON'T HAVE THE, UH, THE, THE, THE BACON REPORT OR THE, THE, THE FORM FIVE REPORT.
I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH IT AND SEE HOW MANY POSITIONS RIGHT NOW THEY ARE, UH, DEDICATED TO THAT.
I REMEMBER IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SOME, ONE OF THE PRESENTATION IS RULE BY JOANNA WAS SOMETHING ABOUT 89 POSITIONS, UH, FDS.
DO, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE DELTA IS BE ON, ON THE KIND OF COSTS, UM, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, DOING IT IN HOUSE AND DOING AND CONTRACTING IT OUT? OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GETTING A LOT MORE DONE WITH THE CONTRACTORS, BUT IT'S PROBABLY MORE EXPENSIVE.
SO THE GREAT, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT QUESTION.
'CAUSE ACTUALLY WANNA CELEBRATE THE ABILITY OF SOME OF THE STAFF MEMBERS BEHIND ME.
UM, THE, WHAT WAS EXPECTED TO BE A VERY EXPENSIVE CONTRACT? WELL, YOU KNOW, A BUSINESS WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, A PRIVATE, UH, PRIVATE CONTRACTOR, IT TURNED OUT TO NOT TO BE AS EXPENSIVE.
THAT IT, IT, UH, I GOTTA GIVE PROPS TO LAG NASH.
UM, WE ESTIMATED, OF COURSE WE FORECAST WHAT COSTS WILL BE A LOT OF COSTS WE DON'T CONTROL, RIGHT? THE MARKET IS DRIVEN BY OTHER FACTORS.
OUR DESIRE IS TO KEEP THE PRICE VERY LOW, UH, INCREDIBLY GIVEN TO THE, THE ABILITY OF OUR ENGINEERS AND PROJECT MANAGERS.
AND, UH, THE WORK WAS DONE WITHOUT A LOT OF USING MULTIPLIERS.
SO IT DIDN'T COME UP, UH, AS EXPENSIVE AS YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
UH, ALL THOSE GOALS THAT WE EXCEEDED WAS WAY, UH, LESS THAN THE, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT WE EXPECTED.
SO WE, WE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
NOW, WOULD IT BE MORE EXPENSIVE NEXT YEAR? I DUNNO.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK OUT FOR THAT.
WELL, GOOD, GOOD WORK LIKE NASH GETTING THAT, THAT CONTRACT COST DOWN AND, AND, UM, WHAT IS OUR INVESTMENT ANNUAL, I THINK IN THIS LAST BUDGET, WHAT IT WAS 20 SOMETHING MILLION.
WHAT'S THE TOTAL INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE HAD IN THIS PROGRAM? SO FOR FY 20 24, 25 IN 26, UH, WAS 25 MILLION OKAY.
AND THEN IT IT'S ABOUT THE SAME IN THIS ONE.
IT, I THINK IT'S, IS IT 20 THIS YEAR? I THINK I, I READ LIKE 27 MAYBE IN THIS YEAR THERE IS IT 25? THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF ROLLOVER.
SO WE BUDGET 25 TO TO, TO MEET THE GOAL.
UH, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO HAVE A BUDGET AND ESTIMATE WHAT IT WOULD COST.
UH, BUT THAT, THAT MONEY, THAT 25 MILLION IS THE BUDGETED AMOUNT TO MEET THE GOAL.
AND THANKS FOR BRINGING UP THE ADOPTED DRAIN PROGRAM.
WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THAT IN A LONG TIME.
I HELPED START THAT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER COSTELLO BACK IN 2018.
UM, PROBABLY TRYING TO DO ANOTHER EDUCATION.
UM, OTHER BIG PITCH FOR EVERYBODY TO, THAT'S A DRAIN, NOT A DITCH MAY, I MEAN, YOU'VE ADOPTED YOUR DITCH.
IF YOU OWN THE PROPERTY, IT'S, IT'S YOURS.
IT'S, UH, BUT ON THE DRAIN, UM, HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY DRAINS ARE ADOPTED STILL OR PEOPLE STILL, AND IT'S TIME TO DO ANOTHER BIG PUSH ON THAT.
DO WE WE ARE GOING TO GOOD, UH, BEHIND ME, UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER GREAT MANAGE ENGINEER, UH, CERTIFIED FLOW PLANE MANAGER.
MANIC IS, IS LEADING NOW THE EFFORTS OF, UH, UH, THE ADOPT THE DREAM PROGRAM GREAT.
IS, UH, LIKELY NOW IN THE PROCESS TO HIRE SOME PEOPLE.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRING THESE NEW FOLKS ON BOARD AND, AND, AND GIVE A VERY BIG PUSH THAT IS OH, THAT'S GOOD.
WE, WE, WE SPEND SO MUCH MONEY CLEARING OUT THOSE STORM DRAINS, SO IT'S REALLY HELPFUL.
SO THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
[00:40:01]
THANK YOU.AND COUNCIL MEMBER THIS PAST, UM, BUDGET, IT WAS 51 MILLION THAT WE, FROM OUR UNDERSTANDING, THAT WAS, UM, BUDGETED FOR THE DIET DETROIT ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM.
IT, IT STARTED OFF, WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS? YOU HAVE 51 50 1 MILLION FOR THIS YEAR? YES.
IT, IT'S ALL STORM WATER FUND TOO, RIGHT? ESTABLISHMENT.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE STORM WATER FUND BUDGET, IT'S LIKE 76 MILLION TO BE DIVIDED BETWEEN REGULAR STUFF AND DITCH MAINTENANCE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BREAKDOWN IS, BUT YOU'RE SAYING 51 WAS THE DITCH MAINTENANCE FROM UNDERSTANDING THERE WAS A ROLLOVER FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THAT'S, SO WE HAVE ROLLOVERS, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE SOME ROLLOVERS.
WE WAITING FOR, THE AFTER BUDGET WAS APPROVED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
WE WAITING ALL THE FIGURES TO BE, UH, CONSOLIDATED AND COMMUNICATED.
BUT YEAH, IT WAS 9 MILLION
IT'S NOT ADDITIONAL FUNDING BESIDES STORMWATER.
IT'S ALL FUNDED THROUGH STORMWATER.
THE, THE, I THINK, AND WE NEED TO, I NEED TO GO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
I REMEMBER DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, THERE WERE SOME, UM, THERE WERE SOME DISCUSSION WHERE THE DITCH ESTABLISHMENT, UM, WELL I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
AND, AND THEN ALSO ON ONE OF THE SLIDES, I THINK IT'S, YOU HAVE LIKE FIFTH THE GOALS WHERE YOU HAVE THE MILES INSPECTED AND THEN YOU HAVE THE ACTUAL, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE MILES RE ESTABLISHED AND EACH, THE GOAL IS 500 MILES.
IS THAT BASED UPON, IS THAT JUST LIKE A STANDARD YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE DOING 500 MILES EVERY YEAR? SO THIS WAS WHEN DID THE, THE, THE ALL DISCUSSION HAPPENED, I THINK IN 23, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF ENGINEERS INVOLVED TO SAY, WHAT WAS THE BEST PRACTICE TO DO THAT.
UH, IT WAS A VERY FINE LINE TO DO TOO MUCH WHEN NEEDS THAT NEEDED OR DO TOO LITTLE WHEN THEY INSTEAD IT WAS NEEDED.
SO, UM, A LOT OF STUFF, SOME PRESIDENT TODAY, THEY WORK ON WHAT WOULD IT BE, UH, UH, A, A, A PROGRAM THAT CAN WORK ADDRESS WITHOUT CAUSING A LOT OF DELAYS OR AGAIN, MISUSE FUNDING.
DO SOMETHING WHERE THESE, YOU KNOW, REALLY DON'T NEED IT.
SO, UH, NOW AGAIN, WE ARE YEAR THREE THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO PASS MY CAREER.
SO, UH, THE, THE COMMITMENT FOR PUBLIC POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALWAYS TO REVIEW THE EFFICIENCY OF THIS PROGRAM.
ANY PROGRAM THAT HAS SOME GUIDELINES OR S SO P IS ALWAYS A LIVING PROGRAM.
UH, IF THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS, IF THERE ARE LESSONS LEARNED, ALL OF THOSE GET INCORPORATED IN THE PROGRAM.
AND IF THERE IS A 60 OR EXACTLY 75, WE'LL ADOPT.
IF IT'S A 40 75, WE'LL ADJUST AS WELL.
UH, THINGS ARE TIED TO BUDGET TOO, SO THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN TODAY.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE.
WE DO HAVE A, UH, PARKING PAD, UH, ON TOP OF A DITCH.
UN PERMANENTED RED TAGGED, BEEN TOW NOTIFIED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT IT'S, THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO OTHER THAN RECEIVE CONSISTENT CITATION.
SO THAT IS ONE THAT ACTUALLY DID GET BROUGHT UP TO LEGAL, BUT IT HAS GONE NOWHERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION AND I'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU.
THE OTHER ISSUE WE HAD WAS, UH, ME AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO THIS PAST SATURDAY WENT ON A SITE VISIT TO A PROPERTY, UM, BEHIND THE PROPERTIES FLATLAND.
EVERYTHING WAS TORE DOWN OVER THERE.
WHEN IT RAINS, IT SEEMS AS IF THE RUNOFF GOES TOWARDS THE BACKYARDS OF THE PROPERTIES.
UH, THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OF THE COMPLAINANT'S, UH, HAD A TUBE GO FROM THEIR BACKYARD WHERE THE FLATLAND IS AT AND RUN IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THEIR FRONT YARD AND HAVE A LITTLE SPOUT INTO THEIR FRONT DITCH.
UM, WANTING TO KNOW WHERE, IF, IF THAT'S A PERMITTED WORK, IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS WORK WITH, OR HOW YOU GUYS DEAL WITH REMOVING THAT COMING INTO THE DITCH.
YEAH, SO, UM, AFTER THE MEETING, IF YOU CAN SHARE WITH ME THAT LOCATION, I'LL HAVE SOME OF OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT GROUP GO OUT AND INSPECT AND EVALUATE, AND THEN THEY CAN ALSO MEET WITH THE OFFICE OF CITY ENGINEER TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY PERMANENT WORK FOR THAT ACTIVITY.
THEN THE LAST THING I HAD HERE, UM, WE HAVE HAD SOME HOUSES BE DEMOLISHED IN CLOSE TO DEAD ENDS, BUT NEAR SOME NEAR NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, AND NOW SOME OF THE CONSTITUENTS NEARBY ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT A PARKING LOT.
MIND YOU, THE PARKING LOT'S GOING TO BE THERE, BUT NOW THEY'RE ASKING, SINCE IT'S A DEAD END, THERE'S NO DITCHES AND THERE'S A PARKING LOT, WHICH MEANS THERE'S NO WATER TO, THERE'S NO, UH, I GUESS SOIL TO ABSORB THE WATER.
THERE WOULD BE NO DITCHES AND THEREFORE THEIR DEAD END AREA WHERE THEIR HOMES WERE AT WOULD FLOOD.
WHAT, WHERE WOULD WE KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT DITCHES ARE ESTABLISHED THERE? YEAH, SO IF, IF THERE IS, AND ONCE AGAIN, AFTER THE MEETING GIVING THE ADDRESS, BUT I WILL JUST TELL YOU HIGH LEVEL, IF THERE IS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, THAT DEVELOPMENT IS THEIR JOB TO, UH, DETAIN THEIR OWN WATER ON THEIR SITE FOR LIMITED TIME OR TO CONVEY IT TO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
SO, UH, NEW DEVELOPMENT CAN'T JUST FLOOD EXISTING DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF YOU GIVE ME THE ADDRESS AFTER THE MEETING, I'LL HAVE OUR GUYS LOOK AT IT AND WE CAN GET BACK TO YOUR OFFICE AND LET YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S PROPOSED FOR THAT SITE.
[00:45:01]
YOU.UM, WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ONLINE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ELLA, YOU, YOU SO MUCH.
UH, JUST REAL QUICK, THE, THE, UH, TEAMS CALL KIND OF DROPPED OUT FOR A SECOND WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FTES VERSUS CONTRACTORS.
COULD YOU JUST CONFIRM AGAIN, KIND OF THE BREAKDOWN AS IT STANDS OF, YOU KNOW, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS DOING THE WORK? YES, WE, WE CAN PROVIDE THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO ROUGHLY IT'S ABOUT, UH, 75 TO 25%.
OH, UH, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT, SO ROUGHLY ABOUT 75 TO 25% VERSUS, UH, CONTRACTOR IN-HOUSE.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION IN REGARDS TO, UM, I KNOW WE TALKED THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT.
DOES THE DITCH RISK ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM INCLUDE THE ORPHAN ORPHAN DITCHES, OR IS THAT HANDLED BY ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT? WE HAVE, WE HAVE FEW OF THOSE ORPHAN DITCHES.
I THINK I HELP YOUR, YOUR, YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT WITH THE WE, SOME OF THOSE.
UM, WE LITERALLY WORK WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH THE FLOW CONTROL TO FIND OUT WHO OWNS IT.
SOME ARE, UM, CAN BE A NATURAL RAVINE, UH, NOT NECESSARILY A DITCH.
SO IF IT'S A RAVINE, IT MIGHT NOT BE IN OUR BEST, YOU KNOW, UH, SCOPE TO THE DRESS STEP, BUT SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO WHERE WE DID, WE ANALYZE, I THINK ONE OF THE LATEST ONE, I CAN GO LOOK AT MY RECORDS.
WE ENDED UP BRING SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
I THINK YOU WERE INVOLVED IN A, A WALK WITH SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IT WAS A CLEANUP, REMEMBER OVER, OFF IN FIFTH WARD, THE INGRAM GULLY.
BUT THERE'S ALSO A ORPHAN DITCH IN, UM, LAKEWOOD, UM, RIGHT BEHIND LAKEWOOD PARK.
IT'S, AND OF COURSE WHEN DIRECTOR HADDOCK WAS, YOU KNOW, OVER THE DEPARTMENT, WE LOOKED AT THAT ORPHAN DITCH AND THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER ORPHAN DITCHES THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET, LIKE LITERALLY TAKEN CARE OF BECAUSE IF THOSE, AGAIN, IF THEY'RE NOT REGRADED AND CLEANED OUT, THEN OF COURSE THAT'S HOW NEIGHBORHOODS FLOOD.
AND IN MY OPINION, THAT'S HOW THE LAKE LAKEWOOD AREA FLOODED BECAUSE THAT OF THAT PARTICULAR DITCH AND THOSE, THAT THOSE, THAT WATER FLOWS TO THE GREENS BIO.
AND SO IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE DITCHES, WHOEVER OWNS IT, SOMEONE HAS TO GO AND, UM, CHECK IT OUT AND GET IT CLEANED OUT FOR US.
AND, AND WE WILL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT.
UH, WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE POINTING FINGERS, IT'S JUST FLOOD CONTROL TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
UH, IF WE NEED TO, TO ALLEVIATE OR PREVENT FLOODING, WE'LL GO OUT AND ADDRESS IT AND THEN WE CAN WORRY ABOUT WHO ACTUALLY OWNS IT LATER ON.
BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET IT DRAINED SO IT DOESN'T NEGATIVELY IMPACT CONSTITUENTS.
IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY NO ONE IS OWNING IT.
FLOOD CONTROL IS NOT OWNING IT, BUT IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UM, WOULD LOVE TO HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH YOU GUYS ABOUT, ABOUT THAT.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? NO, I WILL.
THANK YOU MR. BUTLER AND CAPELLO FOR, UM, TAKING THE TIME TO PRESENT.
UM, AND BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS, I WANNA THANK THE DIRECTOR MFA, HIS PARTNERSHIP, UM, EVERYTHING HE'S DOING TO, UM, ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DISTRICT REPS RAISE AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY AND JUST LIKE REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE NEED, THE NEEDS ARE AND DOING WHAT HE CAN TO, UM, CREATIVELY COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS.
AND SO I WANT TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT OUT AND THEN ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO YOUR TEAM.
Y'ALL WANNA STAND UP AND SO WE CAN GIVE Y'ALL APPLAUSE.
UM, WITHOUT YOU GUYS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WILL BE FLOODED.
SO THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO DO WHAT YOU DO TO MAKE SURE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T FLOOD, UM, EVERY TIME IT RAINS.
UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF, UM, FOLKS THAT HAVE JUST WANNA SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC.
UH, IF Y'ALL WANT SIT IN THE ROUND, SHE MIGHT HAVE, UM, HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
WE ARE GONNA START OUT WITH MS. VICKI MARTIN.
MS. VICKI MARTIN, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
MS. VICKI MARTIN REPRESENT THE BEAUTIFUL DISTRICT, DISTRICT D AND THE MIC ONE WORKS.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I'M IN AN EAST HOUSTON CITY GAS AREA OF CITY, AND THE DITCH REESTABLISHES IS WORKING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE ACTIVE, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORK EMPLOYEES IN THE AREA.
NOW WE JUST HAVE A FEW CONCERNS IF THEY CAN TWEAK.
WE WANTED TO KNOW THAT WHILE THEY'RE OUT DOING THE REESTABLISHMENT OR THE DEGRADE OR THE, UM, SHOOTING THE GRADE OF THE DITCHES, IF THEY'RE ARMED WITH DOING ANY CITATIONS OR NOTIFICATIONS TO
[00:50:01]
LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEIR DITCHES ARE NOT BEING MAINTAINED OR THERE'S SOME TYPE OF STRUCTURE, NOT JUST DIG THE DITCH AND CONTINUE DOWN THE STREET, BUT ADDRESS THIS.BECAUSE IN OUR CGAS AREA, WE HAVE ISSUES WHERE WE HAVE PROPER PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE MAINTAINING THEIR PROPERTY, BUT THEY'RE LOCATED NEXT TO AN EMPTY LOT AND THAT LOT IS NOT BEING MAINTAINED.
SO THE WATER LEAVES THEIR PROPERTY HITS THAT EMPTY LOT AND IT, IT DOES NOT GO ANYWHERE.
AND WE KNOW FLOODING IS CAUSED WHEN WATER IS ENABLED FROM MOVING TO WHERE IT HAS TO GO.
ALSO, FRIENDS OF, UH, LITTLE YARD STEAD, UH, VAN Z AND HIRSH ROAD LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE RIVER.
THEY ARE PUTTING COVID DOWN AND THERE ARE SOME ODD SHAPED COTS.
THEY'RE NOT CIRCULAR, THEY'RE JUST FLAT AT THE BOTTOM.
AND SO THOSE, AND DID SOMEONE SAY THAT THOSE ARE BETTER.
AND TO YOUR POINT OF ORPHAN DITCHES, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY, 91 0 5 AND 91 0 6 DENTON, WE HAVE, WE ARE ON THE TASK FORCE WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
IT'S NOT OWNED BY, IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED, BUT NOT BY THE CITY.
AND IT'S, WE CAN'T EVEN GET ON THE SIDEWALK.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME NOTIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE WATER BILL, WHICH ARE DUES AND DON'TS, HAVE A PICTURE.
PEOPLE ARE VISUAL, HAVE A DO PICTURE AND A DOWN BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT OWN PROPERTIES ON THE STREET SIDE, LIKE DENTON AND TREMONT, THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE ONLY RESPONSIBLE UP TO THEIR FENCE LINE.
THEY DON'T THINK THEY NEED TO COME OUTSIDE OF THEIR PROPERTY AND TAKE CARE OF THE DITCH OUTSIDE.
THEY SAY, OH, THAT BELONG, THAT BELONGS TO THE CITY.
AND ILLEGAL DUMPING IS AN ISSUE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
BUT LET'S NOT FORGET THIS COHORT, WHICH IS LITTERING BECAUSE THE LITTER BEGINS, THE ILLEGAL DUMPING FOR DITCHES AND INLETS BECAUSE THEY CLAW THE DITCHES AND THE INLET, THEY IMPEDE THE FLOW OF WATER AND WE ARE IN TUNE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT, AND, AND SOME HOMEOWNERS DO NOT WANT THEIR DITCHES TO BE DISTURBED BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE AN ISSUE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CITY AND THEY, AND THE CITY AGREES WITH THEM.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CITY ASSESS BEFORE THEY COME OUT SO THAT THEY'LL KNOW WHICH PROPERTIES TO SKIP INSTEAD OF DOING ALL OF THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE DAMAGING THE SHOULDER OF SOME PEOPLE PROPERTIES BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY WEIGHT OF THE TRUCKS.
WHILE THEY'RE WAITING OR STAGED, THEY ARE DAMAGING THE SIDE SHOULDER OF PEOPLE PROPERTIES.
AND WE HAVE PHOTOS AND PEOPLE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE WHATS.
AND, AND, AND OF COURSE THOSE ADDRESSES, JUST MAKE SURE THAT MY OFFICE KNOW ABOUT IT.
BUT THEN ALSO, UM, MR. UM, BUTLER, LIKE WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE ABSENT RESIDENTS THAT DITCHES ARE NOT BEING MAINTAINED? ARE WE, YOU KNOW, FINDING THOSE FOLKS? I KNOW WE ARE TAGGING, BUT HOW ARE WE HANDLING THOSE SITUATIONS? YEAH.
CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, ONCE AGAIN, IT'S THROUGH, UH, NOTIFICATION, THEN IT'S A CITATION, AND THEN IT HAS TO FOLLOW THAT COURSE OF ACTION.
UH, WE REALLY WANT TO DO WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, BE A PARTNER AND REMIND THEM OF WHAT THEY NEED TO DO VERSUS HAVING TO GO THROUGH LEGAL AND CITATIONS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT AS A END RESULT, IF THEY ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE, THEN WE WILL START WITH THE CITATIONS AND GO THROUGH THAT LEGAL PROCESS.
SO WHAT SHE WAS MENTIONING, THE TRUCKS, UH, YEAH, THE TRUCKS, WHEN THEY'RE, WE HAVE OPEN DITCHES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WHEN THEY'RE SHOWED ON THE ROAD WAITING FOR THE NEXT DUMP TRUCK TO COME, THEY'RE STAGED THERE AND THEY'RE ON, IT'S THE CITY'S RIGHT AWAY, BUT IT'S A, A BUNCH TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.
SO THEY'RE LEAVING AND THERE'S RUTS IN THE DITCH, WHICH WE HAVE A VORTEX OF MOSQUITOES.
SO WHEN IT RAINS AND YOU HAVE A RUT, IT'S A PLACE FOR WATER TO HOLD.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME TYPE OF DOOR KNOCKER OR SOMETHING PUT ON THOSE PROPERTIES THAT YOU KNOW ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WHEN YOU ARE OUT THERE.
SO I, I TELL YOU WHAT, WE CAN WORK WITH HER OFFLINE AND GET SOME ACTUAL ADDRESSES.
AND MAYBE EVEN SOME, UH, IF YOU HAVE VEHICLE NUMBERS OR LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS, AND MAYBE WE CAN DO SOME ENFORCEMENT THAT WAY, BUT WE'LL TALK OFFLINE.
THANK YOU'ALL FOR ALLOWING THE FUNDS TO BE THERE FOR THE DIGITAL ESTABLISHMENT.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE MS. ALYSSA WELLER.
UM, I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISUNDERSTAND.
UH, IT WAS 25 MILLION SPENT ON JUST THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM IN, IN 24, 25, AND 26 AND 51 MILLION BUDGETED JUST FOR THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM IN 20 F YOUR FY 27.
[00:55:02]
IS THAT RIGHT? BUT I'M CHASING IF I'M ALLOWED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.UM, THE GOAL IS THAT THE, THE LAY MILES ADDRESS, THE COSTS ARE LESS THAN 25.
SO $25 MILLION WAS THE BUDGETED AMOUNT TO ADDRESS THE GOAL.
SO THIS YEAR IS HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH IS BUDGETED FOR JUST THE D TREE ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM IN FY FOR WHAT YEAR? IN FY 27? UH, WE'LL GET BACK WITH THE NUMBER.
WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO COMPARE SOME INFORMATION THAT WE HAD.
SO, AND I'LL MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE, THE CHAIR.
UM, AND THEN, UH, HOW EXACTLY DOES HOUSTON PUBLIC WORK STAFF MONITOR AND PERFORM QUALITY CONTROL FOR DITCH TREE ESTABLISHMENT PROJECTS COMPLETED BY CONTRACTORS? AND HOW DO THEY MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE UP TO STANDARD? AND THEN LASTLY, MY, UH, OTHER QUESTION WAS, IS HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS ABLE TO COMMIT TO A TIMELINE FOR THE UPDATED DASHBOARD? AND THAT'S WHAT I HAD.
UH, INSPECTION IS DONE BY NOW.
INSPECTOR INSPECTORS, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
SO ALL QUALITY CONTROLLED BY THEN THE SPEC, THE CONTRACTOR IS BEEN DONE THROUGH OUR INSPECTION SERVICES.
UH, THE DASHBOARD IS SOMETHING, IS WE WORKING IN PROCESS.
SO WE RECOGNIZE DURING THE PRESENTATION THAT WHAT WE HAVE, PRESENTATION THAT MM-HMM
WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE IS PARTIAL INFORMATION, BUT ALL DECK TRY TO MAKE A CO ALL COMPREHENSIVE DASHBOARD.
IT IS PUBLIC FACING AND IT'S INFORMATION THAT THE, THE PUBLIC REQUESTS AND NEEDS.
UM, SO DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE, UM, WANT TO SPEAK? IF NOT, WE WILL ADJOURN.
WE WILL ADJOURN, BUT I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT OUR NEXT SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE MEETING IS JULY THE 22ND.
UM, OUR NEXT MEETING, WE WILL ALSO HAVE PUBLIC WORKS THAT WILL TALK ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTIONS.
UM, PUBLIC WORKS TOOK OVER NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTIONS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND THE NEXT MONTH, UM, WE WILL GET THE PROGRESS REPORT ON HOW THE TRANSITION IS GOING.
AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF YOU'RE INTERESTING, INTERESTED IN RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT THE SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE, PLEASE CONTACT OUR DISTRICT B OFFICE AT DISTRICT B@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE TIME IS 2:57 PM THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.