[Service Delivery Committee on July 22, 2026]
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THE MEMBER PECK'S OFFICE, PRO MAP, PRO TE PECK OFFICE.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM ELLA'S OFFICE, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, RAMIREZ'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE, AND MAYOR PRO TEM CAST TATUM OFFICE.
AND SO THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD IN HYBRID MODE IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL, AND IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
THE CHAIR IS AS PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COMMITTEE IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE CHAMBERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 5 1 0.127 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY, UM, VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. TODAY WE WILL HEAR A PRESENTATION FROM PUBLIC WORKS ON NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTIONS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF PRESENTATION.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION AND ARE PRESENT IN THE CHAMBERS REQUEST TO SPEAK.
IF YOU ARE ADURING JOINING VIRTUALLY TYPE REQUEST TO SPEAK IN THE CHAT POD AND YOU WILL BE RECOGNIZED IN ORDER.
AND WHEN YOU ARE RECOGNIZED, PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONE AND ENSURE YOUR CAMERA IS ON.
YOU WILL BE ADVISED WHEN THE TWO MINUTES HAVE EXPIRED, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY USE THE CHAT POD IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY PROBLEMS. UM, THEN WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF YOU DIDN'T GET THE LIST BEFORE THE DEADLINE AND YOU'LL LIKE TO SPEAK, UM, PLEASE SIGN UP AT THE SIGNUP SHEET RIGHT THERE AT THE TABLE AND WE'LL ADD YOU TO THE LIST.
AND SO TODAY WE'LL BE JOINED, UM, WITH CHRIS SHEHAN WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HEARING ABOUT THE PROGRESS YOU GUYS HAVE MADE SINCE, UM, MOVING, UM, COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TO PUBLIC WORKS.
AND SO, UM, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU, YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, WE HAVE THE SLIDE DECK UP.
SO WE'RE GONNA TALK THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM WITHIN HOUSTON, AND, AND WE I CAN, CAN YOU TALK INTO THE MIC, PLEASE? THANK YOU.
IS THERE A WAY TO RAISE IT UP? YES, RAISE IT UP PLEASE.
UH, SO THIS AFTERNOON I'M GONNA GIVE YOU GUYS AN OVERVIEW OF OUR COMMUNITY, CO COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM, AND THE, UH, SOME UPDATES FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN FROM FISCAL YEAR 25, UH, UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS INTO THE TRANSITION, A MERGER INTO HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UH, WITH A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT, UH, JUST SOME, SOME DATA AND SOME OF OUR ACTIVITIES OVER THE LAST, UH, FISCAL YEAR.
SO WITH AN OVERVIEW, WE'LL LOOK AT COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT DUTIES, PARTNERSHIP EXPANSIONS, HIGHLIGHTS OF MEASURABLE RESULTS OF FY 25 AND FY 26 CONTRACT SPEND AND OPERATIONAL CAPACITY AND FY 26 LIEN ASSESSMENTS AND COLLECTIONS.
SO THIS IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL VIEW OF, OF THIS, OF OUR COMMUNITY CODE, COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM WITHIN THE CODE ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE DIVISION WITH WITHIN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, THAT NAME CODE ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE IS A REBRAND FROM WHAT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER.
UM, WE, THE, THE DEPARTMENT HAS REALIGNED AND WE'VE RENAMED OURSELF AS CODE ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE DIVISION, WHICH IS, UM, A TIGHTER RESPONSIBILITY AS AS TO WHAT OUR TEAM ACTUALLY DOES WITHIN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER IS THE BUILDING, OF COURSE, WHERE WE'RE HOUSED AT.
HOWEVER, THAT, UH, WE HAVE SIX PARTNERING DEPARTMENTS THAT, THAT OCCUPY THE BUILDING AND WE WORK ROUTINELY WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
SO WITHIN OUR DIVISION, WE HAVE A PROJECT DELIVERY, CONSTRUCTION CODE AND COMPLIANCE, AND OUR FINANCIAL OPERATIONS.
THOSE ARE THE THREE BRANCHES WITHIN OUR DIVISION.
COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT IS A PROGRAM WE'RE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT TODAY.
AND YOU SEE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS UNDERNEATH THE COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM WITH BUSINESS SUPPORT PROCESSING, OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS, CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND LIEN COLLECTION, UH, CALL CENTER FOR CUSTOMERS CALLING IN TO INQUIRE ABOUT 3 1 1 CASES OR JUST, UH, A CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUE IN GENERAL, AS WELL AS OUR EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, UH, GOING TO DIFFERENT CIVIC CLUBS, COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS, AND TOWN HALL MEETINGS TO DISCUSS, UH, CONCERNS FOR RESIDENTS.
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AND THEN OUR INSPECTIONS.WE HAVE A DANGEROUS BUILDINGS TEAM, NUISANCE ABATEMENT AND JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES, HEARINGS AND LIENS.
AND ONE OF OUR MOST RECENT INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE STOOD UP OP OPERATIONALLY IS OUR PROHIBITED YARD PARKING AND ENFORCEMENT.
SO, EXPANSION ON OUR PARTNERSHIPS FROM FY 25 INTO 26.
SO UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, WE HAD HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT EXPANDING WARRANT SERVICE.
HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS WITH TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE OPERATION APPROACH TO PRIVATE AND PUBLIC MOWING INITIATIVES.
OVER THE LAST YEAR, 15 MONTHS OR SO.
UH, WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS, WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR PARTNERSHIPS.
UH, WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH HPDS DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TEAM, HPDS ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT GROUP, UH, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY A LOT OF INTERACTION WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SOLID WASTE, WHICH IS, UM, NOW A PART OF, OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
SO WE HAVE A, A PARTNERING DEPARTMENT IS NOW PART OF PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH, UH, STRENGTHENS THAT BOND WITH OUR, WITH THAT WORKING TOGETHER, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, TEXAS HOUSERS, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, HARRIS COUNTY PROBATE RESOURCES, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON HISTORICAL PRESERVATIONS UNION, PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY, AND PARK HOUSTON, THE DIVISION WITH AN A RA.
SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME NUMBERS HERE.
COMPARISONS FROM FY 25 PRE-PUBLIC WORKS MERGE INTO OUR RESULTS WITHIN FY 26 HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU WILL SEE AN FY 25.
THERE WAS A 169 ABATEMENTS PERFORMED.
ONE JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE WAS CRUSHED.
THREE COMMUNITY EDUCATION OUTREACH EVENTS ATTENDED AND ROUGHLY 11,500, UH, OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS MOVING INTO FISCAL YEAR 26 FY 26 UNDER IN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, WE PERFORMED 973 ABATEMENTS.
UH, 29 JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES HAVE BEEN CRUSHED.
872 OWNER COMPLIANCE FOR JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE CASES, MEANING THAT THE OWNER HAS RESOLVED THE NOTICE AND REMOVED THE JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE, UH, PROHIBITED YARD PARKING 621 CASES.
SINCE WE ROLLED THIS PROGRAM OUT IN JANUARY OF 26, WE'VE ATTENDED 25 COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION EVENTS.
AND ACROSS THE CITY BETWEEN OWNER COMPLIANCE AND CITY DEMOLITIONS, THERE'S BEEN 483 DANGEROUS BUILDINGS REMOVED FROM THE CITY.
AND, UM, AND FY 26, WE ACHIEVED 12,604 OPEN RECORD REQUESTS, UH, COMPLETED.
SO LOOKING AT A HIGH LEVEL OF WHERE THE WORK IS GOING AND, UH, WHERE THE COMPLAINTS ARE COMING IN THROUGH 3 1 1.
SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN FROM FY 25 AND FY 26 ACROSS THE BOARD IS A A 26% INCREASE IN 3 0 1 VOLUME.
AND WE'VE HAD AN UPTICK ACROSS THE BOARD ACROSS ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS, ROUGHLY 26% OUT OF THE, UH, 11 COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
DISTRICT F IS EXHIBITING THE HIGHEST UPTICK IN PERCENTAGES.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN IN NUMBERS ON, ON THE LEFT HAND GRAPHIC BETWEEN FY 25 AND FY 26, UM, SHOWING THAT A, ACROSS ALL DISTRICTS, THERE'S BEEN A PERCENTAGE INCREASE ON VOLUME OF, OF COMPLAINTS COMING INTO 3 1 1.
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE, UH, SERVICE REQUESTS BY CATEGORY.
SO THIS IS FUNCTIONALLY SOME OF THE OPERATIONAL TEAMS WITHIN COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, GRAFFITI, JUNK, MOTOR VEHICLE, MINIMUM STANDARDS, NUISANCES, AND PROHIBITED YARD PARKING, JUST BY THE NUMBERS SHOWING THE, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE COMPARISON AND OVERALL THE UPTICK, UM, IN VOLUME.
DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, OF COURSE, NOTABLY WITH A 51% INCREASE IN CASES RECEIVED ACROSS THE CITY.
SUMMARY OF INSPECTIONS COMPLETED BETWEEN FY 25 AND FY 26.
SO YOU SEE OWNER COMPLIANCE AS A, UH, A NEGATIVE.
WE'VE GONE DOWN, UH, 18% DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS, 5,732 VERSUS 5,113 AND 25 JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE.
THAT PROGRAM HAS TAKEN A LOT OF TRACTION.
WE'VE INVESTED RESOURCES AND BECOME MORE EFFICIENT, UH, AT ADDRESSING JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES ACROSS THE CITY.
SO YOU SEE A 49% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS.
AND OF COURSE, THE NUMBERS ALSO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES ON THE AMOUNT OF VEHICLES THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY TOWED AND HAD CRUSHED.
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THEN OUR, OUR, UH, THE NUISANCES OF 77,419 AND FY 25 TO 6,749 AND FY 26.SO, SUMMARY OF COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT.
SO LOOKING AT DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, CITY DEMOLISHED AN FY 25 BEFORE THE MERGER INTO PUBLIC WORKS.
THERE WAS 81 BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED.
UM, AND THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, WE DEMOLISHED 141 STRUCTURES.
UH, OUT OF THAT, THE IN FY 25 OWNER DEMOLISHED 324 AND FY 25 TO 349, WHICH IS, UH, OWNER DEMOLISHED.
OWNER COMPLIANCE IS ALWAYS THE, THE PREFERRED PATH, RIGHT? WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE OWNER COMPLIANCE WHERE THE CITY'S NOT HAVING TO EXPEND ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UH, TO REMOVE THE PROBLEMS. TOTAL DEMOLITIONS 405 VERSUS 490 JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES.
AGAIN, YOU, YOU SEE FROM ONE TO 29.
UH, WE, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A VERY AGGRESSIVE TEAM NOW THAT'S GETTING THIS OPERATION STOOD UP TO GET BETTER COMPLIANCE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING THE RESOURCES WE'RE, WE'RE UTILIZING STAFF THAT ARE DEALING WITH JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES AS WELL AS OUR PROHIBITED YARD PARKING ENFORCEMENT.
AND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WE SEE WEEDED LOTS.
YOU SEE WE'VE PERFORMED 581 ABATEMENTS.
WE HAVE, UH, DECREASED THE AMOUNT OF EMERGENCY ABATEMENTS OWNER COMPLIANCE FROM 8,777 TO 707,345 AND THEN RESOLVED LOTS, WHICH TO EXPLAIN WHAT RESOLVED.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF CASES THAT MAY COME IN THROUGH 3 1 1, WHERE THE TEAM WOULD GO BACK AND THAT WOULD ISSUE NOTICE TO, TO THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
HOWEVER, IT'S BEEN DETERMINED AT THAT TIME THAT THE LOT WAS NOT NECESSARILY ACHIEVED BY OWNER COMPLIANCE.
HOWEVER, IT COULD HAVE BEEN PERHAPS A, A HOT TEAM OR ONE OF THESE, UH, VOLUNTEER GROUPS THAT HAVE GONE OUT AND MOWED THE GRASS OR REMOVED THE PROBLEMS. UM, AS WELL AS WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL TO US AND SAY, LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THIS, THIS LOT'S BEEN A PROBLEM BEFORE, AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY GONE OUT THERE ON THEIR OWN ACCORD, UM, AND MOWED THE GRASS OR REMOVED THE PROBLEM, CUT THE WEEDS, PICKED UP THE TREE LIMBS.
SO, TAKING A LOOK AT OUR OUTREACH EVENTS, UH, AND FY 25, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THERE WAS THREE EVENTS THAT WERE ATTENDED.
UM, NOW IN HOUSTON, PUBLIC WORKS WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.
UM, WE GET QUITE A BIT OF REQUESTS.
YOU SEE, WE, WE ATTENDED 25 EVENTS LAST YEAR BETWEEN CIVIC CLUBS, TOWN HALLS, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, VIRTUALLY IN PERSON MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
AND, UH, THERE'S BEEN A HANDFUL OF, UH, EVENTS THAT WE'VE ATTENDED OVER THE WEEKENDS AS WELL.
SO, CONTRACT SPENDING, OPERATIONAL CAPACITY, LOOKING AT FISCAL YEAR 26.
SO OUT OF THE 101 HUNDRED 41 STRUCTURES THAT THE CITY HAS DEMOLISHED, THAT, UH, EQUATES TO $1.7 MILLION IN FUNDS, 978 CASES OF NUISANCE ABATEMENT, UH, 130, OR EXCUSE ME, 1.34 MILLION.
AND THAT'S UTILIZING OUR SIX NUISANCE CONTRACTORS, UH, WHICH WERE THOSE, THOSE SIX NUISANCE CONTRACTORS WERE ONBOARDED WORKING UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEY HAVE MOVED INTO, UH, WORKING WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AS WE'VE MOVED FORWARD INTO THROUGHOUT LAST FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE FIVE DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS, SOME, SOME WHICH WERE EXISTING CONTRACTORS.
AND THEN THREE NEW BROWN AND ROOT HONESTY CONSTRUCTION GROUP AND INTERCON ENVIRONMENTAL, WHICH ARE, UH, WERE RECENTLY ONBOARDED, UM, WITH CITY FINANCE INTO HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
AND WE ARE GETTING THESE, THEY'RE ACTIVELY PERFORMING DEMOLITIONS.
UM, AND WE ARE, UH, LOOKING AT HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THESE FOLKS AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO LOOK AT FUTURE DEMOLITIONS CONTRACT CAPACITY AND CASELOAD DEMAND.
SO THE LEGACY CONTRACT PORTFOLIO, ORIGINAL NUISANCE ABATEMENT CONTRACTS WERE BUILT WITH LIMITED FUNDING RESULTING IN SMALL CONTRACT CAPACITIES.
DESPITE HIGH CASELOADS WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS INCREASED INVESTMENT, EXISTING CONTRACTS ARE BEING UTILIZED MORE RAPIDLY AND APPROACHING THEIR CAPACITY.
SO LIMITATIONS ON COST FOR RECOVERY, COST FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY ABATEMENTS CAN BE RECOVERED THROUGH LIENS AND PENALTIES.
COST FOR CITY OWNED PROPERTY ABATEMENTS CANNOT BE RECOVERED REQUIRING HPW TO ABSORB THE FULL EXPENSE TO, TO, UH, I GUESS TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON, SO CITY OWNED PROPERTIES, WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S SEVERAL PARCELS THROUGHOUT THE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT MAY BE CITY OWNED, WHETHER IT'S OWNED BY, UH, A CERTAIN CITY DEPARTMENT, UM, OR ON THE TAX ROLLS AS AS BELONGING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SOMETIMES THERE'S A NEED FOR US TO GO OUT THERE AND TAKE ACTION.
SO IF WE ARE EXPENDING FUNDS USE UTILIZING
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ONE OF OUR NUISANCE CONTRACTORS, THOSE THOSE FUNDS ARE NOT RECOVERABLE.'CAUSE WE'RE NOT LEANING OURSELVES.
OPERATIONAL IMPACTS A SHIFT TO A MORE RESPONSIVE CITYWIDE ABATEMENT STRATEGY MEANS MORE PROPERTIES ARE SCHEDULED AT ONCE, AND WITH ONLY 11 SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS, VENDOR AVAILABILITY BECOMES A MAIN CONSTRAINT.
SO I HAVE TO BE MINDFUL AS WELL AS THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE'RE MOVING THROUGH OUR OPERATION, SENDING TO OUR CONTRACTORS IF THEY HAVE THE BANDWIDTH OR THE CAPACITY TO PERFORM THE WORK.
UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME IT, IT, IT'S ALMOST COMICAL TO A POINT WHERE I CALL A CONTRACTOR OR OUR FINANCE GROUP CALLS A CONTRACTOR AND SAY, LOOK, I GOT TOO MUCH WORK RIGHT NOW.
I, I, I CAN'T GET TO IT IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO WE, WE TRY TO DIVIDE THAT AMONGST OUR CONTRACTORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S EQUAL DISTRIBUTION AND OF COURSE, RESPONSIVENESS FROM THE CONTRACTORS TO PERFORM THE, THE ABATEMENTS THAT WE REQUEST.
SO HERE'S A LOOK AT OUR LIEN ASSESSMENTS AND COLLECTIONS OVER THE LAST FISCAL YEAR.
SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE LIENS COLLECTED ACROSS THE BOARD BETWEEN DEMOLITIONS 225, UH, WEEDING, WHICH IS YOUR WEEDED LOTS, YOUR NUISANCES, RE, UH, ABATEMENT, RECOVERY, UH, EXCUSE ME, LIEN, UH, LIEN RECOVERY, UH, 1,827.
AND THEN SECURING OR US BOARDING OR SECURING A, A PROPERTY.
UH, SO 1.6 MILLION HAS BEEN COLLECTED IN LIENS.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE GRAPHIC OF WHAT WE HAVE ASSESSED WITHIN FY 26 MILLION.
WE HAVE APPLIED LIENS TO THE TUNE OF $3.4 MILLION TO PROPERTIES, WHICH THAT, THOSE FEES ARE THEN RECOVERABLE AS LIENS ARE CAPTURED AND RETURNED TO THE CITY.
UH, SO THE 1.69, EXCUSE ME, 1.69 MILLION, UH, WAS COLLECTED FROM PREVIOUSLY ASSESSED LIENS PROVIDING ONGOING COST RECOVERY.
THOSE COLLECTIONS OCCUR OVER MULTIPLE FISCAL YEARS.
SO OUT OF THOSE NUMBERS ON THE LEFT, THE 1.69 MILLION, SOME OF THOSE LIENS MAY HAVE BEEN APPLIED 20 YEARS AGO.
UM, THEY JUST COME UP TO WHERE MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THAT PROPERTY DURING TITLE REVIEW OR SOMEBODY'S PURCHASING THAT PROPERTY.
THEN THE LIEN IS BEING CAPTURED AT THAT POINT IN TIME IF THERE'S A TRANSACTION ON THE SALE OF THE PROPERTY.
3.47, 3.47 MILLION IN NEW LIEN ASSESSMENTS.
SO 'CAUSE WAS ASSESSED FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY NUISANCE, ABATEMENTS AND DEMOLITIONS, CREATING FUTURE COST RECOVERY OPPORTUNITIES RATHER THAN IMMEDIATE REIMBURSEMENT.
AND SO SOME OF THE FACTORS TO CONSIDER WITH THESE LIENS, UH, PROPERTY SIZE, VEGETATION DEBRIS, VOLUME, STRUCTURAL CONDITION, ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS, EQUIPMENT AND LABOR REQUIRED AND SCOPE OF WORK NEEDED TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE.
WE GET INTO SOME OF THESE NUISANCE ABATEMENTS OR WEEDED LOTS WHERE THE GRASS COULD BE SIX TO EIGHT FEET TALL AND IT, IT COULD VERY WELL BE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 100 TO 300,000 SQUARE FEET WORTH OF REAL ESTATE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE.
OUR CONTRACTORS GET OUT THERE AND THEY, THEY BID THE JOB AND SAY IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA COST US $5,000 TO, TO SERVICE THIS LOT.
THEY GET OUT THERE AND THEY START FINDING TIRES AND THEY START FINDING OTHER DEBRIS.
UM, SO THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT QUOTE MAY CHANGE, BUT OF COURSE, ALL OF THAT IS DOCUMENTED THROUGH THE INVOICING, AND THEN WE LEAN ACCORDINGLY AS WELL.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND, UM, IT'S IMPRESSIVE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE PROGRESS YOU GUYS HAVE MADE SINCE TAKING OVER, UM, THIS, THIS TASK.
AND SO I WAS LOOKING FROM SLIDE FIVE ON THE, UM, ABATEMENT INCREASE.
IT INCREASED WHAT, 1 69 TO 9 73.
SO WHAT WAS, WHAT ACTUALLY CHANGED, UM, THAT LED IT TO INCREASE BY THAT AMOUNT? AMOUNT? YEAH, SO I, I, I DON'T, I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK INTELLIGENTLY AS TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING UNDERNEATH DAWN, UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AS TO WHY 169 ABATEMENTS WERE PERFORMED.
NOW PUBLIC WORKS, MOVING INTO PUBLIC WORKS, WE, WE TOOK DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND MM-HMM
WE MOVED THEM INTO PUBLIC WORKS WHERE WE HAVE A LARGER FUNDING STREAM.
UM, AND WE, WE, WE SPENT THE FIRST COUPLE MONTHS AT THAT MERGER WHEN WE TOOK ON THE COMPLETE OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL CONTROL, LOOKING AT FINE TUNING THE WORKFLOWS WITHIN OUR SYSTEM OF RECORD BETWEEN THREE AND ONE AND OUR AND FOUR SYSTEM, UH, TRYING TO CAPITALIZE ON EFFICIENCIES AND, AND MOVE MORE WORK THROUGH MM-HMM
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, A GAME OF, OF CUPS AND SHELLS, IF YOU WILL, MOVING THINGS AROUND, MOVING RESOURCES AROUND AND TRYING TO GET CREATIVE, THINKING A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF THE BOX MM-HMM
UM, AND, AND EXPLORING NEW OPPORTUNITIES, NEW OPTIONS TO, TO CAPITALIZE ON OUR PERFORMANCE MM-HMM
UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE
EVEN WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, THE OUTREACH EVENTS, THE JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES
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MM-HMMSO I WAS JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING PRIOR TO THAT.
SO THE JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE TEAM UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, IT WAS THE, THE TEAM HAD, WAS NOT FULLY FUNCTIONAL AT THAT TIME.
UM, THE, THE, THE, THERE WAS STAFF ALLOCATED TO IT, THERE WERE PERFORMING IT.
AND WHEN I WENT OVER THERE IN THE CAPACITY OF A DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WHEN WE FIRST TOOK THIS GROUP OVER WAS TO FIND OUT WHO'S DOING WHAT MM-HMM
WHAT CAN WE DO, WHAT CAN WE MAKE TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICES? AND, YOU KNOW, I MET WITH THE MANAGERS AND THE STAFF AND SAID, WHERE'S, WHERE ARE THE PROBLEMS AT? WE'VE GOT TO BE RESPONSIVE.
AND WE'RE, THE, THE GOAL WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT IS TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
UM, AND SO WE, WE ALLOCATED STAFF TO IT AND STREAMLINE THEIR FUNCTION TO FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM AT JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE MM-HMM
UM, THEY BECAME VERY EFFICIENT.
WE, WE EXPLORED NEW IDEAS, UM, AGAIN TO FOLLOW STATE LAW, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS DONE BY THE BOOK.
AND I GOT A SOLID GROUP THAT IS, THAT IS RUNNING THAT OPERATION.
UM, AND SO BY ALLOWING OUR RESOURCES TO, AND OUR TEAM MEMBERS JUST TO FOCUS ON THOSE INITIATIVES AND SAY, STANDING UP AN INDIVIDUAL TEAM, IF YOU WILL, FOR JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE AND PROHIBITED YARD PARKING, A DANGEROUS BUILDING ENFORCEMENT TEAM, A GRAFFITI TEAM, A NUISANCE ABATEMENT TEAM, SO SPECIALIZED GROUPS WITHIN THE OVERALL BLANKET OF COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT MM-HMM
TO CONTINUE TO MOVE WORK BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS DON'T GO AWAY IF WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T MAKE THEM GO AWAY.
SO, UM, I HAVE, UH, MR. DAVID ALMER MM-HMM
RIGHT HERE BEHIND ME, WHO'S NOW MOST RECENTLY BEEN PROMOTED TO A DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
HE'S SERVING AS THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, DAVID HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN, IN ASSISTING TO GET A LOT OF THESE TEAMS SET UP AND OPERATIONALLY, UM, AND I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MM-HMM
UM, AND CONTINUE TO STREAMLINE THESE OPERATIONS AND MAKE THINGS BETTER.
AND A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH JUST TRYING TO FIX EFFICIENCIES IN THE WORKFLOW MM-HMM
WERE THERE, WERE THERE ADDITIONAL STEPS THAT WE WERE TAKING THAT WERE MAYBE BOTTLENECKING OR SLOWING THE PROCESS DOWN? LET'S TRY TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AND, UH, START MAKING SOME WORK MOVE.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION, DURING THE PREVIOUS MEETING YOU, YOU MENTIONED, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT, UM, YOU NEEDED MORE INSPECTORS.
SO HAVE WE HIRED MORE INSPECTORS? IF SO, HOW MANY INSPECTORS DO WE HAVE NOW? SO WE, UH, WE, PUBLIC WORKS AS A WHOLE HAS BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING AND FILLING VACANCIES.
AND THIS COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY COACH ENFORCEMENT TEAM RIGHT NOW, UM, WE, I I BELIEVE THE NUMBER IS AROUND 15 VACANCIES MM-HMM
NOW WE HAVE ACTIVE POSTINGS UP, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HIRING NEW FOLKS.
UM, AND SOME OF THESE HAVE BEEN PROMOTIONS FROM WITHIN.
SO WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE MOVING UP TO A HIGHER, UH, SUPERVISORY LEVEL, IF YOU WILL, AND THEN WE'RE BACKFILLING SOME OF THE, THE FIELD INSPECTOR POSITIONS.
UM, WE, WE COULD CERTAINLY USE MORE STAFF.
UM, THERE, THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED FOR MORE STAFF.
THE, THE SHEER VOLUME, THE NUMBERS ALONE THAT WE DID LAST YEAR ALONE, ALMOST 27, ALMOST 28,000 CASES IN 3 1 1 MM-HMM
AND THAT TAKES A LOT OF INSPECTIONS BECAUSE ONE, ONE HIGH GRASS CALL YIELDS NUMEROUS INSPECTIONS FROM THE TIME THAT WE GET THE COMPLAINT TO ISSUE NOTICE, TO CONDUCT A CHECK BACK INSPECTION.
AND THEN IF THE CITY'S MOVING FORWARD WITH ABATEMENT ACTIONS, THEN WE'RE HAVING TO DO A SURVEY INSPECTION AND PERFORM THIS, GET THIS OUT TO A CONTRACTOR, AND THEN GO BACK BEHIND THE CONTRACTOR.
SO MULTIPLE VISITS FOR ONE CASE.
SO 28,000 CASES COULD YIELD 400,000 INSPECTIONS.
SO ONE CASE, WHAT, A MONTH, TWO MONTHS, THREE MONTHS, FOUR MONTHS, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE TIME? IT'S, IT'S GOING TO, IT'S, THERE'S A DIFFERENT SLA THAT'S ASSIGNED TO A DANGEROUS BUILDING AS OPPOSED TO A HIGH WEED OR A JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE.
AND THAT'S ALL COMPLICIT WITH STATE LAW.
SO STATE LAW DICTATES THE COMPLIANCE PERIODS, AND THEN IF WE HAVE TO HAVE A HEARING WITH, WHETHER THAT'S A BUILDING OF STANDARDS COMMISSION OR ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING, GETTING CASES LINED UP TO THE HEARING DOCKET, MAKING SURE THAT I HAVE, UH, I'M NOT OVERLOADING MY DOCKET OR THOSE, THOSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS, AND THEN MOVING THESE THINGS THROUGH THE PROCESS.
BECAUSE ONCE, FOR AN INSTANCE, IF A DANGEROUS BUILDING IS THEN PRESENTED IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING A STANDARDS COMMISSION, IF THE COMMISSION AGREES AND SAYS, YES, THIS IS A DANGEROUS BUILDING BY STATE LAW, BY CITY ORDINANCE, THAT THEN AN ORDER IS ISSUED THAT DANGEROUS BUILDING ORDER THEN SPECIFIES A COMPLIANCE PERIOD FOR THE BUILDING TO, OR THE OWNER OPERATOR TO OBTAIN PERMITS MM-HMM.
AND YOU HAVE TYPICALLY A 30, 60, 90 DAY PERIOD IN THERE.
[00:25:01]
SOME FOLKS WILL ACTUALLY TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO START THE COMPLIANCE PROCESS, MEANING THEY'LL COME IN AND START PURCHASING PERMITS AND SHOWING A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTY.AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT I WANT.
I WANT THE CUSTOMER, I WANT THE CITIZENS TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTY AS, AS OPPOSED TO THE CITY EXPENDING FUNDS TO, TO DO SO.
UM, SO IF THEY SHOW A GOOD FAITH EFFORT AND WE SEE THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING WITH IT, OR IF THERE'S, UH, EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES MM-HMM
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S CASES WHERE YOU KNOWS SOMEBODY MAY BE FALLING ON HARD TIMES.
UM, I, I'M VERY MINDFUL OF THAT.
AND WE LOOK AT EVERY CASE INDIVIDUALLY AND WE TRY TO WORK WITH THESE CUSTOMERS MM-HMM
UM, BUT THE LONGEVITY OF A DANGEROUS BUILDING, IF YOU WERE TO CALL IN THIS MORNING AND REPORT A DANGEROUS BUILDING, AND WE'VE NEVER TOUCHED IT BEFORE MM-HMM
FROM, FROM TODAY, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY 365 DAYS UNTIL THAT BUILDING IS GONE.
AND THAT'S JUST ME BEING RIGHT.
WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE.
I'M HAPPY TO DEFER TO COUNCIL.
UM, SO, UH, FIRST I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE WORK THAT YOU AND THE TEAM ARE DOING.
UM, AS, UH, OUR CHAIRWOMAN HAS ACKNOWLEDGED, RIGHT? THERE'S BEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN, YOU KNOW, BETTER EFFICIENCIES, BETTER OUTCOMES.
AND I JUST, QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOLKS NEED TO KNOW THAT IT WAS STRUCTURAL REFORMS, RIGHT? PUTTING DEPARTMENT NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTORS UNDER PUBLIC WORKS AND ULTIMATELY FUNDING YES.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, WE WERE CHASING OUR TAIL WITH DANGEROUS BUILDINGS.
UH, WE'D HAD TO RESTART A LOT OF THESE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, 3 1 1 CALLS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO FUNDING TO ACTUALLY GET DEMOED.
THEY, THEY'D GO TO BUILDING, UH, A DEMO HEARING AND IT'D SIT THERE.
UM, THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO DEMO IT, AND THEN WE'RE BACK AT SQUARE ONE.
AND SO I THINK ULTIMATELY IT'S JUST THIS ADMINISTRATION, THIS COUNCIL BELIEVING IN CHANGING SOME, SOME REAL STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES IN INTERNALLY.
UM, SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THAT.
I WANT TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS WELL.
THIS, THIS IS THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE AT THE CITY TO BE BETTER EFFICIENT, UH, MORE EFFICIENT, AND THEN ALSO HAVE, UM, THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, COMMUNITY DOESN'T CARE HOW IT GETS DONE, AS LONG AS IT GETS DONE RIGHT.
TEAR THE BUILDINGS DOWN, I DON'T CARE WHERE, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS MIGHT SAY THEY CARE WHERE THE FUNDING'S AT.
MAJORITY OF FOLKS ARE GONNA SAY, HEY, I JUST NEED THAT BUILDING DOWN.
THE JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE AND THE YARD PARKING, PROHIBITED YARD PARKING, WE INITIALLY IT WAS DRT THAT WOULD ADDRESS THAT, UH, WITH SOME HELP FROM DEPARTMENT NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT REALLY ABLE TO FALL UNDER HPD.
WE KNOW, NOW I'M LEARNING THAT IT IS UNDER YOU ALL.
WE CAN MAKE SURE WE GET THAT OVER TO YOUR INSPECTORS AND THEN THEY CAN GO OUT AND, AND ADDRESS THESE, THESE ITEMS. THAT IS CORRECT.
SO THE, THE, THE WITH PYP, UM, WHEN WE ROLLED THE PROGRAM OUT IN JANUARY OF, OF THIS YEAR, UM, AND TODAY, AS OF CURRENT, IT'S STILL 3 1 1.
YOU HAVE THE CUSTOMER MUST CALL 3 1 1.
IT'S NOT AVAILABLE ON THE PORTAL.
IT'S NOT LIVE YET ON THE PORTAL.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING INTERNALLY WITHIN OUR, OUR SYSTEM OF RECORD OR N FOUR AND 3 1 1 TO MAKE THAT MIGRATION HAPPEN.
JUST I WANNA MAKE SURE SO THAT WAY OUR OFFICE UNDERSTANDS AND WE CAN HELP EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.
SO THERE'S, THAT TAKES ME TO TWO THINGS THAT EXTERNAL OUTREACH AND EDUCATING COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I USED TO HAVE CIVIC CLUBS THAT ARE SAYING, HEY, WE CALL HPD AND THEY SAY, HANDS OFF, THEY'RE NOT DOING IT RIGHT.
AND THEN IT FEELS LIKE NO ONE IS DOING IT, BUT WANNA MAKE SURE AND REASSURE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE STILL DOING JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES AND WE ARE STILL DOING THE, THE PROPERTY YARD PARKING.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT AS WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, FORMER STAFFERS SAW, I JUST ALWAYS GET THE ITCH TO REPORT THINGS.
WE HAD A CLEANUP THIS PAST WEEKEND IN ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THERE IS, UM, UH, UH, IT'S A, NOT NECESSARILY A MEDIUM, MEDIUM, BUT IT IS A MEDIUM, UM, OFF OF A O UH, CLINTON DRIVE.
THAT INTERNAL PROCESS OR TRAINING, UH, IS IMPORTANT AS WELL, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HELP MOVE THESE, THE, YOU KNOW, THESE 3 1 1 TASKS, YOU KNOW, THESE ORDER WORK ORDERS INTO WHATEVER DEPARTMENT MM-HMM
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINING THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SHIFTING THAT OVER SINCE IT IS ON H UH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS ESSENTIALLY RIGHT AWAY.
UM, HOW FAR ARE Y'ALL IN TRANSITIONING INTO TAKING OWNERSHIP OVER THE MEDIANS? UM, BE QUITE FRANKLY, PARKS DEPARTMENT TO PULL MONEY OUT OF THERE.
I THINK IT'S ABOUT SIX TO $7 MILLION A YEAR THAT THEY'RE SPENDING TO MOW D LITTER.
UM, IT'S, IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE MAINTENANCE THAT THEY NEED TO DO AT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THAT, BUT THEN AS I WAS HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, WITH HI APPRECIATE, UH, THE INSPECTOR CALLING ME BACK, UM, AND, AND GETTING, GETTING SOME MORE, UH, INFORMATION, BUT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT HE KNOWS THAT IT'S IN A, A CODE ENFORCEMENT.
NOW, UH, AS WELL, THERE'S SOME PLACES WHERE RIGHT AWAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A OFFROAD DITCH, REGRADE FLUSH THE CULVERTS.
BUT THEN WHEN IT'S CERTAIN AREAS WHERE THERE'S,
[00:30:01]
THERE'S SOME CONFUSION MAYBE, UM, THAT IS SOMEWHAT OF AN OFF-ROAD DITCH, BUT IT'S ALSO A MEDIAN.AND SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS INTERNALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE THESE, UH, WORK ORDERS SHOULD BE SHIFTING INTO, UM, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE COMMUNITY, I, I STRONGLY BELIEVE DOES NOT CARE HOW IT GETS DONE AS LONG AS IT GETS DONE AND IT GETS DONE, UH, EFFECTIVELY, EFFICIENTLY.
AND, AND, UM, SO TO THAT ONE, I WOULD END WITH THIS, THE CITY OWNED PROPERTIES, UH, WHEN WE HAVE CITY RIGHT OF WAY, UH, OR CITY OWNED PROPERTIES, UM, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO SEE A YELLOW PLACARD, RIGHT? YES.
WHEN WE KNOW IT'S OUR PROPERTY, AND WE'RE STILL DOING THAT KIND OF, INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT IT JUST MOVES A LOT QUICKER THROUGH THE ABATEMENT PROCESS? SO I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE OUR STAFF AND I, THIS HAS COME UP BEFORE, UM, AND I, AGAIN, I, IF IT'S AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, IT, IT VERY WELL COULD BE.
BUT IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE PUTTING A NOTICE OUT ON THE CITY ON PROPERTY, WE SHOULD BE DOING A BETTER JOB AT RESEARCHING WHO'S THE, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN THAT.
RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S HARD TO, UM, ISSUE CODE ENFORCEMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHEN WE'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN STUFF.
NOW, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT MEDIANS AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE MEDIANS, I, I DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER FOR YOU TODAY, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY GO BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH OUR, OUR PARTNERS AT TDO IN THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, UM, TO SEE IF THERE'S A BETTER ANSWER I CAN GIVE YOU TO SPEAK AS TO WHO'S GONNA MAINTAIN THAT AND WHAT IT'S IT GONNA LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD.
WE, WE, WE'VE BEEN HEARING THAT PUBLIC WORKS WANTS TO, UH, TAKE ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY.
I ENCOURAGE PUBLIC WORKS TO TAKE ON, UH, RIGHT OF WAY.
UH, WHICH IS A RESPONSIBILITY, QUITE FRANKLY, UH, ALLEVIATING SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES BACK INTO PARKS DEPARTMENT.
I JUST, UH, CHAIR, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO US.
I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THE, THE ERNST YOUNG REPORT.
UH, WE'VE UNDERSTAND WHERE THOSE LACK OF INEFFICIENCIES ARE, AND, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TIME.
BUT WE'RE GETTING TO A SPACE WHERE, HONESTLY, WE'RE, WE'RE ADDRESSING SOME, SOME STRUCTURAL ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD FOR YEARS, DECADES SOMETIMES.
UM, SO THIS IS, THIS IS GREAT.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, I KNOW THIS IS NOT FOLLOWING YOU, BUT SOLID WASTE NOW UNDER PUBLIC WORKS.
AS A UTILITY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THOSE EFFICIENCIES HAVE BEEN MET AS WELL.
AND THEN JUST READY AND MAKE SURE WE KEEP DOING THE GOOD WORK.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE.
AND, UM, YEAH, MY QUESTION WAS KIND OF SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ MENTIONED AT THE END OF HIS COMMENTS.
UM, SO WITH THE TRANSITION FROM SOLID WASTE, UM, THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO HELP WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT IN THAT DEPARTMENT, ARE THEY GONNA ALSO BE BROUGHT INTO THE COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ARE THEY GONNA BE CROSS TRAINED TO DO OTHER, UM, TO HELP WITH OTHER ENFORCEMENT OTHER THAN JUST SOLID WASTE CHAPTER 39 RULES? SO I HAVE NOT PERSONALLY BEEN, I GUESS, AT THE TABLE TO HAVE ANY OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS TO WHERE THOSE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE, ARE GOING, IF YOU WILL, WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, I DON'T, I'M SURE THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE FORTHCOMING.
UM, AS THIS MERGER IS RELATIVELY STILL FRESH, IF YOU WILL.
UM, BUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS WILL BE HAPPENING BECAUSE YES, I MEAN, WE, WE DO WORK WITH THAT SOLID WASTE CODE ENFORCEMENT GROUP.
QUITE OFTEN STUFF THAT COMES IN THAT, THAT MAY GET ROUTED TO US VIA EMAIL, SAID, HEY, WE GOT AN ILLEGAL DUMPING ISSUE MM-HMM
OR SOMETHING THAT MAY BE IN SOLID WASTE PURVIEW.
UM, WE REACH OUT TO OUR, OUR TEAM MEMBERS, OUR PARTNERS, OR WITHIN THAT GROUP, AND THEY JUMP ON IT.
BUT AS OF TODAY, THEY ARE NOT HOUSED WITHIN, UH, WITH OUR CODE COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM.
JUST LIKE, AS AN EXAMPLE, THE, UM, THE BUSINESS IN THE HEIGHTS THAT YOU AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
WITH THE HVAC, THEY'RE NOW, UM, OPEN AND HAVE, DO NOT HAVE A DUMPSTER OR DUMPSTER PERMIT, AND THEY'RE JUST LEAVING THEIR TRASH ON THE SIDE OF THE NEIGHBOR'S FENCE.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE LIKE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE WITH THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO BE GO GOING OUT THERE TESTING FOR THE HVAC, UM, NOISE LEVELS AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO CITE FOR THE LACK OF CONTAINMENT OF THE TRASH.
AND WHEN I, WHEN I RECEIVED THAT EMAIL LAST NIGHT, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE TRASH AS WELL, UM, WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT WITHIN OUR SOLID WASTE PARTNERS WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS.
AND I JUST, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A HUGE DIFFERENCE SINCE Y'ALL HAVE TAKEN THIS, UM, OVER.
SO WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR HELP AND QUICK RESPONSE.
THERE HAVE BEEN ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH, CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME? I'M FOR THE RECORD.
THANK RUDY MORINO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PERMANENT CENTER.
THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS RELATED TO SOLID WASTE MOVING OVER AND SOME OF THEIR, UM, THEIR INSPECTORS, UH, WHO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE EXPLORING ALL THOSE OPTIONS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING THEM OVER INTO CCE OR WHETHER OR NOT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE TWO, TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS, BUT THEY STILL HAVE
[00:35:01]
A HAND IN HAND OR THERE'S A EASIER HANDOFF THAN IT IS TODAY.SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN, UM, DISCUSSED.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR MACKAY, HE'S LOOKED, HE'S ALWAYS LOOKING FOR ANY EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES.
I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD THAT MANY OF TIMES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE DEFINITELY EXPLORING IT AND IF THERE'S, IF IF IT YIELDS, YOU KNOW, A POSITIVE RESULT, WE DEFINITELY WANNA DO IT.
SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S THE STATUS OF TODAY.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S OFFICE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING, UM, JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN THE BACKYARD.
CAN YOU KIND OF GO OVER HOW CODE ENFORCEMENT HANDLES THESE CASES WHEN JUNK MOTOR VEHICLES ARE IN THE BACKYARD? UH, WE RECEIVE CALLS IN THE, ABOUT PROPERTIES IN THE DISTRICT SPEC SPECIFICALLY ON THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY START ATTRACTING RODENTS.
AND SO HOW DOES THAT WORK AND WHAT IS KIND OF THE BEST APPROACH SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE CONSTITUENTS? YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S THREE ON ONE, BUT ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN SHARE WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
SO EVERY CODE ENFORCEMENT COMPLAINT, EVERY YIELDS A DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCE, AND THERE'S A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE, RIGHT.
WHICH KINDA MAKES THE JOB ALMOST FUN AND UNIQUE, SOMETIMES PAINFUL, RIGHT? IT, IT'S LOOKING AT EVERYTHING INDIVIDUALLY AND LOOKING AT SOLUTIONS NOT, AND AN EXAMPLE WHERE YOU SAY JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE'S IN SOMEONE'S BACKYARD, SO MAYBE IT'S NOT VISIBLE FROM THE ROADWAY OR THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, WHERE AN INSPECTOR CAN JUST DRIVE BY AND VISUALLY SEE IT.
THAT PROPOSES A CHALLENGE FOR STAFF AND FOR THE CITY.
NOW WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PHYSICALLY ACCESS THAT VEHICLE TO VIEW IT, MAKE SURE THAT IT MEETS THE CRITERIA OF A JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE, AND THEN TAG IT, AND THEN TAKE IT THROUGH THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS.
UM, SO IF THERE'S A JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE IN A BACKYARD, UM, A LOT OF TIMES THOSE ARE REPORTED BY THE NEIGHBOR, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, WHERE THERE'S, THERE'S RODENTS, RATS, IT'S BECOMING A NUISANCE, AND NOW IT'S CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR MY QUALITY OF LIFE.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT OF COURSE, 3 1 1 IS THE PREFERRED REPORTING MECHANISM, BUT SOMETIMES THAT MESSAGE ISN'T CLEAR, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE NOTES SAY OR WHAT THE INSPECTOR CAN ACTUALLY DETERMINE.
SO ON AN ISOLATED INCIDENT OR INCIDENTS SIMILARLY LIKE THAT, IF, IF, IF A CASE DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S MOVING FORWARD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO MYSELF OR DEPUTY, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, ALMER, UM, WITH THE FACTS, THE ADDRESS OF THE CASE.
WE CAN GET WARRANTS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS TO GET ONTO SOMEONE'S PROPERTY.
NOW, BUT I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE WARRANT PROCESS TO GET ACCESS AND THEN TAKE THE LEGAL MEANS TO PROVIDE NOTICE TO ABATE THAT VEHICLE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PAN PANZELLA'S OFFICE.
UM, THANK YOU, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SHANAHAN, UM, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, FIRST ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER PANZELLA, WE ARE JUST SO GRATEFUL TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM'S WORK ON CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, DISTRICT SEES A LOT OF CODE ENFORCEMENT CASES WE WORK ON, AND YOUR TEAM'S DILIGENT DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED.
UM, SPECIFICALLY THANK YOU TO, UM, SEAN DAVIDSON, SHERRY STRONG, CHIEF INMAN, OF COURSE, SAL AND CHRIS WITH THE DIRECTOR'S OFFICE.
UM, THEY'RE ALL EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS WHO OFTEN EXPRESS CONCERNS REGARDING THE TIMELINE MM-HMM
FOR THESE CASES, UM, RESOLUTION FOR THESE CASES.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE A LOT OF LEGAL REASONINGS, UM, AND SPECIFIC GUIDELINES THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO FOLLOW FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT, BUT COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH SOME OF THOSE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OR PARAMETERS, UM, FOR INSPECTIONS, ENFORCEMENTS, AND WHY IS THERE SO MUCH TIME BETWEEN INSPECTIONS? THANK YOU.
WELL, SO, UH, JUST TO, I GUESS A, A PLAIN EXAMPLE THAT I COULD GIVE YOU WOULD BE THE, YOU HAVE A, A NEIGHBOR WHO HAS HIGH GRASS, AND LET'S JUST SAY THERE'S A DANGEROUS BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY AS WELL, OR WHAT'S PERCEIVED AS A DANGEROUS BUILDING BECAUSE MAYBE THERE'S BROKEN WINDOWS OR YOU SEE, UM, BOARDS FALLING OFF OF THE STRUCTURE AS WELL.
SO THAT CASE TRADITION WOULD BE ROUTED TO 3 1 1, IT WOULD COME INTO OUR INTAKE QUEUE, AND THEN IT'S GOING TO HIT OUR, OUR QUEUE OF BACKLOGGED INSPECTIONS, IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE LIKE, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE, WE, WHAT, WHAT WE SAW LAST YEAR WAS 27,000 CASES COME INTO 3 1 1.
UM, WHEN WE GET OUT TO INVESTIGATE THAT COMPLAINT, IF THE, IF THE HIGH GRASS IS, IS OBSERVED OR, AND THE DANGEROUS BUILDING IS OBSERVED, WE, WE, YOU'LL SEE A PLACARD PUT OUT IN THE YARD, WHICH EVERYBODY'S PROBABLY SEEN THESE YELLOW YARD SIGNS.
SO STATE LAW REQUIRES DUAL NOTIFICATION FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT, FOR, FOR NUISANCE ABATEMENT ACTIVITIES.
SO WE, THE DUAL NOTIFICATION, THE FIRST STEP OF NOTIFICATION IS
[00:40:01]
THAT YELLOW PLACARD, WE'RE PUTTING A YARD SIGN OUT, NOT NOTING THE VIOLATIONS AND GIVING A COMPLIANCE PERIOD ON THERE.ADDITIONALLY, A UH, LETTER IS ACTUALLY MAILED OUT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER OF RECORD AS WELL.
THAT'S THE SECOND LAYER OF NOTIFICATION.
THEN THE CLOCK STARTS ON THE COMPLIANCE PERIOD.
SO SAY ON JULY 1ST, THE VIOLATION WAS OBSERVED BY AN INSPECTOR, IT WAS DOCUMENTED, NOTATED IN OUR SYSTEM, THAT COMPLIANCE PERIOD STARTS FOR THE HIGH GRASS.
SO A CHECK BACK INSPECTION IS THEN SCHEDULED.
SO THEN I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WITH THE NEW CASES THAT I HAVE COMING IN TODAY, I STILL HAVE CHECK BACK INSPECTIONS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE, BECAUSE NOW I'VE AFFORDED THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT DUE PROCESS OF STATE LAW TO SAY, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
I NEED YOU TO CORRECT YOUR PROBLEM.
IN A PERFECT WORLD, THE CUSTOMER'S GONNA SAY, LOOK, MY LAWNMOWER IS BROKEN.
RIGHT? UM, I HAD TO BORROW MY NEIGHBORS, BUT I CUT MY GRASS.
WE GO BACK AT THAT CHECK BACK, THE PROBLEM IS GONE MORE TIMES THAN NOT, WE CAN GO BACK AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, AND NOW THE GRASS IS TALLER.
UM, SO YOU, YOU COULD HAVE ANYWHERE FROM THAT BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE CASE.
SO THERE COULD BE A DELAY OF 30 DAYS FROM WHEN THE CUSTOMER CALLED IN TO THE TIME WE RESPOND, PLACE NOTICE, PLACARD, CONDUCT OUR CHECK BACK INSPECTION, THEN, OKAY, YOU'RE STILL IN VIOLATION, THEN I'M GONNA MOVE IT TO ABATEMENT.
START THAT PROCESS SO IT, YOU DON'T GET INSTANT GRATIFICATION.
QUITE OFTEN WITHIN CODE ENFORCEMENT, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK, LIKE YOU SAID, OF LEGAL PROCESSES THAT WE MUST FOLLOW, UM, TO REDUCE KIND OF ANY EXPOSURE OR LIABILITY ON THE CITY.
I DON'T WANT TO TRAM ON SOMEONE'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
TO GIVE THEM, AFFORD THEM THE OPPORTUNITY AS OPPOSED TO, OR OPEN THE CITY UP TO ANY LITIGATION.
UM, FOR US OVERSTEPPING OUR BOUNDS, TAKING TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND UTILIZING IT TO FIX PROBLEMS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UM, AND AGAIN, EVERYTHING, LIKE I SAID, IS DICTATED BY STATUTORY AUTHORITY WITHIN STATE LAW, MEANING THAT I HAVE TO GIVE COMPLIANCE PERIODS FOR HIGH GRASS, VARIES FROM A JUNK MOTOR VEHICLE TO A DANGEROUS BUILDING, TO A GRAFFITI VIOLATION, UH, TO A PROHIBITED YARD PARKING VIOLATION.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT THE CITY CAN DO TO UTILIZE FUNDS TO MAKE THE PROBLEM GO AWAY, AND THEN ASSESS A LIEN TO RECOVER THOSE FUNDS EXPENDED.
THERE, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE, ALL WE CAN DO IS ISSUE CITATIONS FOR THE VIOLATIONS, WHICH IS A MUNICIPAL CITATION PROCESS THROUGH MUNICIPAL COURTS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
I JUST HAD A, THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOUCHED ON A LITTLE BIT, BUT DID YOU HAVE LIKE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE EFFICIENCIES THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED THAT HELPED YIELD THE 2026 RESULTS THAT WE SEE HERE? SO ONE OF THE, THE, UH, LET ME STEP BACK.
SO IT WAS IN, IN MARCH OF 25 IS WHENEVER PUBLIC WORKS STEPPED IN AND TOOK OVER OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF THE DON IPS TEAM.
UM, WE TOOK FULL FISCAL FINANCIAL CONTROL, OPERATIONAL CONTROL, UH, JULY OF JULY 1ST OF 25, I'M SORRY, UM, OF THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, THERE WAS, THERE WAS WORKFLOWS FOR THE DIFFERENT CASE TYPES WITHIN THE SYSTEM THAT WERE, THE TEAM WAS ALREADY ACTIVELY WORKING ON, UNDER, UNDER DON LEADERSHIP.
FIRST OFF, THERE WAS A LOT OF REBRANDING THAT WE HAD TO DO BECAUSE NOW THEY WERE NO LONGER DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY WERE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE HUNDREDS OF DIFF DIFFERENT FORMS AND DOCUMENTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT UTILIZES, UM, TO MAKE EVERYTHING READ THAT NOW YOU'RE PART OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, BUT THEN WE LOOKED AT THE WORKFLOWS, THE ACTUAL PROCESSES, THE BOTTLENECKS IN THE PROCESS, RIGHT? SO SOMETIMES GOVERNMENT CAN BE NOT AS EFFICIENT AS IT POSSIBLY COULD BE, MEANING THAT THERE'S, WE HAVE TOO MANY STEPS IN THE PROCESS FOR WHATEVER REASON.
RIGHT? MAYBE IT'S A, IT'S A MILESTONE IN THE, IN THE PROCESS THAT I, I WOULD QUESTION AS TO WHAT'S THAT FOR? RIGHT? WHY DOES IT GO TO THIS QUEUE OR THIS BUCKET? AND THEN PERHAPS IT SITS THERE TOO LONG.
SO WE, WE WORKED WITH, UH, WORKED WITH STAFF, WE WORKED WITH OUR PARTNERS OVER AT HITS TO, TO REFINE THIS PROCESS, STREAMLINE OUR WORKFLOWS, UM, AND THEN JUST REALIGN THE WAY WE OPERATED IN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, SO UTIL UTILIZING OUR STAFF, AND JUST BECAUSE WE'VE DONE IT THIS WAY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO CONTINUE DOING THAT.
I THINK TAKING A FRESH SET OF EYES AND A NEW APPROACH, WE, WE JUST TRY DIFFERENT THINGS AND I, I AM OF THE KIND OF MINDSET, AND I KNOW MY LEADERSHIP AND, AND PUBLIC WORKS LEADERSHIP IS, YOU KNOW, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
LOOK, EXPLORE, FIND EFFICIENCIES, TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK OR I FAIL AT IT, I CAN THROTTLE BACK.
LEMME TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
[00:45:01]
IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST ONE PERSON DOING THIS.IT'S A TEAM AND A TEAM EFFORT OF, OF CONSTANT COMMUNICATION, CONSTANT MEETING, HAVING THESE FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS WITH STAFF SAYING, HOW CAN WE DO BETTER? BECAUSE I HEAR Y'ALL.
I GET THE PHONE CALLS, I GET THE EMAILS, I HEAR THE FRUSTRATION IN EVERY ONE OF YOUR VOICES.
I HEAR THE FRUSTRATION IN ALL THE CITIZEN'S VOICES.
IT WAS SAID EARLIER THAT THE PROBLEM, THAT DOESN'T MATTER WHO, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE, THEY JUST WANT THE PROBLEM TO GO AWAY.
THEY DON'T CARE WHO PAYS FOR IT.
THEY DON'T CARE WHO, WHAT DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT OR WHAT GROUP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
JUST MAKE THE PROBLEM GO AWAY.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR TEAM UNDERSTANDS THAT, AND WE JUST, WE WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET BETTER.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY, I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS THAT WE'VE DONE JUST IN THIS SHORT TIME.
AND I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT A YEAR FROM NOW, IT, IT CAN ONLY EXPONENTIALLY GET BETTER.
UH, WE ARE STILL CAPITALIZING ON EFFICIENCIES AND TRYING TO MAKE OUR PROCESSES BETTER.
I'M REALLY IMPRESSED BY, BY THE PROGRESS YOU GUYS MADE SINCE TAKING OVER.
SO IT WAS, UM, JULY, 2025 WHEN YOU TOOK OVER.
SO, YEAH, I'M REALLY IMPRESSED.
SO I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE INSPECTORS AND 3 1 1 AND HOW THEY'RE COMMUNICATING WITH, UM, RESIDENTS.
IF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS CALL FRUSTRATED ABOUT CASES GETTING CLOSED.
AND SO HOW ARE WE GUIDING THE INSPECTORS TO EXPLAIN TO CONSTITUENTS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE CASE IS CLOSED, THE AND THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED, THAT IS STILL OPEN.
AND, AND THEN I WANT ANOTHER THING.
YOU CAN A ASK THIS WHILE WE'RE, WHILE YOU'RE, UM, YOU CAN ANSWER THIS WHILE YOU ARE ANSWERING THIS QUESTION ABOUT THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT AN AUTOMATIC, UM, SYSTEM NOTIFICATION, UM, ON CASES THAT BASICALLY ARE, IS DORMANT, YOU KNOW, JUST TO REMIND FOLKS THAT IT STILL HAVEN'T BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
HAVE WE IMPLE IMPLEMENTED THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM, AND THEN ALSO THERE WAS GONNA BE SOME SYSTEM UPDATES, UM, WHERE PUBLIC WORKS WILL COMMUNICATE WITH 3 1 1 TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE INFORMATION IN CORRECTLY.
SO, SO I WAS IN A, I WAS IN A MEETING THIS MORNING WHERE THIS, THIS VERY TOPIC WAS BROUGHT UP AND DISCUSSED.
UM, THAT IS A TECHNOLOGY SOMETIMES CAN, CAN HANDCUFF US, IF YOU WILL.
IF OUR, IF OUR TECHNOLOGY ISN'T PERFORMING AT ITS OPTIMAL LEVEL, THEN WE, WE COULD BE MORE EFFICIENT AT GETTING NOTIFICATIONS OUT TO THE CUSTOMERS WHERE THESE CASES, OR AT LEAST THERE'S MORE TRANSPARENCY MM-HMM
BECAUSE IF A CASE IS CLOSED, BECAUSE THERE'S AN, THERE'S AN OPEN CASE ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM AND YOU CALL 3 1 1 TODAY AND THEN YOU RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION CASE CLOSED AND YOU'RE GOING, CHRIS, THE GRASS IS STILL HIGH, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND THEN THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANOTHER CASE THAT'S ACTUALLY OPEN THAT THE CITY IS WORKING, IT'S IN A CERTAIN PROCESS MOVING TOWARDS ABATEMENT OR RENTAL COMPLIANCE.
UM, THAT'S A, I I DO KNOW THAT THERE'S CONVERSATIONS STILL WORKING WITH A RA AND 3 1 1 TO FIX AND SOLUTION THOSE PROBLEMS. BECAUSE IF I, I DON'T WANNA CLOSE A CASE ON MY SIDE UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED.
RIGHT? SO THAT IF, IF, IF YOU CALL THE, THE, THE REPORT IN AND IT'S A BRAND NEW CASE AND THEN YOUR NEIGHBOR'S THREE, FOUR, THREE DOORS DOWN, THEY CALL THE CASE IN MM-HMM
THAT CASE SHOULD THEN MERGE TO THAT SAME ADDRESS.
WHERE NOW I DON'T HAVE, YOU'RE NOT JUST GETTING UPDATES, BUT EVERYBODY THAT'S CALLING ABOUT THAT ADDRESS IS GONNA GET THE SAME UPDATE.
ANYTIME WE PERFORM WORK AND UPDATE OUR SYSTEM, IT TALKS BACK TO 3 1 1, WHICH THEN HAS BLASTS OUT CORRESPONDENCE, COMMUNICATION TO THE CONSTITUENTS TO LET THEM KNOW WHERE THIS THING'S AT IN FLIGHT.
UM, THAT'S, THAT IS A PROBLEM WITH 3 1 1 AND OUR REPORTING SYSTEM.
I DO KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT WITH 3 1 1 AND HITS, UM, TO TRY TO MAKE IT BETTER.
AND I, AND SO WHEN DO YOU, IT SOUND LIKE YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON UPGRADING UP? I CAN'T SPEAK FOR 3 1 1.
I, I DO KNOW THAT CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING.
BUT, UM, CHARLES JACKSON, I, I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY FOLKS KNOW THAT NAME.
I KNOW THAT HE'S BEEN ACT IN ACTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, HPW LEADERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM, IT'S AFFECTING OUR GROUPS WITHIN HOUSTON, WATER, TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE OPERATIONS, UH, THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE.
SO WE SEE THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL PLACES.
AND ONE LAST QUESTION BEFORE I LET YOU GO.
AND WE GO INTO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
SO WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT'S BIGGEST OPERATIONAL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN 2027? OH, THE DEPARTMENT'S BIGGEST OPERATIONAL NEED.
UM, IS IT STAFFING, CONTRACTOR CAPACITY, TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS,
SO WE WE'RE LOOKING AT STAFFING
[00:50:01]
EFFICIENCIES.AND WE'RE, WE ARE PUBLIC WORKS IS ACTIVELY TAKING, FILLING OUR VACANCIES BETWEEN OUR COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT GROUP, OUR BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAMS, AND THEN WITHIN THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT THE GROUP, THE FOLKS, THE POSITIONS THAT I HAVE WITH UNDER MY BLANKET OF CONTROL, IF YOU WILL MM-HMM
OR MY OVERSIGHT, UM, WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING AT FILLING AND WE ARE ALSO RECLASSING SOME, SOME POSITIONS.
SO SOME POSITIONS WHICH MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE NEEDED ON THE SUPPORT SIDE MAY BE RECLASSED INTO AN OPERATIONAL POSITION.
SO WE GET MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
UM, I, I DO KNOW THAT THE MORE, THE MORE FOLKS WE HAVE IN THE FIELD TO RESPOND TO CODE ENFORCEMENT, YOUR RESPONSE TIME BECOMES BETTER.
YOUR VISIBILITY BECOMES MORE PRONOUNCED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, 'CAUSE YOU CAN LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW AND THEN YOU CAN DRIVE THROUGH THE CITY AND YOU'RE GONNA PROBABLY GO SEE FOUR OR FIVE PROBLEMS ON THE WAY HOME.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER, RIGHT.
BUT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN, IN OVER 670 SQUARE MILES OR, OR SUCH OF REAL ESTATE MM-HMM
UM, IT TAKES A MONUMENTAL EFFORT.
SO THE MORE STAFF WE HAVE, THE MORE PRODUCTIVE WE CAN BE HAVING OR MORE PRODUCTIVE WE CAN BE, THE MORE WORK WE CAN MOVE THROUGH TOWARDS ABATEMENT, BUT THE MORE EFFICIENT YOU ARE IN RESPONSIVENESS TO THESE PROBLEMS, THAT COMES WITH THE COST AS WELL.
SO IF WE ARE, ARE THEN HAVING TO GO MOW GRASS AND TEAR DOWN ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS OR FIX MORE PROBLEMS AT THE CITY'S EXPENSE AND ASSESS LIENS AND THEN HOPE TO RECOVER THOSE LIENS AT SOME POINT, THERE'S A BALANCING ACT IN THERE, RIGHT? UM, CONTRACTOR CAPACITY IS, IS HUGE TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE CONTRACTORS THAT CAN PERFORM THE WORK, THAT HAVE ENOUGH STAFF ON THEIR OWN THAT CAN GIVE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT I SEND THEM.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF ONE OR TWO CONTRACTORS CAN ONLY HANDLE SO MUCH WORK AT ONE TIME, BUT I, I GOT THIS BOTTLENECK OF WORK THAT'S READY TO GO IF I'M NOT MOVING WORK EFFICIENTLY MM-HMM
THEN IT'S JUST, IT'S BACKING UP THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, STAFFING AND VENDORS ARE, ARE TWO HUGE COMPONENTS TO MAKE THIS OPERATION SUCCESSFUL.
WELL, WELL WE THANK YOU AND ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE DIRECTOR, UM, AKA WE THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR OUR CITY.
UM, AGAIN IMPRESSED BY THE PROGRESS THAT YOU'VE MADE, UM, SINCE TAKING OVER THE DEPARTMENT AND I'M SURE OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE GONNA BE, UM, HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THINGS ARE MOVING, UM, A LITTLE FASTER.
SO, UM, JUST THANK YOU AND JUST KNOW THAT, UM, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, UM, JUST LET US KNOW.
AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANNA SAY.
ONE MORE THING, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, YOU, YOU SPOKE ON CONTRACTORS, UM, AND USUALLY THE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS GETTING PAID THE CASH FLOW FOR A LOT OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ARE PRETTY TIGHT, LIMITED.
AND SO HAVE Y'ALL HAD ANY CHALLENGES RECENTLY WITH LIKE MAKING SURE THAT ONCE THEY SUBMIT INVOICE, WHAT'S THE TURNAROUND ON PAYING THE CONTRACTORS AS WELL? YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THE HAND, I DON'T HAVE FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE TIMELINESS OF THAT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WE'RE METHODICAL ON PAYING THESE CONTRACTORS NOW.
UH, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN DOING BETTER OVERALL.
BUT I JUST, I THINK, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP, UH, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT CONTRACTORS, ONCE THEY SUBMIT, INVOICE THAT TURNAROUND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE JUST TO ENSURE THAT CASH FLOW FOR THEM.
'CAUSE THEY'RE HAVING TO PAY WORKERS, THEY HAVING PAY FOR EQUIPMENT AND SO ON.
AND SO, UM, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL, I THINK ON OUR, AND I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THAT.
I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU ALLOWING ME TO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS.
AND AGAIN, UM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, THE PRESENTATION AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS' OFFICE.
THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, AND YEAH, SO WE'RE GONNA GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THANK YOU.
UM, SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MR. CLYDE NEBA.
CHAIR JACKSON, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF.
I LIVE IN ZIP CODE 7 7 0 2 0 NEAR VERNON, WACO AND SHARON STREETS.
FOR SEVERAL YEARS, RESIDENTS NEAR ME HAVE DEALT WITH REOCCURRING OVERGROWTH, ILLEGAL DUMPING MOSQUITOES, AND OTHER PEST ON VACANT LOTS.
BESIDES OCCUPIED HOMES, VEGETATION HAS ALSO GROWN AROUND UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE, CREATING LEGITIMATE HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS.
I APPRECIATE JESSICA WHITE AND THE DISTRICT B TEAM FOR THEIR HELP.
[00:55:01]
I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT ONE WACO PROPERTY WAS RECENTLY CUT TWICE WITHOUT ANOTHER 3 1 1 REQUEST THAT SHOWS PROGRESS AS POSSIBLE.AND WE'VE HEARD SOME OF THAT TODAY.
BUT THE OVERALL SYSTEM REMAINS TOO REACTIVE AND TOO SLOW.
AT 1 1 4, WACO SEVEN CASES TOOK AN AVERAGE OF APPROXIMATELY 47 DAYS TO CLOSE.
ONE CASE TOOK A HUNDRED DAYS, THAT IS MORE THAN THREE MONTHS, ESSENTIALLY AN ENTIRE SEASON FOR NEIGHBORING FAMILIES TO LIVE BESIDE THE SAME UNRESOLVED CONDITIONS.
A RECENT SHARON STREET CASE TOOK APPROXIMATELY 76 DAYS.
ANOTHER COMPLAINT SUBMITTED ON MAY 16TH WAS NOT ASSIGNED FOR ITS INITIAL INSPECTION UNTIL JULY 10TH.
RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REPEATEDLY RESTART THE PROCESS FOR CHRONIC PROPERTIES.
AGAIN, FOR CHRONIC PROPERTIES.
I'M ASKING THAT THE CITY FLAG REPEAT LOCATIONS, ESTABLISH CLEAR TIMELINES FOR EACH ENFORCEMENT STAGE AND PROACTIVELY SCHEDULE RE-INSPECTIONS WHEN VIOLATIONS CONTINUE TO RETURN.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
I'VE HEARD A LITTLE BIT OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE INHERITED BACKLOG, THE WORKLOAD, THE FUNDING RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE POSITIVE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE SO FAR.
I'M INTERESTED IN EXPLORING HOW BETTER DATA, WORKFLOW AUTOMATION, THE RESPONSIBLE USE OF AI COULD REDUCE MANUAL DELAYS AND HELP LIMITED STAFF FOCUS ON HIGHEST NEED CASES.
I'LL SHARE MY CONTACT INFORMATION AFTERWARD, UM, AND I'LL WELCOME A FOLLOW UP CONVERSATION.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, COMING IN AND SHARING, UM, YOUR COMMENTS.
SO NEXT WE'LL HAVE MS. VICKY MARTIN, ANOTHER DISTRICT B RESIDENT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS ASSEMBLY.
UM, I HAVE SOME COPIES OF WHO AM I GIVING THEM TO? THANK YOU.
OKAY, SO BASICALLY TODAY I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, DITCH AND SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
UH, THERE'S SOME COPIES COMING AROUND.
ONE OF 'EM HAS SHARE PERSON THAT'S FOR COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON.
THE FIRST ONE IS GONNA BE 81 0 5, QUEST VIEW, 81 0 5.
QUEST VIEW IS A BURNT BUILDING.
IT BURNED AND WE WENT THROUGH SOME OF YOUR COUNCIL P YOUR, UH, WE'VE SEEN IT A TANYA, PJ, AND ALSO JESSICA.
SO IT'S BEEN GOING ON ONCE YOU LOOK THE ADDRESS UP.
AND IT'S ACROSS FROM THE STREET FROM A CHURCH.
SO NOW THERE'S HIGH VEGETATION AND THE BUILDING HAS NEVER BEEN SECURED, SO SOMEONE COULD DRAG A BODY OR A CHILD IN THERE AND WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL WE DO.
THE NEXT ONE IS 81 29, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE NON FOR SET.
THAT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.
WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? THAT GOES BACK TO OVER 10 YEARS.
THERE'S A OWNER, PROPERTY OWNER THAT THE HOUSE WAS DEMOED AND HE OWNS SOME TYPE OF BUSINESS, SO HE HAS DUMP TRUCKS TO HIS DISPOSAL.
SO HE'S USING THAT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AS A DUMPING FIELD.
THE NEIGHBORS ARE SENIORS AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY COMPLAINING ABOUT RODENTS, SNAKES AND WHATNOT FROM THE, THAT'S ENVIRONMENTAL AND IT'S BEEN EMAILED AND PHOTOS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL.
THE OTHER ONE IS GOING TO BE DENTON.
I SHOW, SHOW A SNAPSHOT OF THE 8,000 BLOCK OF BENTON TO THE 9 1 0 6.
YOU HAVE A COMPLETE PACKET I SEE.
AND THAT WE, OUR RESIDENTS ARE HAVING TO LEAVE THE SIDEWALK AND WALK ON THE STREET BECAUSE THOSE DITCH ARE NOT BEING MAINTAINED.
AND I THINK THAT'S IT FOR TODAY.
AND WE'LL, UM, DEFINITELY MAKE SURE, FOLLOW UP WITH PUBLIC RECORDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS ON, UM, THEIR LIST OF THEIR TO-DO LIST.
AND THEN WE'LL, UM, FOLLOW BACK UP WITH YOU.
AND AGAIN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WHEN AN INSPECTOR IS OUT SURVEYING, ASSESSING A VIOLATION,
[01:00:01]
THAT THEY KIND OF PERUSE THE AREA AND IF THEY SEE SOMETHING WHILE THEY'RE OUT DOING AN INSPECTION, THAT THEY NOTE THAT TOO.ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S NEXT DOOR.
AND BECAUSE OF THE 45 DAY TURNAROUND, WHEN WE CALL IN A VIOLATION MM-HMM
THE VIOLATION IS CLEARED UP BY CITY STAFF.
AND SO THE TONE TO THE, TO THE NEIGHBOR IS, OH, NOTHING HAPPENED.
BECAUSE OF THE TURNAROUND TIME.
SO WHEN YOU REPORT, UM, THE CASES TO 3 1 1, DO THEY DO 3 1 1 FOLLOW UP WITH YOU OR, WELL, WHEN IT'S ILLEGAL DUMPING A JUNK WASTE MM-HMM
THE, IT'S CLEARED BECAUSE OF THE 45 DATES.
SO IF WE REPORT IT, LIKE IF THEY DO IT THE WEEK OF PICKUP MM-HMM
SO BECAUSE IT TAKES A WHOLE CYCLE, THE FOLLOWING MONTH IS PICKED UP, SO THE PERSON DOESN'T GET, THEY DON'T, THERE'S NO SANCTION, SO THEY JUST REPEAT THE BEHAVIOR BECAUSE WHEN WE SAY YOU CONTINUE TO DO THIS, THEY SAY THE CITY DON'T SAY NOTHING.
AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE ACCURATE BECAUSE IT'S GETTING PICKED UP BY THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE, THE LONG TIME, TIME FOR TURNAROUND.
YEAH, WE'LL MAKE SURE, AND I'M SURE, UM, I'M SURE PUBLIC WORK GOT IT ON THERE, ON THEIR RADAR.
AND CHRIS INVITED ME FOR A RIDE ALONE.
I'VE YET TO SCHEDULE IT, BUT ONCE WE GET THAT TOGETHER, HE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THESE THINGS PERSONALLY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU MS. VICKY MARTIN, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
KEEP I, I'M GONNA TRY TO GET SOME HELP.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. LOVE THE PEOPLE.
UM, I DO NOT KNOW THE PERFECT GREETING OR HOW TO DO THIS.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE, SO BEAR WITH ME.
UH, NOT BE OFFENDED AT ALL, BUT, UM, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT YOU ALL IN THE RIGHT POSITION.
TRY TO GET SOMETHING GOING WITH THE COMMUNITY, GET SOME THINGS CLEANED UP.
UM, MR. HOMER, HE'S AN AWESOME GUY.
UM, I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CALL HIM.
AND, UH, I CALLED HIM ABOUT A ELDERLY, UM, LADY WHO HAD SOME BUILDERS WHO WERE BUILDING OVER HER PROPERTY LINE.
AND THEN THEY TOOK THE REMAINS FROM WHAT THEY WERE PUTTING UP AND THEY THREW IT IN HER PROPERTY.
AND HE AND ANOTHER GENTLEMAN WENT OUT THERE AND CHECKED IT UP AND GOT THAT PROBLEM RECTIFIED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR FOR, UM, TAKING OUR TIME TO DO THAT AND GET THAT STRESS OFF OF THAT LADY.
UM, OFF OF THE LADY, I'VE ALSO HEARD THIS OTHER GENTLEMAN UP HERE, UM, I KIND OF WALKED IN TOWARDS THE END WITH THE, UM, SINCE HIS TAKEOVER IN THE, UH, POSITION THAT THEY'RE DOING, THAT HE'S DOING A, UH, TREMENDOUS JOB AND BEING IMPACTFUL WITH REGARD TO THE, UH, DELINQUENT AND OVERGROWN LOTS.
UH, I WAS UNAWARE THAT ALL OF THIS, THESE THINGS WERE GOING, I, I TALKED TO MS. WHITE, UH, OCCASIONALLY.
UH, MY NAME IS CLINTON JOHNS FIRST.
I THIRD, I AM, UH, FROM PLEASANTVILLE, UH, ORIGINALLY.
AND, UH, I HAVE BEEN, UH, COMMUNITY ORIENTED WITH REGARD TO, UM, CUTTING THE VACANT LOTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WHENEVER I SEE THAT THEY HAVE BECOME A NUISANCE OR I SEE IT ON THE NEWS JUST IN THE MORNING TIME, IF ME AND MY WIFE SEE IT AND WE'LL GET ONE, LIKE THE ONE THAT WAS ON FLEMING, THE KIDS COULDN'T EVEN WALK ON THE STREET.
SO SHE WAS LIKE, HEY, CAN WE TAKE OUR TIME TODAY AND DO IT? UM, BUT THE, THE PROBLEM THAT I'M RUNNING INTO IS THAT MY POCKETS ARE NOT THAT DEEP TO BE ABLE TO KEEP CONTINUING CUTTING THESE NUS OUT OUT OF MY OWN POCKET, UM, YOU CAN CHECK CHANNEL TWO, UH, CLICK TWO NEWS, DIFFERENT, UH, SEGMENTS THAT I'VE HAD TO GO OUT AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
A LOT OF STUFF I DON'T TRY TO DO FOR MEDIA 'CAUSE IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
SATURDAY, I CAME INTO PLEASANTVILLE COMING AROUND TO TURN THE BASIN.
SO ME AND MY, UH, ANOTHER GENTLEMAN, WE PULLED THE TRAILER OVER AND WE GOT OUT THERE AND WE CUT IT DOWN.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CLEAN NOW.
IT, IT, IT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.
IT, IT GIVES OFF THE WRONG, THE WRONG PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS IS WHO I USED TO BE WITH.
IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER THIS FOLDER, I JUST SAW SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT THIS YOUNG LADY JUST, JUST BROUGHT UP HERE.
SO THIS IS THE BINDER WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS.
THE SHIRTS, THE HEADQUARTERS THAT'S DOWN THERE.
THEY HAVE ALL OF THE GEAR AND STUFF THAT'S STILL IN THERE.
IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER THIS, THE SHIRTS, UM, THESE ARE SOME BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
WHEN WE HAD ALL THE VOLUNTEERS MM-HMM
THAT WERE OUT THERE WHEN WE WERE DOING THIS.
YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER THIS.
ANY OF YOU GUYS SEE SHE HAS ON, HAS ON THE SHIRT.
SO WE USED TO HAVE THOSE MM-HMM
ALONG WITH, UH, AND I SAW THAT THEY HAD THE, UH, AT THE OFFICE UP THERE THAT'S CLOSED DOWN.
THEY HAD THE, UH, PICKERS, THEY HAVE THE GLOVES, THEY HAVE SAFETY GLASSES, THEY HAVE STUFF FOR THE KIDDOS, CRAYONS, COLORINGS.
IT'S A WHOLE FLOOR FULL OF STUFF SINCE THEY'VE CLOSED DOWN.
THE OFFICE AND IT'S NOT BEING UTILIZED, IT'S JUST SITTING THERE.
WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING, HE'S TALKING ABOUT A CREW.
I'M TELLING YOU ABOUT ME BY MYSELF.
WITH A ZERO TURN AND, AND A WEED EATER GOING IN THERE AND KNOCKING DOWN A, A 6,000
[01:05:01]
FOOT LOT MM-HMMWITH, WITH GRASS THAT'S THIS TALL MM-HMM
SO I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CREW AND THE STAFFING.
I DON'T, I DON'T, LIKE I SAID, AGAIN, I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY MY CREW, SO I HAVE TO TAKE OUT TIME AND DO IT MYSELF.
THERE'S ANOTHER GENTLEMAN, UH, IF YOU GUYS, UH, HAVE TIME, CHECK IT OUT ON YOUTUBE.
HE IS LABELED AS, UH, G THE YARD MAN.
HE'S OUTTA PLEASANTVILLE AS WELL.
UM, HIS NAME IS, UH, GERALD, UM, GOD, UH, GERALD, UH, FNO.
HE'S BEEN DOING THE THINGS WHEN SOME OF THE ELDERLY PEOPLE, UH, FOLLOWING HARD TIMES, THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY OR TRY TO KEEP, UH, KEEP THE PROPERTIES UP THEN HIMSELF ALONG WITH MYSELF COLLABORATIVELY, WE GO OUT AND DO IT.
MY QUESTION IS, KEEP HOUSTON BEAUTIFUL.
WHEN IT ORIGINALLY STARTED WAS WORKING WITH THE COST AVOIDANCE, UM, UH, SITUATION.
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE BIG NUMBERS WHEN THEY WERE CONTRACTING ACCORDING TO THE, DO I NEED TO STOP? NO, YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
AND, UM, ACCORDING TO GET READY TO WRAP IT UP, WE'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER MINUTE.
ACCORDING TO, UM, WHAT IS IN HERE AND, AND WHAT I'VE ACQUIRED WHERE THE, THE COST APPROPRIATIONS WERE IN THE MILLIONS, IT BROUGHT IT DOWN.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $350 A CUT, JUST MANAGING THE, UH, THE OVERALL MAINTENANCE COMING BACK AND MAKING SURE THAT IT DOESN'T GROW.
I WAS DOING 80, 87 PROPERTIES.
I, I DID THAT, UH, WITH KEEP BEAUTIFUL WITH MS. SHERRY STRONG.
SHE WAS IN POSITION AT THAT TIME, SHE WAS SPEARHEADING THAT PROJECT.
SO WE WERE DOING IT, CALL THE CITY OUT IF IT WAS SOMETHING ON THERE WOULD DESTROY THE BLADES OR MESS IT UP.
THEY COME OUT AND DO INITIAL CLEANUP, GET EVERYTHING COOL, EVERYTHING, UH, CLEARED OUT.
AND THEN MY JOB WAS TO COME BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT IT, THAT IT DID NOT EXCEED FOUR INCHES.
IF A RULER AND I STUCK IT DOWN IN THE GRASS, IT WAS UP OVER FOUR INCHES, THEN I NEEDED TO CUT IT TO MAKE SURE IT WAS DONE.
IT, IT, IT STAYED IN COMPLIANCE.
PLUS WE WERE ONLY SPENDING $50, I WAS GETTING PAID $50 FOR A $5,000 LOT.
I WAS GETTING $60 FOR A 6,000 SQUARE, 6,000 SQUARE FEET AND SO FORTH UP TO A HUNDRED MM-HMM
SO YOU'RE COMING FROM THREE 50 ON A RE ON ONE CUT DOWN TO $50.
AND WHEN COVID CAME, BECAUSE I WAS DOING IT ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL COVID IN 2020, IT NEVER GOT PICKED BACK UP.
SO A LOT OF THE GROWTH IS, UH, AFTER COVID, NO ONE EVER PICKED IT BACK UP.
SOME OF THESE LOTS, I CUT A LOT THAT, THAT WAS, THAT WAS ON, UM, UM, I THINK THEY HAD IT ON CHANNEL TWO.
THEY HAD THE LOT ON CHANNEL TWO.
I WENT BACK TO GO AND CHECK IT.
THE ONE THAT'S IN FLEMING MM-HMM
ALL THIS STUFF IS BACK UP HERE.
ALL THIS STUFF IS BACK UP THERE.
BUT AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, SO WHAT, SO YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN YOU GET PLUGGED IN TO, IT WAS SAVING TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
I'M, I'M ASKING PEOPLE FOR GRANTS MM-HMM
I'M, I'M TRYING TO GET GRANTS FROM GRANT WRITERS ASKING THEM TO TRY TO HELP TO SPONSOR THIS.
I JUST WANT THE PROBLEM FIXED.
I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM.
I JUST WANT, WE, WE HAVE A WILL AND HEART'S DESIRE AS FAR AS OUR COMMUNITY TO KEEP IT CLEAN.
YOU KNOW, SO I GUESS WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO GET THAT DONE.
SO I GUESS WE COULD GET WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO SEE IF THEY HAVE SOME TYPE OF PROGRAM TO WHAT, I KNOW THAT THEY PARTNER WITH CONTRACTORS MM-HMM
UM, THAT DO THIS TYPE OF WORK.
I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE, BUT SINCE THEY DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST TOOK OVER FROM, THEY JUST TOOK OVER THIS PIECE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEN I KNOW OUR COUNTER OFFICE IS, WE HAVE HOT TEAMS THAT, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE, UM, HAVE A HOT TEAM THAT GOES OUT AND, UM, CUT YARDS AND CUT THE MEDIANS.
WE ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE SUPPLIES AT THE TOOL BANK, YOU KNOW, LAWNMOWERS, UM, WEED EATERS, WE HAVE CONDITIONS, WE HAVE WHAT THE CONSTITUENTS MIGHT NEED.
UM, AND SO THAT'S OUR WAY OF KIND OF SUPPORTING, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BEAUTIFUL OR THE, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY HAD THIS.
I WAS LIKE, WHAT, WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE? I DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD THIS STUFF GOING ON.
AND SO, UM, WE DO YOU TALK WITH JESSICA, SHE DOES CLEANUPS REGULARLY MM-HMM
AND SO WE JUST PARTNER WITH THE COMMUNITIES TO TRY TO KEEP, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU, YOU, I HAVE, THEY, THEY HAVE A LOT OF JUSTICE INVOLVED.
UM, UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WHO ARE COMING HOME, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR JOBS.
THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT I USED TO HIRE TO GET ON THE TRUCK, OR I WOULD GIVE THEM, BECAUSE THEY NEEDED, THEY NEEDED SOMETHING, SOMETHING TO DO.
I, I AM A JUSTICE INVOLVED OFFENDER.
I, I HAVE WENT TO PRISON, SO I UNDERSTAND THE, THE, THE STRUGGLES WITH DEALING WITH THAT.
SO GIVEN THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AND PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WIN-WIN FOR ME.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ON.
WELL, WE HAVE YOUR INFORMATION AND YOU KNOW, WE'LL FOLLOW UP IF WE, YOU KNOW, LEARN OF THE OPPORTUNITY THE WAY YOU CAN CON CONNECT.
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, WE VOLUNTEER.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY AND WE PROVIDE THE SUPPLIES.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
BUT NO, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
[01:10:01]
COMMENTS AND NOPE.SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, SAYING THAT WE HAVE NO MORE SPEAKERS, UM, I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT OUR NEXT COM COMMITTEE MEETING, WE DON'T HAVE, IT'S SEPTEMBER THE 23RD.
UM, AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT THE SERVICE DELIVERY COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, CONTACT OUR OFFICE AT DISTRICT B@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
OR YOU CAN CALL US AT (832) 393-3009.
UM, RIGHT NOW, THE TIME IS THREE 11 AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING AND HAVE A BLESSED DAY.