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WELCOME YOU ALL HERE[Resilience Committee on September 3, 2026.]
TODAY FOR PRESENTATIONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.I'M HAVING A HARD TIME SEEING OVER THAT.
I'M SHORT, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME STAFF MEMBERS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, CASTILLO, ALCORN, MARTINEZ, PECK AND RAMIREZ'S OFFICE TODAY.
AND THEN ONLINE, UH, WE'VE GOT DEAF FROM MY OFFICE.
AND THEN, UH, ALSO STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, OR VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, CASSICK TATUM'S OFFICE.
SO FIRST UP, UH, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, PROFESSOR ALEX LANDON, AND ZOYA AND JOSH JOSH ARE COMING TO PRESENT, UM, ON WATERWAY POLLUTION MANAGEMENT.
AND THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING DOWN TODAY FOR THE BUBBLE BARRIER ON BUFFALO BAYOU.
I'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN THAT TOUR, WHICH IS PRETTY NEAT.
UM, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
I'M A PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE IN THE CULLEN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I'M NOT HERE ADVOCATING FOR ANYTHING ON THE UNIVERSITY'S BEHALF, BUT I AM HERE TO INTRODUCE TWO EXCEPTIONAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS WHO WILL PRESENT THEIR IDEAS FOR A MORE RESILIENT HOUSTON.
AND SO, JUST FOR A LITTLE BACKGROUND, THESE STUDENTS WERE AMONG 20 PARTICIPANTS IN THE MOST RECENT ITERATION OF AN ANNUAL LEARNING ABROAD COURSE THAT TAKES STUDENTS TO THE NETHERLANDS TO STUDY COASTAL RESILIENCE.
BEFORE WE FLEW TO AMSTERDAM IN MAY, WE ATTENDED A RESILIENCE COMMITTEE MEETING JUST TO, TO LEARN HOW RESILIENCE DECISIONS ARE MADE HERE IN OUR CITY.
BEFORE WE MET WITH SIMILAR GROUPS IN THE NETHERLANDS AND CHAIR CARTER GRACIOUSLY INVITED US TO RETURN AFTER THE TRIP TO SHARE SOME OF WHAT WE LEARNED.
THIS WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL ADDITION TO THE COURSE, WHICH IS NOW IN ITS FOURTH YEAR.
UM, IT REALLY MOTIVATED STUDENTS TO DO EXCELLENT GROUP PROJECTS, AND IT WAS HARD TO PICK JUST TWO.
UM, SO WE APPRECIATE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AS A PART OF OUR COURSE, AND WE'D LOVE TO CONTINUE THAT IN THE FUTURE.
SO NOW IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TWO, UH, COUGARS ZOYA AHMED, A RECENT BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATE, AND JOSH BROWN, A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT AND MEMBER OF U-H-R-O-T-C.
THEY'LL SHARE TWO IDEAS SHAPED BY THEIR TIME IN THE NETHERLANDS.
MY NAME IS SOYA AND I'M HONORED TO BE SPEAKING HERE TODAY.
DURING OUR TRIP TO THE NETHERLANDS, I BECAME PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE GREAT BUBBLE BARRIER, AND I WANTED TO EXPLORE WHETHER AN IDEA LIKE THIS COULD COMPLIMENT THE WORK ALREADY HAPPENING HERE IN HOUSTON.
HOUSTON REMOVES OVER 2000 CUBIC YARDS OF FLOATING TRASH FROM BUFFALO BAYOU EACH YEAR.
MUCH OF IT WASHED IN FROM CITY STREETS, IF NOT CAPTURED, THIS DEBRIS FLOWS INTO GALVESTON BAY.
WHILE WE ALREADY HAVE MANY IMPACTFUL EFFORTS, LIKE THE BIO UVAC CONTAINMENT, BOOMS AND COMMUNITY CLEANUPS, MICROPLASTIC LEVELS IN GALVESTON BAY ARE STILL AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE UNITED STATES.
IN THE NETHERLANDS, A SIMILAR CHALLENGE HAS LED TO AN INNOVATIVE SYSTEM CALLED THE GREAT BUBBLE BARRIER.
IT WORKS BY PUMPING AIR THROUGH A PERFORATED TUBE PLACED ALONG THE BOTTOM OF A RIVER, CREATING A CURTAIN OF BUBBLES.
THIS BUBBLE CURTAIN GENERATES AN UPWARD FLOW THAT LIFTS, LIFTS PLASTIC WASTE TOWARDS THE SURFACE.
BY PLACING THE SYSTEM DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE WATERWAY, THE NATURAL CURRENT THEN GUIDES THAT FLOATING DEBRIS TO ONE SIDE WHERE A CATCHMENT SYSTEM COLLECTS IT FOR REMOVAL.
THE SYSTEM ITSELF HAS THREE MAIN COMPONENTS, THE BUBBLE, CURTAIN AND AIR COMPRESSOR THAT POWERS IT, WHICH MAKES THE BUBBLES GO THROUGH THE PERFORATED HOLES.
AND A COLLECTION SYSTEM, WHICH IS ADAPTED TO THE LOCAL RIVER BECAUSE IT USES AIR AND NOT A SOLID BARRIER, BOATS CAN PASS THROUGH.
AND STUDIES SO FAR HAVE SHOWN MINIMAL DISRUPTION TO AQUATIC LIFE IN THE BUBBLE BARRIERS THAT ALREADY EXIST AND ADDED BENEFIT IS THAT THE BUBBLES ALSO INCREASE DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS IN THE WATER.
OXYGEN LEVELS IN BUFFALO BAYOU VARY WIDELY BY LOCATION, BUT ARE NEAR ZERO IN THE DOWNSTREAM AREAS NEAR THE HOUSTON CHIP CHANNEL ACCORDING TO THE USGS.
SO THE ADDED BENEFIT OF INCREASED OXYGEN LEVELS COULD ALSO BE HELPFUL.
IN AMSTERDAM, OVER 70% OF THE MATERIAL CAPTURED HAS BEEN PLASTIC.
AND PILAR RESULTS SHOW IT CAN COLLECT DEBRIS RANGING FROM ONE MILLIMETER TO ONE METER WITH CAPTURE RATES OF AROUND 86%.
AS I SAID EARLIER, UM, GALVESTON BAY HAS AMONG THE HIGHEST MICROPLASTIC LEVELS IN THE UNITED STATES.
ACCORDING TO THE UNITED STATES, EPA MICROPLASTICS ARE CLASSIFIED AS PLASTIC PARTICLES WHICH RANGE IN SIZE FROM FIVE MILLIMETERS, WHICH IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PENCIL ERASER TO ONE NANOMETER.
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SIZE RANGE OF DEBRIS THAT THE BUBBLE BARRIER IN AMSTERDAM HAS BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURE DOES INCLUDE A LARGE AMOUNT OF MICROPLASTICS.IN HOUSTON, A SIMILAR SYSTEM COULD BE EXPLORED AS A FINAL INTERCEPTION POINT NEAR WHERE BUFFALO BAYOU MEETS GALVESTON BAY, WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR ALREADY AMAZING EXISTING SOLUTIONS.
THE EXACT LOCATION, HOWEVER, WOULD REQUIRE FURTHER STUDY AND COLLABORATION.
SINCE MUCH OF THE FLOATING WASTE ENTERING BUFFALO BAYOU IS WASHED IN FROM HOUSTON CITY STREETS, ONE CONSIDERATION WOULD BE PLACING THE BARRIER DOWNSTREAM OF THE MAJOR SOURCES OF RUNOFF SO THAT, SO THAT IT CAN INTERCEPT DEBRIS AFTER IT HAS ENTERED THE WATERWAY.
THERE ARE STILL IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AROUND HOUSTON'S WATER FLUCTUATIONS, STORM CONDITIONS, AND LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS, AND THOSE WOULD NEED TO BE STUDIED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY, BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP, GALVESTON BAY, AND ALSO THE SUPPORT OF THE INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES, WHICH USED THE HOUSTON PORT.
AND MOREOVER, INITIAL SYSTEMS, ACCORDING TO THE GREAT BUBBLE BARRIER WEBSITE, START AT AROUND $400,000.
SO THIS WOULD BE AN INVESTMENT TOWARDS REDUCING THE INTEREST, REDUCING THE FLOW OF PLASTICS INTO THE BAY.
BUT EVEN AS A PILOT OR STUDY, THIS KIND OF SYSTEM COULD BEGIN INTERCEPTING DEBRIS BEFORE IT REACHES GALVESTON BAY, HELPING PROTECT ONE OF TEXAS'S MOST IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS WHILE BUILDING ON THE STRONG FOUNDATION OF WORK ALREADY HAPPENING HERE TO PROTECT IT.
AND GOOD MORNING ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT WITHIN THE BAUS AND AROUND THE HOUSTON BAY IN ORDER TO REDUCE POLLUTION IN THE AREA.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS ABOUT KNOWING HOW TO MAKE THESE SYSTEMS AS EFFECTIVE AS THEY CAN POSSIBLY BE IS KNOWING EXACTLY WHERE PLASTIC IS COMING FROM AND TRACKING IT THROUGHOUT OUR BAYOU SYSTEM.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, UH, ONE PARTICULAR METHOD WE CAN USE TO COLLECT RELIABLE DATA ON WHERE PLASTIC IS FLOWING THROUGH OUR BODIES.
SO WHAT SURPRISED ME, AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU REMEMBER CHAIR FROM YOUR TOUR OF THE BUBBLE BARRIER, UM, WHAT THEY USE IN THE NETHERLANDS IS SOMETHING CALLED THE BRIDGE OBSERVATION METHOD.
AND THIS IS WHERE SOMEONE STANDS ON A BRIDGE WITH A CLIPBOARD AND THEY COUNT PLASTIC AS IT FLOATS BY.
UH, AND IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY EFFECTIVE METHOD, UH, WITHIN, UH, WITHIN HOLLAND WHERE THE CANALS ARE RELATIVELY SMALL AND BRIDGES ARE ONLY ABOUT EIGHT FEET OFF OF THE WATER.
UM, BUT HOUSTON IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
HOUSTON ARE BAYOU ARE MUCH WIDER, UH, AND MANY OF OUR BRIDGES ARE OVER 100 FEET OFF OF THE WATER.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S JUST UNREALISTIC TO ASK VOLUNTEERS TO STAND WITH CLIPBOARDS AND TRY AND COUNT PLASTIC THAT IS 100 FEET BELOW THEM.
UM, AND IT, IT WOULD REQUIRE MANY VOLUNTEERS TO COVER THE SPAN OF AN ENTIRE BRIDGE, UH, TO GET RELIABLE NUMBERS OUT OF THAT.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE WANTED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE PLASTIC IS ENTERING BUFFALO BAYOU AND TRACK IT ON ITS COURSE, WE HAVE SYDNEY SHERMAN BRIDGE AND FRED HARTMAN, UH, WHERE WE COULD SET UP VOLUNTEERS AND TRACK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UH, THE NUMBER OF BOTTLES THEY'RE COUNTING IN ONE PLACE, OR THE NUMBER OF ANY DEBRIS THEY'RE COUNTING AT SYDNEY SHERMAN VERSUS AT FRED HARTMAN.
AND THAT WILL GIVE US A PICTURE OF, UH, HOW DIFFERENT BAS ARE FEEDING INTO BUFFALO BAYOU.
UM, BUT AS I MENTIONED, EACH OF THESE BRIDGES IS ABOUT 160 FEET TALL.
UM, SO WHAT WE CAN USE IS A MORE TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN SOLUTION, UM, INSTEAD OF A HUMAN BASED SOLUTION.
SO, UH, I'M SURE EVERYONE HAS HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT COMPUTER VISION.
THERE'S A LOT OF HYPE AROUND IT IN THE PAST DECADE, UM, REALLY SINCE THE SEVENTIES.
UM, BUT THE BENEFIT OF THAT IS THAT COMPUTER VISION HAS BECOME MUCH MORE RELIABLE THAN IT EVER WAS IN THE PAST.
UM, AND THERE ARE MANY RESEARCHERS WHO HAVE BEEN STUDYING USING COMPUTER VISION TO DETECT PLASTIC WASTE, UM, AND TO USE AI TO BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, AND I WOULD, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE, UH, THE COUNCIL TO SEEK THIS KIND OF SOLUTION, UH, APPLYING AI IN A RESPONSIBLE AND PRODUCTIVE WAY TOWARD THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, SO FOR INSTANCE, WE, I FOUND, UH, ONE PARTICULAR RESEARCH PAPER, AND THIS PICTURE IS DRAWN FROM THERE.
UM, THAT USES AN OPEN SOURCE AI CALLED BOTTLE AI.
UM, OPEN SOURCE MEANS THAT IS OPEN TO ANYONE TO USE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
SO THE, THE EXPERIMENTATION THEY'VE ALREADY DONE TO MAKE AN AI SYSTEM THAT IS CAPABLE OF DETECTING BOTTLES, UM, IS OPEN FOR ANY FURTHER RESEARCH TO EXPAND ON THAT.
UM, RIGHT HERE WE CAN SEE WHERE THEY'VE DETECTED BOTTLES IN A, IN
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A SMALL CREEK WITH AROUND 98% EFFECT EFFECTIVENESS, WHICH IS VERY HIGH.UM, SO WE, WE CAN EASILY ADAPT A SYSTEM LIKE THIS, UM, APPLY IT, FOR INSTANCE, RIGHT NEXT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON CAMPUS, UM, AND HAVE A RESEARCH TEAM, UM, CONTINUE TO TRAIN THIS AI FOR A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT, UM, USING SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A GOPRO, UH, WITH A GOPRO MOUNTED ON A BRIDGE, UM, LIKE ON MLK BOULEVARD, WE CAN EXPAND ON EXISTING SYSTEMS, UM, GIVE STUDENTS SOME RESEARCH EXPERIENCE WITH COMPUTER VISION, UM, AND, UH, EVENTUALLY APPLY, UH, A SYSTEM LIKE THIS TO BE ABLE TO TRACK PLASTIC THROUGHOUT THE HOUSTON WATERWAY SYSTEM.
THAT'S REALLY ALL I WANNA SAY.
UH, AT THIS TIME, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE, THE CHAIR MEMBERS? FOR, FOR ME OR FOR FOR ZOYA? WELL, THANK YOU, UH, JOSH ZOYA, COME ON BACK DOWN.
WE'RE GONNA GIVE, WE'LL GIVE YOU A HARD TIME HERE FOR A MINUTE,
WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING IN, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, THOUGHTFUL PRESENTATIONS.
AND WAS THAT YOUR FIRST TIME IN AMSTERDAM? YES.
YEAH, PRETTY AMAZING, ISN'T IT, THAT YOU CAN BUILD A CITY LIKE THAT ON WATER AND ALL THESE YEARS LATER, IT'S AS SUSTAINABLE AS IT HAS BEEN.
AND THEY HAVE REALLY GREAT CHEESES TOO, BY THE WAY.
BUT, UM, BOTH REALLY GOOD IDEAS.
BUT I, I'M GONNA SAY, UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S TRASH IN THE BAYOU SYSTEMS. I MEAN, IT'S, IF, IF YOU'VE NOT TAKEN THE BOAT TOUR DOWN THAT BUFFALO BAYOU, BE SURE TO TAKE THAT BECAUSE YOU, YOU'LL JUST BE SHOCKED BY THE, THE TRASH.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S LIKE, HOW CAN WE CLEAN THIS UP? AND THESE ARE BOTH GREAT IDEAS.
UM, I THINK THE NEXT QUESTION IS WHERE WOULD THE NEXT PROJECT IS? SOURCE THE FUNDING, BECAUSE FUNDING IS ALWAYS THE, THE KEY TO ALL OF THIS.
BUT, UM, IT, IRONICALLY, I JUST, I WAS MEETING WITH A COMMUNITY LEADER JUST BEFORE I CAME TO THIS MEETING, AND SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT TRASH AND DEBRIS IN THE COMMUNITIES AND HOW, YOU KNOW, INTO THE DITCHES, INTO THE WATERWAYS.
AND IT'S JUST COMPOUND, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMPOUNDED, YOU KNOW, AS IT FLOWS.
AND, AND NOT ONLY OBSTRUCTING WELL'S DANGEROUS TO THE, THE, UH, ENVIRONMENT, BUT ALSO OBSTRUCTING THE WATERWAYS, AND IT'S JUST A MESS.
THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, COMING TO PRESENT.
UM, AND, UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PANZA, WELCOME TO THE MEETING.
AND THEN COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FRED FLICKINGER IS ONLINE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
PANZELLA, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I, I STEPPED IN A LITTLE, UH, LATE, SO I WAS GONNA ASK WHY WERE BOTH OF THESE FOCUSED AROUND AMSTERDAM SOLUTIONS? BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL JUST SPENT A TRIP THERE.
SO, UM, IF Y'ALL COULD JUST LET ME KNOW, WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN AMSTERDAM? WHAT DID Y'ALL FIND, UH, THE MOST INTERESTING OR THE MOST FUN? AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR THE BUBBLE BARRIER, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF Y'ALL WANNA TALK ABOUT AMSTERDAM FOR A SECOND, I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THE FLOOR.
UH, SO ESSENTIALLY, UM, OUR PROFESSOR, ALEX LANDON HERE, UH, WE ARE BOTH UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON STUDENTS.
I WAS LIKE, THERE'S TWO RED DRESSES.
WE JUST, THIS PAST SUMMER TOOK A TRIP TO, UH, THE NETHERLANDS EXPLORING AMSTERDAM DEN HOG.
UH, SOME OF US TOOK A DAY TRIP TO HAIDA PHENOMENAL CHEESE, UM, AND WE WERE EXPLORING DIFFERENT, UH, COASTAL RESILIENCE SOLUTIONS WITHIN THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND TO CONCLUDE THAT TRIP AROUND 20 STUDENTS CAME BACK AND PRESENTED, UH, SOLUTIONS INSPIRED BY WHAT WE SAW IN THE NETHERLANDS AND HOW THEY COULD BE APPLIED IN HOUSTON.
UM, AND THE TWO OF US WERE CHOSEN TO COME TO THIS MEETING, UH, GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME PRESENT OUR SOLUTIONS, UM, OUT OF THOSE 20 THAT WERE PRESENTED.
AND ONE OF THE COOL THINGS ABOUT THE NETHERLANDS IS THAT ONE THIRD OF THE NETHERLANDS IS ACTUALLY BELOW SEA LEVEL.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO VISIT THE FLOOR ENGINEERING BUILDING IN THE NETHERLANDS, AND YOU COULD ACTUALLY SEE FROM A TUBE THAT THE SEA LEVEL WAS ABOVE US, BUT WE WERE IN A BUILDING COMPLETELY.
SO, UM, MOST OF WHAT WE LEARNED WAS THE RESILIENCE THAT THEY'VE HAD FOR YEARS THROUGHOUT THEIR HISTORY.
THEIR MAIN FIGHT HAS BEEN AGAINST WATER IN A WAY, FIGHTING THE RISING SEA LEVEL FIGHTING FLOODS.
AND SO SEEING DIFFERENT INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING DESIGNS THEY'VE MADE TO HELP THEMSELVES STAY ABOVE SEA LEVEL, KEEP THEIR LAND STRONG, ESPECIALLY WITH WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN THE ENVIRONMENT, SEA LEVEL RISING, HOW THEY'RE STILL FIGHTING THAT, UM, IT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE.
NO, UM, THE NETHERLANDS IS GREAT.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE THERE FOR A COUPLE YEARS.
UM, THE WATER BARRIER THAT THEY HAVE IS MAGNIFICENTLY ADVANCED.
UM, AND WHAT'S VERY UNIQUE IS THAT YOU CAN BIKE THERE ON A PROTECTED BIKE LANE ALL THE WAY FROM AMSTERDAM.
SO THEY HAVE A REALLY WELL CONNECTED, UH, COUNTRY THERE.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD REAL QUICK WAS, UM, FOR THE BUBBLE BARRIER, JUST CURIOUS, HOW DOES THAT DIFFER FROM WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE BAYOU? I BELIEVE WE ALREADY HAVE KIND OF A NET SORT OF THING THAT COLLECTS TRASH, AND THEN A BOAT COMES TO PICK IT UP AND REGULARLY IS, YOU KNOW, IS THIS CONCEPT THAT DIFFERENT OR, YEAH, FOR THE BUBBLE BARRIER,
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IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA AFFECT ANY AQUATIC LIFE SINCE IT'S JUST BUBBLES IN THE AIR.AND THE BUBBLES CAN ALSO CATCH MICROPLASTICS, THINGS THAT MIGHT GO PAST THE NET, OR ALSO WHEN THERE'S A NET, IT'S, IT MIGHT DISTURB NOT JUST AQUATIC LIFE, BUT ALSO BOATS.
AND WHEN THE BOAT HAS TO COME AND PICK IT UP WITH A BUBBLE BARRIER, EVERYTHING CAN MOVE THROUGH IT FREELY.
WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH A BOAT CANAL TOUR, AND WE WENT RIGHT PAST A BUBBLE BARRIER THROUGH THE DEBRIS, AND THEN IT GATHERS, IT COLLECTS ITSELF AGAIN BECAUSE IT'S GOING ALONG WITH THE RIVER'S CURRENT.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT.
IT, SINCE IT'S DIAGONAL, THE DEBRIS NATURALLY COLLECTS IN A CATCHMENT AREA AREA, AND IT'S MUCH EASIER TO JUST PICK IT UP FROM THE CATCHMENT AREA.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT, AND IT'S SAFE FOR A LITTLE BIT SAFER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PECK'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION, UH, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THE BUBBLE BARRIER SYSTEM.
JUST IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION.
DO YOU GUYS KNOW IF, UH, THIS EXACT SYSTEM HAS BEEN USED HERE IN THE STATES BY A MAJOR CITY ALREADY? OR IS IT JUST CURRENTLY JUST BEING USED IN EUROPE OR IN, IN THE NETHERLANDS SPECIFICALLY? I'M JUST CURIOUS.
THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'VE BEEN IMPLEMENTING IT IN SAN FRANCISCO RECENTLY, IF I'M NOT WRONG.
I DON'T HAVE MORE DETAIL ON EXACTLY HOW THAT'S GOING, BUT WHEN WE WERE THERE, WE ALSO ASKED THAT QUESTION AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE STATES RIGHT NOW.
THEY ACTUALLY ARE TRYING TO GET IT MORE IN THE STATES.
AND I BELIEVE SAN FRANCISCO IS ONE OF THE SPOTS WHICH THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED IMPLEMENTING IT IN.
UH, ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? UH, WELL, THANKS FOR COMING DOWN TODAY AND, UM, YOU, YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE ED EDUCATION AND THE WORK YOU DO, YOU'RE OUR LEADERS OF TOMORROW IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, IT'S JUST REALLY REFRESHING TO SEE BRIGHT YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO HEAR GREAT IDEAS.
SO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND, UH, YOU'RE WELCOME.
WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW IDEAS AND, AND, UH, LIKE I SAID, PROJECT NEXT STEP IS GET, GET THE FUNDING FOR IT AND LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
SO NEXT STEP WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, WHICH, UH, I THINK THEY HAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION ON THE HERT PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM.
AND, UH, I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL STAFF.
UH, WE WANNA START OFF BY THANKING THE RESILIENCE COMMITTEE FOR HAVING US COME TODAY AND SPEAK TO YOU ALL ABOUT THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM.
UH, DIRECTOR STANDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS DUST SEND, HIS APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY DUE TO A SCHEDULED, UH, DAWN MEETING.
UH, BUT MY NAME IS ROMAN AGUILAR.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON SINCE 2008.
UH, I STARTED MY PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER IN THE MAYOR'S ANTI-GANG OFFICE, AND AS OF 2022, I HAVE THE HONOR AND THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE AS THE CITY'S CHIEF SERVICE OFFICER FOR THE VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM, UH, AND HOUSTON SERVES.
AND MOST RECENTLY, ALONG WITH MY PARTNER, UH, I'VE BEEN TASKED TO CO-ORDINATE, CO-LEAD, CO-MANAGE THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM.
GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL STAFF.
I'M AN OUTREACH COORDINATOR WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT ALONGSIDE ROMAN.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, GIVING STRUCTURE AND COORDINATING THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM.
UM, ASIDE FROM THAT, I ALSO COORDINATE OUR, UH, WILL CLINIC, UH, PARTNERSHIP AND OUR MONTH OF SERVICE PARTNERSHIP, WHICH PROVIDES, UH, LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND EDUCATION ON TOPICS RELATED TO ESTATE PLANNING AND FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US THIS MORNING.
SO, OUR GOAL IS TO BUILD A CITYWIDE WORKFORCE RESPONSE READINESS TEAM TO ASSIST IN DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS, UH, HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION, WE WILL GO OVER THE MISSION OF HURT, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE EVOLUTION.
THE AP TWO DASH 24 THAT MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER RECENTLY SIGNED THE STRUCTURE THAT CCE AND I HAVE PUT TOGETHER TO IMPLEMENT HURT WHAT CCE AND I DO ON BLUE SKY DAYS.
I KNOW WE, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME BLUE SKY DAYS, RIGHT? UH, AND THEN ALSO WHAT WE DO IN AN ACTIVATION WHEN HURT IS ACTIVATED.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION WITH, UH, NEXT STEPS AND, UH, AS WE LOOK FORWARD INTO IMPLEMENTING THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM.
OUR MISSION AND OUR STRATEGY IS TO PROVIDE AID IN THE AFTERMATH, UH, OF DISASTERS AND COORDINATION WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, AND OTHER CITY OF HOUSTON DEPARTMENTS.
UH, IT'S AN ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH.
WHAT HERD PROVIDES IS A POOL OF TRAINED CITY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ABLE TO ASSIST AND SUPPORT IN DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS, UH, AND EMERGENCY EVENTS.
UH, WE HAVE A, WE, WE WILL PROVIDE A STRUCTURED PROCESS FOR EMPLOYEE ASSIGNMENT AND COMMUNICATION,
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UH, AND THEN ALSO IT PROVIDES A CITYWIDE WORKFORCE COORDINATION UNDER THE CITY'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE.OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, CSO AND I HAVE SPENT A NUMBER OF MONTHS, UH, WORKING ALONGSIDE OEM AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE HERD AND THE COMPONENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ASSIST THE CITY IN DISASTER RESPONSE.
SO, WE ALL KNOW THAT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF OR WHAT, BUT A MATTER OF WHEN, RIGHT.
UH, AND DISASTERS CAN CREATE A WORKFORCE NEEDS BEYOND THE NORMAL DEPARTMENT CAPACITY.
UH, THIS PAST JANUARY OF 2026, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PILOT THE HURT, UH, DURING THE WINTER STORM FERN.
AND A LITTLE BIT DOWN THE PRESENTATION, IL WILL TOUCH ON SOME OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, STATS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, THAT DEPLOYMENT.
BUT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AS THEY OPEN AND THEY STAFF EMERGENCY FACILITIES, UH, THE SUPPORTING THE COOLING AND THE WARMING CENTERS, UH, THE POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION SITES.
WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, UH, LOGISTICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AT THE HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER, WHICH, UH, WILL ALLOW, UH, THAT STAFF TO FOCUS ON MORE PRESSING NEEDS, UH, WHILE OUR HER STAFF ASSIST THEM THERE.
AND THEN, IF REQUESTED, WE WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH ADDITIONAL RECOVERY OPERATIONS, LIKE DEBRIS REMOVAL, UH, CANVASSING, AND ANYTHING THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO ASK.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF HER.
UH, PRIOR TO 2021, THE CITY HAD NO MECHANISM TO TRAIN AND UTILIZE NONT TIER ONE EMPLOYEES.
LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 2008, AND I WAS ASKED TO WORK MANY DIFFERENT RECOVERY EFFORTS IN MY TIME THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, INCLUDING HURRICANE HARVEY, WHERE WE SPENT A FEW WEEKS AT THE GEORGIA BROWN CENTER AND OTHER RECOVERY EFFORTS.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT BETWEEN 2019 AND 21 COVID AFFECTED, UH, NOT JUST THE CITY, BUT THE COUNTRY AND WORLDWIDE.
AND WE SAW THAT VOLUNTEERISM DECLINED BECAUSE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING AND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING ABLE TO COME OUT.
UH, SO IN 2021, THE CONCEPT OF HURT WAS CREATED, UH, AT THAT POINT, WELL, SINCE 2021, IT HAS BEEN IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, HUMAN RESOURCES, HOMELAND SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
UH, I KNOW THAT WE ALL CAN AGREE THAT VOLUNTEERS PLAY SUCH A, UH, ESSENTIAL ROLE, AND WE CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH FOR WHAT THEY DO IN DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS.
UH, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH IT.
UH, SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES INCLUDE AVAILABILITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE IMPACTED HERE IN THE CITY AND SURROUNDING AREAS AND OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE SURROUNDING TOO.
THEY START TO GET PULLED IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
AND SO WE, WE TEND TO LEAN ON SPONTANEOUS VOLUNTEERS.
AND WHEN WE LEAN ON SPONTANEOUS VOLUNTEERS, UH, WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BACKGROUND CHECKS.
WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, UH, ARE THEY TRAINED? ARE THEY PREPARED TO, TO ASSIST IN DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS? AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SAFETY, LIABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
THIS PAST JANUARY, WE DID GET SOME ASSISTANCE FROM VOLUNTEERS, UH, DURING THE WINTER STORM FIRM.
UH, THEY WERE ASSISTING THE WARMING CENTERS AT DENVER HARBOR COMMUNITY CENTER AT THE FONDE, UH, CENTER, AND AT THE WEST GRAY COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND AS WE A SEVEN HOUR MONITORING ROAD CONDITIONS, AND WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY DURING, UH, THE ACTIVATIONS, UH, OR WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SAFETY FOR THEM.
AND SO WE HAD TO ASK THEM TO GO HOME EARLY SO THAT THEY CAN GET HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES.
UH, THOSE FACILITIES DO OPEN 24 HOURS, AND THAT, THAT, THAT'S A CONCERN FOR US, RIGHT? FOR THEM TO HAVE TO DRIVE HOME IN ICY ROADS OR ANY TYPE OF DANGEROUS CONDITIONS.
AS OF 2026, UH, CISO AND I HAVE, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, STARTED TO MANAGE THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A POLICY, AND WE HAVE STARTED TO IMPLEMENT HER TRAINING AND STANDARDS TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
I WILL SAY THAT VOLUNTEERS AND THE HERD COMING TOGETHER IS GOING TO BUILD MORE CAPACITY AND MAKE IT STRONGER WHEN IT'S TIME TO RESPOND TO DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS.
SO, YES, 2026 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM.
UH, JUST RECENTLY, JUNE 2ND OF THIS YEAR, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER SIGNED, UH, THE AP TWO DASH 24, WHICH GIVES STRUCTURE, UM, TO HURT, THAT GIVES US STRUCTURE TO TRAIN, TO SELECT, TRAIN AND ACTIVATE EMPLOYEES.
UNDER THE AP, UM, DEPARTMENTS ARE TO IDENTIFY 8.5% OF THEIR TIER TWO AND THREE STAFF TO BE, UH, ON THE, UH, HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM FOR A YEAR.
DEPARTMENTS ARE ALSO TO ASSIGN A POINT OF CONTACT THAT WILL, UH, WORK ALONGSIDE ROMAN AND I DURING ACTIVATIONS, BUT ALSO BEFORE AND AFTER.
UM, THE HURT STAFF WILL BE TRAINED, UH, ON SAFETY EXPECTATIONS AND THEIR ROLES.
WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, STAFF WILL REMAIN, UH, WITH THEIR ACTIVE BENEFITS, WORKERS' COMP, INSURANCE AND PAYROLL FROM THEIR DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY'RE ACTIVATED.
[00:25:01]
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.AND SO, PART OF THAT STRUCTURE THAT IS OUTLINED IN THE AP IS, UM, WHAT WE DO IN, UH, BLUE SKY DAYS.
UM, SO BEFORE THE EMERGENCY HAPPENS, WE WANNA ENSURE, LIKE I SAID, THAT OUR STAFF IS TRAINED AND THAT WE ARE PREPARED AS WELL.
UM, SO PRIOR TO ANY EMERGENCY EVENT, WE ARE WORKING WITH THOSE, UH, DEPARTMENT COORDINATORS, POINT OF CONTACTS TO IDENTIFY AND TRAIN THE STAFF.
WE'RE ALSO CONFIRMING THOSE ONE YEAR ASSIGNMENTS WITH THEM, AND LIKE I SAID, PROVIDING TRAINING AND ORIENTATION WHERE WE'RE REVIEWING ROLES, EXPECTATIONS, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE HERTZ STAFF, AND WE'RE CONDUCTING, UH, READINESS AND COMMUNICATION CHECKS WITH THEM.
SO JUST RECENTLY THIS PAST WEEK, WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH ALL OF THE, UH, COORDINATORS TO LET THEM KNOW OF THE LATEST UPDATES THAT WE'RE RECEIVING FOR OEM, JUST SO THAT THEY CAN PREPARE THEIR STAFF JU IN CASE WE WERE TO, UH, HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED FOR, UH, THIS PAST, UM, WINTER.
SO, AS MENTIONED, UH, WE ARE WORKING CONTINUOUSLY ON TRAINING AND PREPARING OUR STAFF.
UH, SINCE THE AP WAS SIGNED IN JUNE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TRAIN APPROXIMATELY 150, UH, HERTZ STAFF.
THAT'S 150 EMPLOYEES THAT WE DID NOT HAVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THAT ARE NOW READY TO DEPLOY AND BE ACTIVATED AND SUPPORT ANY DISASTER RECOVERY OPERATIONS.
UM, THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE'VE TRAINED, OF COURSE, OUR DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, OUR HOME DEPARTMENT IS WHERE WE STARTED.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE HAD THE, UH, PLEASURE OF, UH, TRAINING STAFF FROM THE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS OFFICE, THE, UH, OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, OUR GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE MUNICIPAL COURTS DEPARTMENT, AND HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND SO WE DEFINITELY WANNA THANK THEM FOR, UH, PARTICIPATING, UH, AND BEING, UH, A PART OF THE HURT.
IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING THAT ROMAN AND I ARE PROVIDING, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO EXPAND, UH, TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY.
JUST THIS SUMMER, UH, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO OFFER US AN IN-PERSON TRAINING AT THEIR FACILITIES WHERE WE HAD ABOUT 50 OF OUR, UH, HERTZ STAFF, UH, TRAINED.
UM, AND SO WE'RE INCREDIBLY THANKFUL FOR, UH, THEIR PARTNERSHIP.
UH, WE'VE ALSO, LIKE, UH, ROMAN MENTIONED, UH, BEEN WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, ALONGSIDE THEM TO GIVE THE HURT, UH, STRUCTURE AND WORKING ON THEM, UH, WITH THEM ON COORDINATION EFFORTS.
CURRENTLY, WE ARE IN TALKS WITH THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL TRAININGS FOR OUR STAFF.
LIKE I SAID, WE WANT OUR STAFF TO BE, UH, READY AND PREPARED TO SERVE HOUSTON, UH, WHEN HOUSTONIANS NEED IT THE MOST.
UM, SO WE'RE INCREDIBLY PROUD AND THANKFUL OF THE WORK THAT THE DIFFERENT, UM, STAFF AND DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN DOING.
UH, ON THIS SLIDE, WE'RE GONNA SEE A GRAPH OF WHAT THE ACTIVATION TIMELINE WOULD LOOK LIKE IN A PERFECT STORM, BUT WE KNOW THAT IN HOUSTON, IT'S NOT ALWAYS GONNA BE LIKE THIS.
A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE BACK OF MAY, 2024, HOW IT LANDED SO UNEXPECTEDLY, AND WE WERE JUST READY TO GO RIGHT THEN AND THERE.
SO, UH, AGAIN, IN A PERFECT STORM, THIS IS THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
AS WE WILL IMPLEMENT THE HER TO RESPOND.
ACTIVATION TIMELINES WILL VARY BASED ON THE TYPE OF THE NATURE OF THE DISASTER.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT IN A HURRICANE, A TROPICAL STORM OR ANY, ANY KIND OF RAINFALL EVENT, UH, OUR HER STAFF WILL NOT BE DEPLOYED UNTIL POST LANDFALL.
WE WILL WAIT FOR THE WATER LEVELS TO GO DOWN, AND SO THEY CAN ABLE TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN PODS OR ANY OTHER, UH, NEEDS THAT WE MAY, WE WILL HAVE IN THAT, IN A WINTER STORM OR WINTER FREEZE, WE WILL BE DEPLOYED PRE LANDFALL SO THAT WE CAN BE AT THE WARMING STANDARDS READY TO ASSIST, UH, OPENING AND OPERATING THOSE, UH, FACILITIES.
THE WAY THE ACTIVATION LOOKS LIKE IS WE WILL INITIALLY RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION FROM THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
AT THAT POINT, ELLE AND I WILL HEAD TO THE HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER AT THE HI CENTER, UH, AND BEGIN NOTIFYING HER STAFF OF THEIR ACTIVATION AND DEPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENTS.
UH, WE WILL SCHEDULE A TEAM'S JUST IN TIME TRAINING REFRESHER WHERE WE WILL GO OVER EXPECTATIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES, ROLES, SAFETY PROTOCOLS, UM, THE, UM, ALSO, UH, CSEL AND I WILL BE MAINTAINING COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEPLOY STAFF ONCE THEY'RE ACTIVATED AND PROVIDE 24 HOUR SUPPORT DURING, DURING ACTIVATIONS, UH, CSEL ALSO, ALONG FROM BEING AT THE HEC CENTER, WE ALSO CONDUCT SITE VISITS TO GO CHECK ON THE HER STAFF TO SEE HOW THEY'RE DOING OR IF THEY HAVE ANY CONCERNS THAT WE CAN HELP 'EM WITH WHILE THEY ARE DEPLOYED.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, PILOT THAT ACTIVATION PROTOCOL THIS YEAR.
LIKE I SAID, 2026 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR US, UH, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO PILOT, UH, THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM DURING THE WINTER STORM, UH, FERN.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME,
[00:30:01]
UH, DETAILS.UH, FROM THAT, WE LEARNED A LOT, UH, FROM THAT DEPLOYMENT, AND WERE ABLE TO GIVE SOME OF THOSE, UH, STRUCTURE TO THE, UM, AP BASED OFF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED.
UM, DURING THAT FIRST WEEKEND, TEMPERATURES REACHED APPROXIMATELY 23 DEGREES.
UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD STAFF, UH, WAS DEPLOYED, ABOUT 54 OF THEM SUPPORTING OPERATIONS ALONGSIDE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OUR HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AT THOSE 12 WARMING CENTERS THAT WERE OPENED.
UH, WE PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR FOUR DAYS ON 12 HOUR SHIFTS, UH, OVERNIGHT AND DAY SUPPORT.
UM, AND LIKE ROMAN MENTIONED, UH, WE WERE CONDUCTING SITE CHECKS AND REMAINING ON CALL TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF WHILE THEY WERE ACTIVATED AND DEPLOYED.
UM, WE SERVED THAT WEEKEND, APPROXIMATELY 1300 RESIDENTS THAT WERE SEEKING RELIEF FROM THOSE COLD TEMPERATURES.
SO WE'RE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE BY EVERYBODY AND OUR HURT STAFF FOR THAT SECOND ACTIVATION.
UM, WE HAD ABOUT THREE DAYS TO, UH, PREPARE AND CALL OUT STAFF.
UM, IT WAS NO SMALL FEAT, BUT WE COUNTED ON THE SUPPORT OF OUR DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD STAFF, AS WELL AS THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY STAFF, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UH, GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND A RA, UH, THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH ABOUT 25 STAFF IN TOTAL TO SUPPORT FOUR WARMING CENTERS, UH, FOR THAT SECOND ACTIVATION FOR TWO DAYS, AGAIN, ON THOSE 12 HOUR SHIFTS, PROVIDING SUPPORT, UH, DAY AND NIGHT.
UM, AND THAT WEEKEND, UH, WE SERVED APPROXIMATELY 600 RESIDENTS.
SO IN TOTAL, FOR THOSE TWO, BACK TO BACK-TO-BACK ACTIVATIONS ABOUT, UH, A LITTLE UNDER 2000, UM, HOUSTONIANS SOUGHT A RELIEF FROM THOSE COLD TEMPERATURES.
AND HURT WAS PART OF THAT RESPONSE, UM, IN PROVIDING THEM, UH, SHELTER AT THE WARMING CENTER.
SO WE DEFINITELY LEARNED A LOT OF LESSONS, AND WE LEARNED THE VALUE OF CROSS APARTMENT, UH, WORKFORCE UNDER ONE COORDINATED RESPONSE.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF ALL THE STAFF THAT PARTICIPATED.
AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT IN THAT PICTURE, WE HAVE, UM, A STAFF MEMBER FROM, UH, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND A STAFF MEMBER FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MEET, UM, AND COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER.
SO IT WAS JUST A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR US AS THE COORDINATORS, BUT ALSO FROM OUR STAFF.
WE RECEIVED GREAT FEEDBACK, UH, FROM THEM.
THEY WERE VERY PROUD OF BEING ABLE TO, UM, SERVE AND HELP DURING THOSE DAYS.
AND SO, AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD, UH, PREPAREDNESS, UM, WE HAVE SOME NEXT STEPS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, PROVIDE TRAINING FOR THAT 8.5% OF SELECTED STAFF.
WE'RE ALSO, UH, LOOKING TO PURCHASE HIGH VISIBILITY VESTS FOR HER STAFF, UM, AS WELL AS PPE.
SO MASKS, GLOVES, UM, HAND SANITIZER, ALL OF THAT GOOD STUFF THAT THEY CAN USE WHILE THEY'RE ACTIVATED.
AS MENTIONED, WE ARE CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND, UM, TRAINING THROUGH COLLABORATIONS WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON OR RESEARCHING A CENTRALIZED MASS NOTIFICATION PLATFORM THAT WILL ALLOW US TO STREAMLINE COMMUNICATION WITH OUR ACTIVATED STAFF IN A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY.
UM, AND LASTLY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP, UH, RECOGNITION AND INCENTIVES FOR STAFF.
I WANNA MENTION THAT OUR HURT STAFF ARE ASKED TO LEAVE THEIR FAMILIES DURING EMERGENCY EVENTS TO TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES THAT GO BEYOND THEIR DAY-TO-DAY WORK.
AND SO WE WANNA ENSURE THAT WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE WORK AND INCENTIVIZING PARTICIPATION.
AND SO WE WOULD LOVE TO, UH, INVITE THE COMMITTEE, UM, TO SEE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN COLLABORATE ON RECOGNIZING THOSE EMPLOYEES.
AND SO, LASTLY, WE WANNA CONCLUDE, UM, JUST BY AGAIN, HIGHLIGHTING WHAT ROMAN SAID IT IN HOUSTON, IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF WE'RE GOING TO BE HIT WITH A WEATHER EVENT, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHEN.
WE CAN'T ALWAYS PREDICT IT, BUT WHAT WE CAN BE IS BE PROACTIVE.
THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM IS JUST ONE OF THOSE PIECES AND THE BIGGER, UH, FRAMEWORK OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
UH, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM, AND WE KNOW THAT, UH, THE HOUSTON EMPLOYEE RESPONSE TEAM IS THERE TO SERVE HOUSTONIANS WHEN THEY NEED IT THE MOST.
SO WE WANNA THANK, UM, EVERYBODY HERE AT THE, UH, COMMITTEE, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL STAFF, AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'D LOVE TO, UH, TAKE THOSE.
THANK Y'ALL BOTH FOR BEING HERE TO, UH, TO PRESENT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE CNL DEPARTMENT ON YOUR LIST.
UM, YES, AS, AS I HAVE MENTIONED WHEN WE MET LAST, UH, MY ENTIRE, UH, STAFF HAS BEEN VOLUNTOLD TO ASSIST AND ARE READY TO, UH, READY TO, UH, READY FOR YOUR TRAINING.
UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT VOLUNTEERISM, SO WE DON'T NEED TO BORE EVERYBODY WITH THAT, BUT CERTAINLY IT'S ESSENTIAL TO HAVE, UH, SUCH A
[00:35:01]
SOLID GROUP OF, OF VOLUNTEERS THAT KNOW THE EXPECTATIONS AND HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO PROVIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTCOMES BASED ON THE NEED.AND LIKE I SAID, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING OUR CNL DEPARTMENT ON YOUR LIST.
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PANZA HAS GOT A QUESTION.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO.
UM, JUST A SUPER QUICK QUESTION.
YOU MENTIONED BUYING SOME PPE.
IS THAT COMING FROM THE DON BUDGET? OR WHERE, WHERE ARE Y'ALL GONNA FIND THOSE FUNDS? SO WE'RE LOOKING, UH, AT THE BUDGET THAT DON HAS AND POTENTIALLY SOME ADDITIONAL ADDITION, UH, FUNDS FROM OEM.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT OUR BUDGET IS NOT BIG.
AND SO ANY SUPPORT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET, WE WOULD BE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL AND APPRECIATIVE.
UH, WE KIND OF TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT WITH COUNCILOR RIC CARTER WHEN WE MET LAST MONTH.
SO YEAH, OUR BUDGET'S NOT THAT GREAT.
AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED, BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION LATER.
UM, I'D LOVE TO DISCUSS KINDA WHAT THOSE NEEDS MIGHT BE.
COUNCIL MEMBER WE ARE, WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU ONE-ON-ONE AND GO OVER SOME OF THAT.
UH, QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU, DON, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YOU BOTH ARE AMAZING AND DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN GREAT.
UH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
AND THE FIRST ONE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A QUESTION FOR, UH, MAYBE OEM, BUT ARE COUNCIL OFFICES NOTIFIED ONCE HURT IS ACTIVATED IN THAT DISTRICT, IN THAT SPECIFIC DISTRICT? THAT IS PROBABLY MORE OF A QUESTION FOR OEM.
I'M SURE THEY HAVE THAT ANSWER.
UH, AND I, I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THAT QUESTION TO THEM.
AND THE REASON WHY I ASK IS BECAUSE, UH, UM, WE DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO SEE PERHAPS IF YOU GUYS ARE IN A SPECIFIC LOCATION AND DISTRICT, UH, WE DON'T WANT TO RUN INTO, ESPECIALLY IN A DISASTER, WE DON'T WANT TO RUN INTO THE SITUATION WHERE WE ARE DUPLICATING EFFORTS.
UH, IF YOU GUYS ARE DOING ALREADY A DISTRIBUTION AND WE ACTIVATE OUR OFFICE AND A NONPROFIT, YOU KNOW, THE NONPROFITS THAT WE WORK, UH, WITH, UH, IF WE DON'T WANT TO DO DOUBLE WORK IN AN AREA, WE WANT TO TRY TO GET TO AS MANY AREAS AS POSSIBLE.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW COUNCIL OFFICES OR IF THEY ARE EVEN NOTIFIED, SO THAT WAY WE CAN EITHER WORK TOGETHER OR KIND OF WORK ELSEWHERE AND COVER MORE GROUND THAT WAY.
I THINK I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH YOU.
I THINK THAT'S A SCHEDULED MEETING THAT WE, WE SHOULD HAVE ALL TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, INSTEAD OF RUNNING ALL OVER PIGS, WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER.
A COORDINATED RESPONSE IS ESSENTIAL.
SO I, I'M SITTING HERE, COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK OF OUR FRIENDS OVER IN LOUISIANA WITH OUR CAJUN NAVY AND THEIR COMMUNICATIONS.
I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT THEY USED DURING HARVEY.
WE, IN, IN MY PAST LIFE, WE WORKED WITH THEM QUITE A BIT AND THEY WERE SO COORDINATED AND THEY HAD THIS, UH, SOFTWARE, I'M SURE IT'S AN APP, WHAT'S IT'S CALLED? ZELLO.
AND SO THAT WAS REALLY KEEN, I MEAN, A REALLY SHARP TOOL.
UM, AND THE COMMUNICATIONS, I MEAN, YOU COULD BE OVER HERE AND NEED THEM AND LIKE THAT THEY APPEAR IT'S MAGIC.
SO, YEAH, I, I THINK THAT'S ALSO MUCH NEEDED.
SO I'M GLAD Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT, AT SOMETHING BECAUSE I, I THINK, UM, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT COORDINATED RESPONSE FROM THIS SIDE OF TOWN, WE'RE SITTING ON ICE, CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
AND THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN, THEY'RE WAITING FOR TRUCKS AND HAVING TO BUY ICE.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR PRESENTING.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING TO SPONSOR YOUR SHIRTS OR VESTS OR WHATEVER YOU DECIDE ON.
YEAH, I COMMITTED TO THAT AND I, I'M, I'VE EARMARKED MY 25 CENTS FOR THAT
UM, BUT THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
WE DO HAVE, UH, Y'ALL CAN, UH, BE SEATED AND WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FROM, UH, ANYBODY ELSE ON THE COUNCIL.
SO THANK YOU'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UH, WE DO HAVE ONE, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKER WHO SIGNED UP.
LOOKS LIKE DOMINIQUE MAZO, COME ON DOWN.
I THOUGHT YOU HAD SKIPPED OUT ON US.
OKAY, I'LL GET THE FIRST PART OUT.
I TOOK THE 96 TO THE RED LINE AND WALKED OVER HERE.
I AM A HAM RADIO OPERATOR, SO I'M BRINGING IN SOME OF MY KNOWLEDGE INTO THIS, NOT KNOCKING ANYBODY, BUT FIRST OF ALL, I THINK EVERYBODY, ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE HORSESHOE AND THE MAYOR AND THE CONTROLLER NEED TO TAKE ICS COURSES.
ANYTHING THAT TEACHES YOU INCIDENT COMMAND, HOW THAT WORKS, WHICH FEEDS INTO WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO DO.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT ALL THE WATER GOING TO H UM, J CITY, BUT UP HERE AT, UM, THE AIRPORT, WE'RE GETTING
[00:40:01]
NOTHING.YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF COORDINATED RESPONSE.
HOWEVER, ON THAT NOTE, THERE'S A PROBLEM I SEE IF THINGS ARE TOO CENTRALIZED IN A CITY THIS SIZE.
UH, NOT EVERY, NOT EVERY PLACE IS PLOTTED THE SAME.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE MAYBE MORE ROADS HERE THAT ARE GRIDS.
SPRING BRANCH, THE ROADS ARE NOT GRID.
I THINK THAT, I THINK SOME OF THIS IN THE PREP FOR, FOR A UNFORTUNATE SITUATION IS MAYBE FOR THESE GROUPS TO TALK DOWN.
I DON'T WANNA SAY BACK, TALK DOWN, BUT TALK TO THE INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE LETTERS, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY SHOULD KNOW THEIR DISTRICT IN CASE THERE'S A PROBLEM.
MAYBE WE CAN SOLVE PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY C COME ABOUT.
I THINK ANOTHER THING IS SEEING THESE TWO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET SOME SORT OF NO RADIO OUTSIDE OF THE INTERNET.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, I GOT MY HAND RING HERE TODAY, SOLVE WINS, 10 50, I'M, I'M GETTING NO WEATHER ON THIS RIG THIS AFTERNOON.
AND, AND SOME OF THESE RADIOS ARE LIKE $20.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN MY NECK, WHICH I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S, I DON'T WANNA TALK TO PEOPLE DOWN, BUT THERE'S SOME PEOPLE IN THE, IN WHERE I LIVE, THEY DON'T HAVE CELL PHONES, BUT SOME, SOME TYPE OF GETTING THE INFORMATION THERE IS, IS IMPORTANT.
AND LASTLY, FOR COOLING CENTERS OR WARMING CENTERS, UH, HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH METRO.
'CAUSE A LOT, SOMETIMES METRO HAS SET A BUS TO BE USED AS A WARMING CENTER OR AS A COOLING CENTER.
UH, AS, AND I THINK REALLY WITH SOME OF THE HEAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW, I'M SURPRISED WE'RE NOT SEEING COOLING CENTERS LIKE A TRANSIT CENTER.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE OUT THERE HOT, HOT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WAITING, WAITING FOR SOMETHING, AND YOU'RE ABOUT READY TO COLLAPSE.
AT LEAST GET OUT OF THE ELEMENTS FOR A WHILE.
WELL, THANK YOU, UH, DOMINIQUE FOR ALWAYS COMING AND, AND, UH, GIVING US YOUR FEEDBACK AND ALSO TO YOUR, YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
AND IT'S, UH, IMPORTANT TO SHARE, SHARE, NOT SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, KELLY HEARN IS HERE, AND SHE, YOU MAY HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HER.
UM, SHE, UH, LEADS THE MAYOR'S RESILIENCE DE DEPARTMENT OF RESILIENCE, HOWEVER WE SEE THAT.
SO THERE'S A, THE MAYOR'S, UH, READINESS ROUNDTABLE, AND THERE ARE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS.
UM, I THINK IT WAS BARRELED THAT, THAT PRIMARILY LED US TO THIS NEED.
AND, UM, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS MADE.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND ONE OTHER THING, WE ARE ALSO A HIGH AREA FOR CHEMICAL PRODUCTION FOR HAZMAT MATERIALS.
AND WE ARE, I'M SORRY TO SAY THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WOULD DO US HARM BADLY.
ARE WE READY TO A HURRICANE? WE GET VAST NOISE.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT TOO.
UM, BUT KELLY'S UH, CERTAINLY INTRODUCE HERSELF TO KELLY BECAUSE SHE'S GOT A GREAT, A GREAT COLLABORATIVE OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS PUT TOGETHER THAT ARE REALLY DOING SOME GOOD WORK ON PLANNING FOR, UH, GOD FORBID, THE NEXT DISASTER ISSUE THAT WE HAVE.
THANK, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON.
THERE ARE NO OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP.
SO WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
PLEASE JOIN US THURSDAY, OCTOBER THE 15TH AT 2:00 PM LITTLE DIFFERENT TIME FOR OUR NEXT, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.