[00:00:19]
UH, FOR ALLOWING US TO HAVE THIS VENUE.
I MEAN, IT'S A VERY NICE ONE TO BE ABLE TO GET TOGETHER AND, AND TO HAVE A MEETING AND APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL COMING IN AS WELL.
UH, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE VERY INFORMATIVE FOR YOU THIS EVENING AND YOU CAN FIND OUT WHATEVER, WHATEVER YOU NEED TO KNOW.
UM, WE'VE GOT A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION AFTERWARDS, UH, AS WELL.
AND, UH, IF YOU'VE, UH, SUBMITTED A QUESTION ONLINE, UH, WE'LL BE GETTING TO THAT.
IF YOU THINK OF A QUESTION AND DIDN'T SUBMIT IT, YOU CAN STILL SUBMIT IT UP THERE AND WE'LL GET TO WHATEVER WE'VE GOT TIME FOR.
ALSO BEFORE I MENTION OUR DISTRICT E, WE HAVE A, A BOOTH UP AT THE FRONT BY THE DOOR.
UH, IF YOU, UH, DON'T GET OUR NEWSLETTER, PLEASE SIGN UP AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEND IT OUT TO YOU ONCE A MONTH.
UH, IF YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL, WE KEEP THE UPDATES THROUGH THAT AS WELL.
AND, UH, WOULD, UH, LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE Y'ALL, UH, IN CONTACT WITH US.
WE GOT DUSTIN HODGES, CHIEF OF STAFF.
DAMARI PEREZ, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF.
SLOANE SWEENEY, WHO I THINK Y'ALL ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH.
WHERE'S SLOANE AT? SHE'S THE SOUTH SECTOR MANAGER OVER CLEAR LAKE.
UH, YUKARI RAMIREZ IS THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS BACK OVER, OVER THERE.
AND, UH, OUR NEWEST MEMBER, ANNALISE COOK.
SHE WAS COLLECTING THE ANNIE, THE FIREFIGHTER BOOKS.
SO, UM, REALLY WE JUST WANT TO GET TOGETHER TONIGHT AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH YOU.
UH, WHAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS UP HERE.
UH, ALSO THE RECYCLING CENTER IS HERE AS WELL.
AND, UH, THE RECYCLING CENTER, UH, WE, WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES IN WHAT WE'LL CALL CONTAMINATION.
UH, ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS EVERYTHING GOES TO THE RECYCLING CENTER.
IN FACT, UH, MY ENTIRE OFFICE WENT OUT THERE AND TOURED THAT FACILITY, UH, HERE ABOUT A YEAR AGO NOW, I THINK.
UH, IT GOES THROUGH ALL THESE CONVEYORS.
THEY USE AIR TO, TO MOVE DIFFERENT STUFF AND TO SORT IT OUT.
UH, BUT THEY END UP WITH THINGS THAT AREN'T ABLE TO BE RECYCLED.
UH, THE CONTAMINATION RATE IN THE CITY RUNS ABOUT 50%, WHICH IS ABOUT DOUBLE, UH, WHAT IT IS TYPICALLY.
AND WHAT IT MEANS IS WE HAUL IT TO THE RECYCLING CENTER, THEY SORT IT.
THE THINGS THAT CAN'T BE RECYCLED, THEY THEN IN TURN HAVE TO HAUL TO THE DUMP.
UH, SO ANYTHING Y'ALL CAN DO IN THE RECYCLING TO HELP PREVENT THAT, HELP SAVE THE CITY MONEY AND HOPEFULLY SAVES US TAX DOLLARS OR ALLOWS US TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON IMPROVEMENTS THAT, THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE.
UH, A LOT OF WHAT'S DRIVEN THROUGH THE CITY AND WHAT'S DONE IS BASED ON 311 CALLS.
UH, SO IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE 311, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER PROBLEMS YOU, YOU FIND, YOU COME ACROSS, CALL 311.
THEY'LL GIVE YOU A SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER.
YOU CAN CALL OUR OFFICE AFTER THE FACT AND, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE GET TO, UH, GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF FOR YOU.
UH, WANTED TO TALK FOR A SECOND ABOUT THE, THE BUDGET.
UH, WE PASSED THE BUDGET HERE RECENTLY, SEVEN AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS, UH, FOR THE YEAR.
AND IN FACT, WE JUST PASSED THE PROPERTY TAX OR SET THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, I WASN'T THERE.
THEY WERE DEDICATING A BUILDING TO MY MOM THAT MORNING AND I HAPPENED TO BE THERE.
IN FACT, THERE WAS A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT, UH, WERE THERE AS, AS WELL.
AND, UH, THE CITY KEPT THE SAME TAX RATE JUST LIKE WE HAVE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AS, I MEAN, UH, THE MAYOR IS ALSO COMMITTED ON TRYING TO KEEP THE TAX RATE FOR AS LONG AS HE'S IN OFFICE.
UH, THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO KEEP THE, THE TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, UH, HAVE A BIT OF AN ISSUE WITH AFFORDABILITY AND THEN THAT'S QUITE THE BUZZWORD NOW.
AND AS MUCH AS WE CAN DO TO KEEP YOUR TAXES DOWN, WE'LL, WE'LL HELP OUT WITH, WITH THAT ALSO.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT WAS DONE IN THE, UM, NEW BUDGET IS WE HAVE A SOLID WASTE FEE NOW.
SOLID WASTE FEE IS, IS $5 FOR EVERY CUSTOMER THAT ACTUALLY GETS, UH, TRASH PICKUP FROM THE CITY.
UM, THE IDEA IS FOR THAT EVENTUALLY TO GO UP TO THE COST OF, UH, PROVIDING THE SERVICE.
UH, I MEAN, THAT'S PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, A FIVE YEAR, UH, PLAN OR 10 YEAR PLAN.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS TO RAISE THE FEE NEXT YEAR.
UH, THE PLAN IS JUST KEEP IT AT $5.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE'VE NOW PUT SOLID WASTE INTO, UH, PUBLIC UTILITIES AND IT IS IN
[00:05:01]
PART OF THE UTILITY FUND, UH, WHICH ALSO ALLOWS THEM TO SPEND, UH, SOME MORE MONEY ON PURCHASING NEW TRUCKS, UH, SO, AND IMPROVE THE SERVICE.IN FACT, WE HAD A GREAT PRESENTATION FROM, UH, SOLID WASTE, UH, JUST, UH, YESTERDAY, AND THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF METRICS AND WE'LL GO OVER THAT LATER, BUT SOME, SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS WITH THAT, UH, AS WELL.
UH, OH, ALSO, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE DID WITH THE BUDGET WAS THEY CREATED A, A RIGHT AWAY FEE.
AND ESSENTIALLY THESE MANEUVERS, WHAT THEY ALLOWED US TO DO WAS TO USE MONEY FROM THE COMBINED UTILITY FUND IN, IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THINGS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PAID OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, ALLOWED US TO NOT INCREASE TAXES.
SO THE RIGHT OF WAY FEE IS GONNA GENERATE ABOUT $104 MILLION A YEAR AND, UH, THAT'LL BE IN THE GENERAL FUND AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THAT MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF, UH, WHATEVER ISSUES WE'VE GOT.
UH, PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE BIGGEST PORTION OF THE BUDGET.
WE SPEND 75% OF THE TOTAL DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET ON, AND THAT'S THE GENERAL FUND ON POLICE AND FIRE.
AND, UH, POLICE AND FIRE HERE TODAY, UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE CONTRACTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WHICH HAS ALLOWED BOTH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO RETAIN MORE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES AND TO, AND TO RECRUIT MORE.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY, MY OFFICE IS, UH, IN LINE WITH THAT AS WELL.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO SPEND EVERY YEAR.
WE HAVE $500,000 A YEAR THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DIRECT TO CERTAIN PROJECTS, AND THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF MINE GOES INTO SAFETY AS WELL, FUNDING OVERTIME FOR POLICE OFFICERS.
UH, IN FACT, IN THE CLEAR LAKE AREA, WE'VE SPENT, UH, RIGHT AT A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, ON, UH, ADDITIONAL POLICE OVERTIME WHEN THERE'S ISSUES, UH, TO TRY AND GET, UH, MORE OF A POLICE PRESENCE TO, TO HELP OUT WITH THE PROBLEMS. WE ALSO SPEND MONEY MOWING AND EDGING, AND THAT'S IN, IN ADDITION TO WHAT PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS DOES.
UM, ALSO THE MONTHLY RECYCLING, WE PAY FOR THAT AS WELL OUT OF THAT MONEY.
AND, UH, THAT'S ABOUT $40,000.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER $500,000 A YEAR THAT IS IN WHAT'S CALLED METRO FUNDS, AND THAT HELPS US PAY FOR PROJECTS FOR THE ROADS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION, THAT DOESN'T GO TERRIBLY FAR.
UM, BUT IN FACT, UH, WE'VE GOT A PROJECT THAT'LL BE COMING UP HERE PRETTY QUICK ON BAY AREA BOULEVARD, UH, DOWN, UH, OVER TOWARDS CLEAR LAKE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE REPLACING A NUMBER OF PANELS AND, AND THAT'S OUT OF MY COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS.
UH, BRANDY MACKEY AND THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS HAD PROMISED ME THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA GET THAT STARTED WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH.
IT, THERE'S ACTUALLY QUITE A LONG LEAD TIME, UH, BETWEEN WHEN WE IDENTIFY A PROJECT, UH, THEY GO OUT AND THEY PRICE THE PROJECT, THEY SEND IT OVER TO US, WE APPROVE IT, WE SEND IT BACK TO THEM AND, AND THEN IT GETS INTO THE CONSTRUCTION QUEUE.
UH, SO IT, IT TAKES QUITE A WHILE BEFORE, BEFORE THAT'S ALL DONE.
UM, WHO ELSE? DID WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LIST OF EVERYBODY THAT WAS HERE THAT WANTED TO...
UM, I'VE GOT COUNCIL JULIAN RAMIREZ HERE, COUNCILMAN.
UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE PAUL WAS HERE, BUT, UH, THE SHIP CHANNEL WAS HAVING A RIBBON CUTTING AND, UH, HE HEADED OFF TO THAT TODAY.
UM, WE'VE GOT STAFF FROM HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT TWO, COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA'S OFFICE IS HERE.
CONSTABLE PHIL SANDLIN, UH, CLEAR LAKE WATER AUTHORITY, STAFF FROM CLEAR LAKE WATER AUTHORITY IS HERE BACK IN THE BACK CORNER.
AND BRIAN FRIEDMAN FROM BAYHAP.
CINDY DEWEESE, CEO, CLEAR LAKE CHA- CHAMBER.
OUR LOCAL CAPTAIN HERE, CAPTAIN SMALL, AND SERGEANT LOZANO.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, WANTED TO, UH, HAVE THE FIRST SPEAKER COME UP.
IT'S GONNA BE FIRE CHIEF TOM MUNOZ.
NOTHING LIKE BEING THE FIRST ONE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS CONTINUOUSLY.
I THINK, UH, THE REASON WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TURN THE DEPARTMENT AROUND IS BECAUSE, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER'S SUPPORT AND OBVIOUSLY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO SINCE WE LAST SPOKE, WHERE I'M GOING, WE JUST, I JUST FINISHED UP MY SECOND YEAR.
BEFORE WE GOT HERE, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA HOW WE'VE PROGRESSED, THE YEAR
[00:10:01]
PRIOR, WHAT WE CALL BROWNOUTS IS AN APPARATUS.WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO STAFF THOSE APPARATUSES.
WE GOT A STAFFING, UH, MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF FOUR AS PER ORDINANCE IN STATES, IN A STATE ORDINANCE AS WELL, LAW, EXCUSE ME.
WITH THAT SAID, WE HAD 984 IN A YEAR.
THE FIRST YEAR WE WERE HERE, WE REDUCED IT TO 86%.
I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, 86 TOTAL, WHICH WAS AN IMPROVEMENT OF APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 96%.
SINCE THIS FISCAL YEAR STARTED, WE'VE HAD ZERO BROWNOUTS, AND SO THAT IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR US.
BUT HOW WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, WHEN I FIRST WAS BLESSED WITH THE POSITION, OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES WERE STAFFING STATIONS AND APPARATUSES.
SO THE STAFFING PIECE, PRIOR TO MAYOR WHITMEYER'S ADMINISTRATION AND COUNCILS AND MYSELF, THEY WERE SPENDING AN AVERAGE OF 10 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR FOUR CLASSES, FULL-TIME CLASSES, WITH A RETURN OF MAYBE 185 PEOPLE TOTAL.
MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE ABOUT TO GRADUATE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, A TOTAL OF 800.
AND WE WENT FROM FOUR CLASSES TO 11.
AND SO WE'RE HAVING, I, WE DECIDED TO SIT DOWN AND THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
SO WE GET PEOPLE NOW THAT ARE CERTIFIED AND THANKS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS' SUPPORT AND THE MAYORS, WE'RE ABLE TO CHANGE THE STRUCTURE.
THEN THERE WAS THAT, UH, EDUCATION REQUIREMENT, UH, WHICH RIGHT NOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT WENT FROM 16 TO 45 AND NOW 15.
BUT WE WERE HAVING VETERANS THAT STILL HAD TO GET OUT, GOT OUT AND THEN THEY WERE HAVING TO GO TO COLLEGE AND GET 15 HOURS.
IN MY OPINION, AS A VETERAN MYSELF, I THINK THEY'VE LEARNED MORE THAN 15 HOURS.
UM, AND OF COURSE WE STARTED, FOR THE FIRST TIME WE HAVING OTHER FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE CERTIFIED FROM OTHER CITIES WILLING TO WORK WITH US.
SO MORALE IS EXTREMELY HIGH ON THAT.
WE'VE BEEN, AND THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, BECAUSE OVERTIME'S ALWAYS BEEN THE ISSUE.
AND OF COURSE, ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND EFFICIENT WAYS.
BUT LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS MEETING WITH OUR FINANCE PERSON, WHICH IS IN OUR OFFICE, RACHELLE MCHENRY, WE'VE ALREADY DECREASED THAT BY 17% IN NUMBERS GETTING THERE.
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THERE WAS ABOUT 180, MAYBE 200 PEOPLE IN OVERTIME I SAID THIS MORNING WHEN I CHECKED 65.
SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE REALLY PAYING OFF.
THE OTHER THING TOO, PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL, 20 MEDICS, OUR PARAMEDICS, I WANT TO TELL YOU THE BEST IN THE WORLD.
THEY ARE TRAINED AT A LEVEL THAT SOME PEOPLE CANNOT REALLY MAINTAIN.
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, WE HAVE THE NAVY SEALS THAT TRAIN WITH US ALONG WITH FIRST YEAR INTERNS TO KNOW HOW TO INTUBATE, DO SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT REQUIRES RESIDENT STUDENTS TO DO, MEDICAL RESIDENTS.
SO BEFORE WE WERE GRADUATING 25 A YEAR, MAYBE THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO REACH A NUMBER OF 200.
WE GOT THREE COLLEGES WORKING TO GET PARAMEDICS.
SO THAT'S A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FOR US.
ALONG WITH THAT, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THE COMMUNITY? I THINK HONESTLY ONE OF THE MOST, UM, UNDERTOLD STORIES IS OUR PCMT TEAM.
WELL, THAT IS THE PROACTIVE CONSUMER NEEDS TEAM.
THESE ARE DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS THAT ON THEIR OWN CREDIT THIS TEAM.
SO WE GET A LIST OF ADDRESSES WHERE RESIDENTS ARE CALLING AND YOU GET THE HIGH VOLUME AND THEY ACTUALLY GO HELP.
THEY GO AND SEE WHAT THEY COULD HELP.
A LOT OF THEM NEED SOCIAL WORK HELP, MEDS, SO THEY DO THAT.
SO TRYING TO GET THE FUNDING FOR THAT TOO, BUT THEY DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE OUT HERE, ASHLEY MACKEY.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANKS TO THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS GUYS AND THAT I USED TO WORK AT OEM, SO THANKS TO YOU.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO AS WE, WE MOVE FORWARD, I JUST FOUND OUT YESTERDAY THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2013, WE GOT A SAFER GRANT.
WHAT IT IS, IS TO HELP US WITH, UM, EMPLOYEES OR TO GET FIREFIGHTERS THROUGH A GRANT AND THAT GRANT IS A TOTAL OF 16 MILLION.
SO THAT MEANS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT GRANT PAY FOR CADETS INSTEAD OF COMING OUT OF OUR SALARY.
BUT YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS FLICKINGER, WE JUST FINISHED HIS AREA WITH THE STATIONS, BUT IT'S THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO KNOW AND WORKING TOGETHER HAS MADE A WORLD.
[00:15:01]
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, WE GOT AN EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH IS BY SELECTION, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, HCC.WE'RE THE ONLY, WE'RE THE SECOND CITY IN THE COUNTRY, THE OTHER ONE'S NEW YORK TO HAVE SUCH A PROGRAM WITH COLLEGE PROFESSORS THAT'S TO BUILD THE FUTURE LEADERS.
BUT AGAIN, THIS CANNOT BE DONE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER AND YOU.
SO JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING HARD FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW, UH, JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT ON THE, UH, HOME CALLS THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, I ACTUALLY WENT OUT AND DID ONE WITH, UH, STAFF OUT HERE AND, UH, WHAT IT IS IS TRYING TO BE ABLE TO FIND WAYS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HIGH FREQUENCY CALLERS INTO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND A LOT OF IT IS FOR LIFT ASSIST WHERE THEY FALL DOWN, THEY CAN'T GET UP, AND IT'S TRYING TO GO OUT TO THE HOUSE AND SEE WHAT THEY NEED AND SEE IF THEY CAN FIND WAYS TO MAKE IT TO WHERE THEY DON'T FALL AS OFTEN AND THEY, AND THEY DON'T NEED THE HELP TO BE ABLE TO GET UP.
UM, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID LIFT ASSIST, BUT, UH, THEY LITERALLY COME OUT TO YOUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS TO HELP ME, I, I FALL AND I CAN'T GET UP, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL DO.
THEY'LL GO OUT AND ASSIST THEM AND, AND GET THEM UP AND THIS IS TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO WHERE THEY DON'T FALL AS OFTEN, OBVIOUSLY DECREASING THE NUMBER OF CALLS GOING INTO THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH, WHICH BENEFITS THEM AS, AS WELL.
SO, UM, NEXT UP IS THE, UH, POLICE CHIEF, NOE DIAZ? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
LIKE TOM, I WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE GOOD MAYOR AND REALLY THE RESIDENTS OF CLEAR LAKE WHO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON A DAILY BASIS, RIGHT? SO CLEAR LAKE IS ONE OF THE SAFEST COMMUNITIES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HANDS DOWN.
EVERY CRIME STAT, THE GOOD CAPTAIN WILL READ IT ALL TO YOU.
I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THE NUMBERS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THERE'S ZERO CALLS HOLDING.
THAT'S AN, THAT'S AN AMAZING THING FOR A DISTRICT THIS BIG TO HAVE ZERO CALLS HOLDING.
SO IT'S BEEN REALLY, UH, IN MY TWO YEARS, LIKE TOM SAID, WE'VE ALMOST HIT A THOUSAND POLICE OFFICERS THAT WE'VE ADDED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN I GOT HERE, WE WERE TEETERING AT A- AROUND 5,200.
SO WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT RETIRE AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
WE, WE JUST WENT OVER 5,500 THIS LAST CADET CLASS.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 150 KIDS IN THERE AT THE MOMENT AND 80, 85 START ON OCTOBER 26TH.
SO WE, WE'RE GETTING FIVE CLASSES A YEAR BECAUSE OF THE GOOD MAYOR AND COUNCIL'S, UH, PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SAFETY, AND IT MAKES AN IMPACT ON THE CALL FOR SERVICE FOR YOU, RIGHT? SO THIS IS A SMALLER STATION COMPARED TO WEST SIDE THAT HAS 300 PLUS POLICE OFFICERS, RIGHT? SO HERE, WE ARE TRYING TO GET WHERE THE TEAM HERE GETS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.
WE'RE ABOUT AN 83, 84 POLICE OFFICERS.
WE'D LIKE TO GET IT UP BY 10 POLICE OFFICERS SO THE OFFICE AND THE POLICE OFFICERS CAN HAVE WHAT THEY CALL A FOUR 10 SHIFT, A 10 HOUR SHIFT, FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
IT'S BETTER FOR THEM AT HOME TO HAVE THAT EXTRA DAY OFF AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO US FOR THE LONGEVITY OF THE STAFF HERE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THOSE ARE COMMON GOALS THAT WE WORK AT.
IN THE CRIME STATS, THE GOOD CAPTAIN'S GONNA SHOW YOU, UH, SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS, BUT I NEED YOU TO KEEP CALLING US.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE AFTER HOURS CLUB IN CLEAR LAKE.
SO WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE MASSAGE PARLORS, RIGHT? SO THE MASSAGE PARLORS ARE WHAT UPTICKS.
WE'VE HAD SOME ARRESTS BECAUSE WE USE OUR VICE TEAMS TO GO INTO THESE NOT SO NICE LOOKING MASSAGE PARLORS ON THE FREEWAY A LITTLE TO THE SOUTH OR TO THE NORTH, I'M SORRY, AND WE, WE TACKLE THEM AND WE MAKE ARRESTS.
UH, SO WE HAVE THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
MOST OF THE CRIME THAT HAPPENS IS ALONG 45, THE CORRIDOR, ALL THE, ALL THE BUSINESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE FOCUSED ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT LEADS TO OTHER THINGS.
THE AFTER HOURS CLUBS LEAD TO DWIS.
THEY LEAD TO THE, THE STREET DRUGS.
SO FOR US, UH, WE'RE HARD, HARD AT IT, BUT I NEED YOU TO KEEP CALLING IN AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY GAME ROOMS IDENTIFIED, SO STAY OUT OF THE GAME ROOMS THIS WEEK.
SO, UH, BUT WE'RE DOING REALLY GOOD THINGS AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE SUPER EXCITED, UH, IN THE GROWTH.
THE GROWTH HAS BEEN FANTASTIC AND WE'RE, I MEAN, WE ARE DOING AMAZING THINGS, UH, IN A CITY THIS SIZE.
SO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE BEFORE I GIVE IT OVER TO THE GOOD CAPTAIN FOR DATA, THE CITY OF CHICAGO IS ABOUT THE SAME POPULATION, PLUS OR MINUS, DEPENDING ON THE DAY, BUT WE, WE ARE JUST INCREDIBLY LARGE COMPARED TO CHICAGO.
[00:20:01]
CITY OF CHICAGO HAS NORTH OF 11,000 POLICE OFFICERS, RIGHT? 11,000 EMPLOYEES.I HAVE 5,505 POLICE OFFICERS TODAY.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO DO A LOT OF THINGS.
WE HAVE ABOUT 350 PLUS THOUSAND INVESTIGATIONS A YEAR.
I SELL 12, I HAVE 1,250 DETECTIVES.
SO THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT I HAVE TO FIX.
THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT I HAVE TO CHALLENGE MYSELF WITH, BUT I NEED THE NEW OFFICERS TO COME ALONG SLOWLY BUT SURELY, BECAUSE I CAN'T PUT A BRAND NEW OFFICER IN ROBBERY.
I CAN'T PUT, I CAN'T PUT THEM IN VICE, I CAN'T PUT THEM IN NARCOTICS.
IT TAKES THEM A LITTLE BIT TO GROW WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, GET A LITTLE EXPERIENCE BEHIND THEM.
UH, SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE NOW, BUT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.
ON OCTOBER THE 13TH, WE GO LIVE WITH OUR REPORT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS A HERCULEAN EVENT FOR US.
OUR OLD REPORT WRITING SYSTEM WAS HERE IN 2011 OR 2012, SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT PAST ITS LIFE.
AND NOW THE CITY'S INVESTED ABOUT 31 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS IN THIS REPORT WRITING SYSTEM TO MAKE OUR REPORT WRITING EASIER, TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT, TO COLLECT DATA BETTER, UH, DATA BETTER.
SO IT'S VERY, UH, IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THIS FOR THE NEXT FEW DECADES.
SO IT'S GONNA COST THE CITY ABOUT 2.3 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR TO MAINTAIN IT.
SO WE GO LIVE ON IT ON OCTOBER THE 13TH.
SO WE, IT HAS BEEN A VERY BIG CHALLENGE FOR US INTERNALLY TO TRAIN EVERYBODY ON A BRAND NEW SYSTEM, RIGHT? IT'S, UH, WE'RE BIG AND WE'RE ON ALL SHIFTS, UH, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
EVERYBODY'S GOT DIFFERENT DAYS OFF, SO IT'S PRETTY, UH, IT'S PRETTY REMARKABLE THE CITY MADE THIS KIND OF INVESTMENT AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE DID IT.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO HERE.
THANK YOU FOR STAYING ENGAGED.
UH, AND IF, IF I'M JUST GONNA, IF Y'ALL CAN GIVE ME TWO THINGS THAT I NEED TO GET BETTER AT OR THAT YOU SEE THAT'S A PROBLEM, PLEASE ASK THEM BECAUSE I'M VERY ANALOG.
I WRITE THEM DOWN AND WE MAKE IT HAPPEN.
WE DO IT RIGHT, WE DO IT RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? SO YOU GUYS FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE TWO THINGS ARE, AND THEN I WRITE THEM DOWN AND THEN I SHARE WITH THE MAYOR.
I MEET WITH THE MAYOR TWICE A WEEK ABOUT EVERYTHING GOING ON AROUND THE CITY BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, IT'S, IT'S A PRIORITY FOR US.
AND IT MAY BE SOMETHING SIMPLE, SCOOTERS, SKATEBOARDER, ALL THAT STUFF HAPPENS BECAUSE IT'S NORMAL, BUT JUST, JUST START WRITING THEM DOWN AND THEN WE'LL ADDRESS IT.
AND I WANNA THANK THE COMMAND STAFF HERE, UH, THE, THE ASSISTANT CHIEF AND, UH, A- A- ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ AND ALL HIS TEAM HERE, THE CAPTAIN, THEY'RE DOING AMAZING WORK ON A DAILY BASIS BECAUSE FOR CAPTAINS AND ABOVE, IT'S PROBABLY A 65 HOUR WORK WEEK.
IT, IT, IT'S A, THEY'RE LONG WEEKS.
FOR ME, IT'S SEVEN DAYS A WEEK MOST OF THE TIME.
I GET A HALF DAY EVERY NOW AND THEN.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER FOR THE DATA GUY.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
UM, I SEE A LOT OF FAMILIAR FACES HERE.
A LOT OF YOU GUYS ATTEND MY PIP MEETINGS ONCE A MONTH AND IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT YOU CONTINUOUSLY COME OUT AND SUPPORT ALSO A LOT OF YOU, SAW A LOT OF YOU OUT FOR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, UH, ON TUESDAY AND THAT WAS A G- GOOD TURNOUT FOR US AND, UH, IT'S ALWAYS VERY, VERY REFRESHING FOR THE OFFICERS TO SEE EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE SUPPORT WHAT IT IS THAT WE DO.
AND, UM, WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVE, UH, IN THE CLEAR LAKE AREA IN TERMS OF, UH, TRYING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, FOR YOU TO KIND OF LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TODAY.
SO AS WE GO OVER OUR CRIME STATS, UM, FOR CLEAR LAKE, UM, WE, I LOOK AT, I GET A SUMMARY OF EVERY REPORT EVERY DAY.
IT GIVES ME A GOOD FEEL FOR WHAT IT IS THAT'S GOING ON, BUT WE'RE OFTEN LOOKING FOR CRIME PATTERNS AND CRIME TRENDS.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE GENERATE THIS AS A HOTSPOT MAPS AND IT LETS US KNOW WHERE WE'RE HAVING ISSUES AND PROBLEMS. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT DATA, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE EXACTLY IF THERE'S ANY PATTERNS OR TRENDS THAT WE CAN INTERACT WITH THAT WE CAN PUT MORE RESOURCES TO, PAY MORE ATTENTION TO, AND IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
SO THE NORMAL CRIME PATTERN FOR US IS PRETTY CONSISTENT.
WE GENERALLY HAVE MORE CRIME OR WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE, SO IT'S KIND OF, UH, POPULATION DENSITY SENSI- SENSITIVE FOR US.
SO GENERALLY ALONG 45 WHERE WE HAVE A BUNCH OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC AREAS OR BARS, IT'S GENERALLY WHERE WE TEND TO SEE MORE OF OUR VIOLENT CRIME, AND THAT'S BEEN A PRETTY CONSISTENT PATTERN FOR US.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE AWARE OF IT, THE OFFICERS ARE AWARE OF IT, BUT WE TRY TO PAY ATTENTION TO THESE THINGS TO SEE IF WE HAVE A CHANGE AND WHAT IT IS THAT'S GOING ON TO SEE IF WE HAVE A PROBLEM ISSUE, UM, M- M- MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WHEN WE PULL UP THE DISTRICT E, UH, CRIME STATS, UM, IT GIVES US A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SEE EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AND WHAT OUR ISSUES AND CONCERNS MAY BE.
SO, UM, AND WE GENERALLY BREAK IT INTO TWO SEPARATE
[00:25:01]
CRIMES WHEN WE LOOK, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT CRIME.WE WANNA PAY ATTENTION TO VIOLENT CRIME, AND THEN WE ALSO WANNA PAY ATTENTION TO OUR NONVIOLENT.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VIOLENT CRIMES, IT'S GONNA BE MURDER, SEXUAL ASSAULT, ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE UP HERE TO THE SIDE, AND, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE ALL TRENDING DOWN ON AVERAGE OF 21%.
AND, UM, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY ONE CRIME IS TOO MANY, BUT WE ALWAYS WANNA BE TRENDING DOWN.
SO WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION MOVING FORWARD, AND I DO BELIEVE THE INCREASE IN OFFICERS HAS IMPACTED THAT.
AND THEN ALSO WHEN IT COMES TO OUR, UH, PROPERTY CRIMES, UM, AUTO THEFTS, BMV, BURGLARIES, THEFT AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS, ALSO WE'RE SEEING A DOWNWARD TREND WITH THAT.
AND SO, UM, IT ALWAYS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO KINDA REFLECT ON WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING, AND WE TRY TO DO IT IN LARGE GROUPS OF INFORMATION.
NOW, THE DATA WE HAVE ON HERE IS FROM BEGINNING OF YEAR TO JUNE, BUT ON TUESDAY, WE'RE SWITCHING OVER TO A NEW, UM, SYSTEM.
SO THEY STOPPED COMPILING SOME AND GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE OTHER INFORMATION.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST MAJOR PARTS OF REPORTS THAT WE HAD THAT GAVE US A LARGE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION TO REALLY GIVE US A REAL GOOD TREND ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING IN THE DISTRICT.
SO, UM, I THINK IT SHOWS GOOD.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A, IT SHOWS WELL WHAT THE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO AND THEN ALSO, UH, THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY, IF IT'S WORKING OR NOT.
SO WE'RE MOST DEFINITELY TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WHEN IT COMES TO POLICE WORK, UM, I'M AT THE CLEAR LAKE DIVISION AND, UH, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALLY THINK THAT MY, OUR STATION IS DOWN HERE BUT CLEAR LAKE, BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THIS, THIS IS THE VERY EDGE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
NASSER ROAD ONE, THE CLEAR LAKE DIVISION GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO AIRPORT AND MONROE.
ALL THE WAY UP TO HOBBY AIRPORT IS CONSIDERED A CLEAR LAKE DISTRICT.
UH, IT'S ABOUT A 20 MINUTE DRIVE FROM THE STATION IF I GOTTA GO LIGHTS AND SIREN TO THE CORNER OF MONROE AND AIRPORT.
SO IT'S A PRETTY LARGE AREA AND, UH, WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF ADDRESSING IT, BUT, UM, THAT'S HOW BIG THE DISTRICT IS.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, AGENCIES AROUND US.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE SURROUNDED BY NASSAU BAY, PASADENA, WEBSTER, FRIENDSWOOD, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PART OF, UH, PEARLAND, SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNICATION THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE AND THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAPPING ALONG WITH CONSTABLES TWO AND CONSTABLES EIGHT AS WELL.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF POLICE ACTIVITY, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF PROACTIVE WORK.
UM, AT MY STATION, WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT WORK PATROL, YOU CALLED THE POLICE, THESE ARE THE GUYS THAT ARE GONNA COME OUT THERE.
BUT BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE THESE DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TEAMS, AND THESE GUYS ARE ABLE TO GO OUT AND DO PROACTIVE INVESTIGATION THAT'S SORT OF MORE OF A LONG TIME, UH, SORT OF A, A LONG TIME FOLLOW-UP TO THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A COUPLE THINGS I'VE ASKED THEM TO GIVE ME SOME THINGS THEY'VE DONE IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON FROM THE STATION.
UH, DRT HAS SHUT DOWN SIX ILLEGAL GAME ROOMS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, THEY'VE WORKED ON EIGH DIFFERENT VICE OPERATIONS AND MASSAGE PARLORS IN THE DISTRICT.
AND, UH, ALSO, ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WE HAVE IS ENCAMPMENTS, UM, WITH, WITH HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS.
AND IT'S KIND OF A WHACK-A-MOLE, KIND OF A SITUATION.
THEY'RE HERE, WE MOVE THEM, WE DISPLACED THEM, BUT WE KEEP MOVING THEM.
AND, UM, BUT ANYTHING THAT'S AN ISSUE AND PROBLEM FOR US, THOSE THINGS ARE A BIT OF A NEXUS FOR CRIME.
THEY'RE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER THINGS THAT GO ON.
BUT LIKE THE CHIEF SAID, KEEP CALLING US.
IF THERE'S AN ISSUE, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM THAT YOU'RE HAVING, DO NOT STOP CALLING US.
UH, THE GUYS THAT WORK AT THE STATION WILL BE ABLE TO DO A FOLLOW-UP AND GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT AND BRING SOME RESOLUTION THAT'LL WORK OUT FOR US.
ALONG WITH OUR DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TEAM, WE HAVE OUR CRIME SUPPRESSION UNIT AS WELL.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST IN AUTO THEFT AND, UH, WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES AND SEARCH WARRANTS.
YOU SAW THAT ON THE NEWS, UM, OFF OF BAY AREA, UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UM, ALSO, WE'VE HAD ORGANIZED CRIME THEFTS AT BAYBROOK MALL.
WE ALSO HAD A JOINT OPERATION WITH AUTO THEFT, THE WEBSTERS, WHERE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH, UM, AUTO THEFT PEOPLE.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE OUR PROBLEMS AND WE DO HAVE OUR ISSUES, BUT WE'RE NOT JUST SITTING BACK AND WAITING FOR THOSE THINGS TO HAPPEN TO US.
WE ARE WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES.
WE ARE BEING PROACTIVE AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I ALWAYS INVITE YOU TO COME OUT.
MY NEXT PIP MEETING WILL BE, IT'S THE THIRD MONDAY.
IT'S AT GRACE CHURCHES AT SIX O'CLOCK, AND I'M ALWAYS THERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, UH, GIVE YOU ANY FEEDBACK, GO OVER THE CRIME INFORMATION.
UH, THE COUNCILMAN ALWAYS HAS A REPRESENTATIVE THERE TO HEAR YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.
SO PLEASE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO COME OUT, SUPPORT US, AND, UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT YOU'VE GIVEN US.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD ON NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, ALONG WITH ONE OF THE ISSUES I'VE HAD ON NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS I HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS ABOUT SCOOTERS.
DOES ANYBODY HERE HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH ELECTRIC SCOOTERS OR BIKES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD? ONE, TWO, COUPLE.
AND SO, UM, I KNOW THIS IS A BIG CONCERN.
[00:30:01]
AND I'VE KINDA GOTTEN IT BROKEN DOWN INTO TWO SLIDES.SO WE HAVE THE ISSUES WE'RE DEALING WITH.
UM, THIS IS KINDA MORE DOWNTOWN.
WE HAVE THESE SCOOTER, THEY HAVE A CURFEW FROM 8:00 TO 4:00 AM.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY RENTING SCOOTERS AT NIGHTTIME IN DOWNTOWN, WHICH WAS JUST INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.
SO THEY'VE GOT A CITY ORDINANCE TO NOT HAVE THAT ANYMORE.
THE SIDEWALKS, THE BUSINESS DISTRICT, LIKE DOWNTOWN, THESE SCOOTERS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE SIDEWALKS ELSEWHERE.
RIDERS MUST YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS AND GIVE AN AUDIBLE SIGNAL BEFORE PASSING.
THE RENTALS, THE POP-UP TENTS, KI- KIOSKS CANNOT BE USED TO RENT THESE SCOOTERS.
RIDERS ARE ALSO PROHIBITED FROM 8:40.
THE BOX, UH, FOLLOW BICYCLE TRAFFIC LAWS, RIDERS SHOULD OBEY POST CONTROLS.
UH, DEVICES OPERATED OR PARKED ILLEGALLY MAY BE IMPOUNDED RETRIEVER FOR $100.
SO A LOT OF THIS IS MORE OF THE SCOOTER SITUATION WE HAD DOWNTOWN, WHICH HAS BEEN A PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE A LOT OF CITY ORDERS AND STUFF THAT ADDRESS THAT.
WHEN I'M OUT AND ABOUT, I GET QUESTIONS ABOUT, I HAVE KIDS FLYING AROUND THE CORNER ON BIKES.
I THINK SOMEBODY GONNA GET HURT.
I THINK THEY HAD A TRAGIC ACCIDENT IN KINGWOOD A COUPLE WEEKS BACK.
SO IT'S A PRETTY SERIOUS AREA.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE RESTRICTIONS WE HAVE, UM, IN THE CITY.
UM, SO YOU'LL BE AWARE OF THEM.
UM, THE E-BIKES, I MEAN, THERE'S CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REGISTER THEM.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION FOR THEM.
AND SO, UM, A CLASS THREE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE ADVANCED.
YOU HAVE TO BE OVER 15 YEARS OLD.
UM, IT CAN RIDE ON THE ROADS, BIKE LANES, TRAILS, SIDEWALKS, UNLESS YOU HAVE CITY ORDINANCE RESTRICTING IT LIKE WE HAVE DOWNTOWN.
UM, THE E-SCOOTERS, THERE'S NO LICENSE REQUIRED.
UM, THEY CAN RIDE ON THE ROADWAYS UNDER 35 MILES AN HOUR, BIKE LANES, SIDEWALKS, UNLESS THE CITY RESTRICTS IT, MOPEDS.
UH, THEY NEED A CLASS M MOTORCYCLE REGISTERED AND A PUBLIC ROAD.
SO THAT'S LIKE A REGULAR MOTORCYCLE.
AND THE E-MOTORCYCLE IS, YOU ALSO NEED A, A CLASS M MOTORCYCLE LICENSE.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED ON THE ROAD.
SO THEY'RE NOT STREET LEGAL AND IT'S FOR OFF-ROAD USE ONLY.
SO IT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF WHAT SOME OF THE RESTRICTIONS ARE ON THOSE.
AND, UM, BUT ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO KEEP OUR, UM, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE MINDFUL OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HATE TO HAVE TO GO TO, UM, LEGISLATION, UM, TO TELL PEOPLE HOW TO PARENT THEIR KIDS.
BUT WE DO SEE SOME THINGS THAT ARE VERY, VERY UNSAFE, BUT THERE ARE SOME RESTRICTIONS ON THAT.
AND, UM, I KNOW A LOT OF HOAS HAVE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AND THERE'S A LOT OF NEIGHBORS.
I GOT THIS QUESTION ON NATIONAL LIGHT AND THAT'S WHY I'VE ADDED IT TO THE THING.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS FOR ME, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
I WILL BE HERE THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE EVENT.
UM, MY DRT OFFICERS OVER HERE WILL ANSWER ALL OF YOUR ISSUES AND WE'LL DO A FOLLOW UP TO ANY PROBLEM OR QUESTION YOU HAVE AND THEY WILL GET BACK TO YOU.
IF THERE'S ANY MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, JUST LET ME KNOW.
UM, THIS IS THE CONTACT INFORMATION WE ALWAYS PROVIDE AT THE END OF OUR MEETINGS.
WE HAVE THE CONSTABLE'S NUMBER UP HERE, PRECINCT TWO AND EIGT, THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBERS, NUMBER TO THE STATION, EMAILS.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR WAY YOU NEED TO GET IN CONTACT WITH US, PLEASE USE THIS INFORMATION TO GET IN CONTACT WITH US AND WE'LL DO AS BEST WE CAN TO RESOLVE YOUR ISSUES AS BEST AS WE CAN.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME OUT.
UH, A COUPLE PEOPLE I OMITTED.
UH, WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM SALLY ALCORN'S OFFICE AS ALWAYS.
AND THEN, UH, SHERRY SWEENEY FROM THE CHAMBER IS HERE AS WELL.
UM, NEXT UP, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, CONSTABLE PHIL SANDLER.
UH, AGAIN, THANKS FOR INCLUDING US IN YOUR TOWN HALL EACH YEAR.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND PAULADENA ARE THE TWO LARGEST CITIES IN MY PRECINCT, SO WE DO A LOT OF WORK DOWN HERE IN CLEAR LAKE.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, WE DO STAY BUSY JUST AS HPD DOES, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S NO TURF WAR.
THERE'S PLENTY OF BUSINESS TO GO AROUND.
WE WORK VERY, VERY CLOSE WITH HPD.
IN FACT, I KNOW MOST OF ALL OF THEM STANDING OVER HERE TO MY LEFT.
AND, UH, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WE SHARE INFORMATION.
I GET HPD'S CRIME STATS, UH, EVERY DAY.
SO I CAN TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE PRECINCT.
WE WILL TAKE OUR MANPOWER A LOT OF TIMES AND PUT IT WITH HPD IF WE'VE GOT A BIG PROBLEM.
Y'ALL HEARD ABOUT THE BURGLARIES WE HAD OVER IN BAY OAKS.
WE, WE JOINED UP ON THAT AND, UH, WE HAD, WE GOT HIT NINE TIMES OUT THERE.
IN FACT, WE JUST GOT HIT NOT TOO LONG AGO.
I WAS HOPING THAT WE WEREN'T STARTING UP AGAIN, BUT, UH, WE DID GET HIT ONE MORE TIME.
BUT, UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WITH SHARING INFORMATION, THAT'S HOW WE SUPPRESS CRIME.
UM, OUR GUYS, OUR DEPUTIES ARE VERY PROACTIVE IN PATROLLING THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THE POCKET PARKS, UM, ALL UP AND DOWN OUR TARGET AREAS HERE LATELY HAVE BEEN EL DORADO CORRIDOR BETWEEN THE GULF FREEWAY AND HIGHWAY THREE.
BEEN GETTING A LOT OF, LOT OF PROBLEMS UP AND DOWN IN THAT AREA.
THERE'S SOME BARS IN THERE THAT WE GET NORMAL CALLS AT.
UH, THE CRIME THAT WE'RE SEEING
[00:35:01]
IS, AS YOU SAW IN THE CRIME STATS, A LOT OF BURGLARY AND MOTOR VEHICLES, A LOT OF AUTO THEFTS.I GET BOTH THAT ALSO IN MY UNINCORPORATED AREA, WHICH IS OUT AROUND THE CHEMICAL PLANTS IN PASADENA.
THEY HIT THESE CONTRACTOR LOTS WHERE THESE WORKERS ARE.
TRUCKS ARE THE CHOICE OF AUTO THEFT.
THERE'S NOTHING FOR US TO GET 10 OF THEM IN ONE DAY OUT THERE WHERE THEY JUST GO IN AND THEY, THEY STEAL A LOT OF TRUCKS.
UM, AT NIGHT IN NEIGHBORHOODS, WE CALL THEM DOOR PULLERS, OKAY? THESE GUYS WILL GO IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A HOODIE ON, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A BACKPACK, AND THEY JUST START WALKING THE NEIGHBORHOOD PULLING ON DOORS.
SO IF YOU LEAVE YOUR CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY, IF YOU LEAVE IT UNLOCKED, OR YOU LEAVE ANYTHING IN PLAIN VIEW, THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE IT OR BREAK YOUR WINDOW TO GET IT.
UH, BACKPACKS, UH, BRIEFCASES, LAPTOPS, YOUR BILL FOLD, YOUR PURSE, UM, TRY TO KEEP THAT, UH, THOSE ITEMS LOCKED UP OR OUT OF PLAIN VIEW.
CALL US JUST LIKE WE SPOKE BEFORE.
IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT IS SUSPICIOUS, YOU ARE NOT BOTHERING US.
WE WOULD RATHER COME OUT AND INVESTIGATE IT, UH, INSTEAD OF GETTING A CALL LATER ON THAT, UM, HEY, A CRIME HAS NOW OCCURRED, AND I THOUGHT THE GUY LOOKED SUSPICIOUS, BUT I WASN'T SURE.
IT GIVES US NOT ONLY A CHANCE TO IDENTIFY THOSE PEOPLE, BUT IT ALSO, UH, GETS A REAL, A QUICK RESPONSE TIME.
UH, ARMING YOUR ALARMS AT HOME IS ALSO A WAY TO GET OUR, UH, RESPONSE TIME TO A PRIORITY TWO CALL IS FOUR MINUTES, OKAY? SO WHEN YOU CALL, WE ARE GONNA RESPOND QUITE QUICKLY.
UH, A PRIORITY ONE CALL IS, IS REALLY ABOUT TWO, TWO AND A HALF MINUTES.
UH, WHY IS THAT? WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE CALL VOLUME THAT HOUSTON HAS, UH, BUT I DO KEEP THREE UNITS DOWN IN WHAT WE CALL THE WEST DISTRICT, AND THEN I KEEP TWO OVER IN THE EAST DISTRICT, WHICH IS UNINCORPORATED AREA.
UM, MY STREET CRIMES HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY IN CLEAR LAKE.
IN FACT, I KNOW THAT, UH, THE YOUNG LADY BACK HERE WITH HPD, SHE'S BEEN WORKING WITH SOME OF MY UNDERCOVERS.
WE'VE BEEN GOING AFTER, UH, A LOT OF, UH, DRUG HOUSES HERE IN CLEAR LAKE.
HOW ARE WE GETTING THAT INFORMATION FROM GETTING INFORMANTS, UH, THAT GIVE US TIPS, WORK WITH US TO GET THESE PLACES IDENTIFIED? AND THEN CITIZENS LIKE YOU SAYING, "HEY, A LOT OF ACTIVITY AT THESE HOUSES AT NIGHT.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE HANDING OFF.
THAT, THAT'S TYPICAL DRUG HOUSE THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, DEALING.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
YOU CAN, UH, GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
YOU CAN REPORT CRIME THAT WAY.
YOU DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T NEED YOUR NAME.
WE JUST WANNA KNOW WHERE IT'S HAPPENING AT.
SO, UH, DWIS, WE'VE PROBABLY FILED MORE DWIS ALREADY THIS YEAR THAN WE DID LAST YEAR.
UH, MY AREA, OF COURSE, COVERS NASSER ROAD, ONE BAY AREA.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE FILE A LOT OF DWIS ON THAT TOLL ROAD.
I CAN DRIVE AS FAST AS I WANT AND AS DRUNK AS I WANT.
SO, UH, SO WE DO GET A LOT OF DWIS OUT THERE.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, THANK Y'ALL, UH, HPD.
WE, WE HAVE A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING OUR GUYS SAFE, ESPECIALLY ON THE TOLL ROAD.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU, Y'ALL BLOCKING...
I, I, I KNOW THE STORY ON THE TOLL ROAD.
UH, YEAH, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL COME TESTIFY FOR YOU.
IT HAS SAVED SO MANY OFFICERS FROM GETTING HIT WHILE THEY'RE OUT THERE TRYING TO CONDUCT THEIR INVESTIGATIONS.
HE'S OVER, UH, STREET CRIMES INVESTIGATIONS AND A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THEN, UH, DEPUTY SELF IS OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH DEPUTY.
YOU'LL SEE HER OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, ESPECIALLY NATIONAL NIGHT OUT OR ANY TYPE OF A CIVIC EVENT.
SHE'S ALWAYS THERE, AND I TRY TO MAKE AS MANY AS THE CHIEF DOES AS POSSIBLE.
SO YOU'LL SEE ON OUR CART OVER HERE, IT'LL, IT HAS A VACATION, UH, WATCH.
YOU CAN GO TO THAT WEBSITE, PUT IN YOUR ADDRESS, UH, AND WE'LL TRY TO CHECK, CHECK YOUR HOUSE AT LEAST ONCE A SHIFT WHILE YOU'RE ON VACATION.
THAT MEANS GETTING OUT AND WALKING AROUND, CHECKING YOUR DOORS.
IF YOU'VE GOT A GATE THAT'S UNLOCKED, WE WILL CHECK THE BACK, BUT IF IT'S LOCKED, UH, WE WON'T BE GOING IN YOUR BACKYARD.
BUT, UM, THIS ALSO PUTS A MARKED UNIT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHILE YOU'RE ON VACATION, WHICH YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE GONNA LIKE.
SO, UM, PROACTIVE POLICING IS, IS MY JOB, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANNA DO, IS TRY TO KEEP AS, OUR CITIZENS SAFE.
AND, UM, WE JUST, UH, APPRECIATE Y'ALL CALLING IN ON ANYTHING THAT'S SUSPICIOUS.
AND I CAN CERTAINLY ATTEST TO, UH, THE FACT THAT HPD WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH BOTH CONSTABLE SANDLIN AND CONSTABLE JERRY GARCIA.
LIKE I SAID, THE CLEAR LAKE DIVISION GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO CLEAR LAKE, AND THAT, THAT'S JERRY GARCIA'S AREA.
AND, UH, I SEE JERRY QUITE A BIT OVER IMPROVEMENT MANOR.
I THINK HE KEEPS BUSIER THAN YOU DO BECAUSE HE'S GOT A LITTLE MORE CRIME IN YOUR AREA.
[00:40:01]
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE HE MENTIONED, AND, AND PLEASE, UH, FIREARMS IN CARS.A LOT OF FIREARMS GET STOLEN FROM CARS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, BECAUSE IT'S VERY EASY FOR THEM TO SELL.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE FIREARMS END UP DOING THINGS FAR WORSE THAN JUST BEING STOLEN OUT OF YOUR CAR.
SO PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE YOUR FIREARM IN YOUR CAR OVERNIGHT AND JUST LOCK UP YOUR DOORS.
UH, NEXT UP, WE'VE GOT JIMMY SPENCE FROM THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM.
HEY, GOOD E - GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME HERE.
UH, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE THERE.
SO, UH, IN CASE YOU AREN'T AWARE, UH, ELLINGTON AND THE HOUSTON SPACEPORT ARE CO-LOCATED WITH ONE ANOTHER, SO THEY ARE THE SAME FOOTPRINT THERE, UH, JUST SOUTH OF BELTWAY EIGHT.
UM, AND WE ARE PART OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, WHICH, UH, ENTAILS, UH, THE AIRPORTS YOU'RE MORE FAMILIAR WITH, BUSH AND HOBBY.
UH, BUT DOWN IN ELLINGTON, WE GET TO DO ALL OF THE FUN STUFF, SPACE AND ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND, UH, SO YEAH, UH, HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM IN TOTAL PUT OUT ABOUT $40.6 BILLION WORTH OF ECONOMIC IMPACT EVERY YEAR.
UH, DOWN AT ELLINGTON, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ABOUT TWO BILLION OF THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT.
AND WE HAVE AROUND 2,000 FOLKS THAT WORK, UH, FULL-TIME AT THE SPACEPORT.
UH, TO UPDATE YOU ON SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON, WE GOT A LOT OF NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON AT ELLINGTON, SOME OF THAT ARE NEARING COMPLETION, SOME THAT WE HOPE TO GET STARTED SOON.
UH, WE HAVE TAXIWAY LIMA, WHICH IS THE MOST EXCITING, BORING PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, AROUND.
IT'S A FLAT PIECE OF CONCRETE, RIGHT? BUT IT IS 4,000 LINEAR FEET LONG, AND IT IS 18 INCHES THICK.
IT CAN HANDLE ANY AIRCRAFT IN THE WORLD, AND IT IS GOING TO CONNECT THE SOUTH, UH, EAST SIDE OF THE AIRPORT THAT IS OUR SPACEPORT DEVELOPMENT TO RE - THE REST OF THE AIRFIELD, PROVIDING AIR ACCESS FOR OUR SPACEPORT TENANTS, UH, FOR NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
UM, THE RIBBON CUTTING ON THAT SHOULD BE, UM, HERE IN NOVEMBER.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THAT WRAPPING UP.
IT'S BEEN ABOUT 18 MONTHS OF CONSTRUCTION.
IT'S ACTUALLY MOVED AROUND ALONG PRETTY QUICKLY.
UH, WE JUST OPENED THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY FLIGHT SCHOOL AT ELLINGTON.
UH, IT'S A BRAND NEW 25,000 SQUARE FOOT HANGER, UM, AND CLASSROOM SPACE FOR TSU.
UH, THAT WAS ON BEHALF OF, UH, WITH AN INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT MADE THAT POSSIBLE.
UH, THEY HAVE A BRAND NEW FLEET OF CIRRUS AIRCRAFT THAT ARE, WERE DONATED TO THE SCHOOL.
UM, AND SO THEY ARE ROCKING AND ROLLING, TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT, UH, PILOT DEFICIT THAT WE HAVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ACTUALLY WORLDWIDE.
UM, SO YEAH, TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF PILOTS TO FLY ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY.
SO INTUITIVE MACHINES, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THIS, UH, BURGEONING JUGGERNAUT THAT IS INTUITIVE MACHINES.
THEY STARTED ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO WITH ABOUT SIX EMPLOYEES AT THE HOUSTON SPACEPORT.
TODAY, THEY HAVE MORE THAN 2,000 EMPLOYEES NATIONWIDE.
UH, THEY STARTED IN A SMALL, ABOUT 2,000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE INSIDE ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS.
THEY GREW OUT OF THAT INTO A LARGER 50,000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE.
THEY GREW OUT OF THAT INTO 116,000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE.
THEN THEY TOOK OVER ANOTHER 110,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE, AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON ANOTHER 25,000 SQUARE FOOT EXPANSION.
UH, THIS IS A COMPANY THAT, UH, IS BASED IN HOUSTON, UH, MANUFACTURED THE FIRST PIECE OF SPACE HARDWARE IN HOUSTON THAT ACTUALLY SAW FLIGHT, AND WE'RE THE FIRST PIECE OF AMERICAN HARDWARE TO LAND ON THE MOON SINCE THE APOLLO ERA.
SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THEIR SUCCESS AND THEIR EXPANSIONS OF THE SPACEPORT.
WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE THEM, UH, CALL THE SPACEPORT HOME.
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UH, WE HAD A COMPANY, UM, THAT OPENED UP A NEW ENGINE TESTING FACILITY, VENUS AEROSPACE.
IT, AGAIN, A COMPANY THAT STARTED OUT VERY SMALL AT THE HOUSTON SPACEPORT WITH JUST ABOUT FIVE FOLKS.
UM, THEY MOVED HERE IN NOVEMBER OF 2020.
UM, SINCE THEN, THEY'VE GROWN TO NEARLY 200 EMPLOYEES, UM, AND THEY'VE BEEN DEVELOPING THIS TECHNOLOGY CALLED A ROTATING...
ROTATING DETONATION ROCKET ENGINE, WHICH HAS THE POSSIBILITY TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT, UH, AIR TRAVEL WORKS, THE WAY THAT DEFENSE, UH, MECHANISMS WORK, THE WAY THAT THINGS ARE LAUNCHED TO SPACE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S ONE GIANT LEAP, UH, SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT.
AND, UM, SO THEY OPENED UP A NEW TESTING FACILITY AT ELLINGTON ON ABOUT FIVE ACRES OF LAND, UM, THANKS IN LARGE PART TO A GRANT FROM THE STATE,
[00:45:01]
UH, TEXAS SPACE COMMISSION, UM, AND THEIR SERIF GRANT.UM, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, TEST LARGER AND LARGER ENGINES, AND THIS SHOULD HELP THEM GROW INTO THE FUTURE PRETTY SUCCESSFULLY.
THIS IS A, A COMPANY CALLED INVOLVED SPACE.
UH, INVOLVED SPACE IS AN ITALIAN STARTUP, AND THEY ARE OPENING UP THEIR NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS HERE AT THE SPACEPORT.
NOW, INVOLVED SPACE DEALS IN STRATOSPHERIC BALLOONS, SO THEY, UH, STRAP PIECES OF SPACE HARDWARE ONTO STRATOSPHERIC BALLOONS AND LAUNCH THEM ALL THE WAY UP INTO THAT SUPER THIN AIR WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO TEST THE HARDWARE, THEY'RE ABLE TO RUN EXPERIMENTS, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO DO EARTH OBSERVATION AT A FRACTION OF THE COST OF WHAT SATELLITES, UH, DO.
THEY HAVE TWO PEOPLE IN A VERY SMALL OFFICE IN, IN OUR, UH, BUILDING, UH, BUT THEY'LL BE OPERATING DIRECTLY OUT OF THE SPACEPORT, UM, HERE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THEY'VE ACTUALLY HAD ONE LAUNCH, SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH ALREADY, UH, BACK IN JANUARY OF 2025.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE THOUGH THAT THAT WOULD BE ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF GOING THROUGH ALL THE REGULATION AND, AND BUREAUCRACY TO GET THEM LAUNCHED.
APPARENTLY, YOU JUST GOTTA FILE A NOTAM AND YOU CAN LAUNCH SOMETHING TO THE STRATOSPHERE, UH, WITH A GIANT BALLOON.
AND THEN THIS IS PROBABLY THE, THE BIGGEST NEWS THAT WE'VE HAD IN A WHILE.
UH, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT, THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS IN TOWN, UH, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET HERE AT BUILDING 30 TO ANNOUNCE THAT, UM, HE WAS GONNA LAUNCH A NATIONWIDE COMPETITION, UH, FOR STATES TO COMPETE TO LOCATE THE UNITED STATES SPACE ACADEMY.
THIS WOULD BE A CIVIL ACADEMY.
MIGHT THINK IT'S LIKE THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY AS, AS BRIAN MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S, UH, ACTUALLY GONNA BE MORE LIKE THE MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY, UH, WHERE THEY'LL BE S - TRAINING SPACE PROFESSIONALS, RESEARCH SCIENTISTS, UH, ENGINEERS, ET CETERA.
UM, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN PUT TOGETHER BY THE STATE OF TEXAS TO HELP LOCATE THAT IN HOUSTON, UM, AND HOPEFULLY MAYBE SOME FACILITIES OUT AT THE SPACEPORT THAT CAN SUPPORT THAT.
IT'S GONNA BE A VERY TIGHT TIMELINE.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS, UH, TURNED INTO, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BY OCTOBER 26TH, AND WE SHOULD BE HEARING AN ANNOUNCEMENT SOMETIME AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, FEBRUARY, MARCH TIMEFRAME.
THIS COULD BE A REAL GAME CHANGER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THERE'S QUITE A BIT GOING ON AT THE SPACEPORT.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S REALLY HAPPENING.
UH, WE WERE OUT THERE FOR THAT VENUS, UM, ROCKET TEST, UH, JUST HERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND, UH, HE, AND OBVIOUSLY WITH THE ROCKET SCIENTIST, IT'S ABOVE MY HEAD.
UM, BUT, UH, HE WAS TELLING US THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ELON MUSK HAD MADE A HUGE ADVANCE, AND I THINK HE'D GAINED, LIKE, ONE OR 2% EFFICIENCY OUT OF THESE ROCKETS.
AND VENUS, IF I'M CORRECT, WAS SAYING AS MUCH AS 15%, UH, WHICH MAKES A MAJOR CHANGE ON PAYLOAD, UH, WHAT THEY CAN TAKE UP, UH, IT'S, IT'S JUST HUGE.
SO HOPEFULLY, UH, THAT'LL ALL WORK OUT AND, UH, IT'LL, IT'LL REALLY COME OUT.
AND THE, UM, S- SPACE ACADEMY, I THINK THERE'S, WHAT, A HALF DOZEN STATES COMPETING FOR THAT? SO TEXAS IS, IS ONE OF THEM AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN, WE CAN LAND THAT AS WELL.
UM, DUSTIN, WHO DO WE HAVE? OH, MICHAEL, MICHAEL EVANS IS UP NEXT.
UH, SO, UM, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMEMBER FLICKIGER FOR HAVING THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, AT YOUR, UH, TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
UM, AT, AT PARKS, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE, UH, CHANCE TO GET OUT AND DO FACE-TO-FACE WITH COMMUNITY.
UM, I WOULD, UH, LIKE KELLY ANDREW TO COME UP, AND SHE'S JUST GONNA TALK JUST, JUST BRIEFLY ABOUT, UH, THE SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ NATURE PRAIRIE.
I AM SENIOR DIVISION MANAGER OVER URBAN FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO COME AND GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE SINCE SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ PARK IS ONE OF OUR NATURE PRESERVES.
IN 2022, THE CITY PASSED A NATURE PRESERVE ORDINANCE TO PROTECT 26 PARKS OVER 7,400 ACRES OF LAND, AND SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ PARK IS ONE OF THOSE.
UM, WE STARTED IN 2018 DOING HABITAT RESTORATION AT THE PARK.
IT STARTED OUT AS CHINESE TALLOW FOREST, VERY INVASIVE TREE.
AND NOW WE HAVE, UH, COMPLETED OUR PRAIRIE RESTORATION PROJECT.
WE HAD FOUR PRAIRIE PHASES FUNDED FOR RESTORATION THAT ENDED ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, BUT WE RECENTLY HEARD THAT WE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR OUR PRAIRIE SITE.
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ACTIVELY AT THE PARK, AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO CONTINUE THE PRAIRIE RESTORATION THERE.AND WE HAVE EXCITING, UM, NATURE CENTER COMING TO THE PARK, AND SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE THE PRAIRIE, UM, AND HAVE PERMANENT STAFF THERE TO DO EDUCATION PROGRAMMING.
AND, UM, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AND MICHAEL IS GONNA TALK MORE ABOUT THAT PROJECT.
SO, LI - UH, LIKE KELLY SAID, I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE, UH, NEW, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER AT THE, UH, SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ PARK.
UM, HERE, UH, YOU SEE, UH, THE, UH, PLAYGROUND GRAPHIC.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE, HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE.
THE, THE DESIGN IN P - INTENT IS TO KEEP THE, THE COLORS SORT OF ON THE NATURAL SPECT- SPECTRUM, UH, TO, UH, BE IN LINE WITH THE IDEA OF THE NATURE PRESERVE.
SO THE NEXT COUPLE S- SLIDES ARE WHAT I'M GONNA CALL ARCHITECT- ARCHITECT SPEAK.
UM, SO THESE ARE JUST, UH, CONCEPTUAL ANALYS- ANALYSIS DIAGRAMS THAT WE GO THROUGH AS ARCHITECTS AND WITH THE DESIGN TEAM, UH, TO UNDERSTAND THINGS LIKE, UH, THE PATH OF THE SUN, THE ORIENTATION OF THE BUILDING ON THE SITE, AND HOW IT RELATES TO OTHER SITE ELEMENTS.
AGAIN, ANOTHER, UH, CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN.
YOU'LL SEE THE BUILDING THERE ALMOST CENTER JUST BELOW, UH, THE WATER FEATURE, UH, THE, THE NATURAL PRAIRIE TO, UH, IN YOUR UPPER RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF THE SLIDE.
SO AGAIN, UM, ARCHITECTURAL SPEAK, THIS IS THE SPATIAL ANALYSIS DIAGRAM.
UM, WHAT IT SHOWS IS YOUR PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO OTHER PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS, UH, IN, IN THE DESIGN.
SO, UM, THE, THE DOTS, THE STRAIGHT LINES, UH, SORT OF CONNOTATE, UH, DIRECT CONNECTION, UM, AND THE DOTTED LINES, UH, CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION, UH, IN, IN THE ANALYSIS.
SO HERE IS OUR, UH, PROJECT TIMELINE.
SO WE HAVE STARTED DESIGN, UM, AND SO WE HOPE TO BE IN PERMITTING SECOND QUARTER OF 2027.
UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A PERIOD OF, UH, PROCUREMENT AND THEN START CONSTRUCTION, UH, SECOND QUARTER OF 2028, AND HOPE TO BE OPENING DOORS IN, UH, SECOND QUARTER OF 2029, LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.
SO, UM, WE WILL BE HERE, THE PARKS TABLES OVER HERE TO THE LEFT.
WE WILL BE HERE TILL THE END OF THE PROGRAM TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, UM, ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE NEW CENTER OR PARKS IN GENERAL.
UH, MY LAST SORT OF SERVICE, PARK SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT, UH, IF YOU SEE THINGS IN THE PARK THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY UP, UP TO PAR, RIGHT, OR HOW THEY SHOULD BE, UH, 311, AND THOSE, UH, THOSE ISSUES WILL GET, UH, FORWARDED TO PARKS AND ALSO ASKPARKS.GOV, AND YOU CAN, UH, TYPE YOUR ISSUE IN DIRECTLY AND WE GET THOSE AND WE GENERATE A SERVICE ORDER, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE ISSUES.
AND UP NEXT, JUDGE NELLY SANTOS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FOR ALLOWING ME A, A FEW MOMENTS TO SPEAK AND TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON MUNICIPAL COURTS.
I AM THE DIRECTOR AND PRESIDING JUDGE FOR THE HOUSTON MUNICIPAL COURTS, AND I'M VERY, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THAT ROLE THAT, UH, AND THANKS TO MAYOR JOHN WHITM- WHITMEYER FOR APPOINTING ME LAST YEAR.
I'VE WORKED FOR THE CITY THOUGH FOR OVER 25 YEARS.
I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND I LIVE IN CLEAR LAKE.
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AREA OF DOWNTOWN, BUT I'VE LIVED IN CLEAR LAKE FOR OVER 30 YEARS.SO I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU ABOUT OUR COURTHOUSE.
HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE A COURTHOUSE HERE IN CLEAR LAKE AT THE HPD SUBSTATION ON BAY AREA? YES, I SEE A FEW HANDS.
I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT STATION.
UM, WE HAVE A JUDGE THERE THAT COMES WITH STAFF, UH, ONE DAY A WEEK ON THURSDAYS, AND, UH, WE, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE TO SHARE THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY FRIENDS OR NEIGHBORS OR LOVED ONES THAT HAVE A NEED TO GO AND VISIT THE COURT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME IT'S YOU, YOU CAN TELL ME IT'S YOUR, UH, FRIENDS OR NEIGHBORS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN GO FIND OUT YOUR OPTIONS.
WE DO NOT HAVE TRIALS AT THAT LOCATION, BUT WE DO HAVE A JUDGE THERE FROM 80 TO FIVE, AND WE DO HAVE, I WILL SAY, WONDERFUL JUDGES THAT ARE COMPASSIONATE AND UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT WE ARE ALL HUMAN, RIGHT? AND WE ALL KIND OF MAKE MISTAKES EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, UH, AS FAR AS DRIVING AND CITATIONS.
WE, WE ARE HERE TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON.
THEY CAN, UH, LET YOU KNOW YOUR OPTIONS AS FAR AS SETTING YOUR CASE FOR TRIAL, BUT THAT WOULD NOT BE HELD HERE IN THIS COURTHOUSE.
SO IT IS A SMALL LITTLE, UH, ROOM AND, AND, UH, WE'RE THANKS TO HPD FOR SHARING A SMALL WORKSPACE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT, BECAUSE SOME OF YOU, I'M SURE, LIKE, I HAVE TO MAKE THAT DRIVE EVERY DAY, DON'T WANNA DRIVE INTO DOWNTOWN, UH, BUT WE DO HAVE OPTIONS ONLINE AS WELL, BUT SOME PEOPLE FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE SPEAKING TO A JUDGE IN PERSON.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF THAT, AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION NOW.
UM, I ASSUME BRIAN FRIEDMAN DOESN'T NEED MUCH OF AN INTRODUCTION.
UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IS THAT THE TITLE? PRESIDENT OF BAYHAP.
UM, AND, UH, YOU WERE ACTUALLY WITH BAHAP PRIOR TO GOING TO - I WAS AN INTERN THERE THE SUMMERS OF 2001 AND TWO, SO I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A HOT MINUTE.
UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER MENTIONED, MY NAME IS BRIAN FRIEDMAN.
I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE BAY AREA HOUSTON ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP.
UH, BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON QUESTIONS, I DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, I WANTED TO GIVE A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING INVOLVED IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND COMING OUT TO THIS TOWN HALL, AND A THANKS TO ALL THE SPEAKERS, UH, FOR ALL YOUR GREAT WORK, UH, PARTICULARLY THE FIRST RESPONDERS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO KEEP US SAFE.
UM, I ALSO, COUNCILMAN, WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BIG THANK YOU.
UM, I, I KNOW YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS HANDS-ON THAT YOU DO IN THIS COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF ROAD REPAIRS AND KEEPING OUR MEDIANS, UH, AND OUR, UH, MEDIANS CLEAN AND OUR ROADS SAFE.
UM, WHAT I GET TO SEE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS WHEN WE HOST INTERNATIONAL TRADE DELEGATIONS, AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO BUSINESS HERE, AND HE TALKS ABOUT WHAT THIS REGION MEANS BEFORE THEY INVEST HUGE SUMS OF MONEY IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO COMPANIES LIKE VENUS OR KOOLER WHO ARE MOVING INTO THIS COMMUNITY AND YOUR REPRESENTATION OF THIS THAT LANDS THOSE PROJECTS, AND SO COUNCIL MEMBER, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A HEARTFELT THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I DID WANNA GIVE A QUICK, UH, JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON HOW THESE QUESTIONS CAME TO BE.
UM, AS YOU PROBABLY SAW IN THE NOTICE FOR THIS, THEY WERE SUBMITTED AHEAD OF THE EVENT.
WE DID THAT ON PURPOSE FOR THREE KEY REASONS.
THE FIRST LETS US CONSOLIDATE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS, UM, SO THAT WE AREN'T ASKING THE SAME QUESTION IN FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS.
SECOND, UH, IT GIVES A COUNCIL MEMBER A CHANCE TO ADDRESS SEVERAL OF, UH, OF THE BROAD THEMES IN HIS OPENING REMARKS.
UH, AND SO HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE TO HEAR THAT, ALTHOUGH I THINK THEY'LL COME UP AGAIN.
UH, AND THIRD, IT LETS US USE THE TIME TO GET THROUGH AS MANY QUESTIONS AS WE CAN IN OUR LIMITED TIME.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT WE HAVE NOT SCRUBBED THESE QUESTIONS.
THE TONE OF THEM, THE WORDS OF THEM, UM, HAVE NOT BEEN CHANGED, AND SOME OF THEM ARE SOME PRETTY TOUGH QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, UH, THE LAST THING I'LL MENTION IS THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO ALL OF THE QUESTIONS TONIGHT, UM, I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH DUSTIN AND THE REST OF THE TEAM THAT THEY'RE COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING UP ON ANY OF THESE THAT WE DON'T GET TO WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THAT SUBMITTED THEM.
SO, UH, WITH THAT SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE WILL DIVE RIGHT IN, AND THE FIRST QUESTION RELATES TO MOWING AND ROADWAY MAINTENANCE.
UH, QUESTION NUMBER ONE IS, WHAT IS THE CITY'S SCHEDULE FOR MOWING, EDGING, AND BLOWING THE MEDIAN SIDEWALKS AND RIGHT OF WAYS IN CLEAR LAKE? WHY DOES MAINTENANCE APPEAR TO HAVE DECLINED, AND WHO SHOULD RESIDENTS NOTIFY WHEN SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE IS MISSED? UH, THE SCHEDULE IS EVERY 28 DAYS.
UH, IN FACT, UM, LAST YEAR, THE BUDGET CUTS THAT THEY WERE DOING WAS GOING TO INCREASE THAT, AND WE ACTUALLY GOT A BUDGET AMENDMENT PASSED, AND, UH, INTERESTING ENOUGH, THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION THAT KIND OF TALKS ABOUT THIS, BUT WE FOUND MONEY FROM THE, UH, KIOSK THAT WE WERE ABLE TO USE TO HELP FUND
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THE MO- MOWING AND KEEP IT AT LEAST 28 DAYS.IN, IN 28 DAYS, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH RAIN WE HAVE, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH EITHER AND, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
UH, WE ALSO USE, UH, OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO TRY AND GET SOME ADDITIONAL MOWING DONE.
UH, IN FACT, WE JUST GOT A NEW CONTRACT.
UH, WE'VE HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH PROCUREMENT ACTUALLY FINDING COMPANIES THAT, THAT WANT TO DO THIS AND ARE WILLING TO DO THAT, BUT WE JUST GOT A NEW CONTRACT, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH IT, UH, A LITTLE BETTER HERE IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
KIND OF CONTINUING ON THAT THEME, UM, AND YOU MENTIONED THIS A LITTLE BIT IN YOUR OPENING REMARKS, BUT HOW DOES THE CITY PLAN TO ADDRESS LANDSCAPING, DAMAGED CURBS AND DEBRIS IN CLEAR LAKES MEDIANS MOVING FORWARD? ONE OF THE BIG THINGS IS THE DAMAGED CURBS.
AND, UH, IN FACT, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A CONTRACTOR TO DO THAT AS WELL.
UH, PROCUREMENT, UH, HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYBODY TO JUST COME OUT AND DO THE CURBS.
WE ALSO DO THE CURBS WHEN WE DO PANEL REPLACEMENTS.
UH, IN FACT, WE TRY AND LOOK FOR PANEL REPLACEMENTS TO DO THAT ALSO HAVE A LOT OF CURB DAMAGE.
UH, THAT WAY WE CAN GET BOTH THOSE KNOCKED OFF AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE CAN FIND A CONTRACTOR TO, TO ACTUALLY DO THE, THE CURB REPLACEMENTS AS WELL.
AND TH- THIS IS A PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, AND, AND IT ISN'T JUST THAT, UH, THEY LOOK UNSIGHTLY.
WE, YOU GET A LOT OF AREAS WHERE THE CONCRETE'S KIND OF HANGING OUT INTO THE STREET A LITTLE BIT, WHICH I, I'M SURE OCCASIONALLY SOME PEOPLE HIT, BUT, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB ON.
UM, CONTINUOUS STREETS AND LIGHTING.
UH, WHEN IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON GONNA FINISH REPAVING BAY AREA BOULEVARD? YOU STARTED BUT ONLY REPAVED ABOUT ONE HALF OF THE PROJECT.
WELL, THAT'S ACTUALLY TWO PROJECTS.
UH, AND I DO HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS WITH THAT.
IN FACT, UH, RANDY MACKAY AND I TALKED THIS WEEK, THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE STARTING ON, UH, A PROJECT THAT IS OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS THROUGH THE METRO PIECE THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UH, HE SAID THAT'S GONNA BE STARTED WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET SOME ADDITIONAL WORK DONE ON BARRIA BOULEVARD HERE WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH.
AND SHIFTING GEARS OVER TO EL DORADO, WHEN WILL THE PERMANENT STREET LIGHTS BE INSTALLED TO COMPLETE THE EL DORADO EXPANSION PROJECT? AS OF NOW, ONLY TEMPORARY LIGHTS ON SMALL WOOD POLES IN THE MEDIAN LIGHT, THE NORTHBOUND SIDE OF THE ROAD.
JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, UH, EL DORADO WAS ACTUALLY BUILT BY THE COUNTY.
UM, THE COUNTY RAN INTO PROBLEMS WITH A CONTRACTOR, UH, WAS IN LITIGATION WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
IN FACT, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE, UH, THE COUNTY BASICALLY WOULDN'T GIVE US ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION EXCEPT TO SAY, "IT'S IN LITIGATION." UH, THEY, THEY FINALLY GOT THAT RESOLVED.
UH, THE STREET LIGHTS, UH, A NUMBER OF THE RESIDENTS DID NOT LIKE THE DESIGN OF THE STREET LIGHTS THAT WAS GONNA BE PUT IN, SO WE, WE HELD OFF ON THAT.
UH, WE'VE FOUND SOME NEW LIGHTS THAT WE THINK, UH, EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE HAPPY WITH.
IN, IN FACT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SOLAR POWERED.
THEY WOULD LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT, UH, THAN THE REST.
BUT, UH, DUSTIN, HAVE YOU GOT PICTURES OF IT? YEAH.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE, FIRST OF ALL, EVERYBODY WANTS THAT, UH, THAT'S INVOLVED, YOU KNOW, MORE CLOSELY WITH THAT SPECIFIC AREA.
AND THEN, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND GET THAT DONE.
IN FACT, I THINK WE JUST CAME ACROSS THAT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, BUT, UH, THAT, UH, ROAD PROJECT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR, I THINK, UH, ABOUT A DECADE NOW.
UH, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THE, THE STREET LIGHTS DONE AND GET IT ALL WRAPPED UP.
UM, SHIFTING GEARS A LITTLE BIT, UH, AND THIS IS REALLY A QUESTION THAT SPEAKS TO AFFORDABILITY IN THE CITY.
WHAT IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND EACH OF ITS DEPARTMENTS DOING TO REDUCE THE COST OF ITS OPERATIONS TO TAXPAYERS? WHAT ARE SPECIFIC ITEMS? WHAT ARE THE METRICS THAT ARE BEING USED TO SHOW WITH EFFECTIVENESS? ARE THESE METRICS VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC? AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? UM, IT IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, ALTHOUGH THIS IS JUST GETTING STARTED.
THIS IS PART OF THE ERNST & YOUNG STUDY THAT, UH, THE MAYOR INITIATED WHEN, WHEN HE CAME ON BOARD.
UM, AND, UH, I'M SURE THE DIRECTORS HERE HAVE BEEN FULLY ENGAGED WITH THAT.
UH, I'M OVER THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
IN FACT, WE JUST HELD A, A MEETING YESTERDAY.
UH, YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND, AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UH, AND THAT WAS WITH SOLID WASTE.
AND NOW THAT SOLID WASTE IS REPORTING TO PUBLIC WORKS, RANDY GAVE THAT.
UH, AND THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION IN HERE THAT I'LL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THIS WAS VERY FAMILIAR TO THE WORLD I SPENT 27 YEARS IN.
UH, OUR COMPANY WAS CONSTANTLY DOING WHAT, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD TO LEAD TEAMS TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC, UH, ISSUES THAT WE HAD WITHIN THE COMPANY.
WE'D ALL GET TOGETHER AND, AND BASICALLY BRAINSTORM AND COME UP WITH IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
WELL, THE CITY IS, IS DOING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT NOW, AND THEY'VE GOT VERY SOLID METRICS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE BIGGEST METRIC FROM YESTERDAY ON SOLID WASTE WAS SIMPLY CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
UH, AND IT WAS REALLY NEAT TO HEAR THEM TALK ABOUT IT AND USE THE WORD CUSTOMER.
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UH, I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT THAT'S THE WAY THE CITY SHOULD TREAT THE RESIDENTS AS CUSTOMERS.I MEAN, YOU PAY TAXES, YOU GET SERVICES FROM IT.
ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT QUITE LIKE A BUSINESS, IT'S CERTAINLY A CAPTURED AUDIENCE AS OPPOSED TO A BUSINESS.
IT, IT IS MUCH MORE, UH, A CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP.
AND, UH, THE, THE, THE GOOD NEWS ON THAT FOR THE SOLID WASTE, THE, THE ORIGINAL BENCHMARK THAT THEY DID, THE SATISFACTION RATE WAS 38% WITH THE JOB, UH, SOLID WASTE DONE.
SO THEY'VE IMPROVED 32 POINTS ON A 38 POINT BASIS.
I MEAN, THEY'VE ALMOST DOUBLED IT.
AND, AND THEY'RE REALLY, THE ENTIRE CITY IS GOING THROUGH THAT.
UH, MY, UH, COMMITTEE IS GONNA BE HAVING, UH, MEETINGS EVERY MONTH AND THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WILL BE COMING IN.
THEY'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THEIR METRICS.
THEY'LL BE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE DOING ON THEIR METRICS.
ALL THAT, UH, THE MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE.
UH, THAT INFORMATION IS ALSO POSTED ONLINE.
THE, YOU CAN WATCH THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER YOU WANT IF YOU'RE TERRIBLY BORED OR NEED SOME INSOMNIA CURE.
UH, BUT, UH, IN FACT, WE'RE GONNA BE SENDING OUT SOME SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS CLIPPING DIFFERENT PIECES OF IT THAT YOU THINK YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN AND, UH, SENDING THAT OUT AND, AND GETTING TO SEE THAT.
I MEAN, IT WAS, LIKE I SAID, UH, I KNOW, UH, COUNCILMAN WAS OUT THERE YESTERDAY, COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS, A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK.
OVERALL, IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY POSITIVE, POSITIVE MEETING AND, AND CERTAINLY COST IS, IS ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THEY WERE LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL.
UH, IF WE CAN KEEP THE COST DOWN, WE CAN KEEP YOUR TAXES DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UH, AND, AND STILL PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE, SO.
WHY DOES MY PROPERTY TAX BILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE EVEN THOUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS NOT RAISED ITS PROPERTY TAX RATE? WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS WITH THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT YOUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE A MATH PROBLEM.
IT'S A MULTIPLICATION BETWEEN THE VALUE OF YOUR HOUSE AND THE TAX RATE.
UH, I, I KNOW ELECTED OFFICIALS LOVE TO TELL YOU HOW THEY HAVEN'T INCREASED THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, BUT IF YOUR VALUE, YOUR VALUATION GOES UP, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER TWO FACTORS, SO IT REALLY DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
UH, THE SECOND PIECE OF IT IS THAT THE COUNTY HAS RAISED YOUR TAXES THREE TIMES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY EATS UP, UH, A LOT OF IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOBODY LIKES TO PAY ANY MORE IN TAXES THAN THEY HAVE TO, UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TRY AND KEEP IT JUST ABSOLUTE MINIMUM AS WE CAN.
I MEAN, MY ATTITUDE ON IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON TAXES THAT I THINK WHAT IS APPROPRIATE IS FOR IT TO GO UP BY THE RATE OF INFLATION.
UH, I MEAN, IF THE CITY HAS $100 WORTH OF BUYING POWER TODAY, INFLATION'S 2%.
IF THEY HAVE $102 THE NEXT YEAR, THEY HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME AS WHAT THEY HAD BEFORE.
UH, IT'S WHEN IT GOES UP BEYOND INFLATION THAT I THINK IT GETS TO BE REALLY TOUGH.
UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN TELL YOU THE, THE MAYOR'S DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, PROPERTY TAXES STAY WHERE THEY ARE.
UH, I KNOW THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT.
UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT DIVIDED FIFTY FIFTY ON CITY COUNCIL AS TO WHO THINKS WE NEED TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES AND WHO THINKS WE NEED TO TRY AND KEEP THEM THE SAME.
BUT, UH, I THINK THE MAYOR'S GOT ENOUGH OF A POSITION THAT HE'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT.
WELL, I, I'D LIKE TO OFFER A COMPLIMENT TO ALL OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE.
THE AMOUNT OF THOUGHT AND DELIBERATION.
I GET TO WATCH SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, UH, AND SPEND SOME TIME.
AND, UH, I ALWAYS TRY TO REMIND FOLKS WHO DON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME AROUND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT THAT RARELY DO YOU FIND PEOPLE WHO DON'T THINK THEY'RE REALLY DOING THE RIGHT THING AND THAT ARE, THEY WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES, THEY WANNA BE GOOD STEWARDS, UM, THEY WANNA PROVIDE GOOD SERVICES.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I'D COMPLIMENT YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ AND DAVIS, THE, UH, WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
I MEAN, I KNOW THE, THE ONES THAT WANNA RAISE TAXES, THEY REALLY BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE HORSE RACES, RIGHT?
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS OBVIOUSLY IS THE, UH, POLICE AND CRIME.
UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR COUNCIL DIS- DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, ARE SPENT ON POLICE OVERTIME.
UH, THAT, SO THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE SPEND OUR MONEY WHERE OUR PRIORITIES ARE.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT THE CRIME HAS, HAS GONE DOWN, AND WITHOUT A DOUBT IT HAS.
AND, AND DISTRICT D PROBABLY HAS THE LOWEST CRIME RATE IN THE CITY BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, KINGWOOD AND CLEAR LAKE MAKING UP THE BIGGEST POPULATION CENTERS OF IT.
UM, AND YES, EDGEBROOK OBVIOUSLY IS A PROBLEM AS WE SAW ON THE MAP, UH, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, BUT, UH, Y- YOU KNOW, ALSO THE, THE POINT THAT WAS MADE EARLIER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ONE CRIME'S TOO MANY.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE THE VICTIM OF A CRIME, DO YOU REALLY CARE THAT CRIME'S GONE DOWN? SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO TRY AND DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO, TO, UH, K- KEEP IT, YOU KNOW, AS
[01:10:01]
LOW AS POSSIBLE.UH, A, A BIG PIECE OF THIS TOO IS, IS THE, UH, HARRIS COUNTY JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
UH, CERTAINLY THE JUDGES PLAY A BIG ROLE IN THIS.
YOU ELECT THE JUDGES, UH, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
YOU KNOW, I SPEND, UH, QUITE A BIT OF TIME OUT, UH, WITH CRIME STOPPERS AND, AND GETTING TO SEE THE VICTIMS OF THESE CRIMES.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT REALLY CHANGES YOUR SPEC - PERSPECTIVE QUITE A BIT WHEN, WHEN YOU HEAR WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, IT, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S KINDA TOUGH.
IN FACT, CRIME STOPPERS, THEY JUST HAD A, A BIG EVENT.
IT'S THE, UH, MEMORIAL THEY HAVE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, WERE MURDERED THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ AND COUNCILMAN DAVIS, ALL THREE OF US WERE OUT THERE ALONG WITH, UH, SEVERAL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IN FACT, I, THE, ANDY KAHN, WHO KINDA RUNS THE PROGRAM, TOLD US THAT, UH, THAT WAS THE MOST COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THEY'D EVER HAVE.
SO OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, I- IT'S, IT'S A BIG DEAL WITH, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT A DOUBT IT IS WITH THE MAYOR.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN WITH IT.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IN DEALING WITH, UH, HPD THAT I HAVE FOUND IS THAT I, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A TON OF PEOPLE COMMITTING A FEW CRIMES.
WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE COMMITTING A TON OF CRIMES AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH THEM, I THINK, IN NEARLY AS AGGRESSIVE A MANNER AS WE SHOULD.
A- AND I DON'T EVEN THINK IT'S TO THEIR BENEFIT EITHER BECAUSE YOU GET THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AND, AND THEY DO THINGS, UH, THEY GET CAUGHT, THEY GET ARRESTED, THEY'RE NOT REALLY HELD ACCOUNTABLE, AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING MORE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT GROWS.
I, I GUESS YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CRAWL BEFORE YOU WALK, YOU WALK BEFORE YOU RUN, UH, AND THE CRIMINALS ARE KINDA DOING THE SAME THING AS WELL.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER JOB WITH THAT AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GET SOMETHING DONE.
AND AS FAR AS THE CLEAR LAKE AREA, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE SYLVAN RODRIGUEZ PARK IS, UH, AND THE COMMUNITY CENTER THERE HAS, UH, BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR A LONG TIME, UH, AND THE PARK'S REALLY NEAT.
I'VE ACTUALLY GONE OUT THERE A FEW TIMES SINCE, SINCE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN OUT THERE BEFORE I'D GOTTEN ELECTED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY HERE HAS BEEN OUT THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE PRAIRIE AND STUFF THEY JUST TALK ABOUT, IT'S, IT'S KINDA NEAT.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GET A CHANCE, GO OUT THERE, HOPEFULLY WE, UH, CAN GET THE COMMUNITY CENTER DONE ON TIME AND, UH, CLEAR, CLEAR LAKE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS PROVIDED.
IT'S, IT'LL ONLY TAKE 55 YEARS, I THINK, BEFORE IT WAS DONE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I SAID, "DID EVERYBODY CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANNEXATION?"
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY AND, UM, THANKS FOR THE UPDATE ON IT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THE NEXT QUESTION, UM, IS SIMPLY, WHAT IS THE MAJORITY OF YOUR COUNCIL BUDGET BEING SPENT ON? IT, IT, IT'S CRIME, WITHOUT A DOUBT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POLICE OVERTIME IS, IS THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST EXPENDITURE WE HAVE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE ALWAYS FUNDED SOME OVERTIME IN CLEAR LAKE.
UM, YOU KNOW, MY PREDECE- PREDECESSOR, DAVE MARTIN HAD DONE THAT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO ADDED THAT, UH, OVER TO THE EAST SIDE THAT WE HAVE.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, NOT ONLY DO I HAVE THE MOST NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN POINTS IN THE CITY, I ALSO HAVE THE EASTERNMOST POINTS IN THE CITY, IN NORTH SHORE.
AND, UH, NORTH SHORE, Y- YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY, E- E- EVERYWHERE YOU GO IN THE CITY, AT LEAST EVERYWHERE I GO, UM, AND I'M, I'M SURE THE AT-LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN ATTEST TO THIS, UH, THE CITIZENS FEEL NEGLECTED, UH, THAT THEY DON'T GET ENOUGH SERVICES, THAT SOMEBODY ELSE GETS THEM.
I CAN TELL YOU IT'S THAT WAY EVERYWHERE.
UM, GOING OVER TO NORTH SHORE, I THINK THOSE PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY WON THE PRIZE WITH THAT ONE, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY, I, I MET WITH A GROUP OF THEM IN THEIR CHAMBER AND, UH, ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN IN THERE SAID, "I DIDN'T REALIZE WE HAD A CITY COUNCILMAN." UH, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF SOME BIZARRE DISCUSSIONS, UH, BUT, UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY PUT SOME OVERTIME INTO THAT, THAT AREA AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE, THOSE RESIDENTS ARE QUITE HAPPY THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING WITH IT.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE ONE TWO, TWO AGO, WHAT ARE YOUR THREE BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CLEAR LAKE THIS PAST YEAR? YOU KNOW, A COUPLE THINGS.
I SAW THAT QUESTION, UM, AND, AND I'M NOT SURE BIGGEST I- IS THE RIGHT WORD, AND, AND IT'S A LITTLE TOUGH TO BE KIND OF GEOGRAPHIC CENTRIC.
UH, I MEAN, MOST OF THE STUFF THAT YOU DO ACTUALLY ENDS UP IMPACTING THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I, I'M REALLY PROUD OF, UH, WHEN IT FIRST CAME INTO OFFICE, UH, FREEWAY MANOR, WHICH IS IN THE EDGEBROOK AREA THAT HAS MORE OF A CRIME, UH, AND, UH, ALTHOUGH, UH, COUNCILMAN GARCIA IS IN HERE, I DON'T KNOW IF SAM, ANY OF YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT.
THEY, THEY'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT TURN INTO SQUATTERS.
AND, AND WHAT THEY WILL DO IS THEY WILL GO AND BEFRIEND A VERY ELDERLY PERSON THAT, UH, LIVES IN THAT AREA, AND THEY SOMETIMES END UP LIVING IN THE HOUSE.
[01:15:01]
AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS, THEY TEND TO PASS AWAY.UH, A LOT OF TIMES THEY ARE ESTRANGED FROM THEIR FAMILY.
NOBODY CLAIMS THE HOUSE AND THEY END UP SQUATTING IN THE HOME.
UH, IN FACT, UH, DUSTIN AND I WENT ON A TOUR RIGHT AFTER I GOT ELECTED, AND, UH, THE LAST HOUSE WE WENT TO, THEY, THEY OPENED THE, AND WE WENT ON A CHURCH BUS.
THE LAST HOUSE WE WENT TO, THEY OPENED THE DOOR OF THE BUS AND IT JUST ABSOLUTELY REEKED FROM THE GARBAGE.
THERE WAS RAW CHICKEN THAT HAD BEEN SITTING OUT THERE FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG.
I MEAN, THE ENTIRE BACKYARD PROBABLY HAD TRASH THREE FEET HIGH IN IT.
THERE WAS TWO CONSTABLE CARS THERE AND AN HPD CAR SHOWED UP LATER ON.
I MEAN, THAT'S HOW MUCH ATTENTION THESE PEOPLE ARE GETTING.
AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT BECAUSE NO HEIR HAD COME FORWARD, THEY COULDN'T KICK THE PEOPLE OUT BECAUSE TEXAS HAS VERY STRONG PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS, AND BASICALLY THE PEOPLE SAID, "OH, JOE SAID WE COULD STAY HERE." SO, YOU KNOW, I THOUGH, "WELL, GEEZ, YOU KNOW, WHO'S PAYING THE TAXES ON THIS HOUSE IF, IF NOBODY'S ALIVE?" AND, YOU KNOW, WE DUG INTO IT, BECAUSE THAT WAS GONNA BE OUR OUT TO, TO BE ABLE TO GET IT, YOU KNOW, FORECLOSED UPON FOR THE PROPERTY TAXES.
AND WHAT YOU FIND OUT IS THE MORTGAGE IS PAID OFF, SO THERE'S NO MORTGAGE COMPANY, SO THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR THEIR MONEY.
UH, THEY'VE GOT AN ELDERLY EXEMPTION, MAYBE A, A VETERAN'S EXEMPTION, WHATEVER.
ESSENTIALLY, THERE'S NO TAXES OWED ON THE HOUSE EITHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT A HOMESTEAD STILL.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS WE WENT AND, AND GOT WITH PAUL BENNETT COURT, AND IN FACT, I WENT UP AND, AND TESTIFIED UP IN AUSTIN, AND NOW THEY GO AND THEY CHECK THE, UH, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS EVERY FIVE YEARS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE VALID.
IF THEY'RE NOT, THEY REMOVE THEM, THAT WAY THEY CAN, THEY GET THAT OFF.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND THIS YEAR, GET IT TO WHERE THE, UH, APPRAISAL DISTRICT IS NOTIFIED BY THE CORONER'S OFFICE WHEN THEY HAVE A DEATH.
AND THAT WAY THEY'LL BE ABLE TO REMOVE IT.
NOW, THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH GOING THROUGH PROBATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY THAT'S HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT CAN TESTIFY TO THAT.
SO MAYBE WE JUST START THE CLOCK AND SAY THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION GOES AWAY AFTER 12 MONTHS.
UH, BUT YEAH, IN FACT, THAT HOUSE THAT WE WENT AND LOOKED AT, I DON'T THINK PROPERTY TAXES HAVE BEEN PAID FOR LIKE 19 YEARS ON THAT HOUSE.
UH, I MEAN, UH, AND HERE'S THE OTHER THING, UH, CHARLES BLAINE WHO'S A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE SEEN THIS, HE'S DONE A BUNCH OF DIGGING WITH IT AND HAS COME UP WITH ALL THESE OTHER ISSUES WITH HOMESTEADS.
THERE'S THOUSANDS OF HOMESTEADS THAT ARE NOT VALID.
UH, THEY'VE GOT A BUNCH OF THEM BY THESE LLCS, WHICH AREN'T ALLOWED TO HAVE ANY.
UH, AND THERE'S TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THE STATE THAT ARE NOT BEING COLLECTED IN TAXES EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF IT AND THINK WE'RE FINALLY GONNA GET SOMETHING DONE.
HE'S REALLY BROUGHT A, BROUGHT A LOT OF LIGHT TO IT.
WHAT, WHAT ELSE HAVE WE DONE? LOOKING FOR THREE? WHAT DID WE TALK ABOUT? UH, DA, DA, DA, DA, DA.
OH, AND OBVIOUSLY THE SILVAN RODRIGUEZ PARK, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUSH ALONG AND, AND WE'RE GETTING THAT AND, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH THAT ISN'T DONE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, THAT WE'RE DOING IS W- WITH THE LIGHTING, THAT WAS KIND OF A BIG DEAL AND A NICE FIND HERE RECENTLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF BEEN A, A THORN IN MY SIDE SINCE GETTING ELECTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IN FACT, UH, THERE'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND I THINK THEY WERE AT THE, OUR FIRST TOWN HALL.
THEY'RE QUITE UPSET ABOUT THE TREES THAT HAVE BEEN CUT DOWN.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, SO THAT'S BEEN A PROBLEM AND WE'RE GONNA GET SOMETHING DONE WITH THAT AS WELL.
GONNA CHANGE GEARS A LITTLE BIT, UH, TALK ABOUT SOLID WASTE RECYCLING AND FEES.
UH, FIRST QUESTION IN THAT BUCKET, WHY HASN'T THE CITY OPTED TO USE MORE OUTSIDE VENDORS TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT LIKE WASTE MANAGEMENT? ACTUALLY, THEY USE MORE THAN WHAT YOU THINK THEY DO.
UM, IN FACT, UH, THEY JUST SPENT QUITE A BIT OF MONEY ON CONTRACTORS HERE RECENTLY TO GET CAUGHT UP WITH, UH, THE HEAVY TRASH.
UH, AND THEN IT WAS THE, THE OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS THAT ALLOWED THEM TO GET CAUGHT UP WITH HEAVY TRASH AND, AND, UH, THEY'LL CONTINUE TO USE THAT AS NEEDED.
UH, THEY, THEY THINK THAT THAT HAD, UH, ACTUALLY GIVEN S - THEM SOME, SOME OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES AS WELL, WHICH HAS HELPED THEM IN OTHER AREAS.
SO YEAH, THEY'LL, THEY'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
THERE'S ALSO A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, ENOUGH OF CONTROL, UH, WI- WITH THE OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS IF THEY WERE GOING TO SOMETHING PERMANENT.
AND THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSIONS AB- ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUTSOURCING SOME OF IT AND THE PROS AND CONS, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THE EXPENSES IS ANOTHER ONE.
I ASSUME A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HERE PROBABLY HAVE PRIVATE TRASH.
UH, IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WHAT THE CITY IS.
I ALSO GET FAR BETTER SERVICE THAN WHAT THE CITY DOES.
I MEAN, I GET, UH, TRASH TWICE A WEEK, HEAVY TRASH EVERY TIME THEY'LL PICK UP.
SO IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE L - SOME OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OBVIOUSLY, UH, WOULD, UH, PROBABLY PREFER LESS SERVICE, BUT LESS MONEY.
[01:20:01]
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A BIT OF A, A GIVE AND TAKE ON THAT.UH, CONTINUING WITH THE DISCUSSION ABOUT SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
WHAT METRICS IS THE CITY USING TO SHOW THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NEW ALL-IN-ONE YARD LARGE ITEM PICKUP APPROACH? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS TO GET BACK ON TIME WITH THE HEAVY TRASH.
UH, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ALSO WEDNESDAY WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE, UH, TREE WASTE WAS BEING SEPARATED AT ALL FROM THE, THE, UH, REGULAR HEAVY TRASH.
SO THEY'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT.
BUT, BUT THE BIGGEST THING IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH UP ON, ON THE, THE, THE HEAVY TRASH.
NOW, UH, I THINK THERE'S, UH, SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED, OR THERE'S A QUESTION ALSO, UH, ABOUT THE, THE SCHEDULE AND THE, THE, UH, THE SCHEDULE.
THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THEY WERE GONNA GO TO AN ON-DEMAND HEAVY TRASH, AND THEN WE DIDN'T GO TO AN ON-DEMAND HEAVY TRASH.
SO THERE, THERE'S KIND OF BEEN SOME BACK AND FORTH, AND I THINK NOW THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE, UH, A STABLE, UH, HEAVY TRASH SCHEDULE, AND IT'LL REMAIN THE SAME SO EVERYBODY CAN GOTTA GET USED TO IT.
AND IN FACT, THE, UH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT HIRING SOME ADDITIONAL INSPECTORS TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AS WELL.
UH, I'M GONNA READ THIS NEXT ONE VERBATIM, UH, BECAUSE IT'S THE WAY IT CAME IN.
I RECENTLY RECEIVED A BILL FROM THE HOUSTON WATER DEPARTMENT FOR 7749 FOR GARBAGE CART FEES AND A NEW ADMIN FEE PLUS TAX.
IF THESE FEES ARE FOR GARBAGE COLLECTION, WHY ARE THEY NOT BEING BILLED THROUGH THE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL DEPARTMENT? ALSO, WHY ARE THE FEES BEING TAXED? UM, THERE IS NO BILLING THROUGH SOLID WASTE.
SOLID WASTE HAS NO BILLING WHATSOEVER.
UH, THAT IS WHY THEY'RE USING THE, THE WATER DEPARTMENT, AND NOW IT'S PART OF THE UTILITY AS WELL.
UH, AND AS FAR AS THE FEE, THE CART FEE'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 2020.
UM, AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE PRIVATE TRASH, YOU DON'T SEE THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, THAT'S BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE 2020.
NOW, THE, THE $5 FEE, UH, THAT DID JUST START UP.
AND, UH, WHEN THEY WERE INITIALLY PROPOSING IT, I THINK THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS AND THERE'S SOME BACK AND FORTH THAT THEY WENT WITH THE STATE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT FEE, THERE WOULD BE A SALES TAX ON IT.
UH, THEY GOT A RU- RULING FROM THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE.
THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE SAID, YES, UH, THAT IS A TAXABLE EVENT.
SO, UH, ESSENTIALLY, SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WE THOUGHT WAS GONNA BE GOING TO SOLID, SOLID WASTE TO, TO HELP, UH, SHORE, SHORE THEM UP IS GONNA GO TO, TO SALES TAX.
BUT WE ALSO GET A PIECE OF THAT BACK, SO IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE LESS THAN THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, UH, THE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO, UH, HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT WHEN THEY WEREN'T CERTAIN BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY A, A BIT OF A BUGABOO PUTTING, PUTTING IN THE, YOU KNOW, THE FEE TO BEGIN WITH.
SO THAT'S KINDA HOW WE ENDED UP WHERE WE'RE AT WITH IT.
UM, NEXT QUESTION S - IS ABOUT THE, UH, CONTAINERS AT ELLINGTON, THE NEIGHBORHOOD RECYCLING FACILITY.
UH, THEY USED TO BE LABELED PAPER, CARDBOARD, PLASTIC, AND NOW THEY'RE MARKED RECYCLED MATERIALS AND IT ALL GETS MIXED IN.
WHY WAS THIS CHANGE IMPLEMENTED AND DOES MIXING THESE MATERIALS AFFECT RECYCLING EFFICIENCY? UM, TH- THAT IS, UH, GOES, GOES BACK TO FCC, WHO'S BACK THERE AT THE TABLE.
AND IF YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ASK THEM ABOUT IT.
UM, EVERYTHING COMES IN AT ONCE, AND, AND I THINK I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT, UH, MY ENTIRE TEAM HAD GONE OUT THERE AND ACTUALLY VISITED THE FACILITY.
AND THE FACILITY HAS ALL SORTS OF COMPUTERS AND, AND AIR COMPRESSORS AND EVERYTHING THAT SORTS, UH, THE DIFFERENT ITEMS. AND, UH, SO THEY BRING IT IN ALL AT ONCE.
IT DID USED TO HAVE TO BE SEPARATED.
AND, UH, BY THE WAY, HE WANTED ME TO MENTION, PLEASE DO NOT PUT ANY WATER HOSES IN THERE.
THE WATER HOSES ARE NOT RECYCLABLE.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THEY GET THAT REALLY, UH, MESSES THEM UP IS CHAINS.
AND, UH, ANOTHER THING THAT THEY GET THAT IS THE CONTAMINATION THAT I SPOKE TO, UH, BEFORE IS YARD WASTE.
UH, SO PLEASE DON'T PUT YOUR GRASS OR YOUR BRANCHES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN THERE.
THE CITY ACTUALLY HAS TO PAY TWICE TO TAKE THEM TO THE RECYCLING AND THEN TURN AROUND AND TAKE IT TO THE DUMP.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY THEY DO IT.
IN FACT, UH, DO Y'ALL DO PUBLIC TOURS OR IS IT JUST FOR.
IT, IT, IT'S NOT A GLAMOROUS PLACE, I PROMISE YOU THAT.
UM, BUT IT IS KIND OF NEAT TO SEE.
I MEAN, IT, IT WAS KIND OF, UH, A DIFFERENT TAKE ON IT.
AND YOU, YOU GET TO SEE THIS EQUIPMENT IN, IN MOTION AND, AND SEE HOW IT, IT ACTUALLY SORTS THE STUFF.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF RECYCLING THAT COMES INTO THE CITY, FOLKS.
I MEAN, IT, THAT PLACE IS FULL.
AND WE'RE STARTING TO COME UP ON TIME, SO I'M GONNA RAPID FIRE A FEW OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, NEXT ONE'S ON HEAVY TRASH ON THE CURBS THAT SITS OUT THERE FOR WEEKS AT A TIME.
UM, IT CAN BE CONFUSING ABOUT HOW TO GET THE CITY TO COME PICK UP.
ANY THOUGHTS ON HEAVY TRASH? WELL, LIKE I SAID, I THINK WE'RE GETTING BACK TO THE SCHEDULE THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
UM, AND HEAVY TRASH WAS A REAL PROBLEM FIVE, SIX MONTHS AGO.
I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOT PERFECT NOW, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY IT IS, BUT I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU FROM THE VOLUME OF THE CALLS WE GET INTO OUR OFFICE, UH, IT, IT HAS IMPROVED GREATLY.
I THINK YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE IT
[01:25:01]
IMPROVE.AND ONCE EVERYBODY GETS USED TO THE SCHEDULE, UH, WHEN THEY GET THE ADDITIONAL INSPECTORS HIRED, I, I, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE AND IMPROVE.
I, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE, THE, THE MEETING THAT WE HAD YESTERDAY, I FEEL REAL GOOD ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH SOLID WASTE.
AND, AND THAT WASN'T JUST MY THOUGHTS.
EVERYBODY THERE WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY GOING FORWARD.
WELL, IT'S QUITE A TURNAROUND, SO CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, WHAT ACTIONS, IF ANY, ARE BEING D - UH, ARE BEING DONE TO CURB THE PROLIFERATION OF MOTORIZED SCOOTERS AND BICYCLES ON PEDESTRIAN SIDEWALKS? UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH, UH, AMY PECK'S OFFICE, COUNCILMAN PECK.
UH, WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH, UH, HPD AND PARKS.
UH, WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
UH, THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE, ARE KIND OF IN A UNIQUE POSITION ON THIS BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY TOUCH THESE KIDS QUITE A BIT.
UH, IN FACT, I KNOW UMBLE ISD HAS GOT, UH, KIND OF A, A LITTLE TRAINING AND TEST PROGRAM THAT THEY MAKE THE KIDS GO THROUGH.
UH, CLEAR CREEK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I BELIEVE THE KIDS, ONCE THEY GET TO THE SCHOOL, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO GET OFF THE SCOOTERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I HEARD SOMEBODY MENTION THAT KIDS WILL BE KIDS WITH THE SCOOTERS, AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
I MEAN, I KNOW ALL THE DUMB STUFF I DID WHEN I WAS A KID.
THE PROBLEM IS I COULDN'T GO 30 MILES AN HOUR.
UM, AND IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I, I'M SCARED TO DEATH THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.
UH, AND, UH, I THINK THE CHIEF MENTIONED AN INCIDENT IN KINGWOOD.
ACTUALLY, THAT WAS ATASCOCITA.
SO, UH, IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, OUTSIDE OF MY DISTRICT.
BUT YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN SOME TRAGEDIES.
THERE WAS A KID, UH, KILLED OUT IN KATY, I THINK ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO.
CHIEF? THREE WEEKS AGO, MY NEPHEW IN NORTH CAROLINA, HIS DAD BUYS HIM THE SCOOTER.
HE GETS ONLINE, HE DOWNLOADS THE SOFTWARE, AND THE SCOOTER GOT UP TO 45 MILES AN HOUR.
THE FIRST DAY HE HAD IT ON THERE, HE WAS GOING DOWN THE SIDEWALK, NO HELMET.
HE HIT THE, AN UNEVEN SIDEWALK, SLIPPED, SHATTERED HIS JAW.
SHATTERED IT COMPLETELY, SO HE'S, UH, 15 YEARS OLD, UH, AND, AND THEY'RE VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THAT THING IS NOT DESIGNED TO GO 40, 45 MILES AN HOUR.
THERE'S BEEN FATALITIES ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND IN THE CITY, UH, AND EVEN THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES, KIDS JUST, THEY'RE INVINCIBLE AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY DANGEROUS.
SO IF YOU HAVE LOVED ONES WITH KIDDOS, PLEASE AT LEAST MAKE THEM WEAR SOME SORT OF HELMET WHEN THEY'RE ON THOSE SCOOTERS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUPER DANGEROUS.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND ALTHOUGH WE CERTAINLY DON'T CONTROL THE KIDS, WE CAN, OUR DRIVING, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I'M AS GUILTY AS THIS AS ANYBODY ELSE IS.
YOU KNOW, YOU GET PHONE CALLS AS YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND WHATNOT, BUT I MEAN, I THINK IT'S JUST ONE MORE REASON THAT WE'VE ALL GOT TO PAY A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION AND NOT HAVE THE DISTRACTED DRIVING.
IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I THINK SOME OF THE PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THEY'RE TOYS.
HMD NOW HAS MADE, WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, 18 FATALITIES TOY.
AND I'M AMAZED THAT SOMETIMES THEY HAVE EIGHT YEAR OLDS AND YOUNGER.
AND, AND I'VE ALSO HEARD QUITE A BIT OF DISCUSSION THAT THIS IS GONNA BE TAKEN UP IN AUSTIN NEXT SESSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MOST OF THE TIME, ANYTHING'S INTRODUCED, IT, IT DOESN'T GET PASSED THE FIRST TIME OUT, BUT I THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND, YOU KNOW, AND LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, W- WE WERE ALL KIDS.
YOU KNOW, WE ALL THOUGH WE WERE INVINCIBLE AT ONE POINT IN TIME IN LIFE.
UH, I, I THINK THE, THE BIG WILD CARD IN THIS IS YOU COULDN'T GO 45 MILES AN HOUR.
IT COULD ONLY GO AS FAST AS YOU COULD PEDAL.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY CHANGED, CHANGED THE WORLD A LITTLE BIT.
AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL QUOTE IT DIRECTLY.
I DON'T WANNA LIVE IN A SURVEILLANCE STATE, DO YOU? WHY DO YOU, UH, WHY DON'T YOU ASK RESIDENTS IF THEY WANT TAXPAYER DOLLARS USED TO BUY FLOCK CAMERAS? UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE NUMBER OF FLOCK CAMERAS THAT ARE ACTUALLY PUT UP BY THE CITY IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN WHAT MOST PEOPLE THINK.
UH, A LOT OF THESE ARE DONE BY YOUR WATER DISTRICTS, YOUR HOAS.
UH, I'VE GOT A PLACE DOWN IN PIRATES BEACH, I KNOW ONE OF YOU KNOW ABOUT.
UM, AND THEY HAVE FLOCK CAMERAS THERE AND IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE, THE CITY OF GALVESTON OR ANYTHING.
UM, I ALSO SEE THE FLIP SIDE OF THIS THOUGH.
UM, WHAT IS IT? UH, I THINK EITHER TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO, THEY HAD THE, UH, I KNOW IT WAS LISTED AS ROAD RAGE, BUT THERE'S SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS EVEN THAT.
AND THERE WAS A FIVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL THAT WAS SHOT AND KILLED WHILE HER MOTHER WAS DRIVING THEM HOME UP IN THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF TOWN.
UH, THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD WAS A DESCRIPTION OF THE VEHICLE.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY KNEW WHAT TIME IT HAPPENED, AND WITHIN 24 HOURS, HPD WAS ABLE TO CATCH THE PURPLE TRADER
[01:30:01]
USING THE FLOCK TECHNOLOGY.THEY KNEW THE LOCATION, THEY KNEW WHAT THE VEHICLE LOOKED LIKE, THEY WENT TO THE FLOCK, THEY GOT THE DATA.
UH, WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD IS THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT THEY HAVE A CRIME OR THEY HAVE A VEHICLE DESCRIPTION, THEY USE THE FLOCK CAMERAS.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY ANY TOOL CAN BE MISUSED AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF STORIES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, POLICE OFFICERS DOING THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DOING, CHECKING ON A, YOU KNOW, AN EX-WIFE, A GIRLFRIEND, WHATEVER THE CASE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE DEALT WITH.
UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIVING IN A SURVEILLANCE STATE AND, AND LOSS OF PRIVACY AND, AND THAT TYPE OF THING, I, I ABSOLUTELY GET IT.
THE PROBLEM IS THOUGH, I, I THINK THAT SHIP HAS ALREADY SAILED.
I MEAN, HOW MANY OF US HAVE SMARTPHONES IN OUR POCKETS RIGHT NOW? UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF DATA THAT THEY COLLECT OFF THAT, UM, THERE WAS JUST RECENTLY A COURT CASE THAT WAS SETTLED WHERE CHEVROLET OR GENERAL MOTORS, UH, SETTLED THE LAWSUIT.
THEY WERE SELLING THE ONSTAR DATA TO RETAILERS.
AND SO NOT ONLY WERE YOU PAYING FOR YOUR ONSTAR, BUT THEY WERE TURNING AROUND AND SELLING THE DATA TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
I MEAN, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU TALKED ABOUT AN ITEM AND THEN ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA POPS UP AN ADVERTISEMENT? UM, YOU KNOW, SO IF WE WANNA WORK TO TRY AND GET PRIVACY BACK, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
CAN WE START WITH SOMETHING THAT ISN'T SOMETHING USED TO FIGHT CRIME? UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE, LIKE I SAID, AND I, I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH, UH, CRIME STOPPERS AND THE PARENTS OF MURDERED CHILDREN AND THAT TYPE OF THING, UH, IT IS ABSOLUTELY A TOOL AND THE POLICE TELL ME IT, IT IS THE BEST TOOL THEY'VE, THEY'VE EVER HAD.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS TO BE ABLE TO USE IT.
AND, AND FLOCK HAS MADE A NUMBER OF CHANGES JUST RECENTLY.
YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THIS CHIEF? IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IT ON A, UH, DAILY BASIS WITH A LICENSE.
I WON'T USE FLOCK BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER LICENSE PLATE READERS THAT ARE WORKING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT ONE BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO, UH, AND LIKE I SAID, IT IS A THIRD PARTY SYSTEM.
IT'S NOT REALLY SOMETHING THAT THE POLICE ARE RESTRICTED TO USE.
SO OFTENTIMES THEY'LL PUT IN...
I, I SAW ONE IN THE PAPER WHERE THEY PUT DONUT IN IT, RIGHT? AS, AS A CASE NUMBER, BUT DONUT WAS THEY WERE TRACKING THE KIDS DOING DONUTS IN THE PARKING LOT, RIGHT? SO THE, THE, THE, THE MEETUPS AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO, SO WE INTERNALLY ARE GETTING A LITTLE LEANER WITH THE INFORMATION BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S SO MANY MISINFORMATION, UH, OR A LOT OF MISINFORMATION.
AN EXAMPLE IS IF, UH, THE CONSTABLE AND I ARE PARTNERS AND WE'RE DRIVING DOWN BAY AREA BOULEVARD AND WE GET A STOLEN HIT ON OUR, ON OUR, ON OUR LAPTOP OR OUR COMPUTER SCREEN INSIDE OF OUR CAR, EVERY TIME THAT CAR HITS A LICENSE PLATE READER, IT REFRESHES ON OUR PHONE.
SO IT'LL LOOK LIKE HE AND I RAN THAT CAR 90 TIMES WHEN WE DIDN'T.
EVERY TIME THAT CAR RAN THROUGH THE COMMUNITY, IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE IT'S A LOT OF, UH - SEARCHES.
SEARCHES, RIGHT? BUT, SO WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS CLOSING HOURS IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA TO ANYONE ON THE OUTSIDE AND LIMITING, AND THIS IS A PRELIMINARY, LIMITING ACCESS FROM OUR TEAM SO THEY DON'T, I DON'T NEED OUR TEAM HERE LOOKING FOR A VEHICLE IN EL PASO, UNLESS IT'S CASE SPECIFIC.
AN EXAMPLE IS WE HAD A, A SMALL COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, AND THEY SAID, "WELL, WE DON'T NEED THE CITY OF HOUSTON SEARCHING US 78,000 TIMES A YEAR." NO ONE SEARCHED IT.
WHEN THEY LEAVE THEIR PORTAL OPEN, WHEN I TYPE IN WHATEVER LICENSE PLATE, IT AUTOMATICALLY WAS CHECKING IT.
AND I HAVE ONE EXAMPLE IS I HAD A NARCOTIC AGENT WHO WAS LOOKING FOR A CAR AT ONE OF THOSE DRUG HOUSES THAT WE'RE AL- ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT.
HE LEFT IT OPEN, DIDN'T CLOSE IT, SO IT LOOKED LIKE HE SEARCHED IT 13,000 TIMES.
BECAUSE THE CAR MOVES AROUND, THERE'S LICENSE PLATE READERS ALL OVER THE COUNTY.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE I HAVE LEGISLATION ON THE MAYOR'S DESK AND WE'LL USE HIS LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND POWER TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT SO THAT AUSTIN CAN MAKE IT TOUGHER.
IF YOU MESS UP, IF YOU'RE DOING IT FOR MONEY, PERHAPS A SECOND DEGREE FELONY, IF YOU ARE USING IT TO CHECK ON YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER, UH, THEN IT'LL BE A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR WITH THE POTENTIAL TO LOSE YOUR POLICE LICENSE.
AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
[01:35:01]
EVERY YEAR YOU PAY YOUR REGISTRATION TO THE STATE AND THAT REGISTRATION IS YOUR LICENSE PLATE.AND THAT LICENSE PLATE GOES ON YOUR PRIVATE VEHICLE, BUT IT'S FOR YOU TO I - BE IDENTIFIED ON A PUBLIC ROADWAY.
THAT'S AS SIMPLE AS I CAN PUT IT.
SO THE, THE PRIVACY ISSUE WHERE EVERY, IF YOU GO INTO A HOME DEPOT, IF YOU GO INTO WALMART, THEY'VE GOT THE LICENSE PLATE READERS ON THEIR OWN.
ANY OF THE SUBDIVISIONS THAT YOU LIVE IN, THEY HAVE THEM AS WELL.
REMEMBER THAT THIS LICENSE PLATE READER TECHNOLOGY STARTED IN SUBDIVISIONS IN THE GREATER ATLANTA AREA.
THERE'S TWO KIDS FROM GEORGIA TECH, REALLY SMART.
THEY PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AND THEN IT JUST GREW FROM THERE.
SO THEIR RULES ARE, THE WAY THEY AUDIT US IS IF, IF, IF I'M HERE, LIKE THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS 3,200 OR SO USERS THAT CAN USE IT, BUT ONLY REALLY A THOUSAND PEOPLE, A THOUSAND OFFICERS USE IT.
SO IF WE HAVE AN ANOMALY, IF SOMEBODY USED A VEHICLE THAT HAS NEVER DONE IT, THAT'S A FLAG.
OR SOMEONE THAT FLAGS A CAR 10,000 TIMES, THAT'S A FLAG.
I MEAN, WE HAVE JUST IN OUR AUDIT PROCESS, WE FIND OUT FOR TRAINING, WE ARE AUDITING OUR OWN POL- POLICE CARS JUST TO TRAIN PEOPLE.
SO THAT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO CORRECT.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE LICENSE PLATE READER COMPANIES BECAUSE THERE'S SEVERAL.
THERE'S AXON, YOU'VE MENTIONED THE LIGHTS.
AXON HAS THEIRS ON THE STREET LIGHT.
SO THE, YOUR TRADITIONAL STREET LIGHT, IT'S NOT ON A SKINNY POLE LIKE THE OTHER LICENSE PLATE READER COMPANIES.
SO THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT USE THE TECHNOLOGY AND WE KEEP IT FOR 30 DAYS.
UH, AND IF SOMEONE LOOKS BACKWARDS, WHAT IT FLAGS IT.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE IT REALLY TOUGH TO NOT DO IT.
UH, I THINK, UH, HE'S BURNING UP A LOT OF TIME - YES.
UH, BEING A SPOKESMAN FOR A COMPANY AND THIS, THESE LOCK CAMERAS THEY VIOLATE OUR FOURTH AMENDMENT RIGHT.
EVERY, EVERY - AS A CRIME VICTIM, I ENJOY THEM.
WELL, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
EVERY, FIRST OF ALL, HE'S NOT A SPOKESMAN FOR A COMPANY.
HE'S A SPOKESMAN FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND HE'S LOOKING AT IT FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE.
SECONDLY, AS FAR AS THE FOURTH AMENDMENT, EVERY COURT HAS UPHELD THAT IF YOU'RE IN PUBLIC, IT IS NOT A VIOLATION.
IF YOU HAD A POLICE OFFICER SITTING IN YOUR CAR ALL THE TIME, YOU WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.
OKAY, BUT, BUT, BUT IT, BUT - WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON, OKAY? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE- WE'RE NOT GONNA CONVINCE YOU THOUGH.
I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY HERE, BUT, BUT WE, SIR, WE'RE NOT HERE TO, TO HAVE THE DEBATE.
I, I, I APPRECIATE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM AND I HEAR YOU AND I THINK THE CHIEF WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER, AS WILL COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER AND ANYBODY ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO VISIT ABOUT IT.
BUT I DO, WE, WE DO NEED TO MOVE ON.
WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
WE'RE RUNNING A LITTLE, LITTLE BIT LONG.
UM, NEXT QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF UPGRADING THE RADARS AND ALL THE ELECTRONICS, UH, AND ALL THE UPGRADES AT BOTH, UH, HOBBY AIRPORT AND INTERCONTINENTAL? WHO'S FUNDING THE TERMINAL RENOVATIONS AT BOTH AIRPORTS AND WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS? UH, REAL QUICK, ON THE FUNDING OF IT, THAT'S ALL PAID FOR BY EITHER FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOLLARS OR THE PASSENGER FEES.
UH, IN FACT, THE, UH, BUDGET FOR THE AIRPORT IS COMPLETELY SILOED OFF FROM THE CITY.
THE, THE CITY, UH, IS NOT ABLE TO GET ANY OF THAT MONEY AT ALL.
IN FACT, THE AIRPORTS TYPICALLY HAVE QUITE A BIT OF MONEY AND WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, BUT YOU CAN'T.
UH, SO IT'S PAYING FOR IT ITSELF.
UH, UNITED AIRLINES IS PLAYING A BIG PIECE OF THAT WITH, UH, INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT.
UM, ALSO, I WANNA READ THE ELECTRONICS PART BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE ABOVE MY PAY GRADE.
UH, THE EQUIPMENT MODEL X, WHICH IS ADVANCED RADAR SYSTEM USED BY THE FAA, UH, ALONG WITH THE AIRPORT SURFACE DETECTION.
UH, TERMINAL REV - RENOVATIONS ARE FUNDED PRIMARILY THROUGH THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL AIRPORT REVENUE BONDS.
AGAIN, THOSE ARE PAID FOR BY THE PASSENGER FEES.
SO THAT IS THE, THE RADAR THAT THEY ARE, ARE DOING AND PUTTING IN.
SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY KNOWS MORE ABOUT THIS THAN I DO, SO.
UM, THE PENULTIMATE QUESTION, GIVEN RESIDENTS' OBJECTIONS AND REPORTED LOW USAGE, WILL THE CITY REMOVE, IS IT THE IKE SMART KIOSK, UH, AT CLEAR LAKE CITY BOULEVARD IN EL DORADO? AND HOW WILL THE COMMUNITY INPUT GUIDE FUTURE KIOSK PLACEMENTS? UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW COMMUNITY INPUT WILL DO.
I KNOW COUNCILMAN INPUT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE WE ASKED FOR IT NOT TO BE PLACED THERE.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME OTHER LOCATIONS THAT ARE NOT IN THE CLEAR LAKE AREA THAT WE THOUGH WOULD BE MORE CONDUCIVE TO IKE, AND THEY DIDN'T PUT THEM THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO BACK AND, AND CHECK ON THE USAGE AND, AND SEE, UH, HOW MUCH USAGE THEY'RE GETTING OUT OF THERE AND SEE IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY GET IT REMOVED.
I, I THOUGH IT WAS A DUMB IDEA.
UH, AND I, AND I'D LIKE TO, TO BE ABLE TO GET RID OF IT.
SO IS, IS ANYBODY USED IT HERE? DOES EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? NO.
[01:40:01]
OVER BY THE HEB, I BELIEVE.UM, THERE'S A, A KIOSK AND THERE'S A LOT OF THEM DOWNTOWN AND, AND IT KIND OF MAKES SENSE THERE BECAUSE YOU CAN FIGURE OUT DIFFERENT ATTRACTIONS YOU WANNA GO TO, DIFFERENT THINGS YOU WANNA SEE.
UH, I REALLY DON'T SEE HOW IT'S USEFUL AT THE HEB, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHERE, WHERE THEY DECIDED TO PUT IT AT.
I ADOPTED A CAT FROM BARK WHO IS NOW THRIVING AND HAVE ENCOURAGED OTHERS TO ADOPT AS WELL.
HOWEVER, I REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS EUTHANIZED.
WHAT STEPS IS THE CITY TAKING TO ACCELERATE THE PLANNED ADOPTION CENTER, EXPAND, TARGET, SPAY, NEUTER SERVICES AND HIGH INTAKE ZIP CODES, STRENGTHEN RESCUE NOTIFICATIONS BEFORE EUTHANASIA, AND PUBLISH WEEKLY DATA EXPLAINING EUTHANASIA DECISIONS? UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS WITH THAT.
I CAN TELL YOU, WE'VE, UH, TOURED THE BARK FACILITY AS WELL.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU THE, THE PEOPLE AT BARK ABSOLUTELY HATE EUTHANIZING AN ANIMAL.
UH, I MEAN, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE ABSOLUTELY LOVE ANIMALS.
THEY WANNA BE THERE, WANNA BE THERE WITH ANIMALS.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THE, THE CITY DOES HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND THEY HAVE TO END UP EUTHANIZING SOME OF THEM.
UH, THE CITY ALSO WORKS TRANSPORTING THE ANIMALS TO OTHER CITIES THAT WILL TAKE THEM.
UH, THERE'S, UH, A GROUP THAT, UH, SENDS THEM UP TO COLORADO, UH, AND THEY MAKE A TRIP UP THERE EVERY MONTH.
UH, THEY HAVE THREE, FOUR VANS.
THEY GO IN A CARAVAN, THEY LOAD THEM ALL UP.
WE'VE BEEN OUT THERE FOR THAT AS WELL.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE DO IS, IS, UH, IN OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, WE HAVE A PICTURE OF A DOG, UH, OR A CAT THAT IS, UH, NEED TO BE ADOPTED.
TYPICALLY, DOGS, BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON, CATS GET ADOPTED FASTER THAN WHAT DOGS DO.
UH, AND I THINK EVERY ONE OF THE DOGS THAT WE'VE PUT IN THERE EACH MONTH HAS GOTTEN ADOPTED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT.
UH, THE CITY ALSO WORKS WITH A, A GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH SPADE AND NEUTER- NEUTERING, NOT IN, UH, REALLY IN MY DISTRICT.
UH, TH- THIS IS MUCH MORE PREVALENT UP, UH, AROUND, UH, UH, I-10 AND DOWNTOWN AND THAT AREA.
IN FACT, UH, UH, MARIO CASTILLO'S, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO'S DISTRICT HAS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH, UH, DOGS THAT, UH, SOMEWHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, KINDA GET IN A PACK AND, AND WILL REALLY GO WILD AND, AND PEOPLE BEING ATTACKED, UH, FROM THEM.
UH, THEY, THEY WORK WITH, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S BARIO DOGS, IS THAT RIGHT? WILLIARD BARIO DOGS AND, AND THEY GO INTO THE, THE SCHOOLS AND ACTUALLY WORK WITH THE KIDS.
AND THE IDEA IS BY WORKING WITH THE KIDS THAT THE KIDS WILL COME AND TELL THE PARENTS AND, AND KINDA GET THE PARENTS TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
UM, THE, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I'VE GOT IS ACTUALLY UP IN KINGWOOD, WE GET PEOPLE FROM PORTER COME DUMP OUR, THE DOGS IN, IN, IN KINGWOOD.
UH, IT'S, SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE NEARLY AS MUCH OF A PROBLEM AS WHAT THE OTHER PARTS OF THE DISTRICT DO.
I, I ABSOLUTELY DO AGREE IT'S AN ISSUE AND THE NEW BARK FACILITY THAT'S BEING BUILT, UH, WILL HOPEFULLY, UH, ASSIST IN ADOPTIONS AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO ADOPT MORE DOGS.
I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY THE PROBLEM IS WE TAKE IN MORE STRAYS THAN WHAT WE GET ADOPTED OUT.
UH, AND UNTIL WE CAN GET THAT NUMBER, YOU KNOW, EQUALIZED TO WHERE WE'RE ADOPTING AS MANY AS WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN, IT, IT'S, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE, BUT I PROMISE YOU, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S WANTING TO DO AS MUCH AS THEY CAN.
THE, THE ALERTS GO OUT TO, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, ARE IN, IN GROUPS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP, UH, TO FOSTER ANIMALS AND TAKE CARE OF ANIMALS.
UH, THE CITY HAS TO ALSO WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE GROUPS ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AS WELL, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES IN THE PAST WITH THAT.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S A BIT OF A MESS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THE NEW BARK CENTER WILL, WILL HELP US OUT WITH THAT.
UM, I WAS ASKED TO DO, WE GET, DELIVER ONE MESSAGE BEFORE I RELINQUISH THE STAGE AND WE'LL TAKE SOME, UH, MODERATOR PRIVILEGE ON, ON TWO QUICK ASKS.
UM, THE FIRST, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT IS, UH, I'M DELIGHTED TO, UH, ENCOURAGE YOU TO SAVE $10 ON PARKING AND TAKE A PICTURE OF THE QR CODE, UH, OVER ON THE DESK IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY.
OTHERWISE, THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY BILL YOUR LICENSE PLATE.
UM, BUT IT'S SUPER EASY TO SCAN IT, YOU PUT YOUR LICENSE PLATE IN, THEY DON'T DO THAT.
SO, UH, ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
UH, THE SECOND, UH, POINT OF PRIVILEGE I'LL TAKE IS WE HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE LEADERS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS AROUND THE ROOM WHO ARE, UH, UH, SPENDING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU EVER WANNA TALK ABOUT TAX DOLLARS BEING SPENT WELL, THEY'RE HERE WITH US AT 8:00 AT NIGHT SERVING THEIR CITY.
AND WOULD Y'ALL JOIN ME IN A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THESE LEADERS? AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, WOULD Y'ALL JOIN ME IN A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR COUNCILMAN FLICKINGER AND HIS TEAM WHO ARE INCREDIBLE AND GREAT PARTNERS.
HEY, THANK YOU EVERYBODY SHOWING UP.
UM, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL HAVE GOT TO LEARN SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE DO THIS ONCE A YEAR AND COME ON OUT AND GET YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBORS TO, TO COME OUT AS WELL AND, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN ALL WORK TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT BETTER.