WE'RE READY TO GO. WE'RE READY. [00:00:04] VERY GOOD. GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. [Call to Order] GOOD MORNING TO COUNCIL. GOOD MORNING TO STAFF. AND FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE LISTENING AND IN ATTENDANCE HERE IN GALVESTON GOOD MORNING TO YOU. IT IS 9:00 A.M. I'M GOING TO OFFICIALLY CALL THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR FEBRUARY 22 TO ORDER. AND WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. JANELLE, COULD WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR BROWN. PRESENT. MAYOR PRO TEM COLLINS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER SCHUSTER. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER QUIROGA HASN'T JOINED US YET. COUNCIL MEMBER LISTOWSKI. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBB. PRESENT. VERY GOOD. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU, JANELLE. WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. JANELLE, WAS THERE ANY INPUT FROM PUBLIC COMMENT THAT YOU RECEIVED? NO, SIR. ALL RIGHT. I KNOW WE MAY HAVE SOME ATTENDEES. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT IS VIEWING THIS MEETING WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT. HEARING NO RESPONSE. WE'LL MOVE TO THE ACTION ITEMS. [4.A. Consider For Approval An Ordinance Of The City Of Galveston, Texas, Declaring A State Of Disaster And Emergency In The City Of Galveston Related To The Winter Storm Of 2021; Confirming And Ratifying The Declaration Of The Local State Of Emergency Signed By The Mayor, Making Various Findings And Provisions Related To The Subject, Providing For A Penalty And Providing For An Effective Date. (Legal)] ACTION ITEM 4A PLEASE JANELLE. 4A, CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF GALVESTON, TEXAS, DECLARING A STATE OF DISASTER AND EMERGENCY IN THE CITY OF GALVESTON RELATED TO THE WINTER STORM OF 2021, CONFIRMING AND RATIFYING THE DECLARATION OF THE LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY SIGNED BY THE MAYOR MAKING VARIOUS FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. THANK YOU, JANELLE. DON IS GOING TO INTRODUCE THIS, BUT I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU SOME LOGISTICS ON THIS COUNCIL. AS YOU NOTICE, THIS PARTICULAR DECLARATION EXTENSION IS OPEN ENDED AT THIS POINT. BUT WE WILL HAVE THIS ON OUR THURSDAY AGENDA TO READDRESS THIS, DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THAT POINT, WE MAY WANT TO MAKE SOME CHANGES ON IT AT THAT POINT, BUT IT WILL BE ON OUR THURSDAY AGENDA, ALONG WITH THE EXTENSION OF THE DECLARATION OF DISASTER THAT'S INVOLVED WITH COVID-19. SO WE'LL HAVE BOTH OF THOSE ON OUR THURSDAY AGENDA. VERY GOOD. DON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE US AN INTRODUCTION ON THIS, PLEASE? NO. WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT BODES WELL. DUE TO SOME COMPUTER UPGRADES MY MACHINE DOESN'T WORK. BASICALLY UNDER THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACT YOU ARE THE EMERGENCY MANAGER PERSON FOR THE CITY. YOU ENTER INTO A IN ORDER WHICH IS GOOD FOR SEVEN DAYS, DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY THAT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ALLOWS US TO ACCESS FEMA MONEY. YOU SIGNED THE ORDER ONE WEEK AGO, SEVEN DAYS AGO ON MONDAY. IT WILL EXPIRE TODAY UNLESS IT IS EXTENDED BY ACTION TODAY. SO WE SET UP THIS MEETING AT 9:00 A.M.. YOU DID, MAYOR. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO ACCESS ANY FEMA MONIES THAT MAY BECOME AVAILABLE. I'M NOT SURE THE CITY HAS COMPLETED ITS DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, BUT THIS ESSENTIALLY IS TO ALLOW THE STATE OF EMERGENCY TO CONTINUE. AND AS YOU SAID, WE'LL TAKE THIS UP AGAIN AT THE THURSDAY MEETING WHEN WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. THANK YOU, DON. COUNCIL. ANY QUESTIONS FOR DON? VERY GOOD. COUNCIL, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THIS, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 4A FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE DISASTER DECLARATION AS IT WAS RELATING TO THE WINTER STORM. IS THERE A SECOND? I WILL SECOND THAT. THANK YOU, DAVID. ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE MUTED MARIE. YES, I HAVE A DISCUSSION BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, I AM TOTALLY APPALLED ON THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION MY DISTRICT RECEIVED FROM THE MAYOR. I MEAN, BRIAN WAS GREAT AND CHARLEY OLSEN WAS GREAT. MY CITIZEN TEAMS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER WERE AMAZING, BUT NOT TO HAVE ANY COMMUNICATION [00:05:08] FROM THE MAYOR TO ME WAS UNACCEPTABLE. THE FIRST CALL I RECEIVED FROM THE MAYOR WAS ON TUESDAY, AND IT WAS TO TALKING ABOUT AN AGENDA ITEM WHEN I ALREADY HAVE AT LEAST HALF MY DISTRICT. PROBABLY THE ENTIRE DISTRICT AT THAT POINT HAD NO ELECTRICITY AND FROZEN PIPES. THE MAJORITY OF MY DISTRICT DID NOT GET ELECTRICITY UNTIL THURSDAY NIGHT WITH THE VERY LAST SECTION GETTING IT BACK ON FRIDAY NIGHT. WE HAVE RECEIVED NO WATER SUPPLIES EXCEPT FOR WHAT WE GOT FROM [INAUDIBLE] MIDDLETON. WE HAVE 90 PERCENT OF OUR HOUSES HAVE BURST PIPES, AND I JUST FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE THAT WE WEREN'T HAVING MORNING CONFERENCE CALLS. YOU DIDN'T START SENDING OUT INFORMATION UNTIL AFTER OUR DISCUSSION ON WEDNESDAY WHEN I CALLED YOU QUITE UPSET BECAUSE WE WERE RECEIVING NO INFORMATION OR WAS ANYONE, I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN PEOPLE'S DISTRICTS. AND I CAN TELL YOU, MY CONSTITUENTS ARE VERY UPSET AND WE ARE THE LARGEST TAXPAYING GROUP IN THE CITY. AND TO BE COMPLETELY IGNORED IS UNACCEPTABLE. I HAD AN 80 YEAR OLD VETERANS IN [INAUDIBLE] SLEEPING IN THEIR CARS AT NIGHT IN THEIR DRIVEWAYS TO KEEP WARM AND NOT DIE. I HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE SLEEPING IN CARS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD A HOTEL, BUT I HEARD NOTHING. I MEAN, BRIAN WAS MY LIFE LINE AND CHARLEY ALSO WAS MY LIFELINE. BUT TO NOT BE COMMUNICATING TO YOUR COUNCIL IS IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. ON TUESDAY WHEN YOU SENT OUT A PRESS RELEASE THAT SAID BASICALLY THE MAJORITY OF THE ISLAND IS [INAUDIBLE] I'M AT NINETY FIVE PERCENT DOWN ON EVERYTHING. I STARTED GETTING A THOUSAND CALLS AN HOUR BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN [INAUDIBLE] IT'S NOT ON, NOT ON IN MY HOUSE. WE DON'T HAVE WATER. SO BY WEDNESDAY MORNING I HAD TEAMS, I HAD ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE OUT THERE WORKING JUST SHUT OFF BURST PIPES TO HELP PEOPLE. AND THE FACT THAT WE DID NOT RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM THE CITY, BUT WE ARE THE LARGEST TAXPAYING BLOCK IS JUST UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY. I UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO DO THIS POWER OF EMERGENCY. SO I AM GOING TO VOTE FOR IT BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE. BUT WE THE COMMUNICATION HAS TO BE BETTER TO NEVER RECEIVE A CALL FROM YOU ASKING ME WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY DISTRICT IS IS SIMPLY APPALLING BECAUSE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR DISTRICTS. YOU MAY HAVE EMERGENCY POWER RIGHT NOW THAT PUTS YOU OVER EVERYTHING, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON= IN MY DISTRICT. YOU HAVEN'T DRIVEN OUT TO MY DISTRICT. I HAD TO GET IN TOUCH WITH CENTERPOINT MYSELF AND A TEAM OF EXECUTIVES CAME DOWN AND MET WITH ME ON TUESDAY BECAUSE IT APPEARS THAT THEY HAVEN'T DENIED IT, THAT THERE WAS SOME PART OF MY DISTRICT THAT WAS SHUT DOWN. AND NOT BROUGHT UP BECAUSE THEY ASSUMED THAT IT WAS SECOND HOMES. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REALIZE THIS YET, BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN NOW, BUT 75 TO 80 PERCENT OF SEA ISLE IS FULL TIME PEOPLE. AND THEY ARE FULL TIME SENIORS. THEY'RE RETIRED COACHES FROM BALL HIGH. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING ON SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS AND THEY CAN'T. I WAS OFFERING PEOPLE TO PAY FOR A HOTEL ROOM SO WE DIDN'T FIND PEOPLE DEAD IN OUR HOMES. AND THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. I COULDN'T EVEN GET WATER DELIVERED TO SEA ISLE, WHO IS STILL 80 PERCENT WITHOUT WORKING PIPES. THE CLOSEST WATER YOU BROUGHT TO MY DISTRICT IN MY DISTRICT WAS AT THE AIRPORT. [00:10:06] DO YOU KNOW THAT 18 MILES FROM SEA ISLE. AND SEA ISLE, TERRAMAR, ISLA DEL SOL, POINT WEST DID NOT HAVE WATER OR ELECTRICITY UNTIL FRIDAY. AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, THAT TEAM OF PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE OUT THERE ARE THE BEST, MOST GIVING ALL MY PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT WERE AMAZING THE WAY WE WORK TOGETHER. AND WE WERE ABLE TO SOLVE OUR OWN PROBLEMS BECAUSE WE WERE LEFT OUT HERE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE THE BIGGEST TAXPAYING BLOCK. WE WERE LEFT OUT HERE WITH NOTHING. AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE GOING TO STAY IN THIS STATE OF EMERGENCY THAT WE NEED TO START A MORNING CONFERENCE CALLS, EVEN IF IT'S 10 MINUTES, PEOPLE, WE NEED TO BE COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER. THIS IS YOUR FIRST RESPONSE TO ME WHEN I ASK WHY AM I NOT HEARING FROM YOU WAS AREN'T YOU READING THE PRESS RELEASES. A CITY COUNCIL SHOULD NOT HEAR ABOUT THINGS FROM PRESS RELEASES, AND THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, MARIE, LET ME MENTION THIS, THIS WAS A SITUATION THAT I THINK ALL OF US WERE CAUGHT UP IN. AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT THERE. AND I THINK THAT THERE'S NEEDLESS TO SAY, THAT'S WHY YOU WERE ELECTED, BECAUSE THE DISTRICT ELECTED YOU TO REPRESENT THEM. ALL OF THESE DISTRICTS HERE WERE HAVING MAJOR, MAJOR PROBLEMS. I STARTED TO SEND THAT OUT. I WAS AND I'LL TELL YOU IT PROBABLY IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE GOT SOMETHING OUT THAT MORNING THAT I SENT. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A CONFERENCE CALLS. WE COULD HAVE WE COULD HAVE HAD AT 7:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING, BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYONE WAS UP AT 7:00 A.M. BECAUSE WE WERE ALL ANSWERING CALLS FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS. WE COULD HAVE HAD A 15 MINUTE CONFERENCE CALL SO EVERYONE COULD HAVE BEEN UPDATED. WELL, THAT'S MADE A NOTE OF THAT, AND I'M NOT AGAINST THAT AT ALL. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THAT I FELT A LITTLE BIT COMFORTABLE THAT THINGS WERE BEING COMMUNICATED TO YOU IS I STAYED IN TOUCH WITH BRIAN. AND BRIAN SAID THAT HE WAS IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS KEEPING THEM UPDATED. AND SO I JUST ASSUMED THAT YOU WERE GETTING THE INFORMATION AS I WAS GETTING IT. I WAS GETTING INFORMATION FROM BRIAN. WE ARE NOW. SO ON MONDAY, WE WENT INTO A STATE OF EMERGENCY THAT GIVES YOU THE ULTIMATE POWER OVER EVERY DISTRICT. SO AT THAT POINT, YOU SHOULD HAVE INITIATED MORNING CONFERENCE CALLS. BRIAN. BRIAN DID AN AMAZING JOB. HE DID ABOVE AND BEYOND. HE BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO FACILITATE TEAMS, WE SET UP A SYSTEM. WE HAD PEOPLE OUT THERE. THEY COULDN'T SHUT IT OFF. WE HAD THE FIRE COMPANY OUT THERE. AND THEN IF THE FIRE COMPANY COULDN'T DO IT, WE BROUGHT OUT PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE PUBLIC WORKS WAS OVERWHELMED. AND ALL OF THOSE GUYS SHOULD RECEIVE KNIGHTHOOD BECAUSE THEY DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOB. BUT TO HAVE SUCH A LACK OF COMMUNICATION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. WELL, I THINK AT POINT WELL TAKEN, MARIE. AND IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER FUTURE CONCERNS, WHICH THE WAY THIS LAST 18 MONTHS HAS BEEN GOING, WE PROBABLY WILL IN SOME MANNER, ESPECIALLY COMING IN TO HURRICANE SEASON IN JUNE HERE. BUT WE ARE STILL HAVING ISSUES. MY DISTRICT IS NOT OUT OF THIS BECAUSE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS, AGAIN, WE HAVE 90 PERCENT OF OUR HOUSES ARE STILL WITHOUT WATER BECAUSE BECAUSE THE BROKEN PIPES AND THERE ARE NO PLUMBING SUPPLIES. AND WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THAT? HAS HAS THE CITY CALLED OTHER STATES TO SEE IF THEY CAN HELP US? I KNOW I'M WORKING WITH A COMPANY IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND I'M GOING TO BUY PLUMBING SUPPLIES OUT OF MY OWN POCKET TO HELP THESE 80 YEAR OLD PEOPLE THAT ARE ALL OVER MY DISTRICT THAT DON'T HAVE ANY WATER. WE NEED TO GET WATER TO SEA ISLE BECAUSE THAT'S A GREAT DISTRIBUTION POINT. AND AGAIN, WE ONLY GOT IT ONCE. AND THAT WAS FROM MAYS MIDDLETON. [00:15:03] AND THAT SHOULD HAPPEN. I'M CALLING MY CONNECTIONS AT CENTERPOINT TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIND US PLUMBING SUPPLIES BECAUSE AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF MY HOUSES ARE STILL WITHOUT WATER. AND THAT'S. COUNCIL MEMBER, MAY I SUGGEST YOU PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR AN AFTER ACTION REPORT ON A WORKSHOP SINCE I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION, IT WAS A VERY BAD WEEK, BUT THE AGENDA ITEM IS PRETTY NARROW TO EXTEND THE ORDER. YOU KNOW, THAT'S FINE DON. I THINK MARIE BRINGS UP A GOOD POINT. SHE'S FRUSTRATED. THERE'S EVERY ONE OF THESE DISTRICTS HAS PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT ALL THESE DISTRICTS. THEY CAN'T GET WATER BECAUSE OF BROKEN PIPES. AND WE THERE ARE THINGS BEING DONE, MARIE, ON THAT THAT ROW. BRIAN CAN KIND OF GIVE YOU INFORMATION ON THAT. I KNOW. BUT LET'S DO THIS. WE'LL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION. I WOULD SAY THIS IF WE HAVE AS WE MOVE INTO ANOTHER DISASTER OF SOME SORT, WE'LL SET UP A DIFFERENT MECHANISM WHERE WE CAN GET ON THAT WITH CONFERENCE CALLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THAT SOUNDS GREAT TO ME. CAN WE GET MORE CASES OF WATER TO THE SEA ISLE AREA WHICH COVERS THAT IN ENCOMPASSES AT LEAST EIGHT TO 10 MILES. IT'S AN EASY DISTRIBUTION PLACE BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE COVERS 20 MILES OF OUR THIRTY TWO MILE ISLAND. I DO. YOU CAN'T DROP WATER JUST ONE DAY AT THE AIRPORT OR AT [INAUDIBLE] AND EXPECT 80 YEAR OLD PEOPLE TO DRIVE DOWN THERE WHEN BY THE TIME WE GET THERE IT WOULD BE GONE. AND TODAY YOU HAVE SOMETHING SET UP IN THE CENTER AND THE MIDDLE OF THE ISLAND. AND AGAIN, WE'RE GETTING NOTHING. WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. WHY DON'T WE DO THIS MARIE, ONCE WE FINISH OUR MEETING, LET'S TALKE, BY ALL MEANS, LET'S LOOK AT THIS WATER DISTRIBUTION, SEE WHAT WE HAVE AND SEE IF WE CAN DO THIS ASSIST DOWN THERE AT SEA ISLE. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. HAVE A SECONDED FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE ORDER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. IT IS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL OF OUR ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION. WE ARE AT A POINT OF ADJOURNMENT THIS EVENING. DO COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO SAY BEFORE WE ADJOURN. YES, DAVID. YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU AND BRIAN FOR THE WORK YOU DID OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PAST WEEK. YOU KNOW, MY DISTRICT WAS WITHOUT POWER FOR THREE DAYS IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER. WE HAD A NUMBER OF A LOT OF BROKEN PIPES. WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE WITHOUT WATER. I THINK THE CITY HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB. MARIE IS CORRECT. THE PUBLIC WORKS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID A GREAT JOB. BRIAN AND CHARLEY HAD THEM ON THE STREET FIRST THING WHEN THE WATER WENT OFF. WHEN THE PIPES STARTED BREAKING AFTER THE TEMPERATURE STARTED TO RISE. I THINK THE CITY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN MANAGING THIS. WE DON'T CONTROL THE POWER GRID. AND IT'S A WONDER TO ME THAT ANYBODY CLAIMS TO CONTROL THIS POWER GRID. BUT I THINK THE CITY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB. AND I WANT TO THANK BRIAN AND HIS STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK THEY'VE DONE THIS WEEK. THANK YOU, DAVID. YES, MARIE. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITIZENS IN MY DISTRICT, I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO [INAUDIBLE] SHE WAS AMAZING AND ACTIVATED TEAMS ON THE FAR WEST END. AND I HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE SO RESPONSIVE AND HELPING EVERYONE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS SAD THAT WE HAD TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT, BUT WE BECAME SELF-SUFFICIENT AND WE WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR FIVE DAYS AND. I'M JUST SO PROUD OF MY CITIZENS. I WANT TO THANK THEM ALL VERY GOOD. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES. I JUST WANT TO ECHO DAVID. THANK YOU TO PUBLIC WORKS AND, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS OUT THERE. IT WAS A LONG WEEK, A HECK OF A WEEK, ACTUALLY. I THINK THAT EVERYBODY ON THE SCREEN PROBABLY ONLY GOT A HANDFUL OF HOURS OF SLEEP AND WAS ATTACHED TO THEIR PHONES THE WHOLE WEEK. SO I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT CAME OUT OF THEIR OFFICES. I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT CAME OUT OF CITY HALL. [00:20:02] BUT THANK YOU FOR THE CONSTANT UPDATES FROM CITY STAFF THAT WE WERE GETTING OUT TO THE PEOPLE AS FAR AS FACEBOOK, SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALL THOSE THINGS. OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE IN A DISASTER. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. SO, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE THIS WEEK. VERY GOOD. YOU KNOW, DISASTERS ARE INTERESTING. YOU PUT TOGETHER ALL THESE PLANS WELL LAID PLANS AND WIND UP MAKING DECISIONS KIND OF ON THE RUN WITH THINGS AS THINGS POP UP, SOMETIMES THOSE DECISIONS WORK OUT WELL AND SOMETIMES THOSE DECISIONS NEED TO BE IMPROVED ON. AND SO EVERY TIME WE HAVE ONE OF THESE, WE LEARN THINGS AND WE GET BETTER WITH THAT. SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE ONE OF THOSE ALSO. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. MARIE I'LL GIVE YOU A CALL. COULD I COULD I MENTION SOMETHING, CRAIG, TO YOU? YES. TO EVERYBODY. OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM. AND WHEN I SAY PUBLIC WORKS, IT WASN'T JUST OUR NORMAL MUNICIPAL UTILITIES PEOPLE. WE HAD OUR STREET CREWS, EVERYBODY WE HAD THE PARKS CREW, SANITATION CREWS, EVERYBODY WAS OUT THERE WORKING TRINO PEDRAZA COORDINATED [INAUDIBLE] EXCELLENT [INAUDIBLE]. BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT LO AND BEHOLD, IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS, AND I MAY HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH ONE OF YOU, I CAN'T REMEMBER ANGELO [INAUDIBLE] WALKED IN. HE SAID, I'M HERE TO HELP. SO OBVIOUSLY, ANGELO EITHER REALLY WANTED TO HELP OR HE REALLY WANTED TO SHOWER. I DON'T KNOW. BUT HE SHOWED UP. AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE HIS HELP AS WELL. BUT I KNOW TRINO DIDN'T GO HOME MUCH LIKE MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WHOLE WEEK. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR FIREFIGHTERS WHO NOT ONLY WERE OUT TURNING OFF WATER, WHICH IS, WELL, YOU KNOW, EVERY CHANCE THEY CAN GET. BUT WE HAD TWO MASSIVE FIRES IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS. ONE OF THEM, WE HAD TO FIGHT WITH FIRE, BUT THANK GOD IT WAS WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF THE BOAT CLUB THAT THEY COULD DRAFT WATER. WE PUT THAT ONE OUT AND SAVED THAT WHOLE BLOCK. AND WE HAD ANOTHER ONE JUST THE OTHER NIGHT ON 41ST STREET THAT LUCKILY WE HAD OUR WATER BACK UP. SO IT'S BEEN TESTED NOW. IRONICALLY, I THINK WE HAVE HIGHER PRESSURES NOW THAN WE'VE HAD BEFORE. WE GOT A GOOD FLUSHING OF THE SYSTEM. JUST TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, WHEN THE PIPE STARTED TO THAW, WE DRAINED OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM AND THAT'S ALL OF OUR STORAGE TANKS AND EVERYTHING IN A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO HOURS WE KNOW THERE WAS A VALVE MALFUNCTION WITH GULF COAST WATER AUTHORITY, BUT THAT THAT ACTUALLY ENDED UP BEING A BLESSING BECAUSE IF THAT VALVE FULLY OPENED, THERE WAS NO WAY GULF COAST WATER AUTHORITY COULD HAVE EVEN KEPT UP WITH WHAT WAS POURING OUT BETWEEN US, [INAUDIBLE],[INAUDIBLE] VISTA, LEAGUE CITY, DICKINSON, EVERYBODY ELSE THAT THEY SELL WATER TO. AND IT HAD TO HAVE HAD WE LOST THE MACKEY PLANT, WE WOULD BE SITTING HERE TWO WEEKS FROM NOW HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT GETTING WATER BACK ON. SO I ALSO WANT TO THANK BRANDON WADE AND ERIC WILSON AND HIS GUYS UP AT GULF COAST WATER AUTHORITY, WHO WITHIN SIX OR SEVEN HOURS STOOD UP A PART OF THE PLANT THAT HADN'T BEEN OPERATING A LONG TIME AND STARTED PRODUCING FIFTY FIVE MILLION GALLONS A DAY, NOT JUST FOR US, BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY TAKE LIKE TWENTY TWO, TWENTY THREE, BUT ALL THE OTHER CITIES, BECAUSE THIS WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THEN 2018. IN 2018 THEY KEPT THE WATER COMING TO US AND WE CAN KIND OF KEEP THE SYSTEM GOING. IN THIS CASE EVERY CITY WAS BLEEDING OUT AND THAT'S WHY EVERY CITY WENT UNDER MORE WATER BECAUSE THEY ALL LOST PRESSURE, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE SUPPLEMENTED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH WAS A REAL PROBLEM. BUT I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR TEAM. I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM GETTING OUR WATER BACK ON AS QUICK AS WE DID. THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO TOLD US WE PROBABLY WOULD NEVER GET THE SYSTEM BACK UP AND RUNNING AS QUICK AS WE DID. WE DID AND WE WERE ACTUALLY OUT FROM UNDER BOILED WATER. WE KNEW EARLY ON THAT OUR WATER WAS GOING TO BE FINE. IT WAS A BLESSING THAT WE HAD SO MANY LEAKS BECAUSE THE SYSTEM GOT FLUSHED. AND WE WERE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT. BUT THE WATER IS SAFE AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TAKE A BIG DRINK OF COLD WATER AND ENJOY IT BACK TO BACK TO THE GOOD GALVESTON WATER AGAIN. AND WE'VE RECEIVED NO FURTHER ISSUES, ALTHOUGH WE'RE GOING TO BE REPAIRING LEAKS ON OUR SIDE PROBABLY FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, BECAUSE WE DID BLOW SOME LINES TRYING TO PUMP 23, 24 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER. THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, BRIAN. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. AND THE STAFF DID AN UNBELIEVABLE JOB. VERY GOOD. IT IS 9:24 AM. I'M GOING TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AND EVERYBODY HAVE A GOOD DAY. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.