Jul 12, 2024 Special Council

[00:00:03]

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

[1. DECLARATION OF A QUORUM AND CALL MEETING TO ORDER]

IT IS FRIDAY, JULY 12TH.

I WOULD LIKE TO OFFICIALLY CALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR JULY 12TH TO ORDER AND WE DO HAVE OUR COUNCIL SEATED.

BUT LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE, MA'AM.

MAYOR BROWN. PRESENT.

MAYOR PRO TEM ROBB.

PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.

COUNCIL MEMBER FINKLEA.

PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN.

PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER PORRETTO.

PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER RAWLINS.

HERE. VERY GOOD.

ALL OF OUR COUNCIL IS PRESENT.

JUST SOME HOUSEKEEPING CHORES, COUNCIL.

WE WILL BE ON OUR ITEMS THAT WE WILL VOTE ON THIS WILL ALL BE MANUAL VOTING TODAY SO THAT WE MAKE OUR MOTIONS AND SECONDS IN OUR VOTING MANUALLY AND JUST VERBALLY.

VERY GOOD.

LET'S MOVE TO ITEM THREE, PLEASE, MA'AM.

[3. CITY MANAGER'S AND MAYOR'S REPORT CONCERNING HURRICANE BERYL]

BRIAN. YES.

IT'S BEEN A FUN FEW DAYS, GUYS.

I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT FROM A CITY INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT, WE SAILED THROUGH THIS.

WE'RE MUCH BETTER THAN OUR PARTNERS TO THE NORTH OF US WHO ACTUALLY LOST WATER AND SEWER IN SOME AREAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE MAINTAINED 100% OF CITY SERVICES THE ENTIRE TIME.

NEVER STEPPED DOWN.

OUR CREWS WORKED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT.

THEY NEVER CAME IN OFF THE STREETS.

THEY WERE OUT THERE CHASING BLOWING, BLOWING DEBRIS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.

WE HAVE BEGUN THE RECOVERY ASPECTS OF THE STORM.

WE'RE HAMSTRUNG LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IS WITH POWER OUTAGES.

BUT WE HAVE BEGUN DEBRIS COLLECTIONS AND PICKUP.

WE ARE WORKING OUR WAY FROM WEST TO EAST.

WE STARTED WEST.

WELL, WE STARTED IN WHAT MY DAD WOULD CALL WEST, NOT WHAT MARIE WOULD CALL WEST.

AND WE DID THAT WITH A SPECIFIC PURPOSE, BECAUSE WE KNOW A LOT OF THE HOMEOWNERS ON THE WEST END WILL NEED TO BE HERE THIS WEEKEND TO BEGIN CLEANING UP THEIR PROPERTIES.

SO WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY PICK THEM UP AT THE VERY FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK.

BUT WE'VE STARTED DEBRIS REMOVAL.

IF YOU LIVE OUT IN HAVRE LAFITTE, CAMPECHE COVE, THOSE AREAS MAYBE NOT CAMPEACHY, BUT HAVRE LAFITTE, GULF VILLAGE, THOSE AREAS YOU'VE PROBABLY ALREADY HAD DEBRIS PICKED UP AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND THAT IS GOING TO BE A CONTINUOUS PROCESS UNTIL WE GET ALL THE DEBRIS, MOST OF THE DEBRIS THAT WE ARE PICKING UP NOW IS VEGETATIVE IN NATURE.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT AS PEOPLE GET IN AND START WORKING ON THEIR FENCES AND THINGS, THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER DEBRIS AS WELL.

ALL SANITATION RULES IN TERMS OF YOUR THREE BY FIVE STACK.

IN ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF HAS BEEN WAIVED.

GET YOUR STUFF OUT TO THE STREET SO WE CAN PICK IT UP.

IF YOU WERE BLESSED ENOUGH TO ONLY HAVE A THREE BY FIVE STACK.

GOOD FOR YOU.

SO, BUT ANYTHING BEYOND THAT WE'RE GRABBING IT RIGHT NOW.

WE CONTINUE TO RIGHT.

BRIAN, COULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY THAT ALL CHARGES WILL BE WAIVED? YES. THERE'S NO, NO ADDITIONAL FEES OR ANYTHING FOR ANY OF THE DEBRIS OR THINGS.

WE'RE GRABBING ALL THAT NOW.

WE DID RETAIN OUR OUTSIDE CONSULTANT, AS IS REQUIRED BY FEMA STANDARDS AND STUFF.

AND THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT THE CITY SHOULD SELF-PERFORM THE DEBRIS REMOVAL.

WE'RE VERY BLESSED.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A HURRICANE IKE SITUATION.

WE DID CONTACT OUR DEBRIS CONTRACTOR, AND THEY HAVE AVAILED THEMSELVES TO US IF WE START GETTING BEHIND OR THINGS TO HELP US.

BUT ESPECIALLY AND WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO PROCURE SOME ADDITIONAL RENTAL EQUIPMENT AND ALL THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.

JUST THE BIGGEST THING THAT WILL PLAGUE US AS WE GO FORWARD WILL BE EQUIPMENT FAILURE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING OUR EQUIPMENT PRETTY HARD.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT ON HAND JUST IN CASE, BUT I THINK WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE THERE AS WELL.

TRAFFIC HAS DONE AND WILL COMPLETE THEIR ASSESSMENT OF ALL THE LOSSES TODAY.

IT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME IN THAT THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR US TO GET FEMA REIMBURSEMENT THINGS THAT THEY REQUIRE ALL THESE ASSESSMENTS UP FRONT.

I'M A VERY MUCH GET BOOTS ON THE GROUND, GET THINGS FIXED KIND OF GUY.

LET'S GET PEOPLE'S LIVES BACK AS QUICK AS WE CAN.

BUT WE DO HAVE TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS IN SOME WAY FROM FINANCIAL HARDSHIP.

SO WE'RE GOING TO COMPLETE OUR ASSESSMENT TODAY.

HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEGUN TRYING TO GET THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS THAT WERE NOT PHYSICALLY DAMAGED BACK OPERATIONAL.

YOU WILL NOTICE THAT CHAINED TO A LOT OF THE INTERSECTIONS ARE GENERATORS.

WE ARE OPERATING MOST OF OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS ON GENERATORS.

AS POWER COMES BACK UP, WE'RE MOVING AND REDEPLOYING THE GENERATORS TO OTHER THINGS.

BUT WE'VE GOT QUITE A BIT OF SIGNAL DAMAGE AS WELL.

UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN ONE OF OUR MAST ARM SIGNALS SPINNING LIKE A MERRY GO ROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM, IT'S QUITE THE SIGHT.

[00:05:02]

IN THE INTERIM ANY DAMAGED INTERSECTION THAT YOU ENCOUNTER, PLEASE TREAT THEM AS A FOUR WAY STOP.

WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT DOWNED AND MISSING STOP SIGNS.

WE APPRECIATE IT. WE ARE SHARING THOSE WITH THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT.

HOWEVER, I WILL TELL EVERYBODY THAT WE HAVE WE ARE DOING A COMPLETE ASSESSMENT AND WE WILL HAVE THAT LIST.

SO IF YOU'RE MISSING A SIGN OR SOMETHING, IT'S GOING TO GET TAKEN CARE OF.

WE HAVE ALL THE TEMPORARY SIGNS THAT WE HAD IN OUR POSSESSION DEPLOYED AT THE BUSIEST INTERSECTIONS.

WE HAD SOME HICCUPS WHERE WE HAD SIGNALED INTERSECTIONS WHERE WE DIDN'T DEPLOY TEMPORARY SIGNS BECAUSE THOSE INTERSECTIONS HAD POWER YESTERDAY.

THOSE OF US THAT HAD BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE JUST A MORSEL OF POWER LOST IT AGAIN.

SO IN SOME OF THOSE INVOLVE THOSE SIGNALS.

SO WE LOST SOME OTHER SIGNALS.

SO WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST TO GET THOSE SCRAMBLED AROUND AND GET THEM ON GENERATOR AND EVERYTHING.

AGAIN, THE WEATHER TODAY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A WHOLE LOT MORE COOPERATIVE.

THAT'S A HINDRANCE BOTH TO CENTERPOINTS REPAIR.

AND ALSO IT DOES KIND OF MAKE THAT TAKES US SOME STEPS BACK BECAUSE WE LOST A WHOLE CIRCUIT YESTERDAY WITH THE WEATHER.

SO. BRIAN. YES, MA'AM.

COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE DEBRIS? BECAUSE WE HAVE SUBSTANTIAL DEBRIS ON THE WEST END.

YES, MA'AM. OF THE ISLAND.

ESPECIALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE BAY HARBOR, SEA ISLE, TERRAMAR WHERE PEOPLE LITERALLY LOST ROOFS.

WE HAVE DECKING.

WE ACTUALLY ALL ACROSS THE SEAWALL THERE ARE, YES MA'AM, DECKS THAT ARE DOWN.

SO WHEN ARE WE GOING TO START PICKING UP? MONDAY. DUSTIN TELLS ME WE'LL BE FAR WEST ON MONDAY.

WE'RE TRYING TO WE'RE TRYING TO WE'RE TRYING TO GROUP THESE THINGS AS BEST WE CAN BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE JUST STARTED PICKING UP, WE WOULD HAVE HIT YOU FIRST.

BUT YOU GUYS DIDN'T EVEN HAVE POWER, DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING OUT THERE.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIT PREMATURE.

WE JUMPED TO WHERE PEOPLE THERE WAS A GOOD CHUNK OF THE AREA WHERE WE STARTED THAT ALREADY HAD POWER.

WE KNEW PEOPLE WERE ALREADY CHAINSAWING TREES AND GETTING THINGS DONE.

BUT WHEN I TALKED TO DUSTIN YESTERDAY, WE PLAN ON GETTING GOING FAR WEST AND STARTING, AND THEN WE'RE JUST GOING TO WORK IT THAT WAY FOR THE REST OF THE TERM.

WE'RE GOING TO GO COMPLETELY TIP TO TIP WEST TO EAST.

AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO GO BACK TO SEWER BECAUSE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PUB STATIONS THAT ARE BLINKING OR ALARMING. YES. BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GOT THERE YET.

OKAY. YEAH. BRIAN, BEFORE WE LEAVE DEBRIS TELL US, HOW LONG OR ARE THE FEES GOING TO BE WAIVED FOR THAT? AND THAT THREE BY FIVE PILE, IT'S GOING TO BE THEY'RE GOING TO BE WAIVED AND AT LEAST UNTIL WE CAN, WE GET A GOOD HANDLE ON THE DEBRIS.

I WOULD SAY PROBABLY A MINIMUM OF 60 DAYS MAYBE 90 DAYS.

THIS IS NOT AN IKE TYPE EVENT.

IT'S REALLY GOING TO DEPEND ON HOW MUCH DEBRIS WE CAN MOVE WITH THE TRUCKS THAT WE HAVE.

BUT WE, YOU KNOW, THE IT'S VERY SIMILAR IN DEBRIS TO WHAT THEY EXPERIENCED DURING THE DERECHO IN HOUSTON.

AND THAT WAS ABOUT A 90 DAY EVENT FOR THEM.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE QUITE AS BAD.

ACCORDING TO OUR CONTRACTORS.

BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A 60 TO 90 DAY EXTENSION, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY INFORM THE RESIDENTS OF THAT.

THANK YOU. OKAY. BRIAN, WOULD YOU MIND GIVING THE PUBLIC THE NUMBER TO CALL FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL? CAN SOMEBODY HELP? WHAT? OH, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE USING WHAT NUMBER IS THAT? DID THEY CALL FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL? IT'S THE MAIN PUBLIC WORKS NUMBER.

YEAH, 797-3630.

797-3630. BUT I WOULD TELL YOU CRAIG CALLING RIGHT NOW IS NOT GOING TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF GOOD.

WE ARE HITTING THESE ROUTES ON A GRID.

WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR CALL.

HOWEVER, WE'RE NOT DOING ANY SPECIAL RUNS LIKE WE NORMALLY DO WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THIS IN A GRID FASHION, OKAY? LIKE WE DID AFTER HURRICANE IKE.

I WANTED TO MAKE OR ONE MORE.

YOU KEEP SAYING IT WASN'T AN IKE LIKE, EVENT, AND I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU AS FAR AS SURGE, BUT WIND WISE, THERE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER CENTER, THERE WERE WINDS 95 TO 100, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST END OF THE ISLAND AND PREVAILING FOR MULTIPLE HOURS.

IT WAS UP TO 75, WHICH WIND WISE WAS ACTUALLY STRONGER THAN IKE.

YOU'RE TAKING MY COMMENTS OUT OF CONTEXT.

I'M SPEAKING IN TERMS OF DEBRIS, AND WE DO NOT NEARLY HAVE THE DEBRIS THAT WE HAD DURING HURRICANE IKE BECAUSE IT WAS WET AND FLOOD DEBRIS.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS GREAT WIND DAMAGE, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH THAT DEBRIS AS WELL.

I'M SPEAKING IN TERMS OF DEBRIS CAPACITY RIGHT NOW.

IF I COULD FINISH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TO ANSWER.

YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE BRIAN FINISH.

WE ARE AS COUNCIL MEMBER ROBB HAD WE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH WATER, WATER CONTINUES TO NOT BE A PROBLEM.

WE DID HAVE ONE ISSUE YESTERDAY.

AND THAT CENTERPOINT WHICH WE'RE VERY HAPPY THAT THEY'RE WORKING SO HARD.

[00:10:02]

I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT THAT UNDER CONTROL.

BEYOND THAT, WATER IS NOT AN ISSUE.

WE HAVE PLENTY OF WATER ON SUPPLY.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE TOOK ON SO MUCH WATER BEFORE THE EVENT THAT WE HAD TO DO SOME FLUSHING IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVENT TO TURN THE WATER IN THE TANKS.

SO WE WERE VERY BLESSED IN THAT FRONT.

WE WERE ONE OF THE FEW CITIES THAT DIDN'T HAVE A WATER ISSUE.

MARIE IS CORRECT IN THAT WE ARE OPERATING SEVERAL OF OUR LIFT STATIONS ON GENERATOR POWER.

WE ARE ALSO ON SOME OF THE LIFT STATIONS.

WE ARE ACTUALLY OPERATING THEM MANUALLY USING COMBO TRUCKS, OR WE ARE ACTUALLY TRAILERING GENERATORS TO THOSE.

THESE ARE GIANT SUMP HOLDING PUMPS.

THEY FILL UP, THEY DROP DOWN.

YOU MAY NOTICE THAT SOME OF THESE PUMPS PUMP STATION LIFT STATIONS AND PROBABLY MANY OF YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE THERE.

UNTIL SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS, YOU MAY HEAR A SLIGHT ALARM.

YOU MAY SEE A FLASHING RED LIGHT.

PLEASE KNOW THAT ALL OF THESE ARE BEING MONITORED.

THEY'RE MONITORED REMOTELY.

OUR SCADA SYSTEM THAT MONITORS OUR UTILITIES NEVER WENT DOWN.

AND THAT IS A TRUE TRIBUTE TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS CREW AND MR. PEDRAZA. AND SO WE'RE MONITORING ALL THESE THINGS.

I WILL TELL THE RESIDENTS THAT IT IS NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM RIGHT NOW, BUT POWER IS COMING BACK UP.

WE GOT POWER TO SEVERAL OF OUR LIFTS YESTERDAY, WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE IT'S FREEING UP OTHER GENERATION FOR THE OTHER LIFT STATIONS.

BUT IF YOU DO SENSE AN ISSUE WITH A LIFT STATION, IF YOU SEE SOME TYPE OF OVERFLOW OR THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THAT IS THAT COULD HAPPEN.

IF WE RECEIVE HEAVY RAINS THIS WEEKEND, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

WE WILL GET A TRUCK OUT THERE IMMEDIATELY.

WE ARE ON NOTICE WITH TCEQ.

THEY UNDERSTAND WE'RE IN A DISASTER AREA.

THIS IS VERY COMMON FOR THEM.

WE HAVE NOT HAD THESE MAJOR ISSUES YET WHERE OUR GUYS ARE KEEPING UP WITH IT, SO WE'RE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE.

WE ARE STILL WORKING OUR STAFFS PRETTY MUCH 16 HOURS A DAY HERE OR MORE.

THEY ARE HELPING OUT IN EVERY FIELD.

YESTERDAY WE RECEIVED ONE TRUCK FULL OF ICE FOR DISTRIBUTION.

UNLIKE PREVIOUS STORMS, I STILL HAVE HALF A TRUCK OF ICE THIS MORNING.

SO WE'RE BACK OPEN DISTRIBUTING AT 48TH.

WE'RE WAITING ON A SECOND TRUCK.

TDEM INFORMED US TODAY.

TIM IS THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT SEND FURTHER ICE TO THE AREA BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT TO COMPETE AGAINST PRIVATE BUSINESSES.

LAST NIGHT I DID A QUICK SURVEY MYSELF.

MOST OF THE GROCERY STORES ARE OPEN, A LOT OF THEM HAD ICE.

SO, RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT BE HAVING A BIG ISSUE GETTING ICE.

SO, COULD YOU COMMENT, PLEASE, ON WHERE THE WEST END LIKE THE ICE LOCATION? BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE LARGE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE WITHOUT ICE THAT ARE AND ELECTRIC.

I'M GETTING THERE, I'M GETTING THERE.

WE ARE EXPECTING A SECOND TRUCK, HOWEVER, TODAY.

THAT SECOND TRUCK IS DUE IN AT ANY TIME.

IT WILL BE POSITIONED AT FIRE STATION SEVEN WHEN IT DOES ARRIVE.

AND WE WILL PUSH OUT MASS NOTIFICATIONS, JUST LIKE WE DID YESTERDAY.

ONCE THE TRUCK ARRIVES WE'RE USING FIREFIGHTERS, MARSHALS, WHATEVER WE'VE GOT FREE AT THE TIME TO DISTRIBUTE THE ICE.

WE DID DISTRIBUTE ICE TO SEVERAL OF THE SENIOR LIVING AREAS YESTERDAY.

WE HAD SEVERE PROBLEMS WITH A COUPLE OF THE SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES HERE WITH POWER.

I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND THANKS TO YOU, DON'T THINK OF ISLAND TRANSIT IN TERMS OF AN EMERGENCY.

BUT WE TOOK ISLAND TRANSIT BUSSES AND GAVE AIR CONDITIONED RESPITE TO THOSE RESIDENTS THAT WERE STRANDED IN THOSE HOMES.

THEY DID THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

WE WERE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO SOME SERIOUS ISSUES THERE, AND WE APPRECIATE IT.

THE ONLY ONE OF REAL CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS HOLLAND HOUSE.

WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT.

WE DID SHIP ICE OVER THERE YESTERDAY, AND WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THERE WERE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET POWER BACK ON AT THAT LOCATION YESTERDAY.

THERE'S SOME COMPLICATIONS, BUT CENTERPOINT IS AWARE OF THAT BEING A VERY TENDER LOCATION, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THAT BACK UP AS WELL.

BEYOND THAT, WE HAVEN'T HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INPUT WITH CENTERPOINT AS TO PRIORITIES.

THEY HAD A PREDETERMINED LIST OF PRIORITIES, THINGS LIKE UTMB AND OTHERS, ALTHOUGH UTMB WAS WITHOUT POWER FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

BUT WE HAVE VERY LITTLE INPUT AS TO WHAT ORDER THEY'RE GETTING LIGHTS ON.

THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE WITH CIRCUITRY VERSUS I MEAN, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF LINES DOWN.

WE'VE GOT TREES AND LINES, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT WITH A STORM, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A BIT OF CIRCUIT DAMAGE AS WELL.

SO IF YOU, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT SEE, THEY EXPLAINED TO ME, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT SEE LINE TRUCKS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT MAY NOT MEAN THAT YOU'RE NOT CLOSE TO GETTING YOUR LIGHTS ON. THE PROBLEM THAT'S KEEPING YOUR AREA FROM NOT HAVING LIGHTS MAY BE MANY MILES AWAY.

SO THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT.

MOST OF THEIR CREWS ARE WORKING 16 HOUR DAYS WITH A SMALLER CREW WORKING EIGHT HOURS AT NIGHT.

THEY HAVE ASKED US TODAY TO PLEASE TELL THE RESIDENTS, DO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE LINEMEN WHILE THEY'RE WORKING.

[00:15:02]

THEY CANNOT GIVE YOU UPDATES.

THEY ARE GIVEN A TASK ORDER.

THEY ARE WORKING ON A VERY SPECIFIC TASK.

THEY MAY NOT KNOW IF THAT WILL OR WILL NOT GET YOU POWER OR WHEN THEY WERE ASSIGNED X NUMBER OF POLES, OR X NUMBER OF TRANSFORMERS, OR X NUMBER OF FUZES.

AND THEY'RE OUT THERE WORKING AND THEY'VE ASKED US TO PLEASE NOT INTERRUPT THEIR WORK.

IT IS CAUSING INTERFERENCE AND DISRUPTION OF THEIR TIME, THEY'RE VERY TASK ORIENTED.

SO IF YOU WOULD PLEASE LET THE LINEMEN DO THEIR WORK.

ALTHOUGH I'M SURE THEY ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOU THANKING THEM BECAUSE THESE GUYS ARE DOING A LOT OF HARD WORK FOR US.

BUT THEY'VE ASKED THAT THEY PLEASE BE LEFT ALONE.

ALL OTHER CITY SERVICES ARE BACK UP AND RUNNING.

WE HAVE DONE COMPLETE WINDSHIELD DISASTER ASSESSMENTS.

PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS WE ARE OFFERING.

I THINK THEY HAVE ISSUED. WE CAN NOW ISSUE THE EMERGENCY BEACHFRONT CONSTRUCTION PERMITS PER THE GLO.

AND SO THOSE FOLKS CAN BEGIN MAKING THEIR REPAIRS ON THE WEST END FOLLOWING THOSE PROCEDURES.

WE DO HAVE THE WEST END BEACH ACCESS POINTS CLOSED FOR ASSESSMENT.

RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE A LOT OF POWER LINES DOWN.

WE HAVE A LOT OF DAMAGE. THESE ARE NOT SAFE TO TRAVERSE.

WE ARE ANALYZING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM AND SURVEYING THEM AS WE FEEL THEY BECOME SAFE, WE WILL OPEN THESE BACK UP.

WE HAVE A REPORT BACK TO THE GLO DUE THIS AFTERNOON.

I BELIEVE THEY WANT AN UPDATE ON THIS.

I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THEM THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE SOME, TAKE A LITTLE WHILE TO GET OPEN, BUT THERE'S SOME WE MAY BE ABLE TO OPEN UP RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

SO TO BE VERY CLEAR, THE BEACH ACCESS POINTS THAT WE HAVE DAMAGE ARE CLOSED.

THAT DOES NOT MEAN THE BEACH IS CLOSED, BUT THE BEACH ACCESS POINTS AND ACCESS TO THE BEACH AT THOSE LOCATIONS IS CLOSED.

I'M TRYING TO THINK IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE I'M TRYING TO MISS HERE.

THE PERMITTING, TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH PERMITTING.

YEAH. TIM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT? GIVE AN UPDATE ON THAT? I'D BE HAPPY TO. YES, SIR. TIM TIETJENS WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT? WE HAVE ASKED THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO PREPARE AN ORDINANCE IN PART, NOT ONLY ABOUT GENERAL RESPONSE TO THE EMERGENCIES HERE, BUT IN PARTICULAR FOR PERMITTING.

WE ARE NOT WAIVING PERMITTING.

WE ARE BASICALLY WAIVING JUST THE FEE FOR PERMITTING.

AND THAT IS FOR ANYBODY THAT NEEDS TO REPAIR DAMAGE.

THEY WOULD COME IN TO THE, TO THE DEPARTMENT EITHER ELECTRONICALLY OR, OR IN PERSON AND APPLY FOR THESE PERMITS.

AND ALL OF OUR STAFF KNOWS TO ISSUE THOSE WITHOUT FEES.

SO THAT'S AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO EXPEDITE ALL OF THEM.

RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. WE WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL.

AFTER HURRICANE IKE, A LOT OF PERMITS FLEW OUT.

A LOT OF WORK WENT ON UNPERMITTED.

MANY YEARS LATER WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH THAT.

RESIDENTS HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THEIR HOMES AS A RESULT OF THAT.

WE HAD SOME CONTRACTORS AFTER THAT HURRICANE THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE MOST REPUTABLE.

WE'VE ACTUALLY EVEN HAD THINGS THAT WE THINK WERE RELATED TO THE HURRICANE REPAIRS AFTER IKE, SUCH AS DECK COLLAPSES AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW HAPPEN AFTER THIS EVENT.

IF I MIGHT ALSO ADD, THE WAIVER OF FEES WAS SIGNED BY THE MAYOR AS AN EMERGENCY ORDER, AND THAT WILL BE EXTENDED TODAY WHEN YOU PASS THE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU.

AND THEN ONE MORE THING.

CAN I CAN I ADD SOMETHING TO THE CONTRACT? THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DOES HAVE A LIST OF CHAMBER MEMBERS THAT ARE CONTRACTORS AND LONG TERM APPROVED BY THE CITY CONTRACTORS, AS DOES THE GEDP.

THEY BOTH HAVE THAT ON THEIR WEBSITES AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

AND I'LL ALSO ADD THAT WE'RE DOING A COORDINATION EFFORT WITH OUR DEPARTMENT AND THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE AND CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO ENSURE THAT THE REGISTERED CONTRACTORS HAVE A SYSTEM.

I'M SORRY, FOLKS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE A SYSTEM TO VERIFY REGISTERED CONTRACTORS.

SO, THERE'S A SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR THAT.

AND, TIM, HOW LONG WILL THIS PERMIT FEES BE WAIVED? EXCUSE ME. ALEX HAD A QUESTION.

BOB CAN GO I CAN WAIT.

GO AHEAD. RIGHT. I'M SORRY.

OH, I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU, HOW LONG WILL THE PERMIT FEES BE WAIVED FOR? AFTER HURRICANE IKE WE ACTUALLY DID IT ABOUT A YEAR.

I'M NOT SURE IT WILL BE NECESSARILY THAT.

I DON'T THINK WE WILL GO THAT LONG IN THIS IN THIS SIX MONTHS OR SOMETHING, BUT IF IT'S ON THE HONOR SYSTEM.

SO, IF SOMEBODY COMES IN AND CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVE STORM DAMAGE OBVIOUSLY IF IT'S A NEW HOUSE OR A NEW CONSTRUCTION OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT'S NOT DAMAGED. SO, WE WILL INTEGRATE, YOU KNOW, THE EVALUATION OF THAT AS WE GO.

BUT IT'S PRETTY MUCH ONGOING.

AND WE'VE DONE SOME ASSESSMENTS.

SO WE KNOW WE KIND OF KNOW THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY BAD AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

[00:20:03]

PEOPLE WANT TO GET THEIR PROPERTY FIXED AND WE WANT TO HELP THEM GET THAT DONE.

RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST 60 DAYS, COUNCIL CAN EXTEND IT LATER.

OKAY. AND MY LAST QUESTION WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF INPUT FROM BUSINESSES WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEIR STAFF, SOME OF OUR STAFF TOO, IS WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING OPEN.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN, YOU KNOW, MID-JULY WE SUMMER SEASON IS, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO BE HEATING UP.

THIS IS KIND OF UNPRECEDENTED FOR A STORM IN JULY.

SO WHAT'S THE MESSAGING? HAVE WE KIND OF WORKED, ARE WE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT OR WHAT'S THE MESSAGING THAT WE'RE GOING TO OUR MESSAGING.

IS WE A DELICATE SITUATION FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT? OUR MESSAGING HAS BEEN THAT THE CITY IS BACK TO NORMAL OPERATIONS FROM TERMS OF THE CITY ITSELF, IN TERMS OF WELCOMING RESIDENTS HERE AND THINGS THOSE AREN'T THOSE AREN'T IN THE PURVIEW OF OPERATIONS THAT WOULD FALL UNDER YOU GUYS IF YOU ALL WANT TO MESSAGE THAT, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE ARE WE HEAR REPORTS OF LIMITED FUEL.

ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SEEING THAT.

WE HEAR REPORTS.

OF COURSE. I'M LEAVING HERE AT 8 OR 9:00 AT NIGHT, AND I CAN GET GAS, BUT IT'S 8 OR 9:00 AT NIGHT, AND I'M GETTING GAS AT A GAS STATION THAT'S RUNNING ON A GENERATOR THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PEOPLE AREN'T OUT.

YOU KNOW, THE GROCERY STORES SEEM TO BE FAIRLY WELL STOCKED.

WE DO STILL HAVE A LOT OF POWER OUTAGES.

WE HAVE A LOT OF UNCONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS.

I'M A BIG BELIEVER THAT ISLAND'S BETTER WHEN PEOPLE ARE BACK AND WORKING, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO HINDER OUR RESIDENTS.

BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW WE MARKET THE ISLAND AS BEING OPEN OR CLOSED.

I CAN TELL YOU THE CITY HAS NO RESTRICTIONS ON EXCESS MOVEMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT AT THE CITY OF GALVESTON.

AND I JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT ON THE GAS STATIONS BECAUSE I DROVE THE ENTIRE ISLAND LAST NIGHT AND I STAYED.

THE MAJORITY OF GAS STATIONS ARE OPEN AND THEY HAVE GAS.

YOU KNOW, I'LL MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT COUNCILMAN PORRETTO'S THOUGHTS ABOUT GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT.

AND WHEN WE'RE OPEN HERE IN THE CITY, I THINK HE MENTIONED IT.

IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE HERE.

IT'S A DELICATE SUBJECT.

ON ONE SIDE OF THE COIN, WE WANT THE VISITORS TO COME BACK AND TO EAT IN OUR RESTAURANTS AND SHOP IN OUR RETAIL SHOPS.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT.

AT LEAST I DO.

I'VE HAD MANY BUSINESSES HERE ON THE ISLAND.

AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING BEING OPEN FOR BUSINESS SO THAT YOU CAN PAY YOUR STAFF AND AND PAY THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT SUPPORT YOUR THAT WORK WITH YOU AN YOUR BUSINESS.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, WE HAVE ISSUES HERE ON THE ISLAND.

WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR INTERSECTIONS.

STILL ARE FOUR WAY STOPS.

VISITORS DON'T PAY ATTENTION A LOT TO FOUR WAY STOPS ON OUR ISLAND.

WE'VE GOT OTHER ISSUES GOING ON WITH POWER OUTAGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENTS OUT THERE SUFFERING AND SLEEPING IN HOMES THAT ARE 90 DEGREES OR MORE AT NIGHT.

I, I'M GOING TO MENTION THAT IN MY REPORT TO COUNCIL, BUT I'LL MENTION IT NOW.

WE'VE BEEN INFORMED BY CENTERPOINT THAT BY THE END OF THIS WEEKEND WE WILL HAVE THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR RESIDENTS BACK WITH POWER. BACK WITH POWER.

THAT'S THE FIRST THING.

HOPEFULLY, IF THAT'S THE CASE THEN HOPEFULLY WHAT? WE'LL BE BACK INTO BUSINESS FULL TIME ON MONDAY.

SO WE HAVE JUST IF I'M IF THE CENTERPOINT SAYING WHAT THEY SAY IS TRUE, WE'LL BE BACK IN BUSINESS HERE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.

AND WHEN WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS AND WE CAN GET SOME OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE THINGS TAKEN CARE OF, I THINK I'VE TALKED TO THE PARK BOARD AND THE CITY.

WE'RE GOING TO PUT OUT A MESSAGE OF WELCOMING EVERYBODY BACK TO THIS ISLAND, AND WE'RE READY TO SHOW WHAT THE ISLAND CAN STAND FOR FROM THE STANDPOINT OF RESILIENCY.

BUT IT IS QUITE A BALANCE HERE.

THE OTHER THING WITH CENTERPOINT, I WOULD MENTION THIS YOU'RE GOING TO START GETTING FROM CENTERPOINT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN DOING THIS, BUT THEY NOTIFIED US YESTERDAY.

STARTING YESTERDAY EVENING, THEY'RE GOING TO NOTIFY ALL OF THE RESIDENTS THAT DO NOT HAVE POWER.

YOU'LL BE GETTING IF YOU'VE SIGNED UP FOR THOSE NOTIFICATIONS, YOU WILL BE GETTING A NOTIFICATION THAT WHEN YOUR POWER WILL GO BACK ON, THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU A PROJECTED DATE ON WHEN YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER.

I GOT MINE LAST NIGHT.

UNFORTUNATELY, THEY SAID I WOULD BE ONE OF THE LAST ONES TO GET POWER.

SO IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT HAPPENS.

SO ANYWAY, YOU'LL BE GETTING THOSE NOTIFICATIONS.

ON THAT MAYOR.

SO CENTERPOINT IS STILL EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THEIR NOTIFICATION SYSTEM.

[00:25:02]

SO PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT AS WELL.

IT IS THE WAY CENTERPOINT, THE WHO MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY IS THE CEO OF CENTERPOINT.

AND THE WAY THEY TERMED THIS AND THIS HAD TO DO WHEN THEY MADE THEIR PREDICTIONS, IT TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION THE ENTIRE AREA OF OUTAGE FOR CENTERPOINT.

THEY STARTED WITH 2.25 MILLION PEOPLE.

THEY'RE DOWN TO ABOUT A MILLION PEOPLE AS OF LAST NIGHT THAT DIDN'T HAVE POWER.

AND THE WAY THEY TERMED IT IS THEY WILL HAVE 75% OF THEIR AREA.

OF ALL THE PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER UP AND RUNNING BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND AND THE REMAINING PORTION OF 25%.

WAS MENTIONED THAT THAT IS IN THE AREAS WHERE IT WILL BE HARDER TO BRING POWER BACK.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE EXPERTISE AND MORE CONSTRUCTION ABILITY TO BRING THEM BACK.

HE SAID THOSE AREAS ARE MOST OF THEM ARE IN BRAZORIA COUNTY AND THE I-45 CORRIDOR ALL THE WAY UP TO THE WOODLANDS.

AND THOSE WILL PROBABLY BE SOME OF THE LAST TO GET POWER.

SO HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE A HOPE, A GOOD, GOOD RESPONSE BY THE END OF THIS WEEKEND.

THAT'S WHAT CENTERPOINT IS TELLING US RIGHT NOW ON THAT.

I MAKE ONE MORE JUST A COMMENT AS TO WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ISLAND BEING OPEN OR NOT OPEN? AS OF LAST NIGHT, THE ENTIRE STRAND AREA IS BACK UP.

WHEN WE DROVE THROUGH IT, OUR RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN, THE STORES ARE OPEN.

AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITIZENS, TOO, BECAUSE A LOT OF US STILL DON'T HAVE POWER.

AND TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT TO A RESTAURANT AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.

ANOTHER GOOD IDEA THAT I ACTUALLY I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS MORNING.

EVERY TIME, AS BRIAN SAYS, YOU SEE A LINEMAN THANK HIM.

BUT WE COULD ALSO STOP IN OUR RESTAURANTS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE OF US WHO HAVE MEANS CAN BUY $10 GIFT CARDS TO THE RESTAURANT.

SO THEN YOU'RE SUPPORTING A BUSINESS AND THANKING THE LINEMEN, BUT DO NOT INTERRUPT THEM WHEN THEY'RE WORKING, AS BRIAN SAID.

BUT HALF OF THE BUSINESSES, I'D SAY A LITTLE MORE THAN HALF ON THE SEAWALL RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN, TOO.

SO WE NEED THESE.

THESE ARE PROBABLY THE TWO MOST MAKE IT AND BREAK IT WEEKS FOR OUR BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS.

THE HOTELS ARE FULL, MAINLY WITH RESIDENTS, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HELPING THEM, AS YOU KNOW, CENTERPOINT WELL, THAT PEOPLE WOULD AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THEY'RE HELPING US BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTS IT TO BE FASTER.

BUT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OUR RESIDENTS.

BUT I HAVE ALSO A QUESTION.

WE I'M GETTING FLOODED WITH COMMENTS AS WE'RE SITTING HERE IN THIS MEETING.

WE HAVE A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THEIR HOMES THAT DO NOT HAVE ELECTRICITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THAT NEED ICE, THAT CAN'T MAKE IT OVER TO 47TH STREET OR FIRE STATION SEVEN.

HOW CAN WE GET ICE AND WATER? YOU KNOW WATER TO THEM.

IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S COMPLETELY HOMEBOUND WITHOUT ANY SUPPORT STRUCTURE AROUND THEM, IF THEY WOULD CALL THE EOC, WE'LL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS.

THE FIRE TRUCKS AND STUFF CAN GET TO THEM.

AND WE ALSO PROBABLY NEED TO DO A WELL WELFARE CHECK ON THEM AS WELL.

AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, YOU KNOW CAN YOU PUBLICIZE THAT NUMBER? YEAH. BYRON, YOU'RE THE EOC NUMBER 409-765-3710.

I SHOULD KNOW THAT BY NOW, BUT I'M A LITTLE BRAIN DEAD.

WOULD YOU LET'S LET'S REPEAT THAT NUMBER AGAIN.

409-765-3710. 3710.

IF YOU IS IT ACTUALLY WORKING NOW? BECAUSE FOR A LOT OF THE STORMS, PEOPLE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THROUGH TO THAT LINE.

OUR HOUSTON PROVIDER AND ACTUALLY THE EOC IS NOT ON OUR PHONE SYSTEM.

IT'S ON THE COUNTY'S PHONE SYSTEM.

BOTH THE COUNTY, THE CITY, ALL THREE COUNTY, CITY, UTMB, ALL LOST INCOMING SERVICE FOR QUITE A WHILE BECAUSE OF AN ISSUE IN HOUSTON WITH THE PROVIDER FOR ALL THOSE DATA

[00:30:04]

BUT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE FUNCTIONING NOW.

WE HAD ONE ISSUE WITH AT&T INCOMING FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT I BELIEVE THAT'S BEEN RESOLVED AS WELL.

WE'RE GETTING CALLS, SO I KNOW IT'S WORKING.

BOB. I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

I'M NOT SURE MAYBE FOR BRIAN OR CRAIG.

HAS ANY CENTERPOINT GIVING YOU ANY INDICATION ABOUT RESTORING POWER TO PELICAN ISLAND? I'VE BEEN GETTING CALLS. THE ONE OF THE BIG PROJECTS THEY'RE WORKING ON NOW ON HARBORSIDE DRIVE IS THE FEED TO PELICAN ISLAND.

I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A REPORT FROM CENTER.

AND BY THE WAY, LET ME JUST BE VERY CLEAR HERE.

WE'RE SHARING WHAT WE GET FROM CENTERPOINT.

THEY'RE DOING THAT ALMOST OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF THEIR HEART.

WE HAVE VERY GREAT LOCAL PEOPLE IN THE GALVESTON OFFICE THAT ARE SHARING INFORMATION WITH US.

BUT THE CITY REALLY IS NOT INVOLVED IN POWER DELIVERY IN GALVESTON.

WE DON'T HAVE A FRANCHISE WITH THEM.

THIS IS A PUC CONTROLLED UTILITY.

IT'S NOT A GALVESTON UTILITY.

HOWEVER, THEY ARE WORKING WITH US TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION.

THEY PREFER PEOPLE GOING TO THEIR SITE FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION.

THEY THINK IT'S THAT'S THE BEST WAY ACCURATE INFORMATION IN A POST-DISASTER SITUATION IS CRITICAL.

THEY LIKE TO DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION, BUT THEY'RE HAPPY TO SHARE IT WITH US BECAUSE WE ARE WE, LIKE YOU, ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING POWER BACK TO THE ISLAND, TO THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT THE MOST.

SO THEY ARE SHARING THAT INFORMATION.

WE SHARE IT IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT FROM CENTERPOINT WITH YOU GUYS.

UNFORTUNATELY, BY THE TIME WE'RE GETTING IT, THEY'VE PROBABLY ALREADY UPDATED THEIR SITE.

SO IF YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, FOLLOW THEIR OUTAGE TRACKER.

IT'S NOT PERFECT, I CAN ASSURE YOU.

IT'S NOT PERFECT. THAT OUTAGE TRACKER SAYS I HAVE POWER.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT MYSELF AND MY WIFE WOULD AND MY DOG WOULD STRONGLY TELL YOU WE DON'T HAVE POWER.

BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT IT AT LEAST GIVES YOU BROAD GENERAL UPDATES AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN ANY SPECIFIC ISSUES.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH OUT EVERYTHING.

THEY ARE UPDATING US.

IN TOTAL ONCE A DAY LOCALLY.

AND THEN WE HAVE A 3:00 CALL EVERY DAY WITH THE ENTIRE CENTERPOINT REGION, WHICH HAS EVERYBODY FROM FROM THE TOP DOWN ON THE CALL. THEY'RE VERY GENERIC CALLS, VERY MUCH WHAT YOU'RE GETTING OFF THEIR WEBSITE.

BUT WE DO THAT AND WE DO SHARE THAT AS WELL.

SO WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

JUST KNOW THAT EVERYBODY HERE AT THE CITY IS PRESSING AS HARD AS WE CAN TO GET POWER BACK ON.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR TO THE RESIDENTS, BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND THERE'S NOTHING.

I'VE BEEN FROZEN BY CENTERPOINT, AND NOW I'M SWEATING BY CENTERPOINT.

AND I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I WOULD RATHER BE FROZEN.

BUT I WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE'RE TRYING VERY HARD TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO YOU GUYS, BECAUSE WE SHARE YOUR DESIRE TO BE BACK TO NORMAL.

AND TRUTHFULLY, ALL CITY INFRASTRUCTURE IS BACK PRETTY MUCH PERFORMING NORMALLY.

IT NEVER REALLY STOPPED.

THE BIG ISSUE HERE IS POWER, AND ANY ISSUES WITH CITY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'VE HAD HAS BEEN A RESULT OF POWER, NOT AS A RESULT OF ANY OF THE CITY INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO WE'RE WITH YOU ON IT.

I WANT MY LIFT STATIONS BACK ON POWER.

I'M SURE MY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK WOULD LIKE TO NOT BE PUTTING GAS IN GENERATORS AND MAKING SURE THESE THINGS ARE WORKING AND AND PUMPING THINGS THAT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU FLUSHED, BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THEY WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK TO NORMAL, TOO.

SO WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL CENTERPOINT GETS ALL THIS STUFF BACK ON QUICKLY, AND I THINK THEY'RE TRYING.

I REALLY DO ONE MORE CLIENT.

WELL, BOB, IT'S NOT FINISHED.

THIS IS MY SECOND QUESTION WAS IN REGARD TO THE CENTERPOINT SIGNING UP FOR THE CENTERPOINT ALERTS THAT WHERE THEY WILL, THEY'LL NOTIFY YOU AT A CERTAIN POINT IN A DISASTER RECOVERY AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT THE SCHEDULE IS FOR YOUR RESTORATION.

CAN WE PUT THAT HOW TO DO THAT ON OUR CITY WEBSITE AND ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW.

IT'S A LINK.

WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

AND WE'VE ALREADY SHARED WE YEAH, WE'VE SHARED IT ALREADY.

BUT I DO WANT TO TELL THE RESIDENTS, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER TO DO IT.

OKAY. SO IF YOU'RE LIKE, IF YOU'RE NOT IN YOUR HOME AND YOU JUST WANT TO SIGN UP, YOU CAN'T JUST SIGN UP WITH YOUR ADDRESS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER OFF OF YOUR OFF OF YOUR BILL.

AND WE HAVE THAT. WE SHARED THAT INFORMATION ONCE.

BUT, MARISSA, IF YOU'LL PUSH IT BACK OUT AGAIN, THAT.

COULD I SUGGEST WITH THAT, IT'S A FOLLOW ON TO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

BOB IS MAYBE WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO ALL THE CHURCHES ON THE ISLAND BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE MORE AWARE OF THE SENIOR POPULATION, BECAUSE IT'S GREAT TO SAY IT'S ON THE WEBSITE OR THE INTERNET, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE AN ELECTRICITY AND THEY'RE NOT USING INTERNET.

AND WE JUST RECEIVED ANOTHER HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9:00 TONIGHT.

SO IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO ADD THE COOLING CENTERS OR ADD MORE COOLING CENTERS FOR LADDERED AROUND

[00:35:01]

AND AGAIN, MAKE THE CHURCHES AWARE SO THEY CAN GET THE WORD OUT TO THE SENIOR PEOPLE.

WE'RE HAPPY TOO THAT THE CHURCHES, WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

THEY'VE BEEN FOLLOWING US ON THAT AND THEY'RE GETTING THE INFORMATION FROM US PRETTY DIRECTLY.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GETTING A GREAT RESPONSE AT OUR COOLING CENTERS.

WE'RE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR CAPACITY.

WE'VE HAD TWO. THE ONE ON THE WEST END HAS ONLY HAD TWO PEOPLE.

THREE PEOPLE. THAT'S IT.

SO WE YOU KNOW, I THINK AS PEOPLE, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE GET POWER.

THAT'S GOING TO BE IT. OF COURSE, THE LONGER THEY WERE WITHOUT POWER, THE MORE THEY'RE GOING TO WANT A COOLING CENTER AS WELL.

BUT THERE'S A LOT SO MANY BUSINESSES OPEN AND SO MANY THINGS.

MOST PEOPLE HAVE TRANSPORTATION, BUT IF THERE IS ANYBODY, YOU KNOW IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT IS ELDERLY, THAT NEEDS HELP, THAT IS STRUGGLING, LET US KNOW.

WE WILL CERTAINLY GET OUT THERE AND DO A WELFARE CHECK AND GET THEM WHAT THEY NEED, EVEN IF IT'S TO A COOLING CENTER.

WE HAVE THOSE ABILITIES.

AND BY THE WAY, OUR TRANSIT IS 100% BACK UP AND RUNNING AS WELL.

VERY GOOD. I'M GOING TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS TOO FROM CURRENT WHERE WE ARE NOW AND FROM THE PAST AND WHERE WE'RE HEADING WITH HURRICANE BERYL HERE.

I WANT TO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK CITY STAFF THE PEOPLE OUT IN THE FIELD THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING, SOME OF THEM WERE WORKING 24 OR 48 HOURS STRAIGHT TO TRY TO GET THINGS UNDER CONTROL DURING THE STORM AND IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS.

SO, BRIAN, IF YOU COULD EXTEND YOUR THANK YOU TO THE STAFF HERE, THEY EVERYBODY I DON'T HAVE POWER.

I'VE KIND OF BEEN LIVING IN THE CITY HALL HERE.

I'VE AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE UP HERE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE.

I SEE THEIR FACES TWO AND THREE DAYS AND THEY HAVEN'T GONE TO BED YET.

SO I APPRECIATE ALL THAT THE CITY STAFF IS DOING.

WANTED TO MENTION ALSO COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ASKED ME FOR THE MANUAL OF EMERGENCY OPERATIONS IN OUR POLICIES ON HOW THOSE HOW WE PROCEED WITH MANAGING DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THIS EMERGENCY.

I'VE TALKED WITH CITY STAFF TALKED TO JANELLE AND JANELLE WILL BE PUTTING THIS MANUAL ON A THUMB DRIVE FOR ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SO THAT YOU CAN SIT DOWN AND GO THROUGH THIS.

IT'S A MASSIVE DOCUMENT.

SO BUT SHE'S GOING TO GET THAT AVAILABLE FOR YOU, AND SHE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THAT'S AVAILABLE.

YOU CAN PICK THAT UP AND THAT'S GIVE YOU A WAY OF GOING.

I'M APPRECIATIVE. THAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO UNDERTAKE THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY SOME MASSIVE MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT HOW EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WORK AND INCIDENT COMMAND AND ALL THAT STUFF.

SO I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF YOU GUYS TAKING THE TASK TO READ ALL THAT.

THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD. IT'S THOUSANDS OF PAGES, BUT THAT'S GREAT.

I HAD TO DO IT BECAUSE IT'S PART OF OUR JOB.

BUT I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS DOING IT AS VOLUNTEERS.

THAT'S A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING AND APPRECIATE IT.

YEAH, THAT WOULD THAT WOULD BE GOOD.

I WANT TO THANK ALSO I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS DURING THIS STORM.

AND I WANT TO THANK THE RESIDENTS OF GALVESTON.

WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ELECTRICITY AND YOU DON'T HAVE AC.

FIRST DAY OR SO YOU GET BY THE SECOND DAY OR SO YOU GO.

WELL, I'LL SURVIVE ONE MORE DAY WITH THIS.

WHEN IT GOES BEYOND THAT, IT BECOMES A MASSIVE IRRITANT IN YOUR LIFE, AND IT DEVELOPS FRUSTRATIONS AND PUSHBACK AND, AND A LOT OF MIS EMOTION AND IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO TRY TO GET INFORMATION FROM CENTERPOINT.

THEIR, WAY OF DOING BUSINESS IS NOT TO GIVE A LOT OF SPECIFIC INFORMATION.

WE HAVE REALLY PUSHED ON CENTERPOINT, AND AS BRIAN MENTIONED, WE'RE GETTING PROBABLY MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION IN GALVESTON HERE, EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT THAN MANY OF THE OTHER CITIES.

AND SO I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THOUGH EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS REALLY WORKED HARD TO TRY TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE DO HAVE, GETTING IT OUT TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND REPRESENTING THEIR CONSTITUENTS BACK TO CITY HALL HERE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER IN THEIR OWN WAY.

I'VE TALKED WITH AND THEY ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO BE YOUR LIAISON IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOUR TIME.

I WILL ADD TO THAT IF YOU GET INFORMATION THAT THE CITY HAS NOT POSTED, I WOULD ASK YOU TO SHARE THAT WITH US SO THAT WE CAN VERIFY IT FOR FACT AND PUT IT OUT EARLY ON IN THIS INCIDENT, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE DOING THEIR VERY BEST TO TRY TO HELP AND GET INFORMATION OUT, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF INCORRECT AND MISINFORMATION AND WHAT THAT

[00:40:02]

IT CAUSES CENTERPOINT SYSTEM TO CRASH.

IT CAUSES OUR OUR PHONE SYSTEMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE BECAUSE MISINFORMATION, BAD INFORMATION IS WORSE THAN NO INFORMATION.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYTHING THAT WE DISSEMINATE AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS IS ACCURATE AND IS VETTED CORRECTLY AND IS FIT FOR PUBLICATION AND DIGESTION OF OUR PUBLIC BECAUSE WE ARE, I DON'T WANT TO BE TOO DRAMATIC HERE.

WE'RE NOT IN LIFE AND DEATH SITUATIONS.

IN A LOT OF CASES WITH THIS PARTICULAR STORM, WE'VE BEEN BLESSED.

BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN PRETTY DIRE STRAITS, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT INFORMATION WE PUT OUT IS ACCURATE AND FACTUAL, THAT IT'S NOT HEARSAY, IT'S NOT WHAT SOMEBODY SAID, IT'S NOT WHAT SOMEBODY HEARD.

IT'S NOT WHAT SOMEBODY THAT WORKS FOR, SOMEBODY THAT WORKS FOR THAT COMPANY SAID IT HAS TO BE FACTUAL, IT HAS TO BE PUBLIC, AND IT HAS TO BE ACCURATE.

SOME OF IT, ALMOST ALL OF IT HAD A GRAIN OF TRUTH.

BUT THERE WAS SOME THERE WAS SOME MISINFORMATION THAT WAS PUSHED OUT, AND IT DID CAUSE IT JUST SETS EVERYBODY BACK AND SLOWS EVERYTHING DOWN.

AND WE DON'T WANT TO SLOW ANYTHING DOWN NOW.

WE WANT THINGS MOVING FORWARD.

VERY SAME PREMISE ABOUT TALKING TO THE LINEMEN.

WE UNDERSTAND AND EVERYBODY HAS A DESIRE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST TO TALK TO SOMEBODY BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN LOCKED IN YOUR HOT HOUSE FOR THREE DAYS, AND THAT LINEMAN JUST LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY THAT YOU CAN TALK TO AND, AND KIND OF VET WITH.

BUT WE CAN'T INTERRUPT.

WE'VE GOT TO KEEP GOING.

AND I'LL SAY THE SAME THING FOR OUR GARBAGE MEN.

ALTHOUGH IF YOU THEY'RE SO APPRECIATIVE OF ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE WORKING SO HARD AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS GUYS AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S WORKING BUT THEY'RE VERY TASK DRIVEN RIGHT NOW, SO THEY'RE GETTING IT.

THE LAST THING I WANT TO MENTION IS COUNCIL I WOULD LIKE TO SCHEDULE A TIME FOR COUNCIL.

ONCE WE GET THROUGH THIS, MAKE SURE WE GET POWER RESTORED AND WE UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION AND GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP AND SO FORTH.

I'D LIKE TO SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH COUNCIL TO SIT DOWN AND EVALUATE OUR RESPONSE CENTERPOINT'S RESPONSE AND THE TOTAL CONCEPT, THE TOTAL EVALUATION OF OUR RESPONSE HERE IN GALVESTON TO, HURRICANE BERYL.

OUR JULY 25TH MEETING IS 13 DAYS AWAY.

WE POSSIBLY COULD JUST DO IT AT THAT POINT.

BUT I'LL BE GETTING WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS.

JANELLE WILL BE TOUCHING BASE WITH YOU TO SET UP A TIME AND LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE CAN SIT DOWN AND REALLY DO A CRITIQUE OF THIS.

I WAS AT A MEETING YESTERDAY WITH A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE ISLAND HERE YESTERDAY MORNING.

A NUMBER OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE PRESENT, AND I THINK I'M GOING TO SINGLE OUT COUNCILMAN RAWLINS ON THIS A COMMENT THAT HE MADE AT THAT MEETING, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE HAD SO MUCH FRUSTRATION AND CONCERNS WITH THIS STORM, IN A WAY, IT'S MAYBE A POSITIVE FOR US BECAUSE IT'S SHOWING AREAS THAT WE MAY NEED TO IMPROVE UPON, BECAUSE THIS MAY NOT BE OUR LAST STORM THIS SEASON.

THIS IS A BUSY SEASON, SO HURRICANE BERYL HAS GIVEN US A WAKE UP CALL TO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR POLICIES, HOW WE DO THINGS. CAN THEY BE DONE BETTER? CAN WE BE MORE EFFICIENT? CAN WE BE MORE COMMUNICATIVE WITH OUR POPULATION THERE? AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY.

WE'RE GOING TO CRITIQUE THIS AND MAKE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW WE CAN RESPOND BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE IN THE IN THEIR BUSINESSES AND IN THEIR HOMES. ALWAYS EVERY EVENT'S DIFFERENT.

INCIDENT COMMAND IS VERY GENERIC.

IT'S IMPERATIVE DURING THE DISASTER THAT WE FOLLOW IT.

BUT EVERY, EVERY, EVERY STORM HAS A DIFFERENT OUTCOME.

YEAH. I MEAN, I'M, I FEEL BLESSED AFTER THIS STORM.

BEAU'S NOT GUTTING MY HOUSE, SO HE'S NOT FIXING IT.

MAYBE NEXT TIME. BUT IT'S EVERY STORM IS DIFFERENT, BUT WE FOLLOWED INCIDENT COMMAND TO THE LETTER.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND DO WHAT'S BEST.

I WILL TELL YOU, COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING, INFORMATION WISE, WE'VE PUSHED OUT 5 TO 7 TIMES WHAT ANY OTHER CITY AROUND US IS DONE.

WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST PUBLIC INFORMATION GROUP, AND THEY'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB ON IT.

ARE WE PERFECT? NO.

NO. PUBLIC INFORMATION SOURCE IS PERFECT.

THERE'S BIG FACEBOOK GROUPS TALKING ABOUT EVEN THE HOUSTON MEDIA NOT BEING ACCURATE OR INFORMATIVE ENOUGH, OR WHETHER THEY'RE HYPING IT OR NOT, HYPING IT AND ALL THOSE TYPE THINGS. AGAIN, WE DON'T PUT OUT ANYTHING THAT IS NOT FACT CHECKED OR FACT BASED.

WE ONLY PUT OUT OFFICIAL INFORMATION, AND I ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO FOLLOW THE CITY OF GALVESTON WEB PAGE, FACEBOOK PAGE, SIGN UP FOR TEXT ALERTS. I WILL TELL YOU BECAUSE THIS THIS CAME UP IN DISCUSSION, WE WILL ONLY SEND OUT EMERGENT URGENT ISSUES VIA OUR TECH STUFF.

WE TRY TO RESERVE PHONE AND TEXT MESSAGES FOR THE MOST URGENT EMERGENT SITUATION.

[00:45:02]

THOSE ARE WHAT WE USE FOR EVACUATION ALERTS, TORNADOES, EXPLOSIONS, FIRES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE TRY TO REALLY BE CLOSE WITH THOSE AND USE THOSE FOR URGENT SITUATIONS.

I HAVE AUTHORIZED THE USE FOR POWER UPDATES BECAUSE SPEAKING PERSONALLY, IF YOU'RE OUT OF POWER, THAT'S AN URGENT SITUATION.

SO WE ARE SENDING OUT THE POWER UPDATE VIA TEXT EVERY DAY TO.

IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP, PLEASE GO TO THE CITY WEBSITE AND SIGN UP FOR NOTIFY ME AND FOR ALL THE OTHER MESSAGES.

MARISSA AND ONE CALL AS WELL.

SO THAT WAY YOU CAN GET THIS INFORMATION SENT TO YOU ON MULTIPLE PLATFORMS. EVERY STORM IS DIFFERENT.

I THINK WHEN WE GET POWER BACK ON, THE NEXT THING WE'RE GOING TO START HEARING IS PEOPLE WANT THEIR INTERNET AND THEIR CABLE BACK ON.

THAT WAS THE FIRST REQUEST I GOT FROM MY MOTHER WHEN HER POWER CAME BACK ON AND I SAID, PLEASE, MOM, NOT NOW.

BUT I MEAN, WHEEL OF FORTUNE IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT GOOD INFORMATION ON THAT.

AND ALSO, WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH COMCAST A LOT OF WHAT THEY'RE HAMSTRUNG ON IS POWER.

A LOT OF THEIR EQUIPMENT REQUIRES POWER TOO.

SO IN TRANSMISSION.

SO ONCE WE GET POWER RESTORED WE'LL SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH THEM.

AND WE CAN START PUSHING THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WELL.

OKAY. COUNCIL LET'S IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, LET'S JUST.

I HAVE ONE. YES.

JUST ONE SECOND, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.

LET'S WRAP UP OUR COMMENTS SO WE CAN MOVE ALONG.

BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE COUNCILMAN PORRETTO.

WE HAVE COUNCILMAN FINKLEA.

WE HAVE COUNCILWOMAN ROBB AND COUNCILWOMAN LEWIS THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SOME FINAL COMMENTS.

GO AHEAD. I KNOW WE CAN BICKER ABOUT THE STUFF WHEN WE EVALUATE THE RESPONSE, BUT YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS COMING FROM CENTERPOINT BRIAN WAS CONFUSING TO RESIDENTS. MORE SPECIFICALLY, IN MY DISTRICT, THEY LOST A LOT OF THEM WHO HAD POWER LOST IT AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING.

AND I KNOW YOU'RE JUST PARROTING WHAT YOU'RE GETTING BECAUSE IT'S INFORMATION FROM THE SOURCE, BUT IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR GIVING INFORMATION THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE? OR IS IT? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT CENTERPOINT? YEAH. I MEAN, POWER WENT OUT AT SEVEN AND I REALLY WISH WE COULD.

I MEAN, THAT'S A STATE, YOU KNOW, AND THE FIRST RULE OF INCIDENT COMMAND IS EVERYBODY STAYS IN THEIR LANE AND WE'RE TRYING TO STAY IN OUR LANE HERE.

WE HAVE OUR OWN UTILITY SYSTEMS AND WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THEM UP AS A SIDE.

WE TRY OUR BEST TO INFORM OUR RESIDENTS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE THAT AS A CITY AND AS A GOVERNMENT, THAT WE ONLY PUSH OUT ACCURATE INFORMATION.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO VERIFY EVERYTHING CENTERPOINT PUTS OUT KIND OF HARD FOR US TO VERIFY IF WHAT THEY'RE PUTTING OUT IS ACCURATE, BECAUSE ONLY THEY KNOW IF IT'S ACCURATE.

BUT WE AT LEAST GET THEM TO VERIFY BEFORE WE PUT IT OUT.

IS THIS IS THIS APPROPRIATE? IS THIS DO YOU FEEL THIS IS ACCURATE.

AND WE BASE IT ON THAT.

AND IN TERMS OF HOLDING CENTERPOINT ACCOUNTABLE THAT'S A STATE ISSUE GUYS.

AND WE CERTAINLY NEED TO TURN OUR GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS LOOSE ON THAT.

I CAN THINK BACK TO YEARS WHEN MY FAMILY WORKED FOR HLNP HERE IN TOWN, AND THEY HAD A LOCAL FRANCHISE WITH THE CITY, AND THE CITY HAD CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS AND CONTROLS WITH THE LOCAL POWER COMPANY.

WE DON'T HAVE THOSE ANYMORE.

THESE ARE STATE REGULATED UTILITIES NOW AND OR DEREGULATED, AS THE CASE MAY BE.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE IF YOU HAVE THESE ISSUES WITH THE POWER COMPANY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

FIRST, LET'S LET THEM GET THEIR JOB DONE.

YOU KNOW, THE HAY'S IN THE BARN IN TERMS OF HURRICANE BERYL.

LET'S LET THEM GET THEIR POWER BACK ON.

BUT AFTER, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALL MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK THIS WITH CENTERPOINT AFTER.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE WE DO THAT WITH OUR STATE LEGISLATORS.

HIS COMMENTS ECHO THOSE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PATRICK.

YES, YES, VERY MUCH SO.

VERY UNHAPPY I AGREE, AND I AND I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT THE STATE SEES THAT.

COUNCILMAN FINKLEA.

I'M SORRY, I'VE GOT TWO COMMENTS.

ONE THE FIRST QUESTION MR. MAXWELL, DO YOU KNOW IF THE PORT IS FULLY OPEN NOW? I BELIEVE, MAYOR, THAT THEY ARE BACK IN OPERATION.

HAS THE COAST GUARD FULLY OPEN THE PORT.

THEY ARE BACK IN OPERATION.

I THINK THEY ARE.

YES, SIR. I'M NOT CERTAIN ON THAT.

THEY HAD CRUISE SHIPS THAT NEEDED TO COME IN AND OUT, AND THEY THEY WERE.

THE COAST GUARD WOULD NOT ALLOW THOSE CRUISE SHIPS IN IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE POWER IN THE TERMINALS, AND THEY DID NOT HAVE POWER IN THE TERMINALS, BUT CENTERPOINT , NOT BECAUSE OF THE CRUISE LINES NECESSARILY, BUT THEY'RE OVER IN THAT AREA WORKING.

SO THEY SHOULD, I THINK.

I BELIEVE THE HARBOURSIDE LINE HAS BEEN REPAIRED AS WELL AS POWER TO PELICAN ISLAND.

I BELIEVE IT'S ONLY SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SPECIFIC PROBLEMS AT DIFFERENT BUSINESS LOCATIONS, THEY MAY NOT HAVE POWER, BUT I BELIEVE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING IS BACK ON MAYOR. YEAH, AND HONESTLY, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE PORT WEB PAGE, BUT YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN GETTING SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

SECOND OF ALL, I JUST KIND OF LIKE TO TELL ALL THE RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS ISLAND IS THAT EVERYBODY COMES TOGETHER IN TIMES OF CRISIS.

AND TO THAT END, I'D LIKE TO GIVE A COMPLIMENT TO VISION GALVESTON.

[00:50:01]

AND THEY'VE ALSO GOT SOME ADDITIONAL RECOVERY RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR CITIZENS.

SO STAY SAFE.

WE'LL GET POWER BACK ON SOON.

COUNCILWOMAN ROBB.

AS FAR AS COMMUNICATIONS AND I KNOW WE'LL BE COVERING THIS WITH, I WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE THE MEETING BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING.

A LOT OF QUESTIONS, AND I KNOW EVEN COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS THE OTHER MORNING.

PEOPLE FELT LIKE THE EMERGENCY SYSTEM BEFORE, DURING THE STORM, AND IT DID FINALLY KICK IN MAYBE TWO DAYS AFTER, UNLIKE PREVIOUS STORMS, HAVING LIVED HERE NOW FOR LIKE FOR 30 YEARS AND GONE THROUGH MULTIPLE STORMS THAT WE WEREN'T GETTING.

WHAT WERE YOU NOT GETTING SPECIFIC? WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE STORM AND I DID SCREEN CAPTURES, IF YOU LOOK AT NOTICES ABOUT HOW BIG THE STORM WAS OR JUST WHETHER IF YOU LOOK AT JUST THINGS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED AT OTHER STORMS. TO BE CLEAR. BRIAN, IT'S.

EXCUSE ME JUST A SECOND.

AT THIS POINT, WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING INPUT FROM COUNCIL, AND WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THE BACK AND FORTH ON THESE ISSUES COMING AT OUR CRITIQUING MEETING.

LET'S GO RIGHT AHEAD.

IF YOU LOOK AT WEATHER AND THINGS THAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY BE RECEIVING FROM THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WE DID NOT RECEIVE. AND THAT IS A GENERAL CONSENSUS ACROSS THE ISLAND.

I'VE GONE THROUGH A NUMBER OF HURRICANES HERE TROPICAL STORMS, BAD FREEZES, WHATNOT, AND PEOPLE JUST FELT LIKE THE EMERGENCY SYSTEM THAT THEY'RE SIGNED UP FOR DID NOT WORK.

AND I'M SHARING THAT COMMENT.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.

COULD YOU DIRECT THEM TO US SO WE CAN GET SPECIFICS AS TO WHAT THEY WERE NOT RECEIVING BECAUSE WE PUSHED OUT TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION MORE THAN ANY OTHER CITY DID.

WE'RE NOT THE WEATHER SERVICE COUNCIL MEMBER ROBB WE PAIR IT AND ONLY PUT OUT.

WE DON'T SHARE INTERNET WEBSITES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE ONLY PUT OUT OFFICIAL INFORMATION.

I'M TALKING ABOUT. OKAY.

COUNCIL MEMBER ROBB.

COUNCIL WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CRITIQUING SESSION ON THIS.

WE'LL GO BACK, LOOK AT THE PROS AND CONS OF THAT AND SEE WHERE THESE THINGS NEED TO BE IMPROVED.

BUT YOUR POINT'S WELL TAKEN MARIE AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT IN OUR AGENDA.

ALL RIGHT. LET'S HAVE COUNCILWOMAN LEWIS.

OKAY, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY JUST THANK YOU OVERALL TO CITY MANAGEMENT, TO ALL THE CREWS THAT ARE OUT THERE DURING THIS ACT OF MOTHER NATURE THAT WE HAD A LITTLE BIT CONTROL OVER.

SO I JUST FIRST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, I'VE SEEN PEOPLE SHARE THEIR HOMES, THEIR INTERNET WITH THOSE WHO DIDN'T HAVE ELECTRICITY.

I WAS ABLE TO SEE CLUB 68 IN OUR COMMUNITY PROVIDE FOOD ON YESTERDAY, AND THEY WILL HAVE A LUNCH TODAY AT A SPAGHETTI LUNCH.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE WANTING TO GO LEAVE THEIR HOME, GO TO A COOL PLACE AND EAT.

WE ALSO FOUND A CHURCH WHO ALSO JUST SET UP THEIR OWN COOLING AREA FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND SERVED THEM WITHIN THIS DISTRICT. WE WALKED.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT VISION OF GALVESTON SHARED TWO OF THEIR INTERNS.

SO WE GOT YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED HERE.

THAT'S MISS NINA AND MR. DANIEL WHO ARE HERE TODAY.

THESE ARE COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO GOT TO MEET PEOPLE TO SEE A 90 YEAR OLD MAN PICKING UP HIS TREE LIMBS AND PUTTING THEM IN THE TRASH CAN.

AND WE WERE ALL TRYING TO SAY, NO, DON'T DO THAT, DON'T DO THAT.

BUT THIS IS A HOMEOWNER.

AND THEY WERE ABLE TO ASSIST HIM.

HE WAS PRETTY ADAMANT ABOUT, NO, I'M GOING TO CLEAN MY OWN LIMBS UP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.

SO THEY ALSO GOT TO JOIN IN THE THE ASPECT OF SEEING MEETING PEOPLE WHO JUST THEY PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE MET.

THESE WERE ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO HAD ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT YET THEY WERE VIBRANT.

THEY HAD THE HEART OF GIVING AND SHARING.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT ONE OTHER THING IS WE WERE ABLE TO GET ASSISTANCE FROM THE CITY, YOU KNOW, THE WELFARE CHECK THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

AND I SAID, HEY, THIS GUY HAS A NEW PACEMAKER AND THERE'S NO ELECTRICITY FOR HIM TO MONITOR THAT.

[00:55:06]

SO THOSE THINGS ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

I USED EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY SENT OUT, AND I JUST KIND OF PARAPHRASED IT AND RE SENT IT TO ALL THE CONSTITUENTS AND PUT IT ON FACEBOOK.

AND THAT WAS MY SOURCE OF INFORMATION.

I USED THE EMAILS THAT THE CITY SENT OUT.

SO I THINK THE HAY'S IN THE BARN.

IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? OKAY.

[LAUGHTER] AND WE JUST NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.

AND I'M JUST COMMENTS TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS UP HERE WHO THOROUGHLY DID THEIR BEST DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT TWO EVEN SHARED ICE. SO THAT'S AND I THINK I SHARED THIS YESTERDAY.

THE MAYOR AND HIS WIFE THEY USED THE COMMENT, WE'RE HOT.

AND I THOUGHT, WHAT A GREAT T SHIRT, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO, NO ELECTRICITY.

SO WE MIGHT HAVE THAT T SHIRT COMING FORWARD.

SO. THANK YOU.

BEAU, DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? YOU ALL RIGHT, SIR? OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNCIL.

WE'LL BE SCHEDULING OUR CRITIQUING MEETING ON HURRICANE BERYL HERE, AND JANELLE WILL BE IN TOUCH.

WE NOW MOVE TO ITEM FOUR, PLEASE.

[4. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS]

ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT? YES SIR COME FORWARD.

GOOD MORNING COUNCIL.

MICHAEL NIEBUR, DISTRICT FIVE REP.

RESIDENT. ONE.

I WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW TIMBER COURT STILL HAS NO POWER.

AND AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE HAVEN'T SEEN A SINGLE UTILITY TRUCK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE DO HAVE DOWN EQUIPMENT, WE HAVE DOWN LINES, AND WE HAVE DAMAGED POLES.

AND YET RESOURCES HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY ALLOCATED TO OTHER AREAS OF THE ISLAND.

I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE ON IT, BUT I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE SAID AGAIN THAT IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS MAYBE IT'S A MILE DOWN THE ROAD.

I WANT TO KNOW THAT THE MESSAGING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT GALVESTON IS OPEN IS NOT ONE THAT WE NEED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

GALVESTON IS NOT OPEN.

WE DON'T HAVE POWER AROUND THE ISLAND.

THERE ARE DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS WITHOUT POWER.

WE DON'T NEED NEW PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND DRIVING AROUND, PUTTING STRAIN ON OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHO DON'T NEED TO BE DOING ACCIDENTS WHEN PEOPLE AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION.

I THINK WHAT'S CONCERNING TO ME NOW IS POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTERESTS WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT'S BEST AS YOUR JOB AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND ALSO WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOURSELVES AND YOUR PERSONAL BUSINESSES THAT RELY ON TOURISM.

YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.

YOUR JOB UP HERE ON COUNCIL IS TO REPRESENT US AS REPRESENT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT YOUR PERSONAL BUSINESSES.

ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT MISCOMMUNICATION AND POOR EMERGENCY PLANNING FROM THE CITY. IF THAT'S THE CASE, I THINK THE RESIDENTS DESERVE TO HEAR FROM THAT.

AND ONCE YOU GUYS FIGURE THAT OUT, LET US KNOW WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.

I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY PROBLEMS WITH COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY.

I'VE HEARD WONDERFUL COMMUNICATION FROM MANY OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS.

I WILL SAY SOME OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'VE CHOSEN TO ILLEGALLY BLOCK RESIDENTS FROM INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD PROBABLY RECONSIDER THAT EFFORT.

ALL RIGHT, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY, THANK YOU.

WE SEE IT.

I DON'T NEED POWER AT MY HOUSE.

MY NEIGHBORS DO.

RESOURCES ARE BEING SENT ALL AROUND THE ISLAND, AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT'S BEING DONE.

THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE GONE OUT, TALKED TO PEOPLE, HELPED WHERE YOU CAN.

THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE ISLAND.

WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON THAT, GETTING THE ISLAND BACK UP AND RUNNING AND NOT SQUABBLING BETWEEN EACH OTHER BECAUSE SOMEBODY DOESN'T GET THEIR WAY AND SOMEBODY DOESN'T GET THEIR WAY. WE NEED TO PUT THE CITY FIRST AND THEN WORRY ABOUT OPENING IT UP.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO COME VISIT LATER, THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE MONTHS.

THIS ISN'T AN IKE SITUATION, BUT IT'S NOT OPEN RIGHT NOW.

WE NEED TO FINISH GETTING GALVESTON UP AND RUNNING FOR US BEFORE WE WORRY ABOUT RESOURCES SPREAD OUT LATER.

THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, SIR. PLEASE COME FORWARD.

I'D LIKE TO SECOND THAT GENTLEMAN'S GENERAL COMMENTS THAT THE COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY ITSELF WAS GREAT, A LITTLE LACKLUSTER FROM SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATIVES HERE.

BY THE WAY, DISTRICT THREE I MAY HAVE SENT A RATHER HARSHLY WORDED MESSAGE TO MR.

[01:00:02]

TEMPERS FLARED, AND I SENT THAT OFF.

BUT I DID NOTICE THAT ONCE IT WAS RECEIVED, APPARENTLY A DAM OF INFORMATION BROKE AND IT STARTED COMING OUT TO THE PUBLIC.

SO MAYBE WE CAN DO BETTER WITHOUT HAVING TO GET KICKED IN THE BUTT A LITTLE BIT BY OUR CONSTITUENTS TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT FIRST AND FOREMOST.

SECONDLY, I AGREE THAT THE CITY IS NOT OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

IT SHOULD NOT BE. IT'S GREAT THAT WE WANT TO GET OUR INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES UP AND RUNNING, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO STAFF THESE WHO LIVE HERE HAVE GONE THROUGH HELL, AND THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS BE TOLD WE NEED TO GET BACK UP AND WORK TO ENRICH OTHER PEOPLE WHILE OUR LIVES ARE MISERABLE.

AND IT'S NOT A GREAT FEELING.

YOU WANT US BACK IN YOUR RESTAURANTS.

YOU WANT US BACK ON YOUR BUSINESSES.

WE DON'T. WE CAN'T.

I'VE BEEN LIVING IN A CAR FOR TWO DAYS WITH MY CAT BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.

NO, HOTELS WITHIN 50 MILES.

AND THE ONES THAT ARE OPEN WON'T HOST PETS.

THERE'S LITERALLY NO OTHER OPTIONS.

AND THEN YESTERDAY.

YESTERDAY, WE FINALLY GET POWER BACK BETWEEN THE FIRE STATION RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE HOSPITAL.

WE FINALLY GOT OUR POWER BACK.

FIFTH AND CHURCH FOR ABOUT FOUR HOURS, ENOUGH TO MAKE THE UPDATE TO CENTERPOINT THAT IT WAS ON BEFORE FOUR, AND THEN WATCHED THE LINEMAN CUT IT OFF AT 8:15.

I WAS SO LIVID.

I DON'T WANT TO CONFRONT THEM.

I UNDERSTAND THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY AND THE LAST THING THEY WANT ARE PEOPLE COMING AT THEM ABOUT THIS.

BUT THE TEXT MESSAGE THAT WENT OUT SAID A BIRD FLEW INTO THE LINE.

A BIRD. I WATCHED THEM TURN THE POWER OFF, NOT TO THE WHOLE AREA, BUT JUST TO FOUR INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS, WHICH WAS THE PALM SHORE APARTMENTS, THE FUNERAL HOME NEXT TO US, CHATEAU LAFITTE AND THE EMERALD.

AND THEN WE GOT A MEA CULPA FROM THE POWER COMPANY VIA OUR APARTMENT MANAGEMENT THIS MORNING THAT SAID IT WAS A BIRD THAT DID IT.

WHO'S MONITORING THESE PEOPLE? IT'S KIND OF LAUGHABLE THAT IT'S A BIRD, BECAUSE IF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEY'RE REPLACING WITH IS THAT FRAGILE, THEN THERE'S BIG PROBLEMS TO COME DOWN THE ROAD.

I MEAN, I'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF STORMS ON THIS ISLAND.

I'VE HAD LIKE NINE DIFFERENT CREWS COME OUT AND PHOTOGRAPH THIS ONE PARTICULAR POLE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE ALLEYWAY NEXT TO OUR BUILDING.

I THINK THE PROBLEM HERE IS THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN INFRASTRUCTURE.

YOU PUT THE DAMN THING THERE.

WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS? AND THEN WHAT REALLY GALLS ME, THOUGH, IS WATCHING THEM ACTIVELY SABOTAGE THEIR OWN WORK FOR WHATEVER REASON, WHATEVER REASON, WHETHER IT'S THE THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR SUBMITTING DUPLICATE INVOICES FOR JOBS THAT HAVE BEEN TECHNICALLY COMPLETED AND THEN HAVE TO BE REVISITED, I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THE SITUATION.

YES, WE WANT TO SUPPORT THE LINEMAN.

WE WANT TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING OUT OF TOWN TO HELP US GET BACK UP AND RUNNING.

BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO MIND THIS CIRCUS BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE IS CORRUPT AND MISERABLE.

IT'S NOT MAKING US FEEL ANY BETTER.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

APPRECIATE IT. WE GOT TWO FOR ONE, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO VERY NICE.

ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS.

WE'RE CLOSING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION.

LET'S MOVE TO ITEM 5A PLEASE.

[5.A. Consider For Approval An Ordinance Of The City Of Galveston, Texas, Declaring A State Of Disaster And Emergency In The City Of Galveston Because Of The Impact Of Hurricane Beryl; Confirming And Ratifying Any Emergency Proclamations And Regulations Issued By The Mayor In Response To The Damage, Injury, Or Loss Of Life And Property Resulting From Said Hurricane; Making Various Findings And Provisions Related To The Subject And Providing For An Effective Date.]

CONFIRMING AND RATIFYING ANY EMERGENCY PROCLAMATIONS AND REGULATIONS ISSUED BY THE MAYOR IN RESPONSE TO THE DAMAGE, INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY RESULTING FROM SAID HURRICANE, MAKING VARIOUS FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

DON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE SUBJECT? YES. UNDER THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, THE MAYOR IS THE PRESIDING OFFICER WHO IS EMPOWERED TO MAKE A DECLARATION OF OF DISASTER IN THE LOCALITY THAT WE'RE LIVING IN.

A DISASTER DECLARATION SIGNED BY THE MAYOR LAST NO LONGER THAN SEVEN DAYS.

AND THEN IT MUST BE CONFIRMED BY YOU AS THE CITY COUNCIL.

AS PART OF THAT, WE ALSO CONFIRMED THE EMERGENCY ORDERS, WHICH HE HAS SIGNED, AND HE HAS SIGNED TWO.

ONE IS THE VOLUNTARY EVACUATION FROM THE ISLAND AND ALSO THE ITEM WE DISCUSSED EARLIER ON THE WAIVER OF PERMIT FEES FOR VARIOUS THINGS FOR BUILDING SERVICES.

WE WILL CONTINUE THE STATE OF EMERGENCY AT THIS POINT.

THIS BECOMES MORE FEMA TDEM ISSUES.

AS WE CONTINUE OUR RECOVERY, WE WILL BRING THIS BACK FOR THE JANUARY 25TH.

JULY. JULY 25TH MEETING.

KIND OF A BIDEN MOMENT.

SORRY. [LAUGHTER] SO IT WILL BE CONTINUED.

THE DECISION TO CONTINUE IT WILL RESIDE WITH YOU AT THAT TIME, AND YOU'LL MAKE THAT DECISION BASED ON THE STATUS OF OUR RECOVERY

[01:05:07]

AND THAT'S WHAT I EXPECT WE'LL DO THIS TIME.

SO WITH THAT THIS CONTINUES, THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN THE CITY CONTINUES THE AUTHORITY OF THE MAYOR TO MAKE EMERGENCY ORDERS AS HE DEEMS NECESSARY AND CONFIRMS THOSE HE'S ALREADY SIGNED.

AND LIKE I SAID, WE'LL BRING THIS BACK UP AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DON.

I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF ITEM 5A TO EXTEND OUR EMERGENCY DISASTER DECLARATION UNTIL JULY 25TH, WHERE WE WILL THEN CAN RULE ON IT TO EXTEND IT FURTHER, IF POSSIBLE, WITH COUNCIL'S APPROVAL.

I'LL SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN RAWLINS ON THAT.

LET'S HAVE ANY DISCUSSION.

YES, COUNCILWOMAN ROBB.

AND PERHAPS DON OR YOU COULD, ALTHOUGH THIS SEEMS TO BE GENERAL CONFUSION ACROSS THE STATE BECAUSE IT IS A FEDERAL STATE CITY EMERGENCY, IT'S PEOPLE SEEM TO BE UNCLEAR WHAT THAT MEANS.

ABOUT DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT? DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN XYZ? DOES THIS. SO IF SOMEONE BECAUSE AGAIN, I HEARD THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ON MY PHONE LAST NIGHT TALKING ABOUT THE CONFUSION THAT IS OUT THERE, AND THEN ALSO IF WE COULD COVER THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE GOING TO THE TDEM SITE TO REGISTER THEIR DAMAGE.

THAT TIES INTO WHERE WE QUALIFY FOR FUNDING.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF MAYOR, DON, BRIAN.

THAT'S BRIAN, COULD YOU OUTLINE THE WHAT THIS TRIGGERS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THIS DECLARATION? AND, MARISSA IF YOU COULD GIVE US INPUT AGAIN ON THAT SITE THAT THEY NEED TO REGISTER WHEN THEY'RE MAKING REPAIRS.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS. TRUTHFULLY, THE HONEST.

HONESTLY, THE PURPOSE OF THIS DECLARATION IS FOR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS HERE AT THE CITY MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

WE'RE FOLLOWING SUIT WITH WHAT MOST OF THE CITIES IN THE AREA ARE DOING.

THIS HAS MORE TO DO WITH OPERATIONS AND DECISIONS HERE AT THE CITY THAN IT DOES ANY TYPE OF DISASTER RELIEF.

WE'VE ALREADY SIGNED OUR DISASTER DECLARATION, SENT IT TO THE STATE.

WE ARE INCLUDED IN THE DISASTER AREA.

TDEM WILL YOU KNOW, IT'S A STAIR STEP ISSUE.

THE CITY DECLARES.

THE STATE DECLARES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DECLARES THE FEDERAL WAS LAST.

THERE WAS SOME MIX UP BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT DELAYED THAT A LITTLE BIT, THAT DELAYED ACTUAL FEDERAL HELP.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AS TERMS OF AS RECEIVING ANY KIND OF INFORMATION OR, OR AID OR ANYTHING ELSE THIS REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT.

THIS IS MORE OF AN OPERATIONAL DEAL.

DON. WHAT IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE ACCESS TO THEM WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.

CORRECT. AS I RECALL, THE PRESIDENTIAL ORDER EXTENDS FEDERAL BENEFITS FOR 85% OF CLEAN UP.

IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.

IT'S CLEAN UP. AND THEN IT COMES DOWN TO THE REIMBURSEMENT STUFF.

TESSA'S GOT ALL THAT RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF OUR PRE STORM CURRENT OPERATIONS AND POST STORM I'M HAVING THESE SAME MOMENTS THAT DON'S HAVING.

IT'S PROBABLY LACK OF SLEEP BUT IT'S EXPECT THAT TO BE MODIFIED AND AMENDED.

AS THE SITUATION BECOMES MORE.

YEAH RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT THE WE'RE AT THE HOUR.

YOU KNOW, THE DAMAGE CONTROL FROM PROPERTY MODEL THAT COULD AFFECT THE AWARD TO.

YEAH IT'S A FLUID SITUATION.

YEAH. BUT PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO EXTEND OPERATE FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES HERE AT THE CITY.

NO, BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING FOR, BECAUSE IT IS OF KEY IMPORTANCE FOR THE FUNDING, IS FOR EITHER SOMEONE TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE GOING ONLINE AND REGISTERING THEIR DAMAGE, WHETHER COVERED OR NOT.

MARISSA CAN YOU COME FORWARD? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT TRIGGERS OUR FUNDING.

WE SHARED THIS THE OTHER DAY.

WE SHARED IT A COUPLE TIMES, SEVERAL.

I'LL SHARE IT AGAIN AFTER THIS MEETING FOR THINGS TO GET BURIED.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH PUTTING OUT TOO MUCH INFORMATION WHERE MARISSA, I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN SOME OF YOUR POSTS AND THINGS.

WE MIGHT WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT INDIVIDUALLY.

AND LET'S GET THIS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AGAIN ON ALL OUR AVENUES AND OUTLINE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE.

[01:10:05]

WE ALSO DO OUR OWN EVALUATIONS AND EVERYTHING, AND THOSE CARRY A LOT MORE WEIGHT.

BUT WE DO ENCOURAGE THE CITIZENS TO DO THAT.

WE DO, AND WE HAVE THOSE ON OUR HOME PAGE OF THE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.

IT SAYS REPORT STORM DAMAGE.

IF YOU CLICK THAT, IT TAKES YOU RIGHT TO THE LINK.

BUT WE'LL SHARE THAT AGAIN.

OKAY. PLEASE. I'D LIKE TO GO OUT AND INDIVIDUALLY HIGHLIGHT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM TO ALL OF OUR CONTACTS THERE.

WILL DO. VERY GOOD.

DON AND BRIAN, A QUESTION FOR YOU.

THE QUESTION I GOT CONTACTED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHURCHES TO THIS MORNING BEFORE COUNCIL MEETING.

WHAT DOES THIS DISASTER DECLARATION, WHAT IMPACT DOES IT HAVE ON INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY FILING HOMEOWNERS AND THINGS, FILING FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE? TOTALLY INDEPENDENT.

INDEPENDENT? THAT'S NOTHING THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN.

OKAY. VERY GOOD.

ALRIGHTY. WE HAVE AS SOON AS WE GET THAT INFORMATION FROM EITHER TDEM OR FEMA, WE WILL CERTAINLY SHARE IT AS WELL.

BUT THEY HAVE A VERY ROBUST TRANSMISSION SYSTEM OF INFORMATION, BUT WE'LL PARROT THAT AS WELL.

ALL RIGHT ALONG, POSSIBLY.

I'M NOT SORRY.

I HAD A SECOND PART TO MY QUESTION.

HAVE WE FILED WITH STARQUEST? WHAT IS STAR QUEST? STAR QUEST, I GUESS IS THE STATE.

TDEM STATE.

OF COURSE, THAT'S WHERE YOUR ICE AND EVERYTHING IS COMING FROM STAR REQUEST.

YES, MA'AM. OR STAR REQUEST.

SORRY. YES, MA'AM. BUT THE OTHER THING THAT THAT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THAT IS I GUESS THEY WILL PROVIDE DRONE ASSISTANCE.

WE'VE DONE THAT. SO ARE WE DOING THAT OUT ON THE WEST END WHERE WE'VE LOST A LOT OF ROOFS AND WHATNOT? WE'VE CERTAINLY PUT IN THE REQUEST.

YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU.

VERY GOOD. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

AND A SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE. CLARIFY ONE THING I HAD SAID HOMEOWNERS IS SEPARATE.

IF YOU HAVE A DAMAGE REPORT THAT YOU'RE INSURED FOR, GO AHEAD AFTER IKE REMEMBER FEMA DID PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FOR UNINSURED LOSSES.

IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER THAT WILL OCCUR IN THIS STORM.

AND ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT WAS A FLOOD RELATED EVENT.

FEMA IS IN THE FLOOD BUSINESS.

MUCH OF THE DAMAGE THAT THIS IS WIND RELATED.

SO A LOT OF THIS AND DON'T ASK ME WHY FLOOD BECAME FEDERAL AND WIND BECAME STATE.

BUT IN OUR WORLD THIS IS THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE STATE INTERACTION IN TERMS OF THE WIND DAMAGE.

UNFORTUNATELY OR FORTUNATELY, STATE MAY BE EASIER.

BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF STATE INTERACTION, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE TEXAS WINDSTORM IS GOING TO BE INVOLVED.

VERY GOOD.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? THAT IS UNANIMOUS.

THANK YOU. LET'S MOVE TO 5B PLEASE.

[5.B. Consider For Approval An Ordinance Of The City Of Galveston, Texas, Designating A Presiding Councilmember Who Will Act In The Event Of Unavailability Of The Mayor And Mayor Pro Tem; Providing For That Designation To Continue Until May 2025 Or Until A New Presiding Councilmember Is Selected; Providing For A Method To Determine Unavailability Of The Mayor And Mayor Pro Tem; Providing For A Severability Clause; Providing An Open Meetings Clause; Providing A Savings Clause; Declaring Findings Of Fact; And Providing For An Effective Date.]

PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY CLAUSE.

PROVIDING AN OPEN MEETINGS CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE, DECLARING FINDINGS OF FACT AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

THIS IS AN ITEM WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST MEETING.

I WANT TO CLARIFY AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS CORRECT.

DON. THIS IS NOT TO APPOINT A SECOND MAYOR PRO TEM.

WHAT THIS IS WHAT THIS IS, IS TO PROVIDE A BACKUP TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM POSITION.

IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND THE MAYOR OR MAYOR PRO TEM CANNOT SERVE, THEN EVERYTHING MOVES UP AND WE HAVE A BACKUP IN THAT FLOW IN THAT SYSTEM.

THAT IS CORRECT. IT'S TO VERIFY THAT A COUNCIL PERSON CAN BE SELECTED WHO WILL ACT WHEN THE MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM ARE ABSENT. WE PROVIDE A MECHANISM TO DETERMINE WHETHER ABSENCE IS IN FACT OCCURRING.

AND THEY'RE ONLY TO ACT DURING DECLARED STATES OF EMERGENCIES.

I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE AND APPOINT COUNCIL MEMBER SHARON LEWIS TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION.

SECOND. I HAVE A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN FINKLEA TO HAVE DISCUSSION.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THAT IS UNANIMOUS.

VERY GOOD COUNCIL.

WE HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL OF OUR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.

I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.

THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR BEING HERE.

WE ARE ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.