Mayor Sylvester Turner's statement on today's water line break

HOUSTON -  Please attribute the following statement to Mayor Sylvester Turner.

"In light of today’s wide-spread water outage, I have authorized Houston Public Works to take all necessary steps to isolate the water line break, drain the lines, and make the necessary repairs to return water pressure to normal levels as soon as possible. Repairs will take six to eight hours so we are asking the public to conserve water to help relieve water pressure. We are currently under a boil water notice and you will be notified when it is rescinded.  

A City of Houston contractor was doing exploratory work for a City of Houston water line project in east Houston near 610 and Clinton Drive. When soil was moved from the line, the 96-inch line burst.

Food service establishments without water or flushing toilets must cease operation. The Houston Health Department has dispatched sanitarians to the area.

I want to thank our first responders for acting quickly and getting drivers to safety. Thankfully, no water entered any homes in the affected area.

Today's water line break is a reminder of the aging infrastructure that Houston and other major cities face as we work to make improvements each day."

Mayor Turner announces the appointment of city's first Chief Transportation Planner

HOUSTON - Mayor Sylvester Turner has appointed David Fields, AICP, as the city of Houston’s first Chief Transportation Planner. Mr. Fields — a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners — will provide strategic leadership for the City’s systems-level transportation planning efforts, including connecting transportation with land use to maximize the economic development for both the city and region. The role will focus on realizing Mayor Turner’s vision of creating a paradigm shift in how Houstonians move in and around the city — moving away from single occupancy vehicles — to a combination of walking, biking, riding transit, and driving.

The Chief Transportation Planner will work in the City’s Planning & Development Department and will coordinate closely with transportation partners such as Houston Public Works, METRO, TxDOT, and the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC).

Fields offers more than 20 years of professional planning experience, most recently as a Principal Planner with Nelson\Nygaard Associates, an innovative planning firm that emphasizes connecting people to jobs, education, and all components of daily life. He led the firm's multimodal practice, in which he developed implementable mobility solutions that improve access by all modes, specifically based on local values and aspirations. Key clients have included the cities and transit agencies in New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco, with notable award-winning plans in Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Ohio, and Abu Dhabi, UAE.

“Houston needs a Chief Transportation Planner who can create safe and efficient transportation options for all Houstonians. I am confident that David Fields will break down the silos and fully integrate the city’s mobility solutions with all our partners,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “He will also be instrumental in making Vision Zero a reality, allowing the city to eliminate — or significantly reduce  — deaths and serious injuries caused by automobile crashes by the year 2030.”

Fields earned a BA from Binghamton University and a master’s in urban planning from New York University.

“Transportation can change people’s lives. Doing it right starts by making sure every Houstonian can safely cross the street and ends when everyone can safely and easily connect from their home to their job, their school, and all Houston has to offer,” said Fields. “I look forward to working with every neighborhood, so transportation serves their needs.”

Fields first day with the city of Houston is Monday, February 24, 2020.

Mayor Turner Approves Request to Increase Pay for Firefighter Cadets

HOUSTON- The Houston Fire Department has increased starting pay for firefighter cadets to boost recruiting in a competitive job market. Beginning this month, the firefighter cadets will be paid $36,000 compared to the previous salary of $28,023. The increase in pay took effect February 8, 2020.

Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña requested the increase, which was approved by Mayor Sylvester Turner.

"The Fire Cadet classification is outside of the fire collective bargaining group and the pay rate had been stagnant since 2001. I want to thank Mayor Turner for approving the requested increase. Here in Houston, we are up against strong competition not only from surrounding fire departments who are moving from volunteer to paid firefighters, but from an overall strong labor market, a robust economy and more Houstonians with jobs today. The approved Cadet pay rate is a significant increase, but in a competitive market, it is an investment in attracting and recruiting good people," said Sam Peña Houston Fire Chief.  

Anyone interested in applying to be a Firefighter Cadet can contact HFDCareers.org.

Inclusive Prosperity: Mayor Sylvester Turner, Regions Bank Announce Tuition-Free, Harvard-Level Training Program for Entrepreneurs

HOUSTON - Applications are now being accepted from small-business owners who are interested in growing their companies through a tuition-free program that Regions Bank is recruiting to Houston.
 
The program is called Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC). Since 2005, ICCC has worked with thousands of business owners from economically underserved communities across the U.S. The City's partnership with Regions Bank to launch this program is the latest development in Mayor Sylvester Turner's Complete Communities Initiative.
 
“While Houston’s strong economy helps our city continue to grow on the global stage, we need to ensure this growth doesn’t leave people behind,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “ICCC helps level the playing field for businesses in underserved communities. This is about more than training and education. It is about access to resources that can help entrepreneurs grow their companies and create more jobs. We appreciate Regions Bank for bringing ICCC to Houston for the first time in the program’s history.” 

ICCC is part of the nonprofit Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, which was founded by Harvard Business School Professor Dr. Michael Porter to empower entrepreneurs in underserved areas through greater access to education and business training.
 
By connecting business owners with experts in the fields of strategy, marketing, small-business finance and more, ICCC helps entrepreneurs expand their companies through sustainable, long-term growth. The program is available to a wide range of business owners, regardless of whether they are Regions Bank customers.
 
“Over the last several years, Regions Bank has worked with ICCC in several major cities, and we’ve seen the incredible results this program delivers,” said Mark Jacobs, Houston Market Executive for Regions. “At the same time, Regions has been steadily building its presence in Houston. Bringing ICCC to Houston in 2020 is a natural extension of our commitment to serving Southeast Texas and advancing small-business growth throughout the area.”
 
ICCC training is provided tuition-free due to financial support from Regions and community partners. The training will be delivered, in part, through an all-day education event in Houston on June 17. Educators will include Dobbin Bookman, director of Harvard Business School’s global Owner President/Management (OPM) program.
 

Additional professors and business coaches will be available to business owners throughout the June 17 event. Topics will be customized to the needs of entrepreneurs that are accepted into the program. Real-time Spanish-language translation services will be offered. 

To take part, business owners need to apply directly through ICCC and meet various program criteria. Applications should be submitted by Friday, May 22. Additional information on ICCC criteria and an online application form can be found at www.iccapitalconnections.org.
 
After June, business owners will have access to several free, follow-up webinars and can receive additional coaching as they carry out their business plans.
 

Mayor Sylvester Turner Unveils Small-Business Empowerment Program

WHAT:Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will join Regions Bank to unveil a small-business empowerment program with a proven record of helping companies grow and create more jobs. This program is a part of the mayor's signature Complete Communities Initiative.

WHEN:Thursday, Feb. 13 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.

WHERE:Houston Club One Shell Plaza 910 Louisiana St. Suite 4900 Houston, TX 77002

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:Through Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC), business owners from urban or economically underserved communities receive coaching and financial guidance delivered by nationally recognized experts and local coaches. The program is free for business owners, thanks to financial support from Regions and community partners.   Regions is bringing ICCC to Houston for the first time in the program’s history. During the Feb. 13 unveiling, Regions and Mayor Turner will share the vision for ICCC and encourage local business owners to apply.   ICCC is administered by the nonprofit Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, which was founded by Harvard Business School Professor Dr. Michael Porter to strengthen urban areas through education and private-sector investment.

Mayor Turner launches the Resilient Houston strategy and signs historic executive order to prepare the city for future disasters

HOUSTON - Mayor Sylvester Turner today joined Marissa Aho, the city of Houston's Chief Resilience Officer, Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy, Managing Director, North America, Global Resilient Cities Network and Jason Klein, Vice President – U.S. Energy Transition Strategy, Shell Oil Company, to release Resilient Houston, a framework to help the city mitigate flooding risks and improve climate readiness.  

In addition to unveiling the Resilient Houston strategy, the mayor today signed the Resilient Houston Executive Order. The order directs all city departments and divisions to support the implementation of Resilient Houston, incorporate resilience in strategic planning and budgeting, and designate Departmental Resilience Officers (DRO) to work directly with the Mayor’s Chief Resilience Officer (CRO). Department Directors will have 60 days to appoint DROs who will work cross-departmentally on the implementation of Resilient Houston.   “The release of Resilient Houston is a pivotal milestone in resilience-building efforts after Hurricane Harvey, but there is much more work to do,” said Chief Resilience Officer, Marissa Aho. “Today is the beginning of implementing this ambitious, yet achievable, framework for resilience. I want to thank the hundreds of partners who contributed to this effort at workshops, in working groups, and one-on-one. I encourage every Houstonian to play a role in increasing our collective resilience.” Resilient Houston is focused on building resilience at every scale and is organized into five chapters. Each chapter identifies aspirational goals and specific actions for increasing the resilience of Houstonians, our neighborhoods, our bayous, our city, and our region. Resilient Houston sets 18 high-level targets, corresponding with the strategy’s 18 goals  that will be used to measure the progress and impact of the city’s resilience work: Chapter 1:  Prepared & Thriving Houstonians   Making Houston more resilient begins with supporting Houstonians with tools and resources to be resilient as individuals. Our collective resilience improves when all Houstonians have the capacity to prepare for and adapt to an increasingly uncertain future, have access to employment and wealth-building opportunities, and enjoy a safe and healthy quality of life.Provide at least 500,000 Houstonians with preparedness training by 2025.20,000 Hire Houston Youth Summer Jobs in 2020.Zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on Houston streets by 2030.Chapter 2:  Safe & Equitable Neighborhoods Each of Houston’s 88 super neighborhoods has different resilience priorities, including flooding, air quality, displacement, and mobility. These challenges are best addressed by developing and implementing place-based solutions at the neighborhood scale.Develop 50 neighborhood plans by 2030.Invest $5 million in local artists to create resilience awareness projects across the city by 2025.Plant 4.6 million new native trees by 2030.Build at least 375,000 new homes across every income level by 2050 to welcome new residents to the City of Houston.Chapter 3: Healthy & Connected Bayous Living safely with water and embracing the role of bayous as Houston’s front yard are essential to improving physical, environmental, and economic resilience.Remove all habitable structures from the floodway by 2030.Construct at least 500 miles of trails and bike lands by 2025.Chapter 4: Accessible & Adaptive City The City of Houston will lead by example to further embed climate readiness, equity, inclusion and resilience into all City policies and practices. Carbon neutral by 2050 in accordance with the Paris Agreement.100 new green stormwater infrastructure projects by 2025.Eliminate geographic disparities in life expectancy by 2050.Appoint Departmental Resilience Officers in every City of Houston Department in 2020.Chapter 5: Innovative & Integrated Region By taking a regional approach to building resilience, we can extend the benefits of resilience planning to more communities while including additional partners who increase our capacity to meet these goals.Attract or incubate 50 Energy 2.0 companies in Greater Houston by 2025.Provide 100% of Houstonians access to high-frequency public transportation choices within a half-mile by 2050.Conserve 24% of undeveloped regional lands as natural spaces by 2040.Ensure that 100% of Houstonians and visitors have access to accurate, real-time emergency alerting by 2030.Invest $50 billion in major recovery, mitigation, and modernization projects that increase resilience by 2040.Today, Houston becomes the 79th city in the world, and the third Texas city after Dallas and El Paso, to develop and release a resilience strategy. All these cities continue the expansion of the original work of 100 Resilient Cities, which has now evolved into the Global Resilient Cities Network (GRCN), with ongoing support from the Rockefeller Foundation and other partners. The City of Houston has supported the work of the city-led GRCN through the transition, serving on the interim CRO Global Steering Committee since its formation. "It is truly an exciting moment for the city of Houston and for the Global Resilient Cities Network, and we are thrilled to be here with Mayor Turner, CRO Marissa Aho and the whole Houston team to celebrate this milestone," noted Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy, Managing Director for North America and Global Strategic Partnerships Lead at GRCN. "Houston has carried on an impressive process in the creation of the strategy as the 101st city to join the network in the previous phase, and now the range of deep infrastructure, economic mobility, and equity projects reflect a future-proofing that all residents can be proud of." Houston became a member of 100 Resilient Cities — pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation — in August of 2018, the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey. This membership was made possible through a $1.8 million sponsorship from Shell Oil Company (Shell).   In its sponsorship of Houston to develop Resilient Houston, Shell became the first local sponsor of a city.  “The launch of Resilient Houston is a critical next step in ensuring Houston remains a global energy hub long into the future,” said Jason Klein, Shell VP US Energy Transition Strategy. “Progressing Houston’s climate and economic resilience goals demonstrates a clear commitment to being a leader through the energy transition.”

For more information and to read Resilient Houston go to https://www.houstontx.gov/ mayor/chief-resilience-officer.html   About GRCN The Global Resilient Cities Network (GRCN) is the city-led organization that will drive urban resilience action to protect vulnerable communities from climate change and other physical, social and economic urban adversities and challenges. With support from The Rockefeller Foundation and other funding strategic partners, the Network aims to continue supporting cities and their Chief Resilience Officers in future-proofing their communities and critical infrastructure with a unique reach, strength and legacy to understand and support the challenges of the ever-growing urban society.

Mayor Turner's statement on Watson Grinding bankruptcy filing

“I am surprised and disappointed to learn that Watson Grinding & Manufacturing Co. filed for bankruptcy and fired 80 employees.
The January 24 early morning explosion killed two people, damaged 450 structures and changed countless lives.

"The company’s decision must not slow the pace of the recovery or the investigation.  It is important that authorities determine both the cause of the blast and hold the responsible party accountable.
 
“The city is working with non-profit organizations like Memorial Assistance Ministries to assist those with the greatest need.    
As a result of the explosion, my administration has started transparent discussions about how to prevent similar explosions in the future and to tighten regulations for chemical companies operating near homes and schools.
 
“I look forward to working with members of the Houston city council, state legislators and our congressional delegation to make significant changes that will help protect people and property in the future.”

Mayor Sylvester Turner and Commissioner Rodney Ellis break ground on $10.4 million Cleburne Street Construction

Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Texas Southern University Acting President Kenneth Huewitt on Thursday participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a $10.4 million Cleburne Street construction project that will improve safety, mobility and drainage in the Third Ward community.

“I cannot say enough about how thankful we are to have a Harris County Commissioner who is willing to partner with the City of Houston to improve streets and sidewalks near Texas Southern University and in one of my Complete Communities. Every community deserves to be a safe and attractive place to live, work, play, study, and worship," said Mayor Turner.

The Cleburne improvements between Ennis and Scott are part of $30 million Commissioner Ellis pledged last year to invest in reconstructing Cleburne and five other streets in the TSU-University of Houston corridor. The projects will improve safe mobility for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders. In addition, drainage improvements will help reduce street flooding during heavy rain events. Also included will be lighting for safety and landscaping features to beautify the areas.

“We dubbed this project the University Corridor,” Commissioner Ellis said. “Well Cleburne will be the official corridor because it connects TSU, UH, Metro rail on Scott and everything in between including Yates High School and Cuney Homes. The Cleburne redevelopment will enhance this beautiful campus and improve the quality of life for students, staff, visitors and the surrounding neighborhood. This is a needed investment in Third Ward.”

On the Cleburne project, Precinct One will contribute a little over $9.5 million and the city will pay $813,027.

“Cleburne Street represents the front door to Texas Southern University,” said TSU Acting President Huewitt. “It also links three historic Third Ward educational institutions – TSU, University of Houston and Yates High School. It is critical that this street reflects the hope that education brings to so many. The improvements resulting from this project will go a long way to not only improve mobility for this community, but also give Cleburne Street a much-needed facelift.”
 
At a news conference at a pedestrian entrance to TSU campus at Cleburne and Tierwester, Commissioner Ellis, Mayor Turner and Acting President Huewitt outlined the Cleburne project and expanded on its benefits to the university and the neighborhoods. They were joined by Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz,
Houston Public Works Director Carol Ellinger Haddock,Yates High School principal Tiffany Guillory and two TSU students who worked on the project as interns.
 
TSU Phase I improvements to Cleburne between Ennis and Scott streets consist of reconstruction of concrete curb and gutter roadway with 8- to 10-foot sidewalks for people walking or biking. It also includes a drainage system, waterline and streetscape enhancements like new street lighting, irrigation system and trees. The improvements will help reduce flooding in the area and will represent a major investment in the Third Ward community.
 
Work has started on the portion of Cleburne between Ennis and Tierwester and is expected to take 12 months to complete. A contract for the section between Tierwester and Scott is expected to be awarded later this year and completed in seven months.
 
Other streets slated for improvements near TSU are Blodgett (Scott to Ennis); Tierwester (Blodgett to Rosewood) and Rosewood (Tierwester to Scott). The streets near UH are Cullen (North MacGregor Way and Interstate 45); and Wheeler (Cullen to Scott).