HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Mayor John Whitmire expressed significant frustration during Houston’s first city council meeting since Hurricane Beryl made landfall.
On Wednesday morning, Whitmire criticized past administrations for “neglecting” the city’s ability to function during severe weather. He highlighted that 10 fire stations, several multi-service centers, and the George R. Brown Convention Center were not operational due to a lack of generators.
He also noted that 1,500 Future Farmers of America students were stranded in downtown hotel rooms because of Beryl and the subsequent power outage at the convention center.
“We’ve got 1,500 students in the Marriott and the Hilton, but we’ve got a ballgame going on down the street,” Whitmire said, referencing Tuesday night’s Astros game at Minute Maid Park. “We have to get our priorities right, folks.”
Whitmire even joked that the train on Houston’s official seal should be replaced with a generator, emphasizing the widespread power issues that dominated City Hall discussions.
CenterPoint Energy Vice President Brad Tutunjian faced intense questioning from city council members about the company’s response to the storm. He acknowledged that the outage was the largest they’ve ever encountered but asserted that they were prepared. As of Wednesday morning, 586,000 Houstonians were still without power.
When asked about CenterPoint’s performance, Whitmire responded, “I’m not in the business of grading. I’m in the business of saying, ‘Let’s get it done.’ We demand that they do better.”
Discussions also focused on future prevention measures. Tutunjian mentioned that CenterPoint has proposed a multi-billion dollar resiliency plan to improve infrastructure over three years. The $2 billion plan is under review by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and if approved, customers will face higher bills.
However, immediate concerns remain for those without power. When asked for a restoration timeline, Tutunjian explained that crews need to complete inspections before providing a specific time.
“It’s frustrating, but until we have all of that information, it’s hard to say,” he said.
