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[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
WE WANT TO WELCOME EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU INTO THE CHAMBER THIS MORNING, AS WE BEGIN, UH, OUR SPECIAL MEETING THIS MORNING OF THE, UH, CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, A SPECIAL MEETING, UH, WE ARE HERE THIS MORNING TO CONDUCT, UM, UH, THIS BUSINESS ON TODAY.AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PRESENCE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT.
THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR PROVIDES REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ALL OF THOSE PERSONS WHO WANT TO ATTEND THESE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
AND SO, AS WE SEEK TO SERVE ALL OF OUR CITIZENS, UH, YOU CAN REQUEST, UM, UH, YOU CAN REQUEST, UH, HELP, UH, TO GET, UH, UH, UH, TO GET HELP, TO SEE THIS MEETING 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CONTACT, UH, THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5.
UH, OUR PRAYERS THIS MORNING, OF COURSE OUR, UH, WITH OUR MAYOR THIS MORNING AS HE IS, UH, RECUPERATING.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE HERE TO CONDUCT THIS BUSINESS.
UM, THAT'S BEGIN THIS MORNING WITH AN INVOCATION, UH, BY COUNCILMAN JONES, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR PLEDGE AND ROLL CALL THIS MORNING LESS THAN I WAS FALLING OUT WITH GOD.
OH, HOW WE LOVE YOU? OH, HOW ARE WE PRAISE YOUR HOLY RIGHTEOUS NAME? WE THINK YOU GO UP ANOTHER DAY'S JOURNEY.
AND THE FULLNESS OF THAT COULD GO UP WITH HILTON STREET.
IT ALL THE WHOLE, WHILE WE LOVE YOU, YOU'VE BEEN SO GOOD, WHICH WILL CANCEL MOST PEOPLE.
NOW HE'S COSMIC TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND YOU'LL SAY THERE, GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU IN YOUR CARE IN JESUS NAME.
I PLEDGE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU ESTABLISH A QUORUM PLEASE? MAYOR BARTINI MAY APPROACH HIM.
FRANK COUNCIL MEMBER HOLMES, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER, KEN LAW, COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS, COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES, IF A CORE MAY HAVE PROTEIN.
[II. PETITIONS & COMMUNICATIONS]
WITH PREP, UH, WITH PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS, WE HAVE FIRST A PRESENTATION BY STAFF AND OUR DORA REGARDING DRAINAGE PROJECT UPDATES AND PENDING FEMA PROJECTS.AND WE DON'T, WE'RE GOING TO PULL THAT ONE.
THE DISCUSSION REGARDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER HOLMES IS ASKING.
WHO ARE WE WAITING ON? THE CITY MANAGER.
WE JUST RUN, JUST GONNA PULL IT.
WHO WE WAITED ON CITY MAN FROM A DOOR
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HE'S ON HIS WAY.I HAD A SLIDE, BUT UH, JUST KINDA PUT THIS TOGETHER FOR YOU.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, PRESENT TO YOU THIS MORNING.
A COUPLE OF, UH, UPDATES ON SOME IMPORTANT PROJECTS.
DO YOU WANT TO DO THE 1791 FIRST OR WHICH RIDE AND WHERE WERE YOU ON FIRST? OKAY.
SO AS AN UPDATE, UH, AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE CITY HAD, UH, EXPERIENCED HURRICANE IKE, UH, DISASTER, AND IN THAT DISASTER, UH, FEMA AND TETUM OPERATED IN A DIFFERENT METHOD OF RESPONDING TO DISASTER SUPPORT.
UH, WE OBVIOUSLY A DORA WAS NOT PART OF THAT, THAT PROCESS, BUT AS PART OF YOUR RECOVERY PARTNERS, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO HELP THE CITY CLOSE OUT THAT DISASTER.
SO IN TERMS OF WHERE, UM, YOUR PARTICULAR PROJECTS ARE FOR HURRICANE IKE, UH, AS YOU ARE AWARE, UH, THE CITY RECEIVED A DEMAND LETTER FROM TETUM, UH, FOR $1.1 MILLION.
THAT ACTUALLY IS A NUMBER THAT IS, UH, WHAT IS REMAINING, UH, FROM JUST OVER $12 MILLION OF FUNDS RECEIVED.
SO IN THE CLOSEOUT PROCESS, UH, WHAT TETUM DOES TO PRESENT TO FEMA A CLOSED PACKAGE IS THE JUSTIFICATION FOR HOW THE DOLLARS THAT WERE RECEIVED WERE SPENT AND HOW THOSE DOLLARS MATCHED UP TO THE PROJECTS.
SO THE CITY HAS, UM, HAS BEEN ABLE TO DOCUMENT AND SUPPORT, UH, UP TO ABOUT 11, JUST OVER $11 MILLION OF, OF THOSE EXPENSES.
THE REASON WHY TETUM HAS MADE THIS DEMAND AND PUT A DEADLINE ON IT IS BECAUSE FEMA HAS CLOSED IKE OR THE PROJECT WITH THE STATE.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS ANY DOLLARS REMAINING THAT WERE NOT ACCOUNTED FOR IN FEMA'S REVIEW, FEMA HAS BASICALLY DRAWN THOSE, THOSE FUNDS BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO TETUM HAS LEFT WITH JUST THE MONEY THAT IS OUT INTO THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES OR CITIES OR SUB APPLICANTS.
UH, THAT IS WHY, UM, WHEN WE ADDRESS FEMA OR THEM, I'M SORRY, TEACH THEM TO ASK FOR, UM, ANY TYPE OF ADDITIONAL OPTIONS OR PLANS FOR THAT $1.1 MILLION TEED THEM SAID THERE ARE NO OTHER PLANS BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AS WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO RECONCILE A FEW ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF ANOTHER $600,000 OR SO OF, OF PAYABLES OR OF PROTECTED FUNDS.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT, UM, THE CITY, UH, THE CITY HAS THIS DEMAND LETTER FROM TETUM.
UM, IT IS MONEY THAT IS DUE BACK BECAUSE THE DOCUMENTATION THAT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN SOUGHT OR THE SUPPORT OF CERTAIN EXPENDITURES, UH, HAS NOT BEEN OBTAINED.
NOW, I WANT TO SAY THIS CLEARLY IN OUR REVIEW COMING IN, YOU KNOW, 10 OR 11 YEARS AFTER THE EVENT, UH, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT ANYBODY
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DID ANYTHING WITHIN THE CITY WRONG OR ILLEGAL OR MISS MISAPPROPRIATED FUNDS.WHAT IT MEANS IS THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT WERE DONE 10, 11, 12 YEARS AGO, OR 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 YEARS AGO, DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT DOCUMENTATION OR THE DOCUMENTATION WAS NOT PLACED IN A PLACE OR IN A MANNER THAT'S EASY OR HAS BEEN OBTAINABLE.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THIS, THE CONCLUSION THAT CAN BE DRAWN IS THAT'S WHY THOSE DOLLARS ARE BEING, UH, OR BEING DEMANDED BY TETUM.
UH, IF INDEED WE CAN PULL TOGETHER ANY OF THE DOCUMENTATION RELATIVE TO THE OTHER PROJECTS.
THEN IF THAT IS APPROVED, THEN WE'LL THEN SEND THE CITY ANY ADDITIONAL DOLLARS BACK.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO OFFSET THAT, THAT MILLION DOLLARS OR SO WITH ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FOR FUNDS, UH, WITH THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION I OFFER.
NO, OBVIOUSLY NO, NO GUARANTEES TO THAT BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO DIG THROUGH, UH, SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION WITH THE CITY STAFF, UH, WHO ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY.
BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, GOING BACK TO TRY TO FIND DOCUMENTS THAT ARE 10 YEARS OLD, UH, SOMETIMES IS A DIFFICULT TASK IF THEY EXIST AT ALL.
UH, SO THAT, THAT IS THE, SORT OF THE EXPLANATION OF WHY THE CITY HAS RECEIVED A DEMAND LETTER FROM TETUM.
UH, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, THAT WE, WE SORT OF INHERITED THE, BEING THE MESSENGER FOR THAT.
UM, BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK VERY WELL WITH THE CITY TO AT LEAST PROTECT THE OTHER 10 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS THAT WAS ON THE HOOK AS WELL.
UH, SO WHEN WE STARTED THIS, THERE WERE NEARLY $12 MILLION THAT WERE, UM, THAT WERE IN QUESTION AND WE'RE ON POTENTIAL RE UH, RECLAIM THE RECLAIM LIST FOR TETUM.
UH, THIS IS NOTHING, ACTUALLY, THIS IS NOTHING NEW, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UH, TETUM HAD MADE IT, MADE IT AWARE TO THE CITY THAT THERE WAS SOME, UH, UNACCOUNTED FOR DOLLARS, UH, WHICH IS WHEN WE, WE WERE INVOLVED BECAUSE OF HARVEY AND THE CITY ACTS, IF WE COULD HELP WITH THAT PROCESS.
SO WE'VE TRIED TO HELP WITH THE CLOSEOUT IS AS BEST POSSIBLE AND HAVE HAD DWINDLED IT DOWN FROM, FROM THAT 12 MILLION DOWN TO THE $1 MILLION FIGURE.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN, UM, OR IF YOU'D LIKE A DETAILED BRIEF OF PROJECT BY PROJECT, WE CAN CERTAINLY PULL THAT TOGETHER IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT PROJECTS HAVE BEEN RECONCILED AND WHICH PRAWNS, UH, ARE PART OF THE DEMAND.
UM, GREG, IS THERE A DATE OF THE DEMAND THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, HAVE THE, THE MONEY PAID BACK BY? IS THERE A DATE WE WERE GIVEN? I KNOW YOU SAID IT PLAYS BACK ABOUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, SO IS THERE NOT A WAY WE COULD TWO QUESTIONS? IS THERE A DATE AND IS THERE A WAY WE COULD, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A LETTER, A FORMAT WE COULD SEND TO THEM ASKING FOR MORE TIME OR SO THAT YOU CAN FIND THE, THE, MAYBE IF THERE'S SOME OFFSETTING THERE, I SAY, THANK YOU FOR OFFSETTING THE 12 MILLION, UM, YOU KNOW, DOWN AND DOING, LET IT DOWN TO ONE, BUT YOU KNOW, A MILLION IS A MILLION.
WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, BUT WHAT IS, IS THERE A DEADLINE? AND SECONDLY, UH, IF THERE IS, UM, TO GIVE YOUR STAFF A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER TO OFFSET THE MILLION, THAT'S JUST, SO THE QUICK ANSWER TO THAT, UH, TO THOSE TWO QUESTIONS, UH, COUNSEL WOMEN IS THE DEADLINE IS WE APPRECIATED IN THE DEMAND LETTERS, THE 28TH.
SO IT'S, IT'S THIS WEEK, UH, IN TERMS OF A POTENTIAL, UH, DELAY OR DEFERRAL.
THE, THE VERBAL CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH, WITH TETUM, UH, AT THE END OF LAST WEEK WAS YOU CAN ASK, BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE GIVEN.
UM, SO, UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY ON THAT OTHER 600,000 OR SO WHAT'S INVOLVED IN SOME OF THAT DOCUMENTATION REVIEW.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD ASK FOR 30 DAYS, WE CERTAINLY WILL DO THAT IF YOU'D LIKE US TO, UH, AND THE CITY CAN BE PREPARED TO PAY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DEMAND, IF THAT, IF THAT IS, UM, DENIED, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, IN TALKING WITH, UM, MR. MOORE AND MS. DANIELS IS THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND A SOURCE OR INSIDE THE BUDGET, UH,
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TO POTENTIALLY PAY THAT DEMAND IF IT COMES TO THAT.UH, BUT WE, WE WILL CERTAINLY ASK TODAY BY YOUR DIRECTION TO ASK FOR A 30 DAY EXTENSION, UH, AND BE PREPARED, THAT'S UP TO YOU.
IF YOU, IF YOU ASK US OR DIRECT US TO DO THAT, WE WILL CERTAINLY DO THAT THIS MORNING.
IF WE DO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO PAY, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT THE CITY TO BE A KIND OF, UM, HELD IN FOR INTEREST OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE MILLIONS.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT IT TO GO OVER.
BUT IT WAS JUST A QUESTION THAT I ASKED, WHEN WAS IT DUE? AND IF THERE WAS A WAY WE COULD, UM, TRY TO AVOID IT BY WRITING A LETTER, ASKING FOR THE EX EXPLAINING THE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED AND TRYING TO, UH, DELAY IF WE COULD, IF WE CAN'T, WE'RE GOOD.
WE JUST GO, I DON'T WANT TO OWN MORE, NO PENALTIES.
THAT'S WHAT WE'LL INCLUDE IN THE REQUEST.
IF YOU ASK US TO DO THAT, THE CONVERSATION WAS, WAS POET, UM, POSED IN THAT, IN THAT CONTEXT THAT THE CITY POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE OTHER PAYABLES TO REDUCE THAT.
SO IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THE CITY NOT TO PAY A MILLION WHEN THEY MAY ONLY HAVE TO PAY 400,000 OR SOMETHING IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO THAT'S WHEN TITA MIX EXPLAINED THAT NOW THE PROCESS WILL BE WE'LL COLLECT, AND THEN IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE TO BE RETURNED, WE'LL RETURN THAT IN A SEPARATE TRANSACTION.
UM, BUT I, AGAIN WILL CERTAINLY ASK, UH, AND SEND THAT, SEND THAT LETTER AT YOUR DIRECTION WITH THE CAVEAT OF CLARIFICATION THAT THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL PENALTIES, FEES OR FINES, UH, FOR NOT PAYING ON THE 28TH.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, THERE'S TWO ACTION ITEMS ON THE AGENDA RELATING TO THAT.
SO, UM, WOULD, I GUESS WE NEED TO DETERMINE, ARE WE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD ON THOSE ACTION ITEMS AND THEN HE'LL JUST ASK.
NOW MAYOR AND COUNCIL, MY RECOMMENDATION IS FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE ITEMS WHILST WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE OTHER ALTERNATIVES, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH A DURA, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IF WE ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL AT ONE, WE ARE SUCCESSFUL AT THE OTHER.
SO WE HAVE ALL OUR BASES COVERED.
WE WOULD HAVE ALL OUR BASES COVERED, AND WE DO NOT HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF PUTTING ANY OTHER PROJECTS IN JEOPARDY.
I WOULD RATHER DO THAT BC AND DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO BE THE $1.1 MILLION ON THURSDAY, BASED ON THE COMMUNICATION AS WE CONTINUE TO FOOD.
AND OTHER MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, IF YOU GET SOME OTHER INFORMATION, WE'LL COME BACK AND RESEND THESE ITEMS ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE FROM MY PURPOSE AS WELL.
UM, I WILL TAKE OTHER AVENUES OF COMMUNICATION TO KEEP THE COUNCIL ABREAST AS TO THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING WITH THOSE.
SO THESE ITEMS TODAY THOUGH, BUT THESE ITEMS THAT THEY WERE TO PAY THE $1.1 MILLION, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND SO LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT DR.
KIM LONG HAS JOINED US THIS MORNING.
SO THE QUESTION THAT I WOULD HAVE IS, IS, UM, WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATION THAT T THEM WOULD FIND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD HELP OUR CASE FROM THE PARTICULAR STANDPOINT OF REIMBURSING US BACK A PART OF THAT ONE POINT MILLION DOLLARS, IF INDEED, THE PROCESS IS CLOSING, UH, FOR THE ICC PROJECTS.
IF I, IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, I MEAN, PRO TEM, THE IDEA IS IF THERE ARE MONIES OWED BACK TO THE CITY, YES, TETUM HAS ASSURED VERBALLY AT THIS POINT THAT THOSE MONIES WOULD COME BACK.
UH, AND TIMING WISE IS THE QUESTION BECAUSE PORT ARTHUR IS NOT THE ONLY CITY THAT'S IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION.
SO IN ORDER FOR THEM TO RETURN THOSE FUNDS, THEY HAVE TO DO ONE OR TWO THINGS.
AS TETUM EXPLAINED, EITHER COLLECT MONEY FROM OTHER APPLICANTS THROUGHOUT TEXAS, AND THEN PAY FROM THOSE RECEIVED FUNDS, OR THEY HAVE TO THEN HAVE AN ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR TO DIP INTO SOME OTHER GENERAL ACCOUNT TO MOVE FUNDS TO THEIR DISASTER RECOVERY AND PAY FROM THOSE.
WELL, I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT I WAS ASKING YOU IS THE QUESTION THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T ANSWER BECAUSE YOU DON'T WORK FOR TITO MORE.
YOU DON'T WORK IN THAT, IN THAT PARTICULAR ROUND, BUT I WAS SIMPLY, I GUESS, PERHAPS THINKING IN MY OWN MIND, WHAT ELSE COULD TEACH THEM? YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD T THEM BE DOING, UH, AS FAR AS ACCOUNTING, UH, THAT
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WOULD CAUSE THOSE MONIES TO BE SENT.SO I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DO AS THE CITY MANAGER HAS, UM, HAS SUGGESTED THAT WE ACT ON THESE ITEMS AND THEN ALLOW THEM TO DO EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO.
I CAN SAY THIS, IT WAS CLARIFIED THAT EVEN IF THE CITY HAS THE DOCUMENTATION, THAT WE, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE ADDITIONAL 600,000, TATUM'S NOT GOING TO PAY THAT 600,000 UNTIL THE 1 MILLION IS PUT INTO THE COFFERS IS THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THEIR WAY OF PAYING IT BACK.
THAT ANSWERED MY QUESTION BECAUSE I WAS UNCLEAR WHAT YOU SAID.
YOU SAID EARLIER THAT, UH, THE PAPERWORK, YOU KNOW, 8, 7, 19 YEARS, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T ON OUR WATCH, BUT IT WAS HARD TO FIND THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU NEEDED TO SUBMIT TO GET SOME TYPE OF REIMBURSEMENT.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY IF WE, WE AT REACT ON THIS TODAY, WE CAN GET SOME TYPE OF RECOUPMENT ON WHAT WE'VE EXPENDED ON TRYING TO GET THOSE DOLLARS BACK.
WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO DO THAT.
AND YOU SAID THE TIME LIMIT WAS THE 28TH? YEAH.
THAT'S THE, THE, THE DEMAND LETTER DEADLINE IS THIS WEEK.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ARE THERE ANY, IS THERE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, PRESENTATION MR. SIDIN MANAGED THE DRAINAGE? YES, YES.
SO IF WE MOVE ON TO THE SECOND ITEM OF THE, OF THE UPDATE, THIS, UH, THIS UPDATE IS SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE FOUR, UH, 4 0 4 HMGP PROJECTS.
UM, AS YOU WERE RECALL, UH, BACK IN 2018, THE CITY INSTRUCTED, UH, DORA TO MAKE APPLICATION FOR THESE, UH, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS WITH THE ANTICIPATED FUNDING THROUGH FEMA'S HMA PROGRAM, OR HAS THERE BEEN NEGOTIATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM? THREE OF THE FOUR PROJECTS, UH, WERE SPECIFICALLY APPROVED FOR PHASE ONE FUNDING THROUGH THE HMA PROJECT.
AND ONE OF THOSE WAS ACTUALLY MOVING FORWARD THROUGH YOUR CDBGDR PROJECT, UH, FUNDING, UM, SUBSEQUENT TO THE START OF THAT PROCESS.
ALL FOUR PROJECTS ARE NOW DECLARED OR, OR CATEGORIZES HMGP PROJECTS.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL FOUR TODAY.
SO THE PROCESS FOR THE HM, UH, HMGP PROJECTS, OR AT LEAST THESE FOUR OR FOUR PROJECTS IS THAT WE MAKE APPLICATION, WHICH WE DID TEACH THEM, APPROVE THOSE APPLICATIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH FEMA AND AT THE APPROVAL.
WHAT, UH, WHAT HAPPENS IS FEMA APPROVES IN PHASES? SO THEY APPROVED PHASE ONE PHASE.
ONE OF THESE PROJECTS INCLUDES ALL OF THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN, UH, ANY H AND H STUDIES, ANY ENVIRONMENTAL WORK, ARCHEOLOGICAL WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, MOVE THE PROJECTS FORWARD TO A POINT WHERE THE DESIGN, UH, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FIRMS WHO ARE STEWARD ENGINEERING, UH, WHO SUBBED OUT, UH, AND UTILIZE, UH, FIVE ENGINEERING AS WELL, AS WELL AS AWC.
SO WE HAVE TWO PROJECTS THROUGH AWC, WHICH ARE THE EL VISTA AND PORT ACRES PROJECT.
AND YOU HAVE TWO PROJECTS, UH, BEING DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED BY STEWART ENGINEERING, WHICH ARE THE STONE GATE AND THE LAKE ARTHUR, WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU IS THIS UPDATE, SO THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF, OF EXACTLY WHERE WE STAND.
UH, THIS IS NOT A, UH, AN ALARM BELL OR A PANIC BELL, UH, BUT IT IS AN UPDATE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE IN CONVERSATION AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE IN CONVERSATION, UH, WITH FEMA AND TETUM TO TRY TO RECONCILE SOME DIFFERENCES IN HOW THESE PROJECTS ARE BEING, UH, PRESENTED AND INTERPRETED, UH, BY FEMA.
UH, I SAY THAT BECAUSE PART OF THE APPROVAL PROCESS WHERE WE MOVE FROM PHASE ONE INTO PHASE TWO, REMEMBER PHASE TWO IS WHERE THE BULK OF THE COSTS FOR THE PROJECTS ARE BECAUSE IT'S ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORK, UH, AND ACTUALLY BUILDING OUT, UH, THESE, UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, DRAINAGE, PONDS, OR DETENTION AREAS.
IF YOU WILL, IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT APPROVAL, FEMA LOOKS AT HOW MUCH THE PROJECT IS GOING TO COST AND WHAT IS THE ACTUAL BENEFIT OF THE PROJECT.
SO WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE CITY HAS, HAS CONTRACTED WITH THE ENGINEERING
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FIRMS. THE ENGINEERING FIRMS HAVE DONE THEIR, UH, ENGINEERING DESIGN AND H AND H STUDIES, WHICH IS THE STUDIES THAT BASICALLY DECIDE OR DETERMINE HOW MUCH WATER WILL MOVE AND HOW MUCH WATER CAN BE HANDLED.AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF FACTORS WE TAKE, UH, DORA TAKES THAT INFORMATION AND PLUGS IT INTO THE FEMA MODEL OR THE BCA TOOL.
THE BENEFIT COST ANALYSIS TOOL OUT OF THAT COMES A BCR, WHICH IS A BENEFIT COST RATIO.
THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT BCR HAS TO BE ONE OR HIGHER FOR FEMA TO APPROVE THE PROJECT.
CURRENTLY THE PORT ACRES PROJECT APPEARS TO BE AT ABOUT A 1.1.
SO WE FEEL FAIRLY CONFIDENT ABOUT THAT PROJECT, UH, AND THAT, THAT PROJECT.
UM, AND WE MADE A COUPLE OF ADJUSTMENTS HERE, BUT BASICALLY THAT PROJECT FOR PHASE TWO CONSTRUCTION IS $16.5 MILLION.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A PIECE OF GOOD NEWS, OBVIOUSLY, THAT, THAT, THAT PROJECT IS AT 1.1 AS A BCR.
THE OTHER PROJECTS WE ARE, WE ARE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH FEMA BECAUSE OUR METHODOLOGY OF EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE PROPOSED WE'LL DO, UH, IS IN A BIT OF A, KIND OF A STANDOFF BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO BE AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE AND STILL FIND ENGINEERING SUPPORT FOR, FOR THE PROJECTS.
IN OTHER WORDS, UM, WE KNOW THAT THE FLOODING THAT HAPPENED ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN HARVEY.
SO THAT'S NOT A, THAT'S NOT A PART OF A MODEL OR A DESIGN MODEL THAT PROJECTS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN, IN, IN HURRICANE HARVEY.
THE CHALLENGE WITH HURRICANE HARVEY THOUGH, IS THAT IT WAS NOT A LOCALIZED FLOODING EVENT AND THAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND MUCH OF WHAT THE CITY EXPERIENCE AND FLOODING WAS NOT DUE TO INTERNAL RAINFALL TO THE CITY, BUT TO REGIONAL RAINFALL AND FLOODING THAT TRAVELED UPSTREAM OR FROM UPSTREAM TO PORT ARTHUR AND IN MANY OTHER DIRECTIONS.
PRIMARILY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE DD SEVEN SYSTEM WAS OVERWHELMED BY HARVEY THAT CHANGES THE CALCULATIONS AND CHANGES THE INTERPRETATION BECAUSE ONCE THE DD SEVEN SYSTEM IS OVERWHELMED AND IN, FOR ALL INTENSIVE PURPOSES, DOESN'T EXIST.
THEN THE WATER CALCULATIONS OF, OF WHAT THESE LOCAL PROJECTS WILL DO BECOMES MUCH MORE SUSPECT.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE A REGIONAL FLOOD PROBLEM WITH THESE FOUR LOCAL DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE DISCUSSION SITS RIGHT NOW BETWEEN THE CITY AND FEMA.
AND TINA IS THAT THESE PROJECTS HAVE BENEFIT TO THE CITY, BUT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN AND ILLUSTRATE THAT BENEFIT IN WAYS THAT FEMA WILL ACCEPT IT, UH, TO JUSTIFY THE COSTS OF THESE PROJECTS.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS THE UPDATE.
NOW IN LINE WITH THAT, WE WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF THESE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING.
WE'RE NOT FINISHED WITH THE DISCUSSIONS WE'RE NOT FINISHED WITH THE CONVERSATIONS.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE ENGINEERING FIRMS, VERY CLOSELY WITH ANY RESOURCE WITHIN TETUM AND FEMA, TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IF WE, IF WE CAN SAY IT A DIFFERENT WAY, THAT WILL BE ACCEPTED, THEN WE'RE GOING TO FIND THAT, THAT KEY, THAT UNLOCKS THAT DOOR.
WHAT WE WANT YOU TO KNOW IS IF THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN, IF WE'RE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN CREATING THAT MESSAGING OR HAVING THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA FIT, THEN WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU AS THESE PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE PORT ACRES, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THAT ONE IS GOING TO MEET THE REQUIRED BCR.
UM, YOU ARE AS THE CITY, UM, GOING TO BE FACING A, A CHALLENGE OF NOW CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROJECT ITSELF.
AND ALL ALONG, WE HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATING AND MARCHING ALONG THIS PATH THAT BETWEEN THE FEMA DOLLARS AND YOUR CDBG D OUR DOLLARS FROM HARVEY, UH, THAT THE PROJECT WOULD LARGELY BE PAID FOR OUT OF THOSE SOURCES AND THAT YOUR, YOUR OUT OF POCKET COSTS WOULD BE MINIMAL.
100 TO $200,000, IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
IF THIS IS NOT SUCCESSFUL, OR WE'RE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING THIS, THIS APPROVAL FOR PHASE TWO AND FEMA AT THIS LEVEL, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN, WE CAN ADJUST THE, THE MODELS
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OR ADJUST THE FEMA CLAIM.AND THE PROJECTS THAT IF THE CITY CONTRIBUTES ABOUT A $15 MILLION CONTRIBUTION, THAT THE $60 MILLION OF PROJECTS WOULD STILL GO FORWARD.
UH, AND SO WE'RE EXPLORING ALL ALTERNATIVES.
WE'RE NOT HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU AS A COUNCIL, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION TODAY.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS GIVING YOU SOME HEADS UP ABOUT WHERE THINGS STAND AND WHAT WE ARE ENGAGING IN.
UH, WE CERTAINLY ARE WILLING TO GIVE YOU ANY OF THE DETAILS OR SPECIFICS ABOUT EACH OF THESE PROJECTS AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY CREATES, UH, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, BUT THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
AGAIN, IF WE GET TO THE POINT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE THERE MULTIPLE SOURCES OR AVENUES OF DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF THE ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF FUNDING AND I'LL, AND I'LL LET MR. BURTON AND, AND MS. DANIELS TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT, UH, WHEN THE TIME IS APPROPRIATE TO DO SO.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THREE OF THE FOUR PROJECTS DO NOT HAVE A BCR OF ONE, AND WE ARE EXPLORING EVERY POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT BCR OF ONE OR AN ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATION THAT ALLOWS THE PROJECT TO BE FUNDED FOR PHASE TWO IS NOT WORKING HERE.
SO YOU'LL HAVE TO GET MY ATTENTION.
MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, YOUR BCR FOR PORT ACRES, YOU SAID 1.1, WHAT DID, WHAT HAPPENED, WHERE THEY WERE ABLE, OR WHERE YOU CAN SUGGEST THAT THEY MEET THAT 1.0? I MEAN, THE OTHER PROJECTS YOU SAID THEY'VE GOT THE GRAY AREAS, BUT PORT ARTHUR, YOU KNOW, 70% OF THE CITY WAS FLOODED.
SO TELL ME, W W WHY WOULD THAT AREA, YOU KNOW, ONLY FEE THAT YOU FAILED MAY BE ENTITLED TO SOME OF THAT FUNDING.
SO TO GIVE YOU A BREAKDOWN OF HOW THAT HAPPENS IS THIS IS EACH PROJECT HAS, WHAT'S KNOWN AS A PROJECT IMPACT AREA, RIGHT INSIDE THAT PROJECT IMPACT AREA.
THERE ARE, UM, THERE ARE STRUCTURES, ROADWAYS, LIFT STATIONS, UM, BUSINESSES.
WHAT WE DO IS WE PUT A, A LOSS VALUE TO WHAT'S INSIDE THAT PROJECT IMPACT AREA.
SO IT GIVES US A DOLLAR VALUE BECAUSE THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT DRIVES HOME THIS BCR.
KEEP IN MIND THAT NONE OF THE PROJECTS WOULD BE, OR HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED OR ALTERNATIVES THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED, EVEN IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH D D SEVEN, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING TO DO IN THEIR SYSTEM AND WHAT THEY'RE HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH.
NONE OF THOSE WOULD INDICATE THAT IF YOU HAD A HARVEY EVENT HAPPENED TODAY, AND ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE BOARD, UH, WERE COMPLETED THAT A HARVEY EVENT WOULD STILL CREATE A FLOODING SITUATION IN PORT ARTHUR.
UH, SIMPLY BECAUSE TH THE MAGNITUDE OF THE HARVEY EVENT WAS SUCH THAT, UM, IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S JUST NOT COST-EFFECTIVE FOR, FOR ANY AGENCY TO BE ABLE TO PLAN FOR AND MAINTAIN A SYSTEM THAT WOULD HANDLE THE, THE AMOUNT OF DEVASTATION THAT HARVEY CREATED.
UH, WE SAW THE SAME THINGS DURING KATRINA.
WE SAW THE SAME THINGS DURING SANDY.
WE STARTED THE SAME THINGS DURING MICHELLE.
UM, WHEN YOU HAVE THESE MAJOR TYPES OF STORMS, CITIES, AND COMMUNITIES GENERALLY DO NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, TO PRESENT THIS.
AND IN FACT, THIS IS, THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE FOR ALL COASTAL COMMUNITIES.
UM, BUT TO, TO BRING IT BACK TO THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION, WHAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO IS SHOW INTERNALLY THAT ANY GIVEN STORM, WHETHER IT'S A TWO YEAR FREQUENCY, A 25 YEAR FREQUENCY, A 100 YEAR FREQUENCY, OR A 500 YEAR FREQUENCY, WHAT WE HAVE TO SHOW IS IF WE PUT THESE PROJECTS IN PLACE, AND WE ASSUME THAT THE D D SEVEN SYSTEM HANDLES ITS ITS WATER AND MANAGES ITS WATER, THAT THERE'S ENOUGH BENEFIT THAT WILL REDUCE THE LOSS VALUE THAT JUSTIFIES SPENDING THE MONEY, THE FEDERAL DOLLARS TO DO THE PROJECT.
IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH LIKE IN, IN A SIMPLISTIC WAY.
UH, IF YOU DECIDE YOU'RE GOING TO PAINT YOUR HOUSE AND YOU DECIDE, UM, I'M GOING TO PAINT THIS ROOM AND IT'S GOING TO COST ME X NUMBER OF DOLLARS, AND BECAUSE OF THE COST OF PAINT AND LABOR, UM, YOU REALIZE THAT, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? PAINTING IS ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT AS IF I JUST PUT UP, UH,
[00:35:01]
MARBLES BECAUSE MARBLES CHEAP RIGHT NOW, OR WHATEVER THE CASE IS.AND THE BENEFIT OF THAT IS IF I PUT THE MARBLE IN, I'LL BE ABLE TO SELL MY HOUSE FOR 25% MORE WHEN I SELL MY HOUSE.
WELL, THAT'S KIND OF THE CONCEPT HERE IS IF, IF WE CAN SHOW THAT THE INVESTMENT BY FEMA IS GOING TO BRING A RETURN AND THE RETURN OF THEIR INVESTMENT IS THEY WILL PAY OUT LESS MONEY OVER TIME.
THAT'S WHAT THEY USE TO CALCULATE THE BENEFIT.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT PART, BUT I'M STILL GRAY ON, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU ARE ABLE TO SAY THAT ONE AREA OF TOWN MAY HAVE THAT 1.1 AND THE OTHER THREE PROJECTS MAY NOT.
AND IT'S A CONCERN WHERE THAT THE TOTAL CITY YOU HAD OVER 70% OF THE CITY THAT WAS FLOODED.
SO HOW DO YOU WITH THE VALUE YOUR, I GOT IT.
I GOT THE ONE ROOM CONCEPT PUTTING MODEL IN A HOUSE, BUT IF YOU PAINT ONE ROOM AND YOU NEED ALL THE ROOMS PAINTED, YOU STILL NEED TO WORK ON THE WHOLE TOTAL HOUSE.
I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT MAKING THIS CLEAR IS THAT EACH PROJECT IS ITS OWN PROJECT.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE PORT ACRES PROJECT IS JUST CALCULATED ON THE PROJECT IMPACT AREA FOR PORT ACRES AND THE COST FOR THE PORT ACRES PROJECT.
THE EL VISTA IS DONE THE SAME WAY STONE GATE AND LAKE AUTHOR.
THEIR PROJECT IS IN AND OF ITSELF, HAS TO STAND ON ITS OWN.
NOW, IF, IF WE HAD A COUPLE OF PROJECTS THAT WERE, THAT WERE A BCR OF THREE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WOULD ARGUE THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LINK THOSE PROJECTS AND GET AN AVERAGE BCR.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT ADVANTAGE AT THIS POINT, BUT EACH PROJECT IS EVALUATED IN AND OF ITSELF.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE WHOLE CITY FLOODED THESE PROJECTS HAVE SPECIFIC PROJECT AREA, OR PROJECT IMPACT AREAS THAT HAVE TO JUSTIFY THE PROJECT ITSELF.
BCRS ARE YOU GOING TO PROVIDE IT TO THE COUNCIL AS WELL TO OTHER THREE PROJECTS? SURE.
AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH, WELL, WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF WHERE THEY ARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VALUE THAT'S BELOW ONE RIGHT NOW, AND OUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TRYING TO GET THEM TO ONE.
MA'AM ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES.
GREG MANN, THEMA CHANGES TETUM AS WE GO.
UM, THIS IS THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO US, BUT I'M LIKE, IS THERE A WAY THAT I KNOW THAT YOU SAY YOU'RE STILL TALKING WITH FAMOUS, THEY'LL TALK IT WITH TD.
I'M STILL TRYING TO MEET WITH THEM BECAUSE THESE WERE NEEDED.
WE, WE, WE PROVED THE POINT IN THE BEGINNING THAT THERE NEEDED PROJECTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND TO BE AT A POINT WHERE WE THINKING THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE FUNDED IS DEVASTATING TO SAY THE LEAST.
SO WHO'S TALKING, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM WHO DO WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? BECAUSE WE, WE CAN'T BE SILENT.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, WE NEED THESE PROJECTS.
THEY WERE, THERE WAS A REASON THAT THEY WERE, UM, PAPERWORK WAS SUBMITTED THE DESIGN PHASE.
WE PROVE THE POINT IN THE APPLICATION, AND NOW WE GET TO PHASE TWO AND CONSTRUCTION AND THEY MAY BACK OUT.
I JUST, I APPRECIATE THAT SUPPORT.
AND WE WILL, WE WILL CALL ON YOU, ESPECIALLY IF WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE NEED, WE NEED THE, THE ELECTED BODY, THE GOVERNING BODY TO, TO PUSH IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS.
WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO PULL THAT TRIGGER UNLESS WE HAVE A REALLY SOLID BIT OF EVIDENCE THAT LETS YOU USE YOUR POLITICAL, UH, VOICE.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA, WE DON'T WANNA PUT YOU IN A POSITION WHERE WE ASK YOU TO ARGUE FOR SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE STRONG IN YOUR ARGUMENT, BUT WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY CALL ON YOU AND THE CITY MANAGER AND POTENTIALLY OTHER EXTERNAL SOURCES THAT HAVE A VOICE WITHIN THE, THE TETUM AND FEMA STATE LEVEL, AND EVEN THE NATIONAL LEVEL OF FEMA, UH, TO PUSH ON THIS PROJECT, BECAUSE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CONTINUE TO SEE THIS PORT ARTHUR SITUATION, UH, BEING ON THE BACK END OF, OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RUN THIS COMPLETELY TO ITS OF COURSE I DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE SILENT.
AND OUR SILENCE SEEMS TO BE AGREEMENT.
WE WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AND ASK MR. BURTON AT THAT POINT, LET'S SORT OF RELEASE THE VOICE AND MAKE AS MUCH NOISE AS NECESSARY, BUT WE DON'T WANT YOU TO JUST BE A CLANGING GONG.
RIGHT? WE WANT YOU TO HAVE SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY TO SAY, UH, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION AS, AS WE GET IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE SOMETHING ON ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO HERE'S WHAT
[00:40:01]
I HEAR.I HEARD YOU SAY THAT, UM, UM, THAT THE EVENT THAT HAPPENED DURING HURRICANE HARVEY HERE, UM, WAS CAUSED AND CREATED, UH, PRIMARILY BECAUSE WATERS WERE COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE AND FLOODED OUR CITY.
WHEN, WHEN THE EVENT HAPPENED, UH, WAS, IS THERE SOME, IS THERE SOME KIND OF, UM, UH, SOME KIND OF SENTIMENT SOMEWHERE THAT WE DID NOT GET 62 INCHES OF RAIN IN TWO TO THREE DAYS? I MEAN, IS THAT, IS THAT, WAS THAT, IS THAT BEING DISCLAIMED FROM SOMEWHERE? NO, NOT SPECIFICALLY, BUT THE, THE MODELS THAT EXIST DO NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE EVENT THAT HAPPENED.
AND THAT'S PART OF, PART OF OUR ARGUMENT IS WE KNOW WE HAVE OBSERVED DATA THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE.
FEMA'S POSITION IS EVEN IF WE GIVE YOU THAT, EVEN IF WE TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN USE THAT OBSERVED DATA, THEN YOU STILL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW TO US THAT THESE PROJECTS THAT YOU ARE PROPOSING WILL HAVE A BENEFICIAL IMPACT ON THE AREAS THAT THEY WILL SERVE.
AND SO IF WE USE THE HARVEY, IF WE USE THE HARVEY DATA AND OUR ENGINEERS BACK INTO A MODEL THAT THAT PUTS THE INUNDATION LEVELS, UH, THE FLOODING THAT HOMES HAD INTO THEIR MODEL AND WE GET TO THAT POINT, THEN THE, THE STRUGGLE IS IF WE CAN GET THAT INTO A MODEL, THEN FEMA WANTS US TO THEN PUT THAT SAME DATA INTO A POST MITIGATION MODEL.
IN OTHER WORDS, AFTER YOU PUT YOUR DRAINAGE PONDS, AND WHEN WE PUT THAT DATA INTO THE POST MITIGATION MODEL, IT OVERWHELMS THE DD SEVEN SYSTEM, WHICH THEN ELIMINATES THE BENEFIT OF, OF THE PONDS.
SO HERE'S THE QUESTION FOR ME.
SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
TWO OF THEM ARE THREE OF THEM ARE IN JEOPARDY OF NOT RECEIVING FUNDING FOR PHASE TWO, CORRECT TWO OR THREE, THREE, WHICH THREE STONE GATE LAKE AUTHOR, AND ELVIS STA.
AND THE ONE PROJECT THAT IS, HAS A BCR ONE IS WHICH ONE PORT ACRES, PORT ACRES.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DATA IN THE THREE AND THE W AND THE DATA IN THE ONE THAT HAS CREATED THIS SITUATION.
I MEAN, IF THE DATA IS THE SAME, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE DATA THAT CREATED THE BCR FOR ONE IN THE PORT ACRES AND, AND DISQUALIFIED IT.
SO YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TWO FACTORS THAT PRIMARILY WILL POINT TO THAT.
ONE FACTOR IS THE LEVEL OF REDUCTION IN RISK.
IN OTHER WORDS, HOW MUCH WILL THE WATER LEVELS BE LOWERED BY THE PROJECT ITSELF? OKAY.
AND IF YOU DON'T REDUCE IT ENOUGH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A REDUCTION IN RISK ENOUGH, THEN YOU'RE NOT PROTECTING MORE DOLLARS IN WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO PROTECT HOMES AND STREETS AND WHATNOT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PORT ACRES PROJECT, WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW THAT THERE IS ENOUGH REDUCTION IN RISK THAT JUSTIFIES HOW MUCH WILL BE PROTECTED BASED ON THE COST OF THE PROJECT, IN OTHER WORDS, BUT YOU HAVE GREATER VALUE IN HOMES AND STONE GATE THAN YOU DO IMPORTANT ACRES, RIGHT? BUT IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA AND WHAT, WHAT I PROBABLY NEED TO DO FOR YOU GUYS.
SO THAT, THAT HELPS CLARIFY IT EVEN MORE IS TO GIVE YOU THE ACTUAL VALUES THAT ARE GOING INTO THE MODEL, UH, AND THEN SHOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT, AND THEN WHAT THE PROJECT WILL SHOW IN TERMS OF REDUCTION, WHICH EQUALS THE DOLLARS.
UH, AND I MIGHT, I MIGHT HAVE THAT IF I, IF YOU GIVE ME A MOMENT, I'LL SEE IF I CAN PULL IT UP ON MY COMPUTER.
I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS TO US, AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL AND OUR CONSTITUENTS
[00:45:01]
WHO ARE WATCHING ON TODAY UNDERSTAND FULLY THE IMPLICATIONS AND RAMIFICATIONS OF ALL THAT YOU'RE SHARING WITH US.BECAUSE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES HAS SAID, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE PROMISED, UH, AND HAVE SHARED WITH INDIVIDUALS AS WE'VE GONE FROM COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY, UH, THAT THIS, UH, THAT THIS HELP WAS ON THE WAY AND THAT WE WOULD BE PROTECTING AND SAFEGUARDING OUR CITIZENS AND OUR ENTIRE CITY FROM, UH, ANY FUTURE FLOODING.
AND I KNOW THAT STAFF, UH, WANTS TO DO THAT.
THIS COUNCIL WANTS TO DO THAT.
UH, SO THIS IS, UM, THIS IS A BLOW TO ALL THAT WE, UM, WE HAVE BEEN PUSHING AND SAYING, AND SO WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING FOR WHEN NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT OUR CITY IS SAFE.
UM, SHOULD, UM, SHOULD THIS HAPPEN? AND EVEN AS WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF HURRICANE SEASON NOW, UM, WE'RE ALWAYS KEENLY SENSITIZED TO WHAT HAPPENS IN TRANSPIRES IN THESE EVENTS.
I DON'T WANT TO HOLD YOU GUYS UP.
I WILL FIND THE DOLLAR VALUES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH EACH PROJECT, UH, AND SHOW YOU HOW THE REDUCTION, UH, WHAT LEVEL OF PROTECTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THE PROJECTS IN TERMS OF THE PROJECT COSTS THEMSELVES VERSUS THE, THE AMOUNT OF VALUE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING.
I'LL FIND THAT FOR YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, AND WE'LL SEND THAT TO YOU GUYS SPECIFICALLY.
YOU'RE GOING TO SHARE THE MODEL THAT YOU'RE USING BECAUSE, UH, I HAVE TO WITH, UH, UH, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, YOUR MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSES IN A STONE GATE AREA.
SO IF YOU'RE TAKING THAT INFORMATION AND FINDING VALUE OF THOSE HOMES TO PUT INFORMATION INTO A MODEL TO DECIDE ON WHICH ONE GETS THE BCR 1.1, I HAVE A CONCERN WITH THAT.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE MORE BUSINESSES IN DISTRICT THREE, YOUR MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSES THAT ARE IN DISTRICT THREE, YOUR MOST POPULATED AREAS IN DISTRICT THREE.
SO, AND I'M UNDER, I'M KIND OF GRAY ON THAT.
HOW DID PORT ACRES GET A 1.1 ON THE BCR? SO IF YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH US, I REALLY APPRECIATE, I DO APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED TODAY.
I WON'T GIVE YOU AN EXPLANATION BECAUSE AGAIN, IT GOES INTO WHAT FITS INTO THE PROJECT IMPACT AREA, WHAT THE VALUE IS.
SO WE'LL GIVE YOU THAT, THAT BREAKDOWN SO YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY HOW THE NUMBERS FIT.
SO AGAIN, I GUESS, UM, THERE'S GOING TO BE A RESUBMISSION TO THE ENTITIES TO TRY TO GET US TO THIS BCR BEING RAISED.
IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? WE ARE IN A PERIOD RIGHT NOW WHERE WE, WE ARE RESPONDING TO A FEMA REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION THAT WILL CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT FEMA FEELS LIKE.
WE NEED TO ADJUST IN TERMS OF OUR PRESENTED DATA.
UH, TIED-IN WILL STAND ALONGSIDE US OF US AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN SUPPORT EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO THINGS WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN.
EITHER FEMA HAS TO ADJUST WHAT, HOW THEY'RE SEEING THINGS, OR WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST THE DATA INSIDE THE FEMA BOX TO MAKE IT FIT.
UH, AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, TRYING TO DO ONE OR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS AT SOME LEVEL, WHATEVER WE DID IN PORT ACRES, WE BETTER DO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND WE WILL, WE WILL PULL THE RABBIT OUT OF EVERY HALF WEEKEND.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
[III. ITEMS REQUIRING INDIVIDUAL ACTION]
ITEM THREE ITEMS, RECURRING INDIVIDUAL ACTION.WE HAVE A COUPLE OF RESOLUTIONS THAT WE NEED TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF.
UM, PR NUMBER 2, 2 0 8, 9 A RESOLUTION, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING
[00:50:01]
THE CITY MANAGER TO REPAY FUNDS TO THE TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT T THEM FOR SEVEN FEMA PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROJECTS RELATED TO HURRICANE IKE IN AN ACCOUNT NOT TO EXCEED A $1,116,160 AND 72 CENTS.ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH ZERO ONE DASH 0 0 5 DASH 5 4 7 0 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ONE ZERO DASH 0 0 0.
PROJECT NUMBER M A 7 9 0 3 DASH OH T H DASH O C S.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVE COUNCIL MEMBER HOMES, SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, JONES, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
POST, UH, P O NUMBER 6, 9, 8, 8, AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING, OCTOBER 1ST, 2020, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021 BY $922,876 FOR THE GENERAL FUND, $983,700 FOR THE OTHER EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND $365,000 FOR THE CDC FOR THE EDC STREET MAINTENANCE FUND AND $1,380,000 FOR THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER HOME SECOND BY A DR.
KINLAW ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T THINK IT WAS HOME.
IT WAS MOSES, OR IT WAS MOSES OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES.
UH, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER KENALOG, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GETTING READY
[IV. * CLOSED MEETING ( EXECUTIVE SESSION)]
TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.A CLOSED MEETING OF EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL NOW BE HELD PURSUANT TO THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 5, 5 1 TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 51 0.071 LITIGATION AND OR LEGAL ADVICE.
SECTION 5 5 1 0 7 2 LAND SECTION 5 5 1 0 7 3 NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS FOR THE PROSPECTIVE GIFTS TO THE CITY.
SECTION 5 5, 1 0.074 PERSONNEL SECTION 5 5, 1 0.076 SECURITY PERSONNEL OR DEVICES, SECTION 5 5, 1 0.087 DELIBERATIONS REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES.
WE'LL NOW GO INTO CLOSE SESSION.
WE ARE RECONVENING, UH, FROM, UH, CLOSED SESSION CITY.
SECRETARY, CAN YOU ESTABLISH? YES, SIR.
YOUR BAR TEA MAY HAVE PROTEIN, RIGHT? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER HOLMES, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER, KEN LAW, COUNCIL MEMBER, MARK COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES.
YOU HAVE A QUORUM MAYOR PRO TEM.
WE HAVE NO REAL, UH, RESOLUTIONS OR CONSIDERATIONS COMING OUT OF CLOSED SESSION.
WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOSES SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER JONES.