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[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
UH, GATHERED HERE ON THIS MORNING.WE ARE HERE THIS MORNING FOR A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING AS MS. SCHEDULED FOR TODAY, JANUARY 11TH IN THE YEAR 2022.
AND, UH, BEFORE WE BEGAN, AS IT BEGAN.
AND I CAN TELL YOU HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY, UH, AT THIS OUR FIRST OFFICIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE NEW YEAR, AND WE ARE GATHERED AND YOU MAY ACCESS THIS MEETING THROUGH VIDEO CONFERENCE.
UH, IN ADDITION, PERSONS MAY EVEN ATTEND BY PHONE.
YOU MAY DO SO BY DIALING 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9.
AND YOU WILL ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 2 0 7 9 7 6, EXCUSE ME, 9 6 5 6 7 7.
AND THE PASSCODE IS 1 8 0 2 9 1 LIKE INFORM YOU THAT WE ARE ALSO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND THE CITY OF FORT HOOD WILL PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PERSONS ATTENDING THE MEETING WHO NEED THESE ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND YOU MUST DO SO, OR YOU MAY DO SO AND REQUEST THOSE BY DIALING THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 9 8 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5 AND IT SHOULD BE DONE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING SO THAT THEY MAY HAVE THE ACCOMMODATIONS PROVIDED FOR YOU AT THE ONSET OF THE MEETING.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, ASKING IF YOU HAVE, UH, ELECTRONIC DEVICES, YOU UNMUTE THOSE, UH, AT THIS TIME AND WE WERE STANDING, WE THE INVOCATION AND WE HAVE THE PLEDGE AND THE WRONG CALL MAY APPROACH HIM WHAT YOU GIVE US THE INVOCATION.
PLEASE LET US BOW ALL WISE AND ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHER, WE SAY, GOOD MORNING.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THIS WONDERFUL AND GRACIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO ASSEMBLE THIS MORNING OR TO THE, TO THE BUSINESS OF OUR CITY.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROTECTIVE GRACE AND YOUR PROTECTIVE MERCY ON THIS DAY.
AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD WATCH OVER US, UH, EVEN AS WE GO ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF DOING YOUR WILL, YOUR WORD AND YOUR WAY, UH, WE THANK YOU FOR IT ALL IN JESUS' MIGHTY NAME.
HEY MAN, WOULD YOU JOIN US, PLEASE? IN UNISON, PICKING UP SIGNING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE US FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
SO KINDLY FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH THE QUORUM FOR MAY OF OUR T MAY HAVE PROTEIN FRANK PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER HOMES HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER, KEN LAW, COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS, COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES.
SO KINDLY SAY THE SECRETARY WILL NOW MOVE TO PROCLAMATIONS.
SO THE SECRETARY NOW MOVED TO SPEAKERS.
WE HAVE OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS A FORMER.
COSMIN HAD A DOUCET REGARDING THE USE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE FUNDS TO COME UP.
UH, COUNCILMAN, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
AND I BELIEVE YOU HAVE FOUR OR FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK GOOD MORNING.
51 8, IT CAMBRIDGE STRAIGHT PULLED OUT THE TEXAS.
UH, I'M HERE THIS MORNING, TALKING IN REFERENCE TO THE CONTINGENCY FUND.
IT WAS IN REFERENCE TO A, UH, POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE THAT WAS A LIST OF CONTINGENCY FUND EXPENDITURES.
THERE'S LESS WAS STARTED BACK COVERING PROBABLY 2015.
SO I STARTED LOOKING AT THIS LIST AND I STARTED FOLLOWING THE ITEMS ON IT AND ITEMS THAT WAS BEING MONEY IS BEING SPENT OUT OF CONTINGENCY FUND ON THESE PARTICULAR ITEMS. SOME OF THEM WORKED ON TWO NON-PROFIT.
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SOME OF THESE ITEMS WAS GONE TO THINGS THAT YOU DO REGULARLY.YOU HAD GOING TO THINGS SUCH AS BUYING SODA AND WATER, A LUNCHEON BUSINESS LUNCH, AND HOW CAN TAX DOLLARS BE USED TO PAY FOR A LUNCHEON.
SO IT WAS A LOT OF THINGS I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE LIST.
YOU ALL COULD FIND THAT Y'ALL COULD SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
BUT THE REASON I CAME TODAY IS A LOT OF THAT WAS DONE WHEN I WAS SERVING ON CANCEL.
AND I WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE HAD I KNOWN THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THAT.
WE DON'T MISS USE TAX DOLLARS.
SO I'M CALLING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING THE CONTINGENCY FUND.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THINGS THAT WAS NOT FORESEEABLE WHEN YOU MADE YOUR BUDGET SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO AMEND THE BUDGET.
AND, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR WRITINGS AND STUFF THAT THEY HAD ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA, IT SAID THE TITLE OF THAT FUND WAS CITY MANAGER FUND AT THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER.
I TAUGHT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY WHEN I FIRST CAME ON CANCELED IN 2012, BECAUSE I HEARD COUNCIL MEMBERS SAYING THE CITY MANAGERS FUND.
SO I HAD HER GAVE ME A DEFINITION OF WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE USED.
IT'S NOT A CITY, MANAGER'S FINE.
NOW I ASKED TO HAVE A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION ORDINANCE THAT ESTABLISHED THE USE AND PURPOSE OF THAT FUND.
AND WHAT I WAS GIVEN WAS THE STATEMENT YOU ALL RECEIVE IN YOUR BUDGET THAT DESCRIBED PURPOSE, SPECIAL, SPECIAL PURPOSE FUND, BUT EVERY SPECIAL PURPOSE FUND IS ESTABLISHED BY A RESOLUTION.
AND THAT RESOLUTION IS WHAT TELLS THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE AND USE FUCK THAT FUN.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONTINGENCY FUND, THAT SHOULD BE A RESOLUTION THAT TELLS ITS PURPOSE AND ITS USE BECAUSE NOBODY, NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO SPEND MONEY AS THEY CHOOSE.
AND EVERYTHING THAT IS APPROVED IN THAT BUDGET IS ALLOCATED AND APPROVED FOR A PARTICULAR ITEM OR PURPOSE.
AND MY LAST YEAR ON COUNCIL, WE APPROVED THE CONTINGENCY FUND TO BE $75,000, I THINK ROUGHLY IN THAT AREA.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR END OF THE YEAR, IT'S PREDICTED TO BE EXPENDED 1 MILLION, 118 AND 18,000.
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO END THE YEAR WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THERE'S NO WAY MONEY COULD GO TO A CONTINGENCY FUND UNLESS COUNCIL APPROVED IT.
SO THAT FUNDS SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MORE THAN WHAT WAS BUDGETED FOR, BECAUSE IF IT HAD TO BE INCREASED, YOU WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT.
AND WHY WOULD YOU APPROVE ANYTHING TO GO IN A CONTINGENCY FUND? YOU WILL APPROVE IT FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE YOU NEED THE MONEY FOR.
SO THE CONTINGENCY FUND IS A PROBLEM.
AND BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO RESOLUTION THAT SPECIFIED A PURPOSE AND THE, OF THAT FUND, I THINK THIS CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO HAVE A RESOLUTION DRAWN UP SO THAT IT WILL BE ON RECORDS.
AND EVERYBODY HAS NO QUESTIONS ON WHAT THE CONTINGENCY FUND PURPOSE IS AND WHAT IS TO BE USED FOR, BECAUSE IT IS NOT BEING USED PROPERLY.
AND IT'S NOT WITH THIS CITY MAN, LIKE I SAID, THIS WENT BACK TO 2016.
I THINK I READ AND IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS ON CANCEL, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT RIGHT.
AND IF I HAD KNOWN OR BEEN GIVEN THAT INFORMATION, I WOULD HAVE CORRECTED IT.
SO MY PURPOSE TODAY IS TO SAY THAT THE COUNCIL NEEDED TO FIND OUT ONE, WHERE IS THE RESOLUTION THAT ESTABLISHED THIS FUND? BECAUSE THAT FUND WAS NOT JUST PUTTING IN THAT BUDGET.
I MEAN, PUT ON A SPECIAL PURPOSE.
WHERE IS IT? IF YOU CAN'T FIND ONE, WE NEED TO ESTABLISH ONE BECAUSE
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CONTINUE TO SPEND MONEY, I'LL PUT MONEY INTO THIS.IT IS NOT THE CITY MANAGERS CONTINGENCY.
THIS IS NOT A PETTY FUND, PETTY CASH TYPE THING.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR REMARKS AND REMARKS FOR GREAT.
[III.B.1. A Presentation By Staff Regarding The November Financial Report]
NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS.WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY STAFF, UH, REGARDING THE NOVEMBER FINANCIAL REPORT.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I HAVE, UH, MY LITTLE REPORT FOR YOU TODAY.
UM, LINDSEY HAS, UH, ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU.
YOU'LL TURN TO THE FIRST PAGE, LINDSAY.
THIS IS THE NOVEMBER FINANCIAL REPORTS.
THE SECOND MONTH OF FISCAL YEAR 22, THE FIRST PAGE, UH, SHOWS OUR GENERAL FUND.
UH, THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES ARE CURRENTLY $40 MILLION, WHICH IS 947,000 ABOVE THE ESTIMATE.
WE HAVE RECEIVED 1 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY BELOW THE BUDGET, BUT THE MAJORITY ARE RECEIVED IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
SO IT'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
UH, 33.2 MILLION HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS WITH ALL SUBSTANTIALLY ALL PAYMENTS RECEIVED SALES AND USE TAX FOR THE GENERAL FUND THROUGH NOVEMBER IS 2.4 MILLION OR 383,000 ABOVE THE CURRENT YEAR.
ESTIMATE IS 20% ABOVE LAST FISCAL YEAR.
UH, THERE IS A TWO MONTH TIME LAG AND RECEIPTS, NOVEMBER RECEIPTS, SEPTEMBER SALES, NEXT PAGE LINDSEY.
UH, THE GENERAL FUND, UH, OPERATING EXPENDITURES ARE 7.3 MILLION THROUGH NOVEMBER, WHICH IS CURRENTLY BELOW THE BUDGETED LEVEL LEVEL.
BY 2.4 MILLION BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE REQUESTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS NEEDED.
THE AMENDED BUDGET HAS AN ESTIMATED ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 24.6 MILLION OR 125 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
TOTAL REVENUES ARE 40 MILLION AND THE TOTAL EXPENDITURES ARE 9.4 MILLION RIGHT NOW, UH, RESULTING IN THE HEALTHY FUND BALANCE OF 62.2 MILLION IN NOVEMBER 30TH.
UH, THE FUND BALANCE IS WELL IN EXCESS OF THE MINIMUM AND IT'S PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS COME IN IN OCTOBER AND THEN EXPENDITURES ARE SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, WE HAVE THE WATER FUND, UH, REVENUES TOTAL 5.2 MILLION IN NOVEMBER 30TH.
IT'S JUST ABOVE THE BUDGET LEVEL BY ABOUT 49,000 A WATER SERVICE CHARGES FROM RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS ARE BELOW THE ESTIMATE AT THIS TIME SLIGHTLY.
AND, UH, REVENUES FROM INDUSTRY IS 151,000 ABOVE THE EXPECTED AMOUNT AT THIS TIME OPERATING EXPENDITURES, TOTAL 1.8 MILLION, WHICH IS UNDER THE BUDGETED LEVEL BY 1.3 MILLION.
UH, NEXT PAGE LINDSAY, WE HAVE SOLID WASTE, SOLID WASTE REVENUES, TOTAL 1.5 MILLION THREE NOVEMBER 30TH, WHICH IS BELOW ESTIMATES BY 277,000 OPERATING EXPENDITURES ARE CURRENTLY C 632,000, WHICH IS UNDER BUDGET BY 372,000 AND INCREASED FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL GARBAGE RATES WAS APPROVED IN NOVEMBER AND EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1ST, WHICH WILL BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE AND SHOULD ALLOW THE FUND TO BECOME SELF SUSTAINING.
STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE FUND TO ENSURE THAT EXPENSES REMAIN IN LINE WITH AVAILABLE REVENUES.
NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, WE HAVE THE PLEASURE ISLAND FUND REVENUES ARE 188,000, WHICH IS ABOVE THE ESTIMATE BY 12,000 OPERATING EXPENDITURES ARE 86,000, WHICH IS 57,000 BELOW.
THE BUDGETED AMOUNT EXPENSES ARE IN LINE WITH AVAILABLE REVENUES AT THIS TIME.
NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, WE START WITH THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UH, FIRST WE HAVE THE STREET'S SUMMARY ALLOCATION, UM, BY YEAR IN DISTRICT, THE TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR ALL YEARS.
UH, ONE THROUGH FOUR IS 62.6 MILLION, WHICH IS 19.5 MILLION IN YEAR ONE 14.4 MILLION IN YEAR TWO, 15.2 MILLION YEAR THREE AND 13.5 MILLION IN YEAR FOUR.
UH, STILL A NOTE, UH, THE ALLOCATION BY DISTRICT FOR YEAR FOUR IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
UH, IT'S CURRENTLY BASED ON YEAR THREE PERCENTAGES
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ALSO DISTRICT FOUR INCLUDES 500,000 FOR JIMMY JOHNSON BOULEVARD, EXTENSION, WHICH WAS NOT PART OF THE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION.AND THEN IN DECEMBER, IT DOESN'T SHOW UP ON THIS REPORT, BUT NEXT TIME THE REPORT WILL REFLECT AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION ALLOCATION TO WOODWORTH BOULEVARD, GOLF WAY TO LAKE SHORE, UH, WHICH WAS NOT PART OF THE DISTRIBUTION, THE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION AS WELL.
SO JUST TO NOTE FOR NEXT TIME, UH, NEXT PAGE LINDSAY, WE HAVE THE STREETS SUMMARY EXPENSE 21.1 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT THROUGH NOVEMBER 30TH, LEAVING A BALANCE OF 41.5 MILLION OF WHICH 23 MILLION IS COMMITTED TO OPEN STREET PROJECTS.
AND THERE'S CURRENTLY 18.5 MILLION REMAINING TO BE ALLOCATED FROM YEAR ONE THROUGH FOUR, WHICH IS AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.
NEXT PAGE LINDSAY, WE HAVE THE OPEN STREET PROJECTS AS OF NOVEMBER 30TH, 35.3 MILLION HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR OPEN STREET PROJECTS.
12.3 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE LEAVING A BALANCE OF 23 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE OPEN PROJECTS.
NEXT PAGE, WE HAVE A GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS.
THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS IS 31.7 MILLION EXPENDITURES, TOTAL 44.1 MILLION WITH 27.6 MILLION REMAINING TO BE SPENT.
THIS DOES INCLUDE CITY FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS, TECHNOLOGY PURCHASE OF A POWER VEHICLE, PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS AND RECREATION PROJECTS.
NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, WE HAVE THE OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, DRAINAGE.
THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR JAMIE AGE IS 69.1 MILLION, WHICH IS PRIMARILY FUNDED BY FEMA AND MITIGATION, FEMA MITIGATION, GRANTS AND CDBG 5.4 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TODAY LEAVING A BALANCE OF 63.7 MILLION DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION BUDGET IS 5.1 MILLION PRIMARILY FOR PARKING LOT EXPANSION AND FIBER OPTICS IMPROVEMENTS.
3 MILLION WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH AN EDA GRANT.
173,000 HAS BEEN SPENT TODAY LEAVING A BALANCE OF 4.9 MILLION.
THE WATER UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE CURRENTLY BUDGETED AT 84.7 MILLION, PRIMARILY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT 8.4 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE WITH 76.3 MILLION REMAINING TO COMPLETE THE PROJECTS.
UH, PLEASURE ISLAND 590,000 HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR A BOAT LAUNCH AND PARKING LOT REPAIRS, WHICH IS PRIMARILY FUNDED BY THE TEXAS PARK, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE GRANT.
EDC PRESS BUILDING RENOVATION BUDGET AT 10.9 MILLION OF WHICH FOUR 7 MILLION IS FUNDED FROM EDA.
7.8 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT LEAVING AT BALANCE 3.1 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
UH, AND LAST ON THAT PAGE, WE HAVE THE ARP GRANT PROJECTS IN MARCH OF 2021.
THE CITY WAS AWARDED 26.6 MILLION, UH, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GRANT FUNDS.
UH, THE PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENTS AND RESPONDING TO ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF COVID-19 FOR THE PURPOSE, UH, PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND MAKE NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER, SEWER OR BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
SEVERAL PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE BUDGET TO BE FUNDED FROM ARP, WHICH INCLUDES 18 MILLION FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF 57 WATER MAINS.
AND THE NEXT PAGE, LINDSAY, UH, THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2021 CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
UH, THE PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE 32.9 MILLION, UH, IN CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION ISSUED IN 2021 INCLUDE STREET PROJECTS, DRAINAGE, PUMP STATIONS, ANIMAL SHELTER, NEW HEALTH BUILDING, RENOVATION AND WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.
46 POINT 465,000 HAS BEEN SPENT SO FAR LEAVING A BALANCE OF 32.4 MILLION IN THE LAST PAGE LINDSEY, WE HAVE A DISASTER UPDATE.
HURRICANE HARVEY, 30.6 MILLION HAS BEEN RECEIVED PRIMARILY FOR FEMA AND INSURANCE, 33.7 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES, UH, LEAVING $3.1 MILLION DEFICIT AT THIS TIME WITH PENDING REIMBURSEMENTS OF 73,000, WHICH WILL REDUCE THE DEFICIT TO 3 MILLION.
COVID-19 3 MILLION RECORDED IN REVENUES AND DONATIONS AND EXPENDITURES TO DATE TOTAL 3.5 MILLION HURRICANE LAURA 217,000 RECEIVED AN INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENTS THROUGH NOVEMBER AND 2.7 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES.
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THE CITY DOES CONTINUE TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CAPTURE AS MUCH FEDERAL ASSISTANCE AS POSSIBLE FOR ALL DISASTERS AND THAT SMALL LITTLE REPORT TODAY THAT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THEM.GOOD MORNING, MS. DANIELS, ERIC, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THEN I WOULD LIKE TO REFER YOU TO THE SOLID WASTE FUND PAGE.
UH, THINK IT WAS LAST MONTH THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE, WAS IT, UH, A SEPTEMBER, DECEMBER AND NOVEMBER.
WE HAD A RATE INCREASE THAT WE APPROVED AND THAT RATE INCREASE IS NOT REFLECTED HERE BECAUSE IT'S EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 1ST.
SO, UH, CONSIDERING EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW, WHAT I I WANT TO ASK IS WHAT ARE THE PROJECTED, UH, REVENUES TO BE GENERATED FROM THAT RATE INCREASE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR? I DON'T HAVE THAT WITH ME PRESENTLY, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO, UM, GET THAT TO YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.
I LIKE TO HAVE THAT PRETTY QUICKLY AND THEN I CAN GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.
AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH ALL THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, I'M GOING TO STREET SUMMARY, UH, SAID THERE WAS A $3 MILLION ALLOCATION THERE.
ARE YOU APPROVED IT AT, I BELIEVE THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING MEETING IN DECEMBER, UH, THERE WAS A $3 MILLION ALLOCATION FOR, IT WAS WOODWORTH.
WOODWORTH BOULEVARD, GOLF WAY TO LAKE SHORE.
THAT WILL NOT BE PART OF THE DISTRIBUTION.
SO THE, THIS, THIS WILL MAKE UP THE REST.
THERE'S 3.5 MILLION THAT CAME FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND THEN $10 MILLION IN, UM, BOND FUNDS TO FOUR STREETS.
SO YOU HAD ALREADY ALLOCATED 500,000 TO, UM, THE JIMMY JOHNSON BOULEVARD EXTENSION AND THIS APPROVED THE $3 MILLION, THE REST OF IT, WHICH IS $3 MILLION FOR, UM, WOODWORTH GOLF WAY TO LAKE SHORE.
AND JUST FOR CLARITY SAKE, THAT $3 MILLION IS COMING FROM WHERE IT WOULD BE.
UH, THE REST OF THE GENERAL FUNDS CONTRIBUTION THIS YEAR, THE GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTED THREE AND A HALF MILLION AND THEN BOND FUNDS CONTRIBUTED WILL BE MAKE UP THE $10 MILLION FUNDING SOURCE.
SO, UM, THIS WOULD BE THE COME FROM THE GENERAL FUNDS PORTION.
AND THERE IS ONE LAST QUESTION, UH, GO TO CAP CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, ON THE DOWNTOWN WE, THERE, THERE WAS, UH, A GRANT THAT, UH, WAS RECEIVED OR ARE WE QUALIFIED FOR, FOR A DOWNTOWN AREA? YES, SIR.
AND THE, THE AMOUNT OF THAT GRANT WAS, I BELIEVE IT'S $3 MILLION.
UM, I THERE'S SOME MEETINGS COMING UP ABOUT THAT, UM, THAT WE'LL HAVE, I'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON IT.
UH, WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE FUNDING YET, SO, OKAY.
WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THEIR FUNDING.
SO ON THIS CAP, SO RIGHT NOW ON THE SPREADSHEET THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US HERE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE ESTIMATED COST IS, UH, FOR THAT PARTICULAR LINE ITEM, IT'S 5 MILLION, $75,000.
AND THAT THE BALANCE IS FOR $4.9 MILLION.
SO IF WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED, WE'VE HAD SOME PRELIMINARY, UH, EXP WE'VE HAD SOME PRELIMINARY, UH, COST IN THERE AND IT WAS NOT ALL FUNDED FROM THE GRANT.
THERE IS SOME GENERAL FUND MONEY THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN THERE.
UH, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, SOME HAVE TO GET MY, UM, WAS THIS MONEY BECAUSE THE GRANT IS FOR 3 MILLION AND WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 5 MILLION THAT WE'VE ALLOCATED TO THE PROJECT.
SO SOME OF IT, SOME OF THE FUNDING, THE MATCH, PLUS SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WHAT IS THE MATCH FROM THE GENERAL FUND? IT WASN'T PUT IN THIS YEAR, IT WAS 700.
THE GRANT IS $3 MILLION FOR FIBER OPTICS IS THE SAME MONEY THAT THE EDA GRANT THAT THE CITY APPLIED FOR FOR FIBER OPTICS, THE GRANT IS $3 MILLION.
[00:25:01]
THE CITY'S MATCHES $700,000.THERE'S A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THAT AS WELL.
AND I'M JUST TRYING, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET CLEAR BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE IS THE ESTIMATED COST 5 MILLION, RIGHT? TH THERE IS SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WAS PUT IN FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK, IT WAS IN A PREVIOUS YEAR, BUT IT'S BEEN SET ASIDE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
I CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT YEAR IT WAS PUT IN.
I CAN, I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU YEARS.
WHAT BUDGET, WHAT BUDGET YEARS DID THOSE MONIES COME FROM? OKAY.
AND THAT WOULD BE SEPARATE FROM THE FIBER OPTICS.
IT'S JUST KIND OF LUMPED TOGETHER IN THIS SUMMARY.
I'M TRYING TO BE MORE SPECIFIC EXACTLY WHERE, WHERE, WHERE THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM.
DID I HEAR YOUR DIRECTOR STATE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY IN HAND WITH THE FIBER OPERATIVE, UH, PROJECT? WE DO NOT, BUT WE HAVE ACCESS TO IT NOW, ED GOT IT.
BUT DO WE HAVE IT IN HOUSE? NO, IT'S A GRANT.
DO WE HAVE NO, THE GO FORWARD TO DO THE PROJECTS.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO ASK.
DO WE HAVE, IT'S A REIMBURSABLE GRANT.
IT'S THE REIMBURSABLE GRANT TO SPEND THE MONEY AND IT'S BEEN REIMBURSED.
SO WE GOT THE GREEN LIGHT TO SPEND THE MONEY.
IN OTHER WORDS, I'M GOING TO GO RIGHT BACK TO WHAT I WAS ASKING.
DO WE HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO GO AND SPEND THE MONEY AND GET REIMBURSED AT A LATER DATE TIME? OKAY.
UH, MAYOR PROCURE AND FRANK, YOUR LIGHT IS ON.
UM, GOOD MORNING, MS. DANIELS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS, UH, LOOKING AT, I WAS TRYING TO FIND THE, UM, I WAS LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE OCTOBER, UH, REPORT UNDER THE STREET SUMMARY AND TRYING TO SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENTIAL, THE DIFFERENTIALS WERE BETWEEN OCTOBER AND, UH, NOVEMBER.
UH, WHEN WE LEFT LAST YEAR, UH, WE WERE REALLY, UH, PRESSING ABOUT STREETS AND GETTING THOSE FIXED.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD SHARED WITH THE CITY MANAGER WAS THAT WAS THAT WE WANTED, UH, THOSE, UH, THOSE STREETS TO HAVE PROJECTS EXPEDITED.
AND SO I WANTED TO FIND OUT, UH, MRS. CITY MANAGER, HAVE WE CONTRACTUALLY, UH, BEGUN TO ENTER INTO THOSE AGREEMENTS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ON THIS, UM, ON THIS AGENDA, ANY, UM, ANY CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS OR RESOLUTIONS FOR STREETS, UH, TO, WITH, WITH, UH, WITH CONTRACTORS OR WITH, WITH BUSINESSES.
SO ARE WE, ARE WE STILL, UM, PRESSING FORWARD WITH THAT EVEN NOW, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE MUCH MOVEMENT BETWEEN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER OF MONEY BEING SPENT ON STREETS.
IT'S THE ANSWER IS YES, WE ARE.
WE ARE IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS RIGHT NOW, THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THERE'S 116 STREETS THAT HAS BEEN LOOKED AT THE SPA.
AND WE ARE IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS RIGHT NOW, WORKING WITH THE, UM, WITH THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE ALL THE DOCUMENTS WILL BE PREPARED OVER THE NEXT 60 TO 90 DAYS.
SO THAT COME THE 1ST OF APRIL, WE WOULD HAVE SELECTED ALL THE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE AND WE WOULD HAVE DIVVIED UP PROJECTS INTO REHAB RECONSTRUCTION AND THOSE THAT ARE TO BE ON THE TICKET AND BY THE STREETS DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, WORKING ON THOSE.
CAUSE I KNOW WE, WE W WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE DON'T DO STREETS DURING THE WINTER, BUT WE MAKE OUR PREPARATIONS DURING THE WINTER.
AND I JUST WANT TO BE SURE FROM THAT, APART FROM THAT, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THE IN-HOUSE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE MOST OF YOU ALWAYS SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA THERE A, UM, UM, A LIST OF STREETS THAT ARE BEING, UM, ASPHALTED RIGHT NOW IN ONE OR TWO DISTRICTS, THAT'S PART OF THE IN-HOUSE PROGRAM THAT IS BEING DONE.
AND EVEN AS WE HAVE GOOD WEATHER RIGHT NOW, IN, IN, IN THE WINTER SEASON, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, THE AUSTIN AVENUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN COMPLETED RIGHT NOW IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.
SO IT MEANS THAT WE ARE MOVING DILIGENTLY ON THE PROJECTS, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE WEATHER SITUATION.
ANYONE ELSE, IF I COULD JUST INTERJECT HERE FOR A SECOND? UH, I DID GET THE ANSWER FOR COUNCILMAN MARKS ON THE, UH, AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WOULD GENERATE BE GENERATED FROM THE RESIDENTIAL RATE INCREASE IS 641,000 PER YEAR IS,
[00:30:01]
UH, WHAT THE ESTIMATED, UH, INCREASE, UH, WILL GENERATE DR.BUT ONE MORE QUESTION, IF I MAY THANK YOU.
UH, I KNOW THAT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLEASURE ISLAND FUND, AND MAYBE I'M OUT OF ORDER AND ASKING THIS QUESTION, THE BOAT RAMP ON PLEASURE ISLAND, MR. CITY MANAGER.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE? I MEAN, DOES THAT, THAT DOESN'T COME.
UM, AND WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT ONE? AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE MAYOR AND I HAVE A MEETING AT THREE O'CLOCK TODAY WITH THE COUNTY JUDGE.
WOULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOU'RE LIKE? OKAY.
OKAY, GOOD TO SEE THAT YOUR NAME CLEARED AND I DIDN'T KNOW, STILL ON YOUR HOMEWORK.
I BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS ALREADY SPOKEN AND GOTTEN CLARIFICATION ON WHAT THEY NEEDED.
NEXT WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION
[III.B.2. A Presentation By Staff Regarding Vacant Positions]
BY STAFF REGARDING, UH, VACANT POSITIONS.MAYOR COUNCIL, STAFF, AND CITIZENS.
UM, OF COURSE, FILLING JOB VACANCIES, UM, WITHIN DEPARTMENTS IS, IS TOP PRIORITY FOR, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES BASED ON OUR LAST VACANCY REPORT.
GIVEN ON OCTOBER THE 12TH, THE VACANCY LIST HAS STAYED CONSISTENT IN NUMBER THE LAST VACANCY LISTS YIELDED APPROXIMATELY 40.
THE LAST VACANCY REPORT YIELDED APPROXIMATELY 42 POSITIONS AND IT REMAINS AT 42 TODAY.
THIS NUMBER MAY FLUCTUATE WITH TERMINATIONS, RETIREMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS.
UM, NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, UM, ON THIS PAGE, YOU'LL SEE A COMPARISON FROM OCTOBER OF 2021 TO JANUARY OF 2022.
UM, THE REDUCTION FROM UTILITY OPERATIONS, THE NUMBER WAS REDUCED BY THREE IN PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, THE NUMBER REMAINED THE SAME PARKS AND RECREATION.
UH, THE NUMBER WAS REDUCED FROM FOUR TO ONE AND ALL OTHER, UM, THE VACANCIES, THE LISTINGS WERE REDUCED BY 13 NEXT PATIENT NANCY.
WE DID HAVE A NUMBER OF, UM, TERMINATIONS, UM, FROM OUR LAST PRESENTATION, THERE WAS ACTUALLY FOUR OF THEM.
UM, THERE WAS FOUR RESIGNATIONS AND THERE WERE SEVERAL RETIREMENTS AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE SOME RETIREMENTS THAT ARE IN THE WORKS.
I AM WORKING ON, UM, PRODUCING A REPORT TO YOU ALL IN THE NEXT QUARTER THAT WILL HAVE, UM, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS WHO HAVE APPLIED THE NUMBER OF NEW HIRES AND TERMINATIONS, RESIGNATIONS, AND RETIREMENTS, UH, GRIEVANCES AND APPEALS, CIVIL SERVICE INFORMATION, DIFFERENT TRAININGS THAT WE'RE OFFERING THIS QUARTER SAFETY MEETINGS AND INFORMATION OR ACCIDENT REVIEW BOARD AS WELL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? CLOSE FRIENDS.
GO AHEAD AND POINT TO THE BIGGEST HISTORY YOU SAID.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY IN PUBLIC WORKS? UH, 17 AT THE MOMENT.
AND THAT'S PUBLIC WORKS AS A WHOLE, NOT JUST ONE DIVISION.
SO YOU SEE THE LAST REPORT YOU GAVE WAS OCTOBER 17TH, OCTOBER, OCTOBER 12TH, TO 2021.
FOUR MONTHS WALK TO BASIS STEEL WIRE TO HAVE A FOUR MONTH.
WE'VE HAD SOME NEW HIRES, BUT WE'VE ALSO HAD INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE TERMINATED, RESIGNED OR RETIRED.
SO IT KEPT THE NUMBER CONSISTENT AND 17 IN THE WORKS.
UH, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, UH, ON LAST, MAYBE IT WAS EIGHT, NINE MONTHS AGO.
WE WERE DISCUSSING ABOUT THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND REWRITING THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS ON SOME OF THOSE JOBS.
SO WE CAN FEEL SOME OF THOSE JOBS.
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HAVE WE GOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO FEEL SOME OF THOSE LOW LEVEL JOBS BECAUSE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION POST WE'VE HAD, WE'VE CHANGED QUITE A FEW OF THOSE, ESPECIALLY IN, UM, LIKE DRAINAGE.THERE'S A COUPLE OF WATER WHERE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A CDL, BUT WE'RE GIVING THEM SIX MONTHS TO OBTAIN THE CDL.
AND WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU POSE RIGHT NOW IS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE THAT ARE PREVENTING TO GET EMPLOYMENT RIGHT NOW WITH THE LOW LEVEL JOBS? THAT'S THE QUESTION.
I KNOW IT'S A MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION, PEOPLE THAT ARE APPLYING, WE DO, UM, IT'S JUST UP TO THE DEPARTMENTS TO, YOU KNOW, GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO US SO THAT WE CAN FILL THESE POSITIONS AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US.
I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED THAT THE DEPARTMENTS WERE KIND OF SLOW IN GETTING THAT INFORMATION TO YOUR DEPARTMENT, TO PROCESS THESE INDIVIDUALS, TO GET THEM HIRED.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ME PERSONALLY, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING THING THAT, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, THAT'S BEEN A PROBLEM.
SO THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US AND THEY HAVE GOTTEN A LOT BETTER BECAUSE ONCE WE SEND THE INFORMATION OVER FOR THEM TO REVIEW, WE ONLY GIVE THEM 48 HOURS TO REVIEW THAT INFORMATION, TO SEE WHO THEY WANT TO INTERVIEW.
SO THEY HAVE BEEN COMPLIANT WITH THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DON'T THE ON HR DEPARTMENTS? GO AHEAD AND TURN YOURS ON CITY MANAGER.
OH, SHE, THE SECRETARY TO CHECK ON HER SOMETHING.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S BETTER NOW.
UM, EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE CITY, THERE ARE TWO MAIN CONCERNS AND THERE ARE TWO MAIN CHALLENGES.
A LOT OF THE APPLICANTS CANNOT PASS THE DRUG TEST.
NUMBER ONE, YOU MAY HAVE 10 APPLICANTS OR A JOB, YOU KNOW, AND NONE OF THEM PASS THE DRUG.
THIS TWO IS THE RAP SHEET THAT THEY HAVE.
I WAS JUST DEALING WITH A POSITION YESTERDAY, A CRITICAL POSITION TO BE FILLED IN.
AND EVERY APPLICANT THAT I HAD HAD A RAP SHEET OF 45 SHEETS OF PEOPLE, BOTH FELONIES AND OTHERWISE.
SO THAT IS PART OF THE PROBLEM IN DEALING WITH THESE POSITIONS.
NOW I'VE INSTRUCTED THE STAFF IN SPITE OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S RAP SHEET.
I'M NOT GOING TO EMPLOY SOME BODY X, FOR EXAMPLE, AS A CASHEW WHO HAS A 45 PAGE RAP SHEETS WHO HAS DEALT WITH FRAUDULENT CHECKS AND MONEY CONSUMED? NO, BUT I CAN CONSIDER THE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS A CERTAIN STYLE.
I CAN CONSIDER THAT SAME INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE EVERYBODY NEEDS REDEMPTION, YOU KNOW, TO SERVE IN A CAPACITY WHERE HE DOES NOT HAVE TO, HE OR SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO HANDLE MONEY.
SO IS PART OF THE CHALLENGE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH IS THE CITY SECRETARY.
MAY I ASK HIM EVEN WITH HR, UH, THE PROGRAM THAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD THAT DEALT WITH, UH, ASSISTING SOME FOLK WHO HAD BEEN RECIDIVIST, WHO HAD SOME LEGAL PROBLEMS, BUT MORE AND MORE, MORE, MORE SUCCINCTLY IN, IN THE CRIMINAL LAW AREA.
ARE WE STILL INVOLVED IN THAT PROGRAM THAT WILL HELP WE HAD SOME SUCCESS WITH THAT, UH, PROGRAM? I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WAS REALLY A PROGRAM THAT WE HAD.
THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR JUST WORKED WITH INDIVIDUALS, WHICH WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS NOW.
UM, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY HAVE ON THEIR BACKGROUND AND WHERE WE WANT TO PLACE THEM AT AT THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE HR DEPARTMENT TO BE FLEXIBLE AS FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED.
AND EVEN I WANT TO PLAY A VERY CRITICAL PART IN THAT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK EVERY INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE WRITTEN OFF.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REDEMPTION AS FAR AS INDIVIDUALS ARE CONCERNED.
AND PART OF THE REDEMPTION PROCESS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THEM WITH GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE COUNSELING, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A CITIZEN OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
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WOULD IMAGINE.HE WAS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT REAL CLEARLY, BUT WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE EMPLOYED BY THE CITY.
NOW I HAVE DONE THEM TIME IN JAIL OR PRISON.
AM I RIGHT? THAT AGAIN, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR US RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE DONE TIME IN JAIL OR PRISON.
AM I RIGHT? THERE IS A POSSIBILITY.
I, YEAH, WELL, I KNOW, I KNOW OF SOME SO.
AND, UH, WE HAVE 17 BIGGEST IS IT PROBABLY WORKS.
THEY WON'T BE HAVING NO MONEY.
THEY'LL BE HAVING SHOVELS AND CUTTING GRASS, LIKE THE DUDE IN PRISON, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN FEEL SOME REPUBLIC WORK POSITIONS WITH PEOPLE THAT, THAT NEED A SECOND CHANCE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THEM WON'T BEHIND THE CASH MONEY.
SO LET'S, LET'S GIVE THEM A CHANCE, JUST GET THE POSITION FEEL CONFIDENT.
BUT YOU STAYED WITH THAT STICK.
DIDN'T ME PUTTING SOMETHING IN ACTION AND PUTTING PEOPLE AT WORK.
I'M TIRED, ALL, ALL THE STATEMENTS I'M TRYING TO COME UP HERE TO SEE THE HALL, AND THEN WE JUST TALK ABOUT THINGS AND I'M READY TO SEE SOME ACTION, MR. PETER, MOVE IT, YOU KNOW, NOTHING PERSONAL, BUT YOU KNOW, WE DISCUSSED A LOT OF THINGS FOR SAM TO MOVE ON FROM HIS THINGS, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET PEOPLE JOBS AND NOT WELL, AND MAYBE WE'LL TAKE A SECOND TO GET TERMINATIONS.
MAYBE SOME PEOPLE COULD'VE BEEN SAVED, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA TELL THEM TO EAT THEM.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S TAKING THE JOB.
SO LET ME JUST LOOK AT THE WHOLE SCOPE OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, LET'S LOOK, LET'S TAKE A BIG LOOK AT IT.
UM, TAMIKA, IF YOU DON'T MIND AND YOU GIVE ME A PERCENTAGE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT, UM, ARE THE DRUG TEST AND THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS THAT DATA SHOULD BE AVAILABLE.
AND SO WE CAN SEE THE NUMBERS, UM, TO THE WHOLE COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN SEE ON A SCALE OF THOSE GUYS THAT ARE GOING, OR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, NOT GUYS, BUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GOING TO WORK.
UM, LET'S LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF THOSE THAT ARE FAILING THE DRUG TESTS AND THE DRUGS THAT ARE BEING USED, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING I KNOW THAT, UM, THOSE REPORTS GENERATE IF THEY'RE FAILING FOR MARIJUANA OR FOR, UH, THE 10 DRUGS, THOSE 10 DRUGS.
SO, UH, COUNSEL MORMON NOW, MOSES, THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO GET THAT INFORMATION SINCE IT WAS STATED ALSO WITH, UH, HAVING A RAP SHEET LIKE, UH, THE COUNCIL, THE CITY MANAGER STATED, WOULD THAT PREVENT SOMEBODY ACTUALLY FROM GETTING EMPLOYED OR DID DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION AND IF I'M NOT CERTAIN, THEN I, UH, I SENT IT TO LEGAL AND THEN THEY TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
SO IT'S MORE THAN ONE, YOU KNOW, SET OF EYES ON IT TO MAKE A DECISION.
AND THIRD, UM, APPLICANTS THAT APPLY FOR THE CITY.
IF THEY DON'T GET HIRED IN A CERTAIN POSITION, DO YOU GUYS KEEP THEM IN A POOL, UH, OR SOME TYPE OF, AND I DON'T KNOW YOUR PROCEDURE, BUT KEEP THEM IN.
THEN IF IT'S SOMETHING ELSE AVAILABLE, BECAUSE WITH OUR NEW SETUP, THE TIMS, UM, APPLICANT THAT WE USE NOW, IF THEY APPLY FOR ONE POSITION, UM, AND ANOTHER, AND THEY'RE INTERESTED IN ANOTHER, THEY HAVE TO COMPLETE A APPLICATION FOR EACH ONE.
SO WE'LL HAVE AN APPLICATION FOR WHATEVER THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, BUT WE DO KEEP, BUT THE APPLICATION STAYS ON FILE FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF YEARS.
ANY OTHER INDICATORS FOR, HOW WOULD IT DRIVE? THERE'S NO ADDED TO THIS, WHAT WE DO AS WELL.
IF WE DO INTERVIEWS FOR ONE POSITION AND THAT APPLICANTS FITS IN ANOTHER POSITION, WE WOULD CALL THAT APP THAT EVEN IF THAT APPLICANT WASN'T SUCCESSFUL, WE WOULD CALL THAT APPLICANT BACK AND INFORM THEM THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER POSITION THAT'S AVAILABLE WITHIN THAT SAME DEPARTMENT AND OFFER THEM THAT POSITION AS WELL, AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THE SKILL AND THE KNOWLEDGE CRITERIA FOR THAT JOB.
I'LL GET THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL ARE REQUESTING.
OKAY, NOW WE'LL MOVE TO, UH, WE HAVE NO EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION.
NEITHER DO WE HAVE ANY CORRESPONDENCE? WE MOVED TO THE DISCUSSION PORTION, GIVES ME ALL THE, UH, AGENDA.
[III.E.1. A Brief Overview By Mayor Bartie Regarding The International Conference Of Shopping Centers, Per Pursuant To 78-269( b) ( 9) Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of Port Arthur( Ordinance No. 18- 63)]
HAVE A BRIEF, UH, OLD VIEW BY A MAILBOX REGARDING THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SHOPPING CENTERS.AND THIS IS PURSUANT TO SEVEN EIGHT DASH 2 6 9, SUBSECTION B SUBSECTION NINE OF THE CODE OF AUDIT INCHES OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND IT AUGMENTS NUMBER 18 DASH 63.
AND, UH, IN DECEMBER I DID ATTEND THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SHOPPING CENTERS THAT WAS HAILED IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA,
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AND, UH, AT, AT THE CONFERENCE, IT ACTUALLY DEALS WITH, UH, SHOPPING CENTER REAL ESTATE.AND, UH, THERE ARE TWO CONFERENCES THAT YOU WOULD FIND OUT THAT THIS GROUP HAS, UH, EACH YEAR AND SHE'S BEEN, AND I THINK THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR PROBABLY SENSITIVE, UH, IT, THAT THEY HAD DECIDED TO HAVE AN IN-PERSON MEETING.
AND I WAS INFORMED OF THE MEETING AND, UH, THOUGHT IT WAS NECESSARY THAT WE WOULD HAVE SOME FORM OF REPRESENTATION THERE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW, UH, SHOPPING CENTERS, AS WE KNOW THEM IS ALMOST A GUY IN TYPE OF A SITUATION.
AND WHEN I'M SAYING TO DIE AND TYPE SITUATION, MOST CITIES, I LIKE I WILL SEE, UH, THAT THEY DEPEND ON THE, UH, TAX REVENUE, THAT SALES TAX REVENUE FOR SHOE AS GENERATED FROM, UH, PURCHASES THAT ARE MADE WITHIN THOSE, UH, RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS.
AND SO WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE OFFERING THE BEST POSSIBLE, UH, SOLUTIONS TO, UH, RETAIL, SHOPPING TO CITIZENS, UH, FROM PORT AUTHOR AND CITIZENS FROM THE SURROUNDING AREAS, BECAUSE THEY DO COME FROM OTHER AREAS TO MAKE PURCHASES AT STORES THAT ARE ATTRACTIVE TO THEM.
SOME OF IT, I DIDN'T KNOW PRIOR TO GOING THERE, BUT I FOUND OUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR A CITY TO BE INVOLVED IN IT, UH, IN THIS, UH, AND I HAD SPOKEN WITH OUR PRESENT, UH, EDC DIRECTOR ABOUT IT, AND IT DIDN'T FIT IN HIS SCHEDULE TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
BUT, UH, I DID FIND OUT HOW THE EDC, UH, CONCEPT IS ACTUALLY INTERTWINED WITH THIS, UH, INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SHOPPING CENTERS AND BECAUSE IT THERE TO ATTRACT RETAILERS AND TODAY ACTUALLY ATTRACT, UH, FRANCHISEES AND FRANCHISORS, UH, UH, FRANCHISEE, EXCUSE ME, UH, TO ACTUALLY LOCATE WITHIN YOUR PARTICULAR JURISDICTIONS IN YOUR CITIES.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, OR I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH, UH, MORE THAN 10 DIFFERENT, UH, RETAILERS AND FRANCHISEES.
UH, TALK ABOUT OUR CITY, UH, UH, UH, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT OUR WALKING FOR CONSIDERATION.
I HAVEN'T AT THIS PARTICULAR MEETING, THIS MEETING DEALT MORE WITH THE REAL ESTATE SIDE OF THE SHOPPING CENTERS INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY LOCATED BECAUSE MANY OF THE RETAILERS WHO ACTUALLY HANDLED TEXAS, UH, THEY WILL BE AT THE FOLLOWING MEETING UP BECAUSE ANOTHER MEETING IN MAY, ALSO, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT, UH, CONTRARY TO MAYBE TO WHAT INFORMATION THAT HAD BEEN DISSEMINATED OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT PREVIOUS CITY MANAGERS HAVE ACTUALLY ATTENDED.
IT HAS BEEN, UH, A BUDGETED ITEM WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY MANAGERS PREVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PARTICULAR, UH, THESE MEETINGS.
UH, THE MEETINGS ARE VERY, VERY MUCH NEEDED WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE SITUATION THAT WE HAVE.
I HAVE, I DID SEE IT, UH, THIS TIME ON IT.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF CARS IN OUR MALL DURING THE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING CHRISTMAS SEASON, I GUESS, ANOTHER MONTH OR SO WE'LL KNOW FROM SALES TAX, HOW SUCCESSFUL WE ARE WITH THAT.
BUT WHAT WE WANT TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT IF WE ARE NOT BROUGHT UP TO DATE AS TO HOW SHOPPING CENTERS, UH, ARE, UH, W HOW THEY'RE MOVING TOWARD, UH, THE, NOT THE BIG MALLS THAT WE HAVE, THEY'RE MOVING MORE TOWARD, UH, AND THIS CONVERSATION THAT I DID HAVE, I DON'T HAVE ANY EMPIRICAL DATA TO SHOW YOU, BUT CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT I SPOKE WITH OUT THERE, THESE PREMIUM WALLS AND OUTLET MALLS THAT YOU ACTUALLY SEE AT SOME OF US SHOPPING, IT WILL BE GO TO DIFFERENT CITIES IS THE ACTUAL MOVE IN THE UNITED STATES AS TO WHAT'S COMING NEXT, YOU KNOW, SO THEY COULD BE SOMETHING THAT, BUT WHAT I'VE ALSO FOUND OUT, AND MAYBE SEVERAL OF YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW THAT IN MANY CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, THE ACTUAL MUNICIPALITIES ARE THE CITIES OWN THE SHOPPING CENTERS.
SO THAT'S WHY THE REAL ESTATE PART OF IT IS REAL BIG IN THIS ORGANIZATION.
AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW, IF THE CITY WANTS TO SELL IT OUT, I SEE ALL THEIR RIGHTS AND DO DIFFERENT TYPE THINGS.
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER MEETING.
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UH, UH, ASSISTANCE IN A MANAGER, SCOTT OR MORE ABOUT IT BECAUSE, UH, I THINK IT MAY, AND HE WAS INFORMED.HE, UH, KNOWLEDGEABLE OF IT FROM HIS PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PULLED OFF AND MAY WANT TO LOOK INTO AND BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE SOME REPRESENTATION.
UH, IF IT'S NOT ME, SOMEONE OFF THE COUNCIL, ALL MYSELF WITH COUNCIL PRICES AND EDC AT THESE MEETINGS BECAUSE OF DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SHOPPING AND RETAIL AT MEETINGS LIKE THIS.
THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU IS THAT I TENDED ALSO WHILE I WAS THERE A CONSORTIUM OF TEXAS MAYORS WHO DEALT WITH TOPICS THAT DEALT WITH EDC WITH SHOPPING CENTERS AND WITH RETAILERS.
AND AT THAT MEETING ON THAT MORNING, AFTER ABOUT A THREE OR FOUR HOUR TOGETHER, UH, I GAINED SOME GREAT INFORMATION ON THOSE TOPICS FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND OTHER MAYORS WHO SERVE HERE IN THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WE PLAN TO MEET AGAIN AT THE NEXT MEETING IN MAY, AND, UH, SOME OTHER TIME, UH, DURING THIS YEAR, ACCORDING TO HOW COLBY HAD DEALS, BUT INFORMATION AND DISCUSSIONS WITH MAYORS, CITY MANAGERS AND, UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AT THIS CONSORTIUM, ALL THAT I ATTENDED WHEN I, WHEN I WAS OUT IN LAS VEGAS.
AND SO THAT'S THE, JUST OF WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED AT THAT PARTICULAR MEETING.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHERS, BUT LIKE, THAT'S THE QUESTION ABOUT ANYTHING? OKAY.
SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, MY PRESENTATION ON THIS IS GOOD.
[III.E.2. A Discussion Regarding Garbage Pick- Up ( Requested By Councilmembers Holmes And Jones)]
NOW WE WILL MOVE TO A DISCUSSION REGARDING GARBAGE PICKUP.AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, HOMES AND JONES.
AGAIN, YOU GOING TO GO RIGHT AHEAD AGAIN.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR REQUESTING THIS PRESENTATION.
A LOT OF THE INFORMATION YOU'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO TODAY, EVERY ONE OF YOU IS ALREADY VERY FAMILIAR WITH BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE STAYING ON TOP OF THIS SUBJECT.
AND YOU'RE ENGAGING WITH THE CITY MANAGER ON A DAILY BASIS ON WHAT THESE CHALLENGES ARE AND WHAT THE SOLUTIONS WE'RE IMPLEMENTING ARE.
BUT THIS PRESENTATION, I BELIEVE IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITIZENS, BECAUSE WE ARE TRANSFERRING THAT SAME INFORMATION YOU ARE GETTING TO THEM DIRECTLY.
SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS GARBAGE SITUATION IN TERMS OF COLLECTING GARBAGE AND HEAVY TRASH HAS BECOME A NATIONAL CHALLENGE TO MANY CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE DRIVING THIS CRISIS.
ONE, THE AVAILABILITY OF PARTS FOR TRUCKS THAT ARE BREAKING DOWN THERE IS A HUGE DEMAND ON THESE PARTS.
AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS NOT PROVIDING IN A TIMELY MANNER AND TO THE WORKFORCE SHORTAGE THAT IS CAUSED BY COVID.
THAT IS FORCING EMPLOYEES TO QUARANTINE UP TO 14 DAYS.
NOT ONLY THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE INFECTED BY COVID, BUT ALSO ALL EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH THEM AS WELL.
SOME OF THE CITIES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THESE CHANNEL CHALLENGES ARE LIKE HUNTSVILLE.
THEY'RE HAVING TO CHANGE THEIR SCHEDULES, UH, STOP PICKING UP THEIR RECYCLING MATERIALS, CONVERTING THESE TRUCKS INTO GARBAGE COLLECTIONS.
UH, OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING FOR RENTING TRUCKS.
UH, SOME CITIES HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR FLEET DOWN AND ARE STRUGGLING, UH, TO MAINTAIN THEIR SCHEDULES AND GET PICK UP THE GARBAGE.
SO WHAT ARE OUR CHALLENGES, UH, AT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, ONE MORE LINDSEY.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT GARBAGE TRUCKS, THE CITY PURCHASED SEVEN NEW GARBAGE TRUCKS.
IN 2018, WE HAVE TWO MORE NODES TO COMPLETE THE PAYMENTS ON THESE TRUCKS OF $2.6 MILLION TOTAL.
AND WE ALSO HAVE FIVE OLDER TRUCKS.
SO WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 12 GARBAGE TRUCKS.
AND THIS TYPE OF CHALLENGE IS NOT NEW TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND THAT'S WHY WHEN THESE NEW TRUCKS WERE PURCHASED, WE DID NOT DISPOSE
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OF THE OTHER DRUGS THAT COULD STAY IN THE FLEET.AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 12 TRUCKS.
SO IF ANY TRUCKS GO DOWN, WE WILL STILL BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR ROUTES AND KEEP THE SCHEDULE OF PICKUP FOR FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
SO THE ROUTES THAT WE HAVE ARE SEVEN ROUTES ON MONDAY, YOU SEE EIGHT OF THEM BECAUSE ONE OF THESE TRUCKS IS PICKING UP THEIR ROUTE AS WELL AS THE DEAD END STREET ROUTES.
SO IF WE HAVE SEVEN TRUCKS FUNCTIONING, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE GARBAGE ON A FOUR DAY SCHEDULE.
THE CHALLENGE IS, DO WE HAVE THESE TRUCKS FUNCTIONING EVERY DAY? IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDES, THIS WAS UPDATED ON SATURDAY.
SO AS OF SATURDAY, WE HAD FIVE TRUCKS THAT WERE RUNNING OUT OF THE 12 MONDAY.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET THREE TRUCKS BACK ON THE FLEET.
AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE THE SHOPS THAT HAVE THESE TRUCKS DIDN'T DELIVER, AND SOME OF THE PARTS WERE SUPPOSED TO COME IN, DIDN'T COME IN.
AND THIS IS THE CHALLENGE WE ARE FACING.
THESE FOLKS ARE SUPPOSED TO MEET THOSE DEADLINES FOR REPAIRS AND DELIVERY OF PARTS, BUT THEY'RE NOT MEETING THEM AS WELL.
FIVE TRUCKS IS NOT A BAD SITUATION FOR US BECAUSE ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A FOUR-DAY SCHEDULE, IF I HAVE FIVE TRUCKS FUNCTIONING, I WILL STILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE GARBAGE BY WORKING SIX OR SEVEN DAY WEEK.
SO ALTHOUGH YOUR SCHEDULED GARBAGE SUPPOSED TO BE SAY WEDNESDAY, AND WE DO NOT GET IT, DO IT ON WEDNESDAY.
CAUSE I HAVE TWO TRUCKS DOWN BEFORE THE END OF THE WEEK, WE WILL STILL BE ABLE TO PICK UP THAT GARBAGE AND GO BACK TO THE CYCLE AGAIN ON MONDAY.
BUT WHEN WE HAVE ONLY TWO TRUCKS THAT ARE RUNNING OR THREE TRUCKS THAT ARE RUN IN LIKE LAST WEEK AND THE LAST FEW WEEKS, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND PICK UP THE GARBAGE ON A WEEKLY BASIS AT MY PLACE.
MY GUARD IS SUPPOSED TO BE PICKED UP ON THURSDAY.
THE LAST TWO WEEKS IT WAS PICKED UP ON SUNDAY.
SO I STILL GOT THAT ONE WEEK PICK UP, BUT WE DO HAVE CHALLENGES IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THE GARBAGE WENT UP WITHOUT PICKUP FOR TWO WEEKS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARD.
AND WE ARE TAKING A LOT OF NEW MEASURES TO PREVENT US FROM ONLY HAVING TWO OR THREE TRUCKS RUNNING AT LEAST HAVE ENOUGH TRUCKS RUNNING ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
SO EVERYBODY'S GARBAGE IS PICKED UP AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT NOT BE ON A SCHEDULE.
THE UPDATE I GOT TODAY ON THESE TRUCKS UNIT 2190 HAS BEEN REPAIRED SHOULD BE BACK ON THE SCHEDULE TOMORROW.
SO THAT WILL GIVE US SIX OF OUR TRUCKS THAT ARE RUNNING UNIT 2191 PARTS.
SO THAT IS NOT COMPLETED UNITS 2194 AND 2195 PARTS DID NOT COME IN.
SO THEY WERE NOT COMPLETED YESTERDAY.
AND THOSE UNITS WITH A D F UH, SYSTEM, WHICH STANDS FOR DIESEL EXHAUST FUEL IS AN ISSUE WITH A LOT OF CITIES THAT ARE PURCHASING THESE TRUCKS WITH THESE DAF SYSTEMS. THEY ARE FAILING ON A REGULAR BASIS AND, UH, IT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR US BECAUSE WE FIXED THEM.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH FLEET TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO WITH THOSE.
BUT IN THE MORNING FROM OUR OWN TRUCKS, WE WILL HAVE SIX OPERATING TRUCKS, UH, WHICH IS A REALLY GOOD THING.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT IN THE LAST TWO TO THREE WEEKS AND IT'S GOING TO HELP US GET BACK ON SCHEDULE.
AS OF TODAY, WE ARE ON TUESDAY AND WE ARE PICKING UP LAST WEEK'S THURSDAY, UH, TRASH.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO COMPLETE THAT THURSDAY SCHEDULE TODAY AND IN THE SOLUTIONS, I'LL SHOW YOU HOW WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO MORROW TO THE MONDAY SCHEDULE.
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WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH SATURDAY OR EVEN SUNDAY IF NEED BE TO GET BACK ON THE SCHEDULE.SO NEXT WEEK ON MONDAY, WE WILL BE BACK ON THE REGULAR ROUTE AND REGULAR SCHEDULE.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE HEAVY TRASH, WE HAVE EIGHT TRUCKS AND THAT ARE THE LARGE TRUCKS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE TWO SMALLER TRUCKS THAT WE USE IN THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS WITH A SMALLER, UH, W UH, STREETS.
AND THESE DRUGS HAVE TO OPERATE ON SIX ROUTES.
SO AS LONG AS I HAVE SIX TRUCKS OPERATING, WE CAN KEEP THIS ON SCHEDULE FROM SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE ON THESE TRUCKS, 31 MORE.
SO AS OF SATURDAY, I DO HAVE SIX OF THE BIG TRUCKS RUNNING.
SO HEAVY TRASH IS ONLY ONE DAY BEHIND SCHEDULE, BUT THIS MORNING WE ONLY CAN RUN FIVE OF THE SIX TRUCKS BECAUSE TWO OF THE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID YESTERDAY.
SO WE COULD NOT MAN THAT SIXTH TRUCK, UH, BUT HEAVY TRASH IS DOING GOOD AT THIS TIME OVERALL.
UH, IT'S NOT THE SEASON WHERE CITIZENS GO OUT AND PUT A LOT OF GARBAGE AND THREE LANES AND, UH, DO SUMMER CLEANING.
SO WE ARE ABLE TO MAINTAIN, UH, THE PACE ON, ON HEAVY TRASH.
OUR NEXT CHALLENGE AS A CITY, OUR EMPLOYEES WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 38 AUTHORIZED POSITIONS BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION TRASH, RESIDENTIAL, THE CONTAINER COMMERCIAL OUT OF THESE 38 POSITIONS.
WE ONLY HAVE 30, UH, FILLED POSITIONS.
WE HAVE EIGHT VACANCIES, 15 OF THESE POSITIONS IN THE LAST YEAR EXPERIENCED COVID, THAT'S 50% OF OUR WORKFORCE.
AND WHEN WE SAY 15 EMPLOYEES HAD COVID, IT DOESN'T MEAN ONLY THESE 15 EMPLOYEES HAD TO BE QUARANTINED ANYBODY IN THAT DIVISION THAT WAS IN CONTACT WITH THEM, RIDING IN THE TRUCK WITH THEM, HAD TO BE QUARANTINED AS WELL FOR 14 DAYS.
SO THE IMPACT OF COVID ON OUR STAFF IS HUGE.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE HAVE THE TRUCKS AVAILABLE, WE ARE STILL BEING ABLE TO MANAGE THEM.
WE'RE STILL BEING ABLE TO OPERATE THEM BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE REMAINING ON STAFF ARE WORKING LONG HOURS, WORKING THROUGH THE WEEKENDS, TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO ELIMINATE THIS CRISIS.
SO WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED AND ON A WE'RE WORKING ON IMPLEMENTING.
SO THIS WILL NOT IMPACT OUR SERVICES.
NUMBER ONE, WE'RE AGGRESSIVELY PURSUING THE REPAIR OF EVERY TRUCK THAT GOES DOWN.
FLEET WE'LL WORK HARD ON DOING IT IN HOUSE FOR PURSUE THE PARTS.
IF IT'S AT ONE OF THESE SHOPS, THEY'RE CALLING THEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
WHERE ARE WE? WHERE ARE WE? SO WE ARE PUSHING, SHOVING, DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAINTAIN THE REPAIRS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THE SECOND THING WE DID, WE WERE ABLE AFTER THREE TO FOUR MONTHS OF SEARCHING FOR AN AVAILABLE TRUCK FOR RENT FOR GARBAGE, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE ONE TRUCK FROM PREMIERE, UH, RENTALS.
AND THAT TRUCK SHOULD BE DELIVERED TO US THE BEGINNING OF WHAT, THE WEEK OF JANUARY 18.
SO THAT WILL ADD ONE GARBAGE TRUCK TO OUR FLEET THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE WHEN THESE OTHER TRUCKS ARE DOWN, NOT FUNCTIONING.
SO WE CAN MAINTAIN THAT SEVEN TRUCK OPERATION IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE SCHEDULE.
THE THIRD THING WE DID, WE INITIATED A CONTRACT WITH REPUBLIC SERVICES, UH, YESTERDAY, AND WE HAVE ONE OF THEIR TRUCKS ONSITE TODAY.
SO NOW WE HAVE SIX TRUCKS RUNNING WITH THE FIVE THAT WE HAVE TODAY, WHICH IS GOING TO HELP US CATCH UP TO THE THURSDAY ROUTE AND START THE SCHEDULE AGAIN TOMORROW THEY WILL HAVE TWO TRUCKS FOR US.
SO NOW WE WILL HAVE SEVEN TRUCKS.
PLUS THE ONE THAT CAME IN TODAY, THAT'S GOING TO BE READY TODAY.
SO WE HAVE EIGHT TRUCKS TOMORROW
[01:05:01]
TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT, CATCH UP AND GET THIS SCHEDULED BACK IN ORDER.SO THIS IS AN UNDER 25,000 CONTRACTS, SO WE CAN RUN IT FOR TWO WEEKS.
AND DURING THAT TIME, WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO SECURE A LONG-TERM CONTRACT WITH REPUBLIC SERVICES.
SO IF WE ARE DOWN, THEY WILL IMMEDIATELY STEP UP AND HELP US WITH KEEPING THE SCHEDULE AND KEEPING SEVEN ROUTES RUNNING THE CHANGE OF THE GARBAGE COLLECTION SCHEDULE IS MONITORED ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND IS GOING TO BE CHANGING ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
IF WE CAN SUSTAIN SEVEN TRUCKS FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THEN WE WILL BE BACK TO OUR NORMAL SCHEDULE.
IF WE CANNOT SUSTAIN SEVEN TRUCKS AND WE HAVE FIVE OR SIX TRUCKS, WE CAN EXTEND OUR SCHEDULE FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY, IF NEED BE SO WE CAN PICK UP THE GARBAGE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU AS A CITIZEN, PUT OUT YOUR GARBAGE ON A THURSDAY AND IT DOES NOT PICK UP, GET PICKED UP, PLEASE KEEP IT OUT THERE BECAUSE WE CAN ATTEMPT TO GET IT BEFORE THE END OF THE WEEK, WHICH IS SUNDAY.
WE ARE GOING TO WORK EVERY MINUTE WE CAN, EVERY HOUR WE CAN, EVERY DAY WE CAN WITH THE EQUIPMENT AND TRUCKS WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO ENSURE A PICKING UP EVERY TOTAL WE CAN PICK UP.
UH, NUMBER FIVE IS WE ARE CHANGING THE LANDFILL TCEQ PERMIT SO THAT WE CAN OPERATE ON HOLIDAYS AS WELL AS SUNDAYS.
UH, CURRENTLY WHEN WE RUN A SUNDAY, WE ARE REQUESTING PERMISSION FROM THE MANAGER AT THE BEAUMONT OFFICE, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND, UH, ALLOWING US TO DO SO, BUT WE WANT TO PUT IT IN THE PERMIT.
SO IN THE FUTURE OF THIS EVER COMES BACK AT US, WE NEED TO RUN A HOLIDAY OR A SUNDAY.
WE WILL BE DOING IT WITHIN OUR PERMIT LIMITS.
AND THIS PROCESS ALREADY STARTED AS FAR AS HEAVY TRASH IS CONCERNED.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT OUT FOR BIDS AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS TO HAVE A CONTRACTOR READY TO PROVIDE US UP TO FOUR TRUCKS THAT CAN PICK UP HEAVY TRASH WITHIN 24 HOURS OF A PHONE CALL.
IF WE GO DOWN TO FOUR TRUCKS, WE CALL THEM.
IF WE COME DURING THE SUMMER SEASON AND SIX TRUCKS ARE NOT KEEPING UP, WE CALL THEM SO THAT WE MAINTAIN THE SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE AND PICK UP THE HEAVY TRASH IN A TIMELY MANNER, EVERY TWO WEEKS FROM EVERY STREET, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERY SUBDIVISION, THIS SHOULD OPEN BEDS ON FEBRUARY 2ND, AND I'M SURE IT WOULD BE BRING IT TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
UH, ONCE WE GET READY TO AWARD IT, NUMBER SEVEN, COUNCIL APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF ONE HEAVY, UH, TRASH TRUCK ALREADY THAT HAS BEEN ORDERED AND IT SHOULD BE DELIVERED, UH, IN JANUARY, 2022.
SO NOW WE'LL ADD ONE NEW TRUCK TO THAT FLEET THAT ALREADY HAVE EIGHT TRUCKS AND ALLOW US TO KEEP THE ONE THAT WOULD NOT REPLACE.
AND WE'LL KEEP IT AS A SPARE AS WELL.
SO WE WILL HAVE OUR OWN FLEET WITH A SPARE OR NOW THREE SPARES WHEN NEED BE, UH, NUMBER EIGHT.
UH, ONE OF OUR PICKUPS ARE SABINE PASS AND PLEASURE ISLAND, WHICH REQUIRE A TRUCK TO PROBABLY SPEND HALF A DAY TO PICK UP THESE AREAS.
IF NOT LONGER, REMEMBER, WE ARE A CITY OF 144 SQUARE MILES.
ALTHOUGH WE ARE A POPULATION AROUND 50,000, WE ARE SPREAD OUT.
VALMONT IS 116,000 POPULATION AT THE 84 SQUARE MILES.
WE ARE ALMOST DOUBLE THE SIZE OF BEAUMONT, SO THAT MAKES OUR TRUCKS HAVING TO TRAVEL SO MUCH LONGER, SO MUCH FURTHER IN ORDER TO PICK UP THE GARBAGE EVERYWHERE.
SO WE'RE NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT WITH PINEYWOODS SANITATION THAT WILL GO PICK UP JUST THOSE TWO AREAS FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, WHICH WILL COST US UNDER $25,000 TO FREE UP ONE OF OUR TRUCKS, TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE SCHEDULES WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
UH, WE WE'D BRING YOU THIS INFORMATION.
IF IT, IF IT GOES THROUGH AND NUMBER NINE, WE ARE CONTINUING TO EXTEND OUR HOURS AS MUCH AS DAYLIGHT IS AVAILABLE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO OPERATE FROM DAYLIGHT TO DUSK AND THAT WAY, UH, WE ARE NOT WASTING ANY TIME.
WE DO NOT WANT TO OPERATE OUR TRUCKS AT NIGHT BECAUSE
[01:10:02]
THE PERCENTAGE OF HAVING ACCIDENTS IS INCREASED.YOU HAVE A LOT OF VEHICLES THAT ARE PARKED ON THE STREETS.
CHILDREN ARE PLAYING OUTSIDE, SO WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID THE NIGHT OPERATION, BUT WE'RE GOING TO EXTEND THE HOURS.
AS LONG AS WE HAVE DAYLIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO STAY OUT THERE TO PICK UP THE GARBAGE.
AND FINALLY, THIS IS GOING TO BE MONITORED DAILY, THE SCHEDULE, HOW MANY TRUCKS WE HAVE, UH, WHAT AREAS ARE WE IN? ARE WE BEHIND? ARE WE NOT BEHIND? AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS DAILY IN ORDER TO MEET THE SCHEDULES AND MAKE SURE EVERY HOUSEHOLD HAVE THEIR GARBAGE PICKED UP AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.
AND I HAVE TO THANK TWO GROUP OF PEOPLE.
MAINLY THE, THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE REALLY MAKING A LOT OF SACRIFICES RIGHT NOW, UH, THEY'RE MISSING WEEKENDS WITH THEIR CHILDREN, WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
THEY'RE MISSING THEIR CHURCH SERVICES TO PROVIDE US WITH THEIR TIME FOR SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND THE ONLY TIME THAT THEY CAN OFF, IF THEY HAVE A VISITATION WITH A CHILD THAT'S ONLY, YOU KNOW, HAPPENING ONCE EVERY TWO WEEKS AND THEY DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT.
OR IF THEY'RE TIRED TOWARD THEIR OPERATION IS NOT GOING TO BE VERY SAFE.
OTHER THAN THAT, THEY ARE THERE, WHETHER IT'S AT THE LANDFILL OR THE DRIVERS PICKING UP GARBAGE AND DISPOSING OF IT EVERY DAY.
AND WE HAVE TO THANK OUR CITIZENS.
I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF PHONE CALLS AND THE ONES I'VE SPOKEN TO.
ONCE WE EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT'S GOING ON, THEY ARE VERY UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENT, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THEM.
EVERY ONE OF US IS A PUBLIC SERVANT TO SERVE THEM.
AND WHAT IS GOING ON IS NOT DUE TO LACK OF EFFORT, LACK OF ALLOCATING RESOURCES OR SOMETHING THAT WE ARE TAKING LIGHTLY.
WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR REACH AND THIS MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAVE GIVEN US THE GREEN LIGHT TO REACH OUT TO ANY RESOURCE POSSIBLE.
AND WE ARE DOING THAT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT UNTIL ALL OUR CITIZENS ARE SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICE.
IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
UH, AND IF I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO ALVIN, MAKE SURE THE CITY MANAGER WILL GET IT TO YOU IN A TIMELY MANNER.
UM, YES, THE PLACE THE STORE WOULD BE.
UH, LAST YEAR WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL, UH, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES, UH, WITH, WITH SCHEDULING AND IN THE PICKUPS AT THAT TIME, IF I RECALL BACK IN OCTOBER OF 2020, BEFORE I CAME ON COUNCIL, THERE WAS A, UH, A DIRECTIVE GIVEN FROM, FROM THE COUNCIL TO THE CITY MANAGER CONCERNING, UH, THE SCHEDULING AND THE PICKUP OF, OF GARBAGE.
UH, SO, AND NOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A PLAN PUT IN PLACE.
NOW, TODAY YOU BRING US A PLAN, BUT IN, FROM OCTOBER OF 2020 TO JANUARY OF 2022, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A PLAN IN PLACE THAT HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED, IMPLEMENTED AND WAS ALREADY WORKING THIS PAST WEEK.
I KNOW THINGS HAVE GOTTEN A, UH, THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXACERBATED.
I'VE BEEN EVERYTHING I'VE GIVEN.
I'M SENDING TO THE CITY MANAGER, COPYING THE MAYOR, PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT.
I RE I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE IMPACT OF COVID.
I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE, THE REPAIR AND THE REPAIR PARTS THAT ARE BEING DELAYED DUE TO SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.
ALL OF THAT IS, IS, IS, IS UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT THERE WAS JUST, UH, I WANT TO THINK IT WAS IN DECEMBER OR NOVEMBER THAT WE HAD A VOTE FOR A RATE INCREASE.
UH, AND, AND, AND AT THAT TIME I SPOKE AND SAID THAT I WAS IN FAVOR OF THE RATE INCREASE, BUT UNTIL WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SERVICE, I DIDN'T THINK WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
NOW I'M HEARING FROM, FROM MY CONSTITUENTS ON, ON ALMOST AN HOURLY BASIS ABOUT THEIR FRUSTRATION WITH HAVING TO PAY, UH, MORE
[01:15:01]
FOR A SERVICE THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING.AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, UH, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST HUMAN NATURE.
IF I'M GOING TO PAY FOR SOMETHING, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
WE, WE, WE IMPLEMENTED THE RATE INCREASE AND THE SERVICE IN MY OPINION HAS GOTTEN WORSE SINCE, SINCE WE IMPLEMENTED IT.
AND I WANT TO SAY THIS PUBLICLY, BECAUSE I I'VE TOLD NUMEROUS PEOPLE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THIS TODAY AND THAT WE WOULD HOPEFULLY GET TO SOME POINT WHERE WE HAVE A PLAN.
YOU'VE ACTUALLY LAID OUT, UH, SOME SOLUTIONS, THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN PLACE.
BUT HAVING SAID ALL THAT, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT, THAT, THAT I HAVE, OH, I, THE REST OF YOUR POINT TODAY, QUICK COUNCILMAN, THEN WHEN YOU GET THE QUESTIONS, YOUR DIRECTIVE TO MANAGEMENT TO HAVE A PLAN WAS WHEN THE SAME PROBLEM WE WERE FACING TODAY, THEY WERE FACING, THEN KEEP TRUCKS OPERATING IN ORDER TO MEET THE ROUTE REQUIREMENTS AND MANAGEMENT AT THE TIME DID HAVE A PLAN.
AND THAT PLAN BASICALLY INCLUDED GOING INTO THE GARAGE, REFURBISHING THAT STAFF AND PROVIDING THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO KEEP THESE TRUCKS RUNNING.
SO THERE WAS A PLAN THAT WAS DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED.
AND AT THE TIME IT WAS THE MOST EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE PLAN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THESE ISSUES WITH PARTS AND MATERIALS.
AND THAT SHOPS STARTING, YOU KNOW, DOING THEIR PART AND GETTING TRUCKS BACK TO US IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO WE DID HAVE A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THIS PLAN WORKED AND GARBAGE WAS BEING COLLECTED, YOU KNOW, ON SCHEDULE MOST OF THE TIME.
AND EVEN WITH THIS CRISIS WITH NO AVAILABILITY OF PARTS UNTIL THIS LAST FOUR MONTHS, FOUR WEEKS, MOST OF THE TIME EVERYBODY'S GUARD HAS GOT COLLECTED ONCE EVERY WEEK, ALTHOUGH NOT ON SCHEDULE.
SO THE PLAN WAS IMPLEMENTED AND IT WORKED.
AND THEN WE GOT HIT WITH, OKAY, WE CAN'T EVEN FIX THE TRUCKS.
ALTHOUGH WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AT THE SHOP BECAUSE THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.
SO THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT CHALLENGES.
ONE WAS ADDRESSED THE BEST WAY IT COULD BE ADDRESSED WITHOUT SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY.
AND NOW IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY TO ADDRESS IT.
AND IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A RATE INCREASE, THE DIVISION ITSELF WOULDN'T HAVE THE MONEY THAT IT NEEDS TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS IT.
BECAUSE WHEN WE GO OUT THERE AND DO THE 25,000, UH, UNDER CONTRACTS, THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT WE ENGAGE WITH, UH, A COMPANY TO COME IN AND HELP US FOR THREE TO SIX MONTHS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN SIX MONTHS SPENDING TO PROVIDE TWO TRUCKS FOR US ON A DAILY BASIS, FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH THAT WITHOUT DIPPING INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
IF THIS FUND IS NOT GETTING STABILIZED.
SO TWO DIFFERENT CHALLENGES AND ONE WAS ADDRESSED IN THE BEST WAY AT THE TIME.
AND THEN WE GOT HIT WITH THIS PART SITUATIONS.
SO THAT'S WHY THE NEW PLAN CAME INTO PLACE.
AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, EVERYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THAT IS TO BE APPLAUDED FOR THE EFFORTS PUT FORTH TO, TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE.
BUT WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE BACK IN NO VEMBER, I THINK IT WAS, UH, MR. MR. MOORE ACTUALLY GAVE US A REPORT, UH, LINING OUT AND IN SPREADSHEET FORM THE NUMBER OF TRUCKS, ALL, ALL THE ISSUES THAT WE WERE HAVING, UH, AT THAT TIME.
AND THIS WAS, AGAIN, I'M THINKING, I'M THINKING NOVEMBER, OCTOBER, IT WAS EITHER OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, MRS. MOORE.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT AGAIN, UH, WHEN THINGS CAN BE SEEN, AND THERE WAS A PLAN THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED AND WAS IN OPERATION, WE WERE TRYING TO, UH, TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM.
AND, AND YOU WERE DOING THE BEST THAT, THAT THE CITY WAS DOING THE BEST AT IT, THAT IT COULD.
BUT AGAIN, WE IMPLEMENTED THAT RATE INCREASE.
AND IN THE LAST THREE TO FOUR WEEKS, THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVE LEE.
WORST CITIZENS ARE ACTUALLY UP IN ARMS AND, AND
[01:20:01]
WE'RE GETTING A BRUNT OF THIS, UH, UH, ON THE, A DAILY BASIS ON HOURLY BASIS.AND, UH, WHEN, AGAIN, I'M GLAD TO SEE THE, THE, THE PLAN THAT YOU'VE PUT IN PLACE, AND HOPEFULLY THIS IS GOING TO WORK TO ALLEVIATE WHAT WE HAVE, BUT I'M NOT SURE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY LANE, UH, AS A CITY COUNCILMAN THAT'S STAFF AND, AND EVERY, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT WORK IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS, THERE HAS GOT TO BE A WAY THAT, THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THIS AND NOT HAVE OUR GARBAGE SHOWER.
TOTERS OUR TRASH SITTING IN PLACES FOR, YOU KNOW, SEVEN DAYS, EIGHT DAYS.
WHEN I LEFT THIS MORNING TO COME TO MEETING I'M ON THE THURSDAY SCHEDULE, MY, MY GARBAGE CAN WAS STILL OUT THERE FULL OF GARBAGE.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT PICKED UP TODAY THAT I EXPECT TO SEE THAT WHEN I GO, WHEN WE LEAVE THIS MEETING, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I'M HERE, I'M TALKING WITH YOU, MY NEIGHBORS AND OTHER FOLK ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU GET AN IRATE PERSON CALLING YOU AND SAYING, WELL, MY NEIGHBORS ARE OUT HERE PICKING UP GARBAGE BECAUSE THE WIND IS BLOWING.
THESE TOLD US OVER BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE NOW WE'VE HAD TO ACTUALLY MOVE THE, UH, THE PLACES WHERE WE PLACED THE TOTERS BECAUSE THE WIND IS AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THIS IS CAUSING PROBLEMS THAT OUR NEIGHBOR WAS NOW, YOU GOT IN, IN SOME AREAS IN DISTRICT FOUR, BECAUSE WE'RE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
WE HAVE A LARGER PROBLEM WITH STRAY CATS AND DOGS AND POSSUMS AND HOGS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
AND ALL OF THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S HAPPENING.
I WAS ON THE PHONE YESTERDAY FOR ALMOST SIX HOURS BETWEEN TEXTS AND, AND, AND CONVERSATIONS.
AND, AND IT'S GETTING FRUSTRATING TO TRY TO TALK TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND SAY, WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS TOMORROW.
BUT WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS WAY BACK IN, IN JULY, I WAS ASKED TO TAKE THIS OFF THE AGENDA IN JULY, WHEN WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IT, WE PUT IT BACK.
WE GET A REPORT, MS. COUNCILWOMAN WOMAN.
AND I GOT A RE UH, A PRELIMINARY REPORT EARLY ON.
I WANNA THINK IT WAS SEPTEMBER.
THEN WHEN WE GET THIS REPORT IN DECEMBER, NOW WE GET A REPORT TO DATE AND WHAT I'M SEEING.
AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY CONSTITUENTS, THE PEOPLE IN DISTRICT FOUR, AND FOR THE REST OF THE CITIZENS HAVE POURED OFF, AND WE ARE WANTING THIS THING RESOLVED AND RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY.
AND I THINK I'VE SAID ENOUGH, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR ON THAT MATTER.
AND TODAY I COULD HAVE COME IN AND SAID, WE HAVE FIVE TRACKS FUNCTIONING.
AS OF MONDAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THREE MORE THIS WEEK.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EIGHT TRUCKS BEGAN TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE, AND WE ARE GOOD, BUT THAT'S NOT THE APPROACH WE WANT BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE THREE TRUCKS GO BACK DOWN TOMORROW AND GO BACK TO UNDER SEVEN.
AND THAT'S WHY WE BROUGHT ALL THESE SOLUTIONS THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THEM ALREADY IN THE WAR, YOU KNOW, ON THE GROUND TODAY, SO THAT WE DON'T GO BACK TO THAT SITUATION.
ALTHOUGH WE MIGHT HAVE ENOUGH FLEET TODAY, WE'RE STILL BRINGING IN THE RENTAL TRUCK.
WE'RE STILL BRINGING IN REPUBLIC SERVICES.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON CHANGING ALL THESE SCHEDULES SO THAT WE DON'T GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE IN THE LAST FOUR WEEKS.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED, BUT IT WAS NOT DUE TO LACK OF EFFORT.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO RENT TRUCKS FOR FOUR MONTHS TILL FINALLY, WE GOT ONE THAT WILL BE DELIVERED NEXT WEEK.
EVERYBODY, IS THERE ANYTHING, TRUCKS, EVERYBODY THAT CAN PUT THEIR HANDS ON A TRUCK? WE DIDN'T LEAVE ANYONE THAT WE DIDN'T CALL THAT PROVIDE THESE TYPE OF SERVICES.
THEY PROVIDE THESE RENTAL TRUCKS.
IF WE ORDER A NEW TRUCK TODAY, IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT 16 MONTHS BEFORE WE EVEN RECEIVED.
SO WE'D BEEN PUSHING AND SHOVING AND DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
AND HOPEFULLY THIS PLAN WILL PREVENT US FROM GOING BACK TO THE LAST FOUR WEEKS TYPE SITUATION.
[01:25:01]
THANK YOU.I GOT A WEALTH OF RESPECT FOR YOU, BUT I'LL SAY THE POINT WHEN YOU GOT TO TALK, I WAS ABOUT TO TELL YOU TO SAVE THAT I DONE HEARD ENOUGH OF THAT IN THE PAST, BUT THERE'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE DIDN'T HAVE COVID PROBLEMS DURING HARVEY.
JEN HARVEY JUST POPPED ME AND ON WITH THIS HARVEY, THE TRUCKS, TRASH AND GARBAGE.
WHEN YOU AGREE WITH HEDGE PREP PROBLEMS AND GARBAGE PROBLEMS, IT'S ALL ME HAPPENED.
AFTER DURING HARVEY, THESE TRUCKS GOT FLOODED AND THE CITY DIDN'T HAVE ANY TRUCKS.
AM I CORRECT? WE NEVER GOT CAUGHT UP.
WE NEVER, WE BOUGHT MORE TRUCKS.
WE STILL WAS STRUGGLING WITH TRASH AND GARBAGE.
AND NOW WE MIGHT HAVE SPOTS HERE AND THERE WEEKS OVERALL.
I DON'T BLAME THE CITY MANAGER.
I DON'T WANT THE PROPERTY PROPERTIES.
THE BUCK STOPS WITH THE COUNCIL.
I PUT LIKE A PAPER HYPOCRITICAL, RAISE THEIR RATES AND CAN PROVIDE GOOD SERVICES.
AND I APOLOGIZE TO SUSAN FOR THAT REASON THAT RAISED IT, CAN'T PROVIDE GOOD SERVICES.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME THINGS TO WORK ON.
LOOK AT HOW THE LIGHT MECHANIC, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD THING THAT MECHANIC GOT LITTLE SHIVERS TENANTS DIDN'T WORK NIGHTS BECAUSE THESE TRUCKS OKAY.
IN THE PAST, WE HAD A, UH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
LET'S GET ANOTHER ONE PUT ON MY DESK AT THE SERVICE CENTER, PLEASE.
WE'VE GOT 17 BIGGEST ISN'T AND PROBABLY WORKS HALF SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP COMING UP THE SAME MEETING.
YOU KNOW, IT'S PREJUDICE, PRESENTATION SOUND GOOD.
BUT LIKE MARK SAID, THE BUCK STOPS WITH US.
NOT WITH YOU, NOT THE SIT OF MADISON, THAT DEPARTMENT HE IS.
AND THIS HIGHER TIME, IT WAS KIND OF REALIZED THAT THE BUCK STOPS WITH THE COUNSELOR, NOT YOU ALL.
AND IN MY OPINION, 20 2022 MORE GOALS, 21, IT'S TELLING THEM MOVE THIS.
THANK PAUL SANDBOX, EXCUSES OUT THE WINDOW.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY CAN MAKE EXCUSES.
I MEAN, HE AND NELSON AND SCOTT AND RESTROOM WAS ON CONSTANT WITH ME FIGHTING THIS BATTLE, YOU KNOW? AND YOU MAKE GOOD PEOPLE COME.
GOOD PRESENTATION SOUNDS GOOD.
IN THIS WEEK BACK, THE SAME PROBLEMS I HAD, MY GOD WOULD BE NOT JUST IT'S TUESDAY, YOU CAME, THEY CAME FRIDAY.
O'CLOCK PICK IT UP FOUR DAYS LATER.
AND WHAT THIS MEAN? I DIDN'T GET ONE CALL FROM ANYBODY THERE.
I DIDN'T GET A CALL FROM THE NEW DEPARTMENT HEADS.
NOBODY'S BUSINESS HERE AT KAUFFMAN JONES.
WE'RE HAVING PROBLEM WITH GARBAGE.
IF ANYBODY CALL YOU, TELL THEM HERE'S THE PROBLEM.
I GUESS, I GUESS NO CALL NOBODY, NO CALL NOBODY IN AUTHORITY TO TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO IF I GET A CALL, I COULD TELL MY CONDITION WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND MY PEOPLE CALL ME MR. JOHN, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM.
I WAS JUST KINDA SEEING THE SAME OLD SONG.
I GOT TO TELL HIM MY CUT, MY CONSISTENT WASN'T.
I GET TIRED OF HEARING MYSELF.
COVID BROKEN TRUCKS CAME, FIND PARTS.
AND NOW WE WANT TO BE MORE OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
I WANT TO, TO ON WHAT THE REST OF THE COUNCIL WOMAN, IT'S TIME TO GET THIS DISTRICT STAYING ON TRACK AND KEEP IT ON TRACK.
WE GOT MONEY WHEN THAT BROKE, WHEREVER IT TAKES.
HANEY DOING A GOOD JOB, GOOD PRESENTATION.
AND WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, AND WE'RE GOING TO HOPE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WE WON'T DISAPPOINT YOU OR OUR CITIZENS.
HANEY FOR THAT REPORT, UM, THAT WE HAD A CONTRACT, WE HAD APPROVED THE CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF GROVES TO HELP US OUT.
UM, I THINK IN NOVEMBER, OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, IS THAT STILL IN PLACE OR WHERE, WHERE DID THAT HAPPEN? YES, THE CITY MAN IT'S COUNSELOR.
THE CONTRACT IS STILL IN PLACE.
THE CITY OF GROOVES, LIKE EVERY OTHER CITY IN THE US IS THAT BRING WELL, THEY WOULD NOT WANT TO ENGAGE IN PROVIDING SERVICES
[01:30:01]
OUTSIDE OF THE MUNICIPALITY SO THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY CANNOT PROVIDE SERVICES TO THEM MUNICIPALITIES.SO IF THEY EXTEND THEMSELVES OUTSIDE OF THE MUNICIPALITY, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THEY WILL SAY IT'S THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE FACING HERE.
SPEAR PARTS, BECAUSE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS ADDED ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
WE ARE ON TEAR ON THEIR VEHICLES AT THE EXPENSE OF PROVIDING SERVICES TO THEIR MUNICIPALITY.
SO THEY HAVE DECIDED NOT TO ENGAGE WITH US.
SO EVEN AFTER WE YESTERDAY UP TO YESTERDAY, THE MEDIA AND I REACHED OUT TO THE MISSISSIPPI OF BOOM ON THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER, THE MAYOR HAD TO SPEAK TO THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY MANAGER IN BEAUMONT AND THE MAYOR BEAUMONT AT THE VERY PLEASED THAT WE ARE AT THE BRINK OF BREAKING, THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED TO ASSIST US, BUT THEY'RE SEEING THE VERY SAME THING.
WE CANNOT COME AND ASSIST YOU BECAUSE WE ARE AT THAT POINT WHERE WE DO NOT WANT TO COMPROMISE THE CITY SERVICES IN ORDER TO ASSIST, ASSIST THE CITY.
WELL, AND IN ADDITION TO THANK YOU, I WANT, I KNEW THAT WE HAD, UM, GOT A RESOLUTION TO WORK WITH, UM, THE CITY MANAGER AND WITH THEIR, UM, YOU KNOW, THEM HELPING US OUT IN THE TIME OF NEED IF WE NEED BE.
SO I KNEW WE HAD PUT THAT IN PLACE, BUT DR.
HANNANI THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.
I TALKED TO SEVERAL CITIZENS, I'VE TALKED TO CITIZENS ALL, UM, THIS WEEK, OVER THE WEEKEND, LAST WEEK, EMAILED FACE TO FACE.
AND MOST 90% OF THE ONES I SPOKE WITH ONCE I WENT THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE WORKING ON, THEY WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING.
I TALKED TO A CITY EMPLOYEE THAT HAD WORKED 17 DAYS STRAIGHT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST EXHAUSTED AND, UM, DRIVING THE SAME DAY THAT ANOTHER EMPLOYEE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING, HE GOT SICK WITH COVID.
THEY WILL SCHEDULE TO WORK OVER THE WEEKEND AND, AND HE, AND THE OTHER GOT SICK.
AND SO WE HAVE TO, THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS.
AND I WANT TO JUST SAY TO THEM, UH, THOSE EMPLOYERS THAT I PERSONALLY TALKED TO, THAT WE, WE, WE, WE CAN SEE WHERE THEY ARE REALLY TRYING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN, UM, THAT THAT'S FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATIONS.
THAT'S NOT OVER THE PHONE, BUT THESE EMPLOYEES HAVE WORKED HARD AND NOT BEEN AT HOME.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THEM AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A TOUGH TIME WITH OUR MACRON VARIANT THAT PICKED UP.
UM, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE THOUGH WE'VE BEEN IN COVID FOR 20 YEARS.
PEOPLE KEEP SAYING IT'S GETTING OLD, BUT THERE'S A, THERE IS NATIONAL NEWS THAT OUR MACRON HAS BEEN ON THE RISE AND IT'S NOT JUST AFFECTING PORT.
ARTHUR IS FROM ONE END OF THE WORLD TO THE OTHER END OF THE WORLD.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THAT THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS DRIVING THESE TRUCKS.
AND I JUST WANT TO TELL THEM, THANK YOU FOR THEIR EFFORTS.
AND I KNOW THAT WHAT YOU'VE PUT IN PLACE, IT SHOULD WORK FOR US GOING FORWARD.
MY TRASH STAYED OUTSIDE FROM TUESDAY TO FRIDAY.
I STARTED TO GO DUMP IT ON ANOTHER DUMPSTER SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT I DIDN'T, BUT IT PROBABLY IS ILLEGAL.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR EVERYBODY FROM ONE END OF PORT ARTHUR TO THE OTHER END OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND, AND THERE'S NO QUICK FIX, BUT I DO THANK YOU FOR WHAT'S IN PLACE THAT WOULD CITIZENS CAN SEE THAT WE ARE NOT JUST TWIDDLING OUR THUMBS SITTING BACK SUCKING ON LEMONS, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SOME EFFORT AND SOME HEADWAY TO, UH, GIVE THEM SOME RELIEF, GIVE OUR PEOPLE SOME RELIEF.
OUR WORKERS, OUR STAFF WHO'S BURNED OUT.
UM, EVERYBODY'S SICK OF HEARING ABOUT COVID.
EVERYBODY IS SICK OF COVID, BUT IT IS A REALITY.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S THE THING THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND.
WE DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT COVID AGAIN, I, THE WORD COVID MAKES ME SICK, BUT IT'S A REALITY EVERY SINGLE DAY, WE'RE SITTING THERE WITH MASK ON BECAUSE IT IS A REALITY.
AND IF YOU DON'T THINK IT IS TAKE OFF YOUR MASK AND THESE GUYS HAVE WORKED HARD.
SO I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK EFFORT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION, THAT THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE THAT WILL TAKE US WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE TODAY, BUT I'M GOING TO BE FRANK WITH YOU.
UH, DOCTOR TOLD ME ABOUT THIS SITUATION, UH, UH, IN THE LAST TWO TO SEVEN MONTHS, UH, I'VE ASKED FOR A REPORT YOU'VE GIVEN ONE, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
UH, WHEN I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA AND WE TALKED ABOUT SOME THINGS, WE TALKED ABOUT MAKING A DAY AND SHIFT FOR MAINTENANCE, WE TALKED ABOUT HEAVY OPERATORS, HEAVY EQUIPMENT
[01:35:01]
OPERATORS, GETTING THEM HIRED AND WORKING AT NIGHT SINCE WE'RE NOT UTILIZING THE TRUCKS, WE TALK ABOUT A GREAT PLAN.WE TALKED ABOUT RENTING TRUCKS.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE TOTERS THAT THE COSTS AND, AND, UH, TO THE CITY, UH, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING PERMISSION FROM TECQ TO WORK ON WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS.
I MEAN, THIS PLAN THAT YOU PRESENTING, I'VE HEARD IT A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND I'M KINDA UPSET BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN I GET THE PHONE CALLS, I DIRECT ALL THE EMAILS TO THE CITY MANAGER, ALONG WITH ANOTHER COUNSELOR IN THE MIRROR TO ENSURE THAT HE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON IN DISTRICT THREE, BUT I GET CALLS EVERY DAY ABOUT THIS AND TO CONCUR WITH COUNCILMAN JONES.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WOULD TAKE FOUR OR FIVE DAYS.
MY TRASH IS MY TRASH DAY IS WEDNESDAY.
WASN'T PICKED UP UNTIL SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
SO IF WE KNOW THAT WE GOT DRIVERS, LIKE YOU SPOKE OF, AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SPOKE ABOUT JOB IS WORKING SO LONG.
AND WE HAVE EIGHT POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT FIELD WHOSE WHOSE FAULT IS THAT? WHOSE FAULT IS THAT WE STRETCHING GUYS OUTWORKING, BUT WE GOT EIGHT POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT FIELD.
WE HAVE SEVEN BRAND NEW TRUCKS THAT WE GOT IN 2018.
WE GOT FIVE IN THE RESERVE, OLDER TRUCKS, WE'RE GETTING IT WITH THE COUNCIL, APPROVE ANOTHER TRUCK.
BUT IF WE KNOW IT TAKES SEVEN TRUCKS, EIGHT TRUCKS TO RUN A DAILY ROUTE WHILE WE GETTING PREPARED, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, THE BAG TIMES, WHY DON'T WE BUY THE PARTS FOR THESE TRUCKS THAT ARE BROKE? I MEAN, WHY DON'T WE THINK IN THE FUTURE ABOUT SURVIVING WHEN, AND I DON'T BLAME BEAUMONT, I DON'T BLAME THE LINUX GROVES WANTING TO HELP POUR OUT.
THEY'VE GOT THEIR OWN THING TO DEAL WITH.
IT'S OUR JOB TO TAKE CARE OF PORT AUTHOR.
SO IF WE KNOW THE TRUCKS ARE GOING TO BREAK DOWN FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND I HADN'T ASKED YOU THIS YET, WHY THE TRUCKS KEEP BREAKING DOWN? WHAT ARE THE THINGS IS PREVENTING THESE TRUCKS TO STAY ON THE ROAD, LET'S GET AHEAD OF THE GAME AND BUY THE PARTS AND HAVE HIM.
AND IF WE DON'T USE IT, WE CAN SELL THEM TO SOME CITY OR WE CAN GIVE THEM BACK.
ARE THESE TRUCKS UNDER WARRANTY, ALL THOSE QUESTIONS THAT NOBODY'S ASKED AND YOU KNOW, FOR ME, SO I'M UPSET ABOUT IT.
I DID NOT SUPPORT THEIR RATE INCREASE BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT WE HAVE CONTROLLED, BUT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP ON COMING WITH PRESENTATIONS AND SAYING THAT IS GOING TO GET BETTER.
WE'RE GOING TO DO THE NEXT BEST THING.
BUT I GET A HUNDRED PHONE CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES TELLING ME HOW HORRIBLE I AM AS A COUNSELOR, ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.
AND I PULLED YOU TO SIT HERE AND TAKE IT.
I HAVE NO CONTROL OF HOW YOU RUN YOUR SCHEDULE.
I'LL HAVE ANYBODY RUN THEIR SCHEDULE, BUT I'M UPSET ABOUT THIS.
BUT YOU SAYING THAT PEOPLE WERE WORKING LONG HOURS AND WE GOT EIGHT VACANCIES.
YOU SAYING THAT THE TRUCKS BREAK IT DOWN ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS, BUT WHY DON'T WE BUY PARTS OF PREPARE FOR THE WORST? WERE YOU SAYING THAT THE LANDFILL HAS SOME ISSUES? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO I DON'T BLAME OTHER CITIES THAT DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT THEIR SERVICE TO HELP PORT ARTHUR.
YOU KNOW, I RESPECT THAT, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I HEAR THIS OVER AND OVER ABOUT THIS, THE BASIC NECESSITY AS THE BASIC THING WE COULD DO FOR SOMEBODY, AND WE WERE TELLING THEM, WE RATE INCREASE 641 K A YEAR THAT IS GOING TO GENERATE, UH, WITH THIS RATE INCREASE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCILMEN, YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE FRUSTRATED.
IT'S YOUR CONSTITUENTS CALLING YOU.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT LET ME ADDRESS A FEW OF YOUR POINTS.
UH, AFTER SPEAKING WITH STAFF, THEY ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH DOING A NIGHT SHIFT.
THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE ON THE CITY STREETS AT NIGHT, WHERE THEY CAN NOT SEE VERY WELL.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WORKING AT NIGHT.
I SAID A NIGHT AND DAY SHIFT OR MECHANICS.
WE TALKED ABOUT HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATORS WITH HIRE THESE GUYS SO THEY CAN WORK BECAUSE OF THE TRUCKS ARE NOT GOING TO BE WORKING.
THEY CAN WORK ON THE TRUCKS AT NIGHT.
IS THAT A PRESENTATION I MADE? I'M JUST, I'M TRYING TO, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
WELL, SOME OF THE, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRIED TO WORK OUT.
WE TRY TO WORK THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
WE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO HIRE THESE MECHANICS TO WORK AT NIGHTS.
AND SO TRUCKS ARE NOT WORKING.
THE, UH, RENTING OF TRUCKS, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO RENT TRUCKS FOR THREE TO FOUR MONTHS.
NOW THAT WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO SECURE ONE OF THEM THAT'S COMING NEXT WEEK.
UH, THE TCEQ PROCESS TAKES ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO GET THAT, UH, MODIFICATION.
[01:40:01]
IT'S, IT'S IN THE WORKS AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CONTROL.IT'S WE, UM, I'M SAYING THOSE THINGS TO BULLET POINTS THAT I GAVE YOU, DR.
PTOMAINE WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY.
AND YOU DISCUSSING THIS AGAIN.
SO I HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN AND I BOUGHT THIS BECAUSE OF THIS DAY.
SO WE DISCUSS THESE THINGS THAT YOU'RE SAYING TODAY.
THAT'S WHY I'M FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THE CITIZENS THEY DESERVE BETTER.
I DON'T WANT EMPLOYEES TO WORK, BE STRESSED OUT.
I DON'T WANT TRUCKS TO BE DOWN.
I DON'T WANT TO GET THE PHONE CALLS.
I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO EMAIL THE CITY MANAGER OR THE MIRROR, BUT IF WE DON'T THINK AHEAD, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE GETTING THE SAME RESULTS.
THAT'S WHAT A COUNCIL MEMORIAL IS SUPPOSED TO BE SPEAKING UP.
HOW CAN WE GET SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF WE KEEP DOING THE SAME THING? I HEAR YOU.
T THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I WANT TO THANK THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE REALLY WORKED HARD TO TRY AND MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I WANT TO THANK THE, UM, EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, BUT WHAT I DO WANT TO SAY, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT HAD THEIR TRASH PICKED UP IN TWO WEEKS.
YES, THOSE ARE, THEY LOOK LIKE PHYSICAL ISSUES, BUT YOU AND I KNOW THOSE CAN CREATE HEALTH ISSUES.
OUR COMMUNITY DOES NOT DESERVE THIS.
WE HAVE EIGHT VACANCIES THAT HAVE GONE UNFILLED.
WE NEED TO FAST TRACK THAT WHATEVER THAT TAKES, WE CANNOT BE A COMMUNITY.
AND WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE ON THE BRINKS.
WELL, WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE IN A CRISIS AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DR.
TOMI AND YOU, AND I KNOW THAT.
I WANT TO ADD MY VOICE AS WELL, BECAUSE I TOO HAVE RECEIVED A PHONE CALLS.
I SAT ON THE PHONE ONE, IT WAS ONE PHONE CALL.
I'VE RECEIVED VARIOUS PHONE CALLS, BUT THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS VERY STRIKING TO ME.
AND LET ME QUICKLY ADD, UH, TO EVERYTHING THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SAID TO, UH, THE WORK EFFORT AND THE DILIGENCE THAT STAFF HAS SHOWN DR.
TOMI, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND FOR ALL THAT, UH, OUR STAFF IS DOING AS WELL FOR WORKING LONG HOURS TO TRY TO ADDRESS THIS, BUT LET ME QUICKLY RUSH TO SAY THAT THIS IS A CRISIS.
UH, IF THERE'S EVER BEEN A CRISIS, THIS IS A CRISIS.
AND WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT CRISES, UH, ULTIMATELY CREATES CRISES.
SO WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC.
UH, WE ARE STILL IN THE THROWS OF, UH, THE ALMA, CROWN VIRUS AND, AND INDIVIDUALS BEING SICK AND ALL OF THAT HAPPENING AND TRANSPIRING.
BUT THE ONE CONVERSATION, UM, THAT LEAVES ME FEELING, UH, LIKE, UH, COUNCILMAN JONES AND EVEN, UH, COUNCILMAN MARX AND OTHERS IS THE CONVERSATION I HAD WITH, UH, A YOUNG MAN, UH, WHO, UH, IS HERE.
I KNOW HIM WELL, AND MANY OF US MIGHT KNOW HIS NAME, BUT HE WAS SAYING TO ME, COUNCILMAN, WE'RE TRYING TO STAY IN PORT AUTHOR.
WE ARE HOUSEHOLD GENERATES $200,000 A YEAR.
UH, BUT YET WE ARE HAVING ISSUES AND, AND ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE ARE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE IN, IN AREAS AS WELL AS THE SERVICES THAT THEY ARE RECEIVING.
UNLESS WE GET THESE ISSUES TOGETHER, UNLESS WE ARE ABLE TO GENERATE AND CREATE THE SERVICES THAT SERVE OUR CONSTITUENCY.
EVEN IN THE MIDST OF CRISES, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, WHO ARE YOUNG UPWARDLY, MOBILE INDIVIDUALS, UH, IN OUR CITY.
UH, AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE THAT KIND OF, UH, EFFECT THAT KIND OF EFFECT THAT, THAT CAUSES INDIVIDUALS TO SAY, I'M OUT, IT'S OVER FOR ME.
I'VE TRIED TO STAY, I'VE COME BACK TO MY CITY.
I'VE DONE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT.
THAT IS HOW CRITICAL THIS ISSUE IS.
AND IT, IT, AND THAT'S THE WAY THAT WE HAVE TO FIND OURSELVES BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE CRISES SO THAT ULTIMATELY WE CAN LOOK AT OUR CITIZENS AND SAY, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING.
WE'RE GOING TO BE WATCHING TO SEE HOW THIS PLAN WORKS, HOW THIS
[01:45:01]
PLAN MOVES US TO A PLACE, UH, UH, THROUGH THIS CRISIS.AND, AND IF WE'RE BACK HERE AGAIN, IF WE ARE BACK HERE AGAIN, THEN IT DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR THIS COUNCIL OR FOR THE STAFF, UH, WHO IS IN PLACE AS WELL.
HANAN, THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, YOUR CONCERN.
AND, UH, I KNOW, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT CITIZENS CENTER WILL WORK WITH DENTAL, HEART WORKING HALLWAY, AND THEY GAVE ME AN HOUR.
THEY GOT, YOU KNOW, WORKING LONGER HOURS AND ALL THE TIME AND, YOU KNOW, LEAVING THEIR FAMILIES.
I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE WORKERS.
I MEET WITH THE WORKERS DAILY FASHION GARBAGE.
SO I KNOW HOW HARD YOU WORK AND I APPRECIATE YOUR ALL YOU'RE DOING, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW I'M VERY FRUSTRATED.
YOU KNOW, IT IS PEOPLE TIRED IS CRAP, MAN.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP PUTTING WEIGHT ON, PEOPLE KNOW, KEEP PUTTING WEIGHT ON THE CITIZEN, YOU KNOW? AND I SAID, NO, STOP WITH YOU ALWAYS START WITH THIS COUNCIL IS THAT WITH THIS COUNCIL THAT COMES FROM FRANCE.
HERE WE COME BACK HERE AGAIN ANOTHER WELL FOR ANYBODY, ANYBODY, I DON'T CARE WHO IT IS.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO IT, BUT IT'S FRUSTRATING TO KEEP HITTING PEOPLE ALL WE GOT COLD, BUT CAN'T FIND PARTS.
I GOT TINY MYSELF, SAID THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHEN MY PHONE, MY PHONE RINGS DAILY ALL DAY.
YOU KNOW HOW MY PHONE RING YOU YOU'VE HEARD.
THEY'LL TRY TO SOMETHING TO MY CV TO MAKE IT BETTER.
I'M PISSING THESE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO FACE HIM, KEEP TELLING THE SAME OLD STORIES, YOU KNOW, BEAT THE DEAD HORSE OVER AND OVER.
AND THAT KHALIL MCKEEL LAWSUIT, I DON'T BLAME NIGGLING BEAUMONT GROUP, NOT HIPNESS.
ANDREW SAN JUAN GOT SOME KIND OF INFORMATION ABOUT, ABOUT US GARBAGE.
WE WANT TO DO THE POLICE, MAKE US TAKE CARE OF THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE IN THE SAN JUAN, YOU'RE THE CLUSTER, THE ONE IN THE CITY, AND THAT'S SAYING ONE, NOT CHANNEL SIX NEWS OR CHANNEL 12 NEWS.
YOU LIFTED US THE ONE IN THE CITY.
AND I'M GOING TO DO MY PART, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT TWO AND ALL OVER THE CITY.
THAT'S THE STAND FOR THE PEOPLE.
AND, AND RUN THE STUDENT, NOT IN THE SAME ONE THAT CHANNEL SIX NEWS CALE JONES TO DO WITH PART, OKAY.
NOW WE CAN UTILIZE EVERY AVAILABLE RESOURCE TO US TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES OUR CITIZENS DESERVE, UH, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE ARE ON TODAY.
AND I SAY THAT, AND IT GOES WAY BACK.
I'M JUST TIRED AND STICK A TYLER, COME UP HERE AND SOUND GOOD.
WE FOUND TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD.
YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS GOOD TO THE PEOPLE THIS WEEK, BACK TO THE SAME OLD THING, BUT YOU KNOW, NO GOD FOR THE BED.
MR. TOLD ME THAT YOU TOLD ME, I'M SORRY THAT YOU TOLD ME, UM, UH, UNIT 2 1 9 2 1 9 1 2 1 9 4 2 1 9 5.
DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT, UH, THOSE WILL BE BACK IN SERVICE.
ARE THEY ARE BACK IN SERVICE? THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BACK ON THE 10TH.
ONE IS STILL WAITING ON PARTS, BUT THEY'RE HOPING TO GET IT IN A DAY OR TWO.
THIS IS IN BEAUMONT AND THEN 2, 1 9, 4, AND 2, 1 9, 5 ARE WAITING ON PARTS, BUT WE'RE BEING PROMISED.
WE WILL GET THEM BACK THIS WEEK.
THE TRUCKS WILL BE BACK ON THE FLEET THIS WEEK.
CAN YOU LET US KNOW IF THEY INDEED GET BACK THIS WEEK, SIR? AS SOON AS WE GET THIS UPDATED LIST, MR. BURTON, WE PROVIDED, THEY PROVIDE A DBM TO THE COUNCIL.
DOC, TO ME, UH, MY, MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON COWS HAVE SPOKEN SO ELOQUENTLY AND I THINK THAT THEY HAVE EXPRESSED AND DELIVERED TO YOU, THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY STAFF, SENTIMENTS OF THE COUNCIL.
UH, AS FAR AS THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT, ARTHUR IS CONCERNED.
UH, ONE THING I WANT TO SAY AND TO SAY IT OPENLY, I SUPPORTED THE RATE INCREASED
[01:50:01]
BASED UPON THE CRITERIA THAT CITIES, OUR SIZE, WHAT THE ACTUAL CHARGES WERE AT THE TIME I DID SEE FROM THE EMPIRICAL DATA THAT I WAS PRESENTED, THAT WE WERE NOT AT THE TIME, ACCORDING TO A CITY OF OUR SIZE AND THE SERVICE SERVICES THAT WE WOULD DELIVER.WE WERE NOT IN SYNC WITH OTHER CITIES.
THAT'S THE REASON I SUPPORTED IT.
AND I THINK I WAS APART OF THE MAJORITY ON THAT PARTICULAR VOTE.
HOWEVER, ONCE I HEAR MY COLLEAGUES, BUT NOT HEARING MY COLLEAGUES, BUT HEARING THE CITIZENS, UNDERSTANDING THE FRUSTRATION OF THE CITIZENS, UH, UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION OF A PARTICULAR GENTLEMAN WHO IS 80 PLUS YEARS OLD, HAVING TO GO OUTDOORS EACH MORNING FOR THE PAST FIVE OR SIX MORNINGS, GOING INTO A DITCH THAT IS NEAR HIS PROPERTY TO PICK UP GARBAGE FROM RODENTS AND ANIMALS FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE.
IT'S VERY DISHEARTENING BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WANTING TO TEXT ME TO SAY WHAT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
BUT I KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNLIKE THE YOUNG FOLK THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ATTRACT, BUT NOW WE CANNOT EVEN MAINTAIN THOSE.
WHEN WE HAVE HERE WHO ARE BASICALLY IN A SENIOR STATUS, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED TODAY, I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THOSE SOLUTIONS WOULD BRING US IN TO WHAT I BELIEVE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITIZENS CAN ACTUALLY ACCEPT.
AND WE WON'T HAVE TO SIT HERE AND SAY, WHAT IS UNACCEPTABLE? WE'VE GOT TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT.
HOWEVER, SEVERAL WOULD SAY THAT YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT PERSONALLY, CONTRARY TO EVEN WHAT FOLK HAVE GOTTEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SAID, MY GARBAGE WAS EMPTIED ON YESTERDAY.
MONDAY, THE CANS HAD BEEN OUT SINCE LAST TUESDAY.
SO WE MISSED THE ONE WEEK PICKUP BECAUSE WE ENTER THE NEXT WEEK AND IT PICKED, THEY PICKED MY GARBAGE UP, MY GARBAGE AND MY NEIGHBOR'S GARBAGE.
SOMEONE EVEN SAID THAT I SET UP SOMETHING.
WHY WOULD I SET UP SOMETHING WITH A GARBAGE CAN? I'M A BACHELOR.
I DON'T HAVE AS MUCH REFUGE AND GARBAGE THAT OTHERS HAVE.
SO MY CAN IS HARDLY EVER FIELD.
WHEN I OPENED THAT CAN, FOR THAT NEWS PERSON TO PUT GARBAGE IN THERE, FOLK WAS SAYING THAT MY GARBAGE WAS EMPTY.
I JUST WANTED FOR THE RECORD TO STATE THAT MY GARBAGE WAS COLLECTED ON YESTERDAY.
I WISH COUNCIL PERSON AND YOURS IS COLLECTED ON TODAY.
THE OTHERS WHO WERE HERE, I'M SUPPOSED TO PUT THE GARBAGE BACK OUT TOMORROW NIGHT, AND PLEASE DO THAT TONIGHT, BUT I'M NOT, AND I'M NOT BEING FACETIOUS.
THE CANADA'S IS STILL OUT THERE.
I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY OTHER NEW GARBAGE TO PUT OUT.
I JUST TOLD YOU BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE GATHERED THAT MUCH, BUT I KNEW THAT MY NEIGHBORS DO.
AND THE GENTLEMAN WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT, I WOULD HOLD THAT HIS GARBAGE PICKED UP.
SO DID HE DOES NOT HAVE TO AWAKEN IN THE MORNINGS AND GO OUT INTO THE DITCH AREA AROUND HIS RESIDENCE TO DO THAT.
NOW, WITH THAT IN MIND, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AS A COUNCIL AND COUNCIL, I'M MORE THAN SURE THAT I KNOW YOU'VE EXPRESSED YOURSELF VERY ELOQUENTLY.
YOU'VE EXPRESSED YOUR DISCONTENT, YOUR DISENCHANTMENT, AND EVEN THE EMBARRASSING NATURE THAT YOU FACE FROM THIS HAPPENING.
WE'RE GOING TO GO MYSELF AND HIS PA AND THE CITY MANAGER AT A COMPANY OF ANOTHER HOUR OR TWO TO THE PUBLIC WITH THIS SOLUTION OR THESE SOLUTIONS THAT YOU HAVE PROPOSED TO LET CITIZENS KNOW THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY AGREED THAT SOMEONE HAS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE IN SIX MONTHS.
MR. TOOMEY DOCTOR TOLD ME BROTHER TO ME IN SIX MONTHS, MR. CITY MANAGER IN SIX MONTHS, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER IN SIX MONTHS, ANOTHER ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, IF NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND VISIT THIS.
ANYTHING, DON'T TAKE IT AS SUCH, BUT IN SIX MONTHS, IF WE HAVE NOT RESOLVED THIS SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE OTHER ISSUES TO DEAL WITH, THEN EVERYBODY WHO MIGHT JUST SAY IT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WHAT I LIKE TO CALL A, COME TO JESUS.
AND SOME FOLK DON'T LIKE TO USE THE TERM, BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU, BECAUSE AT
[01:55:01]
SOME POINT SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN.THEY'VE GIVEN YOU THEIR IDEAS ON HOW WE CAN DEAL WITH IT.
I'M MORE THAN SURE YOU CAN INCORPORATE IT AGAIN.
I DID SPEAK WITH AUTHORITIES, MAYOR, CITY, COUNCIL PERSON.
AND WE WERE WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UH, IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT BECAUSE THE MAYOR CALLED AND ASKED, HOW COULD THEY ASSIST US? I WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS PUBLICLY.
WE ARE IN WHAT WE CALL THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE.
HOWEVER, MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES ACTUALLY PREVENTS US RECEIVING THE HILL.
NOT BASED ON THE FACT THAT IT'S OUR PROPERTY.
NO SOMETHING'S GOING TO ALWAYS BE OUR PROBLEM OR SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM.
AND YOU MAY HAVE TO HELP FOR THE SOLUTION.
THEY WANTED TO HELP, BUT THEN ABSENT OF BEING ABSENT AND BEING IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT THAT WE ARE IN.
YOU SAID IT, COUNSEL WOMAN, I BELIEVE THEY CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE.
SO WHY WOULD THEY PUT THEMSELVES IN THIS PREDICAMENT? YOU ALL ARE PROFESSIONALS.
YOU ALL ARE THE PERSONS THAT WE ARE SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM.
AND WHAT WE NEED IS THE PROPER AND THE RIGHT SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE.
JUST LIKE I SUPPORTED YOU WITH THE INCREASE.
I'M GOING TO SUPPORT YOU WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT YOU BRING THAT IS WORKABLE TO HANDLE THIS SOLUTION.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
NO OTHER COMMENTS GO RIGHT AHEAD TO THE MANAGER.
UM, CAUSE YESTERDAY LET ME, LET ME THANK THE CITIZENS FOR BEING UNDERSTANDING.
CAUSE YESTERDAY I GOT ON THE PHONE AND I SPOKE TO SEVERAL DOZEN CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF WHATEVER.
AND MAYBE AFTER SPENDING ABOUT 10 MINUTES TALKING TO ITS CITIZEN, EXPLAINING THE PLAN AND EXPLAINING JUST WHAT DOCTOR TO ME TOOK ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR OR MORE TO EXPLAIN TO THEM EACH AND EVERY CITIZEN.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE LITTLE OLD LADY WHO HAD NOT BEEN DELIVERED A TOTAL FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, UNDERSTOOD.
I WANT TO THANK THE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN VERY DILIGENT AT WORK.
AND THE SOLID REASON IN THE PUBLIC WITH DEPARTMENTS WILL WALK THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE PLAN OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS THAT I WORKED WITH THEM TO IMPLEMENT.
I WANT TO STAND UP THE TOMI OR THE WORK THAT HE CONTINUE TO PUT FORWARD WITH HIS BEST FOODS, BUT THE BUCK STOPS WITH ME, THE CITY MANAGER.
AND IF COUNCIL HAS TO TAKE ACTION, TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE CITY MANAGER.
IF THIS IS NOT RESOLVED WITHIN 30 DAYS, TAKE ACTION.
I WILL NOT TAKE ACTION AGAINST STAFF.
TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE CITY MANAGER.
LIKE YOU SEE THE MATTER THAT IS ACCEPTABLE.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR, WE DON'T HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE WILL HAVE REPORTS
[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF TWO ( 2) MINUTES PER COUNCILMEMBER) — CONTINUED]
OF, UH, ITEMS FROM THE COMMUNITY OR COMMUNITY ENTRANCE.UH, WE THERE ANY FROM COUNCIL, IF THERE AREN'T ANY, THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO CALL MENTIONED.
LET ME JUST TAKE A, LET ME JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO PUBLICLY OFFER UP CONDOLENCES, UH, FOR THE FAMILY OF, UH, COACH BARBARA JACKET.
UM, SO MUCH SHE IS SUCH A TREASURE AND HAS BEEN SUCH A TREASURE FOR OUR CITY.
UH, MANY MAY NOT KNOW THAT, UH, UH, SHE HAS, UH, SHE HAS PASSED AND, UH, THE SERVICES FOR HER WILL BE THIS WEEKEND, UH, AT PRAIRIE VIEW, UH, UNIVERSITY THERE AND THE BABY DOWN THERE ON CAMPUS.
BUT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, UH, MS. BARBARA JACKET WAS, UH, AN OLYMPIC COACH FOR THE WOMEN'S TRACK TEAM.
UM, SHE SERVED AS THE WOMEN'S, UH, TRACK COACH FOR PRAIRIE VIEW A AND M UNIVERSITY.
UM, THERE IS A PARK THAT IS NAMED FOR HER HERE IN OUR CITY AND SHE IS A PROUD, UM, UH, UH, CITIZEN.
UH, UH, THIS IS HER BIRTHPLACE, UH, HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
AND SO WE WANT TO REMEMBER HER, UH, ON TODAY AND I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AS WELL FOR US TO FORMULATE IF YOU'VE NOT
[02:00:01]
ALREADY DONE.SO MR. MAYOR A A, A PROCLAMATION AS WELL, UH, FOR HER, UH, TO BE PASSED ON TO HER FAMILY AND TO SAY HOW MUCH WE LOVE AND APPRECIATE AND REMEMBER, UH, COACH BARBARA JACKET ON TODAY.
I HAD ON A LIST TO DO THAT AND WE, UH, GOT SHITTY, MAN.
EVEN ON YESTERDAY, WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION, IT WOULD BE RED AND A FUNERAL SERVICE ON SATURDAY.
WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER IT TO HER RELATIVE DR.
AND HE WILL HAVE IT FOR THE ACTUAL FUNERAL SERVICE ON SATURDAY AT A PURDUE, LIKE, OKAY, MR. JONES, WHEN THE FUNERAL IS GOING TO BE SATURDAY AT PRAIRIEVIEW IN FAIRVIEW, IT WON'T BE HERE.
THOSE ARE HER WISHES, HER BURIAL AND EVERYTHING TO BE DOWN IN PARODY.
IF WE DIDN'T BUY US OUT OF THE GOOD WARNER CALLED HOP SEVEN, I'D LIKE TO GO OUT THERE, MAN.
CAUSE SHE TOLD ME, SHE TOLD HIM NIGGA SCHOOL WHEN, WHEN I WAS THERE.
I WON'T SAY HOW LONG AGO THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU REMEMBER JACKET BARBARA OKAY.
UH, THE NEXT THING THAT WE WOULD HAVE IS, UH, I HAVE THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE, UH, A COMMISSION ON HOMELESSNESS AND MY FACILITATOR WOULD BE OUR COUNCIL WOMEN, UH, INGRID HOMES.
UH, EACH COUNCIL PERSON IS GOING TO PRESENT, UH, NAMES OF TWO INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE SERVED ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR HOMELESSNESS OR THE COMMISSION FOR HOMELESSNESS OR THE MS. COMMISSION FOR HOMELESSNESS, EVEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE NOTICED IT.
OUR HOMELESS POPULATION CONTINUES TO GROW AND IT IS GROWING ALMOST EXPONENTIALLY.
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE PULLED OFF THE RESIDENT'S FIRST AID, BUT THEY ARE FOLK WHO WILL BEING DELIVERED TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR BY SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, INABILITY TO HAVE THE SENSORY CAPACITY TO ACTUALLY MAKE DECISIONS PROPERLY FOR THEMSELVES, THEY, THEY, THEY DROPPED THEM HERE AND THEY ACTUALLY BECOME, WATCH A PORN OFF, SO TO SPEAK, BUT BEING, I THINK THE PERSON WHO WE ALL, UH, WE WANT TO CARE FOR THEM.
AND SO, UH, COUNCILMAN HOLMES EXPRESSED THIS TO ME.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS, UH, AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS ADDRESSING AND WE HAD OUR INITIAL MEETING AND, UH, HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF FEBRUARY, FOR SURE, WE SHOULD BE, UH, A FUNCTIONING, UH, ENTITY OR A COMMISSION HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO ASSIST WITH HOMELESSNESS.
AND I WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT, OKAY, NOW WE WILL
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA]
NOW MOVE TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.AND, UH, IN THE CONSENT AGENDA, THESE, I ACTUALLY ITEM TO ROUTINE NATURE AND ADMINISTRATIVE AS WELL.
AND THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY BEEN FURNISHED WITH INFORMATION ON THESE ITEMS. IF THAT WOULD BE ANY ITEM THAT A COUNCIL PERSON WOULD WANT WITHDRAWN AND HANDLED INDIVIDUALLY, YOU CAN LET ME KNOW IF WE, IF NOT, I WILL HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED, UH, AND OKAY.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA CONSENT AGENDA.
IS REMOVED THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, EXCEPT BECAUSE, AND AGAIN, NOT CASTLEMONT DID YOU HAVE ONE YOU WANT WITH ROME? BECAUSE WE CAN JUST SAY THAT IN, IN MOTION.
YEAH, THERE WAS ONE AND IT WAS JUST, UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST A WORDING ISSUE.
I SPOKE TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT IT, UH, AND I WANNA THINK IT WAS, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT ORDER.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE ONE I ASKED YOU ABOUT? I HAD IT IN MY NOTES HERE AND I'VE GOT TOO MANY PAPERS OVER HERE.
IT'S IT'S ACTUALLY ITEM 20 OUT OF NUMBER 20.
YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOTION.
YOU TO HAVE TO WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION.
WE WOULD THOUGHT A MOTION TO COUNCILMAN JONES WITH DRAMA MOTION, MAN.
[02:05:01]
WE'LL GO BACK ANY KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE WITHDRAWN AT THE POOL.MR. MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO PULL PR NUMBER 2, 2, 3, 2, 5.
NOW I'M READY TO ACCEPT THE MOTION COUNCILOR JONES TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCLUSION OF PR NUMBER TWO TO THREE TO FIVE.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A PR NUMBER TWO TO THREE TO FIVE AND RID OF THE COURSE, BUT WE'RE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT IS AND HAS BEEN PRESENTED NEXT.
WE WILL MOVE TO THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA THAT WE TEND TO I'M SORRY.
I WAS GOING THROUGH THIS PAGE IS MOVING QUICKLY AND MY EYES FELL RIGHT ON IT AND I JUST WENT RIGHT TO IT.
[VII.20. P. R. No. 22325 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Of Port Arthur To Enter Into An Agreement With The Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas Board Of Beaumont, Texas, To Provide Expenditures That The Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas Board Can Use As A Match For Additional Child Care Funds Through A Child Care Local Match Contribution Agreement]
PR NUMBER 2, 2, 3, 2, 5 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS SOUTHEAST TEXAS BOARD OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS, TO PROVIDE, UH, EXPENDITURES THAT THE WORKFORCE SOLUTION SOUTH EAST TEXAS BOARD CAN USE AS A MATCH FOR ADDITIONAL CHILDCARE FUNDS THROUGH A CHILD CARE, LOCAL MATCH OR CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT.MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL COST, NO MARKS.
SO MOVEMENT NOW GET A SECOND COUNCIL WOMAN, MOSES IN BEEN MOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER TWO TO THREE TO FIVE IS A WRIT.
NOW WE HAVE AN UNREADINESS AND COUNCIL REMARKS GO RIGHT AHEAD.
THE QUESTION ON ONLINE THREE, WHERE IT SAYS TO PROVIDE EXPENDITURES.
I SPOKE WITH THE CITY SECRETARY.
I THINK THAT THAT I WAS THINKING THAT WORDING SHOULD BE CHANGED, UH, TO PROVIDE FUNDING OR FUNDS RATHER THAN EXPENDITURES.
AND IS THERE AN AMOUNT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT NO AMOUNT, NO AMOUNT.
THIS MATTER IS OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE NATURE WHERE EVERY, YOU, WE GET THIS RESOLUTION BEFORE COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE SUMMER PROGRAMS RUNNING FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION FAMILY.
ANY OTHER READINESS? WE'RE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED AYES HAVE IT SORTED.
WE WILL ACCEPT PR NUMBER TWO TO THREE TO FIVE AS RED.
WHEN I MOVED TO THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA
[VIII.A.1. P. R. No. 22318 — A Resolution Approving An Agreement With Jessica Carpenter For Professional Services & Employment As Chief Executive Officer Of The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation & VIII.B.2. P. O. No. 7027 — An Ordinance Amending Chapter 78 Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of Port Arthur By Adding Article IV: An Addendum As It Pertains To The Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation' s Employee Policies And Procedures Manual.]
AND THE NON-CONSENT A GOOD ATTORNEY.WE HAVE TWO ITEMS THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO DISCUSS.
UM, MAYOR THE EDC, UH, INTERIM EDC DIRECTOR SENT US A REQUEST THAT TWO ITEMS BE REMOVED.
UH, THEY'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THE ITEMS TONIGHT.
SO THEY MADE A REQUEST THAT WE REMOVE THAT UNTIL THEY, UM, MEET TONIGHT.
AND HE'S HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THEY'VE REQUESTED THAT TWO TO 3, 1 8 BE REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA.
UH, UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO REQUEST THAT PO 7 0, 2 7, BE REMOVED AND THEY'RE GOING TO, UM, WORK ON THOSE DOCUMENTS AND RESUBMIT THAT THAT IS THEIR REQUEST.
NEXT WE HAVE SAID YOU HAVE TO VOTE ON, REMEMBER, SORRY.
I GET A MOTION THAT WE REMOVE THOSE ACCOUNTS MCKAYLA.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD REMOVE THE ITEM ITEM, COUPLE OF ONE AND OUT OF NUMBER TWO FROM, UH, THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA OR RETICLE QUESTION ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED? NAY AYES HAVE IT.
[VIII.B.1. P. O. No. 7006 — An Ordinance Amending Sections 1. 02, 8. 05, 8. 10, And 9. 06 Of The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation' s Bylaws]
HAVE A APPEAL NUMBER 7 0 0 6 IS AN AUTONOMOUS AMENDING SECTIONS.1.02 8.05 8.10 AND 9.06 OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, SECTION 48, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS, BYLAWS, UM, MEGHAN, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL ON THAT.
COUNCILWOMAN MOSES, I'LL GET MY, GET A SECOND, UH, MAY APPROACH HIM ISN'T MOVING AND STUFF.
AND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 7, 0, 0 6 AS WRIT.
UH, WE HAVE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ON HIS MOTION, ALL IN FAVOR AND HIPPOS VANTAGE.
WE WOULD ACCEPT THAT FOR THAT.
[IX. * CLOSED MEETING ( EXECUTIVE SESSION)]
[02:10:01]
WE WOULD, UH, MOVE NOW INTO OUR CLOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION IN THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION.UH, AND WE ARE BEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH, UH, SECTION FIVE POWER, 1.101 OF THE CHAPTER OF, UH, UH, OH 5, 5 1 OPEN MEETINGS LAW THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, I SEE WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT.
SO, UH, PRIOR TO GOING INTO THE MEETING CAN LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.07, ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS AND RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE CITY OF CHINA REGARDING POTENTIAL AND ALL PENDING LITIGATION AND OTHER LEGAL MATTERS INVOLVING THE CITY OF FORT OPP AND A SECTION FIVE POWER, 1.074 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO, UH, DELIBERATE AND DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OF A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT THE PORT ARTHUR SECTION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND THOSE WOULD BE THE ITEMS THAT WE WILL, UH, DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IF THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY OTHER, UH, DISCUSSIONS WE WILL RECESS TO, UH, TO THE REAR HERE, UH, UH, ATTORNEY WE HAD TO SET UP AND MAKE IT RIGHT.
YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HAVE TO, OH, THEY WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE BUILDING, UH, LEAVE THIS FLOOR.
YOU WANTED TO GO DOWNSTAIRS, YOU WELCOME TO GO DOWNSTAIRS, BUT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO STAY ON THIS FLOOR WHILE WE'RE HAVING EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IF THERE WOULD BE ANY ACTION OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT NEEDS, UH, SOME TYPE OF BOAT, WE WERE RETURNED TO, UH, JOIN THE MEETING AND WE WILL VOTE ON THAT ITEM.
UH, WELL I GUESS IT WAS GOOD AFTERNOON.
WE ARE GOING TO RECONVENE RECESS TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.
UH, WE, UH, WE CONVENED THE MEETING, UH, CITY SECRETARY, WHEN YOU ESTABLISHED THE CORE MAYOR BARR T MAYOR PRO TEM, FRANK COUNCIL MEMBER HOMES, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER, KEN LAW, COUNCIL MEMBER MARK'S COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES.
UH, WE COMPLETED OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION, THEIR ATTORNEY, NO MOTIONS OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR A, FROM COUNCILMAN THAT CAME OUT.
THE SECOND COUNCIL ON THE HOMES IS REMOVED.
THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD HAVE JOINED THIS MEETING TODAY, JANUARY 11TH, IT BEGAN AT 9:30 AM ON THIS MORNING.
WE WERE JOINED NOW AT 1:07 PM.
UH, ANY UNREADINESS ON IT ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED JARGON.