* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] OKAY, GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. [I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL] UH, IT IS NOW 10:09 AM ON APRIL 18TH, 2022. WE ARE GATHERED HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE AT THE CITY OF PORT OFF AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET, UH, FOR NONE OTHER THAN A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON THIS DATE, UH, THIS MEETING MAY BE ATTENDED BY THE PUBLIC, UH, THROUGH A TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE, UH, MEDIUMS. IT MAY BE DONE SO BY DIALING, UH, 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9. AND YOU MUST ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 4 7 6 3 0 1 5 5 6 2 AND USE THE PAST CODE OF FOUR OR 5 0 8 6 9. WE ALSO, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, AND WE WILL PROVIDE THE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PERSONS WANTING TO ATTEND THE MEETING AND NEEDING THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS. HOWEVER, THE REQUEST MUST BE MADE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING BY DIALING THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5. IF YOU HAVE ANY ELECTRONIC DEVICES AFTER YOU HIT MUTE OR SILENCE THEM AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE INVOCATION A COSMIC WOULD YOU OFFER NOTIFICATION FOR US? AND THEN WE WILL HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. YES, MAYOR. WHEN YOU STANDING BY WITH ME, PLEASE. OH, HEAVENLY FATHER. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME ONCE AGAIN, TO DO THE WHEEL OF YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, GOD AND PROTECT OUR STAFF, OUR GREAT CITY, GOD, AND PROTECT THIS COUNCIL. AS WE MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE ASKED ALL THESE BLESSINGS IN YOUR SON JESUS' NAME. WE PRAY. AMEN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WAS SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN UNISON, PLEASE. I PLAYED THE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND I'LL OPEN IT TO THE SECRETARY. WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH THE CORE? MAY YOUR BAR T MAYOR PRO TEM FRANK COUNCIL MEMBER HOMES, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS, COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES. YOU HAVE A CORMIER. THANK YOU SO KINDLY [II. PRESENTATIONS] WE WILL BEGIN THIS MORNING WITH PRESENTATIONS BY STAFF REGARDING EARTH DAY, CLEAN UP ON APRIL 23RD. GOOD MORNING. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY, AND EVERYONE. I'M JENNIFER EDWARDS. I'M THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR EARTH DAY CLEANUP, WHICH IS COMING UP THIS SATURDAY, APRIL THE 23RD. NOW I HAVE PROVIDED FOR YOU A LITTLE PAMPHLET SO THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG AND LOOK AT THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT WE ARE DOING THE WEEK PRIOR TO THE REASON THAT WE PUT THAT OUT IS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THE CITIZENS HAVE VARYING DEGREES OF PHYSICAL ABILITY OR TIME OR SKILLS. SO DURING THAT WEEK, IF YOU LOOK ON THE BACK, YOU'LL SEE THAT THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO PRIOR TO EARTH WEEK. NOW THAT INFORMATION IS ALSO ON THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WEBSITE AND OUR GOVERNMENT PAGE. NOW, SATURDAY, WE'RE ALL GOING TO MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS. WE'RE GOING TO MEET AT THE PAVILION. AND THE COOL PART ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH INDUSTRY BUSINESSES, AGENCIES, THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, THE PORT OF PORT ARTHUR, THE PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE MAR STATE COLLEGE OF PORT ARTHUR. SO THEY'RE GOING TO PROVIDE SOME VOLUNTEERS FOR US AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM THEIR SUPPLIES. THEY'RE GOING TO GO OUT TO DESIGNATED STREETS IN EACH OF Y'ALL'S DISTRICT, CLEAN UP, COME BACK AROUND NOON TIME. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A NICE LUNCH FOR THEM. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A RAFFLE WE'RE RAFFLING OFF, UM, A ROCKING, I'M SORRY, A, A RECLINER AND A FEW OTHER AMENITIES THAT ARE DONATED BY OUR SPONSORS. AND SOME OF THEM ARE ON THE BACK OF THAT FLYER THAT I GAVE YOU. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT OF THE OFFICE, UM, AND TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY. AND WE THANK THE CITY, YOU GUYS FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT, TO DO THIS EARTH [00:05:01] DAY CLEAN UP. AND I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE EVER DONE THIS, WHERE WE'VE WORKED WITH INDUSTRY MOTIVA APPROACHED US AND ASKED US IF WE WOULD BE WILLING TO PARTNER WITH THEM. AND WE SAID, YES. AND WE REACHED OUT TO THE OTHER INDUSTRIES LIKE VALERO VASF CHEVRON PHILLIPS, UM, TOTAL, UH VASF IF I HADN'T MENTIONED THAT WE WERE PARTNERING WITH THEM AND THEY HAVE PROVIDED EITHER PARTICIPATION OR DONATIONS OR SPONSORSHIP. SO WE'RE REAL EXCITED ABOUT THAT. NOW, AS YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE. AND MY EARTH DAY COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF ME, CHERYL GIBBS AND SHAUNDRA APOE. AND IT COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THEIR HELP AND THEIR PARTICIPATION AND THEIR ABILITIES TO HELP ME GET THINGS DONE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR, BECAUSE TOO MANY TIMES THEY SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T DO ENOUGH FOR THIS OR THAT. AND WE JUST WANT TO GET OUT THERE AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE CARE ABOUT HOW OUR CITY LOOKS. WE WANT IT TO BE CLEAN. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE CLEANING UP THESE THOROUGHFARES. NOW THE COOL PARTY IS TOO THAT WE INVITE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO COME TO THE PAVILION ON SATURDAY, YOU'LL YOU CAN GET A RAFFLE TICKET AND YOU MAY BE THE LUCKY ONE TO WIN THE RECLINER. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, WHEN THE VOLUNTEERS RETURN, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL SWAG BAGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM, AND WE HAVE AMENITIES IN THEM. AND JUST TO SHOW THEM THAT WE APPRECIATE THEIR HARD WORK GOING OUT AND HELPING US CLEAN UP THE CITY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MS. EDWARDS, UH, AND COUNSEL, ANY REMARKS? WELL, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTS, I LIKE TO SAY WE THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME IN AND SPEARHEADING THIS EARTH DAY, A CLEANUP HERE IN THE CITY OF FORT OFFICE. AND AS I READ ON THE BACK OF THE, I'VE DONE ONE THING, I HAVE A BAG OF SOME CLOTHING I'M GOING TO DONATE. I WAS SAVING IT. SO I GUESS IT'S SATURDAY. IT'S A GOOD TIME TO DONATE IT. I DID CLEAN THE CLOSET. THANK YOU. SO Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE DAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE [III. REDISTRICTING OVERVIEW] A, UH, REDISTRICTING OVERVIEW AND THIS IS A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE CITY OF PORT OFFICE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REDISTRICTING UNDER FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO AMENDMENT 14 AND 15 TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, U S C H. AND, UH, SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, UH, 52 U S C H UH, NOTABLY ARTICLE 1 0 3 0 1 PART ONE IN AN ARTICLE THREE, UH, ONE THROUGH TWO OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AND TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE. AND I GUESS IT'S ANNOTATED CODE WOULD BE A 2 0 5 8 0.001 AND 2 0 5 8 0.002. UH, ATTORNEYS YOU ALL ALREADY? YES. I GIVE A FEW INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. UM, GOOD MORNING. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING WITH THIS, UH, PROCESS OF REDISTRICTING, AS WE NOTICED IS MANDATED THAT WE GET THIS DONE BY THE US CONSTITUTION AND THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION. SO, UH, WE ARE JUST KIND OF COMING BACK AS A FOLLOW-UP SO WE CAN START PLANNING TO GET THIS ITEM DONE. UH, OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS WAS THAT THE COUNTY HAS COMPLETED THEIR REDISTRICTING AND THEY'RE WAITING ON US TO HAND THE BALL TO THEM, UH, IN TERMS OF GETTING EVERYTHING READY FOR VOTING WHEN THE LINES ARE WITH ARE DRAWN. SO THE COUNTY DOES HAVE THEIR MAP COMPLETED. UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT THEY HAVE ADOPTED THEIR MAP. I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS ADOPTED THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, IT MAY HAVE BEEN, BUT THE COUNTY HAS FINALIZED THEIR REDISTRICTING PROCESS. SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS, UM, JUST KIND OF GO BACK OVER ALL OF THE, UH, RULES AND, UH, THE STATUS OF THE DATA THAT CAME ABOUT FROM THE CENSUS. AND THEN WHAT WE'D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH THIS MEETING. AND WE HAVE COPIES OF THE CURRENT MAP, THE CURRENT POPULATION AND HOW IT FALLS RIGHT NOW. AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS AT THE END, UH, COME UP WITH A TIMELINE OF GETTING THIS DONE SO WE CAN ADOPT A MAP AND GET THIS, UH, OVER TO THE COUNTY SO THAT THE VOTER REGISTRAR HAS TIME TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN THAT FORMAT AS WE DISCUSSED. SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO TODAY KIND OF GO BACK OVER ALL THE RULES, GO BACK OVER THE DATA. AND AT THE END OF THIS BRIEF PRESENTATION, WE'D LIKE TO SET SOME TIME TABLES SO THAT WE CAN COORDINATE WITH MR. SEQUENCE. SO AT THIS TIME, GUNNAR SEQUENCED HAS GIVEN US A VERY DETAILED, UM, REPORT. AND [00:10:01] ALSO, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING DRAWN SESSIONS ON THE TIMELINE THAT HE HAS, YOU KNOW, HE JUST HAS A COUPLE OF WORKSHOPS. WE CAN OBVIOUSLY MAKE THAT AS WHAT YOU'D LIKE, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE OUR DATES DETERMINED SO THAT WE CAN BE READY TO HAND THE BALL TO THE COUNTY IN THE FORMAT THAT THEY NEEDED IN. SO AT THIS TIME, MR SCIQUEST IS GOING TO GO AHEAD. GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN, I AM GOING TO SEQUENCE THE LAW FIRM OF BICKERSTAFF HE THOUGHT OF AUSTIN. AND AS MS TIZZANO MENTIONED, WE'RE JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A KIND OF AN OVERVIEW. UM, AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REDISTRICTING BASED ON THE 2020 CENSUS DATA, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS REBALANCE THE SINGLE MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UH, SO THAT THEY ARE ROUGHLY PROPORTIONATE IN POPULATION. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WHAT THAT MEANS IS FROM WHAT THE COURTS HAVE TOLD US, THAT MEANS THAT BETWEEN THE MOST POPULOUS AND THE LEAST POPULOUS DISTRICT, WE HAVE TO GET THE TOTAL DEVIATION BETWEEN THOSE TWO DOWN BELOW 10%. AND SO IT WAS JUST MY LITTLE SAMPLE, EASY CALCULATION. IF WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE SINGLE MEMBER COUNCIL DISTRICTS, THAT'S A 10% ABOVE AND ONE THAT'S 20% BELOW. WELL, THAT GIVES YOU A, AN OVERALL DEVIATION AT 30%. AND THAT WOULD MEAN THAT YOU'D HAVE TO REDISTRICT BECAUSE YOU'RE ABOVE THAT 10% NUMBER. UM, THIS IS SORT OF THE PROCESS. WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, BUT JUST BY WAY OF REMINDER, UM, WE GAVE YOU THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT AND THE COUNCIL ADOPTED ITS, UH, PLANNING CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES AT OUR LAST MEETING. UM, THE ILLUSTRATIVE PLAN THAT WE PREPARE IS JUST AN EXAMPLE PLAN. IT IS A CONVERSATION STARTER IT'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT ABOUT HOW THE COUNCIL MIGHT REDISTRICT, UH, AND BRING THE SINGLE MEMBER COUNCIL DISTRICTS BACK INTO BALANCE. BUT IT'S JUST A SUGGESTION. UM, YOU ALL ARE, ARE FREE TO START FROM, FROM THE BASE MAP AND GO FROM THERE. WE CAN WORK FROM THE ILLUSTRATIVE PLAN. UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT YOU ALL KNOW THAT IT WILL BE COUNCIL THAT DRAWS THE NEW MAPS, NOT THE LAW FIRM, WE'RE JUST HERE TO FACILITATE YOUR IDEAS AND PUT THOSE INTO, INTO EFFECT AND PROCESS. AND SO, UM, ONCE WE GET I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT WE HAVE PREPARED AS AN ILLUSTRATIVE PLAN AS ONE SUGGESTION, UH, THIS MORNING, AND THEN AS MS TIZZANO MENTIONED, WE'LL, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SET THAT UP, UH, FOR SOME DRAWING SESSIONS AND THAT THE DRAWING SESSIONS WILL BE, UM, WHERE WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE OUR GIS SOFTWARE UP ON THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU. I HAVE MY GIS SPECIALIST WHO WILL BE REMOTELY THROUGH A ZOOM LINK, BUT WE CAN MAKE CHANGES IN REAL TIME. AND WE CAN SAY, WELL, WHAT IF WE WANT TO MOVE THE LINE OVER HERE? WHAT IF WE WANT TO TAKE IN THIS ELECTION PRECINCT OR ANOTHER, UH, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU WHAT THOSE CHANGES, NOT ONLY LOOK LIKE GEOGRAPHICALLY, BUT HOW THEY AFFECT POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, UH, AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SO THAT YOU ALL CAN SEE JUST WHAT DIFFERENT POTENTIAL CHANGES, WHAT EFFECT THOSE HAVE AND, AND HOW DIFFERENT WAYS OF REBALANCING, UH, THE CITY WILL AFFECT THE DISTRICTS. SO ONCE WE HAVE THOSE SESSIONS WITH YOU ALL ACT TYPICALLY A LOT FOR TWO OF THOSE, BUT IF IT TURNS OUT THAT ONE IS ENOUGH, THAT'S GREAT. AND IF IT TURNS OUT THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE MORE THAN THAT, WE CAN DO THAT TOO. SO, UM, WE ARE FLEXIBLE. YOU ALL CAN DICTATE THAT TO US BASED ON YOUR PREFERENCE AND COMFORT LEVEL. UM, BUT ONCE WE HAVE A CITY MAP THAT THE COUNCIL IS COMFORTABLE WITH, WE'LL WORK WITH THE CITY TO THEN PUT THAT OUT PUBLICLY, UH, LET THE, THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT. AND THEN WE'LL WORK WITH YOU TO SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY COME IN, UH, AND WE CAN GET SOME PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND COMMENT AND INPUT INTO THAT PROCESS. UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL ANALYZE THOSE COMMENTS, MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE READY TO GO, UH, FOR FINAL ADOPTION. AND SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS REALLY, UH, IF WE ASSUME TWO DRAWING SESSIONS, ONE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, AND AT FINAL ADOPTION MEETING, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY FOUR MEETINGS, UM, THAT WE'LL NEED TO GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS. UH, IF YOU WANT TO DO MORE DRAWING SESSIONS AGAIN, THAT'S FINE. IT CAN GO UP FROM THERE, BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE BASE LEVEL OF WHAT WE'LL WANT TO SET UP. AND THEN ONCE THE COUNCIL ADOPTS, UH, AS MISS WAS MENTIONING, WE'LL WORK WITH THE COUNTY ELECTIONS FOLKS, UH, TO GET THAT UPLOADED INTO THEIR SYSTEM AND HOPEFULLY HAVE A SEAMLESS ELECTION PROCESS. HERE'S YOUR CURRENT MAP? I KNOW YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH IT. UM, AS YOU'LL RECALL, WHEN WE DID LOOKED AT THE 2020 CENSUS DATA FOR THE CURRENT SINGLE MEMBER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, WHAT WE SAW WAS AN OVERALL DEVIATION OF 33.28%. OF COURSE, THAT MEANS THAT THE CITY IS OUT OF BALANCE, DOES NEED TO READ DISTRICT IN LOOKING AT THE, UM, THE SPECIFIC DISTRICTS. WHAT WE SEE IS [00:15:01] THAT UNDER THE CENSUS, UH, DISTRICT THREE IS 18% HEAVY. IT'S OVER THE IDEAL POPULATION. AND DISTRICT ONE IS 15.3% BELOW. AND SO ULTIMATELY THE, THE REDISTRICTING, UM, TASKING FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WILL BE TO, UH, MOVE SOME OF THE POPULATION OUT OF THREE AND THEN MOVE SOME POPULATION INTO CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT ONE. UM, HOW EXACTLY WE DO THAT AGAIN, IS GOING TO BE UP TO YOU ALL. THIS IS ONE SUGGESTION, UM, THAT IS OUR ILLUSTRATIVE PLAN. WE'VE CALLED IT, PLAN A AGAIN, UH, JUST AN EXAMPLE, JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO START THE CONVERSATION. UM, AND THE WAY WE ATTACK THESE ILLUSTRATIVE PLANS IS WE TRY TO GET THE CITY BACK INTO BALANCE THAT IS UNDER THAT 10% THRESHOLD, UM, AS SIMPLY AS POSSIBLE, UM, THAT IS WITH THIS SMALL CHANGE AS POSSIBLE. UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NECESSARILY THE CHANGE THAT ULTIMATELY WILL BE MADE OR THAT YOU ALL WOULD MAKE. IT'S JUST ONE WAY THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IT BASED SOLELY ON THE NUMBERS AND SAY, IF WE MAKE THIS SINGLE CHANGE, IT GETS YOU BACK INTO BALANCE. AND SO WHAT WE LOOKED AT IS THERE IS ONE ELECTION PRECINCT, UM, THAT IS CURRENTLY IN PRECINCT THREE, THAT IF YOU MOVE IT TO PRECINCT, ONE BRINGS YOU DOWN TO AN OVERALL DEVIATION OF ABOUT 7.3%. AND SO, UM, I THINK I HAVE A CLOSEUP OF IT HERE. IT IS THAT ELECTION PRECINCT 46. UM, AND AGAIN, NOT TO SAY THAT'S THE WAY TO DO IT. THAT'S JUST ONE EASY WAY OF DOING IT. UM, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS A POTENTIAL WAY. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN WE GET INTO THE DRAWING SESSION, THERE ARE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN LOOK AT TRYING TO, TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT SAME GOAL. SO, UM, WANTING TO IDENTIFY AT LEAST ONE WAY YOU COULD DO IT. AND WHEN WE SET UP OUR DRAWING SESSIONS, WE CAN TAKE ANY OTHER FEEDBACK OR CONSIDERATION THAT YOU ALL HAVE, OR WOULD LIKE TO SEE TO DO THAT. AND AS I MENTIONED, IF YOU DO THAT, IT ACTUALLY GETS YOU TO A 7.03% DEVIATION. IT LOOKS LIKE, OKAY. SO, UH, WE DID OUR INITIAL ASSESSMENT ON FEBRUARY 1ST. WE'RE GIVING YOU THE ILLUSTRATIVE PLAN HERE THIS MORNING. UM, WHAT WOULD HELP US IN WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS JUST TO GET SOME DATES FROM YOU ALL. LET'S START WITH SCHEDULING OUT TWO DRAWING SESSIONS IF WE CAN. UM, AND THEN IF WE NEED MORE BEYOND THAT, WE CAN DO THAT. BUT ONCE WE HAVE THOSE DRAWING SESSIONS DONE, I THINK THAT'LL GIVE US A GOOD TIMEFRAME FOR WHEN WE'LL NEED TO SCHEDULE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND GET YOU MOVING TOWARDS A FINAL ADOPTION AND GUNNER. UM, IF I MAY MIRROR, I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE STANDARD DEVIATION AND WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT 10% MEANS? JUST SO THEY'LL KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE ON THAT? YEAH, THE 10% NUMBER IS WHAT THE COURTS HAVE TOLD US IS AN ACCEPTABLE DEVIATION. UM, UNDER THE ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE REQUIREMENT FOR THE UNDER THE 14TH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. AND THE IDEA IS IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR DISTRICT THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY OVER-WEIGHTED, UH, IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHERS, THEN IT TENDS TO UNDERVALUE THE INDIVIDUALS IN THAT DISTRICT VOTE. UM, WHEREAS IF YOU HAVE ONE THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LIGHT, IT TAKES FEWER PEOPLE TO ELECT THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, AND THAT TENDS TO OVERVALUE THE BOATS THERE. AND SO IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY'S VOTE IN THE CITY IS ROUGHLY EQUAL. THAT'S WHY THIS, THIS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND WHAT THE COURTS HAVE TOLD US THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO GET THESE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS, UH, INTO HIS CLOSE BALANCES AS WE CAN. NOW, THE WAY PEOPLE ARE DISTRIBUTED GEOGRAPHICALLY, UH, AND THE WAY BOUNDARIES ARE, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO DRAW THEM EXACTLY EQUAL ACROSS THE BOARD. SO WHAT THAT 10% NUMBER IS, IS WHAT THE COURTS HAVE SAID IS AN ACCEPTABLE DEVIATION. THAT IS, IT CAN BE, UM, SOME VARIANTS, BUT IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT IT'S GOING TO HAVE THE EFFECT OF, OF UNDERVALUING OR OVERVALUING ANYONE'S VOTE BEYOND AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL. UM, AND SO THAT, AND AGAIN, THE WAY WE GET THAT IS WE LOOK AT THE DISTRICT THAT'S THE MOST POPULATED IN TOTAL POPULATION VERSUS THE ONE THAT'S THE LEAST, WE MAKE SURE THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO AND OVERALL POPULATION, UH, LESS THAN 10%. OKAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT THAT THAT'S OUR GOAL. SO WHICHEVER WAY YOU GO IN THE DRAWING SESSION IT'S THAT YOU CAN'T GO ABOVE THE 10%. SO AGAIN, IT'S COUNCIL'S DECISION, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE GROUND RULES THAT IT CAN'T BE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 10%, IS THAT THAT'S CORRECT BETWEEN THE VARIOUS DISTRICTS. THAT IS CORRECT. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE CITY'S MAP. WE CAN PRO PRETTY MUCH WHEN WE START THIS PROCESS, GO FROM THE EXISTING MAP AND, YOU KNOW, JUST START DRAWING AND SEEING WHERE THOSE NUMBERS GET US. SO I GUESS WE JUST WANTED TO KIND OF POINT OUT THOSE LITTLE BASIC GROUND RULES [00:20:01] AND, UH, DETERMINE NOW HOW WE LOOK THAT, UH, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO MAYBE GET SOME CLARIFICATION TO BE SURE I'M UNDER I'M, I'M UNDERSTANDING IT CORRECTLY. THE TWO DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE OUT OF BALANCE RIGHT NOW IS DISTRICT ONE AND 3 0 4 AND TWO CAN BASICALLY REMAIN LIKE THEY ARE OKAY. UH, LOGICAL MOVEMENT YOU'RE SAYING, OR SUGGESTING WOULD BE MOVING CERTAIN VOTING PRECINCTS OUT OF THREE. I MEAN, YEAH, YEAH. OUT OF THREE INTO DISTRICT ONE, THAT'S CORRECT. SO TWO AND FOUR ARE ACTUALLY VERY CLOSE TO WHAT THEY SHOULD BE AT FOUR IS EXTREMELY CLOSE. IT'S ONLY 0.1, 4% OFF OF THE IDEAL. UM, TWO IS JUST ABOUT 3% LIGHTS. SO THOSE ARE, THOSE CAN BE LEFT ALONE. UM, MOVING AN ELECTION PRECINCT, THE WAY WE DID, UH, IS AN EASY WAY TO BALANCE. UM, AND IT ALSO TENDS NOT TO BE AS DISRUPTIVE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE USED TO BEING IN THAT SAME VOTING PRECINCT. SO WE'RE NOT REALLY CHANGING THE PRECINCT THAT THEY ARE IN. WE'RE JUST MOVING THE, UM, THE COUNCIL DISTRICT IS THERE THE BORING WISE. SO THAT TENDS TO BE AN EASY CHANGE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT. AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOT. WE'RE NOT TELLING YOU, YOU HAVE TO DO IT THAT WAY. THAT'S JUST THE WAY WE LOOK AT IT FROM OUR OFFICE, RIGHT. YOU GUYS OBVIOUSLY HAVE ON THE GROUND KNOWLEDGE THAT MAY AFFECT THAT ONE MORE TIME. ALSO WITH THESE MOVEMENTS I HAD, I DON'T THINK WE UNDER THOSE RULES ANYMORE OR WITH THE, UH, I THINK IT WAS A FEDERAL THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE TO BE SURE, OR THAT IT BE OUTLINED FROM THEM. AND MAYBE I'M JUST KIND OF OLD SCHOOL ON IT. I REMEMBER BACK, WE HAD TO GET PRE-CLEARANCE, BUT, UH, WE, WE ARE, WE ARE UNDER UNDERDOG IN IT OVER RULES ANYMORE, RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT AFTER THE SUPREME COURT DECISION IN SHELBY COUNTY VERSUS HOLDER, THE PRE-CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT NO LONGER APPLIES. AND ALSO THE RETROGRESSION STANDARD, UM, THAT USED TO APPLY THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE USED TO APPLY UNDER SECTION FIVE IS NO LONGER THE STANDARD EITHER. NOW WE DO STILL, AS THE CITY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. UM, AND WE'LL BE MONITORING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ISSUE THERE, BUT IF I SEE ANY POTENTIAL PROBLEMS, I WILL CERTAINLY BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION. OKAY. OKAY. UH, SO WHAT, AND WE SEE IT, WE WOULD LOOKING AT SOME DATES. AM I CORRECT? A CITY ATTORNEY? YEAH. SO WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND PLOT OUT OUR CALENDAR SO WE CAN PREPARE ON OUR END. DATES WILL BE GOOD FOR YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, COUNSEL. UM, YOU'RE LOOKING AT DATES AND, UH, ALSO UP AND COME DOWN LONG ISLAND. I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE REALLY IN NEED OF DOING THIS AS EXPEDIENTLY, I GUESS IT'S POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE COUNTY IS WAITING WHAT OUR FINAL DECISIONS ARE GOING TO BE ON THIS. AND WE DON'T WANT TO, UH, RUN THE RISK OF HAVING DURING THE GENERAL ELECTION, WHAT WE DEALT WITH, UH, PRIOR TO, SO AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN PROBABLY, UH, COME TO AN AMICABLE, UH, RESOLVE ON THIS WOULD BE THE BEST THING. I THINK, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURES? OR CAN WE DO THIS RIGHT NOW? SHOULD WE JUST DO IT ON THE DATES THAT WE WANT? WE NEED TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT'S SOME DATES SO WE CAN PREPARE, WE'D LIKE TO LEAVE. AND ONCE AGAIN, THE COUNTY HAS DONE THEIR REDISTRICTING. SO WE'RE NOW IN THE POSITION TO DO SO, AND MAYBE HAVE THE FIRST DRAWING, THE SECOND DRAWING AND THE FINAL ADOPTION. THE SECOND DRAWING WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE LIKE A PUPPET HERE. AND YET I LEARNED REALLY BAD. AND I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF SAY SOMETHING. WE PROBABLY WANT TO SEPARATE THE PUBLIC HEARING, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT THE CONSTANTLY SATISFIED WITH WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC. SO MAYBE THAT WOULD BE THE LAST STEP BEFORE I KIND OF WANT IT. I KNOW IT SAYS TOGETHER. I WOULDN'T, I GUESS I WOULD JUST SAY THE ONLY OTHER THING I THINK WE, ONCE WE ARE CERTAIN, THEN WE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC. WE DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY, WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO COME TO THE JORDAN AND YOU MIGHT DO A COUPLE OF THEM AND SEE HOW YOU'RE, HOW YOU FEEL, AND THEN DETERMINE IF YOU WANT TO DO ANOTHER ONE, BUT WE NEED TO KIND OF GET, GET THERE. BUT I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST BOTH THIS AND ON THE NEXT ISSUE, THAT BY THE TIME WE PRESENTED FROM, TO THE PUBLIC, WE ARE CERTAIN THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. WE DON'T WANT TO PRESENT AN INCOMPLETE PRODUCT TO THE RIGHT NOW. OH, WITH RINK. IF WE GO DOWN, DRAW IT DOWN TO THE FIRST DRAWING WORKSHOP. WHAT DID YOU ALL HAVE? ANY SUGGESTIONS ON DATES AND COUNCIL, WOMAN HOMES AND COUNCILMAN, UH, KEN LAW, YOU ALL W W WELL, REALLY NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW LEGAL IS. HERE'S WHAT I'M GETTING READY TO SAY. IF THEY, [00:25:02] UH, CAUCUS AND CAME IN TO COME BACK TO US TO TELL US, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE AGREED ABOUT. I CAN GO WITH IT. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS FEELING ABOUT IT. WE'LL HAVE TO BE DONE IN A PUBLIC MEETING OR EVERYTHING WE'LL HAVE. WE CAN, WE CAN KIND OF TALK TO PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY WITH QUESTIONS AND GO OVER THE MAP. BUT WHEN THE COUNCIL COMES TOGETHER TO DRAW, IT NEEDS TO BE PUBLIC. NOW WE CAN GET WITH THE CONCERT MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY, AND IT WOULD JUST BE ONE PERSON. YEAH. THE MOVEMENT HAS TO BE WITH, I THINK WE'VE SEEN VARIOUS KILLING LOG, COMPLICATED HOMES. YOU'LL CAUCUS. JUST TALK AMONG THE SELF MR. MILLER. THEY NEED TO, THEY NEED TO HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING. IT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN A PUB, BE PREVALENT. WASN'T MEANT TO US KNOW THAT DELIBERATION MUST HAPPEN IN PUBLIC. SO WELL, HOW DO WE DO COMMITTEE MEMBERS? SOME ACCOUNTS. IT'S THE SAME WAY THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, IF YOU WANT TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY, BUT THEN THE DRAWING SESSION WOULD STILL HAVE TO HAPPEN. ARE YOU SAYING YOU DON'T WANT TO DO A DRAWING SESSION? I GUESS I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING. SO ALL HE'S SAYING, IF, IF A COUNCIL, WOMAN, HOLMES AND MYSELF, GET TOGETHER WITH ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER TO FORM A COMMITTEE, WE CAN BRING IT BACK TO TIRE COUNCIL, JUST LIKE WE DO ANY OTHER THING. AND THEN IT BECOMES OPEN MEETING. SO I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE OF DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT THREE ARE THE TWO MAJOR PLAYERS, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OVERALL DEVIATION OF A, WE GOT TO GET LESS THAN EIGHT. SO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS THAT WEEKEND. AND I SEE THAT YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE A ILLUSTRATION OF 46 BEING TAKEN OUT OF DISTRICT TO READ. THAT'S ONE OF THE HEAVIEST POPULATED VOTING AREAS. WHY WOULDN'T YOU BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMITTEE AND NEGOTIATE AND BRING IT BACK TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND, AND GIVE THEIR OPINION. I GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL. LET ME KIND OF BACK UP WHEN WE'VE REDISTRICTED, BEFORE WE DIDN'T HAVE DRAWING SESSIONS, WE, WE, WE, WE PICKED ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MAPS TO COUNCIL, LOOKED AT IT AND, AND MADE A DETERMINATION. SO IF YOU ALL WANT TO HAVE A COMMITTEE, YOU CAN, BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, DRAWING SESSIONS. THAT'S WHAT, WHAT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, AT LEAST ONE OF THE DRAWING SESSIONS WOULD NEED TO GIVE THE PUBLIC, BUT IF YOU ALL WANT TO HAVE A COMMITTEE, THERE'S NOTHING THAT STOPS YOU FROM HAPPY. LET ME BE CLEAR. LET ME BE CLEAR MAYOR, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT THIS IS, THIS IS KIND OF UNLIKE JUST A REGULAR RESOLUTION OR REGULAR ORDINANCE, BECAUSE THIS IS A, UH, A FEDERAL MANDATE. YOU KNOW, WE DO WANT TO BE, UH, HAD AT LEAST HAVE SOME, THE MAJORITY OF IT IN A PUBLIC MEETING, BUT IT'S NOTHING THAT'LL STOP YOU FROM HAVING A COMMITTEE, BUT IT IS THE COUNCIL'S FULL RESPONSIBILITY TO ADOPT THE FINAL NAME. AND LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING TO POLICE, BECAUSE WHEN I BROUGHT UP THE IDEA AND I WAS JUST SAYING, I AIN'T KNOW HOW ILLEGAL IT WAS, OR IT IS, IS THAT THEY WOULD JUST CAUCUS PRIVATELY AND THEN COME BACK TO THE BODY TO LET US KNOW. AND THEN WE COULD HAVE THE FIRST, THE DRAWINGS ISN'T WHEN WE GET TO THE DRAWING SESSION, WE WOULD BASICALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED. AND IT WOULDN'T THAT BE A SESSION WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE A LOT OF DIALOGUE OR ARGUMENTS THAT FIGHTS, BUT ARGUMENTS PRESENTED BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BEEN DETERMINED, STEADY, WORKED OUT. ONCE WE DO THE FIRST DRAWING SESSION, THAT'S WHAT I WAS MEANING BY SAYING. AND THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM HAVING A COMMITTEE THAT WE DID, BUT WE DO WANT TO ALSO SET THE DRAWING SESSIONS. YEAH. YEAH. I WAS NOT TRYING TO PRECLUDE THE DRAWING SESSION AT ALL. IT WAS JUST BEING SURE THAT WE'D HAVE WHAT WE NEEDED, SO WE WOULD COME TO IT. IT'S DONE. OKAY. MOSES, THANK YOU. MA'AM, WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME WE NEED TO HAVE THIS BACK TO THE COUNTY. IS THERE A TIMEFRAME THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS BACK TO THE CAMP? THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO WORK WITHIN THOSE CONFINES, BECAUSE WE WANT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO PUSH IT TO WHERE WE'RE GETTING TO THE COUNTY LATE AND YOU KNOW, WE IT'S ON US THAT THIS HASN'T TAKEN PLACE. SO DO WE HAVE TIME TO HAVE A COMMITTEE TIME FOR THE COMMITTEE? WE WOULD ON THE WORD PRIVATELY. I UNDERSTAND MARY, YOU SAID PRIVATELY, BUT WHEN YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WE DON'T WANT THE CITIZENS TO THINK WE'RE DOING SOMETHING BEHIND THE SCENES. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE. AND I DO UNDERSTAND YOU SAYING THEM CAUCUSING BECAUSE IT'S BETWEEN THE TWO DISTRICTS, BUT WHAT TIME FRAME DO WE HAVE TO GET THE FIFTH? THE COUNTY'S READY. IT'S ON US. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF A TIMEFRAME WE'RE WORKING WITH TO GET THIS TO THE COUNTY SO THAT IT WILL NOT BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE'VE HELD THE COUNTY UP. UM, I WOULD THINK WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE ABOUT, ABOUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO GET IT DONE AT THE ABSOLUTE MOST, IN MY OPINION, WE DON'T, I WOULD SAY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I WOULD SAY LET'S HAVE THE DRAWING SESSIONS OR THE COMMITTEE MEETING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, THE WEEK, ANOTHER TWO WEEKS, WHAT ARE YOU? YOU KNOW, WE NEED TIME. WE NEED DATES. AND LIKE I SAID, I DEFER TO THE COUNCIL, BUT I'D LIKE TO GET THIS WELL, THE COUNCIL YOU COULD DEFER TO THE COUNCIL ALL DAY LONG, BUT IF COUNCIL DOESN'T KNOW [00:30:01] WHEN THEIR TIMEFRAME IS AND WHAT THEIR MEET TIME, 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS, 90 DAYS, WE NEED TO KNOW HOW WE CAN STRUCTURE OUR TIME SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS DONE. AND IT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS AND BACK TO THE COUNTY. OKAY. CAUSE WE HAVE TO STILL WORK WITH THE COUNTY. SO I WOULD SAY LET'S GET IT DONE IN THE NEXT 45 DAYS. OKAY, GOOD. I NEED TO SET THE DATE AS BACKUP THE FINAL, THE FINAL PROJECT, THE DOMINATE WE NEED TO FINISH. SO WE DON'T, WE NEED TO MEET AS, LIKE YOU SAID, LET'S MOVE ON THE NEXT WEEK OR SO NEXT WEEK, IT'S NOT EARLY, EARLY ENOUGH TO ME, IF YOU HAVE 45 DAYS, BECAUSE THE COUNCIL WE MEET EVERY TWO WEEKS, WE NEED TO GET THIS DONE NEXT WEEK SO THAT THE COUNTY CAN GET THEIR INFORMATION FROM US. AND THEY CAN, WE CAN MOVE ON BECAUSE SO OFTEN IT'S LEFT UPON THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO LOOK AND BE EMBARRASSED. AND I DO NOT WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN IN THIS CASE. THANK YOU. THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION TO THE CONFERENCE. WE HAVE 45 DAYS TO WORK WITH THEM WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE NEED TO HEAR FAST DATE, BUT BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE, THEN THE COMPUTER THINGS, AND I'M NOT SAYING IT RIGHT, BUT ALL THE COMPUTER WORK, WE NEED A TIME OUT. WE NEED A TIMEFRAME. HE SAID 45 DAYS AND WE NEED TO GET IT DONE. THAT'S MY THINKING. WOULD THAT BE JUNE 1ST? OKAY. UH, COSMIC KIT CAME OFF, COUNCILMAN HOME. I WAS JUST SAYING THAT WE COULD SET THE DATE AS JUNE 1ST SO THAT WE COULD ENSURE THAT WE'D HAVE IT COMPLETE, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT 45 DAYS, WHICH IS GOOD. BECAUSE, UH, IF, WHEN WE BEGAN SPEAKING ON THIS IN JANUARY, I BELIEVE IT WAS NO CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY. AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT AGAIN. WHEN WE OPENED ANOTHER AREA OUT THERE, WE SAID BY JUNE, WE WANTED TO HAVE THIS DONE BECAUSE EVER GIVE THE COUNTY TIME TO UPLOAD WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO SO THAT DURING THE ELECTION, UH, UH, JANUARY ELECTION, UH, THEY WOULD HAVE IT ALL. SO, UH, BY, UH, JUNE, I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE A MEETING ON JUNE THE SEVENTH OR THE 14TH, BUT, UH, SHE, SHE, THE SECRETARY, CAN YOU, CAN YOU TELL US WHICH ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS, WHICH ONE OF THOSE DAYS IN JUNE WE HAVE A MEETING. OKAY. WHAT'D YOU HAVE FOR THAT FIRST MEETING FIRST COUNCIL MEETING IN JUNE, I WOULD SAY THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE FINAL PRODUCT, UH, READY, READY TO BE VOTED UPON. CAN WE DO A SPECIAL MEETING TO JUST GET IT DONE WITH WE DON'T HAVE NO, NO, I'M JUST SAYING THAT IN BETWEEN THAT TIME, DO YOU OTHER MEETINGS? WE JUST SAID, HOW MUCH LEAD TIME DO WE NEED FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING? JUST JUST TWO WEEKS. I THINK WE COULD WORK IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO AND SHE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING SOMETIME IN MAY. THAT'D BE MOVING FAST, BUT BY MID MAY AND THEN, UH, THE FINAL TIME THERE, BECAUSE AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING, THEN WE GO UNTIL THE HAP HAVE A FINAL MEETING, IF I'M CORRECT FOR IT. RIGHT. OKAY. THAT'S THE MOVE WE NEEDED. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN JONES. YOU, YOU WOULD DO COUNCILWOMAN? YES. OKAY. COVID JONES. WE GO GET A COMMITTEE. THAT'S CAPLIN KILL OUR RECOMMEND. NO. IS THAT, IS THAT LEGAL ATTORNEY? YES. OKAY. WE WILL GET, AS ON YOU YOU'VE WRITTEN IN THE COMMITTEE WILL BRING A RECOMMENDATION. I MEAN, IT'S ILLEGAL FOR PEOPLE WOULD BE A MEETING DOWN FROM A QUORUM. I WOULD RECOMMEND THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION IS ALWAYS TO LESS THAN A QUARTER. I MIGHT SUGGEST MAYBE TWO DOWN FROM A QUORUM IS TO GO GET A GUN. I'M SORRY. NO, IT WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, IF IT WORKS FOR THE COUNCIL, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SET UP A, TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY NEXT WEEK TO TAKE SOME FEEDBACK FROM MR. KEN LAW AND, UH, COUNCIL, WOMAN HOMES. UH, AND THEN WE CAN PUT THAT TOGETHER AND BRING IT BACK FOR, FOR YOU ALL. GOOD. THAT'S THE FIRST MEETING. OKAY. I'LL WORK. THE SCHEDULE THAT THE REST OF THE WEEK IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU, YEAH, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME IN HERE. OKAY. I'M WE GET THE COMMITTED STEEL. I RECOMMEND IT TO COUNCILMAN KELLOGG AND CONSTANTLY AT HOME. NO, I WOULDN'T JUST GET THIS DONE. THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS URGENT. GOT TO GET IT DOWN. SO I RECOMMEND IT BECAUSE A MALLS DON'T MIND SO MUCH OLD SCHOOL PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE AND LET'S GET IT DONE. THREE. SHE SAID SHE HAD TO, WAS IT THREE, TWO, THOSE TWO, THOSE TWO RIGHT THERE. AND THE ATTORNEY IS GOING TO WORK WITH THEM. AND THEN YOU OUGHT TO BRING IT BACK TO US. THAT'S THE PLAN. I KNOW. THAT'S WHAT I SAID 30 MINUTES AGO. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE READY TO MOVE ON? HOLD ON ONE SECOND. I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T THINK IT THIS. OH, VAL. SO [00:35:01] YOU SAYING THAT IT TAKES SIX MONTHS TO GET THE INPUT FROM THE INFORMATION FROM THE CITY TO THE COUNTY TO BLESS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO THE COUNTY CLERK AND SHE SAID, OKAY. YEAH. AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE COUNTY CLERK. IT'S THE VOTER REGISTRAR IS SIX MONTHS TO DO THAT. IT'S NOT, THERE IS NO SPECIFIED TIMEFRAME, BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM. IT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. SO SHE HAS INDICATED TO ME THAT SHE WOULD LIKE AS MUCH TIME TO CHECK AND TRIPLE CHECK. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ENTIRE AMOUNT BEING UPLOADED. THERE IS NO, I COULDN'T IT'S IT BECOMES HER DUTY AFTER WE GIVE IT TO HER. SO WE JUST NEED TO TRY TO FIND WHAT WOULD BE A REASONABLE TIME FOR HER TO GET IT DONE. THE ONLY THING I WOULD CAUTION THE COUNCIL IS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT TOO LONG WHERE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO UPLOAD IT AND THEN WE HAVE AN ELECTION. SO I WOULD RECOMMEND, AND ROB, THIS ACCIDENT, YOU DID YOU GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE COUNTY THAT IT TAKES SIX MONTHS TO GET THAT INFORMATION DOWNLOADED INTO THE SYSTEM? THE COUNTY HAS NOT GIVEN ME A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME, BUT SHE JUST WANTS ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT TO CHECK AND TRIPLE CHECK. THAT WAS WHERE HER EXACT WORDS. OKAY. YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, CAUSE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HER ONLY PROJECT, SO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. SO THAT'S WHY I WOULD RECOMMEND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE USED TO BE GOOD ATTORNEY AND UH, BUT YOU SUGGESTED ISSUES ME. OKAY. CALVIN MALL. YES. UH, ALL WE GOING TO SPECIFY THE DATES, UH, COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN KENALOG, COUNCIL, WOMAN HOMES ARE GOING TO MEET AND THEN COME BACK FOR THE FIRST DRAWING WORKSHOP. IS THAT, IS THAT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO S WE'RE GOING TO SET UP A TIME NEXT WEEK. I WILL COORDINATE THAT THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE FIND SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR BOTH OF YOUR SCHEDULES. UM, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU MIGHT BE OUT, SO JUST WE'LL FIND A TIME THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY. AND SO ONCE, ONCE THAT'S DONE, THEN WE'LL COME BACK, UH, FOR THE WORKSHOP, RIGHT? YES. IF THEY MAY NEXT WEEK, CAUSE I'M WITH COUNCILWOMAN MOSES HERE, WE'RE ON THE TIME CONSTRAINTS HERE AND LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET SOME SPECIFIED DATES THAT WE CAN WORK WITH SO WE CAN GET THIS DONE. SO IF YOU ALL MEET NEXT WEEK, YOU ALL GET WITH THE ATTORNEY THE FOLLOWING WEEK WE CAN PROBABLY HAVE. AND I THINK THE FOLLOWING WEEK, WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING ANYWAY, ON MAY 6TH, I BELIEVE, UH, SOMETHING AFTER THE ACCIDENT IS ON A SEVEN, BUT I BELIEVE DURING THAT WEEK THERE WAS A COUNCIL MEETING I WOULD SUGGEST TO BE DONE ON A SEPARATE DAY SHEPARD DATE. OKAY. WELL, UH, BUT THE FOLLOWING WEEK IS FINE. YEAH. AND THE FOLLOWING WEEK, AND THAT WAY IT'LL BE FLUID MOVEMENT. AND FOR OUR SAKE, WE CAN SEE THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET THIS TO HAPPEN BY JUNE THE FIRST. OKAY. SO, UM, I'M I'M UM, I THINK EVERYBODY IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT. OKAY, EVERYBODY GOOD? THAT'S GOOD. SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. TELL ME ONE WEEK AND THEN THE WHOLE COUNCIL WILL DRAW, YOU KNOW, RECEIPT. YEAH. THE FOLLOWING WEEK. WE'LL SEE WHERE WE GET FROM THEM. OKAY. OKAY. THAT SOUNDS GOOD. WELL, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. WE'LL BE IN TOUCH AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOW [IV. WORKSHOP] WE'LL MOVE TO ROMAN NUMERAL FOUR. IT SAYS ALL WORKSHOP WORKSHOP TO DISCUSS A COMPREHENSIVE ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ZONING REGULATIONS, ZONING AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER TWO 11 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. UH, YOU READ THE ATTORNEY ON IT. YES. UH, THIS IS JUST A FOLLOW-UP FROM LAST WEEK'S MEETING WHERE YOU WERE PRESENTED WITH THE GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES BY FREEZING NICHOLS AND YOU ALL WERE GIVEN THE MAPS. AND WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. UM, THE MAIN THING WHEN YOU'RE READY TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH ADOPTION OF THE ZONING MAP AND THE ZONING CHANGES, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND BEGIN THAT PROCESS. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE JUST LIKE WITH REDISTRICTING THAT YOU ALL ARE SATISFIED WITH THE CHANGES BEFORE WE CALL UP FOR A PUBLIC HEARING. UM, THE BIGGEST THING I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO DO TODAY IS TO DETERMINE THE METHOD IN WHICH WE WILL GIVE NOTICE. UM, AND AS FAR AS MY PARTNER AND THEN OTHERWISE I'LL TURN IT OVER TO FREESE AND NICHOLS. SO NORMALLY WHEN THERE'S A ZONING CHANGE, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO GIVE SPECIFIC NOTICE TO ANYONE WITHIN 200 FEET. IN THIS CASE, THE WHOLE CITY WOULD REQUIRE NOTICE. AND THERE WAS A CASE OUT OF AUSTIN THAT WE'RE RELYING ON. AND MR. BOUNDS, UH, YOU KNOW, EXPLAINED IS THAT, UH, THAT, THAT WAS CHALLENGED IN AUSTIN BECAUSE SOME ZONING CHANGES WERE ADOPTED [00:40:01] AND THEN THE CITIZENS SAY, WELL, YOU DIDN'T GIVE US PROPER NOTICE. SO TODAY WE NEED TO PROBABLY TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH AS THE MANNER OF NOTICE THAT WOULD BE GIVEN, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DETERMINE THAT. SO THIS IS KIND OF A TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT. OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA WRITE CERTIFIED LETTERS TO EVERY SINGLE CITIZEN OF PORT ARTHUR, SO WE WOULD RECOMMEND, AND JUST TO SEE IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT THAT, UH, WE HAVE, UM, UH, UH, BASICALLY KINDA LIKE I WOULD CALL IT A BLAST, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY OF THE CHANGES. THE CHANGES WOULD BE UPLOADING THE PROPOSED AMOUNT, UPLOADING THE SUMMARIES AND, UM, PUTTING THAT ON THE GOVERNMENT CHANNEL, UH, PUTTING THAT IN THE NEWSPAPER, PUTTING LINKS ON OUR WEBSITE AND MAKING THAT INFORMATION VISIBLE. UM, I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST WAY TO GIVE CITIZENS, UM, ADEQUATE NOTICE. UM, SO, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO OF COURSE ADVERTISE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND THEN, CAUSE THIS IS A LOT DIFFERENT FROM A NORMAL, BECAUSE THIS IS THE WHOLE, UH, ORDINANCE BEING CHANGED. SO WE JUST WANTED TO, WHAT THE COURTS HAVE SAID IS THAT NOTICE IS WHATEVER THE COUNCIL DEEMS NECESSARY. SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON NOTICE. THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION TO PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITES, PUT IT ON COMMUNITY WEBSITES, HAVE THE MAPS AVAILABLE AT THE LIBRARY, HAVE THE MAPS AVAILABLE DOWNSTAIRS. IT'S A KIND OF UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, OBVIOUSLY YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEND CERTIFIED LETTERS TO THE ENTIRE POPULATION. SO THAT'S WHAT ME AND, UH, MR. BOUNDS LOOKED AT THE AUSTIN CASE AND RECOMMENDED THAT WE JUST PUT THIS INFORMATION OUT WHERE EVERYBODY WILL, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT RUN INTO IT. UM, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO PUT THE MAP UP AT THE GROCERY STORE, SOMEONE DID THAT ONCE, YOU KNOW, BUT THE LIBRARY CITY HALL, THE WEBSITES OF THE COMMUNITY WEBSITES EVEN GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCHES SO THAT WE WON'T RUN INTO THE SITUATION LATER WHERE SOMEONE WILL ARGUE, I WASN'T NOTIFIED THAT THOSE CHANGES WERE MADE. SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THOSE THOUGHTS IF YOU ALL WERE SATISFIED WITH THAT. UM, AND THEN FREESE AND NICHOLS CAN KIND OF JUST RUN BACK OVER ANY HIGHLIGHTS THAT THEY HAD FROM LAST TIME. OKAY. SURE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, VAL, JUST TO JUST BE, UH, KIND CLEAR, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU AS AN ATTORNEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE CHANGES, UM, FREESE AND NICHOLS HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS AS 21, 18 20 17. THEY WERE HIRED IN 2019 AND I WAS GIVEN IT JUNIOR YEAR. SO ABOUT TWO OR THREE YEARS AND THEY'VE GONE THROUGH IT. WE'VE HAD AN ATTORNEY TO LOOK AT IT, TO GO THROUGH THAT, UM, THE, UH, WHOLE ENTIRE ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH NEEDS TO BE UPDATED FROM CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE ANTIQUATED, UM, CAUSE IT HAS NEVER BEEN UPDATED. AND SO WE'RE BRINGING IT INTO LINE AND AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M SURE WE'VE REVIEWED IT AND LOOKED AT THE OVERVIEW, BUT MY, MY POINT IS BASICALLY WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE ZONING CHANGES AND WHATEVER, UM, MARKETING OR WHATEVER STRATEGIES THAT NEED TO BE UTILIZED, I'M SURE THE DEPARTMENT, UM, HAVE THOSE DOWN PAT, YOU BASICALLY HAVE AS OUR ATTORNEY, DO YOU SEE ANYTHING THAT THAT'S NOT ADEQUATE OR NEEDS TO BE CHANGED AS A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL? I DO HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COUNCIL THAT I CAN BRING TO YOU IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. WHAT I WANTED TO DO LAST WEEK WAS MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE HAD ADEQUATE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT BOTH MAPS, BUT I DO HAVE A MEMORANDUM AND, UH, THAT I CAN PREPARE AND GIVE TO YOU AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. BUT I DO HAVE SOME EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS THAT I CAN DISCUSS THAT THAT CONCERNS ME BECAUSE IF YOU HAD THOSE, I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENTED SO THAT WE COULD LOOK AT IT ALL IN ITS ENTIRETY LAST WEEK WHEN WE LEFT, UM, HERE, AND YOU SAY, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I'M CONSIDERING OUR ISSUE. I THINK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO US BEFORE TODAY. WELL, THOSE ITEMS ARE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND THE REASON THAT I WAITED IS BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE MAPS HOME AND SEE THOSE DIFFERENCES. THE FIRST, NOW WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AGAIN. NO, NO, YOU JUST GOT THE MAP. YOU JUST GOT THE MAP AT THE LAST MEETING. LAST MEETING WAS YOUR FIRST PRESENTATION NOW, UM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO GO OVER IT AND IT CAN BE DONE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION NEXT WEEK, OR I CAN DISCUSS PUBLICLY WITH YOU NOW. UH, BUT YOU HAD NEVER BEEN GIVEN THE DATA UNTIL LAST MEETING. UM, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE COUNCIL [00:45:01] NEEDS TO BE SURE IF YOU ARE SURE THAT WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU IS WHAT YOU WANT. THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. LET ME ASK YOU, UM, AND THIS IS JUST, YOU SAID, IF WE ASSURE IF THE COUNCIL, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU'RE OUR ATTORNEY. YES. AND SO IF THERE WAS SOME UNCERTAINTY AFTER YOU REVIEWED IT AND, UM, FREESE AND NICHOLS PRESENTED IT, THEN THOSE UNCERTAINTIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO US AT THAT TIME. AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE IT POSTED FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY. NO, IT'S NOT POSTED FOR, LET ME MAKE MYSELF CLEAR. I DON'T HAVE ANY UNCERTAINTIES, BUT I HAVE SOME LEGAL THINGS THAT I NEEDED TO GO ON. GO FORWARD WITH YOU AND FREESE AND NICHOLS HAD NEVER MADE THEIR PRESENTATION TO YOU. UM, WHAT I HAVE IS PRETTY SIMPLE AND IT CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF, BUT YOU HAVE NOT. YOU JUST RECEIVED THE INFORMATION TWO WEEKS AGO AND MR. BOUNDS WAS HERE AS YOUR ATTORNEY. I REPRESENTATIVE THAT DIDN'T GIVE US ANY INDICATION THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING IT'S OUT TO YOU. THIS THING WAS JUST HANDED TO YOU. NOW I CAN, I CAN GO OVER THE CONCERNS I HAVE NOW. MY CONCERN IS WAITING. MY CONCERN IS THE WAIT. WE CONTINUE TO WAIT AND WAIT AND WAIT, WE'VE BEEN GONE. I'M DONE. WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS SINCE 2018. NO ORDINANCE NEEDS TO BE YET 19, CORRECT ME TO AT LEAST TWO OR THREE YEARS. OKAY. SO I JUST WANT TO, AND LET ME CLARIFY WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE. NOW. THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS THAT FREESE AND NICHOLS WAS HIRED IN 2019 TO DRAFT AN ORDINANCE. AND I THINK THAT, UH, I CAN GET THE EXACT DATE THAT IT WAS GIVEN AND THAT'S FINE. I HAVE REVIEWED IT, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE THAT, UM, ON AN ORDINANCE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER IN THE DRAFTING PROCESS, UM, NORMALLY UNDER THE CHARTER, IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DRAFT ORDINANCES. SO THIS ORDINANCE WAS PRESENTED TO ME. THE REASON THAT I, UM, WANTED TO ROLL IT OUT TO YOU IN THIS FASHION IS THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED IT. WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH MADE THE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY, BUT THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT JUST NEEDED TO BE POINTED OUT. UM, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND POINT THAT OUT. SO THEY DID, THEY WERE HIRED IN 2019. AND I THINK AT SOME POINT, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC, IT MUST'VE BEEN IN 2020 THAT IT WAS GIVEN TO ME. SO WE HAVE BEEN REVIEWING THAT. NOW THIS IS A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING. THIS IS A 50 YEAR DOCUMENT WHERE THE ENTIRE THING HAS BEEN CHANGED. SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE WERE NOT DRAGGING OUR FEET IN ANY MANNER. THIS IS A MAJOR CHANGE THAT WE HAD TO GO PAGE BY PAGE. AND WE'VE DONE THAT. AND WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU HAS BEEN VETTED. NOW, IF YOU WANT IT TO THE CONCERNS I HAVE, AND IT'S NOT REALLY CONCERNS, BUT SOME ISSUES, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT AS YOU MAKE YOUR FINAL DECISION IS A BELIEF. AND MS. PAM CAN TELL YOU AT THE LAST MEETING YOU WERE GIVEN SOME DIFFERENCES IN, UH, THE SCHEDULE OF USES AND, UH, THE NAMING, I DID THINK WE WORKED OUT THE FACT THAT WHERE WE PUT LOW DENSITY, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CLARIFIED LOW DENSITY, MEDIUM DENSITY, AND, UM, THOSE THINGS HIGH DENSITY AND EXPLAIN WHAT THE DIFFERENCES CAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE NAMING THINGS DIFFERENTLY. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL FEELS COMFORTABLE THAT WE'RE NOT USING THE TERM SINGLE FAMILY TO FAMILY, BUT I THINK WE'VE WORKED THAT OUT. THE OTHER THING IS TO MAKE SURE THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD POINT OUT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL IS COMFORTABLE WITH THE SCHEDULE OF USE IS FREESE AND NICHOLS HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF, OF PUTTING IT THE WAY, UH, THEY BELIEVE IS, UH, SUITABLE, ESPECIALLY FOR THESE DAYS AND TIMES. BUT JUST, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I WOULD JUST LIKE FOR YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL USES WILL NOT BE ALLOWABLE IN CERTAIN AREAS ANYMORE. SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT. WE WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL IS, IS, IS CLEAR ON THE CHANGES. FOR EXAMPLE, WE KNOW THAT WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE PLEASURE ISLAND IN AGRICULTURE AREA, BUT JUST THE MAIN THING THAT I, AND I, I CAN WRITE A MEMO ABOUT IT, BUT IF YOU'RE READY TO MOVE FORWARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT CERTAIN THINGS THAT WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA LIKE HISTORICALLY OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS WILL NOT BE ALLOWABLE NOW, BUT, UM, THAT'S KIND OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT I HAD. I WANTED IT TO AT LEAST BE PRESENTED TO YOU ALL TO EXAMINE. SO WHEN WE HAD A CONVERSATION, YOU WOULD KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT I HAVE. UM, WHAT I WOULD, I WANT TO ALSO POINT OUT AND THEN I THINK I'LL BE DONE. AND THAT WOULD BE TO JUST OF MY MEMO JUST FOR THE RECORD. IS THAT, THAT ABOUT THE GRANDFATHERING? SO, AND I'M, I'M SURE YOU ALL CAN CHIME IN. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF I HAVE AN EXISTING BUSINESS NOW AND THE SCHEDULE OF USAGE CHANGES, AND THEN WHAT I'M ABLE TO DO IN AN EXISTING BUSINESS IS NO LONGER ALLOWABLE. ONLY I WILL BE GRANDFATHERED. SO ONE OF THE THINGS ME AND MR BOUNDS, WE'LL JUST SEND IT TO YOU IS TALKING ABOUT [00:50:01] UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS THAT IF I HAVE, UH, AND I'LL GIVE AN EXAMPLE, UH, A NEIGHBORHOOD BARBERSHOP, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE, UH, THE, THE PERSON THAT BUYS MY PROPERTY OR COMES IN AFTER ME OR A PERSON DOWN THE STREET WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND SO BASICALLY THAT'S THE KIND OF GIST OF IT, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE CLEAR ON WHAT'S BEING RECOMMENDED, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WROTE. I REVIEWED IT FOR LEGALITY, BUT YOU MUST REVIEW IT FOR POLICY IMPLEMENTATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS, THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THAT A LOT OF BUSINESS USES WILL BE MOVED OUT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST, THE BIGGEST THING I THINK IN THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE NOTICE SO THAT THEY CAN, THEY'LL BE AWARE OF IT. SO PEOPLE WON'T COME BACK TO COUNCIL LATER AND SAY, HOW COME I CAN'T PUT MY BUSINESS HERE? YOU KNOW, WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE CLEAR ON THE MAP. YOU ARE CLEAR ON THE CHANGES, CAUSE I'M JUST TRYING TO INVOLVE, AVOID SOMEONE COMING BACK LATER AND SAY, HEY, I'VE HAD THIS PROPERTY FOR 50 YEARS AND I WANT TO DO X, Y, AND Z, AND EVERYONE ELSE WAS ABLE TO DO IT. WHY CAN'T I DO IT? SO, I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE GIST OF MY COMMENTS. I CAN FORMALIZE THAT, BUT I WANTED YOU TO DIGEST THE MATERIALS. AND, UH, IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE HAPPY WITH IT, YOU KNOW, THAT CHANGE CAN BE MADE TO PLEASURE ISLAND AND YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD. BUT WHAT I DON'T, UH, I JUST WANT YOU TO BE CLEAR ON THAT IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, CERTAIN THINGS WON'T HAPPEN, AND THAT IS IN KEEPING WITH THE TIMES, BUT THE ISSUE, AND IT'S NOT EVEN AN ISSUE. THE THING TO BE POINTED OUT IS THAT WE HAVE 50, 60 YEARS OF HISTORY OF HOW THINGS WERE DONE. AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL IS CLEAR ON THE CHANGES SO THAT, SO THAT WHEN THIS IS IMPLEMENTED, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS WILL BE, UH, COMFORTABLE WITH IT AND WE'RE NOT COMING BACK FOR MULTIPLE ZONING CHANGES. SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. OKAY, WELL, JUST REAL QUICKLY, BUT THOSE CHANGES ARE INEVITABLE. THEY THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAPPEN. AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE PLEASURE ISLAND THING. THEY SAID WE COULD GO THROUGH PAM AND MY CORRECT LAP AT THE LAST MEETING. WE SAID THAT WAS DONE. WHEN YOU GUYS, UM, ACTUALLY INITIALLY DID THAT. YOU CAN GO BACK THROUGH AND CHANGE THAT BEFORE. DID YOU, I THINK YOU ADDRESSED THAT. AND SO IF SOMEONE DOES COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL AS A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS IT AT THAT TIME, BUT WE CAN'T HOLD UP A WHOLE ENTIRE ZONING ORDINANCE BASED UPON CASES THAT, UH, HAPPENSTANCE. SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE INEVITABLE. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT TO MOVE FORWARD AND UPDATE US AND GET US INTO THE 24TH, 21ST CENTURY IS A NEED FOR THE CITY, UM, AT THIS TIME. BUT I DO THANKS FOR BRINGING UP YOUR CONCERNS, BUT I THINK THAT THIS ZONING ORDINANCE, AS ESSENTIAL TO MOOSE THE PORT ARTHUR CITY OF PORT ARTHUR INTO A PLACE WHERE IT CAN OPERATE, AND THAT'S ALL, I JUST WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT WE'VE PRESENTED THE MAPS TO YOU ALL, YOU ALL HAVE STUDIED THEM AND YOU ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE CHANGES. SO THAT'S ABOUT IT. I'LL JUST SUBMIT A MEMO FOR THE FILE AND THAT'S IT. OKAY. SO AM I UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY? YOU'RE GOING TO PROVIDE A MEMO TO THE COUNCIL. SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, CONCERNS I'M JUST IX THE MEMO AND I'LL MAKE IT PUBLIC IS JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE, YOU'VE LOOKED AT THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, RIGHT? WITH THOSE CHANGES. ANYTIME YOU DO CHANGES, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND YOU AND YOU HAVE THE CONCERN ABOUT GRANDFATHERED IN AND HAVING SMALL BUSINESSES IN NEIGHBORHOODS. AND, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, ENACT DATE. ONCE WE SIGN ANYTHING AFTER THAT WILL BE A CONCERN, BUT ANY EVERYTHING BEFORE THAT IS STILL GRANDFATHERED IN, LIKE YOU SAID, I BOTHERED HIM, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU A PRIME EXAMPLE THAT, AND I CAN PUT IT IN MY, MY, UH, MEMO, IF YOU'D LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, SAY I HAVE A BUSINESS. YEAH. AND IT'S AN ACTIVE BUSINESS. AND I DON'T PLAN ON CLOSING. AND IT WAS ZONED FOR A CERTAIN TYPE OF USE. NOW THE ORDINANCE CHANGES SAY, I'D LIKE TO GO AND GET A LOAN FROM A BANK. THIS IS THE BEST EXAMPLE I CAN GIVE SOMETIMES CERTAIN CONSEQUENCES. UM, AND THIS IS KIND OF JUST, JUST LISTEN TO ME. LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE A STORE OR SOME, SOME TYPE OF BUSINESS AND I'D GO AND GET A LOAN FROM A BANK, A BANK MAY NOW LOOK AND SAY, WELL, I DON'T THINK WE'LL APPROVE YOU. AND THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING KIND OF, I CAN PUT MY MEMO, BUT SOMETIMES IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO GET APPROVALS BECAUSE THAT USE MAY NOT BE ALLOWABLE IN THE FUTURE. SO I JUST WANT TO, AS YOU'RE AN ATTORNEY, I'M HERE FOR THE GOOD AND THE BAD, AND I'M HERE FOR THE, WHAT IFS IN LIFE. AND I WANT YOU, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A MEMO ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES ARE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF CERTAIN BUSINESSES IN CERTAIN AREAS. BUT [00:55:01] ONCE THE ADOPTION IS MADE, THAT WON'T BE ABLE TO HAPPEN AGAIN. NOW THEY COULD COME BACK AND GO THROUGH AN ENTIRE ZONING CHANGE. BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO COME BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. THEN THEY START CALLING AND COMING IN. AND I DIDN'T TELL YOU EVER TOO LATE TO TAKE THOSE CASE BY CASES, TAKE THEM CASE BY CASE. BUT WHAT I, THE DOCUMENTATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE EVOLUTION PROCESS DOCUMENT. IT'S GOING TO ALWAYS CHANGE. IT DON'T MATTER IF IT'S 50, 60, IT'LL NEVER BE THE SAME IT'S GOING TO CHANGE OR WHAT PERIOD OF TIME, THOSE ADDRESSING THOSE CHANGES. WE CAN DO THAT AS A COLLECTIVE COUNCIL. SO ALL WE'RE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT GOT MY, MY RED FLAGS UP. WHEN YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD SOME CONCERNS, WHEREVER YOU HAVE SOME CONCERNS I HAVE, AND WE HAVE CONCERNS ON ANYTHING THAT YOU MAY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT. THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING IF YOU CAN PUT IT IN DOCUMENTATION FORM TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL. SO LIKE YOU SAID, IF WE HAVE THIS FORM FILLED UP WITH PEOPLE THAT MAY WANT TO PROTEST THE CHANGES WE'VE DONE, AT LEAST WE CAN SAY WE ADDRESS. AND WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES NOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 50, 60 YEARS, YOU KNOW, LATER THAT WE TRYING TO GET, YOU KNOW, CATCH UP WITH THE TIME. SO MAYBE IF YOU DO THAT, PROVIDE SOME DOCUMENTATION TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL WILL FEEL A BIT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THEIR, WITH YOUR CONCERNS AS WELL OKAY. SO WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL GIVE YOU A MEMO, BUT I DON'T WANT ANYTHING THAT WE DO TO BE A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE DIDN'T GIVE YOU ALL OF THE GOOD OR THE BAD OR THE, WHAT IF SO I'LL PRESENT THAT MEMO. AND THAT, THAT BASICALLY ALLEVIATES THAT. I THINK THAT THE BIGGEST THING IS THE NOTICE REQUIREMENT, BECAUSE HOWEVER YOU CHANGE IT, PEOPLE JUST NEED TO KNOW. WE DON'T LIKE A COURSE IN AUSTIN. THERE WAS A LAWSUIT BECAUSE SOMEBODY SAID, WELL, NO, YOU DIDN'T PUBLICIZE IT. SO I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THE, THE, THE MOST PUBLICIZED MANNER POSSIBLE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT FEASIBLE TO WRITE EVERYONE A LETTER. AND I THINK IF THAT NOTICE REQUIREMENT IS MET, THEN THE PEOPLE WERE PUT ON NOTICE. AND IF THEY HAVE ANY CONCERNS, THEY CAN EXPRESS IT. COUNCILMAN JONES. YEAH. THANK YOU. MIRA. I'VE LISTENED TO THE PROS AND CONS AND, AND DISCUSSIONS. AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK VAL FOR A GOOD, A GREAT LONG AND ILLEGAL EXPLANATION. AND SHE DIED OUT. I ASKED YOU TO CALL SOME OTHER TEAS. THE MAIN THING IS GETTING IT RIGHT. WE WANTED RIGHT. TO TAKE A LITTLE LONGER AND BE MORE HERDERS ACROSS THE CROSS. WON'T GET IT RIGHT. SO, UH, UM, BAD THINK OF A GOOD EXPLANATION. IT WAS LONG, BUT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE IT WAS WELL COVERED LEGALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO BE COVERED LEGALLY. SO I MIGHT TAKE A FEW DAYS LONGER, BUT, UH, THIS IS GETTING RIGHT. SO APPRECIATE YOU YOUR EXPLANATION. OKAY. GOOD. COME FROM A REMOTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YEAH. VAL, WHAT YOU SAID WAS SO ESSENTIAL, YOU SAID THAT YOU'VE LOOKED AT IT LEGALLY AND THERE WAS NOTHING LEGALLY YOU'VE DONE WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO AND THAT'S BEEN DONE AND, AND THAT YOU SEE NOTHING AS FAR AS YOUR LEGAL OPINION IS CONCERNED. SO I THANK YOU FOR THEIR THOROUGHNESS AND THAT YOU STATED THAT LEGALLY YOU'VE ALREADY CHECKED IT OUT. IT'S JUST A POLICY ISSUE. IT'S JUST SO BASICALLY YOU'RE JUST GOING THROUGH SCENARIOS THAT COULD HAPPEN. SO BASICALLY LEGALLY IT IS IN A GOOD PLACE BECAUSE AS WHAT YOU SAYING, LEGALLY, I'VE DONE MY JOB AND IT'S DONE. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU STATED EARLIER. OKAY. AND, AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THE POINT, BUT ON ANYTHING THAT I DO, AND WE CAN ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THIS. I, I FEEL OBLIGATED. LIKE I'M NOT GOING TO JUST GIVE SOMEBODY AN ORDINANCE AND SAY LIKE, DID YOU NOT READ PAGE THREE? YOU KNOW, THERE'S NUANCES AND THINGS TO BE POINTED OUT. IT, I FEEL OBLIGATED TO MAKE SURE YOU, YOU JUST LOOK AT CERTAIN THINGS, BUT I'M GLAD THAT YOU LEGALLY SAID THAT YOU'VE LOOKED AT IT AND WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE BECAUSE THAT'S OPINIONS ARE ALWAYS OPINIONS. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. BUT BASICALLY YOUR LEGAL OPINION IS THAT IT IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IT IS IN GOOD SHAPE. AND AS LONG AS YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, IT'S JUST OVER THE YEARS WE'VE BEEN IN LITIGATION. AND A LOT OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IS NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH IT. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THE, UM, THINGS THAT ARE UNUSUAL ARE POINTED OUT TO YOU. SO IT WON'T BE SAID THAT WE DIDN'T TELL HER. I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY WHERE WE STAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, ATTORNEY, AND JUST SOME CONCERNS THAT I HAVE, UH, THREE OF THEM, UH, AND I THINK, AND THIS WAS FOLLOWING SOME, A REVIEW OF IT NOW IN THE DOCUMENT, UH, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING IT CORRECTLY, THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, AGRICULTURE ON AGRARIAN TYPE OF, UH, CONCEPT ON PLEASURE ISLAND. IS THAT STATED IN THAT DOCUMENT? I WANT TO BE SURE. I'M JUST GOING TO BE, SO YEAH, THE MAP THAT THE MAP, THE PROPOSED MAP DID HAVE IT, BUT I THINK THAT WAS POINTED OUT [01:00:01] AT THE LAST MEETING THAT YOU WANT TO DO, THAT IT'S GOING TO REMOVE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO UPDATE THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE REMOVED FROM THAT. YES. AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING COUNCIL DID, UM, VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE INITIAL, UM, PROPOSED ZONING FOR PLEASURE ISLAND, WHICH WAS AGRICULTURAL, THAT ZONING WAS PUT IN PLACE PRIOR TO ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT DEVELOPMENT UPON PLEASURE ISLAND. SO WE WERE AWARE THAT THOSE CHANGES NEEDED TO BE MADE. UM, PLANNING STAFF IS CURRENTLY WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE WILL BE MEETING WITH THE PLEASURE ISLAND ADVISORY BOARD AS WELL, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE BUY-IN AND WHAT WOULD BE PROPOSED TO COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE CITIZENS OF PORT. OKAY. AND, AND THAT WOULD BE REMOVAL OF THAT AGRARIAN DEAL OUT THERE. IT WOULD BE A MUSTANG PUBLISHING A ZONING, UM, A NEW ZONING REQUIREMENT FOR THE ISLAND. THERE IS RESIDENTIAL ON THAT ISLAND THAT WE HAVE TO PROTECT. UM, THERE IS A PROPOSED COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. THERE'S ALSO GREEN SPACE AND OPEN SPACE THAT IS CURRENTLY ON THAT ISLAND. SO WHATEVER WE PROPOSE WOULD BE IN ACCORDANCE TO HOW THAT ISLAND CURRENTLY IS AND HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. SO WE WILL ALSO RELY ON OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT DOES HAVE A FUTURE LAND USE, UH, FOR PLEASURE ISLAND TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER, UM, ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, ANYWHERE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF GRAZING OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE AGRARIAN ON THE ALBUM. IT DOES, BUT WE MAKE CHANGES TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS WELL. SOME DOCUMENTS HAVE TO BE BY EVER BEEN DONE OUT THERE. YES. WE USE IT ALL THE TIME. EVERY CASE THAT WE BRING TO CITY COUNCIL, WE REFER BACK TO THE COMPREHENSIVE, WHAT I'M SAYING, HAD INDIVIDUALS THERE EVER USED IT, OR ARE THEY USING IT NOW FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES? NO, IT'S MOSTLY GREEN SPACE ON PLEASURE. RIVAL. OKAY. OKAY. I'M JUST ASKING, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN APPROACHED ABOUT IT AND THAT'S A DISPLEASURE AND I JUST WANT TO BE SURE I'VE NEVER SEEN A GRAZING OUT THERE, BUT I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T GO TO EVERY COOKING CORNER, SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW. YES. UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UM, MY NAME IS LARRY BELL AND I'M THE, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, MANAGER FOR THE, UH, FOR, UH, AND THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES MANAGER FOR CITY. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE A LITTLE POINT ABOUT, UH, AGRICULTURAL AGRICULTURAL IS OUR LEAST, UH, INTRUSIVE FOR, FOR, FOR US OF, UH, OF, UH, CHOICE OF ZONING. AND YOU CAN MAKE AMENDMENTS TO IT AT ANY TIME. UH, SO IT'S NOT A BIG, DIFFICULT THING TO, UH, THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO MAKE A BIG CHANGE ON IT BECAUSE WE CAN, THAT'S EASILY DONE. AND, UH, AS FAR AS THE CITY, UH, ATTORNEYS, UH, INTERESTS IN, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE ZONING, UH, WE, WE DO VERIFICATION ZONING VERIFICATION. IF THERE'S A LOAN BANKS, ASK US ALL THE TIME FOR ZONING VERIFICATION, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DONE PROPERLY AND THEY WILL CONTACT US. WE WILL SEND THEM A LETTER SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALLOWED IN THIS PARTICULAR ZONE IS THE GRANDFATHER THEN, AND THEN THEY CAN HOLD THEIR, THEY CAN GIVE THAT ALONG THERE. SO THAT'S NOT A BIG, BIG PROBLEM ON THAT ISSUE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, AGRICULTURALLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN RESOLVE AT ANY TIME. IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL AND MAKING CHANGES RIGHT NOW. NEXT THING I NOTICED WHENEVER I JUST LISTENED TO FREESE AND NICHOLS SPOKEN WITH THE ATTORNEY AND THEY JUST SAID, READ SOME THINGS ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE GETTING, UH, UH, NON ALLOWABLE LAND USE, YOU KNOW, EVERYWHERE. OKAY. AND I THINK THIS ADDRESSES THAT MAYBE NOT UNDER THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC, I JUST MADE IT AS SIMPLE AS I COULD POSSIBLY PUT IT SO I CAN UNDERSTAND IT NOW, JAIL, UH, IN CERTAIN AREAS ARE NOT ALLOWABLE LAND USE, BUT PRESENTLY ARE CURRENTLY, THOSE USES ARE ALLOWABLE. SO IF WE PUT IN A NEW ORDINANCE AND WE SAY WE'RE GRANDFATHERING CERTAIN, CERTAIN, UH, BUSINESSES OFF, UH, ESTABLISHMENTS, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE. BUT IF ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL WERE IN THAT SAME NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN THAT GENERAL AREA WANTS TO DO THE EXACT SAME TYPE BUSINESS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BEFORE P AND Z AGAIN. AND THE SAME PROCEDURE THAT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT WITH AGRICULTURE WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, UH, THAT PARTICULAR PARCEL OF LAND WOULD EITHER EVEN BE EITHER BE REZONED OR GIVE [01:05:01] THEM PERMISSION TO OPERATE IN A MANNER THAT MAY BE SOMEWHAT TWO BLOCKS DOWN. IT IS, BUT GENERALLY IT SHOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE NEWNESS OF THE ORDINANCE. SO WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT NON ALLOWABLE LAND USE AND OTHERS BEING GRANDFATHERED IN, IF A CITIZEN HAS ALL BUSINESS, BUT DECIDED THEY WANT TO COME UP, UH, YOU GAVE AN EXAMPLE AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, A BARBERSHOP OR A BEAUTY SHOP. AND I GREW UP WITH BEAUTY SHOPS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE FOLK BUILT, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE US ANYMORE. IT, WHEN THEY BUILT THE BEAUTY SHOP ON TO THEIR HOMES AND LADIES, UH, FREQUENTED IT, UH, GO PLACES OR BUSINESSES FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, COSMETOLOGY, YOU DON'T CARE. AND, AND I'M USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, DAYCARES, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT I SEE FOLK USE THEIR PRIVATE HOMES FOR, OR IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE I KNEW IT'S RESIDENTIAL. THESE THINGS WOULD BE ALLOWABLE WITH SOME SPECIAL CONSIDERATION, RIGHT? AND NOW PACIFIC USE PERMIT. WE PROBABLY CAN TEND TO, UH, USE THAT, UH, HAVE THAT TYPE OF BUSINESS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT, WHICH WILL COME TO THE COUNCIL AND THEY COULD, UH, YEAH, BUT NOW THE ATTORNEY, YOU WERE SHAKING YOUR HEAD ON THAT. KEVIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING JUST FOR CLARITY. THERE, THERE ARE VARIOUS DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE INVOLVED WHEN YOU START SPEAKING ABOUT BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AND NEIGHBORHOODS, SOME OF THOSE BUSINESSES DO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED SPECIFIC USE PERMITS. A SPECIFIC SPECIFIC USE PERMIT STAYS WITH THE LAND. THOSE PERMITS ARE NOT GOING AWAY. SO EVEN WITH THE ADOPTION OF A NEW ORDINANCE, THOSE SPECIFIC USE PERMITS WOULD STILL BE IN PLACE. AND THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS OR BUSINESS OWNERS WOULD STILL BE ALLOWED TO CONDUCT BUSINESS WITHIN THOSE AREAS. HOWEVER, UNDER THE NEW ZONING ORDINANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH BARBARA IN BEAUTY SHOPS, WE HAVE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE STARTED ON THIS DANCE, AS WELL AS CITIZENS WHO HAVE CONCERNS WITH THESE COMMERCIAL TYPE BUSINESSES BEING IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS. SO WITH THE NEW ZONING ORDINANCE, YES, THAT SPECIFIC USE PERMIT HAS BEEN REMOVED. NOW THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR DUE PROCESS. SO IF AN INDIVIDUAL WAS TO COME INTO THE PLANNING OFFICE AND MAKE THAT REQUEST TO BRING IN FOREIGN OF COUNCIL TO CONSIDER ESTABLISHING SUCH BUSINESSES WITHIN THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, WE WOULD BRING THAT CASE TO CITY COUNCIL. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THESE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS WERE JUST ESTABLISHED. THERE WAS NO FORM OF ZONING. THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC USE PERMIT. IT WAS JUST INDIVIDUALS WHO DECIDED THEY WANTED TO DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY. AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER, FREESE AND NICHOLS. AND I BELIEVE EVEN MR. BOUNDS STATED THE ZONING ORDINANCE IS VERY FLUID. SO WE CAN ALWAYS BRING THIS ORDINANCE BACK AND MAKE THE NECESSARY AMENDMENTS AS NEEDED. UM, SO IT'S, IT'S A WORK IN PROCESS. IT'S NOT JUST AN ORDINANCE THAT WE ADOPT AND IT IS WHAT IT IS. AS COUNCIL IS AWARE, WE DO PUBLIC HEARINGS AND PRESENTATIONS, AND WE'LL BE DOING A PRESENTATION IN PUBLIC HEARING AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING REGARDING A ZONING CHANGE. SO THESE THINGS THAT WE DO LOOK AT, WE DO SPEAK WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS AS TECHNICAL STAFF. WE DO WORK WITH THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS AND ENSURING THAT WHAT THEY'RE REQUESTING DOES FIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE USES AS WELL AS THE AESTHETICS OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, IF IT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, AS WELL AS THE ORDINANCE AND THE PROVISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN VOLT, WE DO BRING THOSE TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. OKAY. NOW ONE OF THE DEALER HAVE, UH, I BELIEVE OUR COMPREHENSIVE, UH, PLAN, FUTURE PLAN CALLS FOR, UH, FUTURE MIXED USE NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. NOW WITH US ACTUALLY ADDRESSING, AND I BELIEVE FREESE AND NICHOLS, UH, PREPARED THAT PLAN FOR US NOW DOES THIS ORDINANCE THAT THEY'VE ALSO PREPARED, UH, COSTS FUTURE MIXED USE NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE IN JEOPARDY, BECAUSE IF IT'S A MIXED USE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU'RE GOING TO WORK, GO TO CHURCH, SHOP BARBERSHOP, EVERYTHING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THAT? IN OUR CURRENT ZONING ORDINANCE, WE DON'T HAVE A MIXED USE ZONING DESIGNATION IN THE NEW ZONING ORDINANCE. WE ARE PUTTING THAT IN PLACE. AND THAT IS TO ALLOW FOR THESE VARIOUS DIFFERENT MIXED USES IN AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT [01:10:01] AND HOW THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPMENT, HOW THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPED, EXCUSE ME. UM, IN THE PRIOR ORDINANCE, YOU WOULD SEE US USE PDS, PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS, THAT KIND OF ADDRESS A LOT OF THESE MIXED USES. UM, BUT WE ARE, WE WILL STILL USE PDS, BUT WE'RE KIND OF MOVING FORWARD WITH DOING MIXED USE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR YOUR SHOPPING CENTERS, YOUR BARBER SHOPS, BEAUTY SHOPS, AND EVEN SOME TYPE OF RESIDENTIAL IN THE FORM OF TOWNHOMES CONDOMINIUMS. UM, MORE SO IT WOULD BE, UM, WITHIN THESE MIXED USE AREAS, BUT IT WOULD, IT, EVEN IF IT'S IN A CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD OR A CERTAIN, UH, AREA SQUARE MY HOUSE, A SPECIFIC AREA WITHIN THAT SMALL CARVED OUT AREA, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE TYPES OF BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS HAVING AN AREA FOR THE RESIDENTS ON THE RESIDENTIAL PART OF IT. AND I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT FOR THE FUTURE, BECAUSE IF WE'RE DOING SOMETHING LOOKING 50 YEARS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE HERE. I MEAN, I HOPE I'M ALIVE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE WON'T BE UP HERE DOING WHATEVER IT IS NECESSARY. SO I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THIS, THEN WE WOULD KNOW HOW IT WOULD PROBABLY BE HANDLED WHEN WE ARE NOT NO LONGER HERE YET. UH, WHAT OUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THE DAY THAT WE APPROVE. IT WOULD BE ALMOST IN A DIRECT CORRELATION WITH WHAT WOULD BE A CURRY YES. IN THE FUTURE. AND THAT, I MEAN, I'M NOT TRYING TO BEAT THE PLAN UP OR ANYTHING I WANT, I WANT TO HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF IT AND I CAN UNDERSTAND EXPEDIENCY AND EVERYTHING ELSE ON IT, YOU KNOW, BUT ALSO WANT TO BE SURE THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THOSE THINGS ARE ADDRESSED. NOW, THE LAST THING THAT I HAVE, UH, AND YOU MADE MENTION OF IT ATTORNEY, UH, BECAUSE I'VE SERVED ON SOME NATIONAL COMMITTEES SERVING ON SOME, NOW THAT DEALS WITH, UH, RED LINING, UH, I HAVE A RED NINE AND WE THINK OF A RED LINE AND DEALING BASICALLY ONLY IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE RED LINE AND BANKING ON BUSINESSES. NOW, IF WE PUT FORWARD THIS ORDINANCE AND A BUSINESS IS THERE NOW, AND AS SHE STATED, THIS BUSINESS NEEDS TO GO TO THE BANK TO SECURE FUNDS. OKAY. I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER. YOU KNOW, WE CAN GIVE A DOCUMENT, BUT TO SEE WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO GIVE BANKERS IS THIS WEAPON TO USE AGAINST A CITY LIKE OURS. THAT HAS BASICALLY MY NAR BASICALLY MINORITY TYPE BUSINESSES OR BLACK AND BROWNS. AND WE'RE THE ONES WHO, WHO RED LIGHT AND ACTUALLY OCCURS AGAINST US. SO I DON'T WANT US TO PUT INTO PLACE A DOCUMENT IN THE FORM OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD HELP THE BANK. THAT'S THE BIG NATIONAL PLACE UP IN PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK, MAKING A DECISION FOR A PORT AUTHOR. AND THEY JUST BLANKETLY USE THE DOCUMENT THAT WE PUT IN PLACE. AND ALL THEY CAN TELL THE PEOPLE AS WELL, YOU KNOW, YORK CITY COUNCIL THERE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, A FUNERAL HOME, CAN'T GO HERE. I JUST HATE IT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WORKING YET. OKAY. IT CAN'T GO IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD OR A GROCERY STORE OR A DOCTOR'S OFFICE. CAN'T GO IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. NOW YOU WANT US TO HELP FUND YOUR, YOUR BUSINESS. BUT BY LAW, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SAYING, IT'S NOT, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT THEY COULD COME AND GET THE, GET A SUPPORTING DOCUMENT SAYING THAT A SPECIAL MI PERMIT WOULD BE ISSUED OR, UH, SOMETHING THAT THIS BUSINESS IS OKAY. BEING IN THIS AREA. BUT TO ADDRESS THAT, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT WITH BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY EXISTING, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, WHAT THE ATTORNEY SAID, AND IF THE BANKS WOULD BE ABLE TO USE WHAT WE ARE PUTTING FORTH AS AN ORDINANCE TO NOT CONSIDER THOSE INDIVIDUALS FOR A FINANCING OR SOMETHING TO UPDATE THEIR BUSINESS OR BUY EQUIPMENT, SIMPLY BASED UPON A DOCUMENT THAT SAYS, GENERALLY THIS TYPE BUSINESS SHOULDN'T BE LOCATED, WHERE IT IS, HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THAT? WELL, MOST OF THE BUSINESSES THAT, UM, WOULD BE APPLYING FOR SOME TYPE OF BANK LOAN, UM, ALREADY FOR THE MOST PART OR LOCATED IN RETAIL OR RESIDENTIAL, OR RIGHT NOW, AS WE REFER TO IT AS LIKE COMMERCIAL ZONE DISTRICTS, UM, WE ARE NOT PROPOSING TO CHANGE THAT, UM, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, WHAT MOST, SO, UM, A LOT OF THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN RESIDENTIAL, SUCH AS YOUR BARBER SHOPS, YOUR BEAUTY SHOPS, UM, PERHAPS, UM, DAYCARE SERVICES, UM, THESE ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS. AND AGAIN, UM, THE ZONING ESTABLISHMENT FOR A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT SHOULD ALREADY BE IN PLACE FOR THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS. AND SO IN BOTH CASES, [01:15:01] WHEN WE RECEIVED THOSE TYPES OF INQUIRIES, UM, FROM THE BANK OR THE PROPERTY OWNER THEMSELVES, WE DO PROVIDE THEM WITH WHAT'S CALLED A ZONING VERIFICATION LETTER TO INFORM THEM THAT THIS HAS ALREADY GONE TO CITY COUNCIL ACTION. HASN'T BEEN TAKEN AND IT'S OKAY TO MOVE FORWARD. THOSE ORDINANCES DON'T GO AWAY. UM, THE SPECIFIC USE PERMIT AGAIN, STAYS WITH THE LAND ITSELF. AND SO WE GO AND RECALL THOSE DOCUMENTS AND ATTACH THEM TO THE ZONING VERIFICATION LETTER THAT WE DO SEND TO THOSE, THOSE BUSINESSES. NOW, ANY BUSINESS THAT REQUIRES, FOR EXAMPLE, A LOAN FOR EQUIPMENT, THINGS OF THAT NATURE IS A BUSINESS THAT WE DO HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT IF IT'S A LOCATED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. UM, THAT'S PART OF WHY WE MADE THIS ADDRESS, THEORETICALLY BUSINESSES, WHAT WE CONSIDER HOME BASED BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO REALLY CHANGE THE STATICS OR TRAFFIC FLOW OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, THESE PEOPLE HAVE ESTABLISHES ESTABLISHED OFFICES OR SAY LIKE A LITTLE WORKSHOP, UM, IT DOESN'T CALL FOR CUSTOMER. AND SO WITH ALL THINGS, YEAH. GET OUT ANOTHER MIC. YEAH, MAYBE THIS ONE. OKAY. WE HAVE NOT SEEN A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT MEET THAT CRITERIA THAT HAVE COME TO TRY TO OBTAIN A HOME LOAN FOR THE BUSINESS ITSELF. UM, PERHAPS A HOME LOAN FOR JUST HOME IMPROVEMENTS, BUT IT IS A, UM, RESIDENTIAL HOME BASED BUSINESS. UM, SO THEY'RE OPERATING PRIMARILY OUT OF THEIR HOME. SO, UM, ANYTHING THAT'S COMMERCIAL IN USE THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AS COMMERCIAL THAT'S LOCATED IN THE COMMERCIAL ZONE DISTRICT, THOSE USERS ARE NOT CHANGING. UM, THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGING IS THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ZONING. IT'S GOING FROM LIKE COMMERCIAL TO RETAIL OR COMMERCIAL. MY BIGGEST WOULD BE IN CORRELATION WITH, UH, BANKING FOR THOSE BUSINESSES. I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD PRECLUDE THEM FROM GETTING OR SERVE AS AN OBSTACLE, IF YOU WILL, FROM THEM, FROM GETTING WHATEVER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THEY WOULD BE ENTITLED TO AND PROBABLY WOULD BE QUALIFIED FOR. AND THEY WOULD USE THAT ONE ELEMENT TO SAY THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO, UH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE, WE IN AMERICA AND THOSE THINGS HAPPENED IN OUR COUNTRY AND NOT JUST, I JUST MADE IT BROAD LIKE THAT, BUT THEN IT TRICKLES DOWN TO OUR CITY, BUT THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. SO I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WE'D BE DOING SOMETHING WHERE WE WOULD NOT, UH, ENHANCE, UH, UH, INEQUITIES THAT, THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO EXPERIENCE. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I'M GOOD. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INTELLIGENCE, YOUR DIALOGUE WITH US WITH THIS BOOK. OKAY. UH, WE WILL [V. * CLOSED MEETING ( EXECUTIVE SESSION)] NOW, EXCUSE ME, MOVE IN, MOVE TO A ROMAN NUMERAL FIVE, WHICH IS OUR CLOSED MEETING. UH, WE WOULD GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION DOWN IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM. UH, THIS IS AN AUDIT TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION, EXCUSE ME, 5, 5, 1 0.101 OF CHAPTER 5, 5, 1 OPEN MEETINGS LAW OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, FORMALLY ARTICLE 62 52 DASH 17, SECTION TWO, SUBSECTION EIGHT, AND PROJECT GOING INTO THIS MEETING. MY, MY SHELL FOR IB IN THE, UH, PRESIDING OFFICER, UH, BE COMPELLED TO MAKE THIS FOLLOWING STATEMENT. WE WILL, UH, DISCUSS IN CLOSED SESSION SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.074, THE GOVERNMENT GOAL, UH, DISCUSS THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE EVALUATIONS OF THE CITY ATTORNEY CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY SECRETARY. AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE READY TO, UH, MOVE INTO A RECESS, RATHER THIS MEETING AND MOVE INTO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. UH, IF THERE WAS ACTION THAT WOULD MEET TO BE VOTED UPON FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE WILL RETURN FOR ADJOURNMENT HERE, BACK INTO THE CHAMBERS AND ACT UPON THOSE ITEMS IF, UH, SUCH WOULD BE THE CASE. SO AT THIS POINT WE WILL RECESS FOR OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE OKAY. IS [01:20:01] IT OKAY? WE ARE, WE ARE WE'RE BACK LIVE. UH, SHE'S A SECRETARY. WE ARE. OKAY. WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE DATA SESSION. I BELIEVE THAT'S RIGHT THERE. UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES, UH, SECOND, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, MARK'S SECOND. OKAY. IS REMOVING THE SECOND THAT WE'VE BEEN CLOSED THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION. HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? NAY AYES HAVE IT TO HIS HONOR, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION HAS NOW CLOSED. THERE WAS NO, UH, ITEMS FOR, UH, CONSIDERATION THAT WOULD CALL FOR A VOTE THAT WAS IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND NOW I WOULD WANT TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT MOVED. YEAH. OKAY. A BIG SESSION. I CAN DO IT ON THAT LAST WEEK. THAT WAS IT. WE'RE GOOD. GOODBYE. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.