[00:00:02]
[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
WE ARE GATHERED HERE THIS MORNING FOR A REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE AT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THIS REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULED FOR NINE 30.I HAVE ABOUT 9 42 AT THE MOMENT.
CENTRAL STANDARD TIME HERE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 26TH, 2022.
AND YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IN A CANVAS MEETING BY THE MEDIUM OF TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCING.
UH, 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.
YOU MUST ENTER A MEETING ID NUMBER 8 9 8 0 1 2 1 9 7 3 1 AND PASS CODE 0 8 1 9 9 5.
AND THIS MEETING HAS TO BE IN PERSON HERE AND THE CHAMBERS AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ON THE FIFTH FLOOR HERE IN THE CITY HALL, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
AND IF AN INDIVIDUAL HAS A NEED FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, THEY MAY, YOU MAY REQUEST THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS BY CALLING THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 9 8 3 8 1 1 5 AND FOUR NINE AREA CODE, HOWEVER, AND INFORM THEM OF THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT YOU NEED.
HOWEVER, IT MUST BE DONE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING AND PRIOR TO TODAY'S MEETING, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR YOU.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'D LIKE TO BEGIN OUR MEETING AND WE WOULD WANT TO ENDORSE YOU WHO ARE HERE IN THE CHAMBER WITH US.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH AN INVOCATION.
WE'LL CALL YOU TO THE PLEDGE AND A ROLL CALL.
WOULD YOU GIVE US THE INVOCATION THIS MORNING? YES, SIR.
OUR FATHER AND OUR GOD, OR HOW WE LOVE YOU OR HOW WE PRAISE YOUR HOGAN RISES NAME.
YOU'VE BEEN SO GIVING AND FORGIVING.
MY DAD WOULD SAY THANK YOU FOR WHILE WE WAS STRETCHED OUT OUR HANDS TO THEE, NO OTHER HELP.
WE KNOW IF THAT WOULD DRAW THE CELL FROM US.
WELL, SHALL WE GO NOWHERE TO GO THERE? GOD, DO YOU HAVE A KILLER LIFE? YOU LIVE, YOU SPEAK AND MEN LEADER SPEAK AGAIN, MAN, LAY DOWN AND DIE.
LORD, HELP US IN THIS TROUBLE.
THESE FROM A WORLD TROUBLE, SYDNEY TROUBLE CAUGHT THE TROUBLE STATUS.
THIS COUNCIL PRESS EVERY HOME REPRESENTED TONIGHT TODAY, ONE BY ONE NAME BY NAME, PRESTIGE SALES, AS IN OR OTHER, IT DESPERATELY NEEDS YOUR HELP AND YOUR GRANDNESS TO PROTECTION.
WE NEED YOUR PROBABLY CAN'T DO IT ACT.
THESE KNOW BLESSED WITH EXCELLENT DAUGHTER, SON, JESUS TEAM, AND FOR QUITE SICK.
THAT IS SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN UNISON, PLEASE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH A QUORUM FOR ME PLEASE? MAYOR BARR TO PRESENT MAYOR PRO TEM, FRANK COUNCIL MEMBER HOMES, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS, COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES.
[II. PROCLAMATIONS]
WITH THE PROCLAMATION AND I HAVE A PROCLAMATION HERE FOR OLDER AMERICAN MONTH OR AMERICANS.DO WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE? THANK YOU.
YOU ALL ARE NOT AT THE RIGHT AGE, ARE YOU? YEAH, I'M CLOSER THAN YOU THINK IT IS A PRIVILEGE FOR US TO BE STANDING BEFORE YOU ACCEPTING THIS PROCLAMATION.
ACKNOWLEDGING MAY AS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH NUTRITION AND SERVICES FOR SENIORS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS, FIGHTING FOR THE SAME MISSION TO STRENGTHEN OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AND KEEP THEM INDEPENDENT AND LIVING AT HOME WITH DIGNITY.
AND IT IS EVIDENT THROUGH YOUR OVERWHELMING SUPPORT YEAR AFTER YEAR, THAT YOU CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE CITIZENS OF PORT AUTHOR.
AND THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO US BECAUSE YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US CONTINUE TO DELIVER THE
[00:05:01]
DIFFERENCE TO THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY.AND WE LOVE STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH YOU AS WE MARCH FORWARD, LETTING EVERY SENIOR CITIZEN KNOW THAT ALTHOUGH THEY ARE AT HOME, THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
THANK YOU ALL IN BECAUSE I AM A, UH, ALMOST MEMBER OF THAT GROUP.
I WANT TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION.
I TOLD YOU, YOU WERE ONLY 21, BUT OKAY.
IT SAYS CITY OR PORT ALL THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, WHEREAS ME IS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.
AND WHEREAS OLDER ADULTS IN PORT ARTHUR ARE THE ROOTS FROM WHICH OUR COMMUNITY GROWS, WHO BE STILL GIFTS OF WISDOM AND INSIGHT UPON YOUNGER GENERATIONS AND STRENGTHENED BONDS BETWEEN NEIGHBORS TO CREATE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.
AND WHEREAS THE OLDER ADULTS IN PORT ARTHUR SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR ROLE IN CREATING AND BLUSTERING THE FIBER OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NATION.
AND WHEREAS WE WISH TO JOIN TOGETHER TO EXTEND ASSISTANCE TO THE OLDER ADULTS IN PORT AUTHOR, BY INCREASING THEIR OPPORTUNITIES TO REMAIN IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AS ACTIVE, ENGAGED CITIZENS.
AND WHEREAS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH AND SPONSORED BY NUTRITION AND SERVICES FOR SENIORS, A NONPROFIT AGENCY DEDICATED TO PROVIDING INNOVATIVE, EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS THAT ASSIST OLDER ADULTS IN LEADING QUALITY LIVES WHILE MAINTAINING DIGNITY AND INDEPENDENCE.
AND WHEREAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS INITIATIVE IS TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DIVERSITY STRENGTH AND THE UNITY OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO MAKE THAT LIVES HOSPITABLE AND RESPECTABLE.
AND WE'RE ASKED TO HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO OUR COMMUNITY ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY, CULTURALLY, OR OTHERWISE IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PORT ARTHUR, NUTRITION AND SERVICES FOR SENIORS IS HOSTING THE 11TH ANNUAL DELIVER THE DIFFERENCE, BENEFITING THE MEALS ON WHEELS TO HONOR ELAINE SHELLENBERGER THURSDAY, MAY 5TH, 2022.
NOW THEREFORE I THURMAN BILL BARCHIE MAYOR OF THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
DO WE HEAL BY PROCLAIM MAY AS THE, OR MAY 22ND, 2022, EXCUSE ME.
AS OLDER AMERICANS MO HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AND I URGE ALL CITIZENS TO JOIN ME IN SHOWING SUPPORT FOR THIS CAMPAIGN AND WITNESS WHERE ALL I HAVE HERE ON TO SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO BE A FIXED THIS 26TH DATE OF APRIL IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2022.
AND IT IS SIGNED MAYOR THURMAN, BILL BART, T, AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
AND UPON MY, I WANT TO SAY IT REAL GOOD.
I HAVE ABOUT 20 MORE YEARS BEFORE I BECOME AN ACTIVE MEMBER.
I WANT YOU ALL TO STILL BE THERE.
WE'RE GOING TO BE THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU.
[00:10:01]
SEAT.AND AGAIN, WE ARE IN OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.
AND SO WHEN YOU ALL GO HOME, IF YOU HAVE A PARENT NEIGHBOR FRIEND OR SOMEONE, LET THEM KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE THEM AND YOU LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU APPRECIATE THEM.
[III. A.1. Patrick Plumer Regarding Cleaning Up Our City ( Trash — Red Tag Homes)]
NOW, WE WERE MOVED TO ROMAN NUMERAL THREE OF OUR AGENDA.OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MR. PATRICK PALMER REGARDING CLEANING UP OUR CITY TRASH AND OUR RED BAG, RED TAG HOMES.
YOU MAY APPROACH, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND BEGIN, AND YOU WOULD HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, MY NAME IS PATRICK TAMARA AND I LIVE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND VERY, VERY CONCERNS.
I'M NOT ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT PORT ARTHUR, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE MAKEUP OF PORT OFF, BASICALLY THE COSMETICS OF IT.
UM, I'VE HEARD A LOT AND I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT BEAUTIFICATION.
MY QUESTION TO ALL OF YOU ON THE COUNCIL.
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF BEAUTIFICATION WHEN IT RETURNED, WHEN IT PERTAINS TO OUR CITY? AND WHAT DO YOU ALL PLAN TO DO TO MAKE PORT OFF THE LOOK LACK OF CITY THAT'S READY TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND YOU CAN ANSWER THAT AT YOUR OWN AT YOUR OWN TIME.
MY CONCERN AGAIN IS ABOUT THE TRASH BUILDUP.
DO WE STILL HAVE ENOUGH, UH, TRASH VEHICLES TO PICK UP THIS TRASH? ALL WE OUT OF PARTS HAVE PARTS BEEN ORDERED.
THAT'S BEEN AN ARGUMENT NOW SINCE JANUARY, THE OTHER THING IS RED TAG HOUSES.
WHEN DID THEY GO ON TO BE TORN DOWN? WHEN ARE YOU ALL GOING TO CONTACT THE OWNERS OR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT THESE HOUSES THROUGH A WHEEL.
SOME OF THESE HOUSES LOOK AS IF THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR AT LEAST 10 OR 15 YEARS, THE GARAGES ARE DOWN.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO REALLY GET SERIOUS ABOUT PORT OFF IT? AND THAT'S IN EVERY DISTRICT, 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR AND CITY WIDE.
WHEN DO WE GO? WHEN WILL THE LEADERS OF THIS CITY TAKE PORT OFFICE AREAS AND GET PULLED OFF THE READY, NOT FOR REFINERIES, BUT FOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES THAT WILL EMPLOY OUR HIGH SCHOOL CHILDREN WHEN THEY LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL AND GO OFF TO COLLEGE AND COME BACK, I'M TALKING TO PARENTS AND THIS, AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THEIR CHILDREN CAN WAIT TO GRADUATE, TO LEAVE AND GO SOMEWHERE BETTER BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING HERE FOR THEM TO DO.
SO I'LL LEAVE THIS OPEN FOR YOUR INPUT AND PLEASE, IT'S NOT A PROCESS.
THIS IS, WE NEED TO GET THIS DONE.
MOST OF YOU HAVE LIVED HERE ALL YOUR LIFE.
I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE SIX YEARS.
SO WHEN ARE WE GOING TO CLEAN UP, PULLED OFF IT? WHO HAS MAJOR RESOURCES FOR BRINGING IN MAJOR MONEY? I'M FINISHED.
ANY QUESTIONS, STATEMENTS, COMMENTS.
WANT TO THANK YOU, MR. PLUMBER OR YOUR PRESENTATION AND CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN TO WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT.
I SAY CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO WHAT YOU'VE SPOKEN ABOUT.
[III. A.2. Brian Meadowcroft Regarding The Port Arthur Yacht Club Events And Services]
MR. BRIAN METAL CROFT REGARDING THE PORT OFF THE YACHT CLUB, UH, EVENTS AND[00:15:01]
SERVICES.MY DEAR, I HATE TO DISAPPOINT YOU, BUT I'M NOT BRIAN MEADOWCROFT.
I KNOW THAT MY NAME IS DAVID BRADLEY, AND I GUESS I SEEK CONSENT TO REPLACE MR. MEADOWCROFT.
HE IS A LIEUTENANT COMMANDER IN THE COAST GUARD HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND I IMAGINE HE'S DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE RESPONSIBLE AND IMPORTANT THAN I KNOW THIS IS AN IMPORTANT EVENT.
UH, MAYOR AND, UH, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE, MR. FRANK, HADN'T SEEN YOU IN AWHILE.
UH, I REPRESENT THE PORT ARTHUR YACHT CLUB, AND I THINK A MORE APT NAME WOULD BE THE PORT ARTHUR SAILING CLUB, ALMOST 60 YEARS OLD.
AND I AM JUST IMPRESSED RIGHT HERE IN THIS OLD COUNCIL ROOM AND ON THE BILLBOARDS.
WHEN I ENTERED THE CITY, UH, PORT ARTHUR IS REPRESENTED BY A SAILBOAT AND I ASSUME THAT'S ON SABINE LAKE.
IT'S BEING LATE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IS THE BIGGEST ASSET THAT PORT ARTHUR HAS, AND IT IS THE MOST UNDERUTILIZED AND NEGLECTED AS FAR AS BEING USED.
AND I THINK IT'S A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH AND WE'RE HERE TO TRY AND HELP, UH, BUILD THAT AND HELP PORT ARTHUR SUCCEED, UH, IS, IS USING A VENUE.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST HELPS THAT WE'VE HAD, AND THIS IS A LITTLE PROGRESS REPORT.
UH, YOUR PORT ARTHUR CONVENTION BUREAU, I BELIEVE TAMMY AND KELLY.
YOU KNOW, THOSE LADIES, UH, THEY'VE BEEN A TREMENDOUS HELP TO US AND TRYING TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THE PUBLIC.
YES, WE'RE A PRIVATE CLUB, BUT IT IS A PUBLIC FACILITY.
AND WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH PORT ARTHUR AND TRYING TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE DOWN THERE TO ENJOY THE WATER AS WE CAN.
UH, YOU'VE GOT SOME GREAT STAFF OVER AT PIC.
UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME CHANGE OVER IN THAT STAFF, BUT GEORGE DAVIS AND SHANE JENNINGS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE AND KEEPING THE GROUNDS UP AROUND MARINA.
AND, UH, IT'S IT'S, THE FACILITY IS BEING, WELL-MAINTAINED A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP THAT YOU ALL MIGHT TAKE AN INTEREST IN.
AND I KNOW THE TOURIST AND CONVENTION BUREAU IS GOING TO WORK WITH US TO TRY AND PROMOTE THEM FOR THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE HAVE A GROUP THAT COMES IN FROM CHEMO.
NOW WITH COVID LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE NOT HAD THE EVENT, BUT IF YOU EVER WANTED TO SEE THAT MARINA FULL COME BY FOR SPRING FLING, THAT'S GOING TO BE HERE MAY 13TH THROUGH THE 16TH.
WE'RE A DESTINATION SPOT FOR ALL THE BOATERS OVER IN CHEMO.
THEY ALL BOATERS LOVE TO GO SOMEWHERE.
THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION.
IT'S WORKING TO GET THERE AND YOU WILL SEE THAT MARINA PHILIP, WE MIGHT HAVE 40 OR 50 BOATS THAT WILL COME OVER ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PAY SOME PRETTY HEALTHY SLIP FEES TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
UH, THEY'RE GOING TO ENJOY THEMSELVES AND THERE'S GOING TO BE FENDERS AND THERE'LL BE BOOZE AND THEY WILL BE DINNERS AND DANCING.
AND IT'S A BIG EVENTS OVER THERE ON THE PLEASURE ISLAND.
SO THAT'LL BE ON THE 13TH THROUGH THE 16TH.
UH, WE HAVE RACES NOW WE'RE NOT STOCK CARD AND WE'RE NOT NASA IN A SAILBOAT.
IF YOU CAN GET UP TO FIVE OR SIX KNOTS, HEY, THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING, BUT IT CAN BE PRETTY EXCITING.
UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE A BIG CATAMARAN RACE, A MULTIHULL RACE FROM GALVESTON TO PORT ARTHUR.
AND THEN WHILE THEY'RE HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO HOLD SOME RACES OUT IN SABINE LAKE, AND THERE'LL BE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN COME OUT AND THERE'LL BE SOME GOOD SPOTS WHERE THEY CAN VISIT AND THEY CAN WITNESS WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING DAY.
AND AGAIN, THE VISITORS BUREAU IS GOING TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT EFFORT.
WE HAVE A JUNIOR RACING PROGRAM AND THIS IS OPEN TO ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, THESE KIDS ARE NOW TRAVELING ALL AROUND THE STATE WITH THEIR LITTLE ONE MAN BOATS AND COMPETING IN DALLAS AND IN NEW BRAUNFELS AND SAN ANTONIO AND CORPUS CHRISTI AND THE KIDS ARE ACTUALLY DOING WELL.
UM, WE HAVE A JUNIOR SAILING PROGRAM.
THAT'S GOING TO BE THIS SUMMER AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR GEEZ DECADES.
AND MY KIDS LEARNED TO SAIL AND IT'S OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
ANYBODY IN THE PUBLIC, YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD.
AND IT'S A OVERNIGHT LONG WEEKEND STAY SUMMER CAMP.
AND THE KIDS GET TO LEARN HOW TO SAIL A BOAT.
AND, UH, THERE ARE KIDS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN ON THE WATER WHEN THEY WALK AWAY, THEIR EYES ARE BRIGHT AND THEY'VE GOT A BIG SMILE ON THEIR FACE.
WE NOW DO IT FOR TWO WEEKENDS DURING THE SUMMER, IT'S GOTTEN SO POPULAR IN EACH TIME WE TAKE 30 OR 40 KIDS FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE WEEKENDS.
UM, LIBRARY, KIDS, KIDS DURING THE SUMMER AND PORT ARTHUR THAT READ ENOUGH BOOKS, GET A REWARD.
THEY GET TO COME OUT TO THE FACILITY AND THEY HAVE A JUMP HOUSE AND THEY HAVE HOT DOGS AND THEY CAN GO FISHING OFF OF THE DOCKS AND GUESS WHAT? THEY GET TO GO OUT ON A BOAT.
THAT'S A FIRST TIME EXPERIENCE FOR MOST OF THESE KIDS.
[00:20:01]
UM, WE HAVE FOSTER CARE CPS KID EVENTS TO BRING KIDS OUT THAT NEED A LITTLE LIFT UP AND A LITTLE EXCITEMENT IN THEIR LIFE.UH, THOMAS JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS A SAILING CLUB THIS YEAR.
AND WE'RE NOW WORKING WITH THE BOB HOPE SCHOOL TO PUT IN.
IT'S AN AUXILIARY OF THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.
IT'S A PROGRAM FOR KIDS THAT ARE FROM 14 TO 20 AND IT'S MORE OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
BUT THEN AGAIN, IT HAS A MARINE COMPONENT.
THERE'LL BE WORKING WITH US, THEY'LL LEARN SKILLS.
WE'LL ALSO BE WORKING WITH THE COAST GUARD A LITTLE BIT.
THEY WORK WITH THE PORT OF BEAUMONT.
THEY'RE A BIG SPONSOR OF OUR PROGRAM THAT ALL SAID, WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF FUN OUT THERE.
AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE.
THE MAYOR HERE HAS BEEN GIFTED WITH AN HONORARY MEMBERSHIP AND HE SHOWED UP FIRST TIME.
WE'VE HAD A MAYOR SHOW UP AT THE, AT THE SAILING CLUB AND WE WERE HONORED THAT YOU CAME OUT.
THE ONE THING HE FORGOT TO BRING WAS HIS SAILING SHOES.
SO HE, YOU KNOW, THOSE OUT, THOSE SHINY BLACK ALLIGATORS, JUST WEREN'T GOING TO CUT IT ON A BOAT.
SO HE HAS PROMISED THAT HE IS COMING OUT IN EACH OF YOU HAS AN INVITATION DURING THE SUMMER.
WE HAVE RACES ON THURSDAY NIGHT.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHOW UP AT THE CLUB THERE IN THE MARINA BY SIX O'CLOCK.
AND I KNOW YOU MIGHT SHOW UP AND, UM, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT EACH ONE OF YOU GETS ONTO A BOAT AND HAS A GOOD TIME.
AND THEN OF COURSE, LIKE USUAL, YOU'LL GET FED.
SO LISTEN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR YOUR HELP.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY, OUT THERE ON THE WATER.
THANK YOU, MS. BRENDA, UH, COUNCILMAN JONES.
AND YOU ARE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE.
AH, YOU HAD BEEN THERE, HUH? THANK YOU.
I WONDER YOU RECOGNIZE ME ON THAT.
I WAS THERE EVERY DAY FOR WHAT'S RIGHT WITH JIMMY DYKES AND, UH, UH, JOHN SCHIFFER'S.
PAUL WAS PAUL LAST NAME? PAUL VERA.
PAUL IS TAKING A VERY ACTIVE ROLE IN WORKING WITH THE, UH, THE KIDS ON A SAILING ON THE RACING CIRCUIT AND ON THE WEEKENDS, THEY'RE GOING SOMEWHERE.
BECAUSE PAUL AND I WORKED TOGETHER OUT THERE WITH SUE, SUSAN, SHERIFF, RICH, UH, CLEANING UP AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY AND WALK THE LIGHTS.
I WAS FIRST DOWN THERE WHEN, UM, BEFORE, I GUESS I LIKE, AND WE HAD THE OLD RICKETY DOCS AND YOU COULD GET ELECTROCUTED, YOU COULD FALL OFF OF THOSE DOGS, BUT NOW WE HAVE A WONDERFUL FACILITY.
[IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS — 10: 00 A. M.]
WE'RE GOING TO DEVIATE FROM OUR NORMAL PROCEDURE AND WE WOULD MOVE TO ROMAN NUMERAL FOUR BECAUSE WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING WE'RE READY TO ATTORNEY.WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING G 22 DASH ZERO ONE SPECIFIC USE PERMIT FOR APPROXIMATELY 11.8 TO ZERO ACRES OF LAND CONSISTING OF TRACK SEVEN EIGHT BLOCK THREE RANGE G PORT OFF THE LAND COMPANY SUBDIVISION, AND A PORTION OF THE
AND THAT'S OVER IN OUR ANNEX BUILDING WHERE THAT WOULD BE ON DISPLAY, RIGHT? AND IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND THIS MEETING, YOU MAY SEND A LETTER AND I'M JUST DOING ALL THIS HOUSE CLEANING, UH, TO THE PLANNING DIRECTOR WHO STANDS BEFORE US.
NOW, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, 4 44 FOURTH STREET PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THIRD FLOOR.
AND, UH, AND SHE'S NOT THE DIRECTOR.
SHE'S SISTER, CITY MANAGER DIRECTLY GENTLEMAN.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, YOU MAY CONTACT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AT OH 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 3 5 AND THE PUBLIC WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO VIEW THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THAT IS NOW VIA THE CITY'S WEBSITE AT W THAT PORT OFF THE TX DOT GO.
YOU MAY PROCEED ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AGAIN, WE ARE HERE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1645.
JEFFERSON DRIVE ALSO LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS A PORTION OF LOT SIX BLOCK, 10 RANGE, FIVE PORT ARTHUR LAND COMPANY SUBDIVISION, AND A PORTION OF THE EQUAL LIDO EDITION HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS ON FEBRUARY 14TH, 2018
[00:25:02]
CITY STAFF CONDUCTED A PRE-DEVELOPMENT MEETING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER OF 1645 JEFFERSON DRIVE TO DISCUSS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPOSED SITE.THIS SITE WAS FORMALLY THE HOME OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WAS TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP IN OCTOBER OF 2015 TO GULF WAY PLAZA, LLC.
THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS TO DISCUSS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SHOPPING SLASH STRIP CENTER AT THIS LOCATION ON MAY 19TH, 2021.
ANOTHER PRE-DEVELOPMENT MEETING WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE PROPOSED TENANT OF THIS LOCATION WHO WAS TO OCCUPY SUITE 1 0 1, WHICH IS THE SUITE THAT IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING WAS TO DISCUSS THE OPERATION OF A SPORTS BAR SLASH DAIQUIRI.
THEN, UM, TO BE LOCATED HERE, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DEVELOPMENT WERE INFORMED BY PLANNING STAFF, UH, PER APPENDIX, A SECTION SEVEN DASH 100 OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ZONING ORDINANCE THAT A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR SAID, USE REPRESENTATIVES ACKNOWLEDGED THE REQUIREMENT AT THE MEETING AND WERE PROVIDED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON HOW TO PROCEED WITH THIS REQUEST.
AND ON MAY 24TH, 2021, THE PLANNING STAFF RECEIVED AN APPLICATION FOR A ZONING VERIFICATION, UH, FOR A TABC APPLICATION, WHICH HAS ALCOHOL APPLICATION FOR THE SPORTS BAR SLASH DAIQUIRI.
THEN ON MAY THE 19TH OF 2021, WHICH WAS THE SAME DAY THAT THE PRE-DEVELOPMENT MEETING WAS SCHEDULED, THE VERIFICATION FORM WAS COMPLETED AND FORWARDED TO THE REQUEST OR ON MAY THE 26TH OF 2020 WOMEN WENT FORWARD ON JANUARY 19TH, 2022 PLANNING STAFF RECEIVED THE APPLICATION FOR THE SPECIFIC USE PERMIT FOR THE PROPERTY REFERENCED THE COMMISSION HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON MARCH THE SEVENTH OF 2022 INVITING CITIZENS TO EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION FOR THE REQUEST.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED IN A VOTE OF TWO TO ONE RECOMMENDING THE ZONING AMENDMENTS APPROVAL.
BASED ON THIS DISCUSSION ON MARCH 29TH, 2022 CITY COUNCIL APPROVED RESOLUTION NUMBER 22 DASH 1, 2 3, CALLING FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING TODAY, THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE PREPARED AND MAILED NOTIFICATIONS FOR TODAY'S PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 11TH, 2022 AND PUBLISH THE PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER ON APRIL THE NINTH OF 2022.
NEXT SLIDE, LINDSAY, THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED AS LIGHT COMMERCIAL.
THE DISTRICT PROVIDES A LOCATION FOR GENERAL RETAIL ACTIVITIES.
THESE DISTRICTS ARE TYPICALLY FILED ALONG MAJOR THOROUGHFARES AND HIGHWAYS.
IT IS BEING PROPOSED TO GRANT A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT, WHICH WOULD BE SPECIFIC USE PERMIT 2, 3 9, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR AN ADDITIONAL LAND USE DESCRIBED IN APPENDIX A SECTION SEVEN DASH 100 OF THOSE ZONING ORDINANCE AS A TAVERN OR A LOUNGE ON THIS SPECIFIC PIECE OF PROPERTY.
THIS USE WILL NOT CHANGE THE UNDERLINING ZONING OF THE LAND.
HOWEVER, ALLOW FOR CONTINUED AND FUTURE USE OF SIMILAR TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT AT THIS LOCATION.
THERE IS A, ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT IN ONE OF THE SUITES HUMIDOR CIGAR LOUNGE.
THAT WOULD ALSO BENEFIT FROM THIS SPECIFIC USE PERMIT IF APPROVED NEXT SLIDE, LINDSEY, THIS SLIDE JUST SHOWS THE ZONING DESIGNATION.
IF YOU CAN SEE THE MARKER THAT KIND OF HAS THE RED BULB AT THE TOP, UM, IT PROVIDES YOU WITH WHERE THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN THE ADJACENT ZONING.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S ADJACENT TO OTHER LIGHT COMMERCIAL USES AND IN THE FAR REAR OF IT, THERE ARE TWO FAMILY USES.
THIS SLIDE ALSO AGAIN, SHOWS YOU THE SITE LOCATION.
AND THEN AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN, IT'S THE ACTUAL A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE STRIP CENTER AND WHICH, UM, BOTH HUMIDORS AND LANDLORDS IS LOCATED.
NEXT SLIDE PUBLIC NOTICES WERE MAILED TO 37 PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN A 200 FOOT RADIUS OF THE PROPOSED SITE, AS WELL AS PUBLISHED IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER, THE PUBLICATION DATES AND MAIL-OUT DATES FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION WAS FEBRUARY THE 23RD OF 2022, WHERE THERE WAS NO WRITTEN OR VERBAL OPPOSITION RECEIVED FOR THIS REQUEST.
WE ALSO DID NOT RECEIVE ANY LETTERS RETURNED AGAIN.
THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE PUBLISHED IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER ON APRIL THE NINTH OF 2022, AND, UM, SENT OUT LETTERS ON APRIL THE 11TH OF 2022, WHERE THERE WAS NO WRITTEN OR VERBAL OPPOSITION PRIOR TO TODAY'S PUBLIC
[00:30:01]
HEARING.HOWEVER, THERE WAS ONE LETTER THAT WAS RECEIVED BACK AS UNDELIVERABLE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. LANE? OKAY.
I PAY HIM SO THAT YOU SAID 200 FEET, 200 METERS, WHICH ONE WAS OKAY.
DID THAT ALSO INCLUDE, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND, UH, THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET? I BELIEVE THE APARTMENT COMPLEX WAS INCLUDED, BUT NOT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ACTUALLY, UM, A LITTLE OVER 400 FEET AWAY FROM THAT LOCATION.
ANY, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC STATE, YOUR NAME PLEASE? MY NAME IS GLORIA SANCHEZ LIVE IN 66 TO FIVE JADE AVENUE.
AND, UM, I DON'T LIVE CLOSE TO THE PROPERTY, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE KIDS BECAUSE THIS PROPERTY IS ACTUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF TWO ESCORTS.
DOMAR JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND I KNOW THEY HAD STARTED SCHOOL AND IT LOOKED LIKE OUR KIDS, YOU KNOW, OUR BED, MAYBE LIKE THEY SAY 400 FEET AWAY FROM THIS PROPERTY.
AND WE, IF WE SEE THE NEWS LATELY, MOST ALL THE MEALS ARE FOR JOHN PEOPLE.
AND I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD PLACE FOR A HABIT.
THERE'S ONE VERY CLOSE TO THE SCHOOL ZONES IS MY COMMENT ON THIS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO STOP IT.
THERE WERE TAKEN ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC COUNCIL? THANK YOU.
OH, WELL NOW I'D BE LIGHTING UP COWS FROM THE MOSES.
IS THERE A RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE THAT CONNECTS WITH THIS? UM, SO WE CAN VOTE ON IT.
TODAY IS JUST THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO JUST THE HEARING TODAY, THE NEXT MEETING WE HAVE TO DO IT.
WE HAVE TO DO HAVE TO HAVE TO DO THIS HERE AND AGAIN.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN BEFORE P AND Z.
BUT JUST THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN WE'LL A VOTE NEXT TIME.
MAY I APPROACH IT? MAY I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE LOCATION OF THIS, UM, UH, IN, IN, IN, UH, IN REGARDS TO THIS LOCATION, UM, I BELIEVE IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN AND MAYBE THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN HELP ME ON THIS, BUT WHEN WE ARE MEASURING AND GIVING PERMITS FOR, UH, LOUNGES OR INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL, UH, HAVE ALCOHOL, UH, UH, CONNECTED TO IT, I BELIEVE THAT THE LAW CALLS FOR 300 FEET FROM THE DOOR, FROM THE FRONT DOOR OF THE SCHOOL, TO THE PLACE, UH, THAT IS BEING, UM, UH, LOCATED SO, OR THE LOUNGE.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT IS 300 FEET IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN, UM, FOR, UM, DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS A TAVERN OR LOUNGE OR ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENT WHERE ALCOHOL IS SOLD, UM, THE ORDINANCE, UM, PRESCRIBES FOR 300 FEET FROM PROPERTY LINE TO PROPERTY LINE FOR CHURCHES AND HOSPITALS, IT WOULD BE 300 FEET FROM DOOR TO DOOR.
I JUST WANT TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY HAVEN'T WE BEEN ABLE TO PLACE A PUBLIC HEARING AND A VOTE AT THE SAME TIME ON OUR AGENDA PREVIOUSLY FOR THINGS SUCH AS THIS, BUT NOTHING WAS SUBMITTED FOR A VOTE TODAY, BUT WE, WE HAVE, UH, SOMETIMES WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO GIVE YOU TIME TO DIGEST IT.
IF THEY SUBMITTED THOUGH, WE'VE WE'VE DONE.
BUT I DO RECALL US HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO BOTH AND BE ABLE TO VOTE ON THAT, TO GET IT BEHIND US.
IT'S BEEN DONE OR YOU WRITE NOTHING.
WE SUBMITTED FOR THE ONE THAT HAD THE HEARING COUNSEL.
AND MAYOR AND AMIR PROTEIN WAS ALLUDING TO WHAT I WANTED ACTUALLY ASKED ABOUT THAT.
SO WE, WITHIN ALL OUR RIGHTS AND ALL THE PNC, GIVEN THAT THUMBS UP IT FOR PRESENTING THIS PUBLIC HEARING TO THE COUNCIL SO WE CAN FUTURE MAKE A DECISION ON IT.
EVERYTHING WAS CONDUCTED AND PROVIDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW AS WELL AS OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE.
MAY I APPROACH HIM DELIGHTFUL? I'M SORRY.
ATTORNEY, WE CAN, UH, END THE PUBLIC HEARING THE DISTANCE.
I MEANT, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION IN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, COSMIN JONES, COUNCILMAN KENALOG, SECOND MAYOR.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD END THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[00:35:01]
AT, UH, 10 0 9.I THINK IT WAS, UM, WE READ IT THE QUESTION, ALL WE WENT TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED? NAY AYES HAVE STORES AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW ENDED.
NOW WE WILL RETURN TO THE NORMAL FLOW IN OUR, OF OUR AGENDA.
AND WE HAVE, UH, WRITTEN HERE MR. REGIMEN OF TRAINING TO HAVE, UH, HE'S NOT PRESENT.
[III. B.1. A Presentation By Dana Espinal, Regarding The Lamar State College Port Arthur Small Business Development Center]
WE'LL GO TO PRESENTATIONS.WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY DANA, UH, ASPINALL REGARDING THE LAMAR STATE COLLEGE PORT OFF A SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
HOW ARE YOU TODAY? GOOD MORNING.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER OF THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT LAMAR STATE COLLEGE PORT ARTHUR, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL IN THE TRENCHES.
WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DEVELOP SMALL BUSINESSES AND GET SMALL BUSINESSES INTO THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND MY PRESENCE HERE TODAY IS JUST TO REMIND YOU OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IN DEVELOPING SMALL BUSINESSES.
I HAVE, UH, PROVIDED YOU WITH A FOLDER THAT IS IN FRONT OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
UM, INSIDE THAT FOLDER, IF YOU WOULD MIND FOLLOWING ME AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION TODAY, I CERTAINLY WOULD APPRECIATE IT FIRST AND FOREMOST, MY NAME IS DANA ASPINALL AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT LAMAR STATE COLLEGE PORT ARTHUR.
MY ROLE IS TO BE THE SOURCE FOR DEVELOPING NEW BUSINESSES TO HELP EXISTING BUSINESSES GROW AND SUCCEED AND SURVIVE.
AND I HAVE THE RESOURCES BEFORE ME WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE, UH, THE SBA, AND ALSO A NUMBER OF ADVISORS AND COUNSELORS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AT LOW TO NO COST TO THE, THIS, TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, FIRST I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO GO TO THIS HANDOUT AND BEFORE YOU IS THIS BANNER THAT I BROUGHT AS WELL TO GIVE YOU A GOOD VISUAL.
UM, THESE ARE THE SERVICES THAT THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER PROVIDES TO, UH, FOLKS THAT COME AND SEE US THAT, THAT ARE INTERESTED IN EITHER STARTING A BUSINESS OR HAS A BUSINESS, AND THEY'RE WANTING TO, UM, GET SOME MORE TRAINING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE THERE'S A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT WE CAN HELP BUSINESSES WITH.
AND, UM, OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE BEEN THERE WITH COVID-19 SUPPORT, HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES WITH THE PPP PROGRAM FROM SBA, AS WELL AS THE IDLE LOAN APPLICATIONS, UH, THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGH THE SBA AND THE RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION LOAN PROGRAM THAT WAS AVAILABLE DURING COVID, THAT WE, UM, HELPED SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESTAURANTS WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, KEEP THEIR DOORS OPEN, RIGHT? WE HELPED THEM, UH, APPLY FOR THAT, FOR THAT ASSISTANCE, THAT DISASTER ASSISTANCE THAT WAS AVAILABLE.
WE ALSO SERVE AS THE BUSINESS ADVISOR.
I LIKE TO REFER TO MYSELF AS THE BUSINESS COACH.
SO IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, GIVE US A CALL, SEND ME AN EMAIL.
AND IF I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, I HAVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ME TO GET THE ANSWER.
UM, IN, IN ANY REGARD OF, OF AS FAR AS DEVELOPING SMALL BUSINESSES, WE DO HAVE A REFERRAL LIST FOR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ASSIST THEM WITH FINDING, UM, LEGAL ADVICE, FINDING ATTORNEYS THAT ARE, UM, UM, SPECIALIST IN BUSINESS LAW.
WE HAVE, UM, CPAS ON THE REFERRAL LIST.
WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF PROFESSIONALS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE A REFERRAL LIST TO PEOPLE THAT THAT ARE IN NEEDING ASSISTANCE AND BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THESE FOLKS AND, UM, GET, GET THE ADVICE THEY NEED SO THEY CAN SUCCEED AND THEIR BUSINESSES CAN SUCCEED.
BUSINESS SPECIALIST, WE HAVE BUSINESS SPECIALISTS FROM CPAS THAT, UH, PROVIDE TRAININGS, UM, AT THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT LAMAR STATE COLLEGE, PORT ARTHUR.
UM, IT'S A WIDE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLASSES.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CLASS THIS WEEK, TWO CLASSES ACTUALLY THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THIS WEEK.
ONE IS ON INSURANCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
WHAT TYPE OF INSURANCE IS DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS YOU HAVE, WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS
[00:40:01]
IN INSURANCES? AND SO THAT, THAT TRAINING IS GOING TO BE THIS WEEK AT THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.UM, OUR TRAININGS ARE LOW TO NO COST.
UM, THERE IS A REGISTRATION PROCESS BECAUSE WE HAVE CLASS SIZE CAPS DEPENDING ON, UM, THE TYPE OF TRAININGS THAT ARE AFFORDED, YOU KNOW, TO FOLKS THAT NEED THE TRAINING OR WOULD WANT THE TRAINING.
UM, RECENTLY OUR LAST CLASS WE GAVE WAS QUICKBOOKS, THE INTRODUCTION TO QUICKBOOKS, AND TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES GET THEIR, THEIR FINANCES IN ORDER AND LEARN QUICKBOOKS AND UNDERSTAND QUICKBOOKS AND NOT TO BE AFRAID OF THE SOFTWARE.
WE HAVE LAPTOPS OUT HANDS-ON ON HOW TO GET INTO QUICKBOOKS AND USE QUICKBOOKS AND, AND BE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR FINANCES FOR YOUR BUSINESS GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING.
UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, BECAUSE OF THE POOR TO PORT ARTHUR AND, UM, GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS AND STATE CONTRACTS.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CLIENTS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THE, UM, CERTIFICATION PROCESS OF BEING A CERTIFIED, UM, MINORITY OWNED, CERTIFIED WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS CERTIFICATION, UM, HUB ZONE CERTIFICATION.
WE CAN ASSIST THOSE BUSINESSES AND OBTAINING THOSE CERTIFICATIONS.
WE HAVE THE P TAX CENTER, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON THAT WE WORK CLOSELY WITH AND HELPING FOLKS GET THAT CERTIFICATION.
UM, SO AS A RESOURCE COUNCIL IN THE MAYOR, IF YOU KNOW OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN OBTAINING THOSE CERTIFICATIONS, FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM OUR WAY, WE WILL NOT TURN THEM AWAY.
AND WE ARE THERE AS A RESOURCE FOR THIS COMMUNITY MARKET RESEARCH.
IF, IF THERE ARE FOLKS OUT THERE THAT ARE WANTING TO DO SOME TYPE OF NEW BUSINESS, AND THEY'RE WANTING TO DO RESEARCH, WE HAVE, UM, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO HAS A RESEARCH CENTER THAT I CAN REACH OUT TO AND GET ANY AND ALL KINDS OF RESEARCH, UH, BASED ON SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND THAT IS A RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO, UM, ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED IN USING IT.
AND SO THEY JUST NEED TO REACH OUT AND WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR THEM.
A LOT OF THE RESEARCH THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING LATELY IS EXPORTING AND IMPORTING THROUGH THE PORT OF PORT ARTHUR, UM, AND HOW TO GO ABOUT, UM, GETTING SET UP TO BE ABLE TO DO THE IMPORTING AND EXPORTING FORM THE, THE PORT OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO, UM, ALL, ALL CITIZENS.
SO WE DO HAVE, UM, THE ABILITY TO HAVE INTERPRETATE INTERPRETERS AVAILABLE FOR, UM, HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESSES FOR HISPANIC FOLKS THAT ARE LOOKING TO START AND GROW A BUSINESS.
UM, AS WELL AS VIETNAMESE, WE HAVE AN INTERPRETER FOR VIETNAMESE AS WELL.
SO, UM, LET'S NOT LET THE LANGUAGE BARRIER STOP US.
WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE THAT WE CAN HELP ANY AND ALL TYPES OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND THEN I JUST BRIEFLY MENTIONED INTERNATIONAL TRADE.
UM, AND THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS, I'M SEEING MORE AND MORE INTEREST IN AS WELL AS, UM, DOING, UM, CONTRACTS WITH THE GOVERNMENT, UM, AND STORAGE, UM, STORAGE FOR THE GOVERNMENT AS THEY BRING PRODUCTS INTO THE PORT AND HOW TO STORE THAT MATERIAL.
UM, AND BEING ABLE TO, TO UTILIZE A, UM, EITHER A CERTIFICATION AND EIGHT, A OR MINORITY OWNED CERTIFICATION, I'M SEEING A LOT MORE OF THAT, UM, INCREASE THE NEXT.
UM, I JUST BRIEFLY WANT TO SHOW YOU THE 20, 21 IMPACT OF THE NETWORK.
UM, OUR SBDC CENTER AT LAMAR STATE COLLEGE PORT ARTHUR IS A PART OF A NETWORK OF, UM, OF THE 32 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
OUR NETWORK OFFICE IS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON, AND THEY OVERSEE THE 32 COUNTIES WITHIN SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
AND WE HAVE 12 SPD CENTERS WITHIN THOSE 32 COUNTIES.
AND HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT, ARTHUR IS ONE OF THOSE CENTERS.
AND, UM, LAST YEAR IN 2021, OUR IMPACT REPORT SHOWS YOU THAT WE CREATED AND SAVED 6,275 JOBS.
WE HELPED GENERATE $50.6 MILLION IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS 38.58 MILLION, UH, WAS WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS AND 12.2 MILLION WAS IN FEDERAL TAXES, OKAY,
[00:45:01]
SHOP LOCAL FOLKS SHOP LOCAL.THIS IS WHAT SHOP LOCAL MEANS.
THIS IS THE IMPACT OF DOING BUSINESS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES, STARTUP AND EXPANSION CAPITAL $115.5 MILLION.
WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST SMALL BUSINESSES AND OBTAINING LOANS, NEW SALES, $456.1 MILLION.
THAT'S AN IMPACT FOLKS RETURN FOR EVERY DOLLAR USED AND SPENT WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES.
WE WERE ABLE TO RETURN $9 AND 8 CENTS BACK INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR? RIGHT? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOUR, UM, SCHOOL SYSTEM? RIGHT.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE GROW SMALL BUSINESSES, WE DEVELOP SMALL BUSINESSES AND WE ARE HERE TO DO THAT AT THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
LAST YEAR THREE, DURING A PANDEMIC, WE WERE ABLE TO START 377 NEW BUSINESSES DURING A PANDEMIC.
AND OUR SALES GROWTH WAS 7.2%.
SO WE DID, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A PANDEMIC YEAR, LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, GROW, UM, 7.2% IN SALES GROWTH.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE NUMBERS MAKE A STRONGER STATEMENT THAN ME STANDING BEFORE YOU SAYING, THIS IS WHAT WE CAN AND WILL DO, RIGHT.
AND THAT'S INFORMATION THAT YOU FEEL FREE TO SHARE.
UM, AND I HAVE, I HAVE PLENTY OF THESE FLYERS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOME TO HAND OUT TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, UH, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT AT, AT OUR SPD CENTER HERE LOCALLY, APPROXIMATELY 40% OF OUR CLIENTS ARE MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES, 40%.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG NUMBER.
AND SO WE, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING START, GROW AND SUCCEED OTHER BUSINESSES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND LET'S INCREASE THAT NUMBER.
UM, THE AREA OF THE MOST GROWTH WE'RE SEEING ARE BLACK OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS HISPANIC, SMALL BUSINESSES.
UM, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF HISPANIC, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WANTING TO START AND OPERATE A BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
I HAVE BEFORE YOU, THE SCHEDULE OF OUR UPCOMING SUMMER TRAININGS, MOST OF THE TRAININGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS SUMMER ARE OUR ORIENTATION TRAININGS.
THIS ORIENTATION TRAINING IS FOR FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN OPENING A SMALL BUSINESS, BUT THEY'RE NOT JUST SURE YET WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO THIS ORIENTATION IS IT GUIDES THEM ING IN PROVIDES THEM THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO START A SMALL BUSINESS AND WHAT THE STEPS ARE TO GET THAT SMALL BUSINESS STARTED.
LASTLY, THE LAST HANDOUT THAT I HAVE BEFORE YOU IS, UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT PROPOSITION A, THAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT AT THE NEXT ELECTION.
UM, THERE ARE SOME MISNOMERS OUT THERE THAT PROPOSITION A IS INCREASING TAXES AS THE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
WE APPRECIATE, UM, THE COUNCIL BEING SUPPORTIVE OF PROP PROPOSITION A AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING, UM, THE, UM, SABINE NATURE'S WATERWAY, DREDGED, AND DEEPENED, BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO BRING MORE JOBS INTO THE AREA OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, AS WELL AS START THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW BUSINESSES TO SUPPORT THOSE INDUSTRIES THAT THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM DREDGING THE WATERWAY.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY, UM, THAT WE HAVE OUR UPCOMING SPD, SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS BANQUET ON JUNE 14TH.
UM, WE WILL HAVE SEVEN COMMUNITIES, UM, PRE REPRESENTED AND AT THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER, UM, ANNUAL BUSINESS AWARDS, OF COURSE, PORT ARTHUR IS ONE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND WE WILL BE, UH, RECOGNIZING AND AWARDING SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS TO, UM, PORT ARTHUR BUSINESS BUSINESSES.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL TO COME TO THAT AWARD CEREMONY ON JUNE 14TH, YOU HAVE A FLYER IN YOUR HANDOUT ABOUT THE, UM, THE AWARDS BANQUET, THE DATE AND THE TIME.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER HAS, UM, UM, GOTTEN A TABLE OR SPONSORED YOUR TABLE.
[00:50:01]
UH, BUT HIS, HE WAS INTERESTED IN HAVING THE COUNCIL THERE AT THE MEETING.ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, MAYOR? YES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
I THINK YOU'RE COGNIZANT AND AWARE OF THE FACT THAT IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WE HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, UH, AND, UM, IT IS, UH, IT IS, UH, IT IS VERY TROUBLING FOR US IN THIS CITY, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE, UH, THAT, UM, UH, GOLDEN PASS, UH, HAS THEIR NAME AND LOGO AND ALL OF THAT ON, ON THIS.
BUT I AM, UH, AWARE, UH, THAT, UH, MANY SMALL BUSINESSES AND ESPECIALLY MINORITY BUSINESSES IN OUR CITY ARE NOT GETTING THE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, IN SOME OF THESE, UM, UM, IN SOME OF THESE AREAS.
UM, UM, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS IN TRANSPIRES AS I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SOME OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, THEY HAVE TO TAKE ALL OF THEIR INFORMATION, PUT IT IN THIS PORTAL.
UH, THEY PUT IT IN THIS PORTAL AND THEN THEY WAIT AND THEY WAIT AND THEY WAIT TO HEAR FROM LNGS FROM SEMPRA.
UM, THERE IS ONE, UH, BUSINESS IN OUR CITY THAT I WON'T NAME THE NAME OF THAT BUSINESS, BUT IT IS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND THEY HAVE A DIRT PIT HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, AND THEY HAVE NOT SOLD ONE SPECK OF DIRT, UH, TO THE PROJECTS, UH, HERE IN SABINE PASSED TO THE LNGS NOT ONE SPECK.
AND THEY, UH, THE COMPANY CONTINUES, UM, TO GO AROUND, UH, TO GET DIRT FROM OUTSIDE OF JEFFERSON COUNTY AND BRING IT TO THE PROJECTS IT'S UNACCEPTABLE, ESPECIALLY IN LIEU AND IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WHEN I LEAVE PORT ARTHUR GOING SOMEWHERE EARLY IN THE MORNING, I UNDERSTAND, I SEE THE LIFT OF CARS COMING INTO OUR CITY, UH, FROM OTHER PLACES, UH, EARLY IN THE MORNING, FOUR 30 IN THE MORNING.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE NOW ON 73 HOTEL, IT HAS THE BUSES AND THEY PARKED THERE AND THEY RIDE INTO WORK.
THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE, A DOUBLE DIGIT UNEMPLOYMENT IN A CITY WHERE THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO MANY BUSINESSES ARE NOT BEING UTILIZED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS IN TRANSPIRES AS WELL.
AND I WANT TO ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE AN ANSWER OR OUR CITY ATTORNEY OR CITY MANAGER, CAUSE I'VE ASKED THE QUESTION, BUT I'M GOING TO NEED AN ANSWER FOR THIS IS WHY IS PORT AUTHOR A HUB ZONE, BUT NOT ALL THE PORT ARTHUR HUBS ZONES.
SO BEING PASSED IS NOT A HUB ZONE WHERE YOU WERE YOU COGNIZANT OF THAT? WELL, HOW CAN THAT HAPPEN? HOW CAN THAT TRANSPIRE THAT PART OF PORT ARTHUR, B PUBS ZONE, AND THEN SO BEING PASSED, NOT BE A HUB ZONE, HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES, OF COURSE, WHAT HUB IS.
SO I'M, I'M AN IN ANY ONE OF ANY OF THE THINGS THAT I'M ASKING THAT YOU CAN HELP ME WITH AND I'M, UH, I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOME ANSWERS AND SEE HOW WE CAN CREATE SOMETHING FOR THE DISCONNECT THAT EXISTS, UH, WHEN WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY, BUT WE'RE NOT BEING GIVEN OPPORTUNITY.
WELL, THE ANSWER TO THE HUBS ZONE, THAT'S THAT'S FEDERALLY, UM, THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAKES THAT DETERMINATION OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THE HUB OF THE HUB.
OKAY, NOW YOU HAVE THE FEDERAL HUB AND THEN YOU HAVE HUB ZONE, WHICH IS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS THEIR OWN BOUNDARY, UM, MAP, IF YOU WILL, WHICH ONE IS PORT ARTHUR, PORT ARTHUR FALLS IN BOTH FOR PART PORT ARTHUR, DEPENDING ON THE ZIP CODE FALLS INTO BOTH.
THEY BOTH HAVE, UH, JURISDICTION IF YOU WILL, IN HUB AND HUB ZONE.
BUT, UM, TWO THINGS WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT TO SEE WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO RE UM, EVALUATE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE HUB.
A LOT OF THAT IS DETERMINED ON, UM, POPULATION IT'S DETERMINED ON, UM, GROWTH INDUSTRY, GROWTH JOBS, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO WE CERTAINLY CAN REACH OUT AND ASK THE RIGHT FOLKS, RIGHT.
[00:55:01]
WE CAN DO THAT.UM, AND I WILL REPORT BACK TO YOU.
THE SECOND THING IS, UM, AS FAR AS THE, OF SMALL BUSINESSES DOING BUSINESS WITH, UM, OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND OUR COMMUNITY, UM, I WILL BE HAPPY TO, UM, HELP THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, BECAUSE THE INDUSTRIES ARE LOOKING FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE THE RIGHT INSURANCE, THE RIGHT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT.
AND THERE'S A PROCESS, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY GO THROUGH IN THE SELECTION OF, OF, OF THEIR VENDORS, BUT WE CAN HELP THEM AT THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
AND WE HAVE A GREAT RESOURCE WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
UM, THEY HAVE AN INDUSTRY GROUP THAT MEETS ONCE A MONTH AND THEY TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS ON HOW SMALL BUSINESSES CAN GET IN AND DO BUSINESS WITH THE INDUSTRIES.
SO WE CERTAINLY WITH THE PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION OF THE CHAMBER AND THEIR INDUSTRY GROUP, WE CAN, WE CAN HELP THESE FOLKS, UM, GET ON THOSE VENDORS VENDORS LIST TO WHERE THEY CAN BID AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING CONTRACTS WITH OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS.
ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I DON'T MEAN TO BELABOR THE POINT OR TWO TO GET INTO A DIALOGUE OF ELONGATED PROPORTION, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD ALWAYS DO IS WE UNDERSTAND THAT MINORITY BUSINESSES HAVE MANY TIMES PROBLEMS WITH BONDING OR WITH SITUATIONS THAT PROHIBIT THEM FROM PARTICIPATION.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN A PORTAL PART OF BOND PROGRAMS WHERE WE HAD OCIP PROGRAMS ON A CONTROLLED INSURANCE POLICY PROGRAMS THAT ALLOWED THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BONDING TO PARTICIPATE.
SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT AS WELL.
IF THE LNGS ARE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT ALLOWING MINORITY PARTICIPATION AND NOT JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVING LIP SERVICE TO THOSE THINGS.
SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE, UH, AND THEN LASTLY, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WILL BE COMING INTO OUR CITY, UH, BECAUSE OF MR. WHEELER'S COME AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE ELEVATING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE SEAWALL AND ALL OF THAT.
I KNOW THAT THEY COME IN AND THEY DO A, UM, JOB FAIR OF SORTS.
UH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU ALL JOIN IN AND, AND GET ON THE EARLY SIDE OF THAT, SO THAT THE MINORITY PARTICIPATION AND NOT JUST MINORITY, BUT ALL OF THE BUSINESSES OF PORT ARTHUR, BUT PARTICULARLY MINORITY BUSINESSES, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUCH, UM, DIFFICULTY GETTING AHEAD OF THAT SO THAT WHEN THAT OPPORTUNITY COMES, WE'LL BE LOCKED AND LOADED FOR THAT.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, BACK ON THE FLYER ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, DISASTER SIP, THE ASSISTANCE APPLICATION DURING THE COVID, UH, AND THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE AS ASSISTED AT THAT TIME.
DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION THAT WE, WE CAN ACCESS THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN THE COUNTY AND THE SPECIFICALLY THE CITY OF PORT AUTHOR THAT YOU ALL WERE ABLE TO HELP AND THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS, BECAUSE THESE WERE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED TO, UH, TO THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, CAN WE ACCESS THAT INFORMATION? YES, SIR.
I CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
UH, AND THE, UH, ON THE BULLET POINT FOR TRAINING, WE TALKED ABOUT LOW COSTS AND, OR NO COST FOR TRAINING.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH, WITH SMALL MINORITY BUSINESSES IS, IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE REQUISITE TRAINING TO DO TO START UP A BUSINESS.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GUYS ACTUALLY CAN, CAN REALLY HELP SOMEONE TO GET STARTED WITH, WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
UH, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LOW COST AND NO COST, UH, THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS, UH, ARE THOSE AVAILABLE TO, UH, ACCESS SO THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS, BECAUSE, UH, A LOT OF OUR PROBLEM THAT IS, IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT WANT TO ACCESS THIS INFORMATION DON'T HAVE, UH, THEY DON'T GET TO THE INFORMATION.
AND SO THEY, UH, ARE COMING IN AT A, AT A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW ALL OF THE NUANCES, ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT HOW TO PREPARE A BUSINESS PLAN AND THOSE TYPE THINGS.
SO, UH, CAN YOU HELP US WITH THAT SO WE CAN SHARE?
[01:00:02]
YES, SIR.UM, I CAN PROVIDE, UM, THE CITY WITH THE WEBSITE ADDRESS, WHAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UM, UH, EMAIL THAT WE SEND OUT TO FOLKS THAT HAVE LINKS, THAT THEY CAN CLICK ON THE LINKS AND GO TO WHERE THEY CAN REGISTER FOR THE TRAINING OR GO WHERE THEY CAN REGISTER FOR A, TO BECOME A CLIENT OF THE SBDC CENTER.
SO I CERTAINLY CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE SPD CENTERS RIGHT HERE ON PROCTOR STREET, 1401 PROCTOR STREET, OUR DOORS ARE OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND FOLKS CAN JUST STOP IN AND SAY, HELLO, WE'LL SHAKE THEIR HANDS AND WE'LL GUIDE THEM ON GETTING SET UP AND, AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A CLIENT OF THE SBDC CENTER.
UH, AND JUST, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, AND JUST THE HISTORY COUNCIL ON, UH, THIS, THIS NETWORKING WITH MS. ESPINOSA.
AND I BEGAN WITH, SHE INVITED ME TO A MEETING OVER AT LAMAR UNIVERSITY, UH, LAMAR STATE COLLEGE, PORT ARTHUR.
UH, SHE INTRODUCED ME TO OUT THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR, UH, SBA OVER A FEDERAL AGENCY.
UH, WE HAD VERY GOOD DIALOGUE AND MEETING INFORMATION EXCHANGE ON THAT DATE.
I IN TURN INVITED HER HERE TO HAVE A MEETING WITH MYSELF AND THE CITY MANAGER.
AND WE ENDED UP NOW BEGINNING THIS DIALOGUE, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TERM, BUT I HAD NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY HAD NEVER BEEN EXTENDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN THE DIALOGUE, UH, TODAY, WHAT MAY I APPROACH HIM AS, AS SPOKEN ON WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN MARKS HAS SPOKEN ON, AND PROBABLY EVEN THE THOUGHTS THAT THE OTHER COUNCIL PERSONS ARE HAVING NOW, AND MAYBE OTHERS IN THE, UH, CHAMBER HERE ARE HAVING IT'S EYE OPENING.
AND IT IS THE BEGINNING OF A RELATIONSHIP THAT I WOULD HOPE WOULD LAST FOREVER.
AND ALSO THE BEGINNING OF A RELATIONSHIP THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL, NOT ONLY TO YOUR ORGANIZATION, BUT TO THE CITIZENRY HERE IN PORT OFF, WE HAVE THE DESIGNERS WHO ACTUALLY HAVE THE KNOW HOW TO DO THE JOBS, BUT NEED HELP AND ASSISTANCE IN ESTABLISHING ALL OF THE CRITERIA THAT'S NEEDED SO THAT THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO THESE LARGE COMPANIES AND BEING ABLE TO HANDLE THE BUSINESS IN A WAY THAT, WHICH WE SHOULD DO HERE IN AMERICA.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND COUNCIL KNOW THAT SHE IS, AND I WOULD JUST, I'M NOT TAKING A CHANCE AT SAYING IT, BUT I KNOW SHE IS APPROACHABLE.
AND TO THOSE WHO ARE SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE AND MAYBE EVEN LISTENING, UH, VIA THE, UH, UH, TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE THAT SHE WILL ASSIST YOU AND GIVE YOU INFORMATION THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE OFFERED YOUR SERVICES TO FOLK IT OVER THE PAST MONTH.
I THINK SOME HAVE COME SOME HAVE GONE DOWN THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED, BUT COUNSEL, WHEN THE PERSON WANTS TO KNOW, AND I KNOW EACH OF US HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN INTO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS HERE IN THE CITY, THAT IS THE PLACE THAT THEY CAN GET INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN CATAPULT THEIR BUSINESSES.
SO KEVIN, MAY I APPROACH HIM? I JUST WANTED TO SAY MR. MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I HAVE TAKEN YOUR CARD OFF YOUR FOLDER, PLACED IT IN MY WALLET.
SO WE WILL BE PROFESSIONAL BEST BUDDIES NOW, AND, UH, I'LL KNOW WHO TO DIRECT INDIVIDUALS TO, AND WE'LL BE DIALOGUING.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, IT BEARING SOME FRUIT FOR US.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
AND IN CLOSING, IF I MAY, IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE CITY OF ITS EFFORTS.
YOU HAVE A WORKING REVITALIZATION PLAN, YOU ARE WORKING YOUR PLAN.
AND I HAVE SEVERAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE WANTING TO OPEN THEIR BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR.
WE ARE THAT'S, THE STEPS ARE GOING INTO PLACE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE'RE GOING TO COLLABORATE AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
OKAY? YOU ARE INVESTING AND REPAIRING YOUR CITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT STEP AND GETTING THOSE BUSINESSES TO INVEST THEIR, THEIR FUTURE INTO DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR, YOU HAVE A VIABLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, A CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, AND AN EDC.
AND WE ALL COLLABORATE TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER ON VARIOUS COMMITTEES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE ARE VARIOUS COMMITTEES WITHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE STATE
[01:05:01]
ON STATE COMMITTEES.AND WE WORK TOGETHER AND WE SIT TOGETHER AND WE TALK ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP AND MAKE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, EVEN GREATER.
AND NOT TO MENTION LAMAR STATE COLLEGE, PORT ARTHUR, AND YOUR COMMUNITY PARTNER IN LAMAR, STATE COLLEGE, PORT ARTHUR, AND THE SBDC CENTER.
WE ARE HERE TO ASSIST YOU, YOUR DEPARTMENTS AND EVERYONE ELSE WITHIN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND BECOMING A GRANDER PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
WE WILL WORK TOGETHER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW, SMALL BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS STRENGTHENING THE EXISTING SMALL BUSINESSES IN THIS COMMUNITY TO SUCCEED AND GROW.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, COUNSEL.
AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME.
YOU HAVE MY CARD, I WILL RETURN YOUR CARD OR YOUR EMAIL, AND WE WILL WORK TOGETHER.
JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I'VE COME ACROSS SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING OR GETTING YOU TO HELP THEM.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, THE INFORMATION HAS BEEN A REAL VIABLE, UM, AND WHAT THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN TO START THEIR BUSINESSES.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I DID NOTICE THAT YOU SAID YOU HAD GIVEN OUT IS AT 115, 115 MILLION AND NEW AND STARTUPS.
AND SO THE MEANS OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE STARTUP FUNDS, UH, FOR BINS IS THAT'S BEEN WHAT I'VE ENCOUNTERED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE TRYING TO START THEIR BUSINESS.
AND SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR NUMBER ONE FOR HELPING SOME OF THOSE CLIENTS ACCOMPLISH IT.
BUT I THINK THAT I HAVE SOME DETAILED QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO ASK.
UM, AT SOME POINT I CAN MEET WITH YOU AND THEN SEE HOW NEW STARTUPS WE KNOW.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE CREDITS, SOME PEOPLE HAVE ISSUES AND SO HOW THEY COULD OVERCOME THOSE ISSUES AND GETTING STARTUP FUNDS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[III. B.2. A Presentation By Staff Regarding The February Financial Report]
THE SECOND PAGE OF OUR, OUR THIRD PAGE.WE ARE PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS.
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY STAFF REGARDING THE, UH, FEBRUARY, UH, FINANCIAL REPORT.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, I DO HAVE THE FEBRUARY, UH, FINANCIAL REPORT TO GO OVER WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
WE DID PLACE AT YOUR DESK THAT JANUARY AND FEBRUARY REPORT, BUT WHAT I'M GOING TO GO OVER IS THE FEBRUARY REPORT TODAY.
UM, THIS IS THE FIFTH MONTH OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH A GENERAL FUND GENERAL FUND REVENUES CURRENTLY ARE 60.7 MILLION, WHICH IS 1.9 MILLION ABOVE THE ESTIMATE.
15.1 MILLION HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS, WHICH IS ABOVE THE BUDGET BY ABOUT 535,000.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY TAXES ARE RECEIVED IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
SO WE WE'VE NOW RECEIVED THE MAJORITY.
UH, 33.2 MILLION, UH, HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS.
AND THOSE ARE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL RECEIVED.
THEY COME IN IN OCTOBER, UH, SALES AND USE TAX FOR THE GENERAL FUND THROUGH FEBRUARY IS AROUND 6 MILLION OR 831,000 ABOVE THE CURRENT YEAR ESTIMATE.
THAT'S 18% ABOVE LAST FISCAL YEAR.
AND THERE IS A TWO MONTH TIME LAG AND RECEIPTS.
SO YOUR FEBRUARY RECEIPTS, DO YOU REPRESENT YOUR DECEMBER SALES.
NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, WE HAVE THE, UH, GENERAL FUND, UH, OPERATING EXPENDITURES, UH, 25.2 MILLION THROUGH FEBRUARY, WHICH IS CURRENTLY BELOW THE BUDGETED LEVEL.
BY 3.6 MILLION BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE REQUESTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS NEEDED, UH, THE AMENDED BUDGET.
THE AMENDED BUDGET HAS AN ESTIMATED ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 24 MILLION OR 121 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
UH, TOTAL REVENUES ARE CURRENTLY 60.7 MILLION AND TOTAL EXPENDITURES ARE 30.5 MILLION RESULTING IN A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE OF 61.3 MILLION AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.
UH, THE FENN BALANCE IS WELL IN EXCESS OF THE
[01:10:01]
MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF 60 DAYS, PLUS ONE AND A HALF MILLION.UH, THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE, UH, INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS COME IN IN OCTOBER AND THEN FOLLOWED BY PROPERTY TAXES IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, WHEREAS THE EXPENDITURES ARE SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT COMING DOWN IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.
UM, NEXT PAGE, LINDSAY, WE HAVE THE WATER AND SEWER FUND, UM, REVENUES TOTAL 11.7 MILLION AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, WHICH IS BELOW THE BUDGETED LEVEL BY ABOUT 1.2 MILLION.
HOWEVER, THAT IS STRICTLY DUE TO A TIMING DIFFERENCE.
THERE WAS A BILLING DONE ON MARCH THE FIRST, THE AMOUNT OF 1.4 MILLION, AND THIS CAUSED THE REVENUES TO BE UNDERSTATED.
SO IT WILL CATCH UP IN MARCH, UM, OPERATING EXPENDITURES, TOTAL 8.1 MILLION, WHICH IS, UH, UNDER THE BUDGET LEVEL BY ABOUT 869,000.
NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, WE HAVE THE SOLID WASTE FUND, UH, SOLID WASTE REVENUES, TOTAL 3.6 MILLION THROUGH FEBRUARY 28TH, WHICH IS BELOW THE BUDGET BELOW THE ESTIMATES BY 800,000.
UH, THE OPERATING EXPENSES ARE CURRENTLY 2.6 MILLION, WHICH IS UNDER BUDGET BY 200,000.
AND AGAIN, UH, THERE WAS A BILLING FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL GARBAGE ON MARCH.
THE FIRST, THE AMOUNT OF 156,000 THAT ALSO CAUSED REVENUES AND SOLID WASTE TO BE UNDERSTATED.
AGAIN, THAT'LL CATCH UP A LITTLE BIT IN MARCH.
UH, OUR RATE INCREASE AS WELL, WAS APPROVED IN NOVEMBER AND EFFECTIVE IN DECEMBER, WHICH WILL BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE AND SHOULD ALLOW THE FUND TO BE SELF-SUSTAINING GOING FORWARD.
THE 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 OR 448,000, WHICH IS ABOVE THE ESTIMATE BY ABOUT 10,000 AND OPERATING EXPENSES ARE 346,000, WHICH IS A 51,000 BELOW.
THE BUDGETED AMOUNT EXPENSES ARE IN LINE WITH AVAILABLE REVENUES AT THIS TIME.
NEXT PAGE, LINDSEY GOING TO MOVE TO YOUR CAPITAL, UM, PROJECTS, UH, THE STREET SUMMARY ALLOCATION BY YEAR AND DISTRICT.
THIS IS THE TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR ALL YEARS.
ONE THROUGH FOUR IS 62.6 MILLION.
THAT IS 19.5 MILLION IN YEAR ONE 14.4 MILLION YEAR TO 15.2 MILLION IN YEAR THREE AND 13 AND A HALF MILLION IN YEAR FOUR.
A NOTE, THE ALLOCATION BY DISTRICT, UH, FOR RECONSTRUCTION IN YEAR FOUR IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
IT IS CURRENTLY BASED ON YEAR THREE, UH, PERCENTAGES WITH A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS, UH, A YEAR FOR A REMEDIATION, INCLUDES 3 MILLION IN DISTRICT, ONE FOR WOODWORTH BOULEVARD AND 500,000 IN DISTRICT FOR, UH, FOR, UH, JIMMY JOHNSON BOULEVARD, EXTENSION, WHICH IS NOT PART OF THE DISTRIBUTION.
NEXT PAGE, LINDSEY, THE STREET SUMMARY EXPENSES, 22.1 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT THROUGH FEBRUARY 28, LEAVING A BALANCE OF 40.5 MILLION OF WHICH 25.2 MILLION IS COMMITTED TO OPEN STREET PROJECTS.
AND THERE'S CURRENTLY 15.3 MILLION REMAINING TO BE ALLOCATED FROM YEARS ONE THROUGH FOUR ALLOCATIONS AND IS AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.
NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, WE HAD THE OPEN STREET PROJECTS.
SO AS THE FEBRUARY 28TH, 38.5 MILLION HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR OPEN STREET PROJECTS.
13.3 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE LEAVING A BALANCE OF 25.2 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE OPEN PROJECTS.
NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, UH, WE HAVE THE GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS, THE, EXCUSE ME, THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR THE GENERAL, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IS 31.7 MILLION EXPENDITURES.
TOTAL 6.9 MILLION WITH 24.8 MILLION REMAINING TO BE SPENT.
THESE DO INCLUDE CITY FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS, TECHNOLOGY PURCHASE OF A FIRE VEHICLE.
PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS AND REC PROJECTS.
NEXT PAGE LINDSEY, WE HAVE THE OTHER, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, BEGINNING WITH DRAINAGE, CURRENT, UH, BUDGET FOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, 69.1 MILLION.
IT'S PRIMARILY FUNDED BY FEMA MITIGATION, GRANTS AND CDBG.
[01:15:01]
5.1 5.7 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE LEAVING A BALANCE OF 63.4 MILLION.THE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION BUDGET IS 5.1 MILLION PRIMARILY FOR PARKING LOT EXPANSION AND FIBER OPTIC IMPROVEMENTS.
3 MILLION WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH AN EDA GRANT.
339,000 HAS BEEN SPENT TODAY LEAVING A BALANCE OF 4.7 MILLION.
UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE CURRENTLY BUDGETED AT 84.9 MILLION.
THIS IS PRIMARILY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT 9.8 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE WITH 75.1 MILLION REMAINING TO COMPLETE THE PROJECTS AND PLEASURE ISLAND HAS 590,000 BUDGETED FOR A BOAT LAUNCH AND PARKING LOT REPAIRS, PRIMARILY FUNDED BY TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE GRANT.
THE EDC PRESS BUILDING RENOVATION BUDGETED AT 10.9 MILLION OF WHICH 4.7 MILLION IS FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM EDA TO DATE 9.3 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT LEAVING A BALANCE OF 1.6 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE PROJECTS.
UH, THE ARP GRANT PROJECTS IN MARCH OF 2021, THE CITY WAS AWARDED 26.6 MILLION IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
UH, THE PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENTS IN RESPONDING TO, UH, THE ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS OF COVID-19 PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND TO MAKE NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER, SEWER, OR BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE WERE SEVERAL, OUR PROJECTS IDENTIFIED IN THE 2022 BUDGET TO BE FUNDED FROM ARP, UH, INCLUDING 18 MILLION FOR WATER WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
A TOTAL OF 1.3 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT LEAVING A BALANCE OF 25.3 MILLION NEXT PAGE LINDSEY.
UH, THIS PAGE SHOWS, UH, OUR 2021 CERTIFICATES OBLIGATION, UH, AND THE PROJECTS, UH, THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT, UH, 32.9 MILLION IN CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION WAS ISSUED IN 2021, UH, INCLUDES STREET PROJECTS, DRAINAGE, PUMP STATIONS, ANIMAL SHELTER, NEW HEALTH BUILDING RENOVATIONS AND WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.
UH, ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS HAS BEEN SPENT SO FAR LEAVING A BALANCE OF 31.9 MILLION.
THE LAST PAGE LINDSEY IS OUR DISASTER FUNDS.
WE HAVE HURRICANE HARVEY WITH 30.2 MILLION RECEIVED, UH, PRIMARILY FROM FEMA AND INSURANCE, 34.1 IN EXPENDITURES LEAVING $3.9 MILLION, UH, DEFICIT AT THIS TIME WITH PENDING REIMBURSEMENTS OF 253,000, WHICH WILL REDUCE THE DEFICIT TO 3.7 MILLION CURRENTLY COVID-19, UM, 3 MILLION HAS BEEN RECORDED IN REVENUES AND DONATIONS EXPENDITURES TO DATE OF 3.5 MILLION.
AND, UH, LASTLY WE HAVE HURRICANE LAURA, UH, 217,000 HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENTS, UH, AND, UH, 3 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES.
UH, THE CITY DOES CONTINUE TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO, TO CAPTURE AS MUCH FEDERAL ASSISTANCE AND INSURANCE AS POSSIBLE FOR ALL DISASTERS THAT SMILE REPORT TODAY, I WILL HAVE THE MARCH REPORT FOR YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR FINANCE? OKAY.
UH, WE GO BACK TO, THERE'S A COUPLE OF COURSES IN THAT I HAVE, UH, YES, SIR.
THE, UH, FIRST FIRST QUESTION BE ON THE STREET SUMMARY AND, UH, SAYS, UH, DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH IS MY DISTRICT, UH, $500,000 FOR THE JIMMY JOHNSON BOULEVARD.
UH, I CAN RECALL US ACTUALLY APPROVING A RESOLUTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, UH, WITH, WITH THAT EXTENSION.
SO THAT 500,000 WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT 10 MILLION, THAT IF YOU LOOK IN YOUR YEAR FOR ALLOCATION, UM, SO FOR DISTRICT FOUR, THERE IS A 5.2 MILLION THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED THAT IS INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER.
YOUR 500,000 IS INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER AND THE REST IS YOUR PERCENTAGE OF THE ALLOCATION OF THE REMAINDER.
WE PULLED OUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION OUT OF THE PERCENTAGE.
UH, THERE WAS A PERCENTAGE VOTED ON
[01:20:01]
IN SOME EARLIER YEARS AS TO HOW MUCH PERCENTAGE WENT TO EACH DISTRICT.AND, UH, SINCE NOTHING HAS BEEN DECIDED ON FOR SURE FOR THIS YEAR, WE JUST DID THAT FOR PURPOSES OF, UH, PUTTING IT SOMEWHERE, UH, PULLED OUT OF THE NUMBER OUT OF THE TOTAL 13 AND A HALF MILLION, THREE AND A HALF MILLION HAS BEEN PUT OUT, PULLED OUT, AND IT INCLUDES 500,000 TO DISTRICT FOUR AND THEN 3 MILLION, UM, IN DISTRICT ONE, UH, FOR THOSE OTHER PROJECTS, THE REST IS SPLIT BASED ON THE SAME PERCENTAGES FOR THE PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT THAT NUMBER DOES INCLUDE EVERYTHING OKAY.
UH, AND MAYBE WE CAN VISIT LATER CAUSE, UH, I'M STILL A LITTLE UNCLEAR ON, ON THAT.
UH, IT WILL BE FLIPPED BACK TO THE SOLID WASTE FUND, UH, SILENT WASTE, UH, ACTUAL, UH, REVENUE OVER EXPENSES IS, UH, W UNDER $486,390.
UM, THE, CAN WE, CAN YOU SHED SOME LIGHT ON WHAT CAUSED THAT DEFICIT? WELL, PART OF IT, AS I MENTIONED, THERE WAS A, UM, TIMING DIFFERENCE IN BILLING FEBRUARY IS A SHORT MONTH AND THEY DO NORMALLY BUILD TOWARDS THE END OF THE MONTH.
SO THE BILLING DID NOT GO IN UNTIL MARCH 1ST.
SO NORMALLY YOU WOULD SEE A BILLING AND WE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, BASED ON PREVIOUS YEAR'S BILLINGS.
UM, SO THAT, UM, THE BUDGET INCLUDED MORE THAN WE ACTUALLY BUILD FOR, FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, MARCH, WE'LL CATCH UP BY ABOUT AT LEAST 250,000, BECAUSE THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF THE BILLING THAT WE DID ON MARCH 1ST FOR SOLID WASTE.
SO IT WON'T CATCH IT UP COMPLETELY, BUT IT WILL CATCH IT UP.
TOMI HAS, UH, VISITED WITH YOU ABOUT SOME DIFFERENT REVENUE, UM, STREAMS THAT HE'S WORKING ON.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S HERE TODAY, BUT HE MIGHT CAN SHED A LITTLE MORE LIGHT ON THAT.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, LIKE I TOLD YOU BEFORE THE METHOD WE ARE USING TO BALANCE THAT FUND IS NOT ONLY ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
WE ARE ALSO TRYING TO CUT DOWN ON EXPENDITURES.
SO YOU HAVE $800,000 LESS REVENUE THAN WE SHOULD.
THAT NUMBER IS ACTUALLY SIX 50 BECAUSE OF THE 150.
THAT'S NOT LOCATED YET DUE TO LATE BILLING.
WE HAVE $200 IN SAVINGS ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, WITHIN FIVE MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
SO WE PROJECTING THAT TO BE AROUND FOUR 50 BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO NOW WE HAVE FOUR 50 IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE AND WE HAVE SIX 50 IN NOT ENOUGH REVENUE.
SO THAT, THAT DEFICIT IS REALLY $200,000.
AND WE ARE PURSUING ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL CLIENTS TO TRY TO MAKE UP THAT DEFICIT.
AND WE ARE ALSO EXPECTING THE SUMMER REVENUE TO INCREASE BECAUSE MOST CONSTRUCTION TAKES PLACE DURING THE SUMMER.
SO WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO GETTING A BALANCED BUDGET AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND THESE NUMBERS THAT YOU ARE SEEING TODAY, THE 800 AND THE 200, UH, THEY'RE NOT A FULL REPRESENTATION OF THE TOTAL PICTURE.
THE TOTAL PICTURE IS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER THAN THAT, BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO IF WE DO END UP HAVING A DEFICIT, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN THE 1.1, 1.2 MILLION THAT WAS PROJECTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
IT, IF IT HAPPENS, IT'S GOING TO BE MAYBE A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE GET TO AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, TO SEE, UH, THE, THE ACTIVITIES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IF THE ACTIVITIES WE'RE PURSUING ARE SUCCESSFUL, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET A MUCH CLOSER, UH, NUMBER BETWEEN REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES AS A BALANCED NUMBER, IF NOT BALANCED OR ABOVE.
BUT YES, SIR, HOPEFULLY BY THEN WE WILL BE WHERE WE SUPPOSED TO BE OR ARE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY TO BE OKAY.
AND ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES WE HAVE IS THE WAY THE CITY ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN FOR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, UH, WITH LARGE VOLUMES
[01:25:02]
IS THE ABILITY OF THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A COST THAT CAN BE LESS THAN THE COST IN ORDINANCE.SO THAT HELPS US ATTRACT CLIENTS FROM FAR AWAY PLACES, BECAUSE EVEN IF THEY DRIVE A LITTLE BIT TO GET TO US, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO GET A BETTER RATE, WHEREAS THE LANDFILLS AROUND US DO NOT HAVE THAT ADVANTAGE.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, COME ON.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME, I THINK I MISSED SOMETHING, UH, YOU WERE, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, LOOKING AT MY NOTES HERE, SORRY.
UH, YOU WERE EXPLAINING ABOUT THE WATER FUND AND DEFICIT THAT WAS THERE.
CAN YOU KIND OF RUN THROUGH THAT AGAIN FOR ME? CAUSE I SOME KIND OF WAY I MISSED IT.
AND YOU EXPLAINING WHAT CREATED AND CAUSED THAT DEFICIT.
OH, AGAIN, THAT WAS THE BILLING WE BILL FOR WATER, SEWER AND GARBAGE.
SO THE SAME BILLING, IF SHE, FOR SOLID WASTE, WE HAD WITH WATER AS WELL, UH, THAT THERE WAS A BILLING DONE ON, UM, MARCH THE FIRST FOR, UH, WATER AND SEWER.
AND NORMALLY THAT REVENUE WOULD HAVE BEEN REFLECTED IN FEBRUARY.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT MARCH NEXT MONTH, IT SHOULD CATCH ITSELF UP.
THAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND NOW, WHAT, TELL ME ABOUT, WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET THE, UH, CITY MANAGER OR CANDY OR WHOMEVER, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THE, UH, THE REPORT ON THE 2020 AUDIT? UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE THE AUDITORS AT THE NEXT MEETING TO GO OVER THAT WITH YOU AND WE CAN GET THAT SENT TO YOU.
AND HOW ARE WE PREPARING OURSELVES FOR THE 2021 AUDIT? WE DO HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT.
UM, WE WE'VE, WE'VE TAKEN A NUMBER OF STEPS AND, UM, WE, UM, WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I SHOULD GO INTO IT RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF COUNSEL.
THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT TIME.
WELL THANK YOU FOR NOW, FOR NOW.
THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT THOSE SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS FOR THE AUDIT.
YES, THAT'S A GOOD PART ABOUT IT.
AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FINANCES AND AUDITS, UM, AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT THIS IS THE SAME AUDIT AS FAR AS THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
AND I SPOKE TO MRS. JACKSON AT THE RIBBON, UH, THE, UH, WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLAN.
WE WENT OUT THERE, GROUNDBREAKING.
THIS WOULD TURN ON WARNING AND THERE WAS A REPORT I BELIEVE, UH, MS. CANDY, THAT YOU ARE, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR DEPARTMENT IS, IS, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, UH, UH, ATTORNEY.
YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THIS SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FINANCES.
UH, IS IT A 2018 REPORT THAT'S NOT DONE YET? OR 2019 REPORT.
WELL, I RECEIVED THE ME MAIL AGAIN ON THURSDAY, UH, CONCERNING SOME, UH, ISSUES THAT THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD HEADS WITH US.
AND I'M SAYING WITH US, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CITY OF PORT OFFER NO MINDSET AND OPENLY, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO IS IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
NOW, IF WE HAVE SOME ISSUES THERE, CITY MANAGER AND PRIVATELY, WE CAN PROBABLY DISCUSS THOSE, BUT I LIKE TO SEE US IN FOR TRANSPARENCY SAKE.
I WANT ONE OUT WITH, WITH THE COUNCIL THAT YOU ALL WOULD KNOW BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN FOLLOWING ME.
OKAY, NO, MAN, THERE, THERE ARE NO ISSUES THERE.
UM, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD HAS ASKED US FOR A PLAN.
WE DID SUBMIT THE PLAN AND, UM, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE.
WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING FOR HUD BECAUSE OUR AUDIT WAS DUE.
WE DOING, WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING FOR HER.
AS FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED, I TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD WHO WAS PRESENT AT THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY.
WE'LL PROBABLY GET WITH MS. JACKSON.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOUR OFFICE DISCUSSIONS WITH HER, BUT WHATEVER IT IS THAT SHE NEEDS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE
[01:30:01]
IN LINE WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE CAN RECEIVE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO UPGRADE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR CITY.AND I WOULD WANT US TO HAVE SOME, UH, ACCOUNTING ISSUE STAND IN THE WAY OF THEM ACTUALLY SEEING US AS AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO DEPOSIT THESE FUNDS, THESE FUNDS IT'S FEDERAL MONEY SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW.
BECAUSE WE HAVE PROVIDED THEM WITH ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEEDED AND THAT ULTIMATELY CLEARS THE WAY FOR MORE FUNDING FOR US.
WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG TO THE NEXT ITEM.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION NEEDS TO, DO WE HAVE ANY CORRESPONDENCE WE HAVE DISCUSSING ITEMS HAVE
[Items III E1 & III E2]
A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE CITY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT.AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, KEN LAW, CUSTOMER, KAREN LAW.
UH, JUST A BRIEF BECAUSE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AS OF LAST, UH, MEETING, UH, LAST MONDAY I WAS, WELL, THE ENTIRE COUNCIL WAS NOTIFIED THAT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WAS GOING TO TAKE AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG CITY MANAGER.
BUT, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH IT AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PROJECT AND WE WERE GIVING INFORMATION THAT WE WERE STILL IN THE DESIGN PHASE OF THIS PROJECT AND KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY BASED UPON A RESOLUTION 2360 OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT WITH, WITH MOTIVA, WE, UH, STARTED HAVING TO PAY $12,000.
UH, AND I REALLY WANTED TO, TO, UH, GET THE, IN THE EXACT ENACT DATE, WHEN WE GOING TO HAVE TO START PAYING US, WHERE WOULD THE FUNDS COME FROM AND WHY WASN'T A COUNCIL KEPT ABREAST OF UNTIL THIS MONDAY OF THE PROGRESSION OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE PLAN TO THE CITY MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO GIVE THIS PRESENTATION AND WHO'S GOING TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION, BUT ONCE THEY GIVE THEIR INFORMATION, I LIKE TO FOLLOW WITH THAT WITH SOME OF THE ROADBLOCKS AND SOME OF THE, UH, DIALOGUE THAT I HOPE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PREVENT FUTURE ENDEAVORS LIKE THIS BECAUSE 18 MONTHS WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE END OF JUNE OR THE 1ST OF JULY, AND TO HAVE TO PAY $12,000 AND NOT KNOW WHAT THE FUND IS GOING TO COME.
AND IF YOU MULTIPLY THAT TIMES 24 AS $288,000, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE, WE DIDN'T PLAN FOR THIS.
AND I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE ROADBLOCKS.
SO WHOEVER'S, THE STAFF PERSON IS GOING TO GIVE THIS INFER THIS INFORMATION TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT INFORMATION, UM, AFTER THEY GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION.
GOOD MORNING AGAIN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE JUST A BRIEF SUMMARY ON BOTH THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH WOULD BE ITEM NUMBER ONE AND TWO SINCE OUR LAST PUBLIC DISCUSSION, WHICH WAS NOVEMBER 9TH, 2022 CITY STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING WITH CONSULTANTS TO FINALIZE CONSTRUCTION PLANS, UM, FOR THE PORT OFF THE HILT FACILITY, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 58 60 NINTH AVENUE, AS WELL AS IDENTIFY A NEW LOCATION FOR THE CITY ANIMALS SHELTER.
UM, WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON DECEMBER 17TH, 2021, EXTERIOR RENDERINGS AND WAYFINDING DRAWINGS WERE FORWARDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL VIA EMAIL ILLUSTRATING THE EXTERIOR FACADE OF THAT BUILDING IN JANUARY OF 2022, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ENTERED INTO A SECOND AGREEMENT WITH SIGMA ENGINEERS TO DESIGN A NEW COVID VACCINATION CLINIC IN THAT NEW FACILITY.
THE ADDITION WAS MADE TO THE PLAN SAID, AND WENT UNDER REVIEW WITH THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS DURING THIS PERIOD, SIGMA REPRESENTATIVES MET WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS AND FINALIZE CONCERNS INVOLVING THE TELEPHONE SYSTEM, DATA DROPS AND OTHER NETWORKING NEEDS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED AT THAT FACILITY.
STAFF EXPECTED CONSTRUCTION PLANS TO BE FINALIZED AND BIDDING TO BEGIN IN FEBRUARY OF 2022, HOWEVER, SOME ADDITIONAL CONCERNS AND UPDATES WERE NEEDED WITH THE MECHANICAL PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL PLANS THAT REQUIRED FOR THE REVIEW AND FEEDBACK.
THE MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING REVISIONS WERE COMPLETED ON FEBRUARY 10TH, 2022 WITH THE ELECTRICAL PLANS STILL PENDING CONSULTANTS, WORKED WITH THE CITY'S IT DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS FOR COMPLETING THOSE ELECTRICAL PLANS.
THE COMPLETE PLAN SET WAS FORWARDED TO THE CITY ON APRIL 12TH OF THIS YEAR, THE PLANS WERE SHARED WITH THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, THE PURCHASING MANAGER, THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, THE CITY ENGINEER, AS WELL
[01:35:01]
AS THE PROJECT LEAD FOR FINAL REVIEW, THE PURCHASING MANAGER FORWARDED THE PLAN SET TO GORDIAN GROUP WHO WAS TO ASSIST IN DEVELOPING A COST ESTIMATE AND CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE FOR THIS PROJECT.THE BUILDING CONTRACTOR WAS TO BE SELECTED THROUGH A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BASED ON GUARDIAN'S FAIR AND REASONABLE PRICING ANALYSIS FOR THE PROJECT.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE DECIDED TO USE ARPA FUNDING FOR THE COVID VACCINATION CLINIC UP, UH, FOR THE, IN THAT SUPPORT OF THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THIS, UM, PARTICULAR SUBMITTED, UM, FACILITATE, EXCUSE ME, THE PROJECT MUST BE BID THROUGH A COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS.
FOLLOWING THE SIX AFFIRMATIVE STEPS REQUIRED UNDER FEDERAL REGULATIONS FOR PROCUREMENT.
THEREFORE THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT IS PREPARING THE DOCUMENTS FOR BIDDING FOR THEM.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT I'M MOVING ON TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER COUNCIL WAS PREVIOUSLY INFORMED THAT THE SAID LOCATION AT 1401 NINTH 10TH STREET WAS DEEMED UNSTABLE FOR PERMANENT CONSTRUCTION DUE TO THE MODE OF DEMOLITION USE WHEN DEMOLISHING THE CITY'S FOUR FORMER WATER TREATMENT PLANT AT THIS LOCATION, A COST ESTIMATE WAS PROVIDED TO CITY STAFF.
AND THIS WAS PROVIDED BY JOE WILSON WITH ARSENAL WILSON AND COLE REGARDING THE MITIGATION OF THIS SITE.
IT WAS ROUGHLY ESTIMATED AT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THIS IS IF WE WERE TO GO AND TRY TO REMOVE, UM, THE BUILDING THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY DEMOLISHED, BRING IN FIELD DIRT TO STABILIZE THAT SITE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
THIS ONLY INCLUDED THE AREA WHERE THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT WOULD TAKE PLACE, NOT THE ENTIRE SITE ITSELF.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, STAFF BEGAN SCOUTING OTHER CITY OWNED PROPERTIES, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA.
UM, AND THOSE AREAS INCLUDE HL MEALS, ANY PROPERTY ON PLEASURE ISLAND, SO BEING PATHS AND SOME OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY, UM, LIKE AROUND THE LIBRARY CIVIC CENTER, ALL THOSE AREAS ARE CONSIDERED SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREAS, UM, FOR A POSSIBLE RELOCATION FOR THE SHELTER.
BASED ON OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY MANAGER, WE FOUND THAT THE FORMER SAINT MARY HOSPITAL PROPERTY WOULD BE AN ALTERNATIVE LOCATION FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT.
WE ARE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING A FEASIBILITY AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF THAT PROPERTY, UM, WHICH ENTAILS US REVIEWING AND HAVE REVIEWED, UM, THE DEED TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS NOT ANY DEED RESTRICTIONS.
ALSO FOLLOWING UP WITH ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, AS WELL AS DEVELOPING A CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT, BECAUSE THERE ARE FUTURE USES FOR THAT SITE AS WELL.
UM, AND SO WE WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE UPON COMPLETION OF THIS PHASE WITH CITY COUNCIL.
WE WILL ALSO REVIEW THE CURRENT ZONING AND RECOMMEND A POSSIBLE AMENDMENT IF THAT IS NEEDED.
A MEETING HAS BEEN SCHEDULED WITH OUR CONSULTANTS WHO IS P GOLF OR THE ANIMAL, UM, ANIMAL SHELTER.
AND THAT MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY, WHICH IS THIS WEEK AT 2:00 PM TO DISCUSS OTHER AVAILABLE OPTIONS AND NEXT STEPS.
UM, COUNCILMAN, THANK, THANK YOU PAM FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT I STILL HAVE GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, ONE BEING TRANSPARENT WITH, UH, INFORM OF THE COUNCIL OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS AND, UH, THAT YOU SPOKE OF EARLIER.
UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE S UH, COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WE SPENT ABOUT $90,000 ON THE HVAC SYSTEM AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAD TO, THERE WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH, UH, IF WE DON'T MAKE A MOVE.
NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO YEARS FROM NOW SPENDING $288,000 UNTIL WE REALLY FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THE STAGES, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UH, WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, RENOVATIONS, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD FLOODING AND THE PANDEMIC AND MATERIAL DELAYS AND ALL THE GOOD THINGS AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE WITH THAT BUILDING.
IT'S AN OLD BUILDING, BUT IF WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE INSURE THE PEOPLE WHEN WE SOLD THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION THAT WE WOULD SPEND ABOUT $4.5 MILLION.
AND AT THIS POINT, I THINK WE SPENT ABOUT $505,000.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ALARMING TO ME AND IT SHOULD BE ALARMING TO EVERYONE BECAUSE WE PRETTY MUCH IT MONTH 16.
AND WE RE BASICALLY AT THE SAME SPOT AND IT'S DISHEARTENING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE FUNDING TO PAY THE $12,000, BUT I WANTED TO BE TRANSPARENT THAT WE HIGHLIGHT THIS INFORMATION, THE ANIMAL SHELTER, WE KNEW THAT WE FOUND A 10 FOOT WALL, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SIX MONTHS AGO.
AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATE SITE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHY DID IT TAKE FIVE OR SIX MONTHS TO, YOU KNOW, SAY, SAY THE OLD ST MARY'S, IT'S AN ALTERNATE SITE.
I MEAN, WE'VE ONLY SPENT WHAT, $16,000 ON
[01:40:01]
THAT.WELL, WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER, WE DID IDENTIFY THE SITE, BUT AGAIN, WE ARE GOING THROUGH A FEASIBILITY AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF THAT SITE.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID AS THE SAME AS WE DID WITH THE 19TH STREET, UM, PROPERTY IS GOING INTO ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION TO FIND OUT THESE ISSUES LATER.
AND WE'VE ALREADY WOULD HAVE EXPENDED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN A BUILDING THAT WOULD NOT BE VIABLE, UM, FOR OCCUPANCY AT THAT POINT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO DEFINITELY CROSS OUR I'S AND DOT OUR T'S BECAUSE WE DO TAKE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ISSUED THESE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, UM, AND BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSIBLE WITH, UM, SPENDING PUBLIC FUNDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CROSSED ALL AND RESEARCHED AND MADE SURE THAT WE HAVE LOOKED INTO EVERYTHING BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE ARCHITECTS ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
SO IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN THAT HASN'T BEEN COMPLETED, WE'RE JUST MAKING SURE THAT AGAIN, THIS SITE IS VIABLE.
WE DID, UM, RECEIVE THIS SITE FROM ST MARY'S, WHERE ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS OF THAT NATURE HAD NOT BEEN CONDUCTED.
SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF FIND A LOT GOING THROUGH AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN LOOKED AT WITH THAT SITE, UM, WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
I DO UNDERSTAND CONCERNS WITH THAT.
WE HAVE BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH MOTIVA, UM, AND KEEPING THEM ABREAST OF THE DELAYS THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, IN TERMS OF STARTING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
UM, WE HAVE SOME LETTERS TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES REGARDING EVEN THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE MADE IN THE CURRENT SITE.
UM, THEY HAVE ASSURED US THAT THEY WILL WORK WITH US AND JUST AS LONG AS WE ARE PROGRESSING AND KEEPING THEM ABREAST OF WHERE WE ARE IN THAT PROCESS, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP A, UM, TIMELINE FOR CONSTRUCTION THAT WE WILL SUBMIT WITH MOTIVA.
UM, SO WHEN SPEAKING WITH THEM ON EXTENDING THAT, LEASE, ALL THESE THINGS ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT THEY HAVE ASSURED US THAT THEY WILL WORK WITH THE CITY, UM, IN REGARDS TO MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT DEVELOPMENT.
I JUST WANT TO, SHE EVER THE COUNSEL THAT I DO HAVE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION IN MY POSSESSION THAT I WILL SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL, UM, FROM MOTIVA, WHERE THEY GIVE ME THEIR FIRM COMMITMENT IN WRITING FOR CREDIT FOR THE HVAC SYSTEM FOR $97,000.
AND I'M ALL THEY'RE WAITING ON AT THIS TIME IS A CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE.
A CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE CAN ONLY BE PRODUCED BY THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR WHEN ONE IS ENGAGED, WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE SIX AFFIRMATIVE STEPS RIGHT NOW, THE CON THE, THE PROJECT CANNOT BE BEADED OUT ON THE, THE CO-OP SYSTEM.
WE'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH THE PRO PROPER PROCUREMENT SYSTEM IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WHEN THAT IS BEING DONE, A CONTRACTOR IS SELECTED, A CONTRACTOR WILL PROVIDE ME OR WHOEVER IS THERE WITH A CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE, AND THEN WE WILL MOVE FORWARD.
WELL, I'M OKAY WITH THAT CITY MANAGER, BUT NOBODY'S DISPUTING THE SCHEDULE.
WE WERE JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE TRANSPARENT, BECAUSE UNTIL YOU SAID THAT JUST JUST A SECOND AGO, I HAD NO IDEA WE WERE GOING TO GET SOME TYPE OF CREDIT ON AN HVAC SYSTEM.
OKAY, WELL, I'M JUST SAYING THAT, UH, THIS WAS ALREADY PUT ON THE AGENDA TO BE DISCUSSED.
AND IF THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO BE KEPT ABREAST OF IT BECAUSE I'M GETTING THE QUESTIONS AND THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT IS IN MY DISTRICT, OR WHAT'S THE STATUS OF WHERE ARE WE AT? AND I HAD NO IDEA UNTIL YOU JUST SPOKE ABOUT THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, MORE OR LESS, WE HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT.
WE GOT FUNDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE SPENDING.
I'M GOING TO TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THE SCHEDULE OF THE CONTRACTOR, BUT WE SIGNED A LEASE AGREEMENT.
AND UNTIL WE HAVE IT IN BLACK AND WHITE, I MEAN, THAT'S HEARSAY UNTIL HE COME BACK BEFORE THE COUNCIL, WE BOTH AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT AMOUNT, THEN WE CAN DISCUSS THAT.
BUT AT THIS POINT WE CAN'T DISCUSS THAT BECAUSE THIS CURRENT LEASE AGREEMENT, THAT'S A RESOLUTION 2360 STATES THAT WILL START HAVING TO PAY $12,000 ON ABOUT JUNE 30TH, UH, JULY.
I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE BEING TRANSPARENT TO THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING UNTIL APRIL 18TH THAT YOU SAID IT WAS GOING TO PROBABLY BE ANOTHER TWO YEARS FOR THIS PROJECT, AND THAT'S A DISHEARTENING TO THIS COMMUNITY.
SO IF WE CAN'T CONTACT A GENERAL CONTRACTOR TO KIND OF GET A SCHEDULE, UH, YOU KNOW, POSSIBILITY OF A SCHEDULE, I MEAN IN 18 MONTHS, I MEAN, THAT'S DISHEARTENING.
SO THAT'S WHY I PUT THIS PARTICULARLY THESE PARTICULARLY ITEMS ON FOR DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTIONS.
AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU CAME PAM TO DISCUSS THIS AND GIVE THE CITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW WHAT THE CITY IS GOING TO BE DOING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS OR YEARS.
[01:45:01]
SO MY AND ENDING, WHERE WOULD THE MONEY COME FROM TO PAY THE 12TH? IF WE HAVE TO PAY TO $12,000 A MONTH, WHERE, WHAT FUND WOULD THAT COME FROM? AGAIN, COUNSELOR, THAT'S A COUNCIL DECISION.WE WILL GET TO THAT BRIDGE AND CROSS IT.
WHEN WE GOT THERE, I HAVE JUST RECEIVED COMMUNICATION THIS MORNING FROM MOTIVA.
AND I HAVE JUST SHARED THAT WITH THE COUNCIL, MOTIVA HAVE INDICATED TO ME THAT THEY WILL GIVE THE CITY CREDIT FOR THE $97,000 THAT HAS BEEN INVESTED AS PART OF THE UPGRADE OF THE HVAC SYSTEM, MOTIVA I'M IN CONSTANT NEGOTIATION WITH MOTIVA.
AND, UM, WE WILL GET TO THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE HAVE RELEASED A CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN NEGOTIATED AS YET, A CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE CAN ONLY BE RELEASED WHEN A GENERAL CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN PROCURED ON THE PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS OF THE CITY.
SO WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THE PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS? RIGHT.
MS. LANGFORD, JUST INDICATED, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN? MS. LANGFORD? YES.
THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY TO WORK AND TO PUT THOSE BID DOCUMENTS TOGETHER, UM, FOR, UM, THE SELECTION OF A CONTRACTOR FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
I DON'T KNOW THE TIMELINE WITH THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.
WELL, AS SOON AS YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU PROVIDE IT TO THE COUNCIL? SO WE CAN UPDATE OUR, UH, CONSISTENT ONCE IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHERE WE AT WITH THIS, BECAUSE I'M GETTING PHONE CALLS, TEXT MESSAGES, EMAILS ABOUT WHERE WE AT WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE 16 MONTHS IN AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET CREDIT FOR THE HVAC SYSTEM FOR 97,000, BUT COME JANUARY, EXCUSE ME.
UH, JUNE 30TH, JUNE 1ST, WE'LL HAVE TO PAY 12,000.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOING TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY I BOUGHT THIS BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND, UH, THE CITIZENS IN PORT ARTHUR.
UH, MS. LANGFORD, UH, THE, UH, COUNCILMAN KEN LAWS, IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE $12,000 PER MONTH THAT, UH, INCLUDED IN THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS NEGOTIATED IN OCTOBER OF 2020 WITH MOTIVA.
AM I CORRECT? I WAS NOT ON THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME.
SO WHEN I CAME ON BOARD AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS, UH, THE COUNCIL OR THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCORDING TO THE LEASE AGREEMENT, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING EVERYTHING IN THAT BUILDING UNTIL WE MOVE OUT.
AND, AND I KNOW WE JUST RECEIVED COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE HVAC SYSTEM THAT WE SPENT, $97,000 ON.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING TO TRANSPIRE IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, BUT THOSE THINGS WOULD HAVE TO BE NEGOTIATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
AM I CORRECT? IN THAT ASSUMPTION? I WOULD ASSUME SO.
SO, SO NOW AGAIN, I WAS NOT ON THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME WHEN, WHEN THIS WAS, WAS NEGOTIATED, THE, THE SALES PRICE OF THAT BUILDING WAS 1.87 1.7 MILLION.
BUT BECAUSE WE MOVED OUT OF THAT BUILDING BEFORE THE TERMS OF THE CDB G GRANT, WE ENDED UP HAVING TO PAY BACK EIGHT OR $900,000 TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AM I CORRECT? AM I CORRECT? OKAY.
SO THE MONIES FROM THE SALE OF THAT BUILDING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE BUILDING, THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING ON NINTH AVENUE.
AM I CORRECT? THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THAT BUILDING WAS NOW $900,000 LESS.
SO WE HAD TO COME UP WITH $900,000.
THE CITY HAD TO COME UP WITH $900,000 TO COVER THE COST OF PURCHASING THAT BUILDING, THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO, TO WHERE WE'RE IN DESIGN TO, TO, TO, TO, UH, TO REBUILD, TO RENOVATE SO THAT WE CAN MOVE OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN THERE.
AND I'M HEARING TODAY THAT WE'RE NEGOTIATING A NEW PORTION TO THAT BUILDING FOR THE COVID CLINIC.
[01:50:01]
AM I CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.SO NOW THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL TIMEFRAME THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL MONIES THAT, UH, WERE NOT, UH, BUDGETED OR ESTIMATED FOR IT WAS ALLOCATED TO ARPA AND COUNCIL DID VOTE ON THAT.
THAT WAS NOT, THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN, IN THAT, THAT, THAT PROJECTED COSTS ESTIMATE.
AND THE REASON I'M SAYING ALL OF THIS IS BECAUSE THE, THE CITIZENS OF PORT OFF THE COUNCIL PRIOR TO, UH, THE 2020 ELECTION, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE COUNCIL, UH, ALL SIX COUNCIL PERSONS WERE OR ELECTED, SOME OF US WERE NOT PRIVY TO, TO THOSE NEGOTIATIONS OR TO, UH, TO, TO BE IN INVOLVED IN, IN HOW WE DECIDED WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO.
AND SO WE CAME IN AND NOW WE'RE HAVING TO LOOK AT WHAT'S TRANSPIRING WITH OUR DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, MOVING TO, UH, NINTH AVENUE R UH, ANIMAL SHELTER, UH, BEING, BEING, BEING MOVED, UH, SITE HAD BEEN CHOSEN.
WE, UH, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE DID NOT, UH, FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT WAS UNDERNEATH THE GROUND THERE.
AND SO NOW WE'RE HAVING TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE PLANS THAT WE HAD, THAT, THAT, THAT WERE FAR ALONG IN THE PROCESS, WHICH IS COSTING US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
AND IT'S, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN PRIVATE SESSIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR CITIZENS RAISE MONEY.
AND THAT, THAT, THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO DO THE PLANNING THAT GOES INTO THESE THINGS.
AND WE HAVE TO RELY AS, AS COUNCIL PEOPLE ON WHAT I LIKE TO REFER TO AS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE DOING THIS EVERY DAY.
AND, AND, AND, AND WHEN WE RUN INTO THINGS LIKE THIS, COUNCIL ARE THE ONES THAT ARE BEING LOOKED AT AND SAYING, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON UP HERE.
AND IT'S AT THIS POINT THAT COUNCILMAN KEN LAW ASKED FOR TRANSPARENCY.
AND THAT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO BE INFORMED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY WHAT'S HAPPENING WHEN CHANGES OCCUR, BECAUSE WHEN WE DON'T KNOW, AND THERE ARE THINGS ARE GOING ON THAT, THAT WE DON'T KNOW, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T APPROVE UNTIL AFTER THE FACT.
AND THEN WE ARE THE ONES LEFT HOLDING THE BAG.
AND, AND, AND I'M SAYING ALL OF THIS TO SAY IS THAT FROM THIS MOMENT ON WHATEVER YOU ARE RECEIVED, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO KNOW, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SHARE IT ALL.
SOME OF IT MAY BE CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVILEGED, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW BECAUSE WE'RE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE.
AND WE'RE THE ONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY TAKING ALL THE FLAT FOR, FOR WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ALL THESE CHANGES AND ALL OF THE INCREASES IN COST AND EXPENDITURES.
AND, AND I'M JUST MAKING A STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD THAT FROM HERE TODAY IS APRIL 26, WHAT THE CITY MANAGER KNOWS WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY KNOWS, WHAT THE CITY SECRETARY KNOWS, WHAT THE MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE KNOWS THAT NEEDS TO BE GIVEN TO CITY COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY FUNCTION PROPERLY.
AND I, AND, AND IN OUR ELECTED POSITIONS THAT IT BE FORWARDED TO US IN A TIMELY MANNER, BECAUSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS COUNCIL SINCE DECEMBER OF 2020.
AND I JUST WANT THAT STATED FOR THE RECORD.
[01:55:01]
UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES.UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, FOR YOUR REPORT HAM, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING, MAY TAKE US AWHILE.
THE ORDINANCE FOR THE SALE OF THE BUILDING WAS, UM, SIGNED SEPTEMBER THE SECOND OF 2020 MAYOR PRO TEM, MOSES SCOTT JONES, KEN LAW DOUCET AND FRANK WERE ON THE COUNCIL.
THE OTHER FRANK, WE ALL KNEW WHEN WE SIGNED THIS, THE ORDINANCE FOR THE SALE OF THE BUILDING, THE RESOLUTION TO LEASE THE BUILDING, WE ALL KNEW AT THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE MORE THAN 18 MONTHS TO BUILD A HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THAT WAS ONE OF OUR PRIMARY QUESTIONS.
WE CAN GO BACK EVEN FURTHER THAN THAT, WE KNEW AS A PART OF THE DOWNTOWN PLAN, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS GOING TO BE RELOCATED BACK IN 2013.
WHEN I WAS ON EDC, WE KNEW THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE A PLACE FOR US TO FIND THIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO BE, UM, PREVIOUS, EVEN A PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER WAS LOOKING TO PUT IT AT THE OLD BISHOP BYRNE BUILDING BACK THEN, I'M TRYING TO JUST KEEP IT ALL IN ORDER.
THIS WAS A PART OF A PLAN THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED HERE THROUGH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO MOVE FORWARD 2013, I GOT ON COUNCIL IN 20 15, 20 16.
THEY WERE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A PLACE.
SO HAVE OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND TO HOUSE IT, THE OPPORTUNITY CAME ALONG FOR MOTIVA TO PURCHASE THE BUILDING.
WE VOTED AND THE NAMES THAT I CALLED OUT THERE SIGNED ON THIS ORDINANCE.
WE CANNOT ACT AS IF WE ARE OBLIVIOUS TO THE PROCESS AND THE TIMEFRAME AND THE TIMELINES THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET THIS PROCESS COMPLETE.
WE KNEW IT WAS STATED, WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT, THAT LET'S BE TRANSPARENT.
WE KNEW THIS COUNCIL KNEW THREE OF THEM THAT SERVED.
WE KNEW THAT IT WOULD TAKE MORE THAN 18 MONTHS TO GET A BUILDING CONSTRUCTED.
WE SAID WE WOULD ADDRESS IT AT THE TIME THAT IT CAME UP AND WE WOULD ADDRESS IT.
BUT THE BEST BENEFIT AT THE TIME THAT WE MADE THIS DECISION WAS TO SELL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUILDING.
IT WAS THE LAP OF STATING THERE WERE THINGS HAPPENING IN THE BUILDING.
I WAS AT EVERY MEETING CHECK THE RECORD.
SO THE CONSTRUCTION TIME AND PLANS WERE SAYING, WE'RE NOT BEING TRANSPARENT.
WE KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD ISSUES.
AND WE KNOW THAT THIS BUILDING AGAIN, I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO SOUND REPETITIVE, WAS GOING TO TAKE A LONGER THAN 18 MONTHS.
WE SIGNED THE LEASE AGREEMENT.
WE KNEW WHAT THE LEASE AGREEMENT WAS GOING TO BE.
WE KNEW THE AMOUNT IT WAS GOING TO BE, AND WE ALL AGREED THAT WE WOULD FACE THAT AND BE EVEN MORE TRANSPARENT.
THE MAYOR AT THE TIME WHO HAD JUST BEEN NEWLY ELECTED, DIDN'T WANT THAT PROCESS TO GO FORWARD.
ANYWAY, THE BUILDING THAT WE MADE THAT PLAN, IT, WASN'T DONE.
THE MANAGER COULDN'T DO IT BY HIMSELF.
YOU COULDN'T DO IT BY YOURSELF.
SO IF WE MADE A MISTAKE OR WE DID SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T THINK WAS, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE AT THAT TIME, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE SPOKE UP AND NOT VOTED THAT WAY.
BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S THE PROCESS.
THE LEASE AGREEMENT IS SIGNED.
THE ORDINANCE AS SCIENTISTS SIGNED, AND THE BUILDING IS SOLD.
WE'RE COLLECTING TAXES ON THE BUILDING.
THEY'RE PAYING THEIR PROPERTY TAX AND THEY WERE MOVING FORWARD WITH WHAT DECISION WE MADE AT THE TIME THAT WE THOUGHT WAS BENEFICIAL.
AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLAN WE ADOPTED CALLED THE DOWNTOWN PLAN.
I'M, I'M SITTING HERE LISTENING TO THIS AND MY, I I'M, I, I CAN'T, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO SIT HERE AND ACT LIKE THOSE THAT WERE ON COUNCIL, THAT WE HAD NO IDEA OR NO CLUE.
[02:00:01]
THE TRUTH IS IT DID NOT JUST POP UP.THIS HAS BEEN A WORK IN PROGRESS.
THIS HAS BEEN A TRACK THAT WE'VE BEEN ON.
AND IF A MISTAKE WAS MADE, IT'S THE COUNCIL'S FAULT.
WE CAN'T GO BACK AND UNDO WHAT WE'VE DONE.
I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND ACT LIKE, CAUSE SILENCE IS AGREEMENT.
I WOULD CHECK MY VOTING RECORD, CHECK WHERE I WAS.
I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT, THAT VOTED ALONG WITH THE NAMES I CALLED OUT.
THEY'RE ALL ON THIS ORDINANCE TO SELL THE BUILDING.
IT'S BEEN A PART OF THE PLAN TO MOVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHERE THE CONSTITUENTS WERE.
I AM GOING TO PUT IT OUT HERE.
EVERYBODY KNEW THAT THAT WAS THE MOVE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT INTO AN AREA AS TO WHERE THE CONSTITUENTS AND WHERE THOSE CLIENTS LIVED.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A PLAN TO MOVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT NORTH OF 73.
WE PUT IT IN AND A PART OF THE PLAN.
AND THAT IS EXACTLY HOW THIS BALL WENT.
NOW, WHEN WE DEAL WITH TRANSPARENCY, LET'S JUST BE HONEST.
THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING THIS COUNCIL TO BE IS LET'S BE HONEST.
WE WERE ALL AWARE AND WE ALL KNEW THAT IT WOULD TAKE US LONGER THAN IT TAKES YOU LONGER THAN 18 MONTHS TO BUILD A GARAGE.
AND WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD, IT WAS GOING TO TAKE US LONGER THAN 18 MONTHS.
AND WE SAID COLLECTIVELY, AT THAT TIME THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO.
AND WHEN THE ISSUE CAME UP AND NEGOTIATE WITH MOTIVA ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD, I AM DONE AND I AM SICK OF HEARING WHAT DECISION WE MADE.
IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO BUILD ANOTHER ONE.
WE KNEW THAT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH MONEY.
WE HAD TO FIND FUNDING FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
MAYBE COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS DIDN'T KNOW, MAYBE COUNT THIS.
FRANK DIDN'T KNOW, AND MAYBE COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT MAYOR BARTEE WAS HERE.
AND ALL OF THE OTHER THREE OF US WERE HERE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
LET THE, I HOPE ALL THE CITIZENS HERE THAT THIS WAS A PART OF A PLAN AND WE WERE ALL AWARE.
AND IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE VOTING FOR, THEY SHOULD ASK SOME QUESTIONS BACK THEN THAT'S OVER.
THAT WAS SEPTEMBER THE SECOND OF 2020, THE RESOLUTION AND THE ORDINANCE WAS SIGNED IN OCTOBER OF 2020.
AND IT'S TIME TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND IF THE CONSTRUCTION PLAN IS IN A PHASE OF BEING BID OUT, WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THAT TAKES PLACE.
AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE WITH MOTIVA, TO GIVE US, UH, WHAT, WHAT IF IT'S NOT 12,000, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NEGOTIATE BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM TO DECIDE WHAT AN APPROPRIATE PRICE WILL BE FOR US TO LIST THAT, TO LEASE THE BUILDING OUT.
BUT WE KNEW THAT IT WAS COMING TO THIS.
COUNSEL, THE WOMAN MODUS COSMIN KENALOG.
UM, MAYBE I THINK A COUNCIL WOMAN, MOSES RURAL TWO DIFFERENT PLANT FIELDS.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT WHEN SHE MENTIONED THAT IF ANYBODY WAS THERE, THAT DIDN'T, WASN'T AWARE, THAT'S UNTRUE.
I WAS AWARE WITH THE PROCESS BECAUSE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS CAME BEFORE YOUR PODIUM AND SPOKE AND GETTING DELIVERED A MESSAGE OF WHAT THE PLANS WERE GOING TO BE.
UH, SO WHEN SHE SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WASN'T AWARE OF IT.
OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR VOTING RECORDS STATE SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY.
THAT'S NOT TRUE BECAUSE I WAS AWARE AND I WAS HERE.
I PUT THIS ON HERE BECAUSE I WANTED THIS COUNCIL AND THIS, UH, THE STAFF AND, AND CITY MANAGER TO BE TRANSPARENT TO WHAT WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE.
WE DID NOT KNOW UNTIL LAST MONDAY ON THE 18TH, THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS.
WE DID NOT KNOW UNTIL HE GOT AN EMAIL THIS MORNING FROM MOTIVA OR GETTING CREDIT FOR OUR 97,000 ON HVAC SYSTEM.
SO IF YOU SAY THAT'S TRANSPARENT, THAT'S NOT TRUE BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA UNTIL THE 18, ABOUT TWO YEAR PROJECT.
I HAD NO IDEA UNTIL YOU JUST MENTIONED $97,000.
WHY WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO HAVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
[02:05:01]
AND THE POPULATION, THE MAJORITY OF POPULATION OF YOUR CITY.THAT'S WHY WE GOT IN IT IS NOW THE 18 MONTHS WASN'T PROVIDED FROM ANYONE ON HIS COUNCIL THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD BE TAKE 18 MONTHS.
NOBODY ON THIS SIDE OF THE DIOCESE SAID IT WOULD BE 18 MONTHS.
IT SAID IT WOULD TAKE THAT LONG.
SO WHEN THE COUNCIL WOMAN SAYS THAT WE KNEW, NO, I DID NOT KNOW THAT I RELY ON THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO TELL US SO WE CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISION.
JUST WHAT COUNCILMAN MARK STATED.
WHEN WE GET THOSE INFORMATION FROM YOU GUYS, THE STAFF AND THE EXPERTS, THAT'S HOW WE MAKE OUR DECISIONS.
SO NOW WE, 16 MONTHS NOBODY'S STOLEN.
I'M SAYING THAT IN TWO MONTHS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION UNTIL IT'S IN BLACK AND WHITE, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I'M SEEING AND WHAT I'M BREEDING, IT'S GOING TO COST $12,000 PERIOD.
NOW, WHEN A NEGOTIATION TAKES PLACE AND WE NEGOTIATE WELL, MOTIVA, AND WE HAVE SOMETHING IN BLACK AND WHITE, THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT UNTIL THEN, IT'S NOT FAIR.
SO, AND I'M NOT SAYING BLAMING ANYBODY OR FINGERS, IT'S JUST THE FACTS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A RESOLUTION 2360 RESOLUTION, UH, WITH THE SALE OF AN AGREEMENT OF 4 49 AUSTIN.
AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED THAT WAS SIGNED ON DECEMBER THE 17TH, 2020.
SO WHY WOULD THIS COUNCIL BE BLAMED FOR SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT? OH, WHY WOULD THIS COUNCIL GETS DICTATION FROM THE STAFF AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS? JUST LIKE THE ANIMAL SHELTER THAT PLAY'S BEEN THERE 30 PLUS YEARS.
I DIDN'T KNOW IT HAD A WALL IN THERE.
I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE AN ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION.
I AGREED UPON THE SITE BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? STAFF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS CAME BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND SAID, THIS IS WHERE THEY WOULD LIKED IT TO BE.
BUT IN UNTIL THERE'S RECENTLY, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT.
SO WHEN THE COUNCIL WOMAN GOES BACK AND TALK ABOUT 2020 AND READ ALL THE NAMES OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHAT DOES THAT PROVING THAT WE WERE INGREDIENT THOUGH, TOTAL COUNCIL AGREE TO IT.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.
AND I AGREE WITH COUNSEL MARKS.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING TAKES PLACE, WE NEED TO BE NOTIFIED BECAUSE I CAN'T INFORM INDIVIDUALS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
IF I'M NOT NOTIFIED, IF NO ONE TALKS TO YOU AND TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, YOU GUYS KNOW, BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
IT JUST, IT IT'S BLACK AND WHITENESS FACTUAL.
THANK YOU COUNCILMAN NOW, BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE THING YOU SAID THAT MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECT.
THE TOTAL COUNCIL DIDN'T AGREE ON IT.
THE MAYOR DID NOT, DID NOT VOTE THAT.
I DID NOT ACQUIESCE WITH THAT DECISION.
THEN I DO NOT ACQUIESCE WITH THE DECISION EVEN NOW.
HOWEVER, WE'VE GOT TO MOVE FORWARD AND BEING APART OF THIS AUGUST BODY WANTS THE MAJORITY DECIDED IT.
I HAD TO SIGN IT, COUNSELING, COUNCILWOMAN, MODUS.
I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO SEE THAT I HAD DECIDED, HOWEVER, WHAT I THINK.
AND I THINK THERE'S DIALOGUE IS GOOD.
DIALOGUE IS GOOD BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS WHAT OUR INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS ARE.
UH, JUST THAT I REITERATE THE FACT THAT I WAS NOT A PART OF THE, UH, WINNING SIDE ON THAT BECAUSE I VOTED, UH, MY CONVICTION, WHICH WAS, AND WHICH STILL IS TO KEEP THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HERE IN THIS PART OF THE CITY.
I HAVE THE CHARGE HAS MADE THAT DECISION.
AND AS COUNCILWOMAN MOSES SAID AT THAT TIME, AND I BELIEVE, UH, ATTORNEY CAN, UH, ACTUALLY DEAL WITH ME WITH THIS.
IF I'M WRONG, ATTORNEY, YOU STOP ME.
SHE TOLD US ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF LEASING THE BUILDING FROM THE OWNER THAT WE WOULD SELL IT TO BECAUSE THERE WAS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT EVEN AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE OUT OF THE BUILDING AND HAVE THE OTHER BUILDING COMPLETE FOR US TO OCCUPY.
AND WE ARE COMING TO THAT POINT.
NOW CITY MANAGER SAID IT WAS TIMELY ON THIS MORNING.
HE RECEIVED SOMETHING FROM MOTIVA AND I APPRECIATE THEM BEING A GOOD LANDLORDS, UH, AND WOULD GIVE US CREDIT COUNSELING FOR THE 97,000 THAT WE HAD TO SPEND.
AND COUNCILMAN MARKS FOR WHATEVER OTHER,
[02:10:02]
I GUESS, UH, LAND A LAND OWNER, UH, REQUIREMENTS, WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO KEEP THE FACILITY, UH, IN, UH, IN COLD AND, UH, THAT WE CAN OCCUPIED TO CONDUCT BUSINESS OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT UNTIL WE HAVE THE NEW FACILITY, UH, RESTRUCTURED, UH, REMODELED, UH, AND UP AND RUNNING SO THAT WE CAN OCCUPIED AT THAT NEW LOCATION.UH, WITH THAT IN MIND, COUNCIL, MCKENNA LAW, I WOULD HOPE THAT, UH, YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GOTTEN TO DATE.
HOPE THAT EACH COUNCIL PERSON AND WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF, THAT IF, UH, I, I DIDN'T LOOK AT IT AND I DON'T VIEW IT NOW AS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE MAYBE TRYING TO ATTACK ANYONE.
I THINK CLARITY NOW IS WHAT WE WANT SHARING INFORMATION IN A TIMELY FASHION IS WHAT I GOT OUT OF THIS WHOLE THING.
YOU KNOW, BESIDES WHATEVER ANYBODY ELSE THINKS, I THINK SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE YOU GET QUESTIONS, YOU SAY THIS IN YOUR DISTRICT AND YOU GET QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
SO YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE, BEING THE MAYOR.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THEM INTELLIGENTLY.
SO WITH STAFF, IF YOU WOULD JUST SHARE WITH US MOVING FORWARD IN THIS NOW, UH, WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER SITUATION, I HAVE A, AND I MAY HAVE AN ADVANTAGE ON THE COUNCIL BECAUSE I'M HERE JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY AND FOR SEVERAL HOURS OF THE DAY.
SO I MAY GET OTHER INFORMATION THAT THEY DON'T GET AND COUNCIL FOR GIVING ME IF I DON'T SHARE IT WITH YOU, IF I'M NOT QUESTIONED ABOUT IT, IT'S SO MUCH, I MOVE FROM ONE THING TO THE NEXT THING.
SO IT'S NOT MAYBE FRONT AND CENTER ON MY MIND.
UH, WE FOUND OUT THAT THAT, THAT, THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION THAT EVERYBODY HIT ACTUALLY THOUGHT FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER WOULD BE PRIMED AND READY TO GO.
THAT ANOTHER LOCATION NEEDED TO BE SOUGHT OUT.
WHAT I DID FIND OUT FROM STAFF IN THE MEETING WITH STAFF.
AND WE HAPPENED TO BRING THIS UP, THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO MOVE IN SUCH AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER AS TO BRING TO US SOMETHING TO SAY, OKAY, THIS IS THE NEXT SPOT.
AND MAYBE, AND YOU ALLUDED TO IT AND MAYBE RUN INTO THE VERY SAME TYPE SITUATION THAT WE'VE RUN INTO NOW.
SO SHE DIVORCED THIS MORNING, SOMETHING THAT MAYBE, MAYBE, AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS DONE PREMATURELY, BUT TO A LOCATION THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HOUSE IT, BUT THAT IS PENDING ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND OTHER STUDIES BEFORE THEY WOULD ACTUALLY TELL US, HEY, THIS IS WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE, WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE RIGHT NOW WITH ESTABLISHING OR EVEN REESTABLISHING HOW WE WILL COMMUNICATE IN SITUATIONS AND IN, IN, IN, UH, WHAT SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THAT, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM.
MR. MAYOR, I, I JUST WANT TO CONCUR WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO APPRECIATE HERE, UH, IN THIS DIALOGUE AND IN THIS DISCUSSION, I THINK WE SEE STEVE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN APPRECIATE THE STEWARDSHIP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN MARKS AND COUNCILMAN, UH, KEN LAW, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS STEWARDSHIP IS CONCERNED, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKING CARE OF THE RESOURCES, BUT AS, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN, MOSES HAS SAID, I THINK WE CAN APPRECIATE THE VISION THAT THEY HAD AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME OF WANTING TO MOVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND MOVE OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY WITH IMAGINED PORT ARTHUR COMING DOWNTOWN.
BUT THEN I THINK AS WELL, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN APPRECIATE STAFF, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THE FLEXIBILITY THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE EXHIBITING NOW, UH, AFTER HAVING, YOU KNOW, RUN INTO THE PROBLEM THAT NOBODY, UH, THAT NO ONE COULD FORESEE, UH, AT, WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER SITE.
SO THERE'S A LOT HERE TO APPRECIATE.
AND I THINK THAT YOU'RE RIGHT, MAYOR, THAT WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER, TO GO FORWARD, UH, AND TO FIX ALL OF THIS AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND JUST CONTINUE TO BE THE TEAM THAT WE ARE TO MOVE.
WHAT ARE THE FOUR OH, COUNCILMAN JONES? OH, YOU'VE RETURNED.
MA'AM UH, I LOOK FROM DAY ONE BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BE A PROBLEM, A STICKY SITUATION.
I KNOW ALL THE TIME, THE STICK SITUATION, AND IT COULD BE GOING OUTSIDE, BUT I'M THE MAYOR VOTED
[02:15:01]
AGAINST IT.I WOULDN'T GIVE HIM THE BIG HEAD CAUSE HE'D BEEN UP RIGHT NOW.
HE DON'T WANT TO GO AGAINST IT.
WE ENDED UP PUTTING UP THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, MY CONCERN, MY COMMENT OR CONCERNS WITH THE ALMA SHELTER, THREE, THREE YEARS, TWO AND A HALF YEARS DISCUSSING MICHELE THREE YEARS DISCUSSING DOWN MICHELLE THREE YEARS.
ONE STORY BUILDING A LITTLE CONCRETE, OPENED THE GRASS AND DIRT, AND WE CAN'T GET OFF THE GROUND SOMEWHERE.
THAT'S MY CONCERN BEFORE AND NOW LET'S DO AN ANIMAL SHELTERS, HOMELESS DALTON KITS.
IF I MAY, COUNCILMAN JONES WITH THE DISCUSSION BEGAN ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
UM, WE WERE TOLD AS STAFF TO LOCATE PROPERTY THAT WAS OWNED BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WHICH LIMITED WHERE WE COULD GO IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, WHEN THAT DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE, AS YOU STATED, TWO AND THREE, TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, WE DID NOT HAVE FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION OF AN ANIMAL SHELTER, BUT IT WAS SIMPLY A DISCUSSION.
WE DID CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, WHICH WERE APPROVED BY COUNCIL LAST YEAR.
AND WE DID MOVE FORWARD WITH WORKING WITH AN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM IN DESIGNING A STRUCTURE THAT WOULD BE ADEQUATE, UM, TO NOT ONLY SERVE THE STAFF WHO RUNS THAT ANIMAL SHELTER, BUT ALSO THE ANIMALS THAT WE TAKE IN.
UM, WE ALSO LOOKED AT A FACILITY BECAUSE WE HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL INQUIRIES ABOUT DOING CLASSES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE OUT HERE.
UM, AND EVEN TRAININGS WITHIN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, LET ME SAY THIS, YOU A GOOD ORATOR.
YOU WANT THE BEST, YOU CAN SEE I'M A GLASS OF WATER AT THE NORTH POLE.
YOU JUST DID GOOD, BUT IT ALL BOUGHT OUT TO MY PROBLEM.
MY CONCERN, WE ALL WOULD DISCUSSION.
IT CAN ALSO BE EVERY YEAR DISCUSSION PRESENTATION, BLUEPRINTS, AUGUST SIX, WHENEVER WE GO ALL GOING, I'M A SHELTER.
OH, IT WAS JUST GUSHING EVERY OTHER MONTH.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL START THIS YEAR.
I'M NOT GOING TO BELABOR THIS SUBJECT ANYMORE.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS PRIDED MY LEADERSHIP ON OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY SO THAT NO ONE CAN QUESTION THE INTEGRITY OF RONALD BURDEN.
NO, I HAVE UPDATED COUNSEL IN CLOSED SESSION ON MORE THAN FOUR OCCASIONS AS TO WHERE WE ARE WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
I KEEP COPIOUS NOTES IN, BY RECORDINGS OF DISCUSSIONS THAT TAKE PLACE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND I CAN GO BACK TO THOSE AND I HAVE IT WRITTEN THAT I UPDATED THE COUNCIL ON FOUR OCCASIONS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON WHERE WE ARE.
I CAN RETRIEVE THOSE DOCUMENTS AND TAKE IT TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
BUT LET ME REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT WHEN I DID INFORM YOU, I DID INFORM YOU ON ONE OCCASION THAT I WAS IN NEGOTIATION WITH MOTIVA AND THAT NEGOTIATION WAS ONGOING.
IF THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO BE HONEST, I DID AGAIN, NOT TOO LONG AGO, INFORM THE COUNCIL THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET CREDIT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE CHILLER SYSTEM OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS I DID.
AND THAT WAS DONE BEING OPEN AND TRANSPARENT WITH THE COUNCIL.
I HAVE ALWAYS INFORMED THE COUNCIL AS TO WHERE WE ARE AND THE ROADMAP THAT I HAVE TAKEN WITH EVERY SINGLE PROJECT.
AND THAT WILL, I WILL CONTINUE TO DO WITH ABSOLUTE DUE DILIGENCE AND RESPECT FOR THE COUNCIL.
SEE THE MANAGER AND JUST LIGHTEN UP THE ROOM A LITTLE BIT.
OH, YOU ALL GOT SOME, MAGELLAN'S NOT GOING TO LIKE THAT.
HE WANTS ME TO CONTINUE TO BE SERIOUS AND STRAIGHT FACED, BUT THAT WAS WHEN I TOLD US THAT WHEN WE MOVED, WE WAS TAKEN OUT CHILL.
BUT AT, AT, AT THIS AS, AS A JOKE, BECAUSE WE HAD JUST SPENT $97,000 ON IT AND WHEN WE WOULD LEAVE OUT OF THE BUILDING AND WE WOULD TAKE OUT CHILLER, BUT WE ALL GO TO DO THAT.
AND AS WE EVEN SPEAK ABOUT MOTIVA, UH, CO UH, CITY MANAGER, UH, I WON'T BE HERE TOMORROW, BUT I KNOW, I KNOW THAT MOTIVA HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE PUBLIC ON TOMORROW.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO BE AT THE MANSION ON TOMORROW, I LIKE FOR YOU TO BE THERE IN A COUNCIL MAYOR PRO CAMP, AS SOON AS THEY SAY WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY, HE CALLED ME,
[02:20:01]
I'M GOING TO BE IN WASHINGTON, BUT CALLED ME AS SOON AS THEY SAID, OKAY, I THINK I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, BUT I HAVE TO ACT LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SAY.SO COUNSEL KENALOG, WE, ARE WE GOOD WITH THIS? YOU BROUGHT THIS UP WITH, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY GOOD.
UM, JUST, HE JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED IT BEFORE, BUT HE GOT THE EMAIL THIS MORNING, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED, BUT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CREDIT.
SO, UH, I'M GOOD AT THIS POINT.
SO, UH, I GUESS WE CAN JUST MOVE ON.
THANK YOU, PAM, FOR YOUR, THE, BOTH, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND ANIMAL SHELTER.
AND IT TAKES, IT TAKES, IT TAKES DISCUSSIONS LIKE THIS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE THE AUGUST BODY OF WHICH WE ARE.
WE WERE MOVED DOWN TO REPORTS,
[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF TWO ( 2) MINUTES PER COUNCILMEMBER)]
UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, ROMAN NUMERAL FIVE ON PAGE THREE OF THE, UH, I GUESS I HAVE TWO PAGES.I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PAGE THREE.
THE LAST TIME MYSELF OF THE AGENDA, WE'LL PULL WHAT'S UP AN ITEM TO THE COMMUNITY INTERESTS, UH, FROM ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, MR. MIGUEL, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP.
I WANT YOU TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WISH.
UM, WELL, JUST TO GIVE CONDOLENCES TO THE FISK FAMILY, UH, IN THE PASSING OF RICKY FISK, JR.
UM, UH, LONGSTANDING, UM, RESIDENT OF PORT ARTHUR QUARTERBACK FOR OUR MEMORIAL TITANS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, CONVEY OUR CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE IN.
AND THEN I SPOKE WITH SOME OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS ON YESTERDAY.
UH, UH, RICKY WAS A FORMER STUDENT OF MINE.
AND EVEN WHEN I, UH, DISSIPATED IN COACHING AT NINTH GRADE FOOTBALL AT MEMORIAL, HE WAS ON MY TEAM.
I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO REMEMBER.
YOU WILL HAVE TO REMOVE BACK TO THE STUDENTS.
I COULDN'T CATCH, BUT I TELL Y'ALL TO BLOCK
I COULDN'T, I NEVER COULD CATCH IT.
HE WOULDN'T EVEN LEFT THE UK KIT.
AND I TOLD HIM NO, AND YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL.
BUT, UH, RICKY, RICKY WAS A GREAT STUDENT.
UH, AND, AND, AND HE HAD ALSO TOOK TO THE COMMUNITY.
HE LEFT HERE AND HE CAME BACK WITH A DEGREE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
HE WENT TO MORGAN STATE AND PLAYED.
UH, AND I REMEMBER TALKING WITH HIM.
HE NEVER REALLY WANTED, HE STILL WANTS TO WORK IN INDUSTRY BECAUSE HE'D BE ABLE TO READ AROUND ALL OF THIS.
BUT HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW THAT WAS WORKING IN INDUSTRY WITH A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE DEGREE.
AND HE WAS A GOOD STUDENT AND ALL CONDOLENCES AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO HIS FAMILY MAIL.
WE DISCUSSED THE TRANSPARENCY.
I'VE BEEN KNOWING YOU ALL MY LIFE, NOT GOING TO COACH ME.
I COULDN'T COACH THE QUIET FELL OFF THE STAGE.
I HAVE DEBIT TOO, TO PROVE THEY PAID ME FOR IT AND WE WANT, OKAY, ALRIGHT.
WE CAN MOVE TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS THAT NO UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA]
AGENDA.AND ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, THERE ARE ITEMS HERE, UH, THAT ARE ROUTINE NATURE, ADMINISTRATIVE NATURE, AND THE COUNCIL'S ALREADY BEEN PREPARED OR FURNISHED WITH A BACKGROUND ON THESE ITEMS. AND IF A COUNCIL PERSON HAS ANY ITEM THAT THEY WOULD CARE TO BE POOLED, UH, WE WOULD ACTUALLY REMOVE THAT ITEM AND HANDLE IT AS A SEPARATE, UH, A SINGLE ITEM.
NOW, THERE IS ONE ITEM THAT, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, ASKED TO BE PULLED AS ITEM NUMBER 22, 5 TO ONE ON PAGE SEVEN.
AND, UH, WE ARE, UH, THE STAFF HAS REQUESTED THAT WE WOULD JUST REMOVE THAT ITEM.
AM I CORRECT? CITY SECRETARY YET? OKAY.
WE REMOVE THAT ITEM, UH, ON PAGE SEVEN, UH, NUMBER 16.
SO WE WILL REMOVE THAT ONE FROM THIS, UH, MOTION.
AND IF I CAN, I LIKE TO GET A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER ITEMS THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO BE REMOVED.
MAY I GET A MOTION MAYOR PRO TEMP, LIKE YOU'RE THE SECOND COUNCILMAN MOSES IS REMOVED.
AND SECOND TO THAT, WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF A PR NUMBER 22, 5 21,
[02:25:02]
UH, ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNCIL.UM, OVER ANY QUESTIONS WE'RE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED? NAY THE AYES HAVE IT.
SO IN HIS HONOR, WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED ON OUR AGENDA HERE.
NOW WE WILL MOVE ITEMS THAT REQUIRE INDIVIDUAL ATTENDED ATTENTION, AND THIS IS CALLED THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA.
WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE A MOTION TO REMOVE TWO, TWO, EXCUSE ME.
NOW, UH, COUNCILMAN, I MEAN, COUNCILMAN MARKS, WOULD YOU, UH, OFF A MOTION TO REMOVE, UH, PR NUMBER 2, 2, 5, 2, 1, PLEASE.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO REMOVE A PR NUMBER 2, 2, 5, 2, 1 AT THE RECOMMEND RECOMMENDATION OF COUNCIL.
WE'RE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED? NAY, THE AYES AVID.
WE HAVE THE REMOVE A PR NUMBER 2, 2, 5, 2 1 FROM THE AGENDA.
THAT WAS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[VIII. A.1. P. R. No. 22437 — A Resolution Authorizing One ( 1) Year Contracts Between The City Of Port Arthur And Seven ( 7) Vendors For Grass Mowing Services Of Privately- Owned And City- Owned Vacant And Developed Lots In An Area Of The City Designated As Area A, With An Annual Projected Budgetary Impact Of $ 100, 000. 00. Funds Are Available In General Fund Account Number 001- 13- 039- 5470- 00- 50- 000, Other Contractual Service — (Casting Of Lots Required)]
AGENDA, WE HAVE PR NUMBER 22, 4 3 7.IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ONE YEAR CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND, UH, SEVEN VENDORS, UH, FOR, UH, GRASS MOYNE SEARCHES OF PRIVATELY OWNED AND CITY ON THE VACANT AND DEVELOPED, UH, LOTS IN AN AREA OF THE CITY DESIGNATED, UH, AS AREA EIGHT WITH AN ANNUAL PROJECTED, UH, BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $100,000 FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN GENERAL FUND ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH ONE THREE DASH 0 3 9 DASH 5 4 7 0 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH FIVE ZERO DASH 0 0 0.
AND IT'S UNDER OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
UH, IT'S CASTINGS OF LOTS ARE REQUIRED.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS OPIOD ATTORNEY.
DO WE NEED TO GET IT ON THE FLOOR FIRST? OKAY.
MAY I GET A MOTION? COUNCILMAN JONES MAY GET A SECOND.
SECOND MAN HAS BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, ACCEPT PR NUMBER 22, 4 3 7 AS A RE WE'RE RID OF THE COURSE.
AND NOW WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ATTORNEY JUST VERY BRIEFLY.
UM, WE'VE BEEN KIND OF DOWN THIS ROAD BEFORE, BUT THERE THERE'S A TIE BOAT THAT, UH, THE STAFF WILL EXPLAIN TO YOU THAT THERE WAS A TIE, NOT A TIE VOTE TIE ON THE BEADS.
I'M TALKING TOO FAST TILE AND THE BEADS AND THE WITH IN KEEPING WITH STATE LAW, IT ALLOWS YOU TO CAST LOTS TO DETERMINE, UH, HOW THE TIE BE.
IT WILL BE RESOLVED AND THEY WILL EXPLAIN TO YOU AT THIS TIME, THERE'S GOING TO BE ONE MORE.
THERE ARE TWO TIES FOR GROUP A, AND SO WE HAVE THE FIRST TIES FOR, UM, THE 39TH, THE 0.0039.
AND SO, UM, CLIFF, WE'LL DO THAT ONE FIRST.
I GOT TO COME DOWN HERE TO BRING IT UP.
NO, WHERE I MIGHT FEEL LIKE I'M AT THE COMPANIES WHO ARE THE COMPANIES FOR THE FIRST LINE, THE FIRST LOT, UM, IS FRANK'S TRUCKING AND J J AND K INDUSTRIAL AT 0.0039.
BUT A MALE CAN ASK THE QUESTION WHY YOU'RE GOING OUT.
UH, MR. WILLIAMS, MS. PIER, WE TALKING ABOUT LOCAL CONTRACTORS, LOCAL GRASS, CUTTING CONTRACTORS, RIGHT? HE'S LOCAL PEOPLE.
I'M HOPING WE STAY STAYING AT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO GROW, NEEDING ALL THAT OUT OF TOWN COMING TO HIM.
WE AWARDED THE 21 BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT'S A LARGE NUMBER.
WHOEVER YOU PICK IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE OUT AND JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PICKING THE ORDER.
WE GO ON FROM AUDIT LOWEST TO HIGHEST AS FAR AS THE HIERARCHY AND THESE TWO TIMES.
SO THIS IS GOING TO DECIDE WHO GOES FIRST BECAUSE THE FIRST PERSON GETS THE FIRST OPTION TO GO OUT AND GET SOME WORK
[02:30:04]
SO THE FIRST ONE IS GOING TO BE FRENCH TRUCKING.SO LET ME, THE NEXT ONE IS GOING TO BE J J AND K ONE AND TWO IT'S ONLY TWO.
THESE TIDE, UM, ARE AT 0.0, ZERO FOUR OR FIVE.
AND THAT'S DMJ LANDSCAPING, UH, PORT ARTHUR AND WILLIAMS CONTRACT AND INFORMANT OUT OF SABINE PARISH.
SO DMJ LANDSCAPING WAS PICKED, SO, SO DMJ IS ONE AND WILLIAMS IS TWO.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY ONE WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE ON HOLD ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
WHERE, UH, YOU HAVE TO CALL OUT WHO, WHO IS GOING TO BE IN IT.
BUT YOU ALREADY STATED THEN, RIGHT.
WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
SO IS AUDIT AND GO SUE CONTRACTORS THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY CALLED OUT.
SO WE SEE ALONG THE SAME ONE WORK IN THAT ORDER.
[VIII. A. 2. P. R. No. 22438 — A Resolution Authorizing One ( 1) Year Contracts Between The City Of Port Arthur And Nineteen ( 19) Vendors For Grass Mowing Services Of Privately- Owned And City- Owned Vacant Develop Lots In Areas Of The City Designated As Areas B- E, With An Annual Projected Budgetary Impact Of $ 200, 000. 00. Funds Are Available In General Fund Account Number 001- 13- 039- 5470-00- 50- 000 — (Casting Of Lots Required)]
RIGHT ON, THIS IS A 2, 2, 4, 3.AND AM I CORRECT? CITY SECRETARY I'M MOVING, RIGHT.
2, 2, 4, 3, 8, OR RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ONE YEAR CONTRACTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND 19 VENDORS, FOG, GRASS MOINES SERVICES OF PRIVATELY OWNED AND SITTING ON VACANT AND DEVELOPED LOTS IN AREAS OF THE CITY THAT DESIGNATED AS AREAS TO BE THROUGH E OR THE B AND E IT WOULD BE THROUGH BEAT THROUGH EACH CITY SECRETARY.
I'M SAYING IT CORRECTLY WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGETARY IMPACT UP $200,000.
BONDS ARE AVAILABLE IN GENERAL.
FIND ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH ONE THREE DASH 0 3 9 DASH 5 4 7 0 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH FIVE ZERO DASH 0 0 0.
AND CASTING OF LOTS WOULD BE REQUIRED.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILWOMAN.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 22, 4, 3 8 FOR THE CASH.
AND THE PLOTS, UH, WOULD BE REQUIRED.
I WOULD GO MOVE DOWN AND I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
I JUST, I WANTED TO READ IT CAUSE IT JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.
SO ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T KNOW IT'S CHAPTER 2 71 0.9 OR ONE OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AND, UM, AND SUBSECTIONS B, C AND D.
UH, YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY'RE IDENTICAL BEDS.
IF THE IDENTICAL BEDS, UM, OUR RESIDENTS OF THE MUNICIPALITY, THE, UM, THE MUNICIPALITY HAS TO SELECT THOSE BITTERS.
SO THESE BIDS ARE WITH PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS, ANY OF TWO OR MORE BIDDERS SUBMIT IDENTICAL BIDS, AND THEY ARE RESIDENTS OF THE MUNICIPALITY.
THEN THERE, WHAT FOUR? WE DO THE CAST AND A LOTS, UH, AS PRESCRIBED BY THE MAYOR.
SO I WAS JUST GIVING THE STATUTE IN CASE SOMEONE INQUIRED TO 71.901.
WOULD YOU COME AND TAKE MY SEAT AT THAT CATH? I'M GOING TO BE EXCUSED FOR A MOMENT AND YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
IT'S GOING TO BE RIGHT UNDER HERE.
AFTER I GO DOWN HERE, I'M GOING TO NEED YOU TO COME AND DO THIS NEXT ITEM.
IT'S GOING TO BE NOW ITEM NUMBER THREE.
WE HAVE A TIE FOR ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS, THIS FROM GROWTH REPORT OFFICE DUE TO THE PREFERENCE.
SO IN THAT ONE, THIRD IS THE B BEFORE MODEL T ON LANDSCAPE AND UNDER THE 0.3, UM, YEAH, THREE OTHER TIMES IN ADDITION TO THAT, BUT DIFFERENT PRICES, ALL THOSE ARE PULLED OFF THE VENDORS.
SO WE WON'T HAVE THE FULL FILE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH THE 0.0 0 3, 4.
WE HAVE FIVE VENDORS ON THAT WINDOW FROM, AND THOSE
[02:35:01]
VENDORS ARE J L HANDYMAN, J L LANDSCAPING, J M LAWN SERVICE, CANDY AFFORDABLE, AND RUBEN TORRES LANDSCAPING.SO THE FIRST ONE IS JM LAWN SERVICE.
THE NEXT ONE IS JL LANDSCAPING.
OUR NEXT ONE IS K AND PORTABLE.
AND THE FINAL ONE WILL BE LANDSCAPE.
SO WE WILL START AT THE WORD TIED AT 0.0 0 3, 5 6 WITHOUT ONE, THE SIX ARE ALL IN ONE LAWN SERVICE.
D OLIVER LAWN CARE, PEDRO CONSTRUCTION, ISRAEL LOPEZ, LAWN SERVICE.
NEXT ONE IS ISRAEL CONSTRUCTION.
THE NEXT ONE IS F MALL A LIMITED UH, NEXT ONE IS ISRAEL LOPEZ LAWN SERVICE.
UH, NEXT ONE IS D OLIVER LAWN CARE.
FINAL ONE WILL BE ONLINE SERVICE.
I'LL FIND A ONE WHO IS AT 0.0 0 3, 9 IT'S FRANK'S TRUCKING AND JAKE J K INDUSTRIAL AND THAT'D BE J J K INDUSTRIAL.
THEY BEEN FLYING AND THAT CONCLUDES THE ALL STAR.
ALL, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING A PR NUMBER 2, 2, 4, 3, 8, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO NUMBER THREE.
YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY AVENUES CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE WITH LOCAL CONTRACTORS? GREATER, JUST ROUGH ESTIMATE.
UH, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AND I'LL HAVE TO LOOK IT UP AND TELL YOU, BUT IT'S THE MAJORITY IS PORT ARTHUR.
I JUST NEED A NUMBER OF OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.
I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU A NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I'LL LOOK IT UP AND I'LL COME AND TELL YOU.
[VIII. A. 3. P. R. No. 22496 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation To Enter Into A Purchase Agreement With John Crane Group, LLC For The Sale Of Approximately 2. 1 Acres Of Land At The Corner Of Jade Avenue And Morris Carter Drive In The Spur 93 Business Park]
ON IN THE NON-CONSENT PR NUMBER 2, 2, 4, 9, 6, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, SECTION FOUR, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ENTER TO A PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH JOHN CRANE GROUP, LLC, FOR THE SALE OF APPROXIMATELY 2.1 ACRES OF LAND AT THE CORNER OF JADE AVENUE AND MORRIS CARTER DRIVE IN THE SPRING 93 BUSINESS PARK.DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVE COUNCILMAN MOSES.
SECONDBITE CONSTANTLY KEN LAW, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
[02:40:02]
MOVING ON TO NUMBER FOUR,[VIII. A. 4. P. R. No. 22497 — A Resolution Approving The Third And Final Renewal Of The Contract With Southeast Texas Building Services For Janitorial Services At 501 Procter Street With A Projected Budgetary Impact Of $ 20, 000. 00; PAEDC Building Account No. 120- 80- 625- 5312- 00- 00- 000]
PR NUMBER 2, 2, 4, 9, 7, A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE THIRD AND FINAL RENEWAL OF THE CONTRACT WITH SOUTHEAST TEXAS BUILDING SERVICES FOR JANITORIAL SERVICES AT 5 0 1 PROCTOR STREET WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $20,000, A P A E D C BUILDING ACCOUNT NUMBER 1, 2 0 8 0 6 2 5 5 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN KENALOG.
SECOND, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MARKS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY, AYE, WE HAVE A MOTION.
[VIII. A. 5. P. R. No. 22498— A Resolution Authorizing Repairs And Replacements To The HVAC System At 501 Procter Street ( Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation) In An Amount Not To Exceed $ 49, 888. 00 To Industrial And Commercial Mechanical. Funds Available In EDC Account Number 120- 80- 625- 5312- 00- 00- 000]
HAVE A MOTION? WE WANT TO PULL NUMBER FIVE.UH, AND I NEEDED, IT WAS BEEN REQUESTED BY THE EDC TO PULL THIS.
COULD I HAVE A MOTION TO REMOVE SO SECOND MOTION BY COUNCIL WOMAN, MOSES SECOND BY COUNCILMAN JONES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, QUESTION.
ANY QUESTIONS? WE DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL, MAYOR PRO TIM HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY THE EDC OR BY STAFF TO REPORT, REMOVE THIS CDC REQUESTED BY EDC.
ONE OF THE MOST, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
[VIII. A. 6. P. R. No. 22499 — A Resolution Authorizing The Purchase Of Exterior Signage For The Lamar State College Culinary Arts Entrance Of The Press Building From Sign International In The Amount Of $ 5, 745. 00. Funds Available In EDC Account Number 120- 80- 625- 5494- 00- 00- 000]
PR NUMBER 2, 2 4 9 9 9, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF EXTERIOR SIGNAGE FOR THE LAMAR STATE COLLEGE CULINARY ARTS ENTRANCE OF THE PRESS BUILDING FROM SIGN INTERNATIONAL IN THE AMOUNT OF $5,745 FUNDS AVAILABLE IN EDC ACCOUNT NUMBER 1, 2 0 8 Z 8 0 6 2 5 5 4 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL WOMAN MOSES.
SECOND, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN KENALOG.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
YOU SAY ANY OPPOSES? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
MR. BUCK GOT THERE AND THAT WAS 4 0 4, 9, 8? YEAH.
[VIII. A. 7. P. R. No. 22500 —A Resolution Scheduling Public Hearings To Review And Amend The City Of Port Arthur' s Existing Juvenile Curfew Ordinance]
A RESOLUTION NUMBER TWO TO 500.IT'S A RESOLUTION, UH, SCHEDULING PUBLIC HEARINGS TO REVIEW ENEMY AND TO SEE THE PORT OFFICE EXIST IN JUVENILE ORDINANCE.
UM, I GET A MOTION COUNCILMAN MARKS.
SO SOMEHOW I GET A SECOND COSMIN JONES SECOND MAN.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER TWO AND THE TWO 500 WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, ATTORNEY AND DEPUTY CHIEF, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION THREE 70.002 EVERY THREE YEARS, THIS COUNCIL, UM, THE GOVERNING BODY HAS TO LOOK AT THE CURFEW ORDINANCE.
WE ADOPTED THE MOST RECENT CURFEW ORDINANCES IN 2020, AND, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF HOUSTON GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT AND WE'RE NOT UP TO REVIEW IT AGAIN JUST FOR CLARIFICATION UNTIL 2023, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTACTED US AND INFORMED US THAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE EXISTING 20, 20 CURFEW ORDINANCE.
IF WE DO THAT, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS.
NOW, IN ORDER FOR US NOT TO BE OFF SCHEDULING, COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE, WE WILL THEN REVIEW IT AT ITS REGULARLY SCHEDULED TIME AGAIN IN 2023.
BUT WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT AND MAKE THE CHANGES THEY ARE REQUESTING, BUT WE HAVE HAD HEARINGS AND THEN WE'LL STILL STAY ON OUR REGULAR COURSE AND COME BACK WITH IT NEXT YEAR.
SO DEPUTY CHIEF HOUSTON CAN ELABORATE.
MAYOR COUNCIL, DUE TO THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS INVOLVED IN JUVENILE OFFENDERS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS TAKING PROACTIVE MEASURES TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS.
ONE WAY TO ADDRESS THIS IS BY AMENDING AND POSSIBLY MAKING MODIFICATIONS TO THE EXISTING JUVENILE
[02:45:01]
CURFEW ORDINANCE.UM, OUR HOPES IS THAT BY MAKING THOSE MODIFICATIONS TO THE ORDINANCE THAT THIS WILL CAUSE A DECREASE IN INCIDENTS INVOLVING JUVENILE OFFENDERS HERE IN OUR CITY, UH, COUSIN.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, UM, RIGHT NOW AS EXISTING, THE CURRENT ORDINANCE STATES THAT ON MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THAT THE CURFEW IS AT 11:00 PM.
WE'RE LOOKING TO REDUCE THAT TIME TO 10:00 PM.
10:00 PM WAS STARTS AT 10:00 PM.
WE WERE LOOKING TO REDUCE IT TO 10.
IT STARTS AT SIX THAT'S CORRECT.
CAUSE MCKENNA, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF.
SO WILL THERE BE ANY OTHER MEASUREMENTS THAT YOU WANT TO DO THE ADOPTION? UH, UH, THERE WERE PARENTS, THEY HAVE TO HAVE ID OR, I MEAN, IS THERE ANYTHING OTHER THAN CHANGING THE TIME FROM 11 TO 10 CURRENTLY THE ORDINANCE ADDRESSES THAT IF THE CHILD IS INVOLVED IN A SCHOOL FUNCTION, THAT THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO, YOU KNOW, BE OUT AT THAT TIME OR IF THEY'RE COMING TO, OR FROM WORK OR ACTUALLY WITH THE PARENTS.
SO THE ORDINANCE ALREADY ADDRESSES THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS IT AS FAR AS THOSE WHO ARE JUST OUT AND ABOUT HANGING OUT.
AND NOW THE, ON REDDIT AS A QUESTIONS ON IT.
WE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR AND HE'LL POSES THE HAT.
WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 22, 500 IT'S RED NATION.
[VIII. A. 8. P. R. No. 22524 — A Resolution Appointing And/ Or Reappointing A Member Or Members To The Beautification Commission ( Requested By Mayor Pro Tern Frank)]
WE HAVE PR NUMBER 22, 5 24 RESOLUTION APPOINTING AND, UH, UH, REAPPOINTING, THE MEMBER OR MEMBERS TO THE BEAUTIFUL FACE BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION AS REQUESTED BY MAY APPROACH HIM PRANK.AND YOU HAVE THE NAME, UH, COUNCIL, WOMAN.
MAY I APPROACH HIM IS NOMINATING PATRICK PLUMBER.
UH, WE HAVE THE NAME, UH, REGULAR, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF MAYOR PRO TEM.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED? NAY AYES HAVE IT.
WE ACCEPT THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
[VIII. B. 1. P. O. No. 7033 — An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of City Owned Vacant Tracts Of Land Referenced As Tracts 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, & 8 In The Port Of Port Arthur Navigation District's Offer Letter And The Execution Of A Special Warranty Deed]
WE HAVE ORDINANCES.AND ON AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF CITY ON VACANT TRACKS OF LAND REFERENCED AS TRUCKS, 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, AND EIGHT IN THE PORT OF PORT ARTHUR NAVIGATION DISTRICTS OFFER LETTER AND THE EXECUTION OF A SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED, MEGHAN, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OR COSMIN MOSES MAY GET A SECOND.
COUNCILMAN MARKS IS REMOVED AND SECONDARY.
WE WOULD ALL ACCEPT P O NUMBER 7 0 3 3 AS RAY.
WE READY FOR QUESTION? ANY READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSES AS TO HAVING SORT OF AUDIT, WE ACCEPT P O NUMBER 7 0 3 3.
[VIII. B. 2. P. O. No. 7050 — An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of A City Owned Vacant Tract Of Land Legally Described As Lot Number Seven ( 7) In Block Number Six ( 6) Of Shortline Terrace Addition To The City Of Port Arthur, Located On Shirley Street And The Execution Of A Special Warranty Deed]
NEXT WE HAVE APPEAL NUMBER 7, 0 5 0 ANONYMOUS AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF CITY OWNED VACANT TRACT OF LAND.NUMBER SEVEN IN BLOCK SIX OF SHORTLINE TERRORISTS, ADDITION TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR LOCATED ON SHIRLEY STREET AND THE EXECUTION OF A SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED MAY GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNSEL MCKENNA LAW.
I GET A SECOND COUNCILMAN JONES BECAUSE A MOVEMENT SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 7, 0 5, 0 AS RED.
UH, WE READ IT FOR QUESTIONING.
WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED NAY AYES HAVING.
SO HIS HONOR, WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 7 0 5 0.
[VIII. B. 3. P. O. No. 7051 — An Ordinance Of The City Council Of The City Of Port Arthur Disannexing 39. 73 Acre Tract Of Land Located Near West Port Arthur Road And Brai Drive In The Corporate Boundaries Of The City Of Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas; Providing For The Following: Findings Of Fact, Effective Date, Filing, Severability, And Property Notice & Meeting]
NUMBER 7 0 5 1 IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ALL THE, THIS AMEX SCENE, 39 POINT 73 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED NEAR WEST PORT OFF THE ROAD AND BRI BRI DRIVE IN THE CORPORATE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS PROVIDED FOR THE FOLLOWING FIND IN EFFECT EFFECTIVE.THEY FILED IN SEVERABILITY AND PROPERTY NOTICE AND MEETING MAY GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
MAYOR PRO TEM MAY GET A SECOND COUNCIL WOMAN.
UH, MOSES HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 7, 0 5.
UH, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTION ON ANY QUESTIONS.
WE RENTED A BOAT ALL IN FAVOR AND THEY'LL POSES AS HABITS SORTED AS AUDIT.
NEXT, WE WILL MOVE TO PO NUMBER
[VIII. B. 4. P. O. No. 7054— An Ordinance Extending The Declaration Of Disaster Pursuant To § 418. 108( b) Of The Texas Government Code]
7 0 5 4.IT'S AN ORDINANCE EXTENDING THE DECLARATION OF DISASTER PURSUANT TO FOUR 18.1087 SECTION B
[02:50:01]
OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, A REGULAR MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF A MARX MAY GET A SECOND.COUNCILMAN KEN LAW HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 7, 0 5, 4 AS READ.
READY FOR QUESTION? THERE AREN'T ANY, WE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSES AS EVIDENCE, WHAT IS AUDIT 7 0 5 4 WOULD BE ACCEPTED AS READ.
[IX. * CLOSED MEETING ( EXECUTIVE SESSION)]
ARE NOW READY TO RECESS AND MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF, UH, SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.101 OF THE, UH, CHAPTER 5, 5, 1 OPEN MEETINGS LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE FORMALLY ARTICLE 62 52 DASH 17, SECTION TWO, SUBSECTION EIGHT.PRIOR TO GOING INTO THE MEETING, I BEING THE, UH, PRESIDING OFFICER OF THIS OPEN MEETING MUST MAKE THIS FOLLOWING ALL THE FOLLOWING.
RATHER SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.071 WOULD BE COVERED UP THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS AND RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM A CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING POTENTIAL AND OUR PENDING LITIGATION AND OTHER LEGAL MATTERS INVOLVING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
UH, SECONDLY, 5, 5, 1 0.072 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS A DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE THAT'S CHANGED AT LEAST OUR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
ALSO DISCUSS SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.074 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY MANAGERS, CITY ATTORNEY, THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY SECRETARY.
THEN WE WILL HAVE SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.087 DISCUSSED OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
AND WE WOULD DEAL WITH ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PROSPECTS, A PORT CITY PARTNERS, MORE PARTICULARLY.
AND, UH, WE WOULD DISCUSS, UH, SECTION 5.1 0.08 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR OUR COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL AND OUR INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PROSPECTS.
AND IF ANY ITEM IN THAT SESSION WOULD NEED TO BE ACTED UPON, WE WERE ACTIVE ON IT WHEN WE RETURNED TO OPEN SESSION FOLLOWING THE CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO AT THIS POINT WE WILL RECESS DOWNSTAIRS TO THE, UH, CHAMBER, UH, ACCOUNTS COUNCIL.
IS YOUR LAST REGULAR MEETING? OKAY, WE READY? OKAY.
UM, CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU REESTABLISH THE QUORUM BLEAK MAYOR PRO TEM FRANK COUNCIL MEMBER HOMES, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER, KEN LAW COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES.
I THINK IT'S ONE ITEM OR MAYBE TWO AS REQUIRING ACTION.
YOU HAVE THE MOTION, UH, CITY I'LL READ THE TERMS OF THE MOTION.
UM, AND THIS IS A MOTION TO PROVIDE FOR A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING BETWEEN THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR THE, UM, FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
AND IT WILL BE A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING, AND WE WILL PUT THE PROPER PROTOCOL PROTOCOL IN PLACE THAT THE COUNCIL HAS DETERMINED.
WE WILL HAVE PUBLICATIONS IN BOTH THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER, BEAUMONT NEWSPAPER, AND, UH, WE WILL DO A WIDESPREAD NOTIFICATION.
THE, UH, NOTICE OF HEARING WILL BE PLACED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
IT CITY HALL, THE LIBRARY, AND NOTIFIED TO ALL TAXING ENTITIES AS WELL.
BUT THIS IS FOR A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING WITH THE NOTICE AS JUST BEEN PRESCRIBED.
AND THAT WILL BE FOR MAY 24TH AND THE NOTICES WE'LL BE RUNNING THE BOAT, THE PAPERS, UH, THREE WEEKS AS, AS WELL AS, UM, SIGNIFICANT, UH, NOTICE, UH, TO THE MEDIA AND OTHER ENTITIES.
THEY'RE VERY LONG MOTION JOINT HEARING ON MAY 24.
SO, UH, MAY I GET A MOTION WITH THE NOTICE? I GOT A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THAT.
UH, MAY I APPROACH HIM? I GET A SECOND.
THAT WE WOULD, UH, ACT ON THE MOTION ON, ON, ON THE STATEMENT THAT THE CITY SECRETARY JUST MADE ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 22ND, 2020
[02:55:02]
MAY 24.THE EYES, HABIT MOTION FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THE BIG ONE IS.
IT'S A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE WILL HAVE WITH THE P UH, PLANNING AND ZONING AND THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL ON THE 24TH OF MAY.
UH, NOTHING ELSE ON THAT MOVEMENT ON, ON THE STREET DEAL OR WHATEVER WE DON'T, WE DON'T NO ACTION ON THAT.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR A GERMAN, A COUNSELOR MONKS.
CAN I GET A SECOND COUNSEL MCKENNA LAW.
SO WE WOULD HAVE, EXCUSE ME, WE WOULD DISMISS THE MEETING.
ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSES AS EPISODES ORDER THE MEETING IS NOW ENDED.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESIDENT PARTICIPATION.