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UH, THANK YOU, UH, AUDIENCE OUT THERE AND MEDIA LAND.
WE'RE ABOUT TO START THIS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE DOWNTOWN TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE TURF.
NUMBER ONE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
UH, THIS MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO DISCUSS AND ADAPT SUCH ORDERS.
RESOLUTIONS ARE MOTIONS, AND DID IT TAKE DIRECT AND INDIRECT ACTIONS AS IT MAY BE NECESSARY.
CONVENIENCE AS DESIRABLE WITH THE RESPECT TO THE FOLLOWING MATTERS.
[1. Establishment of quorum and call to order.]
THING WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THIS AGENDA IS PLANNING IN ORDER.UH, CAN WE ESTABLISH A QUORUM, MADAM, UH, ATTORNEY PLEASE? YES, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE ROLE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS KEN LAW, THE THIRD IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, THE CHAIRMAN COUNCIL MEMBER, CHARLOTTE, MOSES CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HERE, MAYOR THURMAN BHARTI CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, COMMISSIONER COUNTY COMMISSIONER MICHAEL SHANE SINEGAL JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMISSIONER JEFFERSON COUNTY DRAINAGE, DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN, JAMES GAMBLE, COMMISSIONER SABINE NATURE'S NAVIGATION DISTRICT, JOSEPH JOHNSON HERE.
UH, YOU HAVE A CORN, MR. CHAIRMAN.
[2. Approval of Minutes from the previous TIRZ Board Meeting held on October 14, 2021.]
UH, NEXT, CAN I GET A MOTION SO WE CAN APPROVE THE TURF BOARD MEETING? OUR LAST MEETING, WHICH WAS OCTOBER 14TH, 2021.MAY I HAVE A MOTION? THANK YOU.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? IT WAS MOTION.
AND SECOND THAT WE APPROVED THE MINUTE MINUTES, OCTOBER THE 14, 20 21.
ANY QUESTIONS? IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, I'LL NOW CALL FOR A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE, THOSE OPPOSED THE AYES HAVE IT NEXT.
[3. Discussion regarding the status of the Downtown TIRZ# 1 Project and Financing Plan.]
A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE DOWNTOWN TERJE NUMBER ONE PROJECT AND FINANCIAL PLAN ATTORNEY.HELLO, I WAS, UM, GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JUST KIND OF REVAMPED, UM, AND GIVE A LITTLE HISTORY.
OF COURSE, THE TERS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2013 AND CERTAIN AMENDMENTS WERE MADE IN 2019, UM, WHERE WE AMENDED THE PROJECT PLAN AND FINANCE PLAN.
UH, ATTORNEY PER TILE IS HERE WITH AUSTIN AND OLSON.
UH, WE WENT THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS AND INCORPORATED NEW CHANGES BECAUSE OF A PROPOSED PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, AS A RESULT, WE HAVE A NEW HEAD.
WE DECIDED UPON A NEW ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR THE TERM ZONE AT APPROXIMATELY, UM, THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY IT'D BE ABOUT $16 MILLION OVER TIME AND UPGRADES.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE AMENDED PLAN WHEN WE LAST LEFT OFF IS THAT WE WERE WORKING TOWARD GETTING PROJECTS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR THINGS SUCH AS RETAIL SERVICES AND THINGS THAT WILL, UM, INCREASE AD VALOREM TAX VALUES IN THE ZONE.
AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT UPGRADING AND HAVING A POSSIBLE RESIDENCY IN THE ZONE.
UM, JUST ANOTHER LITTLE SHORT RECAP OF WHERE WE'VE COME FROM IS THAT WE WERE LOOKING TO HAVE NEW DEVELOPMENT WHERE THAT WILL ENHANCE AND FACILITATE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL, UM, ACTIVITY IN THE CITY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO HAPPY THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME EXPANSION OF LOCAL PETROCHEMICAL ACTIVITIES IN WHICH WILL ALSO HELP THE ECONOMIC BASE.
WE LOOKED AT PROJECT COSTS AND NON PROJECT COSTS, UM, AND, UH, THAT THEY WILL INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE NON PROJECT COSTS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING FOR THE TERS WOULD BE PRIVATE INVESTED INVESTMENT THAT IS INTENSIVE PAINTED IN OUR FINANCING PLAN.
AND WE USE THAT TO FORECAST FUTURE VALUE.
UM, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PLANS FOR BASICALLY INDUSTRIAL RETAIL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE AMENDED IN THE PLAN WAS TO, UH, TO HAVE COSTS PUT IN FOR UPGRADES AND REIMBURSEMENT.
ONE OF THE MAIN PLANS IS ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE WANT TO EMPLOY, UM, EXPAND THE WATER, SEWER DRAINAGE AND PAVING AND MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, IN OUR PLAN, WE'VE UPGRADED THAT WE WANT TO HAVE STREETSCAPING GATEWAYS, WE'RE MAKING SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK.
THERE'S A SMALL PARK DOWNTOWN, UM, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PAVILION WHERE THEY'RE STILL MAKING IMPROVEMENTS AND THEY PUT SHADING AND, UH, IN SPANNING THE AREAS OF WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE IT.
AT SOME POINT WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING BETTER LIGHTING, WALKING AREAS, TRAFFIC CONTROL, DEVICE UPGRADES, OPEN SPACE IMPROVEMENTS.
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WE'VE DISCUSSED HAVING A FOUNTAIN PAWNS, WALKING PATHS, BICYCLE PATHS.WE'RE GOING TO BE ALSO JUST VERY, UM, QUICKLY LOOKING AT DOING SOME DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS.
AND WE ALSO ADDED FUNDS FOR ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES MARKETING AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO UPGRADE THE AREA.
UM, WE, WE, WE UPGRADED OUR FINANCING PLAN AND THAT WAS APPROVED.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT WE GOT OUR FINANCING PLAN APPROVED AND WE ARE ALL IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMPTROLLER.
SO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST YEAR, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW WE WERE AFFECTED BY THE COVID PANDEMIC, WE ARE READY FINANCIALLY, UH, AND, AND IN GOOD SHAPE TO START MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PLAN.
UM, SO, UH, EVERYTHING IS IN GOOD STANDING WITH THE FINANCES.
UM, I MAY ASK THAT WITH MS. DANIEL, IF YOU HAD A MOMENT, UH, SHE CAN TALK ABOUT THE, UM, FINANCIAL ABOUT THE FUNDS IN THE, IN THE TERS REINVESTMENT ZONE.
AS FAR AS THE BUDGET, I KNOW WE GAVE YOU ALL A SHEET THAT HAS THE 2122 BUDGET, AND WE DO ANTICIPATE MORE FUNDS COMING INTO THE TERRORS.
SO, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AND THIS DANIEL IS AVAILABLE.
UM, MS. DAN HUGHES, UH, YOU CAN COME UP AND JUST KIND OF GIVE US AN OVERVIEW, GET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE AT AND HOW MUCH MONEY IS.
UM, I THINK THE PAGE SHE GAVE YOU WAS THE, UM, THE SHOWS, THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES THROUGH, UM, MARCH.
WE DON'T GET THE BILLING FROM THE COUNTY UNTIL THE SUMMERTIME TILL LIKE JULY, AUGUST.
SO THERE'S NOT ANY MONEY THAT'S COME IN THIS REALLY THIS YEAR BEFORE.
SO, SO FAR THE MONEY, THE REVENUE THAT YOU SEE AS A TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND, THAT'S THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS SHARE.
AND WE BOOKED THAT AS A, JUST A TRANSFER, A MONTHLY TRANSFER.
NOW, IF WHAT WE ACTUALLY HIT, UM, IF THE CITY'S BILL IS NOT THAT HIGH, WHICH I THINK THIS MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OVERESTIMATED, THAT NUMBER WILL BE REDUCED AT THE END.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE BUDGET COLUMN.
AND I THINK SOMEONE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT ONE THERE'S A NEGATIVE 23,700, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE WANT TO MOVE ALL THE MONEY.
WE CAN MOVE OVER TO CAPITAL PROJECTS TO SPEND IT.
AND YOU SEE THERE WAS BALANCES IN THE TWO PREVIOUS YEARS.
SO WE HAD MANY AVAILABLE AND IT WAS KIND OF A CATCH-UP.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO TRANSFER A LITTLE MORE THIS YEAR SO THAT WE WANT TO END UP WITH ZERO IN THE END EVERY YEAR.
AND, UH, THE REASON BEING IS WE HAVE, UH, IF YOU LOOK IN THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, WHICH I DIDN'T PROVIDE YOU HERE, BUT IT'S PART OF OUR CITY'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
WE HAVE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT, UH, ALL OF THE FUNDS FROM TERS HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO THAT AT LEAST UP UNTIL NOW, UM, FOR THE, THE THINGS THAT, UH, MISSED HIS, NO MENTIONED ROADWAY, UTILITY, STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS IN WHATEVER YOU DESIRE FOR THAT.
UH, RIGHT NOW THERE'S NOT VERY MUCH MONEY.
UH, WE THINK MAYBE THERE'LL BE UP TO $75,000 THIS YEAR AVAILABLE AND HOPEFULLY MORE GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE VALUE OF THE TERRORS, BUT IT MAY TAKE A COUPLE MORE YEARS BEFORE IT GETS ON UP THERE, BUT THAT'S WHY IT LOOKS LIKE THAT.
UH, IT'S BASICALLY A HOLDING THE TERS FUND AND AS THE MONEY COMES IN AND THE NEXT YEAR WE'LL MOVE IT OVER TO, TO CAPITAL, TO SPEND, HOWEVER YOU DESIRE.
UH, HAVE THE, HAVE THE OTHER ENTITIES OTHER THAN THE COUNTY, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT THE COUNTY WAS GOING TO TRANSFER JENNIFER.
THERE IS THAT AT THE END OF THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY SENDS US ALL OF THE BILLING INFORMATION IN THE SUMMERTIME AND WE ACTUALLY PREPARE THE BILLS AND SEND THEM OUT TO ALL THE AGENCIES.
ALL THE AGENCIES HAVE PAID WHAT THEY'VE BEEN BILLED SO FAR.
OH, ONE, ONE THING, I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS THAT, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE COULD GET FOR, UM, WHAT WE SPEND THE MONEY ON FROM THE CITY CITY SIDE THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN? CAN WE GET A REPORT SENT HERE TO THE TERROR SO THAT THE TOURIST BOARD CAN SEE WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT MONEY'S GOING? FOR INSTANCE, IF IT WAS ON SIDEWALKS, HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT GETTING THE REPORT
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THAT THEY COULD SEE THAT THAT MONEY WAS? I CAN INCLUDE THAT IN THE REPORT.I JUST, I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT TODAY, BUT, UH, I CAN INCLUDE WHAT THE EXPENSES ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S BEEN ANY EXPENSES SO FAR, BUT I, I CAN'T CONFIRM THAT BECAUSE I DIDN'T BRING THAT PART OF THE REPORT, UH, WHAT WE, WHAT WE WANT TO TRY TO DO IN THE, IN THE FUTURE.
AND I KNOW THIS IS REALLY THE FIRST MEETING WHERE WE'RE GOING TO START REALLY MOVING FORWARD IS THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MATCH UP THE FUNDS THAT WE'RE SPENDING WITH OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT PLAN, BECAUSE THAT MATCHES ALTARS PLAN AND THE, AND THE BOARD IS GOING TO NEED A REPORT WHERE THEY ARE ON THAT, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOMETHING, FOR INSTANCE, THE, THERE MAY BE, THE CITY MAY WANT A SIDEWALK AT ONE LOCATION DONE FIRST, BUT TOURIST BOARD WOULD LIKE THAT DONE SECOND.
AND THEY WON'T KNOW THAT IF THEY DON'T GET IT UNTIL, YEAH, I CAN, I CAN ADD THAT SIDE OF THE, UM, THE REPORT FOR YOU.
UH, NEXT TIME I'LL GET THAT UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES IF THERE ARE ANY.
AND IF THERE IS A SPECIFIC PROJECT, CAN YOU PUT ON THERE? WHAT PROJECT IT'S TIED TO? SURE.
I MAY HAVE THAT LET'S SEE, BECAUSE IT IS PART OF THE MAIN, UM, WELL, IF THEY REPORT THAT I DO.
YEAH, THERE HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY.
WELL, NO, NOT OUT OF THIS MONEY.
THERE HASN'T BEEN, 'CAUSE WHEN I WENT AND LOOKING AT THE SHEET, YOU KNOW, I SEE THERE'S BEEN EXTENSIVE IT'S, IT'S COMBINED ON, I'LL DO IT BY PROJECT BECAUSE IT'S COMBINED ON THE CITY SIDE, THE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION HAS COMBINED WITH THE EDA, UH, GRANT FUNDED PORTION.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S ALL LUMPED TOGETHER IN THERE, BUT I CAN BREAK IT OUT.
IF YOU CAN JUST BREAK IT OUT, FOR INSTANCE, IF IT WAS ON, LET'S SAY IT'S CALLED CATERPILLAR PROJECT OR, OR WHATEVER THAT IS MAYBE EDA MONEY, UH, TERS MONEY AND CITY MONEY, BUT THEN WHAT THE BOY WILL KNOW THAT THAT MONEY WAS SPENT ON EDA PROJECT.
AND THEN WE CAN BE ABLE TO PULL FROM STAFF TO SEE WHAT THAT PROJECT WAS SO WE CAN GIVE THEM A REPORT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. DANIELS? SO YOU'RE SAYING ACTUALLY WE WON'T GET AN ACTUAL COUNT UNTIL JULY, AUGUST TIMEFRAME.
THEY WON'T KNOW THE ACTUAL BILL AMOUNT UNTIL THEN, BUT, UM, I'LL LET YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS IT'S AVAILABLE.
UH, COACH GAMBLERS, YOU GOT ANYTHING? OKAY.
THANK YOU, MS. DANIELS, UH, ATTORNEY, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM? NO.
UM, OTHER THAN, LIKE I SAID, WITH REGARD TO THE FINANCING PLAN, IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDS THAT IT WOULD BE COMING IN, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS UP TO DATE WITH THE COMPTROLLER.
I JUST WANTED TO, SO ANY PROJECTS WE HAVE, WE'RE IN GOOD STANDING WITH THEM.
[4. A discussion and possible action regarding future TIRZ development projects.]
NUMBER FOUR, I DISCUSSED AN IMPOSSIBLE ACCIDENT REGARDING FUTURE TARIFFS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, ATTORNEY.SO I GUESS THIS POINT, UM, AND, UH, FEEL FREE MR. PATEL OR ANYONE TO CHIME IN.
WE WANTED TO JUST KIND OF HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WANT, WHERE WE'RE GOING FROM HERE, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR.
WE KNOW THAT THERE WAS A, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND WE KNOW THAT THE CITY IS MOVING FORWARD WITH SOME THINGS WITH THE EDA.
UH, THE EDC HAS THE NEW BUILDING DOWNTOWN AS WELL, BUT, UM, I GUESS WE WANTED TO JUST USE THIS TIME TO TALK ABOUT ANY IDEAS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND THEN WE MAY HAVE ONE ITEM OF POSSIBLE INCENTIVE TO TALK ABOUT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT JUST IDEAS ABOUT WHAT'S COMING, WHAT WE WANT TO SEE, COME IN IN ANYTHING WE'D LIKE TO MAYBE CONSIDER INCENTIVES FOR.
BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE'RE ALL EVERYTHING'S IN ORDER FOR US TO START, YOU KNOW, MAKING OUR NEXT PLAN.
ONE THING IF I MAY MISS MR. CHAIR, IS THAT, UH, LIKE FOR THE, UH, FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO, IF THEY CAN START LOOKING AT, AT THEIR ENTITY TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF PROJECTS OR THINGS THAT YOU HAVE GOING ON IN DOWNTOWN OR IN THAT, IN THE DISTRICT THAT, THAT WE MAY COULD PARTNER ON.
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BECAUSE PART OF, PART OF WHAT I DON'T THINK WE THINK ENOUGH ABOUT IS WITH OUR PARTNERS THERE.IF YOU GUYS GOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON DOWN THERE, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING WITH YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PEOPLE, THERE ARE SOME, SOME INCENTIVES BY BEING IN THE TERRORS THAT YOU WOULDN'T ORDINARILY ORDINARILY GET.
FOR INSTANCE, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO, TO, UH, PURCHASING LAND OR, OR DOING THINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THE LAND PURCHASING RULES DO NOT APPLY TO A TERM PROJECT.
SO, SO FOR INSTANCE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAD TO BID IT OR, OR DO THOSE THINGS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT IF IT IS A TOURIST PROJECT.
SO IF, WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR ENTITY AND THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING DOWN DOWNTOWN, TELL THEM NOT TO FORGET, TO, TO TALK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE SOME INCENTIVES THAT THEY CAN GET FROM BEING IN THE TERRORIST.
AND SO, SO THERE, AND THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF TYPE OF INCENTIVES YOU CAN GET IN THE TOURIST, EVEN SOME OF THEM THAT, THAT HAVE, HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UH, WITH WATER AND SEWER AND, AND EVEN, EVEN ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF THAT BY BEING IN A UTTERS, YOU GET SOME ADVANTAGES THAT YOU WOULDN'T GET OTHERWISE.
AND SO, SO JUST START, START THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU HAVE A PROJECT AND YOU'RE GOING THROUGH GOING THROUGH YOUR AGENDA, YOU'RE GOING THROUGH IT.
AND IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE DOWNTOWN IN TOURIST AREA AND JUST, JUST GET WITH YOUR STAFF AND SAY, HEY, IS THERE ANY ADVANTAGE FOR THAT FOR THE DEVELOPER OR FOR ANYBODY, IF THIS IS LOCATED IN THE TERRORIST, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE ADVANTAGES THAT THAT'LL HELP INCENTIVIZE BRINGING A, MAKING THEM PUT MORE INVESTMENT IN OR BRINGING SOMETHING THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK ABOUT BRINGING IT TO DOWNTOWN.
I HAD A QUESTION REALLY FOR YOU.
AND IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT KIND OF POPPED IN MIND.
AND I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS HAVE, UH, YOU HAVE THE, YOUR, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF ASK YOU, CAUSE YOU KIND OF EXPERT IN THIS AREA.
WE ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE WANTING TO HAVE FESTIVALS DOWNTOWN.
UM, THEY THEY'RE REALLY CONSTANTLY COME AND DOING THINGS UNDER THE PAVILION, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO ASSIST WITH THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THOSE FOLKS WHO WOULD WANT TO HAVE A WHATEVER TYPE OF FESTIVAL THEY'LL ASK FOR ASSISTANCE AND WE'VE USUALLY TOLD THEM NO, AND YEAH, BUT, BUT NOT WITH, NOT WITH THE TERRORIST, BUT, BUT YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO THAT WITH, WITH BOTH YOUR W BOTH YOUR HOT FUNDS AND YOUR REGULAR EDC EDC FUNDS.
IT'S KIND OF HARD WITH, WITH, WITH THE TERS, BECAUSE THE TURNS IS BASICALLY DESIGNED AS A FUND TO PUT STUFF ON THE GROUND.
YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT FOR PARTIES, IT'S NORMALLY DESIGNED TO PUT STUFF ON THE GROUND IN THOSE FESTIVALS.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, THAT'S WHY EVEN THE HOT FUNDS IS LIMITED TO LIKE 15% FOR, FOR PARTIES, BUT YOU CAN DO GENERAL FUND.
UH, YOU CAN USE THAT MONEY, BUT FOR THE, FOR THE TERS NORMALLY YOU, YOU WANT TO DO YOU WANT TO DO BRICKS AND MORTAR ON TURF, BRICKS, MOTOR, AND JOBS FOR, FOR THE TOURISTS.
SO WITH THAT I KNOW, AND MISS PAM IS MS. LANGFORD ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER SAID WE OFTEN HAVE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF INQUIRIES ABOUT LIKE MAYBE IMPROVING THE STAGE.
UH, THAT'S ALREADY EXISTING, LIKE MAYBE SOME OF THE THINGS UNDER THAT IT MIGHT HELP.
WE KIND OF HAVE A LITTLE ROLLOUT STAGE WITH THOSE.
IF WE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE, TO THE ACTUAL, UH, FACILITY THERE, EW, EW.
YOU COULD USE USE TERS MONEY FOR THAT THAT'S THAT FACILITY IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE, IN THE, IN THE TERRORIST.
BUT, BUT NORMALLY THAT'S NOT WHAT THAT FUNDING, THAT, THAT TYPE OF FUNDING IT'S NORMALLY GOING TO BE FROM GENERAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDS OR FROM, OR FROM YOUR HOT FUNDS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT USED REALLY FOR JOBS OR BRICKS AND MORTAR.
SO NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T USE IT FOR THAT.
THAT'S JUST NOT, NOT, NOT THE NORMAL, THAT'S A COMMON QUESTION THAT COMES UP TO ME.
LIKE, ESPECIALLY AS THE SPRING AND SUMMER.
AND I JUST WAS WONDERING, BECAUSE WITH ANY KIND OF, YEAH.
WHAT I ADVISE, WHAT I ADVISE BOARDS LIKE THIS TOO, TO LOOK AT AND SEE, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME THAT YOU'RE SEEKING WITH WITH THE FUNDS YOU DON'T NORMALLY POUR A TURN? SO THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME IS EITHER EITHER JOBS OR BRICKS AND MORTAR, NOT, NOT PARTIES, BECAUSE CAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU'RE YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING, TAKING THESE, THESE TAX DOLLARS FROM THIS, FROM THESE ENTITIES HERE THAT HAD BEEN USING, SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR INSIDE, INSIDE THAT, INSIDE THAT AREA.
AND SO THAT'S NORMALLY WHAT PARTIES, PARTIES ARE NOT FOR THAT AREA.
PARTIES ARE TO BRING PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE, INSIDE.
SO HOT TAX WOULD BE SOMETHING PEOPLE HAVE KIND OF COMPLAINED ABOUT.
I WISH WE HAD A BETTER STAGE OR BETTER
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BUT THAT'S TO BRING PEOPLE FROM THE OUTSIDE, YOU BRING IN TOURISTS IN AND DO THAT.BUT, BUT INSIDE, INSIDE YOUR DIFFERENCE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE, DO AN AMPHITHEATER, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD SAY, OH, WELL, YOU DO THAT IN YOUR AND YOUR, AND YOUR TERRORIST MONEY.
MOST PEOPLE WON'T DO THAT BECAUSE WHAT GOOD IS THAT AMPHITHEATER GOING TO DO FROM A TAX BASIS? WHAT, WHAT DOES IT HELP WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR TAX? CAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOUR MONEY COMES FROM IN THE TERMS IS INCREASING THE TAX VALUE TO DO MONEY, TO DO THINGS THAT ARE LONG-TERM AS OPPOSED TO DOING WHAT I CALL JUST PARTIES.
SO YOU USE HOT FUNDS FOR PARTIES.
SO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IDEAS THAT SOMETHING THAT WILL GROW, GROW IN VALUE, EITHER JOBS ARE BRICKS AND MORTAR BECAUSE WHEN YOU GOT BRICKS AND MORTAR, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU PUT THAT BUILDING UP THERE, EVEN IF IT'S EMPTY, NO PEOPLE IN IT IT'S GONE.
IT HAS VALUE BECAUSE IT INCREASES THE TAXABLE VALUE IN THE TOURIST, WHICH IS WHAT WE LIVE ON.
IF YOU, IF YOU PUT PEOPLE IN A BUILDING THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO KEEP THAT, THAT BRICK AND MORTAR GOING.
SO THAT'S WHAT OUR GOAL IS, IS BRICKS AND MORTAR AND JOBS.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT TURNS IS FOR BRICKS AND MORTAR AND BRINGING JOBS INTO THE INDIA.
I MEAN, TO THE, UH, GROUP FOR IF THEY HAD ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OR ANY IDEAS THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT.
OKAY, WELL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
UM, UH, ART, WHERE DOES THE AESTHETICS COME INTO PLAY WITH THE TERRORIST? THAT'S THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF IT.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU DO WITH THAT BRICKS AND MORTAR TO MAKE IT LOOK, MAKE IT LOOK BETTER, WHICH MAKES, MAKES IT VALUABLE BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT IF YOU TAKE A, TAKE AN AREA, THAT'S, THAT'S THE LAP OF DATA.
LIKE SOME OF THIS AREA YOU GO IN AND YOU, YOU REDO IT, WHETHER YOU DO IT WITH FACADES OR WHATEVER, WHAT'S THE PRINCIPAL DISTRICT GONNA DO.
THEY GONNA TAKE IT UP WHEN THEY TAKE IT UP, THAT PUTS MORE MONEY IN OUR, IN OUR COFFERS.
SO, SO DOING THE STANDING STUFF, UH, FACADE, THEATER, PAINTING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, MAKING IT LOOK BETTER IN THIS, TH THOSE, THOSE ARE GREAT USES OF THE MONEY, BECAUSE WHAT, ANYTHING THAT WILL INCREASE THE TAXABLE VALUE OF A PROPERTY, THOSE ARE GREAT USES BECAUSE THE MORE THE TAXABLE VALUE GOES UP, THE MORE YOU, WE GET MONEY IN ORDER TO DO OTHER THINGS.
SO LIKE, UM, PLANTING PALM TREES.
AND WE, WE DO, WE STILL HAVE THE, UH, BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE.
HOW COULD THAT TIE IN? UH, I THINK WHEN YOU GET LIKE PALM TREES AND LANDSCAPING, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, THEY DON'T, THAT'S NOT MUCH THAT'S, THAT'S NOT MUCH WHEN YOU, YOU STARTED TAKING YOU, YOU, YOU TAKE THE OLD, OLD BUILDING AND IT'S STILL EMPTY, BUT YOU GO IN AND YOU PUT, PUT ASIDE ON IT, WHERE, WHERE IT LOOKS, IT LOOKS NICE.
THEY'RE GOING TO INCREASE THE VALUE OF THAT, OF THAT BUILDING, WHICH IS GOING TO GO UP.
IF YOU PUT 14 PALM TREES OUT THERE AND SEND SOME NICE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, STUFF OUT THERE, IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.
SO YOU'RE TALKING MORE LIKE COBBLESTONE STREETS.
YOU'RE TALKING MORE LIKE SOLAR POWERED LIGHTING.
UM, YOU'RE TALKING MAYBE POSSIBLE EVA, UH, STATIONS, UM, THAT KIND OF A THING.
ANYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, IT'S GOING TO ADD AND ADD VALUE BECAUSE WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR, OUR JOB IS TO DO IS THIS BOARD IS TO, IS TO DO THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO ADD VALUE IN THIS, IN THIS TERMS AT TAXABLE VALUE, WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE CAN DO THAT CAN ADD TAXABLE VALUE, INCREASE THE TAXABLE VALUE OF THE PROPERTIES IN THIS AREA.
AND THE MORE WE CAN INCREASE THE PROPERTY VALUE IN THIS AREA, THE MORE WE CAN DO IN THIS AREA.
AND SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT OUR GOAL IS.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE GOING TO GET PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO SELL.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A REAL GREAT DEAL.
YOU'LL GET A NONPROFIT, WANT TO COME IN, WILL BE GREAT FOR THE CITY AND ALL THAT.
YES, IT BE GREAT FOR THE CITY AND THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, RIGHT.
IT WON'T BE GREAT FOR THE CITY AND THE TERRORS, NO MATTER HOW BEAUTIFUL IT'S GOING TO BE, BUT IT'S GOING TO SIT THERE AND BE AN NON-TAXABLE BUILDING.
AND SO, SO THAT, THAT DOESN'T HELP THE TERS.
AND OUR GENERAL GOAL IS TO HELP THE CITY.
BUT WHEN YOU, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH POCKET YOU WANT TO TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF.
AND THE POCKET FROM THE CITY POCKET THAT THIS MONEY SHOULD COME FROM IS FROM THE POCKET.
THAT'S GOING TO GENERATE MORE MONEY AND MORE MONEY WITH EITHER JOBS OR WITH BUILDINGS, NOT WITH, NOT WITH THOSE TYPES OF SUPERFICIAL THINGS.
CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE TERM, THE TURNS IS YOUR TOOL.
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CAN TAKE AN AREA AND YOU CAN CONCENTRATE ON DEVELOPING THAT AREA.SO THE FACADES THAT YOU, EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY.
SO THE FACADES THAT YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, PUTTING ON BUILDINGS WITH THE CITY HAVE TO OWN IT, OR DO PRIVATE OWNERS PARTNER WITH CITY PRIVATE, OR DO YOU WANT THE PRIVATE OWNERS, EVEN THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE DONE A, UH, WE, WE DO A GRANT AND IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE CITY MONEY, DO A THREE 80 DEGREE.
WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO OWN IT BECAUSE WHEN THEY OWN IT, IT INCREASES THEIR VALUE, WHICH INCREASES OUR MONEY.
UM, LET ME COACH, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE GOLF COURSE WE HAVE HERE.
UH, IT'S BEEN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD DYSFUNCTION ALL, UH, UH, IT HASN'T REALLY BEEN USED IN QUITE A WHILE.
UH, COULD THAT IN SOME WAY, FIT IN TO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO CAUSE WE, NO, SIR.
NO, BECAUSE IT, AND UNLESS YOU HAD INSIDE THE TERMS, YOU HAD ONE OF THE MAJOR TOURS OR SOMETHING HERE THAT WOULD GENERATE SOME, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO GOLF COURSE.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, UH, COMMISSIONING A GOLF COURSE IS A QUALITY OF LIFE.
UH, AMENITY GOLF COURSES ARE MONEY, LOSERS, PERIOD.
JUST NO IFS, NO ANDS, NO BUTS.
NOBODY MAKES MONEY ON A, ON A GOLF COURSE, OTHER THAN THE CONTRACTOR THAT THE CD'S ENDED UP HIRING BECAUSE IT, THE ONLY PEOPLE MAKE, MAKE MONEY ON IT BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO WANT, THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE FREE WATER.
AND SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT MONEY THAT YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD NORMALLY TELL THEY'RE GONE.
THEN YOU GOT TO HAVE THE MAINTENANCE ON IT.
AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE ENOUGH TO COVER THAT.
AND SO A GOLF COURSE IS ABOUT LIKE A GOLF COURSE IS A KIN TO ELABORATE.
MOST, MOST CITIES WON'T WANT, GOTTA HAVE ONE BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
DOES IT IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE IF YOU A GOLFING CITY? YES, IT DOES.
SO, SO YOU WOULDN'T USE LIKE THERESE MONEY ON THAT.
IF YOU WOULD USE GENERAL FUND MONEY, YOU WANT TO, UH, INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
YES, BUT, BUT THAT'S NOT, THEY DO NOT MAKE MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES DO NOT MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CHARGE WHAT PEOPLE WOULD COME.
AND WHEN YOU GET THESE PRIVATE GOLF COURSES OUT THERE, THEY CAN, THEY CAN CHARGE YOU, YOU KNOW, $400 A ROW.
YOU CAN'T GO TO A CITY GOLF COURSE, AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PAY $400 AROUND FOR AROUND THE GOLF.
I SPAWNED MY CURIOSITY ON THIS ONE, ART IN TERMS OF, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UM, SCHOOL ENTITIES THAT MIGHT BE IN THE TERM ZONE.
I'M JUST ASKING, WOULD THEY BE OR NOT? YOU DON'T WANT THEM IN THERE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PUT OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT THEM IN THERE BECAUSE THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T ADD ANY, ANY TAXABLE VALUE UNDERSTOOD.
YOU DON'T WANT, YOU DON'T WANT THEM.
EVEN, EVEN IF WE GOT A GREAT BUILDING, WE WANT TO MOVE DOWNTOWN CITY, WANT TO REDO THIS BUILDING DOWN DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOOD.
BUT, BUT YOU DON'T WANNA, YOU DON'T WANT TO USE TURNS, TURNS FONTS TO DO IT BECAUSE, UH, IT DOESN'T ADD ANYTHING.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU CAN'T DO IT.
YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN DO IT, BUT IT'S NOT WISE TO DO IT BECAUSE, BECAUSE WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU WANT IS YOU WANT THE, THE TAX BASE TO PAY FOR THAT.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU COULD DO, YOU COULD DO SCHOOLS AND YOU CAN DO THAT.
AND EVEN WHEN, WHEN SCHOOLS CAME, PARTICIPATE IN THAT, YOU CAN STILL DO THEM.
STATUTORY STILL ALLOWS YOU TO DO THAT.
BUT WHY WOULD YOU, BECAUSE IT'S A NON TAX, NON TAXABLE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYTHING, ANYTHING OFF OF, WHY WOULD YOU BUILD A NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDING USING THIS? NOW YOU COULD, BUT WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? BECAUSE IT, IT DOESN'T HELP YOU.
AND WHAT THAT DOES, IT, IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE MONEY THAT YOU COULD USE TO INCENTIVIZE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT OR FOR YOU TO DO DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE YOUR PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE TERM IS, IS, IS, IS DESIGNED FOR.
THAT'S WHY IT'S ITS NAME IS REINVESTMENT ZONE FOR YOU TO REINVEST THAT MONEY, THE MONEY YOU BRING IN YOU REINVESTED IN THAT SAME ZONE TO HELP RAISE THAT ZONE.
AS OPPOSED TO A, LET'S SAY A MATH, A NASEUM, THAT'S A FRANCHISE
[00:30:01]
TUTORIAL TYPE OF BUSINESS.THAT ONCE YOU BRING THAT IN, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD ALSO BE ON THE EDUCATIONAL SIDE OR, UM, A MONTESSORI SCHOOL THAT THAT'S PRIVATIZED.
THOSE ARE THOSE THAT ARE TAXABLE.
THOSE, THOSE THINGS, THOSE, UH, THINGS THAT PLAY THAT PAY AVALARA TAX.
AND EVEN IF, AND YOU DON'T MIND A, A NON NONPROFIT, IF THE NONPROFIT DOESN'T OWN THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, YOU BRING IN A NONPROFIT, BUT, BUT THAT BUILDING IS OWNED BY SOMEBODY THAT'S PAYING AVALARA TAXES.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN PUT A THOUSAND NONPROFIT ENTITIES IN THERE AND WE'RE GOING TO CLAP FOR YOU, BUT WE DON'T WANT THEM.
WE DON'T WANT ONE OF THOSE ENTITIES TO BUY THAT BUILDING.
UH, BUT LISTENING TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, UH, IT, THAT WE ARE LIMITED.
WE ARE LIMITED IN WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE ANTICIPATE AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO, UH, AFTER LISTENING TO YOU DISQUALIFIED THIS AND DISQUALIFIED THAT YEAH.
UH, I'M KINDA AT A LOSS HOPE OF, UH, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO REALLY? I MEAN, YOU, YOU HAVE NAMED SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD DO, BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE IT'S ENOUGH HERE IN THE AREA THAT WE ARE, WE ARE CONCENTRATED IN.
OH, WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE WE, WE, WE, WE HAVE SUCH A LOW PROPERTY TAX VALUE RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE NOT OUR, OUR, OUR TAX VALUE OF OUR PROPERTY IS, IS LOW.
IT, WHEN WE, WHEN WE GET IT UPWARD, WHERE IT SHOULD BE, THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS, THINGS YOU CAN DO.
I MEAN, AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO WITH THE, AS A, AS A DISTRICT WHERE, WHERE YOU BRING IN, BRING IN YOUR, YOUR SUPPLIERS, YOUR, YOUR COMPANIES, THOSE PEOPLE THAT YOU DO, YOU DO BUSINESS WITH.
YOU INCENTIVIZE THEM TO LOCATE HERE, AND YOU CAN USE MONEY THAT YOU WOULDN'T ORDINARILY HAVE TO HAVE THEM TO LOCATE HERE.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO TAX THEM AND ABLE TO OFFER THEM SOME DEALS WHEN THEY WANT TO MOVE HERE.
LET'S SAY THEY, ONE OF YOUR MAJOR SUPPLIERS FROM WHEN YOUR DISTRICT THEY'RE LOOKING AT A PLACE, WELL, WHY DON'T Y'ALL LOOK AT LOOKING AT PORT ARTHUR? WELL, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T FIT OUR, OUR, OUR SHEET.
WELL, HEY, WE CAN, WE CAN DO SOME THINGS HERE.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO LOCATE HERE, DOWNTOWN, LOCATE YOUR PEOPLE, DOWNTOWN, THIS BUILDING RIGHT HERE, WE CAN GIVE YOU TAX ABATEMENTS.
WE CAN DO THINGS LIKE THAT FOR YOU TO LOCATE HERE.
NOW, WHEN THEY LOCATE THAT BUILDING HERE, THAT INCREASES THE TAXABLE VALUE FOR US.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO.
SO THERE IS A WAY TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE MONEY.
AND THE WAY WE HAVE TO HAVE THE MONEY IS BY INCREASING THE TAXABLE VALUE, INCREASING THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN.
AND IF WE DON'T DO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO BE A DONUT HOLE.
EVERY, ALL THE EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE ALL THE DEVELOPMENT'S GOING TO BE OUTSIDE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO DO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ME TALKING TO YOU GUYS AS COMMISSIONERS, THAT, THAT, THAT YOU CAN HELP BECAUSE YOU HAVE ENTITIES THAT, THAT YOU DO BUSINESS WITH.
YOU HAVE ENTITIES THAT Y'ALL DO BUSINESS WITH THAT ARE SAY, THEY'RE IN PORT ARTHUR, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN PORT ARTHUR PROPER, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY'RE IN THE GENERAL AREA AND TRY TO TRY TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT, HEY, WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVE CAN WE GET TO GET YOU TO MOVE IN ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS DOWN HERE? WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO, FOR US TO LOCATE YOU DOWN HERE? WHERE YOUR, WHERE YOU RIGHT HERE, UH, ON THIS, ON THIS BEAUTIFUL PORT RIGHT HERE.
I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT YOU, YOU LOOK OUT HERE AND YOU SEE WHAT THE VIEW IS.
AND, AND PEOPLE GOING UP THROUGH HERE, HOW DO WE NOT HELP BUSINESSES THERE? I MEAN, HOW, HOW DO WE NOT HAVE, HOW LOCALLY, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE NOT HAVE INDUSTRY IN AND OUT, IN AND OUT THIS AREA RIGHT HERE, WHEN THEY'RE GOING UP THERE TO BEAUMONT, HOW DO WE NOT HAVE THAT? AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS CAN, CAN HELP ON THAT.
BECAUSE YOU GUYS Y'ALL ARE IN THAT BUSINESS.
YOU GOT COMPANIES THAT DIDN'T HAVE BEEN, WHY ARE THEY GOING UP THERE TO BEAUMONT WHEN THEY CAN BE RIGHT HERE WHILE THEY, WHILE THEY FURTHER DOWN THERE, WHEN THEY COULD BE RIGHT HERE.
AND WHEN THEY LOCATE LOCATE RIGHT HERE, WE GET THE TAX DOLLARS OFF THEIR BUILDING.
WE GET THE TEXTILES OFF THEIR, OFF THEIR EQUIPMENT OFF OF, OFF OF THAT STUFF.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S
[00:35:01]
WHAT WE CAN DO.AND THAT'S, THAT'S, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO START DOING THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO SURVIVE AS A CITY, BECAUSE WE GOTTA HAVE THE INCREASED TAX VALUATION FOR US TO SURVIVE.
BECAUSE OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYBODY LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CITY AND THEN WE JUST DIE.
AND THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY THIS IS, IS, IS REAL IMPORTANT AND INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE TO LOCATE INSIDE THE CITY WITH THESE TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT WE KNOW WE DO BUSINESS WITH.
WHY AREN'T THEY LOCATING HERE INSIDE THE CITY? AND WE WANT THEM DOWNTOWN, DOWNTOWN, MOST, MOST BUSINESSES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND HISTORICALLY NICE BUSINESSES, EVEN, EVEN IN HOUSTON, WHICH HAS THE WOODLANDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE OUT THERE.
THOUSANDS OF BUILDERS, BUSINESS LOCATE, DOWNTOWN THOUSANDS, LOCATE DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO BE DOWNTOWN.
THEY GET INCENTIVES TO BE BEAT DOWNTOWN PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW IT, AND PEOPLE, PEOPLE SAY, YOU'LL GET A CITY LIKE THIS AND THEY'LL SAY, OH, NO, NO, NO, WE CAN'T.
THE HEB IS GOING TO BE OUT THERE.
WE CAN'T GET HEB ON, ON THE BLACK SIDE, BLACK SIDE OF TOWN.
WELL, WHAT YOU HAVE TO END UP DOING JUST LIKE DOWNTOWN HOUSTON AND WHAT THEY HAD TO DO OVER, OVER IN THIRD WARD AND HOUSTON, YOU, YOU GET ENOUGH PEOPLE LOCATED IN THERE.
YOU GET YOU SOME, SOME, SOME HOT DEVELOPMENT APARTMENTS THAT LOCATE RIGHT THERE.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ATB COMING.
LIKE, OKAY, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY GONNA COME FROM, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA, THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME BECAUSE YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, 37 37 PEOPLE SAYING WE WANT AN HEB OR, OR EVEN A HUNDRED PEOPLE SAYING, WE WANT TO HEB, YOU LOCATE THEM APARTMENTS DOWN HERE, THEM HOT DOLLAR APARTMENTS DOWN HERE, DOWNTOWN.
WHAT BUSINESSES ARE COMMON, WHERE YOUR COMPANIES ARE COMING WITH THEM, COMPANIES THAT YOU DO BUSINESS WITH, OR WITH THE NAVIGATION DISTRICTS ARE COMING.
THE YOUNG PEOPLE GONNA STAY IN THOSE, IN THOSE APARTMENTS, THOSE APARTMENTS, HIGH DOLLAR APARTMENTS.
THEY GOING TO TAKE ON HOW THEY GONNA HAVE HEB.
THERE'S AN ATB DOWN THE STREET FROM, FROM WHERE MY OFFICE THAT'S, THAT'S HEB AT THE BOTTOM APARTMENTS UP AT THE TOP.
THEY TOOK AN OLD BUILDING IN, IN RIGHT THERE OFF OF ALLEN PARKWAY AND HOUSTON, AND GOT AN ATB DOWN.
IT'S IT'S ON WASHINGTON STREET.
NO, IN THE WORLD, 10 YEARS AGO, ANYBODY WOULD THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE THAT WAS OLD, OLD FOURTH WARD.
THERE NOTHING THERE, PEOPLE SCARED TO WALK THERE, BUT THEY, BUT YOU, YOU REVITALIZE THAT AND YOU, YOU PUT PEOPLE THERE AND, AND ATBS COME.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT, AND IT'S NOT.
ATB IS GREAT FOR THE CITY SALES TAX AND STUFF, BUT HEB WAS WONDERFUL WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY BOUGHT THAT BIG BUILDING, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT HELPED THAT'S WHAT HELPED IN THEIR TERRORS.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, BUT I REPRESENT AN ENTITY PETS COUNTY.
SO WHAT YOU WERE THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU GAVE IN TYSON, PEOPLE THAT COME HERE TO PORT ARTHUR WHEN THEY CAN FREELY GO IN AND WHERE IN THE COUNTY, NOT IN, NOT BE PULLED OUT, BUT THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO, TO, TO, WE DO INCENTIVES, TO MAKE THEM CHOOSE THEIR CHOOSE HERE.
INSTEAD OF NITA LAND, CHOOSE HERE INSTEAD OF BOMA THAT THEY CHOOSE PORT ARTHUR.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO USE THE MONEY FROM THE TOURIST TO INCENTIVIZE THEM.
WE FIND SOMEBODY, WE COMPETE WITH THOSE COMPANIES BECAUSE FOR YOU AS A COUNTY COUNTY ENTITY, ONCE, ONCE WE GET THEM TO LOCATE HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE COUNTY MONEY.
SO WHAT THE DEAL IS IS THAT, IS THAT WHEN YOU GET THE COUNTY, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE COUNTY MONEY, WHETHER THEY LOCATE HERE OR, OR NITA LAND.
BUT, BUT WHAT, FROM THIS BOARD, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS HOW DO WE INCENTIVIZE THEM TO LOCATE HERE? AND SO WHAT DO WE DO TO GET THEM TO LOCATE LOCATE HERE, AND IT'S GOING TO HELP OVERALL THE COUNTY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, AT WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH OUR MONEY? WHAT ARE WE DOING? IF FOR INSTANCE, IF, IF YOU GUYS HEAR ABOUT, ABOUT A PROJECT, THAT'S THIS COMING, WHEN ONE OF YOUR, ONE OF YOUR ENTITIES, THEY'RE THERE, THEY'RE DOING A PROJECT AND THEY'RE NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THEY GONE LOCATE WHERE THEY GOING TO LOCATE.
YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN TAKE MONEY THAT WE WERE GOING TO PUT ON SOME SIDEWALKS AND DOING AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM, WHERE THEY LOCATE HERE INSTEAD OF NEEDING LAND OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
[00:40:01]
DOWN DOWNTOWN.NOW, NOW, SINCE MOTIVA IS IN THE SLOW RUN, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO DO THAT.
YOU TAKE THAT MONEY AND YOU MOVE THAT MONEY.
THAT'S WHY, WHAT I, WHAT I WANTED AND WHAT VAL IS GONNA HAVE YOU GUYS DO IS TO SEE WHERE THAT MONEY IS BEING SPENT, EVERY, EVERY MEETING.
SO IF SOMETHING COMES UP AND YOU SAY, WELL, WE MIGHT NOT WANT TO SPEND THAT MONEY ON THAT.
WE MAY WANT TO SPEND THIS MONEY OVER HERE TO SEE IF WE CAN PUT A BID IN, TO GET THESE PEOPLE, TO LOCATE HERE INSTEAD OF NEITHER LAND AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, CAUSE YOU WANT TO GET THEM TO BE HERE.
SO, CAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN BRING DOWNTOWN BACK TO LIFE.
AND THEN THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
MOTIVA WAS GOOD HEADSTART AND THEY WERE GONNA, THEY WERE GONNA PUT US RUNNING, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
SO THEY STILL GOT TO WORK OUT.
SO AS OF YESTERDAY, BUT THE THING, HOW DO WE MARKET? AND I THINK THAT THERESE BOARD IS A HIDDEN JUUL THAT WE HAVE, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A MARKETING PLAN.
WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THOSE INCENTIVES ARE AND HOW TO MARKET THOSE COMPANIES.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE ANYTHING, A FLYER THAT SAYS TERS TAX INCREMENT, REINVESTMENT ZONE.
SO WE'RE SITTING IN HERE AND WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE, UM, ON, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMEBODY CAN REWATCH THE REWATCH RUN, YOU KNOW, OF THE MEETING, BUT HOW DO YOU MARKET IT? AND WE NEED SOME GRAPHICS.
WE, UH, TO BE ON THE WEBSITE OF THE CITY, WE NEED TO DO LIKE THE EDC.
IF YOU GO TO THE EDCS WEBSITE, YOU CAN SEE DIRECTLY WHAT THOSE INCENTIVES ARE.
I THINK I'VE TALKED TO, UM, UH, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND OUR CITY MANAGER ABOUT MARKETING THE CITY, EVEN AS A WHOLE, BUT ON THIS BOARD, PARTICULARLY TALKING ABOUT THIS BOARD, WE NEED A MARKETING PLAN OF HOW WE CAN INVITE THOSE PEOPLE TO THE TABLE.
DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR, THAT LOOKS LIKE, HEY, THIS MIGHT BE A GREAT IDEA TO COME DOWN TO PORT ARTHUR.
I SEE THIS TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE.
THEY'RE OFFERING THAT THOSE BULLET POINTS.
WE OUTLINE A BULLET POINT AND COME UP WITH A WAY A STRATEGY TO GET US ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THE PORT, ARTHUR'S A TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, GET US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, GET US ON.
UM, UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHEREVER WE NEED TO BE TELEVISION COMMERCIALS, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
UM, DO WE HAVE THAT KIND OF A BUDGET THOUGH? UM, AND HOW DO WE LIMIT THAT BUDGET JUST TO FLY FLYER RIGHT NOW, I'LL TAKE A FLYER.
THIS, THIS IS HOW, HOW WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING TO YOU NOW BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONE, WE'RE GOING TO GET THEM TO START RUNNING.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN WALKING AND WALKING AND WALKING.
AND SO WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR GOAL IS TO DO BY THE, BY THIS NEXT MEETING FOR US TO, FOR US TO CONTACT THE, THE EDC AND CONTACT THE CITY, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT ON THOSE WEBSITES AND ON OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION REGARDING THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL BECAUSE WE'RE PART OF THE CITY.
SO THE CITY MARKETING PLAN, JUST LIKE WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE CITY PUTS OUT, PUTS OUT THAT TYPE OF, THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION ON THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE MARKETED WITH THE CITY AND THE EDC AND, AND, AND, AND WITH, WITH, WITH THE COUNTY THAT NEEDS, THAT NEEDS TO BE MARKETED.
SO THAT, SO THAT THE, AND THE EDC NEEDS TO GET OUT THERE AND ALSO SAY, HEY, WE HAVE THIS TOOL OUT HERE.
AND ONCE, ONCE WE DO THAT, WE GET THAT OUT THERE AND KNOW THAT THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND THEN WE SEE WHAT, WHAT, THAT'S NOT GETTING US ENOUGH BUS.
THEN YOU GUYS CAN SIT THERE AND SAY, WELL, WHAT DO WE COME UP WITH THAT WE THINK MAY GET US SOME BUZZ.
YOU GUYS PULL THAT, PULL THAT TOGETHER.
AND THEN YOU DECIDE BASED ON YOUR FUNDING, WHAT YOU WANT TO SPEND ON MARKETING.
RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING, BUT WE'VE BEEN ACTUALLY AS A PORT.
I THINK WE STARTED WITH THE TERMS, BUT I WASN'T ON IT.
I'VE ONLY BEEN ON IT A COUPLE OF YEARS.
MY THING IS WE HAVE, THIS IS SLOW CRAWL.
I KNOW THAT IT'S TAKING SOMETHING, BUT WE GOT TO GET ON IT.
IF WE'RE GONNA EXCEL PORT ARTHUR AND THE TERS BOARD, IT, THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
AND SO WE W WHO, WHO, WHO, HOW DO WE DETERMINE IT? WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AT LEAST GETTING A FLYER SOMEWHERE, OR AT LEAST CONNECTING WITH ADC.
WHO DOES THE WORK? WHO MAKES THE LEG WORK HAPPEN? I AM, I AM JUST, I DON'T WANT TO COME BACK TO ANOTHER MEETING AND WE'RE NOT MOVING.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO COME TO ANOTHER MEETING WITHOUT, WITH US DOING, BECAUSE WE THAT'S, WH THAT'S WHAT STAFF JOB IS, IS TO DO.
AND, AND, AND WE, WE WE'VE DECIDED WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THIS.
WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD DEPENDED, DAMMIT.
[00:45:01]
WE HAD MOTIVA, WHICH MOTIVA WAS GOING, GONNA BE THE DISPARATE, BECAUSE THEY WERE GONNA PUT STUFF DOWNTOWN.WHEN THEY PUT STUFF, PEOPLE CAN SEE TOUCH AND FEEL.
AND SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE BIG DEAL.
YOU COULD SEE TOUCH AND FEEL MOTIVA, WHEN THAT KIND OF DIED DOWN, THEN YOU HAD THE, HAD THE PANDEMIC.
IT WAS JUST LIKE, WELL, WHERE DO WE GO NOW? NOW WE GOT TO GET IN.
AND WE GOT TO DO IT OURSELVES, WHICH THERE ARE SOME SIMPLE, TRIED AND TRUE WAYS TO DO IT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND EXCESSIVE MONEY TO ADD INFORMATION ABOUT PORT ARTHUR AND THE TOURISTS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN OWN THE SAME MARKETING STUFF THAT THEY, THAT THEY DO WITH THE EDC, SAME MARKETING THAT THEY DO.
THE TURF IS A TOOL THAT, THAT EVERY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSON SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT.
THEN, ARE WE ON OUR WEBSITE, THE CITY'S WEBSITE, THE TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE TERMS, IS IT ON OUR WEBSITE? CAN I PULL IT UP ON MY PHONE RIGHT NOW AND SEE THE TOURIST BOARD THERE? NOPE.
NO, BUT WHAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DO WITH THIS, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT STAFF SAYING, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO START DOING.
SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE TALKING TO YOU TODAY ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO START DOING.
SO YOU WOULDN'T AT THE NEXT MEETING THAT YOU WILL HAVE, YOU WILL, YOU WOULD HAVE ALREADY SEEN THAT BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS AND TELL YOU WHAT OUR PLAN WAS.
I TOLD VAL THAT WE WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS PLAN.
I WAS GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE STEPS THAT WE WERE PLANNING ON, ON DOING, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN, WE HAVEN'T, THAT'S JUST, NO, IF ANDS OR BUTS ABOUT IT, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE.
AND, AND, AND
SO THAT WAY WE WON'T, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GET BACK TO YOU ALL RIGHT AWAY WITH IT TOO.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND THEY FINISHED BEFORE I GO BACK OVER REALLY QUICKLY.
UH, BECAUSE SINCE WE ARE INTERACTING WITH THE SAME STAFF, IT'S A CLICK OF A BUTTON TO ADD THE TOURIST BOARD TO THE WEBSITE.
EDC OF COURSE HAS THEIR OWN BUDGET.
AND IT'S SEPARATE FROM THE CITY.
THEY, THEY, UH, WE VOTE ON THEM.
NO, MA'AM NO, MA'AM NO, MA'AM NO, MA'AM NO, MA'AM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE GOTTA GET STRAIGHT.
THAT'S YOUR BUDGET? THAT CITY BUDGET.
THEY ARE A TOOL OF THE CITY PERIOD.
NO MATTER WHAT THE BOARD DECIDING THEIR BUDGET.
NO, MA'AM NO MA'AM AND WE VOTE ON, WE DO VOTE ON THAT BUDGET.
NO, MA'AM NO, MA'AM, I'M NOT GONNA ARGUE WITH YOU BECAUSE I WAS ON DUTY.
MAY I SAY SOMETHING HERE? THEIR BUDGET, YOU, YOU, YOU VOTE ON THEIR BUDGET.
EVERY SINGLE ITEM THAT THE CITY HAS TO APPROVE.
YOU MAY NOT BE DOING THAT, BUT LEGALLY THAT IS YOUR BUDGET.
THEY CANNOT SPEND ONE DIME, NOT ONE DIME WITHOUT YOUR APPROVAL BY LAW.
NOW HOW WE'VE DONE IT IN PRACTICE, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
BUT BY LAW THAT EDC, IT'S YOUR ENTITY.
NO, NO, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE TO VOTE ON EVERY, EVERY EXPENDITURE.
IF YOU, IF THEY DON'T HAVE YOUR APPROVAL FOR ANY EXPENDITURE, LEGALLY, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DONE.
THAT IS YOUR TOOL FOR YOU TO USE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
ALL, FOR ALL THOSE PEOPLE ON THAT BOARD, YOU CAN REMOVE WITHOUT COSTS, PERIOD, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE YOURS, THEY'RE YOURS, EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU, AS A COUNT, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT'S A TOOL.
JUST LIKE THE TURF IS A TOOL THOUGH, THOUGH, THAT ENTITY IS AN ENTITY FOR YOU TO USE FOR ACTING UNDER, NOT FOR SOMEBODY TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO AS A COUNCIL, BUT FOR YOU TO TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND I THINK IN MOST CITIES, WE FLIPPED THAT WHERE WITH THE COUNSELORS GOING AROUND, TRYING TO DO WHAT THEY SAY DO WHEN YOU SHOULD BE TELLING THEM WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO.
THAT'S WHY YOU GET THIS DISJOINTED AND WHAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT YOU HAVE IN THE CITY, BECAUSE YOU GET THESE PEOPLE TRYING TO TURN TO DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT IT IS WHEN YOU SHOULD BE DECIDED, WHAT THEY SHOULD DO.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE GOT IT IN.
WHEN YOU DECIDE WHAT THEY SHOULD DO, THEN YOU CAN DECIDE HOW THAT FITS IN WITH THE TERRORIST.
AND IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO DO THAT.
WHEN YOU GOT SOMEBODY THAT'S TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR MONEY, HOW YOU LET SOMEBODY TELL YOU HOW TO SPEND YOUR MONEY.
WELL, WE DO, BUT ON THAT BUDGET, I DIDN'T SAY WE DIDN'T VOTE ON AND GIVE TO US THERE AND WE'D DO THE FINAL VOTE.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, W WE GOT THAT POINT, UH, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON AND THEN COMMISSIONER, UH, GAMBLE.
AND I, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT A COACH IS SAYING IN TERMS OF COMING FROM THE COUNTY SIDE, BUT THE COUNTY OFFICIALS, UH, ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT ARE UNDERSTOOD, UH, THAT WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS, UH, THIS WAS GOING TO
[00:50:01]
HOPEFULLY ALLOW ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTY TO FLOURISH.AND SO, UH, IT STARTED OUT AS A GREAT IDEA.
WE JUST NEEDED THE EXPERTISE AND WE NEEDED THE MOTIVATION.
AND I THINK, UH, WE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY.
IT WAS LOT OF STARTING AND THEN STOPPING BECAUSE OF ONE THING OR THE OTHER, AND NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE REALLY KNOWING IN THIS AREA, WHAT THE TAX, UH, WITH THE TERS WAS AND HOW IT COULD BE UTILIZED.
AND REALLY HONESTLY, WE'RE STILL LEARNING ABOUT THAT, BUT WE NOW HAVE THE EXPERTISE AND THE MOTIVATION.
SO, I MEAN, I, YEAH, I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION IN TERMS OF GETTING THINGS DONE AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PARTICULAR BOARD BEING AN EXTENSION OF THE MARKETING STRATEGY OF THE CITY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT BASICALLY IS.
AND THAT'S WHY THE COUNTY JOINED IN, BECAUSE THEY KNOW IF THERE'S A STRONG CITY, THERE'S GOING TO BE A STRONG COUNTY.
AND SO ALL OF THAT FALLS INTO PLAY, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, WITH EDC IN TERMS OF EDC WORKING ALONGSIDE WITH EDC AND BEING THAT PART OF THE TOOL, THE DRAWING MECHANISM TO BRING BUSINESSES INTO THE AREA, BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, EVERYBODY WINS, NOT ONLY CITY, BUT COUNTY DOES TO THEIR COFFERS GROW OUR COFFERS GROW.
AND SO THAT'S HOW, YOU KNOW, THINGS WERE THOUGHT OF AT THE ONSET OF THE TOURS.
AND SO NOW I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
W W IT'S, WE'RE LONG OVERDUE, BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE, WE'RE GETTING THERE, WE'RE GETTING THERE.
AND, AND I, I REALLY, UH, THANK THE STAFF FOR WORKING REALLY HARD, AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL TO MAKE THIS THING COME TO FRUITION AND GET TO THE POINT THAT WE ARE AT RIGHT NOW, WITH SOME, WITH SOME SOLID, YOU KNOW, MATERIAL THAT WE CAN GO BY AND WITH THE EXPERTISE OF COUNCIL, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY, OKAY, COACH CARAMEL.
FOR YEARS, I HAVE HEARD THAT WE HAVE A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH HERE AND PORT OUT, AND THEY WERE SPEAKING BASICALLY ABOUT PLEASURE ISLAND.
WE CAN DO WONDERS WITH SPEAK IN A TRACK.
YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES BEGIN TO TRACK THIS IN BED AND ALL THAT, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT DONE MUCH OF ANYTHING WITH THAT ISLAND.
BUT I RECENTLY, I READ IN THE NEWSPAPER, I GUESS I READ IN THE NEWSPAPER WHERE, UH, THE CITY IS, WELL, WE GETTING READY TO VOTE ON IT.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY VOTED ON IT FOR THEM TO BE HERE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO SELL LAND ON PLEASURE ISLAND.
WE ARE SELLING A DIAMOND, AT LEAST A DIAMOND THAT I WAS TOLD TO BELIEVE THAT WE HAD.
NOW WE WANT PERMISSION TO SELL IT.
WHY WOULD WE DO THAT? IF IT'S A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH TEARS TERRORS, I DON'T MEAN TEARS.
IF WE, IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT WHEN ART SAYING, WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESS TO COME HERE AND TRY TO SWAY PEOPLE TO COME HERE.
AND THIS IS WHERE OUR MONEY IS GOING TO COME FROM.
HOW CAN WE DO THAT? AND WE GETTING READY TO SELL WHATEVER WE, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WANT PEOPLE, IF SOMEBODY PURCHASED SOMETHING OVER THERE IS BECAUSE THEY ANTICIPATE THAT THEY CAN DO SOMETHING WITH IT THAT WOULD BE, UH, BENEFICIAL OR WHATEVER TO THEM,
[00:55:01]
UH, MONEY WISE.W W WHY, WHY CAN'T THE CITY, UH, THINK IN TERMS OF MAYBE WE CAN SPEAK FOR THE CITY HERE.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT JUST, THIS IS PART OF WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS DEVELOPMENT AND, AND, AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WHAT WE DEVELOPED TO MAKE OUR THERESE GROUP GROW.
SO, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK WE WOULD UTILIZE PLEASURE ISLAND, WHATEVER KIND OF WHATEVER IS GOING TO BE LEFT AFTER JOE JOHNSON MEMO TO WIDEN IT AND DEEPEN IT.
AND ALL OF THAT, THEY DEEPEN IT, DEEPEN IT IS GOING TO WIDEN IT TO HE CALLS, UH, UH, UH, HE ROSE IN IS GOING TO DO THE, UH, WIDENING.
BUT MY POINT IS THIS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS RULE CAN DO.
ART HAS ALREADY STATED THAT BRICKS AND MORTAR SOMETHING ELSE WE NEED.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH THAT? IF WE SELL A DIAMOND, W W WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS GROUP CAN DO TO SWAY THE COUNCIL OR ANYBODY, I GUESS, THE VOTER TAKE CARE OF THAT AND, UH, A WHOLE LOAN TO, TO WHAT WE HAVE OVER THERE AND FOR ALL GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AND REALLY QUICKLY COACHING WE OFF TOPIC.
BUT BASICALLY WHEN YOU SAY PLEASURE ISLAND, I THINK WHAT WE FOUND OUT IN TRYING TO DO A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ISLAND AND SOMETHING COMING TO THE ISLAND, UM, IN OUR RESEARCH, WE FOUND OUT THAT WE COULD NOT, THE CITY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
AND, UH, COST-EFFECTIVE FOR THE CITY, WE HAD TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A DEVELOPER OR SOMEONE TO COME IN.
THAT WOULD BE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO BRING, UH, UH, AMUSEMENT PARK OR TO BRING A WATER PARK.
WE HAD TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
AND THAT ONE WAS WHEN WE DID FIND OUT THAT YOU COULD NOT, UM, AS A CITY HAD IT, IT WAS A PARK.
SO WE HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE VOTERS TO BE ABLE TO SELL ANY PART OF THAT ISLAND, UM, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE IT.
THEY COULDN'T COME IN WITH A CITY THE WAY IT'S SET UP.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE WAY IT WAS SET UP THAT WE COULD NOT DO IT THE WAY IT'S CURRENTLY SET UP.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT COULD CHANGE FOR PA, PA, PA, PA, PA, UH, PARTNERSHIP TO COME WAS TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND THEY GIVE US PERMISSION SO THAT WE CAN DEVELOP SOMETHING FOR FAMILIES ACROSS THE ISLAND, BECAUSE THE CITY'S BUDGET CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT YOU BROUGHT UP A PLEASURE OUT.
AND THE REASON WHY WE WENT TO THE VOTERS TO DO THIS IS BECAUSE WE WANT TO DEVELOP SOMETHING AND IT, IT COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED UNTIL THE VOTERS GIVE US PERMISSION SO THAT IT CAN BE DEVELOPED.
SO WE HAD TO GO TO THE VOTERS, THE VOTERS WANT SOMETHING OVER THERE.
THEY WANT TO SEE THINGS DEVELOP.
OUR HANDS WERE TIED THE WAY IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN IN THE RECORDS OF THE CITY.
SO THOSE RECORDS ARE NOW THOSE LANDS, UM, HOW THEY'RE LAID OUT RIGHT NOW, THE CITY COULDN'T DO A THING WITH IT UNTIL WE BROUGHT IT TO THE VOTERS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WERE DOING THAT.
GREAT DIALOGUE, UH, VERY INTENSE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? UM, NO, I JUST WAS KIND OF FOLLOWING UP THAT WE WANTED, WHEN WE COME BACK, WE PROBABLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE SET OUR NEXT MEETING SOON, SOON AS WE CAN.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT, WE'LL WORK ON GETTING SOMETHING UP ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE RIGHT AWAY AND WORK ON GETTING SOMEONE TO KIND OF COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT A MARKETING PLAN.
I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD DIALOGUE BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, WE KNOW WHAT TYPES OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE PAVILION.
WE KNOW THAT WE WANT BUSINESSES.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY BEFORE WE DO LEAVE TODAY, UM, WE, WE WANT TO WORK ON RIGHT AWAY DOING SOMETHING ON THE WEBSITE AND, AND DO GOING FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO MARKET IT, TO BE ABLE TO LET OTHERS KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE ARE SOME GOALS.
AND THEN THE ALSO KNOWING THAT WE HAVE COMMON GOALS WITH THE OTHER ENTITIES AND START PUTTING ALL THAT TOGETHER, BUT JUST, I'D LIKE TO BE, YOU KNOW, SET A DATE, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO COME BACK WHENEVER, WHENEVER THE APPROPRIATE TIME IS IN THIS.
[01:00:01]
WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO MEET THE NEXT TIME, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE.UH, SO WE CAN START MOVING FORWARD.
UH, OUR LAST MEETING WAS IN OCTOBER.
SO I KNOW WE HAD SOME SITUATIONS WHERE IF WE ARE GOING TO BE A TEXTING ENTITY AND GETTING, AND, AND WE WERE TRYING TO, YEAH.
TRYING TO DEVELOP THE DOWNTOWN, WE REALLY NEED TO START.
THE FLYER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE YESTERDAY, TV ADS, ANYTHING THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY DO TO, TO DEFINE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR BOARD AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, DOWNTOWN, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY, UH, IF YOU WILL COME UP TO THE MIC GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
UM, JUST LISTENING TO THE DIALOGUE THAT TOOK PLACE TODAY ABOUT THE TIRES.
UM, THANK YOU, MR.
UM, ONE THING THAT I FOUND WAS INTERESTING, AND I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE DISCUSSION IN REGARDS TO WHEN HE REFERENCED HEB, WE HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH HEB IN THE PAST ABOUT COMING TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST 5,000 ROOFTOPS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO MAKE THAT TYPE OF CONSIDERATION.
AND SO THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT A LOT OF POINTS THAT MR
UM, WE WILL DEFINITELY GET WITH MS. TIZZANO FOLLOWING THIS MEETING, UM, IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO WITH CITY STAFF AND HELPING TO DEVELOP, UM, MARKETING MATERIALS, SUCH AS FLYERS AND SO FORTH.
UM, AS WELL AS GETTING INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, UH, PROVIDING ABOUT TERMS AND ANY OTHER TYPES OF INCENTIVES THAT THE CITY HAS WITHIN THEIR WHEELHOUSE THAT THEY CAN OFFER AND ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, I RECOGNIZED COUNCILMAN JONES OUT THERE.
NOTICE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UH, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR PORT ARTHUR.
UH, I GUESS, UH, WE AWAIT UNTIL STAFF GET BACK WITH US.
DO YOU GOING TO LET US KNOW, UH, ATTORNEY ABOUT OUR NEXT MEETING? UM, FLEXIBLE.
WE CAN MEET AS SOON AS YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, I'M GOING TO BE WORKING ON GETTING THE, THOSE, THOSE THINGS, BUT, UH, IF Y'ALL WANT TO START MEETING AT A REGULAR TIME, YOU KNOW, SO WE WON'T.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING IN EXAC THAT WE LIKED TO DO AT THIS TIME? NOT, I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD MARCHING ORDERS, BUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, IF Y'ALL WANT TO PICK UP AT WHAT POINT WE WERE ON THE THIRD THURSDAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE CAN PROBABLY WANT TO STICK WITH THAT.
WHAT IS REGULAR THREE O'CLOCK OR WE'RE GOING TO STICK WITH THE RIC CLOCK THURSDAY, THURSDAY, OR THURSDAY? THREE O'CLOCK VERY THURSDAY.
YOU GOT SOMETHING COACH GAM COUNCIL, WOMAN.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO IN AND EXACT, UH, AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY? SO I W YOU NEED SOME MORE, I'M SAYING MADE THE FOUR 30 UP FOR THURSDAY BECAUSE I'M ON THE THIRD THURSDAY.
I'M IN TH THE FOURTH, THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT THREE O'CLOCK.
AND I CAN MAKE SURE ON CALENDAR THAT ARE WE IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR A GERMAN.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL WOMAN.
MOSES, MAY I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS? IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I NOW CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED.
THE TIME IS 4:15 PM ON TODAY, WHICH IS WHAT THE 28TH.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ATTENDING.