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TO DO TWO JOBS.[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FILE.A SCHEDULED, UM, REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, THIS MEETING MAY BE ATTENDED THROUGH A TELEPHONIC AND VIDEO CONFERENCE, UH, MEDIUMS. UH, YOU WOULD JUST HAVE TO DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9.
YOU WOULD PUT IN MEETING CODE 8 7 5 8 5 5 7 4 7 6 0 AND THE PAST CODE OF 6 5 7 0 1 8.
AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING.
WE ARE ALSO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE THE NEED FOR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, YOU SHOULD MAKE THAT REQUEST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING BY CONTACTING THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5.
AND THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR YOU.
IF IT IS DONE IN THAT TIMELY MANNER.
WITH THIS BEING SAID, I LIKE FOR YOU TO INDULGE YOURSELVES WITHOUT INVOCATION AND PLEDGE AND THE PLEDGE, UH, COSMIN FRANK, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO DO THE INVOCATION FOR US PLEASE? OKAY.
ALL WISE IN ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHER.
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO APPROACH YOUR THRONE OF MERCY LOVE AND GRACE.
ON THIS DAY, ASKING FATHER THAT YOU WOULD TOUCH US, THAT YOU WOULD HOLD US AND SUSTAIN US.
WE'RE ASKING FATHER THAT ON THIS DAY, GOD, YOU WOULD GIVE US WISDOM, GRACE AND MERCY, TO MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE NEEDFUL AND NECESSARY FOR THIS CITY.
AND EVEN AS WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR GRACE UPON US, WATCH OVER OUR CHILDREN.
AS THEY RETURNED TO SCHOOL, OUR NATION AS WELL IN THE POWERFUL AND PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS, WE PRAY.
IF YOU JOIN US FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN UNISON, PLEASE 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.
WOULD YOU PLEASE ESTABLISH THE CORE MAYOR BARR T PRESIDENT MAYOR PRO TEM HOMES, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER, KEN LAW, COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS.
SHE, THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY ANYWAY.
WE WILL MOVE NOW TO ROMAN NUMERAL THREE FOR PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS.
WE HAVE FIRST THE SPEAKER, MR. RONALD LIONS, ALL WE GOT IN THE OLD W COLLINS' APARTMENTS.
UH, MR. LYONS, WOULD YOU APPROACH PLATE, MR. LYONS, RONALD LIONS.
I GATHERED THAT HE ISN'T HERE.
[III.A.2. Terry Bates Regarding The Demolition Of Houses]
WE HAVE MR. KERRY BEACH REGARDING THE DEMOLITION OF HOUSES, YOUR APPROACH, PLEASE, MR. BATES, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.AND YOU WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
MY NAME IS TERRY BATES, UH, AND YOU, MY ADDRESS IS 7 44, 27 11TH STREET, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
UH, IT'S ABOUT DEMOLITION OF HOUSES AND THE LAWS PERTAINING TO THAT.
UH, ON JULY 30TH, THEY STARTED TEARING DOWN A HOUSE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I WENT OVER THERE AND TOLD THEM THE HOUSE HAD HIS BESTEST ON.
IT, TOLD THE FOREMAN ON THE JOB, FOUND THE FOREMAN ON THE JOB WAS TOLD THAT, UH, THEY HAD A DOMITIAN PARTY, MAN.
DO YOU HAVE AN ASBESTOS BAIT PERMIT TOLD ME NO.
SO I TRIED TO CALL CITY HALL COULD GET NOTHING DONE.
SO, UH, I ENDED UP CALLING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OUT, HAVE A POLICE REPORT ON THAT BEFORE TO THEM ABOUT THE ASBESTOS BEING DONE.
AND ALSO ABOUT THE HAZARDOUS TO THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.
YOU HAVE TO WEAR THE HOUSE DOWN ON THE CORNER.
SO ANYHOW, I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE KIDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE PEOPLE THAT WAS EVER SUPPOSING THIS TO I COME DOWN HERE TO THE CITY, COME MONDAY MORNING THINKING
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I'LL GET SOMETHING DONE.I WENT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL POINT.
PEOPLE, UH, DIFFERENT OTHER PEOPLE EVEN TALK TO YOU, JUDGE.
I WANTED TO GET TO A STOP BEFORE WE GOT IN OUR LANDFILL, WHICH YOU DIDN'T GET DONE.
YOU TOLD ME THAT THINGS HAPPENED SLOW.
I SAID, WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT THINGS NEED TO BE DONE A LITTLE FASTER WHEN IT'S IMAGINATIVE HAZARD MATERIAL, EFFECTING THE NEIGHBORS.
UH, EXPLAIN THIS ABOUT THE ASBESTOS ANY I GET UP MONDAY MORNING TAKING I'LL COME DOWN AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
UH, THINKING THAT THIS WILL BE DONE TELLING YOUR BODY, THIS IS EMERGENCY.
I TALKED TO THE TRUCK DRIVERS TO FIND OUT WHERE THE MATERIAL WAS GOING.
IT'S GOING TO OUR CITY DUMP, WHICH IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN THERE.
UM, ANY, I CALL CITY HALL, WENT BACK TO DEMOLITION.
UH, FINALLY GOT THE CHIEF INSPECTOR TO COME OUT, TOLD ME HE WASN'T ASBESTOS.
SO I GET UP THE NEXT MORNING, TAKE A SAMPLE TO A LAB HERE IN TOWN, CLEM, TEXAS, THAT DOES TESTING HABIT TESTED TO PROVE IT IS COME BACK DOWN HERE WITH THE PAPERWORK, GO BACK TO DEMOLITION, ENVIRONMENTAL.
THEY EVEN HAVE A COPY OF THAT.
I MADE HIM STAMP TO PROVE THAT I GAVE THEM A COPY.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING BACK.
I COME DOWN TO CITY HALL, TALK TO SOME OF YOUR LEGAL PEOPLE.
I'M NOT GOING TO MENTION OTHER NAMES IF YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE THEM.
UM, I'VE TALKED TO THE CHIEF INSPECTOR, LIKE I SAID, TRY TO GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH HIM.
THE PROBLEM IS THEY'RE STILL TEARING HOUSES DOWN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS, THIS MORNING WHEN I WENT BY, THEY'RE BUILDING OTHER HOUSES AND I DON'T HAVE EVIDENCE ON THE REST OF THEM, BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU THIS I'M 70 YEARS OLD WHILE MOSTLY I GREW UP IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
I PLAYED IN ALL THESE HOUSES WHEN I WAS A KID.
I KNOW ALL THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN THESE HOUSES, AND I KNOW THAT MOST OF THESE HOUSES HAVE IT'S BEST DECIDING ON THEM.
SO ATTRACTED DOWN NOW THAT IT WASN'T A SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL PLANNER, IT, I THINK, I THINK I'VE TRACKED IT DOWN TO THE TEXAS LAND OFFICE.
THAT'S DOING THIS JOB ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE.
THEY FINALLY GOT BACK WITH ME YESTERDAY.
UM, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GET BACK WITH ME AGAIN.
THE DAYS ARE DEADLINE TO GET BACK WITH ME.
UH, I SUBPOENAED RECORDS FROM PORT ARTHUR.
Y'ALL TELL HIM, Y'ALL HAVE NO RECORDS ON THIS HOUSE.
UH, BUT Y'ALL HAVE RECORDS THAT THERE'S REALLY A NEW HOUSE.
SO THERE OUGHT TO BE A RECORD OF THE OLD HOUSE.
AND, UH, I HATE TO PUT THIS BACK ON YOU JUDGE, BUT YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO ENFORCE THE LAWS FOR THE PEOPLE AND ALL THE CITY ORDINANCES.
AND I BROUGHT THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION AND IT WASN'T DONE FOR THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT ME.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU DIDN'T DO SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DID, BUT THE JOB DIDN'T STOP.
AND MY POINT IS, IT'S GOING TO KEEP CONTINUING.
I WENT AROUND THE NEIGHBOR THIS MORNING AND THEY'RE BUILDING ANOTHER ONE ON SABINE.
UH, THE OTHER HOUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT WAS 10 16.
Y'ALL TORE IT DOWN 15 YEARS AGO.
AND I BROUGHT IT TO THE CITY'S ATTENTION BACK THEN, THAT HAS, AS THEY TOLD ME, THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THAT PROBLEM.
BACK THEN, I EVEN FOUND ONE OF THE GUYS THAT WORKED FOR Y'ALL THAT Y'ALL SENT OUT.
I DON'T THINK SENT HIM OUT THERE WITH HAMMERS TO BREAK THE MATERIAL OUT THE HOUSE.
THAT'S NOT A HOUSE SUPPOSED TO BE HANDLED.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE WEIGHTED DOWN AND REMOVED, PUT IN DOUBLE PLASTIC BAGS, SIX MIL THICK, AND THEN DISPOSED OF IN A PROPER CONTAINER, WHICH THAT WASN'T DONE ON THIS HOUSE.
EITHER THE REST OF THE HOUSES I DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT BECAUSE I DIDN'T CHECK THE MATERIAL, BUT I KNOW THESE HOUSES HAD ASBESTOS ON THEM WHEN THEY WERE TORN DOWN AND THEY WERE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S FOUR OF THEM RIGHT THERE.
AND I HAVE THE ADDRESSES ON THEM TOO.
BUT THIS IS MY PROBLEM IS THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY BECAUSE EVERYBODY, I TALKED TO THAT FROM THE PERMIT DEPARTMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, THE SECRETARY.
NOBODY COULD STOP THIS PROJECT BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME THEY CANNOT, OVER-READ A STATE AND WE NEED TO HAVE SOME WAY TO THAT.
WE CAN STOP THIS BECAUSE IT'S AFFECTING THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
LIKE I SAID, ALL THE LITTLE KIDS COME TO SEE THIS BIG MACHINE AND TEAR THIS HOUSE DOWN.
AND I'M TELLING EVERYBODY I WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW ALL THESE PEOPLE TO AS BEST AS I HAVE, AS BEST AS I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
I'VE LOST 35% OF MY BREEDING CAPACITY OVER THAT.
I HOPE YOU ALL WOULD REALLY, REALLY NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS IN THE FUTURE THAT THIS DON'T KEEP CONTINUING.
MR. BATES, UH, UH, THE CITY MANAGER, THE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE MR. BASIC, WE, HE AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH A COUPLE OF TIMES ABOUT THIS.
AND I BELIEVE EVEN AT THAT POINT, I BELIEVE I REFERRED INTO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS MS. PIERRE, UH, HER DEPARTMENT THAT OVERSEES THIS AND IF THEY DON'T SEE A VIOLATION, THEN THEY CANNOT STOP THE JOB.
AM I CORRECT ON THAT, YOUR HONOR, JUDGE, BOTH OF THE, UM, BOTH THE DIRECTOR OF DEMOLITION AND, UM, OUR BUILDING OFFICIALS HAS FOUND NO VIOLATION OF STATE OR FEDERAL LAWS FAST.
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MAY I SAY SOMETHING BACK ABOUT THAT? WHEN I BROUGHT YOU THE ACTUAL PROOF FROM THE LAB TO PROVE IT WAS AS BEST AS EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM KNOWS ABOUT US, THAT YOU SEE IT EVERY DAY ON TV, THERE'S $30 BILLION SET ASIDE OVER LAWSUITS OVER THIS.SO TO SAY THAT THERE'S NO, THAT YOU'D, NOBODY KNOWS THAT THERE'S NOT A LAW ABOUT THIS.
AND I DON'T SEE HOW THAT CAN BE.
COMMON SENSE WOULD TELL EVERYBODY HERE THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT AS BEST AS.
AND SO IF YOUR INSPECTOR CAME OUT TO THE JOB AND DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS BEST AS HE IS, THEN, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE APARTMENT THAT DOES NO THIS YEAR.
THAT'S MS. PIERRE, OR WHAT WERE YOU GOING? APPROACH COLORADO.
BUT ARE YOU THROUGH WITH YOUR PRESENTATION WITH THE, I CAN TELL YOU MORE, BUT THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW.
WE'LL GET BACK TOGETHER LATER ON, ON THIS.
WHERE WERE WE GOING TO ADDRESS? I BEGAN TO SEE HOW WE CAN HANDLE IT.
WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE FROM THAT DEPARTMENT SHE'S COMING UP RIGHT BACK AND THEN I'LL GET YOU THROUGH THERE.
OH, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UH, FOR RECOGNIZE ME, UH, I DON'T KNOW MR. BATES, BUT, UH, I AM CONCERNED IF THE INFORMATION HE PROVIDED WAS TESTED AND WAS GIVEN TO OUR DEPARTMENT AND IT SHOWS VALIDITY THAT IT IS AT VESTAS.
SO IF THAT'S THE FACT AND WE, HE PUT IT IN OUR HANDS, UH, WE SHOULD TRY TO RECOGNIZE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, A DIRECTLY, IF YOU'VE GOTTEN THAT INFORMATION, BUT IF THAT'S, SO WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYONE ELSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN HARM'S WAY, KNOWING THAT WE'VE, WE'RE GIVING INFORMATION, UH, THAT GAVE VALIDITY ON THE TESTING.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT, OR IF IT'S THE STATE OF FEDERAL GUIDELINES, BUT IF IT IS, AND WE'RE, WE'RE PROVED THAT IT IS, WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE GOTTEN THAT INFORMATION.
MAYBE YOU CAN EXPOUND ON THAT.
UM, WE DID SPEAK WITH MR. BATES.
UM, ONE OF THE BUILDING INSPECTORS AND THE BUILDING OFFICIAL FIELD VELARDE ACTUALLY WENT TO THE LOCATION AND WHAT THEY WITNESSED WAS SOME HARDY PLANK.
THEY DID NOT SEE THIS BEST AS HOWEVER, IT IS A JELL-O PROJECT.
AND WE DID RECOMMEND THAT HE CONTACT SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION WHO FACILITATES THE JLL, UM, UM, PROJECTS.
UM, ALSO HE DID BRING MR. VELARDE A, UH, RESULT FROM KIM TEXTS THAT DID THE SAMPLE FOR HIM.
HOWEVER, THERE'S NO CHAIN OF CUSTODY.
SO WE CANNOT PROVE THAT THAT CAME FROM THAT LOCATION.
THEY ALSO SAID THAT IT WAS NON FRYABLE, WHICH MEANS THAT IT, IT CAN'T BE BROKEN UNDER PRESSURE.
THE HOUSE WAS ALREADY TORN DOWN.
SO THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WE WITNESSED, UH, THAT WOULD SHOW THAT THERE WAS ASBESTOS AT THAT LOCATION.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A CONSULTANT.
SO WHEN WE HAVE SITUATIONS THAT WE DEAL WITH, WE HAVE A CONSULTANT THAT TESTS FOR US, HOWEVER, RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES ARE NOT REGULATED BY THE STATE.
SO THERE IS NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, UH, DIFFERENTLY AT THAT LOCATION.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY PROCEDURE? I KNOW WE HAVE HOUSES THAT ARE STILL IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR THAT MAY HAVE THAT CONTENT IN IT.
SO WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE, YOU KNOW, IN ADDRESSING JAIL, LOWS, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
I KNOW YOU SAID EARLIER, WE, OKAY.
AND THAT SPEAK TO GLS REQUIREMENTS.
I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THAT THAT RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES ARE NOT REGULATED BY THE STATE.
MR. BATES KNOWS THAT MR. BATES, MR. BATES, I WANT TO ALLOW YOU TO COME BACK, BUT YOU HAVE TO BEGIN SPEAKING FROM YOU, BUT THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE AN INSPECTION ON THE HOUSE DONE TO MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT HAVE ITS BEST.
IT'S ON IT'S IN THE CITY ORDINANCES.
I LOOKED IT UP IN THE CITY ORDINANCES.
SO IT'S ALREADY IN OUR CITY ORDINANCES.
IT'S ALSO IN THE STATE LAW, 10 DAYS PRIOR TO A HOUSE BEING TORN DOWN, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN NOTIFICATION THAT AN ASBESTOS TEST HAS BEEN DONE ON THE PROPERTY.
THE SPEED TENDS TO BE TO DESTROY.
SO, AND I DID BRING IT TO YOUR APARTMENT.
I HAVE THE RESULTS WITH THE DATE STAMPED.
I EVEN MADE THEM STAMP IT WITH, UH, WITH THEIR DEPARTMENT STAMP TO PROVE THAT I WAS THERE ON THE 2ND OF AUGUST.
AND IF YOU NEED THAT, I HAVE THAT ALSO.
AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE DONE THROUGH, UH, MS. PIERRE AND HER DEPARTMENT.
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AND, UH, AND WHAT DEPARTMENT, SHE, AND AGAIN, SHE, SHE SHE'LL TELL YOU WHEN SHE GIVES UP.UM, AGAIN, WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REGULATE RESIDENTIAL UNLESS IT'S A PUBLIC BUILDING, THIS IS A PRIVATE RESIDENCE.
AND AGAIN, I CANNOT SPEAK TO JLO'S, UH, REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THAT, BUT WE DON'T REGULATE RESIDENTIAL.
SO MR. BATES, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, WE DON'T WANT TO GET OFF, OFF, OFF 70, YOU'VE DONE YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND IF, UH, THAT WOULD BE ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING IMPROPERLY, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, BE IN A POSITION TO CORRECT IT.
AND IF IT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND REGULATIONS, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REFER TO THAT PARTICULAR STATE OF FEDERAL AGENCY.
EVEN IN OUR BYLAWS, IT TALKS ABOUT PRETTY CONCERNING.
NEXT WE WILL MOVE TO PRESENTATIONS.
[III.B.1. A Presentation By Anne Burger Entrekin, Regional Managing Director Of Hilltop Securities And Attorney Derrick Mitchell Of Holland & Knight, LP Regarding Certificates of Obligation]
BY ANNIE BERGER, UH, INTRICATE, UH, REGIONAL MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HILLTOP SECURITIES, AND ALSO ATTORNEY DEREK MITCHELL OF HOLLAND AND KNIGHT LP REGARDING, UH, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE BACK IN PORT ARTHUR THIS MORNING.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE YOUR BOND COUNCIL HOLLAND AND KNIGHT.
UH, DEREK IS HERE AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, ALONG WITH HIS COLLEAGUE CAROLINE.
I HAVE A PRESENTATION AND, UM, YOUR PLACES, IF I MAY ASK YOU TO, UM, PLEASE LOOK AT THAT.
AND I BELIEVE WE ALSO HAVE THE PRESENTATION ON THE SCREEN AS WELL.
IF YOU CAN PLEASE TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE.
AS YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME THE CITY ACCESSES THE BOND MARKET, WE GO THROUGH THE RATING AGENCY PROCESS, AND I WANTED TO USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PULL SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE IN THE CITY'S REPORT.
YOUR A-PLUS STABLE RATING WAS REAFFIRMED, AND THEY TALKED ABOUT IN THE KEY CREDIT METRICS SECTION, THEY TALK ABOUT STRONG BUDGETARY PERFORMANCE, VERY STRONG BUDGET, FLEXIBILITY, VERY STRONG LIQUIDITY, STRONG MANAGEMENT, AND STRONG INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK.
I PICKED UP THE COMMENT ON THE FAR, RIGHT, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THIS WAS SO IMPORTANT.
THIS IS A QUOTE FROM THE REPORT, WHICH SAYS CONSISTENT TAX REVENUE GROWTH, AND SPENDING A BUDGET HAVE ALLOWED THE CITY TO CASH FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS, SOMEWHAT REDUCING DEBT FINANCING NEEDS.
I'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT, A COUPLE OF THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT THEY MADE STRONG BUDGETARY PERFORMANCE WITH EXCESS REVENUE AVAILABLE FOR CAPITAL OUTLAY MANAGEMENT ATTRIBUTES, THE OPERATING SURPLUS TO BETTER THAN BUDGETED REVENUE GROWTH AND UNDERSPENDING.
AND THEN ALSO GIVEN THE CITY'S GROWING TAX BASE AND LOW TAX RATE, WE EXPECT DEBT BURDEN TO REMAIN MANAGEABLE DESPITE ADDITIONAL DEBT PLANS.
AND SO I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE WITH THE COMMENTS THAT THEY HAVE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
IF I MAY ASK YOU TO PLEASE TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE AND LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE RATING AGENCIES FOCUS ON.
MOST FUNDAMENTALLY, THEY FOCUS ON TWO ASPECTS, YOUR ABILITY TO PAY AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PAY.
AND THE ABILITY IS VERY EASY FOR THEM TO DETERMINE THEY HAVE MODELS.
THEY TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION WE SEND TO THEM.
THEY PUT THEM IN THE MODELS AND THEY CLEARLY SHOW THAT PORT ARTHUR CAN ABSOLUTELY AFFORD TO PAY THIS DEBT, BUT THE WILLINGNESS IS MUCH MORE QUALITATIVE.
IT'S NOT AS EASILY QUANTIFIABLE.
AND WHAT THEY LOOK AT IS EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY, DO YOU HAVE THE WILLINGNESS TO PAY? AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THINGS LIKE I JUST TALKED ABOUT YOUR STRONG BUDGETARY PERFORMANCE AND THE STRONG LIQUIDITY AND THE STRONG MANAGEMENT THAT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN.
THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF PLANNING, UH, BEING VERY DELIBERATE AND BEING VERY FOCUSED AND HAVING YOUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
AND I THINK THAT THAT JUST SAYS SO MUCH AND WANTED TO COMMEND THE COUNCIL AND YOUR STAFF TO HAVE SUCH A STRONG REPORT AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT THE RATING AGENCIES UNDERSTAND FROM THEIR WILLINGNESS, WILLINGNESS PART, THAT IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN.
YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES IT MEANS YOU MIGHT HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT CHOICES, BUT WITH THIS RATING AND WITH THOSE COMMENTS, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT NEXT THEY HAVE
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THE FOUR CATEGORIES THAT THEY LOOK AT.AND FOR MANY YEARS THEY WOULD NEVER GIVE US GUIDANCE AS TO WHICH WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT, OR HOW DID THEY WEIGH THESE? THE FIRST BEING GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT ECONOMY, FINANCES AND DEBT.
AND LIKE I SAID, FOR SO LONG, WE WOULD ASK WHAT, WHICH ONE OF THESE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND FINALLY STANDARD.
AND POOR'S CAME OUT WITH WHAT THEY CALL THEIR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT FMA.
AND IN THAT THEY VERY CLEARLY, FOR THE FIRST TIME SAID THE MOST IMPORTANT IS GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT AND THEIR RATIONALE BEHIND THAT WAS EVEN IF YOU HAVE A LARGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, IF YOU HAVE STRONG GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERTAKE THAT AND KEEP YOUR RESOURCES IN PLACE.
IF YOU HAVE AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, BUT YOU HAVE STRONG GOVERNANCE AND STRONG MANAGEMENT AND STRONG POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WEATHER THAT, THAT ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
AND SO I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS VERY ILLUMINATING.
AND LIKE I SAID, THEY, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DIDN'T INCREASE YOUR FUND BALANCE.
YOU, UM, JUST, IT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN.
IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN THAT YOU HAVE EXCESS REVENUES THAT YOU'RE NOW USING TO PAY GO CAPITAL.
THEY KNOW THAT THAT WAS GUIDANCE FROM THE COUNCIL TO YOUR STAFF AND, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT I PUT IN THAT BOX ABOUT BEING ABLE TO USE YOUR EXCESS FOR PAYGO CAPITAL.
I HAVE A, ANOTHER CLIENT THAT I'M WORKING WITH, WHO DOES SOME CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THEIR CONTROL.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ARE NOW HAVING TO ISSUE DEBT TO DO REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT MAINTENANCE ITEMS. AND IT'S BEEN VERY CHALLENGING.
IT'S VERY, THEY ARE HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING UP.
AND WHEN YOU'RE HAVING TO USE YOUR DEBT CAPACITY TO DO M AND O AND REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT, IT, DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THAT CAPACITY, TO DO NEW THINGS, SUCH AS WHAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS DONE, WHAT YOU AS THE CITY COUNCIL PORT ARE THERE HAVE DONE RELATIVE TO YOUR STREET MAINTENANCE, WHICH ALSO HAS DRAINAGE COMPONENTS.
AND SO IT JUST, UM, THEY, THEY LOOK AT THAT.
AND IT'S ALSO BEEN VERY INTERESTING TOO, AS WE HAVE SEEN THAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I THINK WE'VE ALL LEARNED WITH COVID THAT YOU CAN PLAN, BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE DON'T KNOW WHEN, BUT WHEN YOU'VE POSITIONED YOURSELF LIKE THIS COUNCIL HAS, AND YOUR STAFF HAS WITH BUDGETARY FLEXIBILITY AND LIQUIDITY AND UTILIZING YOUR EXCESS FOR PACO, IT REALLY HELPS YOU TO WEATHER THOSE STORMS WHEN IT HAPPENS.
AND SO, LIKE I SAID, I JUST, THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE SO MUCH.
YOU, YOU HAVE LAID OUT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS PLANS THAT MR. BURTON HAS SHARED.
AND, AND MS. DANIELLE HAVE SHARED, WHEN WE'VE HAD OUR RATING AGENCY CALLS, WE HAVE A CONFERENCE CALL WITH THEM.
THEY GIVE US AN ENTIRE LIST OF QUESTIONS.
YOUR STAFF DOES AN AMAZING JOB AND PROVIDES WRITTEN RESPONSES AND DETAILED INFORMATION THAT MAKE THE WRITING PROCESS GO VERY SMOOTHLY.
BUT WHAT THEY'VE OBSERVED, AND WHAT THEY'VE SEEN IS THAT THIS PLAN THAT WAS LAID OUT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THAT THE CITY HAS CONTINUED TO FOLLOW IT.
AND YOU'VE CONTINUED TO BUILD UPON THOSE STEPS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMEND YOU AND CONGRATULATE YOU ON THAT.
NOW, MOVING ON TO THE BOND SALE, AS YOU KNOW, THE SPECIFIC ITEM TODAY IS THE $10 MILLION IN CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON.
AND WE HAVE A BID FROM THE UNDERWRITER, WHICH IS ON, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ON PAGE FIVE.
UM, EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR PAR AMOUNT IS 9 MILLION, FIVE SIXTY FIVE, YOU MAY RECALL THAT MUNICIPAL BONDS OFTENTIMES HAVE PREMIUM.
AND SO YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ENTIRE $10 MILLION DEPOSITED INTO THE PROJECT FUND TO BE ABLE TO USE FOR YOUR STREET PROJECTS.
THE BED THAT WE HAVE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IS A 3.6, 4%.
AND YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT EVEN THOUGH INTEREST RATES HAVE INCREASED, WE WENT BACK AND IF YOU WANT TO, I'M NOT GOING TO JUMP TO IT.
BUT ON PAGE 13, I HAVE SUPPORTING DATA.
WE WENT BACK TO THE BOND BUYERS INDEX BEGINNING OF 1981, WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED PUTTING THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER.
AND EVEN THOUGH INTEREST RATES ARE HIGHER NOW, 92.3, 5% OF THE TIME INTEREST RATES HAVE BEEN HIGHER THAN THEY ARE NOW.
AND SO REALLY IF WE STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT IT, THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, THOSE WERE THE ANOMALIES WE'RE NOW JUST GETTING BACK.
AND WHAT HAS BEEN MORE, A TRADITIONAL INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT FOR MUNICIPALS ON THE NEXT SLIDE I WAS HERE BEFORE YOU ON MAY 24TH AND GAVE A PRESENTATION AND SOME PROJECTIONS.
AND AT THAT TIME WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A 10 MILLION PAR AMOUNT OF BONDS, 9.8 MILLION
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THAT YOU'D BE ABLE TO USE FOR PROJECTS.WE WERE PROJECTING A FOUR AND A QUARTER PERCENT AT THAT TIME FOR TOTAL DEBT SERVICE, JUST UNDER 14.8 MILLION.
WELL, VERY FORTUNATELY, UM, INTEREST RATES IN MAY WERE ESCALATING.
AND EVEN THROUGH THE MID PART OF JUNE INTEREST RATES CONTINUED TO GO UP VERY SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME WHERE I WAS CONCERNED THAT WE WOULD BE OVER THE FOUR AND A QUARTER, BUT WHEN THE FED HAD THEIR FIRST MEETING IN JUNE AND THEY STARTED TALKING AND THAT'S WHEN THEY DID THE 1% INCREASE AND THE MARKET RESPONDED FAVORABLY, AND THEN THEY TOOK ADDITIONAL ACTION AT THEIR LAST FED MEETING.
AND THE FACT THAT THE LAST CPI NUMBER STILL WAY TOO HIGH, BUT SHOWED THAT IT HAD SLIGHTLY DECREASED FROM THE MONTH BEFORE ALL OF THAT BEGINNING IN MID JUNE, MUNICIPAL RATES HAVE STARTED TO DECLINE.
SO WE ARE VERY ECSTATIC TO BE BEFORE YOU TODAY, TO HAVE 3.6, 4% TRUE INTEREST COST INSTEAD OF THE FOUR AND A QUARTER.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT LOWERS YOUR TOTAL DEBT SERVICE TO 13.8 MILLION.
SO YOUR TRUE INTEREST COST IS 61 BASIS POINTS LOWER THAN WE THOUGHT THAT EQUATES TO $45,700 A YEAR AND LOWER DEBT SERVICE.
UM, THE CEO'S, UM, OVER THE LIFE IS OVER $914,000 LESS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THE ENTIRE $10 MILLION INTO YOUR PROJECT FUND.
AND SO IN SUMMARY ON PAGE EIGHT, WE JUST WANTED TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THE JOB THAT THE UNDERWRITERS DID FOR YOU LOOP CAPITAL AND RAYMOND JAMES, THESE ON THE LEFT ARE THE INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS IN YOUR BONDS.
AND IT'S A, IT IS A BROAD SPECTRUM OF INVESTORS ALL ALONG DIFFERENT POINTS ON THE YIELD CURVE.
AND WE WERE VERY PLEASED TO SEE THIS AMOUNT OF INVESTORS INTERESTED IN YOUR BONDS.
AND THESE ARE NATIONAL INVESTORS.
THE OTHER THING WHICH WE IDENTIFIED THIS TIME, RAYMOND JAMES, ONE OF YOUR CO MANAGERS TURNED IN SIGNIFICANT RETAIL ORDERS.
THEY TURNED IN ALMOST $3 MILLION OF RETAIL ORDERS.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BUYING AND INVESTING IN PORT ARTHUR.
IT ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 11% OF THE ORDERS AND THE MORE TYPES OF INVESTORS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR BONDS, INSTITUTIONS, AND RETAIL, THAT JUST GIVES DIVERSITY TO THE INVESTORS.
AND IT HELPS US TO BE ABLE TO GET A LITTLE BIT LOWER INTEREST RATE.
AND SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS ALSO INTERESTING AND DIFFERENT FROM OUR BOND SELL FROM LAST YEAR.
SO JUST IN SUMMARY, UH, WE DO RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY APPROVED THE BID FROM LOOP CAPITAL MARKETS AND RAYMOND JAMES, THE 3.64% TREE WINTER'S CAUSE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IS 61 BASIS POINTS LESS THAN WHAT WE HAD PROJECTED AS ALWAYS.
I STAND UP HERE AND MAYBE IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS ALL SEAMLESS, BUT IT TAKES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK.
AND MR. BURTON AND MS. DANIEL AND MS.
AND SO THIS WOULD NOT BE THE SUCCESS IT IS, BUT NOT FOR ALL THEIR WORK AND SUPPORT THROUGH THIS.
AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT AGAIN.
WE WANT TO THANK DEREK AND CAROLINE FOR THEIR HELP FROM BOND COUNSEL, THE UNDERWRITERS AS MENTIONED ABOVE.
AND FINALLY, JUST WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU.
UM, I AM IN MY COMPANY, WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR OUR LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND APPRECIATE HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF YOUR TEAM.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS OR REMARKS I'M COUNSEL, WHAT THAT WOULD BE NOW, I WANT TO THANK YOU.
HE HAS A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THAT, UH, REJECTION THAT WE GAVE ON INTEREST RATES.
AND I THINK WE MOVED ON THAT, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST, LAST SUMMER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
IT, IT, IT, IT HAS GONE UP, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOUR DILIGENCE AND WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, AND BE SURE THAT WE STAYED WITHIN CERTAIN CONFINES OF BEING, UH, FRUGAL.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR LONG TIME, UH, ALWAYS COMING BACK AND LETTING US KNOW.
I REMEMBER WE CAME FROM A, WITH DROPPED DOWN TO A I A BELOW AN A, UM, BUT WE GOT THAT A PLUS RATING BACK, AND I'M JUST THANKFUL THAT WE, WE DO AND GLAD THAT YOU'RE STILL WORKING WITH US.
AND THANK DEREK AND HIS TEAM FOR ALL OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HELP PORT ARTHUR.
UM, SINCE THE TIME I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL REALLY HAS BEEN AWESOME WORKING WITH YOU ALL.
[00:30:01]
SO MUCH.JUST A REMINDER, UM, MAYOR, AFTER WE COMPLETE THIS PRESENTATION, ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, WE WOULD LIKE TO PULL UP PO 7 0 9 7.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU MENTIONED AS WELL.
UM, THE STATUS OF OUR AUDIT HAVE CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE TRANSPARENCY THAT WE HAVE HERE, MR. BURTON.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT, UM, I THINK SPEAKS VOLUMES AS WE ENTERED THIS PROCESS WITH THE RATING AGENCIES, WE PREPARED, AND I DO HAVE A COLLEAGUE WHO IS NEW TO OUR FIRM WHO WORKED WITH STANDARD AND POOR'S FOR 20 YEARS BEFORE HE JOINED US.
AND SO WE HAD MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE WE DID ANTICIPATE THAT THE RATING AGENCIES WOULD HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE AUDIT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT GOES BACK TO HOW TRANSPARENT THE CITY HAS BEEN WITH THE RATING AGENCIES, THE PLANS THAT YOU HAVE LAID OUT AND THE TIMING AND HOW YOU HAVE MOVED FORWARD WITH THOSE PLANS.
AND I JUST BELIEVE THAT THE FACT THAT THERE WASN'T EVEN A QUESTION ABOUT IT, THEY TRUST, AND THEY KNOW THAT THE CITY IS WORKING ON IT AND BEING DILIGENT IN THAT PROCESS.
AND I JUST THINK THAT, THAT SAYS AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT, AGAIN, THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE CONFIDENCE THAT THE RATING AGENCIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED RELATIVE TO THE CITY.
UH, IF THAT BE NO OTHER, UH, COMMENTS, I LIKE FOR US TO LOOK AT A PO NUMBER
[VIII.B.4. P. O. No. 7097 — An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Authorizing The Issuance And Sale Of City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Combination Tax And Revenue Certificates Of Obligation, Series 2022 In The Aggregate Principal Amount Of $ 10, 000, 000; Levying A Tax In Payment Thereof; Making Other Provisions Regarding Such Certificates Of Obligation, Including Authorizing The Preparation And Distribution Of One Or More Preliminary Official Statements And Authorizing The Preparation And Distribution Of One Or More Official Statements And Matters Incident Thereto; Awarding The Sale Of The Certificates; Authorizing The Execution And Delivery Of One Or More Purchase Agreements; Authorizing Bond Insurance; Authorizing The Execution And Delivery Of A Paying Agent/ Registrar Agreement; Authorizing And Confirming The Engagement Of Certain Professionals In Connection With The Issuance Of The Certificates Of Obligation; Finding And Determining That The Meeting At Which This Ordinance Is Passed Is Open To The Public As Required By Law; And Enacting Other Provisions Relating Thereto]
7 0 9 7 ON PAGE EIGHT, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, DEVIATE FOR A MOMENT AND, UH, ACTIVE ON THIS ITEM ON PAGE EIGHT, UH, PO NUMBER 7 0 9, 7, AND OTTOMANS OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS COMBINATION TEXTS AND REVENUE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.SHE REESE 2022 IN THE AGGREGATE PRINCIPLE AMOUNT OF $10 MILLION LEVYING, A TAX PAYMENT, DERO MAKING OTHER PROVISIONS REGARDING SUCH CERTIFICATES OF OBSERVATION, INCLUDING AUTHORIZING THE PREPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ONE OR MORE PRELIMINARY OR OFFICIAL STATEMENTS AND AUTHORIZING THE PREPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ONE OR MORE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS AND MATTERS INCIDENT BACK TO AWAITING THE SALE OF THE CERTIFICATES, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF ONE OR MORE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS, THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF ONE OR MORE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS, AUTHORIZING BOND ISSUANCE, OTHERIZING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF A PAYING AGENT REGISTRAR AGREEMENT AUTHORIZING AND CONFIRMING THE ENGAGEMENT OF CERTAIN PROFESSIONALS IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUANCE OF THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
FIND IT IN DETERMINING THAT THE MEETING AT WHICH THIS ORDINANCE IS PASSED IS OPENED TO OPEN RATHER TO THE PUBLIC AS REQUIRED BY LAW AND IN ACTING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING THERE TO MEGAN, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
COUNCILMAN FRANK MOTION MAYOR MAY GET A SECOND COUNCIL.
MOSES HAS BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, ACCEPT PO NUMBER 7 0 9, 7 AS RED REAL RED.
IF, OF COURSE THEN MR. MAYOR COMMENTS.
I WANT TO BE SURE BECAUSE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND I WANT TO BE SURE THAT THE CITIZENS UNDERSTAND THAT THESE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION ARE GOING TO BE USED TO CONTINUE THE STREET PROGRAM, UH, IN OUR CITY.
AND THEY WERE STILL DOING ALL THIS NECESSARY, UH, TO GET OUR STREETS THAT HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE, A MAJOR CONCERN FOR SO MANY OF OUR CITIZENS.
AND SO I WANT THEM TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A CONTINUANCE OF THE STREET PROGRAMS. THESE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION WILL BE USED, UH, IN THAT REGARD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS IF THAT BE IN IT? UH, WE WERE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED? NAY AYES HAVE IT.
WE WILL ACCEPT P O NUMBER 7 0 9 7 AS RED.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND DILIGENCE.
[III.B.2. A Presentation By Cheniere Sabine Pass Regarding A $ 125, 000. 00 Donation To The City Of Port Arthur, Texas]
MOVE TO A PRESENTATION BY B SHENIR, UH, SABINE PASS, UH, REGARDING THE $125,000 DONATION TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.[00:35:05]
NO ONE IS HERE FROM HERE ON THAT.WELL, THERE IS A COMPANION, UH, ITEM FOR DISCUSSION, I BELIEVE.
AM I CORRECT CITY SECRETARY ON THIS OR A PROPOSED RESOLUTION? TWO TO 6 0 9.
WHAT PAGE IS THAT ON? UH, I DON'T HAVE TO PAY PAY.
I HAVE PAGE TWO, THE FIRST ITEM ON CONSENT.
WHERE'S THE NUMBER? I'M SORRY, MAN.
IT'S ON PAGE SIX UNDER NON-CONSENT ITEM ONE, PAGE SIX, ITEM ONE.
THAT'S P ALL PR NUMBER 2, 2 6 0 9.
[VIII.A.1. P. R. No. 22609 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Accept A Donation Of $ 125, 000. 00 From The Cheniere Foundation For The Reconstruction Of The Sabine Pass Boat Ramp Located At Broadway Street And S. 1st Avenue In Sabine Pass, Texas. Funds Will Be Made Available In Capital Improvement Project Account 152- 60- 415- 8525- 00- 00- 000 ( PR0007)]
UH, WE HAVE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CENTER MANAGER TO ACCEPT THE DONATION OF $125,000 FROM THE SHINIER FOUNDATION FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SABINE PASS BOAT RAMP LOCATED AT BROADWAY STREET AND SOUTH FIRST AVENUE INTERVENE PASS OF FUNDS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT NUMBER 1 5 2 DASH SIX ZERO DASH 4 1 5 DASH 8 5 2 5 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 0 0 0 AND IS ALSO KNOWN AS PR 0 0 0 7.MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL COUNCILWOMAN HOME, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN JONES HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 2, 2 6 0 9.
NOW WE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR IN YOUR OPPOSES.
I HAVE A SORT OF THOUGHT WE WOULD ACCEPT P O NUMBER PO NUMBER, UH, 2 2 6 3 3.
I WAS CHECKING OFF THE SUMMARY PAGE.
WE NOW MOVE TO ACTUALLY PAGE TWO OF OUR PRESENTATIONS HERE.
UH, WE HAVE PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATION AND PRESENTATION BY CHARLES WHEEL.
I DON'T THINK HE IS PRESENT IN HERE.
SO WE'LL MOVE DOWN TO A PRESENTATION BY THE PORT ARTHUR EDC MAYOR.
IT'S BEEN REQUESTED BY STAFF THAT WE MOVE A DISCUSSION ITEM ONE UP, THEY HAVE A SCHEDULING CONFLICT THIS AFTERNOON.
WE'VE MOVED TO A DISCUSSION ITEM ONE AT THIS POINT.
[III.E.1. A Discussion With Ardurra Group, Incorporation Regarding The Future Plans On Drainage Projects In District 3 ( Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw)]
DISCUSSING ITEM NUMBER ONE IS A DISCUSSION WITH A DURA GROUP OR IN COOPERATION REGARDING THE FUTURE PLANS OF DRAINAGE PROJECTS IN DISTRICT THREE REQUESTED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER KENALOG, WHICH YOU ALL APPROACHED BREEZE.GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS CONSTANTLY.
SO IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, CORRECTIVE HOUR WITH THE ADORE GROUP, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU GUYS NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS ON, UH, MULTIPLE PROJECTS.
ONE OF WHICH IS THE DRAINAGE, UH, IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS RELATED TO THE FEMA 4 0 4, UM, HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM.
UH, AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE, THE TWO SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN DRAINAGE OR IN DISTRICT THREE, UH, THE PORT ACRES, I'M SORRY, THE STONE GATE AND THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECTS.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE UPDATE TO THOSE, TO THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AND I DON'T WANT TO GUIDE THE DISCUSSION AWAY FROM THE FUTURE PLANS.
SO, UH, COUNSELING, WE CAN NOT, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT US TO CURTAIL THIS, JUST LET US KNOW AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
SO, UM, SO AS, AS YOU SEE WHAT WE'RE GOING
[00:40:01]
TO COVER A FEW DIFFERENT POINTS TODAY, UH, FOR, FOR PROJECT PARTNERS, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE STONE GATE PROJECT UPDATE.WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT AND WHAT TRANSPIRED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE HISTORY OF THAT PROJECT.
UH, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE EXPLANATIONS WE HAVE ON THE LINE, I BELIEVE, UH, WHO HAVE JOINED US VIRTUALLY STEWART CONSULTING AND FIVE ENGINEERING WHO WERE PART OF THE TEAM, UH, REGARDING THE, THESE TWO PROJECTS.
UH, AND SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT ALL OF THAT AND THEY'LL WEIGH IN, IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE TECHNICAL DATA AND INFORMATION SIDE, PLEASE.
SO FIRST I WANTED TO REVIEW, UH, IN OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS, IT SEEMED, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION ABOUT HOW ALL OF THE 4 0 4 PROJECTS COME TO BE, UH, KEEP IN MIND THAT A 4 0 4, WHICH IS THE REGULATION THAT COVERS THIS IN THE FEMA, UM, STAFFORD ACT.
SO 4 0 4 IS THE, IS THE, IS THE AGENTS OR THE NUMBER THAT IDENTIFIES THIS TYPE OF FUNDING? THE HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT FUNDING IN 4 0 4 IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO A DISASTER EVENT.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, UH, THIS MONEY THAT IS PUT FORWARD, UH, THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF A COMMUNITY EXPERIENCING A DECLARED DISASTER.
AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST 4 0 6 MITIGATION 4 0 4 MITIGATION IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS NOT JUST DAMAGES DUE TO THE STORM, BUT TO MITIGATE AGAINST FUTURE RISKS.
AND THAT'S WHY 4 0 4 IS SUCH A POPULAR, UH, BUT COMPETITIVE PROGRAM IN A 4 0 4 PROGRAM.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE PARTNERS THAT JOIN IN, IN THE PROCESS.
UH, AND I'VE LISTED SOME OF THOSE HERE.
UH, PRIMARILY THE CITY DRIVES THE BUS, SO TO SPEAK, UH, BECAUSE THE CITY HAS THE INSTITUTIONAL AND HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE MITIGATION NEEDS EXIST.
UM, SOMETIMES THAT COMES THROUGH EXPERIENCE.
UH, SOMETIMES THAT COMES THROUGH, UH, PREVIOUS DISASTERS, SOMETIMES THAT COMES THROUGH SURVEYS OR STUDIES, BUT WHATEVER THE SOURCE IS, THE CITY HOLDS THAT AS THE KEEPER OF THAT INFORMATION, THE CITY IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR PRIORITIZING WHICH PROJECTS WOULD BE, OR SHOULD BE PURSUED.
OUR ROLE AS YOUR, AS YOUR CONSULTANT PARTNER IS TO GUIDE YOU WITH, UM, THAT LIST AND PARING DOWN THAT LIST TO IDENTIFY WHICH PROJECTS ARE ELIGIBLE AT THE START OF A, OF A APPLICATION PROCESS AND WHICH ONES ARE LIKELY NOT GOING TO FIT IN.
IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, ONCE THE PROCESS STARTS, THE, THE COUNCIL SELECTS ENGINEERING FIRMS TO PROVIDE HYDROLOGY REPORTS AND OTHER SURVEY DATA, UH, WE WORK WITH FITA, FEMA AND THEM.
UH, THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY THE AGENCIES AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL WHO MONITOR FOR COMPLIANCE, EVALUATE, AND ULTIMATELY APPROVE THE FUNDING FOR A PROJECT ALONG THE WAY.
WE WILL DEAL WITH LOTS OF OTHER AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER.
UH, WE MAY HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UH, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
WE MAY HAVE TO DEAL WITH ENVIRONMENTAL OR, UH, TC QUEUE.
UH, SO MULTIPLE AGENCIES THAT WEIGH IN ON THE, ON THE COMPLIANCE OF A PROJECT.
SO THIS, THIS SLIDE IS JUST MEANT TO SHOW THAT, UH, THERE ARE LOTS OF HANDS, UH, GUIDING THE PROJECT, UH, BUT WE CERTAINLY TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF STANDING NEXT WITH, TO YOU AND WITH YOU, UH, FROM START TO FINISH SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO HERE'S ONE OF THE, THE TECHNICAL REVIEWS OF WHAT GOES INTO A PROJECT, UH, FOR APPROVAL.
UH, SOME OF THESE TERMS WILL MAKE SENSE AND SOME OF THEM WILL NOT, UH, CERTAINLY WE'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT EVERY PROJECT IN THE 4 0 4 HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM IS REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH AN ANALYSIS.
AND THAT ANALYSIS IS EXPRESSED IN WHAT'S CALLED A BCR BENEFIT COST RATIO.
UH, YOU MIGHT HEAR ALSO THE BCA BENEFIT COST ANALYSIS, WHICH IS THE PROCESS TO GET TO THE NUMBER THE BCR IS REPRESENTED IN A NUMBER AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REQUIRES A BCR OR BENEFIT COST RATIO TO REACH AT LEAST A ONE IN ORDER TO BASICALLY JUSTIFY SPENDING DOLLARS ON ANY MITIGATION WORK.
NOW, INSIDE THAT MODEL, THERE ARE LOTS OF MOVING PARTS AND THINGS THAT DON'T ALWAYS ONE, ONE PLUS ONE DOESN'T EQUAL TWO NECESSARILY.
[00:45:01]
AND I'LL EXPLAIN THAT TO YOU IN THE SENSE OF, UM, YOU CAN'T JUST IDENTIFY THE COST OF A PROJECT AND THEN BACK INTO IT BY IDENTIFYING THE COST OF DAMAGE, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS THAT GO INTO THAT THOSE FACTORS ARE CALLED, UH, PART OF THE DDF OR THE DAMAGED, UH, FUNCTION.SO THESE COMPONENTS THAT I HAVE LISTED HERE ARE THE COMPONENTS THAT GO INTO THAT.
SO SQUARE FOOTAGE VALUE OF, OF A STRUCTURE, UH, WHETHER IT'S COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL, THE TYPE OF PROPERTY, AS WE JUST SAID, THE SLAB TYPE, WHETHER IT'S RAISED OR SLAB ON GRADE, UH, WHAT IS THE FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION? SOMETIMES WE HEAR THAT AS BASE FLOOD ELEVATION OR BFE, UM, THE RECONSTRUCTION VALUE.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE COST TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED SQUARE FOOTAGE OF A, OF A STRUCTURE, THE PERCENT OF MEAN DAMAGE THAT IS, THAT IS PROJECTED TO BE DAMAGED OR WAS DAMAGED IN ANY EVENT.
UH, THE WATER SURFACE ELEVATION IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, BASED ON A HYDROLOGY STUDY OR AN H AND A MODEL H AND H MODEL WOULD SAY, UH, OR INDICATE HOW, HOW MUCH WATER IS THERE EXPECTED R OR E IS EXPERIENCED ON A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY, WHETHER IT'S A TWO YEAR FLOOD EVENT, A FIVE-YEAR OR 10 YEAR OR SO ON AND SO FORTH, THEN WE HAVE TO PROVIDE WHAT WE WOULD PROJECT.
IN OTHER WORDS, AFTER WHATEVER MITIGATION ACTIVITY IS BEING PROPOSED, WHAT THE WATER SURFACE ELEVATION WOULD BE, THAT IN ITSELF INDICATES WHETHER OR NOT THE PROJECT IS GOING TO HAVE SOME IMPACT AS WE WOULD EXPECT, OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS FEMA WOULD APPROVE IT AND CALL IT AS JUSTIFIABLE PROJECT.
UH, THEN THERE'S ALSO CONTENT AND DISPLACEMENT VALUES, AND ALL OF THESE VALUES ARE SET.
WE DON'T GET TO MAKE THEM UP AS WE GO.
WE DO TRY TO ADJUST BASED ON MARKET CONDITIONS, UH, AND SUPPORT THAT WITH INFORMATION, UH, EITHER PROVIDED FROM THE CITY OR PROVIDED THROUGH NATIONAL SURVEYS.
THERE ARE CONTINGENT FACTORS THAT CAN BE ADDED IN, UH, THAT ARE NOT AUTOMATIC.
AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WITH FEMA IN TERMS OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO OUR PROJECT, THOSE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS ADD OBVIOUSLY VALUE TO THE PROJECT, UH, OR JUSTIFICATION FOR DOING IT.
THE PROBLEM NOW IS WHERE THOSE BENEFITS WERE PREVIOUSLY ALLOWED TO BE ADDED IN AT ANY POINT.
NOW, FEMA ONLY ALLOWS THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO BE ADDED TO A PROJECT.
IF A PROJECT ACHIEVES A BCR OF 0.75 WITHOUT THEM.
SO THEY, THESE BENEFITS COULD BRING A PROJECT OVER THE TOP, BUT GENERALLY THEY CAN'T CARRY A PROJECT ON THEIR OWN SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, LET'S GIVE AN UPDATE ONTO THE STONE GATE PROJECT.
THE STONE GATE PROJECT HAS BEEN BACK AND FORTH.
UH, AS YOU ARE AWARE, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UH, THE STONE GATE PROJECT STARTED OUT AS A CDBG R PROJECT.
SO THE FIRST PART, THE ENGINEERING, UH, THAT HAS BEEN DONE AND THE, THE ORIGINAL DESIGN HAS BEEN DONE AS A CDBGDR PROJECT, WHICH MEANS IT'S PAID FOR, FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE IT'S PAID FOR THROUGH HUD FUNDS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THE SECOND PART, WHICH WILL, UH, WHICH IS IN APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE, UH, HAS ACHIEVED A BCR OF 1.14.
NOW THIS HAS GONE THROUGH LOTS OF ITERATIONS WITH FEMA IT'S IN THEIR HANDS NOW BETWEEN TETUM AND FEMA, IN TERMS OF REVIEWING THE FINAL, UM, REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION RESPONSES THAT WE'VE PROVIDED WE'VE, WE'VE TAKEN EVERYTHING THAT COULD BE QUESTIONABLE IN FEMA'S MIND OUT OF THE APPLICATION AND THE CALCULATIONS ACHIEVE A 1.14.
SO WE EXPECT THAT THIS PROJECT WILL BE APPROVED JUST AS THE PORT ACRES AND THE AVISTA PROJECTS MET THAT SAME, THAT SAME BCR PENDING APPROVAL.
WE HAVE A PROJECTED 14 MONTH CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE WITH A TWO MONTH BID PROCESS BUILT IN, UH, THE TOTAL PROJECT COST FOR THE STONE GATE PROJECT IS ABOUT $17.4 MILLION.
OBVIOUSLY THAT IS BEFORE AN ACTUAL BID IS RECEIVED.
SO THE PRICING AND FLUCTUATION OF MATERIALS AND LABOR CONTINUES TO BE, UM, A VARIABLE THAT THAT IS FLUCTUATING, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS
[00:50:01]
THE STONE GATE PROJECT.ONE OF THOSE TWO PROJECTS IN THE DISTRICT THREE AREA, UH, WE BELIEVE, UH, SHOULD BE APPROVED BASED ON, UH, THE APPLICATION AND THE, THE BCR OF 1.1 SIDE, PLEASE.
SO JUST AS A, A REVIEW, AND I'LL A COUPLE OF SLIDES HERE THAT TALK ABOUT THE STONE GATE PROJECT, UH, THE PROJECT AREA, UH, BASICALLY THE IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE GOLF COURSE, NINTH AVENUE IN JIMMY JOHNSON BOULEVARD.
SO THERE'LL BE ADDITIONAL, UH, INLETS AND THEN USING PONDING AREA WITHIN THE GOLF CART GOLF COURSE, UH, THE IMPACT WILL BE TO THESE STREETS.
ALL OF THOSE STREETS SHOULD SEE AND HOUSES ON THOSE STREETS SHOULD SEE A REDUCED RISK OF FLOODING.
UH, ONCE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO HERE'S THE, THE PROJECT AREA WITHIN THE, THE YELLOW BORDER, WHICH MEANS THE, UH, ALL OF THE WORK WITHIN THE, WITH THIS PROJECT WILL BE DONE WITHIN THOSE, UM, WITHIN THOSE AREAS, OBVIOUSLY WE WILL HAVE SOME DISCUSSION, UH, SOME ONGOING DISCUSSION.
I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE HAD THIS EARLY ON WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, AND HAVING TO COORDINATE ANY IMPACT TO THE GOLF COURSE, UH, IN TERMS OF OPERATIONS AND, UH, AND AVAILABILITY.
SO THAT WILL BE A DISCUSSION AS THE PROJECT MOVES FORWARD.
UM, BASED ON APPROVAL SLIDE, PLEASE YOU'LL NOTICE THE LARGER AREA, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE PROJECT AREA, THIS IS THE IMPACT AREA, UH, IN THE RED LINE BORDERED, UH, AREA.
SO YOU SEE IT'S MUCH BIGGER THAN THE, THE PROJECT AREA.
SO THOSE HOMES, STREETS AND NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WILL BE BENEFITED FROM THE STONE GATE PROJECT ITSELF.
SO THAT'S THAT WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE GOOD NEWS AT THIS POINT, UH, WE'RE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC, UH, BUT WE'RE AT THE THRESHOLD OF HAVING THIS PROJECT, UH, APPROVED FOR PHASE TWO CONSTRUCTION.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT LAKE ARTHUR, UH, THE PROJECT THAT, THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE A BCR OF ONE OR GREATER, UH, AND I WON'T GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE ITEMS, YOU HAVE THIS IN YOUR PACKET, BUT WE STARTED WAY BACK IN MAY OF 2018 IN TERMS OF RESPONDING TO THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.
UH, SO WE WENT FROM, FROM THAT PARTICULAR DATE, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH SEVERAL PROCESSES OF PREPARING THE APPLICATION, SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION, UM, COMMUNICATING BACK AND FORTH WITH TDM AND FEMA.
UH, AND YOU'LL NOTICE FROM 18 TO 19 INTO 20, UH, WHERE WE HAD THE ACTUAL KICKOFF MEETING IN JANUARY OF 20, UH, FOR THIS PROJECT THAT IN AND OF ITSELF REALLY IDENTIFIES NONE OF THE 4 0 4 PROJECTS IN ANY DISASTER.
AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER 25 YEARS, 4 0 4, ALWAYS DRAGS BEHIND THE REST OF THE RECOVERY, PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE FUNDING COMES AFTER AND THE PROCESSES COME AFTER.
SO, UM, JUST FROM THE NOTICE OF FUNDING IN MAY OF 2018 TO A KICKOFF MEETING, WHERE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS ARE REVIEWED WITH THE CITY TAKES ALMOST TWO YEARS JUST TO GET TO THE KICKOFF MEETING, STUART CONSULTING, AND FIVE ENGINEERING RELEASE, THE, THE 30% DESIGN, UH, FOR THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT IN AUGUST OF 2020, THIS WAS OUR FIRST INDICATION THAT THERE WERE SOME CHALLENGES TO THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IN TERMS OF GETTING THE BCR, UH, TO WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE.
WE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY WITH THE, WITH THE ENGINEERING GROUP, UH, WITH THE CITY, UH, CITY ENGINEERS AND PUBLIC WORKS TO TRY TO ACHIEVE A BCR OF ONE BASED ON THE DIRECTION THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UH, WAS GOING IN, UH, WITH THE FOCUS BEING ALLEVIATING STREET FLOODING IN THAT AREA.
IT CHALLENGED THE PROJECT BECAUSE FEMA DOESN'T RESPOND IN THEIR MITIGATION PROGRAMS TO A PURE STREET FLOODING PROBLEM.
UH, THE FEMA MITIGATION 4 0 4 MITIGATION IS ABOUT REDUCING RISK TO HOUSE FLOODING.
AND SO THAT CREATED A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF FOCUS WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE THE FEMA RE REQUIRED GUIDANCE.
UM, WE WOULD GET THE BY-PRODUCT OF THAT WOULD BE HOPEFULLY A REDUCTION IN STREET FLOODING, BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS GO HAND IN GLOVE.
SO ANYWAY, IN THAT AUGUST, 2020 TIMEFRAME, UM, WE REALIZED THAT THERE WERE SOME DIFFICULTIES WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH IT.
THE DIRECTION FROM A PUBLIC WORKS AT THAT TIME WAS CONTINUED
[00:55:01]
FORWARD, UM, WITH THE ORIGINAL DESIGN EFFORT, UH, THE, THE DESIGN ENGINEER, STEWART CONSULTING, AND FIVE ENGINEERING INDICATED THAT THAT TIME THAT THE PONDING OR JUST THE USE OF, OF THE POND WOULD PROBABLY BRING LESS BENEFIT THAN WE WERE HOPING TO GET.AND THAT WOULD CREATE AN ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE, BUT THAT ADDITIONAL INTERIOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, WOULD BE VERY COSTLY, BUT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY THE ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE THAT BCR, WHERE WE'RE TOLD TO CONTINUE FORWARD.
AND WE DID, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO, TO ACHIEVE A BCR OF ONE, UH, WHEN WE SUBMITTED IN DECEMBER OF 2020, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WHAT FEMA CAME BACK TO US WAS WE COULD NOT COMPARE THE HARVEY EVENT.
WE HAD TO USE THEIR MODELED, THEIR ESTABLISHED MODELS.
NOW, WHAT THAT MEANS IS IN, IN A NUTSHELL WITHOUT, AND FIVE ENGINEERING MAY GIVE A LITTLE BIT GREATER TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, BUT WHAT THAT MEANT WAS FEMA WAS NOT ALLOWING US TO, TO UTILIZE REGIONAL IMPACT, WHICH HARVEY WAS, IT WAS A REGIONAL EVENT, UH, FOR JUSTIFICATION FOR A LOCAL PROJECT.
SO ONCE, ONCE FEMA SQUEEZED DOWN ON THE DATA THAT WE WERE ALLOWED TO USE, IN OTHER WORDS, IN SIMPLE TERMS, WE WERE, WE WERE TRYING TO JUSTIFY THE PROJECT BY COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES.
UH, AND WHEN FEMA SAID WAS, WE'RE NOT GONNA ALLOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA STICK TO THE, UM, WE'RE GOING TO STICK TO THE REQUIREMENT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO ONLY EVALUATE WHAT YOUR LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT WILL DO WITHIN A LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT, UH, AREA OR A LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT EVENT.
UM, NOW THE, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS EVEN WITH THOSE $19.1 MILLION OF POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS, ANOTHER HARVEY EVENT WITHOUT D D SEVEN, TAKING THEIR SYSTEM AND IMPROVING THEIR SYSTEM, ADDING CAPACITY AND WHATNOT, ANOTHER EVENT, WE CREATE THE SAME, THE SAME TYPE OF, UH, OF RESULTS.
SO IN ESSENCE, WHAT FEMA WAS SAYING WAS WE'RE NOT GOING TO JUSTIFY $19 MILLION WHEN THE SAME EVENT'S GOING TO PRODUCE THE SAME RESULTS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE DD SEVEN, THE RELIANCE ON THE
AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE, WE SUBMITTED, UH, USING THE, THE HARVEY INUNDATION DATA WAS REJECTED SINCE THEN FROM, FROM LAX LAST AUGUST.
WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES TO NOW, UH, WE'VE LOOKED AT AND EVALUATED MULTIPLE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WE'VE TRIED TO PUSH ALONG THE DD SEVEN IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY'RE DOING TO TRY TO GIVE JUSTIFICATION, BUT IT ALL COMES BACK TO THE, THE ISSUE OF LAKE ARTHUR IMPACT AREA DOES NOT JUSTIFY IN FEMA'S TERMS, UH, SPENDING $19 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE RESULTS THAT WERE, IT WOULD CREATE NOW ON A POSITIVE SIDE.
WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS, UM, THE LAKE ARTHUR AREA WAS BUILT ACCORDINGLY AND BY DESIGN, IT WAS BUILT LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BUILT.
THE ELEVATIONS OF HOMES BY AND LARGE WERE BUILT, LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE BUILT THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM, UH, WHICH IS PROJECTED TO BE BUILT AT A, AT A TWO YEAR FLOOD EVENT OR TWO YEAR EVENT, WHICH MEANS, UH, IT HANDLES A TWO YEAR, UH, AMOUNT OF RAINFALL.
BUT ONCE YOU GET ABOVE THAT, YOU START TO HAVE PONDING.
UM, THE, NONE OF THAT OBVIOUSLY GIVES EASE TO PEOPLE WHO, WHO SEE WATER BUILDING UP IN THE STREET OR WATER UP ON THEIR DRIVEWAYS DURING, DURING INTENSE RAINFALL.
THOSE ARE ISSUES FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GAVE THE, UH, THE, KIND OF THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF WHAT LAKE ARTHUR HAS, HAS GONE THROUGH.
UM, IF YOU WOULD LINDSEY, I'M SORRY.
GO TO W TWO MORE, ONE MORE, ONE MORE.
AND ON THIS TABLE, YOU'LL SEE, IN, IN NUMBERS, WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE FOR THE PROJECT
[01:00:01]
AS DESIGNED, YOU'LL SEE, ON THE FAR LEFT THE STORM FREQUENCY TWO YEAR, 10 YEAR, ALL THE WAY TO 500 YEAR EVENTS, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE LARGER, THEIR FREQUENCY, THE STORM FREQUENCY NUMBER, THE MORE INTENSE, AND THE MORE AMOUNT OF WATER, UH, IS, IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE MANAGED.THE NEXT COLUMN IS THE AVERAGE EXISTING WATER SURFACE ELEVATION IN FEET.
UM, SO IN OTHER WORDS, AT A TWO YEAR STORM FREQUENCY, THE AVERAGE EXISTING WATER SURFACE ELEVATION TODAY IS 1.8, FOUR FEET.
THE AVERAGE EXISTING INUNDATION FOR HOME FLOODING, YOU'LL SEE, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE BECAUSE IN THE ENGINEERING MODELING, ALL OF THOSE NEGATIVE NUMBERS MEANS THAT WATER'S NOT INUNDATING HOMES.
OKAY? IF THAT, ONCE YOU START GETTING INTO THE POSITIVE NUMBERS ON INUNDATION OF HOME FLOODING, IT STARTS TO IDENTIFY WHICH TYPE OF STORM FREQUENCY, WHICH TYPE OF STORM INTENSITY WOULD CREATE HOME, HOME FLOODING.
WHEN YOU NOTICE ALL OF THOSE NEGATIVE NUMBERS IN THE THIRD COLUMN, AND THEN YOU GO TO THE COLUMN THAT SAYS AVERAGE PROPOSED INUNDATION, HOME FLOODING, WHICH IS THE SIXTH COLUMN.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE STILL NEGATIVE.
THOSE ARE WHERE YOU WANT TO SEE THE NEGATIVE NUMBER.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IN FEMA TERMINOLOGY AND IN FEMA INTERPRETATION IS WE WOULD BE SPENDING MONEY OR FEMA WOULD BE JUSTIFYING SPENDING MONEY ON PROPERTIES THAT ALREADY FIT INTO WHAT THEY CONSIDER TO BE MITIGATED.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ISSUE, UH, IN TERMS OF THE CHALLENGE THAT WE FACED WITH THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT IN TERMS OF A FEMA 4 0 4 MITIGATION DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE TO DEAL WITH.
THIS IS JUST AN EXPLANATION OF WHY FEMA HAS COME TO ITS CONCLUSION AND DETERMINATION AT THIS POINT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO HERE'S A GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION.
UM, YOU'LL NOTICE THE WHITE LINE ACROSS THE S THE PICTURE THERE, UH, IS THE 4.78 A FOOT ELEVATION, WHICH IS THE AVERAGE ELEVATION FOR THE HOMES IN THE, IN THE IMPACT AREA FOR LAKE ARTHUR.
AND IF WE JUST TAKE THOSE NUMBERS FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE AND WE STACK THEM, UH, AS WE DID AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THAT ALL THE WAY UP THAT FLOOD LEVEL IS JUST BELOW, EVEN AT THE 500 YEAR LEVEL.
NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UH, EVERY HOUSE THAT'S THE AVERAGE.
AND SO I'VE INCLUDED THE RANGE OF ELEVATION IN THE PROJECT IMPACT AREAS.
THE RANGE OF ELEVATION IS 3.17 FEET ABOVE TWO, 6.5, FIVE FEET ABOVE.
THE BREAKDOWN IS IN THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT IMPACT AREA.
THERE'S AN 11% OF THE HOMES THAT FALL BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR FEET.
THOSE ARE THE HOMES THAT ARE MOST AT RISK THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT 29 HOMES.
THERE'S 59% IN THE FOUR TO FIVE FEET RANGE, WHICH IS ABOUT 156 OR SO HOMES.
AND THEN 30% ARE ABOVE FIVE FEET, WHICH IS THE REMAINING 80 PLUS HOMES.
SO AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE FACING IS THE CHALLENGE OF CONVEYING TO FEMA WITHIN THEIR OWN GUIDELINES, THAT THE PROJECT WOULD BE COST BENEFIT, COST BENEFICIAL.
UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN FACED WITH SLIDE, PLEASE.
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO READ THIS TABLE.
SO YOU'LL HAVE AS YOUR, UH, AS YOUR OWN REFERENCE, BUT THIS IS THE, BASICALLY THE RAINFALL, UM, DURATION OVER FROM FIVE MINUTES TO 60 DAYS FOR EACH STORM FREQUENCY.
SO IT GOES FROM ONE YEAR TO A THOUSAND YEARS IN THE VARIOUS FREQUENCIES ALOUD.
AND WHAT THAT GIVES YOU IS THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED IN A GIVEN AREA.
THIS DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR DRAINAGE SYSTEM FAILURES OR DRAINAGE SYSTEM INCREASED CAPACITY.
THIS IS THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL THAT WILL, THAT WOULD FALL, OR, UM, WHAT WE CALL IT SURFACE FLOODING THAT WOULD COME FROM RIVERINE OR FLOODING THAT COMES FROM, FROM WATER, PONDING ON ROADWAYS AND, AND OPEN AREAS.
AND YOU CAN TAKE THESE NUMBERS AND CROSS REFERENCE THEM, UH, TO THE OTHER TABLES.
HERE'S THE TABLE THAT TELLS OUR STORY AS STRUCTURAL ELEVATION INCREASES THE HOME, THE RISK FOR
[01:05:01]
HOME FLOODING DECREASES, OKAY, IT'S AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP JUST AS, AS DRAINAGE CAPACITY INCREASES STREET, FLOODING DECREASES THOSE TWO THINGS, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN FOUND DURING THIS PROCEDURE AND THIS PROCESS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT IMPACT AREA, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE FACED WITH, UM, BECAUSE THE HOMES WERE ELEVATED AS THEY WERE BUILT, THEY WERE BUILT TO PROPER ELEVATIONS, UH, WHICH HAS REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF RISK.AND I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT COMMENT, BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT FLOOD RISK IN OUR MINDS, IN THE LAY PERSON'S UNDERSTANDING AS MY HOUSE WON'T FLOOD, THAT'S NOT FEMA TERMINOLOGY, FEMA TERMINOLOGY FOR REDUCING FLOOD RISK IS A MONETARY CALCULATION.
IT JUST REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT MFIP IS EXPOSED FOR PAYING.
UM, WE SEE THIS IN EVERY MAJOR EVENT, WE SAW IT ALL THE WAY BACK IN KATRINA, WHICH IS CELEBRATING.
THEY'RE CELEBRATING MEMORIALIZING, THEIR 17TH ANNIVERSARY.
WE SEE IT IN SA SUPERSTORM, SANDY.
WE SEE IT UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST STORMS, AS WELL AS THE GULF COAST STORMS, KATRINA HAD 17 FEET OF WATER IN MANY PLACES, THOSE ELEVATION PROJECTS RAISED PROJECT OR PAID FOR HOUSES TO BE RAISED THREE OR FOUR FEET.
SO THE SAME TYPE OF EVENT WOULD CREATE THE SAME TYPE OF FLOODING, MAYBE MINUS A FEW FEET, BUT STILL HAVE THE DIFFERENCE OF 17 FEET OF FLOODING VERSUS 13 FEET OF FLOODING.
FEMA CALCULATES IT AS THIS WILL REDUCE THEIR FINANCIAL EXPOSURE.
SO I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE THAT IS OFTENTIMES A MISSED UNDERSTANDING IN TERMS OF WHAT FEMA CALCULATES AND WHAT THE AVERAGE PERSON LIKE YOU.
AND I HEAR WHEN WE HEAR THE TERM REDUCED FLOODING.
THE DRAINAGE CAPACITY ISSUE IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE FUTURE PLAN DISCUSSION OF HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET WATER OFF OF, UH, THE STREETS TO MAKE THOSE EITHER SAFE FOR PASSING, WHETHER IT'S AN EVACUATION SYSTEM SITUATION OR GETTING TO SOMEONE IN AN EMERGENCY THAT OBVIOUSLY IS AN ISSUE.
AND AS THAT DRAINAGE CAPACITY IS INCREASED, THE STREET FLOODING, UH, NATURALLY SHOULD BE DECREASED AS WELL.
THOSE TWO THINGS ARE VERY DIFFERENT.
FEMA MITIGATION, UNLESS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, A SPECIFIC DESIGNATED EVACUATION ROUTE, UH, 4 0 4 MONEY GENERALLY DOES NOT ADDRESS STREET FLOODING THIS NEXT CHART SLIDE, PLEASE, AS, UM, ONE MORE, I'M SORRY.
THIS NEXT CHART IS DESIGNED TO, TO JUST GIVE YOU AN AVERAGE PONDING DEPTH ON THE STREETS IN THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT AREA, THE GREEN HIGHLIGHTS ARE WHERE THERE ARE DIFFERENCES, UH, THAT YOU WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO, OR THE ONES THAT, THAT SORT OF JUMPED OUT AT US.
UH, AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT AGAIN, JUST DIGGING THE POND IS NOT WHERE THE ANSWER IS.
THERE HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF INTERNAL, UH, SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT IN ORDER TO INCREASE MOVING WATER OFF OF THE PROJECT IN PERRY IMPACT AREA ROADWAYS SIDE, PLEASE.
SO HERE'S THE AGAIN AND THE HARVEY SITUATION, WHICH WAS THE WATERMARK EVENT FOR WHERE THIS FUNDING CAME FROM.
IT EXACERBATES AND ILLUSTRATES WHAT THE PROBLEMS FOR MANY AREAS, UH, ARE LIVING WITH AND CONTINUE TO LIVE WITH.
IT WAS A 50 INCH FIT, MORE THAN 50 INCHES OF RAINFALL IN FOUR DAYS, AS YOU WELL KNOW, THE LAKE ARTHUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS BUILT FOR A TWO YEAR EVENT.
SO IMMEDIATELY YOU SEE THAT, UM, THE, THE HARVEY EVENT WAS DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK AND WHO, WHO YOU GET THE INFORMATION FROM, BUT IT WAS AT LEAST A 500 YEAR EVENT AND LIKELY TO BE HIGHER.
THE DD SEVEN SYSTEM WAS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED WATER OVER TOP OF THEIR SYSTEM.
SO THERE WAS NO WAY EVEN IF, EVEN IF THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT IMPACT AREA AT THE TIME WAS PERFECTLY, UH, WAS BUILT PERFECTLY FOR A 500 YEAR EVENT.
AND THEY WERE, THAT WATER WAS BEING PUMPED TO THE DD SEVEN SYSTEM.
ALL IT WOULD BE DOING WAS BEING PUMPED INTO A BUCKET THAT WAS OVERFLOWING AT THE TOP.
SO IT WOULD HAVE CREATED THE CYCLE THAT EX THAT WAS EXPERIENCED DURING THE HARVEY EVENT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT THERE WAS SURFACE OR STREET FLOW FLOODING OR FLOW THAT CAME FROM THE ENTIRE REGION.
[01:10:01]
THE SYSTEM IN DD SEVEN WAS OVERWHELMED AND YOU HAD WATER FLOWING TO PORT ARTHUR ON TOP OF THE SURFACE FROM EVERYWHERE.YOU COULD THINK OF, UM, SO E AND YOUR NEIGHBORS RECEIVED THAT SAME WATER.
SO THERE WAS NOWHERE FOR IT TO GO OTHER THAN TOWARDS PORT ARTHUR, THE SHEET FLOODING.
AND WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE REGIONAL CAPACITY COULD NOT BE, COULD NOT BE ADDRESSED IN A LOCAL PROJECT.
SO THIS IS WHAT THE FEMA MESSAGE WAS.
IF DD SEVEN TAKES CARE OF THEIR SYSTEM TO, TO ALLEVIATE A HARVEY TYPE EVENT, THEN THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT AREA WITHIN THE MODELING THAT EXISTS WOULD STILL BE CHALLENGED BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATION OF THE HOMES.
THERE WOULD STILL BE OBVIOUSLY SOME FLOODING, UH, BUT IT WOULD BE MUCH LESS AND NOT, NOT ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY $19.1 MILLION OF EXPENSES.
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WE REFORMULATE THE PLAN WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS WHERE WE CAN USE DOLLARS FOR THE STREET FLOODING ISSUE, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF, UH, THE HOUSE FLOODING, BECAUSE IF WE ALLEVIATE THOSE LOWER AREAS WHERE WE HA WHERE WE DO HAVE PONDING, THEN THE LIKELIHOOD, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU MOVE THE WATER OFF THE STREET, THE WATER CAN'T EVER GET TO THE HOUSE.
AND SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT, AND WE'RE JOINING FORCES WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR OWN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, WITH YOUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'LL BE AT A MEETING THIS AFTERNOON, REPRESENTING THE CITY AT REGIONAL PLANNING TO, TO ADVOCATE FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF, UH, MITIGATION FUNDS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTED, UH, ADVOCATING FOR, UH, THE CITY'S INVOLVEMENT IN THOSE FUNDS TO RECEIVE THOSE DIRECT ALLOCATIONS AND NOT JUST, UH, HAVE THOSE FUNDS GO TO THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT OR THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE USE OF THE CDBGDR FUNDING AS YOU, AS YOU KNOW, THAT MANY OF THOSE FUNDS HAVE BEEN, UH, EARMARKED FOR MATCHING FUNDS FOR THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROJECTS FOR FEMA THROUGH SENATE BILL SEVEN, UH, THE STATE HAS ALLOCATED AND, AND STARTED TO PAY DOWN THE MATCHING OBLIGATIONS FOR CITIES.
SO WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $8 MILLION TO REALLOCATE.
THAT IS ANOTHER OPTION FOR US TO LOOK AT, UH, IN TERMS OF DEDICATING THOSE FUNDS TO, UH, TO, UH, LAKE ARTHUR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
UH, SO THERE, THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS NOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, TO CONTINUE, AND OBVIOUSLY THE GREAT INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE HEARD JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO IN TERMS OF YOUR, YOUR BORROWING CAPACITY AND YOUR, UM, THAT'S NOT STANDING HERE SUGGESTING THAT YOU GUYS BORROW MORE MONEY, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION WHEN YOU HAVE FUNDING SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO A PROJECT, UH, THAT GET, THAT SORT OF TAKES THE RED TAPE OUT OF THE WAY, UH, THE FRONT END RED TAPE OF GETTING, GETTING APPROVED, UH, ALLOWS YOU TO STREAMLINE THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION TO GET TO, UH, A PROCESS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE TIE, UM, FIVE, FIVE ENGINEERING OR STEWART CONSULTING IN.
UM, SO TECHNICALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ON THE LINE OR NOT.
NO, I'M ALREADY CHRISTOPHER ON THE VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVOPS, BUT GREG, I THINK WHAT YOU SAID RIGHT DOWN THE LINE.
AND SO MARTY, IF YOU ARE, I DON'T KNOW IF KELLY WAS STILL AVAILABLE.
SHE HAD TO, SHE HAD TO KIND OF MOVE ON TO ANOTHER, CAN YOU, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM THE TECHNICAL ASPECT OF, UM, OF WHERE THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT SITS IN TERMS OF THE CHALLENGE BETWEEN, UM, WATER SURFACE ELEVATIONS AND HOME ELEVATIONS OR ALONG THOSE LINES? I HAVE TO GET OFF IN JUST A MINUTE OR SO, BUT I MEAN, MY BEST ANSWER TO THAT IS, IS Y'ALLS THE STORM SEWER SYSTEM IN LAKE ARTHUR IS ADEQUATELY SIZED FOR, FOR ALL THE LIVER FREQUENCIES.
I WAS, I WAS SURPRISED THAT, BUT IT, IT HAS, WE
[01:15:01]
HAVE, WE, WE ARE, WE SHOW PADDLING IN THE BOTTLES AND THAT IS, THAT IS FROM THE ELEVATIONS OF THE, OF THE ROADS, BUT THE STORM SEWERS ARE ABLE TO PUSH ALL THAT FLOW OUT.LIKE THE OUTFALL IS SIZED FOR THE HUNDRED YEAR EVENT.
AND THAT'S NOT, I MEAN, TRYING TO FIND A NICE WAY TO SAY THAT THAT'S UNUSUAL AND IT MEANS Y'ALL HAVE GREAT CAPACITY AND THIS YOUR BEST, YOUR BEST USE OF FUNDS IS, IS TO FIND A WAY TO PARTNER WITH DD SEVEN TO, TO, TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THEIR SYSTEM.
UM, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, I'VE TALKED WITH, UH, COUNSEL, UH, REMEMBER MOSES COUNCILMAN FRANK, ABOUT POSSIBILITIES THAT INCREASING THE VOLUME OF PIPES AND GETTING THAT WATER DISPLACE OUT OF DISTRICT THREE.
WE KNOW THAT I'M SURPRISED, UH, NF IP CHANGE MY FLOODING ZONE LAST, UH, TWO YEARS AGO, I'M IN A FLOOD ZONE NOW.
SO I'VE BEEN IN MY HOUSE 12 YEARS.
WE KNOW THOSE PROBLEMS EXIST AND I'VE TAKEN TWO PAGES OF NOTES BASED UPON WHAT YOU SAID.
UM, THE FOUR FOR MITIGATION, FUTURE DISASTER PLANS, UH, YOU SAID THE CITY GIVES DIRECTIONS ON THE PROJECT'S PRIORITY.
UH, I'M INTERESTED IN THAT PART, YOU KNOW, HOW DID THE CITY DECIDE TO TWO PROJECTS IN PORT ACRES, ELLEVEST? IT WOULD BE THE TWO THAT ACTUALLY GET FUNDING BASED UPON WHAT YOU JUST STATED EARLIER.
YOU SAID IT WAS A ONE, BUT YOU WERE GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH FEMA AND TEACH THEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO PROJECT THOSE NUMBERS ENSURED THAT WE WILL GET THOSE FUNDINGS FOR 19 MALE.
WHAT HAVE WE DONE IN THREE YEARS? NOTHING, NOTHING.
WE'VE HAD GUYS GO OUT AND BLOW CULVERTS.
WE'VE HAD GUYS THAT WE ENSURED THAT RESIDENTS OF THE AREA, UH, DON'T CUT THE GRASS AND GET GRASS IN THERE.
WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY COULD CAN AS A CITY, BUT WE ARE STILL AT SQUARE ONE SINCE 17 IN MY AREA, DISTRICT THREE.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU TO COME.
THIS IS YOUR FOURTH TIME TO BE HERE PRESENTING BEFORE THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE NORMALLY I CAN'T SIT BACK AND NOT SAY ANYTHING.
WE PURCHASE PROPERTY, UH, FOR $850,000 THAT WERE GIVEN DIRECTION FROM THE PAST PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
AND I GUESS YOU NEVER KNOW SOMEBODY HAS, I HAVE TO CALL AFTER CALL ME BECAUSE THAT'S COME UP BEFORE.
WELL, LET ME TELL YOU THIS, THOUGH.
SOMEBODY HAD TO GIVE HIM THE INFORMATION TO SAY THAT IT WOULD BE, AND I READ IT.
I'M LOOKING AT YOUR NOTES HERE.
IT'S, UH, ID 7 4 5 1 6, BUT IT WASN'T SOMEBODY ON THIS SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM THAT MADE A DECISION LIKE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS THE TEAM MEMBERS THAT DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.
AND FOR AS I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE SOME PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITY NEAR THAT PROPERTY.
SO THE QUESTION IS GOING TO GO UP IN EVERYBODY'S MIND AS LISTENING TO THIS PRESENTATION TO SAY, WOW, NOW WE ARE BACK AT SQUARE ONE FROM 17.
NOW I HAD FOUR FEET OF WATER IN MY HOUSE.
I DIDN'T HAVE 17 LIKE NEW ORLEANS OR, BUT I HAD FOUR IN MY HOUSE.
WE JUST HAD A SIMPLE RAIN ABOUT A YEAR, ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, I SENT ALL THE PICTURES TO THE CITY MANAGER AND I SHARE THEM WITH YOU.
THAT'S IN DISTRICT THREE, ALL THOSE STREETS THAT YOU WERE NAMING HAD PONDING WATER, WATER, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE HOUSE.
PEOPLE WERE IN FEAR OF WATER COMING IN.
I DON'T KNOW IF AS DD SEVEN, I DON'T KNOW WHO WHO'S TO BLAME, BUT IF WE'RE TAKING A WATER, THAT'S COMING FROM THE NORTH WITH ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENED IN DISTRICT THREE, SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE THE LIGHT BULB SHOULD'VE KICKED ON AND SAID, HEY, WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR THIS WATER.
AND IF DD SEVEN CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN PORT ARTHUR AND NOT HOUSTON IN PORT ARTHUR.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? I'M GOING TO CONTINUE PUTTING THIS BACK ON THE AGENDA UNTIL SOMEBODY GAVE ME RESOLUTION OF WHAT WE CAN DO, HOW WE CAN FIX
[01:20:01]
THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE MY PROPERTY IS IN DISTRICT THREE, ALONG WITH THE HIGHLY POPULATED AREA IN THE CITY OF PORT AUTH, THE MOST BUSINESSES, THE BCR BCA, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU AND I HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT.I HAVE A TOTALLY UNDERSTANDING OF IT.
NOW, ONE HAND WE SAY IT'S A HARVEY EVENT AND IT WON'T HAPPEN IN 500, A HUNDRED YEARS.
THEN THE OTHER HAND WE SAY, WELL, FEMA, DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE GOT TO STANDING AND PONDING WATER IN THIS AREA.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? NOW? YOU HAVE VALUABLE HOMES IN THIS AREA, DISTRICT THREE BUSINESSES.
AND IF THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT ON A SIMPLE RAIN, IT FLOODS ON JIMMY JOHNSON IN NINTH AVENUE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T EVEN DRIVE YOUR CAR DOWN THERE.
WHAT DO WE DO NOW? IF I HAVE TO GET DD SEVEN BEFORE US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE GOT TO DO, HOW DO WE NETWORK AND PARTNERSHIP? LIKE YOU SAY, BUT IT'S A SHAME THAT NOW THE SAME PEOPLE THAT I HAVE TO FILE A CLAIM WITH.
NOW, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO MY HOUSE TWO YEARS AGO, THREE YEARS AGO, I WASN'T IN THE FLOOD ZONE, BUT THEY UNDERSTAND NOW THAT I AM WITHOUT ANY MITIGATION WITHOUT ANY FOUR, FOUR.
SO THE SAME PEOPLE, I GOT TO FILE A CLAIM WITH LIKE PEOPLE IN DISTRICT THREE THAT HAVE TO HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE TO PURCHASE A HOUSE OR TO CONTINUE THE INSURANCE.
THEY GOT TO HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE.
SO WHAT DID WE DO? SO WE'RE PUTTING IN A CATCH 22.
AND IF I DON'T KNOW THE CITIZENS OUT THERE, UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS.
OF COURSE, THIS IS PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
WE WILL HAVE A TROPICAL STORM.
AND IT ALWAYS HAPPENS IN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER.
WE KNOW THAT WE JUST BEEN LUCKY.
GOD HAS BLESSED US SO MUCH THIS AT THIS POINT THAT WE HADN'T HAD MORE TO COME TO THIS AREA.
SO I'LL PUT YOU ON HERE TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN A DOOR'S GROUP TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING TO BE COMING FORWARD TO DISTRICT THREE? WE WILL, WE WILL TAKE, WE'LL TAKE THAT CHALLENGE, MR. COUNCILMAN, AND, UH, AND WORK WITH EVERY AGENCY THAT WE CAN.
UH, AND I, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO EXPOUND ON THAT BECAUSE OUR ROLE SPECIFICALLY WAS TO DO THESE TWO PROJECTS TO WORK THESE PROJECTS, TO THEIR, TO THEIR CONCLUSIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT IN A FEMA 4 0 4 PROGRAM HAS NOT ACHIEVED A BCR OF ONE THAT THAT IS NOT DUE TO ANYBODY DOING ANYTHING WRONG OR NOT DOING THEIR JOB.
THAT IS THE REALITY OF THE MODELING THAT EXISTS, THAT FEMA HOLDS THE FUNDING.
SO THEY HOLD THE DECISION TO RELEASE THAT OR NOT RELEASE THAT BASED ON THE GUIDANCE THAT THEY, THEY PROVIDE.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT CHALLENGE ON OR HAPPY TO ENGAGE FIRMS LIKE STEWART AND AWC AND OUR OWN ENGINEERING WITHIN THE DOOR TO PARTNER WITH YOUR CITY ENGINEER AND YOUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, AND ANYONE WHO HAS SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOLUTION.
WELL, LET ME ACTUALLY DO THIS.
AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT, BUT WHILE YOU GUYS GO ON AND PLAN THE RED TAPE, GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WORKING TOGETHER, PEOPLE HOUSES GOING TO FLOOD, WOULD IT BE SAFE TO SAY IF WE HAVE A HEAVY RAIN, IT WILL FLOOD IN DISTRICT THREE, SOME AREAS IN DISTRICT GROUPS, UH, I, IN A PUBLIC MEETING, I'M NOT IN A POSITION TO GIVE THAT KIND OF AN ANSWER.
WE HADN'T DONE ANYTHING BASED ON THE MODELING, BASED ON THE MODELING.
I WOULD TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE, THERE IS A RISK FOR THOSE HOMES THAT ARE BELOW, BELOW THE AVERAGE ELEVATION COMPARED WITH OR PAIRED WITH THE INTENSITY OF A 500 YEAR STORM.
THERE THERE COULD BE A RISK FOR, FOR FLOODING.
UH, I HOPE THAT, UH, WE COULD CONTINUE WORKING, UH, WITH OTHER GROUPS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT IT'S STILL A DRAINAGE ISSUE IN PORT ARTHUR, STRANGE STREETS.
WE ALREADY KNOW THOSE, THE TOP PRIORITY IN OUR COUNCIL, MY CARTS AND WHAT WE SPEAK ABOUT, BUT WE NEED TO MOVE FASTER.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO RAIN.
WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A STORM.
WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE DOWNPOURS OF RAIN IN THIS AREA.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING AS A CITY TO COMBAT THAT? AND MY HOPE, AND I DIDN'T LEARN UNTIL THIS WHAT THE 19 OF LAST MONTH THAT WE WOULD NOT BE GETTING FUNDED FOR THE LAKE AUTHOR, THAT WHEN YOU SPOKE OUR, AND YOU CAME BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND YOU SAID, HEY, WE WILL NOT BE GETTING, UH, APPROVED FOR THE LAKE.
[01:25:01]
ARTHUR.I WAS SHOCKED JUST LIKE EVERYBODY THAT WAS IN THE DOGGONE AUDIENCE.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW, WHERE'S THE BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION, BUT AS FAR, AND AS LONG AS IT I'M GOING TO BE SITTING HERE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M GOING TO BE BRINGING THIS BACK UNTIL WE GET SOME TYPE OF A RESERVATION ARE RESERVED ON HOW TO ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE STATIONS.
AND WE'LL STAND WITH YOU TO TRY TO FIND THAT RESOLUTION BECAUSE THE MOST, YEAH, A COUPLE OF THINGS, CRAIG, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I REMEMBER BACK IN AUGUST OF 21 OR LATE JULY, WE MET ABOUT THIS PROJECT, NOT BEING, I WASN'T HERE JULY 19.
BUT BASICALLY I DO REMEMBER WHEN WE MET WITH LEGISLATION AND EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, AND WE CALLED IN, I THINK KAREN CANARD TO SEE HOW THEY COULD HELP US WITH THIS PROJECT.
UM, SO THAT WE WOULDN'T LOSE IT.
UM, Y'ALL REMEMBER THAT COUNCIL.
AND SO WE KNEW ABOUT THIS PROJECT, NOT, WE KNEW WE WERE AWARE, IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY NOT MEET THE BCR OF ONE BACK LAST YEAR.
YOUR TIMELINE FROM LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE IN THAT MEETING AND THE MANAGER, AND I THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY ASKED KAREN TO COME AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT REPRESENTING US AND TRYING TO GET THIS PROJECT.
I DON'T REMEMBER THAT MEETING ABOUT HOW WE COULD NOT LOSE THIS PROJECT.
WELL, WHAT COULD WE DO ON A, UM, NOT POLITICAL, BUT ON A BASE WITH LEGISLATORS TRYING TO GET HELP, UM, TO TAKE THIS PROJECT.
SO THAT LAKE ARTHUR WOULD NOT BE LOST A YEAR PRIOR TO THAT, ON THIS PROJECT WAS BROUGHT TO US.
WE KIND OF MOVED TO BUY THE PROPERTY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KEN WAS TALKING ABOUT.
COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE WAS ON COUNCIL BACK THEN.
SO WE, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD EVERYTHING ON OUR END, READY BACK IN 2020, UH, WHEN HE WAS ON COUNTER TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.
AND WE MOVED, UM, TO ME, PROBABLY IN HAYES BEFORE THE PROJECT HAD BEEN APPROVED TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS NOT A FAULT OF ANYBODY ON COUNCIL.
THE PROJECT WAS BROUGHT TO US, THE FOUR PROJECTS WE KNEW ABOUT THE FOUR PROJECTS WE WERE AWARE.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD 34 POINT MILLION, SO MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE DRAINAGE PROJECTS ALL OVER PORT ARTHUR.
YOU BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT WE WERE IN JEOPARDY OF LOSING ONE OF THE PROJECTS, WHICH IS THIS PROJECT WE MET WITH KAREN CANARD AND EXECUTIVE SESSION RIGHT OUTSIDE THESE DOORS HERE IN JULY, ASKING HOW WE COULD GET HELP ON OUR END, MS. BERNARD TOLD US THAT SHE COULD POSSIBLY HELP US.
BUT WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE COST TO GET THE HELP, WE DECIDED NOT TO GET THE COSTS.
SO WE WERE AWARE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IN STANDPOINT, THAT WE WERE IN JEOPARDY OF THIS PROJECT.
I SAY ALL THAT, TO SAY THAT WITH THE STUART CONSULTANT AND FIVE ENGINEERING AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE THE WORK ON THIS FEMA IS THEN MADE THE FINAL DECISION.
YOU'RE REPRESENTING US WITH MATURE UNDERSTANDING, APPRECIATE YOUR WORK, BUT THEY MADE THE DECISION TO NOT FUND IT.
AM I CORRECT? AM I ON THE RIGHT PAGE? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M IN THE WORLD, FEMALE APPROVES OR DISAPPROVES THE FUNDING.
SO WHY CAN'T WE GET FEMA HERE TO TELL US THE ISSUE WE'VE INVITED THEM.
THEY WILL NOT APPEAR IN A PUBLIC MEETING.
I MEAN, I THINK IT EXPLAINED TO THE COUNCIL, LET ME INTERJECT JOHN'S ROOM.
WE HAD A TRAINING, UH, ABOUT, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO OR MAYBE A MONTH AGO.
WELL, FEMA REPRESENTATIVES FOR, FOR THIS REGION I BELIEVE WAS HERE.
BUT BASICALLY I LIKE TO SEE HOW WE COULD GET, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS OR SEND THEM A LETTER OR SEND SOME SOMETHING TO FEMA THAT THE DECISION WAS MADE BY THEM TO NOT FUND THE PROJECT.
SO WE'RE SITTING HERE WITH YOU AND I THINK STEWART, UM, CONSULTING AND FIVE ENGINEERS, THEY WC IS HERE.
GD SEVEN, JUST OPENED UP ALLIGATOR BY YOU TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IN MORE WATER, UM, UH, UH, A HECK OF A LOT MORE WATER THAN THEY TOOK IN AFTER HARVEY.
SO WE, UM, WE'RE ON THE CUSP OF BEING ABLE TO WORK THIS THING OUT, BUT THE NUMBERS AT THE TIME SUBMITTED JUST DIDN'T SEEM TO FIT.
SO HOW, UH, AS COUNCILMAN MCKINLEY SAID, WE WANT TO GO FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO HELP THESE HOMES IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND HOW IS IT RECOVERABLE OR DO WE HAVE TO FUND IT OUT OF OUR OWN FUNDING? IT'S OUR CITY LET'S ALLOCATE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT DOLLARS TO MAKE IT ARGUING BACK AND FORTH.
YOU KNOW, TRYING TO SAY, UH, FEMA, FEMA IS NOT GOING TO FUND IT BOTTOM LINE TASKS.
WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME, I'VE GOT ALL THESE NOTES RIGHT HERE AND THAT SEEMS LIKE FAMOUS, NOT GOING TO FUND IT.
SO IT'S CONTINGENT UPON US TO SAVE OUR OWN CITY.
THAT'S HOW I FEEL AT THIS POINT.
[01:30:01]
NEED TO SEE HOW, WHAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND TRY TO BE ABLE TO FUND THIS DRAINAGE PROJECT SO THAT IT CAN MOVE FORWARD, NOT BEATING.UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF FEMA WON'T COME AND TALK TO US OR WE PUT IN A LETTER ASKING AND REQUESTING THEM THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT AND HOW AND WHERE THE BALL GOT DROPPED.
BUT I REMEMBER TALKING ABOUT THIS IN THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION, TRYING TO GET LEGISLATORS TO HELP US OUT ON THAT SIDE OF THE TABLE WHILE YOU DO YOUR WORK ON THIS SIDE OF THE TABLE.
NOW, FROM THAT TIME TO HERE, WE IT'S BEEN A YEAR.
UM, YOU PUT A TIMELINE TOGETHER WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE, WHERE THE FLOODING IS, WHAT ALL THE CONSISTENCY AND ALL OF THAT.
I'VE LISTENED TO THE WHOLE THING GOING FROM THIS POINT ON, IF FEMA WON'T, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FEMA COME AND TALK TO US AND I'D LIKE TO DO ANYTHING IN MY, WHATEVER WE CAN AS A COLLECTIVE BODY TO SEE IF THEY WILL COME, BUT WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND I THINK IT'S THE COUNCIL'S DECISION TO DECIDE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
AT THIS POINT, SINCE FEMA HAS DECIDED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DENY THE PROJECT.
SO I THINK AS A COUNCIL, WE NEED TO HAVE A BRAINSTORMING EVENT.
WE CAN KEEP PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW COUNCIL CAN FIND THE DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO FUND THE PROJECT AND MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT, SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY MEETING AND YOU COMING BACK TO US AND THERE'S NO THEME IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE HIS MIND.
SO I JUST DESPERATELY BELIEVE THAT WE AS A COUNCIL, THE MANAGER AND ALL OF US CAN COME TOGETHER WITH A WAY TO FUND THIS PROJECT SO THAT HOMES WILL BE SAFE.
AND WE DON'T KEEP HAVING THIS ON THEIR AGENDA.
KEEP TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT TO DO WHEN WE ALREADY KNOW THE GRANT IS OUT.
AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TO ME, I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE ON HERE.
YOU SAID THEY'RE STILL CONSIDERING THEY MAY RECONSIDER.
THEY MAY GO BACK AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, BUT YOU HAVE ENGINEERS WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK STORE CONSULTING, FIVE ENGINEERING, AWC, DD, SEVERAL COULD BRING ALL OF THEM TOGETHER.
AND AT FEMA DON'T WANT TO DO THE PROJECT.
WE JUST NEED TO FIND A WAY TO FUND IT.
NOW, AM I, AM I IN THE ROOM OR AM I OUT OF THE PLACE? WELL, JUST A LITTLE BIT.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH TRYING TO FIND FUNDING, TO GET THE PROJECT I'M DONE TALKING WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS, I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL SINCE 2015.
I UNDERSTAND THE BARRIER DYNAMIC OF IT.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS DONE WITH COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE WAS ON HERE AND WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY.
WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, WE VOTED FOR IT.
WE DIDN'T, IT DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN BY OSMOSIS.
SAY IF THERE'S A RAIN COMING OR FLOOD COMING ON, WE DON'T NEED TO SIT HERE AND CONTINUE TO DISCUSS HOW TO SAVE HOMES, HELP.
WE GOT TO SAVE OUR CITY AND THAT IS, WE PUT THE MONEY TOGETHER, THE DOLLARS TOGETHER.
WE GOT THE MONEY IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
WE GOT PEOPLE THAT TELL HIM HOW MUCH MONEY WE GOT.
I'M DONE WITH THIS CONVERSATION.
AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER CAN TURN FRANK.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD IS THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT PROJECTS WE WOULD DO, IF I HEARD YOU SAY, AND I THINK, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THAT EVEN IF WE HAD THE LAKE ARTHUR PROJECT IN PLACE OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY, MUCH OF THE WATER BEING MOVED OUT OF THAT AREA WOULD BE RELEGATED ULTIMATELY TO HOW WELL DD SEVEN INTERACTED AND TOOK WATER BECAUSE THE WATER DOES COME INTO OUR CITY.
SO THE KIND OF RAIN EVENT THAT WE HAD IN HARVEY, IF WE HAD EVERYTHING IN PLACE, WE HAD ALL OF THE PROJECTS DONE.
WE STILL WOULD HAVE FLOODED IN HARVEY.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A 100 YEAR EVENT THAT STILL, IF WE HAD ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN KEN LAW, I AGREED WITH THE COUNCIL WOMAN, MOSES THAT WE NEED TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO PROTECT OUR CITY.
UH, SO NOW WE GO FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT.
I SAW ONE OF THE THINGS OF INTEREST WAS THAT, AND I DO AGREE WITH YOU.
I SEE THAT, UM, IN THE, IN, IN THE HANDOUT THAT YOU GAVE THAT TEDIUM DID, UH, SAY TO US, BE CAREFUL ABOUT SPENDING MONEY ON LAND ACQUISITION.
YOU'VE GOT THAT IN THERE BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE GO FORWARD.
SO I THINK IN, IN, IN THE STANCE THAT COUNCILWOMAN MOSES SAYS, AND THEN AT THE HEART OF THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT PROPERTY? CAN WE PUT, CAN WE PUT A LIFT STATION? CAN WE DO ANYTHING ENGINEERING WISE TO USE THAT PROPERTY FOR
[01:35:01]
A DETENTION POND TO GET WATER GOING TO THAT, TO JUST GIVE US MOMENTS OF, OF, OF, OF, YOU KNOW, UH, MOMENTS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE WATER WILL NOT BE GOING IN HOMES, BUT GOING INTO THAT POND AND CAN HAVE IT PUMPED SOMEWHERE ELSE.THAT'S THE KIND OF BRAINSTORMING THAT WE, THAT WE'VE GOT TO DO.
AND I THINK THAT THAT KIND OF, THAT WE NEED TO SEE GOING THROUGH, WE WILL, WE WILL T TO ANSWER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND TO RESPOND TO THAT WE WILL ABSOLUTELY AT YOUR DIRECTION AND THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY MANAGER LEAD THE CONSORTIUM EFFORT TO, TO COME UP WITH THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS AND THE RECOMMENDED OPTIONS FOR FUNDING, WHETHER THAT'S IN HOUSE, WITHIN YOUR CAPITAL OUTLAY PROGRAM, IF THERE'S OTHER FUNDING MECHANISMS THAT W AS WE'VE MENTIONED WITH THE CDBGDR MONEY, UM, WHATEVER THOSE ARE, WE WILL PUT THAT IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, IF, IF SOMETHING CHANGES BECAUSE, UH, DD SEVEN SYSTEM INCREASES IN THEIR HYDROLOGY, UH, AND THEIR DATA SUPPORTS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE PRESENTED, WE WILL, WE WILL ASK TETUM AND FEMA TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE OUR FOCUS IS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY WASTED, BUT WE'VE SPENT AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME TRYING TO GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND A PERSPECTIVE THAT THEY'RE NOT ACCEPTING.
SO WE WILL ABSOLUTELY, AS FAR AS THE LAND, UH, WE ARE ALREADY, WE ARE, AND ALREADY ARE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH D D SEVEN, UM, HISTORICALLY, UH, UTILITIES DISTRICT.
UM, AND THIS DATES BACK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A KIND OF A RON ARSENAULT HISTORICAL MOMENT, RIGHT? WHERE BACK, EVEN IN THE SEVENTIES, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT NEEDING, UH, ADDITIONAL PONDING CAPACITY IN THE AREA.
UH, AND SO, SO I, I DO BELIEVE BASED ON THE DISCUSSIONS FROM YOUR, YOUR OWN PUBLIC WORKS, UH, AND PUBLIC ENGINEER, THAT, THAT, THAT LAND CAN BE USEFUL.
UH, DD SEVEN HAS EXPRESSED EARLY INTERESTS, BUT IT'S VERY PRELIMINARY IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT TO DO.
I MAY POINT OUT AS WELL, THAT THAT THE WAY THESE PROJECTS ARE APPROVED OR IN PHASES.
THAT'S WHERE, UH, WE GO FORWARD WITH THE APPLICATION AND GET THE FUNDING FOR DESIGN AND ENGINEERING AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF, UH, SURVEY COSTS, ALL OF THAT'S BEEN COVERED, SO THAT HASN'T COME OUT OF YOUR POCKET YET, UH, EXCEPT FOR YOUR MATCHING FUNDS.
THE PROPERTY, UH, WAS, WAS INTENDED TO BE CAPTURED IN THE PHASE TWO, UH, TO GET SOME OF THAT, THAT MONEY BACK TO THE, TO THE CITY, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT, WE WILL.
BUT THE MORE IMPORTANT THING IS, HOW DO WE MAKE USE OF IT AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE ISSUE? SO WE WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON ESTABLISHING THE CONSORTIUM, ALL OF ALL THE BRAIN TRUSTS THAT THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS.
SO THAT NEXT TIME WE COME IN FRONT OF YOU, WE CAN SAY, HERE ARE SOME OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN GENERATED AND, AND THE, THE FUNDING OPTIONS ALONG WITH THOSE COSMIN JONES.
OBVIOUSLY HERE IN LISTEN, AS ALWAYS DO THE PROS AND CONS, AND I LISTENED AND I LISTENED NOW, LISTEN, I WANT TO COOK A RAD, THE KOTEL CONSTANTLY, UH, MOSES, WE COULD DISCUSS THE, SAY ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT, WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO GO BE FLUID.
WE NEED TO HAVE A STIMULUS TALK WITH DDC.
I WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT IN-HOUSE FINANCING.
YOU KNOW, SHE'D IMAGINE THE COUNCIL AND, AND, UH, THAT'S PROBABLY PRETTY MUCH LIKE A PIT.
SO NOW WE HAVE NO TROUBLE LOOKING AT IN-HOUSE FINANCING.
I WOULDN'T HAVE A SERIOUS COMPANY FROM DDC AND THE MANAGER LOOK AT SOME KIND OF WAY TO PUT THIS MONEY TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, WITH THE COUNCIL AND GET IT DONE NO OTHER WAY, DISCUSS THIS ALL WITH PEOPLE, HOUSE BULLETIN AND TALKING TO COUNSELORS, TEACHING HOW TO TALK.
AND I'M TRYING TO TELL HIM HE NEEDS TO GET THIS DONE.
MA'AM I HOPE MY CALIFORNIA DIDN'T THINK THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT YOU COMING EVERY MONTH.
I MENTIONED THAT DD SEVEN ARE, YOU KNOW, NEED TO COME BECAUSE YOU STATED EARLIER THAT, UH, THERE'LL BE THE ONES THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO COLLABORATE WITH GETTING THE WATER OFF THE STREETS.
AM I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY? YES, SIR.
WE WOULD COLLABORATE WITH, SO I, I MEAN, THE PASSION IS HERE.
UH, I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR A REASON.
BECAUSE IS IN DISTRICT THREE NOW, I, I, THIS IS NOT MY FIRST TIME DOING THIS.
SO IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING SOON, WE GET CONTINUED GETTING WATER.
I'M GOING TO CONTINUE GETTING THE PHONE CALLS TO MANAGE.
IT COULD CONTINUE GETTING THE PICTURES.
[01:40:01]
SO I WAS NEVER, EVER MENTIONED THAT YOU WILL BE COMING HERE EVERY MONTH, UH, DISCUSS THESE ISSUES.I ENJOYED, I ENJOYED COMING IN.
ANYTIME I COULD CONTRIBUTE WITH WE'RE ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH THE DRAINAGE ISSUES WE HAVE IN DISTRICT THREE PERIOD.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, TO ME, IN MY MIND, AND LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND LOOK INTO, YOU KNOW, IS A WASH.
WE CAN'T FORCE TMR FEED FEMA TO ACTUALLY PAY FOR THE PRICE.
SO SINCE WE CAN'T DO THAT AND WE PURCHASED PROPERTY, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? AND I'VE SAID IT FOUR TIMES TODAY, WHAT IS NEXT? WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT PROJECT? SO THAT'S WHY UNDERSTANDING YOUR BRAIN.
AND WITH THAT, I THINK GENERAL CONSENSUS IS WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? SHE DIDN'T MANAGER THAT DID HAVE THE MEETING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH, UH,
THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS IN YOUR PARTICULAR DISTRICT BECAUSE IT'S, UH, THE AREA IN STONE GATE TO STONEGATE AREA.
WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE AREA, UH, ON THE WEST SIDE VISTA AREA AND EVEN THE PORT ACRES AREA.
AND EVEN IN SABINE PASS WHERE
UH, WHAT WE FOUND OUT, IF, IF, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, THE PONDING OR THE CANAL SYSTEM WHERE SOME OF HIS WATER ACTUALLY ENDS UP, UH, AND KNIT THE LANDMASS OR THE, UH, UH, BELOW OR ABOVE SEA LEVEL, UH, NUMBERS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I HAD A NOTE IN MY OFFICE.
I DON'T HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF ME HERE.
I CAN NEGATIVE TWO, ALL PLUS THEY USE ENGINEERS USE CERTAIN TERMS FOR THIS, BUT THERE ARE SOME, UH, THINGS DURING INCEPTION, UH, FROM THE INCEPTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT IN STONE GATE, UH, GOING BACK TO EVEN THE DESIGN AND THE PLANNING OF LAND IN PORT AUTHOR, BACK TO, UH, THE GULF REFINERY IN TEXACO DAYS, WHEN A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENTS WHERE WE ARE NOW IN OLD PART OF TOWN BEGAN WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR AREA, OUT IN, UH, STONE GATE, ALL OF THESE AREAS OF CONCERN WITH D D SEVEN, THE DIALOGUE HAS BEGUN.
WHAT GOSPEL MOSES SAID IS DEFINITELY WHAT HAS TO OCCUR.
UH, WE ARE THE KEEPERS OF THIS CASTLE, WHATEVER IT IS, THAT'S NECESSARY THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME CONSTRUCTIVE AND CREATIVE FINANCING TO DO.
WHAT'S NECESSARY TO MOVE SOME OF THE WATERS I EVER FROM THE MEETING.
AND I DID ATTEND WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND SOME OTHER CITY, UH, PERSONNEL WITH, UH, D D SEVEN.
IS THAT BECAUSE OF HOW WE'RE LOCATED BECAUSE OF THE ELEVATION OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, THE RAIN EVENT, AND THE, THE VOLUME OF RAIN, UH, PRECIPITATION THAT ACTUALLY OCCURS AT DIFFERENT TIMES, WE ARE PRONE TO SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE GOT HERE DISCUSSING.
UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT NO ONE IS TRYING TO BLAME ANYONE.
THESE ARE DECISIONS THAT WE'VE MADE FROM THE BEGINNING OF TAG, OUR ANCESTORS OR WHOMEVER BROUGHT US HERE TO PORT ARTHUR.
IN SOME INSTANCES, WE OURSELVES MAY HAVE JUST ARRIVED FOR THOUGHT IN LOOKING FOR A BETTER LIFE.
BUT ALONG WITH THAT COMES THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS OF BEING IN FLOODS ON COUNCIL WITH EVEN IF IT CAME UP A YEAR AGO WHERE IT WASN'T PREVALENT, OR EVEN MENTIONED 12 YEARS AGO, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE FACING.
NOW, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS BEGIN THE PROCESS.
[01:45:02]
I WOULD SAY, GOING FORWARD, EVEN WORKING WITH YOUR COMPANY WITH DARREN IS DISTRICT SEVEN AND OUR STAFF, TO BE SURE THAT WE COME UP WITH THE RIGHT PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.AND IF WE ARE NOT IN A COLLABORATIVE WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND PLAYERS, WE AREN'T GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND SO I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS WOULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A AMICABLE DIALOGUE SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THIS SITUATION AND BE FAIR TO THE CITIZENS AND TO THOSE WHO LIVE, NOT JUST IN DISTRICT THREE, BUT IN ALL OF THESE OTHER AREAS OF, FOR ALL THE DOUBT I EVEN MENTIONED, BECAUSE WE ALL SUFFER IN EVERY DISTRICT FROM SOME FLAW, A FORM OF PONDING OR FLOODING THAT DESTROYS THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT INDIVIDUAL LOOKS FOR.
SO WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TO US.
AND, UH, MAYBE WE CAN BEGIN TO MOVE FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY.
I WANTED TO ASK THE QUESTION WHILE WE WERE STANDING HERE.
WHEN IS THE, WHEN IS THE PROJECT GOING? YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT, BUT I WANT TO ADDRESS THAT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
WHEN IS THE PROJECT GOING TO BEGIN IN EARNEST ON THE WEST SIDE OF PORT AUTHOR? NO.
I'M ASKING YOU TO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN ENGINEERING STAGE RIGHT NOW, THE PROJECT ENGINEERING STAGE RIGHT NOW.
UM, THEY'VE GOT TO DO THIS VISIT, GO TO THE DESIGNS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND IF YOU WANT TO REPORT, WE COULD ASK THE CITY ENGINEER TO PROVIDE THEM THAT NEXT MEETING.
UH, CRAIG, THE, UM, HAVE YOU GUYS MET WITH DD SEVEN SINCE THEY'VE OPENED ALLIGATOR BY YOU IN THE LAST YEAR, HAVE WE TALKED WITH THEM ABOUT THEIR CAPACITY? AND WE HAVE PAR PART OF OUR DISCUSSION WITH THEM IS, IS GETTING THE INCREASED HYDROLOGY, UH, REPORT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT, THAT TELLS US HOW FAST WE'RE ABLE TO, RIGHT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WATER MOVES, RIGHT, WHERE IT GOES AND WHERE IT COMES FROM.
SO WE, WE DO HAVE CONVERSATIONS, MR.
RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S JUST BEEN OPEN RECENTLY IN THE LAST YEAR.
SO WITH THAT CAPABILITY OF WHAT ALLIGATOR BY WHICH IS HUMONGOUS, UM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET WATER OUT, UH, MUCH QUICKER THAN WE ARE.
SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEET WITH DD SEVEN.
THEY CAN GIVE US THOSE REPORTS TO SEE EVEN THE LAST RAIN EVENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER TO MEET WITH THEM SO THAT THEY HAVE THIS HUGE MONSTROSITY OF TAKING IN WATER ONLINE, HOW IT CAN NOW WORK TO ALLEVIATE THE WATER AND, UM, LAKE ARTHUR.
I, IF I CAN, MR. MAYOR, UH, ADDRESS, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S GERMANED, UH, AS YOU ARE AWARE, UH, WE HAD WORKED ON AN APPLICATION THROUGH THE CDBG MITIGATION FUNDING, UM, THAT, UH, WAS NOT ACCEPTED.
AND YOU REMEMBER THE WHOLE ISSUE ABOUT EUSTON AND THAT IT WAS A LAWSUIT AND EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT HOW THE MONEY WAS DISTRIBUTED.
WELL, IN THE SECOND ROUND, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO, TO SEND THAT TO THE COGS.
WE WILL ATTEND A MEETING THIS AFTERNOON ON YOUR BEHALF TO EXPRESS, UM, SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
SO THERE'S A $46 MILLION ALLOCATION, UM, THAT IS BEING PROPOSED TO GO DIRECTLY TO D D SEVEN.
UM, AND THE, THIS METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION CUTS OUT THE MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, NOW THE THINKING IS THAT IF D D SEVEN IMPROVES, THEN EVERYBODY WHO CONTRIBUTES TO THEIR SYSTEM IMPROVES, BUT THERE'S NO CAVEAT OR LINK FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES TO THE TWO D D SEVEN OR THE MUNICIPALITIES TO JEFFERSON COUNTY, UH, OR ORANGE COUNTY DRAINAGE DISTRICT.
FOR THAT MATTER, THAT'S ALL PART OF THE SAME DISCUSSION, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT WE, WE WILL BE REPRESENTING TO THE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION TODAY IS, IS THERE HAS TO BE A LINK.
SO THAT D D SEVEN IS DOING, THEY'RE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE LOCAL NEEDS AND THE LOCAL, UH, CONCERNS THAT ARE, THAT ARE PART OF WHAT THEY SUPPORT.
THE SECOND PART, COUNCILMAN KINLAW,
[01:50:01]
UH, YOU HAD MENTIONED THIS IN THE LAST, UH, BRIEFLY IN OUR LAST DISCUSSION.AND THEN AGAIN, TODAY, UH, ABOUT THE, THE FLOOD ZONE AND THE, THE REQUIREMENT FOR FLOOD INSURANCE.
AND CERTAINLY I'M NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MFIP, BUT, BUT I WANTED TO CONFER WITH, UH, MS. LANGFORD.
AND WE DID SOME CHECKING WITH FEMA.
THE LETTER OF FINAL DETERMINATION HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED BY BY FEMA.
SO THERE IS NO HARD AND FAST CHANGE IN THE FLOOD ZONES AT THIS POINT.
SO IF, IF NOW MORTGAGERS CAN ANY, AT ANY TIME REQUIRE, IF, IF HOMEOWNERS HAVE A MORTGAGE CAN REQUIRE THEM TO BUY FLOOD INSURANCE TO PROTECT THEIR, THEIR MORTGAGE, BUT FROM A STANDPOINT OF THE FLOOD ZONES IN PORT ARTHUR, UH, YOU WOULD, AS THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY, YOU WOULD ADOPT A NEW FLOOD ZONE THAT IS PRESENTED BY FEMA IN THEIR LETTER OF FINAL DETERMINATION.
AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN FEMA CONFIRMED THAT THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.
SO I WOULD INVITE FURTHER DISCUSSION TO, TO INVESTIGATE THAT BECAUSE OF OTHER HOMEOWNERS ARE HAVING THAT SAME EXPERIENCE.
THERE'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED.
I MEAN, IN SPITE OF THAT, IT'S GOOD.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE DID WHEN WE WERE, I MEAN, I WAS IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THOSE, UM, FEMA RECOMMENDATION IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THEY WERE JUST RECOMMENDATION EVERY DEVELOPER WHO COMES IN FROM THEN, AND WE STILL DO IT NOW IS TO ADVISE THEM TO PREPARE THEIR DEVELOPING BASED ON THE PROPOSED PLANS.
AND IT'S A GOOD PRACTICE TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK IT AVOIDS THE POSSIBILITY OF FOOD, THE FLOODING, LET ME JUST SHARE WITH THE COUNSELORS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING, WE'RE IN ACTIVE DISCUSSION WITH THEM, WITH THE CITY ENGINEER.
UM, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED CERTAIN AREAS OF THE STONE GATE AREA THAT, UM, THE CITY OWNS THE DRAINAGE PART OF IT.
AND, UM, THERE HAS BEEN NEGLECT FOR QUITE SOME TIME, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT VARIOUS SECTIONS OF IT TO SEE HOW NOT TO SEE, TO FUND IT IN TERMS OF ITS CLEANING.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP WITH THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF GETTING THE WATER TO DDC IF WE DO THAT.
SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
I WAS LAST WEEK, I WAS JUST IN DISCUSSION WITH MISS ROSEDALE.
AND, UM, WE WERE PASSING THAT INFORMATION TO BRAD TO SEE HOW WE CAN GET A CONTRACT THAT MAY END UP INTO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, BUT WE'VE GOT TO DO WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO TO INVEST IN THAT AREA AND TO AVOID THE PROPERTIES, BEING PRONE TO FLOODING.
I HAVE TO CATCH THE WATER, MOVE THE WATER AND STORE THE WATER, EVEN IF WE, YES.
REALLY APPRECIATE THAT CITY ATTORNEY AT THIS JUNCTURE.
MAYBE TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
FIVE MINUTE BREAK, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO RETURN FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
WE HAVE ABOUT 40, 60 MINUTES FREQUENT BASIS.
MAY I APPROACH HIM HOUSE COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS, COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES COUNCIL MEMBER.
[III.B.4. A Presentation By The Port Arthur EDC Regarding The Status Of The Executive Director Search, Current And Future Proposed Projects. ( Requested By Councilmember Frank)]
TO OUR NORMAL AUTO BUSINESS AND, UH, WE HAVE THE NEXT PRESENTATION, WHICH IS THE PRESENTATION BY THE PORT ARTHUR EDC, REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH CURRENT AND FUTURE PROPOSED PROJECTS AS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FREY.BUT IT'S, IT'S KINDA DIFFICULT FOR ME TO HEAR YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NOT SPEAKING.
GREG MATTHEWS, ALL THE POWER, A LOT OF IT.
UM, AS REQUESTED, I HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH A SUMMARIZED REPORT AS TO THE EDCS CURRENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND INVESTMENTS.
CURRENTLY WE ARE MANAGING 18 OPEN PROJECTS THAT ARE NEW OR EXPANDED DEVELOPMENTS.
[01:55:01]
THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE APPLIED AND WERE AWARDED ECONOMIC AND ECONOMIC INCENTIVE BECAUSE OF THEIR ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE CITY AND OR JOB CREATION AS A RESULT OF THEIR PROJECTS.UM, I'LL SAY A QUICK LITTLE SUMMARY SUMMARY ABOUT THEM, AND IF YOU NEED ANY MORE DETAIL, PLEASE JUST STOP ME.
UM, PORT ARTHUR RECYCLING, THEY ARE 100% PORT ARTHUR EMPLOYEES.
THEIR AGREEMENT HAS COME TO TERM AND WILL BE CLOSED OUT THIS YEAR.
AS THEY HAVE MET ALL OF THEIR REQUIREMENTS FOR THEIR, THEIR AGREEMENT.
K L V VENTURES, THEY'RE OPERATIONS ARE ONGOING.
THEY HAVE BEEN IN COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR AGREEMENT AND MEETING AGREED UPON PAYROLL AS WELL.
THIS IS ANOTHER CONTRACT THAT WILL BE CLOSED OUT THIS YEAR, K AND D MARINE.
THEY HAVE MOVED IN AS THEY'VE COMPLETED THEIR, UM, EXPANSION AND THEY ARE OPERATING AS EXPECTED.
THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH TERMS OF THEIR AGREEMENT AS WELL.
INDUSTRIAL SCAFFOLDING, THEIR CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE AND OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN ONGOING.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT HAS GENERATED MORE THAN $16 MILLION IN PORT ARTHUR PAYROLL OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD.
AND SO THIS ONE HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL STANDARD ALLOYS.
THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
THE BUSINESS PARK ELECTRICAL UPGRADES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED TO THEIR OPERATIONS AS WELL.
THEY ARE OPERATIONAL, UH, TO DATE.
THEY HAVE MET THE REQUIRED PAYROLL FOR PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS.
THEY DO HAVE TO STAY IN THE BUSINESS PARK AND OPERATION FOR A COUPLE OF MORE YEARS TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.
UH, BUT THEY HAVE MET THEIR PAYROLL REQUIREMENTS ALREADY RAISE BAKERY.
THEY HAVE HAD SETBACKS DUE TO MONEY LOSS DUE TO, UH, CONSTRUCT CONTRACTOR ISSUES.
THEIR CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE AND THEY ARE NOW OPERATIONAL ROBO JURISTICS.
THEY HAVE FOUND DIFFICULTY FILLING SOME OF THEIR SPECIALIZED POSITIONS WITH PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS.
UM, THEY ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, WITH US, THE EDC LAMAR STATE COLLEGE PORT ARTHUR AND THE ISD AND FINDING RESOURCES TO GET, UH, EMPLOYEES WORK READY AND TRAINED FOR SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT THEY HAVE MOTION INDUSTRIES.
THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR AGREEMENT, MAINTAINING OPERATIONS WITHIN THE BUSINESS PARK, AND THEY ARE GENERATING SALES TAX AS PROMISED RAM TECHS.
THEY DO HAVE A, UM, A TWO-PART CONTRACT WITH US.
THEIR FIRST CONTRACT WAS FOR THE EXPANSION OF THEIR BUSINESS, INTO THE BUSINESS PARK.
THEY ARE IN OPERATION AND COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR AGREEMENT.
ONE WILL BE COMPLETE AND CLOSED OUT THIS YEAR, THEIR SECOND, UM, THEIR SECOND PROJECT THAT YOU WILL SEE A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN ON YOUR LIST.
THEY, UH, ACTUALLY PURCHASED THE BUILDING IN THE BUSINESS PARK, RECEIVED A SMALL INCENTIVE FOR THAT.
AND, UH, THEY DO HAVE TO REMAIN IN OPERATION THE BUSINESS PARK, PARKER LUMBER, THEIR EXPANSION IS COMPLETE.
THEY ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH A MORE STATE COLLEGE FOR, UH, SOME OF THEIR TRUCK DRIVERS THAT ARE THEY, THEY ARE IN HIGH DEMAND FOR, UM, THEY ARE ALSO SET TO CLOSE OUT THIS YEAR.
TEAM FABRICATORS TEAMS, EXPANSION IS COMPLETE.
THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THEIR AGREEMENT.
THIS IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE INCENTIVE.
THEIR CONSTRUCTION IS MOVING ALONG.
THEIR FUNDS HAVE NOT BEEN DISPERSED AS OF YET.
UH, THEY ARE SET TO BE COMPLETED AND CLOSED OUT BY OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR, CLIFFORD DISTILLING THEIR RENOVATION IS COMPLETING AND THEY ARE IN FULL OPERATION.
THEY WILL BEGIN SUBMITTING PAYROLL.
THIS COMING YEAR A AND P AMEEN.
THIS IS ALSO AN INFRASTRUCTURE INCENTIVE.
CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGAN ON THEIR PROPERTY TO DATE.
NO FUNDS HAVE BEEN DISPERSED TO A AND P AND MEAN, UM, THAT PROJECT IS ONGOING HOLLAND GAS.
THEY HAVE BEGAN TO EXPANSION OF THEIR OPERATIONS.
THEY ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH MAURA STATE COLLEGE TO COORDINATE TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT FOR THEIR CDL DRIVERS AS WELL, MID COUNTY SHOPPING PLAZA.
THIS IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE INCENTIVE.
THEIR CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY TO DATE.
NO FUNDS HAVE BEEN DISPERSED EITHER, UH, PARK ENTERPRISES.
AND THIS IS OUR LAST INFRASTRUCTURE INCENTIVE ON YOUR LIST.
UM, THIS PROJECT HAS NOT BEGAN CONSTRUCTION AS OF YET.
UH, THEY DID RECEIVE AN EXTENSION BEFORE AND, UH, WE'RE JUST WAITING TO SEE IF THIS
[02:00:01]
ONE DOES PICK UP NO FUNDS HAVE BEEN DISPERSED FOR THIS PROJECT.EITHER SIX OF THESE 18 PROJECTS ARE SLATED TO CLOSE OUT THIS YEAR.
UM, THREE WILL NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS TO THEIR AGREEMENTS.
AS TO FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, WE DO HAVE FOUR PENDING APPLICANTS, UM, THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH RIGHT NOW.
THEY ARE NOT LISTED AS THEY ARE STILL ON THE APPLICATION.
UM, PART OF THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW, ONCE THEY BECOME CONTRACTS, THEN, UH, THEY WILL COME BEFORE YOU ARE PORT ARTHUR BUSINESS PARK.
WE DO HAVE A PENDING LAND SALE, JOHN CRANE, INC.
THEY ARE, UH, PURCHASING APPROXIMATELY 2.1 ACRES OF LAND AND THE PARK FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSTRUCTION OF A 12,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING FOR OFFICE AND WAREHOUSE SPACE FOR THE ENGINEERING ASSEMBLY, REPAIR AND SALES AND MECHANICAL SALES SELL IS CURRENTLY IN CLOSING FOR THAT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO BEGAN A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, SEVERAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. UM, THESE ARE JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS AND FUNDS THAT WE INJECT TO GET OUR RESIDENTS READY FOR WORK.
UH, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH LAMAR STATE COLLEGE FOR A COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE TRAINING PROGRAM WHERE WE REIMBURSE LAMAR FOR, UH, THE TUITION FOR QUALIFYING POURED OUT THE RESIDENTS.
IT HAS HAD APPROXIMATELY AN 80% PASSING RATE.
UM, AND THIS PROGRAM DOES TRAIN FOR CDL A AND B STUDENTS.
WE ALSO HAVE PARTNERED WITH LAMAR STATE COLLEGE FOR A HIGH DEMAND, TWO YEAR ASSOCIATES DEGREE PROGRAM, FIVE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING STUDENTS THAT ARE PUT OUT THE RESIDENTS ARE SELECTED ANNUALLY BY COMMITTEE TO RECEIVE UP TO $13,500 EACH TO ATTEND A TWO YEAR HIGH DEMAND DEGREE PROGRAM THROUGH LAMAR STATE COLLEGE, HIGH DEMAND PROGRAMS OF STUDY INCLUDE VARIOUS INDUSTRIAL AND MEDICAL DEGREE PROGRAMS. OKAY.
UM, WE'VE ALSO PARTNERED WITH LAMAR STATE COLLEGE IN FACILITATING, APPLYING AND MATCHING AND EDA GRANT THAT THEY HAVE APPLIED AND BEEN AWARDED.
UH, WE INVESTED $1 MILLION INTO THIS MATCH.
IT IS FOR AN INDUSTRIAL SKILLS TRAINING FACILITY ON THEIR PREMISES.
NOW, LAMAR STATE COLLEGE AGREES TO TRAIN A PERCENTAGE OF PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS THROUGH THE FACILITY AT NO COST BECAUSE OF OUR INVESTMENT.
WE HAVE PARTNERS WITH LAMAR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY OUT OF BEAUMONT FOR POLICE CADET TRAINING.
UM, WE ALLOCATED $46,800 FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR UP TO NINE PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS ENROLLED IN THE POLICE ACADEMY TO BE EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
TODAY'S DATE TENDS TO I'M SORRY, TODAY.
FOUR STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED TUITION ASSISTANCE THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
AND WE'VE ALSO PARTNERED WITH DIGITAL WORKFORCE ACADEMY FOR THE NCCR.
PIPEFITTER ONE TRAINING $27,000 HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THE TRAINING OF UP TO 10 PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS THROUGH THAT CURRICULUM, 10 WERE ENROLLED THIS YEAR EIGHT, COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, FUTURE PROJECTS, THEIR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WE ARE EXPLORING, UM, THE OPTIONS AND FEASIBILITY OF A CNA PROGRAM THROUGH A THIRD PARTY TRAINER AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE ALSO PLANNING AN ORAL AT THE BEGINNING STAGES OF PLANNING FOR A JOB FAIR IN THE SPRING IN CONJUNCTION WITH TWC.
THE EDC ALSO HAS A MICRO LOAN PROGRAM FOR SMALL AND STARTUP BUSINESSES.
CURRENTLY WE DO HAVE TWO BORROWERS, UM, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
HI, I'M A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN GRACELAND TRUCKING.
AND MOVING ON TO OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS, THE RENOVATION OF THE PRESS BUILDING, WHICH IS THE OLD PORT ARTHUR NEWS BUILDING THAT IS 99% COMPLETE.
IT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF AUGUST.
IT WILL HAVE THE EDCS NEW ENTREPRENEURIAL INITIATIVES AND RESOURCE PROGRAMS, AND IT WILL OFFER SHORT AND LONG-TERM COMMERCIAL OFFICE AND KITCHEN LEASE SPACE.
UH, VOTERS ALLOWED EDC TO UTILIZE $1 MILLION PER YEAR FOR THREE YEARS BEGINNING, UM, THIS CURRENT YEAR THAT WE'RE IN TO BE ALLOCATED TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR PARKS AND RECREATION FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF PORT ARTHUR.
BEFORE I MOVE ON TO, UH, WE'RE UM, UPDATE FOR THE CEO SEARCH, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS TO ANY OF THE PROJECTS?
[02:05:05]
OKAY.UM, WHEN YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THE LIST OF, UM, UH, BUSINESSES, YOU DIDN'T MENTION RAM TECHS TOO, IS THAT, IS THERE A CONNECTIVITY OR DID THAT? YES.
I HAD TALKED ABOUT IT WHENEVER I WAS MENTIONED RAM TEXTS ONCE, SO I SKIPPED OVER IT, BUT, UM, THEY ARE CONNECTED.
THE FIRST ONE WAS AN EXPANSION OF THEIR BUSINESSES INTO THE BUSINESS PARK.
AND THE SECOND WAS ACTUALLY THE, THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY THAT THEY'RE IN NOW.
AND WHEN YOU SAY CLOSE OUT FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LISTENING, THAT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE CONCLUDED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT IF THEY CHOSE TO, THEY COULD LEAVE THE BUSINESS PARK WITHOUT ANY PENALTY.
WHAT DOES THAT EXACTLY MEAN WHEN YOU SAY CLOSE OUT? CORRECT.
AND, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT COUNCILMAN ED.
WHENEVER WE SAY CLOSE OUT A PROJECT, IT'S USUALLY THAT THEY'VE COMPLIED WITH ALL OF THE TERMS OF THEIR INCENTIVE AGREEMENT WITH US.
SO THEY HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO THE EDC.
UM, THERE IS NO REPAYMENT OBLIGATION.
THEY ARE, THEY'RE DONE WITH THEIR OBLIGATION TO THE EDC.
SO THEY, THEY CAN EITHER MOVE OUT IF THEY PLEASE, OR THEY CAN'T.
SOME OF THEM AREN'T ALWAYS IN THE BUSINESS PARK.
SO, UM, IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT.
MA'AM UM, GREAT PRESENTATION, UH, JUST REAL QUICK.
UM, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE IN THE SUBJECT AREA ABOUT EMPLOYMENT, WHO VALIDATES AND IMPLEMENTS OF THE PUT OFF THE RESIDENCE, IS IT YOU, OR DO YOU HAVE YOUR STAFF MEMBERS DO THAT? YES.
WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER ON ONBOARD WHO IS THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AND SHE DOES VALIDATE AND, UH, SHE MANAGES HIS PROGRAMS FOR, OKAY.
AND THE SECOND ONE I'M LOOKING AT THE POLICE CADETS, I'M INTERESTED IN THAT.
WHY HAVEN'T, WHY HAVEN'T WE HAD MORE? IS THAT A REASON WHY JUST GOING THROUGH THE PROGRAM THAT WE HADN'T PAID FOR IT, JUST CURIOUS, UH, THAT QUESTION HAS COME UP.
UM, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS TO HOW WE CAN BETTER, UM, MARKET IT OR HELP THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MARKET, THIS PROGRAM.
SO, UM, IT'S JUST ABOUT GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT THERE IS, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, CORRECT.
NO, UM, YEAH, MY LIGHT IS STILL ON BECAUSE I GUESS, UM, IT MAY BE, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A CONSIDERATION, BUT I SEE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EDC HERE.
UM, WE DO CALL IT THE PRESS BUILDING NOW.
UM, BUT AS THE DIRECTORS OF THE EDC ARE SITTING HERE, UM, I WANT, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, BUT HAS THERE BEEN A CONSIDERATION FOR MOVING TOWARD NAMING RIGHTS OF THAT BUILDING, UH, TO PERHAPS, UH, COME TO A POINT IN PLACE WHERE WE NO LONGER WOULD CALL IT THE, UH, PRESS BUILDING, BUT THEN GET INTO A POINT IN PLACE WHERE WE WOULD BE PAID BECAUSE IT WOULD BECOME SOME OTHER NAME.
AND SO I, I WAS JUST THROWING IT OUT, NOT TRYING TO GUIDE OR STEER, BUT JUST KNOWING, YOU KNOW, THE FORWARD-THINKING THAT THEY DO OR HAVE.
AND SO JUST THOSE CONSIDERATIONS.
UH, THERE ARE NO OTHER REMARKS OR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND, UH, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU GUYS A QUICK UPDATE.
ON BEHALF OF OUR, UM, DIRECTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE, THEY DID ADVERTISE THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS BACK IN JUNE FOR AN EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM TO RECRUIT THE BOARDS AND NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UM, A, AN EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM WAS SELECTED AND HIRED BY THE EDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN JULY.
A DROP I JOB PROFILE WAS COMPILED BY THE SEARCH FIRM AND APPROVED BY THE EDC SEARCH COMMITTEE.
THE JOB PROFILE WAS ADVERTISED AND RECRUITMENT BY THE SEARCH FIRM TOOK PLACE OVER A FOUR WEEK PERIOD FROM JULY THROUGH AUGUST.
THE APPLICANT DEADLINE TO SUBMIT WAS AUGUST THE FIFTH AND THE SEARCH FIRM WILL PRESENT THOSE CANDIDATES INFORMATION TO THE SEARCH COMMITTEE ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17TH ON TOMORROW, A FIRST AND SECOND ROUND INTERVIEWS WILL BE HELD SUBSEQUENTLY.
THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR THIS REPORT.
UH, YOU HAVE FOUNDERS, YOU SAID YOU HAVE TO PANELISTS YES.
THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE, SIX, EMILY.
WELL, UH, FI I WON'T SAY FINALISTS.
THESE ARE THE, UM, THIS IS A SLATE OF APPLICANTS THAT THEY RECEIVED THE TOTAL APPLICANTS.
UH, THOSE WILL BE REVEALED TO THE SEARCH COMMITTEE TOMORROW AFTERNOON.
FROM THERE, THEY WILL SELECT THE FINALISTS TO INTERVIEW.
[02:10:01]
GO CUT DOWN TO SO MANY BY WHAT DATE BUT 19.UM, WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OUR COMMITTEE HERE, UM, CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL AS TO THEIR PROCESS MS. RAYMOND AND IT'S.
ANYWAY, WE HAD 18, THE NEXT MOVE GROUP HAVE SUBMITTED 18 CANDIDATES.
WE ARE REVIEWING THE RESUMES AS WE SPEAK.
SHE SUBMITTED IT TO US THROUGH EMAIL YESTERDAY, WE GONE THROUGH THE EMAIL, WE TRYING TO GO THROUGH WHICH ONE WOULD MEET OUR CRITERIA THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN A CEO.
SO TWO TOMORROW, WE WILL HAVE A VIDEO OF THOSE CANDIDATES THAT WE INTERESTED IN NOW, ALL 18, IF WE GO THROUGH IT AND WHICH WE HAVE WENT THROUGH, SOME OF THE PEOPLE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT THE VIDEOS, BUT, UH, WE WILL LET THE GROUP KNOW, UH, TOMORROW WHEN WE MEET WITH THEM, WHICH ONES WE'RE INTERESTED IN, WE LOOK AT THEIR VIDEOS AND AFTER THAT, WE WILL PROCEED TO A INTERVIEW WITH THE ONES THAT WE SELECT, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS.
WE ARE READY TO MOVE TO, UH, NOW PRESENTATION
[III.B.5. A Presentation By Staff Regarding The June Financial Report]
BY STAFF, UH, REGARDING THE JUNE FINANCIAL, UH, REPORT GOOD MORNING OR AFTERNOON OR WHATEVER IT IS NOW, I DO HAVE YOUR, UH, DUNE FINANCIAL REPORT AND QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.UM, WE'LL START WITH PAGE TWO.
WE HAVE THE GENERAL FUND, UH, GENERAL FUND REVENUES ARE CURRENTLY 71 MILLION, WHICH IS 3.9 MILLION ABOVE THE ESTIMATE.
UH, 16.2 MILLION HAS BEEN COLLECTED PROPERTY TAXES.
THIS IS ABOVE THE BUDGET BY 788,000.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF TAXES ARE RECEIVED IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 33.2 MILLION WAS RECEIVED IN INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS AND ALL THOSE PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED THIS YEAR.
UH, SALES AND USE TAX FOR THE GENERAL FUND THROUGH JUNE.
IS IT 11.1 MILLION OR 1.9 ABOVE THE CURRENT YEAR ESTIMATE 19% ABOVE LAST FISCAL YEAR.
UH, THERE IS A TWO MONTH TIME LAG AND RECEIPTS.
UH, JUNE RECEIPTS REPRESENT APRIL SALES.
UH, PAGE THREE, LINDSEY, WE HAVE THE GENERAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES ARE 46.4 MILLION THROUGH JUNE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY BELOW THE BUDGETED LEVEL.
BY 5.1 MILLION BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE REQUESTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS NEEDED.
UH, THE AMENDED BUDGET HAS AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 23.8 MILLION OR 120 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
THE TOTAL REVENUES ARE CURRENTLY 71 MILLION AND TOTAL EXPENDITURES ARE 55.9 MILLION, WHICH RESULTS IN A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE OF 46 MILLION AT JUNE 30TH.
THE SPEND BALANCE IS WELL IN EXCESS OF THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF 60 DAYS, PLUS ONE AND A HALF MILLION PAGE FOR LINDSEY.
UH, MOVING ON TO THE WATER FUND, UH, REVENUES TOTAL 23.7 MILLION AT JUNE 30TH.
THIS IS ABOVE THE BUDGETED LEVEL BY ABOUT 500,000, UH, REVENUE FROM INDUSTRY, UH, IS THE DRIVING FACTOR.
THERE IT'S 971,000 ABOVE THE EXPECTED AMOUNT AT THIS TIME OPERATING EXPENDITURES, TOTAL 14.7 MILLION, WHICH IS UNDER THE BUDGETED LEVEL BY 1.4 MILLION, UM, PAGE FIVE, UH, WE HAVE THE SOLID WASTE SOLID WASTE REVENUES, TOTAL 7.2 MILLION AS OF JUNE 30TH, WHICH IS BELOW ESTIMATES BY 705,000 OPERATING EXPENSES ARE CURRENTLY 4.4 MILLION, WHICH IS UNDER BUDGET BY 684,000.
SO THE CURRENT SAVINGS KEEPS THE EXPENSES IN LINE WITH AVAILABLE REVENUES AND STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE FUND TO ENSURE THAT THE FUND REMAINS BALANCED, UH, UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, NEXT PAGE THAT'S PAGE SIX, WE HAVE PLEASURE ISLAND.
UH, REVENUES ARE 820,000, WHICH IS ABOVE THE ESTIMATE BY 30,000 OPERATING EXPENDITURES ARE 610,000, UH, WHICH IS 103,000 BELOW THE BUDGET AMOUNT, LEAVING EXPENSES IN LINE WITH AVAILABLE REVENUES.
AT THIS TIME, MOVING TO PAGE SEVEN, WE, UH,
[02:15:01]
START WITH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.UH, THIS IS THE STREET SUMMARY ALLOCATION BY YEAR IN DISTRICT.
THIS IS THE SAME PAGE THAT I SHOW YOU, UH, MOST EVERY MONTH SHOWING THE TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR ALL YEARS.
UH, ONE THROUGH 4 62 0.6 MILLION 19.5 MILLION IN YEAR ONE 14.4 MILLION YEAR TO 15.2 MILLION IN YEAR THREE AND 13.5 MILLION YEAR FOR, UH, THE ALLOCATION FOR A DISTRICT RECONSTRUCTION IN YOUR FOUR IS STILL, UH, SUBJECT TO CHANGE BECAUSE IT'S CURRENTLY STILL BASED ON YOUR THREE PERCENTAGES.
UM, ALSO YOUR FOUR, A REMEDIATION INCLUDES 3 MILLION, UH, DISTRICT ONE FOR WOODWORTH AND BOULEVARD AND 500,000 INDUSTRY FOR, FOR JIMMY JOHNSON EXTENSION.
AND WHICH IS NOT PART OF THE PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION PAGE EIGHT, THE STREET SUMMARY EXPENSES.
UH, WE HAVE 23.2 MILLION SPENT THROUGH JUNE, UH, LEAVING A BALANCE OF 39.4 MILLION OF WHICH 24.2 MILLION IS COMMITTED TO OPEN STREET PROJECTS.
AND THERE'S CURRENTLY 15.2 MILLION REMAIN TO BE ALLOCATED FROM YEAR ONE THROUGH FOUR ALLOCATION, WHICH IS AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.
PAGE NINE, OPEN STREET PROJECTS S AND GENE 30TH 38.6 MILLION HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR OPEN STREET PROJECTS.
14.4 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TODAY LEAVING A BALANCE OF 24.2 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE OPEN PROJECTS.
PAGE 10, UH, THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, PROJECT BUDGET IS 31.7 MILLION EXPENDITURES.
TOTAL 7.7 MILLION WITH 24 REMAINING TO BE SPENT.
EXCUSE ME, IT'S INCLUDES A CITY FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS TECHNOLOGY BY FIRE VEHICLE, PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS AND RECREATION PROJECTS, AGE 11.
EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, ONE SEC.
UM, CURRENT BUDGET FOR DRAINAGE PROJECTS IS 69.1 MILLION PRIMARILY FUNDED FROM FEMA MITIGATION, GRANTS AND CDBG, UH, 5.8 MILLION IT'S BEEN SUBMITTED TODAY, LEAVING A BALANCE OF 63.3 MILLION.
AND AS WE JUST DISCUSSED EARLIER TODAY, UH, THE 19 MILLION FEMA MITIGATION FUNDS RELATED TO LAKE ARTHUR, ORANGE JEOPARDY AND ALTERNATE FUNDING SOURCES ARE BEING EXPLORED.
UM, DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION BUDGET IS 5.1 MILLION PRIMARILY FOR PARKING LOT IS.
UM, OUR UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE CURRENTLY 84.9 MILLION PRIMARILY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION IN THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT 11.1 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT A DAY.
UM, 73.8 MILLION REMAINING TO COMPLETE THE PROJECTS, PLEASURE ISLAND, 590,000 BUDGETED FOR A BOAT LAUNCH AND PARKING LOT REPAIRS, PRIMARILY FUNDED BY TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE GRANT.
THE EDC PRESS BUILDING AS RACHEL MENTIONED, IS, UH, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE.
UH, IT WAS BUDGETED AT 10.9 MILLION OR 0.7 MILLION FUNDED BY AN EDA GRANT.
10.7 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT LEAVING A BALANCE OF 187,000 COMPLETE THE PROJECT LAST ON THIS PAGE AS THE ARBA PROJECTS, UM, SEVERAL PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED, UM, IN THE 2022 BUDGET, UH, IN MARCH OF 21, THE CITY WAS AWARDED 26.7 MILLION IN ARPA, UH, FUNDS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
ALL OF WHICH HAS BEEN RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 2 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT LEAVING A BALANCE OF 24.7 MILLION.
SOME OF THESE PROJECTS WERE REVISED AT THE LAST MEETING AND WILL BE
[02:20:01]
REFLECTED IN THE NEXT REPORT.NEXT PAGE IS PAGE 12, IT'S THE 2021 CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, A RECAP.
UM, THESE INCLUDE STREETS, DRAINAGE, HUB STATIONS, ANIMAL SHELTER, NEW HEALTH BUILDING, RENOVATION AND WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS.
1.6 MILLION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED SO FAR LEAVING A BALANCE OF 31.3 MILLION.
AND PAGE 13 IS, UH, THE DISASTER, UH, FEND RECAP, HURRICANE HARVEY, 30.2 MILLION HAS BEEN RECEIVED PRIMARILY FOR FEMA AND INSURANCE, 34.3 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES.
AND THERE'S ALSO PENDING REIMBURSEMENTS OF 253,000 AND LEAVING A BALANCE OF ABOUT 3.8 MILLION AT THIS TIME.
ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ANTICIPATED REIMBURSEMENTS ON OPEN PROJECTS, UM, ARE EXPECTED TO FURTHER REDUCE THE CITY'S OUT OF POCKET COST TO AROUND 790,000.
COVID-19 3 MILLION RECORDED IN REVENUE AND DONATIONS, UH, EXPENDITURES TODAY TO 3.6 MILLION HURRICANE LAURA 217,000 RECEIVED IN INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENTS THROUGH JUNE AND 3.2 MILLION IN MINIATURES, UH, OF WHICH AN ADDITIONAL 2.3 MILLION IS ANTICIPATED TO BE RE REIMBURSED FROM OPEN PROJECTS.
THE CITY DOES CONTINUE TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CAPTURE AS MUCH FEDERAL ASSISTANCE AS POSSIBLE FOR ALL DISASTERS.
UH, WE HAVE OUR QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT, UH, CASH AND INVESTMENTS, TOTAL 147.9 MILLION AT JUNE 30TH, UH, AND INCREASE A 3.1 MILLION FROM LAST QUARTER.
THIS INCREASE IS PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RECEIPT OF THE REMAINING 13.3 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS.
AND OTHERWISE IS REFLECTIVE OF NORMAL CITY'S NORMAL CASH FLOW BECAUSE NORMALLY CASH WILL GO DOWN IN THE SUMMER BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF YOUR REVENUES ARE RECEIVED EARLIER IN THE YEAR AT JUNE 30TH BANK DEPOSITS TOTALED 17.7 MILLION OR 12% OF THE PORTFOLIO.
UH, THE REMAINDER WAS AN AUTHORIZED INVESTMENT POOLS, 130.2 MILLION OR 88% OF THE PORTFOLIO.
THE AVERAGE YIELD IS OUT THIS QUARTER TO 0.55, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN LAST QUARTER THOUGH.
AND IS IN LINE WITH CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS.
THE INTEREST OR IN THIS QUARTER WAS 202,000 AND TOTAL STEVE 135,000 FISCAL YEAR TO DATE.
UH, AS ANN MENTIONED EARLIER, INTEREST RATES DO CONTINUE TO RISE.
THE JULY MEETING, THE FED FUND TARGET RATE WAS RAISED ANOTHER 75 BASIS POINTS.
UM, ALL OF OUR INVESTMENTS ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INVESTMENT POLICY AS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH ME, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, COSMIN THE FRONT? NO, I'M MY LIGHTS JUST ON CHRIS CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, AFTER WEEK, IF YOU ALL DON'T HAVE, AFTER YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I WANTED TO DIRECT YOU TO CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS OF, BECAUSE DUE TO THE TIME WE HAVE TO GET SOME INFORMATION TO THE PORT AUTHOR NEWS AT ABOUT ONE, BUT AFTER YOU FINISHED THIS, THIS POINT, WE'LL KIND OF GOT TO KEEP TALKING.
THANK YOU, MS. DANIELS FOR YOUR REPORT.
I ONLY HAVE A QUICK QUESTION AND IT MAY NOT EVEN BE FOR YOU.
IT MAY BE FOR THE MANAGER OR SOMEONE IN PUBLIC WORKS.
I NOTICED THAT WE HAVE OPEN STREET PROJECTS WITH THE REMAINING BALANCE OF $24 MILLION.
ARE WE ANTICIPATING COMPLETING THOSE PROJECTS? BY WHAT TIME WE HAVE A TWO YEAR LIST THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, BOTH FOR REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR, WE SHOULD HAVE TARGETED 54 STREETS, 54 NEW STREETS APART FROM WHAT WE HAVE DONE RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO THE AMOUNT OF STREETS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT YEAR IS 54, NEW 54 OTHER STREETS.
AND THAT'S BOTH RECONSTRUCTION AND REHAB.
I'M ON THE PIGGYBACK OF THAT CITY MANAGER.
BUT, UH, BASICALLY WITH, UM, THE REHAB RECONSTRUCTION AND WE, I KNOW YOU WERE GOING OUT FOR ENGINEERING, HAVE WE COMPLETED SO WE CAN GET MORE STREETS DONE IN A RAPID AMOUNT OF TIME? HAVE YOU, WE ALREADY SELECTED THOSE ENGINEERS THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE DONE MIDPOINT OF THIS YEAR, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, I THINK WE'RE IN AUGUST.
SO WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ENGINEERS, UM, SELECTED AND PRE-QUALIFIED HAVE WE
[02:25:01]
DONE THAT? YES, WE HAVE THAT, THAT WAS DONE SOMETIME VERY EARLY THIS YEAR.SO WE HAVE A LIST OF 15, 50 NEW, UM, 15 OR 15 1 5.
AND, AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, BOTH THE, THE, THE ENGINEER AND MYSELF, WE ARE MOVING ALONG TO ALLOCATE THOSE STREETS, BUT WHAT WE HAVE FOUND OUT, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE STREETS WHERE WE NEED MAJOR REHABILITATION TO ENGINEER THOSE OUT, TO PRODUCE OUT BECAUSE WE ARE DOING A MUCH CHEAPER JOB AND A MUCH FASTER JOB WITH THE RESURFACING ON THE INSIDE.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN EQUIPMENT AND STAFF TO MOVE THAT ALONG FASTER, BECAUSE WE ARE GETTING A, AND THERE IS A DIFFICULTY.
UM, I THINK WE JUST WENT OUT FOR BID LAST WEEK OR ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.
AND WE WERE JUST, WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, UH, ABOUT 15 STREETS.
SO WE HAVE 15 AND PRE-QUALIFIED PRE PRE-APPROVED PRE-APPROVED ENGINEERING COMPANY.
YOU SAID ONE AREA WENT OUT AND WE ONLY GOT ONE, ONE BEATER.
AND I THINK I CAN'T DISCLOSE WHO IT WAS, BUT YES.
WE ONLY GOT ONE BID UP UNDER MY, I THINK WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT AGAIN.
THE STREET PROJECT IS I HAVE NO WORDS, BUT ANYWAY.
IT'S MOVING ALONG WITH, UH, I THINK WE PRO UH, COUNSEL THAT THE, UM, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT DID PROVIDE US WITH A LIST OF COMPLETED STREETS TO DATE.
I'LL COME, COME, COME TO JUST MS. FROZEN COME AND JUST ENLIGHTEN THE, THE CONSTANTLY NUMBER OF STREETS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME COMPLETE TO DATE.
CAN WE DO THAT? I CAN ASK FOR IT AT THE NEXT MEETING, OR WE CAN REBROKE WE CAN PROVIDE YOU FOR ANOTHER COMPANY.
I LIKED IT TO SEE WHERE WE END IT KIND OF, I THINK YOU CAME BEFORE IT'S A CUP OF MAY, APRIL OR MAY, SO WE COULD GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THOSE STREETS MANAGER.
YEAH, JUST RECENTLY WE DID, BUT WE PROVIDE I'LL HAVE IT SENT OUT AT THE END OF BUSINESS TODAY.
I JUST HAD AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
UM, WHEN WE RESURFACED STREETS, IT'S THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THOSE STREETS ONCE THEY'RE RE RESURFACED.
I MEAN, HOW, HOW FREQUENTLY WILL WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO THAT? THAT'S, THAT'S AN ENGINEERING QUESTION I WOULD EXPECT PAST, I WOULD EXPECT AS FIVE OR 10 YEARS THOUGH.
I WOULD EXPECT PAST FIVE OR 10 YEARS, BUT I GO, I COULD ALSO SEND THAT INFORMATION OUT TO DATE AS JOHN SENT THAT OUT TO US.
ALONG WITH THAT MANAGER, COULD YOU ALSO PROVIDE THE PERCENTAGES OF COMPLETION OF STREETS, REHAB AND RECONSTRUCTION AS WELL? WE COULD DO THAT AS WELL.
MA'AM WE COULD SEND THAT OUT TODAY.
IS IT OKAY? UH, ATTORNEY TO READY BECAUSE WE, UNFORTUNATELY WE ONLY HAVE TILL ONE O'CLOCK TO GET THIS NEXT PART DONE AND I'LL KIND OF START OFF MARY, IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE ON THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA, WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE UP PR NUMBER 2, 2 6 7 2 2 2 AND 2, 2 6, 7, 3.
THOSE ARE ITEMS NUMBER THREE AND ITEMS NUMBER FOUR ON PAGE SIX.
AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, UH, ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF BOAT WE'LL HAVE TO TELL AND FOUR.
WE TAKE THEM UP AT THIS, AT THIS JUNCTURE.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE HE HAD DOES IT AS WELL.
[VIII.A.3. P. R. No. 22672 — A Resolution To Consider Establishing The Proposed Fiscal Year 2022- 2023 Tax Rate, Taking A Record Vote And Scheduling A Public Hearing To Receive Public Comment On The Proposed Tax Rate]
PR NUMBER ON PAGE SIX, PR NUMBER 2, 2 6, 2 6 7 2, EXCUSE ME.A RATHER LOOSE TO CONSIDER ESTABLISHING THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 20 22, 20 23 TEXTS BREAK TAKING A RECORD FOLK AND SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL COUNCILMAN FRAME? I GET A SECOND COUNCILMAN.
UH, MOSES SECOND MAN IS REMOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER TWO TO 6, 7, 2 AS READ OR READ IT QUESTION.
I WANT TO KIND OF, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE, UH, WHERE WE RECOMMEND A ROLL CALL VOTE, AND HERE'S WHERE WE'RE GOING ON THIS.
AND THEN I'LL ALSO LET MS. DANIELS, UH, FINALIZED, BUT THESE ARE JUST MY BRIEF COMMENTS ON PR 2, 2, 6, 7, 2.
WE'RE ESTABLISHING WHAT IS THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, UH, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE TAX ASSESSOR.
AND I'LL, UH, IN JUST A MINUTE, MS. DANIEL CAN EXPLAIN, WE HAVE THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE.
AND IN CASES WHERE THE CITY CHOOSES TO ADOPT A TAX RATE OR CHOOSES TO PROPOSE A TAX
[02:30:01]
RATE, UM, WE HAVE TO BASICALLY TAKE A RECORD, VOTE APPROVING WHAT OUR PROPOSAL IS.UM, SO BASICALLY WHAT'S GOING TO BE REQUIRED IS THAT WE HAVE A RECORD VOTE SHOWING HOW EVERYONE VOTED ON THIS, THE KEY TO THIS, AND SHE'LL TALK ABOUT THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE AND A VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY AN ELECTION WON'T BE REQUIRED, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO EXCEED THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE BASED ON WHAT'S IN THIS RESOLUTION.
BUT ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS IS IN SECTION THREE OF YOUR RESOLUTION, YOU'RE GOING TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING, UM, TO GET COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE.
AFTER YOU HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING, YOU ONLY HAVE SEVEN DAYS, YOU KNOW, TO FINALIZE THE, THE BUDGET.
SO WE HAVE A BASIC, YOU HAVE SEVEN DAYS TO FINALIZE THE TAX RATE.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE BUDGET HAS TO BE ADOPTED BEFORE THE TAX RATE.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET ON AUGUST 29TH, IF YOU SO DECIDE WE HAVE A BLANK.
AND THEN, UM, WE WILL HAVE THAT'S THE ON THE BUDGET IS AUGUST 29TH.
AND THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE WOULD BE, I GUESS, THE NEXT DAY ARE THOSE THE CORRECT THINGS.
SO WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING AUGUST 29TH WOULD BE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET, WHICH IS THE NEXT ITEM.
AND AUGUST 30TH IS THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT YOU CAN ADOPT, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WHATEVER DATE YOU SET IN THIS RESOLUTION, YOU ONLY HAVE SEVEN DAYS TO FINALIZE.
SO WE RECOMMEND IN THE, SO LET ME GET THE FINAL VOTE.
THE BUDGET CAN BE APPROVED ON THE 30TH AS WELL.
SO IF YOU HAVE ONE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 29TH, IN ONE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 30TH, YOU CAN ADOPT EVERYTHING ON AT THE END ON THE THIRD ONE QUICK ONE.
SO I WON'T HAVE TO GET INVOLVED IN THE NEXT ITEM.
WHEN YOU DO THE BUDGET, A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 29TH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO THAT POSTPONING LIKE WE ALWAYS DO.
AND WE'LL SAY, WE'LL POSTPONE THE VOTE UNTIL THE NEXT DAY, WHICH IS THE 30TH.
BUT, BUT THIS, THIS IS WHERE YOU SET YOUR WITH ALL THOSE MEETINGS WILL BE AT 9:00 AM OR WHAT TIME, WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE.
BUT HOWEVER, THE 30TH IS A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AT FIVE 30.
SO YOUR 30TH MEETING IS GOING TO BE EVENING MEETING.
YOU WANT TO DO IT AT SIX? NORMALLY WE HAVE IT AT SIX ON THE 30TH.
SO IN TN THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 10 ON THE 29TH, WE SIMPLY CALL ROLL AND GO STRAIGHT INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT HE SAID, THIS TIME YOU KIND OF MAKE THOSE DECISIONS OR WHEN YOU WANT IT TO BE, THOSE ARE SOME SUGGESTED DATES, BUT THIS IS THE TIME TO DECIDE, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO, UH, PUT IT IN THE PAPER.
AND THEY'D LIKE THAT INFORMATION TODAY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO IF WE DO 10:00 AM ON 20, ON THE 29TH, THAT'S A MONDAY AND Y'ALL AT MONDAY AND THEN ON THE 30TH, FIVE OR 6:00 PM FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S A REGULAR.
AND WE WOULD PROBABLY BE ABLE TO PASS THE BUDGET AT THE END OF THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THAT DAY.
WELL, THE BOTTOM LINE ON THE BUDGET WHEN YOU GET TO THE 29TH, YOU'LL KNOW, CAUSE WHEN YOU TAKE THAT RECORD, VOTE ON THE 29TH AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THE BUDGET, WHEN THE BUDGET IS GOING TO BE ADOPTED.
AND WE WOULD THINK THIS WOULD ELIMINATE SCHEDULE THE FOLLOWING DAY.
BUT IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU GET THERE AND YOU'RE NOT THERE, THEN YOU CAN ALWAYS DO SOMETHING, BUT THAT'S THE DAY YOU WOULD DECIDE.
I JUST WANT TO BE SURE, BUT WE NEED TO PUT THE NOTICES IN THE PAPER FOR SATURDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? YOU HAVE SOME INPUT.
I HAVE A LITTLE PRESENTATION FOR YOU ON SOME OF THE THINGS THEY JUST SAID AND, UH, TO KIND OF, SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE HERE.
UH, HOPEFULLY I CAN GET THROUGH THIS ONE.
UM, THIS IS SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE GOING TO DISCUSS LAST WEEK, BUT SINCE LAST WEEK'S MEETING WAS POSTPONED UNTIL TODAY, OR I'M GOING TO GO OVER IT WITH YOU BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR RECORD VOTE.
JUST SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, UH, FIRST, UH, ON PAGE TWO, UH, WE HAVE THE COMPARISON OF THE ASSESSED VALUE, UH, FROM TAX YEAR 21, WHICH IS FISCAL YEAR 22 AND, UH, THE, UH, THE UPCOMING CERTIFIED, UH, VALUE AS WELL.
UH, THESE WERE CERTIFIED BY THE JEFFERSON CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT IN ORANGE COUNTY THIS SUMMER.
[02:35:01]
ARE THE, THE UPDATE TO UP-TO-DATE NUMBERS ARE, THESE ARE IN BILLIONS.UM, THE TAXABLE VALUE FOR LAST YEAR WAS 3.4 BILLION.
THE 22, UH, CERTIFIED VALUES, 3.8 BILLION.
UH, THAT'S AN 11% INCREASE, SO, UH, VALUES ARE GOING UP.
UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE TAX DECREASE THAT I'LL SHOW YOU, UH, IN A MINUTE, UH, THE NEXT PAGE WE HAVE THE TAX RATE CALCULATION.
SO, UH, JEFFERSON COUNTY, UH, TAX ASSESSOR ARE THE ONES WHO DO THE CALCULATION.
THEY TAKE THE VALUES FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS AND GO THROUGH A CALCULATION PROCESS, UH, TO CALCULATE THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE.
UM, THIS IS BASICALLY THE TAX RATE NEEDED TO GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TAXES AS LAST YEAR.
AND THEN THERE IS THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, AND THIS IS THE HIGHEST TAX RATE A TAXING UNIT CAN ADOPT WITHOUT HOLDING AN ELECTION.
THERE WAS NEW LEGISLATION IN 2021, THERE CREATED A MODIFICATION OF THE FORMULA USED FOR THE M AND O RATE OR GENERAL FUND CALCULATION.
THEY, THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE MAXIMUM RATE, UH, FROM 8% INCREASE IN THE RATE TO THREE AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE WITHOUT REQUIRING AN AUTOMATIC ELECTION.
THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'VE HAD TO GO BY THE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO USE THE 8% DUE TO, UH, THE DISASTERS THAT WE HAVE HAD, UH, EXPERIENCED.
SO THIS YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE CALCULATION, UH, REQUIRED WILL REQUIRE A 5 CENT REDUCTION IN THE PROPERTY TAX RATE FROM 74 CENTS TO 69 CENTS.
EXCUSE ME, THIS IS ALSO 2 CENTS LESS THAN WHAT I WAS ESTIMATING WHEN I SUBMITTED THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, WHEN SUBMITTED, WHEN I SUBMITTED THE BUDGET, WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS CALCULATION.
WE DIDN'T KNOW THE EXACT ASSESSED VALUES, UH, OR HOW THE WOULD COME OUT.
SO THIS IS HOW IT PLAYED OUT IN.
THEREFORE WE'RE GOING TO BE REQUESTING THAT WE REDUCE THE TAX RATE TO THE 69 CENTS AND WE'LL MAKE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET BECAUSE OF THAT NEXT PAGE.
UM, WE SHOW THIS SHOWS THE PROPOSED TAX RAISE THE ACTUAL AND THE PROPOSED TAX RAISE FOR FISCAL YEAR 22 AND 23.
THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE IN 22 WAS 71 CENTS.
THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE 62 CENTS THE VOTER APPROVAL, RIGHT? WHICH IS THE HIGHEST RATE WE CAN GO.
74 CENTS CURRENTLY WILL BE REDUCED TO 69 CENTS OR 5 CENT DECREASE.
AND THEN THE BREAKOUT BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND AND THE DEBT RATE IS BELOW THAT, UM, THE GENERAL FUND OR M AND O RATE WAS 49 CENTS.
UH, THE PROPOSED RATE IS 43 CENTS AND THAT'S A 6 CENT REDUCTION.
THE DEBT RATE WENT FROM 25 CENTS UP SLIGHTLY TO 26 CENTS.
SO THAT THE TOTAL, WHEN YOU ADD THEM TOGETHER, UH, 74 CENTS CURRENTLY DOWN TO 69 CENTS, WE DO PROPOSE A TAX RATE EQUAL TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
UH, SO AS NOT TO TRIGGER THE AUTOMATIC ELECTION, THIS DOES LOWER THE RATE, MY 5 CENTS.
IF WE GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, WE'VE GOT SOME PROPOSALS USED CHANGES TO WHAT WE SUBMITTED IN THE PROPRIETORS BUDGET.
UH, WE DO HAVE TO REDUCE THE PROPERTY TAX GENERAL FUND REVENUE BY ABOUT 1.4 MILLION.
THIS IS DUE TO THE ACTUAL CALCULATION THAT, UH, WAS MADE, UH, THAT SHOWED THE REDUCTION IN THE RATE.
THE, UM, THE ACTUAL CALCULATED RATE AND THE VALUES WERE LESS THAN WHAT WE OR USING IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO TO MAKE UP FOR THAT 1.4 MILLION, WHAT WE PROPOSE IN DOING IS REDUCING THE COST OF LIVING, UH, INCREASE WHERE WE PROPOSE 4%.
WE PROPOSED TO REDUCE THIS TO THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
UH, WE CAN REMOVE BUDGET FOR LEGAL SERVICES AND SPECIAL PURPOSE DIVISION.
THIS MONEY HAS ALREADY BEEN BUDGETED IN LEGAL'S BUDGET DIRECTLY.
UM, WE ALSO PROPOSE TO FUND, UH, THE ONE POSITION, THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS HEALTH POSITION WITH ARPA FUNDS.
WE HAD, UH, BOUGHT A HUNDRED THOUSAND THAT WAS NOT ALLOCATED TO ANY PROJECT YET.
AND WE PROPOSED TO GO AHEAD AND USE THIS 98,000,
[02:40:02]
UH, TO BE FUNDED THERE.THIS PREVIOUSLY WAS A CDBG FUNDED POSITION.
SO HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE YEAR, WE'LL FIND SOME FURTHER FUNDING FOR THAT NEEDED POSITION, BUT THIS WILL GET US THROUGH THE YEAR.
UM, WE ALSO CAN REDUCE, UH, TRANSFER TO CAPITAL EQUIPMENT.
THERE WAS A GENERATOR SLATED FOR O MILLS, UH, FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT, AND THAT IS PART OF THE BRICK GRANT, UH, FUNDED PROGRAM.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THAT GENERATOR FUNDING FROM ANOTHER SOURCE.
UH, THIS PAGE JUST OUTLINES THE CHANGES, UH, TO OTHER FUNDS OTHER THAN THE GENERAL FUND, UH, BY REDUCING THE COST OF LIVING INCREASED AT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
THIS DOES AFFECT THE OTHER FUNDS AS WELL.
WATER FUND REDUCES 45,000 SOLID WAYS, 16,000 PLEASURE ISLAND, 2000 TRANSIT, 10,000 EDC, 4,000 AND THE REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT FUND, $300.
THERE'S ONE POSITION OVER THERE ALSO.
UM, IT REDUCES THE APPROPRIATION IN THE CAPITAL RESERVE FUND FOR THE, UH, GENERATOR THAT WE DISCUSSED A MINUTE AGO.
THAT'S GOING TO BE GRANT FUNDED.
NEXT PAGE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS THE CHANGES FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, WE GOT REVENUES, UH, ORIGINALLY IT SHOWS THE ORIGINAL PROPOSED COLUMN.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDED CHANGES AND THEN THE REVISED PROPOSED COLUMN ON THE RIGHT, UH, REVENUES, WE PROPOSE 76.7 MILLION.
UH, WE RECOMMEND REDUCING THAT BY 1.4 MILLION TO 75, 20 3 MILLION OPERATING EXPENDITURES FOR 73.3 MILLION.
WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING 428,000 FROM OPERATIONS.
THAT'S THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE OF 260,000, UH, REDUCING THOSE LEGAL FEES FOR 70,000 AND MOVING THE HEALTH POSITION FUNDING OF 98,000, BRINGING YOUR OPERATING EXPENDITURES TO 72.8 MILLION TRANSFERS, UH, 10.9 MILLION.
WE WILL BE REDUCING THAT TRANSFER OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, FOR THAT, UH, GENERATOR THAT WILL BE, UH, BRICK FUNDED, UH, RINGING THE TRANSFERS TO 10.8 MILLION.
SO, UM, THE NET DIFFERENCE THERE IS 872,000, WHICH WE DO, UM, SUGGEST THAT WE REDUCE THE FUND BALANCE BY 172,000 TO MAKE UP THE REST OF THE DIFFERENCE.
UH, AND I'LL SHOW YOU ON THE NEXT PAGE, HOW THAT AFFECTS OUR FUND BALANCE.
WE DO HAVE A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE.
OUR POLICY IS 60 DAYS OPERATING EXPENDITURES, PLUS ONE AND A HALF MILLION.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT HOW WE BUDGETED LAST YEAR, OUR ORIGINAL ADOPTED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 22, OUR GENERAL FUND ENDING BALANCE WAS 20.6 MILLION.
OUR PROPOSED OUR ORIGINAL PROPOSED THIS YEAR WAS 22.2 MILLION.
AND OUR REVISED IS 21.3 MILLION.
THIS IS STILL 107 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES IS STILL A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE.
UM, THE EXCESS THAT, UH, WE WOULD HAVE AFTER POLICY REQUIREMENTS OF YOUR 60 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES, PLUS ONE AND A HALF MILLION STILL LEAVES A $7.8 MILLION EXCESS OR 39 DAYS.
EXCESS FUND BALANCE IS STILL WELL IN EXCESS OF ALL THE POLICY REQUIREMENTS AND STILL HIGHER THAN WHERE WE STARTED THIS YEAR.
SO, UH, THAT'S HOW IT WILL AFFECT FUND BALANCE JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, THE LAST PAGE ON HERE DOES SHOW OUR PROPOSED DATES.
UM, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE RECORD VOTE AND SET THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE TAX RATE IN THE BUDGET.
THE RECOMMEND THE SUGGESTED DATES FOR THAT IS, UM, AUGUST 29TH PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AT 10:00 AM ON A MONDAY AND ADOPT, UM, HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 30TH AT 6:00 PM AT THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
[02:45:01]
AND ADOPT THE BUDGET.THE TAX ROLL HAS TAX RIGHT ON THAT DAY.
I DID SKIP OVER ONE THING, UM, AUGUST 17TH, WHICH IS TOMORROW, WE WILL BE HAVING ANOTHER BUDGET WORKSHOP.
UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING CAPITAL AND WATER RATE OPTIONS ON THAT DAY.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AT 10:00 AM TOMORROW.
MS. DANIELS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION QUESTION.
UM, YOU AND I HAD THAT CANDID CONVERSATION IN YOUR OFFICE, AND I ASKED THAT ONE QUESTION, UH, CONCERNING THE BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT YOU ARE PRESENTING TO US.
AND YOU JUST SAID THAT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING IT ON TOMORROW, BUT PART OF THE BUDGET WAS BASED ON YOUR BUDGET.
PROJECTION WAS BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE CONSIDERING THOSE INCREASES IN WATER AND IN WASTE, CORRECT.
UH, TOMORROW WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THE WATER RATE OPTIONS.
AND SO THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE TAX RATE THOUGH, BECAUSE NO, NOT TAX RATE, BUT THE PROJECTED BUDGET ITSELF.
SO IS THE BUDGET IS THE PROJECTED BUDGET.
WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASE FOR A COST OF LIVING AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, WILL IT BE, HAS THAT BEEN CONSIDERED FOR IN THE INCREASE OF THE WATER AND, AND THE, UH, WASTE OR IS THAT, UM, WITHOUT THE INCREASE, THE BUDGET THAT YOU ARE, THAT YOU ARE PROJECTING, IS IT, IF WE DO THE INCREASE, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING.
ORIGINAL BUDGET HAD 4% IN IT FOR WATER AND, AND ALL THE OTHER FUNDS AS WELL, 4% INCREASE.
WE'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE REDUCE THAT BACK TO THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
THAT ONLY MAKES A $45,000 DIFFERENCE ON THE WATER FOUNTAIN.
SO IT'S NOT A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT, RIGHT.
THAT THE INCREASE RELATES TO THE COST OF LIVING THE COST OF LIVING.
ANY OTHER PROBLEM? COSMIC LA AND THEN JUST REAL QUICK.
UH, SO THE ACTUAL BUDGET THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS GOING TO REFLECT A SEVEN, $8 MILLION DECREASE ON THE FUND BALANCE.
UH, 700 AND YEAH, IT'S A, I'M SORRY, IT'S AN $872,000 DECREASE IN FUND DOWN.
SO THE TOTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE FROM THE OTHER TO 29 MALE VERSUS 2021.
SO IT'S ABOUT SEVEN, $8 MILLION DECREASE ON THE FUND BALANCE.
OH, ARE YOU LOOKING ON THE FEN BALANCE PAGE? RIGHT.
LET ME EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE FURTHER.
THE EXCESS AT THE BOTTOM IS THE, THE EXCESS THAT WE'RE LEFT WITH, WHICH IS OVER AND ABOVE WHAT IS REQUIRED.
THE REQUIRED IS 60 DAYS, PLUS ONE AND A HALF MILLION, WHICH FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR, WE ORIGINALLY STARTED WITH AN EXCESS OF 7.2 MILLION.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S GOING TO BE MORE THAN THAT.
AND PROPOSED ORIGINALLY WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A, UH, AN EXCESS OF 8.7 AND THAT WILL BE REDUCED TO 7.8, BUT IT IS STILL WELL IN EXCESS IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN WE HAD BEGINNING THIS YEAR AND IT'S MORE THAN WHAT'S REQUIRED.
I JUST WANT TO GET UNDERSTAND.
IT WILL REDUCE THE FUND BALANCE BY 872,000.
HOWEVER, IT IS STILL A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE.
COUNCILMAN, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SHE DID ALL THE TIME.
SO CAN I SAY SOMETHING, MAN? SO WITH THAT BEING SAID ON 2, 2, 7, 6, 2, WE'RE GOING TO NEED A RECORD VOTE SHOWING HOW EACH OF YOU VOTED ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND AS WELL, IF WE'RE SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE TAX RATE ON, IN THIS SAME ITEM WITH THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.69, WE ALSO KNOW THAT AFTER WE HAVE THE, UH, THE MEETING TO VOTE ON THE TAX RATE CANNOT BE HELD LATER THAN SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO IF WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 30TH AND WE'LL ONLY HAVE SEVEN DAYS, IF YOU DON'T DO IT ON THE 30TH.
SO WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS, BUT WE WILL NEED A RECORD VOTE AND INSERT IN SECTION THREE, THE DATE AND TIME, UH, WHICH, WHICH IS WHAT YOU SAID.
I BELIEVE AUGUST 30TH AT 6:00 PM.
SO WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THAT INSERTION IN THE SECTION THREE, IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANT TO GO.
IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANT IT.
I THINK THAT WAS GENERAL CONSENSUS WHEN WE WERE MAKING EMOTION.
SO IF SOMEBODY CAN MAKE A MOTION TO ADD THAT INTO THE BODY, I ALREADY KNOW IT'S BLANK.
WELL, CAUSE YOU HAVE TO DECIDE TODAY SO YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION.
[02:50:02]
YOU SAID ANOTHER MOTION, ANOTHER MOTION.CATHERINE, FRANK MOTION FIRST AND PUT THE MOTION AND EMOTION.
ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION TO CALL THE PUBLIC HEARING ON AUGUST 30TH, 20, 20 TO 6:00 PM? RIGHT.
DO I GET A SECOND COUNCIL, WOMAN SECOND THERE.
THEN MOVING TO SECOND THAT WE WOULDN'T VOTE.
IT DO JUST WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
WE READY? UH, OF COURSE, NO, OF COURSE YOU HAD RENTED VOTES.
I DON'T HAVE TO DO A ROLL CALL YET.
NO, WE'RE ADDING A SECOND MOTION TO PUT THE DATE AND TIME.
SO YOU CAN JUST DO A REGULAR VOTE TO GO HAVE TO DO THE ROLL CALL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO A ROLL CALL.
ON THE INSERTING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE VOTE ON THAT? JUST MADE A MOTION AND VOTED NO VOTE.
THERE WAS A MOTION AND A SECOND.
NOW WE WANT YOU TO DO A ROLL CALL, VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION, THE SECRETARY.
[VIII.A.4. P. R. No. 22673 — A Resolution To Call A Public Hearing To Receive Public Comment On The Proposed Fiscal Year 2022- 2023 Budget]
WE'RE GOOD.NOW WE HAVE PR NUMBER 22, 6 7 3.
AND THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO CALL THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE RECEIVED A PUBLIC COMMENT ON PHYSICAL BUD.
IF WE DO THAT WITH A SECOND MOTION, WE NEED IT WHEN YOU PAY FOR THE DIFFERENT ITEMS. SO NOW THAT WAS THE TAX RATE.
THIS IS THE PROPOSED, BUT OKAY, GO AHEAD.
THE ATTORNEY ONE DAY EXPLAINED SOMETHING ELSE.
UH, ONLY THING THAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS THAT YOU ADD THE DATE AND TIME, WHICH YOU, YOU BASICALLY HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED AUGUST, AUGUST 20, 29TH AT 10:00 AM.
COUNCILMAN FRANK, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE THE MEETING IN AUGUST 10TH, AUGUST, 2029 AT 10:00 PM.
YEAH, THAT WAS GOING TO BE NEXT YEAR.
HE'S BEEN MOVED THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE PR NUMBER 22, 6 7 3, WITH THE STIPULATIONS THAT THE COUNSELOR AND MAY HAVE MADE, UH, WE CAN JUST CARE TO VOTE.
ANY OPPOSED? NAY AYES EPISODE IS AUDIT.
WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 22, 6 7 3.
NOW LET'S GET BACK TO OUR REGULAR YEAH.
[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF TWO ( 2) MINUTES PER COUNCILMEMBER)]
EXPRESSIONS.ALL OF THEM, NEWER FIVE COUNCILWOMAN HOMES.
I JUST WANT TO BRIEFLY SHARE THAT THE GIFT OF LIFE WE'LL BE OFFERING FREE MEN'S HEALTH SCREENINGS AND THEIR SIMPLE NONINVASIVE TEST AT THE, UM, INDUSTRIAL SAFETY TRAINING COUNCIL CENTER ON SEPTEMBER THE 10TH.
I REALLY ENCOURAGE MEN IN OUR COMMUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
ALL OF THE TESTS ARE FREE AND THEY ARE SIMPLE.
AND NON-INVASIVE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN CALL THE GIFT OF LIFE OFFICE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY.
UH, IF YOU WANT TO PRESENT IT AT THIS TIME, WHAT SHALL I SAY IT? OH, OKAY.
OH, THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE PORT OF SABINE PASS PROJECT ON SOUTH FIRST AVENUE, RECONSTRUCTION AND MECHANIC STREET IN THE PUBLIC BOAT RAMP.
AND THIS IS GOING TO BE ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 25TH, UH, IN BEING PAST PORT AUTHORITY AT 9:00 AM.
AND THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO THIS, TO THIS, UH, GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY ON, UH, NEXT THURSDAY, AUGUST 25TH.
ANYONE ELSE WITH ANY OF THE INFORMATION COSMIN JONES? YES.
[02:55:01]
I DON'T WHO, AH, SHIT, UH, ADDRESS THIS TOO, BUT, UH, IT'S CONDOLENCE.I WANT YOUR FUNERAL SATURDAY AT MOUNT SINAI, THE CHURCH BEFORE TO CAPACITY, THE SERVER WAS VERY TOUCHING, BUT MY CONCERN IS WE HAD SEIZED THE EMPLOYEE TO SEE THE POLO.
THE WIFE WAS A
WE HAD NO RESOLUTIONS, NO CORRESPONDENCE, NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES, STAFF.
I WENT TO TWO OTHER FUNERALS, UH, MORALS.
IN THIS LATER WE HAD THE COUNSELING PEOPLE STAND UP TO THE PARTY, STAND UP FOR JUST PARTICULAR FUNERAL TO TWO EMPLOYEES IN GOOD STANDING.
ONE DIED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AND A WIFE WORKING BUILDING IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT, UPSTANDING, UH, PEOPLE IN PROPERTIES.
WE HAD NOTHING, NO KIND OF CORRESPONDENCE, NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
SO WE GO, I MEAN THE FUTURE, I KNOW I'M NOT PUTTING TO BRING ON HER OWN CHILD, BUT WE COULD DO SOME ONE WE NEED TO DO SOME FOLLOW-UP OKAY.
MY, MY OFFICE HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED AND I WOULD'VE PROBABLY, I APOLOGIZE.
CHRISTIE IS NORMALLY REAL GOOD ABOUT BEING SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE.
AND, UH, I WAS OUT LAST WEEK DEALING WITH A MEDICAL SITUATION.
WELL, I MEAN, WE JUST, WE JUST DO THEM.
IT'S JUST DONE SOMETIMES AND I WASN'T PHYSICALLY HERE, SO I WOULD HAVE TO JUST TAKE THEM TAKE, UH, THEY HIT ON THAT, THAT I WASN'T HERE.
AND SO I DIDN'T SEE TO IT GETTING DONE.
UH, AND, BUT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN HERE, YOU KNOW? NO, NO, NO ONE ABOUT, SO I APOLOGIZED TO THE FAMILY, UH, TO THE EMPLOYEE, UH, IN ALL AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE FUNERAL SERVICE ABOUT WEEKS IN.
I WILL BE SURE THAT WE WOULD GET ONE TO HER.
ANYTHING ELSE? AND SOMEONE REMIND ME NOW.
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA]
WILL MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.AND THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS THE ITEMS. WE HAVE ONE OUT OF IT.
WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF ALL THE 22, 6 33.
SO WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THAT PARTICULAR ITEM, THE OTHER ITEMS OF BASICALLY A ROUTINE NATURE AND A LESS ACCOUNTS PERSON WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANYONE REMOVED OVERDRAWN AND HANDLED, UH, INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, I'M READY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I HAD IT CHECKED OFF AND I PROBABLY CHECKED THE WRONG ONE.
I HAD TO CHECK BACK, UH, AND I COULD HAVE JUST INADVERTENTLY CHECKED IT ON THE WRONG PAGE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS, ANY ITEMS AT ALL THAT WE WANT REMOVED, UH, FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? IF THERE AREN'T ANY, I WOULD BE READY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED, UH, COUNCIL MCKAYLA MAY GET A SECOND.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS IT IS PRESENTED IN TODAY'S AGENDA.
ANY QUESTIONS DON'T BE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSES AS HABITS OF THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED, EXCUSE ME.
NOW WE ARE AT NON-CONSENT AGENDA AND THERE ARE ITEMS THAT WE'VE APPROVED.
AND THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST ITEM NUMBER ONE, ITEM NUMBER THREE, AND NUMBER FOUR HAS ALREADY BEEN ACTED UPON AND I HAVE CHECKS ABOUT OR SOMETHING CORRECT PER DAY.
[VIII.A.2. P. R. No. 22742 — A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Extend The Non- Exclusive Ambulance Agreement With Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc. For A Period Of Thirty ( 30) Days]
WE'LL BEGIN WITH ITEM NUMBER TWO, UH, EXCUSE ME, PR 2, 2 7, 4, 2 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXTEND THE NON-EXCLUSIVE AMBULANCE AGREEMENT WITH ACADIAN AMBULANCE SERVICE.IT INCORPORATED PAR IF PERIOD OF 30 DAYS, MARY, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT THAT BE HELD UNTIL AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE'LL HOLD THIS ONE AND I'LL BE BRIEF.
AND WHAT WOULD THE ATTORNEY WILL HAVE ACTION ON THAT ITEM?
[03:00:01]
NEXT WE[VIII.A.5. P. R. No. 22720 — A Resolution Appointing And/ Or Reappointing A Member Or Members To The Citizen' s Pipeline Advisory Committee]
HAVE PR NUMBER 22, 7 20, NO RESOLUTION APPOINTED.AND ARE WE APPOINTING A MEMBER TO THE CITIZENS PIPELINE COMMITTEE? AND THAT'S ACTUALLY MY, UH, CITY SECRETARY.
SHE BY THE MOOD THAT THAT'S MY APPOINTMENT AND I, UH, I'VE GOT TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE ABOUT IT AND, UH, OPENLY BY THE NEXT MEETING I HAVE THAT PERSON, THIS TABLE TO GET A MOTION TO TABLE IT.
COME ON ON THIS, ON THE PIPELINE.
MY APPOINTEE, BECAUSE THERE WAS TWO, I HAD A PERSON AND I'M VERY SORRY.
I DON'T SEE THE CITY TO TAKE CARE OF ANYMORE.
UM, SHE HAD TO MAKE THAT IMPORTANT CALL TO THE PORT OUT THE NEWS.
SO I'M GOING TO WRITE IT DOWN WHERE WE'RE WRITING IT DOWN.
SO WE HAVE MR. JIMMY WHITLEY'S NAME, UH, AS, AS THE, UH, APPOINTEE OR DISTRICT ONE, UH, W WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.
AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION WE'RE GONNA VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
SO IT IS AUDIT, UH, PR WITH THE 2 7 20 WITH MR. JIMMY WHITNEY'S NAME.
IT WOULD JUST BRING UP A NEW ITEM.
NEXT TIME I WANTED TO THE TABLE.
THE NEXT ONE, I'D LIKE TO HOLD THAT TO TODAY.
[VIII.A.6. P. R. No. 22729 —A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager And City Attorney To Execute Real Estate Sales Contract With Ready, Willing And Able Buyers Who Have Submitted The Highest Offer, For The Tracts Of Land Located In The Marina Colony Subdivision On Pleasure Island, As Set Forth In Chapter 253 Texas Local Government Code]
2, 2, 7, 2 NAMES.[VIII.A.7. P. R. No. 22740— A Resolution Calling For A Public Hearing To Enlarge The Boundaries Of Existing Downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1 In The City Of Port Arthur, Texas]
TO THE PR 2, 2 7, 4, 0 A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING TO ENLARGE THE BOUNDARIES OF EXISTING DOWNTOWN TAX INCREMENT, REINVESTMENT ZONE.NUMBER ONE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, MAY I GET A MOTION? COUNCILMAN HOLMES MIGHT GET A SECOND.
COUNCILMAN JONES IS REMOVING SECONDARY WOULD BOO PR NUMBER 2, 2 7, 4, 0 AS READ WE READ.
AND ON, IN THE QUESTIONS THAT I READ IN HIS HONOR, WE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED? NAY, AYES HAVE IT TO HIS AUDIT.
WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 2, 2 7, 4, 0 AS RED.
[VIII.B.1. P. O. No. 7067 — An Ordinance Approving The Appraisal Rolls For The Year 2022 And Receiving Determinations From The Tax Assessors Under Section 26. 04 Of The Texas Property Tax Code]
WE HAVE ORDINANCES P O NUMBER SEVEN, UH, 0 6, 7, UH, APPROVING THE TAX RULE.UH, AND ON AS APPROVING THE APPRAISAL RULES FOR THE YEAR 20, 22 AND RECEIVING, UH, DETERMINATIONS, IT SHOULDN'T BE FROM THE TAX ASSESSOR UNDER SECTION 22.04 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY CODE.
COUNCILMAN MOSES MAY GET A SECOND.
ISN'T MOVING SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT P O NUMBER 7, 0 6, 7 AS RED.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A QUESTION AND WE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED? NAY AYES HAVE IT.
[VIII.B.2. P. O. No. 7090 — An Ordinance Amending Section 2- 75 ( a) ( 2) ( b) Of The Code Of Ordinances As It Pertains To Persons Requesting To Give A Presentation Before City Council ( Requested By Mayor Bartie)]
NEXT.WE HAVE PO NUMBER 7 0 9 0 ANONYMOUS AMENDING SECTION TWO DASH 7 5 7, SECTION EIGHT, SECTION TWO, SUBSECTION B OF THE CODE OF OTTOMAN SAYS AS IT PERTAINS TO PERSONS REQUESTING TO GIVE A PRESENTATION BEFORE THE COUNCIL IS REQUESTED BY THE MAYOR, UH, GETTING MOTION FOR APPROVAL OR COSMIN, UH, FRANK.
SO MOVEMENT MIGHT GET A SECOND COUNCIL WOMAN.
UH, MOSES HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECOND WE READ IT FOR COURSES AND THE COURSES.
IF NOT, UH, UH, PUBLIC HEARING, BUT I COULD GO READY.
HAROLD DO SAY AT 51 80 CAMBRIDGE STRAIGHT PULLED OUT THE TEXAS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT CITIZENS AND COUNCIL WAS AWARE OF THIS PARTICULAR SECTION OF OUR CODE OF ORDINANCE.
THIS SECTION IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCE BASICALLY ALLOWS CITIZENS TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND PRESENT, UH, SPEAK TO COUNSEL.
ANY CONCERNS, UM, THIS AMENDMENT, IF YOU READ IT, THE AMENDMENT WILL TAKE THAT AWAY.
AS AN ORDINANCE READS, ANYONE CHOOSE TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL TO DO A PRESENTATION ON SPEAK.
ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS FILL OUT THE REQUEST FORMS THROUGH THE CITY.
SECRETARY OFFICE IS ALL HAMMER THERE
[03:05:01]
SAYS SECRETARY, PLACE THAT ON THE AGENDA, KEEPING IN MIND THE LIMITATIONS OF HOW MANY SPEAKERS AND THE TIME AND EVERYTHING, BUT HIS AMENDMENT WILL STOP A CITIZEN FROM COMING BEFORE YOU GO ON THROUGH THE REQUEST.THERE'S SOME, BECAUSE IT STATES THAT A PERSON WILL BE ABLE TO COME AND PRESENT US, SPEAK TO YOU ON A CONCERN.
IF THEY ARE INVITED BY THE MAYOR, THE MANAGER, ALL ONE COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO IT'S NOT AN AMENDMENT, IT'S A CHANGE.
IT'S TAKEN THE RIGHT OF CITIZENS.
COME BEFORE YOU, BY JUST GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS TO NOW NOT BEING ABLE TO COME BEFORE YOU, UNLESS THE MAYOR AND BY SOME OR THE MANAGER AND BISON, ALL ONE COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO WE CAN'T COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL, UNLESS WE GET SOMEBODY TO INVITE US.
THAT'S WHAT THIS AMENDMENT IS ABOUT.
AND THEN I WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING MIRROR.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I CLARIFY SOMETHING.
IF I'M NOT READING THIS INCORRECTLY, THIS ONLY HAS TO DO WITH PRESENTATIONS.
LET ME JUST DOUBLE CHECK UNLESS WE MISREAD IT.
SO THE ORT CODE OF ORDINANCES ALLOWS PEOPLE TO COME AND SPEAK FOR FIVE MINUTES.
THAT HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED, BUT THE PRESENTATION PART DOING A 20 MINUTE PRESENTATION, THAT'S WHAT'S BEING CHANGED, RIGHT? PEOPLE CAN STILL SIGN UP TO BE A SPEAKER.
ANYONE CAN BE A SPEAKER, BUT JUST THE THERE'S A DIFFERENT PART FOR PRESENTATIONS AND THAT'S, WHAT'S BEING CHANGED.
LIKE I SAID, THE PLOT, IF YOU READ IT VERBATIM AS QUOTED NOW CITY ATTORNEY AT PERSON REQUESTS AND TO DO A PRESENTATION BEFORE COUNCIL WILL GO THROUGH THE CITY ATTORNEY, I MEAN THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
WE'RE PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT ON THAT, SIR.
LET ME, LET ME FINISH AN ANSWER TO WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY SAID RIGHT NOW, A PERSON REQUESTING TO DO A PRESENTATION BEFORE COUNCIL.
ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS PUT IN A REQUEST TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND THE CITY SECRETARY WILL THEN PLACE THAT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
IT'S BEEN THERE FOR ALONG THIS, THIS AMENDMENT WILL PREVENT A PERSON FROM CALLING AND PLACING THEIR NAME ON THE AGENDA TO DO A PRESENTATION UNLESS THEY ARE INVITED BY THE MAYOR OR THE MANAGER.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOT THIS EXACTLY WHAT'S WRITTEN.
SO WEEK NO CITIZENS OR GROUP A COMPANY FOR YOU ALL, UNLESS THEY ARE INVITED BY THE MAYOR, THE MANAGER, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME.
AND YOU HAVE THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE WANT TO HELP HIM IN THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU TO SAY? I WANT IT, CAN I CLARIFY? CAUSE I THINK IT MAY BE MISSPEAK.
SO TWO DASH 75 IS WHAT'S BEING CHANGED HERE THAT HAS TO DO WITH PRESENTATION.
SPEAKERS IS UNDER TWO DASH 73 AND A PERSON THAT'S TWO DASH 73, ANY RESIDENT OR NON-RESIDENT WHO WISHES TO SPEAK.
AND THEY CAN STILL, THAT HAS, THAT HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED.
SO YOU HAVE TWO COMPONENTS ON THE AGENDA.
LET ME JUST, LET ME JUST SAY MY LOOK PART NOW BE QUIET.
TWO DASH 73 IS WHAT'S ALLOWED BY THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT FOR US TO REGULATE WHERE IT SAYS HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN COME AND SPEAK.
SO A PERSON CAN COME AND SPEAK FOR FIVE MINUTES.
SO ANY CITIZEN RESIDENT MAY SPEAK THAT'S TWO DASH 73.
THERE'S ANOTHER PROVISION WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT PRESENTATIONS AND THAT'S WHAT'S BEING CHANGED.
THE OPEN MEETINGS ALLOWS US TO, UH, REGULATE THAT PORTION, BUT YOU MUST HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO SPEAK.
SO IF YOU WANT TO CALL AND GET ON THE AGENDA TO BE A SPEAKER THAT CHANGE, BUT A PRESENTATION WE'LL DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO
YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TOWN LOG ON.
[03:10:01]
MAYER.LET ME JUST CLARIFY SOMETHING.
THEN UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER THERE IS AN ITEM TO BE VOTED ON, A CITIZEN CAN BE ALLOWED TO SEE AND WHAT THIS WILL ALLOW HIM TO DO NOW.
AND YOU WERE SEEING, I'M NOT BEING REDUNDANT, MAN.
IT'S STILL, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WE'VE HAD CITIZENS COME BEFORE US AND DO PRESENTATIONS AND IT'S BEEN IN, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN.
NOW, IF YOU VOTE FOR THIS AMENDMENT, IT, CITIZENS CAN NOT COME BEFORE YOU AND DO A PRESENTATION BY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT IS LISTED RIGHT NOW, BY GOING THROUGH THE CITY SENSORY OFFICE.
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU KEEP SAYING NO, I'M SAYING IT FOR THE CITIZENS MAYOR AND THE CITIZENS AT THE SCENE, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT.
AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS VOTE ON THIS NOW.
CAN I SPEAK REALLY QUICKLY? CITY ATTORNEY, CITY, SECRETARY I'M UNDER PRESENTATIONS.
COUNSEL HAS I'M PUTTING ON THIS PRESENTATION FOR STREETS AND PUTTING ON THIS PRESENTATION OR ASKING SOMEONE ELSE TO GIVE A PRESENTATION.
UM, HOW MANY CITIZENS DO WE HAVE? I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
I DON'T REMEMBER, UH, CITIZENS COMING FOR, UH, AND, UM, IT'S BEEN A LOT OF MEETINGS MAYBE, BUT DOING A PRESENTATION COMING JUST FROM A CITIZEN OTHER THAN THEM BEING INVITED BY MAYOR, I THINK, UH, BY THE MAYOR OR BY THE MANAGER OR BY SOMEONE ON COUNCIL ASKING THE PRESIDENT TO DO A PRESENTATION ON BUDGETS ON, UH, FROM THE STAFF OR FROM BASICALLY A PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE INVITED SOMEONE TO DO THAT.
IS THAT CHANGING? NO, MA'AM NO.
UH, EXCUSE ME, COME FROM RIGHT QUICK.
UH, LEGAL VAL, JUST TO CLEAR OUT THE PROPOSITION THAT THE MILLS CALLED HIM FOR, UH, A MINION.
DOES IT HAVE ANY TEETH IN IT? MICHIGAN IS HE'S LEGAL, RIGHT? HIS HAIR TEETH.
I'M GOING TO PUT HER UP ON THE SPOT HARRIS AS OUR LEGAL ATTORNEY.
SO THE MALES AND OLDER, RIGHT? THAT'S ALL WE WANT TO KNOW IS LEGAL.
AND IF YOU WANT ME TO CLARIFY KENYAN, OKAY.
WE'RE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED AS EDITOR OF THIS AUDIT, WE WILL APPROVE CEO.
I'VE FORGOTTEN WHICH ONE IT IS.
[VIII.B.3. P. O. No. 7091 — An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of City Owned Vacant Tracts Of Land In The Pekin Addition Of The City Of Port Arthur' s Westside Located Near Welford Avenue To Foley Avenue, From James Gamble Boulevard To Reverend Doctor Ransom Howard Street And The Execution Of A Special Warranty Deed]
HAVE PO NUMBER 7 0 9 1.AND AUTUMN IS AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF CITY OWNED, VACANT TRACKS OF LAND IN THE PEKIN, UH, EDITION OF THE CITY OF PORT OFFICE WEST SIDE, LOCATED NEAR WELFARE AVENUE TO FOLEY AVENUE FROM JAMES GAMBLE BOULEVARD TO REVEREND DR.
RANSOM HOWARD STREET AND THE EXECUTION OF A SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED.
MAY I HAVE THAT ALSO FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION? AND I'M GOING TO BE REALLY QUICK ON ALL THREE.
I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF SOME DECORATIVE SESSION CAME BACKWARDS THIS TIME FOR ME, SO, OKAY.
UH, AND THAT IS THE EXTENT THAT WE'VE EXHAUSTED EVERYTHING.
WE WERE READY FOR A EXECUTIVE SESSION NOW, FROM WHAT I CAN OBTAIN, RIGHT.
BEFORE YOU GO IN AND SAY, HAROLD DO SAID 51 80 CAMBRIDGE AVENUE.
THIS SECTION HERE IS A PLOT OF LAND.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A BUFFER BETWEEN THIS REFINERIES AND, UH, THE RESIDENCE ON THE WEST SIDE.
UH, THIS HAS COME UP FOR SALE IN PREVIOUS TIME.
AND, UH, THE ONLY QUESTION WE WOULD HAVE HERE IS IF IT'S SOLD TO PRIM CO WHAT WILL IT BE? BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME IT CAME UP, IT WAS STATED NOTHING IN IT.
JUST LIKE WHEN COPPER TARIFFS WENT AWAY, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A BUFFER ZONE.
EVENTUALLY AS PEOPLE MOVE OUT THAT AREA, IT IS SEPARATING INDUSTRY FROM THERE.
SO WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO? ARE THEY GOING TO PUT A LAY DOWN YARD? THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE A PARKING LOT BECAUSE THERE'S, SO NOW YOU'RE MOVING IN THE TREE, OUT OF THE FENCE LINE, INTO THE COMMUNITY, THE CITIZENS ON THE WEST SIDE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THAT WILL BE A BUFFER ZONE.
THE CITY HAS GIVEN PEOPLE PROPERTY TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT AREA
[03:15:03]
SO THAT THEY DON'T BE OVER THAT CAUSE FAMOUS DON'T EVEN BE AT HOME.SO IF WE'RE GOING TO SELL THIS PROPERTY, THAT'S FINE.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A BUFFER ZONE, MOVING CITIZENS, SEPARATING CITIZENS FROM INDUSTRY RIGHT ACROSS THE S UH, 82 RIGHT THERE, THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
BUT THIS, THIS, UH, ROSE, I THINK MAYBE AT THE END OF 2000, WHEN IT JUST, WHILE I CAME ON COUNCIL, WE HAD A BIG DEAL ABOUT THIS WHEN THEY WANT TO BUY PROPERTY AND CITIZEN GOT ALL UPRISING BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY GOING TO BUY IT AND DO SOMETHING THERE IN WHICH WE ASSURED CITIZENS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A BUFFER THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FROM GULF WAY.
DRIVE ELLIE COPPER TERRACE ALL THE WAY TO SEVENTH STREET, SUPPOSED TO BE A BUFFER BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND CITIZENS.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHENEVER Y'ALL FINISHED WITH IT, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS IT BACK.
THAT'S WHY I SAID, I KNOW YOU CAN'T DO IT NOW, BUT I JUST WANT TO LET COUNCIL KNOW THAT THAT AREA HAS BEEN DESIGNATED TO BE A BUBBA ZONE ZONE.
YOUR LIGHT IS ON, WE'LL GO DOWNSTAIRS, BUT A CONFIDENTIALITY HAD A POINT.
I, THAT ITEMS NOT ON THE FLOOR IN CASE THAT'S NEEDED RIGHT NOW AND DISCUSS IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[IX. * CLOSED MEETING ( EXECUTIVE SESSION)]
READY NOW TO GO INTO A CLOSE A RECESS TO GO INTO CLOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, WE WILL FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.101 OF THE CHAPTER OF, OF 5, 5, 1 OF THE OPEN MEETINGS, LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, WHICH WAS FORMALLY ARTICLES, 62 52 DASH ONE SEVEN.SO I MEAN, SECTION TWO, SUBSECTION EIGHT.
AND SO PRIOR TO GOING INTO THE MEETING, I MUST MAKE THESE DECLARATIONS, UH, THAT WE WILL COVER SECTION 5, 5, 1 0.07, ONE OF THE COMPANY CODE TO DISCUSS AND RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING POTENTIAL AND OUR PENDING LITIGATION AND OTHER MATTERS INVOLVING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
YOU WILL RECOVER SIX AND 5, 5, 1 0.072 WITH THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS A DELIBERATE, THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE A VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN THE PEOPLE CAN EDITION OF THE CITY'S WEST SIDE, NEAR HER GETTING FOLEY AVENUE, UH, SECTION, UH, FIVE BY 1.072.
AGAIN, THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS A DELIBERATE, THE PURCHASE OF STAINS AT LEAST OR VALUE, EXCUSE ME, UH, REAL PROPERTIES LOCATED IN THE PEOPLE IN ADDITION AZIZ, WHICH SAT NEAR HER GOING TO PULL THE AVE AND PLEASURE ISLANDS, MARINA COVE, SUBDIVISION, AND 5, 5, 1 0.074 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS AND RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING CONTRACTUAL LIABILITY ISSUES INVOLVING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND BE THERE ANY OF THESE ITEMS THAT WOULD HAVE ACTION, UH, TO BE DISCUSSED THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AND WOULD BE AN ACTION ITEM.
IN THE CLOSED SESSION, WE WILL RETURN TO YOUR EXECUTIVE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE RETURN TO OUR OPEN SESSION AND ACTUALLY CARRIED THE VOTE ON THOSE ITEMS AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
SO WE WOULD NOW RETALIATE TO THE CONFERENCE ROOM DOWNSTAIRS TO BE GWENT, BEGAN OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ARE WE READY? SEE THE SECRETARY.
UH, ARE WE READY TO SIT IN A SECTOR? IS IT R T O? OKAY.
[03:20:03]
ARE YOU HERE? OKAY.COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS, COUNCIL MEMBER, MOSES COUNCIL MEMBER FRAME.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, IS, UH, FOR YOUR CHURCH.
WE HAVE ADAMS. MAY I HAVE A QUESTION? AND I LOVE THIS.
CAUSE THE CITY SECRETARY STEPPED UP.
DID WE VOTE ON PO DID WE VOTE ON ANY OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCES? 7 0 9.
OH, DID WE VOTE ON THAT? WHICH ONE? YES WE DID.
SO JUST THOSE THREE WE HAD, I APOLOGIZE.
OKAY OKAY, YOU READY? I SIT IT DOWN.
IT WAS PAID ITEMS, PAGE SIX ITEMS. YOU'LL KEEP P R NUMBER 2, 2 7 4 2 IS A REVOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXTEND THE NON-EXCLUSIVE AMBULANCE AGREEMENT WITH ACADIAN AMBULANCE SERVICE INCORPORATED.
FOR A PERIOD OF 30 DAYS, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCIL, WOMAN HOME MOVED MAYOR REGULAR A SECOND.
COUNCILMAN JONES IT'S BEEN MOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 22, 7 42 AS RIB.
WE WERE READY FOR QUESTION THERE ON ANY.
WE ARE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSES AS AVATARS AUDIT, WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 2, 2 7 4 2.
IS IT B P R A NUMBER 2, 2 7 2 9 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY TO EXECUTE REAL ESTATE SALES CONTRACT WITH READY, A WILLING AND ABLE BUYERS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED THE HIGHEST OFFER OR THE TRACKS OF LAND LOCATED IN THE MARINA COLONY SUBDIVISION ON PLEASURE ISLAND AS SET FORTH IN CHAPTER 2 53 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILWOMAN.
COUNCILMAN FRANK HAS BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT P R NUMBER TWO TO SEVEN TO NINE.
AS READ, WE READ A QUESTION THAT ANY WE'RE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSES AS AVATARS AUDIT, WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 2, 2 7, 2 NEXT.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE THAT'S TO PUT THE CONTRACTS TOGETHER AND WE'LL PUT THE DOCUMENT ON IT THE NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT MEETING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PROCEDURAL, UH, CLARIFICATION.
SO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND HOW THAT'S HAPPENING.
NEXT WE HAVE, UM, PO AND ORDINANCE NUMBER 7 0 9 1 AND AUDIT IS AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF CITY OWNED, VACANT TRACKS OF LAND IN THE PEAKING EDITION OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR'S WEST SIDE, LOCATED NEAR WELFARE AVENUE TO FOLEY AVENUE FROM JAMES GAMBLE BOULEVARD.
RANSOM HOWARD STREET AND THE EXECUTION OF A SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL CAUSED WOMAN HOMES, SOME MOVED MAN MIGHT GET A SECOND.
COUNCILMAN JONES, SEVEN AMIR IS REMOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT P OH 7 0 9 1.
AS WE RID OF A QUESTION THERE ON ANY, WE ARE READY TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSES AS THEY HAVE IT SORTED AUDIT, WE WANT TO SET P O NUMBER 7, 0 901 IS RED.
UH, THAT WOULD BE THE END OF OFFICIAL BUSINESS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR STAYING WITH US.
UH, SOMEBODY GOT TO STAY WITH ME.
SO I'M READY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT, COUNSELOR, MOSES.
WE'RE GONNA ADJOURN THIS MEETING ALL IN FAVOR.
IF YOU WANT TO STAY, YOU MAY REMAIN.
WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING AT 10 IN THE MORNING.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
[03:25:01]
COUNCILMAN FRANK AND COUNSEL ON THE MOSES.