* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. AND WE ARE READY TO THE SECRETARY. RIGHT. OKAY. [I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL] GOOD MORNING. WE ARE GATHERED HERE ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DATE, DECEMBER 20TH, UH, THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2022 TO BEGIN OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND, UH, THIS MEETING MAY BE, UH, YOU OR YOU MAY ATTEND IT, UH, THROUGH THE MEDIUMS OF VIDEO CONFERENCES ARE, UH, TELEPHONIC, UH, MEDIUMS. UH, FIRST YOU MUST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9, AND ENTER MEETING ID 85 27 2 I, EXCUSE ME, 78 23 7 3 2 2, AND THE PASSCODE OF 64 0 5 3 9. AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE MEETING THROUGH THOSE MEDIUMS. AND WE ARE ALSO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, AND WE WILL PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS UPON YOUR REQUEST BY CALLING THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING. AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WILL DO ALL THAT IT POSSIBLY CAN TO ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH YOUR REQUEST. WE ARE NOW READY TO BEGIN THE MEETING. UH, COUNCILWOMAN MOSES, YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO DO THE INVOCATION BECAUSE YOU WERE SO EARLY AND . I KNEW . IT'S ALL RIGHT. I GOT YOU, FATHER. GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY YOU'RE GIVING US TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE PRAY, GOD, THAT YOU CONTINUE TO BLESS THE CITY TO PROSPER IN EVERY BOUNTIFUL AND BENEFICIAL WAY. FATHER, WE PRAY FOR THOSE THAT ARE HOMELESS WITHOUT A PLACE TO LAY THEIR HEAD IN THIS WEATHER. WE PRAY, GOD, THAT YOU PROVIDE. WE KNOW THAT YOU CAN AND YOU WILL. GOD WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE GLORY, THE HONOR AND THE PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING. IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. YOU PLEASE JOIN US IN UNISON WITH REPEATING THE P PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PRAY. I PRAYED ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IS STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU ALSO KINDLY FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY SECRETARY. WOULD YOU PLEASE EXCUSE ME, ESTABLISH THE QUO? YES, SIR. MAYOR BART, PRESENT MAYOR PRO. TIM HOLMES. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JONES. COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS. COUNCIL MEMBER MOSES. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK. HERE. MAYOR, YOU HAVE A QUO. THANK YOU. SO KINDLY. CITY SECRETARY. EXCUSE ME. AT THIS TIME WE WILL MOVE TO ROMAN NUMERAL TWO FOR PROCLAMATIONS. UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY BEFORE ME AND I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY, UH, CITY SECRETARY ARE THERE. OKAY, THANK [III.A.1. Phillip Kees Cupples Regarding Water Disconnection] YOU. NEXT ROMAN NUMERAL THREE AND PETITIONS AND THE COMMUNICATIONS. WE WILL BEGIN WITH SPEAKERS. WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, MR. PHILLIP KEYS, COUPLES, UH, REGARDING WATER DISCONNECTION. IF YOU ARE PRESENT, WOULD YOU APPROACH, PLEASE? GOOD MORNING. WOULD YOU BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS WHEN ONCE YOU MEET, REACH THE MICROPHONE AND YOU MAY BEGIN. YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL ON YOUR CONCERN. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND HERE TODAY. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, UH, I LIVE AT, MY NAME IS PHILLIP COUPLES. I LIVE AT 61 0 6 17TH STREET, PORT ARTHUR, AND THAT'S FOSTER ESTATES OUT IN FO OUT NEAR FOSTER VILLAGE. THERE, UH, IT WAS ON, UH, LET ME GET MY GLASSES HERE. IT WAS MONDAY, 1211 THAT THIS HAPPENED. I I HAVE SIX CAMERAS AROUND MY HOUSE AND THERE'S SECURITY CAMERA CAMERAS AND THERE'S ALARM ON IT. SO WHEN SOMEBODY COMES UP IN MY YARD, THE ALARM GOES OFF AND I WENT TO SEE ON MY MONITOR WHAT THE ALARM WAS ABOUT. AND THERE WAS A CITY TRUCK IN THE FRONT OF MY HOUSE THAT DROVE AWAY. SO I WENT OUT INTO MY FRONT PORCH [00:05:02] THINKING THAT IT WAS FOR THE LADY NEXT DOOR, CUZ SHE'S ALWAYS HAVING HER WATER TURNED OFF. AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY GET OUT OF THE CAR AND THEY WALK STRAIGHT BACK TO HER BACKYARD, TURN OFF HER WATER, AND GO BACK TO THEIR TRUCK AND LEAVE. WELL, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT, BUT THERE WAS A PIECE OF PAPER ON THE GROUND BY MY FEET. I REACHED DOWN TO PICK IT UP AND IT SAID THAT WE'LL BE BACK TO TURN OFF YOUR WATER. AND SO I ASKED MY WIFE, ARE WE IN DELINQUENTS, UH, WITH A WATER? SHE SAID, NO, I'VE LIVED AT THE PLACE FOR, SINCE 1977. I'VE BEEN PAYING MY BILLS REGULARLY MONTH AFTER MONTH SINCE 1977. I'VE NEVER HAD A CUTOFF NOTICE. WELL, NOW I'VE GOT A CUTOFF NOVI NOTICE, AND I HAD PAID MY BILL. AND SO I REALIZED THAT THEY HAD THE WRONG ADDRESS. AND THE GUY CAME BACK ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER AND HE WAS SAYING, LOOK, I LEFT THIS NOTE AT THE WRONG PLACE. AND THE THE NOTE SAID, YOU HAVE A LOCK ON YOUR GATE, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND SHUT YOUR WATER OFF. HAD I NOT HAD A LOCK ON MY GATE, MY WATER WOULD'VE BEEN SHUT OFF. AND HE WOULD'VE GOT BACK IN HIS TRUCK, TRUCK AND LEFT. NOW, IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN IN THE, IN THE SHOWER, TAKEN A BATH, SHOWERING HER HAIR AND THAT STUFF, THE WATER WOULD'VE GONE OFF AND SHE'D HAD COME OUT MATTERING THE WET HEN. AND SO, UH, THE YOUNG MAN CAME UP TO THE DOOR AND HE SAID, CAN I HAVE THE PAPER BACK? I SAID, YEAH. I SAID, WHY DID YOU DO THIS? HE, BECAUSE IT'S CITY POLICY. I SAID, WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S CITY POL CITY POLICY? YOU JUST SHUT THE WATER OFF AND YOU DON'T TELL THE PEOPLE INSIDE THAT YOU'RE GONNA SHUT IT OFF. EVEN IF THEY HAD A NOTICE THAT THE DISCONNECT WAS COMING, HE GOES, THAT'S CITY POLICY. WELL, BACK IN, UH, I THINK IT WAS IN THE NINETIES, MID NINETIES, THE CITY POLICY WAS NOT DOING ANY MAINTENANCE ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. WELL, I'M AN ELECTRICIAN FOR 56 YEARS AND I'M LICENSED TODAY. AND WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY NEVER MAINTAINED THE, THE ELECTRICAL DISCONNECTS. AND THEY WERE WIDE OPEN AND STUFF. AND THERE WAS A BOY, AND HIS NAME WAS ANTHONY PARAMO. HE WAS BLOWN OFF A FENCE BECAUSE HE, HE LEANED AGAINST A TWO 40 VOLT LIGHT POLE THAT WASN'T GROUNDED. THE CITY WASN'T INSPECTING THE BALLPARKS, AND THERE WAS DISCONNECTS ALL OVER THE CITY. I TOOK OVER A HUNDRED PHOTOGRAPHS OF DISCONNECTS AND ILLEGAL INSTALLATION OF ELECTRICAL WIRING. I CAME HERE AND PRESENTED IT TO YOU ALL. I MADE ALL THE INFORMATION. PUBLIC RECORD. WELL, THAT WAS BECAUSE OF POLICY. WELL, NOW WE HAVE A POLICY THAT YOU'RE GONNA SHUT OFF WATER ON AN INNOCENT PERSON AND IT MIGHT NOT GET IT HOOKED UP FOR THREE DAYS BECAUSE IT'S GOTTA GO THROUGH THE CHAIN OF CITY MANAGEMENT. IT'S GOTTA GO THROUGH ONE DESK, ANOTHER DESK, AND THEN FINALLY TO THE MAN THAT'S GONNA DISCONNECT IT. WELL, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT HE'S GONNA GET IT TO THE RIGHT PLACE? THERE'S NO GPS ON A TRUCK. THAT'S THE SOLUTION. THESE TRUCKS NEED TO BE GPSD, AT LEAST THE ONES THAT ARE SHUTTING OFF THE WATER. AND SO I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT YOU ALL WOULD FEEL IF THIS HAD HAPPENED TO YOU. AND I REALLY CAN'T IMAGINE HOW YOU WOULD'VE FELT IF IT WAS YOUR MOTHER OR YOUR FATHER OR SOMEBODY DISABLED. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. IT'S BECAUSE OF POLICY. POLICIES LIKE THIS WILL MAKE US END UP LIKE PORTLAND, OREGON OR SAN FRANCISCO OR HOUSTON. I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO OUR PORT ARTHUR. I'VE LIVED HERE SINCE 77. I'M A MAN OF, I'M A MAN OF INTEGRITY. I PAY MY BILLS AND I DON'T WANT SOME INNOCENT PERSON MALIGNED LIKE THIS. AND I'M LEAVING IT UP TO YOU TO COME ABOUT A, A SOLUTION. I WANT TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER FOR HIS RESPONSE. AND, UH, CALVIN MATTHEWS, HE MADE AN EFFORT TO GET IN CONTACT WITH ME AND APOLOGIZE. THE CITY MANAGER MOVED MOUNTAINS TO GET AHOLD OF ME. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT OF THOSE TWO GENTLEMEN. NOW I'M RELYING ON THE COUNCIL TO COME UP WITH A BETTER POLICY, PUT A GPS ON THE, ON THE TRUCKS THAT ARE DISCONNECTED. HE, THE GUY THAT CAME TO MY HOUSE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIVE BLOCKS AWAY. IT WAS THE SAME HOUSE NUMBER, BUT IT WAS FIVE BLOCKS AWAY. THAT'S UN UNACCEPTABLE. AND I DON'T WANT ELDERLY PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT ARE INNOCENT GETTING THEIR WATER SHUT OFF BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE THREE OR FOUR DAYS BEFORE THEY GET IT BACK ON. [00:10:02] THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, SIR. COULD YOU, UH, HOLD A A SECOND, MR. MR. COUPLES, UH, I, THE COUNCIL WANT TO ADDRESS YOU. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN KEN LAW, UH, THANK YOU MR. COUPLES FOR YOUR, YOUR EXPLANATION OF IT. BUT IT SEEMS TO, DID THEY EVER TURN YOUR WATER OFF AT THAT DAY? NO. NO. SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WAS, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS A MISTAKE THAT THE YOUNG MAN HAD A YEAH, IT WAS A MISTAKE. IT WAS JUST AN HONEST MISTAKE. SO DON'T, YEAH, IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE. BUT HOW MANY HONEST AND HONEST MISTAKES HAVE THERE BEEN THAT HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, TRACKED? YOU, YOU TRACK THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T PAY THEIR BILL, BUT WHEN YOU SHUT OFF THE WATER, YOU DON'T GET THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO GET A SHUT OFF. WELL, YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU WERE, YOU WERE AN ELECTRICIAN FOR 50 SOMETHING YEARS. YOU'VE MADE MISTAKES IN YOUR JOB JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE. AND IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WASN'T INTENTIONAL THAT THE YOUNG MAN CAME TO YOUR HOUSE AND PUT THE WATER. YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T KNOW MY RECORD AS AN ELECTRICIAN. WELL, I MEAN, YOU, YOU'RE NOT A YOU HADN'T, YOU, YOU CAN'T TELL ME YOU STAND UP THERE REF, YOU KNOW, BEFORE US AND SAY YOU'VE NEVER MADE A MISTAKE IN ANYTHING YOU'VE DONE. I'M SAYING THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME, THAT THE YOUNG MAN WENT TO YOUR HOUSE IN ERA AND PUT A, A POST-IT STAMP ON THERE. A A, SOME TYPE OF DISCONNECTION. THIS WAS A PIECE OF PAPER. YES. RIGHT. THAT FELL TO THE FLOOR. YOU SAID YOU I'M NOT DENYING THAT. SO LET'S DO THIS. I MEAN, I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU AND, AND I WANT TO GET FROM THE, OUR LEGAL ADVICE THAT, UH, WE DO HAVE A POLICY IMPLANT AND A LOT OF, MOST OF OUR EQUIPMENT HAVE TYPE OF TRACKING DEVICES ON THEM. BUT EVEN HAVING THAT, YOU STILL CAN GO TO THE WRONG ADDRESS. AND THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. I I I'M NOT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A, A THING THAT HE CHOOSE TO DO. I'M SAYING IT'S A SIMPLE MISTAKE. UH, CITY ATTORNEY. DO WE HAVE POLICIES THAT'S ALREADY ESTABLISHED WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WATER BILL? AND MAYBE WE CAN HAVE THE DIRECTOR TO COME AFTER YOU AND GIVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING ABOUT OUR POLICIES AND WHAT WE DO? WELL, YOU SHOULDN'T SHUT THE WATER OFF WITHOUT KNOCKING ON THE DOOR AND TELLING THE PEOPLE THE WATER'S GOING OFF. WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL DO THIS. WE'LL AFTER YOU GET, ARE YOU THROUGH WITH YOUR PRESENTATION? WE'LL HAVE THE DIRECTOR TO COME UP AND HE CAN GIVE A CLEAR DECIS HONEST EXPLANATION. WELL, THE, THE MAN HIMSELF TOLD ME THAT IT WAS CITY POLICY JUST TO TURN THE WATER OFF AND LEAVE. THAT'S WRONG. YOU'RE DOING A LEGITIMATE WELL LET YOU'RE FINISH. WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DEBATE, WHICH ALL WE SAYING FINISH INFORMATION. I HAVE FIVE MINUTES. THE THING THAT I HAVE TO SAY. YOU'RE DOING A LEGITIMATE REASON. MM-HMM. AND AN ILLEGITIMATE WAY. OKAY. OKAY. JUST, JUST A SECOND. CITY MANAGER, CAN YOU HELP? CAN YOU GET THIS UP? YES. MAYOR, AFTER I'VE SPOKEN TO THE GENTLEMAN, HEY RON, PUT YOUR MIC UP. WE CAN'T HEAR YOU MAYOR, AFTER I'VE SPOKEN TO THE GENTLEMAN, MY DECISION IS TO LOOK INTO THE POLICY AND MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO REFINE IT, TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE. AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT. THAT'D BE FINE WITH ME. THAT'S ALL. WE'RE GOING. YES, SIR. YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT OUR CITY TO GO THROUGH, UH, LITIGATION FOR BODILY INJURY OR WRONGFUL DEATH. AND WE HAD THAT BACK IN THE NINETIES. YES. I DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN ANYMORE CUZ THAT AFFECTS MY TAXES. YES. YEAH. WE ARE COMMITTED, I AM COMMITTED TO ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE TO ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS. YEAH. WELL, DON'T SHUT THE WATER OFF WITHOUT KNOCKING ON THE DOOR. ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S EASY. P THE POLICY. ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT'S WHY WE LOOK AT THE POLICY. I AM COMMITTED TO LOOK AT THE POLICY AND REFINE IT TO PROVIDE GOD BLESS YOU. GOD BLESS. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE. I APPRECIATE YOUR RE RESPONSE. THANK YOU. IS THAT IT FOR ME? JUST, JUST ONE SECOND. SO WE HAVE IT NOW, MR. COUPLES, WHAT I I'D LIKE TO DO AT THIS JUNCTION BEFORE YOU LEAVE IS APOLOGIZE FOR ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT OCCURRED. OKAY. AND WE WILL DO, IN MY BEING MAYOR, ALL WITHIN OUR POWER TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE SERVICING THE CITIZENS WHO ARE OUR CUSTOMERS HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND WHATEVER CHANGES MAY NEED TO BE MADE, WE WILL BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT THOSE. AND IF THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO INFORM A PERSON OR A CUSTOMER THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE OR HAVE A, A DISCONTINUANCE OF THEIR SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE NONPAYMENT OF THE BILLS LIKE ENERGY AND OUR OTHER PROVIDERS, WE WOULD COME UP WITH THE MOST CONVENIENT WAY TO INFORM PEOPLE. BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR COMING AND LETTING US KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT. ONE MORE THING. YES, SIR. I WAS TOLD THAT I COULDN'T PUT A LOCK ON MY GATE. OKAY. WELL, I I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. AND I KNOW ACCORDING TO THE ATTORNEY, LET ME, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WAS I WAS TOLD, HE SAID I COULDN'T PUT A LOCK ON MY GATE BECAUSE THE WATER ME WAS IN THE BACKYARD. I BELIEVE IN FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THE SECOND AMENDMENT AND THE CASTLE LAW. THE CASTLE LAW SAYS THAT I CAN PROTECT MY HOUSE. SO IF SOMEBODY'S IN MY BACKYARD, I DON'T KNOW WHO IT IS, I CAN CAN FIND OUT WHO IT IS. RIGHT. SO I'M NOT GONNA UNLOCK MY GATE AND MAKE MY HOUSE VULNERABLE TO ATTACK. RIGHT. AND, AND, AND I'M, I'M SORRY, [00:15:01] I I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD BE TOLD THAT YOU COULD NOT PUT A LOCK ON YOUR PRIVATE PROPERTY, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW ALL OF THE BEHAVIORS THAT ALLEGEDLY OCCURRED WITH THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT AND SEE IF WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS. YEAH. WELL I, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE THE ANSWER. THE ANSWER IS KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND TELL 'EM YOU'RE WELL. IT'S, WE ARE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW EVERYTHING AND SEE IF WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS. THANK YOU. BUT I APPRECIATE YOU ENLIGHTENING US ON THIS TODAY. GOD BLESS YOU. YOU THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS. YOU TOO, SIR. ALL RIGHT, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNSEL. OKAY. OKAY, LET'S MOVE TO THE NEXT, I HAVE MY LIGHT ON. OH, BUT CAN WE, CAN WE NOT SPEAK MORE ANYMORE ABOUT THIS? NO, I JUST NEED TO NOT ON, FOR THE RECORD. FOR THE RECORD. GO RIGHT AHEAD. FOR THE RECORD, I'D LIKE, UM, FOR, UM, SOMEONE IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT SEND US A COPY OF THE POLICY THAT, UM, YEAH, YOU JUST SEND IT. WE, WE, WE'RE NOT GONNA DISCUSS IT. I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANNA TALK. YOU JUST SEND IT. I JUST TO EMAIL IT TO, IF YOU'LL SEND ME A COPY OF THE POLICY AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PROVIDE THEM WITH WHAT THE POLICY, UH, CURRENTLY STATE SO THAT WE CAN REVIEW IT AND, UM, MAKE OUR OWN ASSESSMENT TO IT AND GET BACK WITH, UH, THE MANAGER SO THAT HE'LL HAVE, UH, OUR REVIEW OF THE POLICY. OKAY. THAT'S IN PLACE. THANK, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. OKAY. [III.A.2. Rabindra Nauth Of Dwarka Construction Regarding Investment Properties And Demolition Of Property] NOW LET'S MOVE TO OUR SECOND PRESENTATION. I THINK IT IS, IS, AND I DON'T WANNA MESS UP YOUR NAME. RARA NA YES. OF, UH, DER CONSTRUCTION. YES. OKAY. I HOPE I SAID IT CORRECTLY. COURSE, REGARDING INVESTMENT PROPERTIES AND DEMOLITION OF PROPERTY. YES. THANK YOU. WOULD YOU BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS? BROTHERS ARE NOT OWNER OR OPERATOR. DEKA CONSTRUCTION. AND MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR FOR EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. I THINK YOU HAVE SOME PICTURES OF A PROPERTY. UM, 24 24 EL PASO, OH, EXCUSE ME, YOUR ADDRESS AS WELL, PLEASE. 1815 PROCTOR PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. UH, THERE'S A WRONG PROPERTY BUT, HUH. 24. 24 EL PASO. THERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE PROPERTIES I'VE ALREADY REDID. SO, UH, STARTING A, I BOUGHT THIS, PURCHASED THIS PROPERTY IN, UH, LAST YEAR IN NOVEMBER. AND I DID A COMPLETE RESTORATION IN A PROCESS, A COMPLETE RESTORATION OF THIS PROPERTY. AND IT WAS A LONG PROCESS DOING THAT, UH, SPIKE, HI HIKING, UH, MATERIAL AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I HAD MATERIAL THERE AND IT STOLE ALL THE MATERIAL OF THE PROPERTY. SO I KIND OF WAITED UNTIL THE MATERIAL PRICES WENT DOWN. AND THEN AFTER THAT, I GOT A DEMOLITION NOTICE FROM THE DEMOLITION DEPARTMENT AND I WAS DOCUMENTING EVERYTHING. I HAVE LIKE 250 PICTURES AND THE SMALL, UH, TENT PICTURES CAN'T REALLY SHOW THE MAGNITUDE OF WORK I DID TO THE PROPERTY. THAT'S THE WRONG PROPERTY. YES. ANYWAY, AND, UM, I SPOKE TO IRAN BURTON ABOUT THE SITUATION EXTENSION, AND HE GAVE ME TWO MONTHS EXTENSION. AND, UH, SHARON FLANAGAN SENT ME AN, AN EMAIL SAYING, I HAVE TWO MONTHS AND TWO MONTHS ONLY DE IT DOESN'T DEPEND ON WHETHER OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ME IF SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED. WE'LL, I'LL LET YOU, SHE'LL EXTEND THE TIME AND ANYWAYS, WELL, THIS IS THE PROPERTY, RIGHT? 24. 24. THAT'S WHEN I PURCHASED THE PROPERTY. I COMPLETELY GUTTED A PROPERTY YARD, UH, DOING THE PROCESS, PUT A BRAND NEW ROOF ON THERE, REFRAME EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING WAS STRUCTURALLY, UH, DONE TO, UH, ZONE ONE CODES. AND I FOUND ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS ON THE PROPERTY DURING THAT PROCEDURE. DURING THAT PROCESS, SOMEONE WENT IN THERE AND STOLE ALL ELECTRICAL, THE AC THE HVAC SYSTEM ON THE PROPERTY. AND WHILE I WAS DOING THE PROCESS OF REDOING THE PROP, I WAS DOING A SIDING ON THE PROPERTY. I GOT STOP WORK NOTICE. AND THE STOP WORK NOTICE SAYS IT WAS SINCE MAY, 2022. THIS IS THE ANSWER WHY I COULDN'T EVEN GET A ELECTRICIAN TO GO PULL A PERMIT OF THE PROPERTY, DO THE, REDO THE ELECTRICAL. SO I SPOKE TO SHARON PLANK AND SHE SAYS NOTHING SHE COULD DO ABOUT IT. OKAY. RON CONTACTED HER AND RON, SHE GAVE RON ADVICE TO, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GO FAR, NO MORE THE PROPERTY. SO I END UP SELLING THE PROPERTY. I TOOK A 45,000 LOSS ON THIS PROPERTY, WHICH ARE THE PICTURES IS MULTIPLE PROPERTIES THAT DID IN PORT ARTHUR, WHICH THE FIRST SETS HE SHOWED YOU. SO I'M BEEN HAVING A LOT OF HARASSMENT PROBLEMS WITH THE DEMOLITION DEPARTMENT. AND THIS GOES BACK FROM HISTORY, SHARON AND, UH, DEBORAH VARE, THEY'VE BEEN IN THAT POSITION FOR A LONG TIME. AND NICK VOUCH THE PROBLEMS I DEALT WITH THEM WITH, I HAVE OVER 21 PROPERTIES. WE HAVE IN PORT ARTHUR [00:20:01] 21, NOT ONE, NOT 2 21 OF THEM. SO IF I'M WORKING ON ONE PROPERTY, THEY'LL LEAVE AND GO TAG ANOTHER PROPERTY WHILE I'M WORKING ON PROCESSING ONE OF THEM. AND THIS IS A COMBINED INVESTMENT, ME AND MY MOM. SO IS, UM, THESE ARE PICTURES OF THE PROPERTY WE'RE REDOING. SHE HAS OTHER PROPERTIES THAT'S BEEN REDUNDANT SINCE IN 2018. AND WE GOT DEMOLITION. WE GOT, UH, WHILE IT WAS DONE DOING THE COVID SITUATION, SOMEBODY WENT IN THERE AND STOLE ALL THE ELECTRICAL, THE CABINETS, TORE THE WHOLE HOUSE UP. THEY PUT IT BACK ON DEMOLITION LIST AND WHICH IS THE, UH, 7, 7 36 GALVESTON STEEL WILL STILL WILL. SORRY. IT IS, IT IS A COMBINED THING. SHE HAD FIVE MINUTES, FIVE MINUTES. WE CAN COMBINE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IS MY INVESTMENT WITH HER. YOU CAN SHOW ALL THE PICTURES IF YOU WANT. THESE ARE ONE, THIS IS A PROPERTY PUT BACK ON DEMOLITION LIST. IT'S COMPLETELY REDONE. SOMEBODY WENT IN THERE AND STOLE ALL THE STUFF OUT OF IT. ALL THREE THESE PROPERTIES, ALL THE ELECTRICITY WAS STOLE OUT OF THEM. SO AS THE INITIAL DAMAGES AND EXPENSE THAT OCCURRED, AND I BEGGED THEM FOR EXTENSION ON THESE PROPERTIES, THAT ONE PROPERTY I LOST $45,000 ON IT, IS WHAT Y'ALL GONNA DO FOR INVESTORS COMING TO THE PROPERTY WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN IN THE CITY 45 YEARS AND YOU CAN KNOW THIS JAWS BARBECUE. EVERYBODY KNOWS US. IT'S NOT, THIS IS ONE PROPERTY THAT WE DID, YOU SHOW PICTURES OF. IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE NOT INVEST OUR MONEY. WE DO HAVE MONEY TO BACK OURSELF UP TO INVEST IN THESE PROPERTIES. WE COULD DO ONE PROPERTY AT A TIME. AND ON TOP I HAVE A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. I STILL HAVE TO WORK TO MAKE MY LIVING. SO IN BETWEEN THIS PROCESS, DEMOLITION DEPARTMENT IS GONNA FIND EVERYBODY PROPERTY AND TAG IT. WE HAVE 21 PROPERTY IN PORT ARTHUR, INVESTMENT FROM, FROM FAMILY FROM NEW YORK, DALLAS, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA. THEY'RE INVESTING MONEY IN PROPERTY TO GET 'EM RE REHABILITATED. IT'S NOT, I'M ONLY ONE COMPANY. SO WHEN I'M WORKING ON ONE OF MY INVESTMENT PROPERTY, THEY'LL BACKDOOR AND GO TAG ANOTHER PROPERTY. SO THE HARASSMENT LEVEL, THEY NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF ESTABLISHMENT, SOMEBODY IN THE OFFICE WHO GOES THROUGH ALL THESE PROPERTY AND SEE A, THE THE PLAN OR WHERE YOU AT WITH THEM BEFORE THEY GO TAG THE PROPERTY AND PUT YOU IN A, A RIDICULOUS SITUATION. SO, SO I'M ASKING FOR SOME EXTENSION OF MY PROPERTIES AND STOP THE HARASSMENT OF MY PROPERTIES. AND SHE'S 75 YEARS OLD, IT TAGGED HER PROPERTY FOR DEMOLITION. AND SOMEBODY'S NOT DOING THEIR JOB. YOU HAVE EITHER GO INSPECT THE PROPERTY AND SEAT FROM THE TIME THEY WERE DONE AT A PROCESS. I HAVE 250 PITCHERS IN ALL THESE HOUSES AND NOBODY SEES THE MAGNITUDE OF WORK. YOU HAVE TO DO 'EM TO BRING 'EM BACK TO THE ZONE ONE CODE. A LOT OF THESE PROPERTIES THERE LETTING PEOPLE REDO. THEY'RE NOT GETTING DONE TO ZONE ONE CODE. I HAVE PLENTY OF 'EM HAVE PICTURES. I COULD, COULD SHOW YOU. I'M A LICENSED BONDED CONTRACTOR, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE'S NOT SPENDING THE MONEY. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BUILD THESE, BRING THESE PROPERTIES BACK UP TO ZONE ONE CODES. THEY'RE DISPATCHING IT UP AND PUTTING 'EM BACK ON THE MARKET. AND IF YOU GO TO THE PROCESS, THESE PROPERTIES, THEY'RE ALL DONE BY CODE. AND ALL THESE PROPERTIES, I'M SHOWING YOU ALL THE ELECTRIC, ALL THE ELECTRICITY BEEN STOLEN OUT OF THEM, HVAC SYSTEM IS STOLEN OUT OF THEM. THE CABINET HAS BEEN STOLE OUT OF THEM. THE TWO HAS ALREADY BEEN REDONE COMPLETELY. SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU NEED TO GO. UH, I SPOKE TO SHANNON. SHE SAID SHE DON'T WANNA SPEAK TO ME. UH, NOBODY WANNA SPEAK TO ME. SO, UH, THIS IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE I HAVE LEFT. NEXT IS AUSTIN, TEXAS. SO I DON'T KNOW. I NEED TO GET A, SOME KIND OF CONCLUSION. AND BY THE WAY, WE SPENT OVER $35,000 TAXES ON ALL THESE PROPERTIES PER YEAR IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR THERE. OKAY. SO YOU WANNA SPEAK, ALLOW HER TO, UH, STATE HER NAME AND ADDRESS AND SHE COULD EVER SPEAK IN THE MICROPHONE. MY GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. I APPRECIATE BEING HERE. TODAY IS MY FIRST TIME LIVING IN THE STATE FOR 44 YEARS. AND, UM, STATE YOUR NAME. MY NAME IS PUN BASSI SANDY. OKAY. AND YOUR ADDRESS? 1815 PROCTOR STREET, PORT TAR, TEXAS. OKAY, THAT'S GOOD. WELL, MY SON GIVE OUT A COMPLAIN ALREADY, BUT IT'S, IT'S A HARD THING TO COPE WITH IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. IT'S ONLY ME AND HE HERE TRYING TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO MAKE PROGRESS, NOT TO BRING THINGS DOWN BECAUSE ALL THIS PROPERTY THAT I OWNED WAS ANCIENT PROPERTY. AND IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THEM NOW IS LIKE THE ONE THEY BUILDING RIGHT NOW. WE BRING THEM BACK TO A STANDARD. WE ARE, IT, IT CAN BE LOOK AT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER IS I I CAN'T HANDLE IT. INSTEAD OF YOU GO UP, YOU COME DOWN. WHAT SHE TRYING TO SAY? HER INVESTMENT, SHE'S LOSING MONEY IN HER INVESTMENT BECAUSE OF THESE SITUATIONS AND BECAUSE OF COVID AND ALL THESE OTHER SITUATIONS CAME IN PLACE, IT WOULD MINIMIZE SOME THE WORK. WE MINIMIZE SOME OF THE WORK ON THE PROPERTIES BECAUSE OF THAT SITUATION. BUT NOW I'M GETTING BACK UP BECAUSE THEY EVER GIVE YOU A TIME LIMIT ON THESE PROPERTIES. [00:25:01] AND THAT MUST STOP ME FROM DOING SOME OF MY JOBS. I I LET SOME OF MY JOB GO. AND THIS ONE PARTICULAR PROPERTY, 24 24 EL PASO, I LOST $45,000 ON THIS PROPERTY. AND I SPOKE TO SHARON FLANNIGAN AND I TOLD HER, IS MY MONEY INVESTED? IT'S NOT A, IT IS NOT A LOAN, IT'S NOT A GRANT. IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT. IT'S CASH MONEY FROM MY POCKET THAT I LOST IN ONE PROPERTY. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES, I, I COMPLETELY REDID EVERYTHING. IT'S ONLY 250 PICTURES I TOOK ON THIS PROPERTY. 24, 24 EL PASO AND THE REST OF 'EM, THEY'RE ALL, ALL THE ELECTRIC ELECTRIC ELECTRICITY IS STOLEN OUT OF IT. AND I HAVE TO SPEND MONEY BACK TO REDO 'EM. AND IN THAT PROCESS, THEY'RE GONNA TAG THE PROPERTIES FOR DEMOLITION. RIGHT. OKAY. AND ALSO YOUR, YOUR MOM IS SPEAKING MS. SANDY ABOUT THE, UH, INVENTING PROPERTY AND THE HARASSMENT. SO SHE'S THE SECOND SPEAKER. I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE IF WE ARE DOING BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY. FINE. NOW IF YOU ALL JUST, JUST WAIT THERE A MINUTE BECAUSE SOME OF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO ADDRESS YOU. COUNCIL MCKEN LAW. HEY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION. BUT I HEAR AGAIN, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, YOU INVESTED IN PORT ARTHUR, YOU HAVE 21 PROPERTIES, BUT, UH, YOU BONDED AND INSURED, SO YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THEIR MONEY BACK ONCE THEY'VE STOLE YOUR EQUIPMENT OUTTA YOUR HOUSE. UH, UH, MY THING IS THIS, WE ARE PUTTING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE INSPECTION DEPARTMENT TO CLEAN UP PORT ARTHUR. YES. THAT'S THE WAY YOU DO THAT. WE CAN'T BLAME COVID. WE CAN'T BLAME HARVEY FOR YEARS AND YEARS. IF YOU ARE OUT THERE AND YOU PURCHASE PROPERTY, IT'S ON YOU AND YOU HAVE A TIME LIMIT TO GET THOSE THINGS TAKEN CARE OF, PERIOD. BECAUSE IF WE ARE GONNA CLEAN THIS CITY UP AND ENSURE THAT EVERYONE SEE THOSE NICE HOUSES THAT YOU INVEST IN THOSE 21 PROPERTIES THAT YOU CHOOSE TO, TO INVEST IN, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO IT. WELL, I'M PART OF THAT SOMETHING WHEN YOU STATED EARLIER THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING THEIR JOB, ACTUALLY THEY ARE BECAUSE THEY PUT THAT NOTIFICATION ON YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU LOST $45,000 ON AN INVESTMENT, BUT YOU'RE BONDED INSURED. YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THAT MONEY BACK FIRST OF ALL, NUMBER TWO. NUMBER TWO, I UNDERSTAND THAT. HAVE YOU BEEN NOTIFIED THE INSPECTION? YES. THAT, DID YOU CONTACT THE POLICE, GIVE A POLICE REPORT? YES. ALL THOSE THINGS ARE THE BE THE NETWORKING TOO BETWEEN INSPECTION AND YOU AS THE CONTRACTOR. SO Y YOU KNOW, I'M KINDA LIKE FOGGY, YOU KNOW, OR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. IF, IF YOU'RE SAYING AS THE CITY FAULT THAT YOU LOST THE MONEY OR YOU'RE SAYING THAT WELL, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT WORKING WITH YOU, YOU'RE LOSING THE MONEY. THOSE IS THE QUESTION. AS A COLLECTIVE COUNCIL, WE HAVE TO HEAR I UNDERSTAND NOW I'M INTERESTED AND I'M, I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR YEARS. YEAH. WE, WE'VE BEEN DOING EACH OTHER FOR YEARS. BUT WE HAVE TO FIND A FINE LINE TO SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH TO CLEAN UP PORT ARTHUR. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE. WELL, WELL I'M PART OF IT. I MEAN, THESE PROPERTIES, THEY HAVE PICTURES. I OF 250 PICTURES OF EACH ONE OF 'EM. I GOT, YOU GOT 250 PICTURES. BUT IF YOU TAKING FIVE YEARS TO BUILD A HOUSE NO. OR YOU RE REHAB A HOUSE. HOW'S THAT HELPING PORT ARTHUR? I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE, WHAT, 10 YEARS NOW? I YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS. THIS THIS IS A NEW ADMINISTRATION. SO WHEN THE NEW ADMINISTRATORS JOIN IN, THEY DON'T SEE THE, THE WHOLE, THE PROCESS. RIGHT. WE'VE BEEN BUYING PROPERTY SINCE 20 YEARS NOW, PORT ARTHUR. AND I'M AWARE OF THAT. I'VE BEEN KNOWING YOU FOR A LONG TIME. WE JUST GOTTA MAKE A, WE HAVE TO TAKE A STANCE ON IT. I'M GONNA STICK TO THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. SO PEOPLE WILL MAKE, MAKE INVEST OF PROPERTY WITH ONE OR TWO UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S LACK OFF. WE WE'RE OVER 20 PROPERTIES IN PORT ARTHUR. IT'S NOT ONE OR TWO. WELL, SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE LIKE A DIVISION OF SOMEBODY WHO WORK WITH YOU DO ONE HOUSE OR 200 HOUSES. I MEAN, YOU INVESTED IN PORT ARTHUR, SO I GOT YOU. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M SAYING THAT IT GOT, WE HAVE TO TAKE A STAND AS THE CITY. I UNDERSTAND THAT PERIOD OF WITH OUR INSPECTION DEPARTMENT. AND THAT'S THE WAY YOU DO IT TO CLEAN UP PORT ARTHUR. THE CRIME RATE DOESN'T HELP IN PORT ARTHUR BECAUSE WHEN THESE PROPERTY IS BEING GETTING REDONE, SOMEBODY'S GOING OVER THERE AND STEAL ALL ELECTRICITY OUT OF IT, STEAL ALL THE CABINETS OUT OF IT, STEAL OUTTA LOT OF MATERIAL OUT OF IT. BUT, BUT WHO'S I MEAN IS THAT I'M LOST THREE CROSSES IN DIFFERENT LOCATION REPORT. WE CAN'T, WE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DEBATE. AND I'M NOT GONNA DEBATE WITH YOU. I'M JUST SAYING WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE. I'M SAYING THAT NOW IT'S THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TO ENFORCE OUR POLICY AND LAWS. IF WHATEVER REASON THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN YOUR STUFFS TAKEN OUT OF THOSE PROPERTIES AND YOU'VE ALREADY REPORTED AT, YOU REPORTED IN 10 INSURANCE, YOU'VE GOTTEN YOUR MONIES BACK. NO, I DIDN'T. I DIDN'T. WELL, I MEAN, I DON'T STUFF LIKE MY INSURANCE. THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY IT NORMALLY HAPPENS. SO ALL I'M SAYING, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING BETTER AND THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT TO CLEAN UP PORT ARTHUR IS PUT PRESSURE ON OUR INSPECTION, OUR CITY MANAGER GET IT DONE. I UNDERSTAND THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, SIR. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UM, FOR YOUR WORK AS YOU TRY TO REHABILITATE AND TO, UM, TAKE HOMES THAT WERE ON THE DEMOLITION ROLL AND REPAIR THEM. I'M SORRY ABOUT ALL THAT'S HAPPENED, UH, AND TRANSPIRED IN YOUR EFFORTS TO TRY TO, TO DO THAT. BUT LET ME, LET ME BE SUCCINCT AND GET TO THE, TO THE ROOT OF EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING WHEN YOU ULTIMATELY TOOK THIS HOUSE OR TOOK ON, UM, THE REHABILITATION OF THIS HOUSE, UM, WAS IT UP FOR DEMOLITION? WELL, THE PROGRAM, IT GO TO THE WORK PROGRAM. [00:30:01] OKAY. AND THE, THE, THERE WAS MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PROBLEMS OF FINDING THE HOUSE DURING THE PROCESS. OKAY. SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GONNA TAKE LONG. AND, AND, AND IT DIDN'T HELP WITH THE WEATHER AND THE, AND THE TIF. IT DIDN'T HELP AT ALL. AND HOW LONG WERE YOU GIVEN? HOW LONG ARE YOU GENERALLY GIVEN OR HOW LONG? AND I'M ASKING ALL, ALL WHO WERE LISTENING. THE CITY MANAGER, UH, STAFF. AND YOU, HOW LONG WERE YOU GIVEN TO GET THE HOUSE IN ORDER? SIX MONTHS. SIX MONTHS. I'M DOING THE PROCESS. IF IT GETS A CERTAIN STANDARD, THEY'LL EXTEND THE, THE TIME AND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND DID YOU ASK FOR AN EXTENSION? YES. YES. AND HOW LONG WERE YOU GIVEN IN AN EXTENSION? GIMME ME AN EXTENSION, BUT FROM THIS NOTICE, THEY GIMME EXTENSION FOR TWO MONTHS. AND I KEPT IN TOUCH WITH, UH, SHARON FLANIGAN EVERY WEEK. IT, IT, IT RAINED FOR LIKE THREE WEEKS. I'LL CALL HER AND LET HER KNOW, HEY, IT'S RAINING. I CAN'T DO NOTHING ON THE PROPERTY. EVERYTHING I DOCUMENTED, I, I KEPT IN TOUCH WITH HER AND SHE, I TALKED TO HER A MULTIPLE TIMES AND DURING THE PROCESS OF WHY I'M TALKING TO HER, SHE SAID, JUST KEEP IN TOUCH WITH HER. ANY CHANGES HAPPENED TO THE PROPERTY, LET US KNOW. SO I'M TAKING IN MY MIND THAT WILL EXTEND, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE MY TIME TO GO TO AND FINISH MY PROPERTY. SO WHEN I GOTTA STOP WORKING PERMIT, I WAS WORKING A PROPERTY, I GOT THIS PERMIT STOPPED WORK. AND IT SAYS FROM MAY, 2022, I NEVER HAD A PERMIT TO WORK IN A PROPERTY. SO I COULDN'T GET, THAT'S WHY MY ELECTRICIAN, OH, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT SIR. SO YOU'RE SAYING YOU HAD AN EXTENSION AND THAT THE, AND YOU'RE SAYING FROM MAY, FROM MAY TO NOW? NO, NO, NO. I'M SORRY. OKAY. FROM MAY TO NOW IS PAST TWO MONTHS? NO, NO, NO. FROM THE SEVENTH TO LAST YEAR. IT, LAST SEVENTH, SEVENTH MONTH. THIS, THIS YEAR THEY GIMME EXTENSION THE SEVENTH MONTH? YEAH. FOR TWO. OKAY. THAT'S JULY. YEAH. SO FROM JULY TO NOW, THAT'S, THAT'S OVER TWO MONTHS. YEAH. SO I WAS ADDITIONALLY TELLING HER ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OCCURRED IN THE PROPERTY. SO I'M TOLD HER I'M REDOING THE WHOLE PROPERTY COMPLETE, NOT JUST THE PATCHWORK. I WAS GONNA, THEY, THEY, THEY MAKE A LIST FOR YOU TO DO. I'M TELLING HER REDO, REVAMPING THE PROPERTY COMPLETELY THAT MEAN FOUNDATION ON UP. SO WHEN I TOLD HER THAT, SHE SAID, OKAY, THIS IS FINE. JUST KEEP ME POSTED. SO YOU, SO YOU DIDN'T JUST LEAVE, YOU DIDN'T JUST LEAVE IT UNDONE. YOU WERE WORKING DURING THIS TIME? I WAS WORKING WHEN THEY CAME UP WITH THIS IN THE PROPERTY. OKAY. ALRIGHT, MR. CITY MANAGER, LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION. SO IF HE IS IN THE, OR LEGAL, IF HE IS IN THE PROCESS OF REHABILITATING THE PRO, IF HE'S IN THE, THE PROCESS OF REHABILITATING THE PROPERTY AND HE IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN DOING SO, SHOULD HE BE STOPPED FROM DOING THAT OR BE SENT A LETTER TELLING THEM THAT HE SHOULD, SHOULD STOP WORKING ON THIS PROPERTY? WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE CITIZEN IN A, IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE. WHEN WE HAVE EXHAUSTED THAT WE, IN ORDER FOR US TO REMAIN IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW, WE HAVE TO INFORM THE CITIZEN. BUT THE QUESTION IS, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PROPERTY? HE SOLD THE PROPERTY TO SOMEBODY ELSE. MM-HMM. . SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN. MM-HMM. . SO THAT'S THE VICIOUS CYCLE THAT WE GET CAUGHT INTO. AND THAT'S WHY THE CITY LOOKS THE WAY IT IS. NO, BECAUSE THE CITIZENS KNOW HOW TO BEAT THE SYSTEM. AND WHEN WE HAVE GOTTEN CLOSE TO THE END OF IT, WE'VE GOTTA START ALL OVER AGAIN. SO WE NEVER, NEVER CATCH UP. SO HE SOLD THE SO THAT'S THE CATCH WHEN HE THAT'S RIGHT. IS THAT HE SOLD THE PROPERTY. THAT'S RIGHT. MAYOR, GO RIGHT AHEAD. ANY NEED, OH, GO AHEAD. IF YOU WANNA LET THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS SPEAK FIRST, GO AHEAD. I CAN WAIT. I CAN WAIT. GO AHEAD. AND THEN I NEED TO SAY SOMETHING. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF A LEGAL ISSUE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING INTO FACTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, WE'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT THE FILE AND, UH, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO, TO THE DEPARTMENT OR ANYONE ELSE WHO NEEDS TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING. BUT BASICALLY YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WORK PLAN. UM, WHETHER YOU ARE A NEW OWNER OR AN OLD OWNER OF A PROPERTY, UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WORK PLAN. IT'S OUTLINED IN THE CODE AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN, UM, AND EXPLAIN THE PROCESS TO EITHER STAFF OR TO THE CITIZEN OR WHOEVER THE MANAGER ASSIGNS, YOU KNOW. UM, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO SAY THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE ORDINANCE THAT WE CAN GO BY. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. GO AHEAD. AND WE HAVE COMPLIED WITH EVERY ASPECT OF MY STAFF HAS COMPLIED WITH EVERY ASPECT OF THE ORDINANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE NOT ERODED OR INFRINGED ON THE RIGHT OF THE PROPERTY ORDER. IT IS PROPERLY DOCUMENTED. I HAVE REVIEWED THE FILE WITH STAFF IN THE PRESENCE OF THE PROPERTY OWNER, AND I'M SATISFIED THAT THE STAFF HAS DONE THEIR JOB. OKAY. UH, COUNCILWOMAN MOSES, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, UH, UM, SHAKING YOUR MIND. WHAT'S THIS? OKAY, MR. NA. YES. NOW ONE THING, ONE ASPECT THAT YOU MENTIONED, YOU [00:35:01] SAID PEOPLE STOLE FROM YOU. I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS THAT BRIEFLY BECAUSE IT'S, I'VE UP HERE, WE'VE ALL BUILT, REBUILT A HOUSE, REDONE WHATEVER. YOU HAVE TO SECURE YOUR OWN ITEMS. WE DID. UM, YOU HAVE TO, YOU CAN GET A STORAGE. THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO TO, TO SECURE AS YOU BUILD. I, I BUILT, I'M SURE SOME OTHER PEOPLE UP HERE BUILT, THEY STOLE. AND MY ITEMS THAT I PURCHASED, MR. NA, LET, I'M GONNA FINISH. OKAY. OKAY. YOU, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE. THE, THE BUILDER, THE CON CONTRACTOR TO SECURE YOUR ITEMS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY'RE NOT STOLEN. SECURE THE PLACE, BOARD IT UP, PUT PADLOCKS ON IT. THAT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT THE INSPECTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY OR LACK ON YOUR PART TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR, UM, YOUR APPLIANCES AND ALL THE ITEMS THAT'S GONNA GO INTO THE NEW HOME THAT YOU ARE, WE THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ENHANCE, YOU KNOW, REBUILD, TORN DOWN STRUCTURES AND, AND BENEFIT FROM THEM THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THE CITY AND YOURSELF AS WELL. BUT IN, IN THE PROCESS OF IT, WE WANT TO SEE A CLEAN CITY. WE WANNA SEE A A A A NOT CITY, NOT BUILDINGS THAT ARE TORN UP OR YOU'RE TAKING YOUR YEARS TO REBUILD OR TO, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP HAVING EYESORE IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT BASICALLY WHEN YOU PREPARE AND YOU ARE BUYING APPLIANCES, AND YOU'RE BUYING CABINETS, AND YOU'RE BUYING THE STOVES, YOU'RE BUYING THE ELECTRICAL, WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, IT'S UP TO YOU AS THE DEVELOPER AND THE CONTRACTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE SECURE AND THAT THEY'RE IN A PLACE WHERE NO ONE CAN PUT THEIR HANDS ON THEM. OKAY. THAT'S NOT THE, THAT'S NOT FOR STAFF. OKAY. LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING. THESE HOUSES HERE, THEY WERE LOCKED UP. THEY WERE INSIDE, THEY WERE INSTALLED. I CAN, I, I CAN'T SEE HOW YOU COULD GET ANY MORE SAFER THAN THAT. PUT A CAMERA UP, . OKAY. OKAY. WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE? ONE MORE QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE? THESE ARE THREE HOUSES IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN PORT ARTHUR OF SOMEONE GOING TO STEAL ALL ELECTRICAL OUT OF IT. THAT'S MY RE I MEAN, THAT'S OKAY. COUNCIL MCKEN LAW. I'M GOOD. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK? NO SIR, I'M FINISHED. OKAY. MS. NORTH AND EVERYONE, UH, I THINK, UH, HAS APPROPRIATELY, UH, SPOKEN TO YOU. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING A CITIZEN OF PORT ARTHUR. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ACTUALLY INVESTING IN PORT ARTHUR. AND, UH, I REALLY WISH THAT THAT WAS A DIFFERENT, UH, ENDING. I COULD GIVE YOU AND YOUR MOM, UH, LIKE, LIKE OTHERS, I'VE KNOWN YOUR FAMILY. I THINK I REMEMBER ONE OF THE FIRST PROPERTIES YOU BOUGHT ON WEST NINTH STREET MM-HMM. WAY BACK IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES. AND, UH, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN INVESTING IN THIS COMMUNITY DURING MY ADOLESCENCE. YOU, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FATHER, YOU, YOU KNOW, I, I REMEMBER THAT. SO WE APPRECIATE IT AND, AND YOU ALL, UH, HAVE DONE SOME GREAT THINGS TO TRY TO BEAUTIFY THE CITY AND WE, WE APPRECIATE IT. AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER. OKAY. AND, UH, WITH THE STAFF AND YOU, AND WITH THE COMMENTS THAT'S BEEN MADE HERE, THAT I BELIEVE THAT A COHESIVE PLAN CAN BE APPROACHED AND IMPLEMENTED. THAT'S ALL I WANT. OKAY. SO WE ARE GOING TO, TO WORK TOWARD THAT END. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD ONE. MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS. A HAPPY NEW YEAR. BYE-BYE. BYE-BYE. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU. OKAY, [III.A.4. Keith Carter Regarding Drainage In El Vista Area] WE'LL MOVE NOW TO OUR NEXT, UH, SPEAKER. IS MR. KEITH CARTER REGARDING DRAINAGE IN THE VETA AREA? YOU ARE PRESENT. WHAT? NO, LOOK WHAT, HEY, IF Y'ALL LET ME DO IT, I GOT IT. OKAY. WE, WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT. MR. CARTER COME, IF I CALLED YOU UP, IF THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED TO HAPPEN. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, AARON. GOOD MORNING. STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE. OKAY. MY NAME IS KEITH CARTER. I LIVE AT 3,500 TURTLE CREEK DRIVE, UM, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS 77 6 42. GO RIGHT AHEAD. OKAY. I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE DRAINAGE AND, UH, THE AVE STAIR AREA. YOU KNOW, HAS ANYTHING BEEN DONE APPRECIATE IT. ARE IN THE WORKS TO BE DONE, JUST CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED WHEN HARVEY CAME AND ALL THE DAMAGE, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN BESTA VILLAGE AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING HAD ANYTHING BEEN DONE OR GOING TO BE DONE, BUT I CAN DO IS WE CAN ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER TO ADDRESS WHAT YOUR CONCERN IS. OKAY. WELL, I DID GET A CALL FROM A, UH, SUPERVISOR, DRAINAGE BROWN, [00:40:01] AND HE KIND OF WAS TELLING ME THEY WAS DOING A FEW THINGS, BUT I WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE. OKAY. HE CAN CITY MANAGER CAN, CAN ENLIGHTEN YOU ON IN THAT AREA WHAT'S GOING ON. YES. UM, MAY, I COULD TAKE SOME TIME AFTER THE MEETING TO ADDRESS THE GENTLEMAN ON WHAT WE ARE MEETING, BUT FOR THE EDIFICATION OF THE PUBLIC, YES, WE CONTINUE TO WORK, UM, WITH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS FOR, UM, IMPLEMENTATION IS BEING DONE. UM, WE, RIGHT NOW, WE, WE ARE, WE HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS AND, UM, WHAT WE ARE, WE ARE APPROACHING CLOSELY APPROACHING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, UM, FOR THE EL VISTA AND, AND FOR THE PORT ACRES AREA. AND HOPEFULLY YOU, WE, WE ARE, WE ARE ASKING FOR A MEETING BEFORE YOU, YOU, YOU END SOMETIME NEXT WEEK. WE ARE WAITING FOR FINAL WOOD FROM FEMA. WE KNOW THAT ALL THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN ALIGNED THUS FAR IN ORDER TO GET THAT DONE SO THAT WE COULD AWARD, UM, A CONTRACT SOMETIME IN THE NEW YEAR TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT, WHICH WILL TAKE A FEW YEARS TO COMPLETION. OKAY. BUT WE ARE VIGOROUSLY WORKING ON, ON THE PROJECT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALLEVIATE THE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE, NOT ONLY IN INDIA VISTA AREA, BUT IN THE PORT ACRES AREA AS WELL. THOSE ARE TWO VERY LARGE PROJECTS THAT HAS BEEN FUNDED TO THE TUNES OF TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT, THAT WE RECTIFY WHATEVER DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE AREA. SO YES, AND WE WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING, UM, LONG BEFORE, LONG BEFORE WE GET OUT THERE AND BEGIN THE PROJECT SO THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THE UNDERTAKINGS THAT WE WILL, WE WILL BE, UM, IMPLEMENTING OUT THERE AND HOW LONG AND WHATEVER INCONVENIENCES THAT MAY ARISE AS A RESULT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT. YES, SIR. OKAY. YES, SIR. WE, WE, OKAY. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND MERRY CHRISTMAS. Y'ALL HAVE THEM. MERRY CHRISTMAS. AND YOU CARTER. I HOPE THAT THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS. OKAY. [III.B.1. A Presentation By Sigma Engineering, Inc. Regarding An Update On The Renovation/Relocation Of The City's Health Department (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw)] WE NOW HAVE PRESENTATIONS. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY SIGMA ENGINEERING AND COOPERATED REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE RENOVATION RELOCATION OF THE CITY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW. HI. GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CIA, I'M WITH SIGMA ENGINEERS. WE'RE AT 4 0 99 CALDER AVENUE IN BEAUMONT. AND I HAVE MY FRIEND AND COWORKERS MR. CORDY ROSS. HE'S MANAGING OUR ARCHITECTURAL DEPARTMENT AND HE'S THE MANAGER OF THE PROJECT FOR THE, UH, UH, NINTH AVENUE HEALTH CENTER. WE HAVE THE HONOR OF, UH, BEING THE ENGINEERS OF RECORD FOR YOUR PROJECT. THE, UH, DESIGN WAS COMPLETED, UH, SOMETIMES LAST YEAR, AND WE HAVE STARTED THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, BACK IN OCTOBER. AND, UH, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT MR. ROSS'S GONNA GO THROUGH, AND I WILL COME BACK AND GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF FINISHING, UH, ITEMS ON THE PROJECT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. ROSS. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. SO HERE WE HAVE THE, UH, FLOOR PLAN OF THE NINTH AVENUE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S, UH, 42,000 SQUARE FOOT THAT'S GONNA BE RENOVATED INTO DIFFERENT CLINIC SPACES. UM, WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH, UH, MS. SMITH TO COORDINATE THIS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET EVERYTHING THAT IS NEEDED, UH, FOR, TO MEET THE, UH, THE PROPER NEEDS FOR THE CITY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS JUST SHOWS YOU THE DIFFERENT, UH, SUITES OR CLINICS THAT WILL BE HOUSED INSIDE THE BUILDING. WE HAVE THE EMPLOYEE SUITE, VACCINATION, UH, LABORATORY, UH, PHARMACY, WIC, ADULT SERVICES, IMMUNIZATION, TV TESTING, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SO FORTH. AND WE HAVE SOME OFFICE SPACE. HERE IS JUST, UH, ENLARGED PLANS OF THE DIFFERENT SPACES. UH, EMPLOYEE SERVICES, THE VACCINATION CLINIC, UH, TB TESTING, THE ADULT SERVICES IN THE IMMUNIZATION, UH, PHYSICAL FITNESS LABORATORY PHARMACY IN JANITORIAL, UH, NURSING, FAMILY PARTNERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS, VITAL STATUS, STATUS, STATUS, STATISTICS, I'M SORRY. AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. AND THEN WIC. [00:45:02] THIS IS A, A RENDERING OF WHAT THE BUILDING IS GONNA LOOK LIKE AT EACH ENTRANCE OF THE BUILDING. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A, UH, NEW FACADE ON THE FRONT. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE NUMBERED EACH SUITE TO HELP. I HELP THE, UH, THE, THE CLIENTS OR THE CUSTOMERS, UH, KNOW WHICH SUITE THEY NEED TO GO TO. UH, HERE IS, UH, THE PROJECT SCHEDULE. UM, THE PROJECT STARTED IN OCTOBER, AND, UH, THE PROJECT IS DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER OF 2023. UM, N N T CONSTRUCTION, THEY ARE THE, UH, GENERAL CONTRACTORS FOR THE PROJECT. AND AGAIN, THEY TOOK POSSESSION OF THE PROPERTY IN OCTOBER. ON OCTOBER 26TH. UH, WE HAD A PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING THAT HELP SH ON THAT SAME DAY. AND, UH, WE MET WITH N N T, THE CONTRACTOR. WE MET WITH THE CITY AND OF COURSE, WE WERE THERE TO, UH, ESTABLISH THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF EVERYONE. UH, PROGRESS MEETING AND SITE VISITS. WE HAVE MADE SEVERAL SITE VISITS AND TO, UH, TO OBSERVE THE CONSTRUCTION ON 10 26 22. UH, DEMOLITION WAS IN PROGRESS ON 10 31 22. DEMOLITION WAS STILL IN PROGRESS ON 11 9 22. EXTERIOR DEMOLITION WAS IN PROGRESS. AND ON 12 7 22, INTERIOR FLOOR SAW CUTTING AND ROUGH END OF THE UNDERGROUND PLUMBING WAS IN PROGRESS. UH, THEY'RE CURRENTLY, UH, STILL DOING SAW CUTTING IN THE BUILDING. UM, THERE WILL SOON BE BACK FILLING THE, UH, SAW CUTTING IN THE PLUMBING TRENCHES. UH, PARTITION WALL LAYOUT HAS STARTED ON ONE PORTION OF THE BUILDING. UH, DEMOLITION OF THE EXTERIOR HAS STARTED ALSO PARKING LOT. SIDEWALK DEMOLITION HAS STARTED, UM, INTERIOR UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC. ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION HAS STARTED. THE STRUCTURAL STEEL FOR THE NEW ENTRANCES WILL BE DELIVERED NEXT WEEK. AND THE ROOFING MANUFACTURER HAS ALSO MADE SITE VISITS TO ENSURE THAT THERE WILL BE NO ISSUES WITH THE NEW ROOF THAT WILL BE INSTALLED. AND NOW WE'LL LET DR. NAJA, UH, SPEAK SOME MORE ABOUT ON THE STRUCTURAL SIDE OF IT. AFTER THE, UH, DEMOLITION WAS COMPLETED, WE HAVE HAD A BETTER VIEW OF THE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM AND THAT WE FOUND SOME, UH, ROOF MEMBERS THAT ARE TWISTED ON THE, ON THE PEARLS ON THE ROOF. AND, UH, WE HAVE PREPARED DESIGN DRAWINGS ON, ON AUGMENTING SOME OF THE EXISTING MEMBERS THAT IT COULD NOT BE SEEN BE PREVIOUSLY. UH, THOSE DRAWINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO THE CITY AND ALSO THE CONTRACTOR, AND WE'RE AWAITING ON THE CHANGES FROM, FROM THAT, UH, ASPECT OF THE PROJECT. SO THERE WOULD BE SOME MINOR STRUCTURAL REVISION THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO THE ROOF OF THE STRUCTURE. WE ALSO HAD PLANNED ON, UH, PARTIALLY REPLACING SOME OF THE GUTTERS. AND AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION WHEN WE GOT BACK, WHEN THEY REMOVED THE, THE FASCIA, WE SAW THAT THERE'S SOME OF THE OTHER ONES THAT ARE RUSTED. SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER THING THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL COST TO THE PROJECT. SO THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE RUN INTO SO FAR ON THE PROJECT IS SOME OF THE ROOF MEMBERS AND ALSO, UH, MINOR PORTION OF THE, UH, UH, GUTTERS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT WERE ALREADY IN THE CONTRACT, THE, UH, UH, ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT ARE GONNA BE DELAYED FOR QUIET SOMETIMES. UH, THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH, WITH THE INDUSTRY. UH, SOME OF THE PANELS ARE LIKE 52 WEEKS DELIVERY, WHICH IS, THEY'RE EMBARRASSED TO SAY ONE YEAR, THEY JUST TELL YOU 52 WEEKS. SO, BUT IT IS A LONG TIME. HOWEVER, UH, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY PURCHASING THE CITY IS, UH, IS BUYING THE GENERATOR FOR THE PROJECT. SO WE ANTICIPATE USING THE GENERATOR IF THERE IS A DELAY WITH THE ELECTRICAL, UH, COMING INTO THE BUILDING. SO WITH THAT, AS AS THIS TIME, WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE GOING OVER THE PROJECT SCHEDULE AS WE'RE SITTING RIGHT NOW. UH, MOST [00:50:01] EVERYTHING WE HAVE COMMITTED TO THE CONTRACTOR THAT HE NEEDS TO PURCHASE EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, HE HAS COMPLIED WITH, WITH MOST THE PURCHASING OF THE LONG LEAD EQUIPMENT. AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. COUNCIL MCKEN LAW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WELL, AND THAT'S GLAD, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. I MEAN, THERE'S NO NEED OF WAITING WHEN WE ALREADY KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THIS PROJECT IN LINE, UH, TO BE COMPLETED BY NOVEMBER, 2023. I'M GLAD THAT YOU IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE CONS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. UM, I THINK YOU GUYS NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, IF WE ANTICIPATE HAVING THOSE SMALL HICCUPS THAT YOU SPOKE OF EARLIER, UM, IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE A, UH, HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT ACCOMMODATE THIS COMMUNITY IN A CENTRAL, UH, LOCATION FOR THE ALL THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE SERVICE IN MID-COUNTY AS WELL AS SOUTH COUNTY. UH, ONE THING I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR DIAGRAM, IT'S A FLAT ROOF, SO I, I HEARD THAT YOU SAID THEY'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA GO BACK AND REDESIGN SOME A LITTLE BIT MORE TO TWEAK IT. WELL, HOW ARE YOU GONNA ACCOMMODATE THAT FLAT ROOF THAT WE HAVE IN THAT LOCATION? ALSO, I THINK THEY MAY HAVE HAD SOME PLUMBING ISSUES THERE IN THE PAST. SO HOW ARE YOU GONNA ALSO, UH, ADDRESS THAT? BECAUSE THOSE PROBLEMS WERE ALREADY EXISTED AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE FORGET ABOUT THAT IN THE END AND HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO SOME THINGS. UH, COUNCILMAN BEFORE THE, UH, BEFORE WE STARTED THE PROJECT, WE HAD, WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD SYSTEM OF INSPECTING THE ROOF. AS A MATTER OF FACT, AS A COST SAVING ITEM, WE CORDED THE EXISTING ROOF. ORIGINALLY, WE WERE GONNA REPLACE THE WHOLE ROOF SYSTEM AND WE CORDED THE EXISTING ROOF. WE FOUND THAT THERE ARE SOME GOOD INSULATION ON THE ROOF AND THE WHOLE ROOF. AS FAR, THEY'RE TWO SUBJECT. ONE IS THE ROOFING STRUCTURE, ONE IS THE ROOFING ITSELF. THE ROOFING ITSELF. ALL WE'RE DOING, WE'RE TAKING THE COVERING OFF BECAUSE THERE ARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF AIR CONDITIONING UNITS ON THE ROOF. SO THE HOLES ALL OVER THE PLACE. WE'RE TAKING THE ROOFING MEMBRANE OFF, KEEPING THE INSULATION BECAUSE WE DETERMINED THAT THE INSULATION WAS IN A GOOD SHAPE. WE'RE GONNA KEEP IT IN PLACE AS A COST SAVING MEASURE AND PUT A WHOLE NEW 20 YEAR WARRANTY ROOF ON THE TOP OF IT. SO THAT HAS BEEN RESOLVED. THE ISSUE THAT WE RAN INTO WHERE THE, UH, ROOF MEMBERS THAT COULD NOT BE SEEN DUE TO THE STRUCTURE BEING THERE, AND THOSE ROOF MEMBERS ARE GONNA BE REPLACED FROM UNDERNEATH THE, THE ROOFING AND NOT ON, ON THE TOP SIDE OF IT. AND I THINK THAT NONE OF THOSE ARE GONNA CREATE ANY, ANY ISSUE FOR US AS FAR AS THE TIME DELAYS. THE CONTRACTORS ARE ON IT RIGHT NOW. THE PLUMBINGS, UH, THERE, WE DID NOT KNOW OF ANY PLUMBING ISSUES. THE ONLY THING THAT WE KNEW, THE NA NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR WAS DISCHARGING THEIR WASTE INTO THE BACKSIDE, INTO YOUR, UH, LIFT STATION IN THE BACK MM-HMM. . AND THEY WERE ALSO TYING INTO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. WE FOUND EXTENSION CORDS RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF THE BUILDING AND TIED INTO YOUR SYSTEM. THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED WITH THE CITY AND YOUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND YOUR UTILITY GUYS ARE ON IT TO TAKE CARE OF IT. THANK YOU. ALL THE, ALL THE PLUMBING SPEAK MICRO, MICRO PLEASE. ALL THE PLUMBING IS GONNA BE NEW. WE'RE NOT REUSING ANY OF THE PLUMBING IN THE BUILDING, PER SE. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, WE GONNA HOLD YOUR FEET TO THE FIRE. YOU GUYS ARE THE EXPERTS NOW, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THIS BUILDING IS SOUND AND SECURE AND IT BENEFITS THIS COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'RE, WE ARE A COUNCILMAN. WE'RE A 30 YEAR OLD, UH, ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL FIRM. AND, UH, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE LARGEST PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TRUSTING IN US AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE GONNA MAKE YOUR TIMELINE AND YOUR BUDGET. UH, MR. WE'RE, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE A 30 YEAR OLD COMPANY. MR. ROSS AND I BEEN TOGETHER FOR 25 YEARS AND, UH, UH, HE'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST THAT WE COULD FIND AROUND. WE SHALL SEE. THANK YOU MAYOR, IN JUST A MOMENT. NO, NO. COUNCILMAN FRANK. YES. I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, UH, FOR ASKING ABOUT THAT ROOF, BUT THE ROOF IS FLAT. ARE YOU GOING TO PUT A PITCH ON THE ROOF AT ALL? NO, SIR. THE ROOF, UH, IS CALLED FLAT, BUT TECHNICALLY IS IT DRAINS TO ONE SIDE. THERE'S A GOOD, THERE'S ALMOST FOOT AND A HALF. YEAH. FEET OF SLOPE TO IT. OKAY. BUT IN, IN, IN TECHNICAL TERMS, YOU CALL IT A FLAT ROOF, BUT IT DOES HAVE A SLOPE. OKAY. IT'S NOT PITCHED. OKAY, GOOD. UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I WANTED TO ASK, TO WHAT DEGREE I, I HEARD, UM, MR. ROSS SAY THAT, UM, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO USE ANY OF THE PLUMBING THAT WAS THERE, THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS. HOW OLD WERE THEY? UH, AND WAS IT NECESSARY, UH, TO REPLACE ALL OF THAT? AND TO WHAT DEGREE WAS VALUE ENGINEERING DONE ON THIS PROJECT? VALUE ENGINEERING [00:55:01] WAS VERY EXTENSIVE, COUNCILMAN. WE HAD SOMEWHERE AROUND $680,000 WORTH OF SAVINGS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AT ONE TIME. SO, UH, WE'VE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB IN, IN CONCERT WITH, WITH YOUR, UH, STAFF WITH, UH, DR. SMITH AND, AND THE REST OF THE GUYS, UH, MR. TOME WAS INVOLVED IN THAT. UH, WE CUT QUITE A BIT OUT OF THE PROJECT. UH, HOWEVER, THE, THE LAYOUT OF THE BUILDING IS SUCH THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE AIR CONDITIONING SERVE INDIVIDUAL SUITE. WE DID NOT WANNA HAVE A UNIT THAT IF IT GOES DOWN, THE WHOLE BUILDING IS OUT. WE ALSO HAVE THE VACCINATION, WE HAVE THE, UH, TB AREA, THOSE AREAS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA RECIRCULATE THE AIR INTO THE BUILDING BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE INFECTION. SO FOR THAT REASON, ALL OF THESE AIR CONDITIONING UNITS HAD TO BE CHANGED AND BROUGHT UP TO NEWCO. OKAY. EVERY ONE OF THE PLUMBING LINES UNDERGROUND, THEY'RE ALL BEING REPLACED. WE HAD A LOT OF OLD, OLD PLUMBING AND ALL THE FAUCETS, TOILETS, ALL OF THAT'S GONNA BE BRAND NEW. HOW OLD WAS THAT? BUILDING THE BUILDING'S? UH, CIRCA 1970, SIR. YEAH. MM, YEAH. ALRIGHT. AND IT HAS BEEN PASSED AND PASSED. UH, THEY ADDED TO THE BUILDING AND THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF FUNNIEST STUFF. IT WAS, IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THOSE, UH, UH, BILL TO LEASE BUILDINGS AND, UH, THEY REALLY DIDN'T TAKE AS MUCH CARE IN THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, I SEE BEFORE IN COUNCIL, BEFORE, I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN, REPEATED AND, UH, I SEEN YOUR POOR PLANS AND EVERYTHING, BUT DR. JULI SMITH DONE A HECK OF A JOB IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THAT'S GONNA BE HER HOME. 10, 12 HOURS, 14 HOURS A DAY. IT CAN BE HER BABY. I SEE. BEFORE, AS LONG AS SHE'S HAPPY, YOU ALL STAYING IN TOUCH WITH HER. AND DR. HANNEY, THEY REPORT TO THE CITY MANAGER. HE, TO KEEP US INFORMED. THAT'S MY CONCERN. THAT SHE'S HAPPY Y'ALL STAY. YOU, YOU ALL MAKING CONTACT WITH HER, YOU KNOW, DAILY OR WEEKLY ABOUT HER HOME, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, IF YOU DO THAT, THAT'S, THAT PLEASES ME. REST OF IT. CITY LAK, WE, UH, ONE OF THE, THE UTMOST IMPORTANT IS FOR THE PROPRIETOR OF THE BUILDING TO BE HAPPY AND TO BE ABLE TO FUNCTION AND PROPERLY CONDUCT THE BUSINESS. AND FOR THAT REASON, THE VERY FIRST MEETING WE HAD WAS WITH DR. JONES. AND WE KEEP UP WITH HER JUST ABOUT WEEKLY HUG. APPRECIATE THAT DR. SMITH. I'M SORRY. YEAH, I'M NOT A DOCTOR YET. TOO OLD WE WANT NOW, SO I MISSED MY CALLING . BUT YEAH, AS LONG SHE'S HAPPY. AND TO LET, LET YOU KNOW, UH, UH, DR. SMITH'S A LOT EASIER TO WORK WITH THAN THAN DOC DR. HANEY. SO , WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU SEE THAT. SAY THAT AGAIN? SPEAK TWICE. RIGHT THERE. OKAY. COUNCIL FRANK, YOU SHOULD KNOW. HAVE NO SIR. OKAY. WELL THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I'D JUST LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, I GUESS YOU'RE DOING A JOB. AND I SAY, I USE THAT TERM TO SAY GUESS BECAUSE I DO NOT SUPPORT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BEING IN THAT AREA. I AM NOT ELECTED BY MID COUNTY. I'M ELECTED BY PORT ORMANS. I WISH THAT YOUR 30 YEAR COMPANY WERE ACTUALLY DOING THE ENGINEERING FOR A NEW STRUCTURE SOMEWHERE ALONG THIS CORRIDOR. AND I'M JUST DOING IT FOR THE RECORD THAT IT WOULD SHOW THAT I WOULD NOT EVER SUPPORT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BEING ON NINTH AVENUE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 73, BUT AGAIN, PROFESSIONALLY AND WHAT WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH YOU FOR YOU ARE DOING. SO I THANK YOU FOR THAT. WELL, MAYOR, JUST, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE COMPANY THAT DESIGNED THE NINTH AVENUE CANCER CENTER. YEAH. SO WE COULD HAVE PUT IT ANYWHERE THAT WORK. HOPE . I WISH YOU COULD HAVE USED YOUR INFLUENCE TO PUT IT ON PRACTICE STREET. NEXT ONE, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MERRY CHRISTMAS. OKAY. ALRIGHT, NOW [III.B.2. A Presentation By Deborah Tomov, Executive Director Of Family Services Of Southeast Texas Incorporation Regarding A Request For Funding For A New Shelter (Requested By Mayor Bartie)] WE WILL MOVE TO OUR NEXT, UH, PRESENTATION. THIS IS THE PRESENTATION BY DEBORAH TOMAR AND, UH, WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FAMILY SERVICES OF SOUTHEAST, UH, TEXAS INCORPORATED REGARDING A REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR A NEW SHELTER. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY THE MAYOR. THANK YOU. YOU BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS. DEBRA TOOF. UM, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FAMILY SERVICES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS, AND OUR OFFICE IS 35 50 FANON STREET, BEAUMONT, TEXAS, 77,701. UM, I WOULD JUST COUNCIL MAYOR AND, UM, CITY MANAGER AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR GIVING US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE PRESENTED ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I BELIEVE. AND, UM, NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE COMING BACK [01:00:01] AND WE'RE KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND I ALSO BROUGHT, UM, A PERSON, A VERY SPECIAL PERSON WITH ME. AND, UM, AFTER THE VIDEO SHE'S GONNA COME UP AND, UM, TALK ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE AT THE SHELTER. AND, UM, SHE IS YOUR VERY OWN. UM, SHE LIVES IN PORT ARTHUR AND SHE'S FROM PORT ARTHUR. AND SHE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SHARE HER STORY ABOUT THE SHELTER WHEN HOLDING YOUR BREATHING, WHEN LETTING, ALWAYS BRAVER THAN KEEPING TURN TO. AND YOU CAN'T HIDE BY CLOSING YOUR EYES OF A MONSTER BENEATH YOU SINKING. DON'T LEAVE ROOM FOR YOUR HOPE IS ALL THAT YOU HAVE TO SEE THE LORD AND SHOW YOU A SAFE PLACE TO FLAMES THE WHO CATCH YOU. MAYBE SOMEBODY WILL BELIEVE YOU SHALL STRONG TO YOU'RE BROKEN DOWN, [01:05:01] MERRY AND YOU CAN'T FIND HER. SO WE GONNA WALK IT OUT. WE GONNA WALK OUT AND EIGHT TIMES, TIMES AGAIN, THE SILENCES. AND IT FEELS LIKE IT GETTING HARD TO BREATHE. AND I KNOW YOU FEEL, BUT I PROMISE WE THE TIMES THAT WE, THAT WE RISE, RISE THOUSAND TIMES. MAYOR, WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT, UM, RAY DOESN'T SPEAK MIC. WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT RAY LEONI DOESN'T, UM, DISCLOSE HER ADDRESS, IF THAT'S OKAY. YEAH. WITH THE COUNCIL. OKAY. HELLO, I'M RAYLON HAWKINS. UM, I LIVE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. UM, I AM A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVOR AND SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR. UM, I FIRST GOT IN CONTACT WITH FAMILY SERVICES IN APRIL. UM, I HAD JUST HAD MY, MY SON, WHICH HE'S OLDER NOW OF COURSE, BUT, UM, THEY WERE HELPING ME GET A PROTECTIVE OVER ORDER ON [01:10:01] MY BIOLOGICAL FATHER. UM, HE WAS ABUSIVE AND HE HAD, YOU KNOW, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED ME OVER THE YEARS. SO I WOUND UP GOING TO THE, UM, TO THE SHELTER. IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL. AND I FEEL LIKE ME, I WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM TODAY. LIKE, UM, THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP ME GET A NEW APARTMENT, HELPED ME WITH MY RENT, ALSO HELPED ME WITH THINGS FOR MY SON CUZ IT WAS REALLY HARD AT FIRST, ESPECIALLY WITH BEING A SINGLE MOM AND HAVING TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT AND HAVING TO JUST BE AWAY FROM MY CHILD FOR A WHILE. UM, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS RIDER IS 10 MONTHS NOW, HE WAS LIKE TWO, THREE MONTHS AT THE TIME. UM, SO THEY DID A LOT FOR ME. EVEN STILL NOW, THEY, UM, ACTUALLY HELPED ME OUT. UH, I DID GO BACK TO SCHOOL FOR A WHILE. I WORK A FULL-TIME JOB. I'M ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE. AND OF COURSE I DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR CUZ THAT WAS THE WORST THING, YOU KNOW, FOR ME AND MY OTHER FAMILIES. HAVING TO LIVE IN FEAR, ALWAYS HAPPEN TO LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER. LIKE, WHEN IS HE GONNA, IS HE GONNA COME AGAIN? YOU KNOW? AND THEN WITH ME HAVING A CHILD, IT'S LIKE I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO, YOU KNOW, BE IN THAT. IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN YOU BECOME A PARENT, YOU KNOW, YOURSELF. YOU, YOU WANNA PROTECT YOURSELF MORE, BUT OF COURSE YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, YOUR CHILD. SO THEY HAVE BEEN, IT HAD HELPED, IT'S HELPED ME OVERALL, I WOULD SAY MORE MENTALLY AS FAR AS BEING A MOM AND JUST BEING ABLE TO KEEP GOING. SO. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ELIANI. UM, SO IF YOU CAN LOOK AT IN ON, UM, YOUR SCREENS. UM, I BROUGHT SOME RENDERING OF THE NEW SHELTER AND APPROXIMATELY THIS SHELTER IS GOING TO BE 32,000 SQUARE FEET. UM, WE ALSO HAVE A HANDOUT THAT WE'VE GIVEN TO YOU. AND IN THERE YOU'LL SEE, UM, THE SPECS OF INSIDE AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, IN THE BUILDING. SO THIS IS JUST SHOWING YOU, UM, RIGHT NOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE DINING AREA. THIS IS A COVERED EATING AREA WHERE OUR CLIENTS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE. AND, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A PLAYGROUND IN THERE, AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE THE DINING HALL. WHAT YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IN THIS BUILDING IS, UM, OUR FAMILY WING AND OUR FAMILY WING IS GOING TO HAVE 17 UNITS WITHIN THAT WING. IT WILL HAVE 11 BATHROOMS, AND EACH ROOM, OR EACH UNIT WILL BE COMFORTABLE. IT, IT CAN PRETTY MUCH HOLD ABOUT THREE SINGLE, UM, BUNK BEDS. SO WE CAN HOUSE SIX, UM, INDIVIDUALS. AND THIS IS IDEAL FOR MOMS THAT HAVE MULTIPLE CHILDREN. AND THEN IT'S MOVING. AND THEN YOU WILL SEE WE ALSO HAVE A MALE WING. WE WILL HAVE ONE UNIT THAT IS GOING TO BE FOR FAMILY, AND WE HAVE ONE UNIT THAT'S GOING TO BE FOR A MALE, UM, SINGLE. UM, AND THEN IT MOVES TO YOUR, OUR SINGLE WING, WHICH WILL HAVE ALSO 17 UNITS IN 11 BATHROOMS. , THIS BUILDING IS DESIGNED, UM, WITH TRAUMA INFORMED CARE IN MIND. AND WE, IT'S GOING TO BE AN INCLUSIVE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF, THE COLOR OF THE BUILDING IS GOING TO BE VERY, VERY SOOTHING. UM, WE ALSO HAVE A FOCUS GROUP THAT WE'VE DONE WITH OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONE THAT'S THERE, THEY'RE THE ONE THAT SEES THE CLIENTS. SO WE HAD A FOCUS GROUP AND SPENT TIME WITH THEM ASKING THEM, WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED? IF YOU HAVE A MAGIC WAND, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE? SO WE HAD A, WE HAD, WE HAD TO SPEND TIME WITH ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AND THEN THE ARCHITECT, WHILE HE WAS DESIGNING THIS, ALSO SPENT TIME WITH OUR EMPLOYEES. SO, SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WAS PUT INTO THIS BUILDING. I KNOW THAT, UM, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, YOU GUYS ASKED US WHAT IS THE NUMBERS THAT ARE COMING FROM PORT ARTHUR? AND I DO HAVE THAT. UM, IN 2020 WE HAD TO CUT OUR 65 BED UNIT TO ALMOST HALF BECAUSE OF COVID. AND, UM, IN 2020 OUT OF 653 CLIENTS COMING FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY, SO THIS IS INCLUDING YOUR PORT ARTHUR, PORT [01:15:01] NECHES, PORT ACRES, BEAUMONT, OUT OF 653 CLIENTS FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY, 398 CLIENTS WERE COMING FROM FORT ARTHUR IN 2021. UM, OUT OF 851 CLIENTS FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY, 405 CAME FROM FORT ARTHUR. THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS. I, I, I WANTED TO TELL YOU, I THINK OUR VIDEO KIND OF EXPLAINS WHAT WE DO. FAMILY SERVICES HAS BEEN HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. WE HAVE 91 YEARS OF UNI UNINTERRUPTED SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE INVITING YOU TO BE A PART OF THIS HISTORICAL PROJECT, A PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO BRING HEALING, HOPE AND A CHANCE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE. BECAUSE THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT A BUILDING, IT'S ABOUT SAVING LIVES. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. AND JUST TO, AND JUST TO SAY THIS FOR THE RECORD, WE ARE THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A SAFE HOUSE THAT PROVIDES SHELTER FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MOSES. HI. THANK YOU, UH, DEBRA. UM, WE INVITED YOU TO PRESENT TO US, UH, COUNCILMAN KEN LAW. MM-HMM. , MYSELF AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, HOLMES WAS THERE. SO I STILL STAND THE SAME PLACE THAT WE, YOU'RE SERVING MORE THAN HALF OF THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS SUPPORT ARTHUR. AND THAT I'VE, I'VE EVEN TALKED WITH THE MANAGER, UH, JUST RECENTLY TO SEE HOW, I'M GLAD YOU'RE BACK HERE AND I'M GLAD THE MAYOR BROUGHT YOU BACK TO PUT YOU ON THE AGENDA. BUT I WAS ACTUALLY, WE WERE JUST TRYING TO SEE HOW AND WHAT THE CITY COULD DO SO THAT WE CAN HELP BECAUSE YOU DO SERVICE MORE. I'M, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOW ME ANOTHER VIDEO. UH, THE YOUNG LADY WHO SPOKE TO ME, UH, SPOKE HERE, AND THE PEOPLE THAT CAME LAST TIME, I STILL STAND IN THE SAME, UH, POSITION. AND THAT IS TO SEE HOW AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PARTNER, UM, WITH YOU GUYS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE A PART OF THIS. UM, BECAUSE YOU SERVICE MORE THAN HALF OF OUR, YOUR CLIENTS, YOU'RE SERVICING MORE THAN HALF OF THEM FROM THIS, JUST THIS CITY ALONE. SO I, I DON'T, I DON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE TO SHOW ME ANYTHING OTHER THAN US COMING TOGETHER TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MCKEN LAW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, AGAIN, UH, COUNCILWOMAN MOSES HAS STOLE MY THUNDER. I WAS THERE WITH THE PRESENTATIONS THIRD TIME. LOOKING AT THE VIDEO. IS NEAR AND DEAR TO ME. UH, WE'VE ALL KNOWN SOMEONE THAT MAY HAVE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS LIKE THAT. UH, FUNDING SOURCE IS GONNA BE IN IMPORTANT TO ME HOW WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY GET THIS FUNDED. I KNOW, UH, SOME OF THE QUESTION, UH, IF THIS FACILITY IS GONNA BE LONG TERM, SHORT TERM, WHAT IS THE NEED? HOW DID IT GET IN THE FACILITY? HOW DID THEY BE DISCREET? SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS I'VE ASKED BEFORE MM-HMM. IN THE PAST WHEN WE VISIT YOUR FACILITY, UH, AND WHEN WE MET WITH YOU, UH, TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS, TO HEAR THOSE NUMBERS, THAT MORE THAN HALF IS FROM PORT ARTHUR. IS, IS, IS MIND BOGGLING. YOU KNOW, BEAUMONT IS DOUBLING POPULATION AND, AND THEY'RE NOT PRODUCING A LARGER NUMBER THAN WHAT PORT ARTHUR IS ACTUALLY GIVING OUT. UH, SO IF YOU CAN KIND OF GET THOSE TYPES OF QUESTIONS FORMULATED INTO YOUR MIND MM-HMM. , YOU KNOW, FUNDING SOURCE, UH, LONG TERM, SHORT TERM MM-HMM. , HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY GET IN THOSE? WHAT OTHER SERVICES ARE GONNA COME IN? I THINK COUNCILWOMAN MOSES MADE A POINT LAST TIME WE MET WITH YOU MM-HMM. , HOW DID WE GET THOSE OTHER, UH, UH, ENTITIES TO COME IN AND SERVICE THOSE, THOSE, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THOSE DV INDIVIDUALS. SO, UM, I GOT QUESTIONS. AND AGAIN, THOSE THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO ME, UH, I'M LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY GET IT DONE. SO, THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. COUNCILMAN HOLMES, UH, DEBORAH, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. CERTAINLY I LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KEN LAW AND MOSES HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE AND WE CERTAINLY STAND AND SUPPORT THAT. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE WILL HAVE TO BE AGGRESSIVE AS A, AS A COUNCIL TO SEE WHERE WE CAN HELP. MM-HMM. , WHEN YOU INDICATED THE NUMBERS THAT HALF OF YOUR RESIDENTS ARE FROM PORT ARTHUR, I THINK THERE IS A COMMITMENT THAT, THAT WE WILL, WE WILL CONSIDER OUR FINDING IN ASSISTING YOU IN THIS PROJECT. ONE MORE. YEAH. SO MANAGER, AT THIS POINT, DO WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE TABLE AND LET US, UM, CUZ I DO WANNA MAKE A, WE NEED TO, TO ACT ON IT. UM, A YEAR AGO WE CAME, UH, SHE CAME AND THEY DID THE PRESENTATION. SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, GET OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT OR UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, MAKE SURE WE CAN SEE WHERE WE CAN FIND SOME MONEY. [01:20:01] CUZ IF THE COUNCIL SEEMS TO WANT TO HELP, WHAT ARE OUR, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND MOVE FORWARD. MAY, MAY, JUST, JUST ONE SECOND BEFORE YOU SPEAK COUNCIL MEAN CITY MATTER. COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, SIR. FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO COMMEND THE YOUNG WOMAN THAT CAME FORTH FOR HER BRAVERY. AND I WANT TO APPLAUD HER ON TODAY FOR HER BRAVERY AND HER COMMITMENT. I KNOW THAT THAT IS A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION, BUT TO KNOW AS WELL THAT THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF WOMEN WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THO THOSE SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES. AND TO BE APPRISED OF THE FACT THAT, UH, THE MAJORITY, THAT MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS ARE RIGHT HERE, UH, IN OUR CITY. AND I WANT TO AS WELL JOIN, UH, WITH THE VOICES OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE, UH, ON TODAY AND SAY THAT WE WANT TO BE COMMITTED TO THAT. AND THEN TO GO AS FAR AS COUNCILWOMAN MOSES AS SAYING IN OCTOBER, I KNOW THAT WE LOOK AT, UM, THOSE FUNDS THAT ARE ALLOCATED, UM, TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR CITY THAT ARE DOING, UH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. AND I HAVE YOU BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH, UM, THOSE GROUPS OR HAVE YOU, UH, HAS, UH, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT GROUPS HERE IN PORT ARTHUR OR OUR, OUR, OUR STAFF, UH, WITH YOUR, UM, REQUESTS FOR THOSE MONIES? YES. SO WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UM, THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT A YEAR AGO. AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WERE ASKING BEAUMONT AND BEAUMONT'S PARTICIPATION, AND WE'VE GOT COMMITMENT FROM BEAUMONT. AND THEN AFTER THAT WE WERE COMING BACK, UM, TO YOU AND ASKING FOR YOUR COMMITMENT. UM, AND ALSO WE DO HAVE, WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. SO WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE SOMEBODY HERE. AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD IS TRANSPORTATION. THERE IS NO TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN PORT ARTHUR AND BEAUMONT. SO TO FIX THAT IS THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE HERE, JUST LIKE WHAT WE DO WITH TYLER. WE JUST OPEN OUR TYLER SATELLITE OFFICE IN THE COURTHOUSE IN TYLER COUNTY IN WOODVILLE, SO THAT THEY'LL HAVE A PERSON OVER THERE. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING OVER HERE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE A FOOTPRINT HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN JONES? YEAH, JUST YOU COUNCILMAN FRIEND. KIND OF STOLE MY THUNDER BY THE, UH, BY THE, UH, OFFICE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. YOU HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE. I SEE WHAT IT SAYS IS A NEW SHELTER. SO IT WOULDN'T BE, IT WOULDN'T BE BE A SATELLITE OFFICE HERE. IT WOULD BE A SATELLITE. WE, WE ARE, UM, HOPING WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA LOOK AT IT AFTER THE MEETING. WE'RE GONNA GO AND SEE IF THAT OFFICE WILL WORK OUT FOR US, BUT YES, BUT THE, THE, THE SHELTER IS GOING TO BE IN, IN BEAUMONT. BEAUMONT. OKAY. OKAY. AND OTHER QUESTION IS, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THE COUNCIL FOR, FOR SOLE FUNDING OF THIS WHOLE PROJECT OR PARTNERSHIP? THIS PARTNERSHIP? RIGHT. NO. COUNCILMAN, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR PORT ARTHUR TO, TO GIVE US, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE ENTIRE FUNDING, WHICH IS $10 MILLION. WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR A, A PART OF IT. OKAY. YES, SIR. AND IT'S ONLY ONE. THIS IS ONLY, UH, ONE, ONE ASK. THIS IS NOT A YEARLY ASK THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. IT'S STRICTLY FOR, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE AND NO PROBLEM. I'M, I GO ALONG WITH COUNCIL MOSES, LET'S ACTIVE ON IT. LET'S GET SOMETHING DONE FOR THESE PEOPLE. I NEED THE HELP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HEY, UH, CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, LET ME JUST INFORM THE COUNCIL THAT WE ARE MUCH CLOSER TODAY THAN WE WERE ONE YEAR AGO. UM, THE YOUNG LADY SUBMITTED A REQUEST THAT'S, WE HAD A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS THAT WENT OUT. AND, UM, THE CLOSING WAS ON FRIDAY. UM, WE HAVE NOT OPENED, I SPOKE TO MS. MARY ESSEX. WE HAVE NOT OPENED THOSE PROPOSALS AS, AS YET, BUT WE KNOW THAT A A, A PROPOSAL HAVE COME FROM THE TEAM, AND WE ARE GOING TO CONSIDER THAT AMONG OTHER OPTIONS AS WELL. AND I WILL BE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO YOU WILL HEAR FROM US, WE ARE GOING TO DO THE INSIDE WORK THAT'S NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER RESOURCES THAT WE ARE, WE LEND THOSE RESOURCES TO A VERY GOOD COST THAT YOU'RE DOING. SO YOU WILL HEAR FROM US, WE WILL LOOK VERY CLOSELY WITH MS. MARY ESSEX IS FEDERAL MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE, AND WE'LL SEE HOW WE DIVIV IT UP TO OUR, ASSIST THEM AS WELL. OKAY? OKAY. WE HAVE ABOUT 1.4 MILLION THAT WE COULD WORK WITH MR. MOORE. UH, ARE YOU, UH, PRIVY TO, UH, DIVULGE TO, TO COUNCIL AS I, IT HAS BEEN DIVULGED TO ME THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT FROM THE OTHER, UH, ENTITIES. YES. CAN, CAN YOU DO THAT FOR ME NOW? UM, YES. FOR THE 5 MILLION, THE COUNTY DID, UM, GIVE US, JEFFERSON COUNTY GAVE US $5 MILLION, BUT WE HAVE ANOTHER $2 MILLION THAT WAS COMMITTED, BUT I REALLY COULDN'T SAY THAT BECAUSE IT WILL BE FINAL IN JANUARY. , WE DO HAVE A $2 MILLION [01:25:01] COMMITMENT ALREADY. AND, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT, UM, PORT ARTHUR CAN ADD TO THAT. SO RIGHT NOW, UH, A ACCORDING TO WHAT WE, YOU ARE ABOUT 3 MILLION SHORT OF THE TOTAL COMMITMENT YES. FROM ENTITIES AT WHOM YOU SERVE. YES. OKAY. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG YES, MA'AM. EXPLAINS TO THE COUNCIL. AND, UH, I DID HAVE CONVERSATION WITH, UH, UH, A BOARD MEMBER AND WITH MR. TOMAR. AND, UH, I DID ASK HER AND I APPRECIATE IT. YES. I ASKED HER TO BRING A PORT ARTHUR IN HERE TO US FOR THE RECORD SO THAT WE WOULD KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LIVE PERSON IN PORT ARTHUR MM-HMM. , EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE SEVERAL. BUT, UH, AND THE COUNCILMAN FRANK, A PART OF THE YOUNG LADY FOR HER BRAVERY, AND WE COULD ACTUALLY, UH, DISPEL THE FACT OF HER HAVING TO DIVULGE HER ADDRESS BECAUSE OF THE, THE CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT IT IS A REAL PROBLEM. IT IS SOMETHING WHERE YOU ALL ARE SERVING THE CITIZENRY WHO ACTUALLY ARE, UH, OVERTAKEN BY THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, UH, BUG, SO TO SPEAK. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND AS THE CITY MANAGER AND I HAD SPOKEN ABOUT IT ON FRIDAY, AND, UH, I WAS INFORMED IN WHAT HE JUST SAID, THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT HE AND, UH, MS. ESSEX OR MISS ESSEX WAS WORKING ON. SO WE WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT, THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON IT. AND COUNCIL, WE CAN GO INTO FURTHER DISCUSSION ACCORDING TO WHAT THE, THE, UH, CITY MANAGER WOULD RECOMMEND TO US. SO I WANT YOU TO LEAD TODAY KNOWING THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE, UH, UH, COULD BE FEBRUARY OR MARCH, YOU SHOULD HEAR FROM US WITH A, UH, COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT YOU ALL ON THIS. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. MERRY CHRISTMAS . OKAY. OH, COUNCIL, MERRY CHRISTMAS. I'M SORRY. DIDN'T SEE YOU DEBORAH. YES, MA'AM. UM, YOU DID, YOU, YOU PUT AN APPLICA, YOU, UM, CD BG FUNDS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? MANAGER CWG FUNDS. MM-HMM. . OKAY. WE DID, WE WERE ON TIME. GOT IT. HERE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL. ALRIGHTY. OKAY, NEXT [III.B.3. A Presentation By Staff Regarding The October Financial Report] WE HAVE, UH, THE, UH, FINANCIAL REPORT FOR OCTOBER. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. UH, DO YOU HAVE, UH, THIS MORNING THE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER? UH, YES. HE'S GOT IT UP ON THE SCREEN THERE. UM, THIS IS THE FIRST MONTH FOR FISCAL YEAR 23. SO WE'RE GETTING STARTED ON OUR, OUR BUDGET FOR, FOR 23. THE FIRST PAGE WE HAVE HERE IS THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES. UH, THERE'S CURRENTLY 29.5 MILLION, UM, RECEIVED SO FAR, WHICH IS 382,000 ABOVE THE ESTIMATE. UH, WE'VE GOT IN A LITTLE BIT OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES, 308,000, UM, SLIGHTLY ABOVE OUR BUDGETED ESTIMATE FOR THIS TIME. BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR TAXES WILL COME IN IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. UH, WE DO HAVE 27.2 MILLION ALREADY RECEIVED AN INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS, UH, THAT IS THE MAJORITY OF THE PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR. UM, THEY ARE BILLED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR. SO WE HAVE THAT FULL ADVANTAGE OF THAT CASH FLOW FOR THE, FOR THE ENTIRE, UH, FISCAL YEAR. UM, SALES AND USE TAX FOR THE GENERAL FUND FOR OCTOBER WAS 1.1 MILLION 17,000 ABOVE THE CURRENT YEAR ESTIMATE, THERE IS A TWO MONTH TIME LAG AND RECEIPTS FOR SALES TAX. OCTOBER RECEIPTS REPRESENT AUGUST SALES. UH, NEXT PAGE, LINDSAY. UM, WE HAVE THE GENERAL FUND, UM, OPERATING EXPENSES OR 3.3 MILLION FOR OCTOBER. THIS IS CURRENTLY BELOW THE ESTIMATE, UM, BY ABOUT 1.5 MILLION. UH, BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE REQUESTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS NEEDED. THE AMENDED BUDGET HAS AN ESTIMATED ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 26.1 MILLION OR 130 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES. TOTAL REVENUES ARE 29.5 MILLION CURRENTLY, AND TOTAL EXPENDITURES ARE 4.2 MILLION. SO YOU CAN SEE THIS RESULTS IN A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE OF, UH, ALMOST 60 MILLION AT THE END OF OCTOBER. UH, FUND BALANCE IS WELL IN EXCESS OF THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF 60 PLUS 60 DAYS PLUS ONE AND A HALF MILLION. AND THAT IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE INDUSTRIAL PAYMENTS COME IN OCTOBER AND THE EXPENDITURES ARE PRETTY MUCH SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. A NEXT PAGE, WE HAVE THE WATER FUND, UH, REVENUES, UH, TOTAL [01:30:01] 2.9 MILLION THE END OF OCTOBER. UH, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOVE THE BUDGETED LEVEL. AND WATER SERVICE CHARGES FROM RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, UH, EXCEEDED THE ESTIMATE BY ABOUT 26,000 OPERATING EXPENDITURES TOTAL, 1.5 MILLION. AND THIS IS UNDER THE BUDGETED LEVEL BY ABOUT 400,000. NEXT PAGE, LINDSEY. UH, WE MOVE ON TO SOLID WASTE. UH, THE SOLID WASTE REVENUES FOR OCTOBER TOTAL, 825,000, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY BELOW THE ESTIMATES. UH, THE OPERATING EXPENSES ARE CURRENTLY 281,000, WHICH IS UNDER BUDGET BY 254,000. UH, STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS FUND TO ENSURE THAT THE EXPENSES REMAIN IN LINE WITH AVAILABLE REVENUES. NEXT PAGE, WE HAVE THE PLEASURE. ISLAND FUND REVENUES ARE, UH, ALMOST 300,000, WHICH IS GREAT. ABOVE THE ESTIMATE BY 200,000. OPERATING EXPENSES ARE 42,000 OR 24,000 BELOW THE BUDGETED AMOUNT. SO REVENUES DO EXCEED EXPENSES AT THIS TIME BY ABOUT 250,000. NEXT PAGE, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO OUR, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SECTION, STARTING WITH THE STREET SUMMARY ALLOCATION BY YEAR IN DISTRICT. UH, THE TOTAL ALLOCATION FOR ALL YEARS ONE THROUGH FIVE NOW IS 72.6 MILLION. UM, UH, YOU CAN SEE ACROSS, UM, WHAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED SO FAR IS, UH, 19 AND A HALF MILLION FOR YEAR ONE, 14.4 MILLION IN YEAR TWO, 15.2 MILLION, YEAR THREE 13 AND A HALF MILLION IN YEAR FOUR. AND THEN ALONG THE BOTTOM UNALLOCATED IS THE, THE 10 MILLION FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR. AND THESE WILL BE BONDS THAT WILL BE SOLD LATER IN THE YEAR. SO, UH, AT SOME POINT YOU WILL BE ASKED TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS TO THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. NEXT PAGE. UH, THE STREET SUMMARY EXPENSES 24.1 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT THROUGH OCTOBER, LEAVING A BALANCE OF 48.5 MILLION, OF WHICH 29.1 MILLION IS COMMITTED TO OPEN STREET PROJECTS. AND THERE IS CURRENTLY REMAINING 19.4 MILLION ALLOCATED FROM ALL FIVE YEARS ALLOCATIONS AND ARE AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE PROJECTS. NEXT PAGE, WE HAVE THE OPEN STREET PROJECTS. UH, AS OF THE END OF OCTOBER, 43 POINT A MILLION HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR OPEN STREET PROJECTS. 14.7 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE, LEAVING A BALANCE OF 29.1 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE OPEN PROJECTS. AND THE NEXT PAGE, WE HAVE THE LIST OF GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS HERE. THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR ALL THE GENERAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IS 42.2 MILLION EXPENDITURES TOTAL, 7.1 MILLION WITH 35.1 MILLION REMAINING TO BE SPENT. UM, THIS INCLUDES VARIOUS CITY FACILITY PROJECTS, TECHNOLOGY, PURCHASE OF A FIRE VEHICLE, PUBLIC WORKS, AND PARK SOME RECREATION PROJECTS. NEXT PAGE, WE HAVE THE OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. UM, STARTING OFF WITH THIS YEAR, WE BUDGETED, WE DID BUDGET 700,000 FOR, UH, BRIDGE AND SIDEWALK REPAIRS. UH, THE DRAINAGE, UH, CURRENT BUDGET IS 69.1 MILLION, PRIMARILY FROM FEMA AND MITIGATION GRANTS. AND CDBG 6.2 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE, LEAVING A BALANCE OF 62.8 MILLION. UH, THE DOWNTOWN REV REVITALIZATION BUDGET IS 5.1 MILLION. UH, 3 MILLION WILL BE FUNDED, UH, THROUGH AN E D A GRANT. 825,000 HAS BEEN SPENT LEAVING A BALANCE OF 4.3 MILLION. NEXT, WE HAVE WATER UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS, UH, CURRENTLY BUDGETED AT, UH, A LITTLE OVER 90 MILLION. UH, THAT'S PRIMARILY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT. 17.2 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE WITH 73.3 MILLION REMAINING TO COMPLETE THE PROJECTS. AND THIS YEAR WE HAVE BUDGETED SOME, UH, IMPROVEMENTS FOR SOLID WASTE. UM, $5 MILLION, INCLUDING A NEW LANDFILL SALE, CONSTRUCTION OF A DETENTION POND, AS WELL AS MUCH NEEDED CAPITAL EQUIPMENT. UH, AND THESE WILL BE FUNDED BY BONDS AND INDUSTRY DONATIONS. PLEASURE ISLAND, UH, ALSO HAS SOME NEW PROJECTS SCHEDULED THIS YEAR. UH, 2.7 MILLION HAS BEEN BUDGETED, INCLUDING A BOAT LAUNCH, PARKING LOT, DOCK REPAIRS, [01:35:01] DISK GOLF RENOVATION, AND LAKE F LAKEFRONT PARK PLAYSCAPE. THESE ARE PRIMARILY FUNDED, UM, FROM BONDS AND FROM A TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE GRANT. 162,000 HAS BEEN SPENT TO DATE, UM, THE A R P GRANT PROJECTS, UM, WE HAVE 26.7 MILLION AWARDED IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GRANT FUNDS. THE PROJECTS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN REALLOCATED TO INCLUDE 13 MILLION FOR WATER WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND 7.1 MILLION FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICES. TOTAL OF 1.9 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT LEAVING A BALANCE OF 24.8 MILLION. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE NEXT PAGE. UH, LINDSEY, WE HAVE, UH, THIS IS JUST THE LITTLE RECAP OF THE, UH, 2021 CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, WHICH WERE 32.9 MILLION. UM, INCLUDES STREET PROJECTS, DRAINAGE PUMP STATIONS, ANIMAL SHELTER, NEW HEALTH BUILDING RENOVATIONS, AND WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS. 2 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT SO FAR LEAVING A BALANCE OF 30.9 MILLION. AND THE LAST PAGE, LINDSAY, WE HAVE THE DISASTER FUNDS HERE. UM, FIRST WE HAVE HURRICANE HARVEY. 30.3 MILLION HAS BEEN RECEIVED PRIMARILY FOR FEMA AND INSURANCE. UH, 34.4 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER, WE DID RECEIVE 1.2 MILLION, UH, ON DECEMBER 5TH FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WATER TRANSMITTERS AND REGISTERS. UH, AND THIS WILL REDUCE OUR, UM, UNRECOVERED AMOUNT TO ABOUT 2.9 MILLION. SO, UH, THAT'S UPCOMING. AND ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENTS FROM OPEN PROJECTS ARE ANTICIPATED, THOUGH, UH, TO FURTHER REDUCE THE CITY'S OUT OF POCKET IN THE END TO ABOUT 790,000. UH, COVID 19, EXCUSE ME, 3 MILLION IS RECORDED IN REVENUES AND DONATIONS. UH, EXPENDITURES ARE 3.5 MILLION. AND HURRICANE LAURA HAS 217,000 AND INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENTS AND 3.3 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES. UH, THE CITY DOES CONTINUE TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CAPTURE AS MUCH FEDERAL ASSISTANCE AND INSURANCE AS POSSIBLE FOR ALL DISASTERS. THAT'S MY REPORT TODAY. IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. HEY, MAYOR. THANK YOU. CANDY. UH, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE 2021 CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS? 32 9 WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER? YES, SIR. AND YOU HAVE, UH, 39 30 $9,802. IS THAT FOR PREVIOUS OR WHERE WERE WE GETTING THAT NUMBER FROM? MAYBE I MISSED THE LAST MEETING WHEN THEY TALKED ABOUT, OR I HAD TO LEAVE FOR AN EMERGENCY FOR THE LAST MEETING FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER. SO, UM, THEY HAD SOME PRELIMINARY EXPENSES THAT THEY HAVE SPENT. UM, DAMN, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL CUMULATIVE. I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE EXPENSES ARE, BUT, UM, THEY HAD SOME PRELIMINARY COST, UM, INVOLVED IN THE BEGINNING. OKAY. AND WE'VE ONLY SPENT $500,000 ON STREETS ON THIS. UM, YES, SIR. RELATED TO THE, THESE BOND PROJECTS WE'VE SPENT OTHER FUNDS. BUT THE, THE ONES THAT ARE STRICTLY RELATED TO THESE CERTIFICATES, IT'S JUST 500,000. I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER REPORT, YOU CAN TELL WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE A LITTLE BIT BETTER. WHICH REPORT? CANDY? UH, THE BELONG REPORT. THIS ONE. UM, I THINK THEY'RE MARKED. LET ME SEE. WELL, LET, LET ME, LET ME DO THIS. LET ME GET WITH THE MANAGER CUZ UM, I'M LOOKING AT THAT AMOUNT WITH STREETS AND ALSO WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER. UH, I'LL GET WITH HIM AND HEAR YOU WITH OKAY. I CAN GET THE DETAILS. YEAH, JUST GET THE DETAILS. I'LL GET THE DETAILS FOR BOTH OF THOSE NUMBERS AND LET YOU KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT THEY ARE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. COUNCIL, UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES. THANK YOU, MS. DANIELS. UM, THE, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE INCREASE IN THE WATER AND SEWER SEWERS HAS CAUGHT, HAS TAKEN HOLD. CAUSE I SEE WE HAVE, UM, A $36,000 INCREASE. SO IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THAT'S HELPED US SUBSTANTIALLY. WELL, YES. YES, SIR. IT, IT WILL HELP SUBSTANTIALLY. UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S TAKEN HOLD JUST YET, BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GONNA GET THERE. STOP THE BLEEDING. YES, IT DID, . OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, THE OTHER THING THAT [01:40:01] I WANTED TO ASK WAS, I WAS LOOKING AT, AS YOU WERE, UM, OH, ONE QUESTION THAT I WANTED TO ASK OUR ATTORNEY, UH, BECAUSE I DID GET A CALL, UH, FROM A STAKEHOLDER AS WELL, AND SOMEONE MAY BE ABLE, AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK THAT QUESTION. UM, IF A COMPANY DOES NOT USE, UM, UM, IF A COMPANY DOES NOT USE GARBAGE, UM, IN, IN THEIR BUSINESS BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF WASTE THAT THEY HAVE, DO, ARE THEY STILL REQUIRED BY ORDINANCE TO PAY FOR GARBAGE PICKUP? SO I WANT YOU CAN GET THAT ANSWER. LOOK THAT YEAH, I'D HAVE, YOU CAN GET THAT ANSWER FOR ME. I THINK IT WOULD STILL BE A CHARGE, CUZ I THINK THEY'RE AUTOMATIC. BUT I WOULD HAVE TO GET WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND LOOK, DO THAT FOR ME. LOOK THAT, I HAVE TO LOOK THAT ONE UP. ALL RIGHT. THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO ASK MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE, I SAW, UH, WE, WE'VE GOT, UH, THE RESOURCES AND I SAW THE HEALTHY BALANCES TO, UM, ALL OF THE, UM, ALL OF THE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE HAPPENING. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GIVE US, UH, AS A COUNCIL IF THE COUNCIL WOULD DESIRE IT? I KNOW THAT I WOULD, UM, UM, WHAT THOSE, UM, MONIES ARE GOING TO BE USED FOR, UM, THE, UM, ARE YOU, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE UNALLOCATED PORTIONS? YES, THE UNALLOCATED PORTIONS. NO, GO AHEAD. NO, NO, GO AHEAD. NO. YEAH, THE UNALLOCATED PORTIONS, JUST THAT WE MIGHT STAY APPRISED OF WHAT THOSE MONIES CAUSE AS THE PUBLIC LOOKS AT THOSE AND THEY SEE ALL OF THOSE HEALTHY BALANCES, I KNOW SOME QUESTIONS MAY ARISE AS TO, WELL, WHAT ARE THOSE MONIES GOING? WHY HAVEN'T THEY BEEN USED? AND WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO BE USED FOR? AND SO THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO JUST RIGHTLY ADDRESS THAT, UH, WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS AS WELL. THE, THE, AS IT RELATES TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE STREETS, THE UNALLOCATED PORTIONS. WE WILL, I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH EACH DISTRICT MEMBER. UM, BECAUSE, UM, UH, COUNSELOR KINLER HAD THE QUESTION OF THE 500,000, REMEMBER FROM THAT 4.4, UM, 14 MILLION, WE ONLY ALLOCATED 500,000 TO, TO JIMMY JOHNSON EXTENSION THAT THAT'S RIGHT. SO WE STILL HAVE PORTIONS OF THAT. THOSE ARE UNALLOCATED PORTIONS THAT WE STILL NEED TO, I STILL NEED TO WORK WITH YOU TO, TO CONTINUE TO ALLOCATE. WE DID A VERY GOOD JOB ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MEETINGS AGO WHERE WE ALLOCATED 7 MILLION TO STREET IMPROVEMENTS. UM, THAT, UH, WILL ON JANUARY 19TH, THEREABOUT, WE WILL GO, HAS GONE OUT, HAS ALREADY BEEN CONTRACTED. AND WE WILL SEE WORK COMMENCES IN ON THOSE MAJOR STREETS AS WELL. UM, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO WORK AND, UM, ENSURE THAT BY JUNE OR MAY OF NEXT YEAR, WE WILL HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE INTENDED FOR IN-HOUSE. AND SO WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER BATCH OF PROJECTS COMING OUT AGAIN FOR STREETS FOR EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT. AND AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT, THE INTENTION IS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR IS TO BRING BEFORE COUNCIL ANOTHER BATCH OF STREETS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT. SO THAT WOULD HAVE RE UM, UM, CONSUMED A LOT OF THE UNALLOCATED, UM, FUNDS THAT WE SEE, PARTICULARLY FOR STREETS. NOW, THOSE, AS IT RELATES TO THIS SPECIFIC PROJECTS LIKE THE HEALTH PROGRAM AND, AND, AND THE OTHER PROJECTS, THOSE WILL RUN OVER INTO OTHER, UH, INTO OTHER USE FINANCIAL USE AS WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THIS CANDY? NO, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. WHEN, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE $69,000 ESTIMATED COSTS, UH, AND YOU HAVE A BALANCE OF $62,898 WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT DRAINAGE, AND THEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT $5 MILLION APPROPRIATED FOR, UH, DOWNTOWN. YES. ALL OF THOSE MONIES. YES. AND SO THE, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THOSE MONIES ARE SIMPLY THE ONES THAT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SURE. THAT WE ARE, UH, ABLE TO SPEAK ON INTELLIGENTLY YES. AND ACCURATELY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. YES. WELL, AND WE, IT, IT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU, I'M GLAD COUNSELOR, THAT YOU TOUCHED ON THIS. PROJECTS LIKE THE DOWNTOWN PROJECTS, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO REMIND THE PUB, THE PUBLIC, THAT THOSE ARE, ARE GRANT FUNDED, FEDERALLY GRANT FUNDED. IT'S AN E D A GRANT THAT CAME IN. WE JUST CANNOT REALLOCATE THE FUNDS TO, TO, TO ANY OTHER PROJECT. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MAKE STEADY PROGRESS, WHICH WE ARE MAKING WITH THE FIBER OPTICS, CUZ THOSE WERE SPECIFICALLY, UM, BEING ALLOCATED BY THE ED GRANT FOR FIBER OPTICS. AND SO, UM, JUST [01:45:01] THIS WEEK, UM, UM, UM, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE ENGINEER TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE NEW YEAR WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS WITH THOSE, UM, UM, WITH THOSE PROJECTS AND TO ENSURE THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE BEING UTILIZED BASED ON THE CRITERIA THAT IS BEING LAID DOWN FOR THEM. YOU KNOW, IF WE INCUR, IF WE, IF, IF, IF WE EXPERIENCE ANY DIFFICULTY IN DOING SO, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE INFORM YOU AS TO WHERE WE ARE AND THE PROGRESS THAT WE ARE. AND THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS CUZ YOU DON'T SEE FIBER OPTICS. ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW? YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. . YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T SEE FIBER OPTIC OPTICS. YES. BUT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT SOMETHING IS HAPPENING. ABSOLUTELY. AND TRANSPIRING DOWN. ABSOLUTELY. YES. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, CANDACE, UH, LITTLE CLARIFICATION FOR ME, PLEASE. A LITTLE HELP ON NUMBERS. UM, MATH, MATH, MATH WAS MY WORST SUBJECT IN HIGH SCHOOL. I DIDN'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MATT. I'M NOT DR. MELVIN GETWOOD. I'M COUNCIL MCCALL JONES. SO I DON'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MATT, BUT, UH, HELP ME. DISASTER FUNDS. WELL, IT SHOWS HARVEY MM-HMM. 30,000 AND IT SAYS, UH, REVENUE, IT EXPENSE 34 MILLION. AND IT SAYS NET. THE NET. THAT'S OUR, UH, UNRECOVERED. YEAH. THAT'S, THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVEN'T RECOVERED. NOW, I DID JUST MENTION THAT WE DID GET IN A PAYMENT IN DECEMBER, WHICH IS NOT REFLECTED IN THIS OF 1.2 MILLION FOR HARVEY, FOR THOSE TRANSMITTERS, UH, FOR WATER. UH, WE FINALLY GOT REIMBURSED FOR THAT. SO THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A GOOD PAYMENT. AND I SEE THE SAME THING WITH COVID. MM-HMM. THE SAME THING WITH LAURA. THERE'S STILL, THERE'S STILL THINGS PENDING ON BOTH OF THOSE, UM, THAT JUST HAVEN'T, HAVEN'T BEEN FINALIZED YET. MAN, I'M TRYING, I'M TRYING TO PUT THESE NUMBERS TOGETHER. LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT GETTING WITH 'EM JONES, BUT KEEP SPENDING, IF WE KEEP GET, UH, GETTING 200,000 AND SPENDING 300,000, HOW EVER, I'M TRYING TO SEE HOW THIS GONNA ADD UP. YOU KNOW, WE, LIKE, WE'RE LOSING MONEY EVERY DISASTER, LOSING MONEY AND NOT RECOVERING IT. THAT HOW WE CAME TO SURVIVE. WHAT'S MAKES SENSE TO ME? SOMEBODY? WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, IT IS REQUIRED THAT WE, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OR, OR, OR OF THE ABILITY TO EXPEND THOSE FUNDS. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE. THAT WHEN THE DISASTER STRIKES THAT, THAT WE CAN EXPEND THOSE FUNDS, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEMURS OR, OR ANY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES RULES AND REGULATIONS. AND THAT WE ARE BEING, UM, UM, REIMBURSED. YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, HARVEY, 13 YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THOSE TRANSMITTERS, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY ALL WENT UNDERWATER. UM, THANKS TO THE HELP OF DR. TOMI AT THE TIME. AND, UM, TWO WEEKS AGO, WE WERE INFORMED THAT $1.2 MILLION WAS BEING DEPOSITED IN THE ACCOUNT. BUT REMEMBER THE 13 YEARS AGO, UM, WE GOT CAUGHT WHEN YES, WE CONTINUE TO WORK AT IT, BUT WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF REIMBURSEMENT. BUT IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S AN EXERCISE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK AT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S THE, IT IS BEEN PROPERLY PROCURED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL OUR DOCS IN A ROW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN BE REIMBURSED FOR THOSE. BUT YES, I CONSULATE DOES TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. IT'S A LITTLE BIT FRUSTRATING THOUGH. YES, SIR. UM, FOR ALL OF US, UM, UM, CITY MANAGER, WOULDN'T IT MAKE A LITTLE SENSE IF, UH, I MEAN, Y'ALL HELP ME OUT LOSING THIS KIND OF MONEY. CAN WE GET LIKE, ANOTHER LITTLE SIDE INSURANCE WE USED TO DO BETTER SPEND, GET ANOTHER SIDE INSURANCE AND ANOTHER COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND A YEAR IS LOSING, LOSING 4 MILLION. WHY, WHY CAN'T WE GET SOME KIND OF SIDE INSURANCE, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER INSURANCE COMPANY BACK US UP? YES. YES. COUNSELOR. AND THOSE, UH, LESS THE INSURANCE PROCEEDS THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, ON MANY OF THOSE, ON MANY OF THOSE, UM, UM, PIECES OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, THEY ARE INSURED ON OUR BUILDINGS AND, AND, AND THOSE THINGS. THEY ARE INSURED, OUR ASSETS. THEY ARE INSURED. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M DOING WITH THE HELP OF STAFF RIGHT NOW IS, UH, WE HAVE GONE OUT TO PROCURE, UM, RESPONSIBLE, UM, UM, ENTITIES TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR ASSETS DO CARRY A CURRENT MARKET VALUE. SO THAT WHEN A DISASTER STRIKES, SO IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, WE GET THE, WE, WE ARE INSURED FOR THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT AND THEN WE GET, UM, THE MARKET VALUE FOR, UM, THE ASSETS THAT ARE BEING INSURED. SO IT'S, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS OF WHAT WE ARE. WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES AND THAT ALL OUR ASSETS ARE INSURED. YES. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND [01:50:01] IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHERS, WE THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. [III.C.1. In Recognition Of The Holiday Committee 2022] NEXT WE MOVE TO OUR EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION. AND AT THIS TIME WE'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE OUR HOLIDAY, UH, COMMITTEE. 2022. UH, WE WOULD HAVE THEM COME UP. YES, MA'AM. THAT WOULD BE, YEAH. I SEE THE CHAIR, CO-CHAIR. MISS, MS. LEE. WE HAVE THE CHAIR AND THE CO-CHAIR HERE. UM, MS. BROWN AND MISS MR. BROWN AND MR. BROWN. MISS AND MR. BROWN? YEAH. I DON'T THINK THEY'RE MARRIED NOW TO EACH OTHER. NO, THEY'RE NOT. OKAY. OKAY. IT'S NOT . MAY, MAY JUST, CAN I SAY SOMETHING THERE? YES, SIR. GO RIGHT AHEAD. GO RIGHT. LET ME JUST, UM, I WANT TO THANK IMMENSELY BOTH MR. BROWN AND MS. LACEY BROWN FOR, UM, BEING BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE AND, UM, WORKING WITH, UM, UM, OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF AND ACROSS DEPARTMENT LINES. UM, FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME MAYOR, WE HAD AN AMOUNT ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET FOR, UM, OUR HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS DOWNTOWN. AND, UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR OUR JOB. WELL DONE WORKING WITH STAFF, UM, AND, UM, WORKING WITH OTHER ENTITIES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BUILD ON SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE STARTED. UM, LIKE INDIVIDUALS AND HUMAN BEINGS. WE ARE NOT ALL PERFECT, BUT WHAT WE DID, YOU GIVE IT A VERY GOOD SHOT. AND, UM, I THINK YOU HAVE SET THE STANDARDS FOR YOUTH TO COME. YOU KNOW, WE, AS, AS I ASSURED YOU, I WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE STAFF ALL THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED. UM, AS, AS LONG AS WE GET THE APPROVAL THAT WE NEED FROM THE COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE THE CITY, WE MAKE OUR CITIZENRY PROUD, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ADD TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS BECAUSE THEY DESERVE IT AS TAXPAYERS. BUT I, I'M, I'M PARTICULARLY PLEASED WITH THE JOB THAT, UM, YOU ALL HAVE DONE. UM, WE WILL MEET IN POST-MORTEM AGAIN. WE STILL THINK THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AND, AND TO WORK ON IT. AND, UM, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EXTEND OUR ARMS TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE IN THE CITY TO WORK WITH US, MAYOR. BUT WE ARE, UM, I'M PARTICULARLY PLEASED WITH THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE AND, UM, ALL, ALL THE MEMBERS OF STAFF AND THE VOLUNTEERS AS WELL. ALL THE MEMBERS OF STAFF ARE THE VOLUNTEERS FOR A JOB. WELL DONE. WE THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU ALL CARRY IT? YOU HAVE ANY DIALOGUE IN THIS , SIR? ANYTHING? THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, MR. MANAGER AND THANK THE COUNCIL FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US. WE ARE STILL LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING TO DO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS FOR NEXT YEAR. WE WILL BE HAVING AN AFTER ACTION MEETING TO DISCUSS THE THINGS THAT WE SAW THAT WORKED, THE THINGS THAT DIDN'T WORK, WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT CHANGING THAT AND MAKING IT BETTER. BUT AGAIN, WE THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, MR. MANAGER, THE COUNCIL, AND FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT PUT THEIR HANDS ON THE PLOW WITH US, WE THANKED HIM. CAUSE THERE WAS NO WAY POSSIBLE WE COULD HAVE DONE IT BY OURSELVES. AGAIN, WE SAY THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN MOSES. OH, I, THE PARADE WAS EVEN A SUCCESS IN THE RAIN WHEN YOU SEE, UM, PEOPLE OUT, UM, AND JUST SUPPORT EVEN IN THE RAIN TO SEE THE CITIZENS OUT AND JUST HAVING A GREAT TIME. UM, EVERYTHING WAS JUST PHENOMENAL AND, AND THE LIGHTING IS FANTASTIC. SO YOU GUYS DID JUST A MAGNIFICENT, A MAGNIFICENT JOB. JOB WELL DONE. THANK COUNCILMAN JONES. YES, SIR. I WANTED TO SAY THE SAME ABOUT, UH, JOB WELL DONE. I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK YOU ALL DONE, UH, TOOK A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, BEHIND, UH, EVERY GOOD EMPLOYEE'S A GOOD, A GOOD BOSS, A GOOD MANAGER. SO I WANT, UH, HUM MEMBER MS. DARLENE PI FOR HER LEADERSHIP. UH, BUT HER EMPLOYEE, I WON'T COMPLIMENT MS. SHPO FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND HER EMPLOYEE. SO, UH, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY COME ALONG WITH THE PROGRAM, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE TRAIN ALSO. THANK YOU ALL. DARLENE. THANK YOU. SH THANK YOU ALL TOO. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. AND, UH, MS. LACEY, WELL, SINCE YOU INSIST , UH, NO, I JUST, I LIKE JAMES BROWN SAID, THANK YOU GUYS FOR, UM, GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY, FOR APPROVING IT IN THE BUDGET, FOR ALLOWING US TO, UH, WORK [01:55:01] WITH STAFF, UH, USE OUR CREATIVITY AND TRY TO GIVE BACK TO THE CITIZENS, UM, AND SHARE WITH THE CITIZENS THAT DAY. AND AND HOPEFULLY YOU GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE UPON THE FOUNDATION WE'VE, UH, TRIED TO PUT IN PLACE. WELL, AGAIN, UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF WORKING WITH YOU ALL DIRECTLY AND, UH, GO AHEAD, COUNCILMAN FRANK. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T TEE YOUR LIGHT. NO, THAT'S OKAY. NO, I JUST WANTED TO ADD MY KUDOS TO ALL THAT YOU HAVE, UH, DONE ON TODAY. AND I THINK, AND I WANT TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY COUNCIL AS WELL, UH, FOR STEPPING OUT AND FOR DOING THIS, ADDING MORE MONEY, UH, TO OUR CELEBRATION OF, UH, OF CHRISTMAS AS WELL. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT, UH, AND IT SPEAKS TO HOW WE SEE OURSELVES AND WHAT WE ARE WORTHY OF IN OUR CITY. UH, AND SO IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE WORTHY OF THIS. WE ARE WORTHY TO CELEBRATE AND WORTHY TO SPEND THE MONEY ON OURSELVES, UH, TO, TO PUT PORT ARTHUR FORTH IN THAT KIND OF LIGHT. UH, AND SO, UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT AND I'M, I'M EVEN LOOKING FORWARD, UH, TO IT BEING EXPANDED, UH, AND GROWING. UH, AND SO, UH, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL AND TO YOU ALL AS WELL, AND TO THE CITIZENS. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND, UH, WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS THAT HAVING HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH YOU ALL AND WITH ALL OF THE OTHER STAFF AND HOW, UH, IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WITH, UH, VOLUNTEERS AND WITH PAID STAFF A TREMENDOUS JOB. YOU ALL HAVE, UH, GIVEN A GOOD BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH. AND, UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT EVEN NEXT YEAR. UH, ONE THING I WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPRESSED WITH WAS THE TIMELINESS OF, UH, THE QUESTIONNAIRE FOLLOWING THE PARADE. I BELIEVE ON THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE EMAIL WAS THERE. UH, I DID SEND IN MY REMARKS. I TRIED TO BE AS TIME AS I COULD TO ANSWER AND, UH, IF, IF YOU COULD PRINT WHAT I SENT TO YOU, UH, REALLY I DON'T MIND THAT EVEN BEING PUBLISHED BECAUSE, UH, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK COULD HAPPEN HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND IT SHOWS AGAIN THAT WE CAN INVEST IN OURSELVES AND EVEN IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA AND HOW OTHERS WILL COME FROM ALL OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS TO DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR IF WE PUT ON AND WE'LL PRODUCE THE RIGHT PRODUCTION. AND YOU ALL DID JUST THAT. SO THANK YOU AGAIN AND TO ALL OF THE STAFF THAT, UH, ASSISTED YOU ALL AND ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS. THANK GOD FOR YOU. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS OF 2023. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY, [III.C.2. Introduction Of Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation, Chief Executive Officer Terry Stokes (Requested By Mayor Bartie)] NEXTLY, WE HAVE, UH, AN INTRODUCTION OF THE PORT ARTHUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION'S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THE PERSON OF MR. TERRY STOKES. AND I DID ASK HIM TO COME ON TODAY SO THAT HE COULD FORMALLY INTRODUCE HIMSELF TO THE COUNCIL IN OUR NORMAL CITY. MR. STOKES, GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, CITY SECRETARY. I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR, UH, THE LOVING WAY THAT YOU WELCOMED ME TO THE FAMILY. UH, ENJOYED THE SHORT TIME THAT I, I'VE BEEN HERE AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING, UH, EVEN MORE TIME WITH YOU. BUT, UH, I COULDN'T, UH, THANK YOU MORE FOR OPENING YOUR, YOUR ARMS AND HEARTS, UH, INTO WELCOME ME, UH, INTO THE COMMUNITY. UH, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY WHILE, WHILE I'M IN FRONT OF YOU, TO PRAYERFULLY ASK YOU TO CONSIDER TWO THINGS THAT HAVE SERVED ME WELL IN, IN PREVIOUS STOPS. UH, FIRST, UH, ALLOWING ME TO ADDRESS YOU AND GIVE YOU UPDATES ON A QUARTERLY BASIS OF, UH, WHERE THE ADC IS AT THAT TIME, WHERE WE'RE GOING, UH, LIKE I SAY ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. AND THEN BEYOND THAT, UH, WHAT I AM ACCUSTOMED TO IS THAT AT A MINIMUM OF TWICE A YEAR, UH, THE EDC AND THE CITY COUNCIL CONDUCT A JOINT MEETING. UH, WHAT I TYPICALLY, UH, HAVE DONE IN THE PAST IS THAT, UH, FIRST ONE WOULD BE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR IN OCTOBER, AND THEN, UH, ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR AS WE, UH, GO INTO JUNE. SO I WOULD, UH, HUMBLY ASK THAT, UH, YOU ALL WOULD CONSIDER, UH, DOING THAT. UH, I THINK WE GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY IN STEP AND CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATING. OKAY. [02:00:01] THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. STOKES. UH, COUNSEL, DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY REMARKS FOR IT? OKAY, MR. STOKES, WE WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MCKEN. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, LOOK FORWARD IN WORKING WITH YOU. UH, ENJOYED THE TALK WITH YOU. UH, I THINK THAT, UH, COLLABORATIVE WITH, UH, EDC AND THE COUNCIL IS NEEDED, UH, TWICE A YEAR WOULD BE FINE WITH ME. SO WE CAN BUILD THIS TEAM BUILDING AND FIND OUT THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO BRING PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AND OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY. COUNCILMAN MOSES? YEAH, JUST ONE SEC. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MR. STOKES, WELCOME ABOARD. WELCOME TO PORT ARTHUR. WE PRAY THAT YOU ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY HERE AND, UH, IT WAS NICE MEETING YOU, TALKING WITH YOU, UM, KIND OF HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT PORT ARTHUR IN ITSELF. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT WORKING WITH YOU FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. THANK YOU. AND THEN, AND THEN THAT, THAT'LL BE MY LITTLE OUT , BUT IF I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT TIME TOGETHER, YEAH. WELCOME ABOARD. PERHAPS BEYOND IN OTHER CAPACITIES, . OKAY. COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YEAH. UH, I ALSO MET WITH, UH, MR. STOKES. AND, UH, WE MET ABOUT, PROBABLY ABOUT 10 MINUTES, 15 MINUTES. WE MADE IT REAL SHORT AND TO THE POINT. I TOLD HIM, I SAID, YOU DON'T WORK WITH ME, WORK WITH MY APPOINTEE , MR. RAYMONDS, MY WORDS TO HIM. I SAID, IF SHE HAPPY WITH YOU, I'M HAPPY. AND I SAID, WE MUST BE HAPPY. WE, WE HIRED YOU. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I ROYAL TO HIM. SO, AND I SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T GET OFF. AND WHO SHOT JOHN? I WAS TELLING HIM AND MICROMANAGING THIS. I SAID, I THINK YOU DO. YOU COULD DO A GOOD JOB. BE PLEASED WITH YOU. SO I SAID, SAID, UH, DO YOUR JOB. AND WE HIRED YOU TO DO IT. IF NOT YOU, YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE BULLDOG, CAROL JONES, . WE LAUGHED ABOUT. WE, WE MADE IT ALL FUN. LONG STORY SHORT, WE HAD A GOOD LITTLE MEETING AND, UH, WHATEVER WOULD WORK FOR YOU, I THINK WOULD WORK FOR US. YOU KNOW? SO THE MEETINGS, WATCH A YEAR, JOINT MEETING, MEETING QUARTERLY. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. SO WE SUPPORT YOU ON THAT. THANK YOU, SIR. REQUIRE TO BE AROUND YOU. AND, UH, I DON'T WANT FISH, BUT I GOTTA, I LIVE ON THE WATER. ONE OF THE FISH COME OVER BY THE HOUSE SO HE CAN FISH IN THE BACKYARD. , DRINK SOME DR. PEPPER. YOU KNOW, NOW YOU'RE TALKING . ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK. SIMPLY WANTED TO SAY WELCOME TO PORT ARTHUR AS I DID, UH, DURING OUR CONVERSATION, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN BE OF SERVICE, JUST LET US KNOW. THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE THAT. MAYOR PRO TE UH, MR. STOKES, IT WAS A PLEASURE MEETING WITH YOU. UH, WELCOME TO PORT ARTHUR. THANK YOU. AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT SOME OF OUR CONVERSATION AND WHAT YOUR VISION ALONG WITH YOUR BOARD HAS FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. AND WELCOME. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. ALSO, YOU HAVE A GOOD SIDEKICK, CRYSTAL. WE SHOULDN'T KEEP A HAND ON HER. ABSOLUTELY. KEEP IT COOL BACK , YOU KNOW IT. . OKAY. SO, AGAIN, UH, MR. STOKES, THANK YOU, UH, FOR AC SINCE YOU ACTUALLY APPEAR ON TODAY. THANK YOU. AND, UH, TO EVEN EXPRESS TO, UH, COUNSEL, UH, AS CHARLOTTE SAYS, FOR THE RECORD OF WHAT YOUR TWO, UH, UTMOST WISHES ARE. AND WE WOULD HOPE TO, UH, COMPLY WITH THOSE. UH, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO A RELATIONSHIP OF WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE CITY AND THE CITIZENS IN THIS GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND I'M VERY EXCITED. THANK YOU. GOD WISH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU MERRY CHRISTMAS. BLESS. MERRY CHRISTMAS. YOU, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PROTE, I'M, I MEAN, EXCUSE MY ATTORNEY. MAY [VIII.A.2. P.R. No. 22926 - A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Director Or Directors To The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation (Requested By Mayor Bartie)] I DEVIATE FOR ONE SECOND AND, UH, GO TO PAGE SEVEN. AND THERE IS SOMETHING THERE THAT, THAT I HAVE ON THE AGENDA THAT'S UNIQUE TO, UH, THE EDC AND, UH, NUMBER TWO AND MAY, I'M ACT ON THAT AT THIS, AT THIS JUNCTURE. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT PAGE SEVEN AND NON NON-CONSENT. PR NUMBER 22 9 26. IT'S A RESOLUTION APPOINTED AND OR REAPPOINTED A DIRECTOR OR DIRECTORS TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR SECTION FOR A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION THAT REQUESTED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY SECRETARY. YOU HAVE THE NAME? YES SIR. IT'S MELVIN GETWOOD. OKAY. DR. MELVIN GETWOOD WILL BE THE PERSON. MAY I GET A MOTION? UH, MAY I APPROACH IT? SO MOVE, OH, EXCUSE ME. AND HAVE A SECOND. WOULD YOU SAY ASK, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO, UH, APPROVE PR NUMBER 22 9 26 AS READ, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTIONING. THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSERS? THE AYE. COUNCILMAN JONES? I SEE YOUR NAME, YOUR, YOU HAD THE QUESTIONS. OH, OKAY. AYE. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THE AYE HAVE IT. SO IT IS ORDERED, UH, COUNCILMAN, I MEAN, UH, EXCUSE ME. UH, DR. MELVIN GET WILL BE MY APPOINTEE ON THE EDC BOARD THAT'S APPROVED. AND WHAT CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE IS DOWN IN THE CITY SECRETARY'S [02:05:01] OFFICE, DR. K WOODS, YOU MAY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE RECESS AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN GET YOU, UH, SWORN, SWORN IN IN A FEW MOMENTS. YOU'D HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE RECESS THIS MEETING AND YOU'LL GO DOWN ON THE FOURTH FLOOR AND MAYBE, UH, I DON'T KNOW, MR. STOKES MIGHT WANT OUR COMPANY. YOU THERE? YEAH, GO RIGHT HERE. UH, I, I JUST WANNA SEE TO DR. GETWOOD, WELCOME ABOARD. YOU COULD BE A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO ADC AND I KNOW HOW, HOW THE SIT, HOW THE MAYOR REACH DOWN AND PICK THAT CHAIR UP OFF THE TREE. BUT YOU KNOW, HE'S VERY MANAGER ON THAT AND HE GOT, HE GOT A WONDER THERE WITH THE NEW UHC DIRECTOR COME ON BOARD WITH DR. GETWOOD. MAN, WE GOT A GOOD TEAM GOING DOWN THERE. SO, GOOD TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS. CONGRATULATIONS. GOOD LUCK. I'M GONNA HAVE TO ANSWER YOU CAL, WE ARE FROM THE WEST SIDE, OKAY? OKAY. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT POINT, . OKAY. UH, NEXT, LET'S, LET'S GO. UH, CORRESPONDENCE. UH, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY AND DISCUSSIONS AND, AND, UH, COUNCIL MCKINLAY HAS TOLD ME TO, TO MOVE ON THIS TO KEEP GOING CAUSE HE WAS READY TO GO DOWNSTAIRS. , YOU KNOW, I CAN'T KEEP NOTHING . OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO, WELL, COMMUNITY INTEREST. DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, COUNCIL PERSON THAT HAS ANY, UH, ITEM THAT YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, BRING FORTH AT THIS JUNCTION? THERE AREN'T ANY. OKAY. [VII. CONSENT AGENDA] SO WE WILL MOVE TO, UH, AGAIN, IN ROMAN NUMERAL FIVE, THERE WOULD BE NOTHING, UH, NOT ANY OTHER ACTION. AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS. SO WE WOULD GO NOW TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. AND IN THIS, UH, AGENDA OR, OR THIS ITEM, THERE ARE, UH, IF THERE IS A GROUP OF ITEMS AND THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE ONE VOTE ON ALL OF THEM UNLESS THE COUNCIL MEMBER HA LIKE, WISH TO HAVE ANY OF THEM WITHDRAWN. UH, ARE THERE ANY, OR WOULD THERE BE A PARTICULAR ONE OR IS THERE ANY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE WITHDRAWN ON THIS, UH, CONSENT AGENDA? AND I GATHER THAT THERE AREN'T ANY, SO I COULD, UH, I'M READY TO RE UH, RECEIVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. UH, COUNCILMAN JONES. SO MOVED. MAY I GET A SECOND COUNCIL? MCKEN LOCKE. SECONDARY IT'S REMOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. WE READY FOR QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. BE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSERS AYE. CABINETS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NOW [VIII.A.1. P.R. No. 22892 - A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Deductive Change Order No. 2 With Allco, LLC Of Beaumont, Texas, To Provide A Cost Reduction Of ($73,564.57) To A New Total Contract Amount Of $67,335,613.43 For The Rehabilitation And Modification Of The Main Wastewater Treatment Plant With Funding Available Through The Following: $56,163,847.43 From Account No. 404-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Project No. TW-0003-CON And $11,171,766.00 From 169-07-015-8516-00-40-000, Project No. ARP002-GRE-WWT] WE'LL MOVE TO THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA ON PAGE SEVEN. ITEM, UH, PR NUMBER 22, EXCUSE ME, 8 92. IT'S A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE, UH, UH, DEDUCTIVE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER TWO WITH ALCO LLC OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS TO PROVIDE A COST REDUCTION OF $73,564 AND 57 CENTS TO A, UH, NEW TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $67,335,613 AND 43 CENTS FOR THE REHABILITATION AND MODIFICATION OF THE MAIN WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT. UH, WITH FUNDING AVAILABLE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING 56 UH, MILLION $163,847 AND 43 CENT FROM ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 4 0 4 DASH 40 DASH 0 0 0 DASH 8 5 16 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO. AND WITH A PROJECT NUMBER T W 0 0 0 3 DASH C O N. AND UH, WE HAVE 11,171,770 OF $766. FROM ACCOUNT NUMBER 1 69 DASH ZERO SEVEN DASH 15 DASH 8 5 16 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 40 DASH 0 0 0 WITH A PROJECT NUMBER OF A R P 0 0 2 DASH G R E DASH W W T. UH, MOVED FOR A, UH, MOTION, UH, COUNCILMAN JONES APPROVAL MA'AM. OKAY, A SECOND. COUNCILMAN KEN LOCKE SECONDARY. IT'S MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 22 8 92 AS READ AND PRESENTED. WE READY FOR QUESTION NOW ON IT? YEAH, QUICK QUESTION. GO RIGHT THERE. UH, THAT MEAN IT WAS OVER BUDGETED ABOUT 6,000 CITY MANAGER ALCO PROJECT [02:10:01] AND WE HAD TO CUT IT DOWN IN 50 COUNCIL. THE, UH, THE PROJECT THAT BASICALLY WHEN WE AWARDED IT, THERE WAS A VALUE ENGINEERING PHASE AND PART OF THE VALUE ENGINEERING PHASE WAS CHANGING THE MEDIA AND THE TRICKLING FILTERS. AND WE THEN DID THE VALUE ENGINEERING CHANGE ORDER. BUT DUE TO THE TIME THAT WENT ON, THE SUPPLIER WOULDN'T HONOR THE ORIGINAL DEDUCTION. SO THERE WAS A LESS, A LOT LESS OF A DEDUCTION. SO PART OF THAT'S THE TRICKLING FILTER ALSO DO, WHEN WE STARTED EXCAVATING TO, TO REMOVE ONE OF THE CLARIFIERS, THE, WHEN IT WAS BUILT, IT HAD BEEN BACKFILLED WITH CEMENT STABILIZED SAND. SO THE EXCAVATION OF THAT AREA REQUIRED HEAVY EQUIPMENT, WHICH INCREASED THE COST. IT WAS A UNKNOWN CHANGE WHEN THEY DID THE BORINGS, THEY DIDN'T HIT THE SANDS AND NO ONE KNEW IT WAS THERE CUZ IT WAS BUILT LONG AGO. I CAN'T RECALL. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. SO, UH, LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE WAS THERE? THERE WAS, UH, THAT'S THE TWO MAIN THINGS. AND THEN TO, SO TO COVER THAT COST, WE BASICALLY, UH, HAVE REMOVED THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, WHICH PROVIDED SOME MONEY INTO THE JOB CUZ WE DON'T REALLY HAVE IN OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR OR ADDITIONAL COST THAT COME UP DURING THIS PLANT DUE TO THE AGE OF THE PLAN. EVERY TIME WE START EXCAVATING WE FIND PROBLEMS IS, IS WHAT'S HAPPENING. THERE WAS A LOT OF UNFORESEEN CHANGES. UNDERSTANDABLE KEVIN. APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SIR. UNDERSTAND WE OKAY BY THE WAY, WE'RE HOPING TO PUT THAT MONEY BACK IN TO REDO THE BUILDING AND NEXT BUDGET HERE SO YOU'LL SEE IT AGAIN. OKAY. ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WE READY FOR VOTING? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSERS AS HAVE TOWARDS AUDIT PR NUMBER 22 8 92 IS APPROVED. NEXT [VIII.B.1. P.O. No. 7118 - An Ordinance Amending Ordinance 22-68 As It Pertains To The Sale Of Surplus Vehicles By A Public Online Auction Through Rene Bates Auctioneers, Inc.] WE HAVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 7,118. IT'S AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 22 DASH 68 AS IT PERTAINS TO THE SALE OF SURPLUS VEHICLES BY A PUBLIC ONLINE AUCTION THROUGH RENEE BATES AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED. MAY GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES SO MOVED. MAY GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN FRANK. SECOND IS REMOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT UH, ORDINANCE NUMBER 7 118 AS READ, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTIONING. THERE ARE ANY WE ARE READY FOR VOTING. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSERS AYE ADDED CHOICE ORDER. UH, APPEAL NUMBER 7,118 IS APPROVED AS RED. [VIII.B.2. P.O. No. 7119 - An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of A City Owned Vacant Tract Of Land Located In The Mariner's Cove Subdivision On Pleasure Island, Legally Described As Lot Number 84, Marina Colony, Section One, As Set Forth In Chapter 253 Texas Local Government Code And To Further Authorize The Execution Of Special Warranty Deed] NEXT WE HAVE PO NUMBER 7 119. IT'S AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED IN THE SALE OF CITY OWNED VACANT TRACK OF LAND LOCATED IN THE MARINA'S COAL SUBDIVISION ON PLEASURE ISLAND, LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS LOT NUMBER 84 MARINA COLONY, SECTION ONE AS SET FORTH IN CHAPTER 2 53, TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AND TO FURTHER AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OR MAYOR PROTE? SO MOVED. MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN JONES SECOND MAYOR, IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PEO NUMBER 7 119 AS READ. ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION? THERE AREN'T ANYWHERE WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSERS AYE. ABT SO IS AUDIT P NUMBER 7 119 IS APPROVED AS READ. WE'LL [IX. "CLOSED MEETING (EXECUTIVE SESSION)] NOW MOVE TO FORMER NUMERAL NINE OF OUR PRINTED AGENDA AND WE WOULD BE RECESSING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. HOWEVER, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE WE GO INTO THE MEETING, WE MUST BE IN MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 5 51 0.101, EXCUSE ME, OF THE CHAPTER OF SECTION OF CHAPTER 5 51 OF THE OPEN MEETING LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH WAS FORMALLY, UH, ARTICLE 62 52 DASH 17, SECTION TWO, SUBSECTION EIGHT. UH, AND PRIOR TO, UH, GOING INTO THE MEETING, I WILL MAKE THIS DECLARATION THAT WE WILL COVER SECTION 5 51 0.07. ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT GO TO DISCUSS AND RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING THE POTENTIAL AND, UH, PENDING CLAIMS, CONTRACTS, LITIGATION, AND OTHER LEGAL MATTERS INVOLVING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WHO ALSO COVER SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF PORT. AND AGAIN SECTION 5 51 0.072 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE [02:15:01] OF REAL PROPERTY IN THE CITY'S EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR AT OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. AND FINALLY, WE'LL COVER SECTION 5 51 0.087 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND OR INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PROSPECTS. AND IF THERE WOULD BE A NEED FOR ACTION ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS, WE WILL RETURN TO THE CHAMBER HERE AND, UH, VOTE ON IT OR ACT ON IT IN, UH, AN OPEN MEETING HERE. SO AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE WILL RETIRE TO THE CONFERENCE ROOM DOWNSTAIRS FOR OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. THANK YOU. I GOT MY FULL CITY SECRETARY. YES SIR. ARE WE READY? YES. OKAY. I CAN GO. YES. CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS THE REESTABLISH COURT DEPARTMENT PLEASE. MAYOR BART, PRESENT MAYOR PRO. TIM HOLMES. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JONES. COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS COUNCIL MEMBER MOSES HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK. HERE. MAYOR, YOU HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. SO KIND THE CITY, THE SECRETARY. WE ARE, EXCUSE ME, RECONVENING OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED, UH, COUNCIL MEETING FOR TODAY. THE 20TH I THINK IT IS, RIGHT? YES. OF, UH, DECEMBER. AND WE WERE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. UH, THERE WAS NOT ANY ITEMS IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WOULD REQUIRE ACTION. SO AT THIS TIME I WOULD BE, UH, PREPARED TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT. SO MOVED. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT WE WOULD ADJOINED THIS MEETING OF THIS GREAT AUGUST BODY, UH, BEFORE WE WOULD, UH, ACTUALLY TAKE THE FINAL VOTE. AND ON COURTS, I'D LIKE TO WISH ALL OF THE CITIZENS AND ANYONE WHO MAY BE, UH, VIRTUALLY, UH, ATTENDING THIS MEETING. MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THERE AREN'T ANY READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT. AYE. ANY OPPOSERS AYE. OR RESULT? RESULT OF THIS MEETING IS NOW DULY ADJOINED. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.