Feb 02, 2023 TIRZ #1 Board of Directors Meeting

[00:00:01]

WE GOOD ART? YES.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR JOINING THIS MEETING OF THE TURS.

UH, NOTICE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE BOARD DIRECTORS OF THE DOWNTOWNS TURF.

UH, WE'LL HOLD THE MEETING IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY THE SECOND, 2023 AT 3:00 PM UH, AT CITY HALL ON THE FIFTH FLOOR CHAMBERS, 44 4 FOURTH STREET, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, 77,640.

THIS MEETING WILL ALSO BE HELD BY TELEPHONIC AND VIDEO CONFERENCE.

IN ADDITION, ALLOWING PERSONS TO BE IN ATTENDANCE.

A QUORUM OF THE CHURCH BOARD WILL BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE CITY, UH, HALL CHAMBERS ON THE FIFTH FLOOR.

UH, THE PUBLIC MAY PARTICIPATE THE MEETING IN PERSON OR BY DIALING IN THE FOLLOWING, UH, CODES.

THE MEETING ID CODE IS 8 4 4 5 3 6 7 8 9 47, AND THE PASSCODE IS 2 3 5 87.

NOW, UH, THE TIME IS THREE 18 AND THIS MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.

I ASK THAT,

[1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance.]

IT IS IN THE NAME OF JESUS, THE WE APPROACH YOUR THRONE OF GRACE AND MERCY AT THIS HOUR.

DEAR GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TOGETHER, TOGETHER WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW US, DEAR GOD, TO DO THOSE THINGS IN THIS MEETING ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

BLESS EACH OF US GOING FORWARD, FATHER, SO THAT WE MAY CONTINUE TO DO THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE US TO DO.

THESE THINGS WE ASK IN THE NAME OF JESUS, FOR AS SAKE WE PRAY.

AMEN.

AMEN.

THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR BART, UH, CITY

[2. Establishment of quorum and call to order.]

WOULD YOU ESTABLISH A QUORUM, UH, FOR THE TERRY'S, UH, DIRECTORS? YES.

UM, PUT YOUR MIC ON.

OH, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

CHAIRMAN THOMAS KEN, LAW, CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.

PRESENT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CHARLOTTE MOSES, CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.

MAYOR THURMAN BARTEE, CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, PRESENT COUNTY COMMISSIONER JEFFERSON COUNTY.

MICHAEL SHANE SENEGAL.

PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER JEFFERSON COUNTY, DRAINAGE DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN.

JAMES GAMBLE.

COMMISSIONER SABINE NATURES NAVIGATION DISTRICT.

JOSEPH JOHNSON.

PRESENT.

COMMISSIONER PORT OF PORT ARTHUR, NAVIGATION DISTRICT.

RANDY T. MARTIN.

OKAY.

UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU HAVE A QUORUM.

THANK YOU.

UH, CITY ATTORNEY.

UH, NEXT

[3. Approval of Minutes from the previous Downtown TIRZ #1 Board Meeting held on December 15, 2022.]

NUMBER ONE BOARD MEETING HELD ON DECEMBER THE 15TH, 2022.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION? MOVE.

SECOND.

IT HAS BEEN MOVED.

AND SECOND THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES.

ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, ARE NOW CALL FOR A VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR BY SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 15TH, 2022 HAS PASSED.

UH,

[4. Report on the status of a marketing plan by Nerd Family Productions.]

YOU WANNA LEAD ON THAT? YES.

UM, AT OUR LAST MEETING, THE UH, BOARD APPROVED A MOTION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH, UH, THE PRODUCTION COMPANY.

AND WE HAVE BEEN, UM, WORKING IN THE INITIAL STAGES, UH, WITH THE COMPANY.

AND AT THIS TIME, WE WANTED TO HAVE THEM GIVE A PRESENTATION AND TALK ABOUT WHERE THEY, WHERE, WHERE THEY ARE NOW.

AND WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT WHERE WE'D LIKE TO GO WITH THE MARKETING PLAN, THE WEBSITE.

AND SO IT WAS JUST FOR HIM TO GIVE HIS PRESENTATION AND YOU ALL TO, UH, GIVE FEEDBACK AT THIS TIME.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

HOW ARE Y'ALL? THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

UM, HUEY, IF YOU COULD GET IT PULLED UP.

THERE WE GO.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A PRELIMINARY DRAFT OF THE SITE.

THE FUNCTIONALITY AT THIS POINT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE PAGES LAID OUT, MAKING SURE WE HAVE, UH, ALL THE MENU ITEMS IN THE CORRECT PLACE.

UM, HU IF YOU COULD GO BACK UP TO THE TOP.

SO IN THE, UH, TOP LEFT-HAND CORNER, THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE A LOGO WOULD GO.

THIS IS JUST A PRELIMINARY LOGO THAT WE DRAFTED FOR THIS DRAFT OF THE SITE.

UM, YOU HAVE THE PORT ARTHUR TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE FIVE MAIN PAGES, THE HOMES, PROJECTS, THE ABOUT PAGE CONTACT US, AND THE, UH, FAQS, WHICH WILL ALSO HOUSE THE, UH, HISTORY, UH, THAT WE DISCUSSED.

NOW, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, THE, THIS PART RIGHT HERE IS JUST KIND OF TO SHOW YOU A COUPLE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF A INTERACTIVE, UH, VIDEO THAT KIND OF GOES DIFFERENT PORTIONS

[00:05:01]

WE PICKED MULTIPLE LOCATIONS FROM THE COURTHOUSE TO A SMALL BUSINESS THERE.

UM, WE PLAN ON HAVING A, WHEN WE GET TO THAT, ACTUALLY MAKING THE VIDEO PORTION OF IT, WE'LL HAVE A 3D, UH, 360 CAMERA, AND WE'LL FILM THE ENTIRE AREA.

AND THEN THAT WILL BE UPLOADED INTO THIS PORTAL THERE.

NOW, THE PICTURES THAT ARE SLIDING BEHIND IT ARE JUST PICTURES THAT WE GATHERED FROM THE DOWNTOWN AREA AS WE WERE JUST GOING THROUGHOUT, UH, OUR DAILY BUSINESS.

UH, HUEY, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE PROJECTS PAGE, THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD NEED THE MOST INFORMATION ABOUT.

UH, WHATEVER PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN STARTED WITHIN THE TOURS.

ANY COMPANIES THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED ANY BENEFITS BECAUSE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THE WAY THAT HAVE THAT IT'S COME ABOUT, THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD DISPLAY THESE.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT YET, SO WE JUST USE PICTURES OF BUILDINGS THAT WERE ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION WITHIN THE TUR ZONE TO USE THAT KIND OF AS PLACEHOLDERS.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW ONCE WE HAVE THE INFORMATION TO POPULATE THIS PAGE, EACH ONE OF THESE WILL HAVE A SMALL SNIPPET, A SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT, AND THEN IT'LL GO TO ITS OWN PAGE WHERE IT'LL GO OVER DETAILS AS MUCH OF, AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU WANT OUT ON EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT.

OKAY.

HUEY, CAN YOU CLICK ON ABOUT, OKAY.

SO THIS IS THE ABOUT US PAGE.

IT GOES INTO A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE TURNS IS, THE HISTORY ABOUT IT GETTING STARTED.

IF YOU SCROLL DOWN THERE.

NOW, I PUT TWO DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU CAN SHOW THE BOARD, UM, ON HERE.

IF YOU CONTINUE TO SCROLL, HUEY, THIS IS ONE WAY TO JUST HAVE IT EMBEDDED INTO A, UM, A PAGE WITH AN ANCHOR.

AND THIS IS JUST WITH STAY ON THE ABOUT PAGE.

NOW, HUEY, IF YOU COULD GO BACK UP TO THE TOP AND SCROLL, HOVER OVER THE ABOUT, AND THEN CLICK ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS OR BOARD.

THERE WE GO.

AND THEN WE CAN HAVE IT JUST AS A SEPARATE BREAKOUT PAGE.

AND EACH ONE OF THESE WOULD HAVE A CLICKABLE LINK THAT WOULD DISPLAY YOUR BIO THAT WE GET, UH, FROM, FROM TO ONCE WE, ONCE WE RECEIVE THOSE.

AND WE'LL USE THE PICTURES THAT WE TAKE TODAY.

AND I'VE GOT, UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK.

AND I'LL, I'LL GET WITH, UH, WITH MR. MARTIN FROM THE PORT AND GET HIM, GET HIS PICTURES AS WELL.

UM, NOW GO AHEAD AND GO TO CONTACT.

NOW WE JUST USED THE CITY INFORMATION FOR THIS CONTACT.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE'S GONNA BE A SPECIFIC POINT PERSON THAT WOULD BE RECEIVING INCOMING CALLS FOR THIS, OR IS THIS GONNA BE A DEDICATED, UH, PORT EMPLOYEE OR WHAT BUDGET IT'S GONNA COME FROM.

SO FOR NOW, WE JUST PUT THE CITY INFORMATION IN THERE AND ANY OF THESE WILL GO TO, UH, ONCE THESE FORMS ARE FILLED OUT, IT'LL COME TO MY FIRM AND THEN IT'LL ALSO GO TO YOU, MR. KINLAW, SINCE YOU ARE ON THE ACCOUNT FOR THE, UM, FOR THE REGISTRAR.

OKAY.

AND YOU GUYS CAN APPOINT A POINT PERSON FOR THAT TO RECEIVE THE, UM, MESSAGES.

THERE'LL ALSO BE A LIVE CHAT FUNCTIONALITY AS WELL TO WHERE THEY'LL RECEIVE A, A EMAIL ANYTIME THAT THEY GET A CHAT MESSAGE.

AND IF THEY RESPOND, USUALLY WITHIN 10 MINUTES, IT'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT LIVE CHAT MESSAGE.

IF THEY DON'T RESPOND WITHIN A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME, THEN THEY'LL SEND OUT A MESSAGE SAYING, HEY, NO ONE'S AVAILABLE.

WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU WHENEVER, UH, SOMEONE IS AVAILABLE.

NOW IF YOU, UH, GO OVER FAQS AND THEN CLICK ON HISTORY FOR ME.

SO THIS WAS PULLED FROM THE, UH, THE 2015, UM, REVITALIZATION PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN.

THERE WAS ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE PAGES OF THE HISTORY OF DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR.

SO WE PUT IT ON THE SLIDESHOW.

I'VE BEEN, UM, IN COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE OVER AT THE GULF COAST MUSEUM ABOUT TECH, GETTING SOME OF THE IMAGES THAT THEY HAVE, UH, TO USE THAT AS THE BACKGROUND FOR THESE PAGES.

WE'D IN, UH, INVERT THE IMAGES AND THE TEXT TO MAKE SURE THE TEXT WAS CLEAR, BUT USE SOME OF THE IMAGES THAT THEY HAVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT STUFF OVER THERE.

SOME PICTURES OF DOWNTOWN BANK BUILDINGS.

I MEAN, THEY'LL HAVE CHRONICLED FROM 1899 TO 1925, AND IT'S SOME REAL GOOD STUFF TO TIE BACK INTO THIS.

SO HOPEFULLY AFTER THEIR SHOW THIS WEEKEND, I'LL BE TALKING WITH THEM ON MONDAY TO KIND OF FINALIZE THAT STUFF.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW HUEY, SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM.

NOW IN THE FOOTER, I WAS ABLE TO GET A LOGO FOR EACH OF THE ENTITIES THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE TOURS.

UH, THE ONE FOR DD SEVEN, I ENDED UP HAVING TO RECREATE THAT ONE MYSELF.

BUT THESE ARE JUST ONES THAT WE WERE EITHER ABLE TO GET OFF THE, UH, THE INTERNET BASED OFF Y'ALL'S EXISTING WEBSITES OR ARE WE RECREATED TO PUT DOWN THERE.

SO THAT'S AN OPTION FOR YOU GUYS TO HAVE OR, UH, AND THEN WE CAN MAKE EACH ONE OF THESE IMAGES A CLICKABLE LINK TO DRIVE BACK TO THE ORIGINATING WEBSITE.

NOW THE REASON WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE THE MORE LINKS THAT YOU HAVE TO DRIVE TRAFFIC THROUGH YOUR WEBSITE AND TWO OTHER PAGES, THE HIGHER IT GOES UP ON THE SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION.

SO ONCE WE RECEIVE THE COPY THAT WE'LL USE TO POPULATE ALL THE SECTIONS THAT WE HAVE, TEXT, WE'LL REVIEW IT AND THEN WE'LL ADD AND INJECT KEYWORDS TO

[00:10:01]

ANY QUESTIONS? YOU GOT SOMETHING? CITY MANAGER, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I WAS RE UH, SUGGESTING THAT'S A GOOD IDEA THAT, UM, THE VARIOUS SUPPORTING TAXING ENTITIES THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTED THERE, IF WE CAN CLICK ON THEM AND IT BRINGS YOU BACK TO THE WEBSITE.

THAT, SIR.

VERY GOOD.

VERY GOOD.

YEAH.

MM-HMM.

.

YES.

LET, LET'S MAKE THAT FUNCTIONAL.

YES, SIR.

YES.

YEAH, IT'S A WAY OF PROMOTING THEM AS WELL.

THEY'VE BEEN PART OF THE ORGANIZATION.

GREAT.

YEAH, I, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, CITY MANAGER ON THAT.

UH, WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, UH, WHEN WE DISCUSS AN INTERACTION BETWEEN THIS WEBSITE, WHAT ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS OF INDIVI INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, UH, THAT MAY BE INTERESTED IN, SO THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL GET THROUGH THE CONTACT US.

OKAY.

SO THAT'LL HAVE A FORM UP THERE SAYING, HEY, FOR MORE INFORMATION, FILL THIS FORM OUT AND IT'LL SAY, HEY, FILL IT OUT.

THIS IS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.

YEAH, BECAUSE, AND SO THAT'LL BE THE FORM THAT'LL GET EMAILED TO EITHER YOU AND I INITIALLY, BUT WE'LL NEED A CONTACT PERSONAL APPOINT PERSON, WHETHER IT BE TOYA OR SOMEONE ELSE THAT'LL RECEIVE THOSE MESSAGES.

OKAY.

OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DIRECTORS AT THIS TIME? UH, ME? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? WELL, NOT, OH, I'M SORRY, MY LIGHT WAS STILL ON.

WELL, NOT A QUESTION, BUT A, A REMARK IF I MAY.

YES, YES.

UH, AND AS I JUST WOULD WANTED TO SAY WHAT THE CITY MANAGER SAID, I LIKE, YOUR ENTIRE REPORT WAS REAL.

IT WAS, UH, INFORMATIVE AND, AND, AND BASICALLY DESCRIPTIVE.

BUT WHEN YOU, I SAW THE LOCAL FOR, FROM THE TRAINERS DISTRICT, UH, NAVIGATION DISTRICT, JEFFERSON COUNTY, PORT OF PORT ARTHUR, AND OF COURSE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.

AND WHEN, IF YOU CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THOSE SOMEWHERE THAT, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THEIR, EACH, EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL PAGES YES, SIR.

WOULD LEAD YOU TO THE CHURCH PAGE.

YEAH.

I BELIEVE IT'S WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE BECAUSE IT'S GIVING US MORE EXPOSURE, MORE TRAFFIC.

RIGHT.

SO OUT OF EVERYTHING YOU SAID, AND YOU ALL KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.

YES, SIR.

THAT IS, UH, COMMENDABLE.

NOW WE WOULD LIKE SOME MORE INPUT ON THE, UH, ON LOGO DESIGNS.

UM, WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE DIFFERENT, UM, LOGO DESIGNS OUT AND I'LL MAKE SURE I EMAIL A LINK TO, UH, TOYA SO YOU GUYS CAN VIEW THAT IN YOUR OWN TIME AND GIVE US ANY KIND OF INDIVIDUAL INPUT THAT YOU WOULD WANT ON, UH, LOGO DESIGNS, FONTS, AND ALL THAT STUFF.

SO THE NEXT TIME THAT WE SEE YOU GUYS SHOULD BE READY TO ROLL.

OKAY.

UH, LET ME, UH, LET'S GO.

COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, THEN THE CITY MANAGER.

OKAY.

YES.

HOW YOU DOING? GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? FINE.

LISTEN, UH, IN MARCH, I THINK THE END OF MARCH, WE ARE HAVING GOLDEN TRIANGLE DAYS IN FEBRUARY.

IN FEBRUARY.

OKAY.

SO IN FEBRUARY, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT, UH, MAYBE YOU CAN GENERATE SOME TYPE OF, UH, PHYSICAL BROCHURE YEAH.

WITH THAT MM-HMM.

SO THAT WHILE WE ARE THERE, WE CAN ACTUALLY PROMOTE THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN BUSINESS AND THOSE OTHER CITIES THAT MIGHT WANT TO DO BUSINESS ARE COMPANIES THAT MIGHT BE REPRESENTATIVE THERE, WOULD BE ABLE TO, WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IN, IN THAT SCENARIO, BECAUSE THE STUDIES WILL SHOW THAT YOU'LL GET A, A BETTER ENGAGEMENT IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A POSTCARD TYPE SIZE RATHER THAN A BROCHURE.

AND THAT CAN LEAD THEM TO BACK TO THE WEBSITE.

WE COULD PUT A QR CODE ON IT, AND THAT'LL BE ABLE TO GENERATE THAT INSTANT INTERACTION AND BE ABLE TO REMOVE SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS OF ENTRY.

OKAY.

PERFECT.

THANK YOU.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

CITY, CITY MANAGER.

I'M GLAD COUNCIL JOHNSON MENTIONED THAT.

THAT'S VERY INSIGHTFUL.

IF, IF IT'S THE PANEL'S PLEASURE AS WELL.

LAMAR, PORT ARTHUR IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.

IT'S OURS, IT'S A DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR, AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE IT AS A HOMEGROWN TERTIARY INSTITUTION.

IF, IF IT'S THE COUNCIL'S WISH.

AND MR. CHAIRMAN, IF IT'S YOUR WISH, IF WE COULD PUT A LINK OUT THERE AS WELL FOR LAMAR PORT ARTHUR, BECAUSE PART OF THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, AND I'M JUST LOOKING AT WHAT THE CHAMBER SENT ME TODAY, UM, IS TO LOOK AT CONTINUED FUNDING FOR THE EXPANSION OF LAMAR PORT AFA AS WELL.

SO WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE THEM.

MR. CHAIRMAN, IF IT'S YOUR WISH AS WELL, UM, UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, YEAH.

I, I DON'T SEE A, I I THINK THAT'S, YOU, YOU ARE ONTO SOMETHING.

I THINK WE WANT TO PROMOTE EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THE TUR AREA.

THE, WHAT IS IT? ART, THE TWO MILE RADIUS THAT WE HAVE.

AND WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES AND SHOW THAT WE ARE IN PARTNERSHIP.

SO, UH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, IF WE ALL IN SENSE WITH THAT.

I MEAN, CHIME IN AT YOUR, AT YOUR LEISURE AND, AND DISCUSS IT.

BUT IF YOU ASK ME PERSONALLY, I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO DO TO HIGHLIGHT THEM AS WELL.

ONE THING THAT WE COULD DO IN THE, IN THE FOOTER, THERE IS A, ANOTHER SECTION FOR, UH, USEFUL LINKS.

UM, I WOULD WORRY ABOUT GETTING THE, THE AESTHETICS

[00:15:01]

HAVING THAT MANY LOGOS O WITHIN THE BANNER.

BUT WE COULD ADD THEM AS A SEPARATE LINK WITHIN THE, UH, SUB LINKS IF YOU LOOK THERE AT THE BOTTOM.

OKAY.

SO IT'LL BE AT THE, THE QUICK LINKS, IF THAT'S YES, SIR.

YOU TALKING ABOUT THE QUICK LINKS.

AND ANOTHER THING THAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER IS TO HAVE A, UH, A SECTION THAT IS, THAT IS WITHIN, THAT HAS YOUR PARTNERS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY SEPARATE TAXING ENTITIES.

AND YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, LIST ANY OF THE COMMERCIAL PARTNERS THAT YOU HAVE, INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS THAT YOU HAVE, EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS THAT YOU HAVE, AND THEN HAVE A SECTION FOR THAT AS WELL.

AND WE CAN USE THE LOGOS THERE.

BUT FOR THE FOOTER, BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE ACROSS EVERY PAGE ON THE WEBSITE, I WOULD SAY TO ADD ANOTHER LOGO WAS, WOULD MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE BUNCHY AND IT'S GONNA HAVE IT TO, I WISH THERE WAS A BETTER WORD THAN BUNY, BUT UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, IT WOULD KIND OF DETRACT FROM THOSE BEING THE TAXING ENTITIES THAT ARE PUTTING UP THE FUNDS FOR THE, THE ZONE, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, GUYS? HEY, ART, ARE WE IN THE DIRECT, ARE WE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, SINCE WE HAVE HIM HERE, UH, I KNOW ALL THE ENTITIES HERE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE'S GOING IN THE RIGHT AND WE ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO PROMOTE PORT ARTHUR EFFECTIVELY.

YES.

YES, SIR.

AND, UH, ONE OF, AND COMMISSIONERS, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MAY WANNA LOOK AT, UM, WHAT, WHAT HE WAS SAYING, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE PARTNERS, YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE THOSE PARTNERS.

THE, THE, IS THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THOSE, YOU WOULDN'T WANT THEM AS PART, CAUSE YOU WANT EVERYTHING BEING DRIVEN TO, TO YOU GUYS.

AND YOU WANT THAT INFORMATION ON YOUR PARTNERS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU ADD IS A LINK TO THE, TO THE CITY'S GIS PAGE.

WHERE, WHERE IF SOMEBODY'S LOOKING FOR A BUSINESS AND THEY'RE TRYING TO COME HERE AND THEY'RE TRYING TO THINK ABOUT BEING A PARTNER, THAT THEY CAN GO AND THEY CAN, THEY CAN FIND A BUSINESS LIKE, LIKE OUR GSS GIS PAGE THAT THEY CAN LINK ON THAT AND THEY CAN GO LOOK, LOOK AND SEE WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT PROPERTIES ARE AVAILABLE, WHAT THINGS ARE.

AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT LINK FOR YOU GUYS TO HAVE WHEN YOU HAVE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT THIS CORPORATION DOES, YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT LINK SO THAT, SO THAT PEOPLE, CAUSE NOW AS YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY DOES THEIR BUSINESS ONLINE MM-HMM.

, AND THEY WANNA SEE EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANT TO SEE ONLINE.

AND SO THEY WANT TO SEE, WELL, WHAT BUILDINGS DO YOU HAVE AVAILABLE? IF I'M GONNA LOCATE MY BUSINESS HERE, IF I'M GONNA DO A PARTNERSHIP, I WANNA KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE OUT THERE, AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL THE CITY TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAREHOUSE WITH 30,000 SQUARE FEET.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HIT ONLINE AND SAY, OKAY, GO ON, GO ON TO SEE THESE WEBSITES, SEE THESE WEBSITE'S GONNA HAVE AVAILABLE BUILDINGS AVAILABLE THINGS, BE ABLE TO CLICK ON THAT AND BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT.

THEN I CAN GO SEE WHO THE OWNERS ARE.

I CAN LOOK UP ALL THE TAXING INFORMATION ON THAT, THAT EVERYTHING THAT'S LOCATED IN THE TURS.

SO, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO, IS TO BE ABLE TO ALL THE BUSINESS IN, IN THE TURS THAT SOMEBODY CAN FIND INFORMATION ON THAT.

AND THE CITY GIS ALREADY HAS THAT.

SO, SO WHEN, SO WHEN YOU CONNECT THE CITY GIS WITH LOCATING BUILDINGS IN THE TURS, THEY CLICK ON THAT AND THEY CAN GET ALL THAT INFORMATION.

SO, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU, I WOULD ADVISE YOU DO ALSO CITY MANAGER.

YES.

I'M GLAD THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT.

GO TO THE EDC WEBSITE AS WELL.

YES, YOU WILL SEE WHERE THEY HAVE THE VERY SAME THING ART IS TALKING ABOUT, IF YOU CAN REPLICATE THAT FOR THE WEBSITE AS WELL.

AND THEN A DATA DIRECTLY INTO THE EDC WEBSITE, SO WHERE WE CAN TIE IN THE TWO.

OKAY.

YES, THAT'S IMPORTANT.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THE, THE EDC THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A ENTITY THAT'S CREATED BY THE CITY.

THAT'S RIGHT.

SO, SO BEING ABLE TO USE ALL THEIR INFORMATION.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S A CITY CONTROLLED ENTITY, SO YES.

SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN BE ABLE TO, OKAY, PERFECT.

USE THAT.

YEAH.

ALRIGHT.

YEAH, BECAUSE AGAIN, UH, AS I INDICATED, IF IF THERE'S A COMPANY REACHING TO, TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN THE CHURCH DISTRICT AND THERE'S A POSSIBILITY FOR FUNDING THAT THEY MIGHT NEED TO WORK WITH THE EDC, ALL THE INFORMATION IS THERE AS WELL, RIGHT? YEAH.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S GOOD.

OKAY.

UH, ONE MORE THING THAT I HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT TO MAKE THIS INTERACTIVE AND WE WANT TO TRY TO PROMOTE, I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON MADE A PERFECT POINT WHEN WE GO TO, UH, GOLDEN TRIANGLE DAY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.

BUT TO BROADEN OUR, OUR, OUR SCOPE, OUR OUR SEARCH, HOW ARE WE GONNA EFFECTIVELY, UH, GET THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE INTERESTED IN THE TURS ON BOARD? I MEAN, HOW ARE WE GONNA GET IT OUT THERE? WELL, THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEPS.

OKAY.

THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD GO INTO THE MARKETING OF THE WEBSITE AND THE TUR ZONE ITSELF.

ALL RIGHT.

LIKE YOU WERE MENTIONING, HAVING A SECTION ON THE WEBSITE THAT PULLS TO THESE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES.

WELL, WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE MARKETING, THERE WOULD BE A SECTION THAT WOULD HAVE A SPONSORED LOT OF THE WEEK OR A BUSINESS OF THE, OF THE MONTH OR OTHER WAYS TO REALLY PENETRATE THE, THE ALGORITHMS AND GET IT INTO, IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

OKAY.

[00:20:01]

UM, CITY MANAGER.

YEAH.

YOU SAID THERE'S A SECTION FOR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.

OKAY.

WE DID, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS.

YEAH, I WILL NEED THAT FROM YOU GUYS.

YES.

WE NEED TO DEVELOP THAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BE PART TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AS WELL, BECAUSE CITIZENS WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE TIS, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF THE TAXES WOULD GO TOWARDS IT.

SO THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH THE COUNT THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTES, HOW MUCH THE, THE, THE, THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, AND HOW MUCH THE CITY CONTRIBUTES, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN THEY GET TO THE POLLS, THEY CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION, AM I GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS? YOU KNOW, DOES IT BENEFIT THE CITY OR DOES IT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE? SO WE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO DEVELOP THE FREQUENTLY, AT LEAST, OR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AS WELL.

OKAY, GREAT.

YEAH.

GOOD.

ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS, DIRECTORS? ALL RIGHT.

SO IF WE HAVE ANY, I JUST HAD, YEAH, IF YOU HAVE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, UH, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEM DIRECTED, UH, TO HIM.

AND IF Y'ALL NEED TO SET UP A MEETING OR ANYTHING ELSE THROUGH THE CHAIRMAN, WE CAN AS WE MOVE ALONG.

YEP.

I'M RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, SO, ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

I THINK WE, UH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND I THINK WE ARE ON SCHEDULE.

SO THE NEXT TIME YOU COME BEFORE WE'LL BE COMPLETE.

WHAT ABOUT YOU SAY WE CAN PRETTY MUCH GET THIS FIRST PHASE DONE, OR GET SOME POSTERS OR SOME YES, SIR.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

NO PROBLEM.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

[5. Discussion regarding future projects within the Downtown TIRZ #1 boundaries.]

NUMBER ONE BOUNDARIES.

UH, VAL, WHAT WE GOT ON THAT? WELL, WITH REGARD, WE JUST WANTED TO, NOW THAT WE ARE GETTING STARTED WITH THE MARKETING PLAN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT, THAT WE HAVE IN THE TURS BOUNDARIES.

AND I GUESS WE WANTED TO MAYBE USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY.

UH, AND SINCE YOU ALL ARE HERE, MR. PERK IS HERE, CITY MANAGERS HERE, UM, TO KIND OF USE THIS AS A BRAINSTORMING, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET OTHER PROJECTS DOWN HERE.

I GUESS THIS KIND OF BOUNCING OFF THE MARKETING PLAN, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, WHAT, WHAT TYPES OF BUSINESSES, BUT, UM, JUST WANTING TO KIND OF JUST HAVE A OPEN DISCUSSION ON WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS WE WANNA SEE AND MAYBE PUT TOGETHER A, A PLAN FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS OR SO.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR PLAN ON PAPER, BUT IF ANY OTHER IDEAS OR THOUGHTS OR ANYTHING, AND I KNOW THE MANAGER, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS, WE ALWAYS REFER BACK TO THE DOWNTOWN PLAN, AND I AM GLAD THAT THE DOWNTOWN PLAN WILL BE ON THAT SITE, BUT JUST WHAT DIRECTION WE WANNA GO ON AND KIND OF GET EVERYBODY STARTS WHILE MOSTLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL HERE TODAY.

YEAH.

I GUESS MAYBE MR. PERK COULD START IF YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU, UH, MAYOR BARTE, YOU WANT TO MAYOR BAR? WELL LET HIM GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD.

UM, ALRIGHT, LET'S GO.

WHAT WE GOT? YES.

WHAT, WHAT I'D ASK THAT'S FOR EACH OF YOU TO DO IS TO, IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT, AT YOUR ENTITIES AND THINK ABOUT A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU CAN WORK WITH YOUR ENTITY THROUGH US.

YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR INSTANCE, YOU, WE WANT, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL PUBLIC ENTITIES, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE NON-TAXABLE ENTITIES.

SO, SO WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IS HOW DO WE BRING SOME, SOME PRIVATE INDUSTRY THERE, WHETHER, WHETHER YOU GOT WAREHOUSES, WHETHER YOU GOT STORAGE, WHATEVER.

YOU HAVE SOME TAXABLE DOLLARS DOWN HERE THAT WILL, THAT THAT WILL BENEFIT.

YOU KNOW, NOW PUTTING IN THE, PUTTING IN THE WATER, PUTTING IN THE DRAINAGE, ALL THAT, THAT'S GREAT.

BUT IT SHOULD BE AN ANTICIPATION OF PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE FOCUS ON, A LOT OF TIMES YOU GET ENTITIES LIKE US, WE'RE DEVELOP, WE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT, OKAY, WE GOTTA DO THIS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

WE GOTTA DO THIS.

MAKE SURE ALL THESE GENERAL PUBLIC FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE.

THAT'S GREAT.

THAT'S GOOD.

BUT THAT'S NOT OUR PURPOSE.

OUR PURPOSE EACH, EACH ONE OF THE ENTITY THAT WE REPRESENT IS TO, IS TO DRIVE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT TO THESE PUBLIC AREAS.

THAT'S WHAT OUR PURPOSE IS.

OUR, OUR PURPOSE IS PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.

THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.

SO, SO YOUR MINDSET SHOULD BE, WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS ARE MY ENTITY? IS MY ENTITY DOING THAT WILL HELP DEVELOP PRIVATE INDUSTRY IN THE TURS.

OR EVEN IF IT'S NOT IN THE TURS, IF IT'S IN, IF IT'S IN THE CITY.

BECAUSE EVEN IF IT'S NOT IN THE, IN IN THE TURS, WE CAN GET IT WHERE IT CAN BE IN THE TURS.

REMEMBER, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE COMPACT.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS, THIS RECTANGLE THAT WE HAVE HERE.

IT COULD BE THIS RECTANGLE AND THIS OTHER AREA OVER HERE CAN STILL BE PART OF THE TURS.

SO, SO START

[00:25:01]

NOT JUST PUTTING IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT YOU'RE PUTTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO DRIVE DEVELOPMENT, TO DRIVE PUBLIC PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS, AS THIS ENTITY.

OR WE'LL SIT AROUND HERE AND WE'LL JUST MEET AND NEVER HAVE A PROJECT.

YOU KNOW, AS MUCH, AS MUCH AS WE TALKED ABOUT MOTIVA AND, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON WITH MOTIVA, ALL I ASK YOU TO DO IS JUST LOOK AT, LOOK AT WHAT THE, THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN THIS AREA, IN THIS TERRACE.

LOOK AT WHAT THE TAXABLE VALUE VALUE WAS FIVE YEARS AGO AND LOOK AT WHAT THE TAXABLE VALUE IS NOW.

SO JUST THE CLEANING UP, JUST THE CLEANING UP OF, OF THAT AREA FOR, FOR MOTIVA, THERE'S MILLION PLUS DOLLARS ON THE TAX ROLL THAT WAS NOT THERE.

ALL OF THOSE BUILDINGS WERE, WERE BASICALLY, UH, AT, THEY WERE VALUED AT MAYBE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MAX, MAYBE THESE MILLION DOLLAR BUILDINGS.

BUT THAT'S ALL THEY AT NOW, ONCE THEY STARTED WORKING ON THOSE BUILDINGS, THE MILLION DOLLAR VALUE ON THE TAX ROLL AND ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT BECAUSE ALL OF YOU BENEFIT FROM THAT.

SO THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.

IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T MATTER ABOUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT WHAT WE NORMALLY DO.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AS YOUR ENTITY TO DRIVE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT HERE? WHAT INCENTIVES CAN YOU DO TO HELP DRIVE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT? THAT'S WHAT OUR, THAT'S WHAT, EXCUSE ME.

THAT'S WHAT OUR GOAL IS.

OUR GOAL IS TO FIND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT TO BE LOCATED IN THIS TURF.

CUZ THAT HELPS ALL OF US BECAUSE, AND WE DON'T NEED A BUNCH OF, FROM THIS ENTITY, WE DON'T NEED A BUNCH OF, BUNCH OF NON-TAXABLE THINGS GOING ON.

WE NEED TO BE DOING THINGS THAT IS GOING TO DRIVE PROPERTY TAX PERIOD.

THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER MONEY AVAILABLE, GENERAL FUND MONEY, OTHER TYPE OF MONEY TO DO THOSE PRETTY THINGS, TO DO SOME OF THE OTHER NECESSARY THINGS.

WHAT THIS ENTITY IS NOT AN ENTITY TO DO NECESSARY THINGS.

IT'S, IT'S THINGS TO, TO FEED THIS AREA, TO FEED THIS AREA.

THAT'S IT.

TO DEVELOP THIS AREA SO THAT, SO THAT THIS AREA DEVELOPS ITS TAX BASE TO, SO THAT IT'S A LONG-STANDING TAX BASE.

CUZ YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE CHARGED WITH DOING, EVEN IF THEY FAIL, THEY STAY ON THE BOOKS.

IF YOU GOT, IF YOU GOT A WAREHOUSE THAT YOU DEVELOPED IN THERE, YOU REDEVELOPED THAT WAREHOUSE.

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY PUT A BROOMSTICK IN THERE, WHAT WAS NON-TAXABLE? LOW TAXABLE, NOW IT'S A MILLION DOLLAR WAREHOUSE, WHETHER IT'S FULLY EMPTY, IT'S A MILLION DOLLAR WAREHOUSE AND IT HAD NOTHING BEFORE.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT OUR, OUR GOAL SHOULD BE.

AND THAT'S THE MINDSET.

AND IT'S HARD TO GET IN THAT MINDSET BECAUSE EACH OF YOU AND, AND YOUR ENTITIES, YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT, OKAY, THIS IS, I'M A PUBLIC ENTITY.

MY JOB IS TO HELP THE PUBLIC.

THAT'S WHAT I I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.

THAT'S WHAT I'M A PUBLIC SERVANT.

I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING PU YES YOU ARE.

AND THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT THIS PART OF YOUR JOB AS A PUBLIC SERVANT IS TO ASSIST THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN DEVELOPMENT.

THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOUR JOB IS.

YOUR JOB IS, IS TO DEVELOP THIS PRIVATE PROPERTY SO THAT YOU CAN INCREASE THAT TAX BASE.

AND, AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU INCREASE THIS TAX BASE, IT'S GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO HELP YOU AND IT'S GONNA HELP EVERYBODY.

BUT, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT MINDSET, NOT, NOT THE MINDSET FOR THIS PURPOSE.

NOT, NOT JUST HELPING GENERALLY, BUT HOW DO I GET PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT TO DEVELOP HERE IN THIS TERRACE? AND IF NOT IN THIS TERRACE, HOW DO I GET IT TO DEVELOP IN THE CITY? CUZ WE CAN MOVE THE TERRORS.

SO YOU START THINKING ABOUT HOW DO I GET PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT IN PORT ARTHUR IF I GET PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT IN PORT ARTHUR, WE CAN GET IT IN THIS TURS.

AND THE REASON WHY WE CAN GET IN TOURISTS, WE CAN OFFER THEM INCENTIVES WITH MAKE A WIN-WIN FOR THEM.

THAT'S WHAT WE USE THE TURS FOR.

SO, AND WITH THAT, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ISSUES, I'LL HELP YOU THROUGH THAT.

YEAH.

SO I CAN STOP PREACHING.

.

OKAY.

MAYOR, MAYOR BART.

THANK, THANK YOU.

OH, EXCUSE ME.

THANK, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

THANK YOUR ATTORNEY AND, UH, TO MY, UH, CO UH, COLLEAGUES WHO HERE, UH, YOU BASICALLY, I'M GLAD LET 'EM GO FIRST.

CUZ AS YOU SPOKE, EVERYTHING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO SAY, I HAD A CHANCE TO WRITE IT DOWN.

I HAVE FIVE BULLET POINTS HERE UNTIL MY SERMON WILL BE ABOUT AS LONG AS HIS .

BUT UH, WHAT WE HAVE, IT IS, IT IS THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN THE CHURCH.

YOU KNOW, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.

AND WHAT I, I WANT TO DO AGAIN,

[00:30:01]

AND THAT WAS IT REALLY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY, UH, LIKE I DON'T KNOW THAT AT THAT HIP HOP SONG, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE NO PURPOSE.

WE DIDN'T HAVE NO DIRECTION.

NOW WE HAVE A PURPOSE AND A DIRECTION.

CAUSE WE HAD IT THEN, BUT WE WEREN'T MOVING ON IT.

YOU KNOW, AND WE, WE'VE BEGUN THAT.

SO TO DO THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, UH, PARTNERSHIP HERE, AND ONE THING I I WANNA PUT BEFORE THE HOUSE, UH, IF WE WOULD BE CONSIDERATE OF EXTENDING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CHURCH, THE REASON WHY, AND I'M SAYING EXTENDING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CHURCH, THERE IS A PRIVATE DEVELOPER THAT HAS A, UH, AN INTEREST FOR, AND YOU ATTORNEY WOULD TELL ME IF THIS WORKS, RIGHT? CUZ HE COULD HAVE USED THE WRONG TERM, AN INTEREST FOR AN ENTERPRISE ZONE ON SOME PROPERTIES ON THE WEST SIDE.

YOU KNOW, WE, WE AND YOU ALL MET WITH HIM WHILE I WAS GONE.

UH, UH, UH, UH, WILLIE, UH, AND HE, HE WANTS TO DEVELOP SOME PROPERTIES ON THE WEST SIDE, UH, BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S AN AREA OF TOWN THAT WE DON'T HAVE SOME THINGS IN.

BUT IT'S SOMETHING.

AND WHEN HE SAID THAT, I THOUGHT ABOUT, UH, IF, IF WE EXTENDED THE TUR, YOU KNOW, OR, OR CREATED ANOTHER ONE OR WHATEVER, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD, UH, BENEFIT US MAYBE IN THE LONG RUN.

NOW ALSO FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS.

AND, AND HE HAD THAT, UH, I, I'VE BEEN IN, IN, IN CONVERSATION WITH THE GENTLEMAN, UH, WHO IS, UH, TRYING TO CLOSE NOW ON A PALLET COMPANY THAT HE'S PURCHASING.

OKAY.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO FIND HIM SOME AREA, AN AREA IN PORT ARTHUR FOR HIS PALLET COMPANY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AN INDUSTRIAL SITE.

BUT PORT HAS MOST OF THE LAND THAT A LOT OF THE IN INDUSTRIAL PEOPLE WOULD HAVE.

BUT THEN YOU ALL MIGHT THINK ABOUT RELINQUISHING IN THE FORM OF A SALE TO SOMEONE TO ENHANCE WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IN THE CHURCH IN ATTORNEY FIRST.

ALL OF THIS IS LEGAL WITHIN THE LEGAL REP, UH, OF ME AND REMS THAT WE CAN OPERATE IN.

BUT, UH, WE ARE IN CONVERSATION WITH THOSE TWO, I WOULD CALL THEM INVESTORS.

OKAY? NOT THAT THEY'RE LIKE ENTREPRENEURS BECAUSE THEY ARE IN BUSINESS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE AND, AND LUCRATIVE BUSINESSES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.

AND WE'VE, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSED WITH THEM COMING TO PORT ARTHUR NOW, UH, ALSO HE MADE MENTION OF WHAT WE HAVE IN THE PRESENTERS, THE, UH, UH, MOTIVA.

I WAS HOPING BY THE DAY WE WOULD HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT THERE WAS A CONFLICT WITH, UH, UH, MR. RENTER'S SCHEDULE SCHEDULED.

UH, BECAUSE WE HAD SET THE MEETING UP, UH, PER HIS, HIS, HIS, HIS, UH, UH, PARTY.

BUT HE HAD DONE IT WITHOUT THE RIGHT, WITH, WITH WITHOUT HIS, UH, TOP PERSON IN HOUSTON.

AND HE HAD PLANT MADE PLANS TO BE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR LAST WEEK.

AND, UH, I THINK THEY HAD HIM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.

AND, AND SO HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING ABOUT THE NEXT 14 DAYS FOR SURE, WE WILL HAVE SCHEDULED THE MEETING.

AND I'M TRYING TO BE SURE THAT WE WOULD HAVE IT BEFORE WE GO TO AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE WOULD'VE SOME UNDERSTANDING ON THAT.

BUT EVEN WITH THAT, WE WOULD KNOW EXACTLY THEIR, UH, UH, I GUESS OUTCOME ON THE TUR HERE.

AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO COMPLETE THEIR PROJECT, THEN WE WOULD, THAT WOULD BE A PLUS FOR US IN THIS, IN THIS, UH, UH, UH, CORRIDOR HERE.

AND THEN WHAT I'VE DONE WITH THE, UH, UH, UH, ASSISTANCE AND, AND, AND BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH UH, UH, MAYOR TURNER IN HOUSTON, UH, HE AND I SPOKE WITH, UH, A GENTLEMAN TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN WE WERE IN WASHINGTON FROM, UH, WELLS FARGO.

CUZ I'VE HAD A DESIRE AND I KNOW THAT WE WOULD NEED A FREESTANDING BANK.

THAT'S WHAT I CALL IT IN THIS DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR.

WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW BEFORE US IS WELLS FARGO IS BASICALLY UNDER SOME, UH, TYPE OF COURT ORDER TO DO BUSINESS IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES.

OKAY? YOU KNOW, THEY RED LINED SO LONG, REAL GOOD, WHICH MONEY, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, DID IT AND NOT ALLOWED US TO BORROW THE MONEY.

NOT, AND THEY DID.

THEY, THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY POSSIBLY COULD TO GO INTO OTHER AREAS.

WELL, THEY ARE UNDER COURT ORDER NOW.

I HAVE, UH, INITIATED CONVERSATION WITH THEM IF WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE MONTHS, UH, HOPEFULLY THE GUY SAID HE WAS, HE WOULD BE COMING TO HOUSTON, HE WOULD INVITE ME TO A MEETING WITH HIM IN HOUSTON AND IT WOULD BE, UH, MYSELF

[00:35:01]

THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE TEAM THAT I'VE GONE WITH BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WENT, WENT TO MO MOTIVA WITH.

BUT DISCUSSION WITH THEM, THE POSSIBILITY OF MOVING, HAVING A BANK HERE.

AND WHEN I TOLD HIM JUST SOME OF THE SIMPLE, UH, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR AREA, HE DID NOT THINK THAT IT WAS A BAD IDEA.

AND WITH REDEVELOPING A DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR, HE SAID IT WOULD BE SOMETHING GOOD.

SO, UH, ATTORNEY, AGAIN, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA BE OUTSTANDING MY BOUNDS DOING THESE THINGS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, I DON'T WANT TO MISS THE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN I AM IN THE COMPANY OF INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE THE NETWORKING PROCESS, THAT'S HOW IT GOES.

YOU KNOW? AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN THESE PAST, UH, FOUR YEARS.

SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE.

AND, AND AM I IN NO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FINE.

CUZ YOU BRING 'EM FROM, FROM YOUR ENTITY, WHICH IS THE CITY.

AND SO YOU WORK ON THOSE PROJECTS AND THEN WE TRY TO SEE IF, IF THERE'S SOME INCENTIVE THAT THE TURS CAN ASSIST THEM IN.

OKAY.

BUT YOU STILL, AND EACH ENTITY IS, IS DOING THAT.

AND THAT'S JUST, THERE'S LIKE ONE OF, ONE OF THE ENTITIES THAT THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE IS AS MUCH WORK WITH BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE NEW HERE.

AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S ONE, ONE THAT WE HAVE TO THINK OF SOME WAY WITH THE, WITH THE PORT GETTING, GETTING THE PORT MORE IN, IN INVOLVED WITH IT, WITH, WITH OUR NEGOTIATIONS THAT, THAT THE CITY IS HAVING AND WITH THE NAVIGATION DISTRICTS ARE HAVING.

BECAUSE WHEN YOU GOT A PORT LIKE, LIKE THE PORT THAT WE HAVE, AND, AND WITH, WITH, WITH, ITS, ITS POTENTIAL.

I MEAN, IT COULD, IT COULD CHANGE THIS WHOLE COUNTY, RIGHT? I MEAN THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S NO REASON.

AND, AND AND YOU, YOU GUYS KNOW, SO, SO I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING THAT THERE, THERE'S NO REASON THAT, THAT, THAT STUFF SHOULD BE COMING UP TO PORT AND STOPPING IN BEAUMONT WHEN YOU GOTTA PASS BY PORT ARTHUR, RIGHT? AND WHEN YOU GOT, WHEN YOU GOT, YOU GOTTA GO IN ORDER TO GET TO BEAUMONT, YOU HAVE TO COME THROUGH PORT ARTHUR THAT THERE, THERE'S NO REASON THAT SHOULD HAPPEN THERE.

THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO GET ON OUR, GET ON OUR MINDSET IS THAT, IS THAT, AND I CALL IT THAT, THAT THAT LITTLE BROTHER SYNDROME, WE GOTTA GET RID OF THAT.

YEAH, WE GOTTA GET RID OF THAT.

YOU KNOW? AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S A GREAT CITY.

BEAUMONT'S A GREAT CITY, BUT, BUT IT, THE ROADS SHOULD BE REVERSED.

WE SHOULD BE THE BIG BROTHER BECAUSE YOU GOTTA COME HERE FIRST.

THERE SHOULDN'T BE ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU SEE.

AND I KNOW Y'ALL READ, READ THE PAPER, ALL THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT YOU SEE THAT, THAT, THAT THAT BEAUMONT SUCKS IN SO THAT THEY CAN DO THE DEEP WATER PORTS, TRY TO MAKE THE PORT IN-LAW SUPPORT, GET CLEAN, ALL THAT SILT DOWN AND ALL THAT.

THEY GOTTA COME THROUGH PORT ARTHUR.

WHY, WHY DOESN'T OUR, OUR PORT, OUR PORT CAN DRAW THAT.

THOSE SAME ENTITIES, THE SAME THING.

OUR PORT CAN DO THAT.

OUR PORT SHOULD BE COMPETING WITH THE PORT OF HOUSTON.

THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.

SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE TYPE OF MINDSET THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.

AND BEFORE WE JUST HADN'T HAD ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR TOOLS THERE.

WE, WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD IT.

NOW WE GOT ALL THE PLAYERS, WE GOT ALL THE PLAYERS AVAILABLE.

WE JUST HAVE TO CHANGE OUR MINDSET TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO BE THE BIG DOLL.

WE'RE GOING TO BE THE BIG DOLL.

WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE WORRYING ABOUT THIS EAST SIDE OR WE'RE WORRYING ABOUT THIS SIDE RIGHT HERE.

WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO COMPETE WITH EVERYBODY IN THIS, THIS COUNTRY FOR, FOR THIS AREA RIGHT HERE, THIS PORT RIGHT HERE.

I MEAN, AND, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS KNOW, BUT, BUT, BUT I GET EXCITED WHEN I SEE IT, THIS PORT RIGHT HERE, THAT'S BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY RIGHT THERE.

I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S BILLION DOLLAR, NOT MILLION MULTI MEAN.

THAT'S A BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY THIS PORT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE.

AND, AND YOU GUYS HAVE TO KNOW THAT AND RESPECT THAT AND GO AFTER THAT.

YOU CAN'T JUST LET THAT LAY THERE.

AND, AND THAT, AND THE ONLY WAY, THOSE ONLY WAY THAT THE PORT LIKE THAT WITH, LIKE, THAT YOU SEE LIKE, LIKE BEAUMONT AND YOU SEE SOME OF THESE OTHERS LIKE CORPUS AND THOSE, THE ONLY WAY THEY WERE ABLE TO SURVIVE WAS THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE NAVIGATION DISTRICTS AND THE CITY.

THAT'S THE WAY THEY SURVIVE.

WHEN YOU GO TO THOSE MEETINGS, EVEN WITH THE NAVIGATION DISTRICT, WHEN Y'ALL GO TO THOSE MEETINGS, YOU HEAR 'EM, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, OH YEAH, WE DID THIS WITH THIS PORT, WE DID THIS, WE GOT, WE GOT THIS PROPERTY, WE GOT THESE DEVELOPERS COMING IN, WE GOT DO COMING IN.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE THAT, I, I KNOW WHEN, WHEN I REPRESENT GALVESTON, THE EDC, AND I KNOW WITH THE PORT OF GALVESTON, I KNOW HOW THAT OPERATES.

WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

NOT JUST WE TRYING TO JUST DEVELOP THIS EAST SIDE.

WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP THIS CITY SO THAT THIS CITY IS THAT BRIGHT STAR ON THE SEA OR WHATEVER WE CALL IT.

WE'RE THE ONES THAT NEED TO BE THE LEAD DOLL.

I MEAN, THERE'S NO REASON FOR US

[00:40:01]

ALL RIGHT.

THERE YOU GO.

YEAH.

I LIKE THE COMPASSION.

THANK YOU ART, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, MARTIN.

YEAH.

UM, .

AS YOU, YOU SOUND LIKE MY SENTIMENT WHEN I'M INSIDE OF THE MEETINGS, WHEN I GOTTA SLOW MYSELF DOWN AND EXPLAIN TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, IT'S NOT ANGER, IT'S PASSIONATE.

YOU KNOW, I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT GROWING THE CITY AND WELL, SINCE WE SITTING TALKING ABOUT IT, UH, THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GROW IS TO GROW IN LAND MASS.