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OKAY.[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
GOOD AFTERNOON.WE ARE GATHERED HERE FOR A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING THAT'S BEEN, UH, POSTED AND SCHEDULED FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, 2023, THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, AND AT 2:00 PM IT'S ABOUT TWO 10 NOW.
WE NOW HAVE A COURTROOM AND WE MAY BEGIN.
THIS IS AN ACTUAL SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
THIS MEETING MAY BE ACCESSED BY THOSE WHO WOULD WISH TO PARTICIPATE BY DIALING 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7, OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9.
AND YOU MUST ENTER A MEETING ID 8 4 9 1 0 75 8 2 39, AND THE PASSCODE OF 7 3 2 4 1 0, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED ENTRY INTO THE MEETING.
ALSO, IF THERE WOULD BE THOSE WHO WOULD NEED SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS.
WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND WHATEVER THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS ARE, YOU ONLY MUST CONTACT THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 15 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL MEETING.
MAKE THAT REQUEST KNOWN TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, AND THEY WOULD DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWERS TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR YOU.
UH, WE WILL BEGIN WITH AN INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE, UH, MAYOR APPROACH HERE.
WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO GIVE US THE INVOCATION ON TODAY? MAYOR PROHI WILL GIVE US THE INVOCATION.
WE'LL HAVE THE PLEDGE AND THE MEETING WE'LL PROCEED IF YOU ABEY WITH ME.
FATHER GOD, WE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY THANKING YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE.
WE ASK THAT YOU GIVE US CONTINUED DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN GUIDING THIS CITY AND MAKING IT THE CITY OF COURT.
WE ASK THAT YOU BLESS ALL THOSE, UH, WHO ARE HERE GATHERED WITH US TODAY, EITHER BY TELEPROMPT OR IN PERSON.
WE THANK YOU LORD, AND WE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE AND ALL THAT YOU PLANNED TO DO FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR LIVES, EACH AND EVERY CITIZEN, AND EACH AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER AND CITY STAFF IN YOUR DARLING JESUS NAME, AMEN.
MAY I APPROACH HIM? JOIN US PLEASE.
IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, OUR PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH IS STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY.
WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH THE COURTROOM FOR US? MAYOR BART, PRESENT MAYOR PRO.
[II.1 P.R. No. 22657 — A Resolution Authorizing The February 14, 2023 Regularly Scheduled Council Meeting To Be Rescheduled From 5:30 P.M. To February 14, 2023 At 9:30 A.M.]
NEXT WE WILL HAVE, UH, AN ITEM REQUIRING INDIVIDUAL ACTION ON, ON NON-CON CONSENT.UH, ITEM IT, ITEM BEING PR NUMBER 22 65 7 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FEBRUARY 14TH, 2023 REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING TO BE RESCHEDULED FROM A 5:30 PM MEETING TO FEBRUARY 14TH ON THE SAME DATE, 2023.
HOWEVER, AT 9:30 AM UH, MAY I APPROACH HERE? MAY I GET A, UH, A MOTION? SO MOVED.
MAY I GET A SECOND COUNCIL? UH, KEN LAW SECONDARY.
IT'S REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 22 60 57.
RED, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS MOTION? THERE ARE ANY DISCUSSIONS OR QUESTIONS.
657 IS APPROVED AND THE MEETING ON VALENTINE'S DAY WILL BE AT 9:30 AM INSTEAD OF 5:30 PM AND THAT'S, SO THAT ALL MAY GO AND PRACTICE CUPID MEETING.
[III.1 To Discuss The Potential Use Of City Owned Property]
NUMBER ONE IS TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL USE OF, UH, CITY OWNED PROPERTY AT 3,600 GATES BOULEVARD FOR A PROPOSED MUNICIPAL SAFETY COMPLEX.AND WE WILL HAVE EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUALLY, UH, ATTORNEY.
SO WE READY? WE READY? CITY MANAGER? YES.
UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN, MAYOR LEMME CITY MANAGER.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOUR MIC IS ON.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, NOW, YEAH.
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UM, WHILE, UM, IT IS GIVEN THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE, UM, IT'S A COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.WE FREQUENTLY MEET TWICE A MONTH, YOU KNOW, TO APPROVE WHAT'S ON OUR AGENDA.
UM, FOR, FOR THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CITY.
THAT ALSO PROVIDES US WITH A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME WHERE WE CAN SHARE WITH NOT ONLY THE COUNSELOR OF THE PUBLIC AS TO WHAT WE DO AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL ON, UM, AN, AN IE.
THAT IS STAFF AND THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
AND I'VE ALWAYS FELT IT NECESSARY, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THIS SORT OF WORKSHOP WHERE WE CAN ENGAGE IN SOME SORT OF INFORMATION SHARING WITH THE COUNCIL AS TO WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE NEED TO GO, AND THE HOT TOPIC SUBJECTS THAT THE COUNCIL MAY IDENTIFY, THAT WE MAY PROVIDE CLARIFICATION AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ON.
UM, FOR NOT ONLY FOR THE EDIFICATION OF THE COUNCIL, BUT FOR THE EDIFICATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW, UM, TOPICS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
AND SO WHAT WE ARE DOING THIS AFTERNOON, MAYOR, IS WE ARE TAKING AN OPPORTUNITY, THE PRE SUBJECTS THAT WE HAVE LISTED ON THE AGENDA, WE ARE TAKING AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELABORATE ON THOSE WITH THE COUNCIL SO THAT WE, AS WE CONTINUE TO PROGRESS, NOT ONLY WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS, BUT OUR PLANNING PROCESS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL THAT MAY BE REQUIRED ON EACH OF THOSE SUBJECT MATTERS.
AND SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET ME ASK MS. LANGFORD TO, UM, LEADERS, UH, WITH THE FIRST DISCUSSION SUBJECT, THE POTENTIAL USE OF CITY OWN PROPERTY AT 3,600 GATES QUALIFIED AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT STRANGE TO SIT HERE AND ADDRESS COUNCIL TODAY, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
UM, ON DECEMBER 6TH, 2022, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM PEAL INCORPORATED OF HOUSTON, TEXAS PROVIDED COUNSEL WITH A PRESENTATION, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE CITY, THE PROPOSED, UM, NEW ANIMAL SHELTER FOR THE CITY, AS WELL AS, UM, PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT FOR THE 15.2 ACRE SITE, FORMALLY KNOWN AS THE ST.
MARY'S HOSPITAL SITE AT 3,600 GATES MEMORIAL BOULEVARD.
UM, DURING THAT PRESENTATION, UM, THERE WAS SOME CONCERNS.
COUNCIL EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED FOR THAT SITE, NAMELY, UM, A PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX.
THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX WOULD INCLUDE, UM, THE CITY'S POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND MUNICIPAL COURT AT THAT TIME.
DURING THAT PRESENTATION, COUNSEL DID EXPRESS THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE A WORKSHOP TO FURTHER DISCUSS, UM, WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED, WHICH IS WHAT LED US HERE TODAY.
UM, ON MAY 20, AND I'LL GO BACK AS FAR AS, I'M SORRY, MAY 25TH, 2021, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED RESOLUTION NUMBER 21 DASH 2 21.
THAT RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED THE CONTRACT WITH PEAL INCORPORATED OF HOUSTON TO PERFORM A NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE ORIGINAL SITE FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER DEVELOPMENT AT 1401 19TH STREET.
UM, AS PART OF THAT NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UM, THERE WERE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED ABOUT THE MODE OF DEMOLITION OF THE FORMER BUILDING THAT WAS THERE, WHICH WAS OUR WA WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, IN WORKING WITH PGOS GEO TECHNICAL ENGINEERS AS WELL AS OUR CITY STAFF, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THAT SITE WOULD BE UNSTABLE TO HAVE ANY TYPE OF PERMANENT DEVELOPMENT AT THAT LOCATION, WHICH LED STAFF BACK INTO DOING SOME RESEARCH AND UNDER THE INSTRUCTION OF COUNCIL, UM, TO LOCATE ANOTHER CITY OWNED PROPERTY, UM, TO PLACE THE CITY'S ANIMAL SHELTER.
AFTER LOOKING AT ALL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE OWNED, UM, IN OWNED BY THE CITY, UM, AS WELL AS THEIR LOCATION, UM, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ST.
MARY'S SITE THAT HAD RECENTLY BEEN REEDED BACK TO THE CITY WOULD BE THE MOST PLAUSIBLE SITE TO PUT IN ANIMAL SHELTER.
UM, IN DISCUSSING THAT SITE, THIS SITE IS A LITTLE, WAS MUCH LARGER THAN THE ORIGINAL SITE, WHICH WAS ANTICIPATED FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER BEING 15.2 ACRES OF LAND.
UM, WE BEGAN, UM, AND WE ENTERED INTO ANOTHER AGREEMENT WITH PEAL ON MAY 24TH, 2022, UNDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 22 DASH 2 37, WHICH AUTHORIZED AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO DEVELOP A FACILITY'S MASTER PLAN.
THE PURPOSE OF THAT FACILITY'S MASTER PLAN WAS NOT ONLY TO CONCENTRATE ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER, BUT TO ALSO IDENTIFY OTHER USES FOR THE CITY AND WHAT CAN
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GO ON THAT 15 ACRE SITE.AFTER SPEAKING WITH VARIOUS MEMBERS OF STAFF, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONTINUE THEIR DISCUSSION, UM, WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND LEADERSHIP REGARDING THEIR NEEDS FOR EXPANSION AND AC ACCOUNTABLE SPACES FOR THEM.
SO, UM, THE IDEA CAME ABOUT IN DEVELOPING A MUNICIPAL, A PUBLIC SAFETY MUNICIPAL COMPLEX AS A CONCEPT FOR THAT SITE.
UM, THE SERVICES, AGAIN, WOULD BE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND MUNICIPAL COURT AREA.
UM, IF COUNSEL HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT OUR CURRENT POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, YOU ARE AWARE OF THE CONDITION OF THAT BUILDING.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL ISSUES, UM, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES THE FACT THAT, UM, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY GROWN OUT OF IT.
UM, THERE ARE ISSUES WITH ROOFING, UM, AN ADEQUATE SPACE FOR A LOT OF THE SERVICES THAT THEY, OR A LOT OF THE, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY HAVE, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES THE, UM, EVIDENCE AREA, UM, THE AREA THAT THE DISPATCHERS WORK IN AND MANY OTHER, UM, AREAS WITHIN THAT DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UM, THE ORIGINAL DISCUSSION WITH PD WAS TO CONSIDER THE BUILDING ON NINTH AVENUE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY RENOVATING FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS TEXAS HEALTH SERVICES BUILDING.
UM, HOWEVER, WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THESE SERVICES REMAIN CENTRALIZED.
AND SO IN DISCUSSING WITH PAL THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE ST.
MARY'S SITE, THAT IS WHY THOSE DIVISIONS WERE INCLUDED WITHIN THAT DISCUSSION AS STATED BY MS. DARLENE PIERRE AT THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, THEREFORE, UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO COUNSEL TO PROVIDE THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF WITH DIRECTION ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
AGAIN, IT'S A 15.2 ACRE SITE, WHICH IS MORE THAN ENOUGH SPACE FOR JUST AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, MOVING THESE RESOURCES OUT OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, I MEAN, OUT OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF PORT ARTHUR, AND MAKING THEM MORE CENTRALIZED IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A PLAN THAT WOULD POSSIBLY BE IMPLEMENTED YEARS DOWN THE LINE.
UM, ANOTHER CONSIDERATION THAT WE WOULD ASK COUNSEL TO JUST KEEP IN MIND IS THAT OUR CURRENT POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MUNICIPAL COURT IS LOCATED IN THE TURS.
AS WE HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED MANY OF TIMES FOR MR. ART PARTAL, WHO, UH, SERVES AS, UM, ADDITIONAL LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE TURS, THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONCENTRATE ON MOVING NON-PROFIT, NON-TAXABLE SERVICES OUT AND TAXABLE SERVICES IN, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HELPS TO SUPPORT THAT TUR ZONE.
UM, I HAVE BEEN, UM, WORKING TO DEVELOP SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, A CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER, MORE SPECIFICALLY IN REGARDS TO WHERE WE ARE WITHIN THAT PROCESS.
UM, THE LAST ITEM WOULD BE ON DECEMBER 6TH, 2022.
THERE WAS RESOLUTION NUMBER 22 DASH 5 64 THAT WAS APPROVED, UM, TO AUTHORIZE A CONTRACT AGAIN WITH PAL OF HOUSTON FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION OF THAT ANIMAL SHELTER.
THE NOTICE OF REWARD WAS ISSUED FROM THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT ON DECEMBER 21ST, 2022.
WE RECEIVED THAT NOTICE BACK ON JANUARY 4TH FROM PEAL.
AND THE NOTICE TO PROCEED UNFORTUNATELY HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED.
I DID SPEAK WITH THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT RIGHT BEFORE COMING TO THIS MEETING, AND WE WILL WORK WITH THEM TO ENSURE THAT THIS NOTICE GETS ISSUED HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO INCLUDE, UM, GOING BACK TO MARCH 12TH, 2021, UM, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION, IT WAS PART OF THE BUDGET MEETING, UM, WHERE $2.5 MILLION WAS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET, UM, TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, UM, FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
UM, THE $2.5 MILLION, EXCUSE ME, WAS ACTUALLY EARMARKED TO BE INCLUDED, UM, IN THE 2022 BUDGET.
UM, THERE WAS $150,000 THAT WAS ACTUALLY ALLOCATED DURING THAT FISCAL YEAR TO BEGIN THE DESIGN PHASE.
UM, AFTER HAVING A FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH PEAL, UM, AS WELL AS STARTING TO TO SEE THE RISE FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UM, WE DID COME BACK TO COUNCIL TO REQUEST THAT THE BUDGET BE REVISED AND
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THE AMOUNT TO BE BROUGHT UP TO 6.65 MILLION, UM, THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL BY ISSUING THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION FOR THIS PROJECT.THOSE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, I BELIEVE WERE ISSUED IN MAY OF 2022.
DO WE HAVE, OKAY, GO, GO, GO AHEAD.
DO WE HAVE ANY? IT'S, IT'S, UM, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS AS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION.
YEAH, I I HAVE A GREAT, GREAT, GREAT, UH, AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WOULD SEE IF MY COLLEAGUES WANTED TO GO FIRST AND THEN, OR I CAN BEGIN, UH, IF OTHERS WANTED TO.
UH, I THINK THAT EVERYONE WOULD KNOW MY POSITION ON THE THOUGHT OF, UH, ACTUALLY, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU, UH, UH, CITY MANAGEMENT LANGUAGE FOR SUCH AN ELOQUENTLY PRESENTED, UH, PIECE OF MATERIAL.
AND VERY, VERY INTELLIGENTLY PRESENTED.
HOWEVER, ON DECEMBER 6TH, I BELIEVE I MADE A COMMENT.
IF, IF I DID NOT FELT IT, I COULD NOT EVER SUPPORT MOVEMENT FROM DOWNTOWN TO THE GATES AREA.
I JUST, I CAN'T DO IT AS LONG AS I'M MAYOR.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T BE MAYOR FOR LIFE.
SO THERE MAY BE OTHER MAYORS WHO WOULD, UH, PROCEED, UH, SUCCEED ME.
WHO, WHO MAY, UH, SUPPORT THAT IDEA.
AND I HAVE, I HAVE, I HAVE NO, NO, NO PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
BUT THE, UH, BIG QUESTION THAT COMES TO MIND IS WHY WOULD WE REMOTELY CONSIDER THIS PROPOSAL AND VACATE AN AREA THAT WE ACTUALLY WANT TO REDEVELOP? NOW, WHEN I ASK THAT QUESTION RHETORICAL IN ONE WAY, BUT ALSO IT'S SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE CAN ALSO BE THOUGHT OF IN A MORE TANGIBLE MEANS BECAUSE WE ARE IN PORT ARTHUR, WE ARE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, AND WE ACTUALLY SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO PORT ARTHUR THROUGH THE YEARS.
OKAY? UH, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, UH, UH, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, NOT ONE TIME, DID YOU ADDRESS AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN FROM YOU ALL FROM YOUR ADMINISTRATION AS TO SOME DOWNTOWN POSSIBILITIES.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD WANT YOU TO GIMME ME SOME PROS AND CONS BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU I CAN'T SUPPORT IT AND I THINK MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES WILL NOT SUPPORT IT.
BUT YOU HAVE NOT COME TO SAY, OKAY, WE KNOW WHAT, WHAT YOUR POSITION IS, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.
SO I THINK YOU'RE IGNORING WHAT YOU ALL KNOW.
AND I WOULD EVEN GO AS FAR AS TO SAY, THIS IS A WASTE OF MY TIME.
I DIDN'T DRIVE A HUNDRED MILES IN ALL THIS TRAFFIC GOING 90 PLUS MILES PER HOUR TO GET HERE TO HEAR THIS AGAIN.
IT'S JUST THAT I DIDN'T COME TO HEAR THIS.
OKAY? IT'S JUST LIKE I DIDN'T COME HERE ON THAT DAY, ON THE SIXTH OF, UH, DECEMBER, WHENEVER THAT WAS SIXTH.
I DIDN'T COME ON THAT DAY TO HEAR IT.
AND NEITHER HAVE I COME AS GOD BLESSED ME TO WAKE UP THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW, MADE TO WAKE UP LUNCH AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO HEAR THIS AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S NOT WHAT I VISION FOR PORT ARTHUR.
BUT I HAVE TO EXPRESS, I'M NOT GONNA BE A PHONY AND SAY THAT I SUPPORT IT KNOWING THAT WHOLEHEARTEDLY, I DON'T.
NOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CENTRALIZATION OF SERVICES, THAT'S COMMENDABLE.
HOWEVER, TO VACATE THE EXACT AREA THAT WE WANT TO DEVELOP UNDER THE PREMISE OF CENTRALIZATION, I THINK IS LUDICROUS.
THE REASON WHY, BECAUSE THESE SAME CENTRALIZED SERVICES ARE GIVEN IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA RIGHT NOW, THOSE FOLK WHO COME FROM NEEDLING, THOSE PEOPLE WHO COME FOR ESE, THAT'S WHY YOU WANNA CENTRALIZE THAT.
FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T VOTE FOR ME, THEY WILL VOTE FOR ANYBODY UP HERE.
BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CENTRALIZING SOMETHING.
AND I ALREADY KNOW THE FEDERAL MONEY THAT WE GET TO SUPPLY OIL SERVICES.
WE CAN PUT THIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON PLEASURE ISLAND.
WE WILL STILL GET THE MONEY AND THE FOLK FROM PORT, IF THEY NEED THESE SERVICES, THEY GONNA HAVE TO CATCH 'EM AND RIDE TO PORT OUT THERE.
NOW, WHAT YOU ARE DOING, PORT ARTHURS, WHO LIVE SOUTH OF 69, AND I'M GOING TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BUT I JUST GOTTA JUMP OVER, Y'ALL, JUST GIMME THAT OPTION.
NOW THEY GOTTA CATCH A RIDE TO THE OTHER, OTHER SIDE OF TOWN.
THEY PORT ARTHURS, OKAY? HOWEVER, I KNOW SOME OF THAT POPULATION LIVES IN THAT AREA, BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING, WE ARE VACATING WHAT WE WANT TO REDEVELOP TO HELP A BUNCH OF FOLK THAT DON'T GIVE A HOOT ABOUT US.
AND I'M JUST TELLING YOU THE TRUTH.
I'M NOT, I'M JUST BEING EMPHATIC.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOT TO CONSIDER.
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THE CENTRALIZATION OF SERVICES, AGAIN, IS COMMENDABLE AND THE THOUGHT OF TAXATION ISSUE AND BEING IN THE CHURCH, UNDERSTANDING THE CITY'S NOT GONNA PAY ANY TAXES.BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WHEN WE VACATE THIS, THIS FURTHER HELPS THE BLIGHT THAT WE HAVE DOWN HERE ALREADY.
WE ARE IN A SITUATION NOW WHERE I'M WAITING FOR THE MEETING, UH, WITH THE, UH, MOTIVA GROUP SO WE CAN EXACTLY FIND OUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THAT PROPERTY.
AND THEN WE WANT TO DISCUSS MOVING EVEN MORE SERVICES FROM THIS CARTER, WHERE Y'ALL GONNA PUT CITY HALL? BECAUSE WE NEED A CITY HALL.
I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY HEAT IN MY OFFICE.
AND I HAD TO WEAR LONG JOHNS AND A OVERCOAT LAST WEEK CUZ I HAD NO HEAT ON MY SIDE OF THIS BUILDING.
SO WE GONNA MOVE CITY HALL DOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE GETTING READY TO TAKE UP, PICK UP EVERYTHING, LET'S PICK UP EVERYTHING AND GO NOT ONE THING AT A TIME AND FURTHER LEAVE OUR CITY TO B BLIGHT.
SO MOVEMENT OF THESE CITY SERVICES, I ALREADY KNOW AND I HAVE TO SAY IT, THEY WILL FURTHER PUSH FORWARD THE BLIGHT THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING HERE AND WITH THE CHURCH.
WE ARE JUST BEGINNING TO ACTUALLY PUT THE CHURCH TOGETHER TO BEGIN THE BABY, GO OUT AND SEEK INDIVIDUALS TO COME WITH PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN THIS AREA.
WHEN THE CITY DECIDES THAT IT'S GOING TO LEAVE THE AREA, IT'S NO WAY THAT YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO AN INVESTOR WHO'S COMING IN WITH $50 MILLION TO INVEST THAT WE GOING TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA COST US 20 MILLION OR SOMETHING.
WE, WE GOING ANOTHER PART OF TOWN.
CUZ WE WANT Y'ALL TO HAVE ALL OF THIS, Y'ALL.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOU, PROFESSOR LITTLE, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT I WAS SUPPORTED.
THANK YOU PAM, FOR YOUR, YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ARE UP HERE AND WE MAKING DECISIONS FOR, UH, THE COMMUNITY, WE GOTTA LOOK AT THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF THINGS.
SO AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT NOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, SINCE, UH, 2017, WE ARE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE FIRE MUNICIPAL COURTS BECAUSE OF MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND SPACE AVAILABILITY.
WE'RE HAVING TO RENT AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
AND, UM, WHEN I TALKED WITH THE MANAGER A COUPLE YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, I ASKED HIM, I SAID, LOOK HERE MAN, LET'S FIND, LET'S PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
AND SINCE YOU GUYS BEEN ON BOARD, HE'S DONE EXACTLY THAT.
HE'S TRIED TO FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN GROW.
THE CITY HAS NOW TURNING THAT SHIP AROUND THAT WE CAN GET BACK ON PATH.
NOW, UH, THE MAYOR HAD SOME COMMENTS AND HE STR YOU KNOW, HE FEELS STRONG ABOUT NOT WANTING TO DO IT, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW, LIKE HE SAID, HE'S ONLY ONE VOTE.
AND WE ALL HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE, THE GREATER NEED OF OUR COMMUNITY.
NOW, I ROAST A COUPLE THINGS DOWN HERE, YOU KNOW, AND I WAS TAKING NOTES AS YOU WERE TALKING AS WELL AS THE MAYOR.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE WHAT WE ARE PAYING TO KEEP SOME OF THOSE THINGS ACTIVE, UH, UH, AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE WHOLE BUILDING THAT'S OVER THERE, CENTRALIZED LOCATION.
WE TALK ABOUT CUTTING DOWN EMERGENCY TIMES THAT WOULD DO EXACTLY THAT BECAUSE YOUR PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, NORTH OF 73, YOU GOT MORE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON ON THE EAST SIDE OF, UH, MEMORIAL.
AND THE WEST SIDE IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT IT USED TO BE.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CHANCE TO DEVELOP, TO HAVE BRAND NEW FACILITIES.
I'VE, I'VE BEEN BREAK, YOU KNOW, BEATING YOUR HEAD ABOUT DEVELOP, DEVELOP, DEVELOP, YOU KNOW, UH, CITY MANAGER, UH, FELLOW, UH, FEDERAL FED DOLLARS THAT WE ACTUALLY GETTING TO SERVICE SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES.
WE JUST CAN'T LOOK AT IT BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING THOSE DOLLARS.
WE JUST CAN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANNA SERVICE THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
WE JUST CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE WE ARE ALL GETTING THE MONIES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING SERVICES FOR, UH, THE COMMUNITIES OF MID COUNTY AS WELL.
AND IT'S NOWHERE THAT WE CAN NEVER SAY THAT WE CAN'T HAVE SATELLITE STATIONS TO SERVICE THIS SIDE OF TOWN.
CITIES THAT ARE GROWING TAMPA WAS JUST LIKE THIS A BLOCK TYPE, UH, CITY.
THEY HAVE SATELLITE POLICE STATIONS ALL OVER TO CUT DOWN ON EMERGENCY TIME FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE FIRE FDS.
SO WE ARE NOW TALKING ABOUT MOVING AND PICKING UP DOWNTOWN AND JUST GOING OUT INTO OTHER AREAS, BUT IT'S STILL, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S STILL PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
SO WE JUST CAN'T NOT LOOK AT ONE SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM AND SAY, OMIT ONE SIDE BASED UPON HOW WE FEEL AND THE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES THAT WE, WE'VE BEEN THIS WAY FOR OVER 25 YEARS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
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WE ARE JUST NOW GETTING A, UH, IDEA OF WHAT WE CAN GO BASED UPON THE NUMBERS ON THE LAST, UH, CENSUS.YOU GUYS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB, DR.
THG PENN, COUNTING PEOPLE, MAKING SURE THEY ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
BUT SINCE WE KNOW THAT INFORMATION, WE KNOW WHERE THE COMMUNITIES ARE, WE NEED TO ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE NEED TO SERVICE THOSE INDIVIDUALS AS WELL BECAUSE OF FED DOLLARS THAT WE ACTUALLY GET IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M OPEN-MINDED TO SOME OF THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND ANYTIME WE HAVE A CHANCE TO BUILD AND, AND, AND BRING NEW SERVICES, UH, BRING NEW BUILDINGS TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, I'M A MINUTE TO THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAVE TO SAY, SINCE 2016 AND SERVING HERE ON COUNCIL, IT'S VERY, UM, INSPIRATIONAL TO HEAR THAT WE HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF GROWTH IN OUR CITY TO SERVE THE ENTIRE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO NEW BUILDINGS.
UM, COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU NOTED, UH, PAM, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU SAID ON 5 22 OF 22, IS THAT THE RIGHT DATE? OR FIVE? 5TH OF MAY OF 22.
WE ENGAGED PEGOL TO LOOK AT A PUBLIC SAFETY MUNICIPAL CONCEPT.
IS THAT THIS COUNCIL, LET ME ASK THAT.
THIS COUNCIL VOTE? YES, MA'AM.
ON MAY 24TH, 2022, IT WAS THROUGH RESOLUTION NUMBER 22 DASH 2 37.
IT WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS AUTHORIZED WITH PAL TO DEVELOP A FACILITY'S MASTER PLAN FOR THE PROPOSED ANIMAL SHELTER.
RECREATION AREA AND OTHER CITY FACILITIES.
AND THEN LET ME GO BACK A YEAR.
WE DESIGNATED $2.5 MILLION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A DESIGN PHASE OF A COMPLEX SAFETY COM PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX.
THAT'S FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
BUT THIS WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
BUT WHEN DID WE DESIGNATE THE 2.5 MILLION? THE 2.5 MILLION WAS DISCUSSED IN A BUDGETARY MEETING ON MARCH 12TH, 2021.
AT THAT TIME, THE, UM, IT WAS $150,000 WAS DESIGNATED, AND THAT AGAIN, WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER FOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, WHERE 2.5 MILLION WOULD BE PUT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR'S BUDGET TO BEGIN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
BUT JUST FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
AND THEN 5 22 AGAIN, IS IT 6.5 MILLION? WAS WE WENT FOR BONDS.
IS THAT A TIME? DO YOU HAVE A WRITTEN TIMETABLE OF THESE DATES AND RESOLUTIONS THAT THIS COUNCIL APPROVED? YES.
ON MAY 25TH, 2021, THERE WAS RELU ORDINANCE NUMBER, EXCUSE ME, UM, 21 DASH 38 THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AND THAT AUTHORIZED THE ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
IT WAS SIX POINT, UH, 6.5 MILLION THAT WAS PART OF, UM, THOSE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
WANTED TO BE CLEAR ON THOSE DATES AND WHAT THEY WERE FOR.
SO I'M GLAD YOU REPEATED THEM.
BUT BASICALLY I AM, UM, AS A COUNCIL PERSON LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING, I KNOW WHAT THE BUILDINGS LOOK LIKE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE ROOF OF LEAKING GARBAGE CANS, CATCHING THE WATER, UH, FROM THE ROOF, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, NEEDING NEW FACILITIES, UM, AND, AND MOVING FORWARD, WHETHER WE'RE DOWN, I AGREE WITH TOWN COUNCILMAN MCKINLEY, WHETHER WE'RE DOWNTOWN, UM, I LOOK AT MAYBE A SATELLITE OFFICE HERE, BUT WHATEVER, WE CAN BE CENTRALIZED.
IT'S NOT ABOUT A ONE SECTOR OF A COMMUNITY.
IT IS ACTUALLY ABOUT THE WHOLE CITY BENEFITING FROM US, BEING CENTRALLY LOCATED IN A PLACE WHEN WE GOT THAT PROPERTY AND THEY GAVE US THE PROPERTY FROM ACTUALLY FROM THE HOSPITAL, 15.2 ACRES OF LAND, I, I CAN'T, CAN'T IMAGINE HOW WE WOULD NOT HAVE AN OPEN MIND CONCEPT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, SEE NEW IN THE CENTER OF OUR CITY.
IT'S, IT'S THERE TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT, HOW WE CAN EXPAND, HOW WE CAN GROW FROM THAT AND BE ABLE TO SEE A NEW FACILITY LOCATED IN THAT PLACE.
[00:30:01]
AS A, AS IS, UM, MY OWN SELF.I SPEAK FOR CHARLOTTE AS THE MAYOR SPOKE FOR HIMSELF.
YOU CAN POSSIBLY SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY HERE.
AND MY VOICE IS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND, TO BE ABLE TO SEE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT COME OUT OF THAT WRETCHED BUILDING AND BE ABLE TO, UH, BE IN A PLACE WHERE THEY COULD BE FREE TO MOVE FREE, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE THE EVIDENCE, UH, PROPERLY STORED, UH, NOT IN BOXES SOMEWHERE BOXED UP IN OTHER STORAGE FACILITIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, SOMEWHERE IN THE FIRE STATION AND SOMEWHERE ELSE, STORED WHEREVER IN DIFFERENT PLACES WITHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
BUT HAVING ENOUGH PLACE TO WORK ROOM.
AND OUR CITIZENS DESERVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS, UM, TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCATED, UM, SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE IS MOVEMENT AND ROOM.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA HAVE A CLOSED MIND.
I'M OPEN TO SEE WHAT THE PLANS HEAD.
UM, BUT IF WE ARE ABLE TO PUT THE FUTURE AS WE HAVE DONE WITH DOWNTOWN, AND NONE OF US KNEW WHAT THE DOWNTOWN, UH, DEVELOPMENTS WOULD BE OR HOW IT WOULD COME ACROSS BUILDING 29 HOMES, UH, THAT WE WERE FOUGHT ABOUT RIGHT AT LAMAR STATE COLLEGE, THEY'RE GONNA BE A WHOLE DIFFERENT THAN WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
WELL, THEY'RE HERE AND THEY'RE OCCUPIED AND SOMEBODY LIVES IN THEM.
IT'S ALL DONE BY WHAT WE CANNOT SEE.
BUT IF WE HAVE A PLAN PUT FORTH IN FRONT OF US TO BE ABLE TO SEE, UM, KINDA WHAT WE'RE DOING, I'M OPEN.
I AM OPEN, UH, TO SEEING WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE CAN BE.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HOUSED IN A FACILITY THAT IS LESS THAN ADEQUATE.
WE HAVE TO THINK DIFFERENTLY AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
UM, WHO COULD HAVE SEEN A, A PRESS BUILDING, UH, THAT PORT ARTHUR NEWS BUILDING WAS RAGGEDY AND LOOKED LIKE NOBODY COULD OCCUPY IT.
EVERYTHING WE DO, UM, WE SHOULD HAVE AN OPEN CONCEPT OR MIND ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER PORT ARTHUR.
IT IS ABOUT THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPEN CONCEPT, OPEN MIND, AND HAVE A, A VISION THAT WE CAN SEE AND TRY TO SEE WHERE WE CAN PLACE IT, WHERE IT COULD BE AGREEABLE AND AMENABLE TO THE ENTIRE CITY.
LET THE CITIZENS HAVE A VOICE AND WHAT, UM, AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR HOW YOU LAID IT OUT.
UM, AND I THANK, THANK YOU FOR, AND THE STAFF FOR EVEN HAVING AN OPEN CONCEPT AND AN OPEN MIND TO THINK THAT WE CAN HAVE BETTER, AND EVEN IF BETTER IS IF THERE'S SOME LAND IN DOWNTOWN.
I'M NOT A CLOSED MIND TO THAT, BUT WHEREVER WE CAN PLACE THIS AND IT'S CENTRALLY LOCATED AND ALL THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR CAN UTILIZE IT, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO MOVE TOWARD.
WHERE WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE? WHERE IS THE LAND MASS? WHERE CAN WE PLACE THIS? BUT NOT HAVE A CLOSED MIND, JUST BECAUSE IT'S DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR.
I'LL GO AFTER, UH, COUNCILMAN MARKS.
HOWARD, YOU ALL ON THIS ON MY SCREEN, MA'AM.
AND SO, UM, WE STILL HAVE TRAINS IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AND THEY MOVE AS THEY WILL.
UM, THE MAYOR MAKES, UH, SUCH A COMPELLING ARGUMENT WHEN HE BEGINS TO TALK ABOUT DOWNTOWN AND OUR INTEREST IN DOWNTOWN AND WHAT DOWNTOWN CAN BE.
AND, UH, WE DO UNDERSTAND AS WELL THAT AS A COUNCIL, WE ARE HELD, UM, WE ARE HELD BY THE DECISIONS OF THOSE THAT PRECEDED US.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT HAS BEEN PROMISED TO BUY MOTIVA, UH, TO COME DOWNTOWN IN THE PURCHASE OF THOSE BUILDINGS, PART OF THAT AS WELL WAS THE SELLING OF THE HEALTH BUILDING.
UH, AND THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED AND TRANSPIRED AS WELL AS THE PURCHASE OF ANOTHER BUILDING, UM, THAT FUTURISTICALLY HELD, UM, UH, THE HOPES OF OUR, UM, OUR HEALTH BUILDING.
UM, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CAUGHT LITERALLY BE TWEAKED IN BETWEEN.
AND AS, UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES SAYS, WE CAN'T BE HELD.
UM, WE CAN'T BE HELD COMPLETELY, UM, UH, PRISONERS OF OUR WHIMS AND OUR WANTS.
AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO MOVE IN A WAY, UH, THAT ULTIMATELY BENEFITS AND BLESSES OUR CITY.
I AM WITH THE MAYOR FROM THAT PARTICULAR STANDPOINT THAT OUR, OUR FEELINGS, OUR WANTS, OUR DESIRES, OUR NEEDS COME FIRST.
WHAT THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR NEEDS COME FIR FIRST.
I DIDN'T HEAR THE REPORT, UM, COMPLETELY,
[00:35:01]
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME ACROSS MY MIND WAS, UH, MR. CITY MANAGER, UM, WE CANNOT FORGET THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BEING HOUSED IN OUR, UH, SOLID WASTE, UH, AND TRASH DEPARTMENTS.THOSE BUILDINGS ARE ATROCIOUS.
UH, AND THEY HAVE BEEN ATROCIOUS FOR A LONG TIME.
AND I DON'T WANT TO, UH, PUBLICLY, UH, STATE WHAT THEY HAVE TO, UM, ENDURE IN THOSE FACILITIES.
I WOULD, AND, AND LET ME SAY THIS, THIS, I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE TRASH CANS THAT BECAUSE OF THE LEAKING BUILDING, UH, WHERE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE IN, AND THIS IS NOT IN ANY WAY CASTING ANY DISPARAGING REMARKS OR BELIEVING THAT THOSE CONDITIONS THAT OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT PORT ARTHUR'S FINEST HAVE TO ENDURE.
BUT LET ME SAY, I BELIEVE THOSE FACILITIES ARE IN WANT OF 10 TIMES MORE THAN WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE TO ENDURE.
AND SO, AS WE'RE BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO SPEND MONEY FOR THOSE FACILITIES AND ON WHAT FACILITIES, I THINK THAT THAT BUILDING NEEDS TO GO TO THE TOP OF THE LIST BECAUSE THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ENDURED THAT FOR SUCH AN ELONGATED PERIOD OF TIME AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO ENDURE ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT NEEDS AND WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON AND WHAT WE NEED TO BEGIN TO DO, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TAKE BACK TO, UM, THE DRAWING BOARD WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES THAT ARE IN THE GREATEST NEEDS OF OUR CITIZENS AND OUR, OUR, UM, OUR EMPLOYEES AND HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO I WANTED TO SAY, OKAY, COUNSELMAN, LEMME SHARE.
I'M GLAD THAT COUNCILMAN FRANK BROUGHT THAT UP.
BUT, UM, COUNCIL DID APPROVE FUNDING FOR THOSE BUILDINGS.
YOU BROUGHT THAT PERSONALLY TO MY ATTENTION.
WE EVEN VISITED OUT THERE WITH THE CONDITIONS.
AND, UM, I KNOW MISS, SHE'S NOT HERE.
MS. UM, ROBERTS HAS GONE OUT FOR, UM, QUOTATIONS FOR THAT.
AND, UM, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY WAS PUT IN THE BUDGET TO UPGRADE THOSE FACILITIES.
SO WE ARE, WELL, ON THE WAY APART FROM THAT, WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS, MOVING THE ENTIRE FACILITY, UM, BECAUSE IT'S IN THE FLOOD ZONE.
UM, THE NEW MAPS FOR FEMA HAVE INDICATED AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, UM, 87 HAS THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM RIGHT AT THE BACK OF THE, WHICH CONTINUALLY MAKES THE PROPERTY PRONE TO FLOODING.
SO FOR THE NEXT 2010 TO 20 YEARS, WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AND SEE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE GOT, UM, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WORKING ON A NEW SITE FOR, UM, UM, UM, HO MILLS A FACILITY IN THE NEXT 10 TO 15 YEARS, HOW WE CAN, HOW CAN WE MOVE THEM BECAUSE IT'S A FLOOD ZONE.
AND IT'S GOING TO RE AS FEMA CONTINUE TO DRAW THE MAPS, IT'S GOING TO REM REMAIN AS PART OF THE FLOOD ZONE, AND IT'LL BE CONTINUALLY PRO TO FLOOD.
IN THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, WE LOST ALL OUR EQUIPMENT THAT WAS LEFT THERE.
JUST PUTTING THE EQUIPMENT ON TOP OF THE LANDFILL IS NOT AN OPTION.
IT'S NOT, IT'S TIME THAT WE GET NEW FACILITIES WHERE WE CAN HOUSE OUR EQUIPMENT IN THE TIME OF A DISASTER AND WE DON'T HAVE TO ALWAYS GO TO THE LANDFILL.
SO THAT'S ON THE DRAWING BOARD AS WELL.
BUT TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE, YES, WE ARE GOING TO ADDRESS IT IN THIS FINANCIALLY BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT AN OPTION.
THE FACILITIES WAS DESIGNED MAYBE 40 YEARS AGO, AND IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A PENITENTIARY, AND THAT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE.
AND I PROMISED THEM THAT FOR CHRISTMAS.
I WENT OVER THERE AND I HAD LUNCH WITH THESE PEOPLE AND I PROMISED THEM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING TO GET YOU OUT OF THIS, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S BEING DESIGNED RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE, THERE ARE SEVERAL QUESTIONS, UH, THAT I HAVE AND I'M, I'M GONNA BEGIN AT THE, UH, ANIMAL SHELTER.
WHEN WE FIRST, UH, UH, TALKED ABOUT, UH, APPROVING FUNDS TO, TO REPLACE OR BUILD A NEW ANIMAL SHELTER, AND WE, WE WERE GIVEN A 19 STREET SITE YES.
WHERE THE OLD, UH, WATER TREATMENT WATER TREATMENT YES.
WAS, AND WE WERE MOVING ALONG PRETTY SMOOTHLY WITH THAT MM-HMM.
[00:40:01]
US FROM, FROM MOVING AHEAD.AND SO WE SCRAPPED THOSE PLANS AT THAT TIME.
WELL, WE SCRAPPED THE IDEA OF RELOCATING TO THAT 19TH STREET SITE.
THE PLANS OR THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN THAT WAS DEVELOPED DURING THAT TIME IS STILL VIABLE.
AND WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THE PLANET IN REGARDS TO HOW THE BUILDING WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED ON THE NEW SITE.
WE DIDN'T SCRAP THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THE QUESTION I HAVE HERE IS, UH, WE MOVED ON TO THE GATES SITE.
AFTER THAT, THAT PROPERTY WAS, UH, UH, DONATED OR DEEDED BACK TO THE CITY.
AND WE, WE'VE GOT THE SAME PLAN IN PLACE.
DID WE EVER LOOK AT WHAT THE COST OF REMOVING THAT RETAINING WALL AND, AND WAS IT, UH, NOT FEASIBLE TO, TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? AND STILL, BECAUSE WE STILL ON THAT SITE.
WE ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO MR. JOE WILSON WITH ARSENAL WILSON AND COLE, AND ASKED THAT HE PROVIDES SOME PRELIMINARY, UM, NUMBERS ON, UM, AS WELL AS OUR CITY ENGINEER, EXCUSE ME, MR. JOHN CANELLA.
UM, IN SPEAKING WITH THEM AT THE TIME, UM, THE ESTIMATE THEY GAVE WAS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AND POSSIBLY COULD RISE.
UM, IN REGARDS TO MITIGATING THAT SITE AND GETTING IT BACKFILLED AND, UM, AN ACCEPTABLE SITE, IF YOU WILL, FOR ANY TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT TO GO THERE.
AND, AND WE, WE, WE ARE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, THANK YOU SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
NOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS AND, AND GOT A LITTLE FURTHER ALONG, THE COST OF THE, OF, OF BUILDING THE ANIMAL SHELTER YES.
HAS GROWN TO, WHAT, WHAT'S THE NUMBER? I DON'T WANT TO THROW IT A NUMBER OUT THERE.
WHAT IS, IT'S SIX, 6.65 MILLION.
THAT'S THE CURRENT NUMBER, YES.
AND FOR THE CURRENT BUDGET, EXCUSE ME, FOR THE CURRENT BUDGET.
IF I, AND I THOUGHT I'D HEARD SOME, SOME OTHER NUMBERS THROWN AROUND SOMEWHERE AROUND BETWEEN 10 AND 12 MILLION TO DO NOT FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER AT THIS TIME, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT FINAL NUMBER WOULD BE.
UH, WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, AND OF COURSE, ONCE THAT IS COMPLETED, UH, WE WOULD PUT THAT, UM, DESIGN OUT FOR BID, AND THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD GET MORE OF A HARD FIGURE ON WHAT THAT CONSTRUCTION COST WOULD BE.
BUT GOING BACK TO, UH, THE 19TH STREET SITE TO TO, TO MITIGATE THE ISSUE WITH THE RETAINING WALL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND AGAIN, IT WAS A PRELIMINARY NUMBER.
SO WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT AT 6.5 WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT 7 MILLION.
IF WE DID THE MITIGATION THERE, AND THEN THE 6.5, IF THAT NUMBER REMAINED THE SAME.
AND LET'S JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.
IT, IT WOULD COST US 7 MILLION WITH THE, WITH THAT, THE, THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE, UH, THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED BACK ON.
UH, AND THAT WAS AT, I GUESS THIS WAS PR 22, 2 37.
THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY, UH, TARGETING THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
IT WAS, UM, TARGETING IT, THE ANIMAL SHELTER WAS DEFINITELY THE FOCAL POINT.
HOWEVER, AGAIN, BECAUSE IT WAS 15.2 ACRES OF LAND.
OUR THOUGHT PROCESS WAS THAT WE WENT FROM A FOUR ACRE SITE TO A 15 ACRE SITE.
SO WE DIDN'T WANNA JUST GO OUT THERE AND PLOP AN ANIMAL SHELTER DOWN ANYWHERE, WHICH COULD KIND OF MESS UP THE FLOOR OF THAT SITE.
AND HOW WE MAY WANT TO FU IN THE FUTURE DEVELOP THAT SITE FOR OTHER FACILITIES RIGHT.
OR PROGRAMS OR PURPOSES THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE CAME BACK TO COUNCIL AND ASKED, COULD WE WORK WITH PALL TO DEVELOP A MASTER PLAN ON THE BEST USE OF THAT SITE BASED ON THE NEEDS THAT HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS LEADERSHIP TEAM.
AND SO SUBSEQUENTLY, WHEN, WHEN THEY MADE A PRESENTATION TO US, UH, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, OR A MONTH OR SO AGO, THAT'S WHEN THEY CAME WITH THE, THE COMPLEX.
AND THAT'S WHEN YOU HEARD SEVERAL OF US SAY, WELL, WE NEVER SAW THAT.
WE, WE, WE WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
[00:45:01]
SOMETHING THAT THIS COUNCIL ACTUALLY VOTED ON TO APPROVE, WAS THAT NO, SIR.SO WHAT, WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO US THAT DAY WAS, WAS NEW TO US.
SO, SO THE REACTION WAS, WAS NATURAL, I WOULD THINK.
AND SO, SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT, OKAY, WELL, IF WE, IF WE COMMISSIONED, UH, UH, DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PLAN MM-HMM.
AND THEN WE SOLD THIS BUILDING, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND WE'RE MOVING OUT HERE, AND EVERYTHING'S WORKING TOGETHER.
WE, WE WERE PUTTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER SO THAT, UH, WE CAN MOVE THE CITY FORWARD AND, AND, AND PUT US IN A POSITION TO, TO, TO REVITALIZE OUR DOWNTOWN AS WELL AS SOME OTHER AREAS IN TOWN.
SO WITH THAT MASTER PLAN, UH, AND, AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S TIED INTO WHAT WE DID, DOWN WHAT WE DID WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT MM-HMM.
WE'RE, WE'RE READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER AT GATES.
BUT THE OTHER PART IS NOT, UH, IS NOT SET IN STONE YET.
WE, WE HAVEN'T APPROVED THAT YET.
AND WHAT, I GUESS WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS, IS THAT AS A COUNCIL, THE INFORMATION, THE, THE, THE, THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVE DETERMINES WHAT WE AS A COUNCIL, UH, CAN DETERMINE HOW WE'RE GOING FORWARD, THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAFF AND THE CITY MANAGER.
I THINK EVERY COUNCILPERSON HERE, UH, WANTS THIS CITY TO ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD.
THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THERE ARE SOME, UH, AS FAR AS DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ABOUT, UH, WHERE AND HOW WE DO CERTAIN THINGS.
BUT I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, EVERYBODY HERE WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD AND MOVE INTO THE 21ST CENTURY AND, AND, AND REBUILD PORT ARTHUR TO MAKE IT WHAT, UH, THE, THE, THE DESTINATION PLACE OR, OR, OR A, A, A CITY THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE ATTRACTED TO COME HERE AND, AND RAISE A FAMILY TO BRING A BUSINESS OR WHATEVER.
BUT WE CAN ONLY DO, WELL, WE CAN DO WITH THE INFORMATION THAT'S PRESENTED TO US, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO ACTUALLY GET INTO THE WEEDS ON SOME OF THIS STUFF THAT'S FOR STAFF TO DO.
SO HERE, THE MAYOR MADE, MADE, MADE A PASSIONATE, UH, UH, PRESENTATION, AND SO DID COUNCILWOMAN MOSES ABOUT, AND, AND THOSE ARE ALL DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM AS TO WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
BUT WHEN WE ACTUALLY APPROVE MONEY'S BASED ON WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO US, THEN BEFORE INFORMATION, IF THERE'S A CHANGE IN, IN, IN, IN THE INFOR THE, A CHANGE IN THE DIRECTION THAT STAFF IS WANTING TO GO, BECAUSE DYNAMICS HAVE CHANGED.
SO, AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M HAVING AN ISSUE WITH GOING FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER ON 19TH STREET, IT WOULD COST $500,000 TO DO A, UH, AN ANALYSIS OR, OR MITIGATION OF THAT, THAT PROPERTY, WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE, THE COST OR ADD $500,000 TO A $6.5 MILLION COST, WHICH WOULD RAISE THAT TO 7 MILLION.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO A 15 ACRE SITE AS OPPOSED TO A FOUR ACRE SITE, WHICH IS, AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE TIRE, AN ENTIRE COMPLEX WITH FIRE POLICE AND EVERYTHING.
AND WE JUST COMPLETED AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THING HERE IN, IN THE, IN THE PRESS BUILDING.
[00:50:02]
SO I, WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, TO, TO, TO DO IS, IS TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU MAKE MM-HMM.WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN, BEEN GETTING CLEAR ENOUGH NUMBERS AS TO WHAT THESE THINGS ARE GONNA COST.
WE NOT IN A COMPLETE MASTER PLAN.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ON THE GATE SITE, UH, ANIMAL SHELTER, POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND WHATEVER ELSE YOU, YOU'RE GONNA PUT DOWN THERE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU CAN GIVE US THE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT SET IN STONE, WE COULD STILL USE THAT, THAT PROPERTY ON, ON 19TH STREET IF WE MITIGATE IT AND PUT THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR AN ANIMAL SHELTER, BECAUSE YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RESIDENCES AROUND THERE.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BUSINESSES RIGHT THERE OR ANYTHING.
BUT WE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT 6.5 MILLION FOR AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
AND WE'RE SPENDING, UH, LITTLE OVER 7 MILLION FOR OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AM I RIGHT OR WRONG FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT? WE ARE AT 9.3 MILLION.
AND THAT, THAT CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WAS ALSO APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEY HAVE BEGAN CONSTRUCTION ON THAT.
SO THEY, THE OKAY, SO 9.3 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, WHEN SOME PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT, AND, AND I KNOW INITIALLY IT WASN'T 9.3 FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, IT WAS AROUND SEVEN, RIGHT? SEVEN, I BELIEVE THE ORIGINAL BUDGET FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS ACTUALLY 4.5 MILLION.
AND THAT WAS BASED ON JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T SUBSTANTIATED UPON PLANS.
AND, AND, AND SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ESTIMATES, BUT THEN I KNOW WHEN, WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED, AND I HEARD THOSE NUMBERS, AND I SAID TO MYSELF, WHY WOULD WE SPEND MORE MONEY ON AN ANIMAL SHELTER THAN WE WOULD ON A HEALTH DEPARTMENT? MM-HMM.
BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING CARE OF OUR CHILDREN.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING CARE OF OUR ELDERLY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING CARE OF OUR SICK PEOPLE WITH TUBERCULOSIS AND STUFF.
AND WE'RE FOCUSING MORE MONIES, MORE FUNDING ON AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
AND I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT, AND I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING.
AND I'M GLAD WE IN THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS WORKSHOP NOW, BECAUSE THIS IS A PLACE FOR US TO VOICE THESE THINGS.
IT'S IN WORKSHOPS SO THAT WE CAN GET A TRUE PICTURE, UH, UH, UH, OF WHAT COUNCIL, WHAT EACH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL, HOW WE'VE TAKEN THE, AND DIGESTED THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TO US MM-HMM.
AND THEN THAT WAY WE AS A COUNCIL CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS, AND WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE RELEVANT AND, AND, AND, AND, AND TIMELY.
AND, AND THAT'S THE THING, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING, THE TIME FACTOR HERE IS, UH, IS CRUCIAL MM-HMM.
BUT THAT I I, I, I'VE SAID A LOT, BUT I, I HOPE I WAS CLEAR YES, SIR.
AND, AND, AND SUCCINCT ABOUT WHAT, UH, I'M LOOKING AT AND, AND HOW I'M, I'M, I'M APPROACHING THIS.
BUT I REALLY DO THINK THAT A, A MASTER PLAN AND ALTERNATIVE PLANS CAN BE PUT TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME, AND WE CAN LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AND SEE WHAT'S GONNA BE BEST FOR US GOING FORWARD.
COUNSEL, MAYOR PROTE, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UH, MS. LANGFORD, AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR A VERY COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION.
YOU ALWAYS PROVIDE US INFORMATION WITH ALL OF THE FACTS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
I APPRECIATE YOU FOLLOWING WHAT OUR DECISIONS HAVE BEEN.
MY POINT, AT LEAST, WHAT I WANNA SHARE AND THINK, I, I DO THINK THAT THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS DESERVE NEW ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES.
[00:55:01]
LAST MEETING WAS LOCATION.ONE OF THE POINTS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS MADE, WE JUST CREATED AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FACILITY DOWNTOWN.
AND I THINK HE ALSO MADE THE POINT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT WHAT THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY IS.
SOMETIME AGO, I THINK, UM, WHEN I WAS ON EDC, WE DECIDED THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN.
AND SO WE WERE GONNA GROW THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FROM A DOWNTOWN PERSPECTIVE.
AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT MOVING SOME OF THOSE KEY FACILITIES THAT ARE, ARE BASIC TO A COMMUNITY, TO ANOTHER AREA.
ARE WE GOING TO THEN CONSIDER MOVING CITY HALL DOWN THERE? I WOULD THINK THAT WE HAVE INVESTED QUITE A BIT OF MONEY IN HAVING VARIOUS CONSULTANTS TO LOOK AT THIS BUILDING OR THAT BUILDING OR THAT FACILITY.
AND FUNDS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT DOLLARS, BUT WE ALL KNOW ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THE CONSISTENCY OF SERVICES AND THE FLOW THROUGH OF SERVICES AND HOW WHEN WE OFFER THOSE SERVICES, IF I AM GOING TO GO TO BUILDING INSPECTIONS FOR SOMETHING AND I NEED SOMETHING FROM FIRE ADMINISTRATION, WHICH COULD BE CONSISTENT, THAT THOSE PLACES AREN'T A PLACE WHERE I HAVE TO GO ACROSS TOWN TO GET IT.
NOW, DOES THAT MEAN IT NEEDS TO ALL BE ON GATES? I DON'T KNOW.
OR DOES IT ALL NEED TO BE DOWNTOWN? I DON'T KNOW.
BUT THE ONE THING I HEARD IN THAT I HAD RESERVATIONS, WE HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT IN THE WAY WE DO THAT.
AND HOPEFULLY ONCE THERE IS A MASTER PLAN, THE COUNCILS THAT FOLLOW US WILL SEE WHAT THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY IS, WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HOW WE WANNA GET THERE.
WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING THIS SIDE OF THE CITY AND WHAT BEAUTIFUL WATERFRONT WE HAVE, WHAT AN AMAZING DOWNTOWN AREA WE COULD HAVE.
BUT YET WE WANT TO MOVE THOSE THINGS.
I AGREE 100% THAT WE HAVE ALL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO AS WE BUILD, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST POLICE AND FIRE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOLID WASTE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CITY HALL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, BUT WHERE WE PUT THEM IS SO IMPORTANT TO HOW OUR CITY DEVELOPS.
AND THOSE ARE BASIC CITY SERVICES.
SO THEIR LOCATIONS REALLY NEED TO BE IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLEX.
WHEREVER THAT IS, I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER.
COUNCILMAN MARK, YOU SEE HAVE SOMETHING.
ANYONE ELSE? WELL, UH, COUNCILMAN OF GO, GO AHEAD.
CALL YOU COUNCILMAN, CITY MANAGER.
I'M GLAD THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN MARKS BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
UM, LET ME REMIND COUNCIL, PUT THE MIC A LITTLE CLOSER HERE.
LET ME REMIND COUNCIL THAT THE, UM, WHAT, UM, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER REFERRED TO WITH THE SITE ON 19TH STREET.
IT'S NOT ONLY THE EXISTING FOUNDATION, BUT IT WAS BURIED THERE.
AND IT, IT'S THE, THE COST THAT WAS QUOTED OF $500,000 IS A MINIMUM.
WHAT WAS BURIED THERE, IT WAS CHEAP.
WHOEVER MADE THE DECISION, CITY MANAGER OR COUNSELOR AT THE TIME TO BURY IT, THERE WAS THE CHEAPEST COST AT THE TIME TO BURY IT INSTEAD OF CUTTING IT OUT.
NOW, WHEN YOU OPEN THAT DEAD PERSON'S BOX, YOU BETTER BE PREPARED WHAT, WHATEVER IS BURIED THERE TO BURY IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND AT THE TIME WHEN WE BURIED IT THERE, WE BURIED IT AT THE COST OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAID EVERY TIME FOR IT TO BURY IT THERE.
AND WE DON'T KNOW, THE COST OF $500,000 WAS QUOTED AS A MINIMUM.
IT MIGHT BE $10 MILLION WHEN YOU START DIGGING IT UP, BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS BURIED THERE AT THE TIME AND LEFT ALONE.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE TOLD YOU THE IDEA OF MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO SELL IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE AND DO NOTHING WITH IT.
SO, BUT WHAT WAS BURIED THERE WOULD START AT A MINIMUM COST OF $500,000 TO EXCAVATE IT.
IT MIGHT END UP, IF WE HAVE A BUDGET OF $10 MILLION, TAKING $10 MILLION TO EXCAVATE IT AND DRUM IT, PUT IT IN DRUMS AND TAKE IT TO A SIDEWAY, IT CAN BE REBURIED AGAIN.
[01:00:01]
SO IN THE ENTRIES OF RESOURCES, I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD DECISION TO SAY, WELL, LET'S GO TO ANOTHER SITE THAT'S NOT CONTAMINATED AS THIS SITE IS.NOW, I, WE ARE USING THIS SITE TO STORM MATERIAL FROM THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE BY THERE, WE ARE USING IT TO STORE MATERIAL FOR, UM, OUR STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WHERE WE HAVE ALL THIS MILL MATERIAL FROM FIFTH STREET STREET, FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET, AND OTHER STREETS, WE CAN STORE IT THERE.
ALL THE EXCESS PIPE MATERIAL THAT WE HAVE, WE'RE USING IT RIGHT NOW TO STORE IT THERE.
UM, AGAIN, I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN THE FACT THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO PLAN.
AND I HEARD MS. HOLMES SAY, COUNCILOR MAX, YOU SAID IT'S ECHOED BY COUNCILOR KEN, WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION A VISION FOR THE ENTIRE CITY AS WE CONTINUE TO PLAN THIS THING IS, SO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS SO OLD, NEVER 30 YEARS AND MORE OLD.
I WAS UP UNTIL 1130 LAST NIGHT, TAKING CALLS FROM RESIDENTS IN THE STONEGATE AREA TALKING ABOUT RAW SEWER IN THEIR FRONT YARDS, SENDING ME PICTURES OF IT.
I HAD TO CALL A MEETING THIS MORNING OF THE UTILITY STAFF.
YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS MADE OUT OF CLEAR OUT THERE MORE THAN 30 YEARS OLD.
AND ALL OF IT IS BACKING UP RIGHT NOW.
ALL, YOU KNOW, I GET THE CALLS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF IT IS BACKING UP.
AND THEN WHEN WE THINK WE, IT'S IN ONE AREA, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IT.
HEATING AND CALVIN TELL ME, WELL, YOU JUST CAN'T GO AND ADDRESS HER CONCERN.
YOU GOT TO ADDRESS A FOUR BLOCK CONCERN, SO IT'S NO LONGER $50,000.
IT'S $400,000 RIGHT NOW, AND THEN I'VE GOT TO BRING YOU A MEMO TO DO AN EMERGENCY CARD.
YOU KNOW, NOW, NO, THIS IS A $400,000 THAT WE'VE GOT TO TRANSFER FROM ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE INTENDED TO IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE YOU, AS A COUNCIL, OUR BEST AVAILABLE PRACTICES AND PROCESSES AS YOU CONTINUE TO GIVE US THE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE AT, AT, AT OUR DISPOSAL.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL SUMMED UP IN ADDRESSING THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL.
NEVER BEFORE, NEVER BEFORE WE HAD A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN.
NEVER BEFORE I LOST MY PARENTS WHEN I CAME TO THE PODIUM THERE BY A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO UNDRESSED ME ABOUT A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN, TOLD ME, AND WE DON'T NEED THAT.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE, THE, THE FUNDING AGENCIES OR OUR CREDITORS TOLD TO US, THAT IS WHY YOU CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A GOOD CREDIT RATING.
YOU ARE TELLING ME WHERE THE CITY IS GOING WITH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
WE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN.
YOU ARE TELLING ME HOW YOU ARE ABOUT TO GROW.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, HOW YOU WILL CONTINUE TO ADDRESS SERVICES THAT PRODUCES REVENUE FOR YOU.
WE WILL HAVE IMPROVEMENTS, PLAN, AND, AND SO WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO GROW ON THAT TRAJECTORY.
IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THAT.
I'M, I'M GLAD THAT COUNSELOR MAX BROUGHT OF THE ISSUE WITH, WITH THE, UH, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, IF WE DID NOT GET 26.7 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE EXTRA $45 MILLION THAT WE NEEDED.
WE DID NOT HAVE TO GO TO, TO THE, UM, TO, TO OUR, OUR, UM, OUR BUDGET OR RECURRENT BUDGET TO ADDRESS IT.
IT WAS ADDRESSED THE SHORTFALL FOR THE COVID CENTER.
REMEMBER AT ONE TIME WE SPOKE ABOUT THE, UH, UH, UH, PRECINCT ALL THERE AS PART OF THE, THE, THE FACILITY.
THEN WE SAID, NO, MS. JU NEEDED A CENTER.
SO IF A PANDEMIC OCCURS, NOT IF WHEN IT OCCURS AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THE FACILITIES IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THAT.
YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT IT, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE RE THE RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN UTILIZED.
WE HAVE NOT GONE TO THE GENERAL FUND AS YET TO UTILIZE $1 FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO DO THOSE PROJECTS, SPECIFICALLY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, NOT $1 APART FROM WHAT HAS BEEN PROMOTED BY
[01:05:02]
CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.BUT THE EXPANSION, THE ADDITIONAL COST HAS BEEN COVERED BY THE, AND THE, THE MONEY FOR COVID SPECIFICALLY STATED SO THAT YOU HAD TO USE THAT MONEY FOR A COVID RELATED PROJECT.
WE WERE, WERE ABLE TO GET OTHER IN 18 MILLION THAT WAS LIT LATER, REDUCED TO 15 MILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT FOR, AGAIN, TO ADDRESS THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE HAVING WITH, UM, WATER AND WASTEWATER FACILITIES, UM, WE HAVE ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE HAD WITH THE LANDFILL.
UM, THE SLIPPAGE WHEN WE HAD, UM, THE ICE STORM, $1.5 MILLION WITHOUT GOING INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
AGAIN, THOSE ACCOUNTS ARE ENTERPRISE ACCOUNTS.
WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THE MONEY, IT HAS TO DRAW THE MONEY LIKE, LIKE, LIKE A PRIVATE FUND IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE THERE.
BUT AGAIN, WITH THE COVID MONEY AND, AND, AND, UM, WHAT WE GOT 27, 26 0.7 MILLION, WE COULD USE IT FOR DEBT.
PART OF IT WE COULD USE FOR DEBT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD INCREASE THAT THRESHOLD.
SO WE COULD HAVE UTILIZED MUCH MORE OF IT.
SO I THINK WE HAVE BEEN FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE IN DOING THAT.
IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, THE, OUR CHALLENGE IS VERY CHALLENGING ON A DAILY BASIS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU, WHAT, WHAT HAS BEEN BUDGETED TO BE DONE.
AND WHEN YOU COME IN, IN THE MORNING AND, AND THE UTILITIES DIRECTOR HITS YOU WITH, LIKE, JUST LAST NIGHT, SHE SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ON A CRISIS MODE RIGHT NOW WITH THE, UM, POT ACRES.
OUR, OUR WATER TREATMENT PLAN.
WE NEED TO SPEND AT LEAST $250,000 EMERGENCY BEFORE WE COMPROMISE THE QUALITY OF THE WATER.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS OLD.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE PLANNING AHEAD.
WE ARE PLANNING AHEAD, WE ARE PLANNING AHEAD, AND THANK GOD WE PLANNED AHEAD AND WE ARE ABLE TO REALIZE THAT WE HAVE A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN.
RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT $67 MILLION, YOU KNOW, THAT IS DONE.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING AHEAD FOR FRESH WATER AS WELL.
IF WE GOT TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS A MUNICIPALITY, AS I MENTIONED IT TO THE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FIGURE FLOATING AROUND 365 MILLION THAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS OUR WATER FACILITY.
I MENTIONED THAT TO YOU YESTERDAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THE CASUAL DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE ABLE, IF WE ARE GOING TO ATTRACT THE PORT ARTHUR, L AND G, SIMPLER, LG, WHO IS COMING FROM KOREA TO US, YOU KNOW, LGS IS TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING 250 ACRES RIGHT NOW, UM, OUT THERE, UM, NEXT TO GT ON THE PORT RIGHT IN YOUR BACKYARD.
NOW, IT'S NO LONGER WANDERING.
AND IF WE ARE TO POSITION OURSELVES IN ORDER TO TAKE THEM ON AND ADDRESS THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS MORE, SO WATER, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT A 365 BILLION INVESTMENT IN WATER FACILITIES FOR THOSE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF IT, AS WELL AS ADDRESSING OUR RESIDENTS NEEDS AS WELL.
SO WE ARE MAKING, WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT IT'S GRADUAL PROGRESS THAT WE ARE MAKING.
WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT WE NEED, WE ARE LOOKING ALSO AT THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT, INDUSTRY IS PLAYING A GAME WITH US NOW AS WE CONTINUE, AND, AND YOU'LL GET THE INFORMATION WHEN YOU GO DOWNSTAIRS AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THESE IDEAS AND YOU CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE TAXING VALUES OF THOSE IDEAS.
THEY'RE NOT GOING UP EVERY YEAR.
IF YOU LOOK AT THEM, THEY'RE GOING DOWN.
WE CONTINUE TO REDUCE TAXES ON PROPERTY.
IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE LESS MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO KEEP OUR RESIDENTS HAPPY.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE DEMANDS BY THE PUBLIC IS THERE.
EVERYONE IS DEMANDING PORTABLE DRINKING WATER, GOOD ROADS, SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO RESPOND IN TIME WHEN WE CALL THEM.
BUT THOSE REQUIRE RESOURCES THOUGH.
AND THERE'S ONLY THAT POT OF MONEY THAT WE'VE GOT TO WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE, WE ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE THE BEST THAT WE
[01:10:01]
CAN TO YOU AS A COUNSELOR.YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE MAKING, WE'RE PUTTING ALL THE CAPABILITIES THAT WE HAVE TOGETHER, THE IDEAS AND PRESENTING IT TO YOU IN THE FORM OF A PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UP NOT ONLY SUCCESSFUL, BUT WE ARE PREPARED, WE ARE PREPARED WHEN THE DISASTER STRIKES.
THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY STILL IN THE KITTY, YOU KNOW, THAT FEMA CANNOT LOOK AT US AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO PAY.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF OUR CITIZENS TO GET OUT OF HAMS. WE, AND, UM, I JUST, FOR THEM TO COME BACK AND FOR THEM TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAVE WITH THEIR PROPERTY AS WE CONTINUE TO PLAN FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
SO I'M THANKFUL, I'M THANKFUL FOR YOUR RESPONSES AND I'M THANKFUL FOR YOUR INPUT AS WELL.
IT, IT'S, UH, IT'S REFRESHING AND INVIGORATING TO HEAR YOUR HEART AND, UM, AND THE HEART THAT YOU HAVE FOR OUR CITY AND THE NEED THAT YOU SEE THAT WE NEED TO DO THE THINGS THAT YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE OUTLINED THAT WE NEED TO DO.
UH, YOU SAY WE'VE BEEN MOVING INCREMENTALLY, UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN, UM, UH, AND SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT.
UM, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, YOU SHOWED ME A, A STRATEGIC PLAN.
YOU SHOWED ME A BOOKLET AND YOU KNOW, THAT THAT UTILIZED THE STRENGTH THAT YOU HAVE AS A CITY PLANNER.
UM, HAVE WE, HAVE WE UTILIZED THAT IN THE DECISION MAKING THAT YOU ARE PRESENTING TOWARD US BECAUSE THAT, THAT PLAN WAS PUT TOGETHER BY THE CITIZENRY OF OUR, OF, OF, OF PORT ARTHUR.
THEIR INPUT WAS A PART OF THAT.
AND SO THEY SAID WHERE THEY WANTED THEIR CITY TO BE, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 YEAR, THEIR INPUT WAS PUT INTO THAT BOOKLET.
AND SO WE'VE GOT A MAP, WE'VE GOT A STRATEGIC PLAN, AND WE ALL NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF THAT PLAN.
AND AS, AND YOU NEED TO MAKE US AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THOSE PLANS ARE BEING UTILIZED AS WE GO FORWARD.
IT TELLS US WHERE THE CITIZENS WANTED THE, THE DOWNTOWN.
IT TELLS US WHERE THEY WANTED THINGS TO BE RECREATIONALLY AND, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND SO AS YOU ALIGN THAT WITH THE PLANS THAT YOU BRING TO US, THEN, I MEAN, YOU CAN REFER TO THAT LINE BY LINE, UH, AND SAY ACCORDING TO THE STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO BE APPRISED OF THAT SO THAT WE KNOW THAT, THAT YOU ARE NOT JUST FLYING BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS.
THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS JUST HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU'RE PULLING IT OUT OF AIR, OUT OF THE AIR.
AND SO THAT HELPS US AS WELL, UH, TO KNOW THAT, THAT IT IS LYING THAT HELPS THE CITIZENS TO KNOW THAT THEIR WANTS AND THEIR WISHES, PERHAPS NOT JUST A SINGLE COUNCIL OR A SINGLE COUNCIL PERSON, BUT THAT THE CITY HAD COME TOGETHER AND DEVELOPED THAT STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, AS WELL.
SO YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT OR, OR, BUT THAT'S WHAT I FEEL AS, AS WELL.
THAT THIS IS THE LAST COMPONENT OF OUR PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, AND, AND WE ARE ADDRESSING IT.
WE ARE GOING TO GO, WE'RE GOING TO SHARE IT WITH YOU AND CITY MANAGER, IF I MAY.
YEAH, BEFORE WE MOVED ON FROM, FROM THAT, ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR, AS THE, YOU KNOW, UH, I GUESS WHEN, BACK OVER AT THE EDC BEFORE WE CAME ON COUNCIL, WE TALKED ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE PIPING, ESPECIALLY, AND I KNOW IN CERTAIN SECTIONS OF MY DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY OVER HERE ON THE WEST SIDE, ON TERMINAL ROAD EXTENS, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT REPLACING ALL OF THAT CLAY PIPING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
AND I THOUGHT WE HAD ALLOCATED FUNDS TO, TO START DOING THAT.
HAVE, BUT WE HAVE NOT, THAT WE HAVE NOT STARTED TO MOVE.
DO WE HAVE A TIMETABLE FOR WHEN WE ARE GONNA START? YEAH.
THE, THE APPROACH IS, UM, WHAT HAVE ASSISTED US COUNSELOR IN TAKING A VERY TARGETED, MEASURED, MEASURED AND, AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH IS OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN.
AND, UM, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN, UM, WE WERE NOT AS MEASURED AND AS TARGETED AS WE NEEDED TO BE.
I E WE STUDIED ON A ROAD PROGRAM, THE STREET PROGRAM, AND YOU SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO STREETS, BUT WE SOON FOUND THAT
[01:15:01]
DR.KING LAW STUDIED A STREET FOR $700,000 THAT MUSHROOM INTO $1.4 MILLION
ISN'T THAT RIGHT? THANK, THANK YOU.
RO PIAN TO HIM, WE PIAN WE NEEDED TO KNOW THAT PIAN TO HIM,
BECAUSE WHAT WE NEVER FACTOR IN WAS THERE WAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE PART OF IT THAT YOU RELATED TO THE MANHOLES, THE SIDEWALKS, THE TREES, THE LIGHTS, THE FIBER OPTICS.
WE NEVER HAD A DISCUSSION WITH UTILITIES.
THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT WAS NOT TALKING TO THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, AND SO YOU SAW WHEN WE GOT THERE, YOU HAD TO MAKE A DECISION, WELL, DO WE DO IT NOW OR DO WE DO WE DO IT LATER? AND WE HAD TO DO IT NOW BECAUSE WHY PUT ON THE STREET FOR $700,000 AND COME AND DIG IT UP? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T, DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
JUST LIKE THE MAYOR, WE HAVE HAD VISITS BY, UM, VARIOUS, UM, UM, UM, VENDORS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UM, MARKETING DIFFERENT FORMS OF, OF, OF MANHOLES AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, THEY COME INTO THE CITY, WE SAID, WELL, IF WE WANT TO PLAN FOR THE LONG TERM INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO ADOPT.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE DO TOO, IN PLACE THAT WILL LAST US 50, 60, 70 YEARS DOWN THE LINE.
SO WITH ALL PS WE HAD TO CONTINUE TO ADJUST WHAT WE ARE DOING.
AND SO WHAT I HAVE, WHEN WE DO THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT TALKING TO THE STREETS DEPARTMENT, AND THEY INDICATE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, BOTH OF THEM.
AND THAT IS HOW WE ARRIVE AT THE COST FOR THE STREET, GET BOTH THE UTILITIES DONE AT THE SAME TIME.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO TALK ABOUT, YOU'VE GOT TO, TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES ARE BEING PLACED THERE RIGHT.
IN ORDER TO ADDRESS IT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO YES, WE HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE MISSED CERTAIN THINGS IN THE PAST, BUT WE'RE IMPROVING ON THAT.
AND WE ARE DEFINITELY MAKING IT PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS RIGHT NOW WHEN WE, THIS YEAR WHEN WE, WE GO TO BUDGET, THE UTILITIES AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS TO SIT DOWN.
THESE ARE THE STREETS THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO.
YOU TELL ME WHAT YOUR COURSE IS IN TERMS OF UTILITIES, AND YOU, AND EVEN NOW, EVEN NOW, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED IT, YOU KNOW, AS WE ARE DOING IT RIGHT NOW, YOU TELL ME WHAT THE COURSE IS FROM THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DESIGN, PLAN DESIGN AND WE CAN EXECUTE WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.
WELL, UH, COUNCIL MOSES, YOUR LIFE MANAGER.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT WHEN WE STARTED ON STREETS, WE WERE SO DESPERATE TO GET STARTED.
WE WERE JUST ABOUT AT OUR WITS END BECAUSE WE KEPT GIVING, KEPT GETTING SO MUCH.
I THINK THAT THERE, OF COURSE, WE KNOW THERE WERE MISTAKES MADE EARLY ON BECAUSE WE WERE DESPERATE.
IT WAS, WHEN WE GOT HERE 16 AND 2017, IT WAS, IT, IT WAS, IT WAS, I, I CAN'T EVEN, I DON'T THINK I HAVE WORDS BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE WERE UPSET ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE PLANNING AND PLANNING AND PLANNING AND PLANNING, BUT WE NEVER SAW TRUCKS AND NEVER SAW WORK BEING DONE.
AND I THINK SOME THINGS WERE RUSHED, UM, AND NOW WE KNOW BETTER, UM, AS YOU LEARN AS YOU GO.
SO I THINK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN BETTER.
YES, BUT WE ARE WORKING TOWARD THE END.
WE'RE UTILITIES AND EVERYTHING UNDERGROUND HAS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE YOU PUT A STREET OUT.
BUT I THINK THE CITIZENS, WE WERE SO HUNGRY AT THAT COUNCIL AT THE TIME TO GET SOMETHING DONE THAT I THINK WE RUSHED THROUGH SOME THINGS IN THE DEFENSE OF THE COUNCIL THAT WAS SERVING AT THE TIME.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE COUNCIL TOO, BECAUSE WE HAD ADOPTED SOME POLICY WHERE WE DECIDED THAT WE JUST GOING TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY AND AS YOU KNOW, IN ONE DISTRICT AND SO ON.
BUT THANK YOU, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEEN THE COOPERATION OF COUNCIL WILLING TO WORK WITH EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS, NOT ONLY OF THEIR OWN DISTRICT RIGHT.
AND THAT SHOWS A SENSE OF MATURITY AND GROUP AS FAR AS THE COUNCIL IS CONCERNED.
AND, UH, SINCE COUNCIL, UH, WELL, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR, I'M SORRY,
I BELIEVE YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH IS THE MASTER PLAN OF THE CITY.
IT IS A YANG LAND USE PLAN THAT WE USE EVERY SINGLE DAY AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
AND SO YES, WE DO REFER TO THAT PLAN WHEN WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, UM, AS IT RELATES TO HOW THE CITY HAS PLANNED OUT IN TERMS OF LAND USE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR THAT, UM, AS THE MANAGER
[01:20:01]
INDICATED, WE WILL DISCUSS, UM, THE STRATEGIC PLAN MOVING FORWARD, BUT THE MASTER PLAN IS THE YALE YOUTH PLAN OF THE CITY THAT WE DO FREQUENTLY USE.AND WE'LL ACTUALLY BE BRINGING AN ITEM BACK TO COUNCIL THIS FISCAL YEAR TO DO THE UPDATE TO THAT PLAN WHERE WE WILL REACH BACK OUT TO THE CITIZENRY, UM, REGARDING WHAT CHANGES THAT THEY MAY WANT TO SEE MADE TO THAT PLAN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR THIS, FOR THIS DISCUSSION.
AND I GUESS I BEGAN, SO I WOULD TRY TO END IT AND WE CAN MOVE TO ANOTHER, ANOTHER AREA.
BUT BEFORE WE WOULD DO THAT, I, I, I, UH, I'VE GATHERED SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, FIRST EXPOUND UPON THAT FACT.
MY, UH, POSITION OF WEAPONS OR POINT OF REFERENCE, IF YOU WILL, IS FROM THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT I BECAME AWARE OF, THAT IT WAS, I THINK DONE IN 2015 OR 16 WHEN I CAME ON BOARD IN 2019.
I EMBRACED IT AND I HAVE TRIED TO EMBRACE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO MY, UH, POINT OF REFERENCE AND THE POSITION THAT I TAKE ON THE ISSUES NOT BEING CLOSED MINDED, ANYTHING ELSE, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF MY BUYING INTO OR HAVING BOUGHT INTO WHAT FREEZING NICKELS HAS BEEN PAID HANDSOMELY BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND SAYING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO ADAMANT ABOUT, UH, AND UH, ABOUT MY POSITIONING ON THAT NOW.
BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY LIFE AND WHAT HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT IN MY LIFE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, YOU KNOW, VOCAL MUSIC HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT TO ME IN PORT ARTHUR FROM A LITTLE BOY UP TO ADULTHOOD.
MUSIC IS GOOD EVEN BECAUSE THE SAME CONCEPT IS USED IN VOCAL MUSIC.
WE HAVE A SOPRANO, AN ALTO, A BASS, AND A TENOR, BUT WE ALL SING THE SAME SONG.
HOWEVER WE SING VARIOUS OR DIFFERENT PARTS, MY NOTE OR MIGHT SEE MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME SEED THAT SOPRANO SINGS.
OKAY? OR MY G MAY NOT BE THE SAME G THAT THE ALTO SINGS, BUT WE, BECAUSE WE ARE ON THE SAME SCORE, YET WE ARE ON A TREVOR CLIFF OR A BASS CLIFF, IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING.
NOW, WITH THAT IN MIND, I BELIEVE THAT WHAT I'VE COME UP WITH AFTER HEARING WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, HEARING, YOU ARE ELOQUENT AND MOST INTELLIGENT PRESENTATION.
SHOULD WE USE THIS PROPERTY FOR PUBLIC WORKS CUZ PUBLIC WORKS IS IN A FLOOD ZONE, OR SHOULD WE USE THE PROPERTY FOR THE SAFETY POSITION THAT WE ARE BASICALLY HAVING THIS DISCUSSION? HAVE WE STUDIED THIS COMPLEX EVER? AND I REITERATE THIS BEING PLACED IN SOME STRATEGIC AREA DOWNTOWN.
WHAT IS A PROPOSED TIMETABLE TO COME UP WITH A DEFINITE DECISION ON WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO NEXT? THERE ARE ENERGY GRANTS.
I AM SORT OF LIKE THE CONTACT PERSON FOR THE CITY IN THIS GRANT PROCESS THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS, UH, RELIGIOUSLY, IF YOU WILL, DONE FOR MUNICIPALITIES, FOR VILLAGES, FOR RESERVATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES, BOTH LARGE AND SMALL, ALL OVER AMERICA IN THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW WHERE THERE ARE MONIES AVAILABLE.
AND THAT'S PUT IN THESE VARIOUS, UH, CABINET TYPE OFFICES THAT ACTUALLY OVERSEE THE MONIES AS THEY COME TO COMMUNITIES.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE COUNCILMAN MARKS ALLUDED TO IT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE SOME FINANCIAL PART CONNECTED TO IT OR MONEY, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A FINANCIAL PERSON THERE.
YOU KNOW, WHENEVER YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS, YOU GOING TO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT HOW IS IT GOING TO BE PAID FOR.
SO THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT MOOT.
AND IF I SAID THAT EARLIER, I APOLOGIZE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I SAID IT OR NOT, BUT IT'S NOT MOOT BECAUSE IT BRINGS ON I THINK, AN ELEVATED AREA OF THINKING
[01:25:01]
WHERE NOW WE WOULD THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, SOME OF US CALL IT, OR IN A MORE STRATEGIC THOUGHT PROCESS ON WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO.WE KNOW THAT SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.
SO I APPLAUD YOU CITY MANAGER AND AND AND YOUR ASSISTANT AND MANAGERS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AGAIN, IF I SAID ANYTHING IN ANY TYPE WAY, THAT'S JUST THERMO AND THAT'S HOW I TALK.
NOTHING, NONE OF IT IS PERSONALLY DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU.
THAT'S JUST MY POSITION ON HOW I FEEL.
IF I DIFFER WITH COUNCILWOMAN MOSES, THAT AIN'T THE FIRST TIME, AND I'M MORE THAN SURE IN THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS, IT WON'T BE THE LAST TIME.
OKAY? BUT WE CAN BE IN THE SAME ROOM AND SEE DIFFERENT COLORS OF THE ROOM.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE THERE'S MORE THAN ONE INDIVIDUAL THINKING DIALOGUE IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL.
BUT DIALOGUE IS GOOD AND A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY SUCH AS PORT ARTHUR, BECAUSE THE DECISIONS THAT WE ARE MAKING MAYOR REPORT TO HIM, AS YOU SAID, IT'S NOT JUST FOR US TODAY.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSS HAVE A BEARING ON THE NEXT 25 YEARS.
KEN LAW SAY HE'S NOT GONNA BE HERE, I'M GONNA BE HERE
UH, ON THE NEXT 25 YEARS AND THE 25 YEARS AFTER THAT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN A FACILITY THAT I SAW BEING BUILT AS A TEENAGER, NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS, AND I WOULD'VE LOST THE, THE BET THAT I WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT I WOULD'VE BEEN THE MAYOR SERVING IN THIS BUILDING.
THAT'S WHY I CAN MAKE THE STATEMENT EARLIER.
THEY PROBABLY HAD HEAT HERE AND BURNING SADDLES HERE BEING THE MAYOR, BUT THURMAN BARCHI HERE, BEEN THE MAYOR.
SOME DAYS I DON'T HAVE AIR AND I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE HEAT.
OKAY? BUT I SAY THAT BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED THEN? WE ARE STILL LIVING IN THIS FACILITY NOW, ALMOST 50 YEARS LATER.
OKAY? SO WE, WE WANT TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT WHAT WE DECIDE NOW, OUR GRANDCHILDREN, OUR GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, IF THEY'RE STILL IN PORT ARTHUR, WOULD BE RECIPIENTS OF WHAT THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL WITH THIS, OKAY? AND AGAIN, DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONAL.
IT'S A POSITION THAT A, AN INDIVIDUAL TAKES HERE IS BASICALLY POLITICAL.
OKAY? I WOULD LOOK AT IT THAT WAY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO SAY THAT, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT IT IS.
SO ARE WE PREPARED NOW TO MOVE TO THE NEXT AISLE? YES.
SO KIND SINCE YOU'RE PREACHING THE SERMON, I NEED TO PICK UP ALL.
[III.2 To Discuss The Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) Contribution Rate Analysis]
NEXT ITEM IS NUMBER TWO TO DISCUSS THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL RETIREMENT T M R S CONTRIBUTIONS, UH, RATE ANALYSIS.AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE THAT SHEET HERE, RIGHT? YEAH, GO RIGHT AHEAD, DOCTOR.
UH, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, WE DON'T INTEND TO BE VERY LONG, BUT THE QUESTION WAS RAISED REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY AND THE ANALYSIS OF MOVING THE CITY'S RETIREMENT, UH, CONTRIBUTION RATE FROM THE CURRENT 5% TO 6% OR 7%.
AND OF COURSE, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE RETIREMENT BENEFITS ARE ONE OF THE KEY BENEFITS THAT CITY EMPLOYEES ENJOY, AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TO THEM, UH, IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY.
WE HAVE WITH US, UH, MS. CANDY DANIEL, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, AND ALSO MS. TAIKA WILLIAMS, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, TO PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION TO YOU SHOULD YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT WE'VE PASSED OUT A HANDOUT TO YOU THAT BASICALLY TELLS YOU WHAT THE INCREASE IN OUR CONTRIBUTION RATE WOULD BE.
DOES ALL THE COUNCIL HAVE THAT? MM-HMM.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE THAT TO MOVE OUR CURRENT CONTRIBUTION RATE FROM THE 5% TO 6% WOULD INCREASE OUR CONTRIBUTION RATE FROM 13.86%
[01:30:02]
TO 18.44%.AND TO MOVE OUR, UH, CONTRIBUTION RATE FROM 5% TO 7% WOULD INCREASE OUR CONTRIBUTION RATE TO 23.24%.
WE ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE ARE NUMBERS THAT DON'T ASSUME ANY COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS, UH, DOESN'T ASSUME ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES AND ALSO INCLUDES FIRE.
EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT PART OF TM R S, WE DO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OF THE SIMILAR NATURE TO THEIR RETIREMENT PLAN.
SO THE NUMBERS, AS YOU SEE, INDICATE THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO GO TO, UH, 6% WOULD INCREASE OUR BUDGET BY 2.5 MILLION, AND THAT'S AN ONGOING INCREASE.
AND THAT IF WE WERE TO GO TO, UH, 7%, IT WOULD INCREASE OUR BUDGET BY 5.1 MILLION.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY THAT BASED ON WHAT STAFF IS LOOKING AT AT THIS POINT, THOSE COSTS WOULD APPEAR TO BE PROHIBITIVE WITHOUT LOOKING AT DOING SOME TYPE OF REDUCTION IN SERVICES.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THE COUNCIL HAD ANTICIPATING WANTING TO DO.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION TO YOU SO YOU WOULD HAVE IT.
UH, OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO BE ENTERING THE BUDGET PROCESS WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, BUT WE WANTED YOU TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION TODAY SO THAT WE WILL PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.
OKAY? UH, COUNCILWOMAN MOSES, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
WE DO PROVIDE, UM, THAT 5.1 DOES PROVIDE THE TWO TO ONE MATCH ON THE CITY SIDE.
IT WOULD KEEP ALL THE CURRENT BENEFITS THE SAME.
EMPLOYEES GONNA PAY ONE PORTION OF THAT, RIGHT? AND THEN CORRECT.
THE CITY IS GOING TO PAY THE TWO TO ONE, TWO TO ONE, RIGHT? THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE VESTED WITH 10 YEARS OR MORE, RIGHT? THAT WOULD CONTINUE AS IT IS AND IT'S GONNA INCREASE OUR BUDGET.
DO WE KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE 20 OR 25 YEAR EMPLOYEES? UM, I DON'T RIGHT OFF, UH, COUNCILWOMAN HOME, BUT, UM, THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT I CAN PROVIDE TO YOU.
THE REASON I WAS ASKING, BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE RETIRE, THEN YOU BRING PEOPLE IN AT A LOWER SALARY, SO THERE'S SOME COST SAVINGS MM-HMM.
SO I, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I ASK.
I CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON IT? UM, COUNCILMAN IT WOULD YEAH, I WOULD GLAD THAT GO AHEAD.
COUNCIL HOLMES BROUGHT THAT UP.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE WILL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE CONTINUE TO MALL OVER THIS PROPOSAL IS WHETHER WE CAN'T CHEW GOVERNMENT WALK WITH THIS ONE AT THE SAME TIME.
AND AS I TOLD DEPARTMENT HEADS LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, WE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE TO TIGHTEN OUR VALVE WITH OUR BUDGETS, OUR RECURRENT BUDGETS, BECAUSE WE CAN, WE CAN CONTINUE TO LOOK AT SAVINGS IN THE RECURRENT BUDGET.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE CAN'T GIVE YOU A THREE OR 4% INCREASE COST OF LIVING, PLUS GIVE YOU 7%.
SO YOU, WE ARE GOING HAVE TO CHOOSE ONE.
UM, WITH, WE SPENT $1.7 MILLION FOR THE 7% INCREASE.
IT WAS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE SPEND FOR, UM, THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE THAT WE GIVE.
SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FREEZE IT FOR FREE OR TWO, THREE OR FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW? AND, UM, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THE EDUCATION THAT'S NECESSARY TO LET THE EMPLOYEES KNOW THAT IF THE COST OF, UH, LIVING CONTINUES TO RISE AS IT IS, AND INFLATION, YOU GOING TO BE BETTER OFF WHEN YOU GET TO THAT GOLDEN AGE AND NOT LIVE ON A LIMITED INCOME.
AT LEAST YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY WHEN YOUR PENSION COMES IN.
YOU KNOW, AND I THINK EVERYBODY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHO IS RETIRED, YOU KNOW THAT AT LEAST YOU WANT TO HAVE THE ASSURANCE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU COULD LIVE COMFORTABLY AND PAY FOR YOUR MEDICINE AND WHATEVER.
SO WE HAVE TO ADD THE EDUCATION PIECE TO STAFF, YOU KNOW, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE TO, THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS AS WELL.
ARE WE GOING TO PUT ASIDE, LET'S SAY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR INTO A SPECIAL FUND AND THEN AFTER A PERIOD OF TWO FREE YEARS IMPLEMENT IT? THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION THAT WE HAVE INSTEAD OF JUST IMPLEMENTING IT ALL AT ONE TIME.
SO WE'LL COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATION, WE'LL LOOK AT IT AND WE'LL COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE COUNCIL TO HAVE THE FINAL
[01:35:01]
C ON IT AS WE MOVE AHEAD.AND JUST ONE OTHER THING, TO THE MANAGER'S POINT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HUMAN RESOURCES IS WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY IN IS IN THE AREA OF PERSONAL FINANCE AND FINANCIAL PLANNING.
WE'RE GOING TO BE LAUNCHING TWO PROGRAMS TO HELP EMPLOYEES PLAN FOR THINGS LIKE RETIREMENT, SENDING KIDS TO COLLEGE, BUYING A HOUSE.
UH, WE RECOGNIZE, AND THE MANAGERS RIGHT ON POINT THAT IN ALL MANY CASES, IT IS A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE THAT HURTS PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING, SAVING.
UH, MANY OF US HAVE NOT HAD THE ACCESS TO FINANCIAL PLAN OR SOMEBODY TO HELP US MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND LEARN ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND THEY'LL BE PROVIDED AT NO COST TO THE EMPLOYEES.
UH,
YOU WANT YOUR MONEY RIGHT THERE, BUT AT 50 AND 2% IT MAKES A MAJOR DIFFERENCE, AND EMPLOYEES REALLY NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON THAT.
UM, I'M SO GLAD YOU ALL SAID THE EDUCATION PIECE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU COME IN, THE CITY YOU'RE WORKING AT, UH, CAME AT, UH, AT 25 YEARS OLD, I, ALL I WAS WORRIED ABOUT WAS MY DEDUCTIONS.
AND SO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, I GOT FOUR KIDS, THEY'RE ALL UNDER, THEY'RE ALL STAIRSTEPS AND YEAH.
YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T CARE IF THE RETIREMENT WAS 2% OR 5% THE MONEY I NEEDED TO, TO BRING HOME.
SO EDUCATION IS GONNA BE VERY VITAL TO, UH, LETTING STAFF KNOW THAT THIS IS IN A LONG TERM IS, UH, IS IS FOR YOUR BENEFIT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, BUT YOU'RE GONNA SEE A REDUCTION.
AND WHEN PEOPLE SEE REDUCTION IN THAT, UH, AS A NEW EMPLOYEE IN, IN THEIR SIDE OF IT, AND THEN, UH, BECAUSE ALL, ALL THEY'RE THINKING RIGHT NOW IS I GOTTA MAKE IT.
AND SO THAT EDUCATION COMPONENT IS GOING TO BE ESSENTIAL, UM, TO, UM, OUR EMPLOYEES.
BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE I WAS WHEN I STARTED HERE AT THE CITY, I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT RETIREMENT.
I THINK ABOUT IT TILL I GOT TO, YOU KNOW, CLOSER TO THAT AGE.
UH, SOME WILL EMBRACE IT EARLY ON KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE TO PLAN FOR THEIR FUTURE, BUT SOME WILL, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO, TO SEE THAT THEN NO RAISES.
IF THEY CAN'T SEE AN INCREASE, THAT 4% IS LIFE.
FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE THAT 4%, IF WE ARE HOLDING BACK ON THAT IN ORDER TO GIVE YOU THE 7% OR 6%, PEOPLE ARE JUST SO IMMEDIATE.
IT'S LIKE INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK, THEY, IT'S RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO LET FOLK KNOW HOW THIS WILL WORK OUT FOR THEM.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? GO AHEAD, SAY IT AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I, I FEEL, UM, I FEEL THAT THE, I I FEEL THE SENSE OF COMMITMENT THOUGH TO THE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE PROVIDED 30 YEAR SERVICE, 40 YEAR SERVICE TO THE CITY.
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE STARTED OVER $5 AN HOUR TO WORK FOR THE CITY, AND THEY HAVE GIVEN THEIR ENTIRE LIFE TO THE CITY.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE COMPASSIONATE THOUGH, AND AND APPLAUD PEOPLE.
SOME OF THEM ARE STILL WORKING NOW, AND IF IT WASN'T, THEY PINCHING THEIR PENNIES AND INVESTING HERE AND THERE.
YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE THE CITY ON A LIMITED PENSION AND STILL PINCH PENNIES,
AND THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THE CITY THOUGH.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THE CITY.
SO WE GOT TO BE COMPASSIONATE WITH PEOPLE LIKE THAT, THOUGH.
WE GOT TO BE, IT'S, THE FIGURE SEEMS LARGE, BUT I THINK OUR BEST ASSET IS THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM, THESE PEOPLE GET UP EVERY DAY AND DRIVE A TRUCK INTO A LANDFILL THAT MANY OF US WOULDN'T DO IN THE CONDITIONS, UNDER THE CONDITIONS, WHETHER IT'S RAIN OR SLEETER, HURRICANE.
AND SOME OF THEM HAVE GONE OUT THEIR CUTTING GRASS FOR YEARS, UPON YEARS UPON YEARS, 20 YEARS, 40 YEARS WASN'T LIKE TODAY THOUGH, APART FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THAT THEY WILL, THEY HAD TO FACE.
YOU KNOW? SO WE GOT TO APPLAUD THEM FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE CAN DO ANYTHING TO MAKE THE GOLDEN NEWS OF THESE PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE,
[01:40:01]
I'M ALL IN FOR IT.ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD CON CONCLUDE, CONCLUDING POINT.
[III.3 An Update By The City Manager Regarding Strategic Planning]
THREE IS AN UPDATE BY THE, UH, CITY MANAGER REGARDING STRATEGIC PLANNING.UM, COUNCILMAN FRANK, UM, WHEN YOU STARTED ON THE COUNCIL ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, THREE YEARS AGO, UM, YOU BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE OF A STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE HAD A DISCUSSION AND, UM, I'VE ALWAYS PROMISED THE COUNCIL THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FROM ONE DOCUMENT THAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN ORDER TO RUN THIS CITY, WE NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER TOOLS THAT WE COULD PUT INTO THE TOOLBOX TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE TWO THINGS.
THERE IS ONE, TRANSPARENCY, AND TWO, THAT THERE'S EQUITY IN WHAT WE DO, UM, FOR OUR CITIZENS.
BECAUSE THE MONIES THAT WE SPEND IS TAXPAYERS MONEY.
WE'VE GOT A RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT BACK TO THEM AS TO WHAT WE DO, HOW WE DO IT, HOW WE HAVE SPENT THEIR MONEY, AND KEEP THEM ENGAGED INTO WHAT WE ARE DOING AS STEWARDS OF THEIR RESOURCES.
AND SO, UM, THIS YEAR WE HAVE, UM, WE ARE BUDGETED AGAIN.
UM, LAST YEAR WE BUDGETED WHEN WE DID NOT GET TO IT, BUT THIS YEAR WE ARE BUDGETED AGAIN.
PIPPEN IS WORKING ON THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR ME TO GET THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CITY.
THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL BE A TOOL APART FROM THE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH IS OUR MASTER PLAN.
IT'S A TOOL THAT WILL, UM, BE PART OF THE STRONG ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE THAT I'M TRYING TO CULTIVATE HERE.
A TOOL THAT WILL REWARD FOR BOTH EQUITY AND TRANSPARENCY AS TO WHAT OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING.
HOW DO YOU CREATE A, A, A PORT ARTHUR AS A DESIRED DESTINATION? YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT THAT? HOW DO YOU ENGAGE THE COUNCIL AND EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WITH THEIR VARIOUS IDEAS FOR THE DISTRICTS? AND HOW DOES THAT FIT INTO THE, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUT TOGETHER ON, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR THE RUNNING OF THE CITY? UM, THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL BE DE WILL BE DEVELOPED WITH, WITH THE NEED OF, OF, OF CONS CONSULTANTS.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I INTEND TO FOCUS ON VERY STRONGLY, AS I INDICATED EARLIER, IS WATER.
OUR CITY CAN ONLY CONTINUE TO GROW IF WE HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF PROVIDING WATER NOT ONLY TO THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY, BUT TO BUSINESSES THAT WE CONTINUE TO CHOOSE PORT APPLE AS A DESIRED DESTINATION TO DO BUSINESS.
WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT.
AND, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT IN MY DISCUSSION WITH THE UTILITIES DIRECTOR AND, UM, OUR CONSULTANT, DR.
HANEY, IF WE HAD TO UNDERTAKE TAKE ON SIMPLER AND PORT ARTHUR LNG AND LG, KOREAN, KOREAN COMPANY AND OTHER COMPANIES THAT ARE APPROACHING US, WE ARE GOING TO BE FAST OUT OF THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE WATER FOR ALL THIS INCOME IN BUSINESSES THAT WE ARE POSITIONING OURSELVES TO ATTRACT.
AND SO IT COMES WITH A FIGURE, WE HAVE A FIGURE 14, ABOUT $365 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, DO YOU YOU WANT TO DO A BOND ISSUE FOR THAT? I DON'T THINK SO AT THIS POINT.
WE HAD, UH, WE HAVE TOO MANY OTHER PRESSING NEEDS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, BUT AGAIN, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PLAN FOR THE LONG RUN FOR WATER FACILITIES.
AND SO I AM HAVING A DISCUSSION, HOPEFULLY, UM, WHEN WE GO TO GOLDEN TRIANGLE, THESE IN, IN, UM, IN AUSTIN, I'M HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH SOME, UM, UM, LOBBYISTS OUT THERE.
THERE IS A GREAT AMOUNT OF GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE AT THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND AT THE STATE LEVEL TO SEE HOW WE CAN PITCH THE CASE THAT IF PORT ARTHUR AS A MUNICIPALITY IS SUCCESSFUL IN PROVIDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WATER IMPROVEMENT BY EXTENSION SURFACE, TEXAS WILL BE BY EXTENSION, THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE WILL BE, AND BY EXTENSION THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE, BECAUSE PORT ARTHUR IS THE L AND G CAPITAL OF THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
AND IF YOU WANT THIS COUNTRY TO BE ENERGY INDEPENDENT, YOU'VE GOT TO INVEST IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND WE'VE GOT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR
[01:45:01]
TO THE POLITICIANS IN AUSTIN.IF WE'VE GOT TO, THERE IS TWO SHIPS THAT LIVE THERE EVERY OTHER DAY FROM SHINIER AND GOES, I I HAVE A, A, UM, AN INTERVIEW TO DO ON THE 23RD OF THIS MONTH WITH GERMAN TV.
AND THEY SAID, WE HEARD ABOUT PORT AND WE HEARD ABOUT SHANEE AND WE HEARD ABOUT THAT THERE ARE TWO SHIPS THAT LIVE HERE EVERY OTHER DAY THAT GOES TO EUROPE AND PROVIDES L AND G LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM THAT POWERS A MILLION HOUSES, ONE SHIPMENT POWERS A MILLION HOUSES A MONTH IN EUROPE.
AND IF THIS, IF IT DOESN'T GO IN ONE DAY, IT MEANS THAT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO BE OUT OF POWER IN EUROPE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
SO THAT'S HOW, HOW IMPORTANT WE ARE STRATEGICALLY TO THE REST OF EUROPE AND STRATEGICALLY FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BRING THAT MESSAGE TO AUSTIN.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE LAWMAKERS IN AUSTIN, THOSE WHO HAVE THE PURSES OF, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, TO, AT THEIR DISPOSAL, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY UNDERSTAND OUR SIGN ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND IF WE ARE ABLE TO SELL THAT TO THEM, I THINK BY EXTENSION WE WOULD HAVE DONE OUR SERVICE NOT ONLY TO THE STATE, TO OUR COUNTRY, BUT TO THE CITIZENS OF WHAT HAPPENED.
AND CITY MANAGER, I WOULD HAVE TO TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.
UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS IN WASHINGTON DC AT THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS.
I KNOW YOU SAID AUSTIN, BUT THERE, UH, ATTENDED TWO, UH, ONE SESSION FOR SURE, AND THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT I WENT IN AND THERE WASN'T ANY SEATING.
SO I LEFT WHERE WE, THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT WATER IN AMERICA IN MUNICIPALITIES.
WE ARE GOING TO GET SOME OF IT, I BELIEVE AT NLC NEXT MONTH.
UH, I THINK THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THE SAME TYPE SESSIONS WHEN IN THE SITUATION IN FLINT AND EVEN IN JACKSON.
AND I'M, UH, FRIENDS WITH MY FRATERNITY BROTHER, UH, MEL, UH, LUMUMBA, AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT EXTENSIVELY OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND THEY BROUGHT ABOUT, THEY DISCUSSED IN WASHINGTON, SEVERAL OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND THEY BROUGHT IN THE TENANT, IF YOU WILL, OF BEING SURE THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INDUSTRIAL COMPLEXES WITH WATER FROM YOUR MUNICIPAL OR YOUR MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER FUTURE GROWTH.
THEY WERE LOOKING AT 20 TO 25 YEARS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER AMOUNT OF WATER YOU ARE USING AND HAVING TO PROVIDE FOR NOW IN 25 YEARS, IT MAY GROW ALMOST 50 TO 60 SOME PLACES.
AND YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY CONSTRUCT THE FACILITIES NOW SO THAT YOUR SYSTEM WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, AND I BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT OUR, OUR WASTEWATER, BECAUSE ALL OF IT, THEY SAY WATER, BUT THEY TALK ABOUT ALL OF IT.
AND SOMETHING AS FAR AS A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR PORT ARTHUR ARTHUR'S GROWTH AND EVERYTHING ELSE, MAYBE WHAT WE FEEL DOWNTOWN OR ANYWHERE IN PORT ARTHUR, IF WE ARE LEFT BEHIND ON THE ISSUE OF WATER, YOU KNOW, CLEAR DRINKING WATER TO WASTE WATER TO THE LIFT STATIONS FOR SEWAGE.
AND WHAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE, AGAIN, IS EN ENERGY DEPARTMENT MAKING MONIES READILY AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS.
AND TONIGHT, I THINK IT IS IN A LITTLE, A FEW HOURS WHEN THE PRESIDENT DOES HIS SECOND, UH, STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, HE MAY NOT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS IT AS IN LOCATIONS OR LOCALITIES.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO SAY IT, BUT THAT IS WORKING ACROSS THE AISLES.
IT'S NOT JUST THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OR IT'S NOT JUST THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, BUT IT'S INDIVIDUALS FROM BOTH SIDES.
SOMETIMES THIS IS NOT WHAT OUR, UH, NEWS OUTLETS LIKE TO SHOW BECAUSE IT IS NOT, UH, SENSATIONAL JOURNALISM, BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING AND THAT IS ACTUALLY CAUSING US.
SO I CAN WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THAT PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND YOU ALL WILL BE, UH, REMISS IF YOU DID NOT PRESENT TO US AS A COUNCIL, SO OUR CITIZENS WOULD EVEN KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THINK OF CITY MANAGER,
[01:50:01]
EVEN ANOTHER WASTEWATER AND FRESHWATER FACILITY IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR PROJECTING A 25 YEAR GROWTH THAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED.UM, STRATEGIC PLANNING IS, IS, UH, IMPORTANT.
AND I, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AS WELL, AND AS YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, UM, UH, THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE THE INCORPORATION OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENTS.
UM, THAT WHOLE IDEA OF ADDRESSING THE LIVING WAGE, UH, ADDRESSING, UH, HOW THE COMMUNITY WILL BENEFIT, UH, IN THAT STRATEGIC PLAN AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PORT ARTHUR BECOMING THE LNG CAPITAL, CAPITAL OF THE WORLD AS WE ARE THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY OF THE WORLD WITH, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE GIVE TO THE WORLD IN THAT AREA, BUT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT.
UH, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT WITH, UH, WITH, UH, SEMPRA, THOSE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT WITH CHENIER.
HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY? AND THEY NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE AS WELL AS HOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND INCORPORATING, UH, THE AGREEMENTS THAT, THAT ARE GOING TO AS WELL PUT FORTH, UH, THE KIND OF LEVEL OF COMMUNITY GROWTH AND CITY GROWTH AS WELL.
I SAY ALL THE TIME, UH, THAT A RISING TIDE OUGHT TO LIFT ALL BOATS.
AND SO THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WELL THAT WE ALL COME TO THE TABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, AND SO WHEN WE START MAKING THOSE, WE WANT TO PUT OUR, UH, OUR WANTS, WISHES AND DESIRES TO THE TABLE, BUT UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT, THAT AS STAKEHOLDERS, THEY HAVE TO COME TO THE TABLE AS WELL.
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE INTEND TO DO.
UM, THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL PROVIDE COUNCIL AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE FOCUSED, TO PRIORITIZE AND THEN TO BUILD, TO EXECUTE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALSO A, ONE OF THE POLICY TOOLS THAT WE WILL USE TO EVALUATE THE CITY MANAGER TO SEE WHETHER THE CITY MANAGER IS DOING HIS JOB.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GIVEN YOU THE RESOURCES, WE HAVE GIVEN YOU THE BUDGET THAT YOU ASK FOR.
ARE YOU ABLE WERE OR WERE YOU ABLE TO DELIVER BASED ON THE RESOURCES THAT WE GIVE YOU? YOU KNOW, SO THOSE ARE ONE OF THE POLICY DOCUMENTS THAT WE WILL LOOK AT.
THOSE ARE ONE OF THE POLICY DOCUMENTS THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO LEND FOR THE FUTURE BUILDING OF, OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN, WHICH WILL BE A STRATEGIC PART OF WHAT WE ARE, ARE LOOKING, BECAUSE ONE CANNOT BE LEFT WITHOUT THE OTHER.
THOSE, THAT IS ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT WILL BE LINKED TO THE LAND USE PLAN, TO THE ZONE IN ORDINANCE, UM, UM, UM, TO THE SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS AND ALL THOSE OTHER POLICY DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD IN PLACE.
I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, WHEN I CAME HERE 16 YEARS AGO, WE WERE OPERATING WITH A A A A, UH, A LAND USE PLAN THAT WAS 27 YEARS OLD THAT WAS DONE ON A TYPEWRITER AND, AND ALL THE MAPS WERE HAND DRAWN 20, YOU KNOW, FOR 27 YEARS.
WE NEVER UPDATED IT, WE NEVER USED IT AS PART OF A BUDGETING PROCESS, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW WHERE FUTURE GROWTH WAS GOING.
IT WAS NEVER CORRELATED OR COORDINATED.
THERE WAS NO COLLABORATION IN WHAT WE DID.
YOU KNOW, NOW WE ARE TAKING A MUCH MORE FOCUSED AND COLLABORATIVE, COLLABORATIVE APPROACH IN WHAT WE DO.
AND, AND THAT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE GET ALL THE DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED, WE ENGAGE THE CITIZENRY BECAUSE WE HAVE ASKED THEM FOR THEIR INPUT.
IT'S ONLY RIGHT THAT WE GO BACK TO THEM AND SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE DELIVERING BASED ON THE INPUT.
AND AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THE TRUST.
THAT'S HOW YOU BUILD TRUST WITH PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO AS PART OF OUR, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN JUST BEFORE COVID, WE STARTED THE, THE PROCESS OF GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND ASKING THEM FOR THEIR CONCERNS.
YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE THERE IN THE VARIOUS DISTRICTS? YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE ADDRESS IT? YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO STOP AFTER THAT.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THAT MODEL AGAIN AND GO OUT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, KEEP IN TOUCH WITH, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN HAVE THE PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY IS IF PEOPLE FEEL THAT THERE IS TRUST, THEY CAN BUILD THAT TRUST WITH US AND WE CAN COME BACK AND REPORT TO THEM.
THAT IS WHY I TELL STAFF IT IS SO IMPORTANT WHEN SOMEBODY CALL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CALL BACK TO THEM AND SAID, WELL, YOU HAD A PROBLEM IF YOUR SEWER OR YOUR WATER WAS SHUT OFF.
WE ARE ON THE, WE, YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU DID NOT MAKE IT DAY IN AN HOUR, YOU CALL BACK AGAIN AND SAY, WE WILL BE THERE.
I'M SORRY, WE COULD NOT BE THERE.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU'LL BUILD TRUST IN YOUR CITIZENRY.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN IMPROVE THE
[01:55:01]
EXPECTATIONS OF QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE WHOM WE SERVE OUT HERE.AND THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE PART OF OUR MANTRAS.
I TOLD THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT THIS MORNING, THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF OUR MANTRA EVERY DAY.
THIGPEN CAME UP WITH THIS THING THAT WE NEED.
WE NEED TO RETURN TO THE PROTOCOL OF ANSWERING THE FOOD.
THIS IS A, THIS IS A CITY OF PORT AVO.
NOT HELLO
SO YOU SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
AGAIN, UM, I THINK THAT THERE ARE EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK MAYOR ON A, ON A MASTER PLAN FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS DEPARTMENT.
JUST LAST WEEK WE MET WITH LAMAR, PORT ARTHUR, UM, THAT IS IN, UM, WE'LL BE INVESTING OVER 40 MILLION IN THEIR NEW HEALTH FACILITY DOWNTOWN.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY MET WITH US TO SEE HOW CAN WE WORK AS A TEAM IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT A REALITY IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
RENARD, YOU KNOW, I DO NOT SEE WHATEVER AS YOU AND EARTH, IT'S ALL OF US.
WHEN YOU SEE IT COMES TO A TERTIARY INSTITUTION, ESPECIALLY AN INSTITUTION THAT ADDRESSES THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN, WE ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER.
AND SO I COMMITTED THE CITY AND I SAID, WE ARE GOING TO BE IN THIS TOGETHER.
WHATEVER ASSISTANCE WE CAN GIVE WITH YOU, GIVE YOU HOWEVER WE CAN WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PROJECT IS A SUCCESS.
YOU CAN RELY ON US, YOU KNOW, CALL ON US FOR THE SERVICES.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU OPERATE WITHIN COST BY PROVIDING TIMELY SERVICE TO YOU.
WHEN YOU CALL UPON US, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, OKAY.
AND IF THERE WOULD BE NO OTHER DISCUSSION, WE WILL MOVE NOW
[IV. *CLOSED MEETING (EXECUTIVE SESSION)]
TO OUR CLOSE OR EXECUTIVE SESSION.UH, YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE NOW? I WAS JUST SAYING IF YOU ALL WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND DO IT ANY, OKAY.
I KNOW IT'S CLOSE TO THE TIME, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN GO IN IF YOU'D LIKE.
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, BUT WE, WHAT WE'LL GET AS FAR AS, OH, I'M SORRY.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF Y'ALL MAKE SURE Y'ALL STILL WANTED TO GO OR DO IT NEXT TIME.
I'M, YOU WANT TO TELL HIM WHAT HE IS ABOUT THAT? I MEAN, UH, WE HAD A PRESENTATION THAT WE WERE GONNA TALK MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT THE IDAS.
WE CAN CERTAINLY DO IT NOW IF YOU'D LIKE.
I KNOW Y'ALL WANT TO BE, WE WE'LL GO, WE'LL BE AS TIMELY AS POSSIBLE.
AT THIS, AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE ARE GOING TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS OF, UH, SECTION 5 51 0.10, ONE OF THE, UH, CHAPTER 5 51 OPEN MEETINGS, LAW OF THE GOVERNMENT, UH, CODE FORMERLY ARTICLE 62 52 DASH 17, SECTION TWO SUBSECTION A.
AND PRIOR TO GOING TO THIS CLOSED SESSION, UH, I BE IN THE DECIDING OFFICER.
I WILL MAKE THESE, UH, STATEMENT OR THIS STATEMENT, UH, IN THE CLOSED SESSION, WE WILL DEAL WITH SECTION 5 51 0.07, ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS AND RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING POTENTIAL AND OR PENDING CLAIMS, CONTRACT LITIGATION AND OTHER MATTERS INVOLVED IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO WE WILL BE COVERED THERE WITH THAT.
AND THEN WE WILL HAVE SECTION 5 51 0.087 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND OR INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PROSPECT.
UH, ALSO SECTION 5 51 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 ARTHUR.
AND FINALLY, SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 AGAIN, OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY IN THE CITY'S EXTRA-TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR IN OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.
AND IF WE HAVE ANY ITEMS OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION SESSION THAT WOULD NEED TO HAVE, UH, OPEN ACTION UPON ON THOSE, WE WERE RETURNED HERE TO THE CHAMBERS AND BEFORE ADJOINING THE ACTUAL MEETING, WE WOULD HAVE THOSE MOTIONS IF THEY WOULD BE NECESSARY COMING OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION TO BE VOTED UPON.
SO WE WERE NOW RECESS TO EXECUTIVE
[02:00:01]
SESSION DOWN IN OUR CONFERENCE ROOM.THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE.