[00:00:02]
[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
GOOD MORNING.WE ARE HERE, UH, GATHERED HERE ON THIS 30TH DAY OF MARCH, THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, 2023 FOR A 10:00 AM MEETING OF THE FORT ARTHUR CITY COUNCIL HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER IN PROGRESS.
WE'RE GATHERED HERE THIS MORNING FOR OUR REGULAR, REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR TODAY.
UH, MARCH 30TH, 2023 AT 10:00 AM AND IT IS NOW ABOUT 10 0 8 HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UH, THIS MEETING MAY BE ATTENDED, UH, IN PERSON OR VISUAL OR BY OTHER MEANS, WHICH WOULD BE THROUGH, UH, TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCING.
BUT YOU MUST FIRST DIAL 8 77 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9, AND YOU WOULD ENTER THE MEETING ID AS 8 1 4 5 8 5 0 9 1 3 2, AND ALSO THE PASS CODE OF 4 1 7 0 9 7.
AND WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACTS.
AND IF YOU HAVE SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS THAT YOU WOULD NEED, YOU WOULD NEED TO MAKE THAT REQUEST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING BY CALLING THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 115.
AND THEY WILL DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWERS TO AFFORD YOU THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED FOR YOU TO ATTEND THIS MEETING.
WITH THIS BEING SAID, AND ALSO, IF YOU HAVE ELECTRONIC DEVICES, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD SILENCE THOSE AT THIS TIME, AND WE WILL HAVE AN INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND TO DO AN INVOCATION FOR US? AMEN.
FATHER GOD, WE THANK YOU, OH GOD, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF OUR CITY.
WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT WILL BE DONE IN THIS MEETING TO YOUR GLORY, TO YOUR HONOR, TO BETTER OUR CITY.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT SERVE AND WORK AND PLAY IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
WE PRAY, OH GOD AGAIN, THAT YOU WILL JUST BLESS US IN THIS MEETING, THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID AND DONE WILL BE TO YOUR GLORY AND UNTO YOUR HONOR, IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PRAY THE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE PUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY SECRETARY.
WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH THE COURT DEPARTMENT? MAYOR BART, PRESENT MAYOR PRO, TIM HOLMES.
THANK YOU SO KINDLY TO THE SECRETARY ON PROCLAMATIONS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY IN FRONT OF ME, SO THERE AREN'T ANY PROCLAMATIONS ON THIS MORNING.
UH, WE WILL NOW MOVE SWIFTLY TO ROMAN NUMERAL THREE WHERE WE HAVE SPEAKERS.
[III.A. (1) Gail Pellum Regarding Juneteenth]
THE FIRST SPEAKER WE HAVE IS MS. GAIL PELLUM REGARDING JUNETEENTH.YOU MAY APPROACH BEGIN WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, AND YOU WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES FOR YOUR DIALOGUE WITH COUNSEL.
JAMBO JAMBO IS THE KEY SWAHILI WORD FOR, HELLO, I'M GAIL PELLUM, PRESIDENT OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL SOCIETY, AND I RESIDE AT 8 0 5 EAST 13TH STREET, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
I AM HERE, FIRST OF ALL TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY, UH, FOR THE YEARS OF SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE WORKED WITH THE JUNETEENTH.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOW FEDERAL HOLIDAYS, SO I STAND WITH PRIDE AND DIGNITY, UH, AND, UH, EXCITEMENT FOR US HAVING JUNETEENTH AS A HOLIDAY.
AND I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK THE CITY FOR, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE SUPPORT TO UNDERWRITE JUNETEENTH OR TO MAKE JUNETEENTH A CITY EVENT SO THAT WE CAN TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
UM, IT'S BEEN A REALLY TOUGH RIDE, A LONG RIDE.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH JUNETEENTH SINCE 1984.
WE'VE PUT UP DISPLAYS, ENTERTAINMENT, EDUCATION, EVERYTHING TO MAKE IT INCLUSIVE AND FUN FOR EVERYONE.
SO TODAY I, I PERSONALLY WROTE DOWN SOME THINGS THAT I WANTED TO ASK SPECIFICALLY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I WANTED TO START WITH OUR MAYOR.
[00:05:01]
MAYOR HAS WORKED WITH US FOR JUNETEENTH SINCE THE EIGHTIES WITH LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING.AS A MATTER OF FACT, OUR THEME THIS YEAR IS LIFT EVERY VOICE.
SO AS USUAL, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO STEP IN AND HELP US DO LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING, BUT ONLY TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER THAT WE WOULD TEACH MORE TO THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN'T STAND WITH PRIDE AND DIGNITY AND SING THAT SONG, ASKING YOUR CHOIRS TO COME IN AND WORK WITH US, LEARN THE SONG, AND WE ALL SING IT.
THE JUNETEENTH WAS, I HAD SO MUCH WAS GOING ON AND HE COULD SEE ME TRYING TO MC AND FIND OTHER PEOPLE, FIND THE NEXT PROGRAM PERSON ON THE PROGRAM, AND HE LITERALLY JUST CAME UP, GOT THE PAPERWORK, AND HE MCD.
SO THIS YEAR I'M GOING TO GET YOU IN ADVANCE AND TO ALSO GET THE YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED.
FIND THE PEOPLE, THOSE THAT WE KNOW IN OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE OUR PROGRAM MORE KID FRIENDLY, TO MAKE, BRING MORE KIDS AND PUT 'EM IN THE PROGRAM SO THEY CAN BE A PART OF THE JUNETEENTH ACTIVITIES.
I DO, I WENT AND DECIDED, I SAID, WELL, I WILL ASK MS. CHARLOTTE TO WORK WITH ME AS FAR AS THE CHURCHES ARE CONCERNED SO THAT WE CAN GET THE COMMUNITY.
I JUST TRY TO FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN GET EVERYBODY TO COME IN AND WORK WITH US.
MR. CAL, I KNOW YOU'VE WORKED WITH CARS AND STUFF, SO I THOUGHT I'D ASK YOU TO HELP GET PEOPLE IN THE PARADE, BUSINESSES, CARS AND OTHER THINGS JUST TO MAKE OUR PARADE FULL.
AND, UM, MR. MARKS, I ASKED THAT HE HELPED WITH ADVERTISING AND, UM, MR. BURTON, I JUST THOUGHT MAYBE YOU COULD HELP US FIND A LITTLE MONEY
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE CITY, MY FRIENDS HERE, SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES TO GET THOSE PEOPLE INVOLVED, TO GET EVERYBODY AS MANY AS WE CAN AND, AND TO GET THE OTHER NATIONALITIES INVOLVED IN THE PARADE, TO INVITE THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY IN THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITIES TO WHATEVER THEY, WHETHER IT'S THE, UH, THE, THEIR DANCERS, THEIR QUEENS OR WHATEVER, TO MAKE THIS REALLY A BIG COMMUNITY, UH, EFFORT.
BUT I WANTED TO JUST LEAVE YOU WITH ONE THING IS THAT I KNOW MY DESIRE FOR JUNETEENTH IS THAT OUR ACTIVITY, PARTICULARLY OUR PARADE BECOME, UH, NATIONALLY TELEVISED.
I DID ATTEND A, UH, INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION, UH, MEETING IN NEW YORK.
AND THE THING THAT WAS SO FUNNY, THESE PEOPLE WERE THE PEOPLE THAT WAS DOING THE, UH, THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE, THE KENTUCKY DERBY, AND THEN THERE WAS GAIL PELLAND FROM PORT ARTHUR WITH JUNETEENTH.
THESE PEOPLE HAD MULTIMILLION DOLLAR BUDGETS.
SO ONE LADY ASKED ME HOW MUCH WAS MY BUDGET, AND I POLITELY TOLD HER I HAD A $50,000 BUDGET, AND SHE REACHED OVER AND SHE, YOU JUST KEEP TRYING, BABY, DON'T GIVE UP
BUT I LET THEM KNOW THAT MY DESIRE WAS THAT WE WANTED TO BE NATIONALLY TELEVISED FOR OUR PARADE.
AND IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER.
AND I KNOW EVERYBODY WHO KNOWS ME, THOUGH, EVERY YEAR, I SWEAR I'M NOT DOING JUNETEENTH ANYMORE.
AND, UM, FOR SOME REASON, THEY STILL GET ME BACK UP HERE TO DO JUNETEENTH.
AND GOD KNOWS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY, VERY CLOSE TO ME.
AND, AND, AND IT HAS TO TAKE ITS RIGHT PLACE.
I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE.
AND I WANT US TO REMEMBER THE ANCESTORS AND THOSE WHO SACRIFICE SO MUCH FOR US TO BE HERE TODAY.
SO HOPEFULLY I WILL HEAR FROM EVERYBODY AND THOSE, YOU KNOW, AND LET'S MAKE JUNETEENTH BEAUTIFUL.
IT IS A FEDERAL HOLIDAY AND IT'S OUR DAY, AND EVERYBODY HERE IS HERE IN SEARCH OF FREEDOM.
AND WHAT A BETTER TIME FOR THE 125TH BIRTHDAY OF PORT ARTHUR TO COME AND MAKE JUNETEENTH APART.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? THANK YOU.
ANYTHING FROM COUNSEL OR MS. BE MARY.
UH, YOU MADE A GOOD POINT BY, UH, APPOINTING OR SUGGESTING THAT, UH, THE CITY MANAGER CAN FIND SOME FUNDING THAT THAT'S THE TWO
UH, BUT, UH, YEAH, EVERY YEAR I, I TRY TO ATTEND YOUR CEREMONY AND IT'S VERY, VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER, AND I HOPE THAT IF WE CAN DO THIS AS A COLLECTIVE COUNCIL, I'LL SURELY SUPPORT THAT.
SO, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU GET WITH RON AND SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD POSSIBLY DO, UM, UH, AND THEN THIS YEAR I WOULD CERTAINLY, UH, BE WILLING TO HELP YOU AS WELL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD, TOO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF MOST OF YOU NOTICED THAT WE PUT OUT A JUNETEENTH SOUVENIR BOOK EVERY YEAR, AND IT LITERALLY DOCUMENTS WHAT PORT ARTHUR HAS BEEN DOING FOR JUNETEENTH.
AND YOU WOULD BE AMAZED, UH, THURMAN, I HAVE PICTURES OF YOU WITH, WITH RANSOM HOWARD.
YOU KNOW, WHEN REVEREND HOWARD WOULD COME OUT, HE WOULDN'T JUST COME BY HISSELF.
HE BROUGHT HIS ENTIRE CHURCH, YOU KNOW, HIS ENTIRE CHURCH WAS THERE.
AND I'M TELLING YOU TO, AND I'LL PASS THIS, THIS IS JUST A COPY, BUT I DID, I WILL HAVE EACH OF YOU
[00:10:01]
A COPY OF THIS SO THAT YOU CAN SEE IT AND BE A PART.AND THE ADS, WE ONLY DO ADS THERE, 150 AND A HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT YOU WANDER WITH THE BOOK TOO.
SO I'LL JUST LEAVE THIS SO Y'ALL CAN GLANCE AT IT.
THANK YOU, MR. JUST EXCUSE ME.
UH, MS. PELHAM, I JUST NEED TO ASK A QUESTION.
YOU, UH, ASKED THAT I PARTICIPATE ON THE ADVERTISING CENTER.
I'M NOT A MARKETING EXECUTIVE, SO, UH, I NEED TO GET WITH YOU SO YOU CAN LINE OUT WHAT IT IS THAT YOU REALLY WANT ME TO DO.
AND MS. PELLHAM, WHAT WE WANNA DO IS IN THE COMMUNITY FROM THE EIGHTIES, UH, YOU KNOW, HAD A JOKE.
I WAS CALLING YOUR MOTHER, JUNETEENTH.
UH, YOU HAVE ALWAYS DONE THIS, AND I CAN RECALL IT WAS THE EARLY EIGHTIES, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
AND, AND, AND YOU BEGAN AND WE WOULD BE ON THOMAS BOULEVARD.
YES, UH, UH, IN, FOR ABOUT FIVE OR SIX BLOCKS.
AND THEN WE STARTED CROSSING HOUSTON AVENUE, GOING OVER ON THE WESTSIDE.
YOU'VE, YOU'VE STUCK WITH I THINK, AN ASSIGNMENT THAT'S PROBABLY DIVINELY INSPIRED, BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE HEARD YOU SAY MANY TIMES THAT YOU WEREN'T GONNA DO IT AGAIN, AND WE ALWAYS SEE YOU THE NEXT YEAR.
SO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO AS THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, AND I BELIEVE I CAN SPEAK FOR THE COUNCIL, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT MR. BURTON COMES UP WITH THAT IS WITHIN REASON THAT WE CAN DO, WE WILL DO.
AND I, FOR ONE, OR WITH THE TASK OF, UH, MAYBE BRINGING OUT OR BEING THERE TO DO WHAT I CAN DO, BUT LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING WITH THE LITTLE VOICE I HAVE LEFT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAVE MY RIGHT, OH, EXCUSE ME.
MS. MOSES HAS SOMETHING FOR COUNCIL.
JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO JUNETEENTH.
UH, YOU LOOK THE SAME AS YOU DID IN 84
THANK YOU SO MUCH WITH THE CLASS, WITH DIGNITY.
AND I'LL BE GLAD TO ASSIST YOU IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN WITH THE CHURCHES AND, UM, BE ABLE TO COME UP, COMPILE A LIST AND DO SOME MARKETING TO THEM AS WELL.
I'LL CONTACT YOU ALRIGHT, AFTER THIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DEDICATION.
YOU KNOW, UH, I WORKED WITH YOU A LONG TIME AGO ON THIS.
LONG I WORK WITH YOU WHEN JUNETEENTH WASN'T COOL,
AND I SEE MY CAR BACK CLUB IN HERE.
SO WE BE HELPING AGAIN THIS YEAR.
[III.A. (2) Jacqueline Hebert Regarding The City Of Port Arthur Animal Shelter]
SPEAKER WE HAVE IS MS. JACQUELINE HEBERT, UH, REGARDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ANNA ANIMAL SHELTER.IF YOU HEAR YOU HEAR MS. HEBERT, UH, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE.
HI, MY NAME IS JACQUELINE HEBERT.
UH, MY CURRENT ADDRESS IS THREE 15 SOUTH 14TH STREET IN ERLAND.
UM, I LIVED IN PORT ARTHUR GRIFFIN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 15 YEARS, FROM 2005 TO 2020, AND LOVED THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT WAS MY HOME FOR A LONG TIME.
SO, UM, I ALSO AT THAT TIME WORKED AS HEAD TECHNICIAN FOR RUDY ANIMAL CLINIC FOR 13 YEARS.
THEN AT MIDCOUNTY, EXCUSE ME, ANIMAL CLINIC IN ERLAND.
FOR FIVE YEARS, I'VE ALSO DONE VOLUNTEER WORK AT ERLAND IN PORT ARTHUR SHELTERS.
I WAS RECENTLY A VOLUNTEER AT THE PORT ARTHUR SHELTER FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, ALONG WITH, UM, TWO OTHER VOLUNTEERS THAT HAD BEEN WORKING THERE SINCE 2017 AND DID QUITE A BIT FOR THE SHELTER.
UH, I'M HERE AS A VOLUNTEER TODAY TO SUPPORT DR.
KAY'S OFFER, TO ESTABLISH A NO-KILL SHELTER FOR PORT ARTHUR, AND ALSO TO PROMOTE A SPAY NEUTER PROGRAM AND IMPLEMENT AN ADVISORY BOARD, WHICH WOULD TREMENDOUSLY HELP WITH ANY OF THE ISSUES IN THE SHELTER.
WHEN I VOLUNTEERED, I HAD A LOT OF CONCERNS, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHO OR WHERE TO GO WITH THE CONCERNS.
UH, THREE OF US VOLUNTEERS WOULD GO IN THE SHELTER ONCE A WEEK TO TAKE PICTURES AND VIDEOS TO TRY TO NETWORK SOME OF THE DOGS THERE.
UH, THERE WAS CONSTANTLY AN OVERFLOW OF 'EM.
SO WE, WE DID AS MUCH AS WE COULD DO GOING IN ONCE A WEEK.
UH, THE PROBLEM THAT CONCERNED ME IS THE AMOUNT OF THE DOGS, ESPECIALLY THE AMOUNT OF MOTHER DOGS WITHOUT THE LITTERS OF PUPPIES, SOMETIMES
[00:15:01]
THERE WOULD BE LIKE THREE LITTERS AT A TIME.SO TIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH EIGHT PUPPIES, EIGHT, 10 PUPPIES IN A LITTER.
UH, AND THAT'S NOT TO FORGET THE CATS AND KITTENS THAT COME INTO THE BACK ALONG WITH THE WILDLIFE POSSUMS AND RACCOONS AND STUFF.
SO, UM, THE ADOPTION RATE AND THE AMOUNT OF DOGS SENT TO THE RESCUES AND ADOPTED OUT COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THE AMOUNT COMING IN.
THUS, THE CARE AND ATTENTION OF THAT MANY DOGS TURNS INTO AN ISSUE.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY HOPING THAT MAYBE Y'ALL COULD TAKE A LOOK AT OPTIONS WITH THE HELP, YOU KNOW, DR.
K'S AND THE PROGRAMS TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND CONSIDERING IT AN OPTION FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
THERE'S A LOT IN THE BACKGROUNDS THAT DO QUITE A BIT AND THAT CAN DO QUITE A BIT.
GIVES US A LOT OF HOPE, AND MAINLY TO HELP THESE INNOCENT ANIMALS THAT CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES.
AND IN TURN, IT HELPS THE CITY PORT ARTHUR.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERISM.
[III.A. (3) Kevin Martin Regarding The City Of Port Arthur Animal Shelter]
NEXT WE HAVE MR. KEVIN MARTIN REGARDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ANIMAL SHELTER.CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE, MS. MARTIN.
JUST CAN TALK WITH, MAKE SURE YOU GO RIGHT AND SAYS MIKE.
I RESIDE SIX 20 WEST 17TH STREET HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
UM, I'M HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE NO KILL LAW TOO, AS A KID.
I WAS BORN HERE IN 1963 AT ST.
SO AS A KID, I HAD ANIMALS, PETS, UH, PRETTY MUCH DOGS RIGHT NOW AS WE LOOK AT IT.
THE RATE OF PORT ART IS ABOUT 42% AT NO KILL.
AND AUSTIN BEAUMONT, THEY WAS LOW, BUT THEY GOT HELP AND THEY BROUGHT, THEY THANE UP TO ABOUT 90%.
IF THEY CAN DO IT, WE CAN DO IT.
I WAS HERE AT THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
SOME OF YOU PEOPLE WERE NOT, UH, ATTENDED AT THE LAST ONE.
I SAT IN THE BACK ROW AND I SEEN THIS BEAUTIFUL LADY GET UP TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS.
AND AS SHE GOT DONE WITH HER SPEECH, THE MAYOR ASKED, YOU KNOW, THE MEMBERS HERE, ANYBODY GOT QUESTIONS? NO ONE EVEN ASKED ONE QUESTION TO HER.
SHE GOT UP AND SHE SPOKE ABOUT HOW SHE LOVED PORT ARTHUR, HOW SHE WOULD LOVE TO HELP THE CITY.
AND I WAS JUST AMAZED NO ONE ASKED HER ONE THING, BECAUSE FIRST QUESTION I WOULD ASK, WELL, HOW DID YOU DO THIS? HOW DID YOU HELP BEAUMONT? SO I GOOGLE HER WITH, WHICH IS THESE WAY TO DO THINGS.
I GK I CALLED THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, SPOKE TO THE PEOPLE AT THE SHELTER, AND I ASKED THEM, WHAT DOES SHE DO FOR Y'ALL? HOW DID SHE HELP THESE ANIMALS? THEY CALL HER THE MAGIC LADY.
OKAY? YOU KNOW, KNOWLEDGE IS POWERFUL AND IF WE DON'T ACCEPT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT COME TO US, HOW CAN WE GET IT? I JUST WANNA SPEAK TO YOU GUYS, LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT, UM, THESE ANIMALS, THESE ARE GOD'S ANIMALS.
EVERY ANIMAL THAT GOES THROUGH YOUR SHELTER, THAT'S GOD CREATURES.
JUST LIKE HE CREATED US, WE, HIS CREATURE.
I WASN'T THERE WHEN DAYS WAS BORN AND WHEN HE CREATED EVERYTHING, BUT I'M SURE NOAH, THAT I THINK HE PUT THEM ANIMALS THERE FIRST BEFORE HE BROUGHT, HE PUT ADAM ON HIS EARTH.
AND AS WE HAD THAT GREAT FLOOD WITH NOAH'S ARC, HE DIDN'T TELL NOAH TO BRING YOUR COUSIN, YOUR FRIEND, YOUR MAMA.
HE SAID, I WANT YOU TO BRING TWO OF MY ANIMALS WITH YOU.
SO WHEN, WHEN I GET THIS WORLD BACK RIGHT, MY ANIMALS GONNA BE OUT THERE.
[00:20:01]
THEN HE GAVE ADAM HIS FIRST JOB, THE FIRST JOB.WHAT'S THE NAME OF ALL THESE ANIMALS? GIVE HIM A NAME.
AND AS YOU GUYS SIT HERE TODAY, YOU KNOW, MARTIN LUTHER KING HAD A DREAM.
AND YOU GUYS AND WOMEN, I'M SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO CALL YOU GUYS, BUT LADIES AND GEN, Y'ALL LIVING THAT DREAM TODAY, Y'ALL LIVING THAT DREAM.
I HAVE A DREAM TOO, AS I DRIVE DOWN THOMAS BOULEVARD AND I LOOK AT FRANKLIN, OLD FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY THAT LANDS SITTING THERE.
I SAY, WOW, SNUFF, WE COULD, COULD DO ENOUGH WITH THIS LAND.
SO I SEE AT THIS PANEL ONE DAY CONSIDER OF HELPING THESE ANIMALS BECAUSE WHEN YOU TOOK THAT OATH, THEN YOU RAISED YOUR HAND, YOU RAISED YOUR HAND TO TAKE CARE OF THE CITY, OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE RESIDENTS.
BUT YOU'RE ALSO SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF THESE ANIMALS.
EACH ONE OF Y'ALL, THAT'S YOUR JOB.
LET'S JUST TAKE CARE OF THESE ANIMALS.
I KNOW IT'S ROUGH, BUT THAT'S YOUR JOB.
NOT JUST THE RESIDENT, BUT THE ANIMALS TOO.
THAT'S WHY I'M SPEAKING FOR 'EM TODAY.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU BABY GOING TO HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE ELSE SPEAK UP FOR HIM.
SO TO HELP THE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON AT THE SHELTER, YEAH, WE HAVE TO VACCINE THE ANIMALS THAT COME IN THERE.
CUZ IF YOU DON'T CLEAN WHAT YOU GOT UP, YOU GONNA ALWAYS HAVE THE MESS.
SO WITH THE CITY MANAGER, YOU THE MONEY, MAN.
I KNOW WE DOING A LOT OF REDEVELOPMENT, BUT IN MY DREAM OVER THERE ON THOMAS BOULEVARD, I COULD SEE A DOG PARK BUILT THERE.
I HAVE A SIX MONTH GRAND BABY DAUGHTER.
AND I COULD SEE IN 10 YEARS, SHE COME TO ME AND SAY, PAPA, CAN YOU TAKE ME AND BUFFY OVER TO THE DOG PARK SO I CAN PLAY? AND I'LL BE LIKE, OH, BABY GIRL, PAPA TIE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA LOOK SAD.
AND IF YOU ARE A PAW PAW, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU GOING TO DO? YOU GONNA GET IN THE CAR AND YOU GONNA TAKE THAT BABY DOWN AND THAT DOG DOWN TO THE PARK.
AND AS I SAID TO YOU GUYS, ONE DAY, MAYBE YOU'LL TAKE YOUR GRANDPA, I MEAN YOUR GRANDKIDS, YOUR GREAT ONE, AND TAKE THEM THERE.
BUT AS YOU SIT THERE AND GET TO THAT PARK, AND IF YOU LOOK AND THAT PARK BEARS THE NAME OF THURMAN BOY TEA, AND THERE'S A PLAQUE THAT BEARS EACH AND ONE OF Y'ALL NAME, I HATE TO SAY THE JOY THAT I SEEN IN MEL BT WHEN HE GAVE THE PROCLAMATION TO THE CAPITAL'S BROTHERS, WAS A LOT OF JOY.
I CAN IMAGINE THE JOY THAT EACH OF ONE OF Y'ALL WOULD HAVE WHEN YOU SHARED THIS WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS.
HO HOLD ON THERE, HOLD ON THERE.
UH, MR. MARTIN, UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES.
LISTEN, UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMING.
I THANK MS. HEBER FOR COMING, AND THEN MR. GONZALEZ IS GOING TO COME AS WELL TALKING ABOUT THIS ANIMAL SHELTER.
I'M GRATEFUL, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BE A PART OF A COUNCIL, UH, THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN, UH, A PART OF THIS COUNCIL, UH, WE HAVE COME TOGETHER AND WE GOT CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
WE COMMITTED $6 MILLION TO THE NEW ANIMAL SHELTER AND HAVING THAT PROJECT GOING FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIMING, I THINK WITH, UH, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND TRANSPIRING THAT WE CAN BRING SOME SYMMETRY TOGETHER AND WORK TOWARD, UH, THAT ANIMAL SHELTER AND, UM, UH, RAISING, UM, THAT RATE, UH, FOR ANIMAL SURVIVAL, UH, IN OUR CITY FROM THE 40% TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OR 90% WHEREVER IT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE.
AND I, I THINK IT IS FOR SUCH A TIME, UH, UH, FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS, UH, THAT ALL OF THIS IS COMING TOGETHER.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMING, UH, MS. HEBER COMING.
MR. GONZALEZ IS GOING TO COME AS WELL, BUT I THINK IT IS FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.
AND SO I THINK THIS COUNCIL IS COMMITTED.
I'M GOING TO COMMIT, UH, TO IT, BUT I THINK THIS COUNCIL IS GOING TO COMMIT.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT I KNOW THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING.
AND I THINK THAT IT IS A HEART THAT IS BLENDING WITH THE HEART THAT YOU HAVE FOR ANIMALS.
UH, WE DO WORK ON, UM, OF COURSE, THE HUMAN, UH, FACTOR, BUT YOU'VE RAISED THE BAR, UH, AS WELL.
AND SO I ACCEPT THAT CHALLENGE PERSONALLY AS WELL.
SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO
[00:25:01]
ARE COMING AND GOING TO BE SPEAKING ON THIS AS WELL.AND AGAIN, THANK YOU MR. MARTIN, FOR YOUR REMARKS.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE MR. MICHAEL GONZALEZ
[III.A. (4) Michael Gonzalez Regarding The City Of Port Arthur Animal Shelter]
REGARDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ANIMAL SHELTER COME UP.SIR, WOULD YOU PLEASE BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS? GOOD MORNING.
I'M ATTORNEY MICHAEL GONZALEZ, AND I LIVE AT 38 49 WOODROW DRIVE IN PORT ARTHUR.
UM, I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
UH, I WENT TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, WHICH IS, I'M SUPPORTING, I'M SHOWING YOU, I WENT TO TJ, GRADUATED IN 1984, BUT I GRADUATED THERE BECAUSE BISHOP BURN HIGH SCHOOL CLOSED DOWN THE YEAR I WAS SUPPOSED TO GRADUATE.
I, UH, SO I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE.
UH, I DID NINE YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.
UH, AND I GRADUATED FROM LAMAR UNIVERSITY FROM MY UNDERGRAD, AND THEN THUR, THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW FOR MY, UH, JURIST DOCTOR.
SO, AS I SAID, I WENT TO BISHOP BURN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO I WANNA START OUT WITH SOME OF WHAT I LEARNED FROM BISHOP BURN FROM GENESIS.
IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH, AND GOD MADE THE BEAST OF THE EARTH AFTER HIS KIND AND CATTLE, AFTER THEY'RE KIND AND EVERYTHING THAT CREEPETH UPON THE EARTH AFTER HIS KIND.
AND GOD SAID, LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE AFTER OUR LIKENESS, AND LET THEM HAVE DOMINION OVER THE FISH OF THE SEA AND OVER THE FOUL OF THE AIR, AND OVER THE CATTLE, AND OVER ALL THE EARTH, AND OVER EVERY CREEPING THING THAT CREEPETH UPON THE EARTH.
SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE.
GOD DID CREATE THE ANIMALS FIRST, LIKE OUR PREVIOUS CORSET.
THEN HE CREATED US AND HE GAVE US DOMINION OVER THESE ANIMALS.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE CARETAKERS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO CARE FOR THESE ANIMALS.
WE'RE WE'RE THE UNDER, WE'RE THE CARETAKERS OF THESE ANIMALS, NOT THE UNDERTAKERS.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT WE'VE BECOME.
THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE A 40% KILL RATE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
THAT'S ACTUALLY INCORRECT BECAUSE THERE'S A 10% KILL RATE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, PORT ARTHUR ACTUALLY HAS MORE THAN A 50% KILL RATE OF THE ANIMALS THAT IT TAKES IN.
NOW, I, I SENT EACH OF YOU A LETTER AND I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO MAYOR PRO TIM HOLMES.
I, IN MY LETTER, I, I PUT, I BELIEVE MR. FRANK SAYS THE MAYOR PRO TIM, I APOLOGIZE.
THE THE INFORMATION I'D GOT WAS OFF THE PORT AUTHOR WEBSITE, AND I SAW THAT IT WAS CORRECTED AFTER MY LETTER.
BUT I AM IN HERE, I AM HERE IN SUPPORT OF PORT ARTHUR BECOMING A NO-KILL CITY.
UM, AND WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO IS I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO SAY NO.
I SENT EACH OF YOU A LETTER AND I OUTLINED, I DISCUSSED THIS.
I, ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO ADMIT, I HAVEN'T GOT A SINGLE RESPONSE FROM ANYONE.
AND I SENT MY LETTER ON THE 14TH.
SO I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO SAY NO TO THE PORT ARTHUR BEING A NO-KILL CITY.
AND, AND, AND BY THE WAY, IT'S NOT JUST PORT ARTHUR.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A CAMPAIGN FOR ALL OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, OF ALL OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
THERE'S ONLY TWO CITIES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY THAT ARE NOT NO-KILL.
AND THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, CITY OF GROVES IS A NO-KILL CITY.
THEY KILL, THEY, THEY, UH, MORE THAN 90% OF THE ANIMALS THAT COME INTO THEIR ANIMAL SHELTER SURVIVE.
AND THEY HELP PLACE INTO OTHER, INTO OTHER SHELTERS AND OTHER, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP PLACE THEM.
BUT PORT ARTHUR AND NELAND ARE THE ONLY TWO CITIES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED NO-KILL.
SO THIS ISN'T JUST, THIS ISN'T JUST A, A CAMPAIGN AGAINST PORT AUTHOR.
DON'T, DON'T FEEL LIKE OUTSIDERS ARE COMING IN AND TRYING TO TELL US WHAT TO DO.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THE COUNTY AT, YOU KNOW, AS A WHOLE.
UH, SO DON'T JUST SAY NO, CREATE A GROUP BECAUSE YOU NEED TO MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION, UH, ABOUT THIS, ABOUT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR BECOMING NO-KILL.
AND IN ORDER TO MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION, APPOINT A GROUP TO STUDY THIS ISSUE TO MAKE A, A, A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU APPOINT SOME INDIVIDUALS.
I'M WILLING TO WORK ON THIS GROUP.
I'M WILLING TO GIVE MY TIME TO HELP, AND THIS GROUP CAN GO OUT AND VISIT OTHER CITIES THAT ARE NO KILL.
FIND OUT WHAT THE PROS AND CONS ARE AND COME BACK TO YOU AND MAKE, UH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS
[00:30:01]
TO YOU ON HOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF WHETHER WE BECOME A NO-KILL CITY.IT'S HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS TRANSITION? AND I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO BE BUILDING A NEW SHELTER, BUT BEING A NO-KILL CITY, IT'S NOT A PLACE, IT'S A CONCEPT.
AND THERE'S NO REASON WE SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE A NO-KILL CITY NOW, UH, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NEW FACILITY DOESN'T CHANGE THE CONCEPT.
UM, I ALSO SENT YOU, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE ARE IN VIOLATION OF RIGHT NOW.
THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS IN VIOLATION OF NOT HAVING, HAVING AN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, IT'S TEXAS, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE 8 23 0.005, WHICH I DISCUSSED AT LENGTH IN MY, IN MY LETTER TO EACH OF YOU.
EVERY CITY THAT HAS A SHELTER IS REQUIRED TO HAVE AN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS COMMITTEE IS COMPRISED OF, HAS TO HAVE A, A VET ON, ON THE COMMITTEE.
THERE HAS TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT IS, UH, THAT WORKS WITH A SHELTER.
UH, AND SO THE, THE, THE, UM, THE STATUTE SPECIFICALLY OUTLINES WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE AND WHO HAS TO BE ON IT, THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT.
BUT WE CAN GO FURTHER THAN THAT.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE THESE ADVISORY COMMITTEES, WHICH, UH, QUITE A FEW CITIES DO, THERE ARE SOME CITIES WHO DON'T.
BUT MOST OF THOSE CITIES ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN PORT ARTHUR.
UH, FOR THE SIZE OF OUR CITY, IT'S, IT'S QUITE AMAZING THAT I, I, I'M, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY SHOCKED THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN SUED BY SOME ANIMAL RIGHTS OR ORGANIZATION TO CREATE THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
BUT THIS ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE OVERSEES, UH, THE ANIMAL CONTROL, UH, AND THEY'RE GIVEN WHATEVER RESPONSIBILITIES THE CITY DECIDES TO GIVE IT.
UH, THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT SINCE THE, UM, SINCE THE, UH, NEWS, UH, CAME OUT ABOUT THE KITTENS IN THE SHELTER, WHICH, UM, I THINK COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED A LOT BETTER, UH, SINCE THAT EVENT, PEOPLE HAVE, UH, THE VOLUNTEERS THAT USED TO COME INTO THE ANIMAL SHELTER THAT TAKES ANIMALS THAT WOULD TAKE SOME ANIMALS OUT TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, THE VOLUNTEERS HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO COME IN ANYMORE, THAT SOME OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THEY'RE NOT, THEY CAN'T COME IN ANYMORE, I GUESS, OUT OF FEAR THAT THERE MIGHT BE OTHER, THEY MIGHT TALK ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT BY DENYING THE VOLUNTEERS, IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE WHISTLEBLOWER ACT.
I THINK YOU GETTING INTO THE LAWS.
CAUSE YOU'VE USED YOUR FIVE MINUTES.
NO, I WAS JUST GOING TO, UH, SAY SOMETHING AT THE END.
IF WE WERE GETTING TOWARD THE END, UM, THE ANIMAL ADVISORY BOARD, WE DO HAVE ONE.
UH, IT'S BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE 2012.
UM, NOW, HOWEVER, ON THIS AGENDA TODAY, I WAS JUST GONNA POINT OUT THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ADDING, UPDATING IT AND ADDING MORE MEMBERS TO IT.
AND THEN I CAN, UH, SHOW YOU LATER.
I DID ALSO GET YOU A LETTER AND KIND OF WENT BACK KIND OF HISTORICALLY AND LOOKED AT IT.
UM, BUT IT HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE 12.
AND ON THIS AGENDA, I WAS JUST PULLING UP THE ITEM, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, IT IS, UH, ITEM 2378, AND IT'S ON PAGE 10 OF THE AGENDA.
SO THEY ARE, UH, WORKING WITH GETTING THAT GROUP, UM, UP TO DATE AND THEY'RE GONNA APPOINT, UM, MEMBERS AGAIN FOR A TWO, TWO YEAR TERM, UM, AS IT STATES.
BUT WE DID HAVE ONE THAT WE PUT THE BOARD IN PLACE IN 2012.
SO, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT IS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
SO THE BOARD, THE ISSUE OF THE ANIMAL ADVISORY BOARD WOULD BE ALSO ADDRESSED TODAY.
AND, AND IF YOU HAD NEED ANY OTHER INFORMATION, UH, BACKGROUND, I HAVE A, A FILE ON THAT THAT I CAN, UH, DISCUSS WITH YOU.
AND, UH, SIR, MR. GONZALEZ? YES.
JUST, JUST MR. GONZALEZ, REAL QUICK, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU, YOU STATED EARLIER THAT, UH, PORT ARTHUR WAS ONE OF TWO CITIES, NELAND AND, AND PORT ARTHUR, UH, WE'RE THE ONLY TWO THAT'S NON-COMPLIANT WITH THIS ADVISORY BOARD.
THAT YOU, WHERE, WHERE DID YOU GET THAT INFORMATION FROM? WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THAT OF THE CITIES OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, OF ALL THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN, IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, ERLAND AND PORT ARTHUR ARE NOT CONSIDERED NO KILL CITIES.
BUT I THOUGHT WE WERE AROUND 46%.
BUT THE INFORMATION YOU STATED EARLIER ABOUT, UH, PORT
[00:35:01]
ARTHUR'S, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN SUED, UH, UM, NOT HAVING ADVISORY BOARD.SO WHERE DID YOU GET THAT INFORMATION AS WELL? FROM WELL, UH, I ACTUALLY CALLED CAUSE YOU JUST CORRECTED HIM.
WELL, I MEAN, I'M JUST TRYING TO, WHAT MY, MY QUESTIONING IS, IS THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT INFORMATION YOU JUST STATED MM-HMM.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO PUT OUT FIRES TO FIGURE OUT HOW IS THIS INFORMATION IS GETTING OUT THERE AND WHO'S TELLING YOU, OR OTHER GROUPS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ARE NOT TRYING TO GET THIS THING, UH, RECTIFIED.
UH, I ACTUALLY CALLED, UH, UH, CITY HALL AND ACTUALLY ASKED ABOUT THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
NO ONE HAD, NO ONE SEEMED TO HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THERE'S THAT, THERE'S NOTHING ON THE, YOU, YOU ATTORNEY, HAD YOU, DID YOU CALL OUR ATTORNEY ATTORNEY? UH, NO, I DIDN'T CALL.
I SAID, LOOK, YOU'VE HAD YOUR TIME.
YOU'VE, YOU ARE SAYING, OKAY, AND YOU'VE MADE ONE, UH, INFERENCE, OR YOU ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT NO ONE ANSWERS YOUR LETTER.
WHEN YOU SEND A THREATENING TYPE OF COMMUNICATION TO A GOVERNING BODY, YOU ARE AN ATTORNEY, YOU ARE A TRAINED ATTORNEY, OKAY.
I DON'T THINK A RESPONSE IS NECESSARY OR DO YOU, UNTIL YOU ARE ALLOWED TO COME LIKE YOU ARE, BECAUSE THEN YOU END UP IN A COURT OF LAW MAKING A STATEMENT TO YOU, OKAY? THAT MIGHT BE UNFOUNDED OR YOU MIGHT THINK AS BEING UNFOUNDED.
SO SIR, PLEASE, AND I KNOW YOU ARE THOMAS JEFFERSON GRADUATE, SO YOU ARE PART OF P A I S D, RIGHT? YOU WITH THE THURGOOD MARSHALL, SO I KNOW YOU HAVE GOOD UNDERSTANDING.
AND, AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER AND NOT IN OUR OPPOSITION.
YOU HAD READ MY LETTER, YOU'D SEE THAT IF I VOLUNTEER, I DID READ YOUR LETTER.
THAT WAS NOT THREATENED CONNOTATION THAT I RECEIVED FROM YOUR LETTER THAT YOU SENT TO ME.
IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY, AND I THINK YOU, I DON'T NEED TO GO OVER IT, THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU TOLD ME, I SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO BE A MAYOR OF A CITY POINT OF ORDER.
AND SO WE GONNA MOVE TO THE, WE GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT, NEXT REASON, TAKE, THANK YOU.
AND WE, WE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, UH, THOUGHTS.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR ENERGY AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER OF ORDER.
LET'S MOVE ON, AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, NEXT ITEM.
[III.A. (5) Angela Dodson of Laws 4 Paws Regarding The City Of Port Arthur Animal Shelter, Spay And Neuter Program]
UH, MS. ANGELA DODSON OF, UH, LAWS FOR PAUSE REGARDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ANIMAL SHELTER SPAY AND N PROGRAM.WOULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE, MA'AM.
ANGELA DODSON, 1711 AVENUE K INLAND.
THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
UH, MAYOR BARTE, YOU SAID SOMETHING AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING THAT STUCK WITH ME IN MY HEART, AND I SAID, OKAY, I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO RUN WITH THAT.
SO YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION ABOUT THE CITY OF PORT AUTHOR.
UM, CERTAINLY YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM IS WITH HOW SOME PEOPLE PERCEIVE PART AUTHOR.
IT STARTS WITH THE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS.
UM, AS A RESCUER MYSELF FOR OVER A DECADE, I'VE SEEN THE DIFFERENCE IT MADE WHEN BEAUMONT TURNED INTO A NOCHI SHELTER.
UM, AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF BEING A NO-KILL SHELTER ENSURES BETTER TREATMENT OF SHELTER ANIMALS, THEREFORE, MAKING THE ANIMALS MORE MARKETABLE TO FOREVER LOVING HOMES, UH, WHICH IN TURN REDUCES THE STRAY POPULATION AND DISEASE IN THE CITY.
WE ALL SEE THESE POOR LITTLE STRAYS SO SAD, RUNNING AROUND THE SKI, YOU KNOW, STREETS, SKIN, AND BONES.
AND WE CAN, WE CAN HELP Y'ALL FIX THAT.
WE JUST WANNA COME IN WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND HELP YOU FIX IT.
UH, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT VOLUNTEERS WILL ASSIST THE SHELTER AND CARING FOR THE ANIMALS, FINDING FOSTERS AND ADOPTERS, FUNDRAISING FOR ANY SERIOUS MEDICAL CASES, AND BRINGING IN TANGIBLE DONATIONS AS NEEDED.
UM, THUS SAVING THE CITY MONEY.
I KNOW, UH, SOMETHING WAS BROUGHT UP LAST TIME ABOUT, WELL, HOW CAN WE DO THIS? YOU KNOW, EVERY ANIMAL THAT'S BROUGHT IN SHOULD BE GIVEN AGE APPROPRIATE VACCINATIONS AND DEWORMED UPON INTAKE.
KELLY CASE, AND WE ESTIMATED THAT PRICE PER ANIMAL WOULD BE AROUND 25 TO $30, WHICH IS THEN RECOUPED THROUGH AN ADOPTION FEE.
SO IN THE LONG RUN, THAT REALLY WOULDN'T COST THE CITY ANYTHING.
UM, SO I'VE GOT JUST ONE QUICK THING.
IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF,
[00:40:01]
OF WHAT BEAUMONT DOES WITH THEIR NO-KILL PROGRAM, UM, THEY HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE, UM, IT'S CALLED, UH, FRIENDS OF BEAUMONT ANIMAL CARE.AND YOU CAN SEE THEIR EFFORTS AND THE SUCCESSES THAT THEY'VE HAD, BECAUSE SINCE THEY ARE NO-KILL AND THEY'RE KEEPING THE DISEASES AND EVERYTHING OUT OF THE SHELTER, IT REALLY EXPANDS THEIR ADOPTION MARKET TO THE MOST OF THE US AND CANADA THROUGH TRANSPORTS.
SO THEY'VE GOT ANIMALS THAT ARE EITHER OWNER SURRENDERS OR THEY'RE FOUND, YOU KNOW, STRAYS ON THE STREET AND THEY'RE GIVEN THEIR VACCINES, THEIR BROUGHT, YOU KNOW, TO BE A HEALTHY WEIGHT AND ALL OF THAT.
AND WE'RE PUTTING 'EM ON TRANSPORTS TO CANADA, AND WE'RE GETTING HEARTWORM TREATMENTS AND EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO MAKE 'EM SAFE AND, YOU KNOW, GOOD LOVING PETS.
AND I KNOW WE CAN DO THAT HERE.
LIKE YOU SAID, CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF PORT ARTHUR.
LET'S DO THE SPAY NEUTER PROGRAM.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN THE $15,000 ALLOCATED FOR THAT.
THAT WOULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF STRAYS THAT ANIMAL CONTROL HAS TO PICK UP, YOU KNOW, OR THE OWNER SURRENDERS, LIKE, AS THEY WERE SAYING, THE MAMA DOGS THAT ARE BIRTHING, YOU KNOW, EIGHT PUPPIES AT A TIME.
UM, SO THAT WOULD JUST, ALL THE WAY AROUND THAT WOULD JUST HELP EVERYBODY.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE NOT HERE TO CAUSE TROUBLE.
WE'RE HERE TO SAY WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AS A HELPING HAND.
WE JUST WANNA HELP, IS ALL WE WANNA DO.
UH, ANY ANY REMARKS OR QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS, UH, MR. JOHNSON? OKAY.
WE THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, YOUR THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE IS
[III.A (6) Artemus Hancock Regarding Sewer And Drainage]
MR. OTTOMAN HANCOCK REGARDING SEWER AND DRAINAGE.TO BEGIN, SIR, BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE.
ARTEMIS HANCOCK, 37 28 BOLD AVENUE, PARK PLACE, UH, DISTRICT FOUR AND, UH, JEFFERSON COUNTY PRECINCT 96.
FIRST GIVEN ALL UNDER THE GOD, WHO IS THE REASON FOR MY BEING TO THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL AND OFFICERS OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
THIS IS MY SECOND APPEARANCE BEFORE THE COUNCIL REGARDING THE TOPIC.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAD NOT BEEN ELECTED DURING THE FIRST ADDRESS BACK IN JANUARY OF 2020, THEREFORE ASKED THAT THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE FROM THE PORT ARTHUR NEWS, UH, BE PROVIDED TO EACH MEMBER TO MAKE SURE WE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND CUTTING DOWN ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR ME.
UH, I'LL ASK, DO YOU EACH HAVE A COPY OF THAT INFORMATION BEFORE YOU AT THIS TIME, WHILE YOU ARE MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE DOCUMENT? UH, THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE FROM THE PORT ARTHUR NEWS, UH, THE ARTICLE STATES MY PURPOSE OF BEING HERE VERY CLEARLY.
THE SEWER CONTINUES TO BACK UP AS OF MARCH 30TH, 2023.
AND, BUT TO NOW, IT IS WITHOUT A TWO INCH RAIN, IT BACKS UP NOW WITHOUT THAT TWO INCHES OF RAIN.
CITY SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE VERY POLITE WHEN THEY TELL ME I NEED TO WAIT UNTIL THE WATER RECEIVES BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO FLUSH TOILETS.
THAT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO DO, BUT WE DO OUR BEST.
ALSO, I RECENTLY PAID A $300, UH, BILL, UH, FOR A PLUMBER TO COME AND CLEAN OUT THE TRASH THAT IS BACKED UP UNTO MY FOUNDATION, UH, IN MY, UH, SEWER SYSTEM, UH, IN, IN MY HOME.
MY FOUR QUESTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS.
DURING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, JANUARY 27TH, 2020, COUNCIL MEMBER CHARLOTTE MOSES, AND SHE'S STILL HERE, GRACE AND I, UH, ROSTRUM HERE SERVING US.
ASSURED MY WIFE AND I, THAT A CHANGE WAS COMING.
YOU FIND THAT IN AN ARTICLE, ALSO, THE CITY INTERIM DIRECTOR OF UTILITY OPERATIONS, MR. STANTON STATED HE WAS AWARE OF THE SEWAGE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE.
HE FURTHER STATED THAT SOME OF THE PIPES ARE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
WHY AFTER THREE YEARS DO WE CONTINUE TO HAVE SEWAGE BACKUPS IN
[00:45:01]
DISTRICT FOUR PRECINCT 96, COMMONLY CALLED PARK PLACE, WHERE I RESIDE.NUMBER TWO, OUR CITY MANAGER ANNOUNCED THE RECEIPT OF A GRANT OF 16.9 MILLION, WHICH IS TO BE USED FOR SEWER AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STONEGATE AREA.
I DON'T LIVE IN THE STONEGATE AREA.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE BY CHANNEL SIX NEWS ON TUESDAY, AND AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY OF THIS WEEK.
I REMEMBER WHEN THE STONEGATE AREA WAS BUILT, THAT WASN'T A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
I HAVE NOT, I AM NOT A HUNDRED YEARS OLD YET PLANNED TO GET THERE, BUT NOT YET.
I REMEMBER THE STONEGATE AREA WAS BUILT, AND MANY OF OUR BUSINESSES FROM DOWNTOWN PORT ARTHUR MOVED OUT AND BECAME A PART OF THE NEW CENTRAL MALL.
WHY WOULD THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE EARMARK IN THE STONEGATE AREA TO RECEIVE THIS ENTIRE 16.9 MILLION GRANT MONEY? WHEN OUR STATE CHAMPION BASKETBALL COACH, MR. GAMBLE, SUFFERED WATER UP TO THE CEILING IN HIS HOUSE ALSO, UH, CURRENT COMMISSIONER SENEGAL HAD WATER IN HIS HOUSE.
SO NOW THE STATEMENT MADE ON CHANNEL SIX NEWS BY A RESIDENT OF STONEGATE SAID THAT HE HAD 22 INCHES OF WATER.
WELL, I HAD 30 INCHES OF WATER IN MY HOUSE, AND SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS IN THE PARK PLACE AREA HAD OVER FOUR FEET OF WATER IN THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE LOWER AREA.
NUMBER THREE, HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY THE USE OF FUNDS FROM THIS GRANT, FROM DISTRICT THREE FOR DISTRICT THREE WHEN THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE BEEN NEEDING INFRASTRUCTURE REPLACEMENT FOR YEARS? WE DISCUSSED THIS DURING THE COUNCIL MEETING IN 2020 WHEN I WAS HERE.
THE ARTICLE EXPLAINS THAT THAT WAS THREE YEARS AGO.
I RECEIVED PHONE CALLS FROM VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE EMPLOYEES OF OUR CITY.
AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S A PLUS BECAUSE THE KNOWLEDGE, THE, UH, THE WATER DEPARTMENT, UH, EMPLOYEES ARE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE.
THEY KNOW OUR CITY, AND THEY PROVIDED ME DETAILS AND GAVE ME SOME COURAGE TO CONTINUE TO THINK THAT, THAT WE'LL GET THERE.
AND THEY'RE EXTREMELY THOROUGH, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THE DECISIONS NEEDED TO PURCHASE AND IMPLEMENT THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS NEEDED IN OUR CITY.
NUMBER FOUR, BEFORE I ENDED MY PRESENTATION IN 2020, I REQUESTED THAT SUE IMPROVEMENTS BE PLACED ON THE CITY BUDGET FOR 2021.
THIS YEAR, I'M HAVE REQUESTING THE WORK BEGAN IMMEDIATELY BY USING AN EQUAL SHARE OF THE GRANT MONEY THAT HAS BEEN EARMARKED FOR A VERY SPECIAL PART OF OUR CITY, I BELIEVE, WHICH OUR QUESTION IS BEING ACTUALLY EVEN LAWFUL.
AND THE QUESTION I ASK IS, WHY WAS THE DECISION MADE TO REQUEST FUNDS TO BE USED FOR ONLY THE STONEGATE AREA? GOWAY FLOODS, AND THERE ARE HOMES AND BUSINESSES THAT PAY TAXES THERE ALSO.
FINALLY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD TO CLEAN BLACK FIELD FROM YOUR BATHROOM AND TUBS IN YOUR HOMES? THANK YOU AGAIN, AND GOD BLESS YOU, EACH ONE.
OKAY, MR. HANCOCK, UH, WE HAVE ANY, EXCUSE ME, QUESTIONS OR REMARKS? MR. HANCOCK FROM THE, UH, COUNSEL? CONS, COSMAN MARKS? UH, YES.
UH, THANK YOU MR. HANCOCK FOR, UH, COMING OUT AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH US THIS MORNING ABOUT THE SEWER PROBLEMS. UH, THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE THAT IS BEING ADDRESSED RIGHT NOW.
AND THE WAY THE ISSUE IS BEING ADDRESSED IS BEING HANDLED THROUGH THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND OUR CITY MANAGER AND, UH, OUR PUBLIC'S WORKS, UH, PERSONNEL WHO, SOME OF THEM WHO ARE HERE TODAY CAN ACTUALLY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND GIVE YOU SOME SPECIFICS ABOUT THE PROCESS IN WHICH THEY IDENTIFIED HOW THEY WERE GOING TO, UM, REPAIR AND REPLACE, UH, DRAINAGE IN, IN THOSE AREAS.
AND SO, UH, RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE IN MY DISTRICT, IN DISTRICT FOUR, I WOULD, UH, DEFER TO THE CITY MANAGER AT THIS TIME SO HE CAN ACTUALLY, UH, CALL ON PERSONNEL TO COME AND
[00:50:01]
SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED HERE AT THIS TIME.UH, UM, MAY I SAY SOMETHING, MAYOR? CORRECT.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE HAD A PRACTICE, AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING OF AFTER SOMEONE SPEAKS, THEN WE BRING OTHERS UP AND WE GET INTO A DISCUSSION.
BUT I JUST WANT TO, UM, NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT THAT'S REALLY NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, UH, TO THEN HAVE, UM, DIS LONG DISCUSSIONS AND PRESENTATIONS CUZ THAT WASN'T POSTED.
THE PURPOSE OF A SPEAKER IS TO ADDRESS COUNSEL FOR FIVE MINUTES AND PUT THEIR CONCERNS OUT THERE.
BUT THEN IT SOMETIMES WE, IN, IN THE INTEREST OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING CERTAIN THAT IT'S ADDRESSED, WE TURN IT INTO A DISCUSSION AND WE ARE REALLY NOT POSTED TO THAT.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT IF YOU DO GIVE A RESPONSE, UH, THAT'S FINE, BUT TO LIMIT IT TO JUST VERY SHORT AND IF YOU NEED TO GIVE, UH, EXPLANATION IN GREATER DETAIL THAT IT BE PUT ON IN A PROPER FORMAT OF A DISCUSSION, UH, OR A PRESENTATION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
BUT I MEAN, I KNOW YOU WANNA DEFINITELY NOT LEAVE THE CITIZEN, UH, WITHOUT INFORMATION, BUT JUST WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT TO KIND OF KEEP IT SHORTENED IF WE NEED TO.
THANK, THANK, THANK YOU ATTORNEY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT, UM, UH, ATTORNEY.
I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT, UM, COUNCILMAN MARKS WAS SAYING, UM, AS WE TRY TO DEVELOP, AND I, I WISH, AND, AND CITY MANAGER, I WISH THAT YOU WOULD, UH, TALK TO, UH, MR. HANCOCK.
BUT, BUT AS WE ARE DOING THAT, AS, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, ABOUT OUR STAFF AS WE'RE DEVELOPING THE JOBS THAT WE'RE GOING TO, UM, UH, TAKE ON, AND AS WE'RE MAKING OUR PRIORITIES, I'M SURE THAT YOU HAVE A METHOD AND A MODE OF OPERATION THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
BUT WHETHER IT BE BY THE INCHES OF RAIN THAT WE SUFFERED, UH, DURING THAT, UH, 100 YEAR EVENT CALLED HARVEY, OR WHETHER, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE EXPRESS NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AS THEY COME FORWARD, OR WHETHER IT DEALS WITH PUBLIC HEALTH ENDANGERMENT, I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU DEVELOP THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE HANDLED, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO SHARE, UH, WITH OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN WAITING AND THEY ARE CONTINUALLY WAITING, UH, FOR THE CALVARY TO COME AND FOR THEIR NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND WHEN THEY DON'T COME, UH, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS, UH, THEY COME BACK.
SO WE NEED TO DEVELOP AND I NEED TO BE APPRISED OF IT.
AS A COUNCILMAN, I THINK WE ALL NEED TO BE APPRISED OF IT, HOW THESE PRIORITIES ARE DEVELOPED, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM SOME HOPE.
UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING, UM, THAT, UM, THE PERSON WITH THE GREATEST HOPE IS THE STRONGEST INDIVIDUAL IN THE ROOM.
AND WE HAVE TO GIVE PEOPLE HOPE THAT THEIR, THAT THEIR, UH, THEIR NEEDS ARE GOING TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND SO AS MR. HANCOCK IS HERE, HE NEEDS TO HAVE SOME HOPE, UH, THAT HE'S, YOU KNOW, HE'S COME HERE BEFORE HE'S COME HERE AGAIN AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO TRANSPIRED, BUT HE'S TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE A HUNDRED YEARS OLD IN THE ISSUE, STILL HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED.
HE NEEDS TO KNOW WHEN HE NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THE CAVAL IS COMING, THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO BE DONE AS ALL OF OUR CITIZENS NEED TO.
SO THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN SHARE IT WITH OUR CONSTITUENCY AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL.
SO I PRAY THAT SOMEBODY WOULD GIVE MR. HANCOCK SOME HOPE AND THEN GIVE US SOME HOPE THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH OTHERS AS WELL.
UH, COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN MOSES.
MR. HANCOCKS, SINCE YOU QUOTED ME, I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING,
I BELIEVE WE HAD GOTTEN SOME MONEY FROM MOTIVA AS A COUNCIL BACK THEN TO HAVE DEVELOP A PIPE BURSTING CREW.
AND THAT PIPE BURSTING CREW WAS GONNA GO TO WORK FOR US.
AND I WAS AT THAT TIME AND STILL AM EXCITED THAT WE DO HAVE A PIPE BURSTING CREW THAT MOTIVA IS PAYING, HELPING US TO PAY WITH THROUGH A GRANT THAT IS CAUSING US TO BE ABLE TO READ SOME AREAS.
THEY STARTED IN SABINE PASS, AND I'M JUST GOING STRAIGHT FROM MEMORY FROM THIS TIME.
SO IF I MISS SOME THINGS, I'M SURE THAT THE WATER DEPARTMENT CAN, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CHANGES IN THAT WATER DEPARTMENT.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, DONNIE STANTON IS NOT HERE.
BUT AT THE TIME, YES, WE FELT LIKE A CHANGE WAS COMING AND WE ARE GONNA HAVE A, OUR OWN, THE CITY WOULD WAS HIRING THEIR OWN PIPE BURSTING CREW TO GO IN AND START WITH THIS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S BEEN
[00:55:01]
DAMAGED AND DILAPIDATED OVER YEARS.AND SO YOU CAN'T AT, AT, AT THREE YEARS, I THINK SINCE 20 MM-HMM.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IN TIME I STILL BELIEVE A CHANGE IS COMING.
SO I STILL SUPPORT THAT STATEMENT THAT A CHANGE IS COMING.
IT MAY NOT BE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TODAY, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT BEFORE YOU BECOME A HUNDRED, THAT THE CHANGE WILL HAPPEN AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN YOUR AREA WILL BE, UH, CLEANED UP AND PIPES WILL BE REPAIRED AND YOU'LL HAVE THE STATE OF THE ART, TOP OF THE LINE, UH, PIPES WITH THE CREW THAT WE'VE HIRED, UH, HERE AT THE CITY TO WORK.
AND I JUST BELIEVE IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME.
SO IN 2023 TODAY, MARK MY WORD, I WON'T BE ON COUNCIL AFTER ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT I DO BELIEVE THE CHANGE IS COMING TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IF YOU'LL JUST BE PATIENT WITH US, I DO BELIEVE THE WORK IS COMING, THE MONEY IS THERE, THE PEOPLE ARE WORKING, IS JUST THE TIME AND EFFORT TO GET YOU SAY THREE YEARS.
AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A DISTRICT FOR, THEY'RE, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING IN SABINE PASS, THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE PIPES THERE.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ALL OVER THE COMMUNITY.
ALL EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER UP HERE HAS GOTTEN A CALL ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I HAVE A CALL THAT WAS, THAT WAS ABOUT THE WEST SIDE AND PIPES OVER THERE HAD A CALL ABOUT THE APARTMENTS OVER ON 73, THE AMBROSE APARTMENTS AND HOW THE SEWER BEEN BACKED UP, EVEN IN STONEGATE.
NOW, THE 1.9, UH, 16.9 MILLION, I, WE ALL NEED AN EXPLANATION ON THAT OR UPDATE CUZ THIS IS FLEXIBLE AND FLUID UP HERE.
WE MOVE AND WE WORK AND WE GO TO THE NEXT THING.
SO FOR ME TO SAY I RECALL SOMETHING FROM THAT TIME AND THAT ERA, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WHAT THE MONEY, THE GRANT, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY REVISIT IT.
CERTAINLY GO BACK AND FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE, GET AN UPDATE ON IT SO THAT YOU TWO WILL BE AWARE OF WHERE THAT CHANGE IS.
SO THANK YOU FOR COMING TO US.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT A CHANGE IS COMING IN.
I BELIEVE THE CHANGE IS NOW AND I BELIEVE IT'S HAPPENING, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S HAPPENING AS RAPID AS WE WOULD WANT IT TO HAPPEN.
UM, ON THE HE OF WHAT, UM, CONST MOSES AND COUNCILOR MAX MENTIONED THE CHANGES HERE.
IT'S SLOW, BUT IT'S PROGRESSIVE.
JUST ONE ME ONE COUNCIL MEETING AGO, COUNCIL GAVE US THE APPROVAL TO GO OUT AND NEGOTIATE FOR THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTY NEXT TO YOUR PROPERTY SO THAT WE COULD UPGRADE THE FACILITIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW IN ORDER TO ABIDE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE WE FORESAW THAT THE PROBLEM IS A LONG TERM ONE.
AND YES, IT HAS HAPPENED IN 2020 AND WE CONTINUE TO ADDRESS IT.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NECESSARY ARE BEING ALLOCATED TO IT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PLAN, DESIGN, AND EXECUTE THE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY.
AT THIS POINT, I DO UNDERSTAND THE, THE DISCOMFORT, ESPECIALLY AT YOUR AGE AND YOUR WIFE'S AGE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS OF YOURS AS YOU LOOK FORWARD TO LIVING THE BETTER PART OF YOUR GOLDEN AGE IN TOTAL COMFORT.
BUT WE WILL CONTINUE AS YOU E SO ELOQUENTLY SAID, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT IS AT YOUR DISPOSAL AND AT EVERY CITIZEN'S DISPOSAL TO PROVIDE YOU WITH OPEN AND RELEVANT INFORMATION AS TO WHAT WE ARE DOING, THE UP UPGRADES THAT WE ARE MAKING AND WHEN AND, AND, AND HOW WE ARE PREPARED TO SERVE YOU AND THE REST OF THE CITIZENRY.
LET ME ASK, UM, UM, THE UTILITIES DIRECTOR JUST FOR A FEW WORDS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UH, I HAVE ASKED HIM JUST BEFORE YOUR PRESENTATION BECAUSE I WAS THERE, UM, NOT AT, UM, UH, WHEN YOU MAY 1ST MEET YOUR PRESENTATION TO THE CITY THAT, UM, AND I DID UPDATE HIM THAT MR. STANTON AT THE TIME WAS, UM, OUR UTILITIES DIRECTOR AND I ASKED HIM TO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INFORM BOTH YOU AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF WHAT WE DO INTEND TO DO TO IMPROVE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, SIR.
JUST VERY BRIEFLY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, MAYOR.
STAND TO THE SIDE JUST A LITTLE.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
I'M GONNA HELP, UH, CALVIN A LITTLE BIT WITH THIS ONE BECAUSE HE WASN'T HERE DURING THAT TIME AND UH, HE'S NEW WITH US.
[01:00:01]
THE CHANGE ACTUALLY DID COME IN THE MOST IMPORTANT FORMAT, WHICH IS BALANCED BUDGETS AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SINCE 2020 TO WHERE THIS ENTERPRISE FUND HAS BECOME A SELF-SUFFICIENT FUND.IT DOESN'T NEED TO BORROW MONEY FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO OPERATE AND IT CAN BOTTLE BOND MONEY TO ACTUALLY DO PROJECTS.
AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS ON THE LIFT STATIONS AS WELL AS THE WASTEWATER, UH, TREATMENT LINES.
AS WE UH, MENTIONED IN THE REPORTS WE SUBMITTED TO, UH, MR. BURTON A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AS FAR AS THIS AREA IS CONCERNED, UH, WE ARE VERY AWARE OF MR. HANCOCK'S STRUGGLES WITH THIS WASTEWATER AND WE DEVELOPED SHORT-TERM AS WELL AS LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS ON SHORT-TERM.
WE ALREADY CLEANED ALL THE PIPES THAT GO ALL THE WAY FROM HIS RESIDENCE TO THE SANITARY SEWER LIFT STATION ON THIRD AVENUE.
AND WE ALSO CLEAN THE LIFT STATION ITSELF.
HOWEVER, THE SECOND PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE THERE IS THE LIFT STATION.
IT IS NOT SIZED PROPERLY FOR THIS AREA AND THE PUMPS THAT ARE IN IT ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO ACTUALLY MOVE THAT SANITARY SEWER FROM THAT AREA TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
SO THE SHORT TERM FOR THAT, WE ARE ADDING CURRENTLY A PUMP, A SIX INCH PUMP TO HELP MOVE THAT WASTEWATER FASTER FROM THAT AREA AND PREVENT THESE BACKUPS.
BUT WE ALSO ENGAGED WITH AN ENGINEERING COMPANY THAT THEY ALREADY STARTED THE DESIGN OF A LARGER LIFT STATION THAT WILL BETTER SUPPORT THIS AREA.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE $2 MILLION ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR FOR SANITARY SEWER LIFT STATIONS NEXT WEEK.
WE WILL BE TELEVISING THAT LINE, THAT SERVE THIS AREA TO THE LIFT STATION, JUST TO MAKE SURE THERE AREN'T ANY CAVITIES OR IMMEDIATE, UH, ATTENTION NEEDED TO THAT INFRASTRUCTURE ITSELF.
SO A LOT OF CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE TO THE BETTER, UH, ESPECIALLY ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A CONTRACT THAT'S GOING OUT FOR BIDS FOR GONNA COST ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS FOR REPLACING SANITARY SEWER PIPE INSIDE CITY LIMITS.
THE SECOND CONTRACT IS ALSO UNDERWAY ON DESIGN, WHICH IS BEING DESIGNED IN HOUSE.
AND IF THIS AREA NEEDS SOME OF THESE PIPING REPLACED FROM THE RESULTS WE'LL GET FROM THE TING, WE WILL INCLUDE THEM IN THIS COMING CONTRACT.
THAT SHOULD BID IN ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS IN BRIEF, AND I'LL SEE IF CALVIN WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING.
ANYTHING ELSE, CALVIN? THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS, UH, COUNCIL PERSON MOSES IS CORRECT.
WE HAVE AN IN-HOUSE PIPE BURSTING CREW.
WE DO HAVE AN IN-HOUSE PIPE BURSTING CREW.
THEY'RE RUNNING ABOUT 2000 FEET A YEAR, A MONTH, A MONTH, EXCUSE ME, OF 2000 FEET A MONTH OF REPLACING PIPES.
THERE'S 300 TO 400 MILES OF PIPE IN THE SEWER IN THE CITY, THE SEWER SYSTEM IN THE CITY, AND A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE ONES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN REPLACED NEED TO BE REPLACED.
SO IT'S QUITE A DAUNTING TASK WE'VE BEEN WORKING OFF OF, BETWEEN THOMAS AND AROUND 12TH STREET FROM AUSTIN TO SAVANNAH IS THE ONE WE JUST FINISHED.
AND, UH, ONCE WE TELEVISE THIS, I KNEW ABOUT THE WET WEATHER PROBLEMS. AND WHEN I TALKED TO MR. ARTEMIS, UH, HE MENTIONED THE DRY WEATHER, WHICH WAS, I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS A PROBLEM IN DRY WEATHER.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED THE CLEANING PROGRAM.
AND, UH, WE HAD ALREADY ORDERED THE PUMP.
SO WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO UPGRADING THE TEMPORARY.
SO THIS IS SOME OF THE, UH, ANTICIPATORY OR CHANGES, UH, CHANGES COMING THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
THEY'VE ALREADY BEGUN AND YOU DID SAY IT.
AND SO MR. HANCOCK, UH, EVENTUALLY IN, IN, IN NEW PROTECTION OF TOWN, UH, THOSE OLD SAME CHANGES WILL OCCUR.
BUT IT'S JUST THAT, UH, IF I'M CORRECT ATTORNEY, JUST THAT WE HAVE SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S ANTIQUATED IN MANY PARTS OF OUR CITY, AND YOU, WE'VE GOT TO ADDRESS IT.
WE'VE BEGUN TO ADDRESS IT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE AND HOPEFULLY ANY OTHER CITIZENS WHO ARE HERE, IT MAY NOT BE IN YOUR PARTICULAR AREA AT THE PRESENT, BUT BE SURE THAT IT'S COMING AND THIS IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.
UH, WE ARE ADDRESSING IT, AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT.
SO WE GOOD NOW, TONY? WE ARE GOOD.
UH, WE GOOD? WE OKAY, MR. HANCOCK? YES.
AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, PASSION AGAIN.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND EVEN YOUR PATIENCE WITH US, MR. HANCOCK ON THIS.
[01:05:01]
DID TALK TO MR. MR. CALVIN.SO WE APPRECIATE IT, COUNCILMAN FRANK.
I JUST HAD ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION, AND THAT CAN EITHER BE TO MR. HANCOCK OR TO COUNCILMAN MARKS.
ARE THERE OTHERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IN YOUR BLOCK WHO ARE HAVING THOSE PROBLEMS? OR IS IT, OR IS IT JUST YOUR HOME? ARE YOU DEAD END? IS IT DEAD END? AND WHAT EXACTLY IS THE EXTENT OF THE, OF THE, OF THE PROBLEM THERE IN YOUR COM IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION AND, UH, COUNCILMAN REVEREND FRANK.
UM, BUT YES, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE.
AS I STATED, UH, OUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BASKETBALL TEAM COACH, UH, HAD WATER UP TO HIS ROOF.
UH, OUR COMMISSIONER SENEGAL, WHICH STAYS IN A FEW BLOCKS FROM ME, HE HAD WATER IN HIS HOME, MUCH MORE THAN 22 INCHES THAT THEY HAD IN STONEGATE.
WE HAVE TWO FORMER MAYORS WHO STAY IN, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, I, I DON'T WANT TO NAME NAMES BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET THEIR PERMISSION, BUT YES, I SEE THE CITY SERVICE TRUCK IN DIFFERENT, AT DIFFERENT HOMES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD ALMOST EVERY WEEK.
AND, UH, UH, UH, I'M VERY PATIENT.
UH, I WAITED THREE YEARS, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION,
SO KIND NEXT WE WILL MOVE TO PRESENTATIONS.
UH, FIRST WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY GARY SULLIVAN AND CHARLES WHEELER OF THE, UH, US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, THE GALVESTON
[III.B. (1) A Presentation By Gary Sullivan And Charles Wheeler Of The U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers (Galveston District) Regarding An Update Of The Port Arthur Project]
DISTRICT, REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, PORT AUTHOR PROJECT.AND DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO GIVE YOU A STATUS UPDATE ON THE PORT ARTHUR COASTAL STORM RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, AT THIS POINT, UH, MAYOR BERTI, JUST RECOGNIZE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE WITH US TODAY.
WE ARE NOT DOING THIS PROJECT ALONE.
CORRECT? UH, WE HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT PARTNER AND STAKEHOLDER IN DRAINAGE DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN.
AND WITH US TODAY WE HAVE MR. ALLEN SIMS, WHO IS THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER.
WE HAVE MR. TOBY DAVIS, WHO IS THE DISTRICT ENGINEER, AND BRIAN MCIL, WHO IS THE CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR, HAVING BEEN WITH DB SEVEN FOR OVER 34 YEARS.
SO THESE ARE THREE FOLKS, UH, WE WORK WITH, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS THAT, UH, SUPPORT US IN OUR EFFORTS TO BRING THESE FLOOD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS TO THE AREA.
WE ALSO WORK IN CONCERT WHERE THE, WITH THE GULF COAST PROTECTION DISTRICT.
I AM, UH, HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT NEXT MONTH ON APRIL 6TH, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE CONDUCTING A PORT ARTHUR VIRTUAL, UM, PRESENTATION TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH AN UPDATE ON OUR PROJECT.
WE ADVERTISE THIS, UH, UPCOMING VIRTUAL MEETING IN THE, IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPERS ABOUT 30 DAYS AGO.
AND TODAY WE WILL ANNOUNCE, UH, THIS UPCOMING MEETING THROUGH THE GALVESTON ENGINEER DISTRICT WEBPAGE, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS, SO THAT WE INVITE THE PUBLIC TO JOIN US ON THE APRIL 6TH FROM 1130 TO ONE TO PARTICIPATE IN AN UPDATE PRESENTATION ON THE PROJECT AS WELL.
A LOT OF WHAT I'M GONNA SHOW YOU TODAY IS GONNA BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC ON APRIL 6TH.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS ILLUSTRATION, THE OVERALL PROGRAM IS TO PROTECT THE UPPER TEXAS COAST ALL THE WAY FROM FREEPORT TO BEAUMONT.
THE THREE MAIN AREAS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ARE SABINE, THE GALVESTON COASTAL STORM EARTH MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ON ARE THE PORT ARTHUR AREA, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES GROVES IN NEWLAND AND PORT ACRES AND, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE, IN THIS VICINITY ORANGE, WHICH IS NORTH OF PORT ARTHUR, AND ALSO FREEPORT, WHICH IS SOUTH OF GALVESTON.
THESE THREE COMMUNITIES ARE THE FOCUS OF OUR S TWO G PROGRAM, WHICH IS FUNDED AT ABOUT 3.9 BILLION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO REDUCE THE
[01:10:01]
RISK OF HUMAN LIFE LOSS, TO PROTECT RESIDENCES, BUSINESSES, AND THE ECONOMIC OUTPUT OF THE AREA TO PROTECT THE ENERGY SECTOR IN THE AREA.AND AS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW, AND I'LL JUST, UH, LET THE AUDIENCE KNOW, PORT ARTHUR IS THE NUMBER ONE ALL PRODUCING CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
YOU, YOU OUTSHINE EVERY OTHER CITY IN THE AREA.
THIS IS THE, AND HAS THE LARGEST CHEMICAL PRODUCING PLANT IN THE UNITED STATES IS LOCATED HERE, MOTIVA.
SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ENERGY SECTOR.
SO IT'S A NATIONAL INTEREST TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ENERGY SECTOR IS PROTECTED.
AND IN DOING SO, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND, WE UNDERSTAND AS THE GOVERNMENT, THAT THESE PLANTS CANNOT OPERATE WITHOUT THE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN PORT ARTHUR.
SO WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM SO THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR WORK.
CUZ IF THEY'RE BUSY AT HOME CLEANING UP FROM FLOODING, THEY'RE NOT AT WORK PRODUCING THE ENERGY.
SO IT'S, IT'S A COMBINED, UM, MISSION TO PROTECT THE RESIDENTS AS, AS WELL AS THE ENERGY PRODUCING PLANTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE, THE WATERWAYS, THE SABINE NATURES WATERWAY, A VERY IMPORTANT NAVIGATION CHANNEL, UH, THAT FLOWS PASTURE CITY THAT PROVIDES BOTH COM COMMERCIAL AND, AND RESIDENTIAL OPERATIONS.
THE PORT ARTHUR SY SYSTEM LEVY IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM WAS BUILT BACK IN THE MID SIXTIES, AND IT TOOK ABOUT 20 YEARS TO BUILD IT OUT.
IT CONSISTS OF EARTH AND LEVIES CONCRETE FLOOD WALLS, PUMPING STATIONS THAT PROVIDE THE PROTECTION FROM HURRICANES AND THE PART OF THE HURRICANE THAT IS THE MOST DAMAGING TO COMMUNITIES AS THE STORM SURGE.
SO THE LEVY'S MAIN GOAL IS TO PROVIDE PROTECTION SO THAT STORM SURGE DOES NOT MAKE IT INTO THE, INTO THE COMMUNITY AREAS.
OUR PROJECT IS GONNA UPGRADE ABOUT 20 MILES OF THE 30 32 MILE SYSTEM WHERE WE HAVE MODELED FUTURE HURRICANES, UM, A HUNDRED YEAR STORMS AND THE IMPACTS ON THIS PART OF TEXAS, AND DETERMINED THAT WE NEED TO INCREASE THE HEIGHT OF THE EXISTING LEVY SYSTEM IN, IN ORDER TO ACCOUNT FOR THE POWER OF THOSE FUTURE HURRICANES AND, AND ALSO SEA LEVEL RISE.
THE PROJECT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS, UH, SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE.
IN THE UPPER LEFT IS THE CONCRETE FLOOD WALL REPLACEMENTS.
ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE UPPER LEFT ILLUSTRATION IS AN EYE WALL, A VERTICAL CONCRETE WALL THAT'S EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND.
THOSE ARE CURRENTLY EXISTING IN PORT ARTHUR.
WE'RE GONNA BE REPLACING THOSE WITH T WALLS, WHICH HAS A CONCRETE FOUNDATION THAT IS PARALLEL TO THE GROUND AND ALSO THE VERTICAL COMPONENT OF THE, THE FLOOD WALL.
GIVES THE WALL A LOT MORE STABILITY TO WITHSTAND THE, UH, THE STORM SURGE THAT WE ANTICIPATE WILL COME IN WITH THESE HURRICANES.
WE'RE GONNA REPLACE APPROXIMATELY 4.81 MILES OF THESE CONCRETE FLOOD WALLS AROUND THE CITY.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE RAISING, UH, ABOUT 15 AND A HALF MILES OF EARTH AND LEVY BETWEEN ONE AND FOUR FEET, UH, SO THAT THE, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE POWER OF THE FUTURE HURRICANES THAT WE'VE PROJECTED FOR, UH, TEXAS.
BOTH OF THESE COMPONENTS COME WITH, UH, STONE ARMORING EROSION PROTECTION AT THE BASE OF THE LEVEE AND ALONG THE FLOOD SIDE OF THE LEVEE.
SO IT'S PROTECTED FROM EROSION CONTROL FROM THE STORM SEARCH.
WE ALSO ARE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THE RAILROAD AND ROAD CLOSURE GATES.
THERE ARE 20 SUCH GATES IN AND AROUND THE CITY ON THE VARIOUS ROADWAYS AND, AND RAILROADS.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE REPLACING AND UPGRADING THESE GATE STRUCTURES, AGAIN, INCREASING THE HEIGHT OF THEM.
UH, THEY ARE CLOSED IN THE EVENT OF A, A STORM, UH, APPROACHING STORM EVENT.
THEY'RE NOT MECHANICALLY OPERATED.
DD SEVEN IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR USING EQUIPMENT LIKE TRUCKS AND, UH, UH, CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT IN ORDER TO PULL THESE GATES CLOSED IN THE EVENT OF A HURRICANE WITHIN THE, THE LAST 48 HOURS OF THE, UH, EVENT'S ARRIVAL.
BUT WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING NEW GATE STRUCTURES AS PART OF OUR PROJECT.
ALSO, PORT ARTHUR HAS 20 EXISTING PUMP STATIONS.
ABOUT HALF OF THESE PUMP STATIONS, UH, ARE ON THE PERIMETER RIGHT ALONG THE LEVY SYSTEM.
THESE PUMP STATIONS ARE ESSENTIALLY ON THE FRONT LINES.
THEIR OBJECTIVE IS TO TAKE WATER FROM THE PORT ARTHUR SIDE OF THE CITY AND TO PUMP IT OVER INTO THE STORM SIDE OF THE SYSTEM.
AS THE PRECIPITATION AND RUNOFF EVENTS OCCUR
[01:15:01]
INSIDE THE PORT ARTHUR, THE PORT ARTHUR CITY WOULD BE LIKE A BATHTUB, AND WE NEED TO PUMP THAT WATER OUT.WHILE WE'RE ALSO PROTECTING THE CITY FROM THE STORM SEARCH, WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING FRONTING PROTECTION CONCRETE STRUCTURES THAT ARE GONNA HELP PROTECT THE PUMP STATION FROM THE BRUNT OF THE STORM SURGE, UH, WHEN IT APPROACHES FROM THE HURRICANE.
AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE IN THIS ILLUSTRATION WHAT THE EROSION CONTROL PROTECTION LOOKS LIKE AT THE BASE OF THE LEVY SYSTEM WHERE IT MEETS THE, UH, WATERLINE TO HELP PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM EROSION.
NOW, OUR PROJECT, UH, BEGAN, UH, BACK IN 2017 WITH THE FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT WAS COMPLETED, WHICH WAS A THREE YEAR FEASIBILITY STUDY.
FOLLOWING YEAR, CONGRESS AUTHORIZED FUNDING FOR THE S TWO G PROGRAM.
AND IN 2019, UH, WE AWARD OUR FIRST CONTRACT, UH, CALLED P A V PORT ARTHUR AND VICINITY CONTRACT ZERO ONE, WHICH IS OUT BY THE VALERO ENERGY PLANT AND HIGHWAY 87.
WE'VE COMPLETED THAT FIRST 1.1 MILES OF IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT 19 MILES TO GO.
WE ANTICIPATE COMPLETING ALL THE DESIGNS IN THE 2025 TIMEFRAME, AND THEN ALL CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE BY THE END OF THIS DECADE IN 2029.
THE TOTAL FUNDING FOR THE PORT ARTHUR PORTION OF THE S TWO G PROGRAM IS 863 MILLION.
AND THIS IS A COST SHARED PROGRAM.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDES 65% OF THE FUNDING, AND THE LOCAL SPONSOR PROVIDES 35% OF THE FUNDING.
THE TWO TOGETHER MAKE UP THE 860 60 3 MILLION.
UNLIKE MANY FEDERAL PROJECTS, THIS PROJECT WAS FULLY FUNDED AT THE OUTSET.
WE HAVE ALL THE MONEY WE NEED TO COMPLETE YOUR PROJECT IN HAND, UH, IN 2018.
SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF DESIGNING THE PROJECTS AND LETTING THE CONTRACTS AND GETTING THE CONSTRUCTION DONE.
JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT TWO, TWO COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE 10 DIFFERENT CONTRACT AREAS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE PORT ARTHUR PROGRAM CONTRACT, P A V OH THREE A, WHICH IS ILLUSTRATED ON THIS SLIDE, PROVIDES FRONTING PROTECTION FOR THREE PUMP STATIONS, ALLIGATOR, LAKESIDE, AND RODEO.
ALLIGATOR IS THE LARGEST PUMP STATION IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOUR NUMBER ONE HEAVY LIFTER.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING THE FRONTING PROTECTION AND THEN SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN FRONT OF THE, OF THE PUMPING STATIONS FOR STORM SURGE EVENTS.
WE'RE ALSO HAVE INCLUDED IN DESIGN REPLACING THE ROAD CLOSURE GATE AT FARM 365, WHERE IT CROSSES TAILORED BY YOU.
THIS CONTRACT IS CURRENTLY OUT TO BID, UH, WITH BIDS WITH PROPOSALS DUE FROM CONTRACTORS ON 11 APRIL WITH THE AWARD OF THIS CONTRACT IN JUNE.
AND THEN WE WOULD BEGIN CONSTRUCTION.
THE OTHER CONTRACT, UH, OF INTEREST IS P A V OH FOUR, WHICH, UH, ABUTS THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR RIGHT HERE AT THE SABINE H'S WATERWAY.
ABOUT TWO MILES OF CONCRETE FLOOD WALL DEPICTED ON THIS SLIDE IN RED EARTH AND LEVY SECTION IN, IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN THE TWO PUMP STATIONS, UH, ABOUT TWO MILES OF LEVY IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS CONTRACT IS ALREADY OUT TO BID AND IS CURRENTLY UNDER EVALUATION FOR AWARD.
WHAT WAS THAT ONE? P A OH FOUR.
AND THEN FINALLY WE HAVE A, UH, A WEBSITE THAT THE, THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC CAN ACCESS, WHICH IS DEPICTED ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE THAT TALKS ABOUT EACH OF THE PROGRAM AREAS IN SOME DETAIL.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WE HAVE STORY MAPS WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE PROJECT AND THE PROJECT AREAS THAT THE PUBLIC CAN ALSO ACCESS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THEIR PARTICULAR AREA.
THESE ARE BOTH ACCESSIBLE THROUGH, UH, THE INTERNET.
AND AGAIN, THE, UH, VIRTUAL TOWN HALL MEETING, UH, ABOUT THE PROJECT WILL BE HELD, UH, NEXT MONTH ON APRIL 6TH.
AND AT THIS POINT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT, UH, YOU OR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL MAY HAVE FOR ME.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR REMARKS FROM COUNCIL? EXCITED.
AS COUNCILMAN MOSES JUST SAID, EXCITED.
AND KNOWING THAT, UH, THE PORT ARTHUR PROJECT, UH, I BECAME AWARE OF IT BACK IN 2019, I THINK IT WAS.
WE ACTUALLY MET AND, UH, YES, SIR, EVEN PROGRESS.
AND I KNOW THE CITY MANAGER AND ONE OF HIS ASSISTANTS, THEY WERE WITH YOU ALL IN GALVESTON ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, I THINK, OR
[01:20:01]
THREE WEEKS AGO, UH, FOR AN UPDATE.AND THEY CAME BACK WITH FAVORABLE INFORMATION.
YOU, SO WE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY AND ALL OF, UH, THE, THE TEAM.
WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
AND TO SEE THE DRAINAGE DISTRICT WORKING WITH MR. SULLIVAN.
MR. WILL, ALTHOUGH WE WERE TOLD THAT'S FROM THE ONSET THAT IT WILL HAPPEN, IT WILL HAPPEN THAT WEEK, AND YOU OUGHT ARE DOING A GREAT JOB FOR US.
DD SEVEN IS AN AWESOME PARTNER.
WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEIR HELP.
SO IF YOU ALL COULD TALK WITH GOD ABOUT HOLDING SOMETHING OFF AGAIN, UH, YOU DID LAST YEAR.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE YOU ON THE PROJECT.
LET ME QUICKLY SAY, YES SIR, WE, SIR, APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN, UH, UH, PORT ARTHUR AND DD SEVEN AND, UH, AND TRYING TO PROTECT ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
WE'VE WORKED OUT ANY SITUATIONS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, OCCUR.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO SAY TODAY FROM DD SEVEN TO UPDATE US OR TO GIVE US SOMETHING, SOME INFORMATION THAT SOME OF OUR CITIZENS MIGHT NEED TO KNOW? UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, JUST SO YOU GUYS, FOR QUICK CLARIFICATION, PROJECT FOUR THAT'S OUT BID RIGHT NOW IS FROM ROSE HILL TO THE NORTH END OF PROCTOR STREET, WHERE WE CALL LIGHT LAKEVIEW PUMP STATION, UH, THAT WE ANTICIPATE WILL BE GO INTO DESIGN BUILD THIS YEAR.
THE, UH, OTHER THING THAT WE'D LIKE TO SAY IS THANK YOU FOR THE ASSISTANCE WE'VE HAD FROM YOUR STAFF.
UH, AND A LOT OF THE PROCESS HERE.
WE HAVE TO RELOCATE WATER AND SEWER LINES AND SO FORTH TO ENABLE THE, THE MOVEMENT OF THE, THE PROJECT FORWARD.
AND, UH, THEY'VE BEEN REAL HELPFUL WITH US WORKING ON, WITH ALL YOUR STAFF.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THE HIGHWAY 365 CROSSING, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH YOUR STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE IS WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE THAT GATE THAT'S ACTUALLY ON 365, SO THAT IT ACTUALLY WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH OR PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITY WITH A, THE ABILITY TO LEAVE, COME AND GO DURING A STORM EVENT AS MUCH AS THE ROAD OUTSIDE IS NOT FLOODED.
NOW WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY CONTROL SO MUCH.
UH, BUT THAT WILL GIVE US OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND OUT, COME IN SPECIFICALLY JUST BEFORE A STORM HITS, CUZ THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT IN THAT AREA WHO WILL SEEM TO WAIT TILL THE VERY LAST MINUTE BEFORE THEY COME IN.
WE NEED TO CLOSE THOSE GATES OR DO CLOSE THOSE GATES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH YOUR STAFF TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN ACCESS TO YOUR WASTEWATER PLANT THERE, UH, DURING THAT PROCESS.
OKAY? AND WE ARE STILL WORKING ON YOUR, UH, BOARDWALK.
TRY TO KEEP EVERYTHING OKAY SAID BEFORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL KEEP IT THE SAME, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO KEEP SOMETHING UP THERE THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY
[III.B (2) A Presentation by COO Van Shotwell And CEO Jimmie Wheeler Regarding West Side Revitalization And Development (Requested By Mayor Bartie)]
MS. VAN SHOTWELL, UH, AND, UH, MR. JIMMY WHEELER, UH, REGARDING THE WEST SIDE REVITALIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT.AND THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED BY THE MAYOR THAT THEY WERE GIVEN ENLIGHTENING PIECE OF INFORMATION TO THE COUNCIL.
I'M GONNA LET MS. SHOTWELL, THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING TO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I'M SEEING THE CHANGES COMING AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MOSES SAYS, SO I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THIS CHANGE AND SEE COULD WE BE A PART OF IT.
SO, MS. CWELL, WHO'S THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE, UH, NONPROFIT SEAN ON HUMANITY, SHE WILL BE GIVEN A PRESENTATION.
THE CITY COUNCIL AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, UM, ALLOWING US TO COME HERE AND BE HERE TO GIVE THIS PRESENTATION.
I AM THE CO-FOUNDER AND, UM, DIRECTOR OF SHINE ON HUMANITY.
AND WE ARE BASED OUT OF HOUSTON.
AND WE HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR THREE YEARS NOW TO GET A CHAPTER HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
ORIGINALLY WE HAVE A, UM, OUR, ONE OF OUR CO-FOUNDING MEMBERS WAS, IS ACTUALLY FROM PORT ARTHUR, MR. ADAM JONES.
AND HE'S CURRENTLY NOT ON THE BOARD, BUT HE IS AN IMPORTANT ADVISOR TO US.
HE HAS SOME PERSONAL ISSUES THAT HE CAN'T BE ON THE BOARD RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, SO WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT THE WEST SIDE EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
AND AS I SAID, THREE YEARS OF TRYING TO GET THIS TOGETHER.
WE HAVE KIND OF GONE THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS TO SEE WHAT REALLY NEEDS HELP AND, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABOUT IS GOING INTO CITIES AND REVITALIZING.
UM, WE STARTED OUT IN 2018, WELL, 2017, UM, FOR HARVEY.
[01:25:01]
HAPPENED, OF COURSE IT WAS SUCH A HUGE EFFECT ON EVERYONE.BUT WHAT HAPPENED IS, IN THE BEGINNING YOU HAVE ALL OF DISASTER RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS COME IN AND THEY HELP EVERYBODY RIGHT AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
BUT THEN AFTER FEMA AND ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS KIND OF LEAVE NOW, UH, OUR CITIZENS RESIDENTS BECOME MORE AFFECTED BY THE ISSUES THAT HAPPEN AFTER THE FACT.
AS IN CONTRACTORS WHO ARE FROM OTHER STATES THAT COME IN AND BASICALLY TAKE FROM OUR CITIZENS, THAT HAPPENS A LOT GLOBALLY.
AND SO SHINE HUMANITY REALLY HAS COME FORTH TO TRY TO HELP VET A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES AND, UM, THEN HELP CITIZENS TO REBUILD AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
CUZ WE ARE A YOUNG COMPANY JUST STARTING OUT.
BUT OUR, OUR GOAL IS HUGE, HUGE.
BUT WE ARE, UM, HAVE, WE'VE KIND OF SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT ON NATURAL DISASTERS BECAUSE MANMADE DISASTERS NOW ARE JUST AS BAD AS THE, THE NATURAL DISASTERS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US IN MOTHER NATURE.
BUT THE PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED US IN MANY, MANY WAYS THAT, UM, WE HAVEN'T QUITE UNDERSTOOD BECAUSE IT'S HAS AFFECTED OUR CHILDREN FOR THE TWO YEARS THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN THAT PANDEMIC MODE.
THOSE TWO YEARS AFFECTED THOSE CHILDREN IN THE SPORTS REALM BECAUSE THOSE KIDS, THEIR, WHEN THEY GRADUATED, E YOU KNOW, HOW EVERYTHING KIND OF CHANGED WITH COLLEGE AND EVERYTHING.
SO A LOT OF THESE KIDS DIDN'T GET THE, UM, THE PURPOSES OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THEIR ATHLETIC ABILITIES, THE WAY THAT THE OLDER PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, AND THEN NOW AFTER THE PANDEMIC, WHICH IS STILL A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR THEM.
SO THE SPORTS ASPECT OF SHINE IS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, WHICH AFFECTED THEIR EMPOWERING ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ATHLETIC ABILITIES AND ALSO TO EMPOWER THEIR MIND.
SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT ON WHY WE HAVE KIND OF SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT FROM NATURAL DISASTER TO MANMADE DISASTERS.
SO WE ARE HONORED HERE TO, TO HAVE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORTED THE CITY REGARDING THE WEST POWER, WEST SIDE EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
AND OF COURSE, AFTER TWO YEARS OF DISCUSSIONS ON THE PORT ARTHUR MIGHT NEED AND HOW SHINE CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE NOW WE HAVE MADE HUGE STRIDES TO BRING THE WEST SIDE SOME MUCH LOVE, MUCH NEEDED, LOVE AND SUPPORT NOW THROUGH THE CHRISTMAS MEAL GIVEAWAYS.
THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE STARTED GETTING HERE IN, IN PORT ARTHUR WAS THE CHRISTMAS GIVE GIVEAWAYS.
AND, UM, THAT WAS A TASK CUZ OF THE PANDEMIC ALSO A AS WE ALL KNOW, AND EVERYTHING HAS JUST CHANGED SO MUCH OVER TIME WITH THE ECONOMY.
SO WE, PEOPLE ARE NEEDING HELP MORE SO NOW
SO IT IS NOT THAT PORT ARTHUR ISN'T ALREADY A WONDERFUL PLACE TO, TO LIVE.
IT IS MORE THAT THE WANTS THRIVING WEST SIDE.
NOW OF COURSE, WE WEREN'T HERE WHEN THAT WAS THRIVING, BUT WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT HAPPENED THAT THE WEST SIDE JUST KIND OF WENT DOWNHILL, YOU KNOW? SO THOSE RESIDENTS NEED US TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND HELP THEM TO, TO REVITALIZE THAT.
SO ALL WE WANNA DO IS JUST TO REFRESH THE, BOOST IT UP WITH BEAUTIFICATION AND ECONOMICAL GROWTH FOR THE FUTURE GENERATION.
THAT GOES BACK TO THE SPORTS PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, THE ATHLETIC PEOPLE ARE, ARE GREAT LEADERS.
SO LET ME SEE IF I ARE, ARE YOU DOING THIS FOR ME? ARE YOU PUNCHING THIS? OH, OKAY, GREAT.
WE, WE SERVE TO DRAW PEOPLE AND RESOURCES TOGETHER TO HELP REBUILD, RESTORE, REVITALIZE GLOBAL COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS, BY WHICH WE'LL ALSO CREATE A SURGE OF NOBLENESS, OF, OF GOODWILL, COMMUNITY PRESERVER AND HOPE.
NOW WE WORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES ALONG WITH THE HELP OF, UH, OF OUR DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE AID DURING AND AFTER NATURAL DISASTERS.
AND ALSO NOW MANMADE DISASTERS, WHAT IS CONSIDERED A NATURAL DISASTER TO SHINE ON HUMANITY.
WE STARTED OUT WITH NATURAL DISASTER BEING CREATED BY MOTHER NATURE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, NOW THE POWERS THAT HAVE BEEN THAT TO BE, HAVE CREATED DISASTERS AGAINST HUMANITY THAT WE NOW MUST FIGHT AGAINST, WHICH IS THE MANMADE ONES.
NOW, OF COURSE, THE, THE PANDEMIC IS AN ONGOING DISASTER THAT IS AFFECTING US GLOBALLY AND RECOVERING ECONOMICALLY, MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY HAS BEEN CHALLENGING FOR US ALL.
SO WHAT STARTED OUT AS NATURAL DISASTERS HAS TRANSITIONED INTO ALSO INCLUDE MANMADE DISASTERS.
NOW, OUR VISION, LET GO TO THE,
[01:30:01]
OUR VISION FOR THE WEST SIDE EMPOWERMENT ZONE IS TO CLEAN UP BEAUTIFY AND CREATE AN ECONOMICALLY POSITIVE GROWTH FOR THE WEST SIDE.UM, OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE OUR RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE CITIZENS THROUGH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS.
NOW WORKING TOGETHER UNSELFISHLY AND WITH THE INTENT TO BETTER THE LIVES OF THE COMMUNITY.
NOW, LISTENING IN TODAY, I'VE HEARD SOME, UM, INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THE DRAINAGE.
AND SO THAT THIS KIND OF ALL ENCOMPASSES THE SAME, SAME ISSUES.
IT, IT SEEMS TO BE NOW, NOW THERE WILL BE FOUR AREAS TO WORK ON TO GET THE PROJECT WORKING COHESIVELY WITH THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY.
NOW FIRST THING IS THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
NOW THIS WILL BE THE STARTING POINT.
WE WILL NEED THE INFORMATION FROM THE STUDY IN ORDER TO KNOW EXACTLY WHICH DIRECTION TO PUT OUR ENERGY FIRST.
THE FEASIBILITY STUDY WILL GIVE US AN IMPORTANT GUIDELINE TO GO AFTER CERTAIN GRANTS FOR THE CITY THAT WILL HELP TO FUND THE PROJECT.
NOW, WHILE WAITING FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, WE CAN START WITH THE CLEANUP OF THE WEST SIDE.
WE ALL KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF A CLEAN AND CLEAR SPACE.
THE RESIDENTS WILL APPRECIATE THIS AND WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL JOIN US TO HELP GET THE CLEANING PROCESS DONE SMOOTHLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
NOW, ONCE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY IS COMPLETED, WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO WORK ON INFRASTRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND START IT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BRING IN COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES AND DEVELOP STRONG YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS. NOW WE WILL ALL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
WE WILL CREATE A TASK FORCE AND TRAIN A WORKFORCE TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT.
NOW, THE TRAINING ASPECT IS, IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE WANNA UTILIZE THE CITIZENS THAT ARE HERE, USE THEIR SKILLS, THEIR KNOWLEDGE, AND WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
SO HERE IS THE CURRENT MAP OF THE WEST SIDE.
IT'S A PRETTY BIG AREA AND A HUGE PROJECT,
AND THEN, SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE ISOS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DROVE AROUND THE WEST SIDE.
I MYSELF AM NOT FROM PORT ARTHUR.
I'M FROM ANOTHER SMALL TOWN, SMALLER TOWN THAN PORT ARTHUR, WHICH IS IN ALVIN, TEXAS.
AND, UM, BUT I THINK THAT WHAT I'VE SEEN THROUGH THE RELATIONSHIPS FROM MR. WHEELER, MR. ADAM JONES, SOME OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE HERE THAT I HAVE, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW, SPEAK, YOU KNOW, SPOKEN TO THEM, LOOKED AT THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND I'M A, I AM A HU HUMANITARIAN.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHO I AM, THAT'S WHAT I'M ABOUT.
WHERE CAN I HELP? WHAT IS THE NEED? AND WE'RE ON A TIME CRUNCH BECAUSE OUR FUTURE GENERATION NEEDS US TO STEP UP AND LEAD AND MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR THEM.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES, YOU CAN SEE, YES, THESE ARE SOME OF THE BUILDINGS THAT, THAT I BELIEVE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE, YOU KNOW, TORN DOWN.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY WHEN THAT HAS HAPPENED THAT WE CAN CLEAN UP EVERYTHING AND START TO REBUILD IT ALL.
BUT ALSO, UH, I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE SCHOOL AND I SEE THE TENNIS COURTS.
I'M VERY BIG INTO TENNIS AND VOLLEYBALL.
AND UM, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THESE SAD TENNIS COURTS.
TENNIS, TENNIS IS SUCH A WONDERFUL SPORT FOR THESE KIDS.
COULD WE HAVE, OF COURSE, TEAM SPORTS, BUT THEN THERE'S INDIVIDUAL SPORTS CUZ SOME KIDS JUST CAN'T DO A LOT OF THE TEAM SPORTS.
AND I'M LIKE, THAT IS SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE TO START TO GET THAT CLEANED UP, GET THOSE KIDS IN THERE BECAUSE BY DOING THEM, UH, THAT FAVOR OF GETTING THEM IN TWO SPORTS, WE'LL CREATE SOME INCREDIBLE LEADERS.
THIS IS A VERY SHORT, SWEET PRESENTATION, JUST A LITTLE BIT TO LET Y'ALL KIND OF KNOW WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE ABOUT, WHY WE'RE HERE, AND, UM, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE WEBSITE, UM, WHICH WE WILL HAVE VOLUNTEERS, DONORS, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANYONE THAT CAN GO ON THE WEBSITE.
WE WILL HAVE ALL OF THAT UP THERE TALKING ABOUT THE EMPOWERMENT ZONE, WHAT WE'RE DOING, HOW TO GET INVOLVED, AND WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF THE CITIZENS WOULD STEP UP, BE HERE WITH US, BE A PART OF IT, UM, GIVE IN THEIR IDEAS OR CONCERNS, ANYTHING THAT THEY MAY HAVE SO THAT WE CAN WORK COHESIVELY AS A, AS A TEAM TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THERE'S A NUMBER, THERE'S A WEBSITE, THERE'S OUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
AND, UM, IF THERE'S ANY, ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK.
OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU MS. OUTWELL.
UH, THINK HAVE MARK, COUNCILMAN JONES.
[01:35:01]
UH, FAN.UH, THE FIVE BURNING IN YOU FOR THIS PROJECT.
I SEE YOU CONCERN YOU AT THE FIVE BURNING TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN ON THE WEST SIDE.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING THAT SOMEBODY REALLY CARES ABOUT THE WEST SIDE AND WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND REVITALIZE THE WEST SIDE.
CUZ AT ONE TIME, WEST SIDE IS ALL WE HAD.
ONLY THING WE DIDN'T HAVE IN THE WEST SIDE WAS THE HOSPITAL IN THE JAIL.
SO WE WAS CLOSE TO JAIL, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A HOSPITAL IN THE JAIL ON THE WEST SIDE.
WE HAD EVERYTHING ELSE, EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE WEST SIDE.
WELL NOW YOU ALL SHOWING THE COMPASSION THAT YOU WANNA COME TO THE WEST SIDE AND DO SOMETHING, REVITALIZE IT.
THAT'S THE WEST SIDE IS ALMOST A, A DYING AREA.
THE PEOPLE JUST, JUST CUT OUT, JUST LEFT.
PEOPLE JUST WANT TO MOVE OTHER AREAS, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
BUT NOW, AND, AND, UH, MR. WHEELER, HE DID SOMETHING IN PORT WARD.
I DID A LITTLE HOMEWORK ON HIM.
HE REVITALIZED PORT WARD AND PORT FORT WARD WAS THE HOOD.
I MEAN, YOU SEE HOOD, IT WAS A REAL HOOD.
AND THE LADY I KNOW ALONG HIS, HIS, UH, COMPANY REVITALIZED THE WEST, UH, WORLD WAR AND FORT WARD IS FRESHING NOW.
IF YOU ALL CAN BRING THE SAME THING HERE IN WEST SIDE, I'LL BE CHILE PINK AND WAITING TO SEE IT.
AND, UH, WE BEHIND Y'ALL, I AM A HUNDRED PERCENT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK, UH, VAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU COULD DO IS MEET WITH THE WEST SIDE PASTOR'S COALITION.
IT DOESN'T EXIST, BUT IT DOES NOW
I THINK THAT IF YOU WOULD MEET WITH MYSELF AND MEET WITH PASTOR GARDNER AND THEN ISRAEL CHAPEL, UM, THE PASTORS ON THE ROCK ISLAND BAPTIST CHURCH, THOSE CHURCHES, I'D LIKE TO HAVE 'EM START, GET A MEETING AND PERHAPS WE COULD FORMULATE A MEETING AND THEN COME UP WITH A PLAN WHERE WE CAN, UH, HELP AND EXPEDITE THIS, THIS PROJECT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? AND AGAIN, UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK WAS, WAS, UH, THINKING RIGHT ALONG THE LINES THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT.
ON THE WEST SIDE IN PARTICULAR, THE LARGEST ENTITIES THAT WE HAVE OVER THERE ARE THE CHURCHES, RIGHT? AND THESE HISTORICALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCHES.
AND, UH, WITH, UH, THE DEPLETION OF SOME OF THE POPULATION AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION, UH, THAT HAS CAUSED, UH, MAYBE ONE OF THE ROOT CAUSES OF MAYBE SOME OF THE, THE BLIGHT.
THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S BASICALLY ON THE WEST SIDE NOW.
BUT ALSO WE HAVE THE PORTA PORT ARTHUR IS, IS, IS NOT DOING UNFRIENDLY ENCROACHMENT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THESE ENTITIES CAN WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF PORT ARTHUR.
ONE THING I LEARNED THAT LAST WEEK IN WASHINGTON, DC IT MAY HURT SOME FOLK NOW IN ATTORNEY, YOU STOP ME ABOUT TALKING WRONG.
BUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IN COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE TO STOP ALLOWING INDUSTRIES AND EVEN CORPORATIONS TO COME IN AND BUY LARGE PORTIONS OR TRACKS OF LAND IN OUR RESIDENTIAL AREAS WITHIN OUR, A CHALLENGE IN AMERICA.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED.
IT'S NOT THE GENTRIFICATION THAT OCCURRED IN FOURTH WARD, BUT IT'S ALSO A FORM OF REDLINING IN AREAS THAT WERE, WELL, AREAS THAT WERE FOR CERTAIN ETHNIC GROUPS, AND YOU PUSH THOSE INDIVIDUALS OUT MM-HMM.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE REAL COGNIZANT OF.
AND I LEARNED, UH, LAST WEEK IN ONE OF THE SESSIONS, THE MAYORAL SESSIONS, THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT MAYORS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE NOW BEING CONCERNED ABOUT.
MANY ARE NOT VOICING THEIR OPINIONS ON IT OPENLY FOR WHATEVER REASONS, BUT I DON'T THINK I, I KNOW THAT I'M NOT CAUGHT UP WITH, I DON'T HAVE A REASON NOT TO DO IT.
SO I'VE GOT TO SAY IT, WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING AND FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY, AND EVEN WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, DEMANDS AND GROWTHS THAT WE ARE HAVING WITH THAT, THAT CAUSES FOR MORE AND MM-HMM.
[01:40:01]
AND WE JUST WORK TOGETHER ON THIS.LET ME JUST SAY THAT IN A MEETING THAT WE WOULD BE HAVING, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE WANT TO TALK TO, BECAUSE AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING YOUR RESOURCES TO BEAR POST, UH, PRE C O V I D, UM, MY CHURCH, AND, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FACT, UH, THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THE WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR IS A FOOD DESERT.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO, I CONTACTED, UH, H E B, BUT WE WERE LOOKING AT TRYING TO CONTACT ALDI'S OR TRYING TO GET, UM, A FOOD STORE, UH, ON THE, ON THE WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO IN, IN CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL BE HAVING, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS, IS TO GET A GROCERY STORE OF SOME SIGNIFICANCE ON THE WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR.
UH, I TALKED TO ALL THESES AND A COUPLE OF THE RETAIL OUTLETS AND, UH, EATERIES AND RESTAURANTS, AND THEY SAID, SHOW SOME MOVEMENT.
JIM, IF YOU GO OVER THERE AND SHOW SOME MOVEMENT LIKE YOU DID IN FORT WARD, THEY'LL COME.
SO WE SHOW SOME MOVEMENT AND PUT THINGS IN AUDIT, THEN WE COULD SIT DOWN WITH THE PASTORS OVER THERE.
THAT'S HOW WE DID IN FORT WARD WITH ANNIE HAWK BAPTIST CHURCH, WHICH ONE OF THE OLDEST CHURCH OVER THERE.
I SAT DOWN WITH THEM, A COUPLE OTHER CHURCH AND WE PUT TOGETHER, AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THE BOOM START COMING.
AND WHEN WE, AND THE PROBLEM WAS EXACTLY LIKE THE MAYOR WAS SAYING, AND THE, THE BIG CORPORATION THAT CAME IN AND HAD MORE DEEPER POCKETS THAN I HAD, AND THEY WIND UP OVER BARRON.
SO WE PUT A STRUCTURE IN PLACE THROUGH THE CITY AND WRITE IT UP THE WAY GOD LEARNED FROM OUR MISTAKES, THEN WE COULD, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT PROFITABLE ECONOMIC AND BUILD WHAT WE WANTED WITH STORES, OUTLET, RESTAURANTS AND RETAILS.
AND, AND THAT COULD HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY.
IT'S, WE STRUCTURING THROUGH THE CITY, UH, THE CITY THERE, CERTAIN THINGS WE WANT IN AND CERTAIN THINGS WOULD ABOUT PUTTING ZONING IN THAT RIGHT.
THEN WE COULD HAVE REALLY, REALLY STRUCTURE THAT COUNCIL FROM MOSES SAID IS NOT JUST INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE, AESTHETIC, APPEARANCE AND EVERYTHING.
AND IT'S COUNCIL A PROBLEM WITH HOUSTON.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY ZONING THAT YOU COULD BUILD ANYWHERE.
WE PUT IN A STRUCTURED RIGHT NOW THAT FALL IN PLACE AND YOU'LL SEE IT VERY SUCCESSFUL ON THE WEST SIDE.
WE'RE LOOKING, WORKING WITH THE PASTORS JUST AS WELL.
THEY'RE THE KEY INSTRUMENT PERSON ON THAT SIDE.
I WANT TO, UH, I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF ONE THING.
UH, WHAT COUNCILMAN FRANK SAID BY MEETING WITH THE PASTORS AND COUNCILMAN MAYOR BAR.
THAT'S THE PASTOR ORGANIZATION.
REMEMBER ONE THING, IF YOU MEET BEFORE, IF YOU MEET BEFORE MAY, UH, CONSULATE HOLMES, PART OF WEST SIDE AND, UH MM-HMM.
YOU MEET BEFORE MAY IN BARBIE.
COUNCILMAN ALONG WITH THESE PASTORS, LET'S MEET THE PASTORS AND PREACHERS AND WE HAVE EVERYBODY INVOLVED MEET AFTER ME.
WE'D LIKE TO HAVE BE DEFINITELY BEFORE ME INVOLVED THEM.
THEN YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH, OKAY.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN HOLMES, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AS THE REPRESENTATIVE CURRENTLY OF THE, UM, HISTORICAL WEST SIDE.
AND AS A MEMBER WHO LIVED ON THE HISTORICAL WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR MOST OF MY LIFE, I AM EXTREMELY EXCITED TO HEAR OF YOUR INTEREST IN WHAT IS GOING ON OR WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE TO HAPPEN.
I AM FAMILIAR WITH WHAT DID HAPPEN IN FOURTH WARD AND HAD HAD, UM, SOMEONE WHO MOVED INTO THAT AREA.
AND SO WHEN THE CHANGE IN FOURTH WARD HAPPENED, IT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
I WANTED TO ALSO ADD THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CURRENTLY LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE WHO WOULD BE EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN THIS KIND OF PROJECT.
THEY HAVE BEEN WANTING SOMETHING TO HAPPEN.
WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THIS KIND OF MOVEMENT.
SO EVEN THOUGH I WILL NOT BE ON CITY COUNCIL, I AM STILL A CITIZEN OF PORT ARTHUR AND A PROPERTY OWNER OF PROPERTY ON THE WEST SIDE AND WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
COUNCIL MEMBER ENGLAND, I'VE BEEN TO YOUR LOVELY HOUSE BEFORE THE DAY YOU WON
AND SO I KNOW THAT, AND, UH, MATTER OF FACT, MY WIFE IS FROM THE WEST SIDE, TRINA, SENEGAL, YOU KNOW, AND SHE WAS CHEERLEADER.
SO SHE THE ONE WHO HELPED PUSHING THIS IN.
WANT YOU TO KEEP GOING ON MY SIDE, GO BACK TO MY TOWN, DO THIS AND DO THIS.
AND I THINK THIS, THE IDEA THING, SEEING THE SAME THING.
SO I'M HERE TO HERE TO TRY TO GET THIS GOING.
WELL, WE THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION COUNCIL.
[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
TO OUR, UH, EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION, WHICH ARTHUR AMY CORRESPONDENCE[01:45:01]
OUR DISCUSSIONS.THERE'S NOT A PUBLIC HEARING AND THE REPORTS OF, UH, COMMUNITY INTEREST.
YOU WANTED TO MAKE A REMARK ON THE DEPARTMENT.
CITY, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
UM, UH, THE LATE, UM, PAST CITY MANAGER BRANSON, UM, IS DARLENE HERE? CAN YOU COME COME TO THE PODIUM FOR A QUICK SECOND? MS. MS. PIER.
MR. BRANSON PASSED AWAY, UM, ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
MR. BRANSON HAD SERVED THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
UM, MR. BRANSON CAME FROM LA, MISSISSIPPI, UM, TO THE CITY OF PORT AFA AND WAS ONE OF THE STARWARS WHO DEVELOPED THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, IN THE CITY.
I THINK HIS SON WAS ALSO ASSISTANT CHIEF OF POLICE AT ONE TIME.
UM, BUT MS. FEAR HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND HIS FUNERAL.
UM, AND MS. PIER WORKED WITH HIM.
UH, YEAH, BASICALLY, UM, MR. BRANSON WAS, UM, THE HR DIRECTOR WHEN I WAS HIRED HERE IN 1986.
UM, AND HE HIRED ME ACTUALLY AT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND HE, UM, WAS JUST A VERY PROFESSIONAL, UH, PERSON.
HE EXPECTED EXCELLENCE, UH, FROM EVERYONE, UH, AROUND HIM, AND HE PORTRAYED EXCELLENCE.
AND SO, UH, HE ALSO, UH, DID A LOT OF CONSULTING AND HOWARD CITY MANAGERS.
AND THEN HE ALSO, UM, WORKED WITH, UH, TML AND T C M A AND I CMA.
AND SO HE DID A, UH, A LOT FOR, UH, CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT PORT ARTHUR'S REALLY PROUD TO HAVE HAD HIM AS, UM, WHEN HE RETIRED, HE WAS THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS TO HAVE HAD HIM IN, IN ITS EMPLOYEES.
SO WE JUST, JUST WANNA SALUTE HIM TODAY.
AND HIS FAMILY WAS VERY GRATEFUL TO THE MAYOR FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU SENT ON THEIR BEHALF.
AND THEY REMEMBER THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FONDLY, AND WE THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE SERVICE AND REPRESENTING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND PRESENTING THE, UH, RESOLUTION THAT WAS SENT TO.
ANY OTHER, UH, EXPRESSIONS OR THOUGHTS FROM COUNCIL FOR, UH, CIVIC AWARENESS, OR IF NOT, EXCUSE ME, MAY I JUST WANT TO MENTION, RIGHT.
I, I, I MADE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT SOMETIME YESTERDAY.
WAS IT YESTERDAY OR DAY BEFORE ON? WE HAVE, UM, JUST RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR 16.9 MILLION, 17 MILLION FOR THE STERN GATE PROJECT, WHICH WE FOUGHT WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN SOMETIME, BUT FEMA HAS FINALLY COME THROUGH WITH 17, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS, WHAT MR. ADAMS WAS REFERRING TO.
I WILL MEET WITH HIM TO EXPLAIN TO THAT, THAT, UH, THIS WAS LONG COMING.
IT, IT'S A, IT'S A PROJECT THAT WE HAVE EMBARKED ON SINCE 2017, SIX YEARS AGO.
UM, AND AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WORKS AT A VERY SLOW PACE.
UM,
THE CITY HAS BEEN REIMBURSED FOR THAT.
AND THEN NOW WE ARE GOING INTO THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF IT, UM, FOR WHICH 16.9 MILLION IS AVAILABLE.
UM, THE CONSTRUCTION, THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL BE DONE WILL AFFECT 68 BUSINESSES AND 204 SINGLE FAMILY STRUCTURES IN THE STONEGATE AREA.
YOU KNOW, A VERY SIGNIFICANT PART, UM, AGAIN, THANKS TO THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY IN WORKING WITH US WITH B BK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE, UM, UM, PROPER PROCUREMENT DOCUMENTS IN STAGE IN PLACE SO THAT WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, IT MOVES VERY SWIFTLY, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, WE, WE, WE CAN EFFECT THE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY.
WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE, THE TOYOTA PROJECTS THAT WE ARE STILL WAITING WITH FROM, UM, FEMA FOR THE, UM, FOR THE VISTA VILLAGE AND, AND THE PORT ACRES, BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE COMING AS WELL.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
AND EXCUSE ME, TO, UH, ADD SOMETHING TO THIS MYSELF.
AND ALONG WITH, UH, FOUR, FIVE OTHER COUNCIL PERSONS, WE WERE IN MEETINGS IN, AT THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, THE, UH, CONGRESSIONAL CITY CONFERENCE ON LA LAST FROM LAST FRIDAY UP UNTIL ACTUALLY ON YESTERDAY.
AND IN, IN WASHINGTON, THE CONSENSUS FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE OPERA FUNDS AND SEVERAL OF THE FUNDS THAT, THAT, THAT MONIES THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO COMMUNITIES DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITIES, NOT GOING TO THE STATE, NOT GOING, GOING TO OUR GOVERNMENT CARDS.
WE ARE FINDING OUT THAT THESE MONIES ARE BETTER USED BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY KNOW WHERE THE MONEY SHOULD BE USED.
AND YOUR COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS
[01:50:01]
ACTUALLY GROWING, AGAIN, MOVEMENT IN THE NATION.NOW, UH, TO CONTINUE WITH THIS, WE WERE IN A MEETING, WE PRESENTED THIS, AND I, FOR ONE, SPOKE TO THE SENATOR, UH, ONE OF OUR SENATORS, UH, UH, SENATOR CORIAN, UH, UH, ABOUT A COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE TO ALLOW FUNDS TO COME DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITIES.
AND WHAT REALLY MADE ME THINK OF IT, BECAUSE AGAIN, IN THE MAYORAL MEETINGS IN THE N A L C, WHAT WE FOUND OUT, WE LOVE FEDERAL FUNDING.
HOWEVER, WHAT THEY'RE FINDING OUT ALSO THAT FEDERAL FUNDING IS SORT OF AN OLD TIME WAY.
NOW IT TAKES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TOO LONG TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
AND IT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THE BUREAUCRACY AND THE BUREAUCRATIC MOVEMENT THAT GOES ALONG.
YOU SAID THAT THAT PROGRAM BEGAN IN 17, NOW IT'S 23.
IT'S ONLY, IT'S JUST COMING TO FRUITION WHEN, AND IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET THE FUNDS DIRECTLY TO THE CITIES, WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT A 12 OR 18 MONTH PERIOD BETWEEN GETTING THE MONEY AND GETTING THE PROJECT STARTED THAN HAVING TO WAIT THREE, FOUR, OR FIVE YEARS FOR IT TO GO THROUGH BUREAUCRATIC MOVEMENT.
AND OUR ATTENDING MEETINGS LIKE THIS, I WILL, HAVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDIVIDUALS IN THE VARIOUS CABINET DEPARTMENTS IN OUR COUNTRY CAUSES US TO GET NOTICED FOR FUNDING, TO GET NOTICED, FOR ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT PARTICIPATION.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON NOW, WE WILL BE WORKING ON TO GET, WHILE THOSE FUNDS CAN COME DIRECTLY TO THE CITIES, BUT IF YOU WILL, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN YOUR TAG, ALLOW OUR CONGRESSPERSONS IN WASHINGTON, OUR SENATORS IN WASHINGTON, AND EVEN ON THE STATE LEVEL, OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND OUR STATE SENATORS, TO KNOW THAT WE NEED FUNDS TO COME DIRECTLY TO CITIES.
AND THE WAY IT'S SAID IN WASHINGTON TO CITIES, VILLAGES, RESERVATIONS, BUT IT'S RIGHT DOWN TO THE PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED.
COUNCILWOMAN HOMES, I'M SORRY, MAYOR, I, I WAS, I WILL BE REMISS IN NOT SAYING THIS IS CHANGING THIS SUBJECT THAT MS. ROSA CAESAR, UH, WHO WAS A WEST SIDE CITIZEN MOST OF HER LIVES, CENT MARY.
SHE LIVED TO BE OVER 105 YEARS OLD, PASSED AWAY YESTERDAY.
AND SO I WOULD BE REMISS WITH OUT SHARING THAT I WAS CALL ON THE PLANE ABOUT IT WHEN DID HAPPEN.
COUNCILMAN JONES? YEAH, MAYOR.
UH, ALSO, UH, I ATTENDED, I WENT TO THE MEMORIAL SERVICE, UH, OF MISS, UH, SHERRY BALLARD.
I WAS HERE SECRETARY, HER SISTER MEMORIAL SERVICE.
IT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL AND, UH, IT WAS VERY TOUCHING.
THE GRANDKIDS SPOKE AND, UH, THE KIDS SPOKE AND, UH, THEY SUNG SONG.
ONE OF 'EM SUNG A SOLO AND THE GUITARS, IT WAS VERY TOUCHING, BUT HER MOM TOOK THE CAKE.
THE PASTOR GAVE HER MOM THE MIC, AND HER MOM SPOKE ABOUT HER DAUGHTER AND HER FAMILY.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS THROUGH.
SHE STARTED SPEAKING AGAIN, AND THE PASTOR SAID, OKAY.
SHE STARTED TALKING AGAIN, AND PASTOR SAID, OKAY.
SHE STARTED TALKING AGAIN, AND EVERYBODY JUST GOT, IT WAS HUMOROUS, YOU KNOW, SHE STARTED, EVERYBODY WAS LAUGHING, AND SHE SPOKE WELL ABOUT HER FAMILY, HER DAUGHTER.
SO, UH, WE WANT TO TELL SHERRY, HANG THERE, SHERRY, WE LOVE YOU.
IF THERE WOULD NOT BE ANYTHING ELSE? YES, SIR.
WE WILL GO TO, OH, I JUST SAW, SIR, I'M SORRY.
JUST WANT TO BE, UH, REMINDED THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, OFFERING CONDOLENCES FOR, UH, THE HARRISON FAMILY, UM, UH, HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
WE ALL REMEMBER MR. ANDERSON HARRISON, UH, WE CALL THEM POPEYE, UH, BUT, UH, THAT ENTIRE FAMILY IS STILL HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND, UH, WE'RE MOURNING THE LOSS OF ANTHONY HARRISON.
AND HIS FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE AT THE ANTIOCH CHURCH IN BEAUMONT, UH, THIS WEEKEND.
BUT OUR CONDOLENCES GOES TO THAT FAMILY AS WELL AS THE ALLISON FAMILY OUT IN SABINE PASS, UH, WITH THEIR LOVED ONE PASSING AS WELL.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE MOURNING THE LAWS AND FOR THOSE FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN STAPLES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ANY OTHERS? IF THERE BE NONE, EXCUSE ME, WE, UH, HAVE ONE ITEM
[01:55:01]
IN UNFINISHED BUSINESS.UH, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE WERE.
UH, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WE WERE DOING RIGHT THERE.
I WAS LOOKING AT SOMETHING, BUT ON YESTERDAY, UH, I WANT, I WANTED TO, UH, CONGRATULATE, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, SPECIFICALLY MR. JOE SANDERS.
WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH A, AN ISSUE THAT, UH, IT'S, UH, BEEN GOING ON OUT IN THE, UH, MONTROSE AREA FOR, UH, MORE THAN THREE YEARS.
IT, IT, IT ACTUALLY, I WAS INFORMED OF IT PRIOR TO EVEN BEING ON COUNCIL AND, UH, THROUGH THE DILIGENCE OF, UH, MR. SANDERS AND, AND THE CITY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND THEY'VE WON ALL THREE PHASES OF THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA COME TO SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION WITH THAT, THAT THAT ISSUE, UH, AND THAT ROAD THAT, THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
UH, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL COME INTO THE END OF THAT, OF THAT YEAH.
AND THAT WE CAN COME TO A, A, A COMMON SENSE SOLUTION WITH THE OWNER OF THE LAND OUT THERE.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS PUT IN.
WAS THAT THE HEARING YOU HAD GONE TO BEFORE WE LEFT? UH, CITY ATTORNEY? I REMEMBER ONE DAY YOU WERE GONE.
NO, THAT'S A DIFFERENT HEARING, TIFFANY.
YEAH, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS IN THE LAST WEEK.
WE'LL UPDATE YOU ON OUR MOST RECENT LITIGATION.
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT.
COUNCILMAN MARKS, ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, IF NOT, WE MOVE TO ROMAN
[VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS]
NUMERAL, UH, MR. SIXTH, I BELIEVE IT IS.AND WE HAVE YOUR PR NUMBER 23 0 0 7.
AND THAT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED AND CENTER MANAGER TO ENTER ENSURE CONTRACT WITH PREFERRED FACILITIES GROUP USA OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE REPAIRS TO THE SOUTH PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AT THE BABES HARS GOLF COURSE THROUGH THE CHOICE PARTNERS PURCHASING PROGRAM.
CONTRACT NUMBER 20 0 1 7 MR. DASH 17, WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF 124,000, $20 AND 67 CENT, UH, FUNDING AVAILABLE IN GOLF COURSE FUND ACCOUNT.
1 0 3 DASH 25 DASH 0 65 DASH 85 26 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 20 DASH 0 0 0.
AND AT THIS TIME, I BE, UH, APPROPRIATE FOR A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THIS, UH, PIECE OF BUSINESS.
AND COUNCILMAN, UH, KEN LOCKE.
CAN I GIVE A SECOND? SECONDARY, IT'S REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THIS UNFINISHED BUSINESS ITEM.
UH, WE READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN MARKS? YES.
JUST LIKE TO, UH, GET A LITTLE CLARIFICATION ON THE, UH, PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, UH, A PROCESS IN WHICH, UH, I THINK IT'S CALLED BY BOARD, OR THERE'S A SO SOLE SOURCE, OR COULD WE GET SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME QUESTIONS FROM OUT IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHY THERE WAS ONLY ONE, UH, SOURCE THAT WAS, UH, APPROACHED FOR A PROPOSAL.
YOU'RE GONNA APPROACH MR. WILLIAMS. OKAY.
UM, WELL, THE REASON WE ONLY WENT TO ONE FOR THIS PARTICULAR ONE WAS BECAUSE OF THE DANGER OF THE BRIDGE.
UH, PARKS AND REC WANTED TO GET SOMETHING IMMEDIATELY.
SO WE RAN TO THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM TO LEGALLY MEET THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, IT'S CHOICE PARTNERS.
SO WHAT THESE ARE CALLED COOPERATIVE PROGRAMS, AND WE HAVE VARIOUS ONES BY BOARD IS ONE.
THERE'S CHOICE PARTNERS, THERE'S TIPS, THERE'S, UM, OMNIA PARTNERS AND THE WHOLE LIST, BASICALLY WHAT THEY ARE, ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WENT OUT AND DO WHAT MY JOB IS.
THEY GO OUT AND BID IT OUT AND E ESTABLISHED CONTRACTS.
AND EVERY GOVERNMENT ENTITY THAT JOINS THAT ORGANIZATION BASICALLY PIGGYBACKS THAT CONTRACT.
SO IF THEY SET A CONTRACT TO BUY SOCKS FOR A DOLLAR EVERY, NO MATTER WHERE YOU FROM, YOU'LL GET THAT PRICE.
UM, THE REASON THESE THINGS WERE CREATED, IT WAS BACK IN THE DAY, CUZ
[02:00:01]
OF SMALL CITIES WERE NOT ABLE TO GET AS GOOD PRICING AS CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE QUANTITY.THE HIGHER THE QUANTITY, THE LOWER THE PRICE.
SO WHEN YOU SAY, I GOT THIS ORGANIZATION, I GOT THESE 2000 CITIES AND SCHOOL BOARDS BEHIND ME, THAT'S A LARGE QUANTITY.
SO THAT'S THE BENEFIT OF THOSE CHOICE PARTNERS.
UH, COOPERATIVE IS ACTUALLY ONE THAT WAS ACTUALLY BIDED OUT BY HARRIS COUNTY.
SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT BASICALLY OPERATE THAT PARTICULAR COOPERATIVE.
DO YOU FIND THAT THE, UH, THE PRICING AND THE, THE QUALITY OF WORK IS, IS THE PRICING IS BETTER AND THE QUALITY OF WORK IS SIMILAR OR THE SAME AS WITH LOCAL, UH, CONTRACTORS WHO WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON PROJECT? THAT'S, UH, I THINK WHAT, $124,000? IT DEPENDS, UH, IN MOST CASES.
BECAUSE OF HIGH QUANTITY, YOU GET BETTER PRICING.
NOW IF YOU GET SOMETHING THAT'S TOTALLY SPECIALIZED TO ONE PARTICULAR AREA AND YOU HAVE OUT HAND CONTRACT, PART OF THE CO-OP PRICES MIGHT BE HIGHER.
SO IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I HAD NO ISSUE BASED ON WHAT THEY WERE SAYING, BECAUSE C TEX IS A LOCAL, THEY, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A OFFICE THAT'S IN THE, UH, PRESS BUILDING OR, OR E D C ONE OF OPTIC.
SO THAT'S ONE REASON I DIDN'T PRESS HARDER ON IT.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO A CONTRACTOR THAT WE'VE USED FOR THE SPRAY PARK AND OTHER THINGS, AND THE, THEY'VE PERFORMED VERY WELL IN THOSE PROJECTS, SO WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THEM DOING IT.
BUT IN GENERAL PRACTICE, JUST TO ANSWER, I WOULD PROBABLY QUOTE IT OUT JUST TO GIVE A LOT MORE.
BUT DUE TO THE DANGER OF THE BRIDGE AND THE PRIORITY THAT PARKS WANTED TO GET IT DONE, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT WAS THE FAST, EFFECTIVE WAY OF DOING IT.
COUNCIL MCKEN LAW AND THANK YOU CLIFF, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU ANSWERED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS.
I ASKED THE TABLE THIS ITEM BECAUSE OF SOME QUESTIONS I DID, I WANTED TO GET ANSWERED AND CLARIFY, AND THAT'S ONE OF THEM.
UH, WE DID ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND CHECK THE BRIDGE.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN BAD SHAPE.
AND BASED UPON OUR RECOMMENDATION FROM MY ATTORNEY THAT BASED IT ON OUR CONTRACT, WE ARE OBLIGATED TO DO THE REPAIRS TO THESE BRIDGES.
SO IN, IN, IN MY OBSERVATION, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYBODY IN DANGER AT, AT NO TIME.
AND ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE CONDITION OF THAT BRIDGE, THAT'S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE COULD, PROB PROBABLY DO AT THIS TIME, IS TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, HAVE A COMPANY THAT'S WELL KNOWN AND, AND CAN HANDLE THAT TYPE OF, UH, CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE.
BECAUSE I'M UNDERSTANDING IT'S GONNA BE FROM THE PIERS ON UP, UH, IN UMBRELLAING.
SO IF ANYTHING ELSE WE HAD TO ADD ON THAT, I JUST, MY CONCERN IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS SAFE, THEN THAT'S NOT A SAFETY HAZARD WHERE SOMEONE CAN COME BACK AND, UH, TRY TO SUE THE CITY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT? DO YOU APPROACH, UH, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE? STAND UP SIDE.
HAROLD DOUCETTE, 51 80 CAMBRIDGE STREET, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
I'M, I HEARD THE QUESTION AND THE REPLY, BUT THE STATE LAW AND OUR, UH, ORDINANCE CALLS FOR US TO SEND OUT EITHER A REQUEST FOR A PROPOSAL, A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION OR BID FOR ANY PROJECTS OVER $50,000.
AND THE REASON THAT THAT IS THAT WAY FOR THE STATE LAW AND OURS IS TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THE BEST BID IF THE BRIDGE WAS IN THAT CONDITION, COULD HAVE ROPED IT OFF.
BUT WE TALKING ABOUT MONEY AND WE TALKING ABOUT THE PROCEDURE IN PLACE, AND WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRACTS OVER $50,000, WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO A REQUEST FOR QUESTION.
EXCUSE ME, MR. THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE GOING DIRECTLY TO, TO HIM TO, TO PROCURE ME.
THAT'S NOT, WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT.
BY STATE LAW, IF WE HAVE A, A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IS A LEGAL RESOURCE TO DO A PROJECT BECAUSE THAT ORGANIZATION LEGALLY WENT OUT AND BIDDED IT OUT AND ESTABLISHED A CONTRACT.
SO AS PART OF STATE LAW, WE ARE LEGALLY OKAY TO PURCHASE THROUGH.
SO WE, WE, WE APPROPRIATE CAR, NOT ANYTHING BUT THESE PARTICULAR CAR AND THIS PARTICULAR CO-OP, LIKE I SAY, CHOICE PARTNERS WAS DONE THROUGH HARRIS COUNTY.
SO IT WAS DONE THROUGH A GOVERNMENT.
SO BY STATE LAW, WE ARE LEGALLY, YES, SIR.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, OKAY, THEN HE SAYS IT IS BYLAW.
BUT WHEN WE START DURING THE REQUEST
[02:05:01]
FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND WE DO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OR WE DO THE BIDS, WE GET EVERYBODY APPLYING TO US, WE GET TO SEE THE BIDS.WHEN YOU GO TO AN OUTSIDE AGENCY, LIKE IN WHAT HE'S SPEAKING ABOUT IS SAME AS BIBLE BOARD, MR. SAID, HE'S ANSWERED I THINK WHAT, WHAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW IS GIVING US SOME INSTRUCTIONS.
WELL, AND THIS IS, I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
AND SO WHAT'S YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION ON IT? NOT AN EXPLANATION.
OF HOW SOMETHING SPOKES ASKS THE QUESTION.
WHAT'S YOUR, GIVE US YOUR QUESTION.
WHY DON'T WE DO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, REQUEST FOR, UH, QUALIFICATION OR A REQUEST FROM BID? I DIDN'T ANSWER THAT.
BASICALLY, I, THE REASON WE WENT THAT ROUTE I SAID WAS BECAUSE DUE TO THE ISSUE WITH THE BRIDGE, WE FELT THAT WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND QUICKEST WAY TO DO IT.
IF, IF, IF WE COULD, IF EVERYBODY WAS OKAY WITH ROPING IT OFF AND WAITING OVER A TWO TO THREE MONTH PERIOD TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, I, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, BUT WE JUST, WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE THE QUICKEST WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE MATTER? MAYOR COUNT? YES.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, THERE'S A VARIETY OF PROCUREMENT METHODS THAT ARE LEGAL FOR ITEMS OVER 50,000.
AND SO YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF USING ALL OF THOSE.
YOU CAN DO COMPETITIVE SEAL BIDS, YOU CAN DO AN RFP OR, UH, COOPERATIVE PROGRAMS ARE ALSO APPROVED BY STATE LAW.
SO THE CITY HAS ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS AND THEN YOU EXERCISE THE OPTION.
BUT THEY'RE ALL, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT MR. DOUCETTE, IF THERE'S DISCRETION.
I, I WANT TO, I WANT TO ADDRESS THIS.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
BUT I'M GONNA VOTE FOR THIS BECAUSE I'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF, UH, THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, WHO PLAY THAT COURSE.
AND SO THEY CALL ME, UH, THEY WANT TO TALK.
OF COURSE, I WAS ON THE, UH, COMMITTEE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MCKEN LAW AND COUNCILMAN MARKS AS WELL AS WE WERE TRYING TO LOOK AT THE GOLF COURSE AND DO EVERYTHING.
I WANT TO ASK, UM, THE CITY MANAGER AS WELL TO SEE THE CONTRACT FOR, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PROVIDING OVERSIGHT FOR NO, SIR.
WE, WE ARE GOING OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
IF I'M, I'M GONNA ANSWER YOU THAT FOR THAT WE DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT THE CONTRACT.
YOU SAID FOR THE GOLF COURSE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GOLF COURSE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
SO IT'S, IT'S SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE BRIDGE.
IT'S THE GOLF, THE, THE, THE GOLF.
THE BRIDGE IS A PART OF THE GOLF COURSE.
BUT WHEN YOU SAID THE CONTRACT FOR THOSE WHO ARE POINT OF INFORMATION, AM I OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE BY ASKING FOR THAT? WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU ASKING FOR? I'M ASKING FOR THE CONTRACT FOR THE GOLF COURSE BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW THE BRIDGE GOT IN THE CONDITION THAT IT WAS, AND THAT WAS, UH, DONE BY THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LOOKING AT, WHO ARE, UH, ULTIMATELY SUPERVISING THE GOLF COURSE.
BUT I THINK, I'M SORRY, THE CONTRACT, THE CONTRACT ADDRESSES HOW REPAIRS ARE TO BE MADE AND THE CITY HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF, OF THE REPAIRS OF CERTAIN LEVELS OF MAINTENANCE.
THAT'S SPELLED OUT IN THE CONTRACT.
SO THAT IS A PROVISION IN THE CONTRACT, BUT THE CITY OWNS THE PROPERTY AND THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE, YOU KNOW, GROUNDS AND SO FORTH.
BUT ANYONE CAN HAVE A COPY OF THE CONTRACT.
ANY CONTRACT YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE A COPY OF.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS MATTER? OKAY, WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
TOWARDS ORDER, WE WILL APPROVE THAT UNFINISHED BUSINESS ITEM PR 2,307 AS READ.
NOW WE'LL MOVE THROUGH THE CONSENT
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA]
AGENDA.IN THIS, IN THE CONSENT AGENDA, THERE ARE ITEMS BASICALLY A ROUTINE NATURE AND THERE ARE ITEMS THAT MIGHT HAVE, UH, A SPECIFIC REASON FROM ANY PARTICULAR, UH, COUNCIL PERSON TO BE WITHDRAWN AND HANDLED INDIVIDUALLY.
BEFORE WE WOULD BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST, UH, OFFER THAT WE WOULD, UH, WITHDRAW ITEM NUMBER 17 ON PAGE SEVEN IS A 2352.
AND ITEM NUMBER 27 ON PAGE NINE 20.
UH, WELL, WE WITHDRAW, WE WANNA WITHDRAW IT FIRST AND THEN, AND THEN, YEAH.
AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THAT 23 0, UH, SIX, SEVEN.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS ON PAGE
[02:10:01]
NINE? YES SIR.YOU WANNA HOLD THEM FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION? YES.
HOLD YEAH, HOLD 'EM FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
SO THE WITHDRAW I HADN'T GOT, I, I DIDN'T, I MEAN, IF WE WANNA REMOVE, WE'LL SEE THAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, BUT WE JUST WANTED JUST, UH, WITHDRAW IT FOR RIGHT NOW TO BE VOTING ON YEAH.
UH, JUST, UH, JUST WANT TO GET, UH, IF I FIRE, IF I CAN, UH, NUMBER 18, PR NUMBER 23 0 5 ON PAGE SEVEN.
YOU WANT, YOU WANT THAT ONE? OKAY.
JUST TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION.
YOU EVERYBODY GOT THAT? UH, NUMBER 18 ON PAGE SEVEN FOR WITHDRAWAL? YOU SAID 17, UH, 18 ON SEVEN AND I SAID 17.
AND, AND NOW HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT ONE.
DO I RECOGNIZE THEM RIGHT NOW? OR ONCE AN ITEM IS ON THE AGENDA, YOU, THE CITIZEN CAN SPEAK TO ANY ITEM THAT'S UP FOR A VOTE.
SO IF THERE'S A QUESTION RIGHT NOW, YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOTION.
BUT, UH, AFTER YOU COMPLETE YOUR MOTION, A CITIZEN CAN SPEAK ON ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA IF YOU FINISHED YOUR MOTION.
I NEED TO LOOK AT, WELL, I HAD GOT TO THE MOTION YET, BUT I WAS, BUT I GUESS IF THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT THE MOTION, THE GET THE, THE CITIZEN? YEAH.
AND, AND, AND ITEM YOU WANNA WAIT, RETURN COUNCILWOMAN.
WHEN Y'ALL FINISH, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS MOTION, THEN SOMEONE CAN ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE MOTION.
NOW I WILL READY, BE READY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION WITH THE EXCLUSION OF A THREE, UH, 17 ITEM 17, ITEM 18 AND ITEM 27 AND 29.
YOU WANT THAT ONE? WITHDRAWN AS WELL.
YOU HAVE 27, 28 AND 29, I BELIEVE.
YEAH, I I HEARD YOU NINE AND I'M SORRY.
UH, UH, A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BE APPROVED WITH THE EXCLUSION OF A THREE ON PAGE FOUR, UH, 17 AND 18.
ON PAGE 7, 27 AND 28 ON PAGE NINE.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN KENK? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN JONES? SECOND.
IT'S BEEN REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE STATED, UH, UH, RESOLUTIONS.
HAVE, UH, MAY, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? ANY QUESTIONS? NO.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? UH, AYE.
ANY OPPOSERS? AS FOR THIS AUDIT, THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THOSE ITEMS ARE, IS, IS APPROVED NOW INDIVIDUALLY.
THE ITEM THAT WERE WITHDRAWN, ITEM A THREE, MAYOR THURMAN MARCHY, LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS, AUSTIN, TEXAS, APRIL 2ND THROUGH APRIL 4TH, 2023 IN THE AMOUNT OF $932.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OR COUNCILMAN? MARKS SO MOVED.
MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, MOSES SECOND.
UH, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION.
COUNCILMAN MOSES JUST HAD A QUESTION.
UH, I THINK, I THINK I WAS JUST TOLD IT WAS CANCELED.
AND, AND WHAT I SPOKE WITH THE CITY MANAGER ON YESTERDAY AND THIS MORNING ABOUT IT, I ASKED THAT IT WOULD JUST REMAIN ON HERE.
WE WERE USING COUNSEL AND, AND THEY WERE CANCELING THE ROOMS. CAUSE I GUESS THAT'S THE TERM THAT THEY HAD TO USE.
IT'S BEEN POSTPONED AND IT WAS POSTPONED BECAUSE THE BUDGET HEARINGS CALLED, IT BEGAN, I THINK TOMORROW, FRIDAY, AND THEY'LL BE GOING ON THROUGH NEXT WEEK.
AND THE, UH, I GUESS THE UPPER ECHELON
[02:15:01]
OF THE, UH, BLACK CAUCUS MADE, UH, THE DECISION THAT IT WOULD BE MORE PRUDENT FOR THOSE HOUSE MEMBERS AND THE, AND THE TWO SENATORS TO BE PRESENT AT THE FI AT THE HEARINGS FOR THE BUDGET.AND THEY WOULD RESET THE DATE.
AND I JUST ASKED THAT IT WOULD REMAIN AND IF, IF IT WERE APPROVED, IT WOULD ALREADY BE DONE.
SO THEY, UH, IT WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT TO THOSE DATES.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE DATES ON THE NEW TIME AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE IT, BUT THEY SAID IT WOULD BE BEFORE THE SESSION IS OVER.
HAROLD DUCE, 51 80 CAMBRIDGE STREET, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
THAT WAS THE COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE ON THAT ITEM IS THAT I, I READ THE AGENDAS AND PART OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR A REQUEST FOR PRE-TRAVEL APPROVAL IS REQUEST THE, UH, EXPENDITURES AND THE JUSTIFICATION.
AND I NOTICED ON THE LAST ONE THAT YOU ALL APPROVED, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE AGENDA, I SAW THE, UH, REQUEST, I SAW THE EXPENDITURES AND I SAW FOR JUSTIFICATION C ATTACHMENT, BUT THERE WASN'T NO ATTACHMENT.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT OF THE THREE, JUST FOR US CITIZENS AND ALSO COUNCIL TO KNOW.
I'VE MADE THIS REQUEST MYSELF AND ONE OF THE CITY MANAGERS, BUT THEY HAVE ANOTHER PART OF THE BUDGET, SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT THEIRS IN THIS, IT IS TO GO TO THE BLACK CAUCUS BECAUSE DURING THE, UH, I CALL, I CAN'T WANNA CALL IT PORT ARTHUR DAYS, BUT GOLDEN TRIANGLE DAYS, I WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH SENATOR ROYCE WEST AS, AS WELL AS SENATOR BORIS MILES, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, OUR, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, CHRISTIAN.
UH, UH, AND WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT OUR CITY HAS THAT WE PREPARED, UH, A DOCUMENT AND SENT IT TO HAVE SOME INCLUSION INTO SOME BILLS IN THAT WE FOUND OUT, OR WITH THAT AND WITH MEETING WITH THE SENATORS, AND IT WAS A VERY IMPROMPTU MEETING.
SOME OF THE STAFF WERE PRESENT, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER WAS PRESENT ALONG WITH ME.
AND OUR INTERACTING WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS IN THESE SETTINGS ACTUALLY CAN BRING SOME APPROVAL FOR SOME THINGS FOR OUR CITY.
SO THAT'S WHY I MADE THE REQUEST SO THAT PORT ARTHUR WOULD HAVE SOME REPRESENTATION AND SOME PRESENCE AT A MEETING LIKE THAT.
AND WE NEED TO, DURING OUR BI LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, SO THAT SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED IN PORT ARTHUR, WE CAN HAVE PERSONAL AND DIRECT CONTACT WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
I WASN'T QUESTIONING YOUR JUSTIFICATION, MAYOR.
I WAS QUESTIONING THE REQUIREMENTS AND HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE BY THE ORDINANCE.
AND SO WHEN WE PULL UP THE REQUESTS, WHEN I REVIEWED IT, THE, UH, AGENDA, WE SHOULD HAVE THE REQUESTS, WE SHOULD HAVE THE EXPENDITURES, AND WE SHOULD HAVE THE JUSTIFICATION THERE SO WE COULD READ IT.
WHAT YOUR JUSTIFICATION IS GOOD.
NOW, THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS QUESTION'S ABOUT.
THE QUESTION IS THAT WHEN THE CITIZENS AND MYSELF VIEW THE AGENDA, THAT IS PART OF THE REQUIREMENT THAT WE SHOULD SEE UNDER THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND, AND WAIT A MINUTE, LEMME, AND THE REASON I'M ASKING, BECAUSE ON THE REQUEST IT SAYS WHERE JUSTIFICATION, IT SAYS SEE ATTACHMENT, AND THEY SAID AT THE LAST TIME, AND THEY SAID IT THIS TIME, BUT THERE'S NO ATTACHMENT.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
MORE THAN QUESTIONING JUSTIFICATION.
IT'S JUST THAT WE NEED TO KNOW WHEN WE READ THE, THE ATTACHMENT.
I, AND, AND, UH, I, WHAT I CAN DO IS ASK THE, UH, CITY SECRETARY ALONG WITH THE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY TO BE SURE THAT IF THAT BE POSSIBLE, OR IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ATTACHMENTS ARE, ARE, ARE PRESENT WITH THOSE ITEMS. DON'T COME TO ME WITH THE AGENDA, BUT WE'LL REMIND WHOEVER YOU KNOW IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT OKAY.
NOW, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
I DON'T REVIEW IT LIKE IN THAT MANNER, SO I DON'T HAVE KNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S NOT THERE.
WELL, WELL, MY, MY APPEARANCE IS NOT TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE, CUZ IT'S NOT YOUR DUTIES BECAUSE YOU DON'T DO THE AGENDA, BUT I JUST WANTED THE COUNCIL TO KNOW THAT THERE'S INFORMATION GOING OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT WHEN WE LEAVE, EVERYTHING IS NOT PRESENT.
YOU'RE TELLING US SOMETHING IS ATTACHED.
THEN WHEN WE GO FOR IT, IT IS NOT THERE.
AND THIS, THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, I DIDN'T EVEN COME
[02:20:01]
BEFORE COUNCIL, BUT BECAUSE IT HAPPENED AGAIN, IS THE REASON I'M APPEARING BEFORE COUNSEL TODAY TO ENSURE THAT SOMEONE UNDERSTAND THAT DOC THAT'S PART OF A REQUIREMENT OF THAT ORDINANCE THAT WE PROVIDE.WE BE PROVIDED THOSE THREE THINGS, US AND THE COUNCIL.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING US OUR ATTENTION.
COUNCIL MOSES, THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING CUZ I DIDN'T KNOW, AND I'M GLAD I WAS AT TML AND I'M, UH, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE REPRESENTATION FOR THE MONIES AND THE GRANTS AND THE DOLLARS THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR.
SO I DID NOT KNOW, SO THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT NO PROBLEM.
WE COULD, AND I DIDN'T KNOW THE ATTACHMENT WASN'T THERE, SO EVERYBODY, IT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOOD.
BUT THE ONLY, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE, EVEN IN THIS, I MEAN SPEAK ON THE QUESTION IN THE MOTION, THIS DATE WILL CHANGE BECAUSE, BUT THEY SAID IN THE EMAILS ON YESTERDAY THAT THEY, AS SOON AS THEY WOULD, UH, GET THE NEW DATES, THEY WOULD SEND IT OUT AND, AND LET US KNOW.
SO BY US APPROVING IT TODAY, SO WHEN THE DATES CHANGE, THEN IT'LL ALL BE READY FOR YOU TO GO.
UH, WITH THING, WE READY FOR VOTING? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO THAT ITEM, UH, IS APPROVED NOW.
NEXT ON PAGE SEVEN, ITEM NUMBER 17, EXCUSE ME, Y'ALL, MY BOYS BE LEAVING.
ITEM NUMBER 17 WITH PR 2352, NO RESOLUTION APPROVING THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BACK GRANT FUNDING ALLOCATION IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $1,042,808 FOR THE CITY OF PORT AUTHOR.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN FRANK? GO MOVE MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILWOMAN HOLMES SECOND.
THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD APPROVE THE, UH, FUNDING.
I'M SORRY, MAYOR, WHO WAS THE SECOND? UH, COUNCILMAN HOLMES.
AND WE, AND WE WOULD APPROVE THE, UH, FUNDING.
AND, UH, ANY QUESTIONING QUESTIONS ON THAT, UH, MATTER.
OKAY, I'M SORRY I HAD THIS COVERED UP THERE.
HONOR ANY QUESTIONS? BE READY TO VOTE.
SO IT IS ORDERED, UH, PR NUMBER 23 0 52 IS APPROVED AS READ.
NEXT WE HAVE PR NUMBER 23 0 53.
IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO PURCHASE 1 20 23.
PETER BUILT LARE FIVE 20 A S L GARBAGE TRUCK FOR THE SOLID WASTE GARBAGE, UH, DIVISION FROM RUSK TRUCK CENTER OF NEW BROWNSVILLE'S, TEXAS THROUGH THE BUYBOARD COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM FOR THE AMOUNT OF $390,250.
FUNDING IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT.
ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH FIVE DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 8 5 22 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO DASH 0 0 0.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN HOLMES? AND MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN JONES? IT'S REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 20 3053.
WE READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN MARKS? UH, YES, UH, MR. CITY MANAGER, WHAT'S OUR FLEET? UH, NUMBERS GONNA BE NOW THAT, UH, WE'VE GOT THIS NEW TRUCK COMING.
FLEET THE FLEET NUMBERS FOR RESIDENTIAL.
I, I DON'T, I I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME.
THAT'S KIND OF HARD PREDICTING.
YOU GOT, YOU GOT TRUCKS IN AND OUTTA SERVICE, YOU GOT TRUCKS LAID UP.
WELL, S**T, YOU COULDN'T GIVE A GOOD, GOOD SOLID NUMBER RIGHT.
LEMME JUST SHARE THIS WITH COUNCIL ON ANY MONDAY MORNING, WE HAVE NINE TRUCKS AVAILABLE.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE AN EXTRA TRUCK THAT'S, THAT'S AVAILABLE ON ANY MONDAY MORNING.
UM, SO, SO PURCHASING A NEW TRUCK IS GOING TO BRING THE FLEET TO
[02:25:01]
WHAT NUMBER WE HAVE ABOUT, WE HAVE ABOUT 12 PLUS TRUCKS.WE HAVE ABOUT 12 PLUS TRUCKS PURCHASING THE FLEET WILL ALLOW, PURCHASING THAT EXTRA TRUCK WILL ALLOW US TO, UM, GET ALL OF THE OLDER TRUCKS OUT AND USE IT FOR SPARE PATHS AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE ALONG.
AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TWO OR THREE TRUCKS ALWAYS ON STANDBY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR THE NUMBER OF TRUCKS THAT OPERATIONAL IN THE FLEET, UM, WE HAVE, WE, WE, WE, CAN YOU GIVE ME A SECOND TO GRAB MY PHONE SO I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION? YEAH.
YEAH, WE CAN GET THROUGH THAT INFORMATION FOR SURE.
DID YOU WANT TO, WAS MCK WASHINGTON? YEAH.
WHILE, WHILE SHE'S, UH, LOOKING AT INFORMATION UP, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
I KNOW WE PURCHASED A TRUCK MAYBE ABOUT, UH, FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU AGAIN, CITY MANAGER.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE PRIMARY THING.
WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR CITIZENS AND ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST IS GARBAGE PICKUP.
SO TO HAVE AND TO HAVE THIS AND, AND TO BE AT THIS POINT WHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE ANOTHER TRUCK, I GIVE YOU, UH, CREDIT ON THERE.
UH, ALSO I THOUGHT THAT, UH, WE WERE HAVING SOME SITUATION WITH DRIVERS CITY MANAGER.
I KNOW THAT YOU WERE GONNA COME WITH SOME PLAN OF ACTION TO GET DRIVERS TO ENSURE THAT IF WE HAVE A TRUCK TO GO DOWN, YOU GOT SOMEBODY JUMPING RIGHT IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROCESS HAS NEVER STOPPED.
SO, WHILE THE DIRECTOR IS LOOKING FOR THAT INFORMATION, COULD YOU KIND OF GIVE US A LITTLE OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S THE PLAN NOW, SINCE WE HAVE THE TRUCKS, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULDN'T BE LATE ON PICKING GARBAGE UP ANYMORE.
WE JUST WANT TO ENSURE AND BE TRANSPARENT TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE AT AS A, UH, COLLECTED COUNCIL THAT YEAH, WE MAKE SURE THAT OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF ARE BEING TRAINED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW EQUIPMENT BEING PURCHASED, THE NEW GARBAGE SHOPS BEING PURCHASED, THAT, UM, WE PROVIDE OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF WITH TRAINING SO THAT, UM, IF A MEMBER OF STAFF IS NOT AVAILABLE IN OTHER MEMBER OF STAFF CAN FIT IN, YOU KNOW, TO DRIVE THAT TRUCK WHEN, WHEN, UM, THE INDIVIDUAL IS NOT AVAILABLE.
SO TO ANSWER, SO WHEN IN THE, I'M SORRY.
MISS, DO YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION? YES, SIR.
CAN YOU PROVIDE, OKAY, GO RIGHT HERE WITH YOUR INFORMATION TO ANSWER COUNCILMAN MARKS THIS QUESTION.
SORRY, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY.
STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
THIS JONES, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO.
THE MIC CASE JOHN JONES, SIX 40 EAST 10TH STREET.
I'M, UH, CALCULATING THE MONEY THAT IS BEING PAID FOR THESE, THESE TWO NEW TRUCKS.
WELL, I'M, I'M SO GLAD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET 'EM, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THESE TWO, UH, NEW TRUCKS NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
AND ALSO, UH, THE WARRANTY ON THESE TRUCKS SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, KEPT UP ON THEM AND SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF, AS THEY SAID.
AT LEAST LAST US AT LEAST FIVE YEARS IF IT IS KEPT UP.
RIGHT? CUZ THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY, UH, THAT WE ARE PUTTING OUT ON THESE TRUCKS AND WE NEED THEM AND CAN'T DO WITHOUT THEM.
BUT THE WARRANTY AND THE UPKEEP ON THEM IS WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE MATTER? NO, WE'RE GOOD.
READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSERS AYE HAVE RESULTED, PR NUMBER 23 0 5 3 IS APPROVED, AND NOW WE HAVE PR NUMBER 20 3067.
AND IT IS AN OKAY, IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS INCORPORATED OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF REPLACEMENT CHLORINE TRU UNIONS.
TRUK, TRUS, I THINK I'M SAYING IT CORRECTLY.
I HOPE I AM, UH, SCALES FOR THE PORT ACRES WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $27,844 AND 52 CENTS.
HUNTING IS AVAILABLE IN WATER UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, WATER PURIFICATION DIVISION, ACCOUNT NUMBER FOUR 10 DASH 40 DASH TWO 10 DASH 53 12 DASH ZERO DASH 0 0 0.
UH, MAY I GET, UH, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILWOMAN, UH, HOLMES? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN JONES SECOND IS REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE THIS.
[02:30:03]
WE READY FOR QUESTIONS ON THIS? HM? WE APPROVED THAT? NO.YEAH, BUT I WAS GETTING, OKAY, I WAS GETTING READY TO, I WAS, I WAS GETTING READY TO WALK US THROUGH IT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO REMOVE A MOTION TO REMOVE YEAH, BUT I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO DO IT.
YEAH, I THOUGHT YOU ALREADY KNEW.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE RE UH, REMOVE PR NUMBER 20, UH, 3 0 7, I'M, EXCUSE ME, 67.
NOW ATTORNEY, I CAN, UH, GO ON THE SECOND MOTION NOW.
UH, WE HAVE THAT, WE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THAT.
WE ARE READY TO VOTE FOR REMOVAL.
YOU NEED A SECOND? OH, I'M SORRY IF SECOND.
WE REMOVED IN SECOND PART THAT WE WILL REMOVE THIS ITEM.
UH, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS, YOUR HONOR.
ANY QUESTIONS? YOU READY TO VOTE FOR? REMOVE ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO THIS ITEM IS REMOVED FOR A LATER CONSIDERATION.
NEXT WE HAVE ITEM 28, NUMBER 23 DASH 0 69.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS DESIGNATING THE PRIMARY BANK DEPOSITORY AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN A SIGN AND EXECUTE A BANK DEPOSITORY SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH PNC BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AND TO AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND CITY SECRETARY TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE CONTRACT TO BE EFFECTIVE APRIL 1ST, 2023.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MOSES SO MOVED.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SECOND.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 2369.
IS THIS SOMETHING WE HAVE, UH, IN IS DISTANCE RIGHT NOW? THIS IS SOMETHING WE, I'M HEARING SOMETHING ABOUT A NEW BANK COMING TO TOWN.
WE'RE PUTTING AGAINST A NEW BANK.
THAT'S SOMETHING NO, IT'S, IT'S HAPPENS DISTANCE RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE MANDATED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 1 0 5 TO DO THAT EVERY FIVE YEARS.
AND, UM, YOU RECEIVE SOLICITATION FROM CERTAIN BANKS OR CERTAIN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
THE LAST ONE THAT WE HAD WAS CAPITAL ONE.
AND UM, FOR THIS ONE WE ONLY GOT ONE BID.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON IT? OKAY, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO WE IS ORDERED, UH, PR NUMBER 23 0 69 IS APPROVED AS READ NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THE NON-CONSENT, UH, AGENDA AND THE NON-CONSENT ITEMS. WE HAVE, UH, WE'LL BEGIN WITH P R NUMBER 23 0 3 1
[VIII.A. (1) P.R. No. 23031 - A Resolution Amending Resolution 21-542 Allocating $3,000,000.00 For Engineering, Design, And Construction Of Infrastructure Improvements Along Woodworth Boulevard Between SH 87 (Gulfway Drive) And Lakeshore Drive, Increasing The Allocation By $4,200,000.00 Establishing A Revised Budget Amount Of $7,200,000.00. Funding For The Project Is Available In The FY 2022 Capital Improvement Budget, Account Number 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000]
A RESOLUTION AMENDING RESOLUTION 21 DASH 5 42 ALLOCATING 3 MILLION FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ALONG WOODWORTH BU BOULEVARD BETWEEN, UH, STATE HIGHWAY 87, WHICH IS GOWAY DRIVE AND LAKESHORE DRIVE, INCREASING THE ALLOCATION BY $4,200,000 ESTABLISHED IN A REVISED BUDGET AMOUNT OF $7,200,000.FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT IS AVAILABLE IN THE FY 2022.
ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH 53 DASH 85 17 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 10 DASH ZERO ZERO.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN MARKS.
SO MOVE, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN MOSES SECOND IS REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 2331 AS READ.
UH, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION.
HONOR ANY QUESTIONS? WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
ANY OPPOSED? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T LOOK, I DIDN'T SEE IT.
STATE YOUR NAME AND OH, ADDRESS.
LORD, THIS AGENDA, IT'S KILLING ME.
HAROLD ETT 51 80 CAMBRIDGE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
UH, THIS AGENDA, WE, WE ARE INCREASING THIS FROM 3 MILLION TO 7.4 MILLION.
I SAW DIAGRAMS OF THAT, UH, PROJECT.
[02:35:01]
THAT'S THE ONE IN THE LOBBY.SO MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT LANDSCAPING AND WHAT'S IN THE BOULEVARD AND WAS THE DESIGN FOR ALL OF THAT INCLUDED IN THIS COST? CITY MANAGER? COULD PROBABLY ANSWER IS, IS THAT AN INCREASE IN MATERIAL CITY MANAGER FROM THE TIME WE ORIGINALLY DID THIS? CAN I CUT YOUR MIC ON CITY MANAGER SO WE CAN GET IT OFF? IT'S, UM, IT'S TO IMPROVE THE ENTIRE STREET, SKIP, UM, OF, UM, WOODRUFF BOULEVARD.
UM, IN TERMS OF ITS WALKABILITY, IN TERMS OF ITS DRIVABILITY, IN TERMS OF ITS, UM, CYNIC APPEARANCE, UM, STREETSCAPE AS A, A, UM, PUBLIC RIGHT OF WEIGHT AND WHICH IS PART OF THE, WHICH WAS, UM, HAS ORIGINALLY BEEN CITED AS PART OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM EARLIER ON WHEN WE CAME OUT, UM, THE COUNCIL AWARDED $3 MILLION ORIGINALLY IN ITS, UM, BUT UM, IN ITS ALLOCATION TO THAT.
AND, UM, HAS FURTHER, UM, AWARDED AS WE AS WHEN THE PRESENTATION WAS DONE EARLIER ON THE, UM, THE CITY, UM, ENGINEER CLEARLY STATED, YOU KNOW, THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ALL THE FIGURES THAT WAS REQUIRED.
AND SO IN ORDER TO MOVE, IN ORDER TO MOVE WITH PHASE ONE OF THE PROJECT, UM, $3 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED.
NOW THAT WE HAVE MUCH MORE FIRM, UM, FIGURES ON THE PROJECT, UM, COUNCIL HAS DECIDED TO, UM, ALLOCATE ANOTHER $4 MILLION TO, IN, TO COMPLETE THE PHASE ONE OF THE PROJECT.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE ENTIRE STREET ITSELF, THAT MENT OF THE AND, AND THE BOULEVARD.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY I CAME BEFORE COUNCIL TODAY.
WE, WE, WE REQUESTED TO APPROVE A BOND OF $50 MILLION, UH, $10 MILLION TO BE SPENT EACH YEAR FOR THE STREETS.
NO LANDSCAPING OR NO STRAIGHT.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FOR STREETS.
IF YOU READ WHAT THE BOND PURPOSE IS, IS TO FIX STREETS, YOU KNOW, THE BEAUTIFICATION, THE LANDSCAPING.
IF YOU WANT OUT THAT, THEN YOU NEED TO FUND IT IN THE GENERAL FUND.
BUT THE BOND SAYS STREETS, AND WE ARE GOING FROM 3 MILLION, WE GOING A 7.2 MILLION FOR A 12 BLOCK STRETCH OF A BOULEVARD.
AND WE TALKING NOT JUST STREET, WE TALKING ABOUT DURING THE BOULEVARD, THAT'S NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE STREET.
THE ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING TO MAKE THIS SECTION P PRETTY IS NOT WHAT WE PASSED THE BOND FOR.
IF WE GOT 4.2 MILLION, WE SHOULD ADD SOME MORE STREETS AND FIX STREETS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE BOND WAS FOR.
NOWHERE ON THAT BOND DOES IT SAY WE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THE STREET, WHATEVER THE TERMINOLOGY MANAGE TO USE FOR THE BEAUTIFICATION IN THAT BOULEVARD, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE, WE PASSED, THAT APPROVED THAT BOND FOR.
AND IT'S WRITTEN ON OUR APPROVAL, IT'S FOR STREETS AND IT'S DON'T COST 7.2 MILLION TO DO THEM 12 BLOCKS OF THAT BOULEVARD IF YOU ARE DOING JUST STREETS.
AND MR. DOUCETTE ON THAT, BUT I THINK WHAT HE, WHAT HE WAS EXPLAINING, THERE MIGHT BE SOME OTHER AESTHETIC APPEARANCE, UH, UH, FACTORS INVOLVED IN THIS.
UH, I KNOW THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WERE HAD SINCE I'VE BEEN MAYOR, UH, WARD BEING THE GATEWAY TO WHAT WE WANT TO DO DOWNTOWN AND THE AESTHETIC APPEARANCE THAT WE WANT CITIZENS, VISITORS, AND EVERYONE TO HAVE OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO LIKE WHAT THE YOUNG LADY SAID, MY JUST DOING WHAT WE CAN TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION.
WE WANTED THIS TO HAVE A REAL NICE AESTHETIC APPEARANCE.
AND I BELIEVE THERE HAS TO HAVE, UH, HAS TO BE SOME, UH, ADDED FUNDS IN ORDER TO GET WHAT THE CITY MANAGER AND I THINK THE, THE PRESIDENT COUNCIL WANTS TO DO OR WOULD LIKE TO DO AND LEAVE EVEN AS A LEGACY FOR US WHEN WE ARE GONE THAT WE ACTUALLY BEGAN THAT PROCESS.
I THINK, UH, YOU WON'T COST THE 10 MILLION THAT YOU ARE ALLUDING TO.
THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? THE PART TOTAL STREET PROGRAM.
AM I CORRECT ON THAT? CITY, CITY MANAGER? BUT THAT'S NOT A PART OF THIS.
LET ME, LEMME JUST SEND A JACK MAYOR.
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING.
AND, AND NO, WE, WE WANT CITIZEN INPUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I I
[02:40:01]
WANT US TO DO BEAUTIFICATION IN OUR CITY, BUT I WANT US TO APPROPRIATE AND USE THE MONEY FOR WHICH WE USE.AND WHEN WE PASSED THE BOND, IF YOU FOURTH STREET, WHAT'S WRITTEN FOR THE BOND IS FOR ONLY STREETS.
SO, SO IF WE WANT TO BEAUTIFY THE CITY, AND I'M ALL FOR IT, YOU SHOULD PUT THE FUNDS IN THERE WHEN BUDGETING TO DO THAT, BUT NOT TAKE MONEY FROM STREETS TO DO BEAUTIFICATION.
SO IT IS COST $7.2 MILLION JUST TO DO THE, THE STREET.
IT THEY CHANGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND EVERYTHING IN THIS, RIGHT? AM I CORRECT? EVEN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, EVERYTHING GOING BE CHANGED? HOLD ON, I'M ASKING, I'M ASKING EVEN FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE, TONY, YOU, MICHAEL, FORGET, AT LEAST WE FORGET, SOME OF US HAVE A VERY SHORT MEMORY.
SOMETIME AGO WE DID THE SUN CONCORD PROJECT THAT WAS ESTIMATED AT $700,000.
HOW MUCH DID IT TURN OUT TO BE? 1.2 OR 1.4 MILLION? WE NEVER BUDGETED FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE SIDEWALKS, THE TREES, THE DRAINAGE, THE CURB AND GUTTER THAT WAS IN THE SUN CONCORD WORLD.
ALL WE BUDGETED FOR $700,000 THE STREET.
WHAT DID WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO? WAIT A MINUTE.
LOOK, LOOK AT, UH, UH, THIS NOT NOTHING WE WANT TO ADDRESS.
THE 7.2 MILLION SUN AND COAT WAS ALSO A BOULEVARD.
IF IT END UP BEING 700, I MEAN $1.2 MILLION AND WE LOOKING AT THIS DISTANCE AND WE GONNA DO JUST STREAKS AND CURVES.
WHAT YOU PAYING FOR IS THE LANDSCAPING AND THIS STUFF IN BETWEEN.
AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT'S NOT WHAT THE BOND AS FAR, I I KNOW YOU KEEP ALLUDING TO THE BOND.
THIS IS NOT, ARE WE USING THAT BOND MONEY FOR THIS ALL WITH THAT STREETS? YEAH, BUT, BUT, BUT, OKAY.
SO, AND, AND, AND MR. DO SAID WITH THE VOTE, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO BRING IT BEFORE COUNCIL.
AND, AND, AND, AND QUESTION THAT WE ALLOWING YOU TO SPEAK YEAH.
WITH THE VOTE, THAT MEANS THAT THIS COUNCIL IS APPROVING WHATEVER CHANGES WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE IN ORDER TO GET THE RESULT THAT THIS COUNCIL BELIEVES SHOULD BE GOTTEN FROM THE IMPROVEMENTS ON, ON, ON THEIR THIRD PAIR.
AND IT'S GOING TO CH UH, LANDSCAPING INFRASTRUCTURE, AESTHETIC DESIGN, ALL OF IT IS GOING TO MAKE PORT ARTHUR A BETTER PLACE.
AND, AND, AND LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT HERE TO DEBATE.
BUT, BUT THE QUESTION IS, AND WE OKAY.
WE WANNA BE TRANSPARENT ON IT.
NO, THE COMMENT I'M GONNA MAKE IS THIS COUNCIL HAS TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE INTENT OF WHAT WAS ESTABLISHED.
AND, AND WE ARE, WE ARE BECAUSE WE ARE REPAIRING THE STREETS.
BUT, BUT WE ARE, AND MR. DO NOW I'LL LET YOU SPEAK.
NO, WE, I'M CALL A POINT OF HONOR ON YOU AND WE WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON AND, AND CARRY OUT THE VOTE.
MAYOR, YOU KNOW, I I I DON'T BE DISRESPECTFUL FOR NOBODY.
BUT YOU'RE BEING DISRESPECTFUL.
I'M NOT BEING DISRESPECTFUL, I'M BEING BUSINESS.
NO, YOU JUST, I'M BE IN BUSINESS, MR. NO, BUT YOU SPOKE.
OKAY, WELL GO AHEAD AND SPEAK MR. THANK YOU.
THE POINT IS, YOU ALL DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT BY VOTE TO CHANGE WHAT COUNCIL HAS APPROVED.
COUNCIL APPROVED 50 MILLION FOR STREETS.
YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE THE MONEY FOR STREETS AND GO TO BEAUTIFICATION.
THAT'S MY POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE.
I WASN'T AGAINST THE BEAUTIFICATION, BUT THE MONEY THAT YOU BEING REQUESTED TO MOVE WAS NOT APPROVED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S NOT WHAT THE COUNCIL AGREED UPON.
YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEND MONEY THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE BECAUSE YOU ALL DECIDE TO CHANGE IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS MATTER? FOR CLARITY PURPOSES? MAYOR, UH, GO, GO RIGHT HERE FOR CLARITY PURPOSES.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND THE DIRECTION THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, DOUCETTE IS TALKING ABOUT.
BUT LET ME SAY THIS, THIS COUNCIL HAS THE RIGHT WITH FOUR VOTES TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
AND THE DIRECTIVE IS, IS THAT FROM THIS COUNCIL, WE SAW THE PRESENTATION OF MEMORIAL BOULEVARD.
[02:45:02]
WE, UM, RESPECTFULLY, UH, ALL AGREE THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA SEE FOR PORT ARTHUR.AND ANYTHING CAN BE BROUGHT BACK UP TO THIS COUNCIL WITH FOUR VOTES AND CHANGED.
WE KNOW WE VOTED ON THE BOND FOR STREETS.
WE ARE HAPPY ABOUT THE STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE.
WE HAVE REPORTS ON THE STREETS THAT ARE BEING DONE.
WE HAVE INFORMATION ON ALL OF, UH, STREETS THAT'S BEEN DONE IN EACH DISTRICT.
BUT THIS COUNCIL AND I WAS ON THE LAST COUNCIL THAT APPROPRIATED THE MONEY FOR THE STREETS.
BUT WE SEE WHAT IT'S GOING TO BRING TO THE TABLE FOR, UM, OUR CITIZENS.
WE SEE WHAT IT'S GONNA, WHAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE, UH, FOR OUR CITIZENS.
WE HAVE FOUR VOTES TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION AND, AND PUT THAT MONEY WHERE WE WANT TO SEE IT BEST UTILIZED.
AND IT, THERE'S NOWHERE IN THE WORLD WE COULD TAKE $10 MILLION IN FIXED STREET, ALL THE STREETS IN ONE, IN ONE, UH, BUDGET RIGHT NOW ANYWAY, SO WE'RE, I'M THANKFUL THAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS THAT WE KEEP GETTING CRITICIZED FOR BECAUSE THEY'RE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN PORT ARTHUR AND THINGS DON'T LOOK AESTHETICALLY, UH, THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
SO I AM THANKFUL THAT WE AGREE THAT THE STREETS MONEY AND THE ALLOCATION FOR WHAT THE PALM TREES, UH, ANYTHING THAT GOES WITH, UH, MEMORIAL BOULEVARD WILL BE INCLUDED.
AND I'M HAPPILY VOTE FOR THIS PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH $7 MILLION.
COUNCIL MOSES? COUNCIL, MAYOR, MAYOR, MAYOR, YOU'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THIS MATTER.
SO WE'RE WE, WE, IT'S CONCLUDED IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE A DISCUSSION ON THIS RESOLUTION, YOU'LL HAVE TO OPEN THE ITEM UP, I THINK VOTED ON.
THE CITY SECRETARY SAID IT'S ALREADY BEEN VOTED ON.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER, YOU NEED TO RECONSIDER IT CUZ THE TIME OF DISCUSSION WE DID.
YEAH, WHAT HAPPENED IS, I KNOW YOU HAD A CITIZEN COME UP AFTER THE VOTE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH ANY OTHER FURTHER OKAY.
OKAY, MR. I CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE THEN.
THAT, UH, 2331 IS APPROVED AS RED.
[VIII.A. (2) P.R. No. 23075 - A Resolution Authorizing The Pre-Qualification Of Five (5) Real Estate Brokerage Firms For The Purpose Of Providing Professional Real Estate Brokerage Services In Accordance With §253.014 Of The Texas Local Government Code]
WE HAVE 2375 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PRE-QUALIFICATION OF FIVE REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FIRMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH, UH, THAT WOULD BE 2 53 0.014 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.UH, AT, AT, AT THIS JUNCTURE, I'D LIKE TO HAVE, UH, ONE OF THOSE WITHDRAW, GET IT ON THE FLOOR.
LET ME GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
COUNCILMAN FRANK REEDS? YES, SIR.
UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES, YOU STAND, I HERE A SECOND.
IT MOVED IN SECOND ON THIS ITEM.
NOW WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, UH, GO TO QUESTION, BUT BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTION, MAY I OFFER IT THAT WE WOULD, UH, UH, HAVE REMOVAL OF IT? OF OF, OF THIS? YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE ANY QUESTIONS AND THEN ANYBODY WANNA, IF I'M CALLING FOR QUESTIONS NOW AND I I HAVE THE QUESTION, I MAY BE OKAY.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, YOU CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION.
THE QUESTION IS FOR US TO, UH, GO OUT AND I THINK MAYBE I NEED MR. WILLIAMS AGAIN TO, UH, ANSWER THIS FOR ME ON, WHEN THEY CALL IT RFQ RFP.
DID WE GET THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF RESPONSES FROM THIS? WHAT I DON'T WANT IS US TO GO BACK TO WHAT YOU, I'M SORRY.
CONCERN WITH COUNCILMAN MARKS ON ANOTHER ITEM.
WELL, YOU THOUGHT WE MOVED TOO QUICKLY AND, AND IF WE DID NOT GET THE PROPER RESPONSES THAT WE NEEDED, WE SHOULD COME BACK AGAIN, PUT IT BACK OUT THERE AGAIN TO SEE IF WE WOULD GET, SO THAT WE COULD BE SURE THAT IT'S DONE IN A, IN A, IN A, UH, A TRANSPARENT WEIGHT AND THAT EVERYONE WOULD ACTUALLY, OUR LOCAL PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BID ON THIS.
THOSE WHO ARE, UH, IN THIS CASE, BROKERS.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE LOCAL BROKERS AND LET ME, LET ME ANSWER THAT.
WE HAD A RFQ THAT WENT OUT IN OCTOBER.
IT WAS ADVERTISED IN THE PAPER TWICE AND IT WAS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
SO AS FAR AS THE RFQ PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN FOLLOWED, OKAY.
IT'S JUST UP TO THE COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD ON WHATEVER THEY LIKE TO DO.
BUT IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY ADVERTISED.
SO HE IT HAS BEEN ADVERTISED, YES.
OH, OCTOBER? YES, HE WENT THROUGH THE, THE PROCESS.
BUT I WAS UNDER THE, UNDER HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU SAID, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FIVE
[02:50:01]
FIRMS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.NOW THE LAW ALLOWS THAT YOU CAN GIVE, YOU KNOW, PER, UH, USUALLY 10 POINTS OR A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE FOR LOCAL PREFERENCE.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE CONSIDERATION.
BUT, UM, IT'S BID WELL, WE ARE LIMITED TO DISCUSS WHO THESE FIRMS ARE.
UH, THAT WOULD NOT BE THE, THE, THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION THAT'S ALREADY IN THE, IN THE ITEM.
BUT THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, ALL WE'RE DOING IS WHENEVER WE PLACE LAND FOR SALE, THERE'S TWO THINGS WE CAN DO HISTORICALLY, FOR YEARS WE HAD TO DO AN AUCTION WHERE MR. CLIFF OR WHOEVER WAS HERE, BUT USUALLY IT WAS CLIFF, WE JUST AUCTIONED OFF PROPERTY AND WHOEVER THE HIGHEST BIDDER WAS GET IT.
BUT A FEW YEARS AGO THE LAW CHANGED AND THEY SAID YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO JUST HAVE AN AUCTION.
YOU CAN USE A LICENSED BROKER.
SO WE DID THAT AND WE KIND OF ROTATED ALONG.
WE WENT THROUGH THE LIST THAT THE STATE HAD AND WE ROTATED AND USED DIFFERENT BROKERS.
THE COUNCIL ASKED THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING AN INFORMAL PROCESS, THAT IT'D BE MORE FORMALIZED.
SO WE ADVERTISED IT IN THE PAPER.
AND ALL THIS WOULD DO IS, UM, ALLOW ANYONE THAT'S ACTUALLY QUALIFIED TO BE ON THE LIST.
AND THEN WE KIND OF A, UH, ROTATE IT JUST LIKE WE DO SOME OTHER THINGS, UH, TO GIVE THOSE WHO, YOU KNOW, UH, DEEMED QUALIFIED AND OPPORTUNITY TO JUST TAKE TURNS.
AND IT'S NOT THAT WE WOULD, IT, IT WOULD BE THAT WHERE IT'S NOT REALLY HAPHAZARD, LIKE WE'RE JUST PICKING THE SAME PERSON.
WE, WE, WE FORM HAVE A FORMAL PROCESS WHERE EVERYBODY WILL SEE HOW WE, UH, ROTATE IT ON WHO'S QUALIFIED.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE ON THAT.
HEY, THANK YOU MAYOR AND I, AND I LOOKED AT THE BACKGROUND MIRROR AND I KNOW YOU CONCERNS AND I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS, BUT WHEN READING, I LOOKED AT THE, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY HAD IT IN THE PAPER, OCTOBER THE SEVENTH, 2022, AND, UH, OCTOBER THE 14, 20 22.
AND YOU, YOUR QUESTION, ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS CONCERNS WERE HOW MANY FROM LOCALLY? UH, THREE FROM PORT ARTHUR, ONE FROM BEAUMONT.
AND I'M NOT SURE ON THE, ON THE, THE FIFTH ONE.
BUT, UH, WE'RE GIVING OURSELF A OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN ORDER OF MERIT LIST, WHICH WAS MY CONCERN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE OUR LOCAL, UH, BROKERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'M SATISFIED WITH THE PERSONALLY IN READING THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON IT.
ANYONE ELSE WITH A QUESTION ON? NO ONE? YOU READY TO VOTE ON IT? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[VIII.A (3) P.R. No. 23078 - A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Member Or Member(s) To The City Of Port Arthur Animal Advisory Board]
WE HAVE A RESOLUTION APPOINTING AND A REAPPOINTED MEMBER, OUR MEMBERS OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ANIMAL ADVISORY BOARD.YOU HAVE THE, THE NAMES OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
DAVID WEBB, DARLENE, THOMAS PIERRE, ANTHONY MITCHELL, AND DEBORAH VARE.
WITH THOSE NAMES TO BE INSERTED, UH, MAY I GET A MOTION, UH, FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILWOMAN HOSTS? OKAY, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN KEN SECONDARY HAVE BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WOULD APPROVE, UH, THE, UH, RESOLUTION FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF, UH, MEMBERS OF THE ALAMO ANIMAL ADVISORY BOARD AS THE NAMES THAT THE CITY SECRETARY JUST CALLED OUT.
UH, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONING ANY, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, PR NUMBER 2 30 80, UH,
[VIII.A. (4) P.R. No. 23080 - A Resolution Appointing Member(s) To The Zoning Board Of Adjustment To Fill An Unexpired Term Ending On October 26, 2023]
RESOLUTION APPOINTED MEMBERS TO THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT TO FULFILL AN UNEXPIRED TERM ENDING ON, UH, OCTOBER 26, 23.YOU HAVE THAT NAME? UH, YES MA'AM.
AND WE HAVE THE NAME OF MR. CHRIS LOPEZ.
GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL ON THAT.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK.
BEEN MOVED TO SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPOINT THE, UH, NAMED INDIVIDUAL BY THE CITY SECRETARY TO THE, UH, UH, ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS.
READY? UH, FOR QUESTION? WE AREN'T WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[02:55:01]
PO NUMBER[VIII.B. (1) P.O. No. 7121 - An Ordinance Amending Article III (Recreational Vehicle Parks, Chapter 58, (Manufactured Homes, Mobile Homes, Recreational Vehicle Parks), Section 128 Of The City Of Port Arthur Code Ordinances; Violation Of This Ordinance Is Punishable As Provided In Section 1-8 Of The Code Of Ordinances By A Fine Not To Exceed Two Thousand ($2,000) Dollars; And Providing For Publication In The Official Newspaper Of The City Of Port Arthur And An Effective Date]
SEVEN 20, EXCUSE ME, 71 21.71 21 IN ORDINANCE AMENDING ARTICLE THREE, RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS, UH, CHAPTER 58, MANUFACTURED HOMES, MOBILE HOMES, RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS, UH, SECTION 1 28 OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ORDINANCE, I MEAN CODE ORDINANCES.
VIOLATION OF THIS ORDINANCE IS PUNISHABLE AS PROVIDED IN SECTION ONE DASH EIGHT OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY A FINE, NOT, EXCUSE ME, TO EXCEED $2,000 AND PROVIDED FOR PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE MAY GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
UH, COUNCILMAN? UH, KIM, MAY I GET A SECOND? SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 7 1 21 AS READY.
READY FOR QUESTIONING ON ANY QUESTIONS OR READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
SO IN IS ORDERED, NEXT WE HAVE PO
[VIII.B. (2) P.O. No. 7126 - An Ordinance Of The City Council Of Port Arthur Confirming The Creation Of The Pleasure Island Department Pursuant To Article XVIII Of The Charter Of The City Of Port Arthur And Amending Chapter 14, Article XX Of The Code Of Ordinances As It Pertains To The Pleasure Island Commission]
NUMBER 71 26, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR CITY COUNCIL OF PORT ARTHUR, CONFIRMING THE CREATION OF THE PLEASURE ISLAND DEPARTMENT PURSUANT TO ARTICLE THAT'S 10 15 67 18 OF THE, UH, CHARTER OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND AMENDING CHAPTER 14, ARTICLE 20 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE SAYS AS IT PERTAINS TO THE PLEASURE ISLAND COMMISSION.MAY I GET A, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN MARKS SO MOVED.
MA'AM, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN MOSES SECOND MAYOR HAS BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE, UH, PO NUMBER 71 26.
IT'S READ, WE READ UP FOR QUESTIONING.
GO RIGHT AHEAD OF COUNCILMAN FRANK, YOUR LIFE FIRST, CAN WE GET AN EXPLANATION OF THIS ONE EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TRAINING? YES.
SO, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A REQUEST OF THE PLEASURE ISLAND COMMISSION A WHILE BACK WHEN WE AMENDED THE CHARTER AND, UH, WE MADE SOME CHANGES TO THE MAKEUP.
YOU KNOW HOW THE PLEASURE ISLAND COMMISSION, UH, WOULD MOVE FORWARD.
IT WAS INCORPORATED IN THAT CHARTER PROVISION THAT WE HAVE A ORDINANCE, UM, WE HAVE A ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, GIVEN MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
THAT WAS PART OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT.
SO THE, UM, EXHIBIT JUST OUTLINES, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMISSION JUST WANTED TO FORMALIZE.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE ABOUT PLEASURE ISLAND, MAKING IT A DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS IS JUST THE FORMAL, LIKE EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT HAS AN ORDINANCE.
NOW THIS IS THE FORMAL ORDINANCE FOR THE PLEASURE ISLAND DEPARTMENT.
CLEANING UP SOME OF THE LANGUAGE.
BUT EVERY DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY HAS AN ORDINANCE, OKAY.
UH, TELLING ABOUT THEIR RULES AND HOW THEY MOVE FORWARD.
AND MR. UH, GEORGE IS HERE AND, UM, IN THAT CHARTER AMENDMENT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO PUT A ORDINANCE FOR PLEASURE ISLAND AND NOW WE DO.
AND IT JUST GOES OVER THE BASIC THINGS.
THE BOARD HAD SOME QUESTIONS AND THEY JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OR THE ORDINANCE ADDRESSED, YOU KNOW, HOW THINGS WERE TO MOVE.
UH, GIVE HIM MORE DETAIL TO THE CHARTER COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, YOU WANT TO GO? MARKS WAS NEXT.
I JUST, UH, THE AGENDA SAYS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED WE'LL BE PRESENTED AT OR BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS WHAT WE HAVE HERE AS THE ORDINANCE 71 26.
IS THAT, IS, IS THAT THE ORDINANCE? EXHIBIT? NOT I CAN GET YOU THE EXHIBIT.
IT JUST SAYS WHAT THE DEPARTMENT IS, UH, HOW THEY'RE MANAGED AND IT JUST TALKS ABOUT, UH, THAT THEY HAVE MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION AND WHAT THE, UH, DUTIES OF THE DIRECTOR ARE AND HOW HE WORKS WITH THE MANAGER.
I CAN GIVE THAT TO YOU, BUT IT'S VERY, VERY BASIC.
BUT IT WAS JUST THAT CHARTER AMENDMENT REQUIRED THAT THE DEPARTMENT BE CREATED AND THAT AN ORDINANCE BE RENTED.
AND IT'S A VERY BASIC, UH, SAYING WHAT THEY DO, BUT I CAN, UH, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT HAD NOT BEEN SCANNED AND I CAN GET IT TO YOU.
BUT IF WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON SOMETHING AND APPROVE IT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BASIC, WE NEED TO KNOW THE LANGUAGE THAT'S IN IT BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT.
SO WHAT YOU CAN DO, OH, I'M SORRY.
WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF.
I CAN UH, GET IT PRINTED OUT AND GIVEN TO YOU IF YOU WANNA HOLD ON IT AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND IT'S JUST THOSE BASIC THINGS AND I CAN GET IT TO YOU.
UH, IF YOU WANT A TABLE IT YEAH.
OR HOLD IT UNTIL AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN I'LL GET THAT PRINTED.
I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
WE HOLD THIS UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, AT WHICH TIME WE SHALL HAVE A HARD COPY IN HAND OF THE, UH, ORDINANCE.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND TO TABLE, UH, PO
[03:00:01]
NUMBER SEVEN 12.QUESTION SIX POINT OF POINT OF WATER.
IF YOU TABLE IT, IT, IT COMES BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, IF YOU JUST, IF YOU JUST HOLD IT HOLD, HOLD IT.
HOLDING IT UNTIL AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO, SO IT'S BEEN MOVED THAT WE WILL HOLD THIS ITEM UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.
[VIII.B. (3) P.O. No. 7128 - An Ordinance Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Settlement Of A Physical Damage Claim In The Amount Of $68,384.00 Made Against Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) As A Result Of Property Damage To Wastewater Conveyance Vehicle #2319]
UM, PO NUMBER 71 28 IN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SETTLEMENT OF A PHYSICAL DAMAGE CLAIM IN THE AMOUNT OF $68,384 MADE AGAINST TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RISK POOL AS A RESULT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE TO WASTEWATER CONVEYANCE.AND SECOND TO APPROVE, UM, PO NUMBER 71 28.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.
[VIII.B. (4) P.O. No. 7129 - An Ordinance Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Settlement Of A Physical Damage Claim In The Amount Of $19,375.00 Made Against Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) As A Result Of Property Damage To Police Vehicle #2057]
PO NUMBER 71 29 IN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SETTLEMENT OF A PHYSICAL DAMAGE CLAIM IN THE AMOUNT OF $19,375 MADE AGAINST TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.INTERGOVERNMENTAL RISK POOL, T M L I R P AS A RESULT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE TO POLICE VEHICLE NUMBER 2057.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN DON'T MOVE.
AND COUNCILMAN FRANK, I GET A SECOND, SECOND REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 71 29 IS READ.
WE READY FOR QUESTION ON ANY QUESTIONS? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
SO WE THIS ORDER NEXT WE HAVE PO NUMBER
[VIII.B. (5) P.O. No. 7135 - An Ordinance Authorizing A Special Warranty Deed For The Conveyance Of Vacant Land To A Low And Moderate-Income Resident Of Port Arthur Who Is Participating In The Harvey Disaster Recovery Program Through The Texas Government Land Office And The AECOM Disaster Recovery Program]
71 35 AND ORDER IS AUTHORIZED AND OF SPECIAL WARRANT WARRANTY DEED FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF VACANT LAND TO A LOW AND MODERATE INCOME RESIDENT OF PORT ARTHUR WHO IS PARTICIPATING IN THE HARVEY DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAM THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT LAND OFFICE AND AECOM DISASTER PROGRAM.MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN MARKS.
UH, COUNCIL MCKEN LAW SECONDARY IT'LL MOVE THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 71 35 AS READ, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION ON ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS MATTER.
IN THE OPPOSERS AYE HAVE SO IS HONOR, WE WILL ACCEPT APPEAL NUMBER 71 35 AS READ.
[VIII.B. (6) P.O. No. 7136 - An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas Suspending The Rates Proposed By Centerpoint Energy Resources Corp., D/B/A Centerpoint Energy Entex And Centerpoint Energy Texas Gas ("Centerpoint" Or "Company") Company's Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program ("GRIP") Filing Made With The City On March 2, 2023; Finding That The Meeting Complies With The Open Meetings Act; Making Other Findings And Provisions Related To The Subject, And Declaring An Effective Date]
PO NUMBER 71 36 IN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS SPENDING THE RATES PROPOSED BY CENTER POINT ENERGY OR ENERGY, I'M SORRY I TO SAYING IT THAT WAY.CENTER POINT ENERGY RESOURCES, UH, CORPORATION, DBA, CENTER POINT ENERGY, INEX AND CENTER POINT ENERGY, TEXAS GAS CENTER POINT OIL COMPANY COMPANIES.
GAS, RE, RE, UH, RELIABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM, UH, COMMONLY KNOWN AS GRIP, UH, FILE AND MADE WITH THE CITY ON MARCH 2ND, 2023.
FINDING THAT THE MEETING COMPLIES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT AND DECLARING AND EFFECTIVE DATE.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCIL MCKEN LAW MOVE.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN JONES? IT'LL MOVED THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, ACCEPT PO NUMBER 71 36 AS READ, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION THE HONOR THE QUESTIONS ARE HERE.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSERS? THE AYES HAVE IT SO IT IS AUDITED AT APPEAL NUMBER 71 36 IS APPROVED.
[VIII.B. (7) P.O. No. 7137 - An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of Surplus Furniture And Minor Equipment Through Rene Bates Auctioneers, Inc. And Technology Equipment Through Global Asset LLC]
NUMBER 71 37 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED IN THE SALE OF SURPLUS FURNITURE AND MINOR EQUIPMENT THROUGH RENEE BATES AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED AND TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT THROUGH GLOBAL ASSET L L C.MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN MOSES SHALL MOVED.
COUNCILMAN FRANK SECOND IS REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WILL ACCEPT APPEAL NUMBER 71 37 IS READ.
WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION THERE.
HONOR ANY QUESTIONS? WE ARE READY TO VOTE.
ANY OPPOSERS AYES HAVE OR IS HONORED? WE WILL ACCEPT APPEAL NUMBER 71 37 AS READ.
[VIII.B. (8) P.O. No. 7138 - An Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 23-03 For The Purpose Of Cancelling The Conduct Of A Joint Election With The Sabine Pass Independent School District; Providing For The Conduct Of The General Election On May 6, 2023 For The Purpose Of Electing Six (6) Councilmembers, In The City Of Port Arthur, Texas; And Providing For A Joint Election With The Port Arthur Independent School District; And The Sabine Pass Port Authority In Accordance With Chapter 271 Of The Texas Election Code, And Providing For The Publication Of The Election Notice]
FINALLY WE HAVE APPEAL NUMBER 71 38 AND ORDINANCE AMENDED ORDINANCE NUMBER 23 DASH ZERO THREE FOR THE PURPOSE OF CANCELING THE, UH, THE CONDUCT OF A JOINT, UH, ELECTION WITH[03:05:01]
UH, J PAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT PROVIDING FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE GENERAL ELECTION ON MAY 6TH, 2023 FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTING SIX COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND PROVIDING FOR A JOINT ELECTION WITH THE PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.AND THE SABINE PASSED PORT AUTHORITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 7 21 OF THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE AND PROVIDED FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE ELECTION NOTICE.
AND THIS IS ALSO PROVIDED TODAY IN, UH, AN ALTERNATE LANGUAGE IN SPANISH.
UH, I'M, EXCUSE ME, MY YOU A MOTION FOR APPROVAL COUNSELMAN MARKS SO MOVED MAY GET A SECOND COUNCIL MCKEN LAW SECONDARY IS REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 71 38 AS READ.
UH, WE READY FOR QUESTIONING ON IT OR QUESTIONS ON? EXCUSE ME.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[IX. "CLOSED MEETING (EXECUTIVE SESSION)]
TO SECTION NINE ON PAGE 13.UH, EXCUSE ME, WE READY TO MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION THEN? Y'ALL JUST GIMME A MOMENT.
BUT GOING INTO THE CLOSED SECTION, UH, WE THERE COME, EXCUSE ME.
GETTING OVER, I GUESS TAKING THAT LONG.
UH, I MUST MAKE THIS FOLLOWING STATEMENT TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 5 51 0.101 CHAPTER OF 5 51 VOTE MEETINGS LAWS OF STATE OF, UH, GOVERNMENT CODE FORM ARTICLE 62 57 DASH 17 SECTION TWO, UH, SUBSECTION A.
PRIOR TO GOING INTO THE THE CLOSED MEETING, I MUST MAKE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT BEING THAT PRESIDING OFFICER.
AND IN THE CLOSED SECTION WE WILL DISCUSS SECTION 5 51 0.071 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
UH, WE WILL DISCUSS AND RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING POTENTIAL AND OR PENDING CLAIMS, CONTRACTS, LITIGATION, AND OTHER MATTERS INVOLVING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SECONDLY, WE WILL DISCUSS SECTION 5 51 0.072 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE, UH, CITY LIMITS OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND THIRDLY, WE WILL DISCUSS SECTION 5 51 0.087 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE, UH, ABOUT THE ECONOMICS INCENTIVES FOR COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND OR INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS, UH, PROSPECTS IN THE CITY OF FORT ARTHUR.
AND IT BE THERE ANY, UH, ACTION COMING FROM THOSE DISCUSSIONS IN CLOSED SESSION.
WE WILL RETURN HERE IN THE CHAMBERS, UH, AND ON THE DI TO, UH, ACT UPON THOSE ITEMS IF THEY ARE NECESSARY AT THIS MOMENT.
WE WILL, UH, RETIRE TO THE CONFERENCE ROOM DOWNSTAIRS AND WE'LL RETURN AT THE END OF THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION.
EXCUSE, WAIT, I GOT, TURN THE MIC ON.
UH, CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE REESTABLISH THE COURT? YES, SIR.
MAYOR BART, PRESENT MAYOR PRO.
FRANK, YOU HAVE A COURT MAYOR.
WE ARE, UH, REJO, UH, EXCUSE ME FOR NOT REAL AJOUR, WE'RE COMING BACK IN THE SESSION.
RECON FOR, UH, RECON FROM, YEAH, RECONVENE.
I WAS LOOKING AT SOME, I'M SAYING ADJO.
I'M JUST, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE COME OUT.
UH, WE'RE RECONVENING FROM THE MORNINGS FROM, FROM OUR, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION, THERE IS ONE ITEM.
YOU HAVE, THEY HAVE THAT MOTION.
WE, WE LEFT IT WITH A MOTION ON THE TABLE, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS AND KEN LAW HELD IT TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I'M SORRY, WHAT PAGE IS THAT? THAT DOESN'T HELP YOU ON PAGE 11.
[03:10:01]
AND ORDINANCE, EXCUSE ME, OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, COUNCIL CONFIRMING THE CREATION OF THE PLEASURE ISLAND DEPARTMENT.UH, PURSUANT TO ARTICLE, UH, I THINK I PUT 28, RIGHT? I MEAN, UH, 18 OF THE, UH, CHARTER OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND AMENDING, UH, CHAPTER 14, ARTICLE 20 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES AS IT PERTAINS TO THE PLEASURE ISLAND COMMISSION.
MAYOR, UH, I THINK WE, WE HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS THAT WE NEEDED IN THE EXECUTIVE SECTION TO BRING US BACK ON THE FLOOR.
SO, UH, SHERIFF, UH, I GUESS WE'RE, WE'RE WITHIN OUR RIGHT TO DO THAT NOW, SIR.
SO, UM, UH, MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS, UH, THIS MOTION AT THIS TIME.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 71 26 AS READY, READY FOR QUESTION.
AND YOUR HONOR, THE QUESTIONS, I BELIEVE BECAUSE COUNCILMAN KEN LAW EXPLAINED THOROUGHLY IN, IN THIS PRESENTATION FOR THE MOTION, WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSES AYE.
HAVE SO AS AUDIT, WE WILL APPROVE PO NUMBER 71 26 AS READ, BE THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THIS AUGUST BODY, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION NOW FOR ADJOURNMENT.
SECOND HAS BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND, WITH THE PROPER USE OF THAT WORD,
ARE WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
THAT MEETING WILL END AND WE WILL SEE YOU AT THE NEXT ONE.