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I'D LIKE TO SAY GOOD AFTERNOON[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
TO YOU.WE ARE HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
FOLLOW REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING ON TODAY, MAY 9TH, 2023, AND WE ARE BEGINNING THIS MEETING NOW AT 5:43 PM ON THE SAID DATE.
IN THIS MEETING, YOU MAY PARTICIPATE THROUGH THE MEDIUMS OF TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS, UH, BUT YOU MUST DO SO BY DIAL IN 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9.
YOU WOULD ENTER THE MEETING ID CODE OR MEETING ID, EXCUSE ME, OF 8 7 3 8 0 0 9 1 6 4 6, AND THE PASS CODE OF 3 7 1 2 2 0, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING.
WE ARE ALSO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACTS FOR OUR MEETING EVEN ON TODAY.
AND IF THERE ARE SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS THAT YOU WOULD REQUEST OR YOU WOULD NEED, YOU WOULD MAKE THAT REQUEST BY CALLING THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5 AND ALLOW, MAKE THAT REQUEST KNOWN TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S STAFF AND THEY WILL DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWERS TO ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH YOUR SPECIAL REQUEST FOR THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS.
WE'LL NOW HAVE OUR INVOCATION AND WE WILL HAVE THE PLAINTIFF LEADERS.
WE ARE GOING TO ASK COUNCILWOMAN MOSES IF SHE WOULD DO THE INVOCATION FOR US.
PLEASE, AT THIS MOMENT YOU WOULD BOW WITH ME, PLEASE, FATHER GOD, IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
WE THANK YOU OH GOD, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
YES, LORD, WE THANK YOU OH GOD FOR THIS TIME, AND WE THANK YOU OH GOD, THAT YOU ARE IN THE MIDST OF US ALL.
WE THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT ARE SERVING HERE ON COUNCIL FOR THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WILL BE COMING ON BOARD TO SERVE.
WE THANK YOU THAT WE REMEMBER THAT IT'S ALL ABOUT OUR SERVICE.
SO GOD, WE PRAY THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID AND DONE IN THIS MEETING WILL BEAT YOU A GLORY UNTO YOUR HONOR.
TO JOIN US IN UNISON'S SAYING THE PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE, OUR PLEDGE, THE LEADERS TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR OPENING CEREMONIES, UH, AT THIS TIME.
AGAIN, CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH THE COURT? MAYOR BART, PRESENT MAYOR PRO, TIM HOLMES.
AND WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE PROCLAMATIONS.
I DON'T HAVE ONE IN FRONT OF ME, AREN'T ANY IN THERE ARE NO PROCLAMATIONS.
AND WE WILL MOVE NOW TO ROMAN NUMERAL THREE FOR PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS WHERE SPEAKERS, SPEAKERS WILL BE GIVEN FIVE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
AND YOU'LL BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
[III.A (1) Sandra La Day Of People Supporting People Regarding A No Kill Animal Shelter]
OUR FIRST IS MS. SANDRA DAY OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING PEOPLE REGARDING A NO-KILL ANIMAL SHELTER.WOULD YOU PLEASE APPROACH AND BEGIN WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE? HI, MY NAME IS SANDRA DAY.
PULL THE MIC UP SOMETHING SO WE CAN, YEAH.
MY ADDRESS IS 1833 12TH STREET, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
I'M HERE TODAY FOR THE NO-KILL LAW FOR ANIMALS.
TRYING TO SEE IF WE COULD GET THE VET, MS. KAY, OR ANY VET TO COME IN AND VACCINATE AND SPRAY THE, THE ANIMALS, CATS AND DOGS SO THAT THEY COULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE RESCUE TEAMS. UM, THE RESCUE TEAM WOULD NOT PICK UP AN ANIMAL IF IT'S NOT VACCINATED OR SPAYED OR WHATEVER DUE TO THE FACT OF THE DISEASE THAT THE ANIMALS CARRY.
SO I'M WILLING, IF WE COULD GET THE ANIMALS SPRAYED IN, FASCINATED AND FROM THE DISEASE, THEN I'M WILLING TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM UPSTATE THAT WOULD DONATE THE CAT FOOD AND DOG FOOD.
WE COULD PLACE THESE ANIMALS WITH DISABLED VETERANS AND DISABLED PEOPLE THAT NEEDS AN ANIMAL
SO THAT'S MY AGENDA TO SEE IF SOMETHING COULD BE DONE SO THE ANIMALS DON'T BE, HAVE TO BE KILLED BECAUSE IN ORANGE TWO
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WEEKS AGO, THEY CAME UP WITH THE NO KILL LAW IN ORANGE, TEXAS.SO I'M TRYING TO SEE WHY WE CAN'T COME UP WITH THE NO KILL LAW HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
THAT IS, IS THAT, IS THAT ALL WELL, OKAY.
UH, ANYONE ANY COMMENTS FOR MR. TODAY? YEAH, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
HI, HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING FINE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS.
THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR YOUR REMARKS, MR. DAYE.
[III.A (2) Loretta Douglas Nealy Regarding Animal Control]
HAVE MS. LORETTA DOUGLAS, UH, NE, LORETTA DOUGLAS NEELY, I'M SORRY, YES.REGARDING ANIMAL, UH, CONTROL.
STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS LORETTA DOUGLAS NEELY.
MY ADDRESS IS 30 0 7 17TH STREET, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
I JUST FOUND OUT THAT PORT ARTHUR DIDN'T HAVE, THEY HAD A NO-KILL, UM, AUDIENCE HERE.
I REALLY WASN'T AWARE OF IT, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS AFTER I TALKED TO DR.
KATE, WHO'S A VET, SHE'S WILLING TO DEWORM THE ANIMALS.
SHE'S WILLING TO, UH, GIVE THEM VACCINATIONS SO THEY CAN BE RESCUED.
THEY EVEN HAD OUTBREAKS OF PAVO, WHICH IS A BAD DISEASE THAT DOGS HAVE, AND THEY, THEY DIE.
ALSO, REMEMBER THIS, THAT, UH, DOGS ARE MAN'S BEST FRIEND.
THAT'S A OLD CLICHE, AND IT REALLY IS TRUE BECAUSE, UM, I HAVE A DOG, NEVER HAD A DOG BEFORE BECAUSE I WAS MY, WE, I HAD MY PARENTS, WE HAD 10 CHILDREN, SO WE HAD DOGS AND THEY HAD BONES AND THEY STAYED OUTSIDE.
BUT NOW PEOPLE LOVE DOGS AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT, UM, WE DO SOMETHING FOR THEM.
SO, LIKE SANDRA KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO'S GONNA COME FROM UPSTATE IN CANADA THAT'S GONNA DONATE THE, UM, THE FOOD TO THEM.
SO WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF DOG LOVERS HERE, SO TRY TO CONSIDER IT.
AND WHAT WE WANT THE COUNCIL TO DO IS TO, UM, ALLOW SOME TYPE OF ABATEMENT LIKE Y'ALL GIVE ABATEMENTS FOR THE CO UH, THE SIT THE BIG OLD COMPANIES TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO OUR AREA HERE.
ANY, UH, COMMENTS FROM MS. UH, NEK? OKAY.
THANK YOU MS. NEEDY ALSO FOR YOUR, UH, CONCERN AND YOUR REMARKS.
[III.B (1) A Presentation By Vivian Ballou Of Legacy CDC Regarding Housing At Gifford Pond (Requested By Councilmember Moses) (part 1 of 2)]
WE BEGIN, WE MOVE TO PRESENTATIONS.WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY MS. VIVIAN BELU OF LEGACY CDC REGARDING HOUSING AT GIFFORD POND.
AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILMEMBER MOSES.
AND YOU ALL WILL BEGIN, UH, WITH YOUR INTRODUCTIONS OF WHO YOU ARE AND YOU WILL ACTUALLY GET 20 MINUTES FOR YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
YOU GONNA GET 10 MINUTES TODAY ON THIS BECAUSE THANK YOU.
I HAVE WE OUT TO DO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AT RIGHT AT SIX.
MY NAME IS VIVIAN BELU AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LEGACY CDC AT 3,800 PARK LANE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
UH, LEGACY IS A HUD CERTIFIED COUNSELING AGENCY THAT, UH, TAKES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HOUSING.
UH, WE PROVIDE, OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL STABILITY TO LOAD UP MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES, UH, THROUGH HOUSING.
UH, WE USE A LOT OF SUPPORTIVE SERVICES IN HOUSING COUNSELING THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS TO ENSURE THAT OUR CLIENTS ARE EDUCATED.
UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A VITAL, UH, TO BUILDING A STRONG COMMUNITY.
UH, WHEN FAMILIES HAVE SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT'S IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
WHEN THEY'RE NOT PAYING HIGH RENTS, THEY'RE ABLE TO SAVE BUDGET AND EXPEND DISPOSABLE IN INCOME IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, LEGACY CDC PARTNERED WITH THE CITY AND THE EDC TO ADMINISTER THE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
UH, THE PLAN WAS TO DEVELOP 60 HOMES IN TWO PHASES.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE ALMOST 30 HOMES.
UH, THAT PROGRAM HAS NOW ENDED, SO, UH, NO NEW DEVELOPMENT IS BEING CURRENTLY DONE IN THAT AREA.
UH, THROUGH THAT PROGRAM, WE WERE ABLE TO ADD, I SAID, 30 HOMES TO THE TAX ROLES, REVITALIZING A DORMANT, A DORMANT NEIGHBORHOOD, BRINGING HOME OWNERSHIP AND TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES TO COME TO THIS AREA AND HAVE ALSO INCREASED THE PROPERTY VALUES.
UH, THIS IS A LIST OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WERE COMPLETED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, PICTURE OF A HOUSE THAT WE'VE JUST COMPLETED AT 9 0 1 STILLWELL BOULEVARD.
JUST FOR REFERENCE, UH, GOING FORWARD, OUR PLAN IS TO EXPAND OUR TARGET AREA TO WOODWARD BOULEVARD AND TO INCLUDE GIFFORD
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POND, WHICH IS 1 0 1 SIXTH AVENUE.UH, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED, UH, AT LEAST 60 VACANT LOTS IN THAT TARGET AREA.
UH, SO WE, WE INTEND TO DO NEW CONSTRUCTION AND AS WELL AS ACQUISITION REHAB IN THAT NEW TARGET AREA.
UH, THIS AREA IS ALSO WITHIN WALKIN DISTANCE TO THE NEWLY RENOVATED, UM, ROSE HILL MANOR, UH, PARK THERE.
AND ALSO WITH TIE IN WITH THE WOODWARD BOULEVARD REDEVELOPMENT IF UNDERTAKEN ON THE GIFFORD POND, WE CONSIDER THAT TO BE A GATEWAY TO HOME OWNERSHIP.
UH, THIS PROPERTY IS SIX ACRES, UH, IN ITS WATERFRONT PROPERTY.
IT COULD BE QUICKLY DEVELOPED INTO UP TO 40 UNITS AS FAR AS MUCH NEEDED HOUSING STOCK.
UH, WHAT WE WOULD DO IS REDEVELOP THIS DORMANT PROPERTY AND RESTORE THE PROPERTY, CUZ IT'S, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PARK-LIKE PROPERTY ON THE WATERFRONT.
WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER REALLOCATING $800,000 OR 0.03% OF THE CITY'S ARPA FUNDING TO HOUSING SPECIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF UP TO 40 UNITS AT GIFFORD POND, UH, WHICH I MENTIONED IS ON SIX ACRES, AND IT'S A $6 MILLION PROJECT.
THE FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR SITE DEVELOPMENT, SITE PREP, UH, DRAINAGE, STREET IMPROVEMENT, SEWER, DRIVEWAYS, AND SIDEWALKS.
THESE COSTS WOULD, IF THE CITY COULD HELP WITH THESE COSTS, IT WOULD HELP BRING DOWN THE COST OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THE CITY RECEIVED AN ESTIMATED 26.6 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDING, UH, OF WHICH AN ESTIMATED 18 MILLION WAS DESIGNATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO WHAT WE WANNA DO HERE TONIGHT IS TO REMIND YOU THAT HOUSING IS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL.
UM, TO HAVE NEW STREETS WITH NO HOUSING, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE GOAL OF THE CITY.
UH, YOU'VE INVESTED MILLIONS TO ATTRACT RESIDENTS, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHERE WILL THEY LIVE WHEN THEY COME.
UM, LOOKING AT A SURVEY FROM THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, OVER 73% OF THE CITIES, UH, SURVEYED OVER 100 CITIES SURVEYED, SAID THAT THEY USED THEIR ARPA FUNDS FOR HOUSING.
AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE CITY TO RECONSIDER THE USE OF YOUR ARPA FUNDING ALSO TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING NEEDS ON THAT, UH, GIFFORD POND PROPERTY.
THE FIRST OPTION YOU SEE IS, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF 12 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, AND IT WOULD BE A MIXED INCOME COMMUNITY.
THE SECOND OPTION IS 24 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, WHICH WE WOULD USE BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET TO DEVELOP THAT.
AND WE COULD BUILD UP TO 24 HOMES THERE.
AND THEN THE THIRD OPTION WOULD BE DUPLEXES.
WE COULD DEVELOP AS MANY AS 10 DUPLEXES THERE TO BRING, UH, 20 RENTAL PROPERTIES TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO HELP MEET THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE DEMAND THAT WE NEED FOR RENTAL PROPERTIES, UH, IN THIS AREA.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THE FLOOR PLAN FOR THE DUPLEXES.
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THEY'RE ABOUT 1300 SQUARE FEET, JUST OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.
THE, THE FACT THAT WE COULD PUT 20 ON ONE SIDE AND ACTUALLY 20 ON THE OTHER SIDE FOR A TOTAL OF 40.
IF, UH, I HAVEN'T CHECKED WITH PLANNING ON THE DENSITY, BUT WE COULD DO AS MANY AS 40 IF ALLOWED.
UH, THAT ENDS MY PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES? YES, UH, VIVIAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
UM, AND PRESENTING THE PLAN FOR GIFFORD PON.
I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, SEE AND ALL OF US BE BROUGHT AWARE OF WHAT OUR HOUSING NEEDS ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO TO ASSIST.
AND I KNOW YOU MET WITH THE, UM, YOU HAVE ANY OTHER PARTNERSHIPS RIGHT NOW THAT WILL BE HELPING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIFFORD POND? UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PARTNERS.
WE HAVE BANKS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
AS WE MENTIONED, UH, THE PROJECT IS A $6 MILLION PROJECT, SO WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WANT TO INVEST WITH US, BUT, UH, WE WANNA MAINTAIN THAT IT IS A PUBLIC PROJECT AND IT IS A NONPROFIT DEVELOPING IT.
AND SO OF THE CITY PUTTING, IF THE CITY COULD PUT IN 800,000 OF THE 6 MILLION, THEN LEGACY WOULD FINANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REST OF THE UNITS.
UM, WHAT ABOUT THE COUNTY? ARE THEY ABLE TO GIVE ANY SUPPORT? THE COUNTY HAS NOT COMMITTED ANY SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT.
UH, THE COUNTY HAS, UH, TAKEN INTO RECONSIDERING THEIR BUDGET AND THEIR ARPA FUNDS BECAUSE THEY WENT STRICTLY INFRASTRUCTURE.
ALMOST EVERY COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS WENT STRAIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THEIR MONEY, WITH NO HOUSING.
AND THE JEFFERSON COUNTY HAS MADE SOME, UH, DECISIONS NOT PERMANENT OR FINAL YET OF DOING SOME HOME, UM, HOME OWNERSHIP AND ALSO SOME REHAB
[00:15:01]
PROGRAMS WITH THEIR FUNDING IN THEIR AREA.SO IT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF PORT ARTHUR AND OUTSIDE OF BEAUMONT.
AND, AND I KNOW THIS IS MY FINAL COMMENT, THAT ALL OF US ATTENDED THE CO, UH, CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON AND HOUSING WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST, LARGEST TOPIC OF CONVERSATION, UM, AT THE CONFERENCE.
YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE YOU HOUSING, UM, MODERATE, UM, UH, FINANCING AND INCOME HOMES.
AND SO WE WANTED, I WANTED TO PRESENT, HAVE YOU COME AND TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR PLANS WERE YES.
FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ADD MORE HOUSING, NEW HOUSING YES.
UH, FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE COMING INTO PORT ARTHUR YES.
AND FAMILIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PORT ARTHUR.
SO I THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING YOUR SUPPORT GROUP WITH YOU.
WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING, YOUR HOUSING IS, THANK YOU.
AND SHOULD BE, UM, IN ADDITION TO STREETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE I WAS SO OLD.
SO, UM, I THANK GOD WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND FOR STREETS, UM, FOR, UM, AND WE DO NEED A PLAN THAT I LEAVE THESE GUYS FOR THE CHALLENGE TO, UH, HELP US WITH HOUSING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
I KNOW YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A SUPPORTER FROM WHEN WE STARTED THE FIRST HOUSE HERE DOWNTOWN.
SO I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, JUST A MINUTE, COUNCIL MCKEN.
AND, UH, MS. BELU, REAL QUICK, I'M GOING BACK ON YOUR PAGE INVESTMENT.
UH, YOU, YOU ASKED IF THE, THE CITY CAN GIVE 800 K AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DRAINAGE STREETS, SEWER MM-HMM.
SO HOW DO YOU MAKE A DETERMINATION? BECAUSE WHEN LOOKING AT YOUR DIAGRAM, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ONE WAY IN ONE WAY OUT OF THE AREA.
AND FOR A COST OF 800 K JUST TO DO A STREET DRAINAGE AND SEWER.
SO HOW DO YOU ARRIVE TO THAT AMOUNT WHERE THAT IT COSTS THAT MUCH TO ALLEVIATE THE COST FROM THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA TRY TO GET THIS HOUSING? YES.
WE, UH, WORKED WITH SOUTHX AND THEY DEVELOPED AN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN FOR US.
SO WE HAVE, UH, THE EGRESS ISSUES RESOLVED.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU DETERMINE THE COST BECAUSE YES, THEY DEVELOPED THE PLAN FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE COST ESTIMATE BECAUSE THAT'S RUNNING FROM PROCTOR ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SEAWALL, RIGHT? CORRECT.
UH, MS. BLUE, UH, AND THERE ARE OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU, BUT MY TIME IS AT SIX O'CLOCK.
UH, BY LAW I HAVE TO BEGIN THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO IF YOU WOULD ALWA, IF YOU WOULD WAIT, UH, ONCE WE COMPLETE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, I CAN BRING YOU BACK UP AND THE OTHER, UH, COUNCIL PERSONS CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE WITH YOU.
NOW WE ARE AT THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ON PAGE TWO.
THE FIRST ONE IS, EXCUSE ME, NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS, UH, A 23 DASH ZERO.
[VI. (1) A23-01. A Public Hearing To Consider A Proposed Abandonment For Approximately 0.019-Acres Of Land Consisting Of A Four (4’) Foot Waterline Easement Located At A Point In The Northerly Boundary Line Of Lot 8, Block 152, Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas, For Community Development Properties, Port Arthur, Inc.]
PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER A PROPOSED ABANDONMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY NINE 0.0 19 OR 19 ACRES OF LAND CONSISTING OF A FOUR FOOT WATER LINE EASEMENT, LOCATED AT A POINT IN THE NORTHERLY BOUNDARY LINE OF LOT EIGHT, BLOCK 152.PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AND ATTORNEY.
WE ARE READY TO BEGIN AND WE COULD, WE OKAY.
UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY MANAGER, UH, TODAY, UH, LINDSEY, DO I HAVE, DO I MAKE THE CHANGE? I, I DO THEN, HUH? OKAY.
UH, THE CITY IS BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER AN ABANDONMENT REQUEST FOR 0.019 ACRE PORTION, WHICH IS 840 SQUARE FEET OF A FOUR FOOT WATERLINE EASEMENT.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT A POINT IN THE NORTHERLY BOUNDARY LINE OF BLOCK EIGHT, BLOCK 1 52 PROCTOR STREET, LAKESHORE DRIVE, SHREVEPORT AVENUE, AND MO AND MOBILE AVENUE BOUND, THE AREA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES.
PORT ARTHUR INCORPORATED SUBMITTED A COMPLETED ABANDONMENT APPLICATION TO THE CITY'S PLANNING AND ZONING DIVISION IN OR AROUND JANUARY 13TH, 2023, REQUESTING CONSIDERATION FOR THE ABANDONMENT OF A FOUR FOOT WATERLINE EASEMENT LOCATED IN BLOCK 1 52, PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS.
AS PART OF THE ABANDONMENT PROCESS, THE APPLICATION WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SIGNED AND WRITTEN CONSENT OF ALL UTILITY E ENTITIES AND ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES.
PORT ARTHUR INCORPORATED, BEING THE REGISTERED OWNER OF THE ADJOINING PROPERTIES.
UTILITY ENTITIES INCLUDE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WATER, SANITARY SEWER, PUBLIC WORKS, DRAINAGE, CHARTER
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SPECTRUM CABLE, TEXAS GAS SERVICE, ENERGY AT AND T, TEXAS, AND DRAINAGE DISTRICT SEVEN.THE CITY'S PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION HELD TO PUBLIC HEARING ON MONDAY, MARCH 20TH, 2023.
PUBLIC NOTICES WERE PUBLISHED IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER ON MARCH 4TH AND FIFTH, 2023, AND NOTICES WERE SENT OUT TO PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN A 200 FOOT RADIUS OF THE PROPOSED SITE.
THE PZ VOTE IS FOUR ZERO TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST.
ON APRIL 11TH, 2023, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSED ABANDONMENT WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR TODAY, AN APPRAISAL REPORT WAS ORDERED FROM COOK AND ASSOCIATES INCORPORATED, BEAUMONT, TEXAS, AND AN INVESTIGATION AND ADD ANALYSIS OF THE PROPERTY WAS PERFORMED ON DECEMBER 6TH, 2021.
BASED ON FAIR AND REASONABLE CONSIDERATION, THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF THE FOUR FOOT WATER UTILITY EASEMENT IS APPRAISED AT A DOLLAR PER SQUARE FEET THAT WERE 840 SQUARE FEET, TOTALING $840.
THE PURPOSE OF THE ABANDONMENT IS TO ALLOW ACCESS TO A STRIP OF LAND FOR THE CONTINUED CONSTRUCTION OF THE RENAISSANCE AT LAKESHORE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
THIS IS AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE PROPERTY, AND THIS IS A STREET VIEW.
PUBLIC COMMENTS, PUBLIC NOTICES WERE MAILED ON MARCH 28TH, 2023 TO PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN A 200 FOOT RADIUS OF THE PROPOSED SITE AND PUBLISHED IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
WE RECEIVED NO LETTERS OF VERBAL OPPOSITION TO THE REQUEST.
THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE PUBLISHED THE PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER ON APRIL 22ND, 2023, AND NOTICES TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS PROVIDING THE DATE, LOCATION, AND TIME OF SAID PUBLIC HEARING AND PREPARATION OF TODAY'S PUBLIC HEARING.
AGAIN, NO WRITTEN OR VERBAL OPPOSITION HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY PLANNING STAFF BEFORE TODAY.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? UH, OPENING IT UP TO THE PUBLIC.
WELL, BEFORE COUNCIL, ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WOULD CARE TO SPEAK ON THIS ABANDONMENT, ABANDONMENT, UH, ISSUE DURING THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
ANY REMARKS? ANY REMARKS? ANY REMARKS? I GATHER THAT THEY DON'T HUNT ANY, UH, NO.
WE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS? NO.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE, UH, CITY OF WELL FROM, UH, COUNCIL? THERE, THERE'S AN ITEM ON LATER, BUT THIS IS JUST FOR THE ABANDONMENT AND WE TALKED ABOUT, SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO OKAY.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ONE.
[VI. (2) Z23-02. A Public Hearing To Consider Granting A Specific Use Permit For Approximately 0.0879-Acres Of Land Consisting Of The West 58’ Of Lot 1, Block 1, Keith Marroquin Tract (3640 Professional Drive), Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas, For The Operation Of A Game Room]
THAT WOULD BE NUMBER TWO Z 23 0 2.AND A PUBLIC HEARING, EXCUSE ME, TO CONSIDER GRANTING A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT FOR APPROXIMATELY 0.0879 ACRES OF LAND CONSISTING OF THE WEST 58 FEET OF, UH, LOT ONE BLOCK ONE KEITH AMERICAN TRACK 36 44 PROFESSIONAL DRIVE PORT AUTHORED, UH, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS FOR THE OPERATION OF A GAME ROOM MAY PROCEED.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER A ZONING CHANGE FOR APPROXIMATELY 0.0879 ACRES OF LAND CONSISTING OF JULY SEVEN THROUGH 12 BLOCK 3 45.
CITY OF PORT ARTHUR VOLUME ONE, PAGE 50 MAP RECORDS LOCATED AT 36 40 PROFESSIONAL DRIVE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, JEFFERSON COUNTY.
AN APPLICATION WAS FILED WITH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 23RD, 2023, REQUESTING A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT ZONING CHANGE FOR THE PROPERTY REFERENCED ABOVE.
THE P NZ COMMISSION HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 17TH, 2023, WHERE CITIZENS WERE INVITED TO EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION TO THE SAID REQUEST.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION VOTED FOUR TO ZERO, RECOMMENDING THE ZONING AMENDMENTS DENIAL BASED UPON THE SESSIONS.
ON APRIL 11TH, 2023, CITY COUNCIL APPROVES A RESOLUTION
[00:25:01]
CALLING FOR A SECOND PUBLIC HEARING.THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE PREPARED AND MAILED NOTIFICATION FOR TODAY'S PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL AS PUBLISHED NOTICE IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER TOWN.
THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY, UH, LOCATED IN A COMMERCIAL RETAIL ZONE DISTRICT.
THIS DISTRICT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A LOCATION FOR LIGHT COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL ACTIVITIES.
THESE LOCATIONS ARE TYPICALLY ALONG MAJOR THOROUGHFARES AND HIGHWAYS.
IT IS BEING PROPOSED TO CHANGE THE ZONING FROM COMMERCIAL RETAIL TO COMMERCIAL RETAIL WITH A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT.
A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT IS A ZONING AMENDMENT TO ALLOW DESIGNATED USE AT THE DESIGNATED LOCATION.
A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT ALLOWS THE LOCAL ZONING AUTHORITY TO APPROVE USES AT THEIR DISCRETION BASED UPON THE SITE'S CONDITIONS AND OTHER SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS.
OTHER REQUESTS WITHIN THE ZONING DISTRICTS THAT DO NOT CURRENTLY ALLOW THE USE BY RIGHT.
THE DEVELOPER INTENDS TO USE THE PERMIT FOR THE OPERATION OF A GAME ROOM.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO COMMERCIAL RETAIL ZONING DISTRICTS ON THE NORTH, SOUTH, AND EAST AND WEST.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED EAST OF PROFESSIONAL DRIVE AND SOUTH OF NINTH AVENUE.
PUBLIC NOTICES WERE MAILED TO 10 PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN A 200 FEET RADIUS OF THE PROPOSED SITE AND PUBLISHED IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER ON THE FOLLOWING DATES FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
WE RECEIVED WRITTEN OPPOSITION, FOUR OF THEM AND TWO VERBAL OPPOSITIONS AT THE MEETING.
THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN PROVIDED, I BELIEVE, WITH A COPY OF THE WRITTEN OPPOSITIONS.
THE CITY COUNCIL WAS MAILED OUT ON MAY 2ND, 2023.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AT ITS APRIL 17TH MEETING VOTED ON DENIAL OF THIS REQUEST, AND THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL MUST APPROVE THIS REQUEST BY SUPER MAJORITY VOTE FOR THIS ITEM TO BE APPROVED.
ANY QUESTIONS OR REMARKS FROM THE AUDIENCE CONCERNING THAT'S LATER? YES.
YOU APPROACHED, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
ONE AT 23 6 6 60 SECOND STREET AT ONE AT 65 OLD GARNET.
I SPOKE AT THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN THEY BROUGHT THIS UP ABOUT THE GAME ROOMS, AND MY CONSENSUS IS WE HAVE ENOUGH GAME ROOMS IN THIS CITY.
THEY CREATE ENOUGH PROBLEMS, THEY DO NOTHING.
WE BRING PROSTITUTION, ILLEGAL GAMBLING AND EVERYTHING GOING WITH IT.
THEY CALL ME IN TO DO STUFF AND I SEE WHAT GOES ON AROUND THERE.
THEY DON'T EXCHANGE MONEY FOR A $5 TOY, AND WE HAVE ENOUGH OF 'EM AROUND THE CITY, AND A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS GO IN THERE AND THEY GET THEIR, THEIR CHECKS COME IN AND THEY GO SPEND EVERY DAUGHTER AND THEY GET LOANS AND THEN THEY CAN'T PAY IT BACK.
AND Y'ALL HAVE THE DECISION TO DO THIS.
I SUGGEST THAT YOU TURN IT DOWN.
ANY OTHER REMARKS FROM THE PUBLIC? ANY OTHER REMARKS? THANK YOU.
AND, OKAY, SO WE ARE GOING TO DO THE VOTE.
WE'LL DO THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING, SO GET THAT TIMEFRAME AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THOSE.
[VI. (3) Z23-03. A Public Hearing To Consider A Zoning Change From Commercial Retail “CR” (formerly referred to as Light Commercial “LC”) To Low-Density Residential “LDR” (formerly referred to as Single Family) For Approximately 1.924-Acres Of Land, Part Of Lot 4, Block 7, Port Acres Addition (6194 Jade Avenue), Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas]
OKAY.NEXT WE HAVE A THIRD PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS, UH, Z 23 DASH ZERO THREE.
IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER A ZONING CHANGE FROM COMMERCIAL RETAIL CIARA, FORMALLY, UH, REFERRED TO AS LIGHT COMMERCIAL LC TO LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL L D R FORM, FORMALLY REFERRED, UH, TO AS SINGLE FAMILY FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.9 24 ACRES OF LAND PORT OF LOT FOUR, BLOCK SEVEN PORT ACRES, EDITION 61 94 JADE AVENUE, PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS.
AND THIS IS FOR AS ZONING CHANGE.
UH, THE CITY COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER A ZONING CHANGE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.924 ACRES OF LAND CONSISTING A PART OF LOT FOUR BLOCK SEVEN.
PORT ARTHUR CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, LOCATED AT 1 61 94 JADE AVENUE, PORT ARTHUR.
AN APPLICATION WAS FILED WITH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION ON MARCH 10TH, 2023, REQUESTING A ZONING
[00:30:01]
CHANGE FOR THE PROPERTY REFERENCED ABOVE.THE PZ COMMISSION HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 17TH, 2023, WHERE CITIZENS WERE INVITED TO EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION TO SAID REQUEST.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION VOTED FOUR TO ZERO, RECOMMENDING THE ZONING AMENDMENT'S.
DENIAL BASED UPON THE DISCUSSION.
ON APRIL 11TH, 2023, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A SECOND PUBLIC HEARING.
THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE PREPARED AND MADE NOTIFICATIONS TO TODAY'S PUBLIC HEARING, AS WELL AS PUBLISHED PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER.
THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN A COMMERCIAL RETAIL ZONE DISTRICT.
THIS DISTRICT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A LOCATION FOR LIGHT COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL ACTIVITIES.
THESE LOCATIONS ARE TYPICALLY ALONG MAJOR THIRD FAIRS AND HIGHWAYS.
IT IS BEING PROPOSED TO CHANGE THE ZONING FROM COMMERCIAL RETAIL TO LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL, WHICH IS SINGLE FAMILY, AND IT IS PRIMARILY FOR SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS RELATING RE RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL, UH, FACILITIES WITH LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL IS INTENDED TO BE DEFINED AND PROTECTED FROM THE ENCROACHMENT OF USES THAT ARE NOT APPROPRIATE IN A RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT.
THE DEVELOPER IS PROPOSING TO CONSTRUCT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES WITHIN THE AREA.
SITE LOCATION IS ADJACENT TOITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS ON THE NORTH, SOUTH, AND EAST WITH MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TO THE WEST.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED EAST OF JADE AVENUE AND SOUTH OF 61ST STREET.
PUBLIC NOTICES WERE MAILED TO 10 PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 200 FEET RADIUS OF THE PROPOSED SITE AND PUBLISHED IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER ON THE FOLLOWING DATES FOR THE PZ COMMISSION.
WE RECEIVED TWO WRITTEN OPPOSITIONS AND THREE VERBAL OPPOSITIONS AT THE MEETING.
THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN PROVIDED WITH A COPY OF THE WRITTEN OPPOSITION FOR THE CITY COUNCIL PUBLICATION.
IT WAS JUNE, UH, UH, WAS MAY 2ND, 2023.
UH, NO WRITTEN OPPOSITIONS AND NO, UH, WRITTEN IN FAVOR EITHER.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, THAT IS APRIL 17TH MEETING VOTED ON DENIAL OF THIS REQUEST, AND THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL MUST APPROVE THIS REQUEST BY A SUPER MAJORITY VOTE FOR THIS ITEM TO BILL.
WE HAVE MARKS FROM THE GALLERY.
WOULD YOU ALL STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE? GOOD EVENING.
UH, ADDRESS IS 60 16 JADE AVENUE, UM, MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS TRYING TO REBUILD THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE HOMES.
UH, WE'RE ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO TURN THIS PROPERTY BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE, AND IT IS BEING, WE'RE GIVING A, WE'RE GETTING A HARD TIME.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING BUT TO CREATE HOMES FOR PEOPLE THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HOMES IN PORT ARTHUR FOR.
I'M HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING INVENTORY FOR PEOPLE, AND THESE BUILDERS ARE PROVIDING AMAZING PROPERTIES, AND THAT'S ALL WE NEED IS TO GET THAT PERMISSION.
WE HAVE PLANS, WE HAVE, THE PROPERTY HAS ALREADY BEEN PURCHASED.
THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO DO, BUT GET THE PERMISSION.
I'M ALSO CONTRIBUTING PROPERTY OF MY OWN TO BUILD HOMES FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE, THE INVENTORY.
WE'RE, WE'RE CREATING DOLLARS FOR THE CITY.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR THIS TO BE RENTAL PROPERTY.
WE'RE ASKING TO ALLOW US TO BRING MONEY INTO THE CITY SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW.
WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN LINE, EVERYTHING IS DONE.
MR. LOUISE HERE IS A CONSTRUCTION OWNER THAT WILL ALSO BE MOVING INTO THE COMMUNITY AND BRINGING TAX DOLLARS HERE.
[00:35:01]
YOU ALL.ANY OTHER REMARKS FROM THE GALLERY? GOOD EVENING.
I LIVE AT 27 77 60 FIRST STREET IN PORT ACRES.
I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 25 YEARS.
LIVED NEXT'S DOOR TO IT FOR 20 YEARS.
UM, THERE REALLY ISN'T ENOUGH LAND TO PUT MORE THAN ONE HOUSE THERE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ULTIMATE NUMBER OF DWELLINGS WOULD BE.
WE HAVE A VERY, VERY BUSY INTERSECTION THERE.
OUR ROADS ARE IN DIRE NEED OF REPAIR TRUCKS, DUMP TRUCKS, 18 WHEELERS USE JADE AVENUE AS A SHORTCUT BETWEEN 73 AND 365.
TEARING UP WHAT ONCE USED TO BE A DECENT ROAD.
AND RIGHT THERE AT THE CORNER, UH, THERE'S A WATER PROBLEM WHERE THE ROAD KEEPS CAVING IN AND CAN'T SEEM TO GET FIXED AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.
UH, WE'VE HAD INSTANCES OF GUNFIRE SINCE CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN GOING ON THERE.
UH, ONE NIGHT I HEARD IT, IT WAS TWO ROUNDS, THEN FOUR ROUNDS, AND IT WAS REPEATED A FEW SECONDS LATER.
AND THEN ON APRIL THE EIGHTH, IT HAPPENED AGAIN.
BUT THIS WAS LIKE EIGHT TO 10 ROUNDS THAT WERE FIRED REALLY QUICK.
I HAD MY BEDROOM WINDOW OPEN AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THESE ARE PEOPLE FIRING INTO THE GROUND, FIRING INTO THE AIR, BUT HOUSTON HAD A CASE WHERE GUNS WERE FIRED UP INTO THE AIR AND A BULLET WENT SEVERAL BLOCKS OVER AND ACTUALLY KILLED A PERSON.
WE HAVE YOUNG KIDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT DON'T FEEL SAFE GOING OUT THERE.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD TROUBLE WITH THAT AND LOUD MUSIC, AND IT'S JUST GONNA PROBABLY UPSET THE PROPERTY VALUES.
AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S A QUIET BEDROOM COMMUNITY.
WE DO HAVE A DRUG PROBLEM OUT THERE THAT EVERYBODY IS TRYING TO GET CLEANED UP.
OTHERWISE, IT'S, UH, I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO ONE HOME BEING PUT ON THAT LOT BESIDES THE ONE THAT'S IN EXISTENCE.
BUT IT'S LESS THAN TWO ACRES AND MORE THAN ONE WOULD NOT REALLY GIVE YOU MUCH OF A YARD.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT MR. LEWIS HAS.
I HAVE OV ALL RIGHT AT TWO ACRES AND THERE'S NO WAY I WOULD PUT MORE THAN A HOME ON MY LOTS.
ANY OTHER, UH, COMMENTS FROM THE GALLERY? YOU WANT RE-APPROACH OR CAN I RE-APPROACH? OH, SOMEBODY ELSE GOTTA COME BACK OUT.
I LIVE AT 61 67 JADE, THE PROPERTY THAT'S Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME, SO I WOULD JUST EXPOUND ON EVERYTHING SHE SAID ABOUT THE STREETS.
THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC AT THAT INTERSECTION AND YEAH, SO IT WOULD BE A LOT OF HOUSES GOING ON THAT SMALL PIECE OF PROPERTY FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
AND I'M JUST AGAINST IT, SO, OKAY.
MA'AM, MA'AM, SHE, PART OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DIDN'T REALLY CLEARLY GET YOU A POSITION ON IT.
ARE YOU IN OPPOSITION? WHAT ARE YOU CORRECT.
I SAID I WOULD EXPOUND ON EVERYTHING MS. CHER SAID ABOUT THE STREETS, DRAINAGE, PROPERTY VALUE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THE, THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY IT, I CAN'T IMAGINE I WOULD AGREE WITH HER ONE HOUSE WOULD BE REASONABLE.
UH, IT'S DIRECTLY IF WHEN I WALK OUT OF MY FRONT DOOR, THAT'S WHAT I, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT PROPERTY IS SO DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET.
UH, 61 50 GARANT 2 3 6 60 SECOND.
I'M SPEAKING AN OPPOSITION FROM IT.
I WASN'T WITHIN THE 200 FOOT RADIUS, BUT I GREW UP AT THAT PLACE AND I KNOW WHAT'S THERE.
THE ROAD IS CAVING IN RIGHT THERE.
WE ALREADY HAVE BAD SEWER IN THE AREA AND I THINK THE EXTRA INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE BUILDING THAT'S GONNA GO ON AT THAT PLACE IS GONNA DO NOTHING.
PUT A STRAIN ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD QUESTION I WOULD HAVE FOR THE DEVELOPERS IS WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE CITY OR THE DEVELOPER.
THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WOULD HAVE.
UH, THERE'S ONLY TWO ENTRANCES TO THAT PROPERTY THAT I'M AWARE OF, AND IT'S A CURVED DRIVEWAY, SO THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE GUTTERS AND STREETS PUT IN ACROSS THE DITCHES TO GET TO THAT PROPERTY.
LIKE SHE WAS SAYING, THERE HAS, UH, BEEN LOUD MUSIC.
THEY SIT OUT THERE SINCE THEY'VE BEEN CLEANING UP THE PROPERTY.
[00:40:01]
CLEAN THE PROPERTY UP GOOD, BUT WE'VE HAD INSTANCES OF THEM SITTING OUT THERE LATE AT NIGHT HAVING FIRES.THE GUNSHOT, THERE'S POLICE REPORTS TO PROVE ALL THAT.
THEY CAN'T GUARANTEE US THAT THIS IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN ONCE THEY PUT SOME OTHER HOMES IN THERE.
SO I STAND IN OPPOSITION AGAINST IT.
YOU PUT YOUR HAND UP TILL YOU WANNA SPEAK.
YOU ONLY GET A CHANCE TO COME BACK, BUT WE HAVE TO LET EVERYBODY SPEAK.
WHO DIDN'T WANTS TO SPEAK? HELLO, I'M AR ELI SANTOS.
I LIVE AT 1924 AVENUE H NEWLAND.
UH, I'M THE ASSISTANT FOR GOLF EXPRESS CONSTRUCTION.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES FOR YEARS AND THERE IS ENOUGH LAND, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY SAY, BUT ALSO WE CANNOT KEEP LIKE, EMPTY LOTS, YOU KNOW, IT DON'T MATTER.
ALL THE STREETS ARE GONNA BE, UH, TRANSITED BY ANYBODY AND IT DON'T MATTER.
EVEN IF THEY ARE AGAINST HAVING HOUSE RESIDENTIAL, WHICH IS GOOD PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER CHANCE IS THAT IT'S COMMERCIAL.
WE COULD BE DEVELOPING ANY OTHER RETAIL, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
AND THEN THIS STREET CAVING IN, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE CAUSING.
SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT IT WITH THE CITY.
WE COULD SEE HOW WE CAN FIX THIS ALL TOGETHER FOR SURE.
WE HEARD ABOUT THIS, THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING.
WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THAT WE COULD BE HERE OR ANYTHING.
IT WAS MISCOMMUNICATION, BUT THEN WE HEARD IT WAS A CRIME STUFF, THIS AND THAT.
WE GOT THE POLICE REPORT RIGHT THERE.
WE DON'T, IT COULD BE ANYBODY RIGHT THERE BECAUSE THEY SEE IT LIKE AN EMPTY LOT, YOU KNOW, AN EMPTY HOUSE, EMPTY LOT.
ANYBODY COULD GO THERE, SHOOT, WHATEVER, WHATEVER HAPPENED.
WE NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS UNTIL THEY BRING IT UP HERE IN THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING.
WE WENT TO THE POLICE REPORT, WE HAVE OUR REPORTS, AND WE WERE LIKE, WHAT'S HAPPENING? WE DON'T EVEN KNOW.
THAT WAS LIKE THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HEARING.
THESE PEOPLE IS LIKE, JUST OPPOSITE TO THIS, RELATING ALL THESE THINGS, SHOOTINGS AND STUFF TO US AS A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, YOU KNOW? SO WHAT ELSE? I THINK THAT WILL BE IT FOR NOW.
IN THE REAR, YOU PLEASE, MA'AM, SPEAK SPEAKING TO MIKE, PLEASE.
I LIVE IN, IN THE 61 54 JADE AVENUE.
SHE SAYS THAT SHE LIVES RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE HE WANTS TO START TO CONSTRUCT.
UM, THE REASON THAT SHE IS OPPOSED TO THIS IS BECAUSE HE'S GONNA BRING IN A LOT OF TRAFFIC, UM, WITH THE CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SHE LIVES, UM, SHE LETS HER DAUGHTER WALK TO THE BUS STOP.
SO SHE FEELS LIKE IT WOULDN'T BE SAFE FOR HER TO WALK TO THE BUS STOP.
UM, IF THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON THERE AND THEY HAVE TO DEMO THAT PART OF THE SIDEWALK.
SHE SAYS THAT THE CONSTRUCTION PART OF IT, UM, SHE HAS A LOT OF, SHE HAS FOUR GIRLS AND SHE DOESN'T FEEL, UM, COMFORTABLE WITH THE MEN.
THAT'LL BE AROUND IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE GALLERY? OKAY, KEITA MON, AGAIN, 60 16 JADE AVENUE DOWN THE STREET FROM THIS PROPERTY.
I UNDERSTAND EVERYONE'S CONCERN, BUT IF THIS GOES BACK TO COMMERCIAL, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN WITH, UH, TRAFFIC OR EVEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
ALL OF THESE THINGS STILL HAVE TO BE DONE.
THIS IS A SMALL PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING THREE HOMES THERE.
I'M ASKING FOR THREE HOMES FOR THREE FAMILIES.
[00:45:01]
THAT YOUR PROPERTY IS PRECIOUS TO YOU.NO ONE IS TRYING TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU.
WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD THREE HOMES FOR THREE DESERVING FAMILIES THAT ANY ONE OF YOU WOULD BE PROUD TO LIVE IN.
I DO REAL ESTATE ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.
THERE AREN'T ENOUGH HOMES IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND IF YOU DON'T WANNA SHARE THE PROPERTY THAT YOU LIVE ON, THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN AMERICA.
BUT IT IS OUR PROPERTY ALREADY.
WE ARE JUST ASKING TO BUILD THE HOMES THERE.
I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY EVERYONE THINKS THAT WE'RE BRINGING CRIME TO THE AREA.
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ARE COMING TO WORK THROUGH BUSINESS HOURS.
AND THERE ARE ANY POLICE REPORTS.
I HAVE THE POLICE REPORT HERE.
THERE'S NO GUNFIRE, THERE'S NO VIOLENCE.
THIS IS HARDWORKING PEOPLE JUST TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING LIKE EVERYONE ELSE AND BUILD SOME HOMES FOR FAMILIES.
ANY OTHER REMARKS FROM THE GALLERY? YES, I'LL DO IT AGAIN.
EVEN THOUGH IT IS LIKE COMMERCIAL, I MEAN COMMERCIAL ALREADY, AND THE LAND IS SO SMALL, YOU'RE GONNA BE LIMITED TO IT.
THE AMOUNT OF COMMERCIAL STUFF THAT YOU CAN PUT ON THERE AND WHAT IT'LL BE, AND ALL THAT'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO PLANNING AND ZONING AND BE TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS AND WHAT COMMERCIAL BUSINESS YOU WANT TO PUT ON THERE, WHICH WILL START THIS WHOLE PROCESS OVER AGAIN.
SO WE'LL JUST GO ROUND AND ROUND.
SO AS LONG AS WE GO ROUND AND ROUND, LET'S GO ROUND AND ROUND.
ANY OTHER REMARKS FROM THE GALLERY? ANY OTHER REMARKS? ANY OTHER REMARKS? OKAY.
ANY REMARKS FROM COUNCIL? ANY REMARKS FROM COUNCIL? MAYOR? YES SIR.
UM, I GUESS IT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID THAT IF, IF THE COUNCIL WOULD CHOOSE TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S COME FROM THE ZONING, THAT IT WOULD TAKE A SUPER MAJORITY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND SO THE, THE THE, UM, THE, THE ZONING HAS ALREADY GIVEN US THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
OKAY, NOW WE WERE IN THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING, UH, THE PUBLIC HEARINGS WHEN WE END THESE AT SIX 30 AND THEY BEGAN AT 6:00 PM NOW I WILL RETURN.
DO WE HAVE TO, DO WE HAVE WHAT? DO THE VOTE IN THE SEQUENCE, RIGHT? OKAY.
UH, IT'S UP TO YOU HOW YOU WANT TO DO THE VERDICT.
WE, WE CAN DO IT IN, IN THAT NORMAL SEQUENCE.
MOTION TO CLOSE THE, UH, OKAY.
MAY I GET A MOTION? PUBLIC HEARING.
ITS BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND SO YOU THANK YOU FOR THAT.
[III.B (1) A Presentation By Vivian Ballou Of Legacy CDC Regarding Housing At Gifford Pond (Requested By Councilmember Moses) (part 2 of 2)]
OKAY.NOW WE WERE RETURNING TO OUR PRESENTATIONS, MS. BELU TO RETURN.
AND, UH, MS. BELU, UH, I THINK COUNCILWOMAN HOLMES ASSISTANT, UH, MAYOR
UH, MS. BELU, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND TO COUNCILMAN MOSES TO THE COUNCIL.
I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT PROJECT.
UH, THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT IT WILL BE, IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
I WILL NOT BE ON COUNCIL THAT THIS COUNCIL WOULD CONSIDER RESTORING, UM, TO SOME OF ITS HISTORICAL VALUE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE INFORMATION TO THE COUNCIL AND, AND I HOPE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED.
ANY OTHER REMARKS? MS. BLUE? COUNCILOR FRANK? YES.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, SIXTH STREET.
AND THOSE HOMES ARE THERE AS WE RODE THROUGH THEM.
UH, IT'S BEEN, UM, AN UPLIFT TO OUR CITY.
UH, AND, UH, I APPRECIATED SO MUCH OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS, AND I THANK, UH, AND I, AND I'M THANKFUL THAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, HAS PARTNERED WITH YOU OVER THOSE YEARS AND BEEN ABLE, UH, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
UH, AND I CAN SEE, UM, THE VISION OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, UH, GOING FORWARD.
AND, UH, I WOULD WELCOME ANY OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO, UH, PROMOTE, UH, AND TO ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
MS. BELU, UH, WE WORK TOGETHER OVER AT THE EDC.
AND THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, ARE YOU GONNA TRY TO, UH, OBTAIN ANY FUNDING FROM EDC LIKE YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST? OR ARE YOU JUST RE ASKING THE CITY TO FUND THIS, UH, PORTION, THIS 800,000? I DID MEET WITH THE NEW DIRECTOR, UH, ONCE WHEN HE FIRST CAME ON BOARD, BUT I HAVEN'T MET WITH HIM AGAIN
[00:50:01]
ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND SPECIFICALLY.BUT THE LOSS OF THOSE FUNDS REALLY HURT.
THE PROGRAM, UH, HURT A LOT OF THE BUYERS WHO ARE IN NEED.
THE PRICES WENT UP SO MUCH DURING THE COVID PERIOD FOR CONSTRUCTION.
A LOT OF OUR HOMES ARE PRETTY MUCH EITHER REACH FOR MOST OF THE BUYERS.
SO THAT EXTRA, YOU KNOW, $30,000 REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE'RE HAVING TO PAY FOR DRAINAGE SIDEWALKS AND WE'RE PUTTING IN CULVERT.
WE'VE HAD TO TAKE OUT, UM, CHAIN WALLS THAT WERE LEFT UNDER THE DIRT THAT WE THOUGHT WAS A CLEAR LOT COME IN WITH, YOU KNOW, 15 LOADS OF DIRT.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ADD TO THE PRICE OF THE HOUSE.
SO THE MONEY THAT WE HAD COMING FROM THE EDC REALLY HELPED US BRING THAT PRICE DOWN SO IT WOULD BE AFFORDABLE TO THE BUYERS.
SO I'M HOPING THAT THE EDC WOULD CONSIDER, UH, PARTNERING WITH US AGAIN.
UH, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, UM, WITH THE EDC PARTNERSHIP, THEY'D HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS, CUZ I REMEMBER BEING OUT THAT WOULD'VE TO GO BACK AGAIN THROUGH EDC AND BACK TO THE VOTERS TO DO THAT BECAUSE THAT ENDED, UM, LAST YEAR AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD, THE EDC WOULD'VE TO PUT BACK ON THE BALLOT FOR THEM TO GIVE THAT MONEY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT WAS $30,000 DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, I THINK IF I, IF I GOT IT CORRECTLY.
I WAS AN ADVOCATE AND STANDING OUTSIDE HAND OUT FLYERS FOR IT TO PASS.
AND SO, UH, AGAINST ALL ODDS, BUT IT PASSED AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE HOME.
SO I DO HOPE THAT WE CAN COME BACK AND MAYBE DO SOMETHING TO THAT.
BUT IT WOULDN'T BE UP TO THE, THE, UM, UH, MR. STOKES OR THE BOARD.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK AND BRING IT AS A REFERENDUM TO THE VOTERS, WHICH WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA.
I DON'T SEE THAT THE CITIZENS WOULD VOTE AGAINST IT.
MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, JUST CAUSE I'M TRYING TO GET SOME INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS, UM, COUNCILMAN, UH, KEN LAW ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE $800,000 AND THAT WAS THE EXACT SAME QUESTION THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK, BUT IN, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE $800,000 WHEN WE GOT THE ARPA FUNDS, OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS IN DIRE NEED OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND ALL, I MEAN, AS IS ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL CITIES ARE.
UM, JUST KIND OF INTERESTED ABOUT THE TIMETABLE WHEN, UM, WHAT PRECLUDED YOU COMING A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AND LETTING US KNOW ABOUT THIS NEED, UH, WHEN, CUZ I, I THINK YOU PROBABLY KNEW THAT WE PROCURED THE ARPA FUNDS, SO I'M KIND OF INTERESTED ABOUT THE TIMETABLE, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER TOOK THOSE ARPA FUNDS AT OUR DIRECTION AND PUT THEM TOWARD THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER TAKING MONEY AWAY FROM THOSE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY, UM, IMPORTANT DECISION THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE KIND OF ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.
WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE HAVE A HOUSING PROBLEM IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, BUT THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN ALREADY AND AND ALLOCATED THOSE FUNDS ARE IMPORTANT AS WELL.
UH, YES, WE INITIALLY REQUESTED THIS FUNDING PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO AND, UH, WE DID SPEAK WITH, I THINK THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, OR I MEAN STREETS AT ONE POINT, ARMANDO AND HE DID MENTION THE USE OF CDBG BACK THEN.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN PRESENTING THIS PROJECT TO THE CITY STAFF FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS NOW, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR HELP TO DEVELOP THIS PROJECT.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND, UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK.
THANK YOU FOR JUST JOGGING MY MEMORY.
SEE, THE ONLY RESERVATION THAT I HAVE, I THINK THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND I DO SUPPORT YOUR INITIATIVE IN BUILDING THESE HOUSES.
BUT THE 800 K, TAKING THAT OUT, YOU KNOW, ROB AND PETER TO PAY PAUL AND THEN TURNAROUND, WE HAVE A BUDGETED AREA THAT WE BUDGET FOR THE DRAINAGE.
WE BUDGET FOR STREETS, WE BUDGET FOR SEWER.
BUT HOW DO WE ACTUALLY AS A CITY, GIVE IT TO AN ENTITY? AND THEN WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING.
SO MY, IT SPARKS MY INTEREST TO SAY, WELL, LOOK, OKAY, WELL WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME? LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MOSES AND COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK STATED EARLIER, AND HOW SOON WOULD THIS BE INTO PLAY? UH, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY ENTITY.
THIS IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU'RE REQUIRING ON THIS.
I ASKED THE QUESTION EARLIER, IT'S ONE WAY IN, ONE WAY OUT.
YOU KNOW, SO, UM, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT'S IN MY MIND THAT I WOULD PROBABLY WOULD NEED TO GET ANSWERED.
WE HAVE FACILITIES, WE HAVE DEPARTMENTS THAT ACTUALLY DO THOSE THINGS.
SO TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, I WOULD HAVE TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE, THE CITY, THE PLAN HAS BEEN REVIEWED.
WE HAVE A TURNAROUND FOR THE FIRETRUCKS.
[00:55:01]
UM, THE FUNDS ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO SPEND THEM BY 2026.THE CITY DOES HAVE A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS UNDERWAY.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY WOULD ALL GET ACCOMPLISHED IN BY 2 20, 26, BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OF THE OTHER STREETS OF DRAINAGE PROJECTS, BUT IT WILL CREATE HOUSING WHERE WE ARE BUILDING, CREATING, AND CLEANING UP STREETS OR FIXING STREETS WHERE THERE'S NO ONE LIVING.
SO, I MEAN, WE'LL HAVE REALLY GREAT STREETS, BUT WE HAVE NOWHERE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST A BALANCE THAT THE CITY WILL NEED TO MAKE, WHETHER WE'RE FIXING STREETS OR WE'RE PUTTING STREETS IN PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE.
UH, CITY MANAGER, YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH.
UM, THE PROJECT IS NO DOUBT, UM, A PROJECT THAT COULD LEND TO THE REVITALIZATION OF OUR DOWNTOWN BY EXTENSION.
WE HAVE HAD THE DISCUSSION COUNSELOR
UM, MS. LANGFORD IS NOT HERE TONIGHT, UM, BUT WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THE, UM, BUYBACK FUNDS SOME 4 MILLION THAT, UM, IS NOT TAKING TRACTION WITHIN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW THAT BECAUSE YOU WERE PARTNERED WITH, UM, THE COUNTY AT ONE POINT.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, UM, WE WILL GIVE SOME SORT OF CONSIDERATION TO THAT BUY BACK PROGRAM TO SEE HOW MUCH LEEWAY WE HAVE.
I THINK I DISCUSSED IT WITH MS. LANGFORD SOME TIME AGO, BUT I CAN'T RECALL WHAT THE DETAILS ARE.
UM, WE CAN GIVE SOME, WE WILL GIVE SOME CONSIDERATION, BUT THAT WILL DEPEND ON THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES AS FAR AS THE EXPENDITURES OF THOSE FUNDS ARE CONCERNED.
UM, WE JUST ALLOCATED A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS TO YOU AS WELL MM-HMM.
UM, IS IT NECESSARY FOR US TO SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT COULD LEND TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GIFFORD POND OR, AND I SEE THAT MARY IS THERE NOW IT'S NOT THE TIME FOR THAT, BUT WE COULD ALSO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, VIVIAN, AND WHATEVER OTHER ASSISTANCE WE CAN PROVIDE TO YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS PROPERTY BACK ON THE TAX RULE.
BUT AS COUNSELOR KIMO SAID FROM THE INCEPTION, ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES WAS TO WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO BUY, WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO PURCHASE.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NEGOTIATED IN THE PAST WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER OF THE, UM, TO MAKE IT A WHOLE PROJECT.
AND SHE'S WILLING TO SELL, BUT I JUST HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, HAD THE DESIRE TO PURCHASE WHEN I'M NOT ABLE TO GET, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE YEAH.
UH, THE OTHER FUNDING THAT WAS RECEIVED BY OUR, OUR ORGANIZATION WAS FOR HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS. SO IT WOULDN'T FIT WITH THIS PROJECT UNLESS WE WOULD HAVE PEOPLE BELOW 30% AMI LIVING THERE.
LE LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
LET'S, LET'S GET BACK TO THE TABLE AND TALK ABOUT IT TO SEE, UM, WHAT WE COULD DO TO HELP YOU.
HEY, COUNCILMAN MOSES? I'M SORRY, I'M BACK AGAIN.
REPETITIVE MA MANAGER, YOU SAID, UH, WE, THAT WAS FUNDING RECEIVED TH 3 MILLION.
YOU SAID HOW MANY, WHAT IS THERE? WE HAVE, WE HAVE $4 MILLION THAT'S ARE LOCATED FOR A BACK PROGRAM.
BUT YOU SAID MS. BELU HAS RECEIVED $3 MILLION FROM 200, HE SAID, SAID TWO 50 FOR THE 200 IN THE LAST ALLOCATION.
CDBG HOME, OUR, UH, HOMELESS PROGRAM FOR THIS.
THAT'S, BUT WE CAN'T NO, NO, NO.
NO, BUT IN THE LAST CDBG ALLOCATION UNDER WHAT PROGRAM WE, WE ARE LOCATED SOME MONEY TO MS. VIVIAN.
WE, WE RECEIVED $30,000 WORTH OF INFRASTRUCTURE ASSISTANCE.
UH, NOT DIRECTLY THROUGH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, BUT NOT TO US.
IT'S THROUGH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S TO HELP WITH THE TWO HOUSES.
WE HAVE TWO HOUSES THAT WE'RE READY TO BUILD ON THE FRONT OF THIS PROPERTY FACING PROCTOR, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO DO SO MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE'RE GONNA BUILD TWO THERE.
SO THAT $30,000 WILL HELP US TAKE CARE OF THOSE TWO HOUSES.
BUT WE RECEIVED NO OTHER FUNDING FROM THE CITY FOR HOUSING ACTIVITIES AT ALL BESIDES THE HOMELESS PROGRAM.
LET'S TALK, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
IF YOU, LET'S, IF WE COULD ASSIST, WE'LL SEE HOW WE PUTS OUR HEADS TOGETHER.
WE'RE NOT GOING FAR, SO I'LL BE AROUND.
YEAH, WE, WE NEED SOME VOLUNTEERS.
MISS BELU ON, ON THE PROGRAMMING AND, UH, BEING MAYOR, I SUPPORT THIS CUZ THIS IS A POSITIVE STEP IN THE REVITALIZATION OF OUR DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR.
EVEN IN OUR TURS, THE ENTIRE AREA IS AN AREA THAT WE WANT TO, UH, USE AS AN ENHANCEMENT FOR PORT
[01:00:01]
ARTHUR.BUT, AND THEN WE CAN EXTEND THE TUR TOO.
BECAUSE IF ALL OF THIS WOULD BE, UH, POSITIVES YES.
THAT WOULD ASK TO AGAIN SERVE AS ENHANCEMENTS.
I THINK WE AS A COUNCIL, UH, AND AS A CHURCH BOARD, UH, DEALING WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND, AND TO, TO ACTUALLY WORK IN CONCERT THAT THIS AREA HERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS NOW WITH HOUSING.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN KEN LAW WAS ASKING THE QUESTION, AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE MAP HERE.
UH, I'M KIND OF VISUAL THAT THE, THE PROPERTY THAT'S ON THE SIDE, UH, UH, TO THE WEST SIDE OF, UH, GIVE POND.
YOU ALL HAVE THE RICES AT PROPERTIES WHERE THOSE OLD, UH, UH, TOWN HOMES WERE.
UH, YOU, YOU DON'T NO, WE HAVE JUST THAT VACANT THREE ACRES BETWEEN RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE TOWNHOMES.
YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT SOME, THAT'S ONE THAT YOU SEE AND I'M JUST ASKING AGAIN FOR CLARITY AT, AND SOMEONE ELSE HAS THAT, AND THEY, YOU SAID YOU WERE REALLY NOT, UH, WANTING TO APPROACH THEM EVEN FOR PURCHASE YES.
BECAUSE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, CORRECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
NOW, UH, WITH, WITH THAT IN MIND, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE GRANTING PROCESSES THAT ARE IN PLACE NOW IN WASHINGTON, EVEN THROUGH HUD UH, COUNCILWOMAN MOSES HAS TALKED ABOUT OUR BEING IN WASHINGTON.
I THINK IT WAS IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY IN, IN, AT NLC.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO ASCERTAIN THERE THAT HUD HAD SOME PROGRAMS BECAUSE THEY ARE IN, UH, BLESS YOU.
THEY, THEY, THEY ARE IN, UH, AGREEMENT WITH COMMUNITIES AROUND AMERICA AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE HOUSING SHORTAGES YES, SIR.
SO WOULD YOU BE IN A POSITION WITH YOUR STAFF AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THE BOARD OF MANAGERS TO MAYBE, UH, SEEK OUT WHAT CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THAT PARTICULAR, UH, FUNDING SOURCE AND THEN, UH, AS, AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, GETTING HIM BACK AND WE GET DOWN, SIT AT THE TABLE AND SEE WHAT IT IS WE CAN DO TO FURTHER ADVANCE THE PROJECT SO THAT IT CAN BE BROUGHT TO FRUITION AND EVEN THAT OTHER TOWNHOUSE AREA BECAUSE YES.
I DON'T SEE, PUT THAT RIGHT THERE AND THOSE DILAPIDATED, UH, STRUCTURES RIGHT BEHIND THERE YES.
IS NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE AN ENHANCEMENT.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE WOULD TRY OR YOU WOULD TRY OR SOMEONE WOULD TRY TO ACQUIRE THAT PROPERTY YES.
AND THE CITY WOULD DO ITS PART IN BEING SURED THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS, IS CORRECTED.
AND, BUT NOW ONE OTHER THING, UH, CITY MANAGER ON DEVELOPMENTS AND WITH, UH, UH, DEVELOPERS WOULD SEE, UH, LEGACY FALL UNDER THE AUSPICES OF DEVELOPING AND CORRECTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN BEING ABLE TO COLLECT, UH, 90% OF WHAT THEY SPENT TO CREATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
ONCE THEY TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY, THERE'S NO PROGRAM FOR 90%.
OH, WHAT WHATEVER THE 30, 30% DIRT YOU TALKING ABOUT A DEVELOPER PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT? YEAH.
IT DEPENDS ON THE STATUS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEEDS TO BE GIVEN.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS TO BE FOR PUBLIC USE, NOT PRIVATE USE.
SO THAT WOULD, AND WE CAN UPDATE YOU ON THAT.
I'D LIKE TO BE BROUGHT UP TO DATE ON THAT BECAUSE I WAS THINKING THAT THEY COULD QUALIFY FOR THAT AS WELL.
BUT SHE WOULD, THEY WOULDN'T QUALIFY FOR THAT AT ALL THEN.
WELL, NO, THAT WAS OFFERED TO US AS AN OPPORTUNITY AT ONE POINT.
BUT YOU ALL DIDN'T LIKE IT OR, WELL, NO, WE, THE PROVISIONS WE STILL NEEDED THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO DO THAT.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH US APPLYING FOR FUNDING IS BY THE CITY BEING A PARTICIPATING JURISDICTION, YOU GUYS SORT OF GET THE FIRST PRIORITY OF ALL FUNDING.
SO WHEN WE APPLY FOR THINGS, WE'RE HAVING TO APPLY TO THE STATE, AND WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST LARGER PROJECTS.
WE'VE TRIED TO GET FUNDING, BUT WHEN WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST 120 UNIT PROJECT, THE STATE ONLY, YOU KNOW, RATES YOU BY THE NUMBER OF UNITS AND HOW IT, YOU KNOW, THE COST BENEFIT.
SO BY THE CITY BEING A PARTICIPANT IN JURISDICTION, YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE THE, I GUESS, THE GRANTS AND, UH, THE ACCESS TO MOST OF THE GRANTS IN THIS AREA.
SO IT MAKES IT REALLY HARD FOR US TO APPLY FOR SOMETHING DIRECTLY TO HUD OR TO TAP INTO THOSE FUNDS UNLESS THE CITY APPLIES ON OUR BEHALF OR PARTNER, WHETHER IT'S ON THOSE GRANTS.
BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE CAN BEGIN TO WORK ON.
YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE'VE DONE BUSINESS.
WE CAN SEE WHERE IT HAS GOTTEN US.
[01:05:02]
OR IF THERE ARE NEW WAYS OF DOING IT, I THINK THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD, WOULD AGREE THAT IF WE CAN, UH, UH, AT LEAST, UH, FIND OUT THROUGH EXPERIMENTATION AND, AND, AND, UH, UH, BEING INQUISITIVE ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS WITH, WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WHOMEVER STATE GOVERNMENT YES.SO THAT WE CAN BRING THE REDEVELOPMENT, THE REGENIFICATION, OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE WANT TO CALL IT, OR HOWEVER WE WOULD LIKE TO CLASSIFY YES.
AND YOU ARE BEING AN INTEGRAL PART OF IT WITH YOUR, YOUR LEGACY COOPERATION.
WE DID APPLY FOR NSP FUNDING FOR THE PURCHASE OF EDINGTON COURT.
WE WERE AWARDED 4.6 MILLION BY T D H C A.
AND THIS HAS BEEN ABOUT NINE YEARS AGO.
WE DID ALL THE INVE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
WE HAD AN APPRAISAL DONE AT THAT TIME AT APPRAISED FOR $700,000.
BUT THE OWNERS WANTED $1.1 MILLION, SO WE LOST THAT FULL PROJECT.
IT WAS A, A HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROJECT.
SO WE HAD $4.6 MILLION THAT WE HAD TO TURN BACK OVER TO THE STATE BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT COME DOWN OFF HIS PRICE OF 1.1 MILLION.
SO WE DID ATTEMPT TO PURCHASE AND WE ALWAYS CONTINUE TO CALL.
I CALLED AFTER THE FIRE THAT HAPPENED THERE, AND I ASKED, YOU KNOW, DO YOU WANNA SELL NOW? AND HE SAYS, I NOW I WANT 1.5 MILLION.
SO IT KEEPS GOING UP INSTEAD OF DOWN.
SO UP WE ARE, WE HAVE TRIED TO, UH, TO PURCHASE THAT.
WELL, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT, THAT WE, WE'LL TRY.
JUST REAL QUICK, AND I'M SORRY, MS. SULU, IS THAT GIFFORD, UH, POND, IS THAT A PRIVATE ROAD? IS THAT CONSIDERED A PRIVATE, UH, FACILITY AREA? WELL, RIGHT NOW IT IS, BUT ONCE IT WOULD BE REPAIRED, IT WOULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE CITY.
ANY OTHER, UH, REMARKS, QUESTIONS FOR US? OKAY.
WELL, THANK YOU MS. BLUE AND THANK YOU STAFF FOR BEING HERE WITH YOU.
[III.E (1) A Discussion Regarding Grant Application Process (Requested By Mayor Bartie)]
TO EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION.AND THERE IS NOT ANY, UH, THERE NOR NO CORRESPONDENCE.
UH, WE DO HAVE DISCUSSION OF A GRANT, UH, APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND I THINK WE HAVE AC ACTUALLY COVERED THAT DOWNSTAIRS.
[III.E (2) Update By EDC Director Regarding Industrial Training Program By Lamar State College At The Armory ( Requested By Councilmember Moses)]
UH, AN UPDATE FROM THE, UH, EDC DIRECTOR, UH, REGARDING INDUSTRIAL TRAINING PROGRAM BY LAMAR STATE COLLEGE AT THE ARMORY.AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOSES.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.
UH, GOOD TO BE WITH YOU THIS EVENING.
AND, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MOSES, FOR REQUESTING THIS UPDATE.
UH, NOW YOU'VE GOT A FULL AGENDA.
SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH FAIRLY QUICKLY.
SHOULD BE A PRESENTATION, UH, AT YOUR DIOCESE THAT I'M GONNA GO THROUGH.
UH, JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE.
UH, I WAS BLESSED TO, UH, SIT THROUGH A PRESENTATION BY DR.
VAN STAFFORD ON THE SAME SUBJECT LAST EVENING.
UH, AND I KIND OF FEEL LIKE, UH, HE WAS THE MAJOR LEAGUES AND I'M IN AAA, UH, TRYING TO GET THE PRESENTATION.
BUT I'LL DO THE VERY BEST THAT I CAN.
THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING FACILITY, UH, AN EXTREMELY EXCITING, UH, PROJECT AND SOMETHING THAT, UH, I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN IN OTHER STOPS, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AT THE END.
UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLE, UH, ASSET IN TERMS OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IT'S A STRATEGIC JOINT VENTURE, UH, BETWEEN THE PORT ARTHUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND OF COURSE OUR STRATEGIC PARTNER, LA LAMAR STATE COLLEGE.
FORT ARTHUR PROJECT WAS INITIATED, UH, WHEN THE PARTNERS JOINTLY FILED FOR FUNDS FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, OR ED, BACK IN THE SPRING OF 2019.
UH, THE REQUEST WAS FROM THE ED FOR $3,800,000.
UH, COLLEGE HAS ADDED 1,200,000 TO THAT.
UH, THE PORT ARTHUR EDC, UH, ALLOCATED 1 MILLION FOR A TOTAL PROJECT OF 6 MILLION.
THE PROJECT IS PRESENTLY ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.
LITTLE BIT OF, UH, BACKGROUND, UH, ON YOUR THIRD PAGE THERE YOU'LL SEE A RENDERING OF, UH, WHAT THE FINAL, UH, PROJECT, UH, WILL LOOK LIKE.
UH, FUNDING WAS RECEIVED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019.
UH, IMMEDIATELY ENTERED INTO THE DESIGN PHASE OF THE PROJECT, WHICH, UH, CARRIED THROUGH 2020.
AND MOST OF, UH, OF THE, THE TIME OF
[01:10:01]
COVID WENT INTO THE BUILDING PHASE, UH, IN EARLY 2021.UH, THAT CONTINUES TO TODAY AND, UH, IS VERY NEAR TO THE END.
UH, AND I'M SURE THE FOLKS AT THE COLLEGE ARE VERY, VERY, VERY HAPPY TO BE NEAR THE FINISH LINE AND THE, THE RIBBON CUTTING.
ON YOUR NEXT PAGE, YOU'LL SEE AN OVERVIEW, UH, AERIAL OVERVIEW OF THE CONSTRUCTION.
UM, BACK A WHILE BACK, UH, LIKE I SAY, THE PROJECT IS, UH, COMING TO FRUITION, BUT THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF, UH, THE LAY OF THE LAND, IF YOU WILL.
AND, UH, OF COURSE THIS IS THE FORMER ARMORY, UH, SITE.
UH, AND I, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF FUNNY FOR ME TO BE TALKING TO NATIVES, CUZ YOU ALL OBVIOUSLY KNOW AND GREW UP WITH THE, THE ARMORY AND, AND, AND ITS, UH, FOOTPRINT.
SO YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, FROM WHERE IT ONCE WAS TO WHERE IT IS GOING.
NOW, IN TERMS OF THE INDUSTRIAL FACILITY, THE RENOVATED FACILITY IS GOING TO PROVIDE, UH, THE COMMUNITY WITH A ONE-OF-A-KIND CRAFT TRAINING EXPERIENCE USING THE FACILITY.
THE COLLEGE WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER, UH, FIVE DIFFERENT APPRENTICESHIPS AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL TRAINING DESIGNED TO PROVIDE, UH, QUALIFIED WORKERS TO THE SEMPRA, UH, PORT ARTHUR L N G BUILDING PROJECT.
AND OF COURSE, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THOSE FOLKS ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING THE THE FACILITY ONLINE.
NEXT PAGE, YOU'LL SEE A 30 STATION WELDING LABORATORY.
THAT LABORATORY HAS THE ABILITY TO SUSPEND STUDENTS IN THE AIR AND ALLOW THEM TO PRACTICE, UH, WELDING.
UH, AND AS YOU KNOW, MR. STAFFORD POINTS, DR.
CYPRESS POINTS OUT BETTER THAT THEY LEARN HOW TO DO THAT IN THAT CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT THAN PERHAPS DOING SOMETHING ON SITE WHERE PERHAPS THEY, UH, MAIN THEMSELVES OR OTHERWISE CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT.
SO, AGAIN, THAT'S, UH, 30 STATIONS WHERE FOLKS ARE GOING TO LEARN THAT SKILL THAT WILL BE DIRECTLY APPLICABLE TO THE VARIOUS JOBS THAT WE HAVE, UH, ESPECIALLY AT OUR, UH, VARIOUS LNG AND PLANTS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE.
THE GRANT ALSO PROVIDED FUNDS FOR A VARIETY OF SIMULATION STATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE USED TO GIVE FOLKS HANDS ON DIRECT TRAINING IN THE PARTICULAR FIELD OF, OF ENDEAVOR.
SO YOU SEE ONE OF THE STATIONS THERE FOR ELECTRICAL WIRING.
YOUR NEXT PAGE, YOU'VE GOT PIPE FITTING THAT YOU'VE GOT, UH, MORE WELDING AND, AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS, AGAIN TO GET HANDS-ON, UH, EXPERIENCE.
SO AGAIN, THESE STATIONS WILL PROVIDE FOLKS THE KIND OF EXPOSURE THAT IS JUST VERY HARD TO EMULATE IN SCHOOL, UH, IN A ORDINARY SCHOOL, COLLEGE IN INFOR, UH, ENVIRONMENT.
UH, THIS FACILITY, LIKE I SAY, IS GOING TO BE A BOOM TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND COMING IN ON THE, THE, THE TAIL END AND ALMOST NEAR THE RIBBON CUTTING.
UH, I, I'M ALMOST GIDDY BECAUSE I'M CONNECTED TO SOMETHING THAT'S ALMOST LIKE CHRISTMAS THAT, UH, LOTS OF FOLKS LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR BEFORE I GOT HERE.
BUT, UH, I CAN TELL YOU FIRSTHAND IN HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN A FACILITY LIKE THIS AT VICTORIA COLLEGE AND AS WELL AS UP IN HUNTSVILLE, I CAN'T BEGIN TO EXPRESS ENOUGH MY EXCITEMENT OF WHAT THIS IS GOING TO MEAN FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMUNITY.
I WAS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE GOLDEN CRESCENT WORKFORCE, UH, SOLUTIONS, UH, BOARD.
AND WHEN VICTORIA COLLEGE'S, UH, UH, FACILITY CAME ONLINE, IT REALLY WAS JUST INCREDIBLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I HAD PEOPLE JUST DYING WAIT LIST TO GET ON BOARD.
UH, REAL QUICKLY, YOU GOT A, ON THE NEXT PAGE YOU SEE A LOCKED LAY DOWN YARD FOR MATERIAL STORAGE, UH, INDOOR, FURTHER INDOOR SIMULATION AND SMALL TOOLS STORAGE.
UH, NEXT PAGE AFTER THAT, YOU'LL SEE THE THREE CLASSROOMS, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL PROVIDE OBVIOUSLY, UH, UH, INSTRUCTION FOR THE VARIOUS STUDENTS.
SO THEY GET, OBVIOUSLY CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND THEN GET TO GO APPLY THAT IN A REAL LIFE SCENARIO IN THE VARIOUS SIMULATION STATIONS.
THE RIBBON CUTTING IS PLANNED FOR JUNE 29TH.
UH, AND LIKE I SAY, UH, NOT ONLY, UH, AND MY EXCITED, BUT I CAN'T, MY EXCITEMENT CAN'T, CAN'T, UH, APPROACH THAT OF THE, THE, THE COLLEGE.
I'M SURE THEY'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, BRINGING THIS ONLINE.
CERTAINLY, UH, I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
NO ONE CAN ADDRESS THIS BETTER THAN, THAN DR.
[01:15:01]
UH, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP HAS BROUGHT TO DATE AND WHAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FOR THE CITIZENS, UH, GOING FORWARD.UH, THANK YOU, UH, MR. STOKES FOR YES, MA'AM.
GIVING US THE, UM, UPDATE OF THIS PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE PORT ARTHUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LAMAR STATE COLLEGE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THIS PROGRAM AND THANKFUL THAT WE ARE AT THIS PLACE IN PHASE WHERE WE'LL BE, UM, HAVING A GRAND OPENING FOR THE FACILITY.
IT'S A GREAT, UM, PARTNERSHIP.
SPENT A LONG TIME COMING TO COLLEGE WITH THE STATE COLLEGE, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME OPERATIONAL PROGRAMS IN PLACE ALREADY.
I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW, UM, MAYBE FROM YOURSELF OR DR.
STAFFORD, LIKE THE, THE CDL PROGRAM.
HOW MANY STUDENTS DO WE HAVE CURRENTLY, UM, ENROLLED, UM, GETTING THEIR CDL LICENSE? HAVEN'T WE USED THIS PROGRAM FOR OUR STUDENTS TO GET THEIR CDL LICENSE, UM, IN THE PASSING? AND SO CURRENTLY, DOES THE EDC HAVE, UH, THOSE STUDENTS, THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, IN PLACE RIGHT NOW WITH THE MAR STATE COLLEGE CONNECTED TO THE TRAINING CENTER? YES.
IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT I'M NOT DIRECT.
I I MAY BE, MAY I MAY BE GETTING SOMETHING CONFUSED, BUT JUST HANGING AROUND IN CASE YOU NEEDED BACKUP DATA.
YOU, WE DO HAVE A VERY ACTIVE COMMERCIAL DRIVING PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE HISTORICALLY HAD A VERY ACTIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EDC.
UH, I THINK OUR CONTRACT JUST CAME BACK ONLINE.
IT WAS UP, THERE WERE SOME MONTHS WHEN IT WAS, UH, BEING REVIEWED, BUT I BELIEVE IT JUST WAS APPROVED.
AND WE WILL BE TRAINING PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS AGAIN.
BUT WE DID HAVE SOME PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT DR.
STAFFORD, ABOUT HOW MANY STUDENTS CAME OUT WITH THEIR CDL LICENSE WHEN WE DID HAVE THE PROGRAM UP AND RUNNING.
PROFICIENTLY, UM, THE PROGRAM.
I DON'T WANNA PUT ALL THROUGH, WE'VE NEVER SHUT THE PROGRAM THROUGH COVID.
AND THE GOVERNOR CALLED ON THE STATE COLLEGES TO SUPPORT TRUCKING IN TEXAS.
SO THE PROGRAM GREW FROM NEARLY A HUNDRED STUDENTS A YEAR TO NEARLY 200 STUDENTS THROUGH COVID.
AND MANY OF THOSE WERE PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS.
AND WE CANNOT, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE TRUCKING COMPANIES HIRE, TRYING TO HIRE THE STUDENTS OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.
I MEAN, THEY NEED THE STUDENTS SO BADLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO FINISH THE, THE, THE DEGREES TO HAVE THE HAVE A JOB.
NOW, THE, THE TIMEFRAME BETWEEN THE LAST CONTRACT YOU SAID THERE, AND THERE'S BEEN A TIME LAPSE THERE.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT TIMEFRAME HAS BEEN WITHOUT, UH, TRAINING STUDENTS IN, UM, SOMEWHERE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER AND THEN WE, THE, THE CONTRACT WAS RENEWED MAYBE THIS LAST MONTH, WELL, JUST RECENTLY.
SO WE MISSED SOME, MAYBE SOME MONTHS IN TRAINING.
SO YOU GUYS ARE GETTING GEARED UP TO, TO GET THE PROGRAM STARTED BACK AGAIN WITH THE CDO? WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, TEXAS, UH, WORKFORCE.
AND PORT ARTHUR INDUSTRIAL GROUP HAS PAID FOR A FEW STUDENTS TO COME THROUGH, BUT OUR EDC IS A PARTNER AS WELL, BUT OUR EDC IS ONE OF OUR MAIN, MAIN PARTNERS.
THAT'S SO THE, THERE WAS A PERIOD WHEN IT WAS HURTING US, BUT I THINK IT'S, I THINK WE'RE BACK ON TRACK AT THIS POINT WITH THE EDC.
BEING A PARTNER WITH THE CDL PROGRAM.
SO WE, CUZ WE NEED THESE TRUCK DRIVERS.
WE NEED THIS PROGRAM TO KEEP GOING.
AND SO THAT THEY'RE BEING TRAINED AT THE ARMORY, CORRECT? NO.
IS THAT ED? THE, WELL, MY ARMORY IS JUST COMING ONLINE.
IT IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, BUT THE CDL TRAINS DOWN THE STREET RIGHT AT THE PARKER CENTER.
SO THEY ARE NOT TRAINING AT THE ARMORY.
AT TIMES WE WILL USE THOSE CLASSROOMS, BUT TRADITIONALLY THEY HAVEN'T BEEN AVAILABLE TO US.
SO THEY, THEY TRAIN A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN ON CAMPUS IN THAT VICINITY.
WELL, I'M SO GLAD THAT THE PARTNERSHIP STILL EXISTS AND REMAINS.
WE DEFINITELY WANT TO CONTINUE HELPING, UM, OUR CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT CDO LICENSE TO KEEP WORKING AND YES.
AND THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WILL BE COMING OUT WILL BE A DIRECT, UM, ASSISTANCE TO THE LNG COMPANIES THAT ARE COMING ONLINE AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S COMING INTO OUR CITY.
AND SO IT'S IMPERATIVE, OF COURSE, THAT WE, UM, STAY ON SCHEDULE WITH THE JUNE 29TH DATE RIBBON CUTTING AND GETTING THAT FACILITY UP AND RUNNING.
SO WHATEVER ASSISTANCE, I'M SURE THAT YOU GUYS, WE COULD LEND, UM, TO THE COUN, TO THE EDC AND TO LAMAR STATE COLLEGE WITH KEEPING UPDATES WITH HOW MANY STUDENTS WE HAVE ENROLLED, JUST THE PUBLIC KNOWING THAT THERE IS A PROGRAM AND THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING, UM, TO GIVE MAYBE A QUARTERLY UPDATES OR SOMETHING TO THIS COUNCIL SO THAT THEY WILL KNOW WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EDC IS DOING, WITH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH LAMAR STATE COLLEGE AND KEEPING US ON TRACK TO HOW MANY PEOPLE
[01:20:01]
ARE IN THE PROGRAM, WHAT IT'S BENEFITING TO THESE DIFFERENT, UM, EXPANSIONS AND, UH, COMPANIES COMING INTO PORT ARTHUR IS ESSENTIAL TO THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT IT EVEN EXISTS.I MEAN, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE MARKETING STRATEGIES, UH, THROUGH TEXAS WORKFORCE AND THROUGH OTHER ENTITIES BY WHICH YOU'RE GETTING THE WORD OUT, BUT IT'S NO BETTER THAN JUST COMING BEFORE COUNCIL SO THAT THIS COUNCIL WILL KNOW AS WELL.
AMEN TO THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND THE, THE MORE PEOPLE TELLING, THE BETTER IT WILL WORK FOR US, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE SEMPRA PROJECT.
WE WILL, UH, WE WOULD BE VERY GLAD OF THE HELP.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR UPDATE, DOC, MR. STOKES.
AND, AND I'LL JUST QUICKLY SAY, STAFFORD, THANK YOU.
QUICKLY SAY THAT IT'S BUMPING UP AGAINST THE TIME FOR MY NEXT QUARTERLY, UH, UPDATE TO YOU.
SO I WILL INCLUDE THAT AS A PART OF THAT UPDATE, UH, AT THE END OF JUNE.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, MR. A MINUTE.
UH, UH, COUNCILMAN MARKS? YES, SIR.
UH, I'M A PROGRAM, UM, CERTIFICATIONS.
WILL THE STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE THESE PROGRAMS, WILL THEY BE CERTIFIED AND BE READY, UH, TO GO TO WORK IMMEDIATELY? THE SIMPLE PROJECT OR ANY OTHER PLAN? I'LL LET YOU SPEAK TO I WAS GONNA SAY, WHO'S THE QUESTION? I'LL LET YOU SPEAK TO THE, UH, I'LL JUMP IN ON IT.
THE, UH, WE WILL BE DOING A VARIETY OF APPRENTICESHIP WORK WITH SEMPRA AND THEN SOME SHORTER CRAFT WORK THAT'S NOT QUITE LONG ENOUGH TO BE AN APPRENTICESHIP, BUT THE STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE N C E R CERTIFICATION FOR EACH COURSE THEY TAKE.
AND SEMPRA HAS MADE THE OFFER TO HIRE EVERY GRADUATE THAT MEETS THEIR ONBOARDING CRITERIA.
AND THEY HAVE MADE A STRONG COMMITMENT TO HIRE WOMEN.
WE ARE LOOKING AT AN ENTIRELY FEMALE COHORT OF CARPENTER APPRENTICES, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO START AN ENTIRELY FEMALE COHORT OF TRUCK DRIVERS.
SO IF YOU CAN HELP US SPREAD THE WORD THAT THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING WOMEN FULFILLED IN A CONSTRUCTIVE JOB.
WELL, AND WE ARE DOING A JOINT MARKETING CAMPAIGN AS WELL.
UH, I'M, I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT DURING, UH, I'VE SPOKEN TO A YOUNG LADY WHO HAS A TRUCK, A DUMP TRUCK, AND SHE DRIVES, AND YOU KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT.
AND SHE'S BEEN TRYING TO GET INTO, UH, ONE OF THESE PLANTS OR, OR WHATEVER, UH, WHETHER IT BE A CONSTRUCTION SITE OR WORKING ON ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING IN THIS AREA.
AND, UH, CAN WE PUT HER IN TOUCH WITH SOMEBODY SO SHE CAN SEE IF SHE HAS A REQUISITE, UH, PAPERS, CERTIFICATIONS, WHATEVER, SO THAT SHE CAN ACTUALLY BEGIN WORKING AT RIGHT, RIGHT AWAY.
LOOK HIS NUMBERS, I PUT HER IN TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE AT SUPER.
UM, LET ME APOLOGIZE FOR WHERE THIS IS, WHERE THIS QUESTION IS GOING TO GO, BUT I'M NOT APOLOGETIC FOR IT AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, BECAUSE I'M, I'M ALWAYS A KIND OF SCHOOL BOARD PERSON AT HEART.
I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE, UH, COLLABORATION BETWEEN, UH, LAMAR UNIVERSITY AND PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED OR THOUGHT ABOUT, UM, DOING A PARTNERSHIP, SORT OF LIKE WITH, UH, WHAT P I S D DOES WITH THEIR STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE WITH A DIPLOMA AND, UM, A DIPLOMA AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE MM-HMM.
SIR, I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF IT, BUT I'M GLAD YOU WE'LL, IT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH PORT ARTHUR.
I, OUR RELATIONSHIP IS VERY CLOSE.
I'M NOT POSITIVE HOW THEY'RE SPECIFIC KATE PROGRAM IS.
I'M NOT POSITIVE HOW SPECIFIC THEIR WELDING PROGRAM IS TARGETED, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND SEE CAN WE CREATE THAT FUNNEL.
IT'D BE GREAT TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN, UH, WHO AREN'T GOING TO COLLEGE, BUT COULD BE GOING INTO THESE CRAFTS AS WELL AND OPEN UP ANOTHER, UH, PIPELINE FOR THOSE LNG UNITS AS WELL.
A GOOD WELDER WILL MAKE SIX FIGURES.
WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE S THE INSTRUMENTATION AS WELL.
[01:25:01]
ALL OF IT.I JUST HAVE ONE MORE THING, UH, IN YOUR REPORT, DOC, MR. STOKES.
UM, WELL, I KEEP WANTING TO CALL YOU DR.
UM, IF YOU COULD INCLUDE, UM, WHEN YOU GET READY TO PREPARE YOUR MEETING, JUST A THING TO OUR COUNCIL HERE, BUT BASICALLY LETTING THEM KNOW HOW MANY STUDENTS WE'RE CURRENTLY PAYING FOR IN THESE PROGRAMS, UM, AND HOW MANY STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE COVERING AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SURE.
THIS EVENING, I'M, I'M LISTENING TO THE DISCUSSION AND, AND SOMETHING, TAKE MY MEMORY, JOG MY MEMORY A BIT.
IF, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME WELL, WHEN THE GRANT APPLICATION WAS APPLIED FOR ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, THERE, WE HAD TO FOLLOW UP.
WHEN I SAY WE, WE AT THE EDC HAD TO FOLLOW UP AND FOLLOW THROUGH BECAUSE THE APPLICATION WAS MADE ON THE BASIS THAT A HUNDRED PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS HAD TO BE TRAINED FOR FREE IN PREPARATION FOR THE L AND G, THE SIMPLEST THAT ARE COMING.
WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT? BECAUSE THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A MEMORANDUM OF, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME WELL, THERE WAS, LOOK, GEORGE IS PUTTING A HAND AT THE BACK THERE, THERE IS THERE, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME.
WELL, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DEVELOP A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SO THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE FROM PORT ARTHUR, AFRICA GO TO LAMA FOR FREE.
A HUNDRED OF THEM GO TO LAMA FOR FREE.
AND, AND IN PREPARATION FOR WHAT IS NOW HAPPENING IN PORT ARTHUR AFRICA, WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT? WE HAVE NOT, I MEAN, THE COLLEGE DOES GO BACK TO MY DOCTOR AND, WAIT, I'M SORRY.
THE COLLEGE DOES ALLOW CERTAIN PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS THROUGH FREE ON A REGULAR BASIS, JUST DEPENDING ON FINANCIAL NEED.
THE MEMORANDUM YOU'RE DISCUSSING, WE HAVE NOT ENTERED INTO, BECAUSE THE FACILITY HAS NOT OPENED YET.
AS IT OPENS AND AS WE BEGIN TO TRAIN FOR SEMPRA, THERE WILL BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS WHO WILL ATTEND FOR FREE IN EACH OF THE CLASSES WE OFFER.
SO YOU'LL BE NO, UH, WE DO NOT WANT TO BE BEHIND THE EIGHTH BALL WITH THIS ONE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE, UM, YES, WE JUST HAD AN ELABORATE CEREMONY WITH LUNCH WITH SYRA A FEW WEEKS AGO.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PORT AFA RESIDENTS GET THE FULL SHOT AT IT.
A HUNDRED, 100 OF THEM GETS A FULL SHOT AT IT.
LET US MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR, VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT PORT ALPHA RESIDENTS, 100 OF THEM AND WHOEVER HAS TO WORK ON THAT MEMORANDUM UNDERSTANDING BETTER BE RUNNING RIGHT NOW TO GET IT GOING, TO MAKE SURE THAT 100 PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS GET THE FIRST SHOT AT WHETHER IT'S CARPENTRY, WHETHER IT'S WELDING, WHATEVER CRAFT IT IS THAT'S IN THAT, BECAUSE MY MEMORY SERVES ME WELL, IF I, JO, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT MS. HOLMES, YOU WANT THE BOARD AT THE TIME, THAT WAS WHEN IT WAS NEGOTIATED.
WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, LET US GET IT GOING.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, THAT YOU, YOU'VE INHERITED THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS IN THE, UH, AT THE READING OF THE WILL
YOU AWARE OF IT EVERY DAY? YEAH.
UH, I, I WOULD SUSPECT THAT THE MOU WOULD BE BETWEEN THE EDC AND LAMAR.
WE NEED TO SEE 100% OF BOTH OTHER RESIDENTS MAKING THE SIX FIGURES THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
I'M SURE I CAN PUT THAT IN THE MOU
WELL, WE THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION AND YOUR TIME.
WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG NOW TO PAGE, UH, THREE, UH, AND REPORTS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.
AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN THIS ONE WITH, UH, WE STILL HAVE ONE MORE DISCUSS ONE MORE.
[III.E (3) Discussion Regarding Developing A No Kill Animal Shelter For The City Of Port Arthur ( Requested By Councilmember Frank)]
OKAY.DISCUSSION REGARDING DEVELOPING A NO KILL ANIMAL
[01:30:01]
SHELTER FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.AND IT'S REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK.
UM, LISTEN, I PUT THIS ON, UH, AS WELL CONVERTED WITH COUNCILMAN KEN LAW AS WELL.
HIS NAME IS NOT ON HERE, BUT HE AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT IT, UH, AS WELL, UH, AS WELL AS CONFERRING WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN MOSES.
I MEAN, I MEAN, UH, HOLMES, UH, NOT, NOT CHARLOTTE, I'M THINKING ABOUT YOU, BUT HOLMES, UH, BECAUSE SHE HAD INCURRED, UH, SOME OF THESE ISSUES AS SHE WAS, UH, THE HEALTH DIRECTOR IN, UH, BEAUMONT, TEXAS.
AND WHAT I, WHY I PUT THIS ON IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO ASSURE OUR COMMUNITY IN FULL TRANSPARENCY THAT WE HEAR YOU.
AND THAT NOT ONLY DO WE HEAR YOU, THAT WE WANT TO MOVE TOWARD, UH, THE GOAL OF A NO KILL CITY.
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
AND, AND, AND AS I'M SAYING THIS, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE, UH, MY HEART, UH, AND THE HEART OF OTHERS WHO HAVE PETS AS WELL.
UM, UH, I NO LONGER HAVE MY DEACON.
I'M A PASTOR, BUT I HAD, UH, UH, A PIT BULL NAMED DEACON, UH, WHO WAS, UM, UH, TAKEN FROM ME.
BUT, UM, IN THE MIDST OF THAT, I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT WE HEAR YOU AND WE WANT TO MOVE TOWARD THAT.
SO MUCH SO, UH, THAT THE MAYOR AND I HAVE GONE OVER TO OUR FACILITY.
UH, AND TO ASSURE YOU AS WELL, UH, AND TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ON TODAY, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING ON OUR NEW ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITY, UH, HAVING GONE TO OUR FACILITY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST.
AND I KNOW MS. LADAY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'VE BROUGHT PETS THERE AND YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS PROCESS A LONG TIME.
OUR SHELTER TAKES CATS WHERE OTHERS DON'T TAKE CATS, UH, AS WELL.
WE ONLY HAVE 16 CAGES AT OUR ANIMAL SH UH, CONTROL CENTER, ONLY 16 CAGES.
IT'S LITERALLY, UH, A GARAGE WITH 16 CAGES IN IT.
UH, AND IT IS FILLED TO CAPACITY.
AS I'M SPEAKING TO YOU, I WOULD'VE BROUGHT THREE OR FOUR DOGS HOME, BUT I DON'T THINK MY WIFE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
SO AT THIS TIME, WITHOUT CONSULT, CONSULTATION, BUT, UH, WONDERFUL ANIMALS ARE THERE.
AND I UNDERSTAND, I FEEL THE PASSION.
AND SO I WANTED US TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A PROCESS.
UH, THERE WERE 18 ANIMALS THAT WERE TRANSPORTED FROM OUR SHELTER.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GO THROUGH THE EUTHANASIA OR OF THESE ANIMALS OR TO DO THAT, BUT IT'S A PROCESS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THERE.
AND I, I WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND, AND I WANT YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK YOU KNOW IT ALREADY, THAT THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN JUST PUTTING A NO KILL SIGN ON PORT ARTHUR OR ON THE FACILITY.
THERE'S SO MUCH THAT GOES INTO IT.
UH, THE RESOURCES THAT ARE PUT INTO IT, AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THERE.
I WANT TO ASSURE YOU, AND PERHAPS THROUGH DISCUSSION, IF, IF COUNCILMAN WANTED TO SAY IT, THAT WE ARE PURPOSEFUL IN WANTING TO DO THIS, UH, AND WE WANT TO DO THIS, BUT THIS IS THE PROCESS FOR OUR STAFF THAT WE ARE GOING TO GIVE THEM THIS, UM, THAT MANDATE TO MOVE TOWARD NO KILL, UH, AND TO BEGIN TO WORK ON THAT.
WE NEED YOUR COOPERATION, AND WE, WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO DO THAT.
SO I WANTED TO DISCUSS THAT WITH OUR COUNSEL AND WANTED TO SAY THAT ON TODAY.
COUNCIL MCKEN LAW, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, FOR ALLOWING ME TO HAVE THIS DIALOGUE WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE STARTED TO GET THIS PROCESS INTO PLAY, WE THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO TO ENHANCE OUR ANIMAL CONTROL CENTER, OUR SHELTER.
UH, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED.
WE KNEW THAT IT WAS, IT WAS ANTIQUATED.
THIS PRESENT COUNCIL DECIDED TO DO THAT.
WE TOOK A PROACTIVE APPROACH INTO FIND FUNDING, GET WITH OUR CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF TO SHOW THAT WE ARE CRITICAL.
AND WE WERE DEFINITELY, UH, UH, UH, POSITIVE ABOUT THIS ACTION.
I ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE SPACING, LOCATION, UH, HEALTHCARE FOR THOSE ANIMALS.
I HAVE A, I HAVE A DOG, YOU GUYS, SOME OF YOU GUYS KNOW, HE, YOU KNOW, HE'S PART OF THE FAMILY.
AND TO GO INTO MOVE IN A NO-KILL, UH, CITY, I WOULD LOVE THAT TO HAPPEN.
BUT WE HAVE TO PREPARE OURSELVES AS A COLLECTIVE COUNCIL TO GET THOSE FACILITY NEEDS INTO PLACE.
WE, WE LOOKED OUT TWO, ALMOST A TWO YEAR APPROACH TO THIS.
AND IT'S NOW COMING TO, UH, THIS POINT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET A FACILITY,
[01:35:01]
UH, STATE OF THE ART FACILITY.I'M SO PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS GROUP OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCILWOMEN THAT WE HAD TOOK THIS APPROACH.
AND I SEE THAT WE HAVE SUPERVISED MITCHELL THAT'S OUT THERE.
I'VE BEEN THERE TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER, AND I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE UP AGAINST.
THEY BARELY HAVE ROOM AND ENOUGH, UH, EQUIPMENT FOR SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THERE.
BUT WE HAD TO WORK WHAT WE GOT IN GETTING WITH OUR CITY MANAGER.
HE'S OPEN MINDED ABOUT THIS GROWTH OPPORTUNITY FOR PORT ARTHUR.
WE ARE ON THE MOVE, AND PLEASE GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE, THE FRUIT OF OUR LABORS IN THE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN MOSES, UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK, THIS OPPORTUNITY COUNCILMAN, UH, HOLMES FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND THANK YOU.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, UH, FOR POINT OF CLARIFICATION, UH, MR. CITY MANAGER, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO, UH, GET STARTED ON THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW ANIMAL SHELTER? UM, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A TIMELINE, UM, THAT, UH, I KNOW THAT THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MS, UM, MISS LANGFORD, PAM, PAM, SHE'S NOT HERE, BUT I KNOW THAT DARLENE IS HERE.
BUT WE HAVE DEVELOPED THE TIMELINE FOR, UM, WORKING, I THINK WE, WE HAD A MEETING TODAY, WAS IT, OR YESTERDAY, UM, WITH THE ARCHITECTS, UM, IN DEVELOPING, UM, IN PREVENT PRESENTING US WITH INFORMATION ON THAT TIMELINE.
HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF, UM, BY OCTOBER, THEY'RE ABOUT, WE'LL GO TO BID.
WE'RE HOPING TO GO TO BIDS IN OCTOBER.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW THEY'RE IN THE, UM, DESIGN PHASE.
AND, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING WITH THEM, UM, YEAH, I TALKED TO THEM YESTERDAY, BUT WE HAD A MEETING, WE HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW, UM, WITH THE ARCHITECTS.
AND SO WHAT I CAN DO IS GET THE INFORMATION TO MR. BURTON THAT SHOWS THE TIMELINE, AND HE CAN SHARE IT WITH COUNSEL SO YOU'LL KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.
AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, I KNOW THAT WE'RE IN THE DESIGN PHASE, BUT WHAT TYPE OF CAPACITY ARE WE LOOKING TO CREATE? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, AS UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK SAID, WE'RE IN A GARAGE WITH THAT, THAT HOUSE.
I CAN GET YOU ALL THAT INFORMATION THAT SHOWS WHAT IT IS.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE LIMITED BY, UM, THE FUNDING.
SO WE ARE BUILDING TO, TO MESH THAT FUNDING.
AND WE DO HAVE SPACE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IF THAT SHOULD BECOME NECESSARY SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
BUT I CAN GET ALL THAT INFORMATION TO YOU GUYS SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THE TIMELINE AND BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, AND AS YOU GETTING TO US, WE, WE'D LIKE TO SHARE THIS PUBLICLY SO THAT EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WILL UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE MOVING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THIS IS A PROCESS AND IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME.
SO, UH, I, I ACTUALLY DO HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT I'M WORKING ON, BUT WE, WE WANNA WAIT A LITTLE BIT BEFORE WE PRESENT IT.
UM, AND IT'LL GIVE ALL THAT INFORMATION AND ALSO DONATION, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME THINGS IN THE WORKS THAT WE WANNA SHARE WITH COUNSEL, UM, SOON.
ANY OTHER, UH, DID I MISS COUNCIL, COUNCIL, FRANK? OH, NO.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY TRANSPARENCY IS KEY AND, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO, UH, WITH THIS DISCUSSION.
UM, LET, LET ME JUST SHARE AGAIN WITH, WITH MAYOR MM-HMM.
WE'VE GOT TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET THAT 90% THAT IS REQUIRED.
WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE ALSO THAT WE HAVE THE VOLUNTEERS IN PLACE IN ORDER TO NOT ONLY BEGIN IT, BUT TO SUSTAIN IT FOR THE FUTURE, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL, UH, THE, THE, THE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE FOR ADOPTION AS WE MOVE ALONG.
UM, SO IT MUST NOT BE A START, STOP PROCESS.
IT MUST BE CONTINUOUS, UM, AS, AS, AS, AS WE CONTINUE TO GET THERE AND, AND MAKE THAT THAT PROGRESS.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE COMMITTEE, THE, THE, THE COUNCIL HAS VOTED ON THE, THE, UM, RENEWAL OF THE COMMITTEE.
THEY'RE BEATING TOMORROW, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE, THE, THE PLANS THAT THEY HAVE AND TO HAVE SOME SORT OF DISCUSSION.
I KNOW THAT THERE IS, UM, DISCUSSION GOING ON ABOUT VACCINATION AND ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE HAVE THE SANITIZATION THAT IS BEING DONE IN THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO, UH, TO HAVE IT DONE.
[01:40:01]
SO THINGS ARE MOVING, WE ARE MOVING, UM, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND, AND WE ARE ABOUT TO GET THERE.UH, YOU COULD COME UP APPROACH.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
KELLY KS, AND MY ADDRESS IS 46 7018 INTERSTATE 10 EAST, WINNIE, TEXAS.
I JUST WANTED TO REAFFIRM, I COMMEND EVERYBODY THAT THEY ARE GONNA BUILD A NEW SHELTER.
UM, AND YOU COMMENTED THAT THE SHELTER IS FULL.
UM, SINCE THE LAST CONVERSATION, I'VE REACHED OUT TO MR. MITCHELL, AND I HAVEN'T RECEIVED A CALL BACK YET, BUT AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NONPROFIT, BEAUMONT PETS ALIVE, I HAVE VOLUNTEERED AND CONTINUED TO VOLUNTEER.
AND JACKIE HEBERT THAT SPOKE AT AN EARLIER MEETING IS A PREVIOUS TECHNICIAN.
WE WILL VOLUNTEER TO COME IN THE SHELTER AND START THE VACCINATION PROGRAM AND HELP D WORM IN CASE THE STAFF EITHER NEEDS THAT HELP OR WHATEVER.
WE WANT TO START THE VACCINATION PROGRAM BECAUSE THAT WILL BREAK THE CYCLE AND THE RESCUES WILL COME AND TAKE THE 18 ANIMALS THAT YOU SEE.
THEY'RE HESITANT TO DO THAT UNTIL THERE'S A VACCINATION PROGRAM IN PLACE.
AND SO, I JUST WANTED TO STRESS WE CAN START THAT NEXT WEEK, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEW SHELTER.
I KNOW IT'S, I KNOW IT'S CROWDED WHERE YOU ARE, BUT WHEN THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY.
SO I JUST WANNA, AGAIN, SAY I VOLUNTEER MY TIME TO COME AND ASSIST WITH THOSE THINGS.
SO, AND I HAD A GRANT LAST YEAR FOR $38,000 TO HELP.
I WOULD NEED A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO APPLY FOR THAT GRANT AGAIN, BUT THERE ARE AVENUES TO GET THAT STARTED NOW, AND IF Y'ALL WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT EVEN BEFORE TWO OR THREE YEARS OF A SHELTER BEING BILLED.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR, UH, PASSION, AND WE THANK YOU FOR INFORMATION.
OUR STAFF WILL FURTHER INFORM US AND ADVISE US ON HOW WE ARE GOING TO PROCEED.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? OKAY, NOW WE CAN MOVE TO
[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
PAGE THREE.AND, UH, EXPRESSIONS OF THANKS.
UH, AT THIS TIME, IT BE ABOUT, UH, PROBABLY SEVEN DAYS, PROBABLY, UH, PRIOR TO ACTUALLY, UH, FORMALLY DOING THIS.
BUT, UH, AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, I WOULD WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK COUNCILWOMAN CHARLOTTE MOSES FOR HOW MANY YEARS OF SERVICE? SEVEN, SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND I'M GONNA ASK IF YOU CAN STAND ALONG WITH ME AS WE CONGRATULATE HER.
NOW, WE DO THIS ON THIS EVENING BECAUSE SHE WILL NOT BE PRESENT ON THE 17TH WHEN THE ACTUAL FORMAL, UH, ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE AND THE CHANGING OF THE GUARDS WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE.
BUT BECAUSE SHE HAS A PRIOR COMMITMENT, AND SHE DID TELL ME, AND I'M GLAD THAT SHE DID HER FLOWER, ALBERT, AND, UH, HER KISS AND EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD'VE TO BE DONE ON THAT DATE AT THAT TIME, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T READY FOR ALL OF THAT TONIGHT.
I JUST FOUND OUT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT SHE WOULDN'T BE HERE.
BUT, UH, CHARLOTTE, I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT AS MAYOR, I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR DISAGREEMENTS.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU HAVE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE THINKING IN A ROOM, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO THINK ON THE SAME LEVEL.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH INTELLIGENCE TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE FOUR YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.
I KNOW THAT THE CITIZENS APPRECIATE YOU BECAUSE THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO REELECT YOU, AND THE CITIZENS APPRECIATE YOU BECAUSE AS YOUR COHORT, THEY WERE SORT OF UPSET THAT YOU ALL DIDN'T WANT TO RUN AGAIN.
BUT, UH, THAT BE THAT AS MATE, WE ARE ECSTATIC AND WE ARE SORRY THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE HERE TO GET YOUR FLOWER AND YOUR CAKE AND YOUR KIDS.
[01:45:01]
OKAY,UM, I WAS, UM, DIDN'T THINK I WOULD, AGAIN, ALMOST RENDERED SPEECHLESS, BUT, UM, I ALWAYS HAVE SOME WORDS TO SAY.
I'VE ALWAYS GOTTEN THIS LITTLE AWARD IN SCHOOL.
SO, UH, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL FOR THE LAST, UM, I WAS ELECTED NOVEMBER OF 2015.
UM, AND EVEN PRIOR TO BEING ELECTED AS A CITY COUNCIL PERSON, I WAS ABLE TO SERVE ON THE EDC FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, UH, PRIOR TO COMING ON COUNCIL.
AND THEN PRIOR TO THAT, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING IN HUMAN RESOURCES FROM OCTOBER OF 1988 UNTIL 2007.
SO, THE CITY HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF MY LIFE, ALL MY LIFE, AND I'VE ENJOYED THE, UH, THE JOURNEY.
I SAID I WASN'T GONNA DO IT, AND I CRY
BUT, UM, WHEN YOU SEE YOUR PASSION, UM, HUMAN RESOURCES, I WAS ABLE TO HIRE PEOPLE AND SEE THE BENEFIT OF THEM STILL WORKING, EVEN SOME OF THEM TODAY.
UM, IT'S JUST BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE, UH, JUST AN HONOR TO HELP PEOPLE TO SEE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A JOB OR ABLE TO WORK A DRIVE, A DUMP TRUCK.
IF YOU, UH, WORKED IN HR WHERE I STARTED, UM, WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS, I NEED A JOB, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, UM, I MADE IT.
I, I BEGGED LITERALLY, UH, TO HIRE PEOPLE TO ASK MY BOSS.
THIGPEN WAS MY BOSS BACK THEN.
NOW I GET TO TURN TABLES ON HIM.
I'VE BEEN HIS BOSS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
BUT, UM, I WOULD GO AND JUST SAY, THIS PERSON NEEDS A JOB.
LET'S DO THE BACKGROUND, LET'S DO THE, THE, AND THEY GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO THINK FOR MYSELF AND, UM, TO, UM, IS THIS A GOOD FIT? YOU KNOW? AND DO THE BACKGROUND, DO THE WORK.
AND IF YOU DO THE WORK AND THE REWARD IS COMING, BUT YOU HAVE TO DO THE WORK.
I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THE WORK AT THE CITY FROM THE TIME I WAS EMPLOYED.
UH, THEN THE TIME I SERVED ON EDC, YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK.
UM, I DIDN'T COME, I DON'T COME ASKING OR CALLING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I READ AND STUDY THE AGENDA, COME UP AND TRY MY BEST TO BE PREPARED FOR WHAT IS, UH, ON THE AGENDA.
I SAY WHAT I THINK, UM, OR WHAT CONSTITUENTS REALLY, UM, WHAT I'VE SEEN.
I GO TO THE SCENE, I GO AND DRIVE THERE, LOOK AT IT, VIEW IT FOR MYSELF SO THAT I CAN KNOW I CAN'T LIVE OFF OF ANYONE ELSE'S KNOWLEDGE.
I LIVE OFF OF WHAT I SEE AND WHAT I CAN SPEAK FROM THE HEART, WHETHER IT'S RIGHT, WRONG, INDIFFERENT, IT COULD BE MY MAMA.
AND SHE KNOWS, UM, I, I SPEAK WHAT I THINK I'M SUPPOSED TO AND FROM THE HEART, AND I'VE SERVED THAT WAY.
UM, IN THE SEVEN, LAST SEVEN YEARS OF SERVING ON COUNCIL, UM, I TAKE IT VERY SERIOUS AND THEY COULD CHECK MY TRACK RECORD.
AS FAR AS ABSENTEEISM, I DON'T THINK I HAVE THREE FULL DAYS.
UH, IN THE SEVEN YEARS OF BEING ABSENT FROM CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, MY SON WAS HAVING SURGERY AND I HAD A HARD TIME LEAVING EXECUTIVE SESSION TO GO AND SEE THAT, BECAUSE I TAKE THE CITIZENS AND THE CITY VERY SERIOUS.
UM, WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH, WHAT YOU'VE DEALT WITH, WHAT PORT ARTHUR HAS DEALT WITH.
WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, THERE WAS NO MONEY FOR STREETS.
WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, THERE WAS NO INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO I'VE WORKED HARD TO SEE SOME OF THOSE THINGS PUT INTO PLACE.
WE HAVE, WE'RE GOING FORWARD NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE THINK, WE HAVE MONEY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND MONEY FOR STREETS.
BUT TO SEE WHAT OUR CITIZENS DESERVED IN THIS CITY, I WANTED TO SEE IT LOOK LIKE HOUSTON OR IT LOOKED LIKE BAYTOWN.
THE COMPARATIVE CITIES THAT WE WOULD DO STUDIES WITH.
YOU SHOULDN'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS.
ANYBODY SITTING IN A SEAT UP HERE, IT'S IN A LOW PLACE.
THIS IS, WE SIT HIGH, BUT IT'S A LOW PLACE BECAUSE IF YOU HEART, IF YOUR HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE, IT IS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT ABOUT THE CITIZENS.
IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR ACCOLADES, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR TITLES.
AND I'M THANKFUL FOR WHERE THE CITY IS HEADED FROM 2015 TO 2023, I SEE A DIFFERENCE.
AND WE'RE HEADED IN A GOOD PLACE.
I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS, BUT Y'ALL, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AND YOU GO BACK AND I'M
[01:50:01]
TALKING EVERY CITIZEN ONLINE, EVERY CITIZEN SITTING IN HERE, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY WITH THIS COUNCIL.I'VE BEEN A PART OF THE ARGUMENTS IN THE EARLY ON DAYS, BEEN A PART OF THE FIGHTS, BUT THE LAST FEW YEARS OF SERVING ON COUNCIL, YOU'VE NOT SEEN THAT PUBLICLY.
YOU DESERVE US TO GET, FOR US TO GET ALONG, FOR US TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
AND WE MAY NOT ALL AGREE ON THE SAME THING, BUT THEY HAVE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY.
I'VE ENJOYED MY TIME WITH THE STAFF, THE CITY MANAGER.
RON, YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.
YOU CAME IN A TOUGH TIME AND HE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.
WE'VE DEALT WITH HARVEY, HURRICANE HARVEY FROM 2017 TO COVID, AND WE STILL KEPT MOVING.
THESE WORKERS HAVE WORKED THEMSELVES HARD, THEY'VE WORKED HARD.
AND I'M APPRECIATIVE TO EVERY STAFF MEMBER TO THE COUNCIL THAT I'VE SERVED WITH, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME INTERRUPT THEM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, CUTTING THEM OFF IN MERE SENTENCE, SAYING, THAT'S NOT RIGHT,
AND SO THEY'VE TOLERATED, UM, ME, BUT THEY KNOW THAT I'M VERY SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO HELP DO.
NOT ONE, ANY ONE PERSON CAN DO ANYTHING ON COUNCIL.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF POWER.
IT TAKES A VOTE OF FOUR TO GET ANYTHING ACCOMPLISHED.
SO ANYBODY COMING THINKING THAT I'M GONNA DO THIS OR I'M GONNA DO THAT, THEY'RE SORELY MIS THEY MISUNDERSTAND THE JOB.
IT'S ABOUT COMING TOGETHER, WORKING TOGETHER, AND WORKING AS A UNIT.
I'M SO THANKFUL AS I LOOK OUT AND SEE THE STAFF, THE CHANGES AND THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED FROM 20 19 88 AS AN EMPLOYEE, 20 13, 20 12, 20 13 14, SERVING ON THE EDC, AND THEN SERVING ON COUNCIL FROM THE TIME I WAS ELECTED IN 2015 UNTIL 2023, WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESSION TO THE ENTIRE STAFF AND TO EVERYBODY HERE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR TO MY HUSBAND, WHO IS, UM, HERE.
HE COMES TO MEETINGS QUITE OFTEN SOMETIMES, BUT BABY, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE, GIVING ME YOUR PERMISSION.
UM, AND HE HAS TO, UH, ALLOW ME TO SERVE AND MISS FROM SOME FAMILY FUNCTIONS, SOME OTHER THINGS, UM, THAT HE'S ALLOWED ME TO, TO JUST BE HERE AND FREE TO BE ME.
HE'S ALLOWED ME TO BE FREE TO BE CHARLOTTE.
WE'VE BEEN MARRIED ALMOST 40 YEARS, AND I LOVE HIM TO DEATH.
AND I THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE BRINGS TO MY LIFE AND TO MY SON, WHO'S BACK THERE IN THE BACK, ASHTON, HE JUST WALKED IN WITH OUR GRANDDAUGHTER.
UM, ARINA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, JUST ALLOWING ME TO SERVE AND ALWAYS ASKING ME AND BEING INTERESTED IN, MOM, WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON? SO THANK YOU.
AND TO EVERYBODY HERE, I'M GONNA MISS YOU.
I'M GONNA MISS THESE MEETINGS.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
CAN YOU COME UP HERE PLEASE? OH GOD, NO.
I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING I WANT TO DO.
I WANT YOU TO SIT WITH YOUR GRANDMOTHER FOR A SECOND BECAUSE SHE YEAH.
THEY CAN TAKE AN OFFICIAL PICTURE OF HER WITH HER GRANDMOTHER UP HERE.
YOU WANNA SIT IN THAT? SHARE OUR DREAM
OH, YOU GO NOW AND LOOK AT ADRIAN.
AND WE GONNA CONDUCT BUSINESS.
WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE RECOGNITION.
WE, SO WE, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE OUR COLLEAGUES, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO SHE JUST, YEAH, SHE CAN SEE.
[01:55:01]
QUIET.WELL, YOU MIND IF I START, UH, THERE? GO AHEAD.
I WROTE SOME THINGS ON MY LEDGER AND THE FIRST THING, UH, WE WERE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, I SAID, YOU BETTER NOT GET UP THERE AND CRY.
WHAT'S THE FIRST THING SHE DID?
SHE'S A PERSON OF STRONG FAITH, UH, STRONG SERVICE.
IF YOU GUYS DIDN'T PICK THAT UP,
AND SOMETIMES IT DIDN'T JUST GO LIKE WE PLANNED.
AND THE FIRST THING, THE NEXT MORNING SHE'S CALLING ME SAYING, I'M GONNA CALL YOU ANYWAY, BECAUSE I'M NOT THROUGH WHAT I HAD TO TELL YOU LAST NIGHT.
SHE'S A PERSON THAT HAS STRONG FAITH ACTIONS.
AND IT'S GONNA BE HARD FOR ME TO NOT SEE HER SITTING TO MY RIGHT OR CALLING HER.
SHE SAYS SHE'S GONNA BE A PHONE CALL AWAY.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE HER UP ON AN OFFER.
AND I WANT TO TELL YOU PERSONALLY, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, IT'S GONNA, YOU WILL BE MISSED ON ITS DIOCESE.
JUST THANK, LET ME MAY I MAYOR, UM, ON THIS COUNCIL IS, IT'S ONLY A SNAPSHOT OF THE RELATIONSHIP, CHARLOTTE, THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, AND WE HAVE, UM, EVERY TIME YOU CAME TO COUNCIL MEETING, I WOULD STAND AND HELP YOU IN YOUR CHAIR.
AND I DIDN'T DO THAT JUST BECAUSE, UM, MY, MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME.
WELL, I DID IT BECAUSE YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A LADY AND YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN, UM, MY FRATERNITY BROTHER'S LOVE AND A SILHOUETTE, UH, TO HIM, UH, OF OUR FRATERNITY.
I'M HONORED BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIP EXTENDS SO FAR BEYOND CITY COUNCIL.
I'M GRATEFUL THAT MY NAME IS ON YOUR ORDINATION AND THAT, UH, WHEN, WHEN IT WAS UNPOPULAR TO ORDAINED WOMEN, UH, IN OUR FAITH THAT YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND CAME, AND WE'VE PUT OUR NAME AND, AND, AND WE'RE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT GOD WAS DOING IN YOUR LIFE.
AND WE GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO FIRST SIXTH STREET AND ALL OF THOSE WAYS, RAISING OUR CHILDREN TOGETHER AND ALL OF THAT.
CHARLOTTE, YOU'RE, YOU ARE A WONDERFUL PERSON.
AND YOUR CREDIT TO THIS CITY, UH, YOUR CREDIT TO YOUR FAMILY, UH, YOUR CREDIT TO WHAT PORT ARTHUR IS BECOMING, AND YOU HAVE PLACED YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FINGERPRINT ON PORT ARTHUR WITH CHARLOTTE'S CUPBOARD AND ALL THAT YOU DO, AND NOW SELLING HOMES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DO, DON'T STOP CHARLOTTE.
CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND CONTINUE TO BE, UH, THE PART OF OUR CITY THAT IS THE HEARTBEAT.
WE LOVE YOU AND WE APPRECIATE YOU.
WELL, CHARLOTTE, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH YOU.
YOU ARE AN AMAZING WOMAN, UM, HIGHLY RESPECTED BY SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ELOQUENT IN WHAT YOU SAID.
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN TRUTHFUL IN WHAT YOU SAID.
AND WHEN YOU WERE APPOINTED OR WHEN YOU WERE ELECTED BY THE CITY TO COUNCIL, I WAS APPOINTED TO EDC.
SO I FOLLOWED YOU TO COUNCIL, AND IT'S BEEN AN ABSOLUTE HONOR TO SERVE WITH YOU.
YOU HAVE TRULY REPRESENTED EVERYTHING THAT THIS CITY DESERVED, AND YOU FOUGHT FOR SO MANY THINGS, NOT ONLY IN THIS CITY, BUT FOR WOMEN.
I APPRECIATE YOU AND I LOVE YOU, MY SISTER CHARLOTTE.
WE HAVE NOT SPENT AS MUCH TIME TOGETHER AS THE REST OF OUR COLLEAGUES, BUT IN THE SHORT TIME THAT WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER, WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A COMMITTED PASSION TO DOING THE WORK THAT IS REQUIRED FOR US TO MOVE THE CITY FORWARD.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE SHARED.
[02:00:01]
I GUESS I DON'T WANT TO USE THE TERM, I GUESS WHEN WE'VE DISAGREED, WE WERE NOT DISAGREEABLE MM-HMM.AND THAT'S THE KEY TO GETTING ANYTHING DONE.
AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE TENETS OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS COUNCIL.
WHEN INGRID AND I CAME ON BOARD, ONE OF THE EDICTS FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS TO, TO, TO TONE DOWN WHAT WAS GOING ON IN PUBLIC SESSION.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE'VE HAD SOME KNOCKDOWN DRAG OUTS IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE CONTINUALLY FORWARD.
AND AGAIN, BE DISAGREE, BUT NOT BE DISAGREEABLE.
YOU'VE BEEN ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THIS PARTICULAR COUNCIL, ALONGSIDE THE MAYOR.
YOU'VE TAUGHT US ABOUT THE, THE CORE, THE THE CORE ROOM THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO, TO CARRY ON WITH EVERY DAY.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU.
AND WE'LL, WE WON'T, WE WON'T, WE WON'T SAY GOODBYE BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA SEE YOU IN A SHORT TIME.
COUNCIL, MOSES, IT'S, IT'S BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU AS PART OF A TEAM THAT CARES SO DEEPLY ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE CITY, OF PORT ARTHUR.
WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE IS BLESSED WITH INSIGHT.
AS A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, I HAVE SEEN IT RESONATE IN THE BOARDROOM DOWNSTAIRS AS YOU CONTINUE TO SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE, YOUR INSIGHT, AND YOUR INSPIRATION AS AN EMPLOYEE AND AS A COUNSELOR.
AND THAT HAS BEEN VERY DEEP AND TRANSCENDING NOT ONLY FOR ME, BUT FOR THE TEAM.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY DEEPLY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO ALL OF US AT THE DAYS.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, THE PASSION THAT YOU HAVE WIELDED IN THE BOARDROOM FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITIZEN, BOTH YOU AND MS. HOLMES.
I KNOW MS. HOLMES WILL COME BACK ON THE 17TH, BUT YOU WON'T, YOU WON'T BE PRESENT.
BOTH YOU AND MS. HOLMES, YOU ARE TRULY THE EMBODIMENT OF SPIRITED WOMEN WHO CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT THIS CITY.
AND IT'S REFLECTED IN THE EMPLOYEES AND THE CHARGE THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN ORDER TO MOVE THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CITY.
AND SO YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED FOR WHAT BOTH OF YOU ALL HAVE BROUGHT, WHAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT CHARLOTTE AS WELL.
COUNCILWOMAN MOSES, WE THANK YOU.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? YOUR ATTORNEY? I'M SORRY.
I JUST WANTED TO ALSO THANK YOU.
UM, I THINK I AGREE WITH EVERY, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE SAYS, BUT JUST, I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HERE, WE'RE ALL FROM PORT ARTHUR.
WE ALL GREW UP HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, EVERYONE DOESN'T PARTICIPATE IN TRYING TO MAKE PORT ARTHUR BETTER.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CONSTANTLY HAVE BAD THINGS TO SAY AND DON'T WANT TO GET UP AND TRY.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE CONTINUOUSLY FOUGHT FOR THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, YOU HAVE DONE IT, UM, WITH GREAT PASSION.
AND WE KNOW THAT YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THE CITY.
UH, YOU DON'T JUST WORK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
YOU WORK IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE COMMUNITY AND YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY FIGHT FOR THE THINGS YOU BELIEVE IN.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CITY IS SOMETHING THAT ALL CITIZENS, EVEN LIKE YOU HAVE YOUR YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTER HERE, SHOULD, SHOULD MODEL AFTER BECAUSE
[02:05:01]
YOU DO CARE ABOUT THE CITY AND YOU'VE WORKED VERY HARD.AND, UH, I JUST THANK YOU FOR THE COMMITMENT, UM, AND THE CARING THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WELL, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN MOSES AGAIN, AND THANK YOU SO MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR DOING THIS.
SHE HAD HER OWN, IT WASN'T EVEN PUBLISHED
SO THAT'S HOW, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA]
UH, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, NO UNFINISHED BUSINESS.NEXT WE HAVE THE ACTUAL CONSENT AGENDA AND THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY PAGES WE HAVE ON IT OR HOW MANY ITEMS WOULD BE ON, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT THERE ARE ITEMS THERE AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY ITEMS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE WITHDRAWN AN ACCURATE ON INDIVIDUALLY, WE ARE READY TO ENTERTAIN THOSE AND DO THOSE INDIVIDUALLY.
IF THERE WOULD BE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS THAT, UH, COUNCILS WANT REMOVED.
ANY OTHERS? ANY OTHER ITEMS? ANY OTHER ITEMS? OKAY.
SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS HAVE A MOTION WITH, UH, THE FOUR, THE EXCEPTIONS OF THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF ITEM A NUMBER TWO ON, UH, THE PRINTED AGENDA.
MAY I GET A MOTION? UH, MAYOR PROTE, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN? UH, KEN LAW.
SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCLUSION OF ITEM A TWO ON PAGE FOUR.
HAVE SO RESULT OF THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED AND READ NOW FOR THE ITEMS,
[VII.A (A2) Request For Pre-Approval Of Travel Pursuant To 78-269 (b)(8) Of The Code Of Ordinances]
UH, ITEM ONE ITEM THAT WAS WITHDRAWN IS ON PAGE FOUR.IT'S A REQUEST FOR A PRE-APPROVAL OF TRAVEL PURSUANT TO 78, UH, DASH, UH, 2 69, SUBSECTION B, SUBSECTION, UH, B EIGHT OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, UH, PRESENTED BY MAYOR BARCHI FOR THE NBC LEO SUMMER CONFERENCE IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI ON JUNE 13TH THROUGH JUNE 16TH AND 2023.
AND THIS, UH, PRINTED AMOUNT THERE, IF $2,189 AND 10 CENT, BUT AS I'M PRESENTING THIS FOR A MOTION, THAT, UH, NUMBER WOULD BE ACTUALLY AMENDED TO $1,939 AND 10 CENT.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN MARK? SO MOVE.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK? OH, HE, I'M SORRY.
UH, WE'RE READY FOR, UH, QUESTION.
UH, YEAH, I'LL, YEAH, MAYOR, UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS A TRAVEL REQUEST FOR A PRE-APPROVAL FOR, UM, N NBC LEO, WHICH IS A CONSTITUENCY GROUP OF OUR N L C UM, CONFERENCE, AS WE HAVE OTHER CONSTITUENCY GROUPS AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S SEVERAL CONFERENCES THAT, UM, THAT WE ATTEND.
AND I BELIEVE I'M ONE THAT BELIEVES THAT WHEN YOU GO, YOU GROW.
BUT I HAVE TO SAY THIS THOUGH, MY DEPARTURE THAT, UM, WE ARE FRIENDS, BUT I, THIS, I'M OF COURSE AS EVERYBODY KNOW, WE'RE FRIENDS, BUT TO ME, I'M, I'M ALWAYS GONNA SAY WHAT I HAVE TO SAY,
SO BASICALLY, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER OF OUR GROUPS AND ALL THAT WE DO BECAUSE YOU LEARN FROM THEM.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE TO POLICE OURSELVES AND TO KNOW WE HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE.
IT'S A TRAVEL POLICY THAT WE PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE OF FREQUENT TRAVEL, UH, IN THE PAST.
AND SO WE HAD A TEAM, UM, FROM THIS COMMITTEE, FROM THIS COUNCIL TO PUT A TRAVEL POLICY TOGETHER.
AND, UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MAYORS CONFERENCES.
WE'VE HAD OUR NLC CONFERENCE, WE'VE HAD OUR DC CONFERENCES, UM, AND THEY'RE, WE'RE ONLY IN MAY.
WE HAVE PLENTY MORE CONFERENCES TO GO TML OTHER CONFERENCES I'M NOT IN AGREEMENT TO.
I THINK WE NEED TO SELECT THE CONFERENCES WE'RE GONNA GO TO BEFORE
[02:10:01]
THE YEAR BEGINS AND POLICE OURSELVES AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO KNOW THAT TAXPAYERS DOLLARS ARE BEING SPLIT SPENT EFFICIENTLY AND THAT WE'VE DECIDED WHICH CONFERENCES WE'RE GOING TO ATTEND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.UM, I KNOW THAT THE NEW POLICY, OR THE POLICY WE PUT IN PLACE TWO YEARS AGO GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING TO COUNCIL WHATEVER CONFERENCE YOU WANT TO ATTEND.
BUT WE DO HAVE SEVERAL CONFERENCES THAT ARE ALREADY PRE-PLANNED.
WE HAVE NLC, AND WE HAVE ONE MORE, UM, AUSTIN, UM, THAT THEY'RE PRE-APPROVED, THEN YOU NEED NO, UM, YOU DON'T NEED TO COME TO THE COUNCIL AND ASK TO GO TO ANY OF THOSE, BUT THESE ARE CONSTITUENCY GROUPS.
I SEE THAT AS WOMEN BECAUSE THEY HAVE WOMEN IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
SO IF I WANT TO GO TO THEIR CONFERENCE AND I WOULD LET TML GO AND, AND, AND THEN ATTEND THIS CONFERENCE.
SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THAT I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF YOU.
I KNOW WE HAD THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYOR'S CONFERENCE, YOU'VE HAD THE OTHER, THE, UH, MAYOR'S CONFERENCE THAT'S IN JANUARY.
WE HAD NLC CONFERENCE THIS YEAR.
BUT I BELIEVE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE HAVE TO POLICE OURSELVES AND SET A PRECEDENT FOR TRAVEL TO NOT SPEND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A VERY EXPENSIVE CONFERENCE, I'LL SAY THAT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU GO, YOU GROW.
I JUST BELIEVE YOU HAVE TO BE SELECTIVE IN WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO GO TO.
SO MY VOTE IS NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS CONFERENCE.
AND I'D LIKE TO DO A ROLL CALL VOTE.
AND, UH, FOR AN EXPLANATION ON THIS, AND THE REASON I DID REQUEST THE FUNDS WHEN, UH, I DID RECEIVE, UH, APPROVAL FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYOR'S CONFERENCE IN THINK APPROVAL WAS DONE.
I FORGOT WHEN IT WAS DONE IN JANUARY, OR, OR, UH, I BELIEVE IT.
NO, BUT I MEAN, BUT WHEN, WHEN APPROVAL WAS DONE.
UH, THE AMOUNT FOR THAT CONFERENCE CAME TO ABOUT $5,700 AND THAT WAS THE FULL AMOUNT FOR THE CONFERENCE.
WHAT I WAS ABLE TO DO, UH, WITH THE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION, HE ALLOWED ME TO, TO, UH, PETITION THE GROUP AND RECEIVE, UH, WHAT WE CALL, UH, IN, IN THE MAYOR'S GROUP OF SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE REGISTRATION, WHICH WAS $2,700, WHICH MADE WHATEVER THE CITY'S EXPENSES WERE FOR MY GOING TO THAT CONFERENCE, 2700, 20 $700 LESS BECAUSE I DID NOT NEED TO USE THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE I RE I RECEIVED THAT FROM, UH, PRESIDENT SCOTT WHEN I RETURNED.
I KNEW THAT, UM, AND I, I DIDN'T MENTION IT CUZ I WANTED TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE FIRST AND BE SURE THAT IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN I GOT THERE, BECAUSE IF NOT, I HAD ALREADY LET, UH, CHRISTIAN KNOW IF I GET THERE AND THEY SAY THAT, THAT I'M, I NOT REGISTERED AND YOU OUGHT TO JUST PAY UP THE REGISTRATION.
WELL, IT HAPPENED AND, AND I WAS ABLE TO NOT BE ABLE, I MEAN, NOT USE THOSE FUNDS.
SO THOSE FUNDS WERE STILL ACTUALLY AVAILABLE FOR ME AND TO ME, UH, I AM A, A, UM, A NATIONAL OFFICER.
I'M, SO THAT MAKES ME BE A BOARD MEMBER AS WELL OF N B C LEO AND I REPRESENT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ON IT.
NOW, I DID ATTEND, ATTEND THE CONFERENCE ON LAST YEAR, AND, UH, I, UH, TOOK CARE OF MY OWN EXPENSES IN NASHVILLE, UH, AT THAT CONFERENCE.
HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME FUNDS REMAINING FROM A PREVIOUS TRIP THAT I DID NOT USE, AND I WAS JUST ASKING, OR I I AM ASKING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO USE, UH, 1900 OF THE 2,700 THAT'S BASICALLY, UH, UH, LEFT OVER TO APPLY TO THE SUMMER CONFERENCE IN, UH, JACKSON.
AND, UH, AS I SAID, THE REASON I'M ASKING IT IS BECAUSE THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE AND BECAUSE I AM A NATIONAL OFFICER AND I DO REPRESENT THE CITY OF PORT OFFICE WHILE I AM THERE.
SO I JUST FORGIVE THAT AS AN EXPLANATION TO EVERYONE AND EVEN TO THE COUNCIL HERE.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN OFFICER, I JUST MAY, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE BECAUSE YOU DID NOT SPEND IT PREVIOUSLY.
RIGHT? SO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US IS FOR PERMISSION TO GO ON THE TRIP, BUT THE, THE MONEY HAS WOULD, IT HADN'T BEEN SPENT, BUT IT WAS APPROVED, RIGHT? PREVIOUSLY IT WAS APPROVED FOR ANOTHER TRIP.
IT WAS FUNDS REP REPURPOSING THE FUNDS THAT, YEAH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON IT? OKAY.
[02:15:01]
MAYOR PRO.AND WHAT, WHAT WAS THE LAST
NOW, UH, WE'LL MOVE TO THE FIND THE PAGE, PAGE EIGHT
[VIII.A (4) P.R. No. 23150 - A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Director Or Directors To The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation (Requested By Councilmember Frank)]
OF THE, UH, NON-CONSENT AGENDA ON PAGE EIGHT.MAYOR, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR, I HAVE TO LEAVE.
MAY I ASK THAT WE MOVE TO PR NUMBER 23 1 50? IT IS MY ITEM UNDER THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA SO THAT I MIGHT LEAVE.
WHAT PAGE IS ON PAGE NINE? UM, IT IS A RESOLUTION APPOINTING MEMBERS TO THE PORT ARTHUR? NO, APPOINTING 23.
ONE 50 NUMBER FOUR ON PAGE NINE.
UH, ON THE NON CONSENT AGENDA, WE HAVE, UH, NUMBER FOUR ON PAGE NINE.
THAT'S THE ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
IT'S A RESOLUTION APPOINTED AND, UH, REAPPOINTED, THE DIRECTOR OR DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF PORT PORT ARTHUR, SECTION FOUR.
A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
FRANK, UM, MAY I GET A MOTION MOVED? MAY I GET A SECOND? SECOND IS REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 150.
ARE THOSE IN FAVOR? ANY QUESTIONS ON IT? NO, MA'AM.
I'M SIMPLY SEEKING TO REMOVE MY APPOINTEE, UH, AND WILL BE DESIGNATING A INDIVIDUAL IN THE FUTURE.
WOULD YOU WANT AN IMMEDIATE REMOVAL TODAY? YES.
WE, UH, READY FOR VOTING? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY THE OPPOSERS COULD AYE HAVE IT FOR HIS ORDERED PR NUMBER 23 150, UH, IS APPROVED.
UH, NOW WE WILL GO BACK TO PAGE EIGHT.
[VIII.A (1) P.R. No. 23093 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With Fittz & Shipman, Inc., Of Beaumont, Texas, For The Sabine Pass Boat Ramp Improvement Project In Sabine Pass, Texas, For The Amount Of $69,600.00. Funding Is Provided Through A Grant From The Texas Parks And Wildlife Department (TPWD) And Is Available In Account 152-60-415 8525-00-00-000; Project No. PR0007]
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH, UH, FITZ AND SHIPMAN INCORPORATED BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE SABINE PASS BOAT RAMP, UH, IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IN SABINE PASS, TEXAS FOR THE AMOUNT OF 69,000.FUNDING IS PROVIDED THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, UH, DEPARTMENT, T P W D AND IS AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNTANT NUMBER ONE 50 DASH 60 DASH FOUR 15 DASH 85 25 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO.
AND THIS IS PROJECT NUMBER P R 0 0 0 7.
UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? UH, MAY I APPROACH HIM? SOME MOVED.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN? UH, KEN LAW SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 0 93 AS READ.
UH, WE READY FOR QUESTION AND THE QUESTIONS READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ORDER PR NUMBER 2393 IS APPROVED.
[VIII.A (2) P.R. No. 23128 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Contract With King Solutions Of Houston, Texas, For The Pipebursting Of Sanitary Sewer Mains In Port Arthur, Texas With A Total Projected Budgetary Amount Of $1,419,884.00; Funding Available In Account No. 405-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Project No. WS0016-CON]
23 1 28.IT'S THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH KING SOLUTIONS OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR THE PIPE BURSTING OF, UH, SANITARY SEWER MAINS IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, WITH A TOTAL PROJECTED BUDGETARY AMOUNT OF $1,419,884.
FUNDING AVAILABLE ACCOUNT AND IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 5 DASH FOUR DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 85 16 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 0 0 0 0 0.
AND PROJECT, UH, NUMBER WS 0 0 16 DASH, UH, C O N CONSTRUCTION NUMBER.
AND WE NEED, UH, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCIL MOSES? SECOND.
SECOND THAT WE WILL APPROVE P R NUMBER 23 128 AS READ, WE ARE READY FOR, UH, QUESTION.
READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
SO AS ORDERED, WE WOULD APPROVE PR
[02:20:01]
NUMBER 23 1 28 AS READ.[VIII.A (3) P.R. No. 23129 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With Tanksco, Inc. Of Fort Worth, Texas For The Rehabilitation Of The Elevated Storage Tank At Railroad Avenue And Thomas Boulevard, With A Not-To-Exceed Amount Of $919,740.00; Funds Are Available In Account No. 405-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Water System. PROJ# WS0013-CON]
WE HAVE PR NUMBER 23 1 29, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH TANKS CODE INCORPORATED A FOURTH WORTH TEXAS FOR THE REHABILITATION OF THE ELEVATED STORAGE TANK AT RAILROAD AVENUE AND THOMAS BOULEVARD WITH A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $919,740.FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 5 DASH FOUR DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 8 5 16 DASH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.
WATER SYSTEMS IN THIS PROJECT, UH, NUMBER WS 0 0 13 DASH CON.
UH, WE'RE READY FOR A MOTION, UH, FOR APPROVAL.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 23 1 29 IS READY, READY FOR QUESTION? AND ANY QUESTIONS READY FOR VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
NEXT WE HAVE PR NUMBER 23 1 50, THE RESOLUTION.
OH, BEST ONE WE'VE ALREADY DONE.
[VIII.B (1) P.O. No. 7142 – An Ordinance By The City Of Port Arthur, Texas (“City") Authorizing The Settlement Of The Proposed Rate Increase Of Entergy Texas, Inc.; Finding That The Meeting Complies With The Open Meetings Act; Making Other Findings And Provisions Related To The Subject; And Declaring An Effective Date]
UH, NUMBER 71 42, AN ORDINANCE BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS AUTHORIZING THE SETTLEMENT OF THE PROPOSED RATE INCREASE OF ENERGY, UH, TEXAS INCORPORATED.FINDING THAT THE MEETING COMPLIES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, MAKING, EXCUSE ME, MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? GO MOVE.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 71 42 AS READY.
READY FOR QUESTION? I HAD A COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE.
I JUST DID WANNA POINT THIS OUT.
I WANTED TO, UH, THANK OUR STEERING COMMITTEE GROUP.
ORIGINALLY, ENERGY HAD ASKED FOR A RATE INCREASE OF $131 MILLION.
AND WE HAVE A STEERING COMMITTEE, AS YOU SEE ON THE ATTACHED LETTER OF, OF ABOUT, I COUNTED 49 CITIES IN THIS AREA AND WE ALL GOT TOGETHER AND OPPOSED THAT.
AND SO THE RATE INCREASE WILL NOT BE 131 MILLION.
THE RATE INCREASE WILL ONLY BE 54 MILLION.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF POINT OUT THAT ALL THESE CITIES, UH, STUCK TOGETHER AND, UH, TO SAVE THE, UM, RESIDENTIAL ELECTRIC BILL INCREASE, UH, BY QUITE A BIT OF, UH, SAVE THE CITIZENS AND OF ALL THESE, UH, 49 CITIES, QUITE A BIT OF MONEY CUZ 54 MILLION IS A WHOLE LOT LESS THAN WHAT THEY WANTED.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE COMMITTEE.
UH, WE READY? UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON, ARE YOU READY AS WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[VIII.B (2) P.O. No. 7145 – An Ordinance Amending Appendix A: Zoning Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur By Granting Specific Use Permit 242 (SUP #242) On Approximately 0.0879-Acre Of Land, A Portion Of Lot 1, Block 1, Keith Marroquin Tract (3640 Professional Drive), Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas (Violation Of This Ordinance Or The Zoning Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur Is Punishable As Provided In Section 1-13 Of The Code Of Ordinances As Amended By Fine Not Exceeding Two Thousand [$2,000.00] Dollars); And Providing For Publication In The Official Newspaper Of The City Of Port Arthur Effective Immediately After Publication Date.]
NUMBER 71 45 IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AIX, A ZONING, UH, ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR BY GRANTING SPECIFIC USE, UH, PERMIT 2242, UH, SUPPLEMENTARY NUMBER ONE, I MEAN 2 42 ON APPROXIMATELY, UH, 0.0879 ACRES OF LAND, A PORTION OF LOT ONE BLOCK ONE KEITH AMERICAN TRACK ARE 36 40 PROFESSIONAL DRIVE PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, UH, VIOLATION OF THIS ORDINANCE, OR THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS PUNISHABLE AS PROVIDED IN SECTION ONE DASH 13 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES AS AMENDED.BUT, UH, BY FINE NOT EXCEEDING, UH, $2,000 AND PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AFTER PUBLICATION.
AND IT'S, UH, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE OTHER PART THAT'S THERE MAY, UH, LOOKING FOR A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 7 1 45.
NOW WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN, UM, IN EXEC.
SO IS THIS THE POINT THAT WE HAVE? YOU HAVE TO GIVE A RECOMMENDATION TO P AND Z AND WHAT WOULD THE RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE A, I DON'T WANT TO, UH, MAKE A DECISION ACTUALLY NOT HA HAVING THAT FOR RECORD.
AND MR. BEAN, UH, HAD RECORD ALSO POINTED OUT, UH, THAT THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, I BELIEVE RECOMMENDED DENIAL.
AM I RIGHT MR. BEAN? AND SO, UH, THEY MET AND THEY RECOMMENDED DENIAL.
SO IT WOULD TAKE, UM, SUPER MAJORITY, A SUPER MAJORITY IN ORDER TO OVERRIDE THAT.
[02:25:01]
JUST VOTE TONIGHT.THIS IS ASKING THE, YOUR RESOLUTION, THE ORDINANCE IS TO APPROVE IT.
SO THEY, THEY ASK THAT IT NOT BE APPROVED.
SO, UM, IF YOU VOTE YES, YOU WOULD VOTE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT P AND Z SAID.
IF YOU VOTE NO, THAT'S WHY WANTED TO GET THAT.
YEAH, IT'S KIND OF CONFUSING, RIGHT? SEE, CAUSE THIS IS TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE, RIGHT? SO IT WOULD TAKE A, A SUPER MAJORITY, A SUPER MAJORITY OF A YES.
SO IF YOU DENY, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO APPROVE IT, YOU WOULD VOTE.
YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH? YES.
IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANNA JUST DENY WHAT P AND Z OR I DID, THAT VOTE WOULD BE NO.
THIS FLIP, HAVE SOMEONE IN AUDIENCE WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK APPROACH, PLEASE.
ROSALYN QUEEN 2294 BAYOU DRIVE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS 77 6 40.
I AM A MEMBER OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
WHEN THIS CAME TO US, WE DID DENY IT BECAUSE THERE WERE ISSUES WITH WHAT THE CITIZENS WANTED.
THEY DID NOT WANT ANOTHER GAME ROOM.
I WORK FOR THE CITIZENS, THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT.
AND I ALSO HA I BELIEVE, AND SINCE I AM A PART OF SO MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SERVICE ABOVE SELF, THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE, NOT WHAT I WANT.
JUST LIKE MS. MOSES SAID, SELF AND SERVICE, THIS IS WHAT WE BELIEVE.
SERVICE ABOVE SELF AND THE COM THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND AS FAR AS THE SUPER MAJORITY, YOU DON'T HAVE IT.
YOU LOST TWO MEMBERS IN THIS VOTE.
YOU'VE LOST TWO MEMBERS TO VOTE.
OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON TO UNREADINESS? HONOR? OKAY, WE ARE READY FOR VOTING.
ALL IN FAVOR? MAY WE NEED TO DO A ROLL CALL? VOTE YEAH, ROLL CALL.
AND MAYOR, I DO WANT, I DO WANNA POINT SOMETHING OUT JUST FOR THE RECORD BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF OUR DIRECTORS, UH, UH, DID CON JUST CONTACT ME.
IT WOULD TAKE, THE SUPER MAJORITY WOULD BE SIX VOTES, AND WE DO NOT HAVE SIX PEOPLE.
SO, UH, FOR THE RECORD, WE CAN'T STOP THE COUNCIL FROM VOTING, BUT IT IT, WE DO NOT HAVE THE, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE HAVE STEPPED AWAY.
YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE HERE.
WELL, THAT'S WHY I WAS GOING TO JUST CARRY THE VOTE.
I DON'T THINK THEY WON'T OVERRIDE.
YEAH, GO AHEAD AND DO, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW FOR THE RECORD ROLL CALL.
YES, YOU HAVE TO DO A ROLL CALL.
BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE VOTE, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
IF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMEND NON RIGHT.
WHY, WHY IS IT ON THE AGENDA? AS FOR APPROVAL? I MEAN THAT THEY, THAT'S KINDA, THAT'S THE PROCESS.
EVERYTHING HAS TO GO THROUGH P AND Z AND P AND Z GIVES THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE A QUASI UH, RIGHT.
LEGISLATIVE BODY, UM, THEN THEY, THEIR, THEIR VOTE IS, IS JUST MORE THAN A REGULAR RECOMMENDATION.
AND THE LAW STATES THAT IF COUNCIL WANTS TO GO, UH, UH, GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, WHAT P AND Z RECOMMENDED THAT IT NEEDS A SUPER MAJORITY AND ALSO BECAUSE OF PROTESTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THAT, LARRY, I'M, THAT'S JUST IN STATE LAW, THEY REQUIRE, IT CAN ONLY BE FINALIZED BY COUNSEL.
BUT I UNDERSTAND PLANNING AND ZONING RECOMMENDED NON-APPROVAL, BUT IT'S WRITTEN AS OKAY.
SO IF, IF OUR QUASI GOVERNMENTAL BODY REC RECOMMENDED NON-APPROVAL, WHY IS IT WRITTEN THIS WAY? BECAUSE THE REQUEST HAS TO COME TO YOU.
THE REQUEST FROM THE REQUEST STORE WAS FOR APPROVAL AND UH, YOU HAVE TO SAY YES OR NO NO TO THE REQUEST STORE, WHICH IS THE PROPERTY OWNER ASKING FOR IT TO BE REZONED.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE CORRECT PROCESS.
THAT'S TOLD IN THE FORM THAT THE PERSON IS THANK YOU DR.
SO YOU ENTERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK MAYOR PRO TIM HOLMES.
COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS? NO COUNCIL MEMBER MOSES? NO.
[02:30:02]
UH, PO[VIII.B (3) P.O. No. 7146 – An Ordinance Amending Appendix A: Zoning Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur By Changing The Zoning On Approximately 1.924-Acre Of Land, A Portion Of Lot 4, Block 7, Port Acres Addition (6194 Jade Avenue), Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas (Violation Of This Ordinance Or The Zoning Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur Is Punishable As Provided In Section 1-13 Of The Code Of Ordinances As Amended By Fine Not Exceeding Two Thousand [$2,000.00] Dollars); And Providing For Publication In The Official Newspaper Of The City Of Port Arthur Effective Immediately After Publication Date]
NUMBER 71 46, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING, UH, APPENDIX A ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR BY CHANGING THE ZONING ON APPROXIMATELY ONE POINT, UH, NINE, UH, ACRES OF LAND, A PORTION OF, UH, LOT FOUR BLOCK SEVEN PORT ACRES EDITION 61 94 JADE AVENUE, PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS.VIOLATION OF THIS ORDINANCE, OR THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS PUNISHABLE AS PROVIDED IN SECTION ONE DASH 13 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES AS AMENDED BY FINE, NOT EXCEEDING $2,000 AND PROVIDED FOR PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
AND, UH, PUBLICATION DATES AND AFTER, AFTER, UH, PUBLICATION DATES.
UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILWOMAN MOSES SHALL MOVED.
MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, MAYOR, APPROACH HIM SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PO NUMBER 71 46 AS READ, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION.
READY UP FOR QUESTION? MAY I HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
UM, THE, UM, ZONING, UM, DID NOT APPROVE THIS ONE AS WELL, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
AM I CORRECT? CAN I, UM, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU ARE RIGHT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF WE COULD, HOW MANY MORE DO WE HAVE A THEY HAVE, WE'VE MET OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THIS.
WE'VE MET ALL OUR REQUIREMENTS IF THIS IS DENIED TODAY, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY OVERRIDE.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY TO OVERRIDE IT, THEY HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR BEFORE THEY CAN COME BACK AND REQUEST THIS AGAIN.
IS THERE A WAY WE COULD HOLD THIS ITEM UNTIL WE HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY IF THEY NEEDED ONE, THAT WOULD BE AT SOME POINT THAT Y'ALL WANNA MOVE CITY.
WHAT DO Y'ALL CITY ATTORNEY, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE COUNCIL TO DETERMINE IF THEY WANTED TO TABLE IT.
WE COULD GO FORWARD WITH THE VOTE, BUT, UH, YOU WOULD NEED SIX YES.
VOTES TO OVERRIDE IT BECAUSE I REALLY, I MEAN, WE WENT ON WITH THE PRIOR VOTE AS WELL.
I MEAN, COUNCIL CAN, CAN GO AHEAD AND VOTE AS IT IS.
AND, AND YOU SAID IT, IT WOULD BE BROUGHT BACK IN A YEAR'S TIME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD COME BACK.
YOU WON THE NEXT TIME YOU WOULD HAVE A FULL COUNCIL AND IT'D BE DIFFERENT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO, BUT I, I, I COUNCILMAN KK WHAT I REALLY WANT YOU TO DO IS ASK THE ZONING BOARD A QUESTION.
I THINK MR. THE ZON USUALLY WE WOULD ASK THE REPRESENTATIVE, MR. BATON, IS HE HERE? NO, NO, NO, NO.
OH, YOU'RE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
THE BOARD MEMBER THAT JUST SPOKE ON THIS, UH, ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC CAN SPEAK.
WHAT? I JUST HAVE TO ASK QUICK QUESTION, DR.
SHE'S UP, SHE'S ON THIS BOARD? YES.
ROSALYN QUEEN 2294 BAYOU DRIVE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, 77,640.
UM, MY QUESTION WAS, WAS, UM, YOU GOT OPPOSITION A A QUESTION NOT WITH THE NEED IN PORT ARTHUR OF NOT HAVING HOMES AND, AND PEOPLE TO LIVE.
UM, YOUR OPPOSITION THAT YOU HAD, HOW, HOW MANY OPPO, OPPOSITION OPPOSES DID YOU HAVE FOR THIS? WELL, WE ALL VOTED AGAINST IT THAT DAY AND BASED UPON, BASED UPON THE FACT THAT WE HAD CITIZENS COMPLAINTS, SEVERAL CAME OUT THAT DAY.
AND LISTENING TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FOR IT INDICATED THAT THEY DIDN'T RECEIVE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ACCORDING TO MR. BADDEN AND MS. MILO AND MS. LANGFORD, UH, LA YEAH.
LANGFORD, THAT THOSE LETTERS WERE SENT OUT.
SO IF THEY DON'T RESPOND, THAT'S NOT OUR FAULT.
YEAH, YOU'RE SAYING THE PEOPLE THAT BUILDER US.
BUT THAT, MY QUESTION BASICALLY WAS BASED UPON THE, UM, AT THE HEARING OR WHATEVER YOU GUYS WENT WERE MEETING MM-HMM.
THAT'S WHAT YOU BASE YOUR DECISION UPON TO DENY THEM THE THE RIGHT TO BUILD THOSE THREE HOMES THAT, UH, WELL, IT WASN'T, SEE WHEN THEY CAME TO US WITH THE FIRST, UH, PROPOSAL, THEY DIDN'T TELL US WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO OTHER THAN BILL HOLMES.
BUT AT THAT POINT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE NOW BILL, BILL, THEY'RE SAYING NOW, HOWEVER, HOWEVER, THEY CAME TO US WITH A REPLA, NOT A ZONING CHANGE.
THEY CAME TO US ABOUT A REPLAT.
SO NOW THEY'RE COMING TO COUNCIL ASKING FOR A ZONING CHANGE.
[02:35:01]
STILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO US AGAIN FOR A REFLEX.BUT BASICALLY, UM, I'M A, BECAUSE THERE'S NO SUPER MAJORITY, IF WE WANT A SUPER MAJORITY HERE TO EVEN TO HAVE THE OTHERS' INPUT, COULD WE TABLE THIS TO ANOTHER MEETING AND, AND WE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF A YEAR BEING, UH, PASSED, I'D LIKE TO SEE US.
YOU CAN NOT, IF WE LOSE THE VOTE, THEY CAN'T COME BACK FOR A YEAR.
IF WE WAIT FOR A SUPER MAJORITY COUNCIL, I THINK THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND REVISIT IT.
WELL, THEY DON'T LOSE THAT TIME.
SO I'D ASK THAT WE WOULD TABLE IT.
UM, MAKE A MOTION, MOTION TO COME BACK AND MAKE A MOTION.
COUNCILWOMAN, I MEAN, UH, MAYOR APPROACH.
UH, I'M JUST WE STILL HAVE QUESTION.
UH, UH, KELLY, UH, OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE WHEN THE 23RD.
SO WE HAVE TIME TO REACT ON IF WE NEED AFTER WE GET THE NEW COUNCIL INSTALLED.
SO COUNCILMAN MOSES, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TABLE THIS ITEM UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING, UM, UH, OF THE COUNCIL TO, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY HERE.
SO IF THEY WANT TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO OVER, UH, TURN THE ZONING BOARD, THEY CAN DO SO AT THAT TIME.
SO I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HOLD THIS ITEM I SECOND MOTION.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WERE TABLE PO NUMBER 7 1 4 6 INTO OUR, OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING ON MAY 23RD.
[VIII.B (4) P.O. No. 7147 – An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Closing, Vacating, Abandoning, And Conveying A 0.019-Acre (840 SF) Of Land Consisting Of A Four (4') Foot Waterline Easement Located At A Point In The Northerly Boundary Line Of Lot 8, Block 152, Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas; Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Deed Without Warranty; Providing That This Ordinance Shall Be Cumulative; Repealing All Ordinances To The Extent They Are In Conflict; Providing For Severability; And Declaring An Effective Date]
UH, PO NUMBER 7 1 47 AND ORDERS OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR CLOSING, VACATING, ABANDONING, AND CONVEYING A, UH, 0.19 ACRE, UH, AT EIGHT 40 SF UH, OF LAND CONSISTING OF, UH, A FOUR FOOT, UH, WATER LINE EASEMENT LOCATED AT A POINT IN THE NORTHERLY BOUNDARY LINE OF LOT EIGHT, BLOCK 1 52, PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A DEED WITHOUT WARRANTY, PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE CUMULATIVE, REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES.TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE IN CONFLICT, PROVIDING FOR SEVERAL ABILITY AND DECLARING AND EFFECTIVE DATE MAY GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
SO MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW? SECOND, IT'LL MOVE THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE PO NUMBER 74, EXCUSE ME, 71 47 AS READ, READ, READY FOR QUESTION.
ANY QUESTIONS ON IT? NO QUESTIONS.
READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, UH, AYE, ANY OPPOSERS AYES HAVE SO AS ORDER, UH, PEO NUMBER 7 1 47 IS APPROVED.
THAT READ, AND, UH, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, THERE ARE IS NOT ANY OTHER BUSINESS THAT COME BEFORE THIS AUGUST BODY.
SO WE WOULD, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
SECOND IS REMOVED IN SECOND, AND WE WOULD ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
ANY OPPOSING AYE, RESULT OF THIS MEETING IS DULY ADJOINED AND WE WILL MEET AGAIN AT 10:00 AM UH, ON THE 17TH, 10 30.
10 30 AT AT 10 30 ON MAY 17TH.