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[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
MORNING.WE'RE READY TO BEGIN OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULE.
WE'RE READY TO BEGIN OUR REGULARLY, UH, SCHEDULED, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON TODAY, JUNE 20TH, 2023.
UH, WE SHOULD HAVE BEGUN AT NINE 30.
IT'S LIKE 9 52 AT THIS POINT, BUT WE WILL GET SOME OTHER THINGS THAT MATTERS IN ORDER.
UH, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR THAT.
UH, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO DO THAT BEFORE WE BEGIN THE MEETING.
AND YOU ARE HERE IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER AT FOUR CHAMBERS RATHER, AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET, HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, FOR THIS MEETING.
THE MEETING MAY BE ATTENDED AND PARTICIPATED IN BY TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE, UH, MEDIUMS. HOWEVER, YOU MUST FIRST DIAL 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 OF 8 7 6 5 3 5 2 2 2 2 7 AND THE PASSCODE OF 9 1 6 6 19 AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE MEETING AND PARTICIPATE.
UH, AND WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE A NEED FOR A SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, YOU WOULD CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING, MAKE YOUR REQUEST.
AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WILL DO ALL WITHIN ITS POWERS TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR SPECIAL REQUEST.
NOW, WE ARE READY TO BEGIN THE MEETING.
IF YOU HAVE, UH, A PHONE OR SOME TECHNOLOGICAL OR ADVANCED ITEM, WOULD YOU PLEASE SILENCE IT AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, AND WE'RE GONNA ASK, UH, REVEREND FRANK TO DO THE INVOCATION FOR US, PLEASE, MS. MAY.
ALL WISE, IN ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHER, AS WE COME BEFORE YOU THIS MORNING, WE ARE GRATEFUL, UH, FOR ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AT LIFE.
WE THANK YOU FOR OUR ASSEMBLING HERE IN THIS COUNCIL CHAMBER.
AND EVEN AS WE ARE HERE, WE'RE ASKING FOR WISDOM FOR THIS COUNCIL, UH, AS WE MAKE THE DECISION THAT WILL AFFECT, UH, THE LIVES OF OUR CITIZENS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
WE PRAY FOR OUR NATION, AND WE PRAY FOR OUR WORLD AND ASK THAT YOU WOULD EVEN MOVE US TOWARD GREATER UNITY, UH, AND EVEN GREATER PEACE.
WE ASK ALL OF THIS IN THE POWERFUL AND PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS, THE RISEN CHRIST.
PLEASE JOIN US IN UNISON AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, ALLEGIANCE 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 SO KINDLY FOR YOUR INTELLIGENCE AND OUR OPENING.
CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE ESTABLISH THE COURT? MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT, MAYOR TIM HAMILTON.
PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS PRESENT.
AND AGAIN, WELCOME TO OUR MEETING.
I DON'T HAVE ANY CITY SECRETARY BEFORE ME, SO THERE AREN'T ANY PROCLAMATIONS ON THIS MORNING.
WE'LL MOVE NOW TO ROMAN NUMERAL THREE FOR PETITIONS AND THE COMMUNICATIONS.
WE FIRST HAVE, UH, NUMBER ONE A SPEAKER, MR. MATTHEW CHRISTIAN REGARDING PROPERTY DAMAGE.
IS HE PRESENT IN THE CHAMBERS? MR. CHRISTIAN? MR. MATTHEW CHRISTIAN, UH, MATTHEWS CHRISTIAN, EXCUSE ME, MR. MATTHEWS CHRISTIAN.
I HAVE GATHERED THAT HE ISN'T HERE.
[VIII.A.(2) P.R. No. 23215 – A Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Authorizing The Publication Of The Notice Of Intention To Issue City Of Port Arthur, Texas Combination Tax And Revenue Certificates Of Obligation In A Principal Amount Not To Exceed $25,500,000.00 For The Construction Of Public Works And Any Items Related Thereto And For The Payment Of Contractual Obligations For Professional Services; Authorizing The Distribution Of A Preliminary Official Statement Relating To Such Certificates; And Containing Other Provisions Relating Thereto]
NOW GO OUT OF ORDER AND I WILL TAKE, UH, EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE TO MOVE TO PAGE EIGHT.ON PAGE EIGHT, YOU WILL SEE P R 23 215, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER TWO UNDER ROMAN NUMERAL EIGHT.
THIS IS ON THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA AND IT READS, UH, PR NUMBER 23 2 15.
IT'S A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL, OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS AUTHORIZING THE PUBLICATION OF THE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, COMBINATION TAX AND REVENUE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION IN A PRINCIPLE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25,000,500
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FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ANY ITEMS RELATED THERETO.AND FOR THE PAYMENT OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AUTHORIZING THE DISTRIBUTION OF A PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT RELATING TO SUCH CERTIFICATES AND CONTAINING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING THERE TO, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW? SO, MOVE MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK.
SECOND MAYOR, IT'S BEEN MOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 22 2 1 5 AS PRESENTED.
WE READY FOR A QUESTION? COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, SIR.
UH, AND I, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT ME.
I THINK WE HAVE TO GET AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED.
SO WE MAY WANT TO CALL THE, UH, PARTIES UP TO GIVE AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT OKAY.
JUDGE, ALLOW WHAT YOU'S BEING THERE YIELDED TO THAT COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES.
I TURN YOUR MIC OFF FOR ME PLEASE, THEN.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE PARTIES, UH, WE'RE HERE FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE AND OUR FINANCE ATTORNEY.
YES, CUZ THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE CERTIFICATES, I MEAN COMBINATION TAX AND REVENUE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS.
AND YOU HAVE THE AMOUNT, 25, UH, 500,000, 25,500,000.
SO THEY'RE GONNA GIVE AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT IS BEING REQUESTED AT THIS TIME.
THEN WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL RESOLUTION FOR THE RECORD TO SEND OFF IF YOU CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, YES, WE, THIS IS THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE, UM, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
THESE WERE FOR PROJECTS THAT WE APPROVED IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR.
AND BACK IN, UH, OCTOBER, OCTOBER 11TH, WE PASSED A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION, WHICH MEANT WE COULD START ON THE PROJECTS AND WE PLAN TO ISSUE THE BONDS THIS SUMMER.
SO HERE WE ARE READY TO ISSUE THE BONDS.
UH, IF WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS, UH, TODAY, UM, WE WOULD, UH, ACTUALLY ISSUE THE BONDS.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND ISSUE THE BONDS, UH, IN AUGUST, PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND AUGUST 15TH.
AND THEN THE CLOSING WOULD BE IN ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER.
SO, BUT THESE ARE FOR PROJECTS, UH, LIKE I SAID, THAT WERE APPROVED IN THE BUDGET.
UM, 10 MILLION FOR STREETS RECONSTRUCTION.
UM, FIRE STATION, 5.2 MILLION, THE PORT ACRES FIRE STATION, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT WATER UTILITIES PROJECTS, UH, TOTALING ABOUT 4.4 MILLION, UH, LIFT STATIONS, UH, DREDGE, UH, FRESHWATER RESERVOIR COLLECTION SYSTEM REHAB, AND ELEVATED STORAGE TANK REHAB.
UH, WE ALSO HAD 2.5 MILLION, UH, SOLID WASTE EQUIPMENT THAT WE WERE PURCHASING.
AND I BELIEVE MOST OF THAT HAS BEEN PURCHASED, UH, THIS YEAR.
SOME TRASH TRUCKS AND GARBAGE TRUCKS, UH, DRUM ROLLER AND, UM, WHATEVER, UH, EASY MAC, EASY PACK TRUCK IS.
UM, ALSO, UM, SOME PLEASURE ISLAND PROJECTS TOTALING ABOUT, UH, 2.1 MILLION DOCK REPAIRS.
UH, THE DISC GOLF COURSE RENOVATION AND LAKE FAR LAKEFRONT PARK PLAYSCAPES ALL WERE INCLUDED IN THIS BOND ISSUE.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS MONEY IS GOING TO BE FOR SOME OF WHICH WE HAVE SPENT, BECAUSE WE WERE AUTHORIZED TO DO THAT BACK IN OCTOBER.
AND, UH, SOME OF IT WE WILL BE SPENDING, UH, GOING FORWARD ON THE PROJECTS.
WE DO HAVE DEREK MITCHELL HERE.
HE IS OUR, UH, BOND COUNSEL, AND, UH, HE CAN ANSWER ANY OF THE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE PROJECTS OF THE BOND ISSUE.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WE'LL, WE'LL, THIS IS A TWO PART PRO PROCESS.
ONE THE RESOLUTION THAT WE HOPE YOU APPROVE TODAY, UH, WILL GET US STARTED AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK FOR APPROVAL IN AUGUST.
AND SO JUST KNOW YOU'LL SEE ME TWICE THIS YEAR.
OKAY? UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK, YOU ALL CONCERNED? GOOD MORNING.
TALK TO US ABOUT BONDING CAPACITY.
UM, AS FAR AS ISSUING THESE, UH, BONDS, WE HAVE DONE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION BEFORE, RECENTLY WITHIN MY TENURE HERE ON COUNSEL, 32 MILLION.
UH, AND WE HAVE USED THOSE, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT BONDING CAPACITY AND PAYING THAT BACK.
UH, UH, ALL OF THOSE ISSUES CONCERNING, UH, THIS CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION.
SO, AND KENNY WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO HELP WITH THAT.
UM, I MEAN, WITH REGARD TO YOUR CAPACITY, THE, THESE BONDS ARE SECURED BY TAX DOLLARS, RIGHT? AND SO, UM,
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YOU, YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, ANN'S NOT HERE, BUT SHE WOULD BE THE ONE REALLY TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOUR BUDGET, WITHIN YOUR BUDGET, YOU HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR THE BONDS.
AND SO THIS IS LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, IT'S LIKE YOUR OWN BUDGET.
UM, YOU, YOU MOST, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY CASH FOR OUR HOUSE OR PAY CASH FOR OUR CAR, SO WE ISSUE DEBT, BUT, UH, YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THE BONDS AS YOU GO ALONG.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE IN THIS CASE.
CANDY, WOULD YOU ADDRESS THAT AND TALK ABOUT, TALK ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
UH, YOU, WHEN YOU GIVE YOUR REPORTS, UH, AND YOU SHARE WITH US, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR MONEY, YOU TELL US HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE, UH, TOWARD, UH, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO OPERATE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN HOW MANY DAYS AND HOW MUCH WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE IN OUR ACCOUNTS AND ALL OF THAT.
AND I WANT ALL OF THE LISTENING PUBLIC, AND I WANT EVERYONE TO FULLY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING AND TRANSPIRING, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AS FAR AS OUR FINANCES IN THE CITY AND HOW WE'RE OPERATING AND DOING THIS.
SO ANY CLARITY THAT YOU CAN GIVE, UH, AS WE SPEAK TO THAT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ASSURE OUR COMMUNITY AND ASSURE ALL WHO ARE LISTENING TODAY, WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT'S TRANSPIRING THAT WE'RE NOT ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL AND ALL OF THAT.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US ON TODAY, OKAY? MM-HMM.
UM, WHEN, LIKE I SAID, WHEN, UH, WE DID THE BUDGET, WE ALLOWED FOR ALL FOR THIS BOND ISSUE, AND WE HAD ESTIMATED AMOUNTS, UH, THIS BOND ISSUE WILL NOT, UH, HAVE A PAYMENT DUE THIS FISCAL YEAR AT ALL.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO PAYMENT FOR THIS YEAR.
UH, THE FIRST PAYMENT WILL COME IN NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND, UH, IT WILL BE SET UP AS PART OF THE, THE TAX RATE AND THE TAX RATE WILL BE SET SO THAT THERE IS ENOUGH MONEY SET ASIDE TO PAY THIS DEBT.
WE DO HAVE SOME DEBT, AND I WISH ANN WAS HERE BECAUSE SHE COULD ADDRESS THIS A LITTLE BIT BETTER, AND WE CAN GET HER TO COME BACK.
SHE JUST WASN'T AVAILABLE TODAY.
BUT, UH, WE DO HAVE SOME DEBT ROLLING OFF THIS YEAR, SO WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
SO, AND THIS IS THE WAY SHE HAS PLANNED IT IN THE YEARS PAST, THAT WHEN YOU GET TO A POINT WHERE SOME OF DEBT ROLLS OFF, YOU CAN PUT SOME DEBT IN ITS PLACE.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
AND SHE HAS STAGGERED IT SO THAT IT, IT MEETS THOSE CRITERIA THAT WE SH WE SHOULD HAVE NO, NO ISSUES IN PAYING THE DEBT BACK.
UH, SEE, COUNCILMAN, UH, LEWIS? YES, GOOD MORNING.
WHAT ABOUT OUR DEBT SERVICE? YOU MENTIONED DEBT SERVICE, SOME DEBT ROLLING OFF AND YOU CAN PUT ON SOME MORE.
THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME TODAY, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO GET THAT FOR YOU.
NOW, WELL, WHENEVER YOU GET IT, LET ME KNOW.
UH, YOU SOME, SOMEONE MENTIONED THAT THESE GONNA ISSUE THESE BONDS BASED ON OUR TAX RATE, TAXABLE RATE.
UH, WHAT IS OUR TAXABLE RATE? IS IT, WHERE, WHERE IS IT NOW? NOT THE TAX RATE.
HOW MUCH ROOM DO WE HAVE? THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THE TAX, WHICH I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW EITHER, BUT, UM, THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THE TAX RATE THAT IS DEDICATED ONLY TO DEBT SERVICE.
AND THEN THERE'S A DEBT SERVICE PORTION, WHICH IS DEDICATED STRICTLY TO PAY BACK THIS KIND OF DEBT IN DEBT SERVICE.
SO WITH, WITH, UH, BASED ON THE, THE DEBT SERVICE SERVICING ON OUR TAXABLE RATE.
SO THAT MEANS WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE NO INTEREST IN SINK SINKING FUNDS.
WE DO HAVE A, A, WELL, AN INTEREST IN SINKING FUND DEBT SERVICE FUND, THOSE TERMS. I USE THOSE INTERCHANGEABLY.
I GUESS, UH, WE DO HAVE A CERTAIN FUND SET ASIDE THAT WE PUT THE MONEY IN TO PAY THIS DEBT.
AND THE PROPERTY TAXES GO INTO THIS FUND AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO PAY THE DEBT.
SO HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH IS IN THAT INTEREST IN SINKING FUND? WELL, I'LL BE HAPPY TO GET YOU THAT INFORMATION, BUT LIKE I SAID, I, I WASN'T AWARE THAT I WOULD NEED THAT THIS MORNING.
SO I DON'T HAVE AN IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO GET YOUR REPORT ON THAT.
NOW, THIS, THIS, THAT'S, THESE BONDS IS TOTALLY UNRELATED TO THE $50 MILLION THAT WE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED FOR STREETS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
WELL, PART OF THIS IS FOR STREETS, 10 MILLION OF THIS IS FOR STREETS.
THE, UM, WE HAVE BEEN ISSUING 10 MILLION EVERY YEAR FOR STREETS.
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OF THIS ISSUE IS FOR STREETS.AS I READ OFF TO YOU WHILE AGO, UH, 10 MILLION IS FOR STREETS AND THEN THE OTHER, UH, OR FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES.
SO IF YOU, WE GOT 10 MILLION FOR STREETS.
SO WE ALSO HAVE 16 MILLION THAT WE HAVE OR NOT SPENT.
SO WE, WE TALKING ABOUT 26 MILLION THAT DEDICATED TO STREETS AND DRAINAGE AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
UH, SOMEONE DID A PRESENTATION A WHILE BACK.
WE PROBABLY THE 16, THEY MENTIONED ABOUT 16 MILLION.
THAT WE'VE ISSUED IN THE PAST THAT HAS NOT BEEN ALLOCATED.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT TERMINOLOGY.
THE BONDS WAS ISSUED UNALLOCATED, THE BONDS WAS ISSUED FOR, IT HASN'T BEEN, IT HASN'T BEEN ALLOCATED TO A SPECIFIC PROJECT.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WHEN YOU SAY IT IS WE HAVE FUNDS THAT'S UNALLOCATED.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE NO, I JUST MEAN UNALLOCATED TO A SPECIFIC PROJECT.
HAVE ANY, HAVE THE COUNCIL OF, HAVE THE CITY IN ANY WAY HAVE VIOLATED THE BOND COVENANT? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF LANDSCAPING OF MEMORIAL BOULEVARD.
THAT WAS NOT IN THE BOND COVENANT THE WAY, THE WAY.
ARE WE OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL? WHAT WE, WELL, I THINK WE WE'RE, HE'S ASKING ABOUT THE OTHER BONDS.
I, I UNDERSTAND HE'S ASKING THE QUESTION ABOUT A DIFFERENT BOND ISSUANCE.
WE ARE HERE TALKING ABOUT, WELL, NOT EVEN A BOND ISSUE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OTHER CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS.
WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT A BOND.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE.
OKAY, LET ME JUST FINISH MINE.
WHAT HE'S ASKING ABOUT IS THE OTHER ITEM IN THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ONE.
THIS IS A NEW ONE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT CITY ATTORNEY, I'M NOT UNINFORMED, AM I MISINFORMED? I CLEARLY BOND ISSUES AFFECTS ALL OF US, ALL OF OUR TAX RATES, ALL OF OUR DEBT SERVICE.
NOW, MY QUESTION IS THIS, THIS BOND ISSUE HERE IS GOING TO HAVE BOND COVENANT.
NOW MY QUESTION, HAVE WE VIOLATED AND THIS, AND IT'S, AND IT'S, IT'S RIGHT ON TARGET, HAVE WE IN THE PAST VIOLATED OUR BOND COVENANT, THE ISSUE OF THE MONEY THROUGH LANDSCAPE MEMORIAL BOULEVARD, THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOND COVENANT? NO, SIR.
UM, I CAN READ TO YOU FROM THIS ONE, AND THE, THE OTHER ONES READ THE SAME, BUT THEY DO SAY, UM, THAT THEY CAN BE USED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OR RECONSTRUCTION OF CITY STREETS AND OTHER STREET RELATED IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO DRAINAGE AND SIDEWALKS ON SUCH PROJECTS.
SO RELATED IMPROVEMENTS IS RELATED IMPROVEMENTS.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT? IT'S RELATED TO THE STREET.
SO LANDSCAPE, IF LANDSCAPING WOULD BE RELATED TO THE STREET, LET, LET ME SPEAK IN THE WAY I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU JUST SAID, RELATED IMPROVEMENT.
IF YOU GOING TO RECONSTRUCT THE STREET AND YOU GOT A DRAINAGE PROBLEM THAT'S RELATED.
BUT LANDSCAPING IS NOT RELATED.
YEAH, AND I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION THAT YOU'RE ASKING.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO CLARIFY IS THAT NO ONE HAS VOTED ON ANY OF THAT YET EITHER.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S ASKING BECAUSE THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT SETTING SOMETHING ASIDE FOR THAT.
BUT JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, WE HAVE NOT VOTED ON THAT.
SO THERE'S BEEN NO CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT.
YOU HAVEN'T ACTED UPON THAT YET.
UH, THE, WITH THE QUESTION YOU HAD.
THANK, BUT THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
BUT HE'S, HE'S TRYING TO, I THINK WHAT, WHAT, JUST SO MR. UH, MITCHELL KNOW, I THINK HE'S TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE OTHER RELATED IMPROVEMENT MEANS AND HOW BROAD OR HOW NARROW THAT IS.
CAN, CAN YOU, UH, CLARIFY THAT FOR HIM? SURE.
SO, SO IN GENERAL, IN GENERAL, UM, WE DRAFT THESE, THESE DOCUMENTS SO THAT IT GIVES THE CITIES A WIDE LATITUDE AND WHAT THEY CAN USE, UH, THE FUNDS FOR.
SO FOR IN THIS, IN THIS SITUATION, THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, ANYTHING ON THAT STREET, THE MONEY CAN BE USED FOR ANYTHING WITH REGARD TO THE STREETS, LA EVEN LANDSCAPING FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
ANYTHING ELSE, COUNCILMAN? I DON'T, I DON'T AGREE.
WELL, I, WE DIDN'T ASK YOU IF YOU AGREED, I ASKED YOU IF YOU HAD ANYTHING ELSE.
LET'S MOVE TO, UH, COUNCILMAN MARKS.
UH, MS. DANIELS, UH, YOU LISTED A NUMBER OF, UH, PROJECTS THAT WERE, UH, MONIES WERE ALLOCATED FROM PREVIOUS BOND ISSUE FROM THE BOND ISSUE LAST YEAR.
COULD WE GET A COPY OF THAT LISTING OF PROJECTS ALONG WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY HAVE
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BEEN EXPENDED AND WHAT'S REMAINING TO BE EXPENDED ON THOSE PARTICULAR PROJECTS, WHETHER IT'S WITH EQUIPMENT OR FOR THESE PROJECTS? YES.AND CAN, CAN WE HAVE THAT BY THE END OF THE DAY TODAY? UM, MAYBE.
UH, A COPY OF THE LIST OF THOSE PROJECTS WAS PROVIDED TO COUNCIL ON THE 28TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2022.
ORDINANCE NUMBER TWO TWO DASH 73.
I'LL MAKE COPIES AND GIVE IT TO YOU.
OKAY? AND IT WAS APPROVED BY COUNSEL UNANIMOUSLY.
I DO HAVE IT HERE, BUT CAN YOU PLEASE PROVIDE THEM WITH AN EXPENDITURE TO DATE THANK YOU.
UH, WHAT IS THIS? SAY COUNCILMAN KEN LAW.
UH, DEAR CANDY, UH, MY QUESTION IS, AND LISTEN TO YOUR PRESENTATION, WILL THIS AFFECT OUR FINANCIAL RATING WITH THE CITY IN ANY WAY BY DOING THIS $25 MILLION? NO.
AND IN FACT, I THINK YOU'VE, UH, CITY MANAGER AND CANDY MET WITH S AND P, UH, AND THEY CONFIRMED THE RATING.
SO, AND THEY, AND THEY KNOW THIS IS COMING.
YEAH, WE DO HAVE A VERY STRONG CREDIT RATING OF A PLUS.
UM, IN THE LAST WEEK OR TWO, TWO WEEKS AGO, WE JUST MET WITH, UM, STANDARD AND PAUSE.
AND, UM, YES, THEY DID GIVE US THE REPORT THAT WE DO HAVE A STRONG CREDIT RATING.
WE HAVE MAINTAINED OUR STRONG CREDIT RATING OF A PLUS.
AND THAT'S WITH A NOTIFICATION OF THIS, THIS OBLIGATION, RIGHT? YES.
UH, AND ANY, ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S ALL, MA'AM.
AND THAT WE, WE, WE, WE ARE GOOD.
ASK SOMEBODY TO MAKE A COPY OF THAT FOR US TO GET THE COUNCIL.
HAROLD DOUCETTE, 51 80 CAMBRIDGE AVENUE.
PUT OUT THE TEXAS, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS TOO.
WHEN I LOOKED AT THE AGENDA AND SEEN THE 25.5 MILLION AND THOSE CONCERNS, WAS THAT I NOTICED THAT THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL HAD LISTED WAS, UH, STREET CONSTRUCTION.
WE CAN WANT TO GET MONEY FOR STREETS, AND WE GOT MONEY IN STREETS THAT WE HAVE NOT ALLOCATED.
UH, THE OTHER THING WAS A FIRE STATION.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING? SOLID WASTE.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO FOR SOLID WASTE? UH, CERTAIN, CERTAIN PROJECTS ON PLEDGE ISLAND, DOCK REPAIR, A DISC, GOLF COURSE, LAKEFRONT, PLAYSCAPES, UH, THESE ARE, SOME OF THESE ITEMS ARE ITEMS YOU COULD BUDGET FOR IN YOUR BUDGET.
AND THAT'S CALLED PERFORMANCE BUDGET.
BUT WE TAKING 25.5 MILLION TO DO CERTIFICATE OF THE OBLIGATION.
THAT'S NORMALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO USE FOR MAJOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT WATER LINES AND BUSTING EVERY DAY AND IT KEEP RAISING CITIZENS.
RATE UP THAT 25 MILLION COULD GO TO CONTRACT.
SOMEBODY COME AND REPLACE WATERWAYS.
SOME OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE, UH, FUNDED THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND AND BUDGETING.
AND THEN IT GOES TO THE QUESTION OF, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS AND WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY WAS SAYING.
WHENEVER WE DO CERTIFICATE OBLIGATIONS, WE JUST STOP DOING ALL THESE GENERAL, UH, STATEMENTS LIKE ANY RELATED.
NOW, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY TRYING TO EXPLAIN, UH, LANDSCAPING PART OF STREET CONSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO NARROW THIS DOWN.
IF YOU WANT TO GO TO CERTIFICATE OBLIGATIONS, YOU NEED TO PUT SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE MONEY.
THIS IS $25.5 MILLION AND EVERYTHING IS GENERAL.
HOW MUCH GONNA GO FOR THE PLAYSCAPE? HOW MUCH GONNA GO FOR THE WATERFRONT? BEFORE WE GO FOR IT, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AN ITEMIZED LIST ON THE, ON APPROXIMATELY WHAT WE GONNA DO AND WHY.
SO, NICE ARY, BECAUSE HOW YOU GONNA MONITOR THE MONEY? HOW YOU GONNA TRACK THE MONEY? HOW YOU GOING TO KNOW IF YOU ARE OVERSPENDING OR UNDERSPENDING OF WHAT YOU ALLOCATED IN THIS CERTIFICATE OBLIGATION? THIS IS A BLACK CHECK.
OKAY, MR. DUCEY, CAN I, UH, CAN MANAGER, CAN YOU ADDRESS YOU? I'M JUST THROWING YOU DOWN CUZ YOU, YOU ASKING ABOUT 50 QUESTIONS? WE CAN ANSWER THEM, BUT WE NEED TO, UH, CAN WE, CAN I SAY SOMETHING ABOUT LANGUAGE? YES, YOU MAY.
AND JUST SO COUNSEL'S, UH, AND I THINK FOR EVERYBODY'S CLARIFICATION, WHEN YOU WRITE THIS LANGUAGE, UH, AND I THINK MR. MITCHELL AGREE, WHEN YOU WRITE IT, YOU CAN WRITE IT AS BROADLY OR AS NARROWLY AS
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COUNSEL SEES FIT.SO SOMETIMES IT'S WRITTEN BROADLY TO ALLOW YOU ALL TO, TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS THAT, THAT THEN IS A POLICY ISSUE.
SO AS THE ATTORNEYS, WE CAN WRITE IT AS BROAD OR AS NARROW, THE DECISION IS YOURS.
BUT, BUT WHEN YOU WRITE IT BROADLY, LIKE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS, WHEN IT'S TIME TO AWARD THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, YOU DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY SAYS, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS EXACT PROJECT, AND HERE THE SPECIFICATIONS, THAT'S AS POLICYMAKERS, YOU DECIDE THAT WHETHER YOU WANT TO USE THAT MONEY FOR THAT, THAT'S WHY IT'S WRITTEN BROADLY.
IT CAN BE AS BROAD OR AS NARROW AS YOU DIRECT.
BUT NORMALLY THESE, THESE THINGS ARE WRITTEN BROADLY SO THAT AT THE TIME YOU GET READY TO SPEND IT, WHEN THE RESOLUTION COMES ABOUT TO PAVE WHATEVER STREET OR TO DO WHATEVER PROJECT, THAT'S WHEN YOU DECIDE THE SCOPE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HOWEVER THE COUNCIL DEEMS IT HOW THEY WANT TO DIRECT US, THAT'S WHAT WE CAN DO AS ATTORNEYS.
YOU WANT TO ADDRESS SOMETHING THAT HE WAS SPEAKING ON? MAY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, UH, MAYOR, LEMME JUST SAY, MAY I, IN RESPONSE, FORGET THIS.
DID YOU WANT TO ADDRESS WHAT HE HAD ASKED SOMETHING? NO, SIR.
THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO NARROW THIS DOWN.
WE'RE NOW TALKING ABOUT A BUDGET.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS.
SO WE CAN HAVE MONEY TO DO THINGS.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT IT FOR AND HOW MUCH YOU NEED, YOU DON'T GET MONEY TO SAY POINT OF ORDER BECAUSE YES, SIR.
JUST A MINUTE, JUST A MINUTE POINT OF ORDER.
MR. DOUCE HAS ALREADY STATED ABOUT THE, UH, DEFINITION OF CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION AND WHAT TO BE USED FOR.
AND I, I THINK THIS, THAT'S GOOD.
UH, MR. DOUCE, WOULD YOU YIELD TO THAT? WE, BECAUSE YOU GIVE US NO, NO PROBLEM.
UH, CITY MANAGER, THE LIST THAT YOU WERE SPEAKING OF THAT WAS IN THE RESOLUTION FROM SEPTEMBER, 2022, HAS THE LIST OF ITEMS INCLUDED THAT MR. DOUCETTE WAS SPEAKING OF, AND WHAT CANDY IS GOING TO PROVIDE TO US ARE THE AMOUNTS OF HOW MUCH WE'VE SPENT ON EACH OF THEM SINCE YES.
CANDY WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE AMOUNTS THAT HAS BEEN EXPENDED THUS FAR.
BUT THE LIST IS COMPLETE AND ATTACHED TO THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS VOTED ON IN 2022, WHICH WAS PART OF THE BUDGET, WHICH IS PART OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL AS WELL.
AND JUST FOR, IT'S VERY COMPLETE.
IT'S VERY CONCISE IN, IN THAT NATURE.
AND JUST FOR A POINT OF CLARITY, FOR THOSE LISTENING, THESE BOND ISSUES PROVIDE US PREDICTABLE INCOME.
JUST TO PUT IT IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, IT PROVIDES US PREDICTABLE INCOME SO THAT WE CAN HOLD ONTO OUR CAPITAL.
WE CAN KEEP OUR MONEY IN THE BANK LONGER AND BE ABLE TO, UM, TO HAVE THAT KEEP OUR CASH ON HAND IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCIES.
SO THIS ISN'T, AND AND ATTORNEY, HE EXPLAINED, BUT THEN I NEED CLARIFICATION ON HE, HE SAID THE SAME THING YOU WERE SAYING.
JUST MATTER OF FACT, IT WAS MORE SIMPLER THE WAY HE SAID IT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT EVERYDAY JOE, AND ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND, BUT WE, WE, WE ARE GOOD.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, LET ME, UH, WOULD YOU YIELD? I DON'T, I, I, I YIELD, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WELL, AND, AND, AND MAYOR AND, AND JUST TO GIVE AN INPUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, UH, STATED, BUT I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER MARKS ASKED FOR THAT INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER TO THE COUNCIL.
SO IT WAS DETAILED AND I THINK THAT HE ASKED FOR IT, WHERE THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION BY THE END OF THE DAY.
SO I THINK THAT WE'VE KIND OF GOING AND, YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE GET THAT IN HAND TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE CITY MANAGER HAVE, AND WE APPROVED THAT BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REFRESH.
WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED THAT INFORMATION.
SO IF YOU CAN GET THAT, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON THE REQUEST OF COUNCILMAN MARKS, I GUESS WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MOVE ON AND, AND NOT THAT IT LEAST A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
ANY OTHER, UH, DIALOGUE? THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
NOW WE WILL MOVE BACK TO THE NORMAL.
WE, WE ARE GONE FOR A GOOD WHILE.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? NO.
YOU'LL LIKE, OH, NO, SIR, I'M READY TO VOTE.
AFTER SOS ORDERED, WE WILL APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 2 15
[00:30:03]
AS PRESENTED.[III.B.(1) A Presentation By The Emergency Management Team Regarding Storm Preparation (Requested By Councilmember Lewis)]
MOVE BACK TO OUR NORMAL, NORMAL FLOW OF, UH, THINGS.AND WE HAVE, UH, UNDER PRESENTATIONS, UH, BEFORE I, I READ THE PRESENTATION UP.
MR. LINDSEY, YOU HAVE THE, UH, POWERPOINT AND IT IS, IT IS READY.
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM REGARDING STORM, UH, PREPARATION, AND THAT'S REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? I THINK I WHAT? AND, AND, AND COUNCIL, I PASS.
I'VE PASSED TO YOU, UH, A DOCUMENT THAT'S BEEN PREPARED, A POWERPOINT THAT WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN SHOWING.
WE HAVE, UH, PART OF OUR, UH, EMERGE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM PRESENT WHO WILL, UH, PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION.
NOW, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, IS THERE ANYTHING IN SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU WANTED IN THIS PRESENTATION OR THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO KNOW? WE CAN GO RIGHT TO THAT.
NO, WHAT I WANT, WHAT WHAT I WAS, WAS MY INTENT FOR ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ATTEND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THING.
BUT SOME, SOME PARTICULAR COUNCIL MEMBERS CHOSE TO NARROW THAT DOWN.
BUT THE PROBLEM WITH WHEN I, WHEN I FINALLY GOT MY HANDS ON THE BROCHURE AND ONLY TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WAS ATTENDING, AND AT THE SAME TIME, FOUR DIFFERENT SESSION WAS GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME, IMPOSSIBLE FOR TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ATTEND IT.
SO THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO GET WITH THE CHIEF AND PUT THE PULL TOGETHER THE, THE, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR Y'ALL TO DO A PRESENTATION.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE TODAY, OKAY? YES, SIR.
AND NOW, FIRST OF ALL, WE, LET'S LOOK AT THE, UH, PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE HERE, ALL RIGHT? AND, AND, AND, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF, UH, HOUSTON HAS BEEN SO KIND AS TO PREPARE WHAT, WHAT I, I ACTUALLY ASKED HIM TO, ACCORDING TO WHAT, UH, AND, AND I I DID SAY, AND MAYOR, YES.
IN ADDITION, I, THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM IS EXPECTED OF THEM.
IF, IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU LEMME PROCEED, COUNCILMAN, I'M, I'M GONNA TELL Y'ALL, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THAT HE'S HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE PART OF MY TEAM.
SO THE FIRST THING I WANT TO DO IS LET YOU, YOU LOOK AT IF YOU WOULD READ THE HIERARCHY AND HOW THIS OPERATES.
OKAY? THE MAYOR, THE REASON I GOT JUST A MINUTE, IF YOU STOP ME, I CAN'T CONTINUE.
WELL, WELL, WELL GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE.
WHAT, WHAT ELSE YOU SAY, GO AHEAD.
AND ALL I'M SAYING IS THE REASON THAT THEY ARE HERE, OKAY? AND THEY AIN'T LACK YOU, WOULD ALLOW ME LACK, LACK OF INFORMATION.
DON'T MAYOR, IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME TO GIVE IT TO YOU, MAYOR, MAYOR, COUNCIL, MAYOR, MAYOR, WHEN I STOP TALKING, YOU CAN TALK.
WHEN I GAVE UP THIS, YOU CAN TALK POINT OF ORDER ON MY BROTHER.
THAT'S WHAT I'M POINT CALL POINT OF ON YOU.
THAT'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO NOT TO DO, MAYOR.
THAT'S WHAT I WANT YOU NOT TO DO.
MAYOR, MAYOR, UH, YOU KNOW, LET, LET'S, WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED THE PRESENTATION.
ALLOW THE DEPUTY CHIEF TO CONTINUE.
BUT, UH, CAN WE JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, HE DOESN'T WANT ME TO GIVE IT AND I'M GOING TO GIVE IT.
AND YOU'RE DIRECTOR, SO RIGHT.
LET'S, LET'S GET, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET PAST THIS, UH, OPPORTUNITY, OKAY? AND, AND, AND AS SOON AS HE MAY ACCEPT THAT, THANK YOU.
AND THAT'S WHY I SAID, IF YOU LOOK ON THIS FRONT PAGE, IT SAYS, DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THURMOND, BILL BOYEE.
I DIDN'T APPOINT MYSELF WHEN I WAS ELECTED BY WHOMEVER VOTED FOR ME.
I BECAME DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
OKAY? NOW, MY TEAM, WHO IS A VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, THIS, THE, AND TWO OF THEM ARE PRESENT RIGHT NOW IN INFORMS ME AS A DIRECTOR AS TO THE FLOW OF PREPAREDNESS AND PREPARATIONS FOR STORMS. IT BEGAN, IF I'M NOT WRONG, THE FIRST DAY I WAS SWORN IN, IN HERE.
SO, AND I HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY UNDER YOUR TUTELAGE, SO TO SPEAK, FROM THAT DAY UNTIL THIS DAY.
OKAY? HOWEVER, CONSTITUTIONALLY THE CALL IS MINE WITH THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL PROVIDE FOR ME.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME HISTORICAL FACTS THAT I WOULD WANNA PRESENT BECAUSE WE ARE BEING RECORDED AND THERE ARE FOLK PRESENT HERE IN THIS CHAMBER.
[00:35:01]
DON'T BELIEVE THAT I'M SAYING ANYTHING INCORRECTLY.NOW, WITH THAT IN MIND, IF YOU GO TO THE SECOND PAGE OF IT, IT SHOWS YOU ABOUT THE OUTLOOK OF THE HURRICANE SEASON IN 2023, RIGHT? HE HAS THIS PREPARED, IT SHOWS YOU WITH, WITH, WITH THE PIE GRAPH AS TO WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL, WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED, UH, ABOVE NORMAL.
THESE ARE THE SEASONAL, UH, OR THE SEASON PROBABILITIES.
SIR, IF YOU ARE GOING TO STOP ME AS I TRIED TO PRESENT, WE ARE JUST GONNA BYPASS THIS.
NOW LET'S GO TO THE NEXT PAGE WHERE IT SAYS, KEY PLANNING AND PREPARATION.
NOW THE KEY PLANNING HAS BEEN DONE AND YOU ALL HAVE PROVIDED WHAT YOU ALL HAVE ATTENDED AND FURTHER INFORMED ME OF FOR MY NON-ATTENDANCE FOR OTHER REASONS.
LUMBERTON HURRICANE PREP MEETING, DEALING WITH NURSING HOMES, ASSISTED LIVING, DIALYSIS CENTERS AND HOSPITAL OR HURRICANE COORDINATING MEETINGS.
SO THAT'S DEALING WITH EVACUATING PATIENTS IF THAT WILL BECOME NECESSARY.
MASS CASUALTY, UH, TRAINING EVENTS, PARKS AND RECREATION UPDATES ON, UH, ANNEXING, UH, ANNEX C SHELTERING, OKAY.
DONATION DONATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT TRAINING, AND EVEN WITH TEXAS GAS, GAS, UH, SERVICES.
THE NEXT PAGE DEALS WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND THE PUBLIC WORKS MEETINGS.
OKAY? NOW WE HAVE EVEN MEETINGS WITH BETO DRAINER, DISTRICT SEVEN, TM, WHICH IS THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE.
THAT'S THE CONFERENCE THAT YOU WERE ALLUDING TO EARLIER, COUNCILMAN.
WE'VE ATTENDED VOAD MEETINGS AND EVEN RED CROSS MEETINGS AND THE PRE-DISASTER CONTRACTS AND MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
AND IT SHOWS HERE THAT THE CITY HAS, OR IT'S CURRENTLY HAS PRE-DISASTER CONTRACTS IN PLACE WITH FIRST DISASTER SUPPORT AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES, DEBRIS REMOVAL AND DISASTER SERVICES, DEBRIS MONITORING SERVICES, AND EVEN CATERING SERVICES.
WE HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ALL OF THE NECESSARY, UH, EMPLOYEES WHO WOULD BE HERE IN THE CASE THAT WE CALL AN EVACUATION.
WE HAVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, OR EMERGENCY BUS EVACUATION.
UH, AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PORT ARTHUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE EVEN HAVE, UH, EMERGENCY DIESEL FROM TOTAL REFINERY FOR PROVIDING US WITH NEEDED, UH, FUEL FOR PUMPS AND OTHER PORT ARTHUR MANAGED, UH, EQUIPMENT.
NOW WE HAVE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND THE DEFINITION AS IT'S DEFINED AND THE CONNOTATION THAT WE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT IN OUR DUTIES KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON SO YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO INFORM US FOR TODAY PER YOUR REQUEST, COUNCILMAN.
UH, AND THEN IF IT INVOLVES PERCEIVING, PROCESSING AND PREDICTING, OKAY? AND THIS DECISION MAKING THAT TAKES PLACE, TAKING ACTION TAKES PLACE AND COMMUNICATING AS I AM ATTEMPTING TO DO NOW AND COORDINATING IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
THE NEXT PAGE DEALS WITH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
IT'S CONTINUED AND IT LETS YOU, IT'S A DISCUSSION HERE.
I DON'T HAVE TO READ IT ALL TO YOU.
YOU CAN GO AND WE'LL PUT IT ONLINE IF THE PI WOULD'VE PUT IT ON, ON THE PORT ARTHUR, UM, WEBPAGE, AND EVERYONE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THIS.
BUT IT DEALS WITH WHAT WE DEAL WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND HOW THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GIVES US THE PREDICTIONS AS TO THE COORDINATES AND THE MOVEMENTS OF WHATEVER IS GOING ON IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.
ACCORDING TO THAT INFORMATION, DECISIONS ARE MADE FOR PORT ARTHUR, OKAY? IN CONJUNCTION WITH JEFFERSON COUNTY AND WITH THE INFORMATION FROM T DEM.
THIS PAGE IS ACTUALLY LETTING YOU KNOW ABOUT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
IF IN FACT, AN AN EVACUATION HAS TO BE CALLED, THE DIRECTOR CALLS THE EVACUATION.
AND I THINK I DID SAY THAT I AM THE DIRECTOR, BUT I DON'T JUST CALL CUZ I'VE HAD THE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS BEFORE.
SO WHETHER A PERSON WOULD BELIEVE WHAT I'M GETTING READY
[00:40:01]
TO SAY OR NOT, BUT I CALL IT UNDER SOME DIVINE INTERVENTION.I'M NOT JUST CALLING IT BECAUSE I THINK OUGHT TO SAY IT, NO.
BUT I'M DIVINELY INSPIRED AT THAT MOMENT TO CALL IT IF IT NEED BE CALLED.
AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM ACTUALLY ACQUIESCES AND THEY PUT FOR WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE DONE SO THAT THIS DUTY CAN BE CARRIED OUT.
WE ALSO HAVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DISTRIBUTES HURRICANE INFORMATION AND PREPAREDNESS GUIDES IN WATER BILLS.
SO ANY WATER CUSTOMER IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR RECEIVES EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION.
AND ALSO THERE'S INFORMATION ON STAND THAT EXPLAINS TO OUR CITIZENS THE IMPORTANCE OF REGISTERING WITH THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS NETWORK, WHICH IS STAND AND HOW THAT ACTUALLY IS IN INVOLVED.
AND ALSO WE HAVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND THAT HAS TO BE DONE WITH, UH, OTHER ENTITIES OF THE STATE.
THERE WAS A NEWS, UH, PRODUCTION A FEW WEEKS AGO.
HOWEVER, THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM THAT THE COUNTIES HANDLE 254 COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND MAYBE THE 40 OR 30 OR 30 OR 40 THAT WE HAVE COASTLINE IN INLAND.
THOSE COUNTIES ACTUALLY INVOLVE THEMSELVES HEAVILY INTO THE STEP PROGRAM.
WE HAVE THE STAND PROGRAM HERE.
IF A PERSON IS REGISTERED AND YOU, UH, A CITIZEN HAS THE RIGHT TO REGISTER IN BOTH PROGRAMS, WE EMBRACE, AM I CORRECT THE STAND PROGRAM? YEAH.
WE DEAL WITH ALSO EVACUATION ACTIVITIES.
AND OUR STAFF, THE TEAM HAS PREPARED ITSELF TO DEAL WITH EVACUATION ORDERS.
I THINK I JUST SPOKE ON HOW AN EVACUATION IS CALLED AND WHEN THE EVACUATION IS CALLED, IT'S CALLED BASED UPON INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THAT'S ACTUALLY SITUATED OVER IN LAKE CHARLES FOR OUR REGION HERE IN TEXAS.
OKAY? AND ONCE THEY GIVE US THAT INFORMATION, WE ARE IN THE CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, WHERE WE WERE.
BUT NOW WE DO HAVE OUR OWN PLACE, UH, OVER IN THE, IN THE PRESS BUILDING NOW.
BUT, UH, THANK GOD WE HAVEN'T HAD TO USE IT AND I WISH WE DON'T HAVE TO USE IT THIS YEAR.
BUT WE HAVE A FACILITY WHERE THESE LOGISTICAL MATTERS ARE HANDLED AND TAKEN PLACE IN A NICE SETTING THAT IS COMFORTABLE.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE IT IS ACTUALLY TESTED FOR A HURRICANE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW SIR STRONG IT MIGHT BE, BUT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO STAY IN THERE FOR, UH, A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF TIME FOR SAFETY.
BUT IF AN EVACUATION WOULD COME TO PASS, WE ARE PREPARED FOR THAT.
ALSO, WE HAVE JUST SEVERAL PAGES THAT DEALS WITH EVACUATION ACTIVITIES.
THEN COUNCILMAN, WE HAVE SHELTER ACTIVITIES AND THERE ARE RECEIVING PORTALS THROUGHOUT TEXAS IF AN EVACUATION WOULD OCCUR.
SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN THE DESIGNATED PLACE TO RECEIVE CITIZENS FROM PORT ARTHUR AND THE COASTLINE, UH, COUNTIES AND CITIES.
BUT THEY WOULD ALSO BE RECEIVING CITIZENS FROM THE VALLEY.
SO FROM THE VALLEY ALL THE WAY UP TO WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY PASSING US GOING OVER INTO ORANGE COUNTY AND THEN GOING AS FAR WEST PROBABLY INTO HORTON COUNTY.
IF AN EVACUATION WOULD NEED TO TAKE PLACE, THEY WOULD DIRECT THE CITIZENS FOR SURE.
IF WE ARE ON OUR BUS MASS TRANSIT, UH, IF THAT'S BEING UTILIZED, THEY WOULD BRING ALL OF THE CITIZENS TO DESIGNATED RECEIVING STATIONS.
AND THOSE, THE TRIAGE, I DON'T SEE MY HEALTH DEPARTMENT INDIVIDUALS HERE, BUT WE HAD A REAL GOOD WORKOUT.
I THINK IT WAS DURING HURRICANE LAURA.
RIGHT? AND DURING HURRICANE LAURA, THEY WERE ABLE TO TRIAGE INDIVIDUALS WHO, WHO APPEARED AT THE CIVIC CENTER BECAUSE THE CIVIC CENTER IS THE ACTUAL PLACE EVACUATION HUB, RIGHT? THE HUB WHERE WE WOULD RECEIVE INDIVIDUALS SO THAT THEY CAN BE SAFELY EVACUATED TO THE RECEIVING AREAS.
AND FOR US AT THIS JUNCTURE IS SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
[00:45:01]
WE WOULD NEED LOCAL SHELTERS, WE HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE PORT ARTHUR ARTHUR SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE SET AND ABLE TO WITHSTAND CERTAIN, UH, TYPES OR A CERTAIN DEGREE OF A HURRICANE.AND EVACUATION ISN'T NECESSARY BECAUSE THE THREAT OF A HIGH TIDE IS NOT PRESENT, BUT MAYBE WIND.
AND WE HAVE SEVERAL HOMES IN PORT ARTHUR THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND 80, 150 MILES AN HOUR WINDS, YOU KNOW, OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS MAY NEED TO BE EVACUATED TO LOCAL SHELTERS.
SO THE SHELTERING ITS ACTIVITIES IS THERE TO ASSIST CITIZENS IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND REENTRY ALWAYS INVOLVES SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HERE RIGHT NOW.
YOU GONNA BE IN A FEW MOMENTS, UH, PRAISE FOR OTHER THINGS.
BUT SEVERAL OF YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH COMING BACK INTO THE CITY, ASSESSING THE DAMAGE, YOU KNOW, DOWN WIRES, DOWNED TREES, TRYING TO BE SURE THAT WHEN WE MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR CITIZENS TO RETURN FROM THE SAID EVACUATION, THAT THEY CAN SAFELY REENTER THE CITY AND WITH AS LESS HARM AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE DEBRIS CONTRACTS AVAILABLE BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, IF WATER HAS RISEN AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS IN THE HOMES WHERE WE DID WITH HARVEY, WELL, A LOT OF THOSE THINGS WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE, DONE AWAY WITH.
BUT ALSO WE'D WANT TO LET CITIZENS KNOW THAT IF YOU HAVE PICTURES AND AN INVENTORY OF WHAT IS IN YOUR HOME AND YOU ARE INSURED, THAT'S THE WAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE REIMBURSED FOR YOUR CONTENT.
BUT IF YOU HAVE NO PROOF THAT YOU HAD THIS FRENCH PROVISIONAL COUCH THAT YOUR GRANDMOTHER BOUGHT FOR $20,000 10 YEARS AGO AND THE WATER HAS TAKEN IT, AND JUST YOU SAYING YOU HAVE IT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOUR INSURANCE IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT.
BUT FOR CITIZENS WHO ARE LISTENING, AND FOR THE SAKE OF ALL OF US WHO ARE HERE, BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE AN INVENTORY OF WHAT YOUR POSSESSIONS ARE IN YOUR HOME.
BECAUSE AT THE REENTRY YOU MAY COME UPON, YOU KNOW, SOME HARDSHIPS.
AND WITH THOSE IN IN MIND AND, AND THE RECOVERY OPERATIONS, UH, FOR COUNCILMAN AND EVERYONE ELSE, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY, IN RECENT YEARS, OUR REGION HAS GAINED MORE HURRICANE RESPONSE AND EVACUATION EXPERIENCE THAN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY IN THE STATE OR THE COUNTRY.
WITH EVERY RESPONSE WE HAVE LEARNED AND IMPROVED OUR OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES.
WHILE THE FUTURE IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT SHOULD OUR COMMUNITY BE THREATENED THIS YEAR, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED AND WELL TRAINED PERSONNEL AND PLANS IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND ADAPT TO ANY CHALLENGE THAT MAY ARISE.
THAT IS THE REPORT THAT YOU DID REQUEST.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS? OFFICER USON? YES, SIR.
YOU PREPARED THIS REPORT? YES, SIR.
I APPRECIATE YOU PREPARING IT.
YOU KNOW, I CAN LEAVE OUTTA HERE AND ATTEND THE SEMINAR AND GO AND SCAN IN AND GET THE BROCHURE AND COME BACK AND READ IT TO COUNCIL.
OKAY? AND YOU'LL THINK I, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SCAN IN MM-HMM.
YOU GO FROM ONE SESSION, YOU SCAN IN, YOU SCAN IN, YOU SCAN IN.
NOW THIS, I'M GONNA SAY IT LIKE THIS IN SIMPLE LANGUAGE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR REPORT AND, AND I GOT SOME CONCERNS HERE.
UH, BUT A BLIND HOG CAN FIND THAT ACORN IF YOU PUT HIM UNDER THE TREE.
NOW WHAT I'M, YOU'LL MEETING WITH, UH, LOOK UNDER THE KEY PLANNING AND PREPARATION EVENTS.
IT'S A, IT IS A GOOD COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LUMBERTON MEETING? UH, WHAT WE DID WAS WE DISCUSSED, UH, EVALUAT JUST MADE A POINT OF ORDER.
I HAVE GIVEN THE GENERALITIES.
NOW, COUNCILMAN, IF WE WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU IF YOU WOULD COME TO MY OFFICE.
WE ARE NOT GOING, THE POINT OF ORDER IS ON YOU.
WELL, BUT I'M DOING A PRESENTATION.
CAUSE WHEN I, IT'S NOT YOUR PRESENT, IT'S NOT YOUR PRESENTATION.
JUST READING WHAT HE GAVE YOU.
NOW WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? BUT JUST A MINUTE.
WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? WELL, HOLD.
[00:50:01]
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM.I'M TALKING TO YOU TRYING TO WALK ON ME.
WELL, LET'S, SO JUST BE QUIET.
LET ME TALK TO NO, DON'T TELL ME TO BE QUIET, SIR.
WELL, WHATEVER POINT OF ABOUT NO, NO.
WELL, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A RESPECTABLE MEETING.
MAYOR, IF YOU CARE TO LEAVE ROOM, GO.
HEY, POINT, POINT OF ORDER ON.
IF WE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOMETHING PARTICULARLY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
I MEAN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M TRYING TO GET A PARTICULAR THING AND I, AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT'S YOU PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO BE THE TOPIC.
SO, UH, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET AT OR THAT PRESENTATION WAS GIVEN BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE, AT THE LUMBERTON MEETING? CAN, CAN YOU SUMMARIZE THAT, UM, CHIEF YES, SIR.
AND GIVE THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHAT HE HE'S LOOKING FOR? YES, SIR.
WE MET WITH THE OFFICIALS OF THE LUMBERTON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, LUMBERTON I, SD AND HARDIN COUNTY, UM, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS, AND DISCUSSED THE SHELTER IN PRE-SEASON HURRICANE RESPONSE ACTIVITIES.
UH, WE ESTABLISHED OUR POINT OF CONTACT BEING CHIEF DANNY SULAND OF, UM, LUMBERTON PD.
UM, PRETTY MUCH THEY TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD, THEY, THEY WERE READY TO ACCEPT OUR PERSONNEL, ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL IN THE EVENT THAT AN EVACUATION IS CALLED.
THAT IS WHAT WE'LL RESPOND TO.
THE NEXT ITEM, THE NURSING HOME ASSISTED LIVING DIALYSIS CENTER AND THE HOSPITAL OF HURRICANE COORDINATES THE MEETING.
WHAT HAPPENED THERE? YES, SIR.
WE MET WITH THE HEALTHCARE FACILITIES AND HOSPITALS, HOME HEALTH PROVIDERS, UM, THAT ARE OPERATING IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WE DISCUSSED THEIR ROLES AND OBLIGATIONS WITH DISASTER AND HURRICANE OPERATIONS.
AT THAT POINT IN TIME, MOST OF THE NURSING HOMES REVIEW, UH, PREVENT PRO PROVIDED THEIR PLANS.
UH, WE LOOKED AT IT, MADE SURE THAT THEY HAD EVERYTHING IN PLACE, UH, THAT THEY HAD TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES COME OUT AND ASSIST, UM, THEIR, THEIR PEOPLE THAT WILL BE AT THEIR FACILITIES TO HELP GET THEM OUT IN THE, IN THE INSTANCE OF AN EVACUATION IS CALLED.
WELL, I HEARD SOME HORROR STORIES FROM, FROM HARVEY.
PEOPLE TALKING WAS IN NURSING HOME.
THEY WAS LAYING IN BED UNABLE TO MOVE AND ELECTRICAL WIRE AND THE WATER'S RISING.
BUT AT, AT A POINT LIKE THAT, WHEN, WHEN NURSING HOME OFFICIALS FAIL TO RESPOND, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU, HOW YOU GONNA HANDLE THAT? YOU GONNA TAKE OVER? OR HOW YOU GOING TO HANDLE THAT? IF WE'RE MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS, IF THEY'RE PUTTING HARM'S WAITING, THEN AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE GOTTA DO TO HELP, TO ASSIST THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE GET OUT TO GET OUT THERE, THOSE FACILITIES.
SO YOU WOULD JUST TAKE OVER AND GET THE PEOPLE OUT THERE? YES, SIR.
NOW UNDER THE MASS CASUALTY TRAINING, WHAT, WHAT TRANSPIRED THERE? UH, THAT WAS TRAINING WITH SET TRACK.
UM, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH AS IT PERTAINS TO ANY TYPE OF MASS CASUALTY EVENT.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S NOT JUST HURRICANES.
IT, IT COULD PERTAIN TO AN EXPLOSION AT THE REFINERY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE WHEN YOU HAVE A BIG MATCH CASUALTY EVENT, IT COULD BE A SCHOOL SHOOTING.
UM, AT THAT POINT IN TIME WE'LL RESPOND AND AT THAT, AND WE PRETTY MUCH WORKED OUR CORRESPONDENCE, HOW WE WOULD DEAL WITH THOSE TYPE OF INCIDENTS.
NOW ON THE PARK AND RECREATION UPDATE AND ACTIVATION SHELTERING, WHO HANDLES THAT? YOU GOT, YOU GOT, YOU HANDLES THAT OR YOU GOT, UH, YES.
UM, OUR, OUR PLAN WAS, WAS, WAS COMING UP, UM, FOR EXPIRATION AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
WE REVIEWED THE PLAN WITH, UM, MRS. ALPO.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE PRETTY MUCH MADE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS UP TO DATE, UM, AND SUBMITTED TO BEFORE THE STATE.
NOW WHAT ABOUT THIS DONATION MANAGEMENT TRAINING? WHAT'S THAT ABOUT? DONATIONS MANAGEMENT? THAT'S, THAT'S AS IT PERTAINS DURING THE HURRICANE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, UM, A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME IN AND WANT TO DONATE STUFF TO THE CITY.
WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT IS SPECIFICALLY OVER THERE THAT'S GONNA BE MR. SAUNDERS, ADAM SAUNDERS OVER THE CIVIC CENTER.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE JUST RECEIVED MORE TRAINING JUST TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE, THAT, THAT EVERYTHING WAS IN PLACE AND THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING ALL THE RULES.
IN REFERENCE TO THAT PROCESS, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OF THE TEXAS GAS SERVICE? UH, PRETTY MUCH, UM, THEY, THEY PROVIDE US WITH THEIR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANS.
UM, AND WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT HEY, EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE.
THIS'S, THEY'RE MORE SO, UH, ON REENTRY, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY, THEY PRETTY MUCH LAID OUT ON, HEY, IF THERE'S A, THAT THERE'S A BUSTED GAS LINE, THEY, THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT THEY'LL, THAT THEY'LL DO.
UM, AND, AND KEEP US INFORMED THAT WAY WHEN NOT PUTTING OUR CITIZENS IN HARM'S WAY WHEN WE, WHEN WE ENTER REENTRY BACK INTO THE CITY.
WHAT TRANSPLANT THE PUBLIC WORKS MEETING, WHAT, WHAT ARE THEIR ROLES? UH, PRETTY MUCH WE WENT OVER THERE ANNEX.
WE WENT OVER THERE, ANNEX MADE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS IN PLACE.
UM, IF THERE WAS ANY CHANGES THAT HAD NEEDED TO BE MADE, WE MADE THOSE CHANGES AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND PRESENTED IT BEFORE THE STATE.
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OF BETO? I SAID BETO HERE.
THEY, THEY, THEY PRETTY MUCH, UM, THEY'RE A NEW COMPANY.
THEY'RE WORKING OUT THERE AT GOLDEN PASS L AND G, AND THEY WANTED TO UPDATE THE CITY AS FAR AS THEIR PLANS.
UM, IN THE CASE THAT WE HAVE AN EVACUATION, HOW THEY GONNA SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN
[00:55:01]
SAFELY? UM, THEY GAVE A TIMEFRAME OF HOW EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO WORK.UM, AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE BRIEFED THEM AS FAR AS, OKAY, HEY, THERE WAS A COUPLE TIMES THAT I THINK THAT WAS NOT IN LINE WITH OURS AS FAR AS THEIR SHUT DOWN PROCESS.
SO WE GOT THEM UP TO SPEED AS FAR AS, HEY, LOOK, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO DO THIS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS GETTING IT SHUT DOWN, THAT WAY WE GET WAY, WE GET EVERYTHING IN PLACE.
WHAT'S YOUR COORDINATION BETWEEN, UH, YOU AND D AND DD? SEVEN? UH, WE MET WITH, WE MET WITH, UM, MR. GERARD, UH, AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, HE BRIEFED US AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THEIR OPERATIONS AND, UH, WHAT THEY HAD, WHAT THEY HAD GOING, IF THERE WAS ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD OF THEM, THEY, THEY PRETTY MUCH GAVE US A POINT OF CONTACT WHO COULD MAKE CONTACT WITH.
AND, UM, THEIR BACKUP PUMPING SYSTEM.
Y'ALL COORDINATE WITH THEM? UH, DO THEY TEST THEIR BACKUP, UH, PUMPING SYSTEM? WE, WE DIDN'T DISCUSS MR. UM, MR. LEWIS.
NOW, WHAT'S THIS, YOUR, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE? THAT'S THE CONFERENCE.
AND, UH, WHAT ABOUT RED CROSS? WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT KIND OF COORDINATION BETWEEN RED CROSS? WHAT'S YOU EXPECTED? RED CROSS? UM, I, I, AT THAT TIME I HAVE, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF FRED TO SPEAK ON THAT I WAS OUT OF TOWN ON, ON THAT DATE, BUT I HAD HIM TO COORDINATE THAT MEETING WITH RED CROSS.
POINT OF ORDER MIGHT I, MIGHT, I RECOMMEND THAT IF COUNCILMAN LEWIS HAS ALL OF THESE CONCERNS, THAT WE COULD DO A WORKSHOP SO THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE AND GET ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS, UM, ANSWER, UM, THE MEETING IS NOT THE PLACE TO DO AND TO ANSWER ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS FROM STAFF, I OBJECTION.
IT SHOULD BE DONE IN A WORKSHOP MEETING.
WELL, THE RED CROSS QUESTION IS MY LAST ONE.
AND, AND IT'S A GOOD POINT, COUNCILMAN, FOR ADDITIONAL, WE CAN HAVE A WORKSHOPS, YOU KNOW, BUT RIGHT NOW WE, THE PUBLIC IS, IS HERE BEING RE-BROADCAST PUBLIC NEEDS TO HEAR WHAT'S EXPECTED OF THEM.
WITH THE RED CROSS, AND I'M GONNA CUT IT OFF RIGHT THERE.
SPECIFICALLY WITH THE RED CROSS, THEY HAD A, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE DOWN HERE IN THE CITY.
AND SO WE MET WITH OUR, UH, LOCAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND WITH THE STATE DIRECTOR, UH, JUST TO KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH SOME EXPERIENCES WITH RED CROSS AND, UH, I WAS VERY PLEASED COMING OUTTA THAT MEETING.
UH, AS FAR AS THE COORDINATION THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO EVOLVE TO, BECAUSE WHEN WE GO TO SHELTER OPERATIONS, WE'RE VERY DEPENDENT ON THEM.
WE DON'T WANNA START FIGURING STUFF OUT ONCE A DISASTER HITS.
SO IT WAS JUST A PREEMPTIVE MEETING TO WHERE WE, WE GOT TO GET WITH THEM AND SAY, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM US? AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU? AND YOU KNOW, THE KEY TO THAT IS COORDINATION, PRE LANDFALL, UH, COORDINATION.
AND SOME THINGS THAT THEY'RE ALSO A PART OF WITH THE CITY, UH, SUCH AS ANY TYPE OF, UH, IF THERE NEEDS TO BE AN EVACUATION FOR ANY TYPE OF, UH, INDUSTRIAL EVENT, OR WE EVEN SPOKE ABOUT, UH, WARMING CENTERS IN THE FUTURE.
SO THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WE, UH, DISCUSSED.
HOLISTIC, NOT JUST HURRICANE, UH, CENTRIC.
BUT IF, UH, IF I MAY, I WANNA GO BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION.
WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM CITIZENS? RIGHT? ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE CAN DO AT THIS POINT IS REGISTER WITH STAN.
AND WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN GET WITH THE CITY PIO, MAKE SURE THAT INFORMATION GOES OUT.
UH, IT WAS SENT OUT IN THE WATER BILLS.
BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVEN ON OUR, UH, ON OUR GOVERNMENT CHANNEL THAT WE NEED TO PUSH.
IF THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE, UH, FUNCTIONAL NEEDS, THERE'S ALSO, THEY NEED TO REGISTER WITH STEER SO WE CAN PRE-IDENTIFY PEOPLE THAT WILL NEED HELP IN THE EVENT OF EVACUATION.
WE ALL NEED TO REALIZE IS AT THE POINT THAT THE MAYOR CALLS A MANDATORY EVACUATION, A LOT OF THAT'S COORDINATED THROUGH THE COUNTY AND WITH THE STATE.
AND WHEN WE IMPLEMENT A MANDATORY EVACUATION, TRADITIONALLY THE, UH, STATE TRAFFIC PLAN GOES INTO EFFECT.
MEANING NORTH IS THE ONLY WAY ANYONE IS GONNA BE ALLOWED TO GO.
SO THAT'S WHY WE TRY TO DO SUCH A GOOD JOB IN, BEFORE WE CALL A MANDATORY EVACUATION, TO LET THEM KNOW.
AND THE MAYOR WILL EITHER GO AHEAD AND ANNOUNCE A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION.
CITIZENS NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO GO EAST AND WEST, BECAUSE ONCE THAT MANDATORY IS CALL AND A TRAFFIC PLAN IS PUT IN PLACE, IT'S ONLY NORTH.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO RIDE THIS OUT.
THAT MEANS GETTING ALL YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS EITHER FILLED BEFORE YOU GO, OR, UH, MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN FIND AN ALTERNATE PHARMACY.
THAT, UH, ALL THESE THINGS COULD BE GOTTEN BECAUSE AS WE SAW IN THE PAST, THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE WE SHUT DOWN THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OUR GOVERNMENT CANNOT SUPPORT THE CITIZENS NEEDS AT THAT POINT.
WE HAVE TOO MANY INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK
[01:00:01]
OUT, WHETHER IT'S ELECTRICITY OR WATER.WE WE'RE TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING BACK UP AND GOING.
AND WHEN WE START BRINGING CITIZENS IN TOO EARLY, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE JUST DOUBLE, UH, THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE BECAUSE NOW WE MIGHT NEED TO BE PROVIDING LIFESAVING AND THEN SUSTAINING, UH, PEOPLE'S EVERYDAY LIVES.
UH, THE MAYOR DOES NOT CALL THAT, UH, WITHOUT A LOT OF THOUGHT AND HEAVY HEART BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND WE'RE DISPLACING PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES.
UH, AND TRUST ME, IF WE COULD ALL LEAVE WITH OUR FAMILIES, WE'D LIKE IT TOO.
BUT, UH, BUT WE'RE HERE TO DO A JOB AND WE ARE HERE TO MAKE IT SAFE FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THEIR HOMES, ASSESS THEIR HOMES.
UH, THEY JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE TO GIVE US THAT TIME TO COMPLETE THOSE TASKS SO THEY CAN BE SAFE COMING BACK IN.
JUST ONE, ONE FINAL, ONE FINAL QUESTION.
UH, ALONG THE WAY, ALONG THE EVACUATION ROUTES, PEOPLE RUN OUTTA GAS, DO WE HAVE PLANS FOR FUEL TRUCKS? THINGS SPACED OUT THAT, THAT'D BE PART OF A STATE PLAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME THAT'S A STATE PLAN.
ANYTIME THAT, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THE STATE HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF TRAFFIC STUDIES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND I BELIEVE MAYBE, UH, I KNOW WE WERE SLATED FOR ONE WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UH, BUT NO, THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PREPPING FOR HURRICANES, THAT'S WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THOSE FUEL ISSUES AND, UH, AND WHATNOT.
UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE, YOU KNOW, OF, OF DOWN TIMES TO PREPARE YOUR FAMILY, UH, CUZ THAT, THAT'S THE KEY TO EVERYTHING IS PREPAREDNESS.
AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPONENTS OF, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS PREPAREDNESS.
CUZ WHAT WE PREPARE FOR HELPS US MITIGATE, UH, ANYTHING THAT WE MIGHT COME UP WITH IN THE FUTURE.
SO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION, UH, TO THE, UH, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND OUR LOCAL, UH, WEATHER REPORTS.
UH, ANYTIME ANYTHING IS OUT THERE, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN LOOKING AT BRETT, UH, WHICH THANKFULLY LOOKS LIKE ONCE IT HITS THE CARIBBEAN, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME WINDS THAT ARE GONNA, UH, BREAK IT DOWN.
THAT'S WHAT, WHAT THE FORECAST IS SO FAR.
BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT EVEN THIS FAR OUT, WE, WE LOOK AT, WE LOOK AT AND WE DISCUSS.
UM, SO IT'S JUST THE BIGGEST THING IS, IS PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE CITY AND THE MAYOR'S PUTTING OUT, AND, UH, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE.
JUST FOR A POINT OF CLARITY, THE MAYOR AND I WERE NOT THE ONLY TWO AT THIS CONFERENCE.
THERE WAS REPRESENTATION FROM APPROXIMATELY, DO WE HAVE 15 OR 17 DEPARTMENTS, REPRESENTATION FROM EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS WERE THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS ON THE SAME PAGE.
NOT ONLY DEALING WITH HURRICANES, BUT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, PERIOD.
WE COULD HAVE AN ACTIVE SHOOTER, WE COULD HAVE A BRIDGE COLLAPSE, AND ALSO KNOW THAT, UM, ONE OF THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS AND I WERE IN A COURSE THE FRIDAY MORNING FOR FOUR HOURS REVIEWING THAT AND CREATING A PLAN OF ACTION.
SO, JUST, JUST FOR CITIZENS' KNOWLEDGE, JUST KNOW THAT A GAME PLAN IS BEING PUT IN PLACE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WORKING IN THE BACKGROUND.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO, UM, CONTACT US SO THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, PLEASE LET US KNOW OF THOSE IDEAS AS WELL.
IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT.
I, I DOUBT IT WITH THE, WITH THE TEAM.
WE GOTTA HELP EACH OTHER CATCH, UM, CATCH THE BLIND SPOTS.
UM, THE LAST THING IS TRACING.
SO WHEN OUR CITIZENS ARE GOING TO, UM, SAN ANTONIO OR, UM, ANY OF THE SURROUNDING CITIES IN BEAR COUNTY THAT BRACELETS ARE PROVIDED.
AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED AT THE, AT THE, UM, CONFERENCE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT THEIR AILMENTS ARE, WHAT THEIR ADDRESS IS, WHO THEIR FAMILY IS, THEIR EMERGENCY POINTS OF CONTACTS, SO THAT WE CAN GET OUR CITIZENS BACK HOME.
AND THEN ANOTHER THING THAT WE WILL BE DOING VERY SOON, UM, WITH COORDINATION WITH, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, IS TO CONFIRM EVERY PERSON NEEDING AN EMERGENCY, UH, UH, BADGE IDENTIFICATION, IDENTIFICATION WILL HAVE THEM.
AND TEED TEDOM WILL WORK WITH US HAND IN HAND TO GET THAT DONE SO THAT WE'RE NOT STRUGGLING GETTING THE HELP THAT WE NEED BACK IN THE CITY.
AND THERE'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A JOE BLOW WITH A BOAT SAYING, HEY, I WANNA COME AND HELP.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE TIME
[01:05:01]
TO VERIFY HIM.SO AGAIN, THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THE BACKGROUND AND, UM, APPRECIATE ALL OF THE EFFORTS FROM ALL OF THE REPRESENTATION THAT WAS THERE FROM THE SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
YES, WE'LL, REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF MR. BURTON.
UM, ALLOW CITY STAFF TO ATTEND THAT, UH, TETON CONFERENCE.
TEMPORARY ENLIGHTENING THE CITY AND THE COUNCIL.
UH, UH, APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY EMPLOYEES? CITY EMPLOYEES? I, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT.
25 35, WHICH, WHICH STANDS TO ME THAT THE, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAS TAKEN A STRONG, UH, STANCE ON TEDOM AND, AND THE CONFERENCE.
BECAUSE YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT WE WANT TO BE PREPARED FOR SOMETHING THAT'S TO COME IN.
WE KNOW IT'S GONNA COME, THE WATERS ARE WARM.
UM, I WROTE A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.
I DO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN EMPLOYEES THAT WENT THERE, CITY MANAGER.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING OUR CITY EMPLOYEES TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE.
AND IF THE COUNCIL MEMBER WANTED TO GET EXACTLY WHAT TYPE OF, UH, UH, BREAKOUT SESSIONS, TEDOM HAS IT ONLINE.
SO WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED THE INTERNET NOW THESE DAYS.
SO, UH, IF, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO GO AND SEE WHAT EXACTLY WHAT SOME OF THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS THEY CAN AND THAT BENEFITS DIFFERENT, UH, CITIES, THE 250 COUNTY, 254 COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO THANK YOU, UH, DEPUTY CHIEFS FOR ATTENDING AND BRINGING BACK THE INFORMATION.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR OF, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND MAYOR PRO TIM FOR ALLOWING, UH, THIS PRESENTATION.
WE NEED THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR ARTHUR KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THIS COUNCIL AND, AND OUR STANCE AS THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
COUNCILMAN MARKS, UH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP, UH, OUTSTANDING PRESENTATION.
I MISSED SOME OF IT, BUT, UH, MR. CITY MANAGER, JUST WANT TO KNOW WHEN AND CAN WE PUT TOGETHER A WORKSHOP THAT OUR CITIZENS CAN ATTEND AND THAT THEY CAN HAVE THE BENEFIT OF OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ON THIS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, SPEAK TO CITIZENS DIRECTLY, MAYBE HERE OR IN, IN A LARGER VENUE SO THAT, UH, THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY AND HAVE THOSE ANSWERS DONE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GET INTO MID HURRICANE.
SEE, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN IS POSSIBLY WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WELL, WE JUST, JUST TO DIRECTLY ANSWER WITH THAT, WE WOULD GET WITH ADAM TO FIND OUT THE AVAILABILITY OF, UH, OF THE CIVIC CENTER TOGETHER.
WE'LL GET THE, UM, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR TO DEVELOP A SCHEDULE.
GET WITH ADAM ON THERE, PLEASE.
AND, AND, AND WE COULD SET SOMETHING LIKE THAT UP.
AND IF I MAY CLEAR SOMETHING UP WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM, THIS IS WHAT YOU THINK, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW, IN REALITY, OUR STAFF, THAT'S OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM, THERE'S NO 1, 2, 3, 4 PEOPLE THAT MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO INCREDIBLE THAT SO MUCH STAFF DID GET TO GO BECAUSE WE HAVE LITTLE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
I WISH WE COULD, ONE OF US COULD HAVE IT ALL IN OUR HEADS MM-HMM.
BUT WE HAVE NUMEROUS KEY MEMBERS OF STAFF THAT, UH, ARE, ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE KEY TEAM MEMBERS TO THE ENTIRE DEAL.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO IS MAYBE IS, IS EXPAND.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS SO, IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO ME, HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS IN A FEW YEARS, TO SEE THAT MUCH REPRESENTATION FROM THE CITY.
UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T DO IT WITHOUT THEM.
THEY'RE THE ONES OUT THERE, UH, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THE, THE DETAILS AND THEY'RE ON THE, A LOT OF 'EM ON THE GROUND TAKING CARE OF THE CITIZENS.
SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE A BIG PART OF THE TEAM.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAYOR FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF HOUSTON, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AS WELL.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS SO IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL OF THE, UH, WEATHER, UH, EVENTS THAT WE HAVE HAD.
OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH PERRYMAN, TEXAS, UH, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS THERE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE DECIMATION, UH, THAT THEY'VE EXPERIENCED.
UM, UM, THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON, UH, AND TRANSPIRING.
AND I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO DO SOMETHING TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, UH, TO HELP THEM, UH, IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION.
BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT AN IMPERATIVE IS TO GET HELP.
UM, FROM WHAT WE EXPERIENCE DURING HARVEY, UH, WHEN THESE SITUATIONS HAPPEN, THERE ARE ALWAYS SOME UNEXPECTED EVENTS THAT HAPPEN, UH, AND TRANSPIRE.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE GO OVER IT, THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE MADE AWARE OF.
WHAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT IS INVOLVED FROM THE BIG TO THE SMALL, HAVING A BOX WITH ALL OF YOUR
[01:10:01]
PAPERS AND YOUR INSURANCE AND MAKING SURE YOU GET YOUR MEDICINES AND ALL OF THE LITTLE THINGS AS WELL THAT GO INTO BEING PREPARED FOR, UH, UH, EVACUATION AND EVENTS.SO THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT, UM, UH, FOR US TO, TO, UH, TO, TO KNOW.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND MAYOR, UH, FOR COORDINATING, UH, WHAT WE NEED TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO OUR CITIZENS SO THAT WE CAN BE READY, UH, IN THE EVENT OF A STORM.
I ORIGINALLY, I HAD REQUESTED YOU TO DO THE PRESENTATION.
WHAT, WITHOUT TALKING TO THE CHIEF, I REALIZED IN TALKING TO, UH, THE OTHER OFFICER, THAT I REALIZED IT WAS A TEAM EFFORT.
SO SIR, THAT'S WHY I CHANGED THE, THE HEAD INTO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM.
I AIN'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYBODY OUT.
BUT I, I WANNA SAY ONE THING TO, SO FOR THE RECORD, CONTRARY TO WHAT WAS EVEN INSINUATED HERE, ANY PERSON, BECAUSE SEVERAL OUT HERE WERE AT THE MEETINGS, HE JUST SAID IT, IT, YOU WENT IN THE MEETINGS WITH A BADGE.
IT WAS RECORDED THAT YOU WERE IN THE MEETING.
THERE WERE FOLKS STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE MEETINGS.
IF YOU DECIDED TO LEAVE EARLY, COULD GO BACK INTO THE, THAT, THAT SYSTEM AND WALK YOU ABSENT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST GO IN AND THEN COME OUT.
SO EVEN WITH THOSE INSINUATIONS, THAT WAS TOTALLY INCORRECT.
AND IT'S THE INTEGRITY OF INDIVIDUALS THAT I THINK THE CITY MANAGER ALLOWED DEPARTMENT HEADS TO SEND.
SEVERAL OF YOU WERE PART OF THAT, UH, OPPORTUNITY.
EVERYONE THERE DID A GREAT JOB OF REPRESENTING OUR CITY TO GET KNOWLEDGE ON WHAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
AND I WANT TO SAY HURRICANES ARE IMPORTANT TO US, BUT HURRICANES NOT THE MAIN OR THE ONLY TOPIC, SOMETHING I HOPE THAT WE WOULD, I WOULD NEVER HAVE TO HAVE ANY TRAINING ON.
ALL OF THOSE, I KNOW WE ARE, YOU KNOW, HURRICANES BECAUSE OF THE WATER, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER TOPICS OR INSTANCES THAT FALL UNDER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL AGAIN AND APPRECIATE OUR CITIZENS AND WOULD ASK THAT OUR CITIZENS WOULD ADHERE TO WHATEVER DIRECTIVES ARE GIVEN IN THE CASE OF ANY EMERGENCY SITUATION.
[III.C.(1) Service Awards Presentation]
WILL MOVE TO EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION.UH, I'M SORRY THAT WE MAY HAVE STAYED A LITTLE LONGER OR HAVE HELD YOU A LONGER THAN YOU HAD ANTICIPATED, BUT, UH, THERE IS A PART FOR SERVICE AWARDS AND THANK YOU.
IF I COULD PLEASE ASK, UH, THE CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL TO COME DOWN PLEASE.
JUST LINED UP, UH, ACROSS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
AND THEN THE EMPLOYEES COME IN.
CITIZENS AND STAFF EMPLOYEE SERVICE AWARDS ARE ISSUED IN FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS TO EMPLOYEES WITH SAID NUMBER OF SERVICE YEARS ANNUAL LEASE STAFFED WITH 20 PLUS YEARS OF SERVICE, ARE PRESENTED WITH THEIR SERVICE AWARDS BEFORE CITY COUNCIL TODAY ARE, WE ARE PRESENTING STAFF WITH 20 PLUS YEARS OF SERVICE FOR THE YEARS OF 2019, 2020 AND 21.
WHEN YOUR NAME IS KYLE, PLEASE COME FORWARD TO RECEIVE YOUR SERVICE AWARD FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND
[01:15:01]
DEDICATION TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.ISAAC RISER, 20 YEARS PARKS AND RECREATION.
CHRISTOPHER KELLY, UTILITY OPERATIONS, WASTEWATER, CONVEYANCE, 20 YEARS.
KIMBERLY REDMOND, DEVELOPMENT, SERVICE, HOUSING, 20 YEARS OF SERVICE.
DARRYL HARMON, UTILITY OPERATIONS WATER ADMINISTRATION.
RENWICK COLLINS, UTILITY OPERATIONS, WASTEWATER, CONVEYANCE.
ANTHONY MITCHELL, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ANIMAL CONTROL.
A EVELYN THOMAS, CITY SECRETARY MUNICIPAL COURT.
YOLANDA SIPAN PURCHASING 25 YEARS.
ED SANDERS CIVIC CENTER, 25 YEARS.
CLYDE TREHAN, UTILITY OPERATIONS WATER ADMINISTRATION.
ROLAND OZAN HEALTH DEPARTMENT 25 YEARS.
MARY ESSEX DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
RONNIE MICKENS, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES INSPECTIONS, 30 YEARS.
DANNY LNO, WASTEWATER CONVEYANCE UTILITY OPERATIONS, 30 YEARS.
JESSE SIBLEY, WASTEWATER CONVEYANCE.
[01:20:01]
MS. WANDA THOMPSON LIBRARY.AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, HARRIET COLLINS PARKS AND RECREATION.
AND AGAIN, WE JUST WANNA RECOMMEND WE COMMEND EVERYONE FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION THROUGHOUT THE YEARS FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND TO ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES FOR ALL OF YOUR SERVICES AT THE ENTIRE COUNCIL.
UNLESS SOMEONE WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL AND DON'T TRY TO LEAVE
YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR GRANDCHILDREN COUNTING ON IT.
[III.E.(1) A Discussion Regarding The Budget For The City Landfill’s Tub Grinder And City Street Magnets (Requested By Councilmember Lewis)]
WE ARE AT THIS PERIODS FOR DISCUSSIONS OF A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE, UH, BUDGET FOR THE CITY'S LANDFILL TUB GRINDER AND, UH, CITY STREET MAGNETS, UH, REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS, UH, WHO WILL HANDLE, HE SAID SOMETHING.UM, NO, MAYOR, I JUST HAVE TO, LET ME JUST INFORM THE COUNCIL.
LET ME JUST INFORM THE COUNCIL THAT COUNCILMAN LOUIS, PLEASE.
THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR THE MAGNET.
UM, UM, BOTH THE, UM, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS DID THE RESEARCH.
IT'S ABOUT $50,000 AND FOR THE, UM, LAND, THE LANDFILL GRINDER, IT'S ABOUT 1.4 MILLION THAT IT'LL COST.
UH, THAT LANDFILL, THE, THE, THE, UH, TUB GRINDER INCREASES THE LIFE OF THE LANDFILL THAT WE WON'T HAVE TO PUT ALL THOSE OLD TREES AND THINGS IN THOSE CELLS AND COVER 'EM UP.
WE CAN, WE CAN, LIKE MANAGER SAID, WE CAN PUT A, WHEN THEY CUT THE TREES DOWN, THEY CAN, WE CAN HAVE 'EM AT A CERTAIN SIZE SO WE CAN, WE CAN PICK 'EM UP AND, AND, AND SEND 'EM THROUGH, THROUGH THE TUB GROUND.
WE HAD A TUB GRINDER, BUT IT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO IT.
AND THEN YOU, YOU SUBCONTRACT IT OUT THE TUB GRINDER.
SO WE DON'T, WE HAVEN'T HAD A TUB GRINDER IN A WHILE, BUT THEN THE TUB GRINDER, GRINDING UP THOSE TREES WILL EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR LANDFILL.
AND, UH, THE MAGNET, I TURNED ON THE CORNER OF, UH, PROCTOR AND MEMORIAL AND I PICKED UP THIS THROUGH THE WALL OF MY TIRE.
AND I, I, I TESTED IT, IT'S IRON AND I, I STARTED QUESTIONING WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STREET MAGNET.
IF YOU GO DOWN THERE, THE TIRE SERVICE ON, UH, BLUE BONNET AND, AND, AND MEMORIAL, IT STAYS BUSY.
AND WHEN YOU GO AND AS YOUR TIRE IS WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE, YOU GONNA PICK UP A LOT OF NAILS AND A LOT OF ROOFING TANKS.
YOU KNOW, UH, POOR PEOPLE NOW, INSTEAD OF ME REPLACING ONE OF MY TIRES, TIRES HAVE BEEN ON MY VEHICLE OVER FIVE YEARS.
IF, IF A POOR PERSON WOULD'VE JUST REPLACED THAT TIRE, I REPLACED THEM ALL ABOUT $1,500.
BUT A POOR PERSON CANNOT AFFORD THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
THEY WILL HAVE TO GO EITHER GO AND BUY A USED TIRE AND GET, AND GET BACK ON THE ROAD OR SOMETHING.
[01:25:01]
VERY SEL THEY'LL HAVE TO BUY, THEY WILL HAVE THE MONEY TO FINANCE TO BUY NEW TIRES.SO WE NEED TO BUDGET, BUDGET FOR THE MAGNET AND BUDGET FOR THE, UH, THE TUB GRINDER.
COUNCILMAN MARKS, UH, I'M GONNA TELL GRIND THERE.
UM, MR. UH, CITY MANAGER, I THINK BACK AROUND 2016 OR SO, IT WAS A TRIP, A DELEGATION FROM THE EDC AND CITY COUNCIL THAT FLEW UP TO, UH, I THINK IT WAS NASHVILLE.
AND, AND WE WENT UP TO SEE THE, UH, THE FACILITIES UP THERE WITH THE, WITH THE TUB GRINDERS OR, OR ALL.
AND, AND SO WHEN WE CAME BACK, I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF INTEREST IN US DOING BUSINESS OR SETTING SOMETHING UP OUT THERE.
SEND ME WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THAT PROJECT.
DO YOU KNOW? NO COUNSEL, I DON'T THINK IT EVER GOT OFF THE GROUND.
I THINK IT WAS, YOU KNOW, AND IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT REVISIT? BECAUSE, UH, EVIDENTLY THE, THE RECYCLING OF ALL OF THOSE TREES AND EVERYTHING IS, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GENERATING REVENUES OUT OF THAT FACILITY AND, AND OUTSIDE OF NASHVILLE.
AND, UH, THEY'RE DOING, UH, UH, A REALLY GOOD JOB OF MANAGING THE, UH, THE, THEIR LANDFILL ISSUES.
SO, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT AGAIN.
UM, AND WE WILL, WE WILL LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY, UM, TO SEE WE WILL.
MAY I HAVE, UM, THAT INFORMATION TO REVIEW? SO I'LL BE CAUGHT UP TO DATE ON THE PURPOSE OF VISITING THE FACILITY IN TENNESSEE AND WHAT BENEFITS WE WANNA BRING HOME.
I WILL, I KNOW I'VE SEEN STUFF FROM THE EDC HERE.
UM, LET ME, LET ME CONTACT THE EDC AND SEE IF I GET SOME INFORMATION ON THAT AND WE WILL SHARE IT WITH, WITH THE COUNSELOR.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE MAY WANT TO VISIT WITH EDC AND SEE IF THEY CAN MAYBE, UH, HELP US WITH, WITH PURCHASING THAT TUB GROUND SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, CAUSE WE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE BUDGETED FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS SOMETHING EDC CAN HELP US WITH, OR THEY MAY HAVE SOME RESIDUAL FUNDS LEFT OVER FROM A FOUR B, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD HELP US WITH.
SO YOU MAY WANT TO VISIT WITH 'EM.
I'LL VISIT WITH THE EDC DIRECTOR.
UH, WE'VE COMPLETED THAT DISCUSSION.
[III.E.(2) A Discussion Regarding The Westside Empowerment Zone Redevelopment]
NEXT DISCUSSION IS REGARDING THE, UH, WEST SIDE IMPAIRMENT ZONE.NOW, UH, ATTORNEYS, YOU WERE HERE IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN THIS WEST SIDE IMPAIRMENT ZONE.
AND I THINK WE HAD, WE HAD VISITED THIS EARLIER BECAUSE IN RESOLUTION 23 1 76, WE, UH, IN CHAPTER 3 78 ACTUALLY ALLOWED US TO CREATE THE EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
AND WE DID IT IN, UH, RESOLUTION 23 1 76.
NOW, IN THAT PARTICULAR RESOLUTION, WE DID, UH, PROPERTY TAX AND ABATEMENT IN THE RESOLUTION THAT I HAVE BEFORE ME HERE, AND ALSO SALES TAX AND ABATEMENTS.
NOW, I THINK, UH, MR. WHEELER AND HIS STAFF WERE HERE AND THEY, THEY DID, UH, ALMOST LIKE A PRESENTATION.
BUT, UH, WHAT WE CANNOT DO AT THIS JUNCTURE IS ACTUALLY DO A PRESENTATION BECAUSE IT'S NOT, UH, ON THE AGENDA AS SUCH.
AND BY NOT BEING ON THE AGENDA AS SUCH, UH, WE CAN HAVE SOME, UH, DISCUSSION IF THERE WAS SOMETHING ADDED THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD BESIDES WHAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY DISCUSSED.
UH, THAT THE ATTORNEYS, THAT YOUR ATTORNEY, I JUST LIKE TO POSE THIS QUESTION.
I THINK, UH, WHEN WE HAD A CALL ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO, YOUR ATTORNEYS WAS SUPPOSED TO GET WITH THE CITY ATTORNEYS TO, UH, DISCUSS THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF WHAT YOUR REQUEST WAS.
BUT WE, WE, WE ARE NOT DOING A PRESENTATION BECAUSE WE, IT IS NOT, WE, WE WE'RE NOT POSTED FOR THAT.
SO YOU COULD, YOU COULD JUST ANSWER THIS QUESTION FOR ME.
DID, DID, DID YOUR ATTORNEYS OR, OR FIRST INTRODUCE YOURSELF? OKAY.
I'M JIMMY WHEELER, UH, WITH SHINING ON HUMANITIES.
I'M THE, UH, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS.
[01:30:01]
THE FOUNDER TOO.UH, BASICALLY WHAT WE COME HERE TO DO IS TALK ABOUT TOTALLY DIFFERENT WHAT WAS, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE ZOOM CALL.
WE JUST WANTED TO GO THROUGH A COUPLE THINGS.
WE HAVE TO BE POSTED ABOUT WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE GOING TO DISCUSS.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NO POSTING IF I'M CORRECT, ACCORDING TO ATTORNEYS ON WHAT SPECIFICS THAT WE COULD DISCUSS.
WELL, I THOUGHT WE HAD A, UH, A PRESENTATION.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD FOR THIS.
WELL, MAYBE SOMEONE MISINFORMED YOU ON THAT.
OH, BUT WHAT, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THE QUESTION WHEN WE HAD THE CONVERSATION MYSELF, CITY MANAGER, I THINK CITY ATTORNEY AND I ALONG WITH YOU, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT YOUR ATTORNEYS TO GET WITH OUR ATTORNEYS SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD? WELL, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE GIVEN DETAILS ON THAT, BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS, NO, NO.
CAN I WANT YOU TO ANSWER ME? HAVE YOUR ATTORNEY YES.
CONTACTED OUR ATTORNEYS YET? WE HAVE NOT GOT CONTACTED US YET.
HAVE YOU ALL SET A DATE AS TO WHEN YOU ALL CAN SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS THOSE MATTERS? UH, JUST THEY CAN GIVE US A PROPOSED DATE.
SO WE'RE OPEN, BUT WITH THE ATTORNEY, AM I CORRECT? AM I CORRECT? I THINK THAT WAS THE NEXT STEP WE SAID YES.
TO GIVE US SOME MORE SPECIFICITY.
CAN ARE, ARE YOU, UH, AT, AT, AT A, UH, ARE YOU PRI AT THIS MOMENT, MR. WILL TO SET A DATE SO THAT OUR ATTORNEYS CAN BE WITH YOUR ATTORNEYS AND THEY CAN DISCUSS THE LEGAL LISTED PART OF WHAT YOUR ORIGINAL REQUEST? WELL, I GET WITH REQUEST MY ATTORNEY TODAY AND SEE WHAT EXACT DATE AVAILABLE AND AVAILABILITY DATES OF THE CITY, UH, ATTORNEY AVAILABLE DATES AND TRY TO COORDINATE THAT BETWEEN THE TWO.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO BECAUSE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HANDLE WHAT OUR LAST DISCUSSION WAS.
BUT WHAT WE WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY DAY, UH, ISSUES THAT'S GOING ON ON THE WEST SIDE, OUTSIDE OF SCOPE OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THAT DAY, WE CAN'T LEGALLY DO THAT.
CAN WE, ATTORNEY GENERAL COUNSEL, I JUST WANNA BE SURE WHAT YOU HAVE POSTED IS TO TALK ABOUT WEST SIDE EMPOWERMENT ZONE REDEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S POSTED IS THE WEST SIDE EMPOWERMENT ZONE REDEVELOPMENT IS WHAT'S ON NUMBER TWO.
SO HE CAN DISCUSS WHAT HE WISHES TO DO AT THIS POINT, IF IT, IT PERTAINS TO THE WEST SIDE, UH, EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
WHAT WE DID WAS, UH, WE HAVE ALREADY APPROVED A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHED IN THE ZONE.
YEAH, I, I SAID, AND I THINK WE GAVE A COPY TO EVERYBODY.
SO THAT'S BEEN DONE SINCE APRIL.
AND SO THE NEXT STEP, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANYTHING IN THE EMPOWERMENT ZONE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY COMPLETED THE APPLICATION.
THEY MAY, HAVE YOU COMPLETED THE APPLICATION? UH, I DON'T.
WERE WE GIVEN AN APPLICATION, UH, MR. FROM MR. TRAN, I BELIEVE.
SO THE NEXT STEP WOULD BASICALLY BE, UH, TO, UH, COMPLETE THE APPLICATION AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE ATTACHED TO THE RESOLUTION, EVERYTHING THAT'S AVAILABLE.
SO, UH, THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO ENTER INTO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UM, BUT YOU HAVE A COPY OF THAT.
SO THAT WOULD BE TO TALK ABOUT THE EMPOWERMENT ZONE, RIGHT.
AND THINGS WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TODAY.
DISCUSSION, WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR AND WHAT WE, WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR THE FUTURE.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S TALKING ABOUT.
IT JUST SAYS DISCUSSION REGARDING WESTSIDE EMPOWERMENT ZONE REDEVELOPMENT.
IT'S NOT DOWN FOR A PRESENTATION.
SO IF YOU CAN LIMIT YOUR DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GIVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THAT.
BUT IF THE DISCUSSION, AND THEN IF YOU WANNA GIVE A PRESENTATION WITH YOUR POWERPOINT, WE CAN CERTAINLY PUT THAT UP.
BUT YEAH, JUST A, IF YOU WANNA GIVE US A BRIEF AND THE COUNCIL CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THAT AS POSTED.
AND THEN I COULD SPEND ABOUT A MINUTE ON A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH OUR, THE FINDINGS.
UH, THERE WAS NO, UH, MASTER PLAN FOR THE EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
WE DO HAVE, THANK YOU, UH, CITY MANAGER FROM THEIR DEPARTMENT SHOWING US THE MASTER PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN AND HOW WE CAN MERGE, UH, DEVELOPMENT FOR A MASTER PLAN FOR THE WEST SIDE.
ALSO, WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT FUNDS AND AVAILABILITY FOR FEASIBILITY STUDY, GEO STUDY AND MASTER PLAN, ANY FUNDS AVAILABLE.
NUMBER TWO, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE LAND THAT IS OWNED BY THE CITY.
SO WE COULD PUT THE, UH, PUT THE, UH, COLLABORATION SO WE CAN MOVE IN A FOOD BANK, UH, FOR, UH, A FOOD TRUCK PARK THAT'S A DESERT ISLAND OUT THERE FOR US FOOD.
SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE WANNA SEE WHAT PROPERTIES THAT THE CITY OWNS RIGHT THERE IN THE APARTMENTS ON THAT WE COULD WORK OUT AND MAKE A FOOD, UH, UM, DEVELOPMENT FOR FOOD.
WELL, SHE COULD COME AND QUICKLY TALK ABOUT THE FEW THINGS WE NEEDED THERE, JUSTICE HELL.
SO WE WANTED TO SEE MONIES AVAILABLE IN THE CITY GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS OR C D B DOLLAR.
SO WE COULD START THAT DEVELOPMENT WITH
[01:35:01]
SHINE ON HUMANITY REPORTING OUR DOLLARS THAT, THAT IS GOING TO BE WHAT ATTORNEYS WOULD DISCUSS.WELL, SO BASICALLY, I WANNA MAKE SURE, I THINK YOU WERE GIVEN AN APPLICATION.
SO IN YOUR APPLICATION YOU WOULD STATE WHAT IT IS YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE CITY NOW IN AN EMPOWERMENT ZONE, WHAT WE PASSED OUT TO YOU ALL, UH, WE HAVE ATTACHED THE STATUTE.
SO WHAT'S NORMALLY AVAILABLE IN AN EMPOWERMENT ZONE, UH, WHICH IS ATTACHED UNDER CHAPTER 3 78.
WE GIVE PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS, RIGHT? AND WE GIVE SALES TAX ABATEMENTS.
UM, SO AGAIN, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE DETAILED, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU PUT THAT IN YOUR APPLICATION OBJECTION AND WE'LL SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT LIKE NORMALLY PROPERTY SALES AND PROPERTY GIVEAWAYS, THAT'S NOT NORMALLY WHAT'S DONE.
BUT IF YOU CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVE US THAT DETAIL IN YOUR APPLICATION AND TELL US WHAT STATUTE YOU'RE, UH, REFERRING TO, THEN, THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE.
AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CITY PROPERTY AND, UH, JOINT VENTURE WHERE WE'VE DEVELOPED AND THE CITY GOT THE PROPERTY, SO COULD HURRY UP AND GET FOOD AND GET, GET, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A FOOD PARK.
DEVELOP A FOOD PARK THERE TO START OUT WITH SO SOMEONE DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE THREE OR FOUR MILES, UH, LOOKING FOR, UH, TO FIND JUST A HAMBURGER.
AND WE HAVE SEVERAL EIGHT, NINE FOOD TRUCKS THERE THROUGH THE FOOD PARK WITH OUR COLLABORATION AND, UH, JOINT VENTURE WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
WE HELPED GET THE FIRST THING STARTED OFF, UH, GOING FORWARD.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO, I GUESS THROUGH THE, UH, PRESENTATION TO, UH, WE PUT IN THERE WHAT TYPE OF FUNDS THAT YOU GUYS CAN COME UP WITH GRANT MONEY SUCH AS, UH, UH, MONIES AVAILABLE TO DO THESE THINGS THAT THE CITY HAS ANY GENERAL OPERAT OPERATING BUDGET OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
AND ANYTHING ELSE? UH, I'M RIGHT.
SO
AND, UH, SHE COULD COME UP REAL QUICK AND TALK ABOUT THE FINEST.
WE GOT WHAT WE HAD TO KNOW OUR PLAN TO GO FORWARD AND THE BRIGHT THINGS THAT WE HAVE OUTLINED AND RESEARCH THAT WE DONE IN THE, THE DEPARTMENTS ON MS. VAN SHOTWELL HERE WAS THESE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, A SHINE ON HUMANITY.
HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING? GOOD MORNING.
UM, WELL, WITH THE EMPOWERMENT ZONE RIGHT NOW, THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE HAVING IS THERE HAS BEEN A SLOWDOWN AND BASICALLY A SCREECH HALT ON MOVEMENT.
ONE OF THE REASONS IS THAT SHINE HAS NO LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO THE POWER EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
SO WITHOUT THAT LEGAL OB OBLIGATION FROM US, WE HA WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY OF OUR VENDORS BUSINESS PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE BEEN APPROACHING FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS TO GET THIS GOING.
WE HAVE, UH, DISCUSSIONS WITH GROCERY STORES, HOME IMPROVEMENT, UM, WHO ARE THE OTHERS RESTAURANTS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION AND THEY, AND INVESTMENT COMPANIES, THEY HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY HARPING ON, UH, MR. WHEELER TO GET THE INFORMATION AND WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION.
MAY, MAY, MAY I STOP YOU RIGHT THERE.
THAT IS WHY WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION TWO WEEKS AGO, RIGHT? THREE WEEKS AGO.
NOW IF I'M CORRECT, YOU ALL WERE SUPPOSED TO GET YOUR ATTORNEYS TO GET WITH OUR ATTORNEYS SO THEY COULD BEGIN THE PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT SPECIFICS YOU ALL WANTED OR WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN WITH THIS.
BUT THAT THIS DISCUSSION CAN'T BE HELD IN HERE.
WE ARE NOT THE ATTORNEYS, SO WE NEED TO HAVE THE MEETING.
AND IT WAS AGREED UPON NOW YES.
AT THAT PHONE CONVERSATION MM-HMM.
BUT WE ARE BACK JUST WANTING A COMMITMENT FROM THIS COUNCIL, WHICH WE CANNOT GIVE UNTIL OUR ATTORNEYS NO.
LEGALLY AND EXPRESSLY WHAT YOUR WISHES ARE AND IF THEY ARE IN ACCORDANCE AND WE CAN DO THOSE ACCORDING TO LAW.
NOW, I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE UNDERSTANDING, CORRECT? YEAH.
ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THE MEETING WITH THE ATTORNEYS SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD? RIGHT.
WELL THIS PORTION IS, THIS IS WHAT I NEED US TO DO.
FACT, BECAUSE SEE WE ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WITH A LOT OF DIALOGUE, BUT WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD UNTIL THESE ATTORNEYS MEET.
SO WHEN CAN WE HAVE THE MEETING WITH THE ATTORNEYS? THEN WE CAN GO FORWARD.
WELL, WELL, YES, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
CAUSE A LOT OF THE THINGS WE COULD ACCOMPLISH RIGHT NOW WITHOUT THE ATTORNEYS THAT NO SIR.
UHHUH, YOU'VE BEEN ADVISED BY OUR
[01:40:01]
ATTORNEYS THAT WHAT YOU ALL HAVE REQUESTED, WE CANNOT MOVE UPON BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW FULL LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY.SO WHAT, THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO KNOW.
AND, AND, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, THE NEXT ITEM.
WHAT WE, WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN DO? I GET OUR ATTORNEYS, LET'S ASK THIS QUESTION.
WE WANNA PUT A FOOD PARK IN RIGHT NOW.
DO WE NEED TO GIVE IT ATTORNEYS RIGHT NOW? PUT A FOOD PARK IN RIGHT NOW, PLEASE.
IF YOU JUST WANT TO OPEN UP SOMETHING YEAH.
AS, AS A PRIVATE ENTITY, THEN YOU WOULD GET WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WOULD, WOULD WORK WITH YOU ON A HEALTH INSPECTOR ON HOW YOU SET UP, WE HAVE A FOOD TRUCK ORDINANCE.
SO IF IT'S A FOOD TRUCK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE CAN DIRECT YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT AND THEN THEY CAN HELP SET THAT UP.
SO, UH, IT IT, LIKE I SAID, I GUESS WE WOULD NEED THE SPECIFICITY.
BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU DID WANNA SET UP FOOD TRUCKS, WE HAVE FOOD TRUCK ORDINANCE AND WE HAVE A PROCESS AND THE HEALTH INSPECTOR.
SO, UM, SO WE TALKING TO CITY SAID, COULD YOU IDENTIFY THE LAND IN THE ZONE THAT THE CITY ON? COULD WE GET THAT IDENTIFICATION AND WORK WITH THE CITY SAYING, HEY, THIS IS THE LAND HERE.
COULD WE PUT A FOOD PARK HERE WITH FOOD TRUCKS AND BUILD IT OUT AND ALL THAT? COULD WE COME IN A COLLABORATION LIKE THAT TO START OFF WITH SOME FIRST THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IN THE CITY COULD TELL US TODAY WHAT LANDS AVAILABLE THEY HAVE THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITY IN THAT AREA WHILE WE WORK ON A CONTRACT WITH OUR, BUT THIS IS, IS THIS IS WHY WE WOULD'VE, YOU WOULD'VE THE MEETINGS WITH THE ATTORNEYS, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION.
THEY WILL COME BACK AND TELL US, COUNCIL, WE OWN THIS, OR WE CAN THIS OUTTA LAND GRANT OR WHATEVER.
WE CAN'T HAPPEN IN A COUNCIL SESSION.
UH, MAYOR, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW, THEY CAN'T GIVE US A LIST OF THIS, UH,
BUT YOU STILL GOING TO HAVE TO MEET CORRECT.
WITH THE ATTORNEYS AND THEN, AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO TELL US HOW WE CAN MOVE.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT MEETING, THEN WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO MOVE BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING HAVE TO BRING OUT WHAT I'M SAYING, OUR ATTORNEYS IN AND SEE WHAT PROPERTY THAT THE CITY HAVE AND, AND OUR ATTORNEYS ARE GONNA LET THEM KNOW.
THE CITY CAN ALWAYS GIVE ANYONE A LIST OF PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE, BUT THEN IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD, WE STILL HAVE TO KNOW HOW WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD ABOUT ANYONE CAN ALWAYS GET A LIST OF CITY-OWNED PROPERTIES AND THAT, AND THAT, THAT WHEN ONCE YOU GET THE LIST AND DECIDE, YOU GOTTA TELL US WHAT YOUR PROPOSAL IS.
WE, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE APPLICATION.
WE HAVE THAT STANDARD APPLICATION MM-HMM.
THAT'S WHAT BE WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET NOW.
THEN WE GET OUR ATTORNEYS INVOLVED SAYING, THIS IS THE PROPERTY THAT THE CITY LIKE TO WORK WITH US ON.
THE ATTORNEYS GET INVOLVED AND PUT THAT TOGETHER AND WE GO FORWARD.
AND THIS WHERE WE COULD PUT THE FOOD BANK, THIS WHERE WE COULD PUT OUR FAST FOOD RESTAURANT, THIS, WHERE WE COULD PUT OUR PHARMACIES AT AND YOU KNOW, BANKS ON THIS PROPERTY THAT WE COULD GO ON A JOINT VENTURE WITH OUR, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH, WITH THE CITY AND THAT AND, AND THE, UH, IN THAT EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
SO IF I COULD GET THAT LIST TODAY FROM SOMEONE WHO GOT IT SO I CAN GET FAR AND GO TO MY ATTORNEY AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHERE WE LIKE TO PUT A PHARMACY AT.
THIS IS WHERE WE LIKE TO PUT A FOOD BANK AT.
THIS IS WHERE WE LIKE TO PUT A BANK, ALL US IN AGREEMENT.
NOW LET'S WORK OUT THE LEGAL THING AND GO FORWARD.
MR. WHEELER, ARE YOU HAVING AN ISSUE OF GETTING THE LIST OR BEFORE TODAY'S MEETING? WELL, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE LIST FOR THE LONGEST.
WE PUT A REQUEST IN FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO.
WELL I'M SURE NOW BECAUSE OF THE ATTORNEY IS GETTING INVOLVED IN THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.
UH, BUT EVEN IF YOU'VE HAD THAT LIST TODAY, WE'VE GIVEN IT TO YOU TODAY, YOU STILL WOULD HAVE TO BRING YOUR ATTORNEYS, YOU WOULD NEED A U TO TELL US OR TELL LEGAL THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S YOUR INTENT? IT'S GONNA BE ON THOSE PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITY.
SO WE GOTTA YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
UH, UH, COUNCILMAN KEN, BECAUSE NOW WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT, KNOW WHAT IS A GOOD SPOT, THE BEST USE, AND WE COULD SAY CITY MANAGER.
WHAT ABOUT THIS PROPERTY? YOU GUYS ON IT JUST WHERE WE COULD PUT A PHARMACY AT, JUST WHERE WE COULD PUT A FOOD BANK AT? JUST WHAT, YOU KNOW, I'M TOTALLY IN SUPPORT OF DEVELOPING THE WEST SIDE.
BUT YOU KNOW, OUR JOB AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND GOVERNMENT BODY HERE ON THE CITY COUNCIL IS TO ENSURE THAT, UH, YOU DO THE PROPER THINGS IN GETTING THIS DONE.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HEAR YOUR ANSWER.
DID YOU FAIL OUT A APPLICATION YET? I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SAY YES OR NO.
IS IT, IS IT, UH, CALLED, IT'S THE APPLICATION OUR CITY ATTORNEY HAD ASKED YOU ABOUT? DID YOU FILL OUT AN APPLICATION? WE HAVE A UNIFORM TAX ABATEMENT, UH, APPLICATION.
UM, THAT, AND I, I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SENT TO YOU ALL.
IF NOT, WE'LL MAKE SURE IT'S SENT TO YOU ALL TODAY.
I THAT YOU ALL ADDED IT TO BE NO.
RIGHT? YEAH, BECAUSE, BECAUSE JUST I THINK PART OF THE, JUST TO CLEAR UP THE MISUNDERSTANDING IS WHEN YOU HAVE AN EMPOWERMENT ZONE, WE ESTABLISH AN AREA, THEN A PERSON WILL PUT A BUSINESS THERE.
THEN AFTER THE BUSINESS, THIS IS WHAT, WHAT THE STATUTE PROVIDES.
AND THEN ONCE THE BUSINESS IS THERE AND
[01:45:01]
THEY'VE PERFORMED, THEN WE GIVE THEM PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS AND SALES TAX ABATEMENTS AFTER THEY'VE PERFORMED.SO THAT IS STANDARDLY WHAT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE PROVIDES.
SO IF THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS YOU WANNA DO OTHER THAN WHAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN 3 78 PROVIDES, CUZ THAT'S OUR POLICY.
YOU KNOW, ANYBODY HAS A DISTRESSED AREA AND THEY WANNA PUT A BUSINESS THERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE DONE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO IF THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS YOU WANT TO DO, JUST MAKE SURE YOU PUT IT IN THE APPLICATION AND THEN WE'LL KNOW WHAT TOOL TO USE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT'S AVAILABLE UNDER THE 3 78 EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
SO WE PROVIDING THE APPLICATION AT TO, YEAH, I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN PROVIDED, BUT ENSURE THAT, UH, CITY MANAGER OR YOU KNOW, YOU, UH, OUR ATTORNEY ENSURE THAT THEY GET THAT APPLICATION BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS, IT'S VERY DETAILED.
AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS WE WANTED, UH, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, PARTICIPATE, SEEING AVAILABILITY, UH, GRANT FUNDS FOR DEMOLITION IN THAT, IN THAT EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
FUNDS FOR FEASIBILITY STUDY, GEOTECHNICAL STUDY, AND A MASTER PLAN TO PUT TOGETHER IN THAT AREA.
WE WILL TALK TO EITHER CITY COUNCIL AND SEE THEY HAVING GRANT MONEY OR FUNDS AVAILABLE TO DO THOSE STUDIES, ESPECIALLY GEOTECHNICAL STUDY IN THAT AREA TO SEE WHAT HAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH IT.
THE AVAILABILITY AND THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL THAT WE GONNA BUILD UP ON BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT A LEGAL EXPIRATION TO COME THERE AND BUILD A PHARMACY AND COME TO FIND OUT THAT, THAT THAT AREA HAS BEEN CONTAMINATED.
THEN WE GOT SOME LEGAL RECOURSE BEHIND THAT.
SO BASICALLY WHO, WHAT DEPARTMENT I TALKED TO, UH, FUNDS AVAILABLE FEASIBILITY, GEOTECHNICAL STUDY AND A MASTER PLAN AND UH, AND, AND, AND BULL CITY.
CAUSE THESE, SOME VERY WELL KNOWN COMPANIES.
ONE PHARMACY IS WELL TOP KNOWN PHARMACY IN THE FORTUNE 500 THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO.
WANT TO COME AND OPEN UP THERE UP UNDER WHERE WE GET 'EM, THE EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
WE GOT AN AUDI'S GROCERY STORE.
YOU CAN SEE IN OUR LIST, I'VE BEEN HAVING DETAILED EXTENSION TALKS ABOUT THEM.
THEY GOT THE GUIDELINE AND THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION I GAVE YOU GUYS.
AND THAT'S BEEN CONVERSATION GOING ON FOR A WHILE.
EVEN WITH, UH, PANDA EXPRESS, WHO I KNEW THE OWNERS OF IT IN CALIFORNIA FOUND IT.
THESE ARE PEOPLE I WORKED WITH WHEN I WORKED ON WALL STREET.
AND THEY LIKE TO SAY, JIMMY, YOU THERE, YOU INVOLVED AND WE, YOU KNOW, I'M SELLING THE SAME CONCEPT I SOLD TO 'EM THAT WE DID IN FORT WARD, WHICH IS NOW MIDTOWN, HOUSTON, TEXAS.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS GONNA BE LIKE THAT, A SMALLER VERSION OF THAT.
SO OF COURSE THESE TYPE OF STUFF WE TALKING ABOUT GROWTH, WE TALKING ABOUT FAST FOOD CHANGE, WE TALKING ABOUT A DIALYSIS CENTER BY THE NAME, UH, US ARENA.
THEY SAY, HEY, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE A DALLAS CENTER RIGHT THERE, THAT AREA.
CAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF PATIENTS ON DIALYSIS LIVE THAT AREA.
WE COULD GET 10,000 SQUARE FOOT FROM YOU.
NOW JIMMY, GO AHEAD AND BUILD A CENTER.
SO RIGHT NOW I COULD BUILD A 20,000 SQUARE FOOT CENTER WITH COMMITMENT FROM FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES RIGHT NOW.
AND WE, WE, WE, WE WANT YOU TO DO THAT, BUT FIRST ONE TO FILL THE APPLICATION.
WE WANT, WE WANT TO GET TO THAT COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, MR. WHEELER.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS IS, IS THAT WHEN WE WERE HAVING THE, THE, THE, UM, THE, UM, ZOOM MEETING MM-HMM.
AND I WAS LOOKING AT THIS RESOLUTION, UH, RESOLUTION 23 1 76.
BUT THIS, THIS DOES NOT, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US? IT, IT DOES NOT SHOW ANYTHING.
I'M SAYING, WELL, WHAT DO YOU NEED? WAIT, HOLD ON.
WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
THAT'S WHY THE MAYOR IS SAYING THERE HAS TO BE A MEETING BETWEEN YOUR ATTORNEYS AND OUR ATTORNEYS SO THAT WE CAN GENERATE AND, AND GO AS FAR AS WE CAN GO.
I'M SORRY AS FAR SO THAT WE CAN GO AS FAR AS WE CAN GO IN SHOWING RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? YEAH.
GOING AS FAR AS WE CAN GO IN SHOWING RELATIONSHIP TO START, UH, MOVING, MOVING THE BALL FORWARD.
BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE, WE, WE, WE MOVE THE BALL FORWARD WITH THIS RESOLUTION, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY SHINE ON IN IT.
SO YOU NEED SOMETHING FROM US THAT IS GENERATED AND THAT'S WHERE WE COME FORWARD WITH OUR ATTORNEY AND YOUR ATTORNEY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN GENERATE TO SHOW, UM, RELATIONSHIP.
I WAS TALKING TO TWO OF THE LARGEST BANKS, WHICH, UH, CHASE, UH, UH, JP
[01:50:01]
MORGAN CHASE, WHICH ONE OF THE BANKS I DID A BIRD MERGER FOR WHICH I HELPED THEM IN A $50 BILLION MERGER.AND YOU COULD SEE A LETTER FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVES SAYING, MR. WHEELIE, IT WASN'T FOR YOU.
THIS MERGER WOULDN'T HAPPEN, WHICH MADE IT THE NUMBER ONE BANK IN THE WORLD.
I SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND THEY GOT ABOUT 50 BILLION AVAILABLE FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED NEIGHBORHOODS AND TALKED TO 'EM ABOUT WHAT WE DID AND WE PUT THE PARMESAN TOGETHER AND PUT IT THERE.
AND THEY MADE A CALL TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
CAUSE THEY COULD PUT ASIDE X AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR PEOPLE WANT TO DO HOUSING, YOU KNOW, BY, FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE UP TO $25,000.
AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, SO THE CIRCULATION FROM THE CITY DENIED WHOEVER DIDN'T GET THE JOB THAT SAID THEY SEE IT DIDN'T GET IT OUT TO THE PEOPLE.
THAT MADE ME LOOK EMBARRASSED.
YOU COULD SIT DOWN WITH SOMEONE LIKE THAT.
THAT DON'T, JUST A MINUTE MR. WILL BECAUSE, WELL, I CAN'T DO WELL I'M ACTUALLY HAVING A, A FULL PRESENTATION BY HAVING THIS LONG DISCUSSION.
UM, CITY ATTORNEY, IS IT POSSIBLE IF WE, ONCE THIS CONVERSATION IS OVER, MR. WILLER CAN CONTACT HIS ATTORNEY, HE CAN GET WITH SOMEONE IN YOUR OFFICE, AND IF THE DISCUSSION IS FEASIBLE, CAN WE MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THIS RESOLUTION TODAY SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD OR NEXT? NO, CAN'T, CAN MOVE FORWARD.
THE APP, ALL WE DID WAS ESTABLISHED THE ZONE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN APPLICATION AND THEN THE CITY HAS TO SEE WHAT IT CAN DO, AND THEN YOU ENTER INTO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
OKAY? THE PROCESS IS ONLY TAX ABATEMENTS, PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX ABATEMENTS.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS AND FIND OUT HOW, WHAT TOOL CAN BE USED WHEN WE HAVE DEVELOPMENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE INSTRUCTED AS WELL BECAUSE OF PAST DEVELOPMENTS THAT DIDN'T NECESSARILY THAT THE CITY ALWAYS PUTS THE LAST DOLLAR IN FIRST.
THAT THE, NOW WE DO HAVE GRANTS AND THINGS AVAILABLE TOO MM-HMM.
THAT'S THE TOOL THAT'S AVAILABLE UNDER 3 78.
THEY ASKED FOR AN EMPOWERMENT ZONE, WE CREATED IT.
THE NEXT STEP IS A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
THE RESULT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT ARE REIMBURSABLE PROPERTY AND SAYS SEX.
SO IF THEY WANT ANYTHING ELSE, GIVE US THOSE DETAILS AND WE'LL LOOK AT IT AND WE'LL TRY TO SEE HOW THE PROPER TOOL WILL FIT.
UM, BUT USUALLY WHEN WE INVEST WITH, UH, WORK WITH DEVELOPERS, IT'S REIMBURSABLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY, YOU CAN INSTRUCT US, BUT WE JUST NEED TO SEE EVERYTHING IN A DOCUMENT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ONE TO UTILIZE GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE HAVE TO GET IT ON PAPER AND SEE IT.
BUT WE WILL GET SOMEBODY TO SEND THE APPLICATION AGAIN.
WELL WE NEVER STOP MR. WILLER, THE APPLICATION JUST IN THE, IN THE, UM, IN RESPECT OF THE TIME, WILL YOU PLEASE TODAY, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, GO TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SO YOU CAN GET THAT APPLICATION AND HAVE IT COMPLETED? BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP YOU.
AND I WILL APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR THE PROCESS, THE, THE DELAY OF THE PROCESS.
SO THE, UM, FOR WHATEVER ELSE YOU NEED, SHE CAN GIVE YOU OR, OR HE, SOMEONE IN THE OFFICE CAN GIVE YOU INSTRUCTIONS TO WHOM YOU CAN RECEIVE THE REMAINING INFORMATION FROM.
HOLD, HOLD UP, HOLD UP, HOLD UP, HOLD UP.
TONY, I THINK YOU WERE COVERED ALL WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT COULD WE GET A LETTER FROM? UH, COULD WE GET A LETTER FROM THE CITY COUNCIL? THE CITY SAID Y'ALL WORKING WITH SHINE IN THE PROCESS.
SO WHEN I, THESE PEOPLE, BUT MR. WILL, YOU GUYS, MR. WILL HAVE YOUR COMMITMENT.
MR. WILL, ONCE YOU GO THROUGH THE STEPS THAT OUR ATTORNEY SAID, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHATEVER WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO.
WE ARE GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING FOR THE WEST SIDE.
WE WANT IT, WE ALL ARE IN AGREEMENT, BUT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK, YOUR LIFE STILL OFF? YES.
THANK YOU MR. WILLER FOR, FOR, FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU.
[III.E.(3) A Discussion Regarding The Budget For The City Bus Stop Shelters]
OKAY.NEXT ITEM IS, UM, A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE BUDGET FOR THE CITY.
UH, WHO, WHO, WHO HAS THAT CITY MANAGER? I THINK THE QUESTION ME, I, ME AND COUNSELOR.
I THINK THE QUESTION EMANATED FROM, FROM, UH, UH, MR. MITCHELL? NO, NO, NO.
THEY EMANATED FROM COUNCILOR, UM, UM, BILL LEWIS, AND THEN HE WOULD WANT, HOLD ON, WAIT A MINUTE.
YOU SEE, COUNCILMAN LEWIS HAS ALREADY HAD TWO ITEMS. WE ARE NOT GOING TO START A NEW CULTURE.
IF YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE TWO ITEMS, EVERYBODY, I MEAN THAT, THAT IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD AT PART OF A RESOLUTION.
[01:55:01]
WE ARE GOING TO DO IS JUST WHAT DO I DO TO REMOVE THIS RIGHT QUICK? UH, ATTORNEY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION.MAY I GET A MOTION FROM REMOVAL? UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, FRANK, HOLD ON.
CAN I, CAN, CAN I, I I WAS ASKED TO PUT SOMETHING ON, TO SIGN ON SOMETHING AND I DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHELTERS.
SO, BECAUSE WHAT I'M SAYING COUNCILMAN LEWIS HAS ALREADY HAD IS TO, WE CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GO, IF, IF, IF THE ATTORNEY TELLS ME, IF THE ATTORNEY TELLS ME I'M POINT FLOOR, IF THE ATTORNEY TELLS ME WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN, CAN YOU? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO? LIKE, I'D LIKE TO GO ON WITH THIS DISCUSSION AND I FORWARD OKAY.
IF, IF THAT THAT'S IF HE'S ASKING FOR IT TO BE YEAH, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, MAYOR, IN RESPONSE TO IT, UH, LET ME JUST INFORM THE COUNCIL THAT THE C D B I C CDBG ALLOCATION FOR THIS YEAR HAS ALREADY BEEN ASSIGNED TO VARIOUS AGENCIES AND THE CITY.
AND, UM, THE MATTER WILL BE CONSIDERED AT THE NEXT ALLOCATION.
AND THE THING, MAYOR, GO READY? YEAH, THE THING THAT I WANT TO DO IS I HAVE TALKED TO, I HAVE SPOKEN, UH, BUT NOT AT LENGTH, UM, WITH, UM, UM, UM, MS. PAT AVERY, UH, AT LENGTH, NOT AT LENGTH, BUT, UH, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT, UM, WE WOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN PARTNER, UH, TOGETHER, UH, TO WORK ON THESE BUS SHELTERS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
UM, THE, UH, CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD, UH, AT OUR LAST MEETING WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE $151,000 AND WE WERE GIVEN, UM, UM, UH, ALL OF THE PARAMETERS OF THE MONIES THAT WE HAD GOTTEN TO PUT THE PADS, UM, UH, WITH THE SEATS AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT WHEN WE GOT THE PRESENTATION, AS MUCH AS WE APPRECIATE THAT, UM, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT WE ARE WOEFULLY SHORT OF WHAT IS NEEDED FOR OUR CITIZENS WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING SHELTER AT THE BUS STOPS THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE CITY.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE FOR US, WITH THE CITY MANAGERS HELP, UH, TO BEGIN A COLLABORATIVE, UH, CONVERSATION WITH, UH, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SO THAT WE CAN GET WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND FIND OUT HOW WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A PLAN AND A PROCESS BY WHICH WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ENHANCE OUR BUS SHELTER FOR THE RIDERS OF OUR CITY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROMOTING BUSINESSES, UH, IN OUR CITY.
THEY WOULD HELP US IN A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP, UH, IN A PARTNERSHIP SO THAT ULTIMATELY PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHO THE STAKEHOLDERS WERE, WHO HAD CONTRIBUTED AND HELPED IN THIS PROCESS AS WELL.
UH, AS WE GO FORWARD, BECAUSE THESE BUS SHELTERS ARE $25,000 A PIECE WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT, UH, BUS SHELTERS HERE IN OUR CITY.
AND WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT NOT JUST A SEAT, NOT JUST A CONCRETE PAD, I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WOULD PROTECT THEM FROM SUN, PROTECT THEM FROM THE ELEMENTS WIND, UH, BLOWING OUR CITIZENS DESERVE THAT.
AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE MOTIVA'S, VALERO'S, TOTALES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, IT IS TIME FOR US TO BEGIN TO PARTNER TOGETHER TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE NEED TO HAVE THESE COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT OUR CITY MANAGER WOULD INITIATE THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION SO THAT WE CAN PUT THESE, UH, BUS SHELTERS, UH, IN THE PLACES IN WHICH THEY'RE NEEDED FOR, UH, THE BETTERMENT OF OUR CITY AND OUR CITIZENS.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THE BUS SHELTERS? I TRIED TO CONTACT THE MANAGER OR WHATEVER I KNOW THAT WAS ABLE TO GET IT.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 300 CORRECT.
CITY MANAGER ON BUS SHELTERS? NO, NO STOPS.
I MEAN, AND THIS PROBLEM, I'M DARING.
I RECOGNIZED COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, BUT WE ALL, I I DIRECT THE CHOIR TOO, BUT I DON'T DO IT ANYMORE.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, AS YOU WERE THROUGH, DON'T SING.
[02:00:01]
WHAT IS THE TOTAL COST? I KNOW WHAT THE EACH, WHAT'S THE TOTAL COST? ANYBODY KNOW? OKAY.COUNCIL STATED THAT'S $25,000 PER A PIECE, 25,000 A PIECE.
AND HOW MANY WE HAVE? I'M NOT, WE I'M NOT TOO SURE BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE ARE JUST BUS STOPS WHERE YOU CAN'T CONSTRUCT A BUS SHELTER RIGHT.
BECAUSE OF THE AVAILABILITY OF SPACE.
YOU KNOW, SO, SO THE, THE DIFFER FROM, UM, VENUE TO VENUE.
WELL, THE QUICKEST THING, BECAUSE COUNCILMAN IN, IN ABOUT ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, WE, WE EMBARKED ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF, UH, SHELTERS WHEN MS. RUSSELL WAS THERE, UM, UM, AS, UM, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.
UM, AND THOSE REQUIRED THE ACQUISITION OF CERTAIN RIGHT OF WEEDS, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT THOSE, THAT WAS ALSO CONTINGENT ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND, UM, THE ACQUI WELL, UM, THE PERMISSION TO BE GRANTED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE, UM, A, A PHYSICAL STRUCTURE IN THOSE PLACES.
SOME OF THOSE PLACES IT WAS NOT ADEQUATE ENOUGH, SOME OF THE PLACES IT WAS.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO DO, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO A REASSESSMENT OF THOSE AS WELL BECAUSE AGAIN, THE BUS ROUTES HAVE CHANGED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
YOU KNOW, UM, CERTAIN ROUTES HAVE BEEN ADDED, CERTAIN ROUTES HAVE BEEN DELETED FROM THE, IT ALL, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE DEMAND AT THE, AT THE POINT IN TIME WHEN THE STUDY'S BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY THE, UM, TRANSIT DEPARTMENT, WELL, CITY MANAGEMENT, WHAT WE COULD PROBABLY DO CATCH THE HIGH VOLUMES.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET OUR LOW INCOME PEOPLE THAT USE PEOPLE THAT USE THESE SHELTERS.
WE NEED TO GET 'EM TO WORK AND, AND, AND BACK HOME.
WHAT, WHAT WE COULD PROBABLY DO HIGHLIGHT THE, THE, THE ONES THAT HAS THE HIGHEST VOLUME OF TRAFFIC.
AND WHAT WE COULD ALSO DO, UH, I TALKED WITH MARY ESSETT.
MARY ESSETT SAID THAT 24 2024 HAS NOT BEEN DONE YET.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO INSERT THAT COST INTO, UH, THE CDBG PROGRAM.
AND I WATCH THIS AND MEANWHILE, YOU CITY MANAGER, YOU COULD LOAN, WE COULD LOAN THE CITY COULD LOAN 'EM THE MONEY, THEN GO AHEAD AND GET IT DONE.
SO WHEN HUD APPROVES THE, THE ALLOCATION FOR THE GRANT FOR THE BUS, AND THEN YOU CAN REIMBURSE THE CITY.
SO WE DON'T WANT, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? YOU CAN FUND IN FINANCE THIS THING AND, AND GET REIMBURSED ON THE BACKEND LATER, JUST LIKE WE DID FOR THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, HUH? THIS MORNING.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
UH, MAYOR POE, YOU GOOD? I WAS GONNA SAY IT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
LIFE STILL ON YOU STILL ON, SIR? UM, I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO THE CONVERSATION WHEN, UM, WHEN OUR DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION WAS HERE, AND HE'D DONE SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB OF GETTING THAT MONEY, I THINK IT WAS APPROXIMATELY $150,000 FOR THOSE PADS AND ALL OF THAT.
THAT'S WHAT BEGAN THE WHEELS TURNING.
AND SO IF WE TOOK THAT $150,000, THERE WERE, AND AS HE WAS TALKING ABOUT IT, IT WAS 4 28 PADS, 28 STOPS.
SO THOSE 28, UH, STOPS TIME, $25,000 IS $700,000.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $700,000, WHICH IS A MERE PENANCE FOR THEM.
FOR WHICH IS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S NIGHTSTAND MONEY FOR MOTIVA VALERO, UH, TOTAL, UH, ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL PARTNERS WHO COULD HELP US WITH THE, WITH THIS ISSUE, WITH THIS, WITH THIS ISSUE THAT WOULD HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, YES, I DID CALL NAMES
THAT AND THAT DISCUSSION CONCLUDED FUNDS AND, AND CITY MANAGER.
WE CAN EVEN PUT THEIR NAMES ON THERE.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, IF IT HAS TO BE AN ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY AND, UH, FOR ANY STAKEHOLDER, AND IF IN OTHER LARGEST CITIES YOU SEE THE ADVERTISING ON THE BUSES AS WELL AS AT THE BUS STOPS WHERE THEY HAVE THEY, UH, THE, THE CANOPIES AND, AND OTHER THINGS.
SO IT, IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT HE COULD, THAT COULD BE WORKED OUT.
WE WOULD BE IN, UH, ROMAN NUMBER FIVE
[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
ON PAGE TWO, UH, REPORTS OF, UH, AND ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.UH, ANY COUNCIL PERSON HAS ANY OF THOSE COUNCILMAN MARKS? UH, YES.
UH, MR. MAYOR ON, ON SATURDAY, UH, THERE WERE TWO ACTIVITIES THAT, UH, TOOK PLACE ON CITY FACILITIES THAT I HAD THE, UH, A PRIVILEGE TO ATTEND.
[02:05:01]
THERE WAS A BOXING TOURNAMENT OVER AT THE OLD REC, UH, WHICH WAS WELL ATTENDED.THERE WERE TEAMS FROM, UH, ALL, ALL OVER TEXAS.
I THINK THERE WERE, UH, FIVE OR SIX BOXING CLUBS, AND THERE MAY HAVE BEEN ONE FROM LOUISIANA, BUT THERE WAS A NUMBER OF, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED.
AND, UH, IT WAS WELL ATTENDED, UH, FOOD WAS, WAS WAS GOOD.
AND, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE GROWN.
I THINK THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE GOING TO THE CIVIC CENTER IN THE FUTURE, UH, TO INVITE, UH, A LARGER NUMBER OF, OF CLUB FROM ACROSS THE STATE.
AND SO, UH, JUST WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT AND, AND, AND, AND CONGRATULATIONS, UH, TO MR. KENNETH SHEPHERD, WHO, WHO COORDINATED THAT.
UH, AND IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY, UH, A SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
THE SECOND EVENT WAS THE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT HELD OUT AT THE, UH, SOFTBALL FIELDS ACROSS FROM, UH, MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, I WANT TO THINK THERE WERE, UH, UH, 14, 15 TEAMS THAT THAT PARTICIPATED.
AND THERE, IF YOU HAD GONE OUT THERE, IT, IT WAS, IT WAS SIZZLING HOT, SO I COULDN'T STAY OUT THERE TOO LONG.
UH, BUT, UH, THERE WERE JUST A GUESSTIMATE THERE.
THERE WERE OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT THERE, UH, UH, AND WHEN I WAS OUT THERE, AND THIS WAS ABOUT FOUR O'CLOCK, AND I THINK THEY HAD GAMES GOING ON UNTIL THAT EVENING.
BUT WHAT SURPRISED ME ALSO, WHILE THE SOFTBALL WAS GOING ON, THERE WAS A, UH, I THINK A SEMI, SEMI-PRO FOOTBALL GAME GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME.
AND SO I'M SAYING ALL OF THAT IS, IS THAT IT WAS JUST A PLEASANT SURPRISE TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAD COME BACK.
I, I THINK THIS WAS A, AN ALUMNI SOFTBALL, ALUMNI LUM ALUMNI SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT ANNUAL, AND IT IS ANNUAL, AND IT'S GROWING.
AND, UH, IN THAT, UH, LIKE TO, TO, TO CONGRATULATE THE, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THE, THE GROUNDS WERE REALLY LOOKING GOOD.
IT LOOKED REALLY GOOD OUT THERE.
AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM OUT OF TOWN, THEY WERE, UH, PLEASED WITH HOW, UH, HOW, HOW WELL KEPT IT WAS.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THEY GOT THE KUDOS THAT THEY DESERVE EVERYBODY INVOLVED FROM, FROM THE CITY AND FROM THE COUNTY, UH, FOR, FOR PUTTING ON THOSE TWO EVENTS.
AND, UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ARTHUR, UH, PORT ARTHUR TO, UH, KEEP IN, UM, IN THEIR CONDOLENCE OF, UH, THE FLANAGAN FAMILY.
UM, WE, WE HEARD ABOUT THE ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED ON THIS PAST MM-HMM.
UH, SATURDAY, THIS PAST WEEKEND.
IT'S MY FIRST COUSIN, SO IF YOU GUYS CAN KEEP HIM IN YOUR PRAYERS AND THE FAMILY AND YOUR PRAYERS, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU DO.
UM, THE FESTIVITIES THAT, FIRST OF ALL, YOUR CONDOLENCES, COUNCIL MCKEN, I'M SORRY ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.
UM, TO THE REITERATE ON WHAT COUNCILMAN, UM, MARK MARKS, I APOLOGIZE, COUNCILMAN MARKS JUST STATED, THESE WERE JUNETEENTH EVENTS, AND THIS IS THE FIFTH YEAR THAT THE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT HAS BEEN HELD AT LUCIAN ADAMS PARK, AND EACH YEAR IT CONTINUES TO GROW LARGER AND LARGER.
THERE WERE ABOUT A THOUSAND, UM, CITIZENS OUT THERE.
UM, THERE ARE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE OF THE TOURNAMENT, SO YOU CAN SEE THE WINNING TEAMS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE JUNETEENTH COMMITTEE, BUT WHO STEERED THAT PROJECT WAS MR. ASHFORD GARDNER.
AND SO WE APPRECIATE HI, HIM AND HIS COMMITTEE FOR CONTINUOUSLY PUTTING THAT ON EACH YEAR FOR THE SOFTBALL, I'M, I'M SORRY, FOR THE BOXING TOURNAMENT, UM, MR. KENNETH CHOPPER, BUT ALSO HIS NEPHEW, UH, MR. CALVIN.
AND FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN BOXING, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SPACE.
AND THEY NEEDED ABOUT 20,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES FOR FREE TO THE YOUTH IN OUR C UH, COMMUNITY.
THERE WERE YOUTH FROM ALL OVER TEXAS AND LOUISIANA THERE TO COMPETE.
AND AGAIN, THESE SERVICES ARE BEING OFFERED THROUGH LIONHEARTS GYM, UM, BOXING GYM AT NO COST TO OUR YOUTH.
THEN YESTERDAY AT GILLUM CIRCLE PARK, BARBARA JACKET PARK, WE HOSTED OUR JUNETEENTH FESTIVITIES, AND WE HAD OVER 500 PEOPLE THERE.
[02:10:01]
THESE EVENTS WERE WELL ATTENDED.THEY WERE SAFE EVENTS, FUN, FAMILY, UM, FOOD, GOOD MUSIC.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THESE EVENTS.
AND I ALSO WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT ELECTION DAY IS SATURDAY.
UM, TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF EARLY VOTING FOR DISTRICTS THREE AND FOUR.
PLEASE GO OUT AND CAST YOUR VOTE.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT IF YOU LIVE IN THOSE DISTRICTS, YOU CAN CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND THEY'LL LET YOU KNOW.
UM, ON THE HEELS OF WHAT, UM, COUNCILOR, UM, KINLAW JUST SAID ALSO, UM, UM, ANTHONY MITCHELL JUST LOST HIS BROTHER OVER THE WEEKEND.
UM, HE WAS JUST AWARDED THIS MORNING FOR 20 PLUS YEARS OF SERVICE.
AND ALSO MISS LISA BELLOWS, UM, LOST A RELATIVE THIS WEEKEND.
UM, SO JUST BEAR THEM IN YOUR THOUGHTS AS WELL.
AND ALSO, UH, WHAT CITY MANAGER, CHAIR OF THE EMPLOYEE, SHARON FLANIGAN? YES, THAT WAS HER BROTHER.
THEY CALLED ME LAST NIGHT, SAID I DIDN'T, I WANTED, MA'AM, I DIDN'T KNOW WITH YOUR FAMILY MIGHTA CALLED YOU.
UH, ANY COUNCILMAN FRANK? I'M SORRY.
YES, JUST WANTED TO OFFER CONDOLENCES AS WELL TO THE FAMILY OF JOHN ROY.
UM, HE WAS A SERVANT TO SO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HELPED IN SUCH GREAT CAPACITY.
HE IS A FAMILY MEMBER OF THE WILTS FAMILY HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO WE WANT TO OFFER CONDOLENCES FOR THEM.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE COMPLETED THAT.
AND WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE READY FOR
[VI.(1) P.R. No. 23164 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation To Enter Into A Contract For Landscaping And Irrigation Maintenance At The Spur 93 And Jade Ave. Business Parks With Frey’s Landscape LLC Of Orange, Texas In The Amount Of $90,600.00; PAEDC Funding Account No. 120-80-625-5479-00-00-000]
UNFINISHED BUSINESS, I BELIEVE.ATTORNEY, UH, WE, UM, ON ROMAN NUMERAL SIX YES.
ON PAGE, IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
OTHERWISE, UM, THAT, LET ME JUST MAKE SURE I HAVE, OKAY.
I'M ON THE WRONG UNFINISHED BUSINESS ITEM.
THIS IS FOR THE EDC SO WE CAN, UM, MOVE FORWARD.
I WAS TALKING ABOUT NUMBER THREE.
IF YOU WANNA HOLD NUMBER THREE TILL AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU CAN.
WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER ONE, UNFINISHED BUSINESS, P NUMBER 23 1 64 AS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, SECTION FOUR, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR LANDSCAPING AND IRRIGATION MAINTENANCE AT THE SPURD 93 AND JADE AVENUE BUSINESS PARKS WITH, UH, LANDSCAPE L L C OF ORANGE, TEXAS IN THE AMOUNT OF $90,600.
PEDC FUNDING ACCOUNT NUMBER ONE 20 DASH EIGHT DASH 6 25 DASH 5 4 79 0 0.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN MARKS.
SO MOVE, MAYOR, MAY I GET A, UH, A SECOND MAYOR PRO HERE? SECOND, IF WE MOVED, AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT, UH, UNFINISHED BUSINESS ITEM NUMBER ONE AS READ, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION.
DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO IN THIS AUDIT, WE WILL APPROVE P NUMBER 23 1 64 AS RED.
[VI.(2) P.R. No. 23165 – A Resolution Approving The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation Engaging The Services Of Schindler Elevator Corporation Of Houston, Texas For An Extended Warranty Agreement To Service Two (2) Elevators At The Press Building Located At 549 4th Street, In The Amount Of $11,184.00. Funds Available In EDC Account No. 120-80-625-5312-00-00-000]
PR NUMBER 23 1 65, A RESOLUTION OF APPROVING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR SECTION FOR A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ENGAGING THE SERVICES OF, UH, THE SHER ELEVATOR COR CORPORATION OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AGREEMENT TO SERVICE TWO ELEVATORS AT THE PRESS BUILDING LOCATED AT 5 49 FOURTH STREET IN THE AMOUNT OF $11,184.FUNDS AVAILABLE IN E D C ACCOUNT NUMBER ONE 20 DASH 8 6 25 DASH 5 3 12 DASH 0 0 0 DASH 0 0 0.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCIL MCKEN.
SO MOVE, MAY IT A SECOND, COUNCILMAN FRANK.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE P R NUMBER 23 1 65, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER TWO OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION? THERE AREN'T ANY QUESTIONS.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO IS ORDERED PR NUMBER 2 3 1 65 IS APPROVED.
[VI.(3) P.R. No. 23173 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Lease Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur And SM Brother & Sisters Corporation DBA Island Grocery And Cajun Cabins For Approximately 2.96 Acres Located At 1900 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., Port Arthur, Texas, 77640 (Part 1 of 2)]
NUMBER THREE, PR NUMBER 2 3 1 73.A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A, A LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT
[02:15:01]
ARTHUR AND SM BROTHER AND SISTER COOPERATION DBA ISLAND GROCERY AND CAJUN CABINETS FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.96 ACRES LOCATED AT 1900.DRIVE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, 7 76 4 OH.
UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF MAYOR PROTON? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I'D ASK FOR THIS TO BE HELD UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I DID PROVIDE THE DETAILS OF MY REQUEST TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY MANAGER, AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, DISCUSS THEM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SHE DID, SHE DID ALLUDE TO IT, BUT I, BECAUSE IT'S POSTED, I WAS YES, SIR.
SO, UH, DO I NEED TO GET A MOTION TO, TO, TO WITHHOLD IT OR WE JUST ACT ON IT AND WE, WE'LL COME BACK WHEN WE COME BACK IN, IN, IN GENERAL SESSION.
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA]
TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.THESE ITEMS, UH, OF ACTUALLY NEW ROUTINE NATURE OR ROUTINE IN NATURE.
AND THEY'RE ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS. AND THESE ITEMS ARE, UH, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, OUR COUNCIL HAS BEEN GIVEN, UH, SOME SPECIFICS ON THESE ITEMS. AND THIS IS FROM PAGE FOUR THROUGH, UH, PAGE SEVEN.
WOULD THERE BE ANY THAT YOU WOULD WANT WITHDRAWN? UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES.
LET ME GET THAT, GET TO THAT ONE.
ANY OTHER, UH, ACCOUNTS? UH, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP, UM, PR NUMBER 23 23 202.
AND ITEM NUMBER, WHICH, WHICH ITEM IS IT? ITEM NUMBER 10.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF NUMBERS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE EASIEST WAY FOR ME TO GET TO ITEM NUMBER 10 TO BE REDRAWN.
AND, AND WHAT PAGE IS THAT? NU PAGE NUMBER SEVEN.
WHAT WE HAVE IS, I'D LIKE TO GET A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AND AGENDA IT WITH THE EXCLUSION OF ITEM NINE, 10, AND 12.
MAY I GET A MOTION? UH, MAY I APPROACH HIM? SO MOVED.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED A SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE STATED ITEMS. WE'RE READY FOR QUESTION.
WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE? WE DON'T.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
HAVE, SO IS ORDERED, WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE SAID ITEMS. WE WILL NOW HANDLE THOSE INDIVIDUALLY.
ON PAGE SIX, ITEM NUMBER NINE,
[VII.C.(9) Inc., In The Amount Of $126,861.00 And Authorizing The Execution Of A Contract By The City Manager For Asbestos/Lead Abatement And Demolition Of Eight (8) Dangerous Commercial Properties (Group A) Located Throughout The City, To Be Charged To Account No. 001-13-035-5470-00-10-000 (General Fund-Other Contractual Service)]
PR NUMBER 23 1 99.IT'S A RESOLUTION AWARDING THE CONTRACT TO THE LARK GROUP, INCORPORATED IN THE AMOUNT OF $126,861, AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT BY THE CITY MANAGER FOR ASBESTOS.
LEAD A ABATEMENT AND DEMOLITION OF EIGHT DANGEROUS COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
GROUP EIGHT, LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO BE CHARGED TO ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH 13 DASH 0 3 5 DASH 5 4 7 0 DASH 0 1 0 0 0.
GENERAL FUND, OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES SERVICE.
MAY I GET A MOTION, UH, FOR APPROVAL? COUNCIL MCKEN LAW.
SO MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SECOND.
IT BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 1 99.
AS READ, WE READ UP A QUESTION.
I HAVE A REQUEST HERE OUT OF THESE EIGHT OUT OF THE, UH, 1132 HOUSTON AVENUE ON THE CORNER, HOUSTON AVENUE AND, AND THOMAS BOULEVARD.
I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TABLE THAT AND IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY COME BACK.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK WITH THE STAFF ON GETTING SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS PROPERTY, BUT THE, THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY, THE DAD IS, HE PASSED ON AND THE, AND THE, AND THE MO AND HIS WIFE IS ILL AND, BUT THE DAUGHTER'S HANDLING IT OUT OF HOUSTON.
SO THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION AND SOME MISCOMMUNICATIONS AND, AND I KNOW THE STAFF HAS PUT A LOT OF WORK IN IT, BUT I'D LIKE TO ONE MORE TRY.
THEY SAY THEY CAN COMPLETE THIS AND, AND MEET THE, UH, COMPLIANCE AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE PROPERTY.
UH, THEY JUST NEED A LITTLE TIME TO GET IT DONE.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING, THEY CAN GET IT DONE WITH BETWEEN NINE AND NEXT COUNCIL.
IF WE JUST TABLE THIS, IT AUTOMATICALLY COME BACK.
MAYOR AND COUNCILOR, I GENERALLY DON'T GET INVOLVED IN THOSE MATTERS AT ALL.
UM, WHEN STAFF HAS DONE THE JOB, I
[02:20:01]
LEAVE IT TO THE LAW AND LET THE COUNSELOR APPROVE IT.IF COUNCIL WANTS TO DO THAT, COUNCIL MAY GO AHEAD, BUT I WON'T.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN? UH, WELL, MAY I APPROACH HIM? YOUR LIGHT IS OFF.
IS THIS ONE OF THE, THE QUESTION WOULD CITY MANAGER WOULD HAVE BEEN TO MS. UM, DARLENE? YEAH, BUT MS. DARLENE MAKES, IS SHE SHE'S ALREADY GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT, YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UNREADINESS? OKAY.
WE READY TO VOTE? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? NO.
OH, DARLENE, COULD YOU, COULD DARLENE COME UP? HE SAID THAT THERE WAS SOME MISCOMMUNICATION.
I WAS ASKING MISCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN OH, OKAY.
OH, YOU'RE ASKING COUNCIL, I I'M ASKING DARLENE TO COME UP.
ON, ON, WE, WE WILL STILL BE ON THE QUESTION THEN.
I KNOW YOU'LL PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS AND YOU'VE BEEN DEALING WITH IT SINCE 2016.
AND WE WON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT HERE TO INTERFERE WITH, WITH YOUR PROCESS, BUT THE, THE, THE PARTIES THAT OWNS THE PROPERTY, THEY ARE, THEY SAY THEY ARE PREPARED AND THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO, TO BRING IT IN THE CODE AND OKAY.
BUT IF YOU TEAR THE BUILDING DOWN, THEN IT JUST, WE JUST GONNA GET THE TAX OF VALUE OF THE LAND.
BUT IF, IF THE IMPROVE THE PROPERTY AND, AND IT, IT STILL BE IMPROVED PROPERTY, WE'LL GET A GREATER AMOUNT OF TAX.
BUT THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE, AND THE, THE, THE, UH, WORKERS OR THE CARPENTERS TO GET IT DONE.
IT'S, COULD YOU, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M ASKING YOU, COULD YOU, UH, TABLE THIS ONE? 1 32 11 32? I, THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU COULD TABLE A PORTION OF THE CONTRACT CITY ATTORNEY.
WELL, YOU WOULD HAVE TO TABLE THE WHOLE ITEM BECAUSE THEY, I WON'T TABLE THE WHOLE ITEM AS A, UH, SEE, IT'S BID AS GROUP A.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO TABLE THE ENTIRE ITEM, THAT WOULD BE THE BETTER OPTION THAN TO TAKE ONE OUT.
CUZ IT WAS BID AS A, SEE, ALL OF THESE ARE IN ONE BIG GROUP WITH THE TOTAL BID.
IT'S IN A SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION.
ALL THE ADDRESSES ARE SO, UH, THEY DIDN'T LIKE BID ON 'EM, LIKE A COMPANY BID ON EACH PROPERTY WOULD BE A GROUP.
SO IF YOU WANT TO DO WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANT TO DO, YOU'D HAVE TO TABLE THE WHOLE ITEM AND IT'LL COME BACK NEXT WEEK.
IF YOU, IF YOU MAKE THAT MOTION, IT WILL.
CAN I MAKE A RECOMMENDATION MA'AM, PLEASE? WELL, WE WOULD, I WOULD'VE TO GET, I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, SO WE'D HAVE TO WITHDRAW THAT MOTION.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD I NEED? NO, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION, THEY MAKE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST PLAY OUT THE PROCEDURE OF A MOTION.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO TABLE IT, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS BID AS A PACKAGE OF, SO OKAY.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULDN'T DO ONE AT A TIME.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? NO, WELL, WAIT, WAIT, GO AHEAD.
WE ARE WE NOT STILL IN THE, THE DISCUSSION PHASE SECOND? YEAH.
UM, MS. DARLENE, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION ON THE PROCESS.
WE HAVE THESE PROPERTIES LISTED.
YOU ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE EVENT THAT I DON'T KNOW THE FAMILY'S NAME, BUT FAMILY A PROVIDES THE INFORMATION TO YOUR OFFICE SAYING WHAT THEY'VE ASSURED MR. LEWIS OF AND CAN PROVE IT.
THEN ARE YOU ABLE TO REMOVE JUST THAT ONE PROPERTY FROM THE LIST WITHOUT US HAVING TO NOT MOVE FORWARD TODAY? IT'S, IT'S A POSSIBILITY, BUT AS I EXPLAINED TO COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS THIS MORNING, THEY CAN'T JUST PUT A ROOF ON IT.
IT HAS TO BE BROUGHT UP TO CODE.
AND I DON'T SEE HOW THEY COULD DO THAT IN TWO WEEKS.
IT'S A BIG, WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE DAUGHTER FOR THREE YEARS.
AND THEN WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE PROPERTY FOR SEVEN.
BUT THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, IT, THEY WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE NOW WITH EVERYTHING.
MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION? IF THEY'VE ASSURED YOU THAT THEY HAVE THE MONEY? WELL, THEY HAVE THE MONEY.
SO TODAY THEY SHOULD BE CONTACTING HER OFFICE TO PROVE THAT.
SO THAT IT COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST.
BUT WE SHOULDN'T, IT STILL HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE, IT STILL HAS TO BE APPROVED ADDITIONAL STUFF LIKE THE, IF TO, TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE CONTRACT.
WELL, I DON'T MEAN TO, TO REMOVE FROM, YOU KNOW.
BUT AT LEAST NOW THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN INSTRUCTION ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROVE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
WELL, THEN IT, IT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM WHETHER WE VOTED ON IT TODAY OR NOT.
I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND, AND NOW THEY HAVE INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
[02:25:01]
OKAY.A MOTION DIES FOR LACK OF A SECOND THOUGH, ON THAT.
SO WE, WE ARE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? WE DON'T HAVE ANY.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED, SIR? NO.
TO MOVE TO APPROVE PR NUMBER 23.
HUH? IT DIED FOR A SECOND ON THE, YEAH.
WAS THE MOTION CLEAR? I DIDN'T HEAR IT.
REMEMBER NOT CLEAR WHICH, WHICH MOTION? THE ONE YOU REMOVED? NO, I SAID OKAY.
I SAID I ACCEPT THE MOTION ON IT AND I THINK I, AS FAR AS SHOES, I COULD ACCEPT IT AND I ASKED FOR A SECOND, BUT IT WAS, IT DIED FOR THE LACK OF A SECOND TO REMOVE THE ITEM FROM, FROM THE LIST.
REMOVE THIS WHOLE, THIS WHOLE THING.
THIS WHOLE YOU SAYING ITEM TO REMOVE 23, REMOVE ITEM ONE 30, TABLE TWO FROM THE YES.
AND THAT'S WHEN DISCUSSION SAID YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE, REMOVE THE WHOLE, RIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT YOU MADE A MOTION FOR? NO, I DIDN'T DO THAT.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS YOUR MOTION FOR? WE WERE DISCUSSING THAT NOT, I DID NOT MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE THE WHOLE NOT YET.
WELL, THE TABLE IT, BUT IT'S STILL, BUT IT DIED FOR A, THE LACK OF A SECOND.
YOU KNOW, MY, I STAND CORRECTED ON THAT.
WHATEVER IT WAS, IT, IT DIDN'T GET A SECOND.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT.
WE APPROVE, UH, P NUMBER 23 1 99 AS READ.
[VII.C.(10) P.R. No. 23202 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Three-Year Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And DISYS Solutions, Inc. Through The Texas Department Of Information Resources Contract No. DIR-TSO-34167 For The Purchase And Support Of A Telephone System For The Police Department In The Amount Of $51,976.60. Funding Budgeted In Information Technology Capital Improvement Account 307-09-023-8522-00-10-000 #IT1007]
10.ITEM NUMBER 10 ON PAGE SIX P NUMBER 23, 2 0 2 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A THREE YEAR CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND D I S Y S OR DIOCESE D UH, IF I'M SAYING IT CORRECTLY.
SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED THROUGH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCE, CONTRACT NUMBER D R DASH TS DASH 34 167 FOR THE PURCHASE AND SUPPORT OF A TELEPHONE SYSTEM FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $51,976 AND 60 CENTS.
FUNDING BUDGETED IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CAPITAL IMPROVE IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT 3 0 7 DASH ZERO NINE DASH 2 3 0 2 3 DASH 85 22 DASH 0 0 1 0 0 0.
AND IT WAS KNOWN AS, UH, IT 1 0 0 7.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN MARKS.
MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILOR? KEN LAW.
AND ON, UH, THE, UH, QUESTION WHAT THE, YOU COUNCILMAN FRANK PUT THIS UP.
UM, CITY MANAGER, THE QUESTION IS FOR YOU FOR ITEMS NUMBER 10 AND 12 BOTH TOGETHER.
UM, MY INTENT IS NOT TO HOLD EITHER OF THESE.
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE EMERGENCY SERVICES.
WHEN WE WERE AT THE TEEM CONFERENCE, WE LEARNED ABOUT SOME TYPE OF PHONE SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO MUNICIPALITIES IN THE EVENT THAT SOMETHING WIPED OUT.
YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR PHONE LINES, EVEN IF THEY WERE UPLOADED TO THE CLOUD, IF INTERNET WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE, WE STILL WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE THEM.
BUT THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF PROGRAM THAT SOME CITIES HAD AVAILABLE TO THEM TO WHERE THEY WERE STILL ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE THAT WAS BEYOND AN ANALOG SYSTEM.
SO MY QUESTION IS, DO EITHER OF THESE PROVIDERS OFFER THOSE SERVICES INCLUDED IN WHAT WE'RE PURCHASING? LET ME ASK THE IT DIRECTOR TO COME UP AND ANSWER THE QUESTION.
UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF THE SERVICE THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING, BUT THESE TWO THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA NOW, ONE, THE ONE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ON PREMISE AND THE SYSTEM THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE HAS REACHED END OF LIFE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEKING TO REPLACE IT, BECAUSE IT WILL CONTINUE TO WORK.
BUT SHOULD IT BREAK TOMORROW, THEN THEY WOULD BE WITHOUT PHONE SERVICES, POSSIBLY FOR UP TO 90 DAYS TO GET IT REPLACED.
THE SECOND ITEM IS FOR THE REST OF THE CITY, AND IT IS A CLOUD-BASED SERVICE.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE ON-PREMISE SYSTEM FOR THEM, AND IT TOO
[02:30:01]
IS IN THE LIFE.IN THE PAST, WE DID HAVE AN OFFSITE BACKUP LOCATION IN IRVING IN SO THAT IN EVENT THAT THE SYSTEM DID GO DOWN, THEN THOSE OFFICES ON HIGHWAY 73 WOULD STILL HAVE PHONE SERVICE.
WE'RE ELIMINATING THAT LOCATION AND LOOKING AT CLOUD SERVICE FOR THE REST OF THE CITY.
CLOUD SERVICE, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW SEVERAL CITIES USE.
HOWEVER, IN THE EVENT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE CLOUD, THEN WHAT DO WE DO? HAVE WE CONSIDERED, OR I'M, I'M JUST ASKING FOR US TO CONSIDER FIBER OPTICS IN OUR BUILDINGS OR IN OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES CENTERS, WHICH WOULD BE, UM, THE PRESS BUILDING SO THAT WE CAN STILL BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY? RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE BOTH PROVIDERS.
WE HAVE AT AND T PROVIDES INTERNET SERVICE AS OUR SECONDARY INTERNET SERVICE FOR ALL OF THE CITY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PD, OUR PRIMARY INTERNET SERVICE IS SPECTRUM.
IF BOTH OF THOSE GO DOWN, THEN NO, WE WON'T.
WE WON'T HAVE SERVICE OUT OF OUR BUILDINGS, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IT IS A CLOUD-BASED SYSTEM, ANY PLACE WHERE THERE IS INTERNET SERVICE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO STILL USE OUR COMMUNICATIONS.
WELL, WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT WAS LIKE BECAUSE WE WERE ALL DOWN FOR A MINUTE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THROUGH OUR AT AND T SERVICES, THEY HAVE THE FIRST NET, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR US, BUT EVEN IN SOME CASES THAT DIDN'T WORK.
SO I'M ASKING THAT WE PROVIDE OUR EMERGENCY SERVICE, UM, DEPARTMENTS WITH ANOTHER OPTION SO THAT WE CAN EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE DURING EMERGENCIES.
ARE, ARE YOU REFERRING TO LIKE 9 1 1 CALLS AND THOSE TYPE OF CALLS? BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO INCLUDED.
THAT'S, THAT'S A DIFFERENT SYSTEM FROM THE SYSTEM WE'RE TALKING HERE.
I WAS EVEN MEANING JUST TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP, TO USE A CELL PHONE IN INCLUDING OUR NINE ONE ONE SERVICES AS WELL.
BUT I WILL, WELL, WE, WE ONLY HAVE, WE HAVE LIMITED PROVIDERS FOR INTERNET SERVICES IN THIS AREA.
SO IF SPECTRUM IS DOWN FOR INTERNET AND AT AND T IS DOWN FOR INTERNET, WE DON'T, SO I'M SAYING WE NEED ANOTHER PLAN OF ACTION JUST IN CASE THAT, THAT THAT IS, THAT DOES COME ABOUT.
WELL, THE ONLY OTHER PLAN OF ACTION YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AT THAT POINT IS, IS GONNA BE CELLULAR, BUT THOSE ARE ALSO THE PROVIDERS OF YOUR CELLULAR SERVICES.
I'LL, I WILL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE CITY MANAGER FROM THE COURSE THAT WE WENT TO THAT INCLUDED THE FIBER OPTICS IN THE BUILDING FOR PREVENTION OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, WE, THERE ARE FIBER OPTICS, BUT EVEN WITH FIBER OPTICS, THEY HAVE TO CONNECT TO SOME PROVIDER.
AND, AND THE PROVIDERS THAT I KNOW FOR THIS AREA ARE SPECTRUM AND AT AND T.
I'M, FORGIVE ME FOR NOT REMEMBERING THE EXACT NAME OF IT, BUT THIS HAPPENED IN OTHER CITIES AND THEY HAD A PLAN B, AND SO I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO BE IN LINE.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIMM, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT UP.
UH, I, I DO, YOU KNOW, BEING IN THE MILITARY FOR A VERY LONG TIME, ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE WORST, UH, THING THAT HAPPENED TO A SITUATION.
SO HAVING A BACKUP PLAN, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT UP.
UH, DIRECTOR, WHAT IS THE LIFE, UH, EXPECTANCY OF, UH, THE PD? THIS, THIS SYSTEM HERE? THAT WE'RE GONNA BE THE NEW SYSTEM? YES.
IT, IT IS A CISCO PHONE SYSTEM AND AS OF NOW, THEY HAVE NOT, UH, DECLARED AN END LIFE OF ANY OF THE EQUIPMENT.
WHAT ABOUT THE ONE THAT'S EXPIRING? IT HAS ALREADY, IT'S, IT EXPIRES.
YOU KNOW THE ONE, THAT'S THE ONE THAT IS EXPIRING? YES, MA'AM.
AND WHEN DID WE PURCHASE IT? THE LAST TIME? ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO IT'S A FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT ARE EXPECTED TO LIVE FIVE YEARS ON THE PD SIDE.
IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE PURCHASED FIVE YEARS AGO, CISCO DECIDED TO MAKE IT END OF LIFE.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE CITYWIDE? IT'S ALSO ABOUT A FIVE YEAR LAST TIME? NO, THE CITYWIDE IS, IS CLOUD BASED.
SO THERE'S NO END OF LIFE ON THIS.
THERE'S IT, THERE WON'T BE ANY ON-PREMISE EQUIPMENT EXCEPT FOR THE PHYSICAL PHONES THEMSELVES.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? UH, MA.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[VII.C.(12) P.R. No. 23208 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Three-Year Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And RingCentral For The Provision Of Hosted Cloud Telephone Services Through The Interlocal Purchasing Systems (TIPS) Contract No. 210303 In An Amount Not To Exceed $182,110.30; Funding Budgeted In Information Technology Communication Account 001-09-023-5482-00-10-000]
WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER 12 ON PAGE SEVEN.[02:35:01]
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A THREE YEAR CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND RINGCENTRAL FOR THE PROVISION OF HOSTED CLOUD TELEPHONE SERVICES THROUGH THE INTERLOCAL PURCHASING SYSTEM, WHICH IS BETTER KNOWN AS TIPS CONTRACT NUMBER 2 1 0 3 0 3 IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $182,110 AND 30 CENTS FUNDING BUDGETED IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATION.ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH ZERO NINE DASH 0 2 3 DASH 5 4 82 0 0 DASH 0 0 0.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN? UH, KEN? SO MOVE MAYOR MAY GET A SECOND.
UH, MAY I APPROACH HIM ON THE QUESTIONS? PASS YOU OKAY ON THAT? OKAY.
ANY OPPOSERS AYES AB SO IT IS ORDERED.
WE WOULD APPROVE NUMBER, UH, 23 OR PR NUMBER 23 2 0 8 AS READ.
[VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 23203 – A Resolution Ratifying The City Manager’s Decision To Authorize The Emergency Replacement Of The Sanitary Sewer Main On 22nd Street Near 5th Avenue, For A Total Not To Exceed Amount Of $95,000.00 From Water Utilities Account No. 405-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Project No. WS0016-CON]
WE WILL MOVE TO THE NON-CONSENT, UH, AGENDA, UH, WHICH IS ROMAN NUMERAL EIGHT, THE FIRST ONE BEING ON PAGE SEVEN, WHICH IS PR NUMBER 23 2 0 3 A RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER'S DECISION TO AUTHORIZE THE EMERGENCY REPLACEMENT OF THE SANITARY SEWER MAIN ON 22ND STREET NEAR FIFTH AVENUE FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $95,000 FROM WATER UTILITIES.ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 5 DASH 4 0 0 0 85 16 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 0 0 0.
AND IT'S PROJECT NUMBER WS 0 0 1 6 DASH CON OR CONSTRUCTION.
UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN FRANK, MOVE MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN MARKS SECOND MAYOR IS REMOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE.
UH, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION ON ANY QUESTIONS? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO WE WILL APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 20 0 3 AS RED,
[VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 23219 – A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Director Or Directors To The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation (Requested By Councilmember Lewis) (Part 1 of 2)]
AND WE HAVE THE FINAL ITEM ON PAGE EIGHT, WHICH IS PR NUMBER 23 2 19 IS A RESOLUTION APPOINTING AND OR REAPPOINTED DIRECTOR OR DIRECTORS TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, SECTION 40, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS, UH, CITY SECRETARY AS COUNCILMAN LEWIS, GIVING YOU THAT NAME, SIR.COUNCIL, SIR? YOU READY? DIVORCE THE NAME? YES.
IT IS A D O E APPOINTMENT DEPENDING ON, UH, EXPERIENCE.
LET ME ASK QUESTION IF, UM, IS, ARE THESE, DO WE VOTE ON INDIVIDUALS APPOINTMENTS? ARE THEY AUTOMATIC OR DO WE ACTUALLY APPROVE? AND IF WE DON'T ACTUALLY APPROVE, WHY, WHY IS IT IN A RESOLUTION FORM? IS IT JUST FOR, IS IT JUST FOR, IS IT JUST SOMETHING THAT WE DO A FORMALITY OR IS THIS ACTUALLY A RESOLUTION THAT HAS SUBSTANTIVE, UM, VALUE? WITH MY EXPERIENCE? I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE.
AND I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
UM, VAL LEFT, UH, FOR A FEW MINUTES, BUT SHE'LL, SHE SHOULD BE BACK, BUT I'LL FIND OUT AND GET BACK WITH YOU.
WELL, CAN I ASK THAT WE WOULD TABLE THIS UNTIL WE GET THAT INFORMATION? IT'S AN APPOINTMENT.
WELL, I, NO, I WANT A LEGAL, I, I WOULD LIKE WITH ALL DUE DEFERENCE AND RESPECT COUNSEL.
WELL, THEY GOT MEETINGS COMING UP.
WELL, COUNSEL, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
WE, WE AREN'T GOING SPEAK COUNSEL ON THAT.
WE'RE GONNA SPEAK ON CROSS WITH EACH OTHER.
NOW YOU ARE ASKING FOR A LEGAL, I'M ASKING FOR A LEGAL, A LEGAL OPINION.
I'M ALEXIS FOR A LEGAL OPINION.
BEFORE, BEFORE WE MAKE THIS APPOINTMENT.
CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION? YEAH.
WELL, I DON'T THINK IT'S POSTED FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY.
I HAVE NO, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO CONSULT WITH VAL BEFORE WE GIVE A LE LEGAL ANSWER.
COUNSELMAN, CAN YOU WAIT ON THAT? AND WE WILL, WE WILL FIND OUT AND THEN WE, WE HAVE TO COME BACK IN.
BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO TELL YOU, I, I WAS INVOLVED IN WRITING IN THE ROOM.
[02:40:01]
WAIT, OKAY, HOLD UP JUST A MINUTE.LET'S DISCUSS IT IN AFTER IN, UH, WE GO DOWN IN CLOSED SESSIONS.
AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK AND IF IT NEEDS TO BE ACTED UPON, WE WILL ACT UPON IT AT THAT TIME.
EXCUSE ME, MAYOR, WE WILL NOT TALK ABOUT IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I JUST WANNA CONSULT WITH, WITH BOB.
THAT'S WHY I GIVE ADVICE AFTER.
I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR.
WE ARE NOT POSTED TO TALK ABOUT IT.
ATTORNEY, CAN YOU RETURN OR WILL YOU RETURN, PLEASE? THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO ASK AMIR, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
HERE OR HERE? YEAH, YOU'RE THERE.
I WAS, I HAD TO STEP AWAY TO TAKE A CALL.
THERE IS A QUESTION ON, UH, BEFORE THE HOUSE ABOUT APPOINTMENTS, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS HAD MADE IT, UH, UH, UH, AN APPOINTMENT, OKAY.
UH, COUNCILMAN FRANKLIN ASKED IF WE VOTE ON THOSE APPOINTMENTS, THE LEGAL LEGALITY, IF I'M CORRECT, JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY WHAT YOU WERE ASKING.
MY QUESTION, MY QUESTION IS, WE, WE BRING THESE APPOINTMENTS TO THE COUNCIL IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION.
FOR THE RECORD, SO THIS IS JUST FOR THE RECORD, IT IS JUST BASICALLY MINISTERIAL, THE, THE, THE, THE BYLAWS AND THE RULES SAY THAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER APPOINTS THEIR OWN PERSON.
SO WE ONLY HAVE THE RESOLUTION SO WE CAN HAVE IT RECORDED INTO THE RECORD.
WE DON'T, UH, WE CAN'T, YOU, YOU'RE VOTING TO PUT IT INTO THE RECORD ONLY.
THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS MY, SO THE POLICY MEMBER PUTS WHO THEY WANT ON.
AND NOW THERE ARE SOME WHERE YOU LIKE, NOT EDC, BUT THERE'S SOME WHERE EVERYBODY HAS TO AGREE.
BUT IN THIS CASE, UH, THAT EACH PERSON IS ABLE TO APPOINT WHO THEY WANT AND THE RESOLUTION IS FOR THE RECORD.
AND THAT IS IN THE EDC BYLAWS.
COUNCILMAN MARKS, UH, MRS. MS. ATTORNEY
SHOULD WE OR SHOULD COUNCILMAN LEWIS, SHOULD SOMEBODY CONSIDER THE REASONS OF HIS DEPARTURE BEFORE ALLOWING HIM TO BE REAPPOINTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHO WILL BE MAKING DECISIONS CONCERNING ISSUES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN COVERED WHILE HE WAS EMPLOYED IN HIS POSITION AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EDC? I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK IN THE BYLAWS, BUT I DON'T KNOW OF ANYTHING OFFHAND IN THE BYLAWS THAT WOULD BAR THAT.
THERE'S SOME, AND I DON'T HAVE THE BYLAWS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, THERE'S ANYTHING IN THE BYLAWS, UH, THAT BARS THAT I CAN DOUBLE CHECK.
BUT AS FAR AS I SEE IT RIGHT NOW, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, UH, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING.
BUT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD BAR THAT, UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN CRITERIA, UH, FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PULL IT.
BUT I DON'T RECALL THAT BEING ANYTHING WITHOUT ME LOOKING.
UH, IF YOU WANNA MOVE FORWARD, YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD AND THEN IF I SEE SOMETHING THAT PREVENTS IT, I CAN LET YOU KNOW.
BUT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, WITHOUT HAVING THE BYLAWS IN HAND, I DON'T KNOW OF ANYTHING.
WELL, WHAT I'M THINKING IS, IS, I MEAN, IF, IF IT'S UH, IF IT'S OKAY, ACCORDING TO THE BYLAWS, I'M, I'M, I'M GOOD WITH IT, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE WENT THROUGH AS A COUNSEL IN THAT ISSUE WITH, WITH THE ISSUE OF THE EMPLOYMENT AND THE RESIGNATIONS AND THE CHANGING OF THE, UH, UH, ADMINISTRATION OVER THERE, I THINK IT WOULD BEHOOVE US TO BE POINT OF ORDER, HOLD, HOLD, HOLD JUST MINUTE.
IT WOULD BEHOOVE US TO GET A LEGAL OPINION FROM THE BYLAWS
[02:45:01]
AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD, AND THEN IF I SEE SOMETHING IN THE BYLAWS, I COULD ALWAYS WRITE YOU A MEMO.
UH, AND LIKE I SAID, I DON'T HAVE THE BY EDC BYLAWS WITH ME RIGHT NOW.
UH, I CAN ALWAYS LOOK ALSO OVER THE BREAK, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING.
UH, THERE ARE SOME CRITERIA FOR, UH, MEMBERSHIP, BUT I'D HAVE TO PULL THAT UP.
UH, UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM, BEFORE YOU CAME IN, WE HAD DISCUSSED THIS WITH MS. SHERRY, AND SHE ASKED FOR A MOMENT TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE OTHER COUNSELOR SO THAT YOU ALL CAN HAVE ALL OF THOSE DETAILS.
AND THEN AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE ARE NOT ASKING TO TABLE IT.
WE WE'RE NOT ASKING TO HOLD IT.
WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR Y'ALL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THOSE LEGALITIES.
I CAN CERTAINLY LOOK IN THE BOTTOM AND THEN WE'LL JUST VOTE ON IT AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
LIKE I SAID, I'D HAVE TO LOOK TO DOUBLE CHECK OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD BAR IT.
MY POINT, THE POINT, UH, EXCUSE ME.
UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES.
LET ME, LET ME SAY FOR THE RECORD, AND I WANNA SAY OPENLY AND PUBLICLY.
LET ME SAY OPENLY AND PUBLICLY, AND I WANT TO ADDRESS THIS, UH, TO, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
UM, THERE IS NO PRECEDENT, UH, THERE IS NO PRECEDENT THAT PERHAPS WOULD BAR, UH, WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO DO, AND YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO IT.
BUT LET ME QUICKLY RUSH TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING LAWFUL IS NOT EXPEDIENT.
THAT EVERYTHING LAWFUL COUNCILMAN IS NOT EXPEDIENT.
YOU'RE SEEKING TO PUT A PAST DIRECTOR WHO HAS MALICIOUSLY MALIGNED THIS COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER.
I WOULD, I WOULD, I THINK THAT WE DON'T WANNA GET INTO ANY PERSONAL THING.
WELL, LET ME, OKAY, WELL, LET ME, WELL, LET ME RETRACT THAT.
I'LL SAY IT NOW, BUT LET ME RETRACT IT FOR THE RECORD.
BUT EVERYTHING LAWFUL IS NOT EXPEDIENT.
AND SO I WOULD, I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THE WISDOM IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THE WISDOM HAS IS THERE, AND IT'S A D OE APPOINTMENT, DEPENDING ON THE EXPERIENCE, THAT BOARD DOWN THERE NEED, NEEDS GOOD, SOLID EXPERIENCE.
BUT, BUT DON'T, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT HIS SPIRITUAL WELL, THAT'S, BUT PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, COUNCILMAN.
THAT'S, THAT'S, WE DON'T WANNA, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS MY APPOINTMENT.
AND LET US, LET US, LET US, YEAH, NO, THAT'S, GET THE INFORMATION.
CITY ATTORNEY, AS OF NOW, THAT IS MY APPOINTEE COUNCIL, IS NOT REQUIRED TO VOTE ON NO, NO, YOU CAN'T.
WE DON'T WANT TO BEGIN TO JUST HAPHAZARDLY MAKE STATEMENTS THAT WE MAY HAVE TO BE CORRECTED ON.
SO IF YOU WOULD JUST WITHDRAW THAT STATEMENT.
I'M NOT GONNA WITHDRAW MY STATEMENT.
WELL, DON'T WITHDRAW IT THEN, COUNCILMAN.
BUT IF WE WOULD JUST WAIT AND WE ARE ACTIVE ON THIS AFTER WE RETURN.
FROM EXECUTIVE, FROM FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION, SIR.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO NOW RECESS, SIR? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
YOU'RE GOING TO HOLD THIS ITEM TILL AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO YOU, ARE YOU AGREEING TO JUST GO TO RECESS? YEAH, YEAH.
WE GO TO RECESS AND THEN I'LL DOUBLE CHECK.
[IX. *CLOSED MEETING (EXECUTIVE SESSION)]
I'LL NOT AWARE, AWARE OF ANYTHING, GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BE THERE ANY ITEMS FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WE NEED TO ACT UPON WHEN WE RETURN, WE WILL, UH, RETURN TO, UH, DISCUSS AND ACT UPON THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS. THANK YOU.THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING VIRTUALLY, WE WILL RETURN AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
YOU OKAY? UH, WE ARE RETURNING TO OUR, UH, OPEN SESSION.
UH, WELL, I NEED TO GET A MOTION RIGHT TO CLOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AM I CORRECT? WHAT ATTORNEY? YES.
UH, CITY SECRETARY MAYOR BARTEE.
NOW WE HAVE BEEN IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, MOTIONS COMING OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE
[02:50:01]
SESSION? NO.THERE AREN'T ANY MOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO I WOULD, UH, ENTERTAIN THE MOTION TO CLOSE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION COUNCIL MCKEN LAW.
SO, WHO, MAYOR, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS SECOND IS REMOVED.
A SECOND THAT WE WOULD CLOSE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING OF EXECUTIVE SESSION? AYE.
ANY OPPOSERS EXECUTIVE SESSION IS NOW CLOSED.
NOW WE ARE RETURNING TO OUR REGULAR, EXCUSE ME, UH, AGENDA IN OUR REGULAR MEETING.
CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU REESTABLISH THE, UH, QUORUM, PLEASE? WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT, MAYOR.
UH, THERE WAS ONE MATTER, I BELIEVE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY.
ON PAGE THREE, AND THAT WOULD BE NUMBER THREE, RIGHT? AM I CORRECT? YES.
AND SHE'S LOOKING UP SOME, I GUESS SOME LAW.
YOU HAD SOMETHING ON THAT, UH, ATTORNEY.
[VI.(3) P.R. No. 23173 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Lease Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur And SM Brother & Sisters Corporation DBA Island Grocery And Cajun Cabins For Approximately 2.96 Acres Located At 1900 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., Port Arthur, Texas, 77640 (Part 2 of 2)]
THREE? ITEM NUMBER THREE.UH, UNFINISHED BUSINESS, UH, PR NUMBER 23.
UM, I THINK YOU ALL WE'RE GONNA MAKE A MOTION, UH, ON THAT.
I THINK THAT YOU ARE WANTING MORE RESEARCH DONE, IS WHAT I UNDERSTAND AFTER WE'VE ADVISED YOU.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LEASE MATTER.
CITY, UH, I MEAN, MAYOR PRO TIM? YES, SIR.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE PR NUMBER 2 3 1 73 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
THE SECOND COUNCILMAN, UH, SECOND IN LAW.
IS MOVE THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD REMOVE ITEM NUMBER 23 1 73 FOR FURTHER, UH, STUDY, UH, READY FOR QUESTION? ANY THE QUESTION? YOU READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO IF IT IS APPROVED TO REMOVE THIS ITEM UNTIL FURTHER STUDY CAN BE, UH, ACCOMPLISHED ON THIS BY OUR ATTORNEYS.
[VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 23219 – A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Director Or Directors To The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation (Requested By Councilmember Lewis) (Part 2 of 2)]
NEXT ITEM, UH, ATTORNEY IS ON A MINUTE.OKAY, ON PAGE EIGHT, ITEM NUMBER THREE, EXCUSE ME.
PAGE EIGHT, UH, PR NUMBER 23 2 19, UH, RESOLUTION APPOINTED AND ARE REAPPOINTED THE DIRECTOR OR DIRECTOR US TO THE CITY OF PORT OFFICER, UH, UH, SECTION FOUR EIGHT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AS REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
HOWEVER, WE GOING TO VOTE, UH, UH, AS, AS, AS APPROVING THE APPOINTMENT, UH, OF, UH, MR. FLOYD BATISTE.
I BELIEVE IT IS POINT OF POINT OF GO RIGHT AHEAD.
IT'S NOT APPROVING THE APPOINTMENT.
I HAVE THE RIGHT TO NOMINATE MY WHO I WANT ON E D C BOARD.
SO WE COUNCILOR DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE IT.
COUNCILMAN FRANK, GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION.
MA'AM, SIR, YOU CAN, YOU MAY, YOU MAY GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION THEN I'LL, I HAVE QUESTIONS.
UH, AND THE, THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF THE COUNCIL PERSON? YES.
UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR THAT? YES, SIR.
WILL YOU EXPLAIN TO HIM WHAT THEY EXPLAIN IT TO HIM ONCE AGAIN? IS IT ON THE, THE FLOOR NOW ARE WE BACK ON THE FLOOR? ON THE FLOOR? WE JUST TRYING TO GET IT ON THE FLOOR.
YOU NEED A SECOND AND THEN, OKAY.
UH, MAYOR, MAKE THE MOTION MORE MAYOR CAN'T MAKE THE MOTION.
WELL, IT'S, AND I'M SORRY I MADE THE MOTION, BUT I STATED THE MOTION.
I STATED THE MOTION AS IT CAME OUT OF WHAT? OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR 22, 2 19.
AND IT'S BASICALLY, UH, A RESOLUTION APPOINTING OR REA APPOINTING.
AND I JUST MAY HAVE USED THE TERM OF APPROVING THE APPOINTMENT.
[02:55:01]
OR REA APPOINTING A MEMBER.A MEMBER TO THE EDC BOARD, MAY I GET A MOTION? UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK MOTION? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN MCKEN LAW SECOND IS REMOVED AS SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 2 19, UH, AS RESOLUTION OF APPOINTING THE MEMBER TO THE, UH, EDC BOARD.
AND THE MEMBER'S NAME IS, I'VE ALREADY STATED.
I JUST WANT YOU TO SAY YOU'RE HAVE TO BE BELLIGERENT.
I, I JUST WANT FOR CLARIFICATION, MY BROTHER.
HE STATED THE NAME OF, OF FLOYD BATIS AS HIS APPOINTEE FOR THE EDC BOARD.
UM, I HAD SOME QUESTIONS AND I WANTED THEM ANSWERED IN CLOSED SESSION.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WANTED ASKED, WANTED ASKED WAS, UM, IF THIS WAS SIMPLY CEREMONIAL OR IF INDEED, IN, IN PLACING A RESOLUTION, IT REQUIRED, UH, COUNSEL, UH, VOTE, UH, FOR APPROVAL.
I WANNA, I WANNA CLARIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
MAY I SAY SOMETHING? YES, MA'AM.
WHEN WE WERE CALLED UP HERE A MOMENT AGO, WE, I SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE BYLAWS THAT STATED THAT, AND I, I DO CONTINUE WITH THAT.
I WANT TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT IF YOU GIVE ME JUST A MOMENT.
WHEN THE BYLAWS WERE APPROVED, UH, AND JUST LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE SET FORTH IN CHAPTER SEVEN OR ARTICLE SEVEN OF THE BYLAWS, AND THIS WAS APPROVED, THE BYLAWS WERE APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
IT WAS IN 2018, I THINK THE LAST UPDATE.
AND I RE AS I WAS STATING EARLIER, WHEN WE DID THE LAST UPDATE, THEY, THEY KINDA REWORKED THIS SO THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER, IT WOULDN'T BE LIKE SOMEWHERE, WE DO IT AS A GROUP.
AND SOME THEY PUT IN HERE THE QUALIFICATIONS, WHICH IS IN 7.02.
AND THEN THE SELECTION PROCESS, WHICH WE HAVE HONORED, IS IN 7.03.
BUT I WANNA MAKE A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
DIRECTOR SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE RESPECTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER WHOSE POSITION CORRESPONDS TO THE POSITION FOR WHICH THE BOARD APPOINTMENT IS MADE.
OKAY? SO THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY PUT IN, SO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN PERSON NOW, AND THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY AS A RESOLUTION.
BUT I WANNA JUST MAKE, CUZ I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOUR QUESTION IS GOING.
I WANNA GO NOW TO STATE LAW UNDER, AND THIS, IT'S GONNA BE FINE UNDER STATE LAW, 5 0 4 0.05.
ONE SAYS A BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF A TYPE A CORPORATION CONSISTS OF AT LEAST FIVE.
AND YOU ALL DECIDED IN THE BYLAWS 7.03 THAT WE WOULD HAVE ONE FOR EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, WHATEVER THE SIZE OF THE COUNCIL WAS.
AND IT SAYS THE DIRECTORS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNING BODY, BY THE AUTHORIZING MUNICIPALITY, AND THEY SERVE AS THE PLEASURE OF THE GOVERNING BODY.
AND THEY MAY BE REMOVED BY THE GOVERNING BODY AT ANY TIME WITHOUT CAUSE.
UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO SAY THAT THE GOVERNING BODY SHALL DETERMINE THE NUMBERS AND DIRECTORS.
SO BASICALLY WHAT I'M SAYING IS STATE LAW IS WHAT GIVES YOU THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE A DECISION ON HOW YOU WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR EDC.
AND THE COUNCIL HAS DONE SO BY PUTTING THIS ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
AND WE HAVE ALWAYS HONORED THAT AS A PRACTICE.
YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL CAN VOTE ON A RESOLUTION, HOWEVER THEY MAY, BUT THAT WAS THE INTENT BEHIND PUTTING IT IN THERE, THAT EACH PERSON HAVE THEIR OWN SAY.
AND THEN WE HAVE TREATED IT AS A MINISTERIAL FUNCTION BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE BYLAWS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN.
UH, BUT YOU STILL ALWAYS HAVE TO VOTE ON A RESOLUTION.
SO YOU HAVE SOME LANGUAGE IN STATE LAW THAT'S VERY BROAD AND YOU HAVE SOME LANGUAGE IN YOUR BYLAWS THAT'S A LITTLE MORE NARROW.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
HAVING SAID THAT, UM, I REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO IN CASTING, UH, THIS VOTE FOR THIS RESOLUTION IS SIMPLY CEREMONIAL.
UH, BUT, UH, AND, UH, BECAUSE IT IS, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS'S, UH, CONSIDERATION AND, UM, HIS, HIS, UH, RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHO HE WANTS.
BUT I'M GOING TO ASK FOR THE RECORD THAT IT WOULD BE A, UM, ROLL CALL VOTE.
UH, SO THAT I MIGHT, UM, MAKE MY, UM, MY THOUGHT PROCESS, UH, CLEAR, UH, FOR THE RECORD.
SO, UM, I WOULD ASK THAT A ROLL CALL VOTE BE MADE FOR THIS RESOLUTION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES.
UH, FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY, THIS VOTE THAT YOU ALL ARE WANTING TO TAKE DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON, ON MY POINT, A SIR THAT'S UNDERSTOOD.
WELL, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S IN THE RIGHT.
WE ARE ALL, WE ARE ALL ASTUTE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA DO A ROLL CALL VOTE.
[03:00:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER.AS FAR AS THE RESOLUTION GOES, IT IT NOT PASS.
WOULD THERE BE ANY OTHER, UH, MATTER OF BUSINESS COUNCILMAN FRANK? YOUR, LIKE CAME BACK ON I OR DID YOU? OH, OKAY.
I, I KNOW THAT THE, THE MEASURE FAILED.
BUT MAY I ASK A QUESTION? PLEASE? YES, MA'AM.
THE MEASURE FAILED THE RESOLUTION STOP THE RESOLUTION.
SO WE ARE THROUGH WITH DISCUSSION.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T HAVE ANY FURTHER.
THE DISCUSSION HAD TO COME BEFORE THE VOTE.
YOUR, YOUR LIFE, PHIL, BECAUSE IT WASN'T ABOUT THAT IN PARTICULAR HAS TO BE, IS IT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA? I'M NOT TRYING TO BE YES MA'AM.
DO WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA? WELL, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE RESOLUTION OF APPOINTMENTS.
I WANNA KNOW, CAN WE UPDATE THIS RESOLUTION OF APPOINTMENT? IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BYLAWS ABOUT YES, YOU CAN ALWAYS UPDATE YOUR BYLAWS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S SEPARATE THOUGH.
AND WE REALLY SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
THE CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE ABOUT WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA.
WE CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT IT OUTSIDE COUNCIL, COUNCIL.
THE, THE EDC BOARD HAS TO HANDLE THESE THINGS.
THEN COUNCIL HAS THE FINAL APPROVAL.
YOU JUST CAN'T GO, EVEN IF YOU DO IT HERE, YOU GOTTA SEND IT DOWN THERE TO GET IT APPROVED.
NO COUNCILMAN, UH, LEWIS, I BEG THE DIFFERENCE.
I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM TEACH US PUBLICLY MISS.
SO THAT STATEMENT WAS NOT CORRECT.
AND WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FOR ADJOURNMENT.
AND SECOND THAT THIS, UH, GOD'S BODY HERE GOVERNING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WILL BE ADJOURNED.
ANY OPPOSERS? AS SO IS ORDERED, THIS MEETING IS NOW OVER NOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS TOMORROW MORNING AT WHAT TIME? 11.
11:00 AM WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD RETURN FOR A WORKSHOP DEALING WITH THE AMBULANCE, UH, SITUATION WITH, UH, CHIEF, UH, BENSON AND I BELIEVE TWO, UH, VENDORS WHO WOULD WANT TO SERVE I IF I'M GOT AVID CORRECTLY IN, IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
ALSO ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, ON THURSDAY, WE HAVE A GROUP THAT'S COMING TO PORT ARTHUR, I THINK.
IS IT EITHER IF YOU RECEIVED AN EMAIL I SENT OUT LAST, WELL, BEFORE I WENT TO JACKSON, DID YOU ALL GET AN EMAIL? I I YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT? DID YOU GET WE HAVE YOUR EMAIL.
DID YOU GET AN EMAIL FROM ME OR FROM CHRISTIE? NO, IT CAN BE CHRISTY.
YOU DON'T WANNA BE THIS, THIS, PLEASE.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE, OKAY.
THE, THE, THE, UH, MEETING WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, WE, IT'S CALLED THE SUIT SHEET SUIT.
SHE, UH, UH, CORPORATION OR SUSHI CORPORATION IS COMING TO HELP US DEAL WITH, IF WE CAN BEGIN THE INSTITUTE GENERATIONAL WEALTH WITH OUR YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY IN OUR CITY.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A PROGRAM THAT I LEARNED ABOUT AT THE, UH, BASICALLY THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYORS ASSOCIATION MEETING.
AND EVEN AT THE, UH, US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN THERE AND THEY'VE PRESENTED IN CERTAIN CITIES AROUND THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEGUN TO PARTICIPATE IN IT.
THEY WERE, UH, IN SEARCH OF A TEST CITY, UH, SO TO SPEAK, TO UH, BEGIN THE PROGRAM IN AGAIN, I SPOKE ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY BEING CONSIDERED.
SO THEY'RE COMING TO MEET WITH US, DO A PRESENTATION TO FIND OUT A LEVEL OF INTEREST.
THE WAY THAT THE, UH, PROGRAM ACTUALLY GOES IS HAVING A CHILD MAYBE WHO IS A FIFTH GRADE OR EVEN SEVENTH GRADE OR MAYBE EVEN 10TH, THEY WOULD'VE LESS MONEY.
AND YOU BEGAN PUTTING FUNDS IN AN, IN AN ENDOWMENT.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT IT IS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
IT COULD BE EMPLOYEE MATCHED OR IT COULD JUST BE THAT INDIVIDUAL OF, UH, THAT PERSON'S FUNDS.
THE STUDENT CAN GRADUATE AT THE TIME OF GRADUATION.
THEY CAN HAVE FROM FIVE TO 20 TO 30 OR $40,000 AVAILABLE TO THEM TO HELP PAY FOR THEIR EDUCATION OR WHAT THEY CAN DO.
[03:05:01]
UH, THEY CAN BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR WITH THAT MONEY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY MIGHT WANNA OPEN A BARBERSHOP OR A BEAUTY SHOP OR A, A A, A LIFT SERVICE OR SOMETHING.THEY WOULD HAVE MONIES FOR THAT.
OR THEY MIGHT DECIDE, HEY, WE WANT TO GET MARRIED AND, UH, PURCHASE A HOME AND RAISE A FAMILY.
THEY WOULD HAVE MONIES THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
WE DON'T HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM POSTED FOR WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO, HAVE WE ADJOURNED? ADJOURNED? WELL, WE'RE STILL HOLDING A MEETING IF WE HAVE FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT, THAT MEETING IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THURSDAY.
WHAT TIME? UH, TWO O'CLOCK HERE.
TWO O'CLOCK HERE IN THE CHAMBERS.
AND I'M SORRY IF YOU DIDN'T GET THE EMAIL.
I TRIED TO SEND THEM, OR CHRISSY TRIED TO SEND THEM UH, OKAY.
ABOUT A WEEK AGO TILL YOU ARE.
BUT, BUT, UH, SO THAT, THAT WAS FOR TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY AT 11 AND THURSDAY.
AT THURSDAY AT TWO AND THEN TOMORROW, UH, IF, IF YOU WILL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR, YOUR FEELINGS ON THAT, Y'ALL? WE DON'T, WE WOULD WEAR, UH, CITY POLOS OR SOMETHING.
Y'ALL, Y'ALL CAN AGREE TO THAT.
YOU HAVE A CITY POLO YET? UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK.
I MEAN, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS ON THURSDAY? THAT TOMORROW.
WHERE IT'S GONNA BE AT? IT'S HERE AT 11 O'CLOCK.