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RECORDING IN PROGRESS.[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
THANK YOU.THANK YOU SO KINDLY AND AGAIN, UH, WELCOME TO EACH OF YOU WHO ARE GATHERED HERE IN THE CHAMBERS AND THOSE WHO MAY BE ON WITH US EVEN VIRTUALLY AT THIS MOMENT.
THIS IS OUR CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OR REGULAR MEETING, REGULARLY SCHEDULED FOR TODAY, AUGUST 1ST, 2023, HERE IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
AND YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING.
THE, UH, TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE 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, AND YOU WILL ENTER THE MEETING ID 8 8 1 0 5 9 7 1 4 3 3, AND THE PASSCODE OF 2 5 4 8 6 6.
AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING ON TODAY, AUGUST 1ST, 2023.
AND WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
AND IF THERE WOULD BE A NEED FOR YOU TO REQUEST SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, YOU WOULD ONLY NEED DOW THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5, AND MAKE YOUR WISHES KNOWN FOR THOSE SPECIAL REQUESTS OR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WOULD DO ALL WITHIN ITS POWER TO ACTUALLY AND ANSWER YES TO YOUR REQUEST.
HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL ACTUAL REQUEST MUST BE DONE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING SO THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE YOU IN YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS.
IF AT THIS JUNCTURE YOU DO HAVE A TELEPHONE OR SOME ELECTRONIC DEVICE, WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD MUTE OR SILENCE IT AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
COUNCILMAN FRANK, WOULD YOU AGAIN OFFER AN INVOCATION FOR US? YES.
AND WE WOULD THEN JOIN IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
ONCE AGAIN, FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU AGAIN, ASKING YOU, GOD, TO WATCH OVER US IN THIS MEETING.
THANK YOU AGAIN, GOD, FOR YOUR GRACE, YOUR KINDNESS, AND, UH, GOD, YOUR LOVING MERCY.
WE ASK NOW, GOD, THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US YOUR WISDOM FROM ABOVE A FATHER, AND THEN YOU WOULD LET PEACE ABIDE IN OUR HEARTS.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU PROVIDE FOR OUR CITY, FOR OUR, UH, NATION, FOR OUR WORLD.
WE ASK ALL OF IT NOW IN THE POWERFUL AND PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS WE PRAY.
JOIN US NOW IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY SECRETARY.
WOULD YOU ESTABLISH THE QUORUM FOR US? MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT, MAYOR PRO.
TIM HAMILTON, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.
AND ON ONE NOTE, UH, CITY SECRETARY AND TWO FELLOW COUNCIL PERSONS AND ALL OF THOSE WHO WERE HERE, MAYOR, APPROACH HIM.
UH, HAMILTON DID SAY THAT SHE WOULD ENTER THE GALLERY VIA, UH, ZOOM.
AND ACCORDING TO THE RULES AND HOW THEY APPLY TO US, IF SHE, AND IF AND WHEN SHE COMES ON, SHE HAS TO KEEP HER CAMERA ON THE ITALIAN MEETING, AND SHE MAY BE ABLE TO VOTE AS ALL OF US ARE VOTING ON ANY MEASURE.
HOWEVER, HER CAMERA HAS TO REMAIN ON WHENEVER THE CAMERA GOES OFF, THEN SHE CAN NO LONGER BE COUNTED FOR ATTENDANCE IN THE MEETING.
I DO NOT SEE HER ON MY SCREEN, BUT I'M ONLY SAYING THIS IN CASE SHE COMES ON IN A MINUTE.
AND THEN SHE WOULD BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE MEETING AND SHE WOULD NEED TO REMAIN WITH HER CAMERA ON THE ENTIRE TIME IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED, UH, FOR A VOTE.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A QUORUM THAT IS ACTUALLY PRESENT HERE IN THE CHAMBERS.
AND THAT'S HOW THAT CAN ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE ON PROCLAMATIONS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PROCLAMATIONS IN
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FRONT OF ME.SO THERE AREN'T ANY PROCLAMATIONS AT THIS TIME.
[III. A.(1) Miss Cherry Lee Johnson Regarding Streets]
PETITIONS.WE HAVE A SPEAKER, MS. CHERRY LEE JOHNSON, REGARDING STREETS.
IS MS. JOHNSON PRESENT? WOULD YOU COME FORWARD PLEASE? MS. JOHNSON, YOU WANT TO SAY STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS AND YOU WILL ACTUALLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL? GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS CHERRY JOHNSON, AND I STAY AT 10 12 NATURES AVENUE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
AND, UM, I WANNA SAY ABOUT THE STREETS, THAT IS LIKE ON NINTH AVENUE IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL, THEY GOT HOLES, THEY MESS.
IT'S SAD, AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
THEY GOT IT PATCHED UP AND TO KEEP PATCHING AND PATCHING AND PATCHING, BUT IT'S NOT DOING ANY GOOD.
AND IT, IT REALLY ACTUALLY NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
IT'S IN FRONT OF THE, UH, BOB POP SCHOOL, AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER STREET DOWN, LIKE ON PROCTOR.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I HOPE THAT Y'ALL CAN BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S TEARING UP, YOU KNOW, THE ROADS, PEOPLE'S CARS, THEY HAVE TO DODGE, ALMOST GO IN THE DITCH TO DODGE, UH, OTHER CARS AND FROM HITTING THE HOLES.
SO I JUST WANT TO SEE, SAY THAT, UH, I HOPE Y'ALL CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
NOW, CAN YOU TELL US AGAIN THOSE LOCATIONS? UH, THIS ONE ON NINTH.
IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU COME, YOU CROSS, UH, 25TH AND YOU'RE GOING TOWARDS BOB HOPE SCHOOL.
AND SOME PARTS OF PROCTOR IS ALSO GOT HOLES AND JUST BUMPS.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT BLOCKS ON PROCTOR? UH, WELL, WHEN YOU PASS THE, LIKE, YOU LEAVE FROM HERE GOING BY THE SCHOOL, BY THAT SCHOOL ON, UH, THE COLLEGE, I GUESS BY, BY LAMAR OR BY LAMAR? UHHUH.
WELL, WHEN YOU PASS THAT LIGHT GOING IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL, THE, THE STREETS RIGHT THERE.
THEY ARE REALLY MESSED UP BAD.
AND, UH, I DON'T REMEMBER COUNCIL PERSONS FOR LAMAR.
THAT'S IN DISTRICT, DISTRICT ONE.
AND, UH, BY BOB HOPE ON 25TH, THAT'S IN WHICH DISTRICT? THAT'S THREE.
THAT'S, THAT'S DISTRICT THREE.
UH, SO WE HAVE COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN LEWIS AND COUNCILWOMAN BECKHAM ARE, ARE THE, UH, ACTUAL COUNCILPERSONS THAT ACTUALLY, UH, IN THEIR BUDGETS FOR, FOR, UH, STREET REPAIR THAT, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD REALLY BE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS, I THINK DEPARTMENT WHO WOULD, UH, TRY TO ANSWER AND, UH, ALLEVIATE, IF YOU WILL.
SO THOSE ISSUES THAT YOU BROUGHT UP MM-HMM.
HOWEVER, I TRAVEL ON BOTH OF THOSE.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
PERSONALLY, I DEAL WITH 'EM ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND THERE'S ALSO ONE MOW OKAY.
IT'S ON, UH, LEWIS DRIVE AFTER I LEAVE MY HOME AND, UM, UH, GOING ON LEWIS DRIVE, I'M TURNING ON MY LEFT, COMING TOWARDS THE FUNERAL HOME AND IT'S VERY BAD.
RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE LITTLE HOME? YES.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? UH, THAT THE STREET THAT SHE NAMED IN DISTRICT ONE BY LAMAR UNIVERSITY.
YEAH, SHE SAID RIGHT IN FRONT OF LAMAR AND I THINK ON PARK, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF UNEVEN WHERE THEY'VE REPAIR SOME PARTS AND THEN THEY HAVE THOSE, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL 'EM, ENGINEERS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE'S A CREASE AND THE, AND THE BLACK, THE BLACKTOP COMES UP? YEAH.
AND IT'S, THERE'S A COUPLE OF SPOTS.
I THOUGHT THEY WERE USING IT FOR SPEED BREAKERS.
YES, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT, UH, YOU DESCRIBED MAYOR.
THAT'S, UH, ON THAT ONE AND ON LEWIS DRIVE, I DRIVE BOTH OF THOSE OFF.
SO, AND EXACTLY WHAT WE SAID, THAT'S NOT SO MUCH A, UH, STREET RESURFACING, UH, AND REPAIR TO ELIMINATE THAT.
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BACK AND CUTTING THIS WHERE THIS HAVE COME UP.SO THAT WOULD BE MORE UNDER STREET MAINTENANCE.
SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE THAT IN AS OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT RESEARCHING THE WHOLE STREET BECAUSE YOU GO AND SCRAPE IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DO.
I'M NOT THE ENGINEER, BUT I KNOW THAT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THAT BECAUSE YOU DRIVE DOWN PARTIES, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S WAY YOU GET TO THOSE DIFFERENT BREAKS IN THE STREET AND ALSO ON LU DRIVE.
I MEAN, YOU'LL BE COMING DOWN.
IT'S NOT THE GREATEST STREET, BUT IT'S NOT BACK UNTIL YOU GET TO WHERE THAT ROLL ROLL UP AND IT'S LIKE A RAILROAD TRACK.
AND I KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING.
SO MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT MORE IN TERMS OF STREET MAINTENANCE AS OPPOSED TO IT BEING RESURFACED.
IT'D BE A LOT QUICKER AND LESS EXPENSIVE, AND WE COULD MAKE THE ROAD DRIVABLE WHEREBY YOU WON'T HAVE THE PROBLEMS SHE'S HAVING.
THE CONDITION OF NINTH AVENUE THAT YOU DESCRIBED IN FRONT OF BOB HOPE SCHOOL IS, UM, IN SOME PARTS IT COULD BE DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY ON THE EDGES OF THE ROAD.
UM, AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE THAT, UM, IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A MAINTENANCE ISSUE, I THINK.
WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO IT AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION.
ANYONE ELSE? WELL, MR. MR. UH, JOHNSON, WE APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTIVENESS FOR YOUR CITY.
AND, UH, YOU JUST DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THE STREETS ON NATURES.
YOU TOLD US ABOUT IT A A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
WHERE I LIVE AT, IT IS, THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAVE IS JUST PEOPLE SPEEDING DOWN THAT ROAD, BUT THEY MADE IT NICE.
SO THEY GO FAST DOWN THERE NOW.
YES, THEY DO IT IN THE DAYTIME.
I DROVE DOWN THERE THE OTHER DAY.
YEAH, THEY DO THAT, UH, ALSO IN THE DAYTIME.
AND IT'S SO DANGEROUS BECAUSE WE GOT KIDS RIGHT.
AND PEOPLE BACKING OUT, AND I'M AFRAID SOMEONE IS GONNA GET HURT.
[III B. (1) A Presentation By Staff Regarding The Overview Of The Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Proposed Budget]
NEXT WE HAVE PRESENTATION.WE HAVE PRE PRESENTATION PRESENTATIONS.
SO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY STAFF REGARDING THE OVERVIEW OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 THROUGH 2024 ON, AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
OH, SO YOU GO DO IT, OFFICER, YOU MAY.
I I HAVE AN, AN OPENING STATEMENT.
THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR, UM, CANDY, UM, WILL COME AND PRESENT AN, AN OVERVIEW OF, UM, THE BUDGET.
UM, BUT TODAY, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OUTLINE OF A BUDGET THAT IS BALANCED IN ALL MAJOR AREAS.
ONE IN WHICH WE HAVE ENGAGED A TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH THAT IS LASER JET FOCUS ON LONG RANGE PLANNING.
AGAIN, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE BUDGET IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSEQUENTIAL DOCUMENT FOR THE CITY.
IT DETERMINES WHERE RESOURCES GET ALLOCATED AND WHAT GETS DONE.
IT DEFINES OUR CITY'S PRIORITIES AS WE CONTINUE TO PREPARE FOR REBIRTH TRANSFORMATION AND TRANSITION, A MORE INTEGRATED APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THIS BUDGET SHOWS US HOW WE DO INTEND TO INVEST TAXPAYERS DOLLARS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
AND TRANSPARENTLY REPORT ON THE RESULTS WITH THE NEW IMPLEMENTATION OF BEST PRACTICES ON BUDGETING, PLANNING, AND MONITORING.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO STRIVE FOR A MORE COLLABORATIVE, A MORE INTEGRATED, AND A MORE TRANSPARENT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR CANDY.
COULD YOU COME PLEASE, LINDSAY, IF LINDSAY WILL PUT UP MY PRESENTATION, PLEASE.
UM, I'M GONNA GO OVER THESE SLIDES WITH YOU, UH, FOR JUST A LITTLE BRIEF OVERVIEW TODAY ON THE BUDGET, UH, THE 2324 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, TO START WITH NO NEW REVENUE AND VOTER APPROVAL.
PROPERTY TAX RATES HAVE NOT YET BEEN RECEIVED FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR.
THE CERTIFIED VALUES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS AND REFLECT ABOUT A 12% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR.
UH, PROPERTY TAX REVENUES ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE ABOUT 3.5% FOR OPERATIONS, UH, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH, UM, THE LEGISLATION, UH, ALLOW ALLOWABLE AMOUNTS.
UH, THERE WILL BE A POSSIBLE REDUCTION IN THE CURRENT TAX RATE OF POINT OF 69 CENTS PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION
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DUE TO THE INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUES AS ASSESSED.AS I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, AS ASSESSED VALUES INCREASE, THE CORRESPONDING TAX RATE MUST DECREASE IN ORDER TO GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE.
UM, LINDSEY, UH, AND THIS IS A SLIDE THAT I'VE SHOWN YOU BEFORE, UH, BUT IT JUST KIND OF, UH, DETAILS OUT HOW THE TAX CALCULATION, UH, IS DONE BY JEFFERSON COUNTY.
UH, THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE, IS BASICALLY THE TAX RATE NEEDED TO GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TAXES AS LAST YEAR.
THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE ROLLBACK RATE, IS THE HIGHEST RATE A TAXING UNIT CAN ADOPT WITHOUT HOLDING AN ELECTION.
AND AS YOU RECALL, WE, YOU AGREED, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, NOT TO HOLD AN ELECTION.
SO WE ARE, UM, GOING TO STAY WITHIN THAT ALLOWED RATE, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
UH, THE CHANGE, UH, THEN THERE WAS NEW LEGISLATION IN 2021, WHICH CR CREATED A MODIFICATION OF THE FORMULA USED FOR THE MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE.
UH, THE CHANGE IN THE MAXIMUM RATE WAS 8%, AND IT WAS REDUCED TO 3.5% INCREASE WITHOUT REQUIRING AN AUTOMATIC ELECTION.
NEXT PAGE, UM, GOING ON WITH A FEW MORE OF THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS.
THERE IS A PROPOSED SALARY INCREASE FOR EMPLOYEES OF 2%.
THE BUDGETS ARE ALL BALANCED IN MAJOR OPERATING FUNDS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TRANSFERS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND EQUIPMENT.
SOME ADJUSTMENTS, UH, TO THE CURRENT RATE STRUCTURE ARE BUILT IN FOR WATER AND SEWER.
AND OVERALL, THE OPERATING DEPARTMENTS ARE BUDGETED AS STATUS QUO WITH LIMITED ADDITIONS.
AND WE WILL BE GOING OVER ALL OF THESE THINGS WITH YOU IN MORE DETAIL AT THE UPCOMING WORKSHOPS.
UM, THERE IS ALSO A CHANGE, UH, UH, AN INCREASE OF EIGHT AUTHORIZED POSITIONS, UH, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SIX FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND TWO FOR E D C, UH, EQUIPMENT PURCHASES OF ABOUT 5.7 MILLION, INCLUDING STREETS AND DRAINAGE, UM, SOLID WASTE AND WATER VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT.
UH, IT INCLUDES A LEASE OF 19 VEHICLES, UH, THROUGH THE ENTERPRISE PROGRAM.
NEW TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES OF 380,000, AND THERE IS AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 10% IN PROJECTED COST FOR HEALTH INSURANCE.
NEXT PAGE, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SECTION.
WE HAVE 40 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET.
UH, THAT WOULD BE 10.7 MILLION FOR STREET RECONSTRUCTION, STREET STRIPING, AND SIDEWALK REHAB.
9.9 MILLION FOR FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING, UM, FIRE STATION AND AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
8.1 MILLION IN WATER UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, 2.7 MILLION, UH, TO REPLACE TWO FIRE ENGINES AND 1.3 MILLION TO IMPROVE CITY PARKS.
UH, THESE ARE PRIMARILY FUNDED THROUGH OPERATIONS, NEW BOND ISSUES, CAPITAL LEASES AND CONTRIBUTIONS.
UH, THIS JUST KIND OF OUTLINES THE FUNDING SOURCES IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL.
UH, THE FUNDING FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FROM OPERATIONS, UH, WE'RE FUNDING 3.8 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND, 2 MILLION FROM WATER UTILITIES.
UM, THE NEW BOND ISSUES, 19 MILLION WILL BE TAX SUPPORTED AND 5.6 MILLION REVENUE SUPPORTED.
UH, ALSO A CAPITAL LEASE OF 2.7 MILLION FOR THE FIRE, UH, ENGINES.
AND THE CONTRIBUTION FROM THE E D C SALES TAX IS 1 MILLION TO IMPROVE THE PARKS.
UM, THIS IS JUST THE KEY DATES FOR YOU TO REMEMBER COMING UP.
UH, ON, UH, DAYS, WE WILL HAVE MEETINGS THAT, UH, WE WILL EITHER HAVE A WORKSHOP OR ACTION.
TODAY WE'RE HAVING JUST THE OVERVIEW ON THE BUDGET.
NEXT TUESDAY ON THE EIGHTH, WE ARE SCHEDULING A WORKSHOP, UH, WHERE WE WILL HOLD THE RECORD VOTE, UH, ON THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, UH, ON THAT DAY AS WELL.
UH, WE WILL HAVE, HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY BY THAT TIME, AND WE CAN, UH, COVER THE TAX RATE
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AND VALUATIONS WITH YOU IN FURTHER DETAIL.AUGUST 15TH IS A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP THAT DAY, UM, AUGUST 28TH.
IT'S A SPECIAL MEETING ON A MONDAY WILL BE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET, AND THEN HOPEFULLY TO ADOPT THE BUDGET AT THE REGULAR MEETING ON AUGUST 29TH.
AND, UM, THAT IS ALL I HAVE FOR TODAY.
UM, THE NEXT WORKSHOP, LIKE I MENTIONED, WILL BE SCHEDULED ON AUGUST THE EIGHTH, WHERE WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE TAX RATE AND THE ASSESSED VALUES IN MUCH MORE DETAIL.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO ADDRESS DURING THE WORKSHOPS, BE SURE AND LET MR. BURTON KNOW.
COUNCILMAN BECKHAM? UH, YES MA'AM.
WHAT TIME IS THAT WORKSHOP ON AUGUST THE EIGHTH? I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN SET YET, BUT, UM, IF, IF SOMEONE HAS A PRESENT, UH, HAS THIS PREFERENCE, I DON'T THINK WE'RE SCHEDULING IT FOR 10:00 AM.
THE ONE ON THE, THE 28TH, THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, IS, IS THAT GONNA ALSO BE A WORKSHOP IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT? I THINK THAT I DON'T, UNLESS WE NEED ONE.
THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY ONE SCHEDULED, BUT IF WE NEED ANOTHER WORKSHOP, WE COULD SCHEDULE ONE THAT DAY.
SO WE ONLY GOT TWO PROPOSED WORKSHOP.
THERE'S TWO THAT ARE SCHEDULED ALONG WITH THE ONE TODAY.
SO IF, SHOULD WE NEED AN ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP, I BELIEVE WE COULD PROBABLY SCHEDULE ONE THAT DAY AS WELL ON THE 29TH.
OR IF SOMETHING COMES UP AND WE NEED MORE IN BETWEEN, WE CAN ALSO TRY TO SCHEDULE THEM THEN TOO, AS LONG AS WE HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH THE BUDGET AND, AND, AND DISCUSS THE BUDGET WITHOUT JUST TWO TIMES IF WE NEED MORE THAN THAT.
WE, KEN, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM A COPY OF THE BUDGET TONIGHT, RIGHT? YES.
SO WE ARE GOING, UH, SO WE'RE, THE CITY SECRETARY WILL BE HANDING OUT COPIES OF THE BUDGET THIS EVENING FOR YOU SO THAT YOU CAN STUDY 'EM AND LET MR. BURTON KNOW YOUR QUESTIONS OR TOPICS.
YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS IT UP IT UP, UM, WHATEVER IS NECESSARY, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE GET PREPARED FOR THE WORKSHOP.
ANY OTHERS? THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE, THANK YOU.
UH, THAT'S IT THEN, RIGHT? FOR THAT.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION.
DO WE HAVE ANY CORRESPONDENCE? EXCUSE ME.
IT'S NOT, I, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE RETURN OF, UM, MS. ROBERTS.
UM, MS. MS. ROBERTS JUST RETURNED FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY WHERE SHE WAS ACCEPTED AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY OF PO ARTHUR TO PURSUE THIS PRESTIGIOUS PROGRAM THAT'S OPEN TO, UM, WORLD LEADERS IN THE AREA OF, UM, MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
AND, UM, SHE SPENT THREE WEEKS AT HARVARD WITH, UM, VARIOUS COLLEAGUES, UM, FROM THE UNITED STATES AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
AND, UM, WE ARE JUST FORTUNATE THAT, UH, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WAS SELECTED, UM, IN THE POST OFFICE ROBERTS.
AND, UM, I COULD TELL YOU THAT WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
[III E. (1) A Discussion Regarding Sidewalks (Requested By Councilmember Doucet)]
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, DISCUSSIONS, UH, ROMAN NUMER THREE ON PAGE TWO.YOU HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING SIDEWALKS AND THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE.
WELL, I, I HAD TO PUT PLACE BACK ON THERE BECAUSE IT WAS A COMMENT ON, UH, THE CITY NOT DOING SIDEWALKS FOR IN THE RESIDENTIAL.
AND IT WAS THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY.
AND THE CITY ATTORNEY GAVE ME THE COPY OF THE RESOLUTION IN WHICH WE HAD THE MANDATE BY THE STATE IN WHICH TO DO, UH, CURBS, UH, RAMPS AND WALKWAYS.
AND ALSO, UH, IT DIDN'T CHANGE.
WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT COME TO RESIDENTIAL IS CLEARLY THAT IN RESIDENTIAL, UH, SIDEWALKS THAT'S IN FRONT OF RESIDENT, THE HOMES AND RESIDENTIALS IS NOT THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE THOSE.
IN FACT, I, I WAS AMAZED AT THE FACT THAT WHEN I READ THIS, IT ACTUALLY SAYS THAT IF THE SIDEWALK IS BROKEN AND SOMEBODY TRIPS OR HURT THEMSELF, THAT
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THE OWNER CAN BE CITED FOR A MISDEMEANOR.BUT THIS PROGRAM IS MOSTLY DEALING WITH ALL PUBLIC SIDEWALLS AMONG AT SERVICES WE OFFER PUBLIC BUILDINGS THAT WE OWN ANY CITY OWN.
SO I UNDERSTOOD THAT, BUT MY COMMENT WAS, WE DON'T DO 'EM IN RESIDENTIAL AREA.
AND FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, IT CLEARLY STATES IT IS MANDATED THAT WHOEVER BUILT A HOME DO IT.
SO AFTER READING IT, I DON'T SEE NO DIFFERENCE THAN WHAT I WAS SAYING THEN.
THERE'LL BE NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
[III E. (2) A Discussion Regarding The Last Five (5) Years Of Streets Projects Completed (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw)]
OKAY.WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM OR DISCUSSION REGARDING THE LAST FIVE YEARS, EXCUSE ME, OF STREET PROJECTS, UH, COMPLETED.
AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW.
YEAH, MAYOR, WE HAVE TWO SEGMENTS OF THIS.
WE HAVE THE RECONSTRUCTION AND, UM, RECONSTRUCTION AND REHAB, UM, ASPECTS OF THOSE TWO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, SINCE MS. ROBERTS WAS OUT OF TOWN, SHE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THIS PRESENTATION, SO I'M GONNA DO IT FOR HER TONIGHT.
WHAT I WILL BE DISCUSSING IS INCLUDES ONLY WHAT THE IN-HOUSE CITY REHABILITATION STREET CREW IS DOING, WHICH IS MR. BATES AND HIS TEAM'S EFFORTS THAT, UH, WE STARTED AROUND 2018.
THE TOPICS WE'LL BE DISCUSSING JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY, WHAT PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED SINCE 2019 TO PRESENT WHAT PROJECTS WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
SOME PICTURES OF BEFORE AND AFTER OF SOME OF THESE STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, COMPLETED A SUMMARY, A VERY QUICK SHORT COMPARISON OF WHAT THE CONTRACTOR IS CHARGING US TO DO THE SAME WORK.
AND FINALLY, WE CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL, UH, HAVE.
IN 2018, WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH THE CITY AROUND MID-YEAR, I STARTED EVALUATING THE OPERATIONS AT, UH, STREETS AND DRAINAGE.
WHICH ONE IS YOUR UP AND DOWN LEFT AND RIGHT? IT DOES WORK.
SO WE STARTED EVALUATING THE OPERATION AND I DISCOVERED WHAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN.
BRAND NEW EQUIPMENT FOR PAVEMENT HAS BEEN SITTING IN STORAGE FOR OVER A YEAR.
OUR QUESTIONS, WHAT IT WAS SITTING TO DOING IN STORAGE, STILL NOT A SPEC OF ASPHALT ON IT.
AND THE ANSWERS I GOT, WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAN OPERATE IT.
UH, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH EXPERIENCE.
SO WE ENGAGED IN CHANGING THAT, UH, WAY OF THINKING.
AND WE BROUGHT AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, HIS PREVIOUS EMPLOYER, THAT HAD 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAT WAS ABLE TO BUILD A TEAM THAT CAN DO STREET REHABILITATION, ASPHALT, USING CITY CREWS AND CITY EQUIPMENT.
THE CREW STARTED THEIR FIRST JOB AROUND DECEMBER, 2018, AND IT WAS A LITTLE BIT SLOW BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT WAS NEEDED, A LOT OF LEARNING CURVE THAT HAD TO BE OVERCOME.
BUT THE PRODUCTION TODAY IS JUST AMAZING AND WE ARE GONNA DISCUSS SOME OF THOSE TODAY.
THIS IS THE CREW THAT IS OPERATING THIS, UH, DIVISION AT THIS TIME.
SO COMPLETED STREET PROJECTS, UH, PER DISTRICT.
I'M NOT GONNA TALK DOLLAR AMOUNTS TODAY 'CAUSE THAT'S COVERED USUALLY BY THE FINANCE DEPORT, UH, DEPARTMENT'S MONTHLY REPORT.
I WANNA PROVIDE YOU LISTS OF THE STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED SO FAR, WHAT STREET, FROM WHAT SECTION TO WHAT SECTION.
AND WE MADE THAT AVAILABLE TO YOU IN A, A PRINTED FORMAT SO YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND WE WILL ALSO TRY TO PUT THAT ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND HOPEFULLY ON THE TV CHANNELS.
STARTING WITH, UH, DISTRICT ONE, WE COMPLETED 30 STREET PROJECTS SINCE 2019 TO LIST A FEW FIFTH AVENUE FROM SOUTH FREMONT, BROADWAY, WACO THOMAS, TWO 15TH, ATLANTA THOMAS, TWO FIFTH STREET.
ALSO IN DISTRICT ONE, WE DID STREETS SUCH AS FOURTH AVENUE, SOUTHEAST END TO 25TH BEAUMONT AVENUE FROM REVEREND RANSOM, HOWARD, UH,
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TO THOMAS.ALSO IN DISTRICT ONE, WE HAVE STREETS LIKE FORT WORTH AVENUE, THOMAS TO 17TH AND NINTH STREET, FORT WORTH TO AUSTIN.
IN DISTRICT TWO, WE COMPLETED 16TH STREETS, SUCH AS NATURES AVENUE, LEWIS DRIVE TO NORTHWEST END, 13TH STREET, DUFF WILLIAMS, OR 13TH STREET STADIUM TO TRINITY.
IN DISTRICT THREE 12 STREETS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, UH, WITH THE IN-HOUSE CITY CREW, SUCH AS 77TH STREET FROM TWIN CITY TO DEAD END, SHREVEPORT THOMAS TO THE DD SEVEN DITCH.
AND WE COMPLETED 27TH STREETS IN DISTRICT FOUR, SUCH AS GOLF AVENUE TO 23RD WILSON AVENUE, DORSEY TO FM 365 SMITH STREET, ROSEVILLE TO WHEATLEY, 40TH STREET, RACHEL TO LANSING.
A TOTAL OF 41 MILES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED UTILIZING CITY CRUISE.
ONE PICTURE PER WORD BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES OF 23RD STREET FROM GULF AVENUE TO MEMORIAL DRYDEN ROAD, NINTH AVENUE TO ROSEDALE, 57TH STREET AND SAN ANTONIO AVENUE AND DISTRICT FOUR.
IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING STREETS PER DISTRICT THAT ARE ON THE SCHEDULE.
PLEASE, UH, KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY FLUID LIST THAT CAN CHANGE BASED ON COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS AND DESIRE TO CHANGE THAT LIST AT ANY TIME.
IF YOU DECIDE TO CHANGE IT, JUST MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T ALREADY DO THAT STREET FIRST.
BUT THESE ARE THE, UH, STREETS THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
FOR DISTRICT ONE
AND YOU CAN SEE FROM WHERE TO WHERE ON THE PRESENTATION.
SO FAR WE HAVE TWO LISTED 10TH AVENUE AND MAIN STREET.
WE HAVE 37TH STREET, FIFTH AVENUE, NETHERLAND AVENUE, ORANGE AVENUE, 12TH STREET, 50TH STREET, AUGUSTA LAKE, CHARLES BEAUMONT AVENUE, LAKE ARTHUR, AND 57TH STREET AND DISTRICT FOUR, WE HAVE FIFTH AVENUE, 47TH STREET, EL PASO, BEAUMONT AVENUE, MOBILE, WHEATLEY, SHIRLEY, SALISBURY, CHARLES, AND TEXAS.
A QUICK SUMMARY FOR ALL FOUR, UH, DISTRICTS, 85 STREETS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THE STREETS THAT ARE ON THE SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS IS 29.
IT'S A VERY AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE, BUT BASED ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF 2022 AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE SO FAR IN 2023, I THINK IS VERY, VERY ACHIEVABLE.
SO WE ARE SETTING THE GOALS HIGH AND WE ARE GONNA TRY OUR BEST TO MEET THEM.
I THINK THE BEST PART OF THIS PRESENTATION IS THE SLIDE.
THE LAST PROJECT THAT THE CITY BID FOR THE SAME TYPE WORK CAME OUT AT $75 PER SQUARE YARD FOR THE CITY TO PAY A CONTRACTOR TO DO THE WORK.
THE LAST THREE THAT THE CITY DID WAS 13TH STREET FROM TRINITY TO JEFFERSON.
THE WORK WAS COMPLETED AT $28 AND 70 CENTS.
THIS NUMBER INCLUDES LABOR, MATERIALS, OVERTIME, EQUIPMENT COST.
THE ONLY THING IT DOESN'T INCLUDE IS EQUIPMENT DEPRECIATION.
AND EVEN IF WE ADD $10 TO THAT, WHICH IS A VERY, VERY HIGH NUMBER, WE ARE STILL DOING THIS WORK AT LESS THAN 50%.
THAT'S WHY A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU SEE THE FINANCIAL REPORTS, YOU, YOU HAVE THIS MUCH MONEY, BUT WE ONLY SPEND THIS MUCH BECAUSE THE JOBS ARE BEING DONE AT ALMOST 50% OF THE BUDGETED NUMBERS AND LESS THAN WHAT THE CONTRACTOR IS DOING IT FOR BY FAR.
AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THIS IN-HOUSE
[00:35:01]
ABILITY, IS IF THE COUNCIL TODAY DECIDES, I DON'T THINK THIS STREET NEEDS IT AS BAD AS THIS ONE, AND I WANT THIS CREW TO BE MOVING TO THIS STREET, WE DON'T NEED A CONTRACT.WE DON'T NEED TO BID IT, WE DON'T NEED TO AWARD IT.
WE CAN JUST PUT IT ON THE LIST AND DO IT WITH IN-HOUSE CITY CREWS.
AND THAT'S A FLEXIBILITY THAT IS AMAZING TO OUR CITIZENS BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE MIGHT MISS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO GET ON THAT LIST AND WE CAN MOVE IT ON THAT LIST.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I WILL TRY TO ANSWER THEM AS BEST AS I CAN.
OTHERWISE WE CAN GET ALSO GEL IF I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS, IF SHE HAS THEM.
AND YOU CAN WOULD THE CITY CREWS, IT APPEARS THAT WE NEED TO BEEF UP THE CITY CREWS OR PUT ON, YOU KNOW, UH, TEMPORARY FORCES AND PUT 'EM UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS.
THAT'S WHAT LOOKS LIKE A AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO, PROVIDING WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT NOW FAR AS MOVING WITHOUT HAVING THE BID MOVING, UH, DIFFERENT STREETS AROUND LIBERTY AVENUE.
LIBERTY AVENUE, IT RUNS OFF, IT HAS EVERY PATCH ON IT, BUT AN OAKRIDGE PATCH, IT'S BAD.
I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IT RUNS AND IT ALL THE WAY TO 19TH THOMAS BOULEVARD.
OKAY, NOW THE CITY CREWS HAS BEEN IN THERE LEVELING UP.
WHEN ARE THEY GONNA GET TO IT? COUNCILMAN? UH, THE LIST THAT WE WORK OFF COMES FROM THE COUNCIL.
THE COUNCIL DECIDES WHAT STREETS THEY WANNA DO IN THEIR DISTRICTS.
SO IN THE POSITION YOU ARE, YOU TELL US WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU WANT US TO GET TO IT.
SO YEAH, WELL, I NEED, IF IT'S NOT ON THE LIST, YOU WANT IT ON THE LIST AND YOU'RE, UH, I NEED TO VISIT WITH YOU.
WE STILL HAVE THE FUNDING IN THERE.
WE WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING, I'VE TALKED WITH THE MANAGERS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY MUCH BEEN RECOGNIZED AND IT'S GOING TO BE RECTIFIED.
BUT SINCE WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT, NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET IT ALL CLEAR.
OUR, UH, LIST THAT WE HAVE FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, WE NEED TO GO BACK AND MODIFY THOSE.
THEY NEED TO REFLECT WHAT THE STREETS ARE NOW AS A NEW REDISTRICT.
AND THEY GOT STREETS IN FOUR AND ARE QUITE SURE STREETS, UH, AND FOUR AND ONE NOW.
SO THEY'RE NOT REFLECTED IN WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN US TODAY.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT IS, UH, WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO DO A STREET, A COUNCILMAN COME AND TELL YOU, YOU, OKAY, WE HAVE FOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU KNOW, IF ALL OF US GOING AND TELL YOU COME AND DO THIS STREET NOW COME AND DO THIS STREET NOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT'S GOING TO END UP? IT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ESTABLISH, UH, SOME TYPE OF WAY HOW WE CAN DO THIS AND ESTABLISH, NEED TO DETERMINE A METHOD IN WHICH THEY CAN MOVE AROUND TO THE DIFFERENT DISTRICT SO THAT ALL DICTIONS ARE FEEL, ARE, FEEL THEY'RE BEING WORKED ON.
AND CITIZENS IN THESE DISTRICTS CAN SEE THAT WORK IS BEING DONE IN THE PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
BUT WHEN YOU SAY COUNCILMAN TELL YOU WHICH ONE AND WHEN TO DO IT, NO, THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM.
'CAUSE YOU GOT FOUR PEOPLE TELLING YOU TO DO THIS, THREE TOMORROW, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO.
SO WE NEED TO ESTABLISH THOSE TYPE THINGS IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE AND MOVE ALONG SMOOTHLY SO THAT WHEN I, AS A COUNCILMAN, I'M OBSERVING WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE.
I CAN SEE WHEN I GO BACK TO MY CONSTITUENTS, I COULD TELL THEM, WELL, THEY OVER HERE, WHEN THEY COMING OUT AREA, THEY GONNA DO SOMETHING.
YOU GIVE ME THE LIST LIKE THIS AND YOU'RE RIGHT.
I GO TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND I LET THEM KNOW WHICH ONE'S GONNA COME.
THE OTHER THING IS YOU HAVE STREETS ON HERE THAT, UH, WERE ALREADY ALREADY SELECTING AND FUNDED.
WE KNOW THAT THE FUNDING IS IS NOT GONNA BE THERE.
SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO FIRST, WE NEED TO GO BACK NOW, BEFORE WE PICK OTHER STREETS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDING IS THERE TO COMPLETE ALL OF THESE STREETS.
AND ALTHOUGH WE PLAY DO 'EM CHEAPER, THERE'S STILL NO REASON NOT TO CONTRACT.
BECAUSE IF WE CONTRACT, THAT MEAN WE DO MORE.
BUT WE WANT TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN, AS FAST AS WE CAN SO WE DON'T ELIMINATE CONTRACTING SO THAT WE COULD DO IT FOR HALF THE PRICE AND WE DO MORE.
'CAUSE IT'S JUST GONNA TAKE US LONGER.
'CAUSE WE ARE ONLY DEALING WITH THE STREET CREWS.
WE NEED TO FIX STREETS AND WE NEED TO FIX THEM FAST.
AND THE MONEY THAT WE ALLOCATE ARE
[00:40:01]
CONTRACTED COSTS.SO THE MONEY IS ACTUALLY THERE TO FIX THOSE STREETS WITH THAT PRICE.
WHAT WE COULD DO ON THE HOUSE, THEN WE SAVE, YES, WE WANT TO SAVE, BUT LET'S UNDERSTAND.
IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST SAVING, IT'S ABOUT GETTING STREETS FIXED AND GETTING 'EM FIXED AS QUICK AS POSSIBLY AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
AND THE WAY WE DO THAT IS WE BRING IN CONTRACTORS AND WE WORK OUT CITY CREWS.
AND WE GOT THE MONEY BUDGETED FOR IT.
COUNCILMAN, UH, YOU ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT.
THE GOAL IS TO START FIXING STREETS FASTER THAN THEY ARE FAILING.
AND THERE IS NO WAY CITY CREWS CAN DO THAT ON THEIR OWN.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE DOING BOTH.
WE ARE DOING ALL THE STREET REHAB IN HOUSE, AND JOHN'S GONNA GO OVER ALL THE CONTRACTED WORK THAT'S BEING DONE BY CONTRACTORS.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO CATCH UP.
AND AS FAR AS THE DOLLARS, IT IS THIS COUNCIL THAT DETERMINES HOW MUCH MONEY GOES TO WHICH DISTRICT FOR EVERY YEAR AND WHAT STREETS TO BE FIXED.
SO WHEN I SAY YOU ALL GIVE US THE STREETS YOU WANNA GIVE US, YOU GOTTA ADD IT TO YOUR LIST, THAT'S YOUR RIGHT TO DO.
SO YOU'RE REPRESENTING YOUR PEOPLE.
AND THE WAY WE ARE DOING IT IS WHEN WE FINISH A STREET IN DISTRICT ONE, THERE'S ONE IN DISTRICT TWO, WE GO TO DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT THREE, DISTRICT FOUR, THEN WE ROTATE AGAIN.
SO THIS IS HOW THE OPERATION IS GOING TODAY.
THERE IS NO BIAS WITH DISTRICTS.
THERE'S, YOU ALL CONTROL THAT, UH, OPERATION.
YOU TELL US WHAT LIST YOU WANT DONE.
WE PUT YOUR STREETS ON THE LIST AND WE START WORKING THEM FROM ONE TO THE OTHER, FROM ONE DISTRICT TO THE OTHER UNTIL THAT LIST IS FINISHED.
UH, DIRECTOR, UM, QUESTION FOR YOU.
I'M LOOKING AT DISTRICT THREE 12 STREET'S COMPLETED.
AND IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO YOUR SLIDE, YOU HAVE STREETS IN HERE.
UH, THIS IS DISTRICT FOUR, THIS DISTRICT FOUR, THIS DISTRICT ONE.
SO WHY DO YOU HAVE UNDER DISTRICT THREE THOSE DIFFERENT DISTRICT STREETS THAT'S BEING COMPLETED IN DISTRICT THREE? I I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
I RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION FROM ME.
I GOT THE MESSAGE MESSAGE TO DO THIS PRESENTATION ON FRIDAY, AND I RECEIVED ALL THIS INFORMATION FROM STAFF.
SO THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, WELL, YOU GOT IT ON ANOTHER SLIDE TOO.
BUT, UH, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT IN MORE DETAIL.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PUT A PRESENTATION THAT I USUALLY LIKE TO DO.
IF, IF WE CAN KIND OF SCRUB THIS LIST A LITTLE BETTER.
UH, DISTRICT THREE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY ON THE STREETS.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT WHEN I WAS IN DISTRICT THREE AND I'VE BEEN, UH, HAVING SOME COLLABORATIONS WITH, UH, THE NEW DISTRICT, UH, THREE COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT THE STREETS THAT'S BEING NEEDED IN OUR DISTRICT AS AS WELL.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, YOU HAVE THE SAME THING.
YOU HAVE 'EM IN DISTRICT ONE COUPLE IN DISTRICT ONE, ORANGE AND GUFFY AND 19TH STREET, 12TH STREET, AUSTIN AND SAVANNAH.
THOSE ARE ALL IN ANOTHER DISTRICT.
YOU ALSO HAVE AUGUSTUS AVENUE AND THOMAS BOULEVARD AND NEELAND.
THAT'S IN ALSO ANOTHER DISTRICT LAKE CHARLES AVENUE.
SO LET'S, LET'S SCRUB THIS LIST A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
CLEAN IT UP SO WE CAN PROVIDE A, A DETAIL OF HOW MANY STREETS IN EACH DISTRICT, UH, WHAT'S TO COME IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, AND WHAT ARE THE STREETS TO BE COMPLETED.
I HAD TO DEPEND ON INFORMATION I WAS GIVEN.
I COULD NOT GO AND I WOULD USUALLY GO VERIFY EVERY STREET ON THAT LIST TO MAKE SURE IT'S DONE FROM HERE TO HERE.
I DIDN'T DO THAT EITHER, SO, OKAY.
UNLESS, BUT NOW THAT GEL IS BACK, WE WILL, WE'LL GET YOU ALL THAT INFORMATION.
UH, ALSO, UH, I AM INTERESTED IN THE, THE LUCIUS ADAMS, UM, OVER THERE BY THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT A LOT OF OUR KIDS THAT USED TO POP WARNER, UH, LITTLE STADIUM OUT THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT THE STREET IS HORRIBLE.
AND I HAD THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN PUT THAT ON THE LIST TWO YEARS AGO.
SO LET'S, LET'S ALSO LOOK INTO THAT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER UPCOMING, UH, UH, SEASON FOR FOOTBALL FOR THE YOUNGSTERS AND, AND WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO TO IMPROVE THE PARKS.
I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE THAT IN A BUDGET TO, UH, TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS.
SO LET'S PLEASE LOOK AT THAT AND IF YOU COULD SCRUB THIS LIST AND GET IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL, EFFECTIVELY.
UH, YOU JUST ANSWERED SOME OF MY QUESTIONS.
I HAD THE SAME CONCERNS ABOUT STREETS THAT WERE SAID THAT WERE IN DISTRICT THREE THAT REALLY AREN'T.
SO I, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT BEING CLARIFIED TOO.
BUT I WANTED TO COMMEND YOUR CREWS FOR SOME OF THE GOOD WORK THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN DISTRICT THREE.
UH, I WANNA POINT OUT SPECIFICALLY TWO STREETS IN THE GRIFFIN PARK AREA, SUNKEN COURT AND EVERGREEN.
UH, WE WERE HAVING A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH THE CURBS, UH, ON THE ESPLANADES, PEOPLE DRIVING OVER 'EM, PARKING THEIR, THEIR CARS IN THE ESPLANADES.
IT, IT JUST REALLY CREATED A LOT OF PROBLEMS. AND THE WORK THAT'S BEEN CREATED, UH, OR COMPLETED SO FAR ON THOSE STREETS HAS REALLY, UH, ALLEVIATED THAT PROBLEM.
[00:45:01]
I KNOW IT'S NOT COMPLETE YET, BUT WHAT IS THERE? LOOKS REALLY GOOD.UM, AND I DID ACTUALLY WITNESS SOME OF THE CITY CREWS WORKING ON THE DEAD END OF EVERGREEN THAT COMES UP TO THE CORNER OF, UH, 32ND STREET AND TWIN CITY.
UM, AND THEY WERE VERY EFFICIENT.
THEY WERE, UM, I JUST WALKED UP AND STARTED TALKING TO 'EM, SEEING HOW THINGS WERE GOING, AND THEY WERE DOING A GREAT JOB.
SO I I I COMMEND YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THEY, THEY DO THE WORK IN THIS HEAT.
IF YOU WORKED IN YOUR YARD FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY GO THROUGH EVERY DAY.
YOU KNOW, I TRAVELED THAT QUITE A BIT.
IT SEEMED LIKE TO ME AN OPPORTUNITY WAS MISSED TO WIDEN IT A LITTLE BIT.
TWO VEHICLES, UH, PASSING SIDE BY SIDE.
UH, THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MISS A WIDENING SUNKEN CORD TOWARD THE, TOWARD THE MEDIUM AND TO KEEP THE PEOPLE OFF THE GRASS AND, AND PUT A CUR WHY DID, WHY DID, THEY DIDN'T PUT A CURVE ON IT.
I WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH THAT PROJECT COUNCILMAN.
SO I CANNOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UH, JOHN WILL PROBABLY BE ABLE BETTER TO ANSWER IT WHEN HE COMES OUT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT, WHILE HE'S COMING TO THE, ONE OF THE THINGS, WHENEVER, WHENEVER WE GET AROUND THE DOOR AND THOMAS BOULEVARD, I KNOW THEY TICKETING PEOPLE, FINDING PEOPLE WE'RE GOING TO, I, WE WANT THAT PUTTING A CURVE ON THOMAS BOULEVARD BE CONSIDERED TOO.
THAT'LL ELIMINATE PEOPLE DRIVING UP ON THE GRASS AND PARKING ON THE GRASS.
THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR, THEIR LOW RIDING VEHICLES TEARING UP.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET ON THAT.
SO THAT TICKETING FINDING WILL GO AWAY.
THE FOLLOW UP COUNCILMAN ON YOUR, UH, SUNKEN COURT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, THAT THAT PROJECT WENT OVER BUDGET CONSIDERABLY.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD'VE HAD, OR WE WOULD'VE HAD THE MONEY IN TO DO TWO LANES IS THE WAY, AND IT IS A LITTLE NARROW, BUT THERE, IT'S A MEDIAN, IT'S A WIDE BOULEVARD SECTION.
I THINK IT'S A PRETTY GOOD JOB, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
BUT THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE WHEN I WAS OUT CAMPAIGNING AND, UH, I PULLED UP TO STADIUM ROAD AND, AND SUNKEN COURT WAS, I HAD TO WAIT.
IT'S TIGHT UP THERE, TWO VEHICLES.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO PULL UP THERE AT THE SAME TIME.
AND SO THAT'S WHEN I, I NOTICED I SAID WHY THEY DIDN'T WIDEN IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, FIX UP REAL NICE.
AND, AND THE THING YOU GOTTA KEEP IN MIND IS WHEN YOU WIDEN A STREET, YOU'RE LOOKING AT WATER LINES THAT MAY BE IN THE WAY AND SEWER LINES.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER COSTS INVOLVED IN WIDENING AND, AND WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT AS EFFICIENT AS CAN, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE COSTS INVOLVED IN WIDENING STREETS.
THANK, THANK, THANK YOU, UH, ENGINEER.
UH, WE'LL NOW MOVE TO THE, UH, NEXT, EXCUSE ME.
IT IS A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PORT ARTHUR SECTION FOUR, A ECONOMIC, EXCUSE ME, MAYOR, WE ARE NOT COMPLETED THIS.
YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST COMING UP TO ANSWER THAT.
WE'RE, UH, I'M SPLITING THE DUTIES HERE.
UH, HANEY WAS TALKING ABOUT THE STREETS AND I'M GONNA ABOUT THE CONTRACTORS.
YEAH, I HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, SO, UH, TO START WITH, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF, UH, UP UPGRADE THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT SOME OF THE STREETS THAT WE'RE WRAPPING UP RIGHT NOW.
SOUTH FIRST STREET AND SABINE PASS.
THIS WAS A 75% FUNDED JOB BY TXDOT.
WE'RE, WE'VE FINISHED THIS AND AS YOU COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A CONCRETE PAVEMENT.
WE'RE HEAVY TRUCK CAN USE THIS ROAD GOING IN AND OUT OF THE PORT OF SABINE PASS.
SO WE'RE, UH, WE'RE VERY, UH, HAPPY ABOUT THIS ONE.
BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, JENNIFER EDWARDS AND MY STAFF, JENNIFER AND, UH, GREG CASHMERE IS HERE TOO, TO, UH, KEY PLAYERS IN, IN THIS WORK THAT WE'RE GETTING ACCOMPLISHED HERE.
UM, THE NEXT JOB THAT WE HAVE, THE PLANS READY.
WE'RE GONNA BE BIDING THIS OUT ON AUGUST 30TH.
UH, PLAN, UH, BIDS ARE DUE IS MECHANIC STREET IN SABINE PASS.
AND THIS, THIS'LL BE A, ANOTHER CONCRETE PAVEMENT PROJECT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO GET THE UTILITIES OUT OF THE WAY.
THE SEWER LINE WAS RE UH, WAS REHABILITATED BY THE, UH, WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT.
I APPRECIATE THAT A LOT BECAUSE THAT, THAT ALLOWS US TO SPEND THE MONEY ON THE STREETS AND NOT HAVE TO SPEND TOO MUCH ON UTILITIES, WHICH IS NICE.
UM, THE OTHER, THE NEXT PROJECT WE'VE GOT COMING UP IN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IS WOODWORTH BOULEVARD.
WE'RE JUST WAITING TO BID THIS PROJECT OUT, GET IT OUT ON THE WEBSITE SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
UH, IT'S A $7.2 MILLION BUDGET
[00:50:01]
TO GO FROM LAKE SHORE DRIVE TO THOMAS BOULEVARD IS WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING.FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET WERE, UH, STARTED WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE LAST YEAR.
AND WE'VE WRAPPED THOSE JOBS UP.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE CONTRACTOR PAID, UH, THE RETAINAGE ON THIS, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S COMPLETE.
TO, UH, KIND OF CUT TO THE CHASE.
I, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH A LOT OF THE DETAILS HERE, BUT IN JULY OF 21, THE, THE BUDGET FOR DISTRICT 1, 2, 3 AND FOUR WAS $10,971,000.
THAT WAS WHAT WAS IN THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 21, 22.
AT THIS POINT, RIGHT NOW, UNDER CONTRACT, WE HAVE $19,518,000 BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT QUITE APPLE TO APPLE COMPARISON BECAUSE OUR NUMBER INCLUDES BASICALLY TWO YEARS.
BUT I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE, UH, TRYING TO GET THESE JOBS BUILT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
IT COSTS A LITTLE MORE MONEY TO GET THE PROJECTS DONE BY A CONTRACTOR, BUT, UH, I FEEL LIKE WE CAN MAKE SOME GOOD PROGRESS USING CONTRACTORS.
UM, THESE ARE THE STREETS, AND I KNOW IT'S HARD TO READ THOSE, BUT, UH, THAT DISTRICT ONE CONTRACTOR, ALCO CONSTRUCTION IS BUILDING RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ON EIGHTH AVENUE.
SO WE'RE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO FINISHING THIS JOB.
AND I CAN'T SEE IS THAT 16 STREETS THAT WE, WE, WE BUILT ON THIS JOB.
DISTRICT ONE, THERE'S A BREAKDOWN OF THE STREETS AND THE ACTUAL QUA, THE, THE, THE CONTRACTED AMOUNT IN WHITE.
SO YOU COULD SEE AT THE BOTTOM YOU'VE GOT THAT $9 MILLION FIGURE UNDER CONTRACT RIGHT NOW FOR DISTRICT ONE, DISTRICT TWO THREE.
UM, THIS JOB HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT IS INVOLVED IN GRIFFIN PARK.
WE HAVE SUNKEN, UH, CORD AND EVERGREEN, AS YOU WERE MENTIONING.
WE'RE WAITING FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO GET BACK AND FINISH THIS.
THE PLAN IS TO BE FINISHED BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS, BUT WE'RE GETTING REAL CLOSE ON THAT
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, I CAN'T SEE HOW MANY STREETS THAT IS, BUT THERE'S A FEW 2020.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S THE LIST OF THE, UH, AND I ALSO GAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS A SPREADSHEET THAT SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF CONTRACTS FOR EACH STREET DISTRICT ONE FOUR.
IT WAS DONE LAST YEAR, BUT, UH, IT WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
WE HAD A CONTRACTOR, LD CONSTRUCTION, THAT DID A GOOD JOB.
UM, AND IT WAS ABOUT, UH, $2 MILLION WORTH OF WORK FOR 33 STREETS.
I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT COSTS HAVE ESCALATED IN THE LAST YEAR FOR ASPHALT.
IT'S, IT'S GETTING VERY EXPENSIVE TO BUILD THESE STREETS.
AND THEN AS THE, UM, LADY WAS SAYING THIS MORNING NINTH AVENUE, OR JUST A WHILE AGO, IT'S HORRIBLE.
IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I, I LIVED IN PERRY RIDGE 60 YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, SO ANYWAY, WE HAVE PLANS, PLANS BEING DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW TO WIDEN NINTH AVENUE TO FOUR LANES.
I'M GONNA TRY TO GET TDOT TO FUND THIS JOB.
IT'S 14 MILLION AND WE'RE BEING, WE'RE SUBMITTING IT IN A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION, UH, GEORGE CALL FOR PROJECTS.
AND IF WE'RE LUCKY, WE CAN HOPEFULLY GET THIS 14 MILLION, IT'D PROBABLY BE A 25 75 SPLIT, BUT WE HAVE OBTAINED A MILLION DOLLARS FUNDING TO MOVE THE WATER AND SEWER LINES.
AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO FROM 36TH STREET RIGHT.
ALL THE WAY PAST THE RAILROAD TRACKS TO EVERGREEN.
AND WE'D PROBABLY DO IT IN THREE PHASES, BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS MONEY FROM TXDOT.
HERE'S THE, UH, UTILITY RELOCATIONS WE HAVE.
I GOT A QUESTION FOR THE NINTH AVENUE PROJECT.
HAVE YOU ALL NINTH AVENUE PROJECT WAS A PART OF AN OLD BOND ISSUE.
THERE'S ALLOCATION FROM THE STATE.
IS THAT MONEY STILL AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE FOR THE WIDENER NINTH AVENUE? WELL, WELL, YOU KNOW, NINTH AVENUE WAS BUILT WITH TXDOT MONEY ALL THE WAY IN FRONT OF,
[00:55:01]
YOU KNOW, THE 25TH STREET.SO ANYTHING WE GET IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE NEW MONEY THAT, UH, DON'T, BECAUSE WE MOVED THE MONEY, WE MOVED THE MONEY FROM FROM THERE.
AND PUT IT ON THE OTHER END AND OPENED UP NINTH AVENUE ALL THE WAY TO, UH, JIMMY JOHNSON UP, I MEAN, 365.
BECAUSE THAT, THAT WAS BECAUSE THAT NINTH AVENUE YOU NEED TO GET WITH, WITH ENERGY.
WE, WE'VE INFORMED ENERGY AS FAR BACK AS LAST SUMMER.
YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT OF WAY'S THERE, THE RIGHT OF WAY WAS BOUGHT BACK IN THE NINETIES AND SO WE JUST NEED TO GET THE, THE POLES MOVED AND THEN THE WATER AND UTILITIES MOVED AND THEN WE CAN PROCEED WITH THE, UH, PAVEMENT.
BUT ALL THE RIGHT OF BEEN BOUGHT OUT LESLIE MCMA, IF YOU WANT TO GET AN UPDATE ON THERE, IF YOU NEED ANY INFORMATION.
LESLIE MCMAHON WAS THE SPEAR HE SPEARHEAD OF THAT WHOLE PROJECT.
AND, UH, WE'VE GOT THE, UH, LIKE I SAID, THE MILLION DOLLARS TO MOVE THE WATER AND UTILITIES.
I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT GRANT THAT IS, BUT WE DID RECEIVE A MILLION DOLLARS THAT'LL HELP A LOT.
UM, ANOTHER PROJECT THAT A LITTLE PET PEEVE OF MINE IS WEST SEVENTH.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT, LOT OF THE HEAVY TRUCKS MOVING INTO THE PORT AND THEY'RE REALLY DAMAGING THAT ROAD.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE THAT TRUCK TURNING ONTO HOUSTON AVENUE, WE GOT A SAFETY ISSUE THERE THAT WE'RE HOPING TO IMPROVE THAT.
UH, WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED ANY FUNDS FOR THIS, BUT I'D LIKE TO TACKLE THIS IN THE FUTURE.
WEST SEVENTH STREET FROM 82 TO HOUSTON AVENUE.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO TALK TO, UH, THE PORT.
THAT ROAD IS TRAVELED BY THE TRUCKS AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT THAT'S NOT COMING TO THE CITY, IT'S COMING TO THE PORT.
SO NOW IS THE TIME THAT WE START TALKING PARTNERSHIP.
WE APPROVE PROPERTY TO TURN OVER TO THE PORTS SO THE PORT CAN EXPAND.
WE'VE DONE IT, PARTNERSHIP WELL.
THOSE TRUCKS ARE NOT COMING TO DROP THINGS OFF TO US.
THEY'RE COMING TO DROP THINGS OFF THERE AND THEY CARRY STUFF.
SO NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE PARTNERSHIP TO WORK BOTH WAYS.
AND IF WE GET WITH THEM AND THEY COME IN WITH US, THEN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PUT A TYPE STREET, MAYBE CEMENT.
THAT MEAN THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET MORE BUSINESS, THEY'RE GONNA START, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT AND HAVE THEIR TRAFFIC TEAR UP BECAUSE WE FIXED THIS THING NO MORE THAN ABOUT THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND IT FELL FROM THE TIME WE FIXED IT UNTIL THE TIME WE DIDN'T.
SO RATHER THAN, UH, JUST TRYING TO BEAT YOUR HEAD TOGETHER, I THINK YOU NEED TO GET UP THE CITY MANAGER AND PROBABLY NEED TO GO AND SIT DOWN WITH THE PORT.
THE SAME WAY WITH THE INDIVIDUALS ON, UH, PRO THE MAIN, UH, NOT MAINE, BUT PROC EXTENSIONS.
WE CITIZENS DON'T GO OUT THAT WAY HARDLY.
THEY, THAT'S MAINLY TRUCKS COMING IN HEAVY TO ALL OF THOSE BUSINESSES UP THERE.
'CAUSE ALL OF THEM, THEY GOT THE TRUCKS COMING, IT'S PARTNERSHIP.
WE CAN'T FIX THE STREET THAT THEY HAVE EQUIPMENT AND STUFF COMING OVER THAT'S TEARING IT UP AND THEN OUR CITIZENS CAN'T DRIVE ON IT.
SO LET'S TALK PARTNERSHIP, YOU KNOW? YES.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME IN AND PAY HALF SOMETHING, BUT IF THEY GIVE ANY TYPE MONEY, WE COULD GET A BETTER QUALITY ROAD THAT CAN HANDLE SOME OF THE WEIGHT.
AND THOSE ROAD HAS GOT TO BE FIXED NOW TO HANDLE THE WEIGHT AND THE LOWS AND THE TRAFFIC.
THAT IT, OTHER THAN THAT WE WASTING OUR TIME.
IT WASN'T BUILT TO HANDLE ALL THE WORKLOAD AND STUFF, SO WE WASTED OUR MONEY AND TIME.
SO WE NEED TO TALK PARTNERSHIP.
PEOPLE NEED TO START GIVING US SOME TYPE OF HELP WHEN MOST OF THE STUFF THAT WE INCURRED IS ALL IN HELPING THEM.
IF YOU LOOK, UH, COUNCIL OH, THANK YOU.
[01:00:01]
HEAD.UH, I THINK I'VE, I MENTIONED THIS WITH OUR CITY MANAGER A COUPLE YEARS AGO ABOUT A HEAVY TRUCK ROUTE.
INSTEAD OF JUST GOING THROUGH SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, MISSING OUR STREETS UP GUFF WAY'S.
ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT ONCE THEY MAKE THE TURN RIGHT ON GUFF WAY, THERE ARE 10, ALL THOSE SIDEWALKS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IN, IN IN RECENT YEARS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA PUT IN THERE LOCAL REFINERIES.
I MEAN, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS PARTNERSHIP THAT WE CAN BUILD, REBUILD, SERVICE SIDE STREETS AND EVERYONE CAN BE HAPPILY EVER AFTER ON THOSE THINGS.
BUT CITY MANAGER, I KNOW I MENTIONED THIS TO YOU A COUPLE OF TIMES, THE HEAVY TR TRUCK ROUTE, UH, LIKE SOME CITIES DO, THEY MAKE THESE HEAVY TRUCKS GO A CERTAIN ROUTE TO GET TO THESE REFINERIES AND, AND PORTS.
SO LET'S LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
I KNOW I'VE TALKED WITH YOU ABOUT IT, JOHN, BEFORE, SO LET'S KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AND JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT WORD PARTNERSHIP, YOU KNOW, IT WORKS BOTH WAYS.
LET'S NOT ALWAYS PUT THE BURDEN OF, UH, THE PAYMENT ON THE CITIZENS.
THAT'S, THAT'S BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL ENTITIES AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN BECKHAM.
ONE IS ABOUT THE WOODWORTH BOULEVARD AND THOMAS BOULEVARD PROJECT, UM, ON WOODWORTH BOULEVARD SPECIFICALLY.
I KNOW THERE WERE SOME PLANS IN THE PAST, UH, THAT THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE WAS INVOLVED IN WITH LANDSCAPING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THIS $7.2 MILLION BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE LISTED, UM, IS THAT JUST THE STREETS PORTION OR IS THAT ALSO WHAT'S DEPICTED IN THIS SLIDE WITH SOME OF THE BEAUTIFICATION THINGS? NO, IT'S ALL IN TOTAL LANDSCAPING, IRRIGATION LIGHTING.
THERE'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF LIGHTING THAT'S ON THAT PROJECT, BUT IT'S HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THE BIDS IN UNDER 7.2.
AND THAT'S ALL FROM THE STREETS BUDGET.
THAT DOESN'T, NONE OF THAT COMES FROM BEAUTIFICATION.
UM, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS ABOUT THE NINTH AVENUE WIDENING PROJECT.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S GOING IN PHASES, BUT IS THE LAST PHASE GONNA STOP AT EVERGREEN AND WE'RE NOT GONNA GO FURTHER DOWN NINTH AVENUE? CORRECT.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE PLANNING ON STOPPING.
THE NINTH AVENUE PROJECT IS TWO LANES ALREADY DOWN BY THE, BY THE OLD ST.
MARY'S PROPERTY, CORRECT? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT, UH, LET'S GO BACK TO THE PORT.
COUNCILMAN DE SAID IT IS, IT IS CORRECT.
THE OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE, THE PARTNERSHIP.
LET ME, LET ME WITH THE PORT AND WHAT THE PORT IS DONE WITH THAT.
THERE ARE DEVELOPMENTS, THERE IS SOME, THEY GOT SOME FUNDING ALREADY, BUT THAT, THAT'D BE, THAT'LL OPEN UP SOME FUNDING FOR US TO GET FOR THE, PUT AN INDUSTRIAL BASE ON, ON, ON THESE HEAVY SEVEN WEST SEVENTH STREET.
PUT AN INDUSTRIAL BASE THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO THE PORT.
I HATE TO DO THIS, BUT I'M GONNA DO IT ANYWAY.
I, I VISITED WITH THE PORT AND I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE AT SOME POINT IN TIME THEY'RE GONNA DO A PRESENTATION.
YOU PROBABLY, YOU, YOU KNOW ABOUT IT.
THERE'S AN OVERPASS THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED.
YOU KNOW WHAT A SECURITY SHACK GOING, YOU GO DOWN PROCTOR HOUSTON AVENUE AND TURN RIGHT ON ON AND GO DOWN TOWARD THE PORT.
YOU KNOW WHAT A SECURITY SHACK IS? YES.
WELL, RIGHT THERE FROM THE SECURITY SH THAT'S SECURITY SHACK.
IT'S ALREADY FUNDED, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO TO, TO DO IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE AN OVERPASS FROM THERE ALL THE WAY TO DENVER.
SO ALL THOSE BIG TRUCKS THAT WE CAN GET OFF OF PROCTOR AND GET OFF OF HOUSTON AVENUE, AND IT'S GONNA BE ROUTED AND COME AND THEY WILL, THEY'RE GOING TO SIT COMING DOWN, THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO THE PORT OFF OF, UH, DENVER, SOMEWHERE IN THAT AREA.
I'M PLANNING TO GET THEM TO COME TO THE COUNCIL AND SHOW THE COUNCIL THE, THE, THEIR PLAN THAT'S ALREADY BEEN FUNDED AND SO, SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
AND, UH, THEY TOLD ME, UH, IT'S GONNA TAKE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, SIR.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB, UM, DOING, UM, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE STREETS, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID AND ALL OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU'VE MET, TRYING TO GET ASPHALT AND ALL, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
I, I LOOKED AT THE LIST, UH, IN DISTRICT ONE AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE, UH, THAT, THAT OUT OF THE 16 ITEMS, UH, ABOUT ONLY THREE OF THEM ARE, UH, ON THE WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD A COUPLE TO THOSE LISTS WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING, THOSE STREETS
[01:05:01]
ON, UM, WEST 17TH AND 18TH STREET, UH, NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.AND ALSO ON 18TH STREET FROM DALLAS AVENUE TO HOUSTON AVENUE, UM, YOU'LL, YOU'LL, YOU'LL MESS, MESS UP AN AXLE GOING DOWN THOSE STREETS.
UM, BUT, SO I WANT TO JUST THROW THOSE IN THE GUMBO AS WELL.
WE'LL, WE'LL INCLUDE THOSE IN THE, UH, NEXT ROUND OF, UH, PROJECTS.
UM, BASED ON COUNCIL'S, UM, OBSERVATIONS, THERE IS AN ONGOING DISCUSSION BETWEEN US AND THE PORT AT THIS POINT.
I WILL REPORT TO THE COUNCIL WHEN THE TIME IS APPROPRIATE AS TO WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP IS AND HOW WE DO INTEND TO PURSUE IT.
THERE IS A LOT OF FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, AND WE DO INTEND TO JOIN TOGETHER IN ORDER TO ACCESS THE FUNDING TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS ON WEST SEVENTH STREET AND TAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO 73.
WE DO HAVE THAT PLAN, AND WE ARE WORKING IT.
WE ARE DISCUSSING IT, AND THE DISCUSSION IS TAKING PLACE BETWEEN THE ENGINEER, MYSELF AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND THE PORT.
SO AS WE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS, DEVELOP THOSE DISCUSSIONS, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE.
YES, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO DO THIS.
WE NEED SOME DISCUSSION AND SOME PLANNING ON NINE WEST 19TH THAT FLOODS ALL THE TIME WHERE Y'ALL HEARD ME CAMPAIGN ABOUT IT.
I WANT TO CONNECT WEST 19TH TO EAST 19TH IS THE WALLOW DITCH.
AND I'M WANT, I WANT YOU ALL TO LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY OF DOING DIRECTIONAL DRILLING.
AND I, I WAS TOLD BY SOME CONSULTANTS THAT'S ALREADY WORKING FOR THE CITY, IT'S PROBABLY TAKE ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO GET PERMISSION TO DRILL UNDER THE RAILROADS.
THE, THE PUMP STATION IS ALL THE WAY ON PROCTOR AND FOLEY, I BELIEVE.
AND THEY GOT A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS.
THEY DON'T TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON, AND IT'S GONNA TELL, IT'S GONNA TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE.
BUT ANYWAY, I NEED SOME, I NEED YOU ALL TO START LOOKING AT THAT AND THE FEASIBILITY OF IT.
THE DIRECTION OF DRILLING TO HAVE A GRAVITY FLOW FROM WEST 19TH, 18TH, THERE'S A WALLOW DITCH ON EAST SIDE.
ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN, LET ME ADDRESS THAT, UH, POINT REAL QUICK.
I'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO THE ISSUES ON THE STREETS.
THE MODELING THAT WAS PERFORMED BY A W C SHOWS NO FLOODING BASED ON THE AREA THAT RECEIVES THE RAIN.
BUT WE DID SOME FIELD INVESTIGATIONS AND WE FOUND THREE MAJOR PIPES TO OUR 30 INCH IN DIAMETER.
AND ONE IS 24 INCH IN DIAMETER THAT IS COMING INTO THAT AREA FROM THE NEIGHBORING UH, FACILITY.
AND THE WAY THAT WAR GETS INTO THAT SYSTEM, IT GETS TO WEST 19TH, WEST 19TH, AND WEST 18TH DO NOT CONNECT.
SO IT'S RUNNING DOWN WEST 19TH, THEN MIDWAY IT TURNS RIGHT TO GO TO WEST 18TH.
THEN THAT WAR IS JUST FLOODING THAT WHOLE AREA.
WE ALREADY TOOK, UH, SOME MEASURES TO BLOCK THAT WATER FROM COMING OUR WAY.
WE'LL BE MONITORING IT VERY CLOSELY DURING THE NEXT RAIN EVENT TO MAKE SURE NOBODY GETS FLOODED FROM WHAT WE ARE DOING AND TO SEE IF THE CITIZENS ARE PROTECTED FROM FLOOD WATERS.
SO WE, WE ARE ON TOP OF THAT SITUATION AND WE ARE WAITING ON A BIG RAIN EVENT TO SEE IF THESE EFFORTS HAVE, UH, HAVE, UH, ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE, UH, THE SITUATION THERE.
BUT YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT FROM WEST? FROM WEST, YES, SIR.
WEST 19TH, I'M TALKING ABOUT GOING UNDER THE RAILROAD TRACK.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, AND GO STRAIGHT TO THAT.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT'S, IT'S GOING, IT IS SOME, A BIG LINE OR SOMETHING THAT WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS IF THAT WAR IS COMING FROM SOME OTHER ENTITY THAT'S CAUSING OUR STREETS TO FLOOD, YOUR IDEA MIGHT BE A VERY VIABLE IDEA THAT ANOTHER ENTITY HAVE TO PAY FOR.
SO WE, WE ARE DOING OUR INVESTIGATION OKAY.
TO SEE WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT WATER.
AND ONCE WE PINPOINT IT, THEN WE'RE GONNA GO AFTER THAT FUNDING AND THAT PROJECT
[01:10:01]
NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED BY OTHERS.I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST HOLD UP RIGHT THERE.
I, YOU, NOW I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE TALKING, I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT SCHEDULED TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE MODELING THAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON FROM A W C.
TO IS REFERRING TO TO GET THAT DOCUMENT.
ANYTHING ELSE, ENGINEER? I JUST HAVE ONE OR TWO MORE SLIDES.
UH, MR. MAYOR, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WANT TO POINT OUT AND, AND COME COMMEND THE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT ON A LOT OF THESE STREETS, AS WE BUILD THEM, THE WATER LINES START LEAKING UNDERNEATH THEM.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE IN OUR WATER CREWS.
I WANNA COMMEND THEM FOR GETTING OUT THERE.
I MEAN, WE MAY BE PAVING A PROJECT THE NEXT DAY AND THEY'VE BEEN COMING OUT AND FIXING THE WATER LINES AS WE ENCOUNTER THESE PROBLEMS. THIS IS FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET, AND UM, ON THE LEFT IS DIAMOND AVENUE AND PORT ACRES, YOU KNOW, WE HAD REDONE THAT STREET AND THEN THE WATER DEPARTMENT COMES AND THEY HAVE TO PUT IN A WATER LINE ACROSS IT.
AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT I HATE SEEING WORSE THAN A NEW STREET BEING CUT OPEN.
SO THEY'VE MADE A COMMITMENT TO BORE THESE IN THE FUTURE.
THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO BORE THESE WATERLINES UNDER THE STREET TO KEEP US FROM HAVING THESE SPEED BUMPS ON OUR BRAND NEW ROADS, WHICH, LIKE I SAID, I JUST, I APPRECIATE CALVIN AND, UH, HANEY AND THEIR, UH, ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION REAL QUICKLY IS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, TWO GENTLEMEN THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS MAP.
THIS IS GONNA BE A G I S INVENTORY MAP.
THIS WILL BE A LIVING DOCUMENT FOR THE CITY SO THAT WHENEVER WE FIX A ROAD, IT'LL BE ON THIS MAP.
THIS MAP IS GONNA BE INTERACTIVE.
WE PLAN ON PUTTING IT ON THE INTERNET SO CITIZENS CAN LOOK AT THE STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, AND THEN WE CAN MAKE SOME VIABLE PLANS FOR 10, 20 YEARS DOWN THE LINE.
WE'LL HAVE A, A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE SET UP.
SO WE'LL KNOW WHICH STREETS WERE DONE 10 YEARS AGO AND THEN ADDRESS THOSE AS NEEDED.
BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THIS RIGHT NOW.
AND COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE, THIS IS THE NEW CITY COUNCIL BOUNDARIES WE HAVE.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO QUERY IT AND BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE NEW FUNDING IS PER DISTRICT HERE, HOPEFULLY PRETTY SOON.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPRECIATION MATTER.
[III E. (3) A Discussion Regarding The Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation (EDC), 504C Length Of Service Of Directors Appointed (Requested By Councilmember Lewis)]
MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS, UH, LEMME SEE.THAT'S ITEM NUMBER THREE, A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PORT AUTHOR.
SECTION FOUR, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION, E D C 5 0 1 C, LENGTH OF SERVICE OF DIRECTORS APPOINTED REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.
SO CITY ATTORNEY, I'VE REQUESTED SOME INFORMATION FROM YOUR, YOU WAS OUT OF TOWN OR SOMETHING, BUT WHAT I WANT TO KNOW, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? 5 0 4 C THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE AUTHORIZED MUNICIPALITY SHALL DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTORS AND THE LENGTH OF EACH DIRECTOR'S TERM, EXCEPT THAT THE LENGTH OF THE, OF THE, THE LENGTH OF A DIRECTOR TERM MAY NOT EXCEED SIX YEARS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THEY HAVE TO STEP DOWN OR CAN THEY BE MOVE TO ANOTHER? YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE TERMS FOR, UH, THE POSITIONS, JUST LIKE THE COUNCIL HAS TERMS. IT'S JUST LIKE THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO SERVE, UH, FOR A TERM.
AND, UM, AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT EACH PARTICULAR TERM CAN'T BE MORE THAN SIX YEARS.
NOW YOU CAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE TERM AND YOU CAN HAVE, YOU CAN MOVE TO A DIFFERENT SPOT.
JUST, IT'S EXACTLY LIKE COUNCIL.
[III E. (4) A Discussion Regarding Individuals Appearing Before Council Giving Presentations (Requested By Councilmember Doucet)]
ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR.DISCUSSION REGARDING INDIVIDUALS APPEARING BEFORE COUNCIL GIVING PRESENTATIONS.
AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ETT.
WE HAD A, A CHANGE IN THIS, UH, CODE ORDINANCE A WHILE BACK.
THIS, UH, CHANGE IMPACTED ON CITIZENS, UH, APPEARING BEFORE COUNCIL, I GUESS FOR THE LAST TWO DECADES.
UH, MORE THAT ANYONE APPEARED WANTS TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL.
THEY CAN APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL IN TWO MANNERS.
ONE, THEY CAN APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL AS A SPEAKER.
AND IN THAT CASE, ALL THEY NEEDS TO DO IS, UH, GET WITH THE CITY
[01:15:01]
SECRETARY'S OFFICE, FILL OUT THE INFORMATION, AND AT THAT TIME, SHE WILL THEN, UH, GET THEM SCHEDULED TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL.THE ONLY RESTRICTIONS THEY HAD ON THAT WAS THAT IT WOULD BE NO MORE THAN FIVE PEOPLE ALLOWED TO SPEAK AT COUNCIL ON ANY GIVEN MEETING.
AND THAT WAS TO KEEP THE TIME DOWN SO THAT THE COUNCIL MEETING WILL BE EXTENDED AMONG SPEAKERS PRESENTATION.
IT ALSO ALLOWED AN INDIVIDUAL TO OR BEFORE COUNCIL, AND THAT INDIVIDUAL DOES A PRESENTATION, WHETHER IT'S ONE INDIVIDUAL OR SEVERAL.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE PROCESS WAS THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL GOES TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, UH, IDENTIFY WHAT THEY WANNA TALK ABOUT, AND IF THERE'S GONNA BE ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS, THEN THEY ARE TO GIVE THE ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS NAME.
THE ONLY RESTRICTIONS THAT WAS ABOUT THAT WAS THAT THE TOTAL TIME WILL NOT EXCEED 20 MINUTES.
UH, I SAT ON THIS COUNCIL MANY TIMES AND LISTENED TO PEOPLE COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, UH, AND DO PRESENTATIONS.
I HEARD, I'VE SEEN CITIZENS, I'VE SEEN, UH, BITS AND PEOPLE, I'VE SEEN PEOPLE TRYING TO SELL US ALL KIND OF STUFF, AND THEY WERE PAINFUL.
BUT AS AN ELECTED COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER, IT WAS MY DUTY TO SET AND LISTEN TO THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAR BEFORE THE COUNCIL.
THE CHANGE THAT WAS MADE WAS THAT A PERSON WANT TO DO A PRESENTATION BEFORE COUNCIL MUST BE INVITED BY THE MAYOR OR THE MANAGER, OR AT LEAST ONE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I DON'T FEEL THE MAYOR, THE MANAGER OR MYSELF OR ANY COUNCIL MEMBER, SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY, YOU HAVE TO BE INVITED BY ONE OF US TILL BEFORE TO APPEAR BEFORE US.
IT WASN'T THAT WAY BEFORE, AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE THAT WAY.
NOW, WHEN I TALKED TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AFTER THIS CHANGE WAS APPROVED, THEY WERE SAYING, WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WHAT THAT WAS, WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
AND I FEEL, WELL, MAYBE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT BECAUSE THEY REALLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT WAS BEING DONE.
WE START RESTRICTING THE RIGHT OF CITIZENS TO APPEAR BEFORE US, THEN WE SHOULDN'T SIT HERE.
NOW, IF THERE'S A CONCERN ABOUT TIME, THEN WHAT YOU DO IS YOU DO THE SAME THING YOU DID FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YOU ESTABLISH AMENDMENT WHEREBY YOU LIMIT HOW MANY PRESENTATIONS THAT WILL APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL.
AND I WANTED TO SAY THIS BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, AS I DO WITH MOST THINGS THAT I WANT COUNCIL TO VOTE ON, I LIKE TO JUST DISCUSS IT AND PUT OUT THERE BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME I'LL BRING IT, I'LL BRING IT IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION.
AND I DON'T LET, BUT COUNCIL MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THIS INFORMATION AND RESEARCH IT FOR YOUR OWN BEING.
SO WHEN THE TOPIC COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL, EVERYONE KNOW HOW THEY WANT TO VOTE.
AND THE OTHER DISCUSSION THERE.
AND THEN THE OTHER DISCUSSION.
WE DON'T HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEGUN ABOUT AN HOUR OR SO AGO IF WE DID.
AND WE'LL MOVE TO, UH, ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.
BUT THERE'LL BE ANY ITEMS THAT ANY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO CITY MANAGER.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, MR. DARL HARMON AND HIS, UH, HIS CREW FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK THEY DID FOR, FOR THE HOWARD
AND IT WAS TEARING UP THEIR CARS GOING IN AND OUT OF THE, UH, UH, THE DRIVEWAY.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MR. DARRELL HARMON AND HIS CREW.
THANK YOU COUNCILMAN? UH, UH, TO MR. HARMON AND, UH, HIS CREW.
I GUESS THEY WERE, UH, PART OF THE CITY STREETS GUYS.
UH, EXCUSE ME, ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO, UH, ROMAN NUMER FIVE, I BELIEVE IT IS ON PAGE THREE.
AND, AND THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE SAME THING.
IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS,
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA]
WE HAVE, UH, ONE NUMER SEVEN,[01:20:01]
WHICH IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.AND WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA, WE HAVE ITEMS OF BASICALLY MOST OF 'EM, ALL OF THEM ARE BASICALLY A ROUTINE NATURE.
HOWEVER, UM, IF THERE WOULD BE ANY ITEMS THAT ACCOUNTS THE PERSON WISHES TO BE WITHDRAWN, AN ACTIVE ON IN THE NON-CONSENT, UH, SECTION, WHICH WOULD BE ON PAGE SIX, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, LET YOU LIKE TO COME ON AND STATE THE PAGE AND THE ITEM NUMBER.
UH, BEFORE WE DO THAT, THERE IS, UH, ITEM, UH, SEVEN EIGHT THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN BECKHAM IS ACTUALLY, ACTUALLY ASKED THAT IT WOULD BE WITHDRAWN.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE THERE'S A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR ON THAT ONE, RIGHT? OKAY.
AND I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THAT ONE, IF THAT WOULD BE OKAY.
BUT NOW ARE WE, YOU WANNA HAVE IT WITHDRAWN FROM THE AGENDA OR WITHDRAWN FROM THE CONSENT? NO, WE WITHDRAWN THAT.
COULD I THOUGHT YOU WERE WITHDRAWING IT.
YEAH, THAT COULD, THAT COULD BE THE REASON.
UH, UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE ITEM THE PAGE AND THE NUMBER.
YOU SAID PAGE FOUR, ITEM THREE.
WOULD THERE BE ANY OTHERS THERE? AREN, ANY OTHERS? SO I'D LIKE TO GET MOTION TO ACCEPT THE, UH, EXCUSE ME, NON-CONSENT AGENDA AS, I MEAN THE CONSENT AGENDA, EXCUSE ME, AS UH, STATED WITH THE EXCLUSION OF ITEMS. A ON PAGE THREE, ITEMS THREE AND FOUR ON PAGE FOUR, ITEMS EIGHT ON PAGE FIVE.
AND ITEM 10 ON PAGE SIX MAY GET A MOTION.
MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, CONSTABLE BECKHAM SECOND.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE STATED ITEMS. WE READY FOR QUESTION? OKAY.
READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSES? AYES HAVE, SO THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THOSE ITEMS.
[VII A. Travel Expense Reports]
NOW WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN A, WHICH IS A TRAVEL OR REPORT BY THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, TO THE CITY, UH, TEXAS CITY ATTORNEY'S ASSOCIATION.AND WOULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THE TYPO? UH OH, SHE MAY HAVE A QUESTION.
IF SO, TELL ME WHAT THE TYPO IS.
THAT MIGHT LIMIT MY QUESTIONS.
THE TYPO IS THAT THE DATES WERE, UH, THE 13TH THROUGH THE 16TH.
IT WAS ACTUALLY THE 14TH THROUGH THE 16TH.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE 23RD, THE CONFERENCE STARTED, OR AT 7:00 AM ON THE 14TH.
I WENT ON THE 13TH AND IT ENDED AT NOON ON THE 16TH.
AND IT'S ON THE, UM, UH, BEHIND THAT THERE'S AN EXPENSE REPORT THAT HAS THE CORRECT DATES, BUT WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T CATCH THAT WHEN WE DID THE AGENDA THAT IT HAD TO, THE 23RD IS THROUGH THE 16TH.
I DON'T HAVE THE EXPENSE REPORT.
IT'S ATTACHED BEHIND THE AGENDA ITEM.
I THINK ON THE, UM, UH, LET'S SEE.
IT SHOULD BE, IT'S ON THE SCANNED ONE.
I BET YOU IT'S ON THE SCANNED ONE ON THE INTERNET.
IT WOULD BE ON THIS, ON THIS ONE.
I'M JUST, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE RATE FOR THE HOTEL.
SO THE TEXAS CITY ATTORNEY'S ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IS SOMETHING THAT UNDER MY CONTRACT OR UNDER MY RESOLUTION, I'M A CERTIFIED MUNICIPAL ATTORNEY THAT I ATTEND PROBABLY WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY, UH, ATTORNEY IN TEXAS.
THE, UH, SUMMER CONFERENCE WAS HELD AT THE WESTERN RIVER WALK.
I WAS UNABLE TO GET A ROOM AT THAT, UH, LOCATION.
SO I STAYED AT THE LOCATION NEXT DOOR.
THE R OF THE ROOM WAS $309 PER NIGHT.
UM, THAT IS ABOUT THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF A ROOM.
THE ROOM WAS $309 WITH ALL OF THE TAXES.
56, 26 FOR TAXES, $7 FOR ANOTHER TAX, 58 CENTS, 1 25 FOR FRANCHISE FEE, 7 73 FOR SURCHARGE FEE.
AND THEN THERE WAS SALES TAX ON THE PARKING.
SO FOR THE ROOM, UH, 3 0 9, UH, TIMES THOSE NIGHTS.
AND I THINK ON THE LAST NIGHT THEY THE, BECAUSE I GUESS THEY CHARGED US AN ADDITIONAL FEE OF $30.
SO THE AVERAGE, THE ROOM AVERAGE
[01:25:01]
WAS ABOUT $300.AND WITH ALL THE TAXES AND PARKING, THAT'S WHERE IT GOT TO.
AND ALL OF THAT IS ON THE REPORT, AND I CAN COPY IT AND GIVE IT TO EVERYONE.
ANY OTHER UNREADINESS ON THIS? OKAY.
UH, WE HAD A MOTION RIGHT ON THE FLOOR.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR ON WHICH IT IS? YEAH.
I JUST, I THOUGHT I HEARD A MOTION.
MAYOR, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAD A MOTION, OR I THOUGHT I DID, BUT THEY SAID I DIDN'T.
I KNOW, I THOUGHT I DID, BUT THEY TOLD ME I DIDN'T, SO I DON'T, I DO, RIGHT? YEAH.
YOU SAID I THOUGHT I DON'T MY BAD MOTION TO APPROVE THIS.
WE COULDN'T BRING IT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT A MOTION.
WE CAN'T BRING IT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT A MOTION.
NO, NO, IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T PULL OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
IF SHE DON'T HAVE A RECORD OF IT, LET DO COUNCILMAN KENNEL LAW.
A ANY OPPOSES HAVE THIS AUDIT AND IT IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
[VII C.(3) P.R. 23249 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Participate In The Grant Application Process For The United States Department Of Transportation (USDOT) For FY 2023 Promoting Resilient Operations For Transformative, Efficient, And Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program Grants For Jetty Road In Sabine Pass. There Is No Local Match For This Planning Grant And No Budgetary Impact To Apply For Funding]
NEXT WE HAVE ON PAGE FOUR, ITEM NUMBER THREE.IT IS A, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION US, UH, THAT, UH, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023, PROMOTING RESILIENT, UH, OPERATIONS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE EFFICIENT AND COST SAVING TRANSPORTATION PROTECT, UH, PROGRAM GRANTS FOR JETTY ROAD INTO BEAN PASS.
THERE IS NO LOCAL MATCH FOR THIS PLANNING GRANT AND NO BUDGETARY IMPACT TO APPLY FOR FUNDING.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT THIS, EXCUSE ME, RESOLUTION AS READ.
MY QUESTION IS IT, IT SAYS THERE IS NO LOCAL MATCH FOR THIS PLAN.
DOES THAT MEAN IT'S NOT REQUIRED? THERE'S NO MATCHING REQUIRED AND THE 45 MILLION WE'RE GONNA BE COMPETING FOR.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, THIS IS NOT TO BUILD THE ROAD, IT'S JUST TO PLAN THE ROAD.
NOW, ONCE YOU, WE GET IT ALL PLANNED MM-HMM.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO BE APPLYING G L O OR WHO? THIS IS COMING DIRECTLY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
WILL THERE BE ANY MATCHING REQUIRED THAT TO, TO BUILD THE ROAD? YES.
THERE WOULD BE A 20% MATCH TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE ROAD.
SO WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE MATCH FROM? WELL, I HADN'T COME ACROSS THAT POINT YET.
WELL, LET, LET ME SUGGEST, UH, IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE TOURISM.
IT'S GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE SALES TAX, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
NOW, THE AUTO BOMBS SOCIETY, THEY, THEY, UH, THEY, THEY GO OUT THERE AND THEY GOT MONEY TOO.
THE AUTO BOMBS, THEY BIRD WATCHERS.
THEY, THEY, BECAUSE I, THERE WAS A RARE BIRD OUT THERE ONE TIME, AND WITHIN TWO HOURS, OVER 200 CALLS SHOWED UP OUT THERE.
AND I, I CHECKED THE HOTEL MOTEL TAX.
THAT, THAT'S A FUNDING SOURCE.
AND E D C, THAT'S ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE.
SO WHEN YOU GET TO THAT POINT, THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO REMIND.
THERE, THERE ARE THREE POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCES.
AND, AND WE ALSO HAVE A LOCAL PARTNER IN THE PORT OF SABINE PASS WHO IS INTERESTED IN SEEING THIS ROAD, UH, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPED AND BUILT UP.
AND, UH, SO YES, WE, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME, UH, OPTIONS I GUESS FURTHER DOWN THE LINE, BUT IT'LL TAKE US A YEAR JUST TO DO THE ENGINEERING AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK ON THIS.
AND THIS GRANT PAYS FOR ALL OF THAT WORK.
RIGHT? I LIKE, YEAH, I LIKE THAT.
I, I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE IT.
THAT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
AND I'LL BET YOU ONCE YOU GET THAT ROAD BUILT TO STANDARD, AND IF IT EVER GETS DESTROYED IN THE FUTURE, FEMA WILL PROBABLY REPLACE IT FOR US OR SOMETHING.
BUT I'M ONLY WILLING TO BET YOU 10 TO 15 YEARS THAT ROAD IS TO BE A RESORT.
OH, YOU ALL LIGHTS JUST ON? NO PROBLEM.
ARE WE SPENDING ANY MONEY FOR THAT DESIGN TO, TO DESIGN? NO, SIR.
I'VE, I'VE GOT A PROPOSAL FROM FITS AND SHIPMENT, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND ANY MONEY UNTIL,
[01:30:01]
UNLESS WE GET THE GRANT.BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY WHOLE THING.
I HEARD COUNCILMAN LEWIS SAID, UH, WHERE WE NO, IMAGINE YOU SAID THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, WELL WE GOING TO, WE GOTTA GET THE DESIGN AND ALL THAT STUFF, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE SUBMIT SOMETHING FOR, UH, REQUESTING A GRANT, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT SPENDING ANY MONEY FOR A GRANT THAT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED.
UH, CITY MANAGER YOU HAVE, SO IT'S, IT'S A PLANNING GRANT.
YOU UNDERSTAND JOHN? ON, ON, ON, ON, UH, UNREADINESS ON THAT.
MAY, MAY I SAY SOMETHING AND COUNCILMAN, I'M JUST MADE A NOTE.
IF AT THE END OF THIS MEETING, IF EACH OF YOU WOULD MEET ME BACK DOWN IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM, I HAVE A SURVEY WHERE I ATTENDED A MEETING ON LAST WEEK.
THEY EVEN TALKED ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
EVEN AT THAT, UH, PRESENTATION.
AND I, OR IF, IF YEAH, IF, IF, IF YOU WILL, UH, MEET ME DOWNSTAIRS BECAUSE WE COULD, I WOULD NEED YOU TO FILL YOUR, YOUR, UH, SURVEYS OUT AND GET 'EM BACK UP HERE TO CHRISTIE BY THURSDAY.
'CAUSE I DID PROMISE MR.
'CAUSE ALL OF THAT IS GOING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WITH ALL OF THIS IN IT.
IN A SEPARATE GRANT APPLICATION.
THE PORT IS APPLYING FOR THE BEACH ROAD.
AND SO WE'RE APPLYING FOR THE JETTY ROAD.
BUT THEY, THEY, THIS IS INCLUDED IN THE PRESENTATION, IF YOU REMEMBER, IF I'M CORRECT, THEY TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO IT'S, YEAH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE PORT AND TO THE DEVELOPMENT.
BEING PASSED PORT, PORT ARTHUR AND PORT SABINE PASSED, UH, UH, SECTION OF TOWN.
ACTUALLY, THAT'S WHAT THAT IS.
YOU ARE SAYING THAT THE PORT IS GONNA APPLY FOR THE, THE, THE, UH, THE OLD ROAD TO BE REPLACED.
OKAY, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES.
BUT MY CONCERN IS A PLANNING GRANT.
ARE THEY GONNA BE COMPETING FOR THE $45 MILLION PLANNING GRANT? OH, NO, NO, NO.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S NO, THAT SAYING THEY'RE NOT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T BE, HAVE TO COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER.
COUNCIL, FRANK, JUST UNDERTAKING THE PLANNING PROCESS, THIS AUTHORIZES US TO UNDERTAKE THE PLANNING PROCESS.
THE FUNDING FOR ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION IS WAY DOWN THE ROAD.
WE ARE NOT THERE AS IT, WE ARE THOUSAND MILES AWAY, BUT AS LONG AS THE HIGHWAY BEEN OUT.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO PROPOSITION 23 2 4 9 IS APPROVED AS READ.
[VII C.(4) P.R. 23254 – A Resolution Ratifying The City Manager's Decision To Authorize The Emergency Replacement Of The Sanitary Sewer Main On Vicksburg Avenue At 6th Street, With A Total Budgetary Impact Of $110,000.00 From Water Utilities Account No. 405-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Project No. WS0016-CON]
NEXT WE HAVE P R O NUMBER 23 254 IS THE RESOLUTION.RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER'S DECISION TO AUTHORIZE THE EMERGENCY REPLACEMENT OF THE SANITARY SEWER MAINE ON VICKSBURG AVENUE, UH, AT SIXTH STREET WITH THE TOTAL BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $110,000 FROM WATER UTILITIES.
ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 5 DASH 4 0 0 DASH 8 5 16 DASH 0 0 0 DASH 0 0 0 OR KNOWN AS PROJECT NUMBER WS 0 0 1 6 CONN FOR I PRESUME CONSTRUCTION, UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN FRANK? SO MOVED.
COUNCILMAN KEN LAW SECOND, IS IT MOVED? AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE P R NUMBER 23, 2 5 4 AS PRESENTED IN RED.
WE READY ON READINESS? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YEAH, MY ONLY QUESTION IS THERE NEEDS SOME RELIEF DOWN THERE.
IS THIS REPLACEMENT OF THAT, THAT LINE ON VICKSBURG? IS IT, IS IT GONNA BE A COMPLETE, IS GONNA BE COMPLETE? UH, NO SIR.
IT'S IN PART THIS, THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY.
WE HAD A FAILURE BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET.
AND WE HAD TO REPLACE FROM MANHOLE TO MANHOLE.
UH, SO WE, WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT AND GOT TWO QUOTES.
ONE WAS TO OPEN CUT IT, AND THE OTHER WAS TO DIRECTIONAL DRILL IT.
IT'S A ABOUT 13 TO 15 FEET DEEP SO OUR CREWS CAN'T DO IT.
AND 400, 420 FEET OF 12 INCH LINE.
UH, WELL NO, 15 INCH LINE, EXCUSE ME.
[01:35:01]
WAS ABOUT 120, 130,000 I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.AND SO THE DIRECTIONAL DRILL WAS CHEAPER.
WE REPAIRED THAT SECTION AND THERE WAS THAT, THAT LINE IS IN BAD SHAPE.
WE, IF WE GET OUR BUDGET APPROVED AND EVERYTHING GOES WELL, WE GONNA GO BACK.
WELL THE NEXT, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE IN OUR BUDGET, UH, CITYWIDE SEWER.
SO WE LOOK AT THE WORST SEWERS.
AND THIS IS ON NEXT YEAR'S FOR, WE'LL START THE DESIGN SOON, FOR NEXT YEAR'S ONCE, AND IT'LL BE IN THAT PROJECT.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT THAT, THAT SEWER'S IN BAD SHAPE.
ANY OTHER READINESS ON THIS? THERE IS ANY WE ARE READY TO VOTE.
ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE SOURCE HONOR.
PR NUMBER 23 2 5 4 IS APPROVED AS READ.
[VII C.(8) P.R. 23265 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Reject The Bids For The Construction Of Three (3) Single-Family Homes]
NEXT WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER EIGHT ON PAGE FIVE, P R NUMBER 23 2 6 5 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO REJECT THE BIDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THREE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN? UH, ETT.
SO MOTION, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN BECKHAM SECOND.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE P R NUMBER TWO.
WE READY FOR UN READINESS? UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? YES.
UH, DO WE HAVE PEOPLE ALREADY THAT QUALIFY FOR THOSE HOMES? YES.
THE FIRST QUESTION, YES, WE DO.
IF WE HAD THEM ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR THE HOMES AND WE RECEIVED THE BIDS IN FEBRUARY AND THEY WERE DETERMINED TO BE TOO HIGH, WHY ARE WE JUST GOING BACK OUT TO REBID THEM SINCE FEBRUARY? WE, WE ARE NOW IN AUGUST AND WE GOT PEOPLE WAITING TO BE IN HOMES THAT WE'VE ALREADY QUALIFIED BECAUSE I, I'M, I'M TRIGGERED TO FIND OUT IF THEY'RE APPROVALS STILL GOOD FOR WHEN THEY PROCESS.
I WANNA KNOW WHY WE, UH, WHY WE WAITED SO LONG FROM FEBRUARY TO THE END OF JULY BEFORE WE SAID WE GOING TO GO BACK OUT TO REBID IT BECAUSE THE BIDS WE RECEIVED WERE TOO HIGH.
UM, MR. WILLIAMS DOWN THAT FOR GO AHEAD, MR. WILLIAMS. OKAY.
I REALLY CAN'T ANSWER THAT ONE.
THAT'S WAS BEVERLY FREEMAN'S DECISION.
UM, THE ONLY THING I CAN ANSWER IS THE REASON THAT WE REBID, UH, I KNOW THAT SHE WAS TRYING TO SEE IF SHE CAN, UM, WORK IT OUT WITH MAYBE SOME CHANGE ORDERS TO BRING THE COST DOWN WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
NAH, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TOOK THAT LONG.
CLIFF, THAT'S NOT GOING TO ANSWER MY QUESTION.
YOU EXPLAINED TO ME WHY, UH, YOU HAVE TO GO OUT FOR REBID AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
MY QUESTION IS, IF WE HAD FAMILIES THAT HAD QUALIFIED FOR THREE HOMES, WE SENT OUT BIDS, WE RECEIVED THE BIDS ON FEBRUARY THE, THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY.
IF WE LOOK AT THESE BIDS AND WE DETERMINE THAT THOSE BIDS ARE TOO HIGH, WHY ARE WE NOW JUST DECIDING TO GO BACK AND REBID THIS OUT? WHEN WE HAD PEOPLE WE WERE WAITING FOR, I MEAN, IF, IF YOU GET A BID AND YOU OPEN IT TODAY AND YOU SAY, OKAY, THIS IS HIGH, I KNOW THAT, THAT YOU COULD NOW GO BACK TO THE PERSON AND NEGOTIATE AND MAYBE YOU COULD GET THINGS TO WHERE WE WANT.
LET'S SAY IT TOOK US TWO, THREE WEEKS.
ALRIGHT? THEN AFTER THAT, NOW WE SAY, OKAY, THAT'S STILL TOO HIGH.
WE GOING NOW SEND IT OUT FOR ABI.
SO WE SAY 30 MORE AND THEN WE GET IT BACK.
THEN WE COULD GET THE RIGHT BID, OR WE COULD SAY, HEY, WE GOTTA BILL 'EM OURSELF.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHY ARE WE HAVING PEOPLE WAIT THAT LONG? OKAY, MS. LAMBFORD, YOU GOOD EVENING.
UM, MR. WILLIAMS IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THIS WAS A DECISION MADE BY MS. BEVERLY FREEMAN, WHO IS THE MANAGER OVER HOUSING.
UM, IF COUNSEL DESIRES, UM, WE CAN TABLE THIS ITEM AND I CAN DEFINITELY OBTAIN AN, UM, AN EXPLANATION FROM MS. FREEMAN ON WHY WE DELAYED THIS.
OKAY? I TELL, I TELL YOU WHAT, DO
[01:40:01]
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING LONG ENOUGH, PAM? YES, SIR.AND MY QUESTION IS, BECAUSE I FELT THEY'VE BEEN WAITING TOO LONG.
SO I DON'T WANT TO HOLD THIS UP, BUT I'M BRINGING TO THE ATTENTION THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN, SIR.
HOW ABOUT GETTING WITH MS. FREEMAN, SIR? THEN WHEN YOU GET THE ANSWER, HOW ABOUT LETTING ME KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION ON WHY IT TAKES FOUR MONTHS WHEN WE GOT PEOPLE HAVE QUALIFIED WAIT FOR HOMES? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN YOU QUALIFY, IT IS ONLY GOOD FOR SO LONG FOR YOU GOTTA REAPPLY.
I, I THINK, UH, COUNCILOR MAN, UH, A REPORT IS IN ORDER.
OKAY, ANY OTHER UNREADINESS ON IT? IF NOT, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
SO AS ORDERED, WE WOULD ACCEPT PR NUMBER 23 2 6 5 AS PRESENTED.
[VII C.(10) P.R. 23269 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Participate In The Grant Application Process For The U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Wildland Urban Interface Community Fire Assistance Program Necessary For Fire Risk Management For The City Of Port Arthur]
THEN WE HAVE ON PAGE SIX, ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS PR 2 3 2 6 9 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE WILDLAND, UH, URBAN INTERFACE COMMUNITY FIRE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM NECESSARY FOR FIRE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.MAY I GET A, UH, MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SO MOVED.
MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN BECKHAM SECOND IS REMOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE P R O NUMBER 2 32 69 AS READ THAT HAS PRESENTED READY FOR, UH, QUESTIONS AND READINESS TO COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
YEAH, WHEN I, I WAS READING THIS, IT COME TO MY MIND WHEN THE LAST TIME WE HAD AN AUDIT THAT PUTS OUR PEOPLE AT RISK WHEN LAST TIME WE HAD AN AUDIT ON OUR WORKING FIRE HOISTS.
THE AND HOW MANY OF'EM IS WE HAVE AND HOW MANY IS, IS, IS WORKING.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS, LEMME ANSWER THIS.
COUNCILMAN, I'M PRESENTLY IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FIRE CHIEF MYSELF AND WE HAVE ENGAGED, UM, CALVIN TO SOME EXTENT IN LOOKING AT ALL THE FIRE HYDRANTS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO DETERMINE WHICH OF THOSE ARE WORKING AND WHICH OF THOSE ARE NOT.
WHAT WE HAVE DECIDE WHAT WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THOSE FIRE HYDRANTS THAT, UH, UM, UH, EXPERIENCING SOME LEVEL OF INEFFICIENCY AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE OUR, IS IT, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS OUR RATING? OUR FIRE RATING.
IN THE, IN THE CITY OF WHATEVER, WHAT WE ARE DOING, WE ARE, WE ARE THIS, THIS, THE FIRE CHIEF IS PRESENTLY ENGAGED RIGHT NOW IN GOING OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT HIS STAFF IS ASSISTING HIM IN DETERMINING THAT, UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO AT THE SAME TIME, GIVEN THE COURSE THAT CALVIN HAVE GOTTEN FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF FIRE HYDRANTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHAT I'M DOING IS APPLYING FOR A GRANT OKAY.
FROM 5,000 TO $10 MILLION TO SEE WHETHER I COULD ADDRESS THE ENTIRE CITY AND NOT JUST ONE SECTION OF THE CITY.
THAT'S WHAT 'CAUSE IT, IT AFFECTS YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE, ALL THAT STUFF.
OUR IO RATINGS, IT COMES TO MY MIND RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S OUR, WE WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR I S O RATINGS.
SO AS HONOR, WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE P R NUMBER 2 32 69 AS PRESENTED.
[VIII A.(1) P.R. No. 23264 – A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Member Or Members To The Beautification Commission (Requested By Councilmember Beckcom)]
NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA, AND WE HAVE THE FIRST ITEM IN A NON-CONSENT AGENDA.P E R NUMBER 2 3 2 6 4 IS A RESOLUTION, APPOINTING AND OR REAPPOINTED A MEMBER OR MEMBERS TO THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION.
AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILWOMAN BECKHAM.
AND YOU ALL HAVE THE, HAVE NAME AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE INDIVIDUAL THAT COUNCILMAN BECKHAM HAS FOR THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE.
UH, MAY I GET A MOTION? UH, SO SECOND MAYOR, CHECK.
OH, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T LOOK AT THIS.
I DID CALL TO ASK HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS AND I WANTED, UM, I, OH, I WANTED THE, UM, UH, ATTORNEY TO FIND OUT FOR US HOW MANY, UH, APPOINTMENTS DOES EACH MEMBER GET FOR THIS ON
[01:45:01]
BEAUTIFICATION? OKAY.I, I'LL, I'LL DOUBLE CHECK WITH, DID I THINK IT'S A MULTIPLE NUMBERS? YEAH.
I'LL HAVE TO PULL THE ORDINANCE UP.
WHICH OUTSIDE? I THINK IT'S ABOUT THREE.
COUNCILMAN DEUCEY? YES, EACH COUNCILMAN CAN APPOINT THREE, BUT YOU CAN APPOINT MORE THAN THREE PEOPLE TO IT IF YOU CHOOSE, BECAUSE THEY AL THEY'RE TRYING TO GET AS MANY MEMBERS.
ALTHOUGH WE SAY THREE, YOU CAN APPOINT AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU WANT TO THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION.
YOU WANT TO SERVE, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
UH, FOR NOW I DO HAVE TWO OTHERS, BUT I HAD TO CONFIRM SOME SCHEDULING WITH THEM BEFORE I BRING IT TO COUNCIL.
UH, SO FOR PR NUMBER 2 32 64, WE ARE READY TO VOTE.
[VIII A.(2) P.R. No. 23266 – A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Director Or Directors To The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw)]
NEXT WE HAVE P R NUMBER 2 32 66, WHICH IS A RESOLUTION APPOINTED AND OR REAPPOINTED, A DIRECTOR OR DIRECTORS TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.SECTION FOUR, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW.
YOU HAVE A NAME FOR THAT? INGRID HOLMES.
AND WE'VE HEARD THE NAME OF, UH, UH, WITH INGRID HOLMES.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST, I'M SORRY.
UH, WE, WE ARE READ IT FOR A MOTION.
SECOND, IS IT MOVE? AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE, UH, P NUMBER, UH, 2 32 66 WITH THE NAME INSERTED BY THE CITY SECRETARY.
UH, AS FOR COUNCILMAN KINLAW, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTION.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU HAVE CITY ATTORNEY.
MY QUESTION IS, WHY, WHY, WHY THIS? THIS IS AN APPOINTMENT.
WHY IS IT BEING BROUGHT TO THE COUNCIL AS AS A NOMINATION OR REQUIRES A VOTE? IT'S AN APPOINTMENT.
WHY ISN'T IT? SHOULD IT JUST BE, READ IT INTO THE RECORD AND IT'S, YOU'RE DONE WITH IT.
SO, BUT IF, IF IT'S AN APPOINTMENT, IT SHOULD NOT BE IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION REQUIRING A VOTE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN APPOINTMENT BY COUNCILMAN KINLAW.
WHY ARE WE VOTING ON THIS? THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR PRACTICE AND WE CAN ELABORATE, BUT IT CREATES, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT'S BEEN A PRACTICE, BUT IT'S CREATING CONFUSION AND, AND, AND IT, AND IT CREATES A PSEUDO AUTHORITY.
SO BECAUSE YOUR VOTE ONLY HAS NO IMPACT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THURSDAY.
UH, WE READY? NO OTHER READINESS.
YOU READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSES? I I'M NOT VOTING ON THAT.
OKAY, SO IT HAS BEEN APPROVED THAT WE HAVE WHAT, WHAT YOU GOT? COUNCILMAN DUC SAID, YOU, YOU VOTE YES OR NO? CITY SECRETARY.
WE DON'T ABSTAIN, RIGHT? YOU BE PRESENT? YES SIR.
YOU CAN'T ABSTAIN IF YOU'RE PRESENT.
HE'D BE, NOW HE DON'T HAVE TO.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ROBERT'S RULE.
I, I ALREADY TAKE VOTE, BUT I'LL TAKE IT AGAIN.
SO IT IS AUDIT PR R NUMBER 2 32 66 IS APPROVED WITH THE NAME THAT HAS BEEN ASSERTED BY THE CITY SECRETARY.
[VIII A.(3) P.R. No. 23275 – A Resolution Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas Designating The Officer Or Employee Responsible For Complying With Section 26.04 Of The Texas Tax Code]
NEXT WE HAVE PR R NUMBER 23 2 7 5.A RESOLUTION OF THE UH, CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS DESIGNATING THE OFFICER OF EMPLOYMENT.
RIGHT OF EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITY FOR COMPLYING WITH SECTION 26.04 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE.
UH, I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN FRANK.
MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN? UH, KINLOCK.
SECOND MAYOR, IF WE MOVED AND SECOND, THEN WE WOULD APPROVE PR 23 2 75 AS PRESENTED, WE ARE READY.
UH, ANY, ANY READINESS, ANY UH, QUESTIONS ON THAT? DON'T HAVE ANY LICENSE NOW WE ARE READY TO VOTE.
[VIII B.(1) P.O. No. 7155 – An Ordinance Amending Section 2-51 Of The Code Of Ordinances By Amending Subsections (a) And (d) As It Pertains To Regular Meetings And Public Hearings]
APPROVED.NOW WE WILL MOVE TO ORDINANCES.
WE HAVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 71 55 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION TWO DASH 50.
ONE OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE IS BY AMENDING SUBSECTIONS A AND D AS IT PERTAINS TO REGULAR MEETINGS AND
[01:50:01]
PUBLIC MEETINGS.MIGHT GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
SO OPPOSED? MIGHT GET A SECOND COUNCILMAN BECKER.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER SEVEN.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? THERE AREN'T ANY.
SO IT'S AUDIT PO NUMBER 7 1 5 5 IS APPROVED AS READ.
[VIII B.(2) P.O. No. 7156 – An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Closing, Vacating, Abandoning, And Conveying 0.1377-Acre (6,000 SF) Of Land Being Out Of And A Portion Of An Unimproved 20' Right-Of-Way (Alleyway), Block 180, City Of Port Arthur, J. Butler Survey, Abstract 9, Jefferson County, Texas; Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Deed Without Warranty; Providing That This Ordinance Shall Be Cumulative; Repealing All Ordinances To The Extent They Are In Conflict; Providing For Severability; And Declaring An Effective Date A23-02 – Lamar State College Port Arthur]
ON PAGE SEVEN WE HAVE UH, EXCUSE ME, PO NUMBER 71 56, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS CLOSING, VACATING, ABANDONING AND CONVEYING A 0.1377 ACRES, 6,000 SQUARE FEET OF LAND BEING OUT OF AND A PORTION OF AN UNIMPROVED 20 FOOT RIGHT OF WAY ALLEYWAY IN BLOCK 180.CITY OF PORT ARTHUR J. BUTLER.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A DEEDED WITHOUT WARRANTY.
PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE ATIVE, REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES TO THE EXTENT THEY ARE IN CONFLICT, PROVIDING FOR SEVERAL ABILITY AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
AND WE HAVE HERE BE A 23 DASH OH TWO LAMAR STATE COLLEGE, UH, PORT AUTHOR.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MOTION? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN BECKHAM SECOND IS REMOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE, UH, PO NUMBER 7 1 5 6 AS READ.
WE READY FOR QUESTION ON? ANY QUESTIONS ON WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[VIII B.(3) P.O. No. 7157 – An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas, Closing, Vacating, Abandoning, And Conveying 0.4821-Acre (21,000 SF) Being A Portion Of An Improved Dedicated Public Street Right-Of-Way, Known As Vicksburg Avenue, Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas; Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Deed Without Warranty; Providing That This Ordinance Shall Be Cumulative; Repealing All Ordinances To The Extent They Are In Conflict; Providing For Severability; And Declaring An Effective Date. A23-03 – Lamar State College Port Arthur]
WE HAVE PO NUMBERS 71 57.IT'S AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS CLOSING, VACATING, ABANDONING AND CONVENING 0.4821 ACRES, 21,000 SQUARE FEET OF A PORTION OF AN IMPROVED DEDICATED PUBLIC STREET RIGHT OF WAY KNOWN AS VICKSBURG AVENUE, PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS.
AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A DEED WITHOUT WARRANTY.
PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE ATIVE, REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE IN CONFLICT PROVIDING FOR SEVERAL VULNERABILITY AND DECLARING AND, AND EFFECTIVE DATE.
LAMAR STATE COLLEGE OF PORT ARTHUR.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCIL MCKEN.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 7 1 5 7 AS PRESENTED IN READ, WE ARE READY FOR AMEN.
THERE AREN'T ANY QUESTIONS ON IT.
PO NUMBER 7 1 5 7 IS APPROVED AS READ.
[VIII B.(4) P.O. No. 7158 – An Ordinance By The City Of Port Arthur, Texas (“City”) Authorizing The Settlement Of The Proposed Fuel Reconciliation Of Entergy Texas, Inc.; Finding That The Meeting Complies With The Open Meetings Act; Making Other Findings And Provisions Related To The Subject; And Declaring An Effective Date]
FINALLY, PO NUMBER 7 1 5 8.AN ORDINANCE BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, WHICH IS CITY AUTHORIZING THE SETTLEMENT OF THE PROPOSED THE FUEL RECONCILIATION OF ENTERGY, TEXAS INCORPORATED.
FINDING THAT THE MEETING COMPLIES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN DUCEY MOTION? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILWOMAN BECKHAM SECOND.
AND WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 7 1 5 8 AS PRESENTED AND READ.
THERE AREN'T ANY QUESTIONS ON IT.
ALL IN FAVOR? A ANY OPPOSES? THE AYES HAVE IT.
PO NUMBER 7 1 5 8 IS APPROVED.
WE HAVE PRESENCE OF LAMAR UNIVERSITY.
I MEAN LAMAR STATE COLLEGE HERE.
UH, AT THIS JUNCTURE, THERE WOULD BE NO OTHER BUSINESS COMING BEFORE THIS AUGUST.
THE BODY, I WOULD NOW BE PREPARED TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
COUNCILMAN DUC SAID, DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE MOTION IS, BUT THE LIGHT IS ON.
I GUESS YOU WANT TO GO OFF? GO AHEAD SAY IT.
AND I'M GONNA SECOND THAT MOTION
ALL IN FAVOR? A A ANY OPPOSES THE AYES HAVE.
THE NEXT MEETING I BELIEVE IS APRIL, I MEAN APRIL, AUGUST 15TH.
BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A MORNING MEETING.
OH, WE GOT A WORKSHOP NEXT WEEK.
YEAH, NEXT WEEK IS A WORKSHOP.
AND, AND THURSDAY, WAIT A MINUTE.
YEAH, IT'S A MORNING MEETING AND I SAY OKAY, I'M JUST TALKING FAST LIKE YOUR UNCLE.
NOW Y'ALL JUST TOLD ME DOWNSTAIRS I GIVE Y'ALL THEM PAPERS.
[01:55:01]
I'M SORRY, WE WERE EXECUTIVE SESSION.