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WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
IS WELCOME YOU.IT IS NOW 5:39 PM ON THIS THE 26TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2023.
YOU ARE GATHERED HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS FOR OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEGUN AT FIVE 30 AND IT IS NOW 5:39 PM AND WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN THE MEETING.
THIS MEETING MAY BE, UH, ATTENDED THROUGH VIDEO CONFERENCE OR TELEPHONIC MEETINGS.
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 FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING, YOU WOULD ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 2 4 3 9 1 0 7 2 8 1 AND YOU WOULD ENTER THE PASSCODE OF 7 5 2 8 7 3 IN PROGRESS.
SHOULD I START AGAIN? THANK YOU.
AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
ALSO, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
AND IF YOU HAVE NEED FOR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, YOU WOULD ONLY NEED DIAL 4 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5.
THAT IS THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
AND IN THAT OFFICE YOU DIAL THAT NUMBER.
THEY WILL DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWERS TO ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH YOUR SPECIAL REQUEST.
HOWEVER, IT MUST BE DONE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY GET DONE AND HAVE WHAT IT IS YOU WOULD NEED.
NOW WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN THIS MEETING.
IF YOU HAVE, UH, ANY ELECTRONIC DEVICES, WOULD YOU PLEASE DO AS I'M DOING NOW AND SILENCE THOSE AND WE WOULD CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT AND WE WILL HAVE AN INVOCATION AND FOLLOWING INVOCATION, WE'LL HAVE A ROLL CALL.
I'M GONNA ASK HIM JUST TO DO THE IMPLICATION.
BARNES, WOULD YOU COME AND DO A NICE SORT OF IMPLICATION FOR US? THANK YOU KINDLY.
WOULD YOU ALL STAND PLEASE? LET'S PULL THE MIC.
HEAVENLY FATHER, FIRST OF ALL, WE HONOR YOU.
WE GIVE YOU PRAISE AND HONOR OF ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF OUR GREAT CITY LEADERS.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR CITY.
FORGIVE US OF ALL OF OUR SINS I THAT YOU SPEAK.
LORD STRENGTHEN US, BLESS OUR CITY, BLESS OUR NATION, AND WE'LL FOREVER GIVE YOU PRAISE FOREVER.
WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN US NOW IN THE LEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING OF OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING.
CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE ESTABLISH THE COURT? MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT, MAYOR PRO TIMM HAMILTON.
PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.
[II. PROCLAMATIONS]
WE NOW HAVE PROCLAMATIONS.WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE FIRST PROCLAMATION OF PREPAREDNESS MONTH.
AND THIS PROCLAMATION AGAIN FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR READS THUSLY, WHEREAS SEPTEMBER IS PREPARED THIS MONTH.
AND TECO ACADEMY STEM SCHOOL, EXCUSE ME, DO WE HAVE ANY PARTICIPANTS FROM TECO PRESENT? OH, SHE IS
SEPTEMBER IS PREPARED THIS MONTH AND TECO ACADEMY STEM SCHOOL LOCATED AT 3 27 THOMAS BOULEVARD, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS HEREBY RECOGNIZES THE NEED TO ESTABLISH A GREEN ZONE, ALSO KNOWN AS ECHO DISTRICTS.
SINCE 2016, TECOY HAS IMPLEMENTED ONLINE COURSES, FIELD EXERCISES, AND LEARNING EXPEDITIONS RELATED TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
TECO HAS ADOPTED A MULTI-PRONGED EFFORT TO PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREERS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, MARITIME PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FIELDS.
THE SENIORS OF TECO ACADEMY STEM SCHOOL WILL BE RECOGNIZED AS THE FIRST CLASS OF 2024
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TO ESTABLISH AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GREEN ZONE CLUB AND WHERE CORE WILL INCREASE OUR EFFORTS TO OPERATE ALL OUR ADMINISTRATIVE AND ACADEMIC FACILITIES.WITH A FIRM COMMITMENT TO GOING GREEN TO CORE ACADEMY STEM SCHOOLS' ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT VARIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE E P A FEDERAL AND STATE MANDATES, PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVES FIVE AND EIGHT, AS WELL AS THE TEXAS SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER RESPECTIVELY, WE ANNOUNCED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF KOA ACADEMY'S STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GREEN ZONE CLUB.
AND WHEREAS WE HEREBY PROMOTE SUSTAIN SUSTAINABLE, EXCUSE ME, RESEARCH PRACTICES TO HELP IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, MITIGATE THREATS, AND HELP REVITALIZE THE GREATER PORT ARTHUR COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL INITIATIVES AS THE CORE FAMILY PLEDGES TO CONTINUE PROMISING PRACTICES WITH OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AS A SYMBOL OF OUR COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND AIR QUALITY.
WE WRAP OUR TREE OF SAFETY IN GREEN AND BLUE RIBBONS TO MARK OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY EFFORTS HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
NOW, THEREFORE, I THURMAN BILL BOYCE MAYOR, THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER, 2023 AS PREPARED THIS MONTH HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF FORT ARTHUR.
AND I ASK THE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT TO CORE ACADEMY STEM IN THEIR EFFORTS TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER.
I HAVE HEARING TRUTH SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS TO BE AFFIXED THIS 26TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2023.
AND IT'S SIGNED BY YOURS TRULY URBAN BILL BOCE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO WHEN YOU SEE ANY OF THOSE STUDENTS FROM TACO, LET THEM KNOW THAT WE DID RECOGNIZE THEM HERE AT OUR COUNCIL MEETING ON THIS EVENING.
NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER PROCLAMATION.
AND I WOULD SAY FOR THIS PROCLAMATION, THAT'S PROBABLY WHY THE GALLERY IS ALMOST FILLED.
OKAY? AND I THINK THAT IS HONORABLE.
IT MEANS ALL, ALL OF YOU'RE IN AND WE APPRECIATE THAT BEING PORT ARTHUR ONES.
THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO CALL CONSTABLE MR. PRESIDENT OF THE JP AND CONSTABLES ASSOCIATION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE NATION'S NUMBER ONE CONSTABLE WHO HAPPENS TO BE A CITIZEN IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
MR. CHRISTOPHER BATES, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD? I HAVE A PROCLAMATION HERE.
COUNCIL BATES AND REEDS LEY, WHEREAS CHRISTOPHER BATES SENIOR WAS BORN IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS AND IS A 2003 GRADUATE, EXCUSE ME, OF MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SHIRLEY ROY AND THE OLDEST OF SIX SIBLINGS, BATES OBTAINED HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT CERTIFICATION FROM LAMAR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND A BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM LAMAR UNIVERSITY, 2008.
IN 2017, HE RECEIVED A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FROM THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
AND WHEREAS BATES WAS KNOWN IN AFTER, EXCUSE ME, WAS SWORN IN
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AS JEFFERSON COUNTY CONSTABLE PRECINCT TWO IN JANUARY, 2013 AT THE YOUNG RIPE AGE OF 27, MAKING HIM THE YOUNGEST ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONSTABLE OF PRECINCT TWO, AND THE SECOND YOUNGEST CONSTABLE ELECTED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS HISTORY.AND WHEREAS CONSTABLE BATES CONTINUES TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH HIS CONSTABLE BATES CRIMINAL JUSTICE SCHOLARSHIP THROUGH HIS CHRISTMAS WITH CONSTABLE BATES TOY DRIVE AND CONSTABLE BATES JUNIOR DEPUTY CAMP HELD EACH SUMMER HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND WHEREAS HE HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL HONORS, ONE BEING COUNCIL OF THE YEAR, ANOTHER EXXONMOBIL LIVING LEGEND HONOR ANOTHER SOUTHEAST TEXAS 40 UNDER 40 HONOREE, ANOTHER MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD, ANOTHER SOUTHEAST TEXAS M L K SUPPORT GROUP, MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD, ANOTHER BLACK BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD, ANOTHER PORT ARTHUR NEWS, BEST POLICE OFFICER.
AND THIS OTHER ONE, ALPHA PHI APPLE FOR OUR FRATERNITY 40 UNDER 40 HONOREE.
RECENTLY HE BECAME THE VERY FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT OF THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE AND CONSTABLES ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS IN ITS 79 YEAR HISTORY.
AND WAS NAMED NATIONAL CONSTABLE OF THE YEAR BY THE NATIONAL CONSTABLES AND MARSHALS ASSOCIATION OF THESE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
WHEREAS, YEP, WHEREAS HIS GREATEST HONOR IS HUSBAND AND FATHER.
HE IS MARRIED TO THE BEAUTIFUL ARIANA BATES AND THEY ARE BLESSED WITH TWO DAUGHTERS, CAMERON AND CASEY.
NOW, THEREFORE, I THURMAN BILL BARI MAYOR OF THE GREATEST CITY IN TEXAS, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE PORT AUTHOR TEXAS, CAJUN CAPITAL OF TEXAS.
I HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2023 AS CONSTABLE CHRISTOPHER BATES, SENIOR DAY HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND WE ARE HONORED TO PRESENT YOU CONSTABLE BATES WITH THIS PROCLAMATION IN WITNESS WHEREOF HAVE HERE UNTRUE.
SET MY HAND AND CAUSE THE SEAL OF THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO BE AFFIXED THIS 26TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2023.
AND I PRESENT TO YOU CONSTABLE OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AND I FORGOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON MY DESK.
HELP ME PUSH THIS OUTTA THE WAY.
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UH, WHAT WE GOING TO DO, PUSH IT OVER THIS WAY WHERE MARY IS, COME ON THIS SIDE, MARY, AND I KNOW YOU WANT YOUR FAMILY TO COME AND, AND THEN YOU GET YOUROKAY? ALL THE CURVES COME TO IT.
HUH? TAKE IT OUT THE BOX, MAN.
TAKE YEAH, GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD.
MAYOR, CAN YOU HOP IN ONE MORE PICTURE PLEASE? OH, OH, OKAY.
WHILE, WHILE EVERYONE IS UP HERE, UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK, UM, FIRST OFF GOD FOR ALLOWING THIS TO, UM, TAKE PLACE.
UM, WITHOUT HIM I WOULD BE NOTHING.
AND SO I GIVE HONOR TO HIM TODAY.
I'M ALSO GRATEFUL FOR, UH, MY FAMILY.
UM, FIRST OFF, MY MOM AND MY DAD.
WITHOUT THEM I WOULDN'T BE HERE, YOU KNOW,
AND THEN, UH, MY WIFE ARIANA, UM, THANK YOU BABY FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING.
AND WE HAVE CAMERON AND CASEY AND CHRIS JUNIOR AND LITTLE KINSLEY AND MY COUSIN PAUL AND I GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF FAMILY OUT THERE.
JUST WAVE YOUR HAND IF MY COUSIN, IF YOUR FAMILY, MY AUNTIE'S RIGHT THERE, MY AUNT EDNA.
AND, UM, I HAVE FRIENDS ALL THE WAY FROM HOUSTON THAT'S HERE.
THE, THE BARNES IS, UM, AMBER CAME AND, AND SURPRISE, I KNOW SHE WAS COMING TO SHAR, GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF FRAT BROTHERS UP THERE.
I EVEN GOT ONE OF MY, UH, ANOTHER COUNCILMAN ALDERMAN FROM LOUISIANA IN THE BACK THERE.
MAYOR, UM, BROTHER RODNEY WELCH.
HE CAME IN FROM, UM, ALL THE WAY FROM LOUISIANA.
UM, UM, AGAIN, A LOT OF FRAT BROTHERS.
UM, MY, MY EMPLOYEES THAT WORKED FOR ME.
UM, MY CONSTABLES, UH, WINSTON.
AND THEN WE HAVE PRECINCT SIX HERE.
AND I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE I'M GONNA FORGIVE SOMEBODY.
WE HAVE OUR, MY PASTOR AND FIRST LADY FROM NEW PEARL COMMISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
UM, AGAIN, UH, MY OTHER, MY MY LARGE BROTHERS, UM, BROTHER FI AND BROTHER CHARLIE.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST GRATEFUL, UM, TO, TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UM, AND CONTINUE TO SERVE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, I SEE AGAIN, SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HELPED RAISE ME AND MY MAMA AND DADDY HAD THE FIRST RAPS OF IT, BUT I HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT GAVE ME SOME WHIPPINGS BACK IN THE DAY AND I SEE Y'ALL IN HERE, BUT I NEEDED THOSE WHIPPINGS AND, UM, I'M JUST GRATEFUL TO CONTINUE TO SERVE, UM, IN THIS CAPACITY.
UM, DIDN'T GET HERE BY MYSELF.
AND SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL, UM, AND THIS CITY WHO, UM, WHO I LOVE SO MUCH.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE LOVE.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I'M GONNA STEP OUT SO THEY CONTINUE THEIR BUSINESS, BUT, UM, I HAVE MY FRIEND MALIA, SHE'S GONNA BE TAKING SOME PICTURES IN THE BACK AND I'M, AGAIN, JUST GRATEFUL EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT TO SUPPORT, UM, THIS MOMENT.
BUT ALSO LET'S CONTINUE SUPPORTING OUR CITY AS WELL.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL, ANY, ANY, ANY OF YOU CARE TO SPEAK? CONSTABLE KLOW.
UH, MAYOR PRO TIMM, UH, YOU GONNA, YOU GONNA MOVE THE PODIUM BACK, MAYOR? YEAH.
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THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.UH, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD IT'S A WELL DESERVED HONOR THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN, UH, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUOUSLY, UH, CARING FOR THE CITY AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DO.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE FROM HOMEGROWN FROM PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
I'VE BEEN KNOWING YOU A LONG TIME AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, WISH YOU WOULD CONTINUE DOING THE THINGS YOU DO TO SUPPORT THIS CITY AND AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THANK YOU CONSTABLE BATES FOR WHAT YOU DO IN AS WELL, UH, HONORED, UH, ON TODAY.
AND OKAY, GO RIGHT, I'M SORRY.
CONSTABLE BATES, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAN.
WHAT AN HONOR, UH, FOR US TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY AND TO HAVE CHRISTOPHER BATES, UH, DAY IN OUR CITY.
YOU JUST EPITOMIZE, UH, WHAT CSS LEWIS SAYS WE OUGHT TO DO BLOOM WHERE WE ARE PLANTED.
AND MAN, YOU CONTINUE TO DO THAT IN SO MANY CAPACITIES, IN SO MANY WAYS, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR YOU AND YOU PRAY.
CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR ME AS WELL.
CONSTABLE BATES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THERE'S ONE NAME THAT HE FORGOT AND IT'S COP CHRIS
CHRIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, EVEN ON THE TOUGH DAYS, AND I THANK YOU FOR ENCOURAGING AND PUSHING ME TOO.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU DO AND BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED HERE IN OUR BELOVED CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
COUNCILOR BATES, CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOUR, ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS AND EVERYTHING.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN REALLY APPRECIATE IS, UH, WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL IS THEY HAD A JUNIOR DEPUTY.
YOU GOT THE JUNIOR DEPUTY CONSTABLES.
THAT MEANS THAT GOES A LONG WAYS, THAT MEANS A LOT.
IT, IT DEVELOPS KIDS AND SHOW RESPECT FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EVERYTHING.
AND THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
CONS, CONTINUE WITH YOUR WHATEVER YOU DO.
I REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND YOU WERE MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR.
WE MISS YOU IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE SURE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN, AND AGAIN, COUNCILMAN, I MEAN, CONSTABLE
GOD BLESS YOU, AND YOU GO OUT AND ENJOY YOUR CROWD.
OKAY, WE HAVE ANOTHER PROCLAMATION THAT WE WANT TO DO.
UH, OFFICER AL GILLIAN, BIG AL, COME ON FORWARD.
AND IF ANYBODY KNOWS COUNCILOR MCGILL, HE WAS BEFORE CONSTABLE BATES, OR I MEAN OFFICER GIL.
I SAID COUNSELOR, YOU GONNA RUN FOR COUNCILMAN? YEAH, HE, HE, HE WAS BEFORE CONSTABLE BATES.
BUT WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS ACTUALLY, I JUST MOVED IT UP AND TOOK EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE TO MOVE UP, UH, RECOGNITION OF EMPLOYEES AND THOSE WHO WANNA BE FORMER EMPLOYEES LIKE YOU.
AND I WANNA READ THIS PROCLAMATION FOR YOU.
IT SAYS, WHEREAS OFFICER ALFRED GILLIAN BEGAN HIS EMPLOYMENT WITH THE PORT ARTHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ON OCTOBER 6TH, 1980.
AND WHEREAS FOR MANY YEARS, HE HAS WILLINGLY AND UNSELFISHLY GIVEN OF HIMSELF.
AL HAS ALWAYS BEEN JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY.
WHEREAS OFFICER GILLIAN, YOU WILL BE MISSED AND YOU ARE A PART OF WHAT MAKES OUR CITY GREAT.
AND WHEREAS WE ARE HONORED AND PROUD TO PRESENT YOU OFFICER WITH THIS PROCLAMATION, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR 42 YEARS OF GREAT SERVICE AND FOR KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
NOW, THEREFORE, I THURMAN BILL BCE, MAYOR OF THE GREAT CITY OF FORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2023
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AS OFFICER AL GILLIAN DAY AND IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, I ASKED ALL CITIZENS TO JOIN ME IN THANKING OFFICER AL FOR SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.AND WE WOULD WISH HIM WELL IN HIS RETIREMENT.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I HAVE HERE UNTRUE SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS TO BE AFFIXED THIS 26TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2023.
AND IT SIGNED THURMAN BILL GIE AND TO OFFICER AL, I'M GOING TO BRING THIS DOWN TO YOU MAN, IF WE WANT YOU TO ENJOY, WE APPRECIATE YOU.
MAYOR, I THINK THE CHIEF HERE HAS SOMETHING FOR YOU TO THE, TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
HEY, I'M GONNA CALL THIS WIFE UP TOO.
I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW I PERFORMED THERE WEDDING CEREMONY 27 YEARS AGO.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW MAYOR AND COUNSEL, THAT BIG AL'S GONNA BE MISSED.
NOT JUST BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HE WORKED FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE CITY, FIRE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORK, UTILITIES, ELECTRICAL, LEGAL CITY, SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE, WHO HE WORKED FOR, BUT WE KNOW HE RETIRED FROM THE PORT ARTHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AFTER 42 YEARS WEST.
AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR BIG AL.
THANK YOU, CHIEF, YOU ARE YOUR TREAT.
YOU WORK ALL THE TIME UP IN THE MORNING IF YOU, I'M GOOD.
COUNCIL, WE HAVE A FEW LIGHTS ON CITY ATTORNEY.
I DIDN'T KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW AL WAS A POLICE OFFICER.
I THOUGHT HE WORKED IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
BUT I REALLY WANNA SAY BECAUSE I HYPNOTIZED YOU, THAT'S YOU HYPNOTIZED ME.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT I WAS LOOKING UP THIS LITTLE QUOTE.
IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, SOMETIMES PEOPLE WON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING BUT LIKE THE WAY YOU TREATED THEM AND THE WAY YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE WAY YOU HAVE RESPECTED THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR AND HELPED THE STAFF THROUGH ALL THE YEARS.
I I JUST WANNA SAY THAT ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE, UH, NON WHAT DO WE NON-CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES,
I MEAN, WHENEVER WE NEEDED SOMETHING, YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE.
UM, I THINK IT WAS HELPED TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE STAFF.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD ALWAYS HAD SOMEBODY THAT WE COULD COUNT ON AND I JUST WOULD BE WRONG IF I TURNED MY LIGHT ON NOT TO RECOGNIZE THAT, LIKE DURING THE TIME OF THE HURRICANE WHEN EVERYBODY WAS IN A PANIC.
AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I CALLED YOU WHEN THE WATER WAS, YOU KNOW, GO TO THIS HOUSE, GO TO THAT HOUSE, AND YOU KEPT SAYING STAY CALM.
AND I THINK I NEEDED TO BE HYPNOTIZED THAT DAY.
BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE, AND I WANTED EVERY TO SHARE WITH EVERYBODY THE EFFORTS THAT YOU MADE, NOT JUST ON THAT, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE PARTICULARLY ON THAT OCCASION AND ALWAYS HOW YOU REALLY WENT WAY OUTTA YOUR WAY TO HELP PEOPLE.
AND, UH, WE JUST GREATLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THIS CITY.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE ONE WAY TO REMEMBER AL, I, I HAD IMPLEMENTED A PROGRAM, WANTED THE CITY MANAGER AT THAT TIME TO BUDGET SOME MONEY SO WE CAN GET RID OF ALL OF THE UNDER BRUSHES, UNDER THE, AROUND THE TREES.
I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE CITIZEN FEEL SAFE.
THEY CAN DRIVE AROUND, THEY CAN SEE ALL THE WAY ACROSS THAT ANY NOISE OUTSIDE, LOOK OUTSIDE AND, AND COULD SEE CLEAR CLEARLY.
YOU KNOW, NOBODY COULD HIDE IT IN
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THE BRUSHES.AL SAID, DON'T WORRY ABOUT BUDGETING, I'LL GET IT DONE.
HE CLEARED ALL OUR ALLEYWAYS AND CLEARED ALL UNDER THE BRUSH.
THE DISTRICT WANTED TO LOOK LIKE GILLUM CIRCLE WHERE YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WAY ACROSS.
AND EVERY SO AL YOU'LL ALWAYS BE REMEMBER EVERY TIME I LOOK AT THOSE UNDERBRUSH AND EVERYTHING CLEAR AND THE COMMUNITY IS MUCH SAFER WITH YOUR EFFORT.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME AND I REALLY, YOU KNOW, GETTING KIND OF CHOKED UP NOW.
YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY.
WELL, I NORMALLY DON'T EXTEND THESE PROCLAMATIONS.
I NORMALLY LET THE COUNCIL DO IT, YOU KNOW, AND IT ALL MEAN THE SAME 'CAUSE EVERYBODY COME BEFORE US AND BEING HONORED.
SO FOR THEM TO BE HONORED AT A COUNCIL MEETING, IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF ON A JOB BEING DONE.
BUT THE REASON I DECIDED TURN MY ALARM, BECAUSE YOU, ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE I HAVE A QUESTION FOR WHEN WE DO THIS.
WHO'S GOING TO WATCH THE PRISONERS NOW THAT YOU GONE? YOU, YOU ARE
YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU SEE AL THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU THAT QUESTION.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE WRONG ANSWER,
SO WHAT YOU HAVE TO NOW DO IS WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY.
SO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, SEE, CHECK WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UH, TOMORROW AND UH, WE'LL HIRE YOU AS A CONTRACTOR AND AN AS TRACTOR A CONSULTANT.
BUT AL YOU ARE NOT GETTING OFF THIS EASY.
YES, AL THANK YOU FOR BEING THE CHIEF COOK, BOTTLE WASHER, CANDLE MAKER, MANAGER, STOPPER.
MANY MORNINGS WHEN I CAME IN THERE, YOU WERE PACKED IN THE VAN DOWNSTAIRS, YOU KNOW, SHOWING THE CITY MANAGER THAT, LISTEN, DON'T GO OUT FORBID, THEN WE CAN DO IT AT COST AT HALF THE PRICE OR OF THE PRICE, WHETHER IT WAS ON PLEASURE ISLAND, WHETHER IT WAS IN CITY HALL, WHETHER IT WAS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU LOOKED OUT FOR THE CITY MONETARILY AND MADE SURE THAT THE JOB WAS DONE AND IT WAS DONE WELL PROFESSIONALLY.
BUT AS, UM, COUNCILOR DOUCETTE SAID, THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU ON THE FOURTH FLOOR.
UH, ONE THING I COULD KIND OF TESTIFY, UH, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT HURRICANE HARVEY THINGS, OH DON DON'T EVEN GO THERE.
AND YOU KNOW ME AND YOU WERE RIDING AND, UH, PICKING UP AND YOUR WIFE AND MY WIFE, WE WERE PICKING UP PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND ALL THAT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT TAKES A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PERSON.
YOU NEVER ONCE COMPLAINED YOU WERE FEEDING PEOPLE OFF THE STREET THAT WAS COMING UNDER THE PAVILION THAT YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW.
AND THAT TESTIFIED WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU'RE AND I KIND OF GET CHOKED UP 'CAUSE I WAS THERE WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T CARE WHAT NOBODY SAY.
YOU ARE OUT THERE BEATING THE STREETS YEP.
AND THEN WHEN OTHER ENTITIES CAME IN THE CITY OF POOR ARTHUR AND TRIED TO DISRESPECT THEM, YOU STOOD UP.
SO I'M GONNA ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT ABOUT YOU AND THANK BIG AL FOR THE THINGS IN 40 YEARS.
UH, I'M GLAD THAT WE WE HELD ONTO YOU THAT LONG.
BUT I'M LIKE, COUNCILMAN DUCEN AN ENTIRE COUNCIL.
WE CAN USE YOU AS A CONTRACTOR.
WELL, I REMEMBER YOU ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE.
YOU WERE A LITTLE GIRL WHEN I FIRST MET YOU.
I WAS A LITTLE GIRL AND I REMEMBER YOU.
I REMEMBER GOING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, HAVING DINNER WITH MY DADDY YEP.
AND SEEING YOU IN YOUR UNIFORM.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALWAYS BEING NICE AND KIND TO MY FAMILY AND NICE AND KIND TO THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
NO ONE COULD SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT BIG AL.
NO ONE COULD SAY ANYTHING ABOUT YOU AND WE WOULDN'T WANNA JUMP ON HIM.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING? CITY SECRETARY.
SHE DOESN'T HAVE A LIGHT, Y'ALL.
I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE A LIGHT.
I THINK 20 SOME ODD YEARS AGO WHEN I CAME TO WORK FOR THE CITY, I KEPT HEARING THIS NAME BIG AL.
AND I, I WONDERED MAYBE FOR JUST ABOUT A WEEK WHO IT WAS.
AND THEN YOU CAME IN AND YOU GAVE EVERYBODY A BIG HUG.
YOU MADE ME FEEL LIKE A PART OF A FAMILY WHEN I CAME HERE.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT YOU HAVE MADE EVERY DAY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HERE A BETTER ONE FOR ALL OF US.
AND ALL I HAD TO DO WAS SEE YOUR FACE ON ANY GIVEN
[00:35:01]
DAY, WHETHER IT WAS HARD OR NOT, A DAY THAT WE DIDN'T WANNA FACE OR NOT.AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME IN YOUR HEART AND YOUR WIFE FOR LETTING YOU HAVE SUCH A BIG HEART AND HOLD US ALL IN THERE WITH HER.
UH, IT, IT IS ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANNA REMIND THAT AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT YOUR PICTURE YEAH.
AND ONE OF THE THING I UTMOST RESPECT FOR YOU IS THE WAY YOU TREATED THE, THE PRISONERS THAT WORK WITH YOU.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING ALL OF 'EM WAS VOLUNTEERS AND YOU ALL, AND I NOTICED HOW YOU TREATED THEM.
YOU TREATED 'EM GOOD AND, AND, AND YOU NEVER HAD A SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE WANTED TO, WANTED TO WORK OUT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
YOU ALWAYS HAD A TON OF FOLKS THAT VOLUNTEERED.
BUT, BUT I, I, I ADMIRED THE WAY YOU, YOU TREATED 'EM, BUT ALL WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
AND SO TAKING TIME WITH THEM AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THEIR LIFE AND THAT MATTERS.
YOU PLANTED SEEDS INTO PEOPLE'S FAMILIES THAT YOU MAY HAVE NEVER EVEN MET BEFORE.
THANK YOU OFFICER AL AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR SERVICE.
AND MS. Z THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING HIM TO DO IT.
[III.A.(1) Van Shotwell, Jimmie Wheeler And Mark Sokolow Of Shine On Humanity Regarding The Progress Of The West Side Empowerment Zone]
NOW TO ROMAN NUMERAL THREE, WHICH THAT WAS, IT WAS UNDER ROMAN NUMERAL THREE.HOWEVER, WE GOING TO HAVE TO VISIT IT AGAIN AND EXCUSE, WE ARE READY FOR SPEAKERS BEFORE THE COUNCIL.
WE HAVE, UH, MS. VAN SHOTWELL, MR. JIMMY WHEELER AND ATTORNEY MARK SOOF OF, UH, SHINE ON HUMANITY REGARDING THE PROGRESS OF THE WEST SIDE EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
HOW YOU GUYS DOING TODAY? ALRIGHT, GOOD.
UH, MS. SHOTWELL HAD TO GO ON AN EMERGENCY.
UH, SHE HAD AN EMERGENCY COME UP.
SO I'M GONNA BE SPEAKING FOR ABOUT A MOMENT AND I'M GONNA INTRODUCE, YOU GUYS KNOW MARK SOO, WHO'S OUR BOARD MEMBER AND OUR ADVISOR, UH, FOR THE, UH, HE WILL UPDATE WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT THE POWER AND PROBLEM IS ON WHERE WE AT AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND HOW WE NEED TO GET THERE.
I HAVE NOT BEEN IN THIS PODIUM SINCE LIKE 15 YEARS AND FRANKLY I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS
UM, ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO I GOT A CALL FROM JIMMY TO HELP PREPARE A CONTRACT FOR THE CITY TO REVITALIZE THE WEST SIDE.
AND YOU SAY, WHY? 15, 16 YEARS AGO, MYSELF AND, UM, CITY MANAGERS, STEVEN GIBBONS, WE WERE TASKED TO WORK ON THE WEST SIDE TO REVITALIZE IT.
AND THEY ASKED US TO GO OUT AND BUY PROPERTY.
AND WE BOUGHT LOTS OF PROPERTY AND I LEARNED A LOT.
UM, AND THE WAY WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY WAS A LITTLE UNUSUAL.
WE HAD, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER JEFF HAYES, HE WOULD GO OUT AND HE WOULD NEGOTIATE, UH, HE WOULD HAVE PEOPLE CASH.
THEY WOULD TAKE THE DEAL, ALMOST HARDLY ANY WRITTEN CONTRACTS.
THEY WOULD CALL ME UP AND SAY, OKAY, UM, THIS IS THE DEAL.
THIS PERSON'S WILLING TO SELL THE PRODUCT FOR X AMOUNT OF MONEY.
I WOULD CALL THE PEOPLE THEY WOULD MEET.
AND THEY SAID, YES, WE GOT X AMOUNT OF CASH.
WE, ME AT THE TITLE COMPANY, WE CLOSED THE DEAL.
AND I QUICKLY LEARNED SOMETHING.
I LEARNED THAT THE PEOPLE ON THE WEST SIDE WERE THE MOST HONEST PEOPLE I HAD EVER MET IN MY LIFE.
THEY QUICKLY AGREED, SAYS YES, WE GOT THE MONEY.
[00:40:01]
YES, THIS WAS THE DEAL.AND WE CLOSED, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE 20, 30 PIECES OF PROPERTY THAT WAY.
AND IT JUST ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHED ME.
SO, YES, MY AND, AND THE DREAM WAS TO REVITALIZE THE WEST SIDE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE IT'S THE HISTORICAL BLACK COMMUNITY.
IT, AND IT'S, IT'S BACK IN SEGREGATION.
THE BLACK COMMUNITY WAS SEGREGATED ON HOUSTON AVENUE WEST.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT WHOLE IDEA WAS REVITALIZE IT, TRY TO GET THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, TO APPRECIATE IT AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW TOO MANY OF Y'ALL KNOW MY BACKGROUND, BUT, UM, I GREW UP ON MILITARY BASES.
AND SO, ONE OF WHICH WAS PEASE AIR FORCE BASE.
AND I CAN'T GO BACK TO THAT BASE BECAUSE THE BASE HAS BEEN BASICALLY DEMOLISHED.
THE SCHOOLS I LIVED ON THE BASE, I WENT TO SCHOOL ON THE BASE, WE WENT TO THE REC CENTER ON THE BASE, THE ENTIRE BASE IS GONE, SO I CAN'T GO HOME.
SO WHEN THEY BRING UP AND THEY SAY, HERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT PEOPLE HAVE MIGRATED FROM, AND THEY'RE NO LONGER THERE, BUT THEY WANT TO APPRECIATE IT SAYS, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THE FEELING OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GO BACK TO SEE WHERE THEIR ROOTS ARE, TO SEE WHERE THEIR GRANDPARENTS WERE.
AND THE WHOLE IDEA TO, TO RESPECT THAT.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, AND I, AND I'VE REALLY GROWN TO LIKE THE WEST SIDE, ESPECIALLY THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCHES AND I'VE BEEN IN THE CHURCHES.
SO WHEN JIMMY ASKED ME TO WORK ON THE PROJECT, I SAID, YES, I WANT TO DO THAT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT, SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE DONE AND SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN CHERISH THE DREAM THAT MANY OF THESE PEOPLE HAD BECAUSE WHEN THEY WERE GIVING THE PROPERTY TO THE CITY, THEY REALLY EXPECTED THE CITY TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
NOW THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, AS TIME GOES ON, Y'ALL HAVE HAD MULTIPLE HURRICANES, YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN.
IT'S JUST BEEN HARD TO GET BACK TO IT.
SO I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK TO REVISIT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SOME CONTRACTS TO TRY TO WORK ON THAT.
I THINK THEY NEED TO BE WORKED ON SOME MORE.
WORKING WITH MR. BURTON, WORKING WITH E D C.
I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT IT.
I THINK ON TODAY'S AGENDA YOU HAVE AN ITEM ABOUT CREATING A LAND BANK.
AND, UH, FOR, BECAUSE SHINY HUMANITY IS A NONPROFIT CORPORATION, UH, AND TRYING TO BRING HOMES TO REHABILITATE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED TO APPRECIATE IS THE UNIQUENESS OF MANY OF THE PEOPLE I'VE MET IN PORT ARTHUR.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, I HADN'T SEEN COUNCILOR LEWIS IN 20 YEARS.
UH, I MEAN, I SAW HIM THE OTHER DAY AND IT JUST, YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXTREMELY TALENTED PEOPLE.
I MET JIMMY, I MET JIMMY 15 YEARS AGO, BUT I DIDN'T REALLY APPRECIATE ALL HIS TALENTS TO RECENTLY.
AND FRANKLY, I PROBABLY MET HIM LIKE 40 YEARS AGO.
'CAUSE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HE WAS IN THE SAME LAW SCHOOL I WAS, WHICH KIND OF SHOCKED ME.
I GRADUATED IN 79 AND IN 79 HE WAS THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW SCHOOL.
AND HE WAS THERE FOR ONE YEAR THEN, BUT THEN HE HAD ENOUGH SENSE TO LEAVE THE LAW SCHOOL AND HE GOT HIS MASTER'S IN FINANCE.
AND THEN HE, HE'S DONE A LOT OF, I THINK, VERY UNIQUE THINGS.
HE CAME MR. UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, HE WENT UP AND WENT UP TO NEW YORK AND GOT IN THE FINANCE INDUSTRY.
AND MY SUGGESTIONS TO THE CITY IS TO APPRECIATE YOU HAVE STAFF, YOU GOT STAFF HERE, THAT'S VERY, VERY GOOD.
TAKE THE STAFF THAT YOU HAVE, TAKE THE STAFF THAT U D C STAFF HAS AND LOOK AT THE UNIQUE TALENTS THAT JIMMY HAS THAT I THINK BY PULLING 'EM ALL TOGETHER, Y'ALL CAN REALLY DO SOMETHING.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, AS WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE AGREEMENT AND WORKING WITH STAFF, HE'S OUT THERE STILL WORKING ON THIS.
HE'S STILL TALKING TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AS WE SPEAK.
SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I WROTE THIS DOWN, BUT I'M NOT EVEN READING IT, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY I WROTE IT DOWN.
UM, LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I HAD TWO SUGGESTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL.
ONE WAS, I SAID, HIRE VAL DNO.
AND Y'ALL DID BECAUSE SHE REALLY CARED FOR THE CITY.
AND I WORKED WITH HER SEVEN YEARS.
THE SECOND SUGGESTION I HAD AT THE TIME WAS KEEP THE CURTAINS OPEN.
AND THE REASON BEING IS THAT DURING COUNCIL MEETINGS, ONE, I LIKE TO STARE OUTSIDE, BUT TWO IS THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND HOW POWERFUL THE CITY IS AND YOU WON'T FORGET IT.
SO TODAY MY SUGGESTION IS, IS THIS ONE PRESERVE AND CARRY OUT THE DREAM FOR THE WEST SIDE.
TWO, GIVE SHINE ON HUMANITY A CHANCE THAT'S JUST GIVE 'EM A CHANCE.
THREE, BALANCE THE CITY AND E V C STAFF SKILLS, THE SKILLS THAT YOU
[00:45:01]
HAVE WITH THE SPECIAL SKILLS THAT JIMMY AND VAN CAN DO.AND, UM, I TRUST IN YOUR JUDGMENT.
PORT ARTHUR IS A WONDERFUL CITY AND I REALLY APPRECIATE BEING A PART OF YOUR FAMILY.
UH, COUNCILMAN? COUNCILMAN ETT? YES.
I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING OFF EASY WITH OH, MARK THIS DON'T WORK THAT WAY,
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I, I'VE COME IN ON, I'VE COME ON COUNCIL AFTER MR. WHEELER HAS STARTED HIS DESIRE TO DEVELOP THE WEST SIDE.
BUT WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IS THAT YOU WERE WORKING WITH HIM.
AND I THINK THAT MR. WILLER SHOULD BE YOUR STRONG POINT IN HELPING YOU TO REACH YOUR GOAL.
MR. SOKOLOW WAS AN ATTORNEY FOR THIS CITY, WHICH MEANS MR. SOO UNDERSTAND INCENTIVES.
MR. SOO UNDERSTANDS HOW THE CITY AID AND ASSIST BUSINESSES, DEVELOPERS, MR. SOO PROBABLY HAVE BEEN PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION WITH COUNCILS, DIFFERENT COUNCILS TO UNDERSTAND.
THERE HASN'T BEEN A COUNCIL THAT HAS SET HERE.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A STRONG DESIRE TO DEVELOP THE WEST SIDE BRING IN CHAIN FRANCHISE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVERYTHING WE HAVE FOUGHT TO TRY TO BRING TO THE WEST SIDE GOES RIGHT BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO GOT THE BUSINESS.
AND PEOPLE DO THAT FOR PROFITS.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO COME TO HELP US DEVELOP IT.
BUSINESSES COME FOR PROFITS, UH, WITH, UH, MR. WILLIS DESIRE TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT AND HELP US.
BUT AT THE SAME TOKEN, MR. WILL, I THINK THE KEY TO WHETHER YOU CAN SUCCEED AND HOW WE CAN HELP YOU IS WITH MR. SOO.
AND MR. SOLOW HAS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT HE KNOWS WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE COME BEFORE US, THEY THINK WE COULD DO THINGS THAT WE CAN'T.
SO IT'S ALL IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND KNOW THAT IF IT'S ANY WILL, ANY WAY TO DEVELOP THE WEST SIDE, THIS COUNCIL AND PREVIOUS COUNSEL AND ALL COUNCILS WILL DO EVERYTHING AND OUR POWER TO DO THAT.
UH, WE, UH, AS, UM, UH, TALKED TO MARK AND I SAID, WHO COULD I GET THAT REALLY HAVE A PASSION FOR PORT ARTHUR AND NO PORT ARTHUR IN AND OUT.
AND I SAID, WELL, MARK WORKED WITH ME BEFORE ON SOME DEVELOPMENT WE DID HERE AND WITH WILLIE BAY WHEN HE WAS CITY COUNCIL DURING THAT TIME.
SO WE HAD A COUPLE OF HOUR CONVERSATION THAT TURNED INTO ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE HOUR CONVERSATION.
I TOLD HIM WHAT OUR DREAMS IS, HOW WE COULD REVITALIZE THIS.
AND MARK SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME ABOUT THE WEST SIDE.
I'VE DEVELOPED, I HELPED PUT IT TOGETHER.
SO IT WAS A PERSON I COULD BRING IN THAT HELPED TO ACHIEVE THE DREAM AND GET IT TOGETHER AND SHOW HOW WE GONNA DO THIS THROUGH A NON-PROFIT.
SO IT CAN'T BE LOOKED ON AS A PROFIT MOTOR SIDE.
SO HE ASKED ME WHAT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION YOU COULD BRING.
I COULD SAY I COULD BRING IN SEVERAL THE BIG LARGER BANKS TO GET INVOLVED AND I COULD BRING IN MERRILL LYNCH AND UH, AND ALSO, UH, COMPANIES LIKE THAT AND SIT DOWN AND TALKING WITH THOSE TYPE OF INSTITUTIONS.
THEY SAY WE ARE BOARD AND THIS THE GOD WHO CAN KNOW HOW TO BRING IT ALL TOGETHER WHEN I HAVE MEETINGS.
GO AHEAD AND SAY, I THINK THE SECRET.
AND WHEN I WAS HERE, I THINK NOT SAYING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A TEAM NOW.
YOU, YOU DO, I REMEMBER STEVE FITZGIBBONS
AND AND WHAT HAPPENS IS BASICALLY HE WOULD BRING ME DOWN THE HALLWAY AND WE WOULD WORK OUT AGREEMENTS WITHIN A WEEK, TWO WEEKS.
[00:50:01]
BECAUSE IN THE FINANCE INDUSTRY, THE FACT OF MATTER IS YOU GET INVESTORS HERE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA WAIT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.SO THEY EXPECT THINGS TO WORK VERY QUICKLY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PUT THE DEALS TOGETHER AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
SO MY SUGGESTION TO CITI IS LET'S GET THE STAFF TOGETHER.
YOU SIT AND TALK, LOOK, LOOK AT, WE DON'T NEED TO BE DOING STUFF THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE EXPERTISE DOING.
AND LOOK AT WHAT HE BRINGS TO THE TABLE AND LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET THE JOB DONE.
I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S NOT THINGS IN THE WEST SIDE THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE.
I'VE BEEN OUT THERE AND I LOOKED AT YOUR COMMUNITY BUILDING OUT THERE AND I SAYS, WOW, THAT'S REALLY GOOD.
THAT NEW COMMUNITY BUILDING WITH ALL THE PICTURES.
I SAID, THAT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
AND THEN, UH, PORT IRON, UM, IT'S IN ONE RESPECT, YES, IT WAS AN EYESORE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THEY HIRED A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT SOME GOOD PARTS, BUT SOME BAD, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT THERE ANYMORE.
YOU DON'T HAVE THAT SCRAP THERE ANYMORE, BUT YOU LOST A MAJOR EMPLOYER OVER THERE.
BUT ON THE GOOD SIDE IS THE PORT IS EXPANDING AND THAT'S KIND OF GOOD.
SO YOU GOT SOME GOOD THINGS, SOME BAD THINGS, BUT I THINK THERE'S A, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PROMISE OUT THERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE THAT COULD BE PROUD OF, BUT THE MAIN THING IS TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND PRESERVE IT.
SO WHEN PEOPLE GO BACK, THEY CAN SEE THAT, THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATED WHAT'S THERE AND THEIR, THEIR FAMILIES.
THEY CAN GO BACK AND SAY, HEY, WE USED TO LIVE THERE AND IT'S BETTER NOW.
UH, APPRECIATE Y'ALL PRESENTATION.
LOOK, UH, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO YOU GUYS.
I COME ON KIND OF LATE ON THE COUNCIL AND Y'ALL BASICALLY WAS ALREADY HAD THINGS IN MOTION, BUT I'M A PRACTICAL PERSON I'M TALKING TO.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS, IS TRY TO FIND SOMETHING THAT'S FEASIBLE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BUILDING HOUSING, LET'S, I WANNA FOCUS ON THAT COMPONENT.
NOW, THAT'S A, THE NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PROGRAM.
THEY HAD SOME LAND, BUT THAT'S ALL BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY'S LAND BANK.
OKAY? NOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS GET LOOK AT THOSE PARCELS OF LAND, WHAT'S AND WHAT YOU CAN BUILD ON, OKAY? AND GET WITH THE CITY AND WE CAN, WE CAN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU ALL.
OKAY? YOU SAY YOU CAN BUILD, YOU CAN BUILD HOUSES.
LET, LET'S GET THE LAND TOGETHER, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND LET'S GET STARTED ON THAT.
NOW, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT, THEY'RE DOABLE, BUT THAT'S OVER TIME.
OKAY? BUT WE CAN GET GOING RIGHT NOW.
GET THE QUALIFIED LOTS, GET TO CITY AND SAY, GIVE IT THE CITY MANAGER AND I'LL BE, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL.
GET THOSE LOTS SIGNED OVER TO YOU.
NOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC PURPOSE.
AS LONG AS THERE'S A PUBLIC PURPOSE, THAT'S THE CITY MANAGER CAN DO BUSINESS WITH YOU.
OKAY? IT, THAT'S A PUBLIC PURPOSE.
WE CAN SIGN THOSE LOTS OVER TO YOU'ALL AND YOU ALL CAN GET STARTED ON BUILDING HOMES AND SELL 'EM.
OKAY? SO THAT'S WHERE I AM AT NOW.
THERE'S OTHER OTHER THINGS Y'ALL TALKING ABOUT THAT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.
BUT WE CAN GET THIS LAND SIGN OVER TO YOU ALL WHAT LOTS THAT'S, UH, QUALIFIES TO PROPHESIZE AND WHAT HAVE YOU, AND BUILD, BUILD HOMES ON THAT AND SELL 'EM.
MR. WHEELIE, YOU KNOW THAT FROM THE, THE VERY BEGINNING, UM, WE'VE BEEN MEETING ON THE WEST SIDE.
WE PULLED TOGETHER PASTORS, WE PULLED TOGETHER INDIVIDUALS, WE'VE MET WITH STAFF.
THE GREAT DESIRE IS TO SEE THE WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR REDEVELOPED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT REVITALIZATION BEGINS, UH, WITH THE INDIVIDUALS, UH, UH, WHO ARE CITIZENS OF, OF PORT ARTHUR.
IN OUR INITIAL MEETINGS AS WE WERE TALKING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAID WAS, WAS THAT THE PORT HAS A PLAN AND THE PLANT HAS A PLAN.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SEEKING TO DO, IS TO PULL TOGETHER A PLAN WHERE INDIVIDUALS, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN COME TOGETHER.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DOING CLEANUPS ON THE WEST SIDE.
THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START.
INDIVIDUALS HAVE DECIDED WHO OWN HOMES THERE TO START SEEING SOME MOVEMENT.
WE NEED TO START SEEING MOVEMENT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN MEETING AND INDIVIDUALS ARE BELIEVING, UM, IN THIS PROCESS THAT IT CAN HAPPEN.
I SEE INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE MET WITH US, UM, OVER ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, UH, ELLEN IS HERE AND OTHERS WHO ARE HERE FROM THE WEST SIDE MEETINGS.
UM, I SERVE AS A PASTOR ON THE WEST SIDE.
THERE ARE OTHER PASTORS ON THE WEST SIDE.
AND WITHOUT PARISHIONERS A CHURCH CAN'T EXIST.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, TO DO THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STARTED REVITALIZATION OF THE WEST SIDE, UH, MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, ANY INDIVIDUALS REMEMBER URBAN RENEWAL.
[00:55:01]
AND SO BUILDING HOUSES ON THE WEST SIDE IS A GREAT PLACE TO START.UH, AND SO WE WANT TO SEE THE WEST SIDE REVITALIZE.
WE WANT TO SEE, WE'VE GOT THE RESOLUTION DONE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GIVE INCENTIVES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO BUILD ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, UH, THOSE KINDS OF WAIVERS FOR LIENS AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS, UH, THAT HAPPEN.
PERMITTING, ALL OF THAT HAPPENS.
BUT IT'S GOING TO TO START AND WE NEED TO SEE IT MOVING AND, BUT WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT.
AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE IT, UH, PUSH IT AND DO WHATEVER WE CAN, UH, TO HELP IT, UH, COME TO FRUITION.
UH, REVEREND FRANK, I WE WOULD START, LIKE WILLIE BAY WAS SAYING EARLIER, WITH, UH, BUILDING RESIDENTIAL HOMES BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE'S A GREAT NEED WHEN WE ADVERTISE.
UH, WE GOT MANY, MANY PHONE CALLS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WHEN THEY RAN THE ARTICLE THEY DID ON THE, A NEWS NETWORK ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
AND SEVERAL PEOPLE CALLED US, I SEE ABOUT 20 SAYING I WANNA BUY ON THAT SIDE.
I'M LOOKING TO WORK IN THAT AREA.
SO HERE'S A GOOD OUTLET RIGHT HERE.
IF WE COULD GET THE TRANSPORT OF THE PROPERTY OVER, WE COULD START BILLING IMMEDIATELY.
WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL AND, UH, RESOURCES TO GO AHEAD AND START DOING THAT ANYTIME.
WE'VE BEEN JUST WAITING, TRYING TO GET ALL THE LOGISTIC TOGETHER.
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA COMMEND YOU ON.
YOU, YOU ALL ON, UH, YOU REALLY HAVE GOTTEN THE RIES UP.
I'VE BEEN AT LEAST THREE TO FOUR MEETINGS AND, AND STANDING ROOM ONLY THERE.
SO THE PEOPLE ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN SOMETHING GOING, GETTING REVITALIZATION GOING.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN IT BECAUSE ALL YOUR MEETINGS HAVE BEEN CROWDED OUT.
SO WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S TANGIBLE.
UM, I THINK THE NEXT STEP IS JUST PROBABLY MORE COORDINATION.
I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO BE MEETING MORE WITH, WITH CITY MANAGER BEVERLY BE AND BEVERLY FREEMAN.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PROGRAM USING FEDERAL FUNDS TO REHABILITATE AND BUILD HOMES.
AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO COORDINATE WITH THEM AS WELL AS WE'RE BRINGING IN PRIVATE FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT THAT.
AND THAT'S, I PROBABLY NEED TO GIVE YOU A CALL, SEE IF WE CAN ARRANGE THAT.
THIS QUESTION IS REALLY FOR CITY ATTORNEY.
DID WE RECEIVE THE DOCUMENTATION OR DID YOU HAVE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE SAID NEEDED TO BE HAD IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO POSSIBLY MOVE FORWARD? I'M NOT CLEAR ON WHAT DOCUMENTATION YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
UM, THERE WAS SOME INFORMATION GIVEN A WHILE BACK, BUT I DON'T HAVE A NEW PROPOSAL.
BUT I DO HAVE THE ORIGINAL REQUEST AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ALREADY, THAT CONVERT THE, UM, WE HAD ASKED FOR THE SHA ON ATTORNEY TO REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE, HAD THAT CONVERSATION HAPPENED YET.
AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, I DON'T WANNA, THAT IS THE BOARD AND ATTORNEY.
THAT'S BOARD MEMBER AND ATTORNEY AND ATTORNEY.
I, I THINK JUST, WE PROBABLY NEED MORE COORDINATION.
WE'LL JUST GIVE, WE'LL GET TOGETHER, WE'LL GET TOGETHER.
I JUST WANT TO BE, I'LL MOVE FORWARD.
I WANTED TO BE CLEAR ON WHAT WE WERE, UM, WHAT WAS BEING ASKED OF US AND WHAT WAS NEEDED IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WHAT WAS BEING ASKED OF US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND FORTH.
'CAUSE WHAT YOU DESCRIBED TO US IS, IS AMAZING AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT GROWTH IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY.
SO MY QUESTION WAS, HAD WE GOTTEN THAT FAR YET? I, I THINK THE NEXT STEP IS WE NEED TO COORDINATE MORE OF OUR MEETINGS AND I'LL, YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL GIVE YOU A CALL AND SEE IF WE CAN GET TOGETHER WITH STAFF AND WITH BEVERLY MAKE CERTAIN WE'RE ALL COORDINATING, COORDINATING NOT JUST THE FEDERAL FUNDING, BUT ALSO THE PRIVATE FUNDING THAT HE'S LOOKING AT.
AND ALSO WHAT TYPES OF, YOU KNOW, CONTRACT THAT HE NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO I THINK WE'RE PROGRESSING AND THIS HELPS A LOT.
I'D ASKED ABOUT HAVE YOU ALSO MET WITH THE E D C ALREADY?
THEY HAD, THEY HAD A MEETING AND THEY, UH, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING.
AND SO, UM, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT ADDITIONALLY WHEN WE MEET WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION FOR YOUR TIME.
[III.B.(1) A Presentation By Arceneaux Wilson & Cole LLC (AWC) Regarding A Status Update On The Master Drainage Plan (Requested By Councilmember Frank)]
PRESENTER PRESENTATION IS BY ARSENAL WILSON, NICOLE, L L C A W C, REGARDING, UH, A STATUS, UH, UPDATE ON THE MASTER[01:00:01]
DRAIN PLAN.AND THIS WAS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK.
GOOD MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UH, I'M MARCO OCHO WITH ARSON AND WILSON AND COLE.
AND, UH, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, WE ARE PREPARING THE CITYWIDE DRAINAGE STUDY FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND I'M HERE TO PROVIDE A PROJECT UPDATE OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
UH, YOU SHOULD ALL HAVE A, UH, A BOOKLET IN FRONT OF YOU THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW AS WELL.
TODAY I'LL BE PROVIDING YOU UPDATES ON THE OVERALL STATUS OF THE PROJECT, AS WELL AS PROVIDING A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL ALSO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'LL INCLUDE IN OUR FINAL REPORT.
WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR INTERNAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT ON THE ENTIRE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
THIS INCLUDED SURVEYING AND RESEARCH AND HISTORICAL DATA TO PROVIDE THE MOST ACCURATE AND COMPLETE COLLECTION OF THE CITY SYSTEM.
THE FINAL G I S SYSTEM WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY AS PART OF OUR FINAL PROJECT SUBMISSION.
THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM WAS BROKEN UP INTO 12 SEPARATE DRAINAGE AREAS AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 194 MILES OF PIPING.
WE HAVE DOCUMENTED 11,522 STRUCTURES, INCLUDING MANHOLES, INLETS, PIPE INTERSECTIONS, OUTFALLS AND MORE.
WE HAVE COLLECTED PICTURES, CONDITIONAL ASSESSMENTS, AND ELEVATION DATA FOR EVERY AS ASSET THAT COULD BE LOCATED AFTER THE SYSTEM WAS COMPLETE, WE FOCUSED OUR EFFORTS ON THE WEST SIDE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHICH WE UNDERSTAND HAS SEVERAL DRAINAGE ISSUES.
THIS AREA WAS EVALUATED USING ATLAS 14 RAINFALL DATA FOR FIVE YEAR, 10 YEAR, AND 25 YEAR STORM EVENTS.
A 25 YEAR STORM EVENT BEING THE MOST EXTREME.
A 25 YEAR STORM EVENT INCLUDES 12 AND A HALF INCHES OF RAINFALL.
OVER A 24 HOUR PERIOD, THERE IS ALMOST 21,000 LINEAR FEET OF PIPE THAT IS SMALLER THAN RECOMMENDED PIPE SIZE.
THESE PIPES ARE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN AND RESTRICT FLOW DURING HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS AND AIN'T GONNA GO BACK.
THERE ARE ALSO 70 MANHOLES IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT OR REHABILITATION.
THESE STRUCTURES ALLOW INFILTRATION FROM THE SATURATED SOLES, WHICH NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE OVERALL DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
AT A MINIMUM, THESE ISSUES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
THE RED LINE SHOWS THE OUTER LIMITS OF OUR INITIAL EXERCISE.
IT IS BOUNDED BY MARTIN LUTHER KING TO THE WEST, WEST 19TH STREET TO THE NORTH FORT WORTH TO THE EAST AND PROCTOR ON THE SOUTH.
THIS MAP SHOWS THE SIMULATED INUNDATION RESULTS FOR THE AREA NORTH OF JAMES GAMBLE.
THE BLUE COLORS INDICATE WATER DEPTHS LESS THAN A FOOT OF WATER, AND THE RED INDICATES DEPTHS THAT ARE MORE THAN A FOOT.
USING THESE RESULTS, WE EXAMINE THE SYSTEM FOR UNDERSIZED PIPES.
THESE PIPES WERE BECOMING SURCHARGED OR OVERCOME WITH WATER DURING SIMULATIONS.
SURCHARGE PIPES WERE EVALUATED BASED ON THEIR MAXIMUM FLOW DURING THESE SIMULATIONS AND THEIR CALCULATED POTENTIAL FLOW.
BASED ON THIS EVALUATION, MULTIPLE INTERNAL PROPOSALS WERE CREATED AND SIMULATED TO FIND THE MOST EFFICIENT UPGRADES FOR THIS AREA.
BASED ON THESE TRIALS, THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NORTHERN REGION.
THE GREEN SEGMENTS ARE PIPES THAT ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE ORANGE SEGMENTS ARE ADDITIONAL ASSETS TO BE INSTALLED.
THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD IN, WOULD CONNECT WEST 19TH TO TERMINAL ROAD AND WOULD PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL OUTLET FOR TEXAS AVENUE TO A MAIN TRUNK LINE LOCATED ON JAMES GAMBLE.
THIS MAP SHOWS THE SIMULATED RESULTS FOR A 25 YEAR EVENT USING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND INCLUDES UPSIZING ALL PIPES SMALLER THAN 18 INCH IN DIAMETER ON THE, SO THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE AREA, WE DID THE SAME ANALYSIS.
WE RECOMMEND REPLACING THE MAIN
[01:05:01]
TRUNK LINE ON WEST 19TH OR WEST NINTH STREET.AFTER UPGRADING THIS PORTION OF THE SYSTEM, THE RESULTS INDICATED A DRASTIC IMPROVEMENT FOR THE SOUTHERN AREA.
THIS SHOWS THE RESULTS OF THE ENTIRE WEST SIDE DOWNTOWN AREA BASED ON CURRENT CONDITIONS.
AND THIS SHOWS THE ANTICIPATED INUNDATION AFTER THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
HERE'S A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE CURRENT AND IMPROVED CONDITIONS.
THE DARK ORANGE LINES INDICATE WHERE THE WATER EXTENDS DURING CURRENT SIMULATIONS.
AND THE BLUE SHADED AREAS SHOW THE RESULTS AFTER IMPROVEMENTS.
OUR CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT THESE IMPROVEMENTS WOULD REDUCE THE WATER VOLUME WITHIN THIS AREA BY 25% OR APPROXIMATELY 9 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER.
THE REMAINING INUNDATION REMAINING IS CONTAINED MOSTLY IN STREETS, CHANNELS, OR LOW RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
AND THIS FINAL SLIDE SHOWS A COLLECTION OF THE OVERALL RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MANHOLES THAT I SHOWED EARLIER THAT NEED TO BE REHABBED OR REPLACED, OR THE PIPES THAT ARE LESS THAN 18 INCHES.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW A W C PLANS TO SHOW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT TRAINING AREAS THAT, THAT I SHOWED EARLIER.
LIKE I SAID, I WANNA DO A SHORT UPDATE ON WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS SINCE THE LAST TIME WE TALKED.
AND AT THIS TIME, I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
OKAY, LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT WEST 19TH.
YOU'RE GOING TO TIE WEST 19TH YOU, WHAT YOU GONNA DO? YOU GOING TO INCREASE, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEMS OVER THERE HAVE BEEN FLOODING.
AND YOU'RE GONNA TIE THAT IN THE TERMINAL ROAD.
YOU IS THAT'S GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
WELL, IT GIVES AN ADDITIONAL OUTPUT OUTLET FOR SOME OF THAT WATER TO GO.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS IF YOU JUST TIE IT IN NOW, THE, THE, THE PIPE THAT'S ON TERMINAL ROAD IS NOT ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THE FLOW.
IT'S UN IT'S UNDERSIZED IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S UNDERSIZED.
AND SO THE IDEA IS TO INCREASE THE SIZE ON WEST 19TH AND INCREASE THE SIZE ON TERMINAL ROAD.
SO EVERYTHING FROM TERMINAL, I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, SORRY.
BUT EVERYTHING FROM 19TH STREET WILL BE ABLE TO GO HAVE A LARGER PIPE DOWN TERMINAL ROAD AND A LARGER PIPE DOWN TEXAS AVENUE.
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE WAY TO THE PUMP STATION? ON, ON, ON PROCTOR, WEST PROCTOR? THAT, THAT'S A, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE RESERVOIR IS AT? YES, SIR.
THE, THE, THE CANAL THERE CAN HANDLE THE FLOW.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING IT TO THAT CANAL.
AND NOW WHAT KIND OF TIMEFRAME ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AS FAR AS DOING THE WORK, GETTING THE WORK DONE? SO OUR PROJECT IS TO COME UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE TO BE DESIGNED.
I BELIEVE THAT, THAT THERE'S ALREADY SOME TALK ABOUT HOW THAT'S GONNA GET DESIGNED AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
MY, MY PORTION WAS TO COME UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I, I, I CAN'T REALLY ANSWER THAT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M, I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE WE HAD ALL THIS HOT WEATHER AND IF WE DON'T GET A HARD, SOME, A HARD FREEZE OR SOME SUBSTANTIAL COLD WEATHER, WE GO IN THE NEXT SUMMER, ALL THAT HEAT'S GONNA STILL BE IN THE GULF AND WE GONNA HAVE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS. YES, SIR.
AND, UH, AND EVERY TIME HE AT WEST 19TH STREET, WE, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA GET THIS THING DONE.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN PROMISING THOSE PEOPLE DOWN THERE.
WE WE'RE GOING TO GET, WE WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE THAT FLOODING PROBLEM.
AND I THINK YOU HAVE THE SOLUTION, BUT, SO, BUT I WANT, MY CONCERN WAS, WELL I HAD, I HAD ANOTHER CONCERN I BROUGHT UP TO YOU ALL ABOUT DIRECTIONAL DRILLING FROM WEST 19TH STREET TO TO, TO THE WALLOW DITCH.
IT WOULDN'T REQUIRE NO PUMPING OR NOTHING.
SO YOU ALL SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF DOING THAT.
HE, I THINK, UH, IT, UH, HE TOLD ME IT COULD TAKE ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE, UH, THE RAILROAD TO DRILL UNDER THE RAILROAD TRACK AND UNDER THE PARKING LOT AND, AND HIT Z WALLO DITCH.
THAT WOULD BE A NATURAL GRAVITY FLOW.
BUT I'M NOT SAYING NOT TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I, I NEED FOR YOU TO TAKE THOSE THINGS IN CONSIDERATION BECAUSE THAT'S A, THAT IS A LONG WAYS AWAY PUMPING THE WEST 19TH TO WEST PROCTOR.
AND YOU, YOU, YOU GOT ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS BUT, BUT WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO IS YOU'RE GOING TO TIE IT INTO THE, INTO THAT COVER, THAT DITCH ON, ON, ON M L K.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
AND, AND THE MAIN REASON IS 'CAUSE THAT THAT PUMP STATION IS DESIGNED TO HANDLE THAT WATER IF YOU GET IT, TO GET IT, IF YOU CAN GET IT THERE.
AS LONG AS WE CAN GET IT THERE, CORRECT.
[01:10:01]
OKAY.AND AS WE, AND AS WE MOVE INTO THE DIFFERENT AREAS, THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER POTENTIAL THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA RUN AND TRY TO FIND OUT IS THAT ACTUALLY SOLVE SOME OF THAT PROBLEM AS WELL.
SO THIS GOING, YOU GOING UPGRADE THE PIPING FROM 19TH STREET ALL THE WAY TO THE, THE CONCRETE LINING ON M L K? YES SIR.
WHAT SIZE YOU GOING? YOU, YOU GONNA BE GOING TO, IT'S A 60 INCH R PIPE NOW IT'S A SIX INCH PIPE.
I THINK CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IT HAS, UH, DIFFERENT AREAS.
THAT'LL, THAT'LL MOVE A LOT OF WATER.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED OFF OF WHAT SIZE IS THERE, SO THAT WAY IT'LL ACTUALLY FIT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE CAN OBVIOUSLY JUST COME UP WITH SOMETHING REALLY LARGE, BUT, UH, WE CAN'T OVERSIZE MUCH MORE THAN WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, YOUR PRESENTATION.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVEN'T COMPLETED, UM, THE STUDY AS OF YET, BUT AS YOU HAVE BEEN DOING IT RELATIVE TO THE OTHER AREAS IN THE CITY, DO YOU, HAVE YOU FOUND, UM, THE SAME KIND OF, UM, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, THE, THE SAME KIND OF DISPARITY? OR IS THE WEST SIDE PERHAPS, UH, THE WORST OF THE AREAS THAT YOU'VE LOOKED AT COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING, UH, TO THE REST OF THE CITY? SO UNTIL, UH, ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST IS WHEN WE FINALLY COMPLETED GETTING EVERYTHING INTO THE SYSTEM TO WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY START ANALYZING EACH SYSTEM.
AND WE WERE DIRECTED THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO SHOW WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO GET AND HOW ARE WE TRYING TO GET.
SO TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I HAVEN'T RERAN ALL OF THE OTHER ONES TO GET A CURRENT SITUATION.
I KNEW THIS WAS ONE WHERE FUNDS WERE BEING PREPARED.
UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF COMPLAINTS AND SO WE FOCUSED OUR EFFORTS AS FAR AS GETTING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, THE NEXT STEP IS FOR US TO GO BACK IN AND START DOING ALL THE CURRENT CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY SO THAT WE CAN START DOING THE SAME THING ON EACH ONE OF THEM AS WELL.
WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOME, WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS A, A VERY, UM, UM, A VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEM THERE ON 19TH STREET 'CAUSE WE'D BEEN LOOKING AT THAT AND WE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, GRAVITY WAS CAUSING WATER FROM, UM, MOTIVA, WHETHER IT WAS GRAVITY OR WHETHER IT WAS PUMPING THAT WAS GOING ON.
UH, THAT WAS AS WELL CREATING THE SITUATION, UH, ON THE WEST SIDE AS WELL.
HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING, UH, THAT WOULD LEAVE YOU TO BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS AN ISSUE AS WELL? I KNOW THAT THE, THE MAIN THING AFTER I DO IS ONCE I'VE GOTTEN WHERE I HAVE A GOOD CURRENT CONDITION, I HATE TO SAY IT THAT WAY, BUT I REALLY KIND OF NEED A GOOD RAINFALL TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND KIND OF COMPARE IT TO AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE APPLES TO APPLES.
UM, IF, IF IT GETS REVIEWED AND IT'S SAYING, NO, WE'RE GETTING MORE WATER IN THIS AREA, THEN IT HELPS ME TRY TO FIGURE THAT, THAT ANSWER OUT.
BUT WITH WHAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW, UH, I'VE RAN SOME TO WHERE I'M KIND OF ADDING WATER IN AND KIND OF SEEING HOW IT CHANGES.
AND SO I HAVE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS, BUT I'M TRYING TO DO IT AS IF WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.
UH, AND SO THAT WAY I CAN GET YOU THE RIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND IF THAT'S NOT WORKING, THEN WE KNOW THERE MAY BE SOME OUTSIDE SOURCE THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE.
DO WE HAVE A, A PROJECT MANAGEMENT SCHEDULED FOR THIS CITYWIDE PROJECT? SO MY GOAL HAS BEEN FROM THE BEGINNING OR SINCE LAST COUNCILMAN WAS TO, TO TRY TO FINISH BY THE END OF THE YEAR TO BE ABLE TO GET YOU ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE TO DO A FINAL REPORT THAT IT'LL NEED TO BE SUBMITTED AND REVIEWED AS WELL.
I'M STILL OPERATING IN THE IDEA THAT I CAN GET ALL THIS DONE BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGHOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT 12 AREAS.
SO DO WE HAVE A CONTRACT FOR YOU ALL TO DO THIS PLAN? OKAY.
A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IN THAT Y'ALL SUBMITTED A SCHEDULE, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
OKAY, WELL THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.
CAN YOU, UH, GET ME A COPY OF THE SCHEDULE? SO WHEN WE DO THE UPDATES, IT'S, UH, WE KEEPING UP WITH THE SCHEDULE? 'CAUSE ONE OF THE THING I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN WE CONTRACT, WE HAVE A SCHEDULE AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO STAY ON THE SCHEDULE.
WE NEED WORK DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO, UH, IN THE NEXT TIME, UH, YOU COME, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A COPY, SEE THE MATTER BEFORE THEY COME BACK FOR AN UPDATE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR.
WHERE ARE WE IN RESPECT TO WHAT WE CONTRACTED FOR? THAT'S WHAT I CONSIDER THE UPDATE, SIR.
[01:15:01]
OKAY.COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? YES.
JUST BRIEFLY, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT, UH, THE, THE GREEN THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE ALL NEW PIPING YOU'RE GONNA BE PUTTING IN? YES, SIR.
THE IDEA WOULD BE TO REPLACE WHAT'S THERE? UH, WELL, THAT 17TH, 17TH, 18 19TH AND THAT AVENUE.
WHAT AVENUE IS THAT? WHICH ONE ARE YOU, WHICH ONE ARE YOU REFERRING TO? YOU SEE WHERE YOU GOT THE 30, WHERE YOU GOT THE TWO 18 INCH LINES? A 36 INCH.
UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EAST OF, UH, TEXAS AVENUE.
THAT'D BE EAST OF TEXAS AVENUE.
THE THE 2 36 INCH PIPES THAT ARE THERE ARE ON TEXAS AVENUE, YOU KNOW, RE OKAY.
AND THEN WE HAVE THERE, UH, OUR SIMULATIONS, WHICH I CAN GO BACK TO SLIDES, THERE WAS A LOT OF ADDITIONAL WATER THAT WAS IN THAT AREA.
SO THAT'S 19TH, 18TH AND 17TH STREET.
BUT BY, BY YOU ALL DOING THAT, THAT'S GONNA GET RID OF THAT HEADER PRESSURE.
YOU, YOU HAD A, YOU THE 19TH STREET, 1718 19TH STREET WAS THE, THE LAST ONE THAT WOULD DRAIN, YOU KNOW, IT DON'T TELL 'EM WHAT, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF HEAD OF PRESSURE, WHAT KIND OF PROBLEM THEY RUNNING INTO, BUT, BUT WHAT I, I'M ENCOURAGED TO SEE WHAT YOU, THIS NEW INSULATION IT IS GOING, IT, IT'S GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO GIVE THOSE PEOPLE ON THE WEST SIDE 19TH STREET A WHOLE LOT OF RELIEF.
AND, AND IT'S NOT BUCKING A HEAD OF PRESSURE GOING DOWN ON TERMINAL ROAD, CORRECT? MM-HMM.
I MEAN, AND THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S EASY TO, TO SAY, WELL, THIS PIPE'S NOT BIG ENOUGH AND, AND TRY TO MAKE IT LARGER, BUT YOU GOTTA, YOU KNOW, THE WATER GOES SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE, THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF THE SIMULATION.
WELL, IT'S THE GOOD OF THE SIMULATIONS YOU START SEEING, WHAT DOES THAT AFFECT DOWNSTREAM? SO THIS IS, THIS IS NOT ONE ITERATION OF JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, I CAN TELL THIS.
IT'S, IT'S SEVERAL OF, OKAY, WELL WHEN I CHANGE THIS, WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE REST OF THE SYSTEM? UM, AND IT'S EXACTLY LIKE THAT AS FAR AS 19TH, GIVEN IT AN EXTRA WAY FOR WATER TO GO OUT AND WE REANALYZED TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE OVERALL SYSTEM? OKAY.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE I'M GONNA DRINK? NO, SIR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[III.E.(1) A Discussion Regarding Pleasure Island, Status Of Repairs To Piers, Other Ongoing And Future Projects, Potential To Restore The Golf Course, Public Use Of The Club Hours, Yacht Club, Etc. (Requested By Councilmember Beckcom)]
NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH WILL BE ON PAGE UH, TWO, UH, WHICH IS, UH, THERE AREN'T ANY CORRESPONDENCE ON DISCUSSIONS.AND FIRST WE HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING PLEASURE ISLAND, STATUS OF REPAIRS TO PEERS, OTHER ONGOING AND FUTURE PROJECTS, POTENTIAL TO RESTORE THE, UH, GOLF COURSE, PUBLIC USE OF THE CLUB HOURS, I SHOULD SAY, UH, YACHT CLUB, ET CETERA.
THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILWOMAN BECKHAM.
UM, JUST ONE BRIEF CORRECTION THAT SHOULD SAY PUBLIC USE OF THE CLUBHOUSE.
UM, SO THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF, KIND OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS THAT I'VE SEEN RECENTLY.
I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME OUT AT THE ISLAND.
UM, THE FIRST ONE THAT I LIST THE STATUS OF RE OF REPAIRS TO THE PIERS.
THERE ARE SOME FISHING PIERS THAT ARE JUST IN TERRIBLE DISREPAIR.
UM, I THINK IT'S A LIABILITY TO THE CITY.
UH, THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE, THERE WERE CHILDREN JUMPING FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND THERE'S EXPOSED PIECES OF METAL.
UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST A REAL PROBLEM.
SO I'D LIKE TO START WITH THAT.
IF OUR CITY MANAGER HAS ANY INFORMATION FOR US ON THE STATUS OF REPAIR TO THE FISHING PIERS, COUNCILOR BECKHAM, UM, LET ME CALL GEORGE AND JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE.
WHICH FISH AND PIERS ARE YOU REFERRING TO? UH, THE ONES THAT ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE, WHERE THE CONDOMINIUMS ARE, THERE'S SOME FISHING PIERS THAT GO OUT TOWARDS WHERE THE JETTY IS.
UM, I SPOKE WITH, UM, AN ENGINEER AND I, I CAN EMAIL IT TO YOU GUYS, UM, TO REPAIR THE, THE PIERS YOU'RE SPEAKING OF IS ESTIMATED $1.5 MILLION.
UM, THAT WOULD INTEL THE BULKHEAD, THE CONCRETE FINGER PIERS, AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE BOAT RAMP ITSELF.
SO IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO, UM, GET SOME TYPE OF FUNDS TO REPAIR THAT, I'M, I'M FINE WITH IT.
SO IS THIS EVEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN CONTEMPLATED? WELL, UM, ONE OF MY BOARD MEMBERS ACTUALLY CAME TO THE OFFICE MAYBE ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND I TOLD HER THAT WE DIDN'T BUDGET FOR IT FOR THIS, UM, FISCAL YEAR.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOK INTO.
UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CLUBHOUSE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S POWER, THERE'S WATER TO THE CLUBHOUSE, BUT IT'S NOT BEING USED.
UM, THE PARKING LOT ISN'T A D A ACCESSIBLE, BUT I AM SPEAKING WITH ENTERGY.
I HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW WITH THE GENTLEMAN THAT CAME TO THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, UM, DESHAUN.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON THE LIGHTING ALL THE WAY, UM, WELL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ISLAND, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THE LIGHTING IN THE PARKING LOT AS WELL AS THE, UH, STREET
[01:20:01]
BACK THERE TO THE CLUBHOUSE.BUT WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE PARKING LOT AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S NOT A D A ACCESSIBLE.
WELL, IF IT'S NOT BEING USED RIGHT NOW, WHY ARE WE SPENDING THE MONEY TO HAVE ELECTRICITY AND WATER TO THE PROPERTY? I MEAN, NOBODY'S USING IT, RIGHT? YEAH.
WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY BILLS ANYWAY.
WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR IT? WELL, ONCE WE DO GET THESE THINGS FIXED, WE WILL RENT IT OUT AS I THINK COUNCILMAN FRANK AND I, UH, DISCUSSED AT A PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING.
RENT IT OUT FOR PRIVATE PARTIES.
IF IT'S BABY SHOWERS, WEDDINGS, WHATEVER.
UM, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE BID PROCESS FOR THE YACHT CLUB? UM, WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? I SPOKE WITH THE PURCHASING MANAGER THIS MORNING.
WE HAVE, UM, RECEIVED THREE BIDS AND THEY WERE GRADED, BUT I HAVEN'T SPOKEN WITH HIM SINCE THEN.
IT'LL BE ON THE NEXT AGENDA FOR YOU GUYS TO ACCEPT THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
SO THE, THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING THAT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA? YES.
UH, NOW THE PARKS MEETING THAT WE HAD LAST WEEK, I SAW SOME MOCKUPS OF WHAT, UM, THEIR PROPOSAL IS FOR SOME OF THE AREAS LOGAN PARK ON, ON PLEASURE ISLAND, AND ONE OF THEM IS THE, THE GOLF COURSE.
NO, THERE WAS ACTUALLY SOMETHING IN THE GOLF COURSE.
THEY'RE WANTING TO TAKE THE CART PATH AND MAKE IT INTO A BIKING TRAIL.
YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT? NO.
UM, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MS. ALPO ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE PICTURES THAT THEY SHOWED WERE NOT PICTURES OF THE ACTUAL CART PATH
YOU, YOU WEREN'T AWARE THAT THERE'S THAT PROPOSAL? WELL, AT THE END OF THE DAY, RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE, UM, THE BIRD BLIND IN THAT SECTION, AND WE HAVE SIGNS THAT TELL PEOPLE BEWARE, UM, OF ANIMALS BACK THERE.
'CAUSE CURRENTLY, UM, AND I DO, I CAN GET YOU THIS INFORMATION AS WELL.
THE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND WILDLIFE, WELL, WE HAVE THIS GUY, MR. DAVIS, WHO'S BEEN COMING OUT TO HUNT THE HOGS, AND HE GAVE ME A, UM, A SPREADSHEET BASICALLY THAT TELLS ME THEY'VE KILLED OVER 200 HOGS IN THAT SAME AREA.
SO IT, IT, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT ON OUR, UM, LIST TO DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW WITH THE GOLF COURSE AS WELL AS I SPOKE WITH, UM, ONE OF THE ENGINEERS WHO'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE GOLF COURSE FROM, UM, HURRICANE HARVEY, UM, EXCUSE ME, HURRICANE IKE MM-HMM.
AND HE SAID THEY SPENT OVER $500,000 ON PUTTING PUMPS AND UM, UM, A SYSTEM OUT THERE THAT THEY NEVER USED TO DATE.
AND HE SAID THAT IF WE WOULD'VE TRIED TO PUT THAT SAME SYSTEM OUT THERE, IT'LL BE THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF THAT, BECAUSE THAT WAS FROM, UH, 15 YEARS AGO.
AND ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE HAVE WITH THE GOLF COURSE IS THE EROSION ON THE BACKSIDE.
WE'VE LOST SOME HOLES TO EROSION.
WHO'S MAINTAINING THE CART PATH RIGHT NOW? UH, MY, MY CREW MAINTAINS IT.
SO THEY GO OUT THERE AND BRUSH HOG, WHAT, ONCE A MONTH OR SOMETHING? UM, TWICE A MONTH.
EVERY OTHER WEEK IS OUR GRASS CUTTING SCHEDULE.
MY QUESTION IS THOUGH, WHY ARE WE MAINTAINING THAT? IF IT'S NOT, IF IT'S NOT BEING USED, IF IT'S NOT GONNA BE USED, IT'S NOT GONNA BE REHABBED FOR ANYTHING.
WHY? WHY ARE WE SPENDING THE MONEY ON THAT? WELL, IT'S JUST A PART OF US MAINTAINING AN ISLAND IN, IN GENERAL.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
COUNCILMAN ETT? YES, THE CLUBHOUSE.
IN 2019, I THINK IT WAS, WE APPROVED THE RENOVATION OF THAT CLUBHOUSE APPROVED THE FUNDING AND EVERYTHING IN 2019.
MY QUESTION IS, WHY HAVEN'T THAT FACILITY BEEN RENOVATE OR WHATEVER IT NEEDED TO BE DONE? WHY HAVEN'T WE DONE THAT TODAY SO THAT CITIZENS CAN USE IT FOR THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT? I WANT TO KNOW WHY HASN'T IT BEEN DONE? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I I DIDN'T HAVE A POSITION IN 2019, SO THE ONLY THING THAT I UNDERSTOOD WAS I THINK THEY HAD A HUNDRED, MAYBE 130,000.
THEY SAID THEY WENT BACK THERE AND, UM, THEY DID PURCHASE SOME THINGS FOR THE INSIDE OF IT, BUT, UM, AS FAR AS WHERE THEY ARE CURRENTLY WITH IT IS THE PARKING LOT AND THE LIGHTING, IT'S THE ONLY THING IT NEEDS RIGHT NOW.
DID WE PUT MONEY INTO THE BUDGET FOR THIS COMMON YEAR? I PUT MONEY IN THERE FOR LIGHTNING.
SO WE HAVE MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR THAT TO BE DONE.
AND WE GONNA GET THAT DONE AND WE'RE GONNA GET THIS CLUB HOUSE.
WE'RE GONNA GET IT SO THAT CITIZENS CAN START
[01:25:02]
RENTING IT OR, UH, GETTING IT WHAT RESERVED.WELL, ONLY OTHER THING ELSE WE HAVE TO DO IS A PARKING LOT.
AND I DIDN'T PUT MONEY IN THERE FOR THE PARKING LOT.
WE GOTTA TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAD THIS IN 2019 AND IT WAS A BIG DEAL FOR US.
WE WANT THE CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ANOTHER FACILITY THAT THEY COULD RENT THAT'S NICE AND AFFORDABLE.
SO WHAT WE NEED, AND WE NEED TO HAVE THAT AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
I, AND I REQUEST, UH, CITY MANAGER IF YOU CAN, HOW ABOUT TAKING A LOOK AT THAT, GETTING WITH, UH, MR. DAVIS AND, AND FIND OUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET THIS PLACE OPEN AND FUNCTIONING.
THAT'S A PRETTY DECENT BUILDING.
AND WE DONE ALREADY PUT MONEY INTO IT.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS A COUNCIL TO GET THAT BUILDING FIXED FOR CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO USE IT AND MOST QUICKLY.
AND I ASK THAT YOU ALL PLEASE TRY TO GIVE US SOME INFORMATION, IF POSSIBLE, THE NEXT MEETING.
IF, IF YOU GOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT, THEN I'LL THEN, BUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE CITY MANAGERS, HOW ABOUT TRYING TO GIVE US SOMETHING THAT'S VERY POSSIBLE.
BECAUSE THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
THE, THE, THE THING IS THE, THE, UM, THE ISLAND IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND, LIKE, UH, EVERY OTHER ENTERPRISE FUND.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
BUT WE WILL BRING THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
THE, IT'S THERE, WE HAVE THE INFORMATION, IT'S AVAILABLE.
BUT THE ONLY REASON I SAID THAT, LIKE I SAY, I DON'T EVER TRY TO TELL PEOPLE HOW TO DO THINGS OR WHAT TO DO, BUT WHEN I TAKE A LOOK AT US GETTING $200,000 AND WE DOING THE SCIENCE, WE DOING SCIENCE MM-HMM.
NOW I'M TALKING ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES.
SO WHEN I SEE US DOING THIS, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE NEED, THEN, YOU KNOW, NOW I'M STARTING TO QUESTION WHY WE HERE.
SO LIKE I SAID, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW SKIN THE CAT, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE WOULD, AND I, I, I APPRECIATE IT.
IF YOU COULD JUST TAKE A LOOK AT GET, GETTING SOMETHING TO COME, GIVE US AN IDEA ON WHEN THIS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE CITIZENS.
GIVE THE CITIZENS AN IDEA ON WHAT WE GONNA DO WITH THE BUILDING AND MAKE THAT A PRIORITY TO PUT OUR CITIZENS IN THERE.
A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, MR. DAVIS PROVIDED A PRESENTATION, A VERY DETAILED PRESENTATION OF THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON, ON THE ISLAND, INCLUDING WHAT THE GOALS WERE FOR THE ISLAND, IF POSSIBLE, COULD YOU HAVE MR. DAVIS, IF YOU DON'T MIND, TO PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THAT PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH YOUR, UM, PRESENTATION NOTES? OKAY.
FOR THOSE WHO WEREN'T HERE YET, SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THE UPDATES AND THE, THE PLANS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLAY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO FOR THE $200,000 THAT WAS RECENTLY SPOKE OF, IT WAS GIFTED.
SO WE CANNOT CHOOSE WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THAT $200,000.
SO YES, WE CAN LET COMPANIES KNOW, LET ORGANIZATIONS KNOW WHAT OUR GOALS ARE, AND ASK FOR MONEY SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE THINGS.
HOWEVER, THAT WASN'T THE CASE.
SHANIE GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED THIS FUNDING.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THE FUNDING, BUT WE DID NOT HAVE A CHOICE AS TO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THAT $200,000.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS ON THE RECORD.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU ARE PUTTING IN ON THE ISLAND, MR. DAVIS, AND TO LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A REVIEW OF THAT PRESENTATION.
COUNCILMAN BECKHAM, YOU HAVE SOMETHING.
UH, THAT KIND OF BEGS THE QUESTION THEN, IF WE'VE GOT THESE REPAIRS TO PEERS THAT NEED TO BE MADE, BECAUSE THAT IS A LIABILITY TO THE CITY.
IF Y'ALL HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE TO SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, CHILDREN ARE GONNA GET HURT OUT THERE THAT IT'S A LIABILITY.
IF, IF WE CAN ASK FOR FUNDING FROM MOTIVA OR VALERO OR WHOEVER TO HELP US WITH THAT, THEN I SUGGEST THAT WE DO THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S A, A BIG ISSUE.
AND THERE'S ONE OTHER THING THAT, THAT CAME UP ACTUALLY ON FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT ONTO THIS, THIS LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAD.
WHAT ARE THE HOURS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THE NEW PARK? UM, REGULAR.
[01:30:01]
THE PARK.I WAS, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING ON WHY IT'S BEING LOCKED NOW MM-HMM.
WELL, THERE'S BEEN CHILDREN OUT THERE PLAYING ON IT.
WELL, YOU COULD ASK MY, UH, MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR, PEOPLE JUST PULL THE STUFF OFF THE GATE AND OPEN IT UP.
YEAH, ONE THING, UM, WE, WE WORKED ON SOME, UM, BOAT LAUNCHES AND ALL OF THAT, UH, IN SABINE PASS.
RIGHT? UH, AND WE HAD THAT FIXED.
THERE MAY BE SOME GRANT MONEY THAT WE CAN, UH, GO AFTER, UM, TO GET, UH, THOSE PEERS, UH, FIXED.
THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO, UH, FOR THAT.
AND SO, UM, UH, PROBABLY WE CAN RESEARCH AND LOOK TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME MONIES AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
WELL, CURRENTLY WE DO HAVE, UM, A PLANNING GRANT FOR THE PARKING LOT AT THE BOAT LAUNCH THAT SHE'S SPEAKING OF.
AND THE ENGINEER THAT'S WORKING WITH US STATED THAT HE'S ALREADY TALKED TO TEXAS PARK AND WILDLIFE AND ASKED THEM IF SOME MONEY DOES COME AVAILABLE BEFORE A PROJECT LIKE THIS, WOULD THEY LET 'EM KNOW.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT, UH, PRESENTATION.
[III.E.(2) A Discussion Regarding An Update On The Progress Of Code Enforcement (Requested By Councilmember Beckcom)]
ITEM.WE ARE, UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO IS A DISCUSSION REGARDING AN UPGRADE TO THE PROGRESS OF CODE ENFORCEMENT REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN BECKHAM.
SO THIS AGENDA ITEM ACTUALLY WAS GONNA BE CHANGED AND IT DIDN'T QUITE MAKE, UH,
UH, WELL, YOU WERE IN THAT MEETING WITH US, WEREN'T YOU? YES, MA'AM.
UH, SO THERE'S A QUESTION, AND I'M GLAD THAT OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, SUPERVISOR IS HERE.
UH, THERE'S SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE ALLOWED TO ISSUE CITATIONS.
AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION IN A MEETING ABOUT THAT.
THE ISSUE CAME UP, UH, MS. DINO SENT ME A COUPLE OF DOCUMENTS.
THERE'S A, UM, PROPOSED CHANGES TO SOME ORDINANCES WITH, IN REGARD TO THAT AND SOME INFORMATION THAT SHE SENT ME FROM T M L.
SO I WANTED TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION IN THE OPEN MEETING SO THAT OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, BECAUSE I THINK THEY'VE GOTTEN A DIFFERENT VERSION OF WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT IN THE MEETING EARLIER LAST WEEK.
SO CAN YOU EXPOUND ON THAT? YES, MA'AM.
THE, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM HAVING PARTICIPATED IN THE DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THIS OR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MAY ISSUE A NOTICE OF A VIOLATION TO GIVE PERSPECTIVE, UH, TO GIVE HOMEOWNERS OR PROPERTY OWNERS THE OPPOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT A CONDITION BEFORE THEY ARE SUMMONED TO COURT.
THEREAFTER, IF THE CONDITION IS NOT CORRECTED DURING A PERIOD OF TIME, TWO WEEKS OR HOWEVER LONG THEY'LL GIVE THEM, THEN THEY MAY GO TO MUNICIPAL COURT AND FILE A COMPLAINT AND THE MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE WILL SUMMON THAT INDIVIDUAL TO COURT.
AND SO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD IN THE MEETING WHERE IF A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER HAD TAKEN AND PASSED THE TEST AND THEY WERE A LICENSED ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UH, THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO WRITE CITATIONS, THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT THE CASE.
IS THAT CORRECT? WITH RE, WITH RESPECT TO CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TAKING THE EXAMS AND ISSUING CITATIONS, I HONESTLY CANNOT GIVE YOU AN OPINION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY MAY ISSUE CITATIONS.
A CITATION ORDINARILY IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE BY A LICENSED PEACE OFFICER.
IN THIS INSTANCE, A POLICE OFFICER, I'VE NEVER KNOWN THAT A, A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WOULD HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
THE CONCERN IS WHETHER OR NOT THIS MIGHT BE SOME 1983 GIVES RISE TO SOME 1983 ACTION.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS THE CONCERN THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO ISSUE CITATIONS DO NOT CARRY WEAPONS.
THEY DON'T CARRY, THEY'RE NOT LICENSED PEACE OFFICERS WHO MAY CARRY GODS.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHERE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED AND ARE MURDERED, BUT ATTEMPTED TO ISSUE CITATIONS.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS THAT CONCERN AS WELL.
DON'T ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS AND SANITATION OFFICERS KIND OF FALL INTO THAT SAME CATEGORY? I KNOW THAT THEY IN FACT, UH, OBVIOUSLY PICK UP ANIMALS, UM, AND A PERSON IS IN FACT TOLD WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO RECOVER THEIR ANIMALS.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY NECESSARILY, UH, ISSUED A CITATION TO A APPEAR IN MUNICIPAL COURT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS OFTENTIMES OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS HAVE TO, IN FACT SEEK, SEEK A WARRANT TO OBTAIN OR TO GO AND GET ANIMALS UNLESS THEY HAVE SOME OTHER EX EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCE OPERATING.
SO THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU SENT ME THAT IS THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE, IS THAT GONNA COVER CODE ENFORCEMENT ANIMAL CONTROL, SANITATION, IS THAT CORRECT? IT WOULD CONT IT WOULD, UH, COVER CHAPTER 10 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES IN CHAPTER 34, WHICH
[01:35:01]
WOULD BE ANIMAL CONTROL AND CODE ENFORCEMENT.SO THE POSITION NOW, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR BECAUSE WHAT MS. DARLENE THOMAS PIERRE UNDERSTOOD, AND WHAT MR. BROWN UNDERSTOOD IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT IN OUR MEETING.
AND IT'S EVEN DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU HAD SENT ME.
SO I JUST, I WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AND WHAT THEIR, UH, WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO AS FAR AS ARE THEY WRITING CITATIONS? ARE THEY GIVEN NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE? YES.
SO WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING THERE, HAD TO TAKE SOME MEDICATION.
THAT'S, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING HERE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
UM, SO BASICALLY IN OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES, WE'VE OFTEN TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE WRITING CITATION, BUT AS JOSEPH, UH, MR. SANDERS STATED, UH, IT'S BEEN RECOMMENDED BY T M L AND SOME GUIDANCE THAT WE HAD AND ABOUT THE LAST YEAR, THAT WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING A CITATION, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT A POLICE OFFICER SHOULD DO.
UM, THERE'S PROVISIONS OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND THE TRANSPORTATION CODE BECAUSE A PERSON IS, WHEN THEY RECEIVE A CITATION, AND I HOPE I'M NOT BEING REPETITIVE TO WHAT YOU SAID, THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE BEING TOLD TO APPEAR IN COURT THIS DAY.
IF THEY DON'T SHOW UP IN COURT THAT DAY, THEY CAN BE ARRESTED.
AND THE GUIDANCE OF THE, IN THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE IS THAT THAT'S SOMETHING TO MAKE SOMEONE APPEAR IN COURT IS SOMETHING THAT A PIECE A, A ACTUAL LICENSE PEACE OFFICER OR A JUDGE CAN DO.
SO WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS, AND I HAVE SOME, UM, I DID YEAH, GET A CHANCE TO SEND THIS TO YOU AND I'LL SEND IT TO COUNSEL, BECAUSE A POLICE ONLY A PEACE OFFICER CAN ARREST A PERSON ACCUSED OF COMMITTING A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
THE MOST CONSERVATIVE ADVICE IS THAT ONLY A PEACE OFFICER CERTIFIED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT IS AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE A CITATION, COMPELLING A PERSON TO APPEAR IN COURT ON A CERTAIN DAY.
AND SO, UM, JUST THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE AFTER KIND OF GOING OVER THIS IS THAT, UH, IT STATES THAT MANY CITIES, INCLUDING CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS, THEY DO HAVE THE POWER TO ISSUE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
SO BASICALLY THAT'S THE ORDINANCE THAT I'M GONNA PROPOSE TO UPDATE IN CHAPTER 10.
AND CHAPTER 34 WILL ALLOW THEM TO ISSUE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO A CITATION, BUT THEY DON'T, THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE THEM TO APPEAR IN COURT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THEY GET A NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
UH, THEY MIGHT SAY, YOU NEED, YOU HAVE 10 DAYS TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM.
IF NOT, THEN THEY CAN GO TO MUNICIPAL COURT, FILE A SWORN AFFIDAVIT, AND THEN THE JUDGE WILL COMMAND THEM TO APPEAR IN COURT.
AND YOU, YOU BASICALLY ARE NOW FALLING IN PLACE WITH THE SAME PROCESS OF A CITATION.
WE DID HAVE THAT IN THE CODE AND WE KIND OF WRESTLED BACK AND FORTH WITH THAT.
UM, I GUESS IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO THAT WE UPDATED THAT.
AND THE GUIDANCE IS BECAUSE IT'S AN ARRESTABLE TYPE SITUATION, THEY ONLY WANT THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND IT SAYS IN HERE, LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE T M L PAPER AND WE HAD A CLASS, IT SAYS, THE MOST CONSERVATIVE ADVICE IS TO GO AHEAD AND IF SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE ARRESTED, CALL A POLICE OFFICER.
BUT FOR VIOLATIONS LIKE THIS, DO THE NOTICE, GIVE THEM WHATEVER AMOUNT OF DAYS THE OFFICER DEEMS REASONABLE.
IT COULD BE THREE DAYS, IT COULD BE 10 DAYS.
AND THEN IF IT'S NOT IN COMPLIANCE FILE THAT AFFIDAVIT, THE JUDGE WILL SUMMONS THEM AND THEN THEY COME TO COURT AND BE DEALT WITH IN THE SAME MANNER AS IN A CITATION.
AND, AND HAVE YOU COMMUNICATED THIS CLEARLY TO, TO MS. THOMAS PIERRE? I HAVE SPOKEN IN DETAIL WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF, AND, UH, WE HAVE COMMUNICATED THE T T M L PAPERS TO THEM, BUT WE DO HAVE A DRAFT.
I CAN ACTUALLY PASS IT OUT AND WE'LL UPDATE CHAPTER 34 AND CHAPTER 10, BECAUSE THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION ON HOW THIS SHOULD BE DONE.
BUT, BUT THAT IS MOST DEFINITELY OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY, UH, PERFORM A NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
AND WITHOUT TAKING UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, I DO WANNA KIND OF JUMP ON WHAT MR. SANDERS WAS SAYING.
THERE HAD BEEN SOME INCIDENTS, UH, IN CITIES WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE WEREN'T THERE AND THEN, UH, IT, IT TURNED INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
SO THAT'S WHY THE RECOMMENDATION HAS GONE FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO SAY, HEY, LET ME GIVE YOU THIS NOTICE.
AND THEN A JUDGE WILL, UH, MAKE A SUMMON YOU TO APPEAR IN COURT.
AND IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE SUMMONS, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE, THE PERSON WOULD HAVE A WARRANT FOR THE ARREST.
BUT IT TAKES THEM OUT OF THE POSITION OF BEING IN A LAW ENFORCEMENT SITUATION.
AND, BUT IF THEY DO THINK THE SITUATION IS DANGEROUS, THEY CAN'T ALWAYS HAVE AN OFFICER APPEAR WITH THEM.
SO, UM, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO, UH, WE, I HAVE COPIES THAT I CAN PASS OUT TONIGHT OF THE CHANGES THAT WE WANT
[01:40:01]
TO MAKE.SO IT'S JUST MORE OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION THAT WE TAKE THIS DIRECTIVE FROM T M L.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, WHY DON'T WE, SINCE THAT'S, IT'S GOING TO END UP WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ENFORCING OR THE COURTS, WHY DON'T WE TRANSFER THE CODE ENFORCEMENT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, PUT A POLICE OFFICER IN THE CODE, CODE ENFORCEMENT? WELL, I THINK BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO, UH, HOW MANY OFFICERS THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
BUT I THINK DUE TO THE VOLUME OF IT, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE REALLY WELL TRAINED ON HOW TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES.
AND REALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CODE ENFORCEMENT, THIS IS MY PERSPECTIVE FROM STUDYING THIS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC, AND IF A PERSON HAS A VIOLATION, THE REAL ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO HAVE THE CITIZEN CORRECTED.
RIGHT? SO WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT, I THINK IT'S GOOD.
THEY'RE VERY WELL TRAINED ON ALL THESE ASPECTS FOR THEM TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO THE CITIZEN, GIVE THEM THE WARNING, OR GIVE THEM THE NOTICE IF, IF THEY DON'T COMPLY.
AND THEN IF THEY JUST CAN'T GET THEM TO COMPLY, THEN, YOU KNOW, BRING THEM INTO THE COURT AND THEN THEY CAN MAKE THAT ARGUMENT, YOU KNOW, ONLY PROBABLY ON THE WORST TYPES OF SITUATIONS YOU WOULD WANT THE POLICE TO COME IN.
WELL, LET ME GIVE YOU A SITUATION.
MOBILE AND GUFF WAY, ALL THEM VEHICLES PARKED DOWN THERE IS OUT OF CONTROL.
THAT IS NOT A STORAGE FACILITY.
THEY GOT A MECHANICAL GARAGE THERE, A MOBILE AND GOWAY, THEY GOT, THEY GOT TRAFFIC STORED VEHICLES WRAPPED AROUND THE BLOCK.
AND I'M SUSPECTING THAT YOU ALL HAVE ISSUED CODE AND VIOLATIONS AND HE'S STORING THEM OVER THERE FOR A FEE.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE 50 OR A HUNDRED VEHICLES OVER THERE, YOU DON'T.
AND I, I BROUGHT THIS UP BEFORE, SOMETHING NEED TO BE DONE ABOUT IT.
SO WE CAN DEFINITELY USE ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I MEAN, WHEN IT DOES, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THIS PROCESS WILL BE ABLE TO WORK, UH, 'CAUSE ON ANY, ANY TYPE OF VIOLATION THEY CAN GO OVER THERE ISSUE THE NOTICE.
THEY COULD GIVE THEM WHATEVER TIME, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY DEEMED REASONABLE.
'CAUSE YOU, WELL, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN THERE, SO THEN THEY NEED TO, SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A BOTTLENECK SOMEWHERE.
SO THEN WHAT THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE, AND MR. SANDERS AND I CAN HELP, IS THAT WE NEED TO SUMMON THE INDIVIDUAL TO COURT AND THE COURTS WILL DEAL WITH THEM.
WELL, IT IT BEEN OVERDUE BECAUSE, OKAY.
WELL, WE'LL DEFINITELY RESEARCH ALL THOSE ISSUES AND WORK WITH THEM.
WE'LL WORK WITH THEM IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.
WELL, I, I THINK THIS SITUATION IS IMPOSSIBLE.
Y'ALL NEED TO GO, I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE THE COURT ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE HAVE DONE ALL THAT THEY CAN.
DO YOU, YOU NEED TO START DOING SOMETHING ELSE? NO.
THERE'S OTHER AVENUES THAT GUY OUT THAT HE'S OUTTA CONTROL THAT, AND YOU DON'T WANNA PROBABLY TALK ABOUT PARTICULAR, BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY WORK WITH THEM ON ANYTHING.
WE'LL GET WITH THEM RIGHT AWAY.
UM, I'M KIND OF SCRATCHING MY HEAD ON THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS IN THE SAME MEETING ALONG WITH THE COUNCILWOMAN AND ALONG WITH THE ATTORNEYS AND SOME OF THE STAFF.
AND TO GET TO THIS POINT, I'M STILL UNCLEAR ABOUT THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER'S DUTIES IF YOU'RE MAKING IT GRAY, THAT THEY HAVE TO DO A NOTICE OF VIOLATION PRIOR TO, UH, GETTING SOMETHING DONE.
NOW, I WAS IN THAT SAME MEETING AND I HAD A DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NOW BECAUSE IF THEY PASS THE TEST, THE STATE TESTS, THEY ARE AWARE ALL THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY CAN ENFORCE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE PLAYING GAMES WHERE THAT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO CLEAN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR UP.
BUT YOU TIE THE HANDS UP WITH LEGAL JARGON IN SAYING THAT, WELL, WE DIDN'T GIVE HIM A NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND THEN WE THREE TO FIVE, SEVEN DAYS TO GET IT TAKEN CARE OF.
IF THEY DON'T, WE'RE GONNA SUMMON THEM TO COURT.
WELL, IF THAT'S THE CASE, OUR COURT MUNICIPAL COURT SHOULD BE PACKED.
I, I'M, I'M, I JUST, TO ME, IT JUST BLACK AND WHITE.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BECAUSE IF THOSE GUYS ARE IN HARM'S WAY, WE HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR POLICE CHIEF IS THERE, YOU CALL THEM, HEY, I NEED YOU ON A POLICE STANDBY BECAUSE WE'RE ENFORCING A CODE VIOLATION ON SOMEONE THAT'S BEEN TOLD A HUNDRED TIMES NOT TO DO IT.
BUT THERE'S A WAIT, WAIT, OKAY, WAIT, WAIT.
I WASN'T FOLLOWS AT THE MEETING THOUGH.
YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S THE CASE OF CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO DO A NOTICE OF A, UH, VIOLATION, VIOLATION, THEN WHO FOLLOWS UP ON THE 3, 7, 5, 10 DAYS, 30 DAYS TO CLEAN IT UP? AND I AGREE WITH THE, ULTIMATELY WE WANT TO HAVE THE CITIZENS STOP DOING THE BEHAVIOR, CLEAN IT UP.
BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TEETH IN THOSE VIOLATIONS OR THOSE ENFORCEMENTS, GUESS WHAT? YOU COULD CONTINUE HAVING PEOPLE DOING WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE HAD BECAUSE I GET THE CALLS.
[01:45:01]
ALL GET THE CALLS.SO IF YOU'RE TELLING ME TODAY, OKAY, NOTICE OF, AND I WOULD LIKE IF CITY MANAGER, IF THE SUPERVISOR OF, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT COULD COME UP AND SPEAK, OKAY? BECAUSE I NEED TO GET A CLEAR, CLEAR OPINION ON HOW WE CAN STOP THIS BEHAVIOR IN PORT ARTHUR CAN.
OKAY? AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN ANSWER AS WELL.
FIRST OF ALL, THESE ARE, THIS IS LEGAL ADVICE.
I CAN'T MAKE A DEPARTMENT DO ANYTHING.
BUT HERE'S WHAT YOU WOULD BE FACED WITH.
IF SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY WRITE SOMEBODY A CITATION, YOU COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE CITATION.
BECAUSE THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT CODES THAT, THAT AT INTERPLAY, YOU HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION CODE, BUT YOU HAVE THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE THAT SAYS ONLY A PEACE OFFICER.
SO IF THEY'RE NOT A LICENSED T CODE PEACE OFFICER AND A CER UH, UH, SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE THAT LICENSE GIVES SOMEBODY A CITATION, THEY COULD NEVER COME TO COURT AND NO ONE COULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SO THAT'S WHY THE SECOND OPTION, AND I HAVE SOME DOCUMENTATION THAT YOU LOOK AT THIS, THE OPTION THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS, IS THAT YOU, THEY DO THE NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
IT'S THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER'S DUTY TO DETERMINE THE OR CORRECT NUMBER OF DAYS.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO ON CHAPTER 50 FOURS.
IF WE TAKE 'EM TO COURT, THE JUDGE SAYS, MR. OR MRS, YOU HAVE SO MANY DAYS TO CORRECT THIS.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST CODE ENFORCEMENT, IT'S CODE COMPLIANCE.
AND SO THEY CAN TELL 'EM, WE'RE COMING TUESDAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
IF IT'S NOT IN COMPLIANCE, THEN YOU SUMMONS THEM TO COURT.
AND A SUMMONS CAN ONLY BE GIVEN BY A JUDGE.
A LAYPERSON DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO COMMAND SOMEONE'S ARREST OR COMMAND SOMEBODY TO COME TO COURT.
LOOK, MADAM ATTORNEY, MADAM ATTORNEY, HOLD SECOND.
MAY I ASK WHO HAS THE FLOOR? NO, LISTEN.
COUNCIL COUNCILMAN LET HER TALK.
OKAY, NOW I JUST WANTED TO FINISH MY STATEMENT.
SO IT'S A MATTER OF AUTHORITY.
THE, IF THE, IF THE CITY CHOOSES NOT TO TAKE THAT ADVICE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
BUT IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN, I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT YOU'D BE FACED WITH.
SO THIS IS LEGAL ADVICE, OKAY? OKAY.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT FIRST TIME OFFENSES.
YOU LIVE IN PORT ARTHUR, JUST LIKE I DO.
AND OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE AFRAID TO MAKE THESE, UH, JUDGMENT CALLS BASED UPON YOUR STATEMENT, LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, FACING COURT.
WE WOULDN'T BE IN COURT IF YOU WERE DOING WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
WHO WAS DOING WHAT YOU WAS SUPPOSED TO DO, THE PERSON THAT WAS GETTING THE VIOLATION.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT FIRST TIMERS.
WE TALKING ABOUT MANY TIMERS OF VIOLATIONS.
AND, AND ALL I'M SAYING, WHAT IS THE CLEAR DIRECTIVE ON CODE ENFORCEMENT IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR? AND HOW CAN WE ENFORCE IT LEGALLY AND AT THE SAME TIME CLEAN THIS CITY UP? SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE SUPERVISOR CODE ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE IF YOU SEND SOMEBODY, OUR, OUR JOB IS TO SEND CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO SCHOOL GET CERTIFIED.
I MEAN, I'M JUST KIND OF, YES.
SO IF WE SEND THEM TO SCHOOL TO GO TO THE STATE AND GET CERTIFIED AND GET, GET THAT, GET THAT CERTIFICATE.
SO WHEN THEY COME BACK HERE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO A NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
WHERE DO YOU GO TO THE STATE TO GET A CERTIFICATION FOR NOTICE OF VIOLATION? SO THEN YOU COME BACK TO PORT ARTHUR AND THEN YOU WANNA WRITE A SIDE OR WELL, EXCUSE ME, NOTIFY SOMEBODY OF A VIOLATION, HAVE THEM SUMMONED TO COURT, HAVE THEM GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM, AND THEN GIVE THEM SO MANY DAYS TO GET IT CLEANED UP AND A POSSIBILITY THEY WON'T.
AND YOU STILL GOT THE SAME BEHAVIOR.
THAT'S WHY I'M KIND OF GRAY ON IT.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME TO SEND SOMEBODY, TO GET A CERTIFICATION TO COME BACK AND WRITE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
THE CERTIFICATION, IF I MAY ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO DO THAT, ONLY A LICENSED PEACE OFFICER UNDER CHAPTER 14 OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CAN ARREST SOMEONE.
NOW IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT ROUTE, IF THEY DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT ADVICE, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I'M SAYING IT CAN BE CHALLENGED.
SO AS I'VE GIVEN YOU THE ADVICE FROM T M L, THE MOST CONSERVATIVE ADVICE IS TO DO THAT.
IF YOU WRITE A CITATION AND YOU'RE NOT A POLICE OFFICER, IT CAN BE CHALLENGED AS INVALID.
SO THEN YOU GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS AND IT'S INVALID.
SO AGAIN, IT COULD BE ONE DAY THEY COULD GIVE THEM, IT COULD BE TWO DAYS THEY GIVE THEM, BUT THE PROCESS IN A MUNICIPAL COURT IS TO FILE AN AFFIDAVIT, WHICH IS A COMPLAINT, A SWORN COMPLAINT.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE A CITATION AND YOU GET A COURT DATE, THE JUDGE SUMMONS YOU TO COURT AND YOU COME BEFORE THE COURT
[01:50:01]
AND YOU HAVE YOUR CASE HEARD.BECAUSE WHETHER IT'S A CITATION OR NOT, IT'S JUST THE ROAD YOU TRAVEL TO GET BEFORE THE JUDGE.
SO, UH, THAT'S MY ADVICE BECAUSE YOU'RE, THEY'RE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE NOT POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT CERTIFICATION.
BUT I, WHAT I CAN DO IS I HAVE THIS RECOMMENDATION, HOLD ON.
I'LL GIVE YOU THE ADVICE THAT T M L IS GIVEN.
I HAVE A MARKUP OF HOW YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT.
AND YOU CAN EITHER LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS AND I'VE ADVISED YOU ON WHAT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT ARE.
IT IS GONNA BE A LONG NIGHT AND I'M NOT GONNA KEEP ANY LONGER, BUT THIS IS NOT, WE'RE CHASING AROUND IN CIRCLES.
I'M WITH COUNCIL KINLAW WHEN SOMEONE GOES TO TRAIN AND, AND, AND, AND SCHOOLING TO BE CERTIFIED AS A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, THEY GET CERTIFIED.
CAN CAN I STOP YOU RIGHT THERE? LET'S GET MS. UH, THE, THE THE PERSON MS. UH, PIERRE.
RIGHT? BUT I'M NOT GONNA, BUT, BUT OKAY.
BUT LET LET, SO SHE CAN ANSWER.
'CAUSE YOU THE SECOND PERSON WHO BROUGHT THAT QUESTION THOUGH.
NO, BUT I'M GONNA, OKAY, COME MS. PIERRE.
AND, AND MAYBE WE COULD FIND OUT, THE LAWYER IS GIVING US HER LEGAL ADVICE.
IT'S ALL THAT SHE GETS ADVICE.
P M L LET'S, BUT YOU BROUGHT IT UP.
LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THEY GET THE TRAINING.
OKAY, MS. PIERRE AND THEN, AND THEN MOVE ON.
YOU KNOW, EVERY CITY HAS CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ONCE WE HAVE THESE CODES ESTABLISHED, THEN WHAT WE HAVE IS THAT WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT AND WE HAD OFFICERS THAT GOES OUT AND ENFORCE THE, THESE CODES.
I KNOW THESE OFFICERS ISSUE, THE CITY ATTORNEY WANTS TO SAY NOTICE, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS CITATIONS.
THEY ISSUE CITATIONS AS WELL AS ANIMAL CONTROL.
SO THEY ISSUE THESE CITATIONS.
ONCE THEY ISSUE THE CITATIONS, UH, THEN IF IT'S NOT DONE, THEN YOU ALL CAN THEN TURN THE ACTIONS OVER TO THE MUNICIPAL COURT.
IS IS THAT THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO? CORRECT.
YOU SEE, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND, AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN KINLOCK.
I DON'T SEE WHERE CODE ENFORCEMENT IS PART OF ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES BY WHICH THEY GO BY AND THEIR POLICY IS WE HAVE TO HAVE OFF PEOPLE CERTIFIED IN ORDER TO GO OUT THERE AND DEAL WITH OUR CITIZENS.
AND THESE ARE WHAT THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO.
THESE OFFICERS ARE, ARE CERTIFIED TO DO THAT.
IF THEY DO NOT COMPLY, THEN THEY COME BACK NOW AND THEY GO TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO REFER 'EM TO MUNICIPAL.
OR DO THEY GO TO MUNICIPAL COURT? UH, I'VE NEVER HAD ANY WRITTEN PROTOCOL.
WE'VE BEEN, UH, TALKING ABOUT THIS SINCE MARCH.
SO, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY HAD INSTRUCTED, UH, MR. BROWN TO WRITE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
BUT THE NOTICE OF VIOLATION THAT WE SUBMIT IS THE LETTER THAT WE SENT TO THE OWNER WHEN WE TAKE ANY THIS TYPE OF ACTION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS.
SO THEN IT'S ANOTHER NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
SEE THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO ESTABLISH.
WE GONNA FOLLOW THE WAY CODE AND FORTH.
SO I THINK THE QUESTION HERE AND WHAT KEN LAW AND, AND, AND ALL OF US IS CONFUSED, IS I THINK IT JUST NEED TO BE ANSWERED.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA GET IT ANSWERED TONIGHT, BUT ONE THING WE DO UNDERSTAND, EVERYBODY THAT'S SPOKEN TODAY IS WE HAVE COLD ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR JOB IS, THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THEIR JOB AND WE WANT THEM TO GO OUT AND DO THEIR JOB.
BUT WHEN THEY'RE DOING THEIR JOB, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT WHAT THEY DO IS DONE.
WE WANT ACTIONS TAKEN ON WHAT THEY DO.
WE DON'T WANT NO OTHER INTERFERENCE.
MAYBE WE NEED TO TALK WITH OTHER CITY, CITY ATTORNEY.
BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN OUR OFFICERS GO OUT THERE, AN ISSUE, A CITATION, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY GONNA CALL IT, A CITATION.
I, IT AIN'T GONNA BE A NOTICE, IT'S GONNA BE A CITATION.
SO WE WANT IT TO BE ISSUE A CITATION.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO, JUST GET WITH OTHER CITIES IF WE HAVE TO DO THAT, YOU AND THE CITY ATTORNEY.
'CAUSE WE WANT TO GET EVERYTHING STRAIGHT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT, Y'ALL HAVE TO DO DOUBLE WORK, BUT WE WANT IT EXECUTED AND WE DON'T WANT NO EXCUSES.
[01:55:01]
THAT'S WHAT THIS COUNCIL WANT.THAT'S WHAT WE ALL BEEN SAYING.
AND SO LET'S JUST CUT THROUGH THE CHASE WE GOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA RESOLVE IT 'CAUSE WE GONE AROUND.
SO AT THE NEXT MEETING, IF WE CAN CITY MANAGER, I THINK IF YOU AND THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE, UH, DIRECTOR HERE WOULD CHECK WITH US CITY AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AND THEN JUST PRESENT US THE PROCESS THAT WE WILL USE IN OUR CITY.
AND WE HAVE, WE TALK TO OTHER CITIES BECAUSE, UH, WE BELONG TO THE CODE ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS AND THEY ALL WRITE CITATIONS.
SO WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE, THE DISCONNECT.
UH, SO YEAH, WE DO NEED A, A MEETING TO, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
OKAY, WE'LL, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE AND THAT'S WHY WE'LL CANCEL.
'CAUSE WE, WE HEARD YOU, WE HEARD OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER.
SO I THINK IT'S CONSENSUS HERE.
WE WANT THE CITY MANAGER TO GET WITH HIS DIRECTOR, THAT'S YOU.
AND, AND SIT DOWN WITH OUR, WELL THE CITY, CITY ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE WE DO WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
AND WE ON THE SAME PAGE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO DOUBLE WORK YOU ALL AND WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE YOUR AUTHORITY AWAY.
IF SOMEBODY OUT THERE WANT TO GET CRAZY WITH ONE OF THE INSPECTORS, IT'S SIMPLE.
ALL YOU DO IS SAY, OKAY, NO PROBLEM.
WALK OFF A SIDE TURN, GO AROUND THE CORNER, CALL THE LAWS.
WE DON'T NEED TO BEAT THIS HORSE DEATH NO MORE.
WE NEED Y'ALL TO COME BACK WITH US AND SAY, HEY COUNCIL, IT'S ALL WORKED OUT.
CAN I, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
WE HAVE BEEN BEATEN THIS HORSE TO DEATH WITHIN 30 TO 60 DAYS.
THERE'S BEEN AMBIGUITY AND UM, MISINTERPRETATION AND A BREAKING COMMUNICATION ALONG THE LINES.
WE'RE GOING TO ERASE ALL OF THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO GET THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THE CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT TOGETHER AND WHATEVER, WHOEVER RESOURCES THAT WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE AMBIGUITY AND UNCERTAINTY AND GRAY AREA AND MISINTERPRETATION.
AND WE ARE GOING TO PUT IT IN SIMPLE LAYMAN'S LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE SO THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEIR ROLES ARE AND EVERYBODY PERFORMED THEIR ROLE, INCLUDING THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
I WANNA SAY SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HAS GOTTEN US TO AN HOUR'S DISCUSSION, WHICH GETS US NOWHERE AT THIS POINT.
SO WE CLARIFY ALL THAT IN 30 DAYS.
SO IN 60 DAYS WE'LL HAVE AN ORDINANCE TO PRESENT TO THE COUNCIL THAT MAKES IT EASY FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO NOT DO GOOD IN THE CITY OF PO ARTHUR IS FOLLOW UP AND FOLLOW THROUGH.
AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID, SO WHETHER I WAS NOT CITY MANAGER, THERE'S NEVER THE COMMUNICATION WHEN WE CREATE ORDINANCES THAT WE SIT DOWN WITH THE STAFF WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR CARRYING ALL THOSE ORDINANCES AND BREAK IT DOWN IN LAYMAN'S LANGUAGE SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AS MEMBERS OF STAFF TO BE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT CITY EMPLOYEES.
AND I HAVE THE ORDINANCE ALREADY READY.
SO I'LL SEND IT TO YOU AND I'LL SEND YOU THE GUIDANCE BY T M L.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT, I WANNA MAKE ONE THING CLEAR 'CAUSE I THINK WE ARE A LITTLE OFF TRACK.
WHEN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS ASKED TO DO SOMETHING, WE JUST GIVE YOU THE LAW AND THAT'S THE LAW.
SO I WILL MAKE SURE THAT I GIVE YOU A MEMO.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'LL EXPLAIN IT.
BUT THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE GIVES ITS AUTHORITY TO A PEACE OFFICER.
I WILL SIT DOWN AND EXPLAIN IT TO YOU, AND THEN IF THE COUNSEL WANTS TO STILL LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS, THAT'S FINE.
YOU'LL KNOW WHAT THE RISKS ARE ARE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS, BUT YOU'LL KNOW WHAT THE RISKS ARE.
I'LL WRITE YOU A MEMO, A LEGAL MEMORANDUM, AND IT'LL BE CLEAR.
THIS IS THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.
UH, LEMME JUST SAY COUNSEL, LEMME JUST SAY ONE MORE THING.
ALL RESPONSIBILITY IS TO WORK IN A VERY COORDINATED MATTER, RIGHT? TO ADDRESS THE SHORTCOMINGS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIZENS UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AS CITIZENS CIVICALLY TO, TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCES.
IT'S NOT A MATTER OF GIVING US THE LAW.
IT'S A MATTER OF MAKING SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IN THE FORM THAT ALL OF US UNDERSTAND IT AND WE ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IT TO THE WORKERS, TO THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE, SO THAT WE CAN BECOME EFFECTIVE ENFORCERS OF THE LAW.
ALL OF US, ALL OF US AS A TEAM.
[02:00:01]
I'M TALKING ABOUT A TEAM APPROACH HERE.MEANWHILE, WHILE, WHILE YOU ALL ARE DRAINING A SWAMP, I WANT SOMETHING DONE.
I WANT SOMETHING DONE ABOUT AND SIT AND, AND GULF WAY DRIVE.
WE HEARD YOU, I THINK WE GOT ENOUGH ON THE BOOKS RIGHT NOW TO GET THAT DONE.
WE HEARD YOU, YOU KNOW WHO THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T GET IN THERE.
OH, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS MOVE TO THE NEXT ORDER.
I I JUST HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY, JUST REAL QUICK BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DARLENE'S PROBABLY GONNA LEAVE.
I WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE MEETING THAT WE HAD LAST TUESDAY.
WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT AND ALL THOSE OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE BECAUSE THEY ADDRESSED ALMOST ALL OF THE 100 PICTURES THAT WERE IN MY SLIDESHOW OVER A MONTH AGO AND ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING IN DISTRICT THREE TO, TO MY SATISFACTION AND BEYOND.
AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DID, UH, IN PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR PRESENTATION FOR ME TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS.
AND I, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
WELL, THANK YOU, YOU FOR THAT.
UH, MOVE TO THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS.
NUMBER THREE IS A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE, UH, TRANSFER OF NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PROPERTY N S P TO A NON-PROFIT.
THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
I'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT EARLIER.
I JUST, UH, NEEDED TO STATE IT BECAUSE IT'S PRINTED ON HERE.
[III.E.(4) A Discussion Regarding Solar Lighting On The Seawall (Requested By Councilmember Lewis)]
WE HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING, UH, IT'S NUMBER FOUR, UH, DISCUSS, UH, REGARDING SOLAR LIGHTING ON THE SEA WALL.THIS IS REQUESTED ALSO BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT'S FEASIBLE AND, AND, AND, UH, REASONABLE IN COST.
SO I TALKED WITH THE DD SEVEN AND THEY SAID, AS LONG AS WE DON'T DO DO ANYTHING TO, TO INTERFERE WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE SEA WALL, WE CAN ATTACH IT TO, TO THE RAIL AND WHATEVER.
BUT MEANWHILE, THE, THE MEETING THAT, THAT THE, THE DIRECTOR OF PARK AND RECREATION HAD AT, AT ROSE HILL, I ALSO BROUGHT IT UP TO HER TO INCLUDE IT IN THE SOLAR LIGHTING IN, INTO THE PARK MASTER PLAN.
THAT WAY IT'S, IT'S HOT DURING THE DAY.
YOU CAN PUT MOTION DETECTORS ON AND PUT BATTERIES ON IT, WHATEVER.
AND, AND, AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MOTION DETECTORS WHEN YOU'RE APPROACHING IT.
IF, IF YOU NEED THE LIGHTING, IT TURNS ON.
UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S TOO DARK OUT THERE AND IT'S TOO HOT TO BE, BE EXERCISING IN DURING THE DAYTIME.
SO WE HAVE A GOOD CHANCE TO INCLUDE THIS IN THE, THE MASTER, THE PARK AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN.
AND YOUNG LADY, SHE DID SEND ME SOME, UH, NOT COUNCILMAN KEN LAW, HE DIDN'T GIVE IT BACK TO ME.
SOME SOLAR PANELS AND THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S FEASIBLE TO, TO PUT, BE PUT IN PLACE, UH, AND INCLUDED IN, INTO THE, UH, MASTER PLAN SO WE CAN GET THAT DONE.
AND THE CITIZEN WILL BE VERY HAPPY.
[III.E.(5) A Discussion Regarding The Parks And Recreation Master Plan (Requested By Councilmember Doucet)]
NEXT WE HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN IS, IS REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN ETT.FOR SOME REASON, ANOTHER, I TALKED WITH THE RECTOR, UH, RON, I TALKED WITH YOU DIRECT IN REFERENCE TO THIS.
IT WAS REFERENCE TO RESPONSES THAT, UH, SOME CONSTITUENTS WERE MAKING BECAUSE THEY ATTENDED A MEETING WHERE THEY WERE DISCUSSING THE, THE SO-CALLED MASTER PLAN, BUT THERE WAS SOME PARKS THAT WERE NOT COMPLETED AND THEN SAY, WELL, IT DON'T PERTAIN TO THESE PARTS OF THAT.
I THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT HOW, WHAT WE SAYING IF, IF THIS IS A CITYWIDE MASTER PLAN, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING ALL THE PARKS CITYWIDE.
IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE ARE JUST ADDRESSING, AND I KNOW WE'VE DONE THAT WHERE WE IDENTIFIED LUCIUS ADAMS AND ROSE HILL PARK, WE IDENTIFIED THOSE BACK IN 2018 AND 19.
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE THOSE PARKS BIG TIME PARKS, YOU KNOW, ONE NORTH SOUTH 73, 1 SOUTH SEVEN, THREE.
BUT THEY SUPPOSED TO BE EACH IN THE TOWN, BIG PARKS.
AND ALSO THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, EAGLE PARK OUT IN, UH, PORT ACRES.
AND, UH, THEY SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT.
WELL, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO EAGLE PARK.
WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL THINKING, THE FIRST OR SECOND MEETING, A, A RESIDENT OF PORT ACRES CAME AND ASKED ABOUT EAGLES PARK.
[02:05:01]
DOWN AND IT WAS A CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE THAT WAS FOLLOWED FOR EAGLE PARK AND IT PERTAINING TO THE FLOODING THAT WAS OUT THERE, IT WAS FLOODING.AND THIS THING THAT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNSEL IS TALKED ABOUT THE COMMUNICATIONS, UH, ON THIS DATE, THAT DATE, THIS DATE, THAT THE ONLY THING I PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO WAS WHAT WE GONNA DO.
AND WHAT I HEARD THEN WAS WE WERE GOING TO FIX IT, BUT WE COULDN'T FIX IT.
SO WE GOING TO HAVE TO GO OUT FOR BIDS TO FIX IT.
SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE, WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT NOW? I, I MENTIONED IT WHEN WE'RE DOING BUDGET, BUT THE REASON I DIDN'T REALLY LOOK FOR THAT TO BE A PROJECT, BECAUSE SOMETHING OF THAT MAGNITUDE IS MORE OF MAINTENANCE.
SO, AND OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, YOU CAN'T, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SAY, I NEED THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY.
IT'S WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO FIX THIS PART.
SO IN JULY, THE RESPOND TO THE CITIZEN, TO THE RESIDENT WAS, WE'RE GONNA GO OUT FOR BID.
SO WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT? OKAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A RHETORICAL QUESTION.
THAT'S, EXCEPT FROM WHAT THE ANSWER SAID, MANAGER.
UH, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
UM, WE DID COME UP WITH AN ESTIMATE, JOHN FORD, 140 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS THEREABOUT FOR THE, UM, RE FOR MAKING THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS TO ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT WE HAD THERE.
SO, AS YOU RIGHTLY SAID, AS YOU RIGHTLY SAID, THAT IT, UM, I ADDRESSED IT AS, UH, AN OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE ISSUE.
AND SO, YES, MS. ALPO AND I, WE HAD A MEETING AND WE CALL IN THE DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT AND JOHN WAS PRESENT AND WE LOOKED, WE, WE THOUGHT THAT, UM, WE COULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE MATTER IN-HOUSE AT A MUCH CHEAPER COST, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF, BECAUSE WHAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO, TO THE MAINTENANCE PART OF IT, THERE WAS SOME FORM OF DRAINAGE THAT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE PARK, BUT FOR SOME REASON HAS NOT BEEN MAINTAINED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
SO THEY HAVE BECOME CLOGGED AND SATURATED WITH, UM, DEBRIS AND SEDIMENTATION OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
THE IDEA WAS TO GO BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE CLEARED.
IS THAT CORRECT, MS. SALOU? HAVE WE DONE THAT THUS FAR? WE BROUGHT IN BRAD FROM THE DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT IT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS DONE.
AND THEN WE WERE WAITING FOR THE RAINFALL TO SEE WHETHER IT WAS CLEARED.
UM, WE HAVEN'T HAD THE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT IS NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IT WORKS RIGHT NOW.
THAT IS CORRECT ON ACTUALLY AUGUST 29TH, BRAD AND HIS DEPARTMENT DID GO OUT THERE.
THEY WENT OUT WITH THE VACUUM TRUCK AND THEY CLEANED OUT THE DRAIN THERE.
THEY DID IDENTIFY A FRENCH DRAIN THAT WE HAD ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
THEY CLEANED OUT, THEY DID FIND SOME DEBRIS, SOME LEAVES AND EVERYTHING.
AND I CAN TESTIFY AFTER THE WONDERFUL RAIN WE HAD LAST NIGHT.
I WAS OUT THERE FIRST THING THIS MORNING AND WE HAD NO PONDING WATER.
AND EVEN AFTER THE RAIN TODAY, THERE WAS NO PONDING WATER.
SO WE, WE ARE MAKING EFFORTS TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM.
SO HERE'S WHERE I'M AT WITH THAT.
WHAT WE'D DONE AND IT HAD A LIGHT RAIN, IT DIDN'T FLOOD.
IF WE HAD A HEAVY RAIN, WOULD IT FLOOD? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I NEED AN ANSWER TO, RON.
UH, WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, YOU, YOU JUST NEED TO PROBABLY GET WITH, WITH THEM AND GET OUT, FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE.
AND THAT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY.
AND IT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY BECAUSE THIS WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CITY.
OH, IT IS MONTHS AND MONTHS AGO.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IF WE GOT A PLAYGROUND IN A AREA THAT'S ISOLATED WHERE THERE AIN'T NOTHING ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT OCCURRED, THAT'S A PRIORITY BECAUSE THE OTHER PARKS ARE USABLE.
BUT THIS PARK IS DEEMED UNUSABLE AND THAT'S THE PLAYSCAPE AREA WHERE THE KIDS GO.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, ONE, FIND OUT EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE, CHECK, DO WHATEVER NECESSARY IT IS TO FIX IT.
AND THREE, MAKE IT A PRIORITY.
[02:10:01]
ABSOLUTELY.THEN WE, IT'LL CONTINUE TO REMAIN ON THE TOP OF THE PRIORITIES LIST AS WE CONTINUE TO MA.
UH, NOW WE HAVE NO PUBLIC HEARING AND WE HAVE REPORTS OF ANY, UH, COMMUNITY INTERESTS, UH, FROM ANYONE.
UH, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY REPORTS OF, UH, COMMUNITY INTEREST.
[VI.(1) P.R. No. 23273 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Negotiate A Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And Biomethane Partners Of Irving, Texas For Engineering Services For The Study, Design, And Conversion Of Landfill Gas To Energy Project]
WE HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS.I THINK WE HAVE ONE ITEM HERE UNDER UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
ON PAGE THREE, UH, UH, ITEM NUMBER, UH, ROMAN NUMBER OH SIX, I BELIEVE IT IS, UH, IT IS P NUMBER 2 32 73.
AND IT'S A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND BIO METHANE PARTNERS OF IRVING, TEXAS FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES, FOR THE STUDY DESIGN AND CONVERSION OF LANDFILL GAS TO, UH, ENERGY PROJECT.
AND, UM, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN ETT? SO MOVED.
I GET A SECOND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN BECKMAN SECOND.
IS IT MOVED? AND SECOND, EXCUSE ME, THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 20, I MEAN 23 2 73 AS READ.
ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION? MAYOR, WE GOING TO PULL THIS MATTER? OKAY.
YEAH, YEAH, WE HAVE, I'VE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND WITH THE DEPARTMENT INVOLVED.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO PULL IT BECAUSE OF, UM, WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND WE'RE GONNA FLUSH IT OUT.
YOU WANNA PULL IT A TABLE? REMOVE IT.
I NEED A MOTION TO GET THAT REMOVED.
UH, COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR, I APPROACH HIM.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE PR NUMBER TWO.
I'M SORRY, YOU WAS JUST CORRECTING ME ON SOMETHING BECAUSE I CARRIED THAT RIGHT.
SO, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE, WOULD YOU REMOVE I'M, I'M AMENABLE TO REMOVING MY MOTION.
YOU DID THE SECOND, RIGHT? SECOND.
SO, AND YOU REMOVED YOUR SECOND, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, UH, THEY, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY AGREED TO THE REMOVAL TO REMOVE THEIR MOTION.
SO NOW WE CAN HAVE THE MOTION TO ACTUALLY REMOVE THE ITEM.
I'D LIKE TO REMOVE PR NUMBER TWO.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS SECOND IS REMOVED.
AND SECOND, THAT WE WOULD REMOVE FROM THIS AGENDA.
PR NUMBER 2 3 2 7 3 AS PRESENTED.
ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION? ANY QUESTIONS ON HIS? WE ARE READY TO VOTE.
SO AS ALL OF THIS ITEM IS REMOVED, NOW WE ARE AT
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA]
THE CONSENT AGENDA.THE CONSENT AGENDA IS BASICALLY ITEMS OF ALMOST A ROUTINE NATURE AND, UH, CONSEQUENCES HAVE BEEN GIVEN INFORMATION ON THESE ITEMS. AND WOULD THERE BE ANY ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE WITHDRAWN AND CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY? COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? IF YOU NAME THE ITEM AND THE PAGE NUMBER? FIVE ON FIVE.
ANY OTHERS? ANY OTHER ITEMS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH GOES THROUGH THE TOP OF PAGE 10 FROM PAGE FOUR.
SO WITHOUT THAT, MAY I GET A MOTION? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITHOUT, OKAY.
MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, MAYOR, I APPROACH HIM SECOND.
IT IS REMOVED IN THE SECOND AND WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEMS FIVE.
AND WITH THE MAYOR, I BELIEVE, JUST A MINUTE.
CONSTABLE LEWIS? YEAH, I'M, I'M 18 IS WHAT I'M ON, ON EIGHT.
DIDN'T, WELL YOUR LIGHT WASN'T ON THE TIME WHEN I WAS DOING IT.
OKAY, SO I GET A MOTION COUNCILMAN AND AGAIN WITH THE, UH, UH, INCLUSION OF, UH, 18 ON EIGHT WITH THE OTHERS PLEASE.
[02:15:01]
OKAY.I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH EXCEPTIONS OF 5, 10, 11, 16, 16, 16, AND 18.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE STATED ITEMS. ARE WE READY FOR QUESTIONS? AND NO QUESTIONS.
READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSES? AYE HAVE SORT IS ORDERED NOW.
[VII.C.(5) P.R. 23311 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into An Interlocal Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur And Jefferson County Precinct 3 To Cut The Grass And Apply Herbicide Spray At The North And South Levee Roads On Pleasure Island In An Amount Not To Exceed $26,809.36. Funding Is Available In The Other Contractual Account, Account Number 001-13-031-5470-00- 10-000]
DO INDIVIDUALLY.ITEM NUMBER FIVE ON PAGE FIVE, WHICH IS P R NUMBER 23 3 11 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN MEETING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND JEFFERSON COUNTY PRECINCT THREE TO CUT THE GRASS AND APPLY HERBICIDE SPRAY AT THE NORTH AND SOUTH LEVY ROADS ON PLEDGE ISLAND IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $26,809 AND 36 SET FUNDED IS AVAILABLE IN THE OTHER CONTRACTUAL ACCOUNT.
ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH THREE DASH 0 3 1 DASH 5 4 7 0 0 DASH ZERO DASH 0 0 0.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN FRANK? SO MOVED.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW SECOND IT MOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 3 11 AS READ.
WHY CAN'T WE DO THIS? UM, UH, COME, COME GEORGE.
COME LET ME, LET ME, UM, ADDRESS IT TOO.
UH, MAYOR, UM, MAYOR MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, UM, COME COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE.
WE HAVE ALWAYS WORKED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE, THE, THE, UM, COUNTY COMMISSIONER TO, BECAUSE OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THAT AREA.
AND THEY DO HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S AVAILABLE, UM, AND UM, TO ADDRESS THE HEIGHT OF THE GRASS, UM, IN THAT AREA.
THEY HAVE ALWAYS WORKED WITH US AND WE HAVE ALWAYS ENGAGED INTER UH, WITH AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT TO ADDRESS THAT SIDE OF THE LEVY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT WE ARE DOING IT.
WE ARE, THIS IS THE SECOND OR THIRD OR FOURTH TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN CITY MANAGER THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKING THE, THE, THE, UM, COMMISSIONER AND THIS PRECINCT TO ASSIST US BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY USE THERE AND BECAUSE OF THE TOPOGRAPHY AND SLOPE.
YOU KNOW, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE VERY MUCH CONCERNED ON PLEASURE ISLAND, UM, SINCE GEORGE CAME IS THE SECURITY OF STAFF AND THE USE OF EQUIPMENT.
YOU KNOW, AND I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE SPENDING $26,000 THAN UM, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UM, FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES FOR STAFF MEMBERS IF THEY'RE INJURED.
SO THAT'S ON A PRECAUTIONARY BASIS.
DID YOU WANT, DID YOU WANT HIM TO SPEAK? YEAH, HE CAN STAY UP THERE.
I MEAN WELL, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, NO.
I DON'T, I DON'T NEED 'CAUSE HE ANSWERED IT.
IT'D BE TO THE, TO THE MANAGER.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I PULLED IT.
IT'S BEEN ABOUT FOUR TIMES AND IT'S ONLY ONE CUT A YEAR.
IT'S $27,000 FOR ONE CUT A YEAR.
THAT'S OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN FOUR YEARS.
OKAY? AND THE LAST TIME I ADDRESSED THIS, IT WAS FOR THE SIMPLE REASON.
WHY ARE WE DOING IT? BECAUSE IT'S COSTING US $27 MILLION.
I WAS TOLD, I WAS TOLD THAT WE DON'T HAVE A SLOWMO THAT COULD REACH IT, BUT WE, BUT WE WILL BE GETTING ONE THAT CAN DO IT.
SO LET'S SAY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT IF WE KNOW WE GONNA CUT THOSE LEVEES, WE CAN GET A SLOWMO THAT CAN REACH THERE THE SAME AS WHAT THE COUNTY IS USING.
BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS WE COULD CUT IT MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR AND OUR EMPLOYEE CAN GET THE OVERTIME AND IT'LL PROBABLY COST US OF LESS THAN $27,000.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT MAY BE IN, UH, UH, UH, IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT.
IT MAY BE OUR GUYS GOTTA CUT HILLS AND STUFF WITH THEIRS.
THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A, THAT'S JUST A FACT OF LIFE.
BUT TO PAY $27,000 A YEAR FOR ONE CUT, NO, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE.
WE COULD BUY A TRACTOR AND WE COULD CUT IT OURSELVES AND OUR EMPLOYEES KEEP OVERTIME BECAUSE IF EVERYTHING IS THE SAME AS IT WAS THE
[02:20:01]
FIRST TIME, RON, WHEN I, UH, WAS TALKING ABOUT IT, WE WERE PAYING THE $26,000 AND STUFF, IT AMOUNTS TO UH, UH, THE FUEL AND HIS EMPLOYEES BEING PAID OVERTIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WORK THEIR JOB DURING THE DAY.SO ACTUALLY THEY'RE CUTTING THESE LEVEES ON THEIR OFF TIME, WHICH WE WERE PAYING THEM OVERTIME.
AND WHEN I FIRST ADDRESSED THIS, THAT'S THE WAY I ADDRESSED IT.
AND I'M STILL SAYING TILL TODAY $27,000 A YEAR, WE NEED TO BUY A TRACTOR THAT CAN DO THAT.
WHY? BECAUSE WE KNOW WE DO IT AND IT HAS TO BE DONE.
BUT TO KEEP PAYING $27,000 A YEAR, I'D TELL YOU WHAT, IF IT HAD TO COME OUTTA OUR POCKETS, I DON'T THINK WE WILL DO THAT.
SO I'D JUST LIKE FOR YOU TO LOOK AT THAT, RON, TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT ATTRACTED GOING TO BE AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE TO US TO PAY OUR GUYS TO GUARD DOWN THE WEEKEND AND LET THEM MAKE THE MONEY.
AND NOT ONLY, BUT WE COULD CUT IT MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR.
WE COULD CUT IT MAYBE TWO, THREE TIMES DURING THE GRASS CUTTING SEASON.
I JUST THINK IT'S TIME WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT.
NO, I I I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT.
UM, WE HAVE GOTTEN PLEASURE ISLAND AND, AND AND THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS DEPARTMENT TO A POINT WHERE WE ARE WORKING VERY GOOD TOGETHER RIGHT NOW AND WHERE WE COULD UTILIZE EQUIPMENT FROM, FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS DEPARTMENT TO ASSIST THE, THE PLEASURE ISLAND DEPARTMENT.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE HAVE DONE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE BEGIN TO WORK ON THE RE-CERTIFICATION OF, IN THE HUB OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS DEPARTMENT WHO HAS, UM, HERBICIDE LICENSES TO ASSIST THE PLEASURE ISLAND DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, AND WE ARE GETTING THERE.
SO IN SOMETIME WE WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT TWO TOGETHER AND WE'RE GONNA SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
OKAY? MY THING IS WE'RE GOING TO, LIKE I SAID, THEN SOMETIME WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE GOTTA DO TO GET A JOB DONE.
BUT WE AIN'T GONNA KEEP HITTING OUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL.
NO, I AIN'T PAYING NOBODY ELSE NO MONEY.
SOMETHING WE COULD DO AND THAT AIN'T OKAY.
IN THE INFORMATION THAT'S PROVIDED IN THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS, YES.
WHAT YOU JUST SHARED, PUT THE, THAT SHOULD BE IN THAT INFORMATION.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THESE, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS DISCUSSION SINCE JUNE AND PREVIOUSLY IT WASN'T JUST A ONE TIME A YEAR CUT, IT WAS TWICE A YEAR.
SO ONE QUESTION IS WHY DID THAT DECREASE TO ONCE A YEAR? BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE HERBICIDES ARE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN THE, THE LEVEL OF THE LOW LEVEL OF THE GRASS YES.
FOR THE REMAINING OF THE YEAR.
BUT THAT DOESN'T, UM, SUPPORT FOR HEAVY RAINS OR ANYTHING ELSE OUTSIDE OF THAT.
AGAIN, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF THE INFORMATION YOU JUST SHARED JUST NOW COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE DOCUMENTATION IN THE COMM.
YOU ANYTHING GEORGE? I THINK THE, THE RESOLVE FOR IT IS RIGHT NOW IT HADN'T BEEN CUTTING IN OVER A YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY I THINK, UM, WHENEVER THE, THE COUNTY PUT THE THING OUT, IT'S LIKE 12 PEOPLE, LIKE YOU STATED THE OVERTIME FOR 12 PEOPLE, ALL THAT STUFF.
AFTER THIS CUT WE'RE GONNA ENTER INTO A WELL WE WERE DISCUSSING 'CAUSE I ALREADY I GOT YOU.
SO, SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MAINTAIN IT SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR.
THAT WA THAT WAY IT WON'T COST AS MUCH AS THE $26,000.
SO THAT ANSWERS KIND OF BOTH OF WHAT MR. DEE SAID AND MS. HAMPTON SAID, BUT THIS IS A PRACTICE YOU SORT OF INHERITED, IF I'M CORRECT.
AND, AND JOSH
BUT AGAIN, THAT INFORMATION WASN'T IN THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS.
AS MR. BURDEN STATED, MY GUYS, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT.
NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT AFTER, AFTER, UM, THE COMMISSIONER'S TEAM CUTS THE GRASS SPRAYS THE HERBICIDES, THE MAINTENANCE THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND IS FOR YOUR TEAM.
BUT, BUT KIND OF LIKE WHAT HE STATED.
I KNOW MR. DOUCETTE JUST, YOU KNOW, INFORMED US THAT WE NEED TO LOOK INTO DOING IT.
BUT ORIGINALLY WHAT WE WERE STATING WAS THE COUNTY WOULD MAINTAIN THE LEVIES SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR AND IT WOULDN'T BE AS EXPENSIVE
[02:25:01]
AS THE $26,000 'CAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN CUT IN OVER A YEAR.SO MY GUYS, WELL, I MEAN WE CAN LOOK INTO MAINTAINING IT MOVING FORWARD, BUT THE DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY WAS FOR THEM TO DO THIS ONE TIME CUT AND THEN WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS CUTTING IT FOUR TIMES SO IT WOULDN'T BE AS EXPENSIVE ON EACH CUT.
THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WOULD NOT BE THAT ONE TIME A YEAR.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WE'RE COMING NOT YOUR TEAM TEAM WE'RE TODAY FOR ONE TIME.
AND THEN IT WOULD BE A FOUR TIME CUT FOR THEM.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD LOOK AT TOO.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE TALKING ABOUT A LESSER AMOUNT RIGHT THERE, MAYBE BE LESS THAN PURCHASING A TRACTOR.
I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT I READ.
THAT, THAT CAN'T, THAT THAT CAN'T HOLD WATER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[VII.C.(10) P.R. 23325 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 4 To The Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And Gulf Coast, A CRH Company Of Beaumont, Texas, For The Various Streets Roadway Improvement Project-District 2 & 3, For Additional Driveways And Stabilized Sand, Which Increases The Contract Amount By $544,729.31 To The New Contract Amount Of $8,974,541.93. Funding Is Available In The Capital Improvement Project Account 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000]
NUMBER 10 ON PAGE SIX.ADAM CHIN IS P R NUMBER 23 3 2 5 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CITY MANAGERS TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER FOUR TO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND GULF COAST, A C R H COMPANY OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE VARIOUS STREETS.
ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT DISTRICTS TWO AND THREE FOR ADDITIONAL DRIVEWAYS AND STABILIZED SAND, WHICH INCREASES THE CONTRACT AMOUNT BY $544,729 AND 31 CENTS TO THE NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $8,974,541 AND 93 FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT ACCOUNT.
3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH FIVE THREE DASH 8 5 7 DASH 0 0 0 0 0.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN TO, UH, COUNCIL COUNCILMAN LEWIS MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, MAYOR POT SECOND.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE, UH, P R 23 3 25.
UH, WE ARE READY FOR, UH, QUESTION.
THIS CHANGE ORDER, CHANGE ORDER IS LIKE A RED FLAG TO ME.
EVERY TIME I SEE ONE I'M GONNA LOOK AT IT REAL CLOSE.
'CAUSE ON THIS ONE IT SAYS WE WANT TO FOR ADDITIONAL DRIVEWAYS AND STABILIZE SAND.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS WHEN, WHEN THIS BID WAS DONE, THEY KNEW WHAT THE SCOPE WAS AND WHAT THE WORK WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE ON THESE ROADS THAT WE INCLUDED IN THERE.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE IS WASN'T THE DRIVEWAY PART OF WHAT THEY GAVE US IN THE BID? NO, SIR.
ORIG, WHEN WE OVERLAY A STREET, WE GENERALLY GO THREE FEET INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND JUST DO A LITTLE ASPHALT TRANSITION.
RIGHT? THAT'S IN THE PLANTS, THAT'S IN THEIR BID.
BUT WHAT WE LEARNED, UH, ON EVERGREEN WAS SEVERAL OF THE RESIDENTS WERE VERY DISTRAUGHT ABOUT THEIR DRIVEWAYS BECAUSE ON THESE STREETS WE'RE ACTUALLY REPLACING THE CURB AND GUTTER.
AND SO AS YOU REPLACE THE CURB AND GUTTER, YOU ESTABLISH A DIFFERENT GRADE.
IT MAY BE LOWER, IT MAY BE HIGHER THAN THE EXISTING DRIVE.
AND SO YOU HAD A BUMP GOING INTO THESE DRIVEWAYS, YOU HAD TO HIT A HUMP.
AND WHAT WE DECIDED AND WHAT THE CONTRACTOR THOUGHT WAS THE BEST OPTION WAS TO GO BACK TO THE PROPERTY LINE AND FIX THE DRIVEWAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WAS OCCURRING ON EVERGREEN.
I THINK COUNCILMAN KINLAW CAN ATTEST TO SOME OF THE HEARTACHES THAT SOME OF HIS RESIDENTS AND SOME OF HIS CONSTITUENTS HAD.
AND SO WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS YET.
WE'RE JUST ASKING THE COUNCIL IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD THINK WOULD BE A PROPER TO PURSUE IN THE FUTURE.
WHAT? WELL, NOW THAT YOU'VE EXPLAINED IT TO ME, I THINK WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IS ANYTIME WE HAVE STREETS THAT HAVE CURVES AND GUTTERS AND WHEN WE GETTING BIDS, WE NEED TO INCLUDE IN OUR SCOPE THAT IF THE ROAD IS RAISED AT CERTAIN LENGTH TO CREATE THIS DISTURBANCE IS THAT WE DO ALL OF THIS.
BUT THE NEXT TIME WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE IN OUR SCOPE
[02:30:01]
THAT IF WE GOTTA RAISE ROAD, WE WANT THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO DRIVEWAYS AND WE FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE SO THAT WHEN THAT MONEY IS ALLOCATED FOR THAT STREET MM-HMM.AND WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TOO MANY CHANGE ORDERS.
I HATE CHANGE ORDERS WITHOUT BEING JUSTIFIED.
AND IN THIS CASE, JOHN, I UNDERSTAND YOU REAL WELL.
JUST THINK IT SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO IN THE NEXT TIME TO LET 'EM KNOW IF YOU'RE GONNA RAISE THE STREET, HEY, WE GOING TO HAVE TO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THIS FOR US.
SO WE INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR BID.
AND THIS HAS BEEN A LEARNING PROCESS AS WE GOT INTO THE CURB AND GUTTER STREETS, THERE WERE A LOT MORE ACTIVITIES.
YOU KNOW, WE HIT WATER LINES, WE HIT A LOT OF, UH, GRIFFIN PARK.
WE HIT DISCOVERED WATER LINES.
AND CALVIN'S BEEN VERY GRACIOUS IN COMING OUT AND FIXING THOSE.
BUT, UH, IS THE LESSONS LEARNED? YES SIR.
ANY OTHER UN READINESS? IF NOT, WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
ANY OPPOSES? OURS ADV ORDERED TO BE APPROVED.
[VII.C.(11) P.R. 23330 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Settlement Of A Physical Damage Claim In The Amount Of $6,529.95 Made Against Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) As A Result Of Property Damage To Police Vehicle #2478]
23 3 30.IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SENATE MANAGER TO EXECUTE SETTLEMENT OF A PHYSICAL DAMAGE CLAIM IN THE AMOUNT OF $6,529 95 CENTS MADE AGAINST, UH, TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RISK POOL, T M L I R P AS A RESULT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE TO POLICE VEHICLE NUMBER 24 78.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN FRANK MOVE? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW SECOND MAYOR.
IS IT MOVED? AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE P R NUMBER 23.
ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN? UH, KEN LAW? UH OH.
UH, COUNCILMAN, I MEAN, I MEAN, I'M SORRY WE'VE BEEN THERE TOO LONG.
COMAN, Y'ALL, Y'ALL STARTING TO LOOK LIKE COMAN DO.
YOU UH, YOU HEARD ME LOUD AND CLEAR WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE RISKS, THE ACCIDENTS THE OTHER TIME.
SO WHAT YOU DID THIS TIME, YOU ACTUALLY PUT IN THE BACKGROUND WHAT YOU TOLD ME, BUT YOU DIDN'T TELL ME WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR.
SO WHAT I'M, I'M GONNA DO, WE'RE GOING TO SHOOT THIS BACK AGAIN.
SO THE NEXT TIME I SEE ONE OF THESE, I CAN AT LEAST VOTE YES OR NO.
BUT ON THIS ONE, AND THIS IS THE POINT I'M MAKING 'CAUSE I READ THAT WHEN THEY HAVE ACCIDENTS, WE HAVE A WEEKLY REVIEW BOARD AND THAT THEY ARE ACCESS POINTS.
OKAY? I AIN'T INTERESTED IN NO POINTS.
SEE BECAUSE WHAT I LOOK AT IS THE DEDUCTIBLE.
DEDUCTIBLE IS WHAT WE PAY WHEN I SEE PEOPLE HITTING FIRE HYDRANTS.
OKAY? WHEN I HEAR HIM SCRAPING UP ON A POLICE CAR ON A, ON A POLE OR A CONCRETE, WHATEVER IT WAS, YEAH, I, I I I SAY ACCIDENT HAPPENED, BUT WHEN SOMEONE IS JUST NEGLIGENT, NOT PAYING ATTENTION, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT ACTIONS WERE TAKEN WITH THE INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE WE ARE SPENDING TAXPAYERS OF MONEY WHEN WE PAID A DEDUCTIBLE ACCIDENT I COULD LIVE WITH.
BUT IF A, IF, IF AN EMPLOYEE IS JUST NEGATIVE, NOT PAYING ATTENTION, IF WE GOING TO USE TAXPAYER'S MONEY TO PAY A DEDUCTIBLE, THEN I EXPECT THAT EMPLOYEE OR SOME ACTIONS BE TAKEN THAT THE EMPLOYEE UNDERSTAND DECISIONS OF NOT BEING CAREFUL AND PRACTICING SAFE.
OKAY? THEY GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
IF WE GONNA USE T PAYER MONEY, I WON'T.
SO WHAT I LIKE TO SEE IS IF WE'RE GONNA GET THESE, CAN WE GET 'EM ALSO WITH ACTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN SO THAT IF I'M GONNA VOTE YES ON PAYING THIS DEDUCTIBLE, I WON'T KNOW WHAT WE, WHAT WE DONE.
BECAUSE SEE, UN UNTIL WE START DOING SOMETHING, WE GONNA KEEP GETTING OFFICERS RUBBING UP ON THIS.
PEOPLE TURNING CORNERS, HITTING FIRE HYDRANTS.
I AIN'T GOING TO SIGN OFF ON TY PAYER'S MONEY NO MORE FOR NO DEDUCTIBLE.
I MEAN, I MIGHT NOT BE THE ONLY ONE, BUT I'M TELLING YOU EMPLOYEES NEED TO UNDERSTAND SAFETY AND THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THOSE VEHICLES
[02:35:02]
COSTS.AND WHEN YOU TEAR 'EM UP 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, THEN ALL CITY EMPLOYEES NEED TO UNDERSTAND, WE ARE NOT GONNA JUST SAY GO HERE, YOU LOSE TWO POINTS.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY GOTTA LOSE LIKE 12 POINTS BEFORE, BEFORE THEY TERMINATED.
SO WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT, IF I WENT BEFORE THIS, UH, BOARD FIVE TIMES, THAT'S ONLY 10 POINTS.
SO I COULD TELL UP 10 VEHICLES AND STILL AND STILL NOT BE TERMINATED.
BUT I'M LIKE THIS, IF YOU TELL TWO YOU NEED TO GO HOME OR YOU NEED TO DRIVE A A, A HORSE AND A WAGON, WE GOT TO PUT A END TO IT.
WELL WE GOTTA PUT A END TO IT.
AND SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS I DON'T MIND, UH, A SIGN OFF, BUT I JUST IN THIS FORM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GOING TO SIGN OFF ON THESE NO MORE UNLESS WE GET IT WHEREBY THIS HAPPENED.
THIS INDIVIDUAL, INDIVIDUAL WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
OKAY? WENT TO UH, THE BOARD, THE BOARD FIND 'EM TWO POINTS AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER SEND THEM HOME FOR TWO, THREE DAYS.
OKAY? SEE, BECAUSE NOW YOU PAYING TAXPAYER MONEY DEDUCTIBLE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA PAY SOMETHING TOO.
YOU ARE NOT GONNA JUST COME BACK AND GET IN ANOTHER VEHICLE AND GO TEAR THAT ONE UP.
THE NEXT ONE YOU GET IN, YOU'RE GONNA BE VERY CAREFUL.
YOU SEE? 'CAUSE MY DAD ALWAYS TOLD ME WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, YOU CAN'T HAVE THE CAR FIRST ACCIDENT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, UH, CITY MANAGER, IF THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR THE HR DIRECTOR.
DO WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE WHERE THAT WE HAVE JUST TOTAL OF ALL EMPLOYEES IF THERE ARE ANY ACCIDENTS? BECAUSE I TOO HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
WHEN WE GET 'EM, IT'S IN THE FORM OF, YOU KNOW, BACKGROUND.
UH, WE GET THE, OF COURSE GET THE UNIT NUMBERS OR VEHICLE NUMBERS, UH, CITY EMPLOYEE VEHICLE NUMBERS.
BUT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU KNOW, I'M VOTING ON SOMETHING AND NOT KNOWING, OKAY, IF THIS EMPLOYEE HAD SOME CONSEQUENCES OR IF THIS EMPLOYEE HAD A MEDICAL CONDITION OR THIS EMPLOYEE WAS AT FAULT, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT THE CITY CAN SAY, HEY, INSTEAD OF GETTING IT IN THE BACKGROUND AND READING THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION THAT WE CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEE A, YOU ARE AT FAULT.
NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DOCUMENT THIS INF THIS UH, ACCIDENT.
AND THEN FOR FUTURE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE DO PAY A DEDUCTIBLE AND THIS CITY'S TAXPAYER'S MONEY, WELL, WE DO KEEP ACCOUNT OF UM, WHO'S BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WHO'S AT FAULT.
SO I DO HAVE A SPREADSHEET MM-HMM.
BUT AS FAR AS DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINING, UM, EMPLOYEE, THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD.
AND IF THE MANAGER WANTS ME TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU ALL, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM PUTTING IT TOGETHER FOR IT.
THAT'S VERY DANGEROUS TERRITORY.
BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS PERSONAL ISSUES.
NO, NOT THE INDIVIDUALS INFORMATION.
I'M TALKING ABOUT A RECORD OF SAYING IF WE HAVE TO PAY, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS AND NAMES AND ALL THAT.
WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHEN WE GET BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN IN ACCIDENTS NOW WE DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE HANDLING YOUR PERSONNEL AND HOW YOU DISCIPLINE.
BUT TO GET THIS AND WE ARE PAYING IT WITHOUT NO ONE'S TELLING THE COUNCIL WHAT WENT ON.
WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO? OKAY.
UH, ANY OTHER UNREADINESS? CHIEF? CHIEF? GOOD.
OKAY, WE GOOD? WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
[VII.C.(16) P.R. 23340 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 3 Between The City Of Port Arthur And Allco, LLC, Of Beaumont, Texas, For The Addition Of 27th Street From Memorial Boulevard To 4th Avenue On The 2022-2023 Street Rehabilitation Project-District 1 For The Amount Of $351,580.00 Increasing The Contract Amount Of $4,932,221.30 To The New Contract Amount Of $5,283,801.30. Funds Are Available In The Street Capital Fund Account No. 307-21-053-8517-00-10-000]
PAGE SEVEN, NUMBER 16, ITEM 16, 1 7.IT'S THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER THREE BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND ALCO, L L C OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE ADDITION OF 27TH STREET FROM MEMORIAL BOULEVARD TO FOURTH AVENUE ON THE 20 22 20 23 STREET REHABILITATION PROJECT.
DISTRICT ONE FOR THE AMOUNT OF $351,580,
[02:40:01]
INCREASING THE CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $4,932,221 30 CENTS OR THE NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $5,283,801 AND 30 CENTS.FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE STREET CAPITAL FUND.
ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH FIVE THREE DASH 8 5 0 0 DASH 0 0 0.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN BECKER SECOND.
AND SECOND, UH, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS.
I THINK IT WAS YOU TWO, COUNCILOR ETT, RIGHT? RIGHT.
JOHN, WE'RE JUST GONNA GO BACK TO THE PROGRAM AND, UH, SINCE I'VE BACK ON, BEEN GOT BACK ON COUNCIL MM-HMM.
ONCE COUNCIL APPROVE THEM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE CITIZENS, WE GONNA PUBLISH THESE MM-HMM.
AND ONCE WE PUT THIS OUT PUBLICLY AND WE FUND THESE STREETS, WE SHOULDN'T BE GOING BACK AND SAYING, WELL PUT THIS STREET ON THE LIST.
TAKE THAT STREET OFF THE LIST BECAUSE YOU KNOW, COUNCIL HAS ALREADY SELECTED THE STREETS FOR THE NEXT ITERATION AND COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPROVED THE FUNDING FOR THOSE STREETS.
AND IN THE FUTURE, WHEN COUNCIL SELECT THOSE STREETS AND BRING THE COUNCIL AND APPROVE THEM, IF THEY WANT TO TAKE IT OFF, LET US COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND LET THE CITIZENS KNOW THAT WE TAKING THAT STREET OFF THAT WE SAID WE PUT ON MM-HMM.
SO THIS, JUST TO REITERATE IT, WE GONNA DO THIS STREET PROGRAM, WE GONNA DO IT TRANSPARENT AND WE'RE GONNA STICK TO WHAT IT'S ABOUT AND WE'RE NOT GOING BACK AGAINST IT.
THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY WITH THAT ONE.
UM, IF I COULD JUST ASK A WAY OF EXPLANATION, UM, THIS, THIS CONTRACTOR ALCO, HE'S FINISHED WITH HIS CONTRACT.
HE DID 18TH STREETS THIS OR 17TH STREETS THIS SUMMER.
AND, UH, THERE WAS $400,000 LEFT IN THE CONTRACT.
UM, WE SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO ANOTHER STREET.
WE COME TO YOU, WE ASK YOU IF YOU WANT TO APPROVE IT.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THEN THAT'S FINE, WE'LL MOVE ON.
I DID WANNA POINT OUT ONE THING TO YOU.
THE BID PRICE IN THIS CONTRACT FOR ASPHALT INSTALLED IS $151 A TON.
THE CITY OF BEAUMONT JUST LED A $8 MILLION CITY REHAB PROJECT.
THEIR LOW BID, WHICH WAS ALL CODE, THE CITY OF BEAUMONT IS $185 A TON.
SO I JUST LOOK AT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET ONE MORE STREET DONE AT A LESSER PRICE.
BUT AGAIN, THE COUNCIL CAN DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO DO IT OR NOT.
JOHN, WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BRIAN MM-HMM.
AND GO BACK TO WHAT I READ IN THE BACKGROUND MM-HMM.
AND THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION I HAD DID NOT EXPLAIN IT LIKE YOU JUST EXPLAINED IT.
AND THAT'S WHY I ASK QUESTIONS.
SO IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS IS NOT PERTAINING TO GETTING OUTSIDE MM-HMM.
I UNDERSTAND THAT CITIZENS WILL UNDERSTAND IT.
BUT WHEN I'M LOOKING AT MM-HMM.
SO, SO DON'T TAKE IT LIKE I WAS SAYING, YOU WEREN'T FILING IT MM-HMM.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHEN I READ IT DIDN'T YEAH.
SO MAYBE YOU MIGHT WANT TO INCLUDE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN YOUR BACKGROUND FUTURE.
AND I JUST, I JUST LEARNED ABOUT THIS BID IN BEAUMONT THIS WEEK.
SO LIKE I SAID, I'M TRYING TO KEEP YOU ABREAST OF THE MARKET AND WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE AND, AND WE COULD TERMINATE THIS CONTRACT IF YOU DEEM NECESSARY.
I CALLED AND INQUIRED ABOUT THIS SO I KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY THIS WAS BEING ADDED.
SO THE QUESTION, UH, WAS TO BE ASKED WAS WHY WERE YOU DOING IT? AND, AND SO WHEN I CALLED
[02:45:01]
AND TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THESE CHANGE ORDERS MM-HMM.AND SO I WANTED TO COMMEND YOU FOR ADDING THIS STREET TO IT.
AND I THINK ALL THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, WOULD GO ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE ANOTHER STREET ADDED.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS? UH, THIS, THIS PROJECT, IT SAYS DISTRICT ONE 27TH STREET.
IT WAS IN DISTRICT ONE AT THE TIME FOR SEVENTH AT THE TIME.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE DID OUR RESEARCH AND READ OKAY.
UH, THE ORIGINAL STUDY, WHICH WAS DONE IN WHAT, 2016, YOU KNOW, LISTED IN DISTRICT ONE AND YES SIR, IT'S, IT, THERE'S GONNA TAKE US SOME TIME TO MANIPULATE THOSE, UH, THE ACCOUNTING TO, UH, FOR THE NEW DISTRICTS.
UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK JUST MADE A COMMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCILMAN FRANK IS AWARE OF THE PROGRAM, BUT THE STREET PROGRAM IS STRICTLY SET UP THAT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH STREETS WITHIN DISTRICTS, THE DISTRICT COUNCILMEN SELECT STREETS AND THE DISTRICT COUNCILMEN THEN GET WITH STAFF, STAFF HAVE RECOMMENDED STREETS ALONG WITH THE COUNCILMAN, INPUT WITH STAFF ON THOSE PARTICULAR STREETS.
WHEN STREETS ARE SELECTED, THEN STREETS ARE BROUGHT TO THE FULL COUNCIL FOR THE FULL COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE STREETS.
AND THE THING, THE REASON IT WAS SET UP THAT WAY WHEN THE PROGRAM WAS FIRST APPROVED, BECAUSE BEFORE THEN STREETS WERE BEING DONE BY WHO YOU KNOW AND WHO WAS TELLING WHO TO DO STREETS.
AND THE CITIZENS OUT THERE IN THESE DISTRICTS WAS ASKING THE DISTRICT COUNCILMEN, WELL WHAT ABOUT MY STREET? WHY THEY DOING THAT STREET? WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO WHEN WE SET THIS PROGRAM UP, IT WAS TO PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY ON AN INDIVIDUAL WHO THE CITIZENS ELECT TO REPRESENT THEM.
SO CITIZENS IN THE FOUR SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT, THEY ELECT ONE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, TWO REPRESENT THEM, AND THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE THE ONE THAT THEY SHOULD HOLD ACCOUNTABLE.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO STREETS IN THE DISTRICT, IF A CONSTITUENT WANT TO KNOW WHY MY STREET, WHY THEY FIXING THAT STREET? WELL, GUESS WHAT? WE FIX IT SO THAT THE PERSON YOU ELECTED HAVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE SHOULD, HE OR SHE, I'M SORRY, SHOULD DRIVE THAT ENTIRE DISTRICT TO KNOW WHICH ARE THE STREETS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED OR WHICH STREETS FISH CAN BEST SERVE THIS DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT.
SO LET'S NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE STREETS.
I MEAN, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE STREET PROGRAM, THEN WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT.
BUT THE STREET PROGRAM WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL AND IT HAS NOT BEEN BROUGHT BACK FOR IT TO BE CHANGED.
EVERY STREET IS LOCATED IN ONE OF FOUR DISTRICTS.
IF COUNCIL CHOOSES TO READDRESS IT, WE CAN READDRESS IT.
BUT UNTIL THEN, THAT IS THE STREET PROGRAM.
COUNCILMAN, UH, WHAT MR. MAYOR, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE CALLED MY NAME.
SO I'M SIMPLY GOING TO ADDRESS THIS.
I MEANT NO HARM AND I MEANT NO DERISION.
UH, BY MAKING THAT STATEMENT, I WAS SIMPLY, UH, SAYING THAT BY CALLING BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
BUT I MEANT, I MEANT NO DE NO DERISION.
I HAD A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF OUR STREETS PROGRAM.
I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TESTING WAS DONE.
TESTING WAS DONE NOT ONLY ON THE STREETS, BUT ALSO THE UNDERGROUND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO INFORM COUNCIL, WHICH WERE THE WORST OFF.
AND THEY WERE RATED ACCORDINGLY.
AND THEN WITH THAT LIST THEN COUNSEL WAS ABLE, THE, THE SPECIFIC COUNSELOR WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK ON THAT LIST.
BUT IT WASN'T ACCORDING TO OUR EYES VIEW.
[02:50:01]
TO SKILLED STUDY.THIS, THIS IS THE STUDY AND 27TH STREET IS RANKED AS A SEVENTH WORST STREET.
SEVEN OUT OF 10, THEY WERE RANKED SEVEN TO 10, 10 BEING THE WORST CONDITION.
SO IT IS, OKAY, SO IT IS ON THE LIST.
IT WAS BUDGETED AT $196,000 IN 2016, AND NOW IT'S GONNA BE THREE, 300.
MY QUESTION WASN'T ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC STREET, IT WAS JUST THE PROCESS.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS CLEAR ON THE PROCESS.
YOU, YOU WERE HERE BACK THEN WHEN THAT WAS DONE, BUT, OKAY.
BUT YES, I'M AWARE OF THE STUDY AND WE DO REFERENCE IT IN ALL OUR DECISIONS.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK, MAN.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT PARTICULAR STREET I, YOU KNOW, I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT, BUT YOU ANSWERED THEM.
UH, BUT I TOO, AS YOU KNOW, A DISTRICT COUNCILMAN PREVIOUSLY, SO THE MOST MAJORITY OF THE STREETS I WAS, I WAS ON BOARD.
BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU, UH, SINCE WE DID THE REDISTRICT, YOU BROUGHT IT UP EARLIER AND WE HAD SOME LINES THAT ARE CHANGED.
SO AT THE TIME OF THOSE STREETS, WERE IN THOSE DISTRICTS.
I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, THE REDISTRICTING OF ALL THOSE STREETS AND THE MAPS.
SO ONCE IT COMES BEFORE ME AND I'M A COUNCIL MEMBER AND I HAVE TO VOTE, I HAVE AN EDUCATED UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THESE STREETS WERE.
SO IF THOSE STREETS WERE PRIOR IN THE DISTRICT, THEY HAVE TO BE A ACCOUNT.
WE CAN'T GO BACK AND SAY WE ARE NOT GONNA, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT STREET IS NO LONGER IN, IN, IN, UH, DISTRICT FOUR OR DISTRICT THREE OR DISTRICT TWO.
WHEN THAT, WHEN WE DID AND SPENT THE MONEY AT THE TIME MM-HMM.
WE CAN'T GO BACK AND SAY, WELL, WE GONNA HAVE TO SUBTRACT.
BECAUSE THIS, THIS STREET IS NO LONGER IN THE DISTRICT.
BUT I WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR AND KNOWN.
BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD TO REDISTRICT AND IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAD TO DO IT, SOME OF THOSE STREETS WERE IN DIS DIFFERENT, INCLUDING DISTRICT THREE WHEN I WAS THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR.
I JUST WANT THAT TO BE SO THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS INFORMATION.
IF, IF, IF LINDSAY, OKAY, DO YOU HAVE A MA A MOMENT TO TURN THIS MAP ON? SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS G I S MAP.
IT'S, IT'S AVAILABLE ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND SO, UM, THESE ARE THE STREETS AND I DON'T KNOW, LINDSAY, IF YOU COULD HOVER OVER THE BAR GRAPH TO THE TOP LEFT.
IT LISTS THE STREETS IN DISTRICT ONE, THE NUMBER THAT HAVE BEEN DONE.
YOU GO DOWN TO DISTRICT TWO, IT LISTS THE NUMBER OF STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN DISTRICT TWO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND I WOULD CAUTION US THAT WE MAY GETTING A BIT FAR AFIELD OF WHAT'S ON THE ACTUAL AGENDA BECAUSE WE WERE DEALING WITH A SPECIFIC ITEM AND NOW WE ACTUALLY ARE HAVING A, A DISCUSSION ABOUT A PROGRAM AS AS ACCEPTABLE UNDERST.
WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT PART AS AT SOME OTHER TIME.
WHAT WE WANNA DO IS GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE VOTE ON THIS.
[VII.C.(18) P.R. 23343 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Mowing Contracts With Amelia Lawn Care And Landscaping Of Groves, Texas (Groups A, B, C, D, & E) And BST Solutions, LLC Of Port Arthur, Texas (Groups F, G, & H) For Ground Maintenance Of City Properties At The Water Utilities Department Facilities, With An Annual Projected Budgetary Impact Of $263,610.20 For The Fiscal Year; Funding Is Available In Account No. 410-40-230-5470-00-00- 000, Other Contractual Services]
HAVE ITEM NUMBER 18.ON PAGE EIGHT IS PR NUMBER 23.
IT'S A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE, UH, MOWING CONTRACTS WITH A AMELIA LAWN CARE AND LANDSCAPING OF GROVES, TEXAS GROUPS, A, B, C, D AND E AND B S T SOLUTIONS, L L C OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS GROUPS F, G, AND H FOR GROUND MAINTENANCE OF CITY PROPERTIES AT THE WATER UTILITIES DEPARTMENTS, UH, FACILITIES WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $263,610 20 CENTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND ACCOUNT NUMBER FOUR 10 DASH FOUR ZERO DASH TWO THREE DASH 5 4 7 0 0 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 0 0 0 AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MAY I GET, UH, A SECOND? MAYOR, I APPROACH HIM SECOND.
MAY I, UH, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTION.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, I'M CURIOUS AS THERE'S $263,610 20 CENTS.
WHY WE CAN'T CONSIDER DOING THIS IN HOUSE? THAT'S WHAT I'M CONS.
CITY MANAGER, UH, YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON IT ON ITEM 18, NO CONTRACTS ABOUT THE LAWN CARE.
[02:55:07]
TWO, THREE.UH, THIS IS FOR THE WATER PLANTS, PUMP STATIONS AND, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE STAFF TO HANDLE THIS.
WE WOULD'VE TO BRING ON ADDITIONAL STAFF.
ALSO, WE DO NOT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, SO WE WOULD'VE TO BUY THE EQUIPMENT AND, UH, AND THEN MAINTAIN THE EQUIPMENT.
THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, WHEN YOU BEGIN TO ADD BENEFITS TO THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE GOING, IS FAR GOING TO EXCEED THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS RIGHT NOW.
WHEN YOU BEGIN TO ADD BENEFITS TO IT, YOU GOTTA ADD PENSIONS, YOU GOTTA ADD INSURANCE AND YOU GOTTA TO HAVE EVERYTHING TO IT INSTEAD OF PAYING A ONE-TIME PRICE AND THERE'S NO STRINGS ATTACHED TO IT.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THE COST A AS A COST SAVING DEVICE AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW WE LOOK AT IT.
YEAH, I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SEE THE MANAGER, BUT I'M NOT, HOLD UP, HOLD UP.
YOU HAD ANYTHING ELSE? NO, MR. MATTHEW.
COUNCILMAN, WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT, UH, DEPARTMENT THAT'S ALREADY STAFFED UP, LIKE PARK AND RECREATION, THEY GOT, THEY HAVE DOWNTIME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN'T WORK THAT IN? NO, NO, NO, NO.
MS. MS. ALPO IS STRUGGLING JUST THIS WEEK AT THIS.
WE GOT 'EM ON FRIDAY MORNING AND SHE WAS SHORT OF EIGHT TO 10 WORKERS ON ONE DAY.
YOU KNOW, EIGHT TO 10 WORKERS? YES.
IN ONE DAY,
ANY, ANY OTHER UN READINESS ON THIS DR.
FRANK, YOU, YOU LIKE? OKAY, WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
SO ORDER WE HAVE APPROVED P R NUMBER 23.
NOW WE'LL MOVE TO PAGE, UH, 10, WHICH IS, UH, THE, UH,
[VIII.A.(1) P.R. 23243 – A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Member Or Members To The Port Arthur Police Chief Advisory Committee (Requested By Councilmembers Lewis, Beckcom And Doucet)]
NON-CONSENT, UH, AGENDA.WE HAVE ITEM, UH, ONE A, UH, IS A RESOLUTION NON-CONTENT.
IT'S, UH, UH, RESOLUTION NUMBER 23 2 43.
IT'S A RESOLUTION APPOINTED AND OR REAPPOINTED.
A MEMBER OF MEMBERS TO THE COURT.
AUTHOR, UH, POLICE CHIEFS ADVISORY COMMITTEE REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, BECKERMAN COUNCILMAN, UH, ETT.
YOU HAVE THE NAMES OR, OR, OR THEY HAVE THEM? I HAVE SOME NAMES.
JAN LEWIS, REGINALD TRAINER, DISTRICT THREE.
UH, AND THOSE ARE THE NAMES THAT WE HAVE, UH, INCLUDE.
YOU YOU HAVE THAT CITY SECRETARY.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE THE NAMES OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? I MAYOR MAY APPROACH HIM.
I'D EMAILED MY NAMES FOR DOLORES BOBBY PRINCE.
AND EFRAIN ADO FOR YOU, MAN LEWIS.
WHO, WHO, UH, WHO NAME EXPIRED, WHO EXPIRED.
BARNES CHILD OF BARN TOMORROW.
WILL HE? EMPLOYMENT POSITION ONE? IS THAT, YEAH.
WELL I CANNOT UNDERSTAND THAT.
YEAH, BUT LET ME HOLD UP ON THAT.
OKAY, I'LL, I'LL DO IT NEXT WEEK.
OKAY, SO YOU HAVE FOUR NAMES? FIVE NAMES.
UH, SAY THE SECRETARY RIGHT NOW I HAVE FOUR.
GENE RILEY, CHUCK VINCENT, ALAN VACA, GLORIA SANCHEZ AND MAYOR PRO.
BOBBY PRINCE AND, OKAY, YOU ALL HERE TONIGHT? E OKAY.
THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS CORRECT HOLD.
I'VE ALREADY REA APPOINTED THOSE PEOPLE.
THEIR TERMS EXPIRED AND THIS I'M RE APPOINTED.
WE READY FOR A MOTION? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW PLEASE? UH, SO MOVED A SECOND.
OKAY, WE READY FOR QUESTION? GO AHEAD, CHIEF.
[03:00:03]
THANK YOU MAYOR.WHO IS JOANNE LEWIS? YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S MY PROBLEM.
THE NAME IS MISSPELLED JONES NAME IS JOAN JONES.
WE'LL GET THAT UPGRADED FOR YOU.
YOU ACCEPT THAT THAT AMENDMENT? YES YOU ACCEPT.
I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WAS TALKING ABOUT EITHER.
YOU GOT THAT? SEE THE SECRETARY? YES I DO.
ANYBODY TO TAKE IT UP AND YOU CAN SEE IT.
JUST, JUST A BRIEF CHIEF, I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD, THEY HAVEN'T HAD A HOLD UP THAT, THAT, THAT THAT'S NOT ON THIS MOTION.
THAT'S NOT A QUESTION ON A MOTION.
WE WE'RE VOTING ON PUTTING PEOPLE APPOINTED FOLKS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE GOING TO DO.
WE ARE GOING TO VOTE ON WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON.
NOW WE, IF IT'S SOMETHING ELSE, WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT LATER.
WE ARE ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION OF THOSE FOUR INDIVIDUALS, PLEASE.
ANY OPPOSES AS HAVING THOSE PERSONS ARE ON IT.
NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
[VIII.B.(1) P.O. No. 7164 – An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of City-Owned Vacant Tracts Of Land Located On The City’s Westside Near Denbo And Grannis Avenue To The Port Of Port Arthur Navigation District In Accordance With Chapter 272 Of The Local Government Code And Execution Of A Special Warranty Deed]
IS PO NUMBER 7 1 64.IT'S AN ORDINANCES AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF CITY ON VACANT TRACKS FROM LAND LOCATED ON THE CITY'S WEST SIDE NEAR DBO AND GRANNIS AVENUE TO THE PORT OF FORT ARTHUR NAVIGATION DISTRICT.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 2 72 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AND EXECUTION OF A SPECIAL WARRANTY DEED MAY GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
SO I A SECOND MAYOR PRO IT IS REMOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 71 64.
AS READ, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? THEY'RE, ANY QUESTIONS READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ALL THE IN THE OPPOSED, I'M SORRY.
WE HAVE APPROVED PO NUMBER 7 1 6 4 IS RED.
[VIII.B.(2) P.O. No. 7178 – An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of Surplus Vehicles, Heavy Equipment And Minor Equipment By A Public Online Auction Through Rene Bates Auctioneers, Inc.]
PO NUMBER 7 1 7 8.IT IS AN ORDINANCES AUTHORIZED IN THE SALE OF SURPLUS VEHICLES, HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND MINOR EQUIPMENT BY A PUBLIC ONLINE AUCTION THROUGH RENEE BATES AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SO MOVED.
MA'AM, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN KINLOCK SECOND.
IT MOVED TO SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 7 1 7 8 IS READ.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? WHERE ON ANY QUESTIONS? YOU READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE SO IS ORDERED.
[VIII.B.(3) P.O. No. 7180 – An Appropriation Ordinance Amending The City Of Port Arthur Budget For The Fiscal Year Beginning October 1, 2022 And Ending September 30, 2023, By Increasing The Human Resources Department Budget By $50,000.00, Increasing The Civic Center Budget By $110,000.00, Increasing The Fire Department Budget By $800,000.00, Increasing Transfers Funding By $75,000.00, Increasing The Hospitalization Fund By $255,000.00, Increasing The General Liability Fund By $750,000.00, And Increasing The Transit Fund Budget By $75,000.00]
NUMBER 7 1 8 0 AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2022 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023 BY INCREASING THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT BUDGET BY $50,000, INCREASING THE CIVIC CENTER BUDGET BY $110,000, INCREASING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET BY $800,000, INCREASING TRANSFER FUNDING BY $75,000.INCREASING THE HOSPITALIZATION FUND BY $225,000.
INCREASING THE GENERAL LIABILITY FUND BY $750,000 AND INCREASING THE TRANSIT BUDGET BY SEVEN $5,000.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP? IS IT MOVED? AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 7 1 7 8 AS READ, WE ARE NOW READY FOR QUESTION, QUESTION.
COUNCILMAN ETT, QUESTIONING, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM? OKAY, COUNCIL, UH, CITY MANAGER.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR HIM.
CAN CAN YOU COME UP? WE, WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN.
I, WE PROVIDED YOU, I I GOT THE, I READ THE BREAKDOWN, RON, ABOUT WHAT I'M, YOU JUST WANNA KNOW WHERE THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM? THE FUND BALANCES.
OKAY, NOW THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
SO IF THE MONEY'S COMING FROM THE FUND BALANCE, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 2 MILLION DIFFERENT FUNDS, DIFFERENT FUNDS.
THE GENERAL FUND TOTAL IS A MILLION DOLLARS AND 35,000.
THE HOSPITALIZATION FUND IS 255,000.
THE GENERAL LIABILITY FUND SEVEN 50.
AND THEN THE TRANSIT FUND, UH, IS REALLY A WASH BECAUSE WE ARE TRANSFERRING 75,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND INTO TRANSIT.
[03:05:01]
NO EFFECT ON THAT BUDGET.ONCE AGAIN, LET ME UNDERSTAND THIS, RIGHT, WE APPROVE THE BUDGET.
WHEN WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, WE WERE GIVEN A FUND BALANCE, PROJECTED FUND BALANCE, OKAY.
WE WERE GIVEN A PROJECTED FUND BALANCE.
WE HAD A TRANSFER OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
SO ONCE WE BALANCED THE BUDGET FOR THAT YEAR, WE BALANCED THAT BUDGET.
AND OUR PROJECTED FUND BALANCE WAS BASED ON AFTER WE'D TAKEN THE 5.9 OUT OF THERE AND FUND AND BALANCE IT.
NOW WE DID ALL THIS TWO WEEKS AGO.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS OUR CURRENT YEAR BUDGET, NOT OUR NEXT YEAR BUDGET.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAY, DON'T, DON'T THINK I'M SAYING YOU DON'T.
SO I'M ASKING QUESTIONS BECAUSE I'M NOT GETTING IT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE JUST APPROVED THE BUDGET AND WE USED PROJECTED NUMBERS, RIGHT? AND, AND PREVIOUS NUMBERS.
AND AFTER IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE, YOU GAVE US PROJECT, UH, PROJECTED IN THE YEAR.
SO THE PROJECTED I YEAR YOU GAVE US, AND THAT'S THE PROJECTION BECAUSE ACTUALLY THOSE NUMBERS WERE INCLUDED, THOSE NUMBERS WERE INCLUDED IN THE PROJECTIONS YOU WERE GIVEN FOR THE BUDGET.
THIS IS JUST AN OFFICIAL ACTION THAT WE NEED TO TAKE TO BRING IT TO THE PLACE IT NEEDS TO BE.
ALL OF THESE NUMBERS WERE ALREADY REPORTED TO YOU IN THE BUDGET AS OUR YEAR-END ESTIMATE THAT WE GAVE YOU.
SO THERE WON'T BE ANY EFFECT ON THE BEGINNING FUND BALANCES GOING FORWARD.
OKAY? NOW THAT YOU SAID THAT, LET ME JUST ASK THE QUESTION.
THESE NUMBERS YOU THAT WE ARE BUMPING UP, WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT IS BUDGET AND ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT IS GOING TO BE, IF WE APPROVE THIS, THEY ARE GOING OVER WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR.
OKAY? SO I UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE AMENDING, AMENDING THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
LET'S TALK THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
I AIN'T GONNA TALK ABOUT THE NEXT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
WE ARE AMENDING THE $2.5 MILLION.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHERE IS THE $2.1 MILLION COMING FROM? THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.
IT'S COMING FROM THE FUN BALANCE.
SO WE, SO WE WAIT UNTIL THREE DAYS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR AND WE WON'T COME AND DO THE FUN BALANCE.
SO WAIT, LET ME ASK MY NEXT QUESTION.
YOU WANNA RESPOND BEFORE YOU TELL MY QUESTION IS PLEASE LET ME ASK MY QUESTION AND I'LL LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
OKAY? THE NEXT THING IS, AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO ONLY AMEND THE BUDGET FOR EMERGENCIES DEALING WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND, AND SAFETY? IS THAT, IS THAT ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR AMENDING A BUDGET? UM, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, SIR.
THE, THE BUDGET CAN BE AMENDED BY ANYTHING THAT COUNSEL APPROVES.
NO, YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE DONE.
BECAUSE OF THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED.
I, THAT'S SOMETHING, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DO NOT EXPECT TO GET.
UH, BUT ONE THING WE SHOULD KNOW, IF WE RUN, IF WE RUN IT FINANCE, ONE THING WE SHOULD KNOW CITY MANAGER IS HOW AND HOW AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO, UH, AMEND A BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'M NOT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I'M, TELL YOU WHAT, LET, LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT.
WE ARE THREE A BEFORE THE END OF THIS BUDGET.
AND I GET A REQUEST TO AMEND A BUDGET FOR $2.1 MILLION.
AND I DON'T SEE NOTHING ON HERE THAT'S EMERGENCY.
I DON'T SEE NOTHING ON HERE THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED WHEN WE
[03:10:01]
DONE THIS BUDGET INITIALLY.THE ONLY THING I CAN GET IS THAT EITHER WE OVERSPENT IN THESE DEPARTMENTS AND WE FINDING OUT AT THE END OF THE YEAR WE HAVE MONEY LEFT AND WE'RE GONNA COVER THIS BY BUMPING IT UP AND USING THAT MONEY.
BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, WE CAN'T EVEN DO THAT.
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE ACTUALLY GOING BACK INTO THE FUND BALANCE AND WE'RE TAKING MONEY OUT THE FUND BALANCE.
AND THE THING THAT I REALLY GET UPSET ABOUT, UH, UH, RON, IS THAT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT DOCUMENTS AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT STAFF IS ASKING ME TO APPROVE.
BECAUSE WHAT I HAVE HERE IS A REQUEST TO TRANSFER MONEY OUT OF A FUND BALANCE.
I READ EVERY DOCUMENTATION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO ME, ALL MY BACKGROUND, AND AIN'T NOTHING TOLD ME THAT THIS MONEY WAS COMING OUT OF FUND BALANCE.
BECAUSE THE TRANSFER IS COMING.
BECAUSE YOU COULD ACTUALLY TRANSFER MONEY FROM DEPARTMENT.
'CAUSE YOU COULD GO FROM DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT, RON, AND IF YOU WANT TO GO, I MEAN FROM LINE OUT OF EYELINE, BUT IF YOU WANNA GO FROM DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS BRING IT TO US AND WE APPROVE IT.
THOSE ARE, BUT, BUT THIS IS $2.1 MILLION THREE DAYS BEFORE THE END OF THE BUDGET YEAR.
AND WE ARE AMENDING THE BUDGET.
WE'RE TAKING $2.1 MILLION OUT THE BUDGET AND NOBODY'S TELLING ME WE ARE TAKING 2.1 OUT THE FUND BALANCE.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY OR, UH, UH, DEALING WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND I ASK, THE SIMPLE QUESTION IS, CAN WE AMEN THIS? AND I GET THE ANSWER, I DON'T KNOW.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT, WE HAVE ITEMIZED VARIOUS ITEMS HERE, AND WHEN YOU PREPARE THE BUDGET, THERE WAS NO WAY THAT WE COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THAT THIS SUMMER WAS GOING TO BE A HOT ONE.
AND THE, THE, UM, THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS GOING TO BE ENGAGED AT THE LEVEL AT WHICH IT WAS ENGAGED THIS SUMMER WITH THE INCREASING FUEL COST, WITH THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT THEY HAVE HAD WITH THE INCREASE IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE EQUIPMENT AND THE INCREASE IN OVERTIME, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TWO CATEGORIES OF, OF, OF, UM, OF WORKERS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE HAD AN, AN EFFECT ON THE BUDGET BRING INTO THE $800,000.
THE CHIEF CAN SUBSTANTIATE THAT TREATMENT.
NOW WE GOT A GRANT OF OVER $700,000 FIVE YEARS AGO FOR THE TRANSIT DEPARTMENT.
WE HAD TO UTILIZE THE GOV, THE, UM, THE FUNDING THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE AROUND THE TRANSIT DEPARTMENT.
HERE IT IS THAT WE WENT OUT AND WE, WE EXECUTED THE WORK AND WE FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS ASBESTOS IN THE CITY LINES.
AND THE FEDERAL FUND WAS NOT GOING TO COVER THE AMOUNT THAT WAS NEEDED IN ORDER TO GET THE JOB DONE.
NOW, IF WE HAD TO REMOBILIZE STAFF TO GET IT DONE, IT WOULD BE FINE.
THIS IS THE $75,000 THAT YOU ARE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE JOB DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
DO ALL THE ENGINEERING AND THE, THE CORRECTIVE MEASURES THAT ARE NECESSARY, GET IT DONE OUT OF THE WAY AND MOVE AHEAD.
IT'S AN EMERGENCY THAT AT THE TIME THAT WE FOUND OUT THAT WAS NOT GOING TO BE COVERED IN EXCESS OF FEDERAL FUNDING.
AND SO WE HAD TO GO BACK AGAIN TO THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER IT.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AMOUNT FOR THE INCREASE IN PROPERTY INSURANCE OVER THE, IS, WE DID BUDGET FUND AMOUNT.
IN THE OLD BUDGET, WE DID BUDGET FUND AMOUNT, BUT WHEN WE, WHEN THE ACTUALLY, UM, THE, THE AMOUNTS CAME IN, IT WAS IN EXCESS OF $750,000.
YOU KNOW, THOSE FIGURES ARE LARGE.
THE EXTRA HELP THAT IS NEEDED IN, IN THE, UM, THE, THE, UM, HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT.
THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT, LIKE MOST OF THE DEPARTMENTS IS BEING BUDGETED VERY CLOSELY BECAUSE OF THE MEMBERS OF STAFF.
THE VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF STAFF WE HAVE THERE.
WE HAD TO BRING IN EXTRA HELP OVER THE, WE, WE HAD ONE MEMBER OF STAFF WHO WAS VERY SICK.
WE HAD TO BRING IN EXTRA HELP THAT'S NEEDED.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE THE, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, RON, I ASK QUESTIONS.
MY QUESTIONS ARE PRETTY DIRECT.
IF I GET AN EXPLANATION, I'M OKAY.
THE REASON THE QUESTION IS ASKED, BECAUSE WHEN I READ DOCUMENTATION, IT DOESN'T TELL ME.
SEE, I'M THREE DAYS, WE THREE DAYS BEFORE WE GO INTO A NEW PHYSICAL YEAR.
AND THIS THREE DAYS BEFORE YOU'RE GONNA COME AND SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO TRANSFER $2.1 MILLION
[03:15:01]
OUR FUND BALANCE.OKAY, I UNDERSTAND ALL THIS, BUT HOW MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN THROUGH BUDGETING THAT UNDERSTOOD THAT THAT ACTUALLY 2.1 MILLION THAT YOU'RE SAYING WE ARE GONNA MOVE.
THEY DON'T KNOW IT'S COMING FROM THIS FUND BALANCE.
AND I TELL YOU SOMETHING ELSE TOO.
OUR FUND BALANCE IS $2.1 MILLION DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE WAS TALKING ABOUT IN DISCUSSING WHEN WE DID OUR BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
SEE, 'CAUSE THE FUND BALANCE WE WERE LOOKING AT WAS A PROJECTED ONE.
ALL OUR NUMBERS WAS FROM A PROJECTED NUMBER.
SO THAT MEANS IF WE GONNA TAKE TWO POINT MILLION FROM HERE, THEN THAT MEANS WE HAD TAKEN IT FROM IT.
SO ACTUALLY THAT NUMBER, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE WAS DEALING WITH.
SO WELL, OKAY, BUT REALLY, I, BUT LET, LET, LET US, WE TOOK THAT INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
NO, I, WHEN, WHENEVER I HAVE A QUESTION AND I DIRECT IT TO THE CITY MANAGER, IF THE CITY MANAGER CALLS HER UP, THEN I DON'T MIND HER TALKING.
BUT AS LONG AS MY QUESTION'S BEING DIRECTED TO CITY MAG STAFF, DON'T COME TO TALK.
SHE MAY, WHEN SHE ANSWER, I THINK SHE HAS SOME INFORMATION ON SOMETHING.
COME ON, COME ON UP MS. DANIELS, PLEASE LET THE MANAGER, THAT'S YEAH, BUT, BUT I ASK, SAID, HE SAID, OKAY, I WANT YOU TO COME ON.
COME ON, MS. I THINK YOU CAME UP BECAUSE HE MADE A STATEMENT AND YOU HAD, YOU HAD SOME INFORMATION FOR IT.
OKAY, WELL LOOK, I'M GOING TO, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND WE'RE GONNA CALL THE VOTE ON THIS BECAUSE WE'RE DISCUSSING IT.
WHAT YOU GOT? WHAT YOU GOT? COME ON, COME ON.
HE'S, HE'S, HE'S, HE'S PRETTY MUCH, WE ON THE SAME, WE ON THE SAME OF MUSIC.
HE UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? I UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING.
YEAH, I WANNA GO TOO, BUT, BUT I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS BEFORE I GO.
MAY POINT OF ALL POINT OF ALL LET HIM FINISH IF YOU DON'T MIND.
JUST LET, IT AIN'T GONNA BE LONG, BUT RON RUN.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? YOU KNOW, I WANT THINGS TO COME TO US SO THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE, I DON'T KNOW, AND HOW WE SAY IT GOES A LOT WAY WITH ME WHEN YOU UP TO THE PODIUM AND YOU DON'T KNOW IT'S, IT, IT'S A WAY WE COULD COMMUNICATE.
AND I, AND, AND I RE I I RESPECT STAFF AND, AND, AND I, AND I COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.
BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS I EXPECT THE STAFF TO DIRECT TO ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
I NEVER DIRECT, I, MY QUESTIONS ARE, IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, TELL ME YOU CAN'T.
DON'T GET NO ATTITUDE WITH ME.
I DON'T DO WHAT YOU, I I RESPECT THEM AND I RESPECT THEM TO RESPOND TO ME THAT WAY.
OKAY, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSES A WHAT IS AUDIT? ARE WE APPROVED? JUST FOR THE RECORD, MS. DANIEL, YOU DID NOT HAVE ONE.
WE'RE GOING END THE MEETING IN LOVE, LIKE WE STARTED IN LOVE.
P WE HAVE Y'ALL WANNA LET ME FINISH MY JOB.
WE HAVE APPROVED PO NUMBER 7 1 8 0 AS RED.
NOW, IF THERE WOULD BE NO OTHER BUSINESS THAT WOULD COME BEFORE THIS GREAT AUGUST VALLEY OF GOVERNANCE FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND READY, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR, FOR, FOR ADJOURNMENT, MOVE TO ADJOIN, UH, COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR PROTI SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WOULD ADJOIN THIS AUGUST BODY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE GATHERED HERE ON TODAY, UH, SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2023 TO ACTUALLY HAVE THIS MEETING TO HELP US IN OUR GREAT CITY.
AND I'M JUST TALKING BECAUSE I'M BAPTIST AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAS TALKED A LONG TIME.
JUST PROBABLY LEAVE BECAUSE WE ARE ALL HERE GATHERED HERE IN THIS MEETING TO ACTUALLY TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS WHILE SITTING HERE FOR OTHER, ALL IN FAVOR AS A HAPPY FEELING WHEN Y'ALL TALKING.