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OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON.[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
GOOD AFTERNOON.WE ARE GATHERED HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FOR A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING ON TODAY, OCTOBER 16TH, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2023.
AND, UM, YOU MAY ATTEND THIS MEETING, UH, VIA TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS, HOWEVER, YOU MUST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9, AND YOU WILL ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 4 4 4 5 5 9 7 0 4 8, AND THE PASSCODE OF 2 7 6 4 4 4, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE MEETING AND TO PARTICIPATE.
ALSO, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT DURING THIS PARTICULAR MEETING.
HOWEVER, YOU MUST CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING, AND THAT WOULD BE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5.
MAKE YOUR REQUEST TO THE CITY SECRETARY STAFF AND THEY WILL DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWER TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR SPECIAL REQUEST.
WITH THOSE THINGS BEING SAID, IF YOU HAVE A A, AN ELECTRONIC, UH, DEVICE, I'D ASK NOW THAT YOU WOULD SILENCE IT, PLEASE, AND EXCUSE ME, WE WILL BEGIN OUR MEETING IN OUR NORMAL FASHION WITH AN INVOCATION AND THE, UH, ROLL CALL.
SO AT THIS TIME, OR COUNCILMAN BECKHAM, WOULD YOU DO THE INVOCATION FOR US, PLEASE? OKAY.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME TO YOU TODAY.
SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU GIVE US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THIS FAIR CITY, OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
I ASK THAT YOU BE WITH EACH PERSON WHO'S HERE TODAY.
GIVE US WISE, UH, WORDS TO SPEAK AND GIVE US GOOD DISCRETION SO THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO WILL BE TO YOUR GLORY.
BE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
BLESS US AS WE LEAVE THIS PLACE.
TAKE US SAFELY BACK TO OUR HOME AND OUR JOBS, AND THEN BRING US BACK HERE SAFELY WHEN NEXT WE MEET.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE CITY.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE WISDOM TO BE LEADERS OF THE CITY.
HELP US TO DO SO WITH GRACE AND DEFERENCE.
IT'S IN JESUS' NAME THAT WE PRAY.
COUNCILMAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH THE LIBERTY AND THE JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY SECRETARY.
AND WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH THE QUORUM FOR ME? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, YOU HAVE A QUORUM MAYOR.
AND, UH, WE ARE HERE FOR THIS SPECIAL MEETING AND ON THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETING, WE HAVE ITEM
[II. ITEMS REQUIRING INDIVIDUAL ACTION]
TWO, UH, ROMAN NUMERAL TWO, WHICH IS A, UH, WHICH DOES REQUIRE INDIVIDUAL ACTION.AND IT IS P R NUMBER 2 3 3 9 0.
AND IT IS A RESOLUTION NOMINATING THE MEMBERS AND OR MEMBERS TO THE DIRECTORS OF THE JEFFERSON COUNTY APPRAISER DISTRICT FOR THE 2024 TERM.
AND, UM, ON, ON FOR THIS CITY SECRETARY, I HAVE A NAME I'D LIKE TO PUT IN NOMINATION AFTER WE DO IT.
YOU CAN, YEAH, ONCE YOU GET ON FLYNN, THEN I HAD A COMMENT FROM THE APPRAISER DISTRICT SHARE.
BEFORE WE PUT IT ON FLOOR, JUST GENERAL INFORMATION IT ON FLOOR.
NO, YOU CAN GO AHEAD, GET ON FLOOR, THEN I'LL GIVE YOU THE GENERAL.
SO MAY I GET A MOTION COUNCIL, MCKEN LAW TO UH, ADOPT P R NUMBER 2 3 3 9 0.
SO, MOVE MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN ETT SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT PR R NUMBER 2 3 3 9 0.
UH, ARE WE READY FOR PRECAUTION? AND WITH CITY ATTORNEY? JUST VERY MINOR.
UM, YES, WE HAD A PREVIOUS NAME, UH, THAT WE HAD HAD FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND ON OCTOBER 9TH, UH, THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 9TH, WE GOT A LETTER FROM THE, UH, CHIEF APPRAISAL LETTING US KNOW THAT DR.
UM, LEWIS REED HAD RESIGNED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UM, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEY ASKED US ON THAT DAY IF WE HAD SOMEONE THAT ELSE THAT WE WOULD, UH, LIKE TO NOMINATE WITH
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HIM RES RESIGNING DUE TO HEALTH REASONS.AND TODAY WAS THE, THE DEADLINE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET IT ON, BUT I JUST WANTED TOLAR GET IT ON THE LAST MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT'S DIFFERENT.
THE LAW IS GONNA CHANGE NEXT YEAR, AND THE BOARD WILL BE COMPRISED DIFFERENTLY.
SO INSTEAD OF THIS BEING LIKE A TWO YEAR TERM, THIS WILL ONLY BE A ONE YEAR TERM.
UH, AND THEN NEXT YEAR, BY OCTOBER 14TH, WE WILL, UH, HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT, DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THERE'S GOING TO BE FIVE NAMES THAT WE CAN SUBMIT NEXT YEAR.
AND IN FACT, WITH THE NEW LEGISLATION, YOU CAN ALSO, UH, HAVE THREE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN ADDITION TO NOMINEES FROM A TAXING ENTITY.
SO IT'LL BE HANDLED DIFFERENTLY.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS JUST FOR A ONE YEAR TERM AND IT'S TO REPLACE THE NAME OF DR.
THEN THEY'LL COME BACK WITH THE ACTUAL VOTING WHERE ALL THE TAX AND ENTITIES, BUT INSTEAD OF TWO YEARS, THIS IS ONE.
OKAY? UH, AT THIS TIME, COUNCILMAN LEWIS CITY ATTORNEY IS THE MAKEUP OF THE BOARD IS GOING TO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE TO A GREATER NUMBER.
THEY'RE GONNA NOT JUST TAKE NOMINEES FROM THE TAXING ENTITIES, THEY'RE ALSO GONNA, THE PUBLIC IS GONNA BE ABLE TO NOM PUT PEOPLE ON THE BOARD TOO.
LIKE, I THINK, DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS, BUT WHAT I LAST UNDERSTOOD THAT THE PUBLIC WILL POSSIBLY BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THE COUNTY JUDGE AND LIKE JUST A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND, AND GET NOMINATED AS WELL.
SO THEY'RE GONNA EXPAND THE, THE SIZE OF THE BOARD AND, UH, NOT ONLY WILL WE BE ABLE TO NOMINATE, BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN NOMINATE.
OKAY? SO IT, SO FOR JUST THIS YEAR, IT'S GONNA BE LIKE IT WAS, AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA WRITE US A NEW LETTER.
SO YOU'LL BE SEEING THIS AGAIN IN AUGUST.
THEY'RE GONNA WRITE US A NEW LETTER, AND IN AUGUST WE CAN SUBMIT FIVE NAMES AND THEN THERE'S A WHOLE NOTHER WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN GET ON CITIZENS BY THEMSELVES WITHOUT GOING THROUGH US.
UH, AND AT, AT, AT THIS JUNCTURE, I'D LIKE TO SUBMIT THE NAME, UH, CITY SECRETARY OF KENNETH MARKS TO SERVE, UH, FOR THIS ONE YEAR TERM, UH, AS DR.
REED HAS RESIGNED BECAUSE OF, UH, AN ILLNESS.
I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND MATTHEW CHRISTIAN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? SO I HAVE TWO NAMES HAVE BEEN, UH, PRESENTED AND WE WILL VOTE ON THOSE NAMES.
HOW, UH, WHAT, WHAT PROCEDURE WOULD YOU USE? UH, ATTORNEY OR DID THE SECRETARY EXPLAIN? IS THAT OKAY? YOU WANNA EXPLAIN OR I'LL EXPLAIN IT? YOU MAKE A MOTION.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION AND ON, UH, VOTE ON EACH ONE.
MAY I GET A MOTION? UH, COUNCILMAN DUCEY TO VOTE ON EACH NAME? SO MOVED, MA'AM.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILWOMAN, UH, BECKER.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD VOTE ON EACH NAME, UH, THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO US FOR CONSIDERATION AS A BOARD MEMBER OF THE, UH, JCA.
AND I DID SAY IT CORRECTLY, RIGHT? YES.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR JEFFERSON CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO A ROLL CALL? VOTE MAYOR, JUST FOR IT TO BE CLEAR.
COUNCIL MEMBER BECKHAM NOMINATION OF KENNETH MARKS.
MEASURE PASSES FOR KENNETH MARKS.
AND, UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE THE VOTE OR THE OTHER NAME AT ALL, RIGHT? OKAY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
OKAY, GO RIGHT IN TO THE SECRETARY.
FOR THE NOMINATION OF MATTHEW CHRISTIAN, COUNCIL MEMBER BECKHAM? NO.
MEASURE FAILS FOR MATTHEW CHRISTIAN.
SO THE APPOINTEE WOULD BE KEN MARKS.
NOW YOU, YOU STATE YOU SAID SOMETHING, I COULD HEAR YOU, BUT IT DID NOT COME THROUGH THE SYSTEM, I DON'T BELIEVE.
SO OUR NOMINATION IS KENNETH MARKS? YES, SIR.
[III. DISCUSSION ITEMS]
WE HAVE THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION ITEM, AND THAT IS ROMAN NU THREE ON PAGE ONE.AND IT IS, UH, TO DISCUSS AND POSSIBLY TAKE ACTION REGARDING
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AMBULANCE SERVICES IN THE CITY, UH, AND A PROPOSED CONTRACT FOR THE OPERATION OF AMBULANCES PURSUANT TO, UH, CHAPTER ONE 14, ARTICLE TWO OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES.UH, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING PRIOR TO OUR GETTING THIS ON THE FLOOR? UH, CITY ATTORNEY? UM, I'M SORRY.
UM, WE KNEW THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR WE HAD REWRITTEN OUR, UM, CODE OF ORDINANCES, UH, SEC CHAPTER ONE 14 AS IT PERTAINS TO AMBULANCES.
AND, UH, AS COUNSEL HAD REQUESTED, WE, UM, WROTE A, A MORE DETAILED CONTRACT THAN WHAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST.
AND SO, UH, WE HAVE SOME NEW REQUIREMENTS IN IT.
SO COUNSEL HAS BEEN GIVEN THE CONTRACT TO REVIEW, AND, UM, AT THIS TIME, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE ANYONE WHO WAS AN APPLICANT WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE PROPOSED CONTRACT.
SO WE ARE JUST ASKING COUNSEL FOR TWO THINGS TODAY TO REVIEW.
UM, GIVE US PERMISSION TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED DRAFT CONTRACT AND ALLOW IT TO BE PRESENTED TO THE APPLICANTS BECAUSE IT WASN'T IN THE ORIGINAL PACKET, SO THEY WOULD HAVE NOTICE.
AND THEN, UM, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
AND THEN, UH, JUST I BELIEVE DO ONE LAST EXTENSION BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR FINAL DETERMINATION, WHICH I BELIEVE WILL BE ON THE MEETING ON THE 24TH IF I'M, BUT I JUST WANT THEM BECAUSE THE PACKET, THE ORIGINAL PACKET, DID NOT, UM, INCLUDE THE CONTRACT AND WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE CLEAR WITH IT.
AND WE HAD PERMISSION TO GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT THIS DRAFT.
AND IT DOES HAVE MORE STRINGENT MEASURES.
UM, AND I KNOW SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD SOME QUESTIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING AND STAFF MET WITH THEM ALONG WITH THE FIRE CHIEF TO PUT THOSE PROPOSALS IN.
UH, AND I THINK WE WOULD ALREADY ANNOUNCED FOR OUR MOTION.
AM I CORRECT? WELL, YES, WE, WE WOULD NEED TO DO A MOTION FOR AN EXTENSION IF THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL'S PLEASURE IS.
THIS IS THE, THE, THE DRAFT IN THE FINAL LANGUAGE THAT YOU WANTED TO, OKAY.
SO YOU'RE ACTUALLY SAYING THAT YOU WANT TO EXTEND IT TO THE 24TH MEETING AND THEN WE MAKE OUR FINAL DECISION ON THAT DATE.
BECAUSE WHEN WE LAST TALKED ABOUT THIS CONTRACTING HAVING TWO, WE HAD THE BRIEFING FROM, UH, THE, THE FIRE CHIEF, AND HE GAVE AND GAVE US HIS, HIS INFORMATION AND WHAT HE, UH, REQUIRED AND WHAT WAS ACTUALLY GONNA BE IN THE CONTRACT.
SO WHY ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE HOLDUP WITH THIS CONTRACT? WHERE TODAY WHEN WE KNEW WE WERE GONNA HAVE THIS ON THE AGENDA, UH, FROM LAST MEETING, THAT WE WERE GONNA BE DOING THIS.
AND I, I'M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT WAS THE, WHAT, WHAT, BECAUSE WE HAD, I THINK THAT IF ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER HAD ANY QUESTIONS, THERE WAS THE OPPORTUNITY FROM LAST MEETING TO THIS MEETING TO GET THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
SO IF YOU'RE ASKING IF WE NEEDED TO, UH, POSTPONE OR EXTEND UNTIL THE 24TH, WHAT WAS THE REASON? I MEAN, BECAUSE IT WASN'T BECAUSE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
NO, THE ONLY PUT YOUR MIND, THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED.
UM, WE WEREN'T AWARE THAT THE CHIEF WOULD NOT BE HERE, THE FIRE CHIEF.
NOW, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU CAN, UM, WHATEVER'S COUNCIL PLEASURE.
BUT, UM, WHEN WE ORIGINALLY PLAN FOR TODAY, WE DIDN'T KNOW THE CHIEF, UH, WOULD BE OFF.
UM, BUT ALL THE INFORMATION IS THERE.
SO BASICALLY YOU COULD TAKE WHATEVER ACTION IS YOUR PLEASURE.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CHIEF BE, I MET WITH THE CHIEF A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CHIEF, THAT'S SOME LIQUIDATED LANGUAGES IN THIS AGREEMENT.
SO WE ALL NEED TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
SO JUST BECAUSE, AND THERE'S SOME OTHER EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES TO THAT THE EXISTING COMPANIES DID NOT, YOU KNOW, AND THE LIQUIDATED LANGUAGE GONNA BE APPLIED TO THEM ALSO.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING INTO THAT.
YOU'RE SAYING YOU TALKED WITH THE CHIEF AND IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT LIQUIDATING THAT WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND.
SO WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WHY IS IT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YES, NO, COUNCILMAN, UH, HAD A QUESTION, I BELIEVE EARLIER.
UM, IN HERE WE PROVIDE FOR LIQUIDATED DAMAGES.
UM, AND I THINK HE MAY HAVE INCREASED THE PERCENTAGE OF THE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES.
AND, UM, I KNOW THERE WAS A QUESTION BEFORE ABOUT POSSIBLY GOING BACK TO THE PAST PRACTICE WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES.
AND SO I KNOW WE MET WITH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
LET ME GIVE A BETTER CLARIFICATION.
YEARS AGO, WE DIDN'T HAVE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES AND EVERYONE WOULD PAY A $50,000 DEPOSIT IN THE EVENT THINGS WENT WRONG.
SO WE WERE, UM, WE PRESENTED THE CONTRACT TO YOU ALL WITH THE CHIEF'S RECOMMENDATION, BUT THEN I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME TALK OR SOME CONCERNS ABOUT PUTTING
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THE $50,000 BACK IN.AND SO THE CHIEF'S RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE GO WITH THE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES INSTEAD OF THE $50,000 DEPOSIT.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY THE CRUX OF IT.
THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CHIEF OF WHAT WE GAVE YOU ALL.
BUT I KNOW THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER YOU WANTED TO KEEP THIS LANGUAGE OR DO A $50,000 DEPOSIT.
UH, IF YOU'RE FINE WITH THE CHIEF'S RECOMMENDATION, THIS IS IT.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT, I THOUGHT WE HAD DISCUSSED ALL OF THIS.
AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WE DISCUSSED IT, WE GOT A CONTRACT, IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, AND I'M LIKE, COUNCILMAN KINLOCK.
AND I DON'T HAVE NOTHING AGAINST US WAITING OR NOT DOING IT.
I DON'T HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT, BUT I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND WHY WE NOT WHAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS TOLD TO US BY THE CHIEF.
THE CHIEF IS NOT HERE, BUT WHAT THE CHIEF SAID WAS CLEAR, NOTHING IS DIFFERENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAD A QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS HAD A QUESTION.
AND I, I HOPE THAT WE ANSWERED IT.
BUT IF, IF HIS QUESTION HAS BEEN RESOLVED YES.
THEN THIS IS THE COMPLETED DOCUMENT AND OKAY.
SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE WERE WALKING OUT LAST TIME, HE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT PUTTING OTHER LANGUAGE IN, BUT I THINK WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT WITH HIM IN A MEETING.
SO THIS DOCUMENT IS FINE TO GO IF YOU CHOOSE TO.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF Y'ALL WERE GONNA CHANGE YOUR MIND.
AND, UH, I MEAN, UH, I CONCUR WITH COUNCILMAN LEWIS AND THAT'S WHY I WAS REALLY WAITING AROUND.
MAYBE THE CHIEF MIGHT SHOW UP AND I FOUND OUT HE REALLY WASN'T COMING BECAUSE HE HAS, HE'S PRIVY TO THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO PUBLICLY SAY, AND I'D RATHER HIM SAY IT.
AND THEN WE MAKE THE DECISION BASED UPON A, A, A FACTUAL, UH, UH, INFORMATION THAT HE HAS A, ABOUT THE, UH, LIQUIDATED DAMAGE.
SO IF, IF WE DO THE EXTENSION, I'M LIKE, UH, COUNCILMAN KEN ON THIS, WE CAN, IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXTEND IT FOR 10 DAYS? I MEAN, I MEAN, I MEAN I THINK WE ARE READY.
IT IS A NON-EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT.
BUT WE JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT THE WORDING IS CORRECT IN IT.
WELL, I CAN ASSURE YOU THIS IS THE WORDING THAT THE CHIEF WANTED.
IT WAS JUST WHEN WE WERE WALKING AWAY LAST TIME, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS HAD SOME QUESTIONS.
AND SO WE CAN DO EITHER WHATEVER COUNCIL'S PLEASURE IS, BUT IF WE WERE GOING TO PUT THE 50,000 BACK IN, WE WOULD WANT THEM TO HAVE NOTICE OF THAT BECAUSE THE CURRENT CURRENT ORDINANCE AND FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN DOING THE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES.
AND MAY, MAY I SAY THIS COUNCILMAN, HE MAY RECOMMEND SOMETHING ELSE TOO.
I THINK HE'S GOING TO RECOMMEND MAYBE SOMETHING ELSE, BUT HE, IT'S GOING TO BE HIM DOING IT AND WE WOULD WANT HIM PRESENT TO DO IT.
SO LEMME JUST GET THIS STRAIGHT.
WHAT I'M HEARING IS THE CHIEF IS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.
IT'S THAN WHAT'S IN THIS CONTRACT.
YOU SAYING? YES IN THE CON? SHE'S SAYING NO.
SO WHAT'S, WHO'S, WHO'S, WHO'S, RIGHT THERE WAS SOMEBODY NO, I DON'T THINK THE CHIEF HAS ANYTHING NEW, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
MAYOR, I WAS CONCERNED THAT IF YOU WANTED TO ACCEPT COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS'S PROPOSAL, BUT WE'VE MET WITH COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.
SO IF, IF COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS DOESN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'VE EXPLAINED AND Y'ALL DO NOT WANT TO PUT THE 50 IN AND YOU'RE HAPPY WITH THE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES, THIS IS IT.
OH, OKAY THEN THAT'S, WELL, SO BASICALLY WE READY TO VOTE ON THE CONTRACT.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU CAN VOTE ON, UM, IF YOU WANNA DO THE FINAL, YOU CAN DO IT NOW.
WHO'D TO AWARD IT TO? AND THIS IS THE FORMAT AND LIKE I SAID, WE JUST WERE JUST CONCERNED ABOUT IF THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE FORMAT, BUT SINCE THEY'RE NOT, YOU CAN FINALIZE IF YOU SO CHOOSE A ONE YEAR CONTRACT.
YOU, YOU ASKED SOMETHING ELSE, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES.
UH, THE, UH, THE PERMITS USED TO BE $35.
AND WE GOT UNDATED WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF REPEATEDLY AMBULANCES COMING IN.
SO EVERY SIX MONTHS, EVERY YEAR.
AND SO WE HAD, WE SET UP A COMMITTEE AND WE SET UP A COMMITTEE AND WE LOOKED INTO IT AND WE DISCOVERED THAT WE, WE, WE, WE HAD TO RECOVER THE, THE TAXPAYERS WERE PUTTING $150,000 INTO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO WHAT WE DID, WE CAME UP WITH A $50,000 FEE AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AGREED WITH IT, ONLY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR CAN USE THIS $50,000.
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BUT WHEN I MET WITH THE, MET WITH THE CHIEF, THE CHIEF CAME UP WITH A BETTER IDEA, BUT IT'S LIQUIDATED DAMAGE THESE OTHER EXISTING AMBULANCE SERVICE OUTTA COMPLIANCE.SO HE WANTS TO START FINDING IT.
THAT'S WHAT YOU GOING, THAT'S ALL THAT, THAT LANGUAGE IS IN THERE.
WE, YOU KNOW, GO WITH THE, GO WITH THE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES.
UM, THE CITY OF ATTORNEY AND I WERE JUST, UM, TALKING ABOUT AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE COUNCIL, COULD WE MAKE IT DECEMBER 1ST? WHAT IF IT'S A COUNCIL'S PLEASURE? IT WOULD DECEMBER THE FIRST BE OKAY WITH YOU? EFFECTIVE DECEMBER THE FIRST THE CONTRACT BEING EFFECTIVE? YES.
WELL, I MEAN, IF WE GONNA APPROVE THAT.
YEAH, WELL FINISH, LET'S LET I UNDERSTAND.
ARE YOU RIGHT? WE DECEMBER YOU WANNA GET IT DECEMBER OR NOVEMBER 1ST? NOVEMBER BECAUSE WHAT WE WANT TO DO, THEY HAVE TO PROCESS EVERYTHING.
IT HAS TO BE PROCESSED, YOU KNOW.
I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S A CONTRACT AND WE WANT TO, BUT I FEEL THAT, UH, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY INTERRUPTED, UH, SERVICES.
WE WANNA PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES.
THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF US TRYING TO COME UP WITH A CONTRACT THAT ADDRESSES ALL THE ISSUES.
SO I THINK DECEMBER 1ST IS, WELL, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE TOO LONG.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT TODAY AS THE 16TH.
SO IF WE SAY TWO WEEKS, THEY'LL PROCESS THE PAPERWORK THAT YOU NEED ATTORNEY, UH, WITH, ALONG WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
I THINK, UH, WOULD BE FAIR TO YOU GUYS THAT NOVEMBER 1ST WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ATTEND TO ATTAIN TO.
IT'S JUST AS LONG AS THEY GET ALL MEET ALL OF THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS AND GET EVERYTHING TO US, THEN THAT CAN BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE.
WELL, TWO WEEKS WE, WE NEED TO, LET'S DO, IT'D BE GOOD TO DO IT ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH, WHICH I THINK THAT WOULD BE NOVEMBER 1ST.
YOU WANNA DO NOVEMBER 1ST? OKAY.
SO IS, AND IF THERE'S ANY PROBLEM WITH GETTING ALL THE INSURANCE, WE'LL NOTIFY YOU.
'CAUSE OUR JOB IS TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AND WE DON'T, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THE PROPER AMOUNT OF TIME TO DO THOSE THINGS.
SO I THINK TO BE FAIR ON BOTH SIDES, BOTH PARTIES THAT HAVE AN AGREEMENT TOGETHER, THAT NOVEMBER 1ST WILL PROBABLY BE THEN.
OKAY, SO NOVEMBER 20, UH, NOVEMBER 1ST, 2023.
AND THIS IS FOR A ONE YEAR PERIOD.
NORMALLY IN THIS CASE, ALL WE DO IS APPROVE THE DEAL.
THE EFFECTIVE DATE IS ALWAYS GONNA BE WHENEVER THEY PRODUCE EVERYTHING AND, AND ALL THINGS ARE MET.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CONTRACT.
SO ALL WE NEED TO DO IS APPROVE THE AWARDING OF THE CONTRACT.
AM I CORRECT? CITY ATTORNEY? IF WE APPROVE A AWARDING THE CONTRACT.
THEN THE CONTRACT EFFECTIVE DATE WILL BE WHENEVER THEY MEET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS AND BOTH PARTIES AGREE AND THEN THEY SIGN THAT IS THE EFFECTIVE DATE.
SO WE, WE REALLY, WELL WE WANNA PUT NOVEMBER 1ST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO VERIFY THE, WE NEED TO PUT, WE PREFER TO PUT SPECIFIC DATES IN THE CONTRACT IF THAT WOULD BE OKAY.
I JUST, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE GET ALL OF OUR IN, ESPECIALLY FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES.
BECAUSE IT WAS THIS JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS.
BUT JUST SOMETHING UNUSUAL BECAUSE NORMALLY WE APPROVE A AWARDING AND THEN THE DATES IS ALWAYS WHEN EVERYTHING IS COMPLETED AND SIGNED.
SO, SO THE EXISTING, I UNDERSTAND, UM, EXTENSION WAS THROUGH TODAY.
SO WE WILL REMAIN STATUS QUO FROM TODAY THROUGH OCTOBER 31ST.
AND THEN THIS EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS NEW CONTRACT WILL BE NOVEMBER 1ST, 2023 FOR A ONE YEAR PERIOD.
AND IF ANYTHING PAPERWORK GOES WRONG, WE'LL NOTIFY YOU RIGHT AWAY.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, JUST A REMINDER, DURING THIS GRAY SPIRIT TIME AND EFFECTIVE DATE, ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY HAVE AND, AND THE EXISTING AMBULANCE, ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S GONNA BE SUPPOSED TO BE PUT IN SERVICE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE, HAS TO BE INSPECTED.
THAT'S FROM RADIOS AND AMBULANCE AND EVERYTHING HAS TO BE UP TO PAR.
SO AT THIS POINT, WHEN YOU MAKE WHATEVER MOTION, YOU WILL ALSO MAKE A MOTION WHO TO WHOM WE ARE ENTERING INTO THE CONTRACT WITH.
SO YOU HAVE TO GIVE THE NAMES.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY NAMES.
SO CAN WE JUST AMEND THE MOTION? Y YOU, YOU MAKE THE MOTION TO INSERT THE NAMES OF WHO.
UH, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M, UH, WRONG, UH, I LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT BOTH, UH, NAMES OF, UH, KADIAN AS WELL AS HELP ME OUT.
WE NEED, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, SAY, SAY, SAY THAT NAME.
VIKING ENTERPRISE IS D B A CITY AMBULANCE.
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OKAY.AND THAT WOULD BE THE TWO APPLICANTS.
WE HAVE THE TWO APPLICANTS AND WE'LL USE THEIR FORMAL NAMES THAT'S IN THE APPLICATION.
AND SO WE HAVE THOSE NAMES AND YOU WANNA MAKE THAT MOTION? COUNCILMAN MCKEN LAW? YES.
CAN YOU, I WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE IT FOR RECORD THAT WE HAVE BOTH NAMES CORRECTLY.
SO IF YOU STATE THE NAMES AND I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
UM, THE TWO NAMES ARE ACADIAN AMBULANCE SERVICES AND VIKING ENTERPRISES.
AND THOSE ARE THE SOLE APPLICANT.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION WE ACCEPT THE NAME TWO NAMES THAT WAS READ BY THE CITY ATTORNEY AT THIS TIME.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD A, UH, ACCEPT AND THIS WOULD STILL BE, THAT'S NOT EVEN NUMBERED.
BUT, UH, WE, IT IT WOULD BE, UH, THE DISCUSSION ITEM THAT WE HAVE ON ABOUT AMBULANCE SERVICES THAT PURSUANT TO CHAPTER ONE 14 IN ARTICLE TWO OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE SAYS WE ARE READY, UH, TO VOTE.
OH, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I THINK WE HAD ALL THE DISCUSSION.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
WE, UH, HAVE THIS AND YOU ALL WILL DEAL WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE, UH, CITY, UH, ATTORNEY.
AND AS, AS YOU MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROGRESS, UH, PROCESS, EXCUSE ME.
NOW, THERE IS NOT ANY OTHER ITEMS ON THIS AGENDA AND AT THIS TIME I CAN MAKE DECLARATION BEING THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THIS MEETING THAT THIS MEETING WOULD BE ADJOINED.
AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT ON THIS AFTERNOON.