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RECORDING IN PROGRESS.FIRST, I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR MY TARDINESS.
I HAD AN EMERGENCY AT MY HOME AND COULD NOT LEAVE UNTIL I HAD THAT STRAIGHTENED OUT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING AS CORDIAL AND NICE ENOUGH TO WAIT FOR ME UNTIL MY ARRIVAL.
WE'LL NOW BEGIN THIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING FOR TODAY, MONDAY, JANUARY 8TH, 2024.
ACTUALLY THE FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW YEAR.
SO I THINK, UH, WE ALL SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT GOD IS BLESSED US TO SEE ANOTHER NUMERIC YEAR AND TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF GOVERNANCE HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
WITH THAT IN MIND, YOU MAY ATTEND THIS MEETING VIA TELE, UH, TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS. HOWEVER, FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING, YOU MUST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7, OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9.
YOU WILL ENTER THE CODE OR THE ID WEATHER OF 8 6 8 8 0 8 7 4 4 3 5 9, AND YOU WILL ENTER A PASS CODE OF 0 2 0 9 4 5, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING.
WE ARE ALSO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACTS IN OUR MEETINGS.
HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE A NEED OR A DESIRE FOR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, THAT MUST BE DONE WITH A REQUEST TO A CALL, WITH A CALL TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT AREA CODE 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5.
BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING FOR THAT REQUEST TO BE FULFILLED.
[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL ]
WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN OUR MEETING WITH OUR NORMAL OPENING WITH THE INVOCATION TO PLEDGE AND ROLL CALL.UH, PASTOR FRANK, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE US YOUR IMPLICATION THIS MORNING? YES, PLEASE.
ALL WISE, IN ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHER, HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE TO YET AGAIN.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR MERCY AND FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS TOWARD US.
WE ASK ON THIS DAY, GOD, THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US WISDOM AND STRENGTH TO DO THE BIDDING OF THIS CITY, AND TO MOVE THIS CITY ON BEHALF OF YOUR CHILDREN.
WE ASK ON TODAY FOR YOUR PROTECTION, FOR YOUR POWER, AND FOR YOUR GRACE.
WE ASK IT ALL IN THE NAME OF JESUS, THE CHRIST WE PRAY.
JOIN US, PLEASE NOW IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY.
SECRETARY, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH A QUA? MAYOR VAR, PRESENT? NOT ON, SORRY.
PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, PRESENT.
THANK YOU SO KINDLY ON PROCLAMATIONS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY BEFORE ME IF THERE AREN'T ANY FOR THIS MORNING.
[III.A.(1) Melissa Charlot Of The National Federation Of The Blind Regarding Eligibility Requirements To Utilize Paratransit Services ]
TO ROMAN NUMERAL THREE ON PAGE ONE, PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS.THE FIRST SPEAKER WE HAVE IS MS. MELISSA CHARLOTTE OF THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION OF THE BLIND REGARDING ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS TO UTILIZE PARISH TRANSIT SERVICES.
AND I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU WOULD GET FIVE MINUTES AS A SPEAKER.
YOU MAY COME FORWARD, FORWARD TO THE YOU NEED ASSISTANCE? NO.
YOU THERE? DID YOU BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME, PLEASE AND YOUR ADDRESS? MM-HMM.
AND, AND YOU MIGHT WANT, AND YOU, WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND, COME FORWARD WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND A LITTLE BIT.
I LIVE AT 24 44 JULIAN DRIVE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
[00:05:02]
ON MY SCREEN.FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS ME STANDS WITH ME AND YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO FEEL LIKE I STILL HAVE A VOICE BY BEING HERE.
SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM ME.
I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING MY DISABILITY MY WHOLE LIFE.
AND WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA AND WILL BE LOSING MY SIGHT, I NEVER FATHOM I WILL BE LOSING MORE THAN JUST MY SIGHT.
THE STRUGGLE FROM GOING FROM INDEPENDENT AND CONDUCTING ALL YOUR BUSINESS YOURSELF TO NOT BEING ABLE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME TO GET A CHANGE OF SCENERY TAKES A TOLL ON A PERSON.
FINDING OUT ABOUT PARATRANSIT KEPT ME GOING AND PUT A BREATH OF LIFE BACK INTO ME.
I'VE BEEN RIDING THE PAIR OF TRANSITS SINCE 2018, AND AS OF RECENTLY, IT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM ME SINCE THE START OF THE NEW YEAR.
DISABLED PEOPLE AND ELDERLY ALREADY FACING ADVERSITY IN THIS WORLD, WHICH MAKES IT HARD TO KEEP GOING, ARE ALWAYS OVERLOOKED AND HANDLED ANY TYPE OF WAY BECAUSE OF THIS.
AND THE ONES WHO DO THIS HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE THE ONES WHO ARE IN THIS SITUATION USUALLY JUST ROLL OVER AND TAKE IT.
BUT COMING INTO THIS UNFORTUNATE SICK CIRCUMSTANCES OF MY SIGHT DECLINING IN ME, I HAVE NEVER BEEN THAT PERSON AND I WILL NEVER BE.
I AM SIMPLY TRYING TO SHED LIGHT ON THE MENTAL STRUGGLES AND SEVERITY OF THIS SITUATION AND FIND A SOLUTION TO KEEP ME AFLOAT.
I AM NOT ASKING FOR ANY SPECIAL TREATMENT.
I AM SIMPLY ASKING TO LIVE WITH ACCOMMODATIONS AND THE RESOURCES THAT ARE GIVEN TO ME SO I CAN STILL FUNCTION AS IF MY DISABILITY DOESN'T EXIST.
IT IS HARD TO RELATE ON THE SAME LEVEL AS A BLIND PERSON WHILE BEING CITED.
SO IF EVERYONE COULD CLOSE THEIR EYES AND JUST OPEN THEIR EARS FOR A SECOND.
I HAVE A QUOTE TO LEAVE EVERYONE WITH WISE WORDS FROM HELEN KELLER.
THE BEST AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN THE WORLD CANNOT BE SEEN OR EVEN TOUCHED.
THEY MUST BE FELT WITH THE HEART.
BEFORE, UH, WE WOULD BEGIN TO HAVE COMMENTS AND LET ME KNOW IF I'M CORRECT, UH, CITY, UH, ATTORNEY BEFORE I WOULD'VE COMMENTS FROM THE, UH, DI I'M GOING CALL MR. IVY MITCHELL IS OUR DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION, MAYOR, BECAUSE THIS IS A PRESENTATION.
THE, UM, I THINK THIS IS A SPEAKER.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE SPEAKER, THEN THAT'S WHAT'S APPROPRIATE.
NOW YOU HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM LATER ON WHERE I BELIEVE COUNSEL WOULD DISCUSS IT ON E ONE CAN ACTUALLY SPEAK ON WHAT, WHAT YEAH, THAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
BUT WHEN A SPEAKER OKAY, WE JUST WANNA BE SURE.
SO THE SPEAKERS COMPLETED, BUT THIS ITEM, IF YOU WANNA BRING E ONE UP, YOU COULD DO THAT IF YOU'D LIKE TO BRING E ONE.
HAVE A QUESTION? YES, I HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF OUR LOCAL CHAPTER.
CAN YOU JUST BACK TO THE MIC? UNLESS YOU, RIGHT, YEAH, THERE YOU GO.
I HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF OUR LOCAL CHAPTER FOR THE FEDERATION WITH ME.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, CAN SHE SPEAK WITH ME ON MY BEHALF? OKAY.
NOW, BECAUSE SHE'S NOT A LISTED INDIVIDUAL ON THE AGENDA ITEM AS THE ATTORNEY, WHICH IS EXPLAINING NOW WHEN WE HAVE A DISCUSSION, OKAY.
AT A, AT, AT ANOTHER POINT IN THE AGENDA, IF I'M CORRECT, ACCORDING TO MY ATTORNEY PARLIAMENTARY, WE CAN ALLOW, UH, YOUR PRESIDENT WHO I'M, I'M, I'M ACQUAINTED WITH TO ACTUALLY SPEAK AT THAT JUNCTURE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, UH, AT UNDER SPEAKERS, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T ALLOW THAT.
BUT HOWEVER, YOU CAN JUST PULL UP E ONE.
IF YOU WANNA PULL UP E ONE AND THEN THAT WOULD BE WHAT, WHAT PAGE IS THAT ON? IT'S RIGHT ON THE SECOND PAGE.
UH, WAIT A MINUTE, LET ME SEE.
SECOND PAGE ITEM KIND OF TOWARD THE TOP DISCUSSIONS.
AND THAT'S UNDER YOUR SAME SUBJECT.
AND THEN UNDER DISCUSSIONS, YOU CAN, UM, OKAY.
IF, IF, IF COUNSEL HAS QUESTIONS UNDER THE DISCUSSION, YOU CAN DO THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE IF WE CAN, BECAUSE THEN THE, UH, PRESIDING OFFICE, I CAN GO, UH, IN A DIFFERENT WAY ON THE, ON THE, UH, AGENDA.
SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, MA'AM.
NOW, YOU MIGHT WANNA SAY THAT I'M NOT SURE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS, UH, A,
[00:10:01]
A QUESTION FOR YOU.UH, COUNCILMAN DEUCE SAID YOU HAD A QUESTION FOR THE YOUNG LADY.
SO WE CAN ALLOW HER TO GO TO HER SEAT THEN.
[III.E.(1) A Discussion Regarding The Use Of The Paratransit Services (Requested By Councilmember Doucet) ]
OKAY, NOW WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS GO TO PAGE TWO UNDER, UH, ROMAN NUMERAL THREE.THERE IS, UH, DISCUSSION ITEMS NUMBER ONE, AND IT'S A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE USE OF PARA TRANSIT SERVICES THAT HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE.
NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE, BEFORE YOU WOULD ASK THE QUESTIONS, IF YOU WOULD, I WANNA CALL MR. MITCHELL UP, WHO IS OUR PROFESSIONAL HERE AND DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION.
MAYOR, I'M SORRY IF WE'RE GOING TO DO ANY TYPE OF ACTION AND DELIBERATION, WE NOT REALLY POSTED FOR THAT.
UM, SO I WOULD JUST CAUTION THE COUNCIL NOT TO GET INTO A ACTION ITEM WHEN IT'S NOT POSTED AS SUCH.
WELL, I, I JUST WANT HIM FOR A CLARIFICATION IF HE CAN EXPLAIN.
ARE WE, WE STILL, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SAYING AHEAD OF TIME.
LET'S NOT GET INTO IT CO DO THAT.
I MEAN, SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
SO ARE YOU ASKING IF WE SHOULD BRING IT ON THE FLOOR? PUT IT ON THE FLOOR? I THINK THAT WAS NO, WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE JUST DON'T WANNA BE HE CAN, HE CAN SPEAK.
I'M JUST TELLING THE MAYOR, UH, INITIALLY LET'S NOT BE NO ACTION.
NO, WELL, LEMME TALK, LEMME TALK, LEMME SAY NO, LET'S NOT BE OVERLY BROAD.
YEAH, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT LOOKING ANY ACTION ON IT, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.
AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE HERE, BECAUSE I THINK SEVERAL ARE HERE, WHO WOULD NEED TO HAVE A, A REAL GOOD UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT HAS OCCURRED AND WHY IT HAS OCCURRED THE WAY IT HAS OCCURRED.
UH, WE FOR A MOTION, UH, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
UH, MARY, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MOVE UP OKAY.
A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE USE OF PARATRANSIT SERVICES REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE TO THE FLOOR AT THIS TIME.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD HAVE ITEM NUMBER ONE UNDER DISCUSSIONS E REGARDING, I THINK I JUST READ IT, THIS, UH, REGARDING THE USE OF PARATRANSIT SERVICES REQUESTED, UH, BY COUNCILMAN ETT.
UH, AND, UH, IT'S BEEN REMOVED IN SECOND, SO WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONS.
AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE THAT CALL MR. IVAN, UH, MITCHELL IS THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
TO FURTHER EXPLAIN TO US WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED THAT CAUSES THE DIFFERENCES TO BE IMPLEMENTED NOW THAT MAYBE WHAT THE PRACTICES WERE EARLIER FOR CITIZENS.
YEAH, SO FIRST OF ALL, UM, THIS, THIS IS NOT A POLICY CHANGE.
WHAT OCCURRED WAS WE WENT THROUGH OUR DATABASE AND WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY CLEANING UP CLERICAL ERRORS.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THERE, THERE WERE SOME MISTAKES MADE WHERE SOME INDIVIDUALS WERE GIVEN ACCESS TO THE SERVICE THAT DID NOT QUALIFY BASED UPON THE BOUNDARY.
UM, SO I GUESS ONE THING I WANNA MAKE CLEAR, EVERYBODY, THERE IS A BOUNDARY IN WHICH WE SERVE PARATRANSIT SERVICE.
AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN, YOU GUYS SEE THE SCREEN THERE.
SO WITHIN THE, UM, I'M, I THINK IT'S YELLOW ON YOUR THING, THAT IS THE BOUNDARY WITHIN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO ANYONE WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY WHO QUALIFIES BASED ON THE OTHER QUALIFICATIONS CAN AND WILL RECEIVE PARATRANSIT SERVICE.
IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE OF THIS BOUNDARY, YOU STILL MIGHT QUALIFY BASED ON YOUR DISABILITY AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS, BUT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT IN THE BOUNDARY ITSELF, YOU DO NOT GET SERVICE UNLESS YOU'RE WITHIN THE BOUNDARY.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT UNFORTUNATELY OCCURRED.
UM, A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVED IN THE, UH, THE PORT ACRES ACRES AREA, UM, WERE PUT ONTO THE LIST THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PUT ONTO THE LIST.
UM, ONCE WE WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING, WE STARTED REVIEWING IT, WE REALIZED THIS OCCURRED AND, UM, WE, WE HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP.
ONCE WE FIND MISTAKES IN OUR SYSTEM, WE HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP.
UM, IF THE AUDITOR FINDS SOMETHING AND KNOWS THAT WE WERE DOING SOMETHING THAT WE TECHNICALLY WEREN'T FOLLOWING OUR POLICY, THAT'S GONNA REFLECT ON US, UM, DOING OUR AUDIT.
SO MORE OR LESS, THAT'S WHAT IT OCCURRED.
THE BOUNDARY'S BEEN LIKE THAT, UM, FOR QUITE A WHILE.
IT'S JUST THERE WAS A CLERICAL ERRORS.
UH, COUNCILMAN DO SET YOUR LETTER.
WE'RE DEALING WITH FEDERAL FUNDS.
SO FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING TO LOSE THE FUNDING BECAUSE THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT'S FUNDED THE QUESTION, I HAVE A SIMPLE QUESTION.
THESE BOUNDARIES, WE SET THE BOUNDARIES, DON'T WE? NO, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE FIXED ROUTES IN THE CITY.
WE HAVE FIXED ROUTES IN THE CITY.
UH, NUMBERS ONE THROUGH FIVE, UH, THE BOUNDARY IS SET BASED ON THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE FROM THAT FIXED ROUTE.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE, UM, ALL OF THE
[00:15:01]
FIXED, WELL, YOU CAN'T SEE THE OTHER LAYER, BUT THERE'S A LAYER ON THAT SCREEN THERE OF THE FIXED ROUTES.AND WITHIN THAT LAYER, WE, WE PUSH IT OUT THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE.
AND THAT IS THE SET BOUNDARY THAT THE CITY HAS SET BASED ON THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
OKAY, GOING BACK TO MY QUESTION, I THINK YOU JUST ANSWERED, BUT YOU DIDN'T SAY, WE SET THE ROUTE, THEN WE SET OUR ROUTES, WE DO SET OUR ROUTES.
SO BASICALLY A SIMPLE FIX IT IS, IF WE ADJUST THE ROUTE OUT FARTHER THAN THAT WILL ENABLE US TO HAVE A FARTHER BOUNDARY, WHICH WOULD THEN INCLUDE THE PAPER IN IT.
THE BOUNDARY, IF WE SEND OUR FIXED ROUTES, YES.
THE BOUNDARY DOES EXTEND ACCORDING TO THE RULES.
SO ALL WE HAVE TO DO, IF WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN THIS SO THAT WE CAN GET, SEE, WE, WE SERVING PEOPLE IN PORT ARTHUR, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN WE SAY PORT ACRES, ACRES AND ALL THESE OTHER PLACES, THEY'VE BEEN ANNEXED.
THEY ARE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO WE HAVE A ROUTE AND WE FIND THAT WE SET IT UP, BUT THEN WHEN WE GO THREE QUARTERS MILE OUT, THAT AT NOW, WE CAN'T SERVE THEM BECAUSE THE FEDERAL REGULATION SAYS NO.
SO WHAT WE DO AS A CITY, WE GO BACK AND WE MOVE OUR ROUTE OUT, AND WE WILL MOVE OUR ROUTE OUT.
THEN WE WOULD GO THIS EXTRA THREE QUARTER MILE, THEN THEY WILL BE ENDED.
AM I CORRECT WITH THAT ASSUMPTION? CORRECT.
YEAH, BUT SO LET ME, WELL, GO AHEAD.
SO IF WE WANT TO FIX THIS SITUATION, THE SIMPLE WAY TO DO IT IS JUST MOVE OUR ROUTES OUT SO THAT WE COULD ENCOMPASS THE AREA THAT WAS LEFT OUT AND THEN THAT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM.
WE WILL BE WITHIN THE FEDERAL GUIDELINE.
SEE, THE THING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HERE IS THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES IS SET UP AND WE GET MONEY FOR IT.
BUT SEE, WE HAVE A SERVICE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING TO THE CITIZENS, AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE GLITCHES, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU GO BACK THROUGH IT AND YOU FIND OUT THAT IT'S BEEN OVERLOOKED AND WE CORRECT IT, WE FIX IT.
BUT WHEN WE FIX IT AND WE FIND OUT THAT IT'S NEGATIVELY IMPACT ON OUR CITIZENS PROVIDING DISSERVICE WHAT WE DO NOW, WE GO BACK AND WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW CAN WE NOT VIOLATE THE FEDERAL LAW, BUT HOW DO WE SERVE THE CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO DISABILITY, PEOPLE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UH, IVAN, THE, THE THING IS, IT'S A SIMPLE FIX IN MY OPINION, IS THAT IF WE REALLY WANT TO PROVIDE A SERVICE, ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS EXTEND OUR ROUTES.
SO LET ME, SO LET ME JUST, UM, LET ME TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
SO OUR BUS ROUTES CURRENTLY RUN ON A VERY, VERY TIGHT SCHEDULE, TRANSFERRED CONNECTIONS.
MOST OF OUR TRANSFERS OCCUR AT THE, UH, PUBLIC LIBRARY AND RIGHT HERE, DOWNTOWN.
SO, UM, TO EXTEND THE ROUTE MEANS ADDITIONAL TIME ON THAT SPECIFIC ROUTE.
UM, FOR ME TO CHANGE A ROUTE, I'M THROWING OFF SYSTEM-WIDE TIME TRANSFERS.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S BASICALLY NO, THE WAY WE SCHEDULE IT NOW, THERE'S VERY LITTLE, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF LEEWAY IN CASE THERE'S, THERE'S TRAFFIC OR STUFF OCCURS.
BUT FOR ME TO EXTEND SOMETHING ADDITIONAL, 5, 10, 15 MINUTES TO GO TO, LET'S SAY PORT ACRES, UM, UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM THAT JUST, WE JUST COULDN'T DO IT BASED ON THE WAY THE BUS IS RUN NOW.
SO IN ORDER FOR ME TO EXTEND IT, I'M GONNA NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IN TERMS OF PROBABLY ADDITIONAL BUS, UM, AN ADDITIONAL, UH, ADDITIONAL DRIVERS POTENTIALLY.
'CAUSE I, I HAVE TO GO FURTHER OUT SOMEWHERE.
AND THOSE ARE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WE CURRENTLY, AS OF NOW DO NOT HAVE.
UH, YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUSES, BUT WHAT ABOUT, UH, THE, UH, VAN OR SOMETHING THAT, WHERE THEY COULD CALL AND WE COULD GO AND PICK THESE EXCEPTIONS OUT, YOU SEE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE, SO WHY DON'T WE IDENTIFY THEM, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO SEND THE VAN OR ANOTHER VEHICLE TO ASSIST THEM? ALL I'M TALKING ABOUT IS HOW CAN WE DO IT? HOW CAN WE DO IT? I SAID, EXTEND THE ROUTE.
BUT LISTENING TO YOU, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MAY BE A PROBLEM THAT WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE, BUT NOW THAT I ELIMINATE THAT, WHAT OTHER RESOURCE THAT I HAVE, HOW CAN I DO IT?
[00:20:02]
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF PEOPLE.SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
HAVE WE LOOKED AT WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND THEN LOOK AT HOW WE CAN DO IT? HAVE WE DONE THAT? YEAH.
SO WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE, UH, POSSIBLE OPTIONS THAT WON'T CREATE FURTHER ISSUES FOR US.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, EXTENDING THE ROUTE THAT THAT WAS DISCUSSED INTERNALLY.
UM, AS OF NOW, WE JUST, WE JUST CAN'T DO IT BASED ON THE CURRENT SCHEDULES.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A ROUTE, WELL, LET ME SAY WE HAVE A ROUTE SEVEN, WHICH IS A, UH, DOLLARIDE SERVICE THAT DOES SERVE POINT ACRES.
HOWEVER, UNDER THE GUIDELINES, DOLLARIDE DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE PARATRANSIT SERVICES.
SO, UM, WHAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WOULD HAVE TO DO IS THEY COULD, THE DOLLAR WIDE SERVICE WILL BRING YOU, WHEN YOU CALL IT, INTO THE BOUNDARY, FROM THE BOUNDARY, YOU CAN THEN TRANSFER TO EITHER A FIXED ROUTE SERVICE OR YOU CAN, UM, HAVE YOUR PARATRANSIT TRIPS SCHEDULED AHEAD OF TIME, AND THEN WE CAN PICK YOU UP AND THEN WE CAN TAKE YOU ANYWHERE WITHIN THE BOUNDARY ALL DAY LONG FROM THERE.
SO THAT IS AN OPTION THAT WE'VE INFORMED, UM, SOME INDIVIDUALS ABOUT, UM, TO STILL RECEIVE SOME LEVEL OF SERVICE.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S WHAT, NOW THAT'S, THAT'S THE IDEA THING.
HOW CAN WE GET IT SO THAT THEY CAN GET SOMEBODY TO PICK 'EM UP AND IN THE END THEY GET TO WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO IF WE HAVE TO PICK 'EM UP AND TAKE 'EM TO POINT A.
THAT'S JUST LIKE, IF YOU GO TO ANY, A LOT OF SERVICES BUSES, YOU'VE GOTTA SWITCH TO GO TO ANOTHER BUS TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU KNOW? SO THE IDEA IS HOW CAN WE HELP OUR DISABLEDS, BECAUSE THEY'RE IN PORT ARTHUR.
SO WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT CAN DO THAT.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP THIS THING, BUT I, I, I THINK WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS, CAN WE DO IT? CAN WE DO IT? YEAH.
AND, AND FOR, SO FOR THE ROUTE SEVEN, THOUGH, THAT IS ONLY FOR THE PORT ACRES AREA.
SO THERE ARE OTHER PLACES WITHIN THE CITY, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE BOUNTY THAT WE DO NOT SERVE.
SO THAT IS AN OPTION FOR THE PORT ACRES.
BUT IF THERE'S OTHER RESIDENTS, LET'S SAY THEY CALL IN THE FUTURE AND SAY, WELL, I ALSO DID NOT QUALIFY BASED ON THE BOUNDARY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S REALLY NO OPTION FOR THEM UNLESS WE EXTEND THE WHOLE SERVICE TO THE WHOLE CITY, WHICH THERE'S, THERE'S RESTRICTIONS.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SERVICE EQUITY, THERE'S RESTRICTIONS, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE POLICY.
SO YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO SERVE EVERYBODY IN THE CITY IF I COULD, BUT WE JUST HAVE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY.
AND WE LOOK FOR WAYS IF WE CAN, BUT, UM, SOMETIMES, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WE, WE JUST CAN'T SERVE THE WHOLE CITY.
UH, COUNCILMAN KI LAW, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, BUT WE'RE TALKING ONLY ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND, UM, ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE, CORRECT? YEAH.
SO I THINK THAT WE ARE ACCOMMODATING THOSE PEOPLE NOW, RIGHT? SO I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE MUCH OF YOUR SCHEDULE.
NOW, JUST BASICALLY TALKING WITH YOU AND TALKING WITH MS. JACKSON ABOUT WHAT IS SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS I DO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN DE SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO TO, UH, MAGNIFY OUR DISTRICT BOUNDARIES? I DID COME TO YOU WITH THE SAME THING HE SUGGESTED.
I SAID, WELL, WHY CAN'T WE, THE FIXED ROUTES ONE THROUGH FIVE, WHY CAN'T WE INCREASE THE VOLUME SIZE OF THAT? YOU SAID WE CAN, BUT IT COMES WITH THE COST.
IT COMES WITH PROVIDING MORE RESOURCES.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROVIDING MORE RESOURCES, THAT'S OUR LANE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
BUT IF YOU LIVE IN PUERTO ARTHUR, I, I THINK IT'S KIND OF UNFAIR THAT YOU CAN'T BE ENTITLED TO SOME OF THOSE, UH, UH, BENEFITS AS FAR AS DISABILITY.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DISABILITY, YOU GOT MY HEART, YOU GOT MY EYES, YOU GOT MY MIND OPEN ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA CAUSE A STRAIN ON.
AND, AND MAYBE THE CITY MANAGER MAY WANT TO CHIME IN TOO, BUT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA PUT A FULL STRAIN ON THE TRANSIT, THE PARATRANSIT, UH, SERVICES THAT WE CURRENTLY, UH, PROVIDE BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING IT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND, AND IT, IT HAS NOT, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A STRAIN ON THE SERVICE.
THIS HAS TO DO WITH, WE, WE FOUND CLERICAL ERRORS AND WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE POLICY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THIS SIMPLY IS, IS, IS WE HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP.
BUT ON OUR END, WHEN WE GET THESE CALLS, WHEN WE GET THE, THE MEDIA, WHEN WE GET ALL THESE TYPE OF THINGS GOING ON, OUR JOB AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TRY TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS, MM-HMM.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO IF WE CAN'T AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, INCREASE THE VOLUME SIZE OF THE FIXED ROUTES? WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ENTERTAIN AND SERVICE OUR PARATRANSIT, UH, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY? YEAH.
AND WE ARE ONLY TALKING ABOUT FIVE AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE CAN DO NOW TO ACCOMMODATE THAT? WELL, THE OPTION IN THE PORT ACRES, ACRES AREA IS THE ROUTE SEVEN.
UM, THAT'S THE OPTION FOR THAT.
[00:25:01]
OF THE CITY, TO BE HONEST, THERE'S, THERE'S NO OTHER OPTIONS AS OF NOW, BECAUSE OUR POLICY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SERVICES THERE.LOOK, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA USE SABINE PASS AS AN EXAMPLE.
UM, WE HAVE NOTHING IN SABINE PASS.
SO LET'S SAY TOMORROW, ONE OR TWO INDIVIDUALS CALL AND SAY, I LIVE IN SABINE PASS, I HAVE A, UH, DISABILITY, WHATEVER, WHATEVER WE QUALIFY THEM.
WE, WE KNOW THEY'RE QUALIFIED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE SERVICE THERE IN TERMS OF THE BOUNDARY.
UM, THERE'S NOTHING I CAN, I CAN DO.
I, I CAN'T, I CAN'T CHANGE THE POLICY.
WELL, WELL UN UNLESS WE BRING A FIXED ROUTE BUS TO SABINE PASS, RIGHT? AND OR SERVICE, WE DO THAT AT THIS TIME.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT'S IN OWN DIALYSIS THAT NEED THE SERVICES, MEDICAL SERVICE, TRANSPORT AND ALL THAT.
SO, AND THEY NEED THAT DOOR TO DOOR TYPE, UH, UM, SERVICE.
BUT LET'S LOOK HARD, YOU KNOW, I DID TALK WITH MS. JACKSON, I ALSO TALKED WITH SOME OTHER INDIVIDUALS ABOUT HER PARTICULAR SITUATION.
I, I WANNA KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO.
I, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, STATE THAT WE'RE OUT OF ZONE.
LIKE, UH, THE, THE, THE COUNCILMAN STATED EARLIER, WE SET THE FIXED ROUTES.
IT'S OUR JOB TO SET THOSE ALONG WITH YOU AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO, TO, UH, ASSIGN THOSE ROUTES.
BUT WE ONLY TALKING ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE.
SO, UH, LET'S, LET'S WORK HARD TOGETHER AND TRY TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO COMMEND MS. CHARLOTTE, UH, FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION, UH, AND MAKING US AWARE OF THIS SITUATION AND CIRCUMSTANCE.
UM, I WANT TO AS WELL, UH, JUST PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT, UM, OUR, THESE COUNCILMEN HAVE SAID.
AND, UH, AND I WANNA COMMEND THEM AS WELL FOR BEING SO RESPONSIVE, UM, TO THE PHONE CALL.
WHEN WE WERE ON THE PHONE WITH MS. CHARLOTTE ON THURSDAY.
UH, WE DID GIVE HER THE OPTION THAT WE HAD AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, UH, AFTER HAVING CONVERSATION WITH YOU, UH, AND THE, UM, UM, THE IDEA OF THE FI THE DOLLAR STOPS AND SHE COULD GET TO A PARTICULAR INSTANCE.
BUT I'M SO GLAD, UH, TO SEE BEING HIGHLIGHTED RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE FACT THAT WE CAN, UM, MOVE, UH, OUR FIXED ROUTES TO A PLACE WHERE ULTIMATELY THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED, UM, THIS SERVICE CAN BE ENCOMPASSED.
AND I WOULD SUBMIT AND SUGGEST TO A MR. CITY MANAGER, UH, AND COUNCIL AS WELL, THAT WE WOULD DO THAT, UH, TO ENCOMPASS THOSE FIVE PEOPLE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WASN'T OVERSIGHT ON OUR PART, AND THERE IS SO MUCH, UH, ULTIMATELY GOING ON.
WE'VE COME THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND ALL OF THAT, AND I CAN SEE HOW THAT WOULD'VE OCCURRED.
BUT SINCE IT HAS OCCURRED AND SINCE THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE BEING SERVED AND HAVE BEEN SERVED AT NO, UH, EXTRA EXPENSE, OR NO, UH, EXTRA CUMBERSOME, UM, UH, ASPECTS BEING PUT ON THE TRANSIT, UM, UH, UH, UH, OUR ABILITY TO GIVE TRANSIT TO THOSE CITIZENS, I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR, UH, FOR IT TO BE MOVED AND FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO BE, UH, ENCOMPASSED IN IT SO THAT THEY CAN BE, UM, HELPED.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE AFFIX TO THIS SITUATION AND THIS CIRCUMSTANCE.
CITY MANAGER, YOU, I THINK, UM, WE COULD BRING SOME RESOLVE TO THIS.
UH, THE DIRECTOR HAS PROPOSED THE DOLLAR ROUTE OPTION, AS WELL AS ROUTE SEVEN THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR THE PORTICO AREA.
LET'S CONTINUE TO EXPLORE AND HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE INDIVIDUALS TO SEE HOW THAT OPTION CAN BE ACCOMMODATED WITHOUT PUTTING ANY HARDSHIP ON THE, WELL, WITHOUT INFRINGING THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS ADDRESSING THE NEED OF THE, UM, COMMUNITY, THOSE WHO HAVE MADE IT.
SO, LET, LET'S, WE'LL HAVE, LET'S HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THAT, IVAN.
WELL, MAYOR, MAYOR, MAY I, YES, GO AHEAD.
UM, MR. YEAH, I LIKE THAT IDEA, MR. CITY MANAGER.
BUT HOW IS THAT GOING TO HELP MISS CHARLOTTE? THAT'S GOING TO ENCUMBER, THAT'S GOING TO BE MORE CUMBERSOME ON HER RIGHT NOW, THAT IF WE DO THAT, IF WE DO, THAT WAS THE ISSUE THAT AS WE TALKED TO HER, SHE NOW HAS TO GET A RIDE TO GO TO ANOTHER STOP TO BE PICKED UP TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SERVICE.
SO THAT'S GOING TO PUT, UM, ANOTHER, AN ADDED BURDEN ON HER AND, AND, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
'CAUSE NOW THEY HAVE TO, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BUS ROUTE.
YOU GOTTA TAKE A BUS TO GO CATCH ANOTHER BUS TO GO WHERE YOU NEED TO GO.
[00:30:01]
EXPLAIN THE, I'LL EXPLAIN THE ROUTE SEVEN TO EVERYBODY.FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW HOW IT QUITE OPERATES.
CURRENTLY, UM, THE WAY THAT ROUTE SEVEN OPERATES IS A, IT'S A DOLLAR RIDE.
SO WITH, IF YOU'RE WITHIN, AND I, I DON'T HAVE THE BOUNDARY UP HERE, BUT IF YOU'RE WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY OF THE ROUTE SEVEN, WHICH ENCOMPASSES PORT ACRES, UH, VESTER, THAT WHOLE AREA, UM, YOU CAN CALL OUR NUMBER AND THEN YOU WILL SCHEDULE A PICKUP.
SO THAT PICKUP WILL TAKE YOU ANYWHERE WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY.
UM, IF YOU NEED TO GO TO THE MARKET BACK OVER THERE, THERE'S LIKE, I THINK A DOLLAR GENERAL, A FAMILY DOLLAR, ANYWHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO GO WITHIN THAT AREA, IT'LL PICK YOU UP, DROP YOU OFF, UM, FOR A, FOR A FEE, WHATEVER THE FEE IS THAT, THAT IT COSTS.
UM, WE DO, THE WAY IT'S SET UP, WE DO, UM, ALLOW INDIVIDUALS TO GO TO SPECIFIC LOCATIONS WITHIN THE FIXED ROUTE TO TRANSFER TO FIXED ROUTE BUSES.
'CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYBODY IS TRYING TO JUST STAY WITHIN THAT AREA.
THEY SOMETIMES HAVE TO GO OTHER PLACES WITHIN THE CITY.
SO WE WILL MAKE A TRANSFER IF YOU SCHEDULE A PICK UP.
UM, THE TRANSFER POINT IS THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
WE WILL TAKE YOU TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY WHERE ALL OF OUR OTHER BUSES GO.
SO YOU CAN TRANSFER TO ONE OF THOSE ROUTES IF NEED BE.
NOW, UM, I WAS A PART OF A CONVERSATION ON FRIDAY, AND I THOUGHT THAT WHEN WE DID IT, THAT WAS A SOLUTION THAT WE WOULD OFFER TO THE YOUNG LADY ON FRIDAY.
THAT UNTIL WE COULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
NOW, WHAT I'VE GATHERED FROM OUR DIALOGUE THIS MORNING, OKAY, IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CHANGING BOUNDARIES, I MEAN THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME FEDERAL THINGS AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE GOT TO ENGAGE IN.
WE WOULD'VE PROBABLY HAVE TO ENGAGE OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT AS, AS, AS WELL AS, UH, A DEVELOPMENT TO BE SURE THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING, AND THE REASON I'M BRINGING THIS UP IS THERE IS ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, SINCE IT'S ON DISCUSSION, WHO LIVES ON, I THINK IT'S MAPLE FALLS LANE, WHICH IS IN ANOTHER PART OF TOWN THAT IS BASICALLY ALMOST OUT OF IT.
IT'S YET, IT'S IT'S IN PORT ARTHUR.
BUT IT'S TOTALLY OUTSIDE OF AN AREA THAT YOU ARE TO SERVICE.
AM I CORRECT ON THAT? CORRECT.
NOW, AND WE HAVE THIS INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS TO GO TO A DIALYSIS FACILITY.
MM-HMM,
AND I MEAN, I HAVE DIALYSIS, UH, I'VE BEEN A DIALYSIS PATIENT.
YEAH, I HAVE THAT SAME, UH, UH, I GUESS DIAGNOSIS IN MY FAMILY.
YOU KNOW, A FAMILY MEMBER WHO GOES TO DIALYSIS THREE TIMES PER WEEK.
OKAY? UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINING LIFE HERE, AS WELL AS MAYBE A PERSON WHO HAS, UH, A SITE DEFICIENCY.
NOW, WHAT I LIKE TO KNOW IS WHAT WOULD BE THE RAMIFICATIONS AND MAYBE FROM THE ATTORNEY, THE RAMIFICATIONS OF BEING INVOLVED IN AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE, DOING WHAT IS NECESSARY.
BECAUSE YOU EVEN BROUGHT UP SOMETHING ELSE.
I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S COMING, BUT IT MAY COME.
AND AS THAT POPULATION GROWS, EVEN AS IT BEING PASSED, THAT CAN BE A STRONG POSSIBILITY AND A PROBABILITY THAT THAT COULD OCCUR.
AND NOW I'VE JUST LEARNED THAT TODAY, THAT IF SOMEONE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW CALLS, WE REALLY CAN'T SERVE THAT SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION.
SO WHAT I WOULD WANT US TO DO IS TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE ENTIRETY OF OUR BOUNDARIES OR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE JURISDICTIONS THAT'S WITHIN OUR CITY BOUNDARIES AND WHAT IS IT, ATTORNEY OR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I KNOW WE CAN'T, WE RESOLVE IT THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW? AND, BUT, UM, HOW, ON A TIMEFRAME, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, WE LET, MAYBE YOU ALL NEED TO SET UP A INTERNAL MEETING WHERE YOU LOOK AT THESE ISSUES AND DETERMINE WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE DONE.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE TODAY, RIGHT? SO INSTEAD OF HAVING A FACT FINDING MISSION AT A COUNCIL MEETING, WHY DON'T YOU SET UP A MEETING, FIND OUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND LET'S DO THE RESEARCH VERY QUICKLY THIS WEEK RIGHT AWAY ON HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE THE CITIZENS.
OKAY? NOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT I, WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS PROMISE US BEING THE MAYOR AND, AND, AND, UH, PRESIDE AN OFFICER IS, UH, LET THE CITIZENS KNOW, PLEASE GIVE US ABOUT 30 DAYS.
AND IT IS GOVERNMENT, NOTHING TURNS REAL QUICKLY IN GOVERNMENT.
GIVE US ABOUT 30 DAYS TO BE ABLE TO GATHER WHAT IT IS WE CAN DO TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.
[00:35:01]
LEAVE THINK THAT WE ARE BEING INSENSITIVE, YET WE ARE TRYING TO BE AS AGREEABLE AND AS LAW ABIDING AS WE POSSIBLY CAN BE AS FAR AS OUR FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FOR PARA TRANSPORTATION.AND WE DON'T WANT TO BE OUT OF COMPLIANCE.
AND I APPLAUD YOU, MR. MITCHELL.
'CAUSE YOU SAID IT WAS A CLERICAL SITUATION, INTERNAL, AND IT WAS ONLY INTERNAL.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS DONE MALICIOUSLY.
SOMEONE CALLED AND SAID THEIR NAME AND SAID THEIR ADDRESS AND WHOMEVER THAT INDIVIDUAL IS, OR THAT CASE MANAGER IS THAT WHO WORKS IN THERE, TOOK THEIR INFORMATION, GAVE IT TO THE DRIVER, AND THE DRIVER WENT ON THAT RUN.
BUT ONCE YOU AUDIT YOUR THINGS, YOU FIND OUT SOME PECULIARITIES OR SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.
SO IF YOU ALL COULD GIVE US ABOUT 30 DAYS OF PATERNITY MAYOR, WE CAN MOVE FASTER THAN THAT.
THAT'S WHAT ME AND THE MANAGER SAYING WE CAN GET IT DONE.
I, I, THAT WAS, THAT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT.
Y'ALL, WE CAN DO IT BY TOMORROW.
WHAT? SO PROCEED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S NOT ON THE CALENDAR, THAT'S WHY.
WELL, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE Y'ALL, GIMME A MOMENT, OKAY? I'M NOT BEING FACETIOUS, BUT SEE, I KNOW HOW WE ARE AND I'M SAYING HOW WE ARE, HOW WE ARE AS CITIZENS.
SO THAT WAS WHY I SAID 30 DAYS, BECAUSE IN A MONTH WE WOULD FIND IT OUT.
SEE, WE SAY NEXT WEEK, AND THEN THESE FOLK ARE GONNA BE LOOKING NEXT WEEK FOR A POSITIVE ANSWER.
AND IT STILL MAY NOT BE THE WHOLE ANSWER, BUT BECAUSE WE'VE KINDA MOVED IT QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T GET EVERYTHING DONE.
SO, BUT NOW, WHATEVER YOU ALL THE PROFESSIONALS, WHAT Y'ALL SAY, I, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HEARING ABOUT THIS ISSUE, OTHER THAN ON THE MEDIA.
WE'LL MOVE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, AS FAST AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
OKAY? SO, 'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
COUNCIL, WE DON'T COUNCIL, KEN JUST SUGGESTED SOMETHING NEXT MEETING.
BUT EVEN AT NEXT MEETING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WE MAY NOT HAVE RESOLVED.
THE NEXT MEETING IS NEXT WEEK SOLVED FOR.
SO WE MAY NOT HAVE RESOLVED FOR IT.
WE'LL PUT IT BACK ON THE, THE AGENDA AND WE CAN HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON IT.
BUT PLEASE, PLEASE, I'M JUST A REALIST.
I'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH, NOT ALL MY LIFE, BUT A FEW YEARS LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW WE MAY NOT HAVE POOR RESOLVE THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO HEAR NEXT TUESDAY, OKAY? SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND, WHAT I ORIGINALLY SAID.
IT MAY TAKE US THAT LONG TO WORK IT OUT, GET IT DONE, AND BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT IT.
SO TO THOSE WHO CAN'T, IF THE YOUNG LADY, UH, I THINK IT'S MS. WILLIAMS, IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THE, I I THINK IT'S THE DOLLAR ROUTE, HE SAID, BUT, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO CATCH ONE BUS, GO TO ANOTHER, UH, LOCATION, AM I CORRECT? AND THEN GET ON THAT BUS AND GO TO THE OTHER LOCATION.
OKAY? DO THE TRANSFER AND BEING, UH, A SIDE CHALLENGE INDIVIDUAL, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT, UH, COSMAN FRANK SAID THERE WOULD BE A CHALLENGE FOR YOU.
BUT RIGHT NOW TO BE IN COMPLIANCE, THE WAY THE LAW IS APPLICABLE TO US, THAT'S THE WAY WE HAVE TO DO IT TO THE OTHER PERSON WHO, I WOULDN'T CALL THEIR NAME, BUT THEY'RE PRESENT HERE, WHO LIVES IN THE AREA THAT WE CANNOT SERVICE RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN'T SERVICE IT JUST WORK.
AND YOU, I THINK I DID ASK YOU MAKE SURE YOU CAN GET YOU A RIDE FOR, FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW AND MAYBE FOR A COUPLE MORE WEEKS SO WE CAN GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT AND WORK SOMETHING OUT.
REST ASSURED, I DON'T THINK ANYONE UP HERE IS TRYING TO PREVENT ANYONE FROM HAVING THIS SERVICE THAT HELPS THEM TO SUSTAIN THEIR LIVES.
'CAUSE NONE OF US KNOW WHENEVER WE WILL BE IN THAT PREDICAMENT WHERE WE'LL NEED THAT SAME SERVICE.
OKAY? SO IF YOU ALL WOULD JUST GIVE US THAT TIME, MY ATTORNEY SAYS, YOU KNOW, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, MY COLLEAGUE SAYS NEXT WEEK, SO HE'S GOING TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK.
WE'LL BRING IT BACK AND WE CAN UPDATE YOU ON WHAT WE KNOW AT THAT POINT.
AND I'M SAYING BY THE 1ST OF FEBRUARY, WE OUGHT TO HAVE A REAL GOOD ANSWER FOR YOU, HOPEFULLY A RESOLUTION BEFORE THAT TIME.
ANYTHING ELSE? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES, SIR.
MR. MITCHELL, UH, IN THE INTERIM, IS THERE ANYTHING, THE SERVICE THAT YOU, YOU, YOU'RE PROVIDING FOR THEM NOW IS NOT GONNA BE DISRUPTED, RIGHT? IT IT, IT HAS BEEN YES.
YES, AS OF JANUARY 1ST, YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE UNTIL WE SMOOTH THIS THING OUT.
NO, A AS OF JANUARY 1ST, WE, WE MADE THE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WE DISCOVERED WERE, UM, THE CLERICAL AREA.
SO AS OF NOW, THE SERVICE, I GUESS HAS BEEN, UM, DISRUPTED PER
[00:40:01]
SE, AS YOU JUST SAID.SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA DISRUPT IT.
SO YOUR RESPONSE TO MY, IT'S BEEN DE IT'S BEEN DEACTIVATED, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
AS OF JANUARY 1ST, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE DISCOVERED WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RECEIVING IT BASED ON THE POLICY, IT WAS DEACTIVATED FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE WHAT NOW? THE SERVICE WAS DEACTIVATED BY DEACTIVATED.
THEY NO LONGER CAN USE THE SERVICE WITHIN, UH, IN THE MEANS THEY USE.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE DEACTIVATED? IT HAS BEEN.
OKAY? WE, WE, WE CANNOT BE, I CANNOT DE PENALTY.
WHAT IS THE PENALTY? THE, THE, IS THERE A PENALTY? I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANNA GET THERE COULD BE, IF I GET, I, I GO THROUGH AUDITS.
IF I GET AUDITED, I'M, UM, THERE'S CONSEQUENCES TO NOT FOLLOWING YOUR POLICY.
SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE WITHOUT SERVICE UNTIL WE WORK THIS OUT.
AND THE CITY MANAGER, WE DON'T WANT THAT.
IF YOU HAVE TO GO ON IT AND, AND DELIVER IT.
UH, OKAY, LET'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION.
AND NOW, UH, THERE WAS A, A REQUEST MAYOR FOR THE PRESIDENT TO SPEAK.
YEAH, MAYOR, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, IF THE COUNCIL HAD SOMEONE THAT WOULD AID IN THIS, BUT THIS IS NOT AN ACTION ITEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY SPEAKING, I JUST WANNA SAY MAYBE FOR EFFICIENCY ON THIS AND OTHER ITEMS, LET'S NOT GET TOO OVERLY BROAD.
OKAY? SO WE, I DON'T, I DON'T CONTROL THE MANY PRESIDENT AND, AND, AND, AND THE GENTLEMAN WHO HAS HIS HAND IN THE BACK, IT'S NOT AN ITEM THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE ACTION ON.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'M GONNA DISALLOW ANY INVOLVEMENT FROM THE GALLERY.
WE'RE GONNA, AGAIN, MOVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WE'LL MOVE, WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
OKAY, OUR NEXT ITEM, OUR NEXT ITEM, SIR.
UH, UH, JUST MA'AM, MA'AM, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
WHEN WE HAVE A ITEM ON THE AGENDA, ANYONE CAN ALWAYS TALK BEFORE SOMEONE, THE COUNCIL TAKES ACTION.
WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS, SPEAKERS, AND DISCUSSIONS.
SO IF THE CITY COUNCIL NEEDS SOMEONE TO AID IN THAT, THEN THAT'S A DECISION OF THEM.
BUT YOU HAVE A RIGHT ALWAYS TO TALK ON AN ACTION ITEM.
UM, BUT ON THIS ONE, WE ARE GETTING THE INFORMATION AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE VERY EXPEDITIOUSLY ON IT.
AND THEN IF ANYONE NEEDS TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN MORE DETAIL, WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING TUESDAY, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO HEAR THOSE COMMENTS.
BUT, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR ME, SO WE WON'T GET OUTTA ORDER, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SIT WITH YOU IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
SO WE WON'T HAVE TO BE OUTTA ORDER.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE OUTTA ORDER.
SO IF YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, I'LL COME DOWN AND, OKAY.
SO YEAH, WE DON'T WANT, EXCUSE ME, POINT OF SO'S POINT OF ALL CHIEF IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
OKAY, ATTORNEY CHIEF, I THINK SHE'S ANSWERED HIM, BUT YOU RE REITERATE TO HIM THAT HE HAS BEEN GIVEN AN ANSWER.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE NOW TO OUR NEXT ITEM, OUR NEXT ITEM.
AND AGAIN, TO THOSE WHO HAVE USED THE SERVICE, UH, TO EACH SERVICE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR BEING THERE.
AS SHE SAID, YOU, YOU CAN RETURN TO THE MEETING ON NEXT WEEK AND SEE HOW FAR WE'VE GOTTEN ON MOVEMENT ON IT, AND WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON IT AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
[III.B.(1) A Presentation By Acadian Ambulance Service And City Staff Regarding Data From Previous Months September – November, System Status Management Model And GPS Status On Dedicated Acadian Ambulances In The City Of Port Arthur (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw) ]
WE ARE READY NOW FOR A PRESENTATION BY ACADIAN AMBULANCE SERVICE AND CITY STAFF REGARDING DATA FROM PREVIOUS MONTHS, UH, SEPTEMBER, NOVEMBER, SYSTEM, UH, STATUS, UH, MANAGEMENT MODEL AND GPS STATUS ON DEDICATED ARCADIAN AMBULANCES IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.AND THIS HAS BEEN RESPONSE, UH, UH, AT LEAST I SAY RESPONSE REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN MCKEN, LAW.
COUNCILMAN FRANK, WOULD YOU COME HERE IN MY SEAT FOR A MINUTE? I NEED TO GO GET SOMETHING OFF MY DESK.
UH, GUYS, I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I'VE, UH, ACTUALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF STUDY AND LOOK INTO, UH, GETTING CALLS, UH, ABOUT THE SERVICES BEING PROVIDED BY KATIE.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHT THESE QUESTIONS.
AS YOU CAN STATE ON HERE, MY FIRST THING THAT'S TALKING WITH YOU GUYS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, YOU KNOW, THE GPS, HOW CAN WE ACCOMMODATE THAT? YOU KNOW, UH, WE CAN'T EXPECT AS A CITY TO EXPECT SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING.
I'VE HAD ISSUES IN THE PAST ABOUT THE RESPONSE TIMES AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT TOOK PART, UH, PRIOR TO, UH, HAVING TWO SERVICES, BUT AT THIS TIME I WANTED TO GET IT FOR THE RECORD SO EVERYONE COULD KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BETWEEN YOU, THE CITY AND HOW WE ARE WORKING, HOW EFFECTIVELY WE ARE GOING, AND TO KIND OF GET SOME INFORMATION OUT THERE TO DISPEL SOME OF THESE RUMORS IF THEY ARE RUMORS.
BUT I WANT 'EM ON THE RECORD BECAUSE I'M GONNA RESEARCH, I'M GONNA DO THE DATA.
I'M GONNA REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FROM EACH, BOTH
[00:45:01]
SERVICES AND HOW WELL YOU'RE DOING IN OUR CITY.THE VERY FIRST THING I WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY DEDICATED ANALYSTS YOU HAVE FOR PORT ARTHUR DEDICATED AMBULANCE? SIMPLE.
WOULD IT BE OKAY IF I SPOKE OUT OF ORDER TO ADDRESS? NO.
I MEAN, IF, IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS AND THEN I HAVE, IT'S ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, UH, JUST LET ME KNOW.
GIMME A HEAD NOD AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
BUT I HAVE SOME DEFINITE INFORMATION THAT I WANT TO GET OUT AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO SHOW THIS COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA FIX THESE PROBLEMS OR IF THEY ARE PROBLEMS. YES, SIR.
SO, UM, I'VE ONLY BEEN INVOLVED WITH PORT ARTHUR RECENTLY, HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW YOU GUYS AS, AS DEEPLY AS I SHOULD, BUT, BUT MY COMMITMENT FROM THE, FROM THE BEGINNING HAS BEEN TO BE AS OPEN AND AND HONEST AS I CAN.
UM, AND SO IN LIGHT OF THAT, I'M EMBARRASSED TO HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT, UH, WE PLAN TO SUBMIT AND, AND PRESENT ON SOME COMPLIANCE NUMBERS FOR THE MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
HOWEVER, IN OUR TABULATION PROCESS AND PREPARATION FOR THIS MORNING'S MEETING, WE REALIZE THAT WE'VE MADE AN ERROR.
AND SO SOME OF THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED DATA WE FOUND TO BE, UH, INCORRECT, WE'RE WORKING TO RESOLVE IT NOW.
UH, WE DID NOT, WE WERE NOT A PERMITTED 9 1 1 PROVIDER FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
WE HAVE SOLVED IT FOR DECEMBER.
WE FEEL COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT, BUT I WANTED TO LEAD WITH THAT BECAUSE I KNOW IN LIGHT OF SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND SOME OF THE, THE OPTICS OF THIS, WE WANTED TO TELL YOU IN ADVANCE THAT, THAT IT'S A TABULATION ERROR THAT WE'VE DISCOVERED, UH, THAT WE'VE RESOLVED AND THAT WE WILL MAKE SURE IS, IS FIXED GOING FORWARD.
WELL, I I JUST WANNA SAY THAT'S A NO-NO, YOU, WE, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE BIG GUYS, BIG COMPANY.
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO RUN IN THE CITY WITHOUT BEING PERMITTED.
THAT'S OFF THE RIP AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHO FAULT IT IS, BUT I DID BRING IT UP TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND ALL THE ONES AS PERMIT MANAGEMENT THAT YOU WERE DOING THAT WITHOUT HAVING A PERMIT IN THE CITY.
UH, LEVEL RUNNING LEVEL ZEROS IN THE CITY.
HOW DO YOU, WHO JUSTIFIES RUNNING LEVEL ZERO ZEROS IF YOU DON'T HAVE DEDICATED ANALYSTS IN THE CITY? I'M NOT SURE IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
UM, WAIT, SO MAYBE JAY CAN SPEAK TO SOME SYSTEM STATUS MANAGEMENT, WHICH I THINK WILL PROBABLY, UH, ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I DON'T KNOW YOU HAVE FOR US.
BUT THAT, TELL ME ABOUT IT, JAY.
UM, I MET YOU A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
UH, I, BUT I, I DO WANT TO DO THE THING BEST FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR RUNNING LEVEL ZEROS, WHAT WOULD GIVE A COMPANY THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN LEVEL ZEROS? IT, IT IS NEVER OUR DESIRE TO BE LEVEL ZERO.
EXPLAIN TO THE COMMUNITY WHAT IS LEVEL ZEROS.
LEVEL ZERO IS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE AN AMBULANCE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.
IT IS A COMMON THING IS NOT, IT SHOULD NOT BE AN ACCEPTABLE THING.
AND I THINK YOU AND I HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
SHOULD NOT BE AN ACCEPTABLE THING.
IT IS A, IT DOES HAPPEN IN EVERY CITY IN AMERICA THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT.
AND THERE ARE, I THINK THERE ARE WAYS TO MITIGATE THAT AS WE'VE DISCUSSED.
UM, OPTIONS THAT BE CAN BE CONSIDERED.
UM, BUT NOT IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION OR, YEAH.
WELL YOU, YOU TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
BUT MY THING IS THIS, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING? WE HAVE TWO SERVICES.
OUR JOB, OUR COUNCIL, WE DECIDED TO GO TO TWO SERVICES BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THIS CITY.
UH, BUT IF YOU'RE CONTINUING OR YOUR COMPANY OR THE OTHER COMPANY'S RUNNING LEVEL ZEROS, HOW ARE WE GONNA SAY THAT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A BUS AVAILABLE TO SERVICE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, MY TOTAL CONCERN IS PORT ARTHUR.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A, IF I MAKE A CALL LIKE I'VE DONE IN THE PAST AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT, RIGHT? IT WAS TOLD TO ME THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A BUS AVAILABLE.
THAT'S WHY IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE, THE FRONT THAT WE CAN MAKE CHANGES AND TO PROVIDE THE BEST SER SERVICES FOR PORT ARTHUR.
SO IF WE'RE RUNNING LEVEL ZEROS, WHAT CAN WE DO TO NOT DO THAT? I KNOW IT'S A TALK.
BEEN READING AND, AND GOING ON TO RESEARCH.
SO IT'S A LOT I KNOW IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS ABOUT IT.
SO, SO I MEAN, AS A CITY, YOU, YOU CAN MANDATE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF AMBULANCES DEDICATED YOU, YOU CAN MANDATE DEDICATED AMBULANCE.
THE CURRENT CONTRACT MEETS REQUIRES RESPONSE TIMES TO BE MET.
AND IT'S UP TO THE AMBULANCE COMPANY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
AND THAT, THAT IS THE CHALLENGE IN THE TWO SERVICE MODEL.
AND I MEAN, I I I'VE TOLD YOU GUYS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE MADE MISTAKES IN THE PAST.
UM, COVID HIT US LIKE ANY OTHER INDUSTRY.
UM, AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY IT TAKES TWO YEARS TO MAKE A PARAMEDIC AND IT TAKES TWO WEEKS TO LOSE ONE.
AND SO WE INVESTED VERY HEAVILY IN OUR NATIONAL EMS ACADEMY AFTER COVID, EVEN BEFORE, BUT WE REALLY RAMPED
[00:50:01]
IT UP AFTER COVID.IT TAKES TIME FOR THOSE EFFORTS TO BE COME TO FRUITION.
I AM HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT IN 2023, WE HIRED, ONBOARDED AND CLEARED 88 MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS LOCAL TO THE GOLDEN AND TRIANGLE HERE.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THINGS BETTER IN DECEMBER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN EVEN IN THE PAST BEFORE THAT.
IT HAS JUST BEEN A LONG ROAD TO GET THERE.
ARE YOU RESPONDING OR, OR IF YOU AWARE OF YOUR COMPANY RESPONDING TO, UH, CARDIAC ARREST, UH, UH, CALLS OUTTA YOUR ERZ.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE ERZ? WELL, IT'S, IT'S THE ZONE THAT IS, YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR AT THE TIME THAT WE MADE THE CONTRACT.
THESE ARE TOUGH QUESTIONS, GUYS.
I'VE ALREADY DONE THE RESEARCH.
WE, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING.
OKAY? MY THING IS THIS, GUYS, LISTEN, WE GOTTA DO BETTER IN, IN FINDING OUT WHAT'S GONNA BE BENEFICIAL TO PORT ARTHUR, UH, SOME OF THE NURSING HOME FACILITIES.
ARE YOU GETTING CALLS ON THE BAT LINE TO COME AND SERVICE THOSE INDIVIDUALS? A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN PRIVY TO, TO GET INFORMATION THAT I DON'T THINK IS RIGHT.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A PROCESS THAT WE ARE GONE.
I DON'T BELIEVE ALL INFORMATION THAT I'M, I'M GETTING ON SELF-REPORTING.
I THINK A WISE MAN TOLD ME BEFORE THAT YOU INSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT AND HE, YOU KNOW, HE BEAT IT IN MY HEAD FOR A LONG TIME.
SO, UH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO, UH, ADHERE TO THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY NOT DOING.
YOU GUYS ARE THE MANAGEMENT TEAM.
THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT I CAN COME TO AT THE TIME I WANT THE INFORMATION IS YOU GUYS.
SO I KNOW A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE GOING ON THAT WE ARE NOT BEING, UH, ON THE TABLE ABOUT.
I KNOW IT'S GOING ON AND I WANNA FIX THOSE THINGS AND I'M NOT GONNA ALLOW THOSE THINGS TO CONTINUE HAPPENING, UH, ON MY WATCH WHEN I KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING ON BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TO ME TWICE.
SO IF WE EXPECT SOMETHING TO BE DIFFERENT, WE GOTTA EXPECT DIFFERENT CHANGES.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THESE TYPE OF CONVERSATIONS THAT I WANTED TO HAVE WITH THE MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT'S NOT SCARLET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I WANT BOTH, UH, COMPANIES TO WORK OUT AND, AND BENEFIT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT IF WE NOT, EVERYBODY'S NOT AT THE TABLE ON THE SAME, UH, PLAYING FIELD.
SO, UH, CALLS OFF THE CALL LOG REPORTING, CALL LOGS, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS, UH, YOU KNOW THAT, THAT RIGHT TO TAKE THOSE CALLS OFF.
A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING THERE BECAUSE I'M ASKING FOR THE DATA AND I'M GONNA GET THE DATA, UH, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M PRIVY TO THAT DATA.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS RUNNING LEVEL ZEROS DEDICATED, UH, AMBULANCE IN THE, IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
I'M, I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT REGIONAL.
YEAH, I'M WORRIED ABOUT PORT ARTHUR.
YOU'RE RUNNING LEVEL ZEROS BECAUSE YOU'RE STRETCHED OUT.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE AN AM AMBULANCE IN OTHER CITIES AND OTHER COUNTIES THAT MAY HAVE TO RESPOND HERE TO PORT ARTHUR.
I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, SELF-REPORTING THOSE THINGS THAT I WANT TO CHANGE.
BUT IF I GOTTA GET YOU GUYS HERE, IF I GOTTA GET THE OTHER COMPANY HERE TO REPORT THESE NUMBERS EVERY OTHER MONTH, I WOULD DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT FOR YOU GUYS, IT'S NOT FOR THESE GUYS.
IT'S FOR THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
WE SHOULD NOT HAVE AN AMBULANCE NOT AVAILABLE AND A RESPONSE.
THIS IS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS.
IF YOU GUYS WANNA VISIT WITH ME AFTER THIS, I PROVIDE 10 QUESTIONS FOR YOU THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GET ANSWERED, BUT IT'S NOT ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
AND I'M GLAD, UH, MANAGER THAT YOU DID STATE OFF, YOU KNOW, SEPTEMBER AND NOVEMBER IT WAS INACCURATE INFORMATION BECAUSE I GOT THE INACCURATE INFORMATION AND I WANTED TO QUESTION YOU ON THAT.
BUT YOU DID WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AND FESS UP AND ON, UP TO NOT HAVING THE RIGHT DATA.
UH, GUYS, IF WE COULD VISIT LATER, I WOULD, I WOULD WANT TO DO THAT.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE HAVE THE, WE HAVE THE CLAUSE AND THE CONTRACT FOR ANYBODY THAT DOESN'T KEEP ABIDE BY IT, RIGHT? RIGHT.
OKAY THEN I'M JUST SAYING IT'S FOR THE RECORDS TO, WHEN I'M HEARING, I CANNOT BELIEVE I'M HEARING IT.
I CANNOT BELIEVE I'M HEARING IT.
WHEN WE WAITED FOR YOU ALL TO SIGN THE CONTRACT, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME TYPE SERVICE YOU WERE PROVIDING TO US WHEN YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE HERE.
I HEARD A SIMPLE QUESTION ASKED HOW
[00:55:01]
MANY AMBULANCES YOU HAVE DEDICATED.'CAUSE PEOPLE SAY BUSES AND YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T SAY.
SO IF I HAD ASKED YOU THAT QUESTION WHEN YOU THE ONLY ONE HERE, YOU'D HAVE TOLD ME.
SO WHAT I THOUGHT WE WERE GETTING, I'M FINDING OUT THIS MORNING WE DON'T HAVE IT.
I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ASKING QUESTIONS.
IF YOU CAN'T GET NO DE DEDICATED AMBULANCES IN THIS CITY, THEN WE ARE GOING TO SEND OUT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND WE'RE GONNA GET SOMEBODY WHO'S GOING TO GIVE US DEDICATED AMBULANCE IN THIS CITY.
YOU, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING NOW, YOU ARE NOT DOING WHAT YOU WERE DOING WHEN YOU WERE THE ONLY AMBULANCE SERVICE IN THE CITY.
SO WHAT I SUGGEST IS WHEN YOU ALL GET WITH COUNCILMAN KINLAW, YOU ALL TALK WITH HIM.
I THINK YOU MAY WANT TO LISTEN TO HIS QUESTIONS BECAUSE I, MYSELF, I'M ABOUT RESULTS AND AS A COUNCIL MEMBER WHEN I VOTED AND APPROVED, I'M EXPECTING YOU ALL TO DO WHAT YOU ALL WERE DOING WHEN YOU WAS THE ONLY SERVICE FOR YOU NOT TO DO THAT.
NOW IT TELLS ME THAT YOU WANNA WORK HERE, BUT YOU DON'T WANT CARRY YOUR SHED OF LOAD.
AND TO TELL YOU TRUTH, UH, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
AND I THINK I'M VERY CLEAR AND I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT I REALLY DON'T NEED AN ANSWER.
COUNCILMAN, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? YES, SIR.
SO IN RESPONSE TO THE DEDICATED UNIT QUESTIONS, EVEN PRIOR TO WHEN WE WERE THE ONLY SERVICE HERE, WE DID NOT HAVE DEDICATED UNITS.
AND, AND I'M SAYING THAT TO, BECAUSE IT'S RESPONSE TIME BASED, WE DO HAVE OTHER 9 1 1 CONTRACTS THAT DO SPEC SPECIFY A NUMBER OF UNITS, WHICH IS JUST, IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONTRACT.
SO THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A RESPONSE COMPLIANCE CONTRACT, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE CONTRACT THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE NUMBER OF UNITS AND, OKAY, COUNCILMAN LER, THANK YOU MAYOR.
UH, BUT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE RESPONSE TIMES.
I, I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SELF-REPORTING.
I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE IFTS.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE COULD ROLL ON IFTS, BUT WHEN WE GET THE 9 1 1 CALLS, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU TAKE A CHANCE OF GETTING PAID OR NOT GETTING PAID.
AND I RESPECT THAT AS BUSINESSMEN.
THAT'S YOUR JOB, YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM.
BUT WE STILL HAVE A CITY THAT WE HAVE TO SERVE.
AND THOSE THINGS THAT WE TAKE IN CONSIDERATION, THAT WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO, WE DON'T LOOK INTO THOSE.
I'M GONNA LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS.
I'M GONNA LOOK AT, AND I WANNA KNOW WHERE YOUR BUSES ARE.
THE VERY FIRST THING THAT I BRING THIS BACK TO LIGHT.
I'M GONNA GET, I'M GONNA VISIT WITH THE MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND I WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET YOUR GPA, UH, GPSS, UH, LOCATE.
I WANNA KNOW IF YOUR BUSES, JUST LIKE I TALKED TO YOU GUYS THREE WEEKS AGO, IT'S EASY TO PICK UP A RADIO AND SAY, HEY, UNIT 6 52 IS OUTTA SERVICE.
SO I KNOW THAT UNIT, OUR DISPATCH KNOW THAT UNIT IS OUTTA SERVICE, BUT WE WANNA KNOW IF THAT UNIT, THAT SAME 6 52 IS INVITE AND IT'S RESPONDING FROM A CALL, FROM INVITED A PORT AUTHOR.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RESPONSE TIME.
BECAUSE IF I HAVE A HEART ATTACK, I WANT SOMEONE HERE IN EIGHT MINUTES, AND THAT'S PER OUR CONTRACT.
I WANT SOMEBODY HERE THAT'S CLOSE TO ME AND NOT A SUPERVISOR.
I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY THAT CAN TRANSPORT ME TO A FACILITY OF CARE WITHIN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO WHAT WE USE IS SYSTEM STATUS MANAGEMENT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ON, IT'S ON THE PRESENTATION.
THE, I, I HAD PREPARED, 'CAUSE IIII, I THOUGHT WE WOULD PRESENT, AND SO I'M, I'M FINDING MY WAY, MR. KENNE LAW.
SYSTEM STATUS MANAGEMENT, MOST WIDELY ACCEPTED MODEL IN A PUBLIC UTILITY MODEL THAT THERE IS IN TEXAS.
IT'S USED IN GALVESTON, IT'S BEEN USED IN ESD 11 IN SPRING.
IT'S USED IN FORT WORTH WITH MEDSTAR, AND IT'S USED IN OTHER PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THE CONTINENT.
JUST AS AN ANALOGY STANDPOINT, SYSTEM STATUS MANAGER, AND I'M NOT A CREATIVE PERSON, SO THIS IS NOT AN EXACT ANALOGY, BUT IS THE SAME CONCEPT AS ZONE DEFENSE IN, IN, IN FOOTBALL.
AND IT ALLOWS YOU TO BE RESPONSIVE AND TO MOVE AROUND.
IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT HAS TWO PARTS TO IT.
IT HAS DYNAMIC DEPLOYMENT WHERE YOU POST ON STREET CORNERS IN THE AREAS THAT YOU'RE MOST LIKELY TO GET A CALL AND THAT ARE MOST ACCESSIBLE FOR RESPONSE TIMES.
AND THEN IT, THE OTHER COMPONENT IS PEAK DEMAND STAFFING, WHERE YOU BRING STAFFING ON THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS THE CALL VOLUME
[01:00:01]
FLUCTUATES.AND SO, THROUGHOUT THE DAY, AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY, YOU WILL HAVE VARYING NUMBERS OF AMBULANCES IN PORT AUTHOR BASED ON THAT.
WE HAVE INTERNAL HEAT MAPS THAT OUR CAD SYSTEM BUILDS BASED ON HISTORICAL DATA.
AND THAT'S HOW WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
AND MOVE AROUND TO THE RESULTS THAT MR. DOUCETTE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THE ADVANTAGE TO SYSTEM STATUS MANAGEMENT FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, FROM THE TIME OUR AMBULANCE WAS ASSIGNED, THE CALL TO THE AMBULANCE WAS EN ROUTE WAS 12 SECONDS.
THAT WAS THE AVERAGE, 73% OF ALL OF OUR RESPONSES.
THE AVERAGE TIME OF BEING ASSIGNED A CALL AND THE AMBULANCE BEING IN ROUTE WAS 10 SECONDS OR LESS.
AND OUR AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME, THIS IS RAW DATA, AND THESE ARE NOT REPORTS WE'VE TURNED IN OR ANYTHING, BUT OUR AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME FOR NOVEMBER FOR LICENSE SIRENS, EMERGENCIES WAS FIVE MINUTES AND 32 SECONDS FROM THE TIME THE DISPATCHER GOT THE CALL IN THE DISPATCH CENTER TO THE AMBULANCE ARRIVED ON SCENE.
AND THAT'S, YOU'RE SUPPORTING YOUR SELF-REPORTING.
SO, UH, LIKE I SAID, I'M GONNA START OFF AGAIN.
I, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE SELF-REPORTING, BUT IT'S OUR DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE NEED TO DO OUR, OUR JOB TO VERIFY THOSE NUMBERS AND, AND TIMES OF RESPONSE.
I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY GPS, SO WE HAVE GPS TRACKING ON ALL OF OUR UNITS.
THAT'S HOW WE DISPATCH IN THE COMMUNICATION CENTER.
WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WORKING TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THAT DEDICATED AMBULANCE, DEDICATED DEDICATION TO, I'M JUST SAYING WE HAVE NO PROBLEM FINDING THE GPS, LIKE ALLOWING ACCESS TO THE GPS DATA FOR THE 9 1 1 CENTER.
IT'S JUST OUR UNDERSTANDING RIGHT NOW THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THAT ABILITY.
SO, BUT IF WE CAN WORK THROUGH THAT, WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT.
UH, GET WITH THE MANAGEMENT TEAM.
UH, I SEE HE GOT HIS LIGHTS ON AND THE ATTORNEY, WE GONNA DO BETTER.
UH, I DID ALSO PUT IN HERE FOR CITY STAFF JUST TALK, UH, TO GIVE THEIR INPUT.
AND I'M GONNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE I'M, YOU KNOW, LIKE COUNCILMAN DE SAID, ALSO STATED EARLIER, I'M GOING DEDICATION TO PORT ARTHUR.
THAT'S OUR PRIMARY GOAL AND THAT'S OUR, OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SEE COUNCILMAN LEWIS, CITY MANAGER.
I NEED TO TALK TO THE CHIEF, FIRE CHIEF.
UM, UM, THAT WAS MY SUGGESTION.
UM, MAYOR, IS IT OKAY IF WE GIVE THE FIRE CHIEF VERY, VERY BRIEFLY, UM, TO COMMENT ON, ON, ON THE, THE DISCUSSION THAT'S TAKING THIS? BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE GETTING ONE SIDE OF THE STORY.
YOU KNOW, VERY BRIEFLY, CHIEF, CHIEF, VERY BRIEFLY.
NOW I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT THE TRUTH TO COME OUT, YOU KNOW, AND TO MAKE SURE IT'S A PROBLEM.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT, YOU KNOW, VERY BRIEFLY, CHIEF.
WELL, GOOD MORNING, MANAGER AND, UH, COUNSEL.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES? SO THAT IS A QUESTION THAT IS BEING DISCUSSED WITH LEGAL RIGHT NOW.
THERE IS, UH, INFORMATION THAT'S EMERGING THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT MORE STRINGENTLY, JUST, UH, TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION.
AS, AS INDICATED, THERE ARE NO DEDICATED AMBULANCES WITH ACADIAN TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR CITY AMBULANCE DOES HAVE DEDICATED AMBULANCES FOR THE CITY BETWEEN NOVEMBER 19TH AND DECEMBER 19TH.
ACADIAN HAS BEEN AT LEVEL 0 57 TIMES.
CITY AMBULANCE WAS AT LEVEL ZERO FOUR TIMES THE CITY OF CHIEF.
JUST FOR SIMPLICITY, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO CHANGE THAT LEVEL ZERO SPEAK LAYMAN LANGUAGE, NO AMBULANCE AVAILABLE, CORRECT? YES.
BUT YEAH, LEVEL ZERO IS THAT THERE WERE NO AMBULANCES AVAILABLE WITH ACADIAN 57 TIMES DURING THAT TIMEFRAME.
THE, UH, THE OTHER THING THAT HAS COME UP AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW, YOU MENTIONED THE SELF-REPORTING.
UM, THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT ARE EMERGING FROM THE SELF-REPORTING ASPECT OF THIS AND JUST, UH, NOT TO GET TOO FAR INTO THE, INTO THE WEEDS ON STUFF, BUT THERE IS A, UM, AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED, UM, IN, UH, SEPTEMBER 1ST, UH, FOR A CARDIAC ARREST CALL.
UM, CHIEF, YES, I APOLOGIZE, MAYOR, MAY
[01:05:01]
I SAY SOMETHING? YES, MA'AM.WE DON'T WANNA GET INTO ANY SPECIFIC INCIDENTS OF SOME PERSON'S MEDICAL SITUATION, BUT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, IF THAT INFORMATION IS REPORTED, UH, WE CAN GET WORK WITH COUNSEL AND, UH, WORK ON HOW WE WOULD HANDLE THE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT POSSIBLY IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO VIOLATE ANYONE'S HIPAA RIGHTS BY, YOU KNOW, OKAY.
WELL NOW I WASN'T GONNA, I AWARE THAT, YEAH, I DON'T WANNA GO INTO ANYBODY EVEN THE MEDICAL SITUATION OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST SAY THERE WAS A SITUATION.
AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT THAT PERSON TO FEEL LIKE THEIR BUSINESS IS BEING SO, SO VAL, IS HE HE'S ON POINT TO GIVE THE INFORMATION, JUST NOT OH, YEAH.
DON'T PUT THE PERSONAL INFORMATION RIGHT, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET THE INFORMATION TO KNOW WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS.
WHAT, WHAT WENT PLA WHAT TOOK PLACE.
JUST NOT TO DESCRIPTIVE OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
SO THAT PERSON WON'T FEEL LIKE WE DISCUSSED THEIR ME MEDICAL SITUATION.
WELL, JUST IN THAT, IN THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION, THERE WAS A, AN APPROXIMATELY 35 MINUTE RESPONSE TIME.
WHAT WAS REPORTED IN THE SEPTEMBER DATA WAS LESS THAN SIX MINUTES.
AND SO COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW TO YOUR, YOUR POINT ABOUT THE SELF-REPORTING, UM, SOME OF THAT WE REALLY NEED TO DIG A LOT DEEPER INTO IDENTIFYING WHERE NOW SOME OF THIS COULD BE, AS SOMEBODY MENTIONED, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT KADIAN MADE IN THEIR ASPECT.
BUT WE STILL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE, AND ALL THAT RE REFLECTS BACK TO THE LEVEL OF SERVICE BEING PROVIDED.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE BEING MET, I BELIEVE, UH, TO, UH, TO NOT ONLY COMPLY, BUT PROVIDE THE BEST LEVEL OF SERVICES TO THE, TO THE CITIZENS.
ON, ON, ON ZOOM, UH, OR I THINK I SAID MAYBE ANOTHER MEDIUM, UH, MAYOR
YES, GOOD MORNING, CHIEF, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU AND THE CITY ATTORNEY IN OUR CURRENT CONTRACTS.
WHY HAVE WE NOT MADE IT, UM, A NECESSITY TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF BUSES WITHIN THE CITY? IS IT NOT POSSIBLE TO MERGE THE TWO TYPES OF CONTRACTS WITH RESPONSE TIME AND NUMBER OF BUSES? IS THERE A A SPECIFIC REASON WHY WE DIDN'T DO THAT? CAN I ANSWER THAT QUESTION? I BELIEVE THAT IS IN OUR CONTRACT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FURTHER ANY FURTHER DELIBERATIONS WITH REGARD TO THINGS IN A CONTRACT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT THAT, I DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE JUST WROTE THIS ORDINANCE AND IT TALKS ABOUT HAVING THINGS AVAILABLE, UM, HAVING UNITS AVAILABLE.
AND SO I CAN, YOU KNOW, GIVE IT, LOOK AT IT AND GIVE YOU MORE DETAIL.
BUT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AVAILABLE.
IT'S NOT WRITTEN OR, UH, WITH THE INTENT OF HAVING A PERMIT AND NOT COMING.
NOW IT DOES TAKE INTO CONSIDERATIONS THAT EMERGENCIES HAPPEN.
LIFE HAPPENS, AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T DO IT.
BUT THE, BUT THE INTENT OF THE CONTRACT IS TO SERVICE THE 9 1 1 SYSTEM, AND THAT LANGUAGE IS IN THERE AND, UM, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY TALK TO THEM.
SO MY SPECIFIC QUESTION THAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION IS SPECIFICALLY THE DEDICATED NUMBER OF BUSES WITHIN THE CITY LIMIT.
WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN DO THAT, BUT THERE'S ALSO CLAUSES THAT, THAT CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT I CAN TALK TO YOU ABOUT.
BUT THE INTENT OF THE CONTRACT IS TO BE THERE FOR 9 1 1.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON WE HAVE THE CONTRACT IS FOR WHEN WE CALL 9 1 1, WE'RE ABLE TO GET HELP FOR THE PERSON.
SO I'LL SHOW YOU THOSE PROVISIONS, BUT YES.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON.
ONE THING I WANTED TO SAY, OH, NOW YOUR LIGHT IS ON
I, I, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UM, WHEN WE HEAR THAT THERE WERE 57 LEVEL ZEROS, THAT THAT MOVES WELL BEYOND A CALCULATED, UM, ANALYSIS OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A BUS HERE AND AVAILABLE, UH, AND MAKING A DECISION THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A BUS THERE THAT, THAT 57 LEVEL ZEROS OF NOT HAVING A BUS, THAT, THAT SPEAKS TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL, UH, AND ISSUE.
SO JUST JUST TO SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT, THAT WHEN THE CHIEF GAVE US THE DATA, 18 HOURS BEFORE THIS CONTRACT STARTED, IT
[01:10:01]
WAS BROKEN DOWN BY ZONES.AND THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF RESPONSES IN EACH ZONE FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR FOR ZONE B, ACCORDING TO THE DATA THAT WE WERE GIVEN, IS 13 RESPONSES A YEAR FROM THE CHIEF'S DATA.
THAT'S NOT PATIENT TRANSPORTS, THAT'S RESPONSES.
AND SO WE, WE COVER, AND WE ARE BUILDING AND VALIDATING THAT DATA OURSELVES.
WHEN WE GO LEVEL ZERO, IT'S BECAUSE THE AMBULANCES THAT ARE THERE GOT A CALL.
AND AS I, I, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T MENTION THIS EARLIER, END ZONE, END ZONE B WHERE WE ARE, EVERY TIME THAT A PATIENT IS TRANS, 100% OF THE TIME THAT A PATIENT IS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL, THE AMBULANCE HAS TO LEAVE THAT ZONE.
AND BECAUSE THERE IS NO HOSPITAL IN ZONE B SYSTEM STATUS MANAGEMENT LETS YOU BACK UP THAT DEDICATED UNIT.
IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN, BUT IT GIVES YOU THAT ABILITY.
THIS IS ANOTHER INTERESTING STATISTIC FROM DECEMBER, MORE THAN ONE IN FIVE, JUST A LITTLE OVER 22% OF PATIENTS THAT WERE TRANSPORTED FROM ZONE B WERE TRANSPORTED TO BEAUMONT EITHER FOR PATIENT CHOICE, PHYSICIAN PRIVILEGES, NOT AVAILABLE TO LOCAL HOSPITAL OR SERVICES NOT AVAILABLE LOCALLY.
SO THAT MEANS ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE PATIENTS THAT ARE TRANSPORTED FROM ZONE B TAKE AN AMBULANCE OUT OF SERVICE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF.
THE SYSTEM STATUS MANAGEMENT LETS YOU BACK THAT UP.
AND THAT CONTRIBUTES TO GOING LEVEL ZERO.
CHIEF HAS CHIEF, I SAW YOU BACK THERE DOING SOMETHING.
YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT? UH, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I DID GIVE THE NUMBERS TO ACADIAN, BUT, AND THEN, AND MR. LEWIS DID ASK THAT QUESTION, HOWEVER, THEY TECHNICALLY HAD THE DATA AS WELL FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS AND COULD HAVE DONE ANALYSIS TO CHALLENGE THE NUMBERS THAT I GAVE THEM.
BUT TO THIS POINT, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT.
SO FOR, FOR SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS, I, YOU KNOW, IF THAT, THAT WAS A QUESTION THEN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP.
NOT NECESSARILY HERE, I'LL SAY THANK YOU.
I LIKE TO SAY JUST ONE THING, UH, AND JUST FACETIOUSLY, I LIKE TO SAY THIS MAN, Y'ALL GOT ME AGREE WITH DO, SAID THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT.
NO, BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THE CONTRACT, I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS DONE, MAN, I'M THINKING WE GOING TO HAVE TWO SERVICES PROVIDED AND I GET SOME INFORMATION THAT TELLS ME ABOUT ZERO AVAILABILITY OF UNITS DOING AN EMERGENCY TYPE SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE WAS NEEDED.
HOWEVER, I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF EMERGENCY CARE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WHICH HAPPENED WAY BEFORE MY GNU, I DIDN'T LET THE HOSPITALS LEAVE.
AND BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF THE ABILITY, WHEN YOU ALL PICK UP SOMEONE WITH A SPECIFIC OR A CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITION, YOU GOT TO TRAVEL MUCH FURTHER TO DELIVER THAT PERSON.
AND I, I DON'T THINK LEGALLY YOU ALL CAN LEAVE UNTIL THEY'RE REALLY EITHER CHECKED IN OR DIAGNOSED OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT ALL THOSE THINGS ARE.
BUT ONE THING I DO KNOW, I WAS JUST IN NEW ORLEANS A FEW, UH, HOURS AGO.
ACADIAN IS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
ALL YOU GOT TO DO, MY GOOD FRIEND, MY EXECUTIVE MAN, GET SOME UNITS TO PORT ARTHUR AND WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET 'EM HERE.
I'M NOT THE ADMINISTRATOR AND ALL THE EXECUTIVE, BUT I KNOW IF ANYBODY CAN GET 'EM HERE, YOU CAN GET 'EM HERE.
'CAUSE ONE THING PORT ARTHUR HAS DONE FOR YOUR COMPANY, WE'VE MADE YOUR BOTTOM LINE GOOD OVER THE PAST 10 TO 12 YEARS.
AND I THINK IT'S A DISSERVICE AT WHEN SOMEONE CALLS AND FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND JUST A LITTLE MORE HUMOR, I'M EMPLOYED AT A PLACE THAT HAS VEHICLES THAT CAN CARRY PEOPLE.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN? BUT THEY DON'T WANT US, RIGHT? OR MY COLLEAGUES.
SO YOU ALL DO BETTER ABOUT THAT, PLEASE.
[III.B.(2) A Presentation Regarding The Difference Between A Home-Rule And A General-Law City In Texas (Requested By Councilmember Lewis) ]
WE'LL MOVE NOW TO A, UH, TO NUMBER TWO.[01:15:01]
A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOME RULE AND A GENERAL LAW CITY IN TEXAS.AND, UH, IT'S BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE PRESENTED BY A CITY ATTORNEY.
AM I CORRECT OR YOU HAVE SOMEONE IN THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT'S GOING TO DO THAT? UH, I DON'T KNOW IF CO WELL, I'LL JUST TRY TO ANSWER.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD, AND YOU WANTED ME TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT A GENERAL LAW CITY IS VERSUS A HOME RULE CITY.
IS THAT WHAT YOU THAT'S WHAT I, I GOTTA BE VERY BRIEF.
YES, IS THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE ASKING FOR.
UM, BASICALLY IT IS THREE TYPES OF GENERAL LAW CITIES, A, B, AND C.
AND BOTTOM LINE IS MOST OF THE GENERAL LAW CITIES ARE CITIES OF SMALL POPULATION.
AND, UM, SOME HAVE A POPULATION OF LESS THAN 5,000.
SOME HAVE A POPULATION OF LESS THAN SIX, 10,000.
SOME EVEN HAVE A TYPE SIX C CITY HAS 500 PEOPLE OR LESS THAN POPULATION.
SO THE FIRST THING YOU LOOK AT IS THE SIZE OF THE CITY.
WHEN A CITY IN TEXAS IS VERY SMALL, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE OPTION OF HOME RULE.
AND JUST IN SUMMARY, A GENERAL LAW CITY HAS TO FOLLOW STATE LAW.
THE DIFFERENCE, UH, IN A NUTSHELL IS THAT A HOME RULE CITY IS JUST WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
IF THIS WERE A CIVICS LESSON, CIVICS LESSON THAT, UH, CITIES OF LARGER SIZE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE CERTAIN DECISIONS ON THEIR OWN ACCORD, UM, THAT DO NOT CONFLICT WITH STATE LAW.
PERFECT EXAMPLE, IN A GENERAL LAW CITY, YOU WOULDN'T REALLY HAVE AN AMBULANCE ORDINANCE.
YOU WOULD JUST GO BY THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE.
BUT YOU HAVE BROADER LATITUDE IN A HOME RULE CITY BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THE CITIZENS AND THE COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO CREATE ORDINANCES, UH, AND, AND, AND DO THINGS MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO YOU HAVE BASICALLY MORE FREEDOM IN A HOME RULE AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, GENERAL LAW CITIES THAT ARE VERY SMALL, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW STATE LAW.
UM, THAT'S JUST A GENERAL SUMMARY, IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
UH, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CONTACTED ME THURSDAY AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT OPINION THAT SHE WROTE.
AND I QUESTION, I SAY, DOES THIS APPLY YOUR OPINION? DOES IT APPLY UNDER TO GENERAL LAW CITIES OR DOES IT APPLY TO HOME RULES? HERE WE HAVE A CHARTER.
I SAID, I UNDERSTAND THE STATE LAW.
IT IS STATE LAW, BUT WE HAVE A CHARTER.
AND IN 2005, WE MADE CERTAIN CHANGES TO THE, TO THE BYLAWS OF EDC.
I DIDN'T SAY WE, WE DID NOT CHANGE IT.
WE IMPROVED IT HOME RULE CITIES CAN DO GREATER THINGS, CAN IMPROVE ON STUFF.
I SAID, WE EXTEND IT FROM, WENT FROM FIVE TO NINE.
EACH COUNCIL MEMBER GOT AN APPOINTMENT AND, UH, SHE, WELL, WILL I QUESTION HER SOME MORE? I CONSTANTLY QUESTION HER.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT SHE TOLD ME? COUNCILMAN LEWIS, I'M FAMILIAR WITH COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
I SAID, OKAY, BUT YOU WROTE THIS OPINION.
SHE SAID, YES, I WROTE THE OPINION, BUT I JUST, YOU NEED TO GET WITH YOUR CITY ATTORNEY.
I JUST DEPENDED ON, TOOK HER ADVICE AND I WROTE THE OPINION AND CENTERED AROUND WHAT SHE, WHAT SHE SUBMITTED.
I SAID, OH, GU, WELL, HOW DO WE CHANGE IT? SHE SAID, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE GOING TO CHANGE IT.
WE NEED TO, YOU NEED TO GET WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY.
WELL, THE CITY ATTORNEY, I'M GETTING WITH YOU.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO, I NEED TO GET WITH YOU ABOUT A RESOLUTION WAS BE SUBMITTED TO ALL OF THE LEGISLATORS, THE SENATORS AND THE CONGRESSMEN.
I MEAN, NOT THE CONGRESS, THE SENATORS, AND THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE.
I NEED TO GET WITH YOU ON A RESOLUTION.
SO, AND I, THE PROBLEM IS, THAT'S WHY I REQUESTED TO BE SUBMITTED IT TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY BECAUSE THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF THE, OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE BECAUSE THEY GOT A LOG JAM UP THERE WITH THE REPUBLICAN VERSUS, VERSUS THE, UH, UH, DEMOCRATS.
AND THAT IN ORDER TO GET AN OPINION SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR, THE, THE COMMITTEE HAS TO UNANIMOUSLY AGREE.
SO WE NEED TO GET AROUND THAT AND SUBMIT IT AND GET THE LEGISLATORS ALL INVOLVED.
I NEED TO GET A RESOLUTION SO COUNCIL CAN CONSIDER THAT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS MATTER? OKAY.
[III.B.(3) A Presentation By Entergy Regarding Light Outages In Neighborhoods And Upgrades Of New Lighting Source In The City (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw) ]
[01:20:01]
BE NO MORE, WE WILL MOVE NOW TO PAGE, UH, TWO, I BELIEVE IT IS.AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY INFANTRY REGARDING LIGHT OUTAGES IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND UPGRADES OF NEW LIGHTING SOURCES IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN KENON.
AND WOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF, SIR? DESHAUN ARMSTRONG WITH THE ENTERGY.
UH, JUST GIVING A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE CITY STREETLIGHTS AND WHAT WE'VE DONE WORKING WITH THE CITY, MR. UH, CITY MANAGER RON BURTON, UH, MS. ROBERTS, MS. ESSENCE, AND LONNIE MCINTYRE.
UH, WE RECEIVED THE LIST, UH, 412 STREETLIGHTS THAT WERE OUT BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THOSE WERE ALL CORRECTED BASED OFF THE ADDRESSES CITY PROVIDED WITHIN THREE WEEKS TIME.
UH, THEN AFTER THAT, OVER THREE WEEKS, UH, IN OCTOBER, I WORKED WITH LONNIE MACINTYRE AS WELL, ENSURING THAT, UH, WE HAD, UH, MET AS FAR AS THE GOALS AND HOW TO INPUT THE LIGHTS GOING FORWARD.
SO WHAT I DID, I MET WITH THEM ON SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, DROVE AROUND SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THEM AND TRAINED THEM ON HOW TO USE THE APP AND HOW FAST THE APP WAS.
THE, THE TIMELINE FOR ALL THE LIGHTS.
SO WE REPORTED IT WAS ABOUT 60 ADDITIONAL LIGHTS, AND THOSE WERE ALL REPLACED WITHIN TWO TO THREE BUSINESS DAYS.
UH, ALSO DURING THIS TIME FOR THE UPGRADES AND ALL THE PORT ARTHUR LIGHTS, I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, THE GRANTS MANAGER, AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN, UH, WAITING ON THE GRANT TO BE APPROVED.
AND AS SOON AS THAT'S APPROVED, WHAT'S HAPPENED, WE'LL TAKE THAT TO THE DESIGN TEAM AND GET THAT, UH, ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE LIKE WE NORMALLY SEND WITH STREETLIGHT FORMS, UH, FILLED OUT.
MR. MR. ARMSTRONG, I MEAN, AHEAD.
EXCUSE ME, ME, I DON'T WANNA BREAK YOU.
UH, UH, ARE YOU, YOU SAYING THAT YOU'RE WAITING ON THE GRANT TO BE APPROVED? SO YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THIS GRANT IS GONNA BE APPROVED, RIGHT? NO, NOT YET.
WELL, WE MET LAST IN DECEMBER, I BELIEVE, THE 14TH, AND THEY HAD ALREADY SUBMITTED IT.
WE'RE JUST WAITING ON THE, UH, CONFIRMATIONAL FOR APPROVAL ONCE IT'S, SO, SO WHAT ARE WE DOING UNTIL THEN? I MEAN, LIKE, WHEN THOSE LIGHTS ARE OUT, WHAT DO WE DO? WE'RE STILL REPLACING THEM.
WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL REPLACING.
WHAT ABOUT THE LIGHTS THAT ARE, THE POLES ARE LEANING? UH, WE'RE STILL FIXING THOSE AND REPLACING 'EM.
WE JUST FINISHED THE BIG PROJECT DOWNTOWN IN PORT ARTHUR, UH, PORT PORT ARTHUR WITH THE FIVE LAS PROJECT.
NOW WE HAVE OTHER DESIGNERS AND THE CONTRACTORS THAT WE'RE HIRING THAT'S GOING THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
ANY POLE THAT'S REPORTED AS WELL, I'M GETTING WITH THE OPERATION COORDINATOR AND WE'RE GOING OUT.
LIKE, WE HAD ONE THAT CAME IN FRIDAY AND HE WAS OUT THERE SATURDAY.
SO A LEANING POLE, BROKEN POLE, UH, THAT IF IT'S REPORTED TO ME, WE HAVE THE OPERATION COORDINATOR GO OUT THERE IMMEDIATELY, AS SOON AS IT'S REPORTED.
AND THEN THE NUMBER IS ON OUR CITY WEBSITE BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO REALLY KNOW THIS SHOULDN'T BE A SECRET THAT, UH, WE ARE TRYING TO REPLACE LIGHTS, REPLACE POSE, IF IT'S A LIGHT THAT'S OUT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE LUXURY TO WAIT ON A GRANT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S GONNA BE BENEFICIAL TO PORT ARTHUR.
WE CAN ALWAYS HAVE LIGHTS THAT ARE GONNA BE OUT, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE STAY ON TOP OF THIS.
UH, THE MAYOR AND I, COUNCILMAN DEUCE, COUNCILMAN FRANK, ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN, UH, LEWIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US IN OUR DISTRICTS THAT WE MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT OUR AREAS ARE LIT UP.
UH, A LOT OF THE CRIME HAPPENING BECAUSE OF DARK AREAS, AND WE GET THESE CALLS ALMOST CONSTANTLY ABOUT IMPROVING THE LIGHTING IN PORT ARTHUR.
THAT WAS THE GOAL OF THE CITY MANAGER TWO YEARS AGO.
YES, HE WANNA BRIGHTEN PORT ARTHUR AND WE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE WORK TOGETHER.
SO I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE SOLELY WAITING ON A GRANT TO START GETTING MOVEMENT.
UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR HAVE THE ABILITY TO REPORT LIGHTING POLES, DAMAGE.
WE HAVE POLES THAT SOME OF THEM, SINCE THE HURRICANE ARE KIND OF BEEN IN SOME BAD SHAPES THAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO THAT.
THE, THE AVENUE OF COMING WITH LAMAR STATE.
WE MAKE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT US LIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE FOR THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND ANY ISSUE WITH THE POLE LIGHT US, BUT I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH ME.
I'VE GOTTEN THOSE TAKEN CARE OF.
BUT IF YOU NOTICE ANYTHING, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH LONNIE MCINTYRE ASKING WHAT MORE WE CAN DO AND, AND BECAUSE HE'S AROUND THE CITY, UH, AND MR. RON BURTON SENDING HIM OUT TO, UH, UH, VALIDATE STREET LIGHTS, THAT'S REALLY HELPED.
AND HE'S BEEN A BIG SUPPORTER AS FAR AS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO GET THOSE TAKEN CARE OF.
BUT IF WE NOTICE THAT A POLL'S NOT DOWN, UH, THE APP IS THE BEST RESOURCE TO UTILIZE BECAUSE ONCE A RESIDENT OR SOMEONE REPORTS IT ON THE APP, USUALLY IT'S WITHIN TWO TO THREE DAYS AND THEY KEEP THAT WORK ORDER NUMBER IS PROVIDED AND THEY HAVEN'T SEEN A RESPONSE, THEY CAN REACH ME AND I'LL MAKE SURE SOMEONE'S OUT THERE IMMEDIATELY.
UH, I KNOW I SPOKE TO A COUPLE OF COUNCILMEN THAT SAID A LIGHT WASN'T CHANGED AND I WAS ABLE TO VERIFY IT THAT SAME DAY THAT THE TECH WENT OUT THERE.
BUT WITH YOUR GUYS' HELP AND THE CITY'S HELP, IF THEY REPORT SOMETHING AND YOU NOTICE SOMETHING'S NOT BEING FIXED RIGHT AWAY, LET ME KNOW.
'CAUSE WE CAN DO BETTER IN THERE.
AND REGARDING THE LIGHTS, UH, JUST
[01:25:01]
AN UPDATE ON 'EM.LIKE, UH, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE MERCURY VAPOR, THE $25 COST, UH, ABOUT REPLACING THEM.
SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS BASICALLY DRIVING AROUND AND SEEING WHAT'S, WHAT LIGHTS ARE OUT TO GET THOSE REPLACED LED AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT THAT $25 CHARGE ISN'T AFFECTED BY YOU GUYS.
SO, UH, SPEAKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABOUT $80,000, UH, WITH THE, UH, FOR THE TOTAL CONVERSION OF ALL THE LIGHTS, WHICH YOU GUYS HAVE A TOTAL OF 5,165, THE CONVERSION WOULD, UH, FROM HYPE, UH, MERCURY VAPOR WOULD BE 1,144.
AND THEN THE NON MERCURY VAPORS THAT WERE REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED IS $3,261.
THAT'S WHERE THE $81,525 WOULD COME IN.
NOW, ONCE I TAKE IT TO DESIGN, ONCE THE GRANT'S APPROVED, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SEE AS FAR AS THE MERCURY VAPOR.
IF THEY'RE OUT, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE CHARGE AS FAR AS THAT? SO I THINK I GAVE 'EM A HIGH OR LOW OF ABOUT ONE 10, THE HIGH AND THE LOW 81.
GO AHEAD ON WITH YOUR REPORTING ONE'S COMPLETED, WILL, YOU GUYS WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF WILL, HUNDRED WATT LED LIGHTS, 3000 THREE HUNDRED SIXTY A HUNDRED FIFTY LED LIGHTS, 655, 250 WATT LED LIGHTS, 101,115, AND THEN 400 LED 35 TOTAL.
WHAT'S NEXT? UH, MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND MS. ESSENCE AND, UH, ROB, MS. ROBERTS ON JANUARY 17TH TO DISCUSS WHERE THEY ARE WITH THE GRANT.
WE PROVIDED A SUPPORT LETTER AS WELL TO THE GRANTS MANAGER, UH, TO TRY AND SPEED THE PROCESS ALONG.
SO SEEING WHERE, WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT, THE STATUS OF IT, ONCE AS SOON AS WE RECEIVE THE APPROVAL, IT'LL GO STRAIGHT.
I'LL COMPLETE THE STREETLIGHTS REQUEST FORM, SEND IT OVER TO THE DESIGN TEAM, AND THEN THEY WILL GIVE ME AN ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE.
AND I'LL GET BACK WITH THE CITY MANAGER ONCE I HAVE THAT, BECAUSE BASICALLY WHAT THEY'LL DO IS GATHER ALL THE MATERIALS, SEE WHAT'S NEEDED.
AND FROM THERE, THE BEST HELP THAT I COULD SAY THAT IF ANYONE KNOWS THERE'S A LIGHT CITIZENS RESIDENCE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR IS UTILIZE THE APP.
UH, I'VE GOTTEN NUMEROUS CALLS FROM NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THAT WHEN THEY REPORTED, THEY THANKED ME FOR REPORTING IT THROUGH THE APP BECAUSE I VISITED REPORTED, AND IT WAS CHANGED WITHIN TWO, THREE DAYS.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY TROUBLES, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO COME OUT AND SPEAK TO THE RESIDENTS OR GO OUT THERE AND HELP 'EM, SHOW 'EM HOW TO USE IT.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH.
I, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR RESPONSE AND I APPRECIATE YOU RESPONDING A COUPLE DAYS AGO TO MY, MY NEIGHBOR ON THE SOLO DEAL.
BUT I THINK I, I THOUGHT I'D MENTIONED IT TO YOU, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A SLOW RESPONSE FROM ENERGY G UH, CONNECTING TO SOLAR IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
THERE'S OVER 600 OF THEM THAT'S OUT THERE IN THE AREA THAT, THAT'S WAITING TO BE CONNECTED.
SO THAT'S A BIG IMPACT ON, ON THE HOMEOWNERS.
SO WITH THAT SOLAR ISSUE, WHAT HAPPENED WAS, IS THAT THE SOLAR COMPANY AND THE RESIDENT, HOW TO PUT IT, THE, SO MY, UH, ENERGY EMAILED THE SOLAR COMPANY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE READY TO GO.
SOLAR COMPANY NEVER RESPONDED, SAID THAT EVERYTHING WAS READY TO GO.
SHE SENT THAT EMAIL ON DECEMBER 18TH.
SO SHE'S BEEN CONTACTING THE SOLAR, BUT NO ONE'S GOTTEN BACK TO HER.
IN ORDER TO GET SOMEONE OUT THERE, THEY HAVE TO VERIFY THAT EVERYTHING'S GOOD TO GO, BECAUSE IF SOMEONE GOES OUT THERE FROM ENERGY AND IT'S NOT HOT, HOT OR RUNNING READY TO GO, THERE'S NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO UNTIL THEY GET THAT CLARIFICATION FROM THE SOLAR.
SEE, THAT'S ONE, WHEN I GOT INVOLVED, IT WAS SEPTEMBER WHEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR INSPECTED IT WHEN THEY INSPECTED IT.
BUT THE SOLAR COMPANY WAS BLAMING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FOR NOT RESPONDING WELL, WHEN I CHECKED THE DATE AND, AND I GOT WITH THE, UH, UH, THAT, THAT THAT DEPARTMENT, HE SAID IT HAS BEEN APPROVED SINCE SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
WELL, THEN I WENT A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
THAT'S WHEN I CALLED UP WITH YOU.
THE PERMIT WAS ACTUALLY RECEIVED ON AUGUST 9TH, I BELIEVE.
HOWEVER, SHE SENT THREE OTHER EMAILS SINCE THEN AND NO RESPONSE HAS BEEN GIVEN.
SO SHE SENT ANOTHER ONE OUT ONCE YOU HAD CALLED THE LAST WEEK.
BUT, UH, THAT'S ALL SHE'S WAITING ON IS THE RESPONSE FROM THEM.
THE VALIDATED IS READY, BUT I TOLD HER IN RETURN, JUST SEND SOMEONE OUT THERE, WHAT'S THE WORST THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? IT IS NOT READY TO
[01:30:01]
GO.AND THEN WE HAVE TO CONTACT HIM AGAIN VERSUS IT IS READY TO GO AND HE CAN DO SOMETHING.
JUST ONE FINAL THING, HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO DO AN AUDIT ON WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN BUILDING.
I MEAN, I'VE HAD THAT DONE BEFORE AND YOU ALL DID IT IN HOUSE AND Y'ALL SENT US A CHECK FOR AN OVERBUILDING OF $50,000.
SO, WELL, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST THAT TO BE DONE AGAIN.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UH, ACCOUNTS ABOUT.
ANY ACCOUNT THAT SHE HAS, SHE'S BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ME AS WELL.
UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE ACCOUNTS ARE VALID.
SO LIKE I LOOKED AT THE STREETLIGHTS THAT WE'VE BEEN REPLACING WITH THE FIVE LAS PROJECT.
SO YOU GUYS ACTUALLY WENT DOWN FOUR STREETLIGHTS AND I VALIDATED BEFORE I CAME HERE, THAT WAS FIXED ON THE BILL.
AND THAT'S WHY WHEN I WAS TALKING TO CITY MANAGER, INSTEAD OF JUST REPLACING SOME OF THE LIGHTS THAT AREN'T OUT, LET'S WAIT FOR THE GRANT SO THAT WE CAN VALIDATE WHAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND HOW WE'RE UTILIZING THAT MONEY IN.
SABINE PLEASURE, IDA AND PORT ARTHUR.
FROM THE TIME I TOOK ON A CITY MANAGER, IT'S ONGOING.
I DON'T THINK, BUT I, I WANT TO THANK YOU MR. ARMSTRONG, SINCE YOU'VE COME, UH, BEEN THE TWO INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY THERE.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I DID WANT TO GIVE A REMINDER, CAN YOU PLEASE REMIND THE CITIZENS WHAT APP THAT IS AND OR IF THEY DON'T USE TECHNOLOGY THROUGH THE APP, WHAT 800 NUMBER CAN THEY CONTACT ABOUT THE LIGHTING ISSUES THAT THEY SEE AROUND THE CITY? AND I SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO REMIND ABOUT THE LIGHTING AROUND THE WEST SIDE DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
WHEN WE HAVE EVENING MEETINGS AT THAT BUILDING, IT IS DANGEROUSLY DARK.
THE SURROUNDING STREETS DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE LIGHTING.
SOME OF THEM FLICKER AND OTHERS JUST DON'T COME ON AT ALL.
UM, WE HAVE TO DO OUR PART WITH MAKING SURE THAT IT'S LIGHTING ON THE PROPERTY.
BUT I'M ASKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO HELP WITH THE LIGHTING SURROUNDING THE WEST SIDE DEVELOPMENT CENTER ALSO.
AND I ACTUALLY MET WITH LONNIE MCINTYRE OVER THERE, AND HE TALKED ABOUT ADDING SOME LIGHTS AS WE DROVE AROUND OVER TO THE WEST SIDE DEVELOPMENT CENTER, BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME, UH, RESIDENTS OVER THERE AS WELL THAT SAID THERE WAS BASICALLY ONE LIGHT PER BLOCK.
SO THAT IS WHAT I'M WORKING WITH LONNIE MCINTYRE TO SEE HOW WE GET MORE LIGHTS OUT, UH, UH, OUT THERE.
AS FAR AS THE APP, IF ANYONE GOES ONTO THEIR IOS, IF IT'S IOS, GO TO THE STORE AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE ENERGY APP OR YOU CAN DO IT FROM YOUR COMPUTER.
AND BASICALLY WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD THE APP, IT'S GONNA ASK YOU BASICALLY, DO YOU WANNA SIGN IN ASS A YES, YOU CAN HIT YES.
AND FROM THERE IT IS GONNA TAKE YOUR LOCATION FROM THE PHONE, AND THERE'S A STREETLIGHT OUT IS GONNA PINPOINT THAT STREETLIGHT RIGHT NEXT TO YOU.
YOU CLICK ON THE STREETLIGHT, YOU INPUT THE A OR YOU INPUT THE, UH, YOUR INFORMATION PHONE NUMBER IF YOU LIKE.
AND THEN FROM THERE IT'LL PROVIDE A WORK ORDER THAT WORK ORDER'S RECEIVED WITHIN MINUTES.
AND WITHIN TWO TO THREE DAYS, MY TEAM WILL GO OUT THERE TO REPLACE IT IF, UH, IT'S A POLE AS WELL.
IF THERE'S A BROKEN OR DAMAGED POLE, IT ALLOWS YOU TO REPORT THAT AS FAR AS, UH, LIGHT THAT NEEDS TO BE REQUESTED IN A CERTAIN AREA.
IF YOU NOTICE THAT A RESIDENTS OR ANYONE NOTICE A LIGHT, THEY CAN CONTACT THE CITY.
UH, OR IF THEY SEE ME OUT AND ABOUT, THEY CAN ASK FOR ME AND I'LL GET WITH THE CITY AND ASK, UH, MR. UH, CITY MANAGER IF THAT'S OKAY TO ADD A LIGHT OVER THERE.
AND I'LL NORMALLY GO OVER TO THE AREA ITSELF TO WALK IT.
BUT THE APP, AGAIN, IF YOU GO TO YOUR PLAY, PLAY STORE OR UH, APPLE STORE, DOWNLOAD THE ENERGY APP AND IT'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY, PINPOINT EXACTLY YOUR ADDRESS TO, UH, UH, REPORT A LIGHT OR A POLE.
UM, THIS QUESTION THAT I'M GOING TO POSE TO YOU, I'M HOPING THAT I'M NOT OUT OF BOUNDS BY ASKING IT, BUT THERE IS A, UM, THERE'S A SEGMENT OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT I BELIEVE IS, UM, UM, RUNNING RAMPANT AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF OUR SENIOR CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT ARE ADVERTISING, UM, THIS INSTRUMENT OR THESE INSTRUMENTS THAT YOU CAN PLUG INTO YOUR HOME, INTO YOUR SOCKETS AT HOME, THAT WILL, UH, AFFECT YOUR, UM, UH, AFFECT YOUR BILL AND BRING
[01:35:01]
YOUR BILL DOWN.I, I DON'T WANT TO NAME THE NAME OF, OF SOME OF THE COMPANIES, BUT THEY ADVERTISE THESE LITTLE, UM, DEVICES THAT YOU PLUG INTO YOUR, UM, YOUR OUTLETS AT HOME.
AND IT AFFECTS, UH, THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT THAT IS, UH, UH, DISTRIBUTED IN YOUR HOME.
UM, CAN YOU KINDA SPEAK TO THAT? 'CAUSE THEY ARE PREYING ON OUR COMMUNITY AND PRAYING ON SENIOR CITIZENS WHO ARE BEING AFFECTED BY LIGHT BILLS.
AND SO THEY'RE BUYING THESE AND THEY'RE PLUGGING THEM IN.
CAN YOU KIND OF ADDRESS THAT ISSUE FOR US? I HAVE NOT HEARD OF THAT.
AND TO BE HONEST, IF ANYONE, ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY COMMUNITY HAS A QUESTION, THEY CAN CONTACT ME AND WE WILL ACTUALLY, I WORK WITH KAREN DO, SHE'S THE PUBLIC ADVISOR FOR ENERGY IN THIS AREA AS WELL.
AND SHE WOULD, WE WOULD GO OUT TO THE HOME TO VERIFY THAT THEY'RE ENERGY EFFICIENT, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND LIKE, IF THEY NEED HELP, WE'LL GO OUT THERE TO HELP 'EM AS WELL.
SHE DOES A LOT WITH THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE BEST AS FAR AS SERVICE.
AND LIKE, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF PLUGGING SOMETHING IN TO REDUCE THE ELECTRICITY, THOUGH.
IF I CALL THE NAME OF THE COMPANY WOULD THAT, I CAN'T DO THAT.
BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT THOUGH.
I'LL GIVE YOU THE, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU THE NAME OF THE COMPANY.
THEY ADVERTISE THESE LITTLE INSTRUMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN PLUG AND YOU CAN PLUG INTO YOUR OUTLETS AND LOWER YOUR, UH, LIGHT BILL.
THEY'RE PRAYING ON OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW WE HAVE THE EB, THE GOOGLE NET, THE NEST AND ALL THAT, BUT THAT BASICALLY FLUCTUATES YOUR BASIC HABITS, BUT NOTHING LIKE REDUCING ELECTRICITY.
YOU'RE GONNA USE IT, IT'S GONNA COST REGARDLESS.
UH, UM, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, IF SOMEONE IS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND THEY SEE A, A LIGHT IS OUT, THEY CAN WALK OVER TO THAT POLE AND USUALLY THERE'S A NUMBER STAMPED ON THE POLE.
USUALLY THAT'S MAINLY FOR I BELIEVE TEX DOT.
SO THE, NOT THE NUMBERS ON THAT POLE, UH, DOWN MEMORIAL BOULEVARD, THOSE ARE TEX DOTS.
THAT'S WHY WE UTILIZE THE APP OR EXACT ADDRESS IF A HOUSE IS IN FRONT OF A POLE AND GIVE US THAT EXACT ADDRESS.
IF NOT, IF THEY GO ON THE APP, IT'S GONNA PINPOINT IT.
BECAUSE WE'VE DONE SO MUCH WORK WITH ADDING SO MANY LIGHTS.
SOME OF THOSE LIGHTS MAY NOT EVEN COME UP ON THE MAP, BUT THEY'LL COME UP ON THE APP ITSELF.
IF IT'S A TEXT, DO I BELIEVE IT'S LIKE AS ZERO SEVEN AND STUFF LIKE THAT? THOSE ARE TEXT DOT ALL DOWN MEMORIAL.
YEAH, BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO REPLACE SOME OF THE LIGHTS ON MEMORIAL AND THEY'RE NOT IN OUR SYSTEM.
FOUND OUT THEY'RE WITH TEXDOT AND I WAS WORKING WITH LONNIE MCINTYRE ON THAT TOO.
AND AGAIN, UH, MR. ARMSTRONG, I WAS WANTING TO, TO, UH, ACTUALLY PAY ACCOLADES TO YOU.
ON WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE.
AND YOU, YOU CAME IN, AS I SAID, I WAS STATING BEHIND TWO OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD BEGUN TO, UH, EVEN WITH THE AUDIT THAT THE, UH, CITY MANAGER ALLUDED TO.
I THINK THAT THAT PROCESS BEGAN ACTUALLY DURING MY TENURE HERE.
AND WE, WE, WE, WE'VE MADE SOME GROUNDS.
AND I, I I, I WANT TO SAY THAT NOW THERE HAVE, EVERYTHING HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED IT, BUT WE'VE MADE, WE'VE MADE, WE'VE MADE SOME GAINS.
AND ONE, ONE THING, UH, I APPRECIATE IS YOUR CANDIDNESS AND YOUR EXPEDITIOUS MOVEMENT ON REQUESTS THAT I KNOW ABOUT.
AND I'VE HAD FOLKS TO CONTACT YOU AND THEY'VE LET ME KNOW WITHIN A DAY OR EVEN THAT SAME DAY, YOU HAD WHATEVER WAS NECESSARY FOR THEM.
NOW, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS ONE SITUATION AND YOU SPOKE OF ON SOME OF THE POLES, AND IT, IT'S LIKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, DEALING WITH WATER AND SEWER AND WASTE, THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS OLD.
AND SOME OF THOSE POLES, I BELIEVE, I DON'T THINK THEY ARE A HUNDRED YEARS OLD, BUT THEY MIGHT BE 50 AND, AND, AND, AND THEY ARE BEING CHANGED.
THAT WAS ONE REAL BIG CONCERN I HAD ON PROCTOR.
'CAUSE THERE'S A, A, A NURSING FACILITY THERE.
UH, AND THEY BUT SOMEONE HIT THE POLE I THING OR SOMETHING HAPPENED.
AND IT, IT, IT WAS A, A LARGE AREA THERE WAS WITHIN OUT LIGHTING FOR ALMOST A NIGHT THAT DAY OR DAY AND A HALF OR SOMETHING.
YOU ALL DID DO WHAT YOU COULD TO GET IT BACK FUNCTIONING.
AND WE KNOW SOME THINGS ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL.
AND AS LONG AS YOUR COMPANY IS DOING WHAT IT CAN TO SERVE AS PORT ARTHUR.
[01:40:01]
YES.AND IF CITY MANAGER SAID IT AGAIN, AND JUST FOR A MATTER OF REITERATION CONTINUING AS YOU DID SAY, WELL, YOU JUST DRIVE AROUND AND SEE WHERE LIGHTS ARE OUT AND DO WHAT'S NECESSARY.
AND, UH, IF OUR PIOI THINK SHE'S, SHE'S, SHE'S PRESENT.
IF YOU CAN GET WITH HER, WELL, SHE COULD PLACE ON EVEN OUR WEBSITE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND THE MOST SIMPLIFIED MANNER THAT A CITIZEN CAN JUST PICK UP THE PHONE OR, YOU KNOW, GO TO THEIR COMPUTER IF, IF THEY'RE COMPUTER LITERATE AND GET TO THE APP, BUT SOME CAN'T GET TO THE APP.
BUT IF THEY CAN PICK UP A PHONE AND DIAL AND SPEAK WITH A HUMAN, IF IT'S POSSIBLE YES IT IS.
TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
AND I BELIEVE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO COEXIST AND UH, UH, UH, I THINK FOR OUR FUTURE AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT, THAT, THAT HAPPENS WITH LONGEVITY HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WE, YOU ALL ARE THE COMPANY THAT'S HERE.
AND, UH, ALMOST LIKE THE ATTORNEY WILL PROBABLY STOP ME, BUT AS THE SERVICES TO, UH, TRANSPORT, UH, INJURED INDIVIDUALS.
YOU KNOW, SOMEONE ELSE CAN COME IN.
MAYOR, I THINK WE NEED TO TEXT.
I'M AVAILABLE DAY AND NIGHT, SO.
JUST ONE, ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE INDUSTRY THAT, THAT YOU METERING YOURSELF, YOU'RE SELLING POWER TO.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW WHERE ALL OF THOSE METERS ARE AND YOU ARE CHARGING 'EM ALL OF FRANCHISE FEE BECAUSE COUNCILMAN ETT AND COUNCILMAN SCOTT BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, WE LOST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CHARGE, UH, A FRANCHISE FEE.
BUT WITH COUNCILMAN SCOTT AND COUNCILMAN UC HAS HELPED, WE WAS ABLE TO RECOVER 350,000, BUT WE LOST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, AS FAR AS INDUSTRIAL, I'M NOT IN CHARGE.
THAT'S, UH, DEBORAH, SHE USED TO BE IN CHARGE, UH, DURING MY POSITION AS FAR AS INDUSTRIAL.
BUT ANY, UH, FRANCHISE FEE OR PAYMENTS THAT I SEE THAT FLUCTUATE, I'VE EMAILED THE, UH, WHEN WE SEND THAT OUT AND LET 'EM KNOW WHY AND THE REASON WHY AND WHETHER, HOW WE'RE GONNA RECOUP IT PER, UH, THE NEXT ONE.
UH, BUT, UH, I HAVEN'T SENT AS FAR AS DEBORAH, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO HER REGARDING THAT, BUT I COULD FIND OUT FOR YOU.
BUT, BUT EVERY CITIZEN, EVERY CITIZEN GETS A BILL.
THEY GOT A FRANCHISE FEE ON THAT.
BUT WHAT WE DISCOVERED, THEY DISCOVERED INDUSTRY WAS NOT GETTING THE, WAS NOT BEING CHARGED A FRANCHISE FEE.
AND AND THEY WANT TO SELL FURTHER.
IF WE DON'T COLLECT IT, IF WE DON'T COLLECT IT, YOU ALL CAN'T.
I GOT WITH THE UTILITY COMPANY, I MEAN OUR LAWYER WITH THE UTILITIES, UH, PUBLIC UTILITIES AND I HAD THAT CONTRACT CHANGED TO, TOOK THAT LANGUAGE OUT OF THERE.
I KNOW, BUT YOU SAID, YOU SAID MS. D DRAGO DOES THAT.
WHAT WE'LL DO, AT SOME POINT WE CAN GET MS. D DRAGO TO COME AND EXPLAIN TO US HOW THAT HAPPENS.
NOW, UH, WELL THERE'S NO, AND WE THANK YOU MR. MR.
UH, WE HAVE NOW, UH, REPORTS OF, UH, ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INJURIES.
FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY ATTORNEY.
NO, YOU KNOW WHAT? I SCRATCHED THROUGH ONE AT THE TOP AND MY BAD.
[III.E.(2) A Discussion Regarding Roberts Rules Of Order (Requested By Councilmember Doucet) ]
THAT WASN'T E TWO MAYOR.ON PAGE TWO, UH, UH, A DISCUSSION, UH, THAT'S NUMBER TWO, A DISCUSSION REGARDING, UH, ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDERS REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN DUICK.
ALL I'M GONNA SAY ABOUT THAT IS THAT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD GO BACK AND REVIEW, UH, COUNCIL, UH, ROBERT RULES OF ORDER.
OUR MEETINGS ALONE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING ROB RULES OF WATER.
UH, WE GOT A TENDENCY TO WANT TO TALK ABOUT ITEMS THAT ARE RELATED.
WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT ITEMS THAT ON THE AGENDA.
AND WE ALSO SPEND A LOT OF TIME QUESTIONING WHETHER THIS IS RIGHT OR THAT IS WRONG.
SO WE WANNA MAKE OUR MEETINGS SHORT.
IF WE WANT TO FOLLOW THE RULES, WE NEED TO READ THEM.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON.
WE ARE JUST NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES.
[01:45:04]
OKAY.NOW, UH, ON THAT, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAD THE ATTORNEYS, YOU LOOK UP FOR ME.
AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND I BELIEVE, UH, IT IS IN SECTION 2.75 OF THE RULES OF THE COURT BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT YOU SAID YOU WANTED, YOU WANTED TO ACTUALLY FIND OUT ABOUT.
AND THERE'S A SECTION THERE THAT DEALS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND WHILE IN SESSION, MEMBER MUST, UH, PRESERVE ORDER AND DECORUM.
AND A MEMBER SHALL NEITHER BY CONVERSATION OR OTHERWISE DELAY OR INTERRUPT THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE PEACE OF OR THE COUNCIL NOR DISTURB ANY MEMBER WHILE SPEAKING OR REFUSE TO OBEY THE ORDER OF THE PRESIDING OFFICERS.
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL SHALL NOT LEAVE THEIR SEAT DURING THE MEETING WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING THE PERMISSION OF THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
PRESIDING OFFICERS MAY DEBATE FOR, UH, DEBATE AND VOTE.
IT ALSO SAYS THAT, UH, GETTING THE FLORIDA IMPROPER REFERENCES, UH, ARE TO BE AVOIDED.
AND EVERY MEMBER, UH, DESIRING TO SPEAK SHALL ADDRESS THE CHAIR UPON RECOGNITION BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER SHALL CONFINE HIMSELF TO THE QUESTION UNDER DEBATE, AVOIDING ALL PERSONALITIES.
AND IN THE CORI, UH, LANGUAGE, IF I HOPE I PRONOUNCED THAT CORRECTLY.
AND INTERRUPTIONS A MEMBER ONCE RECOGNIZED SHALL NOT BE INTERRUPTED WHEN SPEAKING, UNLESS IT IS TO BE A CALL OF ORDER TO HIM OR OTHERWISE.
PROVIDE INTERSECTION IF A MEMBER, WHILE SPEAKING HAS CALLED TO ORDER, HE SHALL CEASE SPEAKING UNTIL THE QUESTION OR ORDER IS DETERMINED.
IF IN ORDER HE SHALL BE PERMITTED TO PROCEED.
AND ALSO THERE IS A PRIVILEGE OF CLOSING DEBATE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER MOVING THE ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION SHALL HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO CLOSE DEBATE ON THAT, UH, AT ITS, ITS DISCRETION.
AND ALSO THERE, THERE ARE SOME OF THE QUORUM TO, UH, MOTIONS TO RECONSIDER AND, UH, REMARKS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN, UH, ENTERED IN MINUTES.
A COUNCIL MEMBER SHALL HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF AN ABSTRACT OF HIS STATEMENT ON ANY SUBJECT PERTAINING TO CITY BUSINESS AND AFFAIRS ENTERED INTO THE MINUTES.
THERE'S A SYNOPSIS OF DEBATE WHEN ENTERED IN MINUTES, THE CITY SECRETARY MAY BE DIRECTED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER WITH CONSENT OF COUNSEL TO ENTER THE MINUTES, A SYNOPSIS OF THE DISCUSSION OF ANY QUESTION COMING REGULARLY BEFORE THE COUNCIL.
AND THESE ARE ROBERTS RULES OF ALL THAT THAT AUDIT HAVE BEEN NEWLY REVISED.
AND, UH, THEY PREVAIL WHERE THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER DISCREPANCIES ON IT ALSO IN.
AND WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, NO VOTE SHALL BE TAKEN ON A MOTION.
AND A SECOND FOR THE PREVIOUS QUESTION UNTIL EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE QUESTION UNDER THE BAIT HAS BEEN GRANTED AT LEAST ONE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THE QUESTION.
NOW, SOMETIMES WE SPEAK SEVERAL TIMES ON A QUESTION.
ACTUALLY ROBERT RULES OF HONOR SAYS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ALLOW YOU ONE OPPORTUNITY.
NOW EACH MEMBER SHALL HAVE UP TO TWO MINUTES TO EXPRESS A PRO OR CON OPINION OR QUESTION IN OR AS THEY INITIATE OF ANY NON-CONSENT RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE THAT COMES BEFORE THE COUNCIL FOR DEBATE.
AND I HAVE A TIME, HAVE A KILOMETER HERE OF CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY, UH, SECRETARY.
THIS ONE, I FOUND IT HERE WHEN I GOT HERE, DIDN'T OPERATE RIGHT AND I'VE BEEN HERE GOING ON FIVE YEARS.
IT STILL DOESN'T OPERATE CORRECTLY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A NEW KILOMETER HERE THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO ACTUALLY KEEP THE TIME FOR THAT SOLD.
NOW SAID THE RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE SHALL EITHER BE VOTED UP OR DOWN WHENEVER THAT ACTUALLY OCCURS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
AND THE SUBSECTION SHALL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE COUNCIL'S RIGHT TO CONSIDER AND VOTE ON A MOTION AND A SECOND TO FURTHER LIMIT OR EXTEND THE LENGTH OF DEBATE BY EACH COUNCIL MEMBER.
[01:50:01]
WHICH SUCCINCTLY SAYS THAT IF A COUNCIL MEMBER FEELS AS THOUGH THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE TIME INVOLVED, THAT A MOTION WOULD HAVE TO BE TAKEN AND ACCEPTED AND PASSED.SO, UH, I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND ALSO THAT IS SOMETHING HERE ABOUT AUDIENCE MEMBERS.
PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO BE WITHIN RAIL.
THAT MEANS THAT NO PERSON EXCEPT MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY STAFF SHALL BE PERMITTED WITHIN THE RAIL WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
THE CITY ATTORNEY WAS BEING VERY NICE AND ELOQUENT.
ACTUALLY, THAT PERSON DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE A RESPONSE BECAUSE HE HAD NOT BEEN RECOGNIZED.
AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND FROM WHAT I'VE READ AND WHAT I'M READING BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, NO PERSON IN THE AUDIENCE SHALL ENGAGE IN DISORDERLY CONDUCT, SUCH AS HAND CLAPPING, STAMPING OF FEET, WHISTLING, USING PROFANE LANGUAGE, YELLING AND SIMILAR DEMONSTRATIONS WITHOUT CONDUCT UP WHICH CONDUCT WOULD DISTURB THE PEACE AND THE GOOD ORDER OF THE MEETING.
SO COUNCILMAN, I APPRECIATE YOUR BRINGING THIS FORTH.
AND AS I SAID IN SOME TRAINING THAT I DID RECEIVE AT T UH, TML, AND, UH, WELL EVEN IF THIS, IN THAT ORGANIZATION, IT DEALT WITH MAYORS.
AND WHENEVER MEETINGS ARE TOO LONG, I WAS TAUGHT BY THE INSTRUCTOR WHO HAPPENED TO BE ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS FOR TML.
OKAY? BUT THEN THE MAYOR BECOMES A VILLAIN.
AND AT SOMETIMES I'VE BEEN EVEN ALLUDED TO A PERSON WHO IS ILLITERATE TO PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE.
I'VE BEEN CALLED SO MANY NAMES UNTIL NOW, THEY BECOME ACTUALLY HUMOROUS TO ME BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND WHO THEY COME FROM.
IT'S ALWAYS CONSIDERED SO, OKAY.
NOW I NOT SAID THAT TO REALLY, REALLY MEAN THAT BECAUSE IF A PERSON DOESN'T KNOW, THEY JUST DON'T KNOW.
AND THEY'LL SAY THAT I'M WRONG BECAUSE I AM ACTUALLY EXERCISING PARLIAMENTARY RIGHTS.
BUT COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING FURTHER TO THIS GROUP AND FOR CONSIDERATION ATTORNEY IF I'M, IF I'M CORRECT, THAT I HAVE NETWORKED WITH A GENTLEMAN AROUND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHO NOW RESIDES IN MARYLAND, I BELIEVE IT IS, WHO IS THE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES PARLIAMENTARY COUNCIL.
AND THIS IS A NATIONAL GROUP OF PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM AROUND AMERICA WHO ACTUALLY TRAIN FOLK AND THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL PARLIAMENTARIANS.
I WOULD ASK THAT WE WOULD HAVE A SESSION WITH HIM.
HOWEVER, IT IS A FEE THAT'S INVOLVED.
HE WOULD COME EITHER THROUGH TELEPHONIC VIDEO CONFERENCING OR EVEN THROUGH HIS PERSONAL, UH, PHYSICALLY BEING HERE THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER GETTING HIM HERE.
UH, MAYOR MAY I, WE DON'T HAVE ANY ACTION ITEMS ON THIS TODAY.
I'M JUST BRINGING IT UP SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO GET INTO ANY ACTION ITEMS. NO, I DIDN'T WANT AN ACTION ON IT.
I JUST FOR, FOR THOUGHT OR, OR I'M BAPTIST.
THAT WE CAN FURTHER HAVE THIS ON IF IT'S IN AGREEMENT ALMOST WITH YOU ALL.
AND I CAN RESEARCH THAT, FIND OUT WHAT IT IS, PUT IT ON, AND THE FORM RESOLUTION, WE VOTE ON IT AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD RECEIVE THE TRAINING ALONG WITH THE LEGAL STAFF AND WHOMEVER ELSE THE, UH, CITY MANAGER WOULD DEEM NECESSARY THAT WOULD BE IN SUCH TRAINING FOR THE PROPER PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE.
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT WE, THAT'S WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT VAL.
WHEN I, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO, 'CAUSE YOU SAID YOU KNEW SOMEBODY TOO.
AND NOW THE MAYOR'S TELLING ME HE KNOWS ABOUT IT TOO.
YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S SINCE WE DIDN'T PUT FOR ACTIONS.
SO I'M NOT GONNA ELABORATE ON THAT.
UH, THE MAYOR HAD, UH, HAD SOMEONE, UH, THERE'S NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO CAN DO IT.
UM, I WOULD ALWAYS ALSO RECOMMEND, UM, THE BOOR KIDS GROUP 'CAUSE THAT'S THEIR KIND OF THING TO TRAIN ALL THE CITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WHOEVER, WHOEVER YOU GET, AS LONG AS THEY'RE CREDENTIALED, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, AND ONE MORE THING, MAYOR, YOU'RE READING AND YOU SAID, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO A SECONDARY
[01:55:02]
MOTION THAT UH, NO ONE IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION UNTIL EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST HAD ONE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THAT MOTION.AND THEN YOU WENT FURTHER TO SAY THAT IT SAYS THAT A PERSON CAN ONLY SPEAK ONE TIME.
THAT'S NOT WHAT'S WHAT YOU READ.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY MISUNDERSTANDING, YOU CAN READ IT AGAIN.
BUT IT SAYS NO OTHER MOTION IS MADE UNTIL EVERYONE WHO CHOOSES TO SPEAK OKAY.
IT DOESN'T LIMIT PEOPLE TO ONE TIME THAN THE DEBATE.
THEY COULD, THEY COULD BE IN A DIFFERENT SECTION OF WHAT, WHERE I AM.
IF YOU READ IT AGAIN, IT, IT'LL SAY IS THAT RULE DECORUM ON EVEN THAT IT DOESN'T SEVEN, FIVE.
IF YOU READ IT AGAIN, JUST WHAT YOU READ ABOUT THAT IT DOESN'T SAY YOU ONLY SPEAK ONE TIME.
IT SAYS A PERSON, EVERYBODY CHOOSING TO SPEAK IT SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT LEAST ONCE TIME.
IT DOESN'T LIMIT THIS TIMES IN A DEBATE.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YOU KNOW, UH, I'VE JUST BEEN LISTENING THAT YOU ALL GOING OVER THESE ROBBLE RULES OF WATER AND SOUND LIKE TO ME IT'S BEING SUGGESTED THAT WE BRING SOMEBODY HERE TO READ FOR US.
EVERY CONFERENCE THAT WE GO TO AROUND THE COUNTRY, THEY GOT THESE PARLIAMENT PROCEDURES THERE.
YOU CAN, AND IT'S, IT IS NOTHING DIFFICULT ABOUT IT.
IF YOU WANT TO LEARN A PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE, YOU GOT, YOU PLAN TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
IF SOMEONE IS IN THEIR LAST TERM, YOU GOT THREE YEARS TO LEARN EVERYTHING ABOUT CITY GOVERNMENT.
YOU CAN GET A SOCIAL GRIEF A LITTLE MORE THAN TWO YEARS.
SO TO PAY MONEY FOR SOMEBODY TO COME DOWN HERE TO READ FOR US MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.
[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST ]
WE ARE MOVE NOW TO OUR NEXT ITEM, UH, WHICH IS, UH, FORM NUMBER NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST.ANY MEMBER HAVE AN ITEM OF COMMUNITY INTEREST AS YOU WOULD CARE TO DISCUSS AT THIS MOMENT? I GET NO.
I GATHER THAT THERE AREN'T ANY.
NOW WE'LL MOVE TO A COMMUNITY INTEREST.
WELL, JUST IN YOUR LIGHT, SIR.
WELL, CITY MANAGER, I'M BRINGING THIS UP AGAIN.
I'VE BEEN REMINDED WE HAVE, AND I NEED TO GET WITH GET WITH THE, UH, HUMAN RESOURCE PERSON.
WE HAVE CITY EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RECOGNIZED, THAT ACTUALLY HAVE NEVER MISSED A DAY OR SO.
SO IT'S, CAN WE DO SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE TO RECOGNIZE THOSE CITY EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE NEVER MISSED A DAY OF AWARD WORKING ON THAT? OKAY.
[VI.A.(1) P.R. No. 23469 – A Resolution Approving The First Amended And Restated Agreement For Professional Services And Employment As Chief Executive Officer Of The Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation ]
WE'LL NOW MOVE TO ROMAN NUMER SIX, WHICH IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS.UH, UH, THERE ARE RESOLUTIONS AND THIS FIRST RESOLUTION I BELIEVE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THESE ARE THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WE WANT TO TABLE.
UM, MAYOR, I GET A MOTION TO TABLE THOSE.
THERE THEY ARE HERE FROM THE EDC, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THEIR ATTORNEY, ATTORNEY WAS THAT THEY WERE ASKING TO TABLE THEIR ITEMS EXCEPT FOR NUMBER FOUR.
SO, UH, 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A MEETING COMING UP TOMORROW.
I WOULD I BE, IN ORDER TO GET A MOTION TO TABLE NUMBERS ONE, TWO, AND THREE ARE AVENUE THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
INDIVIDUALLY SAYS THE CITY SECRETARY.
UH, FIRST FOUR PR NUMBER 2, 3, 4, 6, 9.
THE RESOLUTION OF APPROVING THE FIRST, UH, AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND, UH, EMPLOYMENT AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE PORT, UH, UH, OF OFFICER OF THE PORT ARTHUR SECTION FOR A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
I NEED TO GET ON THE FLOOR FIRST, RIGHT? AND THEN OKAY.
MAY, SO MOTION I GET A SECOND AND REMOVE THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE THIS.
UH, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTIONING.
YES, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, TABLE PR NUMBER 23 4 69 AT THIS TIME, AGAIN, REMOVE THE SECONDARY.
WE WOULD ACTUALLY TABLE THIS MOTION UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF TABLE IN THE MOTION? AYE.
[VI.A.(2) P.R. No. 23494 – A Resolution Approving A Training Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation And Lamar State College Port Arthur For Tuition Reimbursement For Five (5) Port Arthur Resident High School Graduates Attending A 2-Year Associate Degree Program Not To Exceed $67,500.00; Funds Available In EDC Account No. 120-80- 625-5475-00-00-000 ]
THIS TABLE.A RESOLUTION APPROVING OF TRAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, SECTION FOUR, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AND LAMAR STATE COLLEGE,
[02:00:01]
PORT ARTHUR FOR TUITION REIMBURSEMENT.FOUR FIVE PORT ARTHUR RESIDENT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES ATTENDING A TWO YEAR ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAM NOT TO EXCEED $67,500.
FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN EDC ACCOUNT NUMBER 1 2 0 8 0 6 2 5 DASH 5 4 7 5 0 0 0 0.
I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL FOR COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
I GET A SECOND COUNCILMAN DEUCE.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD MOVE ON THIS PARTICULAR MOTION.
YES, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE TABLE PR NUMBER 23 4 9 4 AT THIS TIME.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN? IT IS BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD TABLE PR NUMBER 23 4 9 4 UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
ANY S ON THAT? ALL IN FAVOR OF TABLE? AYE.
ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVING SO THAT PARTICULAR ITEM IS TABLED
[VI.A.(3) P.R. No. 23495 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation To Utilize Pre- Employment Workforce Training Funds To Implement A 2024 Youth Employment Program In An Amount Not To Exceed $83,200.00; Funds Available In EDC Account No. 120-80-625-5475-00-00-000 ]
AS WELL.NEXT WE HAVE PR NUMBER 23 4 9 5.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, SECTION FOUR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO UTILIZE PRE-EMPLOYMENT WORKFORCE TRAINING FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT A 2024 YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $83,200 FUNDS AVAILABLE IN A DC ACCOUNT.
NUMBER 1 28 6 2 5 5 4 7 5 0 0 0 0.
MAY I GET A MOTION, UH, FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN ETT? SO MOVED.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN KINLOCK.
AND COUNCILMAN FRANK, MAY I GET A, UH, MOTION TO TABLE? UH, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT PR NUMBER TWO, THREE TABLE.
THAT WE WILL TABLE PR NUMBER 2, 3, 4, 9 5.
WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS UNDER ANY QUESTIONS READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR OF TABLE? AYE.
[VI.A.(4) P.R. No. 23500 – A Resolution Approving The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation’s Acceptance Of A Quote And Entering Into A Service Agreement With Panama Equipment Of Cleveland, Texas For The Preventative Maintenance Of Two (2) Generators Servicing The EDC Building Located At 501 Procter Street And 549 4th Street; In An Annual Amount Not To Exceed $11,876.94. Funds Available In EDC Account No. 120-80- 625-5318-00-00-000 ]
NOW WE WILL MOVE TWO PR NUMBER 23 500.THIS IS A RESOLUTION APPROVED IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR SECTION FOR A, UH, DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION ACCEPTANCE OF A QUOTE AND ENTERING INTO A SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH PANAMA EQUIPMENT OF CLEVELAND, TEXAS FOR THE, UH, PREVENTATIVE, UH, AND I LOST MY SPOT.
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE OF TWO GENERATORS SERVICING THE EDC BUILDING LOCATED AT 5 0 1 PROCTOR STREET AND 5 4 9 FOURTH STREET IN AN ADDITIONAL ANNUAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $11,876 AND 94 CENTS.
FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN EBC ACCOUNT NUMBER ONE 20 DASH 8 6 2 5 5 3 8 0 0 0 0.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN? UH, KINLOCK.
SO MOVE MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE SECOND MAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? CONSTABLE LEWIS? YES.
HE'S GOING, HE'S GOING TO TAKE, OH, OKAY.
OH, GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR SEAT.
IT'S THE PURCHASING, IT'S THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THIS, THIS ITEM 23 500 ABOUT THE GENERAL RATE GONNA BE NOT TO EXCEED, UH, $11,876.
WAS THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT INVOLVED IN THAT OR DOES EDC TAKES THAT TO THEMSELVES? THAT'S A QUESTION FOR EDC.
ANYBODY HERE? YES, THEY'RE HERE.
UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE, THE PADC HANDLES THAT THEMSELVES.
OH, YOU ALL HANDLE THAT YOURSELF? YES.
DID THE BIDDING, DID THE REVIEW.
ALRIGHT, MR. COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE.
UM, AS FAR AS, UH, PR NUMBER 2, 3 500, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[VI.A.(5) P.R. No. – 23526 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Contract Amendment No. 3, For A Final Contract Completion Date Of March 1, 2024, Amending The Revised Contract Completion Date Of December 17th, 2023 For Arceneaux, Wilson And Cole, LLC Of Port Arthur, Texas To Complete Its Development Of A Citywide Master Drainage Plan With No Budgetary Impact ]
UH, WE'RE GONNA TABLE THIS ONE COMING UP AS WE'RE GONNA TABLE PR NUMBER 2 3 5 2 6.IS ARE WE GONNA NO, THAT HAS NOT, NOTHING TO DO WITH THE EDC.
AM I LOOKING AT THE RIGHT NUMBER? 2 3 5 2 6.
[02:05:01]
THAT'S NOT AN EDC ITEM? NO, SIR.PR NUMBER 2 3 5 2 6 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CONTRACT AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE FOR A FINAL CONTRACT COMPLETION DATE OF MARCH 1ST, 2024, AMENDING THE REVISED CONTRACT COMPLETION DATE OF DECEMBER 17TH, 2023 FOR ARSENAL WILSON AND COLE, LLC OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, TO COMPLETE ITS DEVELOPMENT OF A CITYWIDE MASTER DRAINAGE PLAN WITH NO BUDGETARY IMPACT.
MAY I RECEIVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.
KINLAW, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN, UH, ETT.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
QUESTION, QUESTION, QUESTION QUESTIONS? YEAH.
I, I TAPED THE LAST TIME BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST FOR A, UH, ANOTHER EXTENSION.
AND MY QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WE PAID, WE, WE PAID ALL OF THE MONEY AND, UH, WE DID PAY IT BY, UH, A SCHEDULE.
CORRECT? AND THAT SCHEDULE, NO, WE HAVEN'T PAID ALL OF THE MONEY.
UM, THERE IS STILL A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE, THAT HAS NOT BEEN AS TO THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SETTLED, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PAID OUT TO THE COMPANY.
'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE FINAL REPORTERS YET.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS, WE WANT 75 MORE DAYS TO COMPLETE THIS.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE IN 365, 365 DAYS THAN IT WAS ANOTHER 270 DAYS, AND THEN IT WAS ANOTHER 180 DAYS AND NOW IT'S 75 DAYS.
ARE WE GONNA GET ANOTHER EXTENSION? WHAT, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? SOMEONE NEED TO COME AND, AND, AND, AND, AND LET US KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY COMING UP WITH EXTENSION.
THIS, THIS PRO, THIS PROJECT SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN DONE IN 365 DAYS AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE APPROVE THIS 75 DAYS, THAT WILL BE 900 IN THE 80.
SO WHAT'S WITH THIS PROJECT? WHY CAN'T WE HAVE GOTTEN IT DONE? COUNCILMAN? WE INITIALLY STARTED THE PROJECT.
WE WERE, I RECOMMENDED A TIMEFRAME TO THE, TO THE CITY OF, UH, 18 MONTHS.
WE WERE ASKED IF WE COULD DO IT WITHIN A YEAR.
I DID NOT THINK WE COULD DO THAT TIMEFRAME, BUT I TOLD 'EM WE WOULD TRY.
OF COURSE, WE UTILIZING THE DOCUMENTS WE HAD IN OUR POSSESSION AT THE TIME FROM THE CITY, WE STARTED OUR FIELD PROGRAM, WHICH WE, WE MENTIONED THIS AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING.
WE SURVEYED EVERY ACCESSIBLE INLET AND STRUCTURE, DRAINAGE STRUCTURE IN THE CITY.
AND IT WAS, THAT TOOK TWICE AS LONG AS WHAT I ANTICIPATED.
I INITIALLY THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE THAT DONE IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS, AND WE WERE OVER A YEAR JUST DOING OUR SURVEY FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND THAT'S, THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS TO REQUEST THE EXTENSION.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE ANALYSIS PORTION OF IT.
WE ACTUALLY DID STOP ON PARTS OF IT TO ANALYZE SOME PROBLEMS OVER ON THE WEST, WEST END, OVER AROUND WEST 19TH TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS FOR THAT.
AND THAT WE DIVERTED OFF A LITTLE BIT.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE, WE'RE STILL ACTIVELY RUNNING OUR FINAL ANALYSIS ON EVERYTHING.
AND WE SHOULD HAVE THIS, WE SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING A HUNDRED PERCENT BY MARCH 1ST, THE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 1ST.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THIS PROJECT DONE AND THAT'S A AND THAT'S A KIND I'M UPSET ABOUT IT BECAUSE YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.
UH, YOU SAID INITIALLY WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT, YOU SAID A HUNDRED OR, OR 18 MONTHS, BUT WITH THIS 75 DAYS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS MORE THAN TWO YEARS.
AND COUNCILMAN LEWIS, UH, ASKED YOU WHEN YOU GET STARTED, HE, AND YOU TOLD HIM THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS YOU DON'T GET STARTED.
YOU GIVE US THE PLAN, THEN WE GOTTA GO OUT FOR BIDS TO DO WHATEVER WORK WE WANNA DO WITH THIS PLAN.
THE PLAN IS SIMPLY A PLAN, BUT MY POINT IS WE COULDN'T GET NOTHING GOING UNTIL WE HAVE THE PLAN.
AND WHENEVER WE ASK FOR PROPOSALS, WE HAVE,
[02:10:01]
THIS IS ALL COMPETITIVE AND WE SUPPOSED TO CONSIDER TIME BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET THINGS DONE.I UNDERSTAND THERE'S DELAYS, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, WE'RE TALKING FROM 365 TO 900.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE REALLY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS WITH JOE.
YOU KNOW, SO, UH, WELL WHERE YOU, WHERE YOU GETTING 900 DAYS, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN THAT LONG.
BUT IT'S, IT'S, BUT YES, WE ARE, WE ARE BEYOND WHAT WE INITIALLY PROJECTED.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THERE WAS MANY MORE ASSETS IN THE CITY THAN WE INITIALLY THOUGHT THERE WERE.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING, I'VE BEEN WORKING HERE MY WHOLE LIFE AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THAT MANY INLETS IN THIS CITY AND WELL, YOU, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE GOTTA DO BEFORE WE DO A PROPOSAL.
BUT GOING BACK TO THE FACT HOW I GET 900, 365 PLUS 270 PLUS 180 PLUS 75.
JOE, IF YOU WANT TO, NO, I MEAN, YOU, YOU MADE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU GET, SO I'M TRYING TO DO THAT MATH IN MY HEAD.
SO I GOT IT FROM 365 PLUS TWO 70 PLUS 180 PLUS 75.
I, I GOT WHAT COUNCILMAN DO SAID ABOUT THAT.
UH, I DID, UH, CALCULATE PROBABLY ABOUT NINE 30 DAYS TOO.
SO, UH, JUST REAL REFERENCE, UH, AFTER THE 75 DAYS THOUGH, IF IT'S APPROVED, IS IT ANY PENALTIES OR FINES ASSOCIATED WITH NOT COMPLETING, UH, IN A TIMELY MATTER WITH THE CONTRACT WITH THE COMPANY LIKE THAT? ALL OF OUR CONTRACTS, UH, HAVE, UH, PROVISIONS IF YOU ARE IN DEFAULT.
SO WE, WE HAVE PROVISIONS IF THEY'RE IN DEFAULT AS FAR AS TIME.
HEY, WELL, THANK YOU CITY, UH, ATTORNEY.
UH, MY, MY CONCERN, JOE, UH, JUST, JUST AS COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE, I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE EXTENSIONS AND, AND WHEN TWO PARTIES AGREE UP ON SOMETHING AND THEN WE, WE NEED TO ADHERE TO IT.
AND I THINK OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, UH, PORT ARTHUR WAS IN THE RED WITH DOING SOME OF THOSE TYPE OF CONTRACTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET SOME TYPE OF CLARIFICATION UPDATES PRIOR TO THOSE NUMBERS THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, DOUCETTE SPOKE OF ABOUT EXTENSIONS, MAYBE WE'LL FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
BUT AS AT THIS POINT, I'M STILL KIND OF IN THE RED AREA ABOUT, UH, EXTENDING CONTRACTS BASED UPON NOT KNOWING, NOT HAVING A KNOWLEDGE OF INLETS.
I MEAN, THAT'S PROFESSIONALS' JOB TO DO.
AND THEN WHEN THOSE PARTIES MEET, THEY AGREE UPON A CERTAIN CONTRACT AND TO GET THINGS DONE IN THE CITY.
WELL, IN, IN OUR DEFENSE ON THAT, WE USED THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US BY THE CITY, WHICH WAS GROW THE STUDY, THE ASSETS FOR THE CITY HADN'T BEEN UPDATED IN OVER 40 YEARS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE WORKING OFF OF.
AND THAT WAS BASED OFF WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAD IN OUR HANDS.
AND WE REQUESTED THAT FROM CITY STAFF AND THAT'S WHAT WAS PROVIDED.
UH, SO ON THIS, WHICH ONE? I'M, I'M TALKING RIGHT HERE.
THERE ARE MORE QUESTIONS READY TO VOTE.
AS HAVING A RESULT, WE WOULD APPROVE P PR NUMBER 23 5 26 AS READ.
[VI.B.(1) P.O. No. 7220 – An Ordinance Authorizing The Execution Of A Developer Participation Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And D & T Interest, LLC For The Development Of 3.568 Acres Of Land Located On Jimmy Johnson Boulevard Near The Babe Zaharias Golf Course Pursuant To Sections 212.071 And 212.072 Of The Texas Local Government Code, V.T.C.A. ]
HAVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 7 2 2 0 IN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE EXTENSION OF A DEVELOPER PARTICIPATION CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND DNT INTEREST LLC FOR DEVELOPMENT OF 3.6 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED ON, UH, JIMMY JOHNSON BOULEVARD NEAR THE BABES OF HARRIS GOLF COURSE.PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 2 5 2 1 2 0.017 AND 2 1 2 0.072 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE VTCA.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW? SO MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SECOND.
YOU'VE BEEN MOVING SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 7 2 2 0 OH.
THIS IS JUST FOR HIM PUTTING IN THE APPLICATION? NO, THIS IS THE AWARD OF THE DEVELOPER PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT AWARD OF IT.
I'M SORRY, BUT I'M GONNA ASK THE QUESTION.
[02:15:01]
WE HAVE THE ESTIMATE AND THE BID? UH, UH, WELL ACTUALLY IT WAS BIDED THE ESTIMATES AND BIDS FOR THIS.UH, THAT INFORMATION WAS PRESENTED BY THE DEVELOPER, THE CITY STAFF.
AND, UH, THE PARTICIPATION WILL NOT BE, UM, NO, IT, IT CANNOT EXCEED 30% OF THE CONTRACT PRICES.
WHICH IS 1.5 MILLION AND ESTIMATED AT 464,000.
SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, UM, ONCE THOSE ITEMS ARE IN, UM, YOU KNOW, STAFF WHO, BUT YES, IT, IT'S BEEN REVIEWED PART OF, PART OF THE THING THAT'S, I I I WAS LOOKING FOR IT.
SO PART OF A PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT THAT WE ARE GONNA VOTE ON, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SEEING HERE IS THEY, THEY ASKING, THEY TURN IT IN, THE STAFF STAFF SEEN IT, BUT THAT INFORMATION, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH HE ACTUALLY ASKING FOR, FOR, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE, WE, WE, WE GET TO NOT SEE THESE NUMBERS.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE COMMONLY PUT IN THE AGREEMENT.
THE AGREEMENT STATES WHAT'S GONNA BE DONE.
WE HAVEN'T PUT THAT IN THE AGREEMENT IN THE PAST, BUT WHEN THEY MET AND THEY'VE HAD MEETINGS, THEY, THEY'VE, UM, LOOKED SPECIFICALLY, I THINK HE HAS AN ESTIMATE.
I THERE'S AN ESTIMATE THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU ALL, BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE PUT IN THE AGREEMENT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THAT STAFF LOOKS AT BEFORE WE GET TO THIS POINT.
AND COUNCIL ALSO LOOKS AT, TO SEE WHAT THE ESTIMATE IS.
WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT IN THE PAST, BUT WE CAN DO IT IF YOU'D LIKE.
WELL, WELL I'M ONLY REFERRING TO THE ONE THAT I'VE KNOWN THAT WE DID AS ME AS A COUNCIL AND BEING PART OF A COUNCIL WITH THE PARTICIPATION DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
WE WERE GIVEN THE BREAKDOWN OF THE BID AND ESTIMATED COST OF THE DEVELOPMENT, AT WHICH TIME WE KNEW EXACTLY HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST BECAUSE OF THE ACTUAL BID.
AND FROM THERE YOU HAD THE 30% THAT GAVE YOU THE NOT TO EXCEED THE AMOUNT.
NOW I, WE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU.
WE CAN DEFINITELY, AND WE CAN ADD THAT AS AN EXHIBIT.
UM, I THINK THE CONTRACT WAS HANDED OUT, BUT, UM, YEAH, WE CAN GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
'CAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE A DETAILED BREAKDOWN.
I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU VERY SHORTLY.
I THINK IT WAS GIVEN WITH THE ACTUAL CONTRACT, BUT, BUT WE HAVE THE BREAKDOWN.
'CAUSE I, I TALKED ABOUT THIS WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THAT.
YEAH, I THINK WE PRESENTED IT WHEN WE PRESENTED THIS INFORMATION.
I ASKED FOR IT THEN WE GAVE IT TO THE COUNCIL WHEN WE PASSED IT OUT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT I CAN PASS IT OUT TO YOU AGAIN IF YOU'D LIKE.
I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU IN EXECUTIVE SESSION OR IF YOU WANNA HOLD ON THIS UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND IF I GET IT IN JUST A MINUTE, I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU VERY SHORTLY.
UH, COUNCILMAN, IS YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE OR IMPROVEMENTS? OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S PRIOR TO 30% TOTAL CONTRACT PRICE PROVIDED? WHICH ONE WERE YOU? NO, IT WAS JUST THAT, UH, WHENEVER WE DO THE DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPATION, NOT ONLY WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND STUFF, WE GET, UH, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY HAVE TO GET THE BID.
AND THEN WHEN THEY GET THE BID, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE GET TO SEE THE BID TOO.
SO, UH, WE KNOW THAT, THAT THIS BID WAS GOING TO BE THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THEN THE 30% WE, WE CALCULATE ALL THAT.
SO THEREFORE WHEN WE DID IT, WE'VE DONE IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, UH, IF I'M VAL, YOU SAID THAT WE HAVE YEAH, WE HAVE IT.
WE CAN GET IT FOR YOU IN JUST A SECOND.
I THINK WE GAVE IT TO YOU A LONG TIME AGO AND IT'S NOT ATTACHED TO THIS.
YEAH, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T ATTACH TO, BUT WE, I HANDED IT OUT LIKE WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS FOR SO LONG.
BUT, UH, LONG TIME AGO, I, WHENEVER WE ORIGINALLY TALKED ABOUT IT, WE GAVE YOU THE SAMPLE CONTRACT TO REVIEW.
SO WE'LL GO GET IT AND GIVE IT RIGHT BACK TO YOU.
WELL, I'M NOT GONNA HOLD THIS UP BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHATEVER HE DOES IS GOING HAVE TO BE INSPECTED AND, AND, AND, AND VERIFY BY THE CITY.
SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
BUT IN THE FUTURE THEN WE NEED TO PUT IT IN THERE BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY I'VE SEEN IT BEFORE.
OH, JUST ONE THING I DO WANNA SAY, 'CAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO IMPROVE UPON THE WAY WE DO THESE AND I DO AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO PUT AS MUCH SPECIFICITY AS POSSIBLE.
SO I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE, THERE WE GO.
AND IT DOES SAY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED.
SO YES, IT IS ALL GONNA BE CHECKED IN THE END.
AND I GET IT TO YOU IN JUST A SECOND.
THERE'LL BE ANY MORE DISCUSSION.
SO IT IS APPROVED PO NUMBER 7 2 2 0.
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA ]
[02:20:01]
MOVE TO PAGE FIVE, UH, FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.AND I THINK IT GOES THROUGH PAGE, UH, PAGE SEVEN, I THINK.
YEAH, IT GOES FROM PAGE FIVE TO PAGE SEVEN.
AND THERE ARE ITEMS THERE THAT YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN INFORMATION ON.
WOULD THERE BE ANY ITEMS THAT ANYONE WOULD WANT TO, UH, WITHDRAW AND HANDLE INDIVIDUALLY? IF THEY'RE NOT, MAY I GET A MOTION, UH, FOR COUNCILMAN KOFF? SO MOVE MAYOR, IF I GET A SECOND.
COUNCILMAN, DO THAT SECOND IF BEEN MOVED THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, UH, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ.
WE READY FOR QUESTIONING UNDER THE QUESTION.
YOU READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, UHHUH.
NOW THE CONSENT AGENDA, EXCUSE ME, IS APPROVED AS, UH, PRESENTED.
[VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 23453 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Contract With Allco, LLC Of Beaumont, Texas For The Port Acres Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project With A Projected Budgetary Impact Of $1,288,300.00. Funding Is Available In Account No. 405-40-000-8516-00-00-000, Port Acres WWTP Project No. ARP015 ]
PAGE SEVEN, ADAM ROMAN NUMERAL, UH, EIGHT ADAMS FOUR.PRO NUMBER 23 4 53 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH ALCO, LLC OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE PORT ACRES WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN IMPROVEMENT PROJECT WITH A BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $1,288,300.
FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 5 DASH FOUR ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 8 5 16 0 0 0 0.
PORT ACRES WW GP PROJECT NUMBER A RP 0 1 5.
SO MOVE MAYOR, I GET A SECOND.
COUNCILMAN KEN LAW SECOND MAYOR, IT BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WOULD APPROVE.
WE READY FOR QUESTION? HONOR ANY QUESTIONS? READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, UHHUH.
[VIII.A.(2) P.R. No. 23525 – A Resolution Approving Water And Sewer Adjustments To Certain Utility Accounts Due To Leaks And/Or Equipment Malfunction ]
PR, UH, NUMBER 23.IT IS A RESOLUTION OF PROVING WATER AND SEWER ADJUSTMENT TO, UH, CERTAIN UTILITY ACCOUNTS DUE TO LEAKS AND OR EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONS.
MAY I GET, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS MOTION FOR APPROVAL? OKAY, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN? UH, ETT.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23.
UH, BUT ARE ANY QUESTIONS? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE, SO IT IS AUDIT NOW
[VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 23539 – A Resolution Amending Resolution 23-149 Increasing The Project Allocation By $7,000,000.00 For Engineering, Design, And Construction Of Infrastructure Improvements Along Woodworth Boulevard Between SH 87 (Gulfway Drive) And Lakeshore Drive, Establishing A Revised Budget Amount Of $14,200,000.00. Funding For The Project Is Available In The FY 2022 And FY 2023 Capital Improvement Budgets, Account Number 307- 21-053-8517-00-10-000 ]
WE HAVE A RESOLUTION AND I THINK IT'S JUST THE, OKAY, THIS ONE.I'M RESOLUTION NUMBER 23 5 3 9 RESOLUTION AMENDING 23 DASH 1 4 9.
INCREASING THE PROJECT ALLOCATION BY 7,000, I MEAN $7 MILLION FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ALONG WOODWORTH BOULEVARD BETWEEN SOUTH HIGHWAY 87 OR STATE HIGHWAY 87, WHICH IS GULF DRIVE AND LAKESHORE DRIVE, ESTABLISHING A REVISED BUDGET AMOUNT OF $14,200,000.
FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT IS AVAILABLE IN FY 20.
AND THAT'S THE BUDGET FOR 2022.
AND FOR OUR FISCAL YEARLY BUDGET OF 2023, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BUDGETS IN THE ACCOUNTS.
WHETHER THESE MONIES ARE NOW BEING HELD IS COUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH FIVE THREE DASH 8 5 7 DASH 0 0 0.
MIGHT GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 5 3 9 AS READ.
WE READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN ETT? YES.
UH, I HAVE THIS THING, THIS, THIS MONEY, THE FUNDING IS SUPPOSED TO COME FROM STREETS FUND.
OKAY? I WAS GONNA CANCEL WHEN WE, UH, APPROVED THE BOND.
50 MILLION BONDS, 10 MILLION A YEAR.
AND WHENEVER YOU SELL CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS, WHICH IS THE BONDS, YOU HAVE TO SELL 'EM.
AND YOU HAVE TO USE THE MONEY FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IS THIS, UH, STATED.
NOW, UNDER THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THESE OB CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION THAT WE DID IS WRITTEN IN THE TERMS ARTICLE THREE.
[02:25:02]
IT SAYS AUTHORIZATION, THE GENERAL TERMS AND PROVISION REGARDING THE CERTIFICATE.IT SAYS THE PURPOSE FOR THIS, THE CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC WORKS, MORE SPECIFICALLY THE CONSTRUCTION RECONSTRUCTION OF CITY STREETS AND OTHER RELATED IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DRAINAGE AND SIDEWALKS ON SUCH STREET PROJECTS AND ANY RELATED ITEMS TOO.
NOW, IT WAS WRITTEN THAT WAY BECAUSE WHEN WE REQUESTED THE MONEY, WE REQUESTED THIS MONEY TO FIX STREETS STREET IMPROVEMENT.
THE REASON WE REQUESTED THIS 50 MILLION, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY STREETS AND DISARRAY HERE IN THE CITY.
WELL, THIS WOODWARD BOULEVARD HAS STARTED FROM A 3 MILLION TO 7 MILLION.
NOW WE, THE 14 MILLION, WE GOT ALL THESE DRAWINGS, ALL THESE DRAWINGS ARE NOT STREET IMPROVEMENT.
BUT YET NOW WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF STREETS IN THE CITY THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
UH, I, I'VE TALKED TO SOME INDIVIDUALS AND THEY SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA START BEAUTIFYING.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO TWO THINGS AT ONE TIME.
BUT IF WE WANT TO DO THAT, THEN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FUND THE BEAUTIFICATION AND THE LANDSCAPING AND ALL THIS STUFF.
WHAT WE SHOULD BE SPENDING THIS 50 MILLION ON IS STREETS STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
IF YOU GOT WATER OR DRAINAGE PROBLEMS OR SOMETHING UNDERNEATH THE STREET, YES, THE MONEY FOR THAT.
IF YOU GOT A SIDEWALK ON THIS STREET THAT WE FIXING, YES, BUT GAZEBOS, PALM TREES, PARK BENCHES, PARKING LOT, EVERYBODY I'VE TALKED TO AND I'M, AND AND I, AND I'VE BEEN LOOKING TO THIS, AND I'M NOT GONNA STOP TILL I GET THE RIGHT ANSWER, BUT EVERYBODY THAT KNOWS ABOUT THIS HAS BASICALLY SAID THOSE ARE NOT RELATED TO STREET IMPROVEMENT.
SO GOING FROM THE $3,000 THAT'S TO FIX THE BOULEVARD.
IT WAS ESTIMATED, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT COULD GO MORE THAN THAT.
BUT IF WE GONNA PUT MORE MONEY AND IT SHOULD BE FIXING THE BOULEVARD, I HEAR THIS GATEWAY TO DOWNTOWN PROCTOR IS A MESS.
WE GOT ALL THE OTHER STREETS IN THE CITY A MESS.
WE NEED TO FIX STREETS BEFORE WE CAN MAKE ANYTHING PRETTY.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T EVEN HAVE STREETS, BUT CITIZENS, CITIZENS ARE THE ONE THAT ARE SCREAMING.
EVEN WITH THE MONEY WE HAVE, WE STILL NOT DOING ENOUGH.
THEY'RE STILL COMPLAINING ABOUT STREETS, BUT WE GONNA TAKE STREET MONEY TO DO BEAUTIFICATION.
AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SAID WE NEED TO DO BEAUTIFICATION, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
IF WE WANT TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF AND PUT IT IN THE BUDGET TO DO LANDSCAPING AND AREA BEAUTIFICATION, AND IF WE WON'T TAKE MONEY OUT OF THE BUDGET TO DO THE GATEWAY TO DOWNTOWN, I MEAN PUT MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO DO GATEWAY TO DOUBT, I DON'T MIND DOING THAT.
BUT WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA VOTE NO.
AND I HAVE ONE QUESTION, I'LL BE DONE 'CAUSE I'M NOT GONNA DEBATE WITH IT.
CITY MANAGER, I, WHEN I READ IT AND TELL ME IF I'M READY, CORRECT.
IT SAID THAT THE MONEY IS IN THE STREETS UNALLOCATED MONEY.
NOW, SOMEBODY EXPLAINED TO ME, WHAT IS UNALLOCATED MONEY BECAUSE, UH, I, I THINK I MAY NEED HELP WITH THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.
BUT ANYWAY, ALL OUR FUNDS, WE HAVE MONEY IN A GENERAL FUND.
A GENERAL FUND IS MONEY THAT WE GOT TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE SAY WE WON'T DO FOR THE YEAR.
SO THE MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND IS TO PAY FOR THESE EXPENDITURES THAT MONEY IS ACCOUNTED FOR.
IF IT'S NOT THAT MONEY, THEN THE NEXT PART OF MONEY WE HAVE IS THE FUND BALANCE, WHICH
[02:30:01]
IS A RESERVE OR A SAVINGS FOR THE CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND.SO THE MONEY WE HAVE IN THAT, THAT MONEY IS ACCOUNTED.
NOW, IF WE TALKING ABOUT STREETS, IF WE ALLOCATE $10 MILLION FOR STREETS, WHAT WE, THE STREET PROGRAM SAY, IS WE PUTTING X MILLION IN THIS DISTRICT, X MILLION THAT DISTRICT, THIS DISTRICT AND THAT DISTRICT.
SO IF WE DON'T SPEND THAT MONEY FOR THAT YEAR, IT SHOULD BE CARRIED OVER AND THAT MONEY STILL SHOULD REMAIN WITHIN THAT DISTRICT BECAUSE IT WAS APPROVED TO BE SPENT TO FIX TREES IN THAT DISTRICT.
SO IF THAT MONEY IS BEING ROLLED OVER, WHERE IS IT THAT SOMEBODY SAYS MONEY IS UNACCOUNTED FOR? OKAY, COUNCILMAN FRANK.
UM, I BELIEVE EVERY COUNCILMAN IS GOING TO ULTIMATELY VOTE THEIR CONVICTIONS ON THIS ISSUE AND WHERE THEY ARE FROM.
EXCUSE ME, BUT THE ANSWER, I, I ASKED THE QUESTION ALL I WANT THE ANSWER FIRST.
OKAY, BUT I'M CHAIRING THE MEETING.
I'M GONNA LET HIM TALK RIGHT NOW AND THEN WE GONNA GET TO YOUR ANSWER.
COUNCILMAN FRANK, COUNCILMAN FRANK, POINT OF ORDER.
MAYOR, YOUR POINT OF ORDER, SIR, POINT OF ORDER.
MY POINT OF ORDER IS YOU, YOU RECOGNIZE ME? AND I SAID I HAVE A QUESTION.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A QUESTION ON THE BOARD.
SO IF I ASK THE QUESTION, THE QUESTION SHOULD BE ANSWERED AND THEN AFTER MY QUESTION IS ANSWERED, THEN I WILL RELINQUISH THE FLOOR AND YOU CAN RECOGNIZE SOMEBODY ELSE.
SHOW ME THIS BOOK, WHAT IT SAID THERE.
AND WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT, OKAY, WAIT A MINUTE.
WHILE YOU DOING THAT KIND OF OF CITY MANAGER, ANSWER HIM OR ANSWER HIM, PLEASE.
I I WANT TO KEEP ORDER, ANSWER HIM, BUT JUST SHOW ME IN THE BOOK RIGHT THERE WHERE I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.
I'LL GIVE YOU A CLASS AFTER THE MEETING.
IN, IN THE, IN THE BUDGET, THERE ARE TWO SOURCES OF FUNDING.
ONE IS THE GENERAL FUND, THE OTHER IS A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UNDER THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, MONEY IS CARRIED OVER FROM YOU TO YOU WHEN PROJECTS ARE NOT BEING COMPLETED OR EXHAUSTED.
THE SAME THING HAPPENS FOR MONIES THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED $10 MILLION FROM 2018 FOR CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION AND NOT BONDS.
THEY ARE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION AND BONDS.
CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION IS ONE ITEM, BONDS IS ANOTHER ITEM.
MONEY CARRIES OVER FROM ONE YEAR TO THE OTHER ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
WHEN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM STARTED IN 2018, THERE HAS BEEN A LULL WHEN WE HAD COVID AND FOR SEVERAL OTHER REASONS BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IN ITSELF DID NOT TAKE TRACTION AS IT SHOULD.
AND SO WE HAD A CARRY OVER, OVER SEVERAL YEARS.
THAT IS WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM.
I, I GOT HE DIDN'T, THAT IS NOT CORRECT BECAUSE POINT OF ORDER.
POINT OF ORDER DID I DID NOT READ THAT.
EACH COUNCIL PERSON, WHEN WE HAVE A DISCUSSION NOW, I'M JUST BECAUSE SEE, YOU THE ONE WANT ME TO HANDLE THINGS CORRECTLY, RIGHT? I DO.
AND AT END DURING A DISCUSSION, I'M SUPPOSED TO LET EACH PERSON SPEAK.
THAT'S WHY I KNEW YOU HAD A QUESTION.
WE WERE GOING GIVE A QUESTIONS.
SO I'M JUST GIVING EACH COUNCIL MEMBER HIS, HIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
NOW THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND CONNOTATION.
BUT YOU, BUT, BUT NO, YOU, YOU INTERRUPT.
DON'T INTERRUPT ME THEN I HAVE PROBLEM.
BUT, BUT WE NOT FOLLOW WITH ROB.
WELL, IF YOU FILE A DOUCETTE ORDER NEEDS TO BE SHORT.
CITY MANAGER, YOU JUST SAID CAPTAIN, I KNOW ABOUT CAPTAIN IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
THAT MEANS THAT IF WE PUT IN $5 MILLION TO FIX A ONE THROUGH 50 STREETS, IF WE DON'T FINISH THOSE ONE TO 50 STREETS, YES, THAT MONEY
[02:35:01]
IS CARRIED OVER.BUT THAT MONEY THAT'S CARRIED OVER IS TO PAY FOR THOSE ONE TO 50 STREET IS NOT UNACCOUNTED FOR.
AND IT'S TO FIX THESE STREETS THAT WE DID NOT FIX.
NOW, IF THAT MONEY WE GOT IN THAT DISTRICT AND YOU SAY, WE DIDN'T USE IT ALL IT CARRIES OVER, IT CARRIES OVER TO THE DISTRICT, IT DOESN'T CARRY OVER FOR YOU OR NOBODY ELSE TO TAKE IT AND DO OTHER THINGS WITH, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT THE MONEY WAS APPROVED FOR.
THE MOVE THE MONEY WAS APPROVED TO BE SPENT IN THIS DISTRICT.
AND I JUST READ WHAT THE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS ARE.
THIS CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION, THE PURPOSE OF IT IS WRITTEN IN HERE.
NOW I JUST READ IT SO CITIZENS CAN HEAR WHAT THEY SAY.
THE PURPOSE OF THE MONEY IS, IS, I'M NOT SAYING THIS.
I READ IT VERBATIM FROM THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE SALE OF THOSE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS.
AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH THE, UH, UH, WITH THE COUNCIL BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAY, WE ALL GOT DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND I RESPECT THAT.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, ALL I'M SAYING IS WHAT I'VE JUST READ.
AND WHAT I SAID IS, AS A PERSON WHO WAS PART OF THE COUNCIL WHEN WE APPROVED IT, I KNOW WHAT WE APPROVED IT FOR.
WE APPROVED IT TO FIX STREETS AND ALL THIS GATEWAY THAT IS NOT FIXED AND STREET.
SO I'M NOT GONNA DEBATE YOU GUYS JUST RESPECT THE RIGHT THAT I'M, WHAT I'M SAYING IS BASICALLY FACTS.
IT'S NOT HOW I FEEL OR WHAT I THINK.
I GET IT AIN'T DEUCE THAT WAY BECAUSE I READ AND I RESEARCH AND I SAY WHAT IT IS.
I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE AND I'LL WORK WITH YOU, BUT DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL IF I'M READING AND RESEARCHING AND YOU ARE NOT.
THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN FRANK.
I WANT TO TAKE EXCEPTION WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN DUC SAID JUST SAID.
AND THAT IS DON'T TAKE EXCEPTION, BECAUSE HE IS RESEARCHING AND WE ARE NOT, I I WOULD, I WOULD ASK, AND THE ONLY THING THAT I'M GOING TO TAKE EXCEPTION WITH IS THAT I WOULD ALWAYS WANT US AS A COUNCIL TO HANDLE SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, IN A PROFESSIONAL WAY.
AND I WANT US TO ALWAYS CONSIDER THE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE SHARING WITH INDIVIDUALS PUBLICLY.
UM, MR. D SAID, UM, YOU, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PLACED ON FACEBOOK, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I WANT TO REALLY, UH, TALK ABOUT AND ADDRESS YOUR STATEMENT, WAS, RATHER THAN REQUESTING MORE MONEY FOR THIS PROJECT, THIS ITEM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS.
I WANT TO TAKE EXCEPTION TO THAT BECAUSE, AND I WANT TO TAKE EXCEPTION TO THAT BECAUSE WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WORDS HAVE POWER.
AND THAT WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING, WHETHER IT IS IN YOUR HOME, WHETHER IT IS TALKING TO YOUR CHILDREN WHEN YOU, OR GIVING INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, WHEN YOU PUT THAT OUT THERE, YOU CANNOT TAKE THAT BACK.
AND IT CAST THIS, IT CASTS A DIMM LIGHT, A DARK LIGHT, AND IT CASTS AN ASPERSION UPON OUR STAFF AND UPON OUR CITY.
UM, SECTION 1 0 2 THAT YOU ALLUDED TO STATES THIS, THAT CHANGES IN BUDGET FOR MUNICIPAL PURPOSES.
THIS CHAPTER DOES NOT PREVENT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS OR, UH, IN THIS CASE, THOSE BONDS DOES NOT PREVENT THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE MUNICIPALITY FROM MAKING CHANGES IN THE BUDGET FOR MUNICIPAL PURPOSES.
THIS GATEWAY TO DOWNTOWN, THIS PROJECT, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN ALLUDING TO, WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT, WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN IT OR DON'T BELIEVE IN IT, WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR IT OR NOT VOTE FOR IT, WHETHER YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE DONE OR NOT BE DONE, ULTIMATELY IS LEGAL.
THOSE, THOSE, UM, PARAMETERS IN THE CODE, ULTIMATELY ARE WRITTEN IN SUCH A
[02:40:01]
WAY THAT GIVES, UM, LATITUDE IS THE WORD THAT I WANTED.IT GIVES LATITUDE, AND THEY'RE WRITTEN IN VERY SPECIFIC WAYS SO THAT THOSE FUNDS CAN BE UTILIZED AS LONG AS THEY ARE AUTHORIZED FOR THE MUNICIPAL GOOD OF THE MUNICIPALITY.
BUT WE'VE GOTTEN A LEGAL, WE HAVE GOTTEN A LEGAL, UH, DETERMINATION ABOUT THAT, WHETHER YOU BELIEVE.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE FALL INTO SO MANY TRAPS AND ISSUES.
WE WANNA ARGUE WITH THE ATTORNEY WHEN THE ATTORNEY GIVES THEIR LEGAL OPINION THAT THEY'VE GONE TO LAW SCHOOL, THAT THEY HAVE PLACED THEIR CREDIBILITY ON, THEIR LICENSE ON, AND THEY GIVE US LEGAL, UH, OPINION.
WE WANNA ARGUE LIKE WE WENT TO LAW SCHOOL.
WE WANNA ARGUE, LIKE I CAN READ TOO.
BUT WHY ARE WE PAYING ATTORNEYS? WHY ARE WE ULTIMATELY DOING THAT? AND PUTTING THE INFORMATION THAT, AND CASTING THIS ASPERSION LIKE WE ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT IS ILLEGAL, WHICH HAS A, WHICH HAS A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON US AS A COMMUNITY AND ON US AS A COUNCIL.
AND SO WE'VE GOT TO REALLY TAKE THOSE THINGS IN CONSIDERATION.
I'M, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT IF WE ARE ASKING MOTIVA ULTIMATELY TO REIMAGINE PORT ARTHUR, I THINK REIMAGINING, PORT ARTHUR BEGINS WITH THIS COUNCIL.
I BELIEVE THAT REIMAGINING WHAT PORT ARTHUR CAN BE AND WHAT PORT ARTHUR OUGHT TO BE DOING, OUGHT TO BEGIN WITH US.
BECAUSE WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH.
WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A VISION FOR PORT ARTHUR.
NOT SIMPLY MOTIVA, NOT SIMPLY THE LNGS.
AND WHEN THIS COUNCIL ULTIMATELY CAME TO THE POINT IN PLACE WHERE WE SAID WE WANTED TO MAKE AND CREATE THIS GATEWAY TO PORT ARTHUR, IT WAS CASTING FORTH A VISION OF HOW PORT ARTHUR IS GOING TO LOOK AND WHAT WE WANT PORT ARTHUR TO LOOK.
AND SO AT THE PARTICULAR TIME, AND AT THE, UH, PARTICULAR POINT, I'M GOING TO CAST MY VOTE.
MAY I PLEASE SAY SOMETHING? GO RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SWITCHING OVER ON YOU, BUT I DON'T SEE YOU.
I WAS SAYING THAT IT WAS THAT I COULD WAIT.
OH, I DON'T WANT YOU TO JUST CONTINUE REPEATING WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID.
COUNCILWOMAN, UH, KEN LAW, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UH, I WAS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY, UH, WE HAD CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH OTHER COUNCIL, WELL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO, UH, TO BETTER BEAUTIFY, UH, PORT ARTHUR.
WE GOT A BEAUTIFICATION, UH, UH, COMMISSION THAT WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT FIVE OR $8,000 IN.
YOU GET THE CALLS ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO BE, UH, BEAUTIFY PORT ARTHUR.
UH, I DID MENTION TO COUNCILMAN DU SAID THAT WE CAN CHEW GUM AND WALK AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THAT WAS SOMETHING I STATED TO HIM THIS MORNING.
I JUST AS A YOUNG MAN, UH, TO, TO COME BACK HOME AND RETIRE AND TO GET CALLS ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF PORT ARTHUR.
NOW, I, I TOO WAS ON THE COUNCIL WHEN WE, WE DID SOMETHING THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE IN THE HISTORY OF PORT ARTHUR TO INVEST $50 MILLION, 10 YEARS, FIVE YEAR PROJECT ON STREETS.
I WAS A SITTING COUNCILMAN IN DISTRICT THREE, AND I WAS VERY VOCAL ON HOW THAT MONIES WAS GONNA BE DISTRIBUTED.
NOT ONE TIME CITY MANAGER CHIME IN AT ANY TIME.
IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE DID NOT DO WITHOUT DOING STREETS AND HAVE MONIES TO CONTINUE.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE WORKFORCE TO ACTUALLY KEEP UP WITH THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF STREETS THAT WE NEEDED TO BE DONE IN PORT ARTHUR.
BUT WE NEED TO STOP GETTING AS LEADERS IN THIS MINDSET THAT WE CAN ONLY DO ONE THING AT ONE TIME.
THAT'S WHY THE CONDITION OF PORT ARTHUR, IT IS THE WAY IT IS, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I SPENT 25 YEARS IN THE ARMY WHEN WE WERE GIVEN A TASK.
WE DID MULTIPLE TASKS AT ONE TIME.
NOBODY EVER SAID WE WERE GONNA STOP DOING STREETS.
WHEN I'M OFF THIS COUNCIL, WHEN EVERYBODY'S OFF THIS DIOCESE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE HAVING STREET PROBLEMS, DRAINAGE PROBLEMS, BEAUTIFICATION, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, RESIDENTIAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
YOU GONNA ALWAYS HAVE THOSE THINGS.
OTHER CITIES AROUND US ARE GROWING.
AND WE ARE SITTING HERE JUST, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT STREETS
[02:45:01]
THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE DOING STREETS.WE HAVE NEVER STOPPED DOING STREETS.
WE JUST NEVER INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY INTO DOING STREETS.
WE JUST NEVER HAD THE, THE AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK TO GET THESE STREETS DONE FROM THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT'S DOING STREETS.
SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE, WE, YOU GOT PEOPLE THAT HAVE A LISTENING EAR.
THEY GET OUT THERE AND THEY MAKE STATEMENTS AND NOT GIVE THE WHOLE ENTIRE STORY.
LET'S DO AND CONTINUE WORKING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PORT ARTHUR.
THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT THE, THE MASSES ELECT ME IN THIS POSITION AT A AT LARGE POSITION, WE CAN DO MORE THAN ONE THING.
AND ANYTIME OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, WE GET OUT OF THE, THE SPECTRUM OF SAYING, WE GONNA DO SOMETHING ELSE.
AND WE GONNA TO GET OUT THERE AND SOMEBODY COME UP WITH A BRIGHT NEW IDEA AND SAY, HEY, WE GONNA DO IT BETTER.
YOU GOT, YOU GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE UNEASY ABOUT CHANGE.
I, I DON'T MIND CHANGING, I DON'T MIND GETTING THE INFORMATION.
I DON'T MIND LISTENING TO OUR STAFF AND OUR ATTORNEYS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
JUST BROADEN OUR MINDS TO SAY THAT WE ARE WORKING ON PORT ARTHUR AND BE BEAUTIFYING THIS GREAT CITY.
UH, AND YOU, YOU CONCURRED, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOUR LICENSE STILL ON? YES, SIR.
ON THE AGENDA HERE, $7 MILLION FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT ALONG WOODWORTH BOULEVARD, HIGHWAY 87, WHICH IS GULF WAY DRIVE TO LAKE SHORE DRIVE.
THAT'S WHAT THE $7 MILLION IS FOR.
BUT I GO INTO THE DETAILS, I GO INTO THE DETAILS.
$7 MILLION FROM TOTAL UNALLOCATED FUND, STREET ALLOCATION FOR IMPROVEMENT TO THE WOODWORTH BOULEVARD STREET SCAPING.
NOW, I TALKED WITH, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND, AND THE STAFF, WE CALL THE BOND AUDITORS.
AND THEY, AND HE SAID THIS, THESE THINGS DOES NOT QUALIFY.
IT DOESN'T MEET THE BO THE BOND COVENANT.
HE WAS THERE, THE STAFF WAS THERE.
HE SAID, COUNCILMAN, I'M TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO HOLD MY NOSE AND AND ALLOW YOU TO DO IT.
BUT IF YOU CAN TIE IT IN, IF YOU CAN TIE IT IN WITH, WITH THE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND I'LL HOLD MY NOSE.
HE SAID, BUT IT DOESN'T QUALIFY WHO IS WHO? OH, OH, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
DON'T, DON'T LET SPEAK ABOUT THE BOND COUNSELOR.
WELL, I'M ALLOWING YOU TO GET YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR MOMENT FOR DIALOGUE.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS? I HAVE SOMETHING I WANT TO SAY.
FIRST OF ALL THIS, YOU CAN'T APPROPRIATE MONEY BY RESOLUTION.
SO THE PURPOSE IS THIS RESOLUTION IS JUST TO DECIDE DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS PROJECT OR NOT? OKAY? AFTER YOU DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS PROJECT, THEN YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT'S NEEDED IN A BUDGET ORDINANCE TO PUT THE MONEY WHERE YOU NEED TO PUT IT.
THEN AFTER YOU DECIDE TO PUT THE MONEY WHERE YOU WANT TO PUT IT, THEN YOU LOOK AT THE PROJECT AND AWARD IT.
SO YOU STILL, YOU STILL HAVE PRIOR WAYS TO GO, THREE OTHER STEPS THAT WE, SO, BUT IF THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE USE OF BOND MONEY, WE HAVE A BOND ATTORNEY.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS THAT'S BEEN WITH US.
SO WHEN, BUT CAN I FINISH MAYOR, PLEASE? YEAH.
SO WHEN WE, I WANNA POINT OUT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE AND FOR CURRENT REFERENCE, WHENEVER YOU GET READY TO, HE'S CALLED A BOND COUNCIL.
BUT THESE ARE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE COUSINS, BUT WE DOING CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF NOTICES WE PUT IN BEFORE WE EVER GET THERE.
WE RUN THIS IN THE PAPER, THEN WE COME TO COUNCIL, WE HAVE TO HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, I BELIEVE.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, WHEN WE WRITE A BOND OR, OR WE REQUEST FOR STARTING THE PROCESS OF A CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION.
WHEN WE PUT THE DESCRIPTION IN, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VERY CLEAR AT THAT TIME.
BECAUSE WHAT HAS, WHAT MAY LEND TO SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE IS THAT THIS LANGUAGE IS VERY BROAD.
OTHER RELATED ITEMS, GIA COURT COULD LOOK AT THAT SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO MAYBE IN THE FUTURE, DON'T PUT OTHER RELATED ITEMS. SAY I WANT A BLUE HOUSE, A GREENHOUSE, A BRICK HOUSE, A TWO, SAY EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT.
AND I THINK THAT WILL GET YOU THERE.
BUT THIS RESOLUTION DOES NOT APPROPRIATE ANY MONEY.
WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE SAYING, DO I WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT
[02:50:01]
WITH DOING THIS? THEN YOU HAVE TO MOVE THE MONEY.THEN YOU HAVE TO AWARD THE CONTRACT.
SO, SO YOU'RE STILL AT THE STARTING GATE THREE STEPS.
AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, YOU CAN ALWAYS BRING YOUR BOND ATTORNEY BACK.
WE HAD THE BOND ATTORNEY HERE ALMOST A YEAR AGO.
HE TOLD US WE WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL BECAUSE OF THE BROADWAY THAT IT WAS WRITTEN WHEN WE ORIGINALLY PASSED IT.
NO ONE IS UP HERE DOING ANYTHING THAT WOULD CRIMINALLY PLACED THEM IN A POSITION OF EVEN HAVING TO BE, UH, HAULED OFF TO A PENITENTIARY BECAUSE WE MISALLOCATE OR MISUSED SOME TAXPAYER'S MONEY.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHO, UH, THE COUNCIL PERSON COULD BE ALLUDING TO SAYING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HOLD THEIR BREATH OR DO SOMETHING TO THEIR NOSTRILS OR SOMETHING TO THEIR OLFACTORY NERVES TO KEEP SOMETHING AWAY FROM US.
SO IF THERE AREN'T ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS YEAH, WE'RE GOING THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, CHECK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY.
IT SAYS THE RESOLUTION, AMENDING RESOLUTION 23 MONTHS 49, INCREASING THE PROJECT ALLOCATION OF $7 MILLION FOR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN.
THIS IS A REQUEST FOR FUNDING, THOUGH, I GUESS IN THIS I'M GONNA YIELD TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, BUT YOU CAN ONLY MOVE, MOVE THE MONEY BY ORDINANCE.
WAIT, WELL, OKAY, THIS IS SAYING I WANNA DO THIS PROJECT AND THEN FINANCE DIRECTOR COME AND GET ME IF I'M WRONG.
BUT THEN YOU, YOU ACTUALLY APPROPRIATE BY ORDINANCE.
SO LIKE YOU DECIDE YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING, THIS IS WHAT YOU DECIDE IF YOU WANNA DO IT, THEN YOU GOTTA COME BACK AND ACTUALLY APPROPRIATE THE MONEY BY ORDINANCE.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT COUNCILMAN FRANK ALLUDED TO WHEN HE READ A STATEMENT THAT I PUT ON PAPER.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT CHAPTER TWO, SECTION 31, UH, E WELL, SECTION E 31 21 SOMETHING I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY, BUT THAT SECTION STATES THAT YOU DO NOT PLACE A ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN BUDGETED UNLESS YOU ALSO GOING TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE BUDGET FOR THE FUNDING AT THAT MEETING.
AND THERE'S NO ORDINANCE ON THIS AGENDA FOR THIS TO OFFER THIS BUDGET TO PUT SEVEN MORE MILLION DOLLARS INTO THIS BUDGET BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGERS GIVING ME THE BACKGROUND AND TELLING ME THAT THE 7 MILLION IS IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
BUT WE, I KNOW ABOUT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT JUST BECAUSE THE MONEY'S THAT UNLESS WE HAVE ALLOCATED THIS PARTICULAR MONEY WHEN WE DID A BUDGET, YOU DON'T SPEND IT.
BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS AMEND THE BUDGET.
BUT THEN COUNCILMAN FRANK, WHEN I MENTIONED CHAPTER 1 0 2, I WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THE LAW AND OUR ORDINANCE SAYING THAT WE CAN ONLY AMEND THIS BUDGET ONCE WE APPROVE IT FOR EMERGENCIES OR DEALING WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY.
SEE, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECT, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS ORDINANCE AND STUFF THAT WE USE.
SO 1 0 2 SAYS WE CAN'T NOW FOR THIS TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS FORM, THE COME BEFORE US REQUESTING FUNDING, WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED WAS WE SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS REQUEST AND WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AN ORDINANCE, WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE THEN WENT BACK AND DONE THE ORDINANCE, THEN FIRST TO APPROVE THE FUNDING, PUT THE MONEY IN THERE FOR THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
AND THEN WHEN WE GO BACK AND WE DO THE ITEM, NOW WE HAVE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR SET IN THERE.
IF ANYONE IS NOT SURE OR QUESTION WHAT I JUST SAID, LET'S BRING THE FINANCE DIRECTOR UP AND ASK HER.
CAN I TELL YOU ONE MORE THING? GO RIGHT AHEAD ATTORNEY.
THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE NORMALLY DO.
NORMALLY YOU HAVE A BUDGET FOR A PROJECT OR YOU'RE GONNA BUILD A BUILDING.
YOU PUT THE RESOLUTION ON TO AWARD THE CONTRACT TO WHOMEVER TO BUILD A BUILDING.
AND IT CAN'T COME ON THE AGENDA UNLESS YOU HAVE THE MONEY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE ODD.
LET, LET, LET ME LEMME, IT'S A LITTLE ODD BECAUSE IT'S LIKE WE ARE ASKING
[02:55:01]
YOU DO YOU WANNA AMEND THE BUDGET? SO I MEAN THAT'S WHAT'S BEING ASKED.BUT, BUT BASICALLY THIS, HOLD ON, THIS, THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE NORMALLY DO.
SO NORMALLY YOU WOULD AWARD THE PROJECT AND YOU CAN'T THE PROJECT I, YOU'RE CORRECT.
SO HOLD ON, LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY IT.
YOU, YOU NORMALLY HAVE TO AMEND THE BUDGET FIRST BEFORE YOU PUT THE ITEM ON.
THIS IS KIND OF JUST A PRECURSOR ITEM AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NORMALLY DO.
BUT WHAT THE CITIZENS AND EVERYBODY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, AND WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING IS THIS IS NOT A PRECURSOR.
IF WE APPROVE THIS, YOU THE ATTORNEY, THIS SAYS A RESOLUTION AMENDING, I MEAN A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE RESOLUTION 23 1 49.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT WAS DONE FOR, UH, 7000000.7 HUNDRED MIL.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA AMEND THIS ONE.
IT SAYS RIGHT HERE, INCREASING THE PROJECT ALLOCATION BY 7 MILLION FOR ENGINEERING AND STUFF.
SO IF WE APPROVE THIS, WE ARE APPROVING, WE ARE APPROVING AMENDING IT AND PUTTING 700, I MEAN 7 MILLION MORE MONEY INTO THIS IF WE APPROVE THIS.
SO THAT'S WHY IF YOU NOTICE WE DIDN'T SIGN OFF ON THIS ONE.
THIS IS JUST A REQUEST THAT WAS MADE.
BUT YOU REALLY HAVE POINT OF POINT OF POINT OF ORDER.
POINT OF ORDER, POINT OF WATER.
WE CALL THE FINANCE DIRECTOR OF PLEASE.
BUT WHAT HE'S ASKING IS NOT MY FINANCE.
I KNOW, BUT I WON'T, I WANT, I WANT HER TO ASSIST YOU WITH IT.
'CAUSE I CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION.
NO, I'M NOT QUESTIONING AT ALL THIS BETWEEN THE ALL I'M NOTING AT ALL, BUT I'M LISTENING TO WHAT HE'S SAYING.
SO I WANT BEFORE SHE SAYS, OKAY, OKAY, COME ON ON.
YOU CAN'T APPROPRIATE MONEY IN A RESOLUTION.
YOU HAVE TO APPROPRIATE MONEY IN A ORDINANCE.
AND NORMALLY WE DO IT THE OPPOSITE WAY.
THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT WAS REQUESTED.
FINANCE DIRECTOR, WHAT ALLUDING TO IS THAT HAPPENING? THAT IS HAPPENING.
IF YOU GUYS APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE IS COMING TO YOU AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, THAT WOULD AMEND THE BUDGET.
AND NO, I WANTED YOU TO, ATTORNEY HAS BEEN SAYING IT, I WANTED YOU TO SAY IT AND MAYBE I CAN GET JESUS NEXT.
AND, AND WHAT, WHAT'S THE FIRST PART? GO AHEAD.
THE FIRST PART IS THAT WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO PUT AN ITEM ON IT.
THIS IS ACCORDING TO OUR, AND WE DO NOT PUT A ITEM ON THE AGENDA REQUESTING FUNDING THAT HAS NOT BEEN BUDGETED.
NOW THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST PART.
YEAH, NO, THAT, THAT'S FOR THE NO, BUT, BUT, BUT NO, SHE, SHE GONNA DEAL WITH THIS LEGALLY.
AM I CORRECT ON THAT? I ANSWERED IT AND SAID WE DIDN'T SIGN OFF ON IT BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE NORMALLY DO.
BUT I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE AS A DISCUSS DISCUSSION.
WE DIDN'T SIGN OFF ON THIS RESOLUTION.
WHAT, WHAT COMES TO MY MIND? BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ONGOING.
YEAH, I THINK WE'RE KIND OF BEATING IT UP.
SO SOME OF THOSE STEPS WERE NOT NEEDED OR WE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD AUTOMATICALLY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE PUNITIVE DAMAGES AND BECAUSE, UH, INCARCERATION OKAY.
OF FOLK WHO ARE UP HERE AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YOU GOT SOMETHING ELSE? YES.
THE REASON THAT, JUST LISTENING TO YOU ALL AND WE PUT A, THE CITY ALWAYS HAD A POLICY, YOU CANNOT BRING UP ANYTHING UNLESS YOU HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE.
AND IT'S A POSSIBLE WRITTEN POLICY BECAUSE WHAT WAS HAPPENING? OKAY, NOW I GOT TIRED OF HEARING THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS ADVERTISING, GETTING FREE PUBLICITY IN THE PAPERS AND NOTHING HAPPENS BECAUSE, AND THEN TURN TO THE CITY MANAGERS AND SAID, WELL, I'M GONNA GET THE MONEY.
HE AND THEY WILL TELL THE CITY MANAGER FIND IT.
SO WE PUT A POLICY TOGETHER, YOU FIND THE FUNDING YOU, YOU FUNDING, SO FOR YOU AND THEN YOU DO THE PROJECT.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA START THAT NEXT WEEK.
ALRIGHT, NOW, NOW WAIT A MINUTE.
NOW WE ARE WRITTEN ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? OKAY, WE'RE, WE'RE READY.
YOU COME UP, SIR, SAY YOUR STATE, YOUR NAME, AND THEN YOUR ADDRESS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
UH, MY NAME IS JERRY NORS, UH, RESIDE IN PORT ACRES.
I'M A THIRD GENERATION PORT ARTHUR.
UH, MY FAMILY CAME HERE IN 1918 AND, UH,
[03:00:01]
THE CONCERN ABOUT THE $14 MILLION, THAT'S A LOT OF TAX DOLLARS.THOSE DOLLARS ARE FROM TAXPAYERS.
THIS IS MONEY FROM HARDWORKING PEOPLE.
AND AT TIMES IT APPEARS THAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE SPENDING OF THE MONEY.
WHAT HAS THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR UPSET AND MYSELF INCLUDED ABOUT THE SPENDING MONEY ALLOCATED FOR CITY STREET CITYWIDE IS TO SPEND 14 MILLION ON AN AREA WHEN CITYWIDE IS IN A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT THE STREETS OF PORT ARTHUR ARE IN TERRIBLE SHAPE.
IT IS TOTALLY UNFAIR TO SPEND MONEY ON A PROJECT THAT HAS NO DIRECT BENEFIT TO THE WHOLE OF PORT ARTHUR REPAVE WOODWORK WOODWORTH BOULEVARD, JUST AS YOU WOULD REPAVE ANY OTHER STREET IN PORT ARTHUR LEAVING OUT ALL THE, THE FLUFF PARKS AND TREES AND ALL THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANNA BEAUTIFY THE CITY.
THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR DESERVE.
THE MONEY THAT IS ALLOCATED FOR STREETS TO BE DONE WITH EQUAL CONSIDERATION TO ALL OF THE CITIZENS PASSING OF THIS PROJECT WILL ALIENATE THE MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS' RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION FOR CITY SERVICES IN PORT ARTHUR.
IT IS TIME TO RECONSIDER THE ENTIRE PROJECT.
WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN WORKING IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND THE TOPIC OTHER THAN THE MOSQUITOES IS USUALLY ABOUT THE STREETS.
I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF THE PLAN OF WOODWORTH BOULEVARD AS THE INTEREST OF THE CITY, BUT TO SPEND THE 50 MILLION ON SHOULD BE SPENT ON ALL THE STREETS.
AND LET'S WORK ON THE AESTHETICS AT ANOTHER TIME.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE FEDERAL PROJECT, BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE LAWYERS TO DECIDE THE LEGAL, LEGAL ASPECTS TO ALL THE ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDS.
THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR YOUR REMARKS.
ARE WE READY TO VOTE? OH, OKAY.
HE HAS BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
IT'S JOHN JONES, SIX 40 EAST 10TH STREET.
HE HAS SAID VERY MUCH ON WHAT I FEEL AND BELIEVE IN, BUT I ONLY SPEAK FOR THE COMMUNITY OF, OF PORT ARTHUR.
I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST BEAUTIFICATION.
I LOVE BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN A BEAUTIFUL CITY, BUT I COULD REMEMBER IN THE PAST THAT, UH, ONE OF THE MAYORS PUT BEAUTIFICATION FIRST BEFORE, BEFORE, UH, TAKING CARE OF THE STREETS.
AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY WE IN THE SITUATION AS OF NOW, THAT WE, UH, THE EVERYTHING THIS, THE STREETS AND I FIXED, UH, THE, THE DRAINAGE IS NOT FIXED.
A LADY ON FACEBOOK JUST SAID THE OTHER DAY, UH, WATER BACKED UP INTO HER GARAGE AND SHE HAVE TO PAY SOMEONE TO TAKE STUFF OUT AND BRING IT TO THE STREET OR HAVE HER GARAGE CLEANED ON, UH, A FIXED INCOME THAT IS AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, THIS DISTURB HER HOUSEHOLD.
AND WHEN, WHERE WE FOUND THE MONEY, YOU KNOW, UH, EVEN DO WE COME UP HERE AND CHARGE IT TO YOU ON THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE IF YOU, ALL THE STREETS WERE STOPPED UP, THE THIS, UH, OR WHATEVER THE WATER CAME INTO HER HOUSE OR THE GARAGE, IT'S OVER AND OVER AND OVER THINGS IS ARE P TO THE CITY.
THAT IS HAPPENING TO US, NOT UPON OURSELF.
AND SO I SAY AGAIN, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST BEAUTIFICATION.
I HAVE, BUT IT'S JUST NOT THE TIME AND THE PLACE AND THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DO THE STREETS, PUT 'EM COMFORTABLE FOR US TO DRIVE DOWN AND THE WATER TO DECE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE DIDN'T JUST START THIS AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.
YOU SAID YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MANPOWER.
WHAT ABOUT HIRING? USE THAT MONEY TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO DO THESE STREETS AND GET IT OVER WITH AND DID WE WANT MIND MOVING TO THE NEXT SITUATION? YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE CAN DO TWO THINGS AT ONE TIME.
I KNOW THAT, BUT THE MAIN THING HAS BEEN TWO TO THREE YEARS FOR THE SEWAGE AND THE THINGS IS VERY WELL, VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH, THANK YOU.
SO KIND FOR YOUR REMARKS, COME RIGHT ON UP.
STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
ROSLYN QUEEN 2 2 9 4 BAYOU DRIVE FOR ARTHUR, TEXAS 7 7 6 4 0.
MY ISSUE WITH THIS WHOLE SITUATION IS WHY DO WE KEEP PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WANTS TO COME DOWN WOODWORTH, WHO'S BEEN TOTALLY REPLACED AND NOT MAKE IT DOWN PROCTOR OR LAKE SHORE DRIVE.
WHY DO WE KEEP DOING THE WRONG THING FOR THE CITIZENS? AND
[03:05:01]
AS THIS VOTE WILL PROBABLY GO, YES, WE KNOW YOU GOT YOUR FOUR WITH HER UP THERE.AND THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THE CITIZENS WHO DON'T APPROVE OF THIS PROJECT.
IT'S LIKE YOU GUYS JUST FORGOT ABOUT THE CITIZENS WHO PAY YOUR SALARY.
WHO PAYS THE, THE MAYOR WHO PAYS THE CITY MANAGER.
WHO PAYS EVERY EMPLOYEE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR? WE PAY THAT SALARY.
WHAT IS WRONG? WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR COUNCIL? WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
AND IT IS NOT THE CITIZENS, IT'S THE COUNCIL.
SOMEONE ELSE? 6 6 2 5 JADE AVENUE.
YOU AND MY ADDRESS IS 6 6 2 5 JADE AVENUE, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
I'M NOT AGREE WITH THIS PROJECT.
I THINK YOU REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT.
WHEN THE STREETS ARE IN TERRIBLE CONDITION, YOU PUT $15 MILLION TO BEAUTIFY BOULEVARD.
I WISH WE CAN HAVE THE MONEY TO BEAUTIFY THE ENTIRE CITY.
NOT ONLY ONE PIECE OF THE BOULEVARD, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THAT.
I KNOW YOU CAN HANDLE 2, 3, 4 DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT WE NEED THE RESOURCE TO DO THIS.
AND WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO BOULEVARD IN THE STREET.
WE NEED TO MORE PRIORITY ON THE STREET.
I ENDED WITH A ROCK INSIDE MY SHOE PAD AND MY DISC AND A ROCK.
BECAUSE THE STREET THAT I HAVE TO DRIVE EVERY SINGLE DAY IS NOT IN GOOD CONDITIONS.
I HAVE TO PAY FOR MECHANIC, NOT YOU.
AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS. I DRIVE AROUND THE ENTIRE CITY AND I I PUT IN MORE EMPHASIS IN THE TWO CONCEPTS AT THE LARGE BECAUSE REPRESENT THE ENTIRE CITY AND THE ENTIRE CITY.
YOU CAN I INVITE YOU TO DRIVE AROUND THE STREET, THE NEIGHBORHOODS A STREET THAT YOU CAN NO, YOU CANNOT DRIVE ON IT.
AND, AND WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE IT.
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY? AND LIKE I SAID, I WISH WE CAN HAVE MONEY ENOUGH TO BEAUTIFY THE ENTIRE CITY.
THAT MEAN I REALLY THINK THAT YOU SHOULD THINK MORE ON CITIZENS AND FIX OUR STREETS FIRST.
IF WE HAVE MONEY ON THE BUDGET, THERE HAS BEEN NO USE TO REPAIR THE STREET.
THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT YOU WAS THINKING WHEN YOU REQUEST THIS, THIS LOAN, THESE BONDS.
AND IT'S OUR MONEY BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR YOUR REMARKS.
ANYONE ELSE FROM CALGARY? I THINK NOW, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM HERE? OH, EXCUSE ME.
I THOUGHT YOU JUST LEFT YOUR LIGHT ON.
NO, WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS, I LIKE THE PROJECT, BUT THE CITY MANAGER CAN BUDGET FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
HE GOT TIME TO BUDGET FOR THIS.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
OKAY, BUT ROLL CALL VOTE IF, UH, WE REQUESTED THAT.
[VIII.A.(4) P.R. No. 23543 – A Resolution Approving Water And Sewer Adjustments To Valero Services Utility Accounts Due To Leaks And/Or Equipment Malfunction ]
WE'LL MOVE TO NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS.THERE IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS PR NUMBER 2 3 5 43 IS A RESOLUTION OF APPROVING WATER AND SEWER ADJUSTMENTS TO VALERO SERVICES.
UH, UTILITY TO COUNT DUE TO LEAKS TO AND, UH, FOR THEIR EQUIPMENT OF MALFUNCTION.
I HAVE A REQUEST FOR, UH, UH, THIS TO BE TABLED.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR A TABLE THEN? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW.
WHAT, WHAT WE WANNA DO, KEVIN? I DON'T KNOW.
[03:10:01]
HE WANTS HE WANTS THE TABLE.YEAH, I MEAN IT WASN'T, I JUST, I JUST THOUGHT OF YEAH, AND I DIDN'T REMEMBER.
WE GONNA HANDLE IT THE NEXT, THE NEXT MEETING WHEN HE GETS, OKAY.
UH, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO TABLE, UH, PR NUMBER 25 35 2 35 43 AT THIS TIME, I GET A SECOND.
WE WOULD TABLE PR NUMBER TWIN K 3 5 4 3.
ANY QUESTIONS ON IT? ALL IN FAVOR? A.
[VIII.B.(1) P.O. No. 7222 – An Ordinance Of The City Council Of Port Arthur, Texas, Authorizing Participation With Other Entergy Service Area Cities In Matters Concerning Entergy Texas, Inc. At The Public Utility Commission Of Texas In 2024; Authorizing The Hiring Of Lawyers And Rate Experts; Authorizing The City’s Participation To The Full Extent Permitted By Law At The Public Utility Commission Of Texas; Finding That The Meeting Complies With The Open Meetings Act; And Declaring An Effective Date ]
NEXT WE HAVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 72 22.IT IS THE ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
AUTHORIZED PARTICIPATION WITH ENTITY, UH, SERVICE, UH, AREA OF CITIES, EXCUSE ME, IN MA IN MATTERS CONCERNING ENERGY.
TEXAS INCORPORATED AT THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF TEXAS IN 2024.
AUTHORIZING THE HIRING OF LAWYERS AND RATE EXPERTS AUTHORIZING THE CITY'S PARTICIPATION TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW AT THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF TEXAS.
FINDING THAT THE MEETING COMPLIES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND DECLARING, UH, AND EFFECTIVE DATE.
YEAH, WE, I GOT FOR COUNCILMAN LEWIS MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCIL MCKEN LOCK.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE COUNCIL, UH, ORDINANCE NUMBER 72 22.
WE, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? WE HAVE NO QUESTIONS.
YOU READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR.
[VIII.B.(2) P.O. No. 7223 – An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of Surplus Furniture And Minor Equipment Through Rene Bates Auctioneers And Global Assets ]
AND UH, LASTLY WE HAVE, UH, ORDINANCE NUMBER 72 23.IT IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF SURPLUS, UH, FURNITURE AND MINING EQUIPMENT THROUGH RENEE BATES AUCTIONEERS AND, UH, GLOBAL ASSETS.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MOTION? MAY I GET SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SECOND IS MOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 72 23.
UM, READY FOR QUESTION? ANY QUESTIONS? READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? OKAY.
DO THAT'S ONLY IT BEEN THERE LONGER THAN ME.
I'M, I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT OTHER FOLK HAD THAT, THOSE SAME SITUATIONS I GO THROUGH JOB.
I, I GO, I THOUGHT I GAVE US, I WAS THE ONLY ONE.
NOW, UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING IN OUR, UH, MORNING MEETING, WHICH HAS COME TO THE EARLY AFTERNOON.
[IX. *CLOSED MEETING (EXECUTIVE SESSION) ]
WE ARE NOW GETTING READY TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION AND WE, AS WE GO INTO CLOSED SESSION, UH, BEING THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF IT, IS BY LAW THAT I MAKE THIS STATEMENT, WE WILL FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS OF 5 5 1 0.101 OF CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW OF THE, UH, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, WHICH WAS FORMALLY CODE OF FORMALLY 62 52 DASH 17 SUBSECTION, I MEAN SECTION TWO, SUBSECTION EIGHT.AND PRIOR TO GOING INTO THE MEETING, I MUST BY LAW MAKE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT THAT DURING THE CODE SESSION WE WOULD DISCUSS SECTION 5 5, 1 0.071 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
AND WE WOULD DISCUSS AND RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE OR, OR CONSULTATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY REGARDING POTENTIAL AND OR PENDING CLAIMS, CONTRACTS, LITIGATION, AND OTHER LEGAL MATTERS INVOLVING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
WE ALSO, WE WILL DISCUSS SECTION 5 5, 1 POINT, UH, 0 8 7 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND OR INDUSTRIAL PROSPECTS.
AND WE WILL COVER SECTION 5 5 1 0.072 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD DECLARE THIS MEETING IN RECESS ACTUALLY AS WE GO DOWN TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND FOLLOWING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, IF THERE BE ANY ITEMS THAT WOULD HA REQUIRE ACTION, WE WILL RETURN TO COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND OPENLY MAKE A DETERMINATION THROUGH THE PUBLIC VOTE ON THOSE MATTERS.
UH, UH, WE'RE BACK IN OUR, OUR SESSION EXECUTIVE SESSION
[03:15:01]
WOULD BE CLOSED.MAY I GET A MOTION TO CLOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION COUNCIL? MAY I APPROACH HIM? YOU HAVE A MOTION COMING OUT.
WAIT A MINUTE BEFORE WE HAVE A MOTION COMING OUT.
UH, BEFORE WE CLOSE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, ARE THERE ANY ACTION ITEMS? YES.
CITY SECRETARY HAS THE MOTION.
A MOTION TO AMEND THE PREVIOUS MOTION FOR DEEDED RESTRICTIONS FOR THE SOUTH SECTIONS OF TERMINAL ROAD.
TO READ AS FOLLOWS, MOTIVA AND OR ITS ASSIGNED HEIRS WILL BE PROHIBITED FROM THE INSTALLATION OF REFINING, OPERATIONAL AND OR PROCESSING UNITS ON THE TRACKS OF LAND KNOWN AS TERMINAL ROAD.
UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILOR KEN, LAW? MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? SECOND.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE MOTION AS READ, UH, PREVIOUSLY BY THE CITY SECRETARY.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? A.
SO ALL THAT MOTION PASSES NOW.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK TO, UH, CLOSE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, COUNCILMAN KINLOCK.
SECOND MAYOR IT MOVE THE SECOND THAT WE WOULD CLOSE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, I THINK IT BEGAN AT ABOUT 1 0 1 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I DON'T THINK THAT THERE ARE ANY, UH, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING EXECUTIVE SESSION? AYE.
NOW, UH, CITY SECRETARY, DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH BACK, LET YOU REESTABLISH A QUORUM? WE CAN JUST ADJOURN RIGHT? WE QUORUM.
BY THE POWER'S VESTED IN ME THROUGH MY COUSIN ROBERT, WHOSE LAST NAME IS RULE.