[00:00:03]
RECORDING[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
IN PROGRESS.AND WE ARE GATHERED HERE AGAIN IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
AND WE ARE HAVING A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN PORT ARTHUR CITY COUNCIL AND THE DISTINGUISHED, UH, BOARD MEMBERS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, ALONG WITH ITS, UH, CEO, UH, IN THIS MEETING THAT'S SCHEDULED FOR TODAY, FEBRUARY 12TH, 2020 FOURTH, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEGUN, UH, AT FOUR 30.
HOWEVER, UH, THERE WAS SOME, UH, ITEMS THAT PRECLUDED AT BEGINNING AT THAT TIME.
WE, AND SO AT 4 54, WE ARE GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING INTO SESSION.
YOU MAY ATTEND THE MEETING THROUGH TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS LEVEL.
YOU MUST FIRST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7, OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9.
YOU WOULD ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 3 4 6 9 6 6 1 2 8 9, AND THE PASSCODE OF 8 2 5 9 2 1.
AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING.
AND WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT IN THIS MEETING HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
HOWEVER, YOU MUST CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT FOUR AREA CODE 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
MAKE YOUR REQUEST KNOWN FOR THE SPECIAL, UH, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT YOU WOULD REQUEST, AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WOULD DO ALL WITHIN ITS POWER TO BE SURE THAT YOU ARE AFFORDED THAT PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITY.
AND AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN OUR MEETING, AND I'M GOING TO ASK THE GUEST WHO'S HERE, UH, THE BOARD PRESIDENT OF DARRYL ANDERSON.
WOULD YOU PLEASE ALL KIND AS TO STAND AND GIVE US AN INDICATION FOR OUR MEETING? WE THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME TO COME TOGETHER.
THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
BE WITH US, US, AND IN ALL OF PRAY.
LET US NOW REPEAT THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
IN UNISON, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU SO KINDLY FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING FOR OUR JOINT MEETING.
CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE ESTABLISH THE QUORUM FOR BOTH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE EDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS? YES, MA'AM.
MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT, MAYOR PRO TIMM HAMILTON, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, YOU HAVE A QUORUM OF YOUR CITY COUNCIL.
YOU HAVE A QUORUM OF YOUR ED CS.
AND THANK YOU EDC BOARD AND THE CEO AND YOUR ATTORNEY FOR BEING PRESENT.
[II. (1) Discussion Regarding Pending PAEDC Projects, Goals And Objectives]
THE AGENDA ACTUALLY BEGINS AT, UH, ROMAN NUMERAL TWO, AND THE FIRST ITEM UNDER ROMAN NUMERAL TWO IS DISCUSSIONS REGARDED PENDING P-A-E-D-C PROJECTS, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.UH, CITY ATTORNEY, SHE'S PREOCCUPIED AT THE MOMENT, BUT, UH, WOULD, WOULD, WOULD YOU CARE TO SPEAK BEFORE WE CALL THE, UH, EDCS ATTORNEY UP FOR THIS? OH, NO.
UH, BASICALLY ON THE FIRST ITEM, JUST YOU WANTED TO HAVE A GENERAL CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
SO IF THERE WAS ANY, UH, GENERAL THINGS THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT, THIS WOULD BE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY
WE HAVE TOO MANY AGENDAS TODAY.
THAT WOULD BE FOR THESE FOLKS.
SO, UH, WELL BOARD MEMBERS, UH, FROM BOTH OF OUR LEGAL MINDS, THEY HAVE ALLOWED ME TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT ON PENDING PROJECTS, PENDING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT YOU ALL WOULD HAVE FOR THE EDC.
[00:05:01]
GONNA, OKAY.AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE IN, IF THAT'S ON, I MAY HAVE TO PULL IT A LITTLE CLOSER.
YOU PRESS THE MUTE BUTTON, MAYOR THE BUTTON IN THE FRONT, AND WHEN IT TURNS GREEN, THE MIC IS ON.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE IT RE RECORDED.
I'M GONNA DEFER THAT TO OUR, UH, CEO MR. TERRY STOKES AS IT RELATES TO OUR PROJECTS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
OKAY, MR. STOKES, UH, GOOD EVENING, AND, UH, I WILL BE BRIEF.
THE, UH, AT OUR LAST, UH, JOINT MEETING BACK IN DECEMBER, UH, PROVIDED, UH, COUNSEL AS WELL AS THE BOARD A COPY OF, UH, THE APPROVED STRATEGIC, UH, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, UH, FOR DDC, WHICH WE WERE APPROVED IN MARCH OF 2023.
UH, THEY ARE FORMING THE BASIS OF OUR STRATEGIC, UH, PLANNING EFFORTS THAT WE ARE, UH, CURRENTLY EMBARKED UPON.
UH, AND THOSE ARE SPANNING A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS WILL CONSTANTLY BE EVALUATED AND REFINED.
UH, I, I HOPEFULLY, UH, FOLKS REMEMBER THOSE.
BUT, UH, UH, LIKE I SAID, THAT WAS PROVIDED BACK AT THE DECEMBER MEETING.
ANY OTHERS CALLED CHAIRMAN ANDERSON COUNCIL, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR REMARKS? COUNCILWOMAN BECKEL.
I KEEP HEARING THAT THERE'S THIS, UH, MASTER STRATEGIC PLAN THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DEVELOPED.
UM, I'VE NOT EVER SEEN A WORKING DRAFT OF THAT, OR A COPY OF THE FINISHED DOCUMENT.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS, WHERE IT IS? ARE WE EVER GONNA HAVE IT? UH, YES.
TO, UH, EACH OF THOSE QUESTIONS? UH, CURRENTLY IN PROCESS, UH, GREAT DEAL OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE.
BUT IN, IN BETWEEN DOING THAT, ALSO HAVE TO, I'M THE PRIMARY AUTHOR, ALSO HAVE TO RUN THE CORPORATION.
UH, LIKE I SAY, UH, MOST OF THAT, UH, BODY OF WORK IS IN PROCESS, UH, HOPE TO HAVE, UH, A DRAFT, UH, IN SPRINGTIME THAT'LL OBVIOUSLY GO TO THIS GROUP OF FOLKS, UH, FIRST FOR THEIR REVIEW.
UH, IT WILL EVENTUALLY COME TO COUNSEL FOR YOU TO, UH, ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
UH, LIKE I SAY, UH, WE'RE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY.
PUT THAT TOGETHER, UH, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND WHEN DID, WHEN DID THIS START? WHEN DID YOU START WORKING ON THIS STRATEGIC PLAN? UH, STARTED CONCEIVING IT, UH, PRIOR TO COMING ON BOARD.
UH, THE MEAT OF THE WORK STARTED LAST SPRING WHEN THE THEN BOARD APPROVED THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
THAT WAS IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR.
AND YOU PLAN TO HAVE IT IN, IN WORKING ORDER, SO TO SPEAK, SOMETIME THIS SPRING, OR WILLING IN THE CREEK DOESN'T RISE.
BUT CAN YOU GIVE US A, AN APPROXIMATE DATE? UH, END OF MARCH, END OF APRIL.
I, I, I DON'T WANT TO DISAPPOINT, UH, ANYONE.
I, UH, I'VE TRIED, UH, PREDICTING THE FUTURE AND THAT HASN'T WORKED OUT VERY WELL.
UH, SO I, WHAT I'M COMMITTING TO IS THAT WE'RE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY, UH, MYSELF AND STAFF TO GET THAT DONE AS QUICKLY AS WELL.
I WANT TO HAVE IT COMPLETED MORE SO THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
MR. STOKES, YOU WORK ON A STRATEGIC PLAN WHEN I WAS ON EDC.
A STRATEGIC PLAN SHOULDN'T TAKE YOU A YEAR TO DO SO, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING UNTIL THE SPRING.
YOU, IF YOU HAVE A PLAN, IT'S JUST THAT AS A PLAN.
AND PEOPLE NORMALLY DO A PLAN, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO RE REVISE A PLAN.
BUT TO TAKE A YEAR TO DO A STRATEGIC PLAN IS, IS HARD TO IMAGINE.
SHOULD IT BE A PRIORITY FOR YOU? SHOULD IT BEEN A PRIORITY FOR YOU TO, UPON TAKING YOUR JOB? I DON'T SEE HOW YOU FUNCTION WITHOUT A PLAN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED.
'CAUSE I WAS ON THE COUNCIL, I MEAN, ON THE EDC WHEN YOU DID IT PROJECTS.
I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL ABOUT SIX MONTHS NOW.
I SEE A LOT OF PROJECT, A LOT OF REQUESTS COMING TO COUNCIL FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
ALL OF 'EM ARE TO, UH, ENTER INTO CONTRACTS, UH, SPEND MONEY, EVERY, ALL OF 'EM HAVE BEEN TO SPEND MONEY.
BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY CONTRACTS WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GENERATE REVENUE.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, YOU HAVE RENTAL SPACES, THE NEWS BUILDING, YOU HAVE SPACE ABOVE THE EDC OFFICE SPACES AVAILABLE.
[00:10:01]
UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PROJECTS THAT GENERATE REVENUE.WE HAVE, UH, MEMBER COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THERE FOR A WHILE.
AND YOU KNOW HOW YOU'VE, YOU'VE EARNED, I MEAN, YOU'VE HAD PROJECTS, YOU'VE BROUGHT IN REVENUE, YOU'VE BEEN THERE A WHILE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE GONE THROUGH A LONG DROUGHT TOO LONG.
I KNOW MR. STOKES, I, UH, I CALLED YOU IN REFERENCE TO A MANUFACTURER IN HOUSTON, UH, THAT WAS INTERESTED IN GOING OUT TO THE BUSINESS PARK.
AND, UH, I GAVE YOU THE CONTACT INFO AND HE CALLED ME TWO WEEKS LATER AND I CALL YOU BACK.
AND YOU THEN REACHED OUT TO HIM.
YOU VISITED HIM IN HOUSTON, CORRECT? UH, ARE YOU SPEAKING OF BLUE SKY GLOBAL, YOU SPEAK? OH, I'M SORRY.
BE SURE THAT, UH, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE SPEAKING OF BLUE SKY GLOBAL IN TOMBALL, RIGHT? UH, THEY'RE WELL ON THEIR WAY TO MAKING THEIR TRANSITION, UH, VISIT THEM.
I'LL PROBABLY BE, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL BE SITTING DOWN WITH THEM AGAIN THURSDAY MORNING.
THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED TWO SITES THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
THEIR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER IS WORKING ON THEIR INCENTIVE PACKAGE.
UH, FOLKS AT THEM WEEK BEFORE LAST, UH, ALONG WITH THEIR NEW STAFF FOLKS MOVING ALONG AS QUICKLY AS THEY, THEY'RE TRYING TO RUN A COMPANY AS WELL AS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE OF MOVING TO FORT ARTHUR.
WELL, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I ASKED YOU THAT BECAUSE WE RUN A TIMEFRAME.
I KNOW WHEN I WAS THERE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT IS TIMEFRAMES AND, AND GETTING BACK WITH PEOPLE.
UH, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT AS A, AS A BOARD, I SAT ON MANY BOARDS.
WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GET PEOPLE LIKE THAT, HAS HE, HAS HE COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION YET THE EDC, THE CORPORATION? UH, NOT IN THAT PARTICULAR POINT.
UH, HE WILL, HE AND HIS TEAM WILL BE INTRODUCED WHEN THEY FEEL IT'S APPROPRIATE.
UH, WHO, YOU KNOW, I CANNOT TELL THEM HOW TO, UH, EXPOSE THEMSELVES, BUT, UH, I COMMIT TO THE, THE COUNCIL AS WELL.
THE BOARD THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG ACCORDINGLY.
UH, AND LIKE I SAY, WORKING VERY HARD TO GET THEM HERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
WELL, I KNOW YOU KEEP SAYING YOU WORKING REAL HARD, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING SIMPLE QUESTIONS.
HAS THEY, HAVE THEY APPEARED BEFORE THE COMMISSION TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THEIR PROJECT, DO AN APPLICATION, AND, UH, THEN WE DO THE VETTING.
YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA MOVE THIS THING.
UH, AND, UH, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE COMMENT ABOUT THE PROPERTY OUT IN THE, UH, BUSINESS PARK.
AND YOUR REMARK WAS THAT THEY HADN'T CONTACTED YOU AND YOU SAID YOU HAVING TO CONTACT YOU.
MY CONCERN IS, LIKE I SAID, FOR SIX MONTHS, I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING FROM THE EDC THAT GENERATE REVENUE.
EVERYTHING IS EXPENDITURES, NO REVENUE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOURCE ONE.
HOW MANY REFERRALS DO YOU GUYS MAKE? HOW MANY? I I DIDN'T HEAR A WHOLE QUESTION.
HOW MANY REFERRALS DID THEY MAKE? OH, AND YOU WERE ASKING THAT TO MR. YES.
REFERRALS TO THE REFINERY FOR CONTRACTORS.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT A MAJOR JOB GOING ON AT, AT VALEROS.
WE HAVE A, A MAJOR ONE IN, UH, MOTIVA.
CAN'T REALLY PARK ANYWHERE, BUT, UH, LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE IN DECEMBER.
THAT'S SOMETHING I BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE I KNEW HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS, AND I HADN'T SEEN NOTHING SHAKEN.
SO I KIND OF THREW IT OUT THERE FOR Y'ALL TO GET ON IT.
SO HOW MANY REFERRALS DID WE GET? UH, NONE.
AS WE SIT HERE TONIGHT, BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING TO, UH, EVALUATE THAT PROGRAM, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT, UH, AS A PART OF THE OVERALL STRATEGIC PLANNING WHERE WE MAY MAKE THAT PROGRAM A LITTLE BIT MORE ROBUST, UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS, UH, AS WELL AS INDUSTRY, UH, ON SOME IDEAS THAT PERHAPS CAN JUST, AGAIN, FINE TUNE THE, THE OVERALL PROGRAM, MRS. STOKES, WE CAN ALWAYS FIX THINGS.
WE CAN ALWAYS TWEAK THINGS, BUT WHEN SOMETHING IS PLACED AND IT'S WORKING, WE NEED TO WORK IT.
IF IT NEEDS TO BE TWEAKED, YOU NEED TO TWEAK IT.
THE FACT THAT WE HAD THESE TWO BIG JOBS AND WE DIDN'T DO NO REFERRALS, THE FACT THAT I MENTIONED IT IN EARLY DECEMBER,
[00:15:01]
I, I DON'T SEE IT.YOU KNOW, WE HAVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES DOWN THERE ALREADY IN PLACE.
THE FIRST SOURCE IS ALREADY IN PLACE.
IF YOU NEED TO TWEAK IT, TWEAK IT.
BUT THERE'S NO REASON NOT TO BE EXECUTING IT.
YOU KNOW? AND I THINK, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING.
AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT, I MENTIONED LAST TIME, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE GOT IN PLACE THAT REALLY THE COUNCIL FELT GOOD ABOUT BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING TO ALLOW US TO HAVE A RECORD OF HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT WE REFER OUT THERE FOR JOBS.
AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS IN PLACE, THEY HAVE TO FILL OUT A FORM IF THEY HIRE 'EM AND THEY COME BACK.
IF THEY DON'T HIRE 'EM, THEY FILL OUT WHY THEY NOT HIRING, BUT WE CAN MEASURE IF THEY HIRING OR NOT, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN INCENTIVE IN THEIR CONTRACT BASED ON HIRING.
THIS IS THE ONLY, THIS IS A SURE FIRE WAY OF DOING IT, YOU KNOW? SO I MENTIONED IT IN DECEMBER, IT'S IN PLACE.
IF YOU WANT TO TWEAK IT, FINE, BUT NOT WORKING.
IT IS NOT THE ANSWER, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU NEED TO KIND OF FIND OUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE GOT AND, AND SOME THINGS I KNOW COMING ON, I, I LIKED Y'ALL WHEN I FIRST GOT ON IT, BUT AFTER A WHILE, YOU FIND OUT HOW THE EDC OPERATE SOME OF THE CRITICAL THINGS THAT THE EDC DOES.
AND ONE IS, YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA GENERATE REVENUE.
YOU CAN'T JUST KEEP SPENDING MONEY AND NOT GENERATING REVENUE.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT I LIKE TO SAY TO COUNCIL IS THAT WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA ALSO TAKE A NOTE BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE TO TRY TO KEEP OUR APPOINTEES ON THERE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF TURNOVERS AND STUFF, UH, DUE TO ELECTIONS AND EVERYTHING.
SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, UH, WE GONNA GET, UH, COMMISSIONERS ON THERE AND LET YOU ALL BE THERE LONG ENOUGH SO YOU ALL COULD GET ALL THESE THINGS AND IT WON'T BE SO MANY TURNOVER.
'CAUSE I KNOW, UH, MY APPOINTEE DIDN'T, UH, RESIGN.
AND THE FACT THAT MY, A APPOINTEE RESIGNING TOLD ME THAT, UH, IS NOTHING HAPPENING.
AND IT'S KIND OF, KIND OF DISHEARTENING.
OKAY? AND I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, IT IS, UH, I WAS, UH, SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING AN APPOINTEE LEFT AND SAID THE SAME THING.
SO WE NEED TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE KINDA GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE AIR AND KEEP A, KEEP COMMISSIONERS AND NOT ROTATE Y'ALL SO OFTEN, AND THEREFORE, Y'ALL COULD GET INTACT.
SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT PUTTING THE BLAME.
I, I ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY TOO.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS MEETING IS ABOUT, FOR US TO PUT IT OUT ON TABLE AND WORK TOGETHER AND, UH, NOT POINT FINGERS AND STUFF, BUT IDENTIFY WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND WHAT'S NOT.
AND YOU, YOU ALL GOTTA GENERATE MONEY.
YOU ALL HAVE GOT TO GENERATE MONEY.
YOU HAVE GOT TO GENERATE MONEY.
AND THE TWO MAIN RESOURCES YOU GOT, YOU GOTTA REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
AND THE BUSINESS PARK IN THERE.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR, UH, ATTENDING THIS MEETING WITH US AND THIS JOINT MEETING.
AND I, I REALLY FEEL THAT IT'S VERY, UH, IMPERATIVE THAT WE MEET LIKE THIS ACCORDING TO BASIS TO KIND OF GET UPDATES.
UH, THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU, UH, UH, CEO UH, THE PRESS BUILDING AT ONE TIME, WE DISCUSSED ABOUT, UH, OCCUPANCY THERE AND HOW TO IMPROVE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WHAT'S THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK FOR, UH, IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION FIRST, THEN I'D ASK YOU ABOUT THE GOALS.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, MY EXPECTATION.
I DO VALUE, UH, MY APPOINTEE, UH, VICE PRESIDENT, UH, INGRID HOLMES IN HER OPINION.
SO, UH, I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SHE HAS THE BEST INTEREST IN THE CITY AT HEART, BUT I'D WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ON, ON, UH, OCCUPANCY OF THE, THE PRESS BUILDING.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO INCREASE THAT, UH, TENANT STAY? UH, WHAT TYPE OF TENANTS ARE WE LOOKING FOR? SOME OF THOSE SIMPLE QUESTIONS.
IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT FIRST AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT GO SECOND.
AND, UH, SO AS WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PRESS BUILDING WILL SERVE AS THE CENTER FOR OUR ENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM.
UH, SPECIFICALLY IT'LL BE A BUSINESS INCUBATOR, AND WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING FOR THAT NOW, AS WELL AS THE EVENTUAL APPLICATIONS.
SO A PORTION OF THE FACILITY WILL BE DEVOTED TOWARDS THE INCUBATION.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THREE ANCHOR TENANTS NOW, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THEM UNDER LONG-TERM CONTRACT.
[00:20:01]
EVALUATE WHETHER OR NOT WE CONVERT SOME OF THE ORIGINALLY INTENDED COWORKING SPACE, UH, TO PERHAPS OFFICE SPACE TO BE A BRIDGE BETWEEN LOCAL INDUSTRY AND SEPARATING THAT OUT FROM THE EVENTUAL INCUBATION.UH, IN THIS, WE'VE CONVERSED, UH, PURPOSE OF THAT, OF HAVING THE PORTION OF THAT BEING A BUSINESS INCUBATION IS TO BACKFILL A LOT OF THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP THAT WE LOST DOWNTOWN OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 20, 30 YEARS.
SO WE NEED THOSE BUSINESSES BACK, AND FOR THOSE THAT'LL BE BASED IN POINT IN BRICK AND MORTAR, UH, AS THEY GRADUATE, A PART OF OUR PLANNING WITH THEM IS THAT WE WILL WORK TO FACILITATE GETTING THEM INTO A FACILITY DOWNTOWN SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE ON IN GROWING IN THEIR BUSINESS.
SO THAT IS A PORTION OF THE SPACE, AND IT'S KIND OF CLEAR IF YOU GO IN WHAT THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP SIDE IS, BUT LIKE I SAY, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT PERHAPS THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN DO, UH, FOR MORE PERMANENT TENNESSEE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE INCUBATION PORTION.
UH, AND I, I, I DO AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN DSET ON THIS FACT THAT, UH, WE NEED TO GENERATE FUNDING.
UH, OBVIOUSLY EDC IS, THAT'S WHAT IT'S THERE FOR, TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF THE CITY, UH, GOALS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOALS, WHAT IS YOUR TOP TWO GOALS THAT YOU'RE PLANNING ON DOING IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS? UH, COUNCILMAN STATED THAT HE WAS ONLY HERE SIX MONTHS, MOST OF THEM SIX MONTHS.
SO WHAT, IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS GONNA BE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT GOALS TO BENEFIT THIS CITY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA? FILLING THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN MY COMPLETING ALONG WITH STAFF THAT THE SUPPORT OF THE, THE, THE BOARD, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THOSE TWO THINGS GO HAND TO HAND.
UH, GETTING THE ORGANIZATION STABILIZED FOR THE FUTURE TO EVENTUALLY IMPLEMENT SUCCESSFULLY BEST STRATEGIC PLANNING.
SO WE ARE EMBARKING UPON RECRUITING.
UH, THE LOWER WILLING
UH, FOR THE FIRST INITIAL FOLKS IN THOSE POSITIONS HAVE NEVER EXISTED BEFORE.
VERY EXCITED ALONG WITH EXISTING STAFF TO HAVE, UH, THOSE POSITIONS EVENTUALLY COME ON FORWARD.
AND THEY'LL GO A LONG WAY TO HELPING US MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE DISCUSSED ABOUT THE PRESS BUILDING AND THE BUSINESS PARK.
AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS AT, AT OUR PRIOR JOINT MEETING, BUT SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS HAVE COME TO LIGHT SINCE THEN.
UM, I HAD MENTIONED AT OUR LAST MEETING THAT SOMEONE FROM RANDY WEBER'S OFFICE, OUR CONGRESSMAN, UH, SOUGHT TO, UH, HAVE SOME OFFICE SPACE AT THE PRESS BUILDING.
AND THEY WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NONE AVAILABLE.
UM, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE BONUS FOR US TO HAVE A CONGRESSMAN'S OFFICE IN THE PRESS BUILDING.
AND THEY'RE TOLD THERE'S NOTHING AVAILABLE.
UM, THERE, JUST, JUST ONE SECOND, UH, COUNCILPERSON, I SPOKE, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE HERE.
I SPOKE PERSONALLY WITH THE CONGRESSMAN ABOUT THAT, AND HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THAT.
NOW, SOMEONE IN HIS OFFICE COULD, IT COULDN'T JUST A MINUTE, BUT HE TOLD ME THAT WAS NULL AND VOID, AND THAT WAS NOT ANYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO CONCERN OURSELVES WITH BECAUSE HIS OFFICE WAS NOT EVEN AT THAT POINT.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW YOUR, YOUR, YOUR POINT OF REFERENCE ON THAT, BUT LET'S NOT USE THAT ONE, THAT, THAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT.
I HAVE OTHERS, BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT THE CONGRESSMAN TOLD ME, AND I CAN ONLY GO ON HIS WORD AND NOT HIS STAFF.
ANYTHING ELSE? SO, AND I ASKED THE CONGRESSMAN BECAUSE I LOOKED AT THAT AS A BLEMISH FOR US, AGAIN.
SO I REALLY WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS HAD, HAD ACTUALLY OCCURRED.
NOT THAT I DIDN'T BELIEVE THE, THE COUNCILWOMAN NO, I WANTED TO KNOW IT REALLY, IF, IF IT HAD ACTUALLY OCCURRED, CONGRESSMAN WEBER, IT SHOULD BE THAT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AND IT DID NOT OCCUR OR HAPPEN MAYBE THE WAY THIS PERSON HAD EVEN DELIVERED SOMETHING IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD SOMEONE ON THIS COUNCIL ABOUT THAT, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN TWO OTHER BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CONTACTED ME STATING THAT THEY ASKED FOR SPOTS IN THE PRESS BUILDING AND THEY WERE TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS AVAILABLE.
THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN TWO ADDITIONAL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE INQUIRED ABOUT THE BUSINESS PARK, AND THEY WERE TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS AVAILABLE.
UH, WHEN I WOULD HUMBLY ASK EVERYBODY ON BOTH SIDES, WHEN FOLKS CONTACT YOU, UH, CERTAINLY WITH THAT TYPE OF AN ISSUE, PLEASE CONTACT ME.
YOU ALL HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS OF GETTING AHOLD OF ME.
[00:25:01]
I CAN'T THINK OF ANYONE THAT HAS NOT HAD THE ABILITY TO, TO, TO GET ME AT THE DROP OF A HAT.UH, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF I'M NOT HEARING ABOUT IT AND MY DEPUTY'S NOT HEARING ABOUT IT, AND WE ARE HOSTING FOLKS AS WE HAVE THIS WEEK FOUR FOLKS THAT WE WILL BE HOSTING FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT THREE, 400 JOBS.
SO AT ONE HAND, I'M BEING TOLD, OH, YOU'RE CLOSED.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I'M HOSTING FOLKS STANDING ON THE GROUND.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR PLOTS.
BLUE SKY GLOBAL, PICKING OUT A BIG, A BIG SPOT, UH, PERHAPS TRANSFERRING FROM TOMBALL.
I CAN'T DO ANYTHING IF I DON'T KNOW.
UH, IF SO, IF SOMEONE IS CALLING YOU ALL, YOU ALL GOT A MILLION OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN BE DOING, TURN IT OVER TO ME AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
THAT'S ALL I CAN ASK, BUT I'M NOT AWARE WITHOUT ANY DETAILS OF, UH, OH, YOU'RE CLOSED.
I THINK THE FOLKS THAT I WAS HOSTING THE LAST FEW WEEKS WOULD BEG TO DIFFER.
COUNCILWOMAN, WE COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, LET'S DO THIS.
I JUST HAVE ON A GLANCE, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE JUST NOT GETTING THIS, THIS LITTLE AGREEMENT THAT YOU WANT US TO LOOK AT.
LET, LET'S, WE CAN MOVE IT TOO QUICKLY.
THAT'S NOT ON THE FLOOR YET, SIR.
THERE WAS WORK DONE AT THE BROWNSFIELD.
THAT NOT BROWNSFIELD AT THE PRESSFIELD AND WAS WORK DONE AT THE PRESS BUILDING.
UH, THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH SOME INK.
UM, THEY SPENT OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS REMOVING IT.
AND I HAVE MADE THIS HAVE, HAVE ANY BOARD MEMBERS, HAVE ANY OF YOU ALL APPLIED FOR THE RECOVERY OF THAT MONEY THAT WAS SPENT ON REMOVING THAT INK? YOU COULD, UNDER THE BROWNSFIELD PROGRAM, ALL Y'ALL HAVE TO DO IS TO SUBMIT THE PAPERWORK TO THE BROWNSFIELD PROGRAM AND THEY'LL CONSIDER IT AND RE AND RECOVER.
YOU CAN RECOVER THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS HERD THAT THAT WAS SPENT DOWN THERE, YOU CAN RECOVER IT.
THOSE MONIES ARE, THAT BROWNFIELD PROGRAM IS, IS, IS BEING FUNDED.
I THINK CITY MANAGER, YOU HAD, YOU HAD CITY MANAGER AN ANSWER FOR THAT.
ANY OF THEM HERE? THAT WAS BEFORE THEIR TIME.
I, I KNOW, BUT I, I MADE THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE BOARD MEMBER.
I'M MAKING IT AVAILABLE AGAIN.
ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS, AND, AND COUNCILMAN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE GONNA DIRECT THAT ONE EVEN TO THE CEO.
I'M JUST, WHAT'S WHAT I'M DOING? ANYBODY CAN SPEAK TO IT AND HE WOULD, HE WOULD BE ABLE, I'M, I'M DIRECTING IT TO THE BOARD.
SEE, ANYBODY WANTS TO SPEAK IF, IF, IF WE COULD MORE SUCCINCTLY DIRECT THAT WITH, WITH YOUR TIME WITH HIM, AND WE CAN, HE CAN WORK, BEGIN THE PROCESS, AND THEN HE WOULD INFORM THE BOARD AS TO HOW, WHERE HE IS ON THAT, IF YOU WILL.
NOW YOU HANDLE IT LIKE YOU WANT.
OKAY? IT DOESN'T GO RIGHT AHEAD AND KEEP NOW ANYBODY THAT CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION, CEO OR BOARD MEMBERS HAVE THE, HAVE THE MONTH, THE REIMBURSEMENT, HAVE, HAVE IT BEEN APPLIED FOR, AND I'M SEEING YOU BACK THERE.
I WILL DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP ON THAT THINGS.
NOW YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A, A, A VETTING SYSTEM IN PLACE TO VET BUSINESSES, SEE IF THEY ARE CAPABLE OF, OF DOING WHATEVER THEY SAY THEY CAN DO.
HOW MANY NEW BUSINESSES HAVE Y'ALL VETTED? HOW MANY NEW BUSINESSES HAVE YOU BROUGHT IN NEW BUSINESSES SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE? HOW MANY NEW BUSINESSES HAVE YOU BROUGHT IN? UH, HOW MANY NEW BUSINESSES HAVE YOU ATTEMPTED TO VET? I'M, I'M SORRY.
UH, VETTING AND BRINGING IN, THEY, SOMEONE MAY NOT HAVE PASSED THE VETTING PROCESS.
UH, SO OVER THE LAST 15 MONTHS, JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY BED, 13 DUE DILIGENCE IN TERMS OF SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION, GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
I, I THINK YOUR SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION IS HOW MANY HAVE BEEN MOVED TOWARDS HAVING AN INCENTIVE PACKAGE? AND THAT WOULD BE MPW.
YOU HAVE WHAT, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE COMPANY? MW.
[00:30:01]
AN APPLICATION AND THEY HAVE, THEY, THEY'RE UNDER A CURRENT INCENTIVE PROCESS THEY'RE CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED? NO, SIR.THEY WERE, THEY WERE APPROVED LAST NOVEMBER, SIR.
SO YOU GOT ONE BUSINESS SINCE ONE NEW VISIT THAT HAS GONE THROUGH THAT AND SUCCESSFULLY CAME? YEAH.
SEE, UH, MR. MR. STOKES, WE'RE GONNA NEED YOU TO KEEP THE MICROPHONE.
BECAUSE WE, FOR THE RECORDING PURPOSES.
ANYONE ELSE? COUNCILMAN FRANK, YOU'RE LIGHT IT ON? YES, SIR.
GOOD, GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD EVENING.
UM, ONE COMPANY, I, I, I KNEW OF ONE COMPANY THAT WAS BEING, UH, LOOKED AT.
UM, AND, UH, HAVE WE HEARD ANYTHING FROM THEM? I DON'T WANNA CALL THEIR NAME.
AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, AND I DEEPLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, THEY'RE CONTINUING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.
UH, THEY GAVE ME AN UPDATE, WHAT'S THE DATE OF THE 12TH? UH, ON THE FOURTH, I BELIEVE SO ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.
UH, CEO HAS COME OVER FROM OVERSEAS, UH, AND IS TAKING A LOOK AT THE VARIOUS SITES THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING.
SO HOPE TO BE HOSTING THEM VERY SOON AGAIN.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THIS WILL BE OUR THIRD HOSTING OF THAT COMPANY.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANYTHING ELSE? UH, AND, AND NOW THIS MAY BE FOR YOU SEE, UH, UH, MR. STOKES, OR IT COULD BE FOR THE ATTORNEY, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT GOALS, PROJECTS, AND ATTORNEY, UH, CITY OF ATTORNEY.
LEMME KNOW IF I'M IN, UH, IF I'M PROPER BY ASKING THIS.
WHEN WE MET LAST, WE WERE GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT WE COULD DO AS FAR AS EITHER A, A VALID INITIATIVE OR A, THE, UH, COMBINATION TYPE A AND B, UH, EDC OPERATIONS.
AND SO, ARE WE ANYWHERE MOVING TOWARD THAT OR THAT'S A MOOT ISSUE, OR WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? DOES ANYONE, CAN ANYONE ANSWER THAT FOR ME? UH, WELL, FOR, YEAH.
FOR, UH, I'M NOT OBVIOUSLY THE LAWYER FOR, FOR MY 2 CENTS.
I, UH, I THINK THE PROCESS FROM MY UNDERSTANDING PROBABLY WAS WRONG, ARRESTED WITH CITY COUNCIL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A BALLOT INITIATIVE, BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT.
FIDUCIARILY, I DON'T THINK THIS BODY, AND AGAIN, MS. VAL, NO, THAT'S DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO APPROVE OR NOT APPROVE.
THIS, THIS DDC DOESN'T HAVE ANY CONTROL JURISDICTION OR AUTHORITY TO, IT WOULD COME FROM THIS, WE WOULDN'T COME FROM THIS BOARD.
IT WOULD BE AN INITIATIVE FROM FROM CITY COUNCIL.
AND, AND COUNCILMAN, UH, KIM WAS JUST ASKING ME OR REMINDED ME THAT I, I'M, I'M BASICALLY ASKING FOR YOUR INPUT EVEN ON THIS NOW.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT WHERE ARE WE ON THAT, IF YOU ALL HAD HAD A DISCUSSION THAT THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COUNCIL SHOULD PURSUE.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAD, AFTER HAVING GONE TO A MEETING IN LAS VEGAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, DEALING WITH, UH, EDCS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AND FINDING OUT HOW EDC, UH, OPERATIONS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS HAVE OPERATED BEING A TYPE A AND A TYPE B, AND EVEN SOME GOING FROM A TYPE, UH, A, JUST TO A TYPE B.
AND THIS IS WHEN I REALLY WAS ABLE TO ASCERTAIN THE COEXISTENCE AND, UH, THE, THE AVAILABILITY OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ASSISTING MOM AND POP, IF YOU WILL, TYPE BUSINESSES AS WELL AS OUR INDUSTRIAL, UH, BUSINESSES.
THAT WE ACTUALLY, WHAT WE'RE CREATED FOR, I WOULD SAY BACK 20 YEARS AGO, HOWEVER, HOWEVER LONG, UH, IT WAS WHEN EDC BEGAN.
BUT, UH, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT.
SO ATTORNEY HAS TOLD, I MEAN, I THINK, UH, AND OUR, OUR PRESIDENT ATTORNEY, IT WAS, IS, IS LETTING ME KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THIS BOARD WOULD, WOULD INITIATE.
SO IF WHATEVER WE DECIDE, I MEAN, IT'S NOT GONNA BE OUR DECISION.
IF WE MAKE THE DECISION FOR IT TO BE A BALLOT INITIATIVE, THEN THE VOTERS WOULD EITHER VOTE IT UP OR VOTE IT DOWN.
AND ACCORDING TO HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THE BALLOT, THEN WE WOULD ENTER FURTHER DISCUSSION OF MY CORRECT ATTORNEY AS TO HOW YOU WOULD SET IT UP AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
IT WOULD BE A BALLOT INITIATIVE THAT WOULD, THAT THIS BODY WOULD, WOULD PLACE ON
[00:35:01]
THE BALLOT, AND THEN THE CITIZENS WOULD MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY, THEY ARE IN FAVOR OR AGAINST SUCH A, UH, A CHANGE IN THE FORMATION OR THE, IN THE PROJECT AUTHORITY.THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY QUESTION.
AND I CAN'T SEE YOUR LIGHT TURN TO MAKE SURE YOUR LIGHT IS ON BECAUSE NO, NO, SIR.
SEE, WE CAN'T, I GOT THE GREEN.
I, I'M GONNA JUST START RAISING MY HAND, SO Y'ALL, THERE YOU GO.
UM, BUT, BUT THANK YOU FOR, UM, UM, EVEN BRINGING THAT UP AND ALLOWING US TO BE, UH, PARTICIPANTS IN THAT.
BUT I WAS JUST GONNA SAY WHAT THEY SAID THAT THAT'S TOTALLY UP TO Y'ALL, THAT WE HAVE, UH, IT'S NOT A DECISION THAT COMES FROM OUR BOARD, SO THAT'S, I WAS TRYING TO GET HIS ATTENTION SO THAT I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THE SAME THING.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO, UM, TO SPEAK TO THAT.
AND, UM, ALSO FOR, UH, THE CONCERNS, UM, THAT, THAT YOU ALL HAVE, UM, ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AT EDC AS WELL.
UM, THE, UM, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY, UH, SOME OF THE SAME THINGS THAT, THAT MR. STOKES HAS SAID, UM, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT, UM, WE NEED TO DISCUSS, UH, THESE MEETINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THAT, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S, UM, COMES TO, UH, US MOVING FORWARD IN A DIRECTION THAT, UH, WE WANT TO MOVE AS A GROUP, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE CANNOT MOVE SEPARATE.
IT'D BE GREAT FOR US TO, UH, TO KNOW THOSE THINGS.
BUT I, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT, UH, MAYBE KNOWING THOSE THINGS OUTSIDE OF THIS JOINT MEETING PRIOR TO WE GETTING HERE, MAYBE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN WORK ON IN OUR MEETINGS, UH, THAT WE HAVE ON A MONTHLY BASIS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, YOU KNOW, JUST IF, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE, UH, THE INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
I DONE A LITTLE BIT RESEARCH ON THAT, A AND B COMBINATION.
AND, UM, WHAT I FOUND FROM RESEARCHING, WHEN YOU HAVE A A AND B COMBINATION, YOU STILL HAVE TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT THE BEE PROJECT IS.
AND, UH, YOU STILL HAVE TO GET IT APPROVED.
SO I, I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING, UH, THAT IF WE DID, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS FOR THE BEES, BUT I FOUND OUT THAT CHARLIE, WAKE UP, I'M LISTENING.
OKAY? THEN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BECAUSE I CHECKED IN THIS AND, AND I WANT TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT THEY, WHEN I LOOKED INTO, EVEN IF YOU'RE A AND B, IF YOU DO THE B, YOU STILL GOTTA HAVE A DETAIL, UH, OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
RIGHT? AND IT'S STILL, UH, WITH THE VOTERS, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE A, A AND BA, SO-CALLED AB COMBINATION.
SO WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE PLACED ON THE, ON THE BALLOT? THE, THE, THE FORMATION OF THE, OF THE CORPORATION WOULD NOT CHANGE.
IT WOULD STILL BE A TYPE A CORPORATION.
BUT WHAT WOULD GO ON THE BALLOT IS THE AUTHORITY FOR THE TYPE A CORPORATION TO DO ANY TYPE B PROJECT.
WE'VE DONE THAT WITH TWO OTHER TYPE A CORPORATIONS IN THE PAST.
IT'S BEEN ADOPTED, HASN'T BEEN CHALLENGED BY ANYBODY, BUT IT WOULD, THEY WOULD STILL, IF THEY WANTED TO DO A TYPE B PROJECT, IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO BACK BEFORE THE VOTERS, DEPENDING ON HOW THE BALLOT PROPOSITION WAS DRAFTED.
UM, IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO BACK BEFORE THE VOTERS, BUT THERE WOULD, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS THAT A TYPE A PROJECT GOES THROUGH.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE VETTED BY THE BOARD.
A RECOMMENDATION WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT.
SO THAT PROCESS WOULD REMAIN THE, WOULD REMAIN THE SAME.
BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, AS FOR SOME REASON, I HEAR A LOT OF TIME PEOPLE THINK THE EDC DOESN'T HELP HELP THE MOM AND POP, BUT YOU KNOW, IT DOES, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN ON THERE, I KNOW IT HELPED MOM AND POP.
IT'S JUST THAT THE EDC, IF YOU GO THERE FOR AN, UH, INCENTIVE, THEN YOU'RE GONNA BE VETTED BY THE, UH, NDC YOUR FINANCIALS, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, TO HAVE SOMETHING, A GOOD PLAN AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW? AND, AND THAT'S ONE THING I LIKE ABOUT THE A DC THAT I FOUND TIME, AND I, AND I WISH WE COULD DO THAT OVER HERE AT THE COUNCIL, IS THAT, UH, PEOPLE WHO YOU DO BUSINESS WITH YOUR, YOUR FINANCE, A LOT OF TIME, IF YOU'RE GOING EXPAND, YOU GOT COLLATERAL.
[00:40:01]
PROTECT THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLAR.VERY SELDOM DO YOU EVER LOSE MONEY IS ALWAYS PROTECTED IN THAT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SOMETIME, UH, IF SOMEONE REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DO DOWN THERE, THEN THEY HAVE A TENDENCY TO THINK THAT YOU ONLY DO INDUSTRIAL.
YOU ONLY DO TYPE A, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT YOU DO THE, THE SMALL BUSINESS TOO.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR INCENTIVE'S GOING TO BE BASED ON YOUR BUSINESS AND HOW MUCH, UH, REVENUE YOU GOING TO GENERATE, AND WHAT A LOT OF COUNCIL MAY NOT UNDERSTAND, OR CITIZENS MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE A FORMULA THAT IS APPLIED TO ALL YOUR INCENTIVE, AND THAT'S WHAT DETERMINES WHAT YOU CAN GIVE 'EM, YOU KNOW? AND, UH, THE B IF, IF, IF, IF YOU COULD DO THE BI THINK, UH, WITH COUNCIL AND MEMBERS UNDERSTANDING AND DON'T, DON'T GET AWAY FROM THE SYSTEM OF VETTING AND, AND, AND, AND BECAUSE SOMEBODY GOT A BUSINESS ABOUT NO, THEY MUST GO THROUGH YOUR SYSTEM.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT AGAINST, UH, BEING ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT GOING TO THE VOTERS.
I'M JUST, JUST VERY PROTECTIVE ABOUT ENSURING THAT OUR SYSTEM THAT'S IN PLACE CONTINUE TO BE IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I'VE EVER HAD A HESITATION ON.
BUT, UH, WHEN I HEARD THAT YOU COULD HAVE THE STILL BE A, A AND INCORPORATE B WITHOUT GOING TO THE VOTERS, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A, I'M NOT AGAINST CUTTING THE SYSTEM SHORT.
WE GET THINGS DONE, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE DO THAT, WE DON'T DO IT FOR THE PURPOSE OF CIRCUMVENTING THE SYSTEM.
'CAUSE THE, THE REASON IS GO TO THE VOTERS NOW BECAUSE THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE DOLLARS ARE SPENT, UH, IN THE PROPER MANNER.
QUICK ATTORNEY, YOU HAD, I WOULD JUST, I WOULD JUST POINT OUT LEGITIMATE COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ETT, UH, I WOULD POINT OUT THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT CIRCUMVENTING THE VOTERS.
YOU'RE GOING TO THE VOTERS AND YOU'RE SAYING, VOTERS, DO YOU TRUST CITY COUNCIL AND THIS TYPE A CORPORATION TO MAKE THIS DECISION, THESE DECISIONS ON TYPE B TYPE OF PROJECTS WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO YOU EVERY SINGLE TIME? YOU'RE ASKING THE VOTERS THAT QUESTION.
AND IF THE VOTERS SAY TO YOU, YES, WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, THEY WILL VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS PARTICULAR VALID PROPOSITION.
AND YOU CAN SAFELY SAY, WE HAVE VETTED THIS WITH THE VOTERS BECAUSE THEY, WE HAVE ASKED THEM WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS PROCESS, AND THEY HAVE TOLD US, YES, YES, WE ARE HAVE ANY HOLD, HOLD.
HOLD ON, HOLD ON, COUNCIL, HOLD ON.
BUT, BUT, BUT COUNCILMAN LEWIS WAS LIGHT WAS ON.
I WANT YOU GET BACK TO WHEN YOU GOT TO, BUT GO AHEAD.
YOU FINISHED? NO, HE IS NOT THROUGH, BUT I'M CALLING ON YOU BECAUSE YOU WANNA SPEAK.
OH, I WAS GONNA LET HIM GO AHEAD AND COMPLETE SINCE HE HAD THE FLOOR.
LOOK, I HEARD THE ATTORNEY SAID THAT FOUR, UH, CHANGES TO THE EDC REFERENCE TO THE FOUR B.
THAT THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, THE BOARD WOULD, WOULD, WOULD BE DOING IF I'M, IF I UNDERSTOOD HIM CORRECTLY.
NOW, ALL B PROJECTS, ALL B PROJECTS FOR BUSINESSES, FOR LAMAR UNIVERSITY, FOR THE BUSINESS PART, ALL B PROJECTS WAS INITIATED BY THE BOARD.
I DON'T EVER RECALL IN VOTING OR INITIATING A B PROJECT FROM THE COUNCIL.
IT STARTS WITH THE BOARD, BUT THEN IT COMES TO THE COUNCIL.
IF, EVEN IF THE COUNCIL DECIDES TO INITIATE IT, IT STILL HAS TO COME TO YOU ALL.
NOW, YOU CAN SIT UP HERE AND BE NICE TO EACH OTHER.
IF YOU WANT TO COMING UP WITH A FOUR B PROJECT AND NOT HAVE TO ASK YOU, ASK THE VOTERS ONE TIME AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK THEM AGAIN.
THAT IS BYPASSING THE FUTURE COUNCIL.
WHAT IS YOUR POINT OF POINT OF ORDER, SIR? WHAT IS YOUR POINT? POINT? BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY HAS EXPRESSED HIS LEGAL PROFESSIONAL OPINION AND WHAT THAT HAS TO DO WITH ME.
WHAT'S THAT? UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT HAS TO DO WITH ME.
THAT WHAT YOU SAYING, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME IS WRONG, SIR.
DON'T SPEAK IN THOSE TERMS. YOU'RE USING COUNCILMAN.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY
[00:45:01]
PRESENTATION.HE, HE, HE ROLLED IT OUT THERE.
I'M JUST COMMENTING ON WHAT HE ROLLED OUT.
THAT IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO COMMENT ON SOMETHING, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF, OKAY? I'M A POINT OF HONOR CALL FOR QUESTION ALMOST.
AND THEN I'M GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT THING.
YOU WANT TO TALK NOT WITHOUT THE SUPPORT COUNCIL, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
COUNCIL, WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN UC SAID GO RIGHT AHEAD.
COUNCILMAN SAID, YOU KNOW SOMETHING, MAYOR, WELL, YOU KNOW, LAWS FOR ME.
COUNCILMAN SAID, START SPEAKING A HOG IN THE HILTON WHOLE JUST STILL A HOG.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY.
YOU, I GOT THE FLOOR BECAUSE WE, WE, IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON, LEAVE SIR.
SIR, WHY WOULD YOU SPEAK LIKE THAT? BECAUSE YOU INTERFER WITH ME.
NOW YOU WOULD, YOU, NOW YOU WANT, NOW YOU WANT TRY TO BLAME ME FOR YOUR SIR.
YOU LIKE, YOU WANNA BLAME ME FOR MY GOOD CHRISTIAN BROTHER? YOU WANNA BLAME ME FOR YOUR BUFFOON? BUFFOONISH? OKAY, WELL, WELL, YOU CAN'T EVEN PRONOUNCE THE WORD.
I KNOW A BUFFOON WHEN I SEE ONE.
IT, IT JUST A THOUGHT CAME TO OUR MIND, UH, THOSE CITIES THAT DID IT.
DID ANY OF THEM PUT LIKE A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF A PROJECT? UM, NO.
BUT, UM, I SEE NO REASON WHY THAT COULDN'T BE A, UM, A POSSIBILITY ON THE, YEAH, IT'D BE A PRETTY GOOD SELLING POINT.
I MEAN, I JUST, I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF THE, SEEM LIKE IT SELL THE CITIZENS A LOT BETTER, YOU KNOW, AND GET 'EM TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT GONNA PUT UP THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE SHOOTING MATCH, UH, WITHOUT GOING BACK TO YOU.
UH, FOR THOSE WHO HAD VARYING THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE TRYING TO GET SOMETHING THAT GOING TO PASS WITH THE VOTERS AND, AND, AND, AND UNDERSTAND, AND WE ALL AGREE SO THAT WHEN WE GO TO VOTERS, EVERYBODY IS ON BOARD.
EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE CITIZENS' EYES.
WE CAN EXPLAIN IT SO THAT, UH, THEY BE WELL INFORMED AND WE ALL ON ONE, ONE BOARD THIS, IF THIS HAPPENED, IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WHEREBY EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IT AND EVERYBODY HAS, UH, GOT INPUT AND WE COULD GET SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY COULD LIVE WITH IF WE GO, YOU KNOW? THAT'S ALL.
WHEN I CAME ON THE COUNCIL ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, I MET WITH THE FORMER DIRECTOR, AND I WAS JUST ASKING QUESTIONS BECAUSE I AS WELL HAD DONE SOME RESEARCH, AND AS I DID, SO I LOOKED AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF A CITY, UH, THAT WAS, UH, UH, COMPARATIVE TO PORT ARTHUR.
UM, IT WAS DESOTO, UH, THE DESOTO CITY.
AND I LOOKED AT THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS AND THEIR CITY AND AS WELL, UH, THE NUMBER OF CITIZENS THAT THEY HAD, UH, AND THAT THEY HAD, UM, A, AN A B COMBINATION AS WELL, UH, FOR THEIR, UM, UH, FOR THEIR EDC AND, AND THE TYPE OF PROJECTS, UM, THAT COULD BE DONE.
AND AS WE DIALOGUED IT, WHEN I WENT TO TALK TO, UH, THE FORMER DIRECTOR, UH, AND I ASKED THAT QUESTION, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE SAID WAS, WAS THAT THERE WAS A, A, UM, A A LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, THAT WAS ADDED TO, UH, AN A AND B.
AND I DIDN'T REALLY FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
UH, BUT THAT WAS THE ANSWER THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME AT THAT TIME.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK, AND I BELIEVE THAT AS WE'RE TRYING TO GROW OUR CITY, UH, THAT WE OUGHT TO HAVE AS MANY BULLETS IN THE GUN AS WE CAN.
AND I USE THAT AS AN ANALOGY TO SAY THAT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AND USE AS A CITY TO SPUR GROWTH, UH, IN OUR CITY AND TO HELP, UH, BUSINESSES COME TO OUR CITY TO DEVELOP OUR DOWNTOWN, WE NEED TO MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO THAT.
AND WE NEED TO USE THOSE RESOURCES, UH, THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US TO DO THAT.
I HAPPEN TO AGREE, AND, AND SOMEONE MAY NOT AGREE, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR PREROGATIVE.
BUT I HAPPEN TO AGREE WITH THE ATTORNEY WHEN HE SAYS THAT WHEN YOU GO TO THE CITIZENS AND YOU ASK FOR THAT LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY, AND YOU SAY TO THEM AND EXPLAIN TO THEM EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO AND WHY WE WOULD WANT TO DO THAT, I THINK THAT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF MAKING THAT DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN TRUST, UH, THIS COUNCIL, UH, AND TRUST THIS BOARD, UM, TO, UH, AVAIL THEMSELVES AND TO ALLOW THEM TO DO ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT MAY COME FORWARD, UM, TO BE DONE.
SO I DON'T SEE IT AS ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD BE DOING TRYING TO CIRCUMVENT OR TO AVERT, UM, UM, THE, THE WATCHFUL EYE OF OUR CITIZENS AS WE TRY, UH, TO GROW OUR CITY AND TRY TO AVAIL OURSELVES TO MAKE OUR CITY TO BE WHAT IT WANTS TO BE.
SO, I, I SIMPLY, I SIMPLY SEE,
[00:50:01]
UH, IT AS A TOOL THAT WE CAN USE, UH, AND WE NEED TO USE ALL OF OUR TOOLS THAT ARE IN, UM, THE TOOL CHEST.THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN ANDERSON? UH, YES, SIR.
SO JUST, JUST TO ECHO THAT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, AS IT RELATES TO ANYTHING THAT WOULD COME INTO, UM, THE EDC, UH, THAT VETTING PROCESS, UH, WHETHER IT'S, UM, A OR B PROJECT, SHOULD THAT PASS, THAT VETTING PROCESS WOULDN'T GO AWAY.
THERE STILL WOULD BE SOMETHING IN PLACE, SOME MEASURES, UH, WHEREBY INDIVIDUALS STILL QUALIFY, UH, FOR THAT PARTICULAR FUNDING.
AND, AND THEN IT GOES, UH, TO, TO OUR BOARD.
WELL, EDC BOARD, THEN IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO COME TO THE COUNCIL.
SO EVERYTHING THAT PRETTY MUCH HAPPENS IN AN A WOULD STILL HAPPEN WITH THE B THE EXCEPTION IS YOU'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT.
SO, UH, IF IT DOES GO TO THE VOTERS AND WE ARE GONNA PUSH IT, UH, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT IS SAID THAT THE VETTING PROCESS ISN'T GOING AWAY.
IT'S JUST GONNA OPEN UP THE DOOR FOR MORE PROJECTS TO BE, UH, LOOKED AT AND MORE PEOPLE TO QUALIFY POSSIBLY FOR FUNDING.
FRANK, MAY I, MAY I SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, LET ME ADD TO THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE ONE OF THE MISNOMERS THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS BEING PROJECTED OUT OF THAT WAS THAT, UH, WHEN YOU MOVE TO A B UH, PROJECT, THAT IT IS THAT IT, THAT IT, UM, WOULD, UH, CAUSE THE COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO OVERTAKE THE EDC, UH, BECAUSE, UH, YOU CAN HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SIT ON THE EDC.
AND SO, UH, THAT, UH, WAS BEING PROJECTED OUT THERE AS WELL.
BUT THAT CAN HAPPEN AS FAR AS INDIVIDUALS SITTING ON THE EDC, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN.
UH, AND THAT INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE PUT OUT THERE AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, UH, THE COUNCIL IS NOT TRYING, WOULD NOT BE TRYING TO TAKE OVER THE EDC OR NOR WOULD WE HAVE TO BE SITTING ON, UH, THE EDC, BUT WE JUST NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE CORRECT INFORMATION AS WELL.
UH, AND THANK YOU ALL WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH THAT IN MIND ATTORNEY.
[II. (2) Discussion And Possible Action On PAEDC CEO Employment Agreement]
WE HAVE A SECOND ITEM IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON P-A-E-D-C.I THOUGHT THAT YOU JUST LEFT IT ON, SIR.
UH, I, UM, COUNCILMAN FRANK MADE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE ADDED PROTECTIONS FOR TYPE B PROJECTS, AND I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COUNSEL WHAT THAT ADDED OR THAT ADDED PROTECTION IS FOR, FOR, UM, FOR TYPE B PROJECTS.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S FOUND IN CHAPTER, UH, 5 0 5 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE THAT RELATES TO TYPE B PROJECTS.
IF, IF A, IF A TYPE B PROJECT IS INTENDED TO MOVE FORWARD AND IS APPROVED, UM, IT SAYS IT MAY NOT UNDERTAKE THAT PROJECT, UM, UNLESS NOT LATER THAN THE 60TH DAY AFTER THE DATE NOTICE OF THE SPECIFIC PROJECT OR GENERAL TYPE OF PROJECT IS FIRST PUBLISHED.
THEY RECEIVE A PETITION OF 10% OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS TO HAVE AN ELECTION ON THE PROJECT.
AND SO WE ALWAYS REFER TO THAT AS THE 60 DAY RULE, WHICH MEANS THAT AFTER THE PROJECT IS APPROVED, YOU CAN'T SPEND THE MONEY FOR 60 DAYS IN ORDER TO GIVE THE CITIZENS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT A PETITION TO HAVE AN ELECTION.
THAT'S THE EXTRA PROTECTION FOR TYPE B PROJECTS THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNEW WHAT THAT WAS.
MR. LEBO, MR. LEBO, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEAK IN A MIC.
WE, UH, YEAH, IT HAS TO BE RECORDED.
UH, YEARS AGO, LIKE TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, EDC USED TO DO B PROJECTS.
SO HOW WAS THAT HAPPENING? I HAVE NO IDEA.
UH, ATTORNEY, JUST MR. LEBO, UH, MAYBE THAT ATTORNEY HAS SOME KNOWLEDGE ON IT.
UM, A LONG TIME AGO, A LONG TIME AGO, I THINK THEY PUT IT ON THE BALLOT TO DO THOSE SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC INITIATIVES.
SO IT WAS SOME VERY SPECIFIC THINGS, BUT THAT WAS QUITE A WHILE.
BUT IT STILL WENT ON THE BALLOT.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT CLARIFY WHAT YOU NEEDED? OKAY.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU SAID YOU SAID SOMETHING.
[00:55:01]
B PROJECT.THE HOUSING PROJECT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WENT TO THE BALLOT.
WHEN WENT TO THE BALLOT AND ASKED CI CITIZENS, OKAY? NOW THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH A FOUR B COMBINATION, IT ALLOWS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M, I'M HEARING UP TO TWO, TO COUNCIL MEMBER WE CAN SERVE.
THAT IS A CONFLICT YOU GOT, IF THIS IS LEGAL AND I HAVE TO RESEARCH IT FOR TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SERVE ON THE EDC BOARD, THEY ARE GOING TO BE INFLUENCING A DECISION AND VOTING ON A DECISION THAT THEY GOING TO BE VOTED ON LATER ON.
THAT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR, I DIDN'T CALL YOU UP ONE OF THE THINGS, JUST A MINUTE.
THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO, I'M GETTING READY FOR THE QUESTION I KNOW IS ABOUT TO COME.
NO, CAN YOU CLARIFY THIS? RIGHT, WHAT HE WAS SAYING ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND THAT THAT IS, THAT IS DISCRETIONARY.
AM I CORRECT ON THAT? FRANK BROUGHT IT UP.
WELL, THIS, THE, THE, AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, THE, IT DOESN'T CHANGE FROM A TYPE A CORPORATION TO A TYPE B CORPORATION.
AGENT STAYS AS A TYPE A CORPORATION.
SO WE WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT ASSUMPTION OR EVEN THAT INFERENCE OF COUNCIL MEMBER SERVICE, BECAUSE WE ARE JUST DOING A COMBINATION.
WE ARE NOT GOING COMPLETELY TO WHERE THAT WOULD BE APPLICABLE.
AM I CORRECT THAT? YEAH, WELL, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT EVEN DOING A COMBINATION.
WE'RE JUST GOING THROUGH THE VOTERS AND WELL, THEY HAVE THE OPTION, THE TYPE A CORPORATION, THE AUTHORITY TO DO A TYPE B PROJECT.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND COUNCILMAN LEWIS? NO.
COUNCILMAN FRANK BROUGHT IT UP.
BUT, BUT I DIDN'T ASK COUNCILMAN.
HE SAID THAT'S THE WAY IT COULD BE DONE.
THAT'S WHY I LET'S FOOL'S THAT'S I'M, YOU UNDERSTAND, RESIDENT.
OKAY, LET'S MOVE SOMETHING ELSE THEN.
NOW, THE OTHER THING THAT I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN THAT YOU ARE, WE, WE HAVE NEVER CONSIDERED, WE HAVE GRANTED ALL KINDS OF MONEY TO, UH, BUSINESSES, DEVELOPERS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHAT HAVE YOU, SMALL BUSINESSES.
SMALL BUSINESSES DO NOT NEED LOANS.
THEY ALREADY GOT ENOUGH PROBLEMS. YOU'VE GOT ESTABLISHED SMALL BUSINESSES NEEDS TO BE, NEEDS TO HAVE GRANTS BEEN IN BUSINESS 10 YEARS OF, OF BEYOND NEEDS TO HAVE GRANTS TO EXPAND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT NO STARTUP, I'M NOT, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ANY STARTUP, BUT EXISTING STRONG, VETTED SMALL BUSINESSES NEED TO HAVE A GRANT.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE BURDENED DOWN WITH LOANS.
THAT'S SOMETHING I'M, YOU KNOW, LAYING ON THE TABLE Y'ALL TO CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE.
YOU SAY I JUST, I JUST HEARD, UH, LAMAR STATE UNIVERSITY HAD GUY GRANT.
UH, WE ACTUALLY WENT TO AUSTIN AND HAD THE LAW CHANGED SO THAT WE COULD HELP THEM WITH THOSE DORMS. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE STATE, THEY ONLY GRANDFATHERED THAT LAW I THINK FOR LIKE TWO YEARS.
BUT THAT'S HOW THE EDC WAS ABLE TO ASSIST LAMAR STATE COLLEGE BECAUSE EDC CANNOT SPEND MONEY WITH THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, STATE INSTITUTIONS IS THE WAY IT WORKED.
WORD, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, COLLEGES, SCHOOLS AND STUFF, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY THAT'S, THAT'S STATE.
BUT WE GOTTA CHANGE THAT ONE TIME FOR JUST THAT PURPOSE.
SO WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL WHEN WE TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS WITH LAMONT STATE COLLEGE.
OR ANY UNI, UH, INSTITUTION FROM THE STATE.
AND, AND MARY, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING ME.
I JUST REALLY WANTED TO TRY TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW WE CAN BENEFIT PORT ARTHUR AND NOT LEAVE MONEY ON THE TABLE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TYPE A VERSUS TYPE B.
UH, I'M KIND OF HEARING BOTH CONSENSUS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD IT BENEFIT PORT ARTHUR? BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, FOR ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, MOM AND POPS GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME TYPE OF FUNDING AS WELL AS REFINERY OUR INDUSTRY.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I HEAR YOU, UH, CHARLIE, YOU KNOW, I REALLY VALUE YOUR OPINION, CHARLIE, AND, AND WHAT WE CAN DO IN PORT ARTHUR IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO THE PROJECTS THAT WE NEED.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT THE PROJECTS THAT'S GONNA BE BENEFIT PORT ARTHUR.
SO HOPEFULLY IF WE LOOK AT BOTH, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE DONE THEIR RESEARCH ON TYPE A, TYPE B I'M VERY INTERESTED IN IT.
I WAS IN, UH, WE WERE IN DALLAS AND WE WENT TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK AND THE MAYOR AND MYSELF.
[01:00:01]
IN THE A SET ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN LEWIS.HE WAS IN THE SESSION THAT, THAT TALKED ABOUT TYPE A VERSUS TYPE BS.
WHAT'S, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GROW, WHAT TYPE OF GROWTH ARE YOU'RE TRYING TO HAVE IN YOUR CITY.
SO I'M VERY INTERESTED IN WANTING TO KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET YOUR INPUT AS WELL AS TO COUNCIL, UH, THE FINAL SAY AND THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE'VE ALL SAID THAT, UH, THE CITIZENS IS GONNA HAVE TO VOTE ON IT.
SO, UH, THANK YOU AND, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO BENEFIT THIS CITY.
I'M, I'M, I'M ON BOARD WITH THE MAYOR.
COUNCIL COUNCILMAN, YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? YES.
COUNCILMAN DREW SAID, I REALLY WAS JUST SHORTENING THE STORY.
I KNEW ABOUT THE, THE, THE PROCEDURE, HOW WE GOT THE EDC GOT THE LAW CHANGED.
OKAY? BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'M GONNA REMIND, PORT ARTHUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WAS UP AND RUNNING IN THE NINETIES, WAS UP IN MONEY IN THE LATE NINETIES.
OTHER PLACES LIKE DALLAS AND ALL 'EM OTHER PLACES, FROM ALMOST FIVE TO 10 YEARS, THEY WERE STILL FIGHTING ON OVER THE RULES AND REGULATION.
NOW, I WILL ALWAYS, I WILL NEVER BYPASS THE CITIZEN.
I WILL ALWAYS ASK THEM TO CONSIDER FOUR B PROJECTS.
LEMME TELL YOU WHY THE COUNCIL CHANGES THE EDC BOARD CHANGES.
WITH THOSE CHANGES COME DIFFERENT IDEAS.
THAT'S WHY YOU GOT TO HAVE THESE GRASSROOTS THINGS IN PLACE.
SO KEEP IT IN THE HANDS OF THE CITIZENS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHO GONNA GET SU WHO GONNA GET ELECTED TO COUNCIL.
WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHO THEY GONNA APPOINT TO THE EDC BOARD.
BUT WHAT THE CITIZEN DO HAVE CONTROL OVER IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU DO THE FOUR B PROJECTS THAT THEY APPROVED.
UH, OUR NEXT ITEM, ITEM NUMBER TWO, AN ATTORNEY, UH, TAL WANTED TO ASK YOU IF IT WERE POSSIBLE.
UH, I KNOW CITY MANAGER JUST PASSED US OUT A DOCUMENT AND IT, THIS DOCUMENT IS TALKING ABOUT, UH, POSSIBLE ACTION AND, UH, CEO EMPLOYMENT.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS ALLUDED TO IT, AND UNDER ANOTHER TYPE DISCUSSION, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN JUST EITHER TABLE THIS ELEMENT HERE BECAUSE NO ONE HAS HAD TIME TO READ THROUGH 'EM? WELL, WELL, MAY I SAY THAT I SENT THIS, THIS IS THE SAME ONE I BELIEVE THAT I SENT TO COUNSEL IN DECEMBER.
THIS IS JUST, UH, THE EDCS NOTES.
UH, BACK IN, UM, CAN I KIND OF GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND? BACK IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS CONTRACT AND THE COUNCIL HAD SOME QUESTIONS.
AND SO THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD, UH, WE, UH, SENT, UH, WE, WE REDLINED THEM AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE CHANGES, UH, THAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING.
AND WE ALSO SENT OVER TO THE EDC NOTES.
SO THIS IS JUST THEIR RESPONSE TO WHAT WE SENT.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.
THIS IS BASICALLY THE RED LINE.
IF I'M LOOKING AT THE RIGHT THING, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO REFRESH US ON WHAT QUESTIONS WE ASKED ABOUT TWO.
I'M NOT, MY, MY STATEMENT WAS THAT, I'M SORRY, VAL.
OH, LET ME JUST SAY ONE REAL QUICK THING.
I HAVE SO MANY COPIES OF SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO YOU BASICALLY, THE COUNCIL HAD QUESTIONS ON CERTAIN SECTIONS, WHICH, WHICH DOCUMENTS? WE HAVE TWO.
ONE IS THE RED LINE AND ONE IS THE CLEAN COPY.
SO YOU REALLY LOOKING AT THE SAME THING.
THE SMALLER WRITTEN ONE IS THE RED LINE OF WHAT WE, YEAH, IF YOU TURN THE PAGE, THE RED LINE
WE DIDN'T RED LINE NOTHING ON PA ANYTHING ON PAGE ONE, BUT SEE ON PAGE TWO, THOSE ARE, YEAH.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T HAVE, YOU HAD QUESTIONS ONLY A ON YES.
YOU HAD QUESTIONS JUST ON A FEW AREAS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, LET ME JUST KIND OF GO OVER MY NOTES OF WHAT WE HAD.
UM, WE HAD DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SALARY.
NOW WE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUTOMOBILE ALLOWANCE IN SECTION D.
I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF TELL YOU REAL SHORTLY.
WE HAD A SECTION ABOUT, UH, QUESTION ABOUT H.
AND, UH, WE ALSO HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, POLICY MANUAL, LIKE WHICH POLICY MANUAL WE WERE, UH, SPEAKING OF, WE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT DATES IN SECTION.
I, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IT NOW, I'M SURE, UH, ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.
WE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRAVEL EXPENSES AND PROFESSIONAL DUES, AND THEN WE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE IS, UH, AND THEN CHARLIE CAN SPEAK.
CHARLIE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT IT,
[01:05:01]
AND THIS IS HIS RESPONSE.SO YEAH, HE, HE'LL, HE'LL GO OVER HIS RESPONSE.
HE CAN KIND OF GO, IF YOU WANT TO GO OVER THOSE HIGHLIGHTS, UM, AND YOU MAY HAVE HAD SOME OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE TAKEN NOTES ON, BUT, UH, ONE IS THE RED LINE AND ONE IS THE CLEAN, YOU KNOW? OKAY.
SO YOU COULD LOOK AT IT CLEAN.
THE CLEAN ONE IS, IS, IS, IS YOUR ANSWER TO CHARGE, RIGHT? AM I CORRECT ATTORNEY TO WHATEVER? WELL, BOTH INQUIRIES, TO BE CLEAR, I DID NOT NEGOTIATE THIS AGREEMENT.
I DID NOT, I DID NOT HAVE ANY INPUT INTO THE POLICY CHANGES WITHIN THE DOCUMENT.
WHAT I DID WAS HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH VAL AND THEN, UM, REDLINED, I CALL IT REDLINED, BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY BLACKLINED, I THINK, IN WHAT YOU HAVE.
BUT I, I DID STRIKETHROUGHS AND UNDERLINES OF WHAT WAS DELETED FROM THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT, WHAT WAS ADDED TO THE AGREEMENT.
SO YOU COULD SEE IT IN ONE DOCUMENT.
AND THEN I MADE NOTES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, UM, AS TO WHAT CHANGES WERE MADE AND, AND, AND WHAT CHANGES WERE MADE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THAT WITH YOU TO ASSIST, UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, UH, THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCILMAN.
YOU, YOU HAD, YOU HAD A STATEMENT YOU WANTED TO MAKE YOU TO GET TO THAT MIC.
UH, YOU MADE A STATEMENT THAT YOU DIDN'T NEGOTIATE? UH, YEAH, I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS OF THE AMENDMENTS TO THIS AGREEMENT.
AND I'M THE ONE THAT NEGOTIATED THE CONTRACT.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO ASK, YOU CAN ASK ME.
I THINK IF, IF, THANK, THANK YOU.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL, COUNCIL AT THIS TIME, UH, WE CAN HAVE, I GUESS IT IS THE PLEASURE TO COUNCIL TO CONTINUE AND DISCUSS THIS MATTER.
IS THAT THE PLEASURE TO COUNCIL? WE'RE DONE.
AND I THINK I MIGHT NOT HAVE MENTIONED JAKE, BUT YOU, YOU CAN SEE IT SELF EXPLANATORY.
OKAY, THE FIRST THING THAT WE HAD WAS THE TRAVEL ALLOWANCE.
THEY SAID IT WAS INCREASING THE TRAVEL ALLOWANCE FROM 700 TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
COUNCILMAN, WHAT, WHAT PAGE YOU AT? WHAT PAGE? WHAT PAGE? TELL THE PAGE SO WE CAN I, IT, I GOT IT.
I'M TRYING TO FIND YOUR D VAL.
WHERE'S THE TRAVEL ON THE RED LINE? LOOKING? SO, UM, UH, ORIGINALLY UNDER, UNDER K ONE MORE SECOND.
OR ORIGINALLY UNDER, UNDER K, THEY HAD SOME PROVISIONS THAT DEALT WITH PAGE FIVE.
WHICH PAGE DID YOU SAY? PAGE FIVE.
AND I, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN, WELL, OKAY.
PROFESSIONAL DUTIES AND EDUCATION.
SO, KAY DEALT WITH, UM, REIMBURSEMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP AND, AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS RELATED TO AND RELEVANT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
IT ALSO HAD A PARAGRAPH THAT DEALT WITH REIMBURSING THE CEO AND ANNUAL AMOUNT, UM, UPON PRESENTATION OF RECEIPTS AND AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 7,500 FOR REASONABLE TRAVEL AND SUBSISTENCE FOR MEETINGS AND, AND OTHER ISSUES THAT WAS STRUCK IN FROM K.
AND, AND IT WAS ALL MOVED TO ONE PLACE UNDER J AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT'S UNDERLINED AND THAT WHAT LANGUAGE WAS ADDED.
AND I'LL, I'LL, THAT MIGHT BE EASIER IF I JUST READ IT.
SO IT NOW READS, IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THE CEO'S REPRESENTATION OF THE P-A-P-A-E-D-C IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARKETPLACE, THE P-A-E-D-C AGREES TO REIMBURSE CEO AN AMOUNT, AN ANNUAL AMOUNT UPON PRESENTATION OF RECEIPTS, AN ANNUAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 15,000 AND NO DOLLARS PER YEAR FOR THE REASONABLE TRAVEL AND SUB SUB SUBSTANCE.
FOR PROFESSIONAL AND OFFICE TRAVEL MEETINGS AND OCCASIONS ADEQUATE TO CONTINUE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CEO TO ADEQUATELY PURSUE NECESSARY OFFICIAL AND OTHER FUNCTIONS FOR CEO AND FOR SHORT COURSES, INSTITUTES AND SEMINARS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR HIS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND FOR THE GOOD OF THE P-E-P-A-E-D-C.
THE P-A-E-D-C RESERVES THE RIGHT TO LIMIT SUCH ATTENDANCE IN THE EVENT OF LEGITIMATE PRIORITIES.
IT IDENTIFIES IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PE P-A-E-D-C,
[01:10:01]
AND THAT TOTAL OF 9,100 WAS RAISED, UM, UP TO 15,000.AND THEN I WOULD DEFER THE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING ELSE TO BOARD MEMBER ABOVE.
JUST, JUST A MINUTE, JUST A MINUTE, COUNSEL.
NOW HE, HE SAID, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU ALL HAD NEGOTIATED, RIGHT? AM I JUST WANNA BE CORRECT ON IT? YOU SAID, BECAUSE YOU WERE THE PERSON, IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, YOU'RE SAYING THE BOARD I, THAT, THAT CHANGED THE COMMUNITY? YEAH, THE BOARD DID.
THE BOARD CHANGED AND, AND, AND THE BOARD RECOMMENDED GOING TO THE 15,000.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I NEED TO KNOW.
UM, I THINK THE QUESTION THAT THE COUNCIL HAD, UM, THAT THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE DO REIMBURSEMENTS.
SO I THINK THAT WAS THE, THE, JUST MAYBE THE QUESTION LIKE, FOR TRAVEL, UH, FOR THINGS LIKE THAT, WE HAVE A PROCESS WHERE, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS IT, IS THIS, IS THIS JUST TALKING ABOUT REGULAR TRAVEL OR CLASSES? THIS IS WELL, THE WAY IT'S, IT'S WRITTEN, IT'S ANY, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, UM, ANY, IT'S FOR REASONABLE TRAVEL FOR PROFESSIONAL AND OFFICIAL MEETINGS AND OCCASIONS ADEQUATE TO CONTINUE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CEO.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT.
AND IT'S UPON PRESENTATION OF RECEIPTS.
SO, SO THE RECEIPTS, IT IS A REIMBURSEMENT, IT'S NOT MONEY UPFRONT.
IT'S RE RECEIPTS ARE SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD, AND THEN THE BOARD WOULD APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE BASED ON THEIR OPINION OF WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS APPROPRIATE EXPENDITURE OR NOT.
SO IF MY NOTES REFLECT THAT THE COUNCIL HAD A QUESTION, 'CAUSE THIS WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT OUR PROCESS IS.
LIKE, WHEN WE WANT TO GO TO A CLASS, WE SUBMIT A REQUEST, I WANT TO GO TO X CLASS, YOU KNOW, THEN THEY, YOU TURN EVERYTHING IN AND THEN, UH, THE CITY GIVES YOU YOUR MEAL AND GAS MONEY AND WHATEVER, AND THE CITY PAYS FOR THE REGISTRATION.
AND THEN WHEN YOU COME BACK, YOU BRING YOUR RECEIPTS.
SO WE HAVE A, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PROCESS THAT WE USE IN PLACE, FOR EXAMPLE.
THEY JUST, WERE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND, AND THAT'S IN THE PERSONNEL POLICY FOR US.
AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS, THIS IS A CONTRACTUAL PROVISION THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE POLICY THAT THE BOARD UTILIZES TO AUTHORIZE THE TRAVEL, TO AGREE TO THE REIMBURSEMENT OF THE TRAVEL.
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN, THAN, THAN THE CONTRACTUAL PROVISION THAT SAYS THAT, UH, THAT HE'S ENTITLED UP TO 15% RE $15,000 REIMBURSEMENT IF, IF YOU OBVIOUSLY, I ASSUME COMPLIES WITH ALL THE POLICY AND PROCEDURES REQUIREMENT THAT THE BOARD PUTS IN PLACE.
YOU SAID YOU WERE GOOD? YEAH, I'M READY.
ANY, ANY COURSE THAT HE ATTENDS, IT SHOULD BE APPROVED BY THIS BOARD THAT THAT'S HIS BOSSES.
ANY TRAVEL HE TAKES, THEY DON'T HAVE NO SAY WE DON'T HAVE NO SAY ALL GSA YEAH.
IF HE HAS A CAR ALLOWANCE, THAT IS TO ASSIST HIM IF HE'S USING HIS POB IS NOT THE PAY AN AMOUNT, IT'S JUST AN ALLOWANCE.
UH, WHAT IS OURS? BAIL? WHAT, WHAT IS CANCELED? 650.
I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A SET AMOUNT THAT YOU GET FOR RIGHT? CERTAIN REIMBURSEMENT.
WELL, I'M QUITE SURE IT IS, IT IS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE, MY, MY POINT I'M MAKING IS IT'S A AMOUNT TO ASSIST WITH CAR ALLOWANCE.
AND THEN WHEN YOU START PUTTING IN A CONTRACT AND CHANGING IT, YOU GOTTA HAVE A PURPOSE FOR IT.
YOU GOTTA HAVE A PURPOSE FOR IT.
AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING PROFESSIONAL.
IF HE'S GONNA BE A PART OF THE, UH, WHAT I-I-E-D-C AND ASK DUES OR SOMETHING, HEY, YOU ALL APPROVED, IT'S PAID.
IF HE'S GONNA GO TO A CONFERENCE, YOU ALL APPROVE IT.
HE GOES, BUT HE DOESN'T GO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO WHEN YOU WANT TO GO.
[01:15:01]
BOTH.YOU SEE OUR MANAGER, THIS AIN'T WAY WITH US.
YOU KNOW? SO, UH, TO PUT IT IN THE CONTRACT, I DON'T SEE WHEREBY YOU'RE GAINING ANYTHING BY PUTTING IT IN THE CONTRACT WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU GOT IN PLACE ALREADY GOVERNING ALL THAT.
IT IS KIND OF, AND THEN WHEN I LOOK AT THE CONTRACT, THE AMOUNT IS RAISED.
I MEAN, IT'S RAISED, THE AMOUNT IS RAISED.
SO WE ACTUALLY TRY TO PUT SOMETHING INTO CONTRACT THAT RAISES AMOUNT THAT WAS INITIALLY WHEN ACTUALLY YOU DON'T NEED IT.
SO IF YOUR INTENT IS WHAT THIS REQUIRES, THEN YOU HAVE POLICY, YOU HAVE TRAVEL, YOU KNOW, YOU PUT MONEY IN HIS BUDGET EVERY YEAR FOR WHAT YOU, UH, SAY YOU WANT TO SPEND ON IT.
AND ONCE YOU APPROVE IT AFTER YOU GOT IT, NOW, IF HE USED MORE THAN THAT, HE'S GOTTA COME BACK TO Y'ALL.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS WITH US.
SO THAT WAS MY BIG BIG QUESTION.
WHY WE, WHY WE ARE DOING CONTRACTS, UH, UH, DEALING WITH THIS TYPE OF STUFF IN THE CONTRACT WHEN THERE'S ALL, OKAY, DARL, JUST A MINUTE.
I WAS GONNA ASK CHARLIE, YOU SAID JUST A SECOND AGO, IS THAT IN OUR BYLAWS? I SHOULD KNOW THAT, BUT, UH, APPROVAL BEFORE THE MEETING OR, OR WHATEVER CLASS AND THEN WHEN YOU COME BACK, UH, HAVE THE BILLS APPROVED.
UM, IT WOULDN'T BE IN YOUR BYLAWS, IT WOULD BE IN A PROPERLY ADOPTED PERSONNEL POLICY.
JUST LIKE Y'ALL HAVE A PER LIKE THE CITY HAS PERSONNEL POLICIES, THAT'S WHERE IT WOULD BE FOUND AND OKAY.
UH, THE CEOI DON'T HAVE ANY RECOLLECTION THAT HE COMES TO THE BOARD AND, AND ASKS TO GO ANYWHERES OR WHEN HE COMES BACK, IF IT'S ANY RECEIPTS EVER SHOWN TO THE BOARD.
I NOW, I KNOW HE PROBABLY BRINGS THEM TO WHOEVER, WHEREVER RECEIPTS GO.
BUT NOT, NOT THE, NOT THE BOARD UNLESS I'M MISSING SOMETHING AND I DON'T MISS, BUT ONE MEETING, MAYBE TWO.
THAT'S IT SO FAR, I DON'T KNOW.
SO IF THAT'S THEIR POLICY IS THAT SHOULD BE OUR POLICY TOO, THAT DON'T, I DO NOT GET INTO WHAT POLICY SHOULD BE.
THAT'S NOT ANY OF MY BUSINESS.
RIGHT? GO, GO, GO, GO, GO AHEAD.
WELL, FIRST, UM, HELLO EVERYONE.
UM, I WANTED TO ADDRESS, UM, COUNCILMAN DUC SET'S CONCERN ABOUT THAT BEING SPECIFIED IN THIS CONTRACT.
IT IS PURELY TO ESTABLISH AN UPWARD, AN UPWARD BOUNDARY OF AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED.
SO YES, YOU'RE CORRECT ABOUT THE AMOUNT BEING PLACED IN THE BUDGET AND APPROVAL PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN TRIED AND TRUE AS TO THE BOARD HAVING TO APPROVE THE TRAVEL AND THE REIMBURSEMENT BEING CONTINGENT UPON PRESENTATION OF RECEIPTS, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT THAT IS IN THIS TEXT PURELY TO ESTABLISH UPWARD BOUNDARY AND ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE EXISTING, UM, THE EXISTING CONTRACT ESTABLISHED A PREVIOUS UPPER BOUNDARY DUE TO INFLATION,
SO IT'S JUST TO, SO BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE TELLING US IS, IS NOT AN AMOUNT, YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S NOT TO EXCEED? CORRECT.
WELL THEN WE GO BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING TOO, THOUGH.
UH, NORMALLY THOSE, THOSE TYPE ITEMS, THEY DON'T, YOU REALLY DON'T NEED IT NOT TO EXCEED BECAUSE YOU APPROVE ON A EACH BASIS.
AND IF YOU RUN OUTTA MONEY FOR IT AND YOU FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT, YOU CAN ALWAYS AMEN YOUR BUDGET.
SO THE IDEA OF BUDGETING IS TO HAVE PEOPLE TO MANAGE THE MONEY AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING IN MORE MONEY.
AND, UH, YOU COULD ALWAYS AMEND YOUR BUDGET IF HE TRAVELS.
BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU ALL FOLLOWING IT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO MANAGE EVEN HIS TRAVELS AND HOW MUCH YOU WANNA PUT INTO IT IS, IS YOU GOTTA HAVE SOMETHING.
SO IF YOU ALL SAID THAT NOT TO EXCEED AND IT, WE GOTTA WORK TOGETHER.
[01:20:02]
I I, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA STEP IN AND, AND, AND HACKLE OVER STUFF, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITY IS THAT IT GOES THROUGH YOU.APPROVAL GOING ANYWHERE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WELL, WELL, YOUR MEETING, YOU DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING MONDAY, AND I GET, I GET CONCERNED BECAUSE Y'ALL MEET ONCE A MONTH.
THAT MEETING HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING, OR YOU GET MEET ONCE A MONTH, SO WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY ON TOP OF IT ALL.
UH, REAL QUICK GUYS, UH, CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT, ON EXHIBIT A FOR, I'M SORRY, IT DOESN'T HAVE A PAGE NUMBER.
IT'S THE, THE CHANGE OF THE TITLE FOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR TO DEPUTY CHIEF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER.
UH, JUST REAL QUICK, DOES THAT ALL, AND I SEE SOME OF THE RED LINE, WELL, THE BLACK LINE SAYS ON THERE, CHARLIE, UH, AND CHAIRMAN LEBO, I, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY NEGOTIATED THIS, BUT WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE CHANGE? DOES IT ALSO CAUSE FOR AN INCREASE IN PAY OR, OR THAT JUST SOMETHING THAT HE, YOU KNOW, THE CEO BROUGHT BACK TO YOU GUYS AND DISCUSSED ON, UH, A CHANGE OF TITLE, SOMEBODY THAT HE, UH, ACTUALLY SUPERVISED IS, CAN I ANSWER THAT? YEAH, YEAH, SURE.
IT'S, IT'S SIMPLY JUST A, UM, A MORE PROFESSIONAL TITLE AS WE, AS OUR CEO WITH STATE TO US, THAT'S ALL IT IS.
IT'S NOT CHANGING, UM, ANY, UH, FUNDING AS NOT EVEN CHANGING ANY DUTIES.
THIS PERSON ALREADY IS IN PLACE.
SO IT'S JUST CHANGING THE TITLE.
I, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, EXCUSE ME, EXHIBIT A, AND I BELIEVE IT'S ON THE FIRST PAGE OF EXHIBIT A.
WHAT PAGE FOR, OR IT'S THE FIRST PAGE OF EXHIBIT A.
I THINK IT'S THE SEVENTH PAGE OF THE DOCUMENT.
AND THIS IS A CHANGE IN EXHIBIT A FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT INITIALLY HE WAS TO RESIDE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF PORT ARTHUR WITHIN NINE MONTHS OF BEING EMPLOYED.
WELL, NOW THIS SAYS 18 MONTHS, AND HE STILL DOESN'T LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS OF PORT ARTHUR.
SO WHY ARE WE GIVING HIM MORE TIME, IS MY QUESTION.
AND, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE HIM ALL THIS TIME, ARE WE GONNA HOLD HIS FEET TO THE FIRE THIS TIME? BECAUSE AFTER NINE MONTHS, HE LIVES IN THE CITY LIMITS OF NEDERLAND AND HE STILL LIVES THERE.
AND I'VE HEARD ALL THIS ABOUT, WELL, HE SIGNED A LEASE AT THESE APARTMENTS DOWN HERE THAT ARE NOT FINISHED, THAT DON'T HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, AND HE'S IN NEDERLAND.
SO WHY, WHY ARE WE GIVING HIM MORE TIME? AND IF WE'RE GIVING HIM MORE TIME, ARE WE GONNA HOLD A SPEAK TO THE FIRE THIS TIME? SO GO, GO.
UH, WHICH ONE OF YOU CAN YOU ANSWER THAT, MR. LEBAR? SO THE, THE REASON, OKAY, JUST TALKING TO MIKE SO WE CAN, WE CAN RECORD IT.
THE REASON THAT, UH, WE ARE GIVING HIM MORE TIME IS SIMPLY WHAT YOU STATED.
UH, COUNCILMAN BECKHAM, UM, HE IS WAITING FOR HIS APARTMENT TO BE READY, UH, WHICH IS GONNA BE RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, HE'S NOT FAR OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
HE'S ACCESSIBLE, UH, WHEN WE NEED HIM.
THAT'S WHY WE PUT THE EXTRA TIME IN THE CONTRACT JUST TO GIVE HIM TIME TO GET INTO THE CITY LIMITS.
WELL, AND OKAY, THEN I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
HE WAS ALSO GIVEN WHAT, $10,000 IN MOVING EXPENSES ALL REIMBURSEMENTS.
AND, AND HE'S BEEN REIMBURSED $10,000, BUT HE HASN'T MOVED.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT AMOUNT.
AND THAT WAS NOT TO MOVE TO PORT ARTHUR, THAT WAS TO MOVE PERIOD FROM WHERE HE LIVED FROM VICTORIA HERE? YES, MA'AM.
JUST TO GET THAT WAS TO GET HERE.
MORE OF A RELOCATION, LET ME SAY IT LIKE THAT.
THAT'S, DO Y'ALL HAVE A TIMEFRAME ON WHEN THIS APARTMENT IS GONNA BE READY FOR HIM? I DO NOT.
MAY MAY, MAY, I MAY I INTERJECT ON THAT.
WE, UH, A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY ACCORDING TO THOSE, UH, THE NEW APARTMENTS I, I WOULD ASSUME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
WE, YEAH, WE MIGHT BE ABOUT FOUR, FOUR MONTHS OFF.
UH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE, BUT THAT'S JUST, AND THAT'S NOT OFFICIAL INFORMATION.
WHAT I HAVE DOCUMENTED HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN VERBALLY STATED BECAUSE WHAT THEY ARE DOING, COUNCIL, OH, I'M THE CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN DONE THE CONTRACT WITH WHO'S GOING TO MANAGE THE PROPERTIES AT, AT, AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
AND IF, UH, LOOK AT THE PROGRESS THERE, PART OF THE FENCE HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN.
THEY, UH, THEY WERE MOVING IN SOME OTHER APPLIANCES.
I SAW THIS ON LAST WEEK, BUT THAT WAS ONLY IN THE FIRST SECTION.
THAT'S, UH, RIGHT THERE ON PRO AND I GUESS WACO OR MOBILE, WHATEVER THAT STREET IS RIGHT IN THAT SECTION THERE.
[01:25:01]
TRYING TO MOVE TOWARD OCCUPANCY MAYOR, POINT OF ORDER.HE WAS POINT, HE WAS GIVEN A YEAR.
WHAT IS YOUR POINT OF ORDER? THE POINT OF ORDER.
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SOME NEW APARTMENTS THAT'S, THAT'S BEING BUILT AND HE'S WAITING ON TO MOVE IN THEM.
HE'S OUTTA COMPLIANCE WITH HIS CONTRACT.
HE BEEN OUT, AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THESE NEW APARTMENTS.
OKAY, UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO SOMEONE ELSE ASKED.
YOU HAD SOMETHING, OF COURSE, YOU, YOU WERE GETTING READY TO SAY ANY OF YOU HAVE SOMETHING? I THINK SO.
OKAY, GO, GO RIGHT AHEAD, COUNCILMAN.
OH YEAH, I'LL WAIT BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE IF Y'ALL GOT A LIGHT ON OR NOT, SO I CAN'T, I CAN'T SEE.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND IF YOU FOLLOW ME THROUGH COUNSEL, THAT'S SOMETHING I'LL ALWAYS TALK ABOUT.
WHICH BLACK AND WHITE CONTRACT, HE SIGNED A CONTRACT WHEN HE GOT THE JOB.
HE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD WHEN HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE LIVING IN PORT ARTHUR.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HE DIDN'T EVEN LIVE IN PORT ARTHUR.
SO YOU THINK THAT HE WASN'T AWARE OF WHAT WAS IN THE CONTRACT? A RHETORICAL, HE KNEW, I KNOW.
HE KNEW WHEN HE SIGNED HIS CONTRACT THAT WITHIN NINE MONTHS HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE RESIDING IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
THE FACT THAT HE MOVED FROM ANOTHER CITY FAR AWAY HERE THOUGHT AT LEAST STAY HERE.
I PROBABLY WOULD BE IF, IF IFFY, BUT YOU DIDN'T, WON'T STAY IN PORT ARTHUR AND NINE MONTHS, YOU'RE NOT BACK IN PORT ARTHUR.
WHY WOULD I AMEND THE CONTRACT FOR THAT? I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT, THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, I THINK HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD WITH THIS CONTRACT.
BUT I'M GONNA BE FRANK, THAT ONE THERE I CAN'T BUY WITH COUNCILMAN.
IT WAS IN, IT WAS IN THE CONTRACT.
COUNCILMAN, MAY I SAY THIS BEFORE YOU SPEAK? YEAH, YEAH, BEFORE YOU SPEAK COUNCILMAN.
NOW, UH, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO DEFEND ANYONE, I'M JUST GET TERMINATING INFORMATION BASED UPON A PARTICULAR, UH, FACT THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT OUT, UH, THE, THE COMPLETION DATE ON THE APARTMENTS.
IF IN QUESTION THAT I BELIEVE THE GENTLEMAN HAD ACTUALLY SOUGHT A POINT OF AL MAYOR, WHAT'S THE POINT? THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM MOVING INTO PORT ARTHUR POINT OF WATER.
AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM.
NEW CO NEW APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
UH, MAYBE IT, IT MAYBE, UH, THE, MY COLLEAGUES KNOW SOMETHING.
I I JUST WANNA BE TRANSPARENT WHEN I SAY THIS.
UH, I MEAN, I HAVE APPOINTEE, WE ALL HAVE APPOINTEES THAT'S ON THE EDC THAT WE GET ENTRUST TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION.
SO, AM I MISSING SOMETHING? ARE YOU GUYS HAVING PROBLEM? OH, NO, HOLD UP.
YOU JUST, JUST SAY POINT OF ORDER AND I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE YOU.
I RECOGNIZE YOU CONTINUE TO SPEAK.
NO, NO POINT OF CONTINUE TO SPEAK.
THANK MY POINT IS CONTINUE TO SPEAK.
MY POINT IS WE ALL DON AN SIR, YOU'RE OUTTA ORDER.
SIR, WE ALL DON'T HAVE AN APPOINT ON, SIR.
I HAVE NOT RECOGNIZED YOU FOR THAT, SIR.
WELL, UH, MY QUESTION IS CONTINUE.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, I MEAN, I ENTRUST THAT MY BOARD MEMBER HAS THE BEST VALUES OF THIS GREAT CITY.
UH, BUT WHEN WE TALKING ABOUT IF HE LIVES IN PORT ARTHUR, AND WHEN YOU GUYS GAVE AN EXTENSION BASED UPON THIS NEW CONTRACT THAT WE, THAT HE HAS TO SIGN, ARE YOU GUYS HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH CONTACTING HIM, GETTING HERE IN A TIMELY BASIS OR SOMETHING? THAT'S, I'M MISSING WHERE THAT I'M GETTING, I'M HEARING THESE QUESTIONS.
SO IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, I MEAN, I DON'T SEE A REASON WHY WE HAVE TO ENTERTAIN MORE OF A, A VALUE POINT ON WHERE HE LIVES AND HE'S GONNA MOVE TO PORT ARTHUR BASED UPON THE OCCUPANCY OF NDC WHEN THEY OPEN UP.
SO I'M JUST, I'M, I'M, MAYBE THEY KNOW SOMETHING.
UH, I, I VALUE, UH, I I SAY IT AGAIN.
I VALUE OPINION AND I LET YOU MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
SO I ENTRUST THAT WHEN IT GETS TO THE COUNCIL, WE, WE DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
SO I DON'T FEEL THAT EXTENDING IN, HE'S PLANNING ON MOVING TO PORT ARTHUR, IF
[01:30:01]
THAT'S THE CASE.IF HE DOESN'T, HE'LL BE IN VIOLATION AFTER THE TIME EXTENSION THAT'S ON THE CURRENT, CURRENT CONTRACT.
SO, UH, MAYBE WE NEED TO TALK MORE AS A COUNCIL TO, TO GET THAT INFORMATION SO WE ALL CAN HAVE IT, OR I DON'T SEE, YOU KNOW, WHY WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON, UH, YOU KNOW, HE DOESN'T LIVE IN PORT ARTHUR AT THIS TIME, BUT ON THE EXTENSION THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING, HE HAS TO IN THE, THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
COUNCIL, YOU HAVE SOMETHING COUNCILMAN TO SAY? OH, YOU LATER? YEAH.
I JUST, SINCE COUNCILMAN KEN LAW MADE THE COMMENT, I JUST WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHO I APPOINT OR DECISION THEY MAKE.
IT'S, AS I STATED, IT'S ABOUT A CONTRACT AND IT'S NOT THE ONLY THING I TALK ABOUT.
WHEN, WHEN THINGS COME BEFORE US, EVERYBODY SIGN A CONTRACT, UNDERSTAND THE CONTRACT.
SO WHEN HE SIGNED THE CONTRACT, IT WAS FOR NINE MONTHS.
WE ARE NOW PAST THE YEAR IN SOMETHING.
IT IS NOT, NOT TRUSTING WHO MADE THE DECISION, BUT THE FACT THAT HE SIGNED THE CONTRACT AND HE EXCEEDED THE PERIOD ALREADY BEFORE THIS ONE HERE CAME ABOUT, AND THEN WE EXTENDED IT AND WANT TO EXTEND IT TO 18 MONTHS.
YOU KNOW, IF WE EXTEND IT TO 18 MONTHS, IS THAT 18 MONTHS FROM NOW? OR IT IT FROM 18 MONTHS WHEN HE FIRST SIGNED THE CONTRACT? SO WE NEED CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
CAN I, CAN YOU ANSWER THAT? JUST, JUST SO TURN IT BACK.
IT'S 18 MONTHS FROM ACCEPTANCE OF THE ROLE.
IT, IT SAYS IN HERE 18 MONTHS FROM ACCEPTANCE OF THE ROLE.
THAT'S, I WANTED TO HEAR YOU SAY, I WANTED TO HEAR YOU SAY AMEND THING.
WELL, HE'S OUT OF ALL, GO AHEAD.
TELL THE ONE THING I JUST WANTED, WHAT MR. DE SAID, SAID, I THINK IS, UH, WHEN HE DID SIGN HIS CONTRACT, UH, HE WAS AWARE, HE KEPT THE CONTRACT FOR TWO WEEKS TO, TO GIVE TO ATTORNEY TO LOOK OVER IT, MAKE SURE WE WASN'T TAKING HIM TO THE CLEANERS OR WHATEVER.
SO HE WA THEY WERE AWARE OF WHAT THEY SIGNED.
COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN FRANK HAS A, I WANTED TO CALL FOR THE VOTE.
I NEED TO PROPERLY WHAT I WAS ASKING THE MAYOR I WAS ASKING YOU, BUT OKAY.
I'M, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT AND I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTIONS, BUT THE ONE QUESTION THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS, UM, THIS WHOLE IDEA OF WHETHER HE WAS TRYING, YOU KNOW, WHETHER HE LIVED HERE OR WHETHER HE DIDN'T LIVE HERE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS A COUNCIL ALL THE TIME, WE GRANT EXTENSIONS CONTINUALLY TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DOING THINGS, UH, FOR OUR CITY.
IF THEY NEED MORE TIME, THEY'VE COME BACK AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE HAS GRANTED THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO I'M SAYING IF THAT'S, IF, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT THERE IS AN AVOIDANCE FACTOR HERE THAT HE'S NOT TRYING TO LIVE IN OUR CITY.
UM, HE HAS A PLACE THAT HE'S GOTTEN, THERE'S BEEN SOME DIFFICULTIES GOING ON THERE THAT HAVE ELONGATED THE PROCESS.
AND I THINK THAT IF, IF THERE'S NOT ANY REASON I'M CALLING FOR US TO VOTE ON THE CONTRACT, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
OKAY, SO LET'S CALLED THE QUESTION.
SO I'M CALLING THE QUESTION WE, ARE WE CORRECT ON THAT ATTORNEY? MY, MY, MY ONLY THING IS THAT YOU HAVE A RED LINE, SO YOU NEED TO SPECIFICALLY SAY, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE RED LINE? I'M SATISFIED.
SHE'S CALLING FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, COUNCILMAN KEN, I YOU WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE MICROPHONE.
BUT SO WE, WE VAL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CLEAN COPY NOW WITH ALL THE RED LINE ADJUSTMENTS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLEAN COPY NOW, RIGHT? YES, YES SIR.
CLEAN COPY IT SAYS TO DISCUSS AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
CITY SECRETARY IS ASKING A QUESTION.
MADAM SECRETARY, WHAT YOU GOT SHERRY? YES.
SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS PROPERLY POSTED.
UH, I WOULD'VE, I WOULD'VE TO ACCEPT THE MOTION ON THIS.
I MAKE THE MOTION FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONTRACT FOR OUR, UH, DIRECTOR OF, UM, EDC.
CAN I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE SECOND HAS BEEN MOVED.
AND WE WOULD ACCEPT THE CONTRACT CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT PRESENTED TO US FOR THE CEO OF PORT ARTHUR EDC.
ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION AGAIN? NO, WE READY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? I SEE YOUR LIGHT ON ROLL CALL.
[01:35:01]
GO RIGHT AHEAD.UH, SEE THE SECRETARY, HER MICS.
OH, I THOUGHT YOU WAS COUGHING.
THE MEASURE FAILS FOR A TIE VOTE.
[II. (3) Discussion And Possible Action On Amendments To PAEDC Bylaws]
NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THE LAST ITEM THAT WE HAVE IS A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION AMENDMENT ON THE P-A-E-D-C BYLAWS, UH, ATTORNEY.SO, UM, MR. ZACK GAVE US A VERY DETAILED, UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING Y'ALL HAVE HAD FOR A WHILE AND HE GAVE US ANOTHER RED LINE.
I KNOW Y'ALL LIKE TO HAVE THE STUFF HANDED OUT AS WELL.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE A VERY DETAILED RED LINE ON THAT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO JUST PASS EVERYTHING OUT, BUT JUST FOR YOUR PACKET, THE 'CAUSE I KNOW, I KNOW YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, WELL MOVE FORWARD WITH ALL OF THAT TODAY, BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION IS.
HE GAVE THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION FROM 1996.
HE GAVE THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION FROM 2005 AND THEN THE MOST RECENT UPDATE FROM 2018 IS IN HERE.
UM, AND THAT WAS, UM, THE MOST, UH, RECENT CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS.
AND THEN THERE'S BEEN, UM, SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT WERE REDLINED THAT I DO HAVE COPIES FOR ALL THE COUNSELING.
I KNOW YOU LIKE HARD COPIES AS WELL AS ELECTRONIC.
I WAS THINKING FOR THE, AND IF I'M OUTTA LINE, LEMME KNOW MAYBE FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS MEETING THAT YOU JUST KIND OF, KIND OF TELL US WHAT THOSE HIGHLIGHTS ARE AND MAYBE THEY STUDY IT.
'CAUSE THAT IS RATHER COMPREHENSIVE.
AND, AND, AND YOU HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT VERSIONS AND I CAN, UH, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S AVAILABLE ALREADY ELECTRONICALLY, BUT YOU MAY, I HAVE THE HARD COPIES THAT YOU CAN TAKE AND STUDY.
OKAY? AND, AND IT MAY, AND, AND IT PROBABLY IS A GOOD IDEA JUST FOR ME TO GIVE YOU A BROAD OVERVIEW.
A BROAD, AND THEN YOU TAKE THESE DOCUMENTS AND, AND STUDY AND AT YOUR CONVENIENCE TO STUDY 'EM TO UNDERSTAND IT.
AND SO THE REASON WHY, SO I, THE, THE BOARD, THE BOARD REQUESTED THAT WE AMEND THE BYLAWS TO BE MORE CONSISTENT WITH BEST PRACTICES FOR BYLAWS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS.
WE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS AND MULTIPLE PUBLIC HEARINGS REGARDING THESE PROPOSED CHANGES.
AND IF YOU GO THROUGH IT AND YOU SEE THE RED LINES, YOU'LL SEE COMMENTS.
THE RED LINE VERSION HAS COME, I CALL IT THE ANNOTATED VERSION.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE I'VE ANNOTATED SOME OF THE CHANGES.
UM, AND THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND ALL THE AMENDMENTS THERE TOO, AND ALSO THE RECENTLY ADOPTED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT WERE ADOPTED BY THIS BOARD IS BECAUSE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE CURRENT BYLAWS ARE NOT BEST PRACTICES TO BE IN THOSE BYLAWS.
THEY'RE EITHER IN THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, WHICH IS WHERE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BE, OR THEY ARE BETTER PUT IN A POLICY AND PROCEDURE, WHICH IS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN MOVED TO.
SO I WANTED YOU TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE MOVED, THEY ACTUALLY, THEY WEREN'T STRICKEN FROM, FROM THE BYLAWS FOR PURPOSES OF, THEY SHOULDN'T BE ENFORCEABLE, BUT THEY ARE BETTER PLACED IN, IN A POLICY MANUAL AS OPPOSED TO, IN, OPPOSED TO THE BYLAWS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY ALL THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE PROVIDED TO YOU.
SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE WENT THROUGH THE BYLAWS, WE STRUCK THOSE PROVISIONS THAT ARE PROPERLY IN THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.
AND SO I GAVE YOU THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION SO THAT YOU COULD LOOK AT 'EM AND SAY, I'D SAY, OKAY, THEY ARE IN THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.
UM, UM, WE STRUCK SOME PROVISIONS AND THEY WERE MOVED TO THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL.
UM, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES IS THE, THE ETHICS PROVISIONS WITHIN THE BYLAWS.
UM, CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY ADOPTED, UM, AN ETHICS ORDINANCE, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY APPLICABLE TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND SO THAT BASICALLY MADE EVERYTHING IN THE BYLAWS, UM, MOOT BECAUSE YOU'VE ADOPTED VERY SPECIFIC ETHICS REQUIREMENTS FOR, FOR OFFICERS, INCLUDING
[01:40:01]
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO BE IN THERE BECAUSE YOU'VE ADOPTED SOMETHING AS A BOARD THAT REQUIRES THEM TO COMPLY WITH IT.THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE POLICIES THAT SAYS, HEY, THE CITY, THESE BOARD MEMBERS SHALL COMPLY WITH THE CITY'S ADOPTED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WITH RESPECT TO ETHICS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I PROVIDED YOU A COPY OF THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
'CAUSE YOU'LL SEE IN A COMMENT, I'LL SAY, THIS WAS MOVED TO THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES PROPERLY ADOPTED BY THE BOARD SO THAT YOU CAN THEN LOOK AT THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND GO, YES, THOSE, THOSE ARE IN THERE.
AND SO THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE DELUGE OF DOCUMENTS THAT I PROVIDED YOU, BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU HAD EVERYTHING NECESSARY IN ORDER TO PROPERLY REVIEW THESE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE ARE RED LINES AND STRIKETHROUGHS AND THERE ARE MANY I'VE ALSO, YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THE CLEAN VERSION, UM, AS WELL, SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AS A CLEAN DOCUMENT.
UM, BUT THAT RED LINE VERSION DOES ANNOTATE THE CHANGES AND, AND WHY THEY WERE MADE AND IF THEY WERE STRICKEN OR IF THEY WERE MOVED SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY ENOUGH FOR TONIGHT.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO SORT OF ANSWER ANY GENERAL QUESTIONS, UM, THAT YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THEM.
BUT THE INTENT, THE INTENT WAS SIMPLY TO BRING THESE BYLAWS UP TO DATE WITH BEST PRACTICES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS.
SOME OF Y'ALL WERE HERE IN OH FIVE.
SO YOU SEE 1996, THAT'S THE ORIGINAL, YOU KNOW, IT ALLOWS YOU TO KIND OF TAKE A HISTORICAL LOOK WITH ALL THAT.
YOU HAVE
SO YOU, YOU KIND OF HAVE IN THE BLUE PAPERS THE HISTORICAL HISTORY, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU CAN LOOK HOW IT CHANGED BY YEAR.
AND THEN THIS IS THE PROPOSAL.
AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY BE, UH, BACK AT THE TIME WE DID IT, IT WAS KIND OF LONG-WINDED.
SO LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME THINGS COULD BE PUT IN DIFFERENT POLICIES.
SO IT'S JUST FOR YOU TO REVIEW.
SO IT'S RED LINE, SO YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH FOLLOW ON.
YOU MIGHT WANNA LOOK AT 96 THEN OH FIVE, THEN 18 IS A LOT OF HOMEWORK.
SO, BUT HE, HE, HE, HE WAS VERY DETAILED IN THAT, IN THE MANNER HE DID IT.
AND IF YOU WANNA, THERE'S A CLEAN COPY ALSO, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE YOU A WHOLE STACK OF PAPER.
SO, BUT THAT GIVES YOU THE WHOLE HISTORY TO STUDY TO DECIDE IF THESE CHANGES ARE ACCEPTABLE.
SO, AND I I ANNOTATED THEM WITH THE INTENT OF MAKING SURE THAT WHERE VERY SPECIFIC CHANGES WERE MADE, YOU KNEW THE, THE REASONS FOR 'EM IF THEY WERE MOVED OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
OKAY? UH, AND ON THIS, I IT AT THIS, AT THIS JUNCTURE, UH, DISCUSSION, WE'VE HAD A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENT.
UH, I DON'T THINK, WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, BUT I, I BELIEVE ANY ACTION ON THIS WOULD BE PREMATURE AT THIS, AT THIS JUNCTURE.
UH, BUT THAT'S MY, UH, PERSONAL, UH, OPINION ON THIS.
UH, IT, I, I WOULD CERTAINLY WOULD, WOULD PER, WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE THE TIME TO PERUSE, RIGHT? PERUSE THESE, THE ANNOTATED VERSION, THE RED LINE VERSION TO LOOK AT ALL THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTS.
I'LL MAKE THIS STATEMENT, UH, ON, ON, UH, BECAUSE OF THE RESULTS OF THE PREVIOUS VOTE, WE SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER MEETING IN ABOUT TWO TO THREE WEEKS AGAIN, AND WE CAN BRING THIS UP, ATTORNEY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU STILL BE HERE, YOU OR YOU CAN, YOU WANNA BRING IT BACK WHEN, IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS OR THREE WEEKS? WE GOING, WE GOING TO HAVE TO MEET AGAIN ON THE GENTLEMAN'S CONTRACT.
WE GONNA HAVE TO MEET AGAIN ON, ON THIS.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'S A KNOWN FACT.
I HATE TO PICK UP ALL OF Y'ALL TIME, YOU KNOW? UH, BUT, UH, AND, AND TO SAY IT IN HUMOROUS MANNER, NOT BEING FACETIOUS, BUT Y'ALL MADE ME MISS ANOTHER PART OF ME THOUGHT.
SO YOU GOT WHATEVER COMMENTS YOU HAVE, JUST GIVE IT TO US AND WE'LL MAKE SURE.
YEAH, I, I MEAN, I'M, I'M JUST BEING HONEST, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE STAYED, I, I, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA GO DOWN WITH THE SHIP.
SO, UH, BUT HOPEFULLY WE CAN WORK OUT WHATEVER WOULD NEED TO BE WORKED OUT.
UH, CHAIRMAN ANDERSON AND MR. ABOVE, WHO I THINK WAS ACTIVE IN, UH, SECURITY CONTRACT.
UH, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THIS WITH EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE, MR. UH, STOKES, DON'T LET THIS VOTE TONIGHT STOP YOU FROM DOING YOUR WORK.
[01:45:01]
OKAY? IT'S JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING, MISCOMMUNICATION.AND, UH, I DON'T TAKE IT ANYTHING NOT PERSONAL AT ALL.
IF THEY HAVE, UH, UH, PROFESSIONAL POSITIONING ON THIS MATTER.
AND WE JUST WANT TO PRAY TO GOD THAT THEIR PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS WOULD EVEN, UH, BE, UH, NOT OBLIVATE YET, UH, RETHOUGHT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UH, ALLOW YOU TO WORK UNDER THE NORMALCY OF A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT AS EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS TYPE PROFESSION WORKS.
OKAY? AND THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO SAY, PORT ARTHUR, AND DON'T STOP ME, ATTORNEY, I WAS ABOUT TO, I KNOW, I KNOW YOU ABOUT TO, BUT PORT ARTHUR BYLAWS, PORT ARTHUR, ACCORDING THE BYLAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE BYLAWS OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUALS FROM THIS COUNCIL TOWARD ACTIVITY AND THE GOVERNANCE OF THIS COMMUNITY ALLOWS US, AND YOU KNOW WHAT I SAID US, I DIDN'T SAY THEM OR THOSE I'M INCLUDED.
IT ALLOWS US NOT TO HAVE A FAVORABLE POSITION WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING PROFESSIONALS TO PERFORM PROFESSIONAL DUTIES IN THIS COMMUNITY.
ACTIONS ON THIS EVENING WOULD SUPPORT THAT PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION THAT A PROFESSIONAL PERSON WOULD HAVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT I WOULD WORK TOWARD, AS LONG AS I'M SEATED IN THIS SEAT, TO BE SURE THAT THE PERCEPTION OF OUR CITY IS NOT SUCH AS THE CASE WHERE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE THE PROFESSIONAL ACUMEN TO GET US TO THE NEXT LEVEL WOULD DETER AND DEFER THEIR OPPORTUNITY.
OH, BECAUSE OF US MAYOR, I THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK.
FIRST OF ALL, I TOLD YOU WHAT I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT.
UH, AND THAT WAS JUST 18 MONTHS.
OKAY? I'M SORRY, MAYOR, I'M NOT APOLOGIZED TO BOTH OF YOU.
ENTERTAIN, ENTERTAIN THE, WE TALKING ABOUT THE BYLAWS, THEN WE CAN YEAH, BUT WE CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT THE ITEM ON THE BY.
LET ME, LET ME, LEMME JUST SEE SINCE I, UH, SINCE WE VOTED ON IT ON THE, UM, CONTRACT, I CAN REQUEST TO RECONSIDER.
YOU CAN RE YES, YOU CAN REQUEST AT RIGHT MAYOR, JUST, YOU'LL PICK UP SOME POINTS.
SO THEREFORE I WANT SPEAK ON IT.
SO ALL I HAVE TO DO IS REQUEST THAT IT BE RECONSIDERED.
SO IN ORDER TO SPEAK ON IT AND GET SOME CLARIFICATION, YOU MAY GET THIS RESOLVED.
I REQUEST THAT WE RECONSIDER THE ITEM, WHICH DEALING WITH THE CEO.
OKAY? I MAKE REQUEST THAT WE CAN RECONSIDER WE AT THIS, AT THIS JUN, RIGHT? YOU JUST, HOW CAN WE HANDLE THAT ATTORNEY? YOU MADE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER WHICH ITEM DID YOU MAKE A MOTION TO? RECONSIDERATION.
I'M MAKING A MOTION TO RE OKAY.
I GET A SECOND ON CONSIDERATION.
OKAY, FRANK, YOU GAVE A SECOND.
SO SOMEBODY TO SAYING SOMETHING.
WE HAVE A MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION OF THE CONTRACTUAL ITEM FOR THE CEO, RIGHT? OKAY.
PA, WHAT WAS IT? THAT WAS NOT A PREVAILING SIDE.
NO ONE HAD A PREVAILING SIDE, SIR, WAS A ENTIRE VOTE.
NO, IT WAS NOT A PREVAILING VOTE BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE SAME MEETING.
IF THE MEETING HAD ADJOURNED, THEN THE, YEAH, RIGHT.
BUT, BUT BECAUSE WE IN THE SAME MEETING, YOU HAVE NOT ADJOURNED SESSION.
RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I CAN ACCEPT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IN THIS SESSION.
SO I, I'VE GOTTA HAVE A SECOND.
I AM READY TO CALL IT FOR QUESTION ON THE QUESTIONS.
YOU WANNA DO A ROLL CALL, VOTE AGAIN? NO, IT IS ON THE FLOAT.
YOU YOU'RE, YOU'RE BRINGING THE MATTER BACK
[01:50:01]
FOR DISCUSSION.IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YOU'RE BRINGING THE ITEM BACK TO DISCUSSION.
THAT'S WHY I CALLED FOR QUESTION.
NO, A SECOND VOTE IS AUTOMATICALLY THE FLOW NOW.
ALRIGHT, NOW WHAT I WANT TO EXPLAIN, DID THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE VOTE TO, ON THE RE, OKAY, SO YOU'VE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND YOU HAVE TO VOTE TO RECONSIDER VOTE.
OKAY, VOTE FOR A RECONSIDERATION.
I'VE CALLED A QUESTION ON, ON THAT MOTION.
AND SO HE, THE ITEM, THE MOTION IS TO RECONSIDER, YOU'VE HAD A MOTION, YOU'VE HAD A SECOND.
NOW YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY TAKE A VOTE ON WHETHER YOU WANT RECONSIDER, THERE'S NO QUESTION ON IT.
YOU HAVE TO VOTE ON WHETHER YOU CAN RECONSIDER THE ITEM.
I DON'T HAVE TO CALL FOR A QUESTION.
ALL IN FAVOR OF RECONSIDERATION, AYE.
I WANTED TO TELL YOU ALL I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE 18 MONTHS.
I FELT STRONGLY ABOUT MR. MR SU'S UNDERSTANDING WHAT HE SIGNED, BUT Y'ALL JUST SAID 18 MONTHS.
IF YOU WANT ME TO RECONSIDER IT, THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BRING ME A DESIGNATED TIME.
AND I'M QUITE SURE WE GET THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD, UH, UH, RECONSIDER IT.
AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS WITH PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES, BECAUSE IT IS DIED, RIGHT? IT AIN'T COMING BACK FROM 90 DAYS.
OKAY? AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS RESOLVED BY OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO IF SOMEONE COULD, UH, GIVE MAY, MAY, MAY, MAY I ASK, MAY I THE ATTORNEY, AND I THINK MR. UH, LEBO ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT 18 MONTHS FROM THE SIGNING OF THE ACTUAL AGREEMENT, RIGHT? SO WHATEVER MONTH YOU, HE SIGNED THIS, THEY WERE ACTUALLY, THIS BOARD WAS ACTUALLY GIVING HIM 18 MONTHS FROM THAT ORIGINAL SIGNING DATE.
AM I CORRECT? THAT'S THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT, WHAT TIMEFRAME IS THAT? WHAT'S Y'ALL COUNT? 18 MONTHS, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT BEGINS.
WHEN DID YOU START, Y'ALL TAKE YOUR TIME.
WHEN DID YOU START WORK, MR. STOKES? I'M SORRY.
SO WHAT, WHAT WHAT MONTH? NOVEMBER 14TH, 2022.
WHAT? 14TH WHAT MONTH? I DIDN'T HEAR A MONTH.
OKAY, SO WE'VE BEEN 12 MONTHS WAS NOVEMBER OF 2023.
RIGHT? AND THEN YOU ADD SIX MONTHS, LIKE I LEARNED THAT AT CARVER SCHOOL.
RIGHT? SO YOU ADD SIX MONTHS TO THAT, RIGHT? THAT'S MAY, SO NOVEMBER, RIGHT? YOU DON'T COUNT NOVEMBER BECAUSE IT HAPPENED THEN THAT MAY YOU BEGIN 30 DAYS.
HENCE, SO THAT'S DECEMBER, MAY, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL AND MAY.
RIGHT? SO BY MAY HE WOULD BE LEGALLY BOUND TO LIVE WITHIN THE JURISDICTIONAL CONFINES OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
THERE ARE HOUSING AND I MEAN, THERE ARE HOMELESS CAMPS OUT BY THE HOSPITAL.
I'M, I'M, I'M JUST BEING FOR REAL.
MAYOR, LET'S JUST LET STICK WITH WHAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON NEXT.
COME AND TO BE CLEAR, ONCE AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, NOVEMBER 22ND.
WHAT'D YOU SAY? NOVEMBER 22ND.
I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA AGREE TO THE NEXT FOR HIM TILL MAY.
Y'ALL COULD GET WITH YOUR CEO FIND OUT IF HE COULD DO ANYTHING QUICKER THAN THAT.
YEAH, I'M NOT WAITING TILL MAY, YOU KNOW, HE SIGNED A CONTRACT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
AND I'M, I'M SAYING THIS SO WE CAN RESOLVE IT.
'CAUSE AS I STATED EARLIER, YEAH, IF WE DON'T RESOLVE IT, IT AIN'T COMING BACK FOR SIX MONTHS.
RIGHT? AND I WOULD LIKE TO RESOLVE IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO RESOLVE IT BEFORE 90 DAYS.
BEFORE 90 DAYS, BUT I'M NOT GONNA, UH, GIVE, TELL, TELL MAY I THINK YOU ENDED UP A LOT OF TIME.
MAY, MAY I SAY THIS? MAY, MAY I, MAY I SAY THIS IN THE, UH, CONSCIOUS AND IN CONSIDERATION OF TIME, MR. STOKES, EVIDENTLY IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS COUNCIL WANTS YOU LIVING IN PORT ARTHUR.
NOW I, WE UNDERSTAND TOTALLY WHERE YOU TRYING TO LIVE.
WE CAN'T REALLY NEGOTIATE OR HAVE THAT TYPE OF DISCUSSION UP HERE.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANNA INSERT SOME LANGUAGE IN THE CONTRACT, YOU CAN INSERT SOME LANGUAGE YOU'VE ALREADY VOTED.
IF YOU WILL WANT AMEND YOUR VOTE, THAT'S FINE, BUT WE CAN'T, YOU'LL HAVE A BACK AND FORTH WITH, WITH ANYONE DURING THE COURT.
EXCUSE ME, MAY I SPEAK TO THE MOTION? GO.
[01:55:01]
MAY I SPEAK TO THE MOTION? GO RIGHT AHEAD.SINCE WE'VE RECONSIDERED, I WOULD REALLY, REALLY, REALLY PLEAD TO THIS COUNCIL FOR RECONSIDERATION AS WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS ISSUE BACK.
UM, UM, WE ASK INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE, UM, ON THIS, UH, EDC AND TO GIVE UP THEIR TIME, UH, AND THEIR TALENTS, THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE FACING EVEN NOW.
UM, WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THIS RIGHT NOW, THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE HOLDING, UH, THIS CONTRACT UP FOR NOW, ARE THEY REALLY THAT BIG? ARE THEY REALLY THAT MAJOR OR ARE WE LOOKING AT SOMETHING ON A PERSONAL LEVEL? AND IF WE ARE, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THERE, THEN WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT.
BUT DON'T WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT IT'S SO SEEMINGLY MINUTE TO HOLD THIS CONTRACT AND THESE INDIVIDUALS, UM, UH, AT BAY FROM FULFILLING WHAT WE HAVE ASKED THEM TO DO.
IF INDIVIDUALS DON'T HAVE A, IF INDIVIDUALS DON'T HAVE SOMEONE ON THIS EDC, IT'S BECAUSE THEY'VE CHOSEN NOT TO PUT SOMEONE ON THIS EDC.
BUT WHATEVER IS HAPPENING, LET THAT NOT BE THE REASON THAT WE ARE NOT APPROVING THIS CONTRACT AND ARE NOT ALLOWING THE PROFESSIONALS THAT WE HAVE APPROVED OF AND BROUGHT HERE TO DO THEIR JOB.
I WOULD RECONSIDER AND ASK, NOW THAT YOU LOOK INSIDE AS EACH COUNCIL MEMBER RECONSIDER YOUR VOTE AND LET'S APPROVE THIS CONTRACT.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, CITY ATTORNEY, WHAT IS THE VIOLATION PENALTY FOR VIOLATING A CONTRACT? WELL, PROBABLY, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN VIOLATED, PROBABLY TERMINATION OF IT.
UM, THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN VIOLATED.
THE CONTRACT IS ALREADY ENDED.
THE CONTRACT'S OVER, SO THIS IS TO ENTER INTO A NEW ONE.
UM, AND YOU JUST NEED TO, IF YOU WANT TO ENTER INTO A NEW ONE, YOU NEED TO INSERT THE PROPER LANGUAGE THE PRIOR CONTRACT IS OVER WITH.
SO THAT PERSON THERE, YES, THE CONTRACT IS OVER WITH, BUT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THE CEO SERVES AT THE WILL AND PLEASURE OF THE BOARD APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.
COUNCILMAN DEUCE THAT YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YEAH, I JUST WANT TO, UH, GIVE A REMARK.
I, I WOULD NOT NEED MY, MY REMARKS ARE NOT PERSONAL.
I STATED WHAT MY REMARK WAS ABOUT.
I, I EXPLAINED TO THE BOARD MEMBERS WHERE I STAND.
THE CONTRACT WAS NINE MONTHS, IT'S OVER A YEAR.
I SAID I AM WILLING TO RECONSIDER MY VOTE, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO WAIT TILL IT'S CONVENIENT TO HIM TO DO IT IN 18 MONTHS.
AND, AND, AND THE OTHER THING I SAID WAS, IF WE DON'T DO THIS BY NEXT MEETING, IT'S GONNA BE 90 DAYS BEFORE IT COULD COME BACK.
I WOULD LIKE TO DO IT BEFORE 90 DAYS.
SO, SO CAN I RECOMMEND SOMETHING? SO I'M KIND OF HELPING GIVE Y'ALL A, I'M SORRY, DID YOU WANT, I WAS JUST GONNA RECOMMEND WHEN YOU LEAVE HERE TONIGHT, THEN THE RULE WILL APPLY.
IF YOU WANT TO ALLOW TIME FOR EVERYONE TO RESUBMIT SOMETHING, FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER, THEN YOU CAN LET US KNOW AND WE CAN PUT SOMETHING ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
BUT, YOU KNOW, OTHERWISE, THAT 90 DAY RULE APPLY TOMORROW.
WE ARE AND, AND WELL, IF YOU WANNA, IF YOU WANNA GIVE THEM TILL THE 27TH OKAY.
TO COME UP WITH A, WITH A COUNTER PROPOSAL.
AND, AND JUST, JUST, JUST, JUST ONE SECOND, UH, BOARD MEMBER HAS SOMETHING, AND THIS, THIS ISN'T THE QUESTION OF DISCUSSION.
IF THE CONTRACT HAS, ARE YOU ON? I AM, YES.
IF THE CONTRACT HAS ENDED, WHAT ARE WE DEBATING? WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT.
SO WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT.
SO WE ARE REALLY STARTING WITH A NEW CONTRACT AND PROBABLY THE 18 MONTHS IS NULL AND VOID WE SHOULD BE STARTING WITH TODAY BECAUSE WE ARE DEBATING WHETHER WE WANT A CONTRACT FOR TODAY.
[02:00:01]
HAVE EXTENDED IT, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS SUGGESTED TO EXTEND WE ALLOWED THE CONTRACT TO END AND BECAUSE IT'S ENDED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE, I I MEAN I, I I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT HE'S IN VIOLATION OF THE CONTRACT, BUT HE'S IN VIOLATION OF A CONTRACT THAT'S ENDED.SO I'M JUST ASKING THE ATTORNEYS TO PLEASE GIVE ME AN OPINION ON THAT.
UH, BUT I JUST WANNA OPPOSE TO YOU, WHEN YOU GAVE US YOUR, YOUR, YOUR INTERPRETATION OF IT, AND YOU SAID YOU WERE ASSUMING THAT THE 18 MONTHS ACTUALLY WAS FROM, AND I JUST FOUND OUT NOVEMBER OF 22, UH, IN IS THERE ANY CASE LAW WASN'T, IT WASN'T AN ASSUMPTION.
IT'S ACTUALLY WRITTEN INTO THE AGREEMENT.
SO IT'S, IT IS IN THE AG IF, IF YOU APPROVE THIS AGREEMENT, WHICH DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO, BUT IF YOU DO, IT MEANS YOU THAT HE IS REQUIRED TO BE MOVED INTO THE CITY LIMITS BY MAY 14TH OF THIS YEAR.
IF YOU DON'T APPROVE THIS AGREEMENT, IT ACTUALLY MEANS HE DOESN'T HAVE TO MOVE INTO THE CITY LIMITS EVER BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT THAT REQUIRES HIM TO DO SO.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S EVEN MORE SUCCINCT.
YEAH, NO, HE DON'T HAVE AN AGREEMENT.
HE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT EITHER.
I MEAN, YOU GOTTA ADD THE WHOLE, WHOLE NINE YARD.
DON'T NO, NO, I, NO, I'M NOT, I'M NOT DEBATING YOU ON THAT POINT.
BUT YOU WAS ADDRESSING JUST THE RESIDENCY.
THAT IT AIN'T JUST ABOUT THE RESIDENT, IT'S ABOUT THE WHOLE CONTRACT.
AND THEN, AND I WANT TO ANSWER, UH, UH, MS. INGRID'S, UH, COMMENT.
IT'S, THE CONTRACT IS NO GOOD, BUT THIS CONTRACT, IF WE APPROVE THIS CONTRACT, THEN THAT MEANS ANY PERSON AFTER HIM COMES IN, IT'S GOING TO HAVE 18 MONTHS TO MOVE INTO THE CITY.
IT'D BE A NEW CONTRACT JUST FOR HIM THOUGH.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS, I WOULD CALL AN AMENDMENT OR AN ADJUSTMENT BASED UPON CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND HIS CONTROL THAT THE GENTLEMAN HAS BEEN TRYING TO SECURE HOUSING.
AND I WAS STOPPED EARLIER, BUT I WOULD SAY IT AGAIN, THOSE APARTMENTS WERE TO HAVE BEEN COMPLETED POINT OF WATER, MAYOR, MAYOR BACK IN SEPTEMBER OR SOMETIME POINT.
I MEAN, WE CAN'T DO, OKAY, I'M READY TO, WHAT CAN I MOTION? AJOUR ELSE? WE NEED TO DO MOTION FOR ADJOURN.
GIVE US SOME DIRECTION ON WHAT YOU WANNA DO WITH THIS ITEM, OTHERWISE, OKAY.
IT'S DEAD IN THREE MONTHS AND WE CALL A VOTE AGAIN FOR AFTER THE RECONSIDERATION.
YEAH, I THINK SHERRY, YEAH, WE'D HAVE TO STILL VOTE ON THAT.
CAN WE, WE, I MEAN, YOU'VE ALREADY VOTED.
YOU WANNA, YOU WANNA REVOTE? WE CAN VOTE.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
DO YOU WANNA, OR DO YOU WANNA BRING IT BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING? LET'S RE VOTE.
WE CAN REVOTE AGAIN, JUST SO FOR THE RECORD, WE BROUGHT IT BACK.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM VOTING ONLY AT THIS MEETING.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I I'M SAYING BRING, YOU TOLD ME EARLIER, BACK AT THE, SO WE CAN VOTE AGAIN RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION OF CITY SECRETARY.
SO WE DID A MOTION AND A SECOND TO RECONSIDER IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A VOTE.
WE NEED TO MOTION AND A SECOND ON THAT.
YOU NEED A SEC? IF YOU'VE MOVED, YOU NEED A MOTION IN A SECOND IF YOU WANNA VOTE AGAIN.
SO YOU, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? HOLD ON TO TAKE ANOTHER VOTE.
JUST, JUST, JUST, HEY, JUST, JUST ROLL WITH IT.
THIS JIM IS, BRING BACK 20 SECONDS.
MC, MAYOR, SECOND, SECOND FOR ADJOURN.
UH, TO THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE EDC AND THE CEO AND THE OTHERS, THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR, FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR YOUR INPUT, PLEASE.