Mar 19, 2024 Special City Council

[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]

WELL, GOOD.

UH, AFTERNOON AND WELCOME HERE ON THIS AFTERNOON TO THE PORT ARTHUR, UH, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON THE FIFTH FLOOR HERE AT CITY HALL AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.

ON THIS, THE LORD DAY, TUESDAY, MARCH 19TH, 2024.

JUST ABOUT A DAY AND A HALF, OR MAYBE TWO DAYS FROM SPRING TIME.

ACTUALLY BRING US TO THE WORKSHOP PORTION, AND WE WILL HAVE A WORKSHOP BY THE, UH, DUO GROUP, LLC, AND AT THIS TIME WITH, UH, I THINK CITY MANAGER.

NOW, WE ARE HERE IN, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, FOR A SPECIAL MEETING FOR TODAY.

AND YOU MAY ATTEND THE MEETING, UH, UH, VIA, UH, TELEPHONIC PROPERTY RIGHT NOW, AND IT'D BE VIDEO CONFERENCE IN A MOMENT.

UH, BUT FIRST YOU MUST DOWELL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7, OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE MEETING.

HOWEVER, I KNOW THERE MAY BE SOME TECHNICAL, UH, SITUATIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT OUR IT DEPARTMENT IS WORKING, UH, DILIGENTLY TO CORRECT THAT, AND IT SHOULD BE CORRECTED.

I'VE BEEN TOLD IN A FEW MOMENTS, AND, EXCUSE ME, WE'LL BE ALLOWED ONCE THE, UH, CORRECTIONS ARE MADE TO, UH, PARTICIPATE AND VIEW THE MEETING.

I BELIEVE RIGHT NOW, THE, UH, AUDIO, IT'S ALL THAT THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR US RIGHT NOW.

AND AT THIS MEETING, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACTS, AND THE, UH, CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WILL PROVIDE THE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, UH, UPON YOUR REQUEST.

HOWEVER, A REQUEST MUST BE MADE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING BY CALLING THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5, AND LET THOSE, UH, LET YOUR REQUEST BE MADE KNOWN, AND THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WOULD DO ALL WITHIN ITS POWERS TO ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH YOUR SPECIAL REQUEST.

NOW, WE WILL BEGIN THE MEETING WITH AN INVOCATION, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND OUR ROLL CALL.

SO IF YOU ALL WOULD STAND AND I'LL OFFER AN INVOCATION AND WE WILL PROCEED.

WILL YOU BOW WITH ME THE WORD OF PRAYER? FATHER GOD, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WE APPROACH YOUR THRONE OF GRACE AND MERCY OUT TO SO DEAR GOD, IN DEEP CONTRITION AND EVEN AT THIS HOUR, DEAR GOD, WE INVOKE YOUR PRESENCE UPON THIS ASSEMBLAGE AND ASK THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW US TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL FOR THIS MUNICIPALITY.

AND WE'LL BE EVER SO CAREFUL, DEAR GOD, TO GIVE YOUR NAME, THE PRAISE, THE WORSHIP, AND THE GLORY AND THE HONOR, BECAUSE YOU ARE A GOOD GOD.

AND WE ARE VERY, VERY THANKFUL FOR THIS.

THESE THINGS WE ASK IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

FOR SAKE, WE DO PRAY, MAN, AND THANK GOD.

LET US NOW REPEAT OR RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY SECRETARY.

WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH A QUORUM FOR US? MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT, MAYOR PRO TIMM HAMILTON, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER BECKHAM HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER ETT HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK.

PRESENT.

YEAH, MCCO MAYOR.

THANK YOU SO KINDLY.

AND ON TODAY, AS I STATED EARLIER, IT IS A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, AND WE HAVE THE AGENDA, AND THIS WOULD

[II. WORKSHOP]

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY BEFORE THEY COME FORWARD? NO.

ITS FEMA REVIEW AND AUDIT, WHEN MANY DOLLARS WERE AT STAKE TO BE RECLAIMED WHERE THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO PAY BACK, WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND THE CITY'S, UH, INVESTMENT, UH, IN THE TERM IN TERMS OF $12 MILLION.

COME ON UP, MR. UH, CRAIG CAL FARRO, AND YOU CAN BEGIN YOUR PRESENTATION.

GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE DAY.

UH, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO YOU, UH, SINCE THERE, IT'S BEEN ONGOING DISCUSSION AND SOME, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE ROLES THAT ADORA HAS BEEN PLAYING.

SO WE WANTED TO, UH, COME BACK WITH SOME INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, UH, IN TERMS OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF, OF OUR ROLE AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH, WITH THE CITY.

SO YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU A, UH, A BAR GRAPH OR TABLE WITH SOME BAR GRAPHS ON IT THAT SORT OF SUMMARIZES WHAT WE'LL BE, UH, DISCUSSING IN THE WORKSHOP.

AND YOU'LL SEE THE DATING, UH, IN THAT TABLE THAT GOES FROM, UH, 2018 TO 2026 AS A PROJECTION, UH, FORWARD.

UH, ADORA CAME ON, UH, AND STARTED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY, UH, IN APRIL OF 2018, FOLLOWING THE AUGUST, 2017

[00:05:01]

HARVEY DISASTER.

UH, SO FROM, FROM THAT AUGUST POINT UNTIL, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO COME ON, UH, OR FOLLOWING THE CITY'S, UH, ADVERTISEMENT AND REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, UH, FROM FIRMS, THAT'S WHEN WE CAME ON.

SO WE, WE CAME ON ACTUALLY, UM, EIGHT MONTHS BASICALLY AFTER HARVEY HAD ALREADY HIT AND WAS, UH, SO THE CITY WAS SORT OF GOING IT ALONE AT THAT POINT, TRYING TO DISCERN AND, AND DETERMINE THE DIRECTION TO GO WORKING WITH FEMA AND, AND GETTING THINGS BACK TO ORDER FROM THAT ORIGINAL CONTRACT.

THE CITY WENT OUT FOR AN ADDITIONAL ADVERTISEMENT AND RE UM, RECONVENED REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IN 2020, UH, WHICH WE REPLIED TO AND WERE SUCCESSFUL IN BEING IDENTIFIED AND SELECTED.

UH, SO THE, THE ONGOING RELATIONSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN, UM, PARTLY BECAUSE THERE WAS A RE ADVERTISEMENT IN 2020, UH, AND BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN NEW SITUATIONS, DISASTERS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE, UH, RESPONDED TO AT THE REQUEST OF, OF THE CITY.

ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THAT BAR GRAPH, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL PROJECTS LISTED.

THOSE THREE THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE THIS MORNING ARE THE ONES THAT WE WILL POTENTIALLY TAKE UP AS AGENDA ITEMS. UM, AND I'LL GET TO THOSE IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT IF YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE, THE SCOPE OF AURA'S PARTNERSHIP WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, HAS NOT ONLY BEEN DISASTER RECOVERY, UH, BUT IT'S ALSO, UM, BEEN A, WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE A GOODWILL PARTNERSHIP IN TERMS OF ANSWERING THE CALL FOR, UH, WHATEVER NEED HAS, HAS ARISEN THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BENEFIT, UH, THE CITY.

AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE LISTED SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN ON AS PART OF THE CITY PARTNERSHIP, UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT HAS EXPANDED INTO, INTO GRANT PURSUITS AS WELL.

SO THE, THE EASY WAY TO SAY THIS IS THAT WE DO WHAT THE CITY NEEDS US TO DO, UH, AND THAT MEANS THAT WE'VE CROSSED INTO VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, NOT JUST PUBLIC WORKS, BUT ANY DEPARTMENT THAT THERE WAS A NEED THAT WE COULD HELP FILL, UH, OR PURSUE.

THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE.

YOU'LL NOTICE ON, ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GRAPH, UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE, THERE'S A COLUMN THAT IS TITLED FUNDING FOR THE CITY.

UH, THOSE ARE THE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN OBLIGATED OR BROUGHT IN.

THE NEXT COLUMN IS THE ADORA CONTRACT LIMIT, UM, EITHER CURRENT OR PROJECTED.

AND THEN THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN IS THE COLUMN THAT IDENTIFIES WHAT AMOUNT OF REIMBURSEMENT WILL COME TO PAY FOR THE SERVICES THAT ADORA HAS PROVIDED.

YOU'LL NOTICE, UH, IN THE, THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THAT TABLE, THE FIGURE 2.45%, THAT'S WHAT THE CITY, UH, THE PERCENTAGE OF THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IS, UH, FOR THE A DURA SERVICES.

UH, OUT OF THAT $149 MILLION THAT WE'VE ASSISTED IN BRINGING TO OUR OBLIGATING AND MAKING SURE COMPLIANCE HAS TAKEN, UH, TAKEN PLACE, BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT THE CITY IS SPENDING ON ADORA, UH, THE CITY IS BENEFITING BY OVER $39, $39 AND 77 CENTS TO BE EXACT.

SO INSIDE OF THESE PROJECTS, UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, UH, EACH ONE HAS A NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

SO, ALTHOUGH, FOR EXAMPLE, HURRICANE HARVEY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IS ONE CONTRACT, THERE ARE 39 SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE HELPED TO MANAGE, IDENTIFY, AND, UH, HAVE FUNDING FOR.

YOU'LL NOTICE IN THE HAR HARVEY 4 0 4, UH, THERE ARE THREE, AND THOSE ARE THE BIG, THE BIG TICKET ITEMS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR SOME TIME NOW.

THOSE ARE THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, THE STONEGATE, EL VISTA, AND PORT ACRES PROJECTS.

AND SO YOU GO DOWN THAT LIST EACH WAY.

UH, ONE, ONE THING OF OF NOTE THAT YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN OR THE MIDDLE COLUMN, THE ADORA CONTRACT LIMIT, UH, NEXT TO THE IKE PROJECT OF $12.7 MILLION.

UH, THERE WAS NO BILLINGS FOR THAT.

UH, ADORA WAS NOT CONTRACTED TO PROVIDE THOSE SPECIFIC SERVICES, BUT WE DID SO AS PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE, WE, UH, WE'VE HAD WITH THE CITY.

SO WHEN THE CITY, UH, WAS FACING

[00:10:01]

UH, SAME THING WITH THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND.

UM, WE DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY BILL EACH TIME THERE WAS, THERE WAS FUNDS AVAILABLE.

UH, WE ROLLED THAT INTO OUR OVERALL PROJECT SCOPE.

UM, AS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, CORONA, THE CORONAVIRUS.

AND, UH, THAT TIME OF COVID, UH, CHANGED LIFE AS WE KNEW IT IN, IN OUR ROUTINES AND, AND OUR NORMALCY.

UH, THE MOST RECENT, THE, UH, ENERGY GRANT THAT WAS, UH, WE ASSISTED IN GETTING, IT'S A SMALL GRANT, AND THERE WAS NO REASON FOR US TO COME BACK TO THE CITY AND ASK FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS AGAINST THAT.

IT'S JUST PART OF WHAT OUR PARTNERSHIP HAS DONE.

SO INSIDE OF THOSE, INSIDE OF THOSE PROJECTS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS INSIDE OF THESE, UH, THESE GRANTS AND THESE PROJECTS THAT WE MANAGE, IS THAT DEPARTMENTS TALK IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

SO, PUBLIC WORKS TALKS IN ITS LANGUAGE, FINANCE TALKS IN ITS LANGUAGE, RECREATION TALKS IN ITS LANGUAGE, TRANSPORTATION TALKS IN ITS LANGUAGE.

AND PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND WHAT WE THINK WE BRING TO THE TABLE IS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO TRANSLATE THOSE LANGUAGES FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER AND THEN ULTIMATELY COMMUNICATE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND WITH THE CITY TO THE STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, WHETHER IT'S TEEM, WHETHER IT'S TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, WHETHER IT'S HUD, WHETHER IT'S FEMA, UH, WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S A CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY.

WE'RE ABLE TO, TO PUT THE LANGUAGE IN PLACE TO HAVE THE MOST BENEFIT AND THE BEST OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO NOT ONLY GAIN FUNDING, BUT TO PROTECT THE FUNDING ONE ONCE IT'S COME.

AND I SAY THAT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN ALL DISCLOSURE, CONGRESS AUTHORIZED WHICH ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT'S ON THE, ON THE AGENDA TODAY, UH, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, RIGHT? AND SO PORT ARTHUR AND CERTAINLY ADORA DIDN'T HAVE TO COMPETE FOR THOSE DOLLARS.

THAT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WE WENT OUT AND, AND HAD TO HUSTLE FOR IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT MONEY.

THAT MONEY CAME AS A CONGRESSIONAL ACT.

HOWEVER, THE MONEY WAS ALLOCATED BY CONGRESS, AND IN ORDER TO GET IT, THERE WAS AN APPLICATION PROCESS THAT HAD TO BE FOLLOWED THAT WA AND THERE WAS ONGOING COMPLIANCE ISSUES THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THOSE DOLLARS.

UM, THE US TREASURY HAS WRITTEN, UH, DOCUMENT UPON DOCUMENT, UH, THEY MADE THE DOCUMENT UP AS THEY WENT ALONG BASICALLY TO GET THE MONEY OUT ON THE STREET.

UH, AND PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY HAS BEEN TO KEEP YOU ABREAST, KEEP THE CITY ABREAST OF HOW TO PAY, HOW TO PROTECT AND MAINTAIN THOSE DOLLARS FOR THE BEST OPPORTUNITY POSSIBLE.

UM, SO THAT AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, SOMETIME IN 20 25, 20 26, UH, YOU WON'T HAVE THE SITUATION WHERE YOU'LL HAVE TO PAY ANY OF THOSE DOLLARS BACK.

UH, THAT, THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MOST, UM, IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF WHAT WE DO, UH, AND THAT IS TO PROTECT FUNDING.

AND, AND WE HAVE A GREAT TRACK TRACK RECORD OF THAT, THAT WE'VE, WE'VE PROTECTED AND NOT HAD ANY CLAWBACKS, UH, FOR THE CLIENTS THAT WE'VE SERVED.

THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD, I WOULD ALSO INDICATE TO YOU IS THE BOTTOM TABLE THAT IS ON YOUR SPREADSHEET SHOWS, ONGOING PROJECTS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY PARTNERING TO PURSUE.

UH, AND THAT BRINGS, BRINGS TO LIGHT ANOTHER $116 MILLION THAT IS OUT THERE THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARDS.

NOW, THOSE ARE NOT GUARANTEED DOLLARS, SO I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE DOLLARS IS GOING TO COME TO THE CITY, BUT THOSE ARE ONGOING.

AND, AND WHAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE IS OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO COME THAT ARE IN ADDITION TO THOSE THAT ARE LISTED ON THE BOTTOM TABLE.

UH, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND, UH, FOR AS LONG AS WE ARE PARTNERS WITH THE CITY.

THERE'S ALSO BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, THE ROLE THAT ADORA PLAYS AND, AND HOW DOES THAT BALANCE WITH THE CITY'S STAFF AND THE CITY'S FUNCTIONALITY.

AND WE, AT, AT THE ADORA, WE, WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON PLAYING THE LONG GAME.

IN OTHER WORDS, UH, MANY FIRMS COME IN AND BASICALLY TAKE THE CREAM OFF THE TOP AND THEN DISAPPEAR.

UH, WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING TRUE PARTNERS, UH, AND THE, AND THE TRANSITION OF EDUCATING STAFF SO THAT THEY ARE BETTER PREPARED AND MORE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THE SITUATIONS THAT WE ASSIST WITH, UH, INDEPENDENTLY

[00:15:01]

IS PART OF WHAT WE DO.

SO THE IDEA OF, OF, IN-HOUSE OPERATIONS, UH, WE WOULD TELL YOU WE ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THAT.

UH, AND WE WOULD, WE STAND READY TO TRAIN AND CONTINUE TO TRAIN, UH, CONTINUE TO EDUCATE, CONTINUE TO WORKSHOP ANY MEMBERS OF THE, THE CITY OF FORT ARTHUR SO THAT, UH, THEY ARE BETTER PREPARED IN THE FUTURE, UH, THAN THEY ARE TODAY, OR THEY WERE EVEN BACK AS FAR AS 2018.

SO, I CAN GO ON AND GIVE YOU ALL, ALL KINDS OF STATS AND, AND INFORMATION, BUT I THINK IT'S BETTER IF I ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, IF YOU HAVE SPECIFICS ABOUT HOW A GRANT WORKS.

UM, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH FEDERAL FUNDING COMES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE THE SAME RULES FROM DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT.

SO, UM, SOMETIMES IT'S A MATTER OF HELPING COMMUNICATE BETWEEN THOSE FEDERAL AGENCIES AS WELL, UH, INSIDE OF THOSE, INSIDE OF THOSE GRANTS, AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE DO REPRESENT THOSE DIFFERENT AGENCIES.

SO, MR. MAYOR, I'M, I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE.

UH, MR. CRAIG, WE WANT TO, UH, ALLOW THE, THE COUNCIL THE TIME FOR THE QUESTIONS.

I THINK COUNCILMAN FRANK.

HEY, GOOD MORNING.

HOW ARE YOU? GOOD MORNING, MR. COUNCILMAN.

I WAS GRATEFUL AS I WAS LOOKING AT, UM, UH, FOR, AT ALL OF THE EXISTING PROJECTS AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND AURAURA HAS DONE.

I WAS SPECIFICALLY, UM, UH, GRATEFUL AND PLEASED TO SEE THE SS FOUR A, THE SAFE, SAFE STREETS FOR ALL, UH, INITIATIVE ARE YOU AWARE OF, OF NLCS, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE HUB, UH, THAT WAS FORMED IN, UM, 2022, UH, WHERE, UH, YOU GO IN, UH, AND, UH, YOU HAVE THE, UM, CLIMATE POLLUTION, UH, REDUCTION PROGRAM.

UH, ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF, UM, INITIATIVES ARE BEING, UH, UTILIZED, UH, BY CITIES, UM, TO BRING, UH, DOLLARS HERE IN THE CITY THAT, UH, THAT PROGRAM, UH, CAN BE UTILIZED, UH, TO HELP US WITH EMISSIONS.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE BUSES, WE HAVE A FEW BUSES, BUT TO REPLACE BUSES AND TO DO ALL OF THAT, HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU BEEN TO THOSE OR HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT TAKING SOME OF OUR CITY WORKERS, OR HAVE, HAS YOUR COMPANY GONE TO THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE HUBS? WE HAVE.

WE HAVE NATIONAL BOOT CAMPS.

THEY'RE CALLED BOOT CAMPS AS WELL.

SO WE HAVE NATIONAL, UH, SUPPORT.

AND THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT COUNCIL MEMBER.

UH, WHILE, WHILE WE HAVE RESPONDED SPECIFICALLY TO THE, TO THE NEEDS AND THE REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO US, UH, WE HAVE NATIONAL INCENTIVE, NATIONAL DIRECTIVES THROUGHOUT OUR COMPANY.

UH, AND SO WE ARE ABLE TO CALL ON, UH, TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY EXPERTS, UH, CIVIL ENGINEERING, EX EXPERTS, UH, ENERGY EXPERTS, UH, ANYTIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE NEED TO BUILD A A PROJECTS APPLICATION.

UH, WE HAVE NOT TAKEN ANYONE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION FROM PORT ARTHUR TO ANY OF THOSE BOOT CAMPS, BUT CERTAINLY WE WILL DO THAT AT ANY, AT THE DIRECTIVE OF MR. BURTON, UH, OR THIS COUNCIL.

WE'LL BE HAPPY TO DO AND INCORPORATE ANY OF THOSE ACTIVITIES.

YOU KNOW, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL IS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GO TO THESE CONFERENCES AND THAT WE ATTEND THEM.

AND, AND OF COURSE, THE CO THE, THE COUNCIL IS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THOSE EXPENDITURES, BUT THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF PROGRAMS AND TRAINING THAT WE GET AND THAT WE SEE OTHER CITIES UTILIZING, UM, TO THE DEGREE THAT THEY HELP THE MID-RANGE AND SMALL CITIES, UH, IN OUR NATION, UH, ABLE TO COMPETE AND TO GET THOSE, YOU KNOW, COMPETE FOR THOSE DOLLARS, UM, THAT ARE COMING.

BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT.

I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, UH, AND REALIZE, UM, THAT, UH, FOR THE BANG, FOR THE BUCK AND FOR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH AND DO.

UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHERE I STAND AND I KNOW WHAT I HAVE SEEN SINCE MY TIME ON THE COUNCIL, AND SO I JUST WANT SAY THAT I'M GREATLY APPRECIATIVE OF IT.

BUT I THINK THAT THAT IS ANOTHER FACET OF IT AS WE HAVE JUST FINISHED DISCUSSING THAT WE CAN ADD TO IT TO BRING EVEN MORE ABSOLUTELY.

ZEST TO, UH, WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.

YOU AS A CITY BETTER ABLE TO RESPOND TO OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY ROLL OUT.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.

AND WE, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY OPEN TO EXPLORING NEW OPPORTUNITIES.

AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, RIGHT? THAT, THAT ONE OF THE IDEAS, OR ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE WORKED ON WAS THE MASTER DRAINAGE STUDY THAT'S ON YOUR LIST.

OUT OF THAT CAME THE ABILITY TO APPLY FOR ONE OF THOSE HUD INFRASTRUCTURE APPLICATIONS.

SO THEY DO BUILD ON EACH OTHER.

THEY MAKE

[00:20:01]

UH, CONGRESSMAN FRANK? YES, SIR.

UH, COUNCILMAN ETT? YES.

GOOD MORNING, CRAIG.

GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBER.

ACTUAL GETTING WORK DONE.

UH, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DO.

I UNDERSTAND WHAT A JUROR HAS DONE FOR US.

ALWAYS SAY THAT WHEN YOU COME TO THE TABLE.

BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED SO THAT, UH, WE CAN GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING NOT ONLY COUNCIL, BUT CITIZENS ON, UH, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, YOUR TIME AND HERE BEING A PARTNER AND TRAINING OUR STAFF, OKAY? THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN BECAUSE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE COMMENTING ABOUT, UM, WHAT, WHAT THEY'VE SEEN YOU DO AND AUR HAS DONE, AND ALSO, UH, ABOUT GOING TO CONFERENCES AND, UH, FINDING OUT OTHER THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US.

MOST OF THESE GRANTS AND STUFF ARE ONLINE, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT 'EM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, SS, UH, FOUR A.

YOU COULD GO WITH THAT AND IT, AND IT TELLS YOU EVERYTHING THAT'S ELIGIBLE UNDER THAT ACT.

THESE ARE FEDERAL ACTS.

THIS MONEY IS SENT DOWN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NORMALLY TO STATES.

AND IN THE FORM OF THE, UH, SS FOUR A IS ALSO BROKEN DOWN WHERE, UH, COMMUNITIES CAN HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, TRIBU, TRIBUNES.

SO, AND THEN THEY GO BACK TO TELL YOU WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES YOU CAN APPLY FOR.

THEN THEY HAVE A LIBRARY OF STUFF WHERE YOU ACTUALLY GO IN THERE AND THEY TELL YOU HOW TO APPLY FOR IT.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE, UH, NOTICE OF, UH, OPENING AND WHEN YOU CAN APPLY FOR IT.

WHEN IS THE LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR IT? THEY GOT, UH, REFERENCE TO WHO YOU COULD CALL IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE.

THESE GRANTS ARE THERE FOR US TO WORK 'EM.

MY PROBLEM IS, YES, WE DO GET A BIG BANG FOR OUR BUCKS WHEN YOU DO IT, BUT WHEN YOU SAY IT IS REIMBURSABLE, I DON'T KNOW IF THE COUNSELOR WERE YES, A HUNDRED PERCENT REIMBURSABLE, BUT IF WE DID THE GRANT, THAT ADMINISTRATION MONEY IS OURS TOO.

SO WE GET IT.

EVERY GRANT THAT WE GET IS REIMBURSABLE, AND WE HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY, THEN SEND THE REQUEST AND PAPERWORK INTO THEM, AND THEY WILL, UH, SUBTRACT AND GIVE US THAT AMOUNT, MINUS, MINUS THE MATCHING FUND.

SO IF WE SAY WE DONE DONE $50,000, WE COULD SEND PAPERWORK IN, BUT WE GOTTA SUBTRACTED 20% OF THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE OWE THEM, RIGHT? THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.

SO GRANTS IS NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND.

MOST CITIES, THEY DO THESE.

MY THING CRAIG HAS BEEN, WE KEEP PAYING TO DO ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER AFTER ANOTHER, AND IT'S BEEN LIKE FIVE YEARS.

BUT OUR WORK, OUR PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUTTING IN GRANTS.

TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR, HE GET GRANTS ALL THE TIME.

I MEAN, HE GETS 'EM, AND ALL HE DONE IS PROBABLY GONE ONLINE, GONE THROUGH THE THING.

AND EACH GRANT, THEY GIVE YOU THE FORM ON WHAT TO FILL OUT.

OKAY? SO IT IS NOT THAT COMPLICATED.

YOU ALSO, UH, TALKED, WELL, I COVERED THE REIMBURSEMENT AND STUFF.

UH, WHEN COUNCILMAN FRANK MENTIONED CLIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL, WE'LL FIND OUT THAT, UH, THAT'S COVERED.

I THINK IN THE, UH, THE S FOUR A, I MEAN, FOR A, YEAH, THAT'S A PART OF THAT, THAT DEALS WITH CLIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL.

SO IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT ROAD SAFETY.

IF YOU REALLY READ THAT GRANITE, IT TELLS A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF.

IT'S VERY BROAD.

SO IT IS WHAT THE CITY DECIDE WE WANT TO DO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO SUBMIT OUR REQUEST FOR.

AND THAT CALLS FOR STUDYING PLANNING.

WE CAN GET MONEY OUT OF TWO SIDES.

WE COULD GET MONEY, NOT EVEN FOR THE WORK.

WE COULD GET MONEY JUST TO DEVELOP, HELP US DEVELOP A PLAN JUST TO DEVELOP DEVELOPER PLAN ALL WE COULD GET MONEY FOR

[00:25:01]

ALL WE COULD APPLY FOR BOTH OF THEM.

SO IF WE REALLY UNDERSTAND GRANTS, OUR STAFF HAS GOT TO UNDERSTAND GRANT, AND OUR STAFF HAS GOTTA GO AFTER, BECAUSE WHEN WE PAY THE PERCENTAGE TO YOU, WE CAN HAVE IT.

THAT'S WHAT MY CONCERN COME IN.

MY CONCERN COME IN FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH WE HIDE A DURA AND WHAT WE ARE DOING.

'CAUSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW, THIS CAN GO ON FOREVER BECAUSE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE GRANTS, ALWAYS BE FUNDING THAT WE CAN OBTAIN AND WE COULD GO AFTER.

SO WHEN DOES IT STOP? CITY ATTORNEY QUESTION DIRECTED TO YOU? UH, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA END MIND, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CORRECTING IT.

WE HAVE A CODE OF OILINESS.

IT'S ARTICLE 14, SECTION FIVE IN THE CITY.

IT SAYS, CONTRACT FOR A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE.

I'LL READ THIS VERBATIM.

THE COUNCIL MAY APPROVE CONTRACTS FOR ENGINEERING, APPRAISAL, ARCHITECTURAL, LEGAL, PHYSICAL, AND MEDICAL, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR THE CITY WITHOUT COMPETITIVE BIDDEN, SUCH CONTRACTS SHALL NOT EXCEED TWO YEARS EXCEPT FOR A COMPLETION OF WORK IN PROGRESS UNDER ARCHITECTURAL OR ENGINEERING CONTRACTS.

OKAY? AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS NOT A ARCHITECTURAL OR AN ENGINEERING CONTRACT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH, UH, GOING OUT FOR FUNDING.

YOU KNOW, SO FUNDING AND CONSULTING AND STUFF OF THAT NATURE.

LET'S NOT ENGINEER OR ARCHITECTURAL.

SO WE SHOULD NOT HAVE CONTRACTS THAT GOES OVER TWO YEARS.

AND THAT'S, NOW, THAT'S THE WAY I, I SEE IT.

SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO DO IS, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO CHECK INTO THIS.

WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT, NOT A DUR CONTRACT, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT EVERY CONTRACT WE HAVE IN THE CITY THAT SUCCEED TWO YEARS.

SEE, THERE'S A REASON WE DO THESE, OKAY? THERE'S A REASON THESE CONTRACTS ARE DONE, BECAUSE THE LAST PART OF THIS, UH, OIL CODE OF OIL SAYS THE CITY'S SECRETARY, WAIT, CITY SECRETARY SHALL MAINTAIN A SEPARATE FILE COVERING THESE CONTRACTS, AND THE CITY MANAGER MANAGER SHALL FURNISH TWO COUNCIL ANNUALLY A DETAILED REPORT ON ALL EXPENDITURES OF THIS NATURE, SHOWING A COMPARISON OF THE PRESENT YEAR WITH THE COST FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND REPORT ON COMPLIANCE WITH THE LOCAL BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS.

SEE, WHEN WE START LOOKING AT THIS, WE GOING TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE SPENDING FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AND WHAT IS OUR STAFF THAT WE, WE, WE GOT STAFF, STAFF CAN DO THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW? AND, UH, SO I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO DO THAT.

AND I'D LIKE FOR US TO GET A REVIEW OF CONTRACTS SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THESE CONTRACTS ARE NOT IN VIOLATION OF THIS ORDER, AND THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONTRACTS EXTENDED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

AND, UH, THE REIMBURSEMENT, I UNDERSTAND.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL, AS COUNCIL, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHENEVER WE GET THESE GRANTS, YOU KNOW, AS WE FINISH EACH PHASE OF IT, THEN WE GET, WE SEND IN THE PAPERWORK, AND THEN I GUESS THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS BE

[00:30:01]

DOING, RIGHT, CRAIG? AND, AND RECAPTURING IT AND STUFF.

SO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY DOING ALL OF THE WORK FOR US, AND THAT'S WHAT WE PAYING FOR.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THIS WILL NEVER END.

AND WHAT THEY'RE PROVIDING IS SOMETHING THAT OUR STAFF NEED TO START GETTING ENGAGED AT CITY MANAGER.

UH, I ASK THAT YOU, UH, CALL TO OTHER CITIES AND FIND OUT HOW MANY CITIES HAVE A, UH, CONSULTANTS THAT THEY KEEP FOR THESE PURPOSES, AND GETTING GRANTS AND STUFF ON A, ON A, ON A BASIS LIKE WE HAVE HERE.

AND, UH, CHECK AND SEE HOW THEIR STAFF APPLY FOR GRANTS.

WE NEED TO GET BETTER.

MAYBE WE NEED SOME, GET SOMEBODY DOWN HERE TO TRAIN OUR STAFF.

HAVE ON GRANT WRITING, GRANT MANAGEMENT.

COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES.

OUR CITY MANAGER IN LINE WITH COUNCILMAN ETT IS TALKING ABOUT TRAIN THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

I HAVE A PRESENTATION AND I, I SENT IT TO YOU ALSO.

DID YOU LOOK AT YOUR, YOUR TEXT I SENT YOU AND THE PICTURE OF THE BROCHURE, IT'S DEALING WITH A BOOTCAMPS ON TRAINING STAFF FOR GRANT WRITING, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

AND YOU CAN HAVE AS MANY STAFF MEMBERS THERE, AND IT'S GONNA BE A VIDEO, UH, DEAL.

AND IT'S FREE.

NOT GONNA COST, HAVE TO PAY, NO CONSULTANT, NOT PAY ANYBODY.

THEY WILL, THEY WILL, THERE'S GONNA BE A VIDEO CONFERENCE AND THEY GOT EXPERTS ON HAND TO HANDLE ANY KIND OF A QUESTION OR ANY KIND OF A SITUATION THAT MAY, MAY COME UP WITH, WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN DE HAS ALLUDED TO, BECAUSE ANYTHING THAT COMES UP.

SO I HAVE THE PRESENTATION FOR NEXT, FOR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 20 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 2, 4, 25, 26, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 YEARS.

AND, UH, YOU MAY WANNA LOOK AT THAT BROCHURE.

I KNOW YOU A BUSY MAN AND GOT A LOT ON YOUR PLATE.

YOU MAY WANNA LOOK AT THAT, BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, UH, OUR STAFF NEED TO NEED TO GET UP TO SPEED ON THESE THINGS, OKAY? OKAY.

COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES.

UM, I'M, I'M GRATEFUL FOR, UH, THE COMMENTS OF COUNCILMAN ETT.

UM, AND AS WELL, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS AND I, WE HAD A, WE HAD A VERY BENEFICIAL TIME AT THE, UH, NLC CONFERENCE THIS PAST WEEKEND.

UM, WE HAD SOME CLASSES AND SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS, IS I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR, UM, THE LAST, UM, TWO AND A HALF YEARS OR THREE YEARS, UH, HERE COMING UP, UM, IS, UM, WE KEEP USING A BROAD GENERAL WORD STAFF.

AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STAFF, WHO SPECIFICALLY, WHO SPECIFICALLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AND PASSING THESE DUTIES ON TO WHEN WE HAVE A STAFF THAT IS DOING, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH IN, IN STREETS AND SO MUCH IN PUBLIC WORKS, AND SO MUCH IN, UM, TRANSPORTATION AND ALL OF THIS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STAFF NOW.

IT'S A NINE YEAR RANGE.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING SPENT 5.891, UH, $5.8 MILLION.

COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE, YOU MAKE A, A SPLENDID POINT OF THE FACT THAT WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN ALL OF THAT MONEY AS WELL.

BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FORMULATING AN OFFICE OF STAFF TO DO THIS, TO SPECIFICALLY DO THIS AND TO GO AFTER GRANTS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SALARIES, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INSURANCE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH FORMULATING AN OFFICE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO DO THAT, OR A PERSON THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO DO THAT.

SO, I DO UNDERSTAND WE COULD GET ALL OF THAT MONEY, BUT WE WOULD GET ALL OF THE EXPENDITURE THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT AS WE'RE SEEKING, UH, TO DO THAT.

AND SO WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT WE NEED TO GET OUR STAFF NOW, IF WE ARE GOING TO GIVE, AND, AND YOU MAKE A, A, A GREAT POINT, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, THAT WE CAN GIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, A DIRECTIVE AS A COUNCIL TO, UH, THE CITY MANAGER TO SEE ABOUT FORMULATING A, A, A OFFICE AND OFFICE TO DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT IS ONE PERSON, TWO PEOPLE, THREE PEOPLE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE, UM, AURURA HAS DOING THAT.

UH, SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED JUST FOR PORT ARTHUR.

I KNOW THEY

[00:35:01]

DO IT FOR, UH, UH, A GROUP, UH, IN TOTAL.

BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT US AND A STAFF DOING THIS, TAKING CARE OF A STAFF, DIRECTING A STAFF, UH, PAYING INSURANCE FOR A STAFF, ALL OF THOSE EXPENDITURES WOULD BE A PART OF THAT AS WELL.

I, I BELIEVE, IF I'M WRONG, THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, I, I STAND TO BE CORRECTED, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TOTAL PICTURE AND THE SITUATION IN ITS TOTALITY.

COUNCIL JUST APPROVED IT.

WAIT, UH, CITY MANAGER.

YEAH.

UH, LET, LET ME JUST, UM, SHARE WITH COUNCIL THIS, THERE, UM, THE BUILDING OF STAFF CAPACITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN NOT ONLY ON THE RADAR OF THE, MY MANAGEMENT TEAM HERE, BUT WE HAVE ACTUALLY DONE SOME WORK IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.

WE, I HAVE INVITED, AND EVERY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT AND DIRECTOR HAVE TAKEN PART IN, UM, UM, GRANT WRITING EXERCISES AT THE, THE, UM, THE, THE PRESS BUILDING THAT WE ORGANIZE AFTER FIVE FOR STAFF MEMBERS.

EVERY DIRECTOR AND EVERY SUPERVISOR, YOU KNOW, AND WE GET IN A GRANT WRITER, WE GETTING IN A GRANT WRITER.

THE LAST TIME WE HAD IT WAS MR. JOE T, WHO IS A CERTIFIED GRANT WRITER, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AT GRANTS AND TO, TO LOOK, LOOK AT YOUR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND TO SEE WHAT IT IS THAT'S OUT THERE, EITHER ON THE FEDERAL REGISTRY OR I, EITHER AT, AT THE STATE LEVEL AND APPLIED FOR THOSE GRANTS.

YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE WORKING TO BUILD CAPACITY AS FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED.

IT'S, IT'S AN EXERCISE THAT IS CONTINUALLY TAKING PLACE.

ARE WE THERE YET? NO, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT AS A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITIES AT THE COMING DOWN THE LINE.

IN THE LAST BUDGET, IN THE LAST BUDGET, I ASKED COUNCIL FOR FUNDING, COUNCIL PROVIDED ME FOR $150,000, UM, TO, TO SEEK OUT GRANT, UM, UM, UM, CAPABILITIES OF FIRMS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.

YOU DID APPROVE THAT.

AND SO WE ARE UTILIZING THAT.

WE ALSO ASKED FOR THE FUNDING OF ONE, ONE POSITION.

YOU KNOW, WE GOT ABOUT, AND THEY ARE CURRENT, CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW.

WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THE GRANT, THE APPLICATIONS.

WE GOT ABOUT 18 TO 19 APPLICATIONS.

AND THE THING ABOUT IT IS 15 TO TO 18 APPLICATIONS.

NONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO APPLIED FOR THOSE POSITIONS HAVE GRANT WRITING EXPERIENCE.

I'VE ASKED FOR A REPORT FROM THE HR DEPARTMENT AND FROM THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.

NONE OF THEM HAVE GRANT WRITING EXPERIENCE.

SO AGAIN, IT'S AN EXERCISE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WE CONTINUE TO ATTRACT.

SO IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME FOR US TO GET THERE, YOU KNOW? UM, BUT WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE CHEW GUM, WE CONTINUE TO WALK, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR OR WHEN JUNE COMES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANOTHER HURRICANE.

SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PREPARED AS WELL.

WHEN WE FACE THE DISASTER SEASONS.

WE ARE PREPARED, WE ARE PREPARED IN SOME WAY.

SURELY FROM 2018, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN CONFRONTED WITH DISASTERS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY ASSISTED US IN BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT IS MUCH MONEY THAT WOULD HAVE COME FROM, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE, FROM THE GENERAL FUND FOR REPLACING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS ALREADY IN A DILAPIDATED POSITION.

SO, I'M SAYING THIS, I'M SAYING ALL THIS TO SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A, IT, IT'S A WORK.

IT'S AN EXERCISE THAT WE CONTINUALLY WORK.

WE WILL CON, WE WILL CONTINUALLY WORK IT ON THE INSIDE, AND WE WILL CONTINUALLY WORK ON BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF STAFF TO MAKE SURE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE BASE AND THE SKILLS, THE RELEVANT SKILLS THAT ARE NEEDED TO GO OUT THERE AND GET THE GRANT FUNDING THAT WE NEED.

OKAY? UH, COUNCILMAN KEN LAW.

HEY, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UH, THANK YOU MANAGER FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT HOWEVER, UH, I'M SORT OF SIDING WITH, UH, THE OPINION THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE AS STATED EARLIER, UH, AS A CITY, HOW MANY GRANT WRITERS DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE IN-HOUSE? I MEAN, THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.

HOW MANY WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT'S ON CITY STAFF THAT YOU ARE SAYING THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY BROADEN OUR PICTURE OR BROADEN THE STAFF ABILITIES TO WRITE GRANTS? HOW MANY WE DO? WE HAVE IN-HOUSE RIGHT NOW?

[00:40:01]

THE, UH, THE, THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED IN OCTOBER.

I JUST SAID THAT WE INTERVIEWED FIF 18 A, JUST GIMME THE NUMBER.

WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT.

JUST GIMME, COUNCIL APPROVED A, A POSITION IN THE BUDGET.

SO IT'S JUST, WE HAVE NO POSITION, RIGHT? APPROVED 15 TO 18 APPLICANTS, BUT WE HAVE NONE AT THIS POINT, RIGHT? WE JUST APPROVED, WE JUST SELECTED, THAT'S NOT A SELECTED 15 TO 18, NOT APPLICANTS.

THAT'S NOT A QUESTION THAT I'M ASKING.

I'M GONNA ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN.

A CITY MANAGER, DO WE HAVE ANY GRANT WRITERS AT THIS TIME FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR? YES OR NO? COUNCIL JUST APPROVED ONE POSITION.

OKAY? YOU HAVE THAT PERSON, THAT PERSON, THAT PERSON IS NOT ON STAFF RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? LEMME ASK.

JUST APPROVED.

OKAY, 15.

WELL, WE JUST GO TO THE NEXT QUESTION.

15 APPLICANTS, BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGERS 15 TO, HE'S NOT GONNA ANSWER THE QUESTION.

THAT IS A DIRECT QUESTION TO HIM.

SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT I'M SAYING THAT GOES ON IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.

YOU ASK A DIRECT QUESTION, YOU GET SOMETHING ELSE.

AND THAT'S A PRIME EXAMPLE.

IT'S A DIRECT QUESTION.

HOW MANY WE DO? WE HAVE, WE HAVE NONE.

SO MY THING IS THIS, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.

THE COM, THE CITY MANAGER, CHOOSE NOT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH DIRECT QUESTION.

SO WHEN WE ARE ASKING ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS, IT MAY SEEM HARD, IT MAY SEEM HARSH, BUT THIS IS OUR JOB.

WE, WE NEED TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, BULLET POINTS THAT I, AS YOU DID YOUR PRESENTATION, THAT I HAD CONCERNS ABOUT.

MORE VISIBILITY FOR COUNCIL INFORMATION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE SSA SS FOUR, A OPPORTUNITY OFFICE STAFF.

WE A CITY OF ALMOST 60,000, UH, INDIVIDUALS.

WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A GRANT WRITER, WE GOTTA A CONTRACT TO GO OUT AND GET MONEY.

WE GOTTA PAY PROFESSIONALS TO COME TO THE CITY TO WRITE GRANTS FOR US.

AND MOST OF THIS STUFF IS ONLINE.

I DARE ANYBODY TO GO ONLINE AND LOOK AT IT.

YOU DON'T KNOW.

THE MAYOR WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE PORT GETTING FUNDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

I WAS AT THE SAME CONFERENCE HE WAS AT TO BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THE CITY, TO PASS IT ON TO THE PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY.

AND GUESS WHAT? THEY GOT IT, BUT HE MAY NEVER GET CREDIT FOR IT.

BUT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I'M SAYING INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, NOT GIVING INFORMATION, BEING DIRECT WITH AN ANSWER, YOU'D RATHER JUST SAY, WHAT THE POSSIBILITY, WHAT WE GONNA DO, WHAT WE GONNA DO IN THE NEAR FUTURE? I KNOW WE SICK AND TIRED OF THIS.

I AM SO, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, CRAIG AND I, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK MANY TIMES ABOUT THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST.

BUT FOR A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT SPENDS MONEY ON PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THAT ANY DEPARTMENT HAS, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE BECAUSE OF BUDGETS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I, I KIND OF GET A LITTLE UPSET BECAUSE GRANTS, LIKE YOU SAID, AREN'T GUARANTEED.

YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR 'EM.

YOU GUYS ARE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, YOU KNOW, TO PUT THOSE KEYWORDS IN THERE, TO ALMOST GET THOSE THINGS GUARANTEED THAT CITY STAFF THAT DON'T KNOW.

SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.

BUT I FEEL THAT SOME OF THIS WORK CAN BE DONE IN-HOUSE THAT WE CAN SAVE ON CITY AND TAXPAYERS MONEY.

NOW, AGAIN, WE HAVE NO ONE IN HOUSE AS PER THE CITY, AND I JUST STATED EARLIER BECAUSE HE HAS 18 APPLICANTS, BUT WE HAVE NO ONE NOW THAT ACTUALLY CONCENTRATE ON GRANT WRITING AND FINDING WHAT'S OUT THERE TO GET IN THIS CITY.

SO IT, IT IS WHAT IT IS.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES, FINDING OUT WHAT GRANTS ARE OUT THERE, GRANT, OFFICE SPACE, OFFICE WORKERS, OFFICE STAFF, GRANT RIGHTS.

WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR.

HE WROTE GRANT, BUT HE HAS A DIFFERENT TITLE.

HE'S A DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.

HE STOOD BEFORE THE PODIUM MANY A TIMES AND TOLD US THE OPPORTUNITIES HE'S GONNA WRITE FOR GRANTS.

AND GUESS WHAT? HE GOT 'EM.

HE'S NOT A SOLE GRANT WRITER.

HE'S DOING DUAL.

I KNOW IT'S NOT IN YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION, PROBABLY NOT.

BUT HE WAS ABLE TO DO IT.

SO WHY CAN'T WE HAVE PEOPLE COME IN THIS CITY, TRAIN OUR PEOPLE LIKE COUNCILMAN LEWIS STATED EARLY, SAY, HEY GUYS, THE MONEY'S OUT THERE.

WE WANT TO GIVE IT OUT.

BUT YOU HAVE TO QUAL, THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS QUALIFY.

FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO GET IT, AND THAT'S IT.

BUT WE ARE AFRAID TO DO THAT.

WE'D RATHER HAVE FLUFF.

WE'D RATHER SAY POSSIBILITIES.

18 OPPORTUNITIES.

WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU IN SIX MONTHS, 30 DAYS.

WHEN ARE WE GONNA STOP? I, AND THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UH, FIRST WITH AURURA IN PARTICULAR.

UH, AND I KNOW THAT'S SOME OTHERS, BUT I, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON WHAT, WHAT HAS BEEN SAID.

'CAUSE OTHERS, YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN ON THIS.

OKAY? SO I'D LIKE TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, UH, TO SPEAK AS, UH, MAYOR,

[00:45:01]

NOW, I KNOW FROM WHAT I CAN UNDERSTAND TODAY, IS A WORKSHOP ABOUT WHAT AURA HAS DONE IS DOING AND PROJECTS TO DO FOR THE CITY.

NOW, THE SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS THAT WE ARE MAKING AS THE COUNCIL, I THINK WE ARE IN THE, UH, WE ARE NOT IN THE PROPER SETTING FOR ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.

I THINK THIS SHOULD BE DONE SOMEWHERE IN ANOTHER SETTING OR HOWEVER, UH, AND WE CAN EXPRESS WHAT OUR VIEWPOINTS ARE.

BECAUSE AGAIN, I, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE ONLY SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS AS FAR AS THEY APPLY TO GRANT WRITING AND BEING RECIPIENTS OF GRANTS.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY'RE WRONG, BUT THEY ARE OUR OPINIONS AND FEELINGS ABOUT IT.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS MEETING OR THIS WORKSHOP IS ACTUALLY CALLED FOR TODAY.

IT'S DEALING DIRECTLY WITH THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY THAT IS CONTRACTUALLY ENGAGED TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IN THAT FIELD.

NOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT A DURA IN PARTICULAR, AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AND WHY WE ARE HERE ON TODAY, WHAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED THROUGH THIS BAR GRAPH FROM, UH, EVEN WITH, UH, THE, UH, TIME ELEMENTS FROM 2018 PROJECTED THROUGH, UH, 2026, AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

NOW, WHAT I ACTUALLY CONNOTE FROM WHAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED IS, FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE GRAND POS.

YOU ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE AS TO HOW TO NAVIGATE IN THOSE SETTINGS.

NOW, WHAT I HAVE ASCERTAINED THROUGH MY TRAVELS AND MY INVOLVEMENT SINCE BECOMING MAYOR, WHEN IT COMES TO GRANTS, YES, WE ARE IN A HIGHLY TECHNOLOGICAL AGE.

THEREFORE, MANY THINGS ARE ONLINE.

ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN EVEN CONCEIVE, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW, YOU WAIT FIVE MINUTES, AND THERE ARE GONNA BE A MILLION HITS ONLINE ABOUT IT.

SO GRANTS ARE JUST LIKE THAT.

THEY ARE ONLINE.

HOWEVER, THE ELEMENT, THE QUESTION THAT WE SHOULD ASK, IF WE WERE TO GET A PERSON BESIDES THIS COMPANY, A DURA TO DO THIS, IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP? ARE THEY KNOWLEDGEABLE THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY GET THIS GRANT? OKAY? I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE, AND EVEN THE, UH, ANTICIPATORY THOUGHTS OF HAVING, UH, STAFF AVAILABLE AND ABLE TO DO THESE THINGS.

HOWEVER, AGAIN, GLEANING UPON MY TRAVELS AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE ASCERTAINED SINCE BECOMING MAYOR CITIES LARGE OR EVEN SMALL OR SUCCESSFUL WITH PERSONS WHO HAVE THIS ELEMENT THAT I CONTINUE TO REITERATE RELATIONSHIPS AND KNOWLEDGE WITH THE GRANTORS.

THEY HAVE SUCCESS WITH BEING GRANTED WHATEVER THOSE FUNDS ARE.

NOW, THE NEXT THING IS IF A PERSON OR AN ENTITY COMES BEFORE US AND ACTUALLY PRESENTS TO US DOCUMENTATION THAT PROVES AND SHOWS ITS CAPACITY TO DELIVER, AND ITS PROVEN RECORD IN THIS PARTICULAR VENUE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN APPLAUD YOU FOR.

AGAIN, IN OUR SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING OR AN ELEMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED, EVEN WITH THESE SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS THAT WE ARE MAKING, THAT WE WOULD WANT STAFF TO HAVE THIS PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTIC SO THAT THEY TOO CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A CAPACITY TO DELIVER AND A PROVEN RECORD OVER TIME.

BUT WE ARE NOT HERE TODAY TO BE SURE THAT WE HAVE STAFF.

I THINK THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY TO REVIEW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND EVEN GO FURTHER WITH YOUR DOING

[00:50:01]

WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE RELATIONSHIP AND YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE TO SECURE WHAT WE NEED AS A CITY TO ACTUALLY HELP US FINANCIALLY WITH THESE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH.

NOW, WHEN WE TOTALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT A DOURA, BECAUSE THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE, HAS DONE, I MUST EMBRACE WHAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED IN THIS WORKSHOP.

I WOULD SAY THIS BECAUSE YOU HAVE WHAT I HAVE ALLUDED TO THE PROVEN RECORD.

YOU HAVE SHOWN US WHAT YOU CAN DO.

YOU HAVE SHOWN US THAT YOU DO HAVE THE RELATIONAL, UH, CHARACTERISTICS WITH THOSE WHO WOULD GRANT.

NOW, ONE OF THE LAST THINGS I WOULD SAY, IF WE ARE IN A POSITION AND HAVE A DESIRE TO GET A STAFF OR A DEPARTMENT OF GRANT WRITING IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, WE HAVE GOT TO CONSIDER THE SIZE OF THAT STAFF, THE CAPABILITIES OR ABILITIES OF THAT PROPOSED STAFF, THEN GIVE THAT STAFF ALL OF THE NEEDED SUPPORT SO THAT IT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL RIGHT NOW, A DURA, IT'S NOT JUST YOU TWO THAT WE SEE EVERY DAY.

YOU HAVE A TEAM OF INDIVIDUALS, I THINK, STATIONED AROUND THIS COUNTRY THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO UTILIZE WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHAT YOU HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE MY COLLEAGUES TO DO NOW, CONSIDER PLEASE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WHAT THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR HAS DONE AND IS DOING FOR THE CITIZENRY, FOR THE FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND EVEN THE CONTINUANCE OF PRODUCTIVITY IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.

AND WE WOULD, OR WE SHOULD AT SOME OTHER JUNCTURE ENTER INTO DIALOGUE WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND EVEN WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY CONCERNING THE ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND INITIATION OF A GRANT WRITING DEPARTMENT.

I KNOW THAT MR. MITCHELL HAS COME BEFORE US.

MR. MITCHELL HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH, UH, SECURING GRANTS, BUT MR. MITCHELL ALSO HAS THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT I HAVE ALLUDED TO.

MR. MITCHELL, COMES FROM THE AREA WHERE THE GRANTORS ARE.

THESE MIGHT NOT BE THINGS YOU REALLY WANT TO CONSIDER, BUT THE CITY MANAGER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, HIRED A GENTLEMAN WHO HAD THE CHARACTERISTICS TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS HE HAS BEEN.

EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR DOES NOT HAVE A HEAD OF A DEPARTMENT WHO WOULD HAVE RELATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDIVIDUALS IN WASHINGTON.

WE WERE SUCCESSFUL WITH SECURING THE MONIES FOR THE PORT OF PORT ARTHUR BECAUSE OF A RELATIONSHIP THAT I DEVELOPED WITH SOME GENTLEMAN IN HOUSTON WHO HAD RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE IN WASHINGTON WHO HAD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE UNDERSECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, WHO ACTUALLY MADE THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE EIGHTH FLOOR TO, OF THE SECRETARY WHO CAME DOWN HERE, WHO JUST ON LAST WEEK MENTIONED THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.

AND IT BEING A, A RECEIVER, IF YOU WILL, OF THIS GREAT GRANT.

I RECEIVED TEXTS FROM INDIVIDUALS FROM AROUND THIS COUNTRY.

I COULD SAY, SAY, MAN, THEY JUST MENTIONED YOUR CITY ON M-S-N-B-C AND SOME OTHER NEWS STATIONS.

I EVEN HAD AN EMPLOYEE HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO TELL ME IN THE ELEVATOR THAT MAYOR, I WAS SO HAPPY.

I HEARD THIS THE OTHER NIGHT WHEN SECRETARY BUDKE CAME ON AND MENTIONED THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND WHAT WE HAD RECEIVED.

YOU KNOW WHAT THAT DOES? THAT SHOWS THAT WE HAVE,

[00:55:01]

WE HAVE ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP, AND IT'S PROVEN THAT WE MUST HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE.

SO I DON'T WANT US TO SIT HERE AND JUST BEAT UP, SO TO SPEAK, ANY INDIVIDUAL IN THIS ROOM.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

I'M USING THIS VERNACULAR JUST TO BEAT UP SOMEONE.

WE DIDN'T COME HERE FOR THAT.

WE WANT TO ASCERTAIN WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

WE NEED TO KNOW THE CONTINUOUS OR A CONTINUUM OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHAT YOU'VE SHOWN US, THE PROJECTIONS.

AND IF IT IS CORRECT, MAY MAYO THE RETURN, MAYO POINT, THE RETURN NOBODY'S BEATING ON ANYBODY.

NO, SIR, SIR, SIR, SIR, SIR, NOBODY I DID UP ON ANYBODY.

I DID NOT STOP ANYONE FROM TALKING.

DID I? DID I HAVE, I I FEEL VERY DISRESPECTED AT THIS MOMENT.

PLEASE DON'T DISRESPECT ME.

I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU RESPECT.

PLEASE DON'T DISRESPECT ON ANYBODY DISRESPECT, OKAY? PLEASE DON'T DISRESPECT ME.

THAT'S NOT DISRESPECT.

OKAY, DEAR.

PLEASE DON'T DISRESPECT ME.

PLEASE.

PRETTY PLEASE.

AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT PRETTY.

OKAY? NOW, WHAT I AM SAYING IS, WE ARE HERE TODAY JUST AS WE DO.

IF YOU WERE OFFICIATING A WEDDING TO JOIN A MAN AND A WOMAN, OR NOW IT'S A MAN, AND A MAN, OR A WOMAN, AND A WOMAN, WHOMEVER, WHATEVER.

WE ARE HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT A DURA AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS WITH GRANTS IN THE CITY OF PORT, AUTHOR.

AND IT'S A WORKSHOP.

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE DOING.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.

AND I WISH THAT WE WOULD STAY ON THAT AND NOT VENTURE INTO SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD DISCUSS PRIVATELY WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY CHAIR, SEC, UH, CITY, UH, ATTORNEY IN, UH, DIFFERENT VENUE.

OKAY? NOW, UH, WE CAN START WITH YOU AGAIN.

COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE.

LET'S START OVER.

WHAT THEY DO, YOU KNOW? AND I WAS ONE THAT WAS VOTING AND WAS GLAD TO SEE 'EM COME IN, BUT FOR THE DISASTER.

FIRST OF ALL, MY LIFE WAS ON FIRST.

I UNDERSTAND YOU.

I'M STARTING OVER AGAIN, IF YOU HEARD WHAT I SAID.

SO HE WAS FIRST, NO, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK NOBODY GOT BEAT WAS BEATEN UP ON NOBODY.

I THINK, UH, SITTING HERE LISTENING TO EVERYBODY, I THINK WE ALL HAVE THE SAME INTERESTS, AND WE ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT IT.

YES, THE WORKSHOP IS DEALING WITH AURA, BUT IT IS DEALING WITH, UH, THEIR ABILITY TO GET GRANTS AND STUFF.

SO THEREFORE, ANYTHING WE TALK IN REFERENCE TO THAT WAS IN LINE WITH THE TOPIC.

UH, WE DON'T NEED A GRANT WRITING DEPARTMENT, UH, OR CREATE THAT MUCH, UH, UH, IN RE IN RESPONSE TO COUNCILMAN FRANK.

IT, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT THE CITY MANAGER, I, I WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE IF YOU HAD SAID OR INFORMED US OF WHAT YOU TOLD WHAT YOU SAID, I WOULD'VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT, BECAUSE THAT WAS MY WHOLE POINT, IS THAT WE, WE, WE ARE DOING THINGS.

WE HAVE A FIRM DOING THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.

NOW YOU HAVE MONEY ALLOCATED, AND YOU HAVE, UH, PEOPLE YOU'VE BEEN TRAINING.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF I HAD KNOWN, I WOULDN'T ADDRESS THIS.

SO, UH, KIND OF KEEP US INFORMED WHEN THE TOPIC COME UP, UH, LET US KNOW, BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.

AND, AND YOU ALREADY GOT IT GOING.

I MEAN, YOU GOT IT GOING.

EXACTLY WHAT WE ASKING.

WELL, WHAT I'M ASKING, WHAT WE ARE DEMANDING IS WE GOT TO START DOING IT IN-HOUSE.

YOU TAKING THE NECESSARY STEPS, OKAY? BUT WE NEED TO GET IT DONE, AND, UH, WE NEED TO START DOING THIS.

AND, AND WE DON'T NEED A, A STAFF.

WE DON'T NEED DIRECTORS.

DON'T HAVE TO BE THE GRANT WRITERS, UH, ANYBODY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

SO WE ALL SAYING THE SAME THING.

I DON'T THINK WE BEAT UP ON NOBODY.

AND WE NEVER, WE NEVER SAID ANYTHING.

I, I, I, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HEAR NOBODY SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT, UH, AURURA.

AURURA HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN THE CITY FOR WHAT THEY DO.

YOU KNOW? AND AS I ALWAYS SAY, WHEN YOU DO JOBS, YOU GET PAID.

YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THE UNDERSTANDING WE SHOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND IF WE HAD A DISASTER FROM WHAT A DURA HAS DONE WHEN WE HAD HARVEY, THAT'D BE THE FIRST COMPANY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BACK TO HELP US.

BUT FOR A DISASTER, FOR JUST GRANT, RIGHT? NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I WOULD WANT US TO DO.

I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CAPTURE THE ADMINISTRATIVE COST IN THE GRANT, NOT GIVE IT, YOU KNOW? BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY, EXCELLENT.

WELL,

[01:00:01]

SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL ON SAME SHEET OF MUSIC.

I DON'T THINK WE, UH, ANYBODY BEAT ON YOU AND, AND STUFF.

WE JUST SAYING WHAT WE FEEL.

AND THAT'S THE WAY WE SHOULD DO, WE SHOULD BE VERY OPENLY, AND NOT ONLY, BUT OUR CITIZENS SHOULD ALSO HEAR WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY.

YOU KNOW? UH, TRANSPARENCY IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.

THINK IF WE BE MORE TRANSPARENT, WE'D BE MORE ADVISED AND WE'D BE ABLE TO GET A LOT MORE ACCOMPLISHED.

BUT, UH, I THINK EVERYBODY COMMENTS TODAY WAS DEFINITELY IN LINE WITH WHAT NEEDED TO BE SAID.

AND THEN NOT ONLY BUT TO TAKE CARE, THE LA THE LATTER PART OF THIS MEETING, WHICH WE GOT THESE THINGS, I GUESS AFTER EVERYBODY FINISHED TALKING, WE'D BE ABLE TO VOTE AND MOVE, MOVE.

WE COULD.

WE COULD, BECAUSE IF WE DIDN'T DISCUSS IT NOW, WE WOULD'VE DISCUSSED IT THEN, AND IT STILL WOULD'VE BEEN PERTAINING TO AUR.

SO THEY GOT TO HEAR IT.

NOW, WHEN IT'S TIME TO VOTE, YOU GET A VOTE, THEN WE ALL GO, BUT IN HEARING IT, OKAY? SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY TAKE.

I DON'T, I THINK WE ALL ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC.

I THINK WE WANT THE SAME THING, AND I THINK WE JUST NEED TO GO THAT WAY.

OKAY? UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES.

UH, UR, THAT'S ONE.

COME IN YOU.

I APPRECIATE Y'ALL.

THE WORK Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING.

UH, MATTER OF FACT, YOU WENT BACK TO, WHAT, 2008? I, I HAD TO, WE HAD $12 MILLION OUTSTANDING.

AND, UH, I TALKED TO HARVEY ROBINSON.

I SAID, HARVEY, WE, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THAT MONEY? SO HE BROUGHT BACK, HE BROUGHT BACK BECKY UNDERHILL, AND SHE RECOVERED BEFORE SHE LEFT, SHE RECOVERED 8 MILLION OF DOLLARS OF THAT MONEY THAT WAS GONE.

AND, UH, I SEE HERE, YOU ALL HAD SOME RELATION WITH, WITH RECOVERING SOME THINGS.

HERE.

YOU, YOU ALL IS A NECESSARY.

THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE COULD HAVE, STAFF COULD HAVE GOT UP TO SPEED.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME PERIODICALLY.

NOW, WE APPROVED SOME, SOME GRANTS THAT WAS WRITTEN IN HOUSE.

WE GOT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT RUNS OFF A GRANT.

THEY WRITE 'EM IN HOUSE.

WE GOT THE PARK AND RECREATION PEOPLE.

THEY WRITE GRANTS.

WE HAD SOME GRANTS THAT WAS DONE IN HOUSE.

IT IS, IT IS BEING DONE.

NOW, THIS IS A, A LARGER PICTURE.

WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, A GRANT WRITING DEPARTMENT, IT TAKES TIME.

AND LIKE FOR NEXT WEEK, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AT NEXT WEEK.

BUT YOU ALL, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE, YOU HIRE THE EXPERTISE, THEY CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL DONE.

YOU HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.

NOW, WHAT I WANT NOW, I DON'T WANT YOU CHOPPED OFF LIKE THAT.

I WANT A, A SMOOTH TRANSITION.

LET'S HAVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION SO YOU CAN GET WORK ALONG WITH THE CITY MANAGERS, STAFF, EVERYBODY GET 'EM UP, GET 'EM UP TO SPEED, GET EVERYBODY TO SPEED, AND WE'LL HAVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION.

AND THEN PERIODICALLY, IF WE HAVE TO BRING YOU BACK AND REINFORCE SOME THINGS, WE, WE WILL DO THAT.

BUT, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I KNOW WHAT COUNCILMAN DEE SAYS, AFTER COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SUPPOSED TO CAPTURE HELP ALONG WITH THE CITY MANAGER, CITY MANAGERS, MANAGERS, HE GOT HIS PLATE FULL ALREADY, GRANT, RIGHT? GRANTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.

BUT ONE OF THE PRIMARY JOBS OF A ELECTED OFFICIAL IS TO FIND NEW REVENUE, NEW STREAMS. THAT'S ALL COUNCILMAN DEUCED IS DOING.

HE LOOKING AT ALL THIS MONEY HERE THAT COULD BE IN-HOUSE.

THIS IS A, A WHOLE, A NEW REVENUE STREAM, ONLY SHOULD LOOK HERE.

A DUAL CONTRACT LIMITS, YOU KNOW, REIMBURSE.

HE COULD, HE COULD CAPTURE THAT.

WE COULD CAPTURE THAT, AND THAT THAT'S WHAT, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT OVERNIGHT.

WE HAVE TO BUILD, BUILD, BUILD, BUILD.

BECAUSE WE, IF YOU DON'T BUILD IT RIGHT ON A PROPER FOUNDATION, IT'S GOING TO CRASH.

YOU BUILD YOUR HOUSE ON SOLID FOUNDATION.

IF YOU DON'T DO IT, AND YOU BUILD IT FOR STRENGTH, IF BEFORE A STORM COME ALONG, YOU GONNA BLOW YOUR WAY.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE AT NOW, AND CITY MANAGER, YOU KEEP GOING IN THE DIRECTION, KEEP BUILDING AND BUILDING AND BUDGETING FOR THAT INDEPENDENT DEPARTMENT.

KEEP DOING IT.

NOW, YOU, WE, WE WILL APPROVE SOME THINGS FOR YOU, GOT YOU GOING, BUT THIS BUDGET, YOU MAY DARN SHOW WHAT YOU NEED IS IN THIS BUDGET COMING UP, OKAY? SO WE CAN HAVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION.

AND IF WE, IN OUR TRANSITION, IF WE HAVE TO, FOR WHATEVER REASON,

[01:05:01]

TO HAVE TO EXTEND OUR CONTRACT ANOTHER YEAR OR SOMETHING TO HELP, TO HELP OUT FILL IN THE GAP, LET'S DO IT.

THE CITIZENS DESERVE IT.

OKAY? UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, I WAS COUNCILMAN, UM, COUNCILMAN LEWIS SAID EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING.

UH, I'M A FATHER OF CHILDREN, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS DID WAS PUT TRAINING WHEELS ON BICYCLES, UH, UNTIL OUR CHILDREN LEARNED HOW TO RIDE ADEQUATELY WITHOUT THEM.

AND SO, SIMPLY AUR, WE WANT YOU TO BE OUR TRAINING WHEELS UNTIL WE GET TO THE POINT IN PLACE, UH, WHERE WE CAN DO WHAT COUNCILMAN LEWIS, UH, HAS SAID.

SO I'M READY TO VOTE.

I, BUT I, I YIELD.

OKAY? COUNCILMAN KILLER.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UM, AND, AND DON'T GET ME WRONG, I THINK THE MAYOR WAS, WHEN HE'S MADE THE STATEMENT, UH, WE WANNA BEAT UP ON YOU.

WE'RE, WE'RE NOT BEATING UP ON YOU.

I'M NOT BEATING UP ON YOU.

WE'RE GOOD.

AND, AND WE'RE GOOD.

UH, THE THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE 18, THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN, I'VE TALKED TO YOU PERSONALLY MANY A TIMES, YOU AND YOUR YOUR ASSISTANT ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES.

WHAT IS OUT THERE? HOW WE CAN GAIN, YOU'RE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, HANDS DOWN AS DISASTROUS.

YOU ONE OF THE BEST, ONE OF THE BEST.

I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A KUDOS UPFRONT.

I MEAN, I'M NOT GONNA HIDE, BUT THE THING IS, THAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY AS FAR AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE HAVE TO BROADEN OUR SCOPE.

WE HAVE TO LOOK BROADER.

WE HAVE TO SAY, WELL, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE, IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? WHEN YOU SIGNED THE FIRST CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, YOU KNEW THAT IT WAS, IT WAS GONNA BE A LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIP AT SOMETIME IT WAS GONNA COME TO AN END.

WE KNEW THAT.

SO YOU'RE WORTH THE PAST, UH, INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDED.

I SEE THE WORTH IS THERE, THE WHAT WE SPEND WITH YOU VERSUS THE GAIN THAT WE'VE GOTTEN AND THE OUTCOME.

YOU CAN'T COMPARE TO THAT.

SO I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT, BUT I KNEW WHEN AURA CAME ON BOARD, IT WAS GONNA BECOME A ENDING IN THE FUTURE.

YOU, YOU'RE NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY.

SO I'M JUST GONNA BE SHOOT YOU STRAIGHT UP WITH THAT.

SO, BUT I, I FEEL THAT WE, WE ARE IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO GO AS A COUNCIL, COLLECTIVE COUNCIL, UH, FINDING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.

UH, I LOOK AT YOUR LIST, IT SHOULD BE DOUBLE TO ME BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.

WE JUST NEED TO GIVE YOU AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS GIVE THE CITY, UH, MANAGER DIRECTION WHERE WE WANT TO GO AS A CITY.

SO DON'T TAKE IT AS A, YOU KNOW, WE, ME, I, WE ARE BEATING UP ON YOU BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WORKSHOPS, I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP YESTERDAY.

I WAS OUT OF COUNTRY.

BUT IT WAS IMPERATIVE FOR ME TO BE HERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO GET INFORMATION.

I DIDN'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO CENSOR MY TONGUE OR FEEL THAT I'M NOT GIVING THE INFORMATION OR HOW I REALLY FEEL ABOUT A, UH, A SUBJECT I WANT YOU TO KNOW AS WELL AS THE CITY MANAGER, UH, MY OPINION ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING WITH A DUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY.

SO, UM, I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT.

I, I KNOW, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND.

UH, IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL, IT'S JUST THAT I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO BROADEN OUR SCOPE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GRANT WRITING, UH, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CITY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

ABSOLUTELY.

MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN SUM UP THEN BEFORE WE END THE WORKSHOP, UH, I KNOW YOU HAVE OTHER ITEMS THAT HOPEFULLY YOU'LL TAKE UP, AND I'M, I'M VERY SENSITIVE TO WHAT YOU, YOU'RE SAYING.

I SPENT AS, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW ALREADY, UM, I SPENT 12 YEARS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL GOVERNMENT.

I SPENT FOUR AT THE STATE LEVEL GOVERNMENT.

UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, SPENT SIX MORE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.

SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND, AND THE, THE CONCEPT OF SUBSIDIARITY, YOU DO IT AT THE LOWEST LEVEL THAT YOU CAN AND GET THE MOST EFFECTIVENESS.

I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT AT ALL.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, THAT, UM, THAT CLOSE TO 85% OF THE FUNDING THAT THAT ADORA HAS, UM, HAS BILLED, HAS BEEN RELATED TO THE DISASTER WORK.

WE, WE SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS IN DOING THAT.

WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO DO IS, IS COME UP WITH THAT SMART PLAN, AND I'M, I'LL TELL YOU NOW WHAT IN, IN, IN THE PUBLIC MEETING, WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP YOU WITH THAT TRANSITION.

WE HAVE INSIGHTS THAT, THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO YOU.

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS, INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING, WE HAVE A GRANT PERSON OR WE HAVE A GRANT DEPARTMENT, AND IT REALLY DOESN'T PRODUCE WHAT YOU HOPE IT WILL PRODUCE, SET IT UP TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP YOU DO THAT.

UH, AS FAR AS DISASTERS GO, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE PRAY THAT THERE IS NOT ANOTHER DISASTER, UM, AT LEAST ANYTIME SOON, BUT WE ARE POISED AND READY.

YOU APPROVED US TO BE HERE FOR, UH, THIS NEXT HURRICANE SEASON.

AND HOPEFULLY WE HAVE NO WORK COMING OUT OF IT.

BUT IF WE, WE DO, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK DILIGENTLY FOR YOU AND PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IDEA,

[01:10:01]

AND SO THE GRANT STUFF HAS COME AS, I THINK, A GROWTH OF THE COOPERATION THAT WE'VE SHARED AND THE, THE TRUST THAT, THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED WITH, WITH ONE ANOTHER.

AND SO IT WAS A NATURAL GROWTH AND, AND REQUEST OF, HEY, CAN WE DO THIS? CAN WE DO MORE FOR YOU? AND WE WILL, BUT WE WILL HELP YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE, YOU'RE HOPING TO GET TO.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TWO MAIN PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE CLOSING IN ON AND AND WORKING TO, TO GET FINISHED, UM, YOU KNOW, BREAKING GROUND AND GETTING FINISHED ARE, ARE THE, THE HARVEY PROJECTS WILL BE CLOSING OUT HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.

AND, AND THEN THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, THE 4 0 4 STUFF THAT WILL TAKE US, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER, YOU 18 TO 24 MONTHS TO FINISH THOSE.

UM, PARALLEL TO THAT, WE WILL, WE WILL SIT WITH YOU, WE WILL SIT WITH WHO THE CITY MANAGER PUTS US IN FRONT OF, AND, AND TRAIN WHOEVER WE CAN TO HELP YOU IN THE, IN THE LONG RUN.

UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A FORMER, UM, AS A FORMER PARISH PRESIDENT, CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL, I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE, OF THE TAXPAYERS' MONEY.

WE SUPPORT YOU IN DOING THAT.

UH, AND IF YOU CAN DO IT SUCCESSFULLY, WE WANT TO HELP YOU DO THAT AS WELL.

ALRIGHT? BUT AS LONG AS WE ARE HERE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK FOR YOU AND BRING TO YOU WHATEVER WE CAN.

SO, I, I, I DON'T FEEL BEAT UP ON , UH, BELIEVE ME.

GOOD.

IN THE ARENAS THAT, THAT YOU AND I HAVE TRAVELED IN.

UH, THIS WAS, THIS WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A, A GOOD ADULT TO ADULT CONVERSATION.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MS. JOAN, YOU ARE WAVING YOUR HAND.

WE STILL IN THE WORKSHOP.

DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO ADD? I JUST WANTED TO ADD YEP, YOU COME TO THE MIC SO WE CAN RECORD IT, PLEASE.

UH, MS. JOAN JONES, SIX 40 EAST 10TH STREET.

SAY, SAY IT WITH A MIC.

MS. JONES JONES.

SIX 40 EAST 10TH STREET.

I JUST WANNA SAY HOW LONG IT TOOK FOR YOU ALL TO WAKE UP.

I MENTIONED THIS LAST YEAR ABOUT IN YOUR GRANT DEPARTMENT WASN'T PULLING THIS CHAIR OF WORK.

I SAID THIS RIGHT HERE, UP HERE.

WHEN THEY WERE TRY, UH, WERE GETTING READY FOR STREETS TO REPAIR STREETS AND THEN Y'ALL WENT UP ON, ON, YOU KNOW, ON THE CITIZENS.

I'LL SAY IT RIGHT TO ALL OF YOU, BUT YOU DON'T LISTEN.

YOU DON'T LISTEN.

IT SEEMS AS IF, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE POWER, YOU WOULD NOT LISTEN TO THE FLOOR, YOU KNOW? UH, AND BE MINDFUL WHO, WHO YOU THINK YOU CAN.

JUST LISTEN TO THE ONES THAT YOU FEEL HAVE THE EDUCATION.

BUT YOU KNOW, SOME LITTLE OLD PEOPLE CAN OPEN YOUR EYES TO A LOT OF THINGS.

AND THE GRANTS, NO, YOU ARE WAY BEHIND IN THE GRANTS.

YOU'RE TOO BUSY PULLING FROM THE COMMUNITY OUT OF THEIR LITTLE POCKETS.

I KNOW YOU COULD WORK IT BETTER THAN THIS AND, AND ALL IT IS BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA WORK HARD.

YOU DON'T WANNA WORK HARD.

YOU GOTTA BAIL OUT WHEN YOU TAKE THESE OATHS TO THE COMMUNITY AND TRY TO SAVE THEIR MONEY.

I KNOW HE'S LOOKING FOR A JOB JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE.

LIKE I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR ONE.

AND ALSO HE HAS, HE'S WORKING FOR A COMPANY.

HE WANT A JOB.

AND I DON'T BLAME HIM.

I DON'T BLAME HIM FOR WORKING FOR Y'ALL WHILE Y'ALL GAIN THE MONEY AND PLUS PAY HIM.

YOU KNOW? SO I'M KIND OF, I'M SO GLAD I CAME TODAY AND I HOPE I SPOKE TO SAY, UH, Y'ALL UNDERSTAND ME WHERE I'M COMING FROM.

A LOT OF THINGS IS ON MY MIND, BUT THIS IS THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO REMIND Y'ALL OF.

YOU COME AND WAS ELECTED TO WORK AND WORK HARD TO BENEFIT US AND NOT HIDE EVERYBODY THAT COME BY AND SAY, I COULD DO YOU BETTER.

I COULD DO THIS FOR YOU.

'CAUSE YOU'RE LAZY.

YOU DON'T WANNA WORK TO BENEFIT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

UH, ANYTHING ELSE, UH, THAT WE WOULD HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR THE WORKSHOP? I THINK I'LL NEED TO HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THIS WORKSHOP.

AM I CORRECT ATTORNEY? DON'T HAVE TO CLOSE.

I DON'T HAVE TO CLOSE THE WORKSHOP.

ALRIGHT.

SO WE'LL JUST MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.

NEXT WE HAVE ADAM, WE HAVE ROMAN NUMERAL THREE, AND THESE ARE ITEMS REQUIRING INDIVIDUAL ACTS ACTION.

I JUST WANTED THE PROPER INSTRUCTIONS.

UH,

[III. (1) P.R. No. 23607 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With Ardurra Group, LLC, For TX-GLO 2019 HUD Infrastructure Competition Project Management And Reporting Services For The City's Manhole Replacement Project In An Amount Not To Exceed $50,000.00. Funding Available In Account No. 148- 21-055-5492-00-70-000, Project No. GM2402.GRE.ADM And Are 100% Reimbursable Under The TX-GLO Contract #24-067-034-E222]

AND WE HAVE PR NUMBER 23 6 0 7, AND IT'S A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH A DURA GROUP LLC FOR TX GLO 2019 HUD INFRASTRUCTURE, COMPETITION, PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING SERVICES FOR THE CITY'S MANHOLE REPLACEMENT PROJECT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000 FUNDING AVAILABLE IN, IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 1 48 DASH 21 DASH 55 DASH 54 92

[01:15:01]

DASH ZERO DASH SEVEN.

AND PROJECT NUMBER GM 2 4 2 GREA DM AND OR 100% REIMBURSABLE UNDER THE TEXAS GLO CONTRACT NUMBER 24 DASH 0 6 7 DASH THREE, I MEAN 0 3 4 DASH E 2 2 2.

MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVE OF COUNCILMAN MCKEN LAW? SO MOVED.

MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED.

AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD, UH, APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 6 0 7 AS PRESENTED.

WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION.

QUESTION.

GO AHEAD, SIR.

COUNCILMAN FRANK? UM, MAYOR, I DID NOT LIKE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.

YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T REALLY GET A CHANCE TO CALL IN OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THESE ITEMS, BUT I DID NOTICE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING ON THREE ITEMS ON TODAY, AND EACH ONE OF THOSE ITEMS HAS A DIFFERENT, UH, COST, UM, CONNECTED TO THEM.

AND SO I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE VARYING COSTS, UH, OF THESE THREE, UH, CONTRACTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE APPROVING.

AND SO WHAT, WHAT MANDATES, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE SLIDING SCALE ON THESE, THAT WOULD BE FOR THE CITY MANAGER OR MR. UH, FERRO OR, OR I DON'T SEE ANYONE FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IN HERE.

SORRY, MR. COUNCILMAN, COULD YOU, COULD YOU ASK THAT AGAIN? WELL, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO SMOOTHLY MAKE MY VOTES AS WE'RE COMING UP ON THESE.

UM, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS ON THE FLOOR, BUT THIS ONE IS NOT TO EXCEED $50,000.

THERE ARE GOING TO BE TWO MORE ITEMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE BROUGHT UP, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE AT DIFFERENT AMOUNTS.

SO I'M TRYING TO ASCERTAIN WHY THE DIFFERING AMOUNTS FOR EACH ONE OF THEM, BUT ONLY SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS ONE IS NOT AS MUCH AS THE OTHER TWO THAT ARE COMING, OR THEY'RE BASED ON THE, ON THE SIZE OF THE GRANT AND THE, AND THE ACTIVITY THAT GOES ALONG WITH EACH OF THEM.