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RECORDING IN PROGRESS.[ I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
GOOD EVENING TO EACH OF YOU WHO GATHERED HERE TODAY.WE ARE HERE IN THIS ASSEMBLY AT 4 44 4 STREET, HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AT OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING ON TODAY, TUESDAY, JULY 2ND YEAR OF OUR LORD 2024.
AND IT IS NOW 5:31 PM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME.
AND IN THIS MEETING, YOU MAY ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING VIA TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS. HOWEVER, YOU MUST, YOU MUST FIRST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9, AND YOU WOULD ENTER THE, UH, MEETING ID OF 8 8 3 2 2 0 9 59 1 0, AND THE PASSCODE OF 0 1 6 4 7 0, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE, UH, ENTER AND PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING.
UH, ALSO IN THE MEETING, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT HERE IN OUR MEETING HERE IN THE CITY OF FORT ARTHUR.
AND IF THERE WOULD BE A NEED FOR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, YOU WOULD ONLY CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT FOUR, AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5.
MAKE YOUR REQUEST KNOWN TO THE STAFF, AND THEY WILL DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWER TO FULFILL YOUR REQUEST FOR SPECIAL AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS.
HOWEVER, THAT REQUEST HAS TO BE MADE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE WILL HAVE OUR INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT THIS JUNCTURE.
UH, AGAIN, COUNCILMAN, UH, FRANK, WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO DO THE INVOCATION FOR US? LET US BOW ALWAYS IN ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHER, HOW GRATEFUL.
YET AGAIN, WE ARE TO COME INTO YOUR PRESENCE.
FATHER, AS YOU ARE ALLOWING US TO SYMBOL ON TODAY, WE KNOW THAT IT IS BECAUSE OF YOUR GOODNESS, YOUR GREATNESS, AND YOUR FAITHFULNESS AS WE COME TODAY, FATHER, AND AS WE SHARE TOGETHER THIS DAY, WE PRAY FOR YOUR WISDOM, FOR YOUR GUIDANCE, FOR YOUR MERCY, BUT MOST ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR PEACE.
GUIDE US AND HOLD US INTO YOUR HAND IS OUR PRAYER.
PLEASE JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY, UH, SECRETARY, WHICH YOU ESTABLISHED THE QUORUM.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER ETT.
DO YOU HAVE, WELL, NOW I DON'T HAVE ANY HERE.
SO THERE AREN'T ANY PROCLAMATIONS FOR TODAY.
[III.A.(1) Patricia Parker And Concerned Citizens Regarding The State Of The City]
MOVE TO ROMAN NUMER THREE FOR PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS.WE HAVE SPEAKERS WHO ARE ON THE AGENDA, WOULD WANT SPEAKERS TO KNOW.
YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO GIVE YOUR, UH, CONCERNS.
AND, UH, YOU WOULD BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, AND WE HAVE THE TIME AND HE'S GOING TO KEEP UP WITH THE TIME ON IT.
UH, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MS. PATRICIA PARKER AND CONCERNED CITIZENS REGARDING THE STATE OF THE CITY.
I RESIDE AT 26TH, 38TH, 15TH STREET IN PORT ARTHUR.
AND FIVE MINUTES MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH TIME FOR US.
I HAVE CONCERNED CITIZENS THAT ARE ALSO HERE IN BEHALF OF, OF, OF THE THINGS THAT I PUT ON, UM, ON THE FLYERS FOR THE AGENDA.
WE'VE GOT SOME SERIOUS ISSUES IN PORT ARTHUR, AND WE JUST KIND OF TIRED OF, UH, HAVING OUR STREETS LIKE IT IS.
I'VE, I'VE BEEN LIVING AT 26, 38 15.
I'VE OWNED THAT HOME FOR 45 YEARS.
THE SEWER HAS BEEN COLLAPSED IN THAT ALLEY.
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DIFFICULTIES, I HAD A, A FLASH DRIVE THAT WAS GONNA SHOW A BUNCH OF PICTURES AND WATER.THEY, THEY TORE THE ALLEY UP, DIDN'T REFINISH IT.
EVERY TIME IT RAINS, IT FLOODS.
I'VE CALLED AND CALLED, BUT FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE I GET STARTED, LINDSEY, ARE YOU ABLE TO, LINDSEY YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT? I'D LIKE FOR YOU GUYS TO SEE THIS VIDEO AND THAT'S GIVING UP SOMETHING OF VALUE FOR SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS DEEMED MORE IMPORTANT AND WORTH.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES ACROSS AMERICA THAT ARE BEING SACRIFICED FOR SOMETHING NOT SO NOBLE AND NOT SO JUST, BUT FOR OIL AND ANGRY.
MY COMMUNITY IS ONE OF THOSE UNFORTUNATE, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING SACRIFICED.
UM, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ASTHMA AND ALLERGIES AT THE AGE OF SIX, BUT IT WASN'T JUST ME WHO HAD ASTHMA AND SUFFERING AND COULDN'T BREATHE.
IT WAS MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY AS WELL, WHO WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT ALL THE TIME.
THAT'SS, WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS JUST NORMAL FOR US.
PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS IS HOME TO THE, UH, LARGEST OIL REFINERY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
UM, SINCE IT IS SUCH A LARGE, UH, REFINERY, WE ARE ALWAYS ADMITTING, UM, BENZENE IN OTHER CARCINOGENICS INTO OUR ENVIRONMENT, UM, ALL THE TIME, WHICH PUTS US AT ANOTHER, UM, ISSUE ON THE FRONT LINE OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
BY CURRENT PROJECTIONS, MY HOMETOWN WILL BE UNDERNEATH WATER, UM, OR ALMOST UNDERNEATH WATER.
BY 20 102,005, UH, HURRICANE RITA HIT MY HOMETOWN.
UM, BUT WHAT HURRICANES DO IS THAT THEY ERODE THAT NATURAL MARSHLAND BARRIERS.
UM, SO THEN HURRICANE ICE HIT IN 2008, AND THEN BY THE TIME HURRICANE HARVEY HIT IN 2017, THAT MARSHLAND WAS BASICALLY GONE.
SO THAT WATER HAD NOWHERE TO GO, BUT IN MY HOMETOWN, WE UNDERWATER.
SO IT WAS THIS VERY WIDE SWATH OF ALL OF THESE REFINERIES JUST CLOSING DOWN REALLY FAST, PUTTING ALL THIS POLLUTION AND AGAIN, CANCER CAUSING AGENTS INTO OUR AIR, OUR WATER, OUR, OUR ENVIRONMENT.
WE'LL NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH THE ENVIRONMENT GOT AFFECTED THAT DAY.
THIS IS WHY I AND MY AMAZING COWORKERS ARE FIGHTING WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR RIGHT NOW.
OUR COMMUNITIES ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
THIS, THIS YOUNG LADY, UM, WORKED IN WASHINGTON, WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PORT ARTHUR AND WAS BURIED IN DECEMBER.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA SAY A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
I LIVE AT 38 20 30 SIXTH STREET IN PORT ARTHUR.
I'VE BEEN HERE BASICALLY ALL MY LIFE.
I TAUGHT IN PORT ARTHUR SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR 46 YEARS.
UH, YES, MY DAUGHTER, UH, RELOCATED TO, UH, WASHINGTON, DC UH, AND, UH, SHE ENDED UP, UH, WORKING AT LCV, WHICH IS THE LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION OF VOTERS, WHICH PROMOTES, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND, UH, ANYWAY, UH, SHE ENDED UP, UH, BODY WAS INVADED BY, UH, PANCREATIC CANCER.
SHE WAS A HEALTHY YOUNG LADY GOING ABOUT BUSINESS.
SHE WAS AT THE PRIME OF HER LIFE.
AND, UH, WE DECIDED TO FIGHT IT, FIGHT THE CANCER, UH, WASHINGTON, DC UH, THE HOSPITAL DID NOT SERVICE HER BODY WELL.
UH, THEY DID NOT GIVE HER THE ATTENTION SHE NEEDED, SO WE DECIDED TO UPROOT.
SHE DECIDED TO UPROOT AND COME TO HER HOMETOWN, WHICH IS PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
AND TO COME TO MD ANDERSON FOR THE BEST HELP IN THIS COUNTRY.
WELL, IT WAS A BATTLE WE FARTED TOGETHER.
UH, SHE, SHE LIVED, UH, SHE FARTED.
THEY TOLD HER SHE ONLY HAD SIX MONTHS TO LIVE AT THAT TIME, BUT SHE ENDED UP LIVING AND FIGHTING IT FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS.
UH, I DIDN'T FEEL THE PAIN, BUT I'M HER MOTHER AND I WAS THERE WITH HER AT EVERY POSSIBLE TURN THAT GOD ALLOWED US TO ENDURE.
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UH, I RAISED HER TO BE A STRONG YOUNG WOMAN, BUT, UH, SHE ENDED UP BEING MY WOMAN KING.SHE FOUGHT THIS WITH ALL HER MIGHT, BUT SHE WAS A, THE DATA DIRECTOR OVER CLIMATE CHANGE.
AT LCV, THIS CANCER HAS MANY POSSIBLE CAUSES.
CHEMICAL EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS USED IN DRY CLEANING, METAL WORKING, OR PESTICIDES.
AND, UH, PETROCHEMICALS OVER TIME CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF PANCREATIC CANCER.
AND MOST OF THE EFFECTS ARE WITH MEN AND AFRICAN AMERICANS.
OVER 65 ARE AFRICAN AMERICANS, MORE THAN WHITE PEOPLE.
BUT MY DAUGHTER WAS A YOUNG BLACK WOMAN.
AND, UH, THIS, THIS TOOK HER LIFE ON THIS EARTH.
IT DID, IT DID NOT TAKE HER SPIRIT, AND IT DID NOT TAKE HER SOUL.
SHE WAS A JEWEL, A FIGHT ON THIS EARTH.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING TO ME, AND I HOPE THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS.
I KNOW THAT WE DEPEND ON THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY.
MY FATHER MOVED HERE WHEN I WAS A BABY 72 YEARS AGO TO WORK AT THE, AT THE, UH, AT GULF OIL.
BUT I HOPE THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE WELL ABOUT THE EMISSIONS OF THE CHEMICALS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF CONCERNED BECAUSE WE HEAR THAT THE PLANTS IN THIS AREA, AND OF COURSE WE DO, WE ALL THE WORLD HERE, AND MOST OF US HAVE LIVED HERE ALL OUR LIVES.
I AIN'T GOT NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.
I'M GONNA BE 66 YEARS OLD IN OCTOBER.
BUT WE FEEL LIKE THE MONEY THAT THE, THAT THEY PUT OUT, THAT THEY GIVE, I HEARD IT WAS, UM, SOME MILLIONS THAT THEY, WHEN THEY LET OUT THESE EMISSIONS AND THEY DO IT AT NIGHT, I, AND I, I, I, FORGIVE ME FOR, I HAD TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY, BUT I EVEN HAD SOME PICTURES OF SOME OF THE STUFF BEING LET OUT AT NIGHT.
AND I CAN GET IT TO YOU GUYS LATER, BUT IT'S TOO LONG.
BUT YOU TAKE THE MONEY AND YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA PUT IT BACK IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
I GOT A WATER BILL HERE THAT I WANNA PAY TODAY.
I USED $13 WORTH OF WATER, BUT MY WATER BILL IS $60, $20 FOR TRASH.
I HAD PICTURES, ALSO TRASH THAT'S BEEN SITTING AROUND THE CITY FOR MONTHS.
WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING WITH THE MONEY? IT'S NOT GOING BACK IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE EVERY STREET WE RUN DOWN HAS TORN UP OUR CARS.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT POTHOLES, WE GOT EROSION.
AND WE GOT CITY WORKERS SITTING IN THE ALLEY, CHILLING IN THE SHADE.
IF THEY NEED TO BE TRAINED, IF YOU NEED TO HIRE OTHER PEOPLE, THEN, THEN WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
BUT THERE'S A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN HERE THAT CAME TO, TO, UH, UH, REPRESENT WHAT I'M SAYING BECAUSE WE ARE JUST REALLY TIRED OF IT.
A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T MAKE COUNCIL MEETINGS.
YOU, I HEARD Y'ALL TOOK $4 MILLION TO FIX WOODWORK FROM ONE END TO THE PROPERTY.
WHAT'S GOOD IN FIXING THOSE? THAT STREET THAT WASN'T EVEN TORN UP AS BAD AS THE STREETS IN BETWEEN.
WHAT ARE Y'ALL GONNA DO? IT'S CLEAR THAT Y'ALL DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR CITIZENS.
MS. PARKER, THEY CLOSED UP, EXCUSE ME, LEMME FINISH.
THEY CLOSED UP THE SEWER LINE WHERE THEY WERE WORKING IN THE BACK OF MY ALLEY WHERE WATER AND THE SEWER WAS BACKING UP BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY HAD TO CONTRACT IT OUT.
I'VE BEEN CALLING THEM SINCE GENERAL, KEEP TALKING.
GENERAL LAND OFFICE BUILT MY HOME.
THEY COME, THEY LEAVE THE TOPS OFF.
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ASK THEM TO LET ME KNOW WHEN THEY'RE THERE.YOU KNOW, YOU GOT PEOPLE THAT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING, BUT WHO, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR LOOKING AFTER THAT? YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT FAIR TO US AS CITIZENS TO GET A WATER BILL AND ALL THE TRASH.
I HAD A HOME BUILT, IT HADN'T BEEN THREE YEARS.
THERE WAS SO MUCH TRASH IN THE WATER LINE BECAUSE OF THE BACKUP IN THE SEWER.
I HAD TO CHANGE THE WHOLE KITCHEN FAUCET 'CAUSE THE WATER WOULDN'T COME THROUGH.
NOT ONLY ME, BUT SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE THAT I KNOW IS COMING OUTTA THE WATER LINES.
ANOTHER THING ARE THE ABANDONED HOUSES.
I HAVE ONE NEXT TO MINE THAT'S BEEN ABANDONED SINCE HARVEY, AND THERE'S NOTHING BUT CRITTERS LIVING IN THERE.
NOBODY'S, YOU KNOW, GOING THE CITY COME SEND SOMEBODY OUT TO CUT THE YARD AND THEY JUST CHOP OVER IT.
THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING AS FAR AS BREAKING IT UP.
THEY WAIT TILL THEY GET THIS HIGH.
AND ALL THAT GOES ON MY SIDE OF, OF THE PROPERTY AND I KEEP MY MY PROPERTY STRAIGHT.
BUT YOU GOT ALL THESE ABANDONED HOUSES THAT NOBODY'S TENDING TO RODENTS.
YOU GOT DITCHES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DUG.
AND I JUST WISHED I'D HAVE HAD MY PICTURES.
YOU GOT DITCHES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DUG.
WATER'S NOT GOING THROUGH, UH, TO THE END OF THE BLOCK WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO DRAIN OUT.
THE DRAINS ARE ALL BROKEN UP AND TORE UP, BUT THE MONEY'S GOING BACK IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WE ARE LIVING LIKE THIS IS ALSO, THERE ARE, UM, PARKS WHERE OUR KIDS ARE SUPPOSED TO PLAY IN.
THEY'RE NOT TAKEN CARE OF PROPERLY.
EACH PARK, LIKE OTHER CITIES SHOULD HAVE A BUILDING ON THERE IF THEY WANT TO HAVE A FUNCTION.
WE DON'T HAVE A BUILDING FOR THEM TO DO ANY TYPE OF FUNCTIONS THERE.
OUR MAJOR PARKS, GILLUM CIRCLE, UH, 5 0 3 PLACES FOR KIDS TO PLAY.
WHEN WE WERE KIDS, IF SOME OF Y'ALL CAN REMEMBER, THE FOG WAS SO THICK TO FOG OF THE MOSQUITO RUN.
WE KIDS, WE RUNNING BEHIND HIM PLAYING IN THE FOG.
NOW YOU GET A PUFF P**S THE MOSQUITOES OFF.
SO WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING FOR STUFF LIKE THAT? YOU KNOW, YOU GOT KIDS ON THE STREET, THEY EITHER SHOOTING EACH OTHER UP, FIGHTING, CUTTING EACH OTHER, OR EVERYBODY WANNA BE A DRUG DEALER.
WHY WE DON'T HAVE NOTHING FOR THESE KIDS TO DO.
WHERE ARE YOU CENTERS? YOU COULD ADD, YOU COULD ADD JOBS FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T.
HAVE YOU GOT RETIRED TEACHERS THAT WILL BE GLAD TO TEACH THESE KIDS COMPUTER SKILLS? BUT YOU GUYS, WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING? YOU GOT POSITIONS.
I THINK MR. BURTON IS GREAT CITY MANAGER.
SO WHY WE GOT TWO ASSISTANTS? WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING AND SALARIES THAT ARE, ARE NOT NECESSARY? THAT'S WHAT WE FEEL.
PORT ARTHUR IS ONE OF THE RICHEST AREA BECAUSE OF THE, Y'ALL GIVING TEXACO AND THEM SUBSIDIES AND WE DYING.
THEY EVERYBODY GONNA BE A CHEMIST OR A DOPE DEALER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE NOTHING TO DO.
THERE'S NO LIFEGUARDS AT THE POOL.
WE CAN'T EVEN OPEN A POOL FOR OUR KIDS TO GO TO.
I KNOW EVERY CITIZEN IN PORT ARTHUR CANNOT PASS A DRUG TEST.
WE GOT STREET LIGHTS THAT ARE OUT.
I'M SCARED TO WALK TO THE CORNER STORE, ESPECIALLY NOW, AS YOU KNOW, I'LL FIGHT.
BUT I NEED YOU GUYS TO HELP US, EVERYBODY THAT'S CONCERNED WITH WHAT I'M SAYING AND AGREE WITH WHAT I'M SAYING.
WOULD YOU STAND WHO'S, WHO ALL IS HERE AND BEHALF OF THIS? THOSE ARE MY SONS RIGHT THERE.
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THEY, YOU REMEMBER WHEN, UH, THE STREET WAS SO DUSTY AND WE MOVED ON THE WEST SIDE AND YOU GUYS DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO PAVE THE STREET? Y'ALL WANNA MOVE OUR HOUSE, THE SAME HOUSE AND KIDS LIVING IN NOW BECAUSE PORT IRON WITH ALL OF THAT, I MEAN, THERE'S SNAKES COMING FROM BACK THERE.THERE'S STUFF ALL AROUND THAT.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
Y'ALL NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
WE WANT OUR KIDS TO LIVE BETTER.
MY MAMA DIED OF LUNG PROBLEMS AND NEVER DRANK OR SMOKE A DAY IN HER LIFE.
THESE EMISSIONS ARE KILLING US.
THIS IS THE HIGHEST RISK OF CANCER.
SO WHAT YOU GOING TO DO IF YOU AIN'T PUTTING IT BACK IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE? I PROPOSE THAT EVERY REGISTERED CITIZEN GET A CHECK WHEN Y'ALL GET IT.
SINCE Y'ALL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH.
WE WOULD, WE KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
WE CAN BUY MORE FILTERS, WE CAN GET AIR PURIFIED.
UH, THANK YOU GUYS FOR LISTENING.
SO YOU, YOU ARE THROUGH, BUT NOW SOME COUNCILPERSONS WANT TO MAKE SOME REMARKS, SEE ON WHAT YOU VIEW.
MAY I I'M READY TO LISTEN AND, OKAY.
UH, MAYOR
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I WANNA KIND OF START BACKWARDS.
UH, WHEN YOU HAVE A STREET LIGHT THAT'S OUT ANYWHERE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHETHER IT'S A A STREET LIGHT THAT'S ON THE STREET OR IT'S A SECURITY LIGHT AT SOMEONE'S HOME, YOU CAN GO ON THE ENTERGY WEBSITE AND THERE'S A WAY FOR YOU TO REPORT IT.
AND WITHIN 48 HOURS, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
NOW, IF THEY DON'T, WITHIN 48 HOURS, CONTACT YOUR COUNSEL PERSON.
OKAY? UM, THE CONTACT THAT I HAVE AT ENERGY IS, I MEAN, HE'S QUICK.
I CAN EMAIL HIM AND TELL HIM, HEY, WE'VE GOT THIS, THIS, AND THIS, AND WITHIN ABOUT 24 HOURS HE'S ON IT.
OKAY? AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO, UH, JUST SAY, MA'AM, I, I AM, I'M, I I MY CONDOLENCES TO YOU FOR YOUR DAUGHTER.
UM, THE FIRST 21 YEARS OF MY LIFE, I WAS EXPOSED TO ASBESTOS IN MY HOUSEHOLD, AND NOW I'M ALMOST 60.
AND I JUST FOUND OUT RECENTLY THAT I'VE GOT SOME HEALTH ISSUES BECAUSE OF THAT EXPOSURE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL WITH YOU.
THOSE OF YOU, THE ALL OF US THAT GREW UP IN PORT ARTHUR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL THERE.
AND I HAVE PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME, I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
I HAVE PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME, WHY DOES PORT ARTHUR NOT LOOK LIKE MONT BELLEVUE? HAVE Y'ALL DROVE THROUGH MONT BELLEVUE? MONT BELLEVUE'S, BEAUTIFUL.
THEY HAVE GOT INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE INCOME FROM INDUSTRY THAT WE HAVE.
WE'VE GOT THE LARGEST PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES, OR IN ALMOST IN THE WORLD.
WHY DO OUR STREETS LOOK LIKE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE? I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER FOR THAT YET.
I, I MEAN, I'M STILL A BABY COUNCIL PERSON.
I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT TOO, BECAUSE THAT'S A PROBLEM.
WHY ARE WE SPENDING $14 MILLION ON WOODWORTH BOULEVARD WHEN PEOPLE IN PORT ACRES AND ON THE WEST SIDE CAN'T DRIVE DOWN THEIR STREETS? THANK YOU.
I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE AND POINTING THAT OUT FOR US.
I DON'T HAVE TO SAY TOO MUCH BECAUSE WHAT YOU SAID WAS, WAS RIGHT ON POINT, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND I HEAR IT, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU AND WE SHOULD DO THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS A COUNCIL, WE NEED TO JUST TAKE WHAT YOU SAID TODAY, AND WE NEED TO REALLY APPLY IT IN THE SENSE OF SETTING PRIORITIES.
I THINK WHAT HAS HAPPENED, WE HAVE WENT ASTRAY FROM PRIORITIES.
UH, YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE PRIORITIES.
UH, STREETS SURGE, GARBAGE AND TRASH PICKED UP WATER BILL.
I'VE SAID IT SINCE I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL IN 2011 WHEN I REALLY FOUND OUT HOW TO BE A, A GOOD COUNCILMAN AND MAKE EVERYBODY IN THE CITY THINK YOU'RE A GOOD AS A COUNCIL, TAKE CARE OF THOSE FOUR THINGS.
BECAUSE THOSE ONLY THING YOU ALL REALLY PAY FOR.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT COMPLIMENTARY.
Y'ALL ACTUALLY PAY FOR THOSE THINGS I JUST NAMED MM-HMM.
AND IF WE DID THAT, WE COULD JUST BLOW ALL THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND Y'ALL WOULD THEN BE AFFECTED.
SO I THINK IT'S US GETTING BACK
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TO GETTING FOCUSED, GOING BACK TO THE PRIORITIES AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE OVERNIGHT.BUT IF WE START DOING IT, YOU ALL WILL SEE THAT WE ARE DOING IT.
AND THEN YOU ALL WILL BE MORE AGREEABLE THAT WE ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I, I'M GONNA STRIVE TO DO IS, UH, KEEP PUSHING THAT WE DO PRIORITIES AND WE STICK WITH THE PRIORITIES.
DON'T LET PEOPLE TAKE US OFF LINE.
OKAY? BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I PREACH FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE.
AND EVERYTHING YOU SAID WAS THE TRUTH, AND I AGREE.
I'M GONNA TRY TO DO MY PART TO CHANGE IT, PLEASE.
BUT BRING PEOPLE, LIKE YOU SAY, STAND UP, HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE.
AND WHEN WE DON'T DO IT, THEN WE NEED TO BE REPLACED.
BECAUSE THESE SEATS, THEY'RE NOT OURS.
AND WHEN WE ARE NOT DOING THAT, WE'RE NOT DOING WHAT YOU ELECTED US TO DO.
I JUST APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
IT WAS VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD TO THE POINT.
I I APPRECIATE YOUR COMING BEFORE US TODAY.
AND I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU CAME AND SAID ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE SAYING AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DITCH EXCAVATIONS.
AND AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SEWAGE, AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DRAINAGE, SINCE I BECAME A COUNCILMAN, THOSE HAVE BEEN THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, THE CITY, TALKING TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
UM, RIGHT NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO IS THE DRAINAGE ON THE WEST SIDE.
ON 17, 18 AND 19, THAT $2 MILLION APPROPRIATION IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
SO WE ARE DOING INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE THERE WAS ALWAYS FLOODING ON WEST 19TH STREET.
THAT PROJECT IS ABOUT TO TAKE OFF AND TO BEGIN.
SO WE ARE TAKING INFRASTRUCTURE THERE, THERE, THERE'S MONEY THAT HAS BEEN SENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT WHILE, LET ME SAY THIS, BUT BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE IT, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT HAPPENING AND TRANSPIRING, LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT I'M SAYING.
THERE'S SO MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE BENEATH THE GROUND WHEN WE GO TO FIX A STREET BECAUSE THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS NOT BEEN TOUCHED FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
WHEN THEY DIG UP THE STREETS, WHEN THEY DON'T, WHEN WHEN THEY DIG UP THE STREET TO FIX IT, THEY FIND SO MUCH OTHER STUFF THAT'S UNDERNEATH IT, WHICH CREATES MORE AND MORE DIFFICULTY.
I'M NOT GIVING YOU A JUSTIFICATION, I'M SIMPLY SHARING INFORMATION BECAUSE INFORMATION IS POWER.
AND SO WHEN WE SAY THOSE THINGS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS HAPPENING.
AND ATLANTA VALVE, I NEVER KNEW WHAT AN ATLANTA VALVE WAS UNTIL I GOT ON CITY COUNCIL.
BUT THE ATLANTA VALVE HAD TO BE CHANGED OUT BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T ALL OF THE WATER THAT YOU USE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 73 WOULD'VE BEEN CUT OFF, THEN WE WOULD'VE REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT'S HAPPENING AND TRANSPIRING.
I'M NOT TRYING TO IN ANY WAY DEFLECT BECAUSE I CAN APPRECIATE BECAUSE I'M A CITIZEN AS WELL.
I CAN APPRECIATE ALL OF WHAT YOU SAID, AND I CONCUR.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID AND TRANSPIRE, AND I KIND OF STAND BY IT, IS THIS, THAT YES, WE HAVE TO FIX INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT WE HAVE TO WALK, CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME.
AND SO WHEN WE ARE DOING OTHER THINGS OR WHEN WE'RE PUTTING FORTH OTHER PROJECTS, DON'T TAKE IT AS IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION.
BUT WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE PORT ARTHUR TO THE PLACE WHERE IT WILL BE MOUNT BELLEVUE, WHERE INDIVIDUALS WILL WANT TO COME IN AND OPEN UP NEW BUSINESSES LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON PLEASURE ISLAND WITH A $140 MILLION WATERPARK.
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MOVE PAST JUST BEING A CITY THAT DOES OIL, BUT MOVES INTO A PLACE WHERE WE DO RECREATION AND WHERE WE CAN BE A DESTINATION SPOT AS WELL.
I'M NOT DEFLECTING I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE SAID.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE SAID.
AND EACH AND EVERY DAY THIS COUNCIL, AND I BELIEVE THE CITY MANAGER AND THE STAFF
[00:30:01]
ARE MOVING TO MAKE CITY, UH, MAKE PORT ARTHUR BETTER.SO PRAY FOR US, PRAY WITH US, WORK TOGETHER WITH US.
WE ARE TRYING TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN.
I'VE TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT EXCAVATION OF DITCHES AND PUTTING THAT ON A SCHEDULE.
I'VE TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT SO MANY OTHER THINGS, UH, SEWAGE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
THOSE ARE THINGS WE ARE SEEKING TO TAKE CARE OF.
AND WE, WE ARE TRYING TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS WE CAN.
UH, CAN I JUST SAY, BUT I'M SORRY.
IT HAS TO BEGIN AT SIX O'CLOCK.
JUST IF YOU WOULD JUST BE SO KIND, I'M GONNA CALL YOU BACK AS SOON AS WE COMPLETE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IF YOU WERE RETIRED, I JUST GOT ONE THING TO SAY ABOUT WHAT HE SAID.
Y THE CITY DOES RECEIVE FUNDS TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE.
MS. PARKER, I'M GONNA CALL YOU BACK.
MS. PARKER, PLEASE LET IT STOP.
PLEASE, MS. PARKER, THINGS THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING, THEY NEED TO CONTINUE.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU FOR A WHILE.
[IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS – 6:00 P.M. (1) A Public Hearing For The Purpose Of Receiving Public Comments To Consider The Proposed Amendment Of The Following: Proposed Change: A Zoning Map Amendment (Z24-05) To Change From “NS” Neighborhood Services To “LDR” Low-Density Residential For The Development Of Single-Family Homes Legal Description: For 1.437 Acres Of Land Being Out Of The Vista Village Subdivision, City Of Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas. (Northeast Of Terrance Avenue And Southwest Of Linkwood Street) Citizens With Questions Regarding Description Of This Property Can Contact The City Planning Department At (409) 983-8133. The Public Will Also Be Able To View The Public Hearing Via The City’s Website At www.portarthurtx.gov]
I HAVE, WE, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING THAT, UH, IT'S THE BEGIN AT 6:00 PM IT'S NOW 6 0 2.IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING PUBLIC COMMENTS TO CONSIDER THE PUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF THE FOLLOWING.
PROPOSE THE CHANGE A ZONING MAP, AMENDMENT Z 24 DASH ZERO FIVE TO CHANGE FROM NS, WHICH IS NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES TO LDR, WHICH IS LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION IS 1.437, UH, ACRES OF LAND, UH, EXCUSE ME, UH, BEING OUT OF THE, UH, UH, VISTA VILLAGE SUBDIVISION CITY OF PORT ARTHUR JEFFERSON COUNTY, UH, NORTHEAST OF TERRANCE, UH, AVENUE AND SOUTHWEST OF, UH, LINK WOOD STREET CITIZENS.
WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING DESCRIPTION OF THIS PROPERTY, CAN CONTACT THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT AT, UH, 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 3 3.
THE PUBLIC WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE TO VIEW THE PUBLIC HEARING VIA THE, UH, CITY'S WEBSITE AT WWW.PORTARTHURTX.GOV.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE MS. MILO BEFORE AND YOU MAY PROCEED.
MAYOR BARTEE CITY COUNCIL IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 6.03 E OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR ZONING ORDINANCE AND CHAPTER TWO 11 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT, ALSO REFERRED TO AS A ZONING MAP, CHANGE OR REZONING FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.437 ACRES OF LAND CONSISTING OF TRACKS CA DASH ONE DASH A CA DASH ONE DASH B AND CA DASH ONE DASH C VISTA VILLAGE, SUBDIVISION CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, JEFFERSON COUNTY, TEXAS.
THE PROPERTY IS LO LOCATED NORTHEAST OF TERRACE AVENUE AND SOUTHWEST OF LINK WOOD STREET.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST IS TO CHANGE THE ZONING FROM NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DISTRICT TO A LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT, FORMERLY KNOWN AS SINGLE FAMILY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
A A COMPLETED APPLICATION WAS FILED WITH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION ON MAY 10TH, 2024, REQUESTING A ZONING CHANGE FOR THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROPERTY.
THE ZONING CHANGE WOULD ALLOW FOR THE USE TYPE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SINGLE FAMILY OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AS A LEGALLY CONFORMING USE AT SAID LOCATION.
PUBLIC NOTICES WERE MAILED TO PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN A 200 FOOT RADIUS OF THE PROPOSED SITE ON MAY 15TH, 2024, AND PUBLISHED IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER ON MAY 18TH, 2024.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION HELD, HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 3RD, 2024, INVITING CITIZENS TO EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION TO THE REQUEST.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION VOTED THREE ZERO.
RECOMMENDING THE REQUEST BE APPROVED ON JUNE 4TH, 2024.
[00:35:02]
THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED RESOLUTION NUMBER 24 DASH 2 3 8 CALLING FOR TODAY'S PUBLIC HEARING.THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE PUBLISHED A PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE PORT ARTHUR NEWSPAPER ON JUNE 19TH, 2024, AS WELL AS PREPARED AND MAILED NOTIFICATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 17TH, 2024.
THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DISTRICT.
THE PURPOSE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DISTRICT IS TO PROVIDE RETAIL BUSINESSES AND PERSONAL SERVICES TO MEET THE REGULAR NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS AND TO PROVIDE CONVENIENCE FOR ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
USES IN THIS DISTRICT SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO MATCH ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
THE PROPOSED ZONING IS A LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT, FORMERLY KNOWN AS SINGLE FAMILY.
THE PURPOSE OF THE LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT IS PRIMARILY FOR SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS AND RELATED RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES NORMALLY REQUIRED TO PROVIDE AN ORDERLY AND ATTRACTIVE RESIDENTIAL AREA.
THE LDR DISTRICT IS INTENDED TO BE DEFINED AND PROTECTED FROM THE ENCROACHMENT OF USES THAT ARE NOT APPROPRIATE IN A RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT.
THE SITE LOCATION IS ADJACENT TO THE LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT, FORMERLY REFERRED TO AS SINGLE FAMILY TO THE NORTH AND WEST AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES TO THE EAST AND SOUTH.
THIS IS AN AREA VIEW OF THE PROPERTY.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS A VIEW OF THE STREET FRONTAGE AND PROPOSED LOCATION.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS A VIEW DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
CODE SECTIONS TWO 11.006 AND TWO 11.007.
A PUBLIC HEARING WAS SCHEDULED ON THE FOLLOWING DATES AND TIMES TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON JUNE 3RD, 2020 AND FOUR WITH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
ONE WRITTEN LETTER OF OPPOSITION, FOUR VERBAL OPPOSITIONS, NO LETTERS RETURNED.
AND JULY 2ND, 2024, WHICH IS TODAY FOR CITY COUNCIL.
WRITTEN OPPOSITION, ZERO, NO VERBAL OPPOSITION, AND ONE LETTER RETURNED.
SECTION TWO 11 DASH OH SIX F OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE STATES THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MAY APPROVE OR DENY THE PROPOSED MATTER BY A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE.
THEREFORE, A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE REQUIRED TO APPROVE THIS REQUEST.
ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN DEE.
BUT COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOUR LIGHT WAS ON FROM THE LAST RIGHT.
AND, UH, FRANK, YOURS WAS ON FROM THE LAST ONE.
COUNCILMAN DEUCE SAID YOURS JUST CAME BACK ON.
THE NORMAL QUESTIONS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REZONING.
THE FIRST, THE FIRST QUESTION IS, UH, WHAT ARE WE PROPOSING? WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING IS BEING PROPOSED TO BE BUILT THERE AND HOW MANY, LEMME SEE.
I DO KNOW THEY ARE JUST REGULAR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
OH, THE PROPERTY OWNERS ARE HERE.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH THEM.
WELL, WELL, UH, THEY CAN A, A ANSWER THE QUESTION BECAUSE I REALLY NEED TO HEAR THE NOTICE.
WOULD YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE FOR THE RECORDS.
UH, THIS PROJECT IS ONE SINGLE FAMILY PER LOT.
IT'S THREE LOTS AND IT'S GONNA BE ONE SINGLE FAMILY PER LOT.
AND YOU'RE GONNA BE A THREE DIFFERENT HOUSE? YES, SIR.
AND THE NEXT QUESTION IS, THESE, THESE HOUSES, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE CONFORMING TO THE EXISTING STRUCTURES THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD? YES, SIR.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE SETBACKS.
UH, THIS HOUSE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE A, A 40 FOOT SETBACK 'CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT DEEPER SO IT WON'T HAVE ANY STREET PARKING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE MY MAIN CONCERN IS WHENEVER WE HAVE THE ZONING, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALWAYS READ THE PART WHERE THIS IS ALLOWED, BUT THEN AS A SECOND PART OF THAT ORDINANCE THAT SAYS, AND CONFORM WITH EXISTING STRUCTURES, MEANING WHATEVER YOU HAVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BUILD ANYTHING THAT IS NOT CONFORMING 'CAUSE OF THE PEOPLE ALREADY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I NEEDED TO KNOW.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT'S BEING BUILT
[00:40:01]
YES, SIR.IS CONFORMING TO EXISTING STRUCTURES.
AND THAT WE ARE GONNA BUILD, UH, HOMES COMPATIBLE TO WHAT'S IN THE AREA AS OPPOSED TO JUST PUTTING A LOT OF PROP HOUSES OR THINGS ON A PROPERTY.
THERE'S GONNA BE SOME NEW CONSTRUCTION, NEW MODERN HOMES, BUT IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, IN THE AREA.
THAT, THAT ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
I, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE STANDING THERE.
WHAT'S THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THOSE HOMES THAT YOU GAVE? UH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING TO START OFF AT 16 TO 1700 SQUARE FOOT.
AND, UH, I DIDN'T HEAR IF YOU SAID IT, MAYBE YOU DID.
ARE THEY GONNA BE BRICK HOMES? ARE THEY GONNA BE, HOW YOU GONNA DO? UH, RIGHT NOW THE ACTUAL FINAL PRINT IS NOT, UH, FOR SURE WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED THAT RIGHT NOW.
THAT WILL BE FINALIZED AFTER, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS.
WE LOOKING, UH, MORE OF A MODERN, LIKE A FRONT STUCCO FRONT AND SIDING ON THE SIDE IN THE BACK.
UH, ANY OTHER, ANY, ANY, ANY, UH, REMARKS FROM THE GALLERY, PUBLIC HEARING? IF YOU WOULD STATE YOUR NAME, SIR.
WHEN YOU PULL THE MIC DOWN SOMETHING AND YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
I'M LELA WASHINGTON, PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, 4 36 DRUMMOND STREET.
UH, I DO WANNA SPECIFICALLY TALK TO YOU GUYS, BUT I ALSO WANT THE YOUNG MAN AND HIS AND HIS WIFE TO UNDERSTAND A LOT OF US WERE AGAINST, UH, HIM DOING THIS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE ZONING HAD CHANGED AT THE TIME.
SO HE WAS SAYING AT ONE TIME THAT, OKAY, IF HE CAN'T BUILD HIS HOUSE AND HE'LL BILL WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, AND WE WERE, WE WERE DESPONDENT ABOUT THAT.
BUT I KNOW THIS MAY NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, BUT VISTA VILLAGE IS A VERY PRIVATE PLACE.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WORKED IN REFINERIES AND HOSPITALS AND TEACHERS AND EVERYTHING.
AND IT'S AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD.
PEOPLE RIGHT NOW ARE SO, UH, JUST SO WATCHFUL OUT THERE NOW.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE DEALING WITH A HOME GUYS AND LADIES THAT ACTUALLY PUT SEVERAL FAMILIES IN THE HOME AND PUT TWO OR THREE DOORS ON THE HOUSE SO THAT YOU'VE GOT MORE THAN ONE FAMILY LIVING IN THE HOME.
AND SO I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THIS BROTHER AND HIS WIFE FROM BUILDING AND MAKING MONEY AND, AND, AND TRYING TO UPGRADE PORT ARTHUR.
BUT WHAT I TOLD HIM IN THE BACK IS THAT I WANTED HIM TO ALWAYS, IF YOU'RE COMING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, STUDY YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SON, STUDY YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF IT'S AN ELDERLY NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN THERE A LONG TIME.
AND THEY MAY HAVE CERTAIN WAYS THAT, THAT THEY JUST AIN'T READY FOR.
SO MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED A, A MEETING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT AGAIN, I HAVE NOTHING, UH, AGAINST HIM.
THERE'S SOME OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE FROM VISTA VILLAGE OUT THERE.
THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT, UH, UH, WAYS OF FEELING ABOUT IT.
BUT, UM, I'M JUST LETTING HIM KNOW THAT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAN UP VISTA VILLAGE RIGHT NOW.
AND YOU AS WELL, COUNSEL, UH, WE ARE DOING SOME THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT'S GETTING IT CLEANED UP.
SO, UH, RIGHT NOW MY MAIN CONCERN IS TO CLEAN UP VISTA VILLAGE.
UH, AND WHEN I SAY CLEAN UP, I'M TALKING ABOUT GUNS, DRUGS, AND EVERYTHING.
WE HAVE OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE BUYING CAMERAS NOW THAT ARE, ARE JUST TRYING TO WATCH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UH, AGAIN, SON, MA'AM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST Y'ALL.
DO WHAT YOU DO, DO YOU, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT'S AN ELDERLY NEIGHBORHOOD AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
AND COSAL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE, SIR.
I RESIDE 2 3 6 6 60 SECOND STREET, PORT ACRES.
I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER RESIDENCE THAT'S 61 50 GARNET IN PORT ACRES.
AND MY QUESTION IS, AND I WANNA BRING THIS UP, IS THAT DURING HURRICANE HARVEY, THAT ENTIRE VESTI VILLAGE WAS UNDERWATER, MYSELF AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS PULLED SOME OF THESE FACES OUT.
THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE HUG FROM THAT LADY HAD JUST A WHILE AGO.
'CAUSE SHE WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I HELPED PULL OUT THE HOUSES AND GO BACK AND FEED THAT AREA IS A BOWL.
WHEN YOU SAY IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE THE OTHER HOUSES OUT THERE, I
[00:45:01]
FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE BECAUSE YOU'LL HAVE TO RAISE THOSE HOUSES UP AT LEAST 48 INCHES FOR IT TO MEET THE FLOODPLAIN.THERE'S NO OTHER WAY AROUND IT.
IF YOU GO RIGHT AROUND OUT THERE, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF THINGS THAT'S DONE.
I'M GLAD TO SEE SOME OF THE FACES IN HERE FROM VESTA VILLAGE.
I KNOW I PROBABLY LOOK DIFFERENT THAN DURING HARVEY WHEN I WAS OUT THERE GETTING, PLEASE EXCUSE ME SIR.
GOOD TO TALKING TO MIKE BECAUSE I JUST TAKING OUT YES, I I'M SURE THEY CAN HEAR ME.
THE WELL AM AM I FAR MORE HOUSING IN PORT ARTHUR? SURE I AM.
BUT UH, LIKE SHE SAID, THAT'S AN ELDERLY NEIGHBORHOOD OUT THERE AND IT'S GOT SOME ISSUES AND I WANT THE DEVELOPER TO BE AWARE OF THAT BECAUSE I DON'T SEE HOW IT CAN BE LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE'S THERE.
'CAUSE THERE'S STILL HOMES OUT THERE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN RE RENOVATED, HAVEN'T BROUGHT BACK UP TO CODE.
THERE'S STILL A, THAT STILL NEED A LOT OF WORK.
IT'D BE NICE TO SEE IT, BUT I WANNA SEE IT REMAIN AS IT IS.
ANY OTHER REMARKS FROM THE GALLERY? OKAY, MS. MS. MARLOW, ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME MA'AM? OH, EXCUSE ME.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
I WAS, I WASN'T LOOKING AT THE SCREEN ANYMORE.
UH, GENTLEMAN, YOU, YOU, ARE YOU THE DEVELOPER OR THE THE HOME BUILDER? YES, SIR.
YOU HAVE ANY PICTURES OR ANYTHING OF THE WHAT, WHAT THESE STRUCTURES GONNA LOOK LIKE? I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD OKAY.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE MODULAR LOOKING HOMES OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UH, RODERICK SHIELDS 59 99 MALL AVENUE.
UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, I DO HAVE A, A RENDER OF SOMETHING WE'RE, UH, POSSIBLY GOING WITH IF YOU WANTED TO YEAH, THIS YEAH, I JUST WANT TO HAVE SOME IDEA.
THERE'S GONNA BE STANDARD HOMES AND LIKE COUNCILMAN DE SAYS THAT IT'S GONNA BE REFLECTIVE OF, OF THE, OF WHAT'S OUT THERE.
SO WITH, UH, SOUTH TEXAS ENGINEERS, WE HAVE THE FIRST LEVEL OF THE GROUND LEVEL.
WOULD YOU WALK AROUND AND JUST LET EACH LET THEM SEE IT? YEAH, JUST LET EVERYONE SEE IT.
UH, WHILE HE'S SHOWING THE PHOTOS, CITY MANAGER, UH, WITH THOSE TYPE OF HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE OR WILL HAVE WITH THIS YOUNG MAN, WILL THE INSPECTOR OR SOMEONE LET US KNOW HE HAS TO MEET ALL THE INSPECTIONS AND SPECS SO THAT MAKE SURE THAT THOSE YES.
AND WE ARE DEALING WITH SOUTH TECH SURVEY AND MR. CHARLES ON THE PLANS AND THE, UH, DD SEVEN.
SO THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE CITY CODES AND WHAT'S GONNA BE REQUIRED.
WE HAVE ELEVATION CERTIFICATES ALREADY FOR THE AREA AND WE'RE JUST WAITING TO GET IT, YOU KNOW, REZONED SO WE CAN TAKE IT TO THE NEXT STEP.
YEAH, THANK AND ONE THING, UH, THINK MR. VINCENT BROUGHT UP AND, UH, SO THAT IF THE HOMEOWNERS WOULD BE ABLE TO PURCHASE FLOOD INSURANCE, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE IN A PLANE, THEY, THEY'RE ERECTED, I GUESS BELOW A CERTAIN YES, SIR.
THE WAY WE'VE, UH, TRYING TO PLAN TO DO IT, WE WEREN'T REALLY TRYING TO MESS WITH ANY, YOU KNOW, OF THE RESISTING THE EXISTING RESIDENTS RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHY WE BRINGING IT UP TWO, THREE LEVELS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE GROUND LEVEL WON'T HAVE ANY IMPACT FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
YOUR PROPOSED RENDITION, UH, OR PROPOSED, UH, WHERE IT MAY BE, THEY MAY BE BUILT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
I THINK MS. WASHINGTON MAY BE, UH, PLEASED AND MAYBE OTHER RESIDENTS OF, OF YOUR DOING THAT.
BUT WHAT SHE SAID AND, AND WHAT EVEN WHAT HE SAID BY BEING SURE THAT IF WE WOULD HAVE THAT, IF, BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE OTHER ONE, THE NEXT ONE, UH, THEY WOULD BE MORE PREPARED.
IF FLOODING WOULD OCCUR WOULD PROBABLY BE IN YOUR GARAGE.
AND, UH, ALSO, UH, JUST SURE THAT, UH, THINGS ARE WHERE YOU ARE ADAPTING.
WE KINDA WANTED, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE START FROM THE GET THE GET GO BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AT FIRST AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL MADE AN ORDINANCE THAT CHANGED THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES WHERE YOU NO LONGER CAN DO
[00:50:01]
DUPLEXES AND STUFF LIKE THAT IN THE AREA.SO THIS IS WHY WE'RE TRYING TO DOWNGRADE THE PROPERTY.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, AND I APPLAUD YOU, YOU AND YOUR WIFE, YOU ALL ARE YOUNGER, BUT YOU ALL, AND YOU STILL WANNA DO WORK AND, AND IN PORT ARTHUR, SIR, WE APPRECIATE THAT SIR, AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL.
BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BE SURE THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS GOING TO BE THE PROPER THING.
AND LIKE I SAY, ALL THESE THINGS WILL HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE CITY AS WELL, BILL OFFICIAL.
YOU KNOW, DD SEVEN AS WELL BEFORE WE COULD DO ANYTHING.
UM, I, LET ME AND TELL THE PLANNING AND SO PLANNING STAFF AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPER, WE HAVE HAD ISSUES IN THE PORT ACRES AREA WITH FLOODING EVEN.
I GET FREQUENT CALLS FROM COUNCILOR DOUCETTE THAT WE STILL HAVEN'T RESOLVED.
PLEASE WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY TO MEN.
ENSURE THAT OUR FLOOD PLAIN ORDINANCE AND THE NEED FOR DRAINING WATER AWAY FROM THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS IS BEING MAINTAINED BY ALL MEANS.
THERE ARE TOO MANY EXISTING ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH FLOODING IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR THAT WILL EITHER HAVE TO GO TO CIVIL LITIGATION OR SOMETHING.
SO NOW THAT WE HAVE THE CONCEPTION OF THIS AND WE ARE DOING THE ZONING THAT'S REQUIRED, I NEED EVERYBODY TO WORK IN TANDEM WITH EACH OTHER TO AVOID THE PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE HAVING.
DOES THAT HELP? AND SO WE HAVE COMPLETED IT.
YOU, YOU, YOU'RE THROUGH MM-HMM.
SO, UH, SHE HAS COMPLETED HER PRESENTATION, HAD A MOTION FOR, UH, I MAKE A MOTION WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT, UH, 6 23, MAYOR.
UH, SECOND IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECOND BY, SORRY, COTMAN FRANKLIN, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH BEGAN, I BELIEVE AT 6 0 2 AND IS NOW 6:23 PM THANK YOU.
NOW GET BACK TO THE FLOOR OF THE NORMAL AGENDA OF MS. PARKER.
YOU, YOU DID RETURN, UH, WHAT YOU COME BACK, MS. PARKER.
NOW WHAT WE'VE DONE, MS. PARKER AND I ACTUALLY DID IT WITHOUT EVEN ASKING THE COUNCIL, BUT I BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY ON THE COUNCIL WOULD, UH, APPROVE YOUR EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
YOU'VE GONE ABOUT 24 MINUTES, I BELIEVE.
UH, AND YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO FINE, BUT, UH, GONE ABOUT 24 MINUTES, BUT COUNCILMAN LEWIS HAD A REMARK, HAD SOMETHING FOR YOU.
SO YOU, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE, THE SEWER LINE IN THE BACK OF YOUR, YOUR HOME.
YOU AT 20 26, 38 15TH, UHHUH
FROM NINE DISTRICT ONE IS FROM 19TH STREET TO THE INTER COASTAL CANAL FROM SAVINE PASS TO NINTH PART OF NINTH AVENUE AND UP, UP TO COME BACK TO PROCK, UP TO STADIUM ROAD.
SO ANYBODY LIVES IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.
MY PHONE NUMBER IS 4 0 9 7 1 8.
THAT'S MY TERRITORY IS LAND, LAND, LAND, LAND WISE IS HALF OF THE CITY.
OKAY? I'M 12 MILES DOWN THE ROAD, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, YOU NEED TO CALL ME AND YOU'RE NOT THAT FAR FROM WHERE I LIVE AND WE'LL, WE'LL, I'LL BE THERE TOMORROW.
AND, AND I SAW THAT, UH, CALVIN BEEN TALKING TO YOU.
SO IT SOUND LIKE YOU GOT A HISTORY WITH THAT, WITH THAT SEWER LINE.
YEAH, I JUST MET HIM AT, HE SEEMS LIKE CARE OF YOU.
IT SOUND LIKE YOU NEED TO REPLACE IT.
THOSE TWO GUYS WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.
SO ANYTIME YOU GOT A PROBLEM, JUST CALL ME, GIMME THAT CARD.
OKAY? UH, AGAIN, UH, TO FINALIZE THIS, MS. MS MS. PARKER, WE THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'VE DONE, WHAT YOU'VE SAID AND TO THE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO, UH, HAVE ACCOMPANIED YOU HERE ON THIS EVENING IS IT HASN'T FALLEN ON DEAF EARS.
OKAY? I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, WE UNDERSTAND YOUR PASSION.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS ACTUALLY SHOWN, UH, DEMONSTRATED IN, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION, WHICH, UH, WAS SUPPOSED TO, IT BEGAN JUST AS A, A SPEAKER THAT IT BECAME A PRESENTATION.
OKAY? BUT WE, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS ON, ON MRS. COHI, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU REMAINED.
UH, I CAN REMEMBER WHEN YOU BEGAN YOUR CAREER IN P-A-I-S-D AND YOU EVEN TAUGHT MY OLDEST DAUGHTER KINDERGARTEN AT BOOKER WASHINGTON.
[00:55:01]
UH, SECOND GRADE.THAT'S MS. ROGERS WAS THE, UH, THE, UH, THE KINDERGARTEN.
AND TO SEE YOUR CHILD ON THERE, IT TOUCHED MY HEART.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, I FOLLOW, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMS, UH, EX EXTENDING, UH, CONDOLENCES AGAIN BECAUSE I'VE NEVER LOST A CHILD, BUT IT'S PROBABLY JUST LIKE A PARENT.
THE PAIN NEVER ACTUALLY GOES AWAY.
I COULD, I COULD PROBABLY BE ASSURED OF THAT.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR BOLDNESS TO COME UP AND TO MAKE THE REMARKS THAT YOU DID AND TO EACH OF YOU WHO HAVE, UH, COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF WHAT MS. PARKER WAS ACTUALLY, UH, PRESENTING.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONCERN, AND WE UNDERSTAND YOUR PASSION BY BEING PRESENT HERE.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT HASN'T FALLEN ON DEAF PIERCE.
UM, MS. PARKER, I HAVE TO EXPRESS SOMETHING ABOUT ONE STATEMENT THAT YOU DID MAKE.
WHEN YOU GAVE THE ACCOLADES TO THE CITY MANAGER, I THINK THEY WERE CORRECT AND PROPER.
YET, I BELIEVE YOU WENT, UH, A LITTLE FURTHER WHEN YOU MADE MAYBE SOME INFERENCE OF THE ASSISTANCE.
AND IF I'M NOT, I HOPE I'M RECALLING INCORRECTLY, BUT YOU WERE SAYING THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN DRAWING A SALARY.
IF, IF, IF I THOUGHT THAT I'M, I I NEED TO BE CORRECTED, BUT HE HAS THOSE ASSISTANTS WHO DO A GREAT JOB IN BEING SURE THAT THE DIVISIONS THAT THEY ACTUALLY SPEARHEAD AND, UH, MANAGE FOR THE CITY MANAGER ARE ACTUALLY DONE IN THE PROPER WAY.
SO CITIES OUR SIZE IN 2024 HAVE A CHIEF EXECUTIVE WHO HAS ASSISTANCE, AND SOMETIMES FOLK WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH PORT ARTHUR AND BEAUMONT.
SO WE ARE TOGETHER ON THAT BECAUSE BEAUMONT HAS A CITY MANAGER AND TWO OR THREE ASSISTANTS.
SO IN PORT ARTHUR, WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER AND WE HAVE TWO ASSISTANTS.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, THAT IT, IT'S NOT THAT THEY OR HE IS DOING SOMETHING AND THEY ARE JUST TWIDDLING THEIR THUMBS FOR WHATEVER.
SO, BUT YOU MADE A GREAT PRESENTATION.
WE THANK YOU FOR IT AND THE NEXT TIME YOU COME GET WITH THE CITY SECRETARY, IF YOU ARE GOING TO, GOING TO BE LONGER THAN FIVE MINUTES AND TRY TO JUSTIFY THE OTHER TIME, OKAY, THIS NOT MY FIRST BIG JOB.
I WAS HERE A YEAR OR TWO AGO, I REMEMBER, AND Y'ALL TOLD ME FIVE MINUTES AND I STAYED 45.
I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER I TO TELL YOU GUYS TO, YOU KNOW, KILL THE, THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE, UH, I WAS TIRED, BUT I I, I DID WANT TO GO BACK TO, UH, WHAT REVEREND DONALD FRANK SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS STUFF, LIKE WHEN YOU GO DEEPER AND YOU FIND WORSE STUFF, THAT'S BECAUSE STUFF HADN'T BEEN MAINTAINED ON A NORMAL BASIS ANYWAY.
YOU KNOW, I WAS TOLD THAT THESE SEWER LINES HAD TO BE CLEANED OUT EVERY SO OFTEN.
WE DON'T SEE NOBODY BACK THERE DOING THAT.
THE LAST TIME I ADDRESS OUT, I LOOK BACK AND I SAY WE, THE PEOPLE, THERE WASN'T NOBODY, BUT MY, MY BABY DADDY AND MY BABY HAVE A FEW MORE PEOPLE NOW AND A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AND THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, BUT THEY, THEY WORKED ON, UH, THE SEWER LINES AND THE DITCH FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND THEN IT WAS OLD.
SO WE NEED SOME CONSISTENCY HERE.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO BE PROUD OF PORT ARTHUR.
PORT ARTHUR USED TO BE THE ALL AMERICAN CITY.
BOY IKE AND TINA TURNER, JAMES BROWN, ALL OF 'EM WAS ACROSS PLEASURE ISLAND.
AND I REMEMBER GOING TO ON THE FERRY, YOU KNOW, DOING, WE HAD THE DOWNTOWN WAS BOOMING, BUT LOOK AT IT, IT'S A GHOST TOWN, BUT THERE'S STILL MONEY HERE THAT SHOULD BE APPROPRIATED.
NOT EVEN MOUNT BELLEVUE NEEDLING AND PORT NATURES LOOK BETTER THAN WE LOOK.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU, YOU, YOU ARE A SEWER PROBLEM.
I WAS CALLED ABOUT IT BY ONE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS BECAUSE YOU STILL ON 15TH.
I THINK AT THAT TIME I, I SPOKE WITH CALVIN AND UH, THEY WENT OUT, CHECKED IT BECAUSE I, I UNDERSTAND THE PERCEPTION AND THERE'S ONE OTHER THING THAT YOU SAID THAT I DON'T THINK THE CITY WORKERS SIT IN THE ALLEY CHILLING IN THE TRUCKS.
[01:00:02]
I UNDERSTAND WHAT EVERYBODY'S SAYING.BUT YOU SEE, THEY WORK FOR OUR CITY MANAGER.
AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU SEE THEM WAITING, BUT WAIT A MINUTE, BUT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU SEE THEM WAITING AND THERE'S A JOB SITE, THEY'RE WAITING FOR SOMEONE ELSE FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OR ANOTHER AGENCY TO COME AND DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO SO THAT THEY CAN PROCEED WITH THEIR WORK.
I, I'M JUST WANT, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP, PRESENTED YOU WITH WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
LET'S SEE SOME YES MA'AM, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT I WANT YOU, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DON'T JUST HAVE THEM SITTING AROUND AND THEIR SUPERVISORS ARE NOT AWARE THAT THEY ARE NOT WORKING.
BUT WE APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION AND YOUR CONCERN.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, RICHARD AND CLAUDETTE BOWDEN.
WE CALL HIM THE PORT ARTHUR YOUTH TENNIS, UH, CLUB.
I SEE THEY CALLED YOU TO SAY IT.
UH, RICHARD AND CLAUDETTE BOWING.
YEAH, I, I KNOW I DIDN'T SEE HIM.
NOW WE HAVE, UM, UH, MR. CHARLES LINTON.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE MR. CHARLES LINTON OF THE AQUA CLEAN U-S-A-L-L-C REGARDING JUMP STARTING A BUSINESS AND EMPLOYING LOCALS FROM, UH, PORT ARTHUR, MR. CHARLES LINTON.
SO WAIT, WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE MR. PARKER.
I WANNA TELL YOU ONE LAST THING.
I GUESS YOU KNEW THESE OTHER FOLK WEREN'T COMING, SO YOU TOOK UP ALL THAT TIME.
OH, I DID WANNA SAY, LEMME COME UP.
I GOTTA GIVE, I GOTTA GIVE Y'ALL ATTABOY ON THE, I I GOTTA SAY SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT MY CITY.
THE ANIMAL CONTROL SHOWED UP AND SHOWED OUT.
I GOT ATTACKED BY A PIT BULL IN DECEMBER OR I WOULD'VE ADDRESSED YOU GUYS IN IN JANUARY.
I HAD TO GET OFF THE AGENDA AND THEY CAME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FIVE MINUTES.
AS SOON AS HE SAID 9 1 1, YOU HEARD THE SIRENS.
THAT DOG COULD HAVE KILLED ME.
HE WENT FROM MY THROAT, HE KNOCKED OFF MY TOOTH.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I AIN'T SCARED, I AIN'T SCARED TO LOOK LIKE A JACK, JACK ATLANTA.
I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL THAT THEY SHOWED UP.
THEY CONTAINED THEM AND I'M ALIVE.
SO, BECAUSE, GOTTA BANG UP, UH, MR. MITCHELL AND THEM REALLY NEED TO BE APPLAUDED 'CAUSE THEY SHOWED UP IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AREA.
THE NEXT TIME YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION, GET IN TOUCH WITH ME AND I'LL PUT YOU ON AS A PRESENTATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, MOUNT MOUNT BELLEVUE, FAIRLY NEW CITY PORT ARTHUR SINCE 1897, AND, AND OUR BUDGET HAS, HAS, WE'VE TAKEN ON THREE DIFFERENT, THREE NEW CITIES, THREE CITIES, PARIS, LAKEVIEW AND GRIFFIN PARK.
IT'S ALL, SO THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND WE'VE HAD NUMBER OF STORMS. THAT'S WHAT OUR STREETS GETS WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.
SINCE 2005, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE STORMS IN MARSHALL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIVE Y'ALL MONEY.
NOT THAT KIND OF MONEY, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
WE GET GRANT, WE GET GRANTS, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE MATCHING MONEY AND THAT COME OUT, THAT COME FROM YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
BUT, UH, LIKE, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, FRANK SAID YOU DON'T, WE SPEND MILLIONS UNDERGROUND WATER AND SEWER HAS TO BE DONE FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN THEN RECONSTRUCT THE STREET.
BUT I'VE BEEN ADAMANT ABOUT AND IT HAS NOT HAPPENED.
WE ARE REPAIRING AVENUES WITH NO HOME.
WE NEED TO CLOSE THEM AND GIVE THEM BACK TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
ALRIGHT, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S STAY, LET'S STAY ON IT.
YOU'VE BEEN IN HERE A LONG TIME AND I RESPECT WHAT YOU SAY BECAUSE I KNOW YOU KNOW HOW THE CITY IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
[III.A.(4) Phillip Cupples Regarding Electrical Inspections]
HAVE MR. FRED COUPLES REGARDING, UH, ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS.THE NEW POLICY OF LETTING PEOPLE MOVE INTO A HOME WITH NO INSPECTIONS IS PUTTING PEOPLE IN DANGER.
AT ONE TIME WHEN THE ELECTRICAL BILLING WAS CHANGED TO A NEW OWNER, THE ELECTRICITY WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE STRUCTURE.
INSPECTION WAS REQUIRED TO DEEM THE STRUCTURE SAFE FOR HABITATION IF IMPROVEMENT, IF IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED THAT NEEDED A PERMIT, IT MUST BE POSTED BEFORE
[01:05:01]
THE WORK IS DONE AND MUST HAVE A ROUGH END AND FINAL INSPECTION.ELECTRICITY WAS NOT RESTORED UNTIL THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE WAS INSPECTED AND DEEMED SAFE WITH AN ISSUED CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
THE LLC BOUGHT THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR AND HAD NO SHUTOFF OF THE ELECTRICITY WHEN HE CHANGED THE BILLING OF THE ELECTRIC TO HIS NAME.
HOW DID HE GET THAT DONE? I WANT TO KNOW.
FOR YEARS AND YEARS, ELECTRICITY WAS SHUT OFF IN THE NAME CHANGE OF ELECTRICAL BILLING.
HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T NEED PERMITS, INSPECTIONS, FINAL INSPECTIONS, OR A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
HE INSTALLED A NEW ROOF, AC HEATING UNIT, CHANGED THE FLOOR PLAN, TOILETS, TUBS AND SINKS, BUILT NEW WALLS WITH NO RECEPTACLES.
AND HE CHANGED ALL THE TWO WIRE RECEPTACLES TO THREE WIRE RECEPTACLES WITH NO GFCI PROTECTION.
HOUSE HAS NO SMOKE DETECTORS AND IT NEEDS THREE.
HOW DID HE GET THE PEOPLE TO MOVE IN WITH NO SMOKE DETECTORS? HE DID ALL THE WORK WITH NO PERMITS, BUT THREE WITH NO FINALS.
WITH NO FINALS OR A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
THE SERVICE IS A TOTAL VIOLATION OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE.
IT HAS EIGHT MAINS AND NEEDS A TWO INCH.
IMC RISER NEEDS BOND BUSHINGS ON THE SUB PANELS.
THOSE WHO HAVE POWER TO IMPLEMENT PO POLICY AND POLICY CHANGES MUST BRING BACK SHUTOFF ELECTRICITY AND, AND INSPECTIONS OF AN ENTIRE STRUCTURE AND A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY BEFORE ALLOWING THE POWER TO BE REINSTATED.
THE INSPECTION DEPARTMENT HAS ALL MY TEXTS, ALL MY TEXT MESSAGES AND PHOTOGRAPHS BETWEEN ME AND ENFORCEMENT.
PLEASE MAKE THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR SAFE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE THE WHITE TRUCK OUT THERE THAT SAYS CODE ENFORCEMENT AND CHA CHANGE IT TO JUST SAYING CITY VEHICLE BECAUSE ENFORCEMENT ISN'T DONE HERE.
HOW CAN YOU MOVE INTO A HOUSE WITH BABIES IN THE HOUSE THAT HAVEN'T HAD A SAFE OCCUPANCY THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE CITY, BY THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE, BY STATE CODE, BY CITY CODE, AND ALL THE ORDINANCES.
PEOPLE WERE WORKING THERE THAT DIDN'T HAVE LICENSES.
AND WHEN THE INSPECTION DEPARTMENT CAME OUT, THEY DIDN'T ASK THE PEOPLE WORKING ON THE JOB WHETHER THEY HAD A CERTIFICATE OF QUALIFICATION, LIKE A LICENSE.
THEY DIDN'T ASK THE PEOPLE THERE WHETHER THEY WERE BONDED INSURED.
WHY IS THAT? I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS YOU'VE PUT THIS FAMILY IN DANGER.
I WAS AN ELECTRICIAN FOR 50 YEARS AND I WAS TOLD TO GO TO A HOUSE TO CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE THE POWER HAD BEEN TURNED OFF TO SEE IF IT WAS GONNA BE SAFE FOR A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
WHEN I GOT THERE, THEY HAD REMOVED THE AIR CONDITIONER OUTTA THE WINDOW AND THEY TOOK THE RECEPTACLE OUTTA THE WALL AND LEFT THE WIRE STICKING OUTTA THE WALL.
IF THAT WAS THE CASE HERE IN THIS HOUSE, SOMEBODY COULD HAVE GOTTEN HURT BECAUSE THE POWER WAS STILL ON.
HE SWAPPED IT FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER'S NAME TO HIS NAME.
THERE'S NO SMOKE DETECTORS IN THE HOUSE.
HOW COULD YOU PUT A ROOF ON A HOUSE WITHOUT A PERMIT? AND I KEPT CALLING INSPECTIONS TO REPORT IT, AND IT GOT TO A POINT AFTER MY THIRD TIME CALLING, THEY SAID, WHAT'S YOUR NEED TO KNOW? JUST LIKE IN THE MILITARY, YOU GOTTA HAVE A NEED TO KNOW.
IF I CALL UP AND SAY, IS THE MAN NEXT DOOR GOT A PERMIT FOR THE ELECTRIC? AND THEY SAY, WHAT'S YOUR NEED TO KNOW? I HAVE TO GET ONLINE AND MAKE A PETITION THROUGH THE CITY TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
THAT'S TOTALLY RIDICULOUS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ARE ON THE JOB, DO THEIR WORK AND LEAVE BEFORE INSPECTION COMES OUT.
THESE PROCESSES HAVE TO CHANGE.
THERE'S NOBODY BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
YOU NEED PEOPLE OUT THERE AND KNOW THEIR JOB.
THEY GOT TWO WIRE SEP RECEPTACLES THAT WERE CHANGED TO THREE WIRE RECEPTACLES.
THEY MADE A TWO WIRE RECEPTACLE, A THREE WIRE THAT MEANT IT HAD NO GROUND.
BUT YOU CAN PUT A THREE WIRE RECEPTACLE IN AN OUTLET AND TAKE THE NEUTRAL AND PUT IT AROUND ON THE BOTTOM ON THE GROUND, AND IT'LL READ A GROUND.
THAT'S A NEUTRAL CARRYING CONDUCTOR.
THAT'S A CURRENT CARRYING CONDUCTOR, AND IT CAN'T BE USED FOR GROUNDING.
GROUNDING AND GROUNDED ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
[01:10:01]
WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO KNEW THEIR JOB, AND THEN WHEN I REPORT IT, HE CAME OUT AND MADE AN INSPECTION ON THE AIR CONDITIONER.WELL, THE AIR CONDITIONER IS PERMITTED WITH THE HEATING UNIT, THE AIR HANDLER.
HE CAME OUT, GOT OUTTA THE TRUCK, WALKED AROUND THE HOUSE, LOOKED, WALKED BACK, GOT IN HIS TRUCK AND LEFT.
HE DIDN'T LOOK AT THE AIR CONDITIONER UNIT AND THE HEATING UNIT UPSTAIRS.
HE DIDN'T TAKE A GROUND METER AND CHECK THE, THE DISCONNECT TO THE UNIT TO SEE IF THEY WERE BONDED TO GET TOGETHER.
YOU GOTTA DO THAT TO SEE IF IT'S GROUNDED.
THESE KIND OF THINGS HAVE TO BE DONE BY SOMEBODY THAT'S GOT COMPETENCY.
I, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE THOSE KIDS ARE IN DANGER.
THERE'S THREE LITTLE KIDS, THERE'S FOUR AND FIVE.
I HAVE NO OTHER, NO MORE TO SAY.
I LEAVE, I LEAVE ALL MY INFORMATION.
COUNCILMAN DUCEY? YES, MR. CUDDLE, THE LAST TIME YOU CAME BEFORE US, WE HEARD ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
YOU JUST SAID EVERY BIT OF IT.
SO MY QUESTION IS, AFTER YOU CAME BEFORE COUNSEL, HAVE YOU HAD ANY CONTACT WITH THE PERSON THAT'S IN CHARGE OF CODE ENFORCEMENT? NO.
OKAY, THEN THEY, THEY WON'T ANSWER MY CALLS, SIR.
NOW YOU, NOW YOU'RE TELLING US.
UH, HOW ABOUT ENSURING THAT, UH, WE GET MR. CUDDLES INFORMATION AND SEE WHAT HIS COMPLAINTS ARE AND HAVE SOMEBODY FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE COMPLAINTS AND REPORT BACK TO YOU SO THAT YOU COULD RESPOND TO MR. CULL BECAUSE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME YOU'VE COME TO US.
I'M NOT DONE AND SAID THIS SAID THE SAME THING PERTAINING TO THIS PARTICULAR HOUSE.
UH, AND SO, SO SINCE HE COMES BEFORE US AND NOT BEFORE HIM, BECAUSE THE BEST PLACE TO START MR. COUPLE, IS AT OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND WHEN YOU DON'T GET RESULTS FROM THEM, LIKE YOU SAID, THE GUY CAME TO THE TRUCK AND JUST GOT OUT, WALKED AROUND.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THAT DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO HEAR.
AND WHEN HE DOESN'T CORRECT IT, THEN WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER.
THEN HE WILL GET INVOLVED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SAFE AND WE ARE FOLLOWING CODES.
AND WHEN NONE OF THAT HAPPENS, AND WHEN THAT FAILS, THEN WE ARE HERE.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW CODE ENFORCEMENT.
ALL THIS STUFF YOU'RE TELLING US, WE DON'T KNOW, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT IF IT'S UNSAFE OUT THERE, WE SHOULD HEAR THAT.
SO IN ORDER TO FIX IT, THERE HAS TO BE A PROCESS TO FI TO FIXING THIS BECAUSE IT, IT, IT, IT IS NOT CONDUCIVE.
WHEN WE HEAR THE SAME THING FROM COUNCIL, THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE SOMETHING OR YOU HAVEN'T ADDRESSED IT IN THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT.
SO ALL I'M TRYING TO DO, I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO THE RIGHT PLACE.
RIGHT? AND WHEREVER YOU GO, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE RESPONDING TO IT AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND OUR JOB AS ENFORCEMENT.
AND IF IT'S NOT DONE AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL, THEN THE CITY MANAGERS IS, IS HIS RESPONSIBILITY.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU COME TO US AND YOU'VE WENT THOSE ROUTE, THEN WE KNOW WE HAVE TO NOW TALK TO THE MANAGER ABOUT WHY WE CAN'T FIX IT.
BUT BEFORE WE COULD GET TO TELL THE MANAGER, WE HAVE TO ALLOW THEM TIME TO RESPOND TO OUR CITIZEN, OUR JOB.
WELL, CLC WAS JUST LOOKING FOR RENTAL PROPERTY AND HE WAS MR. MR. WE ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH PEOPLE PURPOSES.
WE'RE NOT CONCERNED WITH PEOPLE'S, UH, AGENDAS OR PERSONALITIES.
WHAT WE ARE CONCERNED WITH, THE, THE, THE TOPIC THAT YOU BROUGHT TO US, AND THAT'S CODE ENFORCEMENT.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE NOT RIGHT, THEN WE LISTENING.
BUT THERE'S A PROCESS, AND THE PROCESS IS ADDRESS IT AT THE DEPARTMENT.
AND IF THE DEPARTMENT IS NOT RESPONDING TO YOU SATISFACTORY, THEN WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER.
WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHY DIDN'T HE GET THE PERMITS AND WHY DOESN'T THE CITY COUNCIL OR, OR DEPARTMENTS OF, UH,
[01:15:01]
BUILDING, ENFORCING TO GET AN ELECTRICAL PERMIT, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE HIM TO CHANGE THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE.THE ELECTORAL SERVICE IS DANGEROUS.
I, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO DEBATE, WHICH 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, AND WHEN YOU TALK CODE ENFORCEMENT, YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION, BUT IT'S ABOUT DOING WHAT'S RIGHT AND GOING ABOUT IT THE RIGHT WAY AND NOT COMING TO US BEFORE YOU WENT THERE.
BECAUSE WHAT WE GONNA DO, TELL A CITY MANAGER, WE'RE NOT ENFORCING THE CODES OR WE DON'T UNDERSTAND ELECTRIC, BUT WE GOT PEOPLE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO, AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO RESPOND TO CITIZENS WHO OBSERVE THESE THINGS OUT THERE.
AND PLUS YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, THAT'S GOOD.
BUT LET'S DO IT IN A MANNER IN WHICH WE CAN ALL HOLD SOMEBODY ACCOUNTABLE.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU GO TO THE CODE ENFORCEMENT DIRECTOR AND THERE'S NO RESPONSE, THEN THE CITY MANAGER CAN HOLD THAT PERSON RESPONSIBLE.
WHEN YOU GO TO THE CITY MANAGER AND IT'S STILL NOTHING DONE.
WHEN YOU COME BEFORE US, WE GONNA HOLD HIM RESPONSIBLE.
BUT TELLING US ALL THIS, WE REALLY DON'T.
THE ONLY ONE KNOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ELECTRICIAN IS PROBABLY COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, OKAY, JUST A MINUTE.
YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A BUILDING.
I'M GONNA ALSO AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE YOU HAVE A HISTORY WITH THIS HOUSE OR, OR THIS ELECTRICIAN PERSON, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM LISTENING TO YOU.
AND I DO REMEMBER YOU COMING THE LAST TWO TIMES.
UH, BUT IF WE, IF YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT AND GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO THE CITY MANAGER, THE ADDRESS, I DON'T WANNA DO IT PUBLICLY, BUT IF YOU, I'VE ALREADY DONE THAT.
BUT LISTEN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL AGAIN, YOU MADE ME AWARE, YOU MADE US AWARE.
I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, YOU FROM LAST TIME YOU TALKED ABOUT SAFETY AND KIDS BEING IN THE HOUSE, AND HOW COULD THEY GET A PERMIT.
I'M INTERESTED NOW TO KNOW WHY THEY'VE GOTTEN A PERMIT IF YOU WENT THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS AND TO BE A CONCERNED CITIZEN, I APPLAUD YOU FOR BEING THAT WAY.
SO, UH, YOU GOT MY ATTENTION, YOU GOT THE, THE CITY MANAGER'S ATTENTION.
IF YOU COULD PROVIDE HIM WITH THAT ADDRESS AND A COMPANY, UH, WHOEVER DID THE, THE WORK, AND I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE CITY MANAGERS WILL GET WITH THIS COHORT OF MINDS TO COUNCIL AND GIVE US A REPORT ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM THAT YOU, THAT YOU WITNESS OR YOU HAVE SOME INSIGHT ABOUT.
BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, SINCE FEBRUARY.
BUT NOW YOU'VE GOT THE, THE COUNCIL'S ATTENTION.
AND I WOULD ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO GIVE US A REPORT ONCE YOU'VE GIVEN HIM THE INFORMATION SO WE CAN DO THE RESEARCH AND GET CODE ENFORCEMENT.
HOW MANY TIMES? IT'S FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR.
AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T LOOK INTO IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'VE GOTTEN, THEY VIOLATED SOME TYPE OF, UH, VIOLATION IN THE CITY.
I WANT THE COHORTS TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND WE GONNA DO BETTER IF THIS IS OUR FAULT.
MR. K? CAN I SAY ONE THING? YES.
IF YOU HOLD ON JUST A SECOND CITY.
THE MANAGER WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING.
UM, MAYOR, I JUST HANDED THE, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER AN EIGHT PAGE REPORT WITH ALL THE PERMITS AND EVERYTHING, COPIES OF ALL THE PERMITS.
SO GIVE THE COUNCIL A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO READ IT.
WELL, NOW, AND MR. COUPLES, WE'VE DONE, UH, CITY MANAGER DID GIVE US COPIES OF THIS AT THE END OF OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT WE COULDN'T DISCUSS IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE HAVE THIS, WE ARE GOING TO STUDY IT.
AND AS COUNCILMAN DO, SAID, HAS ACTUALLY SUGGESTED, I THINK THE COUNCIL CITY, UH, CITY MANAGER DID HEAR IT.
WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON IT FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION.
WE CAN'T STAND TO, YOU KNOW, SAY RIGHT NOW, IT'S GOING TO BE HANDLED.
THAT WOULD BE KIND OF TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL FOR US TO DO THAT IN THIS SETTING.
SO HE IS GOING TO ADMINISTRATIVELY TAKE CARE OF IT.
NOW, WE WOULD HOPE THAT ONCE HE DOES THAT AND RESOLVES IT, IT IS ACCORDING TO YOUR LIKING.
BUT IF IT'S GOING TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT I DON'T SAY, I WOULD CALL, UH, PERSON IN HERE RIGHT NOW.
BUT ACCORDING TO WHAT HE SAYS, THOSE CLOTHES OFF OF PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL WORK AND ALL OTHER TYPE WORK, THEY WILL LOOK INTO IT.
SO TRUST US, HE'S GOING TO HANDLE IT, AND IT, IT SHOULD OPEN, IT'S GONNA BE RESOLVED.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU'VE HAD 15 MINUTES.
YEAH, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FIVE.
[III.B.(1) A Presentation By Staff Regarding The Budget Book Photo Contest Award]
WHAT WE WANNA DO IS GO TO, UH, ROMAN NUMERAL THREE ON PAGE TWO, UH, PRESENTATIONS.WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS BY STAFF REGARDING THE BUDGET BOOK, UH, PHOTO CONTEST AWARD.
[01:20:08]
GOOD EVENING.MY NAME IS, JUST GO RIGHT AHEAD.
I'M THE FINANCE BUDGET AND COMPLIANCE ANALYST FOR THE CITY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A BRIEF PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
IN PREPARATION FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET, WE FOUND A NEW AND CREATIVE WAY TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO SHARE WITH YOU.
THERE'S A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES WORK WHEN CREATING A BUDGET.
IT IS NOT AS VISIBLE AS A STREET REPAIR OR WATER LEAK REPAIR.
HOWEVER, AS A GO GOVERNMENT ENTITY IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO HAVE A BUDGET IN PLACE TO SPEND FUNDS IN A PROPER MANNER.
EACH YEAR, THE BUDGET IS ANALYZED WITH EACH DEPARTMENT HEADS, WITH EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD, AND REVIEWED BY THE CITY MANAGER AND SENT TO COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL.
ONCE APPROVED BY COUNCIL, WE ASSEMBLE THE APPROVED INFORMATION, UPLOADED DIGITAL COPY TO THE WEBSITE, AND PRINT A PHYSICAL BOOK FOR REFERENCED BY THE DEPARTMENTS IN WHICH A PHOTO IS SELECTED FOR THE BASE OF THIS BOOKLET.
THIS YEAR, WE DECIDED TO DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AND REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE COVER PHOTO.
WE WANTED TO SEE THE BEAUTY CAPTURED BY OUR CAPTURE CAPTURED BY OUR CITY.
FROM THEIR EYES, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL PARTICIPANTS WHO SUBMITTED PHOTOS TO BE CONSIDERED.
WE'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU FOR THE COLLABORATION ON THE PROJECT, AS WELL AS DONATING PRIZE GIFT, UH, CARD TO THE WINNER.
AND WE HAVE MS. SPADE IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND, UH, HERE'S THE PHOTO THAT SHE TOOK.
AND WE, UH, AND SO THIS IS GONNA GO ON THE COVER OF THE BUDGET BOOK, WHICH AS WE SAY GETS UPLOADED.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE SEE THIS, THEY CAN SEE THAT THERE'S THINGS TO DO IN PORT ARTHUR.
YOU CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO TO THE STATE PARK.
THERE'S ALL ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO HERE.
WHERE WAS THAT ACTUAL PICTURE TAKEN? AT THE STATE PARK? WALTER HUMPHREY STATE PARK.
WHICH PARK? WALTER HUMPHREY STATE PARK.
I THOUGHT IT, YEAH, I JUST WANT TO BE SURE.
YOU SAID TALK TO LET'S KEEP GO AHEAD, MAN.
SO WE, WE JUST, WE JUST WANTED TO THANK ALL THE COMMUNITY FOR GETTING INVOLVED.
WE HAD SOME GOOD SUBMISSIONS AND WE FELT THAT THIS WAS THE BEST ONE.
SO, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT.
AND YOU ARE THE PHOTOGRAPHER, RIGHT? YES.
WOULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME SO WE'LL KNOW? UH, MY NAME IS LORI SPADE, AND I ACTUALLY LIVE IN ORANGE, BUT I SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN PORT ARTHUR.
UM, AND I ACTUALLY HAVE ENTERED SEVERAL PHOTO CONTESTS WITH PORT ARTHUR IMAGES IN IT, UM, FOR THE EAST TEXAS FOREST TRAILS, UM, THAT YOU CAN ALSO SEE FOR TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO COME OUT HERE.
WELL, WE CERTAINLY, THANK YOU.
[III.B.(2) A Presentation By Burditt Consultants, Inc. Regarding The Adams Park Sports Complex Master Plan]
IS A PRESENTATION BY, UH, IS ETTE CONSULTANTS INCORPORATED, UH, REGARDING THE ADAMS PARK SPORTS COMPLEX MASTER PLAN.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DA.
ONCE AGAIN, WE APPEAR BEFORE YOU TO DO THE FINAL MASTER PLAN THAT WE HAD IN THE MAKING, AND THIS ONE IS FOR ADAMS PARK SPORTS COMPLEX.
AND I'M HERE WITH BURDETTE CONSULTANTS, AND THEY WILL GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THIS PLAN WILL LOOK LIKE.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US AGAIN.
UH, HERE WE ARE EXCITED TO PRESENT THE FINAL MASTER PLAN OF, UH, ADAMS PARK, UH, SPORTS COMPLEX.
SO, UM, CLAUDIA WALKER, UH, WITH BIRD CONSULTANTS, AND, UH, ALSO HAVE WITH ME, UM, UH, OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, SHANE
[01:25:01]
HOWARD, SORRY, EXCUSE ME.JAY SHANE, HOWARD
SO, UM, ALONG WITH THE, THE PARKS MASTER PLAN AND THE, UH, ROSE HILL, UH, MASTER PLAN, WE ALSO HAD THE ADAMS PARK MASTER PLAN.
IT WAS, UH, GENERALLY, UH, ABOUT THE SAME TIMEFRAME AT SOME, UH, POINTS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE, THE, UH, PUBLIC INPUT PROCESSES.
UH, AND SO, UH, WE ARE NOW READY TO PRESENT THE FINAL ONE FOR THIS ONE, TOO.
I AM IN MY AGE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE FROM AFAR.
SO WE HAD A, A SERIES OF, OF, UH, UM, STUDIES THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, SIMILAR TO THE OTHER, UH, PROCESSES WHERE WE DID THE SITE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, SOME PRIORITIZATION OF NEEDS, RECOMMENDATIONS, PLAN DEVELOPMENT, UH, OPINION, PROBABLE COST, AND FINALLY, THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE, WHICH WOULD, IS, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING FOR, FOR YOU GUYS TO KINDA GET A, A BETTER CONSENSUS OF HOW TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD AND WHAT KIND OF, UH, UM, UH, FINANCIAL, UH, IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE, UH, FOR THE, THE, THE CITY.
OUR INITIAL, UH, UH, FINDINGS FOR THE EXISTING CONDITIONS WERE SIMILAR TO MANY OF THE, THE OTHER PARKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DID HAVE, UM, SOME SEE A LOT OF ABANDONED, UM, SPORTS COMPLEXES, UH, SPORTS FIELDS, SOME, UH, ISSUES WITH, WITH LIGHTING AND, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE ITSELF.
WE ALSO, UM, HAD A, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE THE, THE NEIGHBORING, UM, SITE THAT WAS, UH, ABOUT 30 ACRES OR SO ON THE, UM, SOUTHEAST SIDE OF, OF THE ADAMS SPORTS COMPLEX.
AND, UM, THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US THROUGH, UH, SOME OF THE, THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD WITH, WITH THE, WITH STAFF THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED TO CONSIDER SOME OPTIONS FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL SPORTS FIELDS IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
SO THAT WAS INCREASED THE AREA OF THE SPORTS COMPLEX QUITE A BIT WITH SOME OF THE INITIAL MEETINGS AND, UH, IDEALS OF WHAT, UH, MIGHT, WHAT FIRST FOR SOME OF THE EXISTING, UH, FIELDS AND, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO THOSE FIELDS AND THE, THE MEETINGS WITH THE STAFF.
WE STARTED WORKING THROUGH SOME DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OF, UH, THE AMOUNT OF FIELDS THAT MIGHT FIT THROUGH THERE.
IT'S JUST, UH, AND, UH, THE TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, THAT WOULD KINDA, UH, CREATE CERTAIN, UM, UH, MORE DESIRABLE SPACES FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FUTURE USES.
OVERALL, THE, THE PROGRAM GOALS THAT, THAT WE WERE TRYING TO KIND OF KEEP IN MIND WERE TO UTILIZE SOME OF THE, THE EXISTING, UH, AMENITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UH, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, FUNDING IS ALWAYS THIS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE, UH, ITEMS THAT WE, THAT WE WANT TO CONSIDER.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN REUSE, UH, THAT WAS FEASIBLE, WE WERE, UH, TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, REPLACING AND REPAIRING ANY AMENITIES THAT NEEDED, UH, REPLACEMENT, UH, BECAUSE THEY WERE, UH, UNUSABLE OR IN, IN, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND, UH, HAZARDS.
AND, UH, ALSO TO REZONE SOME OF THE, THE, THE AREAS TO ALLOW FOR MORE, UH, POCKETS OF GATHERING SPACES, UH, FOR MORE CENTRALIZED, UM, AMENITIES.
IF IT'S A, A, UH, UM, FIELD COMPLEX, YOU CAN HAVE THE CENTRAL CORE FOR, UM, OTHER USES, NOT JUST THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SPORTS USE AS WELL.
AND THE LAST ONE WAS TO CREATE A MORE, UH, SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE, UM, ROUTE THROUGHOUT THE PARK FOR PEDESTRIAN AND, UM, VEHICULAR WITH, YOU KNOW, TO REDUCE AS MANY CONFLICTS AS POSSIBLE.
SO, CURRENTLY, THE, THE, UH, UM, THE PARK FOR, UH, HAS A ROAD THAT'S GOING RIGHT THROUGH IN THE, THE CENTER, KIND OF SPLITTING THE PARK IN, IN, INTO, SO ONE OF THE STUDIES WAS TO REMOVE SOME OF THAT, UH, AND KIND OF REDUCE THE, THE, UH, THE KIND OF TR CROSS CONNECTION, CROSS TRAVELING OF, WITH VEHICULAR, UH, ACCESS THROUGH THAT THROUGHOUT THE PARK AND, AND ALLOW FOR MORE OF A OPEN LARGER SPACES FOR, FOR THE FIELDS AS WELL.
SO, UM, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE, THE,
[01:30:01]
THE INPUT THAT WE HAD, THE SITE ANALYSIS, UH, WE ALSO HAD, UH, A FEW DIFFERENT, UH, PUBLIC WORKSHOPS AND PUBLIC MEETINGS, UH, OPEN HOUSE EVENT AT, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, ROSE HILL.UH, WE TALKED TO, UM, SEVERAL COMMUNITY, UH, MEMBERS.
AND THE PARKS MASTER PLAN HAD A, UH, SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT, AND SOME OF THE MAIN, UM, AREAS OF, OF, UH, FOCUS THAT CAME ABOUT THROUGH ALL OF THOSE.
UH, ASIDE FORM, UM, THE MAINTENANCE OF, UH, SIMILAR TO THE OTHER PARKS, THERE'S ALSO A GREAT, UH, DESIRE FOR TRAILS AND, UH, PLAYGROUNDS, UM, AND REVENUE GENERATING TYPE ACTIVITIES TO KIND OF NOT JUST OFFSET THE, THE, UM, THE EXPENDITURE OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT ALSO THE MAINTENANCE AND, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY EVEN BRING IN SOME, SOME TYPE OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
SO WITH ALL OF THAT, WE STARTED WORKING THROUGH SOME DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THE, OF WHAT COULD FIT ON THE FIELDS, UH, ON THE TWO SITES.
AND THE MAIN FOCUS, AGAIN, WAS THE, UM, ADAMS PARK, SINCE THAT WAS THE PER OUR SCOPE AND CONTRACT.
BUT, UH, IN CONNECTION TO THE ADDITIONAL, UH, PARCEL, IT KIND OF CREATED A LARGE SPORTS COMPLEX THAT ALLOWS FOR MANY, MANY USES, UH, AND THROUGHOUT THE, THE YEAR, YEAR ROUND ACTIVITIES.
AND IT'S ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO THE, THE, THE HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL.
SO IT, UH, IT ALLOWS FOR, UM, A, UH, VARIETY OF, OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS ONE HAS A POINTER.
UH, SO TO START, WE HAD, UM, I SAID THIS IS THE, THE HIGH SCHOOL OVER HERE.
WE, UH, CREATED A POD FOR, UM, BASE, EXCUSE ME, UM, FOOTBALL FIELDS, TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS WITH A CENTRAL CORE PARKING AREA.
AND THIS, UH, AREA HERE IS, UM, MORE OF A, UM, GATHERING SPACE AND INTERIOR, UM, TYPE STRUCTURE THAT'S CONDITIONED.
UH, THIS, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS FOR SOME MEETING OR INDOOR GYMNASIUM TYPE, UM, SPACE, UM, AS DESIRED BY, BY SOME OF THE, THE RESIDENTS AREA.
HERE IS, UH, TWO, UH, SOFTBALL FIELDS WITH ITS OWN, UH, RESTROOM AREA ACROSS, EXCUSE ME, ACROSS IS A MORE OF A, A FAMILY AND, UH, ABLED, UH, SPACE, UH, AREA WITH TWO T-BALL FIELDS, A A MIRACLE LEAK OR A MIRACLE LEAK TYPE FIELD THAT'S ALL ACCESSIBLE ALONG WITH ALL THE AMENITIES PROVIDED FOR THAT.
AND A, UH, MIRACLE, EXCUSE ME, AN ALL ACCESSIBLE PLAY AREA.
THAT WAS A, A, A BIG, UH, DESIRE AS WELL, PARKING KIND OF THROUGHOUT THE AREA, THE SPACE.
AND THEN THE, THE LARGER POD WAS, THERE'S TWO EXISTING LARGE 300.
SO, UH, FIELDS RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, GENERALLY MULTI-USE FOR, FOR BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL.
UH, ENHANCING THOSE TWO, CREATING, KEEPING THOSE SPACES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT ENHANCING THEM AS NEEDED AND ADDING THREE ADDITIONAL, UM, SMALLER, UH, BASEBALL FIELDS FOR LITTLE LEAGUE PLAY TYPE.
ALL OF THEM CAN WITH A CENTRAL CORE, WITH A PAVILION CONCESSION RESTROOM.
CONCESSION RESTROOM, EXCUSE ME.
THERE'S EVEN AN OPTION FOR SOME SMALL PLAY AREA FOR, TO, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LITTLES, UH, ENTERTAINED IN THE AREA ACROSS, THERE'S ACTUALLY A LARGE, ABOUT 120 FOOT OR SO, UH, UTILITY EASEMENT.
AND THAT'S REALLY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MORE TRAILS ALL AROUND AND CONNECTING THE ENTIRE PARK.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, FIVE, UM, SOCCER OR MULTI-USE FIELDS.
UH, THE LARGE SETS, IT COULD BE 3, 360 BY, UH, BY TWO 70 OR SO.
AND ALLOW FOR THIS SPACE TO APPRECIATE IT, ALLOW FOR THIS PLACE TO, TO BE MULTIPLY, DIVIDED AS NEEDED, UH, IN, UH, AMPLE PARKING ON BOTH ENDS.
THIS CORE HERE IS A, UH, SPACE FOR, UM, CONCESSION RESTROOMS, PLAY AREAS IN DROP OFF AS WELL.
THEN THE LAST ITEM HERE IS A, UM, CRICKET FIELD FULL SIZE, WHICH COULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO USE FIELD FOR, FOR THE, THE ENTIRE COURSE.
[01:35:04]
OKAY, THE LAST ITEM HERE IS A, UM, AREA FOR MAINTENANCE, UH, BUILDING AND MAINTENANCE, UH, AREA, THE, THE ENTIRE ZONE SPACE HERE.SO THIS ENTIRE, UH, CONCEPT AS UPON, WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO DIFFERENT ONES, UM, ONLY SHOWING THIS ONE.
THE OTHER ONE HAD JUST TO KIND OF, UH, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF, IF, UH, A FUTURE RECREATION CENTER, UM, MIGHT BE PLACED THERE? UH, WE CENTRALLY LOCATED IT, UH, GENERALLY IN THIS AREA.
SO IT WOULD REMOVE ONE OF THE, THE FIELDS AND, UH, ALLOW FOR A CENTRAL, UH, RECREATION AREA TO ALLOW FOR THE, THE, UM, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THE MAINTENANCE, AND EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY, UH, OBSERVED THE ENTIRE, UM, SITE, UM, AS, AS POSSIBLE, MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
THAT WAS, UH, ONE OF THE WHAT IF MOMENTS.
SO WE, WE, WE DID, UH, EXPLORE THAT AREA IN THERE.
SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THE, ON THE SPACES.
AND, UM, I KNOW IT'S, IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT FOR YOU GUYS, SO I'LL TRY TO GO AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
SO THIS IS THE, UH, KIND OF, WE'RE CALLING IT THE, THE, THE DIAMOND FIELDS, UH, AREA.
SO WE HAVE THE, THE FIVE PLEX WITH THE 300 FOOT, AND THE, UH, THE 2 25 FOOTERS, THE, THE SOFTBALL, AND THEN THE, THE T-BALL FIELDS.
UM, IF YOU CAN SEE ON, ON THIS FACE, THIS IS THE, UH, CONCEPTUALLY THE, UH, FIVE FLEX, THE 300 FOOT FIELDS HERE.
AND THEN THE, UM, PARKING AREAS KINDA IN A T WITH THE REST OF THE FIELDS SURROUNDING IT, ENVISIONED SOME, UM, SPACES THAT HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RAISED, UH, SEATING AREAS WITH, UH, SHADE STRUCTURES.
UH, THE OPPORTUNITY AS WELL RISES FOR, YOU KNOW, A, A MIX, WHETHER IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, SHADE STRUCTURE THAT'S MORE OF A, OF A, A SHADE SALE AND LOWER SEATING AREAS, CONCESSION RESTROOM.
AND, UM, THIS, THIS IS ANOTHER VIEW OF WHAT THE SHADE, UH, STRUCTURES CAN KIND OF LOOK LIKE.
IF YOU USE, UM, SHADE SALES, SOMETIMES YOU'RE ABLE TO, ONE, CONTROL THE COLOR A LITTLE BIT MORE AND CREATE SOME MORE OF A, UM, SPACES THAT, UH, ARE DESIGNATED BY COLOR THAT INSTEAD OF DESIGNATED BY NUMBER.
AND, UH, IT ALLOWS FOR, FOR A LITTLE BIT OF A, A WAY FINDING TYPE AS WELL.
THIS ON THE SOCCER, UH, FIELD AREA, YOU CAN'T SEE.
THIS IS THE, THE DROP OFF SPACE RIGHT HERE.
SO KIND OF THIS SAME AREA HERE WITH THE, THE CONCESSION RESTROOM AND, UH, PLAY PLAYGROUND SPACE.
THIS SPACE BACK HERE IS KIND OF REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT THE RECREATIONS, UH, CENTER COULD, COULD, UH, TAKE PLACE.
IT'S JUST A KIND OF A BLOCK FOR NOW.
NEEDS FROM, YOU KNOW, FURTHER STUDIES FOR THAT WHEN, WHEN DESIRED.
THE OTHER AREA IS NOT SHOWING HERE, BUT THIS SPACE IS, UH, KIND OF A, A CENTRAL, UM, PLAZA SPACE THAT, THAT SHOWS WHERE THE, THE, UH, UM, THIS OPPORTUNITY CAN KINDA HAPPEN HERE WITH A LITTLE BIT OF, OF, UH, STRUCTURE AND JUST LARGE OPEN SPACE PICNIC SPACES IN THE, THE PLAYGROUNDS AREAS.
THERE WAS A DESIRE FOR THE, THE FOOTBALL FIELDS TO BE ARTIFICIAL TURF.
SO WE HAD THAT OPTION IN THERE AS WELL.
THE FOOTBALL FIELDS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY, ANY DESIRE FOR PHASING OR SUCH, THESE ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO, UM, ALLOW FOR MULTI-USE FIELDS, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY, IF NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, TRY AND BECOME FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
YEAH, SAME THING FOR THE SOCCER FIELDS.
EVERYTHING IS, IS TO, UH, REMAIN AS FLEXIBLE AS, AS NEEDED, BECAUSE SOMETIMES, UH, IT CHANGES AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WHO IS, WHO'S DESIRING TO, TO, UH, COME IN AND, AND DO LEAGUE PLAY OR, OR SUCH.
AND, AND YOU WANT TO HAVE THE, AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY.
THIS IS THE, THE ADAPTIVE AND, UM, FAMILY RECREATION AREA.
SO CURRENTLY THERE'S A LARGE, UM, SET OF, UM,
[01:40:01]
TENNIS COURTS.UH, THERE NEED TO BE GENERALLY REPAIRED OR REPLACED.
SO THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY USED AT, I THINK AT ONE POINT WE SAW SOME, UH, UH, SKATE AREAS AS WELL.
AND SO ONE OF THE THOUGHTS WAS TO, UH, REUTILIZE THAT SPACE AS THE, UM, FULLY ALL ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND AREAS WITH ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO YOU HAD THE, THE T-BALL FOR FAMILY RECREATION, THE MIRACLE LEAGUE SPACE, AND THEN THE, THE, THE PLAYGROUND THAT'S ALL ACCESSIBLE AND ALL ACCESSIBLE CAN BE SO MANY VARIETY OF THINGS.
AND NOWADAYS, IT'S, IT'S REALLY THE, THE BIG FOCUS, UM, IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION AS WELL, ALLOWING FOR EVERYBODY TO PLAY.
NOT, YOU KNOW, GRANDPARENTS AND, AND, UH, UH, ALL, UH, ABLED BODIES, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN OF ALL AGES AND PARENTS, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE BLAST ALL OF THEM.
THESE ARE SOME, UH, IMAGES OF, UH, PICNIC AREAS, SMALL PAVILIONS.
AN EXAMPLE OF A, UH, FULLY ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND STRUCTURE.
THERE'S A, THE, YOU KNOW, PORT IN PLACE, UH, AREAS AND, UH, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THE, UM, FULLY ACCESSIBLE, UH, T-BALL FIELD OR, UH, MIRACLE LEAGUE TYPE FIELD.
THIS ONE IS JUST A FULLY ACCESSIBLE, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A MIRACLE LEAGUE, BUT THERE'S DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR THAT.
AND THE LAST AREA, I SAID, UH, EARLIER, THIS WAS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE RECREATION CENTER.
UM, AND THIS IS GENERALLY A PLACEHOLDER IN CASE THAT WAS, UH, AN OPTION ONE DAY.
BUT, UH, THE THOUGHT ON THAT IS TO ALLOW FOR POSSIBLY 40 TO 60,000, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE DESIRE, THE, THE REQUIREMENT OF, OF, OF THE, THE, UM, THE RESIDENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEETING SPACES, INDOOR RECREATION, UM, INDOOR GYM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, LOCKER ROOMS, UH, UH, JUST THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENDLESS FOR THOSE, OF COURSE.
JUST TO RECAP A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
UM, SO CURRENTLY, UH, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD COUNT THE, THE NUMBER OF FIELDS IN AND ALL, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN USE.
UM, THERE'S ONLY TWO THAT ARE REALLY BEING UTILIZED, AND THIS ARE TWO, 300 FOOT FIELDS.
UH, UM, THE REST ARE, ARE, UH, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU KNOW IF THERE'S STILL ANY KIND OF USE AT ALL, BUT WE HAVEN'T HEARD OF, OF MUCH OF, UH, ON, ON THEM.
SO, UH, INSTEAD I'LL GO WITH THE, THE PROPOSED, UH, SPORTS SUMMARY.
SO WE HAVE, UH, TWO, 300 FOOT FIELDS.
UH, AND THOSE ARE BASEBALL SOFTBALL, THREE, UH, 225 FOOT, UH, BASEBALL FIELDS, 2, 225 SOFTBALL FIELDS, TWO T-BALL, ALONG WITH THE ONE MIRACLE LEAGUE, WHICH, UH, CAN COUNT AS T-BALL AS WELL TO, UH, CHAMPIONSHIP SOCCER FIELDS, WHICH THAT, UM, COMPARED TO THE REGULAR SOCCER FIELDS IS REALLY THE, THE AMENITIES THAT COME WITH 'EM.
UH, THE TYPE OF SEATING AREAS AND, AND, AND SUCH, UM, UH, FULL-SIZE CRICKET FIELD, THE THREE, UH, UM, SOCCER FIELDS, THREE QUARTER ACRES OF, UH, MAINTENANCE AREA THAT, THAT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY THE MAINTENANCE BUILDING, UH, THAT CAN BE SIZED AS, AS NEEDED.
BUT THE AREA ITSELF IS ABOUT THREE QUARTER ACRES, UH, 300, SORRY, 795 PARKING SPACES, AND 1.5 MILES OF, UH, NEW OR ENHANCED TRAILS TO ADD TO THE REST OF THE, THE, THE TRAILS THROUGH THE CITY.
UM, THESE, UH, COSTS ON HERE ARE, UH, I HAVE TWO, TWO SEPARATE SHEETS.
UH, THIS ONE CURRENTLY IS FOR THE, THE ADAMS PARK, UM, RENOVATIONS.
AND IT'S REALLY, WE, UH, HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S, THAT'S LEFT IS, UH, THE, THE TWO, 300 FOOT FIELDS AND THE, UM, PARK ROAD THAT IS, UM, STILL, THERE'S SOME, EVEN THOUGH SOME, SOME OF THE PARK ROAD WOULD STILL NEED TO BE, UM, IMPROVED, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF THAT LEFT IN THERE.
UM, THE REST IS REALLY ALL, UM, RENEWED OR RE UH, RE RE REPLACED.
BUT, UM, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA ON, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE ALONE, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA START ADDING ALL OF THESE NUMBERS 'CAUSE I'M GOING
[01:45:01]
TO MESS UP, BUT JUST THE SITE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S, THAT'S PARKING, UM, THAT REQUIRED, UH, TRAIL, NOT TRAILS, BUT SIDEWALKS FOR THE PARKING AND SUCH, THAT'S IN THE, UH, TWO TO TWO, UH, 0.25, KIND OF, UH, SORRY, TWO TO TWO FIVE RANGE.UM, IN THAT, AS FAR AS WE, WE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, PHASING OR WHAT IT, WHAT COULD A FIRST PHASE OPPORTUNITY BE.
UM, BUT, UH, THAT WOULD TAKE QUITE A BIT FOR JUST THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, ITSELF.
AND YOU, UH, END UP, UH, RE TEARING, TEARING OUT MOST OF THE, THE PARK IN ORDER TO IT.
SO WE, WE WOULD SUGGEST ACTUALLY GOING FORWARD WITH MOST OF THAT, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS A DESIRE TO, TO DO.
AND THEN THE PHASES WOULD BE IN INDIVIDUAL ZONES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE, UM, THE FIELDS PODS THEMSELVES.
THE OTHER, UM, COSTS, UM, ON HERE IS FOR THE, THE SOCCER, UH, COMPLEX.
AND THAT ONE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, FEASIBLE SINCE IT, AS FAR AS THE, THE COSTS.
BUT, UM, IT HAS, UH, MOSTLY FIELDS, FLAT SPACE AND NOT A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND SO THAT ONE, UH, OVERALL IT RANGES FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, 10.5 TO, TO ALMOST 13, UM, MILLION.
BUT NOW THAT I GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, THESE FUN NUMBERS,
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE TASKED TO DO IN THIS PROJECT, AND THIS IS GOING TO FOCUS IN, IN THE REPORT AS WELL, THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART OF THE REPORT, WITH ONLY ABOUT 25 TABLES IN IT.
UM, WE LOOKED AT THE ADAMS PARK PORTION OF THIS, NOT NECESSARILY THE RECTANGULAR FIELD COMPLEX, ACROSS 60TH STREET.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE LOOKING AT SEVEN DIAMOND FIELDS, THREE T-BALL FIELDS, WHICH INCLUDES THAT MIRACLE LEAGUE FIELD.
AND THEN TWO, WE CALL THEM RECTANGULAR FIELDS 'CAUSE THEY ARE MULTIPURPOSE.
BUT WE KNOW THE DEMAND IS PREDOMINANTLY FOR FOOTBALL FROM BOTH THE TRAINING PERSPECTIVE AND THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT A GOOD, A LOT OF GREAT YOUTH TEAMS HERE IN THIS CITY, IN THIS AREA, AND YOU CAN'T HOST ANY TOURNAMENTS 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD SPOT FOR IT.
THIS BRINGS THAT INTO PLAY AND THERE'S REALLY TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
THERE'S GONNA BE SOME, YOU'RE ALREADY PAYING SOME OPERATING COSTS THAT TAKE PLACE THERE RIGHT NOW.
THERE'LL BE SOME ADDITIONAL OPERATING COSTS, OF COURSE, IF YOU MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE ROBUST AND EXPAND IT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND, RECOGNIZE THAT ALL OF THOSE ARE NOT NEW DOLLARS.
YOU'VE GOT TWO REALLY DIFFERENT REVENUE STREAMS OR OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME FROM THIS, AND THAT'S TOURNAMENT PLAY.
AND THEN WHAT WE REFERENCE CALLING OPEN USE, UH, WHICH IS RENTALS.
SO WHETHER IT BE LEAGUES, WHETHER IT BE LOCAL TOURNAMENTS, WHETHER IT JUST BE TEAMS LOOKING TO PRACTICE, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT PRACTICE SPACE, UM, IN BOTH THE DIAMOND AND THE RECTANGULAR SIDE OF THINGS IS JUST NOT THERE ANYMORE.
UM, SO WITH ALL OF THAT, WHEN WE LOOK AT TOURNAMENT CAPACITY, WE BASE THAT OFF OF HOW MANY FIELDS DO YOU HAVE? HOW MANY DAYS WOULD A TOURNAMENT LAST? HOW LONG DOES EACH GAME LAST? AND THAT TELLS US HOW MANY DIFFERENT TEAMS YOU CAN POTENTIALLY HOST.
A LOT OF CONSULTANTS WILL COME AND TELL YOU, IT'S LIKE, OH, YOU CAN HAVE THIS.
WELL, WHEN YOU DO THE MATH, IT'S LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, HOW AM I GONNA HAVE 250 TEAMS? AND I'VE ONLY GOT FIVE FIELDS.
SO WE LOOK AT THIS IN THREE DIFFERENT TOURNAMENT TYPES, SINGLE ELIMINATION, DOUBLE ELIMINATION, AND ROUND ROBIN.
'CAUSE THE MATH TELLS YOU HOW MANY TEAMS YOU CAN ACTUALLY, HOW MANY GAMES YOU CAN HAVE, WHICH BASED ON THE NUMBER OF HOURS AND YOU'RE RUNNING THAT TOURNAMENT EACH DAY, AND FOR HOW MANY DAYS, IT TELLS US HOW MANY TEAMS YOU CAN HAVE.
AND SO WE BASE THIS STUFF OFF OF THE OFF OF REALITY.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO WARN WHEN YOU READ THE REPORT, AND SOME OF THESE NUMBERS I'M GONNA SAY IS THAT THIS IS NOT PREDICTION.
THIS IS WHAT YOUR MAX COULD LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN WE RUN IT IN THE REPORT AT 10% OF UTILIZATION, 25%, 50%, 75%.
SO YOU CAN SEE IF WE HIT THIS KIND OF UTILIZATION, THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO, TO HAVE IN COST.
THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO HAVE IN REVENUE.
SO BASED ON TWO DAY TOURNAMENTS FOR DIAMOND SPORTS, FOR EITHER YOUTH LEAGUE OR ADULT SOFTBALL, ONE AND A HALF DAY TOURNAMENTS, IF YOU DO HAVE SOME T-BALL TOURNAMENTS AND TWO AND A HALF DAY PREDOMINANTLY FOOTBALL, BUT ALSO SOCCER TOURNAMENTS, YOU CAN HAVE ABOUT, EXCUSE
[01:50:01]
ME, 48 TOURNAMENTS A YEAR FOR THE DIAMOND FIELDS.AND ABOUT 38 FOR RECTANGULAR OR PREDOMINANTLY IS WHAT'S GONNA BE FOOTBALL.
SO WHAT WE DO THERE IS FROM THERE IS WE GO AND WE LOOK AT OPERATING COST.
AND THIS IS A VERY, WHEN I USE THE WORD CONSERVATIVE HERE WE GO CONSERVATIVE ON THE REVENUE SIDE, MEANING LOW.
AND WE GO AS HIGH AS REASONABLE ON THE OPERATING COST SIDE.
WE HAD RATHER BE WRONG THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON BOTH OF THOSE RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY.
SO WHEN I USE THE WORD CONSERVATIVE ON THAT 301 TO 500 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS TO OPERATE THE NEW ADAMS PARK IS VERY, VERY, UM, CONSERVATIVE.
AND THAT WE USE THAT KIND OF RANGE BECAUSE A LOT OF DIFFERENT COSTS AND HOW YOU DECIDE TO GO ABOUT ALLOCATING THOSE COSTS HAS AN EFFECT.
SO THIS IS A SAFE BUDGET, EVEN ON THE LOW END, CERTAINLY ON THE HIGH END.
BUT EVEN THE LOW END IS A, A VERY, VERY SAFE OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, THAT COMES OUT TO ABOUT 11 TO $20 PER UNIT OPERATING HOUR, MEANING EACH OF THE FIELDS FOR THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT THEY'RE OPEN EACH WEEK.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE LOOK AT AS WELL.
WE SAY, WHEN IS THIS GONNA BE OPEN? WHEN WOULD PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE IT? SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIELDS, THEY'RE THERE ALL THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, BUT HOW MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, IF THERE'S NOT A TOURNAMENT GOING ON, IS THERE, ARE THEY GONNA BE RENTED OUT? THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN UNTIL FOUR OR FIVE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, RIGHT? SO WE ONLY LOOK AT THOSE HOURS THAT REALISTICALLY THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY BE RENTED OUT.
AND THEN WE CONTROL FOR THE TOURNAMENTS OUT OF THAT.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO GET A FILL, WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THAT COST AND ALLOCATE IT TO THE REALISTIC AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S ABOUT 11 TO $20 PER HOUR.
AND IF YOU CHARGE 22, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 22 AND $38 PER HOUR, DEPENDING ON YOUR OPERATING COST, EVEN AT 50% UTILIZATION, YOU'RE GOING TO COME OUT OKAY? AND YOU'RE GONNA COVER YOUR OPERATING COSTS.
AND IT MAY EVEN BE BETTER THAN THAT.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THE OPERATING BUDGET COMES OUT TO, BUT THAT'S A REALISTIC AMOUNT TO RENT A FIELD FOR, FOR AN HOUR TO A TEAM OR HOWEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO THAT.
PLUS, IF YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE A A DOWN CHARGE IF THEY DON'T USE LIGHTS, IF THEY DO, YOU CAN CHARGE A PREMIUM FOR THAT.
OUR GOAL WAS TO SAY, IS IT REALISTIC TO BE ABLE TO COVER OPERATING COSTS WITH RENTALS? AND SO AT 50% UTILIZATION FOR TOURNAMENTS, YOU KNOW, YOUR MAX CAPACITY AND 50% UTILIZATION OF YOUR MAX CAPACITY FOR OPEN USE OR RENTALS, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO REGENERATE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 60 3090 $6,000 IN NET INCOME, IF YOU WOULD, DON'T CALL IT PROFIT 'CAUSE THAT JUST GOES TO ANOTHER PART OF THE DEPARTMENT, BUT YOU CAN EASILY COVER THE OPERATING COSTS THAT YOU'RE GONNA POTENTIALLY HAVE WITH THE EXPANDED COMPLEX.
THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE CAPITAL ISSUE, BUT AT LEAST FROM AN OPERATING PERSPECTIVE, THE DEPARTMENT'S ABLE TO COVER WHAT THE NEW OPERATING COSTS ARE GONNA BE FOR THAT.
UM, THIS WASN'T PART OF OUR SCOPE, BUT WE WENT AHEAD AND ADDED IT ANYWAY.
THE, UM, THERE ARE PUBLIC REVENUES THAT COME FROM VISITORS THAT COME IN WITH THESE TOURNAMENTS THAT Y'ALL AREN'T CURRENTLY ABLE TO HOST, THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO HOST.
AND YOU'D BE LOOKING AT ABOUT 116,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE VISITING THAT SPORTS PARK JUST FOR TOURNAMENTS, ABOUT 34,000 HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS, JUST BASED ON A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE THAT WOULD SPEND THE NIGHT THAT COME IN FROM OUT OF TOWN LOOKING AT ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN RETAIL SALES AND WHAT THAT ALL COMES OUT TO IN HOT TAXES AND IN SALES TAXES, A POTENTIAL AT MAXIMUM OF ABOUT $360,000 A YEAR IN ADDITIONAL SALES AND HOT TAX IF EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, WENT GANGBUSTERS.
AND SO THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL BENEFIT THAT THE CITY COULD GET JUST FROM A FISCAL STANDPOINT, NOT JUST AS IT RELATES TO THE OPERATION OF THE FACILITY.
I HOPE THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS HELPFUL.
AND LIKE I SAY, THOSE 11 PAGES IN THE REPORT, MOST ENLIGHTENING PART WELL, UH, BEFORE WE, I OPEN IT UP AND THEN EVERYONE, WELL, I, I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU, UH, AND, UH,
I EVEN TOOK IT HOME AND REALLY STUDIED IT LAST NIGHT.
SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO ASK MY QUESTIONS FIRST.
NOW I LOOK AT THE PLAN, IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND FOR GROWTH, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT GROWTH IN OUR CITY AND BEING ABLE TO ATTRACT NATIONAL TYPE TOURNAMENTS.
[01:55:01]
AND, AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT IT HAS.BUT WHAT I DID SEE IN THINKING ABOUT BEING ALL INCLUSIVE IN, UH, SPORTS, IN, IN, IN THE PARKS, I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT VOLLEYBALL OR ANY CONSIDERATION FOR BASKETBALL.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ALL DID THE, THE, THE STUDY OR THE PLANT, MAYBE THAT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED.
I KNOW WE DO HAVE BASKETBALL FACILITIES, BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PUT A FACILITY AS, UH, IIII MEAN AS, AS, AS, AS LUXURIOUS AS THIS ONE MM-HMM,
I MEAN, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE, UH, THE CREME DE LA CREME, UH, FROM WHAT I, FROM WHAT I LOOKED AT AND STUDIED IT AND JUST WAS WONDERING, YOU KNOW, SAYING, MAN, WE HAVE ALL THIS DEVELOPED.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO INCORPORATE BASKETBALL? IS THERE ANY WAY TO INCORPORATE VOLLEYBALL? YOU KNOW, UH, AND EVEN TRACK OF, OF, UH, ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, OF FIELD EVENTS, THE REASON WHY A SPORTS FACILITY, AS GREAT AS WHAT YOU HAVE DESIGNED, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY, I WOULD, I WOULD NOT WANT US TO NOT BE ALL INCLUSIVE.
NOW, MAYBE YOU HAVE A PROFESSIONAL REASON, AS YOU COULD TELL ME WHY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE 'EM, OR IT WAS A, WASN'T A CONSIDERATION.
SOME OF MAYOR, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IN OUR CONVERSATION WITH CHANDRA AND WITH STAFF AND THEN ALSO WITH THE PUBLIC CAME UP FREQUENTLY.
BUT THERE'S A SPACE CHALLENGE.
FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S ADEQUATE PARKING FOR WHAT THAT COMPLEX.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE OPPORTUNITY ACROSS 60TH STREET OPENS UP SOME THINGS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GO WITH A LARGE INDOOR FACILITY, BECAUSE THEN THAT KIND OF FACILITY, THAT MAIN FLOOR, YOU'RE TALKING A GOOD SIX TO EIGHT FULL-SIZED BASKETBALL COURTS, OF COURSE, THAT CAN BE BROKEN UP INTO VOLLEYBALL THAT CAN BE BROKEN UP INTO KIDS, YOU KNOW, SINGLE GOAL YOUTH, UM, BASKETBALL AS WELL.
SO THERE WAS WHAT WAS THE PRIORITY? AND OVERWHELMINGLY WHAT WE KEPT HEARING IS THAT, AND, AND I'M FROM HERE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I GREW UP IN THIS AND WE WERE ALREADY STARTING TO LOSE FIELDS BACK IN THE LATE EIGHTIES.
IT'S WORSE NOW, RIGHT? SO THE DIAMOND FIELDS, THAT'S A DEFINITE NEED.
AND THEN CERTAINLY WITH THE GROWTH OF FOOTBALL AND THE INABILITY TO HOST TOURNAMENTS, THAT ALONE, UM, IT, IT'S LIKE OUTTA WHAT CHOICES DO YOU MAKE WITH THE LAND THAT YOU'VE GOT AVAILABLE? BUT THAT'S WHERE 60TH STREET, THAT PROPERTY THERE IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
AND I WASN'T REALLY THINKING ABOUT SO MUCH AS, AS A GYM, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GYM FACILITY, BUT AS, UH, YOU KNOW, OPEN, OPEN COURT, MM-HMM,
BUT I WAS JUST THINKING BECAUSE WE WOULD BE, I WOULD WANT IT TO BE ALL INCLUSIVE.
THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY, AND, AND THE COLLEAGUES WOULD WANT TO TALK, UH, I, I LOOKED AT THE, UH, THE TOURNAMENT USE AND, AND THE CAPACITY AND ALSO, UH, AND ALL, AND ALL THESE ARE BASED ON THE PROJECTIONS AND REVENUE THAT, THAT IT SHOULD GENERATE.
UH, SO OUR STAFF WOULD BE PREPARED TO, I GUESS AT THIS POINT, WE WOULD'VE TO GO OUT AND MARKET THIS FACILITY TO ATTRACT THE USERS.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THAT AS WELL.
AND THAT WAS WHY I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE, UH, BEING ALL INCLUSIVE, HAVING EVEN, UH, THEY CALL THAT PINK, THAT BALL, PICKLE BALL, PICKLE BALL, PICKLE BALL, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S ONE NEAR, I THINK YMCA HAS ONE, BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THAT, I WOULD JUST WANT US TO BE ALL INCLUSIVE.
I WISH WE COULD PUT A POOL THERE TOO.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING THERE BECAUSE IT'S SO, IT, IT'S SO GREAT.
BUT MAYBE I'M JUST TAKING, BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT IT AND REALLY STUDIED IT, I'M JUST SAYING IT IS A GREAT PLAN.
ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS, AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT CLAUDIA PUT IN THAT CENTRAL SPACE, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT REASONS THAT SOME OF THAT HAS TO EXIST AND TO SOME DEGREE IS BECAUSE FOR TOURNAMENTS, YOU WANT PEOPLE FOR THE FISCAL IMPACT ASPECT OF IT.
YOU WANT THEM TO COME AND STAY.
OKAY? YOU WANT 'EM TO SPEND MONEY IN RESTAURANTS AND AT THE STORES, WHICH FORTUNATELY, BEING THAT CLOSE TO CENTRAL MALL AND MOST OF THE COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, SALES TAX CENTER THERE, THAT'S A GOOD THING.
BUT THE HOTEL'S RIGHT THERE ALSO, WE NEED THEM TO SPEND MONEY AND THEN WE NEED 'EM TO SPEND THE NIGHT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS, AND THAT MEANS BRINGING MORE PEOPLE, BRINGING A YOUNGER SISTER OR BROTHER FOR THE OLDER CHILD THAT'S MAYBE COMING TO PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING, MAYBE MOM OR DAD, WHOEVER IS NORMALLY TRAVELING WITH THAT ONE TRAVELING KID, IT'S LIKE, HEY, LET'S GO MAKE A DAY OF IT.
THEY'VE GOT A GREAT PLAYGROUND,
[02:00:01]
THEY'VE GOT SOME SHADE STRUCTURES, THEY'VE GOT TRAILS.AND SO IT'S A BALANCING ACT TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T OVER PROGRAM WITH JUST THE SPORTS ACTIVITY.
THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEN THEY'RE HEADING OUT.
AND AT MOST THERE MAY BE BUYING GAS.
WE NEED 'EM TO BUY GAS FOOD AND THEN SPEND THE NIGHT AS MUCH AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN WITH THE THAT'S RIGHT.
WELL, DOES OTHERS HAVE, UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK, YOUR LIFE FIRST? YES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT I HAD AS I WAS LOOKING AT THIS, AND I WAS STUDYING IT BEFORE THE MEETING, I LOOKED AND SAW WHAT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR FIELDS WAS.
AND SO I SEE THAT WE HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE 225 FEET FIELDS, BUT WHEN I WAS DOING SOME CALLING AROUND, BECAUSE WE'RE IN DIRECT COMPETITION WITH BEAUMONT, RIGHT? AND SO BEAUMONT HOSTS SOFTBALL TOURNAMENTS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AS WELL, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO ENLARGE THOSE 225 FOOT FIELDS TO ABOUT 300 TO 315 FEET AS OPPOSED TO 225? BECAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE US COMPARABLE TO WHAT WE'D BE IN COMPETITION WITH.
AND AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO TRY TO OFFER SOMETHING THAT'S A PRODUCT BETTER THAN WHAT, UH, OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR COMPETITORS WOULD HAVE.
SO THAT, THAT'S DEFINITELY, UH, SOMETHING THAT COULD BE, UM, PLANNED ON IN THERE.
BUT THERE IS A CONSTRAINT OF SITE, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO ELIMINATE C CERTAIN THINGS TO, IN ORDER TO, UH, YOU KNOW, ACCOMMODATE THOSE.
CRICKET FIELD HIGH SCHOOL,
BUT, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT MIGHT HELP US AS WELL, UM, TO LOOK AT AND SEE IF THAT WOULD BE A CONSIDERATION.
AND COUNCILMAN, JUST TO, TO REINFORCE THERE, 61ST STREET CREATED A LITTLE BIT OF CHALLENGES.
YOU KNOW, IT ESSENTIALLY SERVES AS A DRIVEWAY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THAT'S, SO WHEN YOU LOOK, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MORE THAT WE CAN START TO COME UP ON THAT RIGHT OF WAY THERE FOR THOSE, THIS WE, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM, BUT WE'LL LOSE SOME PARKING SPOTS.
THESE TWO ESPECIALLY, THAT ONE GETS TO BE A BIT MORE CHALLENGING.
SO IT, IT OFTEN JUST COMES DOWN TO SPACE CONSTRAINTS.
THE FACT SHE WOULD, THAT CLAUDIA COULD FIT FIVE WAS SOME WORK.
AND, AND COUNCILMAN FRANK KIND OF ALLUDED TO, I KNOW RON WITH THIS CRICKET FIELD STUFF GOING ON, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
COACH FRANCIS HAS BEEN COACHING OVER 50 YEARS, THE GUY IN THE WHITE SHIRT AS FAR AS LIL LEAGUE, UH, BASEBALL.
AND HE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, WE WANT TO CAPTURE SOME OF THOSE, UH, RESIDUALS THAT BEAUMONT HAD WITH THOSE TOURNAMENTS.
THOSE TOURNAMENTS COULD BE LUCRATIVE HERE IN THE CITY.
AND IF WE HAVE THE BIGGEST AND BRIGHTEST BASEBALL FIELDS, SOFTBALL, FIELDS, PARKS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CATCH SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT HOT THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
BUT IT GIVES ME GREAT CONFIDENCE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TWO THINGS AT ONE TIME AND BUILD HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
BUT I DO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, UH, PIGGYBACK ON MY COLLEAGUE HERE WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT ENLARGING THOSE SOFTBALL FIELDS, BECAUSE WE CAN GET SOME OF THOSE NATIONAL AND AND STATE TOURNAMENTS TO COME HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
THEY CAN'T HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, UH, UH, SOFTBALL FIELDS IN BEAUMONT TO ACCOMMODATE NO.
SO WE CAN CATCH, CAPTURE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
AND I'M GREAT TO, YOU KNOW, THIS RENDITION IS, IT LOOKS VERY NICE.
I THINK THAT WE CAN TAKE IT IN STAGES.
UH, BUT THAT ALSO LETS THE PARKS AND AND RECREATION DIRECTOR.
NO, I'M, I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT YOU GOT GOING ON, BUT WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU SOME MORE EMPLOYEES BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA NEED THAT WITH A FIELD LIKE THIS AND TO MAINTENANCE.
UH, REAL QUICK, AND MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER IT OR THE DIRECTOR TO ANSWER.
UH, AT ONE TIME, I WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORT ARTHUR, ONE OF THE PHOTOS THAT YOU, UH, HAD SHOWN UP THERE, AND IT WAS SOME INQUIRY ABOUT SOME OF THOSE OLD PROCESSING LINES THAT THEY HAD IN THAT AREA THAT WE COULDN'T CUT THE GRASS.
WOULD THAT BE AN ISSUE WITH, WITH A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE? YOU TALKING ABOUT THE PIPELINE EASEMENTS, THOSE PIPE PIPELINE EASEMENTS.
BECAUSE WE COULDN'T REALLY CUT THE GRASS WITHOUT CONTACTING THOSE NUMBERS.
AND IN AN ACTUAL DESIGN PROJECT, THIS IS LIKE THE MASTER PLAN, THIS IS THE WHAT CAN BE DONE, AND IT'S INFORMED BY SOME SCIENCE.
BUT ONCE YOU GO INTO ACTUAL DESIGN, THAT'S WHEN WE START WORKING THROUGH THOSE.
[02:05:01]
WERE TALKING ABOUT MONT BELLEVUE EARLIER, UM, THAT CAME UP EAGLE PARK THERE, WHICH IS THEIR BIG SPORTS COMPLEX.WE HAD TO WORK WITH NOT ONLY WITH THEIR, UM, CANAL DISTRICT ESSENTIALLY, BUT ALSO WITH TWO NATURAL GAS PIPELINE COMPANIES THAT HAD EASEMENTS CRISSCROSSING THROUGH THERE.
BECAUSE THIS IS A, MAYBE A MILE FROM THE REFINERY, IF Y'ALL REMEMBER THE ONE THAT BLEW UP YEARS AGO.
UM, AND SO THAT IS SOME OF THAT MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
IT'S TYPICALLY ISN'T A PROBLEM, BUT WE, WE GET THEM ENGAGED EARLY, EARLY ON.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
OKAY, COUNCILMAN, UH, DOUCETTE, NICE PRESENT, NICE PRESENTATION, GREAT PLAN.
I'LL SHOW LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING HERE, BUT REALITY.
WE ESTIMATED IT COST $30 MILLION.
SO THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PLAN GIVEN OUR CITIZENS.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S MONEY SUPPOSED TO BE ALLOCATED EVERY YEAR THAT GOES TOWARD IMPROVING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO I CAN SEE US PUTTING MONEY INTO A PROJECT LIKE THIS, BUT I CAN'T SEE WHERE WE GOING TO GO WHEN I SEE WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE.
I NEED TO KNOW HOW WE GOING TO GET THERE.
I WANNA KNOW HOW MANY YEARS WE GONNA DO IT, HOW MUCH WE GONNA SPEND EACH YEAR SO WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
WE PUT IT IN THE WORKS AND THEN THE OTHER COUNCIL COME BY AND IT'S ALREADY LAID OUT A PLAN AND ALLOCATING OUR CITIZENS BENEFIT FROM IT.
AND COUNCILMAN, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
IF YOU REMEMBER THE, THE PARKS MASTER PLAN, THAT IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF THE PATHWAY.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS CHANDRA, I KNOW THAT SHE IS LOOKING FOR FROM GUIDANCE, FROM FINANCE CITY MANAGER AND YOURSELVES FOR, HEY, IF WE COULD DO ALL OF THIS, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S DIFFICULT, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO SO THAT SHE CAN, YOU KNOW, AND CLAUDIA HAS BROKEN THIS UP INTO THOSE THREE SECTIONS.
IF YOU TAKE IT BY THOSE THREE SECTIONS AND YOU'LL ALLOCATE TO PARKS WHAT THEY NEED FOR EACH OF THOSE, CHANDRA AND HER CREW CAN GET THERE.
I HOPE THAT, HOPE THAT HELPS A BIT.
WELL, REALLY IS BASICALLY WHERE YOU WERE WHEN YOU GAVE ME THE PRESENTATION.
MM-HMM,
I'M SORRY, I HEAR THE PHRASES.
OH, BUT IT'S ABOUT MONEY, RIGHT? SO BASICALLY WHAT I'M SAYING IS I LOVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
I WOULD LOVE OUR CITIZENS TO BENEFIT FROM IT.
BUT WHAT I NEED IS SOMEBODY COME TO ME AND TELL ME HOW WE'RE GOING TO PHASE IT IN AND HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST EACH YEAR.
YOU SEE, THAT'S WHEN WE GET INTO THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
'CAUSE ALL THIS ABOUT YEAH, YEAH.
NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT MONEY.
SO I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT MONEY BECAUSE IF WE SAY WE GONNA DO IT, THEN WHEN WE DO BUDGETS EVERY YEAR, WE PUT MONEY IN IT.
SEE, IT'S TOO MANY TIMES PEOPLE GET THIS BRIGHT IDEA AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE SPENDING MONEY AROUND HERE.
WE WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR, PUT IT IN BUDGET.
SO THIS PLAN THAT YOU'RE SHOWING ME, I'M ALL FOR IT.
BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALSO, HOW MUCH AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO EAT THIS ELEPHANT? YOU SEE THE CITIZENS, THEY LOVE THE PARK TOO.
BUT IF YOU LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY, RIGHT? WHY ARE YOU SPENDING MONEY ON THIS WHEN WE NEED THIS DONE? SO IF WE GOING TO ALLOCATE MONEY TOWARD THIS PARK, IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE FACT THAT WE PUTTING THIS MUCH ON MONEY ON THE PARKS, BUT WE PUTTING THIS ON STREETS, WE PUTTING THIS ON TRACK.
SEE, THAT'S WHAT WE DO WITH CITIZENS.
SO WHAT WE JUST PRESENTED TO THE CITIZENS IS THIS SUPER PLAN.
[02:10:01]
BUT WHAT IS IT GONNA COST PER YEAR? SO HOW MUCH ARE YOU GONNA SPEND ON THIS PARK PER YEAR? BECAUSE IF THE CITIZENS HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN A PARK RIGHT NOW AND THESE STREETS, WHAT YOU THINK THEY'RE GONNA SAY? SO WHEN WE MAKE A DECISION AND WE GOING TO SAY, WE GOING TO DO THIS PARK AND WE CONTINUE TO DO STREETS, THEY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.IT'S JUST THAT THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE GOING TO DO BECAUSE THEY COULD FIND OUT IF IT'S REASONABLE, IF IT'S NOT.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I'M INTERESTED IN.
I'M MONEY, I'M ABOUT TAXPAYERS, AND YEAH, WE COULD DO 10 THINGS AT ONE TIME, BUT MONEY DRIVES DRIVES THE TRAIN, AND IT AIN'T OUR MONEY, IT'S TAXPAYER'S MONEY.
SO WHEN WE START SPENDING IT, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WHEN THEY HEAR HOW WE SPEND IT, THEY SAY, OH YEAH, WE ARE DOING GOOD.
SO LET'S TRY TO GET SOMETHING, UH, WHERE I COULD SEE HOW MANY YEARS AND HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? HOW ARE WE GONNA EAT THIS ELEPHANT TO GET TO WHERE WE WANT? BECAUSE IF WE DO IT, LIKE YOU ALL MENTIONED, AND SEE, I, I HEARD YOU SAY PHASES, SO I KNOW YOU WASN'T PLANNING ON TRYING TO DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME.
BUT THE FACT THAT YOU SAID PHASES, I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH IT EACH PHASE YOU SEE, JUST LIKE YOU GAVE ME THE TOTAL PRICE, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING BE ASKING US FOR EVERY YEAR.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE HAVE IT OR NOT.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA DRIVE THE TRAIN.
BUT I HAVE NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR WHAT I SAW PRESENTED TODAY AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT IN THIS CITY.
BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO THAT AND HAVE PEOPLE KILLING ME BY THE STREETS AND STUFF.
SO YOU NEED TO BRING ME SOMETHING WHERE I'M GONNA BALANCE THIS BALL.
THAT AIN'T, I AIN'T
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW ONE OF THE PROBLEMS BEING WITH THE PORT ARTHUR CITY COUNCIL AT ONE TIME, HE HAD TOO MANY BUSINESS PEOPLE ON THERE.
WHAT WE, WHAT THE PORT ARTHUR CITY COUNCIL NEED IS BUSINESS MINDED COUNCILMEN.
NOW, HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT? ONE BITE AT A TIME.
HOW YOU WALK A MILE, ONE STEP AT A TIME.
NOW THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO BENEFIT THE HOTEL.
THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, YOU CAN GET STARTED ON THIS PROJECT.
NOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS GO AHEAD AND ISSUE SOME BONDS.
YOU DON'T TAKE NOTHING FROM STREETS OR ANYTHING.
HOW YOU PAY THE NOTE, YOU GET STARTED WITH THE HOTEL MOTEL TAX.
THAT'S, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT, THAT THE HOTEL MOTEL TAX CAN BE USED ON.
WE CAN JUST START PHASING IT IN AND, AND USE THE HOTEL MOTEL RESOURCES TO START PAYING.
OKAY? NOW, LUCIAN ADAM HAS COME A LONG WAYS.
CONGRESSIONAL, CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER.
WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL, JOE ADAM, HIS BROTHER WIFE WANTED, WANTED TO SUPPORT CITY COUNCILORS, A HANGER, A PICTURE OF HIM IN THE MUSEUM.
I SAID, WHO IS THIS GUY? I NEVER HEARD OF HIM.
AND SHE SAID, HE'S A CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER.
I SAID, I SAID, IS HE ALIVE? SHE SAID, YEAH.
I SAID, MOST PEOPLE, THEY GET KILLED.
I SAID, HE'S NEVER BEEN RECOGNIZED.
I SAID, WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN THAT.
I'M GOING TO INITIATE RAN IT TO THE COUNCIL AND I'M GONNA INITIATE A STREET TO BE NAMED EMPTY.
BOB BOW PULLED THE COMMITTEE, FAMILY MEMBERS TOGETHER, GOT THE STREET NAME.
NOW THE PARK THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE.
[02:15:01]
LIKE WHAT A COUNCILMAN FRANK BROUGHT UP.EXPAND THOSE FIELDS SO WE COULD BE NATIONAL COMPETITION.
OKAY? AND IT, IT WILL ATTRACT FOLKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, TOURNAMENTS AFTER TOURNAMENTS, IT IS GOING TO, IT IS GOING TO WORK.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS JUST A BEGINNING, BUT WE CAN GET STARTED.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN START PHASING THAT IN.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY NOW WHAT WE DO HAVE.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING, MS. APPLE? NO, I DID NOT.
THERE IS, UH, AN ITEM ON PAGE, UH, SIX.
ON PAGE SIX, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, THERE IS PR NUMBER 23 8 19.
IS IS A RESOLUTION APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE SIR, OKAY.
IT IS A RESOLUTION APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE SSGT, LUCIAN ADAMS PARK SPORTS COMPLEX MASTER PLAN TO PROMOTE AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE CITIZENS OF PORT FOR TEXAS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS TO ADOPT THE PLAN.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST PUT THE, UH, FINANCIAL, UH, PERSON HERE OR, YOU KNOW, TROLL ANYBODY ON, YOU KNOW, ON BLAST FOR THIS.
AND WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 8 19 AS STATED AND READY.
SOMETHING, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS YOU LIKE, WHICH IS ON YEAH, JUST A, JUST A BRIEF COMMENT.
I WASN'T GOING TO SAY THIS, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO KNOW OUR HISTORY SO WE WON'T REPEAT IT.
A BIG CELEBRATION FOR LUCIAN ADAMS. THEY FOUND OUT HE WAS A HISPANIC AND THEY CANCELED IT.
ANY OTHER UNDERWRITTEN? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
WE DO THIS ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE THROUGH THREE PROJECTS WITH THIS STAFF ARE BLOWN AWAY BY WHAT, HOW DEDICATED THEY ARE TO WHAT THEY DO FOR THIS CITY.
AND, UM, SO THANKS
OUR NEXT ITEM WOULD BE, UH, THERE AREN'T ANY DISCUSSIONS.
WE, ON DISCUSSIONS, BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ANY CITY MANAGER, DIDN'T HAVE ANY MORE REPORTS.
NEITHER ARE THERE ANY, UH, EMPLOYEE RECOGNITIONS OR CORRESPONDENCE, UH, ACCORDING TO THE, UH, AGENDA, UH, NOW WE HAVE, WE ARE READY
[III.F.(1) A Discussion Regarding Maintenance Schedule For The Wayfinding Signs (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw)]
FOR DISCUSSIONS.WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR THE WAY, FINDING SIGNS THAT WHEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN KEN LAW.
I THINK
THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR, UH, HELLO.
UH, BEING BACK AT THE PODIUM, UH, MY QUESTION IS, UH, HOW DID WE, UH, WHAT, WHAT IS GONNA BE THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE? UH, WE GOT SOME BEAUTIFUL SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, HOW DO WE COORDINATE WITH NUMBER ONE WITH TEXDOT, BECAUSE OF BEING THE STATE HIGHWAY AND WHAT'S GONNA BE THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE WITH THOSE SIGNS ONCE WE GET 'EM IN PLACE? I'LL PUT THIS ON THERE BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT HOW ARE WE GONNA PROVIDE THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE SIGNS AT THE BOTTOM.
SO, SO WITH THE WAYFINDING, UH, PROJECT, WHEN THEY INSTALLED THE SIGN, THE SIGNS, THE LANDSCAPING, THE IRRIGATION, THEY GAVE US A 90 DAY PERIOD TO ENSURE THAT THE, THE PLANNINGS WOULD BE VIABLE.
THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE PERFECT.
THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'LL, EVERYTHING IS GONNA WORK.
WE'RE STILL IN THAT 90 DAY PERIOD AFTER THAT.
SO WE HAVE CURRENTLY WENT OUT FOR RFPS TO GET A LANDSCAPING COMPANY TO COME ON BOARD AND TO TAKE ON THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SIGNS.
NOW, AS FAR AS WHEN IT COMES TO, WE DO HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH TDOT 'CAUSE WE DID DO THE SIGNS ON THEIR RIGHT OF WAY, BUT THE AGREEMENT IS JUST FOR THE PLACEMENT OF THE SIGNS AND WHERE THEY ARE.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE AGREEMENT IS.
BUT WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN THE ACTUAL LANDSCAPING OF THE SIZE.
WE, MEANING WE'RE GONNA CONTRACT IT OUT TO A COMPANY.
SO IS, IS IT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY A TEX DOT WHEN WE WANT IT TO BE CUT OR DO, ARE THEY ALREADY AUTOMATICALLY ON A MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICES? SO THEY THEY HAVE THEIR OWN MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE? MM-HMM.
WHEN IS THE, WHEN IS THE, UH, WAY FINDING SIGN ON? UH, THE WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR GOING TO BE PUT IN
[02:20:02]
THE WAY FINDING SIGN ON THE WEST SIDE OF PORT ARTHUR.THE, THE ACROSS FROM, ACROSS FROM, UH, NEW ST.
OH, CURRENTLY WHAT THEY DID, THEY JUST CAME TO, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A WAY FINDING SIGN.
THAT'S JUST THE ACTUAL MARQUEE.
SO, UM, IF I CAN SPEAK ON IT, THE MARQUEE, THEY JUST CAME, YOU KNOW, YOU DID COUNSEL DID APPROVE IT.
IT TOOK SOME MONTHS FOR IT TO COME IN.
SO WE DID GIVE THEM EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED.
THEY DID COME AND REMOVE THE MARQUES.
SO WHEN THEY DO COME, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN JUST BASICALLY PUT THE SIGN IN.
THEY HAVE CONFIGURED THE NEW SIGNS AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN AND PUT IN NEXT WEEK.
AND THEY'LL BE SIMILAR TO THE SAME COMPANY THAT DID THE PAVILION MARQUES SIGNS.
BUT THEY DID TAKE 'EM OUT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING.
AND THEY DID THAT PROBABLY TWO WEEKS AGO.
SO, UH, WE'RE PROBABLY HERE 10 OR 12 MONTHS ALMOST IN NOVEMBER.
AND THE REASON WHY I ALWAYS GO WITH THE LONG, THE LONGER TIME, BECAUSE WE SAY THEY GONNA BE THERE IN TWO MONTHS AND I NOTICED, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULDN'T BEING EVASIVE, BUT YOU NEVER SAID WHEN THEY WOULD.
SO THAT'S WHY I THREW THAT OUT THERE.
MR. AFO OR CITY MANAGER? UM, WE'VE REFERENCED TO COUNCIL LOOKING OR CONCERNS ABOUT TEDO? YES, WE ARE WORKING WITH TEDO TOO BECAUSE TEDO HAS A CERTAIN SCHEDULE FOR CUTTING AND I THINK THEY HAVE INCREASED THAT.
BUT YOU ARE RIGHT, IF THE GRASS IS NOT CUT, IT DOES NOT ADD TO THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE SIGN.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT BASICALLY HIDES, YOU KNOW, THE SIGN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HAVING IT FROM NOT STANDING OUT.
SO WE ARE IN DISCUSSION AT THAT STAGE WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CUT ON TIME SO THAT IT ELEVATES THE PRESENCE OF OUR SIGN AS WELL.
AND COUNCILMAN FRANK, YOU WERE THROUGH? YES, SIR.
[III.F.(2) A Discussion Regarding Operation Of Pleasure Island (Requested By Councilmember Doucet)]
NEXT WE GO TO NUMBER TWO.IT IS A DISCUSSION REGARDING OPERATION OF PLEASURE.
ALLEN, THIS IS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ETT.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS CONCERNING, UH, PLEASURE ALLEN.
AND, UH, I JUST NEED SOME ANSWERS, SOME SIMPLE QUESTIONS.
BECAUSE I KNOW I DON'T SEE ANYONE FROM PLACE AVENUE ADMINISTRATION ANYWAY HERE, RIGHT? YOU WANT ME TO PULL IT? YEAH, BECAUSE SO THAT PERSON IS PRESENT.
I, I FOUND OUT YESTERDAY HE WAS ON VACATION.
OKAY, THEN, THEN, UH, CITY SECRETARY, HOW ABOUT PUTTING IT ON FILE? NEXT MEETING PLEASE.
AND I'M SORRY I DIDN'T TELL YOU, BUT I FOUND OUT HE WAS ON VACATION YESTERDAY.
UH, A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE APPROPRIATION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT STREET FUND.
AND THAT'S REQUESTED BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ETT.
YOU KNOW, WE HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT STREETS AND THEY'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT STREETS, TALKING ABOUT MONEY.
I'VE BEEN ASKING SINCE I GOT ON COUNCIL TO GIVE US AN ACCOUNT OF HOW MUCH MONEY IS LEFT IN EACH DISTRICT AND HOW MANY STREETS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SELECTED AND APPROVED IN EACH DISTRICT.
WHAT WERE THE ESTIMATED COSTS? AND I SAID AT THE TIME, THE REASONING WAS SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE STREETS THAT WE HAD SELECTED, WE HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THOSE STREETS.
AND THEN WE WILL THEN DIVIDE THE MONEY UP AND SELECT STREETS FOR THIS YEAR.
SAID THEY ONLY CAME, CAME ON COUNCIL, HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE LIST.
BUT IF WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR MONEY THE WAY WE SUPPOSED TO, IF I ASK FOR THIS LIST, I SAID GET THE LIST IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
BUT THE REASON I SAID WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE, WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE WAS SIMPLY FOR ONE REASON.
I KNEW WE WASN'T TRACKING THE MONEY AND BECAUSE WE WASN'T TRACKING THE MONEY IN THE FASHION FOR WHICH THE PROGRAM WASN'T, IT WAS TO ELIMINATE TRYING TO POINT THE FINGER AT SOMEBODY OR SAY WHAT WE DID WRONG.
IT WAS TO FIX THE PROBLEM SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE LIST, THEREFORE WE HAD $10 MILLION.
WE PUT IN THE BUDGET, SUPPOSED TO BE TO
[02:25:01]
SELECT STREETS FOR THE COMMON YEAR.BUT WE ARE FIXING TO START A NEW BUDGET IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS.
AND MORE THAN LIKELY WHAT WE GONNA DO, WE, WE GONNA SELL 10 MILLION OR WE NOT GONNA SELL 10 MILLION.
I HEAR THINGS COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL AS WE GOT THE, UH, UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
IT'S TALKING ABOUT FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE STREET, CAPITAL STREET FUND.
AND I KEEP SAYING IT NO IS NOT AVAILABLE.
THE ONLY MONEY THAT IS AVAILABLE IS MONEY THAT IS APPROVED WITH THE BUDGET.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE IT LISTED AND APPROVED WHEN THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED, THEN WE MUST HAVE A ORDINANCE AT THAT MEETING PLACING THAT MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO FUND IT.
AND THE REASON I'VE BEEN SO INSISTENT ON HAVING THIS LIST IS TO ENSURE THAT WHEN YOU COME BEFORE US AND TELL US MONEY IS AVAILABLE, I KNOW IT'S AVAILABLE.
'CAUSE I DON'T NEED TO ASK YOU.
I COULD KEEP UP WITH MONEY THEN I'M TIRED.
I WANT SOMEBODY TO TELL ME TODAY WHY THIS LIST HAS NOT BEEN PRODUCED.
CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, UH, COME JOHN, WHO SHOULD BE DOING, HEY JOHN, COME.
UM, I THINK WE, WE HAVE, THIS MATTER HAS COME UP ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT, UM, OUR FINANCIAL DIRECTOR HAS, UM, SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL TO BE PATIENT WITH US IS BECAUSE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE 2023 AUDIT.
TO GIVE YOU A VERY ACCURATE FIGURE AS TO WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, APART FROM THAT, JOHN HAS, FROM TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WE HAVE PROVIDED A COUNCIL, WE'VE AN UPDATED LIST AS TO WHERE WE CAN WITH STREETS.
IF YOU DON'T MIND REITERATING IT, I UNDERSTAND WHAT COUNCIL VAN ETT IS SAYING AND WHERE HE'S COMING FROM.
BUT, BUT MR. MAYOR, YOU, DO YOU MIND IF I COME FORWARD? YEAH.
COME BACK AND, AND LEMME SAY THIS RON.
IT IS NOT ABOUT ALL THIS OR NOTHING.
THAT INFORMATION I REQUESTED IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, EVEN IF THE CITY DOES A STREET, WHATEVER THE COST WAS FOR THAT PARTICULAR STREET, IF THEY BOUGHT ASPHALT, IF THEY BOUGHT BASE, WHATEVER THEY BOUGHT, THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE RECEIPT.
AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO FINANCE.
FINANCE SHOULD HAVE A RECEIPT FOR EVERY EXPENDITURE THAT'S MADE IN EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THIS CITY.
AND WE HAVE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR HERE.
IF I, IF IT IS, IF THAT IS NOT CORRECT, WHAT I JUST STATED, I WOULD LIKE TO BE CORRECTED.
THIS IS NOT IF WE WANT TO, THIS IS HOW IT IS.
WHEN I REVIEW THESE RESOLUTIONS, I READ WHAT YOU ALL SAY.
AND WHEN YOU ALL SAY IT, I GO BACK AND I READ AND I'M LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE DO THIS? WE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THIS.
WHERE I AM TODAY, I AM A COUNCIL MEMBER.
I SERVE CITIZENS, I REPRESENT CITIZENS.
AND CITIZENS ARE ASKING, WHY CAN'T WE FIX STREETS? WHY ARE WE NOT FIXING STREETS AS WELL? AS A COUNCILMAN, IF WE GOT $10 MILLION THIS YEAR AND WE COULDN'T SPEND $10 MILLION WITH THE CONDITIONS OF STREETS IN THIS CITY, THEN WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT CHANGES.
BECAUSE IT AIN'T ABOUT ONE CONTRACTOR.
IF WE GOT THE MONEY, YOU BRING IN TWO OR THREE CONTRACTORS, SPEND THE MONEY, NOT ONE.
SEE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THE COUNCILMAN, THAT'S NOT MY JOB TO SELECT.
[02:30:02]
BUT NOBODY CAN TELL ME THAT WE CAN'T BRING IN MORE.NOBODY CAN TELL ME THAT WE CANNOT FIX STREETS.
YOU CAN'T TELL ME HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME WHEN YOU CAN'T GIVE ME THESE ANSWERS.
I'VE BEEN PATIENT FOR, FOR 10 MONTHS, 11 MONTHS.
I KEEP TALKING ABOUT ORDINANCE UP HERE.
AND AFTER THIS PERIOD OF TIME, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, WE NO LONGER CAN POLICE OURSELVES.
I'M CONVINCED WE NEED IT TO BE LOOKED IN AND WHY WE ARE NOT ABLE TO SAY WHERE WE STAND IN MONEY.
I EXPECT STAFF TO KNOW HOW WE EXPEND FUND APPROPRIATELY.
I GET A PROJECT WHERE IT IS REQUESTING MONEY AND IT'S GIVING ME A PROJECT NUMBER.
THE PROJECT WASN'T LISTED IN THE BUDGET.
OKAY? THE AVAILABILITY OF MONEY, I DON'T SEE WHERE IT'S AT.
I ASK SIMPLE QUESTIONS AND I WANT TO GET ALEX.
I ASKED HOW MUCH MONEY, NOT STREETS, HOW MUCH MONEY.
THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING HERE.
MONEY, WHEN I SEE WE GOT $10 MILLION THAT WE HAVE NOT ALLOCATED YET.
BUT THIS IS A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN THE CITY.
I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING NO MORE.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN DO IT.
'CAUSE IF WE COULD DO IT, AND I'M SPEAKING TO A COUNCIL AND ALL OF US NOW, WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE NOT GOTTEN THAT LIST.
WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE NOT NOBODY SHOULD BE TELLING US WE GOT FOUR, $5 MILLION LEFT RIGHT NOW IN STREETS.
'CAUSE BASICALLY, LIKE MS. PARKER SAID, TODAY, I DON'T SEE WHERE THE STREET'S BEING FIXED EITHER.
AND I'M NOT A PERSON TO POINT FINGERS.
AND WHEN I IDENTIFY, I WOULD RATHER GIVE A SOLUTION.
THE SOLUTION TO FIXING THESE STREETS WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL WAS FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE.
FIX IT RIGHT NOW AND LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
WE STILL DOING THE SAME THING.
OKAY? SO I DON'T, I DON'T SEE US FIXING IT, YOU KNOW, I'M TIRED OF HEARING HIS DEUCE THAT WAY.
I'M TIRED OF HEARING HIS DEUCE.
THAT IDEA DEUCE THAT TAUGHT BLACK AND WHITE.
AND IF YOU ARE READING WHAT I'M READING, WE SHOULD BOTH BE ON THE SAME PAGE.
HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE IN THE STREET FUND, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE MONEY IN CAPITAL STREET FUND DOESN'T MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR ANY PROJECT THAT WE, NOT, THAT WE NOT LIST IN THE, UH, CITY MANAGER.
DO YOU MIND IF, UH, WE CALL UP THE, UH, C FINANCE DIRECTOR? BECAUSE, 'CAUSE I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT JOHN, JOHN, I GOT YOUR LIST, UH, AND STUFF.
WELL, AND I JUST, LEMME JUST EXPLAIN.
MS. DU SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PROCESS OF DOING OUR BUDGET.
I'VE SUBMITTED ON MY LIST OF STREETS FOR NEXT YEAR.
YOU HADN'T BEEN PRIVY TO THIS YET AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
BUT AT SOME POINT I'M ASSU I'M ASSUMING THAT THE BUDGET DIRECTOR AND THE CITY MANAGER WILL, WILL SEND YOU THE FINAL LIST.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, JOHN? YEAH.
THAT'S WHY I'M GONNA SET TODAY AND THAT'S WHY I'M IMPATIENT.
OKAY? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE LIST.
YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IT SINCE LAST JULY, UH, WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL
[02:35:01]
AND I, AND, AND, UH, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND YOU, YOU HAVE PRIORITIES AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER IS YOUR BOSS, NOT DO SET MM-HMM.BUT SEE, MY PROBLEM WITH IT IS, IS THAT CITIZENS ARE ASKING ME, AND I'M THE ONE SELECTING STREETS.
NOW YOU GIVE ME A LIST AND THEN I SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND THEN WE GO THROUGH IT BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
THEN WHEN YOU AND I GOT A LIST FOR DISTRICT FOUR, WHEN YOU DONE THAT WITH ALL THE FOUR DISTRICT COUNCILMEN, YOU BRING IT TO THIS FULL COUNCIL AND THIS FULL COUNCIL LOOKS AT IT.
AND WHEN THIS FULL COUNCIL VOTE ON IT, THEN THAT'S THE LAW.
I DON'T HAVE, I CAN'T GO BACK TO YOU AND TELL YOU I WANNA CHANGE SOMETHING IN MY DISTRICT BECAUSE THE COUNCIL HAS NOW APPROVED THIS AND IT'S IN ESTON STONE.
IT'S GOTTA COME BACK TO THIS COUNCIL.
OKAY? SO THOSE ARE IMPORTANT FACTS THAT WE MUST DO, BUT WE GOTTA STAY AHEAD OF THIS GAME WITH THE STREETS.
AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT STREETS READY TO BE FIXED.
WE DON'T HAVE TO STICK WITH ONE CONTRACT IN THE CITY.
WE GOT THE MONEY, LET'S BRING TWO THREE OF THEM IN.
AND, AND THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE GETTING A COUNCIL APPROVAL.
AND WHEN WE GET A COUNCIL APPROVAL, THEN WE'LL MOVE ON THAT LIST.
BUT YEAH, BUT SEE THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
WE'VE BEEN READY TO DO THIS SINCE I CAME ON COUNCIL.
IN FACT, WE APPROVED $10 MILLION WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA HAVE IT RIGHT THEN, BUT WE'LL GET TO IT.
AND I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE $10 MILLION UNDER CONTRACT RIGHT NOW.
SO I MEAN, WE WE'RE DOING ROADS, UH, AS, AS YOU'RE AWARE, 62ND STREET IS BEING REDONE.
I'VE HEARD HOW MANY STREETS WE'VE DONE.
I NEVER SAID TODAY THAT WE ARE NOT DOING STREETS.
WHAT I SAID TODAY IS IF WE GOT MONEY AVAILABLE, THEN WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE OUGHT TO HAVE PEOPLE FINISH AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
WE SHOULD HAVE FIXED ALL OF THE STREETS THAT WE HAD SELECTED TO BE FIXED THIS YEAR.
AND IF ONE CONTRACTOR AND THE CITY WAS NOT MOVING IN THE FASHION TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, AT THE END, SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE PICKED IT UP AND SAID, HEY, LET'S GET ANOTHER CONTRACTOR IN HERE AND LET'S, AND LET'S GET THE STREETS DONE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE, BUT WE CAN'T STAY AND START WHERE WE, WHAT WE'VE DONE.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR US IS WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR THE CITIZENS LATELY BECAUSE THE CRIES ABOUT OUR STREETS HAVE NOT DECREASED.
ALTHOUGH WE DONE ALL THESE STREETS, AND I'VE NEVER SAID WE DON'T DO STREETS, BUT THE CRIES ARE JUST AS LOUD NOW AS THEY WAS IN THE BEGINNING.
AND IF WE GOT MONEY AND WE GOT ONLY ONE CONTRACT IN THIS CITY WORKING, THEN I FEEL MAYBE WE'D HAD TWO, THREE CONTRACTORS.
CITIZENS HAVE GOT MORE STREET DONE.
SO WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE ACQUIRED THE RUMBLE DOWN BECAUSE THE 50 MILLION IS NOT GONNA FIX STREETS IN PORT ARTHUR.
BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO FOLLOW THE MONEY.
AND WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE AVAILABLE.
I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF APPROVING BLANK CHECKS AND NOT, AND I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF PEOPLE NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MONEY YOU'RE SPENDING.
OKAY? AND WHEN YOU BRING IT TO ME REQUESTING MONEY, I EXPECT YOU TO FOLLOW OUR BUDGETING ORDINANCE AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE PERTAINING TO MUNICIPAL FINANCE.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I'M UNHAPPY ABOUT.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THESE THINGS IS THE REASON THAT WE ARE.
SEE, THAT'S WHY I WILL ASK QUESTIONS OF YOU AND I'LL ASK QUESTION OF THE FINANCE DIRECTOR BECAUSE WHEN I ASK Y'ALL QUESTIONS, I'VE READ IT AND I'M GONNA BRING YOU BACK.
OKAY? AND THIS IS, I'M DEAD SERIOUS.
I JUST DON'T, I JUST DON'T SEE US RIGHT NOW HAVING THIS HANDLE ON THE MONEY WHERE YOU COME AND TELL ME, COUNCILMAN NEW SAID WE HAVE $8 MILLION RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE THIS AMOUNT IN DISTRICT ONE.
WE HAVE THIS AMOUNT IN DISTRICT TWO, THIS AMOUNT IN DISTRICT FOUR AND THIS AMOUNT IN IN DISTRICT THREE BECAUSE IF WE GOT THE MONEY, LIKE WE ALLOCATED IT, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE NO EXTRA MONEY.
WHAT WE DOING OTHER THINGS NOW AND SAY WE IS AVAILABLE
[02:40:01]
IN STREET.BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU GOT IN THAT FUND, YES IT'S, IT'S UP THERE, BUT IT'S NOT AVAILABLE DOWN HERE UNLESS YOU TAKE IT FROM UP THERE AND PUT IT DOWN HERE.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY WE DO IN, IN BUDGETING.
I SPEND A LOT OF TIME, I READ, I UNDERSTAND HOW WE SUPPOSED TO APPROPRIATE MONEY.
AND IF WE DO THAT, WE CAN ACCOUNT FOR IT.
AND I DON'T POINT FINGERS, BUT I IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND THE FIX IS FOLLOW ORDINANCES, FOLLOW THE, UH, THE MUNICIPAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, CONSIDERING BUDGET.
AND DON'T THINK BECAUSE THE MONEY IS IN THE POT, WE COULD SPEND IT.
I'LL BE ADDRESSING THAT SPECIFICALLY ON ONE, AN ITEM WE GOT FOR TODAY.
AND, AND, UH, THIS LIST YOU GAVE US TODAY, JOHN, WHAT IS THAT? IT IT, IT, FOR THE ONES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SELECTING FROM IT'S OKAY.
BREAKDOWN BY DISTRICTS OF THE STREETS FOR NEXT YEAR.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY SELECTED.
OKAY, THEN WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET WITH YOU? I'M, I'M AVAILABLE MONDAY IF YOU WANT TO GET TOGETHER MONDAY.
WELL, NOT JUST COUNCILMAN DID SAY, BUT ALL OF US NEED TO DO IT BECAUSE YOU NEED TO COMPILE A A A A LIST WITH THE STREETS THAT HAVE BEEN SELECTED AND ESTIMATED COSTS.
AND IT GOTTA BE BROUGHT BEFORE THIS FULL COUNSELOR, NOT JUST US THAT'S TALKING WITH YOU.
IT GOTTA BE, THE FULL COUNSELOR IS THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN APPROVE IT.
AND, AND I'M PROBABLY JUMPING AHEAD OF THE FINANCE DIRECTOR 'CAUSE SHE'S GOTTA FIND OUT IF SHE HAS THE MONEY.
BUT LIKE I SAID, I'M READY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU ANYTIME.
WELL, YOU SEE THE WAY THE PROGRAM WORKS, JOHN MM-HMM.
AND WHEN IT'S DIVIDED, THEN YOU KNOW HOW MUCH EACH ONE OF THE DISHES HAVE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU AND HER COULD SIT OUT AND DO.
BUT ACTUALLY SHE'S JUST TAKING INFORMATION BECAUSE AFTER YOU DIVIDED IT WITH THAT, BECAUSE WELL DOWN HERE ON THE BOTTOM THERE'S A CHART BY BY MONEY, BY DISTRICT WHAT THE APPROPRIATIONS WOULD BE.
BUT, BUT I'M JUST SAYING JOHN.
IT HAS TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL.
ONCE WE'VE WORKED IT OUT AND WE ALL GOOD JOHN, IT COMES BEFORE THE FULL COUNCIL.
BECAUSE ONCE THIS COUNCIL PROVE IT, I DON'T GO BACK AND CHANGE IT AND NOBODY ELSE, IT ONLY COULD BE CHANGED BY THE COUNCIL.
AND THEREFORE, WHEN IT'S CHANGED BY THE COUNCIL, THAT MEANS EVERY TIME THERE'S A CHANGE, IT'S TRANSPARENCY CITIZENS AND EVERYBODY GET TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING.
THIS IS NOT NOTHING WE'VE DONE BY AGREEING AND WE UNDERSTAND AND KNOW THIS IS, HAS TO BE DONE THIS WAY 'CAUSE THIS ACCOUNTABILITY.
'CAUSE ONCE WE APPROVE THIS, THIS COUNCIL APPROVE IT.
I'M TRACKING THE MONEY MYSELF.
AND IF I GO AND ASK HER THIS STREET, WE ALLOCATED $10.
OKAY? IF WE ALLOCATED $10, IF YOU SPENT $9, I EXPECT TO SEE A DOLLAR THAT WAS LEFT IN IT.
THAT'S THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT IT.
THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED.
AND IF IT'S DESIGNED THAT WAY, WOULD NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM IF, IF WE HAD KEPT DOING IT, I COULD HAVE WENT DOWN THERE ANY DAY AND ASKED THE INFORMATION I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IN JULY.
I COULD HAVE GOT IT FROM HER, UH, ANYWHERE.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, I CAN MEET WITH YOU ANYTIME.
I SEE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.
THEN WE'LL MAKE A FINAL DECISION.
WE, WE WILL BRING IT BEFORE THE FULL COUNCIL, BUT I SEE SOME STUFF HERE THAT I COULD CHANGE RIGHT AWAY.
MA'AM, UM, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD STAT.
YOU HAVE PROVIDED A LIST OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE FOUR DISTRICTS.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW FOR THE FOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS TO MEET WITH YOU TO DISCUSS IT AND THEN TO BRING BACK A FINAL LIST TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BECAUSE AS YOU STATED THERE IN THE LAST BOTTOM THERE YOU HAVE FOUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS THAT IS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE EXPENDITURE, WHICH YOU WOULD HAVE TO UNDERTAKE.
[02:45:01]
YES.YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A PHYSICAL PART OF THE STREET TO BE REDONE WITH ASPHALT, BUT IT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED AS WELL.
SO, I MEAN, IF THE COUNCIL IS OKAY, LET US TAKE IT AND STUDY AND GIVE, UM, AND ARRANGE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MR. CONELLO AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE COULD LOOK AT IT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, THERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, I KNOW JOHN, THERE ARE OTHER PROJECTS ON THE TABLE, LIKE IN COUNCIL AND BECKHAM'S DISTRICT, WE HAVE, UM, UM, RISE FARM ROAD AND WE HAVE OTHER PROJECTS OF THAT WHERE JIMMY JOHNSON, ALL THAT MONEY HAS TO COME FROM THE STREET MONEY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, SO LET'S STUDY IT, LET'S STUDY THIS AND, AND LET'S SEE HOW WE TAKE IT THERE.
IT'S A VERY GOOD START WHILST WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR FINANCIAL DIRECTOR.
AND I PROMISE YOU COUNCILMAN ETT, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO HIDE ANYTHING.
WE'RE GONNA BE VERY TRANSPARENT.
I HATE TO GO BACK THERE, BUT REMEMBER WHEN WE STARTED THE STREET PROGRAM IN OUR TIME, COUNCILMAN KINLER, WE HAD SASSEN AND WEAVER THAT WE DID.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE $700,000.
IT, IT AMOUNTED TO $1.4 MILLION.
ISN'T THAT CORRECT? COURT? IT'S SOMETHING COURT.
SO THE FIGURES ARE GOING TO BE OFF, BUT I'M SURE I'M, I'M POSITIVE WE HAVE A FINANCIAL DIRECTOR THAT IS WORKING WITH US TO GET YOU THE FIGURES THAT WE DID.
I GOT WE'LL I GOT YOU THE MAN, I PROMISE YOU.
BUT YOU KNOW THAT 1.2, IF YOU GETTING THE RECEIPTS, WE WILL, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'LL HAVE IT WHERE WE KNOW IT WAS 1.2.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY WITH STREETS PROGRAMS, SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT THAT PROGRAM I NEVER SPOKE ABOUT, BUT COUNCILMAN KEN LODGE SHOULD BE ON THE ACCOUNT.
HE SAID WE, IF WE DO 10 MILLION FOR STREETS, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TO THE POINT WHEREBY IF THE STREET, UH, CREW NEEDED A NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, OKAY? UH, THOSE THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALSO INCORPORATED SO THAT WHEN THE MONEY TO DO THE STREETS ACTUALLY GOT DIVIDED, THAT MONEY TO BUY THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WAS INCORPORATED IN THAT 10 MILLION BECAUSE IT'S PERTAINING AND IT'S RELATED TO STREETS.
BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LISTED IN THE BUDGET THAT THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT STREET.
ANYTHING RELATED TO IT WASN'T INCLUDED IN EQUIPMENT IF THEY NEED IT.
BUT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW THAT WHEN IT COME TO BUDGET.
SO IF WE GOTTA PAY $2 MILLION FOR EQUIPMENT, THAT MEANS WE GOT 8 MILLION TO DIVIDE.
BUT ONCE WE DIVVY UP TO 10 MILLION, THE 10 MILLION IS DIVVIED UP.
WE ARE NOT GONNA START DOING THINGS DURING THE YEAR THAT COME UP FOR TAMMY STREET.
NO, THAT AIN'T HOW IT WORKS IN BUDGET.
AND THEN COUNCIL, AND, AND LET ME ALSO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE HAVE HAD MONEY FROM THE EDC AS WELL FOR STREETS.
SO WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ACCOUNT FOR ALL THOSE MONIES AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN MORE THAN $10 MILLION THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UM, EXPENDING OVER THE YEARS.
UM, WE HAVE HAD US, UH, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO KEEP A, A HANDLE ON IT FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, BUT PRIOR TO THAT IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE PRIOR TO I COMING HERE, WE WERE NOT KEEPING TRACK OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING IN-HOUSE.
AND WE WERE DOING IT AT A MERE FRACTION OF THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE.
BUT WE WERE NOT KEEPING TRACK OF THE MONEY.
WE WERE, WE WERE NEVER GIVEN A A, A STREET OF PROJECT NUMBER IS ONLY WHEN I GOT THERE, WE MADE SURE THAT WE WORK WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'S WHERE OUR FINANCING WENT A LITTLE BIT HAYWIRE.
BUT WE WILL GET TO IT, WE'LL GET TO IT, YOU KNOW, UM, FIGURES DON'T LIE.
AND THEN WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GIVE YOU AN ACCURATE FIGURE ON IT.
CITY MANAGER FIGURES DON'T LIE, BUT LIAR'S FIGURES OKAY.
BUT, BUT ANYWAY, UH,
[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
NEXT, UH,[III.F.(3) A Discussion Regarding Appropriation Of Capital Improvement Street Fund (Requested By Councilmember Doucet)]
WE WILL, UH, HAVE, UH, ITEMS, WELL, WE'LL GO TO THAT.UH, WE'VE NOT HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING.
NUMBER OF FIVE ARE ITEMS OF, UH, COMMUNITY INTEREST.
UH, I HAVE ONE ITEM, UH, THAT WE HAD TO CANCEL.
[02:50:01]
A WORKSHOP A FEW WEEKS AGO BECAUSE THE THREAT OF, UH, UH, UH, TROPICAL DISTURBANCE.SO WE, WE PLANNED IT FOR TUESDAY, JULY 9TH FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM AT THE BOB BOWER CIVIC CENTER.
AND MYSELF, ALONG WITH THE, UH, TEAM OF, UH, PROFESSIONALS THAT WE HAVE HERE AND, AND OTHERS WHOM THAT WE'VE CONTACTED, UH, HAVE MADE PLANS TO BE HERE TO ASSIST CITIZENS WITH THE INFORMATION ON, UH, HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS.
NOW PRAY, GOD, THAT, UH, UH, OTHER SYSTEM THAT'S OUT, I THINK IT'S STILL IN THE ATLANTIC NOW, BUT MAYBE I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING IN THE LAST SEVEN, EIGHT HOURS ON IT.
HOPEFULLY IT STAYS SOUTH OF US.
IF NOT TUESDAY WOULDN'T BE A GOOD DAY.
BUT WE CAN'T SAY THAT UNTIL SUNDAY OR MONDAY.
SO WE HAD, WE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TRYING TO PLAN IT AGAIN AND DO IT DURING THIS SEASON, BUT WE ARE IN HURRICANE SEASON.
SO ON TUESDAY, UH, WEEK, UH, 5:00 PM TO 7:00 PM AT THE BOB BOWERS CIVIC CENTER, OUR, OUR HURRICANE PREPARED THIS WORKSHOP TUESDAY COMING UP FIVE TO SEVEN AT THE, UH, CIVIC CENTER.
IS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE CONSTABLE LEWIS? YEAH.
UNDER NUMBER THREE THERE, CITY MANAGER.
I'M STILL, I HAD TO MOVE BECAUSE OF, UH, YOU UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THOSE GUYS WORKED 12 HOURS.
COULD YOU HAVE THE, UH, THE PIPE BURST TEAM HERE NEXT, NEXT COUNCIL MEETING SO THEY CAN, SO Y'ALL CAN SEE HOW THEY FUNCTION.
WE COULDN'T DO THAT TO THEM TONIGHT.
WE COULDN'T DO THAT TO THEM TONIGHT, SO WE'D PUT IT IN A DAY MEETING.
I DON'T TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.
ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, IF NOT, WE ARE ON PAGE FOUR AND, UH, ROMAN
[VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS]
NUMERAL SIX WITH, UH, UNFINISHED BUSINESS, WHICH IS PR 23 7.BEFORE WE BEGIN TO READ THIS, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, IS THERE SOME, UH, LANGUAGE THAT WE NEED TO, UH, MODIFY? UH, YES.
THE, THE CONTRACT THAT THE RESOLUTION ADDRESSES, UH, PROVIDES FOR DESIGN OF THE ROADWAY FROM PUT IN THE FLOW FIRST THE MEDICAL CENTER OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS TO PARK CENTRAL BOULEVARD.
WHEREAS THE RESOLUTION SAYS TO STATE HIGHWAY 365.
SO IT CAN BE CORRECTED BY INSERTING PARK CENTRAL BOULEVARD NEAR IN BEFORE STATE HIGHWAY 365.
THAT WILL MAKE IT COINCIDE WITH THE CONTRACT.
AND THAT CAN BE INSERTED IN EVERY PLACE IN THE RESOLUTION.
NEAR, UH, AND SO WHAT, WHAT THIS SAYS, WELL, IT SAYS, UH, FROM THE MEDICAL CENTER OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS TO PARK CENTRAL BOULEVARD.
AND WE WOULD, UH, TO SCRATCH OUT TO STATE HIGHWAY 365, IT WOULD READ TO, FROM THE MEDICAL CENTER OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS TO PARK CENTRAL BOULEVARD, NEAR STATE HIGHWAY 365.
THAT'S THE WAY THE CONTRACT READS.
ALRIGHT, SO NOW IT'S, IT'S GOING TO READ AND WHAT I WOULD ASK FOR A MOTION, THAT'S WHY WE BEGIN TO TRY, ASK FOR THE MOTION WITH, WITH, WITH THE CORRECT, UH, VERBIAGE, UH, PR NUMBER 2 3 7 29 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH, UH, SOUTH TEXAS SURVEYORS AND ENGINEERS OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS TO PROVIDE DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE EXTENSION OF JIMMY JOHNSON BOULEVARD FROM THE MEDICAL CENTER OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS TO PARK CENTRAL BOULEVARD NEAR OKAY, UH, FOR THE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $410,000 FOR ARE AVAILABLE.
AND THE STREET IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH FIVE THREE DASH 8 5 7 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO.
AND IT HAS PROJECT NUMBER OF ST FOUR ONE.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN? UH, ETT.
MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? IT'S
[02:55:01]
BEEN MOVED.AND SECOND, THEN WE WOULD APPROVE THE ITEM FOR UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
ARE WE READY TO VOTE? I MEAN, WELL WE HAVE ANY UH, UH, QUESTIONS ON IT? YES, OF COURSE.
YOU KNOW, I, I BROUGHT THE ISSUE UP ABOUT THIS LAST TIME AND WE SOMEHOW WE TABLED IT AND I KIND OF FIGURED THAT WE ARE GONNA COME BACK TODAY WITH SOME TYPE OF AGREEMENT, UH, THAT'S TRY TO JUSTIFY DOING IT.
SO LET'S, LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT IT AND ASK THE QUESTIONS AND THEN WE NEED TO MAKE THIS TRANSPARENT.
UH, THE RESOLUTIONS AND STUFF THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY PRESENTED TO US, THEY ALWAYS, UH, IN AND AROUND THE TIME THAT A DEVELOPER CAME BEFORE COUNCIL, THE DEVELOPER THAT CAME BEFORE COUNCIL PRESENTED COUNCIL WITH A, UH, PROJECT WHERE IT WAS GOING TO, UH, GENERATE SO MUCH REVENUES FOR THE CITY.
AND HE HAD A PROJECT THAT HE WAS SAYING IT IS GONNA BE 10 TO 20 YEARS IN ORDER TO DO IT.
AND IT WAS GOING TO, UH, GENERATE SO MUCH REVENUE.
IN FACT, THAT'S WHAT THE CITY MANAGER, GEN CITY MANAGER MENTIONED AT THE LAST MEETING FOR THIS PROJECT.
ALSO, THE MAYOR ALSO REFERENCED TO IT.
BUT DISAGREEMENT IS COMING BACK BEFORE THIS COUNCIL DAY.
THIS AGREEMENT THAT YOU HAVE IS FROM THE PERSON WHO OWNED THE LAND.
THE INDIVIDUAL THAT OWNED THE LAND HAS NOT PRESENTED ANYTHING TO THIS COUNCIL ON WHAT YOU GOING TO DO, WHAT YOU GOING TO BILL ON IT, WHAT YOU GONNA DEVELOP, WHAT REVENUE THE CITY'S GOING TO HAVE.
WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US TODAY WITH DISAGREEMENT IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A LANDOWNER THAT OWNS LAND THAT IS ZONED AGRICULTURE, WHICH IS THE LEAST THE CHEAPEST LAND YOU COULD BUY.
BUT HE WANTS THE CITY TO PUT A ROAD THERE.
SO IF WE PUT A ROAD THERE AT TAXPAYER'S EXPENSE, THEN HE CAN NOW SELL THE PROPERTY AS COMMERCIAL.
'CAUSE YOU GOT THIS ROAD IN THERE.
YOU ARE ALSO ASKING US TO APPROVE DESIGNING A ROAD WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A COST FOR.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE AN ESTIMATED COST.
SO WE PAYING FOR A DESIGN OF IT, BUT WE DON'T EVEN HAVE AN ESTIMATED COST.
YOU KNOW, IS THE DESIGN THE RIGHT? SO IF WE DID APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION TODAY, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE ARE BILLING A ROAD ONTO SOMEBODY PROPERTY BECAUSE THEY GIVING US THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT PERSON AIN'T GOT NO PROMISE ON HOW WE GONNA GET MONEY BACK.
ALL WE DOING IS JUST PUTTING IT ON THIS PROPERTY.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS AGENDA, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T EVEN MENTION WHAT THE PREVIOUS DEVELOPER WANTED TO BRING BEFORE THIS COUNCIL.
THE PREVIOUS DEVELOPER HAD A PLAN AND A PROJECT WHEREBY WE WERE GETTING MONEY, WE WERE GONNA GET REVENUE.
WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US TODAY IS NOT THAT.
IT'S JUST A OWNER WHO'S TELLING US, I'LL GIVE YOU THE LAND TO BUILD A ROAD ON IT.
AND IF YOU DON'T BUILD A ROAD IN SEVEN YEARS, WE HAVE LAND.
THAT AGREEMENT IS NOT, IT'S WHAT THE LADY SAID TODAY WHEN SHE CAME UP HERE.
SO WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS GOTTA ASK OURSELF WHAT'S THE PRIORITY? BUILDING A ROAD ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WHERE THE OWNER HAVEN'T PRESENTED ANY, ANY PROJECT TO US.
WHERE WE GONNA MAKE ONE PENNY NOT EVEN A YEAR, 50 YEARS FROM NOW, ALL YOU'VE DONE IS GIVEN THE PROPERTY.
HE'S GOING TO RAISE THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY.
WE GONNA SPEND MONEY DESIGNING IT AND THEN BUILDING A ROAD.
AND WE GOT CITIZENS SCREAMING AT ME TO FIX THEIR STREETS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
[03:00:02]
AND THE KILLING PART ABOUT IT IS I LIKE TO HAVE SOMEBODY GET UP THERE AND TELL ME WHAT THE ESTIMATED COST, BECAUSE I'M NOT A ENGINEER, BUT I COULD SAY RIGHT OFF THE BAT IT'S GOING TO BE MILLIONS.AND NOW THE LAST TIME I HEARD THIS PRESENTED AT THE LAST MEETING, IT WAS, WE WOULD LIKE TO GET THE DESIGN DONE BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO START CONSTRUCTING IN ANOTHER YEAR.
SO HERE WE GOING TO GO WITH ANOTHER YEAR.
HOW MUCH, WELL, WHAT, WHAT'S AN ESTIMATED COST? UH, THE ESTIMATED COST BY THE ENGINEER FOR THIS PROJECT AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY, UH, SET UP TO GO TO 365 IS APPROXIMATELY $6.5 MILLION.
WHICH HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY COUNSEL.
NEITHER IS IT IN THE BUDGET THIS MINUTE.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THE ESTIMATED COST OF THIS PROJECT, THAT'S TO GO FROM WHERE IT IS 2 365.
SO IT'S GONNA BE CHEAPER, OKAY.
FROM THE CHANGES Y'ALL MADE TODAY, UH, OH, 6.7 MILLION.
HOW MANY MILES IS THAT? I MEAN, WHAT'S THE DISTANCE? AND, AND IT DON'T HAVE TO BE ACCURATE, JUST BALLPARK.
'CAUSE I COULD DEAL WITH BALLPARKS.
WE, WE'LL GET YOU THE DISTANCE.
I MEAN, REAL QUICK, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO HERE, COUNCILMAN, I DON'T WANT, I JUST, I JUST ASK QUESTIONS.
WELL, ANSWERING YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTIONS.
I'M AT MY QUESTION RIGHT NOW IS, OKAY, HOW FAR IS THE DISTANCE? 3,400 FEET IN MILE IN REFERENCE THAT A LITTLE BIT OVER THAN HALF A MILE.
SO HOW MUCH WAS IT AGAIN? 6.5 MILLION ESTIMATED COST.
SO I GOT TO JUSTIFY TO CITIZENS THAT I WANT TO BUILD A ROAD ON SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY THAT AIN'T GOT NO GUARANTEE THAT WE GONNA GET REVENUE FROM FOR 6.5 MILLION.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE PROPOSING COUNCIL SAY SIX O OKAY.
I MAY EXPLAIN WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING.
SO LIKE WE ALL KNOW THIS IS THE ONLY PART OF TOWN LEFT WHERE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE LARGE LEVEL CAN HAPPEN IN TERMS OF HOTELS ON AND SO FORTH.
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS HAVE A DESIGN COMPLETED AND SIT ON IT.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SEVEN YEARS THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR THE CITY TO HAVE THIS LAND, TO BUILD THIS ROAD.
IF A DEVELOPER COMES IN LIKE THIS PREVIOUS DEVELOPER AND SAYS, I WANT TO BUY A HUNDRED ACRES AND I WANNA BUILD AN EVENT CENTER, THAT'S WHEN THE CITY, WHEN SOMEONE WOULD COME TO THE CITY AND SAY, OKAY, NOW THERE IS POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE READY TO GO.
WE CAN HAVE THIS, UH, ROAD, UH, BID AND BUILT WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME THEY WANT TO DEVELOP.
WE ARE NOT PROPOSING TO DESIGN 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA TAKE EIGHT MONTHS TO A YEAR TO DESIGN.
AND WE ARE NOT PROPOSING TO DESIGN BUILD UNLESS YOU ARE RIGHT.
THERE IS SOME KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THAT IS WILLING TO COME AND INVEST MONEY IN THE CITY.
OKAY? ONCE AGAIN, THAT AREA BACK THERE, IT'S A NICE AREA TO DEVELOP.
YOU GOT, YOU GOT WETLANDS BACK THERE AND WHOEVER BUY IT, GOING TO HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK.
BUT WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED ON, ON ON 69 AND 365, WALMART, ALL OF THAT.
IT WAS JUST LIKE THE PROPERTY YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
JUST LIKE IT, WE DIDN'T PUT NO ROLES IN, BUT WE GOTTA PUT ONE THERE.
FIRST OF ALL, THE WETLANDS ARE NO LONGER AN ISSUE ON THAT PROPERTY.
THE ARMY COURT OF ENGINEERS CLEARED THE WETLANDS SO THAT THERE IS NO WETLANDS.
YOU'RE NOT, SECONDLY THAT AREA THERE IS ON A FRONTAGE ON THE HIGHWAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT? SO YOU'RE TALK I'M, IT'S SIMPLE.
I SAID THAT WE DEVELOPED THAT FRONT PORTION OF THAT THE SAME WAY.
BUT IT WAS A DEVELOPER THAT BOUGHT IT AND HE DEVELOPED IT AND WE WERE PUTTING IN ROWS.
HE WAS PUTTING IN ROWS AND WE WAS DOING IT.
OKAY? WE DIDN'T PUT ONE ROAD OUT THERE AND THAT WAS ALL JUST LIKE IN THE BACK, BACK THERE.
SO BASICALLY WE COULD MOVE INTO THAT DIRECTION, BUT WE NEED SOME TYPE OF GUARANTEE THAT YOU GONNA DO SOMETHING BACK HERE.
SO WE COULD START RECOUPING THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY WE PUT BACK HERE.
AND WHAT, OKAY, YOU TALK ABOUT A PLAN, UH, UH, THAT GUESS WHAT, WHEN THE PLAN COME,
[03:05:01]
WE EXECUTE IT.RIGHT NOW OUR PRIORITIES SHOULD BE THESE STREETS IN THIS CITY.
I WANT DEVELOPMENT, BUT, BUT I'M NOT WILLING TO TAKE MONEY THAT WE'VE ALLOCATED.
I'M WANNA CANCEL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GETTING THIS MONEY TO FIX STREETS, NOT BUILD STREETS, NOT BUILD STUFF.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE GOT THE MONEY FOR.
AND WHEN YOU TELL ME THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE AND YOU TAKING MONEY FROM THAT, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
BUT LIKE I SAID, WE ARE NOT HERE TO DEBATE YOU.
YO, YOU ARE HERE TO GIMME YOUR VIEWS AND I RESPECT THAT BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE A STAFF.
YOU COMING TO ME WITH THE IDEA OF DEVELOPMENT.
I'M CONSIDERING WHAT THE CITIZENS' PRIORITY ARE.
SO ANY MONEY FOR STREETS, I WANT TO DO THE STREETS FOR THE CITIZENS.
DO I DON'T WANT TO DO DEVELOPMENT? NO, NO, NO.
BUT THE WAY CITIES DO IT IS THEY DO THE THREE, THE, UH, DEVELOPERS, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENTAL AGREEMENT INCENTIVE WHERE WE PAY UP TO 30 CENTS OR WE PUT IT IN, THEY GIVE US THE LAND.
BUT WHEN WE PUT IT IN, WE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING SOME MONEY.
NOW WE DON'T PUT IT IN TO START IT.
AND ABOVE ALL, IF WE DID THIS, THE ONLY PERSON GOING TO BENEFIT RIGHT OFF THE BAT IS THE LANDOWNER.
SO YOU THINK HE DON'T MIND SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT THAT YOU BRINGING BEFORE US TODAY? WELL, NO, NO, NO, NO.
THE MONEY YOU WANT TO DESIGN, I COULD GET PORTION OF THAT MONEY TO FIX A, A, A STREET IN MY DIS.
SO I AIN'T GOT NOTHING AGAINST WHAT YOU COMING FROM.
YOU JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, I APPRECIATE YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
BUT AS FAR AS WHAT I HAVE TO DO, I HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND LOOK THOSE CITIZENS IN THE EYE AND SAY, OH, IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO GIVE THIS GUY A ROAD.
'CAUSE HE MAY DEVELOP SOMETHING.
NO, HE MAY DIE TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISING.
OKAY, SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL I WANT THAT WOULDN'T BEFORE ANYBODY VOTE ON THIS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THE CITIZENS UNDERSTAND ALL THIS STUFF ABOUT ALL THIS REVENUE.
THIS GUY THAT WANTS TO GIVE US THIS LAND HAVE NOT COMMITTED TO DEVELOP NONE OF THAT LAND.
I WANT THE CITIZEN TO KNOW THAT THAT LAND IS AGRICULTURE, JOINT ZONE AGRICULTURE.
I WANT THE CITIZEN KNOW THAT IF WE PUT THAT ROAD IN, HE'S GONNA MAKE A FORTUNE ON HIS LAND.
I WANT THE CITIZENS TO KNOW THAT.
I AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
YES SIR, WE CAN, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND WHEN THAT DECISION IS MADE, WHAT ALL OF THE FACTS WERE AND WHO THOUGHT ABOUT THEIR ROAD OR DOING SOMETHING FOR THIS MAN.
NEIL
WE ARE NOT ASKING TO BUILD A ROAD, WE'RE ASKING TO DESIGN A ROAD.
SO IF A DEVELOPER WANTS TO COME SPEND MONEY, WE WILL BE READY.
DECIDE IF THE COUNCIL DECIDES TO SPEND THIS MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE.
YOU CANNOT BRING IT LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER IN A RESOLUTION.
I HEARD THAT'S ALL WE WE ARE DOING HERE, COUNSEL.
NO, I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME.
BUT I WANT YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU SAYING IT RIGHT.
UNDERSTAND, I WANT DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF HOW WE WANT TO.
YOU SEE, NOW YOU WANT DEVELOPMENT.
HEY, DON'T GET INTO DEBATE WITH ME.
I RESPECT YOU, BUT DON'T GET INTO A DEBATE WITH ME BECAUSE I HEARD YOU.
BUT WHAT I WANT THE CITIZENS HERE IS I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU.
SO IF I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU, RIGHT? LET ME TELL THEM WHAT I HAVE TO TELL THEM.
THEY HEARD YOU WANT, YOU RECOMMEND DEVELOPMENT.
I'M SAYING I WANT IT, BUT I'M NOT WILLING TO TAKE MONEY FROM DOING STREETS TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE AIN'T GONNA GET MONEY FOR.
SO DON'T DISTORT OR DON'T TAKE IT AWAY FROM WHAT I'M SAYING.
'CAUSE I HEARD YOUR RECOMMENDATION WHEN YOU CAME TO THE PODIUM, OKAY? AND I'M NOT HERE TO DEBATE YOU, BUT I'M NOT, YOU SHOULD DEBATE COUNCILMAN.
BUT I'M NOT HERE FOR YOU TO MAKE COMMENTS
[03:10:01]
AFTER I MAKE COMMENTS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE DIRECTION I WENT BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO THAT FOR YOU.IN FACT, I GAVE YOU THE RESPECT TO SAY THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAY IT FROM A STAFF STANDPOINT.
COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, UH, LOOK, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION AND THAT'S YOUR JOB TO, TO TO, TO COME UP WITH PROPOSALS AND IDEAS FOR GENERATE FUTURE REVENUE.
MY JOB DOWN HERE TO FIND SOURCES OF REVENUE, OKAY? IT'S GONNA MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE TAX PAYERS.
AND THE MORE REVENUE THAT WE GENERATE FROM THE REFINERIES, FROM DEVELOPMENTS COMES INTO THE COFFIN, IT LOWER IT IS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN LOWER OUR TAX RATE, OKAY? ON EVERYBODY.
BUT, SO I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING.
YOU AND YOU'RE AN ASSET TO THE CITY, OKAY? AND I'VE TOLD YOU THIS A NUMBER OF TIMES.
I'VE TOLD YOU THIS PROBABLY I'M STATING IN PUBLIC, YOU'RE AN ASSET TO THE CITY.
BUT YOU, YOU'VE DONE YOUR JOB.
YOUR PROPOSAL IS OKAY AND IT IS A WORK OF A THING.
BUT I DON'T HAVE A COMMITMENT AND I'M NOT GONNA GO BACK THROUGH THE SAME REPEAT WHAT HE SAID.
BRING ME SOMETHING IN WRITING.
WHAT YOU GONNA DO WITH IT? OKAY? COUNCILMAN KINLAW.
YOU KNOW, SITTING HERE LISTENING TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS BEEN MADE TODAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF DISHEARTENED A LITTLE BIT FOR ME.
UH, WE, WE TALKING ABOUT WE WANT THINGS, WE WANT THINGS IN PORT ARTHUR, WHY DON'T WE HAVE THESE THINGS? AND, AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE GOT SOME COMMENTS ARE JUST SOLELY ON STREETS, GETTING STREETS DONE.
WE CAN'T DO MORE THAN ONE THING.
YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WAKE UP AND SAY, WELL LOOK HERE, PORT ARTHUR, WE NEED TO BE GREATER THAN WHAT WE ARE.
UH, I WAS, UH, TEXT EARLIER TODAY ABOUT PEOPLE THAT DOESN'T, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A VISION, YOU SHOULD PERISH.
SO HOW WE WANT THINGS TO HAPPEN IN PORT ARTHUR, THEN WE SAY ON THE OTHER HAND, WELL, WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON STREETS, BUT WE WANT THIS.
BUT WE WANT TO JUST SOLELY THINK ABOUT THIS AJE OUR MIND TRICK, AJE MIND TRICK.
AND NOBODY SEEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
IF YOU WANT DEVELOPERS TO COME TO YOUR CITY, THEY WANT TO, YOU WANNA ENTICE THEM TO HAVE SOMETHING TO COME TO YOUR CITY ABOUT.
THIS IS JUST A SMALL SAMPLE OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO TO HAPPEN IN PORT ARTHUR.
BUT THEN YOU GOT SOME PEOPLE THAT'S OUT THERE SAYING, WE WANT STREETS, BUT AS LONG AS THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THEIR STREETS, SIX 62ND STREET, AS LONG AS YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF THEIR STREET, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY.
BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE WHOLE CITY, WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE AT? WE WANT THINGS TO HAPPEN IN PORT PORT ARTHUR, BUT HOW ARE YOU GONNA DO IT IF THE ONLY THING WE COULD DO IN PORT ARTHUR IS DO STREETS.
AND YOU'RE CRITICIZED FOR SAYING ANYTHING OTHER THAN DOING STREETS.
SO IF YOU WERE A DEVELOPER, IF I WAS A DEVELOPER, WOULD YOU WANT TO COME TO PORT ARTHUR? YEAH, BUT WE, WE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IFS, YOU KNOW WHAT IFS, YOU KNOW, I COME TO PORT ARTHUR.
DEVELOPERS COME TO MAKE MONEY.
DEVELOPERS COME TO DO BUSINESS.
NOW, YOU MAY NOT WANT TO HEAR, BUT THAT'S THE SIMPLE FACT THAT WE DELIVER THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN.
BUT IF ALL WE GONNA DO IN PORT ARTHUR IS DO STREETS AND DO THE JEDI MIND TRICK TO EVERYONE THAT'S OUT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, LET'S JUST DO STREETS AND DENY EVERYTHING ELSE.
THAT'S, THAT'S ENSURE THAT DISTRICT OF A CERTAIN DISTRICT GET THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY TO DO STREETS.
YOU KNOW, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IN, IN, IN CLOSED ROOMS. I AM TIRED GUYS, PORT ARTHUR.
WE CAN DO MORE THAN ONE THING.
STOP DOING A JEDI MIND TRICK ON THESE CITIZENS AND SAYING THAT WE'RE TAKING MONEY FROM THIS PLACE.
WE, WE, WE, WE HOLDING UP THE MEETING IN 25 MINUTES.
ALL I'M SAYING THAT WE CAN DO MORE THAN JUST DO STREETS.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE A VISION, WE WILL PERISH.
THE THE REASON WE'RE PROPOSING THIS PROJECT IS WE HAVE TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO FIX MORE STREETS WITHOUT INCREASING THE COST ON THE CITIZENS THEMSELVES.
SO AS STAFF, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
FIND OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE THAT CAN PROVIDE MORE MONEY TO FIX MORE STUFF.
'CAUSE THE ONLY SOURCE OF REVENUE WE HAVE TODAY IS INCREASE TAXES IF WE WANT TO FIX MORE STREETS.
SO AS STAFF, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE BELIEVE WOULD HELP THE
[03:15:01]
CITY.COUNCILMAN LEWIS YOUR LIFE, SEAN? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
I SPEAK ON, I JUST, I JUST PUT IT ON.
UM, LOOK, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.
I CAN FEEL YOUR FRUSTRATION AND EVERYTHING, BUT I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE TAKE TAX BILL'S MONEY AND GO SPECULATE WITH IT.
AND YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IF YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S BUT, BUT, BUT SPEC.
I NEED SOME SOMETHING INRIGHT.
I NEED SOME COMMITMENTS FROM THESE LAND OWNERS.
AND I, MATTER OF FACT, THE GUY THAT'S PROPOSING THIS, SO I DON'T THINK HE'S ONE OF THE LAND.
I THINK HE JUST THE THE REAL ESTATE MAN OR SOMETHING.
NO, HE, HE OWN, HE'S A LANDOWNER.
WHY DON'T HE COME FORWARD AND YOU AND SOMEBODY SAID, WHAT IF, YOU KNOW.
WHAT, WHAT IF A KYLE GIL BUTTER, YOU WOULDN'T NEED A JOIN.
I I'M GONNA WEIGH IN SIMPLY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, THAT I SPEAK TO THIS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE AND OUR CITIZENS HAVE TALKED ABOUT STREETS AND WE ARE CONTINUALLY TALKING ABOUT STREETS.
BUT I, I DO AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN KEN LAW SAYS FROM THE PARTICULAR STANDPOINT IS THAT WE'RE ALWAYS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEAR ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE I TALK TO CITIZENS IN ALL OF THE CAPACITIES THAT I SERVE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEAR IS ALL THE TIME, WHY DOES OUR CITY LOOK THE WAY THAT IT LOOKS WHEN WE HAVE THE LARGEST PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN, IN THE NATION? WHY DOES PORT ARTHUR LOOK THE WAY IT LOOKS? AND IT'S, AND, AND WE COME BACK WITH THE ANSWER AND WE SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE HERE, OUR CITY OUGHT TO LOOK DIFFERENTLY.
WELL, THEY GIVE US MONEY, THEY GIVE US TAX MONEY, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT WE ARE ALWAYS ASKING SOMEONE ELSE TO INVEST IN US WHEN WE DON'T WANT TO SEEMINGLY INVEST IN OURSELVES.
IF WE EXPECT OTHERS TO INVEST IN US AT SOME POINT.
AND IN SOME WAYS, WE HAVE TO INVEST IN OURSELVES.
MANY PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CULTURES AND THAT THERE ARE PLACES WHERE INDIVIDUALS, THEY PLANT OLIVE TREES.
AND WHEN THEY PLANT AN OLIVE TREE, THEY UNDERSTAND THEY'LL NEVER EAT FROM THAT TREE, BUT THEY PLANT IT FOR GENERATIONS THAT ARE COMING BEHIND THEM.
THEY KNOW THEY'LL NEVER EAT FROM IT.
THEY KNOW THEY'LL NEVER HAVE A SHADE FROM THE TREE.
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT IT TAKES SEVEN YEARS FOR IT TO PRODUCE FRUIT, BUT THEY PLANT THE TREE ANYWAY BECAUSE THEY EXPECT THAT THE GENERATION COMING AFTER THEM WILL PROFIT FROM IT.
AND SO AT SOME POINT, IF WE DON'T DO THIS AT SOME POINT, THERE ARE ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE AND MAKE WHERE WE INVEST IN OURSELVES AND WHERE WE ARE.
NOT LOOKING AT JUST AT WHAT IT'S, WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME? WHAT AM I GOING TO GET OUT OF IT TODAY? IF PEOPLE, IF, IF, IF GENERATIONS BEFORE US HAVE FELT LIKE THAT, WHERE WOULD WE BE TODAY? SO THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED TO SAY ON TODAY.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? LIKE JUST BRIEFLY.
I PLANTED, I GREW UP ON A FARM.
I SEE FULL GROWN PECAN TREES THAT WE PLANTED, BUT IT WAS ON OUR LAND.
I DON'T MIND SPENDING THE MONEY.
WE GOT TO HAVE CONTROL OF THE LAND AND WHAT THEY GOING TO DO.
WE NEED A CONTRACT OR SOME KINDA AGREEMENT THAT'S SIMPLE.
IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO MEET US HALFWAY AND PARTNERSHIP WITH US WITH AN AGREEMENT, GET THE LAND AND WHAT HAVE YOU, AND THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PLAN.
I'M NOT GONNA SPECULATE WITH TAXPAYERS MONEY.
YOU WENT THROUGH OR YOU NO, JUST ONE SECOND.
I'M NOT COUNCIL LEWIS, I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THIS AND I'M GONNA BE DONE WITH IT.
IT AIN'T ABOUT TAKING STREET MONEY.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO TRY TO GET AWAY FROM THE PROBLEM.
OKAY? NO ONE SAID WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DEVELOP.
NO ONE SAID WE CAN'T DO IT FOR THE FUTURE.
BUT STAYING ON A TOPIC THAT'S, THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IS NOT WISE TO PUT MONEY OUT FOR A PROJECT WHERE YOU'RE DOING IT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THE OWNER OF THE LAND HAVE NOT GAVE ANY TYPE INDICATION OR WE ARE NOT ASKING HIM TO DO ANY PROMISE TO DEVELOP IT.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THIS PARTICULAR ROAD YOU TALKING ABOUT DOING
[03:20:01]
IT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY? 'CAUSE THE GUY SAY HE GONNA GIVE YOU THE LAND, BUT THE GUY DIDN'T SAY, I'M GONNA BUILD A GAS STATION, I'M GONNA BUILD A HOUSE.HE DIDN'T SAY NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT.
ALL HE SAID IS I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE LAND.
SO YOU'RE GONNA GO AND BUILD THE ROAD ON IT.
SO DON'T TRY TO TWIST THE WORDS.
IT'S NOT ABOUT STREETS AND JUST DO STREETS.
IT'S ABOUT DOING BUSINESS PROPERLY WITH TAXPAYERS MONEY.
DO WE DO SOMETHING WITH NO GUARANTEE? THAT'S ALL I WAS SAYING.
I WASN'T TRYING TO, AND, AND, AND, AND TO TRY TO GO AROUND AND IS WASN'T RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST SAYING WE COULD DO TWO THINGS, DEVELOPERS AND EVERYTHING, BUT THE FACT OF THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT AND CITIZEN NEED TO UNDERSTAND, WE GOT NO PROMISE.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND WE GOING PUT IT ON THE PROJECT.
'CAUSE HE GIVEN IT TO US FOR THE FUTURE.
UH, COUNCILOR KIM, ARE YOU ASKING UP THERE? NO.
UM, MAYOR, LET'S, LET'S, UH, GO AHEAD AND VOTE.
UH, I, I GUESS WE WERE GETTING A CONSENSUS THAT, UH, WE, WE COULD BE HERE ALL NIGHT.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON IT? UH, ALL IN FAVOR? OKAY.
DOES THAT MEAN YOU, WE ALL AGAINST IT THEN WHAT? OKAY.
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA ]
LET'S GO TO OUR, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.AND, UH, THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS, UH, ITEMS OF BASICALLY CONSIDERED TO BE A ROUTINE NATURE OF OR ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, NATURE AND, UH, SEVERAL OTHER COUNCILS.
ALL OF THE COUNCILS HAS BEEN ACTUALLY, UH, GIVEN INFORMATION OR HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON THOSE.
UH, IF THERE WOULD BE ANY ITEMS YOU WOULD WANT REMOVED, PLEASE GIVE ME THE, UH, PAGE AND THE ITEM NUMBER.
ANY ITEMS FROM THE, UH, OR HOWEVER, ONE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED SO THAT WE WE ARE GOOD ON THAT.
ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE WANT REMOVED? IF THERE IS, MAY GET A MOTION.
IF MOVED AND SECONDARY, WE WOULD APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
ARE READY FOR QUESTION, THE QUESTION READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSES AS HAVE A RESULT BE? CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED.
[VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 23821 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Apply For The Texas Parks And Wildlife Outdoor Grant For Park Improvements And Enhancements; Funding For 50% Match Is Contingent Upon Pending Budget Amendment PO No. 7253]
NOW, UH, WE HAVE THE, UH, NON-CONSENT AGENDA ON PAGE SEVEN AND UH, WE HAVE FIRST PR NUMBER TWO, UH, 38 21.IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE OUTDOOR GRANT FOR PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND ENHANCEMENTS.
FUNDING FOR 50% MATCH IS CONTINGENT UPON PENDING BUDGET AMENDMENT.
UH, 72 53 MIGHT GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN LEWIS FOR MOVE.
MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, MAYOR CONTEMPT SECOND.
SECOND, THEN WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? ANY WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE THIS SO IT IS APPROVED.
[VII.B.(1) P.O. No. 7253 – An Appropriation Ordinance Amending The City Of Port Arthur Budget For The Fiscal Year Beginning October 1, 2023 And Ending September 30, 2024, Increasing The General Fund By $375,000.00 And The Health Fund By $202,609.00]
NEXT WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE NUMBER, UH, 72 53 AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2023 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2054.INCREASING THE GENERAL FUND BY 375,000 IN THE HEALTH FUND BY $202,609.
MEGAN? MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN FRANK, MOVE MAKE A SECOND.
COUNCIL KINLOCK SECOND MAYOR IS REMOVED IN SECOND NET.
WE WOULD APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 72 53 AS PRESENTED.
ANY QUESTIONS ON IT? WE HAVE NO QUESTIONS.
SO IT IS AUDIT THAT WE WOULD APPROVE ORDER NUMBER 72 53 AS PRESENTED.
THERE WOULD BE, UH, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE ATTORNEY, NO OTHER, UH, ITEMS OF, UH, BUSINESS FOR THIS AGENDA.
COUNCIL, MCKIM, I'M GONNA GET A MOTION FOR, UH, UH, ADJOURNMENT.
[03:25:01]
SO MOVED.MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE.
SECOND, THAT THIS AUGUST BODY OF GOVERNOR FOR THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, SITUATED IN THE, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS RIGHT HERE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, WOULD NOW BE ADJOURNED.
AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT TUESDAY NIGHT AT, UH, 5:00 PM OR TUESDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING, 5:00 PM UH, WEATHER PERMITTING.
THE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS, UH, WORKSHOP.