[00:00:01]
KINDLY.[*A portion of this meeting is unavailable*]
[II. CLOSED MEETING (EXECUTIVE SESSION)]
WE ARE BEGINNING WITH A CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND SO AM I CORRECT? WE WOULD JUST MOVE STRAIGHT TO THAT.AND HOWEVER, THE CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION IS BEING HELD HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, AND YOU ARE ABLE TO VIEW IT, UH, VIA THE, UH, MEDIUMS THAT I SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER.
BUT IN THIS CLOSED SESSION, UH, WE ARE REQUIRED, AND I AM REQUIRED TO MAKE THIS STATEMENT THAT WE WILL BE FOLLOWING SECTION 5 5 1 0.101 OF THE, UH, CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE OPEN MEETINGS LAWS OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE OF FORMALLY, WHICH WAS ARTICLE 62 52 DASH 17, UH, SECTION TWO, SUBSECTION A.
AND GOING INTO THIS MEETING, WE WILL, IN THIS CLOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION, PURSUANT TO THE ACTUAL, UM, I GUESS, ARTICLES THAT I JUST ACTUALLY SPOKE ON, WE WILL DISCUSS THE DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND, UH, SUBSEQUENTLY LATER MAYBE THE APPOINTMENT IF, IF ALL AGREES OF A, UH, CITY ATTORNEY.
AND, UM, WE WILL BEGIN INTERVIEWS AT, UH, 10:00 AM IN ABOUT 45 MINUTES OR 44 MINUTES, UH, ONCE WE HAVE COMPLETED THIS EXECUTIVES, UH, SESSION.
AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A WORKSHOP, UH, FOLLOWING THE, UH, INTERVIEWS, AND THEN WE WILL ADJOIN FOR THE DAY.
BUT THERE IS A SCHEDULE THAT HAS BEEN, UH, I GUESS PREPARED AND EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF IT.
DOES ANYONE NEED A COPY? OKAY.
CAN CITY SECRETARY, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN GET MAYBE TWO OR THREE OTHER COPIES OF THIS FOR THOSE WHO DON'T, WHO DIDN'T BRING NAILS WITH THEM, UH, SO THAT THEY THEY COULD BE, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO VIEW IT? UH, THANKS.
AND, AND, AND THAT WAY THEY'LL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW IT, BUT I MEAN, WE DON'T, WE DON'T NEED IT, LIKE RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, BUT YEAH, BEFORE WE, AND THAT WAY THEY'LL KNOW WHO WILL BE INTERVIEWED AND WHAT TIMES, UH, TIME CONSTRAINTS ARE OKAY AT, AT THIS JUNCTURE.
UH, AND WE WILL CONDUCT A CLOSED SESSION HERE WHERE WE ARE.
WELL, WHAT WE'LL DO, WE WILL RETIRE TO THE, UH, CONFERENCE ROOM ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, AND WE'LL RETURN IN THE OPEN SESSION.
WELL RETURN TO CLOSE THE, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BEGIN THE INTERVIEWS IN ABOUT, UH, 42 MINUTES.
ONE MINUTE UNTIL, TWO MINUTES UNTIL, OKAY.
UH, CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE BE SO KIND AS TO REESTABLISH THE QUORUM FOR ME.
MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT, MAYOR PROAM BECKHAM.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER ETT.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, PRESENT.
YOU HAVE A COURT MAYOR, SO, OKAY.
WE JUST RETURNED FROM THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
SO WE ARE ACTUALLY STILL IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND AT THIS JUNCTURE, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS RECESS THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT BEGAN AT ABOUT NINE OR 12, I BELIEVE THIS MORNING.
AND WE WILL RECESS THE EXECUTIVE SESSION NOW AT 10:02 AM AND WE WILL RETURN AT THE APPROPRIATE
[III. INTERVIEWS]
TIME AND WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE ACTUAL INTERVIEWS OF THE CANDIDATES FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY.AS WE NOW RECESS, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ATTORNEY, IF, IF YOU NEED TO BE EXCUSED NOW, YOU, YOU MAY.
I'LL, I'LL GO DOWN AND, AND MEET THE GENTLEMAN WHO'S IN MY OFFICE AND VISIT A MINUTE AND THEN I'LL COME BACK AND JOIN THE INTERVIEW.
GOOD MORNING, MS. PERKINS AND MS. PERKINS.
UH, I'LL FIRST CANDIDATE IS SHE, IS SHE PREPARED AND READY? WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU BRING HER IN PLEASE? HEY, AL.
CAN WE, UH, OPEN SOME CURTAINS ON SOMETHING I'M USED TO? I WANNA LOOK OUTSIDE.
I'M USED TO THE FUNERAL HOME, SO JESUS, IF IF WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE,
[00:05:01]
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LIGHTWE, WE KEEP THE D DRAPES DRAWN.
OH, OH, IT, IT DOES SOMETHING TO THE CAMERAS GLARE.
SO YOU, EVEN IF YOU OPEN, WE OPEN, WE OKAY.
NO, IT IT, YOU SEE IT, IT, IT CHANGED A LITTLE BIT THERE.
YEAH, THE CAMERAMAN, HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING.
DO YOU KNOW THAT NAME? PRONOU? IT'S, UH, HOW DO YOU IT CONTRA? YEAH.
I'M, I'M GONNA ASK GREG PRONUNCIATION I NAME I'M GONNA ASK YOU, WOULD YOU ENTER, PLEASE, MA'AM.
WOULD YOU HAVE A SEAT THERE, PLEASE? SURE, SIR.
AND THE VERY FIRST THING BEFORE WE ACTUALLY BEGIN, I WANT TO GET THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATION OF YOUR NAME, AND WOULD YOU SPEAK IT IN THE MICROPHONE FOR ME, PLEASE? GOOD MORNING, SIR.
AND BECAUSE I WANT, I WANT TO SAY YOUR NAME CORRECTLY, UH, GOOD MORNING AND, UH, WELCOME YOU HERE TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO THIS INTERVIEW.
NOW, WHAT I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN TO YOU IS THAT WE ARE ABOUT SIX MINUTES UNTIL YOUR TIME.
SO I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE, UH, QUICKLY INTO YOUR TIME 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN ROACH UPON YOU FOR ABOUT SIX MINUTES.
BUT I AM MAYOR THURMAN, BILL
WE HAVE HERE EACH COUNCIL PERSON, AND AS THEY BEGIN TO ASK QUESTIONS, COUNCILPERSONS, WHICH YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AT THE MOMENT THAT YOU ASK THE QUESTIONS, I'M GOING TELL YOU THAT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS, IS IN FOUR DIFFERENT PARTS.
THE FIRST PART WE'RE GONNA ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK FOR, YOU HAVE UP TO 10 MINUTES, AND THEN WE WILL MOVE TO EACH COUNCIL PERSON HAVING FIVE MINUTES TO ASK YOU A QUESTION AND YOUR RESPONSE WITHIN THEIR FIVE MINUTE, UH, ALLOTMENT.
THEN WE WILL GO TO ABOUT A FIVE MINUTE WRAP UP OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR THE MARKET THAT YOU MAY WANT TO MAKE.
AND FINALLY, EVEN IN THE LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT MINUTES, IF THERE ARE, IF, IF, IF WE WOULD HAVE THAT TIME, YOU CAN THEN TELL US THINGS THAT MAYBE WE DID NOT COVER DURING THE OTHER, UH, 50 MINUTES THAT WE'VE BEEN, BEEN INTO DIALOGUE WITH YOU.
BUT AGAIN, WE WELCOME YOU HERE, MS. RO, RIGHT? I IT'S CLOSE MAYOR, AND IT'S A GOOD, IT'S A GOOD START.
I PUT SOME OTHER SYLLABUS THERE.
I WASN'T, I WASN'T LOOKING AT IT.
AND, UH, WHAT WE WANT TO DO, WE WANT TO BEGIN THIS PROCESS AND BY, AND YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON FOR THE DAY.
SO WE, WE, WE GOING TO BRUSH UP ON THE SKILLS OF DOING IT.
SO WE BEGIN THE PROCESS BY ASKING YOU ONE SIMPLE QUESTION AND GIVING YOU, AND AS I SAID, WE WOULD, YOU WOULD HAVE UP TO 10 MINUTES TO ACTUALLY, UH, ANSWER THIS.
JUST TELL US IN YOUR OWN WORDS, UH, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO WORK FOR US? ABSOLUTELY.
I, I'D LIKE TO SHAKE EACH ONE OF YOUR HANDS.
I'D WATCHED YOU IN SEVERAL OF YOUR MEETINGS, SO IT'S NICE TO ACTUALLY SEE YOU IN PERSON.
YOU'RE LIKE, TV STARTS TO ME 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN WATCHING YOU ON MY TV.
UM, MY NAME IS ROXANNE CATIO AND I AM A 29 YEAR MUNICIPAL LAW ATTORNEY.
UM, I'VE SPENT SOME TIME JUST RECENTLY, THIS PAST 24 HOURS IN YOUR CITY, AND I, UH, WOULD LIKE TO DESCRIBE WHAT I SAW.
I SAW OPPORTUNITY, RESILIENCY, HISTORIC BEAUTY, AND A WHOLE LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE.
UH, SO EVERYONE I'VE MET IN YOUR CITY IS VERY NICE AND CORDIAL AND VERY PROFESSIONAL.
AND SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOST ME LAST NIGHT AT THE, AT
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THE HOTEL.AND TO ALLOW ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET YOUR PEOPLE.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT BACKGROUND ON WHO I AM PROFESSIONALLY AND THEN WHO I AM PERSONALLY, AND THEN EXPLAIN WHY I THINK MY SKILLSET WILL TRANSLATE TO THE, WHAT YOUR NEEDS AND REQUESTS ARE.
AS I MENTIONED, I'VE BEEN AN ATTORNEY FOR 29 YEARS.
MY ENTIRE CAREER HAS BEEN ABOUT MUNICIPAL LAW AND PUBLIC GOVERNMENT SERVICE.
THE FIRST 14 YEARS I SPENT WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS, I WAS INITIALLY HIRED AS A VERY YOUNG PROSECUTOR.
THERE WERE 150 LAWYERS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
I CLIMBED ALL THE WAY UP TO ONE OF THE TOP THREE EXECUTIVES.
I HAD PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, YOU'LL FIND IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
MY BACKGROUND WAS VERY STRONG AND PASSIONATE ABOUT CODE ENFORCEMENT, REDUCING CRIME, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE, AND ALSO BEING ENGAGED WITH COMMUNITY JUSTICE BASED INITIATIVES.
AND WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN A FEW MINUTES.
AFTER THE CITY OF DALLAS, I WAS READY TO BE THE CITY ATTORNEY.
SO I WENT ACROSS THE STATE ALL THE WAY TO THE MEXICAN BORDER IN HARLINGEN, TEXAS.
HARLINGEN WAS IN A VERY UNIQUE STATE.
UM, IT WAS DEFINITELY AT THE TIME, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE DRUG CARTEL WARS, UM, WHERE WE HAD LOTS OF KILLINGS AND SHOOTINGS AND VIOLENT, VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, I WAS THERE FOR FOUR YEARS.
AND DURING THOSE FOUR YEARS, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I GOT VERY GOOD AT DEMOLISHING STRUCTURES TO REBUILD AT AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TELL MORE YOU ABOUT THE BASS PRO SHOP THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET IN HARLINGEN, TEXAS.
UM, AFTER THE FOUR YEARS IN HARLINGEN, I'VE DECIDED TO OPEN UP MY OWN FIRM.
I AM BASED IN SAN ANTONIO AND I REPRESENT, THERE ARE A LOT OF SMALL CITIES IN TEXAS WHO CANNOT AFFORD A FULL-TIME CITY ATTORNEY.
AND SO I'M THEIR CONTRACT CITY ATTORNEY.
AND SO I'VE REPRESENTED, UM, CITIES ALL UP AND DOWN NORTH AND SOUTH TEXAS, AND MANY ON THE COAST WHO HAVE VERY SIMILAR ISSUES LIKE YOU, UH, INVOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS, WETLANDS ORDINANCES, INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AGREEMENTS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PETROCHEMICAL WASTE, THINGS ALONG THAT LINE.
SO I ALSO, UH, WHEN I WAS BACK IN DALLAS, WAS A SPECIAL ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, UM, WHERE I WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND AGENCIES ON IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO, 29 GREAT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
I CAN TELL YOU WHAT MY PASSIONS ARE FROM THAT 29 YEARS IS CODE ENFORCEMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATION, LOVE LEGISLATION.
AND I REALLY AM A BIG PROMO OF BEING INVOLVED WITH COMMUNITY-BASED JUSTICE INITIATIVES.
SO THOSE ARE MY FOUR STRONG CALLINGS IN MY LIFE.
I LOVE TO BE ABLE, I THINK IT'S A PART OF MY PERSONAL BACKGROUND WHEN, UM, MY PARENTS DID NOT GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, THEY WERE BOTH RAISED WITH VERY POOR FAMILIES.
AND, UH, I GREW UP BEING A JANITOR TOO.
MY JOB WAS TO CLEAN THE TOILET BOWLS IN THE NURSERY HOMES THAT, UH, MY PARENTS CLEANED OUT AND TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH IN THOSE SMALL LITTLE TRASH CANS.
SO I STARTED AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, AND I THINK THAT NOT ONLY, ONLY INSTILLED HARD WORK FOR ME, BUT IT ALSO MADE ME AWARE TO HAVE CARENESS AND, AND CLEANLINESS, IF YOU WILL.
AND SO NOW I JUST CLEAN STREETS AS OPPOSED TO TOILETS.
SO ALL OF THAT LEGAL SET, UH, MY PARENTS INSTILLED IN ME THAT EDUCATION IS THE ONE THING THAT CAN NEVER BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU.
AND SO EDUCATION WAS FULL FORCE.
AND SINCE THEN, UH, FULL FORCE HAS BEEN CLEANING AND TAKING SOME OF THE MOST EGREGIOUS OR VIOLENT CITIES AND TURNING THEM INTO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE AND VALUABLE.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU SEE? HAVE A FEW MORE MINUTES.
SO WHY DO I WANNA WORK FOR PORT ARTHUR? WELL, I'VE WATCHED EACH OF YOU IN YOUR MEETINGS AND YOU ARE EACH VERY PASSIONATE, LIKE I AM.
I, IN FACT, I WOULD SAY EACH OF YOU ARE THE MOST TENACIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT I'VE EVER SEEN.
AND I'VE BEEN TO MANY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND YOU ARE WANTING THINGS DONE NOW.
AND SO WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS I'M FRESH TO THE AREA.
THERE'S NO ALLEGIANCES ANYWHERE.
I'M LITERALLY NO, NO ONE OTHER THAN THE MAYOR IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW.
BUT I AM SUPERBLY EXPERIENCED WITH 25, 29
[00:15:02]
YEARS OF MUNICIPAL LAW.THAT IS RARE TO FIND IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, ESPECIALLY ONE AS COMPASSIONATE AS THEY ARE WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE DEALING WITH THE COASTAL BEND AND THE COASTAL WATERS AND THE INDUSTRY, THAT IS A RARE FIND TO FIND.
AND BECAUSE I'M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THOSE ITEMS AND BECAUSE THEY'RE SO IMPORTANT TO YOU, THAT'S WHY I'M ATTRACTED TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
I WANNA HELP YOU TURN THINGS AROUND AND MAKE THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE YOU SINCE SEE IT.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST HAD TO HAVE SOME RESILIENCY, UM, TO FIGHT BACK WHAT MOTHER NATURE HAS CREATED.
WE THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION AND WHAT WE WILL DO NOW, WE WILL MOVE TO THE, UH, SECOND PHASE OF YOUR INTERVIEW THIS MORNING.
AND EACH COUNCIL PERSON WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ASK KIDS OR HER QUESTIONS AND ALSO YOUR RESPONSE TIME.
SO WE WILL BEGIN WITH DISTRICT ONE.
COUNCILMAN WILLIE BAY LEWIS, GOOD MORNING.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD, UH, LIKE TO TELL YOU UPFRONT THAT YOU WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT FIT FOR AS CITY ATTORNEY OFFICE.
IF NOT THE CITY ATTORNEYS, UH, HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT, YOU WILL MAKE AN EXCELLENT FIT AS AN ASSISTANT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
THE THINGS THAT YOU COVERED ARE OUR PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
I DON'T HAVE TO, YOU'VE ALREADY NAMED THEM THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, ALL OF THOSE FRONT THINGS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTS, YOU MAKE AN EXCELLENT FIT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.
THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE, COUNCILMAN.
NOW WE'LL MOVE NEXT TO, UH, MAYOR PROTE, UH, BECKHAM.
UH, I REPRESENT DISTRICT THREE IN PORT ARTHUR.
SO MY QUESTIONS ARE GONNA BE BASICALLY ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE.
UM, ONE OF MY PET PEEVES THAT I'M OFTEN GUILTY OF, UH, IS PROCRASTINATION
BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THINGS SAT IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR TOO LONG AND THEY BECAME STALE.
AND WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY BEHIND GETTING YOUR WORK DONE WHEN IT HITS YOUR DESK? TELL ME, TELL ME WHAT YOU DO.
SO I'M TENACIOUS AND I'M MOVE.
BOOP, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE.
AND LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE IN MY OWN PRACTICE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I REPRESENT CITIES, I'M CONSTANTLY ON THE MOVE.
UM, I, IN FACT, I HAVE A 2-YEAR-OLD CAR, A TWO AND A HALF YEAR OLD CAR THAT HAS 90,000 MILES ON IT.
OKAY? THAT'S HOW MUCH I TRAVEL.
SO I MAXIMIZE THE USE OF MY TRAVEL TIME BY TALKING ON THE PHONE, COORDINATING EVENTS, COORDINATING PARTNERSHIPS, BRAINSTORMING WITH CLIENTS, EVEN DOING, TELLING THEM WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WHEN THE MINUTE I GET THERE.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNE OPPORTUNITY WHEN I REPORT TO SIX TO SEVEN GOVERNING BODIES A MONTH.
SO THIS IS JUST ONE, THIS WOULD BE A LUXURY.
BUT, SO, YOU KNOW THAT MANY GOVERNING BODIES AND EACH OF THOSE GOVERNING BODIES HAVE JUST AS MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS YOU DO.
SO I CAN'T AFFORD THE LUXURY OF WEIGHT.
WE WILL HAVE TO, IN MY, IN MY EXPERIENCE, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, I WAS GIVEN, UM, AN ASSIGNMENT TO CREATE A PROJECT THAT WAS CALLED COMMUNITY PROSECUTION IN COMMUNITY COURTS.
OKAY? AND I WAS TOLD, BY THE WAY, THERE IS NO MONEY FOR IT.
I HAD TO UNDERSTAND THE STRATEGY.
I HAD TO IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGIES.
I HAD TO BUILD A TEAM, WENT FROM ONE TO 38 PEOPLE IN FIVE YEARS.
I HAD TO FIND MONEY FOR EACH OF THEM AT $3 MILLION A YEAR IN GRANTS MONEY.
UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE TO HAVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD EXPECT IN THE CITY ATTORNEY.
MR. LEWIS, I WANT PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
I WANT US TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE COUNCIL.
I EXPECT THE CITY ATTORNEY OFFICE TO CONSISTENTLY PROVIDE YOU UPDATES BOTH GLOBALLY AS WHAT YOU WANNA, UH, ACCOMPLISH AS A COUNSEL.
AND INDIVIDUALLY, EACH OF YOU WILL HAVE YOUR OWN COMMUNICATION METHODS THAT YOU WILL PREFER, AND I WILL FOLLOW IT.
SOME OF YOU WANNA DO EMAILS, SOME OF YOU SAID, NOPE, I'M ONLY TALKING ON THE PHONE.
SOME OF YOU MAY SAY, NO, I'LL JUST COME TO YOUR OFFICE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
ME HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR SUCCESSES AND THE OVERALL CITY SUCCESSES.
[00:20:02]
I'VE GOT ANOTHER GOOD SEVEN TO 10 YEARS IN MY CAREER, AND I WANNA MAKE THE BIGGEST BANG OF IT ALL.I HAVE HAD A PHENOMENAL CAREER THROUGHOUT ALL THE POSITIONS I'VE HAD, AND I THINK THAT YOU'LL FIND THAT ALL OF MY CLIENTS HAVE TOLD YOU I'M TENACIOUS, I'M ON POINT.
I UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF WHAT YOU DO.
I HIGHLY RESPECT THE POSITIONS THAT YOU HOLD.
I AM THE DAUGHTER OF A VIETNAM VETERAN MARINE WHO WAS WOUNDED.
I AM THE WIFE OF A NAVY VETERAN DESERT STORM.
AND I HIGHLY VALUE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE ELECTED AND THAT YOU'RE EACH HONORABLE.
UM, SO WHEN YOU SPEAK TO ME, IT'S AS IMPORTANT TO ME AS IF A COURT ORDERED JUDGE HAD TOLD ME TO DO SOMETHING.
UM, I HAVE ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE ANY OUTSIDE LAW PRACTICE WHATSOEVER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I PREPARED AN EXIT PLAN FOR MY OFFICE.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ETT, HOW YOU DOING? I'M HAROLD ETT, AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT FOUR.
YOU KNOW, UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AS A COUNCIL MEMBER TO SERVE ON COUNCIL IN THE CITY WITH THE TWO PRIOR, UH, DISTRICT.
I MEAN, CITY ATTORNEYS, YOU KNOW, ONE GOING OUT WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, AND ONE FOR THE LAST TIME, EXCEPT FOR THE YEAR COMING IN NOW.
IT'S ONE THING THAT I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY OFFICE TO BE IS SEPARATE.
YOU KNOW, WE HIRE A CITY ATTORNEY, BUT SOMETIME YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY, YOU WORK FOR US, AND, UH, WE, YOUR BOSSES, WE HIRE YOU.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE REPRESENT CITIZENS AND WORK FOR CITIZENS.
OKAY?
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GIVE ADVICE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CITIZENS AND OUR CITY.
AND SOMETIMES I'VE SEEN WHERE, UH, CITY ATTORNEY REVERT BACK TO COUNSEL BEING BOSS, BUT SOMETIME, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD PUT THE CITY IN JEOPARDY AND COMPROMISE, UH, CITIZENS, YOU KNOW.
SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR ROLE AS A CITY ATTORNEY WHEN IT COMES TO WEIGHING VI ADVICE BEING SOUGHT FROM YOU BY COUNCIL? AND YOU GIVING THE ADVICE, YOUR ADVICE IS GOING TO BE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT COUNCIL WANTS? OR IS IT GONNA BE TO ENSURE THAT CITIZENS IN THE CITY IS PROTECTED? LET ME KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE AND I WANNA MENTION TWO THINGS INVOLVING THEM.
THE FIRST IS, I'M GONNA BE YOUR STRONGEST CANDIDATE WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY JUSTICE BASED INITIATIVES.
YOU'LL FIND IN MY HISTORY THAT AS AN ATTORNEY WORKING FOR A CITY ATTORNEY, I WERE OFTENTIMES OUT IN THE STREETS, UH, WEARING BULLETPROOF VESTS OR FLYING IN THE HELICOPTERS, OR JUST MEETING WITH THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR ISSUES AND THEIR, AND THEIR COMPLAINTS ARE.
AND I WOULD OFTEN FIND SOME OF THE BEST SOLUTIONS, LEGAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE, UH, FOR THE FIXING OF WHAT THE ISSUES WERE.
AND THEN I WANNA STRAIGHTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND MY COMMUNITY JUSTICE BASED INITIATIVES.
I WAS A COMMUNITY PROSECUTOR ON THE STREET WORKING IN SOME OF THE MOST HIGHLY CRIME NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
I WOULD ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, OR LOCAL.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE COMMUNITY BASED ONES.
I WOULD MEET WITH PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THEMSELVES WHO WERE NOT ACTIVELY INVOLVED, BUT WHO WERE EITHER PERCEIVED OR REAL LEADERS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
PEOPLE WOULD TELL ME WHAT THEIR PROBLEMS ARE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE DRUG HOUSE.
THERE WAS A DRUG HOUSE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS CONSISTENTLY PLAGUING THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT WASN'T A DRUG HOUSE THAT WAS BIG ENOUGH TO GET THE DALLAS DETECTIVES OR THE A TF INVOLVED, RIGHT? THEY HAD BIGGER FISH TO FRY.
AND THEY KEPT LOOKING AT ME, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT THIS DRUG HOUSE, ROXANNE? WELL, I USED ALL MY LEGAL INITIATIVES TO COME UP WITH WAYS.
WELL, I DIDN'T HAVE UNDERCOVER DETECTIVES TO DO DRUG BUST.
[00:25:01]
HOUSE IS ON A SINGLE FAMILY LOT, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE OPERATING A GROUP HOME.OR, OH, LOOK, THERE ARE SUBSTANDARD STRUCTURES IN THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY.
LET ME GO AFTER 'EM FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT.
OH MY, THAT PROPERTY OWNER WHO OWNS THAT PROPERTY IS NOT EVEN A TEXAS RESIDENT.
LET'S SUE THEM AND GET THEM IN TEXAS SO THAT WE CAN TELL THEM DON'T MESS WITH OUR TOWN.
UM, OH, I SEE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY LIVING IN THE HOME, OUR PROBATIONERS OR PAROLEES THAT WE NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THEIR PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICER AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT HERE.
IT WAS THE MEANS OF ANY LEGAL MEANS BY NECESSARY TO FIX AND CLEAR UP THAT HOME.
SO I GIVE YOU THAT EXAMPLE TO SHOW YOU THAT I UNDERSTAND THE VALUE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS OF COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE.
I HAVE NATIONAL AWARDS THAT I'VE WON FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR DOING THEM.
NOW, WHAT DO I DO IF YOU, THE COUNCIL'S WANTS MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE COMMUNITY'S WANTS? WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE, MY ROLE AS A CITY ATTORNEY IS TO PROVIDE YOU A LEGAL OPTIONS.
MY ROLE IS TO GIVE YOU A MENU OF OPTIONS AND TO EXPLAIN HOW EACH OPTION HAS RISK AND LIABILITY AND WHAT CASE LAW SAYS ABOUT THEM.
YOU AS THE ELECTEDS ARE THE DECIDERS OF WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, AS A GOVERNING BODY.
THAT'S NOT, I WAS NOT ELECTED TO DO THAT.
I WAS APPOINTED TO TELL YOU WHAT YOUR LEGAL OPTIONS ARE AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEM.
BUT I KNOW COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVES, AND I HOPE AND PRAY THAT IF I'M ELECTED OR APPOINTED AS YOUR CITY ATTORNEY, THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THOSE COMMUNITY BASED JUSTICE INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PORT ARTHUR.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BASICALLY THE ANSWER I WAS ASKING THE LAST PART OF IT.
THE FIRST PART ABOUT THE CRIME AND STUFF.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WE GOT CHIEF, YOU COULD WORK WITH CHIEF ON THAT ONE, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOUR ADVICE IS AND, AND YOU ANSWERED, LIKE YOU SAID, I GUESS I HAD TO WAIT FOR A WHILE, BUT THAT WAS THE ANSWER.
I WAS LOOKING FOR YOUR ADVICE, WHAT YOU, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT IS LEGAL ADVICE.
THAT'S WHAT I EXPECT FROM AN ATTORNEY.
I DON'T EXPECT AN ATTORNEY TO TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO HEAR.
I WANTED YOU TO TELL ME WHAT'S LEGAL, BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME I'M GONNA GO READ IT.
ALSO, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO LET ME SEE WHERE IT'S AT AND I'M GONNA READ IT.
YES, I'VE SEEN YOU ABOUT THAT.
WELL, WELL, THE THING IS, MOST EVERYTHING WE READ IS WRITTEN ON A SIXTH GRADE LEVEL.
JUST READING AND COMPREHEND IT.
WELL, IT'S BRAINSTORMING, SIR, AND IT'S COLLECTIVE DEMOCRACY.
AND IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR YOU, FOR ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY COMMUNITY JUSTICE INITIATIVES BECAUSE I AM, UH, THEY'RE VALUABLE AND IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND I THOUGHT AS A CANDIDATE, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT YOU KNOW THAT.
UM, BUT I ALSO GET TO YES ATTORNEY.
I'M NOT GONNA BE THE KIND OF ATTORNEY THAT SAYS, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
I NEED TO GIVE YOU THE OPTIONS AND HAVE YOU MAKE THE DECISIONS.
OKAY, COUNCILMAN, THANK AND THANK YOU AGAIN.
WE ARE GONNA MOVE NOW TO COUNCILMAN UH, D UH, KEN LAW.
WE JUST FINISHED WITH COUNCILMAN DUCEY.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO COUNCILMAN KEN LAW.
MY NAME IS, UH, COUNCILMAN THOMAS KINLAW.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, I WAS HERE LISTENING TO SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS.
I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH YOU TO BE HONEST.
UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I KIND OF LAY MY PRINCIPLES ON, YOU SAID ACCOUNTABILITY.
YOU ALSO MENTIONED ABOUT, UH, UH, BEING CONFIDENT IN YOUR JOB, KNOWING YOUR JOB.
UH, BUT WHAT GOT ME IN READING YOUR BACKGROUND IS THAT YOU HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE WITH IDA AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDING PETROCHEMICAL, UH, ORGANIZATIONS.
YOU, YOU BOUGHT A LOT OF, UH, NEW CONSTRUCTION DOWN THERE OR WAS INVOLVED WITH THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
BUT ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, UH, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE A SITUATION WHERE THAT THE COUNSELOR, THE ENTIRE COUNSELOR IS GIVING YOU SOME TYPE OF DIRECTIVE AND THE MANAGER, UH, UH, DOESN'T GET A AGREE WITH THAT? HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE A SITUATION LIKE THAT? I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF PARTS TO THAT QUESTION.
UM, THE FIRST THING I WANNA SAY IS THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING MY WORK.
UH, THE WORK THAT YOU MENTIONED ARE ACTUALLY SMALL PROJECTS COMPARED TO BIGGER PROJECTS THAT I HAVE WORKED ON.
SO IF YOU WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BIGGER PROJECTS I'VE WORKED ON, I WILL BE HAPPY TO EXPLAIN THAT.
UM, IT IS IMPORTANT THE, BECAUSE I HAVE WORKED WITH SO MANY CITY COUNCILS ACROSS THE STATE, THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITIES.
[00:30:01]
DESIRES.THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN NEEDS.
JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE SMALL CITIES DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T HAVE BIG CITY PROBLEMS. I MEAN, THREE RIVERS EXAMPLE IS LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE, THE CITY HALL IS LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE VALERO REFINERY, RIGHT? SO I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH MANY DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IS WHAT I CALL SAM.
SAM IS THE CITY SECRETARY, THE ATTORNEY AND THE MANAGER, SAM GOT IT, SAM, WHEN ALL THREE OF US ARE THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE INSIDE THE CITY, WE HAVE GOT TO RESPECT EACH OTHER'S ROLES, LISTEN TO EACH OTHER, BECAUSE WE EACH HAVE OUR OWN EXPERTISE AND BOUNCE OFF EACH OTHER AND YES, EVEN ARGUE WITH EACH OTHER TO GET TO THE BEST RESOLUTIONS.
BUT I WOULD EXPECT THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY SECRETARY WOULD RESPECT THAT THE COUNCIL IS THE DECISION MAKER.
AND IF THERE'S EVER A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY OF US THREE, THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO WITH THE SAM, WITH SAM AND EXPLAIN THESE ARE THE ISSUES AND THE HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO BE RESOLVED.
UM, SO I VIEW, AND I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT AS A CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE PAST 29 YEARS, THAT THE GOVERNING BODY IS THE CLIENT, NOT THE CITY MANAGER, BUT SAM AND THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY SECRETARY, SO WE CAN HAVE A STRONG SAM.
UH, ALSO, UH, THAT'S A TOUGH JOB, UH, IF YOU ARE ELECTED OR APPOINTED BY THIS COUNCIL TO BE THE CITY ATTORNEY.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THICK SKIN, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THICK SKIN TO SIT IN THIS POSITION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DEAL WITH A LOT OF POLICIES AND ENSURING THAT THE, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS NOT ANY TYPE OF LIABILITY IS YES.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER, SIR.
UM, YOUR GREATEST, YOUR GREATEST FEAT AS A CITY ATTORNEY.
I READ SOME OF YOUR BACKGROUND.
I SEE THE PRO BASS, $31 MILLION.
I SEE SOME THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
SO JUST REAL BRIEFLY, TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF WHERE YOU CAN CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST FEAT AS AN ATTORNEY WORKING WITH MUNICIPALITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS, I THINK IT WAS MY ROLE WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS IN STARTING COMMUNITY PROSECUTION AND COMMUNITY COURTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE TERMS MEAN, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY AN ATTORNEY GETTING OUT OF THE IVORY TOWER AND GETTING ON THE STREET AND UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLE AND THEIR PROBLEMS AND LISTENING TO THEM SO THAT I COULD COME UP WITH LEGAL SOLUTIONS.
OFTENTIMES, THEY HAD THE SOLUTIONS, THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY WERE LEGAL OR NOT.
AND THAT WAS WHAT I GOT TO ANSWER.
RIGHT? I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS ASSIGNED TO DO THAT WORK, I WAS A YOUNG LAWYER AND I THOUGHT, I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL TO GET ON THE STREET.
I'VE BEEN CLEANING UP THE STREETS BEFORE AND IN THE TOILETS, I'M NOT GONNA GO OUT ON THE STREET.
YOU'RE GONNA PUT ME IN A HIGH CRIME NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WAS THE MOST VALUABLE, MOST EXCITING, MOST EXHILARATING TIME OF MY CAREER.
I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TO ACTUALLY EMPOWER PEOPLE, BUT THE REVERSE HAPPENED.
THE COMMON PEOPLE EMPOWERED ME.
AND GREATNESS CAME FROM UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS ARE NOT THE SAME.
WE HAD OUTSIDE PERFORMANCE MEASURES, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON, MEASURING OUR STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CRIME.
WE WERE GETTING CRIME DOWN IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS BY 20% CONSISTENTLY.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE THE WORK THAT WAS BEING DONE.
I THINK IT WAS A PROJECT THAT I WAS ASSIGNED TO DO, AND IT DEVELOPED INTO A PROGRAM, AND THEN THE PROGRAM BECAME A STRATEGY.
AND THEN BEFORE YOU KNEW IT, WE WERE A DIVISION IN THE OFFICE OF 38 PEOPLE IN 150 PERSONNEL OFFICE.
AND WE ARE NOW A PHILOSOPHY IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
COMMUNITY PROSECUTION AND COMMUNITY COURTS STILL EXIST IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THEY'RE STILL NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED AND THEY FUNCTION WITHOUT ME.
SO YOU GIVE ME SOMETHING, AN IDEA, AND I'LL RUN WITH IT, BETWEEN A PROJECT, A PROGRAM, A STRATEGY, A DIVISION, AND A PHILOSOPHY.
BUT IT WAS THE SUCCESS OF KNOWING YOU CANNOT BE IN AN IVORY TOWER AND TURN A CITY AROUND.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILMAN FRANK.
[00:35:01]
HI, I'M COUNCILMAN.I'M PASTOR DONALD FRANK, UH, BY DAY AND I'VE GOT SOME OTHER, UH, THINGS THAT INDIVIDUALS CALL ME AS WELL.
SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO OUR CITY, AND, UH, IT'S BEEN, UH, VERY IMPRESSIVE SO FAR.
UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WANT TO ASK IS, CAN YOU TELL, UM, US, UH, ABOUT AN OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU HAD TO, UH, TO, UH, TO PRODUCE AND TO NEGOTIATE A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP, UM, WITH A COMPANY AND HOW THAT WORKED OUT? HOW YOUR, WHAT WAS YOUR APPROACH TO DOING SO AND, AND ALL OF THAT? SO, GREAT QUESTION.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE KING RANCH? THE TRUCK, THE KING RANCH? JUST THE TRUCK.
WELL, THERE'S ACTUALLY A REAL RANCH.
IT IS THE LARGEST, IT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST RANCHES IN THE COUNTRY.
IT'S KIND OF WHAT SEPARATES US IN THE VALLEY.
UH, IT'S HUMONGOUS, VERY WEALTHY, IF YOU KNOW THE TELEVISION SERIES, YELLOWSTONE? YES.
KING RANCH IS BIGGER THAN YELLOWSTONE.
THAT'S HOW MUCH MORE MONEY AND VALUE IT IS.
WELL, KING RANCH IS, IS A PORTION, A MAJOR PORTION OF IT IS WAS OWNED BY MR. BERG.
AND SO WE GOT A CLAYBURN COUNTY IN TEXAS, RIGHT.
UH, CLAYBURN COUNTY IS ONE OF MY CLIENTS.
AND KING RANCH CAME TO CLAVER COUNTY AND SAID, WE HAVE GOT A COMPANY, I CAN TELL YOU THIS NOW 'CAUSE IT'S ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION, UH, NAMED OXY.
1.5 IS A COMPANY, AND YOU CAN LOOK AND YOU'LL FIND ALL THEIR COMMERCIALS.
1.5 IS NAMED AFTER REDUCING 1.5% OF THE TEMPERATURE IN THE WORLD.
AND THE WAY, THIS IS A CLEAN, GREEN ENERGY COMPANY, ALRIGHT? AND THE WAY THEY WANNA JUICE THE TEMPERATURE BY 1.5% IN THE WORLD IS THEY'RE GONNA TAKE ALL THE CARBON PRODUCED BY INDUSTRY, SUCK IT INTO THIS VACUUM UNDERGROUND AND INTO THESE SPECIAL EQUIPMENT THAT GENERATED INTO SOME KIND OF FUEL THE AMBULANCE, AND THEN SENDS OUT THROUGH THE PORTS.
IN CORPUS CHRISTI, THIS IS CLARE COUNTY.
WELL, KING RANCH, WHO'S FAMOUS FOR LEATHER AND TRUCKS AND CATTLE, UM, DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO GO INTO THE GREEN CLEAN BUSINESS.
AND SO THIS COMPANY, 1.5 HAS LEASED, GOSH, I THINK IT WAS 300,000 ACRES FROM KING RANCH, WHICH IS ONLY APOR.
I MEAN A SMALL PORTION OF KING RANCH TO STORE THIS CARBON SEQUESTRATION UNDERGROUND.
SO KING RANCH WILL GET, STILL HAVE THE LAND ON TOP, BUT THIS IS GONNA BE STORED UNDERGROUND, NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE PORT WHERE IT WOULD BE EASILY TRANSPORTED OUT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
WELL, THE THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT KING RANCH WHO STOOD TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY FROM THIS INVESTMENT, IN FACT, THE GOVERNOR WILL TELL YOU THAT IT WOULD BE TRANSFORMATIVE TO THE REGION AND TO TEXAS AS A WHOLE.
IT'S WORTH 40 BILLION, NOT MILLION BUT BILLION YET.
THEY CAME TO OXY IN 1.5, CAME TO KING RANCH, AND KING RANCH ALSO CAME TO US AND SAID, 1.5 WANTS TAX ABATEMENTS FROM CLAYBURN COUNTY.
AND WE HAD, I WASN'T IN THE ROOM AT THE TIME, BUT THE LOCAL, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPER SAID, YES, WE'LL GIVE YOU 99% TAX ABATEMENTS.
AND THEN THEY CLAVER CALLING COUNTY CALLED ME AND SAID, ROXANNE, CAN WE DO THIS? I'M LIKE, WHOA, LET'S SLOW DOWN A BIT IF YOU'RE GONNA BANKRUPT YOUR, YOUR COUNTY IF YOU DO A 99% TAX ABATEMENT.
SO WE HAD TO GO THROUGH SOME STRONG NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE COUNTY KING RANCH, WHO VERY MUCH WANTED THIS PROJECT, AND 1.5 WHO WAS GOING TO BE GETTING SUBSTANTIAL FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR THE PROJECT ITSELF.
WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO WAS TAKE THE NEEDS THAT THE COUNTY HAD TO MAKE IT A PROSPEROUS DECISION.
THERE WAS NO 99% TAX ABATEMENT.
BUT WHAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT, THAT WAS HARD TO GET TO, BUT WHAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT WERE THE EXTRA THINGS THAT WE PUT IN THERE THAT THEY WERE MANDATED TO DO.
THINGS LIKE CERTAIN NUMBER OF JOBS HAD TO BE, UH, FILLED RIGHT BY, BY CITY PEOPLE.
UM, WE MADE THEM, WE HAD TEXAS A AND M KINGSVILLE UNIVERSITY THERE, AND WE MADE THEM START THE TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAM AT A AND M KINGSVILLE.
UM, SO THAT WE HAVE OUR STUDENTS IN COLLEGE THERE WHO CAN IMMEDIATELY COME OUT AND START WORKING IN THAT INDUSTRY.
[00:40:01]
MADE THEM BUILD US AN INDUSTRIAL PARK WITH THE HR OFFICE IN THE INDUSTRIAL PARK, UM, THAT IT HAS TO BE LOCATED IN CLAYBROOK COUNTY AND KNOWN AS THE HEADQUARTERS FOR, FOR THE COMPANY.WE, UM, GOSH, WE DID SO MUCH MORE.
WE MADE THEM GIVE US MONEY BECAUSE WE NEED FIRE FIRES.
UM, WE HAVE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS THERE.
WE DON'T HAVE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO WE GOT ENOUGH MONEY FROM THEM TO BUILD BRAND NEW FIRE STATIONS FOR OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EQUIP THEM.
WE ALSO, UM, WE ALSO MADE SURE THAT THERE WAS TECHNICAL ISSUES ON HOW WE WERE STILL GONNA GET PAID OUR MONEY FROM TAXES WHEN THEY WOULD DISPUTE THE VALUE OF THE LAND.
I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON AND ON AND ON.
THAT'S EXACTLY, I THINK THAT THAT IS, UM, ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN FAST TRACK GROWTH IN OUR CITY WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD AVAIL THEMSELVES.
AND SO I, I'M GRATEFUL AND, UM, IMPRESSED AS WELL THAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THAT AREA.
NOW, UH, BECAUSE I GET FIVE ALSO
UH, AND IF I MAY, AND TELL ME, UH, I, I HAVE MY HR UH, EXPERT HERE IF I AM WRONG, UH, UH, FOR ASKING THIS.
BUT IF YOU ARE, UH, SELECTED AND, AND YOU ARE THE, THE PERSON THAT, THAT THIS, UH, AUGUST BODY FEELS SHOULD BE THE NEXT CITY ATTORNEY, UH, YOU'VE EXPRESSED THE, UH, PRIVATE PRACTICE THAT YOU HAVE AND IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY LUCRATIVE AND, AND EXTENSIVE PRACTICE.
YOU'VE ALSO EXPRESSED THAT YOU HAVE MADE, UH, OR BEGINNING TO MAKE MAYBE, UH, PLANS FOR REMOVING YOURSELF FROM THIS.
BUT IF YOU ARE THE PERSON THAT'S SELECTED, HOW SOON WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO, UH, REMOVE YOURSELF FROM WHERE YOU ARE NOW AND BE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR TO BEGIN PRACTICING AS THE CITY ATTORNEY? HOW SOON, IF YOU WERE SELECTED, IF, AND I CAN'T ASK THAT.
HOW, HOW, HOW SOON WOULD YOU BE AVAILABLE? PROMPTLY DAYS.
I WOULD SAY, UM, LESS THAN TWO WEEKS.
MY CLIENTS VALUE WHO I AM, AND BECAUSE OF THEIR SIZE, THEY'RE VERY MUCH LIKE FAMILY.
THEY WOULD HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING TO ACCEPT, UH, TO ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION AS THEIR CITY ATTORNEY AND TO TRANSFER THE BATON SO AS QUICKLY AS 72 HOURS TO GET THEM TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEN I'D FIND SOME TEMPORARY HOUSING HERE UNTIL MY HOUSE SOLD IN SAN ANTONIO AND I COULD BUY A, A PROPERTY HERE.
WELL, YOU, YOU SORT OF ANSWERED WHAT, WHAT, WHAT I WAS GETTING READY TO ASK IF, AGAIN, IF YOU ARE THE CANDIDATE, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU BE IN, IN, UH, POSITION TO, YOU KNOW, BECOME A CITIZEN HERE OF, UH, IN, IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR? AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE ANSWERED THAT.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE NO CHILDREN, SO IT'S EQUIPPED IT WILL BE FINE.
AND, AND, UH, AGAIN, THAT, THAT ANSWERS WHAT MY SECOND PART WAS.
UH, YOU MADE A STATEMENT AND, UH, BEING A GOVERNMENT MAJOR, UH, I, I, I LOVED WHAT YOU SAID.
I LEARNED AN ACRONYM AND EVEN, UH, SAM, AND I GUESS IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANT, IT WOULD BE AUNT SAM OR ON MY PART OF TOWN, WE CALL YOU AUNT SAM.
UH, MAKING REFERENCE TO THAT, UH, CITY SECRETARY OF, CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY MANAGER.
AND THAT TRIPOD THAT YOU ALLUDED TO IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, I BELIEVE, AND I'M JUST MAKING A STATEMENT TO YOU THAT I BELIEVE YOU WOULD WORK WELL BECAUSE OF YOUR 29 YEARS EXPERIENCE.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE, UH, UH, SOME, UH, STORED KNOWLEDGE OF WORKING WITH, UH, VARIOUS, UH, AND VARIED, UH, GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS.
AND I BELIEVE IT WAS COUNCILMAN DE SAID, OR
[00:45:01]
SOMEONE WHO ASKED ABOUT, OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN COUNCILMAN KIMMEL ABOUT IF, IF COUNCIL GAVE YOU SOMETHING, BUT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN SAM DID NOT AGREE WITH THAT, HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY LEGALLY AS, AS, AS OUR LEGAL CONSULTANT? AND, UH, I, I, I, I THINK THAT YOU'RE BEING TRUTHFUL ABOUT IT.UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT BEING SAID, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE TIME ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MOVE TO ACTUALLY THE THIRD PART OF YOUR INTERVIEW ON TODAY.
THE THIRD PART OF YOUR INTERVIEW ACTUALLY DEALS WITH WHAT WE, AND I HAVE TITLED IT ALMOST AS A WRAP UP.
SO COUNCIL, UH, UH, THE COUNCILMAN LEWIS, I THINK YOUR LIGHT HAS BEEN ON, UH, ON THE WRAP UP.
AND WE HAVE ONLY FIVE MINUTES, SO THAT'S FIVE TOTAL MINUTES FOR EVERYBODY.
SO THAT'S ABOUT A MINUTE A PIECE GO.
I APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'VE ENJOYED IT, AND I, I DE DELIBERATELY LEFT SOMETHING OUT.
MY QUESTION IS, AND I'VE HAD SOME BAD EXPERIENCES WITH THIS, WOULD YOU WRITE AN OPINION TO INFLUENCE THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL THAT YOU COULD NOT DEFEND IN COURT? THAT'S ALL THAT, UM, YOU WANT ME TO REPEAT IT? WOULD YOU WRITE AN OPINION TO FAVOR THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL AND YOU KNOW IT'S WRONG AND YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DEPEND, DEFEND IT IN COURT.
WE NEED, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE, LIKE COUNCILMAN DE SAID, WE NEED GOOD INFORMATION.
EVEN IF IT GO AGAINST THE GRAIN OR, OR WHOEVER THE MANAGER OR CITY SECRETARY OR THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL.
IF YOU WERE ASKED TO WRITE AN OPINION, WOULD YOU WRITE AN OPINION THAT YOU COULD NOT DEFEND IN COURT OR WOULD YOU LET, WOULD YOU LET US KNOW? COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS? I, I EXPLAINED THAT IT IS MY ROLE AS A CITY ATTORNEY TO PROVIDE YOU AN ARRAY OF LEGAL OPTIONS.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY A YES OR A NO ON ONE THING.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ALL THE LEGAL OPTIONS.
SOMEONE MIGHT BE A LITTLE THIS WAY, SOME OF 'EM MIGHT BE STRAIGHT TO THE POINT.
AND WITH EACH OPTION, I WOULD EXPLAIN THE RISK AND LIABILITIES AND THE BENEFITS OF THEM.
THE GOVERNING BODY, WHEN I EXPLAIN THE RISK ASSESSMENTS AND LIABILITIES OF EACH ONE OF THEM WILL KNOW WHICH ONE IS MY BEST LEGAL RECOMMENDATION FOR A WIN IN COURT.
BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN A COUNSEL MAY NOT WANNA GET THAT STRONG WIN BECAUSE THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO PUSH THE TIMELINE UNTIL SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE MICHAEL, I'M NOT GONNA LIE, I GOTTA LIE TO PROTECT THAT IS CORRECT.
THAT'S THE YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I'M NOT GONNA LIE, BUT, BUT I MIGHT HAVE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR YOU, SIR.
IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT YOUR, YOUR, YOUR LICENSE, AND THAT'S A SMART THING TO DO.
YOU, YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR LIVING WHAT YOU MAKE YOUR LIVING, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DEFEND THAT.
BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD A YES OR NO.
WOULD YOU WRITE AN OPINION THAT YOU COULD NOT DEFEND IN COURT? I HAVE NOT HEARD A DEFINITE ANSWER.
YOU GAVE ME A WHOLE LOT OF OPTIONS, BUT I NEED A YES OR NO ANSWER.
OR, OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER.
YOU KNOW, I THINK NO, MY INITIAL ANSWER WOULD BE NO.
BUT WHY WOULD THERE BE A NEED TO DO THAT? YEAH.
AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE'LL DO, BECAUSE I'M, I'M, I'M MOVING THE TIME ON THAT.
IS IS THAT, THAT'S SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? OKAY.
NOW, UH, OTHERS, COUNCILMAN FRANK, YOUR LIGHT WAS ON YOU, YOU NO, NO, I'M FINE.
EVERYONE, EVERYONE IS GOOD WITH THE WRAP UP.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS MOVE TO YOUR CONCLUDING REMARKS, UH, FOR YOUR INTERVIEW.
AND YOU WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE ALMOST 12 MINUTES.
YOU CAN USE THEM ALL OR NOT, BUT YOU CAN GIVE US THE CONCLUDING REMARKS OF ACTUALLY PERSUADING THIS BODY THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON.
OR ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR US THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK US? THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED US? I DO HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO WRAP UP SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK, UM, ARE IMPORTANT IN MY RESUME THAT WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED.
UM, ONE OF THOSE IS CODE ENFORCEMENT.
[00:50:01]
IN THIS TOWN.UM, I WROTE, I WAS HIRED FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS AS THE FIRST CODE ENFORCEMENT ATTORNEY.
UM, AND THEY WANTED ME TO ANSWER THE PHONE ALL DAY FROM CODE INSPECTORS AND GIVE THEM ADVICE ON HOW TO ENFORCE ORDINANCES.
WELL, MY PHONE WAS RINGING NONSTOP, AND SO I REALIZED I GOTTA DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN JUST ANSWERING THE PHONE.
SO I WROTE A BOOK WITH A CURRICULUM, A SIX WEEK CURRICULUM THAT TAUGHT CODE INSPECTORS HOW TO ENFORCE, READ AND PREPARE WITH EVIDENCE, ALL THE MAJOR CODE ENFORCEMENT VIOLATIONS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THIS BOOK WAS PUBLISHED AND SOLD OFF TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AT COST.
IN FACT, YOU COULD PROBABLY FIND IT STILL AS A COPY ON AMAZON.
UM, SO TEACHING AND EDUCATING IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF MYSELF AS A CITY ATTORNEY.
I IMAGINE WE WOULD NEED TO DO A LOT OF EDUCATING AMONG CITY DEPARTMENT STAFF.
UM, I WANNA BE ABLE TO BRING A WORLD CLASS CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, JUST LIKE I DID WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS I WANT YOUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO BE KNOWN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I HAVE TAUGHT MYSELF AT 40 DIFFERENT NATIONAL CONFERENCES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, AND SO THEY KNEW AND KNOW MY NAME, AND I WANT THEM TO KNOW MY NAME ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND I WANT STAFF TO BE ABLE TO GO AND DO THAT AS WELL.
THERE WAS NEVER ANY COST TO THE CITY.
THEY WERE ALWAYS PAID FOR BY THIRD PARTY INSTITUTIONS THAT WERE RECEIVING FEDERAL GRANT DOLLARS TO TEACH PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I ALSO AM VERY STRONG IN THE BELIEF OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE FEDERAL, THE STATE, THE COUNTY, AND THE LOCAL OFFICIALS.
I HAVE SERVED IN POSITIONS OF ALL, UH, WHETHER I WAS WRITING FEDERAL LEGISLATION FOR A CONGRESSMAN, UH, OR A STATE REPRESENTATIVE, OR EVEN JUST WRITING IT AS AN ATTORNEY FOR ONE OF MY CLIENTS.
UM, I WAS A SPECIAL ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY FOR EIGHT YEARS.
UM, THAT IN ITSELF BRINGS A POWERHOUSE OF EXPERIENCE.
IN THAT ROLE, I, UM, WORKED WITH F-B-I-A-T-F, US MARSHALS, COUNTY SHERIFF PROBATION PAROLEES.
AND MY ROLE WAS AFTER THE RAID WAS CONDUCTED, I'D BE THE ONE TO CLEAN IT UP WITH CODE CODE ENFORCEMENT OR WITH ZONING ISSUES, OR WITH DEMOLITIONS.
SO THE PARTNERSHIPS AT FEDERAL, STATE, AND COUNTY LOCAL LEVELS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD WANNA BRING HERE.
I DON'T WANNA SKIRT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE DAILY BREAD.
WE, I HAVE A DAILY BREAD AND BUTTER.
UM, AS YOUR CITY ATTORNEY, I'VE GOTTA KNOW, OPEN MEETINGS ACT, PUBLIC INFORMATION, ACT CONTRACTS, ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, EMPLOYMENT ISSUES.
I GOTTA BE ABLE TO DO REAL ESTATE ZONING BUDGETS, MUNICIPAL COURT ELECTIONS, MANAGING OUTSIDE LITIGATION.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS I HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST 29 YEARS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A SPECIAL TALENT THAT I HAVE TO TAKE CITIES AND TURN THEM INTO BRILLIANTLY BEAUTIFUL BLOOMING ENVIRONMENTS.
I COULD TAKE YOU TO THESE CITIES WHERE THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT'S MY WORK HAD HELPED THEM DO THAT.
I WANNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH YOU.
I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT GOD PLACES ME AND USES ME FOR A PURPOSE IN MY WORK.
AND I BELIEVE MY WORK AND HIS PURPOSE FOR MY WORK IS TO HELP YOU HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
IT WOULD BE AN HONOR TO DO SO, AND I'M READY TO GET STARTED.
I'M A COMMUNICATOR, A COLLABORATOR.
I WANNA GET TO YES SOLUTIONS, MAXIMIZE THINGS GOOD ENOUGH IS NOT, IS GOOD ENOUGH, IS NOT ENOUGH.
IT'S GOTTA BE SUPERB WITH PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
THAT'S A SPECIAL SKILL, OPPORTUNITY, RESILIENCY, HISTORICAL BEAUTY.
HOPE THIS IS MY TOWN AND I'M GONNA BE YOUR NEXT CITY ATTORNEY.
WELL, MS. CRANIO, AM I CORRECT? DID I SAY IT CORRECTLY? I GUESS I HAVE TO GET ACCUSTOMED TO IT.
[00:55:01]
FOR EVEN BEING HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW.THANK YOU FOR HAVING AN INTEREST IN OUR CITY.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WOULD CONTINUE THE PROPER GOVERNANCE HERE IN OUR CITY.
I BELIEVE THAT THE, UH, FIRM WILL GIVE YOU FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWING TODAY.
THERE ARE SOME OTHER, UH, PORTIONS OF YOUR INTERVIEW THAT YOU WILL ENGAGE IN, IN ABOUT ANOTHER 15 MINUTES.
AND SO I WISH YOU GOD'S SPEED ON THOSE DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR INTERVIEW, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL MEET AGAIN.
UH, COUNSEL, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS ALLOW YOU TO TAKE ABOUT A 10 MINUTE BREAK AND AT ABOUT 10 0 5, 11 0 5, WOULD YOU PLEASE RETURN HERE? 1105.
IF YOU WOULD COME BACK IN HERE AT 1105, COME BACK AT 1105, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO WE COULD, WE COULD START AT LEVEL 10.
RANDY, WE ARE STILL IN THE INTERVIEW SESSION.
WE, WE RECESSED THE EXECUTIVE SESSION EARLIER AND WE ARE DOING THE INTERVIEWS.
SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS, UH, REESTABLISH THE QUORUM.
CITY SECRETARY, MAYOR VART, PRESENT MAYOR PRO.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER ETT.
WE HAVE ABOUT ONE MINUTE BEFORE, AND, UH, WE HAVE WITH C CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS IS, IS IN THE ROOM.
THE CITY ATTORNEY IS OUT, UH, UH, INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY IS OUT, UH, DOING HIS PORTION OF THE INTERVIEW WITH, UH, STAFF, I BELIEVE.
AND SO WE ARE READY TO BEGIN YOUR INTERVIEW.
AND I BELIEVE THIS IS, UH, MR. PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME FOR ME.
AND I JUST WANNA BE SURE I SAY IT CORRECTLY, MR. LIA.
UH, WE ARE BEGINNING YOUR, YOUR INTERVIEW NOW.
YOUR INTERVIEW WILL CONSISTS OF, UH, FOUR DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE INTERVIEW.
THE FIRST 10 MINUTES OF THE INTERVIEW WILL BE YOU GIVING US SOME INFORMATION ON YOU INTRODUCTORY.
THEN WE WILL MOVE TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ASK A QUESTION AND YOUR RESPONSE WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTE TIME FOR EACH, UH, COUNCIL PERSON.
THEN WE WOULD DO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO CALL A WRAP UP.
AND THE WRAP UP COULD ACTUALLY CONSIST OF THE THIRD AND THE FOURTH PART OF OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS, WHERE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR US, YOU MAY THEN ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AND WE WOULD TRY TO ANSWER THEM, AND IT WOULD BE A WRAP UP AND YOUR ARE CONCLUDING STATEMENTS TO THIS BODY.
SO NOW AT 1110, WE ARE, WE GET READY TO BEGIN.
I AM MAYOR THURMAN, BILL BCE HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
AND I INTRODUCE MYSELF AND EACH COUNCIL PERSON WOULD INTRODUCE HIMSELF OR HERSELF DURING THEIR PORTION OF THE QUESTIONING IN SECTION TWO.
BUT WHAT I LIKE TO BEGIN WITH, AND YOU MAY BEGIN, UH, TELL US WHY YOU WOULD ACTUALLY WANT TO WORK FOR US HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
THE, UH, Y'ALL ARE LOOKING FOR A CITY ATTORNEY.
THAT'S
FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, I WAS IN CORPUS CHRISTI, UH, AS A SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, OR GRADE THREE, I THINK IS WHAT THEY CALLED IT.
UH, I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE, BUT, UH, CITY ATTORNEY THERE IS PRETTY ENTRENCHED.
AND, UH, SO IS THE DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY.
SO I WASN'T THERE, I WASN'T GONNA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE BACK UP TO CITY ATTORNEY.
I HAVE BEEN A CITY ATTORNEY BEFORE IN PARIS, TEXAS, AND I MISS, UH, I MISS THE CHALLENGES OF IT BEING CITY ATTORNEY, WORKING WITH CITY COUNCIL MAYOR, WORKING WITH CITY MANAGER AND DEPARTMENTS.
IT'S A, UM, IT'S A VERY REWARDING EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
I'VE DONE IT MY MOST OF MY ENTIRE CAREER IN OIL AND GAS.
A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THAT IN MY YOUNGER DAYS.
BUT, UH, WHEN OIL WENT, OIL WENT DOWN TO $10 A BARREL IN THE
IT WAS TIME TO TIME TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, BUT LITTLE DID I KNOW OIL WAS GONNA REBOUND THE WAY IT DID.
BUT NO, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY REGRETS.
[01:00:01]
LOVE BEING A LAWYER AND I LOVE WORKING WITH CITIES AND PORT ARTHUR'S ON THE COAST.AND, UH, I'VE DRIVEN AROUND THE TOWN A LITTLE BIT.
SO FAR I DON'T, I'M, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WELL, BUT, UM, FROM WHAT I'VE MET, THE PEOPLE I'VE MET SO FAR, EVERYBODY'S BEEN REAL NICE HERE.
STAFF, STAFF HAVE BEEN REAL NICE.
UH, PEOPLE AT THE CONVENIENCE STORE, THE GAS STATION HAVE BEEN REAL NICE.
BUT, UH, I WANT TO KEEP DOING THIS.
I JUST TURNED 63 THIS SUMMER, UH, LAST MONTH.
AND, UH, HOPE TO WORK AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, 10 MORE YEARS BEFORE I RETIRE.
I, I WAS MARRIED FOR ABOUT 17 YEARS.
UH, HAVEN'T BEEN, HAVE NOT BEEN MARRIED FOR OVER 10 YEARS, BUT MY TWO KIDS OR TWO GIRLS, THEY'RE BOTH GROWN NOW.
SHE'S A TEACHER, SCHOOL TEACHER.
AND MY OTHER DAUGHTER WENT TO, UH, THE MEDICAL SCHOOL ROUTE AND SHE'S DOING A RESIDENCY IN SAN ANTONIO.
SHE WANTS TO BE A PEDIATRICIAN.
SO SHE JUST FINISHED HER FIRST YEAR OF RESIDENCY.
THEY'RE PAYING HER NOW A LITTLE BIT, WHICH IS NICE.
'CAUSE BOY, THAT MEDICAL SCHOOL WAS EXPENSIVE.
AND THIS, THIS, WELL, YOU ARE WANTING TO WORK IN PORT ARTHUR.
WELL, I SEE IF YOU GET THE JOB THERE WHERE YOU CAN BRING A PEDIATRICIAN, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
UM, WHAT ELSE? YOU NEVER KNOW.
UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE YOU WANNA KNOW? UM, I DID MOST OF MY EDUCATION IN OKLAHOMA.
I GREW UP IN DALLAS, TEXAS, AND, UH, WENT TO, UH, FINISH, FINISHED MY DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA.
SO I'M A LITTLE BIT OF A SOONER FAN AND PROBABLY NOT MANY SOONERS DOWN HERE, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
THERE WEREN'T MANY IN CORPUS CHRISTI EITHER.
BUT, UH,
BUT I, I NEVER PRACTICED IN OKLAHOMA.
I CAME RIGHT BACK TO TEXAS, STARTED OFF AT THE CITY OF DALLAS IN MY YOUNGER YEARS AND DID, UH, LITIGATION AND THEN WENT ON TO THE CITY OF PLANO, WHICH IS A NORTHERN SUBURB OF DALLAS, AND STARTED LEARNING CONTRACTS AND FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS, ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS, WHATNOT.
THEN FROM THERE I BECAME A CITY ATTORNEY AND WAS CITY ATTORNEY IN PARIS FOR ABOUT NINE YEARS.
AND REALLY ENJOYED THAT WORK, REALLY ENJOYED THAT, YOU KNOW, BEING CLOSE TO THE DECISION MAKERS INSTEAD OF JUST WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, A DEPARTMENT HEAD OR ASSISTANT DEPARTMENT HEAD TAKING MARCHING ORDERS, YOU KNOW, THAN GOING THROUGH THREE OR FOUR STEPS.
IT'S MORE INTERESTING TO BE CLOSER TO THE DECISION MAKING.
I FIND IT MORE INTERESTING, MORE CHALLENGING.
WELL, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS WE'LL MOVE TO THE, UH, SECOND SESSION, SECOND PORTION OF YOUR INTERVIEW PROCESS HERE WITH THE COUNCIL, AND WE WILL BEGIN WITH EACH COUNCIL PERSON.
AND THERE, THERE, THERE ARE TIME CONSTRAINTS ON IT.
I THOUGHT SOMETHING, I THOUGHT HE WAS PASSING SOMETHING.
ALRIGHT, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM.
LET'S GO WITH COUNCILMAN FRANK.
WELCOME TO THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOU TO COME AND FOR YOU TO, UM, UH, TO, UH, CANDIDATE FOR THE POSITION OF, UM, OF, UH, ATTORNEY FOR OUR CITY HERE.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY OR AN EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAD, UH, IN NEGOTIATING A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, UM, UH, BETWEEN, UM, THE CITY AND, UH, A PRIVATE ENTITY? OKAY.
I DID START TO WORK ON ONE OF THOSE IN THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI.
UH, THEY WERE CONSIDERING, WHEN I FIRST GOT THERE, THEY WERE CONSIDERING, UM, BRINGING IN A PARTNER ON THE WATER, WATER TREATMENT SIDE AND SEWER TREATMENT SIDE.
AND, UH, SO THEY GOT THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS AND, UH, EVENTUALLY COUNTS.
CITY COUNCIL CHANGED THEIR MIND.
THEY DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, THE MATH DIDN'T WORK OUT RIGHT FOR THEM.
THEY DECIDED AGAINST IT, BUT I HAD A LITTLE EXPERIENCE THERE.
THAT'S, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW Y'ALL HAD, Y'ALL WERE CONSIDERING PUBLIC PRIVATE
PULL MICROPHONE A LITTLE CLOSER TO YOU.
ANYWAYS, UH, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IS SORT OF A NEWER CONCEPT, AT LEAST IN THE CITIES THAT I'VE WORKED IN.
BUT LIKE I SAID, I DID GET A LITTLE EXPOSURE TO THAT IN CORPUS CHRISTI.
UM, THEY GOT, LIKE I SAID, THEY GOT THROUGH THE WHOLE RFP PROCESS
[01:05:01]
AND MEETINGS WITH, WITH THE, UH, PERSPECTIVE, UH, GROUPS THAT WANTED TO, TO DO WATER AND SEWER TREATMENT FOR THE CITY AND, AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE.BUT ULTIMATELY THEY DECIDED AGAINST IT.
THE, THE NUMBERS DIDN'T WORK OUT RIGHT.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE PERHAPS THAT YOU HAD, THAT YOU, UM, THAT YOU REALLY, UM, SAW AS, UM, A, A, A, A GRATIFYING EXPERIENCE, UH, DURING THE TIME THAT YOU WERE A CITY ATTORNEY IN PARIS? CERTAINLY, I, UH, MANY OF THOSE, UM, WE, UM, LET ME THINK BACK.
PARIS IS A LITTLE BIT BACK, SO LET ME THINK.
UM, SOMETIMES IT HELPS TO LOOK BACK AT THE RESUME
AND IF, IF YOU WILL PULL THE MICROPHONE CLOSER TO YOU.
JUST MOVE IT CLOSER BECAUSE, SO WE CAN HEAR YOU DISTINCTIVELY.
ONE THING ABOUT PARIS, I'LL TELL YOU ONE OF THE EXPERIENCES I REALLY ENJOYED AND WAS NEW TO ME IN THE CITY OF PARIS WAS I, I WAS ALSO THE, UH, COUNCIL FOR THE PARIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D DONE THAT KIND OF WORK.
AND I DID A LOT OF THAT WORK THERE.
I DID, UM, 3 83 80 AGREEMENTS AND, UH, TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS.
WE HAD, UH, SOME INDUSTRY THERE.
WE HAD A CAMPBELL SOUP PLANT THERE.
WE HAD A KIMBERLY CLARK PLANT THERE.
AND, UH, VARIOUS OTHER PIPE, TURNER PIPE PLANT AS WELL.
AND THEY INEVITABLY CAME TO THE CITY FOR, YOU KNOW, INCENTIVES WHENEVER THEY WERE GONNA ADD ON, YOU KNOW, A NEW LINE OR A NEW, UH, OR EXPAND THEIR FACTORY, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
THAT WAS, UH, CITY OF PIERCE WAS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW BUSINESS.
UH, 'CAUSE IT'S A SMALLER COMMUNITY, BUT THEY, THEY DO PRETTY WELL WITH MANUFACTURING THERE, CONSIDERING HOW SMALL THEY ARE.
AND I REALLY ENJOYED THAT KIND OF WORK.
DID A LOT OF THAT, UM, WORKED WITH SEVERAL MAYORS AND CITY COUNCILS IN THAT PROCESS OVER NINE YEARS.
SO YOU LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING AT A GREAT SITUATIONS FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES.
YOU KNOW, WE ALSO WORKED WITH COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL.
AND, UH, BOY, THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, WAS NOT ALWAYS THE, UH, ON THE SAME PAGE AS THE CITY, BUT WE ALWAYS ENDED UP ON THE SAME PAGE.
ANY, ANYTHING ELSE COUNCILMAN? NO.
UH, WE NOW HAVE COUNCILMAN UH, KEN LAW.
AND THANK YOU FOR THIS MORNING INTERVIEW.
UH, MY NAME IS THOMAS KEN LAW.
I'M THE POSITION FIVE AT LARGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, MY MY QUESTIONS ARE PRETTY MUCH, UH, TO THE POINT, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU FIND IN YOUR EXPERIENCE AS AN ATTORNEY AND WORKING WITH MUNICIPALITIES IS YOUR GREATEST FEAT, UH, THAT YOU ACCOMPLISH IN WORKING WITH, UH, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS? OH, BOY.
UM, LIKE I SAID, A LOT, LOT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS THAT I, THAT I WAS A BIG PART OF IN CITY OF PARIS, UM, THOSE, THOSE WERE VERY IMPORTANT, UM, DEALS.
UH, AND CORPUS CHRISTI, I HELPED THE CITY MANAGER SET UP A STORM WATER UTILITY FEE PROGRAM UNDER STATE LAW, WHICH THEY'D NEVER HAD BEFORE.
THEY'D ALWAYS JUST BUILD A LITTLE BIT THROUGH THE WATER BILL FOR DRAINAGE.
WE, WE SET UP, I WORKED WITH CITY MANAGER'S, OFFICE AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND PUBLIC WORKS ON, ON A COMPLETELY NEW STORM WATER DRAINAGE FEE SYSTEM.
THAT'S, THAT, UH, WORKED OUT REAL WELL.
THERE WERE SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT, BUT IT WORKED OUT.
UM, OF COURSE, I'VE, I, UH, CITY ATTORNEY IN PARIS, I WORKED WITH THE, UH, CLOSELY WITH THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
NOW, THEY DID NOT HAVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING THERE, SO THEY, UH, I UNDERSTAND Y'ALL ARE DOING THAT HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE, CORPUS CHRISTI DID COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, BARGAINING THERE AS WELL.
UM, BUT I, I WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THAT.
THEY, THEY LET THE, UH, LITIGATION DEPARTMENT FOR SOME REASON HANDLE THAT.
THAT WAS NOT, BUT, UH, I'M, I'M FAMILIAR WITH IT.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE LAW BEHIND IT, AND, AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH WORKING WITH POLICE OFFICERS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS.
UH, ANOTHER THING WE DID IN PARIS WAS, UH, WE CREATED A RESIDENTIAL TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS VERY NOVEL.
[01:10:01]
AND I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S DOING IT, BUT, UH, CITY OF PARIS WAS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW HOUSING TO BE BUILT.AND, UH, THAT WAS A NEW PROGRAM.
AND, UH, I THINK IT WAS, IT'S BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
I KIND OF GOT IT STARTED RIGHT BEFORE I LEFT, BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IT'S BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
WELL, THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE EXPLANATION.
UH, THE JOB THAT YOU'RE SITTING OR APPLYING FOR IS A VERY DIFFICULT JOB.
UH, YOU HAVE, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HERE.
THEY HAVE OUR OWN, UH, WAY OF THINKING, AND YOU HAVE TO BUILD YOUR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER TO GET THINGS DONE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S YOUR JOB IF YOU'RE SELECTED TO BE THE ONE TO ENSURE THAT ANYTHING IS BOUGHT BEFORE COUNSEL IS LEGAL, AND THAT'S HOW WE MAKE OUR DECISIONS.
BUT I DID KIND OF READ YOUR BACKGROUND IN PARIS, TEXAS.
YOU WERE A LEGAL ADVISOR FOR PLANNING AND ZONING.
SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND HOW DID THAT WORK OUT? BECAUSE PORT ARTHUR IS ON THE MOVE, WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT, OUTSIDE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
SO TELL ME, WITH YOUR EXPERTISE WITH BEING THE LEGAL ADVISOR, HOW WOULD YOU HELP IN THIS ASPECT WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR? WELL, I DID MY MOST PLANNING AND ZONING WORK WHEN I WAS AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY IN THE CITY OF PLANO, TEXAS.
AND THEY WERE GROWING WHEN I WAS THERE.
AND SO I WORKED WITH SOME REALLY SMART PLANNERS, AND THEY HAD A GREAT PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND THEY ALSO HAD ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, FRANK TURNER, WHO WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE WITH, UM, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT INTO, UH, BUILDING MIXED USE DOWNTOWN.
THEY STARTED REVITALIZING THEIR DOWNTOWN.
OF COURSE, THEY HAD THE LIGHT RAIL COMING FROM DALLAS UP TO PLANO.
SO THEY GOT AHEAD AHEAD OF IT.
CREATED SOME SPECIAL DISTRICTS TO INCENT INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPMENT THERE, UM, TAX INCENTIVE DISTRICTS.
AND, UH, IT, THE DOWNTOWN AREA REALLY PERKED UP AT A BUNCH OF NEW RESTAURANTS AND, UH, A BUNCH OF NEW RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS.
AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THEY'VE DONE A LOT MORE SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE.
SO I AM, YOU KNOW, I I'VE DONE A LOT OF PLANNING DEVELOPMENT.
I'VE WORKED WITH PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSIONS.
UM, I, I DID, UH, I WORKED WITH ALL THE PLANNING AND ZONING ISSUES IN PARIS, TEXAS AS WELL.
AGAIN, A SMALLER CITY, SO, UH, SLIGHTLY SMALLER PROJECTS AND PLANO OR DALLAS.
OF COURSE DALLAS IS A HUGE CITY.
BUT, UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, PUT, LET MIKE, 'CAUSE WE, WE WANT TO GET IT FOR RECORD AND IT'S KIND OF HARD TO HEAR YOU.
'CAUSE WE HAVE SPEAKERS UP HERE.
I WAS, UH, IN CORPUS CHRISTI, I WAS THE, UH, A BACKUP ATTORNEY TO THE GUY THAT WAS HANDLING, PLANNING AND ZONING.
SO I ATTENDED, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, A DOZEN OR MORE PLANNING ZONING COMMISSIONS IN, IN, UH, CORPUS CHRISTI WHILE I WAS THERE.
AS WELL AS, UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, HEARING, BEING AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
UM, IN CORPUS CHRISTI, LOTS OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE HOUSING DEVELOPERS HAVE COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STARTING TO BUILD THESE, UH, SMALLER HOUSES ON SMALLER, LOTS, VERY DENSE, BUT SINGLE FAMILY AS WELL AS APARTMENTS.
APARTMENTS ARE GOING LIKE CRAZY.
AND, UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, UM, WHAT WE HAD DONE THERE.
WE HAD SEVERAL DOWNTOWN PROJECTS IN CORPUS CHRISTI WHERE WE'D WORKED WITH DEVELOPERS AND SIGNED SOME MOUS FOR THEM TO EVENTUALLY DO SOMETHING WITH THEIR BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPICALLY, THEY WERE GETTING EXTENDED.
SO I DIDN'T SEE AS MUCH DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN AS I'D HOPED TO SEE.
BUT I THINK IT, IT'S PICKING UP NOW, I THINK SLOWLY IT'S PICKING UP FROM WHERE IT WAS IN, IN CORPUS CHRISTI'S A, YOU KNOW, PORT, PORT CITY, JUST LIKE, UH, PORT ARTHUR.
AND, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE WERE DEALING WITH MILITARY BASES.
WE DEALT WITH THE ARMY DEPOT ON VARIOUS AGREEMENTS.
AND, UM, WE WORKED, UH, OUR CITY COUNCIL AND OUR CITY MANAGER WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE PORT OF CORPUS CHRISTI.
AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD LIKE A 14 MEMBER BOARD.
THEY HAVE LARGE BOARD, AND, UH, WORKED A LITTLE BIT ON THE HARBOR BRIDGE PROJECT IN CORP.
AND, UH, CORPUS CHRISTI, THAT'S THE NEW, I KNOW IF ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN TO CORP CHRISTI LATELY, BUT IT'S THAT NEW HUGE OVERPASS OVER THE SHIP CHANNEL.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S COSTING NOW, BUT
[01:15:01]
THEY RAN INTO SOME TROUBLE ON THAT WITH THEIR DESIGNER, UH, ENGINEERING DESIGNER.AND IT'S STILL, I DON'T THINK IT'S FINISHED YET, BUT I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST FINISHED, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT CLOSED IN YET.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, COUNCILMAN ETT.
YOU KNOW, UH, WE HIRE THE CITY ATTORNEY HERE FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND, UH, A LOT OF TIME THE CITY ATTORNEY GIVE US ADVICE.
YOU KNOW, WE HIRE A CITY ATTORNEY TO GIVE US ADVICE.
AND, AND HOWEVER, THE ADVICE YOU GIVE US SHOULD ALWAYS BE SOME, FOR US TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS THAT WILL BEST BENEFIT THE CITIZENS AND THE CITY.
IN OTHER WORDS, PROTECT TAXPAYERS DOLLARS.
AND SOMETIME THERE'S GONNA BE INSTANCES WHERE WE AS A COUNCIL MAY FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO DO A CERTAIN THING.
AND, UH, YOU LOOK INTO WHAT IT TAKES AND IF IT'S DOABLE AND STUFF, YOUR ADVICE WILL BE ALWAYS TO US TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE WANT.
OR WILL IT BE TO ENSURE THAT THE CITIZENS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY WILL BE PRESERVED? WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE? WELL, FIRST, FIRST OF ALL, UM, WHEN YOU'RE ADVISING A CITY COUNCIL, JUST LIKE IF YOU'RE A GENERAL COUNSEL AT A, UH, PRIVATE CORPORATION, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ADVISING THE BOARD.
SO I, I'D BE ADVISING THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.
AND, UM, I LIKE TO THINK OF MY JOB AS IF YOU ALL HAVE, IF YOU ALL HAVE A, A POLICY THAT YOU'VE DEVELOPED TO INCENTIVIZE, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, AND YOU'VE ASKED STAFF TO START MOVING THAT FORWARD, AND STAFF HAS LEGAL QUESTIONS, I'M THERE TO HELP THEM FIND THE ANSWER AND GET IT DONE.
UH, BUT IF IT'S, IF, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, GONNA GET THE CITY IN TROUBLE, THEN I'M GONNA ALERT THE CITY COUNCIL TO THAT.
THAT'S MY JOB, IS IT? OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE MAYOR PRO TIM BECKHAM.
I REPRESENT DISTRICT THREE IN PORT ARTHUR, AND I'M ALSO AN ATTORNEY.
SO MY QUESTIONS ARE GONNA FOCUS ON, UH, YOUR PRACTICE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WORKING FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WOULD BE YOUR FULL-TIME JOB, AND THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY OUTSIDE LEGAL PRACTICE ALLOWED.
I, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT,
IT'S EASY TO SPREAD OURSELVES TOO THIN SOMETIMES.
UM, AND MY NEXT QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH A PET PEEVE THAT I HAVE THAT I'M OFTEN GUILTY OF.
SO, UH, I WANT YOU TO DESCRIBE FOR ME WHAT YOU WOULD DO WITH AN ISSUE THAT COMES TO YOU.
LET'S SAY WE'RE NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT, THAT'S ON YOUR DESK.
UM, HOW, HOW QUICKLY WILL YOU MOVE THINGS ALONG? WELL, I, UM, AS A CITY ATTORNEY, YOU'VE GOTTA, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE AN IDEA OF THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, CITY MANAGER, AND YOU GOTTA BALANCE THOSE PRIORITIES.
AND, BUT YOU GOTTA KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR TOP PRIORITY? AND IF YOU GET, IF I GET IN A SITUATION WHERE I'VE GOT THREE, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE LARGE PROJECTS, AND THERE'S NO WAY THAT THEY CAN ALL GET DONE AS FAST AS CITY MANAGERS, CITY COUNCIL WANTS THE PROJECT'S DONE, THEN I'VE GOTTA GO TO SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THE MAYOR OR THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE CITY MANAGER, AND HEY, LISTEN, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZE THESE FOR ME SO I CAN I GET THE ONE THAT YOU WANT FIRST DONE FIRST AND THEN SECOND AND THIRD.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A, A STAFF THAT'S GONNA HELP YOU.
SO, UM, AND THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF MY PET PEEVES.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DELEGATING RESPONSIBILITIES CITY, THIS, UH, CITY THIS LARGE? I BELIEVE IN DELEGATING BECAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW THE STAFF REAL WELL YET.
UM, SO I DIDN'T GET TO MEET HER.
AND THE OTHER ONE THAT I MET, UH, THE OTHER FEMALE I MET, I THINK SHE'S STILL TRYING TO GET A LICENSE IN TEXAS.
SO, UH, THE PARALEGAL, UH, PARALEGAL OR LEGAL ASSISTANT, UM, HUEY, I THINK IS WHAT THEY CALL HIM.
HE SEEMS PRETTY, HE KNOWLEDGEABLE.
I'D PROBABLY RELY ON HIM A LOT.
AND, UM, AND THEN GWEN, THERE'S, SHE SEEMS TO KNOW A FEW THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YEAH.
WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE IN A CITY THIS LARGE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DELEGATE.
AND THAT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DELEGATE EVERYTHING.
THAT JUST MEANS DELEGATE THINGS THAT YOU FEEL THAT THAT PERSON'S COMPETENT TO HANDLE AND GET, GET DONE.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND OVER THEIR SHOULDER AND READ
[01:20:01]
EVERY WORD.'CAUSE THAT'S JUST TOO CON TIME CONSUMING.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILMAN, UH, LEWIS, HOW YOU DOING? APPRECIATE YOU COMING.
I'M COUNCILMAN, UH, WILLIE BAY LEWIS.
MY FRIENDS CALL ME BAY, ALL TWO OF THEM.
BUT DOWN AROUND CITY HALL, I'M CALLING A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER NAMES SOMETIMES.
LOOK, UH, I'VE, I'VE HEARD YOUR, YOUR RESPONSES TO THE, UH, QUESTION, WHAT HAVE YOU.
YOU, YOU'VE ASSISTED A LOT OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED AND YOU'VE ASSISTED A LOT OF THINGS.
UH, WHAT HAVE YOU INITIATED AS A CITY ATTORNEY IN THE FORM OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT BENEFITED YOUR COMMUNITY? AND YOU, WHAT, WHAT COMMUNITY YOU FROM NOW? WELL, I'VE, UH, I'M, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN DALLAS, RIGHT UP IN DALLAS.
BUT I'VE BE, YEAH, THE LAST CITY I WORKED IN WAS CORPUS CHRISTI.
BUT WHAT HAVE YOU INITIATED THAT BROUGHT VALUE TO THE CITY OF, AS, YOU KNOW, SERVING IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S POSITION, WHEREVER YOU SERVE, WHAT HAVE YOU INITIATED THAT BENEFITED THE CITY THAT YOU WERE WORKING FOR ECONOMICALLY AND HOW IT BENEFITED THE, UH, THE CITIZENS ON GETTING THE JOBS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS? WHAT KIND OF A VALUE HAVE YOU WROTE? OKAY.
WELL, IN, UH, WHEN I WAS CITY ATTORNEY IN PARIS, TEXAS, I, UH, I WAS ALSO A RISK MANAGER THERE, HAD THAT DUTY AS WELL.
SO I, I FEEL LIKE I STREAMLINED SOME OF THE, UH, PROCESSES THAT THEY HAD FOR HANDLING CLAIMS. THEY, THEY HAD A REAL DISJOINTED PROCESS FOR HANDLING CLAIMS. AND I STREAMLINED THAT AND, UM, DEVELOPED A RELATION WITH THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE RISK POOL.
ARE Y'ALL A MEMBER OF THAT? MM-HMM.
SO I, I GOT TO KNOW SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE AND, AND WE GOT, UH, A GOOD SYSTEM GOING FOR WHEN THE CITY GOT SUED AND WHEN WE WERE GONNA NEED OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
THEY WOULD USUALLY ALLOW ME TO PICK THE OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
I, I KNEW PLENTY OF LITIGATORS BACK THEN AND, UH, STILL KNOW SOME TODAY.
BUT, UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING I IMPROVED IN CITY OF PARIS WAS, WAS THE RISK MANAGEMENT CLAIM HANDLING AND LAWSUIT REPRESENTATION, AND DEALING WITH OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING, UM, IF IT WAS A CASE THAT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RISK POOL, AND WE HAD SOME OF THOSE, THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, I GOT INVOLVED IN SOME NEGOTIATIONS ON SOME OF THOSE LAWSUITS.
WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, REACH A SETTLEMENT ON, UM, OR SOME, SOME OTHER REMEDY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IN MY FIRST YEAR WE HAD A DEATH, UH, CITY WORKER.
UH, NOT, IT WAS, IT WASN'T A CITY WORKER.
IT WAS A, UH, SUBCONTRACTOR AT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT, DIED IN A, UH, UNDERGROUND WATER.
WELL, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HE WAS, HE WAS IN DIVE MASK AND DIVE, DIVE OXYGEN LINE.
AND, UH, THEY DIDN'T PROPERLY LOCK IT OUT.
THEY SCREWED, YOU KNOW, THEY SCREWED UP AND DIDN'T LOCK OUT THE ELECTRICITY.
AND WHILE HE WAS DOWN THERE DOING HIS INSPECTION, THE IMPELLER KICKED ON AND GOT HIS, HIS OXYGEN LINE TIED UP AND THEY COULDN'T GET HIM OUT FAST.
THEY COULDN'T GET HIM OUT FAST ENOUGH.
SO THAT WAS A MAJOR, A MAJOR CLAIM.
UM, BUT, UH, WE WERE COVERED BY THE RISK POOL FOR THAT.
BUT IT WAS A BIG NEGOTIATION TO, TO GET TO A, A RESOLUTION ON THAT.
WE ENDED UP PAYING THE CAP ON THAT ONE 'CAUSE IT WAS OUR FAULT FOR NOT MAKING SURE IT WAS LOCKED OUT.
I'VE ALSO BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALSO SEEN A, UH, A, A, UH, HOMELESS SHELTER BURN TO THE GROUND AND SIX HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT WERE LIVING IN THE, IT WASN'T A HOMELESS SHELTER PER SE.
IT WAS A DONATION CENTER THAT HAD A, A ROOF, A GOOD ROOF, AND TWO STORIES.
AND THE THIRD PARTY NONPROFIT THAT WAS RUNNING THE DONATION CENTER IN PARIS, TEXAS ALLOWED SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE TO START SETTING, YOU KNOW, LIVING IN THERE.
AND OUR, UH, BUILDING INSPECTION DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED THAT.
OUR FIRE MARSHAL SHOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED THAT.
'CAUSE UH, THAT BUILDING WAS NOT PROPERLY, UM, IT WASN'T BUILT FOR RESIDENCY.
AND SURE ENOUGH, THEY HAD A FIRE AND SIX PEOPLE DIED.
AND, UH, WE HAD TO, UH, AMAZINGLY WE WEREN'T SUED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, I STILL TO THIS DAY DON'T KNOW HOW THE CITY PARIS WASN'T SUED OVER THAT, THE NONPROFIT THAT WAS RUNNING THE BUILDING, THEY
[01:25:01]
DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY, SO IT DIDN'T REALLY GET ANYWHERE.BUT, UH, THAT WAS A TRAGEDY, A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
WOULD YOU VERBALLY JUST ME PREFERENCE THIS? YOU AS OUR CITY ATTORNEY, YOU NEED TO GIVE US GOOD INFORMATION BECAUSE WE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
WOULD YOU VERBALLY GIVE US A DECISION, OR WOULD YOU WRITE AN OPINION THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT DEFEND IN COURT AND THAT WOULD STEER THE COUNSEL IN THE RIGHT OR WRONG DIRECTION? IF, WOULD YOU GIVE US A VERBAL OPINION OR WRITTEN OPINION? WOULD YOU DELIBERATELY DISTORT THAT TO PLEASE MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL? WOULD YOU DO THAT? NO, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE IN PLAYING A LOT OF GAMES.
I'VE, YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE I'VE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH IN 30 YEARS, 30 PLUS YEARS THAT I'M NOT GONNA FALL INTO THAT KIND OF TRAP.
BUT IF WE WERE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET MY ADVICE VERBALLY, OR I MIGHT HAVE A, A WRITTEN OPINION THAT WE DISCUSSED DURING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, THEN I MIGHT ASK FOR THOSE COPIES OF THAT OPINION TO BE GIVEN BACK TO ME AF YOU KNOW, ONCE WE CONCLUDE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION SO THAT IT DOESN'T END UP GETTING LEAKED AND SOMEHOW HURT THE CITY.
THAT'S HOW I LIKE TO DO BUSINESS.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S HOW I DO ALL LEGAL PEN.
IF YOU WANT A LEGAL OPINION THAT'S OPEN AND ALL OF COUNCIL, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE, THAT'S FINE.
JUST REALIZE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT GETS OUT TO, TO THE PUBLIC OR IF IT GETS OUT TO A DEVELOPER WHO GETS CROSSWAYS WITH THE CITY, THEY CAN USE THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAINST US IN A, IN A WAY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE, THE LEGAL ADVICE THAT WAS CONTAINED IN THE LEGAL MEMORANDUM.
THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN, I HOPE.
BUT I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN BEFORE IN OTHER CITIES.
I GUESS IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MY TURN NOW.
UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU, UH, IS IN, UH, YOUR WORK, AND IT'S BEEN, IT, IT'S, IT'S EXTENSIVE AND YOU'VE WORKED IN SEVERAL, UH, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I THINK THE ONLY PROBLEM YOU PROBABLY HAVE IS DUE, UH, AT THE RED RIVER, UH, INCIDENT BETWEEN OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS.
YOU MAY HAVE SOME
BUT, UH, IF YOU WILL, CAN YOU DESCRIBE, UH, A CULTURALLY DIVERSE, UH, ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU'VE WORKED IN AND, UH, THE ONE THAT, THAT YOU'VE EVER WORKED IN? 'CAUSE YOU'VE WORKED AROUND, SO, BUT ONE THAT'S BEEN CULTURALLY, UH, UH, DIVERSE.
AND, UH, IN THAT, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT MAYBE A, UH, DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT YOU ENCOUNTERED IN THAT ENVIRONMENT? AND ACTUALLY, HOW DID YOU HANDLE IT? BECAUSE IT WAS CULTURALLY DIVERSE.
I, I HAVE WORKED IN SEVERAL CITIES THAT ARE, ARE CULTURALLY DIVERSE.
I, I WORKED INITIALLY IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, VERY CULTURALLY DIVERSE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND, UH, I, I WAS A YOUNGER ATTORNEY THEN.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I HAD TOO MANY PEOPLE ABOVE ME THAT, BUT I DID GET INVOLVED ENOUGH TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW I COULD GET, TURN INTO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH FOR OUR DISTRICT OR YOU'RE DOING TOO MUCH FOR THEIR DISTRICT.
AND, UM, I GOT TO OBSERVE WHEN I WORKED IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, A VERY ADEPT CITY ATTORNEY, SAM LINDSAY'S A FEDERAL JUDGE, NOW, NORTHERN DISTRICT.
BUT, UH, I, I GOT TO SEE HOW HE HANDLED THOSE SITUATIONS.
NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT I GOTTA SEE SOME OF THEM.
AND THEN, UH, IN PARIS, TEXAS, THAT PARIS, TEXAS IS, HAS GOT SOME DIVERSITY TOO.
AND WE USUALLY HAD AT LEAST, UH, UH, TWO AFRICAN AMERICAN COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYBE THREE, UH, A MAYOR.
AND, UH, THEY DIDN'T REALLY FIGHT THAT MUCH.
THEY, THEY USUALLY GOT ALONG PRETTY WELL.
UM, THEY WORKED THINGS OUT A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, BUT KIND OF BEHIND THE SCENES, NOT WITH TELLING ME, YOU KNOW, NOT IN VIOLATING OPEN MEETINGS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST SEEMED TO, UH, I DIDN'T SEE TOO MANY KNOCK DOWN DRAG OUT FIGHTS AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
UH, THERE, WE DID HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER ONCE WHO WAS WANTING TO MAKE SOME DRAMATIC CHANGES, UH, IN CREATING A, AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN, UH, FOR THE CITY OF PARIS.
[01:30:02]
I THINK THE COUNCIL WAS, WAS WILLING TO LISTEN AND, AND STUDY IT.BUT, UH, HE ENDED UP TAKING A JOB AND, UH, WITH THE NIH AND LEFT THE COUNCIL BEFORE THAT REALLY EVEN GOT VERY FAR DOWN THE ROAD.
OF COURSE, CITY OF DALLAS, THEY, UH, THEY HAVE IN DALLAS, THEY HAVE, UM, SETA ASIDES, YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UM, MINORITY PARTICIPATION IN CONTRACTS THAT THEY ORDER, THAT THEY, UH, DOLE OUT AS A CITY.
AND NOT ALL CITIES DO THAT, BUT THE LARGER CITIES DO.
UH, UM, SO YOU KNOW, DALLAS CITY DALLAS IS LARGE HISPANIC, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN WHITE POPULATION.
SO, AND THEY DON'T, AND THEY PUT OUT A LOT OF CONTRACTS.
SO, UM, THEY FOLLOWED THEIR PO, THE CITY COUNCIL SET THOSE GUIDELINES, AND THEN THEY FOLLOWED THE GUIDELINES WHEN AWARDING CONSCIENCE DID SEE TOO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
AND, UH, LASTLY, IF YOU WOULD BE, UH, FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE THE CHOSEN, UH, CANDIDATE IN, IN THIS PROCESS, UH, WHAT WOULD BE A TIMELINE ON YOUR BEGINNING AS THE, UH, NEW CITY ATTORNEY? IF, IF, IF YOU WOULD MAKE IT THAT FAR IN THIS PROCESS, HOW SOON COULD YOU BEGIN WORKING? WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MOVE, A RELOCATION, SO, RIGHT.
UM, I WOULD SAY AUGUST, SOMETIME IN AUGUST WOULD BE THE EARLIEST.
AND, UH, I DO HAVE SOMETHING ALREADY PREPAID, UH, UH, A TRIP I'M TAKING IN SEPTEMBER, SO I'LL BE GONE 10 TO 14 DAYS IN SEPTEMBER FOR THAT.
SO IF YOU WOULD GET THE JOB, YOU WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO BEGIN MAYBE OCTOBER 1ST, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE RIGHT.
THAT'D BE MY PREFERENCE, YEAH.
AND I JUST WANTED, BECAUSE IF YOU ORDERED, WE WOULD KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT ON THAT.
UH, AND IT'S NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I JUST WANTED A GOOD ANSWER ON THAT.
UH, WITH THOSE, WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH THAT IN MIND, IN OCTOBER, YOU WOULD BE READY TO CALL PORT ARTHUR HOME? YES, SIR.
OCTOBER WOULD BE IT ON, ON THE PERMANENT BASIS.
AND YOU WOULD, AND YOU WOULD PROBABLY, UH, ONCE YOUR DAUGHTER FINISHED RESIDENCY, SHE COULD COME AND PRACTICE HERE? WELL, THAT'S HER DECISION.
HER HUSBAND'S GONNA HAVE A SAY SO.
BUT YOU COULD LET HER KNOW THAT SHE WOULD BE IN THE REAL NICE AREA.
SHE COULD OF COURSE, BEGIN HER PRACTICE HERE.
WITH HER DAD WORKING HERE, AND SHE COULD BEGIN HERE.
WELL, WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS, IN MY TIME IS EXPENDED, BECAUSE I HAVE 1145.
YOU SEE, I'M, I GOTTA, YOU KNOW, KEEP MYSELF HONEST.
NOW, WHAT WE WANT TO DO NOW IS MOVE TO THE THIRD PART OF THIS INTERVIEW PROCESS, WHICH I HAVE UP HERE.
BUT IN THAT SOME COUNCIL MEMBER MAY HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO ASK FROM WHAT YOU'VE ANSWERED, OR DO YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD WANT US TO ANSWER TO HELP YOU MAKE A DECISION IF YOU WERE CHOSEN THAT THIS IS A PLACE FOR YOU? YES, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
AS A, AS A CITY COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOUR PRIMARY, UH, STRATEGIC, WHAT'S, WHAT'S AT THE TOP OF YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN? WHAT ARE Y'ALL LOOKING TO GET DONE IN THE NEXT TWO, THREE YEARS? OKAY.
IN, AND IN THAT, NOW, WHAT I LIKE TO, EACH OF US WOULD PROBABLY GIVE YOU A DIFFERENT ANSWER,
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATOR HERE WHO IS A CITY ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY THAT, WHO ACTUALLY HANDLES THAT.
THIGPEN, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SAY THAT, THAT WE'VE ALL AGREED UPON THAT WOULD BE A ANOTHER MOVE, THE NEXT STRATEGIC MOVE FOR THIS COUNCIL? UH, YES, SIR.
UH, AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE COUNCIL HAS EXPRESSED CERTAIN INITIATIVES THAT THEY WANT TO SEE THE ADMINISTRATION PURSUE.
ONE OF THOSE BEING WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
IN FACT, THE COUNCIL'S EVEN HAVING A WORKSHOP ON TODAY.
UH, THE COUNCIL HAS ALSO EXPRESSED THE DESIRE TO CONCE CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR STREET REPAIR AND STREET, UH, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM.
AND FINALLY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, THOSE HAVE BEEN THE THREE INITIATIVES COUNCIL HAS EXPRESSED IN THOSE AREAS.
I KNOW ONE, ONE AREA, UH, YOU DID EXPRESS YOU, YOU ARE HAVING, UH, EXPERIENCE IN EDC OPERATIONS AND THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THERE ON, ON, UH, THE LEGAL PARTS OF, UH, SETTING UP WASTE WATER AND, UH, FRESH WATER AND JUST, UH, SEWER OPERATIONS.
ARE YOU VERSED IN, IN THAT, IN THAT AREA? TO BE SURE THAT I AM, WE ARE CONTRACTUALLY AND WITH PROCUREMENT,
[01:35:01]
WE ARE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY.I, I WAS, UH, THE ATTORNEY FOR PUBLIC WORKS IN CORPUS CHRISTI FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.
SO I DEALT WITH ALL, AND I ALSO WORKED WITH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, SO I DEALT WITH ENGINEERING CONTRACTS AND PUBLIC WORK CONTRACTS, A LOT OF 'EM.
WATER LINES, SEWER LINES, STREET REPAIR, NEW STREET CONSTRUCTION, UM, ABANDONING EASEMENTS, ALL THAT, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF THAT'S INVOLVED.
AND, AND YOU SAID YOU WERE, YOU WERE THE ATTORNEY FOR THAT DEPARTMENT IN YES, SIR.
IN THE CITY THERE I WAS IN, IN CORPUS.
WE DID GO THROUGH A FEW PUBLIC WORKS MANAGERS IN MY TIME.
BUT
CAT CAN'T BE HELPED, BUT, UH, YEAH, WE HAVEN'T KILLED ONE YET.
BUT
WE HAVEN'T KILLED WE, WE'VE HUNG 'EM ON THE LINE, BUT THEY, THEY, THEY SURVIVE.
BUT THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN, IN, IN A MUNICIPALITY AGAIN, AS, AS WE WRAP UP, UH, YOU KNOW, IT HAPPENED IN A MUNICIPALITY.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT, UH, I THINK OCCURS WITH US ALL HERE, I SAID, EACH OF US WILL GIVE YOU A DIFFERENT ANSWER, IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN AMERICA AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN CITIES.
OUR CITY IS BASICALLY 100 AND WE JUST CELEBRATED OUR QUI CENTENNIAL, YOU KNOW, 125 YEARS.
AND SO SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IS AT LEAST 100 YEARS OLD, OR IT MAY BE 125 YEARS OLD.
AND WE NEED THE, THE, THE RESOURCES, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO UH, REALLY BRING IT ALL UP TO, UH, STANDARDS IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
AND YOU PROBABLY GOT YOUR SHARE OF CLAY, CLAY PIPELINES STILL DOWN.
YEAH, I WAS, BECAUSE THEY'RE NORMALLY ON THIS SIDE, AND I'M ABOUT TO SAY, YEAH, YOU CAN ASK THEM, BUT THEY AREN'T HERE.
BUT OUR ENGINEERS NORMALLY SIT ON THIS SIDE WHEN WE HAVE MEETINGS.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD SOME, UH, THINGS THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY OCTOBER, I BELIEVE, IS THE MONTH THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, ACTUALLY BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT OR HAVE THE PROGRAMS READY FOR ALL OF THOSE.
SO YOU, YOU ARE AWARE OF THOSE AND IF, IF YOU WOULD GET THE JOB, YOU WOULD KNOW ALL OF THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH THAT TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE UP TO PAR WITH, WITH THAT.
AND NO LITIGATION OR DRAWBACKS, I FORGET THE NAME OF THE TERM THAT YOU USE WHEN YOU HAVE TO GIVE THE MONEY BACK TO 'EM, OR YOU HAVE TO PAY 'EM BECAUSE YOU HAVE CLAWBACK.
I KNEW IT WASN'T DRAWBACK, BUT I KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING GOING BACK THE CLAWBACK THAT, THAT WE WOULD'VE WERE, WERE YOU REJECTING A BID? BECAUSE THEY, THEY LIED ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW.
THEY HAD, THEY CLAIM THEY HAD A BUNCH OF EXPERIENCE DOING A PARTICULAR JOB AND TURNS OUT NO THEY DIDN'T.
AND THEY WERE LOW BIDDER, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE.
YOU GOTTA RECOMMEND CITY COUNCIL.
THEY GO THE NEXT LOW BIDDER BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST GONNA GET A MESS IF YOU GO WITH THIS GUY.
'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE.
WE'VE DONE THAT SEVERAL TIMES.
SO, WELL, WHAT WE ARE DOING, WE CAN MOVE NOW.
WE ARE ABOUT AT 1150 AND WE, THE LAST 10 MINUTES WOULD BE, UH, A MOMENT FOR YOU IF YOU HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS FOR US TO DO YOUR CONCLUDING, UH, STATEMENTS TO THIS, UH, GROUP.
UH, AND YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES, NO RUSH.
UH, I DID HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION 'CAUSE I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO OKAY.
GO RIGHT AHEAD TO RESEARCH INTO THIS.
UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST FIVE YEAR, LET'S SEE, LAST FIVE YEARS, SOME CITIES HAVE, HAVE CUT THEIR POLICE BUDGETS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF, IF Y'ALL HAD THAT HERE, IF Y'ALL DID, HAD, UH, MADE A DECISION BACK IN 2020 OR 2021 TO CUT YOUR POLICE BUDGET OR HOW, HOW ARE YOU WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT DOWN HERE? YOU GOT ENOUGH OFFICERS AND, AND WE, WE, WE ARE, HE IS ACTUALLY BEING INVOLVED WITH SOME, UH, NEGOTIATIONS NOW.
UH,
UH, WE ARE PROVIDING ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED.
UM, OF COURSE, AS YOU'RE CORRECT, UH, AS WE TRY TO MOVE UP IN STAFFING, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INCREASES.
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME CITIES IN TEXAS THAT DID SOMETHING REALLY DUMB, WHICH IS THEY CUT THEIR POLICE BUDGET.
I THINK AUSTIN DID THAT AND THEY REGRETTED IT BIG TIME.
AND SO Y'ALL DIDN'T GET INVOLVED IN THAT DOWN HERE, DID YOU? YEAH.
[01:40:01]
ANYWAYS, UH, JUST IN WRAPPING UP, YEAH, I, I, UH, I DON'T MAKE RASH DECISIONS, SO I DIDN'T APPLY HERE.I DIDN'T REACH OUT TO, UH, KEVIN, AN SGR ON THIS WHILE MY APPLICATION WITHOUT DOING A LITTLE, WITHOUT TALKING TO PEOPLE AND TALKING TO KEVIN.
AND, UH, I THINK THIS CITY HAS SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY MORE FUN FOR ME.
THAT'S MORE OF A CHALLENGE THAN GOING TO A CITY THAT'S ALREADY GOT GAZILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THEY GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT.
YOU KNOW, JUST IT, I I THINK IT'S, IT'S MORE FUN TO BE MORE CREATIVE AND, AND WITH THE CHALLENGES, YOU'RE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, SWIMMING IN MONEY AND, UH, SO YOU GOTTA MAKE CHOICES AND DO THINGS RIGHT OR DO THINGS MORE CREATIVELY AND TRY NEW THINGS THAT, THAT'S MORE INTERESTING TO ME.
UH, THE COMMUNITY'S ALSO VERY INTERESTING TO ME.
UH, I LIKE BEING, I LIKE COASTAL COMMUNITIES.
I LEARNED THAT LIVING IN CORPUS CHRISTI AND, UH, I GOT TO LEARN THE ISSUES, A LOT OF THE LEGAL ISSUES THAT COME INTO PLAY WITH THE COASTAL, COASTAL COMMUNITY THAT YOU DON'T SEE IN NORTH TEXAS OR CENTRAL TEXAS.
SO, UH, WHY WASTE ALL THAT? WHY NOT KEEP GOING WITH THE COASTAL COMMUNITIES? I'M, I'M, UH, NOT TIED DOWN RIGHT NOW SO I CAN LIVE WHERE I WANNA LIVE AND KIDS ARE GROWN AND MARRIED AND, UM, AND THIS SEEMS LIKE A NICE COMMUNITY TO WORK IN, LIVE IN.
SO, UH, I DUNNO WHAT ELSE I HAVE TO SAY.
UM, OF COURSE IT IS A BIGGER JOB, YOU KNOW, CITY ATTORNEY.
IT'S A BIGGER JOB, HARDER JOB THAN A CITY ATTORNEY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND CORPUS CHRISTI WAS MAKING TWO AND A HALF TIMES WHAT I WAS MAKING, YOU KNOW, SO IT, IT'S A HIGHER PAYING JOB AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD EXPECT TO BE PAID WHAT A CITY ATTORNEY GETS PAID.
OH, ALSO HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WHO YOUR LAST CITY ATTORNEY WAS.
DID Y'ALL HAVE THE EXPERIENCE? I DON'T KNOW WHEN SHE LEFT, OR, YEAH, SHE, I THINK IT WAS MARCH 1ST, I BELIEVE.
WAS, WAS, WAS HER, UH, FINAL DATE HERE AND SHE HAD WORKED HERE CLOSE TO 20 YEARS AND I THINK, OH, IS THAT RIGHT? ABOUT 14 YEARS BEING CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, I KNOW A LOT OF CITY ATTORNEYS AROUND, BUT I, THAT'S SHE'S ONE I DIDN'T, DID NOT KNOW.
AND DID SHE JUST DECIDE TO RETIRE? DID OR SHE FIND ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY SOMEWHERE ELSE? YEAH.
AND SO Y'ALL BEEN WITHOUT A CITY ATTORNEY FOR YEAH, A FEW MONTHS.
YEAH, WE, BUT WE HAVE A, A, A, A REAL GOOD AFFILIATE THAT'S RIGHT HERE.
NOT GONNA DISCOUNT WHAT JAMES BEEN DOING FOR YOU,
Y'ALL HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? WELL, DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY, ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, WHAT WE'LL DO IT IS NOW 1155 AND, UH, CITY SECRETARY, IF I MAY, WE ARE GOING TO BREAK NOW.
LUNCH WILL BEGIN, I THINK AT 1215 IN THE, UH, CONFERENCE ROOM HERE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR.
UH, WHAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO DO IS TO RETURN AT, UH, ABOUT ONE 15 FOR SURE.
SO WE CAN BEGIN AT PROMPT AT ONE 30.
SO WHERE WE RETURN AT ONE 15 HERE.
SO IF YOU WERE GOING TO LEAVE, GET BACK NOW.
UH, COUNCILMAN DEUCE SAID YOU, YOU HAVE TO BE GONE 'CAUSE YOU GOTTA BE TO THE DOCTOR, EVERYONE.
SO HE, HE'LL RETURN MAYBE ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE OTHER, UH, INTERVIEW.
BUT WE, WE STILL HAVE A QUARREL AND WE, WE, WE, WE'LL STILL BE IN GOOD SHAPE.
SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND, UH, THANK YOU.
WE'LL BE, UH, AROUND AND YOU HAVE SOME OTHER PARTS OF THE, YOUR INTERVIEW TO A SCHEDULED FOR YOU, UH, FOLLOWING LUNCH AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY, UH, PREDETERMINED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN.
WHILE, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO IT FOR THIS DAY,
SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
AND WE, WE WILL RECESS NOW THE INTERVIEWS AND WE'LL RETURN AT ONE 15.
CITY SECRETARY, ARE WE READY? OKAY.
WOULD YOU REESTABLISH FOR ME PLEASE PRESENT? SORRY.
[01:45:04]
HE WAS COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON BERFIELD.AND WE ARE CONTINUING OUR INTERVIEWS.
IT IS NOW 1 27, SO WE ARE ABOUT TWO MINUTES, MAYBE ABOUT THREE MINUTES AHEAD, WHICH IS GOOD.
AND OUR NEXT INTERVIEWEE IS, IS THAT SMAR SAMR, SAM? YES, SIR.
THAT'S MUCH SAM, SAM IS FULL NAME, BUT SAM IS JUST FINE.
AND, UH, MR. SHABOE, I AM THURMAN BILL BCE, THE, UH, MAYOR OF THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.
EITHER MY CONSTITUENTS, MY COLLEAGUES, OR WHO ARE HERE WITH ME, OR WE ARE READY TO BEGIN YOUR INTERVIEW PROCESS.
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS HERE, EXCUSE ME, WILL CONSIST OF FOUR DIFFERENT SECTIONS I WOULD CALL THEM, UH, THE FIRST ONE BEING ABOUT A 10 MINUTE, UH, PRESENTATION.
I'M GOING TO ASK YOU SOMETHING IN A MOMENT AND YOU WILL HAVE 10 MINUTES TO ELABORATE ON THAT.
UH, FOLLOWING THAT, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
IN THAT FIVE MINUTES THEY WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION.
YOU WOULD GIVE AN ANSWER WITHIN EACH PERSON'S FIVE MINUTE, UH, ALLOTMENT.
FOLLOWING THAT, WE WILL GO TO ITEMS THREE AND FOUR, WHICH I CAN PUT 'EM TOGETHER.
THE FIRST PART OF IT WOULD BE ALMOST A WRAP UP.
THE WRAP UP WOULD BE IF ANY COUNCIL PERSON HAS, UH, SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED TO ASK FROM WHAT YOU'VE ANSWERED AT THAT JUNCTURE, THEY WILL ASK YOU.
AND THEN IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO ASK US AT THAT JUNCTURE THAT YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD DO THAT.
AND THE FINAL THING WOULD HAPPEN, UH, FOR ABOUT THE LAST 10 MINUTES OF THE INTERVIEW, WHERE YOU WOULD ACTUALLY DO A, A CONCLUDING OR CLOSING STATEMENT TO THIS INTERVIEW PANEL.
AND THE PARAMETER SAYS 1 29, AND WE WAS SUPPOSED TO BEGIN AT ONE 30.
SO I'M GOING TO BEGIN NOW, THE VERY FIRST, UH, SECTION OF YOUR INTERVIEW.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU, TELL US WHY YOU REALLY WANT TO WORK FOR US.
IS THIS A TIMED QUESTION AT ALL, UH, MR. MAYOR, OR IS THIS SOMETHING? JUST GO AHEAD.
WE GOT 10 MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT IT.
WELL, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, UH, MR. MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MR. UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, SECRETARY, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UM, I WOULD SIT THERE AND TELL YOU, UH, GREAT TO BE BACK HOME.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, I, I AM, MY NAME IS SAMR SHA BOSSI.
I AM A, UM, UH, UM, UH, A FORMER, UH, RESIDENT OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, AND IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY.
UM, SO I DIDN'T PRESENT ANY, UH, COMMENTS TODAY ABOUT AN OPENING STATEMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT, UH, I'LL SIT THERE AND TELL YOU THAT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE PORT ARTHUR IS A, UM, A, A, A PASSION OF MINE.
UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS, IS IN MY BLOOD.
UH, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A, A PART OF MY, UH, DNA.
UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
UM, IT'S, UH, UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A, IS SOME NOSTALGIA ASSOCIATED WITH IT, BUT, UH, ULTIMATELY THIS IS A ROLE THAT I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH, HAVING BEEN AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY AT ONE TIME.
UH, SO, UM, UH, AT THE TIME, UH, WHEN I APPLIED FOR THIS POSITION, UH, I DIDN'T THINK THAT, UH, THE CITY WOULD, UH, GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, EXPLORE A ROLE AS A A, A CITY ATTORNEY.
UH, BUT, UM, I KNOW I, I HAVE A PEDIGREE FOR IT.
UH, I'VE, I'VE WORKED VERY HARD TO GET TO THIS POINT.
UM, AND THE REASON I WANT TO, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M HONORED TO BE HERE AGAIN, IS BECAUSE, AGAIN, THIS IS MY HOMETOWN.
I I'VE WORKED FOR IN THE PAST, UM, A FEW YEARS I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR STATE AGENCIES.
AND I FEEL THAT THE, UH, SKILLS THAT I'VE ACQUIRED AT THE STATE AGENCY AND THE SKILLS THAT I'VE ACQUIRED HERE AT THE, UH, CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, MY BRIEF TENURE HERE WOULD, UH, GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS, UM, HELPING THE CITY.
AND ULTIMATELY, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY.
UM, AND SPEAKING WITH SOME OF THE CANDIDATES TODAY, THIS MORNING, I FEEL YOU'VE, YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT POOL OF CANDIDATES TOO.
UH, I'M ACTUALLY VERY, UH, PROUD OF TO BE
[01:50:01]
INCLUDED IN THAT, UH, GROUP OF PEOPLE.UM, WHAT I, YOU KNOW, I THINK SETS ME APART FROM OTHERS IS THAT, UM, I'M FROM PORT ARTHUR AND I WILL FIGHT FOR PORT ARTHUR.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS FOUGHT FOR PORT ARTHUR.
UM, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A NOSTALGIA FOR IT, BUT ULTIMATELY, I STILL THINK THAT THERE ARE GREAT THINGS AHEAD FOR PORT ARTHUR.
UM, AND, UM, MUCH OF THE STAFF THAT I'VE WORKED WITH HERE, I HAVE FAITH IN THEM.
AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHY, UM, I CHOSE TO SUBMIT, UM, MY APPLICATION.
I, I KNOW, UH, THE MANAGER, I KNOW HIS EFFORTS.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH HIM BEFORE WHEN WE WERE, UH, WORKING TOGETHER.
I KNOW, UH, HE'S THOROUGH AND, UH, CERTAINLY IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO, UM, HIS, HIS VISION OF WHAT PORT ARTHUR COULD BE.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS YOU WANT TO TELL US ABOUT AS, AS TO ASK YOU WHY YOU REALLY WANNA WORK HERE IN PORT ARTHUR? AGAIN? UH, THIS IS, UH, MY HOMETOWN.
UH, I, I WANNA WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE, UM, THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY AT HEART.
I WANNA ASSIST YOU, UM, IN, IN EFFECTUATING YOUR POLICIES.
UM, ULTIMATELY, UH, I KNOW, UM, THAT THERE IS A VISION THAT IS PORT ARTHUR.
I'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH IT EVEN THOUGH I'VE NOT BEEN IN PORT ARTHUR FOR THE PAST.
UM, IT'S ALMOST NINE YEARS NOW.
UM, BUT, UH, PORT ARTHUR IS STILL A PART OF, UH, WHO I AM.
AND ULTIMATELY IT'S A, A A AN ENTITY THAT I WANNA SEE SUCCEED.
WELL, WITH THAT, UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS MOVE TO THE SECOND, EXCUSE ME, PHASE OF YOUR, UH, INTERVIEW.
AND EACH, THIS IS WHEN YOU, EACH COUNCIL PERSON WILL INTRODUCE THEMSELVES TO YOU, AND THEY WILL HAVE THE FIVE MINUTES.
I'M JUST AT THIS JUNCTION, I'M GOING TO BEGIN WITH, UM, MAYOR PRO JIM BECKHAM.
UM, SHE WILL BEGIN WITH, WITH, WITH THE FIVE MINUTE, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR COUNCIL.
SO IN THE SPIRIT OF FULL DISCLOSURE, I WANT THE REST OF COUNCIL TO KNOW THAT YOU AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UM, BUT WE'VE NEVER BEEN ADVERSE TO EACH OTHER ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF CASES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UH, JUST THE FACT THAT WE PRACTICE TOGETHER IN JEFFERSON COUNTY DOESN'T PRESENT ANY CONFLICTS AT, AT LEAST NOT IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION.
UM, SO I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS SINCE I'M A LAWYER ALSO, UH, THAT KIND OF WILL SPEAK TO YOUR PRACTICE.
FIRST THING IS, UM, KNOWING THAT WHEN YOU COME TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AS THE CITY ATTORNEY, THAT THAT WILL BE YOUR FULL-TIME JOB, AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE ANY OUTSIDE LEGAL PRACTICE WHATSOEVER.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE HAS TO DO WITH, UH, SOME PET PEEVES THAT I HAVE AS, AS TO MY OWN PRACTICE, BUT THAT I ALSO HAVE SEEN IN OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND THAT'S PROCRASTINATION.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL INCIDENCES WHERE, SAY, A CONTRACT IS BEING NEGOTIATED AND IT SAT IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT FOR TOO LONG.
UM, WE'VE HAD SOME OTHER, LIKE LEASE AGREEMENTS THAT WERE READY TO EXPIRE WHERE WE HAD A REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION ON A LEASE AGREEMENT, AND IT JUST SAT THERE.
SO WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY ABOUT WORKFLOW? YEAH, WORKFLOW IS, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC, AND I, IIII HAVING EXPERIENCE HERE AT THE, AT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, I UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR, UH, CONCERNS.
AND IT, I, I, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I'LL TELL YOU MY EXPERIENCE AND, AND, UM, I THINK THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IS REALLY THE, THE BEST APPROACH AND THE USE OF THE STAFF.
UH, ULTIMATELY, UH, BEING A CITY ATTORNEY IS A VERY, UH, UM, UM, A MULTIFACETED JOB.
SO, UM, UH, ORGANIZATION IS KEY, BUT ALSO UTILIZING YOUR STAFF AROUND YOU TO KEEP REMINDERS AND SO FORTH.
SO NOT ONLY USING TECHNOLOGY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, YOUR PHONE, YOUR CALENDARS, AND SO FORTH, BUT YOU NEED STAFF MEMBERS THAT KEEP YOU ABREAST OF THINGS THROUGH, UH, TECHNOLOGY, MAYBE YOUR CALENDARS AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PRACTICE OF LAW HAS CHANGED CONSIDERABLY OVER THE PAST, UH, 10 YEARS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF TOOLS THAT MAKE THINGS, UH, UH, EASY, EASIER TO, UM, COLLABORATE WITH STAFF ON THAT CLOUD SERVICES AND SO FORTH.
AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UH, YOU ALWAYS KEEP IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, UM, UM, UH, AN AWARENESS OF THAT SOMETHING IS DUE.
BUT ULTIMATELY, UH, HAVING THOSE NOTIFICATIONS, THOSE REMINDERS AND SO FORTH, COMING UP THROUGH YOUR PHONE, YOUR IPADS, YOUR COMPUTERS AND SO FORTH, IT'S, THAT'S THE WAY I, UH, BALANCE THOSE TA THOSE TASKS.
UM, ULTIMATELY, WE ARE ALL, UM, UM, TO DO OUR JOBS.
UH, SO THERE'S ALWAYS APPOINTMENTS COMING UP.
AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY HOW WHEN I WAS AT THE MEDICAL BOARD, I WAS IN CHARGE OF OPEN RECORDS.
THAT'S A VERY TIME SENSITIVE, UH, UH, TYPE OF, UH, DUTY.
AND ESPECIALLY AT THE MEDICAL BOARD WHEN, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, AT THE TIME IT WAS, WE WERE GOING THROUGH COVID.
[01:55:01]
UH, SO FORTUNATELY WE, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF INQUIRIES, UH, WITH REGARD TO TWO VERY, UM, IMPORTANT TOPICS, UH, COVID BEING ONE OF THEM.UM, AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF TIME SENSITIVE, UM, UM, UH, INQUIRIES AND, AND REQUESTS COME THROUGH.
SO WE WERE VERY TIMELY, AND I WAS THANKFUL TO STAFF.
YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD, WE WOULD COLLABORATE ON A SPREADSHEET AND SO FORTH.
SO WE SET UP THE SPREADSHEET IN A WAY THAT, UH, WHAT WOULD COME THROUGH.
WE'D MAKE SURE THAT WE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT AND REMOVE IT FROM THE SPREADSHEET, OR AT LEAST, UH, PUT IT TAKEN CARE OF IN THAT TIME.
SO TECHNOLOGY AND, AND, AND THE, AND THE, AND THE USE OF, UH, STAFF MEMBERS WHO KEEP YOU ABREAST OF THINGS IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER, BECAUSE YOU, YOU ACTUALLY ACTUALLY ANSWERED WHAT MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTION WAS GONNA BE ABOUT DELEGATING RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO I, I TAKE IT FROM YOUR ANSWER THAT YOU WOULD DEFINITELY DELEGATE THINGS THAT COULD BE DELEGATED.
IS THAT, IS THAT ACCURATE? YES, MA'AM.
YEAH, THAT'S, UH, UH, THE IMPERATIVE.
UM, UM, ACTUALLY IN, IN MY PRIOR ROLE, I DIDN'T HAVE, I, I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE LEGAL ASSISTANT, AND ULTIMATELY I DIDN'T HAVE THAT LEGAL ASSISTANT.
IT MADE THE JOB, UH, VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO DO.
UH, I, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DO NEED, UH, HELP.
AND SO I WOULD DELEGATE THAT HELP TO, UH, LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS AS NEEDED.
WHAT'S UP, SAM? LONG TIME TO SEE.
I HAVE ONE QUESTION, AND THAT'S A QUESTION I'VE ASKED ALL AND GONNA ASK EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, AS A, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, TO YOUR PERSONS THAT HIRE YOU ARE ANOMALY.
WELL, THE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, PERSON THAT, UH, YOUR BOSSES ARE THE COUNCIL, BUT AS A CITY ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, YOUR JOB IS TO GIVE US ADVICE.
AND THAT ADVICE SHOULD BE LEGAL IN THE SENSE THAT, UH, IT SHOULD PROTECT THE CITY AND THE CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIME THERE'S A POINT IN TIME WHERE COUNCIL DESIRE TO DO THINGS AS A WHOLE OR MAJORITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT MAY NOT BE WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY AND ITS CITIZENS, AND WHAT IS LEGAL.
WHEN YOU GET TO A SITUATION LIKE THAT, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THAT? UM, ULTIMATELY, SIR, UH, THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE IS THE DECISION MAKER.
I WOULD DEFER TO, UM, THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE ON THIS.
I, I, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU'D DISPENSE ADVICE.
AND, UM, IT'S UP TO THE, THE COUNCIL.
UH, YOU'RE IN YOUR ROLES AS, AS COUNSEL, AS APPOINTEES OF THE, UH, CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND ULTIMATELY, THE DECISION THAT IS MADE BY THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE IS THE, IS THE DECISION THAT MOVES FORWARD.
BUT SPEAKING OF YOUR ADVICE, WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO THE COUNCIL? I CAN JUST REITERATE MY ADVICE AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT I'VE, UM, I, I WOULD BE ONE TO PUT IT IN WRITING.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO PUT THINGS IN WRITING SO IT, IT ESTABLISHES THAT THIS IS WHAT MY OPINION IS.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANT HEARSAY LATER ON.
UH, SO I'VE ALWAYS BEEN, THAT WAS ONE OF MY, UM, UM, UM, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS VERY ADAMANT ABOUT WHEN I WAS AN ASSISTANT TO THE ATTORNEY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE MEMOS, THEIR, UH, WORK PRODUCT, BUT I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN, IN, IN WRITING MY, UM, OPINIONS, UM, ULTIMATELY SO I COULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIM.
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, COUNCILMAN KEN LAW.
UM, AND THAT LEADS ME RIGHT INTO WHAT I WANTED TO ASK YOU, ACCOUNTABILITY.
HOW DO YOU VALUE ACCOUNTABILITY? WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TIME SENSITIVE, UH, MATERIALS THAT WE DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS AS CITY ATTORNEY, UH, LIKE WHAT COHORTS BEFORE? UH, YOUR JOB IS TO ENSURE THAT WE GET, UH, THE LEGAL ASPECT OF UNDERSTANDING POLICY, PROCEDURES, ORDINANCE, WHATEVER IT IS.
UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE CAN'T SIT ON THINGS AT ALL.
SO WE RELY ON LEGAL TO GIVE US A LEGAL OPINION AND GET BACK WITH THE COUNCIL IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I NEED TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF JOB, WHAT IS A SUCCESSFUL IN MY POSITION.
SO I NEED, UH, TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, OTHERWISE, I'M NOT SUCCEEDING IN THIS ROLE.
AND I THINK THE WAY YOU HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE IS YOU DO THE EVALUATIONS AS SCHEDULED.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE EVALUATIONS, UM, ANNUALLY AND ACCORDING TO THE POLICY OR WHENEVER YOU FEEL IT'S NECESSARY.
UM, I, WHEN I WAS, UM, HERE, UH, EVALUATIONS WERE, UM,
[02:00:01]
NOT, UH, THEY USUALLY POPPED UP AT A TIME, UH, WASN'T SCHEDULED.I, I DO BELIEVE SCHEDULED EVALUATIONS ARE APPROPRIATE, UH, MORE SO THAN REACTIONARY, UH, TO, UH, SOME SOMETHING THAT POPS UP.
BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE SOMEBODY DROPPED THE BALL, THEN CERTAINLY THE EVALUATION SHOULD BE DONE.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S USUALLY DONE IN, UM, EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION, UM, I HEARD YOU EARLIER, YOU TALKED ABOUT YOU UNDERSTAND THE CITY MANAGER'S GOALS AND DIRECTIONS, AND YOU CAN KIND OF ATTEST TO THAT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU WORK FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, UH, SO THAT, THAT'S THAT GRAY LOT AREA THAT YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
AND THAT, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UM, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE A SITUATION WHERE THE COUNCIL HAD HIS OWN VIEWPOINTS? BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, BUT HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE A SITUATION WHERE THE MANAGER IS WANTING ONE WAY AND THE COUNCIL WANT IT ANOTHER WAY? HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE A SITUATION LIKE THAT? I'D SPECIFIED IN THE CHARTER THAT, UH, YOU SELECT THE CITY ATTORNEY, SO I WORK FOR YOU.
UM, ULTIMATELY WHERE I FELT LIKE THE BEST WAY TO, UM, TO PARSE THIS ISSUE WAS TO HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN IN PLACE AND FOLLOW THAT GUIDELINE.
WHEN I WAS HERE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN WASN'T ABIDED BY AS CLOSELY AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN, SINCE THAT TIME, I THINK TOWARDS THE TAIL END OF MY TENURE HERE, THAT YOU STARTED TO MOVE INTO THE STRATEGIC PLANNING.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK FREEZE AND NICHOLS WAS THAT, UH, THAT HELPED WITH THAT.
UH, BUT STRATEGIC PLANNING IS IMPORTANT, UH, SETTING THE, THE, THE GOALS AND, UM, FOR SUCCESS IN THE, THE POSITION.
SO, UM, WE NEED CERTAIN PARAMETERS EXACTLY ON, ON WHAT IS THE, UH, WHAT IS THE SUCCESS IN ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS ULTIMATELY.
UM, BUT YES, AS YOU SAID, THE, THE, I'M NOT THE, I'M, I'M HERE AS AN ATTORNEY TO ADVISE THE COUNSEL AND ALSO ADVISE EXECUTIVE STAFF, BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU EXERCISE, UM, UM, THE DECISION MAKING WITH REGARD TO, UH, EMPLOYMENT AS A CITY ATTORNEY.
AND LASTLY, UH, THE CHAIR THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON IS A REAL TOUGH SEAT.
SO, UH, YOU UNDERSTAND IT'S, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THICK SKIN BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET ALL KIND OF OPINIONS AND EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN ATTORNEY, AND THEY GOT THEIR, UH, THEIR OWN VIEWPOINTS OF HOW THINGS SHOULD WORK.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE SHOULD RESPECT YOUR OPINION, UH, IF YOU'RE SELECTED.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND, UH, INTERVIEWING FOR THIS, UH, POSITION.
I APPRECIATE YOU FOR HAVING ME.
NEXT, WE HAVE COUNCILMAN, UH, FRANK.
UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US ON TODAY.
UH, I'M, I'M SORRY, I AM COUNCILMAN FRANK, UH, CITY, UM, UH, AT LARGE, UH, COUNCILMAN HERE, UH, IN THE CITY.
BEEN ON, UH, COUNCIL FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS, SO I WAS NOT ON COUNCIL, UH, WHEN YOU WERE HERE BEFORE.
UM, ONE OF THE ROLES THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ROLES, OF COURSE, AS CITY COUNCILMAN.
THOSE ARE IN THE AREA OF CREATING POLICY, UH, AND THEN THE SELECTION AND OVERSIGHT AND EVALUATION OF THE THREE POSITIONS, ONE OF WHICH YOU ARE APPLYING FOR TODAY.
WHAT DO WE GET WHEN WE GET, UM, MR. SHEI, WHAT, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE THAT PERHAPS WE WON'T BE ABLE TO FIND IN ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL APPLYING FOR, UH, THE JOB TODAY? UM, I, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I'M REALLY FOND OF THE CANDIDATES THAT YOU BROUGHT TODAY.
SO I, I CAN'T SIT THERE AND DISPARAGE ANYBODY AND SAY THAT YOU HAVEN'T, UH, PICKED EXCELLENT CANDIDATES.
UH, I CAN SIT THERE AND, AND, AND DESCRIBE MYSELF.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'M, UH, UM, UH, VERY DILIGENT.
UH, I, I THINK THAT'S THE, THE ROLE THAT I HAVE TO PLAY.
I REMEMBER THAT HAVING EXPERIENCE, UH, WORKING AT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, I REMEMBER, UH, THE DUST UPS BETWEEN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND WHATNOT.
UM, I DON'T, UH, I, I HAD SOMEBODY ADVISE.
I, I READ, READ A LOT ABOUT BEING A CITY ATTORNEY WHEN I WAS A, AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE PIECES OF ADVICE THAT, THAT I, I READ THAT WAS VERY GERMANE WAS, UH, TO THINK POLITICALLY, BUT TO REMAIN AP APOLITICAL.
AND THAT'S, UH, ULTIMATELY IN THIS VERY CONTENTIOUS TIMES IN AMERICAN POLITICS.
UH, YOU WON'T SEE A, A LOT OF, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT DIFFERENT POSITIONS POLITICALLY BECAUSE ULTIMATELY I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE ARE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS AND I'M NOT, UH, I'M PAID FOR MY LEGAL ADVICE.
UH, AND NOT TO HAVE A POSITION, UH, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, JUST TO ADVISE YOU ON, ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF CERTAIN, UM, UM, UM, DECISION MAKING OR ROUTES THAT, UH, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD GO, OR THE CITY MANAGER, OF COURSE.
I WAS LED TO ASK YOU THAT QUESTION.
I'M GONNA ASK YOU THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES.
TELL ME ABOUT A TIME, UH, WHERE YOU WERE CALLED UPON
[02:05:01]
TO, UM, NEGOTIATE AND PRODUCE, UH, A P THREE AGREEMENT, UH, UH, UH, AN AGREEMENT, UH, OF, UH, BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.UH, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT A TIME WHERE YOU HAD TO DO THAT, WHERE YOU'VE DONE THAT, HOW YOU'VE EXPERIENCED THAT AND, UH, UH, BROUGHT THAT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE? UM, MOSTLY IN MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES, UM, AS THE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, I, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY WAS DILIGENT IN, IN, IN, UM, UM, READING THOSE ATTORNEY GENERAL BOOKS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.
UM, UM, THE, THE CHAPTER THREE 80 AGREEMENTS, THERE ARE ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT I, YOU KNOW, I BROUGHT FORTH YOU KNOW, UH, TO THIS, THIS COUNCIL, UH, THERE ARE SOME, UH, CHAPTER THREE 80 AGREEMENTS I THINK THAT WE ENTERED INTO.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE THE MOST VERSATILE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN, I CAN REMEMBER, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, UM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THINKING BACK INTO THE, THE, THE BAKER KATZ DEVELOPMENT WITH THE HOBBY LOBBY, THAT WAS A, A PUBLIC PRIVATE, UH, PARTNERSHIP BACK IN, I THINK 2015.
UM, UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF A DIFFERENT ONES THAT WE HAD.
I KNOW, UH, UM, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT OVER THERE IN, IN 365, THAT WAS A, A, ANOTHER ONE THAT WAS, UM, UH, A TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT.
UH, SO THAT WAS A SALES TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT THAT I REMEMBER THAT WAS ENTERED INTO UNDER, UH, SOLOW AND WE EXTENDED IT, UM, UM, AFTER, UH, SERPENT CITY HAD HAD GONE UNDER.
UM, SO YEAH, SOME FAMILIARITY AND THE SPECIFICS OF WHICH, UM, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER PARTICULAR ONES, BUT I CAN REMEMBER THE CHAPTER THREE 80 AGREEMENTS AND, AND, UH, UH, THAT WE, WE STARTED TO EMPLOY HERE AT THE CITY AROUND THAT, UH, AROUND BETWEEN 2010 AND 2015.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
HOW YOU, HOW YOU DOING, SAM? GOOD, MR. LEWIS? IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
I THINK THE LAST TIME WE TALKED PERSON FACE TO FACE WAS, UH, DR.
LET'S, LET'S EXPAND SOME MORE ON THAT P THREE AGREEMENT THAT HE, UH, MENTIONED.
IT'S SOMETHING SIMILAR WOULD PROBABLY CAUSE, CAUSE A CONTROVERSY WORKING WITH YOU IN THE PAST, THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS A, BASICALLY A P THREE AGREEMENT DEALING WITH THE ISLAND, I THINK WITH THE, WITH THE GOLF COURSE OUT THERE.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS YOU DIDN'T, YOU, YOU ADVISED THE COUNCIL NOT TO ENTER INTO THAT AGREEMENT BECAUSE THAT PARTNERSHIP, THEY OWED THE CITY FROM A PREVIOUS AGREEMENT, $600,000.
SO THAT'S WHY HE DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO THE AGREEMENT, BUT HE MADE THE COUNCIL AWARE OF IT.
IT CAUSED SOME ROUGH, ROUGHER, SOME FEATHERS.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT, GO AHEAD.
IF NOT, I'LL GO TO MY NEXT QUESTION.
I REMEMBER, UM, NOT ONLY, UM, DIFFERENT, UH, I, I, I REMEMBER THE PEOPLE THAT COME BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL SEEKING SOME KIND OF INCENTIVE AGREEMENT.
AND I GO BACK AND I RESEARCH WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEIR HISTORY IS WITH THE CITY.
AND WHAT YOU'LL FIND IS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO ENTER IN AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY HAVE A HISTORY OF DEFAULTING WITH THE CITY.
AND WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL BRING THAT UP, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE RISK MITIGATION, UH, DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S AS A CITY ATTORNEY, THAT'S WHAT YOU DO.
UM, I KNOW ON THAT PARTICULAR, UM, OCCASION, I THINK THAT SAME INDIVIDUAL HAD COME, UM, UM, HAD GONE TO AT ONE POINT, GONE TO FORD PARK AND THEY HAD DISCUSSED, UM, SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT WITH FORD PARK.
AND I, I KNOW THE NAMES, AND WHEN I SEE THE NAMES, IT, IT RAISES RED FLAGS AND I HAVE A DUTY TO ALERT YOU AND ALERT ANYBODY THAT, UM, ASK ME FOR MY ADVICE.
YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED FORD PARK, YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE WAS TRYING TO PARTNERSHIP WITH FORD PARK AND BEAUMONT.
WELL, I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE FBI ABOUT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE PARK, ONE OF ONE OF THE PERSON THAT WANTED TO, UH, WAS PUSHING THE PARTNERSHIP.
AND I, I EXPLAINED TO THE, THE FBI THE HISTORY OF THAT PARTICULAR PERSON.
I SAID, I WOULDN'T DEAL WITH HIM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HE OWED US $600,000 AND HE DEFAULTED IN THERE.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, TAX ABATEMENT, YOU FAMILIAR WITH OUR TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS AND EVERYTHING?
[02:10:01]
UH, THE JUDICIAL DISTRICT AGREEMENTS, WE, WE, SO WE HAVE NOT BEEN GETTING WHAT WE NEED TO.WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENT? WE NEEDED EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR CITIZENS TRAINING PROGRAM FOR OUR CITIZEN, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE GOT SOME LEVERAGE, BUT IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIMITED.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENT WITH THOSE TAX ABATEMENT CONTRACTS? WELL, UH, I CAN REMEMBER, UH, WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE CITY, I READ THOSE AGREEMENTS AND THE, THE BIG ISSUE WAS THE LANGUAGE BEST EFFORTS.
AND I DID RESEARCH ON THE, ON THE, ON THE LANGUAGE BEST EFFORTS.
AND I KNOW THE BEST EFFORTS LANGUAGE I'M REFERRING TO REFERS TO BEST EFFORTS TO HIRE SUPPORT ARTHUR CITIZENS.
UM, MY PROPOSAL, AND I THINK IT ENDED UP COMING THROUGH OLSON AND OLSON AS WELL, WAS TO, UH, TIE THE DISCOUNT RATE THAT PROVIDED, UH, THE REFINERIES BASED ON HOW MUCH, UH, VERIFIABLE RESULTS THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE YOU.
THAT THEY WERE HIRING PORT ARTHUR CITIZENS.
SO THEY HAD TO WORK FOR THEIR DISCOUNT RATE AS OPPOSED TO JUST GIVING THEM THE RATE AND TRYING TO LITIGATE THIS ISSUE OF BEST EFFORTS.
SO SELF-EXECUTING PROVISIONS IN THE AGREEMENT THAT THEY WORK FOR YOU TO ESTABLISH THAT THEY'RE HIRING PORT ARTHUR RESIDENTS.
UH, I FELT LIKE THAT WAS THE BEST APPROACH.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE ENFORCEMENT OF THOSE PROVISIONS ARE RIGHT NOW WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
I DON'T HAVE, I'M NOT PRIVY TO THAT, BUT I DID FEEL LIKE THAT WAS THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH IT AND THE FAIR WAY TO APPROACH IT FOR THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, SO THE, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS, THIS IS HYPOTHETICAL, BUT FOR EVERY 100 PEOPLE THAT THEY, THE REFINERY'S HIGHER, THEY RECEIVE A CERTAIN DISCOUNT RATE ON THEIR VALUATION.
SO THAT MEANS THEY WOULD WORK FOR YOU AS OPPOSED TO THIS VAGUE BEST EFFORTS LANGUAGE.
I DON'T LIKE VAGUE LANGUAGE IN CONTRACTS.
SO, UH, EVERY EFFORT I I I'VE MADE, WHETHER IT BE IN, UM, THIS ROLE OR AS A A ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD OR IN A PRIVATE HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO WISHY-WASHY.
'CAUSE WISHY-WASHY CONTRACTS MEANS COST FOR LITIGATION AND UNCERTAINTY IN LITIGATION.
IF YOU MAKE IT CLEAR, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE, UH, A SETTLEMENT MORE LIKELY MM-HMM.
BUT I DO BELIEVE, UM, WITH CLARITY, YOU HAVE MORE WILLINGNESS TO WORK BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR ROLES ARE, WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, AND, UH, THEY ALSO HAVE, THE AP OPPOSING PARTY WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN RISK MITIGATION DIVISION THAT WOULD SIT THERE AND SAY THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF LOSING AND SO FORTH.
AND, AND SO, BUT THAT CERTAINLY IN THE CONTRACTS, WE COULD CERTAINLY EFFECTUATE MAYBE WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, SIR.
UH, YOU BASICALLY, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE WRITTEN OPINION.
YOU PRETTY, PRETTY CLEAR ON, I DON'T NEED TO ASK THAT, BUT, UH, WHICH WE HAVE HAD BAD EXPERIENCES ON OUTSIDE ATTORNEY FEES.
BUT WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENT? UM, UH, MY NUMBER ONE GOAL IN, IN, IN, UH, AVOIDING OUTSIDE COUNSEL FEES IS, OF COURSE, TO ADVISE YOU TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN MITIGATE THE RISK.
SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND, UM, EMPLOY, BUT MOSTLY TO DO THE WORK OURSELVES.
THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO CITY ATTORNEYS, WHETHER IT BE T-M-L-T-C-A-A, THOSE ARE OUTSIDE RESOURCES.
AND FROM MY EXPERIENCES, UH, MAYBE I DON'T HAVE FAMILIARITY WITH THE ROLE.
THERE ARE, UH, ADVISORS OUT THERE.
THERE'S MORE SEASONED, UM, CITY ATTORNEYS OUT THERE THAT ARE WILLING TO SHARE THEIR KNOW KNOWLEDGE.
UM, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, UH, UM, RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO A CITY ATTORNEY IS THE LISTSERV.
UH, AND THERE'S A, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CITY ATTORNEYS OUT THERE SHARING INFORMATION.
YOU CAN ASK THEM QUESTIONS AND THEY'LL RESPOND TO YOU ON, ON WHERE TO GET YOUR ANSWER.
BUT I, I DO FIND MYSELF TO BE A VERY, UM, UM, RESOURCEFUL, UM, WITH REGARD TO RESEARCH, UM, WHETHER IT BE USING WESTLAW, WHETHER USING LEXINEXIS AND SO FORTH, THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO MAKE FINDING INFORMATION, UM, UM, EASY AND EASY TO DO.
AND SO, UH, BEING RESOURCEFUL WITH THE RESOURCES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO YOU WILL MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS SPENT ON OUTSIDE COUNSEL AND AVOIDING, UH, UNNECESSARY RISKS.
UM, BEING DILIGENT ABOUT OPEN RECORDS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT YOU, YOU RESPOND TIMELY, THAT THERE'S A SPREADSHEET THAT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN AVOID, UH, UM, UM, UM, UH, LITIGATION WITH REGARD TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT RESPONDING TO WITHIN THE TIMELINE FOR, FOR OPEN RECORDS.
UH, SO ALL THOSE THINGS IS, IT'S ABOUT BEING DILIGENT, BUT ALSO USING THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU.
IT'S, I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A, UH, A, UH, A PERSONAL, UM, OR FOR EVERY PROFESSIONAL,
[02:15:02]
UM, IT'S, UH, THEIR INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES.I, I PREFER TO FIND THE INFORMATION MYSELF AND, UM, APPLY IT.
SO I, I DON'T LIKE NOT HAVING THE ANSWER MYSELF.
MY QUESTION IS, IF THAT, IF THAT LAW FIRM THAT YOU WORK FOR, WOULD THEY BE OPEN TO, TO HELP YOU WITH ADVICE, FREE ADVICE, OR GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO APPROACH CERTAIN THINGS? IS IT, IS THAT, ARE THEY BACKGROUND OR THEY DIVERSE ENOUGH TO, TO HELP YOU WITH THOSE CITY ATTORNEY'S DECISIONS? YES, SIR.
SO MY DECISION TO ENTER BACK INTO, UH, MUNICIPAL LAW AFTER HEALTHCARE LAW, UH, I'VE RE REKINDLED SORT OF SOME PROFESSIONAL, UH, RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE AND, EXCUSE ME.
THERE CERTAINLY I'VE, UH, BEEN BRUSHING UP ON RESOURCES AND SO FORTH THAT, UH, WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
BUT, UH, UH, I, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I DECIDED TO APPLY FOR THE ROLE AS CITY ATTORNEY, UM, UH, TO, UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THE CHARTER SPECIFIES THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR A CITY ATTORNEY AND, UM, UM, BUT CERTAINLY I REKINDLED THESE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER CITY ATTORNEYS AND SO FORTH.
SO THEY'LL REMAIN AVE AVAILABLE, UH, IF WE NEED THEM.
BUT I WOULD, UM, PREFER TO DO THE JOB, UM, FROM WITHIN MYSELF AND WITH THE TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT, UH, SHOULD I HAVE TO HIRE SOME.
BUT, UH, UM, THAT'S, I GUESS, UH, A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
AND LOOKING AT THE WAY I WAS LEWIS.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, I'VE YIELDED ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MINUTES OF MY TIME TO YOU.
THIS IS GONNA BE YOUR LAST QUESTION.
GO RIGHT AHEAD, AND I'M GONNA STOP, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU'VE EXPENDED OVER OVER YOUR TIME LIMIT, BUT GO AHEAD.
HAVE YOU RE IN REVIEWING OUR, YOUR, THE STAFF THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE, YOU'D BE, LOOK, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU, IS THAT SELF ADEQUATE OR DO YOU THINK YOU NEED TO ADD OR, OR TO ADD TO IT, OR WHAT? WELL, HONESTLY, MR. LEWIS, IT MAY NOT BE BROAD ENOUGH.
UM, SOME OF THE INFORMATION I'VE RECEIVED ABOUT, ON THE, THE CURRENT DEPARTMENT, I KNOW I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH SOME, UM, PEOPLE, UM, THAT WERE HERE BEFORE.
UM, I CAN WORK, I, I WILL BE WORKING WITH THEM, UH, IF I AM SELECTED FOR THIS ROLE.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME NEED FOR, UM, SOME, UH, NEW ATTORNEYS TOO.
UM, UM, I TALKED TO, UH, MR. HAGMAN ABOUT THAT.
SO, UH, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE DEPARTMENT IS RIGHT NOW, HOW IT'S CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTED, BUT, UM, CERTAINLY WITHIN THE, I KNOW, UM, ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES IS, UM, WHATEVER ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY THAT SHOULD, UH, THERE BE A NEED.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD NEED THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
PRIORITY TO BRING IT BEFORE YOU.
UM, NOW WE'VE GONE OVER IT AND I GUESS IT'S MY TURN NOW.
UH, WHAT, WELL, FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO ASK IS, UH, OR MAKE, ASK ACTUALLY, A STATEMENT IS THAT YOU BASICALLY LIVE IN THE AREA NOW, I KNOW YOU SAID FORT ARTHUR, YOUR HOME.
SO FORT ARTHUR IS, IS ACTUALLY YOUR HOME.
YOU WOULD, IF YOU WOULD BE THE, UH, SELECTED INDIVIDUAL FOR THE JOB, WOULD YOU NEED TO MOVE INTO PORT ARTHUR PROPER, OR WOULD YOU NEED TO RETURN TO PORT ARTHUR? YES, SIR.
IF PORT ARTHUR IS MY HOMETOWN, UM, I DID COME BACK BETWEEN 2006 AND 2016 I WAS HERE.
UM, MY FAMILY STILL REMAINS PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, I HAVE MOVED TO AUSTIN TO DO MY JOB AT THE TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD.
SO WE, MY FAMILY IS CURRENTLY IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND I HAVE BROTHERS IN AUSTIN.
UM, MY PARENTS ARE STILL IN THIS COMMUNITY THOUGH.
AND, UM, CERTAINLY, UH, UM, UM, HURRICANE HARVEY WAS DESTRUCTIVE TO OUR FAMILY.
UM, IT DID DISPLACE, UM, OUR, OUR HOME OF 45 YEARS.
SO I WOULD, UH, NEED TO MOVE BACK TO PORT ARTHUR TO, TO TAKE THIS ROLE.
AND THAT WOULDN'T BE A HARDSHIP ON YOUR FAMILY YOURSELF IF YOU WERE THE CHOSEN PERSON.
WELL, I'M, I TELL YOU, THIS IS, AGAIN, THIS IS MY HOMETOWN.
IT'S, UM, IT WOULD BE EASY TO, UM, ASSIMILATE BACK INTO PORT ARTHUR.
UH, WITH THAT, UH, IF YOU WERE, UH, SELECTED, HOW SOON WOULD YOU BE PREPARED TO MAKE THAT MOVE HERE? AS NEEDED? AS NEEDED? UM, I AM, UM, I JUST RECENTLY LEFT A ROLE, UH, THAT I HAD PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION, SO, UM, I DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE ANY NOTICE TO ANYBODY I'VE ALREADY PROVIDED NOTICE.
SO IT'D BE AN IMMEDIATE, SOMETHING THAT YOU'D BE ABLE TO HANDLE AS WE YES, SIR.
[02:20:01]
ASK, IF, UH, AND I KNOW YOU, YOU'VE HAD EXPERIENCES AND, AND WITH THE MEDICAL BOARD, UH, WITH DIVERSITY, I'M MORE THAN SURE AND INCLUSION, BUT IF, UH, YOU WERE TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING, WHAT, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE MOST, UH, CULTURALLY DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU'VE ACTUALLY WORKED IN? AND, UH, TELL US ABOUT, UH, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING DIFFICULT, UH, ENCOUNTER THAT YOU MAY HAVE, UH, DEALT WITH, AND HOW DID YOU ACTUALLY HANDLE IT? OR, OR THE FINAL RESOLVE? ANY, IT, UH, THIS IS CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, I SIT THERE, I CAN TELL YOU AUSTIN, ITSELF PROPER IS A VERY DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT WITH REGARD TO CULTURAL VIEWS AND, AND, UH, UH, AND WHATNOT.UM, PARTICULARLY THIS TUMULTUOUS TIME.
IT IS VERY, UM, INTERESTING PLACE TO BE.
UM, PORT ARTHUR IS, UH, AND IT EPITOMIZES DIVERSITY.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU FROM MY BACKGROUND, UM, I GREW UP IN PORT ARTHUR.
I WAS PART OF THE SUMMIT PROGRAM, SO I WENT TO SCHOOLS ON THE WEST SIDE.
BOOKER T WASHINGTON WAS MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, WOODROW WILSON WAS MY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND, UM, I SPLIT TIME BETWEEN, UH, PORT ARTHUR JEFFERSON AND PORT ARTHUR LINCOLN.
UM, SO, UM, THESE, UM, UH, THIS COMMUNITY IS QUITE FAMILIAR TO ME.
UH, AND OF COURSE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE, UH, THE MOST DIVERSE EXPERIENCES, UM, THAT I'VE EVER HAD TO ENCOUNTER.
UH, BUT I WOULD SIT THERE AND TELL YOU THAT EVEN WORKING FOR A STATE AGENCY, THERE'S A LOT OF DIVERSITY THERE TOO.
UM, SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION NECESSARILY, BUT, UM, UH, D DIVERSITY IS, UM, UH, CONSIDERING MY BACKGROUND, UM, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, UH, I DON'T COME FROM A A A I'M, I'M THINKING PROFESSIONALLY, YOU'VE, YOU'VE GIVEN ME FROM, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR, UH, FORMATIVE YEARS UP THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, BUT PROFESSIONALLY AND THE DIVERSITY THAT YOU'VE DEALT WITH SINCE YOU'VE BEEN A LICENSED ATTORNEY.
JUST WORKING FOR STATE AGENCIES AND, AND, AND WORKING FOR THIS, UH, UM, THE, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS VERY, UH, UH, DIVERSE AS WELL.
SO, UM, I'VE ALWAYS, UH, LOOKED FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO BE IN DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS.
IN FACT, I, I, I FELT MAYBE THAT, UH, THE ENVIRONMENT THAT I WAS PRIOR TO THIS ROLE WAS NOT DIVERSE ENOUGH.
AND NOW WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS MOVE TO THE, UH, FINAL PORTIONS OF YOUR, UH, INTERVIEW HERE WITH US.
AND I'D LIKE TO NOW, UH, MOVE TO WHAT WE CALL THE WRAP UP SESSION.
AND IF THERE WOULD BE ANY, ANYTHING ELSE THAT, UH, MY COLLEAGUES HERE, COUNCIL PERSONS WOULD WANT TO ASK, UH, ACCORDING TO WHAT HE'S A EITHER ANSWERED.
IF, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING, I DON'T SEE ANY LIGHTS COMING ON.
UH, WELL, FOR YOU, UH, UH, MR. JABI, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO ASK US? UM, I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
I, I DUNNO IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, IT'S MORE OF, I PROBABLY OF, OF, OF THE STAFF WITH REGARD TO ADVANCEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE OR IMPLEMENTED, UM, AT, AT, AT, BY THE, BY THE STAFF.
UM, UM, LET'S SEE, REAL QUICK, IF I MAY PULL UP MY, UM, SUMMARY.
UM, THERE WAS A, MAYBE SOME QUESTIONS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER ON MY BEHALF.
SO THAT WAS, UM, UM, WE HAD ALLUDED TO IT THAT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR, UM, REGULAR EVALUATIONS.
UM, IS THERE A SCHEDULE THAT THE COUNCIL IS CURRENTLY EMPLOYING WITH REGARD TO EVALUATIONS OF THE COUNCIL APPOINTEES? YES.
UH, NORMALLY WE START EVALUATION, UH, PROCESS IN, UH, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME TO GIVE YOU EVALUATION TO GIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE YOU FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UH, AND THEN, UH, WE USED TO HAVE A COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WOULD GO IN AND DEPICT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY VERSUS WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY, AND THEN COME BACK TO COLLECTIVE COUNCIL AND DISCUSS, UH, YOUR, YOUR OPINIONS AND YOUR NEEDS AND, UH, YOUR EVALUATION AND BRING IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
SO NORMALLY WE START ABOUT, UH, THAT OCTOBER NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME TO GET YOU PREPARED FOR YOUR EVALUATION.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, INPUT, YOU NEED TO GIVE IT TO THE COMMITTEE OR THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF THAT PARTICULAR, UH, APPOINTEE.
[02:25:01]
I, THAT'S IT.QUESTION, THAT'S, THAT'S ONLY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
ANY, ANY, ANY, ANY, WELL AS WE CAN GO NOW TO WHATEVER YOUR FINAL OR CLOSING, REC CLOSING, UH, STATEMENTS WOULD BE.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER 10 MINUTES THAT, UH, YOU CAN ELABORATE AND, UH, WELL, I'LL, I'LL SIT THERE AND TELL YOU THAT I'M, I'M NOT AT A VERY VERBOSE, I, I, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY YOUR SERVANTS OF CITY, OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, REPRESENTING THE, THE, THE, THE VARIOUS DISTRICTS THAT YOU HAVE, YOU, MR. MAYOR, REPRESENTING ALL DISTRICTS.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I KNOW THIS IS, UM, UH, I WAS TELLING, UH, MS. BECKHAM THAT, UH, YEAH, IT'S, UH, SHE'S ONE OF THE BUSIER DISTRICTS.
HOW MUCH THAT YOU HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE NOW THAT THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT, UH, METHODS OF COMMUNICATION.
AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO OPEN RECORDS TOO, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP ABREAST OF ALL THE DIFFERENT METHODS FOR, UH, COMMUNICATING.
AND SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY AS BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER, I CAN IMAGINE THAT THAT'S EVEN, UM, MORE, UH, ONEROUS.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, HAVING ME TODAY.
UH, YOU'VE HAVE, YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT, UH, UM, POOL OF CANDIDATES TO, UM, UM, I REALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH MR. PRICE EXTENSIVELY SINCE I DID THE RIDE ALONG WITH HIM.
SO IT'S, UH, I'VE LEARNED, UM, I, I FEEL LIKE WE COMMUNICATED REALLY WELL.
HE'S A, HE'S A, UM, UM, A VERY EXPERIENCED ATTORNEY.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, UM, THAT, UM, UM, THAT I REALLY, UM, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCES, I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CITY IS, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE RIGHT NOW, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, THE EXPERIENCES THAT I HAD AT THE TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD, HOW WE MOVED FROM, UM, BEING PAPER BASED, UH, TO BEING MORE ELECTRONICALLY BASED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY IS, THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY, BUT, UH, THERE'S A NEED TO, BASED ON MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES, ME TO MODERNIZE THAT OFFICE.
UM, UH, I KNOW THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE BACK YET.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT WHEN I WAS THERE THAT WE HAD OLD, UM, UM, TEXT BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY THERE THAT WERE NOT USEFUL, UM, UM, THE, THE NEED TO MOVE ON TO, UM, IN, UH, PAPERLESS BASED, UM, UM, UM, UM, UM, RESOLUTIONS AND SO FORTH, REALLY, IT HELPS TO COMMUNICATE, DO THIS JOB EASIER.
UH, UM, AT THE MEDICAL BOARD, YOU COULD SIT THERE AND YOU COULD, UM, REVIEW MEDICAL RECORDS, THOUSANDS OF PAGES, RELATIVELY EASY BECAUSE THEY WERE IN ELECTRONIC FORM.
UM, JUST BASED ON MY, UH, REVIEW OF THE LASER FISH AND EVERYTHING, IT SEEMS LIKE THINGS ARE STILL WHERE THEY'RE SIGNED, UH, MANUALLY SCANNED IN AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF MY, UH, IMPETUS IN THIS ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MODERNIZE THIS OFFICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF, OF, UM, A PRACTITIONER.
THAT WAS ONE THING THAT I READ IN THE FLYER FROM, UM, UH, STRATEGIC GOVERNMENT RESOURCES, UM, THE NEED TO, UH, AND YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF STARTING TO MODERNIZE THINGS, TELEVISING THE, UH, COUNCIL MEETINGS AND SO FORTH.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ADVANCES WERE MADE DURING COVID, BUT IT SEEMS THAT YOU, UM, MADE SOME CHANGES AS WELL FOR REMOTE WORK AND SO FORTH.
UM, JUST, UM, I APPRECIATE, UM, YOU HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
I, I, I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE FIVE YEARS WORKING FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, I DID GO BACK AND WORK, UM, WITH THE, UH, STATE AGENCY AFTER PORT ARTHUR WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO ME.
IT WAS HEALTHCARE LAW AND REGULATION.
UM, I MOVED FROM LITIGATION, STARTED OFF AS A, UH, LITIGATING ATTORNEY.
SO COMP, UM, A LITIGATED COMPLEX MALPRACTICE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES, UM, FOR ABOUT, UM, THE FIVE YEARS.
SO, UH, COMPLEX LITIGATION IS, UM, ONE OF MY, UH, FORTES IN MY STRONG SUITS.
BUT I DID, UH, GET TO MOVE INTO THE ASSISTANT CITY GENERAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE, UM, UH, WHICH I WOULD SIT THERE AND DIFFERENTIATE THAT THE DIFFERENCE IS, OF COURSE, IS YOU'RE ENFORCING POLICY.
SO IT'S LIKE, ALMOST LIKE AN IN, UH, A MUNICIPAL COURT ROLE, UM, VERSUS WHEN YOU ASCEND IT TO THE GENERAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE, YOU'RE SITTING IN THAT ROLE AS A, A CITY ATTORNEY.
YOU GET TO MAKE THE POLICY AND YOU GET TO ADVISE THE BOARD.
THE BOARD AT THAT TIME, UM, WAS MUCH MORE THE, THE MEDICAL BOARD IS COMPRISED OF, OF MANY MORE PEOPLE.
BUT, UM, STILL, UM, THE, WE HAVE EXPERIENCE IN, IN, IN OPEN RECORDS.
WE HAVE EXPERIENCE IN OPEN MEETINGS, UM, UH, STILL HAVE, UH, KNOWLEDGE OF, OF PROCUREMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THINGS HAVE BEEN RESOLVED, BUT PROCUREMENT WAS AN ISSUE, UH, WHEN I WAS HERE.
UM, IN THE EVENT THAT, UM, UM, I WOULD BE SELECTED, I THINK DO THINK THERE'S A NEED TO IMPLEMENT, UM, NOT ONLY, UH, PROCUREMENT, BUT ALSO, UH, REQUISITION OF VERIFICATION, UM, WITH REGARD TO HOW THE MONEY'S BEING SPENT HERE AT THE CITY.
UM, AS THOSE EITHER ALL IDEAS, UM,
[02:30:01]
I HAVE, LIKE MR. LEWIS HAD POINTED OUT, I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, UM, UM, UH, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.UM, AND, AND SO I, I DO KEEP A RUNNING TALLY OF, OF SOME OF THESE, UM, PARTNERSHIPS THAT HAVE GONE WRONG.
UH, THAT'LL BE BRINGING THAT KNOWLEDGE WITH ME.
UM, UM, WITH REGARD TO FUTURE, UM, INCENTIVE AGREEMENTS OR, UM, UM, PRIVATE PUBLIC, UH, PARTNERSHIPS, UM, UM, I, I HAVE A, A DEEP LOVE FOR, UH, PORT ARTHUR, A DEEP LOVE FOR, UH, THE HISTORY OF THE CITY.
UM, THAT'S, UM, ONE THING THAT I'VE ALWAYS, UM, STILL KEEP THE APPRISED BY.
AND, UM, UM, I'M ON THAT GULF GULF WAY DRIVE, UM, GULF WAY DRIVE MEMORIES.
I KEEP UP FROM IT FROM TIME TO TIME.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF LOSSES SINCE, UH, I'D SIT THERE AND TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF WHAT MY CHILDHOOD, UH, UM, SORT OF, UH, UM, VERY MEMORABLE PLACES FOR ME WERE LIKE ST.
MARY'S, WHERE I GREW UP AND IN, UH, MY, MY FAMILY HOME, WHICH WE LOST IN HARVEY.
BUT, UH, STILL PORT ARTHUR REMAINS.
THERE'S STILL A CULTURE HERE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, IT'S PART OF MY, UH, UPBRINGING, ALWAYS BE PART OF MY UPBRINGING.
UM, I DO TRUST YOUR DECISION MAKING WITH REGARD TO WHO YOU, YOU SELECT.
I, I, I, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU'RE ON, ON THE STREET PATH, ON THE RIGHT PATH TOWARDS GETTING A, A A NEW CITY ATTORNEY.
AND I, UH, COMMEND YOU ON, UH, THIS PROCESS.
AND, UH, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO BE HERE.
WELL, WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, HAVING AN INTEREST IN, UH, APPLYING AND, UH, BEING CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE, UH, FINALISTS TO COME AND INTERVIEW HERE.
AND, UH, THERE IS A CONTINUATION, I THINK, FOR ABOUT ANOTHER HOUR OR SO OF YOUR INTERVIEW PROCESS HERE AT THE CITY.
AND WE, UH, HOPE THAT, THAT, UH, RENEWS EVEN SOME MORE INTEREST IN YOUR BEING A PORT ARTHUR AGAIN.
AND, UH, GOOD LUCK IN THE, UH, REMAINING PART OF THE PROCESS AGAIN.
AND THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THIS COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS FOR BEING THERE.
WHAT WE WILL DO, IT IS ABOUT TWO 14.
UH, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BREAK AT TWO 30, I BELIEVE IT IS.
SO WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO IS LET'S RETURN HERE AT TWO 30, AND WE HAVE 15 MINUTES OR SO.
THAT'LL GIVE US A FIVE MINUTES OF PREP TIME TO DO THE FINAL CANDIDATE.
SO LET'S TAKE A BREAK UNTIL, UH, TWO 30.
UH, BUT CITY SECRETARY, CAN YOU REESTABLISH US SINCE WE WANT? YES, SIR.
MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT, MAYOR PROTE BECKHAM.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, PRESENT EVER COURT MAYOR.
AND MR. PRICE, WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO, UH, THIS INTERVIEW PROCESS HERE WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVEN APPLYING TO BE OUR NEXT CITY ATTORNEY.
NOW, AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, AND I BELIEVE YOU'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE MORNING PROCESS OF THE INTERVIEWS WITH THE TOOLS AND THE MEETING OTHER STAFF MEMBERS.
SO YOU'RE AT THE, THE FINAL PERSON FOR TODAY, AND YOU END UP HERE WITH US.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN THE PROCESS.
WE HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT PARTS THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO WELL.
THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE I WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION IN A MOMENT, GIVE YOU ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO ACTUALLY ELABORATE AND ANSWER THAT.
UH, THEN WE WILL GO TO THE SECOND PORTION OF THE INTERVIEW, WHICH IS WHEN WE HAVE, COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ASK YOU A QUESTION, AND YOU WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER ALL WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTE TIMEFRAME.
FOLLOWING THAT SECTION, WE WILL GO TO THE THIRD SECTION, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN CALLING IT, AND I'VE NAMED IT THE WRAP UP.
AND THE WRAP UP WILL BE IF THERE WOULD BE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE FOR YOU THAT THEY HAVE COME UP WITH AFTER THEY'VE ASKED YOU A QUESTION AND YOU'VE ANSWERED A CERTAIN TYPE OF WAY THAT MADE THEM THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE.
SO AT THAT POINT, WE'LL DO THAT.
AND THEN IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR US, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ASK THOSE.
AND THE FINAL PORTION OF THIS, OR THE FOURTH PORTION, WOULD BE YOUR CLOSING OR CONCLUDING REMARKS.
AT, AT, AT, YOU WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, DO THAT.
AND THAT SHOULD TAKE UP JUST ABOUT THE, YOUR 60 MINUTES THAT WE HAVE ALLOTTED FOR THIS.
SO, UH, AS, AGAIN, I, I THINK WE ARE ACQUAINTED, BUT I'M MAYOR MOND
[02:35:01]
TEXAS.AND I'M GOING TO BEGIN THE PROCESS BY ASKING YOU, CAN YOU TELL ME IN WHATEVER TERMS YOU, YOU, YOU CHOOSE TO USE, WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR US? WELL, ACTUALLY, I MEAN, THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS.
'CAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, I'M QUITE HAPPY WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.
I'VE GOT AN EXCELLENT, UH, WORKFORCE THAT, THAT I WORK WITH.
MY BOSS, KATHLEEN KENNEDY, MY DIRECT BOSS.
I MEAN, OF COURSE, ULTIMATELY WE ALL WORK FOR THE DA'S OFFICE.
UH, BUT MY DIRECT BOSS IS KATHLEEN KENNEDY.
UH, THERE'S BASICALLY FOUR OF US IN THE CIVIL DIVISION OVER IN THE, UH, JEFFERSON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER.
SO I'VE GOT AN EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW WHERE I AM.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING TOWARDS THE END OF MY CAREER, AS Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE GUESSED BY THE, THE WHITE OR GRAY HAIR, WHATEVER COLOR YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
UM, I'M MOVING TOWARDS THE END OF MY CAREER.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE, UM, WHILE I, I, I, I HAVE AN EXCELLENT BOSS.
UH, MY BOSS IS 10 YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME, AT LEAST.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH, UH, MY CAREER, UH, ON THE TOP OF, OF THE, UH, UH, UH, ORGANIZATION RATHER THAN, UH, AS LOWER DOWN IN THE CHAIN.
AND, UH, I DON'T MIND WORKING IN THE CHAIN, DON'T MIND, YOU KNOW, DOING, DOING THAT TYPE OF WORK AT ALL.
BUT STILL, UH, LIKE I SAID, JUST FOR, UH, PROBABLY MORE SO FOR, FOR MY EGO, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TO DO THAT AND, UH, FINISH UP ON TOP.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, AND, AND I KNOW, UM, I THINK I HAVE A GOOD PERSONALITY.
I CAN GET ALONG WITH ALMOST ANYONE.
UH, I CAN GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE THAT I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH.
I CAN GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE THAT, THAT I LIKE, I CAN GET ALONG WITH, WITH EVERYONE.
SO IT'S NOT, UH, I'VE GOT AN EASY TO WORK WITH PERSONALITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE TOLD, UH, I HAVEN'T TOLD Y'ALL THIS, BUT I'M ONE OF SIX CHILDREN.
UM, SO YOU DON'T, YOU, YOU CAN'T REALLY, UM, BE ALL THAT PICKY.
YOU CERTAINLY DON'T GET TO SELECT YOUR, UH, YOUR, UH, BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
UH, AND ACTUALLY, I'M NUMBER FIVE OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE SIX CHILDREN.
SO WHEN IT CAME TO FISTICUFFS AND I, I WAS THE YOUNGEST OF THE FOUR BOYS, I WAS ALWAYS GETTING BEAT, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, NOW GRANTED, THE BROTHER THAT'S JUST OLDER THAN ME, I COULD INTIMIDATE HIM, UH, TO, TO SOME EXTENT.
BUT THE OTHER TWO, I, YOU KNOW, I, I LOST, UH, HANDS DOWN.
SO, ANYWAY, SO I, I GREW UP, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA GET ALONG.
UH, I DO GET ALONG, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK THAT I CAN PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, GOOD ADVICE.
I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE, UH, FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT ME, UM, FIGURE, UM, AND BELIEVE THAT THE OPINIONS THAT I'M OFFERING ARE VALID OPINIONS.
UH, THEY'RE NOT ONLY LEGALLY CORRECT, BUT THEY'RE ALSO GOOD COUNSELING, UM, ANSWERS AS WELL.
THEY ARE BOTH, UH, WELL REASONED AND WELL THOUGHT OUT.
AND NOT ONLY, LIKE I SAID, FROM THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO FROM ANY, UM, OTHER PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE POLITICAL OR WHETHER IT BE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, APPEARANCE WISE, UH, SOME THINGS MAY VERY WELL BE LEGAL, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, UH, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY WANT EVERYBODY TO, UH, UH, TO HAVE THAT, THAT KNOWLEDGE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S LEGAL.
AND I, I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UM, UH, I TOLD Y'ALL THAT, AND I THINK Y'ALL KNEW THAT I WAS SICK, UH, SCHEDULED FOR TRIAL THIS WEEK.
UH, I'VE BEEN TELLING, UM, UM, KEVIN, ANYWAY, THAT, THAT I'VE SCHEDULED FOR TRIAL.
WHEN YOU HAVE A, UH, POLICE OFFICER DRIVING A, UH, COUNTY OWNER, IN THIS CASE, A CITY OWNED VEHICLE, AND THEY'RE DRIVING IT, UH, TO AND FROM, UH, THEIR HOUSE, ARE THEY COVERED BY, UM, THE, THE COURSE AND SCOPE OF EMPLOYMENT? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO, THEY'RE NOT, UNLESS THEY, YOU KNOW, P UH, P UH, PEACE OFFICERS CAN GO INTO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT MODE IN, IN A MOMENT'S NOTICE.
YOU KNOW, THEY SEE SOME CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, THEY HAVE TO INTERVENE SO THEY CAN BECOME COURSE AND SCOPE.
BUT JUST DRIVING HOME DOESN'T MAKE THEM COURSE AND SCOPE.
HOWEVER, THE LAW SAYS THAT YOU AS THE, AS THE CITY EMPLOYING THESE PEOPLE AND ALLOWING THEM TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLE HOME AT NIGHT, UH, YOU'VE AGREED THAT YOU WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH A MINIMUM INSURANCE COVERAGE RATHER THAN THE $250,000 CAP THAT'S ON THE, UH, TEXAS TORT CLAIMS ACT.
AND SO ANYWAY, SO YOU PROVIDE THAT MINIMUM COVERAGE.
HOWEVER, THAT'S IF THEY'RE AUTHORIZED TO DO THE VEHICLES.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAS IN REGARDS TO RESTRICTIONS OF THE USE OF CITY VEHICLES, BUT I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY HAS A PRETTY HARD AND FAST RESTRICTION WHERE YOU CAN'T DRIVE OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY, UH, WITH THE VEHICLE UNLESS YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED FOR THAT TRIP.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, WHILE IT'S THE LAW THAT THE COUNTY WOULDN'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A PEACE OFFICER DRIVING IN ORANGE COUNTY, WHICH WE'VE HAD HAPPEN, WHO'S INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, THE THERE IS LITERALLY THAT OFFICER IS DRIVING UNINSURED.
UM, WHILE THAT MAY VERY WELL BE THE LAW, THAT MAY NOT BE THE PUBLIC STATEMENT
[02:40:01]
THAT YOU WOULD APPRECIATE ME SAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF COMMISSIONER'S COURT OR CITY COUNCIL.UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK I'VE GOT A GOOD PERSPECTIVE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO SAY, WHEN TO SAY IT AND WHAT NOT TO SAY.
AND I GUESS WE CAN TAKE ALL OF THAT AS BEING A PART OF YOUR, HOW YOU WANT TO WORK HERE, YOUR KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU BRING TO US.
WELL, WE CAN, UH, AT THIS POINT, EXCUSE ME, MOVE TO THE SECOND PHASE OF THE, UH, INTERVIEW PROCESS.
AND IN THE SECOND PHASE, WE WILL BEGIN WITH EACH COUNCIL MEMBER INTRODUCING HIMSELF HERSELF TO YOU.
AND EACH COUNCIL PERSON WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES, UH, IN THIS FIVE MINUTE TIME ALLOTMENT.
THEY CAN ASK YOU A QUESTION OR SEVERAL QUESTIONS, AND YOU WOULD HAVE THE ANSWER.
BUT ALL OF IT HAS TO HAPPEN WITHIN THAT, UH, CONFINED, UH, TIMEFRAME.
SO WE WILL NOW BEGIN WITH COUNCILMAN KINLAW, AND WE WILL PROCEED.
THANK YOU MR. PRICE FOR BEING HERE, UH, WITH THIS, UH, COHORTS OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, MY FIRST QUESTION TO YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT SEAT THAT YOU'RE SITTING IN IS A TOUGH SEAT.
WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET ALL KIND OF VIEWPOINTS.
EVERYONE WANTS TO BE AN ATTORNEY AND HAVE THEIR OWN OPINION, UH, BUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, UH, HOW WOULD YOU ATTACK THAT, UH, IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER WHEN YOU'RE GETTING, UH, TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL COUNCIL MEMBERS? WE WANT IT LIKE YESTERDAY, AND YOU, AND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO HOW WOULD YOU, HOW WOULD YOU, UH, APPROACH THAT, UH, IN GETTING INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THE, EITHER THE CITIZENS OR BACK TO, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU WORK HARD AT, AT WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, AND, AND THINGS GO QUICKER.
UH, THE HARDER YOU WORK, UM, UH, THAT, AND AS YOU GET, UH, MORE EXPERIENCE, OR YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE, SOME OF THOSE ANSWERS ARE, ARE EASILY, UM, UH, OBTAINABLE, YOU KNOW, 'EM OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, UH, WHERE THERE'S HARDER QUESTIONS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE, RIGHT.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU'RE THE ATTORNEY, YOU WANT TO BE, RIGHT.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BE, UH, QUICK WITH AN ANSWER THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, DOES COME OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.
YOU'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE IT'S RIGHT BEFORE YOU GIVE IT.
SO, UH, WHILE YOU, YOU HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU HAVE TO TAKE WHATEVER TIME IS NECESSARY TO, TO FI UH, GIVE THE CORRECT ANSWER.
UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK HARD AT GETTING THE ANSWER THAT EITHER THE CITY COUNCILMAN IS REQUESTED, UH, UH, BUT LONG STORY SHORT, IT HAS TO BE THE RIGHT ANSWER.
IT CAN'T BE, UH, THE WRONG ANSWER, WHICH MAY BE A QUICKER ANSWER.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT FULLY ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
AS FAR AS WHAT, HOW I WOULD PRIORITIZE, UM, ACCURACY.
OH, I WOULD PRIORITIZE ACCURACY OVER EXPEDIENCY, EVEN WITH, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL.
I MEAN, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, I I I HAVE NO PROBLEM IN TELLING YOU, I DON'T KNOW SOMETHING.
IF I DON'T KNOW IT, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU I DON'T KNOW IT, AND I'M GOING TO LOOK IT UP.
UM, I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT, THAT I CAN COME UP.
I, I CAN COME UP WITH AN ANSWER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT IS VERY LIKELY TO BE CLOSE TO CORRECT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WANT CLOSE TO CORRECT.
AND SO, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD PUT A, UH, MUCH LARGER IMPORTANCE ON ACCURACY OVER EXPEDIENCY, BUT WE WILL GET IT TO YOU AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UM, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE BOSSES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
THANK YOU, MR. PRICE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT LEADS WE TO, UH, TO THIS NEXT QUESTION.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTH, WEAKNESS, OPPORTUNITY, AND THREATS IN A SHORT SUMMARY? OH, STRENGTH, WEAKNESS, OPPORTUNITY AND THREATS.
WELL, STRENGTH, LIKE I SAID, TO THIS POSITION, TO THIS POSITION, RIGHT? STRENGTHS.
UM, I, AGAIN, UM, WORKING WITH PEOPLE, UH, LIKE I SAID, I MEAN THE, THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH IN MY OFFICE THAT I COME IN CONTACT WITH, UH, YOU WON'T FIND ANY OF 'EM THAT ARE DISAPPOINTED WITH MY PERSONALITY, THAT ARE DISAPPOINTED WITH MY, UH, EASE OF WORKING WITH THEM.
UH, SO, AND I, AND I KNOW THE CITY ATTORNEY.
NOW, GRANTED, WE WORK WITH THE, UH, FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL THAT NEED ADVICE AND COUNSELING AS WELL.
UM, SO I THINK I'M, I'M VERY EASY TO WORK WITH.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY, PROBABLY MY BIGGEST STRENGTH, UH, WEAKNESS.
UH, I CAN'T SPELL, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, I, IT CHECK IT'S BOTTOM LINE.
IF, IF YOU ASK ME HOW TO SPELL A WORD, UM, SOMETIMES I, I, I CAN'T SPELL MY OWN NAME.
I PULL OUT MY DRIVER'S LICENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT LITERALLY, IT'S UH, IT'S ONE OF THOSE WHERE YOU'RE GOING, UH,
[02:45:01]
YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPELL THIS WAY TO, TO GIVE YOU, GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE STORY.WE WERE, UH, WHEN I WAS WORKING IN ORANGE, WE WERE GOING THROUGH SECRETARIES AND, UH, UH, THEY WERE, WE, THEY WERE HIRING THEM.
AND, AND THEN I ENDED UP BEING THE ONE FIRED THEM.
AND I DIDN'T HIRE 'EM IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, THEY WERE TRAINING A NEW SECRETARY, AND THEY SAID, LOOK, INSTEAD, IF QUENTIN CALLS YOU UP ON THE INTERCOM AND SAYS, HOW DO YOU, UH, UH, SPELL A PARTICULAR WORD? HE'S NOT JOKING.
YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE YOU'RE SITTING THERE THINKING ANY THIRD GRADER WOULD KNOW HOW TO SPELL THAT WORD.
HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO SPELL THE WORD.
SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A WEAKNESS THAT I HAVE.
AND I, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE TRIED HARD AND I CAN'T, THAT'S OKAY.
UH, SO THE STRENGTH, WEAKNESS, UH, TELL ME WHAT OPPORTUNITY, UM, AND THREATS TO THE POSITION OF THE CITY COUNT CITY ATTORNEY OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A WELL ORGANIZED, UM, UH, GROUP.
HAVE A WELL ORGANIZED CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT GETS A LOT OF WORK DONE THAT, UM, TAKES CARE OF MATTERS IN A TIMELY FASHION.
UM, UM, AND, AND LIKE I SAID, ACCURATE, BUT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THEIR, THE, THE WORK THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE NEEDING TO DO, UH, ANSWERING DEPARTMENT, UH, HEADS, QUESTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE CONTRACTS THAT YOU NEED TO REVIEW, REVIEWED, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT ALLOWING THINGS TO BACK UP, UH, AND KEEP THAT ORGANIZATION GOING, UH, BECAUSE EVERYONE WANTS, AS YOU SAY, AND IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, IT'S EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD WANTS THEIR ANSWER YESTERDAY, EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T GIVE YOU THE CONTRACT TO, TO REVIEW UNTIL TODAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WANNA PUT IT ON THE CITY ON THE AGENDA, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE IT APPROVED TODAY.
AND IT'S, IT'S, AND YOU'VE GOT A STACK OF CONTRACTS THIS DEEP, IT'S KIND OF LIKE, LOOK, YOU'VE HAD THIS FOR SIX MONTHS, UH, OR YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS CONTRACT FOR SIX MONTHS AND TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY YOU GET IT.
THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE TO SAY, I'M SORRY, BUT THE OTHERS THAT HAVE, HAVE JUST BROUGHT THEIRS TO US HAS TO GO FIRST.
UM, BUT, BUT GET THE WORK DONE.
AND WAS THAT THE LAST ONE? WAS IT, YEAH.
THREATS TO THE POSITION ABOUT CITY ATTORNEY? THAT'S, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT THREAT I WOULD BE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY POSITION.
I DON'T, UM, I I, I KIND OF THINK YOU DID KIND OF ANSWERED IT ALREADY FOR ME.
YOU'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE TO THE COUNCIL AND IT'S, IT'S ACCURATE SO YOU CAN KIND OF NIX THAT.
I MEAN, YOUR ANSWERS, AND THANK YOU FOR INTERVIEWING.
NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILMAN FRANK.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND INTERVIEWING WITH US, UH, ON TODAY.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU ON TODAY.
I'VE LOOKED AT YOUR RESUME AND YOU QUITE, YOU'VE GOT QUITE AN EXTENSIVE AND, UM, UH, EXTENSIVE AND DIVERSIFIED BACKGROUND.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I PICKED OUT, UM, AND CIRCLED OR LOOKED AT WAS THAT YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN CONSTRUCTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GONNA ASK YOU TWO QUESTIONS.
THIS FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE LAW.
YOU OF COURSE WOULD BE THAT INDIVIDUAL, BUT IS THERE, ARE THERE, ARE THERE ANY THINGS THAT YOU ALL THAT YOU COULD DO AS OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO HELP US, UH, NOT ACCRUE SO MANY CHANGE ORDERS DURING, UM, DURING, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION IN PORT ARTHUR BECAUSE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT AND ALL OF THAT.
INFRASTRUCTURE IS A MAJOR THING, BUT ALSO WE UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED OR OCCURRED.
SO, AS I TRY TO CUT THIS QUESTION DOWN, LOOKING AT THOSE CONTRACTS, ARE THERE SOME THINGS THAT YOU THINK THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE DONE AS A CITY ATTORNEY THAT WOULD HELP US IN THAT AREA? I'M GONNA TELL YOU, FRANKLY, NO.
UH, AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS THAT LITERALLY, AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A STORY THAT GOES WITH THIS AND THIS, UH, CONCORD ROAD OVER IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT.
UM, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL HAVE, UH, PROBABLY DRIVEN UP AT SOME TIME GOING TO THE MALL OR WHATEVER YOU, YOU WENT.
AND WHEN IT HAD THE OLD S CURVE IN IT BEFORE THEY STRAIGHTENED IT OUT AND ALL THAT, UH, DURING THAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, THE, UM, UH, PRIME CONTRACTOR AS HB ZACHARY, WHICH I APOLOGIZE FOR HB ZACHARY NOW SINCE I'VE GOT IT ON MY, UH, UH, RESUME THERE.
BUT, UH, THAT WAS, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T BANKRUPT HIM.
SO, ANYWAY, AND THAT, IT WAS DIFFERENT COMPANY BACK THEN.
SO ANYWAY, UH, BUT CONCORD ROAD, UH, THE CONTRACTOR WENT BANKRUPT DURING THE PROCESS OF BUILDING THAT HIGHWAY.
AND OF COURSE THEY HAD A PERFORMANCE BOND, UH, IN THAT, THAT AGREEMENT.
AND, UH, OF COURSE THE, THE CONTRACTOR THAT WAS EVEN THE, THE PRIMARY
[02:50:01]
CONTRACT, UH, THEY CAME IN AND EVERY, EVERY THREE OR FOUR DAYS, THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WE GOTTA HAVE A CHANGE ORDER.WE FOUND OUT THAT WE WERE GONNA BUILD THIS ROAD ON DIRT.
WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BUILD IT ON ROCK.
NOW WE GOTTA HAVE A CHANGE ORDER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIRT, IT'S NOT ROCK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT, WHATEVER.
IT WAS JUST, IT WAS CONTINUOUSLY.
AND THEN WE TURN AROUND AND NOW WE'VE GOT A CONTRACTOR THAT'S WORKING UNDER AN INSURANCE COMPANY.
AND, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, IN DEALING WITH THE, THE LAWYER FOR THE OTHER SIDE, I SAID, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY KEPT COMING BACK WITH MORE CHANGE ORDERS.
THEY HAD MORE CHANGE ORDERS THAN THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR DID.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HE SAID, UH, I SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST EATING US UP WITH CHANGE ORDERS.
AND HE SAID, AND YOU'RE SURPRISED THAT A CONTRACTOR MAKES ALL OF HIS MONEY ON THE CHANGE ORDERS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST, THAT, THAT IS THE BANE OF CONSTRUCTION IS THE, UM, UH, CHANGE ORDERS.
IT, IT HAS BEEN, UH, AND I, I, AND I APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE A MAGIC BULLET, UM, TO, TO GET AROUND THE CHANGE ORDERS.
UH, IF YOU WOULD'VE, I, I WOULD'VE APPRECIATED THAT I'D HAVE THE JOB WITH HER.
I, WELL, AND LET ME, LET ME GIVE YOU ONE OTHER EXAMPLE OF WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR DALE AS THEIR CITY ATTORNEY.
UH, THE ENGINEER, UM, UH, FORGOT TO PUT IN AN AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, IT WAS JUST CLEAR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE ENGINEER.
AND, UH, ANYWAY, THE ARCHITECT HAD TURNED AROUND AND HAD PUT THE, UH, UH, $50,000 IN THE BID JUST FOR THESE LITTLE OOPSES.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE PUTTING OUT A BID THAT HAS A $50,000, OOPS, UH, IN THE CONTRACT.
THE OOPSES SHOULD COME BEFORE THE, UH, THIS, UH, THE SCHOOL BOARD.
NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST, OH, WE, WE'VE GOT THAT 50,000.
WE CAN JUST SLIDE THAT OVER THERE AND TAKE CARE OF IT.
SO IT SHOULDN'T BE, UM, AN OOPS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, AND I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE SEEN THEM, THE, UH, STANDARD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ARCHITECTS, UH, AND, UM, THE OWNER AND THE, THE, THE SAME CONTRACT, IT'S ALL PUT OUT BY THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, I BELIEVE IS THEIR NAMES.
IT'S THE A I A CONTRACTS THAT Y'ALL HAVE SEEN.
I, UH, WHEN I WAS AT THE, THE, THE, UH, ATTORNEY FOR LITTLE CYPRESS MARIVILLE, I SAT DOWN AND WENT THROUGH THAT ENTIRE CONTRACT, UH, BOTH THE OWNER ARCHITECT CONTRACT AND THE OWNER, UM, UH, CONTRACTOR CONTRACT, AND WENT THROUGH ALL OF THOSE AND MADE CHANGES TO 'EM.
NOW, ULTIMATELY, UH, THE, UM, TASB CAME ALONG WITH A, UH, UH, UH, PROPOSED CHANGES TO THOSE AGREEMENTS THAT, UH, 'CAUSE BASICALLY THE WAY THAT, THAT A I A CONTRACT IS STRUCTURED, ANYTHING THAT GOES WRONG, ANY PROBLEM WITH THE, WITH THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FALLS ON THE OWNER.
WELL, UH, Y'ALL AT LEAST HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE WITH CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS BECAUSE YOU DO THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
YOU BUILD ROADS, YOU, YOU PUT IN WATER LINES, YOU PUT IN SEWER LINES.
SO YOU HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE, YOU HAVE ENGINEERS ON STAFF, UH, A SCHOOL DISTRICT, LITERALLY THE MOST UNEDUCATED, UNINTELLIGENT PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE EQUATION IS LITERALLY THE SCHOOL ITSELF.
THEY DON'T HAVE AN ENGINEER ON STAFF.
THEY'VE GOT SCHOOL TEACHERS THAT ARE A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.
SO ANYWAY, SO I WENT THROUGH AND DID THAT.
SO AT LEAST, UH, IN THE PAST, I'VE MADE SOME ATTEMPTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TRIED TO DO OUR BEST TO, TO, TO HOLD THE CONTRACTOR AND THE ARCHITECT AND EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OTHER THAN THE OWNER, UH, ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT.
AND SECONDLY, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH P THREE AGREEMENTS, PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS AND, AND, AND ANY EXPERIENCE YOU MAY HAVE HAD WITH THAT? NONE.
YEAH, I'VE NOT HAD ANY AT ALL.
UM, NO, UH, NO, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T RUN INTO THOSE WITH THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THOSE AT JEFFERSON COUNTY.
UH, COUNCILMAN, NEXT WE HAVE COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
HOW YOU DOING? I'M DOING WELL.
YOU KNOW, AND ALSO I APPRECIATE YOU BEATING UP ON THEM.
TWO EX EX SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS OVER THERE,
I MEAN, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, AND IT MAY BE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ACTUALLY HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION, BUT THE SCHOOL THANK ADMINISTRATION, THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ITSELF DOES NOT, THEY HAVE TEACHERS.
SO, AGAIN, AND, AND, AND WITH LCM WAS FORTUNATE, THAT ONE, YOU KIND OF SMOOTH OUT THE ROAD.
THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT FOR ME.
WELL, LET'S, WELL, REMIND ME, YOU IN THE, THE DA'S OFFICE, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO YOU'RE AN EXTENSION OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, CORRECT? IN MANY RESPECTS, YES.
SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN VIRTUE, AND THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT IN THE COUNTY.
AND THEY'RE NOT IN THE EXTENDED, AND IT'S A JURISDICTIONAL THING, YOU KNOW,
[02:55:01]
UH, CAN SOMEBODY PARTICIPATE FROM LOUISIANA INTO A COUNCIL MEETING AND, AND VOTE ON IT? I WON'T, I WON'T GIVE YOU A HARD AND FAST ANSWER TO THAT.I JUST KNOW THAT JEFFERSON COUNTY, WE HAD COMMISSIONER PIERCE WHO WAS SUFFERING SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS, UH, WHILE HE WAS, UH, ON THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY, UM, UH, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT ALLOWED AND NOTICED, NOTICED EVERYBODY THAT, SO, UH, THAT COMMISSIONER PIERCE, UH, MAY BE ATTENDING BY, UH, ZOOM CONFERENCE AT THE MEETING AND WOULD VOTE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHETHER THEY COULD ATTEND BY ZOOM AND VOTE, OR WHETHER IT WAS JUST A, UH, LIMITED TO A ZOOM, UM, YOU KNOW, OBSERVATION TYPE SITUATION.
I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HOW THAT WORKED OUT.
WAS HE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY? I, AND, AND AGAIN, I DON'T, I I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE JUST, AGAIN, THIS IS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD AND I TOLD YOU I WOULDN'T DO THIS AND I'M NOW I'M GONNA DO IT.
WELL, HE IS ASKING FOR THE, HE'S ASKING FOR IT RIGHT NOW.
UH, THAT WITH, WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGIES, THERE'S REALLY NO HERE, HERE.
AND THAT YOU CAN LITERALLY BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND ATTEND A MEETING.
UH, UH, EVERYBODY IS, AND, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT GOING OFF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
UH, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST GOING OFF YOU WANTED AN ANSWER AND I'M GIVING YOU AN ANSWER.
I THINK THEY PROBABLY COULD PARTICIPATE AND COULD ATTEND, BUT THAT I, I GIVE YOU THE CAVEAT, I'VE NOT SAT DOWN AND LOOKED AT THAT.
WELL, LEMME BRIEF THIS BRIEFLY.
THE ONE THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY UP, UP, UH, MADE AVAILABLE TO AN ATTORNEY, JONES'S OPINION.
IT SAYS JURISDICTION AND IT WAS STRICTLY JURISDICTION.
IT HAD JURISDICTION IN THREE COUNTIES THAT OKAY.
THEY COULD PARTICIPATE AS LONG AS THE CHAIRPERSON IS, IS IS ATTENDING ONE.
NOW PO CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAS JURISDICTION IN JEFFERSON COUNTY AND ORANGE COUNTY GOT, WE HAD A POWER PLAN.
THEY CANNOT, BASED ON THAT OPINION, I GOT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THIS ATTORNEY OPINION, IT'S JURISDICTION.
WE GOT JURISDICTION IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.
WE GOT JURISDICTION IN ORANGE COUNTY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE JURISDICTION IN LOUISIANA OR HARDIN COUNTY.
ANY PLACE ELSE? UM, LET ME, UH, LET ME TELL YOU, I'M QUITE, UH, FAMILIAR WITH JURISDICTIONAL ARGUMENTS.
UH, EVERYTHING THAT GOVERNMENTAL, UH, DEFENSE ATTORNEYS FILE THESE DAYS IS WHAT'S KNOWN AS A PLEA OF THE JURISDICTION.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHERE WE GO IN AND TELL THE JUDGE, AND I DID THIS TUESDAY, UH, WENT IN AND TOLD JUDGE WALSTON THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO HEAR A LAWSUIT THAT HAD BEEN FILED, UH, AGAINST JEFFERSON COUNTY.
SO I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WITH JURISDICTIONAL, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE JURISDICTION, YOU CAN'T, CAN'T DO IT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I, I KNOW THE ATTORNEYS HAVE TOLD, UH, EVERYONE HERE IN THE PAST, UH, ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS ARE BASICALLY, IF YOU LIKE THEM.
AND WHEN I SAID THAT, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, ACTUALLY, I MORE REPRESENT THE STATE OF TEXAS, NOT SO MUCH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
I MEAN, I BRING, UH, I DO BOND FORFEITURES, UH, BAIL BOND FORFEITURES.
UH, I AM REPRESENTING THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, SO IT'S NOT PER SE THE, UH, AGS OFFICE.
UH, BUT ANYWAY, BUT YOU'VE HEARD THIS FROM EVERY ATTORNEY YOU WILL EVER WORK WITH THAT IF YOU LIKE AN ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION, YOU FOLLOW IT.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, YOU IGNORE IT.
AND I WILL, I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
UM, THIS WAS A, A NEPOTISM QUESTION.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, IF Y'ALL WERE WORKING IN GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AT THE TIME, BUT OH, I WANNA SAY 25 YEARS AGO, THE, THE, UH, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME HAD THE BRIGHT IDEA THAT, AND THESE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, OR EX-SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WILL APPRECIATE THIS, UH, THE BRIGHT IDEA THAT IF THE SCHOOL BOARD WERE TO, UM, DELEGATE THEIR AUTHORITY FOR THE HIRING AND FIRING OF ALL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING TEACHERS, UH, TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, THAT THEN THE SUPERINTENDENT COULD TURN AROUND AND HIRE THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
UH, AND THERE WOULD BE NO NEPOTISM PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT.
UM, I TALKED TO JOHN KIMBRO, WHO WAS THE, AND, AND I'M LOOKED AT THAT AND I'M GOING, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THE SUPERINTENDENT IS NOT SMART ENOUGH TO HIRE THE RELATIVES OF THEIR BOSSES AND GIVE THEM THESE REALLY NICE JOBS THAT REALLY HIGH, UH, PAYING, UH, WAGES, THEN THEY SHOULD BE FIRED.
UH, SO, UH, AND I TALKED WITH, UH, WITH JOHN KIMBRO ABOUT THAT, AND HE WAS LIKE, YEAH, YOU CAN TELL YOUR CLIENTS THAT IF THEY DO THAT HERE IN ORANGE COUNTY, THEY WILL BE PROSECUTED FOR VIOLATION OF THE NEPOTISM STATUTE.
SO, BUT AGAIN, THERE WAS AN AG OPINION THAT SAID, YES, THIS IS THE WAY IT WAS.
AND WE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, THAT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY NONSENSE.
SO IT, IT'S, IT'S AN AG OPINION, UM, THAT
[03:00:01]
THAT'S, SO THAT'S THE VALUE THAT IT HAS.ONE, MY LAST QUESTION, AND YOU, YOU, YOU INTERPRET HIP TO INTERPRET STATE LAW.
YOU FAMILIAR WITH STATE LAW? OKAY.
IF AN ORGANIZATION OR COUNCIL, COUNCIL, FOR EXAMPLE, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER HAS AN APPOINTMENT, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SHOULD BE ABLE TO APPOINT THAT PERSON TO THAT BOARD OR WHEREVER WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM THE COUNCIL? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN APPOINTMENT SYSTEM, NOT A NOMINATION.
COUNCIL DO NOT VOTE ON AN APPOINTMENT NOMINATION.
SO IT'S AN APPOINTMENT SYSTEM AND IT'S IN THE BYLAWS.
NOW, DO, CAN COUNCIL, UH, BLOCK THAT BY VOTING NOT TO RECORD IT? UH, I KNOW THAT THAT'S, UM, UH, THE, THE APPOINTMENT VERSUS, UH, APPROVAL MOST VERSUS NOMINATION YEAH.
VERSUS NOMINATION OF THOSE, OF THOSE APPOINTMENT POSITIONS.
UH, FRANKLY, I'VE NOT RESEARCHED IT.
I MEAN, I'VE NOT LOOKED AT IT.
UH, I KNOW THERE IS SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER, WHEN IT SAYS APPOINTMENT, DOES THAT MEAN THAT AS YOU POINTED, OR AS YOU, AS YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S AN ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER HAS, UH, OR IS IT ONE THAT'S THE, THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BASICALLY MAKES, UH, THE APPOINTMENT, WHICH IS IN EFFECT, UH, A NOMINATION, WHICH IS THEN RATIFIED BY THE, THE, THE REMAINDER OF THE COUNCIL? WELL, YOU SAID, AND I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU'RE CIRCUMVENTING THE APPOINTMENT SYSTEM BY VOTING ON IT.
SO YOU'VE CHANGED IT TO A NOMINATION.
JUST THIS, THIS IT, I PROMISE YOU.
FOUR OR FOUR, WHICHEVER YOU ARE OVER.
ALRIGHT, I GOTTA COME AROUND AGAIN.
I CHALLENGED A YOUNG LADY OUT OF THE DA'S OFFICE THAT, AN OPINION THAT SHE WROTE ABOUT THAT APPOINTMENT SYSTEM.
WHO IS THE YOUNG LADY? OH, I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU NAME.
YOU KNOW WHAT SHE TOLD ME? WHAT? I JUST, I JUST HONORED WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY REQUESTED.
UH, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT MUNICIPAL LAW.
UH, ALL I KNOW IS COUNTY LAW AND SHE ADMITTED SHE WAS WRONG.
NEXT WE HAVE MAYOR PROTE, UH, BECKHAM.
MR. PRICE, SINCE YOU AND I ARE BOTH LAWYERS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, I JUST WANT TO, UH, MAKE FULL DISCLOSURE TO THE COUNCIL.
YOU AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN ADVERSE WITH EACH OTHER ON ANY LAWSUITS IN THE PAST.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE EVER HAVE BEEN
I, I, I, I, AGAIN, YOUR NAME IS FAMILIAR BECAUSE I'M, I'VE WORKED WITH AND BEEN AROUND DONNE AND SRA, AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I JUST CONFUSED YOU WITH HER, BUT I ACTUALLY THOUGHT, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT I'D MET MR. KINLAW AS WELL.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT ANYWAY, I, I BELIEVE, ANYWAY, SO AS FAR AS I KNOW, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WE'VE NEVER BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND IT'S NOT LIKELY THAT WE WOULD'VE BEEN BECAUSE YOU WERE FAMILY LAW.
UH, AND I'VE NEVER, I'VE ONLY DONE TWO DIVORCES IN MY CAREER.
SO IT'S VERY UNLIKELY THAT WE WERE EVER ADVERSARIES.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE EVER DID EITHER.
FIRST OF ALL, UM, SINCE YOU'VE WORKED AS A CITY ATTORNEY BEFORE FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, UM, WHEN YOU COME TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, IF YOU'RE THE CHOSEN CANDIDATE, THIS, THIS WILL BE YOUR ONLY JOB, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PRACTICE ON THE SIDE.
SO I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT AND CAN ABIDE BY THAT.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY THE SAME WAY IT IS NOW WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY DA'S OFFICE.
I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT JUST FOR A MOMENT, YOU CAN'T HAVE A SECONDARY JOB BECAUSE HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE YOU BRING A LAWSUIT AGAINST SOMEONE AND YOU SAY, LOOK, YOU GOT ONE OR TWO OPTIONS.
YOU PAY ME MONEY TO SETTLE THIS CAR WRECK CASE, OR I BRING CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST YOU.
SO THERE, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO SECONDARY, UM, WORK, UM, UM, UM, ON THE SIDE.
SO THAT I'VE BEEN THAT WAY NOW FOR SEVEN YEARS.
I MEAN, I KNOW WHEN WE WORKED FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OVER IN BEAUMONT, WE COULD DO SECONDARY JOBS, BUT, UH, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT PART OF THE CITY CHARTER IS THAT IT'S, UH, SOLELY EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
YEAH, I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT.
UM, SO MY NEXT QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH A PET PEEVE THAT I HAVE, AND I'M OFTEN GUILTY OF IT IN MY OWN PRACTICE.
AND THAT'S PROCRASTINATION,
UM, BUT I WANT TO KIND OF EXPOUND ON IT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME ISSUES IN OUR, IN OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT BEFORE WHERE THINGS HAVE SAT, CONTRACTS HAVE SAT, UH, LEASE EXTENSIONS HAVE SAT, UM, TO THE POINT WHERE IT, IT CREATED ISSUES FOR US.
SO I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR, UM,
[03:05:01]
KIND OF WHAT YOUR, UH, PROCEDURE IS WHEN SOMETHING COMES TO YOUR DESK THAT, THAT IS TIMELY LIKE THAT.AND, AND FRANKLY, SINCE I'VE NEVER BEEN IN CHARGE, UH, I DON'T HAVE A PERFECT, UM, UH, UH, COURSE OF ACTION, BUT IT WOULD SEEM AS THOUGH THAT CONTRACTS THAT COME IN, GET LOGGED IN, UH, WE GOT A LOG IN DATE FOR THE CONTRACT, AND WE SHOULD HAVE WITHIN, UH, TWO, THREE DAYS THAT CONTRACT SHOULD BE LOGGED BACK OUT, SENT BACK TO THE, UH, TO THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO I MEAN, IF, IF, IF WE'RE NOT GETTING STUFF DONE, UH, IN THE OFFICE, IT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION IF I'M THE CITY ATTORNEY AND I WILL GET IT TAKEN CARE OF, UM, BECAUSE IT SHOULD NOT, IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, REVIEWING CONTRACTS IS, IS KIND OF HAVE, LIKE HAVING A ROOT CANAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S JUST KIND OF LABORIOUS AND YOU'VE GOTTA DO IT AND YOU'VE GOTTA GO THROUGH IT, AND YOU'LL BE BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA GO THROUGH AND READ ALL THOSE, ALL THAT FINE PRINT WHEN THEY START SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE, THIS CONTRACT INCORPORATES, UH, STANDARD CON, UH, TERMS THAT ARE ON THE INTERNET SOMEWHERE.
YOU'VE GOT TO PULL UP THOSE STANDARD TERMS THAT ARE ON THE INTERNET.
YOU'VE GOTTA BRING THOSE OUT AND LOOK AT 'EM, BECAUSE WHILE THIS SIDE OF THE CONTRACT ALL LOOKS, YOU KNOW, PERFECTLY LEGIT FOR THE, UH, THE, YOUR CLIENT, ONCE YOU BRING THOSE STANDARDIZED, LIKE I SAID, I JUST USE THAT AS KINDA LIKE THE A I A STANDARD CONTRACT.
WHEN YOU USE THOSE STANDARDIZED TERMS, NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GET THIS INDEMNIFICATION PROVISION, YOU GET THIS, UH, HOLD HARMLESS AG UH, AGREEMENT, YOU GET THE WAIVER OF ANY CLAIM AGREEMENT, YOU GET ALL OF THE STUFF THAT THAT'S, THAT'S HIDDEN, UH, ASIDE.
BUT ANYWAY, BUT YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO, YOU'VE GOT TO STAY ON TOP OF THOSE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, DO 'EM EXPEDITIOUSLY BECAUSE THAT'S, I MEAN, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR'S BUSINESS IS ABOUT GETTING BUSINESS DONE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST, UH, THOUGHT THAT I HAVE AS FAR AS HOW TO, HOW TO APPROACH IT.
IF IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST, THEN IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND, UM, UM, LIKE I SAID OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, THE BEST ADDRESSING IS LOG 'EM IN AND THEN FIND OUT ACCOUNTABILITY AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHO IT'S GIVEN TO, TO REVIEW AND THEN FIND OUT WHY THAT HASN'T BEEN REVIEWED IN A TIMELY FASHION.
SO I TAKE IT THAT IF YOU, IF YOU GET INTO THE OFFICE AND YOU SEE THAT THERE'S NOT A PROCEDURE IN PLACE FOR THAT, FOR LOGGING THINGS IN, THAT YOU WOULD INSTITUTE THAT IMMEDIATELY.
AND, UH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DELEGATING AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR TASKS? WELL, ULTIMATELY, AUTHORITY IS, IS ALL ON THE CITY ATTORNEY.
IT'S THE CITY ATTORNEY IS, IS IN CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THEY'RE THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP.
SOMETHING GOES WRONG, IT'S THEIR FAULT.
UM, SO DELEGATING AUTHORITY, I'M NOT REALLY ALL THAT BIG ABOUT, UM, UM, ANY AUTHORITY BEING DELEGATED IN REGARDS TO RESPONSIBILITY FOR GETTING WORK DONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD BE DEALING, YOU'RE DEALING WITH PROFESSIONALS THAT SHOULD BE VIEWING THEIR, THEIR WORK AS PROFESSIONALS.
AND IF IT'S NOT, THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE, UM, THAT, THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE.
I, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, IN OUR OFFICE, UM, AND I WANNA SAY IT WAS PROBABLY, IT'S PROBABLY BEEN 10 YEARS AGO, BUT THERE WERE FIVE DIFFERENT ATTORNEYS IN THE OFFICE THAT I'M IN RIGHT NOW.
UH, THEN MY BOSS WAS HIRED, AND NOW THERE'S TWO OF US.
UH, AND NOW THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT, THAT WENT AWAY, LIKE HOT CHECKS WENT AWAY, BUT MISDEMEANOR BAIL BONDS, WHICH IS A, A BIG, A BIG, A BIG THING.
BUT ANYWAY, WE, WE DO WHAT FIVE ATTORNEYS USED TO DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND LIKE I SAID, I'M, I'M GONNA ATTRIBUTE A LOT OF THAT TO MY BOSS, KATHLEEN KENNEDY.
UH, SHE, SHE IS A MACHINE, UM, LITTLE BIT ABNORMAL, UH, TYPE MACHINE, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST LIKE, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? YOU KNOW? UH, YEAH, PAPER TURNER.
IT, IT'S, UH, YEAH, I, I HAD A CASE THAT WAS, UH, AND Y'ALL MAY REMEMBER IT, IT WAS, UH, WHEN JUDGE WALKER, UH, WAS, UH, THE PROCESS SERVER WITH KLEIN TRIED TO SERVE JUDGE WALKER, UH, STEVEN HARTMAN.
ANYWAY, HE SUED 20 DIFFERENT COUNTY EMPLOYEES, UH, KATHLEEN.
AND, AND IT ENDED UP, I MEAN, IT WAS IN FEDERAL COURT, AND KATHLEEN HANDLED IT BEFORE I EVEN GOT TO THE COUNTY, UH, IN THE FEDERAL COURT.
AND HER AND JOHN MORGAN GOT INTO A PAPER WAR, AND IT WAS LITERALLY JUST A BLIZZARD.
AND, UH, I MEAN, IT, IT, UH, KATHLEEN WOULD FILE A MOTION AND SHE DIDN'T FILE THE MOTION, LIKE ALL 20 OF 'EM IN THE SAME ONE SHE DID EACH ONE OF 'EM.
SO THERE WERE 20 DIFFERENT MOTIONS TO DISMISS, UH, ON A PLEA TO THE JURISDICTION FILED IN FEDERAL COURT.
HE WOULD THEN TURN AROUND AND FILE 20 RESPONSES.
SHE WOULD FILE 20 REPLIES, OR, OR SIR, UH, UH, REPLIES.
IT WOULD LITERALLY, IT WAS THREE, THREE INCH, THREE RING BINDERS IS WHAT I HAD WHEN I, UH, BECAUSE THEN THE CASE WAS DISMISSED IN THE FEDERAL AND I NEEDED TO, TO GET IT DISMISSED WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT IN
[03:10:01]
THE STATE.SO ANYWAY, THERE WERE THREE, THREE INCH, THREE RING BINDERS THAT I HAD FOR EXHIBITS.
UH, SO ANYWAY, SO YEAH, THAT'S, UM, SHE'S THE BLIZZARD, BUT STILL WE'VE GOT, WE WENT FROM FIVE TO TWO.
SO, UM, SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE GOT SOME GOOD EXPERIENCE IN THAT REGARD.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, COUNCILMAN ETT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'VE ASKED THE SAME QUESTIONS TO ALL CANDIDATES.
THE REASON BEING, I WANT TO GET THE RESPONSE.
THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT I'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT WITH MY EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, ATTORNEYS.
AND THE QUESTION I ASKED EVERYBODY WAS ONE, THE COUNCIL HIRES THE ATTORNEY.
THE COUNCIL IS THE ATTORNEY BOSS.
IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES TO DO SOMETHING AND IT IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY IN THE CITIZENS, WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE TO THE COUNCIL BE? I WON'T LET YOU ATTEND.
I WON'T LET YOU ANSWER BECAUSE YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION WITH THE FIRST EXAMPLE THAT YOU GAVE THIS COUNCIL TODAY BEFORE ANYONE ASKS YOU A QUESTION WHEN YOU SAID, THIS SITUATION CAME UP WHEN YOU TOLD THEM WHAT YOUR ADVICE WAS, AND THEN I, THEY DIDN'T ACT, BUT THAT WAS THE ADVICE I GAVE.
THAT IS WHAT I THINK ATTORNEYS HAS TO UNDERSTAND.
IT'S NOT ABOUT PLEASING SOMEBODY, IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S RIGHT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET IT BE ON RECORD THAT, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT ASKING YOU THE QUESTION, YOU HAD ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
'CAUSE I HEARD IT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE.
I HEARD IT FROM YOU, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO REPEAT IT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE.
AND SO I GUESS IT WOULD BE MY ATTORNEY, UH, ATTORNEY YOU, UH, HAVE EXPRESSED, AND I'VE LISTENED THROUGH, UH, THE ANSWERS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN AND THAT YOU'VE EVEN, I'VE TAKEN IT AS, YOU KNOW, UH, A RIDE DOWN YOUR, UH, EXPERIENCED LANE, IF YOU WILL, UH, YOUR, YOUR TRIAL ACUMEN, YOUR YOUR PROSECUTORIAL ABILITIES.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY, UH, ACCENTUATED, I BELIEVE IN YOUR PRESENTATION, UH, UH, TO DATE.
SO WITH THAT, IF YOU WERE TO BE THE CHOSEN INDIVIDUAL, UH, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR? I HAVE NO PROBLEM AT ALL BEING A RESIDENT OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S VERY GOOD COMMUNITIES, UH, AREAS IN PORT ARTHUR TO LIVE.
UH, I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT, A FRIEND OF MINE OWNS A HOUSE THAT'S NOT IN, UM, IN NECESSARILY A GOOD AREA OF PORT ARTHUR.
UM, UM, AGAIN, UH, IN MY MIND I WAS GOING, OKAY, WE CAN LIVE THERE, UH, HOWEVER LONG, UH, I WOULD WORK FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHICH, UM, I WOULD EXPECT TO BE HERE FOR AT LEAST 10, MAYBE 15 YEARS.
I KNOW ATTORNEYS, YOU KNOW, UH, A BUDDY OF MINE, UH, ONE TIME WHEN HE WAS PROBABLY 35, 40, HE WAS, UH, LEAVING A FIRM AND HE WAS TELLING THE 80-YEAR-OLD LAWYER SITTING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE THAT HE WAS LEAVING.
HE SAID, LOOK, I DON'T WANNA BE WHERE YOU'RE SITTING WHEN I'M YOUR AGE.
AND I'M GOING, THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE LAWYERS IS SITTING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE AT 80 YEARS OLD, UM, STILL DOING THE, THE LEGAL WORK AT AT 80.
I MEAN, WE DON'T, WE JUST GENERALLY DON'T WRITE OFF INTO THE SUNSET.
SO ANYWAY, WITH THAT SAID, UM, UM, UH, I TOLD HIM, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE SO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN EVERY OTHER ATTORNEY THAT THERE IS OUT THERE? UH, BUT ANYWAY, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION SPECIFICALLY, UH, I'D LOOKED AT A HOUSE.
I PROBABLY AM NOT GOING TO LIVE THERE BECAUSE MY WIFE, UH, SAID NO, UH,
SO IT'S, IT'S EITHER LIVE WITH HER OR LIVE WITHOUT HER.
SO I THINK I'LL TAKE HER ALONG WITH ME.
IT'S, IT'S KIND OF, UH, I THINK, UH, UH, CHIEF, UM, UH, OF THE POLICE ASKED ME TODAY, SAID, HOW DID YOU GET TO, UH, TO TEXAS? AND I SAID, WELL, UH, WHEN I GOT OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL, MY WIFE AND I GOT MARRIED.
SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS GOING TO COLLEGE IN TEXAS.
AND I SAID, WELL, I THINK I'LL GO WITH YOU.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT WAS THE WELL LAID PLAN FOR, UH, HOW I ENDED UP IN TEXAS.
SO, UM, UH, BUT YEAH, SO I WILL, YOU KNOW, FIND SOMEPLACE THAT, THAT SATISFIES MY WIFE'S, UM, DESIRE, UH, AS WELL AS, AS,
[03:15:01]
AS MY FRUGALITY, UH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY FRUGAL.UM, BUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT YOU ARE YOU, IT, YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE, YOU CAN'T HELP YOURSELF.
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT ANYWAY, BUT THAT'S, THAT I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH LIVING IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
IN FACT, ACTUALLY, I CAME DOWN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND DID SOME TOURING AROUND.
I'D ACTUALLY NEVER BEEN OUT ON PLEASURE ISLAND.
UH, YOU KNOW, DROVE DOWN THE, THE, THE PIER ALL THE WAY, OR PIER, WHATEVER YOU CALL THAT, UH, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE END OF IT, CIRCLED AROUND AND CAME BACK.
AND I, I JUST NEVER, YOU KNOW, UM, MY DAUGHTERS WERE ALL ACTIVE IN, IN SOCCER.
SO IF, IF ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE DONE SOCCER, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE OLDER TWO WERE IN, UM, UH, DIVISION ONE.
SO THEY WERE SELECT, IT WAS TRAVEL EVERY WEEKEND.
UH, AND THEN EVERY THREE DAY WEEKEND WAS, WAS AN OUT OF TOWN TOURNAMENT.
SO, ANYWAY, UM, I, I, MY, MY ENTIRE, UH, ADULT LIFE WITH CHILDREN, WHICH SPANNED MANY, MANY YEARS BECAUSE WE GOT 15 YEARS DIFFERENCE IN THE AGE BETWEEN OUR OLDEST DAUGHTER AND OUR YOUNGEST DAUGHTER.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU DO THE MATH THAT, THAT MEANS, WE WERE PARENTS WITH CHILDREN PLAYING SOCCER ABOUT, UH, 25 YEARS OR SO, SOMEWHERE AROUND IN THERE.
SO MOST OF THAT TIME PERIOD WAS NOT DRIVING DOWN TO THE COAST TO, UH, TO GO FISHING, UH, DRIVING DOWN TO PORT ARTHUR TO GO OUT ON PLEASURE ISLAND OR ANY OF THAT.
SO I, I REALLY HAVEN'T TRAVELED DOWN IN PORT ARTHUR THAT MUCH, BUT, UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, UH, I DO LIKE THE LOOK OF PLEASURE ISLAND.
SO I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM AT ALL.
AND I GUESS A REAL SMART THING IS, YOU KNOW, HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE, SO, UH, MORE THAN SURE THAT SHE'S GIVEN YOU YOUR BLESSINGS.
HER BLESSINGS ON YOUR EVEN, UH, APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION HERE.
AND KNOWING ALL OF THE, UH, MAYOR, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
WELL, YOU DON'T JUST LET HIM TALK.
BUT WHAT WE'LL DEAL WITH IS, UH, THE FACT THAT BECAUSE YOU WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, BECOME A, A CITIZEN OF PORT ARTHUR, AND YOU ANSWERED SOMETHING ELSE I WANTED TO ASK.
AND MATTER OF FACT, YOU ACTUALLY EXTENDED ON THE TIME PERIOD, UH, I WAS WONDERING IF WE DID, YOU KNOW, SELECT YOU, WE COULD GET SEVEN TO 10 YEARS OUT OF YOU SO WE CAN GET 15 TO 20 MM-HMM.
AND, UH, ONE THING I DO KNOW THAT IF YOU ARE 80 AND YOU'RE STILL SITTING THERE, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S A BLESSING FROM GOD, BECAUSE EVEN FROM WHAT I DO IN, UH, MORTUARY WORK, YOU KNOW, I THANK GOD EACH TIME I FINISH AND TELL 'EM THAT I'M GLAD I COULD STILL WALK BEHIND THIS OLD MULE.
OKAY? EVERYBODY WHO IS 70 CAN'T WALK BEHIND THEIR MULE RIGHT NOW.
SO IF YOUR MULE IS LAW, AND YOU COULD STILL WALK BEHIND THAT MULE, THEN YOU WOULD BE LIKE OUR ATTORNEY NOW THAT WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF, BECAUSE YOU COULD STILL WALK BEHIND THAT MULE AND WHO, WHATEVER THIS GUY WAS SAYING, MAYBE HE WAS PROBABLY GONNA LEAVE AT 30 ANYWAY, THE WHOLE EARTH.
OKAY? HE, HE WAS, HE WAS SAYING THAT WHEN HE WAS 40, HE WASN'T GONNA DO THIS LEGAL WORK ANYMORE.
HE WAS GONNA GO OFF AND DO SOMETHING EXCITING.
WELL, THIS IS, THIS IS AN EXCITING POINT.
BUT, BUT YES, IT'S, YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
IT'S, IT IS 100%, UH, THE LORD DETERMINES, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE GREEN SIDE OF THE BROWN SIDE OF THE GRASS, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU, YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT.
AND THAT, THAT'S TRUE AT, UH, 45 AS IT IS, UH, 55, 65.
AND ONE, ONE OTHER THING, AND, AND IT IS MORE, NOT A QUESTION, BUT IT'S JUST MY, UH, DURING THE SUMMATION OF WHAT I'VE GATHERED FROM WHAT YOU SAID IN THE INTRODUCTION, YOU DID SAY THAT, UH, THE, THE DESIRE, IT'S NOT LIKE A MAN'S HONESTY, YOU KNOW? AND IF YOU COULD BE ON THE TOP OF SOMETHING, AS YOU, AS YOU DEPART, IT'S WHAT YOU WANT.
YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT ANGRY BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BOSS OR SOMEONE WHO'S AT THE TOP OF THE, THE ORGANIZATION WHO MAY BE YOUNGER.
BUT IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE AT TOP OF AN ORGANIZATION, THEN YOU REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK THAT ALSO ACTUALLY ENHANCES YOUR VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION WHERE YOU ARE, BECAUSE THEN I BELIEVE YOU'D WANT TO DO A GREAT JOB.
NOW, WITH ALL OF THAT IN MIND, I THINK ABOUT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY, OF PORT ARTHUR.
AND, UH, BUT I KNOW YOU'VE WORKED IN, IN AREAS, UH, OF, OF SURROUNDING AREAS HERE.
BUT CAN YOU DESCRIBE ANY, UH, A CULTURALLY DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN PRIOR TO THE DATE YOU WORKED IN? AND, AND, AND JUST A MINUTE, AND TELL US IF, IF YOU HAD A DIFFICULT, OR I KNOW THAT THERE WERE, IF YOU WERE INVOLVED IN IT, THERE WERE SOME DIFFICULT SITUATIONS THAT YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH.
SO JUST GIVE US A LITTLE HISTORY ON BEING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT AND HOW YOU HANDLED THOSE SITUATIONS.
UH, WELL, UH, FIRST OF ALL, LEMME GIVE YOU BACKGROUND OF WHERE I STARTED.
UH, I STARTED IN A 100% WHITE COMMUNITY.
[03:20:01]
SOUTHWEST KANSAS.UH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS NOT HISPANICS, THERE WERE NOT BLACKS, THERE WERE WHITE AMERICANS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I WAS, I WAS AS DARK AS ANYBODY THERE.
UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THAT.
SO THAT'S WHERE I STARTED OUT AS, AS A KID.
THEN WHEN I WENT OFF TO COLLEGE, IT WAS VERY WHITE THERE AS WELL.
HOWEVER, THEN I MOVED TO BEAUMONT, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT MY OLDEST DAUGHTER, UH, IS NOW IN MOURNING, UH, BECAUSE THEY'VE TORN DOWN HER HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH WAS BEAUMONT HIGH.
UH, SHE WENT TO CENTRAL WHEN IT WAS CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, GRADUATED THERE IN 1998.
UM, AND IF YOU RECALL WHAT THE STATISTICS WERE AT THAT POINT IN TIME, IT WAS 90 10, 90% BLACK, AND IT WAS 10% WHITE.
AND SHE WAS, AND AGAIN, SHE, OR NOT AGAIN, BUT SHE'S A LITTLE SHORT WHITE GIRL.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY TO STAND OUT LIKE A NEON LIGHT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT, AND HER AND HER FRIEND IS LIKE SIX FOOT TALL, BLONDE HAIR, BLUE EYED, UH, GIRL.
SO YOU'VE GOT MUTT AND JEFF, UH, YOU KNOW, AT, AT CENTRAL AND, UH, UH, WHICH, AND, AND TO GIVE YOU, AND, AND SO THEY'VE GOT BETTER EXPOSURE TO, TO, UH, RACIAL DIVERSITY THAN WHAT I HAVE.
UH, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING TO, UH, CENTRAL FOOTBALL GAMES, AND YOU'RE SITTING ON THE CENTRAL SIDE, AND LITERALLY YOU'RE ONE OF, MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S 50 PEOPLE ON THAT SIDE THAT ARE WHITE.
BUT I SAT ON THE CENTRAL SIDE.
I DIDN'T SIT ON THE, UH, THE WESTBROOK SIDE WHEN MY YOUNGER TWO DAUGHTERS WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT EVEN, EVEN THERE, YOU'RE DEALING WITH, UH, 40, 40, UH, 20.
AS FAR AS WHAT THE RACIAL MAKEUP IS, 40% WHITE, 40% BLACK, UH, 20%.
WELL, IT'S PROBABLY 15% HISPANIC, AND THEN 5% OTHER INDIAN, ASIAN, UH, THAT, THAT TYPE OF SITUATION.
UM, SO I, WHILE I'VE NOT, UH, BEEN IN MANY, MANY SITUATIONS WHERE I'M THE ONLY WHITE PERSON IN THE CROWD, UH, IN THE GROUP, UH, FRANKLY, I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT.
UM, BECAUSE, UM, I MEAN, I GET ALONG WITH BLACK PEOPLE, UH, JOE SANDERS, I CONSIDER TO BE, UH, ONE OF MY FRIENDS, UH, UH, ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS.
I MEAN, I, YOU ONLY HAVE, DON'T SAY THAT, MAN.
THAT MIGHT MESS YOUR JOB UP BECAUSE HE QUIT.
DON'T TELL ME YOU LIKE JOE, BUT HE'S A QUITTER.
SO, SO, ANYWAY, SO, AND JOE, I CONSIDER TO BE A, A, A REAL FRIEND.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT LIKE I SAID, I'VE NOT BEEN IN SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S BEEN THAT I'M THE, THE, UH, EXTREME MINORITY IN THE SITUATION.
UH, IT'S EITHER BEEN RACIALLY MIXED, BUT, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, UH, TYRONE COOPER WAS MY BOSS AT THE CITY OF BEAUMONT.
UM, UH, AND OBVIOUSLY HE WAS BLACK.
UH, JOE SANDERS WAS IN THE FIRST ASSISTANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WASN'T, I MEAN, IT, IT, DID YOU HAVE BEEN IN DIVERSE? I'VE BEEN IN DIVERSE SITUATIONS.
WELL, AND, AND, AND THIS, THIS IS NOT RACIALLY, BUT THIS IS, UM, BASED ON, ON, UM, UH, GENDER.
UM, I'VE WORKED FOR A WOMAN, UM, PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF MY LIFE.
I, MY, MY FIRST BOSS WAS, UH, A WOMAN, UH, WHEN I GOT OUT OF, UH, HIGH SCHOOL, WENT OFF TO COLLEGE.
MY COLLEGE JOB WAS, WAS WORKING FOR A WOMAN WHERE I STAYED SEVEN YEARS.
UH, NOW I'VE BEEN WITH KATHLEEN 14 YEARS, SO 14 OF THE LAST 40.
SO IT MAY NOT BE A MAJORITY, BUT, UH, I'VE WORKED FOR WOMEN, I'VE WORKED FOR BLACK MEN, I'VE WORKED FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, AND DIDN'T, DIDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH WORKING WITH, WITH, WITH ANYBODY.
I'M EASY TO GET ALONG WITH BOTTOM LINE.
LIKE I SAID, WHEN YOU'RE FIVE, A FIFTH OF SIX CHILDREN, UM, YOU GOTTA GET ALONG OR SOMEBODY WILL BEAT YOU UP.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA PUT UP WITH BEING WHINY.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED BASICALLY, WELL, UH, WELL, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, WHAT I WAS ASKING IT IS NOW 3 22.
WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS MOVE TO THE FINAL PHASE OF YOUR INTERVIEW HERE, AND WE'D LIKE TO GO TO THE WRAP UP NOW.
AND WOULD THERE BE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL HAS, UH, FOR MR. PRICE THAT MAYBE HE DIDN'T ASK OR HE INTRIGUED YOU WITH AT, IN, IN HIS DIALOGUE? IF NOT, UH, THERE I SEEM NOT TO BE ANY, UH, MR. PRICE.
WHAT I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO DO AT THIS JUNCTURE IS YOU WOULD HAVE LIKE ANOTHER SEVEN MINUTES TO DO YOUR CLOSING.
UM, WELL, AND I DID, DID PRETTY MUCH MY, UH, CLOSING AND MY OPENING.
YOU KNOW, YOU TELL 'EM WHAT YOU'RE GONNA TELL 'EM, AND THEN YOU, YOU TELL 'EM WHAT YOU SAID.
UH, LIKE I SAID, I, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT I'M AN EASY PERSON TO WORK WITH.
UH, LITERALLY, UH, I, I HAVE NO THIN SKIN.
I, I MEAN, I, IT'S, IT'S SHOE LEATHER.
UH, IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT ME AT ALL.
[03:25:01]
THE DA'S OFFICE, UH, AND YOU'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TELLING PEOPLE ALL THE TIME NO, WHEN THEY WANT AN YES ANSWER, AND, AND THE FACT THAT THEY HATE MY GUTS, UH, DON'T WANT TO EVER DEAL WITH ME AGAIN.UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT JUST DOESN'T AFFECT ME.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT, I'M NOT EASILY OFFENDED, NOT OFFENDED AT ALL.
IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER YOU, HOWEVER YOU WANNA ADDRESS ME, THAT'S FINE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE.
YOU KNOW, MY BASIC APPROACH IS TO GIVE YOU GOOD LEGAL ADVICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, UH, KIND OF WHAT, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, UH, IF, IF SOMETHING COMES UP AND IT'S A DECISION FOR Y'ALL TO MAKE, THEN YOU MAKE THAT DECISION.
I WILL TELL YOU WHAT THE LEGAL PART OF IT IS.
IT'S YOUR PART TO, TO MAKE THE POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS FOR HOW YOU GUIDE THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
THAT THAT IS LITERALLY, THAT IS YOUR JOB.
I DON'T, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I MAY VERY WELL TELL YOU, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD APPROACH.
UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT, I'M A COUNSELOR AS WELL.
AND SO IF I LOOK AT IT AND SAY, I DON'T THINK THAT Y'ALL SHOULD DO THAT, UH, THAT I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOOD, I'LL GIVE YOU MY OPINION ON THAT.
BUT THAT, UH, BOTTOM LINE IS YOU MAKE THE DECISIONS.
UH, I DON'T MAKE DECISIONS AS, AS THE ATTORNEY, UH, WHICH, UH, FRANKLY, THERE'S, THERE'S COMFORT IN THAT.
I MEAN, COUNCIL, THAT'S WHAT CITY COUNCIL DECIDED TO DO.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S WHAT YOU DECIDE TO DO.
I MEAN, THE FUTURE OF PORT ARTHUR RESTS PRIMARILY WITH THE, WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND, AND HOW THEY, THEY ADDRESS MATTERS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE BANE OF EVERY CITY IN EXISTENCE IS ROADS, SEWER, WATER, UH, AND SANITATION, TRASH PICKUP.
THOSE, THOSE FOUR AREAS RIGHT THERE ARE WHAT DRIVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
AND IF IT'S NOT THAT, IT'S SOMETHING VERY, VERY CLOSELY RELATED TO THOSE FOUR.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, GRANTED, EVERYBODY WANTS PARKS THAT ARE NICE, BUT AGAIN, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LET THE WATER STOP FOR, WELL, I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU ELECTRICITY.
YOU KNOW, THE ELECTRICITY OFFER, UH, 12 HOURS IS, IS HORRENDOUS.
IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T HAVE WATER FOR 12 HOURS, IT'S, IT, IT IS, IT IS A TRAGEDY.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR.
SO ANYWAY, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW A CITY OPERATES.
UM, VERY FAMILIAR WITH HOW GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES OPERATE.
I'VE WORKED FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, FOR A TOTAL OF, UH, 30 YEARS, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE SO IN THE LAST 15 YEARS.
BUT I STILL, UH, LIKE I SAID, WORKED FOR LCM, WORKED FOR, UH, UH, DALE, WORKED FOR THE CITY OF ROSE HILL ACRES, WHICH NOW, FRANKLY, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT ROSE HILL ACRES, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF Y'ALL KNOW WHERE IT IS.
UH, IT'S JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF, UM, UH, PINE ISLAND BAYOU GOING FROM BEAUMONT TO LUMBERTON.
IT'S ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, AND IT HAS MAYBE THREE, 400 HOUSES IN THERE.
AND SO IT'S A VERY, VERY, VERY SMALL COMMUNITY.
BUT I DID START LEARNING ABOUT TYPE A AND TYPE B, UH, MUNICIPALITIES, MUNICIPAL LAW.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, THEN I DID SCHOOL LAW AS WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR THOSE.
BUT A LOT OF IT HAS THE SAME BASIC PRINCIPLES.
SO I THINK I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AREAS.
UM, I THINK I HAVE GOOD ADVICE.
UM, I REALLY LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FOR YOU.
WELL, TAYLOR, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, TENACITY, I WOULD SAY IN, IN, IN, UH, APPLYING FOR MM-HMM.
UH, AS WE CLOSE, THERE'S A STATEMENT THAT YOU MADE THAT, UH, I APPRECIATE WHEN YOU SAID, UH, ACCURACY OVER EXPEDIENCY, UH, WHICH CAUSES ME TO FEEL YOUR, UH, DESIRE FOR THE RULE OF LAW.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE THE CHOSEN CANDIDATE, WE CAN BE ASSURED OF, UH, CONSULTATIONS FROM A LEARNED INDIVIDUAL AS WELL AS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS NOT JUST GIVING US SOMETHING SO THAT WE CAN BE QUIET, BUT YOU ARE GIVING US WHAT THE LAW IS, AND IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION.
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IF YOU ARE THE CHOSEN PERSON, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT OF YOU.
[03:30:01]
I'M GONE, NOT DEAD, BUT GONE FROM THIS CHAIR, OKAY.AND WE, NOT WE ALL GONNA STAY HERE FOREVER, BUT YOU'VE ALL, YOU'VE MADE THE, UH, THE UH, UH, ANNOUNCEMENT THAT YOU WANT TO BE HERE FOR A MINUTE.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, BEING HERE TODAY.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, UH, FINAL PART FOR HIM, BUT BE OKAY.
THIGPEN WOULD HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU ALL, OR THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GONNA EXPLAIN TO YOU ALL, BUT HE WOULD BE EXCUSED FROM HERE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE CERTAINLY THANK YOU MR. PETER.
HOW YOU DONE DON TO SEE YOU? HOW ARE YOU DOING? I DIDN'T GET TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
HAD YOU LEFT FOR LUNCH? WELL, MAYOR, IT'S GOOD TO SEE.
YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO MEET HIM? YOU GO, I'M JUST STANDING UP LETTING MY LEGS WAKE UP.
I GET A PRIZE TO GO DOWNSTAIRS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, HAVING ME DOWN.
UH, CITY SECRETARY, WHEN I CALL US BACK IN THE SESSION, WE HAVE TO REESTABLISH AND THEN WE WILL OPEN UP THE, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION BACK AGAIN AND YEAH.
BUT I GOTTA DO IT UP HERE, RIGHT? AND THEN WE GO BACK DOWN THERE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK DOWNSTAIRS.
I'M JUST STANDING TO HELP MY HIPS.
I THINK I, I WAS JUST STANDING UP BEING, UH,
IF YOU WANT, WE HAVE A ROLL CALL ON THE RECORD NOW.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JUST GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN EXECUTIVE SESSION, THAT WOULD BE AMENABLE.
AND THEN WE CAN DO WHATEVER YOU OKAY.
SOME MOTIVE BE LIKE IN MASONS.
YOU MADE ME MAKE, UH, REESTABLISH
I DON'T HAVE TO CALL THE ROLL AGAIN.
YOU SAID SOME MORE TO BEAT, RIGHT? OKAY.
ARE WE GOING DOWNSTAIRS? I'M SORRY.
YEAH, I GUESS WE WOULD GO BACK DOWNSTAIRS.
WE MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WOULD RETIRE TO THE CONFERENCE ROOM TO, UH, GO THROUGH.
THAT THE RIGHT TURN? YES, THAT'S FINE.
AND THEN WE, AND THEN WE ARE RETURN HERE AND CLOSE IT OUT IN A LITTLE BIT.
WELL, UH, WE ARE NOW RETURNING FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION, CLOSED SESSION.
AND CAN YOU PLEASE, UH, REESTABLISH HERE BECAUSE WE ARE OPENING THE MAYOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER ETT.
THERE ARE NO ACTION ITEMS COMING OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AM I CORRECT? THERE ARE NOT MAYOR.
THERE AREN'T, UH, WE HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE ABOUT NINE THIS MORNING AND IT IS NOW 4 36.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY BEFORE I ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, NO, WAIT A MINUTE.
THIS, I, I'VE BEEN HERE FIVE YEARS IN MY SIXTH YEAR.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BETTER COUNCIL MEMBER MEETINGS THAT I'VE ATTENDED WHERE WE'VE WORKED TO SOLVE A SITUATION, VARIED IN DIFFERENCES IN OPINION, YET A CONSENSUS COULD BE REACHED INTELLIGENTLY.
SO I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS THAT TO YOU ALL, TO EACH OF US.
OKAY, SIR, DON'T, DON'T THAT GOT A JOKE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S YOUR BROTHER.
GO AHEAD, MAKE THE MOTION PLEASE.
WE ADJOIN THIS, THIS MEETING AT 4 37.
AND WE WOULD ADJOIN THIS MEETING.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? A.