* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] WE READY? WHERE WE ARE YOU GONNA WAIT ON RECORDING IN PROGRESS? OKAY. THERE WE [I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL] GO. Y'ALL OKAY, I CAN BEGIN. CITY SECRETARY SET. OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S NOW 2 0 7 AND IT IS WEDNESDAY, JULY 24TH IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2024. SO IT'S 7 24 24 ON TODAY. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US. WE ARE HERE IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS ON THE DATE I JUST ACTUALLY MENTIONED, AND IN THIS PARTICULAR SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET. UH, YOU MAY ATTEND THIS MEETING VIA TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS, HOWEVER YOU WOULD FIRST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR YOU WOULD DIAL 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9 AND YOU WOULD ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 2 3 3 5 2 8 0 0 5 6 AND THE PASSCODE OF 5 9 6 0 6 4 AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING. AND WE ARE ALSO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT IN THIS MEETING HERE AND IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. HOWEVER, IF YOU WOULD HAVE A NEED FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, YOU WOULD FIRST NEED TO CALL 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. NOW A CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5, AND THE CITY SECRETARY AND OUR STAFF WOULD DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWERS TO ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH YOUR SPECIAL REQUEST. LET US NOW DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, OUR NORMAL, UH, OPENING. WE'LL HAVE AN INVOCATION IN THE PLEDGE OF RELEASE AND THEN ROLL CALL. LET'S THAT LET US PRAY. FATHER GOD, IT IS IN THE NAME OF JESUS THAT WE APPROACH YOUR THRONE OF GRACE AND MERCY AT THIS HOUR. DEAR GOD, IN DEEP CONTRITION, HEAVENLY FATHER, YET THANKFUL FOR ALL OF THE MANYFOLD BLESSINGS THAT YOU HAVE BESTOWED UPON US, WE COME TODAY HEAVENLY FATHER, EVEN IN A SPECIAL WAY AS WE ARE IN A SPECIAL MEETING, THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US THE SPECIAL GUIDANCE THAT WE NEED TO COMPLETE THE SPECIAL TASK THAT HAS BEEN PLACED BEFORE US. WE'RE GOING TO EVEN SAY THANK YOU RIGHT NOW, ANTICIPATING A REAL GOOD END TO WHAT WE WILL BE PRESENTED WITH ON TODAY. THESE THINGS WE ASK IN THE NAME OF JESUS. AND FOR HIS SAKE, WE DO PRAY. AMEN. AND THANK GOD LET US SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. TOGETHER I PLEDGE THE LEAD TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY SECRETARY. WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH THE COURT? MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT, MAYOR PROTE BECKHAM. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK HERE. YOU HAVE A QUORUM MAYOR. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. AND [II. *CLOSED MEETING (EXECUTIVE SESSION)] AT THIS JUNCTURE OF THE MEETING, WE ARE GOING TO GO INTO A CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND BECAUSE WE ARE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, I'M REQUIRED TO MAKE THIS STATEMENT THAT WE WILL BE FOLLOWING SECTION 5 5 1 0.101 OF CHAPTER 5 5 1, THE OPEN MEETINGS LAWS OF THE STATE, UH, GOVERNMENT CODE, WHICH WAS FORMERLY, UH, ARTICLE 65 52 DASH 17, SECTION TWO SUBSECTION A. AND THAT STATES THAT I WOULD GOVERN MYSELF IN THE MANNER IN WHICH I AM ABOUT TO AND TELL YOU WHY WE ARE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE WILL COVER SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE. AND IN THAT WHEN WE WOULD BE DISCUSSING THE DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND POSSIBLE APPOINTMENT OF A CITY ATTORNEY. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY YOURS, TRULY BY MAYOR BOCE. AND IN THIS SESSION, IF WE HAVE AN ACTION ITEM, WE WILL RETURN HERE TO THE CHAMBERS AND WE WILL VOTE ON THAT ITEM IN OPEN SESSION. SO AT THIS TIME, WE WILL RECESS DOWNSTAIRS TO THE CONFERENCE ROOM TO FURTHER DELIBERATE ON THE MATTER. I JUST STATED. THANK YOU RO BRING EVERYTHING AROUND. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, WE ARE READY. UH, WE'VE ALREADY RE ESTABLISHED. WE HAVE, UH, A MOTION COMING OUT. COUNCILMAN UH, KEN LAW. THANK YOU MAYOR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MOTION [00:05:01] TO MOVE TO DIRECT ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER THI PEN, TO PREPARE AND PROPOSE AN ORDINANCE APPOINTING A CITY ATTORNEY AT THE JULY 30TH, 2024 MEETING. COUNCILMAN, UH, FRANK, SO MOVED. OKAY, IT IS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, THAT WE WOULD DO AS COUNCILMAN KINLAW HAS ACTUALLY STATED, WITH THE MOTION COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE PREPARATION OF A RESOLUTION APPOINTING A NEW CITY ATTORNEY. WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? THERE AREN'T ANY QUESTIONS. YOU READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? A. ANY, ANY OPPOSES AYES HARRIS? SO ATTORNEY BLACK, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO WORK ABOUT A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. . OKAY. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. MAY I, UH, I GUESS A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT SINCE Y'ALL WANNA LEAVE. SO MOVED. OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOVED. SECOND. AND WE WOULD ADJO THIS SPECIAL MEETING TODAY ON JULY 24TH, WHICH BEGAN, I BELIEVE AT ABOUT 2 0 7 ON THIS AFTERNOON. UH, ANY, UH, NO QUESTIONS MOVED. AND SECOND, WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNMENT A. ANY OPPOSES AYE TO HAVE IT SO IT'S ORDERED. THIS MEETING IS NOW DULY ADJOURNED. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.