[00:00:01]
THEY SETTING THE ZOOM UP.[I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL]
RECORDING IN PROGRESS? OKAY.WE ARE GATHERED HERE AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS FOR OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND IT'S NOW 9:44 AM AND WE WILL BEGIN THE MEETING.
UH, YOU MAY ATTEND THIS MEETING AND PARTICIPATE VIA, UH, TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE, UH, MEETINGS, HOWEVER YOU MUST FIRST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9.
YOU WILL ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 6 2 6 7 9 4 8 2 9 6, AND OF THE PASSCODE OF 0 7 2 3 2 9, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
ALSO, AT THIS MEETING, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
IF THERE IS A NEED FOR SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, YOU WOULD ONLY NEED TO CALL 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
HOWEVER, THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT AREA CODE 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5, AND MAKE YOUR REQUEST KNOWN TO THE STAFF, AND THEY WILL DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWER TO ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH YOUR SPECIAL REQUEST.
WE'LL NOW BEGIN WITH OUR NORMAL AND USUAL OPENING THE INVOCATION TO PLEDGE AND THE ROLL CAUSE.
STAND WITH ME AND WE WILL HAVE THE INVOCATION.
FATHER GOD, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WE APPROACH YOUR THRONE OF GRACE AND MERCY AT THIS, OUR DEAR GOD, THANKING YOU FOR ARISING THIS MORNING AND EVEN THE ABILITY TO MAKE OUR WAY HERE TO CITY HALL.
WE ASK NOW, DEAR GOD, THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW US TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THIS CITY ACCORDING TO YOUR HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS WILL FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY.
WE PRAISE YOU, WE MAGNIFY YOU, WE WORSHIP YOU.
WE GIVE THANKS UNTO YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE SUCH A GOOD GOD.
YOU ARE AN EVERLASTING FRIEND.
YOU ARE EVEN OUR HOPE FOR TOMORROW AND FOR THIS DEAR GOD, WE ARE MIGHTY, MIGHTY GRATEFUL.
THESE THINGS WE ASK IN THE NAME OF JESUS, FOR HIS SAKE, WE DO PRAY.
AND TO THANK GOD, LET US NOW RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE.
IN OUR OPENING SECRETARIES, UH, CITY SECRETARIES, PLEASE, UH, ESTABLISH THE QUORUM FOR MAYOR BART.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD COUNCIL MEMBER ETT.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, YOU HAVE A QUORUM HERE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PROCLAMATION, SO THERE AREN'T ANY.
SO THERE AREN'T ANY PROCLAMATIONS.
[III.A.(1) Jake H. H. Johnson Jr., Regarding Asking The City For Asylum]
WILL NOW MOVE TO SPEAKERS.THE FIRST SPEAKER WE HAVE IS MR. JAKE HH JOHNSON, JR.
REGARDING, UH, ASKING THE CITY FOR ASYLUM.
MR. JOHNSON, WOULD YOU APPROACH, PLEASE, THERE ARE INSTRUCTIONS THERE AT THE PODIUM.
YOU WOULD STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.
YOU WOULD HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL, SIR.
I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO SAY HELLO TO THE, THE BOARD AND THE COUNCIL, EVERYONE THAT SITS THE BOARD.
UH, MY NAME IS MR. JAKE JOHNSON.
AND, UM, I'M HERE BECAUSE OF A SITUATION THAT I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR OVER NINE YEARS HERE, NOT ONLY IN PORT ARTHUR, BUT THROUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I HAVE BEEN SIT IN SITUATIONS WHERE I HAD TO FIGHT FOR MY LIFE.
I'VE BEEN PUT OFF IN CERTAIN WAYS WHERE, UM, MY FAMILY HAS BETRAYED ME.
[00:05:01]
IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS FOR NINE YEARS NOW.AND I NOT ONLY HAVE NOT ONE FRIEND, I'VE BEEN SHUNTED, I'VE BEEN BLACKBALLED, I'VE BEEN VIOLATED AS A HUMAN BEING.
I'VE BEEN TO YOU MAYOR WITH MY PASTOR, MR. DONALD RAY FRANK, AND I'VE TALKED TO YOU PRIOR TO THIS HERE OF MONTHS AND MONTHS AGO.
I TALKED TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE ABOUT THIS MONTHS AND MONTHS AGO.
THERE HAS BEEN NO TYPE OF INVESTIGATION ON ANY PARTS OF ANYTHING THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH JAKE JOHNSON.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, YOU'RE GONNA BE OKAY.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, Y'ALL DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE EVIDENCE THAT I HAVE BEHIND WHAT I'M SPEAKING ABOUT.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MY MOTHER AND MY SISTER SIGNED THIS IN SOMEHOW WITH SOME SECRET ORGANIZATION THROUGH THE BLACK WEB.
THEY HAVE SOLD OVER MAYBE 700 DIFFERENT, UH, INSURANCE POLICIES UNDER MY NAME, S NAMES.
UM, AND THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
SO THEREFORE, THAT PUTS ME IN JEOPARDY WITH NOT ONLY ME GOING TO AND FOUR AND ME LIVING A DAILY LIFE.
I'VE BEEN BLACKBALLED THROUGHOUT BEING, GETTING A JOB.
I'VE BEEN BLACKBALLED THROUGHOUT BEING, UH, RECOGNIZED AS A CIVIL CITIZEN HERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF TEXAS.
I HAVE BEEN DONE SO BADLY TO WHERE I'VE BEEN HIT BY A TRAIN HERE, PHYSICALLY HIT BY A TRAIN, AND NO ONE INVESTIGATED IT.
I HAVE BEEN PUTTING WRECKS JUST, YOU KNOW, DELIBERATELY REAL WRECKS TO WHERE IT CAUSED MY LIFE TO BE IN JEOPARDY.
AND NO ONE REALLY INVESTIGATED IT.
THEY JUST PUT ME OFF AND SAID I WAS THE FATHER.
IT'S NO, I FEEL AS THOUGH PERSONALLY, IT'S BECAUSE I'M NOT FROM PORT OKTA.
IT'S BEEN A REAL EERIE FEELING TO NOT HAVE ANYONE OVER NINE YEARS, AND I'M STILL IN MY RIGHT MIND HEALTH AND STRENGTH.
AT ONE POINT IN TIME, YOU TOLD ME, YOU SAID, I'M TIRED OF YOU HARASSING MY CITY, MR. MAYOR TIZ, AND I TOLD YOU IN YOUR OFFICE WHEN YOU GAVE ME THIS VERY BOOK HERE, YOU SAID, HOLD ON TO THIS, AND I DID.
AND THE REASON I HELD ONTO IT, SO I CAN COME RIGHT BACK IN FRONT OF YOU AND TELL YOU THAT IT HASN'T CHANGED.
I'M A HUMAN BEING, AND I'M A MAN OF DIGNITY AND PRIDE.
YOU KNOW THAT I BELONG TO DONALD RAY'S CHURCH.
THAT'S, THAT'S ACCORDING TO WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DONE IN THIS CITY.
THIS IS MY HOME, JEFFERSON COUNTY, AND I HAVEN'T COMMITTED ANY CRIMES.
I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG.
THIS HERE IS SOMETHING SO DEEP MAYOR, TO WHERE I HAVE TO SUE A DOCTOR FOR SHOOTING SOMETHING IN MY BACK THAT HAS A DETECTOR IN MY LEG.
NOW, THAT MIGHT SOUND A LITTLE WEIRD TO YOU ALL BECAUSE THIS COMES FROM DALLAS, AND THIS IS COLONIZING.
THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL COLONIZING.
WHEN YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE, THEY KNOW WHERE I'M AT AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS THING IN MY LEG.
AND I CAN'T HARDLY WALK ON MY FEET BECAUSE OF IT.
IT'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, AND TAKE ME VERY SERIOUS.
UM, WHEN I TALKED TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE YESTERDAY, HE TOLD ME, HE SAID, HE KNOWS WHO'S COLONIZING ME.
HE KNOWS WHO'S DOING THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING TO ME.
AND HE ASKED ME, HE SAID, ARE YOU STILL ALIVE? AND I SAID, YEAH, I'M STILL ALIVE.
I SAY, BUT WHY DO I HAVE TO BE PUT IN THAT TYPE OF CATEGORY TO BE ASKED? AM I STILL ALIVE? AND HE SAID, WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE I'M WATCHING YOU AND I'M PROTECTING YOU.
SO THEREFORE, THAT GIVES AN INDICATION OF SAYING THAT THERE IS SOMEONE DOING SOMETHING, OKAY, THAT JUST DON'T COME OUT OF A CHIEF,
[00:10:01]
A POLICE MOUTH.AND HE JUST TELLS ME SOMETHING OF THAT SORT.
I DON'T HAVE A MENTAL CAPACITY.
I DON'T THINK Y'ALL HAVE EVER HEARD THIS BEFORE.
I SEE HOW Y'ALL LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND LOOKING AROUND, BUT THAT GIVES ME AN INDICATION THAT YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTUALLY I'M GOING THROUGH IN LIFE.
SO I PLEASE ASK YOU IN JESUS' NAME TO PLEASE TAKE ME VERY SERIOUS, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY TOMORROW OR MY NEXT MINUTE IS GONNA BE, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE INDICATIONS OF WHAT THE COMPLICATIONS MAY BE AFTER SOMEONE SEES THIS VIDEO ON TELEVISION.
BUT I HAD TO COME IN FRONT OF YOU JUST THIS ONE TIME YOU AND YOUR BOARD, AND LET YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW I FEEL.
I'M NOT A MONEYBAG, I'M NOT A SLAVE, AND I'M SURE NOT TO BE OSTRACIZED, COLONIZED AND TARGETED.
I WORK HARD FOR TO DO THE THINGS THAT I KNOW I'M HAVE, I HAVE REALLY, REALLY GOOD, UH, UH, UH, ETHICS.
I I CAN, I'VE OWNED TWO, TWO AND A HALF BUSINESSES.
I'VE TRIED TO OPEN BUSINESSES HERE, AND IT WAS BLOCKED.
EVERYTHING I'VE TRIED TO DO OVER NINE YEARS HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN.
AND I'VE HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO SUCCEED AT ANYTHING.
SO I'M ASKING THE BOARD, I'M ASKING THE CHIEF OF POLICE, AND I WILL BE GOING TO JEFFERSON COUNTY AND TO THEIR BOARD, AND I WILL BE ADDRESSING THEM AS WELL TO ASK THE NEW CHIEF OF POLICE AND THE NEW BOARD ABOUT THIS ASYLUM, BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL SAFE.
AND MOST OF THE TIME WHEN I'M WALKING, UH, RIDING, THEY HAVE SOMETHING IN THEIR HAND WHERE THEY'RE EVERYBODY.
NOW, UH, MR. JOHNSON, I ALLOWED YOU TO GO OVER YOUR, UH, FIVE MINUTES TIME LIMIT, OKAY? AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU SAID.
I THINK COUNCILOR MCKEN LAW HAS, HAS HAD SOME REMARKS FOR YOU.
UH, MR. JOHNSON, I, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE LISTENED TO YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M SYMPATHETIC OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH AND HOW YOU FEEL AND WHAT'S YOUR MENTALITY, UH, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT SOME OF THE SUPPORT STAFF THAT WE HAVE.
BUT ON A CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU, UH, RECTIFY SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU STATED EARLIER ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL? WHAT IS THE CITY OBLIGATION IN HELPING YOU WITH SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU STATED EARLIER? WELL, TO BE TOTALLY HONEST WITH YOU, THAT'S UP TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
YOU KNOW, HE'S THE ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS THE ABILITY TO DO THESE THINGS.
UM, THAT'S WHY, UH, I'VE BEEN KNOWING THIS CHIEF FOR, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN KNOWING MAYOR BART FOR
SO, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS JUST A, THIS IS A REAL CONSPIRACY.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONSPIRACIES THAT I'VE EVER HAD TO WITNESS FOR MY, IN MY LIFE.
WELL, WHEN MY FAMILY JUST, JUST DONE ME WRONG AND DONE.
SO WHAT I'M, I'M GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
THE, THE, THE, THE ONLY THING THAT YOU CAN DO FOR ME IS HELP ME LIVE A NORMAL LIFE.
YOU KNOW, HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, I GOT UNCLES AND AUNTIES THAT WENT TO SCHOOL HERE AND EVERYTHING.
SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW HOW TO LIVE.
I, I MEAN, HERE IN PORT ARTHUR, YOU KNOW, WELL, MR. JOHNSON, LET'S, LET'S DO THIS.
UH, I I'M SURE THAT THE CHIEF IS, UH, WILLING TO TALK WITH YOU, CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH YOU, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THIS LEVEL AS THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL, UH, WE WORK HEAVILY WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF.
SO IF YOU CAN GET WITH HIM, UH, OFFLINE, UH, DISCUSS YOUR, YOUR, YOUR SITUATIONS WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS.
AND THEN, UH, CHIEF, WOULD YOU MIND GETTING BACK WITH THE CITY MANAGER TO GET BACK WITH THE COUNCIL? BECAUSE AT THAT LEVEL THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF BEING OUS, UH, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT HOW WE CONDUCT BUSINESS HERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO HOW, HOW CAN, HOW, HOW THE FIRST STEP IS GONNA GET WITH HIM.
I DON'T, I DID, I DID CALL THE FBI.
AND THE FBI TOLD ME TO TALK TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHAT I FIRST DID.
AND THEN HE TOLD ME TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.
SO WHERE I LIVE, WHERE I LIVE IS, IS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS.
OKAY? SO WHEN I CAME AND I SPOKE TO, UH, MAYOR BART PERSONALLY IN HIS OFFICE, YOU KNOW, I, I, I TOOK THIS PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HE KNOWS ME, HE KNOWS MY PASTOR.
[00:15:01]
HERE TO SPEAK TO HIM.AND MY PASTOR TOLD ME, HE SAID, ARE YOU GONNA TELL THE MAYOR THAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS AGAINST YOU? WELL, HE SAY, I DON'T WANT YOU TO DO THAT THERE, BUT ME BEING THE PERSON THAT I AM, IF I DON'T TELL HIM THE TRUTH, THEN HE WON'T KNOW THE TRUTH.
SO YOU GOT YOUR COHORT, MY COHORT'S HERE.
YOU GOT THE CITY MANAGER CHIEF.
HE WOULDN'T MIND ME WITH MR. JOHNSON AND GIVE A REPORT BACK TO THE CITY, CITY MANAGER, CITY MANAGER.
WOULD YOU MIND GIVING US A REPORT ON THE, THE FINDINGS OF, OF YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS? UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MS. GOOD MORNING, SIR.
LOOK, UH, I, I HEARD YOUR PRESENTATION AND I DIDN'T CATCH ALL OF IT, BUT I GOT ENOUGH OF IT.
OKAY? NOW, YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE RELIEF AS A CITIZEN, YOU HAVE BEEN TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE, OKAY? THE CHIEF OF POLICE REPORTS TO THE CITY MANAGER, ALRIGHT? YOU HAVE, IF WE DON'T GET SOMETHING DONE, NOW, WHEN THE CHIEF OF POLICE SUPPOSED TO, HE CAN REPORT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND, AND IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT, OKAY? YES.
THAT, BUT THE NEXT I UNDERSTAND FULLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST BEEN GOING OVER.
NO, I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT WHAT I JUST SAID.
WELL, BUT WHAT I WANT TO SAY, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, THE CITY MANAGER IS GOING TO TURN THE FINDINGS OF THE COUNCIL IS GONNA TURN THE FINDINGS OF THE, OF, OF THE, UH, CHIEF OF POLICE.
HE GONNA TURN THOSE FINDINGS OVER TO THE, THE FBI.
SO YOU HAVE COVERED YOUR, YOU HAVE FINALIZED YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDY, BUT NOW THE FBI IS NOT GOING TO GET INVOLVED UNTIL THE LOCAL PEOPLE, IF THEY ARE ASKED TO COME IN, THEY WILL COME IN.
BUT THEY GIVEN THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES, THE CHIEF OF POLICE, AN OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER THE EVIDENCE.
SO THE CHIEF OF POLICE, HE, I'M SURE HE'S GONNA GATHER THE EVIDENCE BASED ON SOMETHING YOU JUST SAID.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THAT IMPLIED THAT HE'S LOOKING, HE KNOWS AND HE KNOWS WHO'S HARASSING YOU.
SO NOW YOU MADE YOUR FINAL ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDY, AND IF NOTHING HAPPENS, THEN YOU HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, TAKE IT, TAKE IT AWAY FROM US, BUT WE GONNA DO EVERYTHING THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN.
LIKE I'M AT THE RISK OF REPEATING MYSELF, THE CHIEF OF POLICE LOCAL INVESTIGATION.
THAT'S THE WAY THE FBI DOES IT.
NOW, THEY USED TO COME IN AND IN THE DA'S OFFICE, THEY USED TO GET INVOLVED AHEAD OF TIME.
SO THEY'RE MAKING THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DO THEIR JOB, DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE, GET THE EVIDENCE TO TURN IT OVER TO THE, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THE NEXT STEP, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS GOING TO PUT TOGETHER, UH, A GRAND JURY TO DEAL WITH WHOEVER'S IS, IS THE EVIDENCE IS POINTING TO IT.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK THIS WAY ANYMORE, JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU DONE COMPLETED YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDY.
NOW IT GOES INTO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AFTER LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT'S A CHIEF OF DUR.
SO IS GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
AND THEN, AND I'VE ALREADY SAY EXHAUST.
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT, I JUST ABOUT REMEDIES, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND ME, IS THAT THERE'S A, YOU HAVE TO GO BY THE, BY THE STATUTE.
YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE STATUTES OF, OF THE LAW, THE PROCESS, AND YOU HAVE TO START WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, UH, THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
AND, UH, THEN IT GOES ON TO THE COUNCIL BOARD.
THEN IT GOES ON TO, TO THE FEDERAL COURTS, OR THE FEDERAL BOARD.
AT THE RISK OF INTERRUPTING YOU, WHEN THE CHIEF OF POLICE FINISH HIS INVESTIGATION, HE IS GOING TO TAKE IT TO THE DISTRICT.
THAT'S A, THAT IS A CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
HE DON'T HAVE TO, THE CHIEF DOESN'T HAVE TO COME TO NOBODY.
HE HAS ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.
HE CAN, YOU, YOU'VE COVERED EVERYTHING IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
THE CHIEF WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BASED ON THE EVIDENCE THAT THE CHIEF COMPILED, IT'S GOING TO, UH, IMPOUND A, A GRAND JURY AND SHOW THE GRAND JURY THOSE EVIDENCE.
AND THE GRAND JURY GOING TO, EITHER IT'S YOUR ISSUE, YOUR INDICTMENT, OR, OR, OR NOT.
NOW, YOU'VE COMPLETED YOUR, YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR OPINION.
[III.B.(1) A Presentation By Staff Regarding The Status Of Water And Drainage Lines On Proctor Street, Lakeshore Drive, Gulfway Drive And Memorial Boulevard (Requested By Councilmember Lewis)]
UH, NEXT WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION BY STAFF REGARDING THE STATUS OF WATER AND DRAINAGE LINES ON PROCTOR[00:20:01]
STREET, LAKESHORE DRIVE, GULF WAY DRIVE, AND MEMORIAL BOULEVARD.THIS IS BEING REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
SO BASICALLY WE LOOKED AT THE, THE, THE, THE LINES THAT ARE CROSSING WOODWORTH.
THERE'S, UH, 13, UH, WATER LINES, AND THERE'S FOUR SEWER LINES.
MAY, MAY, MAY, MAY, MAY, MAY, I MAY, MAY I INTERJECT SOMETHING? NO PROBLEM.
UH, WE LOOKED AT THIS OTHER DAY, THE OTHER DAY DURING, UH, AGENDA REVIEW.
AND SINCE WE'RE GOING INTO A WORKSHOP WHENEVER WE FINISH THIS, IT MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO DO, TO DISCUSS.
NO, I WANT, I WANT HIM TO STATE WHAT HE FOUND PUBLICLY.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT I WANT DONE.
SO BASICALLY THE, UH, THE SEWER LINES ARE DEEP.
I MEAN, THEY'RE BELOW THE STORM SEWER.
THE, UH, THE WATER LINES ARE VERY SHALLOW.
THEY'RE MOSTLY, THEY'RE AC PIPE, SO THEY'RE VERY BRITTLE, VERY SHALLOW.
UH, AND THE TOPS OF THE PIPES WILL BE IN THE BASE OF THE ROAD.
SO WE MET WITH A WC ON THAT PROJECT, AND WE CAN LAY A, UH, AN HDP PIPE ON, BASICALLY TAKE A LITTLE BIT OFF THE TOP OF THE BOX CULVERT AND LAY IT RIGHT ON TOP.
AND IT'LL BE RIGHT BELOW THE, THE BASE OF THE ROAD.
AND THE HTP WILL TAKE THE LOADING OF BUILDING THE ROAD ON TOP.
IF WE WERE TO DIRECTIONALLY DRILL ON E EVERY LOCATION, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET TO DO THAT.
SO, BUT WE CAN COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO PUT IN THE HT P PIPE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE LINES ARE SHALLOW, ARE THEY RUNNING IN PARALLEL? THEY THE, OR THEY RUNNING UNDERNEATH.
THEY CROSS THE ROAD IN THE, THE WATER LINES IN THAT AREA ARE IN THE BACK ALLEY.
SO BETWEEN EACH BLOCK AND EACH BLOCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK, THERE'S A WATER LINE THAT CROSSES.
NOT EVERY PLACE DOES IT CROSS, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE WATER LINES ARE.
I I, I, EVERY DAY I GO BY IT, I'M OBSERVING AND OBSERVING AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE SEWER LINES OR WATER LINES OR WHATEVER.
UH, AND, AND THE DRAINAGE, WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THE DRAINAGE? DRAINAGE IS NOT MY DEPARTMENT.
YOU GOT SOMEBODY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STORM DRAINAGE, NOT SEWER DRAINAGE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT STORM DRAINAGE.
SO YOU'LL COVER YOUR, YOUR END OF THE THING.
CAN YOU, UH, TURN, PUT THE SLIDE UP, PLEASE.
UM, SO, UH, WOODWORTH IS THE PROJECT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND YOU CAN SEE THE SECTION, UH, THE BOULEVARD SECTION ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN.
THERE'S A STORM DRAIN, THE GREEN LINE THAT RUNS RIGHT DOWN THE BOULEVARD, THE MEDIAN OF THE BOULEVARD.
I MEAN, IT'S A, IT ENDS UP BEING A SIX BY SIX BOX.
AND IT TRANSITIONS TO A 42 INCH PIPE AT PROCTOR.
AND, UH, IT'S ADEQUATE THE WAY IT IS.
SO WE WE'RE JUST LEAVING THAT ALONE ALL THE WAY TO, FROM GULF WAY TO LAKE SHORE, YES.
SO THERE'S NO COLLAPSE OR NO RESTRICTION OR NONE OF THAT THOUGH? NO.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DISTURB THAT? YES.
AND YEAH, THAT'S, THE DRAINAGE IS FINE ON THIS PROJECT.
SO OUR ISSUE NOW IS WHAT WE GOING TO GET MONEY TO, WHAT CALVIN'S TALKING ABOUT? YES, SIR.
IS THAT, UH, DOES THAT COMPLETE THAT FOR YOU, CONSTABLE, AT THIS TIME? WE'LL, I'LL BE WITH, OKAY.
I'LL DEAL WITH THE REST OF IT.
GO RIGHT AHEAD WITH WHAT YOU ALL SAYING.
START OUT YOUR NAME, MS. JONES JONES.
WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALL SAYING, AND I KNOW THIS MONEY CAME FROM STREETS, IS IT MORE MONEY OF BE COMING FROM STREETS? ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE MONEY THAT YOU ORGANIZED TO GIVE FOR, UH, WOODWORTH, SO DO YOU ALL HAVE TO GO BACK TO AND GET MORE MONEY FROM STREETS TO COMPLETE THIS AND FIX THIS DRAINAGE OR, OR, UH, WATER LINES AND STUFF? WILL Y'ALL BE GOING BACK TO STREETS? NOT THE STREETS, MA'AM? UH HUH TO GET MONEY FROM STREETS TO BE FIXED.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU TOOK MONEY FROM STREETS AT THE
[00:25:01]
BEGINNING FOR WHAT YOU ALL, I DIDN'T EXPLAIN.YOU TOOK MONEY FROM THE STREETS AT THE BEGINNING TO DO THIS PROJECT.
MS. JOY COUNCIL, UH, UH, CITY MANAGER.
YOU WERE, YOU EXPLAINED TO HER? UH, SHE SAID JUST A MINUTE, I THINK.
ARE YOU, UH, YOU CAN EXPLAIN IT TO HER.
I'M ABLE TO FIND THIS PERSON CAN EXPLAIN TO HER WATER HAS NOT TAKEN ANY MONEY FROM STREETS.
OH, MS. JO, LET HIM, LET HIM EXPLAIN TO YOU.
SO I'M, I'M WATERING AND SEWER SEW.
SANITARY SEWER, WHEN YOU FLUSH YOUR TOILET.
WE HAVEN'T TAKEN ANY WATER MONEY FROM, UH, STREETS.
AND WE'RE, OUR PLAN IS TO FUND, TO INSTALL THESE PIPES.
SO JUST ACROSS THE STREET, WE'RE NOT GONNA REPLACE ALL THE PIPES, WE'RE JUST GONNA CROSS THE STREET SO THAT WE CAN INSTALL THE STREET.
THERE WAS, UH, I MEAN THE, THE ALL, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I'M NOT ROADS, JOHN IS RHODES, THE ENTIRE WOODWORTH PROJECT IS BEING FUNDED OUT OF THE ROADS, STREETS, AND ROADS PROGRAM.
BUT THE WATER IS WATER UTILITIES.
DOES THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION? I'M JUST, I THINK YOU DO.
I JUST DON'T WANT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE RUNNING INTO THESE PROBLEMS. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE MORE MONEY WAS COMING FROM AND MAKE SURE THAT IT COME, DIDN'T COME FROM THE STREETS AND, AND DURING THE STREETS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE OKAY.
OUR STREETS IS NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE FUNDED BY, PRIMARILY BY WATER AND SEWER RATES.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU STILL HAVE SOMETHING? YES.
CALVIN, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE, UH, RESPONDED PROPERLY.
EVERYTHING IS UNDER YOUR, WHAT'S UNDER YOUR CONTROL.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT SHE, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COULD YOU, CITY MANAGER, COULD YOU BRING, WHAT'S THE NAME UP? YEAH.
THAT THERE'S NO, UH, THE, THE, THE FUNDS FOR WOODWORTH ARE COMING OUT OF THE STREET PROGRAM.
THERE'S NO WATER AND SEWER IMPROVEMENTS BEING MADE UNDER THE, THE STREET PROGRAM.
SO IF YOU, UH, WE DOING THE WOODWORK, MS. JOANNE, YOU GOTTA COME BACK UP THE WOODWORK.
I'LL TALK TILL YOU GET UP THERE.
THE MONEY THAT YOU ALL HAVE, YOU KNOW, TO REPAIR AND FIX THE WOODWORK PROJECT.
ARE YOU SAYING REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU RUN INTO THE PROBLEM THAT YOU RUN INTO, IT WILL NOT, IT, YOU'RE NOT GONNA COME BACK INTO THE STREET FUNDING? YES.
YOU WON'T BE COMING BACK INTO THE STREET FUNDING.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS? THE, THE MONEY IS FOR LANDSCAPING MEMORIAL BOULEVARD.
WHERE DID IT COME FROM? THE STREET PROGRAM.
NO, WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GONNA MOVE.
[III.B.(2) A Presentation By Staff Regarding Additional Advertising For Contractors For Infrastructure (Requested By Councilmember Lewis)]
ITEM THAT WE HAVE IS A PRESENTATION BY STAFF REGARDING ADDITIONAL, UH, ADVERTISING FOR CONTRACTORS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
COULD YOU BRING UP BROTHER WILLIAMS? GOOD MORNING.
YOUR ADVERTISING PROGRAM FOR CONTRACTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, WHAT'S, AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING WE WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY CONTRACTORS BIDDING OUT OF, OUT OF OTHER AREAS OF HOUSTON.
IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? HAVE, DO YOU HAVE ANY, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THEY'RE NOT PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROGRAM? AND THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
THE HOUSTON CONTRACTORS, THEY DON'T COME NO FURTHER THAN GALVESTON FOR THE MOST PART.
UM, THERE'S A FEW THAT HAVE DONE IT OVER THE PAST.
UM, I COULDN'T GET THE WHOLE ANSWER FOR YOU HERE SO I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU LATER.
BUT BASICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ADVERTISING FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, I DO PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE.
I DO GO TO THE TEXAS CMBL LIST AND FIND VENDORS IN HOUSTON AND SURROUNDING AREAS TO TRY TO GET 'EM TO DO THINGS HERE AS WELL AS PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO, STARTING ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, WE DID DO A BIG PUSH BECAUSE GENERALLY WHEN WE GET INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WE GET ABOUT TWO BIDDERS.
ON SOME GOOD DAYS, WE GET THREE.
UM, THAT'S GENERALLY IN THIS AREA.
UM, SO WE WERE TRYING TO GET A PUSH TO GET
[00:30:01]
MORE, ESPECIALLY WHEN COUNCIL STARTED PUSHING FOR, YOU KNOW, MORE AWARDS TO BE DONE.SO WE WAS TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE OUTTA HOUSTON AND OTHER AREAS TO COME IN AND DO SOME WORK.
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE ARE HAVING IS THAT OUR PROJECTS ARE JUST NOT BIG ENOUGH TO HAVE THEM TRAVEL DOWN HERE TO DO IT.
YOU, YOU, YOU ARE SPECULATING.
THAT'S THE REASON WHY, OR HAVE YOU ASKED, THAT'S WHY I SAID I NEED TO GET THAT ANSWER FOR I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING, BUT RIGHT NOW, THAT'S MY SPECULATION.
JUST SAY, YEAH, CLIFF, HOW MANY CONTRACTORS DO WE HAVE NOW DURING STREETS? RIGHT NOW? I THINK IT'S ABOUT TWO.
WE HAD SOME OTHER ONES, BUT LIKE ONE IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AND ANOTHER ONE HADN'T BID IN A MINUTE.
SO MOSTLY IT IS TWO THAT MOSTLY BID.
WHEN WE DO, UH, CONTRACT WITH STREETS, DO UH, EACH ONE OF 'EM BID OR DO WE SET, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF SOMEBODY GIVE A CONTRACT, WE DO A CONTRACT FOR, UH, SO MUCH A MILE, UH, ASPHALT TO DO A ASPHALT STREET, UH, DO WE SET THAT AS A STANDARD FOR ANYBODY ELSE? OR DO WE LET 'EM ALL BID THEIR INDIVIDUAL, UH, JOBS? WELL ON THE ASPHALT STREET, WELL, I GUESS IT'S ALSO ON THE RECONSTRUCTION TOO.
SO WE HAVE WHAT THEY CALL A BID SCHEDULE, WHICH IS LISTING THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. SO THEY PUT THEIR UNIT COSTS PER EACH OF THOSE ITEMS. OKAY.
THEN, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.
UH, AND WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG.
THERE ARE NO, UH, CITY MANAGER STAFF REPORTS.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PETITIONS.
WE DO NOT HAVE A, UH, PUBLIC HEARING.
[V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST (LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF TWO (2) MINUTES PER COUNCILMEMBER)]
ARE THERE ANY REPORTS FOR OF, UH, COMMUNITY INTEREST FROM, UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP? YES, I HAVE ONE.UM, AND I THINK THIS FALLS UNDER BOTH CATEGORIES, FOUR AND FIVE.
THERE WAS A PRESS RELEASE THAT WAS DONE, UH, REGARDING CITY HALL SELFIE DAY, WHICH IS AUGUST 15TH, 2024.
UH, IT'S AVAILABLE ON THE CITY WEBSITE, AND THIS IS SOMETHING FOR CITY EMPLOYEES TO DO AS WELL AS CITIZENS OF THE CITY.
UM, AND IT'S A RECOGNITION AND A CELEBRATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
UH, AND WHAT YOU DO IS YOU TAKE A SELFIE OF YOURSELF IN FRONT OF ANY GOVERNMENT BUILDING.
SO IT CAN BE IN FRONT OF CITY HALL, IT CAN BE IN FRONT OF THE LIBRARY, IT CAN BE IN FRONT OF THE EDC PARKS AND REC, ANY, ANY TYPE OF CITY BUILDING.
UH, AND THEN YOU POST IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING SEVERAL HASHTAGS THAT ARE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
PROBABLY THE EASIEST ONE TO REMEMBER IS ELGL NETWORK, AND THAT STANDS FOR ENGAGING LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS.
UH, IT'S A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK IN AND WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN CITY HALL SELFIE DAY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN IT.
UM, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE CITIZENS TO DO THAT AS WELL.
I'M GONNA DO IT OUT IN FRONT OF THE CITY HALL SIGN BEFORE I LEAVE TODAY.
UH, AND YOU POSTED ON AUGUST 15TH, WHICH IS THURSDAY OF THIS WEEK.
I AM WANTING TO INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO AN EVENT.
IT'S CALLED LAUGHS FOR LIFE, AND IT IS TUESDAY, AUGUST 20TH, BEGINNING AT SIX O'CLOCK.
DOORS OPEN AT FIVE 30, AND IT IS SPONSORED BY THE HOPE CLINIC.
UM, THE HOPE RESOURCE CENTER IS AN ORGANIZATION, UM, THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST TEXAS, BUT THEY'RE NEWLY OPENING DOORS IN PORT ARTHUR, AND THEIR INTENT IS TO GIVE HOPE TO FAMILIES WHO OTHERWISE MAY HAVE GONE TO HAVE ABORTIONS.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, THIS INFORMATION IS@HOPECLINICPARTNERS.COM AND IT'S, UM, LAUGH FOR LIFE'S AUGUST 20TH AT 6:00 PM OKAY.
ANY OTHER, UH, REPORTS OF, UH, COMMUNITY ENTRIES? THERE AREN'T ANY.
UH, WE WILL NOW MOVE TO, UH, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
[VII. CONSENT AGENDA]
UH, WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.UH, THE ITEMS HAVE BEEN PLACED AND COUNSEL HAS BEEN GIVEN, UH, INFORMATION ON THESE ITEMS. THE CONSIDERED AGENDA BEGINS ON PAGE THREE, AND IT GOES THROUGH PAGE, UH, FIVE.
SO, UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS HAVE A MOTION, WELL, EXCUSE ME, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY
[00:35:01]
ITEMS HE WANT TO BE, UH, REMOVED? GIVE ME THE ITEM IN THE PAGE ON, UH, LET SEE.MAYOR, ITEM NUMBER 10 ON FIVE.
UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? UH, ITEM THREE AND ITEM NINE.
OH, THAT'S A PUBLIC HEARING CALL.
WHAT, WHICH, SAY, SAY THAT AGAIN NOW, NUMBER NINE.
THAT'S, DON'T WORRY ABOUT NINE.
OKAY, SO YOU HAVE ITEM NUMBER THREE? THREE ON PAGE FOUR.
UH, MAY I, TIM BECKHAM ITEMS NUMBER SIX AND SEVEN ON PAGE FOUR.
WHICH ONE? SIX AND SEVEN ON PAGE FOUR.
ANY OTHER ITEMS? IF NOT, I'D BE READY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCLUSION OF ITEMS 3, 6, 7, AND 10, OR COUNCILMAN KENMORE.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS HAS BEEN MOVED.
AND SECOND, THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE STATED ITEMS. UH, READY FOR QUESTION? ANY QUESTIONS? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE SO ORDERED? WE WOULD APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS UH, STATED NOW FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
[VII.C.(3) P.R. No. 23843 – A Resolution Approving Amendment No. 1 To The Economic Development Performance Agreement Between The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation And MPW Industrial Water Services, Inc.]
ITEMS. UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS A PR NUMBER 2 38 43.IT IS A RESOLUTION APPROVING AMEND NUMBER ONE TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND SECTION FOUR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AND MPW INDUSTRIAL WATER IN COOPERATING.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN KEN LAW? SO, MOVE MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN ETT SECOND.
AND WE READ APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 8 43.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YEAH, COME ON UP.
MY QUESTION IS, UH, THIS, UH, DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, SECTION FOUR, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND MPW, WHAT IS THIS PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT IS GOING TO DO FOR, FOR PORT ARTHUR? AND WHO IS GOING TO AUDIT? WHO'S GOING TO BE THE COMPLIANCE PERSON? UH, THE PORT ARTHUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR, UH, THEIR PERFORMANCE.
UH, THE AGREEMENT IS THAT IT WAS ALREADY IN PLACE, SIMPLY AN AMENDMENT, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WERE GETTING OUT OF IT.
UH, THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE EXPANSION, WHICH IS UNDERWAY, AS WELL AS THE JOBS THAT THEY AGREED TO.
AND WHEN THEY FELL BEHIND AS IT STATES IN THE BACKGROUND, THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, WE STILL WANT THOSE JOBS.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS GIVEN THEM A LITTLE BREATHING ROOM, UH, CHECKED WITH THEM YESTERDAY, THEY ARE STILL ON SCHEDULE FOR THE RETENTION OF FOLKS THAT WE WANT 'EM TO RETAIN.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY, WE JUST FELT THAT IT WAS FAIR TO GIVE THEM THIS BREATHING ROOM, UH, BECAUSE THEY WERE UNDER CAPACITY, AGAIN, THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
WHAT WOULD BE THE PENALTY OUT OF COMPLIANCE? I'M SORRY, SIR.
IF THEY'RE OUT OF COMPLIANCE, WHAT WOULD BE THE PENALTY? WELL, IF THEY, NOW, IF THEY'RE FOUND OUT COMPLIANCE, ASSUMING THAT THIS IS APPROVED, IF THEY WERE TO NOW GET OUT OF COMPLIANCE AGAIN, AND IT IS THEIR FAULT, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING CAPACITY WISE, THEN THEY'RE AT, THEY'RE IN DEFAULT.
SO THERE WILL BE, THEY WILL NOT GET, UH, THEY'RE UP TO THEIR FOURTH MILESTONE IN TERMS OF PAYMENT.
THEY JUST WOULDN'T GET THAT PAYMENT.
IT'S A PERFORMANCE BASED AGREEMENT.
THE COMPLIANCE REVIEW IN OR OUT OF COMPLIANCE, IF THAT'S GONNA BE MONITORED BY YOURSELF OR SIR, IT'S GONNA BE MONITORED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY.
THE CITY HAS A COMPLIANCE OFFICER, YOU KNOW THAT WELL, YES, SIR.
BUT THE AGREEMENT IS BETWEEN THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
SO IT WOULD BE US, BUT IT CERTAINLY, IF MYSELF AND OUR LAWYERS NEED TO BRING IN, UH, THE CITY, WE CERTAINLY WOULD DO THAT.
BUT, UH, WE WOULD NOT WANT TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL FOLKS UNNECESSARILY.
IN FERENCE, MPW, YOU KNOW, WE, WE INCREASED THE, UH, CAPACITY FOR THE LINES OUT THERE, THE WATER LINES AND STUFF, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
[00:40:01]
AND, UM, THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF WHAT THEY'RE GONNA, WHY THEY'RE GONNA INCREASE THE, THE, UH, THEIR NUMBER OF JOBS AND ALL OF THIS, RIGHT? YES, SIR.SO WHY DID AND GET, GET, I'M SORRY, FORGIVE ME, GET BACK ON TRACK TO THE SCHEDULE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY IN PLACE.
WHY DID THEY GET OFF SCHEDULE? BECAUSE WITH THE ISSUES WITH THE LIFT STATION AND OTHER CON CONJOINING ISSUES, THEY WERE AT A PAUSE IN HIRING.
AND AGAIN, IT, WE ALL GATHERED TOGETHER, AS YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE SPRING TO CORRECT THAT.
AND THE QUID PRO QUO AS ONCE CORRECTED, YOU GET BACK ON TRACK WITH MEETING YOUR OBLIGATIONS, HIRING.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, THAT THAT AGREEMENT THAT THEY SIGNED WAS NOT IN CONJUNCTION OF THE CAPACITY.
THE CAPACITY WAS ESTABLISHED WHEN THEY ENTERED INTO THAT AGREEMENT.
SO IF THEY WISH TO PRODUCE MORE AND THEY NEED MORE CAPACITY, WHICH THEY, UH, AND THE, AND YOU ALL AGREED TO WORK TOGETHER ON IT, I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT, UH, I NEVER DID UNDERSTAND WHY THAT HAD TO BE TIED TO THEM MEETING THEIR PERFORMANCE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY KNEW WHAT THE CAPACITY WAS, EVERYTHING WAS WHEN THEY WENT IN THERE, YOU KNOW.
SO HOW LONG, HOW LONG IT WAS, HOW LONG IS THIS GONNA BE BEFORE THEY GIVE? WE'VE GIVEN THEM ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR TO THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT AND, AND YOU ARE 100% CORRECT, SIR? UH, BEFORE MY TIME, I SUSPECT THAT NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED THE ISSUES WITH THE LIFT STATION.
UH, AND IF THEY WERE PREDICTED AGAIN BEFORE MY TIME, SO I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH YOU TRYING TO GET THEM BACK ON TRACK FOR WHAT WE NEED THEM TO DO IN TERMS OF MEETING THEIR OBLIGATIONS TO PORT ARTHUR.
SO HAVE WE FINISH THAT PROJECT? YES, SIR.
SO THE PROJECT IS FINISHED? YES, SIR.
SO WHY ARE WE GIVING THEM A YEAR TO HIRE PEOPLE? WHY A YEAR? BECAUSE THAT'S ALMOST EQUIVALENT TO HOW MUCH TIME THEY LOST IN HIRING DUE TO THE ISSUES THAT THEY WERE INCURRING.
THEY MAY NOT NEED THE ENTIRE YEAR TO, TO GET THE, THE NUMBERS TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT BACK AT THIS POSITION AGAIN BY GIVING THEM A MUTUALLY AGREED UPON AMOUNT OF TIME.
THEY FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE THAT THEY'LL MEET THIS SO THAT WE'RE NOT REDOING THIS AGAIN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YOUR HONOR, BE READY TO VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE SO ORDERED WITH APPROVE PR NUMBER 2 38 43 AS PRESENTED.
[VII.C.(6) P.R. No. 23865 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Settlement Of A Physical Damage Claim In The Amount Of $11,293.49 Made Against Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) As A Result Of Property Damage To Solid Waste Unit #2218]
HAVE PR NUMBER 2 38 65, WHICH IS ITEM SIX RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SETTLEMENT OF A PHYSICAL DAMAGE CLAIM IN THE AMOUNT OF $11,293 AND 49 CENTS MADE AGAINST TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.INTERGOVERNMENTAL RISK POOL, T-M-L-I-R-P AS A RESULT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE TO SOLID WASTES UNIT NUMBER 2218.
MAY I GET A, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? HE JUST STEPPED AWAY.
MAY I GET MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
OKAY, THEN MOVE AND SECOND, THEN WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 8 6 5.
AS STATED, WE ARE READY FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNCILMAN BECKER? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS QUESTION IS FOR THE CITY MANAGER, FOR THE INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY OR BOTH, BUT MY QUESTION IS, SINCE THIS ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A CITIZEN AND TML HAS ALREADY PROCESSED OUR CLAIM AND IS MAKING A PAYMENT TOWARDS IT, UH, DOES TML DO A SUBROGATION CLAIM AGAINST THE RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
MS. BECK, YOU CAN'T ANSWER THAT AND GET THAT TO YOU.
SO THERE WILL BE A SUBROGATION CLAIM FILED AGAINST THE CITIZEN.
THEY, UH, AUTOMATICALLY DO THAT WHEN A CITIZEN CITIZEN IS INVOLVED IN, UM, IT'S THEIR FAULT.
OKAY, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS THERE? HONOR ANY? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSES AS AB IS HONOR PR PR NUMBER 2 3 8 6 5 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
[VII.C.(7) P.R. No. 23866 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Settlement Of A Physical Damage Claim In The Amount Of $11,200.00 Made Against Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP) As A Result Of Property Damage To Police Unit #2260]
NEXT, WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, PR NUMBER 2 3 8 6 6.[00:45:01]
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SETTLEMENT OF A PHYSICAL DAMAGE CLAIM IN THE AMOUNT OF $11,200 MADE AGAINST TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.INTERGOVERNMENTAL MENTAL RISK POOL, T-M-L-I-R-P AS A RESULT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE TO POLICE UNIT NUMBER 2260.
MAY I GET A, UH, MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN DEUCE.
COUNCIL MCKEN LAW SECOND IS REMOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER TWO, EXCUSE ME, 38 66 AS PRESENTED.
UH, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTION COUNCILWOMAN BECKER, I HAVE THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT THIS, BUT I ALSO HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
SO SINCE MY QUESTION ABOUT THE SUBROGATION CLAIM HAS BEEN ANSWERED, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UH, WAS THIS CITIZEN ISSUED A TRAFFIC CITATION? UH, AND WERE THERE ANY PERSONAL INJURIES INVOLVED BESIDES THE PROPERTY DAMAGE? WE COULD FIND OUT THE ONE THAT YOU DO.
UH, INPUT ON THAT DI UH, DIRECTOR OF, UH, CITY MANUAL? UH, DIRECTOR OF, UH, HR? YOU THERE? YEAH, I, I WAS TRYING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.
UM, I'M NOT NOT SURE ABOUT THE CITATION CHIEF IS THERE? HE PROBABLY COULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, AND THERE WERE SOME INJURIES THAT WERE INVOLVED.
CHIEF, IF YOU GOT SOMEBODY OR WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS REAL QUICK, QUICKLY YOU CAN BECAUSE, UH, I'M READING THE BACKGROUND HISTORY ON THIS.
UH, IT STATED THAT THE OFFICER COULD NOT AVOID HITTING, UH, THE CITIZEN.
SO WAS IT, UH, A TICKETED ITEM WHERE THE CITIZEN GOT THE VIOLATION OR WAS IT, UH, DID WE DO SOME TYPE OF TRAINING WITHOUT AN OFFICER? UM, TRYING TO NAVIGATE FROM HITTING, UH, THE CITIZEN.
SO WHERE WE AT WITH THIS PARTICULAR THING? THAT WAS MY CONCERN BECAUSE HIS INJURIES, I'D HAVE TO DO THE RESEARCH AND GET BACK WITH COUNSEL.
I'LL GET TO THE CHIEF AND WILL PROVIDE COUNSEL FOR REPORT.
OKAY, BECAUSE READ THE BACKGROUND, UH, YEAH.
STATEMENT IT STATES THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR OFFICER COULD NOT AVOID.
HE HAD HIS EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON, UH, HITTING, I MEAN IT WAS AN INJURY.
THAT PROMPTED ME TO ASK THE QUESTION TO THE HR DIRECTOR.
SO IF YOU CAN GET THAT BACK TO COUNSEL, WE APPRECIATE IT.
I DON'T THINK A CITATION WAS ISSUED, BUT I'D HAVE TO GET BACK FOR THANK CONFIRMATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HONOR END.
WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? A ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE IT.
SO PR NUMBER 23 86 6 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
[VII.C.(10) P.R. No. 23874 – A Resolution Authorizing The Pre-Qualification Of Sixteen (16) Engineering Firms And Authorizing The City Manager To Negotiate With Said Firms To Provide Professional Engineering Services For The Water Utilities Department. This Pre-Qualification Will Be For A Two (2) Year Period]
WE HAVE PR NUMBER, UH, ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS PR 2 3 8 7 4.THERE'S A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE PREQUALIFICATION OF 16 ENGINEERING FIRMS AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE WITH SAID FIRMS TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE WATER UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.
THE PRE-QUALIFICATION WILL BE FOR A TWO YEAR PERIOD.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILOR KEN LAW? SO MOVED.
MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILOR LEWIS.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE P NUMBER 2 38 74 AS PRESENTED.
COUNCILMAN ETT? YES, SENATOR, MAN.
YOU SPEAK A LITTLE CLEAR IN THAT MIKE WAS, YEAH.
WHENEVER WE HAVE A PROJECT, A PROJECT WE SENT OUT FOR RFQ, I MEAN RFPS, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, RIGHT? IF WE HAVE RQS YEAH.
SO, UH, SO WE SENT OUT FOR THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS.
NOW WHEN WE DO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, WE POST THEM ON THE WEBSITE AND THE CBL.
UM, SO I DO IT ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
I DO IT ON PUBLIC PURCHASE.COM.
I ALSO GO TO THE STATE SITE, WHICH IS CMBL.
TO FIND SOME ENGINEERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR HUBS.
AND, UM, AND ALSO WE HAVE A ACTUAL LIST OF CONTRACTS WE NORMALLY USE THAT I SEND TO AS WELL.
WELL, WHY DO WE NEED THIS? WELL, THE PURPOSE OF THIS WAS SO'S TIME CONSUMING TO CONSTANTLY DO OUR QUEUES FOR EVERY LITTLE PROJECT YOU DO.
[00:50:01]
TO DO RQS SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT ARE LARGE LIKE THE UM, STONE GATE, STUFF LIKE THAT.UM, BUT FOR SOME SMALLER PROJECTS THAT WE JUST NEED TO GET DONE, WE WANT TO ALREADY HAVE A PRE-QUALIFIED LIST OF PEOPLE WE FEEL THAT CAN DO THAT KIND OF WORK.
AND THEN YOU CAN JUST NEGOTIATE THE PRICE.
'CAUSE WITH A RFQ, YOU CAN'T USE PRICE AS A FACTOR.
SO WE GO TO THESE PEOPLE THAT'S, WE ALREADY SAY IT'S QUALIFIED TO DO IT, THEN THEY CAN, UM, NEGOTIATE A PRICE FOR THAT PROJECT AND GET STARTED.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER, THAT WAS GONNA BE ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE.
YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS SAY THAT, UH, WE DON'T USE PRICE, CORRECT? NO.
IT'S JUST FOR THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS.
WE SHOULDN'T MAKE IT A BIG PRIORITY.
HOWEVER, YOU CAN'T DO IT AT ALL.
I KNOW IT'S AGAINST STATE LAW.
WILL YOU, WILL YOU GUYS LET ME FINISH.
WELL, I'M SORRY, YOU JUST SAID PRIORITIES.
I JUST WANTED MAKE SURE I CAN'T DO IT.
NO, I'M JUST, I'M GETTING TO THE PART.
BUT WITH REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, THAT'S WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO THE END.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE THE, THE TOP PERSON THAT YOU, THE TOP QUALIFIED PERSON THAT YOU SELECT MM-HMM.
SO ACTUALLY IF THE TOP PERSON IS NOT INTO THE PRICE RANGE YOU WANT, THEN IT SAYS WE GO TO THE NEXT PERSON AND THEY SAY WE CONTINUE ALL THE WAY DOWN UNTIL WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE LIST.
SO BASICALLY, ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT SELECT THEM BASED ON BIDS, THAT'S EVENTUALLY WHAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING WHEN WE GET TO THE BOTTOM, YOU KNOW, WHO CAN ACTUALLY DO THE JOB BECAUSE ALL OF THEM, MOST FIRMS, MOST FIRMS THAT ARE LICENSED AND REPUTABLE, YOU KNOW, THEY GONNA, THEY GONNA BE ABLE TO DO WHATEVER THEY SPECIALIZE IN DOING, YOU KNOW.
AND UH, WHEN WE PUT A LIST LIKE THIS TOGETHER, MY CONCERN IS GOING BACK TO THE QUESTION COUNCILMAN LEWIS SAID IN THE BEGINNING ABOUT MAKING SURE WE OPEN IT UP SO THAT WE COULD GET PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO OUR REQUESTS.
ONE, AND THAT WHEN THE PEOPLE RESPOND TO OUR REQUESTS, WE NOT ONLY HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT THE PRICE THAT THEY GIVE US JUST 'CAUSE WE GIVE YOU, JUST BECAUSE WE SELECT YOU FOR THE CONTRACT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE AWARDED IT IF YOU CAN'T MEET OUR PRICE RANGE.
SO WE HAVE TO USE ALL OUR LEVERAGE TO ENSURE THAT WE GOT THAT.
THE REASON BEING IT, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA BE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE, UH, THE, UH, MATRIX AND SOME OF THE ORDERS BECAUSE AT SOME POINT IN TIME PEOPLE WHO GET JOBS FOR US AND WE HAVE A LOT OF CHANGE ORDERS, FIRMS WHO DO WORK FOR US DELAY NOT FINISHING ON TIME.
THOSE ARE THE TYPE FIRMS THAT WHEN I SEE THESE SCORES, I LOOK AT, I LOOK AT THE SCORES AND THEY GOT, GOT A GOOD, GOOD SCORE.
BUT WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT HAS COME BEFORE ME OVER SOME PERIOD OF TIME AND COUNSEL, I SEE WHERE WE HAD CHANGE ORDERS, WE HAD DELAYED EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
CAN'T GET THE PROJECT DONE ON TIME, BUT I STILL SEE GOOD SCORES.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LAW SAYS AND SOMETIME WE DO THINGS TO SHORTEN UP THE WORK OR MAKE IT QUICKER OR EASY TO RESPOND TO.
BUT IN MY BOOK SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE EASY WAY, YOU KNOW, TO DO THINGS.
I THINK IT HAP IT HELPS US A LOT FOR EMERGENCIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT WHENEVER WE HAVE PROJECTS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE PROJECTS BECAUSE WHEN WE FINISH THIS, THIS BUDGET PROCESS, WHATEVER PROJECTS WE GONNA DO NEXT YEAR, WE GOING TO KNOW 'EM.
IT AIN'T GONNA BE LIKE IN THE PAST WE GONNA KNOW ALL THE PROJECTS FROM NOW ON AND WE HAVE PLE ENOUGH TIME TO GO OUT AND GET REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS AND, AND, AND REQUESTS FOR CALL.
WE HAVE PLE ENOUGH TIME BECAUSE ALL THE POLICY, ALL OF 'EM GONNA BE LISTED.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE SO WHEN WE DO IS IN THE FUTURE, IT'S UNDERSTAND.
[00:55:01]
SAYING THAT ON THESE ENGINEERS ABOUT THEIR OVERSEEING OF THE CONSTRUCTION? NO.NO, BECAUSE THE CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE MERGING THEM.
NO, I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING VERSUS YOU, I'M SAYING THAT WHEN WE SELECT, OKAY.
BUT I JUST WANNA
SO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE ENGINEER'S OVERSIGHT OF IT OR ARE YOU ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION FIRMS THAT ARE DELAYING? 'CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
THAT'S WHY I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THAT.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT CLIFF IS WHEN I SAY CHANGE ORDERS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
ONE, WE DON'T HAVE WHAT WE WANTED IN THE SCOPE, AND THEN WHEN THEY GET INTO IT, WE FIND OUT THAT WE NEED TO, OKAY.
THAT CREATES A CHANGE CHANGE ORDER.
THE OTHER THING THAT CREATES A CHANGE ORDER IS THAT IF THE CONTRACTOR OR WHOEVER GET THE JOB FINDS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT SEEN OR READILY AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO KNOW EXISTED AND THEY DIDN'T FIGURE THAT INTO IT, THAT'S NORMALLY CREATE CHANGE ORDERS.
THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
AND RIGHT TIME IS, IS IS IS 365 DAYS AND IT GOES TO 200 AND IT GOES TWO 50.
AND, AND EACH TIME WE DON'T HAVE A CHANGE IN SCOPE.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I KNOW.
WE DON'T HAVE A CHANGE IN SCOPE.
THOSE TYPE THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO, UH, BE REAL INTEREST IN, WE NEED, WE GOT MONEY, WE PAY, PEOPLE NEED TO GET IN HERE, DO THE WORK AND MOVE ON.
YOU KNOW, I HEAR CITIZENS TALKING ABOUT NO WORK DOING, NO WORK GOING ON.
LIKE FOR AN EXAMPLE OUT IN, UH, PORT ACRES ON JAY, YOU KNOW, WE GOT NOBODY DOING WORK.
CITIZENS GET WELL, THEY AIN'T DONE NOTHING FIVE DAYS.
I DON'T GET CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
BECAUSE WE DON'T TELL THEM WHEN TO WORK.
I TRY TO EXPLAIN IT TO 'EM WHEN THEY TALK TO ME.
IF THEY TALK TO ME, I'LL TELL THEM, WE DON'T TELL A CONTRACTOR WHEN TO WORK AND WHEN NOT TO WORK.
BUT I HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN THEY SAY THE JOB'S SUPPOSED TO BEEN DONE ON THIS DATE AND IT'S NOT DONE, BUT ALL THESE DAYS THE WEATHER WAS NICE AND NOBODY WASN'T WORKING.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT HAS COME UP, UH, IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS WHEN I'VE DONE THESE PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETINGS, THAT HAS BEEN A STATED POINT, UM, ON CHANGE ORDER.
WELL THAT'S MY CONCERN, YOU KNOW, AND LIKE I SAID, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE NO BIG NEED FOR THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS WANT, IT'S FINE.
I THINK IF WE GET ON TOP OF OUR GAME AND STUFF, WE COULD JUST FLOW WITH IT.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE GOING TO KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE.
I MEAN, IF THE PROJECT IS FUNDED, WE NEED TO START ALL THE PROCESS AND WE COULD ALWAYS BE AHEAD.
THERE'S ALWAYS A, A A, A LEARNING CURVE.
WE JUST HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE WANT TO GO AND WHERE WE WANT TO GET TO AND, UH, HOW WE WANT TO DO IT.
YOU GOT QUESTION? YEAH, CLIFF, UH, I, I, I KINDA AGREE WITH THIS.
I, I AGREE WITH YOUR, UH, YOUR LISTING BRIEF, YOUR PREQUALIFICATION LIST OF ENGINEERS, BUT I DO HAVE A CONCERN ON ARE YOU THE ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY VENTING OR VETTING, UH, THESE LISTS OF ENGINEERS? UH, NO.
IT'S, UH, WE JUST OVERSEE IT, BUT IT IS A COMMITTEE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEALING WITH THE CONTRACT WITH THESE ENGINEERS.
SO IN THIS CASE IT WOULD BEEN WATER UTILITIES.
WELL THE REASON WHY I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO BE, AND I WANT IT FOR THE RECORD FOR BOTH OF YOU GUYS SINCE YOU SET THE PODIUM, THAT UH, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH THE CITY EMPLOYEE COMPANY THAT'S ON THIS LIST.
SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION TO YOU GUYS, WHO'S THE ONE THAT'S VETTING THIS LIST.
AND IF SO, YOU GUYS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MAY PUT US IN JEOPARDY BECAUSE IF IT GETS OUT, YOU GUYS NEED TO LOOK AT THE LIST.
I'M GONNA BE, I'M STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH THIS NOW, WHOEVER'S VETTING THIS LIST AND RANKING THESE IN, UH, ENGINEERING COMPANIES AND IF WE HAVE A CONFLICT OF VENTURES OF A EMPLOYEE THAT WORKS FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, YOU KNOW, THEY
[01:00:01]
MAY JEOPARDY MAY PUT US IN JEOPARDY.SO TAKE, TAKE THAT BACK WITH YOU AND, AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE ASKING US TO APPROVE THIS EVEN THOUGH IT'S A PREQUAL LIST, BUT YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW, UH, WE GOT PEOPLE THAT'S APPLYING FOR TO GET ON THIS LIST.
WE GOT PEOPLE THAT HAVE OTHER ENGINEERING COMPANIES, BUT AS LONG AS YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM, I MEAN SOMEBODY NEEDS TO VET IT AND ENSURE THAT WE DON'T WANNA PUT OURSELF IN A SITUATION, THAT'D BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
THAT'S HOW, THAT'S THE STRAIGHTFORWARD I CAN BE.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR PRE-QUALIFYING LIST BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S DOING BUSINESS WITH THE, WITH THE CITY, THEY MAY NOT HAVE A QUALIFICATION OR THE FIT TO DO A, A JOB THAT'S COMING UP.
YOU'LL KNOW THIS AHEAD OF TIME SO WE DON'T HAVE TO AWARD A CONTRACT OR CALL FOR RF QS AWARD.
AND THEN YOU, BEFORE YOU AWARD IT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CHECK TO SEE IF THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY OR ARE THEY GOING TO DO THE JOB OR ARE THEY GONNA HAVE TO SUB IT OUT? YOU'LL KNOW THESE THINGS AHEAD.
SO THE PRE-QUALIFYING LIST IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I DON'T SEE IT AS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
I SEE IT AS GOOD BUSINESS SENSE.
AND BEFORE THE PROJECT COMES, IT HAS TO COME TO COUNCIL AWARD.
WE JUST QUALIFY 'EM, SAY THEY QUALIFY TO DO IT ON THIS, BUT WE UNDERSTAND WHEN IT COMES TIME TO AWARD IT TO ACTUAL ENGINEER.
AND ALL ALL I WANT TO ASK YOU, WE SPENT ABOUT 15 MINUTES, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING THIS, I KNOW, FIVE, SIX YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE AND ALL YOU'RE DOING IS PRE-QUALIFYING SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP COMING BACK.
OKAY, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 23855 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With G&G Enterprises Construction Corporation Of Beaumont, Texas, For The Construction Of The New Fire Station No. 3 (Port Acres), For The Total Not To Exceed Amount Of $9,258,000.00; The Funding In Capital Improvement Account No. 307-21-409-8512-00-10-000, Project #BU0013.CON Is Contingent Upon The Approval Of A Budget Amendment Via Adoption Of Proposed Ordinance No. 7270]
OKAY.NOW LET'S GO TO OUR, OUR NON-CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS PR.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH WITH ITEM NUMBER ONE.
PR NUMBER 2 38 55 IS THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH G AND G ENTERPRISES, UH, CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW FIRE STATION.
NUMBER THREE PORT ACRES FOR THE TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $9,258,000 OF FUNDING AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 21 DASH FOUR NINE DASH 85 2 0 0 0.
ITS PROJECT NUMBER IS BU 0 0 1 3 AND IS CONTINGENT UPON THE APPROVAL OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT VIA ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 72 7 0.
I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL COUNCILMAN KEN LAW.
SO MORE MAYOR, I GET A SECOND COUNCILMAN LEWIS.
AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 8 5 5 AS READ, WE ARE READY.
QUESTIONS UNDER QUESTIONS READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[VIII.B.(1) P.O. No. 7270 – An Appropriation Ordinance Amending The City Of Port Arthur Budget For The Fiscal Year Beginning October 1, 2023 And Ending September 30, 2024, Increasing Capital Improvement Fund By $5,454,325.00]
WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE ON PAGE SIX, PO NUMBER, UH, 72 7 70 AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE AMENDED IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2023 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.
INCREASING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS BY $5,454,325.
MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN MANFIELD? SO MOVED.
MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, MAYOR PRO TEM SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED WITH APPROVE PO NUMBER 72 70.
WE, UH, READY FOR QUESTION? OKAY.
READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? OKAY, WELL I GO THE PAPER.
ON THIS, UH, ORDINANCE WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THE ORDINANCE BEFORE WE DO THE RESOLUTION THIS TIME.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT STAYING UP ALL NIGHT WITH THIS ONE.
ON, ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE, WE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, MONEY THAT WE ARE GONNA ALLOCATE AND I TALKED WITH THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.
UH, BEFORE THE MEETING, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND AND GET ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC WITH THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE.
YOU KNOW, WE GAVE, WE WANTING TO GET THE ADDITIONAL
[01:05:01]
MONEY, BUT IT ONLY SHOWED THIS.AND THEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SOME LAST YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS SECOND FIRE STATION.
AND I NOTICED THAT WE HAD, UH, MONIES THAT WE ARE GOING TO ALLOCATE WITH THIS ORDINANCE HERE.
YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN WE DID OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR, LET'S PUT ALL OUR MONEY IN SO THAT WE DON'T DO THESE AMENDMENTS.
YOU KNOW, WE KEEP DOING THESE AMENDMENTS BECAUSE WE NOT PUTTING IT IN SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THESE.
READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR A AYE.
ANY OPPOSES? I
AS READ, WE HAVE ACTUALLY COMPLETED THE PRINTED AGENDA AND I'M NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
MAYOR, WE'RE NOT THROUGH WITH THE AGENDA.
THE WORKSHOP IS A PART OF THIS MEETING.
WE, WHAT WE'LL DO, WE'LL TAKE 10 MINUTE RESETS AND AT 11 O'CLOCK WE WILL RETURN FOR THE WORKSHOP.
I HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT TO COME BACK ON, OR? YES.
UH, WE ARE READY TO, UH, RECONVENE.
WOULD YOU PLEASE REESTABLISH? MAYOR BARTEE? PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD PRESENT.
[IX. WORKSHOP]
OKAY, WE ARE NOW IN THE WORKSHOP PORTION OF OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING TO, UH, WORK WITH AND FURTHER DISCUSS THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2024.AM I CORRECT? WITH CITY MANAGER, BUT, UH, MS. LYNN, ARE YOU GOING TO HANDLE THIS PORTION OF IT? OH, OKAY.
WELL, BECAUSE, WELL WE JUST DEALING WITH THE WATER AND UTILITIES, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE JUST GONNA MAKE SURE YOU STAY WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE NUMBERS.
AT THE REQUEST OF THE COUNCIL, WE PUT TOGETHER A PRESENTATION THAT DESCRIBES ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE, REHABILITATION AND REPLACEMENT THAT IS REQUIRED FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER.
AND WE AL ALSO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION ON THE FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN USED IN THE PAST AND HOW CAN WE FUND THE FUTURE.
BUT WE ARE ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN THE INPUT FROM COUNCIL IN WHICH DIRECTION THEY WANT US TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH AND, UH, WHAT IDEAS THEY HAVE IN TERMS OF FUNDING THESE PROJECTS.
SO OUR 2024, UH, BUDGET HERE HAD IN IT APPROXIMATELY $8 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
2 MILLION OF THAT, UH, MONEY WOULD BE COMING FROM CASH FROM REVENUE.
UH, 5 MILLION WOULD'VE BEEN 5.6 MILLION, WOULD'VE BEEN A BOND SALE, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS AND HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN GRANTS.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE ANY GRANTS THIS YEAR FROM THE APPLICATIONS WE HAD, UH, SENT IN THE FIVE YEAR PROJECTION THAT YOU CAN SEE ALSO IS AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WITH THE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS THAT GO FROM 18 MILLION, 12 MILLION, 27 MILLION AND 9 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF $75 MILLION WE WERE PROPOSING TO DO IN CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES? STARTING WITH SANITARY SEWER LIFT STATIONS, WE HAVE 16 SANITARY SEWER LIFT STATIONS THAT ARE IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE WORK.
THE TOTAL COST TO DO THAT WORK IS APPROXIMATELY $19 MILLION.
WE HAVE, UH, SOME OF THESE LIFT STATIONS ARE UNDER A CAPACITY STUDY.
[01:10:02]
WHICH IS THE FIRST TWO OF THEM, THE LEWIS DRIVE LIFT STATION, AND THE THIRD AVENUE LIFT STATION.BUT THE REST OF 'EM ARE PENDING FUNDING.
PRIORITY TWO ON THE LIFT STATIONS CONSISTS OF 37 LIFT STATIONS THAT ARE ALL PENDING FUNDING FOR A TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF $57 MILLION.
NEXT ON THE LIST IS SANITARY SEWER PIPE REPLACEMENT.
PRIORITY ONE IS EQUIVALENT TO $265 MILLION WORTH OF WORK.
THAT INCLUDES FORCE MAINS AS WELL AS GRAVITY PIPES.
AS YOU NOTICED ON THE SANITARY SEWER PIPING, WE DON'T HAVE A PRIORITY TOOL.
EVERYTHING WE LISTED IS A PRIORITY ONE THAT IS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT IMMEDIATELY.
ON THE WATERLINE REPLACEMENT, UH, SECTION, WE HAVE 56 UH, WATER LINES THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNED BID DOCUMENTS READY TO GO OUT FOR BIDS.
WE DID BID AND IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION TODAY.
THE ATLANTA WATER LINE THAT THE COUNCIL HAD APPROVED, UH, TO BE COMPLETED IN FULL.
AND THE TOTAL COST OF PRIORITY ONE ON THE WATER LINES OF THESE 57 WATER LINES IS $27 MILLION.
PRIORITY TWO ON THE WATER LINE REPLACEMENT, UH, PROJECT HAS A COST OF $470 MILLION.
THESE ARE LINES THAT CURRENTLY WE STILL CAN GO PATCH, UH, PUT A CLAMP ON, REPLACE A JOINT OFF PIPE HERE AND THERE AND MAKE THEM FUNCTION ON THE WATER TOWER PROJECTS.
THE FIRST THREE ON THE LIST, THE PROCTOR STREET IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
PIONEER PARK IS UNDER DESIGN AND THE FOURTH STREET AND DALLAS IS UNDER DESIGN.
SO THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN FUNDED AND WE WILL BE GOING TO CONSTRUCTION WHEN THE DESIGN IS COMPLETED.
BUT THE REST OF THE TOWERS THAT NEED WORK ARE 10 OF THEM FOR A TOTAL COST OF 9.9 MILLION.
NEXT WE HAVE THE WATER PURIFICATION PLANT AND THE GULF PUMP STATION PROJECT.
WE HAVE SIX PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO, IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN THAT SYSTEM AND PROVIDE REDUNDANCY.
THE COST FOR THE WATER PLANT AND THE PUMP STATION IS $16.5 MILLION.
ON THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PROJECTS, WE HAVE A PROJECT IN IMPORT ACRES THAT IS NEEDED SABBE PASS, UH, REHAB AS WELL AS A NEW PLANT.
THE COST ON THE WASTEWATER REQUIREMENTS TODAY IS 33.7 MILLION.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MAIN WATER MAIN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT ON PROCTOR STREET AND THE MAIN PUMP STATION THAT ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION CURRENTLY.
AND BY THE TIME THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETED, THE COST IS GONNA BE AROUND 80 MILLION, WHICH IS ALREADY FUNDED.
UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY CONDUCTING THEIR, UH, TESTING ON THE HYDRANTS.
THIS MONTH ALONE, THEY FOUND 60 HYDRANTS THAT NEED ATTENTION.
SO OUR PRIORITY ONE IS 300 HYDRANTS.
PRIORITY TWO IS 2,500 FIRE HYDRANTS THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE.
AND THEIR COST IS APPROXIMATELY $13.7 MILLION.
THE FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TO SUPPORT GROWTH INDUSTRY AS WELL AS POPULATION GROWTH TOTAL TO APPROXIMATELY $282 MILLION.
[01:15:01]
PRIORITY ONE, BUT THESE ARE THE TYPE OF PROJECTS WE NEED TO START PLANNING FOR INVESTING MONEY IN, DESIGNING THEM AND SECURING FUNDING TO CONSTRUCT THEM.SO IF WE SUMMARIZE ALL THIS COST FOR LIFT STATIONS, SANITARY SEWER PIPE, WATERLINE PROJECTS, TOWERS, UH, WATER PLANT, PUMP STATION FOR THE WATER PLANT, WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND FIRE HYDRANTS, THAT TODAY'S TOTAL COST IS $895 MILLION TO COMPLETE EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED AND BRING THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE UP TO PAR.
IF WE INCLUDE IN THIS COST, THE EXPANSION NEEDS THAT WE WILL, THAT WE SHOULD BE PLANNING FOR, THE COST WILL BE $1.177 BILLION.
WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDING, WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET AS MUCH MONEY FROM GRANTS AS POSSIBLE.
EVERY TIME WE KNOW OF A GRANT THAT IS AVAILABLE, WE ARE APPLYING FOR IT AND PURSUING IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS YEAR WE APPLIED FOR A LIFT STATION GRANT OF 7 MILLION.
WE APPLIED FOR A 2.3 MILLION FIRE HYDRANT GRANT.
WE HAVE A FIRE HYDRANT STUDY THAT'S STILL UNDER REVIEW AND THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT GRANTS WE APPLIED FOR IS 20 MILLION FOR SANITARY SEWER LIFT STATIONS, AND 20 MILLION FOR SANITARY SEWER PIPE.
IT'LL BE TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR BEFORE WE KNOW ABOUT THOSE TWO GRANTS, IF WE GET THOSE TWO GRANTS, IT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO IMPROVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AT NO COST TO OUR CITIZENS.
TEXAS WARD DEVELOPMENT BOARD IS ANOTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING WE ALWAYS TRY TO GO AFTER BECAUSE THEIR INTEREST RATES IS VERY LOW COMPARED TO THE MARKET.
WE APPLIED FOR EIGHT TEXAS WARD DEVELOPMENT BOARD, UH, PROJECTS THIS YEAR TO REPLACE WATER LINES AS WELL AS START AT LEAST THE INITIAL PHASE ON THE EXPANSION INFRASTRUCTURE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE HEARD YESTERDAY THAT NOT ONE OF THESE PROJECTS MADE THE LIST.
SO ALL THE APPLICATIONS WE PUT IN FOR THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD THIS YEAR WERE NOT APPROVED.
ONE OF THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE BELIEVE IS GONNA BE REALLY HELPFUL TO US IS THE WATER METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON.
UH, WE CURRENTLY IDENTIFIED A METER THAT IS GONNA BE MOST EFFICIENT AND FOR THE MONEY WE'RE GONNA SPEND ON IT, WE'RE GONNA GET A VERY HIGH QUALITY METER.
UH, WE WILL BE COMING TO COUNCIL SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER FOR THE FUNDING, UH, APPROVAL.
AND THIS IS NOT GONNA BE FUNDED THROUGH CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS.
THESE METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAMS HAVE SPECIAL TYPE FUNDING 'CAUSE THEY PAY FOR THEMSELVES FROM THE REVENUE THEY WILL GENERATE.
SO IT'LL BE DONE ON A, ON A SEPARATE TYPE LOAN THAT LIN IS GONNA BE WORKING ON.
SO IF WE REPLACE ALL THESE METERS, WE ARE EXPECTING ABOUT A 10% INCREASE IN REVENUE OVER A 20 YEAR PERIOD.
IT SHOULD GENERATE $53.6 MILLION OF POSITIVE CASH FLOW.
THAT MEANS AFTER WE PAY FOR THE METERS AND WE PAY FOR THE LOAN, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 2.7 MILLION YEARLY REVENUE.
SO THIS METER PROGRAM THAT WE CAN FINISH WITHIN A YEAR, HOPEFULLY FROM OCTOBER, CAN GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE OF 2.7 MILLION A YEAR.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY RATE INCREASES OR ANYTHING ON TOP OF THAT REVENUE.
SO IF WE GO TO A METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM AND WE ASSUME A 4% RATE INCREASE IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS, IT'LL GENERATE $89 MILLION OF POSITIVE CASH FLOW, WHICH IS ABOUT 4.5 MILLION A YEAR IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE AFTER EVERYTHING IS PAID FOR.
SO IF WE ACCUMULATE RATE INCREASES OVER THE METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM, THE REVENUE
[01:20:01]
IS ALMOST DOUBLE.ANOTHER SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT WE HAVE BEEN USING AT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS ACTUAL CASH THAT SUPPORTS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, UH, PROGRAM LIKE YOU SEE ON THIS LIST IN 1920, WE USED 1.7 MILLION.
LAST YEAR WAS ABOUT 1.2 MILLION, AND THIS YEAR WE HAVE $2 MILLION THAT WILL BE PAID FOR IN CASH TO SUPPORT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
ANOTHER SOURCE OF FUNDING IS GONNA BE THE CERTIFICATE OBLIGATIONS DEBT RELEASE.
SO WE HAVE EXISTING CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS THAT WE ARE PAYING OFF EVERY YEAR.
SO AS WE PAY THESE LOANS OFF, WE ARE GONNA HAVE FUNDS RELEASED THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALSO EITHER INVEST IN CASH OR USED TO BORROW MORE MONEY IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THIS, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE REHABILITATION NEEDED.
THE OTHER FUNDING SOURCE IS THE WATER AND WASTEWATER RATE INCREASES.
IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, WE HAD THREE RATE INCREASES, ONE IN 21, 1 IN 22, AND ONE IN 24.
UH, THE FISCAL YEARS YOU CAN SEE THE FIRST, UH, UH, THE SECOND ROW WILL TELL YOU WHEN DID THAT COME INTO EFFECT.
SO 5 1 20 21 IS WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST 21 RATE INCREASE.
THE RATE INCREASES WE DID DID NOT MATCH WITH THE WILDER RECOMMENDATION.
THAT WHICH IS A COMPANY THAT THE CITY HIRED TO, UH, DO A RATE STUDY AND DETERMINE WHAT IS NEEDED TO OPERATE AND DO PROJECTS.
BUT WE DID DO THREE OUT OF SEVEN YEARS.
ON THIS SLIDE, IF YOU, UH, LOOK AT THE TABLE ON THE LEFT, THE FIRST COLUMN SAYS HOW MUCH WE NEED TO SPEND.
THE SECOND COLUMN GIVES US THE AMOUNT OF YEARS THAT IT'LL TAKE TO FIX EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
THE THIRD COLUMN WILL TELL YOU WHAT RATE INCREASE IF WE ARE ONLY DEPENDING ON RATE INCREASES TO GET THAT FUNDING EVERY YEAR.
AND THE LAST COLUMN WILL TELL YOU WHAT YEAR WILL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE BE REPLACED.
SO IF WE CHOOSE TO SPEND $50 MILLION A YEAR IN 18 YEARS, WE WILL HAVE ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRED.
IT'LL REQUIRE AN 8%, 8.7% RATE INCREASE, AND WE WILL FINISH IN YEAR 2042.
NOW THIS INCREASE IS NOT INCLUDING THE MONEY THAT WILL COME FROM THE METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM WILL NOT INCLUDE THE MONEY THAT WILL COME FROM CERTIFICATE OBLIGATIONS THAT WILL DROP.
SO EVERY YEAR THAT NUMBER IS GONNA CHANGE BASED ON WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? DID WE GET GRANTS OR NOT, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IF THE CITY CHOOSES, FOR EXAMPLE, TO SPEND 30 MILLION A YEAR TO REPAIR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, IT WILL TAKE 30 YEARS TO COMPLETE IT AND WILL REQUIRE A 5.2% RATE INCREASE AND WE WILL BE DONE BY 2054.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE RATE INCREASES DO NOT INCLUDE ANY INCREASE TO THE OPERATIONAL COST AND TO INFLATION.
AND THESE RATE INCREASES ARE ESTIMATED BASED ON A $37 MILLION A YEAR REVENUE.
SO THIS YEAR'S REVENUE LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE ABOVE 38 MILLION, WHICH WILL DROP THE RATE INCREASE.
SO IF WE DO A RATE INCREASE THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR'S REVENUE IS 40 MILLION.
SO AGAIN, THE RATE INCREASE AMOUNT WILL BE REDUCED BY THAT NUMBER.
SO THESE ARE RATE INCREASES BASED ON TODAY, ASSUMING THIS IS THE ONLY FUNDING WE HAVE TO FIX THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO BASICALLY THE BEST APPROACH TO FIX THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS GONNA BE A COMBINATION OF REVENUE SOURCES, WHETHER IT IS THE METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS GONNA START THIS YEAR, CASH FROM REVENUE WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE, GRANTS IF WE RECEIVE ANY OR THE DEBT RELEASE AND A RATE INCREASE IF CHA IF COUNCIL CHOOSES, UH, TO DO SO.
BUT THESE FOUR ITEMS WILL ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD
[01:25:01]
IMPACT ON THE RATE INCREASE AND IT'LL REDUCE IT BECAUSE WE HAVE FOUND CERTAIN OTHER SOURCES THAT CAN FUND THESE PROJECTS.AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS THE COUNCIL'S DECISION, WHICH DIRECTION WE WANNA BRING, TAKE THE CITY, UH, HOW QUICKLY WE WANNA FIX THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN
SO YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, YOUR IDEAS, YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE REALLY NEEDED AT THIS POINT.
SO WE CAN DECIDE WHAT DO, WHAT DOES THE CITY WANT TO DO, WHAT DOES THIS COUNCIL WANT TO DO, AND WHICH WAY ARE WE GONNA HEAD.
IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
UM, LET'S GO BACK TO FUNDING SOURCE, METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.
I THINK THAT'LL BE WHAT PAGE THAT IS? UH, I DON'T THINK THE NUMBERS.
FUNDING SOCIAL MEDIA REPLACEMENT.
WHY WE, WHY ARE WE HAVING TO REPLACE THESE METERS? WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT FAILED? I WAS ASKING THAT QUESTION A WHILE BACK.
COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO AND YOU WAS CUT OFF.
AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN, AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO PUT IT BACK ON THE AGENDA.
WHEN YOU COME BACK FROM OUT OF THE COUNTRY, WHEN YOU WENT OUT OF THE COUNTRY, YOU WENT TO MISSISSIPPI.
BUT YES SIR, THERE ARE TWO REASONS WE NEED TO REPLACE THE METERS.
WHAT DIDN'T MATCH UP? SO THE, THE, THE FIRST REASON IS ALL THE METERS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ARE MECHANICAL METERS.
AND MECHANICAL METERS LOSE THEIR EFFICIENCY WITH TIME.
SO INSTEAD OF READING 99% OR A HUNDRED PERCENT, MOST OF THESE METERS ARE OLD ENOUGH, THEY'RE READING UNDER 90%.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE ESTIMATING A 10% INCREASE IN REVENUE, WHICH MOST LIKELY IS GONNA BE MORE.
THE SECOND REASON IS ABOUT EIGHT, 10 YEARS AGO WHEN THE CITY DID A A MI PROGRAM, WHICH MEANS THEY DECIDED TO BE ABLE TO READ THESE METERS ELECTRONICALLY.
THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY BROUGHT IN TO CONNECT TO THE METER HAD TO BE SPLICED.
AND THE, THE WIRES ON THE METER ITSELF WERE TOO SHORT TO ACTUALLY CREATE A GOOD CONNECTION.
SO LIKE TODAY WE HAVE ABOUT 5,000 METERS WE CANNOT READ.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THOSE METERS IS BECAUSE THAT SPLICE WAS NOT DONE CORRECTLY BECAUSE THE WIRES WERE TOO SHORT.
SO THAT'S CAUSING A LOT OF OUR PROBLEMS. BUT THE MAIN PURPOSE OF REPLACING THE METERS IS TO BE ABLE TO READ MORE ACCURATELY WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY.
WHEN YOU SPLICE THE, WHEN YOU SPLICE, UH, ME WIRING AND STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, YOU, YOU'RE GETTING INTO IMPEDANCE.
IMPEDANCE IS IS AC RESISTANCE.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT, IF IT'S NOT DONE CORRECTLY, YOU GONNA LOSE VALUE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED YOU TO EXPLAIN AS TO, IT APPEARS THAT WE WAS THE PROBLEM.
IT APPEARED THAT THE CITY DID NOT IMPLEMENT A, A, A REPLACEMENT PROGRAM OR MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, BUT WHAT IT WAS, IT REFLECTS BACK ON THE EXISTING COMPANY THAT DID THE, THAT THAT THEY, THAT WE BOUGHT THE STUFF FROM IT.
AND, UH, STAFF IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS REPLACED ABOUT 7,000 OF THESE ALREADY, UH, USING OUR OWN STAFF.
AND WE'VE DOCUMENTED EVERY METER THAT WAS NOT SPLICED CORRECTLY.
WE, WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION FOR IT.
WE SAVED A LOT OF THEM, BUT NOT THE METER.
YEAH, BUT WE STILL HAVE THE OLD METERS.
SO WE ONLY, WE DONE A REGISTER A MI CONNECTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THE WAR UTILITIES, THIS PRESENTATION IS SIMILAR TO THE ONE LAST YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE.
[01:30:01]
PREDICAMENT BECAUSE OUR PREDICAMENT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN FACED THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE MAIN THING, NOT JUST IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
I THINK, UH, THE PROBLEM TO THE EXTENT OF EACH CITY IS BASED ON HOW WELL THE CITY MAINTAINED THE INFRASTRUCTURE OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE DONE A REAL BAD JOB OVER THE YEARS HERE IN PORT ARTHUR.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WATER, SEWAGE, AND STREETS, WE'VE DONE HORRIBLE JOB.
AND WHAT WE END UP DOING IS HAVING MORE PROBLEMS OUT FIELD THAN MOST CITIES THAT HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE TIMEFRAME THAT HAS LEFT WITH US NOT DOING THINGS.
UH, SO MY IDEA IS THAT WE TRY TO RIGHT THE SHIP AND WHEN TURNING THE SHIP, YOU DON'T TURN IT FAST.
IT TAKES, IT'S A SLOW PROCESS.
SO I UNDERSTAND IT BEING A SLOW PROCESS.
STREETS WERE THE SAME AS WAR UTILITY HAD THE SAME ISSUE.
BUT UH, WE WENT OUT AND WE GOT A, UH, CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION, $50 MILLION FROM STREETS.
OKAY? I SEEN, UH, US HAVE, UH, 20, 21 0.5, A $26.5 MILLION CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION, UH, THAT WE'VE DONE.
WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL, WE JUST AGREED TO GET ONE FOR LIKE 19 FIVE, BUT I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
OKAY? SO WE, WE OUT GETTING CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS, BUT I REALLY HAVEN'T SEEN US TALK ABOUT CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS SOLELY FOR WAR UTILITIES.
UH, WAR UTILITIES IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND SOLID WASTE ENTERPRISE FUND.
BUT WHAT WE HAVE TO REALIZE IS WHENEVER WE DO NOT DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN THESE PARTICULAR SERVICES, AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE HAVE TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, RATE INCREASE, I UNDERSTAND RATE INCREASE.
YOU KNOW, UH, I LOOK AT YOUR SLIDE WHEN IT SAYS EVERY YEAR A PROJECTED RATE INCREASE EVERY YEAR, AND AT THE END OF THESE AMOUNT OF YEARS THAT WE WENT WITH THIS RATE, WE COULD GET ALL THIS DONE.
WHAT IF WE DO IT IN THAT FASHION? TO ME, WHAT I'M SAYING IS I'M GONNA GET THIS DONE OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, BUT I WANT THE CITIZENS TO PAY FOR IT BY RAISING THESE RIGHTS.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, THEN WE SAYING OF ALL THESE YEARS WE NEGLECTED THIS PROCESS, THEN WE WANT YOU ALL TO PAY FOR IT.
SO I THINK AT SOME, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT TRYING TO DEVISE A WAY THAT NOT ALL THE BURDEN IS ALWAYS ON THE CITIZENS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RATES INCREASE, WE TALK ABOUT INCREASING THE RATE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING THE RATE.
RIGHT NOW WHEN WE ARE LOSING SO MUCH WATER, WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS READING METERS, WATER ADJUSTMENT IS NOT GOOD.
WHEN WE DO WATER ADJUSTMENT, WE END UP LOSING IN THE, IN THE LONG RUN ANYWAY BECAUSE A LOT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, UH, WE GET WATER ADJUSTMENT FOR SOMEONE.
IF THEY HAVE A LEAK ON THEIR SIDE, THEY GET A PLUMBER TO COME OUT AND DO IT AND THEY BRING US TO RECEIVE THEM.
WELL WHY ARE WE DOING STUFF LIKE THAT? I MEAN, IF IT IS ON A RESIDENT SIDE, HIS RESIDENT RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR TOTAL OPERATION AND HOW WE DO IT IN ORDER TO COME UP WITH A FAIR AND EQUITABLE WAY.
WE HAD A, WE HAD A RATE INCREASED LAST YEAR.
NOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMPARING WATER RATES, I HEAR THAT SAID A LOT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, EVERY CITY HAS TO INCREASE BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT COST OF DOING BID GOES UP.
BUT WE'RE, WE ARE NOT ANY CITY.
[01:35:01]
A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT FIGURE, BUT I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY MAYBE $8 MILLION BETWEEN CHENE AND UH, THE OTHER REFINERIES COMBINED.
AND WHEN TEMPLE ONLINE, THAT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER ADDITIONAL I HEAR CITIZENS TALK ABOUT WHY DON'T THESE REFINERIES DO THIS? WHY DON'T THESE REFINERIES DO THIS? WELL, THE REFINERIES, THEY PAYING US ALL OF THIS MONEY THAT OTHER CITIES ARE NOT GETTING.
SO HOW ARE THESE OTHER CITIES MANAGING? SO WITH ALL OF THIS MONEY WE GETTING, INSTEAD OF COMPARING OUR RATE WITH OTHER CITIES, WE SHOULD BE TAKING A LOOK AT, WE SHOULD BE THE LOWEST RATE IN THE UNITED STATES.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THERE'S A CITY IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAS WATER UTILITIES, UH, REVENUE.
COMING AT THAT LARGE SUM OF MONEY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WATER RATE INCREASE AND WE LOSING AS MUCH WATER AS WE USING ON A DAILY BASIS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE TO FIX THIS.
IT AIN'T GONNA STOP THE WATER FROM BEING WASTED.
YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER, WE JUST GONNA HAVE TO GET TO THE MAIN THING.
I THINK YOUR PRIORITIES IS THE WAY TO GO.
I THINK IF WE DO THE PRIORITIES, THEN UH, WE CAN ELIMINATE SOME OF THE LOSS.
I THINK WHEN WE ELIMINATE SOME OF THE LOSS, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS WE'RE GONNA SAVE ON THE CHEMICALS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO TREAT THIS WATER, WHICH IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART OF THE WATER TREATMENT PROCESS.
WE'RE GONNA REDUCE THE NUMBER OF WATER WE HAVE TO BUY AND PURCHASE BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT ALL AMOUNTS TO CHARGING CITIZENS FOR THE, FOR WHAT IT COSTS TO PROVIDE THEM THE WATER, TO PROVIDE THEM WATER AND TO MAINTAIN.
SO OVER THE YEARS WHEN WE WAS CHARGING FOR WATERS, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MAINTAINING THE LINES AND CHARGING THEM THEN.
AND THAT'S WHAT MOST CITIES DO.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU PROBABLY GETTING AROUND TO SAND.
BUT I JUST FEEL THAT RIGHT NOW WE JUST HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH, IN MY OPINION.
I HAVEN'T SEEN NO COS TO GO AND SOMEBODY MIGHT SAY, WELL THAT'S A WATER YOU TILT.
I MEAN, THAT'S A ENTERPRISE FUND.
NO, WE COULD DO COS FOR ENTERPRISE FUND, WE COULD DO, COS THIS IS OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, CERTIFICATE OBLIGATION IS NOTHING BUT A QUICK WAY FOR THE CITY TO GET MONEY WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO TAXPAYERS RAISING TAXES.
BECAUSE WE GET TO, THE LAST THING THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS LEVERAGING MONEY.
YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA A, A INCOME, WE KNOW WE GOING TO GET, WE COULD GET LOW INTEREST LOANS AND PAY THAT.
SO IT'S LIKE WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THIS YEAR, LET'S TAKE A PORTION OF THAT AND GO OUT AND GET A, A LOAN, LOW INTEREST LOAN.
OR WE GET A CERTIFICATE AFTER.
I'M NOT A, I'M NOT A FINANCE GROUP, BUT I LIKE, LIKE MOST PEOPLE, I ATTEND THESE CONFERENCES AND AT THESE CONFERENCES, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THEY BE TALKING ABOUT HOW CITIES SURVIVE AND WHAT TOOLS WE HAVE IN THE TOOLBOX.
YOU KNOW, SO WITH THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN WATER UTILITIES, I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT IT AS WITH STREETS.
I KNOW IT'S GONNA TAKE A LONG TIME.
I WON'T BE AROUND WHEN THIS STREET HAVE GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE NEED TO START MOVING IN THAT, THAT DIRECTION AND WE NEED TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION WITHOUT PUTTING ALL THE BURDEN ON THE TAXPAYERS.
WE DO A RAISE, WE KEEP DOING RAISES, KEEP DOING RAISES.
BUT AS WE DO THESE, FIXING THESE THINGS, WHAT WE GONNA DO, WE'RE GONNA LOWER THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WE'RE LOSING.
CORRECT? WE'RE GOING TO, WE GOING SAVE ON THE CHEMICALS.
SO SIR, TO KEEP UP A BALANCED THING OF WHAT WE NEED IS REALLY NOT ACCURATE BECAUSE AS WE START SA NOT LOSING WATER, THAT'S LESS MAINTENANCE, LESS WATER LOSS, LESS CHEMICALS.
SO OUR COSTS, OUR COST TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE GOES DOWN.
YOU KNOW, SO I THINK I'VE, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AND LIKE Q YOU KNOW,
[01:40:02]
YOU, YOU GIVE THE BRIEFING, I MEAN THE PRESENTATION EVERY YEAR.AND I GIVE THE, THE SPILL EVERY YEAR.
SO THIS IS MINE FOR THIS TIME.
AND, UH, IF, IF I MAY RESPOND TO PROVIDE YOU, IF I MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
THE, THE MAINTENANCE PART OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS IT HAS EXCEEDED ITS LIFE EXPECTANCY.
WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH REINFORCED CONCRETE PIPE.
WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU MAINTAIN IT, IT'S NOT GONNA WORK ANYMORE.
SO WE HAVE PIPING THAT'S BEEN IN THE GROUND OVER 60 YEARS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN MAINTAIN THAT.
SO IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT JUST A MAINTENANCE ISSUE, BUT ALSO IT'S AN INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE.
IN ADDITION, WE DID DO CERTIFICATE OBLIGATIONS FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT.
WE'VE DONE SEVERAL OF THEM IN THE LAST YEAR.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE SLIDE, IS WHAT THESE ARE AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA DROP OFF AS WE PAY THEM OFF.
AND HOW MORE OF THAT MONEY IS ALSO GONNA BE AVAILABLE.
AS A UTILITIES PEOPLE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS FUND IS, UH, ENTERPRISE FUND AND WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE WAYS WE KNOW CAN FUND THESE PROJECTS.
WE, WE CAN DO THAT AND RATE INCREASES, WHICH IS ALMOST EVERY UTILITY DOES.
IF THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO FUND THIS, THIS IS WHAT WE WANNA KNOW FROM YOU ALL.
'CAUSE THESE ARE THE WAYS WE KNOW THAT UTILITIES DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ACTUALLY DO TO FUND IT.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO SAVING ON CHEMICALS AND UTILITIES, IF WE CUT IT BY HALF, WE CAN SAVE ABOUT 2 MILLION A YEAR BETWEEN THE COST OF WAR AND DEFINITELY, BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIX THE PIPE TO CUT IT IN HALF AND TO FIX THE PIPE.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT AND UNDERSTAND THE BURDEN ON THE CITIZENS ON THE COST.
BUT TODAY WE ARE BURDENING OUR CITIZENS WITH VERY POOR SERVICES.
YOU AND I HAVE, YOU AND I ARE SAYING THE SAME THING.
YOU MAY NOT AGREE, BUT WE ARE SAYING THE SAME THING.
IT'S JUST THAT YOU TELLING ME RIGHT.
WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND, AND TRYING TO DO.
AND, AND I, AND I'M GETTING YOUR POINT.
BUT WHEN I SPEAK, I SPEAK FROM WHAT CITIZENS ARE TELLING ME AND HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT IT.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE AND I UNDERSTAND, MAN, AND WHEN YOU SAY IT'S IS BECAUSE OF THE PIPE, THEY OUT.
THEY, THEY PASSED THEIR YEARS.
WELL, WHEN I SAY THE CITY HAS NEGLECTED THAT, WHAT I'M SAYING IS I'M SAYING THE PIPE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
YOU SEE, SO YOU AND I SAYING, SAYING THE SAME THING, SOME OF IT 30 YEARS AGO,
SO MY THING IS WHEN I'M SITTING THERE THINKING ABOUT CITIZENS, I'M SAYING SINCE IF WE DID REPLACE THE PIPES WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE, WHY SHOULD WE PUT THE BURDEN ON THE CITIZENS TO DO IT? THAT'S A, SEE, SO WE SAYING THE SAME THING BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WATER LEAK, ANYBODY THAT HAS EVER BEEN TO THE WATER DEPARTMENT QUESTION, THEY BE, WHAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT THEY'LL TELL? ASK YOU, YOU CHECK YOUR TOILET FOR A LEAK.
WELL, IF, IF MY TOILET IS USING THAT MUCH WATER WITH A LEAK, WHAT ABOUT THESE FIRE HYDRANTS? WHAT ABOUT THESE AREAS WHERE IT'S COMING OUT THE GROUND? IF MY BILL CAN GO UP WITH A LEAK AND WE HAVE ALL OF THESE LEAKS AROUND TOWN, AND IT GOES BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID, THEM PIPES JUST SHOULD HAVE BEEN GONE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO CONCENTRATE ON.
BUT MY POINT IS, DO WE NEED EVERY YEAR TO PUT IT ON THE CITIZENS? WHY, WHY CAN'T WE PUT IT ON THEM ONE YEAR AND WE PACK IT A YEAR? BECAUSE WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT 4 MILLION NOW I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT IT, IT MAY NOT SEEM A BIG DEAL, BUT AS A COUNCILMAN, TRUST ME, I HEAR IT.
AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BALANCE WHAT CITIZENS ARE TELLING ME.
[01:45:01]
THE CITY IS FACED WITH, I HAVE TO BE A PERSON.YOU AS A STAFF HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO ME MY OPTIONS TO FIX THINGS.
OKAY? I AS A COUNCILMAN HAVE TO LISTEN TO WHAT'S BEST THAT YOU'RE TELLING ME TO DO.
BUT AT THE SAME TOKEN, PEOPLE PUT ME IN THIS SEAT TO SPEAK FOR THEM, AND THAT'S ALL I BE DOING.
I'LL BE WANTING TO SEE WHERE IS THE COMPROMISE.
SO WE BOTH SAY THE SAME THING.
AND THAT COMPROMISE, SO DON'T NEED TO KEEP, I MEAN, THIS IS I TO THE COUNCIL HOW THEY WANNA DO IT.
YOU MIGHT WANNA DO TWO YEARS CITIZENS, FIVE YEARS SOMEWHERE.
I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE BRINGING YOU ALL IN.
BUT IF WE WERE HAVING THIS MEETING 30 YEARS AGO, WE WILL BE HAVING THE SAME DISCUSSION.
HERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
HOW DO YOU ALL WANNA FUND IT? UNFORTUNATELY WE WENT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WITHOUT FUNDING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE IN THE POSITION WE ARE IN TODAY.
SO DO WE WANNA START DOING IT? AT WHAT RATE AND WHERE DO Y'ALL WANT THAT MONEY TO COME FROM? THESE ARE THE ANSWERS WE WANT FROM YOU ALL.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, UH, JUST VERY GOOD PRESENTATION DETAIL.
YOU KIND OF GIVE US A, A ROADMAP OF WHERE WE NEED TO BE, BUT I DID TAKE SOME NOTES AND INDIVIDUALS THAT'S CLOSE AND NEAR AND DEAR TO ME.
UH, UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL ABOUT RATE INCREASE.
UH, I'M GONNA MAKE A CORRECTION.
YOU SAID THREE OUT OF THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY FOUR OUTTA THE LAST SEVEN YEARS WHERE WE, WE DID IT IN 2018 AS WELL.
IN 2018, WE BROUGHT BACK THE READY TO SERVE FEE.
IT WASN'T A RATE INCREASE, BUT IT WAS THERE.
UH, THAT READY TO SURF FEE WAS REMOVED FOR A WHILE, AND THEN WE BROUGHT IT BACK, WHICH IS A MINIMUM USAGE FEE BASICALLY THAT YOU PAY ON THE METER FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER.
BUT IT WAS AN INCREASE, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
IT WAS, IT WAS READY TO, I MEAN, WE SAID ALL AT THE CORRECT.
I MEAN, BECAUSE I, I'M TRACKING, I'M, I'M UNDERSTANDING, BUT IT'S STILL AN INCREASE.
BUT, BUT, BUT, UH, DOC, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING HARD, CALVIN, I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING HARD.
UH, RHONDA, UH, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE WORKING HARD, BUT WE ARE MAKING THESE TOUGH DECISIONS FOR THE CITIZEN.
AND, AND OF COURSE WE WANT BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR CITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, I BOUGHT UP THIS, THIS, UH, THIS QUESTION ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, GRANT WRITING OR WHERE'S THE GRANT WRITER? I WAS TOLD BY THE MANAGER THAT WE HAD ABOUT 16, UH, INDIVIDUALS LINED UP.
AS FAR AS I'M UNDERSTANDING AT THIS POINT, WE STILL DO NOT HAVE A GRANT WRITER.
I MEAN, THAT WE HIRED, THAT, THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THAT WE POSTED OUT, THAT CAN HELP BECAUSE I GO TO THE RIGHT TO THE PAGE WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT FUNDING SOURCE AND WE LOOK AT THE TEEM, UH, HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT, UH, PROGRAM.
UH, WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT WE WASN'T.
IT'S NOT APPROVED FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU KNOW, UM, DON'T KNOW.
WE, YOU GUYS CAME AND PRESENTED AND TALKED ABOUT IT.
UH, THE WILDLIFE, UH, FIRE MANAGEMENT, FIRE HYDRANTS, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
EVEN ON THE TURS, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THAT WASN'T APPROVED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE POSSIBILITIES FOR THREE OTHER ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDINGS TO HELP OFFSET THE COSTS.
BUT THE ONE THING THAT COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE STATED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, LET'S STOP PUTTING THE BURDEN TOTALLY ON THE CITIZENS.
LET'S DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO MAKE SURE, ENSURE THAT WE'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY CAN BE COMPETITIVE.
UH, LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT WE DID AND DO RIGHT.
TO NOT GET THESE GRANTS APPROVED.
I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, GOING BACK TO THE COS AND, AND RATE INCREASES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRANT WRITERS GRANT WRITING.
AND YOU, YOU SAID EARLIER IN YOUR PRESENTATION, $1.7 BILLION TO DO EVERYTHING, 1.17 TO, TO GET IT ALL DONE.
BUT TO GET IT DONE, WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.
AND THEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE AUTO MERIT LIST, THOSE PRIORITY LISTS COMES FROM STAFF AND THE MANAGEMENT FOR THE COUNCIL TO DECIDE.
YOU, YOU MADE YOUR STATEMENT THREE TIMES, WHATEVER THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO, BUT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO GET IT RIGHT.
WE TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR THE POSSIBLE NAP BECAUSE NO ONE IN THIS COUNCIL IS GONNA BE HERE IN 40 YEARS UNLESS SOMEBODY GOT AN OBJECTION TO THAT.
SO OUR JOB IS TO ENSURE THAT WE PUT THE, THIS PLAN IN EFFECT FOR PEOPLE AND OUR KIDS AND OUR CITIZENS THAT COME AFTER US.
I I JUST HOPE THAT WHEN YOU BRING IT TO THE COUNCIL, YOUR IDEAS
[01:50:01]
THAT WE TAKE IN CONSIDERATION, BECAUSE I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ONE THAT'S JUST, JUST GIVES ME THE RED, IS THOSE METERS WHEN THEM PEOPLE, WHEN THEY CAME BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND THEY SPOKE AND SAID IT WAS GONNA BE THE NEXT BEST THING FOR THIS CITY.AND THEN WE FOUND OUT WE HAD THE SPLICE, THEN WE FOUND OUT THE TRANS METERS, THEN WE FOUND OUT THE HUMIDITY THAT THAT'S UNDERGROUND.
THEN WE FOUND OUT THAT IT CAN'T STAY UNDERWATER FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UH, TIME.
WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON METERS.
WE STILL PAYING FOR THOSE METERS.
AND WE'RE STILL PAYING FOR, WE STILL PAYING FOR THOSE SYSTEMS. SEE, WE KNOW SOME OF THESE OLD, OLD COUNCIL MEMBERS, NO, WE WERE HERE WHEN THEY CAME TO PRESENT IT AND SAID WE WERE NOT, THEY EVEN HAD TO SERVICE FOR SOME OF THE STAFF.
AND THEY WERE COMING BACK FOR ANOTHER JOB.
THEY WERE GONNA COME BACK FOR ANOTHER JOB.
I MEAN, I WAS ON RON ABOUT THIS.
HEY MAN, WHAT'S GOING ON? BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE TO THE CITIZENS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE PROBLEMS WITH METERS AND THAT THEY HAVE TO COME WITH A SOLUTION.
THEY HAVE TO GO GET A CERTIFIED PLUMBER AND GET THE RECEIPTS AND BRING IT BACK.
THAT'S THE LEAST THAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE WE PROMISED THEM A SERVICE THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT GIVING THEM.
SO I'M SORRY TO BE SO HARD ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER.
YOU'RE NOT BEING HARD COUNCILMAN.
I JUST STATING THE FACTS TO BE ON THE TABLE.
BECAUSE WHEN THEY COME BEFORE US, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, UH, THE MAYOR BARTEE AND COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS, WE WERE IN THE BREAKOUT SESSION IN SAN ANTONIO AND THEY WERE TALKING EXACTLY THE SAME THING.
HOW TO AFFORD INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES IN CITIES THAT CAN'T AFFORD IT.
AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, HE HAD ABOUT 20 QUESTIONS IN THE SESSION AND, AND SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS HE ASKED WERE VERY VALID.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER DOC.
JUST JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT WHAT THIS COUNCIL IS TRYING TO DO.
COUNCILMAN, THANK WE FEEL YOU.
SO FOR CITIZENS THAT HEARD THIS STATEMENT, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 5,000 METERS THAT AREN'T READING CORRECTLY.
IF I HEAR THAT, THEN I'M THE PERSON GOING TO MY BILL TO SAY, OH, LET ME SEE IF I'M ONE OF THEM TO SEE IF I'M BEING OVERCHARGED.
SO, UM, HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW THAT IS BEING RECTIFIED WHEN WE CANNOT, WHEN THAT SYSTEM IS NOT TRANSMITTING THAT INFORMATION, UH, WE ARE SENDING PEOPLE OUT IN THE FIELD TO MANUALLY READ THESE METERS.
AND THE METERS THAT WE MISS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO READ FOR THAT, UH, CYCLE.
WE DO AN ESTIMATE BASED ON PREVIOUS MONTH'S USAGE, AND THEN THE NEXT MONTH WE READ IT AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
UM, AND THEN WILL YOU PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF THE TOTAL COST TO REPLACE THE IRREPARABLE UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE? THE ONE PRESENTATION, THE NUMBER THAT STUCK OUT TO ME WAS WE NEED, IF WE HAD $30 MILLION RIGHT NOW, THEN WE COULD FIX OUR PROBLEMS. BUT THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE? THE TOTAL COST IS $890 MILLION.
AND THE 30 MILLION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS FOR THE 57 WATER LINES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED.
THAT WAS ESTIMATED AROUND 24 TO 25 MILLION.
SO THAT NUMBER IS FOR THAT SPECIFIC 57 WATER LINES THAT ARE ALREADY READY TO GO.
BUT IF WE WANNA FIX EVERYTHING, WE'RE LOOKING AT 890 MILLION.
AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE EXPANSION FOR GROWTH.
IF WE INCLUDE THE EXPANSION FOR GROWTH IN THIS NUMBER, IT'LL BE 1.17 BILLION.
AND FOR THE GRANTS THAT WE WERE NOT APPROVED FOR, WAS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT WITH SOMEONE FROM THE GRANTOR'S OFFICE TO CONFIRM WHAT WE MISSED AND HOW WE CAN BETTER IMPROVE OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NEXT TIME? IT WASN'T THAT WE MISSED ANYTHING IN THE APPLICATIONS.
IT WAS ABOUT, WE DIDN'T RANK HIGH ENOUGH TO QUALIFY.
SO THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT HAVE APPLIED IN CITIES THAT HAVE APPLIED THAT RANKED HIGHER THAN US BASED ON THEIR NEED, THEIR STATUS, THEIR FINANCIAL STANDINGS, AND ALL THE OTHER ITEMS THEY CONSIDER.
BUT WE ARE TRYING NOT TO MISS ON A GRANT.
ANYTIME WE KNOW THERE'S A GRANT OUT THERE, WE ARE APPLYING FOR IT.
THE, UM, I MAY BE PER SAYING THE NAME WRONG, BUT THE TEXAS WATER BOARD COMMISSION, THIS IS FOR DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
SO DURING A WORKSHOP, THE PERSON
[01:55:01]
WHO ACTUALLY LOOKED THROUGH THE APPLICATIONS, I THINK THIS WAS AT A TEEM CONFERENCE, UM, LOOKED THROUGH THE APPLICATIONS AND WHEN SHE MENTIONED SOME SURROUNDING CITIES THAT ARE, ARE SISTER CITIES RECEIVING SOME OF THOSE GRANTS, I THOUGHT, WELL, WHAT ARE THEY DOING DIFFERENTLY THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING? BUT THE EXPLANATION THAT YOU JUST PROVIDED, IT'S JUST MAYBE WE DIDN'T RANK ON A, OR SCORE SCORE, UM, HIGH ENOUGH FOR THOSE.HOWEVER, I DIDN'T SEE THAT AS ONE OF THE FUNDING SOURCES ON HERE IS THAT TEXAS WORLD DEVELOPMENT BOARD WAS YES, MA'AM.
WE HAVE EIGHT PROJECTS WE APPLIED FOR THIS YEAR AND YESTERDAY WE JUST HEARD THAT NONE OF THEM GOT APPROVED.
WELL, NONE OF THEM GOT RANKED HIGH ENOUGH TO BE ON THE APPROVAL LIST.
BUT WE DO HAVE CURRENTLY AROUND $47 MILLION FROM THE TEXAS WARD DEVELOPMENT BOARD THAT IS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAIN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
SO WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THEM BEFORE.
TOME, IF YOU WERE SITTING IN THIS SEAT, TELL ME WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO GET WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US FOR.
I MEAN, IF I'M SITTING IN YOUR SEAT, I'LL BE SITTING AS A COUNCILMAN AS WELL AS A CITIZEN.
AND I THINK OUR BIGGEST OPTION TODAY, OR THE BEST OPTION FOR US TODAY IS TO GET ON THAT $30 MILLION A YEAR, UH, ROUTE AND START FIXING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE REVENUE COMES UP, WE CAN RAMP IT UP, REVENUE COMES DOWN, WE CAN RAMP IT DOWN.
BUT FOR A CITY OUR SIZE, OUR BEST BET WOULD BE THE 30 MILLION A YEAR TO WHERE WE CAN MANAGE IT PROPERLY.
WE CAN SPEND IT AND DO A LOT OF THIS WORK IN HOUSE LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST FIVE, SIX YEARS AND MOVE FORWARD, START CHIPPING ON THAT MONSTER ONE PIECE AT A TIME TO GET IT DONE.
AND IF WE INCLUDE THE GRANTS, SOME, SOME GRANTS HERE AND THERE, AND THE METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM INCREASE, UH, IN REVENUE, MOST LIKELY THAT RATE INCREASE WILL BE AROUND THE 5%, BUT WOULD INCLUDE THE OPERATIONAL COST.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THAT SLIDE, THAT WILL BE, SORRY, THAT ONE RIGHT THERE.
AND THAT GIVES US ABOUT 30 YEARS TO FINISH THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
ANOTHER THING THAT'S LURKING IN THE SHADOWS WITH US RIGHT NOW IS WHAT IS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS GONNA DO WITH THESE 20 YEARS OF NOTHING.
AND, UH, SUPPOSEDLY THAT ORDER IS GONNA COME OUT ANYTIME NOW.
AND THAT MIGHT TELL US, THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
INSTEAD OF US TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
I'M TRYING TO GET ON A PROGRAM, I'M TRYING TO GET SOMETHING GOING BEFORE THIS ORDER COMES OUT.
SO WHEN IT COMES OUT, WE CAN GO AND TELL THEM, LOOK, THIS IS THE PACE WE CAN DO THIS AT.
THIS IS HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA TAKE US TO DO IT.
THIS IS OUR ABILITY OF SPENDING.
INSTEAD OF THEM COMING AND SAYING, LOOK, USUALLY THEY GIVE YOU 10 YEARS TO FIX IT.
IT MEANS AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY ON OUR SIDE THAT WE HAVE TO SPEND ON THAT SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM.
COUNCIL NEEDS TO DECIDE WHICH WAY THEY WANNA GO.
BUT I, IF I'M SITTING IN YOUR SEAT, I THINK THAT 30 MILLION A YEAR WOULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN ACHIEVE WITHOUT OVERBURDENING OUR CITIZENS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME FIXING THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE AT A PACE THAT CAN BE ACCEPTABLE TO MOST OF THEM.
AND SHOWING GOOD FAITH TO MA THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF WE RECOGNIZE OUR ISSUES AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE WORKING TO ATTACK IT.
AND, AND WE DID GO MEET WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
WE EVEN GAVE THEM A VERY GOOD PRESENTATION ON EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS FROM 20 YEARS AGO, SUCH AS THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN, THE MAIN PUMP STATION THE FORCE MEANS.
BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE JUST GONNA LET YOU GO.
IT'S, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GONNA GET IT DONE BECAUSE THE CITY HAS A HISTORY OF DOING IT.
SO THEY WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO IT.
AND IF WE PROPOSE SOMETHING, LIKE I'M TELLING YOU, I WOULD PROPOSE IF I WAS IN YOUR SEAT.
AND WE MAKE SURE THAT PROGRAM IS MOVING FORWARD.
SO THE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU HAVE WITH MS. LYNN IS, OR IF YOU WERE IN THIS SEAT, OF COURSE MM-HMM.
[02:00:01]
THE WAY TO DO, IT'S GONNA BE 30 MILLION EVERY YEAR FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS AND WE NEED TO FUND IT.SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OTHER POSSIBLE SOURCES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT WHERE CAN WE FUND THIS THE MOST, THE EASIEST WAY SO WE DON'T BURDEN OUR CITIZENS.
AND THE BALANCE WILL COME FROM A RATE INCREASE TO BRING THAT MONEY IN.
WE MIGHT HAVE A YEAR TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, GENERAL FUND IS DOING REAL GOOD AND THEY SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA FUND SOME OF THIS FROM GENERAL FUND.
LIKE THE COUNCIL CAN DECIDE, WE MIGHT HAVE A YEAR WHERE THE REVENUE IS REALLY GOOD, WE CAN FUND THE NEXT YEAR WITHOUT A RATE INCREASE.
SO EVERY YEAR HAS TO BE LOOKED AT INDEPENDENTLY AND A DECISION NEEDS TO BE MADE, BUT THE OBJECTIVE NEEDS TO BE DETERMINED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE CAN SEND THIS MESSAGE TO THAT 20 GENERAL IS 30 YEARS, 20 YEARS, OR WE WANNA CONTINUE ON THE PACE WE ARE AT NOW AROUND 10 MILLION A YEAR AND TAKE 90 YEARS.
SO, UH, WE, WE, I KEEP SAYING WE, BECAUSE I CONSIDER MYSELF AS PART OF YOU ALL, BUT YOU AS COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR NEED TO MAKE THAT CALL.
SO I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND YOU ARE NOT LOOKING AT OUR HISTORY, BUT YOU'RE TELLING US WHAT IT TAKES TO, TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE'VE DONE.
BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HISTORY.
YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU VOTE FOR.
WE WANT FROM A ONE CITY BUDGET, A ONE CITY BUDGET TO A FOUR CITY BUDGETS AND GUESS.
AND COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING IT ON A CITIZEN.
THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR WENT TO THE POLLS AND VOTED TO CONSOLIDATE WITH THREE OTHER CITIES TO GO FROM ONE TO FOUR CITIES.
SO NOW, AND WE TOOK ON THEIR PROBLEMS, OLD INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL KIND, WE TOOK ON THEIR PROBLEMS. SO NOW WE STUCK WITH IT AND THEY'RE JUST LIKE, WE ARE PAYING FOR HARVEY STORM.
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO DO CERTAIN THINGS.
WE JUST, EVERYBODY, EVERY OTHER BUDGET WE'RE PICKING UP CALLS FOR EQUIPMENT AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
NOW, WHEN WE WAS A ONE CITY, ONE CITY BUDGET, WE GOT 75% MATCHING MONEY.
ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS COME UP WITH 25%.
WE GOT 75% TO, TO FIX ALL THE TRUMP LINES TO BUILD, UH, NEW LIFT STATIONS, ALL OF THAT.
BUT WHEN THEY CONSOLIDATED, NOW THEY GOT THE SAME PROBLEM.
THEY, THE NEW CITIES NEEDS LIFT STATION, THEY NEED ALL THESE THINGS, BUT CAN'T BLAME THIS COUNCIL.
SO TO SET THE COST TO DO BUSINESS, IT'S GOING TO BE PASSED TO THE CITIZENS.
SO ALL I CAN SAY, BE AWARE OF HISTORY AND I'M LOOKING AT THE 1 0 1 0 8 LOAN SITUATION.
I, I HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING THAT WE COULD GET SOME RELIEF UNDER THAT.
IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW, BUT, UH, 1 0 8 LOANS, THAT'S LOW INTEREST LOAN THAT WE PLEDGED THING, BUT WE DON'T GET THAT MUCH MONEY FROM CDBG ANYMORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THE PLAYERS THERE OR WE HAVE TO PLAY PLEDGE SOME OF THE ASSETS.
BUT ANYWAY, ALL I CAN SAY IS WE JUST HAVE TO BE AWARE OF, OF WHAT, WHAT SOMEBODY PRESENT TO YOU TO GO DO.
LEMME GIVE YOU A QUICK EXAMPLE.
SO LARGER, BIGGER POPULATION, LARGER, CONSOLIDATING ANOTHER CITIES DOESN'T MEAN IT IS, IT'S, YOU'RE NOT GETTING BETTER.
I'VE ASKED CITIZENS FROM ATLANTA, HOW BIG, WHAT'S THE POPULATION OF ATLANTA? THEY SAID MILLIONS.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA IS LESS THAN 500,000.
THEY DON'T TAKE ON OTHER, OTHER FOLKS' RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AT, I ASKED THE SAME QUESTION IN 1974, HOW LARGE IS THAT? ATLANTA WAS LESS THAN 500,000.
YOU TAKE CARE OF WHAT YOU GOT.
DON'T GO TAKE ON OTHER FAMILIES.
IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO HELP OTHER FAMILIES BUT DON'T INCORPORATE 'EM UNDER ONE BUDGET.
AND THE NEW CITIZEN IN THE 10, 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, THIS COUNCIL AIN'T GONNA LOOK LIKE THIS.
[02:05:01]
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.BUT ALL YOUR CITIZENS, THE CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE, WHY WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE.
IT'S DETERMINES TOMORROW THE MEAL YOU EAT TODAY AT NOON IS NOT YOUR MEAL THAT YOUR BO YOUR BODY IS RUNNING OFF.
IT'S RUNNING OFF YOUR, THE FUEL FROM THE BREAKFAST.
IF YOU DIDN'T PUT NOTHING IN, IN THE BREAKING FAST, THAT'S WHAT BREAKFAST MEAN.
CASE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT ME, KIND OF STRANGE.
YOU BREAK YOUR FAST IF YOU DIDN'T PUT ANYTHING IN, IN YOUR SYSTEM THIS MORNING.
SO WHEN YOU EAT YOUR, YOUR NOON MEAL, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET IN THE BE UNTIL TO FINISH PROCESSING AND STORING.
COSMAN, YOU SET, YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE.
I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU GET WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND YOU ALL SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT HOW YOU ALL GOING TO COMMUNICATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID TO COUNCILMAN LEWIS ON OUR WEBSITE.
WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THOSE METERS, WHEN YOU EXPLAIN THAT WE DON'T READ THEM, WE MAY NOT READ IT THIS MONTH AND HOW WE DETERMINE THAT AND THAT THE NEXT MONTH WE DO IT.
I DO THAT SO MUCH WHEN PEOPLE CALL ME THAT, NO, LET'S DO THIS.
I TAKE THE TIME AND EXPLAIN IT TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
PEOPLE THINK THAT THEIR WATER BILL IS THE SAME EVERY MONTH.
THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THE BILLING, THE NUMBER OF DAYS IN THE BILLING CYCLE IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME.
SO IT'S UNLIKELY YOU'RE GONNA GET THE SAME BILL EVERY MONTH.
THE OTHER THING IS WHEN YOU GET THE $40 BILL AND YOU HAPPY, WELL THAT'S ONE THAT'S PROBABLY ESTIMATED, BUT HEY, WHEN THEY DO READ IT, YOU GONNA GET THE OTHER 40 PLUS THERE'S 80.
CITY MANAGER YOU TRACKING, WE REALLY HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT BECAUSE IF WE EXPLAIN IT TO CITIZENS, THEY WILL START UNDERSTANDING.
'CAUSE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THAT BILL IS THE SAME EVERY MONTH.
WE WOULD MOVE ON THAT IMMEDIATELY.
NO, I HEARD YOU SAY IT BUT I SAY IT ALL THE TIME.
BUT WHEN I SAID PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING NOW THE FIRST THING THEY SAID, OH, I DIDN'T KNOW.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT, OH, I DIDN'T HARDLY USE NO WANTED THIS MONEY.
WELL, YOU GOING TO PAY A MINIMUM FEE WHETHER YOU TURN IT ON OFF.
THOSE ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN ON THAT WEBPAGE.
THAT'S, THAT WEBPAGE COULD BE VERY HELPFUL DURING THESE TIMES THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH NOW.
THAT CAN SAVE YOU TIME AND US TIME ON PHONE CALLS.
COUNCILMAN FRANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION ON TODAY.
AND, UH, I THINK, UH, MOST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE REALLY, UH, JUST HELPED US TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE AND ESPECIALLY WHERE IT IS THAT WE NEED TO GO.
UH, AND APPRECIATIVE OF THE, THE, THE PAST AND ALL OF THE HISTORY THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP, UH, AS WELL.
ONE QUESTION THAT I I HAD WAS I SAW AS YOU WERE DOING YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU UM, YOU LISTED PRIORITY ONE AND PRIORITY TWO IN MY UNDERSTANDING.
PRIORITY ONE IS, UM, NOT IF IT BREAKS, BUT WHEN IT BREAKS.
IS THAT, IS THAT AN ADEQUATE, UM, IS THAT AN ADEQUATE DEFINITION OR DEFINING OF PRIORITY ONE? AND THEN WHAT IS PRIORITY TWO? IT'S PRETTY CLOSE.
BASICALLY PRIORITY ONE, WE'VE PATCHED IT SO MUCH.
PATCHING IT IS BECOMING VERY DIFFICULT.
THIS IS IN LANE TERMS EXPLANATION THAT I JU I JUST WANTED ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING US TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES IN THE PRIORITY AND HOW DIRE, UH, A SITUATION WE ARE IN AS WE ARE TRYING TO FIX IT.
ONE OF THE, THE BIG THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF,
[02:10:01]
UH, AND AS I HAVE TRIED TO WRAP MY MIND AROUND IT AS I'VE BEEN A COUNCIL MEMBER BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHERE, UM, WHERE, UH, THEY KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.AND WHEN YOU KICK THAT CAN DOWN THE ROAD, UM, SO MANY TIMES AND YOU DON'T ADDRESS IT AGGRESSIVELY, UH, WHAT YOU FIND OUT IS HOW YOU, THAT'S HOW YOU GET TO WHERE WE ARE AND HOW IT CONTINUALLY UH, HOW IT CONTINUALLY GETS WORSE.
UM, COUNCILMAN KINLAW TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE, UH, RATE INCREASES FOUR OUT OF FOUR OUT OF SEVEN YEARS.
BUT PRIOR TO OUR GETTING ON COUNCIL, I THINK WE HADN'T HAD A RATE INCREASE IN HOW MANY YEARS? NINE YEARS.
SO WE WENT NINE YEARS WITHOUT ANY RATE INCREASES THAT.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS COUNCIL AND YOU SAY THAT WE'VE HAD TO HAVE AN INCREASE FOUR OUT OF THE LAST SIX YEARS, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER BECAUSE IF THERE'S NOT BEEN A RATE INCREASE IN NINE YEARS, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO GIVE ATTENTION TO, UH, TO DETAIL IS, UH, WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH WATER WE'RE LOSING.
I THINK WE'RE LOSING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 TO 35% OF OUR WATER.
WHEN WE TAKE THAT, WHEN WE TAKE OUT FLUSHING AND THE ITEMS THAT WE IDENTIFY WHERE IT IS, WHAT WE ARE USING IT FOR.
AND SO WHAT'S OPTIMUM ABOUT 20% OF WATER, 10 TO 20.
I MEAN, CITIES TRY TO BE 10%, BUT CITIES OUR SIZE WITH 50-YEAR-OLD PIPING IN THE GROUND, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TO THAT.
IT'S, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW WELL YOU MAINTAIN IT, HOW MUCH YOU BATCH IT, IT'S AN IMPOSSIBILITY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS THAT, THAT WE'RE IN.
BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, I WANT OUR CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND SO THAT WHEN WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE AND HOW WE'RE AGGRESSIVELY TRYING TO GET TO THE FIX THAT WE NEED.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND I APPRECIATE THIS COUNCIL, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW AS WE TRY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.
LET, LET ME, LET ME LEAVE ON THIS NOTE.
WE ARE THANKFUL AND I THANK GOD EVERY DAY THAT WE ARE NOT LIKE JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI OR, OR FLINT, MICHIGAN, OR OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE HAD THE KINDS OF SITUATIONS THAT THEY HAVE HAD IN THEIR WATER.
AND SO, UM, WE CAN BE THANKFUL IN ALL THINGS.
WE NEED TO, WE GOTTA, WE ALL THESE RATE, WATER RATE INCREASES AND YOU PROMISE THAT YOU'RE ALL GONNA FIGURE OUT HOW TO DISCOUNT TO THE SENIOR CITIZENS THAT HAS NOT BEEN PUT IN PLACE.
WE NEED TO GET THIS IN PLACE FOR THIS BUDGET.
NOW IT WAS MENTIONED AND HE'S CORRECT.
COUNCILWOMAN COUNCIL? NOT COUNCILWOMAN.
HE SAID THAT FOR NINE YEARS THERE WAS NEVER A RATE INCREASE.
IT WAS COMING OUTTA YOUR GENERAL FUND EVERY YEAR.
AND YEAH, EVERY YEAR IT WAS COMING OUT.
THE RATE WATER RACE WAS IN WAS, UH, SUBSIDIZED OUT THE GENERAL FUND NOW.
NOW WE HAVE TO FUND IT AND GET THE WATER DEPARTMENT ON ITS OWN FEET.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE AT NOW.
BAD HISTORY, PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATORS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
BUT REMEMBER OUR HISTORY CITY MANAGER, AM I CORRECT? YES.
YOU, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE A COMMENT.
WE WERE ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.
WE WERE ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.
YEAH, THAT WELL, THAT'S ANOTHER WAY OF PUTTING IT.
BUT ANYWAY, WE MUST BE AWARE, AND WE, RIGHT NOW, AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL PRESENTATION WHERE YOU GOT ALL THIS THING OUTLINE AND, AND COUNCILMAN DO SAID AND INSISTED ON IT BEING ITEMIZED AND SO EVERYBODY CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND IT, AND THE PUBLIC THAT'S LISTED CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND STUFF.
AND PUT IT ON YOUR WEBSITE IN LAYMAN'S LANGUAGE, NEWSPAPERS IN, IN FIFTH GRADE LANGUAGE.
OKAY? BUT WHAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND, OKAY? UH, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
IN, IN CONCLUSION, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE NEED SOME DIRECTION FROM Y'ALL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE BASED ON YOUR DECISIONS,
[02:15:01]
WE NEED TO SET THIS BUDGET FOR THIS COMING YEAR.AND WE NEED TO KNOW HOW TO SPEAK TO THAT, TO ANY GENERAL.
SO IF YOU CAN GIVE US SOME DIRECTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, IT'D BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED.
NOW, EXCUSE ME, ACCORDING TO YOUR RECOMMENDATION, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, WAS CALL IT INFORMAL RECOMMENDATION.
THROUGH YOUR DIALOGUE, YOU WERE SAYING THAT MAYBE $30 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS WOULD BE A GOOD, UH, INVESTMENT FROM THE COUNCIL TO, UH, ACTUALLY PLACE IN A BUDGET, IF YOU WILL.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S CONSIDERATION.
THAT, THAT I THINK, UH, THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM YOUR PRESENTATION.
NOW, WHAT I, I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE MAYBE, UH, UH, UH, UH, CALVIN COULD TELL ME MORE, OR YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALSO, IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE, THE PFAS SITUATION THAT'S GOING TO COME UP IN ABOUT, UH, 30 TO 45 DAYS.
AND EVERYBODY MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THAT.
BUT IF WE ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE, THEN IT'S GOING TO COST US IF WE ARE, UH, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE, I KNOW I DID WHAT I, MY DUE DILIGENCE AS MAYOR GATHERING INFORMATION IN MY TRIAL WAS A NETWORKING ABOUT FIVE TO SIX MONTHS AGO.
GOT US INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM FOR IT.
AND I, EVEN WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, WE EVEN JOINED IN, UH, TO I THINK SOME FORM OF LITIGATION.
UH, WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY, UH, FUNDS FROM THAT AS OF YET, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IS GOING TO ALSO, UH, BRING US SOME FINANCIAL RELIEF IF I'M NOT A MISTAKEN, ACCORDING TO THE INITIAL MEETINGS THAT WE DID, DID HAVE WITH THAT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
AND I HAD GOTTEN AN UPDATE ON IT ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO AGO IN MAYBE JANUARY OR FEBRUARY OR SOMETIME, THAT SOMETHING FROM THAT SHOULD TAKE PLACE.
AND IT MAY BE IN FORM OF SOME, SOME TYPE OF SETTLEMENT ALSO WITH, AND I'M, I'M GONNA LET YOU SAY THIS, GAVIN, BUT WITH WHAT YOU ALL HAVE PRESENTED, THERE ARE SOME, UH, UNIQUE CREATIVE WAYS OF FINANCING PART OF THIS $1.1 BILLION IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR.
NOW, WE ARE GOING TO WORK ON SOME THINGS, UH, FOR SURE THE NEXT 10 MONTHS THAT I'M HERE, THAT MAY HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT.
I'M NOT PRIVY TO SPEAK, SPEAK ABOUT IT PUBLICLY RIGHT NOW, BUT WE CAN WORK TOWARD RELIEF BECAUSE WHAT YOU ALL HAVE PRESENTED HAS TO OCCUR.
WHAT WE LOOK AT THAT SHEET, THAT, UH, THE CHART THAT'S THERE RIGHT NOW, THE FUNDING SOURCES, UH, WITH CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION AND ON THAT LEFT SIDE, THE YEARS OF, OF HOW IT'S BROKEN DOWN, WE CAN ACHIEVE AND ATTAIN THAT FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND ITS FUTURE.
WE'RE HERE NOW TO BE SURE THAT THOSE WHO ARE HERE IN 2054, OKAY, 30 YEARS FROM NOW, I MIGHT MAKE THE LIST.
I DON'T KNOW I MADE IT THIS MORNING, BUT IF I'M HERE IN 2054, YOU KNOW, I WANNA BE SURE THAT THE SYSTEM IS GOOD AND WHOMEVER IS HERE AT THAT TIME, IF NONE OF US ARE HERE, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER THANKS TO OUR OFFSPRING AND OUR FAMILIES FOR MAKING DECISIONS IN 2024 THAT WILL DIRECTLY AFFECT THEM IN 2054 AND WISE DECISIONS.
SO, AND THERE, I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AND, AND SAY THIS, THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE WORKED ON.
I CAN SPEAK ON THE PFAS AND THE LITIGATION THAT WE ENTERED WITH THAT, THAT I THINK IS GOING TO COME TO FRUITION AND SOME OTHER CREATIVE, UH, CONCEPTS OF BEING ABLE TO FINANCE A PORTION OF THE $1 BILLION, UH, AMOUNT.
NO, ON P-F-A-S-I WAS GONNA SAY, WE CONTINUALLY MONITOR IT AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S TESTING AND SO WE'RE READY FOR WHEN THEY COME OUT.
AND I, I THINK IT'S SOMETIME IN OCTOBER.
SO THE TESTING IS, YEAH, THE, THE, THE FEDERAL ONLY A FEW LABS CAN DO IT.
SO WE DO CONTINUE TO THE FEDERAL, THE FEDERAL, UH, GUIDELINES CALL FOR, UH, A, A DATE IN OCTOBER FOR COMPLIANCE AND EVEN FOR THE BEGINNING OF WHATEVER, UH, FUNDING THAT ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE, WE ARE INVOLVED WITH, WITH THE, UH, CLASS ACTION THAT WE, WE,
[02:20:01]
WE'VE, UH, JOINED WITH ON THAT.BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE, FOR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE, UH, PRESENTED HERE TODAY.
TOMI, AS YOU SAID, HAD WE BEEN HAVING MEETINGS LIKE THIS PRIOR TO MY COMING ON AS MAYOR, THEN MAYBE WE WOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION TODAY.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WHOMEVER COMES BEHIND ME WOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS HAP OCCURRED ON EVEN ON TODAY WITH US HERE TODAY.
AND THOSE WHO BE BEHIND ALL OF US, IT WOULD BE A, UH, MUCH BETTER FOR THIS COMMUNITY 'CAUSE OF WHAT WE WILL DECIDE TODAY.
AND I THANK YOU FOR THE INPUT OR THE IDEA OF THE CONCEPT OF 30 MILLION.
THIS GROUP MIGHT BREAK IT DOWN TO 10 MILLION, BUT AT LEAST THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME MONEY THAT'S GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN ALLEVIATING THAT AND, AND, AND, UH, RECTIFYING OUR SITUATION.
SO THE ONLY THING I'D LIKE TO SAY, I MEAN DR.
TOME DID A GREAT JOB IN THE PRESENTATION, IS I SPOKE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE YESTERDAY.
I STILL DON'T HAVE THE DATE THAT THEY'RE GONNA, IT'S GONNA BE FILED WITH THE COURT, BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE IT'S, WE'RE GETTING CLOSER.
TOME SAID IT'S, I THINK IS CRITICAL IS WE NEED SOMETHING TO PRESENT WHEN WE GO THERE.
MAYBE THEY DON'T AGREE, MAYBE THEY AGREE, BUT AT THE MOMENT, WE DON'T HAVE A COUNCIL APPROVED PLAN OF LIKE THE 30 MILLION A YEAR, 10 MILLION A YEAR.
SO DID YOU JUST KIND, EVERY YEAR IS A DIFFERENT YEAR.
WE, WE KNOW WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, BUT THERE'S NO COMMITMENT.
IF THIS IS, IF THIS IS WHAT YOUR STAFF HAS OPENLY RECOMMENDED TO US, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF YOU WORKING WITH THE FINANCE, UH, UH, DIRECTOR NOW COMPTROLLER AND WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH YOUR, UH, ADMINISTRATORS AND BE ABLE TO PRESENT SOMETHING TO US IN THE FORM OF THE BUDGET THAT WOULD, UH, ADDRESS THIS, THIS CONCERN? YES.
WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK WITH SOMETHING APART FROM THIS PRESENTATION AND PROVIDE YOU WITH ONE, TWO THE BEST OPTIONS, OKAY? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO LOOK AT.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS BASICALLY SAID THIS AS BILL, THIS COUNCILOR LEWIS JUST SAID THE CITIZENS HAS TO PAY FOR IT.
THAT'S WHAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID.
THE CITIZENS HAS TO PAY FOR IT.
AND WHETHER YOU TOOK ON, WHETHER YOU TOOK ON PEER RIDGE, WHETHER YOU TOOK ON FIVE MORE CITIES, THE CITIZENS HAS TO PAY FOR IT.
AND THEN WHEN HE SENT DOWN THE ENFORCEMENT ORDER, THAT IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO MEAN.
WELL, I BELIEVE WE HAVE COMPLETED, WE'VE GOTTEN ALL THE INFORMATION.
I DID NOT LOOK BACK DOWN AT THIS.
JUST ONE, THERE'S SOMETHING FOR CLARIFICATION.
FOR YEARS, OUR TAX RATE WAS ARTIFICIALLY HIGH BECAUSE WE WERE SUBSIDIZING THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THE GENERAL FUND WAS BEING THE, THE WATER DEPARTMENT WAS BEING FUNDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND THE TAX RATE WAS ARTIFICIALLY HIGH.
NOW, SO WHEN THE CITY MANAGER UNCOUPLED THAT, WHEN HE UNCOUPLE, UH, THE WATER FUND FROM THE GENERAL FUND, OUR TAX RATE COME DOWN, YOU NOTICE WE GOT A, WE'VE HAD A DECREASE IN TAX RATE.
THE TAX RATE HAS COME DOWN PROPERTY TAX RATE.
THAT'S ON INDUSTRY, THAT'S ON EVERYBODY.
NOW WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING A WINDFALL FROM THE INDUSTRY FOR OUR WATER INCREASE.
SO THAT'S NOW THE CITIZEN, SENIOR CITIZEN NEED TO HAVE THEIR DISCOUNT PUT IN PLACE.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD, THANK YOU MAYOR.
TOME AND MR. CALVIN HAVE STATED SEVERAL TIMES, WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE.
SO IS IT, DO WE NEED TO CALL FOR A, A SPECIAL MEETING OR DO WE HAVE TIME FOR OUR 20 AUGUST 27TH MEETING TO HAVE SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA? WHAT KIND OF TIMEFRAME ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I BELIEVE AUGUST 27TH WOULD BE FINE.
UH, BECAUSE BY THE TIME THEY FILE IN COURT, THEN WE SET MEETINGS.
AT LEAST WE CAN GO TO THEM WITH A PLAN.
SO AUGUST 27TH SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT.
UH, COUNCILOR ETT LYNN COULD PROBABLY CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT IF, IF WE WANT TO DO 30 YEARS A YEAR, ALL WE DO IS PUT IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, 30 MILLION A YEAR.
[02:25:01]
BUT WHETHER THINGS HAPPEN IS GONNA BE BASED ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.THE ONLY YEAR THAT ACTUALLY MEAN ANYTHING IS THE YEAR THAT WE GONNA BE IN.
SO FOR A FIVE YEAR PLAN, WE COULD SAY WE WANT TO SPEND $30 MILLION EVERY YEAR, BUT THE ONLY ONE IS GOING TO BE THE ONE WE'RE BUDGETED FOR WHATEVER WE PUT IN THERE.
BUT WE CAN HAVE 30, WE, LIKE YOU SAY, WE MAY HAVE GET, GET SOME MONEY.
WE MAY BE 40 IN A YEAR, SO THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
THAT'S WHAT STAFF CAN DO THAT, THAT'S A PLAN.
WE COME WITH SOMETHING, WE COME UP WITH SOMETHING FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
WE PROVIDE YOU WITH OPTION A AND OPTION B.
COUNCILMAN LEWIS, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE DISCOUNT FOR SENIOR CITIZEN, ITS IMPACT ON THEIR REVENUE IS UNDER TWO 50,000 A YEAR.
SO IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSE TO VOTE ON IT, IT'S NOT GONNA IMPACT OUR REVENUE MUCH ON A $40 MILLION BUDGET.
WE ALREADY LOOKED INTO THE NUMBERS.
UH, I THINK THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED THE INFORMATION THAT WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE WORKSHOP.
WE'VE COMPLETED THE ACTUAL AGENDA FOR THE NINE 30 MEETING ON THIS MORNING.
BE THERE OR THE BUSINESS COUNCILMAN, UH, ELLO.
SO MOVED THAT WE'LL JOIN THE MEETING AT 1231, COUNCILMAN FRANK.
AND SECOND, WE WILL JOIN THIS AUGUST BODY.
ANY OPPOSES? YOU MAY STATE GOODBYE,