* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. RECORDING [00:00:01] IN PROGRESS. THANK YOU. SO WE STOPPED. THANK YOU. SO KINDLY, CITY SECRETARY. UH, AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO SAY GOOD EVENING, EVENING IN PROGRESS. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO SAY GOOD EVENING TO EACH OF YOU. WE ARE [I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL] GATHERED HERE AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE GREATEST CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. AND WE ARE CERTAINLY GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE HERE WITH US HERE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR OF CITY HALL HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. IT IS NOW 5:46 PM AND THIS IS OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING. THIS MEETING MAY BE ATTENDED AND YOU MAY PARTICIPATE VIA TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS, HOWEVER YOU WOULD, 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. FOR THIS MEETING, YOU WOULD ENTER THE MEETING ID OF 8 5 6 2 9 2 7 8 0 5 5 AND THE PASSCODE OF 6 8 3 9 5 1, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE AND ATTEND THE MEETING. WE ARE ALSO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACTS HERE IN THIS MEETING HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. IF THERE IS A NEED FOR ANY SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS, YOU MUST FIRST CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5. HOWEVER, IT MUST BE DONE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING SO THAT THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS MAY BE, UH, YOU MAY BE AFFORDED THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS, UH, BY THAT GREAT STAFF THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY'S SECRETARY'S OFFICE. WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'LL HAVE THE INVOCATION, THE PLEDGE, AND THE ROLL CALL. I WANT TO ASK, I SEE WE HAVE SOME VETERANS HERE. DO WE HAVE THE, THE, UH, CHAPLAIN FOR THE VETERANS HERE PRESENT? I THOUGHT WE DID. WOULD YOU MIND COMING UP AND DOING THE OPENING PRAYER FOR US? PLEASE, SIR. VETERANS ATTENTION, UNCOVER, PRAY, REST. LET US PRAY. LORD GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR MANY BLESSINGS. MOST OF ALL. WE THANK YOU FOR SENDING DOWN CHRIST TO DIE FOR OUR SINS. WE ASK, LORD GOD, THAT YOU BE WITH THESE DELIBERATIONS TODAY. WE ASK THAT WE BE GUIDED BY YOUR SPIRIT TO MAKE THE PROPER DECISIONS THAT WILL BENEFIT THE, THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND ALL OF ITS CITIZENS. LORD GOD, HELP US TO LEAVE LIVE LIVES THAT WILL BRING OTHERS TO KNOW YOU. AND WE JUST ASK THESE THINGS IN CHRIST'S NAME. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE NOW JOIN US AS WE 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 SO KINDLY FOR YOUR INDULGENCE IN OUR OPENING CITY SECRETARY. WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AGAIN AS TO ESTABLISH THE QUORUM? MAYOR BARTEE, PRESENT MAYOR PRO, TIM BECKHAM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER ETT. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK HERE. YOU HAVE A COURT MAYOR. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. [II. PROCLAMATIONS] WE ARE NOW AT PROCLAMATIONS AND WE HAVE TWO PROCLAMATIONS. WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE FIRST PROCLAMATION FOR MR. RONNIE MOON. MR. RONNIE MOON, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD? YES, SIR. AND I THINK, OH, WELL, SHE'S TAKING PICTURES. OKAY. , ARE YOU GONNA COME FORWARD WITH HIM? COME ON WITH HIM. . OKAY. AND THIS IS FROM THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, AND IT STATES A GOOD STEWARD TAKES THE CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE PLACE WHERE HE BELONGS. ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, I AM PLEASED TO RECOGNIZE MR. RONNIE MOON, WHEREAS HIS MISSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO KEEP THE NORTH LEVEE CLEAN SO THAT THEY WON'T LOCK THE GATES AND PREVENT VISITORS FROM ANN FISHERS FROM ENTERING IN [00:05:01] 2003, EXXON MOBIL PARTNERED WITH RONNIE MOON AS HE HELD HIS FIRST ANNUAL CLEANUP ON PLEASURE ISLAND. AND WHEREAS MR. MOON, HIS WIFE, ROXANNE, HIS BROTHER, HIS CHILDREN AND EVEN GRANDCHILDREN, HAVE ASSISTED WITH KEEPING THE TRASH FROM PILING UP ON THE NORTH LEVEE. MOREOVER, HE AND HIS WIFE STARTED THE PLEASURE ISLAND FISHING CLEANUP 10 YEARS AGO, WHICH AVERAGES A HUNDRED PEOPLE PER EVENT. AND WHEREAS HOOK AND LINE UPDATED THEIR FISHING MAP FOR PLEASURE ISLAND WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM RONNIE MOON AND HIS BROTHER, AND ADDED THE LABEL MOON BROTHERS AS A TRIBUTE TO BOTH OF THEM. AND WHEREAS THANK YOU MR. MOON FOR BEING A GOOD STEWARD OF OUR COMMUNITY. YOU ARE A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WHAT MAKES PORT ARTHUR GREAT. NOW, THEREFORE, I THURMAN BILL BCE, MAYOR OF THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE OCTOBER 22ND, 2024 HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AS MR. MOON, RONNIE MOON DAY IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I HAVE HERE UN YOU SET MY HAND AND CAUSE THE SEAL OF THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO BE AFFIXED THIS 22ND DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2024. AND IT IS SIGNED THURMAN BILL, AND I'M GOING TO BRING IT DOWN TO YOU. MR. MOORE. THANK SECRETARY. WOULD YOU PLEASE MIND ON TOMORROW? HIS BROTHER A OF HIS THANK NOW COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW. ALRIGHT, RONNIE, COME ON UP HERE TO THE PODIUM. UH, THANKS DR. QUEEN FOR PUSHING THAT BACK OVER THERE. YOU KNOW, UH, I DON'T KNOW MAYOR TEM, IF WE WANNA ALLOW HIM TO SPEAK FIRST AND THEN WE JUST COME BEHIND YOU. OKAY. WILL WE, WOULD THAT BE OKAY, MAYOR? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. MR. MOON, WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND ACCEPT AND WE'LL SPEAK AFTER YOU. [00:10:02] IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, UH, I'D LOVE TO DO. WHEN I CAME BACK FROM THE SERVICE, I LIVED IN PORT ARTHUR, MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY, ENDED UP NEEDLING, BUT NOW I FEEL LIKE I'M HOME. I'M SORRY. NO, YOU ARE, MAN. IT JUST MEANS A LOT AND I APPRECIATE IT. ALL THE THOUGHTS. A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE BEHIND ME HERE HAVE VOLUNTEERED ALSO. UH, THERE'S DR. HAWK, DR. COLE LAMAR UNIVERSITY. THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT I'VE MET WHILE I'VE BEEN ON THE NORTH LEVEE. I TALK TO EVERYBODY OUT THERE. UH, I FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE CATCHING. I TAKE PICTURES OF IT. MY WIFE POSTS IT FOR ME, AND, UH, I TRY TO GET OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED. I WANT TO TALK TO THE VFW BECAUSE IF SOME OF THESE FELLAS CAN COME OUT THERE AND DO WHAT I DO AND JUST SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE TO SEE AND ENJOY THE NATURE, I CANNOT EXPLAIN TO YOU OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS HOW I'VE BECOME SALT WATER BLOODED NATURALIST AND I'M DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO SAVE SOME OF IT. AND I CAN'T GO INTO ALL THAT WITH YOU HERE, BUT I JUST LOVE PLEASURE ISLAND. IT SHOWED ME THINGS THAT I NEVER WOULD'VE SEEN IN MY LIFE AND MET PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PLACES. I'VE COME ACROSS THE BRIDGE BEFORE AND THERE'LL BE A CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND I JUST STOP AND SAY, DO YOU NEED SOME HELP? AND THEY'RE PROBABLY MEANING TO GO TO LOUISIANA AT THAT TIME, BUT, UH, IT'S JUST AN ENJOYABLE THING AND UH, I SURE APPRECIATE THE NOTICE AND THE PEOPLE SHOWING ME ALL THE LOVE NOW. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. APPRECIATE IT. WELL, RONNIE, I'M GONNA SAY THIS, UH, MAN, THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU THAT, THAT DESERVES A HAND. BUT YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS, UH, RONNIE, OKAY? UH, YOU KNOW, PORT ARTHUR, WE LOVE YOU TOO, MAN. AND YOU KNOW, UH, I'M AN AVID FISHERMAN AND YOU SEE ME ALL THE TIME OUT THERE FISHING AND YOU HAVE PHOTOS OF SOME OF MY FISH. I'M GONNA TELL MY UNCLE PAUL BACK THERE, RONNIE WAS THERE WHEN I CAUGHT A FIVE FOOT GUARD AND HE TOOK A, HE TOOK A PICTURE OF IT. YES I DID. BUT YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT YOU DO ON THE ISLAND, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I SEE YOU THERE ALL THE TIME. YOU ARE OUT THERE ASKING QUESTIONS. YOU ARE OUT THERE SAYING, HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY? WHAT CAN WE MAKE THIS ISLAND BETTER? A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULDN'T DO THAT FOR FREE. AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, AS A FISHERMAN AND FROM PORT ARTHUR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU, MAN. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SO, HEY, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES. YES, SIR. SO THIS UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP HAPPENED ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO. UM, I AM NOT A FISHERMAN, RIGHT? MY HUSBAND IS, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW I GOT TO KNOW RONNIE. RONNIE CALLED ME. HE'S A GREAT AMBASSADOR FOR THIS CITY. HE CALLED ME ONE DAY AND HE SAID, SHERIFF, I NEED HELP. I NEED HELP. YOU GOT, I UNDERSTAND YOU GOT A BUNCH OF INMATES OUT THERE. AND SO WE HOOKED UP AND WE START BRINGING INMATES TO PLEASURE ISLAND TO CLEAN UP, UH, THE NORTH LEVY OVER EIGHT YEARS AGO. THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND SO, NOT ONLY DID WE BRING INMATES, BUT WE START BRINGING EMPLOYEES. AND THEN ME AND MY HUSBAND END UP GOING OUT THERE AND SPENDING TIME WITH HE AND HIS WIFE AND, AND PICKING UP PAPER BECAUSE THAT'S A PLACE TO GO. UM, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA, WHEN THEY COME HERE, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND RELAX. I EVEN DRIVE THERE NOW WHEN I'M TRYING TO CLEAR MY HEAD BECAUSE NOBODY'S OUT THERE USUALLY. UM, AND SO I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW I CAME HERE, IT'S CAMPAIGN TIME. I'M OUT THERE CAMPAIGNING. I KNEW THIS WAS GOING ON TODAY, AND SO I PULLED AWAY BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR ME TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A SPECIAL GUY, A SPECIAL FAMILY WHO'S GIVING BACK. HE DOESN'T ASK FOR MONEY. UM, NOBODY WANTS TO PICK UP TRASH. NOT EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT WE PAY. THEY DON'T WANNA PICK UP TRASH USUALLY, RIGHT? HE'S OUT THERE ENCOURAGING OTHER PEOPLE TO DO THAT. AND SO THANK YOU FOR HONORING HIM, COUNSEL, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE JEWEL THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. IT'S NOT ABOUT RACE, IT'S NOT ABOUT PARTISANSHIP. IT'S ABOUT CARING ENOUGH ABOUT THE COMMUNITY TO DO THE THINGS THAT NOBODY ELSE WANTS TO DO. SO THAT'S A HERO. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU, SHERIFF. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. HO HO HO. HOLD, HOLD UP, MAYOR. I I JUST WANNA SAY THIS. IF YOU ALL DON'T MIND, I MEAN, I MEAN, I CALL YOU, UH, SHERIFF, UH, MR. MOON. I'M, I'VE BEEN THE MAYOR. THAT'S WHAT WANT, I'VE BEEN THE MAYOR GOING ON SIX YEARS, MAN. AND SHERIFF IS MY FRIEND AND SHE'S NEVER COME HERE, . AND I SAW HER OUT HERE TODAY AND I SAID, OKAY. I SAID, THAT'S THE SHERIFF. I SEE WHY YOU BROUGHT ME. YOU BROUGHT THE SHERIFF TO MY COUNCIL MEETING AND I'M SO GLAD HE'S THE ONLY PERSON [00:15:01] THAT GETS INMATES OUT HERE TOO. SO I HAVE TO SAY THAT. OKAY, THANK YOU GUYS. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK. MR. MOON, I FINALLY CAN BELIEVE THAT COUNCILMAN KEN LAW CATCHES FISH . HE TELLS US ALL THE TIME, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE HIM. BUT IF HE SAID MR. MOON WAS THERE, I BELIEVE HIM. MR. MOON, YOU ARE A SPECIAL INDIVIDUAL. YOU GOT PICTURES THIS CAMERA, OKAY. ALRIGHT. IF YOU SAY IT, MR. MOON, I BELIEVE YOU. I BELIEVE YOU. BUT LISTEN, MR. MOON, YOU ARE PART OF WHAT MAKES PORT ARTHUR SPECIAL. YOU REALLY, REALLY ARE. YOU EMBODY EVERYTHING THAT WE DESIRE TO BE AND EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT TO BE IN OUR CITY. AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THANK YOU, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS. WE APPRECIATE YOU AND MS. ROXANNE AND ALL YOUR FAMILY, YOUR BROTHER AND ALL THAT YOU DO. IF WE HAD 12 MR. MOONS, MAN, I'LL TELL YOU, WE COULD TURN THE CITY UPSIDE DOWN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD, THANK YOU MR. MOON AND MS. ROXANNE FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. I KNOW THAT SHE HAS YOUR BACK THROUGH IT, AND I KNOW THAT YOU TOLD ME ABOUT YOUR BROTHER HAVING YOUR BACK THROUGH IT AND ALL OF YOUR FAMILY HERE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP. AND NO ONE HAD TO ASK YOU TO SHOW UP. I REMEMBER TALKING TO YOU MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO NOW, AND YOU'RE, YOU WERE TELLING ME, LOOK, I HAVE THE CONTRACTS, I HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION. THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD WITH MAINTAINING THAT PORTION OF THE ISLAND. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU CARING ENOUGH TO HOLD ONTO THOSE THINGS AND TO MAKE THE CALL, TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION AND TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU DO EVEN WITHOUT RECOGNITION. SO TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ONLY, UM, RECOGNIZED, BUT YOU HAVE A DAY NAMED AFTER NOW THAT HOLDS WEIGHT. YES, MA'AM. THAT HOLDS WEIGHT. SO MISS ROXANNE, ROXANNE , THAT HOLDS WEIGHT. SO THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A BIRTHDAY, SO YOU GOTTA GO TO DINNER AND EVERYTHING NEXT YEAR, THIS DAY, RIGHT? SO I'M SURE WE'LL BE SEEING THAT POST SOON BECAUSE MR. ROXANNE WILL SHARE THAT WITH US TOO. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. MOON, AND TO ALL OF HIS SUPPORT SYSTEM. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS. HELLO, RONNIE, MAN, IT'S A GREAT DAY. YES, SIR. YEAH, WILL COME A LONG WAYS, WILLIE. YEAH. COME A LONG WAYS, YOU KNOW, UH, WELL, YOU A COLONEL, WASN'T YOU, YOU IN THE RESERVE? NO, I WAS A YEOMAN. I WAS AN ADMINISTRATION. YEAH. RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. OKAY, DENNIS, AND YOU WERE AT BASIC TOGETHER. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. WE WAS IN VIETNAM TOGETHER TOO. YEAH. YES, SIR. WHERE'S DENNIS AT? I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM SINCE, UH, DR. PEPPER. HE'S RIGHT OVER HERE. I HADN'T SEEN DENNIS SINCE DR. PEPPER WAS A NURSE, . BUT I I'M CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORKING WITH YOU ALL OVER THE YEARS ON THE ISLAND. YOU'LL ALWAYS CALL ME WHEN WE GET THINGS. WE GET THE THINGS DONE, ALL THE THINGS YOU, YOU TRIED TO RECOMMEND. WE TRIED TO GET 'EM DONE. OKAY. AND I APPRECIATE THE FISH YOU GAVE ME TOO. I DIDN'T HAVE TO CATCH 'EM, DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE STORE ON MY DECK UNDER THE, UNDER THE MAGNOLIA TREE ON MY DECK. THAT WAS YEARS AGO. . YEAH. I HADN'T PICKED UP A FISH IN POLE IN SEVEN YEARS. IT'S BEEN A WHILE. IT'S BEEN A WHILE. YEAH. BUT I APPRECIATE YOU THOUGH, MAN. YOU AND DENNIS AND YOUR FAMILY, ALL OF YOU GUYS HAS APPRECIATED EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE AND IN SUPPORTING HIM ON THE ISLAND AND HIS CARE AND HIS KINDNESS. AND IT, IT'S GONNA GO A LONG WAYS. AND WE, WE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE FOR YOU TOO. SO DON'T GO DISAPPEAR ON US. ALL RIGHT? NO, SIR. APPRECIATE YOU. I'LL BE HERE ON THE HOUR. DENNIS, TAKE CARE. COUNCIL MEMBER ETT. YES. RONNIE, YOU AND I MET, I GUESS YOU ONE WHO WROTE ME DOWN THOSE LEVEE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE LEVEE WAS ON WHERE THEY WERE LOCATED TILL YOU BROUGHT ME OUT THERE. YOUR ENTHUSIASM AND YOUR CARE ABOUT, UH, THE LEVEE AND FISHING, THE WAY YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FISHING AND ALL THAT YOU UNITED SAID. WELL, THIS GUY HERE, JUST LIKE FISHING , YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT A FISHERMAN, SO YOU ABOUT NO, BUT THAT WAS PRETTY, THAT WASN'T INTERESTING TO ME AT ALL. BUT WHAT'S FASCINATING ABOUT YOU IS YOU GO OUT THERE LIKE IT'S A JOB. YOU SPEND MORE TIME OUT THERE THAN YOU PROBABLY DO AT HOME. YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY TO DO THINGS OUT THERE. YOU RECRUIT PEOPLE TO HELP YOU TO DO THINGS OUT THERE. IT JUST, YOU HAVE [00:20:01] TO BE A SPECIAL PERSON WHEN YOU START DEVOTING THAT MUCH TIME, MONEY, AND EFFORTS TO MAKE SOMETHING RIGHT, NOT FOR YOU, BUT FOR OTHER PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, MY HAT IS, UH, I TAKE OFF MY HAT TO YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU ARE GENUINE. I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T DO IT FOR RECOGNITION. I KNOW YOU DO IT FOR THE LOVE OF IT, AND GOD IS GONNA CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU AND ENSURE THAT YOU CAN DO THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO OUT THERE. THANK YOU, SIR. CAN I HAVE ALL OF THE PLEASURE? ISLAND ADVISORY BOARD COMMISSION PLEASE STAND. UH, WE, UH, AS AN ADVISORY BOARD COMMISSION, WE ARE GRATEFUL, UH, TO HAVE GIVEN THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR MR. MOON TO RECEIVE THIS ON TODAY. UH, WHAT THEY HAVE NOT MENTIONED IS OVER 40 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. YES, SIR. UH, AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL AND HONORED, UH, AND WE'RE SO, MAN, WE ALMOST CONSIDER YOU A HONORARY COMMISSIONER. SO WE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE COMING IN THERE, , MAN. IT'LL BE AN HONOR BLESSING TO YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. AND LIKEWISE, I'M THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION WITH MR. MOON SUPPORT AND HIS FAMILY THAT'S BEHIND HIM. THIS PROCLAMATION COULDN'T GO FORWARD WITHOUT THE DIRECTOR OF PLEASURE ISLAND. THAT'S GEORGE DAVIS WITH HIS CONFIRMATION AND SUPPORT BEHIND YOU, MR. MOON AND THIS ADVISORY BOARD ON PLEASURE ISLAND AND ON GEORGE DAVIS' BEHALF, WE'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DO WHAT MR. MOON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DEDICATED SERVICE OVER THESE 40 YEARS AND THE CONNECTIONS THAT YOU'VE MADE WITH SO MANY OF OUR FAMILIES. MINE INCLUDED, LEARNING HOW TO FISH AT THE LEVEE AND WIND SURF AND FISHING OUT IN SABINE LAKE. THERE'S SO MANY CONNECTIONS THAT SO MANY OF US HAVE TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, AND WE'RE JUST, WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE DEDICATION AND THE SERVICE THAT YOU'VE GIVEN FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. SO WE CELEBRATE YOU TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, YOUR SELFLESS SERVICE AND, AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR, FOR PLEASURE ISLAND AND THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COULD I ADD ONE THING? YES, SIR. GO RIGHT HERE. I HAVE A FOLDER THAT I'VE PUT TOGETHER OVER SEVERAL YEARS ON THE MAP OF PLEASURE, ISLAND RESOLUTION ORDINANCES, RESOLUTION ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION THAT I'D LIKE TO PASS ON TO OUR NEW CITY ATTORNEY, ROXANNE. I I SEE SHE AND, UH, SHE'S GONNA COME DOWN. SHE'S GONNA COME DOWN. THIS WILL GIVE YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY NEED IN THE FUTURE ABOUT PROJECTS ON PLEASURE ISLAND ONE OF THESE DAYS. I'M GONNA COME IN AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT A COUPLE OF THEM, BUT THAT'LL GIVE YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION. I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO HAVE THAT. JUST THROW IT IN A DRAWER AND SAVE IT. IT'LL COME IN HANDY, I PROMISE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IF THERE'S FAMILY MEMBERS OF MR. MOON, IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND TAKE SOME PICTURES TOGETHER BEFORE WE MOVE TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, Y'ALL PLEASE COME UP. COME ON. I KNOW THERE'S A BUNCH OF Y'ALL. COME ON UP. WHERE'S THE, IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO, TO COME AND SPEAK? YES, PLEASE COME UP. Y'ALL WANT ME TO GET IN THE PICTURE WITH Y'ALL? YES, SIR. JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU SPEAK UP, STEP UP TO THE MICROPHONE SO WE CAN ALL HEAR YOU. EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU. THAT'S ONE OF THE T-SHIRTS WE MADE WHEN [00:25:01] WE DID 2003. I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY CRAB SHIRT, FIRST CLEANUP ON PLACE ISLAND. EXCUSE ME, SIR. YEAH. YES, I I'M HIS SON WANTED TO SPEAK. I'M, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY, UH, DR. MATTHEW HOKE AT LAMAR UNIVERSITY. AND SO I'M A, A COASTAL ECOLOGIST BIOLOGIST. AND SO I, I WANNA SHARE PART OF, UH, THE, THE RECOGNITION OF THE WORK THAT RONNIE AND HIS BROTHER HAVE DONE. THAT STARTED SOON AFTER THEY CAME BACK FROM VIETNAM. THEY WERE CITIZEN SCIENTISTS. THEY TRY TO START, UH, A SHRIMP FISHERY IN THE NORTH LEVEE YEARS AND YEARS AGO. AND THE STATE'S VISION OF IT BEING SUCCESSFUL TO REAR IN LABORATORIES SOME OF OUR WHITE AND BROWN SHRIMP, UH, WELL IT WAS SOON FOUND THAT IT WASN'T SUSTAINABLE. AND, AND SO THAT ENDEAVOR ENDED, BUT THEY GATHERED A LOT OF DATA. THEY GATHERED A LOT OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE ON THAT SYSTEM AND ITS PRODUCTIVITY. AND WHEN THE ARMY CORPS WITH OUR DEEPENING PROJECT, UH, THE SABINE CHES WATERWAY BEGAN, AND IT WAS SLATED THAT THE NORTH LEVY COMPARTMENT DREDGE COMPARTMENT 11 WAS GOING TO BE FILLED IN WITH THE ADDITIONAL 13 METERS OF DEPTH OF SEDIMENT DREDGED OUT OF THE SABINE NITCHES WATERWAY. RONNIE PUT UP THE FIGHT TO QUESTION, WHY ARE WE RUINING WHAT HAS BECOME WELL ESTABLISHED AS A LOCAL RECREATIONAL RESOURCE AND WHAT HE PROPOSED OR HYPOTHESIZED SCIENTIFICALLY AS A, A FISHERY NURSERY, A SOURCE OF NEW INDIVIDUALS OF ALL SPECIES GETTING BACK INTO SABINE LAKE BY THIS VERY PRODUCTIVE SHALLOW WATER SYSTEM. AND SO I, I FIRST MET RONNIE ON A CALL. I GOT BROUGHT INTO THIS, THIS CALL WITH SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM DIFFERENT STATE, STATE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AND THE, THE QUESTION WAS, CAN SOMEONE DO A STUDY ON THE NORTH LEVY TO SEE IF INDEED IT IS FROM A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE, A NURSERY? AND SO THIS WENT ON AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A FISHERIES BIOLOGIST, UH, BUT THEN WE HIRED THIS NEW FISH BIOLOGIST, I THEOLOGIST, CALLED ACHE HERE. IF YOU WANNA STAND UP COLD, JUST SO YOU CAN, I CAN EMBARRASS YOU . AND, AND SO, UH, WE WERE, WE FOUND THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME FUNDING. RON RONNIE HELPED GET SOME FUNDING THROUGH THE SALT CLUB IN SHANIE FOR US TO START A STUDY. AND THEN OUR, OUR NEW LAMAR CENTER FOR RESILIENCY SUPPORTED US WITH INTERNAL GRANT FUNDS. AND SO WE'VE DOING, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS STUDY FOR, FOR A BIT OVER A YEAR NOW, AND WE'RE ABOUT READY TO PRESENT THE BIG RESULTS WITH THE, THE SALT ORGANIZATION. ANYONE ELSE THAT WILL BE INTERESTED? IT'S A SCIENTIFIC STUDY. OUR, OUR MISSION IS NOT TO STOP THE ARMY CORPS, BUT THANKFULLY THE ARMY CORPS HAS A NEW MISSION TO USE ALL DREDGE MATERIAL FOR BENEFICIAL USE AND NOT PLACE IT IN THE PLACEMENT AREAS. SO WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHERE DO WE WANT THAT MUD TO GO AND WHAT DO WE WANT TO BUILD LIKE THE ERODED NORTH END OF PLEASURE ISLAND. SORRY, THAT WAS A PERSONAL PLUG. I'M SORRY, . I JUST HAD TO LET IT OUT. UH, SO RONNIE, I MET RONNIE ON THE LEVEE WITH HIS, WITH HIS BROTHER DENNIS. AND HE TOLD ME HIS STORIES AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN CITIZEN SCIENTISTS, MENTORS FOR COLE AND I TO LEARN ABOUT THIS SYSTEM AND WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, HAVE GREATER GRATITUDE FOR EVERYTHING HE SHARED WITH US. I MEAN, HOURS OF EXPLAINING THE TIMING OF DIFFERENT SPECIES THAT MOVE IN AND OUT OF THAT LEVY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THIS HAS GREATLY IMPACTED OUR STUDIES AND REALLY IS THE MODEL, HOW MODERN DAY SCIENTISTS DON'T JUST SIT IN THEIR IVORY TOWERS, BUT THEY KNOW, WE FINALLY KNOW NOW, ALTHOUGH IT'S QUITE COMMON SENSE TO ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE LIVE AND KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT FAR BETTER THAN ANYBODY THAT READS JOURNAL ARTICLES EXCLUSIVELY WOULD EVER KNOW. AND SO WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR, FOR RONNIE AND DENNIS IN THAT THAT INVALUABLE DECADES, CUMULATIVELY WHAT WE'RE GOING ON, ALMOST A HUNDRED YEARS OF CUMULATIVE KNOWLEDGE BASE ABOUT THIS SYSTEM. AND, UH, WE WE'RE THANKFUL WE'RE THE BENEFICIARIES OF THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IF YOU HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF THIS ALREADY, WAIT, DON'T [00:30:01] LEAVE, DON'T LEAVE. DON'T LEAVE. COME BACK, COME BACK, COME BACK. IF YOU HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF THIS ALREADY OR IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE IT, I THINK THE ORIGINAL NAME OF THEIR SHRIMP FARM THAT THEY STARTED YEARS AGO WAS AQUACULTURE. SO IF YOU COULD SOMEHOW WORK THAT INTO WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING AND WHAT YOUR STUDIES ARE, IF YOU COULD DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING. ALRIGHT. AQUACULTURE. AQUACULTURE. YES, INDEED. UH, IF IT'S IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT, WE OFTEN CALL IT MARICULTURE NOW. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [III.A.(1) Tina Martinez, Senior Vice Commander, Veterans Of Foreign Wars Post 4820 Regarding Women In Military Service] OKAY. WE'LL NOW MOVE TO SPEAKERS IN ROMAN NUMERAL THREE. AND THE FIRST SPEAKER WE HAVE IS, IS TINA, UH, UH, MARTINEZ, WHO IS A SENIOR VICE COMMANDER, THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WALLS POST 48 20 REGARDING WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE. WOULD YOU PLEASE BEGIN BY STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS? MY ADDRESS TOO? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. TINA MARTINEZ. AND WE'RE FROM PORT AGES TEXAS. OKAY. THANK YOU MAYOR BARTY AND THE PORT ARTHUR CITY COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME AND MY GROUP TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS TINA MARTINEZ. I AM THE SENIOR VICE COMMANDER OF THE VETERAN FORUM WARS POST 48 20 IN PORT NAS, TEXAS. WE SERVE VETERANS AND PROVIDE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE TO VETERANS THROUGHOUT NUMEROUS CITIES AND TOWNS HERE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SOME BRIEF COMMENTS HERE TODAY TO ENLIGHTEN CITY COUNCIL ON SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WOMEN HAVE PROVIDED PEACE AND STABILITY IN AMERICA AND DEFENDED THE COUNTRY AND OUR WAY OF LIFE. FROM THE BATTLEFIELDS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION TO THE DESERTS OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, WOMEN HAVE BEEN SERVING IN THE MILITARY IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER SINCE THE EARLIEST BEGINNINGS OF OUR COUNTRY. DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, WOMEN WERE NOT PERMITTED TO SERVE IN OUR MILITARY FORCES, BUT THEY'VE ALWAYS SERVED. AND THEY SERVED IN GEORGE WASHINGTON'S CONTINENTAL ARMY. MANY OF THESE WOMEN'S WERE SOLDIERS', WIVES, SISTERS, AND DAUGHTERS WHO WENT TO WAR ALONG WITH THE REGULAR SOLDIERS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE MEN AND WOMEN WOULD CUT THEIR HAIR SO THEY WOULD DISGUISE THEIRSELVES TO LOOK LIKE MEN. THESE WOMEN TRAVELED ALONGSIDE THE CONTINENTAL ARMY AND THEY MENDED CLOTHES, TENDED WOUNDS, COOKED CLEAN LAUNDRY AND CANNONS, AND THEY FILLED THE GAP AND FOUND WAYS TO FIGHT FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVED IN AMERICA. DURING THE CIVIL WAR, AT LEAST 3000 WOMEN SERVED AS NURSES AND THE UNION ARMY ALONE. HISTORIANS ESTIMATED AROUND A THOUSAND WOMEN DISGUISED THEMSELVES AS MEN, AND THEY FOUGHT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CIVIL WAR. DURING WORLD WAR I, THE US ARMY NURSE CORPS DEPLOYED MORE THAN 3000 AMERICAN NURSES, AND THEY SERVED IN THE BRITISH OPERATED HOSPITALS IN FRANCE. IT'S WORK NOTING THAT DURING THIS TIME OF WAR, WOMEN WERE ALLOWED TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. FROM SEPTEMBER, 1939 TO SEPTEMBER, 1945, WOMEN IN THE MILITARY ASSISTED AND SUPPORTED AMERICA DURING WORLD WAR II. IN MANY WAYS, THE ARMY HAD THE WAX, THE NAVY HAD THE WAYS THE MARINES AND THE COAST GUARD HAD THE ARMY RES, EXCUSE ME, THE WOMEN RESERVES. I CAN'T JUST SAY ARMY, I'M ARMY . SORRY ABOUT THAT, . IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A LOT WHEN YOU SAY IT THAT WAY, BUT THE TRUTH IS, 350,000 WOMEN SERVED IN THE UNIFORM DURING WORLD WAR II AND WOMEN WORKED RIGHT ON THE FRONT LINES AND THEY COME UNDER ENEMY [00:35:01] FIRE. SOME OF THE EARLIEST WOMEN WERE WARED COMBAT COMBAT DECLARATIONS. PRESIDENT TRUMAN SIGNED THE WOMEN'S ARMED FORCES INTEGRATION ACT, WHICH WAS SIGNED ON JUNE 12TH, 1948. AND I REMEMBER LAST YEAR, MAYOR, YOU HAD WOMEN'S VETERANS DAY, AND I WAS HERE FOR THAT. THIS GAVE WOMEN THE ABILITY TO SERVE FULL AND PERMANENT MEMBERS OF ALL BRANCHES OF THE ARMED FORCES. ONE MONTH LATER, AFTER THE ACTS PASSING, PRESIDENT TRUMAN ALSO ISSUED THE INTEGRATIONS EXECUTIVE ORDER. IT DESEGREGATED THE MILITARY AND IT ALLOWED ALL BLACK WOMEN TO SERVE EQUALLY IN ALL BRANCHES OF THE MILITARY. TWO YEARS LATER, THE KOREAN WAR BROKE OUT AND 120,000 WOMEN SERVED IN ACTIVE DUTY POSITIONS. FROM 1950 TO 1953, APPROXIMATELY 11,000 WOMEN SIGNED, EXCUSE ME, SERVED IN VIETNAM. 90% OF THEM WERE NURSES, MOST OF THEM WERE VOLUNTEERS. IN 1994, BILL CLINTON RESCINDED THE RISK RULE, WHICH ALLOWED WOMEN TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY, EXCEPT FOR DIRECT GROUND COMBAT ROLES. THIS ALLOWED MANY MORE WOMEN TO FIND THEMSELVES IN COMBAT AS AVIATORS, SAILS AND AIR FORCE PERSONNEL. IN 2013, DEFENSE SECRETARY LEON PANETTA LIFTED THE BAND ON WOMEN IN COMBAT, ENTIRELY FEMALE SERVICE MEMBERS WERE FINALLY ALLOWED TO SERVE IN DIRECT GROUND COMBAT ROLES. IN 2015, IT WAS PUT INTO ACTION. IN 2001, OVER 300,000 WOMEN SERVED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. OVER 9,000 WOMEN HAVE EARNED COMBAT ACTION BADGES SINCE THEN. TODAY, 17.5% OF OUR NATION'S WOMEN ARE SERVING WITH DISTINCTION. AND I'M PROUD TO BE ONE OF THOSE VETERANS I STILL SERVE TODAY AND I SERVE IN MANY VETERAN ORGANIZATIONS. I'M PROUD TO BE OUR COMMAND. WELL, ALMOST COMMANDER . WELL, OUR COMMANDER'S HERE, MAYBE NEXT YEAR. BUT ANYWAY, SO THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND, AND WELL, I GUESS, AND WE SHOULD STAND FOR YOU AND ALL THE VETERANS WHO ARE HERE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, ARE THERE, IF YOU ARE, STAND UP AND BE RECOGNIZED. ALRIGHT. OKAY. NOW, ARE THERE ANY MEN, VETERANS IN THE ROOM STAND UP, BE RECOGNIZED? THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. WE ARE TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR BFW. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ELDERFIELD. SHE HAS SOMETHING. THAT LITTLE LADY IS A POWERHOUSE FOR SURE. AND SHE'S SPOKEN TO EXISTENCE. NO, NO OFFENSE COMMANDER. SHE'S SPOKEN INTO EXISTENCE OF WHAT SHE, WHERE, WHAT SHE WANTS TO DO. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR RIGHT. OH, NO, NO, THANK YOU. I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. , UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SHARE THE DETAILS OF OUR HISTORY THAT OFTEN GOES OVERLOOKED. SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND EFFORT TO COME AND SHARE, UM, THOSE STATISTICS WITH US. SHARE YOUR HEART WITH US. WE HEARD YOUR PASSION THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION AND WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THAT THE VFW HAS PROVIDED, UM, TO HER. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE, FIRST OF ALL, TO OUR COUNTRY AND EVEN FOR YOUR ENLIGHTENING EVEN TODAY ON INFORMATION OF WOMEN IN THE MILITARY. WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT. I WISH THE PALMS WERE HERE. WHERE ARE THE PALM LADIES? WE HAVE ONE PALMER HERE. ONE PALM YOUR PALM. WOULD YOU STAND PLEASE, DOC? WE HAVE ONE PALM HERE. OKAY. I REMEMBER THE CALM LADIES, RIGHT? AND WE THANK YOU. I REMEMBER YOU THERE. I WAS THERE. I REMEMBER THAT. I BUSTED AND FELL DOWN THAT DAY. . [00:40:02] THAT'S IT. THAT'S IT. OKAY, NEXT WE [III.B.(1) A Presentation By Boat Owners Regarding Security At The Pleasure Island Marina (Requested By Mayor Pro Tem Beckcom)] HAVE OUR PRESENTATION. WE HAVE A PRE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY BOTH ON OWNERS, UH, REGARDING SECURITY AT THE PLEASURE ISLAND MARINA. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR APPROACH HIM, UH, BECKHAM COMMANDER. I THINK SHE TRIED TO SAY, YOU DIDN'T LOOK SO GOOD ONE YEAR. UM, MAYOR HONORABLE MEMBERS. UH, Y'ALL STILL GET MAIL. IT SAYS HONORABLE IN FRONT OF IT. IT CONTINUES FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND IT DROPS OFF. YOU HAVE A SHELF LIFE THAT'S VERY SHORT AFTER YOUR SERVICE. UM, MY NAME IS DAVID BRADLEY. I HAVE A SECOND HOME. MY WIFE AND OUR WIVES TEND TO TELL US THAT IT'S OUR WEEKEND CONDOS AT FIVE 40. PLEASURE PIER BOULEVARD. SLIP C NINE. UM, I, UH, PAY RENT THERE OF APPROXIMATELY $4,000 A YEAR AND I'VE DONE THAT ON AND OFF FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. THE GOOD LORD WILLING, I'LL BE AROUND TO TEACH MY GRANDCHILDREN HOW TO SAIL AND I'LL BE DOWN THERE ANOTHER 20 YEARS. THERE'S SOME OF THESE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE LONGER. WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS VISIT A LITTLE BIT IS, UH, I'D LEARNED JUST A LITTLE WHILE IN YOUR VOTE THAT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IS MOVING FORWARD ON A PROGRAM TO REUTILIZE TWO BUILDINGS DOWN THERE IN THE MARINA. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE MAKING PROGRESS. BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS BRING FORTH A FEW CONCERNS THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE CONSIDERED INTO THE MIX AS YOU MOVE FORWARD ON A LEASE AND YOU MOVE FORWARD ON DEVELOPMENT. UM, PROFESSIONALLY, MY BACKGROUND IS I'M A REAL ESTATE PROPERTY MANAGER. AND AS SUCH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT A MARINA IS NOT MUCH UNLIKE MANY OF, UH, MULTI GATED PROPERTIES, MULTI-UNIT PROPERTIES, AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, A COMMERCIAL COMPLEX, A HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION. AND AS SUCH, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE WITH SECURITY BECAUSE ANY TENANT OR ANY OWNER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT THEIR HOME, THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY, THEIR VEHICLES, OR THEIR BOATS ARE SECURE WHEN THEY'RE THERE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHEN WE'RE NOT THERE. AND AS SUCH, I'D LIKE TO BRING FORTH A COUPLE CONCERNS, UM, IN CASE WHAT I HAVE TO DO TO ACTIVATE IT. THERE'S THE FIRST ONE. ALRIGHT? THERE IS AN EXISTING GATE CURRENTLY THAT GOES INTO THE MARINA. IT'S A SINGLE ENTRY FUNCTION. ALL THE OTHER ENTRIES INTO THE MARINA ARE PRETTY WELL SECURED. THERE'S A FENCE LINE THAT RUNS ALL THE WAY AROUND THE MARINA, AND THERE'S ONE MAIN ENTRY THAT IS GATED AND IT'S OPERATED BY A, UH, A, A GATE OPENER. AND THAT IS SUFFICE PRETTY MUCH THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE MARINA. BUT THEN IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, ACCESS HAS BEEN LIMITED TO THOSE THAT HAD BOATS OR HAD A PURPOSE. BUT IF YOU GO TO DEVELOP BUILDING A AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, BUILDING B, WHICH IS AT THE FAR END OF THE MARINA, IF THAT GATE OPENS, WHETHER IT'S FOR A CONTRACTOR OR A VENDOR OR FOR DELIVERY, OR ULTIMATELY THE PUBLIC, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE FOCUS OF WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO GO, THAT GATE BECOMES VERY INEFFECTIVE. IT'S AN OPEN DOOR. SO YOU HAVE TO COME BACK AND TRY TO CONSIDER WHAT THE ALTERNATIVES MIGHT BE. SO WHAT I'VE DONE IN MY EXPERIENCE, I'VE BEEN AROUND MARINAS FOR PROBABLY 40 YEARS NOW. UH, I WENT BACK, DID A LITTLE RESEARCH FOR Y'ALL, AND I WENT BACK TO THE SAME MARINAS THAT WERE USED IN SOME OF YOUR PREVIOUS STUDIES IN LOOKING AT MARINA OPERATIONS. AND SO I WENT TO KEAH AND I WENT TO SOUTH SHORE, AND I WENT TO SABINE PASS. AND WHAT I DISCOVERED ARE A COUPLE OBSERVATIONS. IF YOU'LL NOTICE, LIKE ON THIS ONE, LET'S ASSUME THE GATE IS OPEN. YOU CAN PARK ANYWHERE YOU'D LIKE, AND YOU CAN WALK ONTO ANY OF THESE DOCKS. IF YOU'LL NOTICE THE BULKHEAD, THE CONCRETE BULKHEAD RUNNING UP AND DOWN, YOU CAN STEP ACROSS THAT BULKHEAD UNDER THOSE DOCKS. THAT'S NOT SECURE. UM, THE FORMER YACHT CLUB HAS A CRANE DOWN THERE. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT A TEENAGER WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH THAT IF UNSUPERVISED OR NOT BEING WATCHED? IT'S, IT'S DANGEROUS. IT STILL HAS UTILITY AND IT STILL HAS A USE, BUT IT'S A DANGEROUS ITEM FOR A TEENAGER LOOKING TO GET INTO TROUBLE. OR FOR SOMEONE THAT'S NOT SKILLED ENOUGH TO USE IT. THERE'S THE CURRENT GATE WHICH WILL DISAPPEAR EFFECTIVELY. [00:45:02] AGAIN, NOTICE ON ONE ROW OF THE DOCKS, IT IS PUT A STEP FROM THE BULKHEAD ONTO THE FLOATING DOCKS AND THUS ACCESS TO ALL THE REAL ESTATE. AND HERE'S ANOTHER SLIP. WE'VE GOT SOME SLIPS IN HERE. SOME OF THEM JUST HAVEN'T BEEN KEPT UP AND SUPERVISED. WE'VE GOT SOME OWNERS THAT AREN'T KEEPING, DOING GOOD. HOUSEKEEPING AGAIN, AH, OH, THESE ARE ALL THE HOUSEKEEPING PICTURES. OKAY? THIS IS TYPICAL WHERE YOU WOULD PARK AND THEN AS A BOAT OWNER OR A SLIP RENTAL, YOU WOULD WALK ONTO THESE RAMPS THAT THEN FEED OFF TO ALL THE DOCKS. THOSE NEED TO BE SECURED HERE DOWN AT THE VERY END. THERE'S BUILDING B AT THE VERY END, WHICH CREATES A UNIQUE PROBLEM. THERE'S A FLOATING DOCK THAT OBVIOUSLY WILL BE USED. IT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN USED TO LAUNCH SMALL BOATS FOR KIDS PROGRAMS, BUT IN THE FUTURE IT MAY BE USED FOR JET SKIS. I, I UNDERSTAND AGAIN, PUBLIC COULD STEP OFF ONTO THAT DOCK AND THEN STEP ONTO THE OTHER DOCKS AND HAVE UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO ABOUT 40 SLIPS WITH BOATS AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. AND THEN AGAIN, THERE ARE EIGHT OF THESE RAMPS THAT GO ON TO SLIPS. YOU'VE GOT A ROW B, ROW ZERO, D ROW AND E ROW. A ROW HAS DIRECT ACCESS BY A VEHICLE. UM, B, C, D AND THEN E ALL HAVE WALKWAYS THAT ACCESS THE SLIPS WAS THE LAST ONE. WHAT ABOUT THOSE PRIOR PDFS WITH THE, UM, THE, THE QUOTATIONS? SO HOW DO YOU SOLVE THAT? UM, WHAT THE OTHER MARINAS ARE DOING IS, ONE, THEY'RE LIMITING ACCESS, UH, TO THE ENTRYWAYS INTO THE BULKHEADS. THE BULKHEADS ARE SOLVED VERY SIMPLY WITH DOING CHAIN LINK FENCING, MUCH LIKE YOU HAVE AROUND THE MARINA NOW. AND IN FACT, IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE PICK HEADQUARTERS, THEY HAVE A FENCE THAT RUNS ALL THE WAY FROM THE STREET ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BULKHEAD WITH AN EXTENSION TO KEEP ANYONE FROM STEPPING AROUND IT. MISCHIEVOUSLY TEENAGERS, YOU, YOU KNOW ABOUT THOSE TEENAGERS, DON'T YOU, PASTOR? OKAY. UH, THEY'RE SECURE, BUT WE'RE NOT. THE PICK BUILDING IS SECURE, BUT THE MARINA IS NOT. SO THE SUGGESTION IS, IS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME FENCING. AND I WENT OUT AND GOT SOME PROPOSALS. THERE'S TWO WAYS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO RUN FENCING, THEORETICALLY DOWN THE BULKHEADS. IT'S 3,200 FEET OF FENCING AND I'LL JUST SPITBALL IT. A CHAIN LINK FENCE OF A MARINE GRADE THAT'S OUT THERE CURRENTLY WILL RUN YOU ABOUT $20 A FOOT INSTALLED. OKAY? BUT WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL THESE GATES? YOU'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO GET PAST IT TO GET ONTO THE SLIPS. AND I GOOGLED IT, HAD A NICE CONVERSATION WITH THESE FOLKS. AND IF YOU EVER GO TO ANY OF THE OTHER MARINAS, GO DOWN TO SABINE PASS OR GO OVER TO KEA OR GO OVER TO SEABROOK, AND THEY'RE NICE GATED KEYPAD ENTRY. GALVESTON IS ANOTHER ONE. THEY'VE GOT A GREAT SYSTEM AND THEY'RE GATED SO THAT YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH UNLESS YOU EITHER HAVE A PHYSICAL KEY, YOU HAVE A KEY CARD, YOU HAVE A PUNCH BUTTON. THEY'RE JUST A NUMBER OF SYSTEMS, WHATEVER WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE THAT ALLOW INDIVIDUAL ACCESS. AND THEN OF COURSE, IF SOMEONE LOSES THE ABILITY FOR ACCESS, THEY GET LOCKED OUT, THEY'RE HEAVY SPRINGS, THEY AUTOMATICALLY SHUT. YOU CAN'T BLOCK 'EM OPEN. I MEAN, THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN TO THE RODEO BEFORE. BUT ANYWAY, I WILL PROVIDE A COPY OF THE, THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED FOR 'EM AND THE BIDS, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY READ 'EM, BUT I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU. AND AGAIN, THIS WAS A SPITBALL BID, JUST SOMETHING FOR YOU TO CONSIDER. BUT THE GATED ENTRIES WERE ALMOST $136,000 FOR EIGHT OF THEM. $5,100 FOR SHIPPING. IF YOU SHIP 'EM ALL AT ONCE, YOU ONLY PAY ONE SHIPPING FEE. UH, THE INSTALLATION WOULD BE ABOUT $10,000. AND THE 3,200 FOOT OF MARINE GRADE FENCING WOULD BE ABOUT $64,000. TOTAL INSTALLATION COSTS WOULD BE $215,000. UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S ALMOST GONNA BE A REQUIREMENT BECAUSE OF THE RISK THAT THE BOAT OWNERS ARE GONNA INCUR WHEN THERE IS NO SECURITY AND A LIABILITY. MISS CITY ATTORNEY TO THE CITY IN FAILING TO PROVIDE THE BASIC NECESSITIES FOR A MARINA OPERATION. SO, UH, I RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT THAT AND I GRACIOUSLY ASK IF [00:50:01] YOU TAKE IT UNDER CONSIDERATION SO I CAN STICK AROUND FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, DON'T LEAVE. MAY I APPROACH HIM? DON'T LEAVE . SO FROM THE MARINAS THAT YOU'VE LOOKED AT AND THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED TO US, WHAT IS THE ONE THAT YOU THINK IS THE MOST COMPARABLE TO WHAT WE WOULD NEED FOR OUR MARINA AT PLEASURE ISLAND? WELL, SABINE PASS DOESN'T HAVE THE GATED ENTRIES, BUT WHAT THEY DO PROVIDE IS AN ALTERNATIVE. IT SABINE PASS, YOU HAVE TO ENTER UP INTO THE, INTO THE, INTO THE MARINA AND YOU EITHER HAVE TO HAVE A KEYPAD ENTRY TO GET INTO THE AUTOMATIC GATE OR YOU CAN CALL THE OFFICE, BUT THEY HAVE 24 HOUR SECURITY. SURE POINT. YOU KNOW, IT'S SO YOU CAN GO DOWN THERE AT ANY POINT. THAT WOULD PROBABLY MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE SIMPLEST, BUT THEN I'M NOT GONNA ESTIMATE WHAT THE PAYROLL COST IS TO HAVE 24 HOUR SECURITY. I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE IDEAL. SOME OF THE MARINAS HAVE BOTH. UM, YOU KNOW, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANNA DESIGN AND, AND, AND HOW EFFECTIVE IT WOULD BE AFTER SAB BEAM PASSED. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SECOND OPTION? UM, SOUTH SHORE HARBOR WOULD BE A GOOD ONE. THAT WAS ONE THAT WAS IN A PREVIOUS STUDY. UH, YOU CAN GO DOWN, UH, REAL CLOSE, GO OVER TO LAKE CHARLES. IF YOU GO TO THE CITY CENTER THERE IN LAKE CHARLES DOWN WHERE THEY HAVE THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THEY HAVE A NICE WATER PARK, IMAGINE THAT. AND THEY HAVE PUBLIC BATHROOMS AND SOME RESTAURANT RIGHT THERE ON THE WATERFRONT OFF THE CITY. AND THEN THEY HAVE A MARINA OUT THERE. AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE GATES THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S A NICE FACILITY RIGHT THERE. AND IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE. IT'S NOT MANNED, BUT IT IS SUPER SECURE. WHAT KINDS OF INCIDENTS HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED IN RECENT MONTHS OR YEARS AT OUR MARINA THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT? WELL, I'LL LET SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS THAT MAY WANNA SPEAK TO IT. UH, WE'VE BEEN INSTALLING CAMERAS RECENTLY AND WE GET YOUR LITTLE ALERT ON YOUR PHONE AND YOU OPEN UP YOUR APP AND YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU GO, WHO ARE THESE FOLKS? YOU KNOW? AND, AND MOST OF THEM ARE WELL-MEANING, I MEAN, WHEN I FIRST CAME DOWN, WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO BEAUMONT IN 91, I DROVE DOWN TO PORT ARTHUR, FOUND THE MARINA, AND I'M A GUY WHO'D WANT TO TRY TO GET AROUND THE END OF THAT FENCE. AND I LIKE TO LOOK AT BOATS, YOU KNOW, SO I'M A TOTAL STRANGER. AND THE WAY THAT WE USUALLY ADDRESS IT, IF WE SEE SOMEONE WALKING DOWN ON THE DOCKS, YOU WALK UP TO 'EM AND SAY, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BUYING A BOAT? IT'S A NICE FRIENDLY WAY TO BREAK THE ICE AND SEE WHAT THEIR INTENT IS. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE BEEN HAVING SOME INCIDENCES AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT IT ON, UM, FILM OR, OR SNAPSHOTS, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT THESE DAYS. UM, BUT WE'VE HAD REALLY BAD PROBLEMS IN THE EVENINGS WITH A COUPLE OF BOATS THAT ARE NOT SAILBOATS, NOT POWER BOATS THAT ARE GOING OUT, BUT THERE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE LIVING ON THESE THINGS AND, UH, THEY'RE NOT BOATERS, THEY'RE JUST TENANTS AND TOO MUCH TRAFFIC AT 2, 3, 4 IN THE MORNING IN AND OUTTA THE MARINA AS IT IS. WELL, SOMEONE'S OBVIOUSLY GIVEN THEM A GATE CODE AND THEY'RE GETTING IN AND THEY GET IN, THEY GET ONTO A BOAT AND THEN WITHIN 15 MINUTES THEY'RE LEAVING. YOU KNOW, I'LL LET THE SHERIFF OR I'LL LET THE POLICE CHIEF KIND OF GUESS AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON WHEN SOMEONE DROPS IN FOR 15 MINUTES IN THE DARK OF NIGHT. UH, WE DID HAVE AN INCIDENT WHERE ONE MEMBER HAS RECENTLY LOST A SOLAR PANEL OFF OF A BOAT. UM, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE LITTLE THINGS COME UP MISSING, BUT THAT'S WITH THE CURRENT SYSTEM, WHICH ISN'T PERFECT, BUT IT COULD BE HARDENED AND IT COULD BE IMPROVED WITH THE CURRENT SYSTEM. IS THERE STILL AN ISSUE WITH THE ACCESS GATE? WELL, THE, THE, THE, IT IT, IT HAS BEEN HARDENED IN THE PAST. I'VE NOTICED THAT ALL THE OTHER DRIVING ENTRIES USED TO JUST HAVE A BAR AND HAPPILY THEY'VE COME IN, THEY'VE GOTTEN FULLY FENCED. SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO WANNA TRY AND CLIMB OVER A FENCE, UH, TO GET THROUGH. AUTOMOBILES CAN ONLY COME IN IF THERE'S A KEYPAD ENTRY. UH, THE PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT GATE RIGHT NOW IS THE CHAIN LINK IS COMING DOWN. I DON'T THINK IT'LL BE MUCH LONGER THAT THAT GATE WILL COME DOWN. IT'S PRETTY CORRODED AND ROTTED ANYWAY. AND THAT'S THE MAIN ENTRANCE GATE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? THAT IS THE ONLY GATE THAT IS OPERABLE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST STOP GAP MEASURE RIGHT NOW? RIGHT NOW? AND THEN TALK ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST ALTERNATIVE WHEN OR IF A LEASE HAPPENS WITH BUILDINGS A AND B, WHICH WE'VE APPROVED TONIGHT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. UH, SO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK IS THE BEST MEASURE NOW AND WHAT YOU ENVISION IN THE FUTURE. WELL, AS I ANTICIPATE, AND AGAIN, I'LL PUT ON MY PROPERTY MANAGER HAT AND SAY, I AM GETTING A COMMERCIAL FACILITY READY FOR A LONG TERM TENANT. CERTAINLY THERE'S SOME BUILD OUT. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME CONSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN CONTROL THE CURRENT GATE ACCESS, ABSOLUTELY THAT'LL WORK BECAUSE THEN IT'LL BE SECURE AT NIGHT. UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GOING IN AND OUT THAT HAVE A KEYPAD, THAT'S OKAY. BUT ULTIMATELY WHEN IT BECOMES A PUBLIC VENUE WITH ACCESS IN AND OUT DURING THE DAY OR IN THE EVENINGS, UH, THERE IS NO SECURITY. AND THE OTHER THING [00:55:01] I WOULD PETITION IS IF MANAGEMENT WOULD PAY A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION TO SOME OF THE, YOU SAW THE SLIPS WITH THE SLIPS THAT ARE FULL OF GARBAGE. MM-HMM. AND MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION AND DERELICT BOATS. UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SERIOUS CLEANUPS. SOME OF THESE BOAT OWNERS ARE NOT GOOD CITIZENS. THEY'RE NOT GOOD STEWARDS. UM, IT'S A MESS. IT'S AN EYESORE AND IT, IT REALLY TAKES AWAY FROM ANY ABILITY TO TRY AND MARKET NEW TENANTS DOWN THERE. AND WE CERTAINLY NEED TO CUT OUT THE IN AND OUT TRAFFIC AT TWO, THREE, AND FOUR IN THE MORNING, PLEASE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD. I DID WEAR MY AIR FORCE SHIRT TODAY, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA BE IN SUCH A COMPANY. SO YOU'RE ALSO A VETERAN? HMM? YOU ALSO A VETERAN? NO, I'M, I'M A, I'M A, I'M A PROUD DAD. I, I WENT THROUGH A AND M AND I WAS IN THE CORPS CADETS, BUT I ONLY WENT THROUGH FOR THE PROGRAM. I DID NOT TAKE A CONTRACT, BUT MY SON WENT TO THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY. THANK. AND HE'S A MAJOR NOW. WELL, THANK FOR YOUR SON SURFACE. YEAH. OH GOOD. VERY GOOD. UM, WELL THANK YOU FOR COMING MR. BRADLEY, AND THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE SHARED. ALRIGHT. I AM ASKED, I WILL ASK, HAVE YOU SHARED THIS INFORMATION WITH THE DIRECTOR OF PLEASURE ISLAND YET? AND THE VIDEOS THAT YOU HAVE OF PEOPLE COMING BACK AND FORTH FOR THE 15, YOU KNOW, MINUTES DURING TWO OR THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE POLICE? WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE AT TWO OR THREE IN THE MORNING. WE'RE NOT UP TO MAKE THE PHONE CALL, BUT NO, NO, I'M THE VIDEO, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES, ABSOLUTELY. POSSIBLY IN THE PAST. AND WE'D BE GLAD TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE IT. ONCE AGAIN, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE DO THAT. ESPECIALLY, UM, THE TRAFFIC. YEAH, BECAUSE I, I DON'T WANT TO, THOSE FOLKS DON'T BELONG THERE. MM-HMM. , WE KNOW. YES, SIR. WE'LL SAY THAT. I DON'T WANNA NEGATIVELY ASSUME WHAT THE ACTIVITY IS, BUT WE CAN ALMOST ASSUME WHAT THAT ACTIVITY IS. . YES. SO, UM, I WILL ASK THAT YOU PLEASE, PLEASE SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE, UM, PORT ARTHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE SHARED WITH US ABOUT THE, YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR THE GATING TO THE DIRECTOR SO THAT HE CAN ACTUALLY BRING IT TO CITY MANAGER AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE THE PROPERTY SAFER. I APPRECIATE THAT, PLEASE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. OH, COUNCILMAN FRANK. YEAH. THANK YOU DAVID, FOR COMING. YOU'RE STILL SERVING. I APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT I WANT TO ASSURE YOU AND ASSURE ALL OF THOSE, UH, WHO ARE ON THE ISLAND, THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT YOUR BOATS ARE SAFE AND THAT YOU ARE SAFE, UH, AS WELL. AND SO AS WE'RE WORKING, UH, TO DO THAT, WE THANK YOU FOR COMING FORTH AND BRINGING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION. OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO GO OUT FOR BIDS, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL THE STUFF THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ABOVE BOARD AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. BUT THANK YOU FOR ASSEMBLING ALL OF THAT INFORMATION FOR US, UH, AND GIVING US AN IDEA OF WHAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING FOR. SO WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO COUNTY WELL RECEIVED. OKAY. [III.B.(2) A Presentation By Michelle Kennedy And Khara Dodds Of Berry Dunn McNeil & Parker, LLC Regarding The Kickoff Of The City Of Port Arthur Strategic Planning Process] NEXT WE, WE'LL MOVE TO PRESENTATION TWO, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION BY MS. MICHELLE KENNEDY AND MS. CARL DOS, I HOPE I DIDN'T MESS UP YOUR NAME OF BARRY, UH, DUNN MCNEIL AND PARKER, LLC REGARDING THE KICKOFF OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. YOU MAY PROCEED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS KARA DODS AND I'M JOINED WITH MY COLLEAGUE, UM, KAREN RICHARD. AND WE ARE FROM BARRY DUNN AND WE ARE PART OF YOUR PROJECT TEAM, UM, WORKING ON A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE CITY. SO THIS EVENING, I WILL, UM, GIVE A PRE A PRESENTATION TO HELP GIVE AN OR, UM, AN ORIENTATION ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AND TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE WILL GOING THROUGH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU TO DEVELOP THE STRATEGIC PLAN. EXCUSE ME. EXCUSE ME, LINDSAY. OKAY. SO THIS IS THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING. UM, I'M FIRST GOING TO GIVE AN INTRODUCTION, UH, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FIRM, UM, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND, UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT, WHAT OUR PROJECT APPROACH LOOKS LIKE. UM, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE STRATEGIC PLANS THAT WE'VE DONE. SO YOU CAN TAKE A LITTLE GLIMPSE INTO, UH, WHAT THE FINAL PRODUCT MAY LOOK LIKE. AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO SOME Q AND A. CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? YES. [01:00:01] AND SO THIS IS YOUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM. UM, WE ARE FROM BARRY DUNN. UH, JUST BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, BARRY DUNN HAS BEEN IN, UH, SERVICE FOR 50 YEARS. THIS IS OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY, AND WE HAVE BEEN, UM, IN SERVICE TO PUBLIC SECTOR CLIENTS FOR OVER 38 YEARS. WE, UM, HAVE ABOUT 335 CONSULTANTS NATIONWIDE. AND, UM, I AM, I MYSELF AM BASED RIGHT HERE IN, UH, IN TEXAS AND IN DALLAS, UH, FORT WORTH AREA. OH, YOU CAN GO BACK. UM, YES. AND JUST TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PROJECT TEAM, UH, MICHELLE KENNEDY. SHE IS THE PROJECT MANAGER. SHE'S RIGHT THERE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN. SHE IS YOUR POINT OF CONTACT. SHE COMES TO YOU WITH OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN STRATEGIC PLANNING. UH, MY MYSELF, KARA DODS AND KAREN RICHARD, WHO ARE HERE WITH YOU TODAY, WE COME TO YOU WITH PUBLIC SECTOR, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE, FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE, UM, WORKING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. UM, AND WE ARE YOUR FACILITATORS. WE WILL BE FACILITATING THE PUBLIC WORKSHOP MEETINGS, UM, AS WELL AS FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS AND INTERVIEWS, UH, DURING THE COURSE OF THE WEEK. AND WE HAVE, WE COME TO YOU WITH, UH, OUR BEST PRACTICES AND OUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, UM, AS WE HAVE WORKED WITH OVER 600 CLIENTS, UH, NATIONWIDE. THANK YOU. SO WHAT IS A STRATEGIC PLAN? JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND, A STRATEGIC PLAN DEFINES WHAT THE CITY WILL PRIORITIZE AND FOCUS ON AND WHAT YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE. AND IT'S USUALLY IN A FOUR TO FIVE YEAR PERIOD. UM, IT IS A LIVING DOCUMENT AND IT IS, UM, A DOCUMENT THAT IS USED TO GUIDE DECISION MAKING TO HELP ALIGN RESOURCES TO HELP DETERMINE WHAT YOUR CAPITAL INVESTMENTS ARE GOING TO BE, AND TO ALSO HELP TO, UM, IN YOUR BUDGET, UH, DECISIONS. AND ALSO IT IS A TOOL, UM, FOR GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. IT IS A TOOL THAT IS, UH, VISIBLE TO, TO THE PUBLIC. IT ALLOWS, UH, FOR EVERYONE TO ALSO BE IN THE KNOW. SO EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE WITH HOW THE CITY PLANS TO ACHIEVE ITS GOALS OVER THAT FOUR TO FIVE YEAR TIME PERIOD AND WHERE IT PLANS TO MAKE, UH, ITS INVESTMENTS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD. THANK YOU. AND A STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND, BECAUSE WE, WE TALK ABOUT STRATEGIC PLANS AND IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT THERE'S ALSO COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANS. SO A STRATEGIC PLAN HELPS TO PROVIDE ORGANIZATIONAL DIRECTION AND ALIGNMENT, UM, AND IT HELPS TO IDENTIFY WHAT YOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS ARE THAT YOU WILL FOCUS ON. IT'S THAT TOOL THAT WILL HELP TO GUIDE, UH, THE DECISION MAKING OVER THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE YEARS. A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS, UM, A PLAN THAT WILL GUIDE THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, UM, FOR YOUR CITY OVER, UM, USUALLY ABOUT A 10 TO 20 YEAR PERIOD OF TIME. AND IT REALLY FOCUSES ON THE PHYSICAL, UM, ASPECTS AND HOW THOSE PHYSICAL ASPECTS INTERSECT WITH ALL OF THE OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. AND AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN IS A PLAN THAT IS USED AS A TOOL TO HELP TO, UH, CHART OUT ECONOMIC STABILITY FOR A COMMUNITY AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT AND HELPS TO IDENTIFY WHAT YOUR ECONOMIC PRIORITIES ARE. AND THIS IS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO APPROACH OUR PROJECT. WE, IN THE FIRST PHASE IS OUR PROJECT INITIATION AND MANAGEMENT PHASE. UM, THAT PHASE HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED. THAT'S WHERE THE PROJECT TEAM AT BARRY DUNN WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOUR PROJECT TEAM TO HELP TO PUT, UM, THE FOUNDATION IN PLACE IN TERMS OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER DURING THE COURSE OF THIS PROJECT. IT'S WHERE THE WORK PLAN AND THE SCOPE OF WORK WERE, UH, DISCUSSED. AND IT'S ALSO WHERE A PROJECT SCHEDULE WAS AGREED UPON FOR THE PROJECT. NOW WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC ANALYSIS PHASE, AND THAT'S WHERE WE WILL BEGIN TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, ALL OF YOU INCLUDING, UH, CITY LEADERSHIP, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND MEMBERS AND AND STAFF MEMBERS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S WHERE WE WILL LOOK TO COLLECT YOUR INPUT AND FEEDBACK. AND THAT WILL HELP TO THEN FEED INTO [01:05:01] PHASE THREE WITH YOUR STRATEGIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT PHASE. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL GET INTO SOME, SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS WITH YOU ALL TO REALLY BUILD OUT WHAT THAT PLAN LOOKS LIKE. TAKING, UM, YOUR CITY FROM DEVELOPMENT OF THE VISION TO THE MISSION TO STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, PRIORITY AREAS TO GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. AND THEN TOWARDS THE END, PHASE NUMBER FOUR, THAT'S WHEN WE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO DEVELOP AN IMPLEMENTATION, UM, PLAN. AND THAT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IS GOING TO IDENTIFY, UM, ACTIONABLE, UM, TARGETS AND ACTIONABLE, UM, ITEMS THAT WILL NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED, AS WELL AS WHO WILL BE INVOLVED IN ACCOMPLISHING THOSE, UM, THOSE ITEMS. SO THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IS INVOLVED IN EACH OF THESE PLAN PHASES. SO IN THE COMMUNITY AND STAFF ENGAGEMENT, UH, PHASE, WE, UM, WORKED WITH THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM TO DEVELOP A WEBSITE WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN, UH, GO ONTO THE WEBSITE AND GET SOME INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. AND THEY, THEY CAN ALSO ENGAGE AND PROVIDE INPUT THROUGH, UM, POSTING IDEAS ON THE WEBSITE, ON OUR IDEAS WALL, AS WELL AS TAKING SURVEYS AND POLLS. AND AS WELL THROUGH THIS PHASE AS WE DISCUSSED, WE'LL HAVE THOSE, UH, COMMUNITY FORUMS, THOSE INTERVIEWS, AND THOSE FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS. IN THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT PHASE, UH, WE WILL DO OUR, WE WILL CONDUCT OUR, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOPS WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY LEADERSHIP, AND THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING THAT, THOSE, THAT VISION, UH, MISSION AS WELL AS, UH, THE GOALS. AND THEN THE C THE CITY LEADERSHIP AND THE STAFF MEMBERS WILL HELP TO REFINE THOSE GOALS AND IDENTIFY SOME OBJECTIVES, UM, AND ACTIONABLE ITEMS TO ACCOMPLISH UNDER STRATEGIC PLAN. AND AT THE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION IS WHEN WE BEGIN TO PUT THE, THE ACTION ITEMS TOGETHER TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE THAT PLAN. SO THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE SOURCES, UM, THAT GO INTO PROVIDING INFORMATION FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN. UM, WE LOOK TO GET INPUT FROM THROUGH ALL OF YOU THROUGH THE INTERVIEWS AND THE FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS. WE WILL BE CONDUCTING, UH, THROUGH THE SOCIAL PINPOINT, UH, WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN ENGAGE AND PROVIDE INPUT. UM, WE WILL LOOK AT SURVEY RESULTS. WE ALSO LOOK AT, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC AND ECONOMIC, UH, DATA TO HELP US TO, TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY. AND ALL OF THIS HELPS TO INFORM WHAT WE CALL, UM, AN, AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN, AS WELL AS, UM, IT HELPS TO FORM THE BASIS FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT. AND THIS IS, UM, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN. AND DURING THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK, WE WILL, UM, ALSO AT THE COMMUNITY FORUMS AND THE WORKSHOPS WITH, UH, THE STAFF MEMBERS, WE WILL, UM, DO A PRESENTATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN. THAT'S WHERE WE, WE WILL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DATA WE COLLECTED, UM, THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON YOUR COMMUNITY. AND, UM, IT WILL HELP TO GIVE US A FOUNDATION, UH, AND SOME WORKING KNOWLEDGE ON WHAT THE CURRENT, UH, CHALLENGES AND, UM, OPPORTUNITIES ARE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEN WE KNOW THOSE CHALLENGES, WE ARE BETTER EQUIPPED AND ABLE TO NAVIGATE THOSE CHALLENGES AS WE IDENTIFY GOALS THAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE AND MAKE PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN. SO THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. SO THE PORT AUTHOR COMMUNITY, UM, THEY WILL HELP TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATION FOR KEY PRIORITY AREAS THAT THE CITY SHOULD FOCUS ON. AND A STRATEGIC PLAN, AND I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE COUNTERCLOCKWISE HERE, UH, BECAUSE THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, YOUR, YOUR KEY ROLE IS TO HELP TO DEVELOP THAT MISSION, THE VISION, AS WELL AS, UM, IDENTIFY SOME GOALS. AND SO WHAT WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY AS INPUT HELPS TO FEED INTO THAT PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THOSE STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS AND THE GOALS. AND THEN THE STAFF MEMBERS ARE GOING TO WORK OFF OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND WILL HELP TO REFINE THOSE GOALS AND HELP TO IDENTIFY SOME OBJECTIVES IN ORDER TO MEET THOSE GOALS. IN OUR PROCESS, UM, WE USE WHAT IS CALLED, UM, THE, THE TOP UH, FACILITATION METHODOLOGY. AND THIS IS FROM THE INSTITUTE [01:10:01] OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS. AND WHAT THIS REALLY FOCUSES ON IS HAVING A STRUCTURED, UH, PARTNERSHIP, I MEAN, SORRY, A STRUCTURED PARTICIPATION PROCESS, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROCESS IS INCLUSIVE, THAT IT HELPS TO EMBODY, UM, THE PERSPECTIVES OF, OF A VARIETY OF PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE, THAT WE GET IS FROM A DIVERSE GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND IT ALSO HELPS US TO, UM, BUILD TEAM COLLABORATION. IT HELPS TO UN UNIFY PEOPLE AROUND COMMON, UH, VALUES AND GOALS. IT, IT WILL ALSO, UM, HELP TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL VESTED IN THE PROCESS. AND WHEN PEOPLE FEEL VESTED IN THE PROCESS, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE PART OF THE PROCESS AND THEY ARE PART OF WHAT IS MOVING THE PROCESS ALONG. SO HOW DOES ALL OF THIS FITS TOGETHER? SO THIS IS AN IMAGE OF, YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD ME TALK ABOUT VISION GOALS, UH, YOU KNOW, VALUES AND, AND STRATEGIC PLANNING PRIORITY AREAS. THIS IS HOW IT ALL FITS TOGETHER. IT'S, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A HOUSE IN A WAY. SO, UH, THE VISION IS THAT ROOF OF THE HOUSE. IT'S KIND OF YOUR OVERARCHING, WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE IN THE FUTURE? WHAT IS OUR FUTURE STATE THAT WE HOPE TO BE? AND THAT MISSION, THE MISSION STATEMENT IS GOING TO DEFINE WHAT YOU DO, HOW YOU DO IT, AND WHO YOU DO IT, AND WHO AND WHOM DO YOU DO IT FOR. UH, THOSE STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREAS, UH, THEY BEGIN TO BUILD OUT THE HOUSE. AND THOSE AREAS WILL HELP TO, UM, HELP TO MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS THE VISION. AND WITHIN THE E STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREA, YOU HAVE GOALS. THOSE GOALS WILL HELP TO ACCOMPLISH, UM, AND MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS E STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREA. AND THE OBJECTIVES WILL BE MEASURABLE ACTIONS THAT YOU WILL TAKE IN ORDER TO MEET THE GOALS AND UNDERWRITING. ALL OF THAT ARE YOUR CORE VALUES AND YOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES. UM, WHAT EVERYONE, UM, VALUES, UH, AND HAVE COMMON VALUES ON THAT WILL HELP TO MOVE THAT, UH, STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS FORWARD. AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, A STRATEGIC PLAN. THIS IS A, A FEW, UH, PAGES OUT OF THE NEW BROWNVILLE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT, THAT WE DID. UH, NEW BRAUNFELS RIGHT HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND SO HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, IN THE PLAN, YOU HAVE THE CORE VALUES IDENTIFIED, AND IT DISCUSSED WHO WE ARE. YOU HAVE THE VISION AND THE MISSION IDENTIFIED AS WELL. AND ON THE LEFT THERE, THOSE ARE YOUR STRATEGIC, UH, PRIORITY AREAS. AND WITHIN EACH STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREA, YOU WILL HAVE GOAL STATEMENTS. UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY, MY, MY VISION IS NOT THE BEST. I WAS GOING TO READ OFF THE GOAL STATEMENT THERE ON THE SCREEN , BUT THIS ONE IS ABOUT, UM, ECONOMIC MOBILITY. SO WITHIN THE STRATEGIC PRIORITY AREA OF ECONOMIC MOBILITY, YOU WILL HAVE A GOAL STATEMENT. AND THEN WITHIN THAT GOAL STATEMENT, YOU HAVE, UM, A SET OF OBJECTIVES AND, UM, PERFORMANCE MEASURES. AND THOSE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE GOING TO HELP YOU IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW YOU ARE PROGRESSING AND YOU CAN SEE HOW YOU ARE MOVING FORWARD INTO, UH, ACCOMPLISHING THE VISION AND THE GOAL OF THE PLAN. AND THIS ALSO JUST SHOWS, UM, A TIMELINE OF EVERYTHING THAT WENT INTO COMPLETING THIS PARTICULAR PLAN. SO IT GIVES YOU A TIMELINE OF THE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT APPS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, . IT GIVES YOU A TIMELINE OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ACTIONS, UM, THAT WERE COMPLETED, UH, DURING THE PLANNING PROCESS AS WELL AS INPUT. SO ALL OF THOSE, UM, DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH WE WILL GATHER INPUT THAT WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED IN, UH, THE STRATEGIC PLAN. AND THEN IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW TO PUT THE PLAN IN PLACE AND HOW TO TRACK YOUR PLAN. SO IF YOU LOOK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU WILL SEE HOW THIS PARTICULAR COMMUNITY PLANS TO TRACK THE PROGRESS OF THEIR PLAN ON A QUARTERLY, UM, BI-ANNUALLY AND ANNUAL BASIS. AND, AND THAT IS IT. WE ARE HERE TO, UH, TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, TO ACCEPT ANY COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR [01:15:01] INVITING US TO THIS PRESENTATION TODAY. YES, MA'AM. MR. UH, THANK YOU. JUST A MINUTE. COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, TOMORROW, OH, NO. WEDNESDAY, Y'ALL GOT SOMETHING GOING ON AT THE CIVIC CENTER? YES, THAT IS CORRECT. WE NEED TO, IT'S GONNA BE THREE DAYS, THREE, UM, IT'S GOING. WE, WE WILL BE HERE TOMORROW AND THURSDAY. AND AT THE CIVIC CENTER WE WILL BE DOING COMMUNITY FORUMS. UM, AND WE'LL HAVE THREE COMMUNITY FORUMS OVER THE COURSE OF TWO DAYS. SO TOMORROW WE WILL HAVE A COMMUNITY FORUM AT 6:00 PM AT THE CIVIC CENTER, AS WELL AS ON, UH, THURSDAY WE HAVE ONE AT 1130, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE AT SIX LOCATION. BOB BOWERS? YES. OKAY. CIVIC CENTER. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. IT'S HERE ON THE FRONT PAGE. EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING TO ALL OF YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TOMORROW AND HEARING THEIR FEEDBACK. I'LL BE THERE. AWESOME. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN EVER FIELD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING, A, A GREAT PRESENTATION. I AM SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH YOU ALL TOMORROW. I AM TRYING MY BEST TO DO ALL OF MY HOMEWORK BEFORE WE COME WITH THE LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL SENT. AND I AM EXCITED TO HEAR THE FEEDBACK ONCE ALL OF THE DATA IS COLLECTED. WHAT I DO WANT TO DO, WANT TO ASK, IF YOU ALL HAVEN'T HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH OUR CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE YET, WE HAVE HAD THESE TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS BEFORE. WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS BEFORE AND WE'RE STILL HERE, SO I AM ASKING THAT WE PLEASE, UM, USE ALL OF YOUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS THAT I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE FROM MULTIPLE YEARS TO HELP US STAY ON TRACK AND NOT HAVE ANY PEACE OF THIS AMAZING PROCESS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER. BUT UNTIL WE HAVE THAT SOLIDIFIED PLAN AND WE STICK TO OUR PLAN, MAYBE SOME CHANGES WILL COME AND THAT'S OKAY. BUT AS LONG AS WE STAY ON TRACK AND WE STAY, UM, ON COURSE, THEN I DO BELIEVE THAT WE WILL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE A LOT OF OUR IDEAS COME INTO FRUITION. SO I'M ASKING THAT Y'ALL, PLEASE DO WHAT Y'ALL DO BEST AND HELP US DO WHAT WE DO BEST AND STAY ON TRACK SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT COME INTO FRUITION. THANK YOU. AND, AND YES, UM, WE DO PLAN TO, TO DO THAT. UH, THAT IS WHAT WE DO WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. IT IS A VERY TRIED AND TRUE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE USED ACROSS THE NATION. AND THE OTHER THING THAT WE BRING HERE IS OUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY. UM, AND, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PROJECT PLAN THAT KEEPS US ON TRACK AND ON SCHEDULE. AND IF FOR ANY REASON A SCHEDULE HAS TO CHANGE, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE THAT CHANGE AND GET ON TRACK. SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ARE HERE TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF YOU TO HELP BRING THIS PLAN TO FRUITION. THAT IS, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE DO AND, AND, AND WHAT WE DO BEST. AND WE ALSO WILL BE LEAVING YOU WITH AN IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN SO THAT ONCE YOU ARE FINISHED WITH THIS PLAN, YOU WILL HAVE A ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE? YEAH, JUST BRIEFLY, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT A PLAN OR STRATEGIC PLAN IS I TREAT 'EM AS A LIVING DOCUMENT SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS YOU WORK ALONG THINGS BASED ON THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND I'LL BE TALKING ON THE BREEZE RADIO TOMORROW ABOUT THIS, WHERE YOU ARE GONNA BE LOCATED AND INVITING PEOPLE TO COME TO THE, AND SHARE THEIR IDEAS WITH YOU ALL. OKAY? AWESOME. AWESOME. AND YOU MAY, AND OKAY, Y'ALL, YOU MAY WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET YOU ON IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, I'LL GET YOU ON THE REESE RADIO AND YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION. UM, WE, WE WILL, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE CAN ALSO GET IN COORDINATION WITH, UH, CHANEL JENKINS AS WELL, UM, TO, UH, TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN MEET THAT REQUEST. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN, MS. DO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING WITH ALL OF YOU AND, UM, JUST WORKING WITH YOU OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PROJECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT WE WILL MOVE TO, UH, PAGE TWO NOW. AND THERE AREN'T ANY, UH, GOODBYE. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. UH, [III.F.(1) A Discussion Regarding A Status Update On The Animal Shelter Project And Construction Zone (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw)] WE'LL MOVE THROUGH DISCUSSIONS ON PAGE TWO, ROMAN NUMERAL THREE. WE HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE STATUS UPDATE ON THE, UH, ANIMAL SHELTER PROJECT [01:20:01] AND THE, UH, AND CONSTRUCTION ZONE. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KINLAW. AND YOU GOT, UH, DOC, YOU GUYS SPEAKING ON IT BEHALF OF THIS PIERRE, MS. PIERRE WILL BE COMING UP TO SPEAK ON THAT. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. QUESTION. UH, I HAD THIS ABOUT A MONTH AGO, A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, UH, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. UH, I KNOW THAT YOU HAD SOME TIME OFF. UH, SO I'VE BEEN PASSING BY THERE. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. UM, THE NEXT THING IS TO HAVE THE, THE, THE CONTRACTOR TO COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND LET US KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS WANTING TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. AND IT CAN'T BE THAT MUCH CONCRETE IN THE WORLD THAT IS SO MUCH EVERY MONTH THAT WE ARE PUSHING IT BACK. NOBODY'S OUT THERE WORKING. IT'S SUNNY DAYS. WE HADN'T HAD RAIN IN THE WHOLE MONTH OF OCTOBER. SO, YOU KNOW, AND AT THE END OF CONTRACTS, THE THINGS THAT I HATE SO MUCH, THEY, THEY ASK FOR ALIBI DAYS, BUT IF NO ONE IS OUT THERE GIVING REPORTS TO COUNSEL AND LETTING COUNSEL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, I HAVE A SITUATION WITH THAT. SO I HAD IT ABOUT TWO WEEKS. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE, UH, OUT OF THE OFFICE. I PUT IT BACK ON FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS PROJECT, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIVE MONTHS, FOUR MONTHS DOWN THE LINE, AND YOU AT THE SAME, OR THEY'RE AT THE SAME STANCE OR POSITION. SO SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TELL THE COUNCIL WHAT'S GOING ON. OKAY. UM, AFTER OUR LAST MEETING, THEY HAD TO, UH, THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE ARCHITECT, THE ENGINEER TO DESIGN. SHE WAS DESIGNING THE, UH, THE FOOTINGS. AND THEY HAVE, UH, CONTRACTED THE CONCRETE REMOVAL, WHICH THEY START ON MONDAY. IT SHOULD TAKE SEVEN TO 10 DAYS THEY PROPOSE. AND AFTER THAT, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OTHER THINGS HAPPENING. SO BASICALLY, ACCORDING TO WHAT THE ENGINEER WAS, UM, DOING, THEY COULDN'T MOVE FORWARD UNTIL THE DESIGN WAS, UM, WAS SUBMITTED. OKAY. SO WHAT'S BEEN THE HOLD UP? LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE SAME THING THAT WAS SAID ABOUT A MONTH AGO. WE WERE WAITING ON THE ENGINEER AND DESIGN PHASE. UH, WE GOT IT FOR RECORD. WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU STATED MM-HMM. . SO WHY 30 DAYS? I MEAN, WELL, 'CAUSE I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR. WHEN I ASK FOR THIS PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, I KNOW HOW CONTRACTORS DO AND I'M, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN WATCHING THESE CONTRACTS. MM-HMM. , THEY ASK FOR ALIBI DAYS AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA MEET THE DAYS THAT IT TAKE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. I DON'T WANT OUR COUNSELOR TO HAVE TO MAKE A TOUGH DECISION LIKE THAT BECAUSE SOMEBODY IN THE CITY SIDE NEED, OUR STAFF NEED TO BE ENSURING THAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE WORKING. AND IF THEY'RE NOT, WE NEED TO HAVE REPORTS TO SAY, HEY, WE DON'T WANNA SURPRISE THE COUNCIL WHEN IT'S TIME TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT. I NOTICED, RIGHT. AGAIN, UM, NO ONE KNEW THAT THIS WAS THERE. UM, AND AGAIN, THEM WAITING ON THE ENGINEER TO DESIGN IT WAS A PROCESS. AND THEN OF COURSE, HAVING TO REMOBILIZE THE PEOPLE THAT THEY HAD CONTRACTED TO DO THE WORK WHO HAVE BEEN, UM, IDLE, WAITING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. UH, JUST GETTING, UH, THEM BACK IN TO START BACK ON THIS PROJECT. SO THE REPORT I GOT WAS THAT THEY'LL START ON, THAT THEY'LL START ON MONDAY, UH, WITH THE, UM, CONCRETE REMOVAL. OKAY. AND YOU'RE THE OVERSIGHT ON THAT PROJECT? YES. ARE YOU GONNA BE THE PERSON TO CONTACT TO ENSURE THAT THEY COMING ON MONDAY? YES. OKAY. WELL, IF NOT, I'M GONNA SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, OPEN CONSTRUCTION ZONE NEEDS TO COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL IF THEY DON'T AND GIVE A, A FULL REPORT. BECAUSE THE THING IS, IF WE DON'T START HOLDING CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE THINGS THAT THEY SAY AND DO AND SIGNING ON THESE CONTRACTS, WE ARE GONNA KEEP PUTTING IN POSITIONS THAT WE DON'T NEED TO BE IN. YES, SIR. AND WHEN I DID COME BEFORE YOU, THE FIRST TIME YOU PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, I DID PROVIDE ALL THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD. SO WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THEM. WE ARE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION. UH, SO WE DO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND, UM, IT'S JUST BEEN A PROCESS BECAUSE AGAIN, NO ONE KNEW THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT, UM, WAS THERE. AND THE ORIGINAL DESIGN FOR THE FOUNDATION HAD TO BE ALTERED. OKAY. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. OKAY. WELL, I WON'T LABOR. I WON'T LABOR. SO YES, WE DO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM CONSTANTLY. OKAY. I WON'T LABOR THIS ANYMORE, SO AS LONG AS WE HAVE UNDERSTANDING. AND YOU ARE THE PERSON A PLC OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [01:25:01] OH, COUNCILMAN FRANK. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. I'M SORRY. HEY, I'M SORRY. YES, SIR. HOW YOU DOING? UM, I DON'T, EXCUSE ME FOR MY IGNORANCE. WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONCRETE? WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION? WHEN THEY BEGAN BORING TO, UM, TO POUR THE CONCRETE FOR THE FOUNDATION, THEY WERE RUNNING INTO THESE MASSIVE FOOTINGS. AND UNDERNEATH EACH OF THOSE FOOTINGS, THEY WERE FINDING 12 WOODEN POLLENS IN UNDERNEATH EACH ONE. AND SO THE ENGINEER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR HER 'CAUSE I AM NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT, UM, SHE HAD TO DESIGN, UM, A DIFFERENT WAY TO, UM, CONSTRUCT THE FOUNDATION, WHICH TOOK TIME FOR HER TO RETHINK HOW IT WAS GOING TO LOOK AND HOW IT WAS GOING TO WORK IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE STABILITY OF THE BUILDING. AND ONCE THAT WAS DETERMINED, THEN THEY WERE TOLD HOW DEEP TO EXCAVATE THE CONCRETE SO THAT IT WOULD NOT INTERFERE, UM, WITH THE FOUNDATION, THE NEW, UM, FOUNDATION THAT'S BEING PUT IN OVER WHAT WAS EXISTING. OKAY. ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS, AND I WANNA SAY THIS BEFORE THE COUNCIL, EVEN NOW, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE IS I WOULD LIKE, UH, CONSTRUCTION ZONE TO COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS IS THAT I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION AND I'VE ASKED OUR CITY ATTORNEY, UH, TO, TO, TO, TO QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED TO ENSURE, UH, THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING, UH, ERECTED, UH, IN OUR CITY. AND AS WE'VE HAD DIALOGUE AND, AND CONVERSATIONS, I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE DOING ENOUGH AS A COUNCIL TO ASSURE THAT A PROPORTION OF THIS $6 MILLION THAT'S BEING EXPENDED IN OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS BEING GIVEN AN OPPOR, UH, THAT OUR CITIZENRY AND OUR PATRONS ARE BEGIN, ARE BEING GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR A CONSTRUCTION ZONE TO COME BEFORE OUR COUNCIL AND TO ADDRESS THAT, UH, WITH THEM PERSONALLY. YES, SIR. AND THEY WERE HERE THE LAST TIME WE WERE, UH, IN ATTENDANCE. THEY WERE HERE AS WELL AS THE ARCHITECT. WELL, I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN. YEAH. THEY WERE HERE. WELL, I'D LIKE TO COME BACK. YEAH. IF, IF THE COUNCIL WOULD SO ALLOW, OR EVERYBODY GOOD? OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. OKAY. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. NEXT WE MOVE TO THE [III.F.(2) To Discuss Submitting A City Of Port Arthur 89th Texas Legislative Agenda To Our Legislative Legal Counsel And Possible Action To Instruct Our Legislative Legal Counsel To Actively Lobby Financial Support For The City's Water Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan During The 89th Texas Legislative Session (Requested By Councilmember Hamilton Everfield)] NEXT ITEM WE HAVE FOR DISCUSSION IS, UH, TO DISCUSS SUBMITTING, UH, A CITY OF PORT ARTHUR 89TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA TO OUR LEGISLATIVE, UH, LEGAL COUNCIL AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO INSTRUCT OUR LEGISLATIVE LEGAL COUNCIL TO ACTIVELY LOBBY FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE CITY'S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN DURING THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE, UH, SESSION. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, EVERFI, HOWEVER, COUNCIL MEMBER FOLLOWING THE, UH, DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD EARLIER AND WHAT WE ARE PLANNING FOR NOVEMBER 6TH, I THINK IT IS. CAN WE JUST, UH, TABLE NOT, WELL, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WE HAVE THE TABLE. IT, WE CAN JUST HOLD THIS UNTIL, UH, NOVEMBER 6TH, UH, WHEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH OUR COUNSEL. YES, SIR. HOWEVER, THERE ARE, UM, THREE ITEMS THAT I WANT TO ASK COUNSEL THAT THEY PLEASE, UM, CONSIDER AND BE PREPARED TO ADD TO THAT LIST FOR WHEN WE DO HAVE OUR SESSION WITH, UM, OUR ATTORNEY ON NOVEMBER 6TH. I JUST WANT TO LIST THESE THREE THINGS QUICKLY, BUT NO, SIR, I DO NOT WANNA GO INTO DETAILED CONVERSATION. OKAY. OKAY. SO, UM, AGAIN, EVERYBODY REMEMBER WHAT WE REMEMBERS WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION REGARDING THIS, BUT I WANT US TO SPECIFICALLY ASK THAT COUNCIL TO PLEASE BE ADVOCATING FOR US AND LOBBYING FOR US REGARDING OUR FUNDING FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, THE MOVEMENT THAT LEGISLATORS ARE CONSIDERING TO TAKE THE ETJ FROM THE CITIES. AND THAT WILL DEFINITELY IMPACT OUR IDAS AND TAKING MONEY AWAY FROM THE CITY. WE NEED TO HOLD THEM, YOU KNOW, HOLD THAT CLOSE. AND THEN ALSO THE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION FROM PUERTO ARTHUR TOINE PASSED. AND I KNOW THOSE AREN'T THE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE OF MAJOR CONCERN TO US. SO AGAIN, I'M ASKING THAT WE RESEARCH THE ITEMS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US SO THAT WE CAN BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS ON NOVEMBER 6TH. BUT, UM, IF YOU ALL WOULD PLEASE GIVE THEM TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY SO THAT SHE CAN AT LEAST KNOW, LET THE FIRM KNOW IN ADVANCE WHAT OUR INTERESTS ARE SO THEY CAN COME PREPARED TO DISCUSS THESE THINGS WITH US. [01:30:01] AND THAT WE ALSO REVISIT THE CONVERSATION WE HAD ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO ABOUT CREATING THAT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN BE BOOTS ON THE GROUND KNOCKING ON THE DOORS, UM, WITHIN THIS NEXT MONTH OR SO. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN FRANK? NO, I'M SORRY, MAYOR, I DIDN'T TURN THE LIGHT OFF. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE'VE, WE'VE COMPLETED THAT. WE WOULD NOW MOVE [V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST (LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF TWO (2) MINUTES PER COUNCILMEMBER)] TO RON NEWMAN FOR FIVE, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, REPORTS FOR ITEMS OF INTEREST, UH, FROM COUNCIL PERSONS. UH, I THINK I DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION OF CITY MANAGER. DO YOU HAVE THAT? I DON'T HAVE THE PRINTED COPY. I DIDN'T BRING IT. IT, AND I DEFER TO YOU AND YOU CAN, UH, INFORM. GO RIGHT AHEAD. OKAY. UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE NOTE THAT OUR RETIRED FIRE CHIEF CLIFFORD BARBE, WHO RETIRED WITH OVER 40 YEARS OF SERVICE, HAS PASSED AWAY AND HIS SERVICES ARE SCHEDULED. THERE IS A VISITATION GOING ON TODAY, UH, WHICH IS OCCURRING FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM AND THE FUNERAL WILL BE TOMORROW, UH, AT 10:00 AM AND BOTH SERVICES WILL TAKE PLACE AT CLAYTON THOMPSON FUNERAL HOME. WE WANT TO EXTEND, UH, SPECIAL CONDOLENCES TO HIS SON, CAPTAIN JAMES BARBE AND GRANDSON CAPTAIN TYLER BARBE, BOTH OF WHOM ARE CAPTAINS IN THE PORT ARTHUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND CURRENTLY SERVE IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS OFFERING CONDOLENCES TO HIS WIFE AND THE REST OF THE FAMILY. UH, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH CHIEF BARBE AND HE WAS A WELL KNOWN FORCE WITHIN THE CITY GOVERNMENT, AND SO WE OFFER CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO CITY COUNCIL. UH, CITY MANAGER, UH, MAYOR PROTE BECKER. THANK YOU. I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD MY SPECIAL CONDOLENCES TO HIS DAUGHTER TERRY BARBE, WHO WAS ONE OF MY CLASSMATES AT THOMAS JEFFERSON. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN EVER FIELD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, CONDOLENCES AGAIN TO THE BARBE FAMILY. UM, ALSO, I JUST WANTED US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE AWARE OF WHAT AWARENESSES WERE ON FOR THIS MONTH OF OCTOBER. WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT BREAST CANCER, BUT IT IS ALSO, UM, DOMESTIC NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH. AND I TALK ABOUT THIS EACH TIME. PLEASE, PLEASE, WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING AND ENCOURAGE THOSE THAT YOU KNOW ARE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATIONS. A LOT OF TIMES WE THINK ABOUT JUST WOMEN BEING IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATIONS, BUT MEN AND CHILDREN ARE ALSO, UM, VICTIMS OF THAT AS WELL. SO PLEASE BE A SHOULDER FOR THEM, UM, A EAR FOR THEM, AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO, TO SEEK HELP AND GET SOME TYPE OF SUPPORT IN A SAFE WAY. AND ALSO, JEFFERSON COUNTY IS ONE OF THE COUNTIES WITH THE HIGHEST RATE OF, UM, MOTHER AND INFANT DEATHS WHEN IT COMES TO BIRTH BIRTHS. SO THIS IS ALSO THE MONTH AWARENESS FOR THAT. IT'S THE PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSS AWARENESS MONTH. AGAIN, JEFFERSON COUNTY, NOT ONLY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT IN THE NATION, HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF THOSE MORTALITY DEATHS. SO PLEASE ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE PREGNANT OR, UM, JUST HAD BABIES TO PLEASE SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION SO THAT THEY CAN GET SUPPORT. AND THE PORT ARTHUR, UM, HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS A GREAT PLACE TO START THAT SERVES NOT ONLY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, BUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES, I, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRIVILEGE TO SERVE WITH, UH, CHIEF BARVE. ONE OF THE THINGS I GOT, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL. HE, HOW HE WAS RESPONSIVE. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL THAT A, THAT A SHIP WAS KICKED OUT OF BEAUMONT AND THEY WERE HERE IN PORT ARTHUR. SO I CALLED CHIEF BARBARA TO GO OUT THERE AND VERIFY. I GAVE HIM THE SHIP NUMBER AND EVERYTHING. WHAT THEY, THE, THE DANGER OF THAT WAS ON THAT SHIP WAS DYNAMITE AND FERTILIZER AND, AND BLASTING CALS. SO HE WENT OUT THERE, VERIFIED IT, HAD IT REMOVED. THAT IS THE SAME CONDITION THAT BLEW UP TEXAS CITY. THEY WAS, THEY HAD A STEERING PROBLEM AND THEY, THEY GOT 'EM, THEY KICKED THEM OUTTA BEAUMONT AND THEY COME HERE. SO HE WENT THERE AND BABYSITTED THEM AND GOT 'EM OUTTA HERE BECAUSE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BAD. AND ON, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY. I GOT ANOTHER PHONE CALL THAT SOME KIDS HAD BEEN, UH, WAS IN A CAGE ON THE DECK ON A HOT SHIP. WE WENT OVER THERE, GOT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN THE NURSE, UH, UH, THE HEAD NURSE AT THAT TIME, I CAN'T CALL, PULL UP HER NAME. SHE WENT OUT THERE AND VERIFIED IT, GOT THEM KIDS OUT OF THAT CAGE. CHIEF BOB WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT TOO. BUT, UH, TOMORROW AT 10 O'CLOCK AT, WHAT'D YOU SAY? UH, CITY MANAGER [01:35:01] AT CLAYTON THOMPSON. YOU SAID TOMORROW AT 10:00 AM YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER INFORMATION. WE WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR MAYOR. OH, THAT WAS NURSE WADE THAT WENT OVER THERE. NURSE, NURSE WADE. OH YEAH, MR. WADE. OKAY. I SENT THE, I SENT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH HIM. YEAH, RIGHT. ANYBODY MESS WITH HIM? I TOLD HIM TO SHOOT HIM. OKAY. OKAY. BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE WOULD LIKE TO, NOW, AT THIS JUNCTURE, MOVE TO BASE THREE WHERE WE ARE, WE HAVE [VII. CONSENT AGENDA] THE CONSENT AGENDA AND THE CONSENT AGENDA. THERE ARE ITEMS THAT ARE BASICALLY THERE FROM PAGE THREE THROUGH PAGE, UH, SEVEN. AND OF THESE, MOST OF THESE ARE ITEMS OF, OF ALL OF THESE ITEMS ARE BASICALLY ROUTINE NATURE. UH, COUNCILPERSONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN, UH, INFORMATION, UH, ON EACH OF THESE ITEMS. AND IF THERE WOULD BE ANY ITEM WE WANT WITHDRAWN, UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE IN INFORM ME BY THE PAGE NUMBER AND PAGE AND THE, UH, NUMBER OF ITEMS THERE? ANY COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? YES, MA'AM. ITEM ONE. ON WHICH ONE? WHICH PAGE? ITEM ONE ON FOUR. ITEM NUMBER ONE ON FOUR, TWO ON FOUR. FOUR ON FOUR 13 ON SIX AND, AND 16 ON SIX. OKAY. MAYOR PRO BECKHAM. YES. MAYOR. WHAT? SAY IT AGAIN FOR ME. UH, ITEM FIVE ON PAGE FOUR ON FOUR. AND ITEM 17 ON SEVEN. YOU SAID 17? YES. OKAY. OKAY. COUNSEL, WOULD YOU SET YOU AGAIN? OH, NO. OKAY. OKAY. UH, BE READY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF ITEMS TWO. I MEAN, ONE, EXCUSE ME. 2, 4, 5, 13, 15, AND 17. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MCKIM LAW. MAYOR, BEFORE WE GET THAT MOTION. DID YOU SAY 15 OR IT WAS THE 16, 15? I MAKE SURE I TEST 15. YEAH. 15. YEAH. 16. 16, 15. IS THAT 16? I DONE. 16. IT'S 16. YES, SIR. OKAY. I'M, I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. YEAH. I, HUH? YEAH. 16 THERE. WAIT A MINUTE. I HAD 15 PRODUCED THAT. NO, NO, THAT'S ME. 16. THAT'S WHAT? 15 FOR YOU, RIGHT? NO, 16. 16. OKAY. UH, MAYOR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT, UH, THE CONSENTED WITH THOSE CHANGES. 15. GOOD, THEN. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, MAY I GET SECOND? SECOND. COUNCILMAN FRANK? OKAY. THIS HAS BEEN MOVED SECONDARY. WE WOULD APPROVE THAT THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE STATED ITEMS. ALL WELL, WE READY FOR QUESTION. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? A, ANY OPPOSES ASS HAVE? SO WE ARE NOW READY TO DEAL WITH THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, AND IN THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS [VII.C.(1) P.R. No. 23937 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Apply For The Fiscal Year 2025 SB 224 Catalytic Converter Grant Program With A 20% Cash Match Requirement] WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER, UH, ONE ON PAGE FOUR. AND IT IS PR NUMBER 23 93 7. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 SB 2, 2 4 CATALYTIC CONVERTER GRANT PROGRAM WITH A 20% CASH MATCH REQUIREMENT. MIGHT I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN KEN LAW? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SECOND MOVE. AND SECOND. THEN WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 93 7. ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN ETT? YES, CHIEF. OKAY. CHIEF'S NOT HERE, HUH? I WANT TO KNOW. YEAH, LET'S GET MR. SECRETARY, COULD YOU GET HIM TO TURN THE MICS UP FOR ME, PLEASE? I ALREADY HAVE A HEARING CHALLENGE AND I'M HAVING SOME REAL PROBLEMS HEARING ANY OF THAT. MAYBE I'M THE ONLY ONE. YOU CAN'T HEAR EITHER, SO [01:40:01] I'M STARTING. OKAY. I JUST, I'M BRAVE ENOUGH TO SAY IT. BAD BLOOD. YEAH, THERE'S PRESSURE. YEAH, MAN. YOU GOT IT TURNED UP FOR CHILDREN CHIEF. YEAH, I PUT IT ON RIGHT NOW. CHIEF, I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE, UH, GO RIGHT AHEAD, CHIEF. YES, SIR. I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE GRANT THAT, UH, YOU ALL HAVE IN THE DEALING WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. YES, SIR. I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS. THE FIRST QUESTION I HAD WAS, WE HAD 20% OF THE GRANT, BUT NO ONE SAID HOW MUCH THE GRANT WAS FOR, OR DID I MISS THAT? SOMEWHERE AROUND 110. IT'S GONNA COST US THE CITY ABOUT 22,000. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE MY NEXT QUESTION. WHERE IS THE 22,000 COMING FROM? WE'RE GOING TO PULL IT OUTTA OUR BUDGET, EITHER OUT OF THE, UM, ASSET FORFEITURE ACCOUNT, STATE FED. OKAY. SHOULD WE, SHOULD WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT? OKAY. THAT'S PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW WHO SHOULD ANSWER THAT ONE BECAUSE WHEN WE GOT IT, YOU KNOW, IF WE GONNA APPROVE FUNDING, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE AN ACCOUNT. WE'LL, WE'LL GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND, AND REPRESENTATIVE IF NECESSARY. OKAY. THEN WHAT YOU, WE'LL CORRECT IT. YEAH. WHAT YOU NEED TO HAVE ON HERE IS COUNSELING. I, I INQUIRED ABOUT THAT. IT WOULD COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. OKAY. BUT EVEN IF IT COMES OUT THE GENERAL FUND, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FUNDED. IT SHOULD HAVE A LINE ITEM. IT SHOULD COME OUT AS ONE OF THE LINE ITEMS. OKAY. WE SHOULD KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. OH, OH, CITY, LET'S CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY, SOMEBODY AND ALL GRANTS. I MEAN, IF WE'RE GONNA APPLY FOR A GRANT, THEN WE KNEW THAT WAS IN THERE AND WE'RE GONNA PUT IT IN THE BUDGET. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. SO HE'S, HE NEEDS TO COME BACK BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE THE FUNDING SITE. WELL, WELL, THE, THE THOUGHT PROCESS COUNCIL WAS THAT THIS WAS SIMPLY PERMISSION TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT, AND THAT IF WE RECEIVED THE GRANT, WE WOULD RETURN THE COUNCIL TO GET PERMISSION, UH, FOR THE FUNDING MATCH. SOMETIMES WE DON'T, THE GRANTS AREN'T AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER THE BUDGET PROCESS HAS PASSED. OKAY. THAT YOU, SO BASICALLY YOU'RE SAYING THAT, UH, THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR FUNDING, IT'S JUST REQUEST TO APPLY? APPLY, YES, SIR. THIS IS A REQUEST TO APPLY, BUT WE WANT TO NOTIFY THE COUNCIL THAT THERE WAS A MATCH THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED AT A LATER DATE. OKAY. THAT'S, THAT'S FINE. IF WE JUST SAY NO OTHER QUESTIONS. I'M GOOD. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU CHIEF. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOU HAVE A QUESTION THAT WILL COME IN THE FORM OF AN ORDINANCE, CORRECT, SIR. OKAY. THIS IS, THIS IS A RESOLUTION. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE READY TO VOTE? I CAN'T HEAR. ALL IN FAVOR? A. ANY OPPOSED? AYE. SO, UH, P NUMBER 23 9 37 HAS BEEN APPROVED. [VII.C.(2) P.R. No. 23941 – A Resolution Authorizing The Purchase Of Four (4) F-250 Pick Up Trucks For The Fire Department From Silsbee Ford Of Silsbee, Texas Through TIPS USA 210907 In The Amount Of $290,903.66; Funding Is Available In Fire Department Equipment Account Number 625-19-047-8523-00-00-000] NEXT WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER TWO P NUMBER 23 9 41 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF FOUR F TWO 50 PICKUP TRUCKS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM SILLS FORD OF SALISBURY, TEXAS THROUGH TIPS USA 2 1 9 0 7 IN THE AMOUNT OF $290,903 AND 66 CENTS. FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN FIRE DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT ACCOUNT NUMBER 6 2 5 9 4 7 DASH 8 5 2 3 0 0 DASH ZERO ZERO. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN LEWIS COUNCIL MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MAY I GET A SECOND COUNCILMAN EVER FIELD SECOND. IF IT MOVE TO SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 9 41 AS PRESENTED. YOU READY FOR QUESTION? COUNCILMAN ETT? YES, I HAVE A QUESTION. GOOD EVENING. YES SIR. HOW YOU DOING? I'M DOING WELL. OKAY. UH, MITCHELL, I HAVE A QUESTION REFERENCING THE TRUCKS. I'M READING IN THE BACKGROUND WHERE THE TRUCKS IS GOING TO BE ISSUED OUT TO, UH, I MEAN USED TO, UH, [01:45:02] GO TO THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND STUFF AND, UH, THOSE TRUCKS GONNA BE THEN CONVERTED OVER TO DO THE HAULING AND MAING. OKAY. BUT, UH, IN THERE YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE TRUCKS ALSO WILL BE GOING OVER TO THE, UH, FIRE MARSHAL, UH, OFFICE. YES, SIR. FOR THEM TO DO CODE ENFORCEMENT? YES, SIR. AND I'M KIND OF PUZZLED ON WHY WE BUYING PICKUP TRUCKS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO DO CODES FOR 'EM. AND DO THEY CARRY EQUIPMENT? UM, ACTUALLY THESE FOUR VE UH, VEHICLE WAS YES SIR. THEY DO. SO THEY DO CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT, BUT THEY CARRY LADDERS. THEY CARRY, UH, HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND STUFF INSIDE OF THOSE TRUCKS. SO WE ALSO CARRY LIKE OUR, UH, BOUNCE HOUSE, UH, OUR PROPS FOR, UH, THE STUFF WE DO FOR THE SCHOOLS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT IN THE BACK OF THOSE TRUCKS. THAT'S WHY THEY DON'T HAVE THE SMALLER VEHICLES. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FIRE MARSHAL. THE FIRE MARSHAL, YES SIR. THE FIRE MARSHAL HIMSELF? YEAH. HE DOES INSPECTIONS ALSO, BUT THIS IS FOR HIS TEAM. OKAY. SO THIS IS NOT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT DOES INSPECTION. THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, A CODE ENFORCEMENT GUY WILL BE IN ONE OF THOSE VEHICLES? YES, SIR. SO IN THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, WE HAVE THE INSPECTION SIDE AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE ALL UNDER THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE. OKAY, THANK YOU. OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS HONOR? WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSES? I FAVOR. SO PR NUMBER 23 9 41 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NEXT, WE HAVE [VII.C.(4) P.R. No. 23945 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Accept Close Out Documents Submitted By Preferred Facilities Group – USA, LLC Of Port Arthur, Texas, And Approve The Release Of Retainage In The Amount Of $58,993.52 For The Construction Of Wayfinding Signs For The Wayfinding And Monument Signage Program For The City Of Port Arthur; $51,487.04 Available In Account Number 140-00-000-2050-00-00-000 And $7,506.48 Available In 307-00-000-2050-00-00-000 Project Number PR0009- OTH] ITEM NUMBER FOUR PR NUMBER 23 9 4 5. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED FROM THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT CLOSEOUT DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED BY PREFERRED FACILITIES GROUP, U-S-A-L-L-C OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, AND APPROVE THE RELEASE OF, UH, RETAINAGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $58,993 AND 52 CENTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF WAY FINDING SIGNS FOR THE WAY FINDING AND MONUMENT SIGNAGE PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. $51,487 AND 4 CENTS. AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER ONE 40 DASH 0 0 0 0 20 50 0 0 0 0 AND $7,506 AND 48 CENTS. AVAILABLE IN ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 2050 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 0 0 0. AND THE PROJECT NUMBER IS PR 0 0 0 9 DASH TH. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN LEWIS MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MAY I GET A SECOND COUNCILMAN EVER FIELD SECOND. IT IS MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER FOUR, UH, 23 9 45 AS PRESENTED. UH, WE READY FOR QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? YEAH. CHANDRA, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ALL EXCITED TO COME UP HERE. I KNOW, I'M EXCITED. YOU GOT A ON YOUR FACE. MOST PEOPLE COME UP BE FINE. EXCITED. YOU JUST BE GRD. YES. YOU WANTED IT. I KNOW. I JUST HAD A QUESTION. MM-HMM, , WHEN I WAS CHECKING ALL OF THE ACCOUNTS, I COULDN'T FIND 3 0 7 0 0 DASH 0 0 0 DASH 2 0 5 0 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 0 0 3. OKAY. UH, THE, THE FINDING IS DIRECT TO GO TO HELP YOU. COME ON. I THINK I MIGHT, KENNY, COME ON. THESE ARE RETAINAGE ACCOUNTS. SO WHEN THEY TAKE OUT THE 5% OF THE PAYMENT A MINUTE, THEY PUT THOSE IN SEPARATE ACCOUNTS. HOLD, HOLD ON. WHAT YOU TELLING ME NOW? IT'S A RE A SEPARATE RETAINAGE ACCOUNT. SO WHEN THEY TURNED IN THE PAY APPS AND FROM THE PAY APPS, THEY TAKE OUT 5% OF THE RETAINAGE. SO THEY TAKE THAT 5% AND STORE IN A SEPARATE ACCOUNT. AND THESE ARE THAT ACCOUNTS. BUT WHO ARE THE ACCOUNTS FOR, FOR THE 3 0 7 IS THE ONE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ON OUR SIDE. AND 1 4 0 IS TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. OKAY. THANK YOU. CAN I GET THE FIRE? I MEAN THE FINANCE DIRECTOR NOW, SHE GOING TO HELP ME OUT. OKAY. YOU WERE VERY HELPFUL IN EXPLAINING. YOU TOLD ME WHERE IT'S AT. NOW I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS IT? BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK THROUGH THE BUDGET, I'LL BE LOOKING FOR THESE ACCOUNTS. OKAY. SO WHERE IS THIS ACCOUNT IN? WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? SO THESE ACCOUNTS, THEY'RE ALREADY EXPENDED IN THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT. I BELIEVE THOSE ARE THE 8,500 ACCOUNTS. AND WHEN WE EXPEND IT, WHAT HAPPENS IS WE TAKE, LET'S SAY IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND IS THE BILL. OKAY? WE'LL EXPEND A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF IT. IT'LL BE IN THAT LINE ITEM, BUT THEN WE'LL TAKE 5% OF [01:50:01] THAT AND MOVE IT OVER TO THE RETAINER. SO THE EXPENDITURE IS STILL A HUNDRED THOUSAND, BUT WE DIDN'T PAY A HUNDRED THOUSAND. WE TOOK OUT 5,000 OF IT AND WE MOVED IT TO A RETAINAGE ACCOUNT. IT'S KIND OF LIKE A HOLDING ACCOUNT UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY COMPLETE THE PROJECT. WHEN THEY COMPLETE THE PROJECT, THEN WE GET THEM FROM THIS RETAINAGE ACCOUNT. AND THAT'S WHY YOU COULDN'T FIND IT IN YOUR BUDGET. IT'S SIMPLY AN ACCOUNTING WAY FOR US TO HOLD IT UNTIL WE KNOW THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED AND DONE. AND THEN WE RELEASE THAT 5% AND THAT'S WHAT THESE ACCOUNTS ARE FOR. OKAY, GOOD. NOW WHEN I GOT THERE, I'M GONNA GET THE LAST, THE OTHER QUESTION THEN. UH, WHAT, WHY CAN I GET A BUDGET THAT I HAVE THE ACCOUNT NUMBERS INSTEAD OF JUST THE ITEMS? IT WOULDN'T NORMALLY INCLUDE A RETAINERS BECAUSE A RETAINER IS NOT NO, NO, I'M NOT TALKING RETAINERS NOW. I'M JUST TALKING THE BUDGET. YES. I'M HAPPY TO GIVE THAT TO YOU. I I BELIEVE YOU MAY BE ASKING FOR IF IT'S, IF IT'S ALL THE ACCOUNTS SO THAT IT WOULD INCLUDE THE 2000 ACCOUNT. CORRECT. IT'S KIND OF LIKE A, A KEY OR A CODE FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ONES IF IT'S NOT INCLUDED SPECIFICALLY IN THE BUDGET. NO. SO, UH, LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. OKAY? UH, WE GO TO THE, UH, NUMBER FOUR. EVEN WITH THIS ONE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ACCOUNT NUMBER ONE 40. OKAY? SO IT SHOULD A DEPARTMENT IS 0 0 1 AND SOMETHING I SEE. AND THEN, THEN THE NEXT NUMBERS IDENTIFY THAT DEPARTMENT. YES. AND THEN THE OTHER NUMBERS IN THAT DEPARTMENT, THEY NOW ARE BROKEN DOWN TO THE LINE ITEMS IN THAT DEPARTMENT. OKAY? YES. SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT IT COMING FROM THE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT, IT DOESN'T TELL ME IF WE APPROVED IT FOR THAT ONLY. I UNDERSTAND. THE ONLY WAY I KNOW IT'S APPROVED FOR THAT PURPOSE BECAUSE OF THE LINE NUMBER. I LOOK AT THE LINE NUMBER, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO, THAT'S ALL I'M DOING. I'M CHECKING TO SEE THAT, HEY, WE APPROVED THAT MONEY TO BE SPENT THERE. 'CAUSE IF WE DIDN'T APPROVE IT TO BE SPENT THERE, THAT'S WHEN I'M GONNA HAVE THESE QUESTIONS. YES. WHY WE SPENT IT FOR SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T APPROVE IT FOR. THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BUDGET THAT CAN GIVE ME THESE NUMBERS. SO WHEN I'M CHECKING THESE AGENDAS, I CAN ACTUALLY FIND IT. OKAY. OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU, LYNN. ALL RIGHT. YOU'RE WELCOME. THAT'S ALL. OKAY. UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? ON ANY, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYES HAVE IT. SO IT IS, WE'VE APPROVED PR NUMBER 23 9 4 5 AS PRESENTED. NEXT WE HAVE [VII.C.(5) P.R. No. 23946 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Negotiate A Contract With Burditt Consultants, LLC Of Conroe, Texas, For Engineering Services, Construction Documents And Construction Management For The Rose Hill Park Project] ITEM NUMBER FIVE P NUMBER 23 9 46. THERE'S A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT WITH VERDICT CONSULTANTS, LLC OF CONROE, TEXAS FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES, CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FOR THE ROSE HILL PROJECT. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCIL KINLOCK. SO MOVED. MAYOR, I GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN FRANK. SECOND MAYOR, IT IS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD MAAM, UH, APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 9 46 AS PRESENTED. WE'RE READY, UH, FOR QUESTIONING. UH, COUNCILMAN BECKER. THANK YOU. I KNOW YOU'RE EXCITED TO BE BACK UP HERE AGAIN. SO EXCITED. , YOU KNOW, I'M ALL ABOUT ROSE HILL. I'M ALL ABOUT THE PARKS PROJECT. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. BUT MY, MY QUESTION AND MY CONCERN IS, I NOTICE IN THE, THE MEMORANDUM THAT ACCOMPANIED THIS, THAT THE BUDGET IMPACTS SAYS THAT THE CONTRACT AMOUNT WILL BE NEGOTIATED. DO WE HAVE A BALLPARK IDEA OF HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT ALL? NO, WE DON'T. THAT WON'T BE UNTIL WE START NEGOTIATING THE CONTRACT. BECAUSE WHAT WE'LL DO IS THEY JUST HAD TO SUBMIT THE, UM, RFQ THEIR QUALIFICATIONS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. RIGHT. IT DIDN'T HAVE TO DO WITH PRICE. SO ONCE WE, IF SO APPROVED, THEN WE'LL GO BACK AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED THEM TO DO WITHIN THIS PROJECT. AND THEN THEY'LL SUBMIT US A PRICE AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK AND FORTH AND TAKE THINGS OUT, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. AND, BUT, YOU KNOW, OKAY. AND WE KNOW WHAT THEIR PROPOSAL LOOKS LIKE. I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY GAVE US THE WORLD. YES. AND WE HAVE TO KIND OF WHITTLE IT DOWN TO ABSOLUTELY WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN REALLY DO. YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME, MAYOR. YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN FRANK. THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. . YES. THE LAST TIME THAT THE INDIVIDUALS WERE HERE AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ROSE HILL PROJECT. MM-HMM. , WE, UH, OFFERED UP A QUESTION ABOUT HISTORICAL TAX CREDITS. MM-HMM. , PLEASE BE SURE THAT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'RE HAVING, THAT THEY'RE LOOKING [01:55:01] AT GETTING THOSE HISTORICAL TAX CREDITS AND IMPLEMENTING THEM SO THAT THEY CAN BE UTILIZED IN THAT PROJECT. I, I WILL BRING THAT UP. YES SIR. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES. IN ADDITION TO WHAT? COUNCILMAN FRANK, I'D RECOMMEND A 1 0 8 LOAN HISTORICAL TAX CREDIT. THEY'RE NOT THAT MUCH, BUT WHAT, $15,000. BUT HISTORICAL, I MEAN, 1 0 8 LOAN IS THE BEST ROUTE TO GO. AND YOU CAN FUND THAT, PAYING IT BACK FROM THE CONVENTIONS AND VISITORS BUREAU. SO IF Y'ALL CAN DO THAT, YOU CAN GET THIS THING COMPLETED. OKAY. I GAVE YOU THE SAME INFORMATION 10 YEARS AGO. ? YES SIR. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NONE. WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? A ANY OPPOSES? I HAVE IT. WE APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 9 4 6 AS PRESENTED. NEXT, WE [VII.C.(13) P.R. No. 23964 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And GP Evans Contractors, LLC Of Winnie, Texas, For The Annual Mowing Of The Landfill With A Projected Budgetary Impact Of $77,820.00. Funding Is Available In The Solid Wasted Landfill Other Contractual Service Account, 403-50-320-5470-00-00-000] MOVE OVER TO PAGE SIX. WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER 13 PRO NUMBER 23 9 6 4 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND GP EVANS CONTRACT, LL LC OF WINNIE, TEXAS FOR THE ANNUAL MOWING OF THE LANDFILL, WITH A PROJECTED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $77,820. FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE SOLID WASTE LANDFILL. OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL SERVICE ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 3 DASH 5 3 2 0 5 4 7 0 0 0 0 0 0. MAKE GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. COUNCILMAN UH, ELLO, MAKE IT A SECOND. COUNCILMAN FRANK. SECOND. IT MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE P NUMBER 23 9 6 4 AS PRESENTED. YOU READY FOR QUESTIONING? COUNCILMAN ETT? YES. THANK YOU. UH, DR. DICKIN JUST GOING TO HEAR, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO RELAY TO THE MANAGER OR MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER IF I DOUBT IT. SO THIS IS ONE THAT, UH, YOU NEED TO WRITE DOWN, GET WITH THE MANAGER AND YOU NEED TO GIVE, NOT ME. LET'S BRING THIS BACK. UH, THE NEXT MEETING WHERE YOU GIVE US SOMETHING ON IT. BUT I PULLED IT BECAUSE COUNCILMAN KEN HAD SPENT ABOUT TWO HOURS AT THE OPERATIONS CENTER. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE INCURRED OVER THERE THAT WE INQUIRED ABOUT WAS A BIG TRACTOR THAT HAD A SLOW MOW ON IT AND A SMALL TRACTOR THAT HAD A BUSH OFF. IT WAS OBVIOUS THEY'D BEEN IN THERE, THEY'D BEEN SITTING UP THERE FOR YEARS, MORE THAN ONE. AND I ASKED, WHAT ARE THOSE TWO TRACTORS JUST SITTING HERE? AND IT LOOKED LIKE NOT OPERATIONAL. SO, UH, MR. WHITE TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO INQUIRE WHO OWNED THE TRACTORS AND WHY THEY WERE THERE. THE, THE FINAL ANALYSIS THAT WERE TOLD WAS THAT, UH, THE TRACTORS WERE THEIRS AND THEY MISSED THEIR PARTS. THEY DIDN'T HAVE PARTS , WHICH, UH, THAT WASN'T GONNA, THAT WASN'T GONNA ADD UP BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY YOU TAKE THAT LONG TO GET APART AND THE TRACTOR'S DEFINITELY NOT GONNA BE WORKING FROM THE WAY THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING. BUT THEN I SAW THIS CONTRACT THAT 77,800. SO I'M WONDERING THAT WHEN THE TRACTOR BROKE, RIGHT, WE DIDN'T FIX THE TRACTOR, WE JUST CONTRACTED IT OUT, YOU KNOW, SO WE WERE MAINTAINING IT BEFORE WHEN WE HAD THESE TWO TRACTORS. I WANNA KNOW WHY WE, UH, ALL OF A SUDDEN DECIDED TO STOP DOING IT. 'CAUSE AS I READ, JUST NOT LIKE COUNT. UH, THEY DON'T CUT EVERY DAY. SO WE NEED THAT QUESTION ANSWERED BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE JUST HAD THE TRACTOR DIDN'T 50 THE TRACTORS, ALL SOMETHING WE WANT CONTRACTED. I DON'T MIND A CONTRACT, BUT THIS CONTRACT HERE IS COST FOR LIKE WHAT IT IS. 70, 77. 70, $78,000. OKAY. $78,000. WE COULD BUY TRACTORS. SO WE WERE DOING IT BEFORE. WHY ARE WE NOT DOING IT? WE WANT TO CONTRACT UP 78,000 POLICE. GET BACK WITH US ON THAT ONE. UH, JUST [02:00:01] YOU COULD SEND AN EMAIL MESSAGE TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THAT RESPONSE SO THAT WE ALL GET THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR. OKAY. AND, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? UM, COUNCILMAN DEUCE. OH, GO AHEAD. WELL, I WAS GONNA THANK YOU YOUR HONOR. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD, MAYOR. UH, I'M JUST GONNA SAY, ARE WE MOVING TO TABLE THIS, UH, MAYOR OR COUNCILMAN DES OR WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS OUT THERE WITH YOU, SO I I DO HAVE GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT IT. SO ARE WE TABLING THIS OR YOU WANT TO JUST PAT? YEAH, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY AIN'T GONNA FEED THOSE TRACTOR. YOU LOOKED AT THOSE TRACTORS AND YOU KNOW, WE TALKING TO ENVIRONMENTAL, LIKE THEY SAID, WE GOTTA KEEP THAT GRASS CUT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA LET THIS RUN RIGHT NOW. WE JUST GOTTA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT ON WHETHER WE GONNA CONTINUE TO LET SOMEBODY CUT IT FOR 78,000 OR WHETHER WE GONNA GO BACK TO CUTTING IT OURSELVES. SO THAT'S ALL RIGHT. BUT I THINK IF WE GOT THE ANSWER TO THAT, THEN EVERYBODY WOULD KNOW WHAT IT WAS. BUT I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO LET THIS ROLL. OKAY. COUNCILMAN LEWIS, YOUR LIGHT STILL ON THE QUESTION THAT COUNCILMAN DE SAID ASKED. WAS THEY WAITING ON PARTS OR THEY USING PARTS OFFERED? WHICH ONE IT WAS WHEN WE FIRST TALKED ABOUT IT, IT WAS, OH, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE. WE THINK THEY WAITING ON PARTS . OKAY. AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS WHAT WE WAS SAID, YOU KNOW, AND THE NEXT THING WAS THEY, THEY, SO BASICALLY IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE GOING BE EVEN ADDRESSING FOR EQUIPMENT OUT THERE. BUT IT WAS TWO TRACTORS THAT, THAT OFFER A LANDFILL THAT WERE IN THERE, JUST THERE NON OPERABLE. OKAY. BUT THEY WERE THE TRACTOR THAT BELONGED IN THEIR LANDFILL. OKAY. SO I KNOW THEY CAN'T CUT GRASS BECAUSE THOSE TWO TRACTOR ARE SETTING UP THERE. SO THE THING IS, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO CONTRACTING THIS OUT OR ARE WE GONNA FIX TRACTORS OR BUY TRACTORS AND DO IT OURSELVES? WHAT IS THE COST OF THESE THINGS? WELL THAT'S WHAT, WHAT KIND? I HEARD THAT YOU ASKED THE QUESTION. WELL, THAT'S WHAT I SAID AND THAT'S HOW COME I DON'T WANNA STOP THIS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE RIGHT. LET IT GO. IF WE HAVE TO BUY TRACTORS, THEN THAT'S GONNA BE TIME CONSUMING. AND PLUS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GRASS IS CUT TO MEET THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT OF IT. SO IT'S OUR TENSION NOW. SO WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE THE CITY MANAGERS GET INVOLVED AND FOLLOW UP ON IT AND LET US KNOW WHETHER WE GONNA GET TRACTORS AND WE GONNA DO THIS OR WE GONNA CONTINUE TO PAY $78,000 EVERY YEAR FOR SOMEBODY TO DO IT. MM-HMM. . OKAY. I MIGHT BUY ME A BUSH OFF AND I'LL GO CUT IT FOR LESS THAN THAT. YOU WANT, YOU WANT TO HUSTLE? YOU WANT TO HUSTLE? NO, I'M TOO OLD. HUSTLE COUNCILMAN, MAYOR, COUNCILMAN, UH, WE WILL GET AN ANSWER FOR YOU AND I'LL GET IT TO YOU VIA EMAIL AS YOU REQUEST IT. OKAY? THANK YOU. UH, WELL, OKAY. YES, MA, DR. BEN. OH, WE STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM HE HAD YEARS AGO OUT THERE WHEN YOU GOT VEHICLES THAT'S BEEN WAITING ON PARTS AND WHEN YOU GET THE PARTS, NOW YOU GOT TO REWIRE BECAUSE THE RATS DONE HATE THE W THE WIRING. IS THAT STILL GOING ON? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES. COUNCILMAN LEWIS? Y'ALL. Y'ALL LOSING ME? I'M REALLY LOST. ARE WE GONNA STILL VOTE? I HAVE A QUESTION. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? WAIT, I GOT A QUESTION. I GOT A QUESTION. OH, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT MAN. SOMETIMES YOU LEAVE IT ON, I DON'T KNOW, , THE QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS THE, WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ANNUAL MOWING OF THE LANDFILL. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TA ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, UH, WE'RE PUTTING THIS IN PLACE FOR THE NEXT MOWING SEASON. CORRECT? BECAUSE IT'S OCTOBER NOW. SO WE'RE, YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF GRASS GROWING RIGHT NOW. I KNOW IT. AND PLUS, SO, SO I WAS SAYING IF WE'RE GOING TO, IF, IF WE WOULD TABLE IT, WE COULD, WE COULD FIND OUT, GET THE ANSWER BACK AND THEN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, IF WE TABLE IT, IT HAS TO COME BACK AND PLUS, LIKE YOU SAID, THE GRASS SEASON IS GOING SO WE AIN'T GONNA WORRY ABOUT IT CUTTING DOWN BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE GONNA BE CUTTING, BUT WE NEED TO COME TO SOME SOLUTION EVEN THOUGH THEY COME IN AND CUT. OKAY. WHEN THEY START AGAIN, IF WE HAD TO PURCHASE TRACTOR, THE WAY THINGS GO AROUND HERE, IT IS GONNA TAKE US A LONG TIME. OKAY? BUT WE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE IT CUT. SO THE BEST WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT WE KNOW COULD MAKE IT, AND THEN WE COULD GOT TIME TO DECIDE WHETHER WE WANT TO CONTINUE THIS WAY. OKAY. WILL THE COUNCIL OKAY. THAT'S GOOD. OKAY, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? I, SO WE'VE APPROVED PR NUMBER 23 9 6 4. NEXT WE HAVE [VII.C.(16) P.R. No. 23974 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Renew A Three-Year Avior 75 System Agreement With Granicus (Formerly Swagit) For The Recording, Indexing, And Streaming Of Meetings For A Total Amount Of Amount Of $65,840.51. Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Funding For $20,479.80 Is Available In The Information Technology Professional Services Account 001-09-023-5420-00-10- 000-. Funding For Fiscal Year 2025- 2026 And Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Are Subject To Approval In The Budget For The Corresponding Year] ITEM NUMBER 16, UH, P NUMBER 23 9 7 4. THERE IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO RENEW AT THREE, THREE YEAR A VR 75 SYSTEM AGREEMENT WITH, UH, GRANICUS FORMERLY, UH, [02:05:01] SWAG FOR THE RECORDING INDEXING AND STREAMING OF MEETINGS FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF, UH, $65,840 AND 51 CENTS FISCAL YEAR 20 24 25 FUNDING, UH, FOR 20,409. UH, $79 AND 80 CENTS IS AVAILABLE IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ACCOUNT. 0 0 1 9 2 3 5 4 2 0 0 0 FUNDED FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, 26. AND FISCAL YEAR 26 27 ARE SUBJECT TO APPROVAL IN THE, UH, BUDGETS FOR THE CORRESPONDING YEARS. UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN KLOW? SOME MORE? MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK SECOND. OKAY. UH, WE'VE BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND WE READY FOR QUESTION. UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? YES. THANK YOU. OKAY. THAT'S ONE OF THEM WHEREBY WE START TALKING ABOUT APPROVING FOR $64,850. WE FINN TO APPROVE THIS NOW, BUT WE GONNA BE MINING, WE ARE SAYING THAT $12,970 IS GONNA COME FROM NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. OKAY. AND WE CAN'T DO THAT. WE CAN'T APPROVE MONEY FROM NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IF WE HAVEN'T APPROVED THAT BUDGET. WE HAVE TO FUND IT. WE HAVE TO HAVE IT FUNDED. AND I, I'VE TAUGHT WITH THE FINANCE DIRECTOR ABOUT IT WHEN I LOOKED AT IT. SO WE GOTTA FUND IT, PUT THE MONEY IN THERE AND FUND IT WHEN WE PAY IT. BUT WE CAN'T APPROVE MONEY THAT'S SUPPOSED TO COME OUT OF THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. WE CAN'T DO THAT. FAITH, HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? I GO BACK TO THEM AND SAY, GIMME A ONE YEAR AGREEMENT. WELL, YOU KNOW, WELL WHEN I READ IT, WHEN I READ THIS, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, WHEN I READ IT AND UH, I GOT EXPLAINED TO IT, RIGHT. I JUST THINK IT'S THE WAY IT CAME TO US BECAUSE ACTUALLY YOU COULD PAY IT EACH, EACH YEAR, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, STUFF. AND I DIDN'T, I JUST DIDN'T SEE WHERE WE NEEDED TO DO IT. BECAUSE THAT'S A TOTAL SUM FOR ALL THREE YEARS. YEARS THAT, THAT YOU PUT IN HERE. THAT'S A TOTAL SUM FOR THREE YEARS. YEAH. FOR THREE YEARS. BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT THAT NUMBER ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE IF WE REDUCE THE, THE LENGTH OF THE AGREEMENT. 'CAUSE NORMALLY MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENTS, YOU PAY LESS THAN YOU DO FOR A SINGLE YEAR AGREEMENT. OKAY? SO, OKAY. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING, RIGHT, IF WE WANTED TO DO MULTI YEARS, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE FUNDED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET FOR MONTH MULTI-YEAR. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. OKAY. I'M SAYING WE CANNOT APPROVE $64,000 AND IT DOESN'T MATTER ABOUT YEAR. THIS MONEY HAS TO BE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. WHEN WE APPROVE IT, WE CAN'T APPROVE ANY MONEY AND SAYING PART OF IT GONNA COME OUT OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. YOU SEE? SO WE COULD, YOU COULD GO BACK AND GET WITH THE MANAGER SOMETHING AND FIND WHERE THIS MONEY COULD COME FROM. EITHER YOU COULD, HE COULD DO A, A LINE ITEM WITHOUT OUR APPROVAL IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, OR HE COULD DO FROM A DEPARTMENT FOR US TO APPROVE, OR HE COULD DO AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET AND PUT THE, THE MONEY IN. HOW MUCH, LET'S SEE, IS PUT THE 12,900 FROM THE, FROM THE FIRM RESERVE, DON'T CARE HOW HE DOES IT OR IT'S DONE. BUT WE GONNA HAVE TO DO THAT AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE'RE ASKING HERE. SO I'LL JUST MOVE THE TABLE BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY MANAGER COULD, AND, AND YOU COULD WORK OUT AND WE CAN APPROVE IT, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING. WILL THAT BE A PROBLEM? I THINK IT MAY, IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE A PROBLEM IF, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, I THINK THE THE AGREEMENT FOR THIS IS COMING TO AN END AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. THE CURRENT AGREEMENT COMES TO AN END AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. YEAH. IF THE CON IF, IF THE CURRENT AGREEMENT ENDS THIS MONTH, RIGHT? MM-HMM, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. QUESTION. THEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY PAY FOR A YEAR AND TELL 'EM WE GONNA PAY [02:10:01] YOU FOR THE REST. YEAH. I I MEAN, I'M JUST OVER, I'M JUST OVER. I'M JUST OVER THANK IT'S JUST THAT I'M TO THE POINT NOW WHEN I REVIEW THINGS ON AGENDA, I, I'M JUST READING, WE CANNOT APPROVE MONEY FOR MONEY. NO. YOU GIVING FROM ANOTHER YEAR'S BUDGET. BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO STOP OR CREATE A PROBLEM, BUT I DON'T THINK WE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM IF YOU TOOK THE FIRST PORTION OF IT AND PAID THEM, THEY'LL BE PAID FOR THEIR FIRST YEAR. IN FACT, YOU'RE NOT EVEN PAYING THEM FOR ALL THE YEARS. RIGHT. WHEN WE DO THIS CONTRACT, YOU'RE JUST GONNA PAY THEM. RIGHT? RIGHT. THE CON THE, THE, THE AGREEMENT THAT WE ARE AGREEING TO IS A THREE YEAR AGREEMENT, BUT WE PAY YEAR BY YEAR. OKAY. NOW LET ME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION. DO WE PAY, WE DON'T PAY THE WHOLE SUM THOUGH. NO. YOU SEE, SO BASICALLY WE CAN AMEND THIS RIGHT NOW. WE CAN AMEND IT AND APPROVE IT, BUT WE, WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN AMEND IT AND UH, LYNN PLEASE, YOU NEED TO BE UP HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, WE DOING IT RIGHT. BUT THE WAY, THE WAY I SEE THIS, WE CAN ACTUALLY AMEND THE PORTION OF THE MONEY THAT'S IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH WILL COVER THE CONTRACT. AND THAT WAY SHE KNOW THAT THE CONTRACT IS GONNA STILL RUN. SHE YES, I WOULD AGREE THAT THE CONTRACT YES. AS A THREE YEAR CON OOPS, SORRY, SORRY. YES. I WOULD AGREE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY AMEND THIS ONE. I WOULDN'T AMEND THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY SPENDING THE 20,000. OKAY. YEAH. AND THAT'S ALL THAT WE'RE DOING. OKAY. SO, WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. ALL WE GOTTA DO IS AMEND THIS AMOUNT THAT IS CORRECT AND MAKE IT THE AMOUNT THAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR THIS YEAR THAT IS CORRECT. THAT SHE NEEDS THE MONEY FOR RELIABLE. AND THEN NEXT YEAR YOU BRING IT BACK AND, AND WE PAY FOR THE NEXT YEAR. AND NOT ONLY THAT MM-HMM, , BUT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, WE COULD PUT THE TWO FOLLOWING YEARS IN AND, AND GIVE HER THE MONEY THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER. BUT RIGHT NOW WE CAN'T DO THIS THIS WAY. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AMEND THIS RESOLUTION ATTORNEY. OH, I'M SORRY. GO RIGHT AHEAD TO THIS AND I, MS. SPA, THIS IS A THREE YEAR AGREEMENT PRICE, CORRECT? YEAH. SO EVEN IF THE COUNCIL APPROVED FOR THE ONE YEAR AGREEMENT, IT MAY NOT BE THE SAME PRICE. IS THAT CORRECT? IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE, IF I'M GOING BACK TO THEM AND SAY, I NEED YOU TO GIVE ME ANOTHER AGREEMENT THAT'S JUST FOR ONE YEAR, THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ONE YEAR PRICE WILL BE. THERE'S A STATUTE THAT IF FUNDING IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE FUTURE YEARS, WE CAN GET OUT OF THE CONTRACT. UM, SO THAT'S WHY THE LANGUAGE ON THE AGENDA LANGUAGE AND IN THE RESOLUTION SAYS THAT IT, YOU'RE AGREEING TO THE $20,000 FOR THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S SUBJECT TO APPROVAL FOR THE FOLLOWING YEARS AND THE CORRESPONDING YEARS. MM-HMM, . SO YOU'RE ONLY COMMITTING TO THE $20,000 IN THE AGENDA. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. RIGHT. BUT IT'S A THREE YEAR PRICE. CORRECT? YEAH. BUT THEN WITH THE THREE YEAR PRICE, THEN WE'LL GO TO WHAT THEY WAS, WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, RIGHT. ABOUT THE GRANT. IT'S JUST LIKE THE GRANT. WE APPROVE THEM GOING FOR THE GRANT, BUT WE DON'T GET IT. SO THAT WAS AN APPLICATION. THIS IS AN ACTUAL WRITTEN AGREEMENT. OKAY. WELL JUST LET ME FINISH SPEAKING. OKAY. SO IF WE APPROVE IT FOR 64,000 OR WHATEVER IT IS, WE CAN APPROVE THAT, BUT WE KNOW THAT SHE'S ONLY GOING TO SPEND 20,000 AND SOMETHING WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING THEN THERE'S NO NEED TO HAVE ALL OF THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET. OKAY. SO, SO, SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY WE CAN DO THIS. SO THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS APPROVE IT FOR THE 20 ALL, WE COULD APPROVE THE TOTAL SO WE COULD APPROVE THE TOTAL AND THAT WOULD GIVE HER THE RIGHT TO KEEP THE CONTRACT. BUT SHE'S ONLY SPENDING 20 THIS YEAR. SO IT'S JUST LIKE WE WERE DOING BEFORE WITH THIS GRANT. WE APPROVING THE LARGE AMOUNT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE AMOUNT WE ARE PROVEN, ACTUALLY, BECAUSE IT'S YEARLY. UH, LYNN. OKAY. OKAY. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE WE RIGHT ON THIS [02:15:01] BECAUSE OKAY. WE CAN APPROVE THIS WHOLE AMOUNT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SHE'S ONLY SPENDING WHAT IN THE BUDGET. OKAY. I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS. AM I CORRECT? THAT'S WHAT THE RESOLUTION SAYS. THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS THOUGH, RIGHT? SEE? BUT YES. SAY THAT AGAIN. THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS. YOU HAVE 64,000. I'LL HAVE SOME AMOUNT, BUT 65,000. YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND 20,000 OF IT THIS YEAR. YEAH. IT'S SUBJECT TO APPROVAL IN THE BUDGET. I MEAN, WE MADE IT BE A COMPLICATED, WE READY TO VOTE? THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT. YES. ARE WE READY TO VOTE? YES. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSES? OKAY. IT'S, UH, WHICH, WHICHEVER ONE THAT WAS, UH, 23 9 7 4 THAT WAS APPROVED. NEXT WE HAVE, [VII.C.(17) P.R. No. 23975 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A One-Year Contract With KT Maintenance Company, Inc. Of Port Arthur, Texas, For Landscaping At The Primary And Secondary Wayfinding Monument Sign Locations With A Budgetary Impact Of $49,558.00; Funding Available In Account Number 001-25-065- 5311-00-20-000] UM, PAGE SEVEN, NUMBER 17, UH, PR NUMBER 23 9 75. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH KT MAINTENANCE COMPANY, INCORPORATED OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS FOR LANDSCAPING AT THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY WAY, FINDING MONUMENT. SIGNED LOCATION FOR A BUDGETARY IMPACT OF $49,558, UH, FUNDED AS AVAILABLE. ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH 25 6 5 5 3 1 0 2 0 0. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVED. COUNCILMAN FRANK. SO MOVED. MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? SECOND. THANK YOU. IT IS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, WE'RE READY FOR QUESTION. COUNCIL. OH, COUNCILMAN BECKHAM. THANK YOU. UM, SO I'M ALL ABOUT HIRING LOCAL CONTRACTORS, BUT MY QUESTION ABOUT THIS IS WHY CAN'T WE DO THIS OURSELVES? WE'VE GOT PARKS AND REC, WE'VE GOT THE EQUIPMENT. WE HAVE A BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE THAT THREE OF THE MEMBERS THAT I APPOINTED ARE MASTER GARDENERS THAT COULD HELP WITH WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WITH ALL OF THE, THE BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPING THAT WE HAVE. AND RIGHT NOW IT ALL LOOKS REALLY GOOD. I DROVE BY ALL OF THEM JUST RECENTLY AND THEY LOOK GREAT. SO WHY CAN'T WE DO THIS OURSELVES? UM, THE WHOLE IDEA FROM THE BEGINNING WAS TO, BECAUSE OF WHAT WE SPENT ON THE SIGNS, WAS TO HAVE 'EM LANDSCAPED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA HAVE STAFF OR ANYBODY DO THEM. WE ARE HAVE, WE DO HAVE A CONCERN WITH THE ONES THAT HAVE THE STEEP SLOPES. MM-HMM. . AND SO WE DID NOT WANNA PUT THAT LIABILITY ON THE CITY. AND THEN IF WE WERE TO HIRE OTHER PROFESSIONALS TO DO THIS, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE THOSE PROFESSIONAL CAPABILITIES ON STAFF, WE WOULD HIRE, IT WAS CHEAPER TO HAVE IT CONTRACTED OUT. OKAY. SO DO THEY HAVE DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT THAT WORKS ON THE STEEP SLOPES THAT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE? NOT NECESSARILY, BUT OUR PEOPLE ARE NOT TRAINED TO WORK ON STEEP SLOPES. OKAY. I GOT YOU. WELL, LET ME ASK YOU THIS. CAN WE GET OUR BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE INVOLVED IN THIS SOMEHOW? I THINK IF WE DO THE CONTRACT, I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT UP TO THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE THAT DECISION IF HE WANT THEM TO BE INVOLVED. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER AREAS IN THE CITY THAT THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION COULD BE INVOLVED, THAT WE CAN HELP BEAUTIFY. RIGHT. CAN WE, CAN WE KIND OF PUT THAT NOTE ON THE CITY MANAGER'S DESK THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO GET THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE INVOLVED IN THIS AS, AS BEST THAT WE CAN AND AS SAFELY AS WE CAN SO THAT THEY CAN USE THEIR EXPERTISE FOR THIS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? IF NOT, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES? A SO IS, UH, APPROVED PR NUMBER 23 9 7 5 AS PRESENTED. [VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 23876 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Professional Services Agreement With Golden Triangle Consulting Engineers To Provide Professional Engineering And Consulting Services In A Lump Sum Monthly Amount Not To Exceed Sixteen Thousand And No/100 Dollars ($16,000.00) And Shall Not Exceed One Hundred And Ninety-Two Thousand And No/100 Dollars ($192,000.00) Per Year. Funding Available In Water Utilities Account No. 410-40-200-5420-00-00-000, Professional Services] NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THE NON-CONSENT. UH, WE'LL START WITH ITEM ONE. PR NUMBER 23 8 7 6 IS A REVOLUTION, EXCUSE ME, AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH GOLDEN TRIANGLE CONSULTING ENGINEERS TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING AND CONSULTING SERVICES IN A LUMP SUM MONTHLY AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $16,000 AND SHALL NOT EXCEED 100 AND, UH, $92,000, UH, PER YEAR FUNDING AVAILABLE IN WATER UTILITIES. ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 1 0 DASH FOUR ZERO DASH 200 DASH 54 20 0 0 0 0 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? UH, COUNCILMAN ETT. SO MOVED. MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, MAYOR I APPROACH YOU SECOND. IT MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 8 76 [02:20:01] AS, UH, PRESENTED. WE READY FOR QUESTION? QUESTION. COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? YES. YES. THANK YOU. THIS, THIS IS A WHAT YEAR? FOR, FOR, UH, MR. HA FOR TOMMY. OKAY. HE'S COMING NOW. HOW MANY YEARS HE BEEN, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE NOVEMBER OF 21. I CAN'T GO BE IT BEFORE THAT. OKAY, THEN I THINK IT SHOULD BE, I THINK HE CAME IN IN 2018. I, SO I THINK IT'S, WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE EXACT. YOU GOOD? I DON'T NEED THE EXACT TIME. MY POINT I'M FINN TO MAKE IS THAT HE'S A CONSULTANT. WHEN WE HIRED CONSULTANT, WE HIRED HIM FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN FACT, I TALKED WITH THE MANAGER AND DR. HANNEY PERSONALLY ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM PRIOR TO IT COMING ON THE AGENDA IN WHICH I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS. MY CONCERNS BEING THAT IF DR. HANNEY WANTS TO WORK FOR THE CITY AND CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THE CITY, HE COULD BE HIRED AS AN ENGINEER. OKAY? AND I WILL SUPPORT THAT. I SAID THAT LAST YEAR, BUT WE CANNOT, WELL, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE USING TYPE PAYER MONEY TO HIRE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LACK EMPLOYEES, LIKE AN EMPLOYEE JUST AROUND ON A DAILY BASIS. DIFFERENT TIMEFRAMES. OKAY. I JUST DON'T SEE THAT. NOW, LAST TIME WE WENT THROUGH THIS, I READ A ORDINANCE OUT OF OUR CODE OF ORDINANCE AND OUR CHARTER, AND I'M GONNA READ IT AGAIN VERBATIM. IT SAYS HERE, THE, THE COUNCIL MAY APPROVE CONTRACTS FOR ENGINEERING, APPRAISAL, ARCHITECTURAL, LEGAL, PHYSICAL, AND MEDICAL, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FOR THE CITY WITHOUT COMPETITIVE BIDDING. SUCH CONTRACT SHALL NOT EXCEED TWO YEARS EXCEPT FOR COMPLETION OF WORK IN PROGRESS. WORK IN PROGRESS UNDER ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING CONTRACT. OKAY. DR. HANNEY WAS HIRED AS A CONSULTANT BECAUSE AT THE TIME HE WAS HIRED, WE HAD NO ENGINEERS AND WE NEEDED SOMEBODY TO HELP WITH ENGINEER. THAT'S WHY HE WAS HIRED. OKAY? AND HE'S DONE A GOOD JOB, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. I WON'T TAKE THAT FROM HIM. BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, AFTER TWO YEARS, HIS CONTRACT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EXTENDED ACCORDING TO THIS ORDINANCE. SO SOMEBODY IN THE DIVINE POWERS DECIDE THAT THEY'RE GONNA, IT'S A GOOD IDEA. SO WE'RE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO IT. WELL, EVERY GOOD THING COME TO THE END. BUT IT'S NOT, THIS COUNCIL IS NOT THIS COUNCIL'S DECISION OR THE CITY MANAGER AT THIS POINT TO VIOLATE THIS ORDINANCE. AND THAT'S WHAT IT COMES TO. BECAUSE WHEN I READ WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE HIM TO DO, IT'S NOT A SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT WE HIRED HIM FOR. AND MY OTHER CONCERN IS, AND HOW HE WORKS, WHEREBY HIM COMMUNICATING WITH COMPANIES, CONTRACTORS AGREEMENTS, ALSO THE MANAGER'S PUTTING OUT A STATEMENT THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, HERE WE REVIEW ALL CONTRACTS, ALL AGREEMENTS, AND WE GOT EMPLOYEES TO DO THAT. OKAY, CONSULTANTS DON'T SUPERVISE EMPLOYEES OR THEY DON'T GET INTO PERSONNEL. THAT'S A NO-NO. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE PEOPLE, WE HOLD RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE WE PAY ENGINEERS TO DO THE WORK. AND WE GOT, I [02:25:01] WOULD SAY, DECENT SALARIES. OKAY? BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SALARY AND WE TALK ABOUT 192 $16,000 A MONTH WHERE YOU ARE ONLY OBLIGATED TO WORK FOUR HOURS, OKAY? THEN THERE'S QUESTIONS, THERE, QUESTIONS ARISING ABOUT HIM HAVING INFLUENCE OUR DECISION ON CONTRACTS AND WHO WE AWARD CONTRACTS TO WHEN THEY'RE DEALING WITH OTHER ENGINEERING FIRMS AND STUFF, WHICH BRINGS IN A PROBLEM. AND I'VE TALKED TO THE MANAGER BEFORE, BUT WHAT I LIKE, WHAT I THINK AND WHAT I WANT IS IMMATERIAL AT THE END OF THE DAY, I JUST READ AN ORDINANCE AND I THINK IT'S VERY CLEAR. SO I DON'T KNOW WHY WE KEPT BRINGING THIS UP FOR ALL THESE YEARS, BUT IT WAS, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SOMEONE THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY. BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE DON'T, WE DON'T DECIDE TO THAT. BECAUSE THE LAST QUESTION I'LL SAY IS, IF IT HAD TO COME OUT SOMEBODY'S POCKET, WOULD THEY HIRE SOMEBODY FOR FOUR HOURS TO MAKE MUCH OR MORE MONEY THAN THAT? AND YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT SAVE MONEY, SAVE MONEY. ANYBODY THAT WORKS FOR US, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE HIRE THEM FOR. WE HIRE THEM TO MANAGE TAXPAYERS MONEY AND TO SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY. THAT'S WHAT WE HIRE PEOPLE FOR. AND IF SOMEBODY WANT A JOB HERE, LET'S HIRE 'EM. BUT THIS HERE IS NOT A JOB. THIS IS PAST THE JOB. THIS IS TAXPAYER'S MONEY. WE DON'T GET THE OPTION TO DO THINGS THAT ARE LUXURIOUS, LUXURIOUS TO US FOR THE SAKE OF WHAT WE WANT. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE ORDINANCE AS GOVERNOR. AND THE REASON THEY MADE THESE TYPE OF ORDINANCE IS SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T GET TO MAKE DECISION AND GET PERSONAL AND DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. OKAY. BUT, UH, ALL I HAVE THAT AND, UH, ACT FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE. MAYOR, MAY I SPEAK? BUT THAT'D BE ALL. MAYOR, MAY I SPEAK? YES, SIR. GO. RIGHT. OKAY. ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IS WE HAVE A, UH, SSIO FROM THE TCEQ AT SABINE PASS THAT REQUIRES US TO DO A MINIMUM OF 2000 FEET OF SEWER REPLACEMENT AND MANHOLE REPLACEMENTS. UH, UNDER THIS CONTRACT, MR. TOME PROVIDES THE DESIGN SERVICES FOR THAT CONTRACT, WHICH HE IS QUALIFIED TO DO. UH, WE ALSO HAVE A PENDING AG ACTION AND IT IMPACTS THE CITY SEWER SYSTEMS. HE DID THE FIRST CITYWIDE SEWER CONTRACT THAT WE FINISHED LAST YEAR. AND IN THIS CONTRACT, HE WILL DO THE SECOND CITYWIDE CONTRACT, ASSUMING THE COUNCIL APPROVES THIS CONTRACT. IF NOT, I WILL BE COMING TO COUNCIL WITH A CONTRACT BECAUSE HE IS AN APPROVED ENGINEER ON THE LIST. THAT WORK IS ABOUT 150,000 OF THE 192,000. SO IF YOU DEDUCT 150,000 FROM THE 192,000, HIS, UH, HOURLY WORK THAT HE DOES ON A WEEK, WHICH IS 15 HOURS A WEEK, IS ABOUT 42,000 A YEAR, WHICH COMES TO ABOUT $53 AN HOUR, WHICH IS PRETTY LOW RATE FOR A PHD STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. SO JUST LIKE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. SO WE ARE HIRING HIM TO DO SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER THE TCEQ REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO DO. OKAY. I UNDERSTAND CALVIN, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE I SAID, HE'S BEEN HERE SINCE 2018 AS A CONSULTANT. I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT, SIR. THAT WOULD BE THE ATTORNEY. NO, NO. WAIT A MINUTE. DETERMINE YOUR DON'T INTERRUPT ME, PLEASE. I DIDN'T INTERRUPT YOU, SIR. OKAY, I WILL. OKAY. I KNOW WE HIRED HIM BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ENGINEER. OKAY. AND JUST LIKE YOU'VE COME UP AND READ OFF THIS STUFF HERE, WE CAN HIRE HIM THIS YEAR. YOU'LL COME BACK NEXT YEAR AND DO THE SAME THING. BECAUSE IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT EVERY TIME THIS CONTRACT HAS COME UP, THAT HAS BEEN THE THING. DR. TOME HAS EVEN REACHED OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TELL US ALL THAT HE'S DOING. SURE. IT'S TO HIS BENEFIT, HE SAYS HE LOVE THE CITY, WANT TO HELP THE CITY SAVE THE CITY MONEY. AND I'M SAYING TAKE THE JOB. TAKE THE JOB. THESE STATISTICS, I HEAR THAT EVERY TIME. AND THAT'S WHY YOU UP THERE TELLING ME ABOUT IT. NICE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I JUST READ AN ORDINANCE AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT OURSELVES. WE HAVE TO RUN IT THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE RAN, NOT HOW WE FEEL AND BE PERSONAL. AND I DON'T [02:30:01] HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH WHAT DR. TOOMA HAD TO DO. I HAVE NEVER SAID THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS NOT DONE A GREAT JOB FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IT AIN'T HOW I FEEL ABOUT OUR, LIKE IT'S ABOUT FOLLOWING ORDINANCES AND IT'S ABOUT UNDERSTANDING IT'S NOT MY MONEY. AND AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO GET THE JOB DONE. WE HIRE YOU, YOU HAVE AN ASSISTANT ENGINEER, WE HAVE A, UH, JOHN, CAN I TELL WE HAVE THREE ENGINEERS. IF WE NEED MORE ENGINEER, WE'LL HIRE MORE ENGINEERS. IF THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, YOU ALL NEED TO BE A CAPE DOIT OR YOU NEED TO COME TO US AND GET SOMEBODY AND SAY, WE NEED TO CONTRACT. 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN CONTRACTING JOBS OUT. WE CONTRACT THINGS OUT HERE. OKAY? SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU ALL CAN'T DO IT, WE CONTRACT IT OUT. BUT TO HAVE SOMEBODY MAKING THAT KIND OF MONEY FOR THESE MANY YEARS, A CONSULTANT COMES IN AND TRAIN AND TEACH AND HELP PEOPLE SO THAT YOU COULD GET ON THE RIGHT COURSE, MOVE OUT. A PERSON THAT SAYS FIVE OR SIX YEARS IS LIKE A PERMANENT EMPLOYEE. THAT'S ALL THAT I SAID IT. I READ THIS OR, AND THIS THE LAST TIME, AND THIS IS ONLY COUNCILMAN DOUCEY. I DON'T SPEAK FOR THIS COUNCIL. AND I SAID WHAT I HAD TO SAY AND I JUST NEED TO ROLL, CALL, VOTE WHEN THAT WAS VOTE MAN. AND THAT'S ALL. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK. UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I WANTED TO ADD TO THIS WAS I UNDERSTAND, UM, EXACTLY WHAT COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE IS, UH, IS SAYING AND WHAT HE HAS READ. BUT LET ME SAY, UH, FROM HAVING BEEN ON THE COUNCIL, UH, FOR THESE PREVIOUS YEARS AND FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF, OF THE, OF THE CONTRACT, UM, EVERY TIME DR. TOME WAS HIRED, IT WAS FOR A DIFFERENT PROJECT. SO I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND WHY, UM, WHAT EXACTLY THE, THE, THE CHARTER SAYS. BUT IT WAS FOR A DIFFERENT PROJECT. WHEN WE FIRST GOT HERE, WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE ON THE COUNCIL, HE WAS HIRED FOR THE LANDFILL. THE LANDFILL PROJECT WAS, WAS PUT ON, UH, WAS PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE WE WERE PUTTING IN THE WEIGHT SCALE, WE WERE DOING THE SALES, WE WERE DOING ALL OF THAT WORK AT THE LANDFILL. SO THAT WAS THE INITIAL PROJECT. THEN AFTER THAT HAPPENED AND TRANSPIRED, THEN IT MOVED TO THE WASTEWATER PROJECTS. SO IT WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HE'S DOING RIGHT NOW. AND SO IT HAS GROWN THE COURT. THE THING THAT I LOOK AT AND, AND THIS IS JUST ME, UH, I'M LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE IS VALUE ADDED TO THE CITY. WHAT DOES THE CITY GET? UM, WHEN WE RENEW A CONTRACT OR WHEN WE RENEW SOMEONE'S CONTRACT, IS THERE VALUE BEING ADDED TO THE CITY? AND THE QUESTION IS, WHAT DO WE LOSE IF WE DON'T, UM, IF WE DON'T, UH, RE-IMPLEMENT, UH, THE CONTRACT, SURE, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO WHATEVER WE WANT TO DO, BUT WHAT DO WE LOSE? WHAT DO WE ADD? THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT WE HAVE TO ASK. THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS. THAT PORTION ABOUT TO TWO YEARS. IT SAID MAY OR MAY NOT, SHALL NOT EXCEED. SHALL NOT MAY. HUH? IT SAYS SHALL, SHALL NOT, MAY SHALL NOT EXCEED TWO YEARS. THIS. SO THE CONTRACTS ARE, UH, HE'S, THEY HAVE RENEWED EVERY TWO YEARS OR ONE YEAR. CALVIN EXCUSE. HOW LONG IS THIS CONTRACT? HIS CONTRACT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WAS A ONE YEAR CONTRACT. IT WAS WITH RENEWABLE FOR ONE YEAR. SO IT WAS RENEWED. IT HAS EXPIRED. SO THAT WAS A TWO YEAR CONTRACT. PREVIOUS CONTRACT. IT'S EXPIRED AS A, THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT. I I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS TWO ONE YEAR CONTRACTS, TWO ONE YEAR CONTRACTS. THAT WOULD BE MY UNDERSTANDING. I MEAN, ROXANNE COULD CLARIFY IT IF WE EXTENDED AN EXISTING ONE YEAR CONTRACT UNDER A CLAUSE IN THE CONTRACT. SO IS THAT A TWO YEAR CONTRACT OR A ONE YEAR, TWO ONE YEAR CONTRACTS? I DON'T KNOW. IT'S A ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH A ONE YEAR OPTION FOR RENEWAL. ONE YEAR OPTION. MY DR. DR. HAMMOND HAMMOND IS, IS BEEN AN ASSET TO THE CITY. OKAY. AND I'VE TOLD, I'VE STATED THAT HE, NUMBER OF TIMES I'VE HEARD THAT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. I'VE HEARD IT FROM THE PREVIOUS ACTING [02:35:01] CITY MANAGER. CONFLICT OF INTEREST. AND I, I'VE HEARD IT HERE THE PAST YEAR OR SO. WHAT I DID, I WENT TO THE, NOT YOU YOUNG LADY, THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. AND I HAD THEM TO PULL ME TO CONFLICT OF INTEREST, CONTRACTS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST LAWS. AND I READ ALL OF THEM. HE SAID HE DOESN'T VOTE ON ANYTHING. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THAT WAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, NOT BASED ON THE DOCUMENTATION I GOT FROM THE, THE PREVIOUS CITY ATTORNEY. NOTHING IN ADDITION TO THAT. HE DOESN'T VOTE ON ANYTHING. IF HE, IF HE HAD, IF SOMETHING CAME UP AND HE HAD TO VOTE ON IT, LIKE A CITY COUNCILMAN. IF, IF SOMETHING COMES UP A CITY COUNCIL HAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN, YOU HAVE TO RECUSE YOURSELF. GET YOURSELF OUTTA THE ROOM. THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. IT'S NOT ILLEGAL. BE IT'LL BE ILLEGAL IF YOU VOTE ON IT OR YOU PARTICIPATE OR YOU GET INVOLVED IN OTHER THINGS. BUT HE DOES NONE OF THESE THINGS. I HAVE CALLED UP ON THIS, THIS, THIS, UH, THIS CONSULTANT AND HE MAKE DON SURE MAY NOT BE HIS ON HIS SCOPE OF THING. HE MAKE DON SHOW THAT HE GET, GET WHAT I WANT DONE TO THE PROPER PEOPLE. SAVE ME A LOT OF TIME. I DON'T HAVE A SECRETARY THAT DO ALL THESE RUNNING ARROWS FROM, I GOT, I GOT THINGS THAT I DO IN MY PERSONAL LIFE. OKAY? THAT'S ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE TO ME. THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I SPEND MY TIME. BUT I HAVE YET TO READ ANY DOCUMENTS, WHETHER HAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. I HAVE THEM. MAYBE YOU ALL HAVE NOW AFTER I'VE READ ALL THAT. AND YOU SEE THIS, THIS INFORMATION HERE, THIS IN HERE THAT WAY SAVED THE CITY. AND WHAT, AND I TOLD HIM, I SAID, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM. EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD HAVE TWO OR THREE OF HIM TO CHECK DETAILS AND WHATEVER. AND THAT KEEP THE STAFF ON THEIR TOES. I HAVE NO PROBLEM. BUT THERE IS NO CON I'M NOT GOING TO DISRUPT THIS CONTRACT BECAUSE THE LONGEVITY OF FROM PROJECT TO PROJECT, I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT. WE GOT TOO MANY PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW. WE GOT A A $375 MILLION MONIES. WE NEED TO, FOR THE NEXT 15, FOR THE NEXT 15 TOTAL YEARS. WE HAVE HAVE TO FIND $25 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DISRUPT THIS. I WANT THIS THING TO FLOW. THERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS ABOUT AMENDING THE WATER BILLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO TRY TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS MONEY. IT, IT HAS TO BE DONE. AND THE MY PHONE IS RAINING OFF THE HOOK. DO NOT PUT IT. DO NOT. AND THEY LITERALLY THREATEN YOU. YOU DON'T DO NOT INCREASE OUR WATER BILL. SO BILL, WHAT YOU TALK ABOUT THAT IN? IT'S ALL PART OF THE WHOLE, OKAY, I'LL CUT IT BACK. THAT'S ALL PART OF THE WHOLE, BUT ANYWAY, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE CONTRACT. I'M NOT GOING TO DISRUPT THIS CONTRACT. WE AT A POINT THINGS NEED TO CONTINUE TO FLOW TRAINING PEOPLE. THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE. BUT THINGS NEED TO FLOW AND GET DONE QUICKLY. AND I, I'M NOT AT ODDS WITH COUNCILMAN DE SAID HE GOT HIS OPINION ABOUT THINGS. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S AND THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM. AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. OKAY. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S WHAT ELSE? OKAY. UH, COUNCILWOMAN HAVE A FEEL. I THINK WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR A VOTE. MAYOR, YOU, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, MA'AM, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR OUR VOTE. OH, YES. MR. DOUCETTE REQUESTED A, A ROLL CALL VOTE AND, AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH YOU. OKAY. UH, AND HE ASKED FOR A ROLL CALL. I HAVE NO PROBLEM, SIR. WITH ROLLING AND CALLING. GO RIGHT AHEAD. MAYOR PROTO BECKHAM. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER ETT? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER. FRANK? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON AFIELD. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS? YES. MAYOR BARTY. YES. MEASURE PASSES MAYOR. AND YOU GONNA SAY WHERE YOUR LITTLE PART MEASURE PASSES OR SOMETHING? YOU [02:40:01] SAID IT. I I CAN'T HEAR IT. YOU, YOU SAID IT. OKAY. I DON'T NEED NO HEARING AID. DIDN'T NEED TO TALK LOUD. YEAH, I HEARD THAT. I HEARD THAT. ASK MY CHILDREN THAT TO TELL THEM THE SAME THING. OKAY. ASK YOUR CHILDREN. YOUR CHILDREN. WAIT A MINUTE. [VIII.A.(2) P.R. No. 23967 – A Resolution Appointing And/Or Reappointing A Member Or Members To The Port Arthur Police Chief Advisory Committee (Requested By Councilmember Hamilton Everfield)] NOW WE HAD, UH, THE NEXT ITEM, PR NUMBER 23 9 6 7 IS A RESOLUTION APPOINTING AND OR WE APPOINTED A MEMBER OR MEMBERS TO THE PORT ARTHUR, UH, POLICE CHIEF ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AND IT'S REQUESTED BY COUNCILMAN HAMILTON EVER FIELD. YOU READY FOR? YEAH. THANK YOU MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO REMI, WE NEED A MOTION TO GET THE ITEM ON THE FLOOR. SO MOVED. THANK YOU. SECOND. YEP. OH, I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T EVEN DO ALL THAT OUT. ALL. JUST DON'T KNOW MAN. IT GET ELONGATED. ALRIGHT, SO WE WE DID ALL THAT. WE GOT A THANK YOU SIR. MOTION SECOND. YEAH, COME ON. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, I AM JUST FOLLOWING THROUGH TO ASK FOR MR. LEWIS, MR. DOUCETTE AND MR. KINLAW TO WELL ACT YES, SIR. MR. KINLAW TO PLEASE, UM, UPDATE THEIR APPOINTEES BECAUSE THEY HAVE TWO HAVE EXPIRED FOR THE POLICE ADVISORY COMMISSION. COUNCIL MEMBER. I HAVE NAMES FOR ALL THOSE POSITIONS. OKAY, GREAT. 'CAUSE THEN THE RESOLUTION, IT DIDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION. IT HAS THAT THEY EXPIRED NOT SEPTEMBER 27TH, SO I WOULDN'T KNOW. OKAY. SO THAT'S GREAT. YOU, YOU HAVE THE CORRECT INFORMATION. YES. SECRETARY COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS IS REAPPOINTING JOANNE JONES AND REGINALD TRAINER. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, COUNCIL MEMBER DE SAID I WAS GIVEN A NOTE ON THIS THAT YOU'RE REAPPOINTING ALAN ALKA AND GLORIA SANCHEZ. YES. OKAY. AND COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW IS REAPPOINTING. MIKE MASON AND LANGSTON ADAMS. THAT'LL BE ALL COURT. MAYOR . YEAH. LEMME JUST ADD ONE THING. I DISCOVERED THIS AT THE LAST POLICE, UH, POLICE CHIEF ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING, THAT SOME OF THE MEMBERS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR TERM OUT DATE IS. SO IF WE COULD BE SURE AS INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE LET OUR PEOPLE THAT WE'VE APPOINTED, NOT JUST ON THIS COMMITTEE, BUT ON ALL THE COMMITTEES, KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA TURN OUT ON CERTAIN DATES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE REAPPOINT THEM. BECAUSE AT THAT LAST MEETING, THERE WERE SIX PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE, OR FIVE PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE THAT HAD TURNED OUT SO THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS, BUT THEY COULDN'T VOTE. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT A LAPSE LIKE THAT IN OUR, IN OUR APPOINTEES SO THAT WE KEEP UP WITH THOSE DATES. SO, COMING UPON US, MAYOR WILL, WHY DON'T WE ADD THAT TO OUR TASKS THAT WE DO WHEN WE SWEAR THE BOARD MEMBERS IN? YES, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT. THAT'D BE A GOOD PLACE TO DO IT. YEAH. JUST LET THEM KNOW SO THAT WE CAN KNOW AND YOU GUYS CAN HELP US. YES, MA'AM. SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY LAPSES LIKE THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILMAN? UH, LAW. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AND ALSO PUTTING THIS IN THE GUMBO, UH, SHERRY, UH, THE DATES, UH, I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN AND WHO SETS THE DATES. MY CONCERN WITH THE APPOINTEE THAT I HAD, THAT I DID, UH, MAYOR PROTE, I DID TALK TO ONE OF MY APPOINTEES ABOUT THE DATES BECAUSE AS HIS JOB, HE NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT HE TAKE TIME OFF TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS. SO I DON'T KNOW WHO SETS THE DATES FOR THE MEETINGS, BUT IF THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALSO PROVIDE AT AN EARLY TIME FOR, I'LL GET WITH THE POLICE CHIEF. I BELIEVE HE'S THE ONE THAT SETS THOSE, BUT WE'LL TRY TO FACILITATE. SO HIS SCHEDULE MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU AGAIN, MAYOR. AGAIN. UM, APOLOGIES TO THE COUNSELORS, BUT THAT WAS NOT PROVIDED IN THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR MAKING SURE THAT YOU, UH, MADE THOSE CALLS. OKAY. SO WE DON'T NEED TO VOTE ON ANY, ANY OF THOSE NAMES, DO WE? THEY'VE ALREADY, YOU'RE GOOD? YEAH. I JUST SEE YOUR LIPS MOVING. THEY WILL THEY'LL BE INCLUDED WHEN WE ADOPT THE RESOLUTION. THANK YOU. YES. THE UPDATED NAMES THAT WERE PROVIDED TO THE CITY SECRETARY WILL BE INCLUDED WHEN WE UPDATE THIS RESOLUTION TONIGHT. BOTH SIDES, WHATEVER Y'ALL SAID, I GUESS IT'S RIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WE'RE READY FOR THE THOSE SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ADOPT THE NAMES THAT THESE WE READY? VOTE. WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WE GOOD? WHOEVER THEY ARE. [VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 23980 – A Resolution Casting Votes For The Board Of Directors Of The Jefferson Central Appraisal District For The 2025 And 2025-2027 Term] OKAY. NOW WE AT, UH, PAGE EIGHT. AM I CORRECT? YEAH. UM, UH, UH, 23, UH, NINE 80. THAT THE RESOLUTION, UH, CASTING VOTES FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE JEFFERSON COUNTY APPRAISED THE DISTRICT FOR 2025 AND THE 2025 THROUGH 27TH TURN. AND, UH, PRESIDENT, WE GET ON THE FLOOR, WE'LL GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. COUNCILMAN [02:45:01] MCKINNA. SO MAYOR AND SECOND COUNCILMAN FRANK. SECOND. WE GET, UH, APPROVED IN SECOND. NOW, MAY, MAY, IF, IF, UH, READY FOR QUESTION AND I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT. ON, ON THE QUESTION PART. I HAVE THE DOCUMENT. THEY MAILED IT TO ME, UH, TODAY. I WAS ASKING FOR IT. OKAY. WE, UH, UH, WE HAD, UH, NOMINATED, I GUESS THAT'S THE RIGHT TERM. COUNCILMAN, UH, I MEAN, FORMER COUNCILMAN MARK, HE SERVED ON THERE LAST YEAR FOR US. HE'S THERE AGAIN. NOW THERE, THEY HAVE SENT A LIST OF NAMES. I DON'T, I, AND I DIDN'T LOOK IN IN OUR BOOKLET TO SEE IF THEY WERE IN THERE. I JUST HAD A LETTER ON MY DESK. UH, I THINK IT'S SIX INDIVIDUALS NAMES. I HAVE ONLY FIVE CAN BE, UH, ELECTED. NOW WHAT WE HAVE IS THERE ARE TWO PORT AUTHORS, BUT IT'S THE NUMBER OF VOTES THAT WE HAVE. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT I'M NOT A MATHEMATICIAN. THE, THE TOTAL WAY THAT THEY, THEY, THEY, UH, CALCULATE THE NUMBER OF VOTES. WE ONLY HAVE, I RECALL 190 VOTES. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS 680 I THINK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UH, I THINK THE PORT HAS 110 OR 120. AND, UH, I THINK SABINE PASSED, ONLY HAS 10. AND THE PORT OF SABINE PASSED. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS. IF WE CAST ALL OF OUR VOTE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CAST HALF OF THE VOTES. WE COULD SPLIT THE VOTES OR WE COULD CAST ALL OF OUR VOTES. THE ONLY SITUATION THAT WE DO HAVE YOU ALL, UH, IS THAT WE COULD DO SPLIT THE VOTES AND MAY NOT GET OUR PERSON ON, OR WE CAN GO WITH ALL THE VOTES AND HOPEFULLY LET THE OTHER ENTITIES, UH, GO WITH THAT. AND, AND OUR INDIVIDUAL WILL, WILL RETURN NOW THEN THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO'S IN PORT ARTHUR MAY NOT RECEIVE ALL THE VOTE. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. BUT, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE OTHER, I GOT THE DEAL WITH THE ACTUAL, I DON'T HOW EACH ENTITY GETS THEIR, THEIR NUMBER OF VOTES. SO DO WE WANT TO DO THIS TONIGHT OR YOU ALL WANT ME TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE OTHER INFORMATION I SHARE IT. WHAT, WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST? I CAN'T RECALL. IT'S NEVER BEEN REALLY BEEN LIKE THIS ONE, I DON'T THINK SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. WELL, ONE THING TO CONSIDER, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING DATE FOR YOUR VOTES TO BE COUNTED. THERE IS A DEADLINE FOR GETTING THIS IN, SO I DON'T BELIEVE, I BELIEVE NOVEMBER THE SIXTH WOULD TAKE US PAST THE DEADLINE. NO, I SAW ON THE LETTER THAT I RECEIVED SAID DECEMBER 16TH OR SOMETHING. OKAY. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE IN THAT TIMEFRAME. YEAH. AND HE SAID BY THAT TIME WE WOULD'VE TO LET THEM KNOW. SO THAT, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THIS BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD THAT LONG. I THOUGHT IT REALLY HAD, IF, IF WE CAN YES SIR, WE CAN. IF EVERYBODY WANTED TO REVIEW WHAT WE HAVE AND YOU COULD BE PRIVY TO WHAT THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE, I DON'T MIND SHARING IT AND THEN WE COULD, YOU KNOW, MAKE A CONCERTED DECISION. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I WOULD SAY THAT ALL OUR POST SCHOOL IS ONE PERSON. I'M JUST BEING HONEST, BECAUSE HE WAS ON THERE REPRESENTING EVERYBODY BEFORE. NOW THERE'S A, THERE'S AN OPTION THAT, THAT YOU CAN MAKE, BUT YOU ALL DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. SO YOU, YOU, WE WOULD TABLE THIS ATTORNEY. I MOVE THAT WE TABLE THE MOTION SO WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION SECOND. YEAH. YEAH. AND I CAN SHARE THAT. I, I GET, I CAN GET KRISTEN, NO QUESTION. I GET CHRIST TO SEND IT TO YOU TOMORROW. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. I'M, I'M, UM, I'M IN FAVOR OF TABLE IT, BUT I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. YEAH. WITH THE INFORMA, ARE YOU ABLE TO SEND THAT INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN SEE HOW THE BREAKDOWN IS? OH YEAH. IMMA GIVE YOU EVERYTHING THEY GAVE ME. YES. IT'S A LETTER EXPLAINING WHAT'S GOING ON. IT'S A LETTER SHOWING YOU THE SIX CANDIDATES AND THEN IT'S A LETTER GIVING YOU HOW THOSE VOTES ARE DISTRIBUTED. YES, SIR. UM, MY MAJOR QUESTION IS ABOUT THE OTHER ENTITIES THAT ALSO HAVE A VOTE AND IF THEY WILL BE IN SYNC WITH US PULLING OUR VOTES FROM THIS AREA SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW SUIT. I SPOKEN, I'VE SPOKEN, BUT I'M NOT, I'M NOT PRIVY TO IN THIS MEETING SAYING WHAT THEY TOLD ME. SO OUTSIDE I WOULD LIKE TO, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING ALL OF OUR VOTES TO YEAH. THAT SAME PERSON SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER CHANCE. OKAY. POSSIBLE. RIGHT. SO, BUT YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT IN THIS OPEN MEETING. I JUST WANT TO GET US ON ONE CALL. OKAY. SO WHAT I NEED TO DO TO GET THIS SECOND, FOR THE MOTION TO TABLE. SECOND, DID YOU MAKE, THANK YOU. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T HEAR BY A SECOND. APOLOGIES. OKAY. BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WILL TABLE THIS, UH, ITEM. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? OKAY. ITEM THIS TABLE. OKAY, [VIII.A.(4) P.R. No. 23981 – A Resolution Rescheduling The November 5, 2024 Regularly Scheduled Council Meeting ] NEXT WE HAVE, YEAH. OKAY. ITEM 23, WE ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS, UH, PR 23 9 81 [02:50:02] A RESOLUTION RESCHEDULED IN NOVEMBER 5TH, UH, 2024. MEET REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING. UH, I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL AND NOT, UH, CITY SECRETARY BEFORE I FINISH, IF YOU WANNA JUST SAY WE, I THINK I DID DIVULGE THAT WE WOULD DO IT ON WEDNESDAY AT, AND THAT WOULD BE AT A NINE O'CLOCK, I MEAN A NINE 30 MEETING OR, YES, SIR. THAT'S THE WAY THE RESOLUTION WAS. YES, IT WOULD BE WEDNESDAY MORNING, THE RECOMMENDATION AND THE RESOLUTION. AND THIS IS BECAUSE ELECTION DAY IS THAT DAY. HOWEVER, I KNOW I'VE ALREADY VOTED, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST WANT TO MAYBE ALL YOU WANT ME TO BE THE VOTED BY THAT DAY, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE HAD COUNCIL MEETING. OH, SO YOU MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A PROFESSIONAL FOR THE SIXTH AS WELL. WE, WE, WE READY BACK, GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN KEN LAW. STILL OVER. I GET A SECOND. COUNCILMAN FRANK SECOND. AND THE MOVEMENT SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR OF 23 9 81. WE READY FOR, UH, QUESTION TO THE QUESTION OR IN THE LIKE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE IT. SO THAT RESOLUTION IS, UH, [VIII.B.(1) P.O. No. 7283 – An Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. 24-51 – Section 3 To Correct Referenced Resolution And Ordinance Numbers As It Pertains To The Adoption Of The Budget For The City Of Port Arthur Section 4A Economic Development Corporation For The Fiscal Year Beginning October 1, 2024 And Ending September 30, 2025] APPROVED. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE ORDINANCES, ORDINANCE, UH, 72 83 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 24 51 OF SECTION THREE TO CORRECT, UH, REFERENCED RESOLUTION AND ORDINANCE NUMBERS, UH, AS IT PERTAINS TO THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. SECTION FOUR, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. COUNCILMAN LEWIS, MAY I GET A SECOND COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD SECOND. AND THEN MOVE IN SECOND. AND WE WOULD APPROVE P-R-O-P-O NUMBER 72 83. WE READY FOR QUESTION? AND THE QUESTION? READY VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYES HAVE IT. SO IT IS [VIII.B.(2) P.O. No. 7286 – An Ordinance As It Pertains To The Fire Department Staffing Levels] APPROVED. NEXT WE HAVE PO NUMBER 72 86. IT IS AN ORDINANCE AS IT PERTAINS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, STAFFING LEVELS. UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN ETT? SO MOVED. MAY I GET A SECOND? UH, MAYOR POEL SECOND. IT HAS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO 72 86 AS PRESENTED. UH, IT SHOULD BE READY FOR QUESTIONING DEUCE. YES, I HAVE A QUESTION. GO RIGHT AHEAD, MR. MITCHELL. UH, WHITE ASSISTANT CHIEF CU YEAH, I READ. ARE THESE, ARE ALL OF THESE POSITIONS THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING, ARE THOSE POSITIONS IN THE BUDGET? YES SIR. THEY ARE. WELL, WE APPROVE THE BUDGET. SO WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? SO MY UNDERSTANDING, THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THIS IS TO GET THIS FOR AS A CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. UM, WE HAVE A STAFFING ORDINANCE FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE UNTIL ORDER. IN ORDER TO GET THAT CHANGE, WE HAVE TO DO THIS, THE RESOLUTION. OKAY. AND APPEAL. THANK YOU. NO OTHER QUESTIONS. OKAY. ANY OTHER CITY MANAGER? YOU'RE LATE. WELL, JUST TO CLARIFY, CIVIL SERVICE LAW REQUIRES THAT THE CITY COUNCIL SET THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS IN ANY RANK. AND SO IT HAS TO COME TO THE CITY COUNCIL. YES. OKAY. BUT THEN WE HAVE THAT WITH THE, UH, BUDGET AND THE PERSONNEL CHART. PREVIOUS LEGAL OF GUIDANCE, IT SAID THAT THE BUDGET IS NOT THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS SET, THAT IT HAS TO BE SET BY A SEPARATE WITNESS. OKAY, THEN. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER READINESS? NO. WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES OUT THE PEO NUMBER 72 86 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NEXT, [VIII.B.(3) P.O. No. 7287 – An Ordinance Authorizing The Sale Of Surplus Furniture, By A Public Online Auction Through Rene Bates Auctioneers, Inc & Technology Equipment Through Global Asset, LLC] WE HAVE PO NUMBER 72 87, AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED IN THE SALE OF SURPLUS FURNITURE BY A PUBLIC ONLINE AUCTION THROUGH RENEE BATES AUCTIONEERS INCORPORATED AND TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT THROUGH GLOBAL ASSET LLC. I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. SO MOVED. MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN KENMORE SECOND MAYOR, WE MOVE TO SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO 72 87. UH, WE READY FOR QUESTIONING? WE DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES HAVE IT. SO PO NUMBER 72 87 IS APPROVED AS READ. [VIII.B.(4) P.O. No. 7288 – An Ordinance Requesting To Reconsider Proposed Ordinance No. 7281 Amending Chapter 110 (Utilities), Article II (Water), Division 3 (Service Charges And Billing), Sections 110-91 (Rate Schedule) And 110-92 (Consumers Outside City Not Having Special Contracts) Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of Port Arthur, As It Pertains To 7.0% Rate Increase For Residential, And 8.5% Rate Increase For Commercial And Industrial Customers, And Providing For Publication (Requested By Mayor Bartie And Councilmembers Hamilton Everfield And Frank Pursuant To Chapter 2, Article II, Division 1, Section 2-31(g) Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of Port Arthur)] AND NOW WE HAVE PO NUMBER, UH, 72 88. AN ORDINANCES REQUESTING TO RECONSIDER PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 72 81 AMENDING WATER, I MEAN CHAPS HILL, UH, ONE 10 UTILITIES ARTICLE TWO, WATER DIVISION THREE SERVICE CHARGES AND BILLING, UH, SECTION, UH, ONE 10 DASH 91 RATE SCHEDULE AND ONE 10 DASH 92. CUSTOMER, UH, CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE OF CITY NOT HAVING SPECIAL CONTRACTS, EXCUSE ME, OF THE CODE OF S EXCUSE ME, OF THE CITY OF PORT [02:55:01] ARTHUR AS IT PERTAINS TO 7%, UH, RATE INCREASE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND 8.5% RATE INCREASE FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS AND PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION. THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY MAYOR BARCE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS HAMILTON, EVER FIELD AND FRANK, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER TWO, ARTICLE TWO, DIVISION ONE, SECTION TWO DASH 31, SUBSECTION G OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN KEN LAW? SO MOVE, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK? SECOND. OKAY, MOVE TO SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE. UH, PO 7 8 2 88. UH, WE READY FOR QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, SIR. MAYOR, UM, UH, MYSELF, UH, YOU AND COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER, UH, EVER FEEL HAVE PLACED THIS BACK ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE AT THE LAST TIME WE VOTED FOR IT, I BELIEVE THAT NO ACTION WAS TAKEN BECAUSE IT WAS A THREE THREE, UH, IT WAS A THREE THREE TIE. AND SO NO ACTION WAS TAKEN ON THIS. BUT I WANTED TO BRING IT BACK BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING AND TRANSPIRE, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE IT UP AGAIN AND TO RECONSIDER, UH, WHAT IT IS EXACTLY THAT WE ARE DOING AND PERHAPS WHAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, FOR THE CITY, UH, OF PORT ARTHUR. ALL OF US ARE AWARE THAT OF WHAT HAPPENED AND TRANSPIRED WITH HURRICANE MILTON, UH, AND ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, AND THEY CONTINUE, UH, TO BE IN OUR PRAYERS. THE STATE OF KENTUCKY AND ALL OF THOSE, I THINK THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY, UH, SO MUCH AND SO WELL, UH, WITH, UH, WHAT THEY'RE ENDURING BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH IT, UM, ON, ON ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MOST RECENTLY, UH, WITH HURRICANE HARVEY. BUT, UH, WE ARE ONE HURRICANE AWAY, UH, FROM BEING IN A SITUATION, UH, LIKE THAT AGAIN, WE LIVE ON THE GULF COAST. AND SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS SO IMPORTANT. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT 'CAUSE IT'S AFFECTED ALL OF OUR CITY. UM, IT'S AFFECTED, UH, THE VESTA VILLAGE AND THE PORT ACRES AREA. IT'S AFFECTED TURTLE CREEK. OF COURSE, IT'S AFFECTED THE ENTIRETY OF OUR CITY. UM, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED A PIPE BURSTING CREW. WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE 40 INDIVIDUALS IN PRINCE HALL. WE KNOW THE, THE, UH, IN, IN, IN THE STONEGATE AREA, UM, THAT WE HAD LEAKS EVERYWHERE. AND SO ALL OF THAT WAS HAPPENING, TRANSPIRED. WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE AND WE KNOW WHAT HAS TO BE DONE. AND SO WHEN STAFF CAME BEFORE US, THEY, THEY TOLD US WITH, WITH, WITH DATA AND WITH FACTS WHERE WE ARE AND HOW MUCH MONEY WE NEEDED EVERY YEAR TO TO, IN ORDER TO GET OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND TO MAKE THE STRIDES FORWARD. UH, WITH THAT, I KNOW THAT ALL OF US HAVE SEEN PHONE CALLS ABOUT NOT WANTING A TAX INCREASE OR A RATE INCREASE RATHER, UH, FOR OUR, OUR RESIDENTIAL, UH, CITIZENS WITH THIS. BUT WE ARE EITHER GOING FORWARD OR WE ARE GOING TO GO BACKWARDS. AND TO DO NOTHING IS NOT A POSITION I BELIEVE THAT WE OUGHT TO BE LEFT IN. UM, UM, I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WELL, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE, WE HAVE MONEY AVAILABLE IN GENERAL FUND TO DO PROJECTS AND, AND THE LIKE. BUT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND STAFF HAS SAID TO US THAT IF WE, IF WE'RE HIT WITH A CATASTROPHE, WE HAVE TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF GENERAL FUND OR WE HAVE TO UTILIZE GENERAL FUNDS. THE DEPLETION OF OUR GENERAL FUND IS GOING TO AFFECT, AFFECT OUR TAX RATING. THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT IN, IN LIGHT OF IT, WE TOLD STAFF, GO FIND THE MONEY. WELL, STAFF HAS COME BACK AND SAID THAT WE CAN'T FIND THE MONEY. WE'VE LOOKED AT IT AS WELL, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT OUR CITY ATTORNEY HAS SHOWED US WITH, UH, THE 2% OF, UH, THE MONIES. BUT THAT'S GOING TO, THAT'S A YEAR AWAY, THAT'S A YEAR AWAY. AND WOULD TAKE US THE VOTE OF THE CITIZENS A YEAR AWAY TO PUT IT ON THE DOCKET AND THEN IT WOULD PUT US RIGHT BACK IN THE MIDDLE OF HURRICANE SEASON. SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? I WANT US TO RECONSIDER IT. I WANT US TO TAKE OUR CITIZENS, UM, SAFETY, UH, TAKE OUR CITIZENS IN CONSIDERATION, TAKE IN CONSIDERATION WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO, TO TO GO FORWARD, UH, AND TO LOOK AT THIS SO THAT WE CAN BEST SERVE OUR CITY. AND THEN TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY. UH, I'LL DO TOWN, I'LL DO TOWN MEETINGS AND GO PLACES AND EXPLAIN TO OUR CITIZENS WHY WE [03:00:01] NEEDED TO DO THIS, WHY IT WAS NECESSARY TO DO THIS. I DON'T WANT US TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE SOMETHING CATACLYSMIC HAPPENS AND THEN WE'RE ROLLING THE DICE, HOPING AND PRAYING THAT NOTHING HAPPENED. SOME HURRICANE HAPPENED OR SOME CATASTROPHE HAPPENED HAPPENED. SO I THINK PLEASE CONSIDER THIS. I KNOW IT'S A DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE PERHAPS POLITICALLY, BUT, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE PEOPLE, I THINK THIS IS THE IMPORTANT DECISION THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. COUNCILMAN ETT? YES, I AGREE WITH SOME OF WHAT COUNCILMAN FRANK SAID, BUT THE ONLY THING IS MOST OF THE THING THAT YOU SAID WAS REFERRING TO STAFF AND UH, YEAH, WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS SOMETIME, BUT OUR DECISIONS WE HAVE TO REMEMBER SHOULD BE BASED ON WHAT THE CITIZENS EXPECT US TO DO. THAT ELECTED US TO PUT US IN THESE CHAIRS. OKAY? I NEVER SAID I WAS AGAINST A WATER WAITING INCREASE, BUT THE FIRST WORKSHOP WE HAD WHEN IT CAME UP WITH 10%, WE DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR. THEY SAID 7.5. WHAT WE SAID TO THE STAFF AND THE CITY MANAGER, WHAT WE SAID TO THE STAFF AND CITY MANAGER, THOSE WHO, WHO WAS HERE, WE ALL AGREED, YOU ALL GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. YOU ALL TRY TO FIND SOME WAY THAT WE COULD REDUCE THIS AMOUNT OF BURDEN ON TAXPAYERS AND CITIZENS. THE REASON WE SAID THAT, BECAUSE THE REASON FOR THE INCREASE THAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR WAS NOT TO COVER THE INCREASE IN WHAT IT COST TO PRODUCE THE WATER. IT WAS WHAT IT COST TO PRODUCE THE WATER AND MAINTAIN IT, PLUS DO SOME PROJECTS. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, PROGRESS PROJECTS THAT WE ARE GONNA DO ARE THE PROJECTS THAT THE COUNCIL MANY YEARS AGO HAD NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT INCREASING THE WATER RATES IN PROPORTION TO WHAT IT COSTS TO SERVE THE CITIZENS. YOU SEE, THE RATE WE SET FOR ENTERPRISE FUND IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TO MAKE MONEY. WE CANNOT MAKE A PROFIT FROM THE ENTERPRISE FUND. IT'S TO PROVIDE THE COST TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE. BUT WE WANT TO TELL THE CITIZENS THAT WE NEED THIS RATE AND WE TELL 'EM WE NEED THIS RATE BECAUSE THIS WHAT IT COST US TO GIVE YOU THE WATER YOU NEED AND THAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR. BUT IN REALITY, IN REALITY, WHAT WE'RE ASKING TO PAY FOR IS ALL OF THE WATER THAT WE ARE TREATING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO THEM THAT WE KNOW IS GOING INTO THE GROUND. NO, IT'S NOT OUR FAULT. IT'S NOT THE STAFF FAULT, BUT IT IS THE PREVIOUS LEADERSHIP FAULT THAT WE ARE IN THIS POSITION. AND IF WE ARE IN THIS POSITION FROM PRIOR LEADERSHIP FAULT, IF WE NEED TO FIX THIS, DO WE NEED A COMBINATION OF CITIZENS HELPING TO FIX IT AND THE CITY WORKING TOGETHER OR IS JUST ABOUT THE CITIZEN? EVER SINCE THAT FIRST WORKSHOP, WE SAID GO BACK AND SEE WHAT YOU BRING TO US. THE NEXT WORKSHOP, IT WAS THESE PERCENTAGE, 7.5, THEN THE THIRD WORKSHOP, IT WAS 7%, 8.5. SO ALL I GOT BACK FROM STAFF WAS WHAT THEY INITIALLY BROUGHT TO ME. NOW THIS ABOUT WATER AND ALL THESE PROJECTS, THEY DON'T COME UP AT BUDGET TIME. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT STAFF NEED TO BE AWARE OF AND WE NEED TO START TRYING TO DO THINGS ABOUT THIS SO THAT WHEN WE GET TO BUDGET TIME, WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED AND WE ALSO HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO. WE ASK INDUSTRY FOR MONEY FOR THIS, FOR THAT, ALL THESE DONATIONS, I BE HERE, 200,000, 300,000. THEY WENT TO INDUSTRY AND ASKED FOR HELP. OKAY? I WAS ON COUNCIL IN 2013 WHEN [03:05:01] ACTUALLY WE GOT MONEY FOR SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER A COUNCIL ALLOWED THE FUND BALANCE TO GO BELOW THE REQUIRED FOR THE STATE. SO WHAT THEY DID, THEY GOT A A LOAN, THEY SAID IT WAS AN ADVANCED TAX. I SAID IT WAS A LOAN 'CAUSE YOU PAY INTEREST FOR IT. 60%. BUT HAVE THEY DISCUSSED THAT HELPING US THIS YEAR AND WE WILL TAKE IT OUTTA WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PAY US NEXT YEAR FOR TAXES. NO, BUT WHAT DID I HEAR? I HAVE NOT HEARD NOTHING BUT A PERCENTAGE EVERY TIME. SO, UH, I AGREE WITH YOU. IT'S SO, IT IS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. AND ALSO IN CLOSING, I JUST WANNA SAY I DON'T LIKE THE WAY WE PHRASE THINGS. EVEN IN THE, UH, BACKGROUND INFORMATION. WHEN I READ STUFF LIKE IF THIS DOESN'T PASS, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THIS OR WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT. THAT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN. THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY EMERGENCIES DEALING WITH PUBLIC HATE, HEALTH AND SAFETY. AND THAT'S NOT TALKING ABOUT WATER UTILITIES OR TALKING ABOUT ENTERPRISE FUNDS OR GENERAL FUNDS. IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CITIZENS. WHEN I HEAR ABOUT DISASTERS, WHEN DISASTER COME, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT OUR AGE GONNA BE AND WE GONNA BE ABLE TO GO IN OUR RESERVES. AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, WE WON'T BE THE ONLY CITY OF STATE THAT HAD HAD A DISASTER. YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THE, THE HURRICANE. WHAT, UH, UH, BUR MILTON, YES, THEY HAPPENED. WE CAN'T STOP THOSE THINGS FROM HAPPENING. AND WHEN YOU TELL ME IF YOU PASS THIS, THEN WE WON'T HAVE NO WATER PROBLEM. WE WON'T HAVE NO, UH, DELAY. I THINK THE WORD WAS USED IN THE BACK. WE WON'T HAVE DELAY, UH, INTERRUPTION AND WATER SERVICE. WE CAN PROVE A 20% INCREASE. YOU CAN'T SAY THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE THINGS THAT I HAVE ABOUT AND THAT'S WHY IT SAYS STRAIGHT. BUT LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT GONNA, I'VE TALKED ENOUGH EVERY TIME IT CAME ABOVE US, BUT EVERYTHING WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT, THIS IS ABOUT THE THIRD ITERATION OF IT, THIRD ITERATION. AND THE ONLY THING THAT I'VE ALWAYS ASKED FOR FROM DAY ONE IS THAT THE CITY CAN SHOW CITIZENS THAT WE GONNA HAVE TO SQUEEZE THE BELT AND WE GOING TO DO THIS AS OPPOSED TO KEEP COMING BACK WITH THIS SAME PERCENTAGE. LIKE THAT'S LIFE AND DEATH. I'M NOT FINDING IT. OKAY. COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YEAH. SO PORT ARTHUR KNEW WHAT TO DO. WHAT DO PORT ARTHUR'S RESIDENTS WANT FOR THEIR CITY? PORT ARTHUR SEEK RESIDENTS INPUT FOR FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT START TOMORROW NIGHT. WAIT TO SEE WHAT THEY WANNA SAY ABOUT THIS WATER INCREASE TOMORROW NIGHT. WHY YOU WANNA DO IT TODAY? NOW I HAVE A BETTER PLAN, BUT I CAN'T, I'M GOING TO GO OVER THERE TO THE EDC AND, AND VISIT WITH MY, MY APPOINTEE. THEY CAN HELP US, BUT IT'S UP TO THEM TO, TO INITIATE IT. OKAY? AND IT HAS TO GO TO THE BALLOT. NOW WHAT WE NEED, WE NEED $25 MILLION FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS OR 375 MILLION. IT'S GOING TO COST A BIO AND FINANCE DIRECTOR THE, TO SERVICE THE DEBT ON THE BOND FOR 20, FOR 25 MILLION BY ONE POINT, 1.9 MILLION, 1.9 MILLION. THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA COST ANNUALLY. BUT IF WE GO, IF WE PUT IT ON THE WATER FUND, GUESS WHAT? WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO INCREASE IT EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF INFLATION. NOW, IF I'M, IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN CONVINCING THE EDC TO COME ALONG AND HELP US, GUESS WHAT? AT 1.8 WHAT THEY ARE GETTING, WE JUST, THEY GETTING SEVEN, 7 MILLION A YEAR. IF THEY LET US HAVE 3.5, THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE BONDS IS CALLED TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR IS 1.9. WE HAVE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO, TO OFFSET THE INFLATION. AND NOW ONCE THAT WE CANNOT OFFSET THE INFLATION FROM THE MONEY THAT WE GETTING FROM THE EDC. IF THEY COOPERATE IT HAS TO GO TO THE VOTERS. WE CAN'T, IF WE CAN THEN COME BACK THREE TO FIVE YEARS, WE CAN THEN COME BACK AND ADJUST THE, THE, THE WATER AND SEWAGE RATE ONE, ONE OR 2% TO OFFSET THE INFLATION. [03:10:03] BUT THEY, THEY GET 6 MILLION A YEAR OVER THERE. SO LET'S GO TALK WITH 'EM. EVERYBODY TALK, TALK TO, LET'S TALK TO THE, TALK TO YOUR APPOINTEES. WE CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AT NO EXPENSE TO THE TAX BAIL, TO THE, TO THE, THE RATE BAILS ON, ON WATER AND SEWAGE. WE CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. NOW THEY SAY, OH YEAH, IT'S, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BY, WAIT, WELL THEY GOT 9 MILLION. LOAN US THREE, 3.5 LOAN US 3.5 MILLION UNTIL WE WORK A PLAN OUT UNTIL WE GET IT ON THE BALLOT. LOAN IT TO US. OKAY, YOU WANT, COME ON. I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP THAT, JUST SO THAT COUNCIL IS AWARE OF IT. WE HAVE A, UH, T-C-E-Q-C, WHICH IS A SPECIAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT. IT IS A, AN AGREEMENT TO DO A PROJECT IN LIEU OF A FINE, THERE WAS A MAJOR OVERFLOW ON 365 YEARS AGO AND IT, THEY WERE NOT VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT. WE SHOULD HAVE THE CONSTRUCT THAT PROJECT IN CONSTRUCTION ACCORDING TO THE AGREEMENT. BUT FLOYD TELLS ME, I MEAN I GOT HERE, WE WE GOT IT STARTED, WE HAVE IT DESIGNED AND WE BID IT TO DO THE FORCE MAIN, WHICH IS THE ACTUAL SET PROJECT IS $2.7 MILLION. WE HAVE A WINDOW HERE THAT WE CAN AWARD IT IF, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT THE CONTRACTOR WON'T HOLD THE PRICE. UH, AS PART OF THIS DESIGN, WE LOOKED AT THE ENTIRE AREA AROUND STONEGATE AND 365 THAT THIS PUMP STATION SERVES. AND IT, WE INCREASED THE SIZE OF THE FORCE MAIN TO HANDLE FUTURE GROWTH FOR THAT AREA. 'CAUSE THAT IS A MAJOR GROWTH AREA FOR THE CITY. AND WE REALLY NEED TO BUILD A PUMP STATION. 'CAUSE THE EXISTING PUMP STATION HAS, DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY TO GET THE MINIMUM VELOCITIES IN THE NEW FORCE VEIN. BUT WE CAN DELAY THE PUMP STATION NEED BE, UH, THE PUMP STATION WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL 1.4 MILLION. SO AS A MINIMUM WE NEED TO GO WITH A 2.7 BECAUSE WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FINE IS. IF WE FAIL TO LIVE UP, I COULD GET THAT INFORMATION AND SEND IT TO YOU. I TALKED WITH LYNN, I, YOU KNOW, AND SAID, HEY, YOU GOT 2.7 MILLION THAT I CAN USE. AND SHE ASSURES ME THERE IS NO WAY THE GENERAL FUND CAN FUND 2.7 MILLION. SO, AND SHE'S HERE, UH, ALSO IN THE INDUSTRY, JUST, JUST SO YOU, I MEAN WE SELL WATER AND WE TREAT SEWAGE. THAT'S ALL I CAN SELL. I'M A CANDY SHOP AND I HAVE THAT, THAT'S MY CANDY OFFERING. I CAN'T LEVY TAXES OR ANYTHING. SO WHEN I COME IN HERE WITH A PERCENT RATE INCREASE, IT'S 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL I GOT. I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANY CONNECTION TO TAXES. SO, UH, AND, AND THAT'S THE SEVEN. THE, THE 7.5 CAME OUT OF THE FIRST WORKSHOP. I, I WALKED OUT OF THERE THINKING THAT WAS WHAT Y'ALL WERE THINKING. I'M SORRY, I MISREAD THE THING. AND THAT'S WHEN WE CAME BACK. UH, THAT'S WHERE THE 7.5 CAME FROM. I MISUNDERSTOOD A CONVERSATION BETWEEN COUNSEL AND RON. UH, WE, WE WENT TO LOOK AT THE OTHER WAYS TO FUND IT USING INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL. SO WE IN GENERAL FUNDS, WE DO ABOUT 40 MILLION IN SALES. UH, OF THAT 7 MILLION IS CHENE, TWO AND A HALF MILLION IS ALL THE REST OF THE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL. AND A LITTLE OVER 30 MILLION IS RESIDENTIAL. SO OUR CUSTOMER BASE FOR OUR CANDY SHOP IS RESIDENTIAL. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO WE, WE CAN, THAT'S, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE RATIO OF EIGHT AND A HALF AND SEVEN TO RE REDUCE RESIDENTIAL, A HALF A PERCENT, WE HAD TO HIT INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL WITH A 1%. AND THE BULK OF THAT IS CHENE. I MEAN, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO CHENE. I'M SURE THEY'LL BE QUITE HAPPY TO LOSE THAT PROFIT, BUT THAT'S WHERE IT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY. I MEAN OKAY, DECIDE. YEAH. YEAH, CALVIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU SAYING TODAY IS SOMETHING THAT I EXPECTED TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL, THE SECOND WORKSHOP AND THAT IS TAKING, TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO. OKAY. BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE, THE LINE THAT WE KEPT HEARING IS THAT WE SELECTED THE 30 MILLION A YEAR OPTION. THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL DID. YES, WE DID. BUT WE ALSO MENTIONED THAT TIME WHEN WE ACCEPTED THAT, WE SAID IT IN THE MEETING, IT'S IN THE MINUTES THAT WE WANT 30, BUT IF WE GET FUNDING AND STUFF, MORE FUNDING, WE WOULD DO MORE. WE ALSO SAID IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT MUCH FUNDING, WE WOULD DO LESS. OKAY. [03:15:01] SO I THINK WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR FROM STAFF IS TO COME BACK WITH, UH, A LIST OF THINGS THAT WE COULD GET DONE AND NOT LOOKING FOR A 25 MILLION AND THEN TAKING A LOOK AT A PERCENT A, A PERCENTAGE RAISED THAT WE COULD HAVE RAISED. AND I GO BACK AND LOOK AT CITIZENS. OKAY? I'M NOT WILLING TO, UH, APPROVE A, A A A RATE THAT I KNOW, UH, WE WAY WATER, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS, WE CAN EXPLAIN THINGS TO 'EM, BUT IT'S PRETTY HARD TO EXPLAIN THINGS TO CITIZENS WHEN THEY SEE THEIR WATER BEING CONSTANTLY TURNED OFF BECAUSE WE GOT BREAKS. SO IT IS A LOT OF WATER. THEY KNOW THAT WE ARE MISSING. I HEAR 'EM TALK ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW, THEY GOT, THEY WANT US TO PAY FOR ALL THESE LEAKS, FIRE HYDRANTS, THEY CALL US CONSTANTLY. WELL, THEY CALL ME, THEY CALL ME BECAUSE FIRE HYDRANTS ARE LEAKING. WELL, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THAT WATER THAT'S BEEN TREATED. OKAY. I HAVE A, A PICTURE THAT I'LL BE GIVING TO, UM, DR. TIP THIGPEN IS CIRCULATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHEREBY, UH, UH, SOME COMPANY, UH, IS PEOPLE WITH THE PROJECTS OUT THERE TAKING WATER FROM A FIRE HYDRANT ON 61ST AND STUFF. THE KILLING PART ABOUT IT, THE HOLES THAT THEY CONNECTED TO THE TRUCK IS SPILLING MORE WATER OUT THAN ACTUALLY SHOULD BE GOING IN THE TRUCK. AND THE CITIZENS ARE SEEING THAT AND THE COMMENTS THEY'RE MAKING. THIS DOES, EXCUSE ME SIR, DOES THE, DOES THE FIRE ENGINE HAVE A METER ON IT? SO IT'S FELONY THEFT OF WATER? NO, NO, NO DOUBT WHEN THAT DIDN'T, NO. DID THEY CALL THE POLICE? THAT'S FELONY THEFT. YEAH, BUT NO, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, OKAY, YOU SAY THAT THEFT, SO LET ME TALK ABOUT THE FIRE HYDRANTS THAT THEY NOT TAKING WATER FROM THIS LEAKING. OKAY, LET ME TALK ABOUT THE MAINS, THOSE VIDEOS. BUS AND WE TURN WATER OFF, BUT WE LOSING WATER. OKAY, LET ME TALK ABOUT THE PIPES IN THE GROUND THAT'S LEAKING. THAT DOESN'T COME TO THE SURFACE, BUT WE LOSING WATER. SO BASICALLY WE USING A LARGE PERCENT OF WATER. OKAY? SO WHEN CITIZENS STARTED COMPLAINING ABOUT BEING FAIR TO THEM, I THINK WHAT I WANT TO DO, I WANT TO LOOK THEM IN THE EYE AND SAY, LOOK, THE COST FOR THESE CHEMICAL COSTS GOES UP EVERY YEAR. THE COST OF BUY WATER GOES UP. THE MATERIAL THAT WE HAVE TO USE TO REPAIR THINGS GOES UP EVERY YEAR JUST LIKE INFLATION AND EVERYTHING. BUT THAT'S A FLAT RATE. OKAY? THAT'S NOT 10 TO DO ALL THE STUFF THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE YEARS AGO AND YOU DIDN'T DO. THAT'S MY PROBLEM. I MEAN, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, HAMILTON EVER FIELD? YES SIR. MAYOR, I DON'T MIND TO DEFER FOR MR. CALVIN TO ASK THE QUESTION. WHATEVER HE, HIS COMMENT IS, I'M OKAY WITH THAT. IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT, WHAT YOU SAY? SAY THAT AGAIN. MR. CALVIN SAID THAT HE HAD A QUESTION. YES. I DON'T MIND TO DEFER TO ALLOW HIM TO ASK HIS QUESTION BEFORE MY RESPONSE. I, I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. THERE ARE A LOT OF LEAKS. THERE ARE A LOT OF BAD FIRE HYDRANTS. IT'S LIKE ANYTHING THAT'S VERY OLD THAT HAS HAD VERY POOR MAINTENANCE. BUT IF YOU WANT TO FIX IT, IT'S LIKE YOUR CAR. MY CAR HAS A LEAKING RADIATOR HOSE AND I'M FIXING TO SPEND PROBABLY $200 ON IT. I MEAN, YOU CAN'T FIX LEAKING. I SPENT ALL MORNING ON WOODWAY LOOKING AT A CAST IRON PIPE THAT'S DRIPPING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET IT FIXED ACROSS THE NEW ROAD. BUT IT TAKES MONEY. IN THIS INSTANCE, IT'S ABOUT $200,000. I I MEAN, IT'S JUST TO FIX A LEAKING PIPE COSTS A LOT OF MONEY. AND WE HAVE, IT IS PART OF THIS PROJECT. IT'S ONE THE FIRST THIRD OF THE 50, WELL, 56 WATER LINES NOW THAT ARE, WERE IDENTIFIED IN 2011, 2009 THAT WERE NEVER REPLACED. I, I, I WASN'T HERE. I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WASN'T REPLACED. IT JUST, I KNOW IT WASN'T REPLACED. WE HAVE SPENT HOURS GOING THROUGH OLD RECORDS TO TRY TO IDENTIFY WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO THAT WE CAN PLAN FORWARD. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT WITHOUT MONEY. WE, WE DID A PRESENTATION OF WHAT IT'S GONNA COST AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU GET THAT MONEY OTHER THAN THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THE PIPES AND THE SEWER LINES AND ALL OF THAT, WHICH ARE THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. OH, THAT WAS MY COMMENT. OKAY. YES, SIR. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. UM, MR. CALVIN USED THE EXAMPLE OF HIS CAR RADIATOR [03:20:01] HOSE NEEDING TO BE FIXED. WE HAVE REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED. SO IF WE CONTINUE, WE CANNOT DRIVE A CAR FROM 1956 AND EXPECT NOT TO HAVE REPAIRED IT. WE HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO REPAIR OUR UNDERGROUND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE THE SAME WAY WE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO REPAIR AN OLD HOUSE OR AN OLDER CAR. SO IT IS NOT THAT WE WANT TO, BUT IN THE EVENT, SOMEONE, IF YOUR MAMA GAVE YOU A CAR, THANK YOU TO YOUR MAMA FOR GIVING YOU A CAR. BUT IF IT'S OLD AND NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED, IF YOU WANNA DRIVE IT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUT SOME MONEY INTO IT FOR REPAIRS. THANK GOD OUR CITIZENS HAVE THIS COMMUNITY. OUR ANCESTORS, OUR ELDERS HAVE BLESSED US WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY, AND IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP IT UP. SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUT SOME MONEY INTO IT IF WE WANNA CONTINUE TO LIVE HERE AND HAVE A HEALTHY LIFE. HERE WE ARE PLAYING WITH LIFE AND DEATH. THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. EARLIER TODAY, I HAD A CONVERSATION THAT SAID, WE ARE IN TRIAGE RIGHT NOW. WE ARE IN TRIAGE. WE ARE IN THE ER AND ASKING THE DOCTORS TO HELP US, NOT FLATLINE, BUT WE GOT BILLS TO PAY. SO THANK GOD, WHEN WE GO TO ER, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ASK US. WELL, SOME PLACES MIGHT. DO YOU HAVE INSURANCE? AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, I CAN'T HELP YOU. BUT FORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT IN THAT KIND OF SITUATION THAT WE ARE NOT BEING REQUIRED TO PROVIDE OUR INSURANCE, BUT WE ARE BEING REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE ADEQUATE FUNDING IN ORDER TO, TO NOT HAVE US TO FLATLINE. SO I'M ASKING FOR US TO PLEASE CONSIDER THOSE FACTS WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE, UM, SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS. SO WHEN WE HAVE CITIZENS, WE, I AM GETTING CALLS FROM CITIZENS, GETTING EMAILS FROM CITIZENS SAYING, I DO NOT WANT THE WATER RATE INCREASE, BUT I'M ALSO RECEIVING CALLS FROM CITIZENS WHO HAVE SEWAGE BACKED UP IN THEIR HOUSES TOO. SO WE CANNOT NEGATE THE FACT THAT WE ARE RECEIVING CALLS FROM BOTH SIDES. AND YES, WE DO MAKE DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF WHAT THE CITIZENS NEED AND WHAT THEY WANT, BUT FOR THE CALLS THAT, AND EMAILS THAT I RECEIVE, IT IS MORE SO OF WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT PROVIDING THAT ADEQUATE SERVICE TO US? TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED. AND I'M VERY HONEST AND VERY FRANK WITH THEM. WE HAVE TO HAVE MONEY TO REPAIR OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THERE ARE GRANTS, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITY FOR SALES TAX, UM, TO BE USED FOR THIS TYPE OF, OF FUNDING, BUT THAT'S NOT RIGHT NOW MONEY. AND WE HAVE TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR RIGHT NOW. THIS IS NOT ONLY A MATTER OF HURRICANES OR TROPICAL STORMS. UM, WEATHER MATTERS COMING THROUGH. WE ARE NOT ONLY HURRICANE VALLEY, WE ARE REFINERY VALLEY. SO WHAT'S TO SAY ABOUT LEAKS FROM THOSE AREAS COMING INTO OUR UNDERGROUND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS OUR POTABLE WATER. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DECISIONS WE MAKE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE TOUGH DECISIONS THAT WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE TO MAKE, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RECEIVING THE FACTS AND NOT MAKING DECISIONS ON A POLITICAL PLATFORM, BUT MAKING DECISIONS ACCORDING TO WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE HEALTHY WATER FLOWING THROUGH NON LEAD PIPES TO GET TO OUR CITIZENS. SO I AM PLEADING WITH THIS COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THOSE FACTS WHEN YOU ARE MAKING A DECISION AND TAKING YOUR VOTE FOR WHETHER WE WANT A WATER RATE INCREASE OR NOT, WHICH WE WERE ADVISED OVER THE LAST FEW MEETINGS THAT THIS WATER RATE INCREASE COULD BE APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO $7. THAT'S A CUP OF STARBUCKS. WE PAY MORE FOR NETFLIX AND HULU. SO IF WE CAN TAKE THOSE THINGS TO, TO PAY FOR ENTERTAINMENT, THEN I AM ASKING THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS TO, TO MAN UP ON THAT FIVE OR SEVEN TO DOLLAR INCREASE PER MONTH TO MAKE SURE THAT I ENTIRE COMMUNITY [03:25:01] HAS, HAS FRESH WATER. AND IF I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT AMOUNT FOR INCREASE, PLEASE, MR. CALVIN, CORRECT ME. I THINK THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT. SO THE, THE AVERAGE INCREASE WAS ABOUT THAT FIVE TO $7. AND FORTUNATELY WITH THE LAST, UM, MEETING, WE ALSO PASSED AN ORDINANCE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER DISCOUNTED RATES TO OUR CITIZENS SIT AGE 65 OR ABOVE FOR APPROXIMATELY $7. THOSE FORMS ARE AVAILABLE, BY THE WAY, WHICH WE'VE JUST BEEN ADVISED THAT THE FORMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR US TO GO AND COMPLETE, TO HAVE THAT DISCOUNT FOR THOSE THAT ARE 65 AND OLDER. SO WE ARE MAKING EFFORTS TO BALANCE THAT INCREASE, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SENIORS. BUT THERE IS NO WAY IN THE WORLD THAT WE SHOULD BE A COUNCIL THAT IS NOT PROVIDING FUNDING TO OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN BY WAY OF ASKING A CITIZEN, UM, DO YOU WANT THIS INCREASE OR DO YOU WANT SEWAGE BACKED UP INTO YOUR HOME? SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE HAVING SEWAGE BACKED UP INTO THEIR HOME OR DO HAVE LEAD COMING, UM, OR HAVE CONCERNS, LET ME NOT SAY THAT THEY HAVE IT, BUT MAY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT LEAD BEING IN THE PIPES AROUND THEIR HOME TO MAKE THAT TYPE OF DECISION BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE DIDN'T WANT IT. IT'S OUR, IT'S UP TO US. AND WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THE CHARGE TO MAKE THAT DECISION FOR THIS 56,083 SOME ODD CITIZENS IN THE 56,083 SOME ODD CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY. Y'ALL. WE, WE GOT TO, WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE HARD DECISIONS AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO FUND THIS. AND IF NEXT YEAR THIS COMES AROUND AND WE HAVE FOUND OTHER OPTIONS, THEN LET THAT BE SO, AND WE DECREASE THE RATE AGAIN. BUT RIGHT NOW, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW. AND LET'S GET AFTER IT ALREADY. GO KNOCK ON THESE DOORS AS WE TALKED ABOUT OR TODAY IN ORDER TO, UM, BE ATTACHED TO A BILL. LET US USE THIS 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO, TO MARKET AND LOBBY FOR OURSELVES. LET US EVERY DAY, EVERY SINGLE DAY WE LOSING, WE LOSING SLEEP IN MY HOUSE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. EVERY SINGLE DAY WE'RE TRYING TO REACH OUT TO SOMEONE TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN BE SUPPORTED AND THANK GOD WE ARE NOT EVEN GETTING AN INVOICE FOR IT. AND THESE ARE ENGINEERING FIRMS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ANSWERING THE PHONE AND GIVING US SOME SOLUTIONS AND PROVIDING DIRECTION TO US. SO I'M ASKING THAT WE NOT EVER SAY, THAT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM. THAT'S NOT MY JOB. THAT'S NOT OUR ISSUE OR NOT TAKE THE TIME TO PROPERLY EDUCATE CITIZENS ON WHAT THE STANDARD SHOULD BE WHEN WE ARE MAKING THESE TYPES OF DECISIONS TO PROVIDE CLEAN WATER. WE DON'T WANNA BE A FLINT, MICHIGAN. WE DON'T WANNA BE SOME OF THESE CITIES IN, UM, NORTH CAROLINA. WE DON'T WANNA BE A DENVER COLORADO WHO HAVE HAD FAILING WATER INFRASTRUCTURES AND HAVE BEEN MONTHS WITHOUT WATER. WE'VE BEEN ON BOIL NOTICES. THEY WISH THEY HAD BOIL NOTICES THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE WATER TO FLOW TO BOIL. AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT RIGHT. SO LET'S FIGHT AND WORK HARD TO GET IT RIGHT SO THAT NEXT YEAR WE CAN COME TO OUR CITIZENS AND SAY, THANK GOD WE GOT A, A DECREASE BECAUSE WE DID OUR PART IN MAKING SURE THAT WE GOT THE FUNDING THAT WE NEEDED. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK? UH, ANY OTHERS? YOU READY TO VOTE? UH, I THINK I MIGHT BE CORRECT WITH THAT. AM I CORRECT? ALL IN FAVOR? ROLL CALL. OH, ROLL CALL. SORRY. ROLL. ROLL. ROLL IT. MAYOR PRO TIM BECKHAM. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER DISETTE? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER. FRANK? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FIELD? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER KINLAW? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS? NO. MAYOR BART? YES. MEASURE FAILS ME. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND IF I AM CORRECT, WE OUGHT TO HAVE ANY OTHER PRINTED BUSINESS EVER COME [03:30:01] BEFORE THIS BODY. AND I WILL DECLARE THIS MEETING ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.