* 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. PROGRESS [I. INVOCATION, PLEDGE & ROLL CALL] [00:00:02] AND READY AGAIN. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. TEACH IF YOU, WE ARE GATHERED HERE AT 4 44 FOURTH STREET IN THE GREAT CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS FOR OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING. IT IS NOW 5:44 PM AND WE WILL BEGIN THE MEETING AT THIS TIME. YOU MAY ATTEND THIS MEETING VIA TELEPHONIC OR VIDEO CONFERENCE MEDIUMS, HOWEVER YOU WOULD FIRST DIAL 8 7 7 8 5 3 5 2 4 7 OR 8 8 8 7 8 8 0 0 9 9. AND YOU WOULD ALSO PUT IN THE MEETING ID OF 8 7 0 1 6 2 3 7 2 4 4, AND THE PASSCODE OF 3 0 4 1 6 5, AND YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING. IN THIS MEETING. WE ARE ALSO IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, AND IF THERE WOULD BE A NEED FOR A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, YOU WOULD ONLY NEED CALL THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AT 4 9 9 8 3 8 1 1 5. HOWEVER, THIS MUST BE DONE 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING OR ADVANCE OF THE MEETING, AND THEY WILL DO ALL WITHIN THEIR POWERS TO ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATE YOU WITH YOUR REQUEST. WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE WILL HAVE OUR INVOCATION AND THE PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE. AND IF YOU HAVE, UH, ANY MOBILE DEVICES, WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO MUTE THOSE AT THIS TIME. DR. QUEEN, WOULD YOU PLEASE SO KIND TO COME UP AND DELIVER AN INDICATION FOR US, PLEASE WOULD YOU ALL STAND? CAN WE PRAY? HE WHO IS THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS, HE WHO IS THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR, HE WHO IS OUR EVERYTHING IN THIS MOMENT, WE BREATHE IN YOUR GLORY AND WE EXTEND TO YOU GOD, YOUR PRAISE GOD AS A CITY, WE HUMBLE OURSELVES TO YOU IN THIS MOMENT, AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD OPEN UP THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND POUR US OUT BLESSINGS THAT WE WON'T HAVE ROOM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE. GOD, AS YOU BLESS OUR LEADERSHIP, AS YOU BLESS OUR CITIZENS, GOD, AS YOU BLESS EACH AND EVERY COMPONENT OF INDUSTRY, GOD AS YOU LINE UP THIS CITY WITH YOUR WAY AND YOUR WILL, GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS MOMENT IN TIME AND WE EXTEND OURSELVES TO YOU. GOD, DO IT. ONLY YOU COULD DO. GOD TOUCHED THE BROKENHEARTED. GOD HEALED THE WOUNDED GOD AND EXTEND YOUR LOVE ABOVE FEAR. IT'S IN A GLORIOUS NAME OF HE WHO GIVES LIFE, HE WHO CONTROLS DEATH, THAT WE DECLARE VICTORY FOR THE CITY OF FORT ARTHUR, TEXAS, GOD, AND THAT EVERYTHING WILL LINE UP WITH YOUR WILL AND YOUR WAY. IT'S TO THE GLORIOUS NAME OF HE WHO GIVES LIFE. YESHUA JESUS THE CHRIST OF NAZARETH THAT WE PRAY AND LET THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS SAY AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU REVEREND. WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE JOIN US NOW IN DECIDING 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 AND CITY SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE BE SO KIND AS TO ESTABLISH A QUO FOR THIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING? YES, SIR. MAYOR BARTEE. PRESENT, MAYOR PROTON BECKHAM. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON, EVER FIELD PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LONG HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, PRESENT. HAVE A QUORUM. MAYOR. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. WE WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN [II. PROCLAMATIONS] THE MEETING GOING TO ROMAN NUMERAL TWO FOR PROCLAMATIONS. AND ON THIS EVENING WE HAVE THE POP WARNER JUNIOR BS PRESENT. AND WHAT WE'D LIKE FOR THEM TO DO IS COME FORWARD AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COACHES AND MAYBE ALL OF THE BEES, THE JUNIOR BEES, BUT YOU ALL COME FORWARD, COME TO THE FRONT HERE. WE HAVE A LOT OF JUNIOR BEES. Y'ALL GIVE 'EM A HAND. THAT'S A NICE LITTLE GROUP. AND THEY EVEN HAVE THE CHEERLEADERS AS WELL. SO I GUESS THE CHEER GROUP COMES UP AS WELL. UH, COACH BRAD, WOULD YOU PUSH THAT IN AND OVER? NO PUSH, PUSH THE WHOLE PODIUM AND, AND IF IF YOU COULD PUSH IT TO YOUR LEFT OR WELL, YEAH, I GOT SHE'S GONNA HELP YOU OUT RIGHT WITH THAT RIGHT THERE. AND ALL OF THEM CAN COME TO THE FRONT AND TELL THEM TO GET ACROSS. [00:05:01] YEAH, Y'ALL YEAH. YEAH. THEY ALL GONNA SPREAD IT OUT. YEAH. AND YOU GONNA TURN THIS WAY FIRST AND THEN YOU GONNA TURN IT BACK AROUND. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. COME ON THERE GUYS. Y'ALL, I KNOW Y'ALL TALL. Y'ALL COME TO THE FRONT DOOR. OKAY, LOOK, LITTLE MAN RIGHT THERE. YEAH. COME TO THE FRONT WITH HIM, MAN. COME ON. YEAH, THERE YOU GO. YEAH. JUNIOR BEES AND THE JUNIOR BEE HONEY BEES. ALRIGHT, WE KEEPING THE BUMBLEBEE TRADITION ALIVE. ALL RIGHT, WHAT'S UP? NOW WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS READ HERE THIS PROCLAMATION FROM THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR. AND IT SAYS, WHEREAS THE POP WARNER JUNIOR BEES HAVE STARTED, OR WAS STARTED, EXCUSE ME, AROUND 1985, COACH BRADFORD COLEMAN TOOK THE LEAD OF THE ORGANIZATION IN 2002, WHEREAS THE JUNIOR BS A MEMBER OF POP WARNER GULF COAST DIVISION HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AND COMMITMENT. THEY HAVE SEVERAL YOUTH TEAMS AND HAVE WON NUMEROUS DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS AND HONORS. AND WHEREAS THE, IS THAT IIU OR 11? YOU 11 YOU, EXCUSE ME. THE 11 U TEAMS VICTORY AS THE 2024 GULP COACH POP WARNER DIVISION CHAMPION UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF COACHES. MORGAN GRAY, COACH BRAD COLEMAN, COACH JARVIS JONES, COACH JAMES, UH, UH, JOHN JAMES, COACH BENJAMIN DARRINGTON AND COACH NO, SOME STILL SOME OTHERS. COACH, UH, JAMAL SOKO, COACH ROGER COLLINS AND COACH BYRON PRINCE OKAY. IS A, THIS IS A MOMENT OF GREAT PRIDE AND EXCITEMENT FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS. WHEREAS THE SOUTHWEST REGION CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING STATES, ARKANSAS, COLORADO, LOUISIANA, OKLAHOMA, NEW MEXICO, AND THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS. AND THE JUNIOR BEAST EMERGED AS THE 2024 POP WARNER SOUTHWEST REGION CHAMPIONS. NOW, THEREFORE, I THURMOND BILL TI MAYOR OF THE GREATEST CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS ON THIS DATE, DO HE BY RECOGNIZE POP WARNER JUNIOR BEADS ON THIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, 2024, HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. AND I ASK ALL THE CITIZENS TO JOIN ME IN CELEBRATING THESE YOUNG MEN AND THESE YOUNG WOMEN, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WITNESSING THEIR CONTINUED SUCCESS AND WITNESS WHEREOF I HAVE HERE AND TRUTH SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE GREAT CITY OF FORT ARTHUR TO BE AFFIXED THIS 19TH DAY OF NOVEMBER AND THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2024. AND IT SIGNED MAYOR THURMAN, BILL TI AND I'M [00:10:01] GOING TO COME DOWN, I'M GOING TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU, BUT WE GIVE YOU ALL OF THE CONGRATULATORY PRAISE ALL WE TURN AROUND NOW. OH WAIT, HOLD A MINUTE, COUNCIL, SAY SO COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, COUNCIL MEMBER FRANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THIS CHAMBER ON TODAY. AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU ON TODAY AS WE HONOR YOU AND AS WE LIFT YOU UP, UH, WITH THIS HONOR ON TODAY, JUST TO SAY THANK YOU, COACH BRAD AND YOUR STAFF, MAN, YOU HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR SUCH A LONG TIME. AND YOU KNOW, UH, MAN, WE GO BACK LIKE FOUR FLATS ON A CADILLAC. UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, MAN, WE HAVE TRIED TO DO ALL WE COULD TO SUPPORT, BUT YOU ALWAYS COME THROUGH AND YOUR DEDICATION, UH, TO, UH, THE JUNIOR BEES AND TO THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, IS INCOMPARABLE. I JUST WANNA SAY TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ON TODAY, LISTEN TO ME. WELL, REMEMBER THESE WORDS. THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU CANNOT DO. THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU CANNOT ACCOMPLISH. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. GET YOUR LESSONS, GO TO SCHOOL, OBEY YOUR PARENTS. KEEP LISTENING TO YOUR COACHES, AND, AND THE SKY IS THE LIMIT. WE LOVE YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. THAT WAS GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM. IT IT, IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO SEE COACH BRAD AND HIS AND HIS TEAM AND ALONG WITH HIS DAUGHTER WITH THE CHEERLEADERS. AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DID A WONDERFUL JOB. UH, LIKE, LIKE MY COHORT, UH, UH, PASTOR FRANK SAID YOU, IT'S NOTHING THAT YOU CAN'T DO. WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU, THE CITY, UH, LEADERSHIP ALONG WITH THE MAYOR. UH, HE HAS THE PROCLAMATION FOR YOU GUYS. CONTINUE BEING GREAT. YOU'RE FROM PORT ARTHUR. ALWAYS REPRESENT PA, RIGHT? MM-HMM. ALWAYS REPRESENT PA. WE LOVE YOU ON THE CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER HAMILTON EVER FILLED. I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE Y'ALL HERE TODAY. IT WAS AMAZING. EVEN WHEN WE WERE SAYING THE PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE, Y'ALL CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION BECAUSE WE'RE NOT USED TO HEARING SUCH, SUCH JOY WHEN WE ARE SAYING THE, THE, UH, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE THIS AGE. MM-HMM, . AND NOT TO MENTION YOU HAVE A HALL OF FAME COACH, SO I DON'T WANT TO, TO LET THAT GO. UNRECOGNIZED. YES, SIR. I REMEMBER WHEN MY BROTHER WAS IN THAT UNIFORM AND MY SISTER WAS IN THIS HONEYBEE COSTUME, NOT, PLEASE FORGIVE ME UNIFORM. I'M VERY PROUD OF Y'ALL. PLEASE KEEP FIGHTING, KEEP FIGHTING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT. DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY. THE PEOPLE THAT DROP YOU OFF TO PRACTICE, THAT PICK YOU UP FROM PRACTICE, THAT HAVE SNACKS FOR YOU AFTER SCHOOL, THAT HAVE DINNER FOR YOU WHEN YOU GET HOME, THAT TAKES WORK Y'ALL. SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU REMEMBER TO SAY THANK YOU. GIVE A EXTRA HUG, A EXTRA KISS. DO WHAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU NEED TO DO AND IT'S GONNA HELP YOU BE WHERE YOU WANNA BE. SO PLEASE DON'T QUIT. STAY IN THE FIGHT. AND WE LOVE YOU AND WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE WANTING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT UNTIL YOU'RE, YOU'RE COACHES. THANK Y'ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME AND THE EFFORT TO POUR INTO US STRONG CHILDREN. MAKE STRONG ADULTS THAT MAKE STRONG FAMILIES, THAT MAKE STRONG COMMUNITIES. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS. YES, MR. CERTAINLY GLAD TO HAVE, HAVE ALL OF YOU ALL HERE TODAY. VERY PROUD OF YOU ALL. UM, SO UNFORTUNATE THAT, UM, THE MAYOR GONNA HAVE TO BRING YOU ALL BACK AND HE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AND REDO THE PROCLAMATION. YOU ALL SAW ME GOING BACK AND FORTH. THE REBROADCAST IS, IT'S NOT WORKING. I JUST GOT AN OUTSIDE PHONE CALL. THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO, THE REBROADCAST IS NOT WORKING. SO Y'ALL CONSIDER BRINGING THEM BACK AND LET THE MAIL GO BACK THROUGH IT. HE'LL ENJOY THAT. OKAY. AND WE ALL WILL. Y'ALL ON TV RIGHT NOW? YEAH, IT'S WORKING NOW. OH, IT'S WORKING NOW. OH. OH, THEY GOT IT. OKAY. FINALLY Y'ALL CAN WAVE AND [00:15:01] SAY, HEY, PUT ON. OKAY. HE GOT IT BACK. FINALLY GOT IT BACK. . GOOD. GOOD. TURN, TURN, TURN AROUND, TURN AROUND, TURN AROUND. YEAH. SAY, HEY, PORT ARTHUR THERE, . OH, FINALLY GOT IT BACK MORE. THAT WAS, THAT WAS RIGHT ON TIME. FINALLY. GOT IT. GOT IT ALL BACK. THANKS. I'M GLAD Y'ALL I WAS LOOKING DOWN. I'M GLAD YOU SAID, BUT, BUT, UM, WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING TODAY WITH THE COACHES AND EVERYTHING, YOU ADD STRUCTURE, YOU ADD STRUCTURE IN YOUR LIVES, YOU COME TO PRACTICE ON TIME, AND GUESS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN YOU GO TO COLLEGE AND GET YOUR A DUAL DEGREE. YOU KNOW, GET YOUR TWO, ALWAYS GET TWO. THAT WAY YOU'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO FALL BACK ON, BUT IT HAS STRUCTURE TO YOUR LIVES AND WHAT HAPPENS? CORPORATIONS LOOK FOR ATHLETES, KIDS THAT PARTICIPATED IN ORGANIZED SPORTS AND PROGRAM, THEY'RE GOING TO GET TO WORK ON TIME AND THEY CAN, THEY'RE DEPENDABLE AND THEY WILL LISTEN AND THEY WILL FOLLOW INSTRUCTION. SO THANK YOU ALL. I'M GLAD THE VIDEO'S BACK ON. HEY, WE CAN ALL CELEBRATE. TAKE CARE. WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY MAY NOT IMPRESS UPON THE KIDS AS MUCH AS IT MIGHT IMPRESS UPON THEIR COACHES AND THEIR PARENTS AND THEIR GRANDPARENTS THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE. BUT GUYS AND GALS, I WANT YOU TO STAY IN PORT ARTHUR. YOU MIGHT GO AWAY TO COLLEGE TO ANOTHER CITY OR TO EVEN TO ANOTHER STATE. BUT I WANT YOU TO COME BACK TO PORT ARTHUR, OKAY? WE WANT YOUR LEGACY THAT YOU'RE BUILDING NOW AS YOUNG PEOPLE TO BUILD AS ADULTS AND AS PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS AND AS PARENTS SOMEDAY IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. SO I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND THOSE ADULTS THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE, I WANT YOU TO KEEP PRESSING THAT ON YOUR, ON YOUR KIDS AND YOUR GRANDKIDS TO COME BACK TO PORT ARTHUR BECAUSE WE NEED THIS KIND OF DEDICATION IN OUR CITY AND WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR FOR THE PROCLAMATION. WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL, UH, HAVING OUR KIDS HERE AND, UH, ALSO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT, WELL, I'M SITTING, MAKING SURE, MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT THE CITY IS BEHIND THEM A HUNDRED PERCENT. UH, WE ARE LOOKING FOR SPONSORS FOR THIS TRIP TO, UH, FLORIDA, WHICH IS THE DECEMBER THE SIXTH THROUGH THE 11TH. UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO RAISE FUNDS. IT'S LIKE $500 PER CHILD AND WE HAVE 18 KIDS AND, UH, FOUR TO SIX COACHES THAT'S GOING. SO, UH, ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO OUR FUND, YOU CAN GO TO THE, UH, PORT ARTHUR COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION. YOU CAN PUT IT DIRECTLY INTO THAT ACCOUNT OVER HERE, DOWNTOWN OR OUT BY THE MALL. OR IF YOU HAVE A CHECK, YOU CAN MAKE IT OUT TO JUNIOR B'S AND UH, DROP IT OFF THERE OR CALL COACH BRAD. HE'LL PICK IT UP AND DROP IT OFF. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE KIDS GET A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY BY GOING TO FLORIDA AND PLAYING IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. IT'S A ONCE IN A LIFE, SOMETHING YOU'RE GONNA REMEMBER FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. THANK YOU'ALL VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING. THE CITY IS BEHIND US AND WE KNOW IT. EVERYBODY ELSE. [00:20:21] ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. AND I GUESS IT'S RIGHT HERE. ALRIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL. WE ARE NOW IN ROMAN NUMERAL THREE FOR PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS, AND WE HAVE SPEAKERS. I BELIEVE WE HAVE SPEAKERS OF CITY SECRETARY. ARE THEY GOING TO BE ON ZOOM? WE'RE HAVING ALL KINDS OF TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. WE'RE TRYING TO RECONNECT WITH THEM NOW. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ON, I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE HAVE THEM. OKAY. AND THEN WE WILL OKAY. BECAUSE THAT WAS, THANK YOU. AN ISSUE A LITTLE EARLIER. OKAY. WE HAVE, UH, WE'LL MOVE DOWN TO PRESENTATIONS THEN. NOW WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS BY STAFF REGARDING STREET AND POTHOLE REPAIR. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KEN LAW. AND WE HAVE, UH OH, OKAY. I I DID NOT SEE YOU. YOU BE IN THE BACK SEAT AT THE FRONT TONIGHT. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. OKAY, GO RIGHT AHEAD. GO. HOW ARE YOU ALL? UM, AT EACH POSITION ON THE DAY, UM, IS A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, THE PRESENTATIONS ARE NOT BEING SHOWN ON THE SCREEN. YEAH. OKAY. I THINK THEY ARE SO CITY SECRETARY. YEAH, THEY'RE OKAY. AND SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE LIKE TO DO, THANK YOU. YES, SIR. WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE TO THIS GROUP AND THEN THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE AGREEING TO A GROUP YOU WANT TO YEAH. IF THEY CAME ON, I DON'T WANT 'EM TO BE ABLE, IF THEY HAVE SOME ELECTRONIC PROBLEMS. I'M SORRY. YEAH. MAY I MEAN THEY'RE ON NOW. CAN WE, CAN WE JUST DO THEM NOW? YES, SIR. AND THEN WE'LL CALL YOU BACK. OKAY. CITY SECRETARY, WE [III.A.(1) Harry Elmazaj Of M.K. Painting, Inc. Regarding Procter Street Elevated Storage Tank Rehabilitation Project] WANT MOVE BACK TO, UH, IS THIS MR. HARRY L MAZA? YES, SIR. YES. I WANT EVERYONE. OKAY. AND, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TO PROVOST OF THE CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT. MY NAME IS HAR MARLIN COMPANY AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE MY SECRETARY READ THE DISPUTE BECAUSE I HAVE NO OPERATION. ME. HER NAME IS, UH, JENNY REED. CAN CAN YOU HEAR US OKAY? YES, WE CAN. OKAY. UH, MY NAME IS JENNY REED. I'M THE OFFICE MANAGER FOR MK PAINTING. UH, MR. AZI JUST INTRODUCED HIMSELF. HE'S THE OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF MK PAINTING. UH, WE ARE THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR THE PROCTOR STREET ELEVATED, UH, STORAGE TANK PROJECT. UM, THAT'S CONTRACT NUMBER P 2 4 1 2 2. UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, I HAD ASKED [00:25:01] THE CITY SECRETARY TO PRINT OFF, UM, SOME DOCUMENTS, UH, FOR THE CITY COUNCIL BOARD MEMBERS. DO YOU HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU? YES. YES, YES, YES. OKAY. YES, COUNSEL. OKAY. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. UM, SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR DESIRE AND INTENTION TO COMPLETE THE ELEVATED STORAGE TANK REHABILITATION PROJECT. UH, BUT WE MUST COME TO AN AGREEMENT REGARDING HOW WE PROCEED TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. UM, THE PROJECT IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD DUE TO THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE TANK ROOF. THE ROOF RAPTORS ARE SO HEAVILY CORRODED AND DAMAGED THAT THE TANK CANNOT SUPPORT THE CONTAINMENT SYSTEM OR THE SAFETY OF OUR CREW AS REQUIRED WITHIN THIS INDUSTRY STANDARD OF PRACTICE, THE CONTAINMENT SYSTEM CONSISTS OF CABLES AND PULLINGS THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE TANK ROOF, ALONG WITH TEMPORARY EXTENSION BEAMS WELDED TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE TOP OF THE ROOF BOWL TO ALLOW SHROUDING TO BE DRAPED OVER THE SIDES, THUS ENCLOSING THE ENTIRE TANK. THE PROBLEM WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED IS THE ROOF STRUCTURE AS IT EXISTS NOW CANNOT SUPPORT THE LOAD THAT IS GOING TO BE PLACED ON IT WITH A COMPLETE CONTAINMENT SYSTEM. BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITH THE TANK ROOF, IT WAS DECIDED AT THE SITE MEETING ON JULY 15TH BETWEEN ALL PARTIES INVOLVED, WHICH ARE SHAMBO, SCHOMBERG, AND POLK, THE PROJECT ENGINEER, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, AND US MK PAINTING THAT THERE WOULD BE NO WARRANTY ON THE BEAMS. MY COMPANY CANNOT WARRANT OUR WORK ON DAMAGED MATERIAL. CONTRACTUALLY. MK PAINTING IS REQUIRED TO BLAST AND PAINT THE INTERIOR EXTERIOR OF THE TANK IN THE STRUCTURAL CONDITION IT IS IN MY WORK IS NOT GOING TO IMPROVE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE TANK. IT IS STILL GOING TO BE A STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT TANK. REPAIRING THE TANK ROOF WAS NEVER DETAILED IN THE BIDDING DOCUMENTATION OR THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS. THERE IS ONLY AN ALLOWANCE STIPULATED BY THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. LINE ITEM NUMBER 22, ALLOW MISCELLANEOUS TANK REPAIRS THAT READS FURNISH ALL LABOR, MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT TO PERFORM ALL MISCELLANEOUS REPAIRS TO THE TANK AS APPROVED BY THE ENGINEER AND OWNER, ALL IN STRICT ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS, AND DRAWINGS FOR THE LUMP SUM OF $25,000. THIS ALLOWANCE AMOUNT WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF REPLACING THE TANK PROOF, NOR WILL IT COVER THE COST OF AN ALTERNATE CONTAINMENT METHOD OR ALTERNATE LASTING METHOD. THE CONTRACT REQUIRES MK PAINTING TO PROVIDE STAMPED CONTAINMENT DRAWINGS FROM A THIRD PARTY LICENSED ENGINEER. WE HIRED DUNHAM ENGINEERING TO PROVIDE THE CONTAINMENT DRAWINGS FOR THE TANK. DUNHAM ENGINEERING PERFORMED A TANK, PERFORMED A TANK INSPECTION ON AUGUST 1ST TO ASSESS THE CONDITION OF THE TANK ROOF. ACCORDING TO THEIR INSPECTION REPORT AND EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE DATED AUGUST 6TH FROM DUNHAM ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGER MR. STEVEN JOHNS, HE STATES, UNFORTUNATELY, UNTIL THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE EXISTING ROOF STRUCTURE IS RESTORED, WE WILL BE UNABLE TO PROVIDE CONTAINMENT DRAWINGS. ALL ITEMS MUST BE BROUGHT UP TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVELS BEFORE WE CAN PROVIDE A CONTAINMENT DRAWING. THEREFORE, MK PAINTING IS UNABLE TO ADHERE TO THE CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS REGARDING CONTAINMENT AS THE REQUIRED DRAWINGS CANNOT BE OBTAINED DUE TO THE DEFICIENT STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE TANK ROOF. ALL PARTIES MET AGAIN FOR A SITE MEETING ON AUGUST 8TH TO DISCUSS THE TANK INSPECTION REPORT PROVIDED BY DUNHAM ENGINEERING AND TO DIS DISCUSS THE TANK ROOF CONDITION. IT WAS ADVISED BY INSPECTOR CAR CLARK NORTHROP TO USE AN ALTERNATE BLASTING METHOD VAPOR BLASTING THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE CONTAINMENT. ALL PARTIES AGREED ON THE USE OF VAPOR BLASTING AND MK PAINTING PROVIDED A SUBMITTAL FOR THE USE OF THIS METHOD THAT WAS APPROVED BY SCHOMBERG AND POLK ON AUGUST 12TH. NOW THAT WE ARE IN AGREEMENT OF PROCEEDING WITH THE PROJECT USING THE VAPOR BLASTING METHOD, WE ARE AT AN IMPASSE REGARDING THE COST TO PERFORM THIS METHOD. MK PAINTING AGREES THAT THERE ARE DEDUCTIONS IN THE TOTAL CONTRACT PRICE FOR WORK NOT PERFORMED, WHICH INCLUDES CONTAINMENT, DEHUMIDIFICATION, AND NOT USING THE ZINC PRIMER FOR THE TANK INTERIOR. HOWEVER, THERE ARE ADDITIONS TO THE TOTAL CONTRACT PRICE FOR THE VAPOR BLASTING METHOD COSTS, INCLUDING EQUIPMENT, RENTAL, MATERIAL SUPPLIES, TIME, LABOR, ET CETERA, THAT WE MUST BE COMPENSATED FOR. MK PAINTING PROVIDED A PROPOSED CHANGE ORDER, NUMBER ONE FOR THE COST OF THE VAPOR BLASTING METHOD ON AUGUST 28TH [00:30:01] VIA EMAIL TO ALL PARTIES THAT INCLUDED A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF THE COSTS. ACCORDING TO THE BREAKDOWN, THERE IS AN ADDITION OF $295,000 AND DEDUCTIONS OF $160,000, WHICH EQUALS A TOTAL INCREASE TO THE TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $135,000. MK PAINTING MUST BE COMPENSATED FOR THE ALTERNATE LASTING METHOD AS IT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT, RENTAL MATERIAL SUPPLIES, TIME AND LABOR FOR OUR CREW TO COMPLETE. MR. ZA HERE HAS BEEN REHABILITATING WATER STORAGE TANKS FOR OVER 30 YEARS. HE HAS SEEN TANKS IN ALL STATES OF DAMAGED CONDITION AND HE HAS NEVER FAILED TO COMPLETE ANY WORK AWARDED TO HIS COMPANY. HE TAKES PRIDE IN HIS WORK AND HE STRIVES TO ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF QUALITY TO MEET THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS ALONG WITH THE MUNICIPALITY'S CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS. WE ARE MORE THAN WILLING AND ABLE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT TO ITS ENTIRETY. WE WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE TWO OPTIONS FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO CONSIDER IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY REHABILITATE THE TANK. FIRST, PROCEED WITH THE, UH, EXCUSE ME. OPTION NUMBER ONE, PROCEED WITH THE APPROVED ALTERNATE VAPOR BLASTING METHOD DETAILED IN CHANGE ORDER, NUMBER ONE IN THE AMOUNT OF $135,000. THE TANK ROOF WOULD REMAIN STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT AND THERE WILL STILL BE NO WARRANTY ON THE BEAMS OR OPTION NUMBER TWO, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR CAN HIRE EITHER A SEPARATE CONTRACTOR OR HIRE MK PAINTING TO REPAIR AND OR REPLACE THE ENTIRE TANK ROOF. MK PAINTING CAN PROVIDE A QUOTE FOR THE REPAIR AT THE CITY'S WRITTEN REQUEST. ONCE THE TANK IS, ONCE THE TANK ROOF IS AN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION TO SUPPORT THE CONTAINMENT SYSTEM, MK PAINTING CAN PROCEED WITH THE CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS TO COMPLETE THE REHABILITATION PROJECT. OKAY. UH, WOULD THERE BE ANY OTHER INFORMATION YOU WANT TO SHARE? I, I'M SORRY I COULDN'T HEAR YOU, SIR. I SAID WOULD THERE BE ANY OTHER INFORMATION YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US? I I, I'M STILL UNABLE TO HEAR YOU, SIR. I'M SORRY. OKAY. SOMETHING WRONG WITH OKAY. WITH OUR SERVICES. OKAY. WELL, COUNCILMAN KIMMA, YOU HAVE SOMETHING? UH, NO, LET'S SEE IF, IF IT'LL WORK. YEAH. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO OPEN A DIALOGUE, UM, BETWEEN US AND, AND YOURSELVES, THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, TO NEGOTIATE THIS OR COME TO SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION AS TO HOW WE COMPLETE THIS PROJECT. WELL, THAT, THAT'S, I'M GLAD THAT YOU STARTED WITH THAT. UH, YOU, YOU MAY HAVE TO JUST TALK WITH OUR LEGAL, UH, DEPARTMENT, OUR LAW, UH, ATTORNEY THERE, OR THE CITY MANAGER. UH, 'CAUSE I, I DID KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A LENGTHLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THING THAT YOU READ. BUT, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE IN OUR BEST INTEREST IF YOU WOULD GO THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER ALONG WITH OUR ATTORNEY TO, TO DETERMINE, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO LEGALLY AS A COLLECTIVE COUNSEL. OKAY. UM, JUST A MINUTE. WE HAD NUMEROUS CORRESPONDENCE. JUST A MINUTE. JUST A MINUTE PLEASE. PROJECT ENGINEER FOR THIS PROJECT IS BERGEN A OUR DIRECT CONTACT IS A MR. NESTOR BARETTA. AND WE HAVE HAD CORRESPONDENCE WITH, UM, THE MUNICIPALITY, THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S JESS LAU AND OKAY. KELVIN MATTHEWS. OKAY. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE KIND OF AT AN IMPASSE. WELL, WE WANTED TO SPEAK AT THIS, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO OPEN A DIALOGUE. OKAY. UM, AND BE ABLE TO, I I THINK YOU ON THE SHARE THOUGHT, I THINK YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT, UH, PATH. THE MAYOR'S HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY, UH, HE WAS TRYING TO ADDRESS YOU. BUT IF YOU WOULD GET WITH THE CITY MANAGER, THE CITY ATTORNEY, TO FIND OUT WHAT CAN THIS COUNCIL DO COLLECTIVELY WITH YOUR CONCERNS. UH, CAN SOMEONE, UH, AND I GUESS WE CAN GIVE THE NUMBER OUT, UH, THE, THE OFFICE NUMBER SO YOU CAN CONTACT THEM. I THINK THAT YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING IS COMING BEFORE COUNCIL AND NOTIFYING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US ABOUT YOUR CONCERNS. JUST OKAY. AFTER THE MEETING, WE WANT THE COUNCIL AND ALL THE MEMBERS AND CITY FOUR ARTICLE TO KNOW THE CONDITION OF THE TANK AND ALSO TO KNOW THAT THEY SPENDING ALL THAT MONEY AND THE WA THE WARRANTY OF THE TANK, WHICH IS UNFAIR TO TAXPAYERS OR FOUR HOSPITAL, THEY'RE SPENDING ALMOST $700,000 AND NO WARRANTY OF THIS, THIS TANK. OKAY. MAYOR, [00:35:01] GO AHEAD. AS A CITY ATTORNEY, I'M GONNA ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL NO LONGER TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH THIS PARTICULAR SPEAKER. THERE APPEARS TO BE LEGAL ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED AS IT PERTAINS TO THE PERFORMANCE OF A CONTRACT. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. SO, UH, IF, IF YOUR COUNSEL, SHE SAID SHE WOULDN'T WANT US TO ENGAGE IN ANY KIND OF DIALOGUE WITH THEM AT THIS MOMENT, I WANT TO TALK WITH THEM. I WANT TO TALK WITH CALVIN. NO, WITH, UH, OKAY. WITH IS IS IT OKAY. IT'S NOT AN AGENDA ITEM. OKAY. THAT WOULDN'T BE, IT'S JUST SET FOR PRESENTATION. IT WOULDN'T BE AN AGENDA ITEM. WE'D HAVE TO, UH, IT'S, IT'S AN AGENDA ITEM 'CAUSE IT'S LISTED AS A PRESENTATION. I HAVE QUESTIONS. I CAN ASK QUESTIONS ON ANY SPEAKER, EVEN A SPEAKER. I COULD STILL ASK A QUESTION. OKAY. I CAN STILL ASK A QUESTION. GO. BUT, BUT ATTORNEY ADVISED IF WE SHOULDN'T DIALOGUE WITH ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE SOME LEGAL, OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR, FOR, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. OR ACTUALLY YOU WERE A SPEAKER, BUT YOUR PRESENTATION TIME. THANK YOU ALL SO KINDLY. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR HEARING US. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MUCH. NOW WE'LL [III.B.(1) A Presentation By Staff Regarding Street And Pot-Hole Repair (Requested By Councilmember Kinlaw)] MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM. AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY STAFF, UH, REGARDING THE STREETS AND POTHOLE REPAIRS. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILOR KENMORE AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE, THE, THE HANDOUT HERE FOR IT. GOOD EVENING, KEN. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. DOES EVERYONE HAVE A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION? OKAY. I BELIEVE SO. SO IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT THE, UM, TIME SPENT, UH, BY STREETS DIVISION STAFF ON, UH, THE REPAIR OF POTHOLES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO I PUT TOGETHER THIS PRESENTATION, WHICH IS BASICALLY A CALENDAR SHOWING THE DAYS ON WHICH WE ADDRESS POTHOLES. UM, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH EACH , EACH PAGE, UM, WITH YOU, BUT SIR, OH, I'M SORRY. I THOUGHT YOU HAD SAID SOMETHING. UM, BUT EACH, EACH, UH, PAGE DOES SHOW THE NUMBER OF WORKING DAYS AND THE NUMBER OF DAYS WE ADDRESS POTHOLES. AND IF THERE WERE ANY DAYS THAT WE DID NOT ADDRESS POTHOLES, THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT WE DID SOMETHING ELSE, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, CLEANING UP IN PREPARATION FOR A STORM OR AFTER A STORM. OR, UH, AIDING THE REST OF STREETS, THE STREETS DIVISION STAFF, UH, IN COMPLETING, UH, PAVEMENT, UH, FOR THE STREETS PROGRAM. UH, AT THE SECOND TO LAST PAGE OF THE PRESENTATION AS A SUMMARY OF THE PREVIOUS PAGES. MM-HMM. . SO TO SUMMARIZE, SO FAR THIS YEAR, INCLUDING TODAY, THERE HAVE BEEN 224 WORKING DAYS OF THE 224 WORKING DAYS STAFF, UH, PATCH POT HOLES 163 DAYS, WHICH WAS ALMOST 73% OF THEIR TIME. THAT CRUISE TIME WHEN THEY DID NOT ADDRESS POTHOLES, 11.61% OF THE TIME, OR 26 DAYS, THEY ASSISTED THE REST OF THE STREETS. DIVISION STAFF WITH THE STREETS PROGRAM THAT COUNCIL HAS MANDATED 30 DAYS ARE 13.39% OF THEIR TIME ADDRESSED STORM PREPARATION OR CLEANUP. SO IF THERE IS A MAJOR STORM COMING THROUGH TORNADO, UM, HURRICANE, UH, STREET STAFF IS RESPONSIBLE, UM, FOR ASSISTING THE DRAINAGE DIVISION STAFF IN CLEANING INLETS, MANHOLES, UM, PICKING UP TREES, CUTTING TREES. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE SOMETIMES WE GET CALLS ABOUT, UM, TREES THAT ARE BLOCKING INTERSECTIONS. UH, OUR STREETS DIVISION STAFF ADDRESSES THOSE, THOSE CALLS AS WELL. THERE WERE FOUR DAYS WHERE THAT, THAT CREW, THAT POTHOLE CREW ADDRESSED, UH, THOSE CALLS AND THAT WAS 1.79% OF THEIR TIME. UM, AND THEN THERE WAS A DAY THAT, UH, THAT CREW ADDRESSED WATER CUTS OR UTILITY CUTS. OKAY. ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING? YEAH, I, I, I SEE SOME LIGHT THERE. OKAY. HIT ON YOUR LIGHT FIRST. THANK YOU, MAYOR. DIRECTOR. MM-HMM. UH, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A BRIEF, UH, I'M, I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE BY NOW THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE AND I, UH, WE HAD A SITE VISIT. MM-HMM. . [00:40:01] AND WE WENT THERE AND WE SAW THAT ONE OF THE POTHOLE. HOW MANY, WELL, LET ME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION. HOW MANY POTHOLE REPAIR TRUCKS WE HAVE? IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WE HAVE TWO. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. MM-HMM. . SO WE HAD ONE THAT STAYED STATIONARY THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE THERE. AND OUR CONCERN WITH ALL THE STREET REPAIRS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON MM-HMM. , I MEAN, I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW TO RUN YOUR DEPARTMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I DO HAVE A CONCERN WHERE THAT A A A POTHOLE REPAIR TRUCK, BRAND NEW, IT'S AT THE, THE SITE. MM-HMM. WHERE, YOU KNOW, MY QUESTION, WHY WASN'T THAT TRUCK OUT THERE REPAIRING, UH, POTHOLES, UH, IN, IN TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OF THE CITY? UH, I WAS TOLD, UH, BY MANAGEMENT THAT THE WHOLE, UH, CREW WAS DOING STREETS. BUT WITH ALL THE TYPE OF REPAIRS THAT WE ARE DOING, WE NEED TO ENSURE THE PUBLIC, THE CITIZENS, THAT POTHOLES ARE BEING REPAIRED EVERY DAY. AND ONCE WE GET THESE CALLS, WE RELAY THEM TO MANAGEMENT. THAT RELAYS IT TO YOU. MM-HMM. . SO MY CONCERN, AND I'M DIRECT WITH WHAT I'M SAYING, THAT, THAT THOSE TWO TRUCKS THAT YOU SPOKE OF EARLIER NEED TO BE OUT EVERY DAY BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY POTHOLES IN THIS CITY THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO REPAIRING THE STREETS. SO WE GOTTA GIVE THE CITIZENS SOME TYPE OF RE, YOU KNOW, RELIEF ON STREETS THAT THEY TRAVEL EVERY DAY TO AND FROM WORK TO AND FROM SCHOOL TO THEIR HOMES. MM-HMM. . SO MY, MY CONCERN IN BRINGING THIS TO THE LIGHT OF THE COUNCIL IS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE TRUCKS ON THE GROUND EVERY DAY. AND IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, I WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHO'S THE PERSON MAKING THOSE CHANGES OR DICTATING TO YOU. OR IF YOU'RE THE PERSON I WANT TO KNOW. MM-HMM. . BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE STREETS WITH HOLES IN THEM. AND WE ARE GETTING ALL THESE CALLS ALL THE TIME ABOUT REPAIRING OUR STREETS. WELL, SINCE WE CAN'T REPAIR YOUR STREETS, AT LEAST WE CAN DO IS REPAIR THE POTHOLE. YES, SIR. SO WHO MAKES THAT DETERMINATION WHEN THOSE TRUCKS ARE NOT GONE OUT OF THE YARD? IT IS A COLLECTIVE DECISION. OKAY. ON THE DAY IN QUESTION, WHICH WAS MONDAY, OCTOBER 14TH. YES. THE TRUCK WAS OUT. THE TRUCK DID GO OUT. THEY WERE POTHOLE, THEY WERE PATCHING THE POTHOLES. AND LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE SOME TIMES WHERE THE CREW IS NEEDED. SO IF THERE IS INCLEMENT WEATHER, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST PAGE OF THAT, OF THE PRESENTATION, IT GIVES REASONS, UM, FOR WHICH THE CREW MAY NOT BE OUT. AND ONE OF THOSE REASONS IS INCLEMENT WEATHER. SO WE CANNOT POT PATCH POTHOLES IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. THAT'S ONE. THE OTHER IS IF THERE'S A PAVING EFFORT, SO IF WE'RE COMPLETING A STREET AND ALL HANDS ON DECK ARE NEEDED, THEN THAT CREW WILL BE PULLED TO PAVE THAT STREET, WHICH IS A PART OF THE, THE MANDATED STREET PROGRAM. ANOTHER REASON IS IF THE PLANT IS SHUT DOWN, WE DON'T HAVE MATERIAL. SO, OKAY. OUR, OUR JOB IS TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED, PREPARE YOU FOR THE CITIZENS EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. SO IF YOU NEED, YOU KNOW, THE RESOURCES MM-HMM. , COME TO MANAGEMENT. GO TO MANAGEMENT. IF WE NEED TO GET MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE TO REPAIR THESE STREETS, THAT'S ENTIRELY WHAT WE'VE DONE. THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE. IT'S PUT $50 MILLION INTO THE STREET PROGRAM. MM-HMM. . SO, YOU KNOW, OUR JOB IS TO ENSURE THAT THOSE CITIZENS HAVE RELIEF. SO I, THE DAY THAT YOU'RE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS WELL, THE DAY YOU'RE SPEAKING OF, IT WASN'T INTIMATE WEATHER, IT WASN'T RAINING, IT WAS SUNNY. MM-HMM. . SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA GO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE THE POTHOLE. IF WE'RE NOT REPAIRING THE STREETS, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. TO BRING TO LIGHT TO THE CITIZENS, TO YOU OR MANAGEMENT. THAT'S OUR JOB TO ENSURE THE CITIZENS ARE GETTING SOME TYPE OF RELIEF ON POTHOLES AND STREET REPAIR. YES, SIR. AND WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TO PATCH POTHOLES. WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN. UM, AS YOU'RE AWARE, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, THE STREETS HAVE NOT BEEN MAINTAINED. RIGHT. SO WE ARE PLAYING CATCH UP. MM. UM, SO, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR, I'M WITH YOU. I, I UNDERSTAND. BUT THIS COUNCIL IS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT. THANK YOU FOR BEARING WITH US. BUT WE WERE, OUR JOB IS TO ENSURE, AND WE APPRECIATE THE FUNDS. THANK YOU. AND WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE YOU THE MONEY, PAM. WE, WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE YOU THE MONEY. UH, BUT OUR JOB IS TO ENSURE THAT WE GET RELIEF. YES SIR. AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED, PLEASE COME TO MANAGEMENT TO THIS COUNCIL. LIKE YOU HERE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION. I'M GONNA READ THROUGH IT. MM-HMM. . I'M SURE MY COHORTS WILL TOO. MM-HMM. . BUT WE REALLY NEED TO SPEED UP AND ENSURE THAT THOSE POTHOLE REPAIR TRUCKS ARE OUT ON THE ROAD ON A DAILY BASIS. MM-HMM. . THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. OKAY. YOU GET A PASS TODAY 'CAUSE THIS IS ABOVE YOUR PAY GRADE. PAM, [00:45:02] THIS IS GONNA BE DIRECTED TO YOU. YES, SIR. TO GET, TO GET TO THE CITY MANAGER. OKAY. THE PRIORITY IN THIS CITY IS STREETS. IF WE CAN'T FIX ALL OF 'EM AT ONE TIME, WE CAN FIX POTHOLES. POTHOLES IS WORSE THAN STREETS BECAUSE THEY GOT MORE POTHOLES THAN THEY HAVE STREETS. WE HAVE TWO TRUCKS THAT WE PURCHASE THAT ARE NEW TO FIX POTHOLES EVERY DAY. THE WEATHER PERMITS, THOSE TRUCKS GO AND FIX POTHOLES. IF YOU HAVE TO PULL PEOPLE OFF TRUCKS, THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FIXING POTHOLES. BECAUSE WE ARE PAVING A STREET, THAT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE TO PUT ON THAT STREET CREW SO THAT THE PEOPLE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FIXING POTHOLES CAN FIX POTHOLES. WE DIDN'T BUY THOSE TRUCKS FOR DAYS TO TAKE PEOPLE OFF 'EM TO GO WORK WITH A STREET CREW. WE HAVE SAID TOO MANY TIMES, WHATEVER YOU NEED TO FIX THESE PRIORITIES. WE SAT, COME TO US. I LISTENED TO WHAT MS. ROBERT SAID, I'VE READ THE REPORT. AND THE REPORT IS EXACTLY WHAT'S MY COMPLAINT IS. SHE'S PULLED PEOPLE OFF THE POTHOLE BECAUSE THEY NEEDED THEM IN ORDER TO DO THE STREETS. I'M SAYING NO, NO. SOMEBODY NEED TO COME TO THIS COUNCIL AND SAY WE NEED TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE TO PUT ON THAT STREET CREW SO THAT THAT STREET CREW ON GOOD DAYS CAN DO THOSE STREETS. AND THESE PEOPLE DOING POTHOLES. CAN DO POTHOLES. ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT IS GOING TO BE UNACCEPTABLE. THE NEXT MEETING I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO GIVE THE MANAGER, IF THE MANAGER'S NOT HERE, I NEED YOU TO LET THIS COUNCIL KNOW HOW ARE WE GOING TO FIX IT SO THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WE HIRE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DOING POTHOLES, ARE DOING POTHOLES. NOW THE ONLY TIME YOU CAN TELL ME THEY'RE NOT DOING POTHOLE, AND I'M GONNA BE ACCEPTABLE , THAT'S IF THE WEATHER IS INCLEMENT. OKAY. AND IF YOU COME AND TELL ME THERE ARE NO LONGER NO MORE POTHOLES IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, I DO NOT FORESEE THE STREETS BEING FIXED AND POTHOLES BEING ELIMINATED DURING MY TIME. BUT WE CAN SET THIS A PRIORITY AND WE CAN WORK IT AS A PRIORITY. AND THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR THAT TRUCK NOT BEING ON A ROAD FIXING HERE. NO, NO EXCUSE. IF THE STREET CREW IS SHORT, LET'S HIRE MORE PEOPLE. TRUCK DON'T SIT IN THE MORE IN THAT OPERATION CENTER. I DON'T CARE. I I GET OUT THERE AND DO WHAT THE CITIZEN NEED DONE. THEY TALKING ABOUT SO MANY POTHOLES BLOWING OUT TIES AND BUSTING UP RIMS. I WAIT FOR SOMEBODY TO START COMING UP HERE IN THE PROTEST. WE GOT TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS. THAT'S WHY I SAY I DON'T WANT YOU TO ANSWER. THIS IS ABOVE YOUR PAY GRADE. BUT YOU NEED TO LET THE MANAGER KNOW I NEED MORE PEOPLE SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO PULL PEOPLE. NOW WHEN YOU LET HIM KNOW, HE'S SUPPOSED TO LET US KNOW. AND THE DAY THAT WE SAY WE AIN'T GONNA GIVE YOU NO MORE PEOPLE, THEN WE SHOULD BE BLAMED. BUT UNTIL SOMEBODY COME TO US, WE FEEL, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO DO IT. BUT NOT DOING THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE. OKAY. NOW MY LAST THING I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON. I SEE THEM WORKING TOGETHER. [00:50:02] I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT SEEM LIKE IF, SEE WHO I SAW 'EM BOTH AT A LOCATION. MM-HMM. DOING IT. I'M SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE GOT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE TOWN WITH THE CREW. WHY DON'T WE HAVE ONE CREW DOING, TAKING CARE OF ONE AREA AND THEN ANOTHER CREW IN THIS AREA AND ROTATING THEM AROUND IN THE AREA. MM-HMM. . WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE THEM TOGETHER? UM, WITHOUT KNOWING THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THAT, THAT INSTANCE OR THE DATE. I, I REALLY CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. BUT IF YOU CAN PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION, I CAN INVESTIGATE. WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT, LET'S JUST, LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY. IF THEY DOING POTHOLES MM-HMM. , DO YOU NEED TWO TRUCKS TO DO POTHOLES? 'CAUSE I WATCH THE OPERATION. I DON'T SEE WHERE TWO TRUCKS GOTTA BE THERE TO DO 'EM. I'M JUST SAYING IT'S AN OBSERVATION I HAD. MM-HMM. SEEM LIKE WE COULD BE IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE TOWN. IT'S JUST TRYING TO MAXIMIZE WHAT WE CAN DO. THAT'S ALL I'M SUGGESTING. I UNDERSTAND. BUT AGAIN, I CAN'T PROVIDE YOU WITH AN ANSWER BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I DON'T KNOW WHERE, NO, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. NO, I'M, I'M NOT, I I DIDN'T WANT TO ANSWER MS. ROBERTS. OKAY. ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION FROM SOMETHING THAT I HAD OBSERVED. OKAY. SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAVE I, WHAT I OBSERVED AND IF THERE'S A VALID REASON FOR IT, THEN YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LET ME KNOW, UH, OFFLINE. UH, BUT I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO ANSWER A QUESTION NOW THAT YOU HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT IT. I'M JUST BRINGING UP A SITUATION IN WHICH I OBSERVED THAT I DIDN'T SEE WE WAS MAKING ANY MONEY, HAVING THEM BOTH TOGETHER BECAUSE ONE WAS ACTUALLY DURING THE POTHOLE AND THE OTHER ONE WAS PARKED AT THE TIME. THEY WAS AT THE SAME LOCATION. OKAY. OKAY. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SITUATION WAS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS RIGHT OR WRONG. I'M JUST BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION. BUT PAM, THANK YOU. NEXT MEETING. I WOULD LIKE FOR SOMEBODY TO DO, UH, GIVE US A UPDATE. IT DON'T HAVE TO BE A PRI GIVE US A UPDATE. HOW ARE WE GOING TO FIX IT SO THAT POTHOLE CREWS DO NOT GET PULLED OFF OF THOSE TRUCKS TO GO WITH STREET. THAT'S ANOTHER. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, MAYOR POOR KIM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE UNIQUENESS OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR IN THAT WE HAVE SOME STATE HIGHWAYS THAT RUN THROUGH THE CITY. AND WHEN THERE'S A POTHOLE ON TWIN CITY HIGHWAY OR 365, DO WE HAVE TO GET TXDOT INVOLVED OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR THAT? 'CAUSE I'VE GOT TWO IN MY DISTRICT RIGHT NOW. MM-HMM. . THAT ONE IS AT THE CORNER OF NINTH AVENUE AND 365 WHEN YOU TURN SOUTH ONTO NINTH AVENUE. RIGHT. AT THE KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN. OH YEAH. LOCATION. MM-HMM. . AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS AT THE CORNER OF 32ND STREET AND TWIN CITY HIGHWAY AT BURGER KING WHEN YOU TURN RIGHT HEADED WEST ON 32ND STREET. MM-HMM. RIGHT THERE AT THE CORNER. SO, I MEAN, MORE OF IT IS ON THE STATE HIGHWAY THAN IS ON OUR CITY STREET. SO HOW DO, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THOSE? OKAY. I WILL LET TEX DOT KNOW. OKAY. UH, IF IT'S WITHIN, I'M ASSUMING IT'S, IT'S WITHIN TDOT'S RIGHT OF WAY? PROBABLY. I I THINK BOTH OF THEM ARE FAR ENOUGH ONTO THEIR RIGHT OF WAY THAT IT WOULD BE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. BUT THEN IT KIND OF GOES AROUND THE CORNER AND IT'S ON OUR CITY STREET. SO IT MAY BE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL. RIGHT. RIGHT. AT THAT POINT. BUT I WILL, I'LL GET WITH TEXDOT. OKAY. YOU SAID 32ND. 32ND. AND, UH, TWIN CITY AT THE BURGER KING AND THEN 365 AND NINTH AVENUE AT THE KFC. OKAY. IS IT AND MAYOR PRO TEMP AT ONE BY BURGER KING ON 32ND? YES. IT'S WHEN YOU ARE MAKING A RIGHT. IT'S AT THE, WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE HEADED TWIN CITY SOUTH AND YOU MAKE A RIGHT TURN ON 32ND STREET, IT'S RIGHT THERE. I THINK THAT'S THE CITY. I I I'VE HIT THAT ONE. I KNOW, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S WHY. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND SO, UH, THAT MAY BE THE CITY, BUT IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. YEAH. YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK AT IT. YEAH. OKAY. BECAUSE IF A COME A PERSON COMING REAL FAST, THEY, THEY CAN REALLY LOSE CONTROL. MOST PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL THEY KNOW IS THERE. IS THERE. SO YOU SLOW DOWN. BUT YEAH, THAT WAS OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK? YES, SIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, DIRECTOR. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WHEN WE GO TO THESE CONFERENCES, SOMETIMES WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK THROUGH EXHIBITION HALLS. MM-HMM. . AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN WHEN I WALK THROUGH, THEY HAVE NOW THIS THING CALLED, UH, COAL PATCH REPAIR. IT'S ASPHALT IN A BAG. HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT, [00:55:01] UH, DOING THAT, GETTING THOSE, GETTING SOME OF THOSE 50 POUND BAGS, PUTTING THEM ON A TRUCK, AND THAT WAY WE COULD UTILIZE, UM, MORE INDIVIDUALS. 'CAUSE ALL YOU'D HAVE TO DO IS LOAD SOME OF THOSE BAGS UP ON A, UM, ON A PICKUP TRUCK AND YOU COULD DISPERSE 3, 4, 5 TRUCKS A DAY WITH INDIVIDUALS TO GO OUT AND COAL PATCH THOSE, UH, COAL PATCH, SOME OF THOSE PATCHES. HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THOSE THAT ASPHALT IN THE BAG, IN THE COAL PATCH? UH, WE DO USE COAL MIX, UM, TO, TO PATCH SOME PAD POTHOLES. EXCUSE ME. NOW, WHENEVER WE DO THAT, A LOT OF TIMES YOU ALL WILL GET CALLS AND SO WILL WE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU SEE THE, THE ROCKS IN THE STREET SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE STREET. MM-HMM. . UM, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE COLD MIX. UM, IS THAT THE ONES THAT COME THIS PARTICULAR BRAND? BUT I'M NOT, IS THAT THE COME, IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT? WHAT DOES THAT COME IN A BAG? NO, SIR. THAT'S NOT IN THE BAG. UM, I'D HAVE TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, DO YOU MIND IF I CHAT WITH YOU AFTER? NOT AT ALL. I HAVE A PICTURE OF IT. THE OKAY. I HAVE A PICTURE OF IT. RIGHT. TO GET MORE INFORMATION. BUT IT'S, IT, THEY COME IN 50 POUND BAGS. YOU CAN GET A PALLET OF IT. MM-HMM. . AND SO THEY, THEY TAKE THE BAG, THEY GO OUT, MIX IT. IT, IT GETS HARD. IT'S, UM, IT'S A QUICKER WAY, UH, TO GET THE PATCHES, UH, GET THE POTHOLES FIXED. I THINK, I THINK THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS TRIED SOMETHING SIMILAR. OKAY. UH, IT MAY NOT BE THAT PARTICULAR BRAND. I DON'T KNOW WHAT BRAND YOU HAVE THERE. OKAY. BUT IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YES. LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. BLESS YOU. BLESS YOU. OKAY. UH, IS IT COUNCILMAN ME? COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES. APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, WHAT YOU GOT IN PLACE, YOU JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SUPPORT. OKAY? FOR EXAMPLE, YOU ARE MOVING, YOU, YOU NEED A TEMPORARY CREW. DO YOU ALL HAVE TEMPORARY POTHOLE CREWS? NO, SIR. OKAY. YOU, YOU, YOU NEED TO CONSIDER THAT. SO WHEN YOU MOVE, NOW I'M, THIS IS NOT THE REST OF THE COUNCIL. SO WHEN YOU MOVE THE CREW FROM THE POTHOLE TO FIX STREETS, YOU NEED A TEMPORARY CREW TO FILL TO KEEP THOSE, THOSE, THOSE TRUCKS RUNNING. OKAY. SO I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU ARE MOVING FROM THE POTHOLE AND YOU'RE PUTTING THEM IN STREET REPAIR, THEY'RE GAINING EXPERIENCE. YES, SIR. DON'T DISRUPT THAT. SO BACKFILL, WHEN YOU'RE MOVING, BACKFILL THE, UH, THE OPERATORS OF THE POTHOLE, UH, TRUCKS AND EQUIPMENT WITH TEMPORARY, WITH A TEMPORARY CREW. AND YOU SAY YOU HAVE TWO, TWO CREW. YES, SIR. WELL, WE NEED THAT NEED TO BE, CONTINUE TO BE FORCED. SO YOU NEED TWO TEMPORARY CREWS. OKAY. BUT KEEP TRAINING AND UPGRADING THOSE PEOPLE THAT'S WORKING, WORKING THE STREETS. OKAY. NOW, I NEVER COULD UNDERSTAND, I REPORTED POTHOLES ALL OVER THE CITY. MM-HMM. , I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND EVERY DAY WE GOT INSPECTORS, WE GOT POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE GOT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE GOT THE GARBAGE TRUCK, TRASH TRUCKS GOING DOWN THAT SAME STREET. AND THEN WHY THEY'RE NOT REPORTING THE POTHOLES, THEY NEED TO REPORT THE POTHOLES. AND THAT WAY YOU'LL HAVE A DAILY RECORD OF WHERE, WHERE THE POTHOLES ARE NOT THE BACK. THEY NEED TO REPORT 'EM. OKAY. NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALL LEARNED AT THE, THE CONFERENCE IN, IN TAMPA BAY, IF THE FOUR OF US THAT ATTENDED THAT STILL WAS NOT ENOUGH, BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY PROGRAMS GOING AT THE SAME TIME, WAS NOT ENOUGH OF US TO, UH, TO CATCH 'EM ALL. SO WE HAD TO BREAK UP AND SPLIT UP AND WE, I'LL TAKE SOMETHING. THE MAYOR TAKES SOMETHING AND THE OTHER COUNCIL WILL TAKE SOMETHING. OKAY. WE STILL DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS, ALL OF US CAME AWAY WITH. NATIONWIDE POTHOLES ARE NOT PARTISAN. NO, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT PARTISAN. EVERYBODY IS AFFECTED BY THEM. OKAY. BUT THE REPORTING POTHOLE PRIORITY REPORTING, I THINK I'M PRETTY MUCH COVERED EVERYTHING THAT I NEED TO COVER. NO, I DON'T WANT TO BE REDUNDANT. WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY WENT THROUGH. OKAY. THEY DID A GOOD JOB. YEAH. OKAY. APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE YOUR REPORTING, BUT BILL THAT UP. BUILD THEM OTHER TWO CREWS. CREWS, OKAY. OKAY. YES SIR. CAN I ADD SOMETHING, MAYOR? YES MA'AM. UM, THE TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR REPORTING, UH, THE POTHOLES, JUST TO REFRESH EVERYONE'S MEMORY, IS, UH, NINE EIGHT, WELL OF COURSE 4 0 9 9 8 3 8 5 0 1 8 5 0 1. YES SIR. 5 1 9 8 3 8 5 0 1. [01:00:04] AND THERE'S ALSO A LINK ON THE, THE CITY'S WEBSITE, UM, WHERE YOU CAN, YOU CAN REPORT AN ISSUE. HAVE YOU, UH, EVER CONSIDERED 1-800-POTHOLES, ? THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A REAL NUMBER. I DON'T KNOW. PROBABLY. IT, IT, IT PRICE PROBABLY GONE. HE, HE, HE USED MY BADGE IN, IN TAMPA. UHHUH, THE BADGE I HAD. IT SAID POTHOLES IN THAT PARTISAN. NO, THEY'RE NOT. YEAH. I MEAN, THEY'RE NATIONWIDE AND, AND THEY'RE NOT PARTISAN. UM, MAYOR YEAH, JUST ONE, ONE MORE THING. GO AHEAD. WHAT COUNCILMAN FRANK IS TALKING ABOUT ONE OF, ONE OF Y'ALL MENTIONED ABOUT THE, THE, THE BAG. YEAH. MM-HMM. THAT IS CONCRETE. I'VE USED IT AND I'VE BEEN TO SOME OF THE GARAGES AND THEY'LL HAVE, UH, POTHOLES GOING IN. AND I SAY, WHY DON'T YOU PATCH THAT, GO DOWN THERE TO PARK PARKER. IT'S REAL CHEAP. I SAID, GO DOWN, I'VE USED IT. GO DOWN THERE TO PARKER'S ON GULF WAY DRIVE. MM-HMM. . AND GET THE CONCRETE. AND, AND THEY PATCH THAT WHOLE LITTLE DRIVEWAY. AND THAT WAS OVER HERE. IT STILL HOLES AND IT, IT'S, IT'S A QUICK FIX AND IT LASTS. IT'S SURPRISED, BUT IT'S CONCRETE. OKAY. TRY. OKAY. OKAY. WHOEVER. ALRIGHT. UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, EVER FIELD THANK YOU, MA'AM FOR THE PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU JUST PROVIDED. YES, MA'AM. JUST TO HELP SET EXPECTATIONS, IS SOMEONE TO ANSWER THAT PHONE TO, UM, A REPORT TO BE PROVIDED OR ARE THE CITIZENS SUPPOSED TO LEAVE A MESSAGE? I WANNA BE CLEAR IN SETTING OUR EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY CALL THAT NUMBER. THANK YOU FOR THAT. YES, MA'AM. SO THAT IS THE GENERAL NUMBER FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. MM-HMM. , SOMEONE WILL ANSWER THE NUMBER, THE PHONE, EXCUSE ME. AND THEY'LL TAKE THE COMPLAINT AND CREATE A WORK ORDER OKAY. FOR THE CREW TO, UM, TO PATCH THE POTHOLES. OKAY. YES, MA'AM. AND THEN YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A LINK ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE YES, MA'AM. THAT CITIZENS CAN GO TO IN ORDER TO SAY WHAT INTERSECTION OR WHAT STREET A POTHOLE IS. CORRECT. YOU CAN EVEN, THERE'S AN OPTION TO, TO CHOOSE AND HELP ME OUT, MS. CHERYL, TO CHOOSE, UH, THE LOCATION ON THE MAP. UM, YOU CAN CLEARLY SAY WHAT THE, WHAT THE COMPLAINT IS. YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR NAME, YOUR CONTACT, YOUR EMAIL, YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER, AND THAT WAY IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED MORE INFORMATION, WE CAN CONTACT YOU. OKAY. SO MA'AM TO REPORT, REPORT A CONCERN. OKAY. SO IT'S, IT'S UNDER, SO JUST FOR THOSE LISTENING, IT'S UNDER REPORT A CONCERN ON THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR'S WEBSITE. OKAY. THANK YOU MS. CHERYL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, COUNSEL, YOU SAID YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE? YES. UH, IN, IN REFERENCE TO COUNCILMAN FRANK REMARKS, I WENT TO A CONFERENCE, I THINK IN 2018. AND WE, WE SAW A MATERIAL LIKE YOU DID. IN FACT, I BROUGHT BACK THE, UH, THIS AND I GAVE IT TO OUR ENGINEER AND THEY WENT, THEY WENT THROUGH IT. AND WHAT THEY BASICALLY WAS SAYING WAS IT COST MORE WHEN IT WAS BUYING BAGS. AND, UH, THE MATERIAL WAS OKAY, SAY, BUT THEY GET THE BULK AND THEY RUN THE HOT MIX. BUT I KNOW AT THOSE CONFERENCES IT'S THAT. BUT THAT WAS THE THING. I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING UNIQUE TOO. BUT WHEN THEY TOLD ME, THEY SAY, WELL, IT COSTS MORE WHEN THEY BUY BAGS. AND THEN WE HAD TO STORE THE BAGS AND STUFF. SO THEY SAY THEY WERE BETTER OFF GETTING THE BULK, IT WAS CHEAPER, YOU KNOW, SO I JUST WANT SAY, 'CAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS THE THING TOO, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, THEY KIND OF TOLD ME THAT IT WAS, THEY GET THE BULK, SO. OKAY. ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, WE THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MCKEN LAW YOU WERE SATISFIED WITH. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. UH, AND DIRECTOR, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR YES, SIR. THANK YOU. YOUR REPORT. WE, WE JUST TRYING TO RESOLVE THESE PROBLEMS AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THE COUNCIL. UH, WE'VE GIVEN OUR DIRECTIVE FOR WHAT WE WANT AND HOW WE WANT TO ATTACK THIS, UH, THIS ELEPHANT. SO IF YOU WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, ENSURE THAT WE CAN GET SOME RELIEF FOR THE CITIZENS. GET ONE BITE AT A TIME. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. ONE BITE AT A TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MAYOR , WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO KIND, MS. ROBERTS. OKAY. [III.B.(2) A Presentation By The Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation Regarding Vacant Commercial And Retail Spaces In District Three And Plans For Attracting Businesses To Those Locations (Requested By Mayor Pro Tem Beckcom)] NOW WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER TWO. IT IS A PRESENTATION BY THE BOARD AUTHOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REGARDING VACANT, COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL SPACES IN DISTRICT THREE AND PLANS FOR ATTRACTING BUSINESSES TO THOSE LOCATIONS. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY MAYOR PROTE BEFORE, UH, MAYOR, UH, IF, IF YOU WOULD, MAYOR PROTE, [01:05:01] THE, UH, CEO IS NOT AVAILABLE. HE DID, UH, INFORM ME, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO SEE IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING ELSE. HE HAD SOME STAFF HERE, BUT NOT FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. BUT, UH, WITHOUT, UH, OUR BEING, UH, MAYBE POLARIZING OR, UM, DOING SOMETHING THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD APPEAR TO BE, UH, DISENFRANCHISED IN OTHER AREAS, IN FAVOR OF ONE AREA. AND IF WE CAN ACTUALLY TABLE THIS TILL THE NEXT MEETING, HE CAN BE AVAILABLE. BUT IF YOU WOULD NOT MIND AMENDING WHAT YOU'VE REQUESTED, AND WE WOULD WANT THIS FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT. INSTEAD OF JUST ONE DISTRICT. YEAH. 'CAUSE WE POLARIZED, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR ONE. YEAH. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES EVERYWHERE. ABSOLUTELY. I AGREE WITH THAT. AND, AND, AND, AND MAYBE, UH, MR. STOKES AND HIS STAFF, AND I DID EXPRESS THAT TO HIM AND THAT I BELIEVE HE'LL BE, UH, PREPARED TO DO SOMETHING. I WILL ALMOST SAY THE 5TH OF DECEMBER, AGAIN ON THE THIRD DECEMBER 3RD . OKAY. ON DECEMBER 3RD. AND WE WILL, WE WILL PUT IT BACK ON. YEAH, THAT'S FINE. I LIKE THAT IDEA. OKAY. THANK YOU. IT'S, IT'S OKAY. SAY THE SECRETARY. OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A MOTION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE JUST MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO KINDLY. UH, MAYOR PRO TEMP. NOW LET'S [III.B.(3) A Presentation By The Fire Chief Regarding The Required Ambulatory Services To Support The City (Requested By Councilmember Hamilton Everfield)] GO TO PAGE TWO. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY THE FIRE CHIEF, UH, ONE OF 'EM REGARDING THE, UH, AMBULATORY, UH, AMBULATORY SERVICE TO SUPPORT THE CITY. UH, WITH THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, UH, HAMILTON, EVER FIELD. UM, MR. MAYOR, UH, COUNSEL? YES, SIR. UM, I'VE GOT MY DEPUTY CHIEF UP HERE AND MY BATTALION CHIEF OVER EMS. UH, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT TAKE POINT ON THESE MATTERS AND I FEEL IT'D BE BEST FOR THEM TO, UH, BRIEF THE COUNSEL ON THIS MATTER. SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THEM. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. HOW YOU DOING? GOOD EVENING, CHIEF, YOU DON'T MIND PUTTING THE MIC CLOSER SO WE CAN RECORD. THANK YOU. SO I'LL, UM, OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS. I KNOW WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT. QUESTION. THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. MY, UM, CONCERN, BUT MORE SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN PREPARATION IN ADVANCE THIS YEAR VERSUS, UM, WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR AND HAVING A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY SERVE OUR CITIZENS IN PORT ARTHUR REGARDING AMBULATORY SERVICES. THIS ISN'T ABOUT, UM, ANY OF THE COMPANIES THAT ARE SERVICING US. THIS IS ABOUT WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE SO THAT WE CAN BE VERY CLEAR WHEN WE ARE PUTTING OUT OUR UPCOMING RFPS, UM, SOMETIME SOON, AND WE ARE PROPERLY EDUCATED TO KNOW WHAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR AND WHAT WE NEED TO BE ASKING FOR. OKAY. UM, THAT'S A REAL DYNAMIC QUESTION. SO A LOT GOES INTO THAT. UH, SO JUST TO SAY WE NEED FOUR ANALYSTS OR MULTIPLE ANALYST SERVICE THAT I THINK THAT WOULD BE UNFAIR. LIKE GETTING A WORKSHOP DONE, UH, BRINGING OUR COUNSELOR IN AND EDUCATING THE GUYS, LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED. THE NUMBER OF CALLS WE MAKE, WE MAKE ROUGHLY 1300 CALLS A A MONTH. SO TO SERVICE THAT, I CAN'T SAY ONE ANSWER TO MAKE THAT CLEAR ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION. YES SIR. UH, IT IS WAY MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT THAN JUST SAYING THE NUMBER OF AMBULANCES WE NEED. SO, UM, I THINK PUTTING TOGETHER A WORKSHOP, EDUCATING YOU, SHOWING THE NUMBERS, GIVING Y'ALL DATA AND BRINGING THAT TO THE COUNCIL AND LET Y'ALL MAKE AN INTUNE DECISION ABOUT WHICH DIRECTION WE GO GOING FORWARD. OKAY. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO KNOW NOW, FOR THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE NEEDS CURRENTLY? LIKE FOR AS MEETING THE GOALS? MM-HMM. FOR AS MEETING OUR GOALS, I THINK WE, WE ACCOMPLISHED THAT. UM, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH C-D-E-M-S. UH, NO SYSTEM IS UNDER WITH OUR FLAW. SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT. WE HAVE, UH, ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. IT'S GOTTEN BETTER, THEIR SERVICES GOTTEN BETTER TO US FOR THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR. UH, WE BOTH AGREED THAT THE END GOAL IS THE CITIZENS OF PORT ARTHUR AND BEST NEEDS TO THEM. SO, UM, AS OF NOW, I THINK WE'RE DOING, WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH. WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THAT'S GOOD START. OKAY. THAT'S A GOOD START. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I, I WANTED TO KNOW ACTUALLY, UM, INTENDED ON THIS TO BE A POINT OF DISCUSSION. LAST TIME WE WERE AT THE, WE WERE AT THE POINT TO SAY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE NEED AND THAT'S NOT A GOOD SPACE FOR US TO BE IN. I, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN WE ARE ACTUALLY HAVING OUR SERVICES IN HOUSE. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WELL PREPARED AND, AND WE ARE EDUCATED SO THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO MAKE UM, SOUND DECISIONS ON, ON THIS SIDE? ABSOLUTELY. SUPPORT. THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE MYSELF AND, UH, THE CHIEF HAVE, UH, GOT TOGETHER AND GOT A PLAN TOGETHER. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE [01:10:01] COUNCIL NEEDS TO LOOK AT, APPROVES, UH, SAFETY, IF IT WORKS FOR US AS A CITY. BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW, GOING FORWARD, WE'RE IN A, WE'RE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE. UM, BOTH SIDES CAN DO BETTER AND WE WILL DO BETTER. UM, I THINK WE'RE IN GOOD. I THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE. OKAY. AS OF RIGHT NOW, WHERE WE STAND. OKAY. UM, THAT'S MY OPINION. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WORK, UM, THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING. OKAY. THAT'S IT. OKAY. COUNCILMAN KIM LAW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. CHIEF, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ADMITTING THAT BOTH SIDES CAN DO BETTER. ABSOLUTELY. AND, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THE END GOAL. I'M GLAD THAT YOU SAID IT. YES. I'M GLAD THAT YOU GUYS ARE THE POINT INDIVIDUALS FOR THIS AMBULATORY SERVICE THAT WE HAVE. WE DON'T NEVER WANT TO GO BACK IN THE SITUATION THAT WE WERE IN BEFORE. THANK YOU GUYS. BECAUSE THIS IS THE THING. WE HAVE TO HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT'S GONNA MONITOR THE GOALS. YES. AND YOU GUYS ARE THOSE TWO PEOPLE, AND THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL WANTED. BUT I, I, I APPLAUD YOU JUST TAKING THE, THE BITE AND SAYING WE BOTH CAN DO BETTER. THAT THE, THE SERVICE THAT WE HAVE DEDICATED, UH, ANALYSTS, THAT WE HAVE BUSES IN THE CITY, THANK YOU FOR THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION. BECAUSE THE CITIZENS NEED TO BE ASSURED THAT ONCE THEY CALL 9 1 1, THEY GOT SOMEBODY COMING. NOT LIKE WHAT WE'VE HAD BEFORE IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE DIDN'T MONITOR, UH, WHAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON. BUT THANK YOU CHIEF. THANK YOU CHIEF AS WELL. AND THANK YOU CHIEF IN THE BACK. THAT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO HAPPEN. IT'S FOR THE CITIZENS. IT'S NOT FOR NOBODY UP HERE. IT'S FOR THE CITIZENS. AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THEM THAT WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN AS A COLLECTIVE COUNSEL TO ENSURE THAT ONCE THEY CALL 9 1 1, THEY GOT SOMEBODY'S COMING. ABSOLUTELY. YOU'LL GET A GOOD PRODUCT WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1 WITH US. ALSO, LIKE I SAID, WE ARE WORKING WELL WITH, UH, CD MS AND IT'S GOING GREAT. APPRECIATE IT, CHIEF. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? WELL, THANK YOU ALL. Y'ALL GO FIGHT AND FIRES . THANK YOU ALL. [III.F.(1) A Discussion Regarding Proper Decorum During Closed Meeting Executive Sessions Of The City Council (Requested By Mayor Pro Tem Beckcom)] OKAY, UH, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, DISCUSSIONS. AND FIRST WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS, UH, REGARDING PROPERTY QUORUM DURING CLOSED MEETING, EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THIS IS BE REQUESTED BY MAYOR PROTE BECKHAM. YOU MAY PROCEED. MAYOR PROTE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I REQUESTED THIS AGENDA ITEM FOR DISCUSSION BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUED OUTBURSTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND TO PUT AN END TO THIS BEHAVIOR AND ALLOW OUR MEETINGS TO BE CONDUCTED ACCORDING TO THE RULES OF PROPER DECORUM. I WILL SAY THAT OUR MEETING TODAY WENT VERY WELL, AND I APPRECIATED THAT I DO NOT HAVE NOT, AND WILL NOT MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN DUE DILIGENCE AND GATHERING INFORMATION ON PARTICULAR SUBJECTS, PROJECTS, OR ANYTHING THAT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR OR THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS MY CONSTITUENTS IN DISTRICT THREE. I DO NOT HAVE NOT, AND WILL NOT MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON RACE, ETHNICITY, OR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, OR BASED ON THE FACT THAT A BUSINESS IS MINORITY OWNED. AS THE MAYOR VERY LOUDLY ACCUSED ME OF AT OUR LAST EXECUTIVE SESSION. I WILL NOT BE YELLED AT, SCREAMED AT, FALSELY ACCUSED, OR STOOD OVER WITH FINGERS POINTING IN MY FACE AND HANDS WAVING LOUDLY IN THE AIR. I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT. UM, GO AHEAD, SAY THE TIME PURSUANT TO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS AT, UM, WE CERTAINLY ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE STATEMENTS UNDER YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS REGARDING ANY SUBJECT MATTER THAT'S DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT IT WOULD BE IMPROPER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY SAID IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY STATEMENTS THAT WERE MADE SPECIFICALLY MAY, I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRED AT THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT MADE ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AND THREATENED AND THAT WAS UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNBECOMING OF US AS A COUNCIL AT AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. MY, MY STANCE MAYOR, POINT OF ORDER. JUST WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THAT INCIDENT, THOSE INCIDENTS? WELL, COUNCILMAN STATE YOUR POINT. THAT IS MY POINT. I'M, I'M FINNA STATE IT. I I DON'T THINK IT POSSIBLE TO DISCUSS ANY INCIDENTS THAT I, THAT THAT ITEM WAS NOT, THAT ACTION WAS NOT AN AGENDA ITEM. IT DID NOT BELONG IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. THAT'S THE POINT I WANNA MAKE. WE GOT A, WE HAVE ITEMS IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT IS SCHEDULED THAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THE CLOSED SESSION. THAT WAS NOT, UH, ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION. THAT'S RIGHT. MAY, MAY I FINISH? YEAH. UH, SHE MAY PROCEED. UH, ATTORNEY, YES, YOU MAY. THE BEHAVIOR THAT I'M DESCRIBING IS REPREHENSIBLE AND I WILL NOT TOLERATE IT. NONE OF US SHOULD TOLERATE THIS LEVEL OF DISRESPECT AND THE TOTAL LACK OF DECORUM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION OR IN OUR OPEN MEETINGS. I'M ASKING OUR POLICE CHIEF TO BE IN THE ROOM WITH US OR TO HAVE A DESIGNEE IN THERE WITH US [01:15:01] AT EVERY EXECUTIVE SESSION, NOT OUTSIDE THE ROOM OR ON ANOTHER FLOOR, BUT IN THE ROOM WITH US. I WILL NOT BE MALE MADE TO BE FEEL THREATENED WITHOUT A POLICE PRESENCE IN THE ROOM AGAIN. AND I HOPE THAT MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL AGREE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH AS A COUNCIL, WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO POLICE OURSELVES AND OUR OWN UNDER THE RULES OF DECORUM. AND IT IS HIGH TIME THAT WE PUT A STOP TO THIS OUTRAGEOUS BEHAVIOR. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR, I'M HAPPY THAT THE, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, HAS COME TODAY AND TO PUT THIS SUBJECT OF THE DECORUM ON, ON THE AGENDA. UH, I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS IT. I'M HAPPY TO BE DISCUSSING IT AS WELL. BUT I, I DO FIND IT, UH, SORT OF IRONIC, UH, THAT SHE BRINGS THIS ISSUE, UH, TO US ON, UH, TODAY. UH, AND THAT SHE BRINGS THE ISSUE OF DECORUM FORWARD AS WELL. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE RANK OR THAT WE EXPERIENCE, UH, SO MANY TIMES, UH, HAS BEEN EXACERBATED, UH, BY, UH, THE COUNCILWOMAN. I THINK THAT MAYOR, I'M GONNA ASK, I MAY LET ME, I I MAY, I DID NOBODY, I'M GONNA ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT TO DEGRADE ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER OR MAYOR IN THIS. YEAH. I DIDN'T DEGRADE. I DID NOT DEGRADE. I, I, I I DID NOT DEGRADE. I JUST FEEL AS THOUGH SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE RANKER HAS BEEN EXACERBATED BY THE COUNCILWOMAN. I THINK IT HAS BEEN EXACERBATED BY HER COMING ON COUNCIL WHEN SHE CAME ON COUNCIL. SHE ACCUSED OF COUNCIL INDIVIDUALS OF NOT LIVING IN THE CITY. SHE MAY, THESE ARE PERSONAL OFFENSES THAT I DON'T THINK ARE APPROPRIATE DURING RULES OF DISCUSSION AND PROCEDURE IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, RU IS YOUR, YOUR ALLOWED TO COME ON BEFORE? I THINK THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS COVERED IT WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT, UH, ANYTHING DEALING WITH PERSONNEL, IF IT, IF IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL, IT'S TO BEING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. IF IT'S PERTAINING TO A CLASS OR A GROUP, THEN WE CAN DISCUSS IT IN OPEN SO WE CAN ALL WAIT TO DISCUSS IT IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND THE TOPIC COULD BE BROUGHT UP ANYWAY. 'CAUSE I HAD THE SCHEDULE. SO WE, WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE, UH, ATTORNEY DIRECTOR ON THIS ISSUE RIGHT NOW. COUNCILMAN KEN LAW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. BUT, UH, I AGREE WITH YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT I DO FEEL THAT WE NEED TO POLICE OURSELF. WE DIDN'T ASSURE THAT, UM, AT ALL TIMES. WE, WE CONDUCT OUR MEETINGS APPROPRIATELY. UM, UH, WE HAVE ROBERT R OF WATER. WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, WHEN WE TALK IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SOME OF THOSE, WELL, THOSE THINGS CANNOT BE OPENLY. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A RECORDING SECRETARY ALONG WITH OUR ATTORNEY TO GIVE US GUIDANCE ON LEGAL. SO LET'S, YOU KNOW, LET'S CONTINUE POLICING OURSELVES ACCORDINGLY, WHAT WE NEED TO DO WHEN WE HAVE EXECUTIVE MEETINGS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY, MAYOR, COUNCIL SECOND. COUNCILMAN. UH, JUST A MINUTE, COUNCILMAN YOU SPOKE. LEMME LET COUNCILMAN EVER AFIELD SPEAK, THEN I'LL RETURN TO YOU. OKAY. COUNCILMAN EVER COUNCILWOMAN EVER AFIELD? I'M SORRY. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UM, IT'S BEEN STATED THAT WE HAVE THE POLICE CHIEF OR A DESIGNEE TO BE INSIDE OF EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, WITH US. AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH AT ALL. WE INTEND TO HAVE OPEN DISCUSSION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WHICH VERY OFTEN WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE BECAUSE THE INFORMATION IS BROUGHT OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE WE CAN EVEN MAKE IT HOME SOMETIMES AT THE END OF THE NIGHT. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YES, PROFESSIONAL DECORUM IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, WHETHER WE'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION OR WE ARE, UM, HERE ON THE DAYAS. BUT IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL OF RESPECT, PROFESSIONALISM, AND DECORUM WHEN WE LEAVE THIS BUILDING AS WELL. OKAY. COUNCILMAN FRANK. ALRIGHT. LEMME TRY IT THIS WAY. UM, A FEW MOMENTS AGO WE HAD CHILDREN IN THE CHAMBER AND WE WERE ALL EXCITED TO HEAR THEM AND TO CONGRATULATE THEM, UH, AND TO, UH, ENCOURAGE THEM. AND SO I THINK THAT AS WE GO FORWARD WITH DECORUM, DECORUM, WHETHER ON THE DAYS, WHETHER IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WHETHER WE ARE AWAY FROM THE DAUS AS WELL, THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE, [01:20:01] DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. AND IF WE FOLLOW THAT RULE, I THINK IT WOULD CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE COULD GET MORE ACCOMPLISHED. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN LEWIS. ONCE AGAIN, I'LL SAY ANY ITEM OR ANY ACTION IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY OR YOU READS IT IN JUST IN THE PUBLIC MEETING. AND THAT'S ALL SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION NOW. ANYTHING, ANY OUTBURSTS OR ANY, UH, OFF-COLOR THINGS, UH, INAPPROPRIATE THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA, DOES NOT BELONG IN THE, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND IT DOESN'T STAY IN THERE. I GOT A PHONE CALL. HE SAID, MAN, I WAS TOLD TO CALL YOU. YOU'LL VERIFY WHAT HAPPENED IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. I SAID, WHAT? YOU KNOW, HE SAID, IT GETS OUT. WHEN SOMEBODY CALLED ME AND SAID, CALL BAY LEWIS. HE'LL VERIFY WHAT HAPPENED IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. AND IT'S TRUE. I DIDN'T COMMENT. I LEFT IT ALONE. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS? OKAY. THANK YOU. WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM. NEXT ITEM IS, [III.F.(2) A Discussion Regarding Convening A Charter Change Committee (Requested By Councilmember Doucet)] UH, NUMBER TWO. UH, A DISCUSSION REGARDING CONVENING A CHARTER CHANGE COMMITTEE. THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ETT. YEAH, SHE, SHERRY, WHEN WAS THE LAST ONE? BECAUSE I, I THOUGHT IT WAS IN NINE 18 OR 19, BUT, UH, COUNCILMAN KINLOSS SAID WE HAD ONE AFTER THAT WE DID HAVE SOME CHARTER CHANGES. THAT WAS ON THE 2020 BALLOT. OKAY. YEAH. BUT ON THE 2020 BALLOT, HAVING THE, THE CHARTER OF PROPOSITIONS ON THERE, WERE THEY FROM A CHARTER CHANGE COMMITTEE OR WERE THEY YES, SIR. FROM COUNCIL? SOME OF THEM WERE. OKAY. SOME 'EM, SIR. SO THAT WAS IN 20. YES SIR. MM-HMM, . OKAY. SO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'M GONNA BRING THIS BACK UP PROBABLY ABOUT THREE, FOUR MONTHS FROM NOW, SO THAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT IT AND GET IT DONE AND PUT IT ON THE 26TH BALLOT. THIS WAS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT CITIZENS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE CHARTER. THEY SUPPOSED TO DO IT, THEY SAY NO LESS THAN TWO YEARS. SO WE NEED TO BRING IT BACK. BUT I THINK WE COULD WAIT NOW. 'CAUSE TO TRY TO PUT IT ON THE 25TH BALLOT. YES, SIR. IS BE TOO PRESSING. 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING AROUND FEBRUARY. SO YES, SIR. I'LL WAIT TILL WE GET THAT OUT THE WAY. THEN WE BRING THIS BACK. ALLOW CITIZENS ENOUGH TIME TO GO THROUGH THE CHARTER AND PRESENT TO US WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DONE. YES, SIR. WE'LL MAKE A NOTE THAT, SO I DON'T WANT TO MENTION THAT. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCIL LEWIS, YOU RECALL COUNSEL, UH, THE CITIZENS OF, OF, UH, HAS PRESENTED A CHARTER CHANGE ITEM FOR, FOR THE, FOR FOR MAY. THEY PRESENTED IT ALMOST A YEAR AGO FOR MAY. OKAY. NOW, THE COUNCIL, INSTEAD OF HAVING A SPECIAL, INSTEAD OF HAVING A SPECIAL, UH, CHARTER, A CHARTER AMENDMENT IN NOVEMBER, IT WOULD'VE COST EXTRA MONEY. WE TALKED WITH IT WOULD'VE COST EXTRA MONEY. SO IT WAS A, IT WAS MENTIONED, IT WAS AGREED UPON. WE'LL MO MOVE IT TO, TO MAY, TO MAY OF NEXT YEAR, 25TH. NOW WHAT HA WHAT HAS HAPPENED? THAT'S THE CITIZEN, OR, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE CITIZEN, CITIZEN GROUP IN THE COMMUNITY HAS PRESENTED, GAVE EVERYBODY COPIES. THEY HAVE BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES DISCUSSING THIS ITEM AND THEN TO GO ON THE MAY BALLOT. NOW, IF THE COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A COMMITTEE, THE COUNCIL CAN BE A COMMITTEE. THEY CAN, THE COUNCIL CAN PUT ITS OWN, UH, UH, CHARTER CHANGE AMENDMENT. OKAY. TO, TO COUNTER OR TO GIVE A CITIZEN A CHOICE. THEY EITHER VOTE FOR THE CITIZENS OR VOTE FOR THE COUNCILORS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED AND, AND, AND, AND IT, THE CITIZENS HAVE SUFFERED BEHIND IT, THAT WAS A COURT MANDATED, OKAY? THERE WAS A COURT ORDER DISTRICT FIVE AND POSITION SIX WAS, WAS REMOVED. WAS REMOVED. NOW WHAT DO WE GOT? NOW WE GOT THE TWO AT LARGE POSITION LEFT. W WHEN DISTRICT FIVE WAS IN PLACE, YOU COULD, YOU COULD KEEP YOUR, YOUR, KEEP YOURSELF, YOUR, UH, EXPERIENCE. IF YOU TERM OUT IN DISTRICT ONE, YOU COULD RUN IN FIVE. IF YOU TERM OUT IN DISTRICT FOUR, YOU COULD RUN IN FIVE. IF YOU TERM OUT IN DISTRICT THREE, YOU COULD RUN IN SIX. IF YOU TURN OUT IN DISTRICT TWO, YOU COULD RUN IN SIX. [01:25:01] YOU KEEP EXPERIENCE. BUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY, WHEN THE INFAMOUS WISDOM REMOVED FIVE AND SIX, WE LOST DIVERSITY ON THE COUNCIL. WE ENDED UP WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT MAYOR, BLACK COUNCIL. EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY. AND THAT, AND NOW WHAT? WELL, NOW WATCH OUT. NOW LEMME SAY THIS IS MY LAST STATEMENT. WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, THIS WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, WE HAVE FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. MAYOR AS CITY DISTRICT THREE, FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS LIVED IN THE SAME DISTRICT AND VOTING FOR CITIZENS OVER HERE IN THE WEST END. OH, COUNCILMAN. COUNCIL, HOLD ON A SEC. UH, CITY ATTORNEY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, THIS SUBJECT MATTER IS AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT MATTER THAT WE SHOULD GIVE PUBLIC NOTICE ON THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS. AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST DISCUSSING THE CITY CHARTER AND HOW OFTEN IT CAN BE CHANGED. AND I WAS, YEAH. OKAY. SO, AND, AND YOU SAID YOU PREFER, OKAY, COUNCILMAN DO SAID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE. THIS WAS FOR A CHARTER CHANGE COMMITTEE, NOT A PROPOSITION. WE COULD ADD PROPOSITIONS TO THE CHARTER OR ANY TYPE OF WHAT PROPOSITION REFERENDUM YOU REFERRING TO THE GROUP THAT CAME BEFORE US. THAT'S STILL TIME ENOUGH TO DO THAT. THIS IS NOT IN REFERENCE TO THAT. THIS IS A CHARTER CHANGE COMMITTEE IN WHICH THE GROUP WILL GO THROUGH THE WHOLE CHARTER. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. NOT INDIVIDUAL TOPIC. OKAY. SO, YOU KNOW, UH, WE STILL COULD ADDRESS THINGS ON THIS COMMON ELECTION. WE GOT AMPLE ENOUGH TIME. THIS WASN'T ABOUT THAT. THAT IS A CHARTER CHANGE. UH, UH NO, THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL. OKAY. NOW WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM. YOU GOT UNDERSTAND THAT YOU NEED IT, [III.F.(3) Discussion And Possible Action Regarding The 89th Texas Legislative Session Priorities And Travel Budget To Advocate For The City Of Port Arthur Legislative Priorities (Requested By Councilmember Hamilton Everfield)] MDU SAID. NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER THREE, A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE 89TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION PRIORITIES AND TRAVEL BUDGET TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. AND THIS HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY COUNCILWOMAN, UH, HAMILTON, UH, EVER FIELD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YES, MA'AM. WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE LAST TWO MEETINGS, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AGENDA FOR THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. SO I'VE ASKED FOR EACH OF THE COUNSELORS TO PLEASE PROVIDE SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS SO THAT WE CAN GIVE DIRECTION TO OUR LOBBYIST, BUT ALSO TO OUR ATTORNEY TO HELP US NOT ONLY OUR ATTORNEY, I'M SORRY, ALSO OUR CITY MANAGERS AND HIS STAFF, SO THAT WE CAN DRAFT WHAT OUR CONCERNS ARE AND ATTACH A PROJECT TO THEM. SO WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO US FROM THE WATER DEPARTMENT AND ALSO FROM THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. THESE ARE TURNKEY PROJECTS THAT ARE READY TO GO RIGHT NOW. SOME OF THEM MAY JUST BE WAITING FOR FUNDING AND OTHERS COULD POSSIBLY BE ERODED IN THE EVENT THAT LEGISLATION WAS NOT PASSED IN OUR FAVOR DURING THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SO AGAIN, I AM ASKING THAT YOU ALL PLEASE, PLEASE TAKE TIME TO CONSIDER THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO, TO YOU, YOUR DISTRICTS, THE CITY AS A WHOLE, SO THAT WE CAN BE VERY CLEAR AND CONCISE TO OUR LOBBYISTS, BUT ALSO TO SHOW A UNITED FRONT WHEN WE DO SHOW UP ON, ON THE HILL. AND I'M ASKING THAT WE NOT WAIT UNTIL MARCH FOR GOLDEN TRIANGLE DAYS TO DO THAT. MARCH IS TOO LATE. THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE THICK OF THINGS. WE NEED TO BE THERE, YOU KNOW, STARTING NEXT MONTH TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THESE ITEMS HIT THE FLOOR, THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN HAD WITH US, OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, TO SAY, THIS IS WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US. THIS IS HOW MUCH MONEY WE NEED AND THIS IS WHEN WE NEED IT. MM-HMM. . SO IT IS AGAIN, UM, IMPORTANT FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER TO SHOW A UNITED FRONT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED FROM THE STATE LEVEL. AND YES, OUR TEXAS LEGISLATORS ARE IN SESSION RIGHT NOW, BUT WE NEED NOT STOP THERE. WE NEED TO HIT THE CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL AS WELL. UM, I WILL SHARE THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO ME WITH THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN REVIEWED. AND IF YOU ALL HAVE SOMETHING NOW [01:30:01] THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN LISTED, PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL DO MY BEST, UM, TO BE THERE, FRONT AND CENTER TO BE A VOICE FOR US. BUT AGAIN, WE NEED TO DO IT TOGETHER AS A TEAM. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, KEN LAW. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN FOR BRINGING IT UP. I KNOW THAT WE DISCUSS, AND THANK YOU CITY ATTORNEY. YOU BROUGHT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, SOME OF THE HOT, UH, HOT THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER BASED UPON THE NEEDS OF PORT ARTHUR. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU DOING YOUR HOMEWORK AND RESEARCH. UH, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN, UH, HAMILTON AFIELD FOR BRINGING THIS UP. BECAUSE WE REALLY DO NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE AT THE TABLE MAKING THOSE, WHEN THEY'RE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS. AND WE'RE HAVING A STRONG FRONT FROM PORT ARTHUR, ALONG WITH THE MAYOR, UH, SHOWS THAT FRONT. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT UP. WE NEED TO DO THAT. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT SOME OF THOSE, UH, THOSE BILLS ARE, ARE, ARE, AND THINGS THAT THEY'RE DISCUSSING IS AT OUR ADVANTAGE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARCH. SO, THANKS AGAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. YES. I, I LEFT THE LAST MEETING. I WASN'T HERE FOR THE WORKSHOP, BUT I MADE SURE I WENT BACK AND REVIEWED IT TO UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO. AND I, AND I HEARD THE REPRESENTATIVE, WE HAVE EXPLAIN TO COUNCIL HOW THE SYSTEM WORKED. AND I'VE ALSO HEARD THE, UH, COMMENT THAT WERE MADE BY THE CITY ATTORNEY. I'VE BEEN TO, I'VE BEEN TO, UH, AUSTIN, WHEN THEY GO INTO A LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND STUFF, THEY HAVE BILLS. BILLS ARE SELECTED. ONLY CERTAIN BILLS GO TO THE FLOW. THE OTHER THING IS, MOST OF THE TIME WHEN THEY WANT TO GET ANYTHING, YOU GO TO SUBCOMMITTEES COMMITTEES INVOLVED. WE HAVE STATE REPRESENTATIVES, WE HAVE US REPRESENTATIVES, STATE SENATORS, US SENATORS. IF WE WANT THEM TO BE OUR VOICE AND TRY TO GET THINGS DONE TO BENEFIT US, THAT'S WHO WE NEED TO MEET WITH. AND WHY ALL OF US GO, WHY DON'T WE TRY TO GET THEM TO COME TO US? THEY'RE OUR REPRESENTATIVES. THEY'RE OUR SENATORS. INVITE THEM TO COME. AND THEN WHEN THEY COME, WE PRESENT THESE THINGS THAT WE FEEL THEY MAY BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH, BECAUSE THAT'S THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S GOING TO GO TO HIS COUNTERPARTS AND PRESENT THIS AND TRY TO GET IT. THAT'S THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S GOING TO GO BACK TO HIS COUNTERPART TO THESE COMMITTEES. TRY TO GET A BILL THAT WILL REACH THE FLOW. THAT WILL REACH THE FLOW AND GET SOMETHING DONE. YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE WHY WE HAVEN'T INVITED THEM TO COME AND MEET WITH US. WE SAID THE DATE THAT, THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY FOUGHT. YOU KNOW, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IN THE ROOM WITH THE DEALS. NOTHING IS DONE IN ROOMS. OKAY. UH, AND WE NEED TO GET OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO TRY TO HELP US DO THINGS, UH, AND GET THINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AGAINST PEOPLE GOING, BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW IS THE SYSTEM, WHY WE GOING UP THERE? IF WE KNOW HOW THE SYSTEM WORK? AND I LISTENED TO WHAT SHE SAID, THAT'S WHY WE, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE HER UP THERE. WE PAY HER AND SHE KNOWS THE PEOPLE. SHE KNOWS HOW THE SYSTEM IS WORKING. AND I HEARD WHAT SHE WAS PRESENTING, AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT EVERYTHING SHE SAID WAS LIKE GOING ABOVE THE COUNCIL HEAD BECAUSE IT WAS GOING BACK AT HER LIKE, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL 'EM THAT WE WANT TO GO AND TELL IT. AND SHE WAS STEADY EXPLAINING HOW THE PROCESS WORKED. SO I THINK IF WE WANT OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO FIGHT FOR US, WE NEED TO GET THEM TO COME DOWN HERE. THEY DO THAT, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. WE OUGHT TO INVITE THEM AND TALK TO 'EM, HAVE THEM TO FIGHT THE BATTLE. THEY THE ONE THAT'S ON THE FLOOR, AND WE ALSO PAY LATER TO DO IT. YOU KNOW, SO THEY KNOW HOW IT'S DONE. BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT IN. 'CAUSE I WAS, WASN'T HERE, BUT I DID GO BACK AND REVIEW [01:35:01] THE WORKSHOP. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. AND I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE YOU, OTHERS, YOU ALL HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE. I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING HERE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, COUNCILMAN DO SAID, BUT I BELIEVE IN THE ACTUAL EFFICACY OF WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, EVER FEEL IS PROPOSING, AND EVEN COUNCILMAN, UH, KINLAW HAS PROPOSED, UH, IS THAT OUR PRESENCE WOULD ACTUALLY, UH, EQUATE TO A RELATIONSHIP THAT WOULD BE ESTABLISHED THROUGH PERSONAL VISITS. AND THAT'S OUR PERSONAL VISIT TO THE SUBCOMMITTEES. BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES SOME OF THE THINGS MAY NOT EVEN GET OUT OF SUBCOMMITTEE ACCORDING TO THE TESTIMONIES THAT THEY RECEIVED DURING THE HEARINGS. AND I BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING WHEN MS. KENARD WAS HERE, SHE EVEN ALLUDED TO THE FACT OF THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES SHE DID ASK ME TO USE MY NETWORKING ABILITIES WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN STATE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF A RELATIONSHIP THAT I HAVE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE, WE ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH FOR THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, THE PROBABILITY, BECAUSE IT, IT POSSIBLY SO TOTALLY CAN HAPPEN OF HAVING THESE THREE RELATIONAL, UH, COMPONENTS, IF YOU WILL, IN OUR GOVERNANCE HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AND AS THE BILLS, REALLY, THEY WERE SAYING, NO, WE NEED TO GO IN JANUARY. WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE YET WHEN IT WAS LAST WEEK WHEN THEY STARTED ON THOSE 20,000 BILLS. OKAY? WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HAD SOMEONE THERE WITH MISS KENARD REALLY FROM HERE, WHO NOVEMBER 12TH, WE WOULD HAVE HANDS ON. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, HAVING THEM COME HERE. BUT IF YOU WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER HAVING COLLEAGUES IN AUSTIN AT VARIOUS TIMES WHEN DISCUSSIONS ARE BEING HAD, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY AFFECT PORT ARTHUR E BE IT POSITIVELY OR IN AN ADVERSE WEIGHT. SO, UH, AGAIN, COUNCILWOMAN , I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING THIS ON THAT. I HAVE ALSO, COUNCILMAN KIMLER, YOU BROUGHT THIS UP A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. UH, WELL, I'M WEEKS, MAYBE A MONTH OR TWO AGO. AND, AND, AND THE INPUT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN, UH, ATTORNEY CITY ATTORNEY, UH, HAS BEEN VERY ENLIGHTENING FOR US AND TO US. SO I WOULD JUST HOPE THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER SOME TYPE OF PRACTICE. UH, COUNCILWOMAN EVERFI SAID A BUDGET ITEM OR I, I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. AND IF YOU, IF YOU, YOU HEARD THE, THE TAPE, SOME OF THIS, YOU GET A CALL LIKE, TODAY IS TUESDAY, SUBCOMMITTEES MEETING ON THURSDAY, AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A MOVE. IT'S NOT WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TIME TO CALL A COUNCIL MEETING, GET, GET SOMETHING APPROVED, AND THEN SEND THE PERSON. IT HAS TO BE, FIRST OF ALL, THE PERSONAL AVAILABILITY OF THOSE WHO WOULD WISH TO BE INVOLVED, AND THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL TO GET TO AUSTIN IF YOU NEED TO STAY IN AUSTIN, REMAIN IN AUSTIN, IF YOU NEED TO DINE IN AUSTIN, BECAUSE YOU STAY THERE TO BE ABLE TO DINE IN AUSTIN AND STILL MAINTAIN THEIR ECONOMIC STABILITY AT HOME. SO LET'S MAKE, COME THROUGH THE INVOLVEMENT, IF YOU WILL, OF COUNCIL PERSON WHO COULD DO THAT. AGAIN, COUNCILMAN UC SAID, I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE MAKING A STATEMENT OF OUR INVITING THEM, BUT I THINK THE PRACTICALITY IN THAT MAY NOT BE AS DOABLE AS OUR BEING PREPARED TO GO THERE WHEN THAT TIME DOES ARRIVE. SO I JUST WANTED TO INTERJECT THAT IN THIS DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WE COULD ALL THINK OF CERTAIN WAYS OF DOING IT, BUT MS. KENARD WAS HERE, AND I BELIEVE SHE EXPRESSLY TOLD US CITY ATTORNEY EXPRESSED THIS DURING YOUR FIRST MONTH IN AUGUST ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF COUNCILPERSONS. IF IT'S, IF IT'S POSSIBLE IN AUSTIN DURING THE SESSION. SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN NOT WHAT IS, UH, UH, BE APPROACH ON THE THIRD OR FIFTH OR SOMETHING OF, UH, MARCH, MARCH, MARCH. YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S GONNA BE NICE TO GO, BUT THOSE THINGS WILL ALREADY HAVE BEEN DECIDED. [01:40:01] SO THOSE OF US WHO MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW, HOW THIS COULD WORK OUT, BUT SHE'S GOING TO GET BACK WITH US, I BELIEVE ON THOSE BILLS THAT ARE BEING FILED, EVEN AS I SPEAK, THAT WOULD HAVE SOME IMPACT ON US IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND IF WE WERE JUST THINK OF, OF AN EXAMPLE, THE, UH, ETJ BILL, THE, UH, UH, EXTER TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, UH, LEGISLATION THAT CAME OUT FROM SOMEONE IN MIDLAND THAT HAS NO ETJ. AND WE HAD TO COME TOGETHER IN JEFFERSON COUNTY AND ORANGE COUNTY, I THINK EVEN HARDIN COUNTY, TO TRY TO BE SURE THAT THAT LEGISLATION DID NOT PASS, BUT IT'S GOVERNMENT AND TRUST YOU. THEY PROBABLY HAVE ALREADY, IT IS PROBABLY ONE OR TWO FILED IN THAT 20,000 OR WHATEVER. IF I'M, IF I'M SAYING THAT NUMBER CORRECTLY, THAT WOULD ACTUALLY DIMINISH OR MOVE AWAY OUR ABILITY TO HAVE SOME TAXING, UH, ENTITIES OR, OR, OR ECONOMIC, I GUESS, UH, UP CHANGE FROM OUR ETJ AND AGAIN, SOMETHING, WATER AND RESOURCES FOR WATER. THE PAS STUFF IS GONNA COME FROM A FEDERAL, BUT THE STATE IS GETTING READY TO GET INVOLVED IN THAT. WE HAVE A LOT OF LEGISLATIVE, UH, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE PREPARED TO WORK ON WHILE WE'RE DOING THE POTHOLES AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE HERE. SO, UH, I WOULD JUST SUPPORT WHAT COUNCILMAN IS, IS, IS, IS, IS BROUGHT UP, IS PREPARING OURSELVES. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A STAFF BIG ENOUGH FOR ALL OF THAT, UH, CITY ATTORNEY, BUT, UH, THERE ARE OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE RELY ON TO HELP US GET THROUGH. MAYOR. UM, I'M GOING AS A CITY ATTORNEY, I'M GONNA ADVISE THE COUNCIL THAT THEY CONSIDER TAKING ACTION TO INSTRUCT THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY MANAGER TO PREPARE A RESOLUTION THAT LISTS YOUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND ATTACH CERTAIN SPECIFIC PROJECTS TO THEM. AND THAT RESOLUTION BE PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AT ITS NEXT AGENDA, UM, FOR MOVEMENT AND DISTRIBUTION AT THE LEGISLATIVE CAPITAL WITH YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND OTHERS. I THINK THAT'S GOOD. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YEAH. THANK YOU, MA'AM. NOW, IT WAS STATED THAT THE COMMITTEES HANDLES THE BILLS WAS WHEN A BILL, THAT'S NOT THE, THAT IS SECONDARY. WHEN YOUR, WHEN OUR REPRESENTATIVES, SENATORS OR, OR, OR THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE, WHEN THEY FILE A BILL, THEY'LL FILE A BILL OF YOUR INTEREST. ONCE THEY FILE THAT BILL, THEN WE HAVE TO, THEY SET UP A COMMITTEE, NOT A SUBCOMMITTEE. THEY SET UP A COMMITTEE AND ALL INTERESTED PARTIES GO AND TESTIFY IN BEHALF OF THAT BILL IF THEY DON'T WANT IT TO PASS, IF THAT'S AN OPPOSITION, NOT OF SEND IT TO SEND IT DOWN TO A SUBCOMMITTEE, THAT'S WHERE IT GET BURIED. OKAY? YOU KNOW, IT MAY, IT MAY NOT SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY. NOW I KNOW THIS, I'VE DONE THIS. I HAVE TAKEN CITIZENS FROM PORT ARTHUR, FROM BOW MOUNT, FROM ORANGE, PUT 'EM IN VANS, SENATOR IT TO OSCAR MORRIS. HE CARRIED THE BILL FOR ME. HE FILED THE BILL AND HE WENT TO THE COMMITTEE. AND EVERYBODY I BROUGHT FROM, FROM THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE, WE ALL, THEY ALL TESTIFIED BEFORE THAT COMMITTEE. AND GUESS WHAT WENT? NOBODY. IT WAS SO POWERFUL. ALL THOSE CITIZENS TESTIFIED BEFORE THAT, THAT WAS SO POWERFUL. IT WENT STRAIGHT TO THE CALENDAR. NOBODY ON THE SENATE COMMITTEE VOTED AGAINST IT. EVERYBODY, MATTER OF FACT, THEY STOPPED THE PROCEEDINGS AND SAID, AND CALLED SOME OF THE, THE PEOPLE THAT WAS IN THE ROOM THAT HAD LEFT, LEFT THE STAGE. AND THEY CALLED 'EM UP AND SAID, YOU WANT TO GET YOU, YOU WANT TO GET IT ON THIS? THEY ALL CAME BACK. 100%. 100 BECAUSE THAT TESTIMONY FROM THOSE CITIZENS WAS SO POWERFUL. 100% OF THAT SENATE COMMITTEE VOTED TO SEND IT TO THE CALENDAR. THAT WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN EVER FIELD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, FOR TRANSPARENCY, THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO OUR STATE, UM, REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTIAN MANUEL FOR DISTRICT 22. SO HE IS WELL AWARE OF OUR CONCERNS THAT WE [01:45:01] SHARED WITH MS. KAREN CANARD DURING OUR, UM, OUR LAST MEETINGS. UM, AND THE STAFF, I DO BELIEVE ACTUALLY WATCHED THE MEETING SO THAT THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF WHAT OUR CONCERNS WERE SO THAT THEY CAN HELP US TO MOVE FORWARD. ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID NOT WANT TO DO IS TO SHOW UP ON THE HILL RAISING OUR FLAG. AND OUR HOMETOWN REPRESENTATIVE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. THAT WOULD JUST BE PLAIN DISRESPECTFUL. SO HE HAS BEEN MADE AWARE, AND WE ARE WORKING ON CREATING A SCHEDULE SO THAT WE CAN BECOME, GET MORE IN DEPTH WITH WHAT THESE CONCERNS ARE. AGAIN, FORTUNATELY, SOME OF THE STAFF HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED PROJECTS THAT CAN BE ATTACHED TO SOME OF THESE CONCERNS. ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO BE THERE, IS THERE IS AN INITIATIVE TO PREVENT US FROM EVEN BEING ABLE TO LOBBY ON THE HILL. SO I'M NOT GONNA LET ANYBODY MAKE ME SHUT UP, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL IS GOING TO ALLOW OUR VOICES TO BE CUT. WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON, AND ONLY WE SHOULD BE TELLING OUR STORY. WE NEED TO TELL OUR STORY THE RIGHT WAY SO THAT WE CAN RECEIVE THE CORRECT ASSISTANCE, UM, THAT WE NEED. I WON'T GO INTO DETAIL OF WHAT ALL OF THOSE ITEMS ARE, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU CITY SECRETARY, I MEAN CITY ATTORNEY FOR, UM, HELPING ME TO NAVIGATE THROUGH WHAT THOSE ITEMS ARE THAT ARE COMING UP ON THIS, UM, LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, AND TO ALSO BRING SOME NEW THINGS TO LIGHT THAT I DIDN'T THINK OF BEFORE. SO, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR EFFORT AND TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT TO HAVE STAFF TO GET THOSE PROJECTS, UM, TO US SO THAT WE CAN BE A VOICE FOR PORT ARTHUR. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILMAN KEN LAW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I JUST RECEIVED SOMETHING THAT I NEED, UH, A MOTION, UH, FOR THE, THE, THE COUNCIL, IF YOU ALLOW ME TO READ THIS MOTION. RIGHT? IT. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL COHORTS, UH, MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE RESOLUTION, IDENTIFYING THE CITY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND PROJECTS TO SUPPORT THEM. ARE WE OKAY WITH THAT? CAN WE GET A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE. THE MOTION HAS JUST BEEN READ OR WE READY FOR QUESTIONED UNDER THE QUESTION. WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. HAVE IT SO THE MOTION HAS BEEN APPROVED AS READ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO KIND. THANK YOU ALL. OKAY, [III.F.(4) Discussion And Possible Action To Create City Council Committees To Quarterly Meet With Each Appointed Official Individually On Government Efficiency (Requested By Councilmember Hamilton Everfield)] NOW WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR ON PAGE TWO. IT IS A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO CREATE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES TO QUARTERLY MEET WITH EACH APPOINTED OFFICIAL INDIVIDUALLY ON GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY REQUESTED ALSO BY COUNCILOR HAM, THE COUNCILWOMAN, IF IT'S POSSIBLE. I READ BOTH OF THOSE. AND SINCE WE'VE HAD THIS, UH, MOTION TO JUST, UH, BE APPROVED, I BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD EVEN WORK WITH THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS. WILL YOU ACCEPT THAT? AND WE CAN JUST MOVE ON, EXCEPT THAT WE, WE OKAY. THE MOTION THAT WE, WE JUST APPROVED IT IS BASICALLY FOR, FOR THEM TO SET UP, UH, AND PREPARE A RESOLUTION IDENTIFYING THE CITY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND PROJECTS TO SUPPORT THEM. AND WITH THIS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT, MEETING WITH, UH, UH, APPOINTED OR ELECTED INDIVIDUALS OR GOVERNMENT DE EFFICIENCY. ONCE WE DO THIS, I THINK THAT WHAT WILL TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE HAVE IN ITEM FOUR, IT'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. OKAY? GO RIGHT IN. YES, GO RIGHT IN. GO RIGHT IN. I, I, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IT IS TWO DIFFERENT, GO RIGHT IN. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THE INTENT OF THIS ITEM IS FOR COUNSELORS TO BE ABLE TO MEET WITH OUR STAFF, THE CITY MANAGER, THE CITY SECRETARY, THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND THE MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. THIS IS NOT AN INTENT FOR A CRITIQUE SESSION, BUT AN INTENT TO CREATE MORE EFFECTIVE OPEN DIALOGUE BETWEEN COUNCIL AND OUR STAFF. MAY, EXCUSE ME, NOW I BELIEVE IN IT. I HAVE NO PROBLEMS IF THAT'S GIVEN. WE NEED TO EXCLUDE THE JUDGE. THE JUDGE DOESN'T HAVE ANY, I MEAN, IN THIS JUDICIAL, UH, RESPONSIBILITY MEETING WITH THE COUNCIL, MM-HMM. , YOU KNOW, A DISCUSSION COULD GO ON ABOUT ANYTHING BECAUSE NONE OF US, THE JUDGE, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE ATTORNEYS, YOU KNOW, WE COULD JUST BRING IT UP. BUT THE JUDGE HAS A JUDICIAL COMMISSION AND THE CANS OF LAW THAT HE, BUT SHE WOULD HAVE TO ACTUALLY ADHERE TO. WE SUPPORT THE JUDGE. I ACTUALLY DID HAVE A MEETING WITH HIM A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. OKAY. BUT I WOULDN'T EVEN SAY I HAD A MEETING WITH HIM. I MEAN, I'M, [01:50:02] I I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM A WHOLE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THAT. BUT IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER, PLEASE, YOU JUST EXCLUDE THE JUDGE. IF HE HAS A CHIEF CLERK OVER THERE OR SOMETHING, YOU NEED TO MEET WITH, MEET WITH THE CLERK, YOU DON'T MEET WITH THE JUDGE, THAT'S FINE. THE INTENT IS I WOULD TAKE DIRECTION FROM OUR, UM, FROM OUR LEGAL STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE ARE, UM, IN SYNC. YOU TALKING ABOUT THE MUNICIPAL JUDGE? YES. BUT THE, IN THE, THE INTENT, I, I DON'T FEEL NO TYPE OF WAY ABOUT IT. I'M, I'M GLAD THAT I DID JUDGE. THE INTENT IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORT. I'M, I'M JUST SAYING, HAVING BEEN A JUDGE AND I UNDERSTAND LAW THE WAY I DO NOW. AND WHEN I WAS A JUDGE, I DIDN'T TOTALLY UNDERSTAND IT LIKE THAT. AND I WOULD'VE SAID THAT MEETING WAS OKAY ACCORDING TO THE JUDICIAL COMMISSION. THAT CAN EVEN GO, BECAUSE IF LITIGATION COMES FROM THAT, THEN HE HAS CREATED, NOW YOU CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I GOT TWO ATTORNEYS THAT'S ALMOST EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS BECAUSE YOU WOULD'VE DISCUSSED SOMETHING, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WOULD'VE TO DISCUSS WITH THE JUDGE, MEETING WITH HIM QUARTERLY ASKING HIM HOW IS HE DOING WITH MAKING FINES? WHAT IS HE HEARING? WHAT FACTS IS HE HEARING ON CASES THAT, WHAT COULD YOU ASK THE JUDGE? I'M JUST, I'M JUST CURIOUS NOW I'M JUST CURIOUS. I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU. OKAY. I'M NOT GOING TO EVER AGREE WITH IT BECAUSE IT IS WRONG. OKAY? I'M JUST TELLING YOU, I CAN AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE SAID, BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT IN THE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT CHECKS AND BALANCES IN THE THREE DIVISIONS OF GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE IN THE UNITED STATES. ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION, IF I'M CORRECT, YOU COME IN, TELL ME IF I'M WRONG. WE SHOULD NOT BE SETTING UP QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH A JUDGE. MM-HMM. , EVEN THOUGH WE PAYING IT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS NOT FOR US TO DO. I DON'T, THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT, I COULD BE TOTALLY WRONG. OKAY? BUT I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE JUDGE. OKAY. I, YOU READY FOR ME TO TELL YOU? GO, GO. GO AHEAD, COUNSEL. UH, MAYOR WAS HER IDEA. YEAH, I'M, I'M, I'M STATING WHAT I'M SAYING. I'M IN SUPPORT OF, OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EFFICIENCY, HOW DEPARTMENTS ARE RUNNING, HOW OFFICES ARE RUNNING. I'M TALKING OPERATIONALLY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF? AND I, AND I GET THAT, AND I NOTHING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW HE RULES, THAT'S NOT EX PARTE COMMUNICATION, BECAUSE THAT, THAT MEANS THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO HIM ABOUT PARTICULAR CASES THAT HE'S, THAT HE BUT ATTORNEY THAT HE'S WORKING ON. ATTORNEY, NOT ME. I BOOK YOUR ATTORNEY. I'M YOUR ATTORNEY. OKAY. IN THIS MEETING, WE ARE NOT TRAINED ATTORNEYS. SO IF I HAVE SOMETHING I NEED TO ASK THE JUDGE, AND WE'RE HAVING A MEETING WITH THE JUDGE NOW, THE JUDGE CAN EITHER AGREE TO ANSWER IT OR SAY HE'S NOT GOING TO ANSWER. I CAN UNDERSTAND. AND I JUST SAID, IF WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THAT DEPARTMENT, THE JUDGE HAS A CHIEF CLERK WHO HANDLES HIS DEPARTMENT. YEAH, I AGREE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING, BUT HE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT HOW HIS DEPARTMENT CAN RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY AND HOW THE DOCKET CAN RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY. AND IF HE NEEDS MORE STAFF OR HE NEEDS A, A, A CHANGE IN THE, THE WAY THAT, UH, WORK IS DELEGATED. I THINK, I MEAN, AM I AM ARE WE ON THE SAME PAGE? YES. OKAY. THAT'S, YEAH. OKAY. SO I, I AGREE. I AGREE. OKAY. I JUST DISAGREE BECAUSE I VIEW IT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. OKAY. YOU KNOW, MY, MY MY MY POINT OF REFERENCE IS NOT WHERE YOURS IS. I'M NOT, WE'RE NOT ANGRY. OKAY. SO WHAT, SO THE INTENT, AGAIN, IS FOR US TO HAVE THAT OPEN DIALOGUE. I I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, TOO OFTEN, MINUS THE JUDGE, WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH EVALUATIONS, WE ARE EVALUATING INDIVIDUALS THAT WE DON'T KNOW. WELL, WE DON'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO EVALUATE THE JUDGE EITHER. I SAID MINUS I SAID MINUS THE JUDGE. OKAY. WE ARE DOING EVALUATIONS ON INDIVIDUALS THAT WE DON'T KNOW. SO AGAIN, THIS IS NOT, UM, THESE COMMITTEES DO NOT SERVE. THE PUR WILL NOT SERVE THE PURPOSE OF, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE DOING WRONG. THAT IS NOT THE INTENT AT ALL TO BE A CRITIQUE SESSION. IT IS FOR US AS A TEAM, NUMBER A AND I SAID NUMBER A ON PURPOSE. NUMBER A IS FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING INTENTIONALLY AS A TEAM AND WE MAKE AN EFFORT TO BOTH RECOGNIZE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE, OPPORTUNITIES AS MANAGERS ON COUNCIL, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY HAVE AS OUR STAFF. I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN [01:55:01] WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY, UM, AND MORE EFFICIENTLY WHEN WE COMMUNICATE MORE OFTEN. AND I, GOD WILLING, IT CAN ACTUALLY BE IN A SAFE SPACE. YEP. UM, BUT AGAIN, I WILL REQUEST SUPPORT FROM OUR ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THIS WITH DECENCY AND ORDER AND ACCORDING TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF OUR GOVERNMENT CODES. AND I, I, I'M, I'M, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH, WITH EVERYTHING EXCEPT HAVING A MEETING WITH THE JUDGE. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO WE'LL MAKE SURE. SO THE, THE LAST THING IS I'M ASKING COUNSEL TO PLEASE, UM, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHERE YOUR SWEET SPOT IS. YOU KNOW, WHERE YOUR INTEREST LIES. IS THAT MORE OPERATIONAL WITH THE CITY MANAGER? IS IT MORE LEGAL WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY? IS IT, UM, MORE OPERATIONAL WITH THE CITY SECRETARY? SHARE WHAT YOUR INTERESTS ARE. AND THEN JUST A SUGGESTION. WE CAN LITERALLY PUT AN A NAME IN A HAT AND WHAT WE PULL, THAT'S THE COMMITTEE THAT WE SERVE ON TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, IT'S, UM, THAT IT'S FAIR. WE CAN DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, IN MORE DETAIL IN EXECUTIVE SESSION HOW WE MAY DECIDE TO DO THAT. BUT I'M PUTTING IT OUT THERE. I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT SO THAT WE CAN BE READY TO MOVE ON THIS NEXT MEETING. OKAY. COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YEAH, A COUPLE WAYS. YOU CAN BE ANYBODY, ANY, LET ME, LET ME MAKE MYSELF CLEAR. ANYBODY I EVALUATE, I CAN TALK TO ANYTIME I WANT TO. OKAY. NOW, COUNCIL, EVALUATE JUDGE, THE MUNICIPAL JUDGE, WHETHER YOU WANNA DO IT OR NOT. NOW, I HAVE TALKED TO THE JUDGE, AND ANOTHER THING I'VE DONE, IF I DON'T LIKE THE WAY THE JUDGE IS RULING THINGS, AND I GO AND TALK, AND GUESS WHAT I FOUND OUT? THE JUDGE SAID, I DIDN'T, THAT DIDN'T COME FROM ME. YOU NEED TO GO TALK TO THE PROSECUTOR. THE PROSECUTOR PRESENTED EVERYTHING AND I RULED ON THE PROSECUTOR'S EVIDENCE. SO IT'S A, IT IS A JOINT TH THING. THE PRO, YOU CAN TALK TO THE PROSECUTOR COURSE AND AS TO WHY THESE ORDINANCES NOT BEING ENFORCED. WHY, YOU KNOW, DOWN THERE ON GULF WAY DRIVE AND, AND, AND MOBILE GOWAY, THERE'S STILL GOT THEM VEHICLES PILED UP DOWN THERE. IT'S, IT'S SENT, IT'S DOWN THERE IN THE COURT. SO I TALKED TO THE PROSECUTOR AND THE, AND THE PROSECUTOR PRESENTED TO THE JUDGE. AND THE JUDGE DON'T RULE RULE A CERTAIN WAY. I'M, I'LL GO AND COURT HIM AS TO WHY, WHY, WHY DID YOU DO THIS? YOU KNOW, ANYBODY I EVALUATE, I CAN TALK TO YOU TIME. I WANT TO COUNCIL . YES. I, I, UH, WAS LOOKING AT THE GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY AND I KIND OF LIKE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN EVER FEEL WAS SPEAKING ABOUT. BUT THEN SHE MENTIONED EVALUATION QUARTERLY. AND THEN THAT, THAT STRUCK MY CO COMMENTS. I'M IN TO MAKE ONE. NO QUARTERLY EVALUATION THOUGH. JUST, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT AN INTENT FOR A QUARTERLY EVALUATION. NO. OKAY. NOW I SAY YOU MEANT, YOU MENTIONED EVALUATIONS. OKAY. SO THAT, THAT TRIGGERED THIS COMMENT. FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T, UH, EVALUATE THE JUDGE. AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID, ANYBODY THAT'S EVALUATING THE JUDGE, YOU'RE NOT DOING A GOOD EVALUATION BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE DAILY OBSERVATION OR ANY TYPE OBSERVATION OF WHAT HE DOES OR HOW HE PERFORMS HIS DUTY. AND MOST OF YOU DON'T KNOW. I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HIS DUTIES. SO THERE'S NO WAY I'LL EVALUATE SOMEBODY BECAUSE IT WON'T BE WORTH ANYTHING. SO IT DOESN'T MEET THE COMMON SENSE TEST. AS FAR AS COMMITTEES, I'M NOT A FAN OF COMMITTEES WITH THE COUNCIL. WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH THINGS THAT ARE CITY OR CITIZENS ORIENTED, WHEN WE CAN DO COMMITTEES, WE GOT THREE PEOPLE. WE GOING TO TALK TO THIS APPOINTEE, THREE GOING TO TALK TO THAT APPOINTEE. WHENEVER WE DEAL WITH APPOINTEES, WE SHOULD DEAL WITH APPOINTEES AS A COUNCIL SO THAT WE, WHAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER IS SAYING TO THE APPOINTEE, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR IT. AND IF THEY DON'T AGREE, THEN WE COULD TALK ALL THESE THINGS THROUGH. SO I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THESE THREE PEOPLE COMMITTED TO DEAL WITH DISAPP APPOINTEE. I THINK WHEN APPOINTEES COME BEFORE US, AND WE ARE TALKING TO APPOINTEES WHEN WE SAY THINGS, IT SHOULD BE CONSENSUS AND CONSENSUS NORMALLY BY SILENT. AND IF SOMEONE DON'T AGREE WITH WHAT WE SEND TO THE APPOINTEE, THAT PERSON WILL SAY [02:00:01] WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. BUT WE WILL GET A GOOD FEEL ON WHAT HAS BEEN SAID TO THE APPOINTEE. AND ALL OF US KNOW WHAT IS SAID, AND WE ALL HEAR WHAT THE APPOINTEE HAS TO SAY, . SO I'M NOT A, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THESE COMMITTEES. YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DEAL WITH OUR APPOINTEES AS A COUNCIL. AND WHEN WE DEAL WITH 'EM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE ALL KNOW WHAT WAS BEING SAID AND, UH, WHAT'S BEING ADDRESSED. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE OBSERVANT OF WHAT THEY DO AND HOW THEY PERFORM THEIR DUTIES. 'CAUSE THEY'RE MOSTLY THINGS WE PREFER TO 'EM. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS CREATES SUBCOMMITTEES. I'VE NEVER BEEN IN FAVOR OF COUNCIL MEMBERS DOING SOMETHING WITH THIS APPOINTEE, THESE THREE, DOING SOMETHING WITH THOSE APPOINTEE, THESE TWO DEALING WITH THIS APPOINTEE. THE APPOINTEES DON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF THE DOLLAR, THE, OF THE WHOLE PICTURE. ANYTIME WE DEALING, WHEN WE SHOULD BE ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC, WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT EACH ONE IS TELLING THE, THE APPOINTEES. AND THE APPOINTEES SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS COMING FROM THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, AS OPPOSED TO THE THREE THAT WERE SELECTED TO ME. AND ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN EVER FEEL INTENT WAS FOR THIS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, . THANK YOU, MAYOR. ONE POINT THAT I DID, UM, FAIL TO MENTION, AND I APOLOGIZE, IS THAT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE TO PROVIDE A REPORT TO THE COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE CLEAR ON WHAT OUR OBJECTIVE IS WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH WHATEVER PROJECT OR WHATEVER NEED THERE IS AT THE TIME. THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE WILL GIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO OUR APPOINTEES. SO AS A WHOLE, WE SHOULD BE VERY CLEAR AT, FOR, FOR OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR APPOINTEES. AND THAT'S WHAT THOSE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD STAND STRONG ON, IS WHATEVER THAT DECISION IS FROM COUNCIL AS A WHOLE TO THOSE THREE APPOINTEES, BUT THEN COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR A REPORT. IT IS, IT'S A LOT IT, AND THIS ISN'T BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNSEL HAS SHARED, BUT I WITNESS IT. IT IS A LOT FOR ONE PERSON TO TRY TO GET INSTRUCTION FROM SEVEN PEOPLE WITH SEVEN DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES, SEVEN DIFFERENT TONES. AND SO AGAIN, I JUST THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD JUST TRY TO SEE HOW WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE IN OUR COMMUNICATION. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCIL HAVE AFTERNOON. YES. I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT SAYS IN THE CHARTER. WE DO NOT DIRECT STAFF. WE DO NOT TELL STAFF WHAT TO DO. WE ONLY CAN INQUIRE. SO ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER REASON THAT I DON'T GO ALONG WITH THE THREE PEOPLE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THREE PEOPLE. SO YOU HAVE AN APPOINTEE BEING TALKED TO, OR QUESTION ARE INSTRUCTED BY THREE COUNCIL MEMBER AS OPPOSED TO THE FULL COUNCIL. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, UH, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION AND IT'S NO BETTER THAN YOURS, COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD. BUT I JUST FEEL THAT THAT'S THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, THAT NEED TO BE HEARD BY ALL COUNCIL MEMBER IS DO WE REALLY WANT TO START DIVIDING THIS AND DEALING WITH THE APPOINTEES AS A, IN ANY OTHER FASHION? THEN AS A FULL COUNCIL, I THINK THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY IS THE COUNCIL. 'CAUSE WHEN WE, AT, AS A COUNCIL, WE DON'T DIRECT WE QUESTIONS AND THEN WE DIRECT MANAGER TO DO WHAT WE WANT, BUT WE DON'T DO THEM INDIVIDUALLY. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS. OKAY. AND THERE NO OTHER LICENSE? NO. SO THE DISCUSSION WILL, WE ARE IN, WE'LL MOVE, [V. REPORTS / ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST (LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF TWO (2) MINUTES PER COUNCILMEMBER)] UH, TO ROMAN NUMBER FIVE. AND IF THERE'LL BE ANY REPORTS FROM ANYONE OF COMMUNITY INTEREST, UH, COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN, UH, EVER FIELD. YES, SIR. I APOLOGIZE, MAYOR. THIS CAME A LITTLE FASTER THAN I THOUGHT. I'M OPENING THE MESSAGE NOW. I WILL EMAIL IT TO Y'ALL. IT'S AN EVENT THAT SOMEONE ASKED ME TO SHARE WITH YOU'ALL. I WILL EMAIL IT TO Y'ALL. YOU ALL? YEP. YOU GOT IT. OKAY. LEMME SEE. COUNCILMAN [02:05:01] KEN LAW. YEAH. ADD SOMETHING LOOKING FOR, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, UH, THE TRIP THAT WE HAD TO TAMPA, IT GAVE US, UH, INSIGHT. UH, WE WENT TO THE NLC CONFERENCE. UH, WE LEARNED A LOT. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, COUNCILMAN FRANK, THE MAYOR AND I, UH, WE WERE IN DIFFERENT SESSIONS LIKE COUNCILOR LEWIS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LEWIS STATED EARLIER, BUT WE TRIED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE FOUND INTERESTING, UH, BREAKOUT SESSIONS THAT WE CAN BRING BACK, UH, TO THE CITY. UH, THEY WERE ONE, UH, ACTUALLY WE TALKED ABOUT POTHOLES. I MEAN, THAT WAS A BIG ONE. THAT WAS A LARGE SESSION. COUNCILMAN LEWIS AND MYSELF WENT TO THAT ONE. AND WHEN I TELL YOU THEY TALKED ABOUT EVERY CITY IN THE UNITED STATES HAD TO DEAL WITH POTHOLES IN STREETS. I MEAN, IT WAS A TOTAL, I MEAN, I THINK IT WAS AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES. IT WAS A FULL HOUSE. AND YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN ALL THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD COME TO THAT PODIUM AND TALK ABOUT POTTO STREETS, POTTO. SO, UH, AND IT WAS REAL, IT WAS REAL INFORMATIONAL, UH, TO ME. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS, WE SAT BY EACH OTHER. UH, ALSO THEY TALK ABOUT, UH, THE TRANSITION OF, UH, UH, CITIES GOING TO A MORE WEBSITE BASED, UH, CITIES. SO THAT WAS SOME THINGS THAT, THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE PROBABLY WANT TO GET ON BOARD WITH. I WAS JUST, UH, EXCITED TO FIND OUT OTHER CITIES OUR SIZE, UH, BETWEEN 50,000, 70,000 THAT WAS, UH, GOING THROUGH THAT SAME PROCESS. SO I JUST WANTED TO ENSURE THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANTED TO KIND OF INJECT SOME OF THE COUNCIL, UH, SESSIONS THAT THEY WENT TO, BUT IT WAS A FULL DAY. WE TALKED ABOUT EIGHT O'CLOCK TO, I MEAN, EIGHT IN THE MORNING TILL ABOUT FIVE, FIVE OR SIX FIVE. AND, AND THEY KEPT YOU, THEY BADGED YOU IN, THEY SCANNED YOUR BADGE. SO IT WAS NO FUNNY STUFF GOING ON ABOUT NOT ATTENDANCE SESSION. SO I JUST WANTED MY COHORTS TO KNOW THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YEAH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. AND, UH, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, AND HE DID BRING IT UP, UH, I WENT TO THE AI SESSION, UH, AND AI IS, WELL, I MEAN, THIS IS THE NEW WAVE IN AMERICA. IT'S NEW WAVE IN THE WORLD. AND, AND, AND, AND WHAT WE HAVE GOT TO DO IS, OR OUR, OUR, OUR IT PERSONS ARE NOT HERE, HERE IN THE ROOM, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S ANYONE THAT'S ON STAFF AT THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, ANYWHERE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE SOME COMPUTER SKILLS. AND, UH, THE, IF, IF, HOW YOU SAY THAT, THAT WORD, THE PLETHORA OF INFORMATION THAT IS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, WHEN, UH, COUNCIL MCKEN JUST ASKED ME A QUESTION JUST NOW ABOUT SOMETHING I TOLD HIM ABOUT COMING IN, AND HE, I BOOM. I MEAN, THAT'S AI, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT THE INFORMATION IS THERE. AND SO WHAT WE HAVE GOT TO DO, AND UH, UH, I, I THINK THAT WE ARE ON TOP OF IT. I SEE THE CHIEF OF POLICE HERE, THAT MAI, THERE ARE THESE PART, UH, UH, PROGRAMS FOR GUNSHOTS, THE SOUND, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE EQUIPMENT IN CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN, OR YOU CAN COVER YOUR ITALIAN CITY. AND WITH POLICING AND THE WAY THE AI WORKS, IT WILL TELL THEM AN APPROXIMATE SPOT WITHIN THREE TO SIX FEET OF WHERE THE SHOT CAME FROM. ALSO, THOSE SAME CAMERAS WOULD BE SHOWING WHO THE INDIVIDUALS WERE IN THAT SPOT, WHERE THAT CAME FROM. AND IF THEY MOVE, THE CAMERAS MOVE ALONG WITH THEM. NOW ONCE THEY GET IN THE CAR AND GET TO DRIVING, BUT BY THIS TIME, THOSE LICENSE PLATE FINDERS AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF, THEY, YEAH. AND, AND, UH, THEY, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD, THAT'S THE BIG DEAL WITH POLICING, BUT ALSO WITH RECORD KEEPING, UH, IN, IN, IN YOUR CITIES, THAT IS REAL BIG. ONE BIG DEAL THAT EVEN HAPPENED ON SATURDAY WAS HOMELESSNESS. THERE WAS A BIG, UH, MEETING ON IN, IN, IN, IN THIS AUDITORIUM STYLE ROOM ON SATURDAY DEALING WITH HOMELESSNESS, WHERE WE WERE PRESENTED WITH, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW FOR THE HOMELESS, WE THINK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, FEEDING THEM AND CLOTHING THEM AND, AND THOSE, IT'S GOOD. BUT THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE METHODS. THERE ARE GRANTS AVAILABLE THAT WOULD ALLOW CITIES LIKE OUR CITY TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. ONCE YOU PUT THE RIGHT TYPE OF GRANT TOGETHER TO HOUSE THOSE INDIVIDUALS, TO HAVE INDIVIDUALS THERE IN PLACE TO HELP, UH, UH, I GUESS, UH, TRIAGE, IF YOU WILL. I CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER WORD, BUT TO FIND OUT WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE AND TO HAVE THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR THOSE PERSONS IN A ONE STOP SHOP. AND [02:10:01] THE POSSIBILITY OF BUILDING THESE MODULE OR, OR, OR TYPE OF HOMES. THAT'S THE TERM THEY USE. BUT MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THIS BEFORE. AND THERE ARE CERTAIN CITIES THAT GIVE THESE INDIVIDUALS LIKE A ONE YEAR NO RENT, ALLOW THEM TO GET ON THEIR FEET, OR SOCIAL WORK WORKERS OR CASE MANAGERS WORKING WITH THEM TO HELP THEM GET BACK TO BEING ABLE TO LIVE A PRODUCTIVE LIFE. THERE IS ALSO A MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT THAT WE HAVE GOT TO BE INVOLVED WITH. MANY INDIVIDUALS DON'T WANT TO BE HOUSED. UH, THE CITY, UH, CITY SECRETARY, I MEAN CITY ATTORNEY HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE CASE. UH, BUT THE SUPREME COURT MAY BASICALLY MADE IT ILLEGAL FOR INDIVIDUALS TO BE UNHOUSED. BUT BECAUSE OF THIS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ALSO DOING WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO TO HELP COMMUNITIES OUT OF THE 19,000 AND SO COMMUNITIES AND VILLAGES IN, IN, IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO HELP EACH ONE FINANCIALLY DO WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO TO BE SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE HOUSED. SO ALL OF THIS, ALL OF THIS HAPPENED AT, AT AT, AT THE NLC. AND REALLY IT WAS LONG, BUT IT REALLY WASN'T EVEN LONG ENOUGH BECAUSE YOU COULD FIND OUT THAT THERE WAS EVEN MORE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEEDED, UH, WITH THE MAYOR'S EDUCATION. AND THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT WE DEALT WITH AND, AND, AND IT, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING. COUNCILMAN LEWIS? YES, MAYOR, THANK YOU. UH, NOT TO GO BACK OVER SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY COVERED, BUT ONE OF YOU THAT YOU COVERED WAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY, ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT ADD TO HOMELESSNESS IS LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND I THINK WE HAVE THE A THE AI, UH, CAMERAS AND WHAT HAVE YOU ON SHOTS AND WHATEVER THINGS LIKE WE HAVE THAT IN PLACE. I, I THINK WE HAVE THAT'S ALREADY HERE. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE, I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE. IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAD THE, THE GRANTS PROGRAM. AND IT WAS STILL WAS NOT ENOUGH OF US TO ATTEND IT BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY FOUR OF US. AND I WISH THAT IN THE FUTURE THAT ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TRY TO GET TO THE, YOU KNOW, TRY TO, IF YOU, IF YOU CAN GO, GO ATTEND THESE YEAR DEALS, IF YOU CAN, YOU GET SOME MORE INFORMATION, YOU GETS MORE INFORMATION, UH, THE GRANTS, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF GRANTS THAT'S OUT THERE WE CAN COMPETE FOR, YOU KNOW, AND WE, WE HAVE A USE FOR 'EM. BUT THAT'S WHY I LIKE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY, I MEAN CITY MANAGER, TO KEEP WORKING ON OUR GRANT WRITING DEPARTMENT. I MEAN, WE GOT THE MON WE GOT THE MATCHING MONEY, SO WE JUST GOT TO GET THE GRANTS IN PLACE AND, YOU KNOW, THE TURNAROUND TIME ON THE GRANT. AND I WANT YOU TO DO A PRESENTATION IN THE FUTURE TURNAROUND TIME ON THE GRANT. ANYWHERE FROM WHAT, THREE TO SIX MONTHS OR SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS. IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE. IT'S COMPETITIVE. YEAH. THAT'S WHY THEY DON'T COUNT IT IN THE BUDGET UNTIL WE GET IT. OKAY. AND WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THINGS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST, UH, UH, AND OUR, UH, PROCUREMENT OFFICER JUST WALKED IN, UH, JUST TO PUBLICLY OFFER THE, UH, CONDOLENCES OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, UH, UH, CLIFF IN, IN, IN THE PASSING. AND YOU'VE ALREADY, UH, HAD THE INTERNMENT OF YOUR FATHER, CLIFTON EARL WILLIAMS, WHO WAS MY FRIEND. SO I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY EXPRESS OUR CONDOLENCES AND OUR SYMPATHIES TO YOU, UH, FROM THIS COUNCIL AND FROM YOUR STAFF HERE AT THE, UH, CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. AND, UH, WE FEEL WE COULD NOT DO IT ON THAT DAY OF THE SERVICE 'CAUSE YOU WEREN'T HERE, BUT WE WANTED TO DO IT. UH, CITY MANAGER AND I, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, AND I TALKED ABOUT IT. SO I WAS GLAD YOU WALKED IN SO I COULD BE ABLE TO TELL IT TO YOU, OKAY. OKAY. UH, [VII. CONSENT AGENDA] LET'S MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM. UH, CONSTABLE D SAID YOU GOT YOUR LIGHT ON. OH, OKAY. UH, WHICH IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA, AND IT IS FROM PAGE FOUR THROUGH SIX, I BELIEVE. AM I CORRECT ON THAT? YEAH, YEAH. FROM PAGE FOUR THROUGH, UH, PAGE SIX, SEVEN, UH, UH, SEVEN STARTS THE NON-CONSENT. SO FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX. RIGHT. UH, IF YOU HAVE AN ITEM ON HERE THAT YOU WOULD WANT WITHDRAWN AND HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL, PLEASE TELL ME THE PAGE AND ITEM NUMBER, COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE. ITEM ONE PAGE FIVE ITEM. OKAY. WAIT, I'M ON FOUR. MY BAD. ITEM ONE ON. OKAY. ITEM SIX ON SIX. ITEM SIX ON SIX, AND ITEM SEVEN ON SIX. OKAY. OKAY. BOTH OF THESE, RIGHT? OKAY, GOT IT. THIS ONE AND THIS ONE. OKAY. UH, MAY I APPROACH YOU [02:15:01] ITEM EIGHT ON PAGE SIX, ADAM? EIGHT ON SIX. OKAY. COUNCILMAN ETT, YOU STILL HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? NO. OH NO. I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE LIGHT THAT OKAY. IF NOT, MAY I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF ITEMS 1 6 7? A COUPLE OF THEM. UH, COUNCILOR KINLOCK. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE CAN APPROVE THE CONSENT TO DEAL WITH THE EXCEPTIONS OF THE NUMBERS. 1, 6, 7, AND EIGHT. OKAY. MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN? LUKE SECOND. OH, COUNCILMAN, UH, YOUR LIKE CAME. OKAY, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCLUSION OF THE STATED ITEMS. WE READY? UH, FOR QUESTION THE, UNDER THE QUESTIONS? YOU READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES? AYE. ABSENT. SO ORDER OF CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED AS STATED. NOW FOR THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, LET'S LOOK AT PAGE [VII.C.(1) P.R. No. 23898 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute Change Order No. 1 To The Contract Between The City Of Port Arthur And N&T Construction Co., Inc., Of Beaumont, Texas, Decreasing The Original Contract Amount By $95,295.34 To The New Contract Total Of $9,289,704.66; And Authorizing The Closeout Of The Contract, And Release Of Retainage In The Amount Of $464,485.23 For The Port Arthur Health Department Facility Renovation Project, Located At 5860 9th Avenue; Funds Available In Capital Improvement Retainage Account No. 307-00-000-2050-00- 00-000 ($347,500.59) And ARPA Retainage Account No. 169-00-000- 2050-00-00-000 ($116,984.64)] NUMBER FIVE. ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS PR NUMBER, EXCUSE ME, 23 8 9 8. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE TO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AND NNT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED OF BEAUMONT TEXAS DECREASING THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT BY $95,295 AND 34 CENTS TO THE NEW CONTRACT TOTAL OF $9,289,704 AND 66 CENTS. AND AUTHORIZING THE CLOSEOUT OF THE CONTRACT AND RELEASE OF RETAINAGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $464,484 AND 23 CENTS FOR THE PORT ARTHUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT FACILITY RENOVATION PROJECT LOCATED AT 58 60 NINTH AVENUE. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT. RETAIN IT ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 DASH 0 0 0 0 0. I MEAN 2 0 5 0 DASH ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 0 0 0. UH, AND, AND LEMME SEE I HAVE THE AMOUNT FOR THAT ACCOUNT WOULD BE $347,500 AND 59 CENTS. AND THE ARPA RETAINAGE ACCOUNT NUMBER 1 6 9 DASH 0 0 0 2 5 2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 IN THE AMOUNT OF 116 UH, THOUSAND $984 AND THE 64 CENTS. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN FRANK? NO MOVE. MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW SECOND. IT'S MOVED IN SECONDARY. WOULD APPROVE NUMBER 2 38 98 AS APPROVED. WE READY FOR QUESTION COUNCILMAN UH, ETT? YES. FIRST QUESTION, WHILE ARE WE RELEASING THE RETAINED AND DURING THE CLOSEOUT BEFORE WE HAVE A FINAL WALKTHROUGH, WHO WOULD ANSWER THAT FOR US? UH, I CAN ANSWER THAT. I CAN QUESTION. UM, WE HAVE PERFORMED THE FINAL WALKTHROUGH OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THE, UM, THE CERTIFICATE OF, OR I'M SORRY, THE DOCUMENTATION OF SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION WAS ACTUALLY ISSUED IN DECEMBER OF 2023. UM, THE ONLY CONCERNS THAT WE HAD ABOUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WHY WE DID NOT CLOSE OUT SOONER WAS DUE TO THE GENERATOR, UM, WHICH WAS ON BACK ORDER. AND WE DIDN'T RECEIVE THAT UNTIL AROUND APRIL OR MAY. UM, THERE WAS ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT WATER INTRUSION THAT WAS COMING IN THROUGH ONE OF THE SIDE WALLS. UM, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, IF YOU REMEMBER, HAD, DID MOVE INTO THE FACILITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. UM, AND A FINAL WALKTHROUGH HAS, HAS TAKEN PLACE. NOW THERE IS, UM, AND THERE WAS ACTUALLY A WALKTHROUGH, UH, THAT WAS PERFORMED, I BELIEVE THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH OR THE LATTER OF LAST MONTH, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ALL WARRANTY ITEMS WERE STILL EFFECTIVELY OPERATING. DID YOU READ THE, DID YOU READ THE BACKGROUND THAT WE READ THAT YOU GAVE US? IT STATED IT, DIDN'T IT STATE IN THERE THAT WE GONNA DO ALL OF THIS AND THEN IT WILL BE SCHEDULED, A FINAL WALKTHROUGH WILL BE SCHEDULED. THAT THAT'S AN ERROR. THE FINAL WALKTHROUGH HAS TAKEN PLACE. OKAY, WELL GUESS WHAT? YES SIR. YOU NOTICE THAT I ASKED THE SIMPLE QUESTION. I SAID, ARE WE ISSUING THIS BEFORE FINAL? AND YOU, AND YOU SAY, NO, WE DID IT FINAL. IT'S A MISTAKE. I'M GOOD. YES, SIR. OKAY. [02:20:01] SAME ON THAT ONE. BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, UH, READ NOW, SO IT SAID CONTRACT ON THE HANDOUT. WELL, PART OF THE BACKGROUND I WAS READING, WE GOT THE ORIGINAL SUM. IT'S 9,385,000. THEN IT SAYS THE, UH, CONTRACT PRIOR TO ANY CHANGE AUDIT, WHICH IS THE SAME 9 3 85. THEN WE GO TO THE CONTRACT SUM WILL BE UNCHANGED BY THIS CHANGE ORDER IN THE AMOUNT OF, THAT'S THE 95,000 295 34 THAT WE REDUCING IT. YES SIR. THEN YOU GOT THE NEW CONTRACT SUM IS 9 MILLION 289 7 0 4 6 6. SO THIS LINE THAT SAYS THE CONTRACT SUM WILL BE UNCHANGED, SHOULDN'T IT BE CHANGED BY THAT AMOUNT? THE DOCUMENT CAME FROM THE, UM, CONTRACTOR THEMSELVES. I'M SURE. I MEAN I UNDERSTAND YOUR REASONING WITH IT, BUT THAT'S THE, JUST THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT ARE UNENCUMBERED. NO, I'M JUST SAYING. YES, SIR. SO THE FARM IS WRONG. AM I GONNA SAY IT'S WRONG? I'M GONNA SAY IT'S HOW THE CONTRACTOR INTERPRETED IT. BUT , THE, IT'S UNENCUMBERED. PARDON ME? NOW IT'S THE UNENCUMBERED BALANCE FROM THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. MAYBE I'M MISSING SOMETHING HERE. TELL YOU WHAT, I'M GONNA RUN THIS ONE BY YOU LATER ON. IT'S TOO LATE IN THE NIGHT TO GO OVER THIS ANY FARTHER. THAT'S ENOUGH. OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? WHETHER VOTE, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES A PO NUMBER, I MEAN P NUMBER 2 38 98 IS APPROVED AS READ. NEXT WE HAVE [VII.C.(6) P.R. No. 24012 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With Carter & Company Of Beaumont, Texas Through The Region 5 ESC Southeast Texas Cooperative Purchasing Program, Contract No. 20230305, For The Replacement Of The Flooring Of The 2nd Floor Of City Hall In The Total Not To Exceed Amount Of $56,631.00; Funding Is Available In FY 24-25 Account No. 307-07-015-8512-00-10-000 Buildings] ON PAGE SIX, ITEM NUMBER SIX, PR NUMBER 2 4 0 1 2 IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH CARTER AND COMPANY OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS THROUGH THE REGION. FIVE ESC SOUTHEAST TEXAS COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM. CONTRACT NUMBER 20 23 0 3 0 5 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FLOORING OF THE SECOND FLOOR OF CITY HALL IN THE TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $56,631. FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN FY 44 DASH 25. ACCOUNT NUMBER 3 0 7 7 5 8 5 12 0 0 DASH 1 0 0 BUILDINGS. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN LEWIS? MOTION FOR APPROVE? MAY I GET A SECOND COUNCILWOMAN EVER FIELD SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE, UH, PER NUMBER 24 0 1 2 AS READ, WE READ FOR QUESTION COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE? YES. MY FIRST QUESTION IS WHY DIDN'T WE GO OUT FOR FORBID? OKAY. UH, IS THAT YOU MR. WILLIAMS OR WHO? UH, OR WHAT? HELLO? UM, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE REASON I DIDN'T DO IT IS THE DEPARTMENT ALREADY WENT AND GOT THE QUOTES THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE PERSON PROGRAM. AND SINCE IT'S LEGALLY, I DON'T HAVE TO GET BIDDED, I ACCEPTED THE QUOTES. OKAY? I KNOW IT IS LEGAL. THAT'S WHAT I HEAR EVERY TIME WITH BUY BOARD, WITH CORPORATE PURCHASING. I HEAR THAT TERM EVERY TIME BECAUSE THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT PAYS THE GOVERNMENT TO PUT THEIR NAME ON THE LIST AS A VENDOR BECAUSE THEY GONNA OFFER US THEY REDUCTION. THEY GONNA OFFER YOU A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OFF. THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY. SO THEY ON THIS LIST. SO IF YOU PULL SOMEBODY OFF THE LIST, WE DO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BID PROCESS. WE COULD USE THEM. IT'S NOT COMPETITIVE. NOW WE KNOWING WE WANT TO CHANGE THAT FLOW WAY BACK BECAUSE WE PUT THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET. SO WE PUT THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET WE HAD, WE KNEW THIS MAYBE BACK IN JUNE OR JULY THAT WE WANT TO CHANGE THE FLOW ON THE SECOND FLOOR. MY PROBLEM WITH THIS IS [02:25:01] BY USING THIS, WE DON'T HAVE A VENDOR THAT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON THIS. ALL THIS IS IS CHANGING THE FLOWING. WE GOT BUSINESSES HERE IN PORT ARTHUR CAN DO THAT. WHY NOT LET 'EM BID? WHY THEY CAN'T BID? JUST CHANGE THE FLOWING. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IF THREE OF THEM BID, WE GET TO CHOOSE THE BEST, THE LOWEST OF THE THREE BIDS. NOW THIS CORPORATE, THEY YOU CHOOSE THAT ONE, THEY GONNA GIVE YOU A PRICE. HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S CHEAP THAT THEY GAVE A REDUCTION? ALL THEY SAY THEY GOTTA GIVE A REDUCTION. THEY CAN SAY, OKAY, WE DO THIS FOR A HUNDRED DOLLARS, THEY GONNA USE US UNDER THIS. SO WE GONNA DO THE JOB FOR $120 BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE NO COMPETITIVENESS. NOW I CAN UNDERSTAND US USING THAT PROCESS, CLIFF, WHEN IT IS A TIME EFFORT, WHEN WE NEED SOMETHING DONE AND WE NEED IT DONE QUICK AND WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH THE BID PROCESS BECAUSE OF THE SENSE OF URGENCY. BUT WHEN YOU BRING SOMETHING BEFORE US, AND I'M, AND I'M I'M JUST SAYING IT TO COUNCIL, THIS DOES NOT ALLOW NONE OF OUR CITIZENS OR OUR BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR TO COMPETE FOR A BID TO REPLACE THE FLOOR. SO I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS. I WE BEEN KNOWING WE GOING TO REPLACE THE FLOORING, WE SHOULD DO BIDS AND SEE IF WE GOT SOME VENDORS HERE IN PORT ARTHUR THAT'S GONNA BID ON THIS AND BE ABLE TO GET THIS. NOW IF THEY BID ON IT AND WE DON'T GET IT, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM. I COULD TELL OUR BUSINESS PEOPLE OUT THERE, HEY Y'ALL, Y'ALL DIDN'T BID. BUT WHEN I GET A CALL AND SAY, WHY DID WE GET A CHANCE TO BID ON THIS? AND I FIND OUT WE DIDN'T. IT'S A NO-DOG. AND I ASK THAT COUNCIL, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS REALLY HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID. WE NEED TO HAVE THIS BIDDED OUT AND AT LEAST HAVE OUR BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON THIS. THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER. OKAY. UH, MAYOR, I PORT TIM, THANK YOU. I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DOUCETTE. I'VE GOT SOME CALLS ABOUT THIS AS WELL. UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR THAT COULD HAVE BID ON THIS PROJECT. UM, AND IT, I MEAN IT'S JUST A SLAP IN THE FACE TO THOSE BUSINESSES. UM, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF CITIZENS THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IT TOO BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE BUSINESSES IN PORT ARTHUR THAT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE WORK IN CITY HALL OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, THEY NEED TO BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO DO THAT. SO I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DEUCE. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN LEWIS. YEAH, SO ONE QUESTION. WHEN WE BID LOCAL, THE LOCAL BIDS INVOLVED IN OUT OF TOWN, AN OUT OF TOWN BID ALSO INVOLVED IS WE STILL HAVE THE 5% RULE. MM-HMM. YES. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN AIRFIELD. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, MR. WILLIAMS, WITH THE PROCESS THAT WAS TAKEN FOR, UM, THIS BID TO BE ACQUIRED, YOU SAID THAT IT WAS LEGAL, I UNDERSTAND THAT PART, BUT WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THE REASONING FOR USING IT. WAS IT, I I HEARD YOU SAY THAT. I WANNA MAKE SURE, I DON'T WANNA PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH. I HEARD YOU SAY THAT IT WAS THE DEPARTMENT GOT THE BIDS OR THE DEPARTMENT WENT TO BY BAR BY BOARD AND WELL, LEMME CORRECT. YEAH, THE, THE DEPARTMENT THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THE WORK DONE WENT TO THE, THEY SEEN THIS COMPANY'S PREVIOUS WORK AND THEY WANTED TO GET A QUOTE FROM 'EM AND THEY GOT IT THROUGH THE REGION FIVE COOPERATIVE CONTRACT. WHEN THEY BROUGHT IT TO ME TO SIGN OFF ON IT, ON WHETHER IT CAN BE DONE, I SIGNED OFF 'CAUSE LEGALLY SIGN OFF. NOW IT WASN'T PURCHASING'S DECISION, SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE DECISION 'CAUSE I DIDN'T GO OUT AND SAY LET'S GO TO THIS CO-OP, [02:30:01] BUT WHEN IT CAME TO ME TO SIGN OFF ON IT, IT CAN LEGALLY MET IT. SO AS A PURCHASING, I SIGNED OFF ON IT. OKAY. SO IF THAT PROCESS, NOW, NOW I'M ASKING COUNSEL IF THAT PROCESS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO USE, THEN HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT? BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS TO ACTUALLY HAVE A COMPANY BE AWARDED BUSINESS AND THEN WE SAY, OH, I'M SORRY YOU'RE NOT FROM PORT ARTHUR. OR OH, WE DON'T LIKE THE PROCESS THAT WAS USED, SO WE'RE GONNA PUT IT BACK OUT THERE. KINDA OBJECT ON THAT BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT RABBIT HOLE. OKAY. I I WOULD SAY THIS, I MEAN IT'S A LEGAL THING TO DO. NOW, I WOULD SAY IF COUNSEL PREFERS TO GO OUT AND GET BIDS OR QUOTES DEPENDING ON THE THING FOR A PARTICULAR PROJECT, I'M NOT ARGUING AGAINST IT, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE. I'M NOT ARGUING AGAINST IT. IF, IF WE WANT TO DO IT, I'LL DO IT ALL. LIKE I SAID, THE ONLY ANSWER I'M GIVING IS THEY TOOK THE INITIATIVE, WENT GOT THE QUOTES, LEGAL. SO I SIGN OFF ON IT. I'M, BUT I'M NOT, IF COUNSEL WANTS TO SAY NO TO THIS AND SAY GOD FORBID, YOU WILL NOT GET NO FIGHT FROM ME. OKAY. RIGHT. I COMPLETELY, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT PART. I JUST DON'T WANT US TO BE IN A SITU BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. SO I DON'T WANT US GOING BACK AND FORTH TO SAY, OH, THE COMPANY WASN'T FROM PORT ARTHUR, SO WE NOW WANNA DO A BID PROCESS. AND I, I GET THE, THE REASONING WHY AND I I AGREE WITH THE REASONING WHY, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS IN THE BEGINNING SO THAT WE'RE NOT AT THIS STATE RIGHT NOW. BUT IF IT'S, IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CHANGE OR LIKE I SAID, I WOULDN'T WANT TO GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE 'CAUSE IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION. SO NO, NO, NO. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS CAN UNIVERSALLY SAY NO. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. I CAN'T UNIVERSALLY SAY THE PROCESS IS TO USE OR NOT USE A CO-OP. 'CAUSE IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION. 'CAUSE IT MAY BE A SITUATION WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE PULL OUT THE VENDORS BUT THE TIME DOESN'T. SO YOU WANT TO GO THERE. SO IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION. OKAY. WE SHOULD, WHAT I'M SAYING FOR THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, I'M NOT ARGUING AGAINST IT. WE NEED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THE SITUATIONS THAT WE WANT TO USE CO-OPS. 'CAUSE CLEARLY THIS IS THE SITUATION THAT SOME OF US DIDN'T THINK, DON'T THINK THAT A CO-OP SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED. BUT NEITHER SHOULD WE BE DOING BUSINESS THE WAY WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING BUSINESS LIKE THIS EITHER TO PULL A BID FROM SOMEONE TO, I'M SORRY, YOU'RE NOT FROM PORT ARTHUR THEN IF I WAS THE BUSINESS, I WOULD'VE SAID, WELL, YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT IN THE BEGINNING. YES. OKAY. I MEAN, I, I CAN'T SAY 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES EVEN WE DO BID, IT COMES BEFORE COUNSEL AND THEY SHOOT IT DOWN FOR WHATEVER REASON. SO IT, IT IS JUST A DECISION THING, YOU KNOW? SO I I DON'T KNOW HOW TO COME UP WITH A PROCESS TO SAY WINNING. WHY? 'CAUSE IT'S OPINIONATED OPINION CHANGE. MR. MR. WILLIAMS, MR. WILLIAMS, EXCUSE ME ON THIS AND THAT, I THINK WHAT WE DO, I DON'T KNOW, WE, WE WE ARE POLITICIZING SOMETHING. IT IS UNDER COURAGE. THAT SHOULD NOT BE JUST A MINUTE. YEAH. LIKE WHEN YOU BUY THE BIBLE BOARDS, YOU KNOW, WE TALKING ABOUT THIS. I MEAN YOU GOT TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE SPECTRUM ON THIS. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS. IT'S LIKE WE HAVE AUTOMOBILE COMPANIES IN PORT ARTHUR. WE BUY CARS IN SELBY AND LUMBERTON AND ANYWHERE ELSE THAT'S SOMEWHERE BECAUSE OF THE BUYBOARD. NOW EITHER WE ARE GOING TO DO BUYBOARD STUFF AND DO IT RIGHT, OR WE GONNA REMOVE OURSELF FROM IT. NOW I ASKED THIS QUESTION FIVE ALMOST SIX YEARS AGO AND I WAS TOLD THAT WE ARE PART OF THE COOPERATIVE AND THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE NOW. NO, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE, THAT'S WHAT THE ANSWER WAS THAT I WAS GIVEN AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN PRACTICING MY ENTIRE TIME HERE. NOW IF WE ARE GOING TO REMOVE OURSELF FROM IT, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA SUPPORT PORT ARTHUR BUSINESSES. BUT AGAIN, AS YOU SAID, AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK, I KNOW I'M NOT AND I HOPE NO ONE ON ACCOUNTS IS TRYING TO CORRECT YOU OR TURN YOU THROUGH SOMETHING OR UNEVENNESS BECAUSE OF WHAT THIS PROCESS, THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON. I KNOW WHEN I CAME OR ARRIVED IN 2019. WELL, CAN, CAN I SAY SOMETHING THERE? FIRST OFF, I'M GONNA SAY I'M A BIG PROPONENT OF CO-OPS. OKAY. OKAY. I I'M GONNA SAY IT BECAUSE IT IS AN EFFICIENT WAY AND THE COST IS GENERALLY BECAUSE THE PURPOSE OF THE CO-OP IS YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF CITIES AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES THAT ARE, ARE PULLED TOGETHER. SO WHEN THESE COMPANIES BID OUT THESE PROJECTS, YOU GET A BETTER PRICING BECAUSE THEY SAY WHEN YOU BID THIS OUT, YOU BID NOW FOR THIS WHOLE SECTOR OF CITIES STATES, DEPENDING ON WHAT AREA THE CO-OP IS, NUMBER TWO IS VERY EFFICIENT. WE CAN GET SOME STUFF DONE QUICKER. WHICH COUNCIL ALWAYS STRESSES, GET SOME STUFF DONE QUICK. NOW, YOU KNOW, IN, IN SOME OF THESE CASES WHERE THEY ARE PULLED OUT THE VENDORS, THEY DO NOT BID. I'M NOT SAYING THEY WOULDN'T DO IT ON FLOORING, THAT'S [02:35:01] WHY I'M SAYING I'M NOT ARGUING ON THIS ONE. UH, BUT I JUST WOULDN'T SAY, THAT'S WHY I SAY I WOULDN'T PUSH A PROCESS OF JUST GETTING RID OF CO-OPS. YOU KNOW? NOW IF WE WANT TO PUT A PROCESS OF SAYING IF WE KNOW THAT THERE'S PULLED OFF THE VENDORS AND WE KNOW THEY'RE PULLED OFF THE VENDORS THAT ARE GOING TO BID AND SO YOU SHOULD BID IT NOT COME, THAT'S FINE. I WILL GO WITH THAT. BUT YOU KNOW, BUT I HAVE TO ALSO SAY THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PORT OFF THE VENDORS THAT ARE COME TALK TO Y'ALL AND SAY, I'LL BID, I'LL DO THIS. I DON'T GET NO OPPORTUNITY. AND AS SOON AS YOU THROW IT AND THEY PUT A PIECE OF PAPER, THEY DON'T WANNA DO IT. SO, AND I'M JUST GONNA BE HONEST ABOUT THAT. NOW THIS FLOORING IS NOT, LIKE I SAY, I DON'T THINK THIS IS ONE OF THEM. SO THAT'S WHY I SAY IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I WILL NOT ARGUE. IT'S JUST THAT THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF WANTED TO USE THIS COMPANY. IT WAS LEGAL. SO I SIGNED OFF ON IT. AND MAYOR, I'M SORRY, I WAS JUST GONNA CALL ON YOU SAID MAAM. YES. IF I CAN ADD MORE CLARITY TO THIS, UM, I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH MR. WILLIAMS. IF AT AT COUNCIL'S PLEASURE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS ITEM TO BE BIDDED DEFINITELY IS NOT AN ISSUE WITH BIDDING. THE REASONING FOR UTILIZING THIS COMPANY FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IS BECAUSE THIS COMPANY WAS USED FOR A PREVIOUS PROJECT FOR FLOORING TO ENSURE THAT WE KEPT THE COHESIVENESS AND CONTINUITY OF THAT FLOORING. 'CAUSE IT IS A GOVERNMENTAL BUILDING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PRODUCT MATCHED THE OTHER PRODUCTS THAT WE HAVE JUST RECENTLY GOT, INCLUDING THE FIFTH FLOOR. THAT'S WHY THE CO-OP WAS USED IN SELECTING THIS COMPANY. HOWEVER, IF, IF IT IS THE DESIRE OF COUNSEL THAT THIS ITEM BE BIDDED, WE WILL BID THE ITEM. OKAY. BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND WE HAVE HAD YOU UP HERE. UH, AS I'VE JUST SAID, I HOPE THAT WE ARE NOT POLITICIZING THIS PARTICULAR ITEM TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE JUST SELECTED AN ITEM AND WE'VE MADE IT POLITICAL. WHEN THERE'S BEEN TIMES BEFORE, AS I SAID, PORT ARTHUR DEALERSHIPS, PORT ARTHUR, OTHER, UH, CONTRACTORS COULD HAVE BEEN USED AND THEY WEREN'T. SO I MEAN, ARE WE CHANGING STARTING TONIGHT? YOU KNOW, UH, AND THAT'S, I JUST WANT SOME, AS YOU SAID, CLARITY. I'D LIKE SOME CLARITY IN THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE CHANGING THE NIGHT, OKAY, LET'S SAY WE GONNA CHANGE THIS AND WE'RE GONNA DO BUSINESS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAY. AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I SAY WE, WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL WITH THIS BECAUSE IN THE PAST WHEN WE, THE DEALERSHIPS HAS COME UP BEFORE, OKAY, BUT IN THE PAST, I KNOW IT'S A WHOLE NEW DODGE COMPANY NOW FROM THE PAST, BUT IN THE PAST WHEN WE WOULD SEND BIDS TO CERTAIN VENDORS HERE, YOU DIDN'T BID. THEY WOULD NOT BE, I SHOULD RECALL YOU SAYING IT AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, AND SO, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHY I SAY SELECTIVE. I MEAN, LIKE I SAY, IN THIS CASE IT MAKES SENSE. SO I'M NOT ARGUING AGAINST THIS, BUT I JUST SAY I JUST WANNA BE CAREFUL. THIS WHOLE, WE NEED TO JUST WIPE IT OUT KIND OF LIKE DISCUSSION I SEE KIND OF BREWING. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. YEAH. WE JUST GOTTA BE MORE SELECTIVE. OKAY. OKAY. POINT OF POINT OF ORDER. HOW DID THE BIBLE BOARD PROCESS GET IN PLACE? WAIT, YOU MEAN HOW DO WE JOIN IT? YEAH. WAS IT A, WAS IT A BODY OF THE COUNCIL? YEAH. YEAH. THAT'S, THAT'S I GOT IN PLACE. THE COUNCIL VOTES TO EVERY, EVERY CO-OP THE COUNCIL VOTES TO JOIN IT. YEAH, THAT'S FINE. OKAY. UH, OKAY. OKAY. CAN THIS, YOU GOTTA SAY NOT TO SAY YES, I PULLED THIS ITEM NOT TO SAY WE CAN'T USE BY BOARD OR THE CORPORATE. I PULLED THIS PARTICULAR ITEM BECAUSE ALL IT REQUIRED WAS REPLACING FLORING AND I HAD CALLED ON WHY DIDN'T WE GET A CHANCE TO DO IT? AND I'M SAYING THERE'S NO TIMEFRAME, NOTHING IMPORTANT. WHEN I MADE MY COMMENTS, I WAS VERY CLEAR. I WAS NOT SAYING WE CAN'T DO THIS OR WE SHOULDN'T DO THAT. I'M TALKING THIS PARTICULAR CASE I MADE THE COMMENT BY BOARD CORPORATE IS USED BECAUSE SOMETIME WE NEED IT DONE IN AN EXPEDIENT METHOD. I NEVER SAY I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS ITEM, THIS ITEM ALONE. I DON'T FEEL THAT THIS IS SO URGENT THAT WE CANNOT GO AND HAVE THIS BIDDED OUT. AND AS FAR AS HOW WE DO BUSINESS, THIS CONTRACT IS NOT APPROVED UNTIL [02:40:01] WE APPROVE IT. THEY'RE ASKING US TO APPROVE IT. THEY DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT WITH US UNTIL WE APPROVE THIS. SO IF WE DON'T APPROVE THIS CONTRACT, IT'S NOTHING LOST. BUT I WOULD FEEL MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF CITIZENS IN THIS CITY IF I SAY WITH THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, LESS BIDED OUT THIS ITEM. OKAY, WE DON'T HAVE A TIMEFRAME HERE. IT, WE DON'T NEED TO CHANGE HOW WE DO BUSINESS. I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR, HE'S SAYING HE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT. ALRIGHT, LET'S, LET'S VOTE THEN LET'S VOTE. OKAY. SOMEBODY ELSE GOT SO, I MEAN, YEAH, WE KILLED THE HORSE. OKAY. OKAY. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON IT? YOU GOT SOME OTHER ELSE? YOUR LIGHT STILL ON? YEAH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE, UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION. WE GOT WHERE WE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR? YES, BUT THIS IS A SUBSIDIARY QUESTION. NO, THIS IS A SUBSIDIARY. THIS ONE HERE WILL TAKE PRECEDENT. WE'LL VOTE ON THIS ONE AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO THE OTHER ONE. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION GO RIGHT HERE. I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REMOVE THIS ITEM FROM THE AGENDA AND UH, GO OUT FOR BID. SECOND. OKAY. IT IS BEEN A SECOND. YEAH. SECOND. OKAY. NO VOTE ON IT. YEAH, IT'S A SECOND. WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THAT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANYBODY OPPOSED? THEY GONE. ALL THAT'S IT. OKAY. THAT. THANK YOU MR. WHITNEY. OKAY. YEAH MAN. YEAH. YEAH. WE GOING BE HERE TILL 10 30. ALL RIGHT, [VII.C.(7) P.R. No. 24016 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Accept The Fiscal Year 2025 Body-Worn Camera Grant Funding In The Amount Of $99,286.20 With A 25% Cash Match In The Amount Of $33,095.40. Cash Match Is Available In FY24-25 Account Number 001-17-045-5470-00-30-000 ] THE NEXT ONE, GET YOUR POPCORN. ALL RIGHT. PR NUMBER 2 40 16. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BODY WORN CAMERA GRANT FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $99,286 AND 20 CENTS WITH A 25% CASH MATCH IN THE AMOUNT OF $33,095 AND 40 CENTS. CASH MATCH IS AVAILABLE IN FY 24 25. ACCOUNT NUMBER 0 0 1 DASH SEVEN DASH FOUR FIVE DASH 5 4 7 0 DASH 3 0 0. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN LEWIS MOTION FOR APPROVAL? MAY I GET A A, A SECOND? UH, COUNCILMAN EVAN FIELD SECOND. OKAY, THE MOVE. SECOND, THEY, WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 24 0 16 AS PRESENTED. WE ARE READY FOR QUESTION. COUNCILMAN? YES, CHIEF? HE THOUGHT HE HAD A PASS TONIGHT. IT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN. MY FAVORITE PERSON. SAY YOUR FAVORITE. CHIEF . I THOUGHT I WAS YOUR FAVORITE PERSON. HEY. ALRIGHT CHIEF, I, I WAS GOING THROUGH IT AND I JUST GOT A LITTLE CONFUSED HERE SO YOU JUST COULD CLEAR THIS UP FOR ME. OKAY. IT SAYS HERE THE ACCEPTANCE OF A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF NINETY NINE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND TWENTY CENTS. IS THAT THE GRANT? OR IS THE GRANT A HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY ONE THOUSAND SIXTY CENTS. THE TOTAL'S GONNA BE 1 32. THAT'S A MISTAKE. WE GOOD, CHIEF. THANK YOU SIR. AND ALSO THE 25% WAS A MISTAKE. 'CAUSE ACTUALLY IT'S 33%. WE'LL CORRECT IT, SIR. MATCHING WE'LL CORRECT IT. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE IT TOO EASY. YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA GET YOU ONE DAY THOUGH. I CAN'T BE THAT WAY. WELL, HE'S SAYING ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? WE'RE READY TO VOTE OF COUNCILMAN LEWIS. LOUIS. OH, JUST ONE QUESTION. CAN YOU GET SOME FOR, FOR A CLOSED SESSION? HERE WE GO. I'M NOT ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT THAT, SIR. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES? PR NUMBER 24 0 1 16 IS APPROVED AS AS PRESENTED. NEXT WE HAVE [VII.C.(8) P.R. No. 24017 – A Resolution Authorizing The Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation To Enter Into A Purchase Agreement With Mid-County Plaza, LLC For The Sale Of Approximately 5 Acres Of Land On Jade Avenue In The Spur 93 Business Park] ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS PR NUMBER 24 0 17. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED AND PORT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ENTER INTO A PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH MID COUNTY PLAZA LLC FOR THE SALE OF APPROXIMATELY FIVE ACRES OF LAND ON JADE AVENUE IN THE, UH, SPUR 90, SPUR 93 BUSINESS PARK. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN FRANK? SO MOVED. I'M [02:45:01] SORRY. OKAY, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN DOUCETTE SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND WE WOULD APPROVE P NUMBER 24 DS, EXCUSE ME. 24 0 17. ARE WE READY FOR QUESTION? UH, MAYOR, UH, UH, MAYOR PROTE? YES. THANK YOU. UM, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. I READ ALL OF THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS BEHIND THIS AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS AN INCENTIVE AGREEMENT OR IF THERE'S BEEN NEGOTIATIONS FOR AN INCENTIVE AGREEMENT WITH THIS COMPANY. MID-COUNTY PLAZA. LLC? NO MA'AM. THERE HAS NOT. ALRIGHT, THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? THERE AREN'T ANY. WE'RE READY TO VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYE. PR NUMBER 24 0 17 IS APPROVED AS READ WE'LL NOW MOVE SWIFTLY TO PAGE SEVEN TO THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA, BEGINNING [VIII.A.(1) P.R. No. 23997 – A Resolution Authorizing The Repairs To The 12M3 Motor Grader (Unit 2112) For The Public Works – Streets Division (Streets) By Mustang Caterpillar Of Beaumont, Texas, Through The Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Program For $31,909.76. Funds Are Available In FY24-25 Public Works Streets (Streets) Equipment Maintenance Account, 001-21-053-5318-00-70-000] WITH ITEM NUMBER ONE PR NUMBER 23 9 97. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE REPAIRS TO THE 12 M THREE MOTOR GREATER UNIT 2112 FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS STREETS, DIVISION, STREETS, UH, EXCUSE ME, BY MUSTANG CATERPILLAR OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS THROUGH THE SOURCE WHERE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM FOR $31,909 AND 76 CENTS. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN, UH, FISCAL YEAR 24 25 PUBLIC WORKS, STREET STREETS EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT 0 0 1 DASH 21 DASH FIVE THREE DASH 5 3 1 8 0 7 0 0 0. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF COUNCILMAN KEN LAW MOVE? MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN FRANK, IT'S BEEN MOVED. SECOND. AND WE WOULD APPROVE P NUMBER 23 9 97 AS APPROVED AS WE'RE READY. UH, FOR QUESTION UNDER THE QUESTION, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSERS? AYE. HAVE IT UNTIL PR NUMBER 2 3 9. NINE SEVEN IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NEXT WE HAVE PR [VIII.A.(2) P.R. No. 23998 – A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Enter Into A Contract With SCS Engineers Of Houston, Texas, For Groundwater, Landfill Gas, And Air Quality Monitoring At The Landfill For $149,000.00. Funds Are Available In FY24-25 Public Works Department Landfill Division – Professional Services Account Number 403-50-320-5420-00-00-000] NUMBER 2 3 9 9 8. IT IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH SCS ENGINEERS OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR GROUNDWATER, LANDFILL GAS AND AIR QUALITY MONITORING AT THE LANDFILL FOR $149,000. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE IN FY 24 25 PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT LANDFILL. THE DIVISION PROFESSIONAL SERVICE ACCOUNT NUMBER 4 0 3 DASH 5 3 20 DASH 5 4 20 DASH 0 0 0 0. UH, MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? COUNCILMAN LEWIS MOVE? YES. UH, SECOND, UH, MAYOR. UH, MAYOR, I TEMP SECOND. IT HAS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PR NUMBER 23 9 9 8 AS PRESENTED. WE READ UP A QUESTION. SEE ANY LIGHTS? NO QUESTIONS. READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY THE OPPOSERS? AYE. SO PR NUMBER 23 9 9 8 IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NEXT WE HAVE [VIII.A.(3) P.R. No. 24024 - A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A First Amendment To The Non-Exclusive Ambulance Agreement With Viking Enterprise Inc. Doing Business As City Ambulance Service To Establish A Month-To-Month Ambulance Service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o. 7295 – An Ordinance Designating Thursday, December 26, 2024, As An Official Paid Holiday] TO ORDINANCES. ORDINANCE NUMBER 72 95 AND ORDINANCE DESIGNATING THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26TH, 2024 AS AN OFFICIAL PAID HOLIDAY HERE IN THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR. MAY I GET A MOTION? COUNCILMAN KEN LAW? SO MOVED. MAYOR, MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN ETT SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND THAT WE WOULD APPROVE PO NUMBER 72 9 5 AS PRESENTED. UH, READY FOR QUESTION? YES. NOW ANY READY? YOU GOT ONE? GO RIGHT AHEAD. LAST, LAST YEAR WE DID THIS, WE TOOK THE HOLIDAY IN CONJUNCTION, BLESS WITH, WITH THE FLOATING HOLIDAY. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HOLIDAY. DECEMBER AFTER CHRISTMAS, YOU GONNA GET THE MOST GARBAGE AND TRASH PUT OUT. LAST YEAR WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO WE GET THE HOLIDAY THAT PUSHES A DAY BACK, BUT WE ALLOWING THE STAFF TO SELECT THE HOLIDAY THAT GOING TO PUSH THAT SERVICE BACK ANOTHER DAY. NOW I, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEPARTMENTS, BUT WHAT I'M CONCERNED WITH IS GARBAGE AND TRASH. THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE WITH THESE TWO THINGS, WHY WOULD WE ALLOW THE STAFF TO DO THE HOLIDAY TO PUT TWO HOLIDAYS INTO ONE WEEK THAT THEY PROBABLY GONNA COLLECT THE MOST GARBAGE IN TRASH. CAN WE, UH, ASK PUBLIC WORKS UP, BUT THE CITY MANAGERS UP HERE, UH, YEAH, SHE GOT ME. IN REGARDS TO THE, THE PROCESS, THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS WITH THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, THAT STAFF VOTES ON THAT FLOATING HOLIDAY. HOWEVER, WE DO UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS OF COUNCIL. UM, WE, I WOULD DEFINITELY NEED TO COORDINATE WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR IF WE WERE TO HAVE THE SOLID WASTE STAFF TO COME IN AND WORK ON DECEMBER 26TH. AND THIS IS DESIGNATED AS IN HOLIDAY, WE WILL BE PAYING TIME AND A HALF FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO COME IN. ALRIGHT, SO, SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR. WELL, WELL I BELIEVE THAT, THAT, THAT IS THE RESOLUTION THAT BEEN RESOLVING. COUNCILMAN ETT WAS SAYING THAT, I'M GONNA SPEAK ON THE QUESTION ON THIS AS WELL. THAT WOULD BE [02:55:01] THE, UH, A RESOLVE FOR THAT. YOU PAY THOSE EMPLOYEES, THEY COME IN ON THAT DAY THAT DESIGNATED A HOLIDAY TIME AND A HALF AND THEY WOULD COME AND THEY WOULD DUMP THE GARBAGE. I'M I AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM, I DON'T THINK NOBODY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT. SO LET'S VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR? I HAVE A QUESTION. OH, LORD JESUS, COME ON. I I DIDN'T MEAN IT THE WAY IT SOUNDED. YES YOU DID, BUT I DON'T CARE. SO, UM, DOES ANY, THIS THIS IS A LEGAL QUESTION JUST WITH RECENT, AND MAYBE I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT ALL CORRECTLY. THERE WAS RECENT LAW PASSED OR POSSIBLE LEGISLATION PASSED TO SAY THAT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PROVIDE OVERTIME. WHAT THIS WAS AN AN, I'M ASKING IF IT'S FAMILIAR ATTORNEY, AN ARTICLE THAT WAS READ. IS THERE SOMETHING LAST WEEK? IS THERE SOMETHING VALID THAT HASN'T AFFECT US AT ALL? I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING. SHE NOT AWARE OF IT. IT MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN ONE OF THEM FACEBOOK THINGS. NO, NO, NO. THIS, THIS WASN'T, OKAY, THANK YOU. BUT I'LL LOOK, THE NEWSPAPER HAD A SPOT AND PUT IT IN THERE. YES, SIR. GO RIGHT AHEAD, MS. BROWN. I I APPRECIATE WHAT COUNCILMAN, UH, DO SAID HAS SAID, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DONE, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR PERPETUITY, WE'VE DONE IN CONTINUUM, AND I, I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO WORK THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. I THINK WE SHOULD JUST CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO. AND I WANT TO VOTE TIME. THOSE WHO COME IN, I DON'T WANT TO, I I WANT TO VOTE, I WANT TO VOTE ON THEM. UM, I WANT VOTE ON IT AS IT IS, JUST AS IT IS. BUT, BUT PUBLIC WORK. CAN WE DO THIS? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR PROFESSIONAL INPUT ON THIS SITUATION? UH, EXCUSE ME. I WAS PULLING UP THE EMAIL. I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH THE, THE SOLID WASTE SUPERINTENDENT REGARDING THE SCHEDULE, THE GARBAGE AND TRASH SCHEDULE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE HOLIDAYS FOR THIS YEAR. SO FOR CHRISTMAS, UM, OF COURSE WE'RE OFF CHRISTMAS DAY. UM, BUT, UH, STAFF WILL RETURN ON DECEMBER 26TH. OKAY. UM, AND THEY WILL PICK UP THE WEDNESDAYS ROUTES. OKAY. AND THEN THE FOLLOWING DAY, THEY'LL PICK UP THE THURSDAY AS RIGHT. THAT'S ALL I THAT'S ALL I, AND THEY, AND, AND THEY AND IT THE HOLIDAY AND THEY GOING GET THE TIME AND EVERY YES. YES, SIR. OKAY, COME ON, LET'S VOTE Y'ALL. Y'ALL READY? ALL IN FAVOR. A A ANYBODY OPPOSED TO GO HOME? OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, I, I HOPE I DIDN'T UP SENT YOUR ATTORNEY. I SAYING I GET YOU, YOU GURU. GOD FORGIVE ME. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE THAT COME BEFORE THIS AUGUST BODY ON THIS EVENING? YES, WE DONE. OH LORD. OUR AGENDA. SEE, THAT'S WHY I SAID, LORD, WHEN SHE STOPPED, THEN SHE ASKED ONE MORE QUESTION. THEY GOT TWO MORE. OKAY. OH. OH. AND THEY GOT ANOTHER PAGE. NOW MY BAD, MY BAD, MY BAD. I'M SORRY. OKAY. UH, [VIII.B.(2) P.O. No. 7296 – An Ordinance Authorizing The City Manager To Execute A Correction Special Warranty Deed For Tract 39-A (Lot 39) Of The Marina Colony Subdivision, Commonly Known As 430 Island Way, Located In Mariner's Cove On Pleasure Island] PO NUMBER 72 96 AN ORDER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CORRECTION SPECIAL, A WARRANTY DEED FOR A TRACK OF LAND OR FOR A TRACK. UH, 39 8 BLOCK 39 OF THE MARINA, UH, COLUMN THE SUBDIVISION, COMMONLY KNOWN AS FOUR 30 ISLAND WADE LOCATED ON MARINA CO ON P OUTTA ME. A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. UH, SO MOVE SECOND. WHOEVER SAID IT, WE APPRECIATE YOU. I JUST, I HAVE A REAL QUICK OH, OH, YOU HAD TO SAY IT. SOMEBODY SAID SO MOVE. I DO. OKAY. I JUST CAME OUTTA THAT. HERE. SHE GOT IT. COME ON. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL THAT DON'T QUESTION. I HAVE A QUESTION. GO RIGHT IN VERY QUICKLY. AND THIS IS, THIS IS FOR CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. SO ARE, ARE WE DOING THIS BECAUSE WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A CLERICAL ERROR ERROR AND WE NEED TO CORRECT IT? OR DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A BUYER FOR THE PROPERTY AND WE NEED TO DO THIS CORRECTION TO MAKE THE TRANSACTION HAPPEN MR. TRAN TO PROVIDE CLEAR MR. TRAN, MR. TREND. SO, UM, IT'S NOT EVEN OUR PROPERTY. THE DEAL IS THE CURRENT HOME. THE CURRENT PROPERTY OWNER IS TRYING TO SELL THE PROPERTY AND THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A TITLE COMPANY AND THE TITLE COMPANY CAUGHT IT. GOTCHA. YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW. MM-HMM? , THANK YOU. YES, SIR. OKAY. AND THERE YOU OKAY? YOU HAVE ONE EVER? NO, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I, I NEED TO CALL YOU. THIS CAME OUT. IT'S GETTING LATE. OKAY. UH, WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR A AYE, ANY OPPOSES? AYE. OKAY, UH, COUNCIL DU SAID YOU VOTE AYE ON THAT, SIR, YOU STILL IN THE ROOM? YES. OKAY. NO, I MEAN, YOU WAS STILL IN THE ROOM, SO YEAH. YEAH. NOW YOU GOT SIGNED NOW AT THE COUNTY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. NOW SINCE Y'ALL MADE ME FIND THESE OTHER TWO, OKAY. ALRIGHT, THANK [VIII.B.(3) P.O. No. 7298 – An Ordinance Of The City Of Port Arthur, Texas To Authorize The Acceptance Of Credit And Debit Cards Or Other Electronic Means As Payment Of Fee, Fines, Court Costs And Other Charges; Provide For A Reimbursement Fee For Processing The Payment; Provide For Deposit Of The Reimbursement Fees Into The City’s General Fund; Provide For Publication; Provide For Severability Clause; Provide An Effective Date; And Ordaining Other Matters Related To The Foregoing] YOU. NOW PO NUMBER 72 98. IT IS AN ORDER OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS TO AUTHORIZE THE ACCEPTANCE OF CREDIT CARD CREDIT AND DEBIT CARDS OR OTHER ELECTRONIC MEANS AS PAYMENT FEES, FINES, COURT COSTS, AND OTHER CHARGES. PROVIDE FOR A REIMBURSEMENT [03:00:01] FEE FOR PROCESSING THE PAYMENT. PROVIDE FOR DEPOSIT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT FEES IN THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, PROVIDE FOR PUBLICATION, PROVIDE FOR FAVORABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDE FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE, AND ORDAINING OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE FORGO. MAY I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF MAYOR PRO TEM? OKAY, SO MAY I GET A SECOND? COUNCILMAN LEWIS SECOND. THE REVENUE STREAM. OKAY. COUNCILMAN, OH, GO RIGHT AHEAD. COUNT. UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE COUNCIL'S CLEARLY AWARE THAT WE NEED TO DETERMINE THE PERCENTAGE OF THE REIMBURSEMENT FEE. OH, TONIGHT OR, AND THE FINANCE DIRECTOR HAS INFORMATION ABOUT IT. YEAH, BUT WE DISCUSSED IT, WE DIDN'T AGREE UPON, RIGHT? CORRECT. AND SO THAT, SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO SAY TONIGHT, YOU SAID THAT'S CORRECT, SIR. 5% WAS THE ONE YOU WANTED? NO, SIR. THE, THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW WAS 5% OF THE, OF THE CHARGE. OKAY. WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM? BUT I THINK THE FINE INSTRUCTOR DIRECTOR HAS A RECOMMENDATION. I MEAN, THAT'S WHY I SAID EVERYBODY ELSE CHARGE ME THAT. GET THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT. DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT. CROSSMAN LEWIS. MM-HMM. . DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT. COME ON. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL MEMBERS. MAYOR. IT IS THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCES OR THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCES RECOMMENDATION THAT WE GO NO MORE THAN 3% FOR OUR CITIZENS. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S THE HIGHEST THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO. I'D LIKE TO REEVALUATE THIS IN ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AND SEE HOW WE DO. BUT THAT I, I, I'M SORRY. NOT WELL, WE THANK YOU MS. LYNN. I DON'T AGREE WITH THE 5% AT THIS TIME. OKAY. WE, WE THANK YOU MS. LYNN. OKAY. WE THANK YOU 3%, UH, ATTORNEY. 3% WITH YOUR MO DID THE MOTION? YOU DID? I'M GONNA DO IT. I'M GOING ON THE RECORD. WHO DID THE SECOND, I'LL SECOND YOU. OKAY. 3%. THAT'S GOOD. WE RIGHT. CITY THE SECRETARY. YOU GOT IT SIR? 3%. EVERYBODY READY TO VOTE? OH, QUESTION, QUESTION, QUESTION. THE, UM, QUESTION COUNT. YES. ONE COUNT THE QUESTION TWO. COUNT THREE. WERE WE STILL ABLE TO RECOUP THAT APPROXIMATELY $285,000? NOT FROM THE PAST, BUT WE WILL FROM THE FUTURE? YEAH. GOING FORWARD. GOING FORWARD, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE. YEAH, BECAUSE IF I PAID MY BILL YESTERDAY, Y'ALL CAN'T CHARGE ME ON THAT YESTERDAY. OKAY. AND THE EFFECTING DATE OF THE PROCESSING FEE, WHAT'S THE EFFECTIVE DATE? IT'LL BE JANUARY 1ST. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. AND DOES THIS 3% ALSO INCLUDE THE FEE FOR THE PHYSICAL MACHINE THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR, WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OTHER SIZE? YES, MA'AM. WOW. OKAY. OKAY. WE GOOD? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSES AYES ADVERSARY IS ORDERED THAT I, I LOST THE NUMBER, BUT THAT WAS THE PASSES. OKAY. NOW THERE WOULD BE NO OTHER BUSINESS. OH, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, PRINTED ITEMS ON THIS AGENDA. AND IT IS NOW 8:46 PM ON NOVEMBER 19TH, 2024. AND WHAT WE WILL DO IS DECLARE THIS MEETING ADJOINED AND THE NEXT MEETING IS DECEMBER 3RD. THIRD. THE FIFTH. THIRD, OKAY. DECEMBER 3RD. ALL RIGHT. I MET THE N***A WITH OLD. * 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.